Way-Too-Early Ranking of the Top 10 NHL Players Heading to Free Agency in 2024

Free agency is a lot of things to a lot of people.

Some fans consider it a pox on the sports world because it tends to keep players from spending their entire careers with one franchise. But athletes (and their tax attorneys) love it because it gives them freedom of movement and does wonders for the bottom line.

And it's hard to argue it helps teams turn quickly from mediocrity to contention.

There's a new batch of would-be momentum changers each year as contracts run out, and the B/R hockey team took a look at the players on track to be available as unrestricted free agents come July 1, 2024. Those due to become restricted free agents were not considered because they more often than not sign deals that'll keep them with their original teams.

Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought of your own in the comments.

Patrick Kane, Detroit Red Wings: The three-time Cup champion winger signed a $2.75 million deal with the Red Wings nine days after turning 35 and has a goal and three assists in seven games. Pending results, he could still be an attractive add in July.

Teuvo Teräväinen, Carolina Hurricanes: The Finnish-born winger is wrapping up a five-year, $27 million contract with the Hurricanes and his 11 goals in 31 games have him on pace to beat the career high of 23 he netted in 2017-18.

Brett Pesce, Carolina Hurricanes: He doesn't light the stat sheet ablaze like Erik Karlsson, but the 29-year-old is a steady blue-line presence with a team that's usually one of the league's best when it comes to limiting opposition goals.

James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins: The 34-year-old veteran is a presence in the locker room even if he isn't the decisive offensive force he used to be. His complementary point production, 20 points in 28 games, has been worth the $1 million price tag.

Shayne Gostisbehere, Detroit Red Wings: A 5'11", 180-pound defenseman, Gostisbehere is on his fourth team since 2020. He's reached double-digit goals in three of his last four seasons in which he's played 70 or more games.

Max Domi, Toronto Maple Leafs: It's hard to believe Domi is still just 28 years old considering he was drafted in 2013 and has suited up for seven teams. He scored 20 goals with Chicago and Dallas last season but has become more of a playmaker in his time with Leafs with 15 assists in 29 games.

It's hard to remember Jonathan Marchessault had three NHL stops before Vegas.

He arrived as a free agent with Columbus in 2012 and later played two seasons in Tampa Bay with another in Florida before he was plucked by the roster-assembling Golden Knights in the 2017 expansion draft.

These days, after six seasons in the Nevada desert, have yielded a Stanley Cup and made him one of the popular faces of the franchise, it's hard to imagine him anywhere else.

It could happen, though, considering he's still a productive player nearing the end of a six-year, $30 million contract and the team isn't exactly overflowing with cap space.

With 15 goals in 33 games this season, Marchessault could be a solid veteran option for a goal-hungry team.

Have snipe, will travel.

Russian-born winger Vladimir Tarasenko is a product of the modern player-moving era, suiting up with his third team in the last 12 months.

He scored 262 goals in parts of 11 seasons with St. Louis from 2012-13 through last winter when he was dealt to the New York Rangers for a would-be playoff run. It didn't materialize past the first round, though, and he and his 11 goals across 38 regular and postseason games were soon off to Ottawa, where he signed a one-year, $5 million deal in July.

The Senators' lean toward youth may ultimately send the newly-minted 32-year-old elsewhere, though six goals in 24 games won't exactly create a feeding frenzy. Nevertheless, Tarasenko has a track record of success and a possible trade to a contending team at the trade deadline could boost his value.

It's a good time to be a good NHL defenseman.

Former first-round pick Brady Skjei has evolved into a reliable blue-line presence since signing a six-year, $31.5 million deal with the New York Rangers in 2018 and taking his talents to Carolina after a trade-deadline deal in 2020.

His last two seasons with the Hurricanes have seen the smooth puck-moving defenseman establish career highs in goals (18), assists (30), points (39) and plus-minus rating (+22), and he'll certainly be an attractive target for teams looking to boost their top-four stability on the back end.

And if an extension seems unlikely in a couple months, he could travel at the deadline again.

The fifth overall choice in the 2015 draft, Noah Hanifin debuted in the league just three months later with the Carolina Hurricanes.

He spent three seasons in the mid-Atlantic and boosted his point totals in each before he and forward Elias Lindholm were part of a blockbuster trade with Calgary that saw fellow defensemen Dougie Hamilton and Adam Fox head East.

Hanifin signed a six-year, $29.7 million deal two months after the trade and has been a workhorse, playing 70 or more games in three of four seasons and scoring a career-high 48 points in 81 games in 2021-22.

