NHL free agency tracker: Nikolaj Ehlers signs with Hurricanes, Maple Leafs trade Mitch Marner to Vegas

NHL free agency has arrived, and that means teams around the league will be looking to make upgrades to their rosters for the 2025-26 season. Many teams have already taken care of business before July 1 by re-signing key players to extensions.

After taking a few days to mull over his options, former Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers has made his decision. On Thursday, Ehlers inked a seven-year deal worth $51 million with the Carolina Hurricanes. After spending the first decade of his NHL career with the Jets, Ehlers will try to help the Hurricanes get over their conference finals hump.

The Vancouver Canucks also pulled off a surprise in free agency by re-signing forward Brock Boeser to a seven-year contract extension worth $7.25 million annually. With several of the team’s key pieces signed long term, the team will shift their focus towards convincing 2024 Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes to sign a contract extension.

Perhaps the biggest move of this offseason was made by the Vegas Golden Knights. After a sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, star forward Mitch Marner signed an eight-year deal worth $96 million, so he’ll be in the desert for the foreseeable future. In return, the Maple Leafs got third-line center Nicolas Roy.

The good news for the Maple Leafs is that they managed to re-sign two key players. John Tavares will remain in Toronto on a four-year deal worth just over $4 million per year, and young forward Matthew Knies inked a six-year, $46.5 million deal before hitting the market as a restricted free agent.

Elsewhere, Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito continues to work his magic. With Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad all set to hit the market, the Panthers have locked up all three for at least six more years. Every single one took a discount, at least on an annual basis, to stay in Sunrise and go for the dynasty.

CBS Sports has you covered throughout NHL free agency with all of the latest signings across the league.

Nikolaj Ehlers lands with Hurricanes

With so many big names re-signed before the start of free agency, Ehlers was the belle of the ball, and he had a handful of suitors. Ultimately, he landed with the Hurricanes on a contract worth $8.5 million per season. Over the last two seasons, the speedy Ehlers totaled 49 goals and 75 assists while playing under 16 minutes per game. Perhaps Carolina can help him hit new heights with increased usage.

Sharks ink Dmitri Orlov to two-year deal

Another former Hurricanes defenseman is on the move, and this time, it’s Orlov. After struggling in the postseason, Orlov still cashes in with a $13 million contract in San Jose. The Sharks can afford to overpay, and Orlov will be a veteran presence in a very young locker room.

Brent Burns joins Avalanche

Even at the age of 40, Burns is still plugging along as a reliable two-way defender. With his tenure in Carolina behind him, Burns will join the Avs on a one-year deal worth $1 million plus incentives. Burns will give Colorado some nice depth behind Cale Makar and Devon Toews, but how will he hold up outside Carolina’s elite defensive environment?

Jets add veteran winger Gus Nyquist

Winnipeg has clearly focused on adding veterans to the locker room this summer. The team already signed Jonathan Toews, and now it has brought in Nyquist on a one-year deal worth $3.25 million. The 35-year-old Nyquist took a noticeable step backward in 2024-25, but he should be able to eat some third-line minutes with the Jets.

Pius Suter goes to Blues on two-year contract

After signing Nick Bjugstad on Tuesday, the Blues upgraded their center depth even more with Suter. Coming off a career year with the Vancouver Canucks, Suter provides some solid defense accompanied by 15-20 goals on offense. Given the Blues are only paying him $4.125 million per year, that’s a nice piece of work by GM Doug Armstrong.

Kaedan Korczak stays with Vegas on four-year deal

With Nic Hague going to the Predators and Alex Pietrangelo out for the entire 2025-26 season, the Golden Knights need to find solutions on defense. They’re hoping Korczak, who just signed a $13 million contract, can do that as he steps into a bigger role. The 24-year-old played well in limited minutes last year, but tougher assignments are on the horizon.

