The NHL’s best rarely make it to free agency.Teams tend to re-sign their top players Womens Anze Kopitar Jersey , 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.John Tavares this year is considered a top target, assuming the New York Islanders and their new leaders can’t persuade the 27-year-old center to stay with the franchise that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2009. He had 84 points last season, two shy of his career high.Trying to show Tavares how serious they are about winning, the Islanders hired Stanley Cup-winning coach Barry Trotz and Stanley Cup-winning president of hockey operations Lou Lamoriello. New York can sign Tavares to an eight-year contract, too, one year more than any other team in the league can give him. The Islanders can invest $80-plus million to help convince their franchise star to stay.Tavares, though, may want to take his two-way talents elsewhere because he has made it to the playoffs just three times in his nine-year career, advancing only once. If the five-time All-Star chooses to leave, he has plenty of choices. Toronto, Boston, San Jose, Dallas and Tampa Bay are believed to be among his options. Tavares can command a seven-year contract for perhaps more than $70 million from any of the teams trying to lure him away from the Islanders.Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said the Tavares situation is holding back other free agents, not knowing how high he will set the bar for salaries, and delaying trades.”I think it’s holding up the hockey world a certain amount,” Hextall said Friday.Some other names to watch ahead of free agency, which begins Sunday:JAMES VAN RIEMSDYKThe Maple Leafs would love to keep him at the right price Authentic Derek Forbort Jersey Kids , but they might have to let him go to potentially to have enough money to bring Tavares back home. The 29-year-old winger had a career-high 36 goals last season, his sixth in Toronto and ninth in the league.DAVID PERRONThe 30-year-old winger picked a good time to have a career year, with a career-high 50 assists and 66 points with the Vegas Golden Knights. He added nine point during their postseason run.JAMES NEALThe three-time All-Star had a career-high 11 postseason points during the Vegas run to the Stanley Cup Final. The 30-year-old winger keeps himself in great shape and leads on and off the ice.PAUL STASTNYThe 32-year-old center had a career-high 15 playoff points, helping the Winnipeg Jets reach the Western Conference final. The one-time All-Star would be a solid Plan B for teams that whiff on their shot to sign Tavares.MIKE GREENWith Washington keeping John Carlson off the market, the 32-year-old Green may be the best defenseman available. Green had a neck injury last season in Detroit and that may concern some teams.MICHAEL GRABNERThe 30-year-old winger finished with 27 goals last year to rank third among potential unrestricted free agents. He had only two for New Jersey in the final 21 games.TYLER BOZAKThe 32-year-old Bozak has spent his entire career with the Maple Leafs, who may not be able to afford the solid center with 365 career points.JOE THORNTONTeams may hesitate to sign Thornton, coming off knee surgery with his 39th birthday on Tuesday, but the center with great hands could be a great fit for a contending team looking to add depth and a veteran presence.DAN HAMHUISWith slim pickings on the blue line, the 35-year-old defenseman will be in demand after missing a total of just five games the last two seasons in Dallas.CAM WARDThe 34-year-old goaltender won 23 games last season, the most of any potential unrestricted free agent, despite playing for the lowly Carolina Hurricanes.—AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report.— DALLAS (AP) The Montreal Canadiens could make the first real move in the NHL draft with the third overall pick.If everything goes as expected in Big D on Friday night, play-making Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will be the first overall pick by the Buffalo Sabres. Russian forward Andrei Svechnikov will then go to Carolina.”Obviously Rasmus and Andrei deserve it, they’re unbelievable players,” American prospect Brady Tkachuk said Thursday. ”From the third (pick) on, it’s just whatever the team wants, so we’ll see what happens. But it’s going to be pretty exciting to be a part of.”So the real draft action should begin when Montreal goes on the clock.The Canadiens will have their choice of the other top prospects like right wing Filip Zadina, who’s playing in the Quebec league, and Tkachuk Youth Dion Phaneuf Jersey , the left wing from Boston University who is looking to follow father Keith and brother Mathew into the NHL. Maybe Finnish center Jesper Kotkaniemi.Plenty of other top defensemen will also be on the board, including Adam Boqvist, Quintin Hughes, Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard.”The most important is going to be tomorrow when Montreal goes on the stage, and they will say my name or not,” Zadina said. ”I’m just glad I can be there in the top five, top six players. It’s unbelievable.”Or maybe the Canadiens, who have 10 picks in the seven-round draft over two days, make a deal and let another team move into that slot.Trevor Timmins, Montreal’s assistant general manager, expects GM Marc Bergevin’s to be ringing.”We’re ready to go,” Timmins said Thursday. ”The list is never set in stone until we go head to the draft from the hotel here, but we’re confident of the prospects that we like … right from that third overall pick to the last pick we make on Saturday.”Timmins said centers, offensive defensemen and scoring wingers have the highest asset value on the Canadiens draft board, and that all are needs in their organization.Ottawa has the fourth pick, and No. 22, and team officials were going through scenarios again Thursday.”It was one of the best meetings I’ve had with scouts in 20 years talking about what we plan on doing at (No.) 4, what possibilities are at 22 http://www.kingsproshop.com/authentic-drew-doughty-jersey , how these players will impact our organization moving forward,” Senators GM Pierre Dorion said. ”We’re just excited. We suffered this year. There’s no doubt we suffered as a team with the number of losses. But the one good thing is we know we’re getting a really good player here.”Arizona, Detroit, Vancouver, Chicago, the New York Rangers and Edmonton hold the final picks in the top 10. The New York Islanders, who on Thursday hired Stanley Cup champion coach Barry Trotz, then have consecutive picks before the draft-hosting Dallas Stars select 13th.The draft at the American Airlines Center comes 25 years after the former Minnesota North Stars moved to bring NHL hockey to Dallas.Coyotes GM John Chayka said he has five players who would fit his team in the fifth spot.”We understand that there’s a variety of outcomes that could exist and then we’re going to have a plan in place that accounts for any of the iterations of what could occur,” Chayka said. ”It’ll be an interesting draft. I’m sure there’ll be opportunities to move up and opportunities to move down and opportunities to stay and take the pick.”While general managers and team officials did their final prep for the draft, several of the top prospects took part in other activities in the Dallas area.The prospects first were at a youth hockey clinic with several players from the Dallas Stars. There was then a media availability at Reunion Tower, more than 500 feet above the ground. That vantage point overlooks the city and next to the open lot where once stood Reunion Arena, the home of the Stars when the won the Stanley Cup in 1999.Dahlin said he wasn’t feeling nervous about the likelihood of having his name called first Friday night.”I haven’t actually thought about it so much yet,” Dahlin said. ”It’s crazy to be here actually, I can’t believe it. … Sometime in the near future I will stop and think what I am going through. I’m just trying to enjoy this time as much as I can.”—AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.—