NHL Rumors: Free-Agent Buzz on Kris Versteeg, Andrei Markov and More

With NHL free agency opening on Saturday, the rumors out of the league are coming fast and furious. Let's take a look at some of the hottest buzz making the rounds.

For starters, NHL veteran Kris Versteeg—who scored 15 goals and added 22 assists in the 2016-17 season for the Calgary Flames—is reportedly a popular name in the league's upcoming free agency. According to Darren Dreger of TSN, a dozen teams have reached out to the veteran forward, and Calgary is in discussions to retain his services.

Versteeg has had his difficulties staying healthy in recent years, but he's a productive power-play forward and a veteran presence. Keeping him in Calgary makes a lot of sense for the Flames, though plenty of teams will join in the bidding.

Speaking of bidding, defenseman Andrei Markov clearly is anticipating a bidding war for his services based on his contract demands, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports:

Pierre LeBrun of TSN added that Markov is representing himself in all negotiations:

And Eric Engels of Rogers Sportsnet believes that the Montreal Canadiens may not have much choice but to bring Markov back, even at a high cost:

Markov posted 36 points in 62 games for the Habs last season, and at 38, he's asking for a pretty substantial raise. But the Canadiens don't have a clear replacement for his production or role on the blue line, either, leaving Markov to negotiate from a position of strength. 

The Canadiens also will be trying to keep Alex Radulov in Montreal, but according to LeBrun, 10 or 11 teams have expressed interest in the right-winger to this point. LeBrun added that Radulov is hoping to remain in Montreal, however.

One thing is for certain—the Canadiens have a very intriguing summer ahead of them.

So do the Dallas Stars, who have to decide if they'll re-sign unrestricted free-agent forwards Patrick Sharp and Ales Hemsky.

"I want to sit down with both of them," Stars general manager Jim Nill told Sean Shapiro of NHL.com. "Really, both situations were injury situations. If they weren't injured, they are guys we may have signed last year."

A healthy Sharp and Hemsky could help the Stars return to the postseason, though bringing back both may not be possible if the Stars seek to make a big splash in free agency.