NHL Free Agents 2011: Predicting Where Each of the Top 21 Free Agents Lands

NHL Free Agency is one of the most exciting parts of the NHL season. Even though nobody is actually skating on the ice, so much is happening with each of the teams that it becomes very exciting.

Free agency can help a struggling franchise turn things around, take a team from being close to being Stanley Cup contenders, or even take a solid team and destroy their roster.

We've seen all the big names get snapped up relatively quickly, but there are still a few more pretty good players that still need to find a place to play next season.

Before we get rolling on looking at where the top 21 free agents who remain unsigned will land, I must stress that these are strictly my own opinion, and are not legitimate "rumors," if you will.

Now let's examine where these players will end up, in no particular order.

Teemu Selanne

There are really only two options for Teemu Selanne right now.

Selanne started his offseason by having knee surgery done, which has made many people wonder whether or not he will be ready to come back next season.

Apparently, the knee surgery went quite well and Selanne is already skating again.

To me, the decision is very simple for Selanne. He played so well for the Ducks last year that I would probably be more surprised if he decided to retire rather than come back.

Selanne will be a Duck once again next season.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Chris Drury

The former New York Rangers captain was bought out of the last year of his contract after a season where he was only able to play 24 games and tallied only five points.

This season was Drury's only season that was severely hampered by injury, so there shouldn't be too much fear in signing Drury.

The team that I think would benefit the most from having Drury might seem a bit out there, but hear me out.

I think the Winnipeg Jets might want to have a look at signing Drury. They need help at the center position, and their defense really failed them after they got off to such a scorching hot start.

Drury not only provides more depth at center, but he is an exceptional face-off man and great penalty killer. If he's really on his game, he can even log power play time.

Drury also brings several intangibles with him. He is a great leader and could be a great assistant to Andrew Ladd. He's intense and always finds a way to score big goals at big times.

As a team that is in the process of learning how to win, Drury could be a huge asset as he has been there and done that several times.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Nikolay Zherdev

Zherdev is a player that has a ton of talent and skill but has just never been able to find any kind of consistency.

He began his career with the Columbus Blue Jackets and has bounced back and forth between Russia and the NHL ever since.

With all of the changes going on in Philly right now, I find it highly unlikely that they would keep him after letting players like Jeff Carter and Mike Richards go in trades.

This may seem like another interesting choice, but what team has had the cure for inconsistent players more than the Detroit Red Wings?

It's possible that Detroit would have no interest in him, as they do a great job developing their younger talent, but Zherdev is still pretty young himself and could be absolutely dominant if he were to ever find consistency.

Zherdev could work well on the second line in Detroit, and would make the Detroit power play that much deadlier.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Ray Emery

Ray Emery may be the best of the remaining goalies out there, who also could be one of the riskier signings.

Emery had his career resurrected this year after stepping into the crease for the Ducks and helping them clinch a playoff spot with a 7-2 records and 2.28 goals against average in nine games.

A team that has a load of inconsistencies in net and could use Emery's services the most could be the Edmonton Oilers.

Khabibulin has had personal issues since coming to Edmonton, and has really been one of their biggest busts in history. 

Devan Dubnyk is young and unproven, and doesn't seem to be fully ready to assume starting roles.

Acquiring Emery could give them a solid presence in the crease and add to their depth. Emery probably wouldn't be too expensive either.

Give him one year to see what happens, and then think more long term after that.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Jarkko Ruutu

Ruutu has made a living out of being one of the biggest pests in the NHL, and he does it very well. He's also capable of playing at least decent offense.

Jarkko Ruutu more than likely has seen his time as a Duck come to an end, but there is almost always room for an agitator somewhere.

The first place that comes to mind is Vancouver. The Canucks have just recently lost their own somewhat skilled pest, Raffi Torres, to free agency. Perhaps Ruutu could fill that void.

He can skate pretty decently, and would fall right in to Torres' old role.

He won't be very expensive, which is good since the Canucks only have slightly less than $5 million left on their salary cap.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Nick Boynton

Nick Boynton has been around the block a few times in the NHL, playing for several different teams.

Most recently, Boynton played for both the Chicago Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2010 - 2011 NHL season.

The Flyers are making major renovations to their team, and Boynton doesn't seem to be a part of those renovations.

Boynton might find friendly confines in a former team, now that Ed Jovanovski has worked his way back to Florida.

The Phoenix Coyotes seems like a perfect place for him to land as they will need a tough, gritty defenseman. The Coyotes know that Boynton can provide grit, as the two years that he played for Phoenix he collected 138 and 125 penalty minutes, which are the highest two totals of his career.

