Fresh NHL Free Agents 2026 Rumors with Updated Predictions

The 2026 edition of NHL free agency opened on Wednesday with several notable players quickly finding new homes. Stars who are already off the market include Sergei Bobrovsky (Toronto Maple Leafs), John Carlson (Tampa Bay Lightning), Anders Lee (Utah Mammoth), and Jacob Trouba (San Jose Sharks).

Readers can find all the latest deals and grades on Bleacher Report's NHL Free Agency Live Grades tracker.

While the market has moved quickly, several notable free agents remain available. Here, we'll dive into some of the latest buzz and make a few updated predictions.

Anthony Mantha

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Anthony Mantha is the top free agent left on the market, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. While the 31-year-old's career has been littered with injuries and inconsistency, he had a breakthrough 33-goal campaign with the Pittsburgh Penguins this past season.

The Athletic's Josh Yobe reported in June that Pittsburgh would be "happy" to bring Mantha back on a short-term deal. However, Mantha may not be a realistic option for the Penguins, who have reportedly added winger Andrei Kuzmenko on a one-year contract.

With Kuzmenko set to fill that short-term role, Mantha will likely covet a longer deal elsewhere. The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported that Mantha and agent Olivier Fortier are likely seeking a four-year deal and that Mantha could "net between $5 million and $6 million" per season.

Who might be in the market for Mantha at that price? According to Fox, the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, and Winnipeg Jets are all still in the market for wings.

Prediction: Mantha signs with Winnipeg

Patrick Kane

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Though he'll turn 38 in November, Patrick Kane remains one of the biggest names and best players left on the market. A return to the Detroit Red Wings could make some sense, though Kane still being available probably isn't great news for Detroit.

At this point in his career, Kane is likely biding his time to land with a contender, and the Red Wings probably won't be that next season—especially if Dylan Larkin gets his wish of a trade. However, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos doesn't believe a trade is imminent:

Regardless of Larkin's future in Detroit, Kane has other options.

According to Frank Seravalli of Hockey 247, the Buffalo Sabres "made a pitch" to Kane years ago and could be interested in making another run now, while the Toronto Maple Leafs "could be in the mix" as well.

According to The Athletic's John Weidman, sources indicate that Kane will be joining Buffalo on a one-year deal, though there are "still a lot of moving parts.

The Sabres would make sense for Kane. He grew up in Buffalo, and the team is coming off a first-place finish in the Atlantic and a first-round series win.

Prediction: Kane signs with Buffalo

Vladimir Tarasenko

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A split between the Minnesota Wild and Vladimir Tarasenko has felt imminent for some time. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and RDS Hockey, Tarasenko switched agents and was granted permission to speak directly to teams before the market opened on Wednesday:

The Athletic's Joe Smith and Michael Russo reported that Tarasenko was "expected to price himself out" of Minnesota in free agency. However, with Tarasenko still unsigned after a few days, perhaps he and the Wild can come to a reunion agreement.

The Athletic's Chris Johnston listed Tarasenko as his 30th-best free agent with a one-year contract value of $3.4 million. That's only $1 million more than what Minnesota has in available cap space.

Still, Tarasenko is unlikely to provide a discount. The 34-year-old is still a quality player who produced 23 goals and 47 points this past season, and he should draw interest from other contenders in need of middle-six forward help.

Prediction: Tarasenko signs with the Montreal Canadiens

Claude Giroux

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The Ottawa Senators are hoping to keep Claude Giroux, who appeared in 82 games last season and tallied 49 points.

"We've stated how much we want him back," team president Steve Staios said, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen.

However, the Senators aren't the only interested team. According to Garrioch, the "belief was" that the Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, and Toronto Maple Leafs would be interested in the 38-year-old when free agency opened.

Philadelphia, a franchise that previously employed Giroux for 15 seasons, may be the biggest threat to Ottawa. According to Julian McKenzie and Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, some close to the Flyers fully expect Giroux to be back:

"One Flyers source told The Athletic on Wednesday afternoon, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations, that the team expected Giroux to sign a one-year deal to return to the club."

Ottawa and Philly both make sense for Giroux, though the temptation to potentially end his career when it began may be difficult to resist.

Prediction: Giroux signs with Philadelphia