NHL Free Agency: 10 NHL Journeymen Who Deserve Longer-Term Deals

Free agency is the subject du jour in the National Hockey League. The hockey world waited with bated breath until Zach Parise and Ryan Suter made up their minds and accepted offers from the Minnesota Wild, according to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com and TSN.ca.

Parise and Suter are superstars. However, logic and the salary cap dictate that a team can have only so many superstars on its roster. Other spots must be filled by journeyman players. The type of players that get it done with effort, guile and some talent but will never be categorized as superstars.

The current economic environment in the NHL does not preclude journeyman players from getting paid well. Most of the journeyman players who only have one season left under contract are paid like stars.

Here's a list of 10 journeymen who are quite valuable and need extended deals before they are allowed to become free agents next year.

No superstars or restricted free agents are included on this list. Contract data is provided by TheHockeyGM.com and CapGeek.com.

Andrew Ference, D, Boston Bruins

When you think of the Boston Bruins' hard-hitting defense, the first player that comes to mind is Zdeno Chara. The Bruins' captain is the biggest, strongest and hardest-hitting player at his position and is dominant at nearly everything he does on the ice.

Chara's playoff playing partner Dennis Seidenberg is a star in his own right as a result of his hard hitting, shot blocking and solid all-around play.

Andrew Ference is not far behind.

Ference is a solid defenseman who plays near the edge and clearly has a mean streak on the ice. He takes care of his defensive responsibilities and will score clutch goals as well.

He scored a key goal in the fourth game of the Bruins' 2011 playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens that got the Bruins back in the game and he saluted the Bell Centre crowd with his middle finger as he celebrated.

Ference first denied, but later admitted his unsportsmanlike move in a blog on TheGoodMenProject.com. Nevertheless, he is quite valuable to the Bruins even if he only has one year left on his contract that will pay him $2.25 million in 2012-13.

Ference, who has played for the Penguins and Flames prior to being traded to Boston in 2007, is a journeyman who deserves a longer deal.

Mike Smith, G, Phoenix Coyotes

When Mike Smith took off his goalie mask to get a breather during the recently completed NHL playoffs with the Phoenix Coyotes, he often looked like anything but a world-class goalie.

Long, stringy hair that appeared to be in his eyes and a bored look on his face were his constant companions. But with each subsequent faceoff, Smith went about the business of showing that he was an upper-echelon NHL goalie.

Smith was 38-18-10 during the regular season with a 2.21 goals against average while registering a .930 save percentage. He was even better in the playoffs for the Phoenix Coyotes, winning 9-of-16 decisions with a 1.99 GAA and a .944 save percentage.

Smith, 30, has one year left on a contract that will pay him $2 million in 2012-13. After toiling in relative obscurity for the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning, Smith played like an elite goalie for the Coyotes and will likely be paid like one in the future.

Manny Malhotra, C, Vancouver Canucks

It's late in the game and the Vancouver Canucks find themselves desperately protecting a one-goal lead in the final 30 seconds. With a key faceoff in their own zone, Roberto Luongo looks nervously at his skates. Then a slight smile creases his face as he pulls his goalie mask down. He sees Manny Malhotra in the faceoff circle.

Malhotra has been one of the NHL's best faceoff men for years. He was on his game in 2011-12, winning 58.5 percent of his faceoffs, according to NHL.com. That placed him fourth in the league behind Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks, Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks.

Malhotra is a hard-working, hustling player who will kill penalties and use his body to block shots and throw checks. His contributions don't always show up in the box score, but he is a valuable member of the Canucks.

Malhotra, 32, has played with four other teams besides the Canucks. He has scored 278 points during his 13-year career and has one year left on a deal that will pay him $2.5 million in 2012-13.

Nate Thompson, C, Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a team that relies on superstars like Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier. However, head coach Guy Boucher saw his team go on an impressive playoff run in 2011 thanks to the play of workmanlike athletes like Nate Thompson.

While he doesn't resemble a superstar, Thompson plays the game with hustle, grit and a bit of an edge.

He will get in front of any shot to keep it from getting to the net and he will drive hard to the corners, accept the hit and then make a play for his team. Thompson has scored only 19 goals in his last two seasons but he has averaged about 15 minutes of ice time per game.

