Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner attempts to score on New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images
The NHL’s annual
free-agent market opens at noon ET on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
As always, the top unrestricted free agents (UFAs) will be quickly
signed within the opening hours of free agency.
The only
question will be which pending UFA stars will still be available once
the market opens.
At first glance, plenty of notable players are eligible for UFA status next July.
Need a Vezina
Trophy-winning goaltender? Look no further than Igor Shesterkin of
the New York Rangers.
Teams in the market for a top-pairing defenseman with Stanley Cup experience will come
calling for Florida Panthers blueliner Aaron Ekblad.
Does your
favorite club need a skillful two-way forward? Mitch Marner of the
Toronto Maple Leafs could be up for grabs.
Colorado
Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen could be on the open market for teams seeking a first-line scorer.
However, some of them could be re-signed by their current clubs before July
1. Notable stars such as Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby,
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, Florida Panthers winger
Carter Verhaeghe, Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny and
Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark have signed contract
extensions since Sep. 1.
While the start
of the 2025 NHL free agent market is still months into the future,
we’ve dusted off our crystal ball to look ahead and predict what’s in
store for the top 10 pending UFAs in 2025.
Do you agree or
disagree with our predictions? Let us know in the app comments below.
