4-year, $19,600,000 contract with the Winnipeg Jets. 10 Team No Trade List. Expires 2028 (UFA).
Source:
2024-06-25T23:59:00.000Z
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
3-year, $17,250,000 contract with the Colorado Avalanche. Year 3 9 Team No Trade List. Expires 2027 (UFA).
Source:2024-06-25T23:59:00.000Z
2-year, $1,550,000 contract with the Utah Mammoth. $150K Guaranteed in Year 1. Expires 2026 (UFA NO QO).
Source:2024-06-25T23:59:00.000Z
The Stars have signed Oskar Back to a one-year, two-way contract.
Back spent the entire 2024 season in Texas (AHL), where he tallied seven goals and 29 assists (36 points). The 2018 third-round pick will likely start the 2025 season in the AHL again.
The Utah Hockey Club signed Ben McCartney to a one-year contract, two-way contract.
McCartney was drafted in the seventh round in 2020 and has appeared in just two career NHL games since. The 22-year-old winger spent the entire 2024 season in the AHL, where he scored six goals with 16 assists (22 points) in 46 games with the Tucson Roadrunners.
The Utah Hockey Club signed Patrik Koch to a one-year, two-way contract.
Koch signed with the Coyotes last June after an eight-year career overseas, playing in Czechia, and Slovakia. The 27-year-old defenseman appeared in one NHL game during the 2024 season, but racked up 15 points (1G / 14A) in 63 AHL games. He figures to start the 2025 season in the AHL.
Utah Hockey Club has signed Vladislav Kolyachonok to a two-year contract extension.
Kolyachonok had a goal and four points in five total games played in 2023-24 with Arizona and signed a two-year contract extension on Monday. The 23-year-old was originally drafted by Florida in 2019 in the 2nd round (52nd overall) and has seven points in 39 total NHL games played across three seasons.
The Jets signed Dylan DeMelo to a four-year extension worth $19.6 million ($4.9M AAV).
In his fourth full season with the Jets, DeMelo finished with a career-high 31 points (3G / 28A) in 82 games. The 31-year-old has now posted 100-plus hits and blocked shots in three consecutive years and is a key part of the Jets' penalty kill.
The Avalanche signed Casey Mittelstadt to a three-year contract worth $17.25 million ($5.75M AAV).
Mittelstadt was flipped for Bowen Byram on March 6th and had 10 points (4G / 6A) in 18 games with the Avalanche following the deal. He looked much better in the postseason, where he had nine points (3G / 6A) in 11 games. The 25-year-old should continue to serve as the Avalanche's No.2 centre behind Nathan MacKinnon in the 2024-25 season and has back-to-back 55-plus point seasons.
The Senators have signed Wyatt Bongiovanni to a one-year, two-way extension.
Bongiovanni was traded to the Senators for future considerations on March 15th and finished with 10 points (8G / 2A) in 14 games with the Belleville Senators (AHL). In total, he had 16 goals and nine assists (25 points) in 48 AHL games last year. He should start the 2024-25 season in the AHL.
The Bruins signed Brandon Bussi to a one-year, two-way contract.
Bussi finished his third professional season at 23-10-5 with a 2.67 GAA, .913 SV% and one shutout in 41 games with the Providence Bruins (AHL). Bussi figured to become Jeremy Swayman's backup next season following the Linus Ullmark trade, but with Joonas Korpisalo coming the other way, he may have to continue waiting. The two-way contract will allow the Bruins to have that flexibility.
Los Angeles has signed Samuel Fagemo to a one-year, $775,000 contract extension.
Fagemo was originally drafted by the Kings but was claimed off waivers by the Predators last October before being re-claimed by the Kings five weeks later. He spent most of the 2024 season in the AHL, where he tallied 62 points (43G / 19A) in 50 games. Through four professional seasons in North America, Fagemo has just four points (3G / 1A) in 21 career NHL games.
New Jersey has re-signed Nick DeSimone to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Desimone was claimed off waivers by the Devils in January and had two points (1G / 1A) in 11 NHL games with the Devils. Prior to being waived, he had five points (1G / 4A) in 23 games with the Flames. Expect Desimone to be a sixth or seventh defenseman for the Devils in 2024-25.
The Stars signed Mathias Emilio Pettersen to a one-year contract worth $775K.
Pettersen was acquired from Calgary in a one-for-one deal in March 2024 and signed a one-year contract worth $775,000 to stay with Dallas on Monday. The 24-year-old forward has yet to make his NHL debut but had 11 goals and 38 points in 64 games played between Calgary (AHL) and Texas (AHL) last season.
The Canucks signed Linus Karlsson to a one-year, two-way contract.
Karlsson had an extremely successful 2023-24 with the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL) picking up 23 goals and 60 points in 60 games played and has signed a one-year, two-way contract to remain with Vancouver. The 24-year-old made his NHL debut last season, appearing in four games but failing to pick up a point.
The Canucks signed Cole McWard to a one-year, two-way contract.
McWard was originally signed by Vancouver out of Ohio State (NCAA) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract after a successful first season with Abbotsford (AHL). The 23-year-old defensemen has appeared in six NHL games across his two seasons with Vancouver, picking up one goal and no assists. In 57 games with Abbotsford in 2023-24, he had four goals and 17 points.
The Bruins signed Ian Mitchell to a one-year, two-way contract.
Mitchell was acquired by Boston last offseason in a deal that involved Taylor Hall going to Chicago and has now signed a one-year, two-way contract to remain with the Bruins. The 25-year-old defenseman has four goals and 18 points in 95 career NHL games played after appearing in 13 games for Boston in 2023-24.
The Kings signed Alex Turcotte to a three-year contract worth $2.325 million ($775K AAV).
Los Angeles has secured a key depth piece of their future for the next three years after signing Alex Turcotte to a three-year contract worth $2.325 million ($775K AAV). The 23-year-old winger is Los Angeles' 2019 first-round pick (5th overall) and has appeared in 32 NHL games in the last three seasons. In 2023-24 he achieved career highs in almost all statistical categories with one goal, four points, 14 SOG, and six PIMs in 20 games played.
The Stars signed Matej Blumel to a one-year, two-way contract.
Blumel completed his second season in North America with Texas (AHL) in 2023-24 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract to star with the Stars in 2024-25. The 24-year-old winger made his NHL debut and only NHL appearance in 2022-23 and had one goal in six games played. In 72 games with Texas (AHL) last season, he had 31 goals and 62 points.
The Lightning have signed Gage Goncalves to a one-year, two-way contract.
After 13 goals and 58 points in 69 games with Syracuse (AHL) in 2023-24, Gage Goncalves has signed a one-year, two-way contract to stay with Tampa Bay. The 23-year-old centre was Tampa Bay's 2020 second-round pick (62nd overall) and made his NHL debut in 2023-24, failing to pick up a point in two 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.