NHL Hockey Player News

Minnesota has signed Vinnie Lettieri to a two-year, two-way contract worth $1.55 million ($750,000 AAV).

Lettieri had 23 goals, 26 assists, 34 PIMs and a +9 plus/minus through 48 games played with Providence (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, two-way contract worth $1.55 million ($750,000 AAV) with Minnesota. The 28-year-old veteran right-winger brings seven goals and 18 points across 83 career NHL games played to the Wild after appearing in one game for the Boston Bruins in 2022-23.

Vinni Lettieri
Boston has signed Ian Mitchell to a one-year, $775,000 AAV contract as a pre-arbitration agreement.

Mitchell had a goal, seven assists, 25 SOG, eight PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 35 games with Chicago in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, $775,000 AAV contract as a pre-arbitration agreement with Boston. The 24-year-old defenseman had his rights acquired by the Bruins as a part of the deal that saw Taylor Hall head to Chicago. He has four goals and 16 points across 82 career NHL games played.

Ian Mitchell
Philadelphia has signed Cam York to a two-year, $2.6 million extension ($1,300,000 AAV).

York had two goals, 18 assists, 42 SOG, 18 PIMs and a -1 plus/minus through 54 games in 2022-23 with Philadelphia and has signed a two-year, $2.6 million extension ($1,300,000 AAV). The 22-year-old defender was Philadelphia's 2019 first-round pick (14th overall) and has five goals, 25 assists, and 76 SOG throughout his 87 career NHL games in three seasons.

Cam York
San Jose has signed Filip Zadina to a one-year, $1.1 million contract.

Zadina had three goals, four assists, 51 SOG, 10 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus through 30 games with Detroit in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with San Jose ahead of the 2023-24 season. The 23-year-old right-winger was surprisingly placed on mutual unconditional waivers last week which caused him to foregone $4.56 million in salary in order to leave Detroit. He had 28 goals and 68 points in 190 games for the Red Wings who selected him in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft (6th overall).

Filip Zadina
Philadelphia has signed Noah Cates to a two-year, $5.25 million contract extension ($2,625,000 AAV).

Cates had 13 goals, 25 assists, 107 SOG, 12 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus through 82 games with his first full season in Philadelphia in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, $5.25 million contract extension ($2,625,000 AAV) after reaching an agreement pre arbitration. The 24-year-old was Philadelphia's 2017 fifth-round pick (137th overall) and has 18 goals and 47 points across 98 career games.

Noah Cates
The Canucks signed Nils Hoglander to two-year contract worth $2.2 million ($1.1M AAV).

Hoglander was the No.40 overall pick in 2019 and joined the Canucks in 2021. Since then, he's posted 54 points (26G / 28A) in 141 career NHL games. However, he spent most of last season in the AHL after struggling with the Canucks early in the year. The 22-year-old had 32 points (14G / 18A) in 45 AHL games and will look to crack the NHL lineup out of training camp this fall.

Nils Hoglander
The Kraken signed Cale Fleury to a two-year deal worth $1.6 million ($800K AAV).

Fleury only appeared in 12 NHL games last season and 21 over his first two seasons with the Kraken. Fleury, who has two points (1G / 1A) in 62 career NHL appearances, will likely serve as the Kraken's No.7 defenseman again in 2024.

Cale Fleury
The Red Wings have signed Alex DeBrincat to a four-year extension worth $31.5 million ($7.875M AAV).

DeBrincat was reportedly seeking a long-term deal, which Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman was not keen on giving out. The term was likely what held up the trade, which had long been rumoured to be happening. DeBrincat is now signed through the 2027 NHL season and is one of four forwards in Detroit with at least four years on their deals, joining Dylan Larkin, Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher.

Alex DeBrincat
Los Angeles has signed Akil Thomas to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV.

Thomas had five goals, three assists, and a eight PIMs through 13 injury filled games with Ontario (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV to stay in Los Angeles. The 23-year-old forward was Los Angeles 2018 second-round pick (51st overall) and has yet to make his NHL debut.

Akil Thomas
Seattle has signed Kole Lind to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV.

Lind had 30 goals, 32 assists, 91 PIMs and a +11 plus/minus through 72 games with Coachella Valley (AHL) and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV with Seattle. The 24-year-old right-winger was a 2017 second-round pick for Vancouver (33rd overall) and has two goals and eight points across 30 career NHL games with both Vancouver and Seattle.

