NHL Free Agency 2011: 14 Best Goal Scorers Still Available and Where They'll Go

We're still less than three weeks into the signing period, but the 2011 edition of NHL free agency is already beginning to close out.

Almost all of the big names that were scattered across the board on July 1st have since been inked to contracts somewhere, and most teams have begun to think more towards training their new roster for the upcoming year, not continuing to add to that lineup.

Still, with a few holes remaining here and there for various franchises, the leftover crop of free agents can still retain some hope of signing on to a new deal elsewhere that will fit their expectations for the 2011-2012 season.

The high levels of experience remaining in the free agent class of forwards, however, also brings the burden of age to a number of still-available UFA's, leaving many with the prospect of being forced to retire a bit early this summer.

We've picked out 14 particular players that still have some of the goal-scoring capabilities that could manage to eventually land them a last-second job as the offseason winds down.

There are certainly no guarantees, but unlike many of the free agents remaining, we could see a large portion of these particular players finally finding work for this fall.

14. Kyle Wellwood

Free Agent Grade: C-

Infamously lazy Kyle Wellwood is facing the potential of a second straight summer without an NHL contract offer as he sits idly on the market now in late July.

The 28-year-old supposed shootout specialist played 45 games in Russia's KHL last year before being signed mid-season by the San Jose Sharks.

Wellwood managed five goals, 13 points and a surprising plus-10 rating in 35 regular season games for the Sharks and then one goal, seven points and a plus-six rating in 18 postseason games, despite fourth line ice time.

However, his goal production has dropped over the past two seasons, now far from his 18-goal campaign in '08-'09, and Wellwood's shootout talents have also dropped off as of late, too.

Projected Destination: Russia/KHL

13. Rob Schremp

Free Agent Grade: C

Rob Schremp, only age 25, would've been a restricted free agent (RFA) this summer if he'd been given a qualifying offer from the Jets, but with that out the question, even his UFA status hasn't been able to generate any interest in the former first-round pick.

Schremp played his first partial NHL season with the Islanders season before last, scoring seven goals and 25 points in 44 games, but then, after he began the '10-'11 season with 10 goals and 22 points but a miserable minus-19 rating in 45 games, he was traded to the then-Atlanta Thrashers organization.

Schremp never found his groove there, either, with just three goals and one assist in 18 appearances.

The Sharks, in need a replacement for the aforementioned Wellwood with only 11 forwards under contract at the moment, could be interested in young Schremp's services for a cheap one-year deal, helping to fill out San Jose's group of bottom six forwards.

Projected Destination: San Jose Sharks

Projected Contract: One year, $600,000

12. Steve Bernier

Free Agent Grade: C

Another unqualified RFA-turned-UFA, Steve Bernier saw his future in the NHL turn to the worse this past season with a massive step backwards.

The now 26-year-old scored 15 goals and 32 points in '08-'09 and missed just one game to injury, giving himself a little bit of a name, but then dropped to 11 goals in 59 games the next season for Vancouver.

Following a move to Florida, Bernier severely disappointed in '10-'11, totaling just five goals and a minus-14 rating on the season and continuing his injury issues, as well.

Bernier has the advantage of relative youth, but we don't see him landing any more NHL jobs for the next couple years.

Projected Destination: Europe

11. John Madden

Free Agent Grade: C+

Aging John Madden, 38 already, had a long and consistent career as a mid-line forward in New Jersey, playing nine solid seasons for the Devils from 1999 to 2009 and totaling 140 goals in the red jerseys.

However, after scoring only seven goals in '08-'09, Madden parted ways with the franchise and has seen his age become a factor with two separate one-year stints in Chicago and Minnesota since.

Madden had 22 goals and a minus-11 rating in 155 games the past two seasons with two teams, leaving him without a suitor on his third consecutive time on the free-agent market.

We think it just must be time for Madden to call it quits.

Projected Destination: Retires

10. Sergei Samsonov

Free Agent Grade: C+

Underperforming Russian Sergei Samsonov has bounced all around the league since a promising start to his career from '97 to '02 in Boston. Samsonov scored 124 goals in those five seasons, averaging 24.8 per year.

Since then, however, the winger has averaged only less than 14 for each of his most recent eight seasons with six different franchises.

Though a trade deadline deal from Carolina to Florida this past February helped spark his game a little bit, with 14 points (only three goals, though) in 20 games with the Panthers.

