from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

- The following goalies who saw NHL playing time this past season could be out of the league in 2015-16: Viktor Fasth, Ray Emery, Jonas Gustavsson, Dan Ellis, Jason LaBarbera, Curtis McElhinney, Rob Zepp, Scott Clemmensen, and John Curry. All of these goalies will be unrestricted on July 1.

The market has become so saturated that veteran goalies without job security are at risk of premature career irrelevance. The position is so competitive that Group 6 free agent Niklas Svedberg, still only 25, believed a one-year deal with Salavat Yulaev of the KHL was more secure than waiting by his phone after July 1 in anticipation of an NHL call not to his liking. The competitiveness of the market indicates that goaltending will continue to improve next year. Teams have more young goalies under contract in their systems to play No. 2 roles.

- Joel Ward had an excellent postseason. Washington’s burly right wing scored three goals and six assists in 14 games while averaging 19:02 of ice time. outing. He played alongside Alex Ovechkin early, then shifted to a lower role when coach Barry Trotz sought better balance throughout the lineup. Through two rounds, Ward was the league leader in his team’s shot attempts taken minus allowed (plus-73) when he was on the ice. Ward was a regular threat around the net, where defenders had a hard time moving his 6-1, 226-pound frame.

In normal circumstances, Ward, who will be unrestricted on July 1, would be hitting the market at the right time. But he has two things that are not in his factor: his age (34) and the expected stagnancy in the cap. Last summer, Benoit Pouliot set the market for third-line UFAs. The ex-Bruin signed a five-year, $20 million contract with Edmonton. But Pouliot was 27. Ward’s ceiling is likely to be a three-year, $12 million deal. But even three years is a risky signing for a player of Ward’s age and job description.

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