The Stanley Cup was given out for the 2021-22 season, as the Avalanche were crowned the champions of 2022 after defeating the Lightning on Sunday.
Now it's officially onto the offseason, as teams begin to retool in hopes of taking the Avs' spot at the top of the NHL mountain.
While the NHL Draft is the first order of business of the offseason, free agency is just around the corner. It's an opportunity for players to cash in after a career year, find a new contender to call home, or just simply get that next guaranteed contract.
Teams have already been busy re-signing players before they hit the market, while others are waiting around for free agency to officially begin to seek out new ones. As always, it should be a crazy few weeks in the NHL.
MORE: When is the 2022 NHL Draft?
Here's what you need to know ahead of NHL free agency.
When does NHL free agency start?
The market to sign free agents in 2022 begins on Wednesday, July 13, at noon ET.Players that are unrestricted free agents (UFAs) cannot begin meeting and talking with teams until that date and time.
Who are the top 2022 free agents?
This summer, some big names are likely going to be on the move to a new club.
Stars like Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau and Panthers' rental Claude Giroux headline the 2022 free agent class.
Some already have officially inked new deals, as Bryan Rust re-signed with the Penguins and Mark Giordano with the Maple Leafs. Both Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith have reportedly agreed to re-sign with the Bruins and Golden Knights, respectively.
Here is a look at some of the top free agents still available.
| RANK | PLAYER | POSITION |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | Johnny Gaudreau | Left Wing |
| No. 2 | Filip Forsberg | Left Wing |
| No. 3 | Claude Giroux | Center/Wing |
| No. 4 | Nazem Kadri | Center |
| No. 5 | Ville Husso | Goaltender |
| No. 6 | Vincent Trocheck | Center |
| No. 7 | John Klingberg | Defenseman |
| No. 8 | Kris Letang | Defenseman |
| No. 9 | Ondrej Palat | Left Wing |
| No. 10 | Evgeni Malkin | Center |
| No. 11 | Rickard Rakell | Right Wing |
| No. 12 | Evander Kane | Left Wing |
| No. 13 | David Perron | Left Wing |
| No. 14 | Max Domi | Left Wing |
| No. 15 | Darcy Kuemper | Goaltender |
| No. 16 | Jack Campbell | Goaltender |
| No. 17 | Ben Chiarot | Defenseman |
| No. 18 | Valeri Nichushkin | Right Wing |
| No. 19 | Andrew Copp | Center |
| No. 20 | Josh Manson | Defenseman |
| No. 21 | Ryan Strome | Center |
| No. 22 | Marc-Andre Fleury | Goaltender |
| No. 23 | Ilya Mikheyev | Right Wing |
| No. 24 | Phil Kessel | Right Wing |
| No. 25 | Andre Burakovsky | Right Wing |
