NHL Free Agents 2010: Veterans Looking for Work

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With the salary cap in place, NHL teams can no longer freely spend to bring in a high-salaried, veteran free agent.

More and more teams are signing their young players to long-term, high dollar contracts.

Add a few of these contracts to any team and the organization will have little room under the cap to go after a free agent.

Instead, they fill the holes from within, or with cheaper free agent options.

This line of thinking may keep the following veterans out of work longer than they should be.

Mike Modano

The 40-year-old has spent his entire NHL career with the Dallas Stars. Rumor has it that the Red Wings are considering a $1 million offer to bring the Detroit native home. That would leave the Wings $3.4 million under the salary cap.

Modano has stated that if he does not join the Wings, he will retire.

Teemu Selanne

At 40, Selanne put up 48 points in 54 games with the Anaheim Ducks last year.

There is no doubt he still has a lot to offer any NHL team.

His salary last year was $2 million. This was down from the $3.25 million he made in 2009.

Would Selanne be willing take another 25 to 50% hit to his paycheck to play in the NHL in 2011?

Paul Kariya

Kariya's contract with the St. Louis Blues expired at the end of the 2010 season. He made $6 million in the final three years of this contract.

Kariya has always been valued for his skill and leadership and would be a great addition to many teams.

The 35 year-old proved he can still produce with 43 points last season. But any team bringing him on would probably look for him to take a huge pay cut.

Bill Guerin

Guerin is a grizzled veteran at the age of 39. He is a winner with two Stanley Cup rings, a World Cup of Hockey title, and an All-Star game MVP.

Guerin is also a great leader, and it's surprising that the Penguins have not signed him for one more year. The team has a young leadership group and Guerin is a great mentor.

Guerin's salary last year was $2 million, a 56% reduction from the previous year.

Marty Turco

Turco's best days are probably behind him.

It was surprising to hear that he had turned down a rumored three-year, $6 million offer from the Flyers, a significant reduction in salary from the $5.4 million he made last year.

Turco would be a good complement to a young goaltender looking for a mentor, but his chances at getting a starting job at a salary comparable to last year's pay are slim.

There is a chance that the Blackhawks will pick him up. But with the team already over the salary cap, they will be hard pressed to offer him a contract better than the one the Flyers had allegedly offered.