Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
The calendar is now deep into August, and several key free agents are still out there for the taking — some of whom happen to be reaching the twilight of their careers.
A good chunk seems capable of being had for pennies on the dollar, too.
In a league with very little cap space left to work with, it’s peculiar to see so many names without homes this deep into the summer. Who are the best remaining options and where could they land?
Let’s look at the best veteran free agents still available over the age of 35.
Anton Stralman
Age: 35
2021-22 Stat Line: 74 GP, 8 goals, 15 assists, 23 points, 21:20 TOI
It’s important to temper our expectations with, quite literally, every player on this list. They’re old. All of them. And at this point in their respective careers, each veteran is best suited as a depth contributor who can help out in a pinch when injuries and fatigue inevitably crop up on their club’s roster.
Present-day Anton Stralman fits that mold perfectly.
The 36-year-old somehow logged over 21 minutes in nightly ice time for the Coyotes last season, beginning nearly 70 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, which is a daunting task given the quality of the team around him. Naturally, Stralman got caved in at five-on-five, getting out-chanced and out-shot during his usage as the Coyotes fought for the title of Worst Team in the League. But given his heavily defensive deployment and the fact that he was strapped to Dyson Mayo, one of the worst regular defenders in the NHL, all season, what more could you expect?
Stralman will never be treated to such a heavy workload again — for good reason. But as a sixth or seventh defenseman on a contender looking for right-shot depth, the veteran can still be of value, adding some defensive prowess and puck-moving ability to an NHL blueline.
Brian Boyle
Age: 37
2021-22 Stat Line: 66 GP, 11 goals, 10 assists, 21 points, 10:27 TOI
Frankly, I’m shocked the Penguins haven’t brought Boyle back yet. I’m still convinced they will.
Boyle was such a fun story last season. After beating cancer, Boyle could not find a team during the pandemic-shortened 2021 campaign before earning an invitation to attend Penguins training camp the following year. Winning every roster battle in his way, Boyle eventually became a solid depth player for a Penguins team that desperately needed them last season, chipping in 11 goals and 21 points despite averaging just over 10 minutes in ice time per night on the fourth line.
He didn’t play much, but Boyle made his minutes count, and was clearly loved by the entire organization for his work ethic and leadership off the ice.
It’s not as if Boyle is going to command much more than the league-minimum wage he made last season. If the Penguins can’t find room to squeak him back onto the roster ahead of training camp, you better believe someone else will.
Tyler Bozak
Age: 36
2021-22 Stat Line: 50 GP, 3 goals, 9 assists, 12 points, 12:09 TOI
I’m going to be honest with you, folks. Tyler Bozak doesn’t have much left in the tank.
One of the best college free agent signings of all time, Bozak is very clearly nearing the end of his sneakily robust playing career, scoring just three goals last season while averaging only around 12 minutes in nightly ice time when he wasn’t a healthy scratch. .
He’s not a regular NHLer anymore. But there are far worse 13th forwards than Bozak currently on the free agent market, with the 36-year-old guaranteed to eat up some defensive zone starts, take very few penalties, and chip in the odd point now and again.
Plus, he’s a Cup winner who’s lived through the peaks and valleys of NHL life and could be a valuable locker room addition to a team if he doesn’t simply re-sign with the Blues.
For league minimum, that ain’t bad.
Zdeno Chara
Age: 45
2021-22 Stat Line: 72 GP, 2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points, 18:43 TOI
Listen, he hasn’t formally retired yet, so, by all accounts, Zdeno Chara is still an active free agent capable of signing with any of the NHL’s 32 teams.
After eluding Father Time for most of the past decade, Chara’s age finally caught up with him last season as his hockey sense ultimately couldn’t compensate for the fact that he was a step behind the modern pace of the game.
Then again, it wasn’t exactly the easiest season for the guy, either.
The Islanders kicked off their season with a 13-game road trip before following it up with a massive COVID-19 outbreak that threatened to shut the league down mid-year. Through all that, Chara was a regular NHLer, logging over 18 minutes of ice time per night across 72 games while starting the majority of his shifts in the defensive zone.
Perhaps in a better, less hazardous environment, the future Hall of Famer can serve as a quality seventh defender — someone perfectly capable of stepping into the top-six when called upon.
If Chara wants to move his family again and views continuing to play in the NHL as his main objective, you better believe teams will be lining up to sign him.
Andy Greene
Age: 39
2021-22 Stat Line: 69 GP, 2 goals, 8 assists, 10 points, 17:25 TOI
Pretty much everything that was said about Chara — except for the part about being a future Hall of Famer — can be said about Greene.
The veteran is also very old, also near the end of the line when it comes to being an NHL defenseman, also struggles with his footspeed, and was also clearly hampered by the debacle that went down on Long Island last season while continuing to play a regular role on the club’s blueline.
Greene played in all but 13 games for the Islanders in 2021-22 and averaged a little over 17 minutes in ice time. For a guy with as many miles on his body as Greene, that’s simply too much weight to play on his shoulders, with Greene far more suited for the role of a contender’s seventh defender who can also step up in a pinch.
The Islanders have the cap space to bring Greene back on a near-league-minimum deal and, at this stage, it’s probably the only place he’ll agree to go. But if they’ve moved on, Greene could latch on with another team needing blueline depth and veteran presence.
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