As NHL training camps open around the league, there are a number of good players that still do not have contracts. Some of these players have already accepted professional tryout contracts (PTOs), while some are waiting to see what opportunities, if any, will emerge as camps and the preseason move along.
One subsection of free agents we have seen some recent action with is unqualified free agents. Those are players that entered the offseason as restricted free agents, but did not receive a qualifying offer, which makes them unrestricted free agents, free to sign anywhere. A qualifying offer is an official Standard Player Contract (SPC) offer which shall be one year in length, and which can be subject to salary arbitration should the player be eligible.