Category: NHL

The Chicago Blackhawks made a bold move when they acquired Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. In the deal, they also acquired forward Jordan Greenway in exchange for Louis Crevier, along with picks 4 and 45 in the 2026 NHL Draft. 

On Tuesday, he was introduced via a Zoom call with the media for the first time, where he answered a variety of questions. He led things off by talking about how happy he was to play for the Blackhawks.

“I’m super excited to end up in Chicago," Byram said. "It’s been one of my favorite teams growing up. My dad played in the organization. It's always the place I wanted to end up. I'm super excited to be a part of the team." 

It is always good for an organization when they are able to acquire players who truly want to be there. Whether it's because they were a fan of the team growing up, they want the opportunity that the team is offering, or the money matches their demands, they always play better when they are happy. 

For Byram, it seems like the Blackhawks will provide all three of those things for him, especially the opportunity to be the number one defenseman for the first time in his career. 

"It's an attractive place for me," Byram said. "I feel like I'll get the opportunity to play, do what I can to help the team improve and win."

When Byram was selected by the Colorado Avalanche 4th overall in 2019, he went to a team that was deep on the back end. He was always, at a minimum, behind Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Sam Girard. 

Then, when he was traded to Buffalo, he took off as a player, but he was still behind Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samelsson, and even Owen Power at times on the depth chart. Now, he will be given the top pair, first power-play minutes. 

"I've been preparing for an opportunity like this for a long time," Byram said. "I feel like I'm a two-way defenseman, I transport the puck, I can move the puck, whether it's passing the puck up ice, moving my feet, using my skating to transport it. I think I can help the power play, but I also think I'm a good defender. I use my feet to defend, close quickly, and try to kill plays. I'm super excited to have this opportunity. I don't take it lightly."

Byram comes to Chicago with one year remaining on his current contract, which carries a cap hit of $6.25 million. On July 1st, he will be eligible for an extension, which he is extremely willing to accept with his new team. 

"I'm hoping eventually we can get to that point [an extension]," Byram said when asked about his current situation in that regard. "Chicago is a place I've wanted to be for a long time. I plan on being in Chicago for a long time." 

Bowen Byram took some time to get his game in the NHL to where it is today. Limited ice time, injuries, and inconsistencies were there early, but he battled through them. Byram believes he can bring some knowledge on how to deal with those struggles to some of the younger defenseman on the Blackhawks right now. 

The Blackhawks have had a hard time scoring goals in recent seasons, and that was the case again in 2025-26. For Byram, both at even strength and on the power play, he has the tools to help them start to trend in the right direction when it comes to finding the back of the net. 

"My job is to be myself," Byram said when asked about how he can help them score more. "I think I break the puck out well. I move the puck well. I think I'll get the puck to the hands of our forwards quickly and efficiently. You want your skilled forwards having the puck, creating, and attacking." 

For being just 25 years old, Byram has a lot of great experience, and his perspective is one that most would describe as a winning mentality. He wants to be on the ice in the game's biggest moments. He wants to live up to being a fourth overall pick, number one defenseman, and highly paid player. 

For being a player who had an early taste of what it's like to win a championship, it's clear that he has the desire to do it again. That type of hunger could be what turns this into a successful trade, despite the team giving up a lot to acquire him. 

"My goal is to win the Stanley Cup every single year," Byram said. "I want to come to Chicago and help the team make the playoffs and win. That's my goal. Winning is a lot better than losing."

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The Vancouver Canucks have started an interesting tradition regarding the NHL Entry Draft. Over the last decade, Vancouver has drafted a total of zero players from the QMJHL. In total, the Canucks have drafted 67 players since they last selected a prospect from the Q.

The last player from the QMJHL drafted by Vancouver was Sherbrooke Phoenix's defenceman Carl Neill in 2015. That year, the Canucks actually drafted two Q defenders, with the other being Acadie-Bathurst Titan's Guillaume Brisebois. While Brisebois played last year in the AHL and is currently an unrestricted free agent, Neill spent last season with the Laval Pétroliers of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey. 

As for this year, there are a few QMJHL prospects that Vancouver could select. Xavier Villeneuve and Tommy Bleyl are projected to be available at 24, while Maddox Dagenais and Yegor Shilov could drop to 33rd overall. There are also some late-round options, including Charlie Morrison, Liam Lefebvre and Olivers Murnieks. 

