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2024 Free Agency

Maple Leafs Linked To Laurent Brossoit

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The Maple Leafs and netminder Laurent Brossoit will have mutual interest in a deal should he reach unrestricted free agency on July 1, The Athletic’s James Mirtle reports.

Brossoit, 31, is likely headed to market in search of a bigger role after making 22 starts last season behind Connor Hellebuyck with the Jets. He’s coming off a great season in his limited relief action, putting up a .927 SV%, 2.00 GAA and three shutouts, but without any history in a tandem role, he won’t command too much cash.

Those 22 starts were remarkably a career-high for the veteran netminder, who just completed his 10th NHL season. His career numbers (.911 SV%, 2.64 GAA) rival the other top options slated for the open market, like Anthony Stolarz and Cam Talbot, and he’s arguably been the best pure backup in the league over the past 18 months.

A member of the Cup-winning Golden Knights last season, Brossoit started the year on the injured list and was sent down to the minors upon his return to health in November. But he worked his way back to the Vegas roster later in the year, posting a .927 SV% in 10 starts and one relief appearance. That earned him the start in Game 1 of their postseason run against the Jets, and while an injury eventually forced him out of the crease and opened the door for Adin Hill, he’d re-established himself as a major-league talent.

As Mirtle posits, a short-term deal in the neighborhood of $3MM annually is a realistic bet for Brossoit. It’s similar to what Stolarz, who’s coming off a .925 SV% in 27 appearances behind Sergei Bobrovsky in Florida, should garner as well.

He would be Toronto’s replacement for Ilya Samsonov, who will hit free agency next month and isn’t expected back. He’d been serviceable but inconsistent in tandem action for them over the past two seasons, although he did backstop them to their first playoff series win of the Auston Matthews era against the Lightning in the first round in 2023.

In Toronto, Brossoit would nearly guarantee himself a new career-high in starts, assuming he avoids injuries. He’d serve in a tandem role with the younger Joseph Woll, who is slated to eventually take over as the Leafs’ long-term starter. Injuries limited him to 25 games last year, posting a respectable .907 SV%, but he’s also been excellent in brief playoff action over the last two seasons.

Blackhawks Notes: Kane, No. 2 Pick, Pending UFAs

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Last month, The Athletic’s Scott Powers reported the Blackhawks were having internal discussions about trying to bring back franchise fixture Patrick Kane, who’s set to hit the open market this summer after a one-year deal with the Red Wings. However, speaking with reporters today at the pre-draft scouting combine, general manager Kyle Davidson said he “doesn’t foresee us going back on that” regarding a Kane reunion (via Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times).

Kane, 35, had 47 points in 50 games to close out the season in Detroit after recovering from offseason hip resurfacing surgery. It was a promising step for the future Hall-of-Famer, considering hip resurfacing procedures generally signal the end of a player’s career.

After showing he can still hang around in a top-six role, he’ll look to land a raise on his previous $2.75MM cap hit this summer, but it appears it won’t be with Chicago. The 2007 first-overall pick had 1,225 points in 1,161 games there to begin his career, amassing three Stanley Cups.

Elsewhere from Chi-town:

  • To the surprise of no one, Davidson confirmed today the team isn’t shopping their second overall pick in this month’s draft (via NBC Sports’ Charlie Roumeliotis). The team is reportedly leaning toward selecting Belarusian defenseman Artyom Levshunov with the choice, their second top-two pick in the past two years.
  • While preparing for the draft, Davidson said he’s still trying to retain some of their pending UFAs (via Pope). As Pope points out, depth winger Joey Anderson is likely a member of that group, although he’s an RFA that only needs a qualifying offer. Anderson, 25, had five goals and 17 points in 55 games for the Hawks this year. Their notable pending UFAs include Colin Blackwell, Tyler Johnson and Jarred Tinordi.

Current NHL Free Agents

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Pro Hockey Rumors’ up-to-date list of current free agents is below. These are players who are free agents during the 2024-25 season. The player’s 2024 age is in parentheses.

This list includes players who played at least 10 games in 2023-24 or finished the season on a roster. It also includes players who appeared in at least one game in 2024-25. It will continue to be updated throughout the season.

You can access this list anytime under the “Pro Hockey Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar on our desktop site or in the Flame menu on our mobile site. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.

Updated 12/19/24 (10:59am CT)

Unrestricted Free Agents

Centers

Left Wingers

Right Wingers

Defensemen

Goaltenders

Latest On Nikita Zadorov

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Earlier Thursday, it appeared there might be some progress on extension talks between the Canucks and pending UFA defenseman Nikita Zadorov, according to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre. However, that was quickly refuted by Zadorov’s agent, Dan Milstein, and additionally  by a report from CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, who said the likelihood of Zadorov remaining in Vancouver was looking “bleak.”

Zadorov, 29, was successful in his short stint with the Canucks. Picked up from the Flames via trade in late November, he finished the year with 14 points, a +6 rating and a whopping 102 PIMs in 54 games in a Vancouver sweater while averaging 17:04 per contest.

The legend of the 6’6″, 250-lb defender grew in the postseason, where he was arguably the team’s second-most valuable blue liner behind Norris finalist Quinn Hughes. He exploded for four goals and eight points in only 13 games, supplementing that with a +3 rating and good underlying metrics while averaging over 20 minutes per night.

That certainly boosted his value as he wraps up a two-year, $7.5MM contract he signed with Calgary in 2022. The hulking Russian has now logged at least 20 points in three consecutive seasons, posted a career-high 125 PIMs this season, and posted strong possession quality numbers during his previous two seasons in Calgary.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported last month that Zadorov would likely seek a six-year, $36MM ($6MM AAV) deal should he hit the open market. For a player without a lengthy history of playing top-four minutes, though, that’s a prohibitively expensive price tag.

Evolving Hockey projects Zadorov to receive a three-year deal at a $4MM cap hit, more in line with what shutdown defender Erik Gudbranson received from the Blue Jackets two summers go. In all likelihood, his next deal will likely fall somewhere in the middle of those two figures.

Maple Leafs, Predators Linked To Brett Pesce

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Expect the Maple Leafs and Predators to be two of the top suitors for Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce if he hits the open market next month, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports.

The Hurricanes are still attempting to extend Pesce after general manager Don Waddell resigned last month, but they haven’t been close to a deal since discussions started last summer. In fact, most believed he would be traded last summer to avoid losing him for nothing at the end of this season, but they took him off the trade block during training camp and decided to continue negotiations.

Recent reports around Pesce’s pending free agency suggest more of the same. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believed the Canes were holding firm at an offer of around $5MM annually on a five-year deal that Pesce wasn’t willing to accept.

Nashville was one of the teams interested in acquiring him when he was made available for trade last summer, Pagnotta notes, so it’s of no surprise to see them linked to Pesce again. They’re looking for a top-four defender to replace Ryan McDonagh, whom they traded back to the Lightning last month after acquiring him from Tampa in the 2022 offseason.

Pesce would be a similar stylistic fit, but unlike McDonagh, he’s a right-shot. That gives him a greater potential of sliding upward in the lineup to play alongside captain Roman Josi, also a left-shot, on the team’s top pairing.

He’s used to heavy usage, averaging over 20 minutes per game for eight straight seasons. The 29-year-old is coming off a down year offensively with only three goals and 13 points in 70 games, but his career averages suggest the two-way blue-liner is more of a 25-to-30-point producer over a full season.

The New York native has earned sparse Norris consideration in the past, receiving votes in 2018 and 2020. His possession numbers are still strong, controlling 54.4% of shot attempts at even strength throughout his career. He’s also had an expected goals share north of 50% for the past four years, per Hockey Reference.

It’s no surprise to see Toronto engaged in Pesce rumors, either. They’ll be in on nearly all of the top defensemen on this summer’s UFA market, but especially right-shots. Ideally, second-year GM Brad Treliving is looking for a stable partner for top offensive blue liner Morgan Rielly, who’s had a rotating cast of shutdown partners over the past few seasons.

The Leafs lack puck-movers outside of Rielly among their defense corps, and while it’s not a hallmark of Pesce’s game, he would be a small upgrade over Jake McCabe and the outgoing T.J. Brodie in that regard. He’s eclipsed 20 assists four times in his career, including a career-high 25 helpers in 2022-23.

Evolving Hockey’s contract projections peg Pesce to land a six-year, $5.5MM AAV deal on the open market, slightly lengthier and richer than his rumored extension offer in Carolina. That would be feasible for both the Leafs and Preds, who enter the offseason with a decent amount of salary cap flexibility.

