The Blackhawks have signed Matej Chalupa to a two-year, entry-level contract.
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
The Islanders have signed Blade Jenkins to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The Islanders selected Jenkins in the fifth-round of the 2018 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old, Michigan native spent 2020 with the Saginaw Spirit, where he scored 16 goals with 24 assists (40 points) in 47 games. He will likely return to the OHL for his fourth season in 2021.
The Maple Leafs have signed Adam Brooks to a two-year, two-way contract extension worth $1.45 million ($725K AAV).
Brooks provides the Maple Leafs with fourth-line centre depth for the next two seasons. The 24-year-old made his NHL debut this season, chipping in three assists in seven games. During his time with the Marlies, he tallied nine goals and 11 assists (20 points) in 29 games.
The Canadiens have signed Caneron Hillis to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Montreal selected Hillis in the third-round of the 2018 draft. The 19-year-old centre finished his third-year with the Guelph Storm first on the team in assists (59), second in points (83) and third in goals (24) in 62 games.
The Golden Knights have agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with Jack Dugan.
Dugan was selected in the fifth round of the 2017 draft and has agreed to turn pro after just two seasons at Providence College. Dugan was a Hobey Baker Finalist in 2020 after leading the nation with 52 points (10G / 42A) in just 34 games. The 22-year-old paced the league in assists, points-per-game (1.53), power-play points (22) and even-strength points (30). He'll likely start the 2021 season in the AHL but the Golden Knights have to be very pleased with Dugan's rapid progression since being drafted three years ago.
The Sharks have signed Timur Ibragimov to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Ibragimov was drafted in the sixth-round of the 2019 draft and spent 2020 in Russia's second and third tier. Ibragimov had a lot of success on the "junior" circuit, posting seven points (5G / 2A) in seven games but had just 13 points (5G / 8A) in 35 games after moving up to the VHL (Russia's second division).
The Ducks have signed Brendan Guhle to a two-year, $1.6 million contract extension ($800k AAV).
Guhle, who was acquired from Buffalo last February as a part of the Brandon Montour trade, split his time evenly between the AHL and NHL in 2019-20. During his time with Anaheim, he had four goals and four assists (eight points) in 30 games. With the San Diego Gulls, he was second among team defensemen with 14 points (4G / 10A) despite only appearing in 27 games. He should be a full-time NHLer in 2021 as the Ducks continue to rebuild their once promising blueline.
The Ducks have signed Sam Carrick to a one-year contract extension worth $700K.
After spending the first seven years of his career in the Maple Leafs organization, Carrick has been with the Ducks since 2016-17. In that time, he has appeared in just 15 NHL games, amassing one goal and two assists. However, he has been prolific at the AHL-level, leading the team in points (61) last year and was leading San Diego in goals (23) and points (43) in 46 games before this year was paused.
The Rangers have signed Tyler Wall to an entry-level contract.
Wall was selected in the sixth-round of the 2016 draft. The 22-year-old netminder finished his senior season at UMass-Lowell at 18-8-6 with a 2.10 GAA and .931 SV%. After a terrific collegiate career, Wall joins the Rangers, where he is likely headed to the AHL for the foreseeable future.
The Canadiens have agrred to terms with Alexander Romanov on a three-year, entry-level contract.
Romanov was selected in the second-round (No.38 overall) in 2018 and is expected to make the leap into the NHL in 2020-21. The 20-year-old Russian blueliner has spent the last two seasons in the KHL, where he's played a limited role and tallied just 11 points (1G / 10A) in a combined 86 games for CSKA Moscow. However, while playing against players his own age in the 2019 and 2020 World Juniors, Romanov had two goals and 12 assists (14 points) in 14 games. Due to the current pause of the NHL season, the start date of the contract has yet to be determined.
The Lightning have signed Dmitri Semykin to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Tampa Bay selected Semykin with the No.90 pick (third round) in 2018. The 6-foot-2, 214 lbs. Russian defenseman played in Russia's second league in 2019-20, tallying nine goals and 15 assists (24 points) in 44 games with SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL). He wass a member of the Russian U-18 team but was not selected for the World Juniors.
The Ducks have signed Christian Djoos to a one-year contract extension worth $1 million.
Djoos opened the 2020 campaign with the Hershey Bears (AHL) where he had 32 points (5G / 27A) in 42 games. In late-February he was dealt to the Ducks for Daniel Sprong and he registered one goal and two assists while playing 21:22 ATOI in nine games with the Ducks before the season was paused.
