Things are listing to the right on TSN’s first list of pending 2026 NHL unrestricted free agents.
Four of the top six players, including No. 1-ranked Vegas defenceman Rasmus Andersson are right shots.
The only exception is Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky, the No. 4-ranked, two-time Stanley Cup-winning goalie, who rightfully takes his place among this year’s elite potential unrestricted free agents after fulfilling a seven-year, $10-million annual average value deal with the Panthers.
Andersson, 29, and Bobrovsky, 37, are joined by No. 2 Tampa Bay right defenceman Darren Raddysh, No. 3 Buffalo right winger Alex Tuch, No. 5 Anaheim right defenceman John Carlson and No. 6 Anaheim right defenceman Jacob Trouba.
Make no mistake about it, this is not one of the NHL’s marquee free agent classes, with the likes of potential 2026 UFAs Connor McDavid and Kirill Kaprizov pre-emptively signing on the eve of the 2025-26 season. The Oilers’ captain signed for two years at a bargain-basement $12.5 million AAV and Kaprizov for eight years at a record $17 million per season.
This year’s group is distinguished as much by what it doesn’t have – centrepiece players and centres – as it is by what it does have.
It’s for the latter reason that 30-something, 13-goal-scoring pivots Boone Jenner of Columbus and Scott Laughton of Los Angeles land as high as No. 8 and 9, respectively.
A pair of goal-scoring wingers, Seattle’s Bobby McMann (No. 7) and Pittsburgh’s Anthony Mantha (No. 10), round out the top third of our 30-player list exactly 30 days before the onset of free agency at 12:01 am ET, July 1.
Two more players deserve special mention largely because, while they are on the list, they are not considered likely to reach free agency: Carolina goalie Freddy Andersen, 36, and Washington legend Alex Ovechkin, 40
Carolina’s Conn Smythe candidate Andersen is slotted at No. 25 and enters the Stanley Cup Final versus Vegas with a 12-1 record, 1.41 goals-against average and .941 save percentage – all playoff-leading totals.
Meanwhile, NHL all-time goal-scoring leader Ovechkin sits at No. 30. The career-long Cap has yet to announce whether he will return for a 22nd season. Thirty-two goals in 2025-26 raised his combined career regular season (929) and playoff (77) totals to 1,006 – a mere 10 behind Wayne Gretzky’s goal standard 1,016.
TSN Hockey’s Top 30 UFA List
| RK | Player | Age | Pos | GP | G | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rasmus Andersson, VGK | 29 | RD | 81 | 17 | 47 |
| 2 | Darren Raddysh, TB | 30 | RD | 73 | 22 | 70 |
| 3 | Alex Tuch, Buf | 30 | RW | 79 | 33 | 66 |
| 4 | Sergei Bobrovsky, Fla | 37 | G | 52 | 3.07 | .877 |
| 5 | John Carlson, Ana | 36 | RD | 71 | 14 | 60 |
| 6 | Jacob Trouba, Ana | 32 | RD | 81 | 10 | 35 |
| 7 | Bobby McMann, Sea | 29 | LW | 78 | 29 | 46 |
| 8 | Boone Jenner, CBJ | 33 | C | 67 | 13 | 38 |
| 9 | Scott Laughton, LA | 32 | C | 64 | 13 | 20 |
| 10 | Anthony Mantha, Pit | 31 | RW | 81 | 33 | 64 |
| 11 | Mason Marchment, CBJ | 31 | LW | 68 | 19 | 45 |
| 12 | Viktor Arvidsson, Bos | 33 | LW | 69 | 25 | 54 |
| 13 | Connor Murphy, Edm | 33 | RD | 80 | 5 | 17 |
| 14 | Anders Lee, NYI | 35 | LW | 82 | 19 | 42 |
| 15 | Stuart Skinner, Pit | 27 | G | 50 | 2.92 | .888 |
| 16 | Mario Ferraro, SJ | 27 | LD | 83 | 7 | 23 |
| 17 | Mats Zuccarello, Min | 38 | RW | 59 | 15 | 54 |
| 18 | John Klingberg, SJ | 33 | RD | 56 | 10 | 27 |
| 19 | Patrick Kane, Det | 37 | RW | 67 | 16 | 57 |
| 20 | Jaden Schwartz, Sea | 33 | LW | 50 | 11 | 26 |
| 21 | Ryan Shea, Pit | 29 | LD | 80 | 6 | 35 |
| 22 | Michael Bunting, Dal | 30 | LW | 74 | 14 | 33 |
| 23 | Jason Dickinson, Edm | 30 | C | 64 | 7 | 17 |
| 24 | Jack Roslovic, Edm | 29 | RW | 69 | 21 | 36 |
| 25 | Frederik Andersen, Car | 36 | G | 35 | 3.05 | .874 |
| 26 | Kasperi Kapenen, Edm | 29 | RW | 41 | 8 | 17 |
| 27 | Andrew Peeke, Bos | 28 | RD | 77 | 5 | 14 |
| 28 | Brett Kulak, Col | 32 | LD | 83 | 1 | 12 |
| 29 | Vladimir Tarasenko, Min | 34 | RW | 75 | 23 | 47 |
| 30 | Alex Ovechkin, Wsh | 40 | LW | 82 | 32 | 64 |
