Top NHL unrestricted free agents, can sign starting Oct. 9

With the NHL free agent signing period beginning at noon ET on Oct. 9, NHL.com takes a closer look at some of the top pending unrestricted free agents who could be available when the market opens (listed in alphabetical order):

Tyson Barrie, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

In his first season with the Maple Leafs after being acquired in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche on July 1, 2019, Barrie had 39 points (five goals, 34 points) in 70 games after he had at least 12 goals and 49 points in four of the previous five seasons. Barrie also had no points and was minus-2 in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, when the Maple Leafs lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games. Some of the dip in his production could be attributed to a lack of power-play time. Barrie averaged 2:40 per game on the man-advantage during the regular season, down from 4:03 in 78 games last season, when he had an NHL career-high 59 points (14 goals, 45 assists).
Selected by the Avalanche in the third round (No. 64) of the 2009 NHL Draft, the 29-year-old is tied for eighth among NHL defensemen with 333 points (78 goals, 255 assists) in the past seven seasons.

Zdeno Chara, D, Boston Bruins

Chara, the oldest player in the League at 43, has said he wants to play a 23rd NHL season, and a 15th with the Bruins. However, whether he gets his wish remains to be seen. Chara's ice time has declined in each of the past five seasons, from 24:06 in 2015-16, to 21:01 in 68 games this season.
Selected by the New York Islanders in the third round (No. 56) of the 1996 NHL Draft, Chara has 656 points (205 goals, 451 assists) in 1,553 games, which is 15th in NHL history. He won the Norris Trophy voted as the League's top defenseman in 2009, and helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Corey Crawford, G, Chicago Blackhawks

Crawford was 16-20-3 with a 2.77 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in 40 games (39 starts) this season, his first without an injury since 2015-16. In the postseason, he was 4-5 with a 3.31 GAA and .907 save percentage, helping the No. 12 Blackhawks upset the No. 5 seed Edmonton Oilers in the Qualifiers before losing in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference First Round. The 35-year-old had at least a .900 save percentage in 66.7 percent of his regular-season starts (26 of 39), tied for 10th among goalies to make at least 30 starts this season, and his .926 even-strength save percentage was tied for fifth in the NHL under the same parameters. Crawford could have had more wins this season had the Blackhawks scored for him. Chicago averaged 2.56 goals per game when he played, ninth fewest in the League among goalies to make at least 30 starts.
Selected by Chicago in the second round (No. 52) of the 2003 NHL Draft, Crawford helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2013 and 2015, and is third in their history in games (488) and wins (260), behind Hockey Hall of Famers Tony Esposito (873 games, 418 wins) and Glenn Hall (618 games, 276 wins).

Evgenii Dadonov, F, Florida Panthers

Dadonov is one of 25 NHL players to score at least 25 goals each of the past three seasons, but he is the only one who can become an unrestricted free agent. The 31-year-old had 47 points (25 goals, 22 assists) in 69 games this season and was a good complement to Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov on Florida's top line. Dadonov also had 11 power-play goals, which tied Mike Hoffman for the Panthers lead.
Selected by Florida in the third round (No. 71) of the 2007 NHL Draft, Dadonov has 202 points (91 goals, 111 assists) in 280 games, including 182 points (81 goals, 101 assists) in 225 games since 2017-18, when he returned to the NHL after playing five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Taylor Hall, F, Arizona Coyotes

Hall had 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) in 65 games with the Coyotes and New Jersey Devils this season and was second on Arizona with six points (two goals, four assists) in nine postseason games. The 28-year-old was able to bounce back after a knee injury limited him to 33 games in 2018-19, and he's only two seasons removed from winning the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 2017-18, when he had 93 points (39 goals, 54 assists) in 76 games for the Devils.
Selected by the Edmonton Oilers with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, Hall has 563 points (218 goals, 345 assists) in 627 games with the Oilers, Devils and Coyotes.

Mike Hoffman, F, Florida Panthers

Hoffman led the Panthers with five points (three goals, two assists) in four postseason games after he led them with 29 goals in 69 regular-season games. The 30-year-old has 169 goals since 2014-15, which is tied with Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins for 16th in the NHL, and his 59 power-play goals are tied with Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins for eighth during the same span.
Hoffman was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round (No. 129) of the 2009 NHL Draft and has 359 points (172 goals, 187 assists) in 493 games with the Senators and Panthers.

