Quincey has spent the last four and a half seasons with the Red Wings, never topping 18 points (3G / 15A) in a single season. Quincey should file in on the Devils’ third pairing and provides them with some extra blueline depth.

Quincey has spent the last four and a half seasons with the Red Wings, never topping 18 points (3G / 15A) in a single season. Quincey should file in on the Devils’ third pairing and provides them with some extra blueline depth.

Marchand, 28, is coming off of a career-high 37 goals and 60 points. The Canadian-born winger has scored 20-plus goals in every full 82-game season that he has played in and is in a great spot on Patrice Bergeron’s wing out in Boston. He has had a very strong showing in the World Cup of Hockey which shows last year may not be a fluke.

Steen is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery that kept him out of the World Cup of Hockey, but he is expected to be ready for the start of the season. The 32-year-old winger has missed 37 games over the last three years, but has produced solid numbers despite injury woes. Steen has averaged 25 goals and 35 assists (60 points) over that stretch and should be expected to post similar numbers in 2016-17.

Orlov is a key member of the Capitals’ top-4 on the blueline and will still be a restricted free agent after his one-year contract is up. The 25-year-old is coming off of his best offensive season, having posted eight goals and 21 assists (29 points) in 82 games.

Strome, 23, was a restricted free agent who is coming off of a tough year. The 23-year-old had just 28 points (8G / 20A) in 71 games with the Islanders and was sent to Bridgeport (AHL) for a period of time. The former fifth overall pick (2011) had 17 goals and 33 assists (50 points) in 2014-15, showcasing his high-end offensive ability. He is an intriguing late-round pick for 2016-17.

Nichushkin was unhappy with his playing time in Dallas and the 21-year-old restricted free agent has decided to return to Russia for the 2016-17 season. Nichushkin was the 10th overall pick in 2013 but has yet to develop into the scoring power-forward that he was expected to become. He had just 29 points (9G / 20A) in 79 games last season and 64 points (23G / 41A) across 166 career NHL games.

Leighton, 35, spent the las two season with the Rockford IceHogs (AHL)—the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate—he went 28-8-8 with a 2.44 GAA and .918 SV%. The 15-year veteran also appeared in one game with Chicago and has 35 career NHL wins while posting a 2.96 GAA and .901 SV% in 106 games.

Huberdeau, 23, is coming off of a career-year, having posted 20 goals and 39 assists (59 points). The former third overall pick (2011) has turned in back-to-back 50-plus point seasons and appears to only be scratching the surface of what he might be able to accomplish on the Panthers’ top-line with Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr.

Pirri, 25, split his 2015-16 season with the Panthers and Ducks, totalling 14 goals and 15 assists (29 points) across 61 games. Pirri is a quality goal-scorer, who will bring some offensive punch to the Rangers’ bottom-6. He had 49 goals and 31 assists (80 points) in 166 career games.

Bolland was a part of this deal to free up cap space for the Panthers, cap space that the Coyotes have. Bolland will not be ready for the start of 2016-17 and may not play at all this season because of injury problems.

Hudler had a career-year in 2014-15, picking up 31 goals and 45 assists (76 points), but struggled to come close to repeating those numbers last season. He had 35 points (10G / 25A) in 53 games with the Flames before being traded to the Panthers at the deadline—he added 11 points in 19 games with Florida. He now signs with Dallas, where he figures to battle with some of their young forwards for a top-6 role.

Ceci, 22, had his best offensive season of his young career in 2015-16, collecting 10 goals and 16 assists (26 points) in 75 games. The former 15th overall pick has 56 career points (18G / 38A) in his first 205 NHL games. Ceci will spend the 2016-17 season on the Senators’ second pairing behind Erik Karlsson.

Enroth, 28, spent the 2015-16 season with the Kings, where he started 13 games and appeared in three others. He finished the season with a 7-5-1 record, 2.17 GAA, .922 SV% and two shutouts. The former second round pick has a career .911 SV% with the Sabres, Stars and Kings. Enroth will serve as Frederik Andersen’s backup in Toronto.

Cullen, 39, appeared in all 82 games with the Penguins last season, scoring 16 goals with 16 assists (32 points). He also registered six points (4G / 2A) in 24 playoff games en route to winning the Stanley Cup. He will once again be a part of the Penguins bottom-6 in 2016-17.

Monahan, 21, scored 27 goals with 36 assists for a career-high 63 points in 2015-16. The 2013 sixth overall pick has had an outstanding start to his NHL career—his 58 goals over the last two years is good for 16th in the NHL over that span. Monahan is easily a No.2 fantasy centre with No.1 upside.

One-year removed from a 31-goal, 63-point campaign, Vrbata posted just 13 goals and 14 assists (27 points) in 63 games last season. Vrbata joins a youthful Coyotes’ team and could crack their top-6 right out of the gate. He carries some sleeper potential if he can get back to his 20-goal, 50-point production from his last season with Arizona (2013-14).

Smith, 28, was with the Sharks and Maple Leafs last season, splitting time between both of their AHL and NHL squads. He finished the year with a total of six points (2G / 4A) in 22 NHL games and 16 points (12G / 4A) in 19 AHL contests. Smith will look to crack the Avs’ opening night roster in training camp.

Gibson, 23, spent the majority of the 2015-16 season with Bridgeport (AHL), where he went 19-11-6 with a 2.70 GAA and .909 SV% in 42 games. He also appeared in four games with the Islanders, going 1-1-1 with a 3.40 GAA and .882 SV%. Gibson will be fourth on the Islanders’ depth chart and start the 2016-17 season as the Sound Tigers’ starter.

Vermette, 34, was bought out by the Coyotes a few weeks ago but has caught on with the Ducks for the next two seasons. Vermette is a solid two-way centre, who had 38 points (17G / 21A) in 76 games with Arizona. He will likely skate on the Ducks’ third line throughout the 2016-17 season.

Wotherspoon, 23, spent the majority of last season with Stockton (AHL), where he had 10 points (2G / 8A) in 53 games, but also appeared in 11 games with Calgary. Wotherspoon will likely start the 2016-17 campaign with Stockton, but will be one of the first defensemen recalled.

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.
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.