Odds Favor Florida Panthers Spending the Most Money in NHL Free Agency; Predators Second at +190

• Florida is favored to spend the most in free agency this year at +100 odds
• The Panthers are the chalk because they have the most holes to fill and cash to spend
• Take a closer look at the best value on the board

While every team would love to be buyers when NHL free agency opens on July 1st, only a few have the salary-cap space and the need to reel in the league’s biggest unrestricted names.

Online sportsbooks have compiled the nine likeliest free-agent buyers and set odds on which team will spend the most on UFAs. The big questions are who will be the most strategic and who will be the most aggressive with their cash?

Odds on The Biggest Spending Teams in 2019 NHL Free Agency

Odds taken 06/27/19. 

Florida Panthers versus The World

Since the trade deadline, the rumor has been that Artemi Panarin is heading to the Sunshine State. Panarin, who’s unlikely not return to Columbus, will find big money somewhere. He’s the biggest impact player in the free agent bin and the Panthers are fully expected to go hard to the hoop. However, after Roberto Luongo’s retirement, they also need to spend on a goalie.

Roberto Luongo had a little bit of fun announcing his retirement. 😂

📸: @strombone1 pic.twitter.com/canQNakIPC

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 26, 2019

Just days before the free agency opens, Bobby Lu decided to call it a career. His decision brings the Panthers their first guaranteed retired number in the rafters, some cap space, but also a new hole to fill. Luckily there are big names available, though they’ll bring some big price tags along with them.

https://twitter.com/mdipasquale7/status/1142581805930954752

All signs are pointing to Matt Duchene heading to Nashville which leaves Panarin (projected $11-12 million) and Sergei Bobrovsky (proj. $9-10 million) as the best two names on the board. This prop bet really didn’t have big girthy legs until yesterday afternoon when the announcement came out.

Now that it’s out there, though, Florida will have to be huge spenders if they want to ice a contender. Not only that,, they’ll have to be big spenders to bring in any big names because nobody wants to go to a team with a question mark between the pipes.

Better value teams

Seven of the nine teams listed have odds of +1100 for a reason and I wouldn’t back any of the true longshots.

The Predators at +190 are a solid bet because Matt Duchene will bring a likely cap hit of $10-$11 million per year, and they also just gave up one of their best defencemen in PK Subban.

They’ll have more holes to fill now if they want to compete right away in 2019-20.