Micheal Ferland is an effective middle-six option, a goal-scorer with size that teams generally covet. He's particularly great at getting into dangerous areas and creating chances, though not so strong at drawing penalties and staying out of the box.
Based on the contract projected for him, Ferland looks like he could be relatively affordable for his skill-set and should command more for what he brings to the table. At 27, age isn't as large of a concern relative to other UFA's.
But there's a definite reason for reserved skepticism and that comes with the difficulty of his minutes. Last year in Carolina, Ferland spent 69 percent of his 5-on-5 time next to either Sebastian Aho or Teuvo Teravainen (or both). The year prior, it was 82 percent next to Johnny Gaudreau or Sean Monahan. He compliments and works well with great players, but there's a chance that his strong results are the product of who he plays with and not actually his own ability. In 1385 minutes with those star players, Ferland's teams have scored 3.42 goals-per-60. Without them on the ice, that falls to 1.78 goals-per-60 in 438 minutes. Before becoming an option on the Flames top line, Ferland looked mostly replaceable and it shows when he's apart.
That would give me plenty of pause with Ferland, but if he can be surrounded by talented offensive drivers, he could still provide underrated value in a team's middle six at the right price. Those expecting and paying for more will be disappointed.
