SCORERS WILL BE IN HIGH DEMAND
The NHL free agent signing period begins at noon ET Friday, but teams have been allowed to talk to potential free agents since Saturday. Scorers are in short supply, as are impact defensemen, particularly right-shot defensemen. Here is a ranking of the top 20 potential unrestricted free agents:
1. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning, center: Bidding will be heavy, and Stamkos could end up with an average salary of more than $11 million a season, which would make him the NHL’s highest-paid player.
The Lightning have offered Stamkos a contract in the range of $8.5 million a year, but general manager Steve Yzerman said Saturday at the NHL draft that he wasn’t ruling out re-signing the team captain.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens are expected to make offers.
2. Milan Lucic, Los Angeles Kings, left wing: Lucic can score 20 goals and 50 points and be an intimidating presence. Wouldn’t he be perfect playing alongside the Canucks’ Sedin twins or helping protect the Edmonton Oilers’ young stars? Half of the league’s teams will talk to Lucic, including the Boston Bruins, who traded him to the Kings last summer.
3. Loui Eriksson, Bruins, right wing: With many teams looking for additional scoring, Eriksson, 30, will be among the most popular free agents. He can score 20 to 30 goals a season.
4. David Backes, St. Louis Blues, center: He’s the kind of player every coach wants on his bench: a born leader and a prickly competitor who can score. The only drawback is he’s 32.
5. Kyle Okposo, Islanders, right wing: Okposo has totaled 67 goals the last three seasons. He’d be a good fit for the Philadelphia Flyers or New Jersey Devils.
6. Andrew Ladd, Chicago Blackhawks, left wing: Ladd is a top-six forward with some bite in his game. It would help the Blackhawks if they can figure out how to keep him. But they couldn’t find a way to keep Andrew Shaw. Ladd possibly could return to the Winnipeg Jets, where he had been captain.
7. Mikkel Boedker, Colorado Avalanche, right wing: He scored 51 points last season, and there aren’t many players available who can play among the top six forwards.
8. Troy Brouwer, Blues, right wing: He helped his cause with a gritty playoff performance. He’s 6-3, 215 pounds, and he
scored 18 goals in the regular season. There’s plenty to like about his game.
9. Jason Demers, Dallas Stars, defenseman: He is solid and dependable and shoots righthanded. In some cases, that’s enough to make you a $5 million player.
10. Frans Nielsen, Island--- ers, center: He’s highly respected around the league because he contributes as a penalty killer, skilled offensive player and savvy defensive forward.
11. Dan Hamhuis, Canucks, defenseman: Hamhuis is 33 but still is a reliable, consistent two-way defender. The left-handed shot is perfect for a general manager looking to plug a hole on defense.
12. Eric Staal, New York Rangers, center: The interest level in Staal will depend on his asking price. If he wants a longterm contract with a superstar average salary, his list of suitors will be shorter. He isn’t the offensive force he once was, but he is still a smart competitor who can help you win.
13. Thomas Vanek, Minnnesota Wild, right wing: Even though the Wild bought out Vanek, he will draw interest if his asking price is reasonable. Too many teams are looking for scoring. He has scored 20 or more goals in a season 10 times.
14. Jiri Hudler, Florida Panthers, right wing: Teams will have to decide whether Hudler is the 76-point scorer he was in 2014-15 or the 46-point scorer he was last season.
15. Kyle Quincey, Red Wings, defenseman: With 495 NHL games on his résumé, the left-handed shot is more marketable than you think.
16. Lee Stempniak, Devils, right wing: The versatile forward can play on the second or third line and provide secondary scoring.
17. David Perron, Anaheim Ducks, left wing: He played much better for the Ducks than he did for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. He has offensive sparkle, but he hasn’t been consistent in his production.
18. Brian Campbell, Panthers, defenseman: Campbell, 37, who shoots left, had 31 points last season. He could be a shortterm remedy for a team waiting for its defensemen to mature.
19. Kris Russell, Stars, defenseman: He’s 5-11, but he can have a big impact as a shot blocker. He has played 573 NHL games. He shoots left.
20. Teddy Purcell, Panthers, right wing: He’s a good fit for a team looking for secondary scoring. You can pencil him in for 12 to 14 goals a season.