TOP NEWS
Kempe Begins New Chapter with Seattle
After 13 seasons in Los Angeles, the veteran winger brings proven scoring punch to a Kraken club looking to take the next step.
Free Agent Watch
LW Jason Robertson, Stars, OVR 89
G Jacob Markstrom, Devils, OVR 89
RW Jordan Eberle, Kraken, OVR 86
RW Patrick Kane, Red Wings, OVR 86
LW Mason Marchment, Kraken, OVR 86
Top Forwards
| Player | Type | Prev | New |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Robertson (LW) | RFA | DAL | Resigned |
| Adrian Kempe (RW) | UFA | LAK | SEA |
| Alex Tuch (RW) | UFA | BUF | PHI |
| Patrick Kane (RW) | UFA | DET | SJ |
| Mason Marchment (LW) | UFA | SEA | MON |
Top Defenders
| Player | Type | Prev | New |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan McDonagh | UFA | TBL | BOS |
| Jacob Trouba | UFA | ANA | BOS |
| Mario Ferraro | UFA | SJS | FLA |
| Brett Burns | UFA | COL | CLB |
| Jordan Spence | RFA | OTT | Resigned |
Top Goalies
| Player | Type | Prev | New |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Markstrom | UFA | NJD | CLB |
| Anthony Stolarz | UFA | TOR | PIT |
| Eric Comrie | UFA | WPG | FLA |
| Jonathan Quick | UFA | NYR | CGY |
| Justus Annuen | UFA | NSH | CGY |
2026 NHL Entry Draft
| Pick | Team | Pos | Player | Age | WT / HT | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BUF | C | Dakota Sheppard | 17 | 195 / 6’1″ | SNP |
| 2 | WAS | RW | Joshua Purcell | 17 | 184 / 5’10” | TWF |
| 3 | CGY | RD | Nikita Nikolishin | 18 | 215 / 6’5″ | DFD |
| 4 | NYR | C | Dmitri Nichushkin | 18 | 184 / 6’10” | 2WF |
| 5 | CGY | LD | Keegan Goligoski | 18 | 214 / 6’3″ | DFD |
| 6 | SJS | LW | Ivar Stenberg | 18 | 178 / 5’11” | PLY |
| 7 | UTA | LW | Ryan Roobroeck | 18 | 200 / 6’3″ | SNP |
| 8 | STL | LW | Ethan Belchetz | 18 | 213 / 6’5″ | PWF |
| 9 | ANA | C | Adam Benak | 19 | 147 / 5’6″ | PLY |
| 10 | CHI | C | Mathis Preston | 17 | 176 / 6’0″ | SNP |
NHL Offseason Notes
Sharks add Kane In hopes of ending postseason drought
3X Stanley Cup winner RW Patrick Kane inked a 1-year deal to play for the San Jose Sharks in the 2026-27 season. He leaves the Detroit Red Wings where he played the last 3 seasons, scoring 66 points in the 2025-26 campaign (the most since 2021-22). Kane won the Stanley Cup as a member of the 2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks and won the Conn Smythe Award in 2012-13.
Pacioretty to Columbus
The Columbus Blue Jackets signed free agent LW Max Pacioretty to a 1 year contract worth $1.40-million.
Bruins fortify defense even more
Boston landed two of the top defensemen on the free-agent market, signing Ryan McDonagh and Jacob Trouba to one-year contracts. (More details)
Buffalo Sabres make 1st pick
After moving up to the No. 1 pick in the lottery, the Buffalo Sabres selected 17-year old center Dakota Sheppard (Sniper) as first overall.
Draft Notes
- Pittsburgh acquired San Jose’s 2026 2nd round pick (36th overall)
- San Jose acquired Pittsburgh’s 2026 2nd round pick (44th overall) and a 2026 6th round pick (NSH)
- The Calgary Flames had 3 picks in the 1st Round: Nikolishin (3rd), Gologoski (5th), and Hicks (30th)
- Calgary acquired Boston’s 2026 1st round pick (30th overall)
- Boston acquired Calgary’s 2026 2nd round pick (35th overall) and LW Aydar Suniev
Notable Retirements
Here are the results of the draft lottery:
9 → 1. Buffalo
6 → 2. Washington
1 → 3. Calgary (via VGK)
2 → 4. NY Rangers (via CAR)
3 → 5. Calgary
4 → 6. San Jose
5 → 7. Utah
7 → 8. St. Louis
8 → 9. Anaheim
10 → 10. Chicago
11 → 11. Ottawa
12 → 12. Pittsburgh
13 → 13. Nashville
14 → 14. Philadelphia
15 → 15. NY Islanders
16 → 16. Montreal