The Elite Prospects Guide to 2025 NHL Free Agency

NHL unrestricted free agency can be a bit of a mixed bag, but in recent years the spending sprees have been tempered by a flat cap.

That era is over, and July 1st marks the beginning of a whole new world of player salaries.

Those who haven't yet adjusted to the cap growth we're in for (from $88 million to $113.5 million in the next three seasons according to the NHL's projections) are going to experience sticker shock like never before as the league enters its most rapid period of cap hit growth since the years immediately following the 2004-05 lockout.

That makes navigating this free agency period especially critical for teams trying to get on the level of the Panthers and Oilers. Free agency may be the “easy” way to build a team in that you don't have to trade any assets for them, but signi