With Mitch Marner off the free agent market, Nikolaj Ehlers has stepped to the front of the stage.

The Winnipeg Jets winger might be the top free agent available now.

And there's money to be spent, with Pro Hockey Rumors noting that more than half the league entered Tuesday with more than $10 million in cap space.

The Athletic lists the Hurricanes, Rangers, Capitals and Lightning as teams that could be into Ehlers if the price is right.

Right now, Ehlers is set to benefit from the absence of a bunch of other top-notch forwards. Brock Boeser is the main alternative on the market.

MORE: Maple Leafs trade for Mitch Marner's replacement in buy-low deal from Mammoth

Ehlers is 29 years old, and the left-shot left winger is coming off 69 games in 2024-25 in which he scored 24 goals and assisted 39 times.

It's been 10 seasons in the NHL in total for Ehlers, who has 225 goals and 295 assists in 674 games. 

Ehlers hasn't always been totally durable, but he works hard to get out there with the correct mindset.

Now, he could be looking at a different shirt than Winnpeg for the first time in his NHL career.

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