2026 UFA Matchmaker: Dream fits for the top 10 names on the market
Welcome to season 2 of Love Island: UFA. And, wow, it looks like the show has jumped the shark already.
Reviewing last season’s exercise, in which we attempted to marry the top 10 NHL free agents with ideal destinations: it was published June 26, and the list included names like Mitch Marner, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad and Brock Boeser.
We had no idea what was coming in the ensuing days: none of those names even went to market, with Marner joining the Vegas Golden Knights on a sign-and-trade and the rest re-signing with their clubs. There were scraps to go around by the time we reached July 1; the new reality of a rising-cap world was established, with teams better equipped to retain their stars.
The trend continued throughout 2025-26, with most of the top UFAs signing their extensions many months ago, from Connor McDavid to Kirill Kaprizov to Jack Eichel and more. Two days away from the market’s opening, the free-agent board looks like a clearance rack, and it’s possible a few of the top pending UFAs remaining still re-up with their teams before noon on July 1.
It’s thus an even more difficult job than normal to play UFA Matchmaker. But I’ll do my darndest for the Class of 2026, selecting the best landing spot for each of Daily Faceoff’s current top 10 UFAs.
Disclaimer: these matches aren’t to be confused with predictions. In some cases, the best fit and the likely fit are one and the same – I had Nikolaj Ehlers to the Carolina Hurricanes last year, for instance – but in others, I’m offering an idea rather than playing a hunch.
1. Rasmus Andersson, D: Washington Capitals
Damnnn, Washington. Take a bow. After trading for Jordan Kyrou and landing Alex Tuch on a sign-and-trade…the Caps still have more than $14 million in cap space? If Alex Ovechkin returns with a focus on winning and takes a team-friendly cheapie deal, there would be room to fit Andersson under the cap, especially with his so-so playoffs keeping his AAV somewhere reasonable. Adding him to a D-corps that already has Jakob Chychrun, Cole Hutson, Matt Roy, Martin Fehervary, Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren would give Washington one of the deepest bluelines in the NHL. Andersson would fill the righty puck-mover void left when the Caps traded John Carlson.
2. John Carlson, D: Carolina Hurricanes Philadelphia Flyers
Carlson has played his way into a mighty-high AAV – I predict higher than Andersson’s but with a much shorter contract term. We do know Carlson wants to return to the Eastern Conference for family reasons, and the Flyers are the closest team to the Caps geographically. They also happen to need a righthanded power-play weapon and have a ton of cap space. Carlson on, for instance, a two-year deal at a $10-million AAV could bridge the gap while the Flyers wait for Oliver Bonk and David Jiricek to break through. Of course, the Carolina Hurricanes get the first crack, having acquired his rights over the weekend for a sixth-round pick and Kyle Masters. Maybe the defending champs sell Carlson on joining up but, if not, he’d be an intriguing fit in Philly.
3. Sergei Bobrovsky, G: San Jose Sharks
The Sharks have achieved their critical mass of young talent, especially after their unbelievable haul at the 2026 Draft, and clearly have designs on making the playoffs in 2026-27 after coming reasonably close this past season. The Sharks have sufficient cap space to give ‘Bob’ the chunky AAV he desires and would keep him in a comfy Sun Belt market. Bobrovsky, known for his tremendous work ethic and fitness habits, would be an ideal mentor for fellow Russian Yaroslav Askarov. Signing Bobrovsky would mean pushing aside Alex Nedeljkovic after he inked an extension earlier this season, but, hey, the Sharks probably didn’t anticipate Bobrovsky would be available at the time. General manager Mike Grier can figure it out.
4. Alex Ovechkin, LW: Washington Capitals
No need to overthink here. It’s Washington or retirement for the goal-scoring G.O.A.T. The Caps’ big-ticket additions on the wings could imply they expect their franchise icon to hang ’em up, but we can spin it the other way and claim GM Chris Patrick is trying to load up his team to give ‘Ovi’ one last serious Cup run. Seeing what the Caps are building for next season, he’ll be tempted to return, won’t he?
5. Boone Jenner, C: Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg and free agency: never a great marriage, I know. But the Jets are a veteran team badly in need of a No. 2 center, so the desire could be there from a hockey fit. Just as importantly: they actually have the cap space to take a run at Jenner, the best center left on the market. If they’re willing to overpay a bit, might Jenner have a hard time passing up a life-changing offer? Jenner could bridge the gap nicely while the Jets wait for shiny new first-rounder Viggo Björck, who has one year left on his SHL deal.
6. Jacob Trouba, D: Boston Bruins
The Bruins didn’t defend well at all last season. They shouldn’t have made the playoffs; goaltender Jeremy Swayman carried them there. They need to get deeper and harder to play against in their own end. Trouba might not actually be the remedy they need, as he’s in decline and he was not a break-even defensive player this season. But the Bruins sometimes value players who fit their culture over those who drive the play. Trouba’s punishing physicality might appeal to GM Don Sweeney and team president Cam Neely. With Charlie McAvoy handling the harder matchups, Trouba could handle the secondary threats on a middle pair.
7. Mario Ferraro, D: Chicago Blackhawks
Dang, I had a good feeling about Ferraro joining up with his old UMass partner Cale Makar in Colorado, but the Avs re-signed Brett Kulak and Brent Burns, so there goes that idea. Ferraro’s underlyings suggest he’s a tiny bit overrated, but he could flourish in a sheltered role on a higher-end team. Ferraro will cost more than bottom-pair money on the open market, however, and this is his “set for life” contract window, so I think it’s more likely he gets overpaid by a mediocre team willing to play him a lot. Chicago could use another stopper on the left side; new addition Bowen Byram often plays the right despite being a lefty.
8. Mason Marchment, LW: Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins GM Kyle Dubas has openly stated his biggest regret as an NHL GM was trading away Marchment from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dubas could right that wrong by bringing Marchment to Pittsburgh. The Pens have truckloads of cap space, and Marchment is a strong play driver at both ends of the ice, so it’s no wonder Dubas still covets him. If the Pens want to contend in the present after making the playoffs last season, Marchment makes sense.
9. Anthony Mantha, LW: Los Angeles Kings
The Kings need offense. They were 15 in expected goals but 25th in actual goals this past season at 5-on-5, struggling to finish their chances, posting the 27th-best shooting percentage in the NHL. It’s certainly debatable whether this team should be trying to contend right now, but the Artemi Panarin acquisition this past winter told us they are, so there’s no turning back for GM Ken Holland. Mantha is fresh off the best season of his career, meaning whoever signs him is buying high on a player who previously struggled to stay healthy, but the Kings are asset-poor, meaning the UFA route is their likelier path to a sniper than the trade route.
10. Anders Lee, LW: Minnesota Wild
Lee was quietly a great play-driving forward this past season, leading all NHLers in individual expected goals at 5-on-5. He’s thus a reasonable target for contender despite the fact he turns 36 in July. Is it time for the Edina, Minn., native to come home? If he signed with the Wild, he’d be joining a team further along in its contention window than the New York Islanders, and while the Wild need to save some cap space for a center, Lee could be a candidate to sign at a slight discount in this particular market. He’d be a fine one-for-one replacement for Vladimir Tarasenko’s scoring if he signs elsewhere – which looks likely after he changed agents.
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