Signing
3-year, $2,602,500 contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:
2024-05-15T23:59:00.000Z
Daily Faceoff is a news site with no direct affiliation to the NHL, or NHLPA
NHL Signings & Free Agents
2-year, $1,550,000 contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:2024-05-10T23:59:00.000Z
2-year, $1,550,000 contract with the St Louis Blues. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:2024-05-08T23:59:00.000Z
St. Louis has agreed to a two-year, two-way contract extension with Hugh McGing.
McGing spent the majority of the 2023-24 season with Springfield (AHL) and has signed a two-year, two-way contract extension worth $775,000/$250,000 with St. Louis on Wednesday. The 25-year-old appeared in a career-high five games with the Blues in 2023-24, but failed to pick up a point while adding four SOG and a -5 plus/minus.
2-year, $1,550,000 contract with the New York Islanders. Yr 1: $550K Guaranteed. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:2024-05-07T23:59:00.000Z
2-year, $2,400,000 contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2024-05-07T23:59:00.000Z
2-year, $1,850,000 contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2024-05-07T23:59:00.000Z
Chicago has signed Lukas Reichel to a two-year, $2.4 million contract ($1,200,000 AAV).
Reichel just finished his second season in Chicago and had six goals, 16 points, 84 SOG, 12 PIMs and a -29 plus/minus in 65 games played and signed a two-year, $2.4 million contract ($1,200,000 AAV) on Tuesday. The 21-year-old was Chicago's 2020 first-round pick (17th overall) and has 32 points (12G/20A) in his first 99 career games played in the NHL.
Carolina has signed Charles-Alexis Legault to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Legault was Carolina's 2023 fifth-round pick (139th overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday. The 20-year-old is coming off a successful second season with Quinnipiac University (NCAA) and had nine goals, and 24 points in 39 games played.
New Jersey has resigned Nathan Legare to a one-year, two-way contract.
Legare was acquired mid-way through the season from Montreal for Arnaud Durandeau and has signed a one-year, two-way contract with New Jersey into the 2024-25 season. The 23-year-old former captain of Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) finished his third season in the AHL in 2023-24 and had eight goals, and four assists in 54 games played this season with Laval and Utica.
New Jersey has signed Max Wilman to a one-year, two-way contract extension worth $775,000.
Willman appeared in 18 games for New Jersey in 2023-24 and had three goals and four points to go along with 17 SOG and has signed a two-way, contract extension worth $775,000 on Tuesday. The 29-year-old has appeared in 68 games across three NHL seasons and has seven goals and 10 points.
New York has signed Marcus Hogberg to a two-year contract on Tuesday.
Hogberg will return to North American soil for the first time since 2020-2021 after signing a two-year contract with the New York Islanders. The 29-year-old just finished a successful season with Linkoping HC of the SHL, where he posted a 2.51 GAA and .914 SV%. The 2013 3rd round pick (78th overall) has appeared in 42 career NHL games, with a 9-17-9 record, 3.39 GAA and .894 SV%.
3-year, $2,747,499 contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2024-05-06T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,799,999 contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2024-05-06T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,850,000 contract with the New Jersey Devils. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2024-05-06T23:59:00.000Z
New Jersey has signed Jakub Malek to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Malek was New Jersey's 2021 fourth-round pick (100th overall) and signed a two-year, entry-level contract on Monday. The 22-year-old goaltender is coming off his second season with Ilves (Liiga), where he posted an impressive 16-4-5 record, 2.32 GAA and .915 SV%.
Detroit has agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with Axel Sandin-Pelikka.
Sandin-Pelikka was Detroit's 2023 first-round pick (17th overall) and signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday. The 19-year-old defenseman just finished his second season with Skelleftea AIK (SHL) and had an impressive 10 goals, and 18 points in 39 games played in Sweden highest league.
New Jersey has signed Seamus Casey to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Casey was New Jersey's 2022 fourth-round pick (46th overall) and signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday worth $2.85 million ($950,000AAV). The 20-year-old defenseman just finished his Sophmore campaign with the University of Michigan (NCAA), and had seven goals and 45 points in 40 games played.
3-year, $2,705,000 contract with the Utah Mammoth. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2024-05-05T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,600,001 contract with the Winnipeg Jets. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2024-05-04T23:59:00.000Z
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.