I can confirm Brad Ross has signed an entry-level deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Papers will be signed tomorrow morning.
Ross is expected to be an important two-way player for the Leafs. Expect him to play in the AHL on an ATO.
NHL Signings & Free Agents
Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier today announced that the team has signed forward Phil Varone to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Varone had been playing in Rochester on an AHL deal. He is now eligible to play for the big club.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Alex Killorn to a two-year, two-way contract, Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced today.
Killorn will likely begin his pro season in the AHL.
Signing
The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to terms with forward Terry Broadhurst, a native of Orland Park, on a two-year contract.
Broadhurst most likely plays in the AHL for the rest of the season.
Signing
#Oilers have agreed to terms with @tigershockey goalie Tyler Bunz (5th round, 121st overall in 2010) on a 3-year entry level contract
Bunz just finished his fourth season with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL. Expect him to play in the AHL with an ATO.
Signing
Happy St. Patrick's Day to BOS's Shawn Thornton. Agreed to terms on a two-year extension worth $1.1M per year. #buysalottaguinness
Thornton re-signs shortly after the Bs' shootout win. He scored four goals and 12 points with 175 PIM in 70 games.
With the Lightning's signing of G Sebastien Caron out of Germany, Dustin Tokarski's days in Tampa are numbered. Announcement Monday.
Expect Caron to get a look with the Bolts next week.
The Devils have signed goaltender Scott Wedgewood to a three-year entry level contract.
You may have gotten a good look at Wedgewood as the starting goalie for Team Canada during the WJHC. He is probably the best internal option to replace Martin Brodeur at this juncture.
Signing
RALEIGH, NC – Ron Francis, Director of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed defenseman Austin Levi to a three-year, entry-level contract.
As a 20-year-old, Levi can play in the AHL. Expect him to start in the minors next season.
#NHLJets sign defenceman Julian Melchiori to a three-year entry level contract
Melchiori gives the Jets added depth on the back end. He scored two goals and 36 points in 60 OHL games this season.
Per Ducks, signed G John Gibson to a three-yr entry level contract.
Gibson gives the Ducks added depth between the pipes. Drafted out of the USHL last year, he should be eligible to play in the AHL.
Signing
Bruins announce the signing of 21-year-old Vancouver Giants goaltender Adam Morrison to an entry-level contract. Former Flyers draft pick
Morrison gives the Bruins a bit more depth between the pipes. In fact, that depth could lead to Anton Khudobin coming up from the AHL.
Signing
The New Haven Register reported this morning — item here — that college prospect Brian O’Neill has signed a free-agent contract with the Kings and will report to the Manchester Monarchs for the rest of this season.
O’Neill scored 21 goals and 46 points in 35 games as the captain of the Yale Bulldogs. He will begin his pro career in the AHL.
Sophomore Cole Schneider (UConn) has signed with the Ottawa Senators. #atlantichockey
Schneider is expected to start his professional career with the Binghampton Senators of the AHL. He scored 23 goals and 45 points in 38 games with the University of Connecticut.
Signing
Junior Sebastian Stalberg (UVM) has signed with San Jose. #HockeyEast
Stalberg scored 12 goals and 31 points in 34 games with the University of Vermont. He might challenge for a roster spot as soon as next season.
Lightning announces it signed 2011's 1st-round pick Vladislav Namestnikov to a three-year entry-level deal.
Namestnikov likely contends for a roster spot during next season's training camp. The Russian expatriate scored 22 goals and 70 points in 60 games with the London Knights of the OHL.
ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Blues Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced Monday the club has signed their first overall draft pick in 2010, Jaden Schwartz, to an entry level contract.
Schwartz is expected to join the team tomorrow and could immediately get a look in the lineup. He scored 15 goals and 41 points in 30 games with Colorado College.
The Blackhawks agreed to terms with Carcillo on a two-year contract extension on Monday. The 26-year-old forward had 11 points and 82 penalty minutes in 28 regular-season games.
Although Carcillo's season was cut short, he will have another opportunity to thrive in Chicago. Nice little deal for both sides.
Signing
#Preds announce the signing of Brown University's Jack Maclellan. Forward. 30 pts in 30 gms.
MacLellan could see some AHL action this season but probably won't touch the big club.
Signing
#Isles have signed OHL forward Mike Halmo.
Halmo is currently playing for the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL. He could join the Bridgeport Sound Tigers later in the year.
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.