NHL Free Agency Preview: Defensemen

July 1 is a significant day in the National Hockey League. It's the day that unrestricted free agents are finally able to negotiate with any team they want. Even with a fading economy, it's a safe bet that money will be spent, and it will probably be spent freely by at least some teams. With this big day in mind, FanHouse offers up a position-by-position look at the top free agents, as well as some guys you may want your team to avoid.

Marquee Name

Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary Flames It's hard to make Jay Bouwmeester the marquee name, seeing as how his negotiating rights have already been traded from Florida to Calgary. But, technically speaking, he's yet to sign a contract with the Flames, so he's still set to enter the free agent market on July 1. Easily the biggest name available, his combination of youth (he's still only 25), offensive ability (15 goals in back-to-back seasons) and durability (hasn't missed a game since 2003-04) is going to make him a very, very rich man this offseason whether it's with the Flames or another team.

Proven Talents Set To Strike It Rich

Mike Komisarek, Montreal Canadiens. One of the many Montreal Canadiens eligible for unrestricted free agency, Komisarek's game is the exact opposite of Bouwmeester's, as the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Long Island native is the classic "stay-at-home" defender. He finished in the top 25 this past season with 191 hits, while he also registered 207 blocked shots, good enough for fourth most in the NHL.

Mattias Ohlund, Vancouver Canucks. Ohlund should benefit from what is a weak free agent class for defensemen and receive a significant offer on the open market. The 32-year-old is coming off a six-goal, 19-assist campaign with the Canucks, while he's averaged over 21 minutes of ice-time per game for six consecutive seasons. He's not quite as good as Bouwmeester offensively, but he could be a nice fall-back option (and at a significantly cheaper price) assuming Bouwmeester signs with the Calgary.

Francois Beauchemin, Anaheim Ducks. With Chris Pronger traded to Philadelphia, and Beauchemin set to hit free agency, the Ducks' defense is undergoing quite a makeover. Beauchemin brings a cannon of a shot from the blue line, and is capable of playing over 24 minutes per game, as he did during his entire stint with Anaheim. Coming off a 2008-09 season that saw him play just 20 games due to a knee injury.

Bargain Bin

Greg Zanon, Vancouver Canucks. Relatively unknown, the 29-year-old Zanon is one of the best shot-blockers in the NHL, finishing in the top-10 each of the past three seasons for the Predators. He set a career-high with 239 during the 2008-09 campaign, trailing only Zbynek Michalek and Brett Clark. Not a top-pairing guy by any means, and he won't provide much offensively, but as a second-or-third pairing defenseman Zanon could be a nice addition for a team that doesn't want to spend a little more on somebody like a Mike Komisarek or Rob Scuderi. Speaking of which ...

Buyer Beware

Rob Scuderi, Pittsburgh Penguins. This isn't a knock against Scuderi, because he's a fine player that's improved significantly each year he's been in the league. He was also a key part in Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup run this season. The problem, however, is that if there's a guy in this year's free agent crop with Jeff Finger potential, in a "how did he get that much money?" sort of way, it might be Scuderi. A strong penalty killer and shot-blocker, it's possible that his playoff performance, combined with a weaker free agent class, could land him a larger contract than he's probably worth. Zanon might be a cheaper option without much of a dropoff in terms of production.