We are only a couple of days away from what may be one of the quietest days in free agency history.

With NHL teams not seeing an increase in cap space, many squads may choose not to stay quiet on the opening day of free agency on Wednesday, July 28. Instead, teams may have to be patient and wait until free-agent prices come down later this off-season. With maybe one or two exceptions, we won't see seven-year deals handed out to the UFA crop.

Some players whose free agency status might leave some doubt as to the length and cost of their next contract, which makes it difficult for fantasy general managers in cap leagues to properly plan their offseason.

That doesn't mean free agency frenzy won't be entertaining. It just might not happen all at once.

Below are 10 of the most interesting unrestricted free agents this summer.

Remember, these aren't necessarily the best free agents, but the most interesting. Alexander Ovechkin, for example, is pretty much a lock to resign with Washington, which is not very exciting and why you won't see him on this list.

10. Michael Bunting

It's not too often a rookie immediately becomes an unrestricted free agent, but Bunting finds himself in that very circumstance this year. Although we're talking about an extremely small sample size, Bunting had 10 goals and 13 points in 21 games. He averaged 1.8 shots per game while finishing the season with 28 hits. He also picked up three power-play goals while playing on the second unit. Without a big draft pedigree (he was a fourth-round pick in 2014), he may not get the consideration many others will, but he has already proven he can succeed in the AHL. Will a team give him a chance to prove he can stick in the NHL?

9. Tuukka Rask

Rask has been excellent for the Bruins and the fantasy squads when he's in the lineup, but the problem is he isn't in the lineup often enough. This wasn't always the case, as he played 70 games in 2014-15 and followed that up with back-to-back seasons of 64 games. Then came load management, the signing of Jaroslav Halak as backup and injury woes. Now there are rumours of retirement to go along with offseason surgery that prevents him from playing hockey until early in 2022. Will a team be prepared to sign him this offseason and put him on the LTIR with the hope he is 100 per cent for a playoff push?

8. Tomas Tatar

It was astonishing how Tatar couldn't get into postseason games for Montreal, considering he's been their best offensive player for the past three years. Although he was disappointing this season, he still put up an 82-game pace of almost 50 points. That's pretty solid for a disappointment. This comes on the heels of a 74-point pace in 2019-20. The 30-year-old would be a threat for 20 goals and 50 points wherever he signs, and in the right situation, could be counted on to easily exceed those numbers.

7. Keith Yandle

This one might only apply to points-only leagues, but the rumours of Yandle's demise have been greatly exaggerated. In a down season, he still managed a 40-point pace. He had 18 points with the man advantage (tied for sixth-highest among defensemen) and he leads the league in power-play points by a defenseman over the past three seasons. Any team looking to shore up their power-play could do a lot worse than Yandle. The defenseman is only 50 games away from breaking Doug Jarvis' ironman streak of 964 games, so that would also add a little bit of intrigue for the season.

6. Frederik Andersen

Andersen's peripheral stats have never been great, but his fantasy value has always been buoyed by the team in front of him. A team that can score in bunches will help a netminder pick up extra victories even when the goalkeeper allows three goals a game. Andersen's stats have been declining for a few years, but will that won’t stop an NHL team from making an offer. It didn't last year with Braden Holtby and his $4.3 million cap hit. The issue is few squads might need a number one netminder.

5. Philipp Grubauer

Even though Grubauer put up some of the best fantasy statistics this past season and was nominated for the Vezina award, he may still be looking for a new team pretty soon. Maybe no other UFA would have their value will vary so widely depending on where he signs. If he stays in Colorado, he's the number one guy on a powerhouse team that is a potential president's trophy winner and his numbers will continue to be awesome. Anywhere else, and his statistics should start to falter.

4. Gabriel Landeskog

There is a theory that power forwards will decline around the age of 30. Wayne Simmonds, Andrew Ladd, David Backes, Ryan Callahan and Milan Lucic are some recent cases. Landeskog is turning 29 years old this November, so if you believe in this trend, you don't want your favourite team to sign him long-term. If you have him in a cap league, you don’t want him overpaid somewhere else. He can still produce when put in a suitable position (flanking elite superstar linemates), but a seven-year overpayment contract is going to look awfully bad in about three seasons.

3. Mike Hoffman

Because of the flat cap a year ago, we all assumed that Hoffman would take a one-year deal so he could try to cash in this off-season. While the former happened, the latter probably won't. After back-to-back seasons of an 82-game point pace of 34-plus goals and 70 points, he took a step back with St. Louis, potting 17 goals and 36 points in 52 games (a 27-goal and 57-point pace). He had a strong stretch of games near the end of the season where he had seven goals and 11 points in seven games, which helped boost his on-pace numbers tremendously. He produces with the man advantage and can be an offensive force, but like last year, it might take a while before a team is willing to sign him.

2. Ryan Suter

I'm not sure if it was because of the contract or that his peripherals were never the greatest, but I've always felt that Suter was an underrated defenseman in fantasy hockey circles. From the 2010-11 season with Nashville until 2019-20 with Minnesota, Suter had at least a 40-point pace every single year. He also had a 50-point pace in four of those campaigns. He rarely misses action (a total of 12 games missed over his last 10 seasons), and he produces on the power play. To be fair, his ice time, blocked shots, hits and shots per game have been declining the last few years. While this year was a disappointment for the rearguard, it would be worth it to see if he could still be a team's number one power-play guy.

1. Tony DeAngelo

I am fascinated with this whole situation and whether a team will sign DeAngelo this offseason. There are character issues, but as we saw with the Montreal Canadiens and the draft, character doesn't matter to NHL general managers if they believe a player will improve their team. DeAngelo has issues on the ice (with ill-timed penalties and defensive play) and off the ice (leading to a teammate punching him). His off-ice issues were so offensive that after he had 53 points in 68 games in 2019-20 (a 64-point pace over 82 games) and he signed a two-year contract, the Rangers decided they had enough after six games the following season. What team will be willing to allow a player like this into their locker room?