Ranking the NHL's Best Remaining Unrestricted Free Agents in 2015 Offseason

With less than a month to go until National Hockey League training camps open, plenty of experienced veterans have yet to lock down a place to play next season.

Some of these now-unrestricted free agents attracted solid returns for their former clubs when they were moved before the trade deadline. Now, those same players are available for free. All that's needed is the right contract.

A lower-than-expected increase in the salary cap has left more teams than usual counting their pennies heading into the season. As of August 29, General Fanager shows 16 of the NHL's 30 teams with less than $3 million in available cap space, which means limited competition for the players who are still on the market.

"In my experience, this has been one of the more difficult markets," veteran player agent Steve Bartlett told Kevin Allen of USA Today on August 20. As a result, plenty of solid talent is still available for savvy general managers with cap space and a good pitch.

During the last week of August, we saw tough guy Frazer McLaren and rugged Adam Cracknell pick up free-agent contracts. Professional tryout offers—with no guarantee of a contract—were accepted by the likes of Scott Gomez, Devin Setoguchi and Tom Sestito, according to TSN.

Here's a look at the biggest talents still looking to catch on with new teams.

6. David Schlemko

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Age: 28

2014-15 Stats:

• with Arizona Coyotes: 20 GP, 1-3-4, minus-5
• with Dallas Stars: 5 GP, 0-0-0, even plus-minus
• with Calgary Flames: 19 GP, 0-0-0, plus-6; playoffs 11 GP, 0-1-1, plus-1

Previous Contract: Two years, cap hit $1.1875 million, per General Fanager.

The Latest Developments: Though the Arizona Coyotes and the Dallas Stars were second- and third-worst defensively in the Western Conference last season respectively, both teams saw fit to make depth defenseman David Schlemko a healthy scratch for long stretches of time, eventually putting him on waivers.

Their loss was Calgary's gain. The Flames snatched up Schlemko from the waiver wire on March 1 after Mark Giordano's season-ending biceps injury. Schlemko became a reliable third-pairing option and averaged more than 14 minutes a game during the Flames' successful playoff run.

Trustworthy, relatively young at 28 and likely inexpensive this late in the summer, Schlemko would make an excellent pickup for a team that's thin on the blue line heading into training camp.

5. Derek Roy

Rich Lam/Getty Images

Age: 32

2014-15 Stats:

• with Nashville Predators: 26 GP, 1-9-10, even plus-minus
• with Edmonton Oilers: 46 GP, 11-11-22, minus-13

Previous Contract: One year, cap hit $1 million, per General Fanager.

The Latest Developments: Derek Roy unlocked the potential of the riddle trapped inside an enigma that is Nail Yakupov when he arrived in Edmonton after a mid-season trade by the Nashville Predators. Shouldn't that earn him a new contract somewhere for next season?

If Roy had played all of last season with the Oilers, he could have reached the 20-goal, 40-point plateau on an economical $1 million contract.

Undersized at 5'9" and tagged as injury prone, the 32-year-old only missed five games last season as a result of an upper-body injury while he was in Nashville, according to the Hockey News.

"Derek’s healthy, in maybe the best shape of his life. ... He’s been working out with Gary Roberts," Roy's agent, Rob Hooper, told Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal in early August. 

Roy's mentoring of Yakupov seems to have sparked interest over in Russia. Hooper told Matheson Roy has garnered the attention of several clubs in the KHL, "but Derek’s a competitor who would like to participate in the National Hockey League and try to win a Stanley Cup."

The arrival of Connor McDavid means there's no room in Edmonton for Roy, but his determination and leadership skills should earn him an NHL job before the regular season begins.

4. Curtis Glencross

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Age: 32

2014-15 Stats:

• with Calgary Flames: 53 GP, 9-19-28, plus-3
• with Washington Capitals: 18 GP, 4-3-7, minus-1; playoffs 10 GP, 1-0-1, minus-5

Previous Contract: Four years, cap hit $2.55 million, per General Fanager.

The Latest Developments: After building both a career and an off-ice life during seven years with the Calgary Flames, Curtis Glencross agreed to waive his no-movement clause at the trade deadline, allowing the Flames to collect second- and third-round draft picks from the Washington Capitals for the bruising winger.

