Signing
The Oilers have signed Rob Klinkhammer to a one-year, $725K contract extension.
Klinkhammer has two assists, a minus-4 rating and 13 PIMS in 18 games with the Oilers. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
Signing
The Ducks have signed Tim Jackman to a one-year, $700K extension.
Jackman was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but the Ducks must like what he brings to their fourth line so they have signed him through next season.
Signing
The Flyers have signed Nick Schultz to a two-year extension worth $4.5 million.
Schultz has little to offer in terms of fantasy value, but the Flyers clearly like what he has done for them this season, by inking the 32-year-old to a two-year contract extension. He has 13 points (2G / 11A) and a plus-6 rating while averaging 19:08 TOI in 55 games this season.
The Senators have signed Marc Methot to a four-year, $19.6 million contract extension.
Methot was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but is now signed through the 2018-19 season with a $4.9M annual cap-hit. Methot has missed 37 games with a lingering back issue this season. He has five assists and a plus-8 rating while average 21:37 TOI in 17 games.
The Rangers and defenseman Marc Staal have agreed to terms on a six-year contract extension.
Terms were not disclosed, but ESPN.com reported a six-year extension with average annual value of $5.7 million, a full no-trade clause in the first three years and a full-no movement clause. Staal, who would have been an unrestricted free agent on July 1, has two goals and six assists in 42 games this season. The No. 12 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft has 29 goals and 119 points in 503 regular-season games.
The Blue Jackets have announced that they have signed goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to a four-year contract extension worth $29.7 million ($7.425 AAV).
Despite the Blue Jackets being extremely banged up all year long, Bobrovsky has managed to go 15-10-2 with a 2.75 GAA and .917 SV%. He is emerging as one of the NHL’s premier goaltenders and is now being paid like it. Bob was set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, but is now signed through the 2018-19 season.
The Panthers signed Nick Bjugstad to a six-year, $24.6 million extension.
Bjugstad has 21 points (13G / 8A) in 34 games this season. His 13 goals leads the Panthers and puts him on pace for 31 this season. He is miles ahead of his strong rookie campaign and should continue to get better. His six-year extension will see him in Florida through the 2020-21 season.
The Rangers signed Cam Talbot to a one-year, $1.45 million contract extension on Friday.
Talbot, 27, has gone 2-3-1 with a 2.34 GAA and .921 SV% as Henrik Lundqvist backup this season. Over two seasons with the Rangers, he is 14-9-2 with a 1.80 GAA and .936 SV%. He is signed with New York through the 2015-16 season.
The Ducks have signed Ilya Bryzgalov to a one-year deal.
With John Gibson and Jason LaBarbera out with injuries, the Ducks have brought Bryzgalov back to play with Frederik Andersen. Bryzgalov will go to Norfolk (AHL) on a conditioning stint before joining the Ducks.
The Blues have officially signed Martin Brodeur to a one-year contract.
Brodeur started practicing with the Blues last Friday and has obviously impressed enough to earn a one-year deal. Brodeur could get a start on the Blues current road-trip. The 42-year-old goaltender is one of the greatest in NHL history but it will be weird to see him in anything other than Red and Black. He went 19-14-6 with a 2.51 GAA, .901 SV% with three shutouts with the Devils last season. His contract is believed to have performance bonuses.
Signing
The Devils have signed Scott Gomez.
At this point there is no word on the length or the terms of the contract but it is believed to be a one-year deal. Gomez had been practicing with the Devils but was unsigned. With injuries to Adam Henrique and Travis Zajac the Devils inked the veteran centre late on Sunday. He is in the twilight of his career, but is expected to skate with Patrik Elias and Jaromir Jagr.
The Wild signed Marco Scandella to a five-year, $20 million contract extension on Saturday.
Scandella, 24, stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 217 pounds. Last year, he developed into a horse of a defensive defenseman, one GM Chuck Fletcher called maybe the team’s best Saturday. This year, he has matured into an offensive threat. He is tied for sixth among NHL defensemen with five goals, all of which are go-ahead goals.
The Canadiens signed Brendan Gallagher to a six-year, $22.5 million contract extension on Saturday.
Gallagher has recorded 12 points (5G / 7A), 67 shots on goal and 33 penalty minutes in 24 games this season. Gallagher, 22, has tallied 81 points (39 goals, 42 helpers) in 149 career regular-season games since his NHL debut in 2012-13. His new contract now carries an annual cap-hit of $3.75 million.
Signing
The Sharks have signed Ryan Lowe to a professional tryout agreement, and Lowe will be San Jose's emergency backup goalie for Wednesday's game against Calgary.
The Sharks were scrambling to find a backup for Antti Niemi after doctors determined Wednesday morning that Troy Grosenick could not play. Grosenick, who has started two games for the Sharks, suffered an upper body injury Tuesday during practice. Alex Stalock is still on injured reserve with a knee ailment. A San Jose State alum, Lowe, 31, last played professional hockey in 2013 for the Sydney Bears of the Australian Ice Hockey League, and was hired as a goalie coach for the Jr. Sharks in May.
The Stars have signed Spezza to a four-year contract extension worth $30 million ($7.5 AAV).
Spezza was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He was acquired from Ottawa in July and has recorded four goals and 14 assists (18 points) in 20 games this season. He was making an average annual salary of seven million during his current seven-year deal, so his new deal represents a $500K raise each season.
The Penguins have signed Marc-Andre Fleury to a four-year, $23 million contract extension.
Fleury was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but is now locked up through the 2018-19 season. Fleury is playing on a $5 million cap-hit this season, that will bump up to $5.75 million for the next four seasons. Fleury is 7-2-0 with a 1.89 GAA and .931 SV% in his first nine starts this season.
Signing
The Flyers have inked Carlo Colaiacovo to a two-way deal.
Colaiacovo's salary cap hit in St. Louis last season was $550,000 and it figures he probably got a similar deal with Philly. Colaiacovo will help bolster a banged up Flyers blueline, but he has a long history with injuries. He has had numerous injuries -- shoulder, wrist, knee, eye, facial, lower body all, since January 23, 2010, he’s missed 59 NHL games.
The Wild have signed Charlie Coyle to a five-year deal with $16 million ($3.2M AAV)
Coyle, 22, was set to become a restricted free agent in the offseason (per nhlnumbers.com) but is now signed through the 2020-21 season. The 6-foot-3, 221 lbs. winger has one goal and one assist through four games this season and was recently bumped up to the second line with Mikko Koivu and Thomas Vanek. This is his third full NHL season; he played 37 of 48 games in the lockout shortened season.
Flames officially announce a five-year, $23.25 million contract extension with T.J Brodie.
Brodie has come into his own in the last two years playing alongside Mark Giordano. The 24-year-old is an excellent skater with a great first pass and hard shot. On Sunday he scored his third goal of the season, which gives him seven points on the year and a six-game point streak. He was featured in our 'Fantasy Minute' and should be added if he is available in your league.
The Red Wings have signed Tyler Bertuzzi to a three-year entry level contract.
Bertuzzi, 19, is the nephew of former Red Wing Todd Bertuzzi and was the Wings' second round pick (58th overall) in 2013. He is in his fourth season with the Guelph Storm of the OHL and has started the season with one goal and four assists (five points) in six games. He had 34 points (9G / 25A) in 29 games last year.
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.