NHL Free Agency Tracker: Canucks Re-Sign Boeser, Marner Traded to Golden Knights

NHL free agency has officially arrived, and teams across the league are actively seeking ways to bolster their rosters for the 2025-26 season. Many clubs had already secured important players before July 1st by signing them to contract extensions.

On the very first day the market opened, the Vancouver Canucks made a significant move by re-signing forward Brock Boeser. He will remain with the team after agreeing to a seven-year contract extension valued at $7.25 million annually.

Throughout the negotiation process, Boeser had indicated he was open to staying in Vancouver. With several key team members now signed to long-term deals, the club`s focus is shifting towards convincing 2024 Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes to sign his own extension.

Meanwhile, the New York Rangers kicked off free agency by acquiring defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov on a seven-year, $49 million deal. Gavrikov spent the previous two seasons with the Los Angeles Kings.

Perhaps the most anticipated pending free agent has already found a new home. Following a sign-and-trade agreement with the Vegas Golden Knights, star forward Mitch Marner signed an eight-year contract worth $96 million, committing his future to the desert team for the foreseeable future. In return, the Maple Leafs acquired third-line center Nicolas Roy.

Good news for the Maple Leafs is that they had already re-signed two crucial players. John Tavares will stay in Toronto on a four-year deal valued slightly over $4 million annually, and young forward Matthew Knies inked a six-year, $46.5 million contract before becoming a restricted free agent.

Elsewhere, Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito continues his impressive work. Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad were all set to become free agents on Tuesday, but the Panthers have secured all three for at least six more years. Each player reportedly took a discount on their annual salary to remain in Sunrise and pursue a dynasty.

NHL free agency officially opened at noon ET on Tuesday, and several intriguing players are still available. Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers will be appealing to teams looking to boost their scoring. Veteran forwards like Pius Suter and Jack Roslovic are also on the market. Among defensemen, Brent Burns is one of the top names available.

Ducks Sign Mikael Granlund

The Anaheim Ducks, a team aiming for a postseason run next season, signed center Mikael Granlund to a three-year deal with a $7.0 million average annual value on Tuesday.

Granlund was traded to the Dallas Stars at the past season`s trade deadline and accumulated 66 points (22 goals & 44 assists) across his time with the San Jose Sharks and Dallas. The veteran center was productive in Dallas with seven goals and 14 assists in the second half of the regular season, but the Stars lacked the cap space to bring him back.

Anaheim needed depth down the middle after trading Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers last week. Granlund helps the Ducks in this area and could serve as an excellent mentor for talented young forwards like Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, and Cutter Gauthier.

Sabres Boost Goaltending with Alex Lyon

The Buffalo Sabres are adding goaltending depth by bringing in veteran netminder Alex Lyon on a two-year deal carrying a $1.5 million cap hit annually.

Lyon spent the last two campaigns with the Detroit Red Wings. In 2024-25, the 32-year-old posted a 14-9-0 record with a 2.81 goals-against-average and .896 save percentage. Lyon will join fellow netminders Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi in Buffalo. The Sabres might hope Lyon can push Luukkonen to improve after posting a 3.20 goals-against-average last season.

Some of the top goaltenders, such as Jake Allen, Anton Forsberg, Dan Vladar, and Lyon, are now off the board. Alexandar Georgiev, Ilya Samsonov, and James Reimer are still available options, likely suited for tandem roles with existing NHL goalies.

Nashville Addresses RHD Need, Adds Nick Perbix

With many left-handed defensemen in their organization, the Predators needed a right-handed blueliner and acquired Nick Perbix. He signed a two-year deal worth $2.75 million after performing well in a depth role for the Lightning over the last few years. Can Perbix thrive in a bigger role with Nashville? Possibly, but his contract isn`t priced for top-pair performance.

Islanders Sign Jonathan Drouin to Two-Year Deal

The Islanders could use an offensive boost, and Drouin is expected to provide that on a two-year deal worth $8 million. He will be a valuable presence in the middle six, especially after revitalizing his career with the Colorado Avalanche, where he tallied 63 points in 122 games. Will Drouin play alongside Nathan MacKinnon? Unlikely, but he should still offer New York some good playmaking ability on the wing.

