NHL's Top 12 UFAs of 2025: Latest rumours, reports

Former captains and current Cup champs. Top-pair defencemen and elite playmakers.

Yes, even with several franchise studs and key support players signing pocket-padding extensions way before deadline and avoiding the stress of free agency, the NHL’s 2025 UFA class still sets up to be an intriguing one.

And with the salary cap guaranteed to rise by $7.5 million — to $95.5 million — those spendy general managers should have even more budget to splash the pot on the next Steven Stamkos or Jake Guentzel to test the open waters.

Here’s a rundown and ranking of hockey’s best impending unrestricted free agents, plus the latest buzz circulating about their future.

Trade deadline has long passed, so free agency now looms large as the next window to remake your favourite team’s roster.

1. Mitch Marner

Age on July 1: 28
Position: Right wing
2023-24 salary cap hit: $10.9 million

The latest: Once Mikko Rantanen got traded for a second time (and not for Marner) and signed his eight-year, $96-million extension with Dallas, Marner shot to the top of the charts. And the rest of the pack lags behind what is undisputedly the most coveted pending UFA of 2025.

The Toronto Maple Leafs superstar, management, and agent Darren Ferris are all on the same page when it comes to handle what could be Marner's final tour with his hometown team: Silence is golden.

Marner had previously expressed a desire to re-sign, yet he has rebuffed the Leafs’ attempts to negotiate in-season and has now positioned himself to take a run at not only becoming the NHL’s highest-paid winger but highest-paid player.

If he tests the market.

"Growing up in this area, I've always been a Leafs fan. I've always wanted this team to succeed and to win just to see what that would feel like fanwise. Now being part of it is very special," Marner said at training camp.

"It's my home. It's the place I've grown up. I've got many, many memories watching this team play Saturday night hockey with my family. Sitting there for hours watching."

Marner came up clutch for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off and has been Toronto’s most valuable player this season.

So, the onus falls on Brad Treliving — who bought high on peak William Nylander last winter — to either extend Marner at the best rate possible or make quick adjustments if he walks.

When the Carolina Hurricanes proposed a Rantanen-for-Marner trade at the deadline, Treliving brought the idea to Marner, who refused to waive his no-move clause.

So, here we are: A team unsure if its star winger wants to stay, and an in-demand talent who holds all the power over his future.

Flip a coin.

2. Nikolaj Ehlers

Age on July 1: 29
Position: Right wing / Left wing
2023-24 salary cap hit: $6 million

The latest: Unlike the monster extensions for centre Mark Scheifele and goalie Connor Hellebuyck signed in 2023 just ahead of their walk years, all is quiet in Winnipeg on the Ehlers extension front.

A frequent subject of trade rumours, the speedy Dane was reportedly open to a change of scenery in the off-season, according to The Fourth Period.

The Jets are the toast of the Western Conference, and the (roughly) point-per-game winger is tracking career highs in assists and points under new coach Scott Arniel.

Kevin Cheveldayoff has been noncommittal on the topic, often saying that he hopes his Jets win a Stanley Cup with Ehlers in June.

Ehlers himself says everything is business as usual.

If he has come this far, though, one must wonder if it’s worth a peek behind the curtain. 

Competing teams would surely try to outbid the Jets for Ehlers’ services this summer in a market thin on 25-goal scorers.

3. John Tavares

Age on July 1: 34
Position: Centre
2023-24 salary cap hit: $11 million

The latest: Already top 70 on the NHL's all-time scoring list, the still-productive Tavares is not entertaining any notions of quit.

While his captaincy was removed by the new GM and his ice time chopped by the new coach, the proud Toronto Maple Leaf is still a force in the face-off dot, a threat on the power play and below the hash marks, and the consummate professional.

Armed with a full no-move clause and understanding he's up for a pay cut, Tavares has already shown a willingness to sacrifice a little me for the sake of the we.

His agent, Pat Brisson, and Treliving did begin some preliminary extension talks in September — and it's clear that Tavares wants to stay.

The Maple Leafs, however, are letting things play out. As much as Tavares would like to put pen to paper yesterday, Toronto has other priorities.

