NHL Free Agency: One Player Each Team Needs to Re-Sign

Though free agency isn't upon us for another couple of months, it is never too early for teams to start thinking about the players they need to keep for the following season.

Free agency has the ability to change teams for the better or worse.

With some pretty big names to be available, here are the guys that each team needs to make sure they keep on their roster for the following season.

Anaheim Ducks: Saku Koivu

The Anaheim Ducks are in a pretty good position as far as their own free agents are concerned. Most of their unrestricted free-agents (UFAs) are older players that will either sign with the Ducks or retire.

Saku Koivu could potentially be tempted to go somewhere else if fellow Fin, Teemu Selanne, does decide to hang up his skates.

Count on him being back in a Ducks jersey either way.

Boston Bruins: Tuukka Rask

Tuukka Rask is the heir apparent to the crease of the Boston Bruins.

His name has come up in trade rumors throughout the year and contines to be leading up to the offseason, as he is considered to be good enough to start for a team that needs a goalie.

The Bruins could be in a bit of a pickle since Tim Thomas still has another year left on his contract and it doesn't seem likely that last year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner would retire.

As a restricted free-agent, Rask's choices are limited greatly by the fact that the Bruins have a chance to match any offer sent his way. Still, if the offer is big enough, it may force the Bruins to let him go since they don't really have a ton of cap space.

The Bruins need to work on getting Rask signed so that they are ready for Thomas' retirement, unless they feel like giving Marty Turco another shot.

Buffalo Sabres: Tyler Ennis

The Sabres only have six players eligible for free agency this year, and Tyler Ennis is one they really need to lock up.

He is a small player that can make a big offensive difference for his team when he is healthy.

Ennis only played 48 games this year, but he managed to put up 34 points and was plus-11 for the Sabres.

While he is a restricted free-agent, the Sabres aren't exactly in a position to play around with their money the way they did a season ago.

The Sabres will have to hope that Ennis won't have too many offers once the free-agency period begins, because they may have no choice but to let him go.

Calgary Flames: Olli Jokinen

Olli Jokinen is an absolute must-sign for the Calgary Flames.

Jokinen was second on the team in scoring, behind Jarome Iginla, with 61 points and has always played best in a Flames' jersey.

He also brings some grit to the lineup and makes the Flames a difficult team to play against.

Calgary needs him, whether they decide to go with the rebuild or not.

Carolina Hurricanes: Bryan Allen

The Hurricanes need some help on defense and Bryan Allen is a guy they need to keep as a building block on their blue line.

I don't care who you are, you usually don't want to lose out on a guy who is 6'5" and 226 pounds.

He's been about an even player, as far as plus/minus is concerned, his whole career.  Given that he has played for some pretty bad Florida Panthers teams, that's pretty good.

Allen is a definite keeper for the Canes.

Chicago Blackhawks: Andrew Brunette

It doesn't matter what team you are, you can't have too many guys like Andrew Brunette on your team. He's one of those guys who is always in the dirty areas creating big plays for his team.

He has made a career out of ugly goals right in front of the crease and has shown some pretty hands as well.

Brunette is a great complementary player for any team and the Blackhawks cannot let him get away.

Colorado Avalanche: Shane O'Brien

Forgetting the foregone conclusions of the Avalanche signing RFAs Erik Johnson, Ryan O'Reilly and Matt Duchene, the next guy that should be on their list of keepers is Shane O'Brien.

Say what you want about O'Brien, he was a huge difference maker for the Avalanche this season.

O'Brien proved his worth by being a fierce teammate who stood up for his comrades and put up some big numbers.

He tied a career high in assists this season (17), and posted his second-highest point total in his career (20).

O'Brien's worth was also shown in his leadership. Whether it was his taking over the barking on the bench, or the way that he was constantly paired with younger defensemen Stefan Elliott and Tyson Barrie, O'Brien proved he was a leader.

The Avalanche need to bring him back and get an A on his sweater.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Kristian Huselius

Kristian Huselius is about the only name on the roster that they should really want to bring back, even though he only played two games this past season.

Huselius is a guy that can get you 20 goals and 50-plus points, and Columbus just needs anybody that can do anything on this team.

The poor Blue Jackets are in such bad shape, it's sad.

Dallas Stars: Jamie Benn

Jamie Benn had a breakout season this year and largely filled the void left by the departure of Brad Richards.

He is a restricted free-agent, so the Stars are definitely in the more powerful bargaining position and have a hefty amount cap space to bring him back.

Benn will definitely be a Star next season.

Detroit Red Wings: Jiri Hudler

Hudler is an unrestricted free-agent at the end of this season that the Detroit Red Wings should look to bring back.

Hudler is a 25-goal player that logs 50+ points, providing a source of secondary scoring and depth.

The Red Wings are a team with an incredibly deep system where players regularly step in and fill roles of departed players without so much as a blink of an eye, but Hudler's presence should be greatly valued and his services should be retained.

Edmonton Oilers: Ryan Smyth

The Edmonton Oilers are a young team that is only going to get younger now that they once again have the first overall pick in the draft.

They have to keep a veteran around that can help lead these kids and show them what it takes to be a professional star in Edmonton.

Some might think Smyth might jump ship to go chase a cup, but after his insistence to return to Edmonton this season I don't see that happening.

The Oilers should keep Ryan Smyth.

Florida Panthers: Kris Versteeg

Kris Versteeg was the third-highest scorer for the surprise Florida Panthers this year and is a restricted free agent.

The Panthers owe a lot of their success to his 54 points.

He's young and has a bright future ahead of him, and the Panthers should want to be a part of that future.

Los Angeles Kings: Dwight King

The Los Angeles Kings are in a very good position as far as the players that they have signed past this season are concerned.

