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seestyle · 02-09-2023, 09:12 AM

Free agency day is finally here and many general managers have probably been dreading it. With only a handful of high-end free agents, the market is ripe for overpayments for good, not great players. That can cause problems for teams already tight to the salary cap.To get a better idea of whats out there, here is a position-by-position breakdown of the top candidates on the market this season among unrestricted free agents. Once you get a look, youll know why the trade market is expected to be more active than the UFA field.UFA DefensemenRankPlayerAge2014-15 stat line1Mike Green2972 GP, 10-35--452Christian Ehrhoff3249 GP, Anders Nilsson Men Jersey 3-11--143Andrej Sekera2973 GP, 3-23--264Cody Franson2778 GP, 7-29--365Paul Martin3474 GP, 3-17--206Francois Beauchemin3564 GP, 11-12--237Johnny Oduya3376 GP, 2-8--108Zbynek Michalek3268 GP, 4-8--1292457 GP, 2-9--1110Jan Hejda3781 GP, 1-12--13Defensemen overview: This is easily the deepest position when it comes to free agency. There are extremely useful players right at the top led by offensive-minded defenseman Mike Green. But there's also good shutdown options like Johnny Oduya, who is coming off of two Stanley Cups in the last three years. The real sleeper of this group could be John Moore, who is only 24 years old and did not receive a qualifying offer from the . He could be a good, cheap option for depth for teams scared off by the high prices of others. UFA Right WingsRankPlayerAge2014-15 stat line1Justin Williams3381 GP, 18-23--412Michael Brendan Gaunce Men Jersey Frolik2782 GP 19-23--423Martin St. Louis4074 GP, 21-31-524Joel Ward3482 GP, 19-15--345Chris Stewart2781 GP, 14-22--366Erik Condra2868 GP, 9-14--237Lee Stempniak3271 GP, 15-13--288Steve Downie2872 GP, 14-14--289Martin Erat3379 GP, 9-23--3210Tomas Kopecky3364 GP, 2-6--8Right wing overview: Teams that have the money to spend will be taking the hardest looks at Justin Williams and Michael Frolik. Williams has that Stanley Cup pedigree, while fellow Cup winner Frolik brings a lot of value as a bottom-six two-way option and penalty killer. Where Martin St. Louis ends up, if he chooses to continue his career Tyler Motte Men Jersey , is unlikely to be decided by July 1, but he still has some gas left in the tank and was one of the most productive UFAs last season. The sleeper in this group is Erik Condra, an unheralded winger who has spent his career to date with the . He'd be a cheaper, but solid depth pickup.UFA Left WingsRankPlayerAge2014-15 stat line1Matt Beleskey2765 GP, 22-10--322P.A. Parenteau3256 GP, 8-14--223Blake Comeau2961 GP, 16-15--314Tomas Fleischmann3266 GP, 8-19--275Curtis Glencro s3271 GP, 13-22--356Sean Bergenheim3156 GP, 9-10--197Erik Cole3668 GP, 21-18--398Martin Havlat3240 GP, 5-9--149Scottie Upshall3163 GP, 8-7--1510David Booth3059 GP, 7-6--13Left wing overview: This is one of those positions that will leave general managers a little wary. It's pretty much Matt Beleskey and everyone else, which is why Beleskey was able to comfortably turn down a reported four-year, $16 million deal from the . He's going to get paid. The sleeper in this group might actually be veteran winger Erik Cole. He suffered a serious injury late last season, but if he's recovered, he still can score. Because of his age and his health, he should come affordably.UFA CentersRankPlayerAge2014-15 stat line1Mike Ribeiro*3582 GP, 15-47--622Antoine Vermette3282 GP, 13-25--383Brad Richards3576 GP, 12-25--374Jiri Tlusty2772 GP, 14-17--315Shawn Matthias2778 GP, 18-9--276Eric Trevor Linden Men Jersey Fehr2975 GP, 19-14--337Mike Santorelli3079 GP, 12-19--338Daniel Winnik3079 GP, 9-25--349Cody Hodgson2578 GP, 6-7--1310Scott Gomez3558 GP, 7-27--34Center overview: It looks like Mike Ribeiro is going to re-sign with the (hence the asterisk), but for on-ice purposes is the top option among centers not signed as of right now. He currently is facing a lawsuit from a former nanny alleging sexual a sault, however. Antoine Vermette is going to get a lot of interest after his strong postseason performance and perhaps he'll even end up returning to Arizona, where he played before being traded to Chicago. The sleeper in this group is Cody Hodgson. After being bought out by the at 25 years old, there's a chance his career could still be saved. He'll need the right situation and a low-money contract, but it seems too early to give up on a center that was so promising not that long ago. UFA GoaliesRankPlayerAge2014-15 stat line1Karri Ramo2934 GP, 15-9-3, .9122Michal Neuvirth2732 GP, 7-20-4, .9143Jhonas Enroth2750 GP, 18-26-2, .9044Thomas Grei s2920 GP, 9-6-3, .9085Jonas Gustav son307 GP, 3-3-1, .911Goalie overview: Backups! Get your backups, here! There's not much to love about this cla Antoine Roussel Men Jersey s of goaltenders, but Michal Neuvirth is probably the most intriguing of the group as he performed well in a bad situation in Buffalo last year. Karri Ramo also has starter potential after showing some flashes with the last season, but there's really no starting jobs out there. Teams looking for experienced backups will probably target Thomas Grei s in hopes of getting him on the cheap.