On Sept. 16, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported the NHL's annual free-agent market will open on July 1 for the first time since 2019. With the 2022-23 season now underway, this is a good opportunity to list the best players eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July and predict where they might end up.
If it seems premature for this type of list, bear in mind that the number of potentially available stars could shrink between now and July 1.
Since September, two big names came off the board, with J.T. Miller signing a contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks and Nathan MacKinnon following suit with the Colorado Avalanche.