2025-26 European Pro Free Agent Signings<\/p>\n
Charle-\u00c9douard D\u2019Astous<\/a>, LHD, Tampa Bay Lightning When a team signs an undrafted free agent from the European pro ranks, most hope those signings pay off the way the Lightning\u2019s signing of D\u2019Astous has. It was a long road for D\u2019Astous to reach an NHL organization. After captaining the QMJHL\u2019s Rimouski Oc\u00e9anic and winning the league\u2019s Defenseman of the Year award, D\u2019Astous began his pro career in the ECHL. While he only played sporadically in the AHL, his steep upward trajectory began in North America\u2019s third-tier league.<\/p>\n In 2021-22, D\u2019Astous broke out, scoring a whopping 45 goals and 87 points in 70 combined regular season and playoff games. The performance earned him the ECHL\u2019s Defenseman of the Year award, as well as a contract in the Finnish Liiga with KooKoo. In D\u2019Astous\u2019 second year with KooKoo, he managed 46 points in 54 games, which landed him Liiga\u2019s Defenseman of the Year award and a contract in the SHL with Bryn\u00e4s. D\u2019Astous instantly translated his Liiga success to the SHL, scoring 39 points in 49 games and earning that league\u2019s Defenseman of the Year honors.<\/p>\n The Lightning took notice of D\u2019Astous\u2019 rapid climb to the top of European pro hockey, and signed him to a modest one-year, two-way contract, likely with the expectation that he\u2019d begin with their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and go from there.<\/p>\n D\u2019Astous did indeed start the year in Syracuse, but he didn\u2019t last very long there. After scoring three points in his debut for the Crunch, D\u2019Astous played an additional trio of games before earning a recall to Tampa Bay. The Lightning won seven of their first eight games with D\u2019Astous in the lineup, and he quickly earned the trust of head coach Jon Cooper. After playing just 10:36 in his second NHL game, D\u2019Astous earned 17:11 in his third contest and just a few weeks later was regularly crossing the 20-minute mark.<\/p>\n The strong offensive production from Europe has translated somewhat to the NHL, as D\u2019Astous is scoring at a 32-point 82-game pace. But perhaps more impressively for a defenseman with no NHL experience entering the season, D\u2019Astous is averaging 19:23 time on ice per game, with infrequent use on special teams. Among Lightning blueliners with at least 30 games played this season, D\u2019Astous ranks No. 3 in time-on-ice per game, ahead of even veteran Erik Cernak<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tampa Bay acted quickly to secure D\u2019Astous\u2019 services beyond this season, inking him to a one-year, one-way contract extension at a $875K value. Given D\u2019Astous\u2019 performances thus far in his NHL career, there is a strong chance he provides the team with surplus value on that cap hit. Although he\u2019s just 43 games into his NHL career, it appears the Lightning may have found a bona fide NHL defenseman in D\u2019Astous, who cost them nothing (besides his contract) to add into their organization. For a team whose prospect pool ranked last in the NHL entering the season according to Elite Prospects<\/a>, finding hidden gems such as D\u2019Astous (and former minor-league free agent Darren Raddysh<\/a>) has helped replenish Tampa\u2019s depth and extend the length of their competitive window.<\/p>\n David Tomasek<\/a>, RW, Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman was the lead hockey operations executive for those aforementioned Chicago Blackhawks teams, and as a result, it came as no surprise to see him mine the European professional leagues in search of NHL-caliber talent. The Oilers are looking to win a Stanley Cup on an immediate basis, and the pressure of that wide-open competitive window has caused the quality of the team\u2019s prospect pool and overall organizational depth to decline. The salary cap simply doesn\u2019t allow for a contending team to stockpile depth in its organization the way it might have been able in the past, and GMs such as Bowman have sought out alternative talent acquisition avenues in response.