Mats Sundin - Mats has been the story all off season, no one knows what he is thinking. Mats got plenty of offers to play this year, but hasn’t been able to decide whether or not he wants to play. He got contract offers from a lot of teams, including a massive 2 year $20 million offer from Vancouver. My thoughts are that Sundin is torn he wants to play in Toronto, but he also wants to play for a contender which Toronto is not. Mats is a 17 year NHL veteran, playing in 1305 games and recording 1321 points. He played the last 13 years in Toronto, he was there team captain and became possibly the best player to ever wear the blue and white. The question with Sundin is not whether he can play, its whether he wants to play. Last season Mats recorded 32 goals and 78 points in Toronto, and would be a welcomed addition to most teams in the league. The thought is that if Sundin comes back he will want to play for a chance to win the Stanley Cup. Early in the off season there were rumors of him going to Montreal, New York or Detroit. All those teams now don’t have cap space and would have to make a move to be able to afford the big center. I honestly don’t have a feeling about what Mats might do, all I know is that he will take his time and make a decision that will best fit him. Mats is a great player and if he wants to play he will get his chance, but I think he might retire.

Brendan Shanahan - Shanahan is a future Hall of Fame player and he has no where to play right now. All off season it was thought that he would return to the Rangers, but when they only offered him a tryout he moved on. Brendan is a 21 year NHL vet and has played in more then 1400 career games. He has 650 career goals and has scored more then 50 in a season twice. Brendan was a pure sniper throughout his career, he may not score 50 anymore, but he could easily put up 25 goals in today’s game. He has been a playoff performer over the years with 131 playoff points and three Stanley Cups in Detroit. I think Shanahan would be perfect for a young team that is on the cusp of winning. He could provide great leadership and add some offensive depth to most teams. If Brendan is willing to take less money I am sure he will play this year. No doubt he wanted to play in New York, but I think he would be better suited for Phoenix, Washington or Chicago. He can still play and I hope we all get the chance to see him play again.

Peter Forsberg - This seems to be a topic of conversation every year, but Forsberg still hasn’t retired. Injuries have always been his problem, but when he is healthy he can still be one of the best players in the league. He hasn’t played more then 70 games in a year since 2002-2003 and know one really knows how healthy he is now. He came back late last year and played 16 games (regular and playoffs) with Colorado and recorded 19 points. Signing Forsberg would be a big risk for any team, but he has proven when healthy he can still be a point a game player or better in this league. I don’t really see Forsberg coming back any time soon, if he comes back I think it will be in the new year and for the Avalanche. This will be a risk reward signing if some takes a chance on him and a franchise will have to see if he is worth the cap hit. Forsberg is a future Hall of Famer and if he comes back I hope he is healthy and back to the Forsberg of old.

Forsberg, Shanahan and Sundin might all be in the Hall of Fame some day and they are free agents. They will get more and more pressure to sign as the year goes on and teams will look for veterans to help lead a team on a Cup run. Other big names vets like Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka have chosen to sign in Russia and play for more money then they would get in the NHL. A veteran player can be the difference in a run for the Stanley Cup, a vet who has been there can have a calming influence on teams. Some of the older guys have found jobs, but usually for small contracts. Chris Chelios, Jeremy Roenick, Gary Roberts and Rob Blake all found good fits and hope they will be able to retire in there own terms. As you get toward your 40′s NHL players have new choices to make. For these guys its not about money, its about being in a spot where they are comfortable and have a chance to win.