1-year, $775,000 contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. 350K Guaranteed. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:
2025-07-16T23:59:00.000Z
Daily Faceoff is a news site with no direct affiliation to the NHL, or NHLPA
NHL Signings & Free Agents
Columbus has signed Dysin Mayo to a one-year, two-way contract.
Mayo spent the last two and a half seasons in Henderson (AHL) but has signed a one-year, two-way contract with Columbus on Wednesday. The 28-year-old defenseman has 12 points and 82 career NHL games to his name, but hasn't appeared in the big leagues since 2022-23. He is expected to start 2025-26 in the minors, where he had eight goals, 19 points and 86 PIMs with Henderson (AHL) last season.
Buffalo has signed Jake Leschyshyn to a one-year, two-way contract.
After three years in New York's organization, Jake Leschyshyn has jumped ship and signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Buffalo Sabres. The 26-year-old forward has appeared in 77 NHL career games but last appeared in the big leagues with New York in 2023-24. He spent the entirety of last season with Hartford (AHL), where he had 13 goals and 24 points in 69 games played.
Utah has signed Cameron Hebig to a two-year, two-way contract extension.
Hebig will return for his sixth season in Tucson (AHL) after Utah signed the veteran forward to a two-year, two-way contract extension on Wednesday. The 28-year-old undrafted forward has never made the jump to the NHL but had his most productive AHL season by a mile in 2024-25, picking up 26 goals and 47 points in 67 games played with Tucson.
Carolina has signed Domenick Fensore to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
After a short two-game showing with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2024-25, Domenick Fensore has earned himself a one-year, two-way contract to remain a Hurricane for the upcoming season. The 23-year-old puck-moving defenseman took a step forward in 2024-25 with Chicago (AHL), putting up nine goals and 32 points alongside his 39 PIMs in 67 total games played. He is expected to start 2025-26 in Chicago but will provide Carolina with some much-needed defensive depth.
Montreal has signed Joe Veleno to a one-year, $900,000 contract.
Velno was bought out by the Seattle Kraken a few weeks ago and has found a new home in Montreal after agreeing to a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Canadiens. The 25-year-old forward was once Detroit's 2018 first-round pick (30th overall) and has spent the last five seasons in the NHL, splitting time between the Red Wings and Blackhawks. He appeared in 74 games between Chicago and Detroit in 2024-25, picking up eight goals, 17 points and a -23 plus/minus.
3-year, $3,020,000 contract with the Buffalo Sabres. Expires 2028 (RFA).
Source:2025-07-15T23:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,947,500 contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Expires 2028 (RFA).
Source:2025-07-15T23:59:00.000Z
1-year, $775,000 contract with the Boston Bruins. $100,000 Guaranteed. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2025-07-15T23:59:00.000Z
1-year, $775,000 contract with the Winnipeg Jets. $125,000 Guaranteed. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2025-07-15T23:59:00.000Z
1-year, $775,000 contract with the Utah Mammoth. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:2025-07-15T23:59:00.000Z
Signing
1-year, $775,000 contract with the Anaheim Ducks. Expires 2026 (UFA NO QO).
Source:2025-07-15T23:59:00.000Z
1-year, $775,000 contract with the Anaheim Ducks. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2025-07-15T23:59:00.000Z
Utah has signed Michael Carcone to a one-year, $775,000 contract extension.
Despite rumours that his time with the Mammoth was over, Michael Carcone will return for a fifth season in the Utah organization after signing a one-year, $775,000 contract extension on Tuesday. The 29-year-old left-winger broke out in 2023-24 with 21 goals in 74 games, but unfortunately, regressed into a bottom-six role in 2024-25 with only seven goals and 19 points in 53 games.
Anaheim has signed Calle Clang to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
San Diego will have their starting netminder return for the 2025-26 season after it was announced Tuesday that Calle Clang has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Ducks. The 23-year-old struggled throughout 31 starts with San Diego (AHL) in 2024-25, with his 3.17 GAA, .895 SV% and 11-13-4 record.
Toronto has signed Miroslav Holinka to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Toronto has signed their 2024 5th round pick (151st overall) on Tuesday after agreeing to a three-year, entry-level contract with Miroslav Holinka. The 19-year-old Czech forward spent 2024-25 as an import for Edmonton (WHL) and succeeded in his inaugural North American season with 19 goals and 45 points in 47 games played. He is expected to return to Edmonton for the 2025-26 season.
Signing
Anahiem has signed Jan Mysak to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Mysak has spent the last season and a half in San Diego (AHL) and will remain in Anaheim's organization after it was announced he signed a one-year, two-way contract extension on Tuesday. The 23-year-old is entering his fourth AHL season and will provide Anaheim with some offensive depth in their system after putting up 18 goals and 42 points in 68 games last season.
Chicago has signed Anton Frondell to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Frondell was the 3rd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract worth $975,000 AAV with Chicago on Tuesday. The 18-year-old Swedish forward is expected to return to Djurgardens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan) for the 2025-26 season despite the new contract. In 2024-25, he put up 11 goals and 25 points in 29 games last season in Sweden.
Buffalo has signed Radim Mrtka to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Mrtka was Buffalo's 2025 1st round pick (9th overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres on Tuesday. The 18-year-old Czech defenseman spent 2024-25 as an import player with Seattle (WHL), where he excelled with three goals and 35 points in 43 games played. He is expected to return to the Thunderbirds for the 2025-26 season but will get a chance to make an impression in training camp.
Winnipeg has signed Tyrel Bauer to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Manitoba (AHL) will bring back one of its most physical defenders after the team announced Tuesday that Winnipeg had re-signed Tyrel Bauer to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The 23-year-old defenseman is entering his fourth season with the Moose and has yet to make his NHL debut. In 59 games in 2024-25, he had just two assists and 105 PIMs to go along with his -21 plus/minus.
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.