Overall, it is a little perplexing how the Canucks could go a decade without drafting a player from the QMJHL. The Q is considered one of the best development leagues in hockey that continues to produce high-end talent. With 10 picks in the 2026 draft, it would be surprising if Vancouver goes another year without selecting a player from the QMJHL. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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After an unprecedented day of trades in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche got in on the action completing another transaction with their former GM Chris MacFarland in Nashville. The deal sends Jack Drury, Chase Bradley and their 2029 third round pick to the Predators for a pair of 23-year-old former first round pick forwards in Fyodor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux.

🚨Trade

To #Smashville
Jack Drury, 26 y/o C, RFA (1 year from UFA elig)
Chase Bradley, 24 y/o F, RFA, 12P in 42 AHL GP
'29 3rd

To #GoAvsGo
Fyodor Svechkov, 23 y/o F, Yr 1/2 @ $1.25M, 17P in 70 GP
Zachary L'Heureux, 23 y/o F, Yr 1/2 @$825K, 5P in 25 GPhttps://t.co/AoKAQLTMBO

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) June 24, 2026

It’s been rumored for a while that Jack Drury wanted a hefty payday and the writing was on the wall when Colorado acquired Nicolas Roy at the trade deadline that Colorado wasn’t going to pay 3 million dollars to two bottom six players. Both Sakic and MacFarland should have been aware of Drury’s ask and value on the market as well as his Restricted Free Agent arbitration eligible status. Parting with a third round pick so far in the future seems unnecessary in this transaction but it doesn’t touch Colorado’s upcoming nine-pick draft class. Including Chase Bradley is just an expiring contract moved to even out the deal with Colorado taking on two contracts.

Incoming to Colorado is a pair of Nashville Predators 2021 first round draft selections in center Fydor Svechkov and winger Zachary L’Hereaux. Both are in the same situation in a lot of ways as the two just signed two-year extensions that expire as RFA in 2028. They each have a notable amount of NHL experience but have played in the AHL as recent as this year. The other kicker is both are no longer waiver exempt so pencil them into the Avalanche opening night lineup in the fall.

Not sure what Nashville is doing with this one.

Some potential with Svechkov and L'Heureux.

Jack Drury is a 4th liner who's 3 years older. https://t.co/ItSzrGi8W9pic.twitter.com/rIaif1cZj9

— Byron Bader (@ByronMBader) June 24, 2026

Svechkov is a 6-foot left shot center and comes with the higher pedigree of being a former 19th overall pick and spent the majority of the 2025-26 season in the NHL at 70 games played with 17 points and 122 career NHL games overall. He spent 10 games in the AHL, mostly over the Olympic break, and scored eight points including five goals. Svechkov is signed the next two seasons at $1.25M, which sounds like the right price for Colorado in their search for the next fourth line center.

L’Heureux was the 27th overall selection in the 2021 draft and has 87 career NHL games. The majority of it was in the 2024-25 season while he split time in the NHL and AHL last season. The 5-foot-11 left shot left wing scored five points for Nashville and 28 for Milwaukee. L’Heureux is a controversial player who not only plays with an edge but goes over the line sometimes. He pretty much averages a penalty minute per game and set a record for 198 hits his rookie season. He is also signed at a very reasonable $875k (one way) for the next two seasons.

What do you think of the trade? Let us know in the comments!

On Wednesday, the Winnipeg Jets made a move, betting on upside as they have agreed to terms with forward Isak Rosén on a two-year contract extension carrying an average annual value of $925,000, the team announced. 

Rosén, 23, posted three goals and no assists in 21 games with Winnipeg last season after arriving in the Logan Stanley trade, and the organization clearly believes there is more to come from the former first-round pick.

Rosén came to Winnipeg as part of a trade deadline deal that sent defensemen Luke Schenn and Logan Stanley to the Buffalo Sabres. In return, the Jets received Rosén, defenseman Jacob Bryson, Buffalo's second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

The Swedish winger was a player Buffalo could no longer afford to keep buried, after being selected 14th overall by the Sabres in the 2021 NHL Draft. Rosén had built an impressive AHL resume over parts of four seasons with the Rochester Americans, totaling 185 points in 231 career games. 

He was named AHL Player of the Month for November 2025 after posting 12 points in eight games, and led the Rochester Americans in goals with 25 while his 43 points ranked second on the club at the time of the trade. At the NHL level with Buffalo, however, consistent opportunities were harder to come by.

The Jets are taking on virtually no risk while keeping a restricted free agent that has flashed genuine offensive tools but has yet to see them translate to the NHL level. The two-year deal gives Winnipeg a chance to find out what Rosén is made out of and see if he can establish a consistent NHL role and show the organization what made him a first-round pick in the first place.

