The NHL's free-agent hot stove is basically unplugged at this point of the summer, but there's still plenty of talent available on the open market.

Below, we play matchmaker for 10 of the best players currently unsigned.

Vladimir Tarasenko

📊 2022-23 stats: 69 GP, 18 G, 32 A
💰 Previous cap hit: $7.5M
🧩 Best fit: Ottawa Senators

The Senators are seemingly in limbo until they find a solution for Alex DeBrincat. If Ottawa trades the two-time 40-goal man as expected, Tarasenko would be an excellent replacement. The veteran winger is the top goal-scorer still on the market and could come close to replicating DeBrincat's offense in the Sens' top six at a reduced cost. Tarasenko's 2.6 points per 60 minutes were slightly better than DeBrincat's last season, and the 31-year-old choosing Ottawa could be big for morale in the dressing room when it's clear DeBrincat wants out.

Keeping term down is the key to making this deal a win for the Senators, but there's a clear fit here at the right price.

Patrick Kane

📊 2022-23 stats: 73 GP, 21 G, 36 A
💰 Previous cap hit: $10.5M
🧩 Best fit: Buffalo Sabres

Kane underwent hip resurfacing surgery on June 1 and was given a four-to-six-month timeline. Given that his recovery could cut into the season's first quarter, Kane might not sign until autumn. Teams may want to see how his rehab is going considering Nicklas Backstrom underwent the same surgery during the 2022 offseason and didn't look quite like himself this past campaign. Kane might also want a better idea of the standings before he commits to signing with a club.

But if the Sabres get off to a solid start, it'll be awfully tempting for Kane, a Buffalo native, to sign with his hometown team. They're an ascending club with $6.7 million in projected cap space. And while Buffalo bolstered its blue line in free agency, it didn't add a single player up front. Sure, the Sabres' forward group is deep with young talent, but they could still use a veteran presence who can elevate their offensive attack. Imagine Kane setting up Tage Thompson on the power play - that'd be fun.

Tomas Tatar

📊 2022-23 stats: 82 GP 20 G, 28 A
💰 Previous cap hit: $4.5M
🧩 Best fit: Nashville Predators

Tatar has bounced around plenty since his seven-year tenure in Detroit ended in 2018. However, he's proven to be a serviceable depth winger at each stop along the way. The 32-year-old is still a 20-goal threat and boasts impressive defensive metrics to boost his stock. Nashville looks to be embarking on a full-scale rebuild and is sorely lacking talent up front. Signing Tatar would make the Predators just a little bit deeper. If they can lure him to Music City on a one-year deal, it would be tidy business to flip him at the 2024 trade deadline.

Mathew Dumba

📊 2022-23 stats: 79 GP, 4 G, 10 A
💰 Previous cap hit: $6M
🧩 Best fit: San Jose Sharks

Dumba got squeezed out of the right-handed defense market. Seemingly every contender looking to bolster the right side of its blue line already addressed the need on Day 1 of free agency. It's understandable considering injuries have slowed Dumba in recent years. Also, 2021-22 represented his least productive campaign (on a per-game basis) since he played 13 contests as a 19-year-old in 2013-14.

But if Dumba is looking to rebuild his value, potentially get traded at the deadline, and then cash in next offseason, San Jose could be a perfect landing spot. Matt Benning is the Sharks' top right-handed defense option behind Erik Karlsson, so there's plenty of room for opportunity. If Karlsson gets traded, Dumba immediately becomes the club's No. 1 D. San Jose still has some firepower up front with Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, setting the table for Dumba to put up some points.

