This year’s NHL free agency has taken a more cautious approach, with teams mostly leaning towards short-term, budget-friendly deals rather than splurging on expensive contracts. So, the New York Islanders have brought in Maxim Shabanov on a one-year deal worth $975,000, and they also signed Emil Heineman to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.1 million. These moves seem to be more about adding depth to the team rather than going for big-name stars.
The Winnipeg Jets also brought in veteran Gustav Nyquist on a one-year deal for $3.25 million, which is pretty reasonable when you look at the big-name unrestricted free agents out there. In this context, a few standout contracts have really gone against the grain, highlighting some top-notch representation strategies. These deals really show how certain players, with the help of experienced agents, can still land some great value.
So, while a lot of UFAs are going for more standard deals, there are some exceptions that are really standing out because they’re going against the general trend of the market going down.
Steve Werier, who used to be the Assistant General Manager for the Florida Panthers, highlighted this point in a recent post on X, saying, “Every year there are winners and losers in NHL Free Agency. In 2025, however, there is one clear winner: Agent Todd Diamond. Provorov 8.5M X 7. Granlund 7M X 3. Orlov 6.5M X 2. At a time when UFA salaries are trending lower than expected in the aggregate, these deals stand out.”
Werier’s summary really gets to the point—highlighting the three deals that Diamond negotiated, which stand out in a time when negotiations have been pretty quiet. Columbus has secured their top-pairing defenseman by signing Ivan Provorov to a seven-year extension valued at $59.5 million, which breaks down to $8.5 million each season. So, the Anaheim Ducks went ahead and signed Mikael Granlund on July 1. He’s got a three-year deal worth $21 million, which breaks down to an average of $7 million a year.
Every year there are winners and losers in NHL Free Agency
In 2025, however, there is one clear winner:
Agent Todd Diamond
Provorov 8.5M X 7
Granlund 7M X 3
Orlov 6.5M X 2
At a time when UFA salaries are trending lower than expected in the aggregate, these deals stand out
— Steve Werier (@stevewerier) July 3, 2025
Finally, we have Dmitry Orlov, who just inked a two-year deal with the San Jose Sharks worth $13 million—so that breaks down to about $6.5 million each year. Each one shows how Todd Diamond is really good at securing terms and value—demonstrating how top-notch representation can go against the usual market trends. But you know, this NHL free agency has also brought some huge deals into the mix.
There were many blockbuster signings in the NHL free agency
The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off a big sign-and-trade move, locking in star winger Mitch Marner with an eight-year, $96 million contract (that’s a $12 million average annual value) before trading him to the Vegas Golden Knights. This kind of long-term max deal is pretty rare, showing that top-tier talent can still snag those huge salaries.
In the meantime, the Florida Panthers locked in top defenseman Aaron Ekblad with an eight-year deal worth $48.8 million, which breaks down to about $6.1 million per year. Also, the Panthers locked in Brad Marchand with a 6-year, $31.5 million contract and Sam Bennett with an 8-year, $64 million contract. These moves really show their commitment to keeping key players in a tight market. The Rangers really made a move by signing shutdown defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year deal that averages $7 million a season.
This definitely adds some depth and stability to their defense. Marner’s huge eight-year deal is the only one this offseason that hits over $10M AAV, while Ekblad, Marchand, Bennett, and Gavrikov’s long-term contracts lock in some top-notch defenders for the future, even though many teams are being more cautious with their spending. They point out that even though a lot of franchises took the safe route, there were a few that really went for it, making big investments to secure some top-notch talent.
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