While most high-profile unrestricted free agents signed July 1, multiple useful players remain available. Below, we identify the best fits for these players, who are ordered alphabetically.
Nick Blankenburg
Age: 28
Position: RD
Best fit: Anaheim Ducks
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has a lot on his plate. He still needs to work out a deal with restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier, and he may have to move off an expensive veteran forward to make that happen. If Verbeek can clear the cap space, improving the blue line should be his next priority. Anaheim's only right-shot defenders are Nick Jensen, Drew Helleson, and Tristan Luneau following the departures of John Carlson, Jacob Trouba, and Radko Gudas. Blankenburg would provide another option on the right side. He's only 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds, but he's an excellent puck-mover who's routinely won his minutes in a third-pairing role.
Michael Bunting
Age: 30
Position: LW
Best fit: Toronto Maple Leafs
Bunting racked up a career-high 63 points in 2021-22 with the Maple Leafs while riding shotgun with Auston Matthews, who won the Hart Trophy that season. Perhaps a reunion could benefit both sides. Bunting, a native of Scarborough, Ontario, plays with the type of heart and soul Toronto seems to be targeting under its new leadership group. He's also pesky and a strong offensive play-driver who could play up and down the lineup.
Jonathan Drouin
Age: 31
Position: LW
Best fit: Colorado Avalanche
It seems to be Colorado or bust for Drouin at this point. He was very effective in his two years with the Avalanche, producing 93 points in 122 games across two seasons while frequently playing alongside junior teammate Nathan MacKinnon. Last season - split between the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues - was disastrous for Drouin, who scored only four goals in 64 games before being bought out this offseason. After losing several forwards due to a cap crunch, the Avalanche would be wise to reunite with Drouin on a low-cost, one-year deal.
Patrick Kane
Age: 37
Position: RW
Best fit: Buffalo Sabres
If there were ever a time for Kane, a native of Buffalo, New York, to play for his hometown team, it's now. The Sabres are finally relevant after snapping a 14-year playoff drought and winning a round last season. Their power play was an issue, though, ranking 21st during the regular season. Kane is still effective with the man advantage and could serve as Tage Thompson's setup man from the opposite flank on the top unit. Buffalo also has plenty of cap space to work with and hasn't made any significant forward additions after losing Alex Tuch.
John Klingberg
Age: 33
Position: RD
Best fit: San Jose Sharks
The Sharks have overhauled their blue line this offseason, bringing in Trouba, Darnell Nurse, and Michael Kesselring. However, none of these players are fit to quarterback the team's top power-play unit. Klingberg did so rather effectively last season, helping San Jose finish 16th in the league with the man advantage. The Sharks generated 8.4 expected goals per 60 minutes when he was on the ice with the man advantage and 7.9 when he wasn't, per Natural Stat Trick. Klingberg wouldn't need to log over 20 minutes per game like he did last season, but a sheltered, third-pairing role at five-on-five while serving as a power-play specialist would be perfect.
Patrik Laine
Age: 28
Position: LW
Best fit: Tampa Bay Lightning
Laine was included in my pre-July 1 predictions, where I had him going to Tampa Bay. The logic for the move remains the same today: The Lightning have needed a right-handed trigger man on the power play ever since Steven Stamkos departed. Playing opposite Nikita Kucherov on the man advantage would be an excellent way for Laine to rebuild his value following an injury-plagued season. Because he missed so much time, Laine is eligible for a one-year deal with performance bonuses that could make this marriage a win-win.
Anthony Mantha
Age: 31
Position: LW/RW
Best fit: Montreal Canadiens
Mantha was also listed among my pre-July 1 predictions, where I had him joining the Habs. Nearly two weeks after the initial free-agent frenzy, it still makes too much sense. The Canadiens haven't added a single notable forward this offseason, and Mantha's size and two-way game would be a great fit on the second line with Ivan Demidov. Mantha may not get the lucrative long-term deal he once sought, but he might find comfort in the familiarity Montreal has to offer. He's a Quebec native, and Canadiens GM Kent Hughes was once his agent.
Logan Stanley
Age: 28
Position: LD
Best fit: Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have done very little to address the left side of their blue line following the departures of Ryan Shea and Parker Wotherspoon. Declan Carlile is the lone left-shot defenseman they've added. Stanley, who joined the Sabres at the deadline as part of a deal with the Winnipeg Jets, didn't fare well in Buffalo, as he was a healthy scratch for five of the team's 13 playoff games. But the monstrous 6-foot-7 blue-liner would be the second-best left-shot defenseman for a Penguins squad that's looking to remain competitive next season.
Vladimir Tarasenko
Age: 34
Position: RW
Best fit: Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers still have more than $5 million in cap space to play with. They're full on defense and between the pipes, so perhaps they look to use some of their cap flexibility to bolster their forward group. Tarasenko still has some juice left following a 23-goal campaign with the Minnesota Wild and could provide the Oilers with some valuable secondary scoring. The two Stanley Cup rings on his resume may entice Edmonton's brass.
Eeli Tolvanen
Age: 27
Position: LW/RW
Best fit: Carolina Hurricanes
The reigning Stanley Cup champs could use another top-nine winger with Seth Jarvis set to miss the start of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in late June. Tolvanen, who's averaged 18 goals per 82 games over his eight-year career, isn't a strong skater, but head coach Rod Brind'Amour would likely appreciate the Finn's physicality (187 hits last season) and willingness to defend despite having a 5-foot-10, 182-pound frame.