Tavares and wife Aryne are raising three young children in the city. He is close to the necessary support of extended family. He has benefitted from multiple outside endorsement deals. And he did score the clinching goal of the one series the Leafs have won since ex-GM Kyle Dubas backed up the Brink's truck with $77 million.

"I love playing here. It's a remarkable place to play," Tavares said. "And when I committed here six years ago, obviously I saw a tremendous amount of talent and an amazing hockey market and organization that's fully committed to winning and doing whatever it can — and I still feel that way."

Critics will point to Tavares’s age. Defenders will argue that he slid seamlessly into the No. 1 centre role when Auston Matthews got injured and is still producing at point-per-game pace.

As the best centre available, a $7 million AAV wouldn’t be too much to ask for on the open market. But Tavares would rather not pack his bags. How much of a hometown discount will he take?

4. Sam Bennett

Age on July 1: 29
Position: Centre
2023-24 salary cap hit: $4.4 million

The latest: When Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito identifies a core piece of his championship roster worth retaining, he usually finds a way to keep his man — with an assist from his state’s tax laws, of course.

Zito prioritized locking up Gustav Forsling, then Sam Reinhart, then Verhaeghe. All re-upped for fair rates.

Now, Zito is grinding away with Bennett, that rare middle-six centre who can score, defend, and truck over an opponent.

That Verhaeghe came in at a reasonable $7 million AAV helps with the Bennett budget.

Leverage rests here with player agent Darren Ferris, who has a reputation for stressing deadlines and knows his client would be coveted leaguewide because of his unique skill-set and the dearth of under-30 centre options.

Ultimately it boils down to this: If Bennett likes the South Florida life, a deal will be made. If he wants top dollar, he'll find that elsewhere.

No doubt, the Team Canada fourth-liner could spark a bidding war — presumably landing somewhere between $6 million and $7 million per season, depending on term — if he reaches July 1. 

Bennett and Zito restarted contract negotiations, Elliotte Friedman reported on March 15. Weeks later, Panthers fans are still scrolling for an announcement.

5. Brock Boeser

Age on July 1: 28
Position: Right wing
2023-24 salary cap hit: $6.65 million

The latest: Boeser has stumbled after his first 40-goal season, making Vancouver Canucks fans wonder if he’ll be moving to a second team this summer. 

GM Patrik Allvin stated publicly that he wanted to decide on Boeser's future prior to the trade deadline. Then he tried — and failed — to deal the sniper for a decent return. The Hurricanes are one club with some measure of interest.

“If I told you what I was offered for Brock Boeser, I think I would have to run out of here because you would not believe me,” Allvin said on March 7, when asked why he had hung on to the expiring asset.

At that point, Boeser had 18 goals and 38 points through his first 55 games.

The eight-year veteran is aware of Allvin’s comments — which are hardly flattering — but said he hasn’t processed the implications.

“I'm trying not to really think about that,” Boeser told reporters post-deadline. “I honestly have no idea what’s going to happen.

“Anytime you have uncertainty, it’s scary. You know, the unknown is scary, so it’s obviously a little bit of stress involved in that. It’s not a great situation…. I’m still here. I’m still on the Canucks, and that’s my main worry right now.”

A rocky winter in Vancouver could lead to a beloved sniper walking away in summer.

6. Aaron Ekblad

Age on July 1: 29
Position: Defence
2023-24 salary cap hit: $7.5 million

The latest: An occasional subject of trade rumours, the second-longest-serving Florida Panther played an integral role in the franchise's two trips to the fourth round and is finally entering the eighth year of his max-term contract.

Neither Ekblad nor management have projected concern here, despite the uncertainty. But the deadline trade for another righty, Seth Jones, does raise an eyebrow.

Jones comes with retained salary and five more seasons of term. In short, he can serve as Ekblad insurance should the latter walk.

Ekblad already has $62.775 million (state tax free!) in career earnings, but he is one of the few top-pair defencemen under age 30 who could go to market in a summer where the cap spikes.

How is the second-longest-tenured Cat dealing with contract pressure?

“I mean, it’s one of those things. It’s always going to linger around,” Ekblad says. 

“But at the end of the day, I’m well taken care of. I'm able to go out and play pretty free on a nightly basis and not have to worry about something like that. It’s going to come when it comes. And if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. And life goes on.”

