The Hurricanes have signed Skyler Brind'Amour to a one-year, two-way deal.
NHL Signings & Free Agents
Buffalo has signed Bowen Byram to a two-year, $12.5 million contract extension ($6,250,000 AAV).
Victor Eklund has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the New York Islanders.
San Jose has signed Jack Thompson to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
The Lightning signed Scott Sabourin to a one-year, two-way contract.
Sabourin is a 32-year-old veteran who has spent most of his career in the AHL. Most recently, he was with the Sharks for the last two seasons, where he had just four NHL appearances. He had 10 goals and 15 assists (25 points) to go along with 111 PIMS in 68 AHL games in 2024-25.
The Jets have signed Morgan Barron to a two-year deal worth $1.85M AAV ($3.7M total).
Barron had eight goals and seven assists (15 points) in 74 games with the Jets in 2024-25. Barron found a role on the Jets' fourth line but he will have more competition for minutes in 2025-26 after the signings of Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke.
The Jets signed Isaak Phillips to a two-year, two-way contract.
The Hurricanes signed Gavin Bayreuther to a one-year, two-way contract.
The Wild signed Michael Milne to a one-year, two-way contract.
San Jose has signed Jeff Skinner to a one-year, $3 million contract.
Skinner signed with the Oilers last summer but struggled in 2024-25, recording 29 points (16G / 13) while averaging just 13:00 TOI/gm. In San Jose he should have a larger role, likely in the top-6 and will look to get back to 20-plus goals for the 11th time in his career.
Colorado has signed Josh Manson to a two-year contract extension worth $3.95 million AAV ($7.9M total).
Manson still had one year left on his current contract, but will extend his time with the Avalanche for two more years after he signed a two-year contract extension worth $3.95 million AAV ($7.9M total). The 33-year-old bruising defenseman only appeared in 48 games in 2024-25 due to injury, but still had a goal, 15 points and 28 PIMs. He is entering his fifth season with Colorado and is expected to return to his regular defensive role.
San Jose has signed Jakub Skarek to a one-year, two-way contract.
San Jose added to their goaltending depth on Thursday after adding 25-year-old netminder Jakub Skarek on a one-year, two-way contract. The Czech goaltender made his NHL debut in 2024-25 with the Islanders, but struggled with a 0-1-0 record, .872 SV% and 3.94 GAA. He is expected to start the 2025-26 season with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL).
Florida has signed Mackie Samoskevich to a one-year, $775,000 contract extension.
With funds tight in Florida for the upcoming 2025-26 season, Mackie Samoskevich has signed a one-year, $775,000 bridge contract to remain with the Panthers. The 22-year-old scrappy right-winger was Florida's 2021 1st-round pick (24th overall) and made a big impact throughout their lineup in 2024-25 with 15 goals, 31 points and 129 SOG in 72 games played.
Vancouver has signed Braeden Cootes to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Vancouver has signed their 2025 1st-round pick in Braeden Cootes after the 18-year-old forward signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Wednesday. The Alberta native spent 2024-25 captaining the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) and had 26 goals and 63 points in 60 games played. He will attempt to secure a position on the Canucks for the upcoming season but is expected to eventually return to Seattle for the majority of 2025-26.
Dallas has signed Antonio Stranges to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Antonio Stranges will return to Texas (AHL) for a fourth consecutive season after Dallas announced they had signed the 23-year-old to a one-year, two-way extension. The shifty forward was Dallas' 2020 4th-round pick (123rd overall) but has yet to make an NHL appearance despite picking up 18 goals and 43 points in 55 games played in 2024-25 with Texas (AHL).
Vegas has signed Lukas Cormier to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
After three successful seasons in Henderson (AHL), Lukas Cormier will return for a fourth campaign after signing a one-year, two-way contract extension with Vegas on Wednesday. The 23-year-old puck-moving defenseman only appeared in 19 games with Henderson in 2024-25 due to injury, but still picked up nine assists and a -9 plus/minus. He is expected to start 2025-26 with Henderson but will provide depth if needed for the Golden Knights.
Calgary has signed Sam Morton to a one-year, two-way extension.
Morton made his NHL debut in 2024-25 with one goal in one game and has earned himself a one-year, two-way extension to remain in Calgary for the upcoming season. The undrafted 25-year-old spent his first full professional season with the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) in 2024-25, picking up 20 goals and 45 points in 70 games played.
Edmonton has signed Isaac Howard to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Minutes after being acquired by Edmonton in a trade with Tampa Bay for Sam O'Reilly, Isaac Howard has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Oilers. The 21-year-old forward was the 2025 Hobey Baker Award winner after putting up 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games with Michigan State University (NCAA). He is expected to be in Edmonton's opening night lineup.
Pittsburgh has signed Benjamin Kindel to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Kindel was Pittsburgh's 2025 1st round pick (11th overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract just weeks after being drafted. The 18-year-old right-winger spent 2024-25 with Calgary (WHL), where he was a point shy of the century mark with 35 goals and 99 points in 65 games played. He is expected to return to Calgary this season but may receive an extended look with the Penguins with a strong training camp.
St. Louis has signed Vadim Zherenko to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Vadim Zherenko will return for a fourth season in Springfield (AHL) after signing a one-year, two-way contract extension with St. Louis. The 24-year-old Russian netminder was St. Louis' 2019 7th-round pick (208th overall) and spent the entire 2024-25 season with Springfield, where he struggled with his 12-17-5 record, .897 SV% and 3,44 GAA.
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.