The unrestricted free-agent pool isn't always stacked with big-name players every summer. But that never seems to get in the way of all the hype attached to an NHL franchise potentially adding a game-changing piece.

After all, some of the names below have built reputations for being exactly that: clutch performers who've earned the right to be called the biggest names on the market. Naturally, those top-tier free agents have also earned something else - major paydays.

So as teams across the league prepare their Brinks trucks to shell out some serious loot, we felt it was the perfect time to take a look at what the top UFAs could be making come July 1.

John Tavares

Current contract: Six years, $33 million. Signed in 2011 with Islanders.

2018 stats:

Obviously, the most talented player set to become a UFA, Tavares would start an absolute monstrosity of a bidding war if he were to decide to hit the open market.

Given the relative mess the Islanders currently find themselves in off the ice with front-office discord, as well as on the ice with a rag-tag team that failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second season in a row, you can't really blame Johnny T if he's seriously considering changing cities for the first time in his nine-year career.

But, what's he worth? Tavares possesses a strong two-way game, some of the softest mitts in the league, and the ability to change any given game with his elite offensive prowess.

Tavares has earned the rep as being not only a consistent producer, notching 621 points in 669 career regular-season games, but a clutch one, as well, registering 42 game-winning goals.

However, stats and production isn't the be-all or end-all in determining what Tavares - or any player, for that matter - is worth. Another important factor in that determination is taking a look at what other elite players from around the league are making.

Comparable contracts:

Tavares turns 28 in September, so it's quite obvious that he's in the midst of his prime production years, which will be factored into any team's pitch. However, he remains one of the most well-rounded centermen in the league, so don't be surprised if a heated bidding war and the bear market drives up his price tag north of $9 million per season.

Projected contract: Seven years, $66.5 million. AAV: $9.5M.

John Carlson

Current contract: Six years, $23.8 million. Signed in 2012 with Capitals.

2018 stats:

While Tavares is the biggest-name forward on the market, Washington Capitals blue-liner John Carlson is undoubtedly the most sought-after rearguard set to become a UFA on July 1.

Carlson had himself a career year at the most opportune time, logging career highs in goals and assists while playing more minutes per game (24:47) than ever before - all right before becoming eligible for a hefty payday. He was easily the Capitals' best defenseman throughout the regular season, and he's continued his stellar play into the playoffs, with three goals and 11 points in 12 games.

The one knock on Carlson is his lack of physicality, as he sometimes gets pushed around by more aggressive forwards in front of the net despite owning a 6-foot-3, 218-pound frame. However, Carlson is one of the more disciplined D-men out there, finishing with 32 penalty minutes or less in the last seven consecutive seasons.

There's no doubt he'll have a number of teams courting those services, but what they're willing to pay and offer in term are different stories. A look at some recent contracts signed by other young-ish defensemen will offer a better idea in terms of length and value.

Comparable contracts:

During a season in which Washington's D-core is arguably at its weakest in recent memory, Carlson has been a revelation, anchoring the Capitals' blue line and putting up his most productive season to date. Sprinkle in the fact that the 28-year-old is only two seasons removed from garnering Norris Trophy votes, and Carlson could soon find himself among the top-paid defensemen in the league.

Projected contract: Five years, $33.75 million. AAV: $6.75M.

Evander Kane

Current contract: Six years, $31.5 million. Signed in 2012 with Winnipeg Jets.

2018 stats:

Despite being, arguably, the most one-dimensional player on the list, Kane's skill set and recent offensive production still have him in line to be one of the most sought-after UFA forwards of the summer.

However, just like it's been since his midseason trade out of Winnipeg in 2015, the biggest question surrounding Kane this summer will be whether he's a franchise-type player or a peripheral piece destined to always play a supporting role.

To Kane's credit, he's looked like a different player over the past few seasons, both on and off the ice. But especially since his deadline move to San Jose, where he racked up nine goals and five assists in 17 games while forming nice chemistry on the Sharks' top line with pivot Joe Pavelski. Kane continued that success in the playoffs with four goals and an assist in nine games.

His sensational speed and rugged demeanor - along with his explosive offensive ability - make Kane the complete power forward that all general managers spend sleepless nights on the phone trying to acquire. So don't be surprised when multiple teams come calling.

