The NHL free agent market has certainly gotten smaller now that July 1 has passed. Although this is the case, there are still a good amount of players who are not signed at this point of the summer.

A handful of the top unrestricted free agents (UFAs) still available for the taking in free agency are former Montreal Canadiens. This is because Patrik Laine, Jeff Petry, and Mike Reilly are all still UFAs. 

Laine is the big-name player from this trio. The 28-year-old should eventually land a one-year, prove-it deal with a team that is looking for more scoring. While he played only five games last season for Montreal, he is a very skilled player when healthy, and it should lead to a club taking a chance on him. 

Petry split this past season between the Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild, where he recorded nine assists in 67 games. The former Canadiens defenseman could be a decent pickup for a team that is looking for a depth defenseman who has a lot of experience. However, with Petry being 38 years old, it would also be understandable if he retired.

As for Reilly, he played in 42 games this past season with the Carolina Hurricanes, posting one goal, nine points, and a plus-11 rating. Like Petry, Reilly would probably work best on a team looking for a new extra defenseman. The former Habs blueliner also had six goals and 24 points in 59 games for the New York Islanders just back in 2023-24.