Top 50 NHL UFAs of 2026: Bobrovsky isn’t in the playoffs, yet his value is rising
We’re two months away from the start of NHL free agency. And while the class of 2026 doesn’t sparkle the way we thought it might a year out because so many top players re-signed, it still offers plenty of intriguing talent at all positions. Since we last published a board on Daily Faceoff, many UFAs’ seasons have ended, while others continue during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Whose values have changed?
Here’s the latest look at our top 50 UFAs. Ages as of July 1, 2026; salary information courtesy of our friends at PuckPedia.
1. Alex Tuch, RW, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 30
2025-26 cap hit: $4,750,000
He had already expressed a strong desire to stay in Buffalo before the season started; now that he’s part of a Stanley Cup contender, his odds of re-signing skyrocket. All Buffalo has to do is meet what should be a significant asking price in the $10 million to $11 million range…wait, should that be $11 million to $12 million now? Tuch has been great so far in the playoffs, already nabbing two game-winning goals. The Sabres surely understood that the risk of having him unsigned by the postseason was him upping his stock even more, but that’s a nice problem to have.
2. Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers
Age: 37
2025-26 cap hit: $10,000,000
Remember when ‘Bob’ had one of the NHL’s worst contracts a few years back? Now he’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers, a certified stud clutch goaltender, a 400-game winner and, having won two Vezina Trophies before signing with the Cats, a surefire Hall of Famer. Who would’ve expected he could ever flirt with another $10-million AAV on a contract? A goaltending-starved wannabe contender might pay him almost that much on a short-term deal next year. And the playoffs have only exposed how much certain teams (cough, Oilers, cough) need help in goal – essentially showcasing his value even though he’s idle. If Florida continues keeping the band together and inking players to team-friendly pacts that break the game, Bobrovsky could remain part of their future, but the recent scuttlebutt suggests the two sides aren’t aligned at the moment. Will ‘Bob’ make it to market after all?
3. Darren Raddysh, D, Tampa Bay Lightning
Age: 30
2025-26 cap hit: $975,000
What a remarkably odd career trajectory. Raddysh didn’t play a full NHL campaign until he was 27. He brought secondary offense to the Bolts for a couple years, but his role exploded this season with Victor Hedman struggling to stay healthy; Raddysh finished with a staggering 22 goals and 70 points in 73 games. He likely received down-ballot Norris Trophy votes. The Bolts have obvious interest in re-signing him, and he continues to be a vital cog this postseason, averaging north of 25 minutes a game, but Raddysh has never even earned $1 million in a season. His next contract will be a true life-changer, so Tampa’s offer will have to be significant in dollars and term to keep him from going to market. Why wouldn’t you if you were Raddysh?
4. Rasmus Andersson, D, Vegas Golden Knights
Age: 29
2025-26 cap hit: $4,550,000
It seemed like Andersson was upping his value just in time for free agency, posting nice offensive numbers in Calgary before it traded him to a Stanley Cup contender. He struggled after joining Vegas in January, but he found a rhythm later in the season, particularly after reuniting with former Flames teammate Noah Hanifin on a pair. Andersson has been a break-even defensive player at best, and his power-play role has been minimal, but his even-strength scoring really popped during the stretch run, and he’s still playing huge minutes so far in the playoffs, so he’s mostly salvaged his value.
5. John Carlson, D, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 36
2025-26 cap hit: $8,000,000
I’m still in shock that the Caps moved the most productive, longest-tenured defenseman in their history for a pick when they were four points out of a Wildcard spot and while he and legend Alex Ovechkin were in the final seasons of their deals. I get planning for the future but, sheesh, the juju element of the trade was tough to stomach. Is there a scenario in which Carlson, a family man entrenched in the community across his 17 seasons, returns to D.C. at a discount in the summer, or did the trade sever the bond for good? Even at 36, he’s enough of an impact maker offensively, especially on the power play, that he’ll attract plenty of offers. He’s racked up 18 points in 21 games between the regular season and playoffs since the trade. He’s far from finished.
