Eight NHL Veterans Who Should Turn Their One-Year Deals Into A Contract Extension

The New Year has added significance for NHL players on one-year contracts.

As of Jan. 1, players on one-year contracts are now eligible for a contract extension.

NHL watchers always keep an eye on the contract status of players, as their stats often dictate whether they’ll remain in their current market. And some veteran NHLers on one-year deals are deserving of another contract with their club.

Here are eight players teams should be trying to extend right away:

Matt Duchene, C, Dallas Stars

Duchene is having another great year with the Stars, posting 14 goals and 33 points in 36 games. The 33-year-old is making $3 million with Dallas, which will skyrocket if he makes it to the open market. The Stars will have a cap crunch even with the rising cap ceiling, but they need to find a way to keep Duchene happy while keeping as much cap flexibility as possible. That means getting his signature on an extension long before the off-season arrives.

Related: NHL Free Agency: Seven Western Conference Pending UFAs Who Could Demand Big Bucks

Patrick Kane, RW, Detroit Red Wings

If the Red Wings are intent on making the playoffs – a long shot for this season – they will need to keep Kane in the fold. Like most of the Wings, Kane has struggled this season, posting just seven goals and 17 points in 32 games. But he’s clearly bought into GM Steve Yzerman’s plan, and a decent contract extension shouldn’t be all that difficult for him to obtain. The 36-year-old is making $4 million, but he’s not looking to break the bank on a new contract. A slight raise should be able to keep him in the fold.

Kevin Lankinen, G, Vancouver Canucks

Lankinen has delivered everything asked of him and more as a Canuck, putting up a 14-6-4 record, 2.58 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 24 appearances. Now that star netminder Thatcher Demko is back, Lankinen’s workload has dropped, but Vancouver management should find a way to keep him around as Demko’s understudy. The 29-year-old Lankinen is currently on a bargain $875,000 deal, but if he gets to the open market, he’s proven he deserves more. Arturs Silovs is still only 23 years old, and there’s no sense rushing him to the NHL if Lankinen is playing this well.

Related: The Canucks Are Playing Whac-A-Mole: Now With Hughes, Pettersson Injuries And Collapse Vs. Kraken

Lorentz came to Maple Leafs camp without a guaranteed contract, but he impressed Leafs management and earned a one-year, $775,000 deal. Since then, he’s been in a great spot on Toronto’s fourth line. Although his offense totals aren’t mind-blowing – four goals and seven points in 38 games – Lorentz’s physical game and defensive acumen have made him an integral component of the Leafs’ bottom six. The 28-year-old and the squad are happy with where they are, and now it’s on Leafs GM Brad Treliving to get a new deal done.

Victor Olofsson, LW, Vegas Golden Knights

After a down season last year with Buffalo where he had seven goals and 15 points in 51 games – Olofsson has rejuvenated his career with the Golden Knights. He has eight goals and 13 points in 17 games despite dealing with an injury. He’s currently playing on a one-year, $1,075-million contract, and while Vegas doesn’t have massive amounts of money to throw at him, he’s proving to be a secondary scorer any team would want.

Max Pacioretty, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs

The 36-year-old Pacioretty has had problems staying healthy in recent years, but when he has been in the Leafs’ lineup, he’s been a great-value addition at $873,770 on the season. Pacioretty has five goals and 12 points in 25 games, which is a similar pace to his 23 points in 47 games last season. His fit in the Leafs’ room as an experienced hand will likely result in a short-term extension for him. If he can stay out of the injury ward, Pacioretty and Toronto will want to stick together.

Related: NHL Free Agency: Will These Six Eastern Conference Pending UFAs Go Elsewhere?

Jack Roslovic, C, Carolina Hurricanes

Roslovic bounced between the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers last season, but the 27-year-old has been terrific for Carolina, putting up 17 goals and 25 points in 37 games. He’s well on his way to demolishing his current career high of 22 goals and 45 points, and his current salary of $2.8 million makes him an excellent bargain. He’s no doubt happy to be playing on a winner, and Carolina is happy to have plucked him out of free agency and made him a great secondary scoring option for the Hurricanes.

Jason Zucker, LW, Buffalo Sabres

Not much has gone right for the Sabres this season, but signing Zucker has panned out well for them. The 32-year-old is on a one-year, $5-million contract, and he’s posted 11 goals and 26 points in 38 games. If Buffalo doesn’t trade him, Zucker could be a much-needed veteran presence for them on a one- or two-year extension. If he’s convinced the Sabres are intent on winning, Zucker could be persuaded to stay in Western New York and continue giving Buffalo a scoring finisher. But they’ll have to move quickly and convince him it’s worth remaining a Sabre.

Related: Checking In On 14 NHL Players Who Signed Deals Off PTOs

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