NHL Hockey Player News

The Penguins signed Tristan Jarry to a five-year contract worth $26.875 million ($5.375M AAV).

Jarry was 24-13-7 with a 2.90 GAA and .909 SV% in 2022-23 and has signed a five-year contract extension worth $26.875 million ($5.375M AAV). The 28-year-old goaltender was drafted by the Penguins in the second-round of the 2013 draft (44th overall) and has a 117-60-20 career record, 2.65 GAA and .914 SV% through seven seasons in Pittsburgh.

Tristan Jarry
The Penguins signed Noel Acciari to a three-year contract worth $6.0 million ($2.0M AAV).

Acciari had 14 goals, nine assists, 102 SOG, 21 PIMs and a -4 plus/minus through 77 games with both St.Louis and Toronto in 2022-23 and has signed a three-year contract worth $6.0 million ($2.0M AAV) with Pittsburgh. The 31-year-old hard hitting forward has amassed 384 games played throughout his eight year career and has picked up 59 goals and 100 points in 384 games.

Noel Acciari
The Ducks signed Alex Killorn to a four-year contract worth $25.0 million ($6.25M AAV).

Killorn played the first 11 years of his career with the Lightning, winning two Stanley Cups and tallying 466 points (198G / 268A) across 805 regular season games. He's coming off of a career-year in 2023, scoring 27 goals with 37 assists (64 points), all career-bests for the 33-year-old. In Anaheim he'll factor into their middle-6 and should skate on a line with either Trevor Zegras or Mason McTavish, while also seeing some power-play deployment.

Alex Killorn
The Predators signed Cody Glass to a two-year contract extension worth $5.0 million ($2.5M AAV).

Glass had 14 goals, 21 assists, 131 SOG, 20 PIMs and a +9 plus/minus through 72 games with Nashville in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year contract extension worth $5 million ($2,500,000 AAV). The 24-year-old centre joined Nashville from Vegas in 2021-22 and has picked up 23 goals and 58 points across his 146 game career.

Cody Glass
The Jets signed Laurent Brossoit to a one-year contract worth $1.75 million.

Brossoit was 7-0-3 with a 2.17 GAA and .927 SV% with Vegas in 2022-23 and has returned to Winnipeg on a one-year contract worth $1.75 million. The 30-year-old net minder was Calgary's sixth round pick (164th overall) in 2011 and has a 49-41-11 record, with a 2.78 GAA and .908 SV% across 117 GP throughout his career.

Laurent Brossoit
The Coyotes have signed Nick Bjugstad to a two-year contract worth $4.2 million ($2.1M AAV).

Bjugstad had 23 points (13G / 10A) in 59 games with Arizona last season before being traded to the Oilers at the deadline, where he added another six points (4G / 2A) in 19 games. The 6-6, 209 lbs. centre provides some stability and a veteran presence in the Coyotes middle-6, but has not had more than 29 points in a season since 2018.

Nick Bjugstad
The Blackhawks signed Ryan Donato to a two-year deal worth $4.0 million ($2.0M AAV).

Donato had 14 goals, 13 assists, 122 SOG, 46 PIMs and a +16 plus/minus through 71 games with Seattle in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year contract worth $4.0 million ($2,000,000 AAV). The 27-year-old centre joins his fifth team in seven NHL seasons and has 65 goals, 70 assists, and 116 PIMs through 325 career NHL games.

Ryan Donato
The Stars signed Sam Steel to a one-year contract worth $850K.

Steel had 10 goals, 18 assists, 85 SOG, 18 PIMs and a +11 plus/minus through 65 games with Minnesota in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year contract worth $850,000 with Dallas. The 25-year-old centre was a first-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft (30th overall) and has 34 goals, 93 points, and 311 SOG through 262 career games played with two different teams (ANA/MIN).

Sam Steel
The Red Wings signed Daniel Sprong to a one-year deal worth $2.0 million.

Sprong had 21 goals, 25 assists, 147 SOG, 14 PIMs and a +13 plus/minus through 66 games in a bottom-six role with Seattle in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year deal worth $2.0 million with Detroit. The 26-year-old right-winger was a second-round draft pick in 2015 (46th overall) and has scored 67 goals and 116 points in 268 career NHL games.

Daniel Sprong
The Coyotes signed Jason Zucker to a one-year contract worth $5.3 million.

