from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,

The main attraction in this summer’s hockey market, of course, is Steven Stamkos and the 2016 free agent class. But July 1 is also an important date for 2017’s free-agents-in-waiting, who have the opportunity to ink long-term extensions with their current teams this summer.

More interesting for fans of the game, failure to sign a franchise star — like the dozen detailed below — triggers trade speculation and contract-year pressure.

As with 2016, the class of Summer ’17 runs deep. Some of the players must be let go; others must be retained at (almost) any cost.

Here is a very early peek at the NHL’s top 12 unrestricted free agents of 2017, led by one the top three players in the league, plus a few quick observations about the next class.

1. Jamie Benn
Age on July 1, 2017: 27
Position: Left wing
2016-17 salary cap hit: $7.5 million

Bargaining chips: Where do we start? Won the 2014-15 Art Ross Trophy. Earned an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in 2014 after not even getting an invite to tryout camp. A finalist for the 2015-16 Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. Better than a point per game in his playoff career.

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