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Two of the Nashville Predators' young stars are headed out west as Fedor Svechkov and Zach L’Heureux have been traded to the Colorado Avalanche. 

On Wednesday, the Predators announced that they had acquired center Jack Drury, winger Chase Bradley and a 2029 third-round pick for Svechkov and L'Heureux. 

“Jack Drury is a hard-working, reliable, full-sheet of the ice center who can handle the tough assignments while being elite in the face-off circle,” MacFarland said in a press release. "His addition to our forward group bolsters our depth in the middle of the ice, and we’re thrilled to have him on our roster.

"We’re also excited to add Chase Bradley – another young forward who’s had some NHL experience – to our overall organizational depth at forward.”

TRADE 🔄

We've acquired forwards Jack Drury and Chase Bradley and Colorado’s third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft from the Avs in exchange for forwards Zach L'Heureux and Fedor Svechkov.

Full details » https://t.co/JF0jIuTUdSpic.twitter.com/HdmNEw0Xet

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) June 24, 2026

The Predators drafted Svechkov in 2021, 19th overall, and he has played 122 NHL games, recording 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points. 

This past season, he had 17 points in 70 games and split time between Milwaukee and the Admirals, recording 8 points in 10 games with the Admirals. 

L'Heuruex was drafted 27th overall by the Predators in the 2021 draft and has played in 87 games, recording nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points.

He started the year off in Milwaukee, scoring 28 points in 30 games before earning a promotion in Nashville. L'Heuruex had five points in 25 games. 

Drury played in 82 games this past season with the Avalanche, scoring 27 points (10 goals and 17 assists) and had five points (three goals and two assists) in 13 playoff games. 

The 5-foot-11-inch, 186-pound forward was drafted 42nd overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2018 Draft. 

Bradley has played in just two NHL games over the last two seasons. He played the entirety of the 2025-26 season with the Colorado Eagles (AHL), scoring 12 points (nine goals and three assists) in 42 games. 

This is the third transaction in the 2026 calendar year that the Predators have executed with the Avalanche and the second general manager Chris MacFarland has made with his former team. 

At the trade deadline, defenseman Nick Blankenburg was traded to the Avalanche for a 2027 fifth-round pick.

On June 16, forward Ross Colton and goaltender Isak Posch were traded to the Predators for a 2026 third-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and goaltender Magnus Chrona. 

The Nashville Predators have acquired center Jack Drury from the Colorado Avalanche in a trade that includes forwards Zach L'Heureux and Fedor Svechkov.

In the trade, the Predators are getting Drury, a 2029 third-round pick, and forward Chase Bradley. The Avalanche are getting Svechkov and L'Heureux, both former first-round picks by the Predators.

Drury, 26, was drafted in the second round (No. 42 overall) in 2018 by the Carolina Hurricanes. After three seasons with the Hurricanes, he was traded to the Avalanche in 2025 as part of the deal that sent Mikko Rantanen to Carolina.

In 268 games, Drury has 30 goals, 52 assists while averaging 12:56 ice time per game. He's an excellent face-off winner, winning more than 57% of his draws in his career.

Seen as more of a defensive player, he was the Avalanche's third-line center. He often played with Ross Colton, whom the Predators acquired from the Avalanche on June 16.

The Predators' new general manager, Chris MacFarland, came over from the Avalanche.

Drury just completed a two-year, $3.45 million contract signed in 2024. He is a restricted free agent and is due a qualifying offer of at least $1.65 million, which was his salary last season.

NHL teams must submit qualifying offers to RFAs by July 1. According to Puck Pedia, the Predators have $25 million in cap space.The Predators are sending two former first-round picks in Svechkov and L'Heureux. Svechkov was taken 19th overall in 2021, and had 12 goals and 22 assists in 122 games. L'Heureux was taken eight picks later at No. 27 — he scored nine goals and 11 assists in 87 games.

Despite being high draft picks, the two never developed into anything more than role players for Nashville.

Bradley, 24, has played two games for the Avalanche, but is mostly an American Hockey League player at this point. He had nine goals and three assists in 42 games for the Colorado Eagles last season.

Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. He never uses artificial intelligence when developing or drafting stories. Contact Alex atjdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Predators acquire Avs' Jack Drury for Fedor Svechkov, Zach L'Heureux

The Colorado Avalanche have moved on from Jack Drury after contract extension talks repeatedly stalled during the regular season, trading the 25-year-old center to the Nashville Predators in a multi-piece deal on Wednesday.