Comparable contracts:

* Deal signed with Detroit Red Wings

It should be noted that if the Sharks sign Kane to a new deal, the conditional first-round pick they sent to the Buffalo Sabres at the deadline would remain a first instead of becoming a second-rounder were he to sign elsewhere. It will obviously weigh into San Jose's decision of whether or not they want the 26-year-old in their future plans.

Regardless, he's as pure a sniper as they come. And when he's on his game, few opposing defensemen have the size or strength to slow him down.

Projected contract: Four years, $24 million. AAV: $6M.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Denmark put on a show for the home crowd with a 3-2 upset win over powerhouse Finland on Wednesday.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen turned away 33 of the 35 Finish shots thrown his way as Denmark improved to 1-1-0-2, good enough for a share of fourth place in Group B.

Frans Nielsen, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Nichlas Hardt scored the goals for Denmark, while Sebastian Aho and Mikael Granlund did the damage for Finland.

Finland entered the game with a perfect 3-0-0-0 record, having outscored the opposition 23-2.

Denmark will now enjoy a day off before returning to action Friday against Norway. Meanwhile, Finland will look to get back in the win column Saturday when it takes on Canada.

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There will be only one man to wear the "C" in Carolina next season, and newly installed Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour has already pinpointed who that player will be, he said Wednesday.

Last season, Bill Peters settled on a pair of captains: forward Jordan Staal and defenseman Justin Faulk. They alternated wearing the "C" between home and road games, while forward Jeff Skinner served as an assistant captain all season.

Brind'Amour, himself, was named captain of the Hurricanes in 2005, and hoisted the Stanley Cup with the team in 2006. He held the role until January 2010, when Eric Staal took it over.

Carolina went the entire 2016-17 campaign without a captain following Staal's departure.

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The Boston Bruins check a couple of key boxes for Rick Nash as he gets set to become an unrestricted free agent.

"Obviously to win, that's No. 1," he said, per NHL.com's Matt Kalman. "No. 2 is a good place to live, a good place that my family enjoys. And Boston's been great. It's been a pretty seamless transition for us, so everything was positive."

The veteran winger was acquired from the New York Rangers prior to the trade deadline with a view to boosting the team's chances at playoff success, a run that ended with a second-round loss to Tampa Bay.

He'll be free to sign with any of the NHL's 31 clubs on July 1, but his experience with the Bruins was positive, despite the end result.

Nash recorded three goals and three assists in 11 regular-season games, adding three goals and two assists in 12 postseason appearances. He did suffer a concussion that forced him out of the lineup for a dozen games prior to the start of the playoffs, but even that didn't cloud his overall perception of his time in Boston.

"It was disappointing with having the concussion and having some effects during it and only playing a certain amount of games and then coming back for the playoffs," Nash said "But everything was positive. The organization was great, the guys were awesome, so it was a great chapter here and hopefully it can continue."

Nash, 33, is coming off an eight-year, $64.2-million deal signed with Columbus in 2009.

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In looking to shake things up, the Carolina Hurricanes turned to a familiar face.

Rod Brind'Amour was formally announced as the team's new head coach at a press conference Wednesday, with new club owner Tom Dundon and recently appointed general manager Don Waddell also on hand.

Brind'Amour had served as an assistant coach with the Hurricanes since 2011 under former bench bosses Kirk Muller and the recently departed Bill Peters, who exercised an exit clause in his contract that allowed him to accept another coaching job.

While Brind'Amour has been a longtime member of the organization - he also played for the Hurricanes for 10 seasons, captaining the franchise to its lone Stanley Cup win in 2006, before joining the coaching ranks - he quickly made a positive impression on Dundon, who assumed ownership of the Hurricanes in January.

Dundon went as far as to call Brind'Amour the franchise's best asset, and expressed confidence that the former player can help the owner implement his vision.

"The culture is going to change because we are going to change it," Dundon said. "... I know I can do it and I know (Rod) can do it because he's done it."

On Wednesday, the Hurricanes also formally introduced Waddell as general manager. He replaces the outgoing Ron Francis. Waddell served as GM of the Atlanta Thrashers from 1998 to 2010.

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As the Washington Capitals prepare for the third round, their lineup could get a boost.

Forward Andre Burakovsky is inching closer to returning from an upper-body injury, Capitals coach Barry Trotz announced Wednesday, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. Burakovsky underwent minor surgery in April, and has been sidelined for all but two playoff games.

He'll travel with the Capitals as they head to Tampa Bay for Friday's Game 1 against the Lightning.

Burakovsky missed 20 games earlier this season due to a broken thumb. The 23-year-old wrapped the regular season with 25 points in 56 games.

