Breaking down the Top 50 players set to become NHL free agents

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Ah, Canada Day.

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Fireworks, BBQs and concerts.

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And, if you’re a National Hockey League free agent, a winning lottery ticket, perhaps.

Doors to the NHL market will swing open at 12 p.m. ET on July 1 and the annual silly season will commence.

We take a look at 50 of top players who will be available, provided they don’t re-sign before the deadline.

Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Expiring contract: Six years, $10.903 million AAV

Skinny: Marner is set to take his 741 career points — fifth-most in Leafs history — to another team, whether it’s Vegas, Dallas, Anaheim, Carolina or (fill in the blank). Bridge deal or long term (we still think the latter), as the biggest name in free agency, Marner, 28, will have numerous options and is going to cash in.

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Sam Bennett, C, Florida Panthers

Expiring contract: Four years, $4.425 million AAV

Skinny: The Conn Smythe Trophy winner checks the playoff boxes: Heart, production and nastiness. Never mind that the 29-year-old has not had more than 51 points in one regular season. Two Stanley Cup rings? If he wasn’t intent on re-signing in Florida, he might have 31 other offers.

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Brad Marchand, LW, Florida Panthers

Expiring contract: Eight years, $6.125 million AAV

Skinny: If there are better ways to increase your stock than dominating in the playoffs on the way to serious Conn Smythe consideration and winning a Cup, we’re not sure what they are. The 37-year-old’s performance in the playoffs was a sight to behold.

John Tavares, C, Toronto Maple Leafs

Expiring contract: Seven years, $11 million AAV

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Skinny: What many figured would be an obvious re-signing in Toronto wasn’t close to happening with a week to go before the market opened. Tavares, who will turn 35 during training camp, is coming off a 38-goal season. Suitors will be lined up if he goes to market.

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Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Winnipeg Jets

Expiring contract: Seven years, $6 million AAV

Skinny: If you need a consistent scorer in the range of 21-29 goals a season, the 29-year-old Ehlers is your guy. In eight of the past nine seasons, that’s where Ehlers has fallen, including 24 goals in 69 games last season. Tied for the team lead with five playoff goals.

Brock Boeser, RW, Vancouver Canucks

Expiring contract: Three years, $6.65 million AAV

Skinny: After scoring a career-high 40 goals in 81 games in 2023-24, Boeser had 25 in 75 games last season. Knowing what likely was coming, the Canucks tried and failed to trade the 28-year-old at the deadline in March. Now, he’s bound to walk for nothing in return.

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Patrick Kane, RW, Detroit Red Wings

Expiring contract: One year, $4 million AAV

Skinny: Since coming back from injury, Kane has had back-to-back 20-goal seasons for the Red Wings. There’s still some magic in the hands of the 36-year-old, as he had 38 assists last season as well. Another one-year pact probably is in his future.

Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers

Expiring contract: Eight years, $7.5 million AAV

Skinny: After returning from suspension, Ekblad logged an average of 24 minutes in 19 playoff games, contributing four goals and nine assists as the Panthers won their second Cup in a row. The 29-year-old will be the best defenceman available if Florida doesn’t retain him.

Mikael Granlund, C, Dallas Stars

Expiring contract: Four years, $5 million AAV

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Skinny: Acquired from San Jose at the deadline, Granlund played a role in the Stars’ run to the Western Conference final, producing 10 points in 18 playoff games. The 33-year-old’s 66 points last season were three off his career-high of 69, done in 2016-17 with Minnesota.

Vladislav Gavrikov, D, Los Angeles Kings

Expiring contract: Two years, $5.875 million AAV

Skinny: One of only two Kings to play in all 82 games (along with forward Warren Foegele), Gavrikov was crucial in keeping the D corps in sync as Drew Doughty recovered from an ankle injury. The 29-year-old had 30 points (five goals and 25 assists), two off his career high.

Ivan Provorov, D, Columbus Blue Jackets

Expiring contract: Six years, $6.75 million AAV

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Skinny: Provorov, 28, was the lone Blue Jackets D-man to play in all 82 games, recording 33 points (seven goals and 26 assists). Only Norris Trophy candidate Zach Werenski played more than Provorov’s average of 23 minutes 21 seconds on the Columbus blue line.

