After three years of schedule disruptions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the league’s signing period returns to July 1.
And while there might not be as many big names on the board as usual, general managers looking to upgrade or round out rosters should still have plenty of talent to choose from in the unrestricted free agent pool — from aging stars to role players to veteran goaltenders. With a month to go until the opening bell sounds on Canada Day at noon ET, The Canadian Press takes a look at some of the names poised to hit the market:The 32-year-old centre was acquired by Toronto from St. Louis in mid-February as part of a blockbuster deal prior to the NHL trade deadline. O’Reilly, who won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019, helped the Maple Leafs win a playoff series for the first time since 2004 and remains a valuable asset down the middle.