NHL free agency promises chaos. Players find new teams, big trades go down, and everything happens in a flurry. When the clock hits noon ET on Tuesday, July 1st, deals fly in faster than you can process. So we’re creating a handy tracker for you to stay updated on each big free agent move.
Without further ado, let’s get into the moves.
New York Rangers Sign and Trade D K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes, Signs Eight-Year $60 Million Deal
We got a blockbuster on the second day of free agency. The 25-year-old defenseman moves from one Eastern Conference team to another in a big trade. It’s unknown what compensation is returning to New York, if any. Miller’s point production has gone down for two straight years, but he oozes potential. Given what he’s produced, a $7.5 million AAV seems a bit steep, but the Hurricanes are taking a big swing.
New York Islanders Re-Sign RW Simon Holmstrom to a two-year deal worth $3.6 million AAV
Holmstrom’s career got off to a slow start. He recorded only nine and 25 points in his first two seasons in the NHL. But that changed this past season, as he scored 20 goals and 25 assists. At 24, the former first-round pick has the opportunity to take another step forward next season.
New York Rangers Re-Sign LW Will Cuylle to a two-year deal worth $3.9 million AAV
Cuylle, drafted in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, is coming off the best season of his career. He totaled 45 points while playing in 82 games for the Rangers. Cuylle is one of eight players on the Rangers who are 23 years old or younger.
Buffalo Sabres Re-Sign C Ryan McLeod to a four-year deal worth $5 million AAV
McLeod, a former second-round pick, is coming off his best season of his career. He finished the season with 53 points, 33 assists, and 20 goals. McLeod was third on the Sabres last season in assists. He was also +13, the third-best on Buffalo.
Pittsburgh Penguins Trade G Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks for a 2028 third-round draft pick
After going 18-7 in his first season in Pittsburgh two seasons ago, Nedeljkovic finished 14-15 in 2024-25. This will be Nedeljkovic’s fourth team in his NHL career. Before this trade, the Sharks only had two goalies on their roster. Alexandar Georgiev started 30 games for San Jose last year but went 7-19. This move provides San Jose with much-needed goalie depth.
Anaheim Ducks Signed C Mikael Granlund to a three-year deal worth $7 million AAV
Granlund has had 60-plus points in his previous two seasons and will join his sixth team. He has totaled at least 44 assists in his last two seasons. Granlund has also recorded 60 or more points in three of his previous four seasons.
New York Islanders Signed LW Jonathan Drouin to a two-year deal worth $4 million AAV
After a two-year stint with the Avalanche, Drouin will play for the New York Islanders. He played only 43 games last season but scored 37 points. In his last full season, 2023-24, Drouin finished with 56 points.
Los Angeles Kings Signed D Brian Dumoulin to a three-year deal worth a $4 million AAV
The Kings have been active in free agency, and their latest pickup is another veteran defender. Although Dumoulin finished last season with the Devils, he played 61 games with the Anaheim Ducks in 2024. He recorded 19 assists last year, which was his most since 2023.
Los Angeles Kings Signed D Cody Ceci to a four-year deal worth a $4.5 million AAV
Ceci appeared in 80 contests last year, his most since the 2022-23 season. This will be Ceci’s fourth team in the previous three seasons. The 12-year veteran will join a Kings team that has lost in the first round of the NHL playoffs in the last four seasons.
Utah Mammoth Signed D Nate Schmidt to a three-year deal worth $3.5 million AAV
Schmidt played in 80 games this season for the Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. In his last three seasons, Schmidt has recorded 19, 14, and 19 points.
Detroit Red Wings Signed LW James van Riemsdyk to a one-year deal worth $1 million
JVR will enter his 17th season next season with the Red Wings. This is van Riemsdyk’s fifth team and fourth different team in the last four seasons. Even though he is 36, van Riemsdyk played 71 games in his previous two seasons.
Seattle Kraken Signed D Ryan Lindgren to a four-year deal worth $4.5 million AAV
Lindgren, 27, spent last season with the New York Rangers and the Colorado Avalanche. He finished the season with 40 points, his most over the previous three seasons.
New Jersey Devils Signed RW Connor Brown to a four-year deal worth $3.0M AAV
After being on the Western Conference Champion Oilers for the last two seasons, Brown joined the Devils, who have made the playoffs in two of the previous three years. Brown totaled 30 points last season for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
New York Rangers Rangers Signed Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year deal worth $7 million AAV
The Rangers signed Gavrikov away from the Los Angeles Kings. Gavrikov played all 82 games last season, recording 25 assists and five goals. He has increased his points and assists in the previous three seasons.
Philadelphia Flyers Signed G Dan Vladar to a two-year deal worth $3.35 million AAV
The Flyers add Vladar as their fourth goalie. Vladar has the most experience of the group, having played in the NHL for five seasons. Last season, he started 29 games for the Flames, finishing with a 12-11 record.
Los Angeles Kings Signed RW Corey Perry to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million
Corey Perry returns to California to play for the Kings. He is a two-time NHL All-Star, Stanley Cup Champion, and Hart Memorial Trophy winner. Perry is entering his 21st season and most recently played for the Edmonton Oilers.
Perry played for the Anaheim Ducks in Southern California from 2005 to 2019. This will be Perry’s sixth different NHL team since then. Even though he is 40, Perry recorded 30 points last season, his most since 2022.
Vancouver Canucks Re-Signed RW Brock Boeser to a seven-year deal worth $7.25 million AAV
Boeser will enter his 10th season with the Canucks next season. The former first-round pick has recorded 50-plus points in three straight seasons, 230 assists, and 204 goals in his NHL career so far. This contract ties Boeser to Vancouver through his 35th birthday.
San Jose Sharks Re-Signed LW William Eklund to a three-year deal worth $5.6 million AAV
The former seventh pick in the 2021 NHL Draft is coming off the best season of his career. Eklund had 41 assists with 17 goals in 77 games. In the last two seasons, Eklund has played 80 and 77 games while totaling 45 and 58 points.
Philadelphia Flyers Signed C Christian Dvorak to a one-year deal worth $5.4 million
After four seasons in Montreal, Dvorak joins his third team in his career with Philadelphia. Dvorak, 29, will enter his 10th season and is coming off a season in which he recorded 33 points (21 assists and 12 goals).
Buffalo Sabres Trade C Sam Lafferty to the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick
Lafferty played six seasons in the NHL for six different teams. He will now return to the Chicago Blackhawks, for whom he played during the 2022-23 season. Last season, Lafferty only totaled seven points in 60 games.
St. Louis Blues Trade RW Zack Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens for D Logan Mailloux
This trade involves two 22-year-olds who have played two seasons in the NHL and were first-round picks in the 2021 NHL Draft. However, the two have had different experiences in the NHL so far. Mailloux only appeared in one and seven games in the last two seasons. Meanwhile, Bolduc recorded 36 points, scoring 19 goals with 17 assists last season.
Edmonton Oilers Trade LW Viktor Arvidsson to the Boston Bruins for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick
With Viktor Arvidsson’s move to Boston, it will be the fourth team he has played on in his career. Arvidsson played 67 games last season for the Edmonton Oilers, who went to the Stanley Cup Final.
Vancouver Canucks have Re-Signed G Thatcher Demko to a three-year deal worth $8.5M AAV
Demko only played in 23 games, finishing with a 10-8 record last season after winning 35 games during the 2023-24 season. He has played eight seasons for Vancouver. The Canucks went 38-30 with 14 overtime or shootout losses last year. Vancouver has had two postseason appearances since 2016.
Vancouver Canucks Re-Signed RW Conor Garland to a six-year deal worth $6 million AAV
After two straight seasons with under 50 points, Garland bounced back and recorded 50 points last season. Next season will be Garland’s fifth with the Canucks, after he began his NHL career with the Arizona Coyotes.
New Jersey Devils Re-Signed G Jake Allen to a five-year deal worth $1.8 million AAV
The 12-year veteran Allen is returning for his third season with the Devils. During the 2024-25 season, Allen started 29 games and appeared in 31 contests. Allen finished with a 13-16 record, his most wins since the 2022-23 season.
Washington Capitals Re-Signed D Martin Fehervary to a seven-year deal worth $6 million AAV
Fehervary, 25, is coming off the best season of his young career. He played 81 of 82 games and recorded 25 points, his most in a season. He has appeared in 66-plus games for the Capitals in the last four seasons.
Carolina Hurricanes Signed C Logan Stankoven to an eight-year, $48 million contract
After debuting in 2023, Logan Stankoven played his first full season during the 2024-25 season. He played in 78 games, appearing for the Dallas Stars before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. Stankoven totaled 38 points, 24 assists, and 14 goals.
New York Islanders Re-Signed D Tony DeAngelo to a one-year deal worth $1.75 million
The 29-year-old will return for his second season with the Islanders. DeAngelo appeared in 35 games, recording 15 assists and four goals. DeAngelo has only played in 35 and 31 games in his previous two seasons.
Monday, June 30
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign-and-Trade W Mitch Marner to Vegas Golden Knights
The biggest domino of free-agency fell a day before things officially opened. Marner was the biggest offensive talent on the board, and still young for a free agent. Now he finds himself in Vegas after a long, testy tenure in Toronto. For a more detailed breakdown of the move, check out this article by our own Charlie Cummings.
Florida Panthers Re-Sign D Aaron Ekblad, W Brad Marchand
Coming off back-to-back Stanley Cups, the Florida Panthers had many questions going into this offseason. They answered two of them before free agency began. First, they brought back core top-line defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
Ekblad, who debuted at 18, has been in Florida for 11 seasons. He will stay another eight years through his age-37 season. And speaking of 37-year-olds, Brad Marchand isn’t going anywhere either.
A six-year extension seems hefty for someone his age, but Marchand’s game has aged very well. This also serves to lower his cap hit in the short term. That’s a crucial piece for Florida.
If the reported deals are true, Florida is now over the cap. It came into the offseason with $11M in cap space, and the Ekblad/Marchand deals will cost around $11.5M. It means some light cap shedding is on the way, but that’s an easy price to pay for retaining the core of a team looking to three-peat.
Columbus Blue Jackets Re-Sign D Ivan Provorov
Another big piece comes off the board right before free agency opens. The Columbus Blue Jackets locked up two-way defenseman Ivan Provorov on a seven-year deal.
Provorov isn’t the kind of big-name, Norris Trophy-candidate defenseman you’d expect to get this kind of deal. But I think he’s well worth it. At 28, he already has nine years of experience under his belt. He’s played in all 82 games for three straight seasons. Provorov moves the puck well and will get you between 30-40 points, and can play on the power play and penalty kill if needed. His defending rates higher than his offensive production and can more than hold his own against top lines.
Columbus nearly returned to the postseason in the 2024/25 season. It’s been a long drought, and Provorov is looking to steady the ship as the Jackets climb back to relevance.
Edmonton Oilers Re-Sign D Evan Bouchard
Back-to-back Stanley Cup Final losses for the Edmonton Oilers have been painful. It would only be worse if they started to lose core pieces in free agency. Thankfully for the Oilers and their fans, Evan Bouchard isn’t going anywhere.
This is great value for both sides. Bouchard, 26, has the fourth-highest AAV among defensemen in the league. He gets what he deserves after two very successful seasons. This deal also enables him to hit free agency again at 30 years old, when he could presumably get another big payday that takes him into his late 30s. It also keeps him in Edmonton, where he’s been for the first six years of his career.
The value is good for Edmonton as well. Bouchard has finished fifth and 11th in Norris Trophy voting over the past two seasons. Not only is he a great regular-season player, but he’s also been a playoff monster. Over their last two Cup runs, Bouchard has racked up 55 points in 47 games with a +20 +/- rating. He’s the quarterback of their lethal power-play unit while being a strong defensive defenseman.
Bouchard gets a big payday, and Edmonton answers its biggest offseason question by re-signing Bouchard. It’s a win-win for both sides.
Detroit Red Wings Re-Sign W Patrick Kane
More re-signings coming in. This time, it’s the Detroit Red Wings bringing Patrick Kane back into the fold.
This is an interesting move, for several reasons. Unsurprisingly, the 36-year-old Kane is going year-to-year at this stage of his career. He’s made his mark on the league and pocketed a lot of change. Now he can take the LeBron James approach of endless one-year deals to maintain flexibility. Kane was still effective last year, picking up 59 points in 72 games.
Detroit’s second line of Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane on the flanks of sophomore Marco Kasper looks very promising. The Dylan Larkin-Lucas Raymond top line takes a lot of attention away from that grouping, which can score quickly. Kane is also one of their best power-play producers, seeing lots of time on the top group.
From Detroit’s perspective, this keeps them flexible going into a significant free agency period. After the Kane deal, the Red Wings will have around $17 million in cap space. With two strong top lines and a good defense anchored by Moritz Seider, they have no real top-end needs. $17 million goes a long way when you’re trying to secure quality depth pieces. On top of that, they have a lot of veterans with one or two years left on their contract that can be moved if things go south, or cap has to be cleared this offseason for a bigger move.
Detroit was knocking on the door of the playoffs last year. Kane’s new deal brings them closer to that goal.