Eeli Tolvanen is still sitting in free agency, and that’s starting to turn heads around the NHL.
Most people looking at the remaining unsigned players would still place Tolvanen among the top five names left on the board. He’s coming off a useful season with the Seattle Kraken, but that hasn’t been enough to land him a new deal yet.
That delay has sparked some chatter online, especially because Tolvanen is 27 and has a track record that suggests he should still have a few productive years ahead of him.
I’m struggling to figure out why Eeli Tolvanen hasn’t signed anywhere yet.
27 years old, 12G, 24A for 36 points last season through 78 games, 190 points through 423 games in his career.
Solid defensively, likely won’t break the bank on a new contract… pic.twitter.com/9pzLMGzhfs
- The Mug NHL (@TheMugNHL) July 13, 2026
Even so, NHL teams clearly haven’t treated him like a player they need to jump on immediately.
There are a few reasons that could be working against him. One is his size. Listed at 5-foot-10 and 182 pounds, Tolvanen is a defensive-minded forward, and there may be some hesitation about how that profile holds up as he gets older.
The offensive production is another piece of the puzzle. On the surface, he hasn’t shown much in the way of growth at that end, which makes it harder to sell teams on extra upside.
And then there’s the plus-minus number. Tolvanen finished 2025-26 at minus-18, a career worst, and that may have raised questions about how much he actually helps a team win overall.
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