Top NHL free agents: Bobrovsky, Carlson, Lee among those likely available

With the NHL free agent signing period beginning July 1, there are plenty of big names that are expected to be available when the market opens.

NHL.com takes a closer look at the top unrestricted free agents (listed in alphabetical order by position):

FORWARDS

Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars

The 36-year-old left wing had 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 60 regular-season games for the Stars this season and no points in six Stanley Cup Playoff games. Benn, who was selected by Dallas in the fifth round (No. 129) of the 2007 NHL Draft, has 992 points (414 goals, 578 assists) in 1,252 regular-season games in 17 seasons with the Stars.

Michael Bunting, Dallas Stars

The 30-year-old left wing had 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 74 regular-season games for the Stars and Nashville Predators this season including one goal and one assist in 13 games with Dallas after he was acquired in a trade on March 5. Bunting had one assist in one playoff game. Selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round (No. 117) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Bunting has 252 points (109 goals, 143 assists) in 418 regular-season games for the Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Predators and Stars and six points (two goals, four assists) in 14 playoff games. 

Lars Eller, Ottawa Senators

The 37-year-old center had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 68 regular-season games for the Senators this season and no points in four playoff games. Selected by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (No. 13) of the 2007 NHL Draft, Eller has 439 points (193 goals, 246 assists) in 1,184 regular-season games for the Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, Colorado Avalanche, Pittsburgh Penguins and Senators and 50 points (15 goals, 35 assists) in 116 playoff games. Eller won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018.

Claude Giroux, Ottawa Senators

The 38-year-old right wing had 49 points (14 goals, 35 assists) in 82 regular-season games for the Senators this season and no points in four playoff games. Selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round (No. 22) of the 2006 NHL Draft, Giroux has 1,165 points (379 goals, 786 assists) in 1,345 regular-season games for the Flyers, Florida Panthers and Senators and 86 points (29 goals, 57 assists) in 105 playoff games.  

Boone Jenner, Columbus Blue Jackets

The 33-year-old center had 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in 67 games for the Blue Jackets this season. Selected by Columbus in the second round (No. 37) of the 2011 NHL Draft, Jenner has 421 points (212 goals, 209 assists) in 808 regular-season games with the Blue Jackets. He has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 37 playoff games. 

Patrick Kane, Detroit Red Wings

The 37-year-old right wing had 57 points (16 goals, 41 assists) in 67 games for the Red Wings this season. Kane has 1,400 points (508 goals, 892 assists) in 1,369 regular-season games for the Red Wings, New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks, who selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NHL Draft. He has 138 points (53 goals, 85 assists) in 143 playoff games and won the Cup three times with the Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015). He won the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion, the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Ted Lindsay Award as most outstanding player as chosen by the NHL Players' Association in 2015-16. He also won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2007-08 and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP in 2013. Kane was named one the 100 Greatest Players in NHL history during the League's Centennial celebration in 2017.

Anders Lee, New York Islanders

The 35-year-old left wing had 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 82 games for the Islanders this season. Selected by New York in the sixth round (No. 152) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Lee has 549 points (308 goals, 241 assists) in 923 regular-season games and is a nine-time 20 goal scorer. He has 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 46 playoff games.

Anthony Mantha, Pittsburgh Penguins

The 31-year-old right wing had NHL career highs with 33 goals, 31 assists and 64 points in 81 regular-season games for the Penguins this season and one assist in six playoff games. Selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round (No. 20) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Mantha has 367 points (179 goals, 188 assists) in 588 regular-season games for the Red Wings, Washington Capitals, Vegas Golden Knights, Calgary Flames and Penguins and seven assists in 20 playoff games. 

Mason Marchment, Columbus Blue Jackets

The 31-year-old forward had 45 points (19 goals, 26 assists) in 68 games for the Blue Jackets and Seattle Kraken this season including 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) in 39 games for Columbus after he was acquired in a trade on Dec. 19. Signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs as an undrafted free agent March 17, 2018, Marchment has 234 points (95 goals, 139 assists) in 370 regular-season games for the Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, Kraken and Blue Jackets and 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) in 59 playoff games. 

Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

The 40-year-old left wing is the NHL's all-time leader with 929 goals. He had 32 goals and 64 points in 82 games this season, the 20th time in 21 seasons he's scored at least 30. The No. 1 pick by Washington in the 2004 NHL Draft, Ovechkin has 1,687 points in 1,573 regular-season games and 147 points (77 goals, 70 assists) in 161 playoff games. He won the Stanley Cup in 2018. Ovechkin has also won the Art Ross Trophy once, the Hart and Ted Lindsay three times each, the Rocket Richard Trophy a record nine times as well as the Calder Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy. Ovechkin was named one the 100 Greatest Players in NHL history during the League's Centennial celebration in 2017.

Corey Perry, Tampa Bay Lightning

The 41-year-old right wing had 37 points (17 goals, 20 assists) in 72 regular-season games for the Lightning and Los Angeles Kings this season including nine points (six goals, three assists) in 22 games after he was acquired by the Lightning in a trade on March 6. The No. 28 pick by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2003 NHL Draft, Perry has 972 points (465 goals, 507 assists) in 1,464 regular-season games during 21 seasons for the Ducks, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers and Kings and 141 points (64 goals, 77 assists) in 244 playoff games. He has 141 points (64 goals, 77 assists) in 244 playoff games. Perry won the Rocket Richard Trophy and the Hart Trophy in 2010-11 and won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007. 