<\/p>\n Tomasek was the most expensive signing of the Oilers\u2019 class of European pro free agents. He signed a one-year, one-way $1.2MM deal after a season where he led the SHL in scoring. Beyond his SHL experience, Tomasek had also proven himself at the international level, winning a gold medal with his native Czechia at the 2024 IIHF Men\u2019s World Championship. A 6\u20192\u2033, 210-pound winger, Tomasek was likely expected to be an instant \u2018plug-and-play\u2019 NHLer, a belief that is reflected in the size of his contract.<\/p>\n But while D\u2019Astous\u2019 success might have given the impression that standout players in top European pro leagues find the transition to the North American game relatively easy, the reality is there are more players who are unable to successfully cross the Atlantic than there are players who find their footing. Tomasek is an example of the former. He played in 22 games for the Oilers, averaging 10:45 time on ice per game, including 1:45 per game on the power play. He managed three goals and five points in that span, and before the calendar flipped to 2026, he agreed on a mutual contract termination with the Oilers.<\/p>\n Despite failing to carve out a role as an NHL player, Tomasek has been able to pick up right where he left off in the SHL with F\u00e4rjestad. Since returning to Sweden\u2019s top league, he has 11 points in 11 games.<\/p>\n Max Shabanov<\/a>, RW, New York Islanders Often, the European pro free agents that generate the most attention and hype in North America are the top KHL imports. There is a long history of KHL signings finding instant success in the NHL, such as the aforementioned Panarin, or more recently Andrei Kuzmenko<\/a>, who scored 39 goals and 74 points in his first season in the NHL. Shabanov was widely considered to be the top KHL free agent of the cycle, and he followed the path of fellow KHL import signing Max Tsyplakov by signing with the Islanders.<\/p>\n While there might have been some expectation that Shabanov would hit the ground running the way Panarin or Kuzmenko did, given his stellar platform season in the KHL (67 points in 65 regular-season games, 20 points in 21 playoff games) that hasn\u2019t happened yet. The 25-year-old has had his moments, but is currently sitting on just four goals and 16 points in 40 games, despite receiving 1:42 time on ice per game on the man advantage.<\/p>\n The biggest barrier Shabanov faces when it comes to translating his KHL success to the NHL is his size. Standing 5\u20198\u2033, 168 pounds, Shabanov is undersized by NHL standards, and wingers of his stature typically need to have some sort of standout on-ice trait in order to produce at the NHL level. Goal scorers Cole Caufield<\/a> and Alex DeBrincat<\/a> bring an elite shot and goal-scoring instincts as traits that have driven them to stardom. 435-game NHL veteran Nathan Gerbe<\/a> brought a high work ethic, relentless compete level, and consistent shift-by-shift impact to the table to help him carve out a bottom-six role.<\/p>\n As of now, the trait that will allow Shabanov to have an extended NHL career has not fully emerged. But he has been able to at least stick on the Islanders\u2019 roster to this point, and given his KHL pedigree, it\u2019s not out of the question he finds his way. At a relatively minimal expense on their cap sheet, Shabanov\u2019s signing remains a worthwhile gamble for New York.<\/p>\n Josh Samanski<\/a>, C, Edmonton Oilers While the Oilers\u2019 signing of Tomasek was grounded in the fact that he was a star and leading scorer in one of Europe\u2019s best leagues, their signing of Samanski was more speculative. The 23-year-old undrafted German forward had a strong breakout season in the DEL, scoring 40 points in 52 games.<\/p>\n But unlike the names listed above, he was not considered one of the league\u2019s best talents. But at 23 years old, he was at an earlier point in his developmental curve than those players, and the Oilers likely reasonably believed there was additional upside in his game that had not yet materialized, but could be drawn out by the team\u2019s development staff. Edmonton signed Samanski to an entry-level deal, and so far, their investment has shown promise. He\u2019s scored 28 points in 39 games for the AHL\u2019s Bakersfield Condors, good for sixth on the team in scoring.