My $56.8 Million Team

As the major portion of NHL Free Agency comes to a close, I have decided to create my own NHL team.

The team must have four full lines and three defensive pairings as well as two goalies. The team must also comply with the NHL's salary cap of $56.8 million dollars.

I've also included stats and a short descriptions to explain why I put that player on the team. So here is my team.

Center—Marc Savard: $5 Million

Marc Savard is a great setup man. He's a good team player and he's in his prime. A franchise player for only $5 million.

2008-09 stats: 25 goals, 63 assists, and 83 points

Center Nicklas Backstrom: $2.4 million

Backstrom is a good young player. Another great setup man who will get even better learning from Savard. He also has a very low cost for someone who is that skilled.

2008-09 stats: 22 goals, 66 assists, and 88 points

Center Jonathan Toews: $2.8 million

Toews is a good young player who will only get better with age. At a low cost of only $2.8 million, he also has good value.

2008-09 stats: 34 goals, 35 assists, and 69 points

Center Jordan Staal: $4 million

Staal may not get as many points as other top centers in the league, but he has the ability to score a clutch goal at any point in the game. He's also a great two-way player.

2008-09 stats: 22 goals, 27 assists, and 49 points

Right Wing Devin Setoguchi: $1,268,667

Setoguchi had a great breakout season last year. He can pass the puck, as well as score goals. He is a young player and has a very low salary for someone nearing 70 points.

2008-09 stats: 31 goals, 34 assists, and 65 points

Right Wing Bobby Ryan: $1,921,667

Bobby Ryan was almost a point per game player last season. He can score and setup. He is also young and has a low salary.

2008-09 stats: 31 goals, 26 assists, and 57 points

Right Wing Johan Franzen: $3,954,545

Johan Franzen is one of the hardest working guys in the league. He can give you a net presence, as well as score goals. He's also good in his own end and is a steal at under $4 million.

2008-09 stats: 34 goals, 25 assists, and 59 points

Right Wing Kris Versteeg: $3,666,667

This Calder Trophy nominee is another good young player who can both pass and score. He's not bad in his own end either. He will increase in points over the next few years.

2008-09 stats: 22 goals, 31 assists, and 53 points

Left Wing Tomas Holmstrom: $2.25 Million

Tomas Holmstrom is a hard working player. With four Stanley Cups, he would bring veteran leadership to a team of young guys. He would be another big guy to give you a net presence.

2008-09 stats: 14 goals, 23 assists, and 37 points

Left Wing Milan Lucic: $850,000

Milan Lucic is a big tough guy but he can also score. He is also very low cost at under $1 million. He could also give a net presence if called on to do so.

2008-09 stats: 17 goals, 25 assists, and 42 points

Left Wing Fabian Brunnstrom: $2.225 Million

Brunnstrom is a skilled forward who can score big goals. He's also a good two-way player. He is young and will grow into his salary. Expect over 30 goals next year.

2008-09 stats: 17 goals, 12 assists, and 29 points

Left Wing Travis Moen: $1.5 Million

Travis Moen doesn't score a lot of goals, but he's a good two-way player and he can bring veteran leadership to a team.

2008-09 stats: seven goals, nine assists, and 16 points

Defense Mike Komisarek: $4.5 million

Komisarek is a big tough defenseman. He is also very skilled and can get the puck out quickly. He is fairly young and has a reasonable salary of $4.5 million.

2008-09 stats: two goals, nine assists, and 11 points

Defense Mike Green: $5.25 Million

Mike Green is great on the back end, but he can also score. He's one of the few defenseman to ever get 30 goals in a season. He's going to be the Norris trophy winner next season and he's also so young he'll only get better.

2008-09 stats: 31 goals, 42 assists, and 73 points

Defense Niklas Kronwall: $3 million

Niklas Kronwall is a skilled defenseman. He can hit hard and is a steal for only $3 million. He would also bring leadership to the team with two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals.

2008-09 stats: six goals, 45 assists, and 51 points

Defense Shea Weber: $4.5 million

Shea Weber is a great young defenseman. He can also score as he got over 20 goals. He will be one of the top defenseman in the league for a long time.

2008-09 stats: 23 goals, 30 assists, and 53 points

Defense Brooks Orpik: $ 3.75 million

Brooks Orpik is a good defenseman. He can move the puck and get it out. He also has the experience of winning the Stanley Cup.

2008-09 stats: two goals, 17 assists, and 19 points

Defense Karl Alzner: $1.675 million

Alzner is a good young prospect defenseman who would greatly learn from playing with guys like Green, Weber, and Kronwall. He has great potential and could be a 50 point defenseman one day.

2008-09 stats: one goal, four assists, and five points

Goalie Steve Mason: $905,000

Steve Mason is a big goalie. He uses his size with his great positioning. He won the Calder Trophy should have won the Vezina Trophy last season. He's young and cheap, but the risk is that you don't know if he can replicate that success.

2008-09 stats: 2.29 GAA, .916 save percentage, 33 wins, and 10 shutouts

Jonas Gustafsson G $810,000

Gustafsson is a big goalie. He's young and cheap and he's very competitive. Someone who is that hyped must have some upside.

2008-09 stats: (Team Sweden at World Championship)2.83 GAA and a .914 save percentage

Coach Mike Babcock

His puck possession style is replacing the neutral zone trap more and more every season. He's been in three Stanley Cup Finals and is a great pick to lead such a young team.

Final Count $55,626,556

Final Team Stats

Average Age: 23

Total Goals during the 2008-09 season: 341

Total Assists during the 2008-09 season: 523

Total Cups: nine

Total Salary $55,626,556

Cap Space $1,173,444