He knows the system, and they need defense. It seems like a pretty good fit to me.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Bryan McCabe

Bryan McCabe is 36 years old, but he is still a big guy that can play the body. He also still has a bomb of a shot that could be very useful on the power play.

There is no way that he ends up getting the same type of big contract that he had while he was with the Rangers, but he can still bring some value to a team.

Minnesota is a team that hasn't had the greatest success on the power play in the recent history, and they have also shown that they are willing to spend some money and be aggressive in improving their team, as they did by getting Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley from the San Jose Sharks.

McCabe could bring a veteran presence to the blue line and help quarterback the power play. Big win for both sides.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Alexei Kovalev

Alexei Kovalev used to be one of the premier snipers in the NHL, but his age has definitely caught up to him.

He is still capable of putting the puck in the net, but not with the type of consistency that he used to be able to do. He fit well with Pittsburgh when both of their big time scorers were out for the year with big injuries, but now that Crosby and Malkin will be back at the start of the year, Kovalev doesn't fit in anymore.

Kovalev is 38 years old, and could have a real problem finding another team that would be willing to take him on.

I'm fairly certain that he will end up in the KHL next year, because I think that he still wants to play. I just don't see an NHL team spending too much money to pick him up.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Scott Hannan

Scott Hannan is a very quality defender that finds himself without a home after being traded from the Avalanche to the Capitals.

Hannan is very much a stay at home type of defender that doesn't get that involved offensively, which is something most defensemen are able to do at least a bit of in today's NHL, which might be something that limits his options.

Still, he's very consistent, is rarely caught out of position, makes a good exit pass, and is strong on the puck.

I think Montreal might be a good landing spot for Hannan who, at 32, would be one of the younger guys on that Montreal blue line.

He might pair nicely with very offensive minded P.K. Subban, or at least could serve as a decent replacement for Paul Mara.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Pascal Leclaire

Pascal Leclaire has had a short career that has been hampered by injuries.

It's unfortunate because he has shown some very promising moments in the time that he's been healthy, but his injuries have always kept him from being able to put any type of consistent positives together.

A change of environment would be very positive for him so that he can get a fresh start somewhere.

Most teams have handled their goalie issues at this point, but he might prove to be a good emergency plan somewhere that has two unproven goalies.

A place like Toronto, for instance. Leclaire could be a nice contingency should Reimer not be able to handle the load and if Gustavsson continues to not live up to expectations.

His biggest impediment is his health. If he can't stay healthy, then he may well find his NHL career over before too much longer.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Mike Grier

Mike Grier is a guy that can provide any team with a lot of good depth on the wing position.

He's big and strong, and is an okay skater. He's a perfect third line plumber guy to send right in front of the net and bang home some ugly goals.

One team who just lost a guy exactly like that is the Nashville Predators, who lost Joel Ward to free agency. Grier is probably not as good of a skater as Ward is, but he could still provide a lot of the same types of things for the Predators.

He fore-checks well, is strong on the puck, responsible in his own zone, and can really play the body.

I think Nashville would really benefit from taking a look at Grier.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Marty Turco

Marty Turco is a former All-star goalie that has fallen on some pretty rough times.

After finally being shown the door out of Dallas, he came to Chicago hoping to help them back to another deep playoff run, only to be relegated to back-up duties after he was unable to handle the load.

Turco isn't getting any younger, and if you couple his age with his quickly deteriorating skills, it might end up being pretty difficult for him to find a job somewhere.

Where Turco ends up is going to be highly dependent on what other teams end up doing with their back-ups, though it seems like most teams have addressed their starting issues and Corey Schneider and Jonathan Bernier most likely won't be on the move at this point.

So, there is really only one team that still needs a solid back-up, and that is the Buffalo Sabres.

Ryan Miller is clearly the man there, but it wouldn't hurt to have a guy like Turco who is a savvy veteran that can come in should Miller get hurt for any amount of time and not be shaken by being thrown into the spotlight.

Plus, the playoff load won't fall to him, which is good for both him and the team in general.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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J.P. Dumont

J-P Dumont didn't have a very good year this past season. He only managed to get 19 points all year, which is very poor for him.

He is 33, so some of the decrease in his numbers can be attributed to aging, but he is still a lot better than what he showed.

Nashville didn't think so, however, as they bought out his contract at the end of last season, setting him free to search for a new team.

Should he be able to re-discover his offensive ways, he could be a good pick-up for a team like Columbus, who has just acquired a lot of top end talent, but still needs a bit more depth.

20 goals out of Dumont could go a long way towards supporting the likes of Carter and Nash.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Steve Staios

After three straight seasons of not being able to log more than 40 games, Staios is going to have to really fight for a roster position wherever he eventually ends up.