6. Alex Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals
Age: 40
2025-26 cap hit: $9,500,000
Ovechkin didn’t speak like a player whose NHL career was ending when his 2025-26 season wrapped. What stood out most was how much he cited the Caps’ team situation as a determining factor for what he does next. Was he implying that he could join another team should he not see a Stanley Cup run in Washington’s near future – or simply that it’s Washington or bust?
7. Boone Jenner, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 33
2025-26 cap hit: $3,750,000
Jenner’s situation was similar to Tuch’s: possible trade chip if his team bombed out of playoff race, must-keep as an own rental if his team stayed in playoff race. The Blue Jackets held Jenner but fell short in their push thanks to a late-season collapse. No one has suited up for more games in a Blue Jackets jersey. It would be weird to see him in another one, but he’s through his prime years and might want to chase a championship at some point.
8. Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 39
2025-26 cap hit: $6,100,000
Malkin wants to keep playing. He wants to keep playing for the Penguins. He’s been quite vocal about that all year, and he reiterated the sentiment days before Pittsburgh’s elimination from the playoffs. Helping Malkin’s chances: his resurgent season and the fact Pittsburgh recaptured playoff-contender status. Working against him: the fact they need to get younger and haven’t won a playoff series since 2018. Can GM Kyle Dubas afford to be sentimental about this case?
9. Charlie Coyle, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 34
2025-26 cap hit: $5,250,000
“Bringing size, playoff experience and penalty-killing acumen, he’s a quintessential third-line center who can play higher up someone’s lineup if injuries strike”…is what I wrote about Coyle in November. He ended up exceeding that value, scoring at the second-highest per-game pace of his career while playing heavy defensive minutes. You could make a case that Coyle had his best all-around season and earned himself a No. 2 center contract. It’s a risky proposition given his age, despite his exemplary work in 2025-26.
10. Jacob Trouba, D, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 32
2025-26 cap hit: $8,000,000
The bruising hitter has revived his career at an opportune moment with the Ducks surging into competitiveness just in time for his contract year. The Joel Quenneville effect? It’s going to get Trouba a nice multi-year deal, whether it’s in Anaheim or elsewhere.
11. Bobby McMann, LW, Seattle Kraken
Age: 30
2025-26 cap hit: $1,350,000
Before the Toronto Maple Leafs traded him at the deadline, reports indicated McMann was seeking a contract in the range of five years at $5 million per. Would a deal like that represent a trap for anyone looking to sign him? He possesses a tantalizing mix of speed and size, and he buried 10 goals in 18 games after joining the Kraken, upping his total to a career-best 29. But he bloomed so late that he’ll already turn 30 before signing his next deal.
12. Connor Murphy, D, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 33
2025-26 cap hit: $4,400,000
Murphy opened the year looking like a complete afterthought in Chicago, barely getting 14 minutes a night, to the point I surmised GM Kyle Davidson had missed the selling window. But Murphy found a groove working on the NHL’s top-ranked penalty kill unit, his minutes rose, and he wound up garnering a second-round pick in a trade to Edmonton. Murphy immediately stepped into top-four minutes with the Oilers and suddenly looks like a player who could match his previous AAV on his next deal, even at 33. He brings size, veteran leadership and right handedness, after all.
13. Mario Ferraro, D, San Jose Sharks
Age: 27
2025-26 cap hit: $3,250,000
Ferraro plays a simple, grinding game and can log 20-plus minutes a night in his sleep. His under-the-hood defensive metrics typically aren’t pretty, but it’s hard to evaluate them given he’s played on a bottom-dwelling Sharks team most of the time. Ferraro might flourish in a depth role on a higher-end team, but he’s also a key leader for a Sharks team on the rise, and he’s relatively young, so the Sharks have to consider paying market value to keep him.
14. Mason Marchment, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 31
2025-26 cap hit: $4,500,000
He functions best as a disruptive middle-sixer who can chip in offensively and get in opponents’ heads. That worked well when he was a cog in the Dallas Stars machine. Asked to do a bit more on a weaker Kraken team and playing the most minutes of his career, Marchment struggled, but he was fantastic as a Blue Jacket after the midseason trade, flirting with point-per-game production. It sure feels like Columbus would be wise to re-sign him.
