NHL Hockey Player News

Nazem Kadri(C)|CAL
Signing
Signing
Nazem Kadri and the Toronto Maple Leafs have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with $5.8 million.

Kadri signs the deal a day before training camp is set to open up. The 22-year-old forward scored 18 goals and added 26 assists (44 points) in 48 games last season. This was Kadri's first full NHL season so a 0.92 points-per-game is likely the reason these contract negotiations lasted so long. He enters the season as the Maple Leafs number 2 center, but will likely be the most valuable fantasy center on this roster.

Source:
Bob McKenzie 2013-09-10T22:31:55.000Z
Nazem Kadri
Danny Cleary(RW)|FA
Signing
Signing
When the Philadelphia Flyers get their Chris Pronger LTIR cap relief at the end of the month, forward Dan Cleary will join the team.

Helene St. James reports it’s a cap hit of $2.75 million per season. The 34-year-old had nine goals and six assists in 48 games last season. He also added 10 points in 14 playoff games.

Source:
Greg Wyshynski 2013-09-10T10:05:46.000Z
Danny Cleary
Colin Greening(LW)|
Signing
Signing
The Ottawa Senators signed left-winger Colin Greening to a three-year contract extension on Monday. The 27-year-old was set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2013-'14 season. Greening will make $2 million in 2014-15, $2.75 million in 2015-16 and $3.2 million in 2016-17.

Greening had eight goals and 11 assists with Ottawa in the lockout-shortened 2013 campaign. He added three goals and an assist in 10 playoff games. The six-foot-two, 217-pound Greening has 31 goals and 38 assists in 153 career NHL games.

Source:
CBC.ca 2013-09-10T10:01:55.000Z
Colin Greening
Marcus Johansson(LW)|MIN
Signing
Signing
The Washington Capitals on Saturday re-signed restricted free-agent center Marcus Johansson to a two-year, $4 million contract.

Johansson, 22, had six goals and 16 assists in 34 games last season. He had two points in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games. His best stretch of the season came in the second half, when he had 20 points in his last 22 games of the regular season. Much of that time was spent on Washington's top line alongside Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.

Source:
NHL.com 2013-09-09T10:54:24.000Z
Marcus Johansson
Mikkel Boedker(LW)|FA
Signing
Signing
The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed left wing Mikkel Boedker to a two-year contract with an annual average of $2.55 million.

Boedker had 26 points (seven goals) in 48 games last season. The 23-year-old from Denmark played 82 games with the Coyotes in 2011-12, scoring 24 points (11 goals). He has 95 points in 256 career NHL games. Boedker was chosen 8th overall by the Coyotes in the 2008 NHL entry draft.

Source:
NHL.com 2013-09-09T10:53:20.000Z
Mikkel Boedker
Corey Crawford(G)|FA
Signing
Signing
The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to terms with goaltender Corey Crawford on a six-year contract extension, through the end of the 2019-20 season.

Crawford, 28, posted a 16-7 record with one shutout, a league-best 1.84 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage in 23 post-season games while helping the Blackhawks capture the 2013 Stanley Cup. The Montreal, Quebec, native has earned an 83-43-19 record with eight shutouts, a 2.40 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage in 152 career games with Chicago from 2005 to 2013.

Source:
Chicago Blackhawks 2013-09-02T10:15:37.000Z
Corey Crawford
Linus Omark(LW)|INA
Signing
Signing
The Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms with forward Linus Omark on a one-year contract.

Omark spent last season with Zug of the Swiss League where he put up 17 goals and 52 assists. He spent two seasons with Edmonton before signing a one year contract in Switzerland.

Source:
Oilers 2018-07-18T17:53:24.393Z
Adam Henrique(C)|EDM
Signing
Signing
The Devils signed Henrique to a 6-year, $24-million contract.

The 23-year-old forward had a great rookie year in 2011-12 when he posted 51 points (16 G, 35 A) in 74 games. However he was only able to muster up 16 points in 42 games in the lockout shortened season. With the departure of Ilya Kovalchuk, the Devils needed to re-sign Henrique. He should be considered as a good bounce back candidate heading into the 2013-14 season.

Source:
Greg Wyshynski 2013-09-22T23:45:48.000Z
Adam Henrique
Mikhail Grabovski(C)|
Signing
Signing
Told #Capitals still waiting for confirmation that Grabovski has accepted their offer but all is pointing in that direction.

Grabovski was bought out by the Leafs this offseason after posting 9 goals and 7 assists in all 48 games. Moving into what should be a high power offense gives him an opportunity to turn it around this season.

Source:
Nick Kypreos 2013-08-22T15:39:06.000Z
Mikhail Grabovski
Gustav Nyquist(C)|MIN
Signing
Signing
Nyquist received a two-year contact from Detroit that has an annual cap hit of $950,000. He'll earn $850,000 this season and $1,050,000 in 2014-15. He will still be a restricted free agent when this deal expires.

