Top remaining NHL free agents: The best 2025 UFAs still on the board
Every year, we’re told NHL free agency begins at noon ET on July 1, yet, miraculously, signings pour in by the dozen at breakneck speed when that moment arrives. That was the case July 1, with 117 contracts signed, totalling $666,480,000 as of 8:00 p.m. ET. Teams were not afraid to make big splashes with the salary cap spiking to from $88 million to $95.5 million for 2025-26 – whether that meant retaining their pending UFAs before the market opened or spending wildly on new ones.
Who are the top remaining unrestricted free agents? Speedy Jack Roslovic is the most prominent forward left on the board, while blueliner Matt Grzelcyk, coming off a sneaky 40-point season, is the top defenseman available. There’s still some value out there. Max Pacioretty’s veteran savvy and physicality proved valuable during the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, whereas Victor Olofsson’s shot could help a team’s second power-play unit.
Here’s a look at the board, with players’ ranks in my Top 75 included along with contract projections from AFP Analytics. I’ve added a few more UFAs of note, as well.
| Rank | Player | Pos | Age | Cap Hit | GP | G | PTS | AFP Project |
| 9 | Jack Roslovic | RW | 28 | $2.8M | 81 | 22 | 39 | 3 x $4.1M |
| 15 | Matt Grzelcyk | LD | 31 | $2.8M | 82 | 1 | 40 | 3 x $3.8M |
| 16 | Max Pacioretty | LW | 36 | $1.5M | 37 | 5 | 13 | 1 x $921K |
| 21 | Victor Olofsson | RW | 29 | $1.1M | 56 | 15 | 29 | 3 x $3.4M |
| 37 | James Reimer | G | 37 | $1M | 24 | 3.04 | 0.896 | 1 x $ 1.14M |
| 38 | Luke Kunin | RW | 27 | $2.75M | 75 | 11 | 18 | 2 x $1.78M |
| 39 | Ilya Samsonov | G | 28 | $1.8M | 29 | 2.82 | 0.891 | 1 x $2M |
| 46 | Evgeny Kuznetsov | C | 33 | N/A | –– | –– | –– | N/A |
| 50 | Joel Kiviranta | LW | 29 | $775K | 79 | 16 | 23 | 2 x $1.09M |
| 52 | Luke Glendening | C | 36 | $800K | 77 | 4 | 7 | 1 x $775K |
| 55 | Alexandar Georgiev | G | 29 | $3.4M | 49 | 3.71 | 0.875 | 1 x $1.96M |
| 58 | Craig Smith | RW | 35 | $1M | 59 | 9 | 18 | 1 x $968K |
| 60 | Robby Fabbri | LW | 29 | $4M | 44 | 8 | 16 | 1 x $992K |
| 63 | Klim Kostin | LW | 26 | $2M | 35 | 1 | 7 | 1 x $775K |
| 64 | Jakub Lauko | LW | 25 | $788K | 56 | 5 | 11 | 1 x $1.17M |
| 65 | Jan Rutta | D | 34 | $2.75M | 54 | 3 | 9 | 2 x $1.52M |
| 66 | TJ Brodie | D | 35 | $3.75M | 54 | 2 | 10 | N/A |
| 70 | Jon Merrill | D | 33 | $1.2M | 70 | 2 | 6 | 1 x $1.28M |
| 71 | Nathan Bastian | RW | 27 | $1.35M | 59 | 4 | 10 | 1 x $1.32M |
| 73 | Conor Sheary | RW | 33 | $2M | 5 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| — | Brendan Smith | D | 36 | $1M | 32 | 1 | 6 | N/A |
| — | Noah Gregor | LW | 26 | $850K | 52 | 4 | 7 | 1 X $775K |
| — | Oliver Kylington | D | 28 | $1.05M | 19 | 1 | 5 | 1 X $775K |
| — | Brett Leason | RW | 26 | $1.05M | 62 | 5 | 17 | 1 x $1.22M |
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