Free-Agent Fits Still Available for Every NHL Team in 2015 Offseason
NHL free agency is about to enter its third month, and most of the big names in this year's class have found homes around the league. There are, however, a surprising number of bona fide major league players still on the market, as salary-cap concerns have prompted teams to be restrained in their offseason shopping.
The following slideshow looks at the list of available players and attempts to match one to every team.
Some teams have an obvious hole that matches up nicely to an available player, but most don't. Many teams have problems but either no money or no realistic fix available through free agency. Other teams have no obvious holes. Further complicating the issue is that we've used 30 different players here; Cody Franson might be the best available fit for multiple teams, but he can only sign with one.
Our solution has been to identify a need on each team, or failing that to at least spot a position where the club might consider bringing a veteran to camp on a tryout deal. We've also sorted through the list of free agents to try to identify useful players who might plausibly sign for (and be affordable to) the individual teams in question.
So which of this summer's free-agent castoffs might be a fit on your NHL team? Read on for our answer.
Anaheim Ducks: RD Brett Bellemore
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Team Need: Defensive depth. The Ducks actually look pretty strong across the board, so this is more a by-default choice than anything. They've added several decent depth options up front (Chris Stewart, Shawn Horcoff, Mike Santorelli) and have three NHL options in net.
That leaves the blue line, where Korbinian Holzer is penciled in as the team's No. 7. Holzer's contract is a one-way deal but can be buried, and forcing him to win the job out of training camp wouldn't be a bad thing.
Potential Target: Brett Bellemore. The Ducks like their defencemen rugged, and Bellemore fits the bill. The 27-year-old brings size (6'4", 225 pounds) and plays a simple, physical game. He's been effective at times in the NHL and is actually a few months younger than Holzer. He's also a right shot on a team mostly filled with left-shooting rearguards.
Arizona Coyotes: RW Michael Ryder
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Team Need: Everything. The Coyotes roster is in pretty rough shape. Perpetually in need of offence, Dave Tippett's team could use a veteran winger capable of putting up some points; as it stands now the team is going to be leaning far too heavily on youth. A similar situation exists on defence, where outside the top pairing the club lacks established NHL players. In net, neither Mike Smith nor Anders Lindback inspires confidence.
General manager Don Maloney may well bring in some lower-end free agents at all positions, because Arizona's depth chart makes it the land of opportunity for any halfway competent NHL player still looking for work.
Potential Target: Michael Ryder. Ryder is coming off a tough season, in which injury and a shooting-percentage slump held him to just six goals. But he managed 18 goals for the defensively obsessed Devils the year before that, and in 2012-13 he was scoring at better than a 60-point pace over 82 games.
It's not unreasonable to think that Ryder could rebound in the desert, and after the year he just had it's also not unreasonable to think that the Coyotes would stand a decent chance of signing him.
Boston Bruins: RD Cody Franson
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Team Need: Top-four defenceman. There are some areas of the Bruins' roster that could use a bit of work after a difficult summer, but the most obvious need is on defence, where the loss of Dougie Hamilton simply hasn't been addressed. Matt Irwin was a nice addition, and there is hope that some of Boston's younger players will take on more of a load, but a top-four addition is essential.
Potential Target: Cody Franson. The Bruins need a top-four defenceman who can take some of the load that Hamilton was carrying. Franson is as close as they're going to get.
Like Hamilton, Franson has experience playing tough minutes. Like Hamilton, Franson is a good offensive defenceman; he can score on the power play and he can move the puck at even strength. He's also big (6'5", 213 pounds), young (he turned 28 in August) and a right shot.
A lot of the matches on this list are ones that teams can take or leave; that's just the reality of free agency by the time August rolls around. This is an exception to that trend. Franson is a really nice fit for Boston, and the Bruins will probably be kicking themselves if they don't get a deal done.
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Buffalo Sabres: LD Jan Hejda
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Team Need: Defence and goaltending. The addition of Robin Lehner gives the Sabres a plausible starting option for next season, but he's coming off a bad year, has had recent health issues and has never held down the No. 1 job. Backup Chad Johnson is even less inspiring, and so goaltending might ultimately prove to be Buffalo's biggest weakness.
If Lehner works out, however, the focus shifts to the blue line, where the Sabres lack quality NHL veterans, particularly on the left side of the depth chart. In a perfect world, the team would add a top-pairing left-shot defenceman.
