2-year, $1,600,000 contract with the Winnipeg Jets. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:
2024-07-15T23:59:00.000Z
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
2-year, $1,850,000 contract with the Anaheim Ducks. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2024-07-15T23:59:00.000Z
Los Angeles has signed Quinton Byfield to a five-year, $31.25 million extension ($6,250,000).
After a breakout season in 2023-24 which saw Byfield put up career highs with 55 points (20G/35A) in 80 games played, the 21-year-old has earned himself a five-year, $31.25 million extension ($6,250,000) with Los Angeles. Byfield was Los Angeles 2020 1st round pick (2nd overall) and has 88 points (28G/60A) in 179 career NHL games played.
New York has signed Matthew Robertson to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Robertson has yet to make his NHL debut but has spent three successful seasons on Hartford's (AHL) blueline and has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with New York on Monday.The 23-year-old was New York's 2019 2nd round pick (49th overall) and had four goals and 21 points in 68 games played in 2023-24 with Hartford.
3-year, $2,794,050 contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2024-07-14T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,895,000 contract with the Seattle Kraken. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2024-07-14T23:59:00.000Z
Carolina has signed Dominik Badinka to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Badinka was a second-round pick (No.34 overall) in this year's NHL Draft. The 18-year-old blueliner played for Malmo (SHL) during the 2024 season, posting four points (1G / 3A) and a minus-9 rating in 33 games.
Carolina has signed Joakim Ryan to a one-year, two-way contract.
Ryan was a seventh-round pick back in 2012 and spent seven seasons in the AHL/NHL after turning pro following his senior season at Cornell University. Since 2022, Ryan has been in Sweden playing for Malmo (SHL), where he combined for 17 goals and 47 assists (64 points) in 156 games. Ryan returns to the Hurricanes' organization, where he played four NHL gamers in 2021.
Seattle has signed Kim Saarinen to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Saarinen was a third-round pick (No.88 overall) in this year's NHL Draft. The 6-foot-4 netminder spent most of the 2024 season with HPK in the Finnish U20 league, were he was 14-5-0 with a. 2.41 GAA, .917 SV% and two shutouts. In two games in the top Finnish league (Liiga), he was 1-0-1 with a 2.46 GAA and .909 SV%.
2-year, $4,400,000 contract with the New York Rangers. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2024-07-13T23:59:00.000Z
New York has signed Braden Schneider to a two-year, $4.4 milllion extension ($2,200,000 AAV).
Schneider has become a reliable second/third-pairing defenseman for the Rangers of the last two seasons, appearing in all but one game while posting 10 goals and 27 assists (37 points) and a plus-8 rating. Following the completion of his entry-level contract, his $2.2M AAV cap-hit represents a $1.275M AAV raise for Schneider.
Columbus signed Jet Greaves to a two-year, $1.625M ($812.5K AAV) contract extension.
Greaves spent most of the 2024 season in the AHL, going 30-12-4 with a. 2.93 GAA and .910 SV%. He also impressed during a nine-game stint with the Blue Jackets, where he was 3-6-0 with a 3.49 GAA and .908 SV%. Greaves should open the 2024-25 season in the AHL.
2-year, $1,625,000 contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. $325K guaranteed in yr 1. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2024-07-12T23:59:00.000Z
New York has signed Chad Ruhwedel to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Ruhwedel was acquired by the Rangers from Pittsburgh at last year's trade deadline but only appeared in five games and still earned himself a one-year contract extension. The 34-year-old is entering his 13th NHL season and had a goal and four points in 52 games between Pittsburgh and New York in 2023-24.
Winnipeg has signed Dylan Coghlan to a one-year, two-way contract.
Coghlan spent most of the 2023-24 season in the AHL, where he was tied for the league-lead among defensemen with 16 goals and his 41 points was tied for 11th and has signed a one-year, two-way contract with Winnipeg. Coghlan provides the Jets with additional blueline depth and comes to them with 106 career NHL games between the Golden Knights and Hurricanes. Coghlan figures to be in a competitive battle with Logan Stanley, Ville Heinola and Colin Miller for playing time on the Jets' third pair in 2024-25.
Boston has signed Michael Callahan to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Boston signed a pair of AHL defenders on Friday as it announced Michael Callahan has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension to remain with the Bruins. The 24-year-old has yet to make an NHL appearance after spending the previous two seasons with Providence (AHL) after joining from Providence College (NCAA) in 2021-22. In 70 games in 2023-24 he had four goals and 17 points.
Boston has signed Alec Regula to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Boston added to its defensive depth on Friday by signing defensemen Alec Regula to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Regula was acquired by Boston from Chicago as part of the deal which saw Taylor Hall head to the Blackhawks in the 2023-24 offseason and had four goals and 26 points with Providence (AHL) last season.
Detroit has signed Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Brandsegg-Nygard was Detroit's 2024 1st round pick (15th overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Red Wings. The 18-year-old right-winger spent 2023-24 with Mora IK (HA) and had eight goals and 18 ponts in 41 games played.
3-year, $2,922,500 contract with the Utah Mammoth. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2024-07-11T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,850,000 contract with the Detroit Red Wings. European Assignment Clause. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2024-07-11T23:59:00.000Z
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.