Jonathan Toews

📊 2022-23 stats: 53 GP, 15 G, 16 A
💰 Previous cap hit: $10.5M
🧩 Best fit: Edmonton Oilers

"So if it's not a hell yeah, then it's a hell no," Toews said in April about continuing his NHL career. The uncertainty surrounding his health is a huge caveat, but we think the Oilers are an excellent match if Toews opts not to retire. There's a clear fit on the depth chart, with Ryan McLeod and Lane Pederson currently listed as Edmonton's third- and fourth-line centers. Additionally, with over $115 million in estimated career earnings, Toews doesn't need to stretch the tight Oilers' salary cap constraints. Above all else, Toews is a serial winner. His pedigree could go a long way for a team trying its hardest to win a championship.

Jesse Puljujarvi

📊 2022-23 stats: 75 GP, 5 G, 11 A
💰 Previous cap hit: $3M
🧩 Best fit: Arizona Coyotes

As the 2017 No. 4 pick, Puljujarvi's game was always under the microscope in a passionate Canadian market like Edmonton. After a deadline deal to Carolina, he couldn't carve out a clear role on a deep Hurricanes squad.

Puljujarvi needs an opportunity to play a regular middle-six forward role for a team far away from the spotlight, making Arizona the perfect landing spot. The rebuilding Coyotes have plenty of room for Puljujarvi to play big minutes and help regain his confidence. Arizona is slowly trying to improve, and Puljujarvi is a strong defensive player, even if his offense has lagged. If he can finally break through offensively, both sides could benefit greatly.

Denis Gurianov

📊 2022-23 stats: 66 GP, 7 G, 10 A
💰 Previous cap hit: $2.9M
🧩 Best fit: Calgary Flames

The Flames are looking to reignite their offense, and Gurianov is a versatile winger who can play either side of the ice while bringing top-end speed. He struggled to produce last season in Dallas and Montreal but was a solid depth contributor for three campaigns beforehand. It would be a low-risk, high-reward move for Calgary, which only has nine forwards signed to its NHL roster at the moment.

Ethan Bear

📊 2022-23 stats: 61 GP, 3 A, 13 A
💰 Previous cap hit: $2.2M
🧩 Best fit: Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks have one of the worst blue lines in the league. They added Radko Gudas to play a shutdown role on the right side, so Bear could be a nice fit on a different pairing to help transport the puck up ice. Plus, with fellow righty Jamie Drysdale coming off a major shoulder injury, limiting his workload wouldn't be the worst idea. For Bear, there are worse things than playing consistent minutes on a team in sunny California.

Pius Suter

📊 2022-23 stats: 79 GP, 14 G, 10 A
💰 Previous cap hit: $3.25M
🧩 Best fit: Vancouver Canucks

Suter's offensive numbers don't jump off the page. But the 27-year-old dominates defensively at five-on-five, and his contributions could help the Canucks cut down on goals against in a big way. He's an upgrade over Vancouver's current bottom-six options down the middle and is unlikely to get a raise from his previous salary after going this long without signing. The Canucks would have to clear money to make it work, but Suter is a player they should have circled from the start of free agency.

Max Comtois

📊 2022-23 stats: 64 GP, 9 G, 10 A
💰 Previous cap hit: $2.04M
🧩 Best fit: Minnesota Wild

The Wild still have some pressing business to handle, notably new deals for restricted free agents Filip Gustavsson, Calen Addison, and Brandon Duhaime. But the team should still have the flexibility to make an addition up front, and Comtois could be an interesting buy-low option.

General manager Bill Guerin seems to covet the type of power forward like Comtois. He scored 16 goals in 55 games in 2020-21, signaling the 24-year-old still has untapped potential. With Minnesota's tight cap situation, its forward depth is thin enough that there's an opening for him to come in and compete for a middle-six role.

(Cap source: CapFriendly)

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The Dallas Stars appear set to make a major impact on this season's trade deadline, as recent reports suggest they're ramping up efforts to deal disgruntled blue-liner John Klingberg.

Klingberg is a pending unrestricted free agent and one of the most high-profile rentals said to be available. The Stars are likely to field several offers from contenders looking to add such an enticing piece for the stretch run.

