NHL free agency gets underway on Wednesday, and old faces will find new places as the game of musical chairs unfolds. The 2026 free agent class is underwhelming, to put it lightly, but that doesn't mean there's no value to be found.
Due to the rising salary cap and urgency on the part of teams to get their stars locked up long-term before they hit the market, anyone looking for fireworks on July 1 will have to look elsewhere. The biggest name on the market is technically Alexander Ovechkin, but he will either return to the Washington Capitals or retire.
Teams in need of defense will be pleased to find a handful of quality options, although it seems as though two may already have a destination. The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired the rights to John Carlson, and the Florida Panthers have done the same with Radko Gudas as a reunion may be in store there.
The No. 1 player in our rankings is Rasmus Andersson, and he is a fascinating case. He's capable of playing a strong two-way game, but Andersson was a liability for the Vegas Golden Knights in the playoffs. How much will that impact his next contract -- if at all?
In goal, Stanley Cup champions Sergei Bobrovsky and Frederik Andersen are names to watch, as is Stuart Skinner following a slight resurgence with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The forward market isn't as robust, but there are intriguing middle six options in Mats Zuccarrello, Mason Marchment and Viktor Arvidsson.
Here are the top 30 NHL free agents as we track where each one lands.
| Rank | Player | POS | Last Team | New Team | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Rasmus Andersson
(29)
| D |  | ||
| 2 |
John Carlson
(36)
| D |  | ||
| 3 |
Sergei Bobrovsky
(37)
| G |  | ||
| 4 |
Alex Ovechkin
(40)
| LW |  | ||
| 5 |
Mason Marchment
(31)
| LW |  | ||
| 6 |
Jacob Trouba
(32)
| D | | ||
| 7 |
Mats Zuccarello
(38)
| RW |  | ||
| 8 |
Anthony Mantha
(31)
| RW |  | ||
| 9 |
Viktor Arvidsson
(33)
| LW |  | ||
| 10 |
Radko Gudas
(36)
| D | | ||
| 11 |
Frederik Andersen
(36)
| G |  | ||
| 12 |
Claude Giroux
(38)
| LW |  | ||
| 13 |
Stuart Skinner
(27)
| G | | ||
| 14 |
Patrick Kane
(37)
| RW |  | ||
| 15 |
Jack Roslovic
(29)
| C |  | ||
| 16 |
Boone Jenner
(33)
| C | | ||
| 17 |
Jamie Benn
(36)
| LW |  | ||
| 18 |
Mario Ferraro
(27)
| D |  | ||
| 19 |
Vladimir Tarasenko
(34)
| RW | | ||
| 20 |
Anders Lee
(35)
| LW |  | ||
| 21 |
Erik Haula
(35)
| C |  | ||
| 22 |
Scott Laughton
(32)
| C |  | ||
| 23 |
Jaden Schwartz
(34)
| LW |  | ||
| 24 |
Eeli Tolvanen
(27)
| RW | | ||
| 25 |
Michael Bunting
(30)
| LW | | ||
| 26 |
Ilya Mikheyev
(31)
| RW |  | ||
| 27 |
Corey Perry
(41)
| LW |  | ||
| 28 |
Teddy Blueger
(31)
| C |  | ||
| 29 |
A.J. Greer
(29)
| LW | | ||
| 30 |
Victor Olofsson
(30)
| RW |  |
