TOP UFA'S UP FOR GRABS

Nicholas D'Agostino

Johnny Gaudreau, Left Wing, Age: 28

The first player on this list is none other than Johnny “Hockey” Gaudreau. This offseason, Gaudreau will be one of the most sought out UFA’s on the free agent market. Gaudreau has been a top player in this league for quite some time as in his career, he has captured 609 points in 602 games.

There is no question Gaudreau possesses elite offensive instinct to go along with his great passing ability and goal scoring. This past season, Gaudreau scored a career high 115 points for the Flames while also scoring a career high 40 goals. The Flames will love to re-sign him but once he hits the open market it will make Gaudreau’s decision a whole lot harder.

Patrice Bergeron, Centre, Age: 36

Patrice Bergeron’s contract is up this year and the 5-time Selke winner will have a tough decision to make. Many reports have suggested that Bergeron has been contemplating retirement but the star centre undoubtedly still has more left in the tank.

As we all know, Beregeron is an outstanding two-way player that can go up against any top line in the league and provide offense while doing so. A report early on in the offseason suggested that Beregeron and the Bruins were leaning towards a one-year deal to keep their captain for at least one more season. While nothing is set in stone, it seems as though Bergeron will choose between the Bruins or retirement.

Nazem Kadri, Centre, Age: 31

Rounding off our list so far is Avs Centre Nazem Kadri. Fresh off the Stanley Cup Nazem Kadri will be due for a pretty big contract this offseason. With his cap hit at 4.5 million for the last couple of seasons, Kadri will be looking for a big increase as he is coming off a career year.

He scored 87 points in only 71 games and he was essential in the Avs quest for Lord Stanley. Kadri is a great fit for most teams as he brings a unique combination of skill, heart and grit. The Avalanche will try to sign Kadri long term but as of right now, if he goes to free agency many teams around the league will be interested.

John Klingberg, Defence, Age: 29

Coming in at number 6 and the first defenseman on this list is John Klingberg. The former Dallas Star is a offensive minded defesnmen who has the offensive capabilities to contribute from the back end. Klingberg is a good skater, possesses the puck well and he really passes the puck. Throughout his NHL career Klingberg has shown the ability to quarterback a power play while also eating big minutes and being a responsible defender.

Klingberg has a proven track record as an offensive defenseman as throughout his 8 years in the league, he has surpassed 30 points in each and every season. Klingberg is coming off a strong season as he had 47 points in 74 games. With his proven track record and offensive capabilities Klingberg should get a good deal- should he test the free agent market.

Claude Giroux, Centre/Left Wing, Age: 34

Needless to say, Giroux has been a great player in this league for many years. Last year was like no other as he scored over 60 points between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Florida Panthers. Giroux was traded to Florida after being a longtime Flyer as he continued his chase for Lord Stanley.

At this point in his career, Giroux is more focused on winning a Stanley Cup rather than getting the best possible deal out there. As we get closer to free agency, it could still be possible that Giroux sticks with Flordia but we will have to wait and see. Giroux has also stated that he has to do the best for himself and his family. There is no doubt that come Wednesday there will be interest for his services.

Darcy Keumper, Goalie, Age: 32

Fresh off a Stanley Cup, Darcy Keumper looks as though his time in Colorado is up. Keumper has been a consistent goalie in the league for many years now and he will gain loads of interest from teams around the league come Wednesday. Just this past season with Colorado, Keumper had a .921 save percentage to go along with a 2.54 goals against average. Not to mention he had a very good record this year as he went 37-12-4.

The one question mark for Keumper is his health. He has been injured a decent amount of time over the course of his career. But he showed this season that when healthy, he can be a number one goalie and bring a team to Stanley Cup contention

Ondrej Palat, Left Wing, Age: 31

Ondrej Palat had another solid season for the Tampa Bay Lightning this year. Palat is a solid top 6 winger who can play with skilled players up and down a lineup. This season, Palat scored 49 points in 77 games and was great in the playoffs with 21 points in 23 games. It is no guarantee that Palat will make it to free agency as Tampa Bay wishes to keep him, but if he does test the market, many teams will be interested in this dynamic winger.

Like I said before, Palat is a great player to have on your roster as he can do many things within a forward group. He has the skills to be on lines with other top players, but he also has the work ethic to play in a certain role lower down the lineup. Based on Palat’s strong track record, he should have no problem finding potential suitors for his services.

Jack Campbell, Goalie, Age: 30

Rounding off our list at number 10 is Jack Campbell. Campbell is an interesting one as unlike most of these players on the list, Campbell doesn’t really have a proven track record. Campbell wasn’t really a number 1 goalie until this year and he had some ups and downs this season. Campbell was great during the first half of the year, so much so that he was an All-Star for the Atlantic Division.

After that his performance went downhill. Overall he still put up a .914 save percentage to go along with a 2.64 goals against average. There have already been rumors that many teams are interested in Campbell and the frontrunner to sign him once the market opens up is the Edmonton Oilers. As it stands Toronto might have to let him go because they are unwilling to pay his asking price.