Flyers, Lecavalier help Briere, Horton in free agent market

The NHL free agency open market kicks off Friday and while there will surely be a flurry of deals to analyze, the biggest of those reportedly already went down when the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms with former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier.

While no less than 12 teams were rumored to be interested in Lecavalier’s services, the fit with Philadelphia does seem odd. The Flyers have a ton of depth up front and inking Lecavalier to a multi-year deal worth approximately $25 million already puts them up against the salary cap. And that’s without addressing possible issues in goal (yes, again) with Steve Mason apparently tapped to own the crease.

But no matter how Lecavalier fits in with the Flyers, this contract is a huge favor to free agents Danny Briere, Nathan Horton, Jarome Iginla and David Clarkson, among others. With Lecavalier off the market, teams will end up in a bidding war for these second-tier free agent options, meaning they’re likely to hit big paydays. You can hit your own payday by betting where these free agents end up right here.

Nathan Horton: Horton scored 19 points in the playoffs with the Boston Bruins and is now hits the market at the top of his value. He didn’t have a great regular season, but nobody remembers that at this point. The Montreal Canadiens could certainly use his size and grit, though he’s not the kind of guy who loves media attention. Word has it he’s visiting the Columbus Blue Jackets and a team like that makes more sense – young, low-profile, lots of cash available. Nashville might be another option.

Jarome Iginla: The New York Rangers seemed like a good fit originally, but now that Brad Richards is still on the books for another year, they probably don’t have the cash.

Daniel Briere: The Philadelphia Flyers bought out the 35-year-old veteran’s fat contract, leaving him on the open market even though he wanted to stay in Philly. Location will be a major part of this decision with his three sons living in Philadelphia. A Gatineau native, heading home to Montreal for the end of his career would be a great story, but the Habs really don’t need another undersized forward. A better bet might be New Jersey.

David Clarkson: Brace yourself, because David Clarkson is about to get super rich. He’s turned from tough guy to tough guy with a scoring touch over the last couple of seasons and is looking for $5-6 million annually. He’ll get it, too. After a career high 30 goals two years ago, he netted 15 in the strike-shortened season while adding 78 penalty minutes. He still goes through major scoring droughts at times, but is a good special teams player who can play up and down the lineup. The Toronto Maple Leafs will make him an offer and that could be a good fit. Don’t count out the Winnipeg Jets if they move Evander Kane.

Daniel Alfredsson: Lots of talk about Alfredsson possibly joining the Bruins, but that doesn’t seem right. If he’s going to play one more year, it most likely will be in Ottawa.

Valtterri Filppula: After playing third-fiddle behind Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, this 29-year-old is ready for a bigger role. He’ll be expensive, but productive. Expect the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders to be very interested.

Tim Thomas: Yes, he wants to come back to the NHL now. No, there won’t be a waiting line to get his name on a contract.