Los Angeles Kings Active on Defense Market

The Kings have been busy today, making several defensive moves. Whether `busy` equates to `good` remains to be seen. Cody Ceci has signed a four-year deal worth $18 million, and Brian Doumolin signed for three years and $12 million. These appear to be questionable defensive additions for a team that has recently excelled in that department. Anton Forsberg also replaces backup goaltender David Rittich, who left in free agency.

Kings Add Veterans Corey Perry, Joel Armia

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings on winning the Western Conference, and condolences on their Stanley Cup Final loss. Los Angeles has signed Perry, who has been on the losing side in five of the last six Cup Final matchups, to a one-year deal worth $2 million. Perry comes off a productive playoffs in Edmonton, and Joel Armia provides the Kings with some bottom-six depth.

Mammoth Sign Nate Schmidt After Strong Playoff

Before the 2024-25 season, Schmidt signed a one-year deal with the Panthers for $800,000. He played well in a depth role for Florida and had an excellent postseason with 12 points en route to a Stanley Cup win. Now, Schmidt will reportedly get $10.5 million over the next three seasons with the Mammoth, where he will likely take on a larger role.

Nick Bjugstad Joins Blues

The Blues needed to add some depth at center, and they achieved this by signing Bjugstad to a two-year deal. Bjugstad will bring size, defensive reliability, and a bit of offense to the St. Louis lineup at a reasonable price of $1.75 million per season.

Kraken Sign Defenseman Ryan Lindgren

The Seattle Kraken have worked to improve their blue line for the second consecutive offseason. After signing Brandon Montour away from the Florida Panthers last summer, the Kraken have reportedly signed defenseman Ryan Lindgren to a four-year deal with an average annual value of $4.5 million, according to Sportsnet`s Elliotte Friedman.

Lindgren split time between the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche last season. The veteran blueliner tallied four goals and 18 assists in 72 total games in 2024-25. Lindgren provides solid depth to Seattle`s defense as the franchise looks to rebound after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Rangers Sign Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov

The New York Rangers have significantly upgraded their blue line. According to The Athletic`s Pierre LeBrun, the Rangers signed defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year contract with a $7.0 million average annual value.

Gavrikov was considered the top blueliner on the free agent market this summer. He recorded five goals and 25 assists with the Los Angeles Kings in 2024-25 but is now expected to pair with Adam Fox as part of New York`s top defensive pairing. New coach Mike Sullivan lands one of the top remaining free agents.

Corey Perry Heads to Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are aiming to make a run in the Western Conference playoff picture next season. According to TSN`s Bob McKenzie, veteran forward Corey Perry is signing a one-year deal with the Kings.

Perry spent the past two seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and tallied 19 goals and 11 assists last season. The 40-year old winger has a track record of playing in the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past six seasons. Perry adds veteran leadership to the locker room for a Kings team looking to take the next step.

Flyers Add Goaltender Dan Vladar

The Philadelphia Flyers have been quite busy at the start of free agency. The team announced they signed goaltender Dan Vladar to a two-year deal reportedly worth $3.35 million annually.

Vladar posted a 12-11-6 record with a 2.80 goals-against-average and a .898 save percentage in 30 games with the Calgary Flames last season. The Flyers continue their search for a starting-caliber goaltender, as Vladar joins a crease that also includes Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov.

Brock Boeser Re-Signs with Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks have had a busy start to free agency. After extending forward Conor Garland and goaltender Thatcher Demko earlier in the day, the Canucks have re-signed winger Brock Boeser to a seven-year deal reportedly worth $7.25 million on an annual basis.

Bringing Boeser back into the fold is certainly a big deal for Vancouver. Boeser is coming off a season in which he scored 25 goals and dished out 25 assists in 2024-25. Throughout the process, Boeser preferred to remain with the Canucks, and the two sides were finally able to come to terms on a new contract. With teammate Pius Suter also a free agent attracting significant interest, securing a forward with 40-goal potential was a crucial move.