Life, however, is on hold for Ekblad — who got slapped with a 20-game suspension in March for taking performance-enhancing drugs.

His ban stretches into Round 1. Does it sour an appetite for an extension?

Or does Jakob Chychrun’s eight-year, $72-million windfall in Washington leave Ekblad as the most desirable defence option for teams looking to bolster their blueline?

7. Brad Marchand

Age on July 1: 37
Position: Left wing
2023-24 salary cap hit: $6.125 million

The latest: The former Boston Bruins captain’s ability to produce deep into his 30s and elevate his impact in important moments has made his previous contract look like a bargain.

While it has been difficult for fans to watch Marchand pulling a Florida Panthers sweater over his head, it has been equally difficult for the player to move south and for Bruins GM Don Sweeney to wave the white flag and detonate a chunk of his core.

Marchand met with the Bruins’ brass prior to his last-minute stunning trade with an appeal to negotiate an extension, reportedly through three years.

The money didn’t work, Sweeney decided to get younger, and the sides agreed to send the loyal veteran to a contender he’d like.

“Just had a gap,” the GM said.

The Bruins were prepared to pay Marchand no less than his current $6.125-million AAV, according to Friedman, but he could fetch more on the open market.

And so, as crazy as it seems, a banged-up and disappointed Marchand will try to win a second Cup with Florida, previously a bitter rival.

“I suspect that it’s going to be a rather seamless transition,” Zito said.

Much like the Cats’ rental of long-serving Flyers captain Claude Giroux in ’22, this one feels like a wait-and-see.

How does Marchand fit? And how far can Florida’s repeat bid go?

“I’m not worried about next year at all,” Marchand said on April 1. “In this game, in this league, you need to take every day and enjoy it. You never know when you’re going to get an opportunity to be on a team like this again.”

8. Brock Nelson

Age on July 1: 33
Position: Centre
2023-24 salary cap hit: $6 million

The latest: A late-career surge has Nelson riding a three-season streak of 35-plus goals into his last best chance for another pay day.

With a dearth of legit centremen on the rental market, Nelson fetched a tidy return for GM Lou Lamoriello and the aging New York Islanders at the deadline: blue-chip prospect Callum Ritchie, a first-round pick, plus a conditional third.

Leaving the only franchise he’s known, Nelson slides into the 2C role in Colorado between a couple quality scoring wingers in Jonathan Drouin and Valeri Nichushkin.

Lamoriello did right by the player by trading him to his most desired destination. And with the Avalanche waving goodbye to Rantanen, GM Chris MacFarland has the cap space to extend Nelson if he makes for a smart fit.

“I think he’s got more yet that he can give us,” Jared Bednar told reporters on April 1. “All of his defensive metrics look really good.... But I think his growth is going to come on the offensive side of it. I don’t think we’ve seen what he can do on the offensive side of it just yet. We’ve seen it in flashes.”

The Minnesota native holds all leverage, of course, but a deep playoff run could keep this relatively new relationship alive.

Last time the Avalanche had a second-line pivot of Nelson’s pedigree, they won the Cup but lost Nazem Kadri (2022).

“A lot of excitement,” Nelson said after the trade. “I’m jacked up.”

9. Neal Pionk

Age on July 1: 29
Position: Defence
2023-24 salary cap hit: $5.88 million

The latest: Funny. When researching the Winnipeg Jets’ top-four defenceman, we stumbled across a column titled “Jets Should Buy Out Neal Pionk…” That piece was written in May and has aged like a banana in the sun.

Pionk has been worth every penny of his salary in his contract season, ranking second in ice time (22-plus minutes) and among the team leaders in plus/minus while taking a run at 40 points.

With Winnipeg surging into legitimate contender status, the right shot became an easy “own rental” — at minimum.

Much like the case of Ehlers, there is no sense that the player nor GM Cheveldayoff is rushing to extend before playoffs run their course.

Just because the sides appear to be playing this situation out, that doesn’t mean they can’t come to an agreement eventually. (Last season, Cheveldayoff waited on Dylan DeMelo but got a deal done.)

Pionk’s uptick in performance is simultaneously boosting the Jets’ place in the standings and the blue-liner’s market value.

