Free Agent Frenzy: 10 Best Left Wingers

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.

Free Agent Frenzy: 10 Best Defensemen

Continuing on the "Free Agent Frenzy" pieces, we have the ten best defensemen available come July 1st. In what is rapidly becoming an aging position, the market for defensemen is sure to be big for teams looking to add that big physical presence or that puck-moving defensemen to put their club over the edge for the Stanley Cup.

10) Mathieu Schneider - What a year it's been for the 40 year old defensemen. Schneider's season began in Anaheim, but not for long as he was sent to Atlanta before the season began in a cap-crunching move. In Atlanta, Schneider was relied upon to become a pivotal role player on the Thrashers powerplay. However, the Schneider experiment failed as in 44 games the blue-liner had just 4 points on the Thrashers powerplay and was traded to Montreal days before the trading deadline. In Montreal, Schneider provided a spark to the revitalized Canadiens powerplay with 14 out of his 17 points coming on the powerplay. By season's end, Schneider was battling shoulder injuries and was useless in the Habs 4 game sweep out of the playoffs by the Boston Bruins. Even at 40, Schneider can provide a great veteran presence on a blue-line and is still a very capable weapon for any team's powerplay. His pay day will undoubtedly not be nearly as lucrative as his current 5.6 million dollar salary.

9) Niclas Havelid - Along with Schneider, Niclas Havelid found himself to be exiting Atlanta during the week of the NHL Trade Deadline. The 36 year old's 190 blocked shots put him among the Devils/Thrashers leader and with 37 takeaways he's still a very valuable defensive minded defensemen. With a 2.7 million dollar cap hit, Havelid's future with the Devils is uncertain. The Devils already have their hands full trying to hold on to goaltender Scott Clemmensen, defensive forward John Madden, defensemen Johnny Oduya and speedy winger Brian Gionta so it's entirely possible that Niclas Havelid could be seeking a new home come July.

8) Johnny Oduya - Along with Havelid, 27 year old defensemen Johnny Oduya is another Devil without a contract. In just his 3rd full NHL season, all with the Devils, Oduya is certainly developing a name for himself as a clutch defensmen. 3 of his 7 goals in the 2008-09 campaign came in the final five minutes of the game and 8 of his 22 assists came with under five minutes left in play. After two straight seasons with a +/- over 20 and when you factor in his youth Oduya is certainly a player who can fly under the radar in Newark. His current cap hit of 600,000 is nothing and will certainly get a nice pay raise, likely double his current salary whether it be from the Devils or perhaps the Calgary Flames to re-join coach Brent Sutter as the Flames are in the market for a lower tier defensemen this off-season.

7) Derek Morris - It can be said that 2008-09 was somewhat of a underachieving year for Edmonton native and 'Yotes/Rangers defensemen Derek Morris. The 30 year old's play in the desert took a hit as he struggled to post solid numbers under coach Wayne Gretzky and found himself traded to the Big Apple in a deadline deal. His decrease in powerplay points will surely hurt 1996's 13th overall draft pick in this year's market. Although Morris' numbers picked up in New York with the Rangers, how could a team be sold that Morris wouldn't throw in the proverbial towel if he signs with a team that ends up being a non-contender as he displayed in Phoenix? Morris will surely find a team to sign with and probably with ease, but I for one am doubting the notion that any team is going to offer him more than the 3.9 million dollars a year salary he currently makes or even as much.

6) Francois Beauchemin - Chances are if F.B had played in more than 20 games this year for the Anaheim Ducks he'd be higher on this list. However, due to a torn ACL Beauchemin missed the final 62 games of the Ducks regular season before returning to the line-up for Anaheim's push towards their second Stanley Cup in 3 years. In Francois' 20 regular season games, he scored 4 goals, including 2 game winning goals and tallied 1 assist. In 13 post-season games for Anaheim, Beauchemin registered 31 hits and finished with a +1, showing potential suitors that his physical game was still there even after the surgery. In all likelihood, the team that can sign Francois Beauchemin to a contract this off-season will be making one of the better choices in the sure to be wild free agency market.