He still won't be returning to either of those franchises, however, with injury problems and a declining goal total over the past three years, down to just 13 in '10-'11.

Samsonov might have now worn out his welcome in the NHL with simply too many missed expectations. Expect a high chance to see him head over to Europe or Russia for at least the upcoming season.

Projected Destination: Europe or Russia/KHL

9. Chris Drury

Free Agent Grade: B-

Chris Drury's time with the Rangers has ended in, not surprisingly, a buyout. After playing only 24 goals and totaling a pathetic one goal in '10-'11, Drury's stay in N.Y.C. was abruptly ended, and the same might be said as well about Drury's reputation.

For a player who scored 37 goals in '06-'07, he took the shortcut to the cellar of once-skilled scoring stars. The 34-year-old is now stuck with an age that's catching up with him and a resume that's suddenly begun to resemble roadkill.

Drury might be able to turn to Anaheim, though, in search of a cheap contract. On their second and third lines, the Ducks lack speed in particular but really about everything in terms of production, and Drury has the capabilities to land a job there.

Unfortunately, however, that new deal might not be quite in the range, in terms of salary, as his last.

Projected Destination: Anaheim Ducks

Projected Contract: One year, $1.5 million

8. J.P. Dumont

Free Agent Grade: B-

At one time, J.P. Dumont was entering the '08-'09 season at a prime age of 30 with a track record of four consecutive 20-goal-plus seasons with the Sabres and Predators. Yet, ever so quickly, Dumont's once-hardy reputation has fallen apart in only three years.

The 33-year-old scored just 16 and 17 goals, respectively, in the two seasons after that peak moment, and then slipped all the way to only 10 tallies and a miserable 19 points (his worst full season ever before then was 40 points in '05-'06), missing 12 games to injury as well, effectively ending his time in Nashville.

Dumont does bring the experience of 822 NHL games, including 523 points, and 51 postseason games to the table, a statistic that could be useful to a Minnesota Wild team still looking to add the veteran leadership they need to finally crack the playoff bubble.

With $10.3 million left between them in the salary cap, Dumont could be a smart addition to an understaffed third line in Minnesota.

Projected Destination: Minnesota Wild

Projected Contract: One year, $1.25 million

7. Vinny Prospal

Free Agent Grade: B-

The perpetually forgettable Vinny Prospal, 36 years old, is once again on the free agent market, searching for his tenth and possibly final stint in a new city.

That's not to say that it'll be his 10th team, though, since Prospal has shown tendencies to return to former franchises; he's already played for Tampa Bay on three different occasions over the past decade.

And we think that, soon enough, he'll make that number into "four."

Prospal actually had 33 goals as recently as '07-'08, but, following 19- and 20-goal efforts with Lightning in '08-'09 and Rangers in '09-'10, Prospal overstayed his welcome in the Big Apple this past season, missing all but 29 games to injury and lighting the lamp a mere nine times.

Nonetheless, the Czech has shown at times that he is still retaining his scoring touch into his mid-30's, and we think the Bolts could be interested in that. In need of more talent on their third line with the deperature of Sean Bergenheim, Tampa Bay ought to consider bringing back Prospal yet again for another try.

Projected Destination: Tampa Bay Lightning

Projected Contract: One year, $1.5 million

6. Nikolay Zherdev

Free Agent Grade: B-

Rollercoaster Russian winger Nikolay Zherdev is certainly not a quiet player, as his antics, attitude, and, though only when he chooses, aptitude at scoring goals often headlines the headlines themselves for whatever team he plays for.

Zherdev doesn't usually stick around long, though, as he's switched from the KHL to the NHL, one way or another, seven times already and has played for a different team each of the past four seasons.

Though he eventually put up 16 goals for the Flyers last season, Zherdev was a healthy scratch for 26 games and failed to make a good impression in Philadelphia. Nevertheless, Zherdev does have respectable goal performances of more than 22 goals in three of the past five seasons.

However, with his tendency to dance around from continent to continent and his poor standing among the eyes of many NHL general mangers, we think Zherdev might be back in Russia again in '11-'12.

Projected Destination: Russia/KHL

5. Alexander Frolov

Free Agent Grade: B-

It took Alexander Frolov to only two years to fall from a 27-year-old growing star just approaching his prime to a risky option for a mid-line winger, and his status in this year's free-agent market felt the blow.

