With S35 winding down and playoffs right around the corner, former first round pick Chris York sits without a contract for next season, set to become a free agent this offseason. There have been no contract talks this season between York and Toronto, so it appears there is a definite possibility of York leaving.

Other members of the S33 draft class have already signed their extensions after their initial 3 season deals.

Rankings

14. Hamilton Steelhawks

Hamilton wasn’t really a place that interested me before, but then they went through quite the turmoil last offseason, and are really without a team identity right now. It might be an interesting place in a few seasons, once their young guys can take hold, but for now, it’s a no go, despite a great opportunity for playing time.

13. Winnipeg Jets

Maybe if they were as cool as the actual Winnipeg Jets. They’re not really a team you talk about, they generate no interest really. I don’t like the brand either, yeah yeah it came before the Jets came back to Winnipeg. Logo isn’t great and I don’t like the red. Maybe I’d have a top 6 spot, but they’re already struggling to make the playoffs, and a lot of their young guys haven’t worked out. They got fever but that’s about it. It really tells you how interesting they are to me that most of my reasoning is brand.

12. Edmonton Blizzard

I’m just not really interesting in this slow rebuild. They waited too long, and they still haven’t fully committed to the rebuild. This would have been the time to do it, sell off guys like Broadway and Koroviev. They aren’t going anywhere fast, and I’m just not interested in jumping on that ship.

11. Calgary Dragons

We saw it last season, this team is aging and the end is coming. Guys will start to retire, and age will hit them and hit them hard. Only 6 players on their roster are not regressing, and only 2 players were drafted S30 or later. They seem set on riding this group into the dirt, which also means there’s zero chance for a top 6 spot. No thanks.

10. New England Wolfpack

They were a team I wanted to go to at the S33 draft. Too late now. Fuck NEW, I’m tired of you guys being the talk of the East, I’m not going to help make you better. Plus there’s no top 6 spot for me, there’s barely a top 9 spot. There are great people there but that’s not enough.

9. Texas Renegades

Despite helping to send PGF to the semi finals last season, there will likely be no reunion of York & Abes. There’s no playing time for me at all, I’d literally just be taking <a href='index.php?showuser=2015' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-62'>formx</a> ‘s spot, and I don’t want to do that to him or me.

8. West Kendall Platoon

I’m pretty sure that their entire defense could keel over at any time. I’d maybe slot into the top 6, but really, they look destined for a rebuild and I don’t want to jump to a team that would be spending my prime years rebuilding. They got some cool people, but that’s not enough. Besides, even if I was interested, <a href='index.php?showuser=1157' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-13'>Bojo</a> would probably ignore my PM about it.

7. Seattle Riot

Some super cool people there, including a few I played with in PGF. It’s not enough though to overcome the tumultuous GM changes. It’s a game of musical chairs in the Seattle front office, and the current head of the table has made some questionable moves. As nice as it would be to reunite with Cukurs & Fearghal, that’s unlikely to be enough of a draw. Good enough to get them this far up the list though.

6. Manhattan Rage

No more McZ, which is nice. Kez is a cool guy, and they could desperately use any actives they can get. They’re still a decent team in terms of age, and I’d have a top 6 spot locked up. A bunch of bumbled picks means they’re teetering on the edge of needing a full rebuild. If they can get the offence going like they used to, it would make for some fun stats I’m sure. And playing with arguably the best defenseman in the league is a big plus.

5. Los Angeles Panthers

A ton of cool people. Would seriously love to play there, if it was in the top 6. But that’s unlikely, at least for a few seasons. I would very solidly be the 6th winger on the depth chart. It would be awesome to play on a team with the guys there, but I can’t take being solidly locked into the 3rd line. If they had a top 6 spot they’d jump way up the list.

4. Minnesota Chiefs

Yeah, I hated them before the draft and told them not to draft me. I’m still not super happy with the way Baelor handled that, but whatever, that was months ago and it’s easy to forget now. There are quite a few good people there, some from my draft class, some that I know from other places, but the one thing is they’re all young. There’s a top 6 spot there, and I’d get the opportunity to play with 2 of the best players in the game, and with a great goaltender.

3. :admirals: Portland Admirals

Some good people in Portland, and based on skill alone there’s a top 6 spot there for me. To do it though they’d need to bump my former Firebirds teammate and Portland’s 6th overall pick from the same draft down. They’d need to pick me over him, which they did not do on draft day. My gut tells me they pick differently in free agency, but that is the only worry about Portland. They’ve got a great young defense core and a great young goalie. The wingers on the depth chart ahead of me are reaching age concerns, but that’s the only downside.

2. Buffalo Stampede

They were my #1 destination on draft day. There’s lots of good people and some not so good people in Buffalo. It’s probably the most conflicting place in that regard, in my opinion. I’d come in as the 5th winger, but that’s with 2 guys who are falling into regression and one guy who is inactive. That’s the only concern, but based on projections of where I’d be by next season, there’s a realistic top 6 spot there.

1. Toronto North Stars

They drafted me, and I’ve loved being here. It’s the place I want to be, and there should be a top 6 spot for me next season. The people are great, the team is great, and there’s nothing wrong with Toronto. I’d love to be back, but that’s not guaranteed at this point. The season is almost over without a contract, so it’s come to this.

Well, that’s my free agency rankings. Things can change before FA even gets here, so lots of things can change for this list on signing day. It’s come to the point where I have to actually consider leaving, and getting the feelers out there.