NHL Hockey 3 Days

Last updated: June 28, 2026, 2:30 AM ET

NHL Draft and Free Agency Frenzy

The NHL landscape is undergoing a significant transformation as teams finalize rosters and prepare for the upcoming season with a flurry of draft picks and trades. The San Jose Sharks made history by selecting 7-foot-1 defenseman Alexander Karmanov tallest player ever drafted, while the Pittsburgh Penguins notably drafted twins Marcus and Liam Ruck drafted both Ruck twins, signaling a family-first approach. The Buffalo Sabres were active, acquiring Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for prospect Anton Wahlberg and a second-round pick land Ducks' Zellweger, and also signed Zach Benson to a substantial seven-year, $52.5 million contract sign Benson to contract following his breakout playoff performance. The Detroit Red Wings traded top goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa to Utah for the 23rd overall pick deals top goalie prospect, and the New York Rangers acquired forward Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights for multiple first-round picks land RFA Dorofeyev. The Ducks also moved Mason McTavish to the St. Louis Blues for the Nos. 15 and 29 draft selections send McTavish Blues, and the Toronto Maple Leafs sent defenseman Brandon Carlo to the Blues for two third-round picks acquire Carlo Leafs.

Coaching Carousel and Player Moves

Amidst the draft activity, several teams are also addressing their coaching situations and making significant player acquisitions. The Edmonton Oilers fired Kris Knoblauch, who had led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in both 2024 and 2025 fire Kris Knoblauch, while the Toronto Maple Leafs parted ways with Craig Berube, facing another major organizational decision fire Craig Berube. The Carolina Hurricanes, preparing to defend their Stanley Cup title, are expected to be without leading goal scorer Seth Jarvis for the start of the season due to shoulder surgery shelve Jarvis 4-6 months. To bolster their defense, the Hurricanes acquired the rights to unrestricted free agent John Carlson in a trade with the Ducks acquire Carlson rights. The Colorado Avalanche continued their roster restructuring by trading winger Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets trade Nichushkin Jackets and also re-signed defensemen Brett Kulak and Brent Burns re-sign Kulak and Burns. The Boston Bruins acquired winger JJ Peterka from the Mammoth get winger Peterka, and the New York Islanders re-signed defenseman Tony DeAngelo to a two-year deal worth approximately $4.5 million per year returning Islanders. The Ottawa Senators are signing defenseman Jordan Spence to a four-year, $20 million contract signing Spence to contract, and the Los Angeles Kings re-signed defenseman Brandt Clarke to a five-year deal averaging $7.4 million annually re-sign defenseman Clarke. The Florida Panthers added grit by acquiring Garnet Hathaway from the Philadelphia Flyers acquire gritty Hathaway.

Presidents' Trophy and Cup Contention

The discussion around the Presidents' Trophy and the difficulty of winning the Stanley Cup continues, with the notion that there is no inherent "curse" but rather the sheer challenge of navigating the playoff gauntlet no Presidents' Trophy curse. This sentiment is underscored by the ongoing Stanley Cup drought for Canadian teams, now extending to 33 years following the Montreal Canadiens' elimination Canada's drought reaches 33 years. to the conference finals, projections and predictions are being made, with computer simulations offering insights into potential matchups. For instance, simulations have provided picks for games between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche Golden Knights vs. Avs Game 2 picks, and earlier in the playoffs, simulations offered predictions for games involving the Canadiens and Sabres Canadiens vs. Sabres Game 7 picks, as well as the Hurricanes and Canadiens Hurricanes vs. Canadiens Game 5 picks. The Maple Leafs, under scrutiny after another playoff exit, saw Mitch Marner rewrite his reputation during the postseason Mitch Marner rewrites reputation.

Fantasy Hockey and Future Outlook

As the dust settles on the draft and early free agency, attention is already turning to fantasy hockey drafts and potential future Hall of Famers. Analysts are identifying top picks from the 2026 NHL draft that fantasy managers should consider for their teams 2026 NHL draft picks, and providing report cards for each General Manager based on their draft weekend performance, assessing which teams added the most value and which faltered report cards every GM. The Maple Leafs are widely expected to select Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft, a prospect whose potential is being compared to elite talents like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid ranking No. 1 NHL Draft picks. Looking further ahead, speculation is already mounting about who will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2027, following the announcement of the 2026 class Hockey Hall Fame 2027.

PWHL Developments

Beyond the NHL, the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) is also seeing significant player commitments. Five-time Olympian Hilary Knight has signed a two-year contract extension with PWHL Detroit, securing her through the 2028-29 season Olympian Knight extends deal. In a remarkable display of determination, Marie-Philip Poulin, captain of Montreal Victoire, revealed she played through a torn ACL and meniscus during the PWHL championship run Poulin played torn ACL, underscoring the competitive spirit of the league.