Potential Target: Jan Hejda. There isn't an absolute lock as a top-four left-side defenceman currently on the market. Hejda is probably as close as the Sabres are going to get at that position.
The 37-year-old Hejda would be a stopgap piece for Buffalo, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. In the short term he brings experience and defensive-zone competence, giving coach Dan Bylsma an option against tough opponents. If the Sabres are in the playoff picture at midseason, he can move down the depth chart; if they aren't he will likely be tradeable for some kind of return.
Calgary Flames: LD Jack Hillen
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Team Need: Nothing obvious. The Flames aren't a perfect team, but they had a very good summer and the club has plenty of bodies at all positions. The redoubtable defensive group has exceptional top-end talent and boasts seven NHL veterans. The team has two potential starting goalies and a good prospect in the No. 3 slot. There are plenty of candidates up front, too, particularly at centre.
If anything, it's possible the Flames might find a spot for a low-end defenceman if they run into injuries. The Calgary Sun's Randy Sportak recently reported that Ladislav Smid is doing well after undergoing surgery, but having a veteran in camp on a tryout offer just in case probably isn't a terrible idea.
Potential Target: Jack Hillen. There isn't much opportunity in Calgary unless somebody gets injured in training camp, so it's going to be hard for the Flames to attract big names. Somebody like Hillen, who has quite a bit of NHL experience and some strong points (mobility, passing) might make sense on a tryout deal, though.
Carolina Hurricanes: LW Erik Cole
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Team Need: Scoring wingers. Carolina actually has a bunch of different needs, but no problem needs to be addressed more quickly than the offensive vacuum up front. A team that only had one forward score more than 40 points last year has to date opted for the status quo. It simply isn't good enough.
There are other needs too; the bottom end of the forward depth chart is going to lean heavily on youth, as will the defence. One wonders whether general manager Ron Francis has the internal budget room (the 'Canes are nowhere near the cap) to go bargain hunting prior to the start of the season.
Potential Target: Erik Cole. Almost any of the competent wingers left on the market could be a fit for Carolina, but Cole fits the bill in a few ways. It would be his third tour of duty with the team and he's a known quantity; he actually spent three seasons as a teammate of Francis.
Carolina probably won't want to sign anyone to a deal worth too much money or stretching over too many years, and Cole isn't likely to get either term or significant dollars. He's also likely to be tradeable at the deadline for some kind of return if the Hurricanes again find themselves outside the postseason.
Chicago Blackhawks: LD David Schlemko
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Team Need: Cheap help. The Blackhawks made some dear cuts this summer, but they still have to find room in the budget for restricted free agent Marcus Kruger, and that isn't going to be easy. Chicago is pressed right against the salary cap—less than $250,000 in space, according to General Fanager—and still has room on the roster for a defenceman, especially if that defenceman is willing to sign for the NHL minimum.
Potential Target: David Schlemko. Schlemko isn't anything special, just a competent No. 6/7 defenceman who plays a reliable game in his own end. He's 28 years old, so he's still in the prime years of his career, and last year he filled in ably for Calgary during both the regular season and the playoffs. As a left-shooting stay-at-home rearguard, he'd be a logical partner for either David Rundblad or Trevor van Riemsdyk on the third pair.
The critical thing here is price. If Schlemko (or someone comparable) is willing to sign for a league-minimum deal ($575,000) that would represent a cap savings of $350,000 over someone like Ville Pokka. For a team trying to find every bit of cap space it can, that's quite a bit of money.
Colorado Avalanche: LW Curtis Glencross
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Team Need: Third-line winger. The Avs had a busy summer and saw significant turnover both up front and on the back end. Not all of the team's problems have been addressed—defence, for example, remains a position of some concern—but for the most part the club has plausible candidates for every slot in the depth chart.
There is room for a top-nine winger, however, and that's a player type in abundance on the market right now.
Potential Target: Curtis Glencross. Glencross provides a lot of valuable attributes for Colorado. He's a good defensive player and a veteran hand, which makes him a nice fit for a young Colorado team. He provides enough offence to play on a scoring line at times and he's also a physical presence. A club looking for an all-purpose middle-six forward would be hard-pressed to do much better.
Columbus Blue Jackets: LD Lubomir Visnovsky
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Team Need: An offensive defenceman. The Blue Jackets are heading into next season with pretty much the status quo on defence, and there have been rumours all summer that the team was looking to upgrade. Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reported back in July that the team was interested in Christian Ehrhoff, but that a lack of cap space made a deal difficult. Ehrhoff ultimately signed in Los Angeles.
