The 5 Best NHL Free Agents for 2025

Marquee NFL quarterbacks and wide receivers in their prime don't hit the market. NBA superstars rarely do now, either.

Things are a little different in hockey.

A given summer's crop of free agents can absolutely contain forwards or defensemen that contribute to your team's top powerplay unit and, if all goes well, lead the team in points. That was the case for Jake Guentzel in Tampa Bay last year or Artemi Panarin with the New York Rangers in 2019.

As certain teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers fight cap concerns or have an ongoing identity crisis, some of the game's top players are free to sign anywhere with cap space on Canada Day -- or July 1st for those stateside. It's a tradition at this point for our neighbors to the north.

So, who are the names in this year's class that can change the direction of the league? These are five guys I'd prioritize as an NHL GM come Tuesday.

Best NHL Free Agents Heading Into the 2025 Offseason

Mitchell Marner, Wing

The Maple Leafs can't possibly bring back their same underperforming top six, and they'll likely struggle to do so with Mitchell Marner hitting free agency.

Toronto actually just snagged captain John Tavares, 34, at a deal well below market value. So, it's tough to envision they'll also shell out cash for Marner, whose previous cap hit of $10.9 million annually is the highest of any player scheduled to be a free agent, per Puckpedia.

It's not like the pass-first winger underperformed his deal. He topped 85 points in each of the last four seasons as a perfect compliment to sniper Auston Matthews. Toronto fans would just be quick to point out that was a lot of money not doing much in the postseason; Marner notched just 8 playoff goals in 38 games during this same stretch.

At some point, the Leafs can't continue to hitch their wagon to a guy whose claim to fame is setting up others.

Curiously, the Vegas Golden Knights are offering a sign-and-trade package that could shake up both rosters in a hurry. I'd also argue the the Los Angeles Kings or Boston Bruins have cap space and an elite goal-scorer that can function similarly to Matthews.

Aaron Ekblad, Defenseman

It's rare that the defending champions are letting, arguably, their top defenseman walk. Aaron Ekblad seems to be a pending cap casualty as the team chose Sam Bennett's huge extension instead.

Ekblad's been suspended in recent seasons for doping and a dirty hit, so there is some risk in adding the 29-year-old veteran. The talent just significantly outweighs it. He was a regular on the Panthers' top powerplay unit and had 34 powerplay points in his last four seasons with the team.

There's also no denying the toughness, battling major injuries to still top 50 games and 20:00 TOI in each of the last four seasons.

Personally, this reeks of a team like the Columbus Blue Jackets or Detroit Red Wings surrounding their young talent with a proven commodity and overpaying for a guy that, admittedly, has his warts. There is no better blueliner in the 2025 class, though.

Brock Boeser, Wing

I think the best per-dollar free agent in the class might be Brock Boeser.

A winger formerly of the Vancouver Canucks, Boeser might be the most unusual intersection of talent and opportunity at the top of the crop. You look at 56.0 points per campaign in his last four years with some concern, but he also didn't top 19:00 TOI in any of these seasons. Vancouver just doesn't lean on their top guys systematically, and his counting stats suffered as a result.

The previous bout with blood clots is also a concern for potential buyers.

His goal-scoring talent is unbelievable, though. Boeser has a 14.1% shooting percentage in his career, which is higher than Boston's David Pastrnak (13.9%) as a similarly aged winger we know to be elite.

Boeser has earned the opportunity to be an on-ice staple for a good team. I can't help but wonder if the Colorado Avalanche, clearing cap space with a void left on the right wing after trading Mikko Rantanen, are attempting a splash here.

Nikolaj Ehlers, Wing

The Winnipeg Jets have been one of the NHL's best regular-season teams in each of the last two years, and their depth has quietly masked how good Nikolaj Ehlers is.

Ehlers won't catch potential suitors by surprise, though. Many teams have probably been eyeing the winger, who has scored 25-plus goals in three of the last four seasons despite not being on Winnipeg's top powerplay bunch a majority of the time. The team shifted him off Kyle Connor's line to balance talent elsewhere as Connor, with four straight 30-plus-goal campaigns, doesn't need much help.

That led to an even more substantial issue with playing time than Boeser, failing to meet even 16:00 TOI in each of the last three seasons since he can't really help on penalty kills.

There's no doubt that the wing certainly likes to shoot, which is why his shooting percentage (11.9%) is pretty low trying to make the most of limited opportunities. Much more than Boeser, I could see him opting to become "the guy" for a rebuilding team like the San Jose Sharks.

Puckpedia shows the Jets with $24.4 million in cap space, but these two seem far apart on a deal solely because of the opportunity available.

Ivan Provorov, Defenseman

This final spot was a tough one with older veterans like Mikael Granlund, Brad Marchand, and Patrick Kane still coming off productive seasons, but I'd be more excited about my team adding Ivan Provorov for similar cash.

Provorov was dealt to Columbus in 2023 for a first-round pick as his $6.8 million annual salary became too much for the Philadelphia Flyers to bear. The defenseman's coming off a decent season with Jackets where his +11 rating was the second-best of his career, and he posted 30-plus points in both seasons with the team.

He'll likely renew in the $7.5-to-8 million range for six-plus seasons, so we'll see if the Blue Jackets want to spend any of their $32.7 million in cap space on retaining him. He's limited to Columbus' second powerplay unit at best with Zach Werenski in the fold.

The New York Rangers are apparently kicking the tires on the 29-year-old after their season ended because of poor defense. Any club would be fortunate to have Provorov's steady, two-way services on the blue line.

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