Two of the NHL's top remaining free agents are indeed heading to market.
Reports overnight from The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun indicated that both Los Angeles Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and Dallas Stars forward Mikael Granlund will hit free agency after not agreeing to preemptive contract extensions with their teams.
A flurry of movement in the days leading into free agency vastly reduced the free agent market. Guys like Mitch Marner, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad are already off the market.
Ekblad's re-signing with the Panthers is particularly notable for Gavrikov, who becomes maybe the top defenseman available. He's certainly the best defensive-minded D-man on the market, an honor that should bring with it a lot of suitors and quite the bidding war.
"With Ekblad and (Ivan) Provorov signing and staying put today, Gavrikov will be in huge demand with several teams looking for a top 4 D addition," LeBrun writes.
MORE: Maple Leafs trade for Mitch Marner's replacement in buy-low deal from Mammoth
Granlund steps into a forward void that also includes the likes of Brock Boeser and Nikolaj Ehlers.
"Tough loss for Dallas, he was such a good fit," LeBrun writes. "But they don't have the cap room to compete with what Granlund will get on the market."
Things move quickly in these free agent periods, so Gavrikov and Granlund could be off the market, too, soon after free agency officially opens.
The bummer news is really for the Kings and Stars, both of who would've loved to keep their fantastic players around but couldn't find a way to get a deal done.
Now, Gavrikov and Granlund are moving on, two of the biggest names left for other NHL teams to go after.
MORE NHL NEWS:
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- Maple Leafs need a free agent rebound after losing Marner, Marchand
- Mitch Marner makes a shocking silent statement with his departure
- Panthers pull off Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad salary miracles