NHL Free Agents 2010: Ranking The Top 10 Goalies Available

With the free agency frenzy just hours away, many NHL general managers are scrambling to make sure their team's offer will be the best one on the table in hopes of landing a big fish to fill the void on their team's current roster.

Front and centre this week will be the future of numerous free agent goaltenders with the likes of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and Edmonton Oilers all fishing for starting goaltenders and backups.

Let’s take a look at the top 10 free agent goaltenders and where they might land.

10. Ray Emery

Needless to say, if an NHL team decides to take a flier on Ray Emery, they will be taking a big chance.

Last March Emery underwent a bone graft on his hip, leaving many wondering if he will ever play in the NHL again.

If Emery is healed (which is doubtful) you can expect an NHL team to give him a sniff. Emery went 16-11-1 with a 2.64 goals against average and a .905 save percentage with three shutouts last season—numbers that are good enough to get a look from NHL GMs.

Possible suitors: Unknown, based on injury status…

9. Vesa Toskala

Vesa Toskala has watched his save percentage dive in each of the past four seasons from 0.908 in 2006-07 to .904 in 2007-08, 0.891 in 2008-09, and 0.874 in 2009-10. A byproduct of his poor save percentage was his paltry goals against average, which went from 2.35 to 2.74 and then to 3.26 before bottoming out at 3.66 in 2009-10.

While a good portion of Toskala’s troubles can be blamed on the Toronto Maple Leafs' rebuilding, many NHL GMs and fans alike suspect that Toskala has lost his edge and, in fact, may be done as an NHL goaltender.

With so few “quality” free agent goaltenders available this summer, it appears as if Toskala will find a home in the NHL if he wants it.

While I suspect no NHL team would be willing to offer Toskala a starting job, there may be more than a few that could see him filling their backup role.

Possible Suitors: Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes, *KHL.

8. Antero Niittymaki

Antero Niittymaki is one of those wild card goaltenders; you just don’t know what you are getting with him.

Nittymaki posted some very decent numbers as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, going 21-18-5 with a 2.87 GAA and a .909 save percentage.

Truth be told, Niittymaki has not had a save percentage under .900 since the 2006-07 season, and his goals against average has been steady for three seasons straight, posting a 2.91 GAA in 2007-08, 2.76 in 2008-09, and 2.87 in 2009-10.

While the numbers are good, Niittymaki also has a penchant for giving up soft goals, something that can be very costly for NHL teams vying for a playoff spot.

Nititymaki is a hot or cold commodity. The question is, which one will he be in 2010-11?

Possible Suitors: New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres, Atlanta Thrashers, *Calgary Flames.

7. Martin Biron

Is there any NHL goaltender who gets more attention at the trade deadline every year than Marty Biron?

After two decent seasons as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, Biron landed flat on his face with the New York Islanders last season, registering an awful 9-14-4 record with a 0.896 save percentage and a bloated 3.27 GAA.

Sure, playing for the Islanders is a challenge in the best of times, but Biron’s play really took a step backwards last season, leaving many NHL GMs wondering if he can find his way again.

One thing’s for sure—Biron will likely come cheap, leaving the door open for some of the NHL teams that are up or near the Cap to extend an offer to Biron.

Possible Suitors: *Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins (If Tim Thomas is traded), Calgary Flames.

6. Michael Leighton

After an impressive regular season in which Michael Leighton registered a 16-5-2 regular season record, Leighton (who was acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers via waivers last season) went on an incredible 9-1-1-run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs while leading the Flyers to the Finals.

All Leighton has done since joining the Flyers is win, yet nobody seems to be willing to give him another chance with the Orange and Black. Instead, the team opted to offer the likes of Marty Turco and Evgeni Nabokov contracts while keeping backup Brian Boucher in the mix.

Leighton’s NHL career has seen him bounce around the league, with stops with the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, and the Flyers again. What this kid needs is a permanent address and a chance to prove that he is a legitimate NHL goalie.

Possible Suitors: *Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Atlanta Thrashers.

UPDATE: SIGNED TWO YEAR DEAL WITH FLYERS, June 30th....

5. Jose Theodore

After spending two seasons with the Washington Capitals it appears as if Jose Theodore will be moving on.

Theodore posted a record of 62-24-12 in the two seasons he spent with the Caps, with a decent save percentage (.900, .911) and decent goals against (2.87, 2.81) in both seasons.

Where Theodore failed was during the playoffs, where he registered zero wins and horrific goals against and save percentage numbers in four playoff starts with the Caps.

With that in mind it will be tough for Theodore to land with a contender, but a team that is unsure about its starter and/or is looking to off-set its starter's playing time would be a nice fit for Theodore.

Possible Suitors: Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins (if Tim Thomas is traded), New York Rangers, *Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues.

4. Dan Ellis

The Nashville Predators are a goaltending factory. Over the past three seasons they have developed Chris Mason, Dan Ellis, and Pekka Rinne and look to be well on their way to developing Chet Pickard (who should fill the backup role in Nashville this season).

With Dan Ellis’ rights having been acquired by the Montreal Canadiens earlier this week, one can expect them to tender an offer to Ellis in hopes of landing the Saskatoon native as insurance for youngster Carey Price.

Possible Suitors: *Montreal Canadiens

3. Chris Mason

Chris Mason’s two-year stint with the St. Louis Blues helped establish him as an All-Star caliber goaltender, an attribute that will put Mason in high demand this summer.

Mason registered a record of 30-22-8 with the Blues last season while posting a 2.53 GAA and a .913 save percentage.

Needless to say, with numbers like that after playing for a team that, quite frankly, really struggled last season, Mason will likely get plenty of attention this summer, with as many as six teams being interested in his services.

It has been rumored that a three-year, $11-$12 million contract gets this deal done, which, by my accounts, is good value for a goaltender of Mason’s caliber.

Possible Suitors: *Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Atlanta Thrashers

2. Marty Turco

While many NHL general managers feel Marty Turco is on the decline, there are enough NHL GMs who feel Turco has one or two more good seasons in him.

The question is, does Turco have enough left to play 60-plus games as a starter and get a team into the playoffs and beyond?

Turco brings a ton of experience, personal awards, and a Stanley Cup ring (1998-99). His character is excellent, and he should be motivated by the Dallas Stars' snub.

Look for Turco to be hotly pursued by numerous NHL teams, especially those in contention this season.

Possible Suitors: Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, *San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning.

1. Evgeni Nabokov

As good as Evgeni Nabokov has been in the regular season, he has never endeared himself to the San Jose Sharks in the playoffs.

Clearly, there is plenty of blame to go around for the Sharks' playoff failures, but Nabokov has demonstrated an inability to come up huge in the big games—notably throughout the NHL playoffs, where he owns a paltry 40-38 record, and during the 2010 Olympics, where Nabokov struggled mightily, especially against Team Canada.

While Nabokov’s playoff struggles are well-documented, it is very tough to ignore his three consecutive 40+ win seasons (2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10) and his being in the running for the Vezina Trophy in past seasons.

The Philadelphia Flyers have shown a lot of interest in Nabokov, leading many Flyers' fans to speculate that he may be a member of the Orange and Black next season. While it is unknown what it will take to sign Nabokov, one can assume a three-year, $15 million deal will be the starting point.

As for all the KHL talk, I will believe it when I see it. Nabokov has much to prove in the NHL, and I suspect he will remain, landing with one of the NHL’s top clubs.

Possible Suitors: *Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings