5 free agents who would be best served finding a new home

Change isn't always a bad thing.

Many players will be granted a chance at a fresh start and an opportunity to resurrect their careers on a new team once free agency officially opens Monday.

Here are five players that would be better served moving on from their current team and finding a new home next season.

Jason Spezza - C

Spezza's best days may be behind him, but he could still carve out a role as a productive bottom-six center with a change in scenery. The 36-year-old fell down the depth charts in Dallas last season and was named a healthy scratch on multiple occasions.

Though his point production has fallen off, Spezza remains one of the top faceoff talents in the league, ranking third last season (minimum 100 draws) with a faceoff percentage of 58.2. The veteran playmaker still has the ability to create as well, racking up 72 assists over the past three campaigns.

Spezza remains a valuable locker room presence who relies on his savvy hockey IQ at this stage of his career. In the right role, the Ontario native could provide upside for a team in need of depth production.

Derick Brassard - C

Brassard has struggled to find his game since being traded by the Ottawa Senators in February 2018, logging forgettable stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, and Colorado Avalanche.

In 20 games with the Avalanche following the 2019 trade deadline, the 6-foot-1 center tallied just two of his four goals at even strength and didn't record a single assist. He also contributed just one point in nine playoff games. Brassard is hardly two years removed from a productive season with the Senators and he may be able to restore his offensive upside on the right roster.

The Quebec native turns 32 in September and would be the oldest player on Colorado's roster if he were to return. The Avalanche have taken on the identity of a fast, young team that's loaded with talent for both the present and future, and it's hard to imagine Brassard fitting into those plans going forward.

Tobias Rieder - RW

It's probably in Rieder's best interest to continue his career with a new club after CEO Bob Nicholson put him on blast at a season-ticket holder event last year for his lack of production.

Rieder remarkably fired 92 shots on net last season without scoring a single goal. Despite his poor luck in Edmonton, the 26-year-old has proven to be a productive player in the past, tallying a career-high 16 goals during his 34-point campaign with the Arizona Coyotes in 2016-17.

In addition to his porous luck, Rieder saw reduced opportunities with the Oilers and was never able to define his role with the team.

During his first three seasons with the Coyotes, Rieder averaged 17:11 of ice time per game compared to just 12:39 with the Oilers. Down the final stretch of the 2018-19 season, his line often featured Colby Cave, a 24-year-old center with just 56 games of NHL experience, and winger Sam Gagner, who played the first half of the season in the AHL.

Joonas Donskoi - RW

Donskoi broke onto the scene in 2015-16 with a 36-point rookie campaign for the San Jose Sharks but hasn't shown much growth with the team throughout his four-year tenure. The Finnish winger averaged a career-low 13:25 of ice time per game last season and was scratched on several occasions, including multiple playoff games.

With that considered, the Finnish winger still mustered nearly half a point per game in 2018-19. He was also a plus possession player, posting a Corsi For rating of 54.46 while the Sharks owned 56 percent of high-danger scoring chances when he was on the ice. Donskoi is a skilled forward with all the right tools to etch out a valuable role with the right team.

The talent is there. Perhaps a change of scenery could help ignite the 27-year-old and help him rediscover his game.

Markus Granlund - C

Granlund scored 19 goals and contributed 32 points in his first full season with the Vancouver Canucks but has trended in the wrong direction since.

The Canucks are still rebuilding, and it's clear they don't see the Finnish forward as part of their long-term plan. The 26-year-old saw his ice time decline over three consecutive seasons and was given less opportunity on the power play. With Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson emerging as the Canucks' top centers and veterans Brandon Sutter and Jay Beagle filling depth roles up the middle, Granlund is better served carving out a role with a new team next season.

The 6-foot center has tallied 97 points in 301 career games and is capable of providing scoring depth for a team in need.