5) Scott Niedermayer - The only reason he's lower on this list is because he's pretty much a lock to return to the Anaheim Ducks. How much does the captain still have left in the tank? The soon to be 36 year old blue-liner still has his scoring touch, registering 59 points in 82 games with the Ducks. With Pronger now a member of the Flyers, the load on Scott's back may have just gotten a little bit heavier.

4) Mattias Ohlund - Vancouver's alternate captain and all-time scoring leader among defensemen Mattias Ohlund is set for a new contract. The 32 year old Swede is coming off yet another strong season for the Canucks where he led the Vancouver blue-line to their second divisional title since 2006-07. Ohlund's +14 was second to Willie Mitchell (+29) for the lead on the Canucks point. Ohlund was still a premiere force on the defensive aspect of the Canucks game as he blocked over 150 shots and led the Canucks in shifts and shifts per game. There's no denying that Ohlund's services are greatly taken on any team and with the Canucks having their plate full with re-signing the Sedins, extending Luongo and looking to make a splash in the free agent market it's possible that the 2006 Olympic gold medalist will be moving to another city.

3) Rob Blake - Will age ever catch up to Rob Blake? It doesn't appear to be, for the time being. The 39 year old former King, Avalanche and now Shark had his best season since 2005-06 as he and Dan Boyle became one of the best defensive pairings in the National Hockey League. Blake's +15 was the best among Sharks defensemen and his 45 points were second only to Dan Boyle. With age, the concerns about endurance become a big issue with teams interested in the services of the 18 year NHL veteran. However, Blake's 26.8 shifts a game average and 21+ minutes of time on ice per game give teams reason to not be concerned.

2) Michael Komisarek - Loathed by Boston, loved by Montreal and an undeserving All-Star. Just a few terms and situations that can be used to describe 6'4 Habs defensemen Michael Komisarek. Whether you love his style of play or not (personally, I hate it. Eye-gouging and turtling have never been huge in my book.) fact remains that he's one of the best stay-at-home defensemen in the NHL. The rumored asking price for Komi has become one of the better laughs in the NHL as Komisarek's agent reportedly wants a 5 year contract worth atleast 35 million dollars in total. One issue for potential suitors of the 27 year old bruiser is his lack of showing up in the Canadiens first round series against the Boston Bruins, where his poor attitude was shown as he found himself ejected from Game 4 following a cowardly attack on Milan Lucic from behind after losing a fight against his arch-rival. If the Habs chose to move on from Komisarek and attempt to sign Bouwmeester, Beauchemin or Ohlund I'd expect to see Komisarek dawn the blue, orange and white and sign with the New York Islanders.

1) Jay Bouwmeester - Undoubtedly the biggest prize of the deadline and now the off-season in the market of defensemen is Florida Panthers 6'4 blue-liner Jay Bouwmeester. Following another 40+ point season in Sunrise, Florida it appears Jay-Bo is ready for his big pay day. His 20 powerplay points and upside certainly put the 25 year old at the top of every NHL GM's July 1st wish list. Despite the upside, Bouwmeester's 'disappearance' during the Panthers push to making the playoffs could be a turn-off to some teams who could view this as a sign that perhaps Jay couldn't handle the pressure and intensity of a hockey town or the playoffs. No matter how badly he performed for the last month of the season when looking at his -9 after the trading deadline, Bo's undoubtedly getting his big payday from some team out there.

Free Agent Frenzy: 10 Best Goaltenders

We're just six short days away from every hockey fans favorite part of the off-season, the start of free agency. This year, the focus is on the forwards and the potential of monstrous contracts even in this rough economic climate for the NHL. However, for many teams there are holes within their team that begin in between the iron in the goaltending department. Some of these teams heading into next season without a solidified goaltending situation include the Colorado Avalanche, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues and even the Detroit Red Wings. Kickin' off the series of 'Free Agent Frenzy' pieces we have the 10 best available unrestricted free agent goaltenders come July 1st.

