There are still a bevy of intriguing names available on the free agent market

PUBLICATION

Mike Armenti
August 22, 2023 (9:35)

SHARE THIS STORY

Each and every summer, we see a few free agents linger around until just before training camp as teams become desperate to fill vacant roster spots. This year, however, we have an abnormally large amount of useful veterans who remain unsigned. Some of the names on this list below are likely to sign before training camps being. Others may sign closer to the start of the season. There are also a couple of names who might start on PTO's and will have to earn an NHL contract.

Let's take a look at the list from Big Head Hockey that features some of the notable names still available.

Patrick Kane
Josh Bailey
Jake Gardiner
Jesse Puljujarvi
Max Comtois
Phil Kessel
Tomas Tatar
Zach Parise
Nick Ritchie
Tyler Motte
Zach Aston-Reese
Danton Heinen

There haven't been a whole lot of rumours or speculation regarding the majority of the players listed above. For Patrick Kane, he's set to return from off-season surgery in November or December and there's reportedly plenty of interest in signing him.

As for former fourth-overall pick Jesse Puljujarvi, he underwent double hip surgery in late-June and was not issued a qualifying offer from the Carolina Hurricanes, making him an unrestricted free agent. His timeline for return is unclear, but back in June it was noted that he's facing a lengthy recovery period.

Six-time 20+ goal scorer Tomas Tatar is also available. Tatar has been linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins in recent weeks as the team looks to add some scoring depth to their lineup. If Tatar does go to the Penguins, it could potentially be on a PTO, but a full contract can't be ruled out either, although the Penguins don't have any cap space remaining, which would make things difficult for General Manager Kyle Dubas.

Finally, three-time Stanley Cup champion Phil Kessel, who will turn 36 on October 2nd. Kessel's ironman streak remains intact, for now, but it doesn't appear that the Madison, Wisconsin native has many options out there at this moment. He went from being in the lineup every night for the Golden Knights to the press box in the playoffs, only appearing in four games during their run to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Time will tell where all of these players end up, but for those who are tired of the slow summer months for NHL news, we may yet see a flurry of signings with the names that remain out there.