Washington is making its first appearance in the conference finals since the 1998 postseason.

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As NHL teams are eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown looks back at the highs and lows of their seasons, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The 24th edition focuses on the San Jose Sharks.

The Good

Tomas Hertl. After playing just 49 games in 2016-17 because of injury, Hertl bounced back to score a career-high 22 goals and equal his career-high 46 points in 2017-18. Hertl was also one of the Sharks' best playoff performers. He led the team with six goals and was second in points with nine and scored the series-clinching goal in the Sharks' first-round sweep of the Anaheim Ducks.

Pavelski, Couture, and Kane. Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture were the Sharks' two highest-scoring forwards during the season with 66 and 61 points, respectively; Couture's 34 goals were a career high. The addition of Evander Kane at the deadline made the Sharks' top six even more lethal; he had nine goals and 14 points in 17 games after his trade from Buffalo.

Brent Burns. The 33-year-old defenseman got off to a rough start (he didn't score in the first 20 games of the season) but bounced back to become the Sharks' leading scorer one year removed from winning the Norris Trophy. Burns was a force in the playoffs too, and recorded seven points in 10 games.

The Bad

No Joe Thornton and other injuries. A couple of days after the Sharks' season ended at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights, Joe Thornton revealed he had a fully torn ACL and MCL in his right knee. Thornton had been out since Jan. 23 and though there was some hope he’d be able to join the Sharks at some point in the postseason, it's clear he was farther off from a return than expected. Trade deadline pickup Kane didn't look like himself for most of the playoffs because he played with a separated shoulder. Joonas Donskoi played hurt, too; he dealt with a lower-body injury in Game 2.

One-dimensional offense. Because of Kane's suspension and Donskoi's injury, the Sharks had to shuffle their top line a bit in the playoffs - but even when Donskoi, Kane, and Pavelski played, they weren't all that effective. The three combined for five points, each with one at even strength. San Jose just didn't have the depth they needed to compensate for when its stars weren't performing.

Slow starts. San Jose allowed the first goal in four of six games against Vegas and were shut out twice in the series. The Sharks never seemed to be able to dictate play or established any momentum. They were forced to play from behind more often than not, and Vegas took full advantage.

The Questions

Will the Sharks give Thornton another year? The one-year deal Thornton signed last year is coming to an end. Depending on how things shake out in free agency, the 38-year-old may have played his last game in a Sharks jersey. It's also possible he's re-upped for one more year, which he's said he's fine with doing, as well as taking less money. If not, Thornton is still a valuable player and would have plenty of options to choose from should he end up on the market.

Will Tavares be a target? If soon-to-be coveted UFA John Tavares decides to leave the Islanders, he'll have plenty of interested parties. The Sharks might be one of them - and they certainly have an advantage over other teams that might be making a run. They wouldn't have to make any trades to clear cap space for him, (which is rare) and should be counted among teams with a wider window to win a Stanley Cup. There's still no guaranteed Tavares will make himself available, but if he does, the Sharks could be a major player.

What will GM Wilson do with all this cap space? The Sharks are expected to have somewhere in the neighbourhood of $14.5 million to play with this summer. General manager Doug Wilson might delay any decision on Kane or Thornton until Tavares decides what he'll do. And then there's extensions for RFAs Chris Tierney, Dylan DeMelo, and Hertl to be dealt with. Hertl is due for a significant raise, too, as one of the Sharks' most improved players and their fifth-highest scoring forward over the last two seasons, an impressive feat considering he missed nearly half the 2016-17 season with injury.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Wednesday in Boston was locker clean out day for the Bruins, meaning the team also released a laundry list of injured players who were hurt during their postseason run.

Leading that list was defenseman Torey Krug, who suffered a fractured ankle during Game 4 of Boston's series versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. He will wear a walking boot for the next two months, but will not require surgery.

The following Bruins were also playing through various injuries during the postseason:

• Zdeno Chara (D) - dealt with an upper-body injury throughout the playoffs
• Jake DeBrusk (F) - suffered an AC joint (shoulder) sprain against Tampa
• Noel Acciari (F) - was playing through a groin injury, requires surgery
• Patrice Bergeron (F) - Missed Game 4 versus Maple Leafs with concussion-like symptoms, played through a groin issue
• Riley Nash (F) - played through injured hip, hopes to avoid surgery

Boston was undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in the league all season long, and despite the bevy of injuries listed above, the Bruins were still able to reach the second round.

