Jocks for Sale: NHL Free Agents Ready for Market

Over 300 top-drawer hockey players are available to the highest bidder as of today. But will anyone buy what they're selling?

The NHL's uncertain labor situation is expected to discourage the bidding wars that enriched NHL free agents in previous summers. Even traditional big spenders like Toronto, Dallas and Philadelphia are said to be chopping payroll in anticipation of a salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement.

Several potential free agents opted out of the market by signing contracts just before the July 1 deadline. The Toronto Maple Leafs made deals with Ed Belfour, Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts. John Madden re-signed in New Jersey. The Los Angeles Kings signed Stephane Quintal after acquiring him up in a trade with Montreal last weekend, and came to a one-year agreement with Luc Robitaille.

But the free agent crop grew with the addition of several "option year" players. The New York Rangers, for example, had the option of picking up one more year of Eric Lindros, at a cost of $10.5 million. They declined the option and made him a free agent. The Ottawa Senators did the same with Peter Bondra.

Some of those who began the summer as restricted free agents became unrestricted as of July 1. Pavol Demitra of the St. Louis Blues and L.A. team mates Jason Allison and Adam Deadmarsh are among those who joined the pool when their teams did not tender "qualifying offers," matching the salaries they made last season.

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