The Jets re-signed Anthony Peluso to a two-year contract extension worth $1.35M.
Peluso, 26, had one goal and one assist in 49 games with the Jets last season. He has nine points (3G / 6A) and 165 PIMS in 107 career NHL games.
NHL Signings & Free Agents
The Senators have agreed to terms with J.G Pageau on a two-year extension worth $1.8M.
Pageau, 22, scored 10 goals and nine assists (19 points) in 50 games in his second NHL season. During his time in Binghamton (AHL), he had 21 points (11G / 10A) in 27 games.
The Flames re-signed Mikael Backlund to a three-year deal worth $10.725M.
Backlund, 26, missed 30 games in 2014-15 after undergoing abdominal surgery in late-October. Despite the injury, he managed to post the highest points-per-game of he career by tallying 10 goals and 17 assists (27 points) in 52 games. Backlund is a strong two-way forward who plays in all situations for the Flames.
Signing
The Hurricanes have signed Michal Jordan to a one-year contract extension worth $625K.
Jordan, 24, had the best professional season of his young career in 2014-15. He had six points (2G / 4A) in 38 games with the Hurricanes and added 11 points (2G / 9A) in 30 games while playing for Charlotte (AHL).
Dallas re-signed goaltender Jack Campbell to a one-year contract extension.
Campbell, 23, was the Stars first round pick (11th overall) in the 2010 draft, but has been stuck at the AHL level since being selected. He was 14-14-5 with a 3.03 GAA and .907 SV% in 35 games with Texas (AHL) last season and 5-2-0 with a 1.73 GAA and .945 SV% while playing with Idaho of the ECHL. He will look to secure the Stars back-up role for 2015-16.
Signing
The Stars re-signed Jyrki Jokipakka to a two-year, $900,000 contract.
Jokipakka, 23, registered 10 assists in 51 games in his rookie season with the Stars in 2014-15. The young-Fin has a good chance to make the big-squad heading into training camp for the 2015-16 season.
The Stars re-signed Patrik Nemeth to a two-year deal worth $900,000.
Nemeth, 23, missed a significant amount of time in 2014-15 after suffering a gruesome laceration to his arm in October. He was expected to miss the remainder of the season, but returned to Dallas in early March and finished the season with three assists in 22 games. The 2010 second-round pick is expected to compete for a full-time spot on the Stars blue line in 2015-16.
The Devils have re-signed Keith Kinkaid to a two-year, $1.45 million contract extension.
Kinkaid, 25, was 6-5-4 with a 2.59 GAA and .915 SV% in his rookie season. He signs a two-year, one-way deal that will see him serve as Cory Schneider’s back-up through the 2016-17 season.
The Oilers have signed Nail Yakupov to a two-year, $5 million contract extension.
Yakupov, 21, had a terrible start to the season, posting just 12 points (5G / 7A) in 50 games in the first four months of the season, but finished relatively strong, collecting nine goals and 12 assists (21 points) in the final 31 games. Yakupov was pending restricted free agent this summer, but is now locked up through the 2016-17 season.
Signing
The Panthers re-signed Jaromir Jagr to a one-year contract extension on Sunday.
Jagr, 43, was acquired from New Jersey via trade on February 26th. In 20 games with the Panthers he tallied six goals and 12 assists (18 points). He looked much better in the Sunshine State than he did in New Jersey, so he will come back for his 21st NHL season in 2015-16.
The Flyers have re-signed Brandon Manning to a one-year, one-way contract.
Manning, 24, has three assists in 10 games with the Flyers. He has spent most of his time with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he has scored 11 goals and 43 points in 58 contests.
Signing
The Predators have signed Steve Moses to a one-year, $1 million contract.
Moses, 25, dominated the KHL this season, scoring 36 goals and 21 assists (57 points) in 60 games. He is not eligible to play until next season, but should be a useful asset for the Predators next season.
Signing
The Canucks have signed Derek Dorsett to a four-year contract extension.
Dorsett has scored seven goals and 18 assists (25 points) in 77 games with the Canucks this season. In addition to his points, Dorsett has 169 PIMS on the year.
The Canucks have signed Luca Sbisa to a three-year, $10.8M contract extension.
Sbisa has scored three goals and eight assists (11 points) with a minus-9 rating and 46 PIMS in 74 games with the Canucks this season.
The Kings have signed Tanner Pearson to a two-year, $2.8 million contract extension.
Pearson, 21, was set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, bus is now signed through the 2016-17 season. Pearson has been out since January 10th because of a broken ankle, but has 12 goals and four assists (16 points) in 42 games this season.
Signing
The Oilers have signed Anton Lander to a two-year, $1.97 million contract extension.
Lander has registered six goals and 11 assists (17 points) in 33 games with the Oilers this season. Lander was set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, but is now signed through the 2016-17 season.
Signing
The Wild have signed Zach Palmquist to a one-year, entry-level contract.
Palmquist, 24, had 29 points (8G / 21A) in 40 games at Minnesota State University this season. He was on their blue line for four season, totalling 25 goals and 71 assists (96 points) in 160 games.
Signing
The Wild have signed Brody Hoffman to a one-year, entry-level contract.
Hoffman, 24, was 13-6-2 with a 2.06 GAA and .922 SV% in 22 games at the University of Vermont this season. In three seasons at Vermont he went 34-33-9 with a 2.45 GAA and .914 SV%.
Signing
The Blackhawks signed Mike Paliotta to a two-year contract on Thursday.
Paliotta, 21, was a third-round pick of the Blackhawks (70th overall) in 2011. The 6-foot-3, 201 lbs. defenseman had 36 points (9G / 27A) in 41 games at the University of Vermont this season. He really added a new-level of offence to his game this season and is expected to report to the Blackhawks.
Signing
The Blackhawks signed Kyle Baun to a two-year contract on Thursday.
Baun, 22, had 14 goals and 15 assists (29 points) in 38 games at Colgate University this season. In three years at Colgate the 6-foot-2, 204 lbs. forward amassed 39 goals and 40 assists (79 points) in 113 games. He is expected to report to the Blackhawks, but is not eligible for the playoffs.
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.