Way-Too-Early Ranking of the Top 2026 NHL Free Agents

Editor's note: Kirill Kaprizov was originally on the list before signing a $136 million extension on Tuesday.

The start of the NHL's annual unrestricted free-agent market is still months away (July 1), but hockey fans are already looking ahead at the quality talent that might be available by then.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov are two of the noteworthy stars entering the final season of their current contracts. The former is playing coy over when he might re-sign, while the latter recently rejected an eight-year, $128 million extension from the Wild.

The possibility of those two players being available could make next summer's free-agent market the most star-studded in NHL history. That's why we're getting the jump on things with our way-too-early ranking of the top 2026 UFA players.

Bear in mind most of the players on this ranking could end up re-signing with their current teams. Nevertheless, it's worthwhile to get an early start on things by listing the cream of the crop.

We've excluded future Hall of Famers, such as Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin, Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, and Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane. While they are well-known names, these aging veterans are no longer in their playing prime and could retire at the end of the season.

The retirement of Marc-Andre Fleury and the inexperience of Jesper Wallstedt assure Filip Gustavsson of the starting goaltender role with the Minnesota Wild. After a couple of up-and-down seasons, the 27-year-old seized that job for good with a strong performance in 2024-25.

On Aug. 23, Michael Russo of The Athletic reported Gustavsson was open to a contract extension with the Wild. He will become a priority once they sort out superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov's contract.

Gustavsson is in the final season of a three-year contract with an average annual value of $3.8 million. Russo's colleague, Joe Smith, reported the analytics site Evolving-Hockey projected the netminder could get a five-year deal with an AAV of $7.605 million.

With Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky the only other notable goaltender eligible for UFA status, Gustavsson could use this to his advantage in negotiations with the Wild. It could also help him land a lucrative deal elsewhere if he ends up going to market.

Entering his fourth season with the Montréal Canadiens, Mike Matheson is also in the final season of his eight-year contract with a cap hit of $4.9 million. That was one reason why the 31-year-old defenseman was the subject of brief trade speculation during the offseason.

The other was the Canadiens' acquisition of puck-moving blueliner Noah Dobson in June. However, general manager Kent Hughes denied that Matheson was now expendable, citing his team-leading ice time (25:05 minutes per game) and all-around skills.

Matheson is expected to be paired with Dobson on the Canadiens' blue line to start this season. If they mesh well, Habs management could attempt to re-sign him rather than risk losing him to free agency in July.

Turning 32 in February, Matheson's age could make the Canadiens reluctant to invest too much for too long in keeping him. If so, he won't have difficulty finding a new club as a free agent next summer.

Entering the final season of a seven-year contract, Anders Lee faces an uncertain future with the New York Islanders. Mathieu Darche, the Isles' new general manager, is taking a wait-and-see approach in negotiations with his captain.

The average annual value of Lee's contract is $7 million. At age 35, the veteran left winger won't get another long-term deal like that again. Nevertheless, he has been a consistent goal scorer for the Islanders, with nine 20-plus goal seasons, ranking him among their franchise leaders with 289 career goals.

Another 20-plus goal effort from Lee could convince Darche to retain him. He could sign him to a 35-plus contract, with a low base salary and heavy bonus clauses, but Lee might prefer a short-term deal with a slightly lower cap hit than his current one.

Lee's size, experience, leadership, and scoring ability would draw interest in next summer's free-agent market. However, he might not find anything better elsewhere than what the Islanders might offer.

It would be easy to assume that Alex Tuch will be looking for a new contract when his current one expires on July 1. After playing for the sad-sack Buffalo Sabres since 2021-22, the 29-year-old winger couldn't be faulted for preferring a move to a playoff contender.

Tuch would draw a lot of attention if he went to the market next summer. The 6'4", 219-pounder is a strong power forward with two 36-goal performances over the past three years. Since joining the Sabres, he leads them in plus/minus (plus-36), sits second in total goals (106), and third with 243 points.

Those stats would make Tuch among the top targets in next summer's UFA market. However, on Sept. 18, he told reporters that he'd love to sign an extension with the Sabres. "Everyone in here knows I love Buffalo, I love being a Buffalo Sabre, and I would love to be here long term."

Tuch will likely seek a significant raise over the $4.8 million annual cap hit he has earned under his current contract. His performance and willingness to stay with the Sabres give him leverage to seek a lucrative deal.

