In the span of a few short weeks, the 2026 free agent class went from potentially league altering, to underwhelming. One domino fell after another, and multiple star players inked extensions with their respective teams, thinning out the pool for what was on track to be the most loaded free agency in league history.

The first big name player to extend was Kirill Kaprizov, who signed a record setting $136M contract ($17M AAV) extension with the Minnesota Wild. Rumours swirled that Kaprizov had turned down $16M a year during negotiations, but the Wild front office shut those down. Although when the agreed upon number was $17M, it retroactively gave the rumour some validity. Kaprizov held all the power in the contract discussion, not only is he arguably the most talented player in franchise history, but also the threat of a return to the KHL forced Minnesota to give the Russian superstar whatever he wanted for him to stay. It might be a bit of an overpay, but the Wild could not afford to lose him for nothing. I feel like with the cap going up we are going to see lots more star players sign big contracts, like the NBA and NFL, you have to pay your guys, and worry about filling out the roster afterwards. Minnesota stayed busy extending their number one goalie Filip Gustavsson to a five year, $34M contract ($6.8M AAV). Fans should be happy knowing they have their best player locked up for the next nine seasons, Kirill is off to a scorching start, with 4 goals and 9 points through the first 4 games this season.

People were quick to wonder what type of contract Connor McDavid would get after Kaprizov’s record deal, as $17M appeared to be a benchmark for other deals to come. Fans theorized that McDavid could become the first player to make greater than $20M per season, but the Oilers captain had other plans. The best player in the NHL left a ton of money on the table, signing a two year extension, carrying the same exact cap hit McDavid has had since 2018, only $12.5M per season. While there may be some initial disappointment for the term, that is countered by how big of a bargain $12.5M is, especially when he could have taken way more. McDavid is not messing around, he wants to win, and he wants to win in Edmonton, this extension gives the team a three year window (including the last year of his current deal) to compete for a Stanley Cup. The Oilers re-signed two major pieces of their D corps within a few days of the McDavid deal, both Jake Walman (7yr x $7M AAV) and Mattias Ekholm (3yr x $4M AAV) are staying in Edmonton. Walman will be 30 when the contract kicks in, so the term is probably a bit much, but the AAV is reasonable considering the role he played for the Oilers en route to another Stanley Cup Final. Ekholm is a veteran defenceman but still very capable of playing top pair minutes and contributing on both ends of the ice.

The next player to sign was Jack Eichel, putting pen to paper on an eight year extension, with a $13.5M AAV. The American centerman will remain a Golden Knight through the rest of his prime, competing for another Stanley Cup. Vegas has both Eichel and Marner on the books through 2033, giving themselves plenty of time to build chemistry, and a big cup window. Through the first four games the team has a 2-0-2 record, yet to record a loss in regulation. The duo has shown an instant connection through the early goings of the season, Marner has 4 assists, and Eichel has 4 goals in 5 assists, looking to have a career year without the distraction of his next contract.

While this next player plays on a team on the same level of the Golden Knights, they do not play in as desirable of a location as Las Vegas. Winnipeg Jets fans rejoice, Kyle Connor is not going anywhere. For as much flak as Winnipeg gets, being one of the least appealing cities to have an NHL team, they do a good job at retaining their players. Connor signed an eight year deal worth $96M ($12M AAV), which he earned every penny of after putting up 41 goals and 97 points last season, helping the Jets win the Presidents’ Trophy, and 17 points in 13 playoff games. It was massive for the team to get this deal done, after losing Nikolaj Ehlers in the offseason, they could not let the same thing happen to their leading scorer from last season. He has been his usual self through the first 3 games this season, netting 3 goals and adding 2 assists. 

In addition, the RFAs are drying up as well, particularly defencemen, as Luke Hughes, Jackson LaCombe and Lane Hutson all recently extended their contracts as well. Hughes and LaCombe both will make $9M per season beginning next year (Hughes signed a seven year deal, LaCombe eight), and are both set to be the feature defencemen in New Jersey and Anaheim for a long time. Hutson took slightly less than them, inking an eight year contract with a cap hit of $8.85M, which looks like a steal already, especially in comparison to his peers. The 2024-25 Calder Trophy winner only has 2 assists through the Canadiens first 4 games, but he will continue to play a big role and it is only a matter of time before his talent starts to equal more production, it has also only been 4 games.

Now the best remaining potential UFAs in 2026 are guys like Adrian Kempe and Alex Tuch, who are great players, but definitely a step back from what could have been. For all we know, they could sign their own extensions as soon as this article drops. However, with both the Los Angeles Kings (1-2-1) and Buffalo Sabres (1-3-0) off to slow starts this season, and the potential to be the most coveted free agents next year with the cap going up, they may choose to strategically wait it out and see if they can cash in for more next offseason.