Michael Bunting, forward, 30 years old
Club: Dallas Stars
Last season: 74 games, 14+19
Cap hit: 4.5 million dollars
A finalist for the Rookie of the Year trophy in the 2021/22 season, since then he’s been drifting further from that 63-point campaign. The following year, he left Toronto and has since bounced from club to club.
He’s played for Carolina, Pittsburgh, Nashville, and most recently had a short stint with Dallas. There are stories about his problematic personality, but he still manages to deliver points - and get under opponents’ skin.
Connor Ingram, goaltender, 29 years old
Club: Edmonton Oilers
Last season: 32 games, 16-10-3
Cap hit: 1.95 million dollars
The 2024 Bill Masterton Trophy winner for perseverance and dedication to hockey, and a player who recorded six shutouts for the Arizona Coyotes in the same season, is still available.
His fragile mental health may be a factor - he was also in the league’s assistance program because of it. However, he performed decently for the Oilers, playing five of six playoff games with an average of 3.86 goals against per game.
Evander Kane, forward, 34 years old
Club: Vancouver Canucks
Last season: 71 games, 13+18
Cap hit: 5.125 million dollars
The power forward just had his weakest scoring season in recent years (except for 2022/23, when he played only half the season). On the other hand, the Canucks didn’t use the former Canadian junior world champion on the power play.
He collected 25 points at even strength. With 92 penalty minutes, he was the team’s most penalised player.
John Klingberg, defenseman, 33 years old
Club: San Jose Sharks
Last season: 56 games, 10+17
Cap hit: 4 million dollars
A few years ago, it looked like the career of this once highly productive defenseman was heading for a premature end - mainly due to injuries. But the Swede is proving he still has plenty of hockey left in him.
The two-time world champion has played for six clubs in the last five seasons, and it seems another move is coming, as he’ll leave the Sharks as the club’s top-scoring defenseman for the 2025/26 season.
Patrik Laine, forward, 28 years old
Club: Montreal Canadiens
Last season: 5 games, 0+1
Cap hit: 8.7 million dollars
Montreal had a fantastic season and a strong playoff run, but the Finn contributed nothing to it. The former 40-goal scorer and 2016 draft second overall pick played just five games in October before landing on injured reserve, where he stayed for the rest of the season.
Injuries have plagued him in recent years; the last time he played at least 60 games was in 2019/20 with Winnipeg. With each new injury, trust fades - and sometimes it seems even Laine’s passion for hockey is slipping away...
David Perron, forward, 38 years old
Club: Detroit Red Wings
Last season: 65 games, 13+15
Cap hit: 4 million dollars
The always tenacious Canadian is getting older, but he still has plenty to offer. The 2019 Stanley Cup winner with St. Louis is an ideal mentor for young players, always leading by example and never taking a shift off.
He’s played for seven NHL clubs, with 812 regular season points and 64 more in the playoffs.
Carson Soucy, defenseman, 32 years old
Club: New York Islanders
Last season: 76 games, 5+7
Cap hit: 3.25 million dollars
This defensive specialist split last season unusually between both New York clubs, but the January trade to the Islanders didn’t work out well.
The team missed the playoffs, and the well-built Canadian - once highly sought after - posted a disappointing minus-10 in 30 games. His ice time dropped toward the end of the season. Still, he shouldn’t have trouble finding a job.
Logan Stanley, defenseman, 28 years old
Club: Buffalo Sabres
Last season: 76 games, 9+17
Cap hit: 1.25 million dollars
One of the tallest defensemen in the league is in his prime, and it’s a bit surprising he still doesn’t have a contract for next season.
The defensively-minded blueliner, who changed teams for the first time in his career this spring - moving from Winnipeg to Buffalo for the playoffs - scored an incredible nine goals this season. Before that, he had just five goals in five previous seasons combined.
Vladimír Tarasenko, forward, 34 years old
Club: Minnesota Wild
Last season: 75 games, 23+24
Cap hit: 4.75 million dollars
Once one of the league’s biggest stars, he’s now quietly and gracefully winding down a career highlighted by two Stanley Cups with two different teams. But perhaps there’s been a bit too much moving around for the Russian in recent years.
When he left St. Louis in 2022/23 - his first team change in over a decade - he probably didn’t expect such a nomadic life. Since then, he’s played for the New York Rangers, Ottawa, Florida, Detroit, and most recently Minnesota. He still maintains a solid standard.
Eeli Tolvanen, forward, 27 years old
Club: Seattle Kraken
Last season: 78 points, 12+24
Cap hit: 3.475 million dollars
The Olympic bronze medalist has stabilized his point production in recent seasons. Last year, he tallied 36 points, after posting 35, 41, and 31 in previous years.
However, the Finn struggled at the end of the regular season, going goalless in his last 17 games and recording just four assists.
Other notable names on the market: Nick Blankenburg, Jonathan Drouin, Matt Grzelcyk, Adam Henrique, Calle Jarnkrok, Philipp Kurashev, Pavol Regenda, James van Riemsdyk, Reilly Smith, Cam Talbot.