NHL free agency set to open with big questions

NASHVILLE -- The 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft is over, and we're on to the next phase of the NHL offseason.

The biggest day of the summer is upon us.

All players who until now have been labeled pending unrestricted free agents will officially become UFAs at noon ET on Saturday, when the NHL's annual free agent frenzy begins.

The trade market, though, is expected to be as intriguing, if not more, than the free agent market.

And there are a lot of questions about what's to come, many that will be answered in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Here are some of the bigger ones:

Will the market be crazy busy?

It's always busy July 1 in the NHL. There will be player movement. There will be UFAs signing contracts -- some that look like bargains, others that look like reaches and will be critiqued as such.

But the level of business conducted Saturday might not be the same as it has been in previous years as teams are still wrestling with the NHL salary cap and trying to figure out how to best find their needs and fit them under the $83.5 million threshold.

"What you've seen in this marketplace with a lack of cap growth is, I mean, five years ago July 1, by July 2 you could hang up the 'Gone Fishin'' sign," Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said. "I think you're going to see an elongated time frame (this year)."

Several executives have said that it seems like more of a trade market than a free agent market this year, and they've acted accordingly.

"We thought our move was better than waiting until free agency," Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said Wednesday after his team got forward Reilly Smith in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights.

St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong said about the same thing Tuesday after the acquisition of Kevin Hayes from the Philadelphia Flyers.

"Usually things can get a little crazy on July 1, so we got out in front of it," Armstrong said.

It might not be so crazy this year.

Are Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele next on their way out of Winnipeg?

The Winnipeg Jets are in the process of making changes, and they could be big, as in moving out three core players in an effort to reset for the future.

Former captain Blake Wheeler had the final season of his contract ($8.25 million average annual value) bought out Friday.

Hellebuyck ($6.167 million AAV) and Scheifele ($6.125 million AAV) are likely trade candidates with several teams in the market for a No. 1 goalie and a top-two center.

If the Jets trade each before the market opens Saturday they'll have plenty of cap space and needs to fill.

Where will former teammates Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O'Reilly land?

Tarasenko and O'Reilly are two of the bigger names on the free agent market four years after winning the Stanley Cup with St. Louis.

They were both traded by the Blues before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, O'Reilly to the Maple Leafs and Tarasenko to the New York Rangers. But it doesn't appear as if those teams can be in the market for either forward.

Tarasenko and O'Reilly more than likely will be looking to sign with teams that are considered immediate Stanley Cup contenders, or at least hope they can and will be.

Tarasenko, 31, had 50 points (18 goals, 32 assists) in 69 games with the Blues and Rangers this season. He had an NHL career-high 82 points (34 goals, 48 assists) in 75 games with St. Louis in 2021-22.

O'Reilly, 32, had 30 points (16 goals, 14 assists) in 53 games with the Blues and Maple Leafs after scoring 58 points (21 goals, 37 assists) in 78 games with St. Louis in 2021-22.

Will Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci stay with the Boston Bruins?

The answer to this question will not come Saturday, or at least it's not expected to come that early. Bergeron and Krejci each played on a one-year contract this season, and each 37-year-old center is contemplating his future.

If they want to play in the NHL, it'll be with the Bruins, who are giving them time to decide but also operating under the assumption that they won't have them back.

The Bruins didn't sign Bergeron and Krejci last year until Aug. 8, so it could go that long, if not longer, before they know.

Boston has to remake some of its roster in the process, even though it doesn't know yet what Bergeron and Krejci will do. The Bruins opened $6 million in space under the cap by trading forward Taylor Hall to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.

Forwards Tyler Bertuzzi, 28, Tomas Nosek, 30, and Garnet Hathaway, 31, and defensemen Dmitry Orlov, 31, and Connor Clifton, 28, are pending UFAs. Goalie Jeremy Swayman, 24, is a pending restricted free agent. It's possible the Bruins trade Linus Ullmark, the 29-year-old who was voted the Vezina Trophy winner this season as the NHL's best goalie, and have Swayman as their No. 1.

