FILE - In this Saturday, March 31, 2018 file photo, New York Islanders center John Tavares skates against the New Jersey Devils during the first period of an NHL hockey game, in Newark, N.J. The NHLâ€™s best rarely make it to free agency. Teams tend to re-sign their top players, keeping them off the market and on their rosters. That leaves a slew of solid veterans and journeymen available to the highest bidders trying to find a forward to play on a second or third line, a defenseman to be in a second pairing or perhaps a backup goaltender.(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)