With NHL free agency getting started on July 1^st, we’re going to take a quick look around the league to see who is available and who the best option is.

Continuing on with our free agent rankings, today we’ll take a look at the defensemen that are available. The list is a little bit longer so I tried to rank the top 15 available defensemen as opposed to the top 10 goalies that are hitting the market.

Defensemen are a lot harder to rank because every team wants something different. I could rank them based on offensive performance, but then I’m ignoring some of the better “defensive defensemen”. So keep that in mind when reading below whom I think are top 15 available on July 1^st.

1. Jay Bouwmeester (Florida) – It’s hard to argue that Bouwmeester isn’t the top d-man available on July 1^st. Websites and blogs went crazy around the trade deadline with tons of scenarios of where he could be traded to. Florida decided to hang on to him at the time in hopes of making the playoffs, but they fell just short and Jay-Bo is as good as gone. Former Florida GM Jacques Martin must have known this and took off to coach the Montreal Canadiens this upcoming season.

He played in all 82 games for Florida last season racking up 42 points in the process. He has six years of NHL experience playing in all 82 games in five of those six seasons and he is only 25 years old. I suppose based on those facts one could say he is definitely worthy of the big payday, but I’d be hesitant to throw the bank at him. We saw how that worked out for Chicago last off-season and I’m willing to bet they would love a way out of Brian Campbell’s enormous contract.

If Florida is smart (highly doubtful), they will trade his rights before July 1^st so they at least get something for him. Word is the Flyers are doing everything in their power to acquire his rights. In a recent Palm Beach Post article, it was said that “Bouwmeester, who is building a house in Edmonton, has made it known he wants to play somewhere hockey is taken more seriously than in South Florida."

2. Rob Blake (San Jose) – Rob Blake has consistently been one of the better defensemen in the league, but at age 39 he is running out of time. He tallied his best season last year with San Jose since his 2005-06 campaign with Colorado. He finished the regular season by playing in 73 games, tallying 45 points and finishing +15.

Blake made a cool five million last season so that is enough to scare off most teams. I’d say his best bet would be to stay in San Jose for another season or two before hanging up the skates. I could see San Jose signing him back since they were very successful during the regular season before choking it all way in the first round. The tandem of Blake and Boyle is something I’d want to hang on to if I were a GM. Then again, San Jose might go in a completely different direction after their most recent playoff debacle.

3. Mathieu Schneider (Montreal) – Schneider came to Montreal before the trade deadline and made an immediate impact with the Habs before getting injured and missing the rest of the season. In 44 games with the Thrashers last season he had 15 points and was a -10. In the following 23 games with Montreal, he had 17 points and finished -2. Schneider is no spring chicken but I think he would be a valuable asset to a team looking for help on the power play this upcoming year. Anything more than a one year deal might be a bit much though. I would have zero issues with my team signing him, assuming it was a reasonable short-term deal.

4. Steve Montador (Boston) – Like Schneider, Montador was a trade deadline acquisition except he went to Boston. He is a perfect example of what I wrote about before starting the rankings in terms of point production alone. This guy isn’t going to light up any scoreboards, but I would LOVE to have him on my team. He has that “Don’t Take Crap from Anyone” attitude that I love in a blue liner (when he isn’t playing my team). With him only being 29, I’d jump for joy if my team signed the guy to at least a three year deal. In fact, please excuse me while I write a letter to the GM.

5. Rob Scuderi (Pittsburgh) – Rob Scuderi is another type of defenseman I would love to see playing in Buffalo. He has shown he is durable by playing in 78, 71 and 81 regular season games in the past three seasons for Pittsburgh. This past season was his best in term of plus/minus finishing +23. The previous two seasons he was a +3 which is still good overall. Scuderi is only 30 years old and will no doubt be looking for a raise after only making $750,000 this past season. If Pittsburgh can’t bring him back, look for them to trade his rights like they did for Ryan Malone last off-season.

6. Mattias Ohlund (Vancouver) – Ohlund hits the market after spending his entire career with Vancouver. He has been a very consistent defenseman in the points department finishing with 30, 35, 20, 28, 36, 29, 34, 33, 31, 24 and 25 respectively. He made $3.5 million this past season for the Canucks and a contract similar to that is to be expected. He is only 32 so whichever team locks him down can do it with a solid three or four year deal and expect the same point production he has given in the past. I’m not sure if Vancouver will bring him back, only because of the fact that they need to deal with the Sedin twins and I would assume that they are the top priority.