It's become custom for financially strapped buyers to perform major cap gymnastics to make deadline deals work, and Klingberg's situation is no different. The 29-year-old carries a $4.25-million cap hit and a base salary of $6 million, according to CapFriendly. However, suitors could swindle a significant discount if they can get Dallas to retain some money and/or use a third party to eat a chunk of it, which would bring the cap hit down to as low as $1.0625 million. That, and the ever-popular use of long-term injured reserve come the postseason, makes Klingberg's market bigger than it may appear.

Despite the money being manageable, Klingberg still won't come cheap. There are premiums on defensemen - especially right-handed shots with 60-point potential - during deadline season, so it's reasonable to expect Dallas wanting a first-round pick and a high-end prospect, at the very least. That price will only go up if Klingberg agrees to an extension with his new club.

Klingberg isn't without his flaws, though. As great as he is offensively, he's posted rather alarming defensive metrics over the last three seasons:

Still, Klingberg's upside will be too difficult for some contenders to ignore, and if he lands with the right team, he could be the final piece of a Stanley Cup puzzle. Below, we analyze the five most logical destinations:

Carolina Hurricanes

Potential top 6 with Klingberg:

The Hurricanes are the most obvious members of this list because they're the only team that's actually been linked to Klingberg so far. They reportedly contacted the Stars about his availability back in November.

The fit is obvious: Carolina let Dougie Hamilton walk in the offseason and tried to replace him by committee with the additions of DeAngelo and Ethan Bear. That's worked to an extent. Both players have flaws, but they've played relatively well all things considered. Still, it'd be worrisome for a team with championship aspirations to enter the playoffs with one of them in its top four.

Klingberg is a proven playoff performer who's registered 30 points in his last 39 postseason contests. His combination of experience and upside would make it a gamble worth taking for the Canes, who seem to elevate every newcomer they welcome in.

Boston Bruins

Potential top 6 with Klingberg:

The Bruins are candidates to make a splash every trade deadline so long as their veteran core is intact. Opportunities at another championship are running out, and with Tuukka Rask back in the fold, Boston seems to look like a contender again after experiencing an early-season funk.

Klingberg would undoubtedly make the Bruins' thin right side deeper, and adding him to an always-dangerous power play as the quarterback could be a game-changer for a team that hasn't produced goals to its usual standards this season. Charlie McAvoy has been good on the man advantage this season, but he's used so frequently in other situations. A break from power-play duties could help keep him fresh for the physical demands of postseason hockey.

If, for some reason, Klingberg didn't mesh with the first unit, he'd certainly be an upgrade on the second group. Plus, his puck-moving and transition abilities would provide an element that's missing within Boston's D-corps beyond its top pairing.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Potential top 6 with Klingberg:

Toronto's second pairing has been an issue all season. Jake Muzzin appears to have lost a step and can no longer carry Justin Holl, who's been a healthy scratch at times.

In an ideal world, the Maple Leafs would add a top-four right-handed defenseman who excels on the defensive side of the puck, but beggars can't be choosers, and Klingberg is by far the best righty that's knowingly available.

The fit could still work, though. The Maple Leafs prioritize skill and puck possession more than any other team in the league, areas where Klingberg shines. Playing in a system that encourages offensive creativity could help get the most out of the Swede. At times, it's appeared as though he's been shackled playing under Dallas' tight defensive scheme.

The Leafs rank fifth in the league in points percentage and the front office is facing immense pressure to win at least one playoff round, so don't be surprised if they're willing to push all their chips into the middle this season.

Florida Panthers

Potential top 6 with Klingberg:

With so many high-quality right-handed shots on their blue line, the Panthers may opt to reinforce the left flank rather than pursue Klingberg. However, Montour has experience on both sides of the ice, and the thought of adding another offensively dynamic defenseman for the league's top attack is a terrifying thought for the rest of the East.

