Three free agents who may have already played their final game in the NHL.

The free agency period in the National Hockey League can be one of the most exciting times of of the year for fans around the league as their teams try to bolster their respective roster, but it also can be a very exciting time for the players as well. Free agency is all about new opportunities and a chance to earn the maximum amount of money you can during your short NHL career but although we usually focus on all the positives, it can also be a sad and depressing time of year for some players as well.

The reality is that hockey is a young man's game and that means that each and every year there are players who hit free agency only to realize that there are no teams in the NHL who still think they have what it takes to be competitive at that level. Unfortunately no one is exempt from this rule and aside from players who decide to retire on their own terms, presumably before their skills have faded too badly, this is the fate that eventually awaits every player in the National Hockey League

The 2019 offseason will be no exception to this rule and you can bet that there will be plenty of faces who hit the ice during the 2018 - 2019 NHL regular season that will be absent when the puck drops for the start of the 2019 - 2020 regular season. This time around however the list of players who may be forced to walk off into the sunset without a contract includes some pretty big names, names that will be very recognizable even outside of the cities in which they became famous. Here is a look at 3 players who may not be back next season.

#3 Patrick Marleau.

Perhaps the most obvious choice on this list, if this is the end of Marleau's career it will be somewhat his own doing. The veteran forward has made it abundantly clear that he does not intend to play anywhere other than San Jose and right now it does not look like that team will be able to find a spot on their roster, or under the salary cap, to make it work. Marleau's desire to be close to his family could very well spell the end of his NHL career.

#2 Niklas Kronwall.

Kronwall's situation is a curious one as no one seems to know what is really going on behind the scenes. The Red Wings have given every indication that they would welcome him back, and Kronwall showed last season that despite his age he remains a capable NHL defenseman. It seems likely that, like Marleau, Kronwall would only sign with the one team he has played for throughout his entire NHL career, the Detroit Red Wings. If no offer is forthcoming from Detroit Kronwall could simply choose not to play next season.

#1 Chris Kunitz.

For a guy who went undrafted, there is no question that Chris Kunitz has defied all expectations and has had himself a wonderful career. Over 1000 NHL games under his belt split between the Anaheim Might Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, the more modern Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks is impressive to say the least, but that may not be enough to earn him another deal. Kunitz's game has taken several steps back as of late and at 39 years old I believe he will be hard pressed to earn himself another deal in the NHL.