By Canadian Press

NHL free agency continues as Nikolaj Ehlers ponders landing spot

Jul 2, 2025 | 3:00 PM

NHL general managers continued to round out rosters as free agency ticked through its second day.

One decent-sized catch and a solid defenceman remain up for grabs.

Slick winger Nikolaj Ehlers still sat unsigned and on the market as of late Wednesday afternoon, while blueliner Dmitry Orlov is also still without a home for the 2025-26 season.

Ehlers spent a decade with the Winnipeg Jets, but appears set to move on. Orlov just completed his 13th NHL campaign, and second with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Deals made on Day 2 of free agency included centre Mason Appleton — a now-former teammate of Ehlers in the Manitoba capital — signing with the Detroit Red Wings on a two-year deal worth US$5.8 million.

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The New Jersey Devils re-upped with centre Cody Glass on a two-year, $5-million contract after acquiring him from Pittsburgh in March. The Penguins inked winger Anthony Mantha for one season at $2.5 million.

The New York Islanders signed restricted free agent forward Emil Heineman, who was acquired in a recent trade with the Montreal Canadiens for defenceman Noah Dobson, to a two-year contract with a reported value of $2.2 million.

Detroit and hulking six-foot-eight RFA winger Elmer Soderblom agreed on a two-year, $2.5-million contract.

GMs for Canadian teams added plenty of depth Tuesday.

The Vancouver Canucks signed defenceman Pierre-Olivier Joseph to a one-year contract for next season’s league minimum of $775,000. The Edmonton Oilers added journeyman forward Curtis Lazar for the same dollar amount and term.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, who said goodbye to star winger Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade deal with the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, also agreed to a one-year contract worth $775,000 with forward Vinni Lettieri.

The Jets signed five players to identical one-year, two-way contracts worth $775,000 in the NHL, including former Canucks winger Phil Di Giuseppe. The Ottawa Senators inked six players, including forward Arthur Kaliyev, on a one-year, two-way contract.

The last remaining big name is Ehlers.

The 29-year-old selected ninth overall at the 2014 draft put up 225 goals and 295 assists for 520 points in 674 regular-season games with the Jets. He added 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 45 playoff contests.

The six-foot, 172-pound Dane has topped 60 points four times in his career despite averaging just 16 minutes 26 seconds of ice time and often only seeing time on Winnipeg’s second power-play unit.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 2, 2025.

The Canadian Press