2017 NHL Free Agent Defensemen Available

NHL News and Predictions

Best NHL Free Agent Defensemen

1. Kevin Shattenkirk

The only way the Washington Capitals’ rental of Shattenkirk would be recognized a success was if the team won it all last season. It didn’t work out that way but Shattenkirk is still staring at a possibility of getting a markup in salary in free agency. According to puckplusplus.com, Shattenkirk is projected to get around an offer worth around $6 million in cap hit. The team that lands the services of Shattenkirk will have a defenseman who’s a big threat on both ends of the ice, including on power play instances. Shattenkirk finished last season with 13 goals (seven power play goals) and 43 assists.

Ideal landing spot: Edmonton

2. Karl Alzner

There’ll be a ton of attention Alzner is going to attract as soon as the calendar flips to July 1. Alzner comes with plenty of experience, having played in 591 career games with perennial title contenders, Capitals. And he’s just 28-years-old. Per statshockeyanalysis.com, Alzner was sixth among blueliners with at least 500 minutes on ice last season in goals for percentage.

Ideal landing spot: Rangers

3. Michael Stone

Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving has expressed the possibility of re-signing Stone but if nothing happens between the two camps, there’ll be at least a few teams lining up in pursuit of the defenseman. Stone is just 26 and has good size at 6-3, 210. Stone was traded in the middle of the 2016-17 season from the Arizona to the Flames in exchange for a pair of future draft picks and has an expiring one-year, $4 million contract. He finished last season with three goals and 12 assists.