Duncan Keith - PP: 2:59  PK: 2:34

Keith is having a down year, but it doesn't seem to be any indication on his production moving forward. The Hawks in general suck this year, and Keith is not the reason why. His special teams time remains similiar to what it was last season, with his PP time down slightly. Look for a rebound in the future, but it could be an opportunity for some team to snag Keith for a couple million cheaper then he should be going for.

Dustin Byfuglien - PP: 3:21  PK: 0:48

Like Keith, Dustin's production is down as well this season, but he is not far off his pace. What is going to hurt Byfuglien the most is his lack of PK time this year, as he is down nearly 1:30 minutes from last season. This will make Dustin a one trick pony rating wise next season. The game is getting to quick for him, and his age is showing. His 3 goals this season are far off his typical pace. Buyer Beware.

Mike Green - PP: 2:26  PK: 0:09

Mike Green has a good opportunity to increase his production this season. Chances are he gets traded out of Detroit and finds himself in a better situation. With that said, if he goes to a contender his ice time may drop, which in turn might mean a decrease of PP time. For now though, he is putting up solid numbers offensively as he should increase his point totals versus last season. Despite his point total increase, buyer beware.

Trevor Daley - PP: 0:27  PK: 2:49

At this point in his career, Daley is nothing more then a 3rd pairing defensemen who is now getting more PK time over PP time. His icetime has increased since moving to Detroit, but his production has dropped. Barely worth mentioning on this list, but he should fit in nicely as a 3rd pairing defensemen on most teams.

 

Ron Hainsey - PP: 0:09  PK: 4:11

Hainsey eats a lot of minutes for the Leafs, and over 4 minutes/game of it comes on the Penalty Kill. Hainsey is in line for one of his best DF ratings and it came for him at a great time in the BRHL2. He will get a nice contract this offseason for 1 year. Anything more would be a risk. Hainsey should be good enough to be a 2nd/3rd pairing defensemen while getting a ton of PK time.

 

Dan Hamhuis - PP: 0:26  PK: 2:43

Dan Hamhuis is having a bounceback season of sorts. While his PP time is down by over a minute, his PK time is up and so is his offensive production. In 55 games this season he has already surpassed his point toal from last season. Hamhuis will most likely finish the season with over 25 points for the first time since 2011-2012.

 

Kris Russell - PP: 0:21  PK: 2:03

PK time is slightly down this season, but his point totals have been much better in his 2nd year in Edmonton. 20 points in 55 games at this moment, this might end up being his 2nd best season offensively since his career year in 2014-2015.

 

Johnny Boychuk - PP: 0:47  PK: 2:35

It's been a rough season for Boychuk, he has missed time due to injury pretty much every year, and is an over-rated defensemen offensively, but Boychuk is pretty consistent on the backend and his nice two-way game does translate into a top 4 defensemen. Boychuk's PP time is down by over a minute this season, which hurts, but his PK time is increasing.

 

Zdeno Chara - PP: 0:25  PK: 3:44

Chara hits free agency again, is this like 3 years in a row now?. Chara loves his one year contracts and GMs love to hand them out. Another 1 year contract is in store for the behemouth as he continues to play well despite his age. His offensive production is down slightly this year, but his special teams times are almost identical.

 

Andy Greene - PP: 0:04  PK: 3:30

Ol' reliable. Greene has been a big part of the winning attitude set in Jersey this season. Greene is defensively sound and is seeing even more PK time this year. Offensive production was never his strong suit but it is up this season. Greene is getting up there in age, but it wouldn't surprise me to see a 2 year contract handed out to him, he's as consistent as they come.

 

Ryan Suter - PP: 3:05  PK: 3:18

If it was any other FA year, Suter would most likely be the hottest commodity on the back-end, but he is stuck in free agency with the likes of Subban, Burns, Keith and Byfuglien. In comparison, Suter can definately hold his own and he continues to be a minute eater on the backend. His special teams time is up this season as well, while his production remains consistent. He is part of the big 3 with Subban and Burns.

 

P.K. Subban - PP: 3:20  PK: 2:50

Subban took his poison pill last season and will now reap the benefits of it. Having to play for only 800k this season must be killing Subban, but the payout this offseason could be astronomical. Subban isn't your 1 year type of player. Burns got paid large last offseason but it would not surprise me to see Subban go for even more money this time around. 5 years/15m let's make it happen.

 

Brent Seabrook - PP: 2:09  PK: 2:03

Seabrook is getting older and it's starting to show in his production. He is on pace to put in the least amount of points in his career. In general, the Hawks blue line hasn't quite produced like it has in the past, but Seabrook is still a great option for a team looking for a #3 or #4 type defensemen. Seabrook remains a mainstay on the Hawks special teams.

 

Brent Burns - PP: 3:48  PK: 1:45

Burns cashed in nicely last offseason and there is no reason to think he won't again. He might be the most highly anticipated defensive free agent again this season. There is no reason to believe his ice time will drop, as Burns is still the main man on the backend in San Jose. His PP time is actually up from last season while his PK time remains the same. The only downside is his offensive production is down, but only marginally. He is still on pace for 60+ points. Without expansion looming, perhaps he will see a multi year deal this time around.

 

Dion Phaneuf - PP: 1:51  PK: 2:07

Recently traded Dion Phaneuf is not having a great season this year, but that could change after moving to Los Angeles. Phaneuf is down in both PP and PK time, and his production is down to boot. With a change of scenary we could expect both his PP and PK time to go up down the stretch. When it's all said a done, Phaneuf will be a worth while commodity this offseason, with 2nd pairing potential.

 

Alec Martinez - PP: 2:10  PK: 2:42

If the recent Phaneuf trade hurt anybody, it's Alec Martinez. Phaneuf could very well take some of Martinez' PP time in Los Angeles. His offensive production is down considerably this season as he only has 15 points on the season. Despite this, he is still showing an equal amount of PP time as last year. His PK time is up from last season, which will still make Martinez an interesting player this off-season.