The NHL free agent signing period doesn’t start until Friday at noon, ET, but teams have been allowed to talk to potential free agents since Saturday. Scorers are in short supply, as are impact defensemen, particularly right-shot defensemen.
Here is a ranking of the top 20 potential unrestricted free agents:
1. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning, center: The bidding on Stamkos could reach an average salary of more than $11 million per season, which would make him the NHL’s highest-paid player.
The Lightning have offered Stamkos a contract around$8.5 million, and general manager Steve Yzerman said Saturday at the NHL draft that he isn’t ruling out re-signing Stamkos.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens are teams expected to make offers.
2. Milan Lucic, Los Angeles Kings, left wing: The uniqueness of Lucic is that he can score 20 goals, register 50 points and be an intimidating presence. Wouldn’t he be perfect playing alongside the Sedin twins in Vancouver or helping protect the young Edmonton Oilers stars? Half of the league’s teams will talk to Lucic, including the Boston Bruins who traded him to the Kings last summer.
3. Loui Eriksson, Boston Bruins, right wing: With many teams looking for additional scoring, Eriksson, 30, will be among the most popular free agents. He can score 20-30 goals per season.
4. David Backes, St. Louis Blues, center: He’s the kind of player every coach wants on his bench. He’s a born leader, a prickly competitor, and he can still score. The only drawback: he’s 33.
5. Kyle Okposo, New York Islanders, right wing: Okposo has scored 67 goals over the past three seasons. Would be a good fit for the Philadelphia Flyers or New Jersey Devils.
6. Andrew Ladd, Chicago Blackhawks, left wing: Ladd is a top-six forward with some bite in his game. It would help the Blackhawks if they can figure out how to keep him. But they couldn’t find a way to keep Andrew Shaw. It’s not unthinkable that Ladd would return to the Winnipeg Jets.
7. Mikkel Boedker, Colorado Avalanche, right wing: He registered 51 points last season, and there aren't many players available who can play among the top six forwards. Plus, he is an excellent skater, and teams are increasingly looking to add speed to their lineup.
8. Troy Brouwer, Blues, right wing: Helped his cause with a gritty playoff performance. He’s 6-3, 215 pounds and he scored 18 goals. Plenty to like about his game.
9. Jason Demers, Dallas Stars, right defenseman: He’s solid, dependable, and he shoots right-handed. In some cases, that’s enough to make you a $5 million player.
10. Frans Nielsen, Islanders, center: Highly respected around the league because he contributes as a penalty killer, skilled offensive player and as a savvy defensive forward.
11. Dan Hamhuis, Vancouver Canucks, left defenseman: He’s 33 now, but he is still a reliable, consistent two-way defender. Perfect for a general manager just looking to plug a hole on defense.
12. Eric Staal, New York Rangers, center: The interest level in Staal will be dependent upon his asking price. If he wants a long-term contract with a superstar average salary, his list of suitors will be shorter. He isn’t the offensive force he once was. But he is still a smart competitor who can help you win.
13. Thomas Vanek, Minnnesota Wild, right wing: Even though the Wild bought out Vanek, he will draw interest if his asking price is reasonable. Too many teams are looking for added scoring. He has scored 20 or more goals 10 times in a season.
14. Jiri Hudler, Florida Panthers, right wing: What you have to decide is whether Hudler is the 76-point scorer he was in 2014-15 or the 46-point scorer he was last season.
15. Kyle Quincey, Detroit Red Wings, left defenseman: With 495 NHL games on his resume, he is more marketable than you think he is.
16. Lee Stempniak, New Jersey Devils, forward: He has proven that he can be a versatile forward who can play on either the second or third line and provide secondary scoring.
17. David Perron, Anaheim Ducks, left wing: Played much better for the Ducks than he did for the Penguins last season. He has offensive sparkle, but he hasn’t been consistent in his production.
18. Brian Campbell, Panthers, left defenseman: At 37, Campbell had 31 points last season. He could be a short-term remedy for a team waiting for defensemen to mature.
19. Kris Russell, Dallas Stars, left shot defenseman: He’s only 5-11, but he can have a big impact as a shot blocker. He has played 573 NHL games.
20. Teddy Purcell, Panthers, right wing: Good fit for a team looking for secondary scoring. You can pencil him in for 12-14 goals per season.