Pius Suter, C, Vancouver Canucks

Expiring contract: Two years, $1.6 million AAV

Skinny: The 29-year-old is coming off his best season of five in the NHL, scoring 25 goals and recording 46 points, both career highs. Given his low AAV for the past two seasons, he’s going to be in for a substantial pay raise no matter where he signs.

Jamie Benn, LW, Dallas Stars

Expiring contract: Eight years, $9.5 million AAV

Skinny: Does Benn, who turns 36 on July 18, leave the only NHL team he has known? The captain is second in Stars history in games played (1,192) and points (956), trailing only Hall of Famer Mike Modano in both categories. Had just three points in 18 playoff games.

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Claude Giroux, RW, Ottawa Senators

Expiring contract: Three years, $6.5 million AAV

Skinny: After scoring 35 goals in his first season with Ottawa in 2022-23, Giroux fell to 15 in 81 games. At 37 and with more than 1,200 NHL games to his name, he wants to stay in Ottawa, his hometown team, but would provide veteran savvy for any club.

Jonathan Drouin, LW, Colorado Avalanche

Expiring contract: One year, $2.5 million AAV

Skinny: Injuries limited Drouin to 43 games, but the 30-year-old was effective when healthy, recording 37 points. That’s a 71-point pace in 82 games, which would have been a career high. Though injuries have been an issue in his career, he’s in line for a raise.

Dmitry Orlov, D, Carolina Hurricanes

Expiring contract: Two years, $7.75 million AAV

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Skinny: Soon to turn 34 (July 23), Orlov provides the steadiness that a team would expect from a reliable second-pair defenceman. He’s coming off a 28-point season (six goals and 22 assists) and will continue to provide solid penalty-killing minutes.

Brent Burns, D, Carolina Hurricanes

Expiring contract: Eight years, $8 million AAV

Skinny: At 40, Burns isn’t the force that he once was on the blue line, but there’s no questioning his durability. He has played in 925 consecutive games, going back to Nov. 2013, for the longest current streak among active players. No Cups in a career three games shy of 1,500.

Evgenii Dadonov, RW, Dallas Stars

Expiring contract: Two years, $2.25 million AAV

Skinny: After scoring 19 goals in the previous two seasons combined, Dadonov scored 20 in 80 games for the Stars. More telling, perhaps, was just the one goal that the 36-year-old provided in 16 playoff games. We’ll see if that factors into his next contract.

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Jack Roslovic, F, Carolina Hurricanes

Expiring contract: One year, $2.8 million AAV

Skinny: The 28-year-old tied a career-high with 22 goals in 81 games after he scored 20 in 136 in the previous two seasons combined. Roslovic, despite some modest regular-season production, has scored just three goals in 45 career playoff games.

Corey Perry, RW, Edmonton Oilers

Expiring contract: One year, $1.15 million AAV

Skinny: Teams will overlook Perry’s recent Cup failures — five trips to the final in the past six years, losing every time — knowing he will provide a touch of nastiness and offensive-zone presence. Turned 40 during the playoffs and had 10 goals in 22 post-season games.

Andrei Kuzmenko, LW, Los Angeles Kings

Expiring contract: Two years, $5.5 million AAV

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Skinny: Since bursting into the NHL in 2022-23 with 39 goals (and 34 assists) in 81 games with the Canucks, Kuzmenko has played for three other teams and has totalled 33 goals in 138 games. The 29-year-old appears to need another fresh start.

Reilly Smith, RW, Vegas Golden Knights

Expiring contract: Three years, $5 million AAV

Skinny: Not quite two years after helping the Golden Knights win the Cup, Smith was traded back to Vegas from the New York Rangers in March. The 34-year-old is coming off back-to-back 40-point seasons and will find work on a team’s third line.

Nate Schmidt, D, Florida Panthers

Expiring contract: One year, $800,000 AAV

Skinny: The 33-year-old turned on the offence in the Panthers’ Cup run, recording 12 points in 23 games after he had 19 in 80 during the regular season. A veteran of nearly 750 NHL games, Schmidt is likely going to more than double his salary of 2024-25.

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Jake Allen, G, New Jersey Devils

Expiring contract: Two years, $3.85 million AAV

Skinny: It’s not a deep group of goalies that will be available and, though he will turn 35 in August, Allen stands out. He had a .908 save percentage in 31 games last season and four of his 13 wins were shutouts. He will be a good piece of veteran insurance.

