Playing for a contract?

It has often been said that when the contracts of some NHL players are scheduled to expire (on June 30) after the season concludes, that their on-ice performance during the regular season and playoffs (if applicable) is often enhanced because they know a strong performance can lead to millions.

Players recognize that individual statistics and leading their teams deep in the playoffs can yield dividends in their upcoming contract negotiations and some seem to play their best before signing their next contract, rather than after they have signed.

SportsSoutheast tracked certain soon-to-be free agents during the past three seasons to see if they performed better in their "contract year" or the year after they signed their free agent contract.

In some cases, those results were striking, mystifying or downright deplorable. This year, there are several unrestricted free agents coming off "career" years or those that might be considered anomalies. See the "Buyer Beware" list below.

Statistics don't always demonstrate the true value of what a player brings to a certain team, but some provide a good inkling. We'll let you decide which players can be considered a good value.

2009

Marian Hossa • Chicago
After finishing as Stanley Cup runner up two years in a row, Hossa signed a $62.8 million deal for 12 seasons with the Blackhawks. Despite sitting out the first 25 games of the season due to an injury, Hossa responded with 24 goals and 27 assists and had three goals and 15 assists in 22 playoff games for the Hawks. In Detroit during the 2008-09 season, Hossa had 40 goals and 31 assists after signing a one-year deal in the off season with the Wings. A consistent performer and one of the best two-way forwards in the league, Hossa likely will continue to post big seasons in Chicago.

Mattias Ohlund • Tampa Bay
Former first-round pick got a $26.25 million contract from Tampa Bay for seven seasons and responded with 13 assists. That performance came after seven seasons of averaging 8.45 goals and 21 assists during his 11-year stint in Vancouver. $3.75 million seems a tall price to pay for a 33-year-old defenseman, but despite playing against other team's top lines, his plus/minus rating in 837 career games is +1.

Jaroslav Spacek • Montreal
A strong showing during his three seasons in Buffalo yielded the former fifth-round pick from the Czech Republic a three-year $11.5 million deal from Montreal beginning with the 2009-10 season. After averaging 8.5 goals, 26.75 assists and a plus/minus rating of +40 in four seasons after the lockout, Spacek had just three goals, 18 assists and +9 for the Habs in his first season in Montreal.

Brian Gionta • Montreal
Received a $1.7 million raise from the Canadiens after spending seven years under Lou Lamariello's umbrella in New Jersey. After a breakout year in 2005-06 when he scored 48 goals and added 41 assists, the former Boston College product responded with his second best output of 28 goals in 2009-10 but had just 18 assists in 61 games. In 19 playoff games he scored nine goals and added six assists. He signed a four-year deal for $20 million with Montreal.

Martin Havlat • Minnesota
After signing a $30 million deal for six years in Minnesota, Havlat responded with 18 goals and 30 assists in 73 games for the Wild. Havlat has played more than 73 games just once during his nine-year career, coincidentally in his contract year and last season in Chicago. Havlat compiled heady numbers in 2008-09 for the Blackhawks scoring 29 goals and adding 48 assists in 81 games, after averaging 20 goals, 25 assists in 55 games per season in his first seven NHL seasons. The 29-year-old Czech was a member of his country's Olympic squad in Vancouver.

Nik Antropov • Atlanta
The former 10th overall pick in the 1998 draft by the Maple Leafs, Antropov signed a $16 million, four-year deal in Atlanta and responded with his best NHL season on record. The Kazakhstan-born winger played center at times for the Thrashers and responded with 24 goals, 43 assists and a plus/minus rating of +13 in 76 games. He made $1.85 million more with the Thrashers last season than his final season in Toronto. He was dealt to the Rangers at the trade deadline during the 2008-09 season, a year in which he combined for 28 goals and 31 assists.

2008
Markus Naslund • NY Rangers
The former No. 1 pick of Pittsburgh in 1991 responded with 24 goals and 22 assists after signing to a 2-year, $8 million contract with the Rangers, a year after scoring 25 goals and adding 30 assists in Vancouver. The 46 points was his lowest point total since the 1996-97 season. Luckily for Sather, Naslund departed for Modo of the Swedish Elite League during the second year of his contract.

