5 biggest names still available in free agency.

We've had a very busy week in the National Hockey League after free agency opened up this past Wednesday, but heading into the weekend things appear to have settled down somewhat. Several of the big ticket free agents have already been signed to new contracts but despite that there are still several prominent NHL players who currently do not have a new contract.

Today I'll be looking at the 5 biggest names that are still available, excluding players that have reportedly agreed to deals already, like Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron for example, or any restricted free agents. Keep in mind that these are the biggest names and not --necessarily the 5 best players still on the market.

#1 Nazem Kadri.

Kadri established himself as one of the National Hockey League's elite centermen last season when he rattled off 28 goals and added 59 assists for 87 points in just 71 games with the Colorado Avalanche, adding an additional 7 goals and 8 assists for 15 points in 16 playoff games on his way to winning the Stanley Cup.

Kadri has set himself up for a lucrative payday and it is only a matter of time before he gets his chance to cash in this summer.

#2 Phil Kessel.

The 34 year old forward is coming off of 3 rather forgettable seasons as a member of the Arizona Coyotes and finds himself as an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his 1204 game NHL career. There's no question that Kessel's skills have diminished but he could still prove to be a valuable scoring threat at a low cost.

Perhaps more importantly from a fan's perspective, many will be invested in Kessel signing a new contract considering he is only 8 games away from setting a new NHL ironman record for consecutive games played.

#3 P.K. Subban.

The former New Jersey Devils defenseman is coming off of the biggest cap hit of any of the free agents still available on the open market, but he will have to accept a massive pay cut if he's hoping to find an NHL team this summer. 

While Kessel's seasons in Arizona may have been forgettable, Subban's time in New Jersey was notable for many of the wrong reasons. The veteran defenseman's skills have undeniably diminished since his time with the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators and his cap hit of $9,000,000 made his performance feel that much more underwhelming. Subban will have questions to answer about how well he can perform in a reduced roll on a new team next season, but at a reduced cap hit he's likely to be viewed more favorably as well.

#4 John Klingberg.

Klingberg is the top free agent defenseman available this summer but, while that might suggest that he should have been signed in relatively short order, he still remains unsigned.

Klingberg was a pivotal part of the Dallas Stars blue line during his tenure there and that was once again the case this season. Over 74 games Klingberg would record 6 goals and add 41 assists for a total of 47 points in the regular season. Since being drafted by the Stars in 2010, the former NHL All-Star has appeared in 552 games for that franchise and scored 71 goals and added an additional 303 assists for 374 points over the course of his 8 seasons as a Star.

#5 Paul Stastny.

At 36 years old it would be fair to ask what the veteran of over 1000 NHL games has left in the tank, that is if he wasn't coming off such a solid season for the Winnipeg Jets. Stastny played in 71 games for the Jets and recorded 21 goals and 24 assists for a total of 45 points and has likely earned himself another 1 year deal somewhere down the line this summer.

Like Subban and Kessel, Stastny is likely seeking a good fit on a contending team at this stage of his career.