3-year, $18,300,000 contract with the St Louis Blues. Full NTC until January 1, 2029, converts to 15 Team NTC for remainder of year. Expires 2029 (UFA).
Source:
2025-09-28T03:59:00.000Z
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
6-year, $42,000,000 contract with the Anaheim Ducks. Yr 6 & 7: 15 Team NTC. Expires 2031 (UFA).
Source:2025-09-28T03:59:00.000Z
Anaheim signed Mason McTavish to a six-year extension worth $7 million AAV ($42M total).
With just over a week of training camp left, Anaheim has completed a key piece of business by signing Mason McTavish to a six-year extension worth an estimated $7 million AAV ($42M total). The 22-year-old is entering his fourth full season in Anaheim after putting up career highs in goals (22), assists (30), points (52) and SOG (180) across 76 games played in 2024-25. He is expected to be a key part of Anaheim's top-six and power play in 2025-26.
3-year, $8,850,000 contract with the Edmonton Oilers. 10 team no trade list in Yr 3. Expires 2029 (UFA).
Source:2025-09-24T03:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,925,001 contract with the Dallas Stars. Expires 2028 (RFA).
Source:2025-09-24T03:59:00.000Z
Dallas has signed Jaxon Fuder, to a three-year, entry-level contract.
After an impressive first campaign with Red Deer in the WHL, Jaxon Fuder has earned himself a three-year, entry-level contract with Dallas after going undrafted last season. The 19-year-old forward is expected to return to Red Deer for a sophomore campaign in 2025-26, where he had 11 goals, 26 points and 91 PIMs in 46 games played.
Edmonton has signed Vasily Podkolzin to a three-year contract extension worth $2.95 million AAV ($8.85M total).
Edmonton locked up one of their complementary forwards on Monday after they announced the signing of Vasily Podkolzin to a three-year contract extension worth $2.95 million AAV ($8.85M total). The 23-year-old right-winger enjoyed a bounce-back season in 2024-25 with eight goals and 24 points after he was acquired from Vancouver before the start of last season for a 2025 4th round pick.
3-year, $2,925,001 contract with the Vancouver Canucks. Expires 2028 (RFA).
Source:2025-09-23T03:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,954,999 contract with the Vancouver Canucks. Expires 2028 (RFA).
Source:2025-09-23T03:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,962,500 contract with the Minnesota Wild. Expires 2028 (RFA).
Source:2025-09-23T03:59:00.000Z
Vancouver has signed Gabriel Chiarot to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Chiarot was Vancouver's 2025 6th round pick (175th overall) and signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday. The 19-year-old right-winger is expected to spend 2025-26 with Brampton, where he is also projected to take a massive step forward entering his third OHL season after putting up 21 goals and 35 points in 66 games in 2024-25.
Vancouver has signed Riley Patterson to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Patterson was Vancouver's 2024 5th round pick (125th overall) and signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday. The 19-year-old forward is expected to return to the OHL for the 2025-26 season, starting a new chapter with Niagara (OHL) after spending last season in Barrie (OHL) with 25 goals and 59 points in 64 games played.
Minnesota has signed Chase Wutzke to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Minnesota has locked up its 2024 5th round pick (142nd overall) after announcing it had signed Chase Wutzke to a two-year, entry-level contract on Monday. The 19-year-old is expected to return to Red Deer (WHL) for a fourth season in 2025-26 after posting a 17-25-5 record last season with a 3.38 GAA and .895 SV%.
Tampa Bay has signed Dominic James to a two-year, entry-level contract.
James was drafted by Chicago in the 6th round of the 2022 NHL Draft (173rd overall) but was unable to agree to an entry-level contract and has instead signed a two-year contract with Tampa Bay. The 23-year-old spent the last four seasons playing at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and is expected to join Syracuse (AHL) to start 2025-26. He had 14 goals and 30 points in 35 games in his senior season of college last year.
2-year, $1,820,000 contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2025-09-21T03:59:00.000Z
Chicago has signed Wyatt Kaiser to a two-year contract extension worth $1.7 million AAV ($3.4M total).
Just hours before training camp, Chicago has locked up a key defensive piece by signing former 3rd-round pick (81st overall) Wyatt Kaiser to a two-year contract extension worth $1.7 million AAV ($3.4M total). Kaiser took a huge step forward in 2024-25, setting career highs in almost all categories, including goals (4), points (8) , games played (57) and SOG (66). The 23-year-old is expected to play another pivotal role on Chicago's defence as the Blackhawks enter 2025-26 and he takes another step forward alongside his young teammates.
2-year, $3,400,000 contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2025-09-18T03:59:00.000Z
2-year, $1,775,000 contract with the St Louis Blues. Expires 2028 (UFA).
Source:2025-09-18T03:59:00.000Z
2-year, $6,500,000 contract with the Calgary Flames. Full NMC through December 31, 2027, 10 Team NTC starting January 1, 2028. Expires 2028 (UFA).
Source:2025-09-18T03:59:00.000Z
Calgary has signed Mikael Backlund to a two-year extension worth $3.25M AAV ($6.5 million total)
Calgary's captain will return for an 18th season with the Flames after Mikael Backlund signed a two-year extension worth $3.25M AAV ($6.5 million total) on Wednesday. The 36-year-old remained a steady nightly presence in Calgary's lineup last season, with 15 goals, 32 points and 175 SOG in 76 games played while averaging 18:44 TOI/GP.
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.