The best budget NHL players this season

0 0 0 169 0

With salary caps to keep in mind, NHL managers are looking for effective ways to cut costs and consequently signing budget deals. Here we take a look at the best budget players this season:

1) Adam Ruzicka, Calgary Flames: While he didn’t feature in the first seven games of the season, Ruzicka got the opportunity to make a mark and play alongside Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli, after injury forced Jonathan Huberdeau out. After winning 13 points in 15 games, Ruzicka is now a standard fixture in the team, and has scored the third highest number of 5-on-5 points for every hour, among all players who have played a minimum of 150 minutes.

2) Sonny Milano, Washington Capitals: Milano couldn’t find a team to sign last summer in spite of scoring an impressive 34 points for the Anaheim Ducks. At the Washington Capitals, he has so far scored nine points in 15 games. Furthermore, while Milano’s defense had been criticized earlier, he has straightened out any kinks in his game to score 3.38 takeaways at 5-on-5 every 60 minutes, which ranks him in the 96^th percentile among forwards.

3) Mark Giordano, Toronto Maple Leafs: The 39-year-old has proven to be a lucrative investment and has played for more than 20 minutes per game since T.J. Brodie sustained an injury 11 games ago. He’s also been the top defender for the Maple Leafs at tackling short attempts, shots on goal and scoring chances, all while playing for the second longest time amongst the defenders.

4) Erik Gustaffson, Washington Capitals: The 30-year-old Gustaffson has now played for four teams in three seasons, including this one, with his best performances in the 2018-19 season. However, he has been able to regain his old form and made his mark when teammate Dmitry Orlov was unavailable due to injury and has delivered consistent performances since with a 55 percent xGF and a 54 percent CF with John Carlson.

5) Zach Parise, New York Islanders: The 38-year-old Parise has scored 12 points in 26 games and proven himself to be a valuable addition to the team, by creating numerous scoring chances. His 1.29 5-on-5 expected goals every 60 minutes has placed him fifth among NHL forwards who have played at least 150 minutes.