Sharks Looking To Add Top-Four Defenseman In Free Agency

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The Sharks will look to pick up an experienced top-four blue liner when the free agent market opens July 1, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

San Jose, coming off a last-place 19 wins and 47 points, allowed the most goals in the league last season, conceding nearly four per game on average. That was despite largely solid performances in the net from Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kähkönen, their tandem for most of the season, who each performed slightly above expected, per MoneyPuck.

That places the blame squarely on an understaffed defense led by Mario Ferraro, journeyman depth piece Jan Rutta and rookie Henry Thrun. A blue line that was designed to fail after shipping out Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson to the Penguins over the summer performed as expected. According to MoneyPuck, the Sharks allowed 313 expected goals against in all situations, 24 more than the second-to-last Blue Jackets, who had 289.

Thus, with their big offseason splash at forward already set in the form of projected first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, prioritizing defense on the open market is the logical choice for general manager Mike Grier. Most of the Sharks’ cast last season is set to return – veteran Jacob MacDonald (who played forward for half the season anyway) is the only pending UFA.

But pushing overworked depth pieces down the depth chart is never a bad thing, and any addition will have its benefits outside of the player’s skill set. Allowing for reduced minutes for the trio above, plus reduced responsibility for others like Calen Addison and Kyle Burroughs, should lead to a slight overall improvement in their defensive game.

In terms of specific targets, Sean Walker is a name to watch when Free Agent Frenzy begins, Pagnotta said. The 29-year-old is coming off a career season in which he scored 10 goals and 29 points in 81 games split between the Flyers and Avalanche, averaging a career-high 19:14 per game to boot.

Like everyone else on the Sharks’ roster, putting him in a top-pairing role is likely asking too much of him, but he’s still an upgrade on anyone they have. He logged a career-high 19:14 per game last season after toiling in third-pairing roles for the Kings the past few seasons, posting strong even-strength possession metrics (53.2 CF%) and logging significant time on the penalty kill in Philadelphia before being stripped of special teams usage on a deep Colorado blue line after a deadline deal sent him to Denver.

Walker’s market value has never been higher, too, and signing with a team with virtually infinite cap space this summer would allow him to take full advantage of it. Evolving Hockey projects him to land a five-year, $5MM AAV deal on the open market, but he could likely bump that figure up in negotiations to join a rebuilder in San Jose.

The Sharks won’t be alone in their pursuit of Walker, though. Pagnotta reports the Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, Predators and Stars are all expected to engage with the defender’s camp once free agency begins. After going without a point in 11 playoff games for the Avs with a -5 rating, it seems highly unlikely he’ll re-sign with a cap-strapped club dealing with financial uncertainty fueled by the futures of Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin.

There are plenty of other defenders with top-four experience for the Sharks to target if they don’t get Walker. While the biggest names like Brandon Montour and Brady Skjei seem unlikely to join a team in the throes of a rebuild, Alexandre Carrier, Matt Roy and former Shark Dylan DeMelo are names with top-four experience that could make sense.

Canucks’ Ian Cole Expected To Test Free Agency

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The Canucks are not expected to come to terms on a new contract with defenseman Ian Cole before he reaches unrestricted free agency next month, CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reports.

Cole, 35, is one of four blue-liners headed toward UFA status that Vancouver had on its NHL roster at the end of the season. With Tyler Myers and Nikita Zadorov positioned as higher-priority targets to re-sign, as well as a big-name pending UFA up front in Elias Lindholm, it’s not terribly surprising to see Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin turn his attention away from Cole over the next few weeks.

That’s not a knock on the season Cole had in British Columbia, though. He may have ended his Canucks tenure with a disappointing stretch of postseason play, but he gave them solid bottom-four minutes throughout the regular season after signing a one-year, $3MM pact in free agency last summer.

A first-round pick of the Blues back in 2007, Cole has settled in as a useful third-pairing or complementary second-pairing shutdown defender for teams as he enters the twilight of his career. He put up two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 78 contests for the Canucks this year, averaging 18:41 per game while doing well to control the majority of quality scoring chances despite playing difficult defensive minutes. Vancouver controlled 53% of expected goals with Cole on the ice at even strength, his third straight season with an xG% above 50.

Now a true journeyman, Cole has suited up for five teams in the past four seasons and could make it a sixth in a few weeks. He’s now eligible for a 35+ contract, allowing a team to sign him for a reduced initial cap hit while awarding him additional compensation via performance bonuses, but they would need to have the cap space to accommodate those bonuses if he hits them to avoid a penalty the following season. Evolving Hockey projects him to land a one-year, $2.5MM commitment on the open market.

Jake Guentzel Likely To Test Free Agency

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Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel, nearly universally viewed as the second-best pending unrestricted free agent available, will likely still be on the market when July 1 hits, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

The possibility of returning to Carolina after the market opens hasn’t been ruled out, but he’s expected to look at other offers and potential fits around the league. His camp has had extensive extension talks with the Hurricanes since their season ended in the second round last month, but their richest offer evidently isn’t enough to keep him from at least window-shopping elsewhere.

Despite missing around a month due to injury, the 29-year-old is arguably coming off the best season of his career. After yet again putting up over a point per game on Sidney Crosby’s wing with the Penguins, Guentzel exploded after the move to Carolina, recording eight goals and 25 points in his final 17 regular-season games. He remained excellent in postseason play, tying for third on the team in scoring with nine points (four goals, five assists) in 11 games while logging the third-most ice time among forwards behind Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.

Guentzel also positively influenced the Hurricanes’ already strong possession game. With him on the ice at even strength, the Hurricanes controlled 60.2% of shot attempts, 1.5% higher than their shot attempt share without him. The 2013 third-round pick also had a positive relative possession impact in all eight of his seasons in Pittsburgh.

He also hit the 30-goal mark for the third straight season and the fourth time in his career overall. While his market value won’t eclipse Panthers pending UFA winger Sam Reinhart, who’s coming off a career-best 57 goals, he’s undoubtedly a safer signing with a long track record of point-per-game play under his belt. His short stint thus far in Carolina certainly boosts his value, proving he can still produce elite numbers away from one of the game’s all-time greats.

Former Hurricanes GM Don Waddell managed to acquire Guentzel from the Penguins without parting with a first-round pick, but he did surrender solid complementary winger Michael Bunting and a trio of prospects with NHL ceilings. His value on the open market could very well eclipse the $9.5MM mark on a max-term deal, though.

That’s money the Hurricanes’ interim management group of AGMs Eric Tulsky, Darren Yorke, and owner Tom Dundon may not be willing to commit with Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teräväinen also headed for free agency this summer, among many others. However, as Pagnotta reports, there were no mid-season extension discussions with Teräväinen, and his camp is expected to make a call next week on pursuing a last-minute agreement in Carolina or joining Guentzel in heading to market.

Guentzel is completing a five-year, $30MM extension he signed with Pittsburgh in 2018. The Nebraska native and Nebraska-Omaha collegiate product led all players in playoff scoring with 13 goals in 25 games as a rookie in 2017, helping the Pens win their second of back-to-back championships.

NHL Sets Arbitration, Offer Sheet Thresholds For 2024

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Offer sheets haven’t overtaken offseason discourse in three years now. Only the Canadiens and Hurricanes have gotten in on the little-used RFA acquisition technique in recent years, with Montreal unsuccessfully trying to steal star center Sebastian Aho from Carolina in 2019 and the Canes gaining 2018 third-overall pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi via an unmatched one-year, $6.1MM offer.

There are some RFAs this summer that seem less-than-likely to re-sign with their current clubs, namely Hurricanes forward Martin Nečas and Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek. While both are expected to change hands via trade if they do move teams this summer, they’re both eligible to sign offer sheets if a team presents one.

Thresholds are derived from the league’s average salary, which jumped over six percent from last season. As such, the goalposts for each draft pick compensation tier have moved toward the higher-value end of the field, with PuckPedia confirming this year’s full breakdown:

AAV Draft picks required
$1.51MM or less No compensation
$1.51MM to $2.29MM Third-round pick
$2.29MM to $4.58MM Second-round pick
$4.58MM to $6.87MM First and third-round picks
$6.87MM to $9.16MM First, second and third-round picks
$9.16MM to $11.45MM Two firsts, a second and third-round picks
Over $11.45MM Four first-round picks

It is important to note that any team trying to sign a player to an applicable offer sheet must use their own draft picks for compensation, not acquired ones. That rules several teams out already from signing high-profile RFAs unless they were to work to reacquire their picks before submitting the contract.

