NHL Hockey 3 Days

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

NHL Draft and Offseason Moves

The NHL offseason has been a whirlwind of activity, highlighted by a busy draft and a flurry of trades and signings. The San Jose Sharks made history by selecting 7-foot-1 defenseman Alexander Karmanov, the tallest player ever drafted tallest player ever drafted. The Buffalo Sabres were active, acquiring Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks for prospect Anton Wahlberg and a second-round pick land Ducks' Zellweger, and also signing Zach Benson to a seven-year, $52.5 million contract following his breakout playoff performance sign Benson to contract. The Toronto Maple Leafs, widely expected to take Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick, face further significant decisions after firing coach Craig Berube fire Craig Berube. Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins acquired winger JJ Peterka from the Mammoth get winger Peterka, and the New York Rangers bolstered their scoring by landing RFA Pavel Dorofeyev from the Golden Knights for multiple first-round picks land RFA Dorofeyev. The Colorado Avalanche continued their roster reshaping by trading Valeri Nichushkin to the Blue Jackets trade Nichushkin Jackets, and the Detroit Red Wings sent top goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa to Utah for the 23rd draft pick deal top goalie prospect.

Player Signings and Contract Extensions

Beyond the draft, several teams secured key players with new contracts and extensions. The Los Angeles Kings re-signed defenseman Brandt Clarke to a five-year, $7.4 million-per-year deal after his career year re-sign defenseman Clarke. The Colorado Avalanche addressed their defense by re-signing Brett Kulak and Brent Burns re-sign Brett Kulak, while the Ottawa Senators are set to sign defenseman Jordan Spence to a four-year, $20 million contract signing Spence contract. Tony DeAngelo is returning to the Islanders on a two-year deal reportedly worth $4.5 million annually returning Islanders. The Buffalo Sabres also extended Zach Benson with a seven-year, $52.5 million contract following his strong playoff showing sign Benson 7yr.

Team Roster Adjustments and Trades

Several teams made significant roster adjustments through trades aimed at retooling or strengthening for future campaigns. The Anaheim Ducks traded young center Mason McTavish to the St. Louis Blues for the Nos. 15 and 29 picks in the NHL draft send McTavish Blues. The St. Louis Blues also acquired defenseman Brandon Carlo from the Maple Leafs for a pair of third-round picks acquire Carlo Leafs. The Florida Panthers added grit by acquiring Garnet Hathaway from the Philadelphia Flyers acquire gritty Hathaway. The Carolina Hurricanes, who are expected to be without leading scorer Seth Jarvis for 4-6 months due to shoulder surgery shoulder surgery likely, also acquired the rights to unrestricted free agent defenseman John Carlson in a trade with the Ducks acquire Carlson rights. The New York Rangers initiated their offseason by trading forward Brett Berard to the Canadiens for defenseman William Trudeau trade Berard Habs.

Draft Class Analysis and Future Prospects

the 2026 NHL draft class is already generating buzz, with fantasy hockey players advised to keep tabs on top prospects for next season 2026 NHL draft picks. Report cards for NHL GMs after the 2026 draft reveal that some teams added significant value while others missed opportunities report cards every GM. Notable winners from the draft included the Buffalo Sabres, while the Golden Knights were among the losers winners and losers. The draft also saw the Penguins select twins Marcus and Liam Ruck draft both Ruck twins, and a trade saw the Mammoth send defenseman JJ Peterka to the Bruins Mammoth trade Peterka. The conversation also turns to future Hall of Fame inductees, with an early look at who might make the 2027 class Hockey Hall of Fame 2027.

Franchise Performance and Historical Context

The ongoing playoff picture and historical trends continue to shape narratives around NHL franchises. The notion of a "Presidents' Trophy curse" is being debunked, with the difficulty of winning the Stanley Cup cited as the primary challenge no Presidents' Trophy curse. Canada's Stanley Cup drought has now reached 33 years following the Canadiens' exit Canada's Cup drought. Mitch Marner's performance in the second round of the playoffs has been a talking point, with the forward rewriting his reputation Mitch Marner rewrites reputation. As teams look towards future seasons, some coaching changes are occurring, with Kris Knoblauch fired by the Oilers despite leading them to two consecutive Cup Finals Oilers fire Kris Knoblauch. The PWHL is also seeing remarkable stories of dedication, with Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin revealing she played through torn ACL and meniscus for the championship Poulin played torn ACL, and Olympian Hilary Knight extending her deal with PWHL Detroit through the 2028-29 season Knight extends deal.