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Five intriguing NHL free agents

July 20, 2017, 10:53 PM ET [7 Comments]
Adam Proteau
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The initial roar of the start of the NHL’s unrestricted free agency period has come and gone, and while the level of talent that remains on the open market isn’t exactly overwhelming, there are players who can improve a franchise’s odds at winning. The challenge is to secure their services at an appropriate salary cap hit, and with many teams still facing some cap concerns, it’s not at all an easy task to slot in some of these competitors at the money they believe they’re worth.

With that said, here are five intriguing and still-available NHLers as of late July:

1. Andrei Markov, D. Markov’s ice time average has dropped in every season since the 2013-14 campaign, from 25:14 that year to 21:50 in 2016-17. The 38-year-old shouldn’t be expected to anchor a team’s blueline any longer, but his skill set is still highly desirable and he can be a major addition to a franchise’s playoff push. The Montreal Canadiens still have interest in him, and rightfully so – should he leave, the Habs’ defense corps would take a massive hit. But if Jeff Petry is worth $5.5 million per season, Markov should command $6 million a year.



There’s a question of whether Markov is right to ask for a two-year deal at his age, but the bigger question is whether Montreal can afford to lose him and, in a worse-case scenario, watch him sign with a rival Eastern Conference club. The answer is no, and if it means Markov needs to wait until closer to training camp to land that extra term, it’s likely he’ll do so – either with the Canadiens, or another squad.

2. Jaromir Jagr, RW. In a league where scoring goals is no small feat and where special teams make a big difference, it seems curious to see a player who had 16 goals – half of them on the power play – still looking for work as August approached. However, the 45-year-old’s sticker price – even at the $4 million he earned with the Florida Panthers last year – may be scaring away potential suitors at this point in the off-season.



Like a lot of players staring retirement in the face, Jagr is looking at a tough decision: how much does he want to stay in hockey’s top league and play for a championship contender? Enough to take a haircut of $1-2 million? Or does he stand his ground, skate day and night on his own between now and September (or longer), hope a spot opens up for him and acquire some negotiating leverage back? Not an easy choice, but the one he makes could be crucial, both for his continued assault on the NHL’s record books, and for a Stanley Cup frontrunner.

3. Cody Franson, D. He’s not the second coming of Nicklas Lidstrom, but Franson – who’ll turn 30 at the start of next month – remains capable of contributing solid minutes on a Cup contender’s back end. Though Franson only had 19 points in 68 games with the Buffalo Sabres last year, he’s only three years removed from two consecutive seasons of posting more than 30 points, and on a team such as the Ottawa Senators or Chicago Blackhawks, he’d deliver much-needed depth and experience – and he won’t put a terrible strain on your payroll (he had a cap hit of $3.325 million last year).

4. Brian Gionta, RW. Gionta posted 15 goals last season in Buffalo and he’s got a winning pedigree. Like Markov, he’s 38 and his minutes will have to be limited, and he’s also spoken publicly about family considerations playing a role in where he chooses to play. But if you’re a GM looking for a guy who does things right in the dressing room and who can chip in at a rate that’s likely to be reduced from the $4.25 million cap hit he had with the Sabres in 2016-17, you could do much worse than taking a chance on Gionta.



5. Roman Polak, D. Polak is still recovering from a terrible right leg injury that knocked him out of the Maple Leafs’ playoff series against Washington in April, and he’ll need at least the rest of the summer to get back into playing condition. But he very quietly had a good year in Toronto in 2016-17, serving as head coach Mike Babcock’s most trusted penalty killers (averaging 2:54 of shorthanded ice time per game) and one of the Buds’ more physical players.



The 31-year-old Czech had a cap hit of $2.25 million last season, and with a relative glut of defensemen currently on the market, he could likely be signed on a one-year contract in the same range. Polak needs to show he’s fully recovered before that happens, but he’s well-regarded as a good citizen and could prove to be a bargain depth acquisition for a playoff contender.
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