It's not easy for NHL GMs to land free agents at a low price tag, but there were a handful of additions made this summer that could prove to outproduce their modest cap hit.
With NHL training camps around the corner, the dust has pretty much settled on free agency, even though there are some notable names still available on the market.
Looking back over the past couple of months, who were the best bargain contracts from the 2026 class of NHL free agency?
In the situation of UFAs signing contracts with new teams, it's rare to see notable players ink deals that could be considered a 'bargain'. The ability to convince players to join a new franchise has always been difficult to do without paying a premium, especially with a rising salary cap.
However, there are a handful of low-risk bets that were made this summer that could pay off in spades. Let's take a look at three of the best contracts from UFAs that signed with new clubs this summer.
Jaden Schwartz, Left Wing, Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche have seen a fair share of turnover in their forward group. They have parted ways with significant assets up front like Valeri Nichushkin, Ross Colton and Jack Drury, among others.
Avalanche GM Joe Sakic needed to make up the offense that left somehow, especially if Colorado is going to continue to dominate the NHL in the regular season and push for another Stanley Cup.
With that in mind, the Avs brought in veteran left winger Jaden Schwartz. The 33-year-old was inked to a three-year contract at $3.25 million per year. He's a six-time 20-goal scorer and is coming off a five-year stint with the Seattle Kraken. Last season, he notched 11 goals and 26 points in 50 regular-season appearances.
Mario Ferraro, Defenseman, Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets missed the playoffs last season, one year after they won the Presidents' Trophy in 2024-25. Connor Hellebuyck's public trade request on Aug. 27 may overshadow the team's off-season, but GM Kevin Cheveldayoff found ways to tinker with his roster earlier in the summer.
One of those moves was signing defensive defenseman Mario Ferraro. The 27-year-old joins the Jets on a three-year contract at $4 million per season, which only makes him the fifth-highest-paid defenseman on the team.
Entering his prime years in the NHL, Ferraro is a great shutdown blueliner. Since 2022-23, the former San Jose Sharks D-man recorded the 13th most blocks with 615 — averaging about two blocks per game in that stretch.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, Right Wing, New York Rangers
Oliver Bjorkstrand didn't have the greatest of seasons to his standard in 2025-26 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Danish right winger scored 12 goals and 32 points in 80 games, when he typically notches around 20 goals and 50 points in the right situation.
He was pushed down the Lightning lineup with all the stars on that roster and only averaged 13:38 of ice time last year.
Now that the 31-year-old has joined the New York Rangers on a one-year contract for $4.5 million, he'll have the chance to perform at the rate he's used to, as he did with the Seattle Kraken and Columbus Blue Jackets. With an opportunity for a top-six role with the Rangers, Bjorkstrand can also play himself into a much bigger contract.
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