Best NHL free agents: Ranking remaining players after Jack Eichel signing
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Best NHL free agents: Ranking remaining players after Jack Eichel signing
Mike Brehm, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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4 min read
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The 2026 NHL free agent class is one of the strongest in years, but teams have been taking care of business early.
TheVegas Golden KnightsandJack Eichelhave agreed to an eight-year contract with a $13.5 million cap hit,according to multiple reportson Wednesday, Oct. 8. He won a Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023 and set a franchise record with 94 points last season.
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov smiles as center Marco Rossi scores the first goal of the game against the Dallas Stars in the first period at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Sept. 25, 2025.
(Matt Blewett, Imagn Images)
Kirill Kaprizov of Team Russia skates with the puck against Team Canada during a game at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships at the Air Canada Centre on Dec. 26, 2016, in Toronto.
(Claus Andersen, Getty Images)
Olympic Athlete from Russia Kirill Kaprizov celebrates after scoring a hat trick against Slovenia in the third period during the men's ice hockey group round game at Gangneung Hockey Centre on Feb. 16, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
(Bruce Bennett, Getty Images)
Gold medal winners Sergei Mozyakin and Kirill Kaprizov of the Olympic Athletes from Russia celebrate after defeating Germany 4-3 in overtime during the men's ice hockey championship in the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Hockey Centre on Feb. 25, 2018, in South Korea.
(Ronald Martinez, Getty Images)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov scores a goal off a deflected puck from Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick during the overtime at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 14, 2021. It was Kaprizov's first goal in the NHL.
(Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports)
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild celebrates his game-winning goal with Nick Bonino and Victor Rask during a 4-3 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings in the season opener at Staples Center on Jan. 14, 2021, in Los Angeles. It was Kaprizov's first goal in the NHL.
(Harry How, Getty Images)
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild attempts to pass the puck as Marcus Sorensen of the San Jose Sharks defends him during the third period at Xcel Energy Center on Jan. 22, 2021, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
(Harrison Barden, Getty Images)
J.T. Compher and Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche fight for the puck against Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild in the first period at Ball Arena on Feb. 2, 2021, in Denver.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild congratulates Mats Zuccarello after his goal against the Colorado Avalanche in the first period at Ball Arena on Feb. 24, 2021, in Denver.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild waits for a faceoff in the third period of a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on March 3, 2021, in Las Vegas.
(Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Arizona Coyotes in the third period at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on March 12, 2021.
(David Berding, USA TODAY Sports)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov celebrates his goal against Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper during the first period at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on April 19, 2021. Kaprizov scored his first career hat trick in the game.
(Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports)
Minnesota Wild forward Mats Zuccarello celebrates his goal with forward Kirill Kaprizov during the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Nov. 26, 2021.
(Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports)
Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov scores the game-winning goal during a shootout on Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Dec. 4, 2021.
(Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports)
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild in the first period at Staples Center on Dec. 11, 2021, in Los Angeles.
(Ronald Martinez, Getty Images)
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild waits for the faceoff in the second period of the NHL game against the St. Louis Blues during the NHL Winter Classic at Target Field on Jan. 1, 2022, in Minneapolis.
(Harrison Barden, Getty Images)
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones and left wing Alex DeBrincat get into a scrum with Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek and left wing Kirill Kaprizov during overtime at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 22, 2022.
(David Berding, USA TODAY Sports)
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck ahead of Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings during the game between the Atlantic Division and the Central Division during the 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Game at T-Mobile Arena on Feb. 5, 2022, in Las Vegas.
(Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov looks on during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Feb. 12, 2022.
(Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports)
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild shoots the puck to score a goal against the Detroit Red Wings in the second period of the NHL game at Xcel Energy Center on Feb. 14, 2022, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
(David Berding, Getty Images)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov and Calgary Flames left wing Matthew Tkachuk get into a scrum during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome on Feb. 26, 2022, in Calgary.
(Sergei Belski, USA TODAY Sports)
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild celebrates his third-period goal against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on March 10, 2022, in Detroit.
(Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov is congratulated by right wing Mats Zuccarello after his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, on April 2, 2022.
