Five best remaining players in NHL free agency

Most big names and impact players in NHL free agency flew off the board on Day 1.

However, some value adds remain to be had as the first week of free agency ends. Here are the five best players who are still available.

James Van Riemsdyk, LW

Despite being 35, Van Riemsdyk still has plenty to offer in a middle-six role. He logged 11 goals and 38 points in 71 games with the Boston Bruins last season, and he’s scored double-digit goals every year he’s been in the NHL. He also notched six goals and 12 points on the man advantage as well, and he could be a boost for a team’s second power-play unit.

Daniel Sprong, RW

Only 27, Sprong has come into his own in the last two seasons, tallying 39 goals and 89 points and proving to be an under-the-radar scoring threat. He ranks ninth in the NHL over the last two years in 5-on-5 goals per 60 minutes despite averaging only 11:44 of ice time per game. Sprong would be a significant boost for a team looking to bolster scoring from its middle six.

Tyson Barrie, D

Barrie’s 2023 numbers don’t look pretty (one goal, 15 points in 41 games, 18:19 ice time per game), but he was the unfortunate victim of being in the wrong situation in Nashville and going through a public dispute over a trade request. The 32-year-old is one of the top power-play quarterbacks in the league (he has 32 career goals and 210 points on the man advantage), and he adds significant value as a blue-liner who can also put up lots of points (he had 10 straight seasons of 35 or more points from 2013 to 2022.)

Kevin Lankinen, G

Lankinen spent the last two years as Juuse Saros’ backup in Nashville, but he performed like a borderline starter. In 43 games, including 35 starts, Lankinen put up a .912 save percentage, 2.78 goals-against average and 13.9 goals saved above expected. Thirteen of his 17 starts this season came against playoff teams, and he won six of them and held his own against the top teams in the league. Lankinen is only 29, and he could get a one- or two-year deal from a team looking to platoon him with another netminder in a 1A-1B situation.

Justin Schultz, D

At 33, Schultz is more of a third-pairing defenseman than anything, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have value. He totaled seven goals and 26 points in 70 games with the Seattle Kraken and played the second-most power-play minutes among the team’s defensemen. Schultz is a good option for the man advantage, and he adds scoring upside from the blue line.