Flyers Sign Christian Dvorak

The Philadelphia Flyers are in the midst of a rebuild under general manager Danny Briere and are starting free agency with some spending. According to Sportsnet`s Elliotte Friedman, the Flyers have signed center Christian Dvorak to a one-year deal reportedly worth $5.4 million.

Dvorak spent the past four seasons as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. The veteran forward recorded 12 goals and 21 assists in a full 82-game season. Even with the addition of Trevor Zegras in last week`s trade with the Anaheim Ducks, the Flyers still needed depth down the middle. While Dvorak`s cap hit is $5.4 million, the league`s salary cap is expected to increase significantly over the next three seasons.

Jake Allen Remains with Devils

The goaltender market just became even thinner. According to Sportsnet`s Elliotte Friedman, the New Jersey Devils are signing goaltender Jake Allen to a five-year contract extension reportedly worth $1.8 million annually.

The Devils acquired Allen at the 2024 trade deadline from the Montreal Canadiens. Allen tallied a 13-16-1 record with a 2.66 goals-against-average and a .908 save percentage in 31 games last year while splitting time with starter Jacob Markstrom. Now, goalie-needy teams will have to explore other options to fill their netminding holes with Allen off the board.

Bruins Acquire Viktor Arvidsson via Trade

The Boston Bruins added another forward to their group prior to free agency. According to The Athletic`s Pierre LeBrun, the Bruins are acquiring winger Viktor Arvidsson from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick.

The Oilers are attempting to shed salary, and trading Arvidsson frees up $4 million in cap space. Arvidsson will bring some depth to the Bruins` middle six after tallying 15 goals and 12 assists with the Oilers this past season. He also added two goals and five assists during the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024-25.

Canucks Extend Thatcher Demko and Conor Garland

The Vancouver Canucks completed two important pieces of business before free agency officially began. The team agreed to terms with goaltender Thatcher Demko on a three-year contract extension ($8.5 million AAV) and forward Conor Garland on a six-year contract extension ($6.0 million AAV).

Both Demko and Garland were slated to enter the final years of their respective contracts next season. Demko is coming off an injury-plagued campaign that limited him to just 23 games, in which he posted a 10-8-3 record along with a 2.90 goals-against-average, a .889 save percentage, and one shutout. He has spent his entire eight-year career with the Canucks and is tied for fourth on the franchise`s all-time goaltender wins list (126).

Meanwhile, Garland just finished a spectacular season in which he tallied 50 points (19 goals & 31 assists), his second-highest career point total. The talented winger has combined for 39 goals over his past two seasons in Vancouver and could be relied upon even more going forward if Brock Boeser had signed elsewhere in free agency (which he didn`t, as reported above).

Mitch Marner Traded to Golden Knights

On the eve of NHL free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trading Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights in a reported sign-and-trade deal, according to multiple reports. Marner, 28, is expected to sign an eight-year, $96 million contract with an average annual value of $12 million. It`s not yet fully clear what Toronto will receive in return. Marner would have been one of the top players available on the open market. Instead, he provides an immediate scoring punch to Vegas` top line.

Panthers Re-Sign Aaron Ekblad

General manager Bill Zito isn`t satisfied with back-to-back Stanley Cups. With Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand all set to hit free agency on July 1, it seemed unlikely that Florida could keep all three. On the eve of free agency, the Panthers signed Marchand and Ekblad to new contracts. Regarding Ekblad, he reportedly took a major discount to remain with the Cats, signing for eight years at roughly $6.1 million, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Ekblad was once again integral to Florida`s postseason success, contributing 13 points in 19 games while also posting excellent five-on-five numbers. Now, he`ll patrol the blue line in Sunrise well into his 30s.

Brad Marchand Signs Long-Term with Panthers

Marchand isn`t going anywhere. The veteran forward is reportedly close to signing a six-year, $32 million extension with the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers, according to Sportsnet`s Elliotte Friedman. Marchand was traded to Florida at the deadline last season after spending 16 years with the Boston Bruins. He made an immediate impact, recording 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) during the Panthers` playoff run.