Along with the aforementioned Skjei one slot before, the 6'3", 205-pounder will be a hot commodity on the open market if he and the Flames can't agree to keep him in town.

If there's a franchise with a face, it's the Tampa Bay Lightning and Steven Stamkos.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 draft has been with the Lightning for each and every moment of his NHL career, racking up 515 goals and a pair of Stanley Cups across his first 15 seasons and starting No. 16 with 31 points in his first 29 games.

Still, the eight-year, $68 million deal he signed in 2016 will wrap up at the end of this season and it'll be a challenge for GM Julien BriseBois to work a then-34-year-old into a salary structure that's already got eight players owed $5 million or more for 2024-25.

"I've stated that I think it would be great for the organization for Steven to finish his career here," BriseBois told The Athletic. "He wants that. But what we want is for Steven to finish off his career in Tampa and for the club to continue to be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders for the remainder of his tenure."

They arrived together. Now we'll see if they leave together.

Elias Lindholm went to Calgary as part of the aforementioned trade that sent him and teammate Noah Hanifin from Carolina to the Flames in exchange for Dougie Hamilton and Adam Fox.

The Swedish center signed a six-year, $29.1 million deal soon after getting to Alberta and he's been reliable if not exactly consistent, registering intermittently high watermarks of 27 goals and 78 points in 2018-19 and 42 goals and 82 points in 2021-22.

"It's still early (in the season)," GM Craig Conroy said in October, "and the one thing he's come out and said is he wants to be a Flame. Now, it's just to work out the dollar figures."

Tyler Toffoli's getting to be one of those guys, too.

Now 31, the 6', 197-pound winger was drafted by Los Angeles in 2010 and spent parts of eight seasons there before a trade to Vancouver started a vagabond run that's seen him play for the Canucks, Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames and New Jersey Devils since 2020.

He's provided instant offense in each of the stops, including 28 in 52 games with the Canadiens in 2020-21 and 34 in 82 games with Calgary last season. He came to the Devils in a summertime trade and has begun the final year of a four-year, $17 million deal with 13 goals and 23 points in 29 games.

"For the contract stuff, it's one of those things where you have to go into the season and work," Toffoli told NJ.com. "Then everything will work itself out."

Kyle Dubas is hoping this guy never actually sees UFA status.

The Pittsburgh GM recognizes 29-year-old winger Jake Guentzel as an important part of a payroll that's already got a number of Hall of Fame-bound big-ticket items in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

Guentzel has scored 40 goals twice, hit 36 last season, and, with 14 goals in 30 games to start 2023-24, is on pace to reach 38. He's in the final throes of the five-year, $30 million contract he signed in 2018 and could command $9 million or more on the open market.

"I'm not too worried about it right now," he said. "Obviously, something can happen whenever, but I'm just trying to play hockey."

Shield your eyes, Buffalo Sabres fans.

Two players who were Buffalo draftees in 2014 and 2015, respectively, spent the 2023 playoffs building themselves toward NHL superstar level.

Now in Vegas, Jack Eichel was picked one spot behind Connor McDavid in 2015, a year after Sam Reinhart, now in Florida, was selected one pick after Aaron Ekblad went No. 1.

Eichel won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights, defeating ex-teammate Reinhart and the Panthers after the 6'1", 194-pound winger had eight goals and 13 points in 21 playoff games.

Reinhart has scored 33 and 31 goals in two seasons with Florida after a trade in the 2021 offseason and he's playing 2023-24 in the final year of a three-year, $19.5 million contract he signed shortly after arriving in metro Miami. He's on pace for 48 goals and 103 points and will command a big number to stay with a franchise where he's played his best hockey.

"It is not something I stress over or lose sleep over too much," Reinhart told Florida Hockey Now. "They know I want to be here, I know they want me here."

William Nylander has nothing if not good timing.

The Swedish winger has been one of the league's most productive under-the-radar players for several seasons, recording 30 or more goals three times in the last four years and producing a career-high 87 points in 2022-23.

But he's saved the best for his contract year.

Nylander is in the final season of a six-year, $45 million pact signed in 2018, and he's on the way to career-best numbers across the board after a start that's seen him score 15 goals and 40 points in 28 games. Over 82 games, that's 44 goals and 117 points, and a big raise.

If he stays, he's likely to become the fourth Toronto player making $10 million annually.

"Willy has expressed to me, him and I have talked, that he wants to be here so that's usually a good starting point and so we will try to get it done," GM Brad Treliving said. "The lines of communication will stay open and we will work with (agent) Lewis Gross and see where it gets to."