From Connor McDavid to Auston Matthews to Nathan Mackinnon, many NHL stars lead their teams with highlight reel moments. The most successful teams in the NHL are those with the deepest lineup and the strongest depth players. Teams that don’t have a full roster of players who can contribute one way or another, usually aren’t going to be successful in the postseason.
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The reason the Vegas Golden Knights have been so successful in recent seasons and could be again in 2023-24 is not only because their star players rise to the occasion, but because they have a full lineup of players who will do whatever it takes to win. That said, here are a few depth players on expiring deals who deserve new NHL contracts next season.
Max Comtois – Forward, 25 Years Old
Maxime (Max) Comtois, a 25-year-old left-shot forward from Longueuil, Quebec, is 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, and was drafted in the second round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft at 50th overall by the Anaheim Ducks. This season, he has played for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL), scoring 12 goals and 29 points through 48 games. On March 4, Comtois was rewarded with a one-year, two-way contract from the Carolina Hurricanes to play out the rest of the season.
Comtois has 210 NHL games under his belt, all with the Ducks, with 38 goals and 86 points, which comes out to a 0.41 points-per-game average. He was considered a top prospect coming out of junior after his time in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) where he played 205 games over parts of four seasons, scoring 123 goals and 244 points, which comes out to a 1.19 points-per-game average.
He needed a fresh start after a tough end to his time with the Ducks who let him walk to free agency. The Golden Knights offered him a professional tryout contract, but he didn’t earn a new deal until just days before the trade deadline. His two-way game is solid, and he could become a solid bottom-six forward for any team that decides to give him an opportunity next season.
Phil Kessel – Forward, 36 Years Old
Phil Kessel, a 36-year-old right-shot forward from Madison, Wisconsin is 6 feet, 203 pounds, and was drafted in the first round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft at 5th overall by the Boston Bruins. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion who has spent time with the Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes, and Golden Knights. Over his 1286-game NHL career, Kessel has scored 413 goals and 992 points for a 0.77 points-per-game average. He has a winning resume and should be worth signing ahead of the 2024-25 season.
There were reports that Kessel might sign with the Vancouver Canucks before the trade deadline, which would have made him eligible for the playoffs. However, that didn’t happen, so he must wait until next season to earn a new deal. He would be a good addition for a rebuilding team that wanted to take a chance on him, and they could also flip him at the trade deadline for draft capital. There are plenty of options for Kessel next season, depending on what he will do next.
His veteran leadership and proven ability to provide scoring in the bottom six should help him earn a new deal. He is only eight points away from reaching the 1,000-point threshold, and his next contract should be the one that pushes him into that category.
Seth Griffith – Forward, 31 Years Old
Seth Griffith is a 31-year-old right-shot forward from Wallaceburg, Ontario, who stands 5-foot-9, 190 pounds. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft at 131st overall by the Bruins after a strong showing in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights. In his draft year, Griffith scored 45 goals and 85 points through 68 games. The following season, he returned to the OHL and had another strong showing, scoring 33 goals and 48 assists through 54 games.
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Since then, Griffith has bounced between the NHL and AHL. In 601 AHL games, he has scored 187 goals and 369 assists, which comes out to a 0.93 points-per-game average. Through 80 NHL contests, he has eight goals and 19 points, which comes out to a 0.24 points-per-game average.
He has established himself as a solid two-way forward at the minor-league level and deserves a full-time chance in the NHL next season on a team that needs a boost to their bottom-six. His leadership with the Bakersfield Condors over the past several seasons has been impressive and should be enough to give him one more shot at the NHL level.
Brendan Perlini – Forward, 27 Years Old
Brendan Perlini is a 27-year-old left-shot forward from Guildford, Great Britain, who stands 6-foot-4, 212 pounds. He was drafted in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Coyotes at 12th overall. This season, he has been playing in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers, with nine goals and 19 points through 35 games. Over parts of five NHL seasons, Perlini has scored 50 goals and 81 points through 262 games, which comes out to a 0.31 points-per-game average. He is a solid two-way depth forward who is deserving of another shot.
Perlini can provide offensive production to a team’s bottom six, all while being solid defensively. He can also provide a strong physical side to his game when called upon, as he has shown in the AHL that he can be a reliable depth forward.
All of these players can provide solid depth to an NHL team if they are given the chance to prove themselves next season. Hopefully, some teams will consider these four players as solid depth additions, as they can all contribute, whether it’s on the defensive side of the game, the offensive side of it, or by adding leadership and physicality.
