The Unleashed 2026: Group VI Unrestricted Free Agents
Although most players must wait until after their 27th birthday to become eligible for unrestricted free agency and be able to sign with any team in the league without compensation, there are a few other ways to reach the open market. Players who complete seven full seasons in the NHL are eligible for UFA status, as are restricted free agents who do not receive qualifying offers.
There is another option, however, available to players who don’t receive many opportunities in the NHL but have spent several years at the professional level: Group VI unrestricted free agency.
PuckPedia has a complete list of players who will become free agents through this category. To refresh your memory on how a player qualifies for Group VI free agency, they must meet three requirements:
- The player is 25 years or older (as of June 30 of the calendar year the contract expires).
- The player has completed three or more professional seasons, qualified by 11 or more professional games (for an 18/19-year-old player), or one or more professional games (for a player aged 20 or older). This can include NHL, minor league, and European professional league seasons played while on an NHL contract.
- The player has played fewer than 80 NHL games, or 28 NHL games of 30 minutes or greater for a goaltender.
This year’s list is as follows:
Anaheim Ducks
None
Boston Bruins
F Matej Blumel
D Michael Callahan
F John Farinacci
F Georgii Merkulov
F Navrin Mutter
D Victor Soderstrom
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
G Amir Miftakhov
F Ryan Suzuki
Chicago Blackhawks
None
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
None
Dallas Stars
None
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
F Nikita Alexandrov
F Jan Jenik
Minnesota Wild
None
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New Jersey Devils
F Jonathan Gruden
F Nathan Legare
F Marc McLaughlin
New York Islanders
F Adam Beckman
D Cole McWard
D Travis Mitchell
New York Rangers
None
Ottawa Senators
D Samuel Bolduc
F Graeme Clarke
F Olle Lycksell
D Lassi Thomson
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
G Taylor Gauthier
D Ilya Solovyov
San Jose Sharks
F Egor Afanasyev
F Shane Bowers
F Patrick Giles
F Pavol Regenda
G Jakub Skarek
D Jett Woo
Seattle Kraken
None
St. Louis Blues
G Georgi Romanov
D Hunter Skinner
F Akil Thomas
G Vadim Zherenko
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
None
Utah Mammoth
None
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
F Wyatt Bongiovanni
F Henrik Rybinski
Winnipeg Jets
Atlantic Notes: Stolarz, Holinka, Lightning, Ostlund
The Maple Leafs are shutting down goaltender Anthony Stolarz for the final few games of their season after he was injured on Wednesday against Washington, relays David Alter of The Hockey News. On top of that, head coach Craig Berube noted that while surgery isn’t required, the injury could ultimately affect Stolarz’s offseason training plans, which suggests this isn’t a minor issue. After a breakout effort last season that netted him a four-year, $15MM extension in the preseason, it has been a rough year for Stolarz in 2025-26. Injuries have limited him to just 26 appearances while he hasn’t been particularly sharp, putting up a 3.28 GAA and a .893 SV% after having the highest SV% in the NHL in the previous two seasons. Now, it looks like his offseason training could be impacted, adding one more negative note to a year that has had plenty.
More from the Atlantic:
- Still with the Maple Leafs, the AHL Marlies announced (Twitter link) that forward Miroslav Holinka is joining the team. The 20-year-old was a fifth-round pick by Toronto back in 2024 and is coming off a very productive junior season with WHL Edmonton. Holinka played in 59 games with the Oil Kings during the regular season, notching 37 goals and 43 assists, good for second on the team in scoring. He was even more productive in their first-round playoff loss, tallying seven goals and four assists in seven games. Eligible to play full-time with the Marlies next season, Holinka will now get an early taste of the pros.
- While the Lightning welcomed back Brandon Hagel this afternoon versus Boston, they were without a pair of other regulars. Team reporter Benjamin Pierce relayed (Twitter link) that center Zemgus Girgensons and defenseman Darren Raddysh are out with day-to-day injuries. Girgensons was limited after blocking a shot on Thursday in Montreal while Raddysh’s injury is a little harder to pin down after he scored the game-tying goal late in that one. At this point, there doesn’t appear to be any concern about their playoff availability.
