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Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres (Evan Sabourin / The Hockey Writers)

NHL’s 2026 Free Agency Class Could Transform the League

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Alex Chauvancy | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 10:50 AM ET

Let’s be blunt about it. The 2025 NHL offseason has been a major disappointment. Not only was it a weak free-agent class, but the trade market has been quiet to non-existent since the draft. Perhaps the trade market will get going in August, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

Fortunately, not every offseason is the same. While we’re still a year off from another offseason and plenty has to play out over the 2025-26 season, the 2026 free-agent class is absolutely loaded. We’ll take a look at restricted free agents in the coming days, but today we’ll focus on a star-studded UFA class that has game-changing talent.

There’s No Shortage of Star Talent in 2026

Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov. What do they all have in common? They’re all UFAs less than a year from now. Of course, chances are they’ll sign with their current teams. Does anyone think McDavid is leaving the Oilers? He may not sign an eight-year contract, but it seems like a safe bet that he remains in Edmonton for the foreseeable future.

Eichel and Kaprizov are a little less certain. Michael Russo reported earlier this week that Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild are far apart on a contract extension. They’ve broken off talks for now and will re-engage later this summer or toward training camp again, but I’d still be surprised if he tests free agency.

There’s been less noise around Eichel, but even if these three players re-sign with their current teams, the 2026 UFA class only begins there. Aside from McDavid, Eichel and Kaprizov, here are some other high-profile forwards who will be UFAs:

Kyle Connor
Artemi Panarin
Adrian Kempe
Martin Necas
Alex Ovechkin*
Anze Kopitar*
Evgeni Malkin*

I put asterisks next to Malkin, Kopitar and Ovechkin because 2025-26 could be their final seasons in the NHL, but there’s still plenty of high-end talent. Kempe and Connor have scored 40 goals before; twice in Connor’s case. Meanwhile, Necas is coming off an 83-point season. Panarin has been one of the best scorers in the NHL for the last decade and could be highly sought after if the New York Rangers don’t opt to re-sign him.

Odds are that some of these names will hit free agency, especially with the salary cap ceiling expected to take another jump to $104 million next offseason. It’ll be the last offseason where players can sign seven- and eight-year contracts since the new CBA, which begins in September 2026, shortens term limits to six and seven years. There will be money available in the system, and players may want to test the market to cash in.

There’s More Than Just Elite Talent

While there are plenty of elite players who could hit free agency next summer, there’s also an intriguing second tier, unlike this offseason. These players won’t change your franchise, but they could be ideal complementary pieces to support a roster that already has a core in place.

Among the second tier of forwards who could be available are:

Alex Tuch
Nick Schmaltz
Anders Lee
Mats Zuccarello
Jaden Schwartz
Mason Marchment
Oliver Bjorkstrand
Patrick Kane
Michael Bunting
Andrei Kuzmenko

Even though wages will increase with a rising salary cap, most of these players won’t break the bank, other than possibly Tuch and Schmaltz, who border on being among the first tier of UFAs. They’re the best players of the bunch, but Schwartz, Bjorkstrand, Bunting, you name it, they could all help improve a team’s top nine.

There are also plenty of intriguing middle-six/bottom-six forwards that teams will likely target:

Reilly Smith
Alex Wennberg
Charlie Coyle
Eeli Tolvanen
Bobby McMann
Adam Lowry
Christian Dvorak
Ilya Mikheyev
Mikael Backlund
Jordan Eberle
Viktor Arvidsson

There are more, but you get the point. The law of averages suggests that some of these players from the three groups we’ve reviewed will hit free agency. That was never the case for the 2025 UFA class, even before Mikko Rantanen, Igor Shesterkin and other top players signed extensions. The 2025 class never had depth, but the 2026 group is nearly a complete 180.

What About Defense and in Net?

The 2026 UFA class isn’t as star-studded on defense and in between the pipes, but there are some intriguing names. John Carlson seems like he’ll be a Washington Capital for life, but you never know. Other blueliners who could hit the open market include Cam Fowler, Jake Walman, Rasmus Andersson and Mattias Ekholm.

It’s certainly better than the 2025 class, which was headed by Vladislav Gavrikov. That’s no disrespect to Gavrikov, who’s one of the best defensive defensemen in the NHL, but as of today, there’s certainly more intrigue among the 2026 UFA blueliners.

Like the forward group, there’s also an interesting second tier of UFA defensemen that includes Niko Mikkola, Darren Raddysh, Ryan McDonagh, Mike Matheson, Brett Kulak and Connor Murphy. Of course, some will re-sign before July 1, 2026, but the potential is here, too.

If there is a weakness to the 2026 UFA class, it’s in net. Jacob Markström and Sergei Bobrovsky are the premier UFA goaltenders, but chances are they will sign short-term extensions with the New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers. Filip Gustavsson and Anthony Stolarz are also slated to be UFAs, but I can’t imagine the Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs won’t bring back either player. Still, there’s talent spread all over the place for next year’s UFA class, and it could make for a much more exciting offseason in 2026.

It’s Not Just the Offseason That Could Provide Entertainment

It’s not just the 2026 offseason that could be a bit chaotic. Next year’s UFA class could also make the 2025-26 season much more exciting in the trade market. Quite a few of the players we mentioned above are on teams that aren’t likely to be playoff contenders.

Take the Seattle Kraken, for example. Tolvanen, Eberle, Marchment and Schwartz could all be trade targets for playoff contenders this coming season. The same is true for Tuch and Arvidsson, as the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres have an uphill climb to qualify for the playoffs in a stacked Atlantic Division.

You also can’t ignore the Gavin McKenna factor when it comes to the trade market. He’s a blue-chip prospect, and like the UFA class, the 2026 draft looks to be a strong one. Teams may begin tanking earlier than usual, and that could lead to the trade market getting hot after American Thanksgiving.

We’ll see how pieces fall into place, but with a loaded free-agent class, a rising cap, and a new CBA, the 2026 offseason has the potential to be much more exciting than this summer. And that’s what everyone who’s a fan of the NHL should be hoping for.