Pittsburgh winger Matt Cooke routinely got under opponents' skin. This cover story from 2010 profiled Cooke as part of the 12 best unrestricted free agents available that summer.

Some NHLers thrive as agitators and line-pushers. And in this cover story from THN’s May 24, 2010 edition – Vol. 63, Issue 25 – then-senior writer Ken Campbell wrote about one such player as part of the league’s top 12 soon-to-be UFAs at that time.

(And here’s a regular reminder – for full access to THN’s archive, you can subscribe to the magazine at THN.com/Free.)

The key component of this cover story was then-Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke, who was an agitator supreme in his heyday. Cooke re-signed with the Pens that summer and lasted five seasons in Pittsburgh before finishing his career with the Minnesota Wild. Cooke told Campbell part of his value was because he knew exactly what type of player teams wanted him to be.

“I’ve said it many times, I’m out there to be a physical player,” Cooke said. “That’s what has kept me in the league for 12 years and the moment that goes away, I don’t have a position anymore. A lot of people don’t understand that, they don’t realize that. There can only be so many finesse guys out there and trust me, I’d love to be in that role, but that’s not the way it is.”

Another key forward in Campbell’s top 12 UFAs was Detroit’s Tomas Holmstrom. The Swedish winger played his entire career in the Motor City, but his agent told Campbell he needed to be treated equally to his peers.

“We want to get it done and they want to get it done,” Howard Gourwitz, Holmstrom’s agent, said in the story. “Is it probable? Yes. Is it a slam dunk? No. But the last time I spoke with Kenny (Red Wings GM Holland), on the last contract Tomas took a hometown discount so the organization would have enough cap room to keep everyone here. But at the end of the day, Tomas is going to have to feel he’s being treated fairly in the realm of what is taking place within the locker room.”

Many of the players on Campbell’s list wound up staying on their team, and that’s no surprise to hockey observers who see players and teams value loyalty. However, others, such as defenseman Dan Hamhuis, left their teams in favor of greener financial pastures.

“If that happens,” Wade Arnott, Hamhuis’ agent, said about his client getting to free agency, “I think it’s safe to say Dan Hamhuis will be a highly sought-after player.”

THE DIRTY DOZEN

Vol. 63, No. 25, May 24, 2010

By Ken Campbell

MONTREAL – In 11 NHL seasons, Matt Cooke has earned more than $9 million. That’s a lot to you and me. To be sure, it will be enough for his grandkids to brag to people that they come from “old Matt Cooke money.”

It’s not exactly minimum wage by NHL standards, but consider that five players in the league – including two on Cooke’s own team – pulled down at least Nine Large just this season. So you can understand why Cooke gets a smile on the gap-toothed face that 29/30ths of the league would like to punch in when he considers what might lie ahead. He’s an unrestricted free agent this summer and coming off a season where he not only proved to be a pretty valuable contributor, but also cemented his relationship as the biggest @#^%!* to play against in the league.

Cooke wears the black hat well, at least as well as Chris Neil of the Ottawa Senators does. The only difference is Neil signed a four-year deal last summer worth $2 million a season, while Cooke earned just $1.2 million. Both players will be 31 when the free agency floodgates open July 1. Cooke has averaged 28 points per season the past three years, nearly double what Neil has scored. Cooke has averaged 214 hits per season, Neil 204. Neil has almost twice as many penalty minutes (520) and four times as many fights (36) as Cooke in that time span.

In Cooke, you have a player who scores more, fights less and hits more and harder – just ask Marc Savard – than a player who earned $2 million on a long-term deal last season. So does that mean Cooke could conceivably double his salary on a three-year deal? You bet it does, particularly since his agent, Pat Morris, is rapidly becoming the Scott Boras of hockey (see Stajan, Matt).

“I’ve said it many times, I’m out there to be a physical player,” Cooke said. “That’s what has kept me in the league for 12 years and the moment that goes away, I don’t have a position anymore.

“A lot of people don’t understand that, they don’t realize that. There can only be so many finesse guys out there and trust me, I’d love to be in that role, but that’s not the way it is.”

But there is value in being despised by everyone but your teammates. That value is enhanced when you win a Cup, tie a career high of 15 goals and make skill players such as Jordan Staal more difficult to face. And as dastardly as the hit on Savard was, it was perfectly within the rules of the game until the NHL finally decided to do something about predatorial blind-side shots.

“People attacked me personally after that,” Cooke said.

The interest in Cooke will be intense this summer if he hits the market. And that’s what makes Cooke one of the 12 most intriguing potential free agents of the year. Will the Pittsburgh Penguins be able to keep him or has Cooke pulled a Rob Scuderi and played his way out of Pittsburgh?

All it takes is one team to decide it needs what Matt Cooke brings and is willing to pay for it. And if that’s a team other than the Penguins, Pittsburgh will learn to hate him, too.

