Top 50 pending UFAs: 30-21
With July 1 less than two months away, theScore takes a look at the top 50 pending unrestricted free agents heading into the start of free agency.
10-1 | 20-11 | 30-21 | 40-31 | 50-41
Stats Legend:
GV = Giveaways
TK = Takeaways
ATOI = Average time on ice per game
CF% = Percentage of shot attempts team took while player was on ice at even strength
(Rel) = CF% of player compared to when he's not on the ice
30. Jack Johnson
Position: Defense
Age on July 1: 31
2017-18 cap hit: $4,357,143
2017-18 team: Blue Jackets
| GP | G | A | P | GV | TK | ATOI | CF% (rel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 23 | 20 | 19:33 | 47.7 (-5.4) |
Johnson's season was so poor that he ended up being a healthy scratch for a few games down the stretch. He's no longer the 40-point D-man he used to be, but if he can regain his stout defensive form, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that he could play in a top four again. He'll likely be forced to a sign a prove-it contract, though.
29. Brian Gibbons
Position: Left wing
Age on July 1: 30
2017-18 cap hit: $650K
2017-18 team: Devils
| GP | G | A | P | GV | TK | ATOI | CF% (rel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 10 | 35 | 14:26 | 44.0 (-4.3) |
When you extrapolate Gibbons' numbers over an 82-game sample, he would've finished with 16 goals. A 16.7 shooting percentage suggests a season like that won't happen again, but the diminutive journeyman is an excellent penalty killer, as he helped the Devils finish with a top-10 PK, and he tied for the league lead with five shorthanded points.
28. Anton Khudobin
Position: Goaltender
Age on July 1: 32
2017-18 cap hit: $1.2M
2017-18 team: Bruins
| GP | Rec. | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 29-16-6 | 2.56 | .913 | 1 |
Khudobin is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, but his chances of being considered for a starting goaltender vacancy are slim. He's capable of being a platoon goalie, though.
27. Blake Comeau
Position: Right wing
Age on July 1: 32
2017-18 cap hit: $2.4M
2017-18 team: Avalanche
| GP | G | A | P | GV | TK | ATOI | CF% (rel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 29 | 47 | 15:52 | 46.6 (-1.4) |
Comeau is physical, defensively strong, and can put the puck in the net on occasion. While he's not flashy, he's simply a solid player who can skate in a team's top-nine forward group.
26. Dan Hamhuis
Position: Defense
Age on July 1: 35
2017-18 cap hit: $3.75M
2017-18 team: Stars
| GP | G | A | P | GV | TK | ATOI | CF% (rel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 3 | 21 | 24 | 30 | 13 | 20:11 | 50.4 (-1.2) |
Hamhuis is in the back nine of his career, but he can still play meaningful minutes in a team's top four as long as he's paired with another defenseman who can skate and move the puck. The veteran could be a nice stopgap blue-liner for a team seeking stability on the back end.
25. Luca Sbisa
Position: Defense
Age on July 1: 28
2017-18 cap hit: $3.6M
2017-18 team: Golden Knights
| GP | G | A | P | GV | TK | ATOI | CF% (rel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 19:31 | 43.8 (-9.1) |
Sbisa was well on his way to a career year before an injury took away most of his season. Despite averaging nearly 0.5 points per game, he's not an offensive defenseman. But he's physical, smart in his own end, and still relatively young despite having nearly 500 NHL games under his belt. A team that signs him to a two- or three-year deal could be getting the best hockey of his career.
24. Valtteri Filppula
Position: Center
Age on July 1: 34
2017-18 cap hit: $5M
2017-18 team: Flyers
| GP | G | A | P | GV | TK | ATOI | CF% (rel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 37 | 36 | 16:29 | 44.0 (-7.4) |
Filppula is a bit of a Swiss Army knife. He can play in an offensive role or a checking role, and he's played at center and on the wing. He doesn't do anything extraordinarily well, but he's a versatile, complementary top-nine forward.
23. Ian Cole
Position: Defense
Age on July 1: 29
2017-18 cap hit: $2.1M
2017-18 teams: Penguins/Blue Jackets
| GP | G | A | P | GV | TK | ATOI | CF% (rel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 27 | 21 | 17:47 | 51.1 (-0.7) |
Cole is one of the league's best shot blockers, racking up 116 last season, 194 the year prior, and 122 in 2015-16. And while he's blocked so many shots, he's remained a positive possession player. As a rock-solid defenseman in the prime of his career, he'll have no problem finding a home on a multi-year deal.
22. Kari Lehtonen
Position: Goaltender
Age on July 1: 34
2017-18 cap hit: $5.9M
2017-18 team: Stars
| GP | Rec. | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 15-14-3 | 2.56 | .912 | 1 |
Lehtonen has proven over the years that he isn't capable of being a quality No. 1 netminder, but he could serve as an excellent platoon alongside a young goalie, or act as a stopgap starter for a middling team with a promising up-and-comer.
21. John Moore
Position: Defense
Age on July 1: 27
2017-18 cap hit: $1,666,667
2017-18 team: Devils
| GP | G | A | P | GV | TK | ATOI | CF% (rel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 48 | 17 | 20:01 | 48.4 (+0.4) |
Moore isn't flashy by any stretch of the imagination, but he's very steady in the defensive zone. He's a strong skater with good size (6-foot-2, 210 lbs), and as one of the youngest UFAs, he could get a four- or five-year contract.
(Salary information courtesy: Cap Friendly)
(Stats courtesy: Hockey Reference)
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)