Bidders in the first free agent step are being conservative, and as a result, some teams are having easy rides to their new men. But it’s early yet.

By Saturday afternoon (Eastern Time) some of the bigger dominos will star to fall. Rumors around the league are that goalie Braden Holtby is leaning toward signing a new contract, as are Steven Stamkos, Alex Pietrangelo and Ondrej Palat, who finished 22nd in scoring last season with 87 points for Belfast.

Only Stamkos (64 points) and longtime Lisbon teammate John Tavares (40 goals and 79 points) – they are also the top two scorers all-time in the league – are known to have multiple suitors and they will have decisions to make. Everyone else has just one bidder thus far. Then you have stars like Michael Del Zotto, Sean Couturier, Robin Lehner and many more who have no contract offers to sign at this point. Free agents not signed during this step, including younger Type 2 players, can still be signed by any team in the next steps.