For the first time since 2019, the NHL free-agent market opens at noon ET on July 1, 2023.

This year’s crop of unrestricted free agents isn’t as deep as in previous years. Most of the notable talent is now in their 30s and either past their prime or approaching it. Still, we can expect the usual frenzy of bidding within the opening days as teams jockey to sign the best available players.

For players slated to become unrestricted free agents, this could be their best opportunity to land lucrative, long-term contracts, even if it means changing teams to do so. However, the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere.

Some have been with their current teams for a long time, while others only arrived before this year’s trade deadline. Not every one will be able to remain with those clubs given the salary-cap limitations that their respective teams could face next season. Still, it would be worthwhile for some of those pending UFAs to consider staying put if given the chance.

Here’s a look at five players who should think twice about leaving their current clubs as free agents this summer. Express your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.

Tyler Bertuzzi, Boston Bruins

After spending almost seven seasons with the rebuilding Detroit Red Wings, Tyler Bertuzzi was traded to the Boston Bruins in early March. The 28-year-old winger is completing a two-year contract with an average annual value of $4.75 million and no longer fit in the Wings’ long-term plans.

Bertuzzi wasted little time fitting in with the Bruins. A physical agitating forward with good offensive skills, he had 16 points in 21 regular-season games as a middle-six winger. He’s followed that up with a strong effort in his first-ever NHL playoff series, earning praise for his skills and intensity during the Bruins’ first-round series with the Florida Panthers.

Bertuzzi’s style of play and adaptability could earn him an opportunity to stay in Boston beyond this season. That will depend on whether the Bruins can free up sufficient salary cap space to re-sign him. They have only $10.6 million in projected cap space with 14 roster players under contract for 2023-24.

The Bruins could be looking at some significant roster changes if stars Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retire at the end of this season. Retaining Bertuzzi, who has fit in well thus far, could make the transition a little smoother while helping them remain a playoff contender.

A solid performance with the Bruins this postseason could boost Bertuzzi’s stock as a free agent, enabling him to land a long-term deal with a raise to perhaps $6 million annually. However, he might not fit as well with another club as he does right now in Boston.

Bertuzzi spent years on a non-contender in Detroit. The Bruins are the best team he’s ever played for in the NHL. Even if he can get a better contract elsewhere, it might be in his best interest to accept a short-term deal with the Bruins for around the same cap hit as his current deal, with the potential of a longer-term agreement down the road.