- The Sabres are hopeful that center Noah Ostlund will be ready to return for the playoffs, notes Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News (Twitter link). He has missed the last two weeks with an upper-body injury; head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that the 22-year-old is skating daily and that it’s a pain management issue at this point. Ostlund has 11 goals and 16 assists in 60 games for Buffalo this season and should slot back into a bottom-six spot once he’s cleared to return to the lineup.
Red Wings Sign Dylan James
The Red Wings have signed another one of their college prospects. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed winger Dylan James to a two-year, entry-level deal. The contract will begin next season. For the rest of this year, James will join AHL Grand Rapids on a tryout agreement. PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal, which carries a $1.05MM AAV, breaks down as follows:
| Year | NHL Salary | Signing Bonus | Minors Salary |
| 2026-27 | $922.5K | $102.5K | $85K |
| 2027-28 | $967.5K | $107.5K | $85K |
Detroit drafted the 22-year-old in the second round back in 2022, picking him 40th overall. James was coming off an impressive season with USHL Sioux City, one that saw him finish in the top 20 in league scoring with 28 goals and 33 assists in 62 games.
From there, James went on to play his college hockey in North Dakota where it took a while for his offensive game to come around. He recorded 16 points in his freshman year before notching 19 and 22 in his sophomore and junior years, respectively. But James saved his best offensive performance for last, picking up 21 goals and 11 assists in 40 games, leading the Fighting Hawks in goals while making the AHCA All-Academic Team for the fourth straight time. His team had made it to the Frozen Four but lost to Wisconsin on Thursday, ending his season.
While James will get an early start on his professional career by joining the Griffins on a tryout, it seems unlikely that he’ll see any sort of extended action in the AHL playoffs with Grand Rapids carrying a veteran-laden roster that has already locked up the top spot in the Western Conference.
Canucks Recall Kirill Kudryavtsev
The Canucks have added some extra defensive depth heading into their game tonight against San Jose. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Kirill Kudryavtsev from AHL Abbotsford.
It’s the second recall of the season for the 22-year-old, who was up for a little more than a week early on although he didn’t see any game action. As a result, he’s still at a total of two career NHL appearances, those coming in Vancouver’s final two games of 2024-25 when he blocked five shots and logged a little more than 28 minutes total of ice time.
This season, Kudryavtsev has played in 41 games with AHL Abbotsford, picking up two goals and 16 assists. From a point-per-game standpoint, that puts him slightly ahead of last year when he had 26 points in 65 regular season contests before adding another 10 in Abbotsford’s Calder Cup run.
Kudryavtsev is in the second season of his three-year, entry-level contract. It’s unclear at this point if his recall is to cover against an injury or if it’s simply to have some extra depth heading into their final few games of the season.
Avalanche Sign T.J. Hughes
With his college career complete, Michigan center T.J. Hughes was arguably the top player in this year’s free agent class. He has found his next team as the Avalanche announced that they’ve signed him to a one-year, entry-level contract. The deal will begin next season; Hughes has signed a PTO with AHL Colorado for the remainder of 2025-26. PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the agreement will carry a $952.5K cap charge with a $1.025MM AAV. That consists of an NHL salary of $850K, a signing bonus of $102.5K, and a $72.5K games played bonus.
Hughes has been one of the top players in the NCAA in recent years. The 24-year-old came up just shy of a point per game in his freshman year at Michigan back in 2022-23, managing 36 points in 39 games. He surpassed that mark in his sophomore and junior seasons, putting up 48 and 38, respectively. That made him a popular speculative candidate to turn pro after each of those years but he opted to return to the Wolverines each time.
That proved to be a good move for Hughes as he saved his best for last. He played in 40 games this season, picking up 22 goals and 35 assists, good for second in Division I scoring. Those efforts made him a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award for the top player in college hockey although that ultimately went to Detroit prospect Max Plante.
