NHL free agency: Top options, best values, boom-or-bust players

Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

We were spoiled last summer.

The 2022 unrestricted free agent class featured star players like Johnny Gaudreau, Filip Forsberg, Claude Giroux, Nazem Kadri, Darcy Kuemper and Marc-Andre Fleury — not to mention two-thirds of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ core in Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

The 2023 free agent class is … not like that. At all. There isn’t a franchise-altering player available. But that’s not to say there aren’t players that could be the last pieces of championship puzzles, difference-makers on burgeoning contenders and valuable additions to young teams seeking veteran help.

Here’s a look at the unrestricted free agent field, organized into different tiers. We’ve opted not to include restricted free agents, as offer sheets remain a rarity in the NHL.

Which players are you hoping your team signs this offseason?

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