7. Jaroslav Spacek (Buffalo) – I’ve been a fan of Spacek for most of his tenure in Buffalo, then again, it’s nice to see a defenseman actually score once in a while. He has said publicly that he doesn’t want to go somewhere new and start over again, but he would need to take a pay cut to stay in Buffalo and I just can’t see him doing that. This past season was his best with Buffalo playing in 80 games and finishing with 45 points. Like I said, I would like to see him back with the Sabres but it would need to be for less than the $3.3 million he made in his last deal.

8. Marc-Andre Bergeron (Minnesota) – Bergeron made approx. $1.7 million this past season in Minnesota and he produced accordingly. He had 32 points and was a +5 in 72 regular season games. At the age of 28, he is still a little raw in the experience department but some team will be calling for his services. I could see him getting a little bit of a pay increase but he shouldn’t get any more than $2.5 million per season.

9. Nick Boynton (Florida) – Lucky for Florida, they have two defenseman in the top 10 (and a goalie in the top 10 as well). Boynton is only 30 years old with seven years of NHL experience. He has had some durability issues in the past playing in 54, 59, 79 and 68 games in the past four seasons. This past season was his best statistically as he finished with 21 points and was +7. If Florida loses Jay-Bo on July 1^st (they will), they should look to sign Boynton so not all is lost.

10. Adrian Aucoin (Calgary) – Some might ask what my criteria is for coming up with these rankings and to be honest, there are several factors that go into it. For instance, last season Aucoin played in 81 games and finished with 34 points which is much better than Nick Boynton who is listed above. However, Aucoin also made $4 million last season (Boynton made approx. $2.95) and Aucoin is five years older. So if I were playing GM I might value Boynton a little bit more because he is younger and would help my cap situation slightly. Aucoin has also only played 70+ regular season games seven times in 15 seasons which is also something that might concern me.

11. Paul Mara (NY Rangers) – I’ve seen quite a few Rangers games and Mara isn’t exactly someone who strikes fear in me when he is on the ice. In fact, his play has dropped off dramatically since tallying 47 points in 2005-06 with Phoenix (23, 17 and 21). He has a career plus/minus of -95 which isn’t exactly a bargaining chip when going to the table this summer with league GM’s. However, his salary was only $1.95 million which isn’t much considering some of the other deals that will be flying around. If the Rangers are still trying to keep their fantasy team together, he’ll most likely be back with the Rangers next season.

12. Derek Morris (NY Rangers) – Morris was a trade deadline acquisition that basically had no impact for the Rangers as they choked in yet another post-season appearance. Kudos to the Rangers for giving it the old college try though. He was fairly productive in terms of points after only getting 12 points in 57 games with Phoenix, finishing with another eight in 18 for the Rangers. (I guess it makes a difference when you’re playing on a real NHL team). Regardless, his contract is a hefty $3.95 million and if he is looking to make anything around that, I’d rather he go to another team than mine because that money would be better off going to someone else.

13. Hal Gill (Pittsburgh) – Hal Gill hasn’t been the most durable defenseman for Pittsburgh, but has been one of the better ones. He only had 10 points in 62 games this season, but finished +11 which in my book is a pretty decent number. Before his injury plagued season a year ago, He finished two campaigns in Toronto scoring 20 points in both and finishing in the positives in both. He is a sound defenseman who hasn’t finished worse than -4 since the 1998-99 season. With a price tag of $2.1 million, I wouldn’t mind seeing him suit up for my team.

14. Jordan Leopold (Calgary) – In yet another trade deadline acquisition, Leopold was sent to Calgary to help them finally win the Stanley Cup. Obviously the Flames failed in that bid and Leopold didn’t really produce the way he was expected. In 64 games with Colorado he racked up 20 points, but was a - 10. In the following 19 games in Calgary, he only had four points and was a -5. He only made $1.5 million, but I don’t see anything in him that can’t be found in the AHL. If my team signed him I would just shrug my shoulders and sigh a little bit. In fact, if Buffalo made any play for Leopold I would have to wonder what exactly he brings to the table that Nathan Paetsch can’t already.

15. Karlis Scrastins (Florida) – Rounding out the top 15 is yet another Florida Panther. Scrastins played in 80 games last season racking up 18 points and finished +9. While those numbers are decent, they are somewhat misleading. Before last season, the last time he played in 70+ games was in 2005-06 with Colorado. Before last season, the last time he finished with a +1 or better was in 2003-04 with Colorado. So as you can see, he might be a decent pickup at the right price, but most GM’s might be leery of signing him to anything major or long-term. I can see Florida bringing him back as well to help hide the fact that they royally screwed up the Jay-Bo situation.