The Ducks have signed Jani Hakanpaa to a one-year contract extension worth $750k.
Hakanpaa signed a one-year deal at the start of 2019-20 following four years in the Finnish Elite League. The former Blues fourth-round pick spent most of the season in the AHL, where he had one goal and 12 assists (14 points) in 47 games. During a brief audition with the Ducks, Hakanpaa had one goal while playing 18:07 ATOI in five games.
The Panthers have signed Grigori Denisenko to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Florida selected Denisenko with the No.15 overall pick in 2018. The 19-year-old winger has spent the last two seasons playing a minimal role in the KHL, posting just 12 points (6G / 6A) in 38 games this past season. However, while playing against players of his age, Denisenko has flourished. He has represented Russia at the World Juniors in each of the last two years and has combined for 18 points (7G / 11A) in 14 games. He should be in a Panthers' uniform in 2020-21 and will be among the pre-season favourites to win the Calder Trophy.
The Sharks signed Fredrik Handemark to a one-year, entry-level contract ($725K AAV).
Handemark was an undrafted free-agent out of Sweden. The 26-year-old centre has played primarily in the Swedish Elite League since 2014 and is coming off of a career-year. He set new career-bests in goals (14), assists (24) to lead Malmo in points (38) in 52 games this season.
The Sharks signed Alexei Melnichuk to a two-year deal worth $1.85 million ($925K AAV).
Melnichuk was high in demand after a strong 2019-20 season in the KHL. The 21-year-old netminder only appeared in 16 games, but went 8-5-1 and finished fourth in the league in GAA (1.68) and tied for 12th in SV% (.930). He signs with San Jose where he could play right away. Aaron Dell is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2020 season and Martin Jones struggled with a 3.00 GAA and .896 SV% before the season was paused. Their team GAA (3.21) was fifth-worst in the league, so Melnichuk addresses an immediate need for San Jose.
The Maple Leafs have signed Mikko Lehtonen to a one-year, entry-level contract.
Lehtonen was a 26-year-old, undrafted free agent defenseman out of Finland. Lehtonen has bounced all over Europe in recent years, most recently playing for Jokerit in the KHL. In 2019-20, the 5-foot-11, 196 lbs. blueliner led the team with 49 points (17G / 32A) in 60 games.
The Bruins have signed Jaroslav Halak to a one-year, $2.25 million contract extension.
Halak was 18-6-6 with a 2.39 GAA and .919 SV% in 31 games before the NHL season was paused. Since joining the Bruins in 2019, Halak has been among the league's best netminders. In his 71 appearances, he's gone 40-17-10 while ranking fifth in the NHL in GAA (2.36) and tied for fifth in SV% (.921). The Bruins aren't young between the pipes but the Halak--Tuukka Rask has ranked second in the league in GAA (2.49) over the last two seasons.
The Predators signed Ben Harpur to a one-year, two-way contract.
Harper started the 2019-20 season with the Maple Leafs organization before being traded to Nashville on February 22nd. He spent the entire season in the AHL, combining for 12 points (1G / 10A) in 41 games with the Marlies and Admirals.
The Flames have signed Dustin Wolf to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Wolf was picked in the seventh-round of the 2019 draft and has been an absolute stud ever since. The 19-year-old had another terrific season with Everett (WHL), tying for the league-lead in Wins (34) and leading the league in GAA (1.88), SV% (.936) and shutouts (9). Unsurprisingly, he was named the WHL's top goaltender of 2019-20 and appears to be on the fast-track to the NHL.
NHL Free Agents: Best Available Players in 2025
Once the dust settles on the Stanley Cup Final, the NHL offseason officially commences as the latest wave of free agents hit the market as teams and players alike reevaluate their current situation and plot their next steps toward success.
With a plethora of talent up for grabs every summer, Stanley Cup contenders can be formed as well as broken up through free agency. With NHL signings going down at a breakneck pace throughout the opening days of free agency, we’ll keep you in the loop with our 2025 NHL free agency tracker. You can find all of the latest NHL signings of the free agency period as players switch teams, sign extensions, and change the outlook of the league with a single decision.
Whether you’re a diehard fan of your favourite team and are looking to stay up to date with every move made by the front office, or are an avid daily fantasy sports bettor that wants to prep for their wagers, our NHL free agency tracker is the best destination for all your free agent market news.
