OT: Reamining 2011-2012 Top Free Agents

[icehogfan08]

10. Mike Grier

The grinding winger is now 36 and has lost at least a half-step of skating speed, but he’s still a physical presence and effective penalty-killer. And like most players on this list, he’ll come cheap.

9. J-P Dumont

A healthy scratch at times down the stretch for the Preds last season, Dumont won’t have any more years where he puts up 20 or more goals. But in the right situation, with his minutes limited to slow his ebbing effectiveness, he would be a decent offensive contributor.

8. John Madden

At 38, Madden is the oldest player on this list. That said, he still managed 12 goals for the offensively challenged Wild last season and his championship experience and penalty-killing abilities can help a team.

7. Fernando Pisani

The 60 games he appeared in last season with Chicago were the most Pisani played in three years. However, he can be a valuable penalty-killer and chip in a goal every 10 games or so.

6. Kyle Wellwood

The butt of conditioning jokes for a couple years now, Wellwood availed himself fairly well in San Jose last season. His plus-10 rating (in just 35 games played) is the best of any NHLer on this list.

5. Anton Stralman

Stralman is softer than a box of ice cream left outside the gates of hell. Nevertheless, in an era where puck-moving defensemen are at a premium, some team is bound to give him a shot at moving their puck.

4. Cory Stillman

His goal totals have dropped every season since 2007-08, but the 37-year-old, 16-season veteran has the savvy to help out a team’s power play (12 of his 39 points last season came with the man advantage).

3. Sergei Samsonov

Although he’s 32, Samsonov has played 13 NHL seasons and always finds a way to create offense. He’s a virtual lock to score 10-15 goals and 30-40 points.

2. Bryan McCabe

It’s hard to believe McCabe was paid as an elite defenseman, but now that his five-year, $28.75 million contract has expired, his salary (and the expectations that go along with it) can better reflect his abilities.

1. Chris Campoli

Don’t take this to mean Campoli is capable of suddenly becoming a top-tier offensive defenseman; clearly, he’s not a first defense-pairing type of guy, but he’s still only 27, has above-average speed and averaged more than 19 minutes of ice time a game last season. That combination will appeal to some team sooner or later.

 

[Capt. Serious]

I'll always remember Pisani's stellar game vs the Wings.

 

[HawkWriter]

No Teemu Selanne? I know if he returns it will most likely be with the Ducks, but still a UFA in my books.

 

[icehogfan08]

No Teemu Selanne? I know if he returns it will most likely be with the Ducks, but still a UFA in my books.

Good question, I thought he would have been there rather than Wellwood & Pisani.

 

[tbo41fan]

LOL @ campoli greedy bastard

 

[HawkWriter]

LOL @ campoli greedy bastard

Really interested to see what he gets at the end of the day. In this market he is probably worth the $2.5Mil that he wants, just don't know if anyone is going to pay him that and we couldn't pay him that to be our number 5/6 guy. We have seen some crazy contracts handed out recently and Tyutin's contract today was another large one.

 

[icehogfan08]

LOL @ campoli greedy bastard

His loss

 

[tbo41fan]

Really interested to see what he gets at the end of the day. In this market he is probably worth the $2.5Mil that he wants, just don't know if anyone is going to pay him that and we couldn't pay him that to be our number 5/6 guy. We have seen some crazy contracts handed out recently and Tyutin's contract today was another large one.

KHL maybe?

His loss

:yep:

hopefully we play well this year and make him really regret it

good to see players like Montador relishing his chance to play in the indian head sweater

 

[LonghornBob]

If nothing works scoring punch-wise with the new and/or younger guys I wouldn't be terribly upset with an emergency signing of Samsonov or Selanne.

 

[HawkWriter]

If nothing works scoring punch-wise with the new and/or younger guys I wouldn't be terribly upset with an emergency signing of Samsonov or Selanne.

Selanne had 80 points in 73 games last year...I would be thrilled with a 1 year signing of Selanne. That being said, I really feel like IF he plays it is probably 95% to the Ducks and 5% to the Kings/Jets.

Don't want to see Samsonov on the team again. He has to play in the top 6 to be effective, and if he is playing in our top 6 - the Blackhawks are in trouble.

 

[icehogfan08]

Selanne had 80 points in 73 games last year...I would be thrilled with a 1 year signing of Selanne. That being said, I really feel like IF he plays it is probably 95% to the Ducks and 5% to the Kings/Jets.

Don't want to see Samsonov on the team again. He has to play in the top 6 to be effective, and if he is playing in our top 6 - the Blackhawks are in trouble.

Yeah I won't be thrilled to try the Samsonov experiment again. I think Carolina did us a favor.