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Best NHL Free Agent Right Wingers
1. Alexander Radulov
Alexander Radulov’s transition from playing eight seasons in the KHL before joining the Canadiens last year has certainly paid off. The Russian forward doled out 54 points last season, finishing second amongst all Montreal players on a “prove it” one-year deal.
As a top-five prospect in the current free agency market, it’s rather surprising that the Habs still haven’t re-signed Radulov. Then again, the 30-year-old assist specialist does have some wear on his treads already with 13 years of professional hockey experience under his belt. In turn, Radulov is a marquee name that the Golden Knights could still gladly nab in the wake of the expansion draft should the Canadiens fail to act fast on their decision regarding his contract renewal.
Ideal landing spot: Montreal, Vegas
2. Justin Williams
Washington had recently decided to re-sign standout forward T.J. Oshie to a massive eight-year, $46 million deal, which leaves fellow right winger Justin Williams’ chances of retaining his slot in the Capitals lineup all the more bleak.
Having said that, there are a bunch of teams that can make use of Williams, who’s averaged 50 points over the past couple of seasons, as a viable second-line producer. Teams like the Oilers and the Blues are nice fits for the 35-year-old, as the two Western Conference franchises could use some depth on the attack to further complement their respective and already prolific top lines.
Ideal landing spot: Edmonton, St. Louis
3. Jaromir Jagr
There’s quite a significant drop-off in talent after Radulov and Williams, so don’t be shocked to find out that 45-year-old living legend Jaromir Jagr made our cut as the third-best right wing on the market.
Jagr has played for eight different NHL teams throughout his storied career, but only once did he play for a team outside of the East Coast (Dallas in 2012). Perhaps taking his talents to a young, playoff-contending team out in the West such as Edmonton or Calgary may be the change of scenery he needs to recover from his rather lackluster 2016 campaign in Florida.
As one would recall, though, the 13-time All-Star did breathe new life into the Panthers a couple of seasons ago with 27 goals and 39 assists, making him a valuable asset for other teams in search of veteran leadership and some timely goals from an old-timer. A lot of free agents out there are over the age of 30 already, so why not take a shot at a future Hall-of-Famer who appears to have a lot left in his tank before reaching the big five-O?
Ideal landing spot: Edmonton, Calgary
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