Yesterday, Devin gave us his preview of the National League heading into the 2009 season. Today, we'll take a look at the American League as we head into the start of the regular season, which begins on Sunday night. The AL offered up some surprises last year, most particularly, the emergence of the Tampa Bay Rays was the dominant story of the 2008 MLB season.

As with Devin's preview, this is just a general overview of each of the teams, nothing too in depth. My personal predictions are at the end of the article and if you happen to decide to pull a Pete Rose and head to Vegas, make sure you send me my cut.

AL EAST:

Tampa Bay Rays - The Rays were the talk of last season as they came out of nowhere to end up representing the American League in the World Series. They fell a little short of winning it all, but most of the same roster returns along with a few additions. Most notably, Pat Burrell comes over from the team that defeated them for the championship. Burrell will DH for the Rays after hitting 33 HRs and driving in 86 runs last year in Philly. Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria hopes to avoid a sophomore jinx and take Tampa back to the postseason.

Boston Red Sox - The Red Sox return pretty much the exact same roster that took those Tampa Rays to 7 games in the 2008 ALCS after an offseason suprisingly void of moves. Their starting rotation one of the more solid lineups in MLB as they bring a 1-5 of Beckett, Matsuzaka, Lester, Wakefield, and Brad Penny. Add in closer Jonathon Papelbon and the only possible question mark for the Sox bullpen is their middle relief. The AL East will be a battle again this year and Boston will contend as has become the norm over the past several years.

New York Yankees - The Yankees apparently didn't enjoy missing the postseason for the first time in 14 years. That combined with opening a new stadium this year contributed to the Yankees opening up the bottomless wallet for the two biggest free agents on the market this offseason. C.C. Sabathia and Mark Texiera are now significantly wealthier and ready to don the pinstripes this season. Those two will need to make an impact right off the bat as the Yankees look to move past an offseason focused on Alex Rodriguez admitted steroid use, coupled with a hip injury which will keep him out of the lineup until May at the least. Like the Red Sox, the Yankees have plenty of starting pitching and perhaps the best closer ever, but their middle relief remains a question mark.

Toronto Blue Jays - The Blue Jays finished 11 games back in the division last season and didn't do much to improve themselves in the offseason either. They lost starting pitcher A.J. Burnett and added no significant acquisitions at all. While Toronto did allow the fewest runs in the MLB last year, they'll continue to have trouble scoring runs as well. Roy Halladay is a perrenial Cy Young candidate, but he can't do it alone. Standing pat will keep the Blue Jays sitting in the 4 hole in this division.

Baltimore Orioles - Quick, everybody that isn't an Orioles fan, name me 3 players off their roster. Baltimore turned over a large number of players from their roster in this offseason, problem is, the new names aren't anymore familiar than the old ones. The worst starting pitching in the AL, has been hopefully bolstered by bringing in Koji Uehara from Japan, but on the brightside, you can't get any worse than last. Baltimore's elevator only has one button on it, and it's marked B for basement.

AL CENTRAL:

Chicago White Sox - The Central's defending champs have given their roster a bit of a facelift heading into 2009, particularly in the pitching department. Gone is Javier Vazquez from the rotation, replaced by the aging Bartolo Colon, who started only 7 games last year for Boston. Veterans Joe Thome, A.J. Pierzynski, and Paul Konerko hope to lead the offense to a repeat postseason appearance, but Chicago will likely struggle to get as many wins as they enjoyed last year.

Minnesota Twins - Minnesota missed the playoffs by the slimmest of margins last year, losing a tiebreaking 163rd game against the White Sox to determine the division winner. The Twins expect to remain in the hunt this season. They made few moves in the offseason, but adequately filled holes, including bringing over Joe Crede from Chicago to play 3rd base as well as adding Luis Ayala to the bullpen to replace Dennys Reyes. The Twins have one of the best young rotations around if they can stay healthy and perform up to their capabilities, with Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano as the anchors. I think they have what it takes to move past Chicago to the top of the division in 2009.

Cleveland Indians - Cleveland struggled with injuries last year and despite being one of the favorites to win the Central, only managed a .500 record. The front office brought in a good deal of help to try and get the Indians to bounce back in '09. Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez need to return to the form they are capable of to help Cleveland's offense, but the Indians' biggest concern has to be focused on their pitching. Cliff Lee is a solid ace, but Fausto Carmona needs to produce again along with questionable offseason addition Carl Pavano. Speaking of question marks, the Indians signed Kerry Wood to be their closer this year, and I think it's safe to say that everyone is quite aware of his injury history. If things fall the right way in Cleveland, the Indians will be back in contention for a spot in the playoffs.