Kole Lind
Detroit has signed John Lethemon to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750,000 AAV.

Lethemon had a 18-1-3 record, 1.99 GAA and .930 SV% with a the Toledo Walleye (ECHL) and has agreed to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750,000 AAV with Detroit. The 26-year-old netminder was originally signed as an undrafted Free Agent in 2020-21 after finishing four years at Michigan State University (NCAA) and has yet to make his NHL debut having jumped back and forth from the AHL and ECHL.

John Lethemon
The Coyotes signed Nathan Smith to a one-year, two-way contract.

Smith failed to pick up a point through four games in 2022-23 with Arizona but had four PIMs and two SOG and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV. The 24-year-old centre was acquired as part of the trade that included Bryan Little's salary dump in 2022 and has two goals and two assists in 14 NHL games throughout his career.

Nathan Smith
The Capitals signed Andrew Cristall to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Cristall had 29 goals, 56 assists, 50 PIMs and a +18 plus/minus through 54 games with Kelowna (WHL) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Washington. The 18-year-old left-winger was drafted in the second-round of the 2023 NHL draft (40th overall) and is expected to return to junior for the 2023-24 season.

Andrew Cristall
Andreas Johnsson has signed a one-year, $800,000 AAV contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Johnsson had three assists, 18 SOG, six PIMs and a -6 plus/minus through 13 games with both New Jersey and San Jose in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, $800,000 AAV contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 28-year-old left-winger will be hoping for a resurgent season in the NHL after spending most of 2022-23 in the minors (AHL). He joins Pittsburgh with 48 goals and 116 points across 259 career NHL games with Toronto, New Jersey and San Jose across six seasons.

Andreas Johnsson
Pittsburgh has signed Vinnie Hinostroza to a one-year, $775,000 AAV contract.

Hinostroza had two goals, nine assists, 38 SOG, six PIMs and a -1 plus/minus through 26 games played with Buffalo in 2022-23 and has singed a one-year, $775,000 AAV contract with Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old centre will be joining his fifth NHL team and has 53 goals, 95 assists and 99 PIMs across 360 games played through eight season.

Vinnie Hinostroza
Seattle has signed Will Borgen to a two-year, $5.4 million extension ($2,700,000 AAV).

Borgan has three goals, 17 assists, 76 SOG, 47 PIMs and a +11 plus/minus through 82 games played with Seattle in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, $5.4 million extension ($2,700,000 AAV) with Seattle. The 26-year-old defensemen broke out in 2022-23 after playing only 50 NHL games prior to the start of the season.

Will Borgen
Los Angeles has signed Tobias Bjornfot to a two-year, $1.55 million contract extension ($775,000 AAV).

Bjornfot had an assist, 10 SOG, six PIMs and a +1 plus/miinus through 10 games with Los Angeles in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, $1.55 million contract extension ($775,000 AAV) with Los Angeles. The 22-year-old defenseman was Los Angeles first-round pick in 2019 (22nd overall) and has a goal, 15 points, 93 SOG and a 26 PIMs across 116 career NHL games through four season with the Kings.

Tobias Bjornfot
Seattle has signed Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to a one-year, $775,000 AAV contract.

Bellemare had four goals, nine assists, 51 SOG, 34 PIMs and a -9 plus/minus through 73 games with Tampa Bay in 2022-23 and has been signed to a one-year, $775,000 AAV contract with Seattle. The 38-year-old French left-winger has 60 goals and 131 points across 660 career NHL games played.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
Montreal has signed Philippe Maillet to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 AAV.

Maillet had 22 goals, 31 assists, 18 PIMs and a +5 plus/minus through 66 games with Metallurg (KHL) in Russia and has signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 AAV. The 30-year-old centre was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2016-16 from the University of New Brunswick (USports) and has no points in two career NHL games played.

Philippe Maillet
Montreal has signed Brady Keeper to a one-year, two way deal worth $775,000 AAV.

Keeper had a goal, five assists, and 35 PIMs across 35 games with Abbotsford (AHL) and has signed a one-year, two way deal worth $775,000 AAV with Montreal. The 27-year-old defenseman has played in two career NHL games but has yet to pick up a point or PIM.

Brady Keeper

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.