Hughes is a nice pickup for the Avs who have seen their prospect and draft pick pools get depleted in recent years with their continued efforts to load up their NHL roster. Hughes was expected to have a strong enough market to really be selective about where he’d land and he’s chosen an organization that should be able to give him big minutes in the minors with the Eagles. While they’ve recently shored up their center situation with the reacquisition of Nazem Kadri and last year’s pickup (and extension) of Brock Nelson, there still could be room for Hughes to make the jump to the NHL as a winger. Either way, it’s a nice addition to Colorado’s prospect pool.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the signing.
Jamie Langenbrunner Linked To Vacant Devils GM Role
The Devils are one of three teams currently on the lookout for a new general manager, joining Toronto and Nashville, whose search is nearing the two-month mark. New Jersey’s opening was newly created with this week’s departure of Tom Fitzgerald.
At this stage, the team is still putting together its list of candidates but one of them will be a familiar name for many fans. James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now and Anthony DiMarco of Daily Faceoff are among those reporting (Twitter links) that Jamie Langenbrunner is a potential target for the Devils.
Langenbrunner is certainly familiar with the organization, having spent parts of nine seasons there. He played in 564 games for the team, notching 142 goals and 243 assists, while having his best four individual seasons offensively. He also played an integral role in their 2004 Stanley Cup title alongside Martin Brodeur, who works in New Jersey’s front office as their Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations.
Since retiring, Langenbrunner has worked for the Bruins in a variety of off-ice roles. Starting off as a development coach in 2015, he then moved up to Director of Player Development for three years and has served as an Assistant GM for each of the last four seasons. The next logical stepping stone for him would be as a GM.
As things stand, Langenbrunner won’t be the only candidate with ties to the Devils. Former analytics staffer Sunny Mehta received permission from Florida to interview for the role earlier this week while long-time Toronto president Brendan Shanahan has been a speculative candidate for a role in the front office as well.
Kraken Recall Victor Ostman From AHL
Already without Philipp Grubauer who was recently injured and Matt Murray who has been out for most of the season, the Kraken now have starting goalie Joey Daccord sidelined with a lower-body injury as well. As a result, the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled netminder Victor Ostman from AHL Coachella Valley.
The 25-year-old has made just one NHL appearance in his career, that coming last April when he made 12 saves on 12 shots in mop-up duty of a late-season game against Utah. Beyond that, his professional experience has come exclusively in the minors.
Last season, Ostman spent most of the year at the ECHL level, only getting into five AHL outings. This season, he has seen regular action with the Firebirds, getting into 37 games where he has posted a 2.77 GAA with a .907 SV%. This is his first recall to Seattle this season.
While Seattle finds itself in a bottom-five spot in the standings, they technically enter play today against Calgary with a slim chance at a playoff spot. For that to happen, they’ll have to win out and hope a whole lot else goes their way. But they’ll be turning to Niklas Kokko – Ostman’s platoon partner in Coachella Valley – to help get that victory; he’ll be making his first NHL start tonight.
With Daccord’s injury, Ostman’s recall qualifies for emergency circumstances. Accordingly, his promotion won’t count against their post-deadline recall limit.
Lightning Assign Jakob Pelletier To AHL
The AHL’s top scorer is on his way back to the minors. The Lightning announced today that they’ve reassigned winger Jakob Pelletier to AHL Syracuse.
The 25-year-old was brought up earlier this week with Tampa Bay fighting the injury bug up front. He got into two games during this promotion, bringing his season total to four. The 2019 first-rounder is still looking for his first NHL point of the season, however, while he’s averaging a little under nine minutes per night of playing time.
