In the third of five 'Free Agent Frenzy' pieces, we're moving up to the forward position and addressing the 10 Best Left Wingers available come July 1st. Although this year's crop of left-wingers doesn't really compare evenly to the talent of available right wingers, as always they're still many good and valuable players available. However, this piece will not put Dany Heatley on the list regardless of him being on the move, because he's simply not a free agent. In this year's field of left-wingers, the amount of solid defensive forwards on the left side is especially staggering and overwhelms the category.10) Taylor Pyatt - Following two consecutive years with 37 points for the Canucks, 2008-09 was an overwhelmingly difficult year for 27 year old Taylor Pyatt. After being sidelined for 8 games with a broken foot, Pyatt was trying to string together a consistent year and was on pace to finish strongly when tragedy struck. Seemingly hours following a Vancouver overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks in which Pyatt recorded his 9th assist of the season in what had been a frustrating year, news broke of a car crash that took the life of Pyatt's fiancee. Devastated by the loss, Pyatt elected to take time off from the sport he loved and grieve. He didn't return until the Western Conference Semifinals where in 4 games, he was held off the board and finished with a -3. Although 2008-09 was considered a down year for the former 13th overall pick, Pyatt still has the talent and skill to return back to form. His 86 hits, 35 blocked shots and penalty killing ability will make the Thunder Bay native a good signing for any team at a reasonable price.
9) Travis Moen - It's not often that you see two teams trade within the division but on the NHL Trading Deadline, Travis Moen found himself packing his bags and leaving the Ducks of Southern California for California's northern jewel and hockey power, the San Jose Sharks. Moen's grinder style of play ejected some life into the rather soft Sharks line-up and took ease off of Jody Shelley to be the premiere enforcer in the Sharks line-up. His 171 hits were tops among Sharks forwards, and was a solid defensive performer with his 42 blocked shots and his average of 20 shifts a game make him a grinder worth keeping an eye on in this year's free agency among teams in need of a youthful down-and-dirty type of player.
8) Ville Peltonen - Who? Why it's every one's favorite 36 year old Finnish forward from the Florida Panthers! The 8-year NHL veteran had another note-worthy year for the Florida Panthers with 31 points in 79 games playing on the Panthers third line. For 1.1 million, Peltonen brings a team everything they could want in a third line forward. He can score, assist, contribute finely on the penalty kill (his 197+ minutes on the penalty kill was good for first on the Panthers among forwards) and can even create chances on the rush on a penalty kill with his 44 takeaways in 2008-09. Despite his age, Peltonen can undoubtedly become a steal for any team willing to take the risk of the Florida Finn.
7) Brendan Shanahan - Honestly, I feel like he's so high on my list based on the name alone. What he brings to any club, even at the age of 40 is more than welcomed to any team. He was brought in to the New Jersey Devils late in the year with the intentions of helping the Devils add more offensive power and compete against teams such as Washington and the Boston Bruins. However, the experiment didn't work out as planned for New Jersey as Shanny's 34 games he had just 14 points along with a -2. His 29 penalty minutes were a surprise to me anyhow, as he was just 6 shy of matching his 2007-08 total in 39 less games. It'd be a stretch to say the 1,354 career point man has "lost it", but it's possible that he needs a full season of play to be productive, which is something at the age of 40 his body may not be able to handle. Perhaps a return to the Rangers is in the works as with Naslund's departure and boatload of free agents (restricted and unrestricted) ready to hit the open market that the veteran could be brought back for another go 'round in Manhattan for close to a million.
6) P.J Axelsson - The man known as 'Axe' in the Bruins locker room and mainstay on the roster since 1997 may appear to be on the out's in Boston due to the lack of cap space and roster room. It's an absolute shame given the penalty killer's success in Boston, especially in 2008-09. P.J's 30 points were the highest the Swede has recorded since the 2002-03 season (36) and his leadership qualities led to an 'A' on his jersey for much of the season. It's clear that even at the age of 34, Axelsson is still among the best penalty killers in the Eastern Conference, and perhaps the NHL. His veteran know-how, resistance to major injury and defensive capabilities make him a valuable asset to any contending team looking for that extra edge on the penalty kill.
