Updated NHL Free Agents 2026 Rumors and Landing Spot Predictions

From the Anaheim Ducks making Leo Carlsson the highest-paid NHL player to the San Jose Sharks committing a combined $66 million to Mason Marchment and Jacob Trouba, it's been a busy free agency period.

A week and a half in, however, some key players who hit unrestricted or restricted free agency July 1 remain unsigned.

Here's a look at some of the biggest players who have yet to ink contracts for the 2026-27 season and the latest rumors as to where they might end up.

Patrick Kane

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Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin might not be the only player looking to leave Detroit this offseason.

MLive's Ansar Khan recently reported the Red Wings "have a standing offer on the table" for Patrick Kane, but the veteran winger is unlikely to return in the wake of Larkin's trade request.

That has opened up the possibility Kane, who will turn 38 in November, could consider closing out his career with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Kane played 15 and a half seasons and won three Stanley Cups with the Hawks, and the team is in need of offense now that Connor Bedard is set to miss the beginning of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery.

Should Kane return to Chicago, he could help provide some offense in short term before potentially getting a chance to play on Bedard's wing once the Hawks' star center returns.

There has also been some buzz around Kane and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta recently reported the Leafs have had "very loose" conversations with the winger in free agency.

The Leafs could consider bringing Kane in as a potential linemate for Auston Matthews as 2026 top draft pick Gavin McKenna prepares to slot in on his left.

Jason Robertson

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Jason Robertson's decision to file for arbitration with the Dallas Stars hasn't kept his name out of the rumor mill.

Robertson is no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet and, unless he and the Stars agree to a longer-term deal, is set to sign a one-year contract through arbitration.

The Athletic's Josh Yohe reported after Robertson filed for arbitration the Penguins still "believe there is a real chance Robertson would agree to play in Pittsburgh."

The Penguins also have the potential advantage of having Robertson's brother, Nick Robertson, on the roster following a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this month.

According to Yohe, the Penguins "believe Dallas is holding out hope of signing Robertson" to a longer-term deal.

As of June 26, TSN's Elliotte Friedman reported the Stars were "at least $2 million apart per season."

Friedman previously reported the Stars had given the Seattle Kraken permission to speak with Robertson, who turned down an eight-year, $15 million AAV offer from the team.

The Penguins have the cap space to rival that kind of offer for Robertson, especially if the team sends some roster players to Dallas as part of a potential deal.

Whether that trade happens could hinge on whether Robertson and the Stars are able to reach compromise on a multi-year deal before their arbitration hearing.

Vladimir Tarasenko

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Vladimir Tarasenko is looking for a new team after scoring 23 goals in 75 games with the Minnesota Wild last season.

The Athletic's Michael Russo and Joe Smith reported in June that Tarasenko "seems to have priced himself out of a return" to the Wild.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman recently reported "a few teams looked" at Tarasenko early in free agency, although the veteran winger has yet to sign elsewhere.

One possible landing spot floated by Friedman was the Edmonton Oilers, a team that could be looking for more bottom-six depth after failing to get past the first round last spring.

Pagnotta previously reported the Oilers were interested in Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett, although the likelihood of that target has diminished after the Flyers' unsuccessful offer sheet for Carlsson.

Should the Oilers look elsewhere to add to their depth on the wing, Tarasenko could serve as a veteran option.

Connor Bedard

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The Connor Bedard contract situation just potentially got more complicated.

The Blackhawks announced July 8 Bedard would miss the beginning of the 2026-27 season after undergoing left shoulder surgery.

Bedard hadn't yet signed his next contract, so he's still a pending restricted free agent heading into his age-21 season.

He's been eligible to sign an extension since last July. Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said about a week before his injury there were no updates on contract talks, per NHL.com's Tracey Myers.

As of June 23, the Blackhawks and Bedard had begun "actively negotiating," per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Fourth Period reported Davidson "is believed to have started contract talks in the $10 million to $12 million range, but that figure will surely have to increase."

The Ducks have since made Carlsson the NHL's highest-paid player at $18 million in annual average value following an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Bedard could still potentially receive an offer sheet of his own as he begins rehabilitation from shoulder surgery.

With his start to the season now delayed, the Blackhawks could wait even later to decide if Bedard's next deal will beat out Carlsson's as the most lucrative in the NHL.