Every year, July 1st is circled as one of the most looked-forward-to dates on the league calendar as free agency frenzy brings plenty of excitement to the offseason. While it’ll still be intriguing to see where players end up, there’s not a lot to get overly enthusiastic about when it comes to this year’s market. It’s a very thin class shaped with aging stars/superstars like Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, John Carlson and Sergei Bobrovsky lumped in with a lot of depth forwards. All 32 teams would love to have players the caliber of those four, but again, the ages of those stars are 40, 39, 36 and 37.
The defenseman market might be the best group of unrestricted free agents out of the bunch, but it’s still nothing to write home about.Â
With aging players taking up the top of the market, let’s focus in on who the best NHL unrestricted free agents under the age of 30 are going into next season. Overpaying is the name of the game in free agency but with this year in particular, there might be more of that than ever before.Â
While there are still some very talented players on the plus side of 30, there are a lot of teams that are looking at the younger side of the class to fill out their roster.
*Under the age of 30 at the start of 2026-27 season
*Will be updated as players sign
NHL Unrestricted Free Agents Under the Age of 30
Rasmus Andersson
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 29
Position: Defenseman
Former team: Vegas Golden Knights
Rasmus Anderson might be the top defenseman on the unrestricted free-agent market this offseason and one of the top overall players available, no matter the position or age.
He was one of the most sought-after players on the trade market this past season when he was with the Calgary Flames. He posted 10 goals and 20 assists for the team until he got traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in January. His play garnered the Flames a conditional 2027 first-round pick and a conditional 2028 second-round pick from Vegas to go along with defenseman Zach Whitecloud and a prospect. His production stalled initially in Vegas, but got going as the season went on and totaled 17 goals with 30 assists for 47 points in 81 games between both teams.
It was a hefty price to pay, but the hope is for the Golden Knights to retain him. It will be a challenge with the current cap situation but if they can make room for Andersson, they will. His value will be high given he’s a right-shot who is durable and a solid all-around defenseman with leadership qualities.
Patrik Laine
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 28
Position: Right Wing
Former Team: Montreal Canadiens
It’s hard to gauge which teams would be interested in Patrik Laine with his injury history. He was once viewed as the next superstar when he broke out with the Winnipeg Jets to start his career. Laine scored 36, 44, and 30 goals in his first three NHL seasons. He then scored 28 goals and tallied 63 points in just 68 games in his fourth season. That’s when the injury bug started to creep in.
Between the Jets, Columbus Blue Jackets and Canadiens, Laine hasn’t played in more than 56 games in a single season since 2019-20. This includes only playing 18 games in 2023-24 and just five games in 2025-26.
But there’s a reason he’s still on this list: his shot. While he may have inconsistencies and an injury history, Laine still possesses one of the most dangerous shots in the game, especially from long range. When healthy enough, he can remain a 20-goal scorer, tallying 20 goals in 50 games in 2024-25. Laine also scored 22 goals in 55 games in 2022-23 and 26 goals in 56 games in 2021-22. He can also be a threat on the power play, leading the league in goals and shots per 60 on the man advantage since the start of 2023-24.
Again, even with the success in limited seasons, the injury history just might be too much to gamble on for many teams. His cap hit of $8.7M in 2025-26 will go way down, and honestly, could be under a million. If this were the Laine of old, his market would be sky high but that’s not the case as of right now, even at 28 years old.
Logan Stanley
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 28
Position: Defenseman
Former Team: Buffalo Sabres
For Logan Stanley, there might not have been a better year to become an unrestricted free agent. On top of it not being the best class, Stanley is coming off a career year across the board. He was traded to the Sabres at the NHL Trade Deadline after spending the previous five seasons with the Jets.
Before this season, Stanley scored five total goals in his first five years in the league, one in each season. In 2025-26 alone, he nearly doubled his five-year total as he tallied nine goals on the season, making it by far his best scoring campaign yet. Stanley also set a career-high in assists (17) and points (26) between his two teams.
He might not be the best defender, but he is a towering 6’7″, 231-pound defenseman who has a heavy shot and increased his offensive role this season. The market favors Stanley, who could get a multi-year deal whether it’s in Buffalo or elsewhere.
Mario Ferraro
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 28
Position: Defenseman
Former team: San Jose Sharks
Mario Ferraro also had the best production of his NHL career in 2025-26. With the San Jose Sharks, he had career-high goals (7) and points (23), adding 16 assists.
The veteran defenseman has been durable and dependable throughout his career, logging 20+ minutes on ice in six of his seven seasons, with his rookie year being the only season he didn’t. Ferraro also just got done playing all 82 games for the Sharks and had a career-best plus/minus of minus-1, which is decent considering the state of the Sharks’ blue line. He’s a good veteran leader who plays a simple style of hockey, who’s also going to be just 28 years old at the start of the season.
Jack Roslovic
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 29
Position: Center
Former Team: Edmonton Oilers
Jack Roslovic hit the free-agent market at the right time, coming off back-to-back 20-goal seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes and Oilers. He gave Edmonton great value on his one-year, $1.5M contract, even if he’s been filled with inconsistencies. At one point this past October, Roslovic even had a stretch where he put up 17 points in 16 games. He finished the season with 36 points (21 goals, 15 assists).
It’s unclear whether the Oilers will bring him back or not, but his speed and great value as a 20-goal depth forward could get him a multi-year deal this time around.
Eeli Tolvanen
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 27
Position: Right Wing
Former team: Seattle Kraken
A few teams would have serious interest in Eeli Tolvanen given what he brings on the ice as a middle-six forward. His physical and hard-nosed presence is what teams value around the league, up and down the lineup. He also adds some strong defensive play and can be a secondary option on a power-play unit with his shot.
Tolvanen’s goal production took a hit this past season, as he put 12 pucks in the back of the net as opposed to a career-high 23 in the previous season. While his scoring dipped, his assist numbers went up as he had 24 assists compared to just 12 in 2024-25. His age will also play a factor in his free-agent interest, as he’ll be the youngest of anyone above him on this list at the start of the season.
Other UFAs Under 30:
Stuart Skinner (Goaltender)
Ryan Shea (Defenseman)
A.J. Greer (Forward)
Andrew Peeke (Defenseman)
Timothy Liljegren (Defenseman)
Nick Blankenburg (Defenseman)
Connor Dewar (Forward)
Connor Ingram (Goaltender)
Read more – 2026 NHL Playoffs: The Last Stanley Cup Win For Each Western Conference Team
Main Image: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
