NHL Free Agents: A Collection of Top 12 to 50 Unrestricted Free Agent Lists

The 2025 NHL unrestricted free agent class is headlined by a few marquee names but is generally considered thinner and less star-studded than in recent years. Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs is the clear centerpiece and is to command a contract likely exceeding $13 million per season if he reaches the open market. Marner’s teammate, John Tavares, is also a top UFA, though at 34, he’ll likely need to accept a significant pay cut from his previous $11 million cap hit if he’s to re-sign with the Leafs, where he wants to remain.

Beyond the Leafs duo, the forward market features several productive players: Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Duchene, Sam Bennett, Brock Boeser, Patrick Kane, and Brad Marchand headline a group that offers scoring and experience but lacks the superstar depth of prior years. Duchene, in particular, is coming off one of his best seasons and could spark a bidding war among teams needing a second-line center. Marchand is having a fantastic Stanley Cup Final.

The defense market is led by Aaron Ekblad, a proven top-pairing blueliner with Stanley Cup winner on his resume, followed by shutdown specialist Vladislav Gavrikov and reliable two-way options like Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro. However, there’s no franchise-altering defenseman available, and much of the class consists of solid middle-pairing players.

Goaltending is the thinnest position, with Jake Allen as the best available after several top names signed extensions.

This year’s UFA class is shaped by a rising salary cap, $95.5 million, giving teams more flexibility to pursue roster upgrades. Still, with a sharp drop-off in talent after the top 15-20 names, teams looking for game-changers may need to look to the trade market or make aggressive early offers to secure the few difference-makers available.

NHL Free Agency: List of Pending Unrestricted Free Agent Forwards