Red Wings add forward depth with Mason Appleton

One of the biggest reasons for the Jets’ strong defense was the shutdown line that consisted of Adam Lowry between Nino Niederreiter and Appleton. Now, one third of that line is in Detroit. Appleton may not bring a ton of offense with him to the Motor City, but at $2.9 million per year for the next two seasons, the Red Wings have upgraded their team defense for a reasonable price.

Devils re-sign Cody Glass to two-year deal

The Devils acquired Glass from the Penguins at last year’s trade deadline, and he posted seven points in 14 games. At $2.5 million per season, New Jersey isn’t breaking the bank to bring Glass back, and he should provide a nice presence down the middle on the third or fourth line.

Anthony Mantha lands $2.5 million contract with Penguins

Over the last two seasons, Mantha has played a combined 31 games. When he’s been in the lineup, Mantha has been a dependable middle-six winger. It’s a nice bet for Pittsburgh, a team that is very clearly in rebuilding mode. If Mantha plays well, the Pens can flip him for future assets at the trade deadline.

Andrew Mangiapane signs with Oilers

In their never-ending quest for reliable depth scoring, the Oilers have turned to Mangiapane this offseason. The 29-year-old forward is coming off a 14-goal season with the Capitals, and he should be able to play a middle-six role in Edmonton. The Oilers are hoping he pans out a little better than last summer’s acquisitions of Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. Mangiapane is on a two-year contract worth a total of $7.2 million.

Rangers re-sign Will Cuylle

Cuylle, a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, took a big step forward last season with 20 goals and 25 assists. That made him a potential offer sheet target as a restricted free agent, but New York made sure it never got that far. Cuylle will remain with the Rangers on a two-year deal worth $3.9 million per season.

Sharks bolster depth

The Sharks have a an exciting core of young players, and they spent the latter part of Tuesday trying to put some veterans around them on the depth chart. San Jose signed defenseman John Klingberg, who revived his career during the Oilers’ playoff run, to a one-year deal worth $4 million. The Sharks also signed Adam Gaudette, a bottom-six forward coming off a 19-goal campaign with the Senators. He inked a two-year deal worth $4 million.

Ducks land Mikael Granlund

The Anaheim Ducks are a team on the rise that aims to make a postseason run next season. On Tuesday, they signed center Mikael Granlund to a three-year deal that will carry a $7.0 million average-annual-value.

Granlund was traded to the Dallas Stars at the trade deadline this past season and tallied 66 points (22 goals & 44 assists) in his time between the San Jose Sharks and Dallas. The veteran center was productive in Dallas with seven goals and 14 assists in the second half of the regular season, but the Stars just didn’t have the cap room to bring him back. 

Anaheim was in need of some depth up at the middle after trading Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers last week. Granlund helps the Ducks up the middle and he could serve as a great mentor for talented young forwards like Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, and Cutter Gauthier. 

Sabres add goaltending depth in Alex Lyon

The Buffalo Sabres are adding some goaltending depth by bringing in veteran netminder Alex Lyon on a two-year deal that carries a $1.5 million cap hit annually.

Lyon has been a member of the Detroit Red Wings over the last two campaigns. In 2024-25, the 32-year-old posted a 14-9-0 record with a 2.81 goals-against-average and .896 save percentage. Lyon will join fellow netminders Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi in Buffalo. Perhaps the Sabres are hoping Lyon will push Luukkonen to be a better version of himself after posting a 3.20 goals-against-average this past season.

Some of the top goaltenders, such as Jake Allen, Anton Forsberg, Dan Vladar, and Lyon, are now off the board. Alexandar Georgiev, Ilya Samsonov, and James Reimer are some of the options still available, but they likely will be a tandem option with a goaltender that an NHL franchise already has on its roster.

Nashville fills RHD need with Nick Perbix

With a glut of left-handed defensemen in the organization, the Predators needed a right-handed defenseman, and they got that in Perbix. He signed a two-year deal worth $2.75 million after playing well in a depth role for the Lightning over the last few years. Can Perbix thrive in a bigger role with Nashville? Perhaps, but he also isn’t getting paid to do that either.

