NHL Free Agents 2017: Latest Rumors and Predictions for Joe Thornton and More

The rest of the NHL is striving to catch the Pittsburgh Penguins after Sidney Crosby and Co. won their second straight Stanley Cup, and teams will turn to the free-agency market in search of more talent.

The frenzy starts Saturday, but there are plenty of rumors leading up to the free-agency period.

With that in mind, here is some of the latest buzz surrounding Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Jordan Weal.

Kings Reportedly Pursuing Joe Thornton

Thornton is a San Jose Sharks staple, but he could be moving elsewhere in California.

Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider said he's "heard from a source that LA considers Joe to be a 'priority.'" Rosen also pointed out the Los Angeles Kings reached out to Thornton and acknowledged the center's relationship with a number of members in the King's front office.

Thornton previously played with general manager Rob Blake and Glen Murray—who is in Los Angeles' player development system. What's more, Kings senior advisor to the general manager Mike O'Connell was the general manager of the Boston Bruins when Thornton played there.

Jumbo is coming off a torn ACL and will be 38 Sunday, and he is not someone who is necessarily going to single-handedly turn a franchise around at this point. However, he could slide into Los Angeles' system as an ancillary piece after the Kings finished with a winning record for the eighth straight season.

Rosen said the Kings are looking for someone "with the ability to turn possession into actual production" after they failed to parlay dominant puck control into consistent scoring last season. Considering Thornton is one of the best passers in the sport's history, he could serve as a facilitator in the attacking zone and solve the issue for Los Angeles.

The future Hall of Famer is 13th in NHL history with 1,007 assists and had 43 in 2016-17 on his way to 50 points. His assist total was as high as 63 as recently as his 82-point 2015-16 campaign.

He still generates plenty of offensive looks for his teammates and could give the Kings exactly what they are looking for heading into the upcoming year.

Prediction: Thornton signs with the Kings.

Rangers' Pursuit of a Forward

Larry Brooks of the New York Post said it is "hard to believe" the New York Rangers would look to add help up front in the form of Nick Bonino at the four- or five-year deal the center is seeking but acknowledged the Rangers are interested in Patrick Marleau.

Bonino is just 29 and coming off a Stanley Cup run with the Penguins, but Brooks stressed the length of the deal is a concern from New York's perspective. While Brooks called the interest in Marleau "baffling," he would at least represent a shorter-term addition at left wing, seeing how he is a 37-year-old veteran.

Marleau has played his entire career with the Sharks and is coming off a solid season, during which he tallied 46 points on 27 goals and 19 assists. He is also notably durable, appearing in a full 82 games in each of the last four campaigns.

While he is no longer the force who scored more than 80 points twice and at least 70 points six times during his prime, he can serve as a reliable addition to a Rangers squad looking to keep up with a strong Metropolitan Division that includes the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Mark Purdy of the Mercury News predicted both Thornton and Marleau will leave the Sharks this offseason as San Jose looks elsewhere instead of committing potential three-year deals to aging veterans.

Expect that to become the case.

Prediction: Marleau joins the Rangers.