Pittsburgh has signed Zonnon to a three-year, entry-level contract.
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
The Penguins have signed Gabriel D’Aigle to a three-year, entry-level contract.
D'Aigle was a third-round pick of the Penguins in the 2025 NHL Draft, and has gone 14-21-3 with a 3.58 GAA and .908 SV% in 39 games with Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) this season.
The Canucks signed Mancini to a two-year contract extension with a $1M AAV on Friday.
Mancini has appeared in 34 games over the last two seasons for the Canucks after being acquired in the J.T. Miller trade last season. He has zero points, 22 hits, and 22 blocks in 18 games this season with an ATOI of 13:50.
Dallas signed Dylan Hryckowian to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Brother of Dallas Stars' rookie Justin Hryckowian, Dylan Hryckowian, has been signed to a two-year, entry-level contract. The 21-year-old younger brother of Justin just completed his third year of collegiate hockey with Northeastern University, where he had 37 points (15G / 22A) in 30 games.
Utah has signed Michael Carcone to a two-year contract extension worth $1.75 million AAV ($3.50M total).
Carcone has had an excellent season in Utah, primarily in a bottom-six role, and has earned himself a two-year contract extension. The 29-year-old forward is averaging 12:25 time-on-ice through 66 games and has 26 points (14G / 12A), just three points short of the career-high 29 points he scored in 74 games two seasons ago.
The Islanders signed Eiserman to a three-year entry-level contract on Wednesday.
The 20th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Eiserman will turn pro at the start of next season after spending the last two seasons at Boston University. The 19-year-old winger tallied 43 goals and 21 assists in 71 career NCAA games. Eiserman will reportedly sign an amateur tryout with Bridgeport, the Islanders AHL affiliate, and spend the remainder of the season there before his pro contract officially begins next season.
Toronto has signed Brandon Buhr to a one-year, entry-level contract starting in 2026-27.
Buhr is an undrafted 23-year-old forward that the Maple Leafs have signed to a one-year, entry-level contract after completing his collegiate hockey career. In 35 games with Union College (ECAC), Buhr scored 36 points (19G / 17A) this season.
Nashville has signed Zachary L'Heureux to a two-year contract worth $1.75 Million ($875,000 AAV).
L'Heureux didn't make his Predators' season debut until after the Olympic break, but has been a lineup regular since, ultimately earning himself a two-year contract extension. The 22-year-old forward is averaging 11:51 time-on-ice, recording one goal and 19 hits in 10 games.
Dallas has signed Jack Anderson to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Anderson is an undrafted defenseman that has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars after completing his college-hockey career. The 23-year-old scored 33 points (11G / 13A) in 39 games with Michigan Tech (CCHA) this season.
The Sabres signed McCarthy to a three-year entry-level contract on Tuesday.
A third-round pick of the Sabres in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, McCarthy spent the last three seasons playing for Boston University. The 20-year-od blue-liner tallied eight goals and 42 assists across 113 career NCAA games.
The Maple Leafs signed Borgesi to a two-year contract on Tuesday, set to begin in the 2026-27 season.
Borgesi is a 22-year-old defenceman who recently completed his NCAA career and will sign with the Maple Leafs as a free agent. He tallied 16 goals and 64 assists in 134 games across four seasons at Northeastern University. Borgesi will join the AHL's Toronto Marlies on an amateur tryout for the remainder of the 2025-26 season before his contract officially kicks in at the start of the new league season.
Philadelphia has signed Cole Knuble to a two-year, entry-level contract starting in 2026-27.
Knuble was a fourth-round pick of the Flyers in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and has been rewarded with a two-year, entry-level contract after completing a third season of collegiate hockey. The 21-year-old forward scored 31 points (9G / 22A) in 36 games with Notre Dame (Big-10).
New York has signed Kashawn Aitcheson to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Aitcheson was drafted 17th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and is awaiting his professional debut. The 19-year-old defenseman is having a tremendous fourth season in the OHL, scoring 70 points (28G / 42A) in 54 games with the Barrie Colts.
Chicago has signed Sacha Boisvert to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Boisvert was drafted 18th overall by Chicago in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and has since signed a three-year, entry-level contract. The 19-year-old forward had a successful 2025-26 campaign at the collegiate level, scoring 17 points (3G / 14A) in 26 games with Boston University.
Genborg has been signed to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Hutson has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Washington ($975,000 AAV).
The Maple Leafs have signed Akhtyamov to a three-year contract extension worth $2.7 million ($900,000 AAV).
Vegas has signed Bronson Ride to a three-year, entry-level contract.
San Jose has signed Ty Dellandrea to a two-year contract worth $1.625 million AAV ($3.25M total).
Dellandrea has battled some injuries this season and has been sidelined since early January due to a lower-body injury, but he has been an effective bottom-six forward when healthy, earning himself a two-year contract extension. The 25-year-old Dellandrea is averaging 14:24 time-on-ice, recording 11 points (2G / 9A) and 117 hits in 42 games this season.
Colorado has signed Gustav Stjernberg to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Stjernberg is an undrafted 23-year-old defenseman that has earned himself an entry-level contract after wrapping up collegiate hockey career. He had 10 points (6G / 4A) in 25 games with Bowling Green State University this season.
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.