Who Needs a Sniper, Leadership, and Playmakers?

With Zach Parise and Ryan Suter off the market it seems the offseason excitement has come to a screeching halt. Particularly because Shane Doan is waiting to see what happens with the Phoenix Coyotes. Once he signs somewhere, most likely Phoenix, the dominoes will all fall into place.

But before that can happen, let’s take a look at some of the top free agents that are still available, and where I believe they should sign.

Shane Doan – Leadership, Playmaking forward

I truly believe Doan will stay in Phoenix, but that all depends on the outcome of the July 9^th meeting. During the playoffs Gary Bettman announced that he found a potential buyer of the Phoenix Coyotes. Whether it’s true or not, after last year’s playoff run I believe the Coyotes will find a buyer.

IF not, Shane Doan would fit nicely in a Detroit Red Wings uniform.

Alexander Semin – Sniper with a lot of speed

Word on Twitter is the KHL offered Semin a 3 year contract worth $30 million. That’s a lot of money but is money everything? The Washington Capitals are done with Semin, and although they claim it’s because he was not liked in the locker room, I find that very hard to believe.

Alex Semin played with the Capitals so far in his young NHL career, and has never truly been paired with a dynamic playmaker. Let’s face it; Alex Ovechkin is NOT a playmaker. If Semin can get an offer from a team with a dynamic playmaker, he could easily score 50+ goals this upcoming season.

He has one of the best shots I have ever seen from any sniper to ever play in the NHL, but what teams would he fit nicely with?

Pittsburgh Penguins (Sidney Crosby), Philadelphia Flyers (Claude Giroux), Detroit Red Wings (Pavel Datsyuk) are the top three teams I believe where Semin would shine the best.

Jason Arnott – Leadership

I’m not quite sure why Jason Arnott has not been signed yet. At the age of 37 he doesn’t provide the offense he once did, but he can still provide leadership.

There are a ton of teams that could use his expertise, especially in the playoffs.

Teams that come to mind, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, or the St. Louis Blues.

Andrei Kostitsyn – Sniper

Only 27 years old and can still be a top 6 forward on any team that needs offense. Like Alex Semin, he needs to be paired with a dynamic playmaker in order to score 30-40 goals per season.

Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, or the Vancouver Canucks would be a decent fit for Andrei Kostitsyn.

Jaroslav Spacek – Big defenseman with a heavy shot

A big blueliner with a very heavy shot, and a +64 in his NHL career.

Spacek would shine on any team especially on special teams. Every team in the NHL could use a guy like Spacek, especially in the playoffs. Its mind boggling he is still a free agent.

Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators, or the Tampa Bay Lightning would be a nice fit for Jaroslav Spacek.

Brent Johnson – Reliable backup goaltender

35 years old and still a reliable backup for any team who needs to relieve their starting goalie before the playoffs. The Penguins feel he will not recover coming off his injury which is why they signed Tomas Vokoun.

In the right spot, Johnson can still play 20 games and win between 12-15 of them.

Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, or the Calgary Flames could use Brent Johnson as a backup.

Well there you have it, my top free agents that are still available. Whether you agree or disagree, these are still reliable players that can play a major role on any team and still have a chance to win the Stanley Cup.