<\/p>\n His performances also earned him an NHL opportunity, as he was on the Oilers\u2019 NHL roster before the Olympic break. He has two assists in his five career NHL games thus far, and has averaged 9:21 time on ice per game.<\/p>\n Samanski\u2019s physical tools give him a natural advantage in his chase of a bottom-six center role in the NHL, and given his solid progress so far in 2025-26, it\u2019s not out of the question that the Oilers land a legitimate NHL player in Samanski.<\/p>\n A key storyline to watch in his development will be the progress of his defensive game. That will likely be the bedrock of Samanski\u2019s value proposition to NHL teams, as the requisite tools for him to play an offensive top-six role are not evident in his game. The Condors have the AHL\u2019s No. 12-ranked penalty kill, and Samanski is a regular shorthanded contributor in the AHL. It will be interesting to see if he gets a look on the penalty kill at the NHL level, where the Oilers have struggled this season.<\/p>\n A notable dimension to Samanski\u2019s signing is that he is represented by Andy Scott of Octagon hockey; Scott also represents Oilers star Leon Draisaitl<\/a>, who is the game\u2019s leading German player.<\/p>\n Atro Lepp\u00e4nen<\/a>, LHD, Edmonton Oilers Scoring 60 points in Finland\u2019s Liiga, which is a lower-scoring league in comparison to the NHL, is an impressive feat for any player. For Lepp\u00e4nen, who scored 63 points in just 60 games last season, his performance was doubly impressive due to the fact that he is a defenseman. His stellar offensive production meant he was likely to generate NHL interest, and Bowman\u2019s Oilers scooped him up with a one-year entry-level deal.<\/p>\n Unlike Tomasek and Samanski, Lepp\u00e4nen has yet to debut for the Oilers at the NHL level. As a high-octane offensive defenseman with a defensive game that is still a work in progress, Lepp\u00e4nen was likely always going to take longer to reach the NHL. That was made especially true as Lepp\u00e4nen took some time to find his footing at the AHL level and battled injury. He\u2019s a candidate to receive a recall if he can earn a greater level of trust on the defensive end in the AHL. If he can shore up that side of his game and even get some reps on Bakersfield\u2019s penalty kill, a call-up could come.<\/p>\n The Oilers appeared pleased enough with Lepp\u00e4nen\u2019s transition to North America that they inked him to a one-year contract extension on Feb. 2. The deal carries a hefty $360K AHL salary and $400K total guarantee, signaling the Oilers expect Lepp\u00e4nen to be at minimum a top-pairing defenseman and power play quarterback for Bakersfield moving forward. At the very least, the Oilers landed a quality AHL offensive blueliner at the cost of under $200K. In a league where top veteran defensemen such as Zac Jones<\/a> and Calle Rosen<\/a> can make upwards of $500K at the AHL level, those are not insignificant savings.<\/p>\n Viljami Marjala<\/a>, LW, Edmonton Oilers Another point-per-game Liiga player signed by the Oilers, Marjala is actually a former Buffalo Sabres draft choice whose rights the team elected to let lapse. Marjala enjoyed a rapid rise in Liiga after signing there at the end of his QMJHL career, and that landed him a shot in the Oilers organization. Alongside NCAA free agent signing Quinn Hutson<\/a>, Marjala has been Bakersfield\u2019s most lethal scorer this season with 41 points in 46 games.<\/p>\n The Oilers\u2019 near-term competitive hopes and the competition that already exists along the wings might keep Marjala from making it to the NHL this season, but his performance is strong enough where Edmonton would at least be forced to consider him when pondering who to call up.<\/p>\n In a landscape where a large portion of European pro signings end up terminating their deals to return to their former leagues, Marjala\u2019s success is a win for the Oilers organization, even if he hasn\u2019t yet made his NHL debut. He stands a very real chance at cracking the 60-point plateau in the AHL. Like Lepp\u00e4nen, the fact that he costs under $200K playing on an ELC is driving real cost savings for the Oilers\u2019 minor-league payroll. Veteran scorers in the AHL can cost more than double that if they\u2019re on a two-way deal, and unlike some of the league\u2019s more established scorers, Marjala does not occupy a \u201cveteran\u201d slot under the AHL\u2019s Development Rule<\/a>.