Where the top remaining free agents could end up

It’s been three weeks since free agency started on July 1 and there are a surprising amount of quality players left unsigned. This is mostly due to the salary cap not rising next year and greater concerns about the cap lowering the following season. The following is a look at several key free agents still remaining and where they could end up next season.

Alex Tanguay – LW ($5.25 million last year)

Tanguay was limited to 50 games last year because of an injury, but he still managed to score 16 goals and 41 points. Two years removed from an 81-point season in Calgary, Tanguay would be a good fit on a team’s top two lines while seeing time on the power play. He will have to take considerably less than his $5.25 million salary last year to have a realistic chance of signing a multi-year deal. He will be 30 in November.

Possible destinations: Florida, Colorado.

Martin Biron – G ($3.5 million last year)

Biron has proven to be a good starting goalie. Not a great or spectacular goalie, but a good one. His meltdowns in the playoffs against Pittsburgh the last two seasons certainly did not help his cause, but a team that needs an experienced goalie to play 30 or 40 games could use Biron. He excelled in that role while splitting time with Ryan Miller in Buffalo. Biron, who will be 32 when the season starts, won 29 and 30 games, respectively, in his previous two seasons in Philadelphia as a starter.

Possible destinations: Los Angeles, Dallas.

Petr Sykora – RW ($2.5 million last year)

Sykora has already stated that he will not be returning to the Penguins, where he spent most of his time on a line with Evgeni Malkin. After recording 63 points in 2007-08, Sykora’s production fell to 46 points in only five fewer games last year. He was also a non-factor in the playoffs, getting scratched for all but seven games, going scoreless with one assist. However, the 32-year-old winger has proven that he is a consistent 20+ goal scorer who is able to stay relatively healthy (76+ games played in each of the last three seasons). If he doesn’t find a suitable team, the KHL is still an option.

Possible destinations: Buffalo, Toronto, Nashville