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Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand is quickly developing a reputation as one of the most polarizing players in the NHL.

And after a playoff run that included him licking or trying to kiss multiple players, which led to a warning from the NHL and his team, Marchand is getting the message.

"I need to cut that (expletive) out," Marchand said during locker clean out Wednesday, according to Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic.

Marchand and the Bruins had their season ended by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday, giving the diminutive winger plenty of time to mull over his on-ice antics.

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The Vegas Golden Knights' inaugural season has become one of the best stories in professional sports, and it's still being written. With the club continuing its dream campaign by qualifying for the conference final, it's no longer a matter of if Hollywood is going to make a movie about this team's historic first season, but when.

Aside from the whole "expansion team having success" theme, there's no shortage of potential subplots that make this feel-good story Hollywood worthy.

Whether it's Vegas resident Deryk Engelland - who's having a career year - delivering a compelling speech at the team's home opener following the tragic Vegas shootings, William Karlsson going from six goals last season to 43 this one, or the three Florida Panthers castoffs having amazing campaigns - including Gerard Gallant getting let go in the worst way possible. Take your pick.

So, without further ado, here is an ideal star-studded cast for the eventual Hollywood film on the Vegas Golden Knights:

Adrien Brody as Marc-Andre Fleury

In a season that has not been short on excellent storylines, Fleury's might be the best of them all. So why not have a guy like Brody play him. He does, after all, know a thing or two about winning trophies.

Not to mention, the uncanny physical resemblance. Which, at the very least, would help keep makeup and costume costs down.

Chevy Chase as Bill Foley

Knights owner Foley is the man who made all of this possible. Though the bulk of his scenes would be prior to the start of the regular season, he still needs to be featured. Chase is not only a pretty close lookalike, but he could easily portray an over-the-top, wealthy executive.

Danny DeVito as Gary Bettman

If you're too young to remember DeVito from his famous role as the Penguin in 1992's "Batman Returns," let's just say it's the perfectly sinister precursor to the equally sinister league commissioner.

DeVito might need a bit of help from the makeup department to cover up his trademark bald spot to fit the Bettman look appropriately, but his salty demeanor and limited frame fit the billing nicely.

Kiefer Sutherland as Gerard Gallant

Last year, Gallant was prematurely fired from the Panthers. Now, he's on the verge of winning the Jack Adams Trophy as the coach of the year. He'd be the star of this film, so who better to portray him than one of the most distinguished Canadian actors in the business?

Nicolas Cage as George McPhee

Cage hasn't been in a good flick for almost a decade, but luckily for ol' Nicky boy, this concept is foolproof. McPhee's role in the film might be limited due to his position in the franchise, but capping Cage's screen time could be the perfect way to integrate his quirky "skills" into this story.

Tom Hardy as Deryk Engelland

Hardy is a perfect fit to play Vegas' tough, rugged leader. The Golden Knights don't have a captain, but if they were miraculously able to win the Stanley Cup, you can bet Engelland would be the first player to lift the trophy.

Engelland also rocks a pretty robust beard, so Hardy checks that box nicely, and we all know he can take on a physically-tasking role if need be.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jonathan Marchessault

In addition to the right look and build to play the diminutive Marchessault, Gordon-Levitt has proven to be a master of dialects and accents, a must to properly portray the Quebec native.

Marchessault operates mostly under the radar, so Gordon-Levitt's screen time and lines might be limited. Regardless, he'd be the perfect fit to play one of the Golden Knights' top forwards.

Chris Hemsworth as William Karlsson

Not only is Hemsworth capable of pulling off Karlsson's luscious blonde flow, but playing Vegas' 43-goal phenom would require some sort of heroic presence, which the Australian actor has in spades.

Ben Affleck as James Neal

Neal might have recently earned the moniker "The Real Deal," but Affleck has been a leading man for decades. So he has the acting chops to play a character like Neal, who would be featured prominently throughout the film as one of the biggest reasons the Knights find themselves in the hunt for a Cup.

Some solid makeup work would need to be done here, as Affleck has 15 years on Neal and is beginning to rock the salt-and-pepper dad look on the regular. But we still think he could pull it off with relative ease.

Jay Baruchel as Reilly Smith

Having a hockey movie without Baruchel would just seem wrong. While he may not be a perfect lookalike to Smith, he would undoubtedly bring humor to the locker room, even if it's in a small part.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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