The NHL offseason is ready to kick off after another incredible Stanley Cup Playoffs. After the Panthers earned their second straight title by again beating the Oilers, all eyes are remaining locked on South Florida.
Forwards Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand, and defenseman Aaron Ekblad are all set to become unrestricted free agents when free agency opens on July 1 at noon ET. Panthers general manager Bill Zito will likely attempt to do everything he can to retain all three players if possible.
In addition to the Panthers trio, Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner is easily the biggest name that will be available to the highest bidder in free agency.
Marner and the Panthers talented trio certainly won’t be the only marquee names that will be hitting the open market this summer. Let’s take a look at 10 of the biggest names on the board for NHL franchises to sign on July 1.
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Austin Nivison
Mitch Marner (C, Maple Leafs)
There’s no question that Marner is the crown jewel of the 2025 free agency class. Marner has helped comprise the Toronto Maple Leafs talented group of forwards in recent years, but it seems like a foregone conclusion that he’ll be signing elsewhere this summer. The star center picked the perfect time to set a new career-high in points (102) as he tallied 27 goals and 75 assists to pace the Maple Leafs. Marner is a playmaker that is going to improve an NHL franchise’s top line in a big way next season and beyond. He will certainly command the biggest payday of any free agent on the open market and for good reason. The Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Mammoth, and Carolina Hurricanes are teams that make a ton of sense for the veteran.
The Mammoth are attempting to build off of a strong first season in Salt Lake City and create excitement in a new market. However, it’s hard to expect the Golden Knights not doing whatever they can to land a player of Marner’s caliber. This is a franchise that always swings for the fences and they’ll move money to make things work. The projected increased salary cap also could play a factor as Marner could elect to sign a shorter-term deal, which could also play in the Golden Knights’ favor. Prediction: Marner signs with Vegas Golden Knights
Sam Bennett (C, Panthers)
What the Panthers have accomplished with back-to-back Stanley Cups is nothing short of extraordinary. Whenever a team enjoys the type of success that Florida has, tough decisions need to be made in terms of retaining their top talent. Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy, will be an unrestricted free agent and arguably the top free agent that the Panthers have. Bennett was sensational throughout the team’s Stanley Cup win with an NHL postseason best 15 goals. His ability to carve up real estate in front of the net is second to none, while he also just has a knack for putting the puck in the net.
If Bennett ends up entertaining offers from other teams, he’ll be a very hot commodity in free agency. Ultimately, Bennett has really found a spectacular situation in South Florida. With the Panthers showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, the organization will do everything in its power to keep Bennett in their locker room. Prediction: Bennett re-signs with Florida Panthers
The Vancouver Canucks are undergoing a bit of the changing of the guard this offseason. First, forward J.T. Miller was traded to the New York Rangers and coach Rick Tocchet elected to take his talents to his old team in the Philadelphia Flyers. Now, Boeser could be switching addresses when he enters free agency. Boeser is a crafty goal scorer that can find the back of the net from just about anywhere on the ice. After registering a 40-goal campaign in 2023-24, Boeser did see a dip in production this past season, but he still figures to be one of the top available forwards on the market.
The Minnesota Wild make a ton of sense for Boeser considering that he’s originally from Minnesota. Teams like the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs also make a ton of sense for the star winger. If the Maple Leafs end up losing Marner in free agency, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them try to replace that production among their top-six with Boeser. Prediction: Boeser signs with Toronto Maple Leafs
Ehlers has spent his entire 10-year career with the Jets since being selected with the No. 9 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. Ehlers has been a constant source of offensive production when he’s on the ice. He has missed significant time due to injury in recent years, but he still will likely be near the top of many teams’ wish lists this summer. Ehlers may not be a top line winger at this point in his career, but is a tremendous fit on a team’s second line.
Ehlers isn’t going to command what a team will have to pay for a Marner or Bennett, so he provides a nice middle-of-the-road value for a contender. If the Hurricanes miss out on Marner, Ehlers would be a solid addition to their top six group of forwards. The same would go for the Mammoth because they were on the cusp of the playoff race in 2024-25. Prediction: Ehlers sign with Mammoth
Brad Marchand (LW, Panthers)
Bennett may have taken home the Conn Smythe Trophy during Florida’s Stanley Cup run, but Marchand was just as essential to the team’s postseason success. Marchand was acquired just under the wire at the trade deadline, and it proved to be a massive addition. The veteran winger registered 10 goals and 20 assists during the Stanley Cup Playoffs with six of those goals coming in the Stanley Cup Final. Even at 37 years old, Marchand proved his his worth and still would be a very attractive commodity on the open market.