It's clear Florida is in a position to go for it this season. The Cats have looked like a juggernaut since the puck dropped in October, and they'd be wise to do their due diligence on Klingberg to both bolster their odds at the first Stanley Cup in franchise history and keep him away from Atlantic Division foes.

As unstoppable as Florida looks, the road through the Atlantic is going to be a bloodbath. Adding an extra playmaker into the fold could be the difference between a deep playoff run and an early exit.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Potential top 6 with Klingberg:

Hedman's D partners are typically of the stay-at-home variety, but it's hard to imagine Klingberg would have trouble meshing with the Norris Trophy hopeful since he's carried Rutta around for most of the season. Klingberg and Hedman are also both from Sweden and have been teammates on the international stage.

The Lightning have traded away at least one first-round pick in each of the past two deadlines to acquire key pieces - David Savard (2021), Blake Coleman (2020), and Barclay Goodrow (2020) - to help propel Stanley Cup runs. Don't be shocked if they do it again.

Tampa Bay is loaded, but if the club has one weakness, it's the right side of the blue line. Look for general manager Julien Brisebois to address it in hopes of a three-peat.

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Los Angeles Kings forward Brendan Lemieux received a five-minute match penalty after Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said Lemieux bit him during a scrum Saturday.

The dustup between the two players occurred in the third period. Once the referees separated them from a lengthy wrestling match, Tkachuk showed the officials his bare hand.

Both players received two roughing minors on the play as well.

Tkachuk didn't mince words postgame.

"This is the one time I'm going to answer this," he said, per Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch. "It was the most gutless thing somebody could ever do. This guy, you can ask any one of his teammates, nobody ever wants to play with him. This guy is a bad guy and a bad teammate, he focuses on himself all the time.

"The guy's just a joke. He shouldn't be in the league. This guy's gutless. No other team wants him, he's going to keep begging to be in the NHL but no other team is going to want him, he's an absolute joke. I can't even wrap my head around it. People don't even do this. He's just a bad guy."

Tkachuk continued to go off on Lemieux.

"It's outrageous. Kids don't even do that anymore. Babies do that," Tkachuk said. "I don't even know what he was thinking, he's just a complete brickhead. He's got nothing up there. Bad guy, bad player, but what a joke he is."

Lemieux has been suspended twice in his career: once for hitting Vincent Trocheck's head in 2018 and again for a late hit on Joonas Donskoi in 2020.

The last known biting controversy in the NHL occurred in 2019 when P.K. Subban claimed he was bitten by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who didn't receive any discipline from the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

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The NHL draft lottery was flipped upside down after a placeholder team won the right to the first overall pick. Each team that's eliminated from the upcoming play-in round will now own an equal 12.5% chance of drafting QMJHL phenom Alexis Lafreniere.

Let's take a look at what each Eastern Conference team stands to gain should it win the unprecedented draft lottery.

Eastern Conference l Western Conference (Sunday)

(No. 5) Pittsburgh Penguins

2019-20 record: 40-23-6 (.623)
Last No. 1 pick: Sidney Crosby (2005)

Drafting Lafreniere would extend Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup window. A potential star player making the league minimum would be huge for the cap-strapped Penguins. He'd be equally important after his three-year, entry-level deal expires, too. Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still going strong at ages 32 and 33, respectively, but will eventually fall from the game's top tier. Lafreniere would ideally then be able to lead the offense, with Sid and Geno in supporting roles.

From an individual development standpoint, would there be a better place for Lafreniere to land than in Pittsburgh? He'd basically receive a master's degree in hockey from Crosby, who also happens to be a Rimouski Oceanic alumnus. The tutelage from Malkin and fellow French-Canadian Kris Letang wouldn’t hurt, either.

Note: The Penguins traded their 2020 first-round pick to the Minnesota Wild but can send their 2021 first-rounder if they miss the playoffs this year.

