Welcome to the true beginning of the NHL offseason.
Sure, the Stanley Cup has been awarded and the NHL Draft has passed, but the last major event on the seasonal NHL calendar is the start of free agency on July 1. We’ve seen NHL general managers active on the trade front ahead of — and during — the draft, but with a thin pool of restricted and unrestricted free agents to choose from this year, it’s hard to say just how much activity there will be on Wednesday and beyond.
Still, the NHL’s salary cap will rise to $104 million next season, which means there will be even more room for teams to make major deals as the league’s growth continues. Will general managers get creative with their contracts or will the temptation to throw big money around prevail in the weeks ahead? It’s hard to say as of yet, but we certainly look forward to finding out.
Despite the thin year, there are a handful of Hall of Fame players and interesting names on the board that could land big paydays in new cities. As NHL’s free agent period looms, here are the top-20 unrestricted free agents headed to market that you should keep an eye on.
1. D John Carlson, Carolina Hurricanes (rights acquired from Anaheim Ducks)
Age: 36
Position: Defense
2025-26 salary cap hit: $8 million
2025-26 production: 14 goals, 60 points (71 games played)
2. G Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers
Age: 37
Position: Goaltender
2025-26 salary cap hit: $10 million
2025-26 production: .877 save percentage, 27-23-1 record (52 games played)
3. D Rasmus Andersson, Vegas Golden Knights
Age: 29
Position: Defense
2025-26 salary cap hit: $4.55 million
2025-26 production: 17 goals, 47 points (81 games played)
4. F Anthony Mantha, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 31
Position: Right wing
2025-26 salary cap hit: $2.5 million
2025-26 production: 33 goals, 64 points (81 games played)
5. F Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Age: 40
Position: Left wing
2025-26 salary cap hit: $9.5 million
2025-26 production: 32 goals, 64 points (82 games played)
6. D Jacob Trouba, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 32
Position: Defense
2025-26 salary cap hit: $8 million
2025-26 production: 10 goals, 35 points (81 games played)
7. F Boone Jenner, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 33
Position: Center
2025-26 salary cap hit: $3.75 million
2025-26 production: 13 goals, 38 points (67 games played)
8. F Jaden Schwartz, Seattle Kraken
Age: 34
Position: Left wing
2025-26 salary cap hit: $5.5 million
2025-26 production: 11 goals, 26 points (50 games played)
9. D Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks
Age: 27
Position: Defense
2025-26 salary cap hit: $3.25 million
2025-26 production: 7 goals, 23 points (82 games played)
10. G Stuart Skinner, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 27
Position: Goaltender
2025-26 salary cap hit: $2.6 million
2025-26 production: .888 save percentage, 23-17-9 record (50 games played)
11. F Mason Marchment, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 31
Position: Left wing
2025-26 salary cap hit: $4.5 million
2025-26 production: 19 goals, 45 points (68 games)
12. F Viktor Arvidsson, Boston Bruins
Age: 33
Position: Left wing
2025-26 salary cap hit: $4 million
2025-26 production: 25 goals, 54 points (69 games played)
13. F Anders Lee, New York Islanders
Age: 35
Position: Left wing
2025-26 salary cap hit: $7 million
2025-26 production: 19 goals, 42 points (82 games played)
14. F Jack Roslovic, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 29
Position: Center, right wing
2025-26 salary cap hit: $1.5 million
2025-26 production: 21 goals, 36 points (69 games played)
15. F Patrick Kane, Detroit Red Wings
Age: 37
Position: Right wing
2025-26 salary cap hit: $3 million
2025-26 production: 16 goals, 57 points (67 games)
16. F Scott Laughton, Los Angeles Kings
Age: 32
Position: Center
2025-26 salary cap hit: $3 million
2025-26 production: 13 goals, 20 points (64 games played)
17. F Claude Giroux, Ottawa Senators
Age: 38
Position: Right wing
2025-26 salary cap hit: $2 million
2025-26 production: 14 goals, 49 points (82 games played)
18. F Patrik Laine, Montreal Canadiens
Age: 28
Position: Right wing
2025-26 salary cap hit: $8.7 million
2025-26 production: 0 goals, 1 point (5 games played)
19. F Erik Haula, Nashville Predators
Age: 35
Position: Left wing
2025-26 salary cap hit: $3.15 million
2025-26 production: 14 goals, 38 points (81 games)
20. F Mats Zuccarello, Minnesota Wild
Age: 38
Position: Left wing
2025-26 salary cap hit: $4.125 million
2025-26 production: 15 goals, 54 points (59 games played)
This article originally appeared on For The Win: The best NHL free agents in the 2026 offseason, ranked