Rumoured to have been looking for a contract extension in the neighbourhood of $4 million a year when he left Calgary, according to Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun, Glencross finds his bargaining power limited as he looks for a new situation.

"I thought something would be done by now, but obviously, the market is not there, and everyone is against the cap. Teams are paying the top-two lines so much money that all they can do is fill with entry-level guys who are going to not cost much," mused Glencross, who says he'd rather wait for a concrete proposal than accept one of several professional tryout offers that have come his way.

"I have a young family, and it’s tough to bounce around on a PTO — it has to be a good opportunity too, so I can do well and get an extension," said the father of three children who is skating every day in Calgary.

Glencross has value as a bottom-six winger who can use his physical style to score goals. He won't be back with the Flames, who are now deep with young talent up front, but he should have found a job by the time training camp begins.

3. Stephen Weiss

Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

Age: 32

2014-15 Stats:

• with Detroit Red Wings: 52 GP, 9-16-25, minus-2; playoffs 2 GP, 0-0-0, minus-1

Previous Contract: Five years, cap hit $4.9 million, per General Fanager.

The Latest Developments: The Detroit Red Wings cut their losses on Stephen Weiss, buying him out after just two seasons of a five-year free-agent contract signed during the summer of 2013.

Weiss didn't mesh well with the Wings' system, but perhaps just as importantly, he has become extremely injury prone. He played just 17 of 48 possible games with the Florida Panthers during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, then missed 56 games during his first season in Detroit and 30 games during the second year—mostly because of groin problems, though he was also a healthy scratch later in the season.

If Weiss can stay healthy, he could be a dependable, inexpensive pivot who would thrive in a different system. There has been no word yet of any teams interested in inking Weiss to a short-term, prove-it contract.

2. Jiri Tlusty

Marianne Helm/Getty Images

Age: 27

2014-15 Stats:

• with Carolina Hurricane: 52 GP, 13-10-23, minus-17
• with Winnipeg Jets: 20 GP, 1-7-8, minus-1; playoffs 4 GP, 0-0-0, minus-2

Previous Contract: One year, cap hit $2.9 million, per General Fanager.

The Latest Developments: Perceived to be one of the better prizes available at the trade deadline last March, Jiri Tlusty was traded by the Carolina Hurricanes to the Winnipeg Jets on February 25 in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2016 and a conditional sixth-rounder in 2015, per the Hockey News.

Already in a wild-card playoff spot when Tlusty was acquired, the Jets hung on to reach the postseason for the first time since their move to Winnipeg four seasons ago, but Tlusty played a limited role. His ice time dropped over the course of his tenure, even as the Jets struggled to score against the dominating Ducks.

Peter Koutroumpis of Triangle Spots Network reported on August 28 that Tlusty was skating informally with several other members of the Hurricanes.

Carolina has both roster and cap space available. It could make sense for the versatile forward to return to the club where he had his greatest career success to date if the money is right for both sides.

1. Cody Franson

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

Age: 28

2014-15 Stats:

• with Toronto Maple Leafs: 55 GP, 6-26-32, minus-7
• with Nashville Predators: 23 GP, 1-3-4, even plus-minus; playoffs 5 GP, 0-2-2, plus-1

Previous Contract: One year, cap hit $3.3 million, per General Fanager.

The Latest Developments: Expected to earn one of the top contracts on July 1, 6'5", right-shooting defenseman Cody Franson has instead become the poster child for this summer's strange free-agent marketplace.

Rather than writing his own ticket, Franson's still on the sidelines, deciding what sacrifices he's willing to make when choosing his new team.

On August 27, Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reported the Buffalo Sabres were attempting to entice Franson to fill out their blue line with the promise of a two-year contract.

Though Franson's believed to be looking for a multi-year offer, the Sabres boast more than $12 million in cap space, according to General Fanager, which leaves them better-positioned than their competitors to offer Franson a reasonably lucrative deal.

Other teams believed to be interested in Franson, such as the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets, all have less than $5 million in available cap space. They're more likely to make the playoffs next season, but they may not be able to match the dollar value of the Sabres' offer.

How much will a chance to win a Stanley Cup factor into the decision of Franson, who has reached the second round of the playoffs only once to date in his six-year NHL career?