5 NHL Veterans Still Searching For A Contract After The First Month Of The Season.

The National Hockey League can be a cutthroat business at times and each and every season that is a lesson that a certain number of players learn the hard way when they are unable to secure another NHL contract.

The 2026-27 NHL season has been no exception, quite the contrary in fact, with a number of well established and even well respected NHL veterans still on the outside looking in, hoping for at least one more contract in the big league. They may very well get their wish before the season has come and gone, but it almost certainly won't be the case for all of them.

Here are 5 players still looking for a contract who could seriously get a look this season.

#1 Patrik Laine

By far the youngest name on the list, the former 2nd overall pick at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft has seen his stock plummet in a way that I frankly didn't think was possible. Laine was reportedly offered nothing more than a professional tryout offer from the New York Islanders over the summer and the fact that he remains unsigned even now would appear to corroborate those reports.

Laine revealed in his exist interview with the Canadiens last season that he could have returned from injury, but never did, and I suspect that those comments may have been the final straw for a number of teams around the league.

#2 James van Riemsdyk

A veteran of well over 1100 NHL games, van Riemsdyk is not only an established NHL veteran but an incredibly well respected figure in the NHL as well. He is fresh off a season in which he put up 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points in 72 games with a Red Wings team that failed to make the playoffs last season.

There's no question that JVR has lost a step when compared to earlier in his career but, unlike Laine, his intangibles such as his leadership qualities may still make him an attractive depth option for any GMs faced with serious injuries at the forward position this seasons.

#3 Reilly Smith

The former Stanley Cup champion remains unsigned after what was his return stint with the Golden Knights. Smith had 16 goals and 10 assists for 26 points over 69 games last season but like JVR father time is starting to become a factor. Smith is a few years younger than JVR but still has 988 games of NHL experience under his belt.

I have no doubt that Smith would love to get at least 12 more games in to hit the 1,000 game milestone.

#4 Vladimir Tarasenko

It was somewhat surprising to see Tarasenko go unsigned after what was a huge bounce back season that saw him record 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points in 75 games with the Minnesota Wild last season. Much of that however was fueled by Tarasenko being paired with Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov and it seems NHL GMs have their doubts about how much Tarasenko can generate on his own at 34 years of age.

That being said Tarasenko's game is straightforward and teams in need of scoring could look his way, especially as a veteran with two Stanley Cup rings to his name.

#5 Nick Leddy

Another Stanley Cup champion on the list and one with over 1000 games of NHL experience no less. Leddy has seen limited play over the last two seasons and even played in the American Hockey League for the first time in over a decade.

The veteran defenseman appeared in just 32 games for the San Jose Sharks last season where he had 1 goal and 6 assists for 7 points.

A significant lower body injury derailed Leddy during his 2024-25 season with the St. Louis Blues and after he failed to bounce back last season I believe NHL GMs are wary of how well he can still hold up.

Would you want your GM to consider signing any of these veterans still looking for a contract this season?