NHL Free Agent Rumors: Top 10 Defensemen on the Market and Where They'll Go

When it comes to the closing of a season, teams are given ample time to reflect back on the past season and focus in on what needs to be changed to improve for the upcoming season.

A good number of teams will see that their defense needs fortifying and will look to sign a blue liner who has proven their worth in seasons past.

Here is my list of 10 defenders, all of whom are unrestricted free agents come this offseason and a prediction of where they will most likely end up.

Restricted Free Agents

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NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 03: Shea Weber #6 of the Nashville Predators carries the puck behind the net and out of the reach of Henrk Sedin #33 of the Vancouver Canucks in Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

Here is a consolidated list of defenders who will be valuable to whatever team they sign with, however chances are they will end up right where they were last season considering they are restricted free agents.

Below, for each player, there is a short summary involving games played, points, the team they played for last season and their 2010-2011 cap hit.

Shea Weber – Nashville Predators ($4.500 million)
Games Played: 82
Points: 16+32=48

Drew Doughty – Los Angeles Kings ($3.475 million)
Games Played: 76
Points: 11+29=40

Keith Yandle – Phoenix Coyotes ($1.200 million)
Games Played: 82
Points: 11+48=59

10. Eric Brewer: Tampa Bay Lightning

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TAMPA, FL - MAY 19: Eric Brewer #2 of the Tampa Bay Lightning controls the puck in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Bruins during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at St Pete Times Forum on May 19, 2011 in Tampa, Florida. (

Games Played: 76
Points: 9+7=16
2010-2011 Cap Hit: $4.250 million

One of the biggest names that was thrown around at the trade deadline back in February was Eric Brewer, who ended up moving from St. Louis to Tampa Bay, where he managed to pick up the pace and help the Lightning into the Eastern Conference finals.

Brewer’s contract expires this summer, and he is absolutely one to watch come this offseason. Tampa Bay’s 31-year-old defender has started to attain the veteran leader title after 12 seasons in the NHL.

I predict Brewer will stay in Tampa Bay considering the good chemistry he found there.

9. Joni Pitkanen: Carolina Hurricanes

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NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 16: Joni Pitkanen #25 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on February 16, 2011 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Games Played: 72
Points: 5+30=35
2010-2011 Cap Hit: $4.000 million 

Joni Pitkanen has proven that he can bring a hard-nosed style of play to any defense he is thrown into. The 27-year-old has already had a career of seven seasons, totaling 483 career games and 256 career points.

Pitkanen has spent three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes dating back to the 2008-2009 season. The gritty defenseman has scored more than 30 points and tallied over 50 penalty minutes in each of the last three consecutive seasons.

I predict Pitkanen will move to a more physical team, such as Anaheim or Buffalo.

8. Bryan McCabe: New York Rangers

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NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 17: Bryan McCabe #28 of the New York Rangers stands on ice against the Washington Capitals in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 17, 2011 in N

Games Played: 67
Points: 7+21=28
2010-2011 Cap Hit: $5.750 million

Bryan McCabe has had an up and down career, however, he really blended well in Florida, and he clearly could post impressive numbers if he had stronger defense partners than those found on the Rangers roster.

McCabe has been in the NHL for 15 seasons now and could really help out a team in need of a player who can lead their defense. At 35 years old, McCabe has enough experience to really be the needed veteran leader in the locker room.

I predict McCabe will not be back in New York, but might go somewhere else in the East such as back to Florida or to Atlanta.

7. Roman Hamrlik: Montreal Canadiens

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MONTREAL, CANADA - APRIL 18: Roman Hamrlik #44 of the Montreal Canadiens turns up ice with the puck in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Boston Bruins during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on April 18, 2

Games Played: 79
Points: 5+29=34
2010-2011 Cap Hit: $5.500 million

Roman Hamrlik has had an impressive career, including the past four seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. The 37-year-old defender has tallied over 1,300 career games played and over 600 career points.

Hamrlik has played for five different NHL teams, and has meshed well with most of them. Last season’s impressive 34-point campaign makes him a target for a lot of teams looking for a veteran defender. However after 18 NHL seasons, retirement has to be tempting.

I predict that Hamrlik will either retire or stay in Montreal even if it means taking a salary cut.

6. James Wisniewski: Montreal Canadiens

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MONTREAL, CANADA - APRIL 18: James Wisniewski #20 of the Montreal Canadiens turns up ice with the puck in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Boston Bruins during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on April 18

Games Played: 75
Points: 10+41=51
2010-2011 Cap Hit: $3.250 million

As possibly one of the most underrated defenders in the league today, James Wisniewski sits one seat outside the top five on our list of the best free agent defensemen come this off-season.