Kristian Huselius • Columbus
Leaving Calgary for a struggling franchise like Columbus was an interesting move, but Huselius' numbers were fairly typical for him. In his first year in Columbus, he tallied 21 goals and added 35 assists as the Jackets made their first playoff appearance. His career high for goals and points came in 2006-07 for Calgary and he improved his numbers to 23 goals and 40 assists last season in Columbus in the second year of his four-year, $19 million contract.

Sean Avery •  Dallas
What he lacks in character he makes up for in antagonizing opposing players and his own coaches. Signed to a four-year, $15.5 million contract by Dallas, the Stars gave up on him after 23 games and somehow coaxed the enigmatic Sather to re-acquire him. A fan favorite in New York because of  his on-ice antics, Avery's best season came in LA in 2005-06, when he scored 15 goals and 18 assists. Although not an offensive type, he has had two pretty good years in New York, but certainly not enough to warrant $3.875 million per year. His cap hit for NY, however, is just $1.938 million

Wade Redden • NY Rangers
The much ballyhooed $39 million contract over six seasons is yet another Sather masterpiece. After six straight seasons with 34 points or more for Ottawa from 1999-00 to 2007-08, Redden has slumped to 26 and 14 points in his first two seasons on Broadway. Prior to signing with the Rangers, Redden had six goals and 32 assists in his last season in Canada's Capitol. Looking forward to the 2010-11 season, Redden will be known as "Waiver Wire Wade."

Michal Rozsival • NY Rangers
After compiling four solid seasons for the Rangers from 2005-06 to 2008-09 when he averaged nine goals and 25 assists on the point, Rozsival scored three goals and added 20 assists last season. He has missed just eight games since coming to New York but at times looks a bit lost in his own zone. Sather rewarded Rozsival with a four-year, $20 million deal after the 2007-08 season when he had 13 goals and 25 assists.

Brian Campbell • Chicago
Campbell was traded by Buffalo to the Sharks at the trade deadline during the 2007-08 season and had eight goals and 54 assists combined and a +8 plus/minus rating. Recipient of an 8-year, $56.8 million contract in Chicago, Campbell scored seven goals and added 45 assists in his first season as a Blackhawk, and then had seven goals and 31 assists during Chicago's Stanley Cup season in 68 games. He has played in 36 playoff games since arriving in the Windy City and had a plus/minus rating of +11 for the Hawks in 19 playoff games this year.

Cristobal Huet • Chicago
Huet signed a four-year, $22.4 million contract after compiling a 32-14-10 record for the Canadiens and Capitals in 2007-08. Dealt by the Habs at the deadline, Huet was replaced by rookie Semyon Varlamov in the playoffs for the Caps and this year was replaced by rookie Antti Niemi, who led the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup championship since 1961. Since coming to the Hawks, Huet has posted a 46-29-15 record during the regular season, but for $5.65 million per year, that's a high price to pay for a now back-up. He, too, might be playing elsewhere in 2010-11.

2007
Daniel Briere • Philadelphia
Signed an 8-year deal worth $52 million prior to the 2007-08 season. In 2006-07, he had his most productive season offensively with 32 goals and 63 assists, and had 15 points in 16 playoff games for the Sabres. During his first year in Philly, he finished with one fewer goal but had 22 fewer assists and finished the season with a plus/minus rating of -22. He rebounded nicely in the playoffs, however, with nine goals and seven assists in 17 games.

Chris Drury • NY Rangers
Not known only for his offensive skills although he has always scored big goals in the the playoffs, Drury signed a five-year, $35.25 million deal with the Rangers after compiling his best season ever in Buffalo. Drury scored a career high 37 goals and added 30 assists in his final year as a Sabre. He also had eight goals and five assists in 16 playoff games. In his first year on Broadway, Drury scored a respectable 25 goals and added 33 assists, and had six points in 10 playoff games. His offensive numbers continued a downward spiral the next two seasons with the Rangers.