<\/p>\n Anton Lundmark<\/a>, RW, Florida Panthers While signing European professional free agents to entry-level contracts can be an avenue for teams to generate cost savings at the AHL level, it\u2019s not a surefire strategy. Some players are able to quickly translate what made them successful in the SHL, or Liiga, to the AHL, and produce almost instantly from when they step onto North American ice. Other players find the adjustment more challenging, and end up returning to Europe midway through their North American debut season.<\/p>\n Lundmark, the Panthers\u2019 SHL signing, is a player who fits into the latter category. The 24-year-old offers an impressive set of physical tools standing 6\u20194\u2033, 192 pounds, but was unable to make a consistent impact at the AHL level. He played sparingly in Charlotte Checkers head coach Geordie Kinnear<\/a>\u2018s lineup, averaging under 10 minutes time on ice per game. Lundmark and the Panthers hit the eject button on their partnership after just nine AHL games, despite the Checkers going 7-1-1 in games in which Lundmark played. By the middle of December, Lundmark was back with Timr\u00e5 in the SHL, where he has four points in 14 games.<\/p>\n Anri Ravinskis<\/a>, RW, Vancouver Canucks The Canucks\u2019 signing of Ravinskis, an undrafted 23-year-old Latvian winger, was the end result of a year where the player rose rapidly through the ranks of pro hockey. He began the season in Finland\u2019s second-tier Mestis, but joined HPK in December after scoring 21 points in 23 games. He ended the season on the Latvian national team at the 2025 IIHF Men\u2019s World Championships, where he scored two points. Vancouver saw enough in Ravinskis to sign him to an entry-level deal, but thus far, his time in North America has been difficult.<\/p>\n Ravinskis has not played since Jan. 31, and has just three points in 27 games. He typically plays a bottom-six role with little to no usage on special teams, a far cry from the role he played for HPK when he scored 17 points in the final 27 games of their season. Seeing as Vancouver is on the hook for another year at just under $200K guaranteed on Ravinskis\u2019 deal, the hope will be that he can take a few steps forward in his game as he continues to acclimate to the North American pro game. He does have a big opportunity ahead of him to get his season back on track, as he\u2019s part of Latvia\u2019s national team for the ongoing Winter Olympics in Italy.<\/p>\n Wojciech Stachowiak<\/a>, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning Stachowiak, a 26-year-old forward from Poland, looked a few years ago as though he was overwhelmingly likely to spend his entire pro career in Europe. The former Michigan State Spartan had played in 72 games in Germany\u2019s top league to that point with Ingolstadt, and had only managed 11 points. Then he had a breakout season in 2022-23 as Ingolstadt made a run to the DEL finals, scoring 16 goals and 34 points in 56 games.<\/p>\n That season served as Stachowiak\u2019s arrival as a top-six talent at the DEL level. He followed his breakout season up with another two seasons of solid production, and capped off his DEL career scoring 11 points in 12 playoff games to help his club reach the league semifinals. The Lightning, likely believing Stachowiak\u2019s two-way game could translate well to North America, inked the player to a one-year contract not too far above what he likely would have earned if he was in the age range to receive an ELC. So far, Stachowiak has been steady for the Crunch.<\/p>\n He\u2019s scoring at a 17-goal, 32-point 72-game pace, and is factoring into both sides of his team\u2019s special teams. Is an NHL future on the table for him? It looks somewhat unlikely at this point, but he\u2019s at least providing the Lightning with a decent return-on-investment, and he could very well see an uptick in his production in the second half of the season, now that he\u2019s more acclimated to the AHL game.