NHL Free Agents: Power Ranking the 15 Best Players Still on the Market

Holiday shopping should never sneak up on us, but it often does. Even though the season is always marked on the calender at the beginning of every year, many of us find the pickings to be slim when it comes down to crunch time. Avoid the shopping malls and retail outlets, you can pick that up on Amazon for a fraction of the price. Three weeks for shipping!? Are you serious? Doh!

Most of the really good gifts are gone. Sold out, the sign says. Might have some before the end of the year, but that doesn't help you for tomorrow. There were commercials for months, and you kept reminding yourself to pick up that special something for that special someone. Looks like someone might be getting a star named after themselves this year simply because you couldn't close the deal on the coveted merchandise.

The empty retail racks are kind of how the free agent market looks right now in the NHL. There's a Furby from a few years ago here, a Chia Pet over here. There's a XXXXL Snuggie for the local college team, a Shake Weight and if you've just decided to give up, there's Jeff Finger over there in the tool section counting money. Wait there's the Clapper! Problem solved, the day is saved!

With all kidding aside, and hopefully no offense to the legions of Jeff Finger fans, there are still some serviceable free agents left on the market. There may not be a handsome set of slippers on the shelves, but there are some solid two-way forwards at affordable prices and some competent defenseman to fill out a depth chart.

'Tis the season for last minute shopping. Don't mind that ugly little elf devoid of hockey-time cheer. There's still time for optimism NHL fans!

Shane Doan

Shane Doan. Phoenix.

Seriously? What are the two of you waiting for? Sure there is big money on the table, and you know in your heart that you will not be lifting the Stanley Cup in Phoenix. Of the remaining prizes on the free-agent market, Doan is the only one that is drawing more looks than a special edition Flo-Bee. Still, it is expected that Phoenix holds the key to his heart, and Doan will remain a desert dog.

Kristian Huselius

Kristian Huselius could be a sneaky pickup for someone if he has gotten past his injuries. A torn pectoral and groin injury limited the Swedish winger to only two games last year. When he is healthy, Huselius is a legitimate scoring threat.

Paired with another solid linemate or two, he could return to top-six status at a bargain basement price. He is not the biggest or the fastest, but for four out of the last five years Huselius has lit the lamp 20-plus times.

Jason Arnott

At 6'5", Jason Arnott looks down at most of his opposition. Literally.  The veteran center turns 38 in October but still has some hop left in his veteran legs.

His next new team will be his seventh and 400 goals on the resume never hurts. Arnott can be a nice veteran pick-up to a younger roster that needs some leadership and potential Stanley Cup experience.

Michal Rozsival

One of the steady anchors of the Phoenix Coyotes' defense, Michal Rozsival could be the pick of the remaining free-agent defenseman. He's hardly an offensive juggernaut, but he brings leadership and experience with solid play in his own end. Rozsival has some size at 6'2" and 210 pounds, but won't lead the league in hits.

Consider him one of the the last good-looking sweaters on the shelf before you are left with only reindeer sweaters.

Carlo Colaiacovo

The knock on Carlo Colaiacovo is that he lacks the durability to be a reliable defensive option for the teams in need. There really is no other reason that a defenseman with Colaiacovo's serviceable skill set  would still be available.

He has never played more than 67 games and only topped 30 points once. He could be a fairly low risk option to add depth. He won't get a Suter/Parise deal, but a one-year deal to prove some durability could be an option for Detroit or Nashville.

Pavel Kubina

For such a physically imposing player, you might expect to see some gaudier numbers from defenseman Pavel Kubina. While he isn't averse to using his big body, Kubina is hardly a dominating physical presence. He has a booming right-handed shot which is always nice to have on the power play, but his best days are clearly behind him.

Acquired by the Flyers in a trade last season, Kubina could be targeted again after a series of injuries to Flyer's defensemen this summer.

Matt Gilroy

Matt Gilroy is my potential "sleeper" pick among NHL defensemen.

The 6'2" 200 pound blueliner had great success in college but can't seem to get his act together in the NHL. He won the Hobey Baker award as the best collegiate player in 2009, but keeps getting passed around the NHL like a hot potato.

His next NHL team could be his fourth in three NHL seasons. If Gilroy is going to make it in the league he'll need to take a smaller contract and step up his play.

Jaroslav Spacek

Jaro Spacek falls under the category of "best years behind him" but showed he can still play the game at a high level.

Trust me folks—a positive plus/minus on Carolina last season is more impressive than you think.

Spacek still has a pretty heavy shot, and will come much cheaper than the $3.75-million per year contract that just ended.

Petr Sykora

Petr Sykora has made a habit of proving to teams that he is not washed up.

Returning to the New Jersey Devils after two years playing overseas, Sykora dropped 21 goals and 44 points and he helped the Devils return to the Stanley Cup Final. He seems like he has been around forever but Sykora will only be 36 this winter and can definitely still help a team.

Daymond Langkow

Everyone can agree that Daymond Langkow's best years are behind him, but that doesn't mean the 16-year veteran doesn't have value.

His 20-goal years aren't to be expected, but Langkow plays both ends of the ice well and is a solid fit on a third line. Veteran leadership and good work ethic are invaluable to a younger roster.

Chris Campoli

Chris Campoli hit the NHL in 2005 and looked like he could be a difference-making defenseman for the Islanders. His minus-16 could have been a warning sign but that was probably average for the Isles' defensemen in 2005.

Campoli's stats have yet to match his rookie campaign though it could be argued that he hasn't had a full healthy season since then. Campoli is a talented player who could come cheap for a last-minute buyer.

Kent Huskins

No perennial Norris Trophy candidates left on the shelf at Nordstrom's? Kent Huskins won't win the fastest shot or flatten too many with an open ice hit, but he's steady in his own end and responsible with the puck. For a reasonable contract and small cap hit Huskins can get plugged in to a second-tier defensive pairing or add depth to a defense.

Brett Clark

I bet Brett Clark never fancied himself a coveted free agent, but given the thin market and the demand for defensive depth Clark should have an employer this fall. Not too big and not too fast, Clark hardly impressed with his less-than-stellar minus-26, but he hits and blocks shots which gives him some value.

Dominic Moore

To say that Dominic Moore is an NHL journeyman is a bit of an understatement. His next NHL team could potentially be his tenth, and he has already been traded seven times in just eight NHL seasons. Moore is a grinding center, decent on faceoffs with hints of a scoring touch.

He just turned 32 so he has plenty of hop left in his well-travelled career. Moore's recent disclosure that his wife is receiving treatment for liver cancer could directly affect where he signs his next deal.

Tomas Holmstrom

With a ton of hard miles on his old Swedish tires, Tomas Holmstrom may not even make himself available if he decides to hang up his "tjorngenspronger" (that's a made up word). As a permanent resident at the top of his opponents crease, Holmstrom has taken more slashes and crosschecks per game than most teams do.

If he still has the fire to compete, Detroit may add him for some veteran depth up front. I can't imagine he will suit up anywhere else. He was moderately successful in his role as powerplay screen/crash-test-dummy guy last year and Detroit could prop him up for one more year.