This year’s crop of unrestricted and restricted free agents isn’t as deep as it has been in years past, but the players and the effect they’ll have on the league are still intriguing.

JAROSLAV HALAK, G, MONTREAL CANADIENS

Age: 25

Agent: Allan Walsh

2009-10 cap hit: $775,000

Halak wants to be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL and, Lord knows, he’s made a pretty good case for himself. If only it were all that simple.

Halak is due to become a restricted free agent, but so is Carey Price, in whom the Canadiens invested the fifth overall pick in 2005. There are still those who believe that when it comes down to it, the Canadiens might still pick Price, despite the fact Halak has superstar potential.

But Halak has one thing Price doesn’t: arbitration rights.

The Canadiens can also take Halak to arbitration to ensure they get a deal and there’s nothing Halak can do to prevent it, aside from perhaps jumping to the Kontinental League the way Jiri Hudler did last summer when the Detroit Red Wings took him to mediation.

Chances are, Halak will not file when he is eligible July 5 and the Canadiens will when they get the opportunity the next day. Halak will choose a one-year award, but without any real comparables out there, it will be difficult to establish his worth. Cam Ward at $6.3 million is not a good equivalent and neither is Jonathan Quick at $1.8 million. That leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

Of course, a team could present an offer sheet before the Canadiens file for arbitration, but the chances of that happening are remote.

And that doesn’t solve the Price situation. If the Canadiens elect to simply give Price his qualifying offer and tell him to take it or leave it, they run the risk of their young goaltender not signing and sitting out.

Not surprisingly, nobody can say with any certainty what’s going to transpire.

“I don’t have a clue what’s going to happen,” said Allan Walsh, Halak’s agent. “I don’t think anyone can predict right now what is going to happen in the summer. Who knows what the world is going to look like next week, let alone what it’s going to look like in July? Look at how his world has turned around in the past two months.”

ILYA KOVALCHUK LW, NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Age: 27

Agent: Jay Grossman

2009-10 cap hit: $6,389,300

When Kovalchuk hits the open market July 1 – and make no mistake, he will – he’ll have teams in two leagues separated by the Atlantic Ocean bidding for his services.

Could Kovalchuk become the first NHL superstar to sign with the Kontinental League in the prime of his career? He will if KHL president Alexander Medvedev, who made it clear his league is prepared to present a monster offer to Kovalchuk this summer, has anything to say about it.

“They’ve made their intentions very public and it’s certainly no secret,” said Jay Grossman, Kovalchuk’s agent. “If that’s the case, why would he not consider it?”

No player has scored goals at such a prodigious rate since Kovalchuk entered the league in 2001, but what to do with a player who has had an enormous amount of individual success, but very little team success, albeit mostly with a sad-sack franchise in Atlanta?

The prevailing wisdom is Kovalchuk might not get Sidney Crosby-Alex Ovechkin money, but that’s what it might take to keep him out of the KHL. The problem with Kovalchuk is determining what he has to give when it comes to the team concept.

For seven-plus seasons, Kovalchuk did exactly what he was asked in Atlanta – score goals and sell tickets. All right, the ticket selling part didn’t go so well. But whatever team signs him will have to decide whether Kovalchuk can embrace the team concept after freelancing for most of his career.

DAN HAMHUIS, D, NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Age: 27

Agent: Wade Arnott

2009-10 cap hit: $2,000,000

These days in Nashville, Jason Arnott, David Legwand, Martin Erat and Shea Weber each make $4.5 million. Are you noticing a pattern here? If you didn’t know any better, you’d think the Predators had a salary ceiling of $4.5 million per player.

Would Hamhuis be willing to accept that? He might, but in order to do so he would be taking a hometown discount during an off-season where defensemen will be the most highly coveted players.

Hamhuis fits into a group of potential UFA blueliners that also includes Anton Volchenkov, Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin. Discuss amongst yourselves whether Hamhuis fits at the top of that list.

Hamhuis isn’t the sexiest UFA out there, but he’s young enough that he hasn’t yet hit his prime. He eats up valuable minutes, plays against most of the top forwards in the league and puts up solid numbers despite getting almost no power play time.

In short, he’s the kind of reliable D-man everyone is seeking and when a team realizes it can get him for nothing more than money and cap space, things can get a little goofy.

If that happens, $6 million on a long-term deal isn’t out of the question and something in the $5 million range is well within reach.

Trouble is, what happens if he becomes the next Wade Redden and saddles you with a long, expensive deal that becomes an albatross for the organization? By the same token, he might flourish if he gets more of an offensive opportunity and look like a bargain.

The Predators and Hamhuis had preliminary talks during the season, but they were eventually shelved. And given Nashville’s financial situation, nobody would be surprised if Hamhuis opts to test UFAdom.

