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 superstars entering the final season of their current contracts. McDavid is playing coy over when he might re-sign, while Kaprizov 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 that most of the players (including McDavid and Kaprizov) 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 stars, these aging veterans are no longer in their playing prime and could retire at the end of the season.
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