NHL Hockey Player News

James Hamblin(Center)(C)|Edmonton Oilers EDM

Signing

The Oilers have signed James Hamblin to a two-year, entry-level contract.

Hamblin was an undrafted free-agent out of the WHL, who is in his second season with the Oilers' AHL team in Bakersfield. The 22-year-old centre has scored 14 goals with eight assists (22 points) in 40 AHL games.

Source:

Edmonton Oilers 2022-03-03T14:13:26.925Z

Will Cranley(Goalie)(G)|St Louis Blues STL

Signing

The Blues have signed Will Cranley to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Blues drafted Cranley in the sixth-round in 2020. The 20-year-old netminder has gone 11-19-2 with a 3.84 GAA and .872 SV% in 34 games with the Ottawa 67's (OHL).

Source:

St. Louis Blues 2022-03-03T14:12:10.678Z

Tye Kartye(Left Wing)(LW)|Seattle Kraken SEA

Signing

The Kraken have signed Tye Kartye to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Kartye was an undrafted free agent out of the OHL, who has scored 33 goals with 25 assists (58 points) in 45 games with the Soo Greyhounds.

Source:

Seattle Kraken 2022-03-03T14:11:02.190Z

Taylor Gauthier(Goalie)(G)|Pittsburgh Penguins PIT

Signing

The Penguins have signed Taylor Gauthier to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Gauthier was an undrafted free agent goalie out of the WHL. The 21-year-old netminder has gone 20-6-0 with a .932 SV% in 28 games with Prince George and Portland this season.

Source:

Pittsburgh Penguins 2022-03-03T14:10:19.502Z

Jordan Frasca(Left Wing)(LW)|Nashville Predators NSH

Signing

The Penguins have signed Jordan Frasca to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Frasca was an undrafted free agent centre out of the OHL. The 20-year-old has scored a team-leading 32 goals with 33 assists (65 points) in 44 games with the Kingston Frontenacs this season.

Source:

Pittsburgh Penguins 2022-03-03T14:08:25.873Z

Rory Kerins(Center)(C)|Calgary Flames CAL

Signing

The Flames have signed Rory Kerins to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Flames drafted Kerins in the sixth-round in 2020 and he has exploded in 2022. The 19-year-old currently leads the Son Greyhounds (OHL) with 84 points (33G / 51A) in 50 games.

Source:

Calgary Flames 2022-03-03T14:07:10.646Z

Antonio Stranges(Left Wing)(LW)|Dallas Stars DAL

Signing

The Stars have signed Antonio Stranges to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Stranges was a fourth-round pick in 2020 and signs his entry-level deal with 53 points (19G / 34A) in 40 games with the London Knights (OHL).

Source:

Dallas Stars 2022-03-03T14:05:36.843Z

Henry Rybinski(Left Wing)(LW)|Washington Capitals WAS

Signing

The Capitals have sign Henry Rybinski to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Rybinski was originally a fifth-round pick of the Panthers but went unsigned. There centre played in the WHL from 2018-to-2022, finishing the most recent season with 18 goals and 36 assists (54 points) in 39 games with Seattle.

Source:

Washington Capitals 2022-03-03T14:04:15.252Z

Bennett MacArthur(Left Wing)(LW)|Buffalo Sabres BUF

Signing

The Lightning have signed Bennett MacArthur to a three-year, entry-level contract.

MacArthur is an undrafted free agent out of the QMJHL. MacArthur is in his third QMJHL season and has scored 25 goals with 18 assists (43 points) in 26 games with Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Source:

Tampa Bay Lightning 2022-03-01T17:50:38.840Z

Petteri Lindbohm(Defenseman)(D)|Free Agent FA

Signing

The Panthers have signed Petteri Lindbohm to a one-year contract worth $750K.

