Top 3 unsigned free agents (Saturday, July 5th)

The National Hockey League free agency period in 2025 has proven to be a rather forgettable one with relatively little excitement on July 1st caused by a combination of players re-signing with their current teams at the last minute and a relatively weak crop of players expected to hit free agency to begin with.

There were of course still a number of notable free agents when the market officially opened on July 1st but now, just 4 days later, that list of names has already grown incredibly thin. While there are still a number of teams around the NHL with needs to fill, the reality is that the remaining crop of free agents doesn't look great. Those teams will likely have to settle for players that wouldn't have been their first or possibly even their second choice, a tough spot for any organization to find itself in.

With all that in mind today I will be looking at the 5 players who remained unsigned that I think can still bring value at the NHL level.

#1 Jack Roslovic.

Of the players still available in free agency it seems fair to suggest that Roslovic should be at the top of the heap.

The 28 year old centerman plays a coveted position in the NHL and tied his career best of 22 goals this past season, far more goals scored than any other player still available as a free agent. Roslovic also registered 17 assists last season and put up a total of 39 points over 81 games with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Roslovic is coming off of a 1 year deal that carried an average annual value and cap hit of $2.8 million, but AFP Analytics has him projected to earn a significant raise with a 3 year deal coming in at just over $4 million per season in terms of average annual value and cap hit being what they have projected for Roslovic.

#2 Matt Grzelcyk.

Just as Roslovic was the best forward still on the market it seems like a very safe bet to call Grzelcyk the best available defenseman still on the market this summer.

Of the players still available on the open market, none put up more points than Grzelcyk did last season. Grzelcyk scored just a single goal with the Pittsburgh Penguins over 82 games last season but he did add an additional 39 assists for a total of 40 points on the campaign.

The 31 year old veteran defenseman has over 500 games of NHL experience under his belt and is coming off of a 1 year deal that carried an average annual value and cap hit of $2.75 million per season. AFP Analytics has him projected to earn a 3 year deal at just over $4.7 million per season on his next contract.

#3 Victor Olofsson.

The fact that 29 year old former 7th round pick (181st overall) in 2014 finds himself third on the list is a testament to just how thin the talent still available has become.

Olofsson saw limited play this season with just 56 regular season games under his belt but performed well during that time with 15 goals and 14 assists for a total of 29 points. Still that represents an upward trend when compared to his previous season with the Buffalo Sabres and it is perhaps for that reason that AFP Analytics has him projected to earn a 3 year deal at an average annual value and cap hit of just over $3.4 million per season.

Olofsson is coming off of a 1 year deal that carried a cap hit of just $1.075 million, which means that his next deal is likely to represent a significant raise for him.

Honorable Mentions.

I would have loved to include a goaltender on this list but with James Reimer, Ilya Samsonov and perhaps even Alexandar Georgiev as the most recognizable names on the market I don't think any goaltender warranted a spot in the top 3.

There are some bigger names historically speaking still available on the open market like Max Pacioretty and Jeff Skinner, but their best days appear to be behind them already. Pacioretty was limited to just 37 games in the regular season this past year with injuries once again a major concern for the 36 year old who just can't seem to stay healthy, while Skinner was largely stuck in the press box during the Stanley Cup playoffs this year. The Oilers clearly felt that Skinner no longer has what it takes to deliver in the most important games of the year, and I don't see why any other teams would see things any differently.