10) Antero Niittymaki - Niitty had a peculiar year in Philly to say the least. He was just as inconsistent as his teammate and fellow protector of the crease Marty Biron but his numbers weren't terrible either. Niittymaki went 15-8-6 with a 2.76 GAA in 32 games for the Flyers. As easy as it may be to write off Niitty as having a bad year, his numbers in fact very deceptive. In 7 of Niitty's 15 total losses when you count both regulation and overtime losses, he made 30 saves or more, including a 40 save effort in an overtime loss against the San Jose Sharks. He's not bound to get a major bump from his current 1.23 million dollar contract but the Finnish netminder has proved he's more than capable to perform decently in a platoon role.

9) Manny Legace - How far the Mighty Manny has fallen. Following a successful 2007-08 season where Legace earned a place on the Western Conference All-Star Team, Legace was in complete control of guarding the net for the Blues. His season struggles began early when Legace tripped on the carpet rolled out for vice-president wannabe Sarah Palin's puck drop between the Blues and Kings. Legace was injured during the spill and missed 5 games with an injured hip flexor. Inconsistency and a new found love for minor injuries found the Blues netminder with a 13-9-2 record and a .885 SV% and placed on waivers. Legace went unclaimed and played out the rest of the season with the Peoria Rivermen of the AHL. Legace went 14-7-1 with 3 shut-out's and a 2.00 GAA and was the goalie during the Rivermen's playoff run, which only lasted 7 games. There's no doubting that Legace still has the talent to compete in the NHL, but the injuries and confidence will be a big issue for teams with interest in the 36 year old goalie.

8) Martin Gerber - 2008-09 was a difficult year for the 34 year old Swiss goalie. For the first time since making the jump to the Eastern Conference, Martin Gerber looked frustrated and struggled to keep games close. Gerber's season began with the Senators, where he posted a 4-9-1 record along with a .899 SV%. Gerber's struggles mounted to 3 different call-up/demotions to the Binghampton Senators of the AHL until he was traded to Toronto during the NHL trading deadline. Gerber played considerably well considering the Maple Leafs (lack of) talent where he went 6-5-0 with a 3.23 GAA. His best Maple Leaf moment came when an irate Gerber threw a temper tantrum and bumped a referee, an action that cost him a three-game suspension. However, the 34 year old is still a more than capable as a back-up to any team in the NHL.

7) Craig Anderson - Before 2008-09, the Panthers goalie had never played more than 29 games in a season, but in 2008-09 he reached a new career milestone by playing in 31 games. No big deal, right? Well usually no, but when he consider Anderson's numbers it was truly a breakout season for the 28 year old. His 15-7-5 record and 3 shut-out's created a goaltending controversy mid-way through the Panthers season and Anderson finished the season with a .924SV%, good for 3rd in the NHL. Anderson's current salary of 550,000 dollars a season is sure to go up and it's likely that Anderson could stay in Florida with a reasonable offer when you consider the lack of NHL-quality netminders in the Panthers system. Tyler Plante went 5-10-1 while Chris Beckford-Tseu went 3-14-1 for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League.

6) Dwayne Roloson - If you didn't find yourself tipping your proverbial cap to this guy at the end of the season, then you're simply not a hockey fan. Dwayne Roloson started 36 consecutive games for the Edmonton Oilers in their attempt to make the playoffs in what many considered a disappointing year. Dwayne's best iron-man attempt wasn't enough to recharge the Oilers offense, who by seasons end left the 39 year old Ontario native out to dry. Roloson finished with a 28-24-9 record along with a .915 SV% and is up for a new contract. Barring any unforeseen incident and attempt to officially hand the torch to Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers expect Roloson to be back in Edmonton for the same amount of money, perhaps a little less.

