Scouting Reports for players available:
UFA's
MacArthur - LW - Coming off a 20 point season in 40 games. He is a good skater with good puck control. He is a bit weak on his skates and inconsistent. A couple of years ago he had 60+ points but I believe that will never happen again. Would be a good 3LW if he came on a shorter contract.
Raymond - LW - Pure speed. He played in Vancouver his entire career under AV. He was bounced around their line-up mainly from the 2nd to the 3rd line and he is a good complimentary offensive player. Plenty of playoff experience on his resume. He had a freak injury during the playoffs a few years ago where he seriously hurt his back I believe which slowed his progression. Age is important to note @ 27. Coming off a 22 point in 47 games season.
Clowe - LW - We have all seen him play. Clowe is a true power forward. He is a great locker room guy and a good team player and has a way of being able to slow the game down to his speed and is a very underrated passer. Great along the boards. His speed has never been a strength and now that he is 30 years old, the fear has to be that it will deteriorate past the point of which he can be useful. Coming off a poor season by his standards with 19 points in 40 games where he played through a shoulder injury. Concussions have to be an issue after he received (2) with the Rangers.
Clarkson - RW - I am sure we are all aware of what Clarkson brings to the table. Straight North-South player who drives hard to the net and will drop the gloves. He does most of his goal scoring on the PP in front of the net. Clarkson is the same age as Clowe except he is coming off a pretty good season with 24 points in 48 games on a team that struggled to score later in the year. From what I have seen, Clarkson lacks even average hockey IQ but he makes up for it by being willing to go through a wall for his teammates. I worry a bit how he will age with the way he plays and the lack of any real skill.
Nystrom - LW/C - Obviously my personal favorite. Nystrom is another speed oriented player who likes to hit and stir the pot a bit. He is a bit similar to Gregory Campbell with a bit more offense available for him. He is a superb PKer and can play center in a pinch. He will drop the gloves when called upon although he is not on the same level as Dorsett, Clowe or Clarkson but the guy can play hockey. His speed ad forechecking make him a factor in most games and he can move up and be a complimentary piece on the 3rd line if need be similar to the way Prust and Fedotenko did a couple of years ago.
Gordon - C - Boyd is a good 4th line center who wins face-offs like it is his job. Another above average PKer and player who will get in on the forecheck he is useful in his role. He is coming off 14 points in 48 games so he has some offense in him.
Jones - RW - Jones is a heart and soul type of player. He will drop the gloves to protect a teammate and will throw his body around. He was injured for most of this past season. He will block shots and PK as well. 2 years ago he had 33 points. This year, 7 points in 27 games.
Lapierre - C - Lapierre is a prototypical antagonist. He chirps like it's his job but he actually has some decent skills. He is a good PKer and has good speed which are a factor in most games. Yet another guy who played for AV in Vancouver, most other teams hate him.
Stalberg - LW - Speed. Speed is his game. He likes to fly up and out of the zone and get in on the forecheck. He has good strength on his skates and is a good complimentary forward. He had 23 points in 47 games this season. Like Raymond and Nystrom above, his speed is a factor no matter where he plays by keeping defenses honest. 27 years old.
Bickell - LW - Bickell is going to be a hot commodity this off-season due to his size and hitting ability. He has been a factor throughout the playoffs because his style of game fits well playing with skilled guys. He is a major factor on the forecheck and is more than willing to take the punishment in front of the net. 23 points in 48 games this season. 6'4 he is a true power forward although he doesn't drop the gloves all that much he seems to be an ideal linemate for the skilled guys on Chicago.
Scuderi - D - Rob is a true veteran presence on the back-end who is a pure stabilizer. He has had the fortune of playing on some good teams with very good puck movers but he always seems to be there to clean up the mess. A very underrated, steady defensive d-man who doesn't put up a lot of points, he actually has pretty decent hands and will block shots.
Hendricks - LW - Matt is another 4th line grinder who will drop the gloves to change momentum and his skating allows him to be a factor on the forecheck as we have all seen in the playoffs. He is a great PKer and will give up his body to block shots.
Possible buy-outs
Briere - RW - I did not put C/RW because Danny is no longer to be considered a center. He is not strong enough, nor fast enough to play center even for short duration's. He is a very effective PP player and is a superb passer however he has had injury problems for a few years now. When healthy he is a factor. But his health is a major question. Coming off 16 points in 34 games played. 35 years old.
Malone - LW - Ryan is an intriguing name to me because of his size, PP ability and willingness to drop the gloves. He is coming off 8 points in 24 games this past season. His speed has always been a question and at 33, it is obviously not getting any better. The question is, will he get back to his 40-45 point range while providing a physical presence and PP net presence or will his skills continue to recede?
Lecavalier - C - Vinny is going to be one of the major names out there if he is bought out. He is still a very effective player right now and with his size and strength, he can dominate a game. His shot is still very good and he is another player who knows how and where to play on the PP. Coming off 32 points in 39 games there will be teams out there in line to grab him if he becomes available.
Ballard - D - Keith was a highly regarded d-man in the NHL for years when he was in Florida. The trip to Vancouver has not gone according to plan. He had 2 points in 36 games played this past season. To start his career he was able to bring 25-35 points from the back end and he has a good shot and is a physical player who likes to hit and is able to with his skating. Another guy who played under AV.
