One way NHL teams look to rebuild their roster on the fly is through free agency. Of course, if you have a high enough draft pick, you could do that through the NHL Draft, but there are only so many Connor Bedard's that come around. Then there is also the chance to make some trades.
Every team looks forward to NHL free agency, and one team that is always aggressive is the Boston Bruins and general manager Don Sweeney. After missing the playoffs this season, the GM is on the hot seat entering the season, regardless of his contract extension he signed a couple of weeks ago. He will no doubt look to add to his roster through free agency, and that begs the question: When does NHL free agency begin?
When does NHL free agency begin?
The answer is the same as it has been, NHL free agency begins on July 1. With the current calendar flipping to June, the NHL Stanley Cup Final has to be played for a second time in two years; it'll pit the Florida Panthers against the Edmonton Oilers. After that, at the end of the month, the NHL Entry Draft will take place in Los Angeles before free agency frenzy begins.
This season the Bruins are projected to have around $27 million to spend, but it needs to be spent wisely, something after one year of results didn't happen last summer with the big signings of Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. Expect both players to have bounce-back seasons in 2025-26, but Sweeney can't afford another summer of swinging and missing with big free agency signings, as it won't end well for the veteran GM.
Now when free agency does kick off at noon in July 1, it doesn't take long for NHL insiders to break some of the big names on the market and their new landing spots. It makes you wonder if there are some wink-wink deals in place before noon on the first day of July. Of course there is, who are we kidding. When all is said and done, aside from the trade deadline, free agency is a day that NHL fans circle on their calendars. We're less than a month away from the free agency frenzy beginning.