Top 30 Free Agents for 2023

The 2022-23 NHL season is over, and free agency is fast approaching, as it begins in less than 2 weeks on July 1. At one point, the upcoming UFA class was shaping up to be one of the strongest in years. Established scorers such as Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane still headline the crop, but with Dylan Larkin and David Pastrnak signing lucrative extensions, as well as J.T. Miller last summer, the class took a significant hit in terms of top-end talent.  

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Tarasenko and Kane could see pricey contracts coming their way, but it will be in new uniforms. Both players are with the New York Rangers after getting dealt to them ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. Perhaps one of them will stay in Manhattan beyond this season, but the Rangers’ cap situation will make it difficult to retain both. Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci will be UFAs, though it’s probably safe to assume both forwards will likely continue playing for the Boston Bruins if they don’t decide to hang up the skates.

Vladimir Tarasenko New York Rangers
New York Rangers winger Vladimir Tarasenko (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)

Still, there are other potential UFAs that will end up being attractive to teams looking to bolster their rosters in July. What will happen to Max Pacioretty after he tore his Achilles for a second time in less than a year? If the Carolina Hurricanes don’t re-sign him, he could be a bargain option as a UFA if a team is willing to take a chance on him. If the Tampa Bay Lightning don’t re-sign Alex Killorn, he’d bring valuable veteran experience to a team ready for a deep playoff run.

Related: Rangers Acquire Tarasenko, Mikkola from the Blues

Even after the first tier of free agents, the second tier should provide teams with valuable scoring depth while not costing back-breaking amounts of money on lengthy contracts. Jason Zucker had a rebound season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, while Max Domi played well for a struggling Blackhawks squad and was a key factor in the Dallas Stars making a deep playoff run. In net, there are some intriguing options in Tristan Jarry, Joonas Korpisalo, and Semyon Varlamov.

The qualifying offer and buyout deadlines also a bit of depth to the free agent class this year. Among the notable restricted free agents who didn’t receive qualifying offers are Daniel Sprong, who checks in the top 10, and Kailer Yamamoto. The Winnipeg Jets also bought out Blake Wheeler, making him a UFA, as was Matt Duchene, who’s now the No. 1 UFA this summer.

With free agency set to open, this list sits at 30 players. It will receive updates as needed if players re-sign with their current teams ahead of free agency. Without further ado, Here are our top 30 free agents (all stats are from the regular season).

*Updated June 30, 6:25 PM EST

Top 30 UFAs for 2023

RankPlayerPositionAgeGames PlayedGoalsAssistsPointsTeam Cap Hit
1Matt DucheneC3271223456NSH$8 million
2Tyler BertuzziLW/RW285082230DET/BOS$4.75 million
3Vladimir TarasenkoRW3169183250STL/NYR $7.5 million
4Dmitry OrlovD316672936WSH/BOS$5.1 million
5Alex KillornLW/RW3482273764TBL$4.45 million
6Michael BuntingRW2782232649TOR$950,000
7Daniel SprongW2666212546SEA$750,000
8Jason ZuckerLW/RW3178272148PIT$5.1 million
9Blake WheelerRW3672163955WPG$8.25 million
10Patrick KaneRW3473213556CHI/NYR$10.5 million
11Ryan O’ReillyC3253161430STL/TOR$7.5 million
12Max DomiLW/C2880203656CHI/DAL$3 million
13Tristan Jarry G28472.90 GAA.909 SV%PIT$3.5 million
14Max PaciorettyRW345303CAR$6 million
15J.T. CompherC2882173552COL$3.5 million
16Shayne GostisbehereD3075132841ARI/CAR$4.5 million
17Ryan Graves D287881826NJD$3,166,667
18Joonas KorpisaloG28392.87 GAA.914 SV%CBJ/LAK$1.3 million
19John KlingbergD3067102333ANA/MIN$7 million
20Tomáš TatarLW/RW3282202848NJD$4.5 million
21Carson SoucyD287831316SEA$2.75 million
22Semyon VarlamovG35232.70 GAA.913 SV%NYI $5 million
23Erik GustafssonD317073542WSH/TOR$800,000
24Evan RodriguesC/RW2969162339COL$2 million
25Kailer YamamotoRW2458101525EDM$3.1 million
26Caleb JonesD267341216CHI$1.35 million
27Frederik AndersenG33342.48 GAA.903 SV%CAR$2.5 million
28Connor BrownRW294000WSH$3.6 million
29Conor Sheary LW/RW3182152237WSH $1.5 million
30Scott MayfieldD308261824NYI$1.45 million