The NHL's goaltending market promises to be active, even if there are only two goalies on the UFA market with at least one Stanley Cup win on their resume.
NHL free agency kicks off on July 1, and arguably the most important area some teams will be addressing is their goaltending.
The league's goalie market could be significantly impacted by a few veteran netminders who surfaced in trade speculation – including Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights, Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues and Jacob Markstrom of the New Jersey Devils – but the free-agent goalies currently available will not cost teams any assets other than salary cap space.
Here are the top five UFA goalies as they appeared on The Hockey News' top 50 UFAs list.
1. Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers
Age: 37
Previous cap hit: $10 million
2025-26 stats: 27-23-1, 3.07 GAA, .877 SP
Bobrovsky is the most accomplished goaltender available, with two Stanley Cup championships and two Vezina Trophies as the NHL's best netminder to his credit.
He had a subpar 2025-26 season, but that was chalked up in part to Florida's poor luck health-wise.
Bobrovsky reportedly wanted six or seven years on his new contract, according to Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos. That would bring him to 43 or 44 years old, which is past when most goalies retire.
If a team offers Bobrovsky a four- or five-year contract at between $6 million and $7 million annually, that may be the best offer Bobrovsky gets.
The Panthers don't have much salary cap space, with only about $5.9 million to use this summer. That will likely not get it done for Bobrovsky to return to Florida.
If Bobrovsky does leave the Panthers, the domino effect on the goalie market could reshape the league's netminding picture.
2. Frederik Andersen, G, Carolina Hurricanes
Age: 36
Previous cap hit: $2.75 million
2025-26 stats: 16-14-5, 3.05 GAA, .874 SP
The Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in part due to Andersen's efforts, as he posted three shutouts early in the post-season.
With every game he and the Canes won, Andersen's asking price on a new contract was rising exponentially.
In the Cup final, however, Andersen posted a save percentage of .885 or worse in the first three games Carolina played against the Golden Knights. Andersen was replaced by Brandon Bussi because of an injury.
Andersen should earn at least as much as he earned this year. But Carolina GM Eric Tulsky might have a price point he doesn't want to exceed with Andersen, and another team may be far more willing to pay Andersen $4 million to $5 million per season on a two- or three-year deal.
3. Stuart Skinner, G, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 27
Previous cap hit: $2.6 million
2025-26 stats: 23-17-9, 2.92 GAA, .888 SP
The Penguins are in transition, and they've got Arturs Silovs in place as their projected starter for the foreseeable future.
Skinner could return to Pittsburgh as Silovs' tandem mate again, but we don't see that happening, even if Skinner's asking price is low. Pens GM Kyle Dubas has been slowly cultivating his goaltending situation, and Skinner probably isn't part of it.
That said, Skinner could be a worthy gamble for teams seeking experience in net and someone to serve as a backup or 1B goalie. At 27 years old, Skinner has life left in his game. And if there's a team willing to give Skinner a 'show me' contract that could lead to an eventual longer-term deal, Skinner's NHL career will continue.
4. Connor Ingram, G, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 29
Previous cap hit: $1.95 million
2025-26 stats: 16-10-3, 2.60 GAA, .899 SP
Ingram had a rollercoaster 2025-26 season with the Oilers, but his statistics this year were better than his .882 SP and 3.27 GAA with the Utah Mammoth in 2024-25.
He'll be an affordable option on a short-term contract. Maybe that comes from Edmonton GM Stan Bowman, or perhaps it comes from a team like the Ottawa Senators or the Panthers.
Ingram can give a team 30 to 40 solid games as part of a 50/50 goalie tandem. So Ingram won't be unemployed for long.
5. Cam Talbot, G, Detroit Red Wings
Age: 38
Previous cap hit: $2.5 million
2025-26 stats: 12-9-6, 3.19 GAA, .883 SP
Despite playing 13 fewer games than he played in 2024-25, Talbot's individual numbers took a dive. Some of that is due to the Red Wings' stunning late-season collapse, but Talbot has to own his role in that development.
Talbot will be 39 in July, and his numbers have steadily worsened in the past two seasons. If he accepts a contract close to the league minimum, we can see one team taking a chance on him.
Talbot is one of the NHL's older players, but in the right situation, he might still have something positive to offer a playoff-bound team.
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