<\/p>\n Simon Zajicek<\/a>, G, Boston Bruins While there have been some skaters who have successfully made the transition to the NHL level as European pro free agent signings, there is arguably an even greater legacy of success in terms of these signings at the goalie position. Utah Mammoth starting netminder Karel Vejmelka<\/a> is an example of this happening, signing out of the Czech league for 2021-22. Although he signed at a notably earlier stage of his career, Zajicek is likely hoping to follow a similar career path to Vejmelka.<\/p>\n The 24-year-old signed an ELC with Boston after leading the Czech Extraliga in save percentage in 2024-25. He went 15-13-0 in 29 contests with HC Litv\u00ednov, and added a .927 save percentage in three playoff contests. The Athletic\u2019s Corey Pronman rated<\/a> Zajicek as the top available European pro\/NCAA\/CHL free agent netminder last year, writing that Zajicek\u2019s \u201cquickness and smarts give him a legit chance to play games in the league.\u201d<\/p>\n He hasn\u2019t earned a recall to the NHL yet, but that\u2019s more of a reflection of Boston\u2019s depth at the position than anything else. Zajicek has gone 11-3-1 in 15 games with the AHL\u2019s Providence Bruins, posting a .923 save percentage along the way. He\u2019s behind one of the AHL\u2019s best goalies in 27-year-old Michael DiPietro<\/a> on the depth chart, though, and DiPietro has a .943 save percentage across 27 games this season. While Zajicek\u2019s performance certainly should give the Bruins confidence in their investment in him, they likely won\u2019t see him at the NHL level too soon.<\/p>\n Michal Postava<\/a>, G, Detroit Red Wings The Bruins were not the only Atlantic Division contender to add a young free agent goalie from the Czech league. The Red Wings signed Postava, 23, from Brno, after he posted a .920 save percentage in 43 regular-season games and led his club to a league championship with a stellar .940 save percentage in a 17-game playoff run. The similarities to Zajicek don\u2019t end there. Like Zajicek, Postava has also found instant success at the AHL level playing behind a very strong team. In 13 AHL games this season, Postava has a .937 save percentage. It\u2019s difficult to parse how much that number has been inflated by how good AHL Grand Rapids has been this season, as starter Sebastian Cossa<\/a> actually has the lowest save percentage of any goalie to suit up for the team this year, at a .928, which is still quite high.<\/p>\n With that said, the Red Wings have to at least be greatly encouraged by how Postava has started 2025-26 in the AHL. He\u2019s firmly behind Cossa on the depth chart, but with Cossa likely to be in the NHL sooner rather than later (perhaps to replace 38-year-old Cam Talbot<\/a> as Detroit\u2019s No. 2 goalie next season), Postava could get the opportunity to be an AHL No. 1 as soon as 2026-27.<\/p>\n Photos courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck and Perry Nelson\u2013Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An NHL team\u2019s chase of a Stanley Cup championship is relentless. 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Signed one-year at $775K NHL\/$150K AHL\/$200K Guaranteed from Bryn\u00e4s IF, SHL<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27826087-240x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
Signed one-year, one-way at $1.2MM from F\u00e4rjestad BK, SHL<\/p>\n
Signed one-year, one-way at $975K (with $3.5MM in performance bonuses) from Traktor Chelyabinsk, KHL<\/p>\n
Signed two-year ELC at $877.5K NHL \/ $85K AHL \/ $97.5K SB from Straubing Tigers, DEL<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/USATSI_28093135-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
Signed one-year ELC at $877.5K NHL \/ $85K AHL \/ $97.5K SB from Sport Vaasa, Liiga<\/p>\n
Signed two-year ELC at $775K NHL \/ $85K AHL \/ $97.5K SB from TPS Turku, Liiga<\/p>\n
Signed one-year ELC at $877.5K NHL \/ $85K AHL \/ $97.5K SB from Timr\u00e5 IK, SHL<\/p>\n
Signed two-year ELC at $775K NHL \/ $85K AHL \/ $97.5K SB from HPK, Liiga<\/p>\n
Signed one-year at $775K NHL\/$200K AHL from ERC Ingolstadt, DEL<\/p>\n
Signed one-year ELC at $775K NHL \/ $85K AHL \/ $97.5K SB from HC Litv\u00ednov, Czech Extraliga<\/p>\n
Signed two-year ELC at $877.5K NHL \/ $85K AHL \/ $97.5K SB from HC Kometa Brno, Czech Extraliga<\/p>\n