The biggest outlier NHL free agents available this offseason

NHL free agents will begin to find homes on July 1, and before the market opens it doesn't hurt to know what's out there.

Sometimes that means looking at a comprehensive list of the top guys available, but in this case it involves drilling down on some of the oddities this free-agent market has to offer.

Here you'll find information on some players who might not be generating the most buzz, but are unimpeachably different from their peers for one reason or another.

The mighty mite: RW Matthew Phillips

Phillips is the outlier of outliers. According to NHL.com, 951 players appeared in the league last season. Not only was the winger the lightest (140 pounds), no one else was within 12 pounds of him.

The diminutive forward has only logged three NHL games over the past two seasons, but he's been a menace at the AHL level with 144 points in 131 games.

Some teams may dismiss his chances of making an impact at the highest level, but there may be a squad or two intrigued by the offensive skills he has at his disposal.

The biggest man around: LW Milan Lucic

Listed at 240 pounds, Lucic is bigger than all but five NHL players. That size — and the nastiness he brings — could entice a suitor or two interested in what he can do in a limited role.

The jumbo winger hasn't topped 10 goals in a season since 2016-17, so expectations need to be held in check, but he's literally a "big-body presence".

The man who never hits: RW Vinnie Hinostroza

We are not knocking Hinostroza for the way he goes about his business, but it is wild that he threw just a single hit in 26 games last season. He has piled up as many as 69 hits in a campaign (2018-19), but his inclination to throw his body around seems to have diminished lately.

Perhaps Cale Makar is to blame.

Hinostroza produced just 11 points in limited action last season, but he's a year removed from a 13-goal showing and just turned 29. He could fit in the bottom six for a team that doesn't need a bruiser.

The man who loves to hit: LW Dryden Hunt

Hunt makes infrequent appearances on the scoresheet, but he loves to throw his body around despite the fact he's just 193 pounds.

The 27-year-old ranked fourth in the NHL in hits/60 in 2022-23 (20.08) and first among free agents.

Hunt has never topped 17 points in a season or averaged more than 12:17 on the ice, but his relative youth and enthusiasm for physical contact could get him a few looks around the league.

The spring chicken: LW Pierre Engvall

While there are a few free agents who are literally younger than Engvall, he's the most youthful player who's logged significant time at the NHL level.

The Swede turned 27 on May 31, and his combination of impressive size (6-foot-5, 217 pounds) and blazing speed could have a few teams believing he has more to offer than what he's shown so far.

When Engvall was traded to the New York Islanders he took on a larger role than he had with the Toronto Maple Leafs and produced five goals and nine points in 19 games.

The guy who is definitely not a spring chicken: RW Corey Perry

The active penalty minutes leader is the oldest free agent (38) who has confirmed he doesn't want to retire.

Perry is no longer a star or even a top-six player, but he can produce double-digit goals and occasionally chip in on a second power-play unit.

Teams tend to hate playing against Perry, but his consistent agitating is something a few contenders wouldn't mind having on their side.

The man who never shoots: RW Zack Kassian

There was a time when Kassian skated on lines with good offensive players and was a threat to produce double-digit goal totals. Those days are long gone.

Last season, the big winner put less than 0.50 shots on net per game. He hit the target just 25 times in 51 games. The second-lowest shot total for a forward with 50-plus games played was Jayson Megna's 36.

At this point Kassian's sole purpose on the ice is to deliver hits and cause disruption. In 2022-23 his ice time dropped below 10 minutes per game for the first time, and he could have difficulty finding a home in free agency.

The man who never scores: RD Erik Johnson

Johnson took 98 shots without scoring in 2022-23, the highest total in the NHL. The next highest number was 62, putting the 35-year-old in a class of his own.

The veteran scored as many as 12 goals once upon a time (2014-15), but these days he's a bruising stay-at-home guy.

As a right-shot blueliner with a pulse — and a Stanley Cup ring — a few teams may see Johnson as a third-pairing option. He skated 17:15 per night for a Colorado Avalanche team with championship aspirations last year.