There are currently 125 NHL players entering the final year of multi-year contracts who are pending unrestricted free agents on July 1. There are 26 in the Atlantic division, 27 in the Metro, 31 in the Central, and 41 in the Pacific.

I didn’t include the 51 players who signed one-year deals but aren’t eligible to sign a new contract until January, but they make the total 176. Top players like Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel, Kyle Connor, Artemi Panarin, Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson, and Sergei Bobrovsky top the list who are eligible to sign immediately, but there are many other quality players who’ve yet to sign a new contract with their current teams.

McDavid not signing is a big story across the NHL. I understand why. He’s the brightest star in the game, but players, their agents, and teams have just over nine months to come to an agreement. The NHL has a long history of doing deals at the last minute, whether it is contracts, trades, or collective bargaining agreements. McDavid, like a few others, is taking their time, and ultimately, I still believe he will remain with the Oilers after this season, but nothing is 100 per cent guaranteed. It will be interesting to see how many of the 125 players re-sign with their teams and how many test free agency. Some players will opt for free agency, but others will be forced into it as their teams choose different paths.

McDavid, Kaprizov, Eichel, and the other top players will garner most of the attention, and understandably so, but there are many other interesting cases to watch this season. The new salary cap rules, with no double retention within 75 days, and the playoff salary cap could impact some of these players being traded before the deadline. NHL capologists will be even more important heading into the deadline to ensure any new acquisitions will be fit into the playoff roster.

Here are the 125 pending UFAs:

Boston: Viktor Arvidsson ($4m) and Andrew Peeke (2.75m).

Buffalo: Alex Tuch ($4.75m) and Beck Malenstyn ($1.35m).

Detroit: Ben Chiarot ($4.75m), Justin Holl ($3.4m), Cam Talbot ($2.5m) and Erik Gustafsson ($2m).

Florida: Bobrovsky ($10m), Niko Mikkola ($2.5m), AJ Greer ($850K), Uvis Balinskis ($850K) and Jonah Gadjovich ($775K).

Montreal: Patrik Laine ($8.7m) and Mike Matheson ($4.875m).

Ottawa: Nick Jensen ($4.05m), David Perron ($4m) and Zack MacEwan ($775K).

Tampa Bay: Ryan McDonagh ($6.75m), Oliver Bjorkstrand ($5.4m), Darren Raddysh ($975K) and Mitchell Chaffee ($800k).

Toronto: Scott Laughton ($3m), Bobby McMann ($2.75m), Anthony Stolarz ($2.6m) and Calle Jarnkrok ($2.1m).

Carolina: Freddie Andersen ($2.75m) and Mark Jankowski ($800K).

Columbus: Charlie Coyle ($5.25m), Erik Gudbranson ($4m), Boone Jenner ($3.75m) and Ivan Fedotov ($3.275m).

New Jersey Devils: Jacob Markstrom ($4.125m).

New York Rangers: Panarin ($11.642m), Carson Soucy ($3.25m), Johnny Brodzinski ($787.5K) and Casey Fitzgerald ($775k)

New York Islanders: Anders Lee ($7m) and Jean-Gabriel Pageau ($5m).

Philadelphia: Nicolas Deslauriers ($1.75m).

Pittsburgh: Kevin Hayes ($7.142m), Evgeni Malkin ($6.1m), Matt Dumba ($3.75m), Connor Clifton ($3.33m), Danton Heinen $2.25m), Noel Acciari ($2m) and Blake Lizotte ($1.85m),

Washington: Alex Ovechkin ($9.5m), John Carlsson ($8m), Trevor van Riemsdyk ($3m), Sonny Milano ($1.9m), Brandon Duhaime ($1.85m) and Ethen Frank ($775K).

Chicago: Nick Foligno ($4.5m), Connor Murphy ($4.4m), Jason Dickinson ($4.25m), Ilya Mikheyev ($4.037m), Laurent Brossoit ($3.3m) and Sam Lafferty ($2m),

Colorado: Martin Necas ($6.5m) and Scott Wedgewood ($1.5m).

Dallas: None, although Jason Robertson ($7.75m) is an RFA and there have been rumblings he could be moved for the right return.

Minnesota: Kirill Kaprizov ($9m), Vladimir Tarasenko ($4.75m), Mats Zuccarello ($4.125m), Filip Gustavsson ($3.75m) and Zach Bogosian ($1.25m).

Nashville: Michael Bunting ($4.5m), Erik Haula ($3.15m), Cole Smith ($1m), Michael McCarron ($900K) and Nick Blankenburg ($775K).

St. Louis: Cam Fowler ($4m), Mathieu Joseph ($2.95m) and Oskar Sundqvist ($1.5m).

Utah: Nick Schmaltz ($5.85m), Alex Kerfoot ($3m), Kevin Stenlund ($2m) and Connor Ingram ($1.95m).

