Labor Day is less than three weeks away in the U.S., meaning training camps are around the corner. However, there are still quite a few recognizable unrestricted free agents available as we sit here in mid-August.

That pressure point will likely lead to the remaining UFAs signing new deals in the next couple of weeks. Let’s look at some of the best free agents left on the market, what they have to offer, and where they could end up for the 2026-27 season.

It’s surprising to see Vladimir Tarasenko still available as a UFA. He’s coming off a solid season with the Minnesota Wild, totaling 23 goals and 47 points in 75 games. He’s not the play driver he used to be, but he hasn’t lost his finishing ability yet.

Tarasenko averaged 1.05 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five last season, second among Wild skaters to Matt Boldy. He can still put the puck in the net, especially at five-on-five. That’s why the Oilers seem like a good fit for him.

Vladimir Tarasenko, Minnesota Wild (Matt Krohn-Imagn Images)

The Oilers should be the favorites to win the Pacific Division, but they could use another finisher in their top six. As constructed, Isaac Howard, Vasily Podkolzin, and Matthew Savoie are three of their four top-six wingers. Tarasenko’s finishing ability would be a welcome addition for an Oilers team that will probably need to outscore their defensive and goaltending concerns from time to time.

The Ducks are in a holding pattern until they re-sign Cutter Gauthier, who remains an RFA. They will need to clear cap space once they sign Gauthier, but once they have clarity on their cap situation, they will need to find a right-handed shot.

As of now, the right side of the Ducks’ defense has Nick Jensen, Ian Moore, and a promising but unproven prospect in Tristan Luneau. The team could be in for a rough ride next season if they don’t add another right-handed shot.

That’s where Nick Blankenburg can help. He’s undersized at 5-foot-9, 176 pounds, so he’s not the type of defenseman GM Pat Verbeek typically targets. He may struggle with opposing forecheckers, but he’s an effective bottom-pair defenseman who helps his team spend less time in the defensive zone because he’s mobile and an effective puck-mover. The Ducks could use a bit more of that on their blue line.

James van Riemsdyk has been in this position as a UFA for the last few offseasons. Even though he may be 37, he’s still an effective bottom-six winger. He finished last season with 15 goals and 31 points in 72 games for the Detroit Red Wings, so he still has some juice.

You never know when a player may fall off a cliff at van Riemsdyk’s age, but his underlying metrics were solid last season. He averaged 1.74 points per 60 minutes and 0.7 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five, rates you like to see from a third-liner.

The Jets could probably benefit from a full rebuild, but that’s not in the cards for now. If the goal is to be competitive next season, they could use a little more bottom-six depth. Van Riemsdyk could provide it, and if they don’t find themselves in the playoff picture, they can always ship him out for a draft pick ahead of the trade deadline.

Chris MacFarland has had an active first offseason as the Predators’ GM and president of hockey operations, but one area he hasn’t addressed is the right side of the blue line. As of now, Brady Skjei — a left-handed shot — Nick Perbix and Ilya Lyubushkin form the right side of the team’s defense.

Perbix is a good player, but the real problem is playing Lyubushkin in meaningful minutes, even though he has a cap hit above $3 million. John Klingberg may not be great defensively, but he still has some offensive ability. He finished last season with 10 goals and 27 points in 56 games for the San Jose Sharks, a 15-goal, 40-point pace over 84 games.

Klingberg would be the ideal replacement for Lyubushkin since he’d take over a third-pair, sheltered role. That’s how to get the best out of him at this stage of his career. He’d give the Predators some puck-moving ability and an option for their second power-play unit and is certainly an upgrade over Lyubushkin.

The Golden Knights lost a key piece of their unit when they traded Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers. I can’t blame them for not wanting to pay him $11 million per year, but they do need to replace some of his production. Victor Olofsson alone won’t be enough.

My THW colleague Jayd Serdy recently wrote how the Golden Knights should take a chance on Eeli Tolvanen, and I see the fit. He isn’t the finisher that Dorofeyev is, but he has a solid resumé as a scorer. He’s a 12 percent shooter for his career and has averaged 18 goals per 82 games in the NHL.

Tolvanen is also coming off a down shooting season, having shot just 8.5 percent. That will likely revert close to the mean next season, so he could be a good buy-low option for a Golden Knights team that needs to replace some of Dorofeyev’s finishing ability.

The Wild have lost quite a bit of scoring this offseason. Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson, and Tarasenko all totaled between 45 and 55 points last season, but have departed for new destinations via free agency. The only move GM Bill Guerin has made to replace them is acquiring Blake Coleman from the Calgary Flames.

Nashville Predators left wing Michael Bunting (58) celebrates scoring a power play goal against Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) during the first period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Michael Bunting has become a bit of a journeyman over the last couple of seasons, but there’s still a solid middle-six winger here. He finished last season with 14 goals and 33 points in 74 games between the Predators and Dallas Stars.

His tenure with the Stars did not go well, but he appeared in fewer than 15 games. Otherwise, he was solid for the Predators. He averaged 1.66 points per 60 minutes with the Predators and totaled an expected goals share (xG%) of 53.63 percent. He plays with a bit of an edge, but he does so without taking needless penalties; he has one of the best penalty differentials in the NHL. He could help the Wild boost a middle six that’s lost plenty of offense.

The Penguins have a top goaltending prospect in Sergei Murashov. He posted a .919 save percentage in the AHL and may be ready for a 1B role in the NHL, but what if the Penguins determine he isn’t ready yet? That would leave them in need of a goaltender to complement Arturs Silovs.

Connor Ingram may have struggled during the playoffs for the Oilers, but he was arguably their best goaltender during the regular season. He finished with an .899 save percentage while saving 7.45 goals above expected. That’s an above-average netminder in today’s NHL. He could be a good stopgap until they deem Murashov ready for a full-time NHL role.

The Sharks have had an active offseason, specifically making some additions on defense. They’ve also made some upgrades at forward, signing Mason Marchment in free agency and drafting Ivar Stenberg with the second overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

If there’s one area that could use a bit of a boost before the season starts, it’s their bottom six. Ty Dellandrea doesn’t provide much, and while David Perron is 38, he’s still a solid bottom-six forward. He finished last season with 13 goals and 28 points in 65 games, a 17-goal, 36-point pace over 84 games.

Aside from adding some scoring pop to the bottom of the Sharks’ lineup, Perron is a seasoned veteran. He’d be a good addition off the ice for a young team that’s looking to break through and make the playoffs. That veteran experience could prove invaluable for a team that’s still learning how to win.

It’s unusual to see this many decent UFAs still available in August. But with training camps getting close, there should be clarity on their situations over the next couple of weeks. It’ll be interesting to see where they sign.

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