Zucker has been with the Penguins for the last three seasons since being dealt from Minnesota win 2020. Injuries plagued him in his first two seasons with Pittsburgh, but he missed just four games last year, scoring 27 goals with 21 assists (48 points) in 78 games. With the Coyotes, Zucker will provide some much-needed offensive punch to their top-6 and looks primed to be traded to a contender at the 2024 Trade Deadline.

Jason Zucker
The Stars signed Matt Duchene to a one-year contract worth $3.0 million.

Duchene had 22 goals, 34 assists, 168 SOG, 32 PIMs and a +4 plus/minus through 71 games with Nashville in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year contract worth $3.0 million with Dallas. The 32-year-old centre joins his fifth NHL team and is one season off of a 43 goals, 86 point season in 2021-22. The veteran has 316 goals and 744 points through 976 career NHL games.

Matt Duchene
The Rangers signed Nick Bonino to a one-year deal worth $800K.

Winona had 10 goals, nine assists, 91 SOG, 28 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus through 62 games in 2022-23 with both San Jose and Pittsburgh and has signed a one-year contract worth $800,000 with the New York Rangers. The 35-year-old centre is joining his seventh NHL team and has 158 goals and 353 points across 823 career games played.

Nick Bonino
The Hurricanes signed Michael Bunting to a three-year contract worth $13.5 million ($4.5M AAV).

Bunting had 23 goals, 49 points, 174 SOG, 103 PIMs and a +21 plus/minus through 82 games with Toronto in 2022-23 and has signed a three-year contract worth $13.5 million ($4.5M AAV) with Carolina. The 27-year-old left-winger will be joining his third NHL team after two seasons in both Arizona and Toronto and brings 57 goals and 126 points across 187 career games to the Hurricanes.

Michael Bunting
The Panthers signed Niko Mikkola to a three-year contract worth $7.5 million ($2.5M AAV).

Mikkola had a goal, five assists, 62 SOG, 58 PIMs and a +6 plus/minus through 81 games with both St.Louis and the New York Rangers in 2022-23 and has now signed a three-year contract worth $7.5 million ($2.5M AAV) with Florida. The 27-year-old stay-at-home defensemen will be joining his third NHL team and brings five goals and 23 points with 124 PIMs across 170 career NHL games to the Panthers.

Niko Mikkola
The Kings signed Trevor Lewis to a one-year contract worth $775K.

Lewis had nine goals, 11 assists, 144 SOG, 18 PIMs and a -7 plus/minus through 82 games with Calgary in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year contract worth $775,000 AAV. The 36-year-old centre returns to Los Angeles after three seasons away from the team and brings 90 goals and 209 points through 892 career games to the Kings.

Trevor Lewis
The Kings signed Andreas Englund to a two-year contract worth $2.0 million ($1.0M AAV).

Englund had four assists, 31 SOG, 35 PIMs and a -1 plus/minus through 47 games played with Colorado and Chicago in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year contract worth $2.0 million ($1.0M AAV). The 27-year-old defender will be joining his fourth NHL team and has yet to pick up a goal across 80 career NHL games despite having seven assists, 59 PIMs and 46 SOG across that span.

Andreas Englund
The Jets signed Collin Delia to a one-year contract worth $775K.

Delia was 10-6-2 with a .882 SV% and 3.28 GAA with Vancouver in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year contract worth $775,000 with Winnipeg for the 2023-24 season. The 29-year-old has a 19-18-7 record with a 3.51 GAA and .897 SV% through 52 games played throughout his NHL career.

Collin Delia
The Sharks signed Givani Smith to a two-year deal worth $1.6 million ($800K AAV).

Smith had a goal, three assists, 72 PIMs, 30 SOG, and a -2 plus/minus through 36 games with both Detroit and Florida in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year deal worth $1.6 million ($800K AAV) with San Jose. The 25-year-old bruising right-winger was originally drafted in the second round of the 2016 draft by Detroit (46th overall) and has eight goals, 18 points, and 210 PIMs through 119 career NHL games played.

Givani Smith
The Lightning signed Conor Sheary to a three-year deal worth $6.0 million ($2.0M AAV).

Sheary had 15 goals, 22 assists, 154 SOG, 22 PIMs and a +9 plus/minus through 82 games with Washington in 2022-23 and has signed a three-year deal worth $6.0 million ($2.0M AAV) with Tampa Bay. The 31-year-old left-winger is entering his ninth NHL season with his fourth different team, having scooped 252 points (120G/132A) through 531 career games played.

Conor Sheary

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.