Since joining the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2012, James van Riemsdyk has blossomed into a tremendous NHL player. Somewhat of a disappointment in Philadelphia, given his second-overall selection in the 2007 draft, wearing the blue of Toronto has certainly done the American winger good. In the regular season, Van Riemsdyk has pinged in 154 goals and 140 assists for the Maple Leafs, along with seven goals and seven assists in the playoffs. He has flourished in Toronto but it looks as though his time as a Maple Leaf has come to an end. He will most likely command a salary upwards of $4.5 million and, given the other young stars that need signing up, a team elsewhere should easily outbid his current team.

4. David Perron and James Neal

IMAGE SOURCE: Vegas Golden Knights, via Twitter

So, putting two players into one spot may seem to be a cop-out, but it is very difficult to separate David Perron and James Neal. Putting one on this list over the other seemed wrong, so both make the cut. The latest is that both players want to remain with the Las Vegas team but contract demands may get in the way of that. David Perron is a very serviceable and versatile winger. He plays his heart out every game, has speed, and is a superb playmaker. What’s more is that, despite 16 goals and 66 points in this regular season, he’ll most likely be asking for a very reasonable salary.

James Neal was the big-name skater that the Vegas Golden Knights picked up in the expansion draft. Neal has been a major factor in Vegas this season, leading them into the playoffs and making them one of the favorites to win it all with his 25 goals and 44 points. They poached him from the Nashville Predators who seem to be no worse for wear because of it. His old team, the Predators, are not only set to win their series against the Winnipeg Jets at -144.93 with the sports betting site Betway, but they are also favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Both Neal and Perron avoided being traded at the deadline because general manager George McPhee decided to ride momentum into the playoffs and not derail it, per Sportsnet. But now, these two Vegas stars could be poached by any team if not resigned.

3. Evander Kane

IMAGE SOURCE: San Jose Sharks, via Twitter

Now that he’s mostly shrugged his bad-boy aura and has continued to prove his skill level on the ice, Evander Kane has become hot property. Currently, with the San Jose Sharks, Kane has proved that he can score goals wherever he’s playing. With the basement-dwelling Buffalo Sabres, he still managed to tally 68 goals in three seasons, as well as nine goals and 14 points through 17 regular season games with the Sharks. Kane is lightning fast, plays hard all games, and is an elite-level sniper. The fan base hopes that he’s signed up to a long-term contract, but there’s no doubt that he’ll have other suitors in the summer.

2. John Carlson

According to the Washington Post, John Carlson is set to become one of the highest-paid defensemen in NHL history. The American blueliner has been a crucial part of Washington’s dominance in the Metropolitan Division over the past few seasons and is one of the stars of the playoffs. Now 28-years-old, he’ll undoubtedly be seeking a long-term, big-money deal, especially as he nailed in 15 goals and 68 assists this season. The league’s highest-scoring defenseman is an excellent puck mover, slick skater with strong defensive positioning, and he’s a reliably clean player – rarely picking up many penalty minutes. He is the complete defenseman and the fact that he clocks in so many points makes him a major target in this year’s free agency.

1. John Tavares

SOURCE: Hextall's Ast. GM, via Twitter

The ultimate name on this list of impending free agent stars is, of course, John Tavares. He has been the face of the New York Islanders franchise since being drafted first-overall in the 2009 draft but the franchise hasn’t given him much help in his dream to hoist the Stanley Cup. It all seemed to be going well just a few seasons ago when the team was building around the likes of Tavares, Frans Nielsen, Kyle Okposo, and Travis Hamonic, but the latter of those three have all been shipped off. Now, with only three playoff berths in nine years as an Islander, it’d be understandable if Tavares left. Furthermore, the Islanders look set to be ravaged in the summer, with three key players likely to be snapped up. The LA Times reports general manager Garth Snow as, understandably, wanting Tavares to remain an Islander for the duration of his career. But there are many suitors with better hopes of winning the cup that will be talking to the superstar center.