Ideally, any defenceman added would be able to contribute at even strength, on the power play and without breaking the bank.
Potential Target: Lubomir Visnovsky. The problem for the Jackets is price, which kept them from competing for Ehrhoff and also means they have little-to-no shot at the higher-profile defenders still on the market, such as Cody Franson. A player like Visnovsky, on the other hand, might be affordable.
The 39-year-old Visnovsky isn't exactly the cure for all that ails the Jackets' blue line, but the price should be right and he's still capable of contributing offensively. Visnovsky had 20 points in 53 games for the Isles last year and would give Columbus a power-play option as well as an even-strength puck-mover.
Dallas Stars: RW David Moss
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Team Need: Depth forward, sort of. In reality, the Stars' big need is on defence, but there are a pile of bodies there; depending on exactly how one draws up the roster there are six plausible candidates competing for the final two-to-three spots on the back end.
Up front, in contrast, is in pretty good shape, but there's a little less competition for the final few spots, and someone like Curtis McKenzie or even Travis Moen might be vulnerable. That's not to say the Stars definitely need to add someone, but a training-camp tryout to bolster the level of competition couldn't hurt.
Potential Target: David Moss. Moss is a little like Moen in that he's a big winger and his primary value is as a defensive forward, but the key difference between the two is that Moss is capable of chipping in offensively from time-to-time. He's not a world-beater and he won't be scoring 20 goals again anytime soon, but he has a range of skills and he's probably going to be available on a tryout contract.
Detroit Red Wings: RW Daniel Cleary
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Team Need: Nothing. The Red Wings have a long list of potential candidates for work up front and will almost certainly have to waive one or two older prospects, something they did last year to Andrej Nestrasil (Carolina picked him up and he posted 18 points in 41 games). They also have seven veteran defencemen on the roster (along with a bunch of NHL-ready prospects), two potential starting goalies and two AHL goaltenders.
Other teams in the NHL like to make space for young players and take chances with depth. Detroit runs the opposite way; it habitually stocks up on veterans regardless of how many prospects it has. As a result, it doesn't really have any depth needs but despite this it can't be ruled out from adding someone else.
Potential Target: Daniel Cleary. To be clear, this is a terrible idea. Detroit should not sign Dan Cleary to another contract. But that was true last season, and it did it anyway. Ansar Khan of MLive.com wrote earlier this week that it might do it again, perhaps even assigning Cleary to the AHL.
Why would it do such a thing? Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press:
"There's also still the Daniel Cleary situation to resolve. When he was brought back, at former coach Mike Babcock's insistence, in 2013, it was with the understanding that the Wings would make good on some -- not all -- of the money that Cleary left on the table when he didn't accept the Philadelphia Flyers' offer ($8.25 million over three years). The Wings might end up re-signing Cleary for one last year, but even if that happens, general manager Ken Holland has told Cleary that he won't make the NHL squad. If Cleary gets the same $1.5-million contract he had last season, the Wings would get $925,000 in salary cap relief by sending Cleary to the minors.
"
It's an incredible situation, one without parallel elsewhere in the league.
Edmonton Oilers: LW Jiri Tlusty
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Team Need: Third-line left wing. Forward is the Oilers' strongest position, but it also happens to be the only one where the team can plausibly add bodies. Edmonton is loaded to the gills with lower-end defencemen and likely lacks the cap space to add a needed top-four option. In net, none of the club's three goalies on one-way contracts are certain to work out as starters, but there's no room to add anyone else.
Forward is a different story. The team has a potential gap at left wing on its third line, and adding a veteran to the mix is a real possibility.
Potential Target: Jiri Tlusty. Tlusty weighs 209 pounds and he's fast, which should make him attractive to Edmonton. The Oilers forward group as a whole lacked size and speed last season and could have used a player with Tlusty's physical gifts. He's also capable of playing either wing and in a second- or third-line role and at 27 years of age could be a long-term fit.
Florida Panthers: RW Steve Bernier
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Team Need: Nothing. In reality, the Panthers have some places they could use veteran help, but it appears the team is more interested in making room for its youth. Forward is the position where it could most use an addition, but the team opted to buy out Brad Boyes over the summer and doesn't seem likely to bring in anybody else.