In remarks to the Tampa Bay Times (republished by NHL.com), general manager Steve Yzerman cited Thompson's professionalism when the center signed his last contract in 2011 and his game has remained on track since then.

Thompson has one year remaining at a $900,000 salary before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Dan Cleary, RW, Detroit Red Wings

When the Chicago Blackhawks drafted Dan Cleary with a first-round pick in the 1997 draft, they had hoped he would develop into a high-scoring forward who would become a key member of their team for years to come.

Like so many first-round draft picks, it took Cleary time to improve and feel comfortable in the NHL. Unfortunately for the Blackhawks (and two other NHL teams), Clearly didn't start to become a consistent and productive player until he put on a Red Wings uniform.

Cleary has had double-digit goal totals for six consecutive years and registered a career-high 26 goals in 2010-11. The 32-year-old Cleary has one year left on a contract scheduled to pay him $2.8 million and he should probably get his contract extended before he is allowed to become a free agent. 

David Clarkson, RW, New Jersey Devils

It came from out of nowhere.Throughout the first five years of his career, David Clarkson was a role player who simply did his job. Clarkson never scored more than 17 goals in a season.

Then it happened. Clarkson started to use his size and strength (6'1" and 200 pounds) with more authority and he scored 30 goals for the New Jersey Devils in 2011-12.

Clarkson continued to produce in the playoffs, scoring three goals, nine assists and recording a plus-8 mark in even-strength and short-handed situations, even if he was a bit worn down by the end of the playoff run. Devils beat writer Rich Chere speculated in the Newark Star-Ledger that Clarkson was playing hurt in the postseason.

Clarkson has one year left at $2.675 million per season and he needs a longer-term deal.

Kevin Klein, D, Nashville Predators

Klein was one of a trio of defensemen the Predators selected in the 2003 draft.

While he's not as prominent or as explosive from an offensive perspective as Shea Weber or Ryan Suter—who signed July 4 with the Minnesota Wild, according to TSN.ca—Klein is a dependable defensive defenseman. (Weber and Suter were the other Predators' defensemen selected in that 2003 draft.)

He does not concentrate on trying to join the rush or jumping into the offensive fray, but he will block shots and use his body to prevent scoring opportunities. Klein has scored 65 points for the Predators in four full seasons and parts of three others.

Klein will earn $1.35 million in 2012-13 and that will be his last season under contract with the Preds.

Michael Ryder, RW, Dallas Stars

When the Dallas Stars signed Michael Ryder as a free agent in 2012, he was coming to them with a reputation as a streaky performer who tended to float during the regular season.

But he stepped it up in the postseason. He played a key role for the Boston Bruins in their 2011 Stanley Cup run, scoring eight goals and nine assists.

He scored an overtime winner in Game 4 of their first-round series against Montreal and made a key save against the Canadiens when goalie Tim Thomas was down and out of position.

But Ryder was coming off back-to-back regular seasons in which he had scored 18 goals. So the Stars knew they were taking a chance when they signed him to a two-year, $7 million deal.

They were rewarded with a 35-goal season—the best of Ryder's career. Ryder is scheduled to earn $3.5 million again in 2012-13 and then will be able to sign another free-agent contract, unless the Stars decide to lock him up before his deal comes to an end.

Andy McDonald, C, St. Louis Blues

Andy McDonald is the kind of player who can compete on any team and help them get closer to contender status. He has excellent quickness and instincts and he can fire the puck on net and create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.

However, McDonald has suffered multiple concussions and that's something that the St. Louis Blues have to contend with as they prepare for the 2012-13 season.

McDonald scored 10 goals in 25 games last year, but he had totaled 44 goals (and 107 points) in the two previous seasons. McDonald will earn $4.5 million this season and then will become a free agent.

Tyler Kennedy, C, Pittsburgh Penguins

On a team of superstars, Tyler Kennedy is a solid contributor who has shown the ability to bail head coach Dan Bylsma out of trouble with his timely contributions. Kennedy has excellent hands, knows how to finish around the net and is also a good skater.

Kennedy has scored 70 goals during his five-year NHL career with a high of 21 in 2010-11. Kennedy has one year left on a contract that will pay him $2 million this season and then he will be a free agent.