The opening bell for free agency on July 1 is a long ways away. As the season progresses, a handful of these pending unrestricted free agents are expected to sign before that time. For instance, it’s highly unlikely that the Boston Bruins will let David Pastrnak walk. To a lesser extent both Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi are likely to stay with the Detroit Red Wings.
Looking at the pending list of this summer’s UFA class shows there are some serious heavy hitters available. Forwards like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly, and Bo Horvat are expected to dominate the trade rumor mill leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 3.