NHL Signings & Free Agents

Konsta Helenius(C)|BUF
Signing
Signing
The Sabres have signed Konsta Helenius to a three-year entry-level contract.

Helenius was selected with the No.14 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft after posting 36 points (14G / 22A) in 51 games with Jukurit Mikkeli (Liiga). He also represented Finland at the World Juniors, registering two points (1G / 1A) in seven games. Expect the 18-year-old to remain in Finland to start the 2024-25 season.

Source:
Buffalo Sabres 2024-07-08T16:08:51.668Z
Konsta Helenius
Raphael Lavoie(C)|VGK
Signing
Signing
Edmonton has signed Raphael Lavoie to a one-year, two-way contract extension.

Lavoie was selected in the second-round of the 2019 NHL Draft and appeared in his first seven career NHL games during the 2023-24 season. The 23-year-old forward failed to pick up a point with the Oilers but he led Bakersfield (AHL) in goals (28) and was third in points (50) in 66 games. Given the depth the Oilers have added this offseason, Lavoie will likely start the 2024-25 season in the AHL.

Source:
Edmonton Oilers 2024-07-08T16:11:11.834Z
Raphael Lavoie
Zachary Sawchenko(G)|FA
Signing
Signing
Columbus has signed Zach Sawchenko to a one-year, two-way contract.

Sawchenko spent the 2023-24 season with the Canucks' organization, where he played the entire season in the AHL. The 26-year-old netminder was 4-1-0 with a 2.12 GAA and .924 SV% in six regular season games with Abbotsford (AHL) and was 2-4 with a 2.96 GAA and .898 SV% in six AHL playoff games. Expect him to start the 2024-25 season in Cleveland (AHL).

Source:
Columbus Blue Jackets 2024-07-08T02:27:04.637Z
Zachary Sawchenko
Curtis Douglas(C)|UTA
Signing
Signing
Utah has resigned Curtis Douglas to a two-year, two-way contract extension.

Douglas was traded to the Utah organization in 2023 for Conor Timmins, and he has been with Tucson (AHL) ever since. The 2018 fourth-round pick has posted just 13 goals and 22 assists (35 points) in 107 games with the Roadrunners while also compiling 267 PIMS. The massive (6-foot-9, 242 lbs) forward should start the 2024-25 season in the AHL.

Source:
Utah Hockey Club 2024-07-08T02:29:05.365Z
Curtis Douglas
Josiah Slavin(LW)|CAR
Signing
Signing
Carolina has signed Josiah Slavin to a two-year, two-way contract.

Slavin was drafted by the Blackhawks in 2018 and was with the team until 2023 before getting traded to Anaheim. Most recently, he appeared in 70 games with the Toronto Marlies (AHL), picking up 10 goals and 14 assists (24 points). Now he joins his brother (Jaccob) in the Hurricanes organization, where he'll likely start the 2024-25 season in the AHL.

Source:
Carolina Hurricanes 2024-07-08T02:31:02.304Z
Josiah Slavin
Macklin Celebrini(C)|SJS
Signing
Signing
San Jose has signed Macklin Celebrini to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Celebrini was the No.1 overall pick in this summer's NHL Draft after posting 32 goals and 32 assists (64 points) in 38 games at Boston University. The 18-year-old appears set to turn pro and join the Sharks after signing his entry-level deal after speculation he may return to college. The 18-year-old was only the fourth freshman in NCAA history to win the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player.

Source:
San Jose Sharks 2024-07-08T02:35:51.091Z
Macklin Celebrini
Logan Stanley(D)|WPG
Signing
Signing
Winnipeg has signed Logan Stanley to a two-year, $2.5 million contract extension ($1,250,000 AAV).

Stanley has been a fringe player for the Jets the last two seasons, playing in just 44 of 164 games. The massive (6-foot-7, 231 lbs.) defenseman has just two goals and three assists (five points) in those two seasons combined. If given a full work load, Stanley would likely top 150 hits and 100 blocked shots.

Source:
Winnipeg Jets 2024-07-08T16:17:08.912Z
Logan Stanley
David Gustafsson(C)|WPG
Signing
Signing
Winnipeg re-signed David Gustafsson to a two-year, $1.67 million contract extension ($835,000 AAV).

Gustafsson has been a fringe roster player for the Jets for the last two seasons, combining for 13 points (3G / 10A) in 85 games. Entering the 2024-25 season, Gustafsson looks poised to lockdown the Jets' fourth-line centre role.

Source:
Winnipeg Jets 2024-07-10T13:26:32.378Z
David Gustafsson
Ilya Protas(LW)|FA
Signing
Signing
Washington has signed Ilya Protas to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Protas was selected No.75 overall in this summer's NHL Draft and joins his brother (Aliaksei) in the Capitals' organization. The 17-year-old forward spent the 2024 season with the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL), where he was second on the team with 51 points (14G / 37A) in 61 games.

Source:
Dan Milstein 2024-07-10T13:28:31.384Z
Ilya Protas
Declan Chisholm(D)|WAS
Signing
Signing
Minnesota has signed Declan Chisholm to a one-year, $1 million contract extension.

Chisholm started the 2024 season with the Jets before being claimed off of waivers by the Wild in late-January. The 24-year-old saw more stable minutes in Minnesota, leading to three goals and five assists (eight points) in 29 games after joining the team. He should be the Wild's No.5/No.6 defenseman entering the 2024-25 season.

Source:
Michael Russo 2024-07-10T13:32:43.419Z
Declan Chisholm
Stian Solberg(D)|ANA
Signing
Signing
Anaheim has signed Stian Solberg to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Solberg was selected No.23 overall in this year's NHL Draft. The 18-year-old blue liner spent the 2024 season with Vålerenga (Norway), where he had 15 points (5G / 10A) in 42 games. He also represented Norway at the World Juniors, where he had two points (1G / 1A) in five games. It is expected that he will play with Färjestad BK (SHL) in 2025.

Source:
Anaheim Ducks 2024-07-10T13:31:04.439Z
Stian Solberg
Pavol Regenda(LW)|SJS
Signing
Signing
Anaheim signed Pavol Regenda to a one-year, two-way contract extension.

Regenda spent most of the 2024 season in the AHL but did appear in five NHL games with the Ducks. During his time in San Diego (AHL), he had 34 points (19G / 15A) in 54 games and should be poised to push for an NHL roster spot in training camp this fall.

Source:
Anaheim Ducks 2024-07-10T13:34:04.625Z
Pavol Regenda
Jaycob Megna(D)|VGK
Signing
Signing
The Panthers signed Jaycob Megna to a one-year, two-way contract.

Megna started the 2023-24 season with the Seattle Kraken organization but was claimed off waivers by the Blackhawks in January. He went on to play 44 games with Chicago, tallying two assists, 60 hits and 87 blocked shots while logging 17:31 ATOI. With Florida, look for him to start the 2024-25 season in the AHL.

Source:
@FlaPanthers 2024-07-06T00:48:15.878Z
Jaycob Megna

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.