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UFA spotlight — Filip Kuba

Ottawa Senators v Florida Panthers

SUNRISE, FL - FEBRUARY 15: Filip Kuba #17 of the Ottawa Senators is congratulated by teammate Daniel Alfredsson #11 after scoring the final goal of the game against the Florida Panthers on February 15, 2012 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. The Senators defeated the Panthers 6-2. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

Joel Auerbach

All week leading up to July 1, we’ll be profiling unrestricted free agents and speculating where they might end up.

Filip Kuba (D)

Age: 35

2011-12 cap hit: $3.5 million

The skinny:

After two disappointing seasons with the Ottawa Senators, Kuba bounced back last year -- a contract year, coincidentally -- by scoring 32 points and leading the team in plus-minus (+26).

Yet barring a last-minute surprise, he won’t re-sign in Ottawa.

Kuba’s entering the twilight of his career and is a risky acquisition after his up-and-down tenure with Ottawa. But with Dennis Wideman signing a five-year, $26.25 million contract with the Calgary Flames, he’s starting to look like a legit option for teams searching for a top-four defenseman.

With Wideman gone, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ottawa trades his negotiating rights to a team afraid of ending up empty handed.

That said, let’s not mistake Kuba as Plan B for teams that miss out on Ryan Suter. He’s essentially a cheap(er) top-four option for those that couldn’t afford Suter in the first place. Kubina won’t be a game-changer, but can be a complimentary piece for a franchise that’s already on the right path.

More UFA spotlights

Ryan Suter

Zach Parise

Jason Garrison

Jiri Hudler

Justin Schultz

Shane Doan

Alexander Semin