5) Ruslan Fedotenko - The pride of the Ukraine, Ruslan Fedotenko experienced success he hadn't felt in the Steel City since his days with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 30 year old winger's 39 points and career-high +18 took great pressure off of the Penguins top line as he proved to be a pivotal secondary scorer for Dan Bylsma's Pens. Fedotenko's stocked has surely risen due in large part to his 2009 playoff performance where he registered 14 points and +9 in the Penguins 24 games en route to their third Stanley Cup in franchise history. With Miroslav Satan's cap hit off the books and unlikely chance of re-signing in the 'Burgh, Fedotenko could be rewarded with a nice pay raise, by another team if not the Penguins.
4) Jere Lehtinen - Obviously, any time a 3-time Selke Trophy winner dips to number four on a list of available players there has to be a valid reason. Lehtinen's no exception, the inability to stay healthy for a full 82 game season should be a fast rising issue for the 36 year old. Upper-body and groin injuries held the Finland native to just 48 games in 2008-09, but as always he proved to be effective when healthy. His 24 points in 48 games (a point every two games for you mathematics majors) and 7 powerplay points were a contributing factor to his still top 5 ranking on my list of players available. Although Lehtinen missed 33 games of the 2007-08 regular season with a sports hernia and the final 4 games of the Stars unsuccesful quest to defeat the Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals, he's still a very solid two-way player for just about any team in the NHL. Despite his 4-million dollar a year paydays being behind him, Lehtinen still has the chance to bring in a decent chunk of change from someone this summer.
3) Erik Cole - Following a failed change of scenery in Edmonton, Erik Cole found himself back in Raleigh playing for the Cardiac 'Canes by the NHL trading deadline. Cole's reemergence into the Hurricanes line-up proved to provide just the spark needed for the Hurricanes push into the 6th seed of the Eastern Conference. His 15 points in 17 games and two-way style of play benefitted the 'Canes playmaking opportunities as Cole wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty to make something happen. His late season play would be sure to add to his stock, had it come in some place other than Carolina as with the lack of success in Edmonton teams are raising their eyebrows and wondering if Cole can produce in someplace other than Carolina.
2) Alex Tanguay - After a rumored dispute with Calgary coach Mike Keenan found Alex Tanguay in Montreal, the super-line set to destroy the Eastern Conference was aligned. A line of Tanguay, Saku Koivu and Alexei Kovalev was sure to feast upon the goaltender of the NHL in the Canadiens journey to a 25th Stanley Cup victory, right? Despite the talent, the numbers never quite added up for Montreal's benefit as Tanguay's battles with a seperated shoulder and minor injuries led to the winger missing 32 games for the Habs and even kept him out of two of Montreal's four playoff games against the arch-rival Bruins. Regardless, Tanguay still put together a solid season for an injury-riddled Canadiens team with his 41 points, +13 and 16 goals on just 76 shots. The addition of Tanguay bolstered the already potent Habs powerplay where he contributed for 16 points on the powerplay and his presence in Montreal was surely welcomed by teammates and fans alike. It's believable that barring any major upgrade at the left wing position, that Tanguay will be back in his hometown playing for le bleu, blanc and rogue.
1) Daniel Sedin - This one was fairly obvious, no? One half of possibly the best 1-2 punch in the Western Conference, Daniel Sedin had another career year out in British Columbia. The Canucks winger lit the lamp for 31 goals and added 51 assists on the Vancouver top line attributing to the Canucks capture of the Northwest Division title. He's also part of the NHL's top prized two-for-one deal as he's sure to sign with whoever his twin brother Henrik chooses to sign. With a rumored asking price of 126 million combined for the two over 12 years, the list of teams in the running for the Swedish twins drops dramatically. However, at the end of the day come July 1st, 2nd or even 3rd, the Sedins will be two of the richest NHL players in the league.
No comments:
Post a Comment