15. Anthony Mantha, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 31
2025-26 cap hit: $2,500,000
Mantha’s 2025-26 stat line elicits a double take if you haven’t paid attention: He smashed his career highs, posting 33 goals and 64 points while playing in 81 games. He has always graded out well as a play-driving forward, and analytics-minded GM Dubas clearly saw something he could unlock. The question now is: does Mantha seek to hit the market and cash in on the best season of his life, or will he embrace the best fit he’s found yet during a turbulent career that has bounced him to five different franchises? Also: should the Pens be frightened by how badly he struggled in the first-round playoff loss to the Flyers? Would re-signing him be a trap after everything went so perfectly this year?
16. Anders Lee, LW, New York Islanders
Age: 35
2025-26 cap hit: $7,000,000
The Isles’ captain is classy, consistent and relatively durable. But with Bo Horvat signed long-term, this team has another ready-made captain, and it could make sense to turn the roster over as it transitions to the Matthew Schaefer era. If Lee is willing to sign a team-friendly deal in term and/or AVV, however, there’s little reason not to bring him back and keep his veteran presence around. After the Isles’ season ended, GM Mathieu Darche expressed a desire have Lee back but wasn’t conclusive about it.
17. Patrick Kane, RW, Detroit Red Wings
Age: 37
2025-26 cap hit: $3,000,000
When healthy, Kane can still be a power-play asset at this stage of his career. He also ended his season with 25 points over his final 24 games following the Olympic break.
I asked Kane point-blank before the season: when you only have so many years left in the NHL, why do you place your faith in a Detroit team that hasn’t made the playoffs in nine years?
“It’s a good situation for me, it really is,” he said, “especially coming into this year with Todd McLellan as a coach. It got a lot better under him last year when we made the switch. The team got a little bit more aggressive, and we started playing better as a team as well. But playing in the top six, playing on the top power play, I think as you get older, you really want to win, and I think we can do that there…And we haven’t been in the playoffs the past couple of years, but we really feel like we’re on the verge and we should do it this year.”
The Wings in the end proved Kane wrong this season. The playoff drought has reached 10 years. He’s been productive enough alongside Alex DeBrincat to warrant returning, but would it be a smart move from his perspective? It sure seems like his power-play acumen would be welcome on his hometown team, the Sabres…
18. Claude Giroux, RW, Ottawa Senators
Age: 38
2025-26 cap hit: $2,000,000
Re-signing was an easy decision for Giroux a year ago. He was playing for the city in which he lives with his family in the offseason, and the club was on the rise, offering a chance to chase a championship. A year later? The Sens hit a wall, swept in the first round. Still, he’s indicated that if he does continue his career, he wants to do it with Ottawa. He still brought value this year as a secondary scorer and faceoff ace.
19. Mats Zuccarello, RW, Minnesota Wild
Age: 38
2025-26 cap hit: $4,125,000
Even if he’s pushing 40 and his body is breaking down, Zuccarello is handy as a power-play specialist, and his chemistry with Kirill Kaprizov in Minnesota tells us Zuccarello can still keep up with elite players.
20. Patrik Laine, RW, Montreal Canadiens
Age: 28
2025-26 cap hit: $8,700,000
Laine played just five games this season due to an abdominal injury, which is brutal timing for his walk year. Laine needs a fresh start; he’s still young enough, and his shot is still deadly enough, that he could help someone as a power-play trigger man. Even this lesser version of Laine leads all NHL players in goals and shots per 60 on the power play since the start of 2023-24. It would certainly help his value if he saw some action this postseason; FYI, if he was activated, despite his huge AAV, the Habs would still be playoff-cap compliant.
