Woooo!!! Its that time of year!
Right now the player list that will be considered first will be:
Forwards:
RNH
Hall
Eberle
Tavares
Perry
Getzlaf
Stamkos
Staal
Skinner
Nash
Defense:
Subban
Hamonic
Giordano
Bouwmeester
There are a lot of guys that are obviously still competing for the playoffs. Its unlikely that as of now anyone at Calgary or below will be able to make a push in the West, which opens up Calgary, Minnesota, Anaheim, Edmonton, and Columbus. On the East, right now Islanders and below, which includes Carolina, Islanders, and Montreal.
I wouldn't really expect Getz or Perry to go, but they are a maybe, same with Nash. The advantage we have this year is the pressure Nicholson will be putting on the players, there are major Olympic implications. Getz and Perry have some bad years to make up for, same with Staal.
Defense is really thin right now, but as more teams drop off, more good players will become available. Could get Doughty, Wideman, Alzner, Myers, Phaneuf, and some others. We really are losing more defenseman than anything to the playoffs. No Petro, Keith, Seabrook, Hamhuis, Weber, Letang.
Edit: Forgot about goalies. Hopefully Price accepts, honestly, they'll tell him this has Olympic implications. We could get Ward as well, unless he's injured or something.