Top 10 RFAs still unsigned

With September looming and about one month until NHL training camps resume for the upcoming season, a plethora of talented restricted free agents remain unsigned by their respective teams. Why is this happening so widely in the NHL? The salary cap is certainly one of the main reasons, but several teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and the Nashville Predators are also working with a lower self-imposed cap, can this be the season some of these talented players remain unsigned?

Let’s have a look at the remaining RFAs:
BOS, BUF, CAR, CGY, CHI, CBS, FLA, LAK, MIN, NJD, NYI, OTT, PHI, PIT, SJS, STL, VAN — none
ANA — B. Ryan
ATL — B. Little, N. Bergfors
COL — P. Mueller, C. Stewart
DAL — N. Grossman, J. Neal, M. Niskanen
DET — J. Abdelkader
EDM — A. Cogliano, S. Gagner
MTL — C. Price
NAS — C. Franson, P. Hornqvist
NYR — M. Staal
PHX — M. Hanzal
TBL — S. Downie, P. Ranger
TOR — C. Hanson

Now let’s have a look at the top 10 RFAs still without a contract for the upcoming 2010-11 NHL season:

Bobby Ryan, Anaheim:
A former second overall pick behind Sidney Crosby in the 2005 NHL draft, Bobby Ryan, 23, reached career highs last season with the Ducks, notching 35 goals and adding 29 assists for 64 points in 81 games. The left-winger plays the style of a natural power forward taking full advantage of his 6’2’’ 205 pound frame.

Ryan has scored over 30 goals in each of the past two seasons and played on the USA Olympic team this past season. There are rumors that Ryan is looking for two-year deal in order to cash in big time in his next contract. The Ducks reportedly offered him a five-year, $25 million deal that Ryan turned down. The Ducks have plenty of cap space to fit him under cap, but are looking to add another quality to their defensive corps.

Niclas Bergfors, Atlanta:
Nicklas Bergfors, is a talented right-winger who was traded to Atlanta as a part of the Ilya Kovalchuk deal in February of last season. Bergfors, who was drafted by the New Jersey Devils with the 23rd pick in the 2005 NHL draft, scored 21 goals and added 23 assists for 44 points 81 games last season.

Bergfors is great skater with soft hands who play a key role in the Thrashers up-tempo style on play under new head coach Craig Ramsay. Bergfors will likely receive a similar deal to the one year, $1.8 million deal the San Jose Sharks offered to winger Devin Setoguchi.

Chris Stewart, Colorado
The sophomore right-winger was dynamite last season, playing for a young Avalanche team that made the playoffs against all odds. Stewart, 22, scored 28 goals and 36 assists for an impressive 64 points in 77 games. Stewart will likely receive a two-year deal around $2.5 million/year from the Avalanche which have to reach the league floor salary-wise before the beginning of the season.

Peter Mueller, Colorado
Another surprise last season was the play of forward Peter Mueller, who was acquired during the season from the Phoenix Coyotes along with Kevin Porter for forward Wojtek Wolski. Unfortunately for Mueller, he had to miss the playoffs due to a concussion. Mueller had a strong finish with Colorado, scoring 20 points in only 15 games for a total of 37 points in 69 games.

Mueller, who will enter his fourth year with the pros, will likely receive a multi-year deal paying him around $2 millions per year.

James Neal, Dallas
Neal, who was picked 33rd in the second round of the 2005 NHL draft had a good season in Dallas last year, increasing his offensive production from the 2008-09 season to the 2009-10 season going from 24 goals and 13 assists for 37 points, to 27 goals and 18 assists for 55 points in respectively 78 and 77 games. Look for Neal to also sign for around $2.75 million per season and get a long-term deal with the cash-strap Stars. The sale of the team is likely the main reason why Neal remains unsigned.

Sam Gagner, Edmonton
A former London Knights standout, the 20-year old Gagner is a talented playmaker who scored at least 40 plus points in the past three years. Picked sixth overall in the 2007 entry draft, Gagner, 20, will benefit from the additions of Taylor Hall, picked 1s overall in the 2010 NHL entry draft, and centre Jordan Eberle, picked in the 1st round of the 2008 draft by Edmonton.

Gagner’s numbers will likely improve and the Oilers have no choice, but offer him a long-term to keep him with the team, as he fits right in with the youth movement going on in Edmonton. He will likely receive a contract similar to what Peter Mueller will receive in Colorado.

Carey Price, Montreal
With Jaroslav Halak being traded to St. Louis for forward Lars Eller before the 2010 NHL draft, Price is officially the number one goaltender in Montreal. Price, 23, is a proven winner, winning CHL goalie of the year, a World Junior Gold Medal, a Calder Cup, and even appearing in the NHL All-Star team.

Drafted fifth overall in 2005 by the Canadiens, Price has gone 60-48-18 with a 2.73 GAA in the NHL. Price and the Habs are currently in a snag in discussions over both money and the terms. Negotiations between Price and the organization haven’t going very well as both parties don’t seem to be looking for the same kind of deal and with the Canadiens having little cap space to work with, they can’t sign Price for much more than $2.5 million per season.

Patric Hornqvist, Nashville
A steal at 230th overall in the 2005 NHL entry draft, Patric Hornqvist, who had a great year in 2009-10 with the Predators, is looking for a huge raise. Hornqvist, 23, scored 30 goals and added 21 assists for 51 points in 80 points to along an impressive +18. Hornqvist was also a member of the Swedish Olympic team.

The talented winger will likely get a similar deal to those of Matt Moulson and Mason Raymond (about $2.5 million per season over a few years). The Predators will really need Hornqvist’s offensive contribution as they are thin up front.

Marc Staal, NYRangers
The former Sudbury Wolves rearguard was selected 12th overall by New York in the 2005 NHL entry draft. Staal, 23, is coming off his best offensive season in the NHL, playing all 82 games last season for the Rangers notching eight goals and adding 19 assists for 27 points.

The 6’4’’, 209 lbs, Staal is great shutdown defenseman used to face the opposition’s top players every night. The Rangers’ blue line is a key concern, and GM Glen Sather will be hard pressed to re-sign Staal, a key cog on the backline for the Blue Shirts. With the Rangers lacking the cap space to fit Staal under the cap, they will likely have to bury of their big contracts, likely Wade Redden, who had a horrendous season last year and who is slated to make $6.5 million next season. Staal will likely command an annual salary of $3.5 million, which is a little more than teammate Dan Girardi received this summer.

Steve Downie, Tampa Bay
Originally drafted 29th overall in the 2005 NHL entry draft by Philadelphia, Downie was traded by the Flyers to Tampa Bay in the 2008-09 season where he has seemed to have found a home clicking with linemates Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos. Last season, Downie was very productive scoring 22 goals and adding 24 assists for 46 points in 79 games while adding 208 penalty minutes his usual grit and edge that makes him very hard to play against.

New Lightning GM Steve Yzerman, indicated may times that Downie remains a priority and he wants to sign him as soon as possible. Look for Downie to get a multiyear deal paying him around $1.8 million annually.

Other notables include Bryan Little, Martin Hanzal and Matt Niskanen.