3-year, $2,595,000 contract with the Florida Panthers. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:
2023-03-13T23:59:00.000Z
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
3-year, $2,685,000 contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Expires 2026 (UFA NO QO).
Source:2023-03-13T23:59:00.000Z
Aidan McDonough has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks.
McDonough has 20 goals, 38 points, 14 PIMs and a +14 plus/minus through 34 games played with Northeastern University (NCAA). The 23-year-old was drafted in the seventh round of the 2019 draft (195 overall).
Marek Alscher has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Florida Panthers.
Alscher has seven goals, 21 points, 63 PIMs and a -4 plus/minus through 54 games with the Portland Winterhawks (WHL) and has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Florida Panthers. The 18-year-old was a 2022 third-round pick (93rd overall) by the Panthers.
Phil Di Giuseppe has signed a two-year contract extension worth $1.55 million ($775K AAV).
Di Giuseppe has two goals, two assists, 33 SOG, and a -6 plus/minus through 13 games this season and has now signed a new two-year contract extension worth $1.55 million ($775K AAV). The 29-year-old has 214 career NHL games under his belt, with 57 points (18G/39A) and 77 PIMs.
Mark Jankowski has signed a one-year, $775,000 contract for the 2023-24 season.
Jankowski has five goals, three assists, 36 SOG, 10 PIMs and a +2 plus/minus through 32 games this season and has signed a one-year, $775,000 contract for the 2023-24 season. The 28-year-old has played in 304 career NHL games across seven seasons.
3-year, $9,000,000 contract with the Washington Capitals. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:2023-03-11T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,550,000 contract with the Vancouver Canucks. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-03-10T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,610,000 contract with the Dallas Stars. Expires 2026 (UFA NO QO).
Source:2023-03-10T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,595,000 contract with the Minnesota Wild. Expires 2026 (UFA NO QO).
Source:2023-03-09T23:59:00.000Z
Luke Philip has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension worth $775,000.
3-year, $2,634,999 contract with the Dallas Stars. Expires 2026 (UFA NO QO).
Source:2023-03-08T23:59:00.000Z
The Canucks signed Guillaume Brisebois to a two-year contract extension worth $1.55 million ($775K AAV).
The contract will be two-way in the first season and one-way in the second season. Brisebois has split his 2023 season between the AHL and NHL, picking up one assist in nine games with Vancouver. During his time in the AHL, the 25-year-old has six points (1G / 5A) in 36 games.
3-year, $2,775,000 contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-03-07T23:59:00.000Z
The Flyers have signed Will Zmolek to a one-year entry-level contract.
Zmolek had four goals, 17 assists, 24 PIMs and a +2 plus/minus in his Senior season at Bemidji State University (NCAA) and has signed a one-year entry-level contract Tuesday with the expectations that he will finish the season in Lehigh Valley (AHL). The 23-year-old is an undrafted defensemen.
3-year, $2,587,500 contract with the Minnesota Wild. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2023-03-06T23:59:00.000Z
The Red Wings have signed Alex Chiasson to a one-year, one-way contract worth $750K.
Chiasson had nine goals, 20 points, 14 PIMs, and a +6 plus/minus through 29 games this season with Grand Rapids (AHL) and has signed a one-year, one-way contract worth $750,000. He played 67 games for the Vancouver Canucks in 2021-22, scoring 13 goals and 22 points.
The Predators have signed Kevin Lankinen to a one-year, $2.0M contract.
Lankinen is 13-7-5 with a .922 SV% and 2.58 GAA in his first season as Nashville's backup goalie and has signed a one-year, $2.0 million contract extension. The 27-year-old is in his third NHL season.
Dante Fabbro has signed a one-year, $2.5 million extension with the Nashville Predators.
Fabbro has a goal, seven assists, 70 SOG, 36 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus through 56 games played and has signed a one-year, $2.5 million extension with Nashville. The 24-year-old has 12 goals, 56 points and 121 PIMs through 230 career NHL games across five seasons.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel has been re-signed to a one-year contract extension worth $1.225 million.
Aube-Kubel was claimed off waivers earlier in the season by Washington and has now signed a one-year contract extension worth $1.225 million after putting up two goals, six assists, and 51 SOG, 40 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus through 36 games between Toronto and Washington.
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.