Lightning announce signing of forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie to a 2-year, 2-way contract
Expect Labrie to help out the Bolts bottom line. He has six goals and 18 points through 28 games with the Norfolk Admirals.
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
Signing
#canadiens Michael Bournival: 3 ans / 1.8 total + 270 000 $ SB Possibilité de 630 000 en bonis sur 3 ans pour matchs joués.
Bournival has dominated the QMJHL and is currently representing Team Canada at the World Juniors. Expect to see his name frequently over the next couple of years.
just signed my first NHL contract! #minnesotawild
Phillips has 18 goals and 52 points in 31 games with the St. John Sea Dogs. He could challenge for a roster spot as soon as next season with the Wild.
Signing
"Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier today announced that the team has signed forward Kevin Sundher to a three-year entry level contract. Sundher was Buffalo’s third-round draft pick (75th overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Sundher has dominated the WHL so far with 21 goals and 53 points through 33 games. Certainly a name to remember down the line.
Tampa Bay has signed Antti Mietttinen, that's why he's on waivers, but might have some immigration issues, so won't play right away
Miettinen could merit some fantasy hockey value with the Bolts. He scored 15 or more goals over the last three seasons with the Minnesota Wild.
Bruins sign Dougie Hamilton to entry-level contract. Lighting it up in OHL. Chiarelli will be guest on pre-game show tonight. #NESN 630pm
Hamilton won't play a minute in the NHL this season but is definitely a name to remember moving forward.
According to sources, the #NHLFlames have signed #bdnwheatkings F Michael Ferland to a 3-year, entry level contract. http://bit.ly/f2yciJ
Ferland will stay in the WHL the rest of the season but could get a long look at next year's training camp.
BOSTON, MA – Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that the club has signed center David Krejci (pronounced “KRAY-chee”) to a three-year contract extension through the 2014-15 season. Per club policy, financial terms of the deal will not be disclosed.
Krejci was rewarded for his three-point effort last night with a contract extension. Expect the Czech native to continue centering the top line for a number of years.
I can confirm that Victor Hedman has agreed to terms on a contract extension. #Tblightning
Hedman has established himself as a core player in Tampa Bay and was awarded as such by management. According to the team, he leads all defensemen in every counting stat since joining the team.
Signing
#TBLightning have re-signed forward Dana Tyrell to a two-year, one-way contract through the 2013-14 season
Tyrell should remain a fixture in Tampa Bay, completing the shutdown duo of Adam Hall and Nate Thompson.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have re-signed center Kyle Turris to a multi-year contract. As per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. The contract is contingent upon Turris passing a medical examination.
Turris-gate is finally over in Phoenix but his role with the team remains unclear. The youngster scored only 19 goals through 131 career games so his upside is also tough to determine. Expect a follow-up news item on his expected role with the club.
Signing
Brian Burke, President and General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Tuesday that the hockey club has signed 2011 first-round draft choice Stuart Percy to a three year Entry Level contract. Percy, 18, was selected 25th overall in the NHL Entry Draft by the Maple Leafs on June 24.
Percy figures to stay in the OHL through this year and get a crack at the big club during next year's training camp. The 25th overall pick already registered 17 points through 18 games with the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors.
#mnwild has now officially signed Kris Fredheim, meaning he should make his #nhl debut tomorrow.
Fredheim registered two points through 15 games and likely holds no fantasy hockey value. The Campbell River, BC native is an alumni of Colorado College currently in his second professional season.
3-year deal for Gallagher with #Habs
Gallagher has followed up a strong preseason with 18 goals and 31 points through only 18 games with the Vancouver Giants. Look for him to get another long look before next season.
signing Braydon Coburn to a four-year, $18 million contract extension.
Coburn helps the Flyers prevent goals making this signing understandable. He has three assists through 14 games.
Signing
Rangers finally officially announce signing of D Anton Stralman to contract.
The Rangers need defensemen and Stralman needed a home. Look for the Swedish d-man to suit up for the Blue Shirts shortly.
DET signs defenceman Nicklas Kronwall to a seven-year contract extension with an annual cap hit of $4.75M.
Kronwall is now signed with the Red Wings through age 38. In long-term leagues he remains the successor to Hall-of-Fame defender Niklas Lidstrom. He should be owned in 100 percent of fantasy hockey leagues.
Signing
Bruins sign Kevan Miller to 2-yr deal. Was on AHL contract before. #pulsebruins
Miller has two assists through his first five games with the P-Bruins. He likely stays down in the minors, serving as depth for the big club.
RALEIGH, NC – Ron Francis, Director of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with forward Victor Rask on a three-year, entry-level contract. At the NHL level, the deal will pay Rask $550,000 in the first year, $650,000 in the second year and $750,000 in the third year, or he will make $70,000 per year at the minor-league level. He also receives a signing bonus of $277,500.
Rask will remain with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. Look for him to challenge for a roster spot as soon as next season.
NEWS: The Red Wings have signed goaltender Petr Mrazek to a three-year entry-level contract. He was the club's 141st pick in the 2010 Draft.
Mrazek will continue to play for the Ottawa 67s of the OHL this season.
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.