Top 2012 NHL UFA List
1) Ryan Suter of the Nashville Predators is the top free agent available in summer 2012 and the top defenseman. Suter is a much coveted stay at home defenseman that is big, strong and a great leader. He is only 27 years old and he is coming off a contract with a $3.5 million cap hit. Suter is looking to cash in with a big dollar value contract for a long term - somewhere in the ball park of $6-7 million a season. The Predators recently signed star goaltender Pekka Rinne and allstar defenseman Shea Weber to lucrative contracts so they may not be able to resign Suter.
2) Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils is the top forward free agent. Parise is a good leader and consistently contributes to the Devils first line. He, too, is 27 years old and he is coming off a contract with a $6.0 million cap hit. He is looking for a long term deal with a significant raise - somewhere in the ball park of $7 million a season. The Devils have another talented winger named Ilya Kovalchuk signed to a long term deal and may let Parise walk depending on how high the bidding war gets.
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