7-year, $59,500,000 contract with the Winnipeg Jets. Yrs 4-7: 10 Team Approved Trade List. Expires 2031 (UFA).
Source:
2023-10-09T23:59:00.000Z
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
7-year, $59,500,000 contract with the Winnipeg Jets. Yrs 4-7: 10 Team Approved Trade List. Expires 2031 (UFA).
Source:2023-10-09T23:59:00.000Z
Connor Hellebuyck has been signed to a seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension ($8,500,000).
Hellebuyck led the NHL in games played in 2022-23 (64) to go along with his 37-25-2 record, .920 SV%, and 2.49 GAA and has now signed a seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension ($8,500,000) with Winnipeg. The 30-year-old workhorse goaltender is entering his ninth NHL season with Winnipeg and has a 238-154-37 record with a career .916 SV% and 2.66 GAA.
Mark Scheifele has signed a seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension ($8,500,000 AAV).
Scheifele had 42 goals, 26 assists, 43 PIMs, 206 SOG, and a -16 plus/minus through 81 games played in 2022-23 and has now signed a seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension ($8,500,000 AAV). The 30-year-old Jets captain is entering his 13th NHL season (all with Winnipeg) and has 272 goals and 645 points in 723 career games played.
Tampa Bay has signed Austin Watson to a one-year, $776,667 contract after a successful PTO.
Watson was brought into Tampa Bay's training camp on a PTO and has successfully been signed to a one-year, $776,667 contract Monday. The 31-year-old veteran is joining his third NHL team (NSH, OTT) for his 10th career season. He had nine goals, two assists, 123 PIMs and 79 SOG in 75 games played with Ottawa in 2022-23.
New Jersey has signed Maxwell Willman to a one-year, two-way contract.
Willman played in nine games for Philadelphia in 2022-23 and failed to pick up a point but had nine SOG, four PIMs, and a -3 plus/minus and has officially signed a one-year, two-way deal with New Jersey. The 28-year-old centre has appeared in 50 games for the Flyers over the last two seasons since making his debut in 2021-22 and has four goals, six points, and 16 PIMs on his career. He is expected to start the season with New Jersey's AHL affiliate in Utica.
The Sabres signed Rasmus Dahlin to an eight-year contract extension worth $88.0 million ($11.0M AAV).
Buffalo has locked up one of the league's premiere defensemen with a huge eight-year contract extension. The first overall pick from the 2018 NHL Entry Draft had a breakout season last year, scoring 73 points (15G / 58A) in 78 games. Look for Dahlin to build on those totals as the star defenseman is, once again, expected to compete for the Norris Trophy.
3-year, $2,555,049 contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-10-08T23:59:00.000Z
Detroit has signed Zach Aston-Reese to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000.
Aston-Reese was released on a PTO earlier in the week by Carolina and has now found himself a spot on Detroit's roster after signing a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000. The 29-year-old forward had 10 goals, four assists, 89 SOG, 25 PIMs, and a -6 plus/minus through 77 games with Toronto in 2022-23. The Red Wings will make his fourth NHL team in seven seasons.
3-year, $12,000,000 contract with the Minnesota Wild. Yr 1: No Move; Yr 2: 15 Team No Trade List; Yr 3: 10 Team No Trade List. Expires 2027 (UFA).
Source:2023-10-07T23:59:00.000Z
Pittsburgh has signed Colin White to a one-year, two-way contract after a successful PTO.
The 26-year-old forward was brought into Pittsburgh camp on a PTO and has earned himself a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000. The Boston-born veteran had eight goals, seven assists, 64 SOG, and 12 PIMs across 68 games in his only season in Florida in 2022-23. He is joining his third NHL team after spending six years in Ottawa and one with the Panthers.
Hartman has signed a three-year, $12 million ($4.0M AAV) extension.
Hartman is coming off a 37-point (15G / 22A), 59-game campaign, in which he predominantly centred a line between Kiril Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. The nine-year veteran is expected to reassume his role as the top-line center for the Wild.
Signing
3-year, $2,550,002 contract with the Colorado Avalanche. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-10-06T23:59:00.000Z
San Jose has signed Jake Furlong to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Furlong was drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft (140th overall) and signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sharks on Thursday. The 19-year-old Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) captain had seven goals, 43 assists, 40 PIMs and a +47 plus/minus in 67 games in 2022-23 in the Quebec league. He has returned to Halifax for his 2023-24 season.
3-year, $2,540,001 contract with the Edmonton Oilers. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-10-05T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,574,998 contract with the San Jose Sharks. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-10-05T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,580,000 contract with the Boston Bruins. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-10-05T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $6,900,000 contract with the Anaheim Ducks. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-10-05T23:59:00.000Z
The Ducks have signed Jamie Drysdale to a three-year deal worth $6.9 million ($2.3M AAV).
Drysdale missed 74 games in 2022-23 after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder but has signed a three-year deal worth $6.9 million ($2.3M AAV) with Anaheim. The 21-year-old was limited to only eight games last season and failed to pick up a point while posting a -3 plus/minus with two PIMs. He was Anaheim's 2020 first-round pick (6th overall) and has seven goals, 40 points, 24 PIMs and a -41 plus/minus through 113 games played across three NHL seasons.
Edmonton has signed Brady Stonehouse to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Stonehouse impressed as an undrafted free agent at the Oilers' rookie camp and has earned himself a three-year, entry-level contract with Edmonton. The 19-year-old right-winger had 37 goals, 20 assists, 66 PIMs and a +28 plus/minus in 68 games played last season with Ottawa (OHL). He has rejoined the 67's for the 2023-24 season but is now officially part of the Oilers organization.
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.