NHL Free Agents: 9 Nifty Salary Cap Bargain Players Due for a Fair Raise

NHL hockey players are talented athletes who are compensated for their talents and contributions.

However, certain players consistently exceed expectations early on in their contract and have to wait until free agency to receive a higher salary.  Some veteran players also may deserve a raise due to their contributions.

There are a bunch of players due for a raise who will hit free agency this offseason.  Free agency may be far away, but the trading deadline is approaching shortly and teams may look to unload players they will not re-sign.

Here are some players who are due for a raise and may end up in a new city come October 2012.

Ryan Suter

The Nashville Predators are going to be in a precarious situation this offseason. 

With Ryan Suter and Shea Weber both free agents, there may not be enough money to re-sign other players and bring both back.

Suter is a rising star in the league, emerging as one of the NHL's better two-way defenders. 

The 26-year-old currently carries a cap hit of $3.5 million.  He is due for a huge payday considering what his partner, Weber, already makes.

Approximate New Cap Hit: $5.5-6.5 million

Suter will likely receive a $2 million to $3 million raise.  He is one the league's top defenders and will be paid as such. 

Suter is a 30-45-point player and will really bolster any team's back end.

Milan Hejduk

Milan Hejduk is a veteran in the NHL. In his heyday, he was a clutch performer for the Colorado Avalanche during their Stanley Cup run.

In his career, Hejduk has had three 30-goal seasons, a 50-goal campaign and six seasons with 20 goals or more.

Hejduk was recently named the team captain of the Avalanche.  It is a fitting honor that couldn't have gone to a more deserving player.

However, the Avalanche are a team that is trying to get younger.  Hejduk currently makes $3 million per year and there will be plenty of teams that would give him a $1 million raise to join their club.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, he could always re-sign at his current rate with Colorado.

Current Salary: $3 million

Approximate New Salary: $3.5 million

Carey Price

Carey Price has been a solid goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens.  He has gradually grown into his role and deserves to be compensated.

Last season, Price won 38 games.  That statistic allowed him to shake off the critics who insisted that the Canadiens should have traded him instead of Jaroslav Halak.

Price is young and is still a restricted free-agent, so he can't name his price.  Therefore, he will receive a raise, but not as much as he should. 

If Price can have another big year for the Canadiens, he should be able to double his salary.

Current Salary: $2.75 million

Approximate New Salary: $5-5.5 million

Mikhail Grabovski

Mikhail Grabovski had a great improvement in the 2010-11 season.  He scored 58 points, which was an improvement over his 2009-10 campaign that was shortened due to injury. 

Toronto is starting to reemerge as a contending team in the East and Grabovski is a player who they would like to hold onto.

Grabovski may test the free-agent waters as he will like to get a raise from his current salary.  Toronto may opt to keep him as a precaution since Tim Connolly is frequently injured .

Current Salary: $2.9 million

Approximate New Salary: $4-4.5 million

Tuukka Rask

Tuukka Rask is the heir apparent to the throne that is the goal crease in TD Garden. 

Tim Thomas is playing at an elite level on borrowed time.  The Boston Bruins will have a tough decision to make at the trading deadline.

There are teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils that could look to make a move for a goaltender.  Boston could either trade Rask for assets, or hold onto him for the long haul.

Either way, Rask will receive a significant raise as he is one backup who is ready to become a starter.

Current Salary: $1.25 million

Approximate New Salary: $3.5-4 million

Jiri Hudler

Jiri Hudler of the Detroit Red Wings has one of the cheapest cap hits out of current former 55-point scorers.  In the 2008-09 season, Hudler scored 57 points.

THN.com has a module that evaluates players based on many levels.  Here is how Hudler was evaluated:

ASSETS: Has tremendous offensive instincts and creativity.  Is a sharpshooter with pinpoint precision and accuracy.  Can play either wing position.

 FLAWS: Must overcome his lack of size, strength and defensive polish each and every night.  Could stand to play a more consistent game.  

CAREER POTENTIAL: Skilled, yet undersized scoring winger.

Hudler may be small, but the fact that he can play either wing makes him a valuable commodity.  He is 27 years old and still has room to grow.

Curent Salary: $2.875 million

Approximate New Salary: $3.5-4 million

Cory Schneider

Cory Schneider is currently looked at as the starter of the Vancouver Canucks despite what coach Alain Vigneault says.

Schneider has played exceptionally well this year while Roberto Luongo has faltered.  Schneider is 7-4-0 with a 2.12 GAA. 

Interestingly, he has already played in 14 games this year—more than half the ice time he received last season when when he appeared in just 25 games. 

Is there a goaltending controversy in Vancouver?

Whatever happens to Schneider, he will get paid.  He is one of the best bargains in the entire league.

Current Salary: $900,000

Approximate New Salary: $2.5-3.5 million

Zach Parise

Zach Parise has been a great goal scorer since making the jump to the NHL. 

Over the last four seasons—not counting his injury-riddled 2010-2011—he has scored 30 goals or more in each campaign.

That type of production is considered a bargain compared to what superstars Steven Stamkos, Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Marian Gaborik, Ilya Kovalchuk and other top scores make.

Parise is also a solid passer, which makes him a dual threat.  Before signing a one-year extension, Parise had a cap hit of $3.125 million.

Current Salary: $6 million

Approximate New Salary: $7-8 million

It may seem like a lot, but someone will pay top dollar for Parise this offseason.

Andrei Kostitsyn

Andrei Kostitsyn is a player who has a great wrist shot.  When he is on the top of his game, he can beat any goalie with an accurate wrister. 

Kostitsyn is a valuable player when you consider he is a 45-55-point player.  At a cap hit of $3.25 million, he has outperformed players that already make more than he does.

Kostitsyn is on pace for at least 50 points this season.  If he can step up the pace, there is no reason why he can't up his average paycheck.

Current Salary: $3.25 million

Approximate New Salary: $4.2-4.7 million

There are certainly a lot of players who will receive a raise this offseason.  These eight players are just some who will be worth it. 

Tom Urtz, Jr. is an NHL featured columnist and New York Rangers featured columnist.  For NHL news, updates and alerts about players: