NHL
live
Updated 3m ago
The NHL’s free agency period is here, and the league’s player movement has begun. It likely will prove fast and furious.
What has happened? What’s the next big move?
Follow along with all of our coverage from our staff of NHL experts and check out our latest NHL free agency big board from Chris Johnston here.
GO FURTHER
NHL free-agent big board 4.0: Expanding the list of top targets as big names fall
Two years ago, Morgan Geekie was looking for a job. Geekie, 24 at the time, unexpectedly became an unrestricted free agent when the Seattle Kraken declined to issue him a qualifying offer.
On Sunday, Geekie signed a six-year, $33 million contract with the Boston Bruins.
He could have filed for arbitration. He could have signed an offer sheet. But he preferred to re-up with the Bruins after scoring a career-best 33 goals last year.
"It was a tough time a couple years ago, kind of stuck in limbo and not being qualified," Geekie said during a Monday Zoom call. "Things kind of played out the way they were meant to play out. That's what brought me to Boston. I wouldn't change anything else. It's hard to believe and maybe tough to comprehend. But I'm super grateful and just excited to be in Boston for six years."
Advertisement
Red Wings announce they have signed Jonatan Berggren.
Top-six winger
The Blackhawks could really use another offensive player, especially a winger for Connor Bedard’s line. It just doesn’t sound like one is coming. The Blackhawks aren’t expected to go all in on any free agents and probably don’t have enough established players to pull off a trade. Most teams want something more than draft capital. The Blackhawks’ plan continues to be to build through the draft.
Defenseman Aaron Ekblad signs an eight-year deal with a $6.1 million AAV with the Florida Panthers.
GO FURTHER
NHL contract grades: Aaron Ekblad gets term but takes discount to stay with Panthers
Add Utah to the list of teams that would pick up the phone and reach out to Brad Marchand’s rep, Wade Arnott, if the 37-year-old winger goes to market Tuesday, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins and others in the mix for veteran.
The Florida Panthers made their pitch to Marchand this past week, impressive presentation and all. The ball remained in Marchand’s court Monday.
GO FURTHER
NHL rumblings: Knights talking Andersson trade and latest on Marner, Marchand, Kyrou
Top-six forward
The Hurricanes could use an upgrade at second-line center, but the market is thin. If Carolina can’t get help down the middle, adding more firepower on the wing is a way to bolster the top six. Mitch Marner is an obvious target, but there are plenty of teams already angling to land the longtime Maple Leafs winger. Nikolaj Ehlers is another big name expected to hit the open market.
Advertisement
Ducks do not issue a qualifying offer to Isac Lundestrom, letting him become a UFA. Brett Leason and Josh Lopina also not tendered. As a formality, the Ducks QO'd Lukas Dostal and Mason McTavish. Also QO'd: Judd Caulfield, Calle Clang, Sam Colangelo, Drew Helleson, Jan Mysak, Tim Washe.
The acquisition of Ryan Poehling as a likely 4C spelled Anaheim to move on from Lundestrom
I wrote last week about the NHL’s reminder to teams regarding tampering as it pertained to July 1. One detail that has since surfaced: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told teams they are not allowed to give permission to their respective pending UFAs to speak with other teams ahead of July 1.
In the past, that was a normal occurrence. But the league, I think, felt that was a go-around of the fact that the UFA “speaking period” was abolished in 2020. The only way pending UFAs can speak to other teams before July 1 is through a bona fide transaction (rights traded). That stipulation from the league caught some NHL front offices off guard.
GO FURTHER
NHL rumblings: Knights talking Andersson trade and latest on Marner, Marchand, Kyrou
I'm told from a team source that the Flyers are "likely not" qualifying Jakob Pelletier.
It's a bit of a surprise. Flyers GM Daniel Briere said previously they planned on qualifying all their RFAs. Pelletier gave them decent minutes late in the season, too.
Goal scoring
Calgary nearly made the playoffs last year despite being among the league’s worst goal-scoring teams. While the Flames want to ensure their young talents get opportunities to make the roster, the Flames could benefit from an offensive weapon to improve their scoring fortunes and make life easier for Dustin Wolf.
