2010 NHL Free Agency: Ranking the Top 25 Remaining Free Agents
Posted 07/20/2010 - 08:04 by HockeyPolls
The wait for Ilya Kovalchuk to sign has finally ended. Yesterday, the 27-year-old winger announced a jaw-dropping 17-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, with whom he finished the 2009-2010 season.
As expected, Kovalchuk's decision, which had been keeping NHL fans and experts alike on the edge of their seats for nearly three weeks, stirred the league into yet another "Free Agent Frenzy."
Just hours afterward, Philadelphia traded longtime forward Simon Gagne to Tampa Bay for defenseman Matt Walker and a fourth-round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. The Flyers needed the deal to free up much-needed cap space, but Gagne's addition also creates an intimidating foursome of forwards for the Lightning, with Gagne added to the trio of Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier, and recently re-signed Martin St. Louis.
On another note, one team that was reportedly involved in discussions surrounding both Kovalchuk and Gagne but has been left out of the fun is the Los Angeles Kings. However, with those two contract announcements, the headlines actually may shift to the Kings, the former team of perhaps the best free agent left: Alexander Frolov.
Nonetheless, Frolov still isn't alone. While according to The Fourth Period's rankings, just 11 of their original top-30 free agents are still unsigned, a plethora of experienced and productive players still remain, and there are still plenty of teams interested in them.
As mentioned previously, Kovy's deal may suddenly spring plenty of new deals and trades around the league. Here are 25 free agents who may be the most likely to receive some interest in the coming days.