Their stars are locked up for at least one more season and they don't need to worry about spending too much money in the offseason and breaking their salary cap.

Dwight King is a young player that saw a little bit of playing time on the big squad this year and made a decent impression. In 27 games this season, King scored 14 points.

The Kings don't really have a must-sign player, but they should look at giving King another shot on the big team.

Minnesota Wild: Josh Harding

Josh Harding is a solid backup goalie for the Minnesota Wild. After all of the injuries that this team went through, young Matt Hackett got to see some time and played well.

Still, Hackett is young and could use some more time to develop in their system, Harding is a tried and tested backup that many teams would like to have.

He's a good complement to Niklas Backstrom that provides many of the same challenges for opponents with his size, positioning and athletic ability.

Harding would be a smart re-sign.

Montreal Canadiens: Carey Price

Price is a cornerstone for the Canadiens to build around.

He's an all-star goalie with some spectacular skills and several good years of hockey in front of him.

This is a no-brainer.

Nashville Predators: Shea Weber

Weber is one of the top-three defenders in the game today, and the Predators would be insane not to give him a long-term deal immediately.

He's their captain, best defender, leader and one of their top scorers.

He deserves the huge contract that he is going to get.

New Jersey Devils: Zach Parise

Zach Parise is a bona fide star in the NHL that stands a good chance of being this year's free-agent prize.

The Devils never could come to an agreement on a long-term deal with Parise last season and will probably end up losing him as a result.

Still, the Devils have to get this guy back on their roster. 

New York Islanders: P.A. Parenteau

P.A. Parenteau was one of the few bright spots for the Islanders this season and was among the team leaders in scoring.

Parenteau is in his late 20s and should be a big part at helping this young Islanders team mature.

Look for Parenteau to earn a raise from the Islanders.

New York Rangers: Michael Del Zotto

Del Zotto logged a lot of quality minutes for the Rangers this season and also put up some good offensive numbers.

Del Zotto is a young guy that is a restricted free-agent and likely won't want to leave a team that has had as much success as the Rangers have.

New York is a bit strapped for cash and have several other players to consider re-signing as well.

Del Zotto should be a part of their plan moving forward.

Ottawa Senators: Erik Karlsson

The Senators must show Karlsson the money, and they will.

After Karlsson's offensive explosion this season, the Senators need to lock him up for a long time.

Philadelphia Flyers: Jaromir Jagr

Jaromir Jagr proved very early in the season that he still had what it takes to play in the NHL despite his long absence.

He helped turn Claude Giroux into one of the most dangerous and dynamic players in the league this year.

He might not have a ton of hockey left in him, but he certainly has at least one more and the Flyers need to make sure he does it in their jersey.

Phoenix Coyotes: Ray Whitney

Whitney is a savvy veteran who has come through for the Coyotes time and time again.

He's getting up there in age but that hasn't stopped his production. He led the Coyotes in points and assists this season and can still be a valuable asset to any team.

Phoenix needs to keep Whitney.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Arron Asham

The Penguins are another team that are pretty much set as far as the core of their team is concerned.

What the Penguins need to keep is a little bit of grit in their lineup of largely skilled players and Asham gives them that.

He's pretty much public enemy number one after what he did to Brayden Schenn, and rightfully so. Still, he's a guy that the Penguins value and they should bring him back.

San Jose Sharks: Daniel Winnik

As an Avalanche fan, I have a lot of experience seeing Winnik over the past couple of seasons and he is worth every penny of his contract.

Winnik plays the kind of game that will make the Sharks a more complete team. The Sharks aren't worried about offense and need to be more consistent on the defensive side of things.

Winnik is one of the better defensive forwards in the game. He has deceptive speed, plays a physical game, logs a ton of quality penalty kill time and can provide some offense as a bonus.

The Sharks need to keep him moving forward.

St. Louis Blues: T.J. Oshie

I think that video pretty much speaks for itself.

Oshie is a young guy that is beginning to come into his own and may be one of the dominant scorers in the league over the next couple of years.

His raw skill is unbelievable, and the Blues need to make sure that he stays the future of this franchise.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Brett Clark

Of the available free-agents on the Tampa Bay Lightning roster, the one that they should try to bring back the most is Brett Clark.

He had a rough season this past year, but who other than Steven Stamkos on the Lightning didn't?

Clark is very solid defensively and is incredibly valuable because of his ability to block shots.

In past years, he's even discovered an offensive side to his game that he never really got to showcase before.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Nikolai Kulemin

Kulemin may have had an off season this year for the Maple Leafs, but he did score 30 goals for them a season ago.

There is still a lot of potential here and the Leafs should give Kulemin another go to see if he can have a bounce-back season.

Vancouver Canucks: Sami Salo

Salo is an older player in the league, but one who still has a lot of good value in him.

He's a big defender that plays a smart game on both ends of the ice and has the x factor of a gigantic shot from the point to make him even more valuable.

Vancouver is solid up front and needs to maintain their presence on the blue line. Re-signing Salo is a perfect way to do this.

Washington Capitals: Mike Green

Mike Green has a great history with the Capitals in his career. 

He's been a finalist for the Norris Trophy because of his fantastic offensive ability, which is something the Capitals need to hold on to.

The Capitals like to have secondary scoring threats so teams have to focus on more than just Alex Ovechkin, and Green gives them that.

He's had a couple of rough seasons due to injuries, but it's hard to give up on a guy who put up 76 points from the blue line.

Green should come back at a discount for the Capitals.

Winnipeg Jets: Evander Kane

Kane is entering the prime of his career and is going to be a legitimate superstar in the NHL for a long time.

He scored 30 goals for the first time in his young career this season and we should look to see more of the same out of him in years to come.

Kane has to remain the face of the Jets franchise.