When we saw Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl's contract was ending after the upcoming season, we had pie-in-the-sky ideas that maybe, just maybe, he would go to free agency and give us all the drama we sorely crave in the NHL offseason.

We had dreams, didn't we? After Draisaitl inked his eight-year, $112 million extension (complete with a $14 million cap hit) that made him the highest-paid player in the NHL on Tuesday, our collective mayhem hopes took a big hit. But like a good NHL player, we'll take a hit to make a play and get back out there for the next shift which starts right now.

Draisaitl's departure from the 2025 free agent class doesn't diminish the potential star power we might see next summer, however. After all, with one big name off the board, we can now better turn our attention to the other big names that might hit the market next July.

We're taking a look at the rest of the possible 2025 unrestricted free-agent class and just to make it a little more fun, we're going to rank them. Stats are the biggest reason why guys will rank higher than others, but age, star power and everything else that goes with it will play a role as well.

The list is loaded with star players so get in now before they're re-signed and make this ranking obsolete and we have to do it all over again. And be sure to hit us up in the comments about how right we are about all of it.

10. Nikolaj Ehlers

How do you win games in the NHL? By scoring goals or helping teammates to score them, of course, and that's what Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers is very good at doing.

Only twice in Ehlers' nine NHL seasons has he not scored 20 or more goals: His rookie season (15) and in 2022-2023 when he had 12 in only 45 games because of injury. Three times he's had 60 or more points and he's had 50-plus two other times. He's an offensive spark plug and what he does this year with the Jets will be very interesting to see because it's a contract year.

He's also a strong candidate to be traded. Rumors have whirled around him for a few years, but now that he's got free agency approaching, they'll pick up a bit more. Teams can always use more scoring and there are a few teams out there who could use a boost in their top six forward group that Ehlers would provide.

Yes, there are questions about his playoff production because it hasn't been off-the-charts good, but his kind of goal-scoring consistency in the regular season is hard to ignore. If he hits the open market, he'll have plenty of suitors.

9. Jakob Chychrun

When it comes to defensemen, looking for younger options might be in limited supply next summer which makes Jakob Chychrun a fascinating potential target.

Chychrun, now with the Washington Capitals, is a toolsy defender. He can move the puck well, he's got a good shot, he defends respectably and he's a heads-up player. Three times in eight seasons he's hit double-digits in goals scored. Four times he's had 20 or more points in a season. He's had 30 or more once and cracked 40 points twice. Considering he's played with the Arizona Coyotes and Ottawa Senators those are very good marks.

There is one very glaring issue in his career. Chychrun's ability to stay healthy for a season has been difficult. Twice he's played a full year (last season and the 56-game shortened season of 2020-2021). Injuries have been crushing for him, but not in the "lost season" kind of way but rather the nagging kind of way. Either way, it's deeply frustrating and after he played in all 82 last season in Ottawa, the hope is that all that's behind him.

Free agency next summer on defense could wind up being top-heavy and much more veteran. There are a host of players north of 30 years old, with one who will be 40 (Brent Burns) if he keeps playing, but a fully healthy and highly productive season from Chychrun could make him the No. 1 guy to sign in July 2025.

8. Linus Ullmark

It's really hard to find an elite goaltender in free agency. Most of the absolute best are locked up long-term relatively quickly which makes signing netminders in free agency a bit of a buyer-beware situation. That might not be the case next summer if Linus Ullmark (and one other goalie on this list) becomes available.

Ullmark is a season removed from winning the Vezina Trophy and while the Boston Bruins made their choice to stick by (and eventually sign to a long-term deal) Jeremy Swayman, it made a well-paid Ullmark expendable. He was traded to the Ottawa Senators, and he said he's in no hurry to talk about or get something signed there.

A big contract year for Ullmark could make him the goalie to get next summer and his numbers as a pro speak for themselves.

In Boston, Ullmark went 88-26-10 with an astounding .924 save percentage with five shutouts. Even before that with the Buffalo Sabres he was good with a .912 save percentage and a 50-47-13 record with three shutouts.

There is a question about how well he can handle a No. 1 goalie's workload, however. During his Vezina season, he had the most games played (49) and games started (48) he's had in one year. He should play much more than that this season with the Senators (and potentially elsewhere if he's traded at the deadline). It'll be a one-year test of stamina, but one that other teams will watch closely.