Types of Free Agent Markets
Each NHL free agent holds their own unique distinction when signing with a team. These distinctions are made based on a number of factors including age, NHL experience, as well as their current contract situation. NHL free agents are divided by restricted and unrestricted free agents, with each classification of player holding varying rights, including how teams are able to offer them contracts, and the results of receiving an offer.
Below, we take a deep dive into each type of NHL free agent so you can get a thorough understanding of each free agent market type, how they are able to sign with teams, and the possible outcomes from each offseason acquisition.
Restricted Free Agents
A restricted NHL free agent (RFA) is a player that is either under the age of 27 or has been in the NHL for less than seven seasons. Teams hold a form of protection over their restricted free agents, providing them with a sort of insurance if their RFA decides to sign with a new team.
While restricted free agents are technically eligible to sign a new contract with different teams, the process can become messy if a team other than their original squad makes them an offer and they accept. Restricted free agents are only able to sign a standard NHL contract with the team that currently owns the players rights, all other squads must submit an offer sheet if they want to lure away a player from their team. If an offer sheet is made to an RFA, the team who holds the players rights will be left with the option to either match the offer made to their player, or allow the player to sign with the team that made the offer sheet, in return receiving draft compensation depending on the value of the contract offered.
Qualifying Offers
In order for a team to retain a player’s rights heading into the free agency period, they must make a qualifying offer to the player. These offers are in the form of a one-year contract, with the amount offered being formulated depending on the value of their previous contract.
For any player who was on a deal worth $660,000 or less, the qualifying offer they receive must be worth 110% the amount of their previous season’s salary. For a player making between $660,000 and $1,000,000, they must be offered 105% their previous seasons salary. Finally, if a player was making more than $1 million in their previous year of duty, their team must offer them 100% of their previous season’s salary.
These offers are not final and players are eligible to receive greater or lesser valued contracts from the team that holds their rights once free agency begins. Players who reject qualifying offers remain restricted free agents.
Non-Qualified RFAs
If a team decides to not submit a qualifying offer to a restricted free agent on their roster, all non-qualified RFAs instantly become free agents and are welcome to sign contracts with any team come July 1st.
Unrestricted Free Agents
The other form of NHL free agent is the unrestricted free agent (UFA). UFAs have the right to sign their next deal with any team without restriction, as long as the offer they sign complies with league salary cap mandates and rules. Unrestricted free agents are truly what can shake up the free agent market, with many of the leagues top stars entering into the offseason as UFAs.
There are multiple forms of unrestricted free agents, each with their own unique classifications, but don’t necessarily affect the potential value of the contracts offered to them in the offseason. Below are two of the most common UFAs.
Group 3 UFAs
Common among NHL veterans, Group 3 comprises players entering free agency that are 27 or older, or have played in the NHL for more than seven accrued seasons. An accrued season is defined as a season in which a player has suited up for action on an NHL roster in at least 40 games (30 for goalies). Any player that fits this criteria will become an unrestricted free agent once their contract expires in the following offseason.
Group 6 UFAs
Another way that players can become an unrestricted free agent is by being 25 years of age or older and to have played three or more professional hockey seasons under an NHL contract (AHL, ECHL, Europe), but played in less than 80 NHL games (28 for goalies) in their career. Often, Group 6 unrestricted free agents are developing players that, for one reason or another, have not had the chance to crack into an NHL lineup, but still possess experience as a high-level player. There is no difference in the rights of Group 3 and Group 6 unrestricted free agents, but typically the latter will receive smaller contracts, both in terms of value as well as in duration.
Undrafted UFAs
The final way that a player may enter into free agency as an unrestricted free agent is by going undrafted in their three years of draft eligibility. If a player is not selected by an NHL franchise through the draft they are still eligible to crack into a final roster as a free agent.
NHL Free Agency FAQs
Who are the top NHL free agents in 2025?
Some of the top NHL free agents available this summer are Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Aaron Ekblad, Nikolaj Ehlers, John Tavares, Brock Boeser, Brad Marchand and Linus Ullmark.
This offseason will bring a stacked crop of free agents to the market that will shape the landscape of the 2025-26 NHL season. Not only will the final landing spots for each of the top 2025 NHL free agents shake up the framework of the league, but will also have major implications on the upcoming fantasy hockey season. Be sure to stay in the know in regard to the latest free agency updates with our NHL player news.
What time does free agency start?
On July 1st, 2025, at 12 PM EST, the 2025 NHL free agency period officially opens. While some players will have all but signed the dotted line up to this point, nothing can become official until noon on Canada Day.