NHL Free Agency 2025: Top 5 goalies available on the market ft. Jake Allen

NHL Free Agency is set to open on Tuesday at noon ET, and the goalie market is relatively thin.

There is no true No. 1 goalie in free agency, but rather more backups or goalies who can be a part of a tandem. Ahead of free agency opening, here are the top five free agent goalies available.

Top five goalies available in free agency

#1, Jake Allen

Jake Allen is by far the top goalie available in free agency, but there have been reports he could re-sign with the New Jersey Devils.

Allen could be part of a goalie tandem that starts 41 games with another goalie. He went 13-16-1 with a 2.66 GAA and a .908 SV% with the Devils last season.

#2, Alex Lyon

Alex Lyon is more of a backup goalie in the NHL, but he is a good backup. He spent the past two years with the Detroit Red Wings and is likely to leave in free agency.

Lyon went 14-9-1 with a 2.81 GAA and a .896 SV% last season. He also started the playoffs for the Florida Panthers in 2023 as Sergei Bobrovsky had his struggles, but he ended up losing the net to the Russian.

#3, Anton Forsberg

Anton Forsberg is expected to sign elsewhere - Source: Imagn

Anton Forsberg was the Ottawa Senators' backup goalie last season, but he's expected to leave in free agency in hopes of getting a bigger role elsewhere.

Forsberg went 11-12-3 with a 2.72 GAA and a .901 SV%. The Swede is more likely a backup in the NHL, but could sign to be part of a tandem and try to win the starting job in training camp.

#4, Dan Vladar

Dan Vladar has spent the last four years with the Calgary Flames and will be sought after as a backup goalie by multiple teams.

Vladar is a perfect backup who has shown he can handle some starts. With the Flames last season, he went 12-11-6 with a 2.80 GAA and a .898 SV%.

#5, James Reimer

James Reimer is a backup goalie at this stage of his career, as the 37-year-old could be a veteran for a young starter and add some insurance.

Reimer was with the Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres last season and has appeared in 525 career games. He's been a starter in the past, so he could be trusted for a small stretch if the starter goes down, and likely wouldn't be too expensive.

About the author

Cole is an NHL, NFL and College Sports reporter at Sportskeeda with over 7 years of experience writing for publications like CBC, USA Today, SMG, BJPENN, Sherdog and SB Nation.

An NHL fan his whole life, Cole played rep hockey in Canada from age 5 until 17 and grew up rooting for Martin St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning. His all-time favorite players are Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos, while Jon Cooper is his favorite coach of all time.

Cole attended Sheridan College and received his journalism degree in 2019. After decades of watching and reporting, he considers his knowledge of sports as his primary strength. He ensures that the same story has been reported by at least two reputed reporters before creating it.

Cole enjoys playing golf and spending time with friends and family when not reporting breaking stories. His favorite sports moment is from the 2010 Olympics, when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime to beat Team USA for the gold medal.

Know More

Wayne Gretzky’s wife Janet responds to critics questioning his loyalty to Canada, Bobby Orr's support following 4 Nations drama

Edited by Cole Shelton