NHL Player News

Lyubushkin and Mavrik Bourque were acquired by Nashville from Dallas on Wednesday in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round selection, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN.

Lyubushkin had a goal, nine points, 40 PIM, 68 hits and 90 blocks in 53 regular-season appearances with the Stars in 2025-26. He'll be competing for a third-pairing spot with Nashville, but he might end up being the team's seventh blueliner, which would lead to him regularly serving as a healthy scratch.

Byram agreed to terms on a six-year, $75 million contract with Chicago on Wednesday, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.

Byram's deal will make him the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL when it kicks in next season, surpassing Erik Karlsson's $11.5 million AAV. With the NHL salary cap rising, the 25-year-old Byram is unlikely to hold that title for long. With Buffalo last year, he notched 11 goals and 31 assists in 82 regular-season games. He should be capable of topping those numbers in 2026-27, especially if he can cement himself as the quarterback for Chicago's No. 1 power-play unit.

Lauzon signed a six-year, $24 million contract with the Golden Knights on Tuesday, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.

Lauzon getting six years is a little surprising, but he's clearly important to Vegas' plans. The 29-year-old defenseman will slot into a third-pairing role, though he could play a little more if injuries pile up. Lauzon is an excellent option in banger leagues due to his high-end physicality, but his relative lack of offense makes him risky in standard fantasy formats -- he's never had more than 14 points in a regular season.

Miller signed a contract with Lausanne of the Swiss National League on Tuesday, per Tim Hiebert of PuckPedia.

Miller was limited to two assists, 29 hits, 13 blocked shots and a minus-8 rating over 18 games for the Jets in 2025-26. The 33-year-old defenseman has had some success as a depth blueliner, but at this stage of his career, it'll likely be difficult for him to get back to the NHL on a regular basis.

Vegas acquired Wotherspoon from Pittsburgh on Tuesday in exchange for Kaedan Korczak.

As part of the trade, the Penguins will retain 50 percent of Wotherspoon's $1 million cap hit for the 2026-27 campaign. He registered three goals, 30 points, 70 shots on net, 112 blocked shots and 162 hits across 80 appearances during the 2025-26 regular season.

Korczak was traded to the Penguins from the Golden Knights on Tuesday in exchange for Parker Wotherspoon.

Korczak is three years younger than Wotherspoon but carries a significantly higher cap hit ($3.25 million), especially with the Pens retaining half of Wotherspoon's contract. Perhaps more importantly, the 25-year-old Korczak is a right-handed defenseman, which gives Pittsburgh some cover on that side behind Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang.

Samson was not given a qualifying offer from the Lightning on Monday, which means he will become an unrestricted free agent, per PuckPedia.

Samson picked up five goals and 18 points over 40 games between AHL Lehigh Valley and Syracuse in 2025-26. The defenseman was a sixth-round pick by Philadelphia in 2021 and has never appeared in an NHL game.

Thrun will become an unrestricted free agent after not receiving a qualifying offer from Toronto on Monday, according to PuckPedia.

Thrun appeared in just four games with the Maple Leafs this past season. However, he helped AHL Toronto win a Calder Cup championship, producing two goals and nine points over 24 postseason outings. The left-shot blueliner also had five goals and 23 points over 55 regular-season games with the Marlies in 2025-26.

Kessel did not get a qualifying offer from the Blues on Monday, according to PuckPedia.

Kessel, a fifth-round pick by St. Louis in 2020, appeared in 29 games with the team in 2025-26, posting two goals, three points, 22 hits, 26 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating. The right-shot defenseman will likely be able to come to terms on a contract agreement with a new team July 1.

The Panthers did not give a qualifying offer to Nause on Monday, making him an unrestricted free agent, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Nause was a second-round draft pick by Florida in 2021, but he seemingly isn't close to making his NHL debut. The defenseman has only nine games of AHL experience, which came during the 2023-24 campaign with the Checkers. Nause put up four goals and 22 points over 65 outings with ECHL Savannah in 2025-26.