NHL Player News

Tuch was acquired by Washington from Buffalo on Wednesday in a sign-and-trade that provides him with an eight-year, $84 million contract, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN. The Sabres received David Kampf and a third-round pick in 2027.

Tuch was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent and is getting a huge raise compared to his previous seven-year, $33.25 million deal. However, the pay bump isn't shocking. He's surpassed the 30-goal and 65-point milestones in three of the past four regular seasons, including his 33 goals and 66 points in 79 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. His massive contract is a combination of that jump in production over the past several years, a rising salary cap and a weak UFA market. Tuch is 30 years old, so the final years of this deal might be rough, but Washington's top six is looking a lot better after inking Tuch and acquiring Jordan Kyrou (knee) from St. Louis on Tuesday.

Crevier was traded Tuesday, alongside the fourth and 45th overall picks in 2026, to the Sabres from the Blackhawks in exchange for Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway, freelance insider Frank Seravalli reports.

Crevier will be a defensive fixture for the Sabres, giving them added size and shutdown skills on the right side of the blue line. In 2025-26, he logged seven goals, 18 assists, 124 hits, 95 blocked shots, 114 shots on net and 63 PIM over 78 appearances in his first full-time campaign at the NHL level. The 25-year-old could find a little more offense with his new team, which is further along in the competitive cycle, especially if he holds onto a top-four role. Crevier's all-around production makes him a potential deep-league target in fantasy for 2026-27.

Greenway and Bowen Byram were traded to the Blackhawks from the Sabres on Tuesday in exchange for Louis Crevier and the fourth and 45th overall picks in 2026, freelance insider Frank Seravalli reports.

Greenway will get a fresh start after a few injury-riddled seasons in Buffalo. He was held to six points in 40 regular-season outings last year, though he had three points in 13 playoff games. Greenway will slot into a bottom-six role with time on the penalty kill for the Blackhawks, but that's unlikely to be enough to make him reliable in fantasy.

Byram and Jordan Greenway were traded to the Blackhawks from the Sabres on Tuesday in exchange for Louis Crevier and the fourth and 45th overall picks in 2026, freelance insider Frank Seravalli reports.

Byram is the biggest piece of the trade for now, though the Sabres' asset management is a big part of the deal. The 25-year-old Byram will likely be in discussions with Chicago's brass on an extension as he enters a contract year. With the Sabres in 2025-26, Byram had 11 goals and 42 points, both career highs, over 82 regular-season games. He added 109 shots on net, 93 blocked shots, 50 hits, 48 PIM and a plus-15 rating. Byram is one of the most experienced blueliners on the Blackhawks' roster and should be in contention for top-four minutes and power-play time.

Valimaki signed a two-year contract with Brynas IF of the SHL on Tuesday.

Valimaki finished 2025-26 with AHL Chicago after a trade from the Utah organization. The 27-year-old blueliner could still impress in the SHL and work his way back to North America in the future, but his chances of being an NHL regular are slim.

Gastrin, Connor McMichael, and a 2026 first-round pick were traded to the Blues from the Capitals in exchange for Jordan Kyrou on Tuesday.

Gastrin was selected 37th overall in 2025, but he'll be on the move to a new organization less than a year later. The Swedish forward had 24 points in 39 regular-season games with MoDo in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-tier Swedish league, in 2025-26. Gastrin also appeared in one playoff game with AHL Hershey. It's not yet clear whether Gastrin will spend 2026-27 with AHL Springfield or if he'll be loaned back to a European team.

St. Louis obtained McMichael, Milton Gastrin and the No.16th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft from Washington on Tuesday in exchange for Jordan Kyrou.

McMichael notched 14 goals, 46 points and 142 shots on net across 78 regular-season appearances with the Capitals in 2025-26. He will probably slot into a middle-six role and see power-play time with the Blues during the 2026-27 campaign.

Kyrou (knee) was traded to the Capitals from St. Louis on Tuesday in exchange for Connor McMichael, Milton Gastrin and the 16th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

After Kyrou was one of the names that headlined rumors at the 2026 trade deadline, he'll head to the nation's capital to play for Washington. The 28-year-old winger has put together a strong career thus far, scoring 168 goals and totaling 378 points across 488 regular-season games with the St. Louis Blues. While he took a small step back in production during the 2025-26 campaign with 46 points in 72 outings, he also averaged just 15:44 of ice time, which was his lowest level since 2020-21. It wouldn't be surprising for Washington to give him responsibilities more in line with his average of 17:56 across three regular seasons from 2022-23 through 2024-25. Despite needing a knee surgery in April, he's a prime bounce-back candidate for the upcoming season.

Ottawa acquired Eklund, Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda from San Jose on Tuesday in exchange for the No. 9 selection in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Eklund signed a three-year, $16.8 million contract extension with the Sharks in July of 2025, which begins in the 2026-27 campaign. He had 15 goals and 53 points in 78 appearances during the 2025-26 regular season. Assuming he lands a top-six role with the Senators, the 23-year-old should remain around the 60-point mark.

Calgary acquired Tsyplakov and Simon Nemec from New Jersey on Tuesday in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round selection, a 2028 first-round pick and Etienne Morin, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Tsyplakov produced two goals, four points, 42 shots on net and 83 hits in 49 regular-season games between the Devils and Islanders in 2025-26. He will compete for a bottom-six role with the Flames during training camp.