Staios has been on the Calgary Flames for the last couple of years, but has watched his ice time diminish.

He's getting up there in age, at 37 years old, but might be a good veteran presence to have around.

If somebody goes for him, and it's entirely possible that team won't go for him, Staios will likely end up in the bottom pair, or as the seventh defenseman that is a healthy scratch most nights.

One place where he might actually be able to find a niche is in Buffalo with another former Calgary Flame, Robyn Regehr.

Through Christian Ehrhoff into the mix, and you have a regular shin-dig of former Northwest Division defenders.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Steven Stamkos

Stamkos is a restricted free agent that could still entertain the possibilities of offer sheets, though it seems against "protocol" for teams to use those anymore.

What seemed like a forgone conclusion of Stamkos re-signing in Tampa Bay, has been dragged out for an awfully long time and just makes everybody wonder what is keeping the Lightning from locking this guy up?

I personally can't imagine the Lighting considering trading him and price really can't be the issue either, as they have just north of $15 million in cap space remaining.

So what on earth is taking so long? Does Stamkos want 10 years and the Lightning only want to give him eight? This kid is the future of your franchise as St. Louis and Lecavalier can't possibly play forever. Do the smart thing and give him what he wants!

Even with all the craziness going on here, Stamkos still re-signs with Tampa Bay, unless that whole front office wants to find new jobs after next season.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Brent Sopel

Sopel is still a very solid defender, though he isn't exactly top pair quality.

He is very solid defensively, and is a very good shot blocking defender, which can bring a defender's stock up and also be very valuable on the penalty kill.

Montreal seems to want to part ways with him, which is good news for a team like Winnipeg who could use a bit more veteran help on the defense.

A guy like Sopel who can block shots will help their goals against and take a little bit more pressure off of their goalies.

Another good veteran guy to help out a team that really needs it on the blue line.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Sergei Samsonov

Samsonov is a very little guy who has a lot of skill, but who hasn't managed to put it all together in a very consistent fashion for a few years now.

Florida is a hard place to put things together, or it has been in recent history, but Samsonov has struggled for a while before being in Florida.

It's possible that he could find a new place to bring back some of his scoring touch, but it's possible that he may be passed up entirely.

It seems a little strange, but I kind of see him as making a decent match with the Calgary Flames, who already have a decent amount of size.

Samsonov could add some more skill to the second or third line and could potentially re-discover his offensive skills. Might be an interesting match.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Vaclav Prospal

Vinny Prospal has had an up and down career, but he has always managed to put up pretty decent numbers.

Last season's 23 points wasn't that great, but he did do that in only 29 games so the production potential is still there.

With the arrival of Brad Richards in New York, however, the likelihood of Prospal staying in New York seems very slim.

For some reason I just have a feeling the Prospal might want to try and head back to the place where he manged to have the most success in his career, Tampa Bay.

He'd be good for depth, and would be another weapon that opponents have to think about. He won't draw the attention of the top tier defenders, but he is still quite a good scorer.

I kind of like the idea of him going back to the Lightning.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Cory Stillman

Stillman split his time last season between the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes.

Stillman put up great numbers for the Hurricanes in the 21 games that he played with them, tallying 16 points.

That kind of production seems like it would warrant re-signing him. He clearly had chemistry with the team, and if the Hurricanes could get that kind of production out of him for a full season, that would be great for them.

I think Carolina would be smart to find a way to get him back, but if they aren't able to, then perhaps a team like Anaheim might be interested in his services since they are pretty short on forwards at the moment.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Paul Mara

Paul Mara is a big guy with a lot of skill. Any team would really be lucky to get a guy of his size to play in their second defensive pairing.

He's also not afraid to get his hands dirty, and will throw some punches if he needs to.

Mara might be another guy that would be able to help Phoenix try and fill the void that will be left by Ed Jovanovski, and it doesn't hurt that he did play there.

If Phoenix isn't wanting to have a reunion, then perhaps the Rangers will want to give him a go.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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Ty Conklin

Ty Conklin is a goalie that has spent his whole career being a back-up. He's done this pretty admirably with a career 2.64 goals against average.

As I've stated in the previous slides, most teams have addressed all their starting goalie needs, but there are a couple still in need of a back-up.

One that still needs a back-up, even if Chris Osgood does decide to come back, is the Detroit Red Wings.

Conklin would be very fortunate to end up behind Jimmy Howard and would be able to help them win a few games on the way to their playoff run.

I like Conklin with the Wings.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

Follow @TheSinBin on Twitter