NHL free agency begins July 1, and there will be teams ravenous to upgrade their talent. In a market short of topnotch defensemen, even restricted free agents will be a temptation.
Take Seth Jones off the list. The Blue Jackets on Wednesday cut a six-year, $32.4 million deal with Jones, a rising player at 21 who could be the team's best blue-line player for years to come. http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/blogs/puck-rakers/2016/06/report-jones-signs-six-year-deal.html
What to watch for before Friday's opening of the free-agent market? Sign-and-trade agreements. Star Player A agrees to go to a new team, signs with his 2015-16 team and gets swapped.