The NHL's annual free-agent market opens on July 1 at noon ET. While it's still three months away, we felt it was worthwhile to begin our monthly monitoring of this summer's notable unrestricted free agents.
This year's crop of potential UFAs features several notable forwards and defensemen bound to garner attention if they go to market then.
Aging superstars like Tampa Bay Lightning winger Steven Stamkos and Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane should still draw considerable interest if they test the open market. Players in their prime, such as Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart and Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jake Guentzel, are poised to land the biggest contracts of their careers.