2027 NHL Free Agency: Pending UFAs who could actually hit the open market

After a slow July 1 in 2026, the 2027 UFA class could be absolutely stacked.

Players like Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Sidney Crosby and Nikita Kucherov are currently all lined up to be UFAs next season. However, the reality is, teams won’t let any of those players go to market.

I’m more interested in players who legitimately look poised to test free agency next summer. Here’s seven players I think have real shots at signing with new teams in 2027.

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Jason Robertson, LW, Dallas Stars

Jason Robertson is easily the biggest name on this list. The three-time 40-goal scorer will still be firmly in his prime at 28 next off-season and he’s proven durable, not missing a single game in four straight years.

The discourse around Robertson and the Stars is well known by this point. Dallas just isn’t willing to accept the landscape has changed with how much players are earning now, while Robertson has already vetoed at least one major trade.

The one-year deal Robertson inked with the Stars to avoid salary arbitration is a play to kick the can down the road. However, another monster season in the stats department won’t do anything to bring Robertson’s price down.

Alex DeBrincat, RW, Detroit Red Wings

Change has and is coming to Motown whether Wings fans like it or not. General Manager Steve Yzerman is out, star winger Patrick Kane is back in Chicago and captain Dylan Larkin has requested a trade.

Detroit simply can’t let Alex DeBrincat, a Michigan local, walk in free agency next summer. He just put up career-highs in points (85) and goals (41 for the third time in his career) and he hasn’t missed a game in five seasons. That’s consistency a team like the Red Wings really needs right now.

Drake Batherson, RW, Ottawa Senators

After a turbulent off-season that saw captain Brady Tkachuk force his way out of town with a trade demand, it won’t get any easier for the Sens next year with Alex DeBrincat in need of a new contract.

The 28-year-old Batherson is on a very team-friendly deal with a cap hit just under $5 million and you can be sure he’ll be looking for a significant raise as he creeps closer to being a point-per-game player.

Batherson is coming off career-highs in points (71) and goals (33) and he should only get more ice time and opportunity with Tkachuk bailing for the warm weather in South Florida.

Ryan O’Reilly, C, Nashville Predators

It seems like Ryan O’Reilly’s entire three-year tenure with the Nashville Predators has been filled with trade speculation. That hasn’t slowed down with a new GM in Chris MacFarland who is prioritizing getting younger.

The 35-year-old O’Reilly is a perfect trade deadline candidate. If the Preds are out of the playoff picture this year, the former Conn Smythe winner could be in a similar situation to 2023 when he was traded to Toronto at the deadline before leaving in free agency.

Erik Karlsson, RD, Pittsburgh Penguins

Erik Karlsson is still searching for that elusive first Stanley Cup and at 37-years-old next summer, he’s going to have to start getting selective on where he signs. If winning is Karlsson’s priority, he may as well say goodbye to Pittsburgh now.

The biggest concern for Karlsson over the last few years has been his $10 million cap hit. That makes it more likely that contending teams will wait until next summer to try and sign him for a cheaper deal. Karlsson would be a great power play addition if he’s willing to take a pay cut.

Drew Doughty, RD, Los Angeles Kings

Kings GM Ken Holland make it clear before July 1 this year that he would not be signing Drew Doughty to a contract extension this summer. That doesn’t necessarily mean the soon-to-be 37-year-old won’t sign a new deal with L.A. next summer, but the door is very much open to him playing elsewhere at this point.

Although Doughty is no longer a No. 1 defenceman, he’s still an impact player with a valuable winning pedigree. Could Doughty have a second act elsewhere, much like Brent Burns when he went to Carolina?

Jordan Binnington, G, St Louis Blues

Jordan Binnington’s days with the Blues seem to be coming to a close. He’s been the subject of trade rumours for a couple years now and the team already has a replacement lined up with Joel Hofer.

Binnington has proven to be a true gamer and a winner in his career and he’ll still have plenty of gas left in the tank when he turns 34 next summer. Reliable goaltending isn’t easy to find in the NHL, so if St. Louis is ready to move on from Binnington, he should have no shortage of suitors.