The playoffs are the most high-pressure environment of the year, and those who rise to the occasion ahead of their contracts expiring may see that reflected in their next paycheck. General managers need 82-game players to get their team to the postseason; they also seek players who can kick it into high gear to help take their team all the way.
Right or wrong, recency bias influences decision making. The most recent games hockey general managers see before free agency comes around is the playoffs. That’s why it’s no surprise that postseason performances can impact a player’s value ahead of contract talks.
So, how have the playoffs this year impacted players on expiring contracts?
For some, little if at all. Patrice Bergeron’s next contract has little to do with his performance in the Bruins’ postseason run. Instead, the decision on whether to extend him in Boston relies on how the center wants to proceed.
But not every player has that luxury. That is why we’re going to look at some notable pending unrestricted free agents to see whose stock has risen or fallen this spring.
Evgeni Malkin
7 GP, 3-3-6, ATOI: 20:39
Between injuries and five-on-five regression, Evgeni Malkin isn’t quite the same superstar he once was. Yet, even at 35 he still crested the point-per-game mark in the regular season despite suboptimal help on his wings.
Malkin’s good but unspectacular playoff was the perfect microcosm of where he’s at in his career.
He chipped in during big moments such as the marathon Game 1 with the overtime winner but he didn’t take over games or dominate for long stretches as the Penguins were handed another first-round loss. Malkin remains an elite playmaker on the power play but his diminishing foot speed led to fewer dynamic moments at even strength and occasional defensive lapses such as the one below.
The big Russian center is still a damn good player, he just can’t be expected to carry a team anymore. Malkin needs to be insulated with the right wingers and you’ll have to live with some two-way inconsistency, but he proved his vision and playmaking is still a tremendous asset for any second line.
Stock: Neutral ?
Claude Giroux
10 GP, 3-5-8, ATOI: 18:00
Some people feel Giroux was a disappointment in Florida after the President’s Trophy winning team was bounced in a Round 2 sweep. It’s possible. But is it the deadline acquisition’s fault that the team suddenly couldn’t play to the regular season strengths that brought them to the postseason? No, their problems were bigger than one player.
The Panthers’ finish likely doesn’t weigh too much on Giroux’s stock. But he’s in a different position from other pending UFAs in that he’s not signing the biggest deal of his career; rather, that’s the contract that’s about to expire for him. The former Flyers’ captain could still have his choice of where he wants to sign this summer. His postseason play likely has little bearing on it, since he still proved to be valuable and versatile in his short tenure in Florida. At this point in his career, Giroux’s likely not going to a team where he has to be the guy like he was in Philadelphia, but he can still be an asset.
Stock: Neutral ?
Johnny Gaudreau
12 GP, 3-11-14, ATOI: 19:34
Gaudreau had an MVP-caliber regular season that only increased his value to the Flames and on his next contract. But the question for the small-statured forward was how that outstanding season would translate to the postseason after he’s wilted in years past.
While Calgary fell short with a Round 2 exit, Gaudreau still came to play when it mattered the most — with the highlight coming in Game 7 of Round 1 with the series-clinching goal in overtime. He scored at over a point-per-game pace with 14 points in 12 games and was a positive influence on his team’s five-on-five offensive generation. That only betters his already high stock going into free agency, now that he showed he could…
Read More: Stock up, stock down: Analyzing the playoff performances of pending unrestricted