The ten-day Free Agency period begins on Saturday (here is the Free Agents List) and we're looking at some interesting names on the free agent market looking for the right fit with prospective teams. With the new RFA compensation system a number of RFAs who would never have been given offer sheets in prior year are now in play as well. Here's the top ten UFAs available in this year's free agency period.

1. Marian Hossa - Far and away the top player available in this year's free agency group, Hossa is coming off a WCHL Championship with the Calgary Flames, who simply couldn't afford his large salary. While he probably won't get max dollars now that the salary limit has been raised to a lofty $11.88 million/year, there's a good chance he'll be the highest earning player in the WCHL next season and perhaps years to come.

2. Kristian Huselius - Huselius might be a surprise pick at number 2 on this list, and perhaps it's a sign of the gap in quality between Hossa and the rest of the pack, but don't let his name fool you. He has the stuff to be a first line winger on the vast majority of teams in the league. His passing and puckhandling are excellent and his 16 points in 20 playoff games for the Rangers contributed significantly to the Rangers' playoff run. His previous salary of $2.75 million could be doubled this off-season.

3. Mike Knuble - The 38 year old former Penguin might not have a lot of gas left in the tank, but he'll easily be a top line option for a couple more seasons. Knuble was essentially the odd man out in Pittsburgh with Markov, Kane, Jackman, Brown, Ryan and Fleury all needing new contracts and like Huselius, he could be due for a huge raise from him $3 million salary he was previously earning. However, there are some big questions about his ability to come up big when needed as his Pens have always struggled at the end of the season. Was he the problem? We'll see.

4. Evgeni Nabokov - This guy spent the year living out of a suitcase jumping from Anaheim, to Minnesota and finally to Toronto, sliding down the ladder from a top team to one of the worst. He's not in the NHL anymore, but that doesn't mean he isn't extremely useful to a WCHL team looking for a high-end goalie. Currently a top-5 goalie in the league, his value over the next two seasons should be maintained, though any team that signs him long term takes on some risk. It wouldn't be far-fetched to see him take in $7 million+ on a 3 or 4 year deal, particularly for a team with a rather large hole to fill in net.

5. Sergei Fedorov - Fedorov isn't the guy he was ten years ago, but on a one year deal, he is definitely a guy any team looking for leadership and experience might want. In a free agent period devoid of strong centremen, he's perhaps the best option out there. Playing on the second line of a stacked Pittsburgh squad, he could easily fill a similar role or better on most teams in the league.

6. Chris Phillips - Considering Montreal's lack of depth on defense, it was a surprise that Phillips was not re-signed during the season. Perhaps he simply saw himself as the top defenseman up for grabs and the Habs simply couldn't meet his contract demands? If that is the case, he and his agent guessed correctly and he'll be in for a raise on his $4.25 million contract. While it might seem insane, supply and demand might dictate that Phillips is worth $6 million+ to a team this off-season.

7. Michal Rozsival - The first of two Islanders blueliners on this list, like Phillips it was a surprise Rozsival was not re-signed this off-season. Averaging almost 4 hits per game in the playoffs, he's bound to be an attractive addition to any team, and the competition for his services could be deep.

8. Robyn Regehr - The 30 year old Regehr is a stronger, less-skilled version of Rozsival. It wasn't too long ago that he was in the discussion as one of the top defenseman in the league, so his name alone might be enough to fetch a large contract. He should slot in on someone's second defensive pairing, though it also wouldn't surprise anyone to see him land on a weaker team in a quest for more ice time and a greater role.

9. Toni Lydman - The New York Rangers had no room for Lydman with a group of younger defensemen leap-frogging him on the depth chart. He is probably due for a raise from his previous $1.75 million salary but he should slide in to the 2-3 slot on someone's roster and would act as a great counter-balance to a run-and-gun defensive partner.

10. Brooks Orpik - The former Flyers defenseman who made $3.35 million/year in his last contract is coming off a rather disappointing playoffs but will probably be looking at more cash in his pocket this off-season. He brings a rough and tumble game and while he certainly won't lead any corps of defense in scoring, he'll be a stabilizing force in his own end. The big question is whether he can stay out of the penalty box, which he had trouble doing in the playoffs averaging almost 4 minutes per game.