The Lightning have signed Declan Carlile to a three-year, entry-level contract.
NHL Signings & Free Agents
The Sharks have signed Tomas Hertl to an eight-year contract extension worth $65.1 million ($8.1375M AAV).
Hertl has had a terrific season, scoring 25 goals with 23 assists (48 points) in 59 games for the Sharks. Hertl has spent all nine years of his NHL career in San Jose since being drafted No.17 overall in 2012. His new deal will take him through the 2029-30 NHL season.
The Capitals have signed Joe Snively to a two-year contract extension worth $1.6 million ($800K AAV).
The 26-year-old forward was an undrafted free agent out of Yale University and made it to the NHL this year after two and a half AHL seasons. Snively has four goals and three assists (seven points) in 12 games with the Capitals this season.
The Red Wings have signed Cross Hanas to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The Red Wings selected Hanas in the second-round in the 2020 NHL Draft and the 20-year-old is leading the Portland Winterhawks (WHL) with 70 points (22G / 48A) in 53 games this season.
The Panthers have signed Zach Uens to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The Blackhawks have signed Alex Vlasic to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The Bruins have signed Marc McLaughlin to a two-year entry-level contract.
The contract will carry an $883,750 AAV cap hit for the undrafted free agent out of Boston College. The 22-year-old forward leads Boston College in goals (21) and is second in points (32) in 33 games this season.
The Ducks have signed Drew Helleson to a three-year entry-level contract.
Helleson was acquired from the Avalanche in the Josh Manson trade on Monday and signed with the Ducks on Tuesday. Helleson, who has 25 points (4G / 21A) in 32 games at Boston College this season, is expected to play in the AHL after the college season is over.
The Bruins have signed Mike Callahan to a two-year, entry-level contract.
The Penguins have signed Drew O'Connor to a one-year, $750k contract extension.
The Avalanche have signed Pavel Francouz to a two-year contract extension worth $2.0 million ($2.0M AAV).
Francouz has gone 11-10-3 with a 2.46 GAA and .920 SV% in 14 games (11 starts) this season. Injuries have been the biggest issue for Francouz but when healthy he is definitely and above-average backup.
The Stars have signed Joe Pavelski to a one-year contract extension worth $6.0M AAV.
Pavelski's new deal will pay him $5.5 million in base salary and $500K in games played incentives--$100K for each of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 games played. Pavelski is having another terrific season in Dallas, scoring 22 goals with 37 assists (59 points) in 56 games. He has shown tremendous chemistry with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson, and that line will live on for at least one more season.
The Canucks have signed Arshdeep Bains to an entry-level contract.
Bains was an undrafted free agent, who is currently tied for the WHL points lead with 82 points (30G / 52A) in 55 games with the Red Deer Rebels.
The Penguins have signed Corey Andonovski to a two-year, entry-level contract.
The Oilers have signed Markus Niemelainen to a two-year contract extension worth $1.525 million ($762.5k AAV).
The Stars have signed Remi Poirier to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The Flyers have signed Rasmus Ristolainen to a five-year contract extension worth $25.5 million ($5.1M AAV).
Ristolainen was a pending UFA, who has scored two goals with 11 assists (13 points), 177 hits and 90 blocked shots in 49 games with the Flyers this season. Ristolainen was acquired from the Sabres in July, sending a first-round pick, second-round pick and Robert Hagg the other way.
The Maple Leafs have signed Carl Dahlstrom to a one-year, two-way contract.
Dahlstrom has appeared in one game with the Maple Leafs this season, spending most of the year in the AHL, where he has 13 assists in 36 games with the Marlies.
The Maple Leafs have signed Kyle Clifford to a two-year contract extension worth $762.5K AAV.
Clifford has only suited up in 20 games this season, 12 NHL games and eight AHL games. The 31-year-old grinder has two assists in 10 games with the Maple Leafs and had one assist in two games with the Blues before he was traded.
The Predators have signed Navrin Mutter to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Mutter is an undrafted free agent out of the OHL, where he has scored nine goals with eight assists (17 points) in 44 games between the Hamilton Bulldogs and Kitchener Rangers.
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.