Winnipeg: Kyle Connor ($7.142m), Adam Lowry ($3.25m), Luke Schenn ($2.75m), Colin Miller ($1.5m), Logan Stanley ($1.25m) and Eric Comrie ($825K).

Anaheim: Jacob Trouba ($8m), Petr Mrazek ($4.25m), Radko Gudas ($4m), Ryan Poehling ($1.8m), Ross Johnston ($1.1m) and Jansen Harkins ($787.5K).

Calgary: Rasmus Anderson ($4.55m), Ryan Lomberg ($2m), Jake Bean ($1.75m) and Daniil Miromanov ($1.25m).

Edmonton: McDavid ($12.5m), Mattias Ekholm ($6.25m), Jake Walman ($3.4m), Adam Henrique ($3m), Brett Kulak ($2.75m), Stuart Skinner ($2.6m), Calvin Pickard ($1m) and Troy Stecher ($787.5K)

Los Angeles: Anze Kopitar ($7m, but he’s retiring), Adrian Kempe ($5.5m) and Kyle Burroughs ($1.1m).

San Jose: Alexander Wennberg ($5m), Nick Leddy ($4m), Mario Ferraro ($3.25m), Timothy Liljgren ($3m), Alex Nedeljkovic ($2.5m), Vincent Desharnais ($2m), Carl Grundstrom ($1.8m) and Ryan Reaves ($1.35m).

Seattle: Jaden Schwartz ($5.5m), Jordan Eberle ($4.75m), Jamie Oleksiak ($4.6m), Mason Marchment ($4.5m) and Eeli Tolvanen ($3.475m).

Vancouver: Evander Kane ($5.125m), Teddy Blueger ($1.8m) and Kiefer Sherwood ($1.5m).

Vegas: Eichel ($10m), Colton Scissons ($2.857m), Jeremy Lauzon ($2m) and Ben Hutton ($950K)

— Rasmus Andersson in Calgary is a fascinating case. He’s a top-pair right-shot defender with an AAV of $4.55 million. He will be highly sought after at the deadline, firstly because he’s a solid player, but if not signed, Calgary won’t risk losing him for nothing, and he’s quite affordable, especially if the Flames retain 50 per cent of his salary. Andersson at a $2.275m (playoff cap hit if Calgary retains 50%) would be a great value for an acquiring team.

— Evgeni Malkin is one of only 20 players in NHL history to play 100+ playoff games and average over 1.00 points/game. He has 180 playoff points, which is tied with Ray Bourque for 14th all-time. He hasn’t played in the playoffs for three seasons, and if he’s healthy at the deadline, he’s a player I’d look at. He could help in the playoffs, and I’d guess he’d be extremely excited to chase a fourth Stanley Cup. If the Penguins are out of the race, they should look at moving him, and if they do, the chatter around moving Sidney Crosby will ramp up.

— Connor Murphy ($4.4m) will have many suitors. He’s a big, mobile right-shot defender, and the Blackhawks won’t be a playoff team. Similar to Andersson, his 50 per cent cap hit at the deadline makes him even more attractive.

— Colorado traded Mikko Rantanen last season, when they couldn’t come to a contract agreement — will they do the same with Martin Necas this season? He isn’t as good as Rantanen, but he’s a solid player. Something to monitor.

— Alex Tuch has scored 36 goals in two of the past three seasons, and his 94 goals are the 36th most in the NHL over the past three seasons. The Sabres have missed the playoffs for an NHL record 14 consecutive seasons, and unless they are really in the mix closer to the trade deadline, Tuch will be at the top of any trade target board, especially for teams looking for a scoring right winger. He was quite productive with Vegas in the playoffs in his first four seasons in the NHL. Tuch would love to get back to the postseason, and he could be an option for Edmonton and others.

— Seattle will be a team to watch. Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, and hulking defender Jamie Oleksiak offer different skill sets that teams will want. Schwartz won a Cup in St. Louis, and adding players with Cup experience never hurts. Oleksiak is massive, moves well, and would help at 5×5 and on the PK. Eberle can still pick a corner with the best of them, and adding a player who can score a timely goal is often a priority.

— Fans in Edmonton, Minnesota, and Vegas are anxious and nervous, waiting to see if their superstar signs. The longer they remain unsigned, the discussions about their future will increase. We can debate how much of a “distraction” that is for those players. I’m not sure it is much, as they are guaranteed to get a new contract in the NHL. It is more of a distraction and upsetting talking point for fans and likely the individual organizations. The Wild, Oilers, and Golden Knights want to re-sign them, but right now, the players hold all the cards.

— The trade options are plentiful when you look at this list, and it doesn’t include players on one-year deals or players who have multiple years remaining. With the salary cap increasing to $104m next season and $113m the following year, I think players, agents, and GMs are still trying to figure out what will be fair or prudent AAVs moving forward.