NHL Hockey 3 Days

Last updated: July 4, 2026, 11:32 AM ET

Stanley Cup Playoffs & Conference Finals

The Presidents' Trophy curse narrative continues to be debated, though most agree the sheer difficulty of winning the Stanley Cup is the primary factor, not any supernatural jinx no Presidents' Trophy curse. This sentiment resonates particularly with Canadian franchises, as the Montreal Canadiens' recent defeat extended the nation's Stanley Cup drought to 33 years Canada's Stanley Cup drought. In the conference finals, computer simulations gave the Carolina Hurricanes a strong edge over the Canadiens in their Game 5 matchup, predicting a victory Hurricanes vs. Canadiens Game. to potential series, simulations also favored the Hurricanes against the Vegas Golden Knights in the finals, with similar predictive models also leaning towards Vegas in a Game 1 matchup against the Avalanche Hurricanes vs. Golden Knights picks, Golden Knights vs. Avs Game. These projections highlight the intense competition and close matchups expected as teams vie for hockey's ultimate prize conference finals picks.

Offseason Trades & Signings

The NHL offseason has seen a flurry of significant player movement, with several teams making substantial acquisitions. The Edmonton Oilers traded defenseman Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks Oilers set deal Nurse, while the Minnesota Wild bolstered their roster by acquiring forward Blake Coleman and defenseman Olli Maatta from the Calgary Flames Wild acquire Coleman, Maatta. The New York Rangers were active, acquiring goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins Rangers acquire Korpisalo and signing winger Oliver Bjorkstrand to a one-year deal Rangers sign Bjorkstrand. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings continued to build depth by adding Mats Zuccarello and Corey Perry on one-year contracts, and signing Erik Haula to a two-year deal Busy Kings add Haula. In other defensive news, the Chicago Blackhawks are reportedly signing newly acquired Bowen Byram to a six-year, $75 million contract extension Blackhawks' Byram gets extension, and the Vegas Golden Knights agreed to a seven-year deal worth $8.5 million annually with defenseman Rasmus Andersson Andersson stays Vegas.

Free Agency & Player Movements

Free agency has been a hive of activity, with several notable players finding new homes or extending their tenures with current teams. Veteran goaltender Frederik Andersen has agreed to a one-year deal with an unspecified team, and the Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman John Carlson to a two-year contract Cup champ Andersen, Oilers. The Toronto Maple Leafs inked 2026 No. 1 draft pick Gavin McKenna to a three-year entry-level contract No. 1 pick McKenna signs and also signed goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to a three-year deal Bobrovsky inks Toronto deal. The Washington Capitals, after signaling Alex Ovechkin's return, have also been busy, signing center Boone Jenner to a four-year, $23 million contract and defenseman Vincent Desharnais to a four-year, $16.8 million deal, with GM Chris Patrick confirming roster spot and cap room for Ovechkin Capitals sign Jenner. The New Jersey Devils submitted a significant offer sheet to Utah forward Barrett Hayton Hayton gets offer sheet, while captain Nico Hischier signed a five-year, $58.5 million extension Captain Hischier signs extension. Veteran defenseman Jacob Trouba signed with the San Jose Sharks on a four-year deal worth $8.25 million annually Trouba leaves Ducks Sharks, and winger Mason Marchment is headed to San Jose on a five-year, $35 million deal Marchment joins Sharks.

Player Transactions & Contract Extensions

Several teams focused on retaining core players or making strategic moves involving restricted free agents. Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn is returning for his 18th season with the franchise Stars captain Benn returning. The Philadelphia Flyers extended goaltender Dan Vladar after his playoff performance Flyers G Vladar gets. In a significant move, the Montreal Canadiens inked rookie star Ivan Demidov to an eight-year contract extension Habs ink rookie star. The Detroit Red Wings are reportedly close to signing winger Viktor Arvidsson to a two-year deal Red Wings, Arvidsson near. The Stars also traded restricted free agent Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to Nashville for draft picks Stars trade RFA Bourque. The Toronto Maple Leafs shipped the rights to restricted free agent Nick Robertson to the Pittsburgh Penguins Maple Leafs ship rights. Meanwhile, Zach Werenski, fresh off winning the Norris Trophy, reaffirmed his commitment to the Columbus Blue Jackets Werenski 'aligned' Jackets.

Organizational & Roster Management

Organizational changes are also shaping the NHL landscape. James Dolan, executive chairman of MSG Sports, has appointed his 32-year-old son, Quentin Dolan, to oversee the day-to-day operations of the New York Rangers James Dolan puts son. In other news, Dillon Dube has signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Blues, becoming the second player acquitted in the Canada 2018 World Junior sexual assault case to sign an NHL deal Dube joins Blues. The Winnipeg Jets signed free agent goaltender Stuart Skinner to a two-year contract, increasing speculation about potential trades involving other goaltenders Jets sign G Skinner. The Flyers also signed center Leo Carlsson to a record-setting five-year, $90 million offer sheet, making him the highest-paid player in the league, though his future team remains uncertain Flyers sign Ducks C Carlsson. Colorado added veteran forward Jaden Schwartz on a three-year contract worth $3.25 million annually Schwartz gets deal Avalanche.