Tampa Bay has signed Scott Sabourin to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
Calgary has signed Kirill Zarubin to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Calgary drafted Zarubin in the 3rd round of the 2024 NHL Draft (84th overall) and has signed the 20-year-old goaltender to a three-year, entry-level contract on Friday. Zarubin spent 2025-26 with AKM Tula (MHL), posting an eye-popping .930 SV%, 2.17 GAA and 26-13-3 in 48 appearances last season.
Washington has signed Timothy Liljegren to a two-year contract extension worth $3.25 million AAV ($6.5M total).
Liljegren was acquired at the trade deadline from San Jose late for a 2026 4th round pick but only managed to appear in four total games with the Capitals. The defensemen still earned himself a two-year contract extension worth $3.25 million AAV ($6.5M total) to remain in Washington on Wednesday. The 27-year-old closed out his 2025-26 campaign with a lacklustre one goal and 11 points in 47 games played between San Jose and Washington.
The Hurricanes have signed Noel Fransen to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The Hurricanes selected Fransen in the third round (No.69 overall) in 2024. The 20-year-old defenseman split the 2026 season between the SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan. He had one goal and one assist in 13 SHL games and added 14 points (6G / 8A) in 38 HockeyAllsvenskan games. GM Eric Tulsky said the Hurricanes are looking forward to seeing him in North America next season,” so expect him to report to the Chicago Wolves (AHL) next fall.
Tampa Bay has signed Nick Abruzzese to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Abruzzese was a fourth-round pick, 124th overall, of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, and has not yet been able to make the leap to the NHL level. The 26-year-old forward has played exclusively in the AHL since the 2022-23 season. He scored 51 points (15G / 36A) in 2025-26 in 56 games with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL).
Tampa Bay has signed Maxim Groshev to a two-year, two-way contract extension.
Groshev was drafted in the third round, 85th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 24-year-old forward has spent most of the previous three seasons in the AHL, but made his NHL debut this season, recording one assist in two games with Tampa Bay.
Philadelphia has signed Aleksei Kolosov to a one-year, $850,000 contract extension.
Chicago has signed Roman Kantserov to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Kantserov was a second-round pick of the Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, but he has yet to play a professional game in North America. The 21-year-old forward spent the past few seasons in the KHL, where he led the league in 2025-26 with 36 goals in 63 games.
Boston has signed Lukas Reichel to a one-year, $950,000 contract extension.
Reichel, the 17th-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, has had trouble becoming a permanent fixture at the NHL level and was traded twice in the 2025-26 season. That said, he seemed to have found a role late in the season after joining the Boston Bruins, scoring three points (1G / 2A) in 10 games, earning himself a one-year contract extension.
The Sharks have signed Carson Wetsch to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The 20-year-old forward was just a few weeks from re-entering the NHL Draft if San Jose was unable to come to a deal before June 1st, but has now signed a three-year, entry-level contract to remain with the Sharks' organization. Wetsch was San Jose's 2024 3rd round pick (82nd overall) and had 22 goals, 72 points and 80 PIMs in 65 games played with Kelowna (WHL) in 2025-26.
The Hurricanes have signed Charlie Cerrato to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Cerrato was a second-round pick, 49th overall, of the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old forward recently completed his second season with Pennsylvania State University, where he scored 27 points (7G / 20A) in 23 games. Most recently, he was on a professional tryout with the Chicago Wolves (AHL), helping him earn his entry-level contract.
The Blue Jackets have signed Charlie Coyle to a six-year contract worth $6.0M AAV ($36.0M total).
Coyle is coming off an impressive first season in Columbus and has been rewarded with a six-year contract extension. The 33-year-old forward scored 58 points (20G / 38A) in 82 games this season, just two points short of the career-high 60-point campaign he had two years ago.
Carolina has signed Mark Jankowski to a two-year contract worth $1.85 million AAV ($3.7 million total).
Jankowski has had trouble being an NHL regular in recent years, but found a home in Carolina this season, and has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension. The 31-year-old forward scored 21 points (11G / 10A) this season in 68 games, his highest total since 2018-19.
Utah has signed Yegor Borikov to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Borikov was a fourth-round pick, 110th overall, by the Utah Mammoth in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old forward spent the previous season in the KHL, where he scored 30 points (16G / 14A) in 59 games with Minsk Dynamo.
Washington has signed Petr Sikora to a three-year, entry-level contract ($995,000 AAV).
Sikora was a sixth-round pick of the Washington Capitals in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old Czech forward has spent the past three seasons playing in Czechia. He scored nine points (3G / 6A) this season in 24 games with Trinec Ocelari HC.
Washington has signed Theodor Niederbach to a one-year, two-way contract worth $1.25M.
Niederbach was a second-round pick, 51st overall, of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 24-year-old Swedish forward has spent his career playing in the Swedish Hockey League. He scored 32 points (13G / 19A) this season in 52 games with Frolunda HC.
Pittsburgh has signed Connor Dewar to a two-year contract worth $2.25 Million AAV.
Dewar is coming off of his best NHL season and has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension. The 26-year-old forward averaged 13:55 time-on-ice and scored 30 points (14G / 16A) in 78 games this season.
Pittsburgh has signed Ilya Soloyev to a one-year, $800,000 contract.
Solovyov was acquired mid-season in a trade from the Colorado Avalanche, and had a more prominent role after joining the Penguins. The 25-year-old defenseman averaged 14:06 time-on-ice, recording five assists, 14 blocks, and 16 hits in 14 games with Pittsburgh.
San Jose has signed Patrick Giles to a two-year, two-way contract extension.
Giles is an undrafted 26-year-old forward that has spent most of his career in the AHL. He recorded one assist in three games with the Sharks this season, but scored 24 points (10G / 14A) in 67 games with the Barracuda (AHL).
Ottawa has signed Steven Halliday to a two-year, $1.075 million AAV contact.
Halliday was a fourth-round pick, 104th overall, of the Ottawa Senators in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 23-year-old forward impressed at the AHL level this season, scoring 29 points (2G / 27A) in 29 games with Belleville. He also saw some success while making his NHL debut this season, scoring 11 points (4G / 7A) in 30 games.
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.