Colorado sent Drury, forward Chase Bradley, and a third-round pick to Nashville in exchange for Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux.

The 23-year-old Svechkov arrives in Colorado after spending last season split between Nashville and AHL Milwaukee, where he played 70 NHL games and recorded 17 points (4 goals, 13 assists). While his offensive production didn’t jump from his rookie season total, he showed steady usage in a bottom-six role and reached the 100-game NHL milestone in January.

Originally a first-round pick (19th overall) by the Predators in 2021, Svechkov has 122 NHL games under his belt and 34 career points. He also brings significant AHL and international experience, including a productive run with Milwaukee and a strong playoff track record in the minors.

L’Heureux, also 23, adds a different dimension to Colorado’s forward group as a hard-charging, physical winger. A 2021 first-round pick (27th overall), he split last season between Nashville and AHL Milwaukee, appearing in 25 NHL games while also producing 28 points in the minors. His style profile aligns with the type of “Mason Marchment”-type power winger The Hockey News has previously suggested the Avalanche target—an energetic, heavy game forward capable of disrupting play and shifting momentum.

However, L’Heureux also carries a well-documented disciplinary history across multiple levels. During his time in the QMJHL, AHL, and NHL, he has been suspended on several occasions for on-ice infractions, including a 10-game ban for an incident involving contact with a fan during his junior career. While he acknowledged in 2023 that he needed to tighten up that aspect of his game, additional suspensions followed the next season. Most recently, L’Heureux was suspended three games in January 2025 for slew-footing Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon. In total, he has been suspended 12 times across his career and has missed 42 games as a result.

For the Avalanche, the move marks another adjustment to a forward group that has been in flux throughout the offseason. Drury, who played 115 games in Colorado after being acquired from Carolina in January 2025, put up 36 points in a bottom-six role but became a trade candidate after extension talks failed to progress.

Bradley, a college free-agent signing in 2024, appeared in two NHL games with the Avalanche and spent most of his time developing in the organization’s pipeline.

Drury was acquired by Colorado in January 2025 and quickly settled into a depth role down the middle, providing reliable minutes in a bottom-six capacity. However, with extension negotiations failing to gain traction throughout the season, Colorado ultimately opted to move the pending asset rather than risk losing him for nothing in the future.

Across 115 games with the Avalanche from 2024–26, Drury produced 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) and established himself as a reliable two-way center, posting a 57.7 percent faceoff win rate along with 82 blocked shots and 74 hits.

While the Philadelphia Flyers may have stood by as other NHL teams kicked off a massive trade frenzy, their first big deal may be coming sooner than later.

Much like the Simon Nemec trade earlier in the week, teams know that the Flyers will eventually have to make a decision on defense, and all signs point to Philadelphia finally cashing in on a renewed Rasmus Ristolainen.

According to The Fourth Period and NHL Network NHL insider David Pagnotta, the "Flyers remain engaged in trade talks involving RD Rasmus Ristolainen. There are multiple teams, including Ottawa, in pursuit."

A Senators trade is beginning to feel inevitable, given the long-standing links connecting Ristolainen to the Senators.

Plus, it was previously reported that the Flyers have varying degrees of interest in Senators centers Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto, and Ridly Greig, with the Flyers having the most interest in Pinto of the three.

With the amount of wheeling and dealing the Senators have done, starting with the Brady Tkachuk deal, it would certainly seem that they are open to any and all change that would benefit them going forward.

Flyers Have Clear Bowen Byram Trade Alternative in Young Hurricanes StarAfter missing out on some big trades, the Philadelphia Flyers must be all-in on Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin.

The Flyers, meanwhile, have David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk pushing for roster spots on the right side of the defense, and we all know that they badly need an upgrade at center.

Both Cozens and Pinto are right-shot centers who could make a free agent like Luke Glendening redundant and take over his matchup reps in the faceoff circle for head coach Rick Tocchet.

If the Flyers choose to turn elsewhere at center, such as Anaheim's Mason McTavish, it's worth noting that the Senators also have the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft that they can use to start up a trade package.

Leading up to the NHL trade deadline, it was also reported that the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings had interest in trading for Ristolainen.

In any event, it is increasingly likely a Ristolainen trade will finally come to fruition on or before Friday's draft.

ST. LOUIS -- Connor McMichael wasn't caught off guard by getting traded.

