5 NHL Free Agents Still Available Who Can Help Teams During the 2026-27 Season

The opening day of the 2026 NHL free-agent market saw its usual frenzy of signings despite the limited number of notable stars available.

Noteworthy stars such as goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, Anders Lee and Mats Zuccarello wound up with new teams on July 1.

Bobrovsky signed a three-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Lee joined the Utah Mammoth on a three-year deal, and Zuccarello inked a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings.

Others who moved on included defensemen John Carlson and Jacob Trouba. Carlson signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, while Trouba landed a four-year agreement with the San Jose Sharks.

As usual, most of the best talent was quickly snapped up within the opening hours of the market. However, there remain several free agents who could prove beneficial to NHL teams in 2026-27.

Here's a look at five of the best of the remaining bunch.

Claude Giroux

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A 19-season NHL veteran, Claude Giroux is a versatile, well-respected two-way forward who can play center or wing. He spent the past four seasons with the Ottawa Senators and completed a one-year, $2-million contract.

The 38-year-old is no longer among the league's elite two-way forwards as he was during his playing prime with the Philadelphia Flyers. Nevertheless, he's still an effective, durable, and experienced forward with leadership skills who would be a good fit as an affordable middle-six forward.

Giroux's offensive abilities are in decline, but he still managed 49 points in 82 games last season with the Senators. It's projected he could get a one-year deal worth $2.5 million.

Patrick Kane

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After spending the past three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Patrick Kane is testing the free-agent market.

He sits at No. 12 on our final NHL Free Agent Big Board, and we noted the Red Wings are open to having him return for another season.

Kane, 38, is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, a winner of several individual NHL awards, and a future Hall of Famer. He's no longer the superstar scorer of his youth, and injuries limited him to 67 games last season, but he still tallied 57 points to finish fifth among Red Wings scorers.

Teams in need of a playmaking second-line right wing could use someone of Kane's experience and skills. He's coming off a one-year, $3 million contract and could be an affordable short-term addition on a one-year, $3.3 million contract.

Anthony Mantha

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Sitting at No. 7 on our final 2026 NHL Free Agent Big Board, Anthony Mantha completed a career-best performance with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. Inked to a one-year, $2.5 million contract, the 31-year-old winger scored 33 goals and 31 assists for 64 points in 81 games.

Rather than return to the Penguins on another one-year contract, Mantha hopes to land a more lucrative deal via the free-agent market. He could get $6.4 million on a four-year contract from teams seeking a top-six scoring winger.

The 6'5", 240-pound Mantha isn't a physical winger, but he uses his size and reach well to create scoring opportunities and to protect the puck. He's also deceptively fast and possesses a hard, accurate shot.

Vladimir Tarasenko

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Following a disappointing 33-point performance with the Detroit Red Wings in 2024-25, Vladimir Tarasenko had 23 goals and 47 points in 75 games last season with the Minnesota Wild. That bounce-back in his scoring could make him a tempting free-agent option for clubs seeking a scoring winger.

The 34-year-old Tarasenko is no longer the reliable 30-goal scorer that he was during his nearly 11 seasons with the St. Louis Blues. Nevertheless, he proved this season that he still has enough left to be an effective second- or third-line winger. He also has plenty of postseason experience, including two Stanley Cup rings.

Tarasenko completed a two-year contract with an average annual value of $4.8 million. He's projected to get a one-year, $3.4 million contract, but he could receive another two-year deal for around $4 million from teams looking to improve their scoring depth.

Eeli Tolvanen

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After spending four seasons with the Seattle Kraken, winger Eeli Tolvanen is seeking a new NHL club this summer. The 27-year-old winger is among the younger forwards in this summer's UFA market, and is coming off a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $3.5 million.

Tolvanen has developed into a skillful two-way forward who can skate on either wing. He has good playmaking skills and a heavy, accurate shot. He netted a career-high 23 goals in 2024-25 and 41 points in 2023-24, but he's never fully reached his projected potential as a scoring forward.

Nevertheless, Tolvanen would be a good fit for teams in the market for a good middle-six winger. He's projected to get a two-year deal worth around $3.7 million on this summer's open market.

Stats via NHL.com. Contract info via PuckPedia. Contract projections via AFP Analytics.