There has been a lot of action in the first week of the NHL free agency period with teams reportedly having committed over $1 billion in contracts so far.
While most teams are done for now, others still have some holes left to fill. And if any of those teams want to sign a player who's formerly played in the QMJHL, they're in luck. There are still some quality unrestricted free agents looking for a new place to call home.
The first name to look out for on this list would be Daniel Sprong. The former Charlottetown Islanders forward amassed a total of 117 goals and 261 points in 199 career QMJHL games.
Ever since the beginning of his NHL career, the Dutch winger has bounced between a few teams. Sprong could however raise some eyebrows around league given he's been consistent as a middle-six player in the past two seasons. Last season, he finished with 18 goals and 43 points in 76 games. The season before, he put up a career-high 21 goals and 46 points with the Seattle Kraken.
Another former QMJHLer who's looking to find his footing in the league is Filip Zadina. The Czech forward put up 44 goals and 82 points in the lone season he played in with the Halifax Mooseheads, which led him to become a sixth-overall selection by the Detroit Red Wings in 2018.
The 24-year-old was released last July by the Red Wings and was later signed by the San Jose Sharks. Now, he finds himself in the same position as last season hoping to find another team to take a chance on him.
A teammate of Zadina's last season that could also be on a different NHL team soon is Mike Hoffman. The Kitchener-born winger played for three different QMJHL teams, scoring 122 goals and 227 points in 180 games. He was most notably part of the Drummondville Voltigueurs team who won the QMJHL title in the 2008-09 season. He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round at the end of that same season.
Now, the 34-year-old winger is looking to take his goal scoring talents to a new team. His 228 goals and 745 games of experience in the NHL could pursue a team to give him another opportunity.
The last member on this list is Samuel Blais, who would be a nice addition to a team looking for a high energy depth player. Blais, who was drafted in the sixth round by the St. Louis Blues in 2014, previously played three seasons in the QMJHL for the Victoriaville Tigres and then the Islanders.
Blais had notoriously been dealt from the Blues to the the New York Rangers in return for Pavel Buchnevich in 2021, but has since returned. Now, he finds himself as a UFA for the first time in his career.