In fact, the new St. Louis Blues forward, acquired on Tuesday from the Washington Capitals along with a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and 2025 second-round prospect Milton Gastrin for Jordan Kyrou, the 25-year-old who is slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1, was prepared for whatever was to come, including moving on if need be.

"I wouldn't say that it caught me off guard," McMichael said Wednesday. "I think any time your contract's up and I wasn't signed by now so just thoughts kind of creep into your head that it's a possibility. It was definitely shocking, but I wouldn't say it was completely out of imagination for myself."

But the forward, who is a center by trade who also had expensive time playing on the wing in Washington, comes to a Blues roster that is more in line with guys his age range, which is something that excites him.

"I'm super-excited," McMichael said. "I think one of the first things I did when I found out is checked the Blues roster and got familiar with the guys. From what I saw, there's going to be a lot of years where we can be competitive. It's a team that's looking to build and get better and better each year. There's quite a few guys the same age as me, so that's real exciting. I'm already familiar with a few guys as well. I'm really happy to be a Blue."

One of those players is Robert Thomas, who infamously was traded for McMichael on Jan. 8, 2018 while both were junior players.  The London Knights traded Thomas to the Hamilton Bulldogs for then-16-year old McMichael, a second-round pick in 2021, three conditional second round picks in 2020, 2025 and 2026 and a conditional third-round pick in 2022.

Now the two, along with Joel Hofer and Dylan Holloway, two other players McMichael has been familiar with in the past through Hockey Canada events, are teammates.

"We've talked about it a few times," McMichael said. "The funny thing about that is when we got traded for each other, we actually traded billet families as well. Sometimes there will be a little family barbeque in the summer and we'll see each other there. We've talked about it a few times, but now it's just kind of normal. I'm sure we'll talk about it a bit more now.

"I've always said Robby's one of the most underrated players in the NHL. He's got real good vision and real good hockey sense as well. I think it's going to be pretty easy to play alongside him and it's definitely exciting."

The Blues are pegging McMichael in as a middle-six forward, more in line to be a second-line forward at the moment; he is coming off a season in which he had 46 points (14 goals, 32 assists) in 78 games after putting up career numbers in 2024-25 with 57 points (26 goals, 31 assists) in 82 games.

"Last year was a bit of a down year for me," McMichael said. "Like you said, the assists were still there, but the goal scoring not so much. That's definitely something I pride myself in. I like to get into the dirty areas, per se, and find the soft spots and find the back of the net. I think I'm a well-rounded player that's going to be able to score and set guys up."

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has made it clear the age range of players the Blues want to bring in as assets, and McMichael fits the bill.

"McMichael's got speed," he said. "He's got the ability to play multiple positions up front. A little bit younger, we've got control over him for a couple years. The first-round pick was obviously enticing for us entering the draft (Friday), and we're really excited about the Swedish prospect from his draft year last year. He went 37th overall. We love his competitiveness, we love how he can affect the game. There's a growth window there with some players.

"We believe organizationally your second and third line can be a blend. Any one night, the second line can be the third line and any one night, the third line can be the second line. We've seen him fit seamlessly into that area of our team. We do need him to produce offense. That's a calling card that he has, but we do need a two-way game out of him also. If he starts out and to see Holloway, Thomas and Snuggerud continue what they ended up (doing) last year, now you have a wealthy of players in that six that he can move around. We're going to need 200-foot balanced players out of that group that are all going to need to provide offense, not just one or two."

McMichael has the ability to play either center or wing, and the Capitals seemed to use him on most occasions as a wing, and in all areas, including penalty kill.

"Since I've been in the NHL, at least with the Capitals, they've kind of used me all over the place," McMichael said. "I know only growing up and even in juniors, I've only played center. Kind of once I went to Hockey Canada, I moved to the wing a few times. I don't really have a preference to be honest. One big thing about my game is I can move my game easily to wing and center. Wherever they want to use me.

"My biggest attribute I always say is my hockey sense. I think I'm just able to put myself in positions to score and also set up other teammates. I've also been pretty good on the penalty kill. I'm kind of an all-around guy. I'd like to say I'm good at everything. I just like to touch the game in all aspects."

And touch it with the Blues because in the end, it's a team that wanted him.

"Just based off those first few phone calls, it seems like they're excited to have me and happy that they were able to acquire me," McMichael said. 'For me, that's all that matters is that this organization wants me and appreciates me. That's going to be a big thing."

Blues Trading Kyrou Was A Mutual Parting Of WaysGM, player acknowledge fresh start was best for both sides

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The Buffalo Sabres have made major moves in back-to-back days. They first traded defenseman Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks and then moved forward Alex Tuch to the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade.

