Ranking the NHL's Best Remaining Unrestricted Free Agents in 2014 Offseason

With less than a week to go until NHL teams open their main training camps for the 2014-15 season, the clock is now ticking for the unrestricted free agents who have yet to lock down their next jobs.

Some players are scattering for Russia's KHL, the European leagues and the American minor leagues but the highest-level talent that remains is holding steady in North America—still looking for that NHL deal.

In an effort to increase their chances of catching on, some players have secured invitations to training camps on professional tryout deals. Others are still seeking out the right opportunity.

Here's a look at the remaining free agents who stand the best chance of making an NHL team's opening-night lineup.

Dustin Penner

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Age: 31

Current Status: Uncertain.

What He Brings: Two Stanley Cups. As Mike Halford of Pro Hockey Talk attests, Dustin Penner may be known for his weight and conditioning issues, but he has also been a productive left wing with two of the best players in the business—Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry—during two separate stints with the Anaheim Ducks.

Though Penner couldn't make a difference for the Washington Capitals when he was acquired at at the last trade deadline, he's a big body with some good offensive instincts who was willing to take a discounted $2 million contract when he signed with the Ducks last year, per CapGeek.com.

Penner may need to leave his Southern California comfort zone and take another salary reduction to find a job, but he should still be able to find work in the NHL.

Odds He Gets a Deal: 30-1

Raphael Diaz

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Age: 28

Current Status: Attending Calgary Flames training camp, per Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald.

What He Brings: A veteran of the Swiss league, Diaz is a coveted right-shooting defenseman who has spent three seasons in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers. 

The Hockey News describes Diaz as a "smooth, yet fragile puck-moving defenseman," who "lacks size and strength, so he can get knocked off the puck with relative frequency."

Diaz is five years younger than the beefier Sheldon Brookbank, who is also in Calgary on a tryout. He'll need to dazzle as a point man and play stronger on the puck if he hopes to earn a contract.

Odds He Gets a Deal: 25-1

Scott Gomez

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Age: 34

Current Status: Attending New Jersey Devils training camp, per Rich Chere of NJ.com.

What He Brings: History. Gomez was drafted by the Devils in the first round back in 1998 and won a Stanley Cup with New Jersey in his rookie season. He has spent 548 of his 987 NHL games in a Devils uniform and accumulated 450 of his 713 points with them, according to Hockey Reference.

For the past two seasons, Gomez's production has been limited, but so was his salary after he was bought out by the Montreal Canadiens. 

Gomez could be a fit with the Devils, according to Chere:

"

This team could use a playmaking center and Gomez was always one of the best. He’ll have to show that he’s not too old (35 in December), has the right attitude to succeed and will buy into the system.

"

Odds He Gets a Deal: 20-1

Daniel Alfredsson

USA TODAY Sports

Age: 41

Current Status: sidelined with back pain, per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.

What He Brings: Daniel Alfredsson's a great leader and scorer, with 1,157 career points in 1,246 games over 18 NHL seasons, but Father Time might be ready to claim the veteran as one of his own.

Alfredsson faced some injury issues after joining the Detroit Red Wings in 2013-14 but still managed to contribute 49 points in his 68 games. Though his setback before training camp likely means that he won't sign a contract before the beginning of the season, general manager Ken Holland remains hopeful that a deal will eventually get done.

"It’s possible he comes to camp without a contract," Holland said. "We’ll see what happens over the next week."

Odds He Gets a Deal: 15-1

Jamie McBain

USA TODAY Sports

Age: 26

Current Status: Attending Arizona Coyotes training camp, per Katie Flynn of The Score.

What He Brings: A second-round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, Jamie McBain has accumulated 275 games of NHL experience over five years. 

According to CapGeek.com, McBain's coming off a two-year contract, signed with Carolina, with a cap hit of $1.8 million per season. He was traded to the Buffalo Sabres last summer, along with a second-round draft pick, in exchange for Andrej Sekera.

McBain has decent size and some offensive instincts. He's also 10 years younger than the Coyotes' departing free-agent defenseman, Derek Morris. If the price is right, he could be a solid depth signing for Don Maloney.

Odds He Gets a Deal: 10-1

Ville Leino

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

Age: 30

Current Status: Attending Boston Bruins training camp, per Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald.

What He Brings: A reputation. Leino became one of the most notorious free-agent signings of recent years when he inked a six-year, $27 million deal with the Buffalo Sabres in 2011. After Leino didn't score a single goal last season, Buffalo exercised its compliance buyout, but he's not without his talents.

The Hockey News calls Leino an "inconsistent but creative and versatile playmaker." With a price tag that's expected to be humble and a cash-strapped Bruins team that needs help on the wing, Leino could turn out to be a very good depth signing for Peter Chiarelli.

Odds He Gets a Deal: 5-1

All salary information courtesy of CapGeek.com.