The Predators signed Anthony Angello to a two-year, two-way contract.
NHL Signings & Free Agents
The Rangers signed Erik Gustafsson to a one-year deal worth $825K.
Gustafsson had seven goals, 35 assists, 122 SOG, 23 PIMs and a +9 plus/minus through 70 games with both Washington and Toronto in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year contract worth $825,000 with the New York Rangers. The 31-year-old offensively-minded defenseman brings 39 goals and 191 points across 379 career NHL games to the Rangers.
The Red Wings have signed J.T. Compher to a five-year contract worth $25.5 million ($5.1M AAV).
Compher had 17 goals, 35 assists, 154 SOG, 33 PIMs and a +8 plus/minus through 82 games with Colorado in 2022-23 and has signed a five-year contract worth $25.5 million ($5.1M AAV) with Detroit. The 28-year-old left-winger joins the Red Wings after seven successful seasons in Colorado that included a Stanley Cup win, 88 goals and 194 points in 423 career NHL games.
The Islanders signed Semyon Varlamov to a four-year contract worth $11.0 million ($2.75M AAV).
Varlamov was 11-9-2 with a 2.70 GAA and .913 SV% backing up the New York Islanders in 2022-23 and has signed a four-year contract extension worth $11.0 million ($2.75M AAV). The 35-year-old netminder has amassed a career record of 272-22-64 with a 2.65 GAA and .916 SV% throughout his 15 year NHL career.
The Islanders signed Scott Mayfield to a seven-year contract worth $24.5 million ($3.5M AAV).
Mayfield had six goals, 18 assists, 119 SOG, 83 PIMs and a +8 plus/minus through 82 games with the New York Islanders in 2022-23 and has signed a seven-year contract extension worth $24.5 million ($3.5M AAV). The 30-year-old defenseman has 25 goals, 111 points and 395 PIMs across 428 career NHL games and nine seasons all with the Islanders.
The Penguins signed Lars Eller to a two-year contract worth $4.9 million ($2.45M AAV).
Eller had 10 goals, 13 assists, 140 SOG, 46 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus through 84 games with both Washington and Colorado in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year contract worth $4.9 million ($2.45M AAV) with Pittsburgh. The 34-year-old veteran centre is only 46 games from reaching the 1000 NHL games mark and has collected 163 goals and 371 points across his 14 year career.
The Islanders signed Ilya Sorokin to an eight-year contract worth $66.0 million ($8.25M AAV).
Sorokin finished second in Vezina Trophy voting in 2022-23 with his 31-22-7 record, 2.34 GAA and .924 SV% and has signed an eight-year contract worth $66.0 million ($8.25M AAV) with the Islanders. The 27-year-old goaltender is entering his fourth season in New York and holds an impressive career 2.34 GAA, 924 SV% and 70-46-18 record.
The Islanders signed Pierre Engvall to a seven-year contract extension worth $21.0 million ($3.0M AAV).
Engvall had 17 goals, 13 assists, 131 SOG, 31 PIMs and a +8 plus/minus through 76 games played in 2022-23 with both Toronto and the New York Islanders and has signed a seven-year contract extension worth $21.0 million ($3.0M AAV) with New York. The 27-year-old left-winger was acquired by the Islanders for. 2024 third-round pick at the Trade deadline in 2022-23.
The Avalanche signed Jonathan Drouin to a one-year deal worth $825K.
Drouin had two goals, 27 assists, 69 SOG, 18 PIMs and a -18 plus/minus through 58 games with Montreal in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year deal worth $825,000 with Colorado. The 28-year-old left-winger joins his third NHL team and is reacquainted with his old junior lineman in superstar Nathan MacKinnon. Through 485 career games played, he has 77 goals, 204 assists, and 94 power play points.
The Avalanche signed Bowen Byram to a two-year contract extension worth $7.7 million ($3.85M AAV).
Byram had 10 goals, 14 assists, 65 SOG, 38 PIMs and a +7 plus/minus across an injury riddled 42 games played in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year contract extension worth $7.7 million ($3.85M AAV) with Colorado. The 22-year-old was the Avalanche's 2019 1st round pick (4th overall) and has 15 goals, 43 points and a +15 plus/minus through 91 games across three shortened seasons.
The Avalanche signed Miles Wood to a six-year contract worth $15.0 million ($2.5M AAV).
Wood had 13 goals, 14 assists, 167 SOG, 76 PIMs and a +1 plus/minus through through 76 game with New Jersey and has signed a six-year contract worth $15.0 million ($2.5M AAV) with Colorado. The 27-year-old left-winger leaves New Jersey after eight successful seasons which saw him score 78 goals and 148 points in 402 career games played.
The Red Wings signed Alex Lyon to a two-year contract worth $900K.
Lyon was one of the best stories of the 2022-23 season as his late season heroics helped will Florida into one of the final playoff positions and has signed a two-year, $900,000 contract with the Detroit Red Wings. The 30-year-old travelling netminder had his most successful season to date in 2022-23, going 9-4-2 with a .914 SV% and 2.89 GAA.
The Penguins signed Alex Nedeljkovic to a one-year contract worth $1.5 million.
Nedeljkovic struggled in 2022-23 with Detroit as he put up a 5-7-2 record with a .895 SV% and 3.53 GAA but has signed a one-year contract with Pittsburgh worth $1.5 million. The 27-year-old netminder has appeared in 103 games across his NHL career, producing a 42-38-15 record, 2.96 GAA and .907 SV%. He was a Calder Trophy finalist in 2020-21 when he was with the Carolina Hurricanes.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.