Now, the Sabres are being linked to one of the NHL's top trade candidates from the New York Rangers. 

According to The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta, the Sabres are among the teams having trade talks with the Rangers about center Vincent Trocheck. 

The Sabres making a push for Trocheck is not too difficult to understand. They could use another high-impact forward in their top six after trading Tuch, and landing Trocheck would provide them with just that.

If the Sabres acquired Trocheck, he could slot nicely on their first or second line, assuming Tage Thompson plays at right wing. In addition, Trocheck would give the Sabres another center who is capable of working on both the power play and the penalty kill if acquired. 

Trocheck would be a long-term addition for the Sabres if they landed him, too, as he has a $5.625 million cap hit through the 2028-29 season. In 67 games last season with the Rangers, he recorded 16 goals, 37 assists, 53 points, and 193 hits. 

The Calgary Flames dominated the NHL news cycle for much of Tuesday, acquiring Simon Nemec from the New Jersey Devils in a pre-Draft blockbuster. Just 24 hours later, the team is back making waves in the pond with breaking news from one of the NHL's top insiders, Darren Dreger, who says the club is actively shopping Connor Zary.

The Flames are trying to move Connor Zary. 24 year old forward has another year left on his contract at $3.775 mil. Sounds like Calgary is asking for a 2nd round pick in return.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 24, 2026

Instead of holding on to the 24-year-old center, it appears General Manager Craig Conroy is actively seeking trade options for Zary, who is two seasons away from hitting free agency at 26.

Initially drafted 24th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Zary has yet to reach 20 goals in a season, with a career high of 14 in 2023-24, dropping to 13 and 12 over the past two seasons. Meanwhile, he was plus-12 in his rookie season, and is now a minus player with seasons of minus-7 and minus-4. 

A significant injury derailed his 2024-25 campaign, limiting him to only 54 games and 27 points. However, Zary was most likely going to post his best totals that year, but fate had other plans. Ultimately, that time off led to a slow start in 2025-26 with only two goals and four points in his first 25 games. 

Between the start of January and the end of the season, Zary only collected six goals and 12 points in 36 games to finish the year. 

As shocking as it is to hear that Conroy is actively shopping his young center, many amongst the fanbase have taken to social media to say they support the decision, hoping Zary can reach his potential with a fresh start somewhere else.

Alex Tuch is heading to the nation’s capital — and getting a massive contract in the process.

The Capitals are acquiring Tuch from the Sabres in a sign-and-trade that will see him get an eight-year, $84 million contract, per multiple reports.

Buffalo, where Tuch spent five seasons and served as an alternate captain, will get a third-round pick as part of the deal, The Athletic reports.

Tuch, 30, was sent to Buffalo in 2021 as part of the trade that sent Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights. The hometown kid grew up in Baldwinsville, N.Y., about two hours from Buffalo, rooting for the Sabres.

In 360 games for Buffalo, he recorded 309 points, with three 30-goal seasons. His career with the Sabres was highlighted by a 79-point season in 2022-23.

This past season, when the Sabres broke their 14-year playoff drought, Tuch put up 33 goals and 66 points. He recorded seven points in six games in the first round of the playoffs against the Bruins, a series the Sabres won in six games. His production slowed down significantly in the second round against the Canadiens, being held without a point. The Sabres lost a heartbreaking Game 7 in overtime.

Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen said earlier Wednesday that he expected Tuch’s time with the team to come to a close. Tuch was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year on July 1. Both sides publicly expressed their desire to negotiate a new contract, but the gap was too wide.

On the other side, the Capitals have had an active week. They acquired forward Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. They now await Alex Ovechkin’s decision on whether he will retire before next season, a decision he is not expected to announce before July 1, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.

ST. LOUIS -- It finally got to a point for Jordan Kyrou and the St. Louis Blues that perhaps it was best for both sides to get a fresh start.

That's what Blues general manager Doug Armstrong and Kyrou, who was a second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, both acknowledged on Wednesday, a day after the Blues shipped Kyrou, who has five years remaining on a contract that pays him $8.125 million per season and a full no-trade clause, to the Washington Capitals for a package that brought forward Connor McMichael, 2025 forward prospect Milton Gastrin and a 2026 first-round pick (No. 16) back to St. Louis.

"Jordan and his agent and I, Dave Gagner and I go way back to Minnesota," Armstrong said. "We've become friends over the years.