Potential Target: Steve Bernier. General manager Dale Tallon is pretty clearly making room for his skilled young forwards on the roster, so he's not likely to go after an offensive player (though the Panthers could certainly use one).
Bernier isn't that. He's coming off a good year (16 goals, 32 points) but he had just 12 points in 2013-14 and is more an energy-line winger than scorer. If Florida wants some experienced muscle to shuttle between the fourth line and the press box, and doesn't want to worry about a player stealing time away from the kids, Bernier's a possibility.
Los Angeles Kings: C Maxim Lapierre
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Team Need: Centre depth. The losses of Mike Richards and Jarret Stoll in the offseason mean that two of the Kings' four regular centres are now no longer with the team. Nor were those players properly replaced; prospect Nick Shore may be ready to graduate to one spot, but that still leaves a fourth-line position open and in a perfect world the team would carry five pivots.
The catch is that the Kings don't have much money to make a move, so they have to do it on the cheap.
Potential Target: Maxim Lapierre. The 30-year-old Lapierre isn't anything special, but he's a competent fourth-line pivot and he can certainly fill the role of No. 12/13 forward with a team like L.A. At 6'2" and 215 pounds, he brings size and he also plays the physical game the Kings like to see from their forwards. At the right price he could be useful insurance.
Minnesota Wild: RW Lee Stempniak
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Team Need: Forward depth. Minnesota is one of those teams who might plausibly be interested in a number of different players on this list. The Wild don't need help in net, where Devan Dubnyk and Darcy Kuemper have two jobs sown up, and they're probably OK on defence, but right now the team's forward group looks a little shy on depth pieces.
Centre and/or right wing are the obvious places the team could use help. One caveat is that it will have to be affordable help; the Wild don't have a ton of cap space and will likely have to settle for bargain free agents.
Potential Target: Lee Stempniak. Stempniak is probably one of hockey's most underappreciated players. A veteran of 700-odd NHL games and seven different major league teams, he does a little bit of everything. He can play with talent (he had 10 points in 18 games for Winnipeg after the trade deadline), and he's a two-way forward who can also kill penalties.
Stempniak would be a nice insurance piece who could move up and down the lineup for the Wild. He's also not likely to cost much, coming off a season in which he made just $900,000.
Montreal Canadiens: LW Nikolai Antropov
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Team Need: Size, scoring. Montreal's defensive group is among the best in the game, and goaltender Carey Price was the best player in the league last season, so there aren't a lot of holes on defence or in net. The forward corps isn't exactly barren, either, but there might be room for someone to play left wing behind Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk.
Torrey Mitchell will get one of the jobs, and youngsters Jacob de la Rose and Michael Bournival will compete, too, but most of the team's surefire NHL wingers play on the right side. Scoring was an issue last season and size up front would not go amiss either.
Potential Target: Nikolai Antropov. Antropov has been making good money in the KHL the past few years but is now eyeing an NHL return. The Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby explains that Antropov has a home in Toronto and is a Canadian citizen, but more importantly his son Danil is playing in Ontario. The Leafs would be a logical fit, but if not Montreal would pretty clearly be a decent backup plan.
For the Habs, Antropov could bring experience, a range of skills and a 6'6", 240-pound frame. When last seen in the NHL, he was also still capable of chipping in offensively. At the right price point, a deal might work for both parties.
Nashville Predators: LW Scottie Upshall
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Team Need: Forward depth. Nashville isn't a particularly needy team. The Preds are set in net, both at the NHL and AHL level, so there's no particular reason to add a player at that position. The club's famously deep and capable defence is also more-or-less set in stone.
The only place any kind of addition really makes sense is up front, and even there Nashville's youth movement means that opportunity is limited. The kind of player who might make sense is the affordable veteran who could slot in as the No. 13 forward, filling the press box on many nights so the kids can play and stepping in when needed.
Potential Target: Scottie Upshall. Upshall was the sixth overall pick of the Predators in 2002 and was originally traded away as part of the return for Peter Forsberg some five years later. He has wandered the league since, providing energetic play and in some years offence.
The scoring dried up last season, as Upshall fell from 37 points down to 15, but even at his worst Upshall checks off the energy-line boxes. He's physical, strong defensively and a regular penalty killer. If he's willing to accept a reduced role, he'd be a nice option to have available to head coach Peter Laviolette.