Isles ink Jonathan Drouin to a two-year deal

The Islanders could use an infusion of offense, and Drouin should provide that on a two-year deal worth $8 million. He will be a good presence in the middle six, especially after reviving his career with the Colorado Avalanche, where he tallied 63 points in 122 games. Will Drouin be playing with Nathan MacKinnon? No, but he should still give New York some nice playmaking ability on the wing.

Los Angeles continues busy day with defensive additions

The Kings have been busy today. Does busy mean good? Not necessarily. Cody Ceci has signed a four-year deal worth $18 million, and Brian Doumolin has signed for three years and $12 million. Those are head-scratching defensive moves for a team that has done so well in that department lately. Anton Forsberg also replaces backup goaltender David Rittich, who left in free agency.

Kings bring in Corey Perry, Joel Armia

Congrats to the Los Angeles Kings on winning the Western Conference, and condolences on their Stanley Cup Final loss. Los Angeles has signed Perry, who has been on the losing side in five of the last six Cup Final matchups, to a one-year deal worth $2 million. Perry comes off a very productive playoffs in Edmonton, and Joel Armia gives the Kings some bottom-six depth.

Mammoth add Nate Schmidt after excellent postseason

Prior to the 2024-25 season, Schmidt signed a one-year deal with the Panthers for $800,000. From there, he played well in a depth role for Florida, and he had a great postseason with 12 points en route to a Stanley Cup. Now, Schmidt will get $10.5 million over the next three seasons with the Mammoth, where he will likely played a bigger role.

Nick Bjugstad goes to Blues

The Blues need to add some center depth, and they did that big signing Bjugstad to a two-ear deal. Bjugstad will bring size, defense and a little bit of offense to the St. Louis lineup at a reasonable price of $1.75 million per season.

Kraken ink Ryan Lindgren

The Seattle Kraken made an effort to improve their blue line for the second consecutive offseason. After signing Brandon Montour away from the Florida Panthers last summer, the Kraken have signed defenseman Ryan Lindgren to a four-year deal that will have an average-annual-value of $4.5 million, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Lindgren split time between the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche last season. The veteran blue-liner tallied four goals and 18 assists in 72 total games in 2024-25. Lindgren provides solid depth to Seattle’s back end as the franchise attempts to bounce back from missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Vladislav Gavrikov signs with Rangers

The New York Rangers improved their blue line in a big way. According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the Rangers signed defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year contract that will carry a $7.0 million average-annual-value.

Gavrikov was the top blue-liner on the free agent market this summer. He racked up five goals and 25 assists with the Los Angeles Kings in 2024-25, but will now likely pair with Adam Fox as part of New York’s top defensive pairing. New coach Mike Sullivan gets one of the top free agents remaining on the board.

The Los Angeles Kings are looking to make a run in the Western Conference playoff picture next season. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, veteran forward Corey Perry is signing a one-year deal with the Kings.

Perry had spent the past two seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and tallied 19 goals and 11 assists last season. The 40-year old winger has been to the track record of playing in the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past six seasons. Perry adds some veteran leadership to the locker room for a King team that is looking to take the next step.

The Philadelphia Flyers have been quite busy to begin free agency. The team announced that they signed goaltender Dan Vladar to a two-year deal that will be worth $3.35 annually.

Vladar tallied a 12-11-6 record to go along with a 2.80 goals-against-average and a .898 save percentage in 30 games with the Calgary Flames last season. The Flyers continue to search for a starting caliber goaltender as Vladar will join a crease that also includes Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov. 

Brock Boeser re-signs with Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks have had a busy start to free agency. After extending forward Conor Garland and goaltender Thatcher Demko earlier in the day, the Canucks have re-signed winger Brock Boeser to a seven-year deal that will be worth $7.25 million on an annual basis.