21. Jaden Schwartz, LW, Seattle Kraken
Age: 34
2025-26 cap hit: $5,500,000
It feels like Schwartz has toiled in obscurity out in the Pacific Northwest, playing for a franchise with one playoff appearance in its first five seasons. But Schwartz, who won a Stanley Cup with the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues, still has game. He’s showing signs of decline – or at least regression to his 2022-24 level after a resurgent 2024-25 season. He could sign on as a middle-six forward on an elite team or a top-six forward on a middling team as he is now.
22. Erik Haula, C, Nashville Predators
Age: 35
2025-26 cap hit: $3,150,000
“Upside” is a strange word to attach to a 35-year-old, but Haula has more upside than other players in his archetype; he’s your classic bottom-six, penalty-killing center, but he’s delivered a double-digit goal total 10 times and can play higher in a lineup in spurts. He still has plenty of value due to his versatility.
23. Scott Laughton, C, Los Angeles Kings
Age: 32
2025-26 cap hit: $3,000,000
Laughton found his game as a Leaf, particularly on the leadership side of things, this season, but they cashed him out as a pending UFA, dealing him to L.A. He plays with a ton of energy, wins faceoffs, kills penalties and can chip in a double-digit goal total. He makes for a fine No. 3 center or an excellent No. 4.
24. Logan Stanley, D, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 28
2025-26 cap hit: $1,250,000
Stanley had a wide range of outcomes following his trade to Buffalo. A towering, mean defenseman with a heavy shot, he could establish himself as a difference maker on a team with potential to make a deep playoff run. On the other hand: Stanley, a below-average defender, could be exposed or given limited minutes during the stretch run and postseason if he struggled. How it turned out: he’s only getting 13:52 of TOI per game in the playoffs, playing on the third pair and second penalty-kill unit. The trade has hurt his wallet, though he still possesses enough (perceived) upside that he should land a multi-year deal somewhere.
25. Jason Dickinson, C, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 30
2025-26 cap hit: $4,250,000
On the trade market, Dickinson fetched a first-round pick even as a rental. That reminded us he’s valued even if he isn’t flashy. Taking pride in shutting down the opposition and strong on the PK, Dickinson is one of the league’s most trusted checking centers, elite at smothering the opposition in 5-on-5 play.
26. Frederik Andersen, G, Carolina Hurricanes
Age: 36
2025-26 cap hit: $2,750,000
Andersen hadn’t even been an average NHL goaltender for two years. He’d been usurped in Carolina’s net by breakout success story Brandon Bussi. Pyotr Kochetkov was under contract another season. If Andersen wanted to continue his NHL career, it would almost certainly happen on a new team…but then, Bussi faltered, Andersen got the starter’s reins for the playoffs, and he’s been positively stellar so far. Whether Carolina retains him might depend on what happens in Round 2 of the playoffs and beyond.
27. Jack Roslovic, C, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 29
2025-26 cap hit: $1,500,000
The speedy Roslovic provided great value relative to his AAV during the regular season, even if he wasn’t consistent. Will he parlay that into a multi-year commitment from the Oilers? He’s been pretty valuable to a team whose depth was decimated over the 2025 offseason, though it hasn’t translated at all to playoff production, and he’s been relegated to the bottom six.
28. Viktor Arvidsson, RW, Boston Bruins
Age: 33
2025-26 cap hit: $4,000,000
It felt like Arvidsson’s career was winding down after an injury-shortened 2023-24 and an unproductive 2024-25, but he’s bounced back with Boston and, if we zoom out, he’s only had one bad year. It looks like Arvidsson still has value as a feisty middle-six scoring threat. Before getting banged up in Round 1, he came up big with a two-goal effort in a Game 2 win over the Sabres.
29. Ilya Mikheyev, LW, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 31
2025-26 cap hit: $4,750,000
He’s big, strong, defensively responsible and has enough skill to deliver a double-digit goal total every year. Mikheyev will never have trouble finding a job – and he also brings tools the Blackhawks may want to keep. They opted not to trade him at the deadline after selling off other rental assets, and GM Kyle Davidson has expressed a desire to re-sign Mikheyev, though it’s worth noting he rejected the Hawks’ offer earlier this season.
