from Travis Yost of TSN,

If I told you one of the league’s better 5-on-5 scorers was still available in unrestricted free agency, would you believe me?

Such is life right now for veteran winger Jiri Hudler, who seems to be feeling a bit of the salary cap squeeze as he pursues his next contract.

Hudler, now 32 years old, has undoubtedly seen his best hockey years come and go. But he is still a player who has produced at tremendous rates over the last few seasons. At even strength, we are talking about a guy who has sat top-20 league wide, sandwiched between the likes ofJoe Thornton, Rick Nash, Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone. That’s pretty great company, and for the record, pretty well-paid company.

Hudler is one of those players who fly under the radar as an offensive threat. He doesn’t have a booming shot or the sleekest brand of skating, and he isn’t the type to stickhandle his way out of a phone booth. I can understand why management groups might undervalue or underestimate what he can do for a team.

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