A week has passed since the NHL’s free agency period opened on July 1 and there are still a few notable names available. 

Several star players came off the board before free agency even began, as the Florida Panthers re-signed Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand, while the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

By the time free agency opened, the top players available were Nikolaj Ehlers, Brock Boeser, and Vladislav Gavrikov. Boeser wound up re-signing with the Vancouver Canucks on July 1, Gavrikov inked a long-term deal with the New York Rangers, and Ehlers took a few days before signing with the Carolina Hurricanes.

A few former Edmonton Oilers left for new teams last week. Corey Perry signed an incentive-laden deal with the Los Angeles Kings, Connor Brown got a four-year contract with the New Jersey Devils, and John Klingberg joined the rebuilding San Jose Sharks.

Without much salary cap room to work with, general manager Stan Bowman moved Viktor Arvidsson to the Boston Bruins and used the open space to sign winger Andrew Mangiapane to a two-year deal. The Oilers also signed former Edmonton Oil King Curtis Lazar to a one-year contract and added Matt Tomkins and Riley Stillman on two-way contracts.

Another major addition by the Oilers seems unlikely at this point. However, it’s certainly possible that some free agents who are unsigned later into the summer will be interested in joining a Stanley Cup contender on a bargain deal or attending training camp on a professional tryout.

The top forward remaining on the open market is Jack Roslovic, who scored 22 goals and 39 points in 81 games with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2024-25 after signing a one-year, $2.8 million deal with the team last July.

The best defender available is Matt Grzelcyk, who’s also coming off a one-year contract. The long-time Boston Bruin played with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season and scored 40 points in 82 games while logging an average of 20:37 per night.

Jeff Skinner and Max Pacioretty highlight the veteran wingers who are still unsigned more than a week into July. Skinner scored 16 goals and 29 points over 72 games with the Oilers last season, while Pacioretty was limited to only 37 games because of injury.

James Reimer is likely the best bet for a team seeking a goaltender in free agency. The 37-year-old posted a .896 save percentage over 24 games between the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks last season. Ilya Samsonov and Alexandar Georgiev are also available following forgettable seasons.

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