“The newsflash is, we probably won’t get all of these guys signed, from a UFA standpoint,” Cheveldayoff warned during a late-January address. 

“We’ve got, obviously, some RFAs that are performing very well and are in various different stages of their years before unrestricted free agency. We’ll tend to that.”

Pionk is currently working his way back from a lower-body injury and is expected to help the Jets come post-season.

10. Matt Duchene

Age on July 1: 34

Position: Centre

2023-24 salary cap hit: $3 million

The latest: Cast away by Nashville, Duchene has not only found a niche but thrived with his former city’s greatest rival.

The veteran has already linked consecutive 25-goal, 65-point seasons since getting rocked by 2023’s summer buyout and is tracking his two best plus/minus seasons of his 1,120-game career.

While younger star teammates Wyatt Johnson and Mikko Rantanen strike multi-year, eight-figure extensions, Duchene and his family have reached the stage where happiness and winning are king.

In short, Duchene seems to be slipping into his Pavelski years: short term, reasonable money, stick with a Cup contender.

As thin as the 2025 UFA market is on bona fide centremen, there should be an appetite on both sides to continue this relationship for another state-tax-free run in ’26.

Duchene still has a hunger for the game. So much so, he’d love to play his way onto Canada’s Olympic squad.

That said, he’s one of the best centres still unsigned. So, the resourceful rumour mill is digging up the interest expressed in the Montreal Canadiens back in 2019 and wondering about a revisit now that the Habs look legit.

11. Mikael Granlund

Age on July 1: 33
Position: Centre
2023-24 salary cap hit: $5 million

The latest: Dealt from lottery-bound San Jose to contending Dallas at the deadline, the 2010 top-10 pick is gearing up for his first taste of playoff action in three years.

Nearing 900 games of action, the veteran Granlund has made the transition seamlessly, scoring five goals and 17 points in his first 23 games as a Star, and looking every bit like another smart rental for GM Jim Nill.

Nill plans to meet with both of his ex-Sharks on expiring deals (defenceman Cody Ceci was part of the same trade) and talk extension.

“He is a very efficient player,” said Nill, who noted Granlund’s connection with Duchene in Nashville. “Very versatile, can play any forward position, centre, wing. Very effective on the power play. He’s a very good penalty killer, and he takes draws. He can play up and down the lineup. Great connection with the players here, that was another big part of it.”

12. Ryan Donato

Age on July 1: 29
Position: Left wing
2023-24 salary cap hit: $2 million

The latest: We thought Donato would be a goner for sure.

With the cellar-dwelling Chicago Blackhawks entrenched in a lengthy rebuild and the veteran winger enjoying a breakout campaign — threatening 30 goals and 60 points after previous highs of 16 and 31 — Donato was a fixture on deadline trade boards.

Why not trade such a useful expiring asset at peak value — in a seller’s market no less?

“Our plan was, we were going to set a high price because we value Ryan,” Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson explained when March 7 passed without a deal. “We love what he brings.”

Reportedly, Davidson’s asking price was a first-round draft pick.

Well, if the executive decided to keep the forward to skate out the string, he might as well try to make an extension work.

The Hawks need as many legitimate everyday NHLers as possible, and cap space is no issue. Whether it’s extending Donato or big-game hunting for, say, Marner, Chicago will be active on July 1.

Donato, who picked the perfect time for his offensive breakout, has earned himself a sizable raise. 

Davidson said in March that he already has “exchanged some ideas” with Donato’s agent, Matt Kreator.

More notable UFAs in 2025: Jamie Benn, Jonathan Drouin, Jack Roslovic, Brent Burns, Patrick Kane, Claude Giroux, Gustav Nyquist, Dmitry Orlov, Vladislav Gavrikov, Ivan Provorov, Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Dan Vladar, Ryan Lindgren, Brandon Tanev, Anthony Mantha, Ryan Johansen, Jeff Petry, Andrew Mangiapane, Andrei Kuzmenko, Yanni Gourde, Reilly Smith, Tanner Jeannot, Jeff Skinner, David Savard, Alexander Georgiev, Pius Suter, Tony DeAngelo, Victor Olofsson

All salary info via the fine folks at PuckPedia.com.