NHL Free Agents: Each Team's Biggest Trouble Spot and Who Could Fill It

The NHL offseason is winding down as training camps begin in less than one month. 

Most teams already have their rosters set for the upcoming season, but there are still several veteran free agents who could help teams in many areas.

While the free-agent market has run a bit dry, there's always the possibility of trades happening, which allows teams with little salary cap space the option to acquire a piece they need for a run at the Stanley Cup.

Let's look at each team's biggest hole, and who they can get to fill it.

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report, and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston. Follow him on Twitter for Bruins and NHL news and analysis.

Anaheim Ducks: Depth on the Wings and a Healthy Goaltender

The Anaheim Ducks have a very good team heading into this season, and have few holes.

However, they will need another winger if veteran Teemu Selanne cannot return for another season due to knee problems.

Wingers Sergei Samsonov and Cory Stillman are two of the better options out there.

Boston Bruins: Power Play Help

The Boston Bruins had one of the most awful power play units in the history of the NHL playoffs last season, yet they still won the Stanley Cup because their even strength and penalty killing unit were so outstanding.

The Bruins could find power-play help from veteran defenseman Bryan McCabe, who has been a solid offensive defenseman for most of his career.

He wouldn’t be a tremendous help to the power play, but McCabe is a smart player and would not be a defensive liability.

Buffalo Sabres: Backup Goaltending

The Buffalo Sabres have had a strong offseason by improving their team with big-name free agents and smart trades. They acquired the rights to and signed former Canucks defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, signed Ville Leino and acquired Robyn Regehr.

All they need is a backup goaltender to give Ryan Miller a break sometimes, or if the former Vezina Trophy winner gets hurt.

Pascal Leclaire is one of the better veteran goaltenders still on the market, and could be a good fit with the Sabres.

Calgary Flames: A High-Caliber Player or a Veteran

The Calgary Flames are in a tough spot this summer as they don’t have a Stanley Cup-contending team, don’t have a lot of young talent and don’t have much salary cap space to work with.

They cannot go out and sign a superstar player to pair with Jarome Iginla, so they should acquire a veteran who can play third-line minutes and contribute on the penalty kill.

John Madden would fill both those needs, and would be cheap to sign.

Carolina Hurricanes: Veteran Forward, Scoring

The Carolina Hurricanes barely missed the playoffs last season, and tried to improve their roster this summer by signing defenseman Tomas Kaberle and re-signing defenseman Joni Pitkanen.

However, they lost forward Eric Cole, who scored 52 points last season.

The Hurricanes need a veteran forward or an offensive defenseman to help the scoring attack, and Cory Stillman and Bryan McCabe are two quality choices.

Chicago Blackhawks: Scoring Depth

The Chicago Blakchawks typically rely on Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp for goal scoring, but they need other players who can provide goals, too.

Veteran free agents Cory Stillman and Sergei Samsonov are two players who can score goals, but will not offer much defensively.

The Blackhawks could also use another defenseman.

Colorado Avalanche: Veteran Leadership, Defense

The Colorado Avalanche are a pretty young team who are trying to rebuild toward another Stanley Cup run, and adding veteran leadership would speed up that process.

Veteran center John Madden would provide great playoff experience to the Avalanche, and Chris Campoli would be a cheap defenseman they could bring in.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Defense

The Columbus Blue Jackets finally have given superstar forward Rick Nash some offensive help this summer by acquiring former Flyers forward Jeff Carter via trade and offensive defenseman James Wisniewski from Montreal via free agency.

The Blue Jackets could still use another veteran defenseman for the penalty kill and leadership purposes, and Bryan McCabe and Chris Campoli are two of the better options out there.

Dallas Stars: Scoring Help

The Dallas Stars lost a major part of their offense this summer when unrestricted free agent center Brad Richards went to the New York Rangers by signing a nine-year, $60 million contract.

The Stars signed former Boston Bruins winger Michael Ryder to help fill the void left by Richards, but that won’t be enough.

Adding free agent forwards Cory Stillman, J.P. Dumont or Sergei Samsonov would give the Stars some more offensive depth.

Detroit Red Wings: Top-6 Forward and Young Defenseman

Realistically, there isn’t much the Detroit Red Wings could do in free agency to help their team at this point in the summer.

