Captains, trophy winners, Cup champs, No. 1 defencemen, and a Vezina contender. Yes, even with some major talents inking juicy extension early — Seth Jones, Aleksander Barkov, Mika Zibanejad, Sean Couturier, Morgan Rielly, Ryan Pulock, Mattias Ekholm, Colton Parayko — and avoiding the stress of free agency, the NHL’s 2022 UFA class is still percolating with compelling names. And with the salary cap hopeful to rise by $1 million, those spendy general managers will have a little more reason to splash the pot on next summer’s Dougie Hamilton or John Tavares. Here’s a rundown and ranking of hockey’s best impending unrestricted free agents, plus the latest buzz circulating about their future. Key dates for this group: The NHL’s trade deadline is March 21. Free agency opens July 13. Happy contract year, fellas. 1. Johnny Gaudreau Age on July 13: 28 Position: Left wing 2021-22 salary cap hit: $6.75 million The latest: Gaudreau’s future in Calgary has been a constant source of ...