(James Guillory, USA TODAY Sports)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov celebrates his hat trick against the St. Louis Blues in the third period of Game 2 of the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on May 4, 2022.
(Brad Rempel, USA TODAY Sports)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov celebrates his game-winning goal in overtime against the Vancouver Canucks at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Oct. 20, 2022.
(Matt Krohn, USA TODAY Sports)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov shoots the puck during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Dec. 7, 2022.
(Sergei Belski, USA TODAY Sports)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov is tripped by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jordan Oesterle during the second period at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Dec. 14, 2022.
(Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports)
Kirill Kaprizov participates in the 2023 NHL All-Star Game at FLA Live Arena on Feb. 4, 2023, in Sunrise, Florida.
(Bruce Bennett, Getty Images)
Dallas Stars center Max Domi fights with Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov during the third period in Game 2 of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center in Dallas on April 19, 2023.
(Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports)
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck against Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues during the game between Team MacKinnon and Team McDavid during the 2024 NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3, 2024, in Toronto.
(Claus Andersen, Getty Images)
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild celebrates his power play goal against the Vancouver Canucks in the third period at Xcel Energy Center on Feb. 19, 2024, in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Wild defeated the Canucks 10-7 thanks to hat tricks from Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson EK.
(David Berding, Getty Images)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov celebrates his third goal of the game as hats rain down on the ice during the third period against the San Jose Sharks at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on March 3, 2024.
(Matt Blewett, USA TODAY Sports)
Mats Zuccarello of the Minnesota Wild celebrates his goal with Kirill Kaprizov during the second period against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Oct. 22, 2024, in Sunrise, Florida.
(Carmen Mandato, Getty Images)
Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov jumps as he deflects a puck towards Vegas Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill during Game 6 of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota on May 1, 2025.
(Nick Wosika, Nick Wosika-Imagn Images)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov smiles as center Marco Rossi scores the first goal of the game against the Dallas Stars in the first period at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Sept. 25, 2025.
(Matt Blewett, Imagn Images)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov smiles as center Marco Rossi scores the first goal of the game against the Dallas Stars in the first period at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Sept. 25, 2025.
(Matt Blewett, Imagn Images)
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Kirill Kaprizov of Team Russia skates with the puck against Team Canada during a game at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships at the Air Canada Centre on Dec. 26, 2016, in Toronto.
(Claus Andersen, Getty Images)
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Olympic Athlete from Russia Kirill Kaprizov celebrates after scoring a hat trick against Slovenia in the third period during the men's ice hockey group round game at Gangneung Hockey Centre on Feb. 16, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
(Bruce Bennett, Getty Images)
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Gold medal winners Sergei Mozyakin and Kirill Kaprizov of the Olympic Athletes from Russia celebrate after defeating Germany 4-3 in overtime during the men's ice hockey championship in the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Hockey Centre on Feb. 25, 2018, in South Korea.
(Ronald Martinez, Getty Images)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov scores a goal off a deflected puck from Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick during the overtime at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 14, 2021. It was Kaprizov's first goal in the NHL.
(Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports)
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Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild celebrates his game-winning goal with Nick Bonino and Victor Rask during a 4-3 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings in the season opener at Staples Center on Jan. 14, 2021, in Los Angeles. It was Kaprizov's first goal in the NHL.
(Harry How, Getty Images)
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Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild attempts to pass the puck as Marcus Sorensen of the San Jose Sharks defends him during the third period at Xcel Energy Center on Jan. 22, 2021, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
(Harrison Barden, Getty Images)
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J.T. Compher and Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche fight for the puck against Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild in the first period at Ball Arena on Feb. 2, 2021, in Denver.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)
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Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild congratulates Mats Zuccarello after his goal against the Colorado Avalanche in the first period at Ball Arena on Feb. 24, 2021, in Denver.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)
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Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild waits for a faceoff in the third period of a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on March 3, 2021, in Las Vegas.
(Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Arizona Coyotes in the third period at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on March 12, 2021.
(David Berding, USA TODAY Sports)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov celebrates his goal against Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper during the first period at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on April 19, 2021. Kaprizov scored his first career hat trick in the game.
(Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports)
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Minnesota Wild forward Mats Zuccarello celebrates his goal with forward Kirill Kaprizov during the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Nov. 26, 2021.
(Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports)
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Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov scores the game-winning goal during a shootout on Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Dec. 4, 2021.
(Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports)
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Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild in the first period at Staples Center on Dec. 11, 2021, in Los Angeles.
(Ronald Martinez, Getty Images)
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Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild waits for the faceoff in the second period of the NHL game against the St. Louis Blues during the NHL Winter Classic at Target Field on Jan. 1, 2022, in Minneapolis.
(Harrison Barden, Getty Images)
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Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones and left wing Alex DeBrincat get into a scrum with Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek and left wing Kirill Kaprizov during overtime at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 22, 2022.
(David Berding, USA TODAY Sports)
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Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck ahead of Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings during the game between the Atlantic Division and the Central Division during the 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Game at T-Mobile Arena on Feb. 5, 2022, in Las Vegas.
(Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov looks on during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Feb. 12, 2022.
(Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports)
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Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild shoots the puck to score a goal against the Detroit Red Wings in the second period of the NHL game at Xcel Energy Center on Feb. 14, 2022, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
(David Berding, Getty Images)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov and Calgary Flames left wing Matthew Tkachuk get into a scrum during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome on Feb. 26, 2022, in Calgary.
(Sergei Belski, USA TODAY Sports)
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Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild celebrates his third-period goal against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on March 10, 2022, in Detroit.
(Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov is congratulated by right wing Mats Zuccarello after his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, on April 2, 2022.
(James Guillory, USA TODAY Sports)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov celebrates his hat trick against the St. Louis Blues in the third period of Game 2 of the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on May 4, 2022.
(Brad Rempel, USA TODAY Sports)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov celebrates his game-winning goal in overtime against the Vancouver Canucks at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Oct. 20, 2022.
(Matt Krohn, USA TODAY Sports)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov shoots the puck during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Dec. 7, 2022.
(Sergei Belski, USA TODAY Sports)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov is tripped by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jordan Oesterle during the second period at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Dec. 14, 2022.
(Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports)
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Kirill Kaprizov participates in the 2023 NHL All-Star Game at FLA Live Arena on Feb. 4, 2023, in Sunrise, Florida.
(Bruce Bennett, Getty Images)
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Dallas Stars center Max Domi fights with Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov during the third period in Game 2 of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center in Dallas on April 19, 2023.
(Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports)
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Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck against Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues during the game between Team MacKinnon and Team McDavid during the 2024 NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3, 2024, in Toronto.
(Claus Andersen, Getty Images)
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Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild celebrates his power play goal against the Vancouver Canucks in the third period at Xcel Energy Center on Feb. 19, 2024, in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Wild defeated the Canucks 10-7 thanks to hat tricks from Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson EK.
(David Berding, Getty Images)
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Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov celebrates his third goal of the game as hats rain down on the ice during the third period against the San Jose Sharks at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on March 3, 2024.
(Matt Blewett, USA TODAY Sports)
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Mats Zuccarello of the Minnesota Wild celebrates his goal with Kirill Kaprizov during the second period against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Oct. 22, 2024, in Sunrise, Florida.
(Carmen Mandato, Getty Images)
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Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov jumps as he deflects a puck towards Vegas Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill during Game 6 of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota on May 1, 2025.
Carlson is the Capitals' all-time leader in scoring among defensemen and is a key to their power play. He's the one who sets up Ovechkin's one-timers.Current cap hit:$8 million.
The 33-year-old forward scored 120 points two seasons ago, and although he and the rest of the team dropped off last season, he still had 89 points. He's often in the 90-point range.Current cap hit:$11,642,857.
The winger has two 35-goal seasons and a 41-goal one. The Kings will need to hang on to that type of production, especially withAnze Kopitar retiringafter this season.Current cap hit:$5.5 million.
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Which 2026 free agents have signed extensions recently?
Minnesota's Kirill Kaprizov, eight years, $136 million, a record for its total amount and $17 million cap hit.
Edmonton's Connor McDavid, two years, $25 million. The $12.5 million cap hit equals his current one and places him second on the team behindLeon Draisaitl.
