Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

NHL Free Agent Predictions – Top 5 NHL Free Agents and Their Predicted Landing Spots

Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

By now, teams have finished most of the important work they had to take care of during the NHL offseason, which includes completing trades, extending player contracts, and signing free agents.

While most of the top free agents have already found new homes, there are still plenty of players available who could land with a new team before free agency comes to an end. So, without further ado, let us take at the top 5 players that are still available in this year’s free agency.

Top 5 NHL Free Agents Still Remaining in 2025

There are plenty of players still available as free agents. However, some of the top ones still remaining are centers Jack Roslovic, Luke Kunin, left wingers Victor Olofsson, Max Pacioretty, and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk.

Jack Roslovic – Center (Stars, Predators, Maple Leafs)

Center Jack Roslovic signed a one-year deal with the Hurricanes last season and accumulated 39 points, including 22 goals, from 81 games. Despite his decent performance, he struggled when it mattered.

Roslovic’s top landing spots could see him find a new home with the Stars, Predators, or Maple Leafs. The Stars already have their top 4 forwards in place, but after that, there is room for Roslovic, who can also play on the wing if need be. Dallas currently has a limited salary cap, but that wouldn’t be a problem if they go after the forward who has a cap hit of just $2.8 million.

The Predators are another team that could look to sign Roslovic. Nashville didn’t have the best season in terms of offense last year, so adding a forward with the ability to score 20 or more goals would not be a bad idea.

As for the Maple Leafs, the loss of Mitch Marner will be hard to overcome. In fact, even if they were to sign Roslovic, he would not be anywhere near the level Marner was, but he could still help the roster depth.

Jack Roslovic doubles the lead ‼️ pic.twitter.com/4soWxCFPOb
— Sports on Prime Canada (@SportsOnPrimeCA) May 10, 2025

Matt Grzelcyk – Defence (Avalanche, Panthers, Islanders)

Defenceman Matt Grzelcyk signed a one-year deal with the Penguins in 2024, and after a pretty good season, he was hoping for an extension. However, that is not the case, and the 31-year-old is still in the market after a 40-point season for Pittsburgh. The Avalanche, Panthers, and Islanders could be possible destinations for Grzelcyk.

The Avalanche are looking to add a defender for their third pair, and they have sufficient cap space to make this move happen should they wish to do so. It would be a good fit for both parties.

The Panthers could use Grzelcyk as one of their bottom-pairing defenders and on the power play unit. This move, though, seems quite unlikely, unless Florida ships off one of their defensemen and opts for a less-salary-capped player like Grzelcyk.

The Islanders could be a good fit. They recently drafted Matthew Schaefer, who is expected to be a mainstay on the team for many years to come, but that may be in the future. For now, a one-year deal for the former Bruins’ defender could be ideal.

Victor Olofsson – Left Wing (Golden Knights, Maple Leafs)

After six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Victor Olofsson signed a one-year deal with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2024. He scored 15 goals and 14 assists for a total of 29 points, but played in only 56 games.

Resigning with the Golden Knights is probably the best option, but Vegas has salary cap issues, which is most likely why they didn’t extend him in the first place. The Maple Leafs provide another landing spot, and that could work out as they have the cap space to sign the winger.

Victor Olofsson’s first career NHL playoff goal pic.twitter.com/h6ojr52JZ4
— The Sabre Report (@TheSabreReport) May 9, 2025

Max Pacioretty – Left Wing (Blue Jackets, Stars, Golden Knights)

36-year-old winger, Max Pacioretty, has lost a step or two over the past couple of years. Last season, he played in just 37 games and totaled 13 points, including 5 goals.

His numbers have gone down significantly, but getting shots off has not been the problem. The main issue stems from his finishing. Possible landing spots for Pacioretty this season are the Blue Jackets, Stars, or the Golden Knights.

The Blue Jackets could use Pacioretty’s veteran experience to a roster that has some holes to fill. He has been a proven goal-scorer earlier in his career, so the experience would help the team for sure.

In Dallas, the winger could be used on the third line, where his experience will once again come in handy for the Stars roster. Dallas may be looking for a cheaper option at this point, and Pacioretty might just be the answer.

As for the Golden Knights, the left winger spent four seasons in Vegas and did a fairly good job. But now there won’t be the added pressure of performing constantly, and with his cheaper cap, a return could be on the cards.

MAX PACIORETTY IN THE CLUTCH (AGAIN!) pic.twitter.com/v5bCcPWVY4
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 17, 2025

Ilya Samsonov – Goaltender (Flames, Blue Jackets, Penguins)

Ilya Samsonov is one of the select few goaltenders who remain as a free agent even at this point in the offseason. Samsonov is no longer considered a starting caliber goalie, but he will make a more than decent backup for any team in need.

Calgary could use an upgrade over its current backup, Devin Cooley. While there is no chance Samsonov can unseat Dustin Wolf from the starting position, if Samsonov embraces the backup role, the Flames could use his services.

The Blue Jackets are facing a dire situation in goal. They have no star power at the position, with Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins as their current options. Perhaps a move for Samsonov may not be a bad idea.

As for the Penguins, they need a bridge goalie who is between the youngster Joel Blomqvist and the veteran Tristan Jarry. Blomqvist may need some more time to develop, while Jarry is not a consistent option for the Penguins. Samsonov could slot in perfectly between the pair.

Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

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Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!