NHL free agency, explained
- Free agency opens on July 1. That's the first day players can sign with a new team.
- Unrestricted free agents (UFAs) can sign anywhere. In general, a player becomes a UFA when his contract ends if he's 27 or older, or has played seven accrued NHL seasons.
- Restricted free agents (RFAs) are younger players whose team keeps their rights by making a qualifying offer.
- Another team can sign an RFA to an offer sheet. His team can match it, or take draft picks as compensation.
Unrestricted free agents
A UFA can sign with any team for any amount that fits under the cap. From 2026-27, a new team can sign him for at most six years, while his own team can re-sign him for up to seven. That extra year is why teams try to extend their stars before July 1.
Restricted free agents and qualifying offers
When a younger player's contract ends, his team keeps his rights by making him a qualifying offer, a set contract offer, before free agency opens. If it doesn't, he becomes a UFA. Some RFAs can also choose salary arbitration, where a neutral arbitrator sets the salary when the two sides can't agree.
Offer sheets
Another team can offer an RFA a contract. If he signs it, his team has seven days to match it and keep him, or let him go and receive draft picks. The picks depend on the offer's average annual value, and must be the signing team's own picks:
| Offer sheet value (per year) | Compensation |
|---|---|
| $1,575,969 or less | None |
| Up to $2,387,832 | Third-round pick |
| Up to $4,775,666 | Second-round pick |
| Up to $7,163,498 | First- and third-round picks |
| Up to $9,551,332 | First-, second- and third-round picks |
| Up to $11,939,166 | Two firsts, a second and a third |
| More than $11,939,166 | Four first-round picks |
Free agency in PuckBoss
PuckBoss plays out July 1 as a live frenzy. Stars listen to offers for a few hours, rival teams bid, and agents call when you're about to be outbid. You can send offer sheets to other teams' RFAs, and you'll field them for yours. Re-sign your own players first, or watch them test the market.
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