The next NHL season isn’t set to take place until next January, at the earliest, leaving several players without a contract and in a kind of limbo.
For Franchise Mode players on NHL 21, this means that the market has several top free agents to sign, from highly-rated veterans to younger players with high ceilings.
Using the first roster update following the launch of the game (October 16 Online Roster), we’ve compiled all of the highest-rated and highest potential free agents found on the first day of a new Franchise Mode on NHL 21.
How to sign free agents in Franchise Mode
To find where to sign free agents in NHL 21’s Franchise Mode, from the Hub screen, navigate to the Team Management screen (to the right) and then the Manage Contracts column.
There, you’ll see the option of ‘Free Agents,’ which shows all of the RFA and UFA players available.
To sign the true free agents, listed as UFAs, you just have to press A/X on the player that you want and then select the option to offer them a contract. From the next screen, you can adjust the terms of the contract offer.
After making an offer to a free agent in NHL 21, you’ll get a response as to whether or not your offer has been accepted or declined in the next few days.
Dustin Byfuglien, Top 4 Defenseman
Overall: 87
Age: 35
Position: Right/Left Defenseman
Player Type: Two-Way Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Initial Contract Demands: $2.8 million, 1 year, 1-way
Best Attributes: 95 Balance, 95 Strength, 93 Stick Checking
Standing 6’5’’ and 260 lbs, Dustin Byfuglien is a terrifying defenseman for any opposing forward to try to get around, particularly if trying to squeeze between him and the boards.
Also known for his ability to play on the wing if needed, the towering blueliner hasn’t played since the 2018/19 season due to injury. He’s now an unrestricted free agent, having split by mutual consent from the Winnipeg Jets.
He may be 35-years-old, but Byfuglien still has an 87 overall rating and several lofty attribute ratings in NHL 21, including his 95 strength, 93 body checking, 93 endurance, 93 stick checking, 93 slap shot power, and 92 wrist shot power.
If for nothing else, the American skater is one of the best enforcers in the game. So, if you want to win more fights in Franchise Mode, get Byfuglien in your lines and ready to drop the gloves.
Mike Hoffman, Second Line Forward
Overall: 85
Age: 30
Position: Left/Right Wing
Player Type: Sniper
Shoots: Left
Initial Contract Demands: $3.075 million, 1 year, 1-way
Best Attributes: 90 Speed, 90 Acceleration, 90 Durability
Mike Hoffman was one of the best forwards that the Ottawa Senators had when they were forced to trade the forward – for reasons beyond the player or team – with him putting in a career-best season after moving.
For the Florida Panthers in the 2018/19 season, Hoffman put up 36 goals and 70 points, which included a 17-game point streak which broke the franchise record held by Pavel Bure. In his 69 games for the Panthers last season, the Ontario-native snagged another 29 goals and 59 points.
Now a UFA and exploring his options, Hoffman comes in as one of the best free agents to sign in Franchise Mode, particularly due to his 85 overall rating, age, and skating attributes.
Hoffman enters NHL 21 with 90 acceleration, 89 agility, and 90 speed, narrowly missing out on the list of the game’s fastest skaters, with his 89 slap shot accuracy, 89 wrist shot accuracy, and 89 hand-eye making him a very user-friendly free agent signing.
Zdeno Chára, Top 4 Defenseman
Overall: 84
Age: 43
Position: Left/Right Defenseman
Player Type: Two-Way Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Initial Contract Demands: $2.425 million, 1 year, 1-way
Best Attributes: 94 Strength, 94 Balance, 92 Body Checking
While Zdeno Chára was drafted by the New York Islanders, played regularly for the Isles, and then starred for the Ottawa Senators in the early 00s, the Slovakian will always be remembered as a Boston Bruin.
Famous for being the tallest player in NHL history, ‘Big Z’ and his 6’9’’ frame have amassed over 1,500 regular season games and 195 playoff appearances.
Despite being 43-years-old, Chára has announced that retirement isn’t in his plans, helping to convince EA Sports to include the defenseman as one of the top free agents to sign in NHL 21.
For any Franchise Mode team, Chára offers a tremendous amount of strength, defensive skill, and a surprising amount of mobility. Furthermore, if you want to know how to fight and win, it’d be a good idea to get Chára’s 90 fighting skill and 94 balance on your side.
Ian McCoshen, Minor Top 2 Defenseman
Overall: 76
Age: 25
Position: Left/Right Defenseman
Player Type: Defensive Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Initial Contract Demands: $0.700 million, 1 year, 2-way
Best Attributes: 89 Durability, 86 Strength, 86 Body Checking
Despite being drafted just outside of the first round in 2013, going 31st overall, Ian McCoshen’s career hasn’t followed the path of such an early pick so far.
The defenseman has enjoyed stints in the Florida Panthers’ NHL lines, but after being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, he was unable to break into the rebuilding team’s defensive lines. On 19 October, he joined the Minnesota Wild on a one-year, two-way deal.
