This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

[A Shot and a Goal]

Who is an unrestricted free agent on your favorite NHL team? Which NHL UFA might your team pursue? If you are wondering about possible answers to these questions here's a list courtesy of the Denver Post.

The list is not a complete accounting of all upcoming NHL UFAs nor is it meant to be. I'm posting the list here to give posters at least one guide to which they can refer in the days/weeks/months to come.

The dollar figure following each player's name is the player's current average salary [according to the Post] given the player's existing contract.

LW Ilya Kovachuk New Jersey $7.5 million
D Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit $7.45 million
C-RW Patrick Marleau San Jose $6.3 million
D Scott Niedermayer Anaheim $6.0 million
G Evgeni Nabokov San Jose $6 million
LW Paul Kariya St. Louis $6.0 million
C Olli Jokinen N.Y. Rangers $5.5 million
D Sergei Gonchar Pittsburgh $5.5 million
G Marty Turco Dallas $5.4 million
D Kim Johnsson Chicago $5.3 million
D Pavel Kubina Atlanta $5.0 million
D Paul Martin New Jersey $4.5 million
G Jose Theodore Washington $4.5 million
LW Alexander Frolov Los Angeles $4.0 million
G Vesa Toskala Calgary $4.0 million
RW Lee Stempniak Phoenix $3.5 million
LW Fredrik Modin Los Angeles $3.5 million
D Willie Mitchell Vancouver $3.5 million
D Rob Blake San Jose $3.5 million
D Mike Van Ryn Toronto $3.35 million
C Saku Koivu Anaheim $3.25 million
D Anton Volchenkov Ottawa $3.2 million
D Derek Morris Phoenix $3.0 million
G Chris Mason St. Louis $3.0 million
C Matt Cullen Ottawa $2.8 million
C-LW Thomas Plekanec Montreal $2.75 million
D Joe Corvo Washington $2.75 million
RW Owen Nolan Minnesota $2.75 million
C John Madden Chicago $2.75 million
D Dan Hamhuis Nashville $2.5 million
D Brian Pothier Carolina $2.5 million
LW Alex Tanguay Tampa Bay $2.5 million
RW Fernando Pisani Edmonton $2.5 million
RW Alexei Ponikarovsky Pittsburgh $2.5 million
RW Scott Walker Washington $2.5 million
C Matthew Lombardi Phoenix $2.35 million
LW Tomas Holmstrom Detroit $2.25 million
D Adrian Aucoin Phoenix $2.25 million
LW Keith Tkachuk St. Louis $2.15 million
RW Teemu Selanne Anaheim $2.0 million
RW Bill Guerin Pittsburgh $2.0 million
C Jeff Halpern Los Angeles $2.0 million
C Doug Weight N.Y. Islanders $2.0 million
D Mark Easton Pittsburgh $2.0 million
LW Ruslan Fedotenko Pittsburgh $1.8 million
D Jordan Leopold Pittsburgh $1.75 million
D Paul Mara Montreal $1.675 million
D Andrew Ference Boston $1.625 million
RW Petr Sykora Minnesota $1.6 million
G Ray Emery Philadelphia $1.5 million
RW Todd Bertuzzi Detroit $1.5 million
C Jason Williams Detroit $1.5 million
C Brendan Morrison Washington $1.5 million
RW Jere Lehtinen Dallas $1.5 million
RW Jamal Mayers Calgary $1.4 million
D Carlo Colaiacovo St. Louis $1.4 million
C Mike Comrie Edmonton $1.25 million
RW Mike Grier Buffalo $1.2 million
LW Matt Cooke Pittsburgh $1.2 million
LW Vaclav Prospal N.Y. Rangers $1.15 million
C Dominic Moore Montreal $1.1 million
D Darryl Sydor St. Louis $1.0 million
C Rob Niedermayer New Jersey $1.0 million
C Robert Lang Phoenix $1.0 million
RW Maxim Afineogenov Atlanta $800,000
D Mike Mottau New Jersey $775,000
C Scott Nichol San Jose $750,000
C Adam Burish Chicago $725,000
D David Hale Tampa Bay $725,000
C Colin Fraser Chicago $700,000
C Manny Malhotra San Jose $700,000
RW Shean Donovan Ottawa $650,000
D Kurtis Foster Tampa Bay $600,000
G Antero Niittymaki Tampa Bay $600,000
D Martin Skoula New Jersey $575,000
G Brent Johnson Pittsburgh $525,000
G Manny Legace Carolina $500,000

[BUT09]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

As a Rangers fan, I want Prospal back. Jokinen - no thanks.

