MILLER: 2018's most wanted

James Hinchcliffe is a prized free agent. Takuma Sato and Alexander Rossi are Honda guys whose current team may be donning a bow tie next season. Max Chilton appears to have a couple of good options in the IndyCar paddock. Charlie Kimball is hoping to keep his great sponsor and stay a full-timer. Spencer Pigot has shown he's worthy of a full-time drive. Tony Kanaan ain't ready to quit, while A.J. Foyt isn't sold on his new lineup.

"I think there's going to be a lot of driver changes in 2018," said Kimball during a lull in last weekend's Hondy Indy of Toronto.

As Silly Season starts, Hinch sits atop the Most Wanted list. At 30 the popular Canadian is a winner, a good qualifier and sponsor's dream. He's in his third season with Schmidt/Peterson Motorsports and it's his team, so to speak, if he wants it to be.

"I like it here and I'd love to stay but nothing is done [contractually]," he said last Saturday. "So mark me down as TBD (to be determined)."

Schmidt says he's got a couple of immediate goals if sponsor Arrow gives the green light for two fully-funded cars. "I'd like to keep James and then hire a driver of his caliber as his teammate," said the longtime owner, whose team has been selected by Honda to test the new-for-2018 universal bodywork.

It also possible that SPM could field three cars if Mikhail Aleshin returns or another paid driver surfaces.

The obvious question is, where would Hinch go if he didn't re-up with SPM?

If Michael Andretti is persuaded by Chevrolet's checkbook to switch engine manufacturers, there will likely be two seats opening up because Sato and Honda are attached at the hip, and Honda is a big fan of Rossi. Hinch had his breakout season with Andretti and Chevy in 2013 – winning three times – and that would seem a sensible landing spot. But The Mayor could also be in play for Chip Ganassi, who would want a strong teammate for Scott Dixon.

The last two Indianapolis 500 winners seem to like their home at Andretti, but Sato's career in IndyCar iowes everything to Honda, and Rossi's loyalty to Honda is also thought to be very strong. So it's almost for "certain sure" that if Andretti goes to Chevy they would both be placed with another Honda team, and Rossi to Ganassi or SPM sounds logical. About the only sure thing for CGR in 2018 is that Dixon will be back, and will likely have NTT Data as his sponsor.

Chilton, whose Gallagher sponsorship landed him on one of the best teams in the paddock in 2016, has been re-invigorated since leading 50 laps at Indy and finishing fourth. Max keeps getting more comfortable at CGR, but there remains a chance he could help Trevor Carlin launch his IndyCar effort since his father, Grahame Chilton (CEO of Gallagher Insurance) is also the majority investor in Carlin Racing.

"I haven't made a decision yet so I'll start planning what I'm doing after the wedding," said the 26-year-old Brit who will be married during IndyCar's three-week break in early August. "I suppose any driver would like to have a team built around him, but Chip's team is one of the best, so maybe it's a good time to just stay put. I enjoy IndyCar racing and I'm not a big fan of ovals, but I love Indianapolis."

Kimball is in his seventh season with Ganassi and has enjoyed a fantastic partnership, on and off the track, with his sponsor, Novo Nordisk, a multinational pharmaceutical company.

"I'm a free agent and I hope to continue my relationship with Novo Nordisk and continue as a full-time IndyCar driver in 2018," he said. "I'd love to stay with Chip if that opportunity presents itself, but I'm not sure what the opportunities look like yet."

If Novo Nordisk returns, another possible scenario could be for Kimball to become teammates with Chilton and elevate Carlin into the Verizon IndyCar series as a two-car team.

Pigot, who again last Sunday demonstrated his overtaking skills at Toronto after narrowly missing the Fast 12 in qualifying, should be in demand considering his age (23) and potential if owners are paying attention. Ed Carpenter could face a tough decision on whether to make him full-time, but the kid obviously feels some loyalty to Carpenter for giving him an opportunity – he just needs to start getting oval-track experience.

A.J. Foyt Enterprises's new beginning with Carlos Munoz and Conor Daly has become the same old story as the ABC Supply team struggles for pace and performance. There have been several mechanical issues, a few crashes and lots of frustration as the four-time Indy-winning team only has a seventh to show from each driver.

"Right now we're thinking about what we need to do, because this is embarrassing," said Foyt, who tried to hook up with Tony Kanaan – another driver thought to be on the brink of free agency – a year ago.

The next few weeks should be interesting. Andretti Autosport is the big domino, followed by Hinch, Chilton, Kimball and Kanaan. From there you get all kinds of possibilities, including Mike Shank, Ricardo Juncos or Carlin starting full-time teams, or a second seat at Mike Harding or RLL, and all those musical chairs that always keep us entertained as we head for Mid-Ohio.