Scott Gomez • NY Rangers
In 2005-06, Gomez had his finest year as a pro in New Jersey with 84 points. The next season, his contract year, he had just 13 goals and 47 assists for the Devils. In his first year across the river after signing a seven-year, $51.5 million deal with the Rangers, Gomez had 16 goals and 54 assists. In 10 playoff games, he had four goals and seven assists. He had 58 points in his last season with NY before being dealt to Montreal prior to last season.

Ryan Smyth • Colorado
After being dealt at the trade deadline from Edmonton to the NY Islanders, Smyth compiled a season with 36 goals and 32 assists in 2006-07. In July, he signed a five-year, $31.25 million deal with Colorado and responded with an injury-plagued season of just 55 games, scoring 14 times and adding 23 assists. The following season he rebounded with 26 goals and 33 assists in 77 games. He was dealt to the Kings last July for Kyle Quincey, Tom Preissing and a fifth-round pick.

Michael Nylander • Washington
In his prior two seasons in New York playing with Jaromir Jagr, Nylander posted fabulous numbers for the Rangers. He had 79 points in 2005-06 and 83 points in 79 games the following season. The Caps signed Nylander to a four-year deal valued at $19 million prior to the 2007-08 season. During his next two seasons in Washington, Nylander played in only 112 games, scoring 20 goals and adding just 50 assists. Last season, after a "conditioning stint" in Grand Rapids, even though much of the Caps farmhands play in Hershey, and he eventually wound up playing for Jokerit in the Finnish Elite League. The Caps owe him $3 million for the 2010-11 season.

Jason Blake • Toronto
The diminutive center turned his career year of 40 goals and 29 assists for the NY Islanders in 2006-07 into a five-year, $20 million deal with the Leafs. In his next two seasons in Toronto, Blake scored 40 goals and added 75 assists in 160 games. After tallying 26 points in 56 games last season for the Leafs, he was dealt to Anaheim where he added 15 points in 26 games for the Ducks. The Ducks are on the hook for $6 million for the next two seasons for the now 36-year-old center.

BUYER BEWARE
After two poor seasons to close out his career in Buffalo, Maxim Afinogenov was signed by the Thrashers in Sept. and the Russian Olympian tallied 24 times and added 37 assists for Atlanta. In the two previous seasons, Afinogenov had a measly 16 goals, 32 assists and a plus/minus rating of -24 in 104 games for the Sabres.

Johan Hedberg provided much salve to the Thrashers' wounds last season, but the 37 year-old seeks a raise from the $1.175 million he earned in Atlanta. Hedberg had arguably his best season in 2009-10 as he won 21 games, had a .915 save percentage and posted a 2.62 goals-against average in 47 appearances. I guess it's just a matter of what a GM is willing to pay for a back-up goalie and a guy who is great in the room.

Winger Lee Stempniak combined for 28 goals and 20 assists for Phoenix and Toronto last season but has yet to regain the luster from his breakout season with the Blues back in 2006-07 when he scored 27 goals and added 25 assists. Toronto has been a graveyard for many players with potential who wilt under the media's microscope, but the 27-year-old from West Seneca, N.Y., may have regained his confidence under Dave Tippet in the desert.

Coming off a career high of 53 points this past season in Phoenix, Matthew Lombardi will likely seek a sizeable raise from the $1.8 million he made last season. The 28-year-old center likely will be overpaid due to the weak class of offensively-gifted centers available on the market. Lombardi has never really gotten top-line minutes but if he does, his numbers may improve significantly.

Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell hasn't played since Jan. 16 when he went down with a concussion but he has always been a solid defender as evidenced by his career plus/minus rating of +82 in 586 NHL contests. The 33-year-old has played in just 45 playoff games during his 10-year NHL career.

In a year where true shutdown defensemen are at a premium, Anton Volchenkov seems intent on making his next team pay handsomely for his services. If reports are true that he turned down a significant contract with his old team, the Ottawa Senators, then he joins the long list of Russians who believe his part is more valuable than the team's whole sum. • SSE

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