Trent Frederic, C, Edmonton Oilers

Expiring contract: Two years, $2.3 million AAV

Skinny: A lower-body injury got in the way of Frederic’s ability to make a true impact with the Oilers after he was acquired from Boston. The 27-year-old had just one goal and three assists in 22 playoff games, but the Oilers liked what they saw and retention is likely.

Matt Grzelcyk, D, Pittsburgh Penguins

Expiring contract: One year, $2.75 million AAV

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Skinny: Of the defencemen available in free agency, none had more than Grzelcyk’s 40 points. The 31-year-old’s 39 assists were third-most on the Penguins behind Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson. A bump in pay awaits the second-pair D-man.

Brandon Tanev, LW, Winnipeg Jets

Expiring contract: Six years, $3.5 million AAV

Skinny: The 33-year-old Tanev has never been a scorer, but it was still surprising he had just one goal in 19 regular-season games with the Jets after he was acquired from Seattle and none in 13 playoff games. His physical approach makes a bottom-six better.

Cody Ceci, D, Dallas Stars

Expiring contract: Four years, $3.25 million AAV

Skinny: The 31-year-old played in 85 games with San Jose and Dallas, one off the NHL record for one season (thanks to trades), recording four goals and 20 assists. In 18 playoff games, taking him to 106 in his career, Ceci had three assists.

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Connor Brown, RW, Edmonton Oilers

Expiring contract: One year, $1 million AAV

Skinny: Brown had a good bounce-back season (13 goals and 30 points) after a rough 2023-24 in Edmonton (four goals and 12 points). The 31-year-old depth forward did his part in the playoffs, scoring five goals in 20 games in the Oilers’ run to the final.

Andrew Mangiapane, LW, Washington Capitals

Expiring contract: Three years, $5.8 million AAV

Skinny: Mangiapane was acquired last June from Calgary and didn’t have much of a year to remember in Washington, scoring 14 goals in 81 games and averaging 13 minutes two seconds of ice a game, his lowest in six seasons. The 29-year-old remains capable of more.

Dante Fabbro, D, Columbus Blue Jackets

Expiring contract: One year, $2.5 million AAV

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Skinny: Fabbro’s fortunes changed when he was claimed off waivers from Nashville in November. Fabbro, who turned 27 this month, had his best output in the NHL, recording 26 points (nine goals and 17 assists). He should get more term on his next contract.

Ryan Lindgren, D, Colorado Avalanche

Expiring contract: One year, $4.5 million AAV

Skinny: After the 27-year-old Lindgren was acquired by Colorado from the New York Rangers in March, he contributed three points in 18 games and then had three assists in seven playoff games. Age is on the side of the 400-game NHL veteran.

Dan Vladar, G, Calgary Flames

Expiring contract: Two years, $2.2 million AAV

Skinny: With the emergence of Dustin Wolf in Calgary, Vladar will be on the move. He played in a career-high 30 games in 2024-25, going 12-11-6 and teams in need of a backup might note his career save percentage is low, at .895. Turns 28 in August.

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Victor Olofsson, LW, Vegas Golden Knights

Expiring contract: One year, $1.075 million AAV

Skinny: Six of Olofsson’s 15 goals came on the power play, good for third-most on the team. He totalled 22 goals in 107 games in the past two seasons with Buffalo and Vegas, but had three seasons of 20-plus goals with the Sabres. Turns 29 in July.

Nick Perbix, D, Tampa Bay Lightning

Expiring contract: Two years, $1.125 million AAV

Skinny: Three solid seasons as a depth defenceman in Tampa should put Perbix in line for a nice raise and possibly some term. The 27-year-old had 19 points (six goals and 13 assists) in 74 games last season while averaging 14 minutes 41 seconds of ice time.

Henri Jokiharju, D, Boston Bruins

Expiring contract: One year, $3.1 million AAV

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Skinny: Rather than lose Jokiharju for nothing, the Sabres traded him to Boston in March for a 2026 fourth-round pick. The right-handed shooter totalled just 10 points in 69 games with the Sabres and Bruins, but having just turned 26, age works in his favour.

Mason Appleton, C Winnipeg Jets

Expiring contract: Three years, $2.166 million AAV

Skinny: The 29-year-old’s previous game was his 400th in the NHL, all but 49 (with Seattle in 2021-22) with the Jets. After the depth forward had 22 points in 71 regular-season games, he was second among Jets in assists in the playoffs, recording seven in 13 games.