It certainly is a big deal to see Vancouver bring Boeser back into the fold. Boeser is fresh off of a season in which he scored 25 goals and dished out 25 assists in 2024-25. Throughout the process, Boeser preferred to remain with the Canucks and the two sides were finally able to come to terms on a new contract. With teammate Pius Suter also a free agent and drawing significant interest, it was a big move to keep a forward with 40-goal scoring potential in the fold.

The Philadelphia Flyers are in the midst of a rebuild under general manager Danny Briere and are coming out of the gate spending. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Flyers have signed center Christian Dvorak to a one-year deal that will be worth $5.4 million.

Dvorak spent the past four seasons as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. The veteran forward recorded 12 goals and 21 assists in a full 82-game season. Even with the addition of Trevor Zegras in last week’s trade with the Anaheim Ducks, the Flyers are still in need of depth up the middle. While Dvorak’s cap hit is $5.4 million, the league’s salary cap will increase significantly over the next three seasons. 

The goaltender market just got even thinner. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the New Jersey Devils are signing goaltender Jake Allen to a five-year contract extension that will be worth $1.8 million annually.

The Devils acquired Allen at the 2024 trade deadline from the Montreal Canadiens. Allen tallied a 13-16-1 record to go along with a 2.66 goals-against-average and a .908 save percentage in 31 games as he split time with starter Jacob Markstrom last year. Now goalie-needy teams will be forced to investigate other avenues to fill their holes in net with Allen off the board.

The Boston Bruins added another forward to their group prior to free agency. According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the Bruins are acquiring winger Viktor Arvidsson from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick. 

The Oilers are attempting to shed salary with trading Arvidsson freeing up $4 million in cap space. Arvidsson will bring some depth to the Bruins’ middle-six after tallying 15 goals and 12 assists with the Oilers this past season. He also added two goals and five assists during the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024-25.

Canucks extend Thatcher Demko, Conor Garland

The Vancouver Canucks got two important pieces of business accomplished prior to free agency getting underway. The team agreed to terms with goaltender Thatcher Demko on a three-year contract extension ($8.5 million AAV) and forward Conor Garland on a six-year contract extension ($6.0 million AAV).

Both Demko and Garland were slated to enter the final years of their respective contracts next season. Demko is coming off of an injury-plagued campaign that limited to just 23 games in which he posted a 10-8-3 record in addition to a 2.90 goals-against-average, a .889 save percentage, and a shutout. He has spent his entire eight-year career with the Canucks and is tied for fourth on the franchise’s goaltender all-time wins list (126).

Meanwhile, Garland just wrapped up a spectacular season in which he tallied 50 points (19 goals & 31 assists), which was the second-highest point total of his career. The talented winger has combined to score 39 goals over his past two seasons in Vancouver and could be relied upon even more going forward if Brock Boeser signs elsewhere in free agency.

Mitch Marner dealt to Golden Knights

On the eve of NHL free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trading Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights in a reported sign-and-trade deal, according to multiple reports. Marner, 28, is expected to sign an eight-year, $96 million contract with an average annual value of $12 million. It’s not yet clear what Toronto will receive in return. Marner would have been one of the top players available on the open market. Instead, he brings an immediate scoring punch to Vegas’ top line.

Panthers get band back together with Ekblad deal

General manager Bill Zito isn’t content with back-to-back Stanley Cups. With Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand all set to hit free agency on July 1, it seemed unlikely that Florida would be able to keep all three. On the eve of free agency, the Panthers signed Marchand and Ekblad to new contracts. When it comes to Ekblad, he took a major discount to remain with the Cats, signing for eight years at roughly $6.1 million, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Ekblad was once again integral in Florida’s postseasons success, contributing 13 points in 19 games while also posting excellent five-on-five numbers. Now, he’ll patrol the blue line in Sunrise well into his 30s.

Brad Marchand signs long-term with Panthers

Marchand isn’t going anywhere. The veteran forward is reportedly close to signing a six-year, $32 million extension with the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Marchand was traded to Florida at the deadline last season after spending 16 years with the Boston Bruins. He made an immediate impact, recording 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) during the Panthers’ playoff run.