An offer sheet’s average annual value is also calculated slightly differently than a standard contract. If the contract is longer than five years, the total salary is still divided by five to determine the AAV. That would mean a seven-year contract worth $8MM per season ($56MM total value) would carry an AAV of $11.2MM for the purposes of offer sheet compensation. For more information about the details of offer sheets, check out CapFriendly’s FAQ.

Additionally, with the league’s average salary rebounding past its pre-pandemic figure, the arbitration award required for a team to walk away from a deal has increased for the first time since 2020. That number is now roughly $4.74MM, per PuckPedia, jumping around $200K. If an arbitrator awards a one- or two-year deal with an AAV less than $4.74MM, a team must sign the contract.

Full 2024 List Of Expiring Draft Rights

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When drafting a player out of North America or any European country with a transfer agreement, a team acquires exclusive negotiating rights for a set amount of time. Each year on June 1, a long list of players see those rights expire and become unrestricted free agents (or choose to re-enter the draft, depending on specific circumstances).

With the deadline in a matter of days, it’s time to examine which players may become UFAs (data courtesy of CapFriendly). Some of the players listed below have already signed overseas, and others will have agreements announced soon after their current rights expire.

Anaheim Ducks

LW Connor Hvidston (139th overall, 2022)
C Ben King (107th overall, 2022)
C Albin Sundsvik (160th overall, 2020)

Boston Bruins

G Reid Dyck (183rd overall, 2022)

Buffalo Sabres

C Jakub Konecny (216th overall, 2020)
LD Mats Lindgren (106th overall, 2022)
RD Albert Lyckåsen (193rd overall, 2020)

Carolina Hurricanes

RW Zion Nybeck (115th overall, 2020)

Chicago Blackhawks

RD Michael Krutil (110th overall, 2020)

Colorado Avalanche

LD Graham Sward (146th overall, 2022) rights acquired from Predators via trade
G Ivan Zhigalov (225th overall, 2022)

Dallas Stars

C Daniel Ljungman (154th overall, 2020)

Detroit Red Wings

G Jan Bednar (107th overall, 2020)
LD Tnias Mathurin (137th overall, 2022)
C Theodor Niederbach (51st overall, 2020)

Edmonton Oilers

LW Jeremias Lindewall (200th overall, 2020)

Florida Panthers

C Liam Arnsby (214th overall, 2022)
C Elliot Ekmark (198th overall, 2020)
RD Kasper Puutio (153rd overall, 2020)

Los Angeles Kings

G Juho Markkanen (112th overall, 2020)
C Kasper Simontaival (66th overall, 2020)

Minnesota Wild

C Servác Petrovský (185th overall, 2022)

Montreal Canadiens

C Jared Davidson (130th overall, 2022) (has since signed with Montreal)
C/LW Cédrick Guindon (127th overall, 2022)
LD Petteri Nurmi (194th overall, 2022)
RD Miguël Tourigny (216th overall, 2022)

New Jersey Devils

C Jaromír Pytlík (99th overall, 2020)

New York Islanders

LW Alexander Ljungkrantz (90th overall, 2020)
LD Matias Rajaniemi (183rd overall, 2020)

New York Rangers

LW Maxim Barbashev (161st overall, 2022)
C Oliver Tärnström (92nd overall, 2020)

Pittsburgh Penguins

RD Nolan Collins (167th overall, 2022)
RD Thimo Nickl (104th overall, 2020) rights acquired from Ducks via trade

San Jose Sharks

G Mason Beaupit (108th overall, 2022)

Seattle Kraken

C Kyle Jackson (196th overall, 2022)

St. Louis Blues

RW Landon Sim (184th overall, 2022)

Tampa Bay Lightning

G Nick Malík (160th overall, 2022)

Toronto Maple Leafs

LW Brandon Lisowsky (218th overall, 2022)

Utah all players selected by the Arizona Coyotes franchise, rights transferred to Utah in sale of hockey operations in April

C/LW Filip Barklund (173rd overall, 2020)
RW Elliot Ekefjärd (192nd overall, 2020)
LD Jérémy Langlois (94th overall, 2022)

Vancouver Canucks

RD Viktor Persson (191st overall, 2020)

Vegas Golden Knights

LW/C Patrick Guay (145th overall, 2022)

Washington Capitals

C Jake Karabela (149th overall, 2022)
C/RW Oskar Magnusson (211th overall, 2020)

Winnipeg Jets

LD Anton Johannesson (133rd overall, 2020)

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