While NHL teams can sign this year's free agents starting on July 1, there are also star players entering the final season of their deals who could sign extensions with their squads.

As the 2022-23 NHL season has come to an end, the attention now turns to the off-season, including the opening of free agency.

NHL teams can go after free agents to add to their team as of July 1, but they also must pay attention to players entering the final year of their deals. 

The 2024 off-season could be the summer of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Steven Stamkos, Brandon Montour, Jonathan Marchessault, Sebastian Aho and many more. For their teams to have a good chance of locking their key players up long-term, they can (and should) start discussing contract extensions this summer.

The 2023-24 UFA class has a lot of star power and will be giving GMs headaches this season as they decide whether to keep or trade their stars before they risk losing them for nothing.

Here’s a look at the top 15 possible UFAs for next summer who can sign an extension as of July 1. Contract information is according to CapFriendly. 

1. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

2023-24 contract details: $11,640,260 cap hit, no-move clause

There is not a player on the planet who will generate more conversation leading up to next year's free agency than Auston Matthews. Given the GM who signed the 26-year-old to his current five-year contract, Kyle Dubas, departed to a new organization, Toronto fans should prepare for the possibility of Matthews testing the open market. How Brad Treliving manages to manage Matthews, one of the best goal-scorers in the world, and his other major pending UFA, could define his tenure as GM of the Leafs.

2. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs

2023-24 contract details: $6,962,366 cap hit, 10-team no-trade list

Speaking of that other major pending UFA following this season, William Nylander was tied with Matthews as the top goal-scorers in this cohort, recording 40 goals and 87 points this past season. His tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs has been sprinkled with trade rumors. Fans have not been easy on Nylander despite his elite skill level. It would not be surprising to see the 28-year-old test the market, especially since Toronto may not have the cap space to give Nylander a raise on his nearly $7-million cap hit.

3. Brandon Montour, Florida Panthers

2023-24 contract details: $3,500,000 cap hit

Montour, 30, is about to get paid if he can even remotely replicate the season he just had in the final campaign of his current $3.5-million cap hit. He helped carry the Florida Panthers through the opening rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs and was one of the top-scoring defenders in the league, recording 73 points in 80 games and playing more than 24 minutes per game.

4. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes

2023-24 contract details: $8,460,250 cap hit

Coming off a five-year deal that came off an offer sheet signed with the Montreal Canadiens, Aho remains a consistent 30-goal scorer. At 26 years old, he still has a significant chunk of his prime remaining as well. Carolina will certainly do what they can to re-sign Aho, but for a player who signed an offer sheet once, taking the best possible offer might trump other considerations for Aho.

5. Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights

2023-24 contract details: $5,000,000 cap hit

Marchessault had an incredible post-season, capped off with a Stanley Cup and playoff MVP honors. His consistent production over the last seven seasons should earn Marchessault a raise, albeit on a short term, when his current contract expires. Marchessault will be 33 when free agency hits next off-season, but he’s shown no sign of slowing yet and should have a few productive seasons left in his tank.

6. Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins 

2023-24 contract details: $6,000,000 cap hit, 12-team no-trade list

It’s not like Kyle Dubas has any experience dealing with high-profile contract negotiations, other than the dozen he managed to complete in Toronto. When Guentzel’s current deal ends, he’ll have a long list of teams inquiring. After scoring 36 goals this year and 40 the season prior, Guentzel has been paramount to the Penguins, especially as they watch the Crosby-Malkin era fade. Guentzel won a Cup with the Pens as a rookie and has been one of the top playoff performers out there. If Guentzel wants another Cup, he’ll need to leave Pittsburgh. If he’s comfortable in Pittsburgh, he’ll stay to be part of the eventual rebuild. The choice will be up to Guentzel.

7. Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders

2023-24 contract details: $4,000,000 cap hit

The goaltending market hasn’t been consistently strong for free agents in recent off-seasons. The UFA class of 2024 does include a few netminders, however, including Sorokin, who will have every contending team calling. Sorokin has been one of the most consistent netminders in the league since coming over from Russia in 2020-21.

8. Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers

2023-24 contract details: $6,500,000 cap hit

Reinhart blossomed in Florida, finding his spot among the top six and scoring 31 goals in 82 games last season. He plays an important two-way role for the Panthers, contributing more than simply scoring.

9. Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets

2023-24 contract details: $6,125,000 cap hit, 10-team no-trade list

When Mark Scheifele first stepped on NHL ice 12 years ago, he was wearing a Winnipeg Jets jersey. All this time later and the 30-year-old is coming off the top goal total of his NHL career, with 42. Will he stay with the only team he’s ever known? A lot of that might depend on the Jets’ playoff status heading toward the trade deadline this season and what happens to Winnipeg’s other pending free agents.

10. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

2023-24 contract details: $6,166,666 cap hit

The opportunity to add a former Vezina Trophy winner with years remaining as a serviceable starter is a rare one. How many teams will need a starter or look to pay Hellebuyck into the twilight of his career is another question, but he’s proven he can carry a huge load of the schedule. There will be no shortage of teams kicking the tires of Hellebuyck if he’s not extended by season’s end, let alone right now.

11. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

2023-24 contract details: $8,500,000 cap hit, no-move clause

A younger Steven Stamkos would appear high on this list. Despite the fact Stamkos is aging, his production remains elite. He scored 34 goals and 84 points last season and is only a year removed from the first 100-point campaign of his career. Drafted first overall by the Lightning in 2008, Stamkos has been a Tampa Bay lifer. He’ll be 34 when his current contract expires, and there’s a chance he’ll finish his career in Tampa. There’s also a chance he’ll opt to chase a Cup elsewhere, perhaps fulfilling the longstanding rumor he might finish his career in Toronto.

12. Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche

2023-24 contract details: $4,100,000 cap hit

Perennially one of the NHL’s top defensive defenders, Toews plays major minutes for the Colorado Avalanche and contributes offensively as well. He’s a safe bet for any franchise looking for an upgrade to their top four blueliners.

13. Jake DeBrusk, Boston Bruins

2023-24 contract details: $4,000,000 cap hit

The 26-year-old is a consistent scorer who could see a boom in his production in a new setting. Sometimes given fewer first power-play or offensive-zone minutes because of Boston’s depth, DeBrusk could enter a new market and hit new career highs. He could also become one of the most overpaid players if that potential isn’t realized.

14. Tyler Toffoli, Calgary Flames

2023-24 contract details: $4,250,000 cap hit

Toffoli continues to contribute, scoring 34 goals and 73 points last season in Calgary. After being traded by the Los Angeles Kings, he’s bounced between Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary. In all likelihood, he will be on the move by the trade deadline if the Flames don’t bounce back to the playoffs. He’ll be 32 when free agency opens, so Toffoli will be trolling the waters for a short-term home.

15. Elias Lindholm, Calgary Flames

2023-24 contract details: $4,850,000 cap hit

Another Flames forward headed to free agency, Lindholm scored 42 goals in 2021-22 but slipped to 22 markers this season. What value he’s given on the open market will be determined by the season he puts together. Similar to Toffoli, if the Flames find themselves outside the playoff race looking in, Lindholm could fetch a major return on the trade market.

Other names to watch: Chandler Stephenson, Gustav Forsling, Joe Pavelski, Anze Kopitar, Mats Zuccarello, Jordan Eberle, Viktor Arvidsson, Noah Hanifin, Tyson Barrie, Blake Wheeler

Stay tuned at THN.com for more UFA and RFA coverage leading up to the opening of NHL free agency on July 1.