Kyle Palmieri, secondary scoring specialist
The word on the street is that the New York Islanders attempted to sign Kyle Palmieri to an extension as early as March, but as those talks came to a standstill, the 34-year-old is probably going to test the market in just over a month.
Palmieri is coming off of his two best seasons since 2018, which has re-established him as a solid winger with top-six potential. He hit the 30-goal plateau last season and added 24 assists, then followed that up with 24 goals and 24 helpers this year.
He still provides secondary scoring that could add a ton of offensive depth to most teams. With a deadly shot, Palmieri is an asset for his ability to set up shop and pull the trigger on the power play.
Palmieri also a very opportunistic player, taking advantage of the chances given to him especially around the netfront. He's not the biggest guy physically, but six of his 24 goals this year were scored after chaotic plays near the crease (the rest were wristers or snap shots).
The unknowns for Palmieri are what the next contract will look like. Some have suggested he will probably sign a deal under his current annual salary of $5 million, and probably in the two- to three-year range.
But thanks to his increased output the last two seasons, Palmieri could still wind up enjoying a little bit of a pay raise -- it's going to depend on the club's available cap space and how attractive that team is to him.
It's not an exact science by any means, but Palmieri is just one of many skilled veteran skaters entering free agency who still have gas in the tank.