[OptimalTates]

Of players who became UFAs post 2013 and were 28 or younger when they signed max-term (I.E. the 8th year is still a year the teams reasonably expect/hope the player to play) here's what I believe is a complete list:

Panarin - Blue Jackets believed they were in the running until the deadline, offering a massive contract right before free agency.

Tavares - Islanders believed it was between them and Toronto. Still rumoured to have offered Toronto a sign-and-trade according to Myrtle.

Dougie - Signed with divisional rival.

Duchene

Lee - Re-signed with Islanders after deadline.

Okposo - 2016 UFA

Lucic - 2016 UFA

2016 UFA period had one obvious player up until last minute but had they not come to an agreement, Yzerman went public and said they would be willing to sign-and-trade him. Otherwise, once he re-signed, the second tier of players were in abundance (Lucic, Okposo, Brouwer, Nielsen, Ladd etc.) and none of them really worthy to try and get that 8th year (thankfully for the GMs that year...).

So Tavares was offered in a sign-and-trade, Stamkos would have been, and even Hyman somehow. I mean the 8th year has only started since 2013 CBA and in that time frame very few elite players that entered UFA in their prime.

The only player that sort of doesn't have a reason why is Duchene. He had determined he was going to Nashville before the UFA period started, so would have made sense for Nashville to try and get that 8th year (and maybe they did try but price was too high when they knew Duchene was already committed to them).