NHL Signings & Free Agents

Finley was a third-round pick of the Islanders in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old forward recently completed his third season of collegiate hockey, scoring 33 points (17G / 16A) in 36 games with the University of Wisconsin.

Fresh off his NCAA Championship loss, Blake Montgomery has signed a three-year entry-level contract with Ottawa on Wednesday. The 20-year-old towering defensemen was Ottawa's 2024 4th round pick (117th overall) and had nine goals and 17 points in 38 games in his first season in Wisconsin (NCAA) after coming over from London (OHL) the previous season.

Nieminen was Nashville's 2025 6th round pick (163rd overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Tuesday with Nashville. The 20-year-old Finnish defensemen spent all of 2025-26 with Pelicans (Liiga) and had five goals, and 17 points in 47 games in his second season of professional hockey in Finland.

Sim was a sixth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues that made his professional debut this season, splitting time between the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) and the Toronto Marlies (AHL). In 13 games with the Marlies, the 21-year-old Sim has three goals.

Fink was a seventh round pick of the Predators in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old forward played three years of collegiate hockey with Pennsylvania State University, and recently made his professional debut in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals, where he has 10 points (3G / 7A) in six games.

Fresh off of Wisconsin's loss in the National Championship, Christian Fitzgerald has signed a one-year, entry-level contract with Dallas starting in 2026-26. The 23-year-old forward had spent the last three seasons at the University of Wisconsion (NCAA) and put up career numbers in his senior campaign in 2025-26, with 16 goals and 31 points in 39 games played.

Hughes will join the Colorado Eagles on an AHL Professional Tryout agreement (PTO) for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

Hours after North Dakota was elimated from the Frozen Four, Abram Wiebe has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames. The 22-year-old defensemen was originally drafted by Vegas in the 7th round of the 2022 NHL draft (209th overall) but was traded to Calgary in the deal that saw Rasmus Andersson go the other way. In 40 games at the University of North Dakota (NCAA), he had five goals and 29 points.

Just hours after being knocked out of the Frozen Four with North Dakota, Jake Livanavage has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Pittsburgh. The 21-year-old undrafted defensemen had a successful third season in North Dakota (NCAA), with five goals, 25 points and a +10 plus/minus in 39 games this season.

Gustafsson Nyberg is an undrafted 22-year-old defenseman that recently made his professional debut, tallying one assist in two games with the Iowa Wild (AHL). He has three seasons of collegiate hockey under his belt, including an 11-point (0G / 11A) campaign in 2025-26 with the University of Connecticut.

Hagens was drafted seventh-overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old forward recently completed his second season of collegiate hockey with Boston College, where he scored 47 points (23G / 24A) in 34 games.

Slukynsky was a fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft that just earned a three-year, entry-level contract after completing his second year of collegiate hockey. The 20-year-old goalie had a 2.30 GAA and .915 SV% this season in 39 games (27-11-1) with Western Michigan University.

Michaels is an undrafted forward that has just been rewarded with a one-year, entry-level contract after completing his third season of collegiate hockey. The 23-year-old forward scored 26 points (13G / 13A) this season in 39 games with Western Michigan University.

Jiricek was drafted sixth-overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, but has had trouble being a permanent fixture at the NHL level. The 22-year-old defenseman has been traded twice in the last two years, with stints in Columbus, Minnesota, and now Philadelphia. He has yet to play a game with the Flyers, but has been effective at the AHL level, scoring 10 points (2G / 8A) in 10 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Strbak is a Slovak-born defenseman that was just awarded a three-year, entry-level contract after completing his third season of collegiate hockey. The 20-year-old 45th-overall pick from the 2023 NHL Entry Draft had 18 points (3G / 15A) in 37 games this season with Michigan State University.

Nicholl was a seventh-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft that was just rewarded with a three-year, entry-level contract. The 19-year-old forward scored 26 points (15G / 11A) this season in 32 games with the London Knights (OHL).