With retirements and age on defense, the Red Wings could use a young defenseman.

The only way they could add a real talented blueliner would be through a trade, but they have several pieces to entice teams.

Acquiring Shea Weber from the Nashville Predators is a long shot, but he could help fill Nicklas Lidstrom’s shoes when he retires better than anyone in the NHL.

Edmonton Oilers: Veterans for Leadership, Grit

The Edmonton Oilers have finished in last place in the NHL the past two seasons, and as a result have drafted first overall each time.

While the Oilers have many good young prospects, adding some veterans for leadership and mentoring would help the kids develop.

John Madden would be able to contribute on the penalty kill and play solid minutes on the third line, and his leadership and professionalism would help the team.

Florida Panthers: Some Luck with Recent Signings

The Florida Panthers made a lot signings and trades the past few months, and their roster is good enough to finish out of the cellar in the Eastern Conference.

The Panthers signed Jose Theodore, Scottie Upshall (pictured), Sean Bergenheim, Ed jovanoski and acquired Brian Campbell from Chicago. Those are some good players, not star quality, but solid hockey players.

Having these guys fit together and perform to expectation is what Florida needs this season, and there is little else they could do in terms of adding players at this point in the summer.

Los Angeles Kings: Re-Sign Drew Doughty

The Los Angeles Kings have to re-sign restricted free agent defenseman Drew Doughty before training camp begins.

He is the future of the team and has the potential to be a top-five NHL defenseman.

The Kings have a massive hole on the blue line without Doughty, and locking him up long term is the primary task for general manager Dean Lombardi this summer.

Minnesota Wild: Defensive Help

The Minnesota Wild have made many moves this summer to improve their team and build for future success.

They have made several trades with the San Jose Sharks this summer, and in those moves, they traded defenseman Brent Burns, lost Martin Havlat and acquired Dany Heatley.

Heatley will definitely help the Wild offense, but they need more defensive depth to replace Burns.

Signing Bryan McCabe would be a good idea for the Wild.

Montreal Canadiens: Size, and Maybe Another Defenseman

The Montreal Canadiens' roster is pretty set for the upcoming season, but they could still use another physical presence.

Trent Hunter would give the Canadiens some needed size, and there is a chance he could be a decent offensive player, too.

Bryan McCabe also has good size, and would bring power-play abilities to the Canadiens' defensive corps.

Nashville Predators: Find Offense, Resolve Shea Weber’s Future

The Nashville Predators failed their most important task of the summer, re-signing Shea Weber long-term.

If Weber does not want to stay in Nashville long term, the team must trade him and acquire another good defenseman in return, and/or some offensive help.

The team did not have a single player score at least 60 points last season, and adding a veteran forward like Cory Stillman is Nashville’s best option right now in late August.

New Jersey Devils: Goal Scoring

The New Jersey Devils were last in the NHL in goals per game last season, and did not get typical offensive production from Ilya Kovalchuk, or Zach Parise.

Parise was injured for much of 2011 to be fair, and the team was unable to sign a long-term extension with him this summer.

Locking Parise up long-term must happen for the Devils, and finding offense on the free-agent market from JP Dumont or Sergei Samsonov isn’t a bad idea, either.

New York Islanders: A Bit of Everything, Especially Defense

The New York Islanders haven’t made any major moves to improve their roster this summer, and may need to look at trades to get better with the current free-agent market lacking real talent.

Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov will have value to a playoff contender, and could help the Islanders bring in a defenseman.

Free agents JP Dumont and Bryan McCabe are two good solutions for the Islanders.

New York Rangers: Veteran Forward

The New York Rangers upgraded their offense in a major way this summer by signing free-agent center Brad Richards to a nine-year, $60 million contract.

Adding another veteran offensive talent would be a good final move for the Rangers, and signing Anton Stralman or Cory Stillman would be a good idea.

The Rangers don’t need any defenseman with all the young blueliners already in the organization.

Ottawa Senators: A Top-6 Forward

The Ottawa Senators had a lot of salary cap space to sign players this summer, but decided not to make any big free-agent bids.

They need another top-six forward to help Jason Spezza carry the scoring burden, and there is no one like that in free agency.

Their only option to acquire some offense is through a trade.

