We’re into September now, so naturally the list of noteworthy unrestricted free agents has gotten pretty thin, but there are still some players that might sign contracts just before, during, or even after training camp that are still worth keeping an eye on.
In that spirit, here are five guys that might still make an impact in 2014-15 despite going unsigned in July and August:
Dustin Penner -- His value has dropped substantially since the Edmonton Oilers inked him to a controversial five-year, $21.25 million offer sheet, but he’s still just 31 years old (32 on Sept. 28) and might be able to play a supporting role. He had some success doing just that in Los Angeles and aided them in their 2012 Stanley Cup championship. He had also looked good at times playing with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry last season before Anaheim traded him to Washington. There were rumors recently about him joining Philadelphia’s training camp on a tryout basis, but Flyers GM Ron Hextall denied those reports.
Scott Gomez -- There’s no question that Gomez isn’t the offensive threat that he once was, but the 34-year-old forward might still be able to serve as a capable bottom-six forward. His ability to mentor young players has also been praised in the past, with Sharks bench boss Todd McLellan referring to him in 2013 as a third or fourth coach.
More recently he played for Florida and spent a fair amount of time as a healthy scratch. He considered retirement, but instead accepted a training camp invite with New Jersey. He’s on this list though because he hasn’t signed with the team and there’s no guarantee that he will.
Martin Brodeur -- He’s one of the greatest goaltenders of all-time, but at the age of 42 the demand for his services has obviously decreased dramatically. At this point, teams are pretty much set as far as their goaltending tandems go, with the exceptions, like Anaheim, mostly interested in having internal options compete in training camp. That being said, the landscape is always one major injury away from changing and Brodeur is open to the idea of signing during the season if he can’t work anything out ahead of time.
Daniel Alfredsson -- Alfredsson is a bit of a different case because part of the issue is that he’s not sure whether or not he wants to return. He’s been training over the summer, but hasn’t decided if he feels like he can contribute at the age of 41. If he ultimately decides that he wants to return for one more season, then he’s expected to approach the Detroit Red Wings and at that point, it will be up to the team to decide if they want to re-sign him to add another veteran presence and offensive depth or if they want to keep the roster spot open for one of their young forwards.
Ilya Bryzgalov -- Like Brodeur, Bryzgalov is stuck in a situation where there aren’t many goaltending opportunities out there, but the two netminders don’t have much else in common. Bryzgalov is a far more polarizing figure due to his tenure with Philadelphia, but he’s coming off of a decent season with Edmonton and Minnesota. He would love to re-sign with Minnesota, but the Wild already have Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding under contract and possess the rights to free agent Darcy Kuemper. As is the case with Brodeur, Bryzgalov might not find an opening in the NHL until there’s a goaltending injury.
