Five NHL free agents who’ve increased their values in 2025-26 playoffs
The game within the game fattens and lightens wallets.
For everyone competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs, lifting the trophy in late June is the obvious priority. But it’s hardly the only goal, particularly for free agents. With more pressure and, with fewer teams competing, more eyeballs on every game, every UFA and RFA has an opportunity to prove himself in a weighted environment where everything he accomplishes matters more than a regular-season feat.
Which free agents have increased their values in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs so far? These five players have stood out.
Note: this is not a list of the five best free agents or free-agent performances in the postseason. We’re focusing on which players have elevated their projected AAVs and/or terms with their performances.
Frederik Andersen, G, Carolina Hurricanes (UFA)
A couple months ago, where would we have placed Andersen on a healthy Canes depth chart? Brandon Bussi was the starter, winning so many games so quickly that Carolina rewarded him with a midseason contract extension. Pyotr Kochetkov was injured but still under contract another year and considered part of the team’s future. Andersen, a 36-year-old UFA who’d battled plenty of health problems over the past couple seasons, appeared to be on his way out – of Carolina and perhaps even the NHL. Flash forward to late May and Andersen hasn’t simply been the best goaltender in the playoffs; he arguably was the best player across the first two rounds and belongs at or near the top of the Conn Smythe Trophy power rankings. He’s saved Carolina’s bacon after Bussi regressed. If Andersen keeps up his hot play, the Canes may want to re-sign him, but he’ll also receive increased interest league-wide. Then again: Andersen was fantastic in Rounds 1 and 2 of the playoffs last year only to falter in the Eastern Conference Final. There’s still time to squander the goodwill. He needs an adequate performance at minimum to sustain the value he’s gained over the past five weeks; Game 1 versus the Montreal Canadiens was the exact opposite. Is it happening again?
Zach Benson, LW, Buffalo Sabres (RFA)
We all knew Benson was an exciting prospect when the Sabres drafted him 13th overall in 2023, but few of us understood he had this much sandpaper to his game. Benson was a problem for Buffalo opponents in Rounds 1 and 2, not just because of his skill but because he agitated his competition so effectively. Among Sabres who played at least five games, he led the team in goals per 60 at 5-on-5, but he also topped the NHL in penalties drawn in Rounds 1 and 2 with 10. Benson has arguably shown enough promise to warrant a long-term commitment, but it will be challenging for GM Jarmo Kekalainen to afford more than a bridge deal if he re-signs top UFA Alex Tuch as well.
Pavel Dorofeyev, LW, Vegas Golden Knights (RFA)
Dorofeyev is one of 12 NHLers to score 35 goals in each of the past two seasons, so he obviously had significant value entering the playoffs as an RFA. But he also had one career postseason goal in nine games before this year. He has lit it up this spring for a league-best 10 goals through 13 games. Sure, he’s done so on 28.6-percent shooting, including four power-play goals, but the results are the results at this time of year. Dorofeyev has earned himself extra coin undoubtedly. He’s also eligible for an offer sheet, and the Golden Knights project to have only $4.625 million in cap space for 2026-27. Alex Pietrangelo going to LTIR will open up breathing room there, but with blueliner Rasmus Andersson also going UFA, the Golden Knights will have to make difficult decisions. They’re vulnerable right now.
Brett Kulak, D, Colorado Avalanche (UFA)
Kulak’s game has never been sexy, but it’s consistently steady. He has 95th percentile defensive effectiveness playing mostly second-pair minutes for the Avs this postseason. And he’s even added some bonus offense, including the series-winning overtime goal versus the Minnesota Wild in Round 2. He still brings above-average max skating speed, sitting in the 61st percentile this postseason, per NHL EDGE. Blend all those traits and Kulak remains a reasonable investment even at 32, enough that he’s likely tacked an extra year or two onto his next contract.
Michael McCarron, C, Minnesota Wild (UFA)
Many of us, if not the majority of us, scoffed at the second-rounder Trade Deadline price tag for the big, grinding pivot McCarron. But he surprised for the Wild, playing higher on the depth chart than expected as they managed injuries. They had a 6-5 game score at 5-on-5 with him on the ice this postseason despite him handling moderately difficult matchups. He chipped in two goals, including a game-winner, and won 54.5 percent of his faceoffs. At 31, he feels like a classic overpay target, so he’s not necessarily a wise investment, but he undoubtedly increased his value this season and will likely earn the biggest AAV of his career on his next deal.
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POST SPONSORED BY bet365
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