STEVEN STAMKOS TOPS THE LIST
We take a look at the NHL’s Top 20 unrestricted free agents.
The NHL free agent signing period doesn’t start until Friday at noon, but teams have been allowed to talk to potential free agents since last Saturday. Here is a ranking of the top 20 players not yet under contract:
1. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning, centre: Some think the bidding on Stamkos could reach an average salary of more than $11 million per season, which would make him the NHL’s highest-paid player. He currently earns $5.5 million.
The Lightning have offered Stamkos a contract around $8.5 million, and general manager Steve Yzerman said Saturday at the NHL draft that he isn’t ruling out re-signing Stamkos.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens are teams expected to make an offer.
2. Milan Lucic, Los Angeles Kings, left wing: The uniqueness of Lucic is that he can score 20 goals, register 50 points and be an intimidating presence at six-foot-four and 235. Wouldn’t he be perfect playing alongside the Sedin twins in Vancouver or helping protect the young Edmonton Oilers stars? Half of the league’s teams will talk to Lucic, including the Boston Bruins who traded him to the Kings last summer.
3. Loud Eriksson, Boston Bruins, right wing: With many teams looking for additional scoring, Eriksson, 30, will be among the most popular free agents. He can score 20-30 goals per season.
4. David Backes, St. Louis Blues, centre: He’s the kind of player every coach wants on his bench. He’s a born leader, a prickly competitor, and he can still score. The only drawback: he’s 33.
5. Kyle Okposo, New York Islanders, right wing: Okposo has scored 67 goals over the past three seasons. Would be a good fit for the Philadelphia Flyers or New Jersey Devils.
6. Andrew Ladd, Chicago Blackhawks, left wing: Ladd is a top-six forward with some bite in his game. It would help the Blackhawks if they can figure out how to keep him. But they couldn’t find a way to keep Andrew Shaw. It’s not unthinkable that Ladd would return to the Winnipeg Jets.
7. Mikkel Boedker, Colorado Avalanche, right wing: He registered 51 points last season, and there aren’t many players available who can play among the top six forwards. Plus, he is an excellent skater, and teams are increasingly looking to add speed to their lineup.
8. Troy Brouwer, Blues, right wing: Helped his cause with a gritty playoff performance. He’s six-foot-three, 215 pounds and he scored 18 goals. Plenty to like about his game.
9. Jason Demers, Dallas Stars, right defenceman: He’s solid, dependable, and he shoots righthanded. In some cases, that’s enough to make you a $5 million player.
10. Frans Nielsen, Islanders, centre: Highly respected around the league because he contributes as a penalty killer, skilled offensive player and as a savvy defensive forward.
11. Dan Hamhuis, Vancouver Canucks, left defenceman: He’s 33 now, but he is still a reliable, consistent two-way defender. Perfect for a general manager just looking to plug a hole on defence.
12. Eric Staal, New York Rangers, centre: The interest level in Staal will be dependent upon his asking price. If he wants a longterm contract with a superstar average salary, his list of suitors will be shorter. He isn’t the offensive force he once was. But he is still a smart competitor who can help you win.
13. Thomas Vanek, Minnesota Wild, right wing: Even though the Wild bought out Vanek, he will draw interest if his asking price is reasonable. Too many teams are looking for added scoring. He has scored 20 or more goals 10 times in a season.
14. Jiri Hudler, Florida Panthers, right wing: What you have to decide is whether Hudler is the 76-point scorer he was in 2014-15 or the 46-point scorer he was last season. 15. Kyle Quincey, Detroit Red Wings, left defenceman: With 495 NHL games on his resume, he is more marketable than you think he is.
16. Lee Stempniak, New Jersey Devils, forward: He has proven that he can be a versatile forward who can play on either the second or third line and provide secondary scoring.
17. David Perron, Anaheim Ducks, left wing: Played much better for the Ducks than he did for the Penguins last season. He has offensive sparkle, but he hasn’t been consistent in his production.
18. Brian Campbell, Panthers, left defenceman: At 37, Campbell had 31 points last season. He could be a short-term remedy for a team waiting for defencemen to mature.
19. Kris Russell, Dallas Stars, left shot defenceman: He’s only five-foot-eleven, but he can have a big impact as a shot blocker. He has played 573 NHL games.
20. Teddy Purcell, Panthers, right wing: Good fit for a team looking for secondary scoring. Expect about 12-14 goals per season.