Canes and Ruutu have agreed! #greatnewsgreatcane
Scratch Ruutu off your trade deadline radar as the winger will assuredly stay in Carolina. The winger has 17 goals and 30 points in 56 games.
NHL Hockey Player News
#RedWings re-signing forward Todd Bertuzzi for two years.
Bertuzzi gets a little financial security in the middle of his infamous court battle. The power forward scored 12 goals and 29 points in 54 games.
Kyle Brodziak re-signs for 3 years, #mnwild; Chuck Fletcher and agent Allain Roy met yesterday in St. Louis
Nice signing by the Wild, locking up one of their better offensive players. In 58 games, the center/winger scored 15 goals and 29 points.
BUFFALO — The Penguins have signed right wing James Neal to a six-year, $30 million contract extension, the team announced this morning. Neal was set to be a restricted free agent following this season.
Great deal for the Pens as they lock up arguably their most prolific scorer. Neal scored 30 goals and 56 points through 58 games in his first full season in Pittsburgh.
Signing
#FlaPanthers sign defenseman Tyson Strachan to a one-year contract extension. Details: ow.ly/95oqs #NHL
Strachan has added a great deal of depth to a banged up Panthers blue line. He has a goal and three points in eight games.
Signing
Defenceman Johnny Boychuk has agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension with BOS, with an AAV of $3.36M. #tsn
In signing Boychuk the Bruins lock up five of their six d-men. He has three goals and 10 points through 52 games.
EDMONTON - Edmonton Oilers defenceman Andy Sutton has agreed to a new one-year contract for reportedly between $1.5 million and $1.75 million US a season that takes the unrestricted free agent out of the picture on NHL trade deadline day.
Sutton re-signs with the Oilers -- a team that craves his physical presence. In the 33 games he hasn't been suspended this season, the 6'6" blue-liner registered three goals and six points.
CALGARY, AB -- The Calgary Flames announced today the re-signing of defenceman Derek Smith.
Smith has emerged as a steady defenseman in his first full NHL season. Through 32 games he scored two goals and 10 points.
Um, wow! #CBJ have signed RW Vinny Prospal to a one-year contract extension.
Prospal has been a valuable member of the Blue Jackets' offense and will stay in Columbus for at least one more year. The veteran has nine goals and 33 points through 53 games. Look for him to play on the top two lines next season as well.
Been so wrapped up in draft coverage, apologize if this is old news: NYI sign Frans Nielsen to 4 year, $11M extension. Takes him out of UFA.
The Isles lock in Nielsen, who has done a fine job as the team's second line center this season. The Danish pivot has nine goals and 25 points in 51 games.
Signing
According to multiple sources, the Wild will avoid restricted free agency with Nate Prosser this summer by signing the reliable defenseman to a two-year, one-way contract extension on Monday.
Prosser has been a reliable defender and produced six assists in 23 games. He probably stays with the team all season at this rate.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Joe Vitale to a two-year contract extension, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.
Look for Vitale to center the third or fourth line for the next two years. He has three goals and 10 points through 44 games.
CALGARY, AB – The Calgary Flames announced today they have signed centre Krys Kolanos to a two year, two-way contract and have recalled him from the Abbotsford Heat.
Kolanos tore up the AHL this season and could get an extended look with the Flames.
RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed defenseman Tim Gleason to a four-year contract extension. The deal will pay Gleason $3.5 million in 2012-13, $4.5 million in 2013-14 and 2014-15 and $3.5 million in 2015-16.
Gleason is a staple to the Canes' blue line and chose to remain in Carolina for the next four seasons. The stay-at-home defender has a goal and 14 points through 51 games.
The Washington Capitals have signed forward Joel Rechlicz to an entry-level contract.
Rechlicz likely draws into the lineup shortly. He has 184 PIM through 27 games.
Can confirm reports that a contract extension announcement coming for John-Michael Liles. Expected to be a four-year deal.
The Leafs lock up their top offensive defender through age 36. He has four goals and 21 points in his first 34 games with the team.
Stars sign alex Goligoski to four-year, $18.4 million deal.
Goligoski hasn't played up to the same level as he did last season but he is the center of the current defense. The former Penguin has five goals and 15 points through 36 games this season.
From #NHLDucks: Former #Leafs D Francois Beauchemin signs a 3-year extension. #NHL
In signing Beauchemin, the Ducks ink a player who was more of the solution than the problem. It also makes the Joffrey Lupul trade look a bit better. He has six goals and 18 points through 45 games this season.
D Brett Lebda signed to one-year deal.
All jokes aside, Lebda has been one of the steadier defenders down in Springfield. Expect him to add depth to the team's blue line.
The St. Louis Blues have re-signed goaltender Brian Elliott to a two-year extension that averages out at $1.8 per season.
The deal will pay Elliott $1.7 million next season and $1.9 million in 2013-2014.
Extending Elliott is a clear sign the Blues value him enough to tandem with Jaro Halak. Interesting to see if this effects his already-stellar play.
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.