from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,

As the stock of contract-year players fluctuates with their performance this season, we rank the 15 most valuable pending UFAs left on the board for July 1.

1. Mike Ribeiro
Age on July 1: 35
Position: Centre
2014-15 cap hit: $1.05 million

Contract year report: David Poile's low-risk gamble has paid off big-time, but now he (or someone else) will have to pay up. A resurgent Ribeiro has racked up a team-high 54 points (43 of them even-strength) for a major Western Conference threat.

Latest dirt: "I don't see the rush to sign during the season," Ribeiro told Fox Sports on Feb. 13. "I think I'll just wait for the season to be over and then we can talk. I don't see the rush now, at 35 years old, to rush anything. I think I'll just keep playing the way I'm playing. Make the playoffs. Try to make a run here. If the team does well, then it'll be easier to sign."

2. Cody Franson
Age on July 1: 27
Position: Defence
2014-15 cap hit: $3.3 million

Contract year report: After three consecutive one-year deals, Franson has stepped up his game with unrestricted free agency in sight and earned his trade back to Nashville. He already has a career high in points (29). A career year for a big body with a nasty point shot. Stock raised.

Latest dirt: Franson is expected to swing for the fences on a multi-year deal this summer, unless Nashville presents an extension he can't refuse. He even said he'd be open to a Toronto return. “Obviously going to Nashville now puts me in a different situation. You go a team like that, and if things go well, you never know what can happen," he told Sportsnet 590 The Fan. “If it does come down to that point, of me being ready to hit the open market, I’m definitely going to listen if Toronto is on the phone.”

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