Now that he is 27 years old, Wisniewski can start to help to lead a team and settle on a team in one of the coveted top three defensive spots. Wiseniewski had an impressive seven powerplay goals, making him a cherished part of any team’s powerplay unit.

I predict Wisniewski will stay with the Canadiens. 

5. Kevin Bieksa: Vancouver Canucks

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VANCOUVER, BC - MAY 15: Kevin Bieksa #3 of the Vancouver Canucks celebrates his third period goal to tie the game at 2-2 against the San Jose Sharks in Game One of the Western Conference Finals during the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena on May

Games Played: 66
Points: 6+16=22
2010-2011 Cap Hit: $3.750 million

Kevin Bieksa was a lesser-known defender in the league, however this year was absolutely a breakout year, and he is widely considered one of the hottest players on the free-agent market this offseason. 

Bieksa has been a key component in the successes of the Vancouver Canucks both in the regular season and the postseason. The 29-year-old blue-liner has really grown a lot this year and, because of that, has become a well-known and highly publicized defender in the league.

I predict Bieksa will re-sign with the Vancouver Canucks.

4. Christian Ehrhoff: Vancouver Canucks

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VANCOUVER, CANADA - MAY 15: Christian Ehrhoff #5 of the Vancouver Canucks looks to pass the puck out of the defensive zone against the San Jose Sharks in the first period in Game One of the Western Conference Finals during the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs a

Games Played: 79
Points: 14+36=50
2010-2011 Cap Hit: $3.100 million

Our second defender from the Vancouver Canucks is Christian Ehrhoff who is the same age, 29 years old, as teammate Kevin Bieksa. Ehrhoff had a smaller cap hit and more points this past season than Bieksa, and because of that combination, he is a little bit higher on our list of free agents.

When it comes down to the facts, Ehrhoff has been an important component on Vancouver’s defense for two seasons now and has proven himself in the league to be a veteran worth fighting for.

I predict that Ehrhoff will either take a pay cut and stay with the Canucks, or, if Vancouver signs Bieksa, Ehrhoff will sign with another Western Conference team, such as Calgary or Dallas.

3. Ed Jovanovski: Phoenix Coyotes

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COLUMBUS, OH - JANUARY 11: Ed Jovanovski #55 of the Phoenix Coyotes skates against the Columbus Blue Jackets during a game on January 11, 2011 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Games Played: 50
Points: 5+9=14
2010-2011 Cap Hit: $6.500 million

When it comes to a gritty defenseman, Jovanovski is one of the best in the league. This large Phoenix defender is one of the best when it comes to back checking, and even with lackluster statistics, he is one of the smartest defenders in the league.

Jovanovski has been a key force for the Coyotes and has helped lead the team, using his experience to his advantage. The 34-year-old alternate captain is a valuable presence both on and off the ice.

I predict, Jovanovski will re-sign with Phoenix.

2. Tomas Kaberle: Boston Bruins

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BOSTON, MA - MAY 23: Tomas Kaberle #12 of the Boston Bruins controls the puck in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on May 23, 2011 in Boston, Massachusetts. (

Games Played: 82
Points: 4+43=47
2010-2011 Cap Hit: $4.250 million

When it comes to seasoned veterans, Kaberle has been a blessing for the Boston Bruins, who are currently fighting in the Stanley Cup Finals. Kaberle spent a good part of this past season with the Toronto Maple Leafs but was dealt to the Bruins at the trade deadline.

Kaberle is a proven talent whose veteran presence is valuable on any roster. This current Bruin blue liner can mesh well with a variety of defensive styles, but he’s definitely one to watch this offseason.

I predict Kaberle will not be back in Boston but might sign with Buffalo or Detroit.

1. Nicklas Lidstrom: Detroit Red Wings

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DETROIT, MI - APRIL 16: Nicklas Lidstrom #5 of the Detroit Red Wings skates with the puck while playing the Phoenix Coyotes in Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Joe Louis Arena on April 16, 2011 in De

Games Played: 82
Points: 16+46=62
2010-2011 Cap Hit: $6.200 million

At 40 years old, Lidstrom helped lead Detroit through a very successful year and into the postseason where they barely missed the Western Conference finals. Considering Rafalski announced his retirement, it’s obvious that every Red Wing fan wants to see Lidstrom back in a Detroit jersey

No one can argue that Lidstrom would sign with a team other than the Red Wings, but in reality, retirement is probably starting to look pretty tempting to the veteran defender.

I predict he will either sign one more year with Detroit, or retirement will lure him to hang up the skates.