"It just felt the last little while, he wasn't getting the role that he had probably wished some nights. (Jimmy) Snuggerud had taken a little bit over. We talked and they talked about a change might be good for everyone at this point. You want to make work so we waited and tried to find different avenues where everyone could get what they want out of it, but in the end, both sides just felt potentially exploring different options would be in everyone's interests, so we started down that process and got comfortable in putting Jordan in a spot ... because of his no-trade clause, he had the opportunity to make sure he was going to a team that he felt like he could have success in, and we felt we were getting a return we believe is equivalent is to the player that I believe that Jordan is, which I believe is a 30-plus goal scorer that's got excellent speed. It was just something everybody was comfortable with at this time."

Kyrou was a healthy scratch under Jim Montgomery multiple times at points last season, with the coach usually citing he needed more from the 28-year-old winger who has three straight 30-plus goal seasons under him and is one of the faster skaters in the league. And with the emergence of Snuggerud, and other players with a similar skillset in the pipeline, likely made it more of the likelihood that at some point, Kyrou would be asked to waive his NTC.

"I don't want to say we try and take longer than necessary, but I'm a big believer, I'd rather work through ups and downs with people," Armstrong said. "... The value I put in my mind on Jordan and the organization ... he's a three-time 30-goal scorer in this league. He's under contract in a league where contracts are starting to increase exponentially. He's a fixed cost. There was a lot of boxes that I thought Jordan checked and if I was another manager, I would think he has a lot of boxes that checked. He's a dynamic skater, he can score, he's got a contract, so we wanted to make sure we were hopefully getting a value in return of what we think he is and can be. As we were doing that, you always hope that things can change, and it works out here. There becomes a point where if both sides feel that to explore something, you should do it. That's our last avenue, not our first avenue."

Kyrou acknowledged himself a fresh start was probably best but in no way shape or form was he looking to get out of St. Louis. 

"Not really looking," he said. "I've loved St. Louis and have loved playing there, I've said it before. I've had a great time there and a lot of great memories in my career. Sometimes just people need a fresh start and a change of scenery.

"Definitely a crazy day for me. This is my first time getting traded, so I didn't really know what to expect. But a couple of days prior, I was hearing a couple of things. Then the day of, it was kind of just 'be by your phone.' My agent was calling me and there were talks back and forth. It took me pretty much all day to make a decision. It was definitely a tough decision. I've been in St. Louis for eight years and I've had an amazing time there. It was definitely a tough decision, but I'm excited to be joining Washington and having a fresh start here."

The Blues, who were 24th in the NHL averaging 2.8 goals per game a season ago, now must find out who can pick up the slack of Kyrou, who had 378 points (168 goals, 210 assists) in 488 games with the Blues; he dipped to 18 goals and 28 assists in 72 games last season.

"People are going to get the opportunity to pick it up," Armstrong said. "It's hard to replace. One of the things we're looking to build and organization, I'm bullish on (Justin) Carbonneau and on (Dmitry) Buchelnikov, the player we think will come over next year too (acquired from the Detroit Red Wings in the Justin Faulk trade). You're sometimes dealing from surplus too. Will we score as much this year, I don't know, but we also expect McMichael to come in and score. We think he's a good player. We think given an opportunity, he can be back to that 20-plus goal scorer. We expect him pick up and grow with some of these other guys that didn't have good years last year and need to play better. Maybe we can add some form of NHL players that can contribute with some of the assets that we have. I go back to the number of assets that we have added to our group over the last three trades, with all of them being except one, being a third-round pick or higher. The other one I think is the goalie that can go anywhere and still turn out well. It's not like we just added assets. I think we've added valuable assets and I think it gives this organization a great opportunity to get creative."

Blues Inquired About Trading For Brady TkachukArmstrong admitted team was interested, not on player's list and "that's that." They have to find way to get on those types of players' listAt Long Last, Keith Tkachuk Inducted Into Hockey Hall Of FameFormer Blue who spent his final eight-plus seasons in St. Louis with short stint in Atlanta, joins Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Cindy Curley, and Brian Burke (builder category)With Three First-Round Picks, What Will Blues Do?In last go-round as GM, Doug Armstrong said picking at Nos. 11, 15, 29 could see team focus on organizational depth rather than "best player available," perhaps move up if possible, make deals for young players; all bets seem to be on table

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The phone call that changed everything came at an ordinary moment for Joseph Woll. 