(No. 6) Carolina Hurricanes

2019-20 record: 38-25-5 (.596)
Last No. 1 pick: N/A

Adding Lafreniere to Carolina's young, dangerous core that already features Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, and Andrei Svechnikov is a scary thought for the rest of the conference. The Hurricanes are perennially one of the league's top puck-possession teams and have built a rock-solid blue line to complement a forward corps recently bolstered by the arrival of Vincent Trocheck.

A loss in the play-in round would be immensely disappointing, but drafting Lafreniere would vault the Hurricanes into the upper echelon of Stanley Cup contenders.

Note: The Hurricanes traded a 2020 first-round pick to the New York Rangers but also own the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2020 first-rounder. The Rangers will receive the later of those two selections.

(No. 7) New York Islanders

2019-20 record: 35-23-10 (.588)
Last No. 1 pick: John Tavares (2009)

The addition of Lafreniere would give Mathew Barzal a much-needed running mate in the Islanders' lackluster attack. The two players are creative and skilled enough to form a lethal duo if placed on the same line. If head coach Barry Trotz opted to split them up, he'd have one dynamic playmaker on each of his top two lines. Lafreniere is already a solid checker, so he'd be a nice fit in Trotz's system.

The Isles already have a steady defensive foundation in place, but one more offensive game-changer could push them over the top.

Note: The Islanders traded their 2020 first-round pick to the Ottawa Senators, but it's top-three protected.

(No. 8) Toronto Maple Leafs

2019-20 record: 36-25-9 (.579)
Last No. 1 pick: Auston Matthews (2016)

The Maple Leafs missing out on the actual playoff bracket in a year they were expected to be among the conference's best would be a certifiable disaster for the organization, but winning the rights to draft Lafreniere would open up a world of possibilities for general manager Kyle Dubas (and create highly entertaining mass chaos in the online hockey world).

The slim chance of adding Lafreniere to one of the league's top attacks creates plenty of intrigue. With the salary cap reportedly remaining stagnant for up to three seasons, the Maple Leafs could desperately use some cheap fill-ins, and having Lafreniere's entry-level contract on the books would allow Dubas to trade a winger and free up some cap room to allocate elsewhere.

Note: The Maple Leafs traded their 2020 first-round pick to the Hurricanes, but it's top-10 protected.

(No. 9) Columbus Blue Jackets

2019-20 record: 33-22-15 (.579)
Last No. 1 pick: Rick Nash (2002)

The Blue Jackets winning the lottery would prove good karma does exist. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen went all-in at last year’s trade deadline, hanging on to pending UFAs Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky and trading for one of the biggest rentals available in Matt Duchene. It was a display of courage that is uncommon among NHL GMs. All three players left via free agency despite his best efforts, so the small-market decision-maker deserves to be rewarded with a young phenom.

(No. 10) Florida Panthers

2019-20 record: 35-26-8 (.565)
Last No. 1 pick: Aaron Ekblad (2014)

The Panthers were one of the league's biggest underachievers in 2019-20, and the unexpected chance to draft Lafreniere could be the jolt the club needs. There's no question that Florida already has one of the league's best offensive duos in Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau - a fellow superstar QMJHL graduate - but adding Lafreniere to the mix would give the Cats another weapon to help keep pace with their powerful Atlantic Division adversaries.

It would also provide GM Dale Tallon with some peace of mind entering the offseason. Key forwards Mike Hoffman and Evgeni Dadonov are unrestricted free agents, and rather than splurging to keep one, or both, in house, Tallon could spend that money on improving a thin D-corps while Lafreniere fills in up front.

(No. 11) New York Rangers

2019-20 record: 37-28-5 (.564)
Last No. 1 pick: Andre Veilleux (1965)

It was just two years ago that the Rangers announced they were entering a rebuild. Since then, GM Jeff Gorton has built an impressive young core, signing Artemi Panarin via free agency, trading for Jacob Trouba and Adam Fox, and drafting Kaapo Kakko second overall in 2019. He also re-signed Chris Kreider and lured star goalie Igor Shesterkin over from Russia. Meanwhile, Mika Zibanejad has blossomed into a true No. 1 center. Adding Lafreniere would give the Rangers some legitimate dynasty potential.

