2-year, $1,600,000 contract with the San Jose Sharks. $500K Guaranteed in Yr 1; then $525K Guaranteed in Yr 2. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:
2024-07-01T23:59:00.000Z
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
2-year, $1,550,000 contract with the Minnesota Wild. $575K Guaranteed. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:2024-07-01T23:59:00.000Z
2-year, $1,550,000 contract with the Minnesota Wild. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:2024-07-01T23:59:00.000Z
2-year, $1,550,000 contract with the Los Angeles Kings. $550K Guaranteed. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:2024-07-01T23:59:00.000Z
2-year, $1,550,000 contract with the Boston Bruins. $400K Guaranteed in Yr 1. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:2024-07-01T23:59:00.000Z
2-year, $1,550,000 contract with the Colorado Avalanche. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:2024-07-01T23:59:00.000Z
The Oilers have signed Jeff Skinner to a one-year deal worth $3.0 million.
After being bought out of his contract in Buffalo earlier this week, Jeff Skinner has signed a one-year, $3 million contract with Edmonton. The 32-year-old is entering his 15th NHL season and had 24 goals, 46 points, 211 SOG and 34 PIMs in 74 games played in 2023-24.
The Penguins have signed Blake Lizotte to a two-year deal worth $3.7 million ($1.85M AAV).
After six seasons in Los Angeles, Blake Lizotte has joined the Pittsburgh Penguins on a two-year deal worth $3.7 million ($1.85M AAV). The 26-year-old had a down year in 2023-24, with seven goals, 15 points, 20 PIMs and a +11 plus/minus in 62 games played.
The Avalanche have signed Parker Kelly to two-year deal worth $1.65 million ($825K AAV).
Colorado added to its depth on Monday by signing Parker Kelly to two-year deal worth $1.65 million ($825K AAV). The 25-year-old had a career year in 2023-24, with eight goals, 10 assists, 30 PIMs and 86 SOG in 80 games played.
The Jets have signed Colin Miller to a two-year contract worth $3.0 million ($1.5M AAV).
Despite only playing five games with Winnipeg after the trade deadline in 2023-24, Colin Miller has signed a two-year contract extension worth $3.0 million ($1.5M AAV) with the Jets. The 31-year-old defensemen is entering his 10th NHL season after putting up four goals and nine points in 46 games between New Jersey and Winnipeg in 2023-24.
The Kings signed Warren Foegele to a three-year deal worth $10.5 million ($3.5M AAV)
Fresh off the best season of his seven-year career and a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, Warren Foegele has signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract ($3.5M AAV) with Los Angeles. The 28-year-old ended 2023-24 with career highs in goals (20), assists (21), PIMs (47), and SOG (201) across 82 games played.
The Lightning have signed Jesse Ylonen to a one-year, two-way deal.
Tampa Bay added to its depth on Monday with the addition of 24-year-old Jesse Ylonen to a one-year, two-way deal. The right-winger had spent his first four seasons in Montreal but broke career highs in games played in 2023-24 (59), picking up four goals and eight points.
The Red Wings signed Christian Fischer to a one-year contract worth $1.125 million.
Detroit will bring back Christian Fischer for a second season after the 27-year-old signed a one-year contract extension worth $1,125,000 on Monday. The 27-year-old joined Detroit in 2023-24 after seven seasons in Arizona and had five goals, 19 points and 36 PIMs in 79 games played last year.
The Hurricanes have signed Sean Walker to a five-year deal worth $18.0 million ($3.6M AAV).
The Hurricanes made up for their lost pieces on Monday by signing Sean Walker to a five-year deal worth $18.0 million ($3.6M AAV). The 29-year-old was acquired by Colorado at the trade deadline in 2023-24 and had 10 goals, 29 points, 50 PIMs and a +11 plus/minus through 81 games with the Flyers and Avalanche last season.
The Wild have signed Jake Middleton to a four-year extension worth $17.4 million ($4.35M AAV).
After three successful seasons in Minnesota, Jake Middleton has signed a four-year contract extension worth $17.4 million ($4.35M AAV). The 28-year-old had career highs in almost all statistical categories in 2023-24, with seven goals, 25 points, 77 PIMs and a -15 plus/minus through 80 games played.
The Predators have re-signed Alexandre Carrier to a three-year deal worth $11.25 million ($3.75M AAV).
Nashville locked up one of its RFAs on Monday after it signed Alexandre Carrier to a three-year deal worth $11.25 million ($3.75M AAV). The 27-year-old just completed his sixth season in Nashville and had four goals, 20 points, 44 PIMs and a +7 plus/minus in 73 games played in 2023-24.
Utah has signed Miko Matikka to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Matikka was Utah's 2022 3rd round pick (67th overall) and has earned himself a three-year, entry-level contract after a successful opening season at the University of Denver (NCAA). The 20-year-old Finnish right-winger made a strong impact in his first season at Denver, with 20 goals, and 33 points in 43 games played.
The Senators have signed Garrett Pilon two-year, two-way contract.
After a successful first season with Belleville (AHL) in Ottawa's minor system, Garrett Pilon earned himself a two-year, two-way contract on Monday with the Senators. The 26-year-old last appeared in the NHL with Washington in 2022-23 and only has three career games to his name. In 62 games with Belleville in 2023-24, he had 18 goals, and 47 points.
The Bruins have signed Riley Tufte to a one-year deal worth $775K.
Tufte only appeared in five NHL games with Colorado in 2023-24 and earned himself a one-year, $775,000 deal with Boston on Monday. The 26-year-old left-winger spent most of his season last year with the Colorado Eagles (AHL) and had 23 goals and 45 points in 67 games played.
The Panthers have signed A.J. Greer to a two-year contract worth $1.7 million ($850K AAV).
Florida added some grit on Monday as it signed A.J. Greer to a two-year contract worth $1.7 million ($850K AAV). The 27-year-old left-winger tied his career high in points (12) in 2023-24 with Calgary, picking up six goals, 12 points, and 35 PIMs in 59 games played.
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.