“If that happens,” said Wade Arnott, Hamhuis’ agent “I think it’s safe to say Dan Hamhuis will be a highly sought-after player.”

TOMAS HOLMSTROM, LW, DETROIT RED WINGS

Age: 37

Agent: Howard Gourwitz

2009-10 cap hit: $2,250,000

When you think of Holmstrom, you think of a Red Wing for life, don’t you?

Not so fast. Yes, Holmstrom very much wants to return to Detroit and become the sixth player in franchise history to play 1,000 games for the Winged Wheel. And, yes, the Red Wings want him back for a whole variety of reasons.

But there’s this little matter of having to offer a multi-year contract to a player who’s within shouting distance of 40 and has missed an average of 25 games the past three seasons.

“We want to get it done and they want to get it done,” said Howard Gourwitz, Holmstrom’s agent. “Is it probable? Yes. Is it a slam dunk? No. But the last time I spoke with Kenny (Red Wings GM Holland), on the last contract Tomas took a hometown discount so the organization would have enough cap room to keep everyone here. But at the end of the day, Tomas is going to have to feel he’s being treated fairly in the realm of what is taking place within the locker room.”

Translation: Loyalty will only go so far this time around.

Adding another layer to this whole thing is that, while nobody will say it, the fact remains that if the Red Wings sign Holmstrom, it increases the chances of Nicklas Lidstrom coming back for another season, likely at the $7.5 million he made this year.

“Does it help us if Tomas Holmstrom signs?” Holland said. “Probably, because they’re best friends. But I would say to you that Tomas Holmstrom has been a Red Wing since 1996 and for a guy like Tomas Holmstrom or Nicklas Lidstrom leaving, negotiations would have to get way off track.”

And nothing would do that like a lowball offer that offends Holmstrom.

TOMAS PLEKANEC, C, MONTREAL CANADIENS

Age: 27

Agent: Rick Curran

2009-10 cap hit: $2,750,000

Signing a one-year deal worth $2.75 million last season turned out to be a stroke of genius for Plekanec. After increasing his point output from 39 to 70 this season, Plekanec could not have picked a better time to have a career year and make himself indispensable.

But it wasn’t just the points.

The Kladno, Czech., native has developed into a terrific two-way player who makes those around him better, plays the point on the power play and wins faceoffs. Certainly, he fits into Jacques Martin’s system well and is not a defensive liability. And he’s got to be looking at the five-year, $30-million pact teammate Mike Cammalleri signed last summer and think he’s due something similar. Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier and Plekanec’s camp have talked a number of times and his agent Rick Curran claims they’re on the same page. They know pretty much where each other stands and it’s a matter now of seeing if their visions can mesh and they can make a long-term deal work.

“I felt the communication we had was very positive and (Gauthier) sees where I’m coming from,” Curran said. “I’d like to think there’s a deal that could be made. He would like to stay in Montreal and the Canadiens have suggested they would like to keep him, but if for whatever reason it falls off the rails, then Tomas will go to market July 1 and he has no problem with that. And there will be suitors.”

ANTTI NIEMI, G, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Age: 26

Agent: Bill Zito

2009-10 cap hit: $826,875

For a guy who was a Zamboni driver first and a hockey player second just five years ago, Niemi is poised to have enough to buy the whole arena and change the complexion of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Even though he’s a restricted free agent, Niemi bears watching for several reasons. First of all, after the season and playoffs he has had, he is due for a big payoff whether he goes to arbitration or reaches a multi-year contract with the Hawks. Secondly, Chicago has virtually no cap space and what the Blackhawks do with Niemi will knock over a few dominos.

No matter whether Niemi or the Hawks opt for arbitration, it will only be a one-year stop-gap deal. That behooves the team to do something more tangible if they see the big Finn as their goalie of the future.

But do they? First, there’s the matter of the $5.625 million deal with Cristobal Huet that still has two years to go and is virtually untradeable. There’s also the fact the Hawks like what they see in prospect Corey Crawford, so the crease might get crowded.

That would necessitate either signing Niemi and trading him to fill other holes, or doing something to move Huet. They could bury Huet in the minors or move him to another team with a prospect in exchange for taking back somebody else’s dead money.

The other intriguing layer with Niemi is a lack of comparables. That makes arbitration risky for both sides, even more risky for the Blackhawks if Niemi has a monster year next season and then demands a $6 million salary a year after they could have signed him to an extended deal for less.

ANTON VOLCHENKOV, D, OTTAWA SENATORS

Age: 28

Agent: Jay Grossman

2009-10 cap hit: $2,500,000

Whether or not a team considers signing Volchenkov this summer will depend on whether it thinks he has an upward trajectory and more to give or it believes he’s a one-dimensional player whose career is on the decline. And the case can be made for both. On the one hand, Volchenkov has developed into one of the truly elite shutdown defensemen in the NHL along with partner Chris Phillips. Since the lockout, he has blocked a mind-boggling average of 205 shots per season.

