Forget About Ilya Kovalchuk: The NHL’s Other Best Free Agents
As long as super-scorer Ilya Kovalchuk remains available on the free agent market, he will be the most talked-about National Hockey League player. In reality, there’s far more to free agency than Kovalchuk. In fact, the free agent market is littered with players that can be signed at a reasonable fee and can turn strong teams into downright contenders. Thus, here are the top free agents still available and not named Ilya Kovalchuk.
Marc-Andre Bergeron: To win in the NHL, it is necessary to maintain a strong balance between defence and offence. Bergeron is this balance personified. The defenseman had 34 points in 60 games with the Montreal Canadians last season and also dominated on the blue-line. Given the rapid rate at which free agent defensemen have been signing, as shown by the Hjalmarsson situation in Chicago, it is likely that a team will make a jump at Bergeron very soon.
Alexander Frolov: Frolov is pure talent but lately has lost his lustre on the ice. Sometimes it seems he isn’t even trying, but he has the talents of a 50-goal scorer and a lot of teams might be enticed to sign him as a ‘project.’ Unfortunately, this won’t be a cheap project as Frolov still wants to be paid handsomely. If he signs with an NHL team and meshes well, Frolov could single-handedly change their season. The left wing may also return to his native Russia to play in the Kontinental Hockey League, where he would easily get the payout he wants.
Maxim Afinogenov: Why stop with just one free agent Russian forward? Afinogenov may perhaps be the case study for Alexander Frolov. After struggling at Buffalo and becoming a team nuisance, Afinogenov has seemingly changed his ways and become a valuable asset to the Atlanta Thrashers. He has returned to proper form and flirted with the 30-goal mark last season. Afinogenov is a great short-term signing and since 20-30 goal scorers are a rare commodity, there are numerous teams interested in him.
Jose Theodore: Theodore’s statistics from last season are solid, but questions linger regarding the 30-game winner’s actual goaltending abilities. Many people think Theodore’s flaws were heavily masked by the monstrous offensive production of Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. While the former Vezina and Hart Trophy winner’s stock is in decline, he could still be a useful net-minder for teams like Philadelphia. If the Flyers manage to offload Simon Gagne, they are the most likely to make Theodore an offer.
John Madden: Madden’s prime is far behind him, but he has adjusted into a comfortable niche as a power-play killing, hard-hitting centre. A lot of teams who have struggled with penalty killing, most notably the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Islanders, and the Nashville Predators, would be wise to invest in the 37-year-old. Madden brings a high level of physicality to a team and in ice hockey that can sometimes be as important as goal scoring.
Lee Stempniak: Stempniak went from being a truculent mess for the Toronto Maple Leafs to being a dynamic stud for the Phoenix Coyotes nearly overnight. Last season in 62 games for the Leafs, Stempniak had only 14 goals. He matched that total in just 18 games for the Coyotes. He has yet to exhibit any obstreperousness in Phoenix, so perhaps the problem was with the Maple Leafs rather than Stempniak.
His inconsistency and the stigma regarding his behaviour will prevent Stempniak from a long-term, big-money deal. However, he could be a steal for interested franchises and use the opportunity to show himself worthy of a large salary and contractual stability.
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