NHL free agency is just a few hours away, and the position with the most depth and talent is wing. Several left and right wingers hitting the open market can provide scoring, special teams skill, playoff experience and much more.
Here are the seven best wingers available.
Alexander Semin
Age: 31
Stats: 6 goals, 13 assists (19 points) in 57 games
Position: Left Wing
2014-15 Salary Cap Hit: $7 million
Analysis: Semin and his huge contract were bought out Tuesday by the Carolina Hurricanes, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Russian forward would be an excellent pickup at a bargain price on a prove-it-to-me one-year deal. At his best, Semin is a highly skilled, speedy winger who can play in the top six.
Matt Beleskey
Age: 27
Stats: 22 goals, 10 assists (32 points) in 65 games
Position: Left Wing
2014-15 Salary Cap Hit: $1.35 million
Analysis: Beleskey is one of the top goal scorers on the market after setting career highs in goals scored with 22 last season. He’s a high-risk target, though, because his shooting percentage was much, much higher than his career average last season. That means when his shooting percentage inevitably regresses, he won’t be the same scorer. Beleskey has scored more than 11 goals only once in five NHL seasons, but he’ll probably be paid like a perennial 20-goal player.
Lee Stempniak
Age: 32
Stats: 15Â goals, 13Â assists (28 points) in 71Â games
Position: Right Wing
2014-15 Salary Cap Hit: $900,000
Analysis: Stempniak is a great low-cost target for teams in need of bottom-six wingers. He drove even-strength puck possession at a positive rate with tough zone starts for Winnipeg last season, while also providing 28 points in 71 games.
Sean Bergenheim
Age: 31
Stats: 9Â goals, 10Â assists (19 points) in 56Â games
Position: Left Wing
2014-15 Salary Cap Hit: $2.75 million
Analysis: Bergenheim would be a solid third-line left wing target for a lot of contending teams. He drives puck possession and provides bottom-six scoring and good playoff production (17 points in 26 career games).
Michael Frolik
Age: 27
Stats: 19Â goals, 23Â assists (42 points) in 82 games
Position: Right Wing
2014-15 Salary Cap Hit: $3 million
Analysis: Frolik is one of the best penalty killers in the league, and he also has Stanley Cup-winning experience from his time with the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks. Combine those two things with his ability to score between 35 to 40 points as a bottom-six forward, and you have one of the most sought-after wingers on the market.
Daniel Winnik
Age: 30
Stats: 9 goals, 25 assists (34 points) in 79Â games
Position: Right Wing
2014-15 Salary Cap Hit: $3.75 million
Analysis: Winnik is a two-way winger who can kill penalties and provide 10 to 15 goals in a third-line role.
Justin Williams
Age: 33
Stats: 18Â goals, 23Â assists (41Â points) in 81 games
Position: Right Wing
2014-15 Salary Cap Hit: $3.65 million
Analysis: Williams is a third-line winger who can provide 35 to 45 points. He’s also among the most clutch playoff performers in the league with a stellar Game 7 goal-scoring record and 78 points in 115 career postseason games.
Thumbnail photo via Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY Sports Images
