Rasmus Andersson, John Carlson and Jacob Trouba are just some pending UFA defensemen who could get a lot of interest in NHL free agency.
The NHL's free-agent frenzy is nearly here, and some pending UFA defensemen have already come off the board.
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired veteran Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a sign-and-trade deal. The Colorado Avalanche re-signed Brett Kulak and Brent Burns, and the New York Islanders re-signed Tony DeAngelo.
There are still high-caliber blueliners who could be up for grabs on July 1, however.
At a time when there are precious few D-men available, the blueliners on the market will be able to cash in in a major way.
Here are the top five UFA defensemen as they appeared on The Hockey News' top 50 UFAs list.
1. Rasmus Andersson, D, Vegas Golden Knights
Age: 29
Shoots: Right
Previous cap hit: $4.55 million
2025-26 stats: 81 GP, 17 G, 30 A, 47 PTS
The Golden Knights paid a high price for Andersson when they acquired him from the Calgary Flames in January.
Andersson said he wants to re-sign with Vegas, but the complication preventing the Golden Knights from extending him right now is limited cap space. If there's no solution in place by July 1, Andersson could walk and leave Vegas wondering whether acquiring him earlier in the season was worth it.
Andersson isn't a No. 1 defenseman, but he could get at least double what he earned this season.
McCrimmon is known for cold-blooded roster decisions, so maybe Andersson was a pure rental for Vegas, and he'll be leaving this summer. But don't count out the Golden Knights for finding a way to retain Andersson. He's a smart defender and a reliable offense-producer, and one team or another will pay him a lot of money to be in their top two defense pairings.
2. John Carlson, D, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 36
Shoots: Right
Previous cap hit: $8 million
2025-26 stats: 71 GP, 14 G, 46 A, 60 PTS
Some were shocked when the Washington Capitals dealt Carlson at the NHL trade deadline, but Carlson showed he wasn't a salary dump, posting 10 assists and 14 points for the Ducks in 16 regular-season games.
However, the 36-year-old hasn't signed a contract extension with Anaheim, making him one of the open market's most coveted D-men this summer.
Carlson may not get the same dollar amount on his next contract if he wants to play on a legitimate Stanley Cup front-runner, but on a two- or three-year deal, he may not be that far off from $8 million per season.
Carlson's offensive production is what teams are looking for, and other than Andersson, Carlson is the open market's most skilled point-producing D-man.
3. Jacob Trouba, D, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 32
Shoots: Right
Previous cap hit: $8 million
2025-26 stats: 81 GP, 10 G, 25 A, 35 PTS
When the Ducks acquired Trouba from the New York Rangers in December 2024, there were questions about how much he had left in his competitive tank.
But Trouba had a bounce-back season of sorts with his most points in a campaign since 2021-22. As a right-shot D-man who can chip in some offense, Trouba has a good deal of value.
Trouba should not get anywhere close to the $8 million he's been making annually for the past seven seasons, but he won't settle for anywhere near the league minimum, either.
Trouba has the experience and snarl teams are always looking for, but if he's going to play for a legitimate Cup front-runner, Trouba may have to accept significantly less money on a short-term deal.
4. Mario Ferraro, D, San Jose Sharks
Age: 27
Shoots: Left
Previous cap hit: $3.25 million
2025-26 stats: 82 GP, 7 G, 16 A, 23 PTS
Ferraro's been mentioned in trade rumors for years, but he's been a veteran leader for a transitioning Sharks team, so San Jose GM Mike Grier has held onto him.
Now, Ferraro is entering his prime and needs a raise. He may not get that with the Sharks.
Ferraro's a defensive defenseman who's led San Jose in blocked shots for each of the past six seasons. Put him beside someone who's more focused on offense, and he'd be an excellent complementary player on that pairing.
He isn't a top-pair talent, but he could get a nice long-term deal for a squad that needs help keeping pucks away from the net.
5. Ryan Shea, D, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 29
Shoots: Left
Previous cap hit: $900,000
2025-26 stats: 80 GP, 6 G, 29 A, 35 PTS
In his third NHL season, Shea broke out for the Pens. He went from having five points in 39 games for Pittsburgh in 2024-25 to having the second-most points among their blueliners.
Here's where the gamble comes in – if you're a team interested in Shea, do you give him a short-term, high-dollar contract, or do you offer him a long-term deal at significantly less money?
The answer will be in part up to Shea to decide. But there's no question he'll be getting a raise on his 2025-26 salary.
If Shea is a one-year wonder, that one year will give him at least one season's salary with seven figures.
Correction: the headline's been corrected to specify this is the top five pending UFA defensemen and not overall UFAs.
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