For agent Richard Evans, two of his longtime clients never had any trouble selling themselves before. Radim Vrbata and Tomas Fleischmann always had plenty of bidders for their services in the NHL, and it was hoped it would be the case again when free agency began July 1. As the calendar stretches into August, however, Evans' two veteran clients remain without NHL contracts.
They are among several older unrestricted free agents, and even some not so old, hoping the phone rings before training camps start next month. Other notable unsigned players include Jiri Hudler, Kris Russell, Patrik Elias, Kyle Quincey, David Jones, Alex Tanguay and Brandon Prust.
"We obviously think guys like Radim and Tomas still have good value as players," said Evans, based in the Vancouver area. "We know there is interest from teams. It's just a question of the right fit."
Many of the teams expected, on paper at least, to seriously compete for playoff spots already have spent close to the salary-cap ceiling of $74 million. According to General Fanager, 10 teams have less than $3 million left to spend, with six less than a million under. (In ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Adrian Dater
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