Many still playing the waiting game
The usual list of unrestricted free agents emerged from the 2010-11 campaign with lots of talented players coming to the end of their contracts and were either looking to move on and join another side or try and sign a new contract at the franchise they were at.
Several big players have signed for different teams with standout performers including 31 year old Brad Richards signing a nine year $60 million deal with the New York Rangers, German Marco Sturm heading to America’s capital from the Canucks and goaltemder J-S Giguere going from the Maple Leafs to Colorado.
With lots of the free agents finding a home for next season, quite a few remain waiting for a deal to be placed in front of them. Some of these players have years of NHL experience behind them, plenty of goals and plenty of talent. I will pick out who I feel will have a big impact on a franchise if they are to be snapped up.
Firstly, the forwards and you can’t help but notice one name in the list, which is the 41 year old from Finland, Teemu Selanne. Yes, he is 41 and getting on a bit but that brings multiple benefits. What does he bring to a team? Well, he brings the small matter of 1259 games played in the NHL along with 1340 points and is a role model to the younger players of the team who need to learn key aspects of making it big in the top league. My feeling is that Anaheim will definitely offer a new contract to the free agent but if they don’t, I think there will be a long list of teams waiting to snap him up instantly.
Another forward to pick out the list is JP Dumont who was bought out by the Predators after five seasons with the franchise from Tennessee. He is a more prolific points scorer with five seasons containing 50+ points in the NHL. In my opinion JP can do a great job at any franchise in the league. I would like to see him go to a team just outside the playoff picture such as the Stars, Flames or Hurricanes where he can provide consistent performances. Dumont struggled last year scoring just ten goals and 19 points but he will look to bounce back next year when he is snapped up by a new franchise, which will happen in my opinion.
In terms of defenders still up for grabs, there are fewer names that really stand out to me. If I had to pick one who I would tip to be the most effective that would be ex-Ranger Bryan McCabe. He didn’t get many games under his belt last season but has completed 16 years in the NHL including two 50+ point seasons. He is a great assist-man and can control powerplays well from the point.
Finally, there are some great goaltenders still out there available. Two goalies stand out in Marty Turco and Ray Emery. Turco has played ten years in the NHL where he had a big stay in Dallas for nine seasons and established himself as the franchises number one but struggled on occasions. Many people think he is past his best, which may be true, but I still think he can do a good job. I can’t see him being a number one for a playoff contending team but he could play a backup role to a younger keeper for a major franchise, or, play a number 1 role for a franchise who are looking to re-build with not many playoff hopes. Turco played in Chicago last year but struggled for ice time and wasn’t offered a new contract.
The other goalie that shouldn’t be remaining on the free agents list is Ray Emery. Emery came back from injury last year to stand between the pipes ten times for the Anaheim Ducks, and recorded an impressive .926 save pct. Emery has seven years of NHL experience behind him but is quite young in goaltending terms at just 28. In his seven seasons in the NHL, Emery has only slipped below .900 once where he recorded .890 in a season for the Ottawa Senators. Watching the Canadian at the end of last year I was very impressed with what I saw. He is agile, has quick feet and lightning reactions. Chicago are currently having a look at him in their pre-season camp.
