Best remaining NHL free agents after initial wave of signings

NHL free agency began Monday, July 1, and by the end of that day more than $1 billion worth of contracts had been signed or agreed to.

Teams across the league took advantage of the rise in the salary cap to make roster moves that they hope will improve their fortunes next season.

Even though the best players who hit the market have all worked out new deals, plenty of quality players remain unsigned.

One player that stands out is James van Riemsdyk. The 35-year-old forward tallied 38 points (11 goals, 17 assists) in 71 games for the Boston Bruins last season. He has never scored fewer than 11 goals in a season and also has 82 games of playoff experience. Van Riemsdyk would be a solid bottom-six addition for a contending team.

Daniel Sprong has tallied at least 43 points in back-to-back seasons, including 21 goals scored in 2022-23 and 18 goals in 2023-24. The 27-year-old forward is still available.

Justin Schultz is one of the top defensemen unsigned. He is still an offensive threat who can contribute to the power play. Schultz also has two Stanley Cup rings from his days with the Penguins.

Even after the initial wave of signings earlier this week, there are still 22 teams with $3 million or more in salary cap space, per CapFriendly.

Here’s a list of the best remaining forwards, defensemen and goaltenders on the NHL free agent market (2023-24 goals, assists and games played in parenthesis).

Forwards

• Tyler Johnson, C (17 G, 14 A in 67 GP)
• Daniel Sprong, RW (18 G, 25 A in 76 GP)
• James van Riemsdyk, LW (11 G, 27 A in 71 GP)
• Tanner Pearson, LW (5 G, 8 A in 13 GP)
• Filip Zadina, RW (13 G, 10 A in 72 GP)
• Dominik Kubalik, LW (11 G, 4 A in 74 GP)
• Kailer Yamamoto, RW (8 G, 8 A in 59 GP)

Defensemen

• Justin Schultz (7 G, 19 A in 70 GP)
• John Klingberg (0 G, 5 A in 14 GP)
• Kevin Shattenkirk (6 G, 18 A in 61 GP)
• Tyson Barrie (1 G, 14 A in 41 GP)
• Mark Giordano (3 G, 6 A in 46 GP)
• Ryan Suter (2 G, 15 A in 82 GP)

Goaltenders

• Antti Raanta (.872 SV%, 2.99 GAA)
• Kevin Lankinen (.908 SV%, 2.82 GAA)