With the 2026 draft in the rear-view mirror, NHL free agency will soon get underway.
This year’s class of free agents in the NHL isn’t the most inspiring bunch. In general, the class lacks a bit of luster compared to the quality of talent that typically reaches the open market. That is, in part, due to the sign-and-trade deals that were completed prior to the free agency period opening up, as teams look to acquire the rights to a player that’s set to hit the open market in order to avoid competition from other teams that might drive up the player’s price. Additionally, most of the top talent that would’ve hit free agency, such as Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Artemi Panarin, and Kyle Connor, among several others, ended up signing long-term contracts before reaching the open market.