5) Scott Clemmensen - New Jersey's Scott Clemmensen presents an interesting case for teams interested. Is he the real deal, or was he a beneficiary of New Jersey's defensive style of play? The soon to be 32 year old Iowa native went 25-13-1 with a 2.39 GAA in the absence of Devils mainstay Martin Brodeur. Clemm's play certainly kept the Devils in the race for the Atlantic Division and even the Eastern Conference but found himself demoted back down to the Lowell Devils when Marty returned. The Boston College alum is certain to get a boost from his current 550,000 dollar salary based on the numbers and poise he displayed but whether he can get it from the Devils or not is a topic for debate. Along with Clemmensen, the Devils back-up Kevin Weekes is an unrestricted free agent and could likely be brought back for cheaper money than Clemmensen. However, given Marty's age and injury woes experienced in 2008-09, it should be in the Devils best interest to keep Clemmensen in New Jersey, using some of the cap money freed up from the now retired Bobby Holik.

4) Manny Fernandez - Following major knee surgery that limited him to just 4 games in 2007-08, Manny Fernandez rebounded and rebounded well for the Boston Bruins. The 34 year old Fernandez went 16-8-3 for the Bruins, including a 2.59 GAA and went on to win the William Jennings Trophy with teammate Tim Thomas. Manny's health came into question when he was sidelined with an undisclosed injury that kept him out of the line-up for two games, and later sidelined for 4 games with a back injury. His injury provided Bruins fans to get a view of the future of the B's crease, Tuukka Rask. In Rask's one game, he made 35 saves to shut-out to New York Rangers. The health of Fernandez will certainly turn some teams off, but there's still no denying that when healthy, Fernandez is a goalie who can thrive in a platoon role with another goalie. At this point in his career, he himself has even stated that being a full time starter is likely out of the question due to his age and health. With Rask ready for the NHL, there's simply no room for Manny in Boston. He certainly won't receive the 4.3 million dollars a season he made in Boston, but Manny will undoubtedly find a team very shortly.

3) Ty Conklin - In recent years, Ty Conklin has become one of the best journeyman goaltenders in today's NHL, Alex Auld being his best competition. Following another strong season as a back-up to a contending team where he went 25-11-2 including a spectacular 6 shut-outs, the 33 year old goaltender is without a contract, again. Conklin's 750,000 dollar salary looks like a joke when you look at his numbers but his preference of a platoon/back-up role is what makes the deal so sweet for clubs looking to sign the UNH alum. Conklin's stated his desire to stay in Detroit, but with young goaltender Jimmy Howard beginning to look NHL ready down with the Grand Rapid Griffins of the AHL where he posted a 21-18-4 record with 4 shutouts and a .916 SV%. As much as Conklin may want to stay in Detroit it's possible that San Jose, Pittsburgh (again), Chicago and Philadelphia could be knocking on his door come July 1st.

2) Martin Biron - When the Flyers obtained Martin Biron from the Buffalo Sabres back in February of 2007, the feeling in Philadelphia was that this guy was going to be the goalie that brings the Flyers back to the top of the NHL. However, the honeymoon in Philly never really took off. Biron's play, although solid has become a model of inconsistency on Broad Street. In two full seasons with the Flyers, Biron has posted a 59-39-14 record with a 2.67 GAA. On a team crippled by questionable signings and an unfavorable cap number, Biron appears to be on the outs in Philly, despite his contributions of taking the Flyers to the Conference Finals in 2008 and leading them again in the 2009 Playoffs. He'll likely get a minor raise from his current 3.5 million dollars a year salary, but don't expect it to happen in black and orange.

1) Nikolai Khabibulin - 2008-09 was a year for Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin to prove himself. He began the season finding himself placed on waivers by the Chicago Blackhawks, who felt that newly signed goaltender Cristobal Huet could lead the 'Hawks into the playoffs better than the 13 year veteran. However, the man nicknamed the Bulin Wall proved all of his doubters in the front office wrong by going 25-8-7 for the Blackhawks and becoming their driving force into their 2009 run for the Stanley Cup. Despite getting injured in the Conference Finals against the Detroit Red Wings, Khabibulin's play spoke for itself as he went 8-6-0 with a .898SV% through the recurrence of the lower body injury that kept the 36 year old out of 12 regular season games late in the season. It's unlikely he'll see the 6.75 million dollars a year that he currently gets from the Blackhawks from anyone given his age, durability and health but he is without the doubt the biggest free agent goaltender in this year's market.