(No. 12) Montreal Canadiens

2019-20 record: 31-31-9 (.500)
Last No. 1 pick: Doug Wickenheiser (1980)

Just imagine the hysteria in Montreal if the Canadiens snagged their first No. 1 pick in 40 years and won the right to draft the Quebec-born Lafreniere in a year they were supposed to host the draft. Conspiracy theorists would be up in arms, but Lafreniere would instantly become the French-born superstar and face of the franchise that the rabid fan base has long desired.

Aside from the perfect fit publicity-wise, landing Lafreniere would be massive for the Canadiens' future on the ice, too. Montreal has 11 picks in the first five rounds of the 2020 draft, and Lafreniere leading the pack would go a long way in reinforcing the club's contention window for the remainder of the Carey Price-Shea Weber era.

(Draft pick info courtesy: CapFriendly)

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There are two words in the NHL lexicon that will rile up any hockey fan, player, coach, or executive in 2018: goaltender interference.

More than three quarters through the season, everybody is still trying to understand how to interpret the rule, but no one has a clue. The inconsistency and the continuation of coach's challenges has clouded the concept of what differentiates a good goal, an illegal goal, and a penalty.

Controversial calls have already impacted some of the league's biggest names, including Auston Matthews - although he handled it with grace, and arguably the greatest goal celebration of all time - and Connor McDavid more than once. Several coaches have aired their grievances, too - most recently Los Angeles Kings bench boss John Stevens, who called the process a "guessing game" following his club's loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.

The bottom line is, the playoffs are less than a month away, and you-know-what is going to hit the fan if a questionable call determines the outcome of a series. Goaltender interference is said to be a topic of discussion at the annual league meetings in Boca Raton later this month, but for any change to be instituted before the postseason, it would have to be agreed upon by all parties in short order - something the NHL historically isn't very good at.

So, while fans, coaches, and players pray the next controversial call doesn't cost their team the game - or their season - let's explore some suggestions to remedy the issue going forward.

Take it out of the refs' hands

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

The main issue with goaltender interference is it's incredibly subjective. Hockey moves quickly, making it tough to track all of the variables. Who initiated the contact? Was the player pushed? Did the skate that nicked the knob of the goalie's stick really impede his ability to make a save with the opposite leg?

That's for the ref to decide, but that course of action may be less effective with these gray areas. So, why not have a team in Toronto's league office dedicated to making the calls? Much like the league has done with the Department of Player Safety, the team could include people that have been there. Former refs, even former goalies, could surely offer some valuable insight, and would likely instill consistent decision-making.

Adopt the IIHF's rule

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

The IIHF has no dilemmas regarding goalie interference, because international rules state: "If an attacking skater establishes position in the goal crease, play will be stopped and the ensuing faceoff will take place at the nearest faceoff spot in the neutral zone."

It might be a radical change, but it would definitely eliminate these controversies. The crease belongs to the goalie, and enforcing a rule to ensure that's the way the game is played is a reasonable proposition.

The rule doesn't have to be adopted verbatim, but it could be a good starting point. Plus, imagine seeing a player score a desperate lacrosse-style goal, lunging through the air while managing to avoid the goalie and the blue paint. Try challenging that, coaches.

No more coach's challenges

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Speaking of challenges, what if they weren't a thing?

Video review is useful for getting things right, but we're well into the coach's challenge era and things are a certified disaster. If a play needs to be reviewed, contact the aforementioned crew of rules experts in Toronto to make the call instead of a grumpy coach who has nothing to lose by demanding a replay.

If goalie interference challenges are taken away, that means offside reviews, which carry a consequence for being incorrectly challenged, will likely be extinguished as well. Is anyone really against that?

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