On the downside, his shot-blocking totals have declined each of the past two years and he has missed an average of 16 games due to injuries the past three campaigns. He contributes very little offense and plays a style that will eventually break his body down, if it hasn’t done so already.

But it’s difficult to go out and get the kind of courage Volchenkov brings.

And since he’s only 28, he could still improve if he moves to a situation where he can have more of a chance to create offense.

Regardless, if Mike Komisarek can get a deal worth $4.5 million per, there’s no reason Volchenkov can’t approach or surpass that number.

EVGENI NABOKOV, G, SAN JOSE SHARKS

Age: 34

Agent: Don Meehan

2009-10 cap hit: $5,375,000

Perhaps the biggest thing Nabokov has going for him going into potential unrestricted free agency is his birth certificate.

Nabokov does not turn 35 until July 25, which means he won’t be subject to the restricted deals that players 35 and over face under the CBA.

That means, essentially, either the Sharks or some other team will be able to offer him one of those front-loaded deals that has him playing for peanuts for the last two seasons of the contract, thus enabling him to retire without losing out on a lot of money.

Despite laying an egg in the Olympics for Team Russia (4.16 GAA, .853 SP in three games), Nabokov again put up impressive NHL numbers, posting his third straight 40-win season.

Assuming Nabokov continues to play well in the post-season and sheds his playoff-choker label, he should be able to at least receive a modest raise on his current salary. And if he does end up hitting the open market, look for about 20 teams to reconsider their goaltending situations.

PATRICK MARLEAU, LW, SAN JOSE SHARKS

Age: 30

Agent: Don Baizley

2009-10 cap hit: $6,300,000

More than anything, and even in a cap world, unrestricted free agency is about supply and demand. And when you’re Patrick Marleau coming off a career year in a free agent crop that is less than stunning, that has the potential to be an outstanding thing.

With 44 goals this season, Marleau had more goals than any potential UFA, three ahead of Kovalchuk. And any team looking for a dynamic offensive player with goal-scoring ability will find the pickings are very, very slim after that. In fact, can you believe that the next highest-scoring UFA this season is soon-to-be-retired Teemu Selanne with just 27 goals? After that, it’s Plekanec with 25.

All of which will inflate Marleau’s value.

The Sharks have about $20 million in cap space, but with that money they have to either sign or find replacements for potential UFAs Marleau, Nabokov, Rob Blake, Manny Malhotra and Jed Ortmeyer, and sign playoff heroes Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi.

If Marian Gaborik can get $7.5 million on a long-term UFA deal, there’s no reason to believe Marleau can’t approach that, too.

NICKLAS BACKSTROM, C, WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Age: 22

Agent: Marc Levine

2009-10 cap hit: $2,400,000

Going from 69 to 88 to 101 points in his first three seasons has resulted in Nicklas Backstrom becoming one of the NHL’s truly elite players just as he’s coming out of his entry-level contract.

And if the deals given to similar players are any indication, Backstrom stands to cash in on a contract that will be enormous both in terms of money and number of years.

First things first, though. There is absolutely no way the Washington Capitals are going to let Backstrom go, so the Edmonton Oilers can forget about signing him to a monster offer sheet.

You could make the argument Backstrom deserves more than Anze Kopitar ($6.8 million), Paul Stastny ($6.6 million), Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews ($6.3 million each), but less than Sidney Crosby ($8.7 million) and teammate Alex Ovechkin ($9.53 million).

So, let’s say he gets somewhere in between and signs a long-term deal worth about $7.8 million.

That would give the Capitals more than $23 million tied up in just three players.

MATTHEW LOMBARDI, C, PHOENIX COYOTES

Age: 28

Agent: Kent Hughes

2009-10 cap hit: $1,816,667

If Lombardi has done anything since being acquired by the Phoenix Coyotes from the Calgary Flames at the 2009 trade deadline, he has proved he’s more than just a fast skater.

Somewhere along the line, Lombardi became a go-to offensive player for the offense-starved Coyotes this season.

His numbers were not eye-popping – 19 goals and a career-high 53 points – but they did not come at the expense of Lombardi’s defensive game – he was a plus-8 – and penalty-killing acumen.

Lombardi’s speed allows him to generate all sorts of chances and if an organization believes he hasn’t hit his offensive stride just yet, it’ll be willing to pay a premium for the untapped potential.

There is no doubt the Montreal native with 444 games of experience has, at the very least, forced teams to take notice of him this summer.

The Hockey News Archive is a vault of 2,640 issues and more than 156,000 articles exclusively for subscribers, chronicling the complete history of The Hockey News from 1947 until today. Visit the archives at THN.com/archive and subscribe today at subscribe.thehockeynews.com