Necas signing another big blow to potential 2026 free-agent crop

TSN’s Free Agent Frenzy board for July 2026 took another big blow Thursday as Martin Necas inked an eight-year $92 million extension with the Colorado Avalanche.

Necas is just the latest big-name pending unrestricted free agent to re-sign over the past month after a quiet summer on the extension front.

Kirill Kaprizov was the first several stars to ink new deals before the puck dropped on the season, followed by Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, Winnipeg Jets sniper Kyle Connor and Vegas Golden Knights centre Jack Eichel. In addition to those forwards, Florida Panthers defenceman Niko Mikkola, Oilers blueliner Jake Walman and Minnesota Wild netminder Filip Gustavsson also inked new deals to stay put.

A nightmare month of signings for James Duthie

Who could still make it to July 1?

With all those players staying put, the star power potentially heading to market on July 1 has dropped significantly. Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings centre Adrian Kempe lead the list of players remaining who could go to market.

While the Kings and Kempe are believed to have opened talks, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun said this week the Rangers will take their time before deciding on Panarin’s future.

“My understanding is that with a new head coach behind the bench in Mike Sullivan, the Rangers are not in a rush to get into a more serious place in those discussions with Artemi Panarin’s camp,“ LeBrun said Tuesday.

“There’s a lot of time between now and July 1, but I think the Rangers want to see what kind of season this is as a team, after last year’s disappointment, before they decide what to do with a pending UFA that they feel has done a lot for them. They have a lot of respect for him.

“If and when they start those talks, I think the term could be an issue here. He turns 34 this week, and I don’t think he’s going to settle for a short-term deal if the Rangers come at him with that, so keep an eye on that one.”

Panarin has two goals and seven points in 11 games this season for the Rangers, who have started 4-5-2.

Kempe is off to a significantly stronger start with five goals and 14 points in 11 games.

Washington Capitals future hall-of-famer Alex Ovechkin is also a pending unrestricted free agent, though it remains difficult to picture his NHL future outside of D.C.

Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch and Nick Schmaltz of the Utah Mammoth also both continue to play on expiring deals as well.

Tuch had 36 goals and 67 points in 82 games last season and has three goals and nine points in 10 games this season.

Schmaltz is off to a dominant start to the campaign with seven goals and 17 points in 11 games after posting 20 goals and 63 points in 82 games last year.

In order of 2024-25 points, veterans Patrick Kane, Anders Lee, Mats Zuccarello and John Carlson follow them on the list of pending unrestricted free agent.

Based on scoring so far this season, Schmaltz is the top available pending UFA, followed by longtime Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin, Kempe, Anthony Mantha of the Penguins and Avalanche winger Victor Olofsson, who signed a one-year deal late this summer.

Pending UFA Point Leaders 2025-26