The 2021 offseason is sizing up to be a short but busy one.
With the expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken and the NHL Draft in the rearview mirror, the next step on the road to training camps opening in September is free agency.
This year, the signing period begins at 12 p.m. ET on July 28 and there's a number of big fishes available to reel in. The only question is: will they be tempted to check out new waters? The salary cap is remaining flat at $81.5 million, which could mean the bait isn't as large for most; although, the league minimum has been raised to $750,000 (from $700,000).
There is also a fine number of franchise stars — i.e. Elias Pettersson, Brady Tkachuk and Rasmus Dahlin — who may just be the kind of guy you take the chance and offer sheet.
NHL FREE AGENCY 2021: Complete list of all 31 teams' RFAs, UFAs
So, what is a team to do? The time to make moves and set the table for the upcoming season is remarkably short. Sporting News has all the top free agents and where they land right here.
NHL free agency tracker: Full list of signings in 2021
Top 50 UFA players available
| Player | Pos. | 2021 team(s) | 2021-22 team |
| 1. Tuukka Rask | G | Bruins | |
| 2. Blake Coleman | C | Lightning | Flames (6 years, $29.4 million) |
| 3. Philipp Grubauer | G | Avalanche | Kraken (6 years, $35.4 million) |
| 4. Dougie Hamilton | D | Hurricanes | Devils (7 years, $63 million) |
| 5. Zach Hyman | LW | Maple Leafs | Oilers (7 years, $38.5 million) |
| 6. Phillip Danault | C | Canadiens | Kings (6 years, $33 million) |
| 7. Tyson Barrie | D | Oilers | Oilers (3 years, $13.5 million) |
| 8. Petr Mrazek | G | Hurricanes | Maple Leafs (3 years, $11.4 million) |
| 9. David Savard | D | Blue Jackets/Lightning | Canadiens (4 years, $14 million) |
| 10. Alec Martinez | D | Golden Knights | Golden Knights (3 years, $15.75 million) |
| 11. Frederik Andersen | G | Maple Leafs | Hurricanes (2 years, $9 million) |
| 12. David Krejci | C | Bruins | Czech Republic |
| 13. Kyle Palmieri | RW | Devils/Islanders | Islanders (4 years, $20 million) |
| 14. Nick Foligno | LW | Blue Jackets/Maple Leafs | Bruins (2 years, $7.6 million) |
| 15. Brandon Saad | LW | Avalanche | Blues (5 years, $22.5 million) |
| 16. Corey Perry | RW | Canadiens | Lightning (2 years, $2 million) |
| 17. Jaroslav Halak | G | Bruins | Canucks (1 year, $1.5 million) |
| 18. Keith Yandle* | D | Panthers | Flyers (1 year, $900,000) |
| 19. Mike Hoffman | C | Blues | Canadiens (3 years, $13.5 million) |
| 20. Mike Reilly | D | Senators/Bruins | Bruins (3 years, $9 million) |
| 21. Mikael Granlund | C | Predators | Predators (4 years, $20 million) |
| 22. Sami Vatanen | D | Devils/Stars | National League |
| 23. Eric Staal | LW | Canadiens | |
| 24. Braden Holtby* | G | Canucks | Stars (1 year, $2 million) |
| 25. Erik Haula | LW | Predators | Bruins (2 years, $4.75 million) |
| 26. Zach Parise* | LW | Wild | Islanders (terms not released) |
| 27. James Neal* | LW | Oilers | Blues (PTO) |
| 28. Tomas Tatar | LW | Canadiens | Devils (2 years, $9 million) |
| 29. Nick Bonino | C | Wild | Sharks (2 years, $4.1 million) |
| 30. Jaden Schwartz | LW | Blues | Kraken (5 years, $27.5 million) |