Lindbohm was originally drafted by the Blues in the sixth round back in 2012 and played in 40 career NHL games. He's been back in Europe since 2019 and just won gold with Finland at the Olympics. Lindbohm had been with Jokerit, who just pulled out of the KHL following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, opening him up for a possible NHL return.

Source:

PuckPedia 2022-02-28T20:40:48.735Z

Jonny Brodzinski(Center)(C)|New York Rangers NYR

Signing

The Rangers have signed Jonny Brodzinski to a two-year contract extension.

Brodzinski has spent most of the season with Hartford (AHL), where he has scored 18 goals with 21 assists, to lead the team with 39 points in 36 games. He's appeared in five NHL games this season and 67 games with the Kings, Sharks and Kings since being a fifth-round pick in 2013.

Source:

New York Rangers 2022-02-28T15:24:48.575Z

Dysin Mayo(Defenseman)(D)|Vegas Golden Knights VGK

Signing

The Coyotes have signed Dysin Mayo to a three-year contract extension.

Source:

Arizona Coyotes 2022-02-25T23:44:13.892Z

Jet Greaves(Goalie)(G)|Columbus Blue Jackets CBJ

Signing

The Blue Jackets have signed Jet Greaves to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Source:

Columbus Blue Jackets 2022-02-20T19:11:48.244Z

Chad Ruhwedel(Defenseman)(D)|New York Rangers NYR

Signing

The Penguins signed Chad Ruhwedel to a two-year contract extension worth $1.6 million ($800K AAV).

Ruhwedel has appeared in a career-high 47 games this season, registering one goal and five assists (six points). Ruhwedel has been a key penalty killer for the Penguins, who rank No.2 in the NHL.

Source:

Pittsburgh Penguins 2022-02-19T21:26:53.871Z

Dmitry Ovchinnikov(Center)(C)|Minnesota Wild MIN

Signing

The Maple Leafs have signed Dmitry Ovchinnikov to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Source:

Toronto Maple Leafs 2022-02-18T16:00:05.674Z

Mac Hollowell(Defenseman)(D)|Pittsburgh Penguins PIT

Signing

The Maple Leafs have signed Mac Hollowell to a one-year, two-way contract extension.

Source:

Toronto Maple Leafs 2022-02-18T02:28:18.169Z

Mark Borowiecki(Right Defenseman)(LD)|Nashville Predators NSH

Signing

The Predators have signed Mark Borowiecki to a one-year contract extension worth $900k.

Source:

Nashville Predators 2022-02-16T01:49:36.294Z

Joseph Woll(Goalie)(G)|Toronto Maple Leafs TOR

Signing

The Maple Leafs have signed Joseph Woll to a three-year extension worth $2.298 million ($766K AAV).

Woll is in his third season with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) and has gone 5-2-0 with a 3.32 GAA and .911 SV% in eight games. He has appeared in four NHL games this season, going 3-1-0 with a 2.76 GAA and .911 SV%. The first year of his new deal is two-way and the last two years is one-way.

Source:

Frank Seravalli 2022-02-11T20:05:44.456Z

Alexey Toropchenko(Right Wing)(RW)|St Louis Blues STL

Signing

The Blues have signed Alexei Toropchenko to a one-year, two way contract (NHL $750K | AHL $100K)

Toropchenko made his NHL debut on December 14th in Dallas and has played in five games for the Blues this season. The 2017 fourth-round pick has spent most of the season in the AHL, where he has seven goals and five assists (12 points) in 32 games for Springfield.

Source:

St. Louis Blues 2022-02-09T16:25:16.894Z

Pat Maroon(Left Wing)(LW)|Chicago Blackhawks CHI

Signing

The Lightning have signed Pat Maroon to a two-year contract extension worth $2.0 million ($1.0M AAV).

Maroon's new deal will keep him in Tampa through the 2023-24 season. The 33-year-old winger has scored seven goals with six assists (13 points) and 83 hits in 45 games this season.

Source:

Bryan Burns 2022-02-08T15:36:47.228Z

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.