The Lightning signed Nikita Kucherov to an eight-year extension worth $76M ($9.5M AAV).
NHL Signings & Free Agents
Signing
The Islanders have signed Jan Kovar to a one-year deal worth $2M.
Kovar has spent the last five seasons in the KHL, where he collected 286 points (97G / 189A) in 285 games. Kovar is coming off of his worst season with Magnitogorsk Metallurg but had a lot of interested NHL teams before picking the Islanders. The 5-foot-11, 216 lbs. 28-year-old forward has a good shot to play in the Islanders top-6 after John Tavares left for Toronto.
The Sharks signed Vladislav Kotkov to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Kotkov went undrafted at this year’s NHL draft after scoring 21 goals and 28 assists (49 points) in 61 games with Chicoutimi (QMJHL). After an invite to development camp, the Sharks signed the 6-foot-4, 202 lbs. Russian left winger.
The Sharks signed Dylan DeMelo to a two-year extension worth $1.8M ($900K AAV).
During his first full NHL season, DeMelo failed to record a goal but added 20 assists in 63 games. Over 291 career pro games (AHL + NHL), DeMelo has scored just 10 goals, so don’t expect him to start scoring any time soon.
The Sabres signed Rasmus Dahlin to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Dahlin was the first overall pick at this year’s draft and will be on the Sabres’ blueline this year. Dahlin is one of the biggest defensive prospects the NHL has seen in recent years and he immediately improves Buffalo’s back-end. The 18-year-old had seven goals and 13 assists (20 points) in 41 games with Frolunda HC last season and has the ability to be a double-digit goal-scorer with 20-plus assists in his rookie season.
The Blues have re-signed Dmitrij Jaskin to a one-year deal worth $1.1M.
Jaskin absolutely torched the QMJHL and posted solid numbers in the AHL, but has yet to find success in his first 266 career NHL games. The former second-round pick had just six goals and 11 assists (17 points) in 76 games last season and he is quickly falling down the depth chart in St. Louis as they continue to sign forwards and top prospects come through the system.
The Golden Knights signed Colin Miller to a four-year extension worth $15.5M ($3.875M AAV).
Miller had an outstanding 2018 season finishing tied for 23rd among defensemen in goals (10), tied for 25th in assists (31) and tied for 27th in points (41). Miller, who gets sheltered offensive-zone starts, finished the season with a 56.3 CF% and +7.3 relative Corsi. This contract looks like an absolute steal for the Golden Knights.
Signing
The Flyers have signed Alex Lyon to a two-year deal worth $1.5M ($750K AAV).
Lyon split the 2018 season between Philadelphia (NHL) and Lehigh Valley (AHL). During his 11 games in the AHL, he went 6-5-0 with a 1.98 GAA and .944 SV% while going 4-2-1 with a 2.75 GAA and .905 SV% in 11 games for the Flyers. Injuries to Brian Elliott and/or Michal Neuvirth are the only way that Lyon will find himself back in the NHL in 2019.
The Red Wings signed Filip Zadina to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Zadina, who surprisingly fell to the Red Wings at No.6 in this year’s draft, has a great chance to make the team this fall. Zadina dazzled during the Red Wings’ development camp and is coming off of a 44 goal, 38 assist (82 points) season with the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL). The Czech sniper is one of the players from this year’s draft class that has a real shot at making the NHL right away.
The Coyotes have signed Barrett Hayton to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Hayton, 18, who was a bit of a surprise pick at No.5 overall this June, will likely head back to Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) for the 2019 season. Hayton had 21 goals and 39 assists (60 points) in 63 games last season will be given a shot to make the team, but the Coyotes have shown to be patient with their prospects in recent years.
The Avalanche signed Matt Nieto to a two-year extension worth $3.95M ($1.975M AAV).
Nieto set a career-high with 15 goals while adding 11 assists (26 points) in 75 games with the Avalanche last season. The former second-round pick, who was a huge offensive producer at Boston University, has not been able to find the same success in the NHL. Regardless of his lack of offence, Nieto is a great skater with a strong two-way game and has found a home on a bottom-6 line with Carl Soderberg.
The Stars re-signed Jason Dickinson to a one-year extension worth $875K.
The Panthers signed Alex Petrovic to a one-year extension worth $1.95M.
The Maple Leafs signed Tyler Ennis to a one-year contract worth $650K.
The Oilers have signed Ryan Strome to a two-year extension worth $6.2M ($3.1M AAV).
The Blues have re-signed Oskar Sundqvist to a one-year deal worth $700K.
The Hurricanes re-signed Trevor van Riemsdyk to a two-year deal worth $4.6M ($2.3M AAV).
The Lightning have signed Cedric Paquette to a one-year, $1M extension.
The Blue Jackets have signed Anthony Duclair to a one-year, $650K deal.
The Red Wings have signed Andreas Athanasiou to a two-year extension worth $6M ($3M AAV).
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.