8-year, $92,475,000 contract with the New York Rangers. Expires 2033 (UFA).
Source:
2024-12-07T04:59:00.000Z
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
New York has signed Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year, $92 million contract extension ($11,500,000 AAV).
Shesterkin's $11.5 million AAV makes him the highest paid goaltender in NHL history. The 28-year-old Shesterkin won the Vezina trophy in the 2021-22 season and has a 2.48 GAA and .920 SV% across 231 career games (143-68-18). Considered by many to be the best goalie in the NHL, Shesterkin has struggled lately, uncharacteristically allowing three or more goals in seven of his last nine (2-7-0), posting an ugly .882 SV%.
Carolina has signed Dustin Tokarski to a one-year, two-way contract.
Tokarski has been stellar with the Chicago Wolves (AHL) this season season, posting a 1.61 GAA and .933 SV% in five games (4-1-0). The 35-year-old NHL journeyman has played 80 career NHL games (23-34-12), posting a 3.15 GAA and .902 SV%.
Columbus has signed Joseph LaBate to a one-year, two-way contract.
LaBate was the 101st overall pick of the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He played 13 games with the Canucks, scoring zero points, in the 2016-17 season, but has exclusively been an AHL player since. The 31-year-old LaBate has four points (1G / 3A) in five games with the Cleveland Monsters (AHL) this season.
5-year, $12,500,000 contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. Expires 2030 (UFA).
Source:2024-11-23T04:59:00.000Z
Toronto has signed Alex Nylander to a one-year, $775,000 contract.
Nylander has spent the entirety of the 2024-25 season in the AHL, scoring 12 points (8G / 4A) in 14 games with the Toronto Marlies. The 26-year-old Nylander has 121 games of NHL experience but has struggled solidifying himself on a lineup.
Vegas has signed Brett Howden to a five-year, $12.5 million contract extension ($2,500,000 AAV).
Howden is in his fourth season with Vegas and will remain a Golden Knight for five more season after signing a five-year, $12.5 million contract extension ($2,500,000 AAV) on Friday. The 26-year-old is in his seventh NHL season and is having his most productive career year to date, on pace for 33 goals after scoring eight in his first 20 games to start 2024-25.
3-year, $10,950,000 contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. NTC in Year 1; 10 team no trade in Year 2; 5 team no trade in Year 3. Expires 2028 (UFA).
Source:2024-11-16T04:59:00.000Z
Vegas has signed Brayden McNabb to a three-year, $10.95 million contract extension ($3,650,000 AAV).
After a solid start to the 2024-25 season, recording two points (1G / 1A), 36 blocks, 28 hits, and a +11 plus/minus through 16 games, McNabb has been rewarded with a three-year, $10.95 million contract extension. The 33-year-old McNabb is in his 13th NHL season, spending the previous eight with the Golden Knights.
Boston has signed Loke Johansson to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Johansson was the sixth-round pick, 186th overall, of the Boston Bruins in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old defenseman has five points (1G / 4A) in 15 games with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL this season.
3-year, $2,714,998 contract with the Florida Panthers. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2024-11-05T04:59:00.000Z
Florida has signed Gracyn Sawchyn to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Sawchyn was the 63rd overall pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old forward, in his third season in the WHL, has started his 2024-25 campaign off strong, with 20 points (8G / 12A) in 12 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings.
2-year, $1,625,000 contract with the Nashville Predators. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2024-11-02T03:59:00.000Z
Wiesblatt has been signed to a two-year, two-way $1.55 million contract ($775,000 AAV).
Wiesblatt was the 31st overall pick of the San Jose Sharks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 22-year-old has not played an NHL game yet and has two points (0G / 2A) in six AHL games with the Milwaukee Admirals this season.
1-year, $1,700,000 contract with the St Louis Blues. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:2024-10-30T03:59:00.000Z
Toropchenko has signed a one-year, $1.7 million contract extension.
Toropchenko was a fourth-round pick of the Blues in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and is currently in his fourth season with the club. Through 186 career games, the 25-year-old Toropchenko has 43 points (26G / 17A), 130 blocks, and 374 hits.
5-year, $22,565,510 contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Contract includes $5.5M in deferred compensation until Jan 1 2031 ($3M Year 2, $2.5M Year 3). Cap Hit is based on Present Value of deferred compensation. . Expires 2030 (UFA).
Source:2024-10-29T03:59:00.000Z
McCabe has signed a five-year, $22.55 million contract extension ($4,510,000 AAV).
In his third season with the Maple Leafs, McCabe has been rewarded with a five-year, $22.55 million contract extension. The 31-year-old McCabe has been a defensive staple for the Maple Leafs since joining the club and has three points (0G / 3A), a +6 plus/minus, 17 blocks, and 19 hits in nine games this season.
The Islanders have signed Matt Martin to a one-year deal.
3-year, $2,686,667 contract with the Florida Panthers. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2024-10-26T03:59:00.000Z
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.