Top 3 centers still available on the free agent market.

3 quality centers still available.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 4 years ago
Top 3 centers still available on the free agent market.
Chris Brown/CSM/Zuma

We have made it through the entire month of July and through the first week of August as well but there is still plenty of time before fans in the National Hockey League get to experience meaningful games once again. That also means that there is still plenty of time for NHL organizations to tweak their rosters before next season, even though most of the work has already been done. 

In spite of the fact that most of the teams around the league already have a pretty good idea of what their rosters will look like come the start of the 2019 - 2020 NHL regular season, there are still some potential additions out there that could prove to be difference makers for a number of teams. Today we will be taking a look at the top available players remaining in free agency at their respective positions, and in every case these are players who could make a significant impact come next season. 

We're going to kick things off with some forwards and for the moment we will focus our gaze up the middle of the playing surface. Here are, in my opinion, the top 3 free agent centers still available at the time of this writing. 

#1 Joe Thornton.

Not only is the man a future hall of famer but he is also coming off a pretty solid campaign. In spite of the fact that he is already 40 years old it seems only a matter of time before Jumbo Joe announces he has signed a new NHL contract, but unfortunately for 30 of the teams in the National Hockey League there is probably only one team that Thornton will play for. Thornton is unquestionably the best center left on the open market, but it seems like he is destined to remain in San Jose.

#2 Derick Brassard.

This one seems to be a problem of the player's own making. There are multiple reports out there suggesting that Brassard is seeking somewhere around $4 million in average annual value on his next deal, although admittedly he probably is only looking for a single year of term, and that is simply unreasonable at this stage of his career. It is extremely likely that Brassard will be signed before the start of the 2019 - 2020 NHL regular season, the man can still play in spite of his decline in recent years, but I do not believe for a second that he will get the money he is reportedly seeking. 

#3 Brian Boyle.

One of the NHL's feel good stories in recent years Boyle remains a free agent in spite of the fact that he showed he can still play at a high level last season. Less than one year removed from cancer treatment Boyle appeared in a combined total of 73 games split between the New Jersey Devils and Nashville Predators. Over that stretch the 34 year old center would record 18 goals and 6 assists for a total of 24 points on the season, racking up 38 penalty minutes along the way as well. Boyle still has use as a bottom 6 type guy in the NHL and like Brassard I believe it is very likely he will be signed prior to the start of the regular season. 

If the market has dried up as bad as some believe however, it may be the case that Brassard and Boyle will both receive no better offers than a professional tryout offer prior to the start of the regular season. 

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