While plenty of contracts were signed in a flurry of activity when free agency opened July 1, there are still a number of players that haven't put pen to paper this year. Few of these players are game-changers, but many of them could still be solid depth options or power-play specialists in 2024-25. These top remaining free agents are likely to sign one-year contracts or professional tryout agreements over the coming weeks before training camps open around the league.
At the top of the list of free agents is Max Pacioretty, who had decent results over roughly half of a season with the Capitals last year. He produced 23 points in 47 contests, including 11 power-play points, after recovering from a second Achilles surgery. The oft-injured winger ended up healthy last year, which is a big bonus for whichever team can get his signature. Pacioretty is likely to slot into a middle-six and could be a first-unit, power-play option if he lands somewhere thin on forward talent.
Tyson Barrie will likely never match the numbers he had in Edmonton again, but he can still run a power-play unit. Nine of his 27 points came with the man advantage over his 65 games in parts of two seasons with the Predators. Defensively, Barrie's flaws are evident, but he's a safe third-pairing option who can elevate into the top four when injuries arise. It'll help that he won't be carrying a $4.5 million cap hit whenever he signs a new deal.
UPDATE: Barrie signed a professional tryout agreement with the Flames.
Calen Addison is one of the younger players still available in unrestricted free agency. It's not a particularly positive sign that the Sharks of all teams didn't want to give him a qualifying offer, but Addison has some real offensive upside. He was limited to 17 points in 72 contests in 2023-24, but he had 29 points in 62 games with the Wild the year before. At 24 years old, Addison is in a make-or-break year. Fantasy managers can look past the defensive issues as long as they don't lead to him being scratched, and he should be good for a second-unit, power-play role once he signs.
UPDATE: Addison signed a professional tryout agreement with the Senators.
While he's definitely on the back half of his career, James van Riemsdyk carved out a nice role for himself as a power-play specialist in 2023-24, posting 12 of his 38 points with the man advantage. He was an occasional scratch with the Bruins, but he played in 71 regular-season contests and 11 of 13 playoff games. Some team is likely to get him on a low-cost deal to fill a third-line role with steady power-play minutes, though his age (35) is a small concern.
Tony DeAngelo had hand surgery following the Hurricanes' exit from the postseason, which explains his continuing availability on the market. He was a frequent healthy scratch during his second stint in Carolina, producing just 11 points in 31 games, though six of those points came on the power play. He can be a frustrating player on the ice and likely won't see more than third-pairing minutes, but he's also exceeded 40 points in three of the last five campaigns, so there's clear upside.
The Kraken let Justin Schultz walk after two years in Seattle, in which he produced 60 points over 143 contests. Schultz has aged gracefully and can still chip in 25-30 points, including 10-15 with the man advantage if he lands in the right situation. He's fairly neutral from a defensive standpoint, but he won't do damage as a third-pairing option playing 16-17 minutes per game.
John Klingberg has played for three teams over the past two years, though his time in Toronto last year (14 games) was limited due to a hip injury that required surgery. It's unclear what his status is heading into 2024-25, but hip surgery is a tough obstacle to overcome for any player, especially one whose performance has been in decline for a few years. Klingberg may have to settle for a tryout to prove his health, but it would be unfair to rule him out at age 32.
Kevin Lankinen is the best goalie remaining, and he'd be a viable backup for most teams. He's posted a save percentage north of .905 in three of his four NHL seasons and has played no fewer than 19 games in a year. He saw action in 24 games last season with an 11-6-0 record and .908 save percentage as Juuse Saros' understudy in Nashville, though the Predators opted to move on with Scott Wedgewood in that role. If Lankinen can latch on with a contender -- perhaps one with uncertainty between the pipes like Vancouver is dealing with Thatcher Demko (knee) questionable to start the year -- there would be considerable value in making Lankinen a late-round pick in fantasy.
There's no guarantee Blake Wheeler will play in 2024-25 after suffering a leg injury in February that nearly ended his career. He was able to dress for one playoff contest in the Eastern Conference Finals, but he missed the last two games of the Rangers' six-game series loss to the Panthers. If Wheeler opts to continue his career, he may be limited to fourth-line minutes and little power-play time. Still, he's been a strong defensive forward and playmaking winger who could be an excellent mentor for young players.
Kailer Yamamoto got squeezed out of Seattle by the Kraken's impending prospect wave, though he didn't help his cause by producing just 16 points in 59 appearances last season. That was his lowest total in a full campaign, though he did pick up six power-play points. The flash of promise that came from his 27-game sample in 2019-20 is gone, and Yamamoto is unlikely to command much more than a league-minimum contract to fill a fourth-line role on most teams.