30. Ryan Shea, D, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 29
2025-26 cap hit: $900,000
What a lift he gave the Pens this season. Playing primarily with Kris Letang, Shea won his minutes in a third-pair role, especially on the offensive side of the puck, and helped on the penalty kill too. He’s earned a significant raise. He flourished in Year 1 of coach Dan Muse, and the Pens will likely try to bring Shea back.
31. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, Minnesota Wild
Age: 34
2025-26 cap hit: $4,750,000
He’s no longer a marquee scorer, but he remains an efficient one. Tarasenko finished third on the Wild in even-strength goals despite playing south of 15 minutes a night in the regular season. He likely doesn’t warrant a long-term deal at his age, but he can still offer valuable goal production in a middle-six deployment.
32. Michael Bunting, LW, Dallas Stars
Age: 30
2025-26 cap hit: $4,500,000
Bunting’s star, no pun intended, doesn’t burn as brightly as it did when he broke into the NHL, but maybe that’s because he was an old rookie who finished third in the Calder Trophy vote at 26. He may simply be past his prime now. But he’s still a solid agitating middle-six forward.
33. Eeli Tolvanen, LW, Seattle Kraken
Age: 27
2025-26 cap hit: $3,475,000
Tolvanen never reached the heights promised when he was an exciting KHL prospect. Nevertheless, he’s a physical forward whose shot power places him in the 92nd percentile and is dangerous enough to suit him for a PP2 unit. He’s still young enough that he may have a career season in him yet.
34. Tony DeAngelo, D, New York Islanders
Age: 30
2025-26 cap hit: $1,750,000
DeAngelo will never be confused with Jaccob Slavin. The whole “playing defense” thing isn’t for Tony D. But he moves the puck and produces points like few others at his position. Over the past three seasons, he sits in the 91st percentile for primary assists per 60 among defensemen at 5-on-5.
35. Teddy Blueger, C, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 31
2025-26 cap hit: $1,800,000
I can’t imagine teams will pay extra for his random goal-scoring surge, with his nine goals in 35 games buoyed by a shooting percentage almost double his career average. Still, Blueger makes for a perfectly reasonable fourth-line center option who is used to tough matchups and kills penalties.
36. Radko Gudas, D, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 36
2025-26 cap hit: $4,000,000
Gudas’ ice time has cratered to the lowest mark of his career as he reaches his mid-30s. He still brings game-changing nastiness, leadership as the Ducks captain and an ability to shut down opponents in relatively sheltered matchups, but his body is breaking down, and he’s spent more time on the trainer’s table than in the Ducks lineup this postseason. He’s paying a price for a career of rugged play and represents a risky proposition for any team offering him more than a year or two.
37. Stuart Skinner, G, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 27
2025-26 cap hit: $2,600,000
He spent most of his time with the Pens on the struggle bus – he had one month this season with a save percentage north of .900 – but he played on back-to-back runs to the Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton in the two seasons prior. He’s still young in goalie years and should catch on as a backup who, despite his extreme volatility, has undeniable upside when he’s on one of his heaters.
38. Marcus Johansson, LW, Minnesota Wild
Age: 35
2025-26 cap hit: $800,000
‘MoJo’ wowed with 32 points in his first 38 games this season, but puck luck was his friend; he scored 12 times thanks to an unsustainable shooting percentage of 20.7 percent. He crashed back to Earth, but he’s at least proven he can still hang in the NHL as a middle-six two-way forward.
39. Brent Burns, D, Colorado Avalanche
Age: 41
2025-26 cap hit: $1,000,000
Straight up: Burns has been legitimately excellent at both ends of the ice this season, and his minutes haven’t even been sheltered that much by 41-year-old standards. Does he want to keep playing? It may depend on whether he wins a Stanley Cup with the powerhouse Avs this year.
40. Jamie Oleksiak, D, Seattle Kraken
Age: 33
2025-26 cap hit: $4,600,000
Oleksiak makes very little happen offensively but remains effective as a second- or third-pair hammer who can win his minutes if not asked to do too much. General managers will always pay up for players with his size and reach.
