NHL heads into free agency signing period

Associated Press

As New York Rangers players cleaned out their lockers after a second-round playoff exit, all the talk was about impending change.

That’s just getting started — for the Rangers and the rest of the NHL.

Big moves leading up to and at the draft by the Rangers, rival New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks and others set up a potentially crazy week to come going into free agency. Teams could begin talking to pending free agents Sunday and can sign them starting Saturday afternoon, and in between there could be plenty more movement now that the Vegas expansion draft is over and the foundation has been laid for trades.

“Everyone had a lot of doubt moving into (the expansion draft) because they didn’t know who will be on their team,” Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said. “I think more teams will be aggressive in that regard because they know what they have.”

The Golden Knights are expected to flip at least a couple more players selected in the expansion draft, the Islanders are looking for a No. 2 center and no one knows what the Panthers and Coyotes will do next. The Rangers cleared significant cap space by buying out Dan Girardi and trading Derek Stepan to Arizona and could take a run at defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and other top free agents available.

“The Rangers feel that we had some really good hockey teams, we were really close, but in order for them to take that extra step over the hump, they have to make some moves,” Stepan said.

After the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons, the Rangers aren’t alone in trying to keep up. While Shattenkirk, Montreal winger Alexander Radulov, Washington veteran Justin Williams and Pittsburgh defenseman Trevor Daley are among the top free agents available, players like Colorado’s Matt Duchene, Vegas’ Marc Methot or Montreal’s Alex Galchenyuk could be traded first and change the course of the market.

Here are some things to watch for this week:

PENGUINS MARCH ON

Changes are afoot in Pittsburgh with goalie Marc-Andre Fleury already gone to Vegas and Daley, Nick Bonino, Chris Kunitz, Matt Cullen and Ron Hainsey set to be unrestricted free agents. With Justin Schultz and Conor Sheary among those needing new contracts, GM Jim Rutherford told free agents to test the market and come back to him, so the Penguins could look very different just three weeks after another Cup parade.

SHATTENKIRK SHOULD GET PAID

The Capitals committed big money to winger T.J. Oshie with a $46 million, eight-year deal, but they’re unlikely to re-sign Shattenkirk, Williams, Karl Alzner and Daniel Winnik.