Five Veteran NHL Free Agents Who Could Boost 2026-27 Rosters

Bleacher Report spotlights five notable remaining NHL free agents — Claude Giroux, Patrick Kane, Anthony Mantha, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Eeli Tolvanen — who could still help teams in 2026-27 with affordable, short-term deals. Giroux is viewed as a durable, leadership-forward option for a middle-six role (~$2.5M for 1 year); Kane remains a high‑level playmaker, likely around $3.3M for 1 year; Mantha could command roughly $6.4M over four years; Tarasenko is projected at about $3.4M for 1 year with potential longer-term offers near $4M per year; Tolvanen is seen as a versatile middle-six winger on about $3.7M over 2 years.