Speculation: Remaining ufa's, who will find a job or not?

[Elche1975]

I'm talking of the main ones who were regular nhl'ers in the past few years(Beauchemin, Michalek brothers, Polak, Hudler, R.White, Goloubef, Chiasson, Winnik, Despres, D.Miller, Desjardins, Pirri, Laich, Skille, C.Kelly, Gordon, Pardy, Tyutin, Hayes, Schultz, Mitchell, Gionta, Franson, Vanek, Jagr, Liles, Upshall, Gelinas, Fiddler, Iginla, Wideman, Stuart, Kindl, Purcell, Vandevelde, Cullen, Parenteau, Doan, Stafford, Ribeiro etc).....

Who will find a job? Who will end up retiring? who might go play in Europe?

Click to read more...

 

[beowulf]

Has Doan not officially retired? I see a number of them getting offers once camps are over and teams decide if they missing something and thing one of them has what they need.

 

[Mr Positive]

there's a big list of useful players there. You'd think with the Vegas expansion just about all the regular names would have a spot somewhere

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

The overwhelming majority of that list has one thing in common:

Below-average skating.

 

[Elche1975]

there's a big list of useful players there. You'd think with the Vegas expansion just about all the regular names would have a spot somewhere

I agree thats why im curious that now in half of August some of these guys are still available!

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I agree thats why im curious that now in half of August some of these guys are still available!

See above.

It's a new league. If you can't skate well, you're going to be at a significant disadvantage.

 

[MMC]

PTOs.

 

[Elche1975]

See above.

It's a new league. If you can't skate well, you're going to be at a significant disadvantage.

I agree on this one too but there is alot of depth, experience, PK guys, even agitator...

Only a depht guy like Vanvevelde was on first PK for Phi last year with Bellemare.

You cant have a slow team anymore for sure but you can't have 100% of fast guys either, you need to get depth and some guys that can bring other things to a team.

Its alot about the role, Polak is slow but he can play a 50-55 games as a number 6-7 and play 14 min a game with a 2-3 min on PK out of it. You're in trouble if Polak is on your top 4 at 18-20 min....but for a weak team in a smaller role im still surprise that some of them are still ufa!

 

[le_sean]

Ryan White probably priced himself out of desirable range. He's a very effective bottom-6 player and looked good with the Wild.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Best of the rest: Jagr, Iginla, Doan, Gionta, Wideman, Vanek, Hudler, Upshall, Purcell, Polak, Stafford, and I believe Franson got a PTO from Chicago?

 

[DesertPenguin]

Cullen has a spot in Pittsburgh if he wants it, Pens management has made that clear.

A lot of guys on that list are either out of gas (Gionta, Beauchemin, Doan), their price tag is too high (Franson, Vanek, Jagr) or both (Iginla).

I wonder if Wideman is personna non grata after the linseman incident.

Polak looked good enough with TOR last season Im surprised he's still out there. Winnik seemed to be in high demand recently as a role player.

Edit: Surprised the best Franson could do was a PTO.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I agree on this one too but there is alot of depth, experience, PK guys, even agitator...

Only a depht guy like Vanvevelde was on first PK for Phi last year with Bellemare.

You cant have a slow team anymore for sure but you can't have 100% of fast guys either, you need to get depth and some guys that can bring other things to a team.

Its alot about the role, Polak is slow but he can play a 50-55 games as a number 6-7 and play 14 min a game with a 2-3 min on PK out of it. You're in trouble if Polak is on your top 4 at 18-20 min....but for a weak team in a smaller role im still surprise that some of them are still ufa!

You need guys who can do other things, but a lot of those players who do other things can skate too. The slower players are going to be the last priority and picked up for song (if at all) late in the summer, which is why so many of them are still looking for work.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

Beauchemin is still a serviceable bottom pairing defender, which is more than can be said of Iginla as a winger.

Several of them will get camp PTOs and a handful will get minimum contracts for a year. The rest will retire, go to the AHL for a year and try again or head overseas and maybe try to make the Olympic team. I could see a guy like Franson hope for the best in Switzerland if pay/opportunity is roughly equal.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

Gionta's still a useful player, not sure why Buffalo doesn't want him - could be they'd rather avoid the weird issue with him being the captain.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Beauchemin is still a serviceable bottom pairing defender, which is more than can be said of Iginla as a winger.

Several of them will get camp PTOs and a handful will get minimum contracts for a year. The rest will retire, go to the AHL for a year and try again or head overseas and maybe try to make the Olympic team. I could see a guy like Franson hope for the best in Switzerland if pay/opportunity is roughly equal.

Not true. Jarome Iginla played great with the Kings.

6 goals and 9 points in under 20 games is pretty damn good. Would be a great bottom six forward for some team.

 

[Brock Radunske]

Providing his injury in the playoffs didn't effect his skating, Polak is a good #5/#6

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

I would take either Brian Gionta or Daniel Winnik to Winnipeg with open arms. Our depth in the bottom 6 has been a problem.

Roman Polak for sure will find a job.

A lot of names this off-season for potential PTO's for sure. Guys like Hudler, Doan, Iginla etc.

 

[CreamOfTheCrop]

As a Habs fan, I would have like to get Hudler instead of Hemsky.

 

[seafoam]

I think at least a handful of those guys will get contracts, whether they are result of PTOs or not.

Injuries occur, rookies come up short in preseason, and teams are going to need experienced NHL bodies to populate their bottom lines and pressbox with.

 

[SeniorJuniorFan]

"I wonder if Wideman is persona non grata after the linseman incident."

Freudian slip? (Dennis "the Rat" Wideman?)

 

[De Montreal]

As a Habs fan, I would have like to get Hudler instead of Hemsky.

First thing that came to my mind

I'll admit I have not watched him play in the past 2 years but looking at his stats it seems like he was injured a lot

But I remember him being better in his own zone, and able to play wing or center. And his good offensive years werent 10 years ago like Hemsky, he had 35 points in 53 games with CGY in 2016. And he's one year younger.

Honestly Bergevin is so lost, he probably just confused the two forward from Dallas whose name's starting with an H.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Can't wait to find out which on this list will be the next Avs via pto. There's already at least 9 former Avs up there.

 

[LMFAO]

You would think alot of those near retirement players like Doan, Iginla, Gionta, Jagr, Fisher,etc might join the olympic programs instead of playing in the NHL.

 

[DanyHeatley]

Polak can still be a serviceable 5/6 D if the price is right
Same goes for Hudler, Jagr, Wideman and a few more FWDs

 

[le_sean]

First thing that came to my mind

I'll admit I have not watched him play in the past 2 years but looking at his stats it seems like he was injured a lot

But I remember him being better in his own zone, and able to play wing or center. And his good offensive years werent 10 years ago like Hemsky, he had 35 points in 53 games with CGY in 2016. And he's one year younger.

Honestly Bergevin is so lost, he probably just confused the two forward from Dallas whose name's starting with an H.

He's slow as molasses. At least Hemsky can skate.