With the playoffs on the horizon, free agency will be in the back of the minds of general managers around the NHL. The league's non-playoff teams will start planning player contracts or trade plans for next season while the playoff GMs will be considering the increased prices that could come along with a strong postseason.
With that said, we take a look at each team in the Eastern Conference's most interesting upcoming free-agent situation:
Boston Bruins
LW Rick Nash (UFA)
The B's acquired Nash as a rental to take a big swing at the Stanley Cup. At the time of the deal, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the former Blue Jacket and Ranger would only be hanging around for a few months, but Boston has nearly the entire roster locked up for next season (following the extension for Zdeno Chara), and they will still be in win-now mode, so there is a chance they could attempt to keep Nash. His actual value might not be as high as his name suggests. If Nash plays a key role in a deep playoff run, the Bruins could find a way to re-sign him.