We've heard nothing, not even a rumor, about the potential future for Frolov, 29, after his 43-game, seven-goal effort last year for the New York Rangers.

Frolov ended up with the Blueshirts after he collapsed from a 35- and 32-goal efforts with Los Angeles in '06-'07 and '08-'09, respectively, to a pitiful 19 tallies in '09-'10, his final season with the Kings.

After an even more horrendous performance this past winter, Frolov paid the price in his fall to the dungeons of free agent leftovers this month.

In Columbus, though, Frolov could find a home. The Blue Jackets, always fond of Eastern Europeans, still have $8.7 million in cap space, have only 11 forwards signed, and were also recently hit with a long-term injury to key forward Kristian Huselius.

Frolov could fill a second-line spot when needed and be a very strong third line option at other times for the Jackets' reconstructed offense.

Projected Destination: Columbus Blue Jackets

Projected Contract: One year, $1.75 million

4. Antti Miettinen

Free Agent Grade: B-

Ryan Smyth will certainly help, but for the Edmonton Oilers to really make the jump from last place to playoff contender this season, they're going to need even more experience, even more leadership and even more short-term scoring players to complete their lineup of forwards.

Hopefully, they will see that Antti Miettinen, unexpectedly still on the market, can fill all three of those holes.

Miettinen, age 31, is the definition of consistency, something that will be much appreciated among an extremely young and volatile group of Oilers' forwards.

He's scored between 15 and 20 goals and 34 and 44 points for each of the past four seasons, three of which came with another non-playoff team in Minnesota. Miettinen, who also has 22 powerplay goals over those past four years, will also improve an erratic Edmonton man advantage unit that ranked 27th last season.

Projected Destination: Edmonton Oilers

Projected Contract: Two years, $3.5 million total

3. Cory Stillman

Free Agent Grade: B

Unlike all of the other free agents on this list, Cory Stillman isn't necessarily still without a newly drying contract because he just hasn't recieved any offers. Instead, the 37-year-old has simply decided he'd like to take about four months to decide whether or not to retire.

If he does eventually agree to come back to hockey, though, his delay might have cost him most of his potential job opportunities. Carolina, where he spent the final month of the 2010-2011 campaign, has already moved on, and it's hard to see Stillman getting that much attention at this point of the summer.

Though the winger sports a resume with two Stanley Cup titles, more than 1,000 career appearances, 727 career points and eight seasons with 20-plus goals, we think the fact that he's still not yet made any decision on continuing to play in the league indicates that Stillman is probably, albeit slowly, making his way to the country club, not training camp.

Projected Destination: Retires

2. Alexei Kovalev

Free Agent Grade: B

The Sharks, already our projected suitors of fourth liner Rob Schremp, are also in need of more talent near the top of the roster.

GM Doug Wilson has unloaded two members of San Jose's "top six" forwards over the past few weeks—disgruntled Dany Heatley and former fan favorite Devin Setoguchi—and may be looking for another talented replacement to join Martin Havlat on the list of Grade-A newcomers.

Adding 38-year-old Kovalev, fresh off the expiration of a two-year, $10 million contract, would put San Jose quite tight against the salary cap in all likelihood. They have only $5.5 million left at the moment anyhow.

Still, Kovalev's 400-plus goals and 1,000-plus points over the course of his career will be enticing, even if he's scored just 34 tallies combined over the past two seasons and saw a late-season stint with Pittsburgh this spring fail to work out.

Projected Destination: San Jose Sharks

Projected Contract: One year, $2.75 million

1. Teemu Selanne

Free Agent Grade: A

Last year, we saw the same thing happen. Invincible, unstoppable Teemu Selanne hit the free-agent market, pondered retirement, took another look at the highlight of his 600th career goal and then decided to re-sign with his favorite Anaheim Ducks.

This summer, he's back to considering retiring; and still, Selanne may be leaving the game without ever slowing down on the ice.

In fact, Selanne's production increased from his '09-'10 to his '10-'11 campaign as he aged from 40 to 41. The Finnish winger improved tremendously upon a 27-goal, 44-point effort season before last (where he was injured for 28 games) to post a remarkable 31-goal, 80-point season this past year.

Sure enough, Selanne just doesn't slow down.

There's no way he can retire the summer following a season where he increased his point total by 36 over the previous one. Make no mistake, Teemu Selanne will return to Anaheim for 2012.

Projected Destination: Returns to Anaheim Ducks

Projected Contract: One year, $3.25 million