In the NHL, free agency never fails to deliver the drama. The 2024 frenzy was next level, with more than $1 billion in contracts handed out on July 1 alone.
One of the fascinating elements is seeing which players actually end up reaching the open market. Because of the year-long window where NHL teams can sign their own players to contract extensions, there’s always an element of surprise when it comes to seeing who sticks around and who moves on. For departing players, a trade-deadline rental deal may also happen in between.
We have already seen a few players sign big extensions this summer. Others will surely follow.
Here’s a look at some of the most intriguing names currently headed toward unrestricted free agency in 2025. Salary information is courtesy of PuckPedia.
The Superstars: Sidney Crosby and Leon Draisaitl
It’s easy to assume that extensions are inevitable for Sidney Crosby and Leon Draisaitl, two franchise stalwarts.
But after we heard in early July that Crosby’s new deal with the Penguins was all but done, should we be concerned that he has not yet been signed, sealed and delivered?
On the other hand, maybe he’s just waiting to announce next week on his birthday, Aug. 7.
Similarly, Draisaitl is having a short, busy summer. He got engaged to longtime girlfriend Celeste Desjardins and was a groomsman for Connor McDavid’s wedding to Lauren Kyle on July 27.
Earlier in the summer, Oilers’ CEO of hockey operations, Jeff Jackson, also made it clear he wanted his new GM to handle Draisaitl’s extension talks. Now that Stan Bowman has been handed the reins, perhaps the news of an extension will come soon.
Related: Oilers’ Best Bet for Leon Draisaitl Might Be a Short-Term Extension
The Panthers: Aaron Ekblad, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett
While Sam Reinhart just got the eight-year extension he sought from the Panthers right before the calendar flipped to July 1, the 57-goal scorer likely left money on the table with his $8.625-million cap hit — even with Florida’s favorable state-tax situation.
In order to sign Reinhart and extend Anton Lundell, Panthers GM Bill Zito needed to make tough decisions elsewhere. The Panthers’ lineup will be thinner this fall without Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Vladimir Tarasenko, Kevin Stenlund, Ryan Lomberg and Anthony Stolarz.
During his tenure in Florida, Zito has impressed by filling those cap-caused roster voids with less-expensive substitutes.
Not long ago, Verhaeghe and Bennett were those guys. Now, after living up to the mid-range deals they both signed during the summer of 2021, they’re worth even more. That might spell the end of their tenures in Florida.
As a high-end draft pick and homegrown talent, Ekblad’s connection to the team is stronger. But as he approaches his 29th birthday in February, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Zito turn back to the Jonathan Huberdeau playbook and deal the big defender. That way, he wouldn’t be obligated to commit to a big extension that would likely take Ekblad close to the end of his career.
The Maple Leafs: Mitch Marner and John Tavares
Last season, it wasn’t surprising to see Auston Matthews and William Nylander take themselves out of the running to become free agents by signing big contract extensions. But the ice under the skates of Mitch Marner and John Tavares is much thinner.
Tavares caused a massive stir when he elected to leave the New York Islanders and go home to Toronto in 2018. It seems highly possible that he’ll move on by next summer with a lot less fanfare.
As for Marner, the cone of silence has dropped. Extend? Get traded? Leave in free agency? All three options still seem like very real possibilities.
Related: Three NHL Teams With Big Lineup Decisions to Make
The Stalwarts: Mikko Rantanen, Brock Boeser and Jamie Benn
The only reason why Rantanen isn’t in the Superstar category is because he gets overshadowed on his own team by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, despite his top-level play. He’s a big body at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, rarely misses games and is coming off consecutive 100-point seasons.
Rantanen turns 28 in October, so he’s still relatively young for a pending UFA. He’s third in points in his 2015 draft class, behind only McDavid and Marner, and should have a good amount of runway left.
He has been well paid up until now, at a cap hit of $9.25 million, but he has lived up to that value. It should be expected that the Avalanche will find a way to keep him riding shotgun with Nathan MacKinnon for many years to come, but outside obstacles might be delaying an extension.
Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland may need to see how their cap situation sorts itself out with Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin before making a big long-term commitment to Rantanen. Landeskog has missed the last two seasons with a knee injury but hopes to return next season, while Nichushkin is in the third stage of the NHL and NHLPA Player Assistance Program and can only return as early as mid-November.
As for Boeser, he’s a fan favorite who finally realized his potential in Vancouver last season, hitting 40 goals for the first time. But like Zito in Florida, Patrik Allvin has proven to be unsentimental during contract negotiations. If Boeser wants more than the Canucks are willing to offer, he could be headed for a change of scenery.
And while Jamie Benn’s contract was seen as an albatross in Dallas for a while, the captain is closing it out after strong offensive seasons, and with over 1,100 games played for the team that drafted him in 2007.
Benn’s $9.5-million days are drawing to a close, but if the Stars continue to chase a Cup, they could keep him around on a series of bonus-laden one-year deals.
Related: NHL Hot Seat Radar: Dallas Stars Captain Jamie Benn’s Huge Contract Is Almost Done
The Defensemen: Ryan Lindgren, Jake McCabe, Jakob Chychrun, Neal Pionk, Shea Theodore, Vladislav Gavrikov, Ivan Provorov
With his new one-year contract in hand, Ryan Lindgren now joins a decent list of quality NHL defensemen who are currently heading for free agency in 2025. These players all have different strengths, but they are the types that playoff hopefuls covet at trade deadline time.
Some of them will likely be extended, and some will likely be kept as ‘own rentals’ for playoff-bound teams. But there will be suitors — at deadline time and on July 1.
The Goalies: Igor Shesterkin, Linus Ullmark and Joey Daccord
Igor Shesterkin also could have carved out a spot in the Superstar category — a Vezina-winning franchise icon who brings it on the big stage.
An extension with the Rangers seems like it has to happen — but he’s looking for record-setting money. Meanwhile, Chris Drury must ensure that leaves enough space to deal with impending RFAs Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller, who will both have arbitration rights.
If Ullmark can replicate his Vezina brilliance from 2023, he’ll also set himself up for a big payday, whether it’s in Ottawa or elsewhere. And after Daccord all-but-stole the starter’s job from Philipp Grubauer and established himself as a fan favorite in Seattle last season, will the Kraken be able to lock him up with a nice raise from his current $1.2-million cap hit before he can test the open market next summer?
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News Summary:
- 2025 NHL UFAs: Draisaitl, Shesterkin Top List of Potential Free Agents Next Summer
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.