7. Shea Theodore

If there's one top defenseman that figures to be extremely popular if he hits the open market next summer, it's Vegas Golden Knights blueliner Shea Theodore.

We mentioned Jakob Chychrun already and, yes, we know Florida's Aaron Ekblad is part of this potential class as well, but they didn't let Brandon Montour depart to Seattle this summer just to not re-sign one of their defensive leaders. That puts Theodore at the top of the potential free agent class and for good reason.

Ever since Vegas acquired him from Anaheim in 2017, Theodore has been the picture of consistency for them. He's had 40 or more points in each of the past five seasons and peaked with 52 in 2021-2022. Three times he's hit double-digits in goals, but it's as a puck mover and passer that he's been ultra-valuable, not to mention his strong defensive game.

He's averaged nearly 22 minutes of ice time a game in Vegas as well and he helps drive their power play. What's odd is that he gets a bit lost in the bright lights of Las Vegas with Alex Pietrangelo and now Noah Hanifin there on defense, but he's vital for helping make things go.

It would be somewhat stunning if Vegas let him get away next summer without a new contract, but if they don't, then maybe he's part of a trade to land yet another superstar to try and win a Stanley Cup.

6. Carter Verhaeghe

By now, we're probably tired of the sports cliché about how some players are always clutch and thrive in the biggest moments, but not everyone can be Florida's Carter Verhaeghe who finds ways to embody the definition of the word.

Ever since joining the Panthers, Verhaeghe has seemingly been the guy to score the goal they needed the most to either push Florida to a win or to win it for them outright. It's half-mythmaking and half-reasonably factual. Two years ago, during the Panthers' run to the Stanley Cup Final against Vegas, Verhaeghe had the most game-winning goals in the playoffs (4) and last season he had three more to help the Panthers finally win it all. He's had 10 playoff game-winning goals with Florida the past three years combined.

But it's in the regular season where Verhaeghe has been a real force. He's scored 76 goals the past two seasons combined and had a career-high 42 in 2022-2023. In 278 games with the Panthers, he's put up 236 points with an even number of goals and assists (118) and he's had over 70 points in each of the past two seasons. He may have been a late bloomer by NHL standards, but he's more than arrived and been incredible.

The big question is whether or not the Panthers will be able to afford to bring him back long-term or not. They just got Sam Reinhart locked up this summer and will have Aaron Ekblad and Sam Bennett potentially hitting free agency as well in July. They've got Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell all squared away, but how they figure their cap out will be very interesting.

5. Brock Boeser

One of the most interesting players who could hit free agency next summer is Vancouver Canucks goal scorer Brock Boeser.

Boeser enters the final year of his deal fresh off a career year in which he scored 40 goals and had 73 points. The Canucks became one of the most fun teams to watch last year and were an offensive circus of talent and it was Boeser who led the way in goals, just ahead of JT Miller's 37.

What's worth watching this season is what Boeser does for an encore. Before last season, the most goals he scored in a season was 29 and that came in his rookie season in 2017-2018 and his next best was when he had 26 the following year. Was last season a year-long heater or has he found a new way to attack the game in coach Rick Tocchet's system?

There will be tremendous pressure on Canucks management to keep Boeser because he's one of the most popular players on the team, and they don't have a ton of other money coming off the books next summer according to PuckPedia. That should allow Vancouver to budget to retain him, but if he goes to free agency... is there any doubt the Minnesota Wild will do everything they can to bring the Minnesota native back home? Let's be real here.

4. Sidney Crosby

Even though we've got eyes on what Connor McDavid will potentially do when he hits free agency in 2026, Pittsburgh Penguins super-mega-star Sidney Crosby could be a free agent next summer.

If Crosby wasn't in his mid-to-late-30s now, he'd be at the top of the list. Also, if he hadn't been a Penguin for his entire career, we'd move him even higher here despite his age. But let's be honest here, there's a very minimal chance Crosby winds up playing elsewhere beyond Pittsburgh after this season. This is even taking into consideration the (very distant) possibility Crosby gets traded this season (something TSN's Travis Yost kicked some fun ideas around) and doesn't just re-sign with the Penguins in the end anyway.

