NHL Free Agency Winners

NHL free agency and the pandemonium it brings is here. Over 100 players have already signed new deals, and some elite players will wear new uniforms when the 2025-2026 season opens. It's early in the offseason still, but three teams stick out as clear winners of free agency.

1. Vegas Golden Knights

An obvious, but necessary choice on the winners' list is the Vegas Golden Knights. It's simple, really, they acquired and extended Mitch Marner. The average salary of $12 million is under the projections and expectations many had for his next deal, and all it took to bring him to Vegas was parting with middle-six center Nicolas Roy. The forward group in the desert is dangerous and Stanley Cup-worthy, making the organization huge winners at the start of free agency.

2. New York Islanders

The Islanders have been tidy in their work over the last few weeks. An out-of-the-park NHL Draft combined with a strong first day have the Islanders in the winning column. New York general manager Mathieu Darche brought in winger Jonathan Drouin when free agency opened, signing him to a two-year, $8 million deal. The $4 million annual salary is excellent value for a player who has averaged 0.76 points per game over the past two seasons.

Darche also signed the team's top two restricted free agents to excellent deals. Defenseman Alex Romanov signed an eight-year, $50 million deal and rising winger Simon Holmstrom inked a two-year, $7.25 million deal.

3. New Jersey Devils

The Devils have been quietly improving as free agency began. Wingers Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov joined the roster, which aren't the flashiest signings. What makes them winners is how cheaply they signed the pair of veterans. Brown will make $3 million annually and Dadonov comes in at a $1 million cap hit. That's a steal for a player capable of scoring 20 goals and 50 points. Brown will be a huge boost to the team's middle-six, and hopefully help the Devils stretch out their offensive production across the lineup. The Devils didn't need to do a ton to improve, but they did exactly what they needed and didn't spend much to do so.