Signing
Former #Penguins forward Tom Kostoopoulos signs 1-year, 2-way contract with team, $600,000 at NHL. Had played with their AHL club recently.
Kostopoulos is not fantasy relevant.
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
I can confirm the #flames have signed Ryan O'Reilly to an offer sheet.
The Avs have an opportunity to match the offer sheet and get O'Reilly in uniform this season. O'Reilly is more known for his two way game but did manage 55 points in 81 games last season. With the Avs deep down the middle again, we'll need to stay tuned to see how this shakes out. Given the Flames' weakness at center, O'Reilly could have more value if the Avs do not match.
Wings sign Defenseman Brian Lashoff to a 3-year extension.
Lashoff was not expected to play in the NHL this season but with all the injuries to the Red Wings blueline he was forced into the lineup and has played well. Lashoff is playing close to 19 minutes a game on average and has recorded one goal and two assists in 16 games so far.
PHX signs David Schlemko to two year deal with AAV of $1.1875.
Schlemko is averaging 16:22 minutes per game and has 2 A in 9 games this season. He is currently on the IR with a shoulder injury.
#Penguins sign D Mark Eaton to 1-year, $750K deal. Put Malkin (concussion) on IR to make roster room. Eaton has been practicing with club.
Eaton is not expected to be fantasy relevant. He only has 85 points in 627 career NHL games.
#Caps have signed D-man John Erskine to a 2-year extension for a total of $3.9 million. Erskine gets $1.9 mil in '13-14, $2 mil in '14-15.
Erskine has 1G, 1A, +1 and is averaging 19:30 per game in 11 games this season.
#Caps re-sign goaltender Braden Holtby to 2-year, $3.7 million contract extension.
Holtby is 5-6-0 with a 3.37 GAA and .896 SV% this season.
Ducks announce they've signed goalie Viktor Fasth to a two-year contract extension worth $5.8 million.
Fasth's hot 8-0-0 start to his NHL career has earned him a pretty solid new pay cheque.
Jay Pandolfo's AAV with BOS on 1-yr deal is $600K, annual salary of $350K in minors. All pro-rated now of course. Now must clear waivers.
Pandolfo is not fantasy relevant.
Brian Strait's 3-year deal with #Isles worth $2.325 million, $775K AAV.
Strait was a waiver pickup prior to the start of the season, and has no stats. 0 G, 0 A, E +/-, 0 PIMS... I guess that's worth a three-year contract. He holds no fantasy value though.
Signing
2 year contract for PK Subban with the Canadiens.
Subban finally signs with the Canadiens. I would expect him to be in the lineup as soon as possible. Monitor his status and get him in your lineup right away.
Jason Arnott has agreed to terms with NYR. Will not play tonight.
Arnott gives the Rangers more depth up the middle but is not expected to be a major fantasy contributor.
As per that last retweet from Jamie Benn's agent, Benn has agreed to terms on a 5 year deal, believed to be worth, $5.25M per year.
This is good news for owners who drafted Benn. He isn't expected to make his debut until Monday, but monitor his situation going forward and get him in your lineups when he plays.
Signing
Sharks today will agree to terms with Scott Gomez on one-year, $700,000 (pro-rated) deal.
Gomez only had 49 points in 118 games in his last two seasons in Montreal. Those aren't encouraging numbers for fantasy owners. He gets a fresh start in San Jose to resurrect his career. Let him show you he can do that before running to the Waiver Wire to get him.
Detroit signed UFA defenceman Kent Huskins today. One year, one way contract.
The Red Wings are banged up, and this signing helps patch up that blue line. Huskins is a big body but doesn't hold any fantasy value.
Signing
5 year ext for Lupul. $5.25 average salary. Ltd no-trade
Lupul showed good chemistry with his line mate Phil Kessel last season which lead to 67 points in 66 games. Lupul has the potential to produce at a point-per-game pace again this season.
Edler deal in Vancouver: $30 M over 6 years
Edler had his best season of his career last year. He is poised to continue his strong play this season. It wouldn't be outlandish to expect 30 points out of Edler in this season.
Calgary signs Steve Bégin for 1 year, $525 000. (2 way)
Bégin isn't fantasy relevant.
Petrecki, 23, also signed a one-year, two-way deal (worth $650,00).
Petrecki isn't fantasy relevant.
Sheppard, 24, signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $825,000.
Sheppard isn't fantasy relevant.
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.