Brian Dumoulin, D, New Jersey Devils

Expiring contract: Two years, $3.15 million AAV

Skinny: Dumoulin has played for three teams (New Jersey, Anaheim and Seattle) in the past two seasons after eight seasons patrolling the blue line for the Penguins. He provides leadership and a bit of pop (22 points in 80 games) off the blue line. Turns 34 in September.

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Anthony Beauvillier, F, Washington Capitals

Expiring contract: One year, $2.5 million AAV

Skinny: The 2015 first-round pick (28th by the Islanders) hasn’t been able to put down roots since he was traded to Vancouver in 2023. The 28-year-old has played for five teams in the past two seasons and had a total of 15 goals last year with Pittsburgh and Washington.

Adam Gaudette, RW, Ottawa Senators

Expiring contract: One year, $775,000 AAV

Skinny: After signing a one-year, two-way deal in free agency with Ottawa last July, Gaudette spent the entire season in the NHL, scoring 19 goals in 81 games playing for the league minimum. The 28-year-old should get a raise this summer.

Alex Lyon, G, Detroit Red Wings

Expiring contract: Two years, $900,000 AAV

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Skinny: In two seasons with Detroit after splitting the previous six seasons between the NHL and the minors, Lyon played in 74 games and won 35. The 32-year-old has proven he can be a reliable backup and start for short stretches if required.

Jeff Skinner, LW, Edmonton Oilers

Expiring contract: One year, $3 million AAV

Skinny: The 33-year-old veteran of nearly 1,100 NHL games had a tough year after signing a one-year pact with the Oilers. After scoring 16 goals in 72 games, Skinner often was a healthy scratch in his first trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs, playing in just five games.

Gustav Nyquist, W, Minnesota Wild

Expiring contract: Two years, $3.185 million AAV

Skinny: A reset button is in order for Nyquist, who turns 36 on Sept. 1. After recording a career-high 75 points in 81 games with Nashville in 2023-24, he fell to just 28 points in 79 games with the Predators and Wild, who acquired him in March.

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James van Riemsdyk, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets

Expiring contract: One year, $900,000 AAV

Skinny: If teams are looking for a wise veteran who is good in the room and can provide a goal every so often, the 36-year-old van Riemsdyk fits the bill. He scored 16 goals and recorded 20 assists on a one-year pact with the Jackets.

Christian Dvorak, C, Montreal Canadiens

Expiring contract: Six years, $4.45 million AAV

Skinny: The 29-year-old played in all 82 games for the first time in his nine-year NHL career and had 33 points (12 goals and 21 assists). The fact that he was 18th in the NHL in faceoff-winning percentage (55.8%) should be a attractive asset.

Joel Armia, RW, Montreal Canadiens

Expiring contract: Four years, $3.4 million AAV

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Skinny: Injuries have been an issue for the 2011 first-round pick (Buffalo, 16th overall) in his NHL career, but he missed just one game in 2024-25 with the Canadiens, recording 29 points (11 goals and 18 assists). The 32-year-old remains a dependable depth forward.

Brandon Saad, LW, Vegas Golden Knights

Expiring contract: One year, $1.5 million AAV

Skinny: After the Blues cut ties with Saad in January when they terminated his contract, he signed a one-year pact with Vegas. The 32-year-old had 14 points (six goals and eight assists) in 29 games with the Golden Knights, but just two assists in eight playoff games.

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Taylor Raddysh, RW, Washington Capitals

Expiring contract: One year, $1 million AAV

Skinny: Can the 27-year-old find his way back to 20 goals, which was his best output in his four NHL seasons in 2022-23 with Chicago? In 153 games in two seasons since, Raddysh has scored just 12 times, though he had a career-high 20 assists last year.

John Klingberg, D, Edmonton Oilers

Expiring contract: One year, $1.76 million AAV

Skinny: Klingberg, who turns 33 in August, made it back to the NHL in January, signing a one-year deal with the Oilers after recovering from hip surgery. He found his game again in the playoffs, skating in 19 contests and contributing one goal and three assists.

Ilya Samsonov, G, Vegas Golden Knights

Expiring contract: One year, $1.8 million AAV

Skinny: Samsonov’s .891 save percentage in 29 games with Vegas wasn’t a bragging point, but he registered 16 wins and had two shutouts. A veteran of 200 NHL games, there is bound to employment somewhere for the 28-year-old.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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