Top Remaining NHL Free Agents

Adam Steevens is a student, author and blogger who has semi-coherent
thoughts about the NHL

The off-season, although universally loathed by hockey fans, is one of the most formative times for an organization. Rosters change, free-agents find new teams, and fans renew their collective hopes for a brighter future. With the season looming just around the corner, some of the biggest names have already signed on the dotted line. Marian Hossa signed a huge (and possibly illegal) deal with the Blackhawks, Gaborik ended up with the Blueshirts, and Alex Tanguay left the Habs for Tampa Bay. Almost every big-time UFA or FA has signed on for the 2010-2011 season. That being said, are there any good free-agents left? Are there any more free-agents that could help a new squad? Could your team still snag an impact player before the puck drops? Let’s take a look at the remaining free-agent gems, and where they would fit best.

Petr Sykora

Coming off a championship year with the Pens, Sykora has made it clear that he will not be returning to the Penguins, and is exploring his options. Although he’s had a lengthy career, he’s still a valuable offensive talent; he scored 25 goals in 2009, and has appeared in four Cup finals in his career. His playoff experience, goal-scoring touch, and relatively cheap cap hit make him an attractive addition to almost any team. Philadelphia has been rumored to be interested in the winger, but he would probably find a bigger role with a team in the Western Conference, particularly the Central Division. The Wings and Hawks have great lineups on paper, and if St.Louis, Nashville or Columbus want to keep up with the arms race without completely breaking the bank, Sykora would be a great fit.

Mats Sundin

After a completely disappointing, half-season stint with the Vancouver Canucks, the Swedish power-forward finds himself on the open market yet again. It seems unlikely that the Nucks will renew Mats for the 2011 season, after further limiting their cap space with the recent signings of Ehrhoff and Scheinder. J.P Barry (Sundin’s agent) recently told the media that Mats will not wait as long as last year to sign, but I’ll be surprised if he finds a team before the start of the season. There aren’t many rumors floating around about exactly which teams would be interested in Sundin, but expect a team who needs a physical presence up front to chase after him. Chicago and Boston were purportedly in talks to acquire Keith Tkachuk at the deadline last year, so expect both of those clubs to make a run at Mats.

Miroslav Satan

Admittedly, Satan turned out to be a huge bust for the Pens in 2009. They paid him $3.5 million, and he actually ended up playing ten games for the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Scranton. Like Sykora, Satan will not be playing in Pittsburgh this season, but he could be a key depth player for another organization. Despite his struggles in 2009, he still has a dangerous scoring touch, and the Islanders and Sabers have both reportedly expressed interest in re-acquiring his services. Considering just how far Satan’s stock fell during last season, neither team is going to pay Miro anything close to what he made in Pittsburgh, and because of this, I think the KHL might claim another misplaced NHL veteran.

Mike Comrie

The Canadian center has had a mixed amount of NHL success; over the course of his career, he’s had two 30-goal seasons, but only registered 7 points over 22 games in 2009. Comrie has proven he can be solid two-way center with tremendous upside, but he is often injury prone and is coming off the worst season of his life. He could be poised for a breakout year, but the organization that signs him will need the cap space to take a $2-3 million gamble on a potentially fragile center. Brian Murray has already said that Comrie’s performance does not warrant an extension, so it’s likely he’ll be playing elsewhere. This is another player who would fit well in the Central Division; Nashville could use the depth at center, while Columbus could take more offensive pressure off Rick Nash by signing Comrie.

There are still a ton of great names left in the free-agent pool that I didn’t cover, (Phil Kessel and Maxime Afinogenov, for example) so leave your expert analysis in the comments. ‘

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