They have work to do, with or without their two franchise icons.

Who is going to make the move to acquire Erik Karlsson?

Karlsson has made it abundantly clear that he wants the San Jose Sharks to trade him and he wants to go to a team that he thinks will have a chance to win the Stanley Cup before his contract expires. He doesn't think the Sharks can do it.

The 33-year-old, who won the Norris Trophy voted as the NHL's best defenseman this season, has four seasons left on an eight-year contract. He has a full no-move clause, but he said Sunday that he doesn't have a preferred list of teams yet.

San Jose GM Mike Grier said he's working on trying to trade Karlsson and that there are interested teams. It's not clear when, or even if, it will happen, but the interested teams likely will want to get ahead of free agency if they're trying to acquire Karlsson before the season.

Where will Alex DeBrincat land?

This is as much of a trade question as it is a free agent question because DeBrincat is a pending RFA who will not re-sign with the Ottawa Senators, meaning the forward will be traded to a team willing to sign him long term, likely to an eight-year deal.

DeBrincat's age (25), experience (450 NHL games) and production (373 points; 187 goals, 186 assists) make him a valuable asset for any team, whether it's rebuilding, resetting or looking to contend for the Stanley Cup right away.

But the Senators aren't just going to trade him to trade him. They want value in return. They also haven't ruled out bringing him back on a one-year contract through arbitration.

What will the Penguins do about their goaltending situation?

All indications are Tristan Jarry will become a UFA on Saturday, which means the Penguins will be in the market for a No. 1 goalie. The 28-year-old just completed a three-year, $10.5 million contract ($3.5 million AAV). Casey DeSmith, 31, has one season left on his contract ($1.8 million AAV).

Kyle Dubas, the Penguins president of hockey operations, didn't rule out Jarry returning, but also didn't make it sound like Pittsburgh is making a big push for the goalie, who was 24-13-7 with a 2.90 GAA and .909 save percentage in 47 games this season.

The Penguins will have options if they do not re-sign Jarry.

They could look into the trade market, which is what they did in acquiring Smith, with Dubas saying he felt it was the best way to fill that need rather than doing it through free agency.

Ullmark could be an option for Pittsburgh depending on Boston's asking price and assuming the Penguins don't want a long-term commitment in net. Ullmark has two seasons remaining on his contract ($5 million AAV). Smith also has two seasons left on his deal ($5 million AAV).

Among the pending UFA goalies, assuming Hill is not available, are Laurent Brossoit (Golden Knights), 30, Cam Talbot (Senators), 35, and Semyon Varlamov (New York Islanders), 35.

What happens next for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane?

The Blackhawks' two franchise icons and three-time Stanley Cup champions will not be back. That much is known.

Kane was sent to the Rangers before the trade deadline this season, effectively ending his Chicago career. Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said near the end of the season that Toews would not be re-signed.

Where they go from here remains to be seen.

Kane, a 34-year-old forward, is recovering after having hip resurfacing surgery June 1 and could miss the start of the season, which means he may not be in a hurry to sign as early as Saturday.

Toews is in a similar position as Bergeron in that he has to decide if he's going to play next season. If he is, the 35-year-old will have suitors with teams always looking to improve their center depth.

What else will Barry Trotz do to remake the Nashville Predators?

Saturday is Trotz's first official day as the Predators GM. He was named as David Poile's successor on Feb. 26, but that was effective July 1.

Trotz, though, has already been a big part of remaking the Predators, who hired Andrew Brunette to replace John Hynes as coach May 31 and traded center Ryan Johansen to the Colorado Avalanche on June 24.

Then, on Friday, forward Matt Duchene was placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying out the final three years of his contract ($8 million AAV).

The Predators are armed with some cap space and plenty of needs. They're not rebuilding, more resetting, so it's possible they get busy in free agency or the trade market.

Nashville is certainly a team to watch.