The 23-year-old forward appeared in 22 games for Detroit during the regular season, and then appeared in all 14 of the Red Wings' playoff games.

Source:
MLive 2013-08-21T14:35:17.000Z
Gustav Nyquist
Jay Bouwmeester(LD)|FA
Signing
Signing
The Blues have signed Jay Bouwmeester to a 5-year, $27 million extension. He still has one year at $6.68M remaining on his current deal.

Bouwmeester had 21 pts in 45 games last season, well above his recent point per game average. However, he did spend much of his time in St. Louis on the 2nd PP unit which hurts his value. He is probably best viewed as a 4th defenceman at best come draft time.

Source:
TSN.ca 2013-08-14T15:08:06.000Z
Jay Bouwmeester
Patrick Wiercioch(D)|
Signing
Signing
The Ottawa Senators re-signed defenceman Patrick Wiercioch to a three-year contract worth $2 million US per year on Monday.

The 22-year-old restricted free agent appeared in 42 of Ottawa's 48 regular-season games in 2012-13, registering a career-high 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) to go along with a plus-9 rating and 39 penalty minutes. In 50 career NHL games, Wiercioch has 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) and 43 penalty minutes.

Source:
CBC.ca 2013-07-22T15:23:11.000Z
Patrick Wiercioch
Jaromir Jagr(RW)|
Signing
Signing
The New Jersey Devils reportedly have signed one of the more coveted unrestricted free agents remaining on the market, with ESPN.com reporting Monday that the team has signed veteran right wing Jaromir Jagr to a one-year contract. According to the ESPN report, the deal will officially be announced Tuesday.

Jagr split last season with the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins, totaling 16 goals and 19 assists in 45 games, while averaging 18:20 of ice time. He had 10 points -- all assists -- in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Bruins. Even at age 41, Jagr remains a valuable asset to any team seeking a big body with some scoring touch. Jagr has 681 goals and 1,688 points in 1,391 regular-season games spanning 19 seasons with six different clubs.

Source:
NHL.com 2013-07-22T15:20:41.000Z
Jaromir Jagr
Sam Gagner(C)|FA
Signing
Signing
Sam Gagner and the Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension, the team announced Monday. Gagner's new contract will reportedly pay him an average of $4.8 million US per season. The deal allows the 23-year-old centre and the Oilers to avoid a salary-arbitration hearing that was scheduled for later in the day. Gagner, who made $2.275 million last season, reportedly was asking for $5.5 million a year, with Edmonton offering $3.5 million.

Gagner was picked sixth overall by the Oilers in the 2007 NHL draft. He had 14 goals and 24 assists in 48 games last season, for an average of 0.79 points per game. In his previous five NHL seasons he averaged 15 goals, 29 assists and 73 games played, for an average of 0.60 points per game.

Source:
CBC.ca 2013-07-22T15:17:21.000Z
Sam Gagner
Zach Redmond(D)|
Signing
Signing
The Winnipeg Jets signed defenceman Zach Redmond to a one-year, two-way contract worth $715,000, the club announced Saturday.

The 24-year-old had a goal and three assists in eight games last season for Winnipeg before suffering a leg injury, which ended his NHL season. Redmond required immediate surgery after suffering an accidental skate cut to his right thigh during practice. He returned to play a pair of games with the IceCaps of the American Hockey League to end the season.

Source:
NHL.com 2013-07-22T15:15:08.000Z
Zach Redmond
Sean Couturier(C)|PHI
Signing
Signing
The Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with forward Sean Couturier worth $3.5 million, an average annual value of $1.75 million. The contract will take effect in 2014-15, after the expiration of Couturier's entry-level contract.

The 20-year-old had four goals and 15 points in 46 games last season, his second with the Flyers, while averaging 15:53 of ice time. He appeared in 31 games with the Flyers' American Hockey League affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms, prior to the start of the Flyers' season in January. He scored 10 goals and had 28 points with the Phantoms.

Source:
NHL.com 2013-07-22T15:13:50.000Z
Sean Couturier
Mike Kostka(D)|FA
Signing
Signing
The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with defensemen Michael Kostka

Kostka, 27, divided the 2012-13 season between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the AHL Toronto Marlies. He had eight assists and 27 penalty minutes in 35 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs during his first NHL season; he was scoreless in one Stanley Cup Playoff game. Kostka paced Marlies defensemen and ranked fifth on the club with 34 points (six goals) in 34 games. He has 37 goals and 183 points in 341 AHL games with five teams from 2007-13.

Source:
NHL.com 2013-07-22T15:10:47.000Z
Mike Kostka

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.