NHL Hockey 3 Days

Last updated: July 19, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

NHL Offseason Moves Heat Up

The Philadelphia Flyers have been busy, re-signing forward Trevor Zegras to a four-year contract worth an average annual value of $9.125 million announced Wednesday. Defenseman Jamie Drysdale also agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the Flyers, totaling $26 million agreed to terms. The St. Louis Blues signed forward Connor McMichael to a six-year, $40.5 million contract, while the Winnipeg Jets reached a five-year, $30 million agreement with center Cole Perfetti.

League Schedule and Front Office Changes

The NHL is expanding its regular-season campaign to 84 games for the 2026-27 season, with the schedule being released on Thursday released its schedule. In a surprising move, Steve Yzerman abruptly stepped down as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. The Carolina Hurricanes will raise their second Stanley Cup championship banner on September 29, hosting the Florida Panthers to open the season.

Player Contracts and Franchise Foundations

Connor Bedard's massive five-year, $75 million contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks signals the start of significant work for the young star and the franchise massive five-year. Meanwhile, the Washington Capitals have a long-standing commitment to keeping franchise cornerstone Alex Ovechkin in D.C. for his entire career, a goal that began with his drafting in 2004. Offseason trade grades are also being assigned to various general managers involved in significant swaps this summer.