The question becomes whether or not Marchand would want to leave South Florida. He has seemed to fit in seamlessly with his new teammates, including even taking them to Dairy Queen throughout the postseason. Considering the success that Marchand has had with the Panthers, it’s hard to imagine the Panthers not doing everything in their power to keep him in the Sunshine State. Prediction: Marchand re-signs with Panthers
Aaron Ekblad (D, Panthers)
It’s no secret that the Panthers are going to need to be very active this summer after winning it all. Ekblad, who has spent his entire 11-year career with the Panthers, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent. Ekblad has been a rugged, physical blue-liner throughout his tenure in Florida, and was a huge part of the team’s back end during the postseason. While he may not be in the mold of a Cale Makar or Zach Werenski from an offensive standpoint, Ekblad certainly can put the puck in the net. He’s tallied double-digit goals in three of the past five campaigns and is still just 29 years old.
After Florida’s Stanley Cup win, Ekblad made it clear that his desire was to remain with the franchise. The Panthers will definitely attempt to pull out all the stops and try to re-sign Bennett, Marchand and Ekblad. It’s just a very tall task to keep three players of that caliber that will command fairly high yearly salaries. Ultimately, I think Bennett and Marchand could be the bigger priorities and perhaps that leads to Ekblad walking out the door. The Red Wings could be a logical landing spot considering that Ekblad still has plenty of tread on his tires and could anchor Detroit’s young defensive core. Prediction: Ekblad signs with Red Wings
Tavares signed with the Maple Leafs in free agency back in 2018 and remained with the franchise for the duration of his seven-year contract. Tavares definitely had an up-and-down tenure in Toronto, but did amass 222 goals in his seven seasons with the team. At 34 years old, Tavares is still a very capable scoring threat, which was evident in his 38-goal campaign this season. Tavares is still a center that can slot in a team’s top six and produce on a nightly basis.
It appears that the Maple Leafs have an interest in bringing back Tavares on a lower average-annual-value contract, but nothing has materialized just yet. If Tavares decides to communicate with other teams in free agency, it’s possible that he leaves the Maple Leafs. If a younger team looking to contend comes calling, it wouldn’t be a huge shock if he took his talents elsewhere. Prediction: Tavares signs with Canadiens
While Ekblad is likely viewed as the top free agent defenseman, Gavrikov isn’t too far behind. Gavrikov has spent the past two seasons with the Kings after the franchise acquired him from the Blue Jackets at the 2023 trade deadline. The 29-year old has developed into a very strong two-way defenseman over his career, but still isn’t ever going to blow anyone away from an offensive standpoint. Gavrikov is incredibly durable as he’s logged at least 72 games in each of the past four seasons.
It’s likely that the Kings are going to do everything in their power to convince Gavrikov to remain in Los Angeles. After all, Gavrikov did have the second-highest point total (30) of his entire career this past season. As the Kings attempt to make it out of the opening round and maybe avoid the Oilers, Gavrikov would be a huge part of that potential success. Prediction: Gavrikov re-signs with Kings
Granlund was one of the more underrated pickups prior to the NHL trade deadline. Granlund was very productive during the Stars’ playoff run, including registering a hat trick performance against the Jets in Game 4 of their second-round series. The 33-year old is still capable of compiling double-digit goal seasons and likely will be a veteran presence that a Stanley Cup contender will want to have on its roster.
Granlund had success in Dallas down the stretch, so a reunion between the two sides can’t be ruled out. However, a team like the Carolina Hurricanes might make sense given how top heavy they proved to be throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Granlund would give Carolina some solid middle-six depth and helps them contend with Florida in the Eastern Conference if they miss out on Marner. Prediction: Granlund signs with Hurricanes
At 37 years old, Giroux may not be quite the superstar forward that he once was, but he will draw a considerable amount of interest on the open market. The former Flyers star has spent the past three seasons with his hometown Senators and has remained very productive. Giroux is still a very capable playmaker, which was evident in his 50-point performance (15 goals & 35 assists) this past season. He also brings a ton of postseason experience to the table for a team that would obtain his services.
The Hearst, Ontario native originally signed with the Senators to play close to home, and even helped get the franchise to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season. With Giroux still without an extension this close to free agency, it could mean that the veteran forward could be looking to test the market. If the Senators aren’t able to retain Giroux, the Flyers could stand a chance of luring Giroux back to the City of Brotherly Love. After all, Giroux was drafted by the Flyers and would be a phenomenal veteran voice in a young locker room. Prediction: Giroux signs with Flyers