[pardonme]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

Agreed for the Rangers. For the Kings I'd like to see them push hard for Kovalchuk, and I don't mind if they let Frolov walk. Pretty indifferent on Halpern and Modin, almost definitely let Halpern walk, maybe take Modin for less money.

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

Agreed for the Rangers. For the Kings I'd like to see them push hard for Kovalchuk, and I don't mind if they let Frolov walk. Pretty indifferent on Halpern and Modin, almost definitely let Halpern walk, maybe take Modin for less money.

I think the Kings are going to make a push, somehow, to get a solid #2 center. I know they likely won't do it since he's an RFA, but a guy like Tomas Plekanec would be pretty good there. In a video game sense, Patrick Marleau would be the guy to go to there, but in reality, the guy is an unmotivated puss and would potentially drag them down in the playoffs.

[Terrierbyassociation]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

Jokinen is gone, and good riddance. Would truly appreciate it if the Rangers realized how much he stunk.

[unh_hockey]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

wonder who is going to shell out 7.5 million for kovalchuk

[hockeyplayer1015]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

wonder who is going to shell out 7.5 million for kovalchuk

Nobody, because Kovy want's ~10, or atleast did before the trade.

He turned down 12 years 101 million from Atlanta, so either he really didn't like it there (plausible, for sure) or he is looking for more money (also plausible.)

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

Nobody, because Kovy want's ~10, or atleast did before the trade.

He turned down 12 years 101 million from Atlanta, so either he really didn't like it there (plausible, for sure) or he is looking for more money (also plausible.)

Someone is going to comically overpay him. It's just a matter of which GM is gullible enough.

[hockeyplayer1015]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

Someone is going to comically overpay him. It's just a matter of which GM is gullible enough.

unfortunately, the Bruins can't afford him due to other comical overpaying of ****ty players. I would otherwise expect them to overbid in the Kovy Sweepstakes by about 3M a year.

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

As a Rangers fan,

I'm hoping we can get Prospal back for a contract similar to what he was paid this year but that might be tough with how valuable he was to the team.

Jokinen will be gone. He was a loaner player to try and put us over the top that didn't work out.

If I'm the Rangers, I'm going balls out to try and sign Marleau. This team desperately needs a #1 center and Marleau would provide that.

Back-up plan...Matthew Lombardi.

I'd also hope that the Rangers can lock up Marc Staal, who is a restricted FA and re-sign Erik Christenson. I liked what he brought to the table this year for us.

[Terrierbyassociation]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

Well Marleau would fit perfectly, we don't make the playoffs, and he's a regular season player.

[ScottK]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

unfortunately, the Bruins can't afford him due to other comical overpaying of ****ty players. I would otherwise expect them to overbid in the Kovy Sweepstakes by about 3M a year.

You think the Bruins would even think about paying someone $10M a year? Not as long as Jeremy Jacobs is still alive.

[MoFan]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

Someone is going to comically overpay him. It's just a matter of which GM is gullible enough.

Toronto comes to mind....

[aparch]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

I think the better question is which GM can make the NHL look the other way while signing Kovy to a 120+ Mil deal with a cap hit of 4 Mil annually?

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: This summer NHL unrestricted free agents

I think the better question is which GM can make the NHL look the other way while signing Kovy to a 120+ Mil deal with a cap hit of 4 Mil annually?

Bingo.

Also, if it's not clear that Kovalchuk was posturing in Atlanta before I don't know what to say. He shot down every offer in Atlanta because the team was never getting better and he wanted out. He can spin it any way he wants to personally, but we are all smarter than that.

He'll get a Gaborik-like contract from someone with cap space to set ablaze.