Panthers sign C Nick Bjugstad
Bjugstad had 21 goals and 15 assists in 40 games at University of Minnesota this season. He will play tomorrow on the Panthers third line with Jack Skille and Quinton Howden.
NHL Signings & Free Agents
Signing
Minnesota State senior Eriah Hayes has signed a contract with the San Jose Sharks, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. The deal is reportedly a two-way, two-year deal, and because Hayes turns 25 in July, it is not an entry-level deal.
Hayes is a 6'4" 210 lbs. power forward that plays the right wing, and has pretty good athleticism for a player of his size. He posted 20 goals and 16 assists in 41 games at Minnesota State this season.
Capitals signed Julien Brouillette on a 2 way contract. One year.
Brouillette is a 26-year-old defenseman has five points in 52 games with the Hershey Bears of the AHL this season.
Signing
The Bruins have dipped into the college free agent market by signing Dartmouth College player Matt Lindblad to an entry-level contract.
Lindblad appeared in 30 games for Dartmouth this season and had 10 goals and 28 points which ranked him second on the team during his junior season. The 23-year-old skated in a total of 89 games over three seasons with the Big Green and finished his collegiate career with 29 goals and 51 assists for 80 points.
#Caps announce they’ve signed D Patrick Wey, who just finished up at Boston College, to a two-year, entry level contract.
Wey had a goal and 12 assists in 37 games at Boston College this season.
Signing
Bruins announce they've signed Dartmouth College free agent Matthew Lindblad to an entry level contract
NCAA free agents haven't made immediate impacts to date so we don't expect Lindblad to have any short-term fantasy relevance.
Signing
#stlblues announce a two-year, one-way contract extension for forward Chris Porter.
Porter has two points in 15 games this season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Harrison Ruopp, to a three-year entry-level contract.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Ruopp recently completed his fourth season with the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he established career highs for games played (65), assists (15), points (16), penalty minutes (132) and rating (+11). Ruopp was scoreless in four playoff games.
#flames have signed 2011 draft pick Laurent Brossoit of Edmonton Oil Kings to entry level contract
Brossoit was 37-8-7 as a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL.
Signing
2nd round pick in 2009, Zach Budish signed with Predators. 2 year / $575 000 avg (2 way)
Budish scored 14 goals and 22 assists (36 points) in 40 games as a senior at the University of Minnesota.
The Jets have signed Jacob Trouba to a three-year entry level contract.
Trouba had 12 goals and 17 assists (29 points) in 37 games as a freshman at the University of Michigan.
Signing
NYI agree to terms on 3-yr ELC with prospect Andrey Pedan. Pedan has signed ATO, headed to Bridgeport
Pedan of the Guelph Strom, has 14 goals and 30 assists (44 points) in 60 games as a defenseman in the OHL this season.
The Red Wings signed free agent goaltender Jared Coreau of Northern Michigan University to a three-year entry level contract..
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Coreau, 21, started all 38 games for NMU (CCHA) this year and finished 15-19-4, with a 2.70 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.
Sharks have signed defenseman Matt Irwin to a two-year contract extension.
This season, Irwin has played in 26 games with the Sharks, registering nine points (five goals, four assists) and four penalty minutes.
#mnwild signs Tyler Graovac to his entry-level deal.
Graovac was 10th in OHL with 38 goals this year.
#Caps announce they've resigned D Jack Hillen to 2-year extension worth $1.4 million
Hillen is in his sixth NHL season and his first in Washington. Hillen is a solid stay-at-home defenseman meaning he is not fantasy relevant. He has just seven points in 65 games over the last two seasons.
Signing
Chris Higgins signed a four-year, $10 million deal with Canucks worth $2.5 million per season.
Higgins has recorded 29 goals and 33 assists in 120 games since coming over from Florida in the 2010-11 season.
#Caps announce they've signed Minnesota defenseman Nate Schmidt to a 2-year, entry level deal.
Schmidt had nine goals and 23 assists in 40 games as a Junior at the University of Minnesota.
Signing
#leafs announce signing of goalie Drew MacIntyre. Has been huge for the #marlies this season.
MacIntyre is 10-3-3 with a 1.85 GAA and .931 SV% with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL this season.
#Sabres finally announce the signing of Providence senior Tim Schaller, the reigning Hockey East Defensive Forward of the Year.
Schaller had eight goals and 15 assists in 38 games as a member of Providence College this season. He scored 29 goals and 39 assists in 131 games in four years at Providence.
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.