There are numerous twists and turns to account for when an NHL season begins, and those various developments begin to take place in the offseason during the period of free agency. How will various teams reshuffle the deck and create a new plan for the 2014-2015 season?
1 – Matt Niskanen, Pittsburgh Penguins
For a player who is just 27 years old, Niskanen offers a lot of promise. He totaled 46 points last year, far and away the best among the crop of unrestricted free-agent defensemen. When a scoring defenseman of Niskanen’s caliber is on the table, a team should think that he’s a highly desirable prize on the open market. The Penguins might have disguised Niskanen’s level of ability, since bigger stars exist on that roster, but it’s still hard to get past the raw production he provided for Pittsburgh. That much output is hard to ignore.
2 – Tom Gilbert, Florida Panthers
This defenseman is really just as good a choice as Niskanen. He didn’t match the Pittsburgh Penguin in terms of overall points, but he did pick up 25 assists, second-best in the league among the crop of unrestricted free-agent defensemen. The thing which raises Gilbert’s profile is that he has played for a bad team. Unlike Niskanen, Gilbert has had to do a lot more things by himself. He hasn’t had the support system or the complete team that can spread around the workload. If Gilbert could do all that he did in Florida, how much more of an impact could he have with a modestly better team? Then ask yourself how much of a difference Gilbert could make with a great team? He’s going to get a good, long look.
3 – Ryan Miller, St. Louis Blues
The 2.72 goals-against average is not overwhelmingly good, and Miller did slip in the playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks. Yet, Miller has been a top-10 goalie in the NHL for many years, and a top-five goalie in the league for several years. Is he in the same class right now as Jonathan Quick or Henrik Lundqvist? Not quite. Yet, at 33, Miller should still have several good years left in him. He’s not a 38-year-old who is on his last legs. That’s certainly something which should be taken into consideration. The full reality of Miller’s career needs to be seen for what it is – it’s an extremely good if not great one.
4 – Jonas Hiller, Anaheim Ducks
His 2.48 goals-against average should rightly gain a lot of attention. Hiller played a big part in getting Anaheim the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Ducks did not suffer with Hiller in net. At the age of 32 and with a lot of playoff experience under his belt, Hiller could certainly improve the stock of the team he signs with during the offseason. Among the various free-agent goalies out there, Hiller has to be in the top three, and the feeling here is that he joins Miller in the top two.
