Jack Roslovic is arguably the NHL’s best UFA still looking for his next contract.
Jack Roslovic is arguably the NHL’s best UFA still looking for his next contract.
While he has yet to sign with his new team, there is no question this should change before the 2025-26 season is here.
Teams still looking for more offense should be calling, as the Columbus, Ohio, native has provided solid secondary scoring throughout his career. This past season, he had 22 goals and 39 points in 81 games with the Carolina Hurricanes. In 2021-22 with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Roslovic had a career-high 22 goals and 45 points, then followed it up with 11 goals, 33 assists and 44 points the year afterward.
Let’s look at three NHL teams that could be good landing spots for Roslovic, who can play at center or on the right wing.
Vancouver Canucks
It is no secret the Vancouver Canucks need help at the center position after Pius Suter left the club and signed with the St. Louis Blues this off-season. With Roslovic being one of the top centers left on the free-agent market, Evgeny Kuznetsov being the other, he would make a lot of sense for a Canucks team looking to bounce back after this past season’s playoff miss. So it’s no surprise that the Canucks have talked to Roslovic’s camp, according to CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal.
If the Canucks signed Roslovic, he would give them an upgrade for their third-line center spot, at a minimum. However, he would also give them another option down the middle for their second line if Filip Chytil isn’t the solution there. In either scenario, the Canucks’ center depth would improve with a Roslovic addition.
The Canucks are also in a decent position to add to their roster. They have a little over $3 million of cap space to work with. They should be able to afford bringing in a depth forward like Roslovic on a short-term deal.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are another club that has been viewed as a possible suitor for Roslovic this off-season. Their center depth is locked up with Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Nicolas Roy and Scott Laughton, but Roslovic can play right wing. The Leafs lost right winger Mitch Marner this off-season, and although they acquired Matias Maccelli to play on the right side potentially, Roslovic gives them another option.
Roslovic would offer them another solid forward to consider for their top nine and power play. Due to his versatility, he can move up and down the lineup and remain effective.
This past season, he played on the top line with Sebastian Aho and either Andrei Svechnikov or Seth Jarvis, but he also played with Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Taylor Hall, Eric Robinson and others, according to moneypuck.com.
Considering the Maple Leafs had 70 forward line combinations that played at least 10 minutes this past season, it’s possible that Roslovic could try to set up John Tavares or former USA Hockey National Team Development Program teammate Auston Matthews on one night or be a depth shooter with Roy or Laughton another night.
Like the Canucks, the Maple Leafs also have some money left to work with, as they have just under $3 million of cap space available. This could be enough to land Roslovic, especially with free agency opening a month ago now.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils added to their forward depth this off-season by bringing in Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov, but they could still use an upgrade at their third-line center spot after trading Erik Haula to the Nashville Predators. Bringing in Roslovic would provide them with just that.
Even if the Devils decide to put Dawson Mercer at center, which they did at times this past season, Roslovic could compete with Arseny Gritsyuk and Paul Cotter for a spot on the wing in the bottom six.
However, the Devils still need to re-sign top RFA Luke Hughes this summer, and they have about $6.13 million in cap space. Given how important a player Hughes is to their roster in the short and long term, getting him signed to his new contract is their top priority. Yet, the possibility of Roslovic joining the Devils should not be ruled out, especially if they free up some of their cap space by trading another player.
Ultimately, with the Devils finishing 20th in the NHL in goals-for in 2024-25, Roslovic would be a nice pickup for them. They could be a dark horse to watch.
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Category: General Sports
