Quote:
Originally Posted by ComixZone
It'll be better than last season at least.
Available forwards:
Vanek - rumored to be going to Minnesota
Moulson - rumored to be returning to the Isles - but who knows.
Cammalleri
Gaborik
Stastny - betting will be re-signed by Colorado
Iginla - probably be re-signed by Boston
Hemsky - betting Ottawa re-signs him
Legwand - betting he re-signs with Detroit (it is his hometown after-all)
Callahan - looking fantastic in Tampa, lower taxes in Florida
Michalek
Jokinen
Roy
Jagr - has stated he wants to stay in New Jersey
Bolland - Toronto is terribly weak at center - bet he gets re-signed
Downie
Stempniak
Heatley
Alfredsson - betting Detroit re-signs him
Defensemen:
Boyle
Timonen
Markov
Pitkanen
Orpik
Greene
Niskanen
Nikitin
Butler
Meszaros
Goalies:
Miller
Brodeur
Hiller
Thomas
Halak
Nabokov
Bryzgalov
Emery
Gustavsson
It's a pretty good crop of UFAs when you take into consideration the awfulness that was last year.
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I think the list is not going to be that great personally with things I have been hearing. The FA market always looks great, and then a bunch get re-signed before they ever make it there. The ones I haven't mentioned are the only ones that I haven't heard being talked about in any way. Vanek and Moulson will more than likely make it to the FA market, but there are strong reasons to believe that they have their destinations already picked out.
It will be interesting to see who indeed does move, but I think Cammalleri and Gaborik are the only higher-profile scorers who will really be accepting offers from a number of different teams.
I do think this will be a very good year for teams looking for goalies. I don't think any of the starters will actually move (Miller or Hillier), but a good portion of the rest I bet do move, and for the most part they are more than competent backups.
Defencemen are pretty weak as a group - lots of guys standing on their last legs (Timmonen, Boyle, Meszaros). None of the rest are 1st pairing guys, and most of them are bottom-pairing. A couple good ones that I think will end up cashing-in really well.
Edit: Forgot to mention that I replied in bold next to the forward names of guys who I think stay or whom are rumored to already have a destination in place.