2012 NHL Free Agents: Veterans Who Will Take Team to Next Level

Right around this time of the year, teams are looking for that missing piece who will put them over the top and take them to the promise land. Often times, these players are veterans who display excellent leadership ability and can still play a little bit too. 

This article will take a look at three veterans, currently available on the free agent market that can help a team searching for that missing piece. 

Ray Whitney: One of my favorite players in the league and in my opinion, one of the most underrated players as well. Whitney, 40, is coming off a season in which he put up 77 points and played in all 82 games for the Coyotes. He will come at a relatively cheap cost, and could be a perfect fit for teams like the Bruins, Rangers or Canucks. The leadership ability and playoff experience are there as well, as this veteran won a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006. Look for Whitney to quickly find a new home on the open market. 

Jaromir Jagr: Jagr, who was one of the biggest stories of the 2011 offseason, is once again searching for a new home via free agency. At the same age as Whitney, Jagr showed flashes of his former brilliance last season while playing on arguably the top line in the NHL with Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell. The 54 points from 2011-12 don't fully measure what he can bring to a team. The leadership and influence in the locker room can make a difference for a team on the verge of taking that next step. A return to the Flyers is a viable option. 

Shane Doan: A true warrior in every sense of the word, Doan is one of the best veteran free agents available. He could have bolted out of Phoenix on numerous occasions, yet has stuck with the franchise through a relocation and an ownership saga. Players like Doan are why we love sports in the first place. He's one of those guys who gives it his all, night in and night out, leaving everything on the ice. It isn't just the hard work and grit that make Doan attractive to teams, as the only remaining original Winnipeg Jet has tallied at least 50 points in every season since 2001-02. It's hard to see him leaving Phoenix after all this time, but he should draw interest from a number of teams once free agency officially begins on July 1.