It's all about who you know.

After a pair of seasons with the New Jersey Devils, winger Jordin Tootoo found himself on the open market as an unrestricted free agent earlier this summer.

The 33-year-old quickly signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, and, as it turns out, it was defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook who initiated the union.

The Blackhawks alternate captains all live in Kelowna, British Columbia, and spend time with Tootoo in the offseason. Keith and Seabrook got into the ear of general manager Stan Bowman, who extended the offer which Tootoo agreed to terms with.

"First and foremost he’s a good teammate," Keith said, according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times. "He’s a good guy to have in the locker room, and the energy that he brings - I know playing against him, I don’t like going back for pucks when he’s on the ice. You always have to be aware when he’s on the ice because he’s going to finish every hit.

"I think it was a great addition to have him [and add] some physicality. I know the fans in Chicago like seeing big hits at the United Center and I know he’s going to bring that intensity."

Tootoo will be called upon to help plug the hole left by Andrew Shaw, and comes in at a much smaller cap hit of $750,000.

"Every team needs a little spark plug," Tootoo said. "I’ve been around the game a lot of years now, and I just want to add that little piece. And hopefully we can bring the Cup back here."

In 673 career games at the NHL level, Tootoo has recorded 63 goals, 95 assists and 982 penalty minutes.

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Sure, the 2016 offseason is barely a month old, but with all the major news seemingly out of the way, it's fair to begin looking at next year's crop of free agents.

The megastars - Jamie Benn, Anze Kopitar, and Victor Hedman - have all signed extensions to remain with their respective teams, but that doesn't mean the available talent pool is shallow.

Here's a look at five players that will certainly gather attention next July 1. Hopefully they don't sign extensions before then and ruin it for us.

Joe Thornton
Position: C
Age: 37
Current cap hit: $6.75M

Jumbo Joe underwent a renaissance last season en route to an endearing run to the Stanley Cup Final with a San Jose Sharks team that finally got over the hump.

Thornton is still one of the game's premier playmakers and ranked fourth in league scoring with 82 points in 82 contests, adding 21 more in 24 playoff games.

There's no reason to believe he'll leave San Jose - boy, how times have changed - but he can still play, and while it won't be a long-term contract, it will be intriguing to see the interest Thornton - who turns 38 next July - draws on the open market.

Kevin Shattenkirk
Position: D
Age: 27
Current cap hit: $4.25M

While Shattenkirk is likely concerned with where he'll play the final year of his current contract, the 27-year-old will be one of the best defenseman on the market next July.

Shattenkirk is a formidable offensive producer on the blue line, topping 40 points in each of the last three seasons. Possessing the capability to anchor a powerplay as a right-handed shot is almost invaluable in today's NHL, and those qualities will surely drive up his value.

Ben Bishop
Position: G
Age: 29
Current cap hit: $5.95M

With Andrei Vasilevskiy locked down, it looks as though Bishop will be on his way out of Tampa Bay.

Although he's been subject to multiple trade rumors, Bishop owns a no-movement clause, and another season at the clip he's recently produced will push goalie-desperate teams into high spending.

Bishop's won 112 games over the past three years, and finished last season with a league-leading 2.06 goals against average and a strong .926 save percentage.

T.J. Oshie
Position: RW
Age: 29
Current cap hit: $4.175M

Oshie sure fit in well alongside Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, scoring a career-high 26 goals for the Presidents Trophy-winning Capitals.

While Washington would be happy to retain Oshie's production, several other teams in need of a first-line winger would love to have him as well.

Oshie's current cap hit of $4.175 million is favorable in negotiations, but the aforementioned Kuznetsov also needs a new deal next year as a pending restricted free agent.

Brent Burns
Position: D
Age: 31
Current cap hit: $5.76M

Burns has proven to be one of the most effective defenseman in the NHL at both ends of the rink, and he'll be getting a raise for it.

The 31-year-old played all 82 games for the Sharks last season, notching 75 points, good for second among all defenseman.

Once the 2016-17 season comes to an end, along with Burns and Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Tommy Wingels, Melker Karlsson, Joonas Donskoi, Matt Nieto, and Chris Tierney will all need new contracts.

A lucrative contract might not be in the books for the Sharks, and plenty of suitors will be lining up for the Norris Trophy finalist if that's the case.

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Florida Panthers goaltender James Reimer and his wife are expecting their first child.

The two announced the news posing with a baby onesie that would insinuate... well... you know.

The news marks a big summer for Reimer who signed a five-year deal worth a reported $17 million with the Panthers on July 1.

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The sting of the Andrew Shaw trade was felt all the way at the top of the Chicago Blackhawks organization.

"That was a tough one for a lot of reasons," club president John McDonough told David Hugh of the Chicago Tribune. "He's a wonderful young man."

And he's not the only Windy City resident to share that sentiment.

"From the end of the season on, I had workers with hard hats screaming to me from the third floor, 'Don't trade (Andrew) Shaw,'" McDonough said. "Wherever you went, people that I would run into said the same thing.

"He had an organic grittiness that really struck a nerve with Chicagoans, maybe more than any athlete I've been associated with. He really resonated with everybody. Not the most skilled player but the classic overachiever. He got under people's skin. He represented what people wanted this franchise to embody."

Ultimately, Shaw was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens for a pair of second-round draft picks, a move made necessary by Chicago's salary cap crunch.

Shaw signed a six-year, $39-million deal with the Canadiens shortly after being traded, while the Blackhawks signed Jordin Tootoo to a one-year, two-way deal worth $750,000 in an attempt to replace the lost grit.

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