With FREE AGENT MADNESS!!!1!!! on Friday, everyone's been looking at Cap Geek's list of UFAs who are set to hit the market. These are guys who were going to be UFAs at the end of last season and that their teams haven't re-signed. As Blues fans know too well, if you don't extend a qualifying offer to a RFA, such as the Blues neglected to do to Matt D'Agostini, that player becomes an UFA on July 1st if no deal is reached. That's not the end of the world - the Blues managed to get a deal done with Carlo Colaiacovo last season - but it does add a few more names to the UFA market come free agent signing day.
James O'Brian over at ProHockeyTalk compiled up a nice little list of non-qualified guys out there. It's no secret that the Blues really need to hit the salary cap floor, and it'd be swell if we didn't have to ice a team with half of the Rivermen on it at any point this season. Can any of these guys help?
I've taken the bigger names from the teams - some of the teams didn't qualify AHL guys or minor roster players.
ANAHEIM: Kyle Chipchura, C
BOSTON: Matt Dalton, G; Anton Khudobin, G.
CAROLINA: Troy Bodie, RW; Jiri Tlusty, LW.
CHICAGO: Jake Dowell, C.
COLORADO: Brian Elliott, G.
COLUMBUS: Sami Lepisto, D.
EDMONTON: J.F Jacques, LW; Zack Stortini, RW.
FLORIDA: Nicklas Bergfors, RW; Steve Bernier, RW
MINNESOTA: Patrick O’Sullivan, C.
MONTREAL: Alexandre Picard, D; Tom Pyatt, RW; Benoit Pouliot, LW; Dustin Boyd, C; Nigel Dawes, LW.
NEW JERSEY: Anssi Salmela, D.
PHILADELPHIA: Dan Carcillo, LW.
PITTSBURGH: Tyler Kennedy, RW.
TAMPA BAY: Mike Lundin, D; Matt Smaby, D;
WINNIPEG: Rob Schremp, C; Anthony Stewart, RW
Are there any on that list that float your boats? Tyler Kennedy wouldn't be bad to plug in top-nine, but chances are good that the Penguins are doing the same thing with TK as the Blues are with D'Ags. He has nearly identical stats as D'Agostini, and could command a little more money.
If we'd like a headcase locker room funker upper, there's Niclas Bergfors. Depending on the system you run, he can either be a force or he can sit there with his thumbs up his ass. It's been known that if he likes a place, or is happy with what's going on on the ice, he can score like a mofo. He also will be on his fourth NHL team since he joined the league in 2009.
If we'd like someone to be vet leadership and probably throw out his hip while being occasionally productive, why not look at Steve Sullivan?
Cam Janssen's more than likely gone - Carcillo? Hahahahaha - sorry. No. I dislike Philly and I was happy they decided not to give him a QO. He looks like an extra on Squidbillies.
Schremp? Potential to be good - totally misused on the third and fourth lines by Atlanta coach Craig Ramsay last year. He's a pretty good playmaker. Stewart? How much fun would it be to have both of them on the team at once? Panger's head'd explode. Also, maybe Chris can teach his little bro how to be consistent all year. He was great guns the first half of last season, and then disappeared.
Make your