3-year, $10,275,000 contract with the Utah Mammoth. Expires 2026 (UFA NO QO).
Source:
2023-07-16T23:59:00.000Z
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
Arizona has signed Ivan Prosvetov to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV.
Provestov was 4-3-0 with a .880 SV% and 3.98 GAA in 2022-23 with Arizona and has now signed a one-year, two-way contract extension worth $775,000 AAV with the Coyotes. The 24-year-old netminder was Arizona's fourth-round pick in 2018 (114th overall) and has struggled throughout three seasons in Arizona as he has a 4-6-1 record, 4.07 GAA and .871 SV% across 13 total games played.
Arizona has signed Matias Maccelli to a three-year, $10.275 million contract extension ($3,425,000 AAV).
Maccelli broke out in 2022-23 with Arizona as he finished second in rookie scoring with 11 goals, 38 assists, 18 PIMs and 61 SOG and has signed a three-year, $10.275 million contract extension ($3,425,000 AAV).The 22-year-old left-winger was drafted by Arizona in the fourth-round (98th overall) and has 12 goals and 55 points in 87 career games.
Anaheim has signed Lukas Dostal to a two-year contract extension worth $1.625 million ($812,500 AAV).
Dostal was 4-10-3 with a .901 SV% and 3.78 GAA across 17 starts in 2022-23 with Anaheim and has signed a two-year, contract extension worth $1.625 million ($812,500 AAV). The 23-year-old netminder is one of the NHL's best goaltending prospects and has a 5-12-3 record across 23 games in his career and has a 3.65 GAA and .902 SV%.
Minnesota has signed Brandon Duhaime to a one-year, $1.1 million AAV contract.
Duhaime had nine goals, one assist, 80 SOG, 42 PIMs and a +6 plus/minus through 51 games with Minnesota in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, $1.1 million AAV contract to avoid arbitration. The 26-year-old right-winger was a fourth-round pick by Minnesota in 2016 (106th overall) and has 15 goals, 27 points and 164 PIMs across 131 career games played.
Pittsburgh has signed Ty Smith to a one-year contract worth $775,000 AAV.
Smith had a goal, three assists, 27 SOG, four PIMs and a +3 plus/minus through nine games with Pittsburgh in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year contract extension worth $775,000 AAV. The 23-year-old defensemen was originally acquired alongside a third-round pick from New Jersey in July of 2022 for John Marino. He has eight goals, 47 points and is a -32 plus/minus across 123 career NHL games played thus far.
Arizona has signed Zach Sanford to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV.
Sanford had two goals, one assist, 20 SOG, four PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through 16 games with Nashville in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with Arizona. The 28-year-old left winger brings 49 goals and 49 assists and 138 PIMs across 305 career NHL games to the Coyotes and should played a bottom-six role for the team throughout the season.
Arizona has signed Justin Kirkland to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV.
Kirkland appeared in seven games for Anaheim in 2022-23 but failed to pick up a point while getting five SOG and a -3 plus/minus and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV with Arizona. The 26-year-old centre was a third-round pick in 2014 (62nd overall) with Nashville and made his NHL debut last season and has therefore not picked up a point yet in his career.
Tampa Bay has signed Tanner Jeannot to a two-year, $5.33 million contract extension ($2,665,000 AAV).
Jeannot had six goals, 12 assists, 107 SOG, 107 PIMs and a -7 plus/minus through 76 games with both Tampa Bay and Nashville in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, $5.33 million contract extension ($2,665,000 AAV extension with the Lightning. The 26-year-old undrafted left-winger was acquired at the Trade Deadline by Tampa Bay for Cal Foote, a conditional first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and a third-, fourth- and fifth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
St.Louis has signed Alexei Toropchenko to a two-year, 2.5 million contract extension ($1,250,000 AAV).
Toropchenko had 10 goals, nine assists, 86 SOG, 12 PIMs and a +6 plus/minus through 69 games with St. Louis in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, 2.5 million contract extension ($1,250,000 AAV). The 24-year-old towering right-winger was a fourth-round pick in 2017 (113th overall) by St.Louis and has 12 goals, 21 points and 129 SOG through 97 career NHL games.
3-year, $2,704,998 contract with the Seattle Kraken. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-07-15T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,610,002 contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-07-15T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,704,998 contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-07-15T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,619,998 contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-07-14T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,619,999 contract with the Buffalo Sabres. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-07-14T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,704,998 contract with the St Louis Blues. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-07-14T23:59:00.000Z
Signing
3-year, $2,650,000 contract with the Los Angeles Kings. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-07-14T23:59:00.000Z
Buffalo has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension worth $775,000.
Murray had 23 goals, 26 assists, 46 PIMs and a -1 plus/minus through 71 games with Rochester (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension worth $775,000 with Buffalo. The 24-year-old right-winger was drafted in the fourth-round of the 2016 NHL Draft (99th overall) and has two goals and six points across 21 career NHL games played.
Pittsburgh has re-signed Jonathan Gruden to a one-year, $775,000 contract extension.
Gruden had 16 goals, 15 assists, 54 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 54 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) in 2022-23 and has re-signed a one-year, $775,000 contract extension with Pittsburgh. The 23-year-old left-winger made his NHL debut with the Penguins in 2022-23, but failed to pick up a point across a short, three-game showing. He was drafted in the fourth-round of the 2018 draft (95th overall) by the Ottawa Senators.
St. Louis has signed Dalibor Dvorsky to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Dvorsky was St.Louis' 2023 first-round pick (10th overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Blues. The 18-year-old Slovakian forward had six goals, eight assists, 16 PIMs and a -19 plus/minus through 38 games with AIK of the HockeyAllsvenskan League. He is currently expected to play for IK Oskarshamn of the SHL in 2023-24.
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.