NHL Free Agents 2012: Breaking Down the Top 5 Players at Every Position

While the Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and Phoenix Coyotes fight it out for the Stanley Cup, every other team in the league has their eyes set on the start of free agency so that this time next year, they will be one of the teams duking it out for the biggest prize in hockey.

This year's free-agent class promises to be better than last year's. There are a plethora of quality players out there that teams would love to add on to their roster. 

Here are the top five players at each position that will hit free agency come July 1. 

Note: Positions listed are from Yahoo! Sports 

Centers

1. Matt Duchene (RFA): Duchene was hurt this year, but he's the most important rebuilding piece for the Colorado Avalanche. Don't expect him to go anywhere.

2. Olli Jokinen (UFA): Here's a proven veteran who can instantly improve any team's offense. Jokinen scored 23 goals and notched 38 assists this past year.

3. Sam Gagner (RFA): The former first-round pick scored 18 goals this past season, but he's living in the shadow of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle in Edmonton. Will he stay in Edmonton and be a part of the youth movement, or will he look for greener pastures?

4. Chris Kelly (UFA): Kelly scored 20 goals this season, and he has Stanley Cup experience. He will be a valuable cog on any team.

5. Jason Arnott (UFA): Jason Arnott has seen it all. He scored 17 goals and 34 points this season with the St. Louis Blues. He's also a great leader in the locker room and was part of the Blues' surprising turnaround this season. 

Right Wing

1. Alex Semin (UFA): Semin's production has dipped since his 40-goal season, but he's still a valuable asset. Perhaps Semin needs a change of scenery to rekindle his scoring ways.

2. P.A. Parenteau (UFA): Parenteau is possibly one of the most underrated players in the league. He goes unnoticed playing for Long Island, but he had 18 goals and 49 assists on an atrocious Islanders team.

3. Teemu Selanne (UFA): The only question surrounding Teemu is whether he will retire or not. He can definitely play after he led the Anaheim Ducks in scoring at the ripe age of 41.

4. Jaromir Jagr (UFA): Jagr silenced all doubters after his long hiatus from the NHL. With 19 goals and 35 assists in his return, he has earned himself another wealthy contract.

5. Jakub Voracek (RFA): Voracek was one of many young players who burst onto the scene this year for the Philadelphia Flyers. His performance will result in a fat wallet come summer. 

Left Wing

1. Zach Parise (UFA): Parise will be the most highly sought-after free agent this summer. He had 31 goals and 38 assists this season, and the farther the Devils go in the playoffs, the more his price goes up.

2. Jamie Benn (RFA): Benn's base salary was $670,000 last season. Needless to say, he will be making a lot more than that next season.

3. Ray Whitney (UFA): Whitney's 53 assists and 77 points led the Phoenix Coyotes. He's an instrumental piece for the Coyotes, and he's a major reason why they have made an impressive run to the Western Conference Finals. He may be 40, but he's aging like fine wine.

4. Jiri Hudler (UFA): Hudler knows how to play Detroit Red Wings hockey. He scored 25 goals and 50 points last year, and he's an extremely efficient player on both sides of the ice.

5. Evander Kane (RFA): Kane scored 30 goals and 57 points in his third season with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets. There is no doubt that he's going to be signing a big contract this summer. He will probably stay with Winnipeg and become a focal point of the team's development. 

Defense

1. Shea Weber (RFA): He is arguably the best defenseman in the league, and he's a restricted free agent this summer. The blueliner made $7.5 million last season, and there's no doubt he will be earning a lot more than that with his next deal. It will be extremely difficult for Nashville match other teams' offer sheets and retain him, especially since...

2. Ryan Suter (UFA): ...Ryan Suter is also a free agent. Suter doesn't make as much, but he's a veteran who can not only play defense, but also put the puck in the net. 

3. P.K. Subban (RFA): Subban is a solid young defenseman who will probably get more than one offer sheet this summer. He showed in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs just how valuable he can be when he shut down Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin over the course of two rounds.

4. Dennis Wideman (UFA): With Mike Green regressing on the Washington blue line, Dennis Wideman has emerged as the team's best defenseman. He netted 11 goals and dished out 35 assists this season.

5. Michael Del Zotto (RFA): The deeper the Rangers go in the playoffs, the fatter MDZ's wallet will be this summer. Del Zotto will likely be retained by the Rangers, who are undoubtedly loving the way he has developed into an All-Star-caliber defenseman. 

Goalie

1. Cory Schneider (RFA): It will be interesting to see if the Vancouver Canucks bail on Roberto Luongo and turn Schneider into their No. 1 goalie. He's definitely shown that he's capable of being a primary goaltender in the NHL.

2. Martin Brodeur (UFA): He's not going anywhere.

3. Carey Price (RFA): It's pretty clear that Montreal made a mistake by keeping Price over Jaroslav Halak a few years ago. Price still has great potential, however, and should return to Montreal.

4. Tuukka Rask (RFA): With Tim Thomas aging, it will be intriguing to see if the Boston Bruins retain Rask in order for him to be the starter of the future. Rask, on the other hand, probably feels that he is starting material.

5. Ondrej Pavelec (RFA): Pavelec is plagued by the poor defense in front of him, and it showed with his .906 save percentage and 2.91 GAA last season. The underrated goalie could turn out to be a steal for a team willing to sign an offer sheet for him.