Braden Holtby, G, Washington Capitals

Holtby was 25-14-6 with an NHL career-worst 3.11 GAA and .897 save percentage in 48 games (47 starts) this season and lost playing time to rookie Ilya Samsonov. However, the 30-year-old is only two years removed from helping the Capitals win the Stanley Cup for the first time in their history in 2018.
Selected by the Capitals in the fourth round (No. 93) of the 2008 NHL Draft, Holtby is second among Washington goalies in games played (468) and wins (282), behind Olie Kolzig (711 games, 301 wins). He also won the Vezina Trophy voted as the League's best goalie in 2015-16.

Anton Khudobin, G, Dallas Stars

Filling in for Ben Bishop in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Khudobin has helped the Stars advance to the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2008. The 34-year-old was 16-8-4 in 30 regular-season games (26 starts), and among goalies to play at least 20 regular-season games, he led the NHL with a .930 save percentage and was tied for third with a 2.22 GAA.
Selected by the Minnesota Wild in the seventh round (No. 206) of the 2004 NHL Draft, Khudobin is 99-76-25 with a 2.46 GAA and .919 save percentage in 218 NHL games with the Wild, Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks and Stars.

Torey Krug, D, Boston Bruins

Krug had 49 points (nine goals, 40 assists) in 61 regular-season games, the fifth straight season he's led Bruins defensemen in scoring. Since 2013-14, his first full NHL season, his 335 points (67 goals, 268 assists) in 520 games are seventh among NHL defensemen.The 29-year-old said recently that he'd like to stay with the Bruins, but his priority was in signing a long-term contract. Krug signed with the Bruins as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State University on March 25, 2012 and has played for Boston in each of his nine NHL seasons.

Robin Lehner, G, Vegas Golden Knights

Since being acquired by the Golden Knights in a three-team trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Blackhawks on Feb. 24, Lehner has helped Vegas advance to the Western Conference Final for the second time in its three seasons. In 36 regular-season games with Chicago and Vegas, the 29-year-old was 19-10-5 with a 2.89 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.
Selected by the Ottawa Senators in the second round (No. 46) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Lehner is 116-120-45 with a 2.72 GAA, .918 save percentage and 15 shutouts in 301 games with the Senators, Buffalo Sabres, Islanders, Blackhawks and Golden Knights. In 2018-19, he won the Masterton Trophy, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, and was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy.

Jacob Markstrom, G, Vancouver Canucks

Markstrom was 23-16-4 with a 2.75 goals-against average and.918 save percentage in 43 regular-season games, helping Vancouver qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2015. In the postseason, he was 8-6 with a 2.85 GAA and .919 save percentage as the Canucks won a playoff series for the first time since 2011, when they lost to the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final in seven games. Although Markstrom is 30 years old, his 272 games rank 30th among active NHL goalies.
Selected by the Florida Panthers in the second round (No. 31) of the 2008 NHL Draft, Markstrom is 110-118-32 with a 2.80 GAA and .911 save percentage in 10 NHL seasons with the Panthers and Canucks.

Alex Pietrangelo, D, St. Louis Blues

Pietrangelo was selected by the Blues with the No. 4 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft and has played each of his 12 NHL seasons with them. He had an NHL career-high 16 goals this season, which tied Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators for second in the League among defensemen. Last season, Pietrangelo had 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 26 playoff games to help lead the Blues to the first Stanley Cup championship in their history.
Pietrangelo has been the Blues captain since 2016 and has 450 points (109 goals, 341 assists) in 758 games.

Tyler Toffoli, F, Vancouver Canucks

Injuries limited Toffoli to four points (two goals, two assists) in seven postseason games, but the 28-year-old scored 24 goals in 68 regular-season games with the Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. It was the fourth time he's scored at least 20 goals in his eight NHL seasons, including a career-high 31 with the Kings in 2015-16. As a rookie in 2013-2014, Toffoli had 14 points (seven goals, seven assists), including two game-winning goals, in 26 playoff games to help the Kings win the Stanley Cup.
Selected by Los Angeles in the second round (No. 47) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Toffoli has 300 points (145 goals, 155 assists) in 525 games with the Kings and Canucks.