The 2016 free agent period is far from over, but the biggest parts of it have already concluded. So rather than focus on that today, let's look ahead to 2017 with an eye on 10 of the biggest or most interesting players that have the potential to test the UFA market after the 2016-17 campaign. These players might end up signing before then of course and others might be the subject of trade speculation near the deadline, but there is one common element to all these cases: They're entering an important year of their career.
Patrick Sharp (DAL) - Sharp suffered a significant decline in 2014-15 when he recorded 16 goals and 43 points, but he bounced back somewhat with Dallas last season, scoring 20 goals and 55 points.