The NHL’s best free agents remaining after the first wave of deals originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
NHL free agency began on Monday, July 1, and by the end of the day, more than $1 billion in contracts had been signed or agreed to.
Teams around the league have taken advantage of the salary cap increase to make changes to their players in the hopes of improving their fortunes next season.
The best players on the market have all signed new contracts, but many quality players remain unsigned.
One player that stands out is James Van Riemsdyk. The 35-year-old forward appeared in 71 games with the Boston Bruins last season and had 38 points (11 goals, 17 assists). He has never scored fewer than 11 goals in a season and has 82 playoff games of experience. Van Riemsdyk would be a good addition to any championship-contending team’s bottom six.
Daniel Sprong is in line for two consecutive seasons of at least 43 points, including 21 goals in 2022-23 and 18 goals in 2023-24. The 27-year-old forward is still available for contract.
Justin Schultz is one of the top unsigned defensemen. He is still an offensive threat that can contribute on the power play. Schultz won two Stanley Cup rings during his time with the Penguins.
According to CapFriendly, even after the first set of signings earlier this week, there are still 22 teams with more than $3 million in salary cap space.
Below is a list of the best forwards, defensemen and goaltenders remaining on the NHL free agent market (with goals, assists and games played in 2023-24 in parentheses).
forward
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Tyler Johnson, C (17 appearances, 14 assists in 67 games)
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Daniel Sprong, RW (18 appearances, 25 assists in 76 games)
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James van Riemsdyk, LW (11 goals, 27 assists in 71 games)
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Tanner Pearson, LW (5 games, 8 assists in 13 games)
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Filip Zadina, RW (13 appearances, 10 assists in 72 games)
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Dominik Kubalik, LW (11 appearances, 4 assists in 74 games)
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Kailer Yamamoto, RW (8 appearances, 8 assists in 59 games)