But let's suspend disbelief here for a moment and ponder the thought Crosby hit the open market. What would that even look like for a 38-year-old who hasn't produced under a point-per-game in his entire career; one who would only sign to play for a contending team?

It's impossible to say apart from the obvious high-end teams, but if it happened, my goodness the content produced would be out of this world. If you're not a Penguins fan, you kind of want to see what that would look like, but it's so rare to see truly great players stay with one team throughout their entire career that seeing Crosby truly be a Penguin for life would make all the sense in the world.

3. Mikko Rantanen

It's easy to forget about Mikko Rantanen on the Colorado Avalanche given the presence of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar there. Even in Gabriel Landeskog's extended absence, Rantanen may not rush to the front of your mind when you're sitting around naming some guys. But there he is, as one of the NHL's most productive players over the past five years, just piling up points like a squirrel preparing for winter.

Since 2019-2020, Rantanen is eighth among NHL players in points scored with 408. He's just a few points behind Mitch Marner and Nikita Kucherov, and he's ahead of guys like Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos. He's a remarkable offensive weapon for the Avalanche and if, somehow, they allowed him to get away, it would be a crucial blow to their attack.

Colorado's got big money committed to MacKinnon, Makar and Devon Toews already. Landeskog has a beefy cap hit, as does Valeri Nichushkin. Samuel Girard, Casey Mittelstadt, Ross Colton and Artturi Lehkonen all make fairly normal money for support players, but that money adds up and it has for the Avalanche. They've been able to make things work with help from LTIR over the years and the boost to the salary cap should help out as well.

But what if...

If Rantanen makes it to free agency, he'd be an immediate target for most of the league. He's able to produce on the power play like few others in the league can and he can take care of business at even strength, too. He's a first liner with every team in the league and Colorado can't afford to let someone like that get away.

2. Igor Shesterkin

It's likely much more of a pipe dream than a possible scenario, but if Igor Shesterkin made it to free agency next summer, the line of teams trying to bring him into the fold would have almost every team in the league standing on it.

Shesterkin is a rock star in New York with the Rangers, and you'd have to imagine that GM Chris Drury knows that very well. Over the five seasons he's played in the NHL, his career save percentage is .921. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2021-2022 when he had a .935 save percentage, the best in the NHL.

He thrives playing in New York City and loves the lights and the stardom that comes with playing in Madison Square Garden and to find a goalie that loves the kind of heat that brings, you know you've got a special player. That kind of confidence coupled with the performance he's capable of would make him the most hotly pursued goalie in free agency since maybe Dominik Hašek.

The Rangers have a pile of players hitting restricted free agency next summer including Alexis Lafrenière, K'Andre Miller, Matt Rempe, Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko and have Ryan Lindgren also potentially hitting unrestricted free agency. There's a clear pecking order here and Shesterkin should be the first guy signed to an extension, but stranger things have happened and if Shesterkin wants to test the market, he'll find a lot of interest waiting for him.

1. Mitch Marner

If you've been wondering where Mitch Marner has been on this ranking, surprise! Here he is at No. 1.

Don't worry, we know you're not surprised.

We've lauded others on our rankings, including more than a few other forwards, but Marner is arguably the best of the bunch when it comes to who might become free agents in July. Since he entered the NHL in 2016, Marner is 10th in the NHL in scoring since then. He's just behind the likes of Sidney Crosby, teammate Auston Matthews and Boston's Brad Marchand and just ahead of Patrick Kane, Mikko Rantanen and Alex Ovechkin.

It's a staggering list of talent Marner finds himself among in the NHL and when you factor in his high-end defensive abilities as a forward, he would be the best skater to hit free agency next summer by far. It's what's made this whole will-he-or-won't-he situation with the Toronto Maple Leafs so strange.

Marner's from Toronto and playing for the Leafs is his dream, but when it comes to extensions, the Maple Leafs have gotten Matthews and William Nylander each taken care of with massive deals and while Marner is already making a fat salary cap-hit worth, which should make figuring out an extension a little easier, it still hasn't been done and here we are talking about the possibility of him signing elsewhere next summer or even being traded by the deadline.

Whether he does or he doesn't re-sign in Toronto, he will be the player everyone will focus on this season and it's for good reason.