Kansas City Royals - Generally speaking, the Royals are the AL's equivalent to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL. They don't retain their talent and they never really compete. They just kind of exist to help fill out everybody else's schedules. The most notable pickup this offseason for the Royals was Coco Crisp in centerfield, which is a bonafied upgrade. Kyle Farnsworth was added to the bullpen and he's shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but tends to be inconsistent more often than not. The Royals' all right handed starting rotation is lead by Gil Meche and Zach Greinke, both of whom had winning records and sub 4.00 ERAs last year. KC won't contend for the postseason, but they may be an improved team from 2008.

Detroit Tigers - Thank God for 2006, otherwise my entire existence as a Tigers fan would be mired in complete misery. After making huge moves in the 2008 offseason, Detroit was predicted to battle for not only the AL Central title, but quite possibley the AL and MLB titles. Instead, they managed to return to form and finish last in their division. Gone are Edgar Renteria, Pudge Rodriguez, and more recently, and surprisingly, Gary Sheffield. Gerald Laird and Adam Everett should be upgrades defensively over Rodriguez and Renteria respectively, and that's where the Tigers need the most help. The team scored runs last year, but their pitching was pretty much awful. Justin Verlander desperately needs to return to form and Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney need to be healthy this year to avoid another disasterous year from the bullpen. The Tigers should certainly improve over last year's poor effort, but it's doubtful they'll be battling for a spot in the playoffs.

AL WEST:

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - The Angels had the best record in baseball last season and were the only team to make it to 100 wins. Despite those facts, the LAAoA (as I like to refer to them) were unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs by the Red Sox in 4 games. Added to that, Mark Texiera and Frankie Rodriguez are now in NY, for the Yankees and Mets respectively. Rodriguez broke the MLB record with 62 saves last season and that's not going to be easily replaced. Brian Fuentes and his 30 saves come over from Colorado to take over the closer role. The Angels also signed Bobby Abreu in an attempt to regain some of the offense lost by Texiera heading East. The best new for the LAAoA is that they won their division by a ridiculous 21 games last season, so they have some breathing room. They'll likely repeast as West champs, but the real question is will they make it out of the first round of the playoffs.

Texas Rangers - The '08 Rangers scored the most runs of any team in the American League. The problem lies in the fact that they gave up the most runs in the Majors. The Rangers seem to be going with the gameplan of coasting through 2009 and waiting for their very deep farm system to payoff in the future. The Rangers have one of the best up and comers in the league in Josh Hamilton, who hit for a .304 avg, 32 HRs, and 130 RBIs in 2008. Texas will be relying on some very young pitching this year to get innings under their belt and build for the future. They will likely be a middle of the road team in the AL, which seems to be fine with management.

Oakland Athletics - GM Billy Beane has altered his normal plan a bit coming into 2009. The A's had the worst offense in the league last season but have provided help in signing Jason Giambi and Matt Holiday in the offseason. Holiday brings his .321 batting average along with 25 HRs and 88 RBIs over from Colorado, but the obvious question everybody has is how will he fare away from Coors Field and some possibly inflated numbers. At any rate, he's a far superior hitter to anybody else Oakland has to offer. The A's pitching is made up of guys you wouldn't exactly consider household names, but they may prove serviceable enough with the upgraded offense.

Seattle Mariners - Seattle brought back a very familiar face in Ken Griffey, Jr. this offseason. Jr. will likely end his career right where it started and if healthy, should provide a decent pop to the offense alongside fellow offseason pickup Russell Branyan. Several of the Mariners big name players are in contract season, which might help them boost their performances, though it's questionable where it'll leave Seattle next year. Adrian Beltre, Erik Bedard, and reliever Miguel Batista will all be playing for bigger paydays in 2010. The Mariners should improve on their 61-101 performance from last year, but will still be floundering near the bottom of the American League.

Predictions:
AL East - New York Yankees
AL Central - Minnesota Twins
AL West - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Wild Card - Tampa Bay Rays

First Round: Yankees over Twins
First Round: Rays over Angels

AL Champion: Tampa Bay Rays

--We’ll be posting our picks round by round for the NHL playoffs and encourage you to participate as well. Email either of us with your picks, or leave them in the comment section prior to the start of the first series and we will also post your results along with ours. This will be done on a round by round basis and the full rules and details will be posted at season's end.

We’ll also be doing the same thing with the NBA playoffs, so if anybody is interested, the same rules will apply.

We also have a public group at ESPN.com for “Streak for the Cash” and invite anybody and everybody to join. You can join right here.--