Top Ten NHL Free Agents

Free-agency for the NHL begins in little under a week, and there’s still a decent amount of great talent ready to be signed. Here’s the top ten guys you definitely want your team to sign.

#10 Michael Leighton – Philadelphia Flyers

During the Flyers’ improbable playoff run, Leighton was thrust into the starting goaltending job after season-ending injuries to Ray Emery and Brian Boucher. Sure, he gave up a handful of soft goals during the Stanley Cup Final (the series-ending goal by Kane could be one of the worst in recent memory), but Leighton has tons of potential, and would be a reasonable cap hit. Montreal was rumored to be in on him after unloading Jaro Halak to St.Louis, but essentially any team looking for a backup would do well with Leighton.

#9 Sergei Gonchar – Pittsburgh Penguins

He’s been the backbone for the Penguins powerplay for a handful of years, but by all appearances, he’s likely on his way out of town. A 16 year NHL veteran, Gonchar’s age hasn’t hindered his point production, notching 50 points last season. He’s managed to stay relatively healthy over his lengthy career, and his puck-moving skills from the blueline could be useful to a great deal of teams. Some rumors popped up last week, claiming that the Sharks had signed Gonchar, but they originated from less that reputable sources, and were quickly debunked. San Jose would be a solid destination for him, however, after the retirement of Rob Blake.

#8 Chris Mason – St. Louis Blues

The Blues somehow managed to deal for Montreal’s young goaltender, Jaroslav Halak, and Mason was unceremoniously booted out of town. Arguably, Mason was a bit overpaid ($6 million) for his generally mediocre performance, but he’d be a big improvement in net for a handful of teams. The Capitals have had struggles in goal, shuffling between youngster Semyon Varlamov, and Jose Theodore, without much success to show for it. San Jose recently cut their ties with Evgeni Nabokov, and Mason could work out for the Sharks as well. He’s not the best keeper in the free agent pool, but he’s definitely not the worst.

#7 Matthew Lombardi – Phoenix Coyotes

One of the pieces moved in the Jokinen trade to Calgary, Matthew Lombardi broke the 50-point mark for the first time in his career with the Coyotes, notching 19 goals and 34 assists. Last season, Lombardi recorded 6 points over 7 playoff games, churning out points at nearly a point-per-game clip. Coming off the best season of his NHL career, Lombardi is due for a raise, and the ‘Yotes might not be able to re-sign him to another contract. He could probably get as much as $3-$5 million a year, so the team that grabs him will need the adequate cap space.

#6 Maxim Afinogenov – Atlanta Thrashers

The speedy Russian forward tallied 63 points last year, and over the course of his career, broke the 20+ goal plateau three times. His contract expired in Atlanta, and he’s currently an unrestricted free agent who will no doubt receive a slew of offers come July 1st. He works well on the power play, and could fit well on a number of teams as a first or second line right-wing. His playoff point totals with the Sabres are respectable (10 goals, 23 points over four years), and his cap hit wouldn’t be all that bad. He’s an attractive option for a number of teams who are looking to add a little kick of offense.

#5 Evgeni Nabokov – San Jose Sharks

Sharks GM Doug Wilson made it perfectly clear earlier this week that Nabby will not be returning to San Jose, and the veteran goaltender is searching for greener pastures. Sure, you could legitimately argue that Nabokov has a nasty propensity for choking in the post-season, and at age 34, he’s not a lasting goaltending solution, but Nabby might still have something left in the tank. Washington seems like the best possible solution for Evgeni, as Jose Theodore is a UFA, and if the Capitals actually believe in Varlamov, Nabokov could be a great mentor for the youngster. Playoff troubles aside, his numbers are solid (9.22 SV%, 44 W), and Nabokov is one of (if not the) best keepers in the free agent pool.

#4 Olli Jokinen – New York Rangers

The enigmatic and streaky forward, who some have described as a ‘locker room cancer’, is undeniably devastating on the attack. In 2006, Jokinen recorded 91 points (39g, 51a), but recently, his numbers have stalled while with the Rangers. He represents the biggest gamble in the UFA game right now – could he rediscover his 2006 form, or will his point production steadily decline? He’s jumped around the league, playing for Calgary, Phoenix, Florida, NYI, LA, and New York, but it really seems like he’s yet to find an organization he can stay happy with. This is a player that could really boom or bust, but he won’t sign cheap, so it’s a risky move no matter how you look at it.

#3 Ray Whitney – Carolina Hurricanes

Yes, he’s fairly old (38), and his best days might be behind him, but the guy is solid, and has consistently put up respectable numbers in almost every single season of his career. Even in the twilight of his NHL career, he’s hit the 20+ goal mark four years in a row, and a playoff team like Pittsburgh, Colorado, Vancouver, or even St. Louis could sign him to a relatively low one or two year deal with a decent cap hit. Great playoff experience, fantastic locker room presence, and manageable economic impact shoots Whitney up to the top three on this list.

#2 Alexander Frolov – L.A Kings

The Kings drafted and developed Frolov, an immensely talented left winger who has broken the 20 goal mark in 5 out of 7 total seasons in the NHL. He’s a dangler with the rare ability to consistently produce points while avoiding injury problems, and he’s always given the distinct impression that he’s just one step away from stacking up points with the big names in the League. The Kings had their coming out party this year, giving the Canucks a decent run in the first round of the playoffs, and Frolov was a key piece in their success, but the rumors are already swirling, and the Kings might have to trade his negotiating rights before he reaches free agency. Where could he end up? Your guess is as about as good as mine, but I’m thinking he’ll have his career year in 2011.

#1 Ilya Kovalchuk – New Jersey Devils

Who else could take the top spot on this list? Kovalchuk is one of the NHL’s premier talents, consistently flirting with the 100 point plateau, and he’s scored at least 40 goals every season since his junior year in the NHL. He’s absolutely sick in the offensive zone, and he is the kind of player that can take a good team and make them into a Stanley Cup threat. New Jersey could retain his services, but Kovalchuk has made it clear that he’ll be listening to the slew of offers that will be streaming in July 1st. Colorado and L.A have constantly come up in the conversation, but there are some darkhorses in the race, like Toronto (despite Burke’s denials) and St. Louis. Wherever he goes, he’ll take one of the biggest cap hits in the league with him, and his salary will land somewhere in the $8 million a year range. I think the ship is sinking in New Jersey, and Kovie will once again jump to a team he thinks can contend for a Cup within a year or two.

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