New Jersey Devils: C Stephen Weiss
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Team Need: Forwards of all kinds. New Jersey's back end is in pretty good shape. The defence took a big stride last year, as several young players exceeded expectations or finally lived up to them; it's a group that should be reasonably good for a long time. Behind those defencemen, goaltender Cory Schneider gives the Devils quality between the pipes.
The forward corps, in contrast, is a total disaster pretty much across the board. The Devils lack quality centres, quality wingers, scoring and youth. The team could profitably sign multiple free agents and still have space to add a veteran or two on pro tryouts.
Potential Target: Stephen Weiss. Weiss isn't the solution to all of New Jersey's problems, but he might help the team's rickety centre-ice depth chart in the short term. After two tough years, he rebounded somewhat in Detroit last season, putting up 25 points in 52 games and delivering even-strength offence in limited minutes.
There aren't a lot of centres left in free agency, and even fewer with any kind of offensive ability. Weiss may end up as the best of a bad lot.
New York Islanders: RD Marek Zidlicky
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Team Need: Defensive depth. The Islanders have a full house up front, with 13 locks for the NHL roster and a long list of prospects who might qualify for the No. 14 spot (if they opt to carry 14 forwards). The goaltending situation is similarly settled, with Jaroslav Halak in the starting role and Thomas Greiss coming over this summer to take the backup job.
That leaves the blue line. Brian Strait is the team's current No. 6, and he's likely better-suited to the No. 7 role; that leaves an opening on the third pairing if the right veteran comes available. Given the makeup of the blue line, ideally the defenceman would be a right shot and be able to fill-in on the power play.
Potential Target: Marek Zidlicky. Zidlicky isn't a perfect fit, but he can still play regular minutes at even strength, and he's extremely useful on the power play. He put up 42 points with New Jersey in 2013-14 and had 11 points in 22 games for Detroit after coming over at the deadline last year.
As a one-year stopgap, the Islanders could do worse and he won't break the bank, and he's one of the few right-shot defencemen still out there.
New York Rangers: LW Sean Bergenheim
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Team Need: Cheap depth forwards. New York is one of those teams for which every move needs to be examined strictly for cap effects. The team had to make some sacrifices this offseason to keep key players (notably Derek Stepan) on the roster.
Fortunately for the Rangers, their needs are minor. The club is in fine shape on the back end, with both defence and goaltending looking like positions of strength once again. They've also made some smart, savvy moves to address their depth up front, spending less than $2.0 million total on Viktor Stalberg and Jarret Stoll. There's room for another move in that vein.
Potential Target: Sean Bergenheim. Bergenheim is a fast, aggressive attacker, and that suits Alain Vigneault's preferred style of game nicely. He's also a competent defensive player and a forward with consistently good possession numbers. He won't cost much, meaning New York can get better without hurting its bottom line.
Ottawa Senators: RW Martin Havlat
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Team Need: Experience up front. Ottawa's future is going to be well-represented on its NHL roster this season, as the team looks set to go with a mostly younger group up front and on defence. All that youth, though, means there may be room to add an experienced hand somewhere in a supporting role.
It likely won't be on defence, where the Sens' seven spots are basically already decided (six one-way contracts, plus Cody Ceci). That leaves the forwards, and there might be an opening there for a third- or fourth-line winger.
Potential Target: Martin Havlat. An Ottawa pick back in 1999, Havlat's career is in trouble after a disappointing season with the Devils. Still, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun recently reported that the Sens were considering bringing the veteran winger into camp on a tryout deal.
It's not a bad idea. Havlat can play either wing, and at this point in his career isn't likely to land a top-six job anywhere else. He'd give Ottawa some versatility in its bottom six and likely wouldn't cost much to get under contract, either.
Philadelphia Flyers: LW Tomas Fleischmann
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Team Need: Depth at left wing. Philadelphia has a full cast of players on one-way deals for every position on defence and in net, but the one place where there is a little bit of space for an outsider to make some noise is up front.
The Flyers are in good shape at centre and on right wing, where the team has the nucleus of three strong lines. Left wing is a bit of a different story. Michael Raffl scored 28 points but spent more than 60 percent of his even-strength time next to Claude Giroux; Raffl has his good points but he's not most peoples' idea of a No. 1 left wing, and he could easily find himself there again this year.
Potential Target: Tomas Fleischmann. In a perfect world, the Flyers would go after somebody higher-profile, a Curtis Glencross or maybe Erik Cole. But the team almost certainly doesn't have the cap space for that kind of splash, so it has to confine itself to bargain options.
