Ottawa has signed Claude Giroux to a one-year, $2 million contract extension.
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
Toronto has signed Jacob Quillan to a one-year, two-way contract.
Columbus has signed Colton White to a two-year, two-way contract.
The Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Colton White to add some organizational depth to their blueline. The 29-year-old White has 107 games of NHL experience, but has spent most of his career in the AHL. In 2025-26, he scored seven points (1G / 6A) in 30 games with the Utica Comets (AHL).
Dallas has signed Kyle Burroughs to a one-year, two-way contract.
Alex Petrovic departed the Dallas Stars earlier this offseason to join the Florida Panthers, creating an opening in Dallas for a depth defenseman, that has now been filled by Burroughs. The 30-year-old Burroughs is not stranger to the NHL, with 201 game of experience, but he has not played a game in the league since the 2024-25 season.
Nashville has signed Justin Barron to a one-year, $1.575 million contract.
Barron was drafted 25th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. While he hasn't lived up to his first-round billing, Barron has become a serviceable bottom-pair defenseman in the NHL. The 24-year-old scored nine points (0G / 9A) in a career-high 52 games last season with the Nashville Predators.
Calgary has signed Simon Nemec to a five-year contract worth $7.25 million AAV ($36.25M total).
Nemec was acquired from New Jersey in late June for a bundle of early round draft picks and has now agreed to stay in Calgary for the next five seasons after signing a five-year contract worth $7.25 million AAV ($36.25M total). The 22-year-old former 2nd overall pick (2022 NHL Draft) is entering his fourth NHL season after putting up career highs in nearly all categories last year with 11 goals, 26 points, 26 PIMs and 101 SOG in 68 games played.
The Devils have signed Jakub Malek to a two-year, two-way contract.
Malek was drafted 100th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 24-year-old Czech goalie has yet to play an NHL game, but has earned himself a two-year, two-way contract after a serviceable first season at the AHL level. In 31 games last season (13-14-3), Malek posted a 2.75 GAA and .895 SV% with the Utica Comets (AHL).
The Devils have signed Ben Steeves to a one-year, two-way contract.
Steeves is an undrafted forward who has yet to play an NHL game and will add some organizational depth to the New Jersey Devils. The 24-year-old had a solid 2025-26 season in the AHL, recording 45 points (23G / 22A) and 100 penalty minutes in 72 games with the Charlotte Checkers. Steeves was part of the trade that sent Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers earlier this offseason.
The Wild have signed Daemon Hunt to a one-year deal worth $900K.
Hunt will remain a member of the Minnesota Wild for a fourth NHL season after it was announced Sunday that the 24-year-old had signed a one-year extension worth $900,000 AAV. Hunt should play a key role providing Minnesota's defence with some depth after appearing in 32 regular season games and 5 playoff games for the Wild last season.
The Penguins have signed David Gustafsson to a one-year deal worth $850K.
Gustafsson has been unable to establish himself as a full-time NHLer and will hope a change of scenery, joining the Pittsburgh Penguins, can inspire some confidence and more consistent play. The 26-year-old forward has played 149 career NHL games, all with the Winnipeg Jets, but he spent the entire 2025-26 season in the AHL, where he scored 32 points (10G / 22A) in 48 games with the Manitoba Moose.
The Penguins have signed Joel Blomqvist to a two-year deal worth $875K.
Blomqvist has impressed at the AHL level the past few seasons and has earned himself a two-year contract extension with the Penguins' organization. The 24-year-old Swedish goalie, a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, posted a 2.40 GAA and .913 SV% in 26 games (16-5-4) last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL).
The Penguins have signed Arturs Silovs to a one-year deal worth $2.8M.
Silovs made his mark with Pittsburgh last season, including an impressive, albeit short, playoff stint, proving he can handle an increased workload in the crease, earning himself a one-year extension worth $2.8 million. The 25-year-old Latvian goalie posted a 3.07 GAA and .887 SV% last season in 39 games (19-12-8) with Pittsburgh. With the offseason departure of Stuart Skinner, Silovs will have a chance to earn an even larger workload between the pipes in 2026-27.
The Penguins have signed Egor Chinakhov to a three-year deal worth $6.25M AAV ($18.75M total).
Chinakhov was drafted 21st overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft but never lived up to expectations with the team. The Penguins made a deal to acquire Chinakhov from Columbus in December of last year; he immediately thrived with his new team. The 25-year-old Russian forward played 48 games with Pittsburgh, scoring 36 points (18G / 18A), earning himself a sizeable three-year contract extension.
Anaheim has signed Pavel Mintyukov to a five-year contract worth $7.2 million AAV ($36M total).
With the recent offer-sheet signing by Leo Carlsson, Anaheim is on high alert and has decided to bypass another looming threat by signing Mintyukov to a massive, five-year, $36 million contract ($7.2M AAV). The 22-year-old Russian defenseman, about to enter his fourth NHL season, recorded 22 points (8G / 14A), 112 blocks, and 39 hits in 73 games in the 2025-26 season with Anaheim.
Edmonton has signed Spencer Stastney to a one-year, $1.525M contract.
Stastney split the 2025-26 season, starting it with the Nashville Predators, the team that drafted him in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, before joining the Edmonton Oilers. The 26-year-old American defenseman made a lasting impact in his brief stint with the Oilers, earning a one-year contract extension worth $1.525 million. He played 36 games in 2025-26 with the Oilers, averaging 16:02 time on ice and recording 1 goal and 38 blocks.
Washington has signed Jacob MacDonald to a one-year, two-way contract.
After two incredibly impressive seasons with the Colorado Eagles (AHL), Jacob MacDonald has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Washington Capitals. The 33-year-old joins his fourth NHL organization after appearing in 135 career NHL games, picking up 10 goals and 27 points. The defensemen will be expected to be a key part Hershey (AHL) after scoring 31 goals just two seasons ago with the Eagles.
The Red Wings signed Chase Stillman to a one-year, two-way contract.
Stillman spent the 2025-26 season with the Canucks' organization, where he spent the entire season in the AHL. The 23-year-old winger had three goals and six assists (nine points) in 24 games with Abbotsford. He'll almost certainly start the 2026-27 season in Grand Rapids (AHL).
Toronto has signed Ryan Tverberg to a one-year, two-way contract.
Tverberg will remain a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization for a fourth straight season after the forward signed a one-year, two-way contract on Sunday. The 24-year-old was Toronto's 2020 7th round pick (213th overall) and appeared in two games with the Maple Leafs last season after putting up 15 goals and 36 points with the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
Colorado has signed Christian Wolanin to a one-year, two-way contract.
Colorado has added to their minor league defensive depth on Sunday after they announced they had signed Christian Wolanin to a one-year, two-way contract. The 31-year-old journeyman defender joins his 7th NHL organization after spending 2025-26 with Providence (AHL), where he had seven goals and 31 points in 53 games played. He last appeared in the NHL with Vancouver in 2022-23.
Carolina has signed Zachary Sawchenko to a one-year, two-way contract.
With Carolina losing Frederik Andersen to free agency, the Hurricanes were in need of goaltending depth and have signed Zachary Sawchenko to a one-year, two-way contract. The 28-year-old net-minder last appeared in the NHL with San Jose in 2021-22 (7 appearances), but spent last season in Cleveland (AHL), where he had a 14-10-3 record, 3.05 GAA and .880 SV%.
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.