5 predictions for NHL free agency

Let the frenzy begin.

As the calendar turns to July, hundreds of free agents will be in search of new deals, while the NHL's 31 general managers will spend their bosses' money, be it out of want or necessity.

It's time, then, to pull out our crystal ball and see what will happen in free agency beginning July 1.

Devil of a deal for Shattenkirk

The New Jersey Devils have a star winger in Taylor Hall, an elite goalie in Cory Schneider, and blue-chip prospects down the middle in Nico Hischier and Pavel Zacha. They also have a boatload of salary cap space and glaring holes on the blue line.

Enter Kevin Shattenkirk, arguably the biggest name in free agency this summer.

There will be plenty of suitors, but GM Ray Shero can outbid them all and offer Shattenkirk the opportunity to play close to his New York-area hometown.

Only defensemen Andy Greene and Ben Lovejoy are signed past 2017-18, and Shattenkirk would be a nice and necessary building block on the blue line to complement talent elsewhere on the roster.

Radulov is 'one and done' in Montreal

Alexander Radulov returned to the NHL by way of the Montreal Canadiens, but priced himself out of "La Belle Province" by fitting in so well.

Out of the league since 2012 following a brief and failed return to Nashville, Radulov left the KHL and signed a one-year deal with the Canadiens last summer. He went on to record 18 goals and 36 assists in 76 regular-season games, with an additional two goals and five assists in six playoff appearances.

Now, Montreal won't be able to afford to keep him.

Potential landing spots could include Vegas, Columbus, or San Jose.

Girardi will have options, sign multi-year deal

Former New York Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi won't have to wait long for a new job, and he'll get some security to go with a new deal.

On Tuesday, The Athletic's Craig Custance reported several teams had reached out to Girardi, suggesting there will be a good market for his services in free agency.

This despite barely registering as a third-pair defenseman at this point in his career.

(Courtesy: Own The Puck)

Girardi, whose contract was bought out by the Rangers, will earn $1.11 million from the Blueshirts through to the end of 2022-23. Look for him to concurrently cash another hefty paycheck over the next three-to-five seasons, likely from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Thornton and Marleau team up elsewhere

Back in 2003, Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya - both of whom were recently elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame - left the Anaheim Ducks and decided to sign tandem deals with the Colorado Avalanche in pursuit of a Stanley Cup.

Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau find themselves in an eerily similar situation and there's a real possibility their long tenures with the San Jose Sharks have come to an end, leaving them to seek glory elsewhere around the NHL.

Drafted first and second overall, respectively, in 1997, Thornton and Marleau have become quite a duo both on and off the ice, and no doubt relish the opportunity to win together after failing to do so in San Jose.

The Dallas Stars have put themselves in position to win now and would be a great landing spot, but don't rule out the Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, or even the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Long summer ahead for many

It's happening every year with increased regularity: Following the initial rush of signings, several players are forced to wait things out until deep into the summer or even right up until training camp to find a new hockey home.

This year will be no exception, even with the advent of a 31st franchise to fill out. The salary cap didn't increase all that much and teams are relying more and more on cheaper, younger talent.

Once the dust has settled and teams have a better handle on their respective situations, look for an onslaught of short-term, low-value deals and training camp tryouts.

As an offshoot, Jarome Iginla and Shane Doan, for example, will be left with plenty of time to think about their futures.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)