Top remaining players available via free agency

The first few head-spinning hours after the free agent market opened at noon ET on July 1 featured a plethora of players joining new teams and a trade that has the potential to shift the balance of power in the Metropolitan Division in favor of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who acquired forward Phil Kessel.

The market still has several unrestricted free agents who could make a difference with a new team.

Here is a list of some of the best available (by position and in alphabetical order):

Note: All salary cap figures are from war-on-ice.com.

FORWARDS

SEAN BERGENHEIM, MINNESOTA WILD

Previous cap charge: $2.75 million

Bergenheim had one goal in 17 games and no points in three Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Wild. However, he had 18 points in 39 games with the Florida Panthers before he was traded to Minnesota in February. Bergenheim has 17 points in 26 career postseason games.

BRAD BOYES, FLORIDA PANTHERS

Previous cap charge: $2.625 million

The Panthers bought out the final year of Boyes' contract, making him a free agent. He had 38 points, including 14 goals, in 78 games last season. That was two more points than Boyes had in 2013-14 in the same number of games, but his goal production dipped by seven.

Previous cap charge: $2.55 million

Glencross' best offense days may be behind him (he had a career-high 48 points in 2011-12), but he could be a useful third-line wing. He had 12 goals and 24 points in 38 games with the Calgary Flames last season before he was traded to the Capitals, where he had four goals (two on the power play) in 18 games and one goal in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

LEE STEMPNIAK, WINNIPEG JETS

Previous cap charge: $900,000

Stempniak had 15 points and 28 points last season, but 10 points in 18 games after he was traded to the Jets by the New York Rangers. He scored on more than 20 percent of his shots, with six goals on 29 shots. In 10 NHL seasons, Stempniak has 165 goals and 369 points in 708 games.

JIRI TLUSTY, WINNIPEG JETS

Previous cap charge: $2.95 million

Tlusty hasn't come close to producing the way he did in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, when he scored 23 goals and had 38 points in 48 games for the Hurricanes. He has 61 points in 140 games since.

SCOTTIE UPSHALL, FLORIDA PANTHERS

Previous cap charge: $3.5 million

Upshall has never been much of a goal-scorer, getting more than 10 three times in his 12-year career. He had eight goals and 15 points last season in 63 games, but 21 of his 115 goals have been game-winners.

DEFENSEMEN

Previous cap charge: $3.3 million

Franson is 27 and a right-handed shot, and those are two pluses for him. He didn't deliver as the Predators hoped he would after they acquired him from the Maple Leafs in February; he had four points in 23 games and two points in five playoff games.

TIM GLEASON, WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Previous cap charge: $1.2 million

Any team looking for a relatively inexpensive, veteran, third-pair defenseman could look at Gleason and see some positives. He can still play some decent minutes and help drive possession.

ANDREJ MESZAROS, BUFFALO SABRES

Previous cap charge: $4.125 million

The 10-year veteran had seven goals and 14 points in 60 games last season but has lost a step at 29. Any team that signs him would likely pay him less than what he made last season.

DAVID SCHLEMKO, CALGARY FLAMES

Previous cap charge: $1.187 million

Schlemko is not a point-producer, but he is a strong possession-driver. Schlemko had a 53.85 shot-attempts percentage (SAT) in 11 playoff games with the Flames last season. He had a 52.86 SAT percentage in 44 regular-season games with the Arizona Coyotes, Dallas Stars and Flames.

LUBOMIR VISNOVSKY, NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Previous cap charge: $4.75 million

Visnovsky, 38, hasn't played a full season since 2010-11, and he's coming off a concussion. He had 20 points in 53 games with the Islanders last season.

ANTON VOLCHENKOV, NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Previous cap charge: $1 million

Volchenkov is a depth defenseman, likely a No. 7 on a good team and a third-pair blueliner on a team that is thin. He had a 51.68 SAT percentage in 46 games with the Predators last season, but he was insulated by Shea Weber, Roman Josi and Seth Jones.

MAREK ZIDLICKY, DETROIT RED WINGS

Previous cap charge: $4 million

Zidlicky had 11 points in 21 games with the Red Wings after being traded to Detroit by the New Jersey Devils last season. He is 38, but he's a righty who can still play on the power play. Zidlicky had six goals and 20 points on the power play of his 34 total points last season.

---