Fleischmann really isn't a bad one. He has a history of big offensive numbers, producing 27 goals and 61 points in 2011-12 and scoring at a 60-point pace in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign. At the right price—or perhaps on a pro tryout deal—the Flyers could take a look at him at zero risk and see if he can't find his game with some of their talented centres and right wings.
At worst, he might be a nice fit with Vincent Lecavalier on the fourth line.
Pittsburgh Penguins: LW Daniel Paille
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Team Need: Depth forwards. At first glance, the Penguins would seem to be a logical team for one of the NHL's unsigned backup goalies to join, but with Jeff Zatkoff and the shockingly good prospect Matt Murray in the system there's no real need in net. Defence is another possibility, but Pittsburgh's collection of promising defensive prospects makes that difficult.
The real opening is up front. The team only has 11 forwards on one-way contracts, so there may be room for a veteran to sneak in, especially if he comes in somewhere near the league minimum. Pittsburgh announced on Wednesday that Tom Sestito had been brought in on a professional tryout agreement; there's room for another player in that vein.
Potential Target: Daniel Paille. Paille is the kind of veteran who is useful as a safety net. If the younger prospects are ready, it's easy enough to cut him loose; he's a fairly generic fourth-line winger in terms of skill set. If they aren't ready, Paille can do a little bit of everything and brings a ton of experience to the mix, including championship experience.
St. Louis Blues: C James Sheppard
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Team Need: Insurance up front. The Blues have had some awful injury luck in August. First, Jori Lehtera underwent ankle surgery; Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the timeline for recovery could potentially stretch into October, meaning Lehtera might miss regular-season time and will almost certainly miss part of training camp.
Then came the Patrik Berglund news. The third line centre/left wing underwent surgery on his right shoulder, the team announced on Friday. He'll be re-evaluated in four months, meaning he won't be back until the back half of the season and his absence might even run longer than that.
Potential Target: James Sheppard. The Blues continued a recent trend of trying to solve problems with old New Jersey Devils on Thursday, inviting Scott Gomez to camp on a pro tryout. Gomez will turn 36 in December and struggled badly in 2012-13 and 2013-14 before rebounding last season; he looks more like Lehtera insurance than a replacement for Berglund.
That's where Sheppard comes in. A meat-and-potatoes defensive centre, Sheppard stands 6'1" and 215 pounds. Big, strong and defence obsessed is basically the holy trinity of Ken Hitchcock hockey, so he might be a better fit on the roster than Gomez.
San Jose Sharks: RD Michal Rozsival
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Team Need: Depth on defence. The Sharks' depth up front is considerably better than it has been in recent years, so it probably doesn't make sense for general manager Doug Wilson to spend much of his time there. Goaltending is decidedly less certain, but the team has already settled on Martin Jones as its primary bet and there really isn't roster space to add anyone else.
That brings us to defence. As of today, it looks like the Sharks' plan for the back end will see Mirco Mueller and Matt Tennyson in the No. 6 and No. 7 slots. Mueller showed flashes last season, although there's a decent case that he should have spent time in the AHL. Tennyson is a right shot with some ability but isn't necessarily deserving of being handed an NHL roster spot based on what he did last season, either.
This is a team that wouldn't be hurt by an addition on the third pairing.
Potential Target: Michal Rozsival. At age 36, Rozsival is getting close to the end of the line, but he's still an interesting player. He was an effective player last season for the Blackhawks, anchoring the team's third pairing, and so far his intelligence and positioning have compensated well for his declining speed.
He'd be a decent fit in the No. 5-7 slot, buying time for the team's younger defencemen and slotting into a mentorship role. It also can't hurt the Sharks to have a veteran who has won it all at the NHL level in the room.
Tampa Bay Lightning: G Jonas Gustavsson
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Team Need: Third-string goaltender. The defending Eastern Conference champions are still in pretty good shape after a summer that saw only tweaks to the roster. The team's forward depth is decent and there really isn't much incentive for the club to add anyone there. There might be room for an end-of-roster defenceman, a part-timer who could spend most nights in the press box, but the Lightning have a bigger worry: goalie depth.
With all due respect to Kristers Gudlevskis, the 23-year-old prospect who just had his second consecutive mediocre AHL season, the Bolts don't really have a bona fide No. 3. That's a problem, particularly since Ben Bishop has had health issues at times and backup Andrei Vasilevskiy may or may not be ready to carry the starter's load if something happens.
