Top 5 remaining Unrestricted Free Agents, and possible destinations

            It has been a week since Free Agency period has started and though many players have been signed, there are still many big names up for grabs. Following this brief intro paragraph, I will introduce to you the top 5 (U) Free Agents still left on the market, in my mind, and possible destinations for the players. Here it goes:

5. Bill Guerin- I understand why people would disagree with me on this one but, Bill Guerin still has a scoring touch to him. He has amassed 20+ goals in each of the last four seasons. Including one 30 goal season. There are a few teams out there that could use some scoring, and veteran presence alike. He could be a Free Agency steal, guessing he would come at a low price.

Possible Destinations: NYR, VAN, PITT, LAK

4. Nikolai Zherdev- This one is another one that I’m sure readers will disagree with, but Nikolai Zherdev is one of the best Free Agents available. If he didn’t file for arbitration last season, he could possibly be a New York Ranger. After a terrible season in the KHL, Zherdev has decided to come back and play here in the NHL.  He has a good shot, great stick handling, very fast, and can be a very useful part of a team wanting more scoring. The only thing is Zherdev may soon be off the market. Yesterday afternoon a Russian reporter reported that Zherdev was close to signing with the Flyers. No one has confirmed it, so we will have to wait.

Possible Destinations: PHI*, BUF, BOS

3. Marty Turco- It still surprises me that Turco is left in the FA pool. I was almost 100% certain a team would’ve picked him up on the first day of free agency. From what Turco has said, he would like to play in Philly or San Jose. Both Philly and San Jose could still use a goalie. My best bet is that the Flyers are trying to trade Gagne to open up cap space, and sign Turco. But that’s just speculation, not a rumor.

Possible Destinations: PHI, SJS, MON

2. Alexander Frolov- Frolov is the typical playmaking forward, who can be useful sometimes, and other times not so useful. Since his first NHL season, his numbers have dropped juristically. But I believe if he is placed with the right players, he could play great again. His believed asking price of $5million is much to high. But I’m sure there will be a GM out there willing to make him part of their team. The only thing with Frolov is that he has received an offer from the KHL. With Nabokov already playing for SKA, the team that has also offered Kovalchuck and Frolov, this may be a possible destination for Frolov.

Possible Destinations: NYR, NYI, NJD, VAN, LAK, KHL

1.Ilya Kovlachuck- Obviously the best FA out there, but what is holding him up from signing? Maybe he wants to sign today, which just happens to be the day Lebron James is signing with his team, hopefully because I’m tired of waiting for Kovy to sign. Another reason may be the fact that teams are trying to get him to negotiate a lower price. I’m sorry, but I do not think Kovalchuck is anywhere close to being worth the $100 million dollars he wants. Not even Alexander Ovechkin is making $100million. What, is Kovlachuck saying he is better than Ovi? Not even close. Yes, both wingers can score, but Ovi scores more. Yes, both players can shoot, skate, and stick handle of almost equal quality, but there are two things that make Ovechkin a lot better than Kovy. One thing is, Ovechkin actually play’s defense. I very rarely see a good defensive game come from Kovy. But when I watch Ovechkin, I very often see a great defensive game out of him. The other quality that Ovi has, that Kovi doesn’t is being a good playoff performer. Ilya Kovalchuck may just be the worst playoff performer out of every superstar in the NHL. That’s the truth. Not once has he done something good for his team in the playoffs. I remember when the Rangers destroyed the Thrashers in the first round of the playoffs about 3 years ago. I went to game 3 in which the Rangers dominated Atlanta 7-0. Kovi was nowhere to be found that playoff series. With the Devils I think he was worse, and they actually won one of the games in the series. So while Kovi is a terrible playoff performer, you always feel Ovi’s presence in a playoff game. I can see why Kovi wants to be the most paid player in the NHL, who doesn’t, but he just doesn’t deserve it. That’s why I think he may be KHL bound. If he goes to the KHL I’m sure Frolov will follow.

Possible destinations: NJD, LAK, KHL

Well there it is, my top 5 remaining UFA’s, and possible destinations for them. Thanks for the read, hope you enjoyed. Leave any comments below.