The two-time defending Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers are keeping defenseman Aaron Ekblad, signing him to an eight-year, $48.8 million contract extension on Monday, league sources told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
The contract carries an average annual value of $6.1 million, a steep discount compared to what Ekblad presumably would have fetched as an unrestricted free agent starting Tuesday. The franchise leader in all main categories among blueliners, Ekblad was coming off an eight-year deal with a $7.5 million AAV.
GO FURTHER
Aaron Ekblad takes hometown discount, signs 8-year extension with Cup-champion Panthers
Advertisement
The two teams I've heard most connected to a push for pending UFA Nikolaj Ehlers are the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals. This will be an incomplete list, given Ehlers' status near the top of our ever-evolving UFA big board, but Ehlers would be an ideal Martin Necas replacement for a Hurricanes team that needs a dynamic scorer.
On the Mitch Marner front, the Los Angeles Kings led by GM Ken Holland, were ready to fly a contingent to the Toronto area to meet with the prized UFA winger and his camp led by agent Darren Ferris. I believe the plan was to fly the night of July 1 and meet on July 2. But obviously the news this weekend of a potential Toronto-Vegas trade involving Marner’s rights put a pause on that plan.
The Kings were among the teams on Marner’s short list, which is why L.A. was ready to put its best foot forward and come meet the player in person. Of course, we continue to await word Monday on the potential Vegas-Toronto trade, a situation the Kings were monitoring closely.
GO FURTHER
NHL rumblings: Knights talking Andersson trade and latest on Marner, Marchand, Kyrou
More scoring
The Sabres have beefed up their blue line with the additions of Michael Kesselring and Conor Timmins. But trading away JJ Peterka has left Buffalo with a need for more proven scoring. General manager Kevyn Adams said he thinks some of that can come with internal growth from players on the roster, but another outside addition would be prudent.
No, the Chicago Blackhawks won’t be signing Mitch Marner when free agency opens Tuesday at 11 a.m. CT. Nikolaj Ehlers and Brock Boeser aren’t in the Blackhawks’ future, either. And with so many young players ready to break into the NHL after an encouraging close to last season, there won’t be a bargain-bin shopping spree like there was last year, either. It’s almost certainly going to be a quiet summer in Chicago.
GO FURTHER
Blackhawks in NHL free agency: Needs, fits and low-key moves for Chicago’s rebuild
The situation with Rasmus Andersson has some layers to it, to be sure.
The 28-year-old right-shot top-four Calgary Flames defenseman doesn’t have a full no-trade clause (he has a modified one), but the 2026 unrestricted free agent’s ultimate hammer is that he controls which team he would be interested in extending with as part of a trade-and-sign scenario.
And as of Monday, the team that tops his list, league sources told The Athletic, is the Vegas Golden Knights.
Which explains why Vegas and Calgary have had numerous discussions over the past week, but still no trade has been made, as the Flames clearly haven’t been excited yet with what the Golden Knights have put on the table.
It makes sense that the Flames believe they should get more in a trade if Andersson is signed to an extension as part of it (he’s got one more year on his deal). But Andersson appears to be a little picky in where he would sign, which is obviously his right, as he would be forgoing a chance at unrestricted free agency 12 months from now.
GO FURTHER
NHL rumblings: Knights talking Andersson trade and latest on Marner, Marchand, Kyrou
Advertisement
Multiple forwards and a right-shot defenseman
The Bruins need more volume in their forward group. A play-driving center would be ideal, but the acquisition cost would be enormous. More budget-friendly plays would be on the wings. They also need someone to complement Charlie McAvoy and Andrew Peeke on the right side.
Bill Guerin has been tempering expectations all week about the Minnesota Wild’s free-agency plans, and for good reason.
The president of hockey operations and general manager sees what everyone else does: The free-agent crop is very lean, to put it kindly, as most teams this year have cap space, want to get better and are keeping their own guys. One by one, the potential targets have gone off the market, from John Tavares to Sam Bennett to Claude Giroux.
GO FURTHER
Wild free-agency primer and depth chart after adding Tarasenko: What centers could they pursue?
An offensive star
Last season, the Ducks’ top scorer had 55 points to tie for 104th leaguewide. Their points leader in 2023-24 finished in a tie for 88th. Outside of one-off 37-goal seasons by Troy Terry and Frank Vatrano, Anaheim hasn’t had an elite offensive player since Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were in their prime. Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier hold that kind of promise, but the Ducks can use one now.
GO FURTHER
What’s every NHL team’s biggest need ahead of 2025 free agency?
