Pickford was drafted in the third round, 81st overall, by the Canadiens in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old defenseman is in his fourth WHL season and has 44 points (25G / 19A) through 31 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Lombardi was drafted in the fourth round, 125th overall, by the Kings in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old, in his third season with the Flint Firebirds (OHL), has 41 points (21G / 20A) in 33 games during the 2025-26 season.
Sasson's extension means he will no longer become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. The 25-year-old forward has appeared in 29 games for the Canucks this season, logging six goals and two assists while featuring primarily in Vancouver's bottom-six.
Nystrom was not expected to be a full-time presence on the Hurricanes' blueline this season, but injuries thrust him into a regular role that he has thrived in. The 23-year-old, a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, is in his first NHL season and has four assists while averaging 16:02 time-on-ice through 23 games.
Cihar was drafted 59th overall by the Kings in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and has earned himself a three-year, entry-level contract. The 18-year-old Czech forward has eight points (4G / 4) in 27 games playing Czechia with Karlovy Vary HC.
Fabbri has battled a myriad of injuries in his career, making his return to the NHL this season a challenging one. He signed a PTO with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) last week, scoring two points (1G / 1A) in three games, and ultimately earned himself a one-year, two-way contract. The 29-year-old Fabbri has 216 points (106G / 110A) in 442 career NHL games, but has only played more than 56 games in a season once in the last decade.
Helenius was a second-round pick, 59th-overall, of the Kings in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 23-year-old forward made his NHL debut last season, scoring seven points (4G / 3A) in 50 games, but has been limited to only three NHL outings in 2025-26. He has six points (2G / 4A) in 20 games with the Ontario Reign (AHL) this season.
With the emergence of Lane Hutson and the acquisition of Noah Dobson, Matheson has fallen down Montreal's depth chart since his career-best 62-point season (11G / 51A) in 2023-24, but remains a key component of their blueline and has been rewarded with a five-year, $6 million AAV contract extension. The 31-year-old defenseman doesn't see much powerplay time anymore, but still leads the team, averaging 24:50 time-on-ice this season. He has 14 points (4G / 10A) in 22 games.
Smith has been playing with the Cleveland Monsters in the AHL this season and adds some depth to the Blue Jackets' blueline after signing a two-way contract. The 36-year-old defenseman spent the 2024-25 season as the seventh defenseman for the Dallas Stars, scoring six points (1G / 5A) in 32 games.
Kettle was drafted in the second-round, 39th overall, by the Penguins in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old defenseman scored 14 points (5G / 9A) in 53 games with the Swift Current Broncos (WHL) last season.
The Jets inked their captain to a five-year extension on Wednesday, keeping him locked up until his age 37 season in 2030-31. Lowry was on the final year of a five-year contract with a $3.25 million AAV, and was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The 33-year-old captain made his season debut on November 4th after he underwent hip surgery in the off-season and has three points (1G/2A) in seven games this season.
Wedgewood has been exceptional with Colorado this season, thrust into a starting role because of an injured Mackenzie Blackwood, and has likely earned himself a larger share of starts for the remainder of the season. The 33-year-old Wedgewood has a 2.26 GAA and .913 SV% in 14 appearances this season (10-1-2). He had a career-high 16 wins in the 2023-24 season as a member of the Dallas Stars.
Pinto is off to a hot start in the 2025-26 season and has been rewarded with a four-year contract extension. He has 14 points (8G / 6A) in 17 games this season. The 25-year-old forward was drafted 32nd overall by the Senators in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He scored a career-high 37 points (21G / 16A) in 70 games last season, totals that he is on pace to demolish in 2025-26.
The Rangers added some organizational goalie depth on Wednesday, signing Martin to a two-year contract. The 30-year-old goalie has primarily played in the AHL, but has a 3.56 GAA and .883 SV% in 66 career NHL games, mostly with the Vancouver Canucks and Carolina Hurricanes. He is expected to report to the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) after clearing waivers.
Brindley was drafted 34th overall by the Columbus Blues Jackets in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and has established himself as an NHL regular with the Avalanche early in the 2025-26 season. The 21-year-ld forward is averaging 8:58 time-on-ice and has five points (3G / 2A) through 14 games this season.
The extension comes as a major vote of confidence for Markstrom, who has somewhat underperformed since joining the Devils ahead of the 2024-25 season. The 35-year-old netminder owns an impressive 28-18-6 record over parts of two seasons in New Jersey, but has posted just an .895 SV% along with a 2.67 GAA. The extension will take Markstrom through his age 38 season in 2027-28.
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.
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.
