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Jonathan Drouin, Colorado Avalanche (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

NHL’s 2025 Free Agent Class: Top 5 Left Wings

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Alex Chauvancy | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 11:25 AM ET

Earlier this week, we looked at the top five right wings in the 2025 UFA class. Today, we’ll be looking at their counterparts on the left side. There is some intriguing talent here that could help teams add scoring pop in a free-agent class that doesn’t have much of it.

5. Andrei Kuzmenko

I’m not sure there’s a hotter-and-colder player than Andrei Kuzmenko in the NHL, but he’s solid when on his game. His 2024-25 season was a perfect sum of what you get (and sometimes don’t get) with him. He began the season with the Calgary Flames but struggled mightily, totaling just four goals and 15 points in 37 games before getting traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee.

After the trade, Kuzmenko found his game. He totaled five points in seven games with the Flyers before they dealt him to the Los Angeles Kings, where he had more success. He finished his stint in LA with five goals and 17 points in 22 games, a 63-point pace over 82 games.

Kuzmenko has shown that when in the right fit, he can be a legitimate scoring threat in the middle of a team’s lineup. He was the Kings’ most efficient five-on-five scorer, totaling 2.59 points per 60 minutes. He spent most of his time with Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar and posted positive results. That trio finished with an expected goals share (xG%) of 52.98 percent and outscored their opponents 16-5.

Evolving Hockey has Kuzmenko signing a four-year deal at a cap hit of $5.319 million, while AFP Analytics has him inking a three-year contract at a cap hit of $4.490 million. There’s some risk in signing Kuzmenko because you don’t know what you’re going to get from him, but a contender with the right skilled players in their top six could help get the most out of him, just as the Kings did with Kempe and Kopitar.

4. Jamie Benn

Chances are the Dallas Stars will re-sign their captain, Jamie Benn. But if he does make it to market, he should have his fair share of suitors. He’s not the player he once was, but he still had a productive 2024-25 season, finishing with 16 goals and 49 points in 80 games.

While Benn may not be the player he was at his peak, he’s still a valuable middle-six forward. He was the Stars’ fourth-most efficient five-on-five scorer this season, averaging 2.43 points per 60 minutes. He’s not the fastest skater out there, but still excels in transition. He’s a capable playmaker, and manages to create quality shots and scoring chances.

Benn will likely take a hometown discount to stay with the Stars. But if he makes it to open market, he could be a good value signing for some team. Evolving Hockey has him signing a one-year deal at a cap hit of $2.980 million, while AFP Analytics has him signing for two years at $4.801 million annually. Either way, he’s likely to live up to his end of the bargain.

3. Jonathan Drouin

Jonathan Drouin has had quite the career revival since arriving in Colorado two years ago. He finished the 2023-24 season with 19 goals and 56 points in 79 games, a career-high point total. He only appeared in 43 contests this past season due to injury, but totaled 11 goals and 37 points, a 21-goal, 71-point pace over 82 games.

Drouin’s bread and butter is his playmaking ability, and he has shown some goal-scoring capability in his time with the Avalanche. He’s not a physical player, and don’t expect him to do much on the forecheck, but he could inject some skill into the middle of a team’s lineup. The question is whether he can repeat his results from the last two seasons on a team without Nathan MacKinnon.

Like Kuzmenko, the right fit could help a team get the most out of Drouin. He’d be a reasonable target if you’re a playoff contender lacking some skill on the wing of your second line. Evolving Hockey has him signing a three-year deal at a cap hit of $5.637 million, while AFP Analytics has him at $5.024 million over a similar three-year contract. Expect him to garner his fair share of interest in a UFA market that lacks top-six scoring upgrades.

2. Brad Marchand

Brad Marchand’s price keeps going up with his Stanley Cup performance. He’s having an outstanding postseason with the Florida Panthers, with eight goals and 18 points in 20 games, and many of those goals have been clutch. But even before the postseason and the Boston Bruins trading him to Florida, he was having a solid regular season.

Marchand finished with 23 goals and 51 points in 71 games between the Bruins and Panthers. Even though the Bruins were one of the worst offensive teams in the NHL this season, he averaged 1.7 points per 60 before getting dealt to the Panthers. His all-around game still holds up well, as he’s a plus shot and chance creator, a good playmaker and can still hold his own in transition.

Aside from Mitch Marner, Marchand may be the most fascinating UFA this summer. His playoff performance has upped his value, and he’s shown he can still be a valuable contributor to a team, even at 37 years old. It would not shock me if someone gives him around $8 million annually for three or four years, especially since there’s not much to go around in a weak UFA class.

1. Nikolaj Ehlers

By all accounts, Nikolaj Ehlers will head to free agency on July 1. Reports indicate that the Jets will let him walk and test the waters when the markets open. He’s coming off another excellent season, totaling 24 goals and 63 points in 69 games, a 75-point pace over 82 games.

Ehlers was the Jets’ second-most efficient five-on-five scorer this season, averaging 2.10 points per 60 minutes. He’s been one of the more underrated scoring wingers in the NHL over the last three seasons, averaging 26 goals and 68 points per 82 games. He can drive play and excels in transition, is a high-end playmaker, and generates plenty of quality shots and chances. He’s not much of a forechecker, but that’s not a surprise since he’s an undersized winger.

Concerns about his size are mostly a wash for me, but he does have an injury history. He’s only appeared in 196 of a possible 264 games over the last three years, so that may be a red flag for teams interested in him. Still, I expect him to have plenty of suitors since this is such a weak year for free agents.

Evolving Hockey has Ehlers signing a seven-year deal at a cap hit of $8.888 million, while AFP Analytics has him inking a six-year contract for $8.106 million annually. Despite the injury concerns, he’s worth north of $8 million annually. You could argue he’s the second-best player in this year’s free-agent class, so someone will pay him.

Some Talent at Left Wing

There’s certainly more talent at left wing than on the right side, even though Marner headlines that group. Ehlers and Marchand are heading for paydays, and some intriguing second-tier options should get manageable contracts that don’t break the bank.

Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Advanced Hockey Stats