NHL Hockey 3 Days

Last updated: June 26, 2026, 2:31 PM ET

NHL Offseason Moves & Draft Buzz

The National Hockey League’s offseason has been marked by significant player movement and anticipation for the upcoming NHL Draft. The Ottawa Senators are making moves, signing defenseman Jordan Spence to a four-year, $20 million contract after his contributions last season Senators signing Spence. They also acquired winger William Eklund, prospect Kasper Halttunen, and the rights to Brandon Svoboda from the Sharks, sending the No. 9 pick in the NHL Draft to San Jose Senators land Eklund. Meanwhile, the Islanders have re-signed defenseman Tony DeAngelo to a two-year deal worth an estimated $4.5 million annually DeAngelo returning to Islanders. In New York, the Rangers traded forward Brett Berard to the Canadiens for defenseman William Trudeau, marking their first significant offseason transaction Rangers start offseason.

The Colorado Avalanche are continuing to reshape their roster, sending longtime winger Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets Avs continue revamp. The Chicago Blackhawks have been active, acquiring defenseman Bowen Byram and forward Jordan Greenway from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for the Nos. 4 and 45 picks in Friday's NHL Draft, along with defenseman Blackhawks acquire Byram. Byram is expected to step into a No. 1 defenseman role for the Blackhawks Byram: Been preparing. The Washington Capitals bolstered their forward group by acquiring veteran Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues for forward Connor McMichael, Milton Gastrin, and the No. 16 pick in the upcoming draft Caps acquire veteran Kyrou. The New Jersey Devils traded the rights to pending restricted free agent defenseman Simon Nemec and winger Maxim Tsyplakov to the Calgary Flames for two first-round picks and a second-round selection Devils deal rights.

Prospect Watch & Player Signings

Anticipation is high for Friday's NHL Draft, with Gavin McKenna widely expected to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs Ranking No. 1 NHL Draft picks. Final mock drafts project McKenna and Macklin Stenberg as the top two selections, with the remainder of the first round featuring a mix of established prospects and potential surprises NHL mock draft.

On the player signing front, the Buffalo Sabres have inked Zach Benson to a seven-year, $52.5 million contract following his strong playoff performance Sabres sign Benson. Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated that veteran forward Alex Tuch is likely to depart in free agency due to a lack of progress in contract talks Sabres on veteran Tuch. The Florida Panthers added grit to their lineup by acquiring Garnet Hathaway from the Philadelphia Flyers, a move made with A.J. Greer expected to test free agency Panthers acquire gritty Hathaway. In a notable transaction involving brothers, Brady Tkachuk stated that his desire to join the Panthers was not primarily driven by playing with his brother Matthew, though he expressed excitement about their reunion Brady Tkachuk: Trade 'wasn't about' Matthew, Brady Tkachuk excited.

PWHL Developments & League Outlook

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) continues to see significant player commitments. Five-time Olympian Hilary Knight has signed a two-year contract extension with the PWHL's new Detroit expansion team, securing her through the 2028-29 season Olympian Knight extends deal. The Walter Cup champion Montreal Victoire have added Canadian Olympian Emma Maltais to their roster on a two-year contract Olympian Maltais joins PWHL champion Victoire. In a remarkable display of dedication, Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin revealed she played through a torn ACL and meniscus in her right knee to help her team win the PWHL championship Victoire's Poulin played.

The NHL is also reportedly exploring expansion opportunities, with Austin and Houston in Texas identified as potential targets, signaling a potential eastward shift in the league's geographic footprint Sources: NHL eyes Austin, Houston. In front-office news, former Stanley Cup winner Pascal Dupuis has been hired as the Islanders' director of player development Islanders hire Cup winner Dupuis. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman addressed the hiring of Mike Babcock by the Oilers, stating that while the league had no grounds to prevent the hire, Babcock is expected to maintain a "certain level of decorum" Bettman: 'Level of decorum'. discussions about future Hockey Hall of Fame classes are already underway, with rankings for the 2027 class being considered Who makes the Hockey Hall of Fame.