On the face of it, McCoshen doesn’t look like a particularly appealing signing, with a middling 76 overall rating. However, at the start of Franchise Mode, the 6’3’’ defenseman has Top 4 D high potential.
So, if you can give the Anaheim-native plenty of ice time to build on his 84 speed, 84 acceleration, 85 shot blocking, 85 stick checking, 86 body checking, and 86 strength, McCoshen can develop into a valuable defensive defenseman.
Brendan Perlini, Depth Forward
Overall: 78
Age: 24
Position: Left/Right Wing
Player Type: Sniper
Shoots: Left
Initial Contract Demands: $0.700 million, 1 year, 2-way
Best Attributes: 87 Slap Shot Power, 87 Speed, 87 Acceleration
Born in England, developed in Canada, Brendan Perlini has continued to strive for ice time since being drafted by the then Phoenix Coyotes at 12th overall in 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
The perpetually rebuilding team brought Perlini into the NHL lines during the 2016/17 season, with him scoring 30 points in 74 games in the following campaign. He played most of the 2018/19 season with the Chicago Blackhawks, and then requested a trade early last season, landing with the Detroit Red Wings.
Perlini comes into NHL 21 as one of the best free agents because he has strong baseline ratings, decent potential, and is still only 24-years-old.
Perlini has Top 6 Forward med potential, with his 87 acceleration, 87 agility, 87 speed, 86 hand-eye, 86 wrist shot power, 87 strength, and 87 shot power showing that he’s not far away from having some ratings worthy of top-six skater.
Jimmy Howard, Back-up Goalie
Overall: 81
Age: 36
Position: Goaltender
Player Type: Hybrid
Gloves: Left
Initial Contract Demands: $0.800 million, 1 year, 1-way
Best Attributes: 87 Speed, 87 Poke Check, 87 Breakaway
Jimmy Howard has been on the books of the Detroit Red Wings since being drafted by the Michigan team in 2003, amassing 523 starts, 246 wins, 24 shutouts, and a career 2.62 goals against average.
There’s a chance that the 36-year-old may retire, but as it stands, it looks like the 2020/21 season could see Howard feature for only his second NHL team.
In the Franchise Mode free agency, there are three goaltenders at 81 overall. However, Howard gets the nod as the best free agent goaltender thanks to him being a few years younger than the other two.
The American netminder is a worthy back-up, and a cheap one at that, with his 87 angles, 87 breakaway, 86 glove low, 86 stick low, 87 speed, and 86 rebound control being reliable enough.
Linus Söderström, Other Goalie
Overall: 70
Age: 24
Position: Goaltender
Player Type: Hybrid
Gloves: Left
Initial Contract Demands: $0.700 million, 1 year, 2-way
Best Attributes: 83 Agility, 83 Speed, 80 Recover
Standing 6’4’’ and 196 lbs, Linus Söderström is a hefty goaltender, with his size and surprising mobility undoubtedly helping the New York Islanders’ decision to snap him up in the fourth round of the 2014 draft.
Since then, Söderström sought to refine his game in his native Sweden, playing in the second and top-tier league of the nation. He’s spent the last two seasons in the United States, but injuries have greatly hindered his progress.
Now, the Swedish shot-stopper is a free agent in the eyes of the NHL, but is currently playing for Finnish club Ässät in Liiga. So, he’s listed as an unrestricted free agent in Franchise Mode.
Rated 70 overall, Söderström is quite a way off from being a first-choice goalie, but if given ice time by a brave coach, the 24-year-old can quickly grow into his Starter med potential.
All of the best free agents to sign in NHL 21 Franchise Mode
In the table below, you can find all of the top NHL 21 Franchise Mode free agents to sign, ranging from those with the highest overall ratings to ones with high potential.
The ones with sub-80 overall ratings have been included for their decent potential, being worth signing as free agents if you can give them enough ice time to develop.
