Cream of the Crop UFA's

Chuck Kobasew- the guy is 29 but it feels just like yesterday he was lighting it up for the Penticton Panthers in the BCHL; and do i ever mean lighting it up cause the guy had over 100 points in 58 games and was playing at nearly a goal-a-game pace. Nowadays the guy can't buy a goal. He was making 2.3 million last year with Minnesota. Expect him to take a serious pay-cut to play somewhere else this season. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up playing in the AHL this season.

Scottie Upshall- back in the day my boy Scotty here got traded for a cat named Peter Forsberg. Upshall never really lived up to the hype until the past two seasons where he averaged 20 goals per season. Scottie is still a young player with a lot of juice left in the bottle. Somebody should take a run at this guy. He's from Fort McMurray, Alberta so it is possible that the Flames would sign him. they have the cap space to lock a player like this up that would be looking for around the 2-3 million dollar mark.

Brooks Laich- The Saskatchewan native had 16 goals this past season but 25 the year before. Washington doesn't want him back. Rumours have him coming to the Vancouver Canucks, however I'm not sure he'd be willing to take the paycut that is required to play in Vancouver. Given that Gillis signed Samuellsson to 3 years at 2.5 per, Laich would probably recieve a contract of 3 years at 3 million per by Gillis and company. Wherever Laich ends up he is one tough cookie! On his personal website there's a picture Brooksie doing bicep curls with a bar that I would not even be able to deadlift. Apparently Laich is working out 6 days a week for 5 hours a day. The guys a beast and whoever locks him up will be happy to be stuck with him.

Joel Ward- After scoring ten goals and 30 points for the Nashville Predators this season and securing a spot on the teams third line, many players would be satisfied. Joel Ward wasnt! In the playoffs Ward went out and scored seven goals and 13 points in 12 games of the playoffs. He did this as the third line of the Predators whose roll is to shutdown the best lines in the league. Not only was he able to shutdown the Sedin's but he was capable of making them minus players. Ward is making 1.5 million a season. Expect him to take a pay raise as he is capable of making any third line in the league much better. He'll probably end up staying in Nashville, as david Poille would be crazy to let him walk after his spectacular playoofs.

Max Talbot- this guy scored the game winner of game 7 of the stanley cup finals in 09. Nuff said! Somebody sign this guy. Maybe Detroit would take a run at this guy to play on their fourth line.

Matt D'agostini and Tyler Kennedy- These boys have done everything together. Both grew up in the small town of Sault Saint Marie, Ontario and both were drafted in the 2006 draft. These boys love chilling it up old school in the summer when tyler Kennedy isn't too busy winning Stanley Cups. And I have a feeling that D'agostini and Tyler Kennedy will sign as a pair this off season so they can play together. Don't be surprised if they take their talents to South Beach and play for the Panthers, because that's what all old-school homeboys do. Either way, expect the tandem to recieve 5 year 30 million dollar deal. These players might fit into NY nicely with the opportunity to play with Calahan and Dubinsky. But everyone knows Glen Sather only signs overpriced washed up bums and not young, affordable and valuable assets with potential.

-Hark