A versatile playmaker who can play center or wing, Nick Schmaltz has been a reliable scoring forward since joining the Arizona Coyotes in 2018-19, when they were the Utah Mammoth. Combining his 269 points as a Coyote and 63 points last season with the Mammoth, he's second in total points with 332.

Last season was among Schmaltz's best, setting single-season highs with 82 games played, 43 assists and 63 points. He has been plagued at times by injuries, but when healthy, he's a productive top-six forward.

The Mammoth have several promising young players, including Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and the recently acquired JJ Peterka, in their lineup. They also have promising youngsters like Danill But, Caleb Desnoyers and Tij Iginla in their system. Money that could be spent on Schmaltz could instead be allocated to those players.

Schmaltz is in the final season of a seven-year contract with an annual cap hit of $5.9 million. Turning 30 in February, he's still in his playing prime, so he'll seek a significant raise on a long-term deal. If the Mammoth decides not to re-sign Schmaltz, he'll be an attractive option for clubs seeking scoring depth.

Since last May, Rasmus Anderssson has been the frequent subject of trade speculation. That's because he and the Calgary Flames haven't reached an agreement on a contract extension, setting the stage for what is expected to be his departure by the March 6, 2026, trade deadline.

Andersson, 28, is in the final season of his six-year contract with an average annual value of $4.6 million. He has a solid reputation for his strong all-around play with the Flames, including a career-high 50 points in the 2021-22 season.

Neither Anderson nor Flames GM Craig Conroy believes his contract situation will be a distraction for the club. Conroy hasn't fully closed the door yet on an extension, but it seems likely he'll end up trading the veteran defenseman.

Given his current salary and style of play, Andersson will likely seek a significant raise on a potential long-term contract. If he's traded, he could end up signing an extension with his new team. Otherwise, he'll be an enticing target for clubs seeking a reliable, experienced top-four defenseman.

After nearly seven full seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, Martin Necas was traded to the Colorado Avalanche last January as part of the return for Mikko Rantanen. The 26-year-old forward now has a full season to prove himself in Colorado.

Necas had a 71-point season with the Hurricanes in 2022-23, but struggled at times during his tenure in Carolina. He enjoyed a career-high 83-point performance last season, split between the Hurricanes and Avalanche.

Teamed up with Nathan MacKinnon, Necas developed a strong offensive chemistry with the Avalanche superstar. Another solid campaign alongside MacKinnon could lead to a lucrative new contract for the Czech winger, who is in the final season of a two-year contract with an annual cap hit of $6.5 million.

Necas recently told reporters that extension talks have begun, but wouldn't shed more light on the matter. After trading away Rantanen last season, Avalanche management would prefer they don't end up doing the same with Necas this season.

For 16 seasons, John Carlson has patrolled the Washington Capitals' blue line. The puck-moving defenseman sits third among the franchise leaders in games played (1,088) and assists (569) and is fifth in points with 725.

Carlson remains a solid contributor for the Capitals in 2024-25. His 51 points marked the seventh time he exceeded the 50-point plateau, and he led the club in ice time, logging 23:34 minutes per game in all situations.

Now 35, Carlson is entering his 17th season with the Capitals. He's also in the final season of an eight-year deal with an AAV of $8 million. Another solid performance could earn him a three-year extension with an annual cap hit close to his current level.

If the Capitals and Carlson part ways, his experience and skills will ensure he won't lack for suitors in the free-agent market. Stanley Cup contenders will likely be at the front of the line for his services.

With team captain Anze Kopitar retiring at the end of this season, the Los Angeles Kings' priority is re-signing Adrian Kempe. They can't afford to lose their top goal scorer on the heels of the departure of the best two-way forward in franchise history.

The 29-year-old Kempe is more than just a scorer for the Kings. He also plays a very good two-way game and sees time on the penalty kill. He's been overshadowed by forwards like Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, and Quinton Byfield, but should earn more attention in his contract year.

Kempe is in the final season of a four-year contract with an average annual value of $5.5 million. On Sept. 17, Eric Stephens of The Athletic reported Kings general manager Ken Holland wants to re-sign the talented Swede. Stephens predicted he'll get around $10 million annually on his next deal.

If the Kings aren't willing to go that high, other teams will on the open market. His two-way abilities would make him irresistible, especially for playoff contenders.

The Florida Panthers' signing Sergei Bobrovsky to a seven-year, $70 million contract was the most shocking move of the 2019 free-agent market. At the time, it made the two-time Vezina Trophy winner the second-highest-paid goalie in the league behind Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens.

