NHL Power Rankings: Biggest questions around free agents on all 32 teams

It’s safe to say NHL general managers have their hands full right now, specifically with the two or three phones they’re holding at all times as they negotiate the final, harrowing 24 hours before the 2025 trade deadline.

While the suits will get some kind of respite after the ability to swap players passes, soon enough they’ll turn their attention to the next item on their agenda. In many cases, that task will be negotiating a new deal for a valuable player who is set to become either a restricted or unrestricted free agent.

We talk a lot about pending-UFAs this time of year, as the ones on non-contending clubs are often names we see as part of trade speculation on the rental market. Of course, there are all kinds of players on expiring deals who — barring a miracle — won’t be moved ahead of the deadline, but still represent a fairly big question mark entering the off-season.

For this edition of the power rankings — as we move through the final, harried pre-deadline hours — we’re highlighting a pending free agent or two (and even some extension-eligible guys) for all 32 squads. For the most part, we’ll steer clear of obvious rental candidates since there’s every chance they could be on the move to a new team any minute now.

1. Washington Capitals (40-14-8) The Caps have taken care of two huge pieces of business by signing the goalie battery of Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren to contract extensions. The final big question will be whether or not they can find a long-term agreement with pending-UFA defenceman Jakob Chychrun, who turns 27 at the end of March and is having a career season in Washington.

2. Winnipeg Jets (42-16-4) Top-six forward Nikolaj Ehlers and top-four defenceman Neal Pionk are both eligible to become UFAs in July. If you had to bet a nickel, you’d guess Pionk stays and Ehlers goes.

3. Dallas Stars (40-19-2) It’s new-contract time for up-and-comer Wyatt Johnston, who’ll be an RFA in the summer. Will we see a bridge deal or an eight-year monster? Jamie Benn is also a pending UFA and we know the captain won’t be playing on a $9.5-million cap hit next season.

4. Florida Panthers (38-21-3) Sam Bennett’s name may have popped up on a trade board or two at times, but it’s hard to imagine a world where the Panthers — in the middle of their Cup-chasing years — were ever going to deal him, even if he can become a UFA in July. Aaron Ekblad is a pending UFA, too, but it’s hard to think his cap hit would spike much from the $7.5 million he makes now. Of course, the Cats did just add a $7-million hit for several years in the form of Seth Jones.

5. Vegas Golden Knights (37-18-6) Jack Eichel will be eligible for a contract extension this summer, one that would kick in for his age-31 season. Does Vegas try to get it done or are the Knights comfortable letting him play in a walk year?

6. Tampa Bay Lightning (36-21-4) Tampa made its play last year, when the Bolts let Steven Stamkos walk, inked Victor Hedman to an extension and landed big UFA fish Jake Guentzel. Bolts GM Julien BriseBois has already indicated he’s hopeful Yanni Gourde — reacquired on Wednesday — might re-sign to stay with the team he won two titles with in 2020 and ’21.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs (38-21-3) Unlike Mikko Rantanen — who might still wind up being trading twice as a pending UFA — there was never any real sense the Leafs would actually move Mitch Marner in his walk year. Both Marner and John Tavares can hit the open market this summer and absolutely everything — from both go to both stay — is in play.

8. Colorado Avalanche (36-24-2) You figured the Avs’ big negotiation would be with Mikko Rantanen, but after acquiring Martin Necas in the swap that sent Rantanen to Carolina, Colorado could look to lock up Necas on an extension this summer.

9. Carolina Hurricanes (36-22-4) The Canes snagged Dmitry Orlov as a UFA on a short-term deal in the summer of 2023. Now, the top-four blue-liner is set to hit the open market again.

10. Minnesota Wild (36-22-4) All the summer contract talk in Minnesota will be about whether or not the Wild can lock Kirill Kaprizov up on a long-term extension that will start in his age-29 campaign.

11. Edmonton Oilers (35-22-4) It’s time. One summer after Leon Draisaitl inked an eight-year extension to remain in Edmonton, Connor McDavid can do the same in five months. Defenceman Evan Bouchard — a pending RFA with arbitration rights — also needs a deal and it’s going to carry a much bigger cap hit than his current $3.9 million.

12. Columbus Blue Jackets (30-23-8) After topping trade boards for months, Ivan Provorov — as stated by GM Don Waddell on Sportsnet 590 The Fan earlier this week — will not be dealt by the easy-to-root-for Jackets, as the club pushes toward an unlikely playoff spot. Can Columbus actually lock up the minute-munching D-man on a new deal, though? We’ll see.

13. Los Angeles Kings (31-20-9) Vladislav Gavrikov kicked the can down the road when he signed a two-year deal with L.A. as a UFA in 2023, with the idea he might cash in later after the cap rises. Well, he’s up again, the cap is most definitely rising and the Russian could get his monster deal in the summer. Gavrikov is 29 and averages more ice time than every King except Drew Doughty.

14. New Jersey Devils (33-24-6) Luke Hughes, who finished third in Calder Trophy voting last season, can become an RFA this summer. His sophomore season has not gone as he’d hoped, starting with the fact he missed a big chunk of October thanks to a shoulder injury sustained while training in the off-season. It feels like a two- or three-year bridge deal is in play.

15. New York Rangers (31-26-5) The Rangers knocked out a big one early in the season when Igor Shesterkin signed the largest contract ever for a goalie, worth a total of $92 million. K’Andre Miller won’t be anywhere near that neighbourhood, but he’s an intriguing RFA with arbitration rights. Also, Artemi Panarin — who signed a seven-year UFA pact with the Blueshirts in 2019 — is eligible for an extension in the summer.

16. Calgary Flames (29-23-9) Before the season, it felt likely the Flames would be overseeing a bidding war for the services of right-shot defenceman Rasmus Andersson ahead of the deadline. Instead, Calgary is pushing for a playoff spot and, if anything, it seems possible Andersson signs an extension in the summer. The Flames will also have to sort something out with recently acquired Morgan Frost, who can become an RFA in 2025 and — potentially — a UFA in 2026. Calgary could also look to lock up Dustin Wolf long-term on a big extension.

17. Montreal Canadiens (30-26-5) The Canadiens have been proactive on extensions — Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle both signed last summer — so it would not be a shock to see Lane Hutson put pen to paper on an eight-year extension this off-season.

18. Ottawa Senators (31-25-5) The Sens young core is basically all sewn up, but what happens with veteran and local boy Claude Giroux this summer? If Ottawa gets into the playoffs, it’s hard to imagine the 37-year-old going anywhere else.

19. St. Louis Blues (30-27-6) One summer after the Blues pried Dylan Holloway out of Edmonton with a two-year offer sheet, the team might kick the tires on inking him to a long-term extension. The 23-year-old has been nearly a point-per-game player (38 in 41) since late November.

20. Vancouver Canucks (28-22-11) With the Canucks swiftly moving to ink in-season acquisitions Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Conor to new deals, the only lingering question really hangs over Brock Boeser. It sure seems like there’s a sincere desire on the player’s part to work something out, but he’s still twisting in the wind 24 hours before the deadline.

21. Detroit Red Wings (30-25-6) After grinding on new deals for foundational young players Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider last summer, the Wings can take a bit of a breather. Will Patrick Kane be back for another Motor City season?

22. Utah Hockey Club (27-25-9) Utah isn’t messing around, signing Karel Vejmelka, Alex Kerfoot and Ian Cole to extensions this week. Do we get a Logan Cooley extension in the summer?

23. Philadelphia Flyers (27-27-8) Andrei Kuzmenko is on his third team in two seasons. He scored 39 goals as a first-year NHLer in 2022-23 and 14 in 29 games with Calgary last year. Of course, he also netted just four in 37 games with the Flames this season before getting flipped to Philly. Now it’s decision time on the pending UFA.

24. Anaheim Ducks (27-27-7) Mason McTavish is having the best stretch of his three-season NHL career, with 10 goals and 15 points in his past 15 games. The pending RFA needs a new deal before September.

25. New York Islanders (28-26-7) Noah Dobson returned from the injured list last week after being sidelined more than month. It’s been a tough year for the big, right-shot D-man and might be a tough negotiation as he becomes an RFA with arbitration rights this summer, with unrestricted free agency beckoning in 2026.

26. Boston Bruins (28-27-8) Brad Marchand’s injury basically scuttled the somewhat-slim chance he’d be traded. Now we’ll see what happens in contract talks with the B’s. Six-foot-five Mason Lohrei, who could be a big part of the defence corps for years to come, can become an RFA in July.

27. Seattle Kraken (26-32-4) Kaapo Kakko has fit nicely on the Kraken since landing in a trade just before Christmas. He’s a pending RFA and you wonder if there’s a short-term deal where everyone gets a longer look at the new situation.

28. Nashville Predators (22-32-7) Let’s face it, Nashville might be busier exploring ways to rid itself of some big contracts this summer rather than signing new ones.

29. Pittsburgh Penguins (24-30-10) Matt Grzelcyk has had a career year playing 20 minutes per night in Pittsburgh. Will the 31-year-old defenceman stick around as a UFA?

30. Buffalo Sabres (24-30-6) The only reason Bowen Byram has appeared in some trade speculation is because the Sabres already have three left-shot D-men — Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson — inked for the rest of the decade. Byram, though, may be just scratching his potential and it will be very interesting to see how this all plays out.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (19-35-8) The vibes have obviously been bleak in Chicago this year and the losing has, understandably, worn heavy on Connor Bedard. That said, there could be some massive fish on the UFA market this summer and Chicago is a glaring candidate to jump headfirst into that pool. If the Hawks land a game-changing free agent, could that possibly be paired with a Bedard extension ahead of his final entry-level year?

32. San Jose Sharks (17-37-9) Fabian Zetterlund is tracking his second straight 20-goal showing with the Sharks and the pending RFA needs a new deal before next season.

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