2015 NHL Free Agents: Most Underrated Players on the Market

The 2015 NHL draft is now history, but before summer vacation begins for real, we still have Wednesday, July 1, for one last major hockey fix. In a salary-cap world in which the best young players are locked up long term before they can get away for nothing, free-agent day has clearly lost some luster from those pre-cap times.

This year's free-agent crop has no household names available. Only hardcore hockey junkies will have heard of many of the players. There will be no "The Decision" network TV setups for anyone, unless the local access channels of these guys' hometowns decide to really get into it.

But there are players available who will likely go on to do many good things for general fans of their favorite NHL teams, whether they realize it now or later. 

Here's a look at eight of the most underrated potential unrestricted free agents who should be available when the market opens Wednesday. The criteria for selection is based on a player's most recent accomplishments and realistic projections moving forward. Some of these guys have been getting it done for years but maybe didn't get the appreciation they deserved. Some have yet to fully establish themselves but will soon. 

Click through to see the list and the rationale for the players listed.

Michael Frolik, Winnipeg Jets

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It may be a stretch to call the 27-year-old right wing "underrated." Winnipeg paid him $3.3 million last season, and he was a member of Chicago's Stanley Cup team of 2013. 

And yet, teams seem to want to let this guy go. Assuming he signs with a new club by Wednesday at the earliest, that organization would be Frolik's fourth of his career. Maybe Frolik's salary demands are out of line; Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reported he's seeking a multiyear deal at $5 million per. 

But are they way out of line? Arguably not. He's posted 34 goals and 84 points in 163 games with Winnipeg since leaving Chicago, and more than that, he does a lot of the effective little things that help teams win.

He is widely considered one of the game's best penalty-killing forwards and possesses above-average speed. He helped Winnipeg finally get back into the playoffs last season and has won a Cup as a regular contributor. Teams love to throw $5 million at a lot of guys who never pan out, but Frolik's age and his proven track record as a player could make that number a relative bargain before long.

Matt Cullen, Nashville Predators

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OK, look: Yes, he's 38 years old and not exactly underpaid last season at $4 million. He posted only seven goals and 25 points in 62 games for Nashville in 2014-15. So why isn't this guy on the "all-overrated" team?

Because serious Predators fans know he still did a lot of good things for a team that was among the elite in the Western Conference. Assuming he signs at a much lower price, Cullen could be a real bargain for the right team. He still has decent speed and is a capable faceoff man.

He was a respectable plus-87 in even-strength shot attempts (SAT) and doesn't make a lot of defensive mistakes (plus-eight in the 62 games).

If I'm a team that only needs a couple of depth pieces to win, I like signing this guy. If I'm a young team looking for a veteran to teach the kids the right way to be a pro, I still like signing this guy.

Jan Hejda, Colorado Avalanche

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He's getting long in the tooth at 37, but this is a guy who can still play.

Despite his age, he still played 81 games for Colorado last season, and he'd be a nice four-to-six D-man on some teams. As long as he's not asked to do too much, he can be a valuable player. He is a good teammate in the dressing room who never makes excuses about anything.

He'll probably settle for something in the $1.5 million to $2 million range. A two-year, $4 million deal on the right team, and Hejda could be a great bargain.

Joel Ward, Washington Capitals

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Nine points in 14 playoff games for the Capitals showed everyone that Ward still has plenty left, even at age 34. Yet, Washington seems to be balking at paying him what he wants, so he appears headed to the open market, as the Washington Post's Alex Prewitt tweeted recently.

Ward is always planted in front of the net, setting screens and jabbing at rebounds. He's durable, having played all 82 games the past two seasons.

He is coming off a four-year, $12 million contract with Washington and no doubt wants a similar deal moving forward. He's worth it. Caps fans know this, as Geoff Thompson for Japers' Rink summed up: "...Ward continued his success as a puck-possession player and secondary scoring threat, despite typically being cast in a more defensive role."

Jay Beagle, Washington Capitals

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Beagle, 29, is coming off his best season as a pro, achieving double figures in goals (10) for the first time. The right winger is a classic grinder type who works hard everywhere. 

Rob Parker of Capitals blog Japers' Rink wrote that "Beagle was a classic 'little things' type of player for the Caps. He was third on the team in faceoffs, third among forwards in penalty-killing time on ice per game and had the third-most defensive zone-heavy deployment among forwards."

As a third-liner, Beagle would be a nice free-agent pickup for several teams. He had a cap hit of $900,000 last season, so it won't break the bank to get him.

Karri Ramo, Calgary Flames

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If the Flames want to stay with Jonas Hiller as their No. 1 goalie, that's their prerogative. But it says here that will be a mistake, instead of holding on to Ramo. He's a 28-year-old product of the well-regarded Finnish goalie system who won 15 games for the Flames last season and posted a .912 saves percentage.

Hiller is older and more expensive and has never proved himself as a money goalie. The team that gets Ramo will get a player still blossoming who appears to possess all the right fundamentals to being a No. 1. 

It's baffling as to why Calgary has made so many other moves to shore up its team—getting Dougie Hamilton at the draft was a coup—but still seems to be paying relative indifference to the goaltending position. 

Letting Ramo go for nothing will prove a mistake.

Eric Fehr, Washington Capitals

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Fehr's 19-goal season as a center with the Caps means the "underrated" label for him is less realistic. And yet, only the most hardy of NHL fans know who he is. 

He is a 29-year-old center with a strong two-way game and an impressive work ethic. However, Fehr's agent, Craig Oster, told CSNWashington.com (via NHL.com) that Fehr will not return to Washington because of failed contract talks.

Where Fehr has fallen short is in the playoffs; he's posted just six points (five goals) in 37 career games. He lost the faceoff that led to the New York Rangers' series-winning goal in Game 7 of last season's Eastern Conference semifinal too. 

Still, this is a player many teams would like to have, and one of them likely will Wednesday.

Brad Richardson, Vancouver Canucks

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This is a guy who has quietly gone about a nice career in the NHL. It seems like he's been around forever, having started as a rookie with Colorado in 2005-06. Yet, he's still only 30.

Richardson won a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012. He posted a respectable 21 points in 45 games for the Vancouver Canucks last season and has been even or plus his last three seasons as a third- or fourth-line center.

He is still rehabbing an ankle injury but should be 100 percent by training camp. He just brings a solid, workmanlike effort to the rink every night as a depth center, and there is always room for someone like that on an NHL team.