Sam Bennett will remain with Panthers

The 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner is staying in Sunrise. In the Panthers’ bid for back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, Bennett was a monster. His 15 goals led the league, and he didn’t create that offense at the expense of his defense either. The veteran center was superb at both ends of the ice. Bennett’s performance could have commanded a massive payday in free agency, but he has re-signed with the Panthers on an eight-year contract worth $64 million.

There was never really any question about Bouchard’s future with the Oilers. He’s emerged as a great No. 1 defender for them, and he can quarterback the power play as well as anyone. On Monday, Edmonton announced that it had re-signed Bouchard to a four-year contract worth $10.5 million per season. Now, between Bouchard and Nurse, the Oilers have just under $20 million committed to two of their best blue liners.

The veteran winger is staying in Detroit for a third season after signing a one-year deal worth $3 million. While Kane may not be as productive as he was while leading the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups, he has eclipsed the 20-goal mark in each of his first two seasons with the Wings. He will stay with the team to give them a top-six scoring option as they try to end their playoff drought.

One of the more shocking moves of the re-sign period was the Blue Jackets announcing a seven-year, $59.5 million contract for Provorov. Columbus has used him in a top-four role over the last two years, but he hasn’t necessarily had success in those minutes. Paying $8.5 million for a defenseman who struggled to stay above water at five-on-five seems like bad business.

John Tavares re-signs with Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs are keeping one of their offensive threats in the fold. The team announced that they re-signed Tavares to a four-year contract that will carry a $4.38 million cap hit per season. Tavares was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next week, and likely would’ve drawn a considerable amount of interest on the open market.

Tavares, 34, recorded 74 points (38 goals & 36 assists) in 75 regular-season games for Toronto last season. He has spent the last seven seasons with the Maple Leafs after signing a seven-year, $77 million contract with the franchise in free agency.

With the Maple Leafs expected to lose star winger Mitch Marner in free agency this summer, bringing back Tavares on a very affordable multi-year deal is a huge win. Tavares will likely continue to center Toronto’s second line when the 2025-26 campaign gets underway.

Jonathan Toews will make his long-awaited NHL return after two seasons away from the ice. The Jets announced that Toews will sign with the franchise when free agency opens on July 1.

Toews has tallied 883 points (372 goals & 511 assists) in 1,067 career regular-season games. He also ranks fifth in games played, sixth in points, sixth in goals, eighth in assists, and third in game-winning goals (69) in Blackhawks history. In his last full season in 2022-23, the Blackhawks star scored 15 goals and dished out 16 assists in 53 games. Toews has a long list of accolades, including winning three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks and capturing the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010.

The Stars are bringing back a key member of their veteran core. Dallas has re-signed the forward to a four-year contract extension that will be worth $4.5 million per season. Duchene was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Duchene recorded 30 goals and 52 assists in 82 regular-season games as he led the Stars in scoring in 2024-25. His 52 assists were a career-high this past season and Duchene’s 82 points were the second-highest scoring season of his entire 16-year career. Duchene also added six points (one goal & five assists) in 18 games throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Duchene should continue to be a very productive member of the team’s top six forwards as they attempt to make a Stanley Cup run next season.

The Avalanche are keeping arguably their top free agent in the fold for the foreseeable future. The team has signed forward Brock Nelson to a three-year contract extension that carries an average-annual-value of $7.5 million. Nelson was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Nelson was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline from the New York Islanders and tallied 13 points (6 goals & 7 assists) in 19 regular-season games with Colorado. He recorded 56 combined points (26 goals & 30 assists) between the Avalanche and Islanders, while also registering four assists in the team’s first-round series loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars. Nelson will likely continue to center the Avalanche’s second line and skate with Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin. 

Nelson is set to turn 34 years old around the start of the 2025-26 season this fall.