| Name | Overall | Age | Position | Player Type | Contract Request | Best Attributes |
| Dustin Byfuglien | 87 | 35 | Right/Left Defenseman | Two-Way Defenseman | $2.8 million, 1 year, 1-way | 95 Balance, 95 Strength, 93 Stick Checking |
| Mike Hoffman | 85 | 30 | Left/Right Wing | Sniper | $3.075 million, 1 year, 1-way | 90 Speed, 90 Acceleration, 90 Durability |
| Zdeno Chára | 84 | 43 | Left/Right Defenseman | Two-Way Defenseman | $2.425 million, 1 year, 1-way | 94 Strength, 94 Balance, 92 Body Checking |
| Ilya Kovalchuk | 83 | 37 | Left/Right Wing | Sniper | $1.825 million, 1 year, 1-way | 92 Slap Shot Power, 92 Wrist Shot Power, 91 Hand-Eye |
| Mikael Granlund | 83 | 28 | Center/Right Wing | Playmaker | $2.475 million, 1 year, 1-way | 90 Deking, 90 Acceleration, 90 Agility |
| Sami Vatanen | 83 | 29 | Right/Left Defenseman | Offensive Defenseman | $2.4 million, 1 year, 1-way | 90 Speed, 90 Acceleration, 90 Deking |
| Erik Haula | 82 | 29 | Center | Playmaker | $1.5 million, 1 year, 1-way | 90 Acceleration, 90 Speed, 88 Deking |
| Andreas Athanasiou | 82 | 26 | Left/Right Wing | Playmaker | $1.5 million, 1 year, 1-way | 93 Acceleration, 93 Speed, 88 Stick Checking |
| Dominik Kahun | 82 | 25 | Center/Left Wing | Playmaker | $1.375 million, 1 year, 1-way | 90 Durability, 87 Discipline, 87 Speed |
| Derick Brassard | 82 | 32 | Center/Right Wing | Two-Way Forward | $1.475 million, 1 year, 1-way | 88 Acceleration, 88 Speed, 87 Strength |
| Alex Galchenyuk | 82 | 26 | Center/Left Wing | Playmaker | $2.225 million, 1 year, 1-way | 90 Acceleration, 90 Speed, 90 Deking |
| Joe Thornton | 82 | 41 | Center | Playmaker | $1.6 million, 1 year, 1-way | 90 Strength, 90 Balance, 90 Poise |
| Jimmy Howard | 81 | 36 | Goaltender | Hybrid | $0.800 million, 1 year, 1-way | 87 Speed, 87 Poke Check, 87 Breakaway |
| Ryan Miller | 81 | 40 | Goaltender | Hybrid | $0.750 million, 1 year, 1-way | 86 Glove Low, 86 Stick Low, 86 Angles |
| Craig Anderson | 81 | 39 | Goaltender | Hybrid | $0.825 million, 1 year, 1-way | 90 Endurance, 88 Agility, 88 Aggressiveness |
| Jay Bouwmeester | 81 | 36 | Left/Right Defenseman | Defensive Defenseman | $1.1 million, 1 year, 1-way | 91 Endurance, 90 Poise, 90 Discipline |
| Conor Sheary | 81 | 28 | Left/Right Wing | Playmaker | $1.325 million, 1 year, 1-way | 88 Acceleration, 88 Speed, 88 Agility |
| Michael Frolik | 81 | 32 | Right Wing | Two-Way Forward | $1.35 million, 1 year, 1-way | 90 Discipline, 89 Stick Checking, 88 Speed |
| Carl Soderberg | 81 | 34 | Center | Two-Way Forward | $0.975 million, 1 year, 1-way | 89 Durability, 88 Endurance, 87 Strength |
| Michael Grabner | 80 | 32 | Right/Left Wing | Sniper | $0.825 million, 1 year, 1-way | 95 Discipline, 92 Speed, 91 Acceleration |
| Brendan Perlini | 78 | 24 | Left/Right Wing | Sniper | $0.700 million, 1 year, 2-way | 87 Slap Shot Power, 87 Speed, 87 Acceleration |
| Jeremy Bracco | 78 | 23 | Center | Playmaker | $0.925 million, 3 years, 2-way | 95 Discipline, 88 Deking, 88 Speed |
| Madison Bowey | 78 | 25 | Right/Left Defenseman | Two-Way Defenseman | $0.700 million, 1 year, 2-way | 90 Durability, 87 Speed, 87 Acceleration |
| Ian McCoshen | 76 | 25 | Left/Right Defenseman | Defensive Defenseman | $0.700 million, 1 year, 2-way | 89 Durability, 86 Strength, 86 Body Checking |
| Ryan Kuffner | 74 | 24 | Left Wing | Two-Way Forward | $0.700 million, 1 year, 2-way | 85 Durability, 85 Slap Shot Power, 85 Wrist Shot Power |
| Jérémy Roy | 73 | 23 | Right/Left Defenseman | Offensive Defenseman | $0.700 million, 1 year, 2-way | 85 Speed, 85 Slap Shot Power, 85 Agility |
| Linus Söderström | 70 | 24 | Goaltender | Hybrid | $0.700 million, 1 year, 2-way | 83 Agility, 83 Speed, 80 Recover |
| Linus Nassen | 66 | 22 | Left/Right Defenseman | Two-Way Defenseman | $0.700 million, 1 year, 2-way | 85 Durability, 84 Slap Shot Power, 84 Wrist Shot Power |
If you need to bolster your lines with a decent skater or want to add a high potential young skater to your roster, sign one of the best NHL 21 free agents listed above.
Want to learn more about playing NHL 21?
NHL 21: Complete Controls Guide (Goalie, Faceoffs, Offense, and Defense) for PS4 and Xbox One
NHL 21: Complete Deke Guide, Tutorial, and Tips
NHL 21: Best and Worst Teams to Use and Rebuild
NHL 21 Ratings: Best Enforcers
NHL 21 Draft: Best Prospects and Top Draft Steals 2021
NHL 21 Draft: Best Prospects and Top Draft Steals 2022
NHL 21: Fastest Players (Forwards and Defensemen)
NHL 21 Franchise Mode: Best Young Players
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