NHL Free Agency: 10 star players to watch for above all else

NHL Free Agency: 10 players to watch for above all else

CALGARY, AB - MAY 26: Johnny Gaudreau #13 of the Calgary Flames in action against the Edmonton Oilers during Game Five of the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome on May 26, 2022 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Oilers defeated the Flames 5-4 in overtime to win the series four games to one. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 24: Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on April 24, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

#4 – Defenseman Kris Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Evgeni Malkin may not be the only longtime Pittsburgh Penguin lost to free agency this offseason, as Kris Letang is also going to be hitting the open market.

Letang, 35, is another aging player who continues to excel against all odds. The 2021-22 season was his 16th in the NHL and he somehow put up 68 points, a career-high. He’s had a hard time with his durability over the years, as he topped the 70-game mark this past year for just the sixth time in his career.

The veteran defenseman has said all along that he fully intends on re-signing with the Penguins if the interest is there from the team and its execs. He is one of the higher-end players on the open market and the Pens will undoubtedly have competition but the odds are Letang returns to Pittsburgh.

#3 – Center Nazem Kadri (Colorado Avalanche)

After spending the first ten seasons of his career as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nazem Kadri was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019-20 season, where he spent the next two seasons.

Kadri, 31, was one of the best players in the league last season as he made 71 appearances in the regular season and put up a whopping 87 points, shattering his previous career-high of 61. The question with Kadri is whether he’ll be able to replicate this performance on a non-Colorado team. Before this season, he had never put up numbers even close to what he had in the championship-winning season.

Strictly based off of his numbers from last season, Kadri looks to be one of the better players in the NHL. The next team that brings him aboard will either strike gold or be stuck with a big, ugly contract if he is unable to continue his successes from 2021-22.

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