Sam Bennett Stays with Panthers

The 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner is staying in Sunrise. In the Panthers` quest for back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, Bennett was a dominant force. His 15 goals led the league, and he didn`t sacrifice defense for offense. The veteran center was superb at both ends of the ice. Bennett`s performance could have commanded a massive payday in free agency, but he has re-signed with the Panthers on an eight-year contract worth $64 million.

Evan Bouchard Signs Big Deal with Oilers

There was never much doubt about Bouchard`s future with the Oilers. He has emerged as a key No. 1 defenseman for them, and he can quarterback the power play exceptionally well. On Monday, Edmonton announced it had re-signed Bouchard to a four-year contract worth $10.5 million per season. Now, between Bouchard and Nurse, the Oilers have just under $20 million committed to two of their top blueliners.

Patrick Kane Returns to Red Wings

The veteran winger is staying in Detroit for a third season after signing a one-year deal worth $3 million. While Kane may not be as productive as he was when leading the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups, he has surpassed the 20-goal mark in each of his first two seasons with the Wings. He will remain with the team to provide a top-six scoring option as they attempt to end their playoff drought.

Blue Jackets Sign Ivan Provorov to Large Contract

One of the more surprising moves during the re-signing period was the Blue Jackets announcing a seven-year, $59.5 million contract for Provorov. Columbus has utilized him in a top-four role over the last two years, but he hasn`t necessarily had success in those minutes. Paying $8.5 million for a defenseman who has struggled to maintain positive metrics at five-on-five seems like questionable business.

John Tavares Re-Signs with Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs are keeping one of their offensive threats. The team announced they re-signed Tavares to a four-year contract that will carry a $4.38 million cap hit per season. Tavares was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next week and would likely have drawn considerable interest on the open market.

Tavares, 34, recorded 74 points (38 goals & 36 assists) in 75 regular-season games for Toronto last season. He has spent the last seven seasons with the Maple Leafs after signing a seven-year, $77 million contract with the franchise in free agency.

With the Maple Leafs having just traded star winger Mitch Marner this summer, bringing back Tavares on a very affordable multi-year deal is a significant win. Tavares will likely continue to center Toronto`s second line when the 2025-26 campaign begins.

Jonathan Toews Joins Jets

Jonathan Toews will make his anticipated NHL return after two seasons away from the ice. The Jets announced that Toews will sign with the franchise when free agency opens on July 1.

Toews has accumulated 883 points (372 goals & 511 assists) in 1,067 career regular-season games. He also ranks fifth in games played, sixth in points, sixth in goals, eighth in assists, and third in game-winning goals (69) in Blackhawks history. In his last full season in 2022-23, the former Blackhawks captain scored 15 goals and dished out 16 assists in 53 games. Toews possesses a long list of accolades, including winning three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks and capturing the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010.

Matt Duchene Remains with Stars

The Stars are bringing back a key member of their veteran core. Dallas has re-signed the forward to a four-year contract extension that will be worth $4.5 million per season. Duchene was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Duchene recorded 30 goals and 52 assists in 82 regular-season games, leading the Stars in scoring in 2024-25. His 52 assists were a career-high last season, and Duchene`s 82 points were the second-highest scoring season of his entire 16-year career. Duchene also added six points (one goal & five assists) in 18 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Duchene is expected to continue being a very productive member of the team`s top six forwards as they aim for a Stanley Cup run next season.

Avalanche Extend Brock Nelson

The Avalanche are keeping arguably their top free agent for the foreseeable future. The team has signed forward Brock Nelson to a three-year contract extension carrying an average annual value of $7.5 million. Nelson was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Nelson was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline from the New York Islanders and tallied 13 points (6 goals & 7 assists) in 19 regular-season games with Colorado. He recorded 56 combined points (26 goals & 30 assists) between the Avalanche and Islanders, while also registering four assists in the team`s first-round series loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars. Nelson will likely continue to center the Avalanche`s second line and skate with Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin.

Nelson is set to turn 34 years old around the start of the 2025-26 season this fall.