The Canucks signed Teddy Blueger to a one-year deal worth $1.9 million.
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
The Panthers signed Mike Reilly to a one-year deal worth $1.0 million.
Reilly had an assist, 12 SOG, and two PIMs across 10 games with Boston in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, $1.0 million contract with the Florida Panthers. The 30-year-old veteran defensemen will be joining his fifth NHL team and has 12 goals and 98 points across 339 career NHL games.
The Red Wings signed Justin Holl to a three-year contract worth $10.2 million ($3.4M AAV).
Holl had two goals, 16 assists, 60 SOG, 39 PIMs and a +15 plus/minus through 80 games with Toronto in 2022-23 and has signed a three-year contract worth $10.2 million ($3.4M AAV) in Detroit. The 31-year-old undrafted defenseman joined the Maple Leafs in 2017-18 and has scored 11 goals and 82 points with a +58 plus/minus in 285 career NHL games since.
The Hurricanes signed Dmitry Orlov to a two-year contract worth $15.5 million ($7.75M AAV).
Orlov had seven goals, 29 assists, 124 SOG, 22 PIMs and a +12 plus/minus through 66 games played with both Washington and Boston in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year contract worth $15.5 million ($7.75M AAV) with Carolina. The 32-year-old defensemen took a massive offensive step forward in 2022-23 with his change of screnary to Boston which led to an impressive eight assists in seven playoff games. He brings 64 goals, 273 points and a +114 plus/minus through 709 career NHL games to the Hurricanes.
The Bruins signed Morgan Geekie to a two-year contract worth $4.0 million ($2.0M AAV).
Geekie was originally a third-round pick of the Hurricanes before he was selected in the Seattle expansion draft in 2021. The 24-year-old centre played in the bottom-6 for most of his time with the Kraken, finishing the 2023 season with 28 points (9G / 19A) in 69 games. With the futures of fellow centres Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci in doubt, Geekie could play more of a middle-6/third-line role for the Bruins in 2024.
The Rangers have signed Riley Nash to a two-year deal worth $1.55 million ($775K AAV).
Nash had 24 goals, 35 assists, 37 PIMs and a +10 plus/minus with Charlotte (AHL) through 66 games in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year deal worth $1.55 million ($775K AAV) with the New York Rangers. The 34-year-old centre last played in the NHL with Tampa Bay in 2021-22 and bring 63 goals, 176 points and 751 SOG through 627 NHL games to the Rangers.
The Sabres signed Connor Clifton to a three-year deal worth $9.99 million ($3.33M AAV).
Clifton spent the first five seasons of his NHL career in Boston, tallying 43 points (10G / 33A) across 232 games. The 2023 season was his best to-date, posting 23 points (3G / 18A) with 120 blocked shots and 208 hits in 78 games. He brings a hard-nosed style to the Sabres' blueline and should fit well on their second pairing, potentially as a partner to up-and-comer Owen Power.
The Red Wings signed James Reimer to a one-year contract worth $1.5 million.
Reimer was 12-21-8 with a .890 SV% and 3.48 GAA with San Jose in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year contract worth $1.5 million with the Detroit Red Wings. The 35-year-old goaltender will join his fifth NHL team and brings a career 204-169-61 record, 2.87 GAA and .911 SV% to the Red Wings.
The Sabres signed Erik Johnson to a one-year contract worth $3.25M AAV.
Johnson spent the last 13 years in Colorado, but lands in Buffalo on a one-year deal, where he will help mentor some of their young defensemen like Owen Power. In 2023, Johnson had just eight assists, 102 blocked shots and 121 hits in 63 games with the Avalanche.
The Rangers signed Tyler Pitlick to a one-year deal worth $787.5K.
Pitlick had seven goals, nine assists, 54 SOG, 14 PIMs and a -1 plus/minus through 61 games with St.Louis in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year contract with the New York Rangers worth $785,500. The 31-year-old centre is joining his eighth NHL team and has 55 goals and 105 points across 386 games and nine NHL seasons.
