The Dallas Stars avoided arbitration with superstar left winger Jason Robertson, signing him to a one-year, $12-million contract. The 29-year-old is now equal with Mikko Rantanen as Dallas’ highest-paid players.

But the intriguing part of Robertson’s new contract is that, at the end of the contract, Robertson will be a UFA and will be one of the most pursued UFAs at this time next year.

Robertson now joins a slew of big-name UFAs next summer. And, in alphabetical order, here are eight other prominent UFAs in 2027.

Jordan Binnington is one of a few notable goaltenders set to be available next summer. By then, he’ll be approaching 34 years old, and he could be looking at what may be his last big contract. Binnington is a proven winner in terms of the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues and the 4 Nations Face-Off with Team Canada.

And just as the Toronto Maple Leafs were a high bidder for former Florida Panthers star netminder Sergei Bobrovsky this off-season, so too will a team take a chance on Binnington. He costs $6 million against the cap next season, and some team will pay him to be a tandem-mate next year.

By far the most accomplished veteran on this list of UFAs, Sidney Crosby almost certainly will finish his Hall of Fame career with the Pittsburgh Penguins. But Crosby will be 40 years old in August of 2027. So if the Penguins captain returns to action for the 2027-28 season, he’ll probably sign a one-year deal for the $8.7-million salary he’s agreed to since 2008-09. 

That number is an internal ceiling for the Pens, and it’ll stay that way until Crosby retires. And although he deserves to make more than he’s made in his NHL career, Crosby admirably leaves money on the table in order to put together the strongest-possible Penguins team.

Alex DeBrincat posted 41 goals last season – the third time in his nine-year NHL career he’s hit that mark – and he set personal-bests in assists (44) and points (85) with the Detroit Red Wings this past year. He’s currently making $7.875 million against the salary cap. If Robertson is worth $12 million in Dallas – and we’re likely to see that number rise exponentially on his next deal – then DeBrincat shouldn't be too far off.

DeBrincat is in his prime at age 28, and while he’s bounced around the league a little bit – playing for the Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators before the Red Wings – he has the finishing skills teams highly value. So he may not be long for a potentially struggling Wings team.

Carter Hart resuscitated his NHL career in 2025-26 with the Vegas Golden Knights, registering a .909 save percentage and a 2.56 goals-against average in 22 playoff games. He’s entering the final year of a contract paying him $2 million per season. Hart will be 28 years old when next season begins, and he’s effectively in a prove-it situation with the Golden Knights. 

Remember, Vegas still has veteran netminder Adin Hill under contract until 2030-31, so they’ll be careful with how they pay other goalies. But if Hart thrives in 2026-27, the Knights will give him the dollar amount and term he’s seeking. Thus, he may not get to the open market.

Quinn Hughes is one of two superstar defensemen who’ll be UFAs next summer, and he could set a new financial bar for players of his caliber and position. Hughes turns 27 in October, so his prime years are here. And getting him signed long-term should be priority No. 1 for Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin. 

Hughes is earning $7.85 million this coming season, and he could easily double that amount on his next contract. The Wild have approximately $46 million in salary cap space next summer, and Guerin won’t be outbid for Hughes’ services. He’s one of the game’s best players, and he’s going to be paid accordingly.

Nikita Kucherov is a top-10 talent currently in the NHL, and he’s coming off a 2025-26 season in which he generated 86 assists and 130 points for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s due a massive raise, especially considering he is the reigning Hart Trophy winner as the NHL’s most valuable regular-season player.

Kucherov is earning $9.5 million against the cap in 2026-27, and so long as he continues producing points at an elite level, Kucherov will be handsomely compensated.

It’s difficult to see him leaving Tampa Bay, but Kucherov is now 33 years old, and he might eventually get the type of offer the Lightning may not want to match. But that probably won’t happen anytime soon.

Along with Hughes, Cale Makar will reset the financial bar for defensemen with his next contract. Makar is entering the final year of a deal annually worth $9 million per season, but it’s not an exaggeration to say he can get double that on the open market. However, the Colorado Avalanche want to re-sign Makar well before he’s a UFA.

Makar had a sub-standard year, but he still produced 20 goals and 79 points this past season. In the year prior, Makar posted 30 goals and 92 points. He may still improve, but if Makar just stays at or close to his 2024-25 level, he’ll be worth every penny the Avalanche will pay him.

Scott Wedgewood wound up earning the starter’s job with the Avalanche this past season, posting a .921 SP and 2.02 GAA in 45 appearances. Those numbers fell to a .904 SP and 2.47 GAA in 11 playoff appearances. And Avalanche coach Jared Bednar went back to Mackenzie Blackwood for the final game of Colorado’s Western Conference final series against Vegas.

Wedgewood, soon-to-be 34 years old, is working on a one-year, $2.5-million contract in 2026-27, so he has every motivation to perform well and land a contract extension, either in Denver or somewhere else. The Avs are a terrific team, but Wedgewood could chase a bigger payday elsewhere.

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