Ranking the Best NHL Goaltenders Who Will Be Free Agents in the 2015 Offseason

Ask the New York Islanders, the Calgary Flames or the Vancouver Canucks: One of the quickest ways to return a non-playoff team to respectability after a disappointing season is to pull out the chequebook and sign an unrestricted free-agent goaltender.

Last summer, the Islanders, Flames and Canucks snapped up Jaroslav Halak, Jonas Hiller and Ryan Miller, respectively. Each team has rebounded immediately back into playoff contention.

For the teams that feel they need need an upgrade in net after the 2014-15 season concludes, some intriguing options are available.

General managers will need to tune into their taste for risk before laying out their contract terms, but this year's crop of free-agent netminders is an intriguing bunch with plenty of upside potential.

Here are the goalies who should command the biggest contracts this summer‚ either by re-upping with their current teams or by moving on to the highest bidder.

6. Viktor Fasth: Edmonton Oilers

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Age: 32

Current Contract: two years, cap hit $2.9 million

2014-15 Stats: 26 GP, 6-15-3, no shutouts, 3.41 goals-against average, .888 save percentage

Projection: Traded to the Edmonton Oilers from the goalie-rich Anaheim Ducks at the 2014 trade deadline, Viktor Fasth has failed to build on a strong rookie campaign with the Ducks, leaving plenty of questions about his NHL future. Fasth didn't arrive in the NHL until he was 30, meaning he might already be on the downside of his career.

This season, the oft-injured Swede has been sidelined since mid-February with a knee issue, which further muddies the waters regarding his future.

As good as he has shown he can be, Fasth will have a tough time earning more than a one-year deal at a relatively low salary this summer if he chooses to stay in the NHL.

5. Michal Neuvirth: New York Islanders

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Age: 27

Current Contract: two years, cap hit $2.5 million

2014-15 Stats: 31 GP with Buffalo and the New York Islanders

• with Sabres: 6-17-3, no shutouts, 2.99 goals-against average, .918 save percentage
• with Islanders: 1-2-1, no shutouts, 2.91 goals-against average, .882 save percentage

Projection: Before he was dealt to the New York Islanders at the 2015 trade deadline, Michal Neuvirth had a fantastic week with the Buffalo Sabres between Feb. 19 and Feb. 26, going 3-1-1 and putting Buffalo's last-place finish in the NHL standings in jeopardy.

Unfortunately for the soon-to-be free agent, Neuvirth didn't keep up his strong play when he landed with the playoff-bound Islanders. With plenty of opportunity to step in with starter Jaroslav Halak struggling down the stretch, Neuvirth has failed to earn the trust of coach Jack Capuano in four appearances so far.

If he rallies down the stretch or gets a chance to prove himself in the playoffs, Neuvirth's situation could change. For now, he remains a promising young netminder who has yet to show that he belongs in the same category as the game's elite players. 

4. Karri Ramo: Calgary Flames

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Age: 28

Current Contract: two years, cap hit $2.75 million

2014-15 Stats: 32 GP, 15-8-3, two shutouts, 2.54 goals-against average, .913 save percentage

Projection: While Jonas Hiller has received the lion's share of the credit for the improved netminding of the Calgary Flames his season, Karri Ramo has been an exceedingly capable No. 2.

Starting 30 games to Hiller's 39, Ramo's save percentage is .913 to Hiller's .914, while his goals-against average is a respectable 2.54 compared to Hiller's 2.44.

Most importantly, Ramo's record has earned the Flames 1.1 points for each of his starts, while Hiller has earned 1.18 points. There's not much to choose between the two.

The Flames currently boast a true tandem that they can deploy with confidence as their schedule requires.

Due to salary-cap restrictions, most teams are now choosing to go with an inexpensive backup goaltender and ride their No. 1. Ramo's record indicates that he should get a shot at being a starter, perhaps with another organization.

3. Andrew Hammond: Ottawa Senators

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Age: 28

Current Contract: two years, two-way, NHL cap hit $720,000

2014-15 Stats: 16 GP, 14-0-1, two shutouts, 1.67 goals-against average, .946 save percentage

Projection: Six weeks ago, Andrew Hammond was an anonymous 27-year-old, toiling with the AHL's Binghamton Senators. Now, he's "The Hamburglar"—the backbone of the Ottawa Senators' unexpected playoff push and a marketer's dream.

Out of nowhere, Hammond has  already challenged a league record by allowing two goals or fewer in his first 12 NHL starts. He's now threatening to beat the record rookie unbeaten streak of Patrick Lalime, who went 14-0-2 as a 22-year-old to kick off his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1996-97.

Despite his impressive introduction to the league, Lalime didn't establish himself as an NHL starter for another four seasons—also with Ottawa. Already 27, Hammond doesn't have that kind of time to make an impact, but unless he makes serious waves in this year's playoffs, he'll probably need to prove himself as a true NHLer on a short-term deal before he can cash in with a big contract.

If he backstops the upstart Senators to a first-round playoff upset, The Hamburglar could break the bank this summer—with Ottawa or elsewhere.

2. Devan Dubnyk: Minnesota Wild

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Age: 28

Current Contract: one year, cap hit $800,000

2014-15 Stats: 51 GP with Arizona and Minnesota

• with Coyotes: 9-5-2, one shutout, 2.72 goals-against average, .916 save percentage
• with Wild: 24-6-1, five shutouts, 1.71 goals-against average, .938 save percentage

Projection: Before falling out of favour with the Edmonton Oilers last season, Dubnyk was on a two-year contract with a cap hit of $3.5 million a season, having signed during the summer of 2012.

Dubnyk was targeted as a scapegoat for the Oilers' defensive issues when he was traded. He didn't fare much better during short stints in Nashville or Montreal before signing on as a free agent with the Coyotes last summer to back up Mike Smith.

Working with Arizona goaltending coach Sean Burke, Dubnyk revitalized his game to the point where the desperate Wild took notice, and the rest is history.

Even after 32 great games with the Wild, question marks remain about whether Dubnyk's performance level will be sustainable over the long term. His success level in the playoffs will go a long way toward determining his market price—and whether or not he'll stick with the Wild for a while.

1. Antti Niemi: San Jose Sharks

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Age: 31

Current Contract: four years, cap hit $3.8 million

2014-15 Stats: 57 GP, 28-22-7, five shutouts, 2.60 goals-against average, .914 save percentage

Projection: Of the goalies who could become unrestricted free agents this summer, Niemi has the strongest pedigree. He boasts five seasons as an NHL starter and won a Stanley Cup early in his career, with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.

During his five years in San Jose, his numbers have always been solid. The black mark on his tenure has been that he wasn't able to do the seemingly-impossible: backstopping the Sharks to a berth in the Stanley Cup Final.

After all the dysfunction in the Bay Area this season, Niemi might thrive in a new environment next year. He's not a slam-dunk for a team that seeks elite goaltending help, but he's the most road-tested of the goaltenders who will be available. Niemi has a ring to prove it.

Stats courtesy of NHL.com. Contract information from NHLNumbers.com.