Alex Pietrangelo faces one of the most difficult decisions of the NHL offseason.
The 30-year-old could attempt to cash in on his years of success with the St. Louis Blues with a large contract on the open market.
However, a substantial long-term deal may not be available with the market impacted by financial constraints.
That could persuade Pietrangelo to remain in St. Louis on a short-term deal before testing the free-agent market in a year or two.
A handful of other free agents will go through a similar situation, while others will leave their current clubs regardless of the potential difficulties in front of them.