But things have gone much better for him in the minors. In his first season with AHL Syracuse since inking a three-year, one-way deal with the Lightning in free agency, Pelletier is in the middle of his best showing at that level by far, tallying 28 goals and 47 assists in 61 games. That gives him a seven-point lead in the points race despite missing seven games. He’ll now have a chance to add to those numbers as the Crunch continues to chase down the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
Pelletier’s demotion signaled some good news on the injury front, at least, as Brandon Hagel returned to the lineup today against Boston. He had missed the last week and a half due to a lower-body injury. Hagel entered play today sitting third on the Lightning in scoring with 35 goals and 38 assists in 69 games.
Penguins Recall Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, And Joona Koppanen
With the Penguins now having secured a playoff spot, they’re electing to get some players with nagging injuries some rest. That means that several players needed to be recalled to have a full roster available for their game today against Washington. Those promotions have been made as the team announced (Twitter link) that forwards Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, and Joona Koppanen have been recalled on an emergency basis from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. With the emergency designation, none of them will count toward their post-deadline recall limit of five.
McGroarty is up with Pittsburgh for the fourth time this season. He has suited up in 21 games so far in a bottom-six role, picking up two goals and three assists while averaging 11:46 per night. The 2022 first-round pick has been much more productive in the minors, however, with eight goals and 22 assists in 28 games. With many key players out of the lineup today, McGroarty should have a chance to play in more of an offensive role than he has had most nights with Pittsburgh this season.
Koivunen, meanwhile, is also up for his fourth stint of the season. But unlike McGroarty, he has spent more time with Pittsburgh than in the minors. In 36 games at the top level, the 22-year-old has two goals and five assists while averaging 12:29 per night. Unsurprisingly, he has been a much better producer in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, tallying 11 goals and 25 assists in 32 appearances.
As for Koppanen, he’s also getting his fourth promotion of the year. While he hasn’t played a lot with Pittsburgh, he has had to clear waivers twice already this season. In 10 NHL outings, the 28-year-old has just one assist. In the minors, he has fared better, picking up eight goals and 15 assists in 42 contests. A pending unrestricted free agent, a report surfaced last month that suggested he’s likely to sign in Sweden for next season.
For their game today, the team announced (Twitter link) that numerous players are unavailable due to day-to-day injuries. Those include forwards Sidney Crosby (lower body), Benjamin Kindel (upper body), Evgeni Malkin (upper body), and Bryan Rust (lower body). On the back end, Erik Karlsson (lower body), Kris Letang (upper body), and Parker Wotherspoon (upper body) are all sidelined. Additionally, center Connor Dewar is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury of his own, putting his availability to start the playoffs in jeopardy.
Valtteri Puustinen Linked To SHL
Only two seasons ago, winger Valtteri Puustinen looked as if he might have locked down a regular NHL role. However, since then, his playing time at the top level has been quite limited. Accordingly, as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, it appears he has turned his focus overseas. Expressen’s Mattias Persson and Johan Svensson report that Puustinen is expected to sign with SHL Lulea for next season.
The 26-year-old played in 52 games for Pittsburgh in 2023-24, recording 20 points despite averaging less than 12 minutes per night of playing time. But while that earned him a two-year, one-way deal, that didn’t give him a leg up on a spot for last season as he ultimately spent the majority of it in the minors. He had 16 goals and 19 assists in 48 outings with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while seeing just 13 games with the Penguins, notching just one goal and two assists.
Meanwhile, Puustinen has yet to see action at the top level this season. Waived by the Pens in training camp, he passed through unclaimed and hasn’t been recalled since then. Back in January, the Avalanche acquired him in a swap for defenseman Ilya Solovyov but while they’ve used several different recalls on the fourth line at times, they’ve not yet given him a chance to do so. Between their two AHL affiliates, Puustinen has 12 goals and 28 assists in 58 games.
Given how things have gone this season, it’s unlikely that Puustinen would be able to land an NHL spot heading into 2026-27 while another one-way deal probably isn’t in the cards either. Accordingly, rather than continue on as a minor leaguer, it appears he’s going to try his hand at playing in Europe for the first time since the 2020-21 season when he played for HPK in Finland.