The 2024 offseason is gearing up to be a quiet one, as what’s left of the 2024 free agent pool is rather shallow, but right now, 2025 features some of the biggest names in the sport who still don’t have new contracts. So let’s take a way too early look at who could have a new team during the 2025-26 season.
Forwards
Sidney Crosby
It feels virtually impossible Sidney Crosby will play anywhere else other than Pittsburgh in his career, given all 1,200 games he’s played dating back to 2005 have come in a Penguins uniform. But if he wanted to travel in his later days, 2025 would be the time to do so. He’ll be 38 years old in August of 2025 and to this point hasn’t showed much sign of slowing down.
Mitch Marner
It seems like just yesterday Mitch Marner was drafted by the Leafs fourth overall, but he’s already 26 with a birthday in May and his six-year, $65 million contract coming to an end in 2025. Considering he’s got 607 points in 554 games and the salary cap is starting to rise again, it’s not hard to believe he’ll be one of the highest paid player in the NHL with his new contract, whether it be with the Leafs or someone else, especially since his current $10.9 is already the ninth highest cap hit in the league and less than $2 million away from number one Nathan MacKinnon.
Mikko Rantanen
When the summer of 2025 rolls around, Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen will be a 10-year NHL veteran. He still hovers over a point-per-game pace with 579 in 539 career games. The Avalanche are one of those teams that have paid a lot of people a lot of money to keep their Cup aspirations alive, and with the undoubtedly large sum of money Rantanen is going to demand, could complicate things for them.
John Tavares
The Toronto captain will be 34 years old in the summer of 2025, and to this point has continued to hover around a point-per-game pace through his six seasons with the Leafs. Whether it’s with the Leafs or elsewhere, his age mixed with his still noteworthy output will probably lead to a shorter term, high AAV contract.
Leon Draisaitl
One half of the Oilers dynamic duo alongside Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl’s team friendly $8.5 million aav contract will be coming to an end. McDavid’s current cap is $12.5 (which expires in 2026) and with the cap expected to finally rise over the next few years, Draiasitl will probably be the highest paid NHL player when he inks a new deal in 2025, only to be outdone by McDavid the following summer.
Claude Giroux
Giroux will be 37 years old by the time 2025 free agency rolls around. He’s still a point-per-game player during his time with the Senators. If the Flyers are actually a good team in a few years and show some promise to win it all, could G return to where it all began for one final go?
Brock Boeser
It feels like there have been trade rumors around Boeser and the Canucks for years now, so it shouldn’t be surprising if he hits free agency if he’s still with them in a few year’s time. He’s finally having a breakout season in 2023-24, posting 30 goals and 52 points in 49 games as of this writing. If he can maintain that pace for another season and a half, there’s a big payday in his future.
Brad Marchand
The new captain of the Boston Bruins will be fresh off his 37th birthday when the 2025 offseason begins. Marchand’s recent production ends up anywhere between 20 goals and 60 points to 30+ goals and 85+ points, plus all the extracurricular activities he’s known for. Whatever deal he signs next won’t be long-term, but if he can still play his style of hockey at a high level, he may be able to cash in on one more payday before he crosses the rainbow bridge to the rat hockey rink in the sky.
Travis Konecny
The Flyers have a pretty big question in front of them when it comes to the fate of 27-year-old Travis Konecny, and it’s whether they re-sign or trade him. Under no circumstance should he be hitting the free agent market (as a member of the Flyers, at least). He’s hitting the prime of his career at the right time, though, as he’s on pace for his second consecutive season of posting personal bests, which will lead to a big contract from some team out there if not the Flyers themselves.
Defense
Victor Hedman
Hedman has been patrolling the Bolts’ blue line since 2009 and was a key contributor in both of their Cup victories in 2020 and 2021. He’s turn 35 halfway through the 2025-26 season, which doesn’t leave a ton of road left on his career. There’s a good chance he’ll ride out the remainder of his days with Tampa, even if it comes at a couple single year contracts. But if he’s still got gas left in the tank and Tampa’s Cup window is closed, he’ll still be a hot commodity in the league if he chooses to leave.
Aaron Ekblad
The Panthers are a team that feels as though they’re in a never-ending financial crunch, which is a side effect of icing a Stanley Cup caliber team. They notably have to deal with Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour in 2024, then their top defenseman and former first overall pick Aaron Ekblad in 2025.
Ivan Provorov
Provorov was hoping to rebuild his stock as a member of the Blue Jackets, but that hasn’t exactly happened. He’s on pace for some of the better offensive outputs of his career, but his defense hasn’t improved much. He’s a minute muncher that if ever properly utilized could be significantly better than face value presents, so he’ll undoubtedly draw interest in free agency, but he may not be among the highest paid defenseman when it happens.
Shea Theodore
Vegas Golden Knights star Shea Theodore will turn 30 shortly after the start of 2025 free agency. He’s dealt with some injuries over the last few seasons, but when he’s healthy he’s still one of the better offensive defensemen in the league. He’s scored 265 points in 417 games with Vegas and won a Cup with them in 2023.
Jakub Chychrun
At the time of this writing, the far more interesting story regarding Chychrun is what the Senators do with him at the 2024 trade deadline now that the team has bottomed out, but the long-term outlook remains up in the air as well as his contract is up next season. 2023-24 has been a decent camapign for Chychrun, who is having his first limited injury season in many years. This is his ninth NHL season and he’s never played a full 82-game campaign and only broke the 60-game plateau twice. But he’s played all 39 games for the Sens so far (which is already the most games he played in a season since 2021-22) and has 26 points in that time. His ability to stay healthy could greatly change the contract he could be handed next summer.
Goaltending
Igor Shersterkin
There’s almost no way the Rangers let Shesterkin walk any time soon, but he easily highlights the goalie class of 2025. The 2022 Vezina winner will be 29 years old with a birthday in December leading up to the summer of 2025. He could easily rewrite the book on goaltender contracts when he current deal expires.
Linus Ullmark
Ullmark has formed the NHL’s top goaltending duo in Boston along with Jeremy Swayman. He won the Jennings and Vezina Trophy in 2022-23 with a mind-blowing 40 wins in 49 games rocking a 1.89 GAA and .938 SV%. Ullmark’s numbers haven’t been quite as bulletproof this season, but the reputation he’s crafted playing with the Bruins is going to secure him a huge payday, which says a lot because he’s already making $5 million a season.
Juuse Saros
Saros has been patrolling the Nashville crease since 2016-17 and was handed the torch when Pekka Rinne retired in 2021. He’s been one of the better goalies in the league over the last few seasons, and with the Predators possibly facing a rebuild of some kind, could serve as a big deadline trade chip next season, thus landing with a new team in 2025 free agency.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: pittsburghhockeynow.com / inquirer.com / dawindycity.com
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