Vladimir Tarasenko, Minnesota Wild

The 34-year-old right wing had 47 points (23 goals, 24 assists) in 75 regular-season games for the Wild this season and five points (two goals, three assists) in 11 playoff games. Selected by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (No. 16) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Tarasenko has 709 points (327 goals, 382 assists) in 906 regular-season games for the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings and Wild and 78 points (51 goals, 27 assists) in 132 playoff games. Tarasenko won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 and the Panthers in 2024.

Mats Zuccarello, Minnesota Wild

The 38-year-old right wing had 54 points (15 goals, 39 assists) in 59 regular-season games for the Wild this season and nine points (two goals, seven assists) in eight Stanley Cup Playoff games. Signed by the New York Rangers as an undrafted free agent on May 26, 2010, Zuccarello has 744 points (232 goals, 512 assists) in 963 regular-season games for the Rangers, Dallas Stars and Wild and 67 points (21 goals, 46 assists) in 110 playoff games. 

DEFENSEMEN

Rasmus Andersson, Vegas Golden Knights

The 29-year-old had 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in 81 regular-season games for the Golden Knights and Calgary Flames this season, including 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 33 games with Vegas after he was acquired in a trade on Jan. 18. Andersson had six assists in 22 playoff games. Selected by Calgary in the second round (No. 53) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Andersson has 278 points (64 goals, 214 assists) in 617 regular-season games for the Flames and Golden Knights and 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in 49 playoff games.

John Carlson, Carolina Hurricanes

The 36-year-old had 60 points (14 goals, 46 assists) in 71 regular-season games for the Ducks and Washington Capitals this season, including 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 16 games after he was acquired in a trade with Washington on March 5. Carlson, who had six assists in 12 playoff games, had his rights traded to the Hurricanes by the Ducks on Saturday. Selected by Washington in the first round (No. 27) of the 2008 NHL Draft, Carlson has 785 points (170 goals, 615 assists) in 1,159 regular-season games for the Capitals and Ducks and 84 points (21 goals, 63 assists) in 149 playoff games. He won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018.

Jacob Trouba, Anaheim Ducks

The 32-year-old had 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) in 81 regular-season games for the Ducks this season and one goal in 12 playoff games. Selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round (No. 9) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Trouba has 358 points (84 goals, 274 assists) in 906 regular-season games for the Jets, New York Rangers and Ducks, and 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 85 playoff games. 

GOALIES

Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes

The 36-year-old was 16-14-5 with a 3.05 goals-against average and .874 save percentage in 35 games for the Hurricanes this season. He was 13-2 with a 1.89 GAA, .910 save percentage and three shutouts in 16 playoff games to help Carolina win the Stanley Cup. Selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the third round (No. 87) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Andersen is 324-149-58 with a 2.59 GAA, .913 save percentage and 28 shutouts in 552 regular-season games (538 starts) for the Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Hurricanes and is 59-37 with a 2.32 GAA and .913 save percentage and eight shutouts in 101 postseason games. 

Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers

The 37-year-old goalie was 27-23-1 with a 3.07 GAA, .877 save percentage and four shutouts in 52 games (51 starts) for the Panthers this season. Signed by the Philadelphia Flyers as an undrafted free agent on May 6, 2010, Bobrovsky is 456-266-58 with a 2.61 GAA, .912 save percentage and 53 shutouts in 806 regular-season games (791 starts) for the Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Panthers, ranking seventh in NHL history in wins. Bobrovsky is 61-50 with a 2.71 GAA, .907 save percentage and six shutouts in 117 playoff games (111 starts) and helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup in 2024 and 2025. He won the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL in 2012-13 and 2016-17.

Stuart Skinner, Pittsburgh Penguins

The 27-year-old was 23-17-9 with a 2.92 GAA, .888 save percentage and two shutouts in 50 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Oilers this season, including 12-9-5 with a 2.99 GAA and .885 save percentage in 27 games with Pittsburgh after he was acquired in a trade on Dec. 12. He was 0-3 with a 3.08 GAA and .873 save percentage in three playoff games. Selected by Edmonton in the third round (No. 78) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Skinner is 121-71-23 with a 2.77 GAA, .902 save percentage and nine shutouts in 224 regular-season games (218 starts) for the Oilers and Penguins and 26-25 with a 2.89 GAA, .892 save percentage and four shutouts in 53 playoff games.

Cam Talbot, Detroit Red Wings

The 38-year-old was 12-9-6 with a 3.19 GAA and .883 save percentage in 34 games (25 starts) for the Red Wings this season. Signed by the New York Rangers as an undrafted free agent on March 30, 2010, Talbot is 278-204-53 with a 2.69 GAA, .911 save percentage and 33 shutouts in 567 regular-season games (533 starts) for the Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings and Red Wings. He 16-18 with a 2.75 GAA, .915 save percentage and six shutouts in 36 playoff games (34 starts).