NHL free agency begins tomorrow. The food frenzy, however, has already begun. Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh), Kris Letang (Pittsburgh), Filip Forsberg (Nashville), Marc-Andre Fleury (Minnesota) and Valeri Nichushkin (Colorado) are among the key players who have signed new contracts to stay with their teams. Toronto and Ottawa made a major trade yesterday that sent goaltender Matt Murray to the Leafs. Last week’s draft pick included two-time 40-goal Senators scorer Alex DeBrincat from Chicago. And that’s just the starters. Here’s a look at some of the big unrestricted free agents expected to be on the table when the signing period opens Wednesday at noon ET: Johnny Gaudreau: Calgary’s undersized winger bet a lot on himself by playing out the final year of his contract instead of taking the security of a long-term deal. Now Gaudreau, 28, is ready to cash in after setting career highs in points (115) and goals (40) to finish second in the scoring race behind Connor McDavid. Calgary has another star hitting free agency in Matthew Tkachuk, but his limited position means the Flames have the power to match any offer made to the 42-goal young forward. Nazem Kadri: The tough two-way center is coming off a year that saw him score a career-best 87 points (in just 71 games) and win his first Stanley Cup. Colorado could let Kadri, 31, walk as they just gave Nichushkin a massive eight-year contract and may want to keep free agent forward Andre Burakovsky and defenseman Josh Munson. Evander Kane: Given his inconsistency on the ice and his myriad problems — including an admitted gambling problem, allegations of abuse by his estranged wife (which an NHL investigation concluded were unsubstantiated) and a suspension 21 games for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card — it’s unlikely Kane will get another long-term deal. However, teams may be tempted by the 30-year-old’s performance in this year’s playoffs, where he scored 13 goals in 15 games for an Edmonton team that took a chance on him in late January after being cut by San Jose. Claude Giroux: At 34, the former Philadelphia star is well past his prime. But he had 23 points in 18 regular-season games after the trade to Florida and was the team’s second-leading scorer in the playoffs. The Panthers may want to shake things up, however, after suffering a humbling sweep in the second round at the hands of Tampa Bay. John Klingberg: The top defenseman on the market had 47 points in 74 games for Dallas last season. That might not sound like much, but reliable defensemen who can contribute offensively have proven irresistible to hungry GMs. Blueliner-needy teams who lose or can’t afford Klingberg could turn to St. Louis’ Nick Leddy. Louis, Colorado’s Josh Manson or New Jersey’s PK Subban. Darcy Kuemper: With Marc-Andre Fleury opting to stay in Minnesota, Kuemper is perhaps the best goaltender on the market after helping Colorado to the Stanley Cup. Teams that can’t get him might go for Jack Campbell, whose days in Toronto seem numbered after yesterday’s trade for Matt Murray. Read more about some of the top players available in NHL free agency here.