41. Corey Perry, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Age: 41
2025-26 cap hit: $2,000,000
You’d think he’d retire one of these years, but we say that every offseason, don’t we? Perry is still making an impact with his agitation ability and clutch scoring. If wants to suit up in 2026-27, he’ll find a home. He posted his highest point total since 2021-22 and averaged his most TOI since 2020-21 in the regular season, but it’s worth noting his role has been drastically reduced in the postseason.
42. Cam Talbot, G, Detroit Red Wings
Age: 38
2025-26 cap hit: $2,500,000
Talbot was quite good in five of his previous six seasons before this (bad) one. The Wings’ crease belongs to John Gibson and, soon, Sebastian Cossa, meaning Talbot almost certainly will go to market. But he turns 39 on July 5; there’s no guarantee his performance rebounds at his age, assuming he wants to keep playing.
43. Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Age: 31
2025-26 cap hit: $5,400,000
The raw talent hasn’t gone anywhere, but Bjorkstrand has struggled to find his scoring touch in a diminished role since arriving in Tampa, with just 17 goals and 41 points in 98 games. Bjorkstrand may be entering the “mercenary contract” phase of his career, in which he catches on with a lower-end team that will place him on a scoring line and inflate his trade value.
44. A.J. Greer, LW, Florida Panthers
Age: 29
2025-26 cap hit: $850,000
Greer brings momentum-changing physicality as a bottom-six forward, and he’s no zero offensively, having scored 17 goals this season. If he doesn’t re-up with the Panthers, he’ll attract interest as a player who can grind down the opposition in tight games with his abrasive play.
45. John Klingberg, D, San Jose Sharks
Age: 33
2025-26 cap hit: $4,000,000
He’s stayed relatively healthy this season, enough that he more than doubled his combined game total of 2023-24 and 2024-25, and made a splash as a puck-moving blueliner and shooter on an ascendant Sharks team. He’s mostly just good at one thing these days, but plenty of teams still need what he brings.
46. Brett Kulak, D, Colorado Avalanche
Age: 32
2025-26 cap hit: $2,750,000
He’s not flashy, but he plays pretty mistake-free hockey as a bottom-pair guy and has quite a bit of playoff experience. He also grades out as above-average in foot speed even in his early 30s.
47. Victor Olofsson, RW, Calgary Flames
Age: 30
2025-26 cap hit: $1,575,000
The Avalanche tossed him overboard to balance the money in the Nazem Kadri trade. That theoretically was not the worst thing for Olofsson’s UFA value. The Flames gave him a look on their top power-play unit. Alas, his terrible shooting luck followed him from Colorado to Calgary, and it was just a down year overall. He’s a buy-low.
48. Michael McCarron, C, Minnesota Wild
Age: 31
2025-26 cap hit: $900,000
McCarron is a more than just a bludgeoning behemoth. Those traits are big parts of his identity, sure, but he’s found himself as viable bottom-six checker and penalty killer with good faceoff acumen. He fetched a second-rounder at the deadline for a reason, and he’s shown it so far in the playoffs, scoring twice, including a game-winner.
49. Andrew Peeke, D, Boston Bruins
Age: 28
2025-26 cap hit: $2,750,000
Your classic meat-and-potatoes righty. Peeke defends at roughly a league-average level but adds size and strength and is in his prime.
50. Timothy Liljegren, D, Washington Capitals
Age: 27
2025-26 cap hit: $3,000,000
Will anyone ever maximize Liljegren’s potential? He’s shown great skating and play-driving potential for most of his career and is more physical than he gets credit for. He just hasn’t shown the IQ to put it all together. He only got into four games after his trade to the Caps, meaning his value will land him in the “reclamation project” tier.
On the bubble
Jeremy Lauzon
Nick Blankenburg
Mark Jankowski
Kasperi Kapanen
James van Riemsdyk
Connor Dewar
Noel Acciari
Nick Cousins
Ian Cole
Connor Ingram
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