Initially faced with the possibility of a big pay cut upon hitting free agency July 1, Paul Stastny was traded to the Winnipeg Jets and placed on the top scoring line with Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers. This opened up an opportunity for Stastny to dramatically improve his negotiating position, if he can put up some big points and help the Jets secure their first playoff victory in franchise history.
Stastny is one of 10 unrestricted free agents who stand to gain (or lose) the most with particularly notable play down the stretch and into the playoffs.
Note: Current cap information from Cap Friendly, contract projections use Matt Cane's salary predictor.
John Carlson, D, Washington Capitals
Current contract: Six years, $3.967M per year
Contract projection: One year, $8.25M
It's hard to get noticed on a team with Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov, but what if Carlson were to finish the season as the NHL's leading scorer among defensemen?
With 53 points in 66 games, Carlson is already ahead of San Jose's Brent Burns (52), Nashville's P.K. Subban (50) and Philadelphia's Shayne Gostisbehere (50). With three more points, he could catch the only defenseman ahead of him, John Klingberg of the Dallas Stars, who has 56 points.
Given that the leading scorer among blueliners has won the Norris Trophy in four of the past six seasons, Carlson is in a position to double his current cap hit, and rank second to Subban, whose $9.0 million cap hit ranks first among defensemen.
Jack Johnson, D, Columbus Blue Jackets
Current contract: Seven years, $4.36M per year
Contract projection: One year, $2.4M
After recently requesting either a trade or a more prominent role, Johnson received neither. Having spent 2016-17 and most of 2017-18 on the team's defensive-minded second pair with David Savard, he has since been playing with depth partners like Markus Nutivaara and Ryan Murray.
With just nine points in 66 games, and with poor shot-based metrics for the 10th time in his 11 seasons, Johnson could be forced to sign a small, one-year "show me" contract this summer.
However, there is the potential for much more. Despite his mediocre statistics, Johnson still has the kind of strong reputation that got him named to Team USA in the 2016 World Cup. So, if Johnson can prove that he can play effectively with secondary partners, help propel Columbus into the Stanley Cup playoffs, and possibly into the second round for the first time in franchise history, then he could convince a team to invest in the kind of multiyear, $4.0M per year contracts that similar No. 4 defensemen have received lately.
Evander Kane, LW, San Jose Sharks
Current contract: Six years, $5.25M per year
Contract projection: Seven years, $6.8M per year
Being acquired by the Sharks at the trade deadline was a tremendous opportunity for Kane. With the injury to fellow impending free agent Joe Thornton on Jan. 23, Kane has been playing on the top line with Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi, where he already has five points in three games. With another nine goals and 12 points in the team's remaining 16 games, he could tie his career high of 30 goals and 57 points, which he set with the Jets in 2011-12.
Kane is a skilled and physical two-way player with solid shot-based metrics who also has the opportunity to showcase his talents in the playoffs the first time, assuming San Jose qualifies for the 18th time in 20 seasons.
However, if Kane's scoring begins to fizzle, the Sharks miss the playoffs, and/or his off-ice reputation becomes an even greater issue in California, then he may receive only modest and short-term contract offers this summer.
Patrick Maroon, LW, New Jersey Devils
Current contract: Three years, $2.0M per year
Contract projection: Two years, $3.7M per year
With a career high 27 goals in 2016-17, Maroon is a big, physical player who proved that he can score -- with Connor McDavid at his side, that is. Now that he has been traded to the Devils, he needs to prove that he can score with someone who isn't a living cheat code.
Lining up with players like Travis Zajac and fellow free agent deadline acquisition Michael Grabner, Maroon has scored four points in four games, including three on the power play.
To confirm his status as a top-six forward prior to free agency, he needs to score eight more points to match last year's career high of 42, and help the Devils back into the playoffs for the first time since they reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2011-12.
Rick Nash, LW, Boston Bruins
Current contract: Eight years, $7.8M per year
Contract projection: Two years, $3.5M per year
At the moment, Nash's contractual future is following the same path as Eric Staal's, who was traded to the New York Rangers at the trade deadline in the final year of his big contract in 2015-16. With only six points down the stretch and no points in the team's first-round exit, Staal signed a three-year contract with the Minnesota Wild for the bargain price of $3.5M per season.
