NHL News
NHL Draft Pick Rights Set to Expire Aug 15
Image © Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The signing deadline for prospects graduating from NCAA programs after four years is August 15th. Assuming they were scheduled to graduate at the end of the current season, the following players are eligible to become unrestricted free agents after August 15, 2025:
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2019 RD6, #163 Overall |
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2021 RD7, #217 Overall |
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BOS |
2019 RD7, #192 Overall |
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2020 RD5, #131 Overall |
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2021 RD3, #94 Overall |
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2022 RD6, #173 Overall |
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2021 RD7, #208 Overall |
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2021 RD5, #138 Overall |
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2021 RD4, #114 Overall |
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2023 RD7, #216 Overall |
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EDM |
2022 RD7, #222 Overall |
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EDM |
2019 RD6, #162 Overall |
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EDM |
2021 RD3, #90 Overall |
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2019 RD6, #157 Overall |
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LAK |
2022 RD2, #51 Overall |
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2019 RD6, #179 Overall |
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NSH |
2020 RD6, #166 Overall |
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2021 RD4, #125 Overall |
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2022 RD6, #191 Overall |
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2021 RD7, #195 Overall |
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2020 RD7, #210 Overall |
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2021 RD6, #192 Overall |
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TBL |
2020 RD6, #156 Overall |
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2020 RD7, #189 Overall |
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TOR |
2020 RD7, #195 Overall |
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2020 RD4, #113 Overall |
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2021 RD3, #80 Overall |
* Players who have already signed professional contracts for 2025–26 but remain free to sign an NHL contract with any team.
**Eligible to play another year of NCAA so will only be UFA if he files graduation paperwork
This year marks the end of the extra year of college eligibility granted due the COVID-impacted 2020-21 season. The following players played their 5th year of eligibility as graduate students. Given that they did not become free agents after graduation, they are eligible for free agency 30 days after NHL Central Registry receives notice that they are no longer bona fide college students.
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2019 RD4, #110 Overall |
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NSH |
2020 RD7, #209 Overall |
Fifth-year players Michael Koster (TOR 2018 RD5, #146 Overall) and Jake Boltmann (CGY 2020 RD3, #80 Overall) filed earlier this summer and are already unrestricted free agents.
For college players, being granted free agency depends on filing graduation paperwork or notifying NHL Central Registry that they are no longer a college student. Players who leave school early or delay filing their paperwork can have their exclusive rights held indefinitely. For example, Pittsburgh’s 2013 fourth-round pick Ryan Segalla (PIT 2023 RD4, #119 Overall) left UConn before his final year of eligibility and remains on the Penguins’ reserve list despite last playing pro hockey in 2017.