The 27-year-old goaltender, a third-round 2016 draft pick who had spent the last decade inside the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, was sorting through his hockey card collection when the news arrived that he and defenseman Simon Benoit had been traded to the Philaddelphia Flyers.

“I think my initial reaction right when I got the call, as I imagine most people, was a lot of emotion. I’ve spent a long time in Toronto, so I was pretty sad to hear the news right when it happened. And went for a walk.”

The emotion lingered as Woll processed the end of his time with the only NHL organization he had ever known. Then a call came from his close friend and now-former teammate, Simon Benoit, who had also been dealt in the transaction. The excitement in Benoit’s voice helped reframe the moment.

“I didn’t know any details of the trade or anything,” Woll recalled. “I was really just focused on. At that point, I was thinking about leaving the Leafs, and Benny called me, and just the excitement of his voice, I think, really helped for me see how an unbelievable opportunity this was. And it was almost like from that initial reaction onward, there’s been, you know, almost a surplus of excitement on my part.”

For Woll, the trade marks the close of a journey that began when he was selected by Toronto in 2016. He spoke openly about what it meant to grow up inside the organization, to chase the dream he had carried since childhood, and to experience both the highs of playoff hockey and the lows of a difficult 2025-26 season.

“From when I was a kid it was my dream to play in the NHL and to be a great goalie. And to have the opportunities to play in Stanley Cup playoff games, to play in high pressure situations, to play as a starting goalie at times,” Woll said. “Ever since I was drafted to Toronto in 2016, I think that they’ve given me that opportunity. There’s been nothing but belief, support, and really just continually helping me to push to that spot. From the city, from the organization, to all my friends that I’ve made in Toronto, to my teammates. It’s been a very special, I believe, seven years with the organization and 10 of being a part of them since I got drafted. So even with all the positive and negative memories, I think it’s been a beautiful experience playing with them.”

Woll described the past season’s disappointment as part of a larger learning process that has shaped the goaltender he is today. He reflected on the ups and downs he witnessed and experienced since arriving in Toronto, including good runs, devastating losses, and a campaign that fell short of expectations.

“I think one of those things about goaltending, and probably like anything else in life, it’s a constant process that you’re honing your game over years and the big benefits I find in goaltending are experience,” he said. “Sometimes experience leads you to have positive outcomes, negative outcomes. And I think where a lot of the growth lies is in the negative outcomes, because that’s all a learning process and learning and honing your game is a continual thing. … It’s important not to take too much of that mindset because of what I’ve learned about myself, about the goalie I want to be from these experiences. … I think they were actually sometimes more beneficial than having success. Because it really pointed me in the correct direction.”

That growth included thriving in a tandem situation alongside Anthony Stolarz in previous seasons, learning he could step up when called upon, stay healthy, and prove his belief in himself through different roles,  including early NHL experience backing up Jack Campbell. Woll credited those Toronto years with giving him the perspective and resilience he carries forward.

Simon Benoit’s notification came after a workout at his cabin. The defenseman, who played three or four seasons with the Maple Leafs after arriving via trade, described the call as surprising but part of the job,  and said he was happy with where it sent him.

“It was the first time I spoke with (Maple Leafs GM John) Chayka,” Benoit said. “So obviously it was kind of surprising, but at the same time, it’s part of the job. I was just really happy where he sent me. So I was pretty excited for what’s to come.”

Benoit, who has a young child with his wife in Toronto, emphasized the personal roots he put down during his time with the organization and the warmth he felt from the people around him.

“They’re a good organization. They treated me so well. I have great memories for me, my wife, and my kid. Obviously, I have my kid there. So it’s always going to be special. And the guys there were just so welcoming to me. And we really had a good group. So it’s just going to be positive. And obviously, I’m bringing that baggage with me. And I learned a lot of stuff throughout those three or four years. So I’m going to be bringing that with me.”

One memory Benoit said he will carry with him is his overtime goal against the Ottawa Senators in Game 3 of their first-round plaoff series in 2025. 

“That was pretty exciting, obviously,” he said. “Playoffs are always fun. And I feel like it was my, I had the chance to play in my first playoffs with Toronto. And playoff hockey is so much fun. So I think I’ll just keep those moments.”

Benoit and Woll grew close during their overlapping years in Toronto. Often going out together on the road for dinners as part of a group that included Matthew Knies and former Leafs forward Bobby McMann.

Both players framed their departures as the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another.

“I know myself, I know my game more than I ever have before,” Woll said. “I’ve got a lot of experience under my belt and I’m excited for [what comes next]. Let my work speak for itself.”

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