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Among next summer's crop of NHL unrestricted free agents, San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns and Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop will garner most of the headlines. However, Burns' teammate Joe Thornton will be among other notables worth following in the coming season.

Aging stars, such as Thornton, face the challenge of maintaining a strong level of performance in their contract year. Others, such as Boston Bruins right wing Brad Marchand, must build upon last season's solid effort to bolster their free-agent value. A few, such as Philadelphia Flyers goalie Steve Mason, must prove they're still top-level players.

In the following slideshow, we'll examine the 10 potential NHL unrestricted free agents worth watching in 2016-17. You can express your opinion on this topic in the comments section below.