The Sharks have signed Kyle Burroughs to a three-year deal worth $3.3 million ($1.1M AAV).
Burroughs had two goals, three assists, 47 SOG, 62 PIMs and a -4 plus/minus through 48 games with Vancouver in 2022-23 and has signed a three-year deal worth $3.3 million ($1.1M AAV) with San Jose. The 27-year-old defenseman has appeared in 95 career NHL games across three seasons; picking up three goals, eight assists, 89 SOG and 106 PIMs.
The Oilers have signed Connor Brown to a one-year deal worth $775K.
Brown failed to pick up a point and was a -3 plus/minus through only four games with Washington in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year deal worth $775,000 with Edmonton. The 29-year-old's only season in Washington did not go as planned as he was forced to miss majority of the season due to ACL surgery. He will hope to comeback from the injury and add to his 90 goals, and 216 points across 448 career NHL games played.
The Senators have signed Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year deal worth $20.0 million ($4.0M AAV).
Korpsialo was 18-14-4 with a 2.87 GAA and .915 SV% in 2022-23 with both Los Angeles and Columbus in 2022-23 and has signed a five-year deal worth $20.0 million ($4.0M AAV) with Ottawa. The 29-year-old goaltender had played his entire eight year career with Columbus before being dealt to Los Angeles at the Trade Deadline in 2022-23 and has a 94-81-25 career record with a 3.01 GAA and .904 SV%.
The Kings have signed Cam Talbot to a one-year deal worth $1.0 million.
Talbot was 17-14-2 with a 2.93 GAA and .898 SV% through 36 games with Ottawa in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year deal worth $1.0 million with the Los Angeles Kings. The 36-year-old netminder will be joining his seventh NHL team and brings a career record of 413-218-36 with a .914 SV% and 2.65 GAA to Los Angeles.
The Sabres have signed Tyson Jost to a one-year deal worth $2.0 million.
Jost was picked up off of waivers from the Wild in November and he registered 22 points (7G / 15A) in 59 games with the Sabres. The former No.10 overall pick has had a tough time getting his offensive game going at the NHL-level but has become a reliable two-way, bottom-6 option.
The Rangers have signed Jonathan Quick to a one-year deal worth $825K.
Quick had a 16-15-6 record with a 3.41 GAA and .882 SV% with both Los Angeles and Vegas in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year deal worth $825,000 with the New York Rangers. The 37-year-old veteran netminder was traded twice in 2022-23 and brings a career record of 375-277-84, 2.47 GAA and .911 SV% to the Rangers backup role.
The Hurricanes have signed Frederik Andersen to a two-year deal worth $6.8 million ($3.4M AAV).
Andersen was 21-11-1 with a .903 SV% and 2.48 GAA In 2022-23 with Carolina and has signed a two-year extension worth $6.8 million ($3.4M AAV). The 33-year-old holds the all-time highest save percentage amounts qualified Hurricane's starters with his .915 SV% since coming to Carolina two seasons ago and has an incredible solid 282-125-52 career record with a 2.58 GAA and .915 SV%.
The Penguins signed Matt Nieto to a two-year deal worth $1.8 million ($900K AAV).
The Rangers signed Blake Wheeler to a one-year deal worth $800K.
Wheeler had 16 goals, 39 assists, 126 SOG, 36 PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through 72 games with Winnipeg games in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year deal worth $800,000 AAV with the New York Rangers after being bought out earlier in the week. The 36-year-old right-winger will look to add to the 312 goals and 922 points he has picked up across his 1118 game NHL career.
The Kings signed Jaret Anderson-Dolan to a one-year extension worth $775K.
Anderson-Dolan had seven goals, five assists, 54 SOG, a -11 plus/minus and two PIMs through 46 games with Los Angeles in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year extension worth $775,000 AAV. The 23-year-old centre will hope for his first full season with Los Angeles in 2023-24 after producing 14 goals, 24 points and 104 SOG through 96 games across the last five seasons since being drafted by Los Angeles in 2017 (41st overall).
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.