NHL Free Agency: Top 5 Remaining UFAs After Day 2 of Free Agency

As we conclude the second day of NHL free agency, most of the big names are off the board—signed either by their incumbent team or a new one. But there are still some notable players out there to be had, some still weighing their decisions.

As of Wednesday evening, here are the top 5 remaining unrestricted free agents, as listed on the Daily Faceoff trade board (subject to change at a moment's notice!):

1. Nikolaj Ehlers, F

Ehlers is by far the top forward remaining on the market, and his price just kept going up while his contemporaries fell off the board. He was supposed to be on the verge of making a decision on Wednesday, but we hadn't heard anything well into the evening. Reports have indicated that the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes are the two finalists vying for his services.

Nikolaj Ehlers while the world waits… pic.twitter.com/tyNNrZM7ir
— Caniac Sessions (@CaniacSessions) July 2, 2025

He was projected to be able to command a six-year deal with an $8.1 AAV by AFP Analytics.

2. Dmitry Orlov, D

The 33-year-old defenseman is still evaluating his options in free agency. He was projected to land a 3-year, $5.8 million AAV contract. The Hurricanes haven't closed the door yet on him.

(Signed on Thursday by San Jose Sharks, 2 years, $6.5M)

3. Jack Roslovic, F

He is actually the second-highest scoring forward left on the UFA list, with his 22 goals and 39 points for the Canes. And he did all that in just 13:49 average ice time per night.

4. Anthony Beauvillier, F

A 15-goal, 25-point man is still out there. He's projected to land a three-year, $3.22M cap hit deal.

5. Matt Grzelcyk, D

He had a career year offensively in his only season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, registering 39 assists and 40 points. He was projected to earn himself a three-year deal at $3.38 million AAV.

Other honorable mentions include Victor Olofsson (29 pts in 56 games), Jeff Skinner (16 goals in 72 games), and Max Pacioretty (105 hits in 37 games).

Defender Brent Burns came off the board Wednesday night, signing with the Colorado Avalanche on a one-year deal.