Every season, dozens of periphery players and developing prospects break into the spotlight of the NHL, and it's up to the scouting department of each team to determine which players to gamble on and which players to overlook. For each team's front office, the latter is chagrined, and the former is celebrated: just look at Kiefer Sherwood's career year last season with the Vancouver Canucks. While the salary cap is going up, players' salaries are rising commensurately. To fill a roster, teams will look on the fringe between the AHL and the NHL, hoping to find value where others might not see it, hoping to, through a lot of luck and a little skill, add key pieces for the long season ahead.
There's a specific type of player that teams will often target each offseason: players categorized as "Group 6 Free Agents" (FAs). To qualify as a Group 6 FAs, players must meet the following criteria:
1. Must be age 25 or older
2. Must have completed three or more professional seasons
3. Must have completed their standard player contract (SPC)
4. Must have played less than 80 games at the NHL level (or 28, if the player is a goaltender)
Note: There's more nuance and legal jargon on this topic, written into the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) under section 10.1-c, which dictates these stipulations on behalf of the players; this is the abridged set of qualifications.
If these criteria are met, the player becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent. This CBA clause is designed to prevent players from getting "buried" in the minors or in the press box for a team that doesn't want to lose the rights to the player but also refuses to give them a shot they might find elsewhere with another team.
For NHL teams' front offices, the appeal of these players exists because of the limited NHL action they've seen. For these UFAs, the chance to play in a different system, to have a more legitimate opportunity, and to feel the confidence boost that a team was willing to gamble on them can sometimes be enough for these players to completely rewrite the narrative of their career — one that had been stagnating in the minors. It's a definite risk, but the potential upside for both the players and the teams is undeniable. There's no such thing as too much depth.
Injuries are bound to happen, players will slump, and more chances will be given to roster-ready AHL players. This is why NHL teams need strong affiliate teams and promising depth options; players will be called upon to support the big club when necessity or an opening arises. With this in mind, the Avs will certainly be on the hunt for value adds to their lineup, and these five players are all ones worth keeping an eye on.