Philadelphia: Offensive Depth

The Philadelphia Flyers might have won the last two Stanley Cups if they had a legitimate, top-tier goaltender.

They acquired Ilya Bryzgalov from the Phoenix Coyotes thru free agency this summer, who will be the star goalie the franchise has lacked for years.

But to clear cap space to sign him, the Flyers had to sacrifice some offense, and thus traded top forwards Mike Richards and Jeff Carter to the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets respectively.

The Flyers could sign veterans JP Dumont or Cory Stillman for some more offense, or sign a younger player like Anton Stralman.

Phoenix Coyotes: Goaltending

The Phoenix Coyotes' demise will reach its lowest point this season when the team finishes in the cellar of the Western Conference and faces a possible relocation from Arizona.

Losing star goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov will be a massive loss for the Coyotes, and they lack the prospects or star players to acquire another top goalie.

Trades are the only way this team is going to get better, and signing a veteran free agent like Bryan McCabe or Cory Stillman wouldn’t be a bad move, but it wouldn’t help the team in the long run.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Offensive Depth

The Pittsburgh Penguins need offensive help with the uncertainty surrounding Sidney Crosby’s status for the season opener and beyond.

If Crosby does not play many games, the Penguins need another goal scorer and playmaker. Evgeni Malkin will be returning from knee surgery, but he might not be the same player following ligament tears in his knee.

Signing a veteran like Cory Stillman or JP Dumont would help the Penguins, but acquiring a top-six forward is the best course of action. Unfortunately, there are none of those players available on the free-agent market right now.

San Jose Sharks: Vetern Leadership

Free-agent John Madden would give the San Jose Sharks Stanley Cup championship experience, and would be able to lead the team through the playoffs on and off the ice.

With the addition of defenseman Brent Burns from the Minnesota Wild, the re-signing of Logan Couture and trading the playoff letdown Dany Heatley, the Sharks have arguably built their best roster for a Stanley Cup run this summer.  

St. Louis Blues: Veteran Offensive Player

The St. Louis Blues needed offense and veteran leadership coming into this summer, and free agents Corey Stillman and Bryan McCabe could provide both to them.

The Blues have a playoff-contending roster this season, but if they don't make the 2012 playoffs, major changes could come next summer.

In addition to a veteran skater, the team could also use a backup for Jaroslav Halak in goal.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Offensive Depth

The Tampa Bay Lightning accomplished their most important goal of the summer when they re-signed young star Steven Stamkos to a long-term contract.

They did, however, lose Sean Bergenheim and Simon Gagne to free agency, so getting some more offensive depth would be a good idea for general manager Steve Yzerman.

Cory Stillman, JP Dumont and Anton Stralman are some of the best options available on the free-agent market.

Toronto Maple Leafs: A Center

The Toronto Maples Leafs badly need a No. 1 center, and lost out on free-agent center Brad Richards this summer when he signed with the New York Rangers.

Getting a veteran like John Madden would give them some depth at center, and a veteran to lead the team's many young players, but finding a legitimate top center is still the priority for general manager Brian Burke.

Vancouver Canucks: Size on Offense

The Vancouver Canucks got bullied and pushed around by the Boston Bruins in last year's Stanley Cup Finals, and Boston's physical play was too much for the Canucks to handle.

Adding some toughness to the forward lines should be the Canucks top priority for the rest of the summer, and former Islanders forward Trent Hunter is the best option left on the free-agent market.

Washington Capitals: Veteran Leadership

The Washington Capitals filled their biggest need in acquiring a dependable goalie by signing Tomas Vokoun to an affordable contract, but still need veteran leadership to help them make a Stanley Cup run.

John Madden, Bryan McCabe and Cory Stillman would all give the Capitals veteran leadership and added offense this season.

Alexander Ovechkin is the team's best player and captain, but is he really a leader?

Winnipeg Jets: Offense

The Winnipeg Jets really lacked scoring last year when the franchise was still the Atlanta Thrashers. In fact, two of their top three points leaders were defenseman.

Only Andrew Ladd put up solid numbers out of all the team's forwards.

There isn't much offense available on the free-agent market, but JP Dumont, Cory Stillman, Sergei Samsonov and Bryan McCabe could help.

A trade would be the best way for the Jets to acquire some offense.