Potential Target: Jonas Gustavsson. Gustavsson isn't the only player on the market who might work, but he was a reasonably competent backup in Detroit over the last two seasons before being pushed aside by Petr Mrazek. There aren't a lot of jobs available in the majors, so a two-way contract with a hefty AHL salary might plausibly appeal.
Toronto Maple Leafs: RW Brad Boyes
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Team Need: Offensive right winger. Toronto's primary need next season is going to be for capable scorers. The team has its roster filled out on defence and in net, but there is perhaps room for a forward to make the cut, particularly if said forward can put up numbers.
This is especially true at right wing. The Leafs have a number of reasonable NHL options at both left wing and centre all the way down the depth chart, but on the starboard side either P.A. Parenteau or Joffrey Lupul (who can play either wing) are the club's most proven weapons, and the players behind them aren't terribly compelling.
Potential Target: Brad Boyes. It's been 12 years since the Leafs traded Boyes, a former first-round pick of the club, to San Jose in the deal that brought back Owen Nolan. He's played 762 regular-season games since then and shown himself capable of putting up strong offensive totals.
In 2013-14, Boyes was the only Florida Panther to crack the 20-goal mark and as recently as 2012-13 he was scoring at a 60-point pace (the season was shortened by a lockout). He'd certainly be an asset on the power play and fits with the Leafs' pattern in recent years of finding useful veterans on the cheap and then moving them for draft picks.
Vancouver Canucks: C Marcel Goc
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Team Need: Depth players generally. General manager Jim Benning has significantly reconfigured the Canucks in his time at the helm, and agree or disagree with his moves he has a pretty full cast at the top end of the lineup. However, at most positions there's room for a depth player to come in on a pro tryout and potentially win a job.
On defence, the identity of the team's seventh man is open to question. The Canucks have six one-way contracts and a number of prospects and depth defencemen who might win the final job. There's potentially room for an addition there. The same is true up front; the team has only 12 one-way deals and room for 14 players total.
Potential Target: Marcel Goc. There's almost always room for centre depth, and Goc would give the team a veteran No. 13 forward who could alternate between the lineup and press box seamlessly whenever required. Goc is primarily a defensive specialist and is excellent on both the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle.
Washington Capitals: C Derek Roy
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Team Need: Centre insurance. The big news out of Washington in August is that star centre Nicklas Backstrom may not be ready to play when the season kicks off in October. CSN's Chuck Gormley reported earlier this week that Backstrom isn't sure on whether he'll be healthy in time for the season opener and further that the pivot is not expected to be cleared for contact in time for the start of training camp.
The Capitals do have internal options but would likely be best served by bringing in a veteran on a cheap contract as insurance in case Backstrom misses significant time. At the right price point, there's also no reason that veteran couldn't stick long term as a depth piece.
Potential Target: Derek Roy. Roy had a splendid run late in the season with Edmonton, putting up 22 points in 46 games and forming instant chemistry with winger Nail Yakupov. However, the arrival of Connor McDavid effectively erased the Oiler's need for him.
He's a skilled centre who has put up big point totals in years past but has seen his production erode in recent years. He's still capable of centering a scoring line, and the price would probably be right for Washington, which doesn't have a surplus of cap space.
Winnipeg Jets: C Jim Slater
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Team Need: Nothing, really. The Jets are good-to-go whenever the NHL season starts, at least in terms of having enough bodies. The club has a ridiculous number of defencemen (teams looking for help would be well-advised to at least call general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff) and is set in net at both the NHL and AHL level.
That leaves the forward position. If Winnipeg has room for a depth player it's here, but the club has a lot of prospects who should be able to push for NHL time and even added some insurance in the form of winger Matt Fraser, who is on a two-way deal.
Potential Target: Jim Slater. If the Jets do bring a veteran forward to camp, it will probably be someone on a two-way contract or a professional tryout, and that individual would likely only be there as insurance against disappointing performances from the team's youth brigade.
Slater's one player who might be forced to settle for that kind of offer, and he's typical of the player type. He played all 82 games for Winnipeg last year and it's the only organization he has ever known; he was originally drafted by the Thrashers in 2002.
Realistically, though, barring injury we aren't likely to see any additional Winnipeg signings.
Statistics courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com, stats.hockeyanalysis.com and War-on-Ice.com. Salary information via GeneralFanager.com.
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