NHL Free Agency: Date, Time, TV, What to Know, More

Let’s get you set for the first day of NHL Free Agency.

One of the busiest days of the NHL offseason is finally here as we get ready for NHL Free Agency, which opens at noon Eastern Time, and we are going to prepare you for what could be a wild, wild day across the league.

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While the flat cap will prevent some teams from making big splashes, there are still a handful of franchises with a plethora of cap space to weaponize, including the New Jersey Devils and the Seattle Kraken who are both expected to make a splash on Wednesday.

We’ve already seen a boatload of trades over the last few days in the NHL, and we could see more throughout the course of today with Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel one huge name to keep an eye on.

Now, granted, there are some big free agents off the board with Gabriel Landeskog having re-signed with the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night, while Alex Ovechkin also signed an extension with the Washington Capitals.

However, there are still some big names available with defenseman Dougie Hamilton arguably the biggest prize available, while the likes of Ryan Suter, Zach Parise, David Krejci, Tuukka Rask and Frederik Andersen will also garner a lot of attention.

So, without further ado, let’s delve into everything you need to know ahead of the start of NHL Free Agency…

2021 NHL Free Agency: Date, Time, TV, What You Need To Know, More

Date:

Wednesday, July 28

Time:

Noon Eastern Time

TV Broadcast

NHL Network, Sportsnet, TSN

Livestreaming

ESPN+ in the U.S. and on SN NOW, TSN.ca, TSN App and TSN Direct in Canada

Coverage for NHL Free Agency will begin on NHL Network and TSN from 11:00 A.M. ET, while Sportsnet will begin their coverage at 11:30 A.M. ET.

What To Know

As we’ve already mentioned, there are a couple of big names off the board already in the wake of forward Gabriel Landeskog signing an eight-year, $56 million contract extension with the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.

Alex Ovechkin also re-upped with the Washington Capitals on a five-year, $47,500,000 deal, although it would have been a huge shock if the star forward decided to sign elsewhere in Free Agency.

However, there will still be plenty of intrigue throughout today with stud defenseman Dougie Hamilton looking for a new home, center Phillip Danault is expected to sign elsewhere rather than return to the Montreal Canadiens, Frederik Andersen will be a goalie in demand and there will also be a plethora of veterans in the ilk of David Krejci, Tuukka Rask, Ryan Suter and Zach Parise all hoping to get one final contract somewhere.

Teams To Watch

It will be interesting to see how busy the Seattle Kraken are today given that they have around $31 million in cap space to play with, and the NHL’s newest franchise have a number of needs to address, including adding some goalscoring and skill to their top-six forward group.

Another team with a boatload of cap space they can weaponize are the New Jersey Devils, who have $31 million to spend, per CapFriendly, and they are considered the leading contender for defenseman Dougie Hamilton.

The Vegas Golden Knights dealt future Hall of Fame goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday without retaining salary, and they have been linked to center Phillip Danault, while the New York Rangers are also in need of a pivot and they could look to address that by trading for Buffalo Sabres Captain Jack Eichel.

Top UFA’s

Some of the best Unrestricted Free Agents remaining are Dougie Hamilton, while fellow blueliners David Savard and Tyson Barrie should attract a lot of suitors given their considerable strengths.

Veteran center David Krejci is a name to watch because, while he is expected to re-sign with the Boston Bruins, there are a lot of teams out there that need a center, including the Vegas Golden Knights and the New York Rangers.

Speaking of Vegas, they have been linked to Phillip Danault who would make a nice third-line pivot for a real contender, as would Ryan Getzlaf who would be a perfect fit in a championship hopeful’s bottom-six.

The goaltending market should be crowded with the likes of Frederik Andersen, Tuukka Rask, Philipp Grubauer and Petr Mrazek all set to hit the open market, and that will be just one fascinating subplot to keep an eye on.

Another interesting RFA to watch is gritty forward Blake Coleman who could be set for a big payday after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he’s reported to have plenty of interest.

That’s everything you need to know ahead of what will be a wild day in the National Hockey League, and we will have much more on NHL Free Agency right here on Puck Prose throughout the day…