1-year, $775,000 contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. $525,000 Guaranteed. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:
2025-06-14T03:59:00.000Z
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NHL Signings & Free Agents
Anaheim has signed Lucas Pettersson to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Pettersson was Anaheim's 2024 2nd-round pick (35th overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ducks on Friday. The 19-year-old Swedish center spent 2024-25 split between MoDo Hockey (SHL) and Ostersunds IK (HockeyAllsvenskan). He is expected to play for Brynas IF of the SHL for the 2025-26 season.
2-year, $1,625,000 contract with the Utah Mammoth. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2025-06-12T03:59:00.000Z
2-year, $1,950,000 contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2025-06-12T03:59:00.000Z
Utah has signed Ben McCartney to a two-year, two-way contract extension.
After picking up 16 goals and 33 points with Tucson (AHL) in 2024-25, Ben McCartney has earned himself a two-year, two-way contract extension with Utah on Wednesday. The 23-year-old winger was Utah's 2020 7th overall pick (204th overall) and has spent the last four seasons in the AHL.
The Red Wings signed Michal Postava to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Postava was an undrafted free agent out of the Czech Extraliga. The 23-year-old netminder was 23-18-0 with a. 2.39 GAA and .920 SV% in 42 games during the regular season and 10-7-0 with a 1.97 GAA and .940 SV% in the playoffs with Brno Kometa. Postava will likely report to Grand Rapids (AHL) to begin the 2025-26 season.
2-year, $2,500,000 contract with the Calgary Flames. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2025-06-11T03:59:00.000Z
Calgary has signed Adam Klapka to a two-year, $2.5 million contract extension ($1,250,000 AAV).
Klapka made a splash in 2024-25 with six goals and 10 points in 31 games played and has earned himself a two-year, $2.5 million contract extension ($1,250,000 AAV). The 24-year-old undrafted right-winger made his NHL debut in 2023-24 but only picked up one goal in six games played before this year's breakout season.
The Oilers have signed Viljami Marjala to a two-year entry-level contract.
Marjala was originally drafted by the Sabres in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Draft but never signed. Marjala spent the past three seasons in Finland with TPS Turku, posting 29 goals and 72 assists (101 points) in 129 games. In the 2024-25 season, he tied for the team lead with 52 points (8G / 44A) in 54 games.
3-year, $2,525,000 contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. $125K Guaranteed in Yr 1. Expires 2028 (RFA).
Source:2025-06-09T03:59:00.000Z
Tampa has signed Jack Finley to a three-year contract extension with a $775,000 AAV.
Finley made his NHL debut during the 2024-25 season but spent most of the season in Syracuse (AHL), where he had 28 points (14G / 14A) in 40 games. The 22-year-old forward will likely begin the 2025-26 season in the AHL.
2-year, $1,820,000 contract with the Edmonton Oilers. Expires 2027 (RFA).
Source:2025-06-08T03:59:00.000Z
3-year, $2,525,000 contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Yr 1: 350K Guaranteed . Expires 2028 (UFA).
Source:2025-06-07T03:59:00.000Z
Tampa Bay has signed Max Crozier to a three-year contract extension worth $775,000 AAV.
Crozier only appeared in five games with Tampa Bay in 2024-25 and failed to pick up a point, but has earned himself a three-year extension worth $775,000 AAV. The 25-year-old stay-at-home defenseman was Tampa Bay's 2019 4th-round pick (120th overall).
3-year, $22,500,000 contract with the Colorado Avalanche. 15 team no trade list in year 3. Expires 2028 (UFA).
Source:2025-06-05T03:59:00.000Z
The Avalanche have signed Brock Nelson to a three-year contract extension worth $22.5 million ($7.5M AAV).
Nelson was acquired from the Islanders in March and had 13 points (6G / 7A) in 19 regular-season games and four assists in seven playoff games with the Avalanche. The 33-year-old will serve as Colorado's No.2 centre in 2025-26 and is signed through the 2027-28 season.
The Red Wings have signed Jesse Kiiskinen to a three-year entry-level contract.
Kiiskinen was originally a third-round pick of the Predators but was acquired by the Red Wings in a trade last June. The 19-year-old winger spent the 2024-25 season in Finland, where he led HPK Hameenlinna with 44 points (14G / 30A) while playing just
1-year, $2,000,000 contract with the Vancouver Canucks. Expires 2026 (UFA).
Source:2025-06-04T03:59:00.000Z
1-year, $775,000 contract with the Los Angeles Kings. Expires 2026 (RFA).
Source:2025-06-04T03:59:00.000Z
4-year, $16,000,000 contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Expires 2029 (UFA).
Source:2025-06-04T03:59:00.000Z
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.