Bobrovsky's inconsistent play during the early years of his deal garnered criticism that the Panthers overpaid for his services, with some observers suggesting his contract was the league's worst. However, his performance since the 2022-23 season has proven that he was worth every penny in the long run.

Since that season, Bobrovsky has backstopped the Panthers to three straight Stanley Cup Finals and two straight Stanley Cup championships. He's among the top-10 goalies with 93 wins, 12 shutouts, and a 2.60 goals-against average, and the postseason leader with 44 wins and six shutouts.

Bobrovsky is now 37 and will not receive another lucrative payday like his current deal. He'll probably re-sign a more affordable contract with the Panthers. However, his proven record as a winner will make him enticing if he goes to market for contenders seeking an experienced starting goalie on a short-term deal.

Winning the Presidents' Trophy last season was a team effort by the Winnipeg Jets. Nevertheless, the performance of left wing Kyle Connor played a significant role in their regular-season success. He's also in the final season of a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $7.143 million.

Since his full-time NHL debut in 2016-17, Connor has reached the 30-goal plateau in seven of the last eight seasons. Those include a career-high 47 goals in the 2021-22 season and 41 goals last season, which also saw him reach a career-high 97 points.

No Jets player has scored more goals than Connor over that period. He's also second among his teammates in total points with 582. The 28-year-old winger's offensive reliability will make him a much-prized player in next summer's UFA market.

However, the Jets have been able to retain their top stars, signing goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and center Mark Scheifele to long-term extensions in 2023. On Sep. 23, RG.Org's James Murphy reported Jets owner Mark Chipman expressing confidence they'll get a deal for Connor in place sooner rather than later.

Artemi Panarin joined the New York Rangers as a free agent in 2019, becoming their highest-scoring forward. Since 2019-20, the gifted playmaking winger sits fourth among all NHL scorers with 550 total points, including a career-high 120 points in 2023-24 when the Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy.

However, the Rangers were plunged into turmoil last season, missing the playoffs as management constantly tinkered with the roster. Panarin's production declined to 89 points, though he remained their leading scorer.

Turning 34 on Oct. 30, Panarin is approaching the stage of his career when his best seasons could be behind him. Neither he nor Rangers general manager Chris Drury is willing to talk about his contract situation publicly, but it will be interesting to see how much it might cost to keep him in the Big Apple.

Panarin's current average annual value is $11.6 million, and at his age, he's not going to get another long-term deal. Still, a strong performance this season could keep his AAV around $11 million on his next deal, whether it's with the Rangers or another club on a short-term contract.

After several difficult seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Jack Eichel found success with the Vegas Golden Knights. Since his arrival during the 2021-22 season, he's become a key factor in their success. He's now in the final season of an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $10 million.

Since Eichel's first full season with the Golden Knights in 2022-23, he has led them in scoring in two of the last three seasons, including setting the single-season franchise records with 66 assists and 94 points in 2024-25. He also led all playoff scorers with 26 points as the Golden Knights won their first Stanley Cup in 2023.

Turning 29 on Oct. 28, Eichel is at the top of his game. Skating alongside offseason addition Mitch Marner, he could reach the 100-point plateau for the first time in his career. He will draw considerable attention from clubs seeking a first-line center if he becomes available.

The Golden Knights understand Eichel's value to the team. According to Hannah Kirkell of Vegas Hockey Now, NHL insiders, including Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and TSN's Pierre LeBrun, agree that it's not a question of whether they re-sign Eichel, but when.

A quick look at Connor McDavid's trophy case is all one needs to understand why the Edmonton Oilers center tops this list.

He's a multiple winner of the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award, and he has also won the Maurice Richard Trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy.

At 28, McDavid remains in the prime of his career and the NHL's top player. Since the 2015-16 season, the Oilers superstar has led all scorers with 721 assists, 1,082 points, 72 game-winning goals, and a 1.52 points-per-game average. He's in the final season of an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $12.5 million.

You can understand why Edmonton fans are nervous over McDavid playing coy about re-signing with the Oilers. Many are old enough to have endured the stunning departure of Wayne Gretzky in 1988. Watching another of hockey's greatest players leave town would be a crushing blow.

McDavid will likely attract numerous suitors if he goes to market on July 1, generating considerable excitement around the league. However, only a handful are good enough to be considered Stanley Cup contenders, and most might not be able to afford the high cost of signing him.

Stats via NHL.com. Salary info via PuckPedia.