| 31. Linus Ullmark | G | Sabres | Bruins (4 years, $20 million) |
| 32. Antti Raanta | G | Coyotes | Hurricanes (2 years, $4 million) |
| 33. Ryan Suter* | D | Wild | Stars (4 years, $14.6 million) |
| 34. Bobby Ryan | RW | Red Wings | Red Wings (PTO) |
| 35. Derek Ryan | C | Flames | Oilers (2 years, $2.5 million) |
| 36. Alex Galchenyuk | C | Senators/Maple Leafs | Coyotes (PTO) |
| 37. Alex Edler | D | Canucks | Kings (1 year, $3.5 million) |
| 38. Michael Bunting | LW | Coyotes | Maple Leafs (2 years, $1.9 million) |
| 39. Casey Cizikas | C | Islanders | Islanders (6 years, $15 million) |
| 40. Zdeno Chara | D | Capitals | Islanders (terms not released) |
| 41. Jujhar Khaira^ | LW | Oilers | Blackhawks (2 years, $1.95 million) |
| 42. Travis Zajac | C | Devils/Islanders | Devils (one-day contract)/retired |
| 43. Travis Hamonic | D | Canucks | Canucks (2 years, $6 million) |
| 44. Joe Thornton | C | Maple Leafs | Panthers (1 year, $750,000) |
| 45. Alex Goligoski | D | Coyotes | Wild (1 year, $5 million) |
| 46. Alexander Wennberg | C | Panthers | Kraken (3 years, $13.5 million) |
| 47. Derek Forbort | D | Jets | Bruins (3 years, $9 million |
| 48. Jonathan Bernier | G | Red Wings/Hurricanes | Devils (2 years, $8.25 million) |
| 49. Mattias Janmark | LW | Golden Knights | Golden Knights (1 year, $2 million) |
| 50. David Rittich | G | Flames/Maple Leafs | Predators (1 year, $1.25 million) |
*Bought out by 2021 team; ^Not given a qualifying offer
WINNERS, LOSERS: Bruins, Devils look smart; Canadiens, Hurricanes make disturbing moves
Top 25 RFA players available
Note: These are only players that can be given an offer sheet. Kirill Kaprizov (Wild) and Quinn Hughes (Canucks) are not eligible for offer sheets as 10.2(c) RFAs.
| Player | Pos. | 2021 team(s) | 2021-22 team |
| 1. Elias Pettersson | C | Canucks | Canucks (3 years, $22.05 million) |
| 2. Rasmus Dahlin | D | Sabres | Sabres (3 years, $18 million) |
| 3. Brady Tkachuk | LW | Senators | |
| 4. Juuse Saros | G | Predators | Predators (4 years, $20 million) |
| 5. Ilya Sorokin | G | Islanders | Islanders (3 years, $12 million) |
| 6. Igor Shesterkin | G | Rangers | Rangers (4 years, $22.7 million) |
| 7. Andrei Svechnikov | RW | Hurricanes | Hurricanes (8 years, $62 million) |
| 8. Carter Hart | G | Flyers | Flyers (3 years, $11.9 million) |
| 9. Dillon Dube | C | Flames | Flames (3 years, $6.9 million) |
| 10. Patrik Laine | W | Blue Jackets | Blue Jackets (1 year, $7.5 million) |
| 11. Jesperi Kotkaniemi | C | Canadiens | Hurricanes (1 year, $6.1 million) |
| 12. Neal Pionk | D | Jets | Jets (4 years, $23.5 million) |
| 13. Ilya Samsonov | G | Capitals | Capitals (1 year, $2 million) |
| 14. Anthony Beauvillier | LW | Islanders | Islanders (3 years, $12.45 million) |
| 15. Filip Chytil | C | Rangers | Rangers (2 years, $4.6 million) |
| 16. Max Comtois | LW | Ducks | Ducks (2 years, $4 million) |
| 17. Eeli Tolvanen | RW | Predators | Predators (3 years, $4.35 million) |
| 18. Tyler Bertuzzi | LW | Red Wings | Red Wings (2 years, $9.5 million) |
| 19. Jason Dickinson | C | Stars/Canucks | Canucks (3 years, $7.95 million) |
| 20. Kailer Yamamoto | RW | Oilers | Oilers (1 year, $1.175 million) |