NHL free agency 2020: Live updates, latest rumors as market opens

Free agency began on Friday at noon

It may not be July 1, but the NHL's free agency period is official upon us. The market opened Friday at noon, meaning players without a contract heading into the 2020-2021 season (whenever it may start) are able to sign new deals with the team of their choosing. 

There are a number of notable names available on the market this year, as the class is headlined by Taylor Hall at forward, Alex Pietrangelo on defense and Jacob Markstrom/Braden Holtby in net. A great signing could help push any one of the NHL's 31 clubs closer to their ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup.

That being said, the opening of free agency should always come with a "buyer beware" tag, as we consistently see teams overcommit to free agents on Day 1. Those mistakes often come back to haunt franchises years down the line when they're desperately looking to escape a bad contract and/or a cap crunch.

With that in mind, follow along with all the action below. You can find a list of completed signings on our offseason tracker.

[Oct 9, 2020 at 4:25 pm ET · Pete Blackburn]

Markstrom can be pretty close to elite at his best & he could be huge for Calgary -- a team that desperately needs goaltending. I dont have a problem with that hit...the concern is the length & if he can stay healthy

[Oct 9, 2020 at 4:04 pm ET · Pete Blackburn]

Elliotte Friedman says Jacob Markstrom to Calgary is done