Friday at noon the NHL’s free agency period will officially open. Over the next few days I will be looking at the best players who will be available on Friday, and what they bring to the table as NHL free agents. Today we start things off with the goalies, and when we look back at the 2012 crop of available UFA goalies, we can see that its much better and deeper this year. This is good news for teams like the Islanders and Flyers who are definitely in the market for a a new goalie; as well as teams like the Panthers, Oilers, and Jets; who may not be in desperate need of a starting goalie, but could certainly use some additional depth; whether its as a 1a/1b position, or as a backup to their incumbent starter. As always in free agency we also don’t know what team may not have a glaring hole, but will see the opportunity for an upgrade in the marketplace.

1) Tim Thomas, New York Islanders

2012-13 Salary (before being Pro-Rated): $3 Million (was not paid, suspended by the team for not reporting). Cap Hit: $5 million.

2012-13 Stats: DNP.

2011-12 Stats: 35-19-1, 2.36 GAA, .920 Save Percentage

Tim Thomas sat out the entire season, saying that he needed a break from the NHL. However, it would appear that he is ready to return, as reports indicate that he has told his agent to seek out offers once teams are allowed to contact free agents later this week. Thomas was playing at an elite level before taking the hiatus, with a Conn Smythe Trophy win in 2011, and Vezina trophies in 2011 and 2009. However, he recently turned 39, and by the time October rolls around will have spent a full 18 months without seeing NHL action. The question remains if he will still be at that elite level, especially since he plays a very unorthodox style that relies on his reflexes and never quit attitude.

2) Ilya Bryzgalov, Philadelphia Flyers

2012-13 Salary (before being Pro-Rated): $6.5 Million Cap Hit: $5.667 million.

2012-13 Stats: 19-17-3, 2.79 GAA, .900 Save Percentage.

Paul Holmgren has admitted that he made a mistake when he gave Bryzgalov a 9 year $51 deal in the 2011 NHL Free Agent Frenzy. The 33-year old Russian netminder was recently bought out by the Flyers under the amnesty buyout provisions of the new CBA. This ensures the Flyers will be paying Bryzgalov $23 million over the next 14 years (or until the end of the 2026-27 NHL season). Bryzgalov may not have worked out in Philly, but his play in Phoenix proved that he was once a goalie who was amongst the NHL’s best. A team may be willing to take a chance on Bryzgalov regaining that form with a short term, low money deal. While Bryzgalov will have to weigh that option against returning to the KHL for what will likely be more money, the Flyers buyout payments may mean that he does not really need a contract that is “humongous big”.

3) Ray Emery, Chicago Blackhawks

2012-13 Salary (before being Pro-Rated): $1.15 Million Cap Hit: $1.15 million.

2012-13 Stats: 17-1-0, 1.94 GAA, .922 Save Percentage.

Emery was Corey Crawford’s backup on the 2013 Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks. He put up stellar numbers, the kind that most people only see in video games, and has likely earned himself a decent raise as a result. The 30 year old Emery was an NHL starter, first in Ottawa and then in Philadelphia, before a degenerative hip condition put him on the shelf in the 2009-10 season. He has comeback from that, and performed at a high level as an NHL backup. However, it is unknown if he must always remain a backup, or at best a platoon goalie, or if he can handle the starting role. How his hip would hold up to a bigger workload is a very big question mark.

4) Jose Theodore, Florida Panthers

2012-13 Salary (before being Pro-Rated): $1.5 Million Cap Hit: $1.5 million.

2012-13 Stats: 4-6-3, 3.29 GAA, .893 Save Percentage.

It seems a lifetime ago that Jose Theodore was a Hart and Vezina trophy winner with the Montreal Canadiens. One might even say that it is a long time ago that Theodore was backstopping the Panthers to a Southeast Division title and pushing the New Jersey Devils to 7 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but that was just 1 year ago in the 2011-12 NHL season. Theodore struggled out of the gate in 2012-13, before a knee injury basically killed his season. He’s still a serviceable goalie, but the 36-year-old is on the downward slope of his NHL career. How many years he has left is the question here. He may need to take a role as a backup goalie, or a platoon, like he did in Minnesota in the 2010-11 season.

5) Evgeni Nabokov, New York Islanders

2012-13 Salary (before being Pro-Rated): $2.75 Million Cap Hit: $2.75 million.

2012-13 Stats: 23-11-7, 2.50 GAA, .910 Save Percentage.

Evgeni Nabokov backstopped the Islanders to their first playoff appearance since the 2006-07 season. The thanks he got for this was the Islanders informing him that he would become a free agent as they would not be offering him a contract. Nabokov will turn 38-years-old in July and it is doubtful that he’ll be given another number 1 job, but some team may want him as a veteran platoon to mentor a young goalie, or as a backup. He may get some KHL offers, but Nabokov tried the KHL thing in 2010-11 and soon came running back to the NHL. At his age, Nabokov may be on his last legs, but if a team needs a goalie, he might not be a bad short term stop gap.

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