Future $14 million man Mitch Marner headlines first Top 50 UFAs of 2025

Frank Seravalli
Apr 3, 2025, 11:42 EDT
Toronto Maple Leafs right winger Mitch Marner
Credit: Dec 4, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (16) warms up before playing the Nashville Predators at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Exactly two weeks remain in the NHL’s regular season – and then it’s Go Time. For some pending free agents, these last two weeks are the final statement they’ll get to make before hitting the open market.

For others, like Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Mitch Marner, the Stanley Cup playoffs will go a long way in determining whether he remains in the self-proclaimed center of the hockey universe – or just how much he’ll fetch on July 1.

To the surprise of no one, Marner is the No. 1 pending unrestricted free agent available this summer. Our friends at AFP Analytics projected Marner to earn $100.6 million on an eight-year deal ($12.6 million AAV) in their midseason projections. AFP’s final end-of-season projections are expected to be released in mid-May.

Coupling the difficulty in acquiring true difference makers with the rapidly rising salary cap, though, and it’s not difficult to envision a world where Marner earns closer to a $14 million AAV if he makes it to market.

And that’s the big ‘if.’ How will Toronto’s plea to waive his ‘no-trade’ clause, which became public, hinder the process this offseason? Will it be a non-starter if the Leafs have another quick exit anyway?

If anything, the notion that Marner might not make it to July 1 would deflate the promise of one of the most intriguing free agent classes in NHL history. Since opening night back on Oct. 8, Mikko Rantanen (traded twice), Igor Shesterkin, Jakob Chychrun, Linus Ullmark, Adin Hill and Carter Verhaeghe have all signed massive extensions, taking them off the market.

There is still plenty of intrigue, from Marner to John Tavares to Brock Boeser, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. Here is our first Top 50 free agents board of the season:

Daily Faceoff’s Top 50 Pending UFAs

RankPlayerPosAgeTeamCap HitGPGPTSAFP Projection
1Mitch MarnerRW27TOR$10.9M7323918 x $12.6M
2Brock BoeserRW28VAN$6.7M6824467 x $9.1M
3John TavaresC34TOR$11M6836703 x $8M
4Matt DucheneC34DAL$3M7429753 x $6.4M
5Neal PionkRD29WPG$5.9M669376x $7M
6Sam BennettC28FLA$4.4M7325506 x $6.3M
7Nikolaj EhlersLW29WPG$6M6624636 x $7.5M
8Brad MarchandRW36FLA$6.1M6521483 x $7.8M
9Ivan ProvorovLD28CBJ$6.8M737305 x $6.4M
10Aaron EkbladRD29FLA$7.5M563337 x $6.9M
11Brock NelsonC33COL$6M7423513 x $6.7M
12Patrick KaneRW36DET$4M6419521 x $3.4M
13Claude GirouxC37OTT$6.5M7415472 x $6.7M
14Jamie BennLW35DAL$9.5M7416452 x $5.5M
15Mikael GranlundC33DAL$5M7520622 x $4.6M
16Brent BurnsRD40CAR$8M745251 x $5.3M
17Dmitry OrlovLD33CAR$7.8M696263 x $5M
18Jonathan DrouinLW30COL$2.5M4311374 x $5.9M
19Yanni GourdeC33TBL$5.2M496253 x $4.3M
20Ryan DonatoRW28CHI$2M7329592 x $2.4M
21Nic DowdC34WSH$1.3M7513252 x $2.5M
22Vladislav GavrikovLD29LAK$5.9M744275 x $5.4M
23Jack RoslovicRW28CAR$2.8M7321363 x $4M
24Taylor HallLW33CAR$6M7017392 x $4.4M
25Pius SuterC28VAN$1.6M7422424 x $3.9M
26Alex IafalloLW31WPG$4M7513263 x $3.7M
27Trent FredericRW27EDM$2.3M578154 x $4.1M
28Andrew MangiapaneLW28WSH$5.8M7414264 x $5.3M
29Ryan LindgrenLD27COL$4.5M694223 x $3.7M
30Jake AllenG34NJD$3.9M28120.912 x $2.7M
31Ilya SamsonovG28VGK$1.8M28160.8922 x $2.2M
32Brandon TanevLW33WPG$3.5M7210212 x $2.4M
33Corey PerryRW39EDM$1.2M7316251 x $1M
34Nick BjugstadC32UTA$2.1M595163 x $3.1M
35Matt GrzelcykLD31PIT$2.8M751352 x $3.3M
36Cody CeciRD31DAL$3.3M774223 x $3.7M
37Mason AppletonLW29WPG$2.2M6410213 x $3.6M
38Evgenii DadonovRW36DAL$2.3M7216361 x $2.3M
39Reilly SmithRW34VGK$5M7111342 x $4.4M
40Frederik AndersenG35CAR$3.4M18130.921 x $2.2M
41Andrei KuzmenkoLW29LAK$5.5M5810292 x $4.5M
42Gustav NyquistRW35MIN$3.2M7310262 x $3.3M
43Nate SchmidtRD33FLA$0.8M735182 x $2.6M
44Jeff SkinnerLW32EDM$3M6414251 x $2.4M
45Justin BrazeauRW27MIN$0.8M7111212 x $1.5M
46Dan VladarG27CGY$2.2M29110.8951 x $1.4M
47Adam GaudetteRW28OTT$0.8M7316231 x $1.3M
48Vitek VanecekG29FLA$3.4M22120.8831 x $1.1M
49Joel ArmiaLW31MTL$3.4M7311252 x $2.5M
50Nick PerbixRD26TBL$1.1M665182 x $2.5M

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