If Nash is kept below 40 points for the fourth time in five seasons, expect a similar deal for him this summer. So far, Nash has four points in five games playing on a line with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk, and needs eight more to reach 40 points. If he continues to score, then Nash's versatile two-way play could entice more generous offers than Staal received.
Also keep an eye on defenseman Nick Holden, also acquired from the New York Rangers, who may take on a more prominent role in the absence of Charlie McAvoy.
David Perron, LW, Vegas Golden Knights
Current contract: Two years, $3.75M per year
Contract projection: Four years, $6.75M per year
It's been a remarkable season for the NHL's newest expansion team, where about a dozen players will reach new single-season scoring highs. When restricting the view to those who scored at least 20 points while doing so, no other team has had more than four such players in the same season, going back to 1967-68.
With 60 points in 60 games, Perron has already beaten his old career high of 57 points with the Oilers in 2013-14, and could really cash in on the team's unexpected success in this summer's free-agent frenzy with an extra $3.0 million per season, and a longer term.
To seal the deal, Perron and fellow free-agent linemate James Neal need to help prove that the regular season was no fluke, and that the Golden Knights are a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup.
Paul Stastny, C, Winnipeg Jets
Current contract: Four years, $7.0M per year
Contract projection: Two years, $4.7M per year
For Stastny, being traded to Winnipeg at the trade deadline to play with Laine and Ehlers is the perfect situation to maximize his free-agent value this summer. He has already scored five points in the first four games, and needs just five more to reach 50 points for the first time since 2013-14, right before he signed his existing high-price contract with the St. Louis Blues.
In St. Louis, Stastny was often used in tough defensive situations to shut down top opponents. In Winnipeg, playing on a scoring line with Laine and Ehlers will allow him to showcase his tremendous offensive skill, and could help the franchise win its first playoff game, series and possibly even the Stanley Cup. If so, he could earn a repeat of his last contract, which didn't seem too likely a month ago.
John Tavares, C, New York Islanders
Current contract: Six years, $5.5M per year
Contract projection: Seven years, $10.1M per year
The Islanders appear destined to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season, which could take a big bite out of their captain's next contract -- especially if he finishes third in team scoring and is held to fewer than 70 points for the seventh time in his nine-season career.
If Tavares gets back on track, then there is still the potential to become the league's second-highest paid player next season (after Connor McDavid's $12.5 million). To do that, he needs to score at least seven goals and 19 points in the team's remaining 15 games, to match his career highs of 38 goals and 86 points set in 2014-15.
James van Riemsdyk, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Current contract: Six years, $4.25M per year
Contract projection: One year, $4.5M
Toronto has five free-agent forwards in its lineup, most of whom will not be re-signed in the summer in order to clear cap space for William Nylander this year, and Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews the year after. Given the possibility of having to find a new home, James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Tomas Plekanec, Leo Komarov and Dominic Moore stand to gain the most from the team's first playoff series victory since 2003-04.
Of the five, van Riemsdyk has the greatest contractual upside if things go really well for Toronto. He's 28, leads the team with 193 shots, his 26 goals ranks second on the team to Matthews' 28, and his relative Corsi percentage of plus-4.0 percent since 2015-16 ranks No. 42 among forwards to play at least 20 games.
Thomas Vanek, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets
Current contract: One year, $2.0M
Contract projection: One year, $3.2M
Vanek knows all about the importance of getting hot at the right time. After being acquired by the Montreal Canadiens at the 2013-14 deadline on the tail end of a lucrative seven-year contract, Vanek scored 15 points in 18 games down the stretch, and helped the Canadiens advance to the Eastern Conference final. The following summer, the Minnesota Wild excitedly signed him to a three-year deal with an annual cap hit of $6.5 million -- which was bought out prior to that final season.
Since then, Vanek has had to agree to one-year deals, the first worth $2.6 million and the second one $2.0 million. To reverse that trend, Vanek has to help the Blue Jackets successfully secure the last wild-card position, and win the first playoff series in franchise history. So far, he has been held pointless in four games.