Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Top 7 NHL Free Agents for 2025

The 2025 NHL free agency is less than a week away

Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The biggest event in the NHL calendar, the Stanley Cup Final, may be over. Up next is the 2025 NHL Draft, set to take place on June 27 and 28. But, even after that, there is no time to rest for hockey lovers. July 1 marks the start of free agency, and this year, there are quite a few exciting names to watch out for.

Till the start of free agency, players can still work out new deals with their existing teams, or they can also be traded to a different team. Nevertheless, free agency is sure to throw up some surprises during this offseason.

Top 7 NHL Free Agents in the 2025-26 Season

Top teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, and Winnipeg Jets, along with other teams, have key players hitting free agency in less than a week. Here is a list of the top 7 free agents in the NHL for 2025.

Mitch Marner – Toronto Maple Leafs – Right Wing

The biggest name in the unrestricted free agency market heading into the 2025-26 NHL season is that of the Toronto Maple Leafs star right winger, Mitch Marner. The 28-year-old currently has a cap hit of $10.9 million and has all but confirmed that his time in Toronto is up.

The Maple Leafs reportedly offered Marner a huge new deal during the season worth approximately 413.5 million AVV, but the former first-round draftee was not interested. He is, however, on the verge of becoming the highest-paid player in the league, if he can get a team to sign him for that amount.

Currently, the Edmonton Oilers’ center, Leon Draisaitl, is the highest-paid player, whose AVV is $14 million. The Vegas Golden Knights are one of the frontrunners who might sign Marner in free agency, but other teams such as the Kings, Ducks, Hurricanes, and Stars also seem to be interested.

What teams are serious contenders to land Mitch Marner in free agency? #TSNHockey Insider @PierreVLeBrun joins @JayOnrait to discuss. pic.twitter.com/HEGXIpEFCo
— JayOnSC (@JayOnSC) June 25, 2025

Sam Bennett – Florida Panthers – Center

Next up on the list is the Panthers’ center Sam Bennett, who is coming off one of his best playoff performances ever. The 2025 Conn Smythe winner has accumulated 22 points and scored 15 goals from 23 playoff games this year.

Bennett was especially exceptional on the road, where he scored 13 of his 15 goals away from home throughout the postseason. With numbers like these, he is sure to command a heftier price tag than his current $4.4 million AVV.

John Tavares – Toronto Maple Leafs – Center

Another Maple Leafs player finds himself on this list in the form of alternate captain John Tavares. The 34-year-old forward has a cap hit of $11 million. He has still been producing at an elite level despite his game time getting reduced.

As per reports, Tavares is very interested in continuing his career in Toronto, both on the professional front as well as the personal front. Prior to signing with the Leafs six years ago, he felt it was the best place for him in terms of hockey and outside life with his family. However, despite being ready for a pay cut, the offered deal seems to have a much larger gap than he is ready for.

🚨 NOT CLOSE ATM: With just over a week until July 1, the Leafs and John Tavares’ camp, led by agent Pat Brisson, still haven’t landed on common ground for an extension. As of Saturday, they weren’t close.

Deadlines like this, tend to drive decisions — and while it’ll likely… pic.twitter.com/ujhY04thkr
— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) June 21, 2025

Nikolaj Ehlers – Winnipeg Jets – Left Wing

Nikolaj Ehlers has played his entire NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets from 2015 to date. His last contract was a 7-year deal worth $42 million, which worked out to $6 million in AVV.

However, the forward has been a subject of trade talks in the past, and with him hitting free agency soon, he will have plenty of suitors. In fact, teams such as the Blue Jackets, Canucks, and Hurricanes could all be keeping an eye out on his status.

Also Read: 2025 NHL Draft Picks per Team – Which Team Has the Most Picks for the NHL Draft This Year?

Aaron Ekblad – Florida Panthers – Right Defense

Aaron Ekblad’s time with the Florida Panthers could be up soon. The defenseman was an integral part of the Panthers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup triumphs in 2024 and 2025. However, with a cap hit of $7.5 million, and with age still on his side, it could be time for the former number one overall pick to be walking out of the Panthers’ doors.

Of course, having been drafted by the Panthers in 2014 and having played for them since then, it will not be an easy choice for Ekblad. Yet, Florida has already signed his replacement when they acquired Seth Jones, and everything is now pointing towards an exit from South Florida.

Aaron Ekblad

“I’m really glad to be a part of this franchise for so long. I’m excited for the future and I hope it’s with this team.” pic.twitter.com/iZ9nXNMA60
— Adam (@AGBRSports) June 18, 2025

Brad Marchand – Florida Panthers – Center

Center Brad Marchand quickly became the talk of the town following his performances with the Florida Panthers. The 37-year-old left winger was traded to the Panthers on May 7, 2025, after 15 seasons with the Boston Bruins.

Marchand lit up the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers and played a major role in helping the Panthers secure a second consecutive Championship. Producing quality performances even at this age is remarkable and worthy of a bigger bag. He is currently earning around $6 million annually, but the free agency market could give him bigger rewards.

Brock Boeser – Vancouver Canucks – Right Wing

Right winger Brock Boeser is the final player on this list, even though there are plenty more players who could become free agents this year. Having said that, Boeser, who has played for the Canucks ever since he was drafted in 2015 looks likely to be moving on.

There was quite a bit of speculation that he would be traded earlier, but things didn’t materialize all too well. Now, however, it seems that Boeser will definitely find a new home as he inches closer to becoming an unrestricted free agent. Plenty of teams, such as the Senators, Lightning, Wild, Sharks, and more, have shown interest in the American.

The free agency period in the league will be interesting to keep an eye on. Trades are bound to happen now that the draft is just days away. But if the desired deals do not take place, there are plenty of names in free agency that are worth following.

2025 NHL Free Agency

Aaron Ekblad

Brad Marchand

John Tavares

Mitch Marner

NHL

NHL Free Agency

Sam Bennett

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!