Hunwick has been signed to amateur tryout agreement.
Hunwick is not expected to play tonight but could sign a full-time deal with the Blue Jackets. The U. of Michigan standout if currently a finalist for the Hobey Baker.
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
Signing
MONTREAL (March 28, 2012) – Montreal Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier announced today the signing of defenseman Greg Pateryn to a two-year contract (2012-13 and 2013-14).
Pateryn just completed his fourth season at the U. of Michigan, scoring two goals and 15 points in 41 games.
#mnwild has signed Jason Zucker to an entry-level deal
Zucker just finished his second season at U. of Denver, scoring 22 goals and 46 points in 38 games.
Signing
Minnesota Duluth senior center Travis Oleksuk has signed with San Jose Sharks. Likely to finish school year and report to Worcester in fall
Oleksuk just completed his fourth season at U. of Minnesota-Duluth, scoring 21 goals and 53 points in 41 games.
WSH signs U.S. College free agent defenceman Cam Schilling from Miami of Ohio to entry level contract.
Schilling just finished his fourth year in Miami University (Ohio), scoring a goal and 14 points.
Signing
#NHLJets sign defenceman Will O'Neill to NHL contract
O'Neill just wrapped up his fourth season at the University of Maine, scoring three goals and 33 points in 40 games.
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Pioneers' junior forward Drew Shore Monday signed with the NHL's Florida Panthers and is expected to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL for the remainder of the season. His three-year entry deal will kick in next season.
Shore just completed his third season with the University of Denver, scoring 22 goals and 53 points in 42 games.
Nick Cousins, one of the draft picks the Flyers obtained from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Jeff Carter trade last summer, has agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers on Monday.
Cousins is the latest hard-nosed forward to come up through the Flyers' system. He scored 35 goals and 88 points in 65 games with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Frisco, Tex. - The Dallas Stars announced today that the NHL club has agreed to terms with forward Alex Chiasson on a three-year entry-level contract.
Chiasson just completed his third year at Boston University, posting 15 goals and 46 points.
Andrew Yogan, 4th round pick in 2010 playing for Connecticut (AHL) on an ATO, agrees to contract with Rangers. Florida native.
Yogan will get his feet wet at the AHL level for the rest of the year before beginning his ELC next season.
Peoria Captain Adam Cracknell has agreed to a one-year two-way extension worth $550/$105 with a guarantee of $180,000 #Blues
Cracknell is a good player to keep in the system as he can fill in on the fourth line in St. Louis or help mentor the kids in Peoria. Having said that, he has no fantasy hockey value.
The Stars signed Smith, who just completed his junior year at Miami University, to a three-year entry-level contract Sunday. He’ll join the team on its current road trip.
Smith just finished his third season at Miami University (Ohio), scoring 30 goals and 48 points. He could possibly help out the NHL club.
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But today the Bruins officially announced the signing of former collegiate prospects Justin Florek and Zach Trotman to their entry-level contracts.
Florek made his professional debut recently with the Providence Bruins, scoring two goals and four points in four games.
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Transaction: Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul have both been signed to three-year entry-level contracts.
Sproul just finished his second year with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL, scoring 23 goals and 54 points in 61 games.
Transaction: Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul have both been signed to three-year entry-level contracts.
Oulett just completed a successful season with Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, scoring 21 goals and 60 points in 63 games.
Can confirm @WharnsCBCSPORTS earlier tweet- Boston Bruins have signed MSU D Torey Krug.
Krug just finished his third year at Michigan State University, scoring 12 goals and 34 points in 38 games.
Signing
Confirmed that Zach Trotman is signed and should play his first AHL game tonight. He's in Providence
Trotman will begin his career at the AHL level. The defenseman just wrapped up his third year at Lake Superior State University, scoring 11 goals and 21 points in 40 games.
#Coyotes have signed NCAA free-agent forward Scott Arnold (Niagara University) to a two-yr entry level contract.
Arnold should begin his professional career at the AHL level. He scored 10 goals and 18 points in 33 games with Niagara.
#Preds announce they've signed 2010 7th round pick Joonas Rask to an entry-level contract. He is the younger brother of BOS G Tuukka Rask.
Rask just finished his fourth year at Ilves Tampere of the SM-liiga, scoring four goals and 18 points in 32 games.
The Dallas Stars made it official this afternoon -- they've signed forward Austin Smith, the team's fifth round pick (128th overall) in 2007 to a two-year, to a two-year entry-level contract.
Smith is a finalist for the Hobey Baker and should be viewed as a big-time prospect. Expect him to get a long look with the club come training camp.
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.