Kane, Laine, Mantha lead list of remaining free agents

The NHL free-agent signing period opened Wednesday at noon, and though plenty of players found new homes or stayed with their teams, there are still big-name free agents still on the market.

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

Jamie Benn, F, 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, F, 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.

Claude Giroux, F, 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.

Adam Henrique, F, Edmonton Oilers

The 36-year-old forward had 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 65 regular-season games for the Oilers last season and no points in one Stanley Cup Playoff game. Selected by the New Jersey Devils in the third round (No. 82) of the 2008 NHL Draft, Henrique has 572 points (278 goals, 294 assists) in 1,058 regular-season games for the Devils, Anaheim Ducks and Oilers and 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 68 playoff games.

Patrick Kane, F, 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.

John Klingberg, D, San Jose Sharks

The 33-year-old right-handed shot had 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 56 regular season games with the Sharks this season. Selected by the Dallas Stars in the fifth round (No. 131) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Klingberg has 443 points (92 goals, 351 assists) in 700 career regular season games over 12 seasons with the Stars, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Sharks. He has 43 points (nine goals, 34 assists) in 82 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Patrik Laine, F, Montreal Canadiens

The 28-year-old forward had one assist in five games for the Canadiens last season. He did not play after Oct. 16 due to injury. Laine had 33 points (20 goals, 13 assists) in 52 games with the Canadiens in 2024-25, including 15 power-play goals. It was his first season with them after he was acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Aug. 19, 2024. He's been limited to 75 games the past three seasons due to injuries. The No. 2 pick by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL Draft, Laine has 422 points (224 goals, 198 assists) in 537 regular-season games for the Jets, Blue Jackets and Canadiens. He is a seven-time 20-goal scorer and scored at least 30 goals in each of his first three seasons in the NHL, including an NHL career-high 44 in 2017-18 with the Jets. Laine has 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 26 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Anthony Mantha, F, Pittsburgh Penguins

The 31-year-old forward had NHL career highs with 33 goals, 31 assists and 64 points in 81 regular-season games for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season and one assist in six Stanley Cup Playoff games. 

Selected by the Detroit Red Wings with the No. 20 pick in 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.

Logan Stanley, D, Buffalo Sabres

The 27-year-old (6-7, 231) had 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 76 regular-season games for the Sabres and Winnipeg Jets last season, including five assists in 17 games with Buffalo after he was acquired in a trade with Winnipeg on March 6. Stanley had no points in eight Stanley Cup Playoff games. Selected by Winnipeg in the first round (No. 18) of the 2016 NHL Draft, he has 62 points (14 goals, 48 assists) in 278 regular-season games and four points (two goals, two assists) in 25 postseason matches.

Cam Talbot, G, 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).

Vladimir Tarasenko, F, 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.

Eeli Tolvanen, F, Seattle Kraken

The 27-year-old forward had 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 78 games for the Kraken last season. Selected by the Nashville Predators in the first round (No. 30) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Tolvanen has 190 points (92 goals, 98 assists) in 423 regular-season games for the Predators and Kraken and nine points (four goals, five assists) in 21 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

James van Riemsdyk, F, Detroit Red Wings

The 37-year-old forward had 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists) in 72 games for the Red Wings last season. Selected with the No. 2 pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 NHL Draft, van Riemsdyk has 696 points (342 goals, 354 assists) in 1,154 regular-season games for the Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets and Red Wings and 36 points (21 goals, 15 assists) in 82 Stanley Cup Playoff games.