Kevin Shattenkirk played in 61 games for the Bruins last season, earning 24 points, including 11 on the power play. While his overall defense tends to be lackluster, he's an effective shot blocker while offering more scoring upside than a pure shutdown defender. Shattenkirk will be in contention for a second-unit power-play job once he gets under contract for 2024-25.
While he used to be a reliable scoring winger, Mike Hoffman's production has been in steady decline since 2018-19. He ended up with just 23 points in 66 contests for the Sharks last season, and he ended the year dealing with an undisclosed injury. Even worse, he was shooting 14.1 percent for San Jose, his highest mark in three years, and that came with just an average of 1:34 of power-play ice time. He's probably not done at age 34, but expecting a massive bounce-back year would be unwise, which is likely why he still remains available to sign.
Injury red flags will follow Tyler Johnson around for the rest of his career, but he managed to play in 67 games with the Blackhawks last year. He put up 31 points, though he also had a minus-35 rating while averaging 15:32 of ice time. Johnson's biggest selling point is his championship resume, which should lead to him signing somewhere -- perhaps a team with a large group of young players in need of a veteran mentor. On the ice, he should be penciled in for third-line duties and a power-play role.
UPDATE: Johnson signed a professional tryout agreement with the Bruins.
Antti Raanta is an option for teams that want a veteran goalie, though his lengthy injury history is likely what's keeping him on the market. Raanta dealt with just a couple of lower-body injuries in 2023-24, but he had trouble keeping the crease with Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov around for the Hurricanes. He went 12-7-2 with a 2.99 GAA and a .872 save percentage in 24 contests, so it's possible his myriad injuries have caught up to him. Experience still has value, but any team signing Raanta will want to have two other NHL-caliber goalies in place.
Filip Zadina bet on himself in 2023-24, and it's fair to say he didn't come out ahead. He had his contract with the Red Wings terminated in July of 2023, signed with the Sharks and then produced 23 points in 72 games, roughly on par with his 2021-22 efforts. The 24-year-old will likely never live up to his draft position of sixth overall in 2018, but he's a fine bottom-six forward. The Sharks didn't extend him an offer, and it's unclear if he'll get any NHL interest for 2024-25.
UPDATE: Zadina signed a two-year contract with Swiss club HC Davos.
Dominik Kubalik missed time late in 2023-24 with an injury, but he was reportedly healthy at the end of the Senators' season. The same could not be said for his production, as he had a career-worst 15 points in 74 appearances. Part of that is likely due to him seeing just 12:07 of ice time per game after being a reliable middle-six and power-play forward for the first four years of his career. Kubalik may peak at third-line talent with a couple of 40-point campaigns under his belt, so he should have some interest heading into September.
UPDATE: Kubalik signed a one-year contract with Swiss club HC Ambri Piotta.
While he didn't play much late in the playoffs, Nick Cousins was part of the Stanley Cup-winning Panthers. He sacrificed some of his own offense to play an agitator role for the team, ending with 15 points in 69 regular-season contests and just one assist in 12 playoff outings. Cousins is little more than a fourth-liner entering his age-31 campaign, but the championship on his resume and his ability to chip in roughly 20 points should at least be enough for a tryout.
UPDATE: Cousins signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the Senators.
Sam Gagner doesn't look poised to boomerang to Edmonton again, and it's unclear if he'll continue his playing career at age 35. He was limited to 10 points in 28 NHL appearances with the Oilers last season and spent the last quarter of the campaign in the AHL. Gagner likely won't be a full-time player if he gets an NHL contract, but he's a passable veteran forward to fill a fourth-line role.
Martin Jones got jumped over on the Maple Leafs' depth chart last year, but he still saw action in 22 games, posting a 2.87 GAA and a .902 save percentage. Those were his best numbers since 2017-18, when he was a full-time starter with the Sharks. At this stage of his career, Jones is a backup option at best and more likely a third-string or AHL depth goalie.
Mark Giordano was the oldest player in the NHL last season, playing the full campaign at 40 years old. He was limited to nine points in 46 contests for the Maple Leafs, though he still chipped in with 86 blocked shots. A broken finger, a lower-body injury and a concussion contributed to his limited action, as did the death of his father. He's had a fantastic career for any player, especially an undrafted one, and he's interested in extending his career. It's unclear if he'll be doing that in the NHL or a different league.
