NHL Free Agents 2025 Rumors, Landing Spots Predictions for Top Stars on the Market

The NHL offseason officially kicks off July 1 at noon ET, when some of the top talents enter the market as unrestricted free agents.

Teams will do their all to land top talents, such as Mitch Marner, Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad, and Brock Boeser, to name a few.

How will it all end up?

We'll do our best to predict where some of the top names are headed by looking at recent rumors, salary cap restrictions, and assessing team fit.

Brock Boeser

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Brock Boeser

This offseason, the Vancouver Canucks and 28-year-old Brock Boeser may part ways.

Both sides have been long engaged in contract talks, and the Canucks even made another run recently at bringing back Boeser, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Servalli.

But the Canucks could be headed into a rebuild after missing the playoffs for the second time in the past three years and firing head coach Rick Tocchet.

After registering a career-high 40 goals and 73 points in 2023-24, Boeser's production dropped a bit this past season. However, he's still one of the top right-wingers on the market.

Servalli suggests the Boston Bruins could be interested in Boeser's expected $8 million AAV contract in free agency.

But the more intriguing and potentially viable option could be the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs are set to lose Mitch Marner in free agency.

It'll be crucial for the team to find a way to get some production back, and in Boeser, you're getting a seamless playmaker with immediate appeal among their top six.

Pair him with Auston Matthews and John Tavares, and you still really have a solid offense.

Prediction: Brock Boeser signs with Toronto Maple Leafs

Aaron Ekblad

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Aaron Ekblad

Aaron Ekblad has been synonymous with the Panthers' defense ever since being selected with the first overall pick in the 2014 draft.

After being suspended for 20 games without pay for violating the NHL and NHL Players' Association's policy on PEDs earlier this year, Ekblad joined the Panthers in the playoffs and made an immediate difference. His defense set the tone while he had 13 points in 19 games.

However, it appears that the 29-year-old's tenure in Sunrise, Florida, may be coming to an end, especially considering the Panthers' mid-season acquisition of defenseman Seth Jones, who will be earning $9.5 AAV under contract until 2030.

"Aaron Ekblad, I think, is the pending UFA that ends up going to market," NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun recently said on an episode of TSN Insider Trading.

Negotiations aside, there are some legitimate concerns regarding Ekblad's durability and the amount of time he spends on the ice, making it increasingly likely that a split will occur in the coming days.

Which teams will be most interested in Ekblad?

LeBrun believes the Utah Mammoth and the Dallas Stars could be some of the teams most interested.

Both teams are in need of a defensive leader, but the Stars' lack of cap space means it'll take a couple of moves to get themselves to a point to negotiate.

On the other hand, the Mammoth are in need of a right-shot defenseman after trading Michael Kesserling to land the Sabres' JJ Peterka, so Ekblad would be a seamless fit and immediately become their top defenseman.

The Mammoth are playoff-ready, possess a talented young core, and can offer ample salary to attract Ekblad.

Prediction: Aaron Ekblad signs with Utah Mammoth

Brad Marchand

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Brad Marchand

The Florida Panthers have now won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, in the process forming the next legendary dynasty. 

But come July 1, they have several decisions to make.

They already handled the top priority, re-signing Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett to an eight-year deal worth $8 million AAV.

After re-signing Bennet, they now have $11 million in cap space for the offseason. That won't be enough to sign both Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad, however.

Marchand is coming off a remarkable playoff run in which he scored double-digit goals in the postseason for the second time in his career. In the Stanley Cup alone, Marchand scored six goals while setting the tone with his physicality.

Given his resurgence toward the end of the season, he might now be in the range of an $8 million AAV, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic.

Marchand was pivotal to the Panthers' success in the playoffs and recently told reporters he'd like to remain in Florida. While the team will have to part with either Ekblad or Marchand, the latter's dominance in the Stanley Cup Final proves he might be the priority.

Furthermore, contract talks have stalled between Ekblad and the Panthers, according to TSN Hockey's Pierre LeBrun.

The Panthers have several top defensemen under contract for years to come, and given Ekblad's durability concerns, re-signing Marchand after his remarkable postseason is expected to be their top priority.

Prediction: Marchand re-signs with Florida Panthers

Mitch Marner

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Mitch Marner

In the last five seasons, only Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon have more assists than Mitch Marner. Despite all of his accolades, the 28-year-old failed to lead the Leafs to the Eastern Conference Finals in the playoffs in his nine-year tenure.

Furthermore, with a payday projected as high as $14 million AAV, the prospects of staying in Toronto seem bleak.

The Anaheim Ducks are an intriguing option for Marner. Anaheim has $36.04 million in cap space and is expected to be among the highest bidders, per James Mirtle of The Athletic.

The Ducks have not made the playoffs in seven years but are coming off their best season since 2018-19. Most importantly, Marner would get a much-needed change of scenery in a city where the pressure to win now is low.

But the more realistic destination is the Vegas Golden Knights, according to Elliott Friedman of the 32 Thoughts podcast.

Friedman has reported that Vegas has emerged as the top bidder. While the Knights currently have $5.62 million in cap space, they can free up $8.8 million by putting an injured Alex Pietrangelo on LTIR to match what Marner is looking for.

It's unlikely that the Knights will pass on Marner, and the opportunity to win now and form a 1-2 punch with a player like Jack Eichel will prove to be alluring for him.

Prediction: Marner signs with Vegas Golden Knights