One of the prospects that turned heads at the Penguins’ summer development camp for his standout play on the ice was 2026 third round pick Pierce Mbuyi. Mbuyi was all over the place creating offense at the 3v3 scrimmages, the perfect venue for a player with his creativity and skill to stand out. It was a great first impression from a player drafted 86th overall at the 2026 draft.

“Pierce is an underdog. He had 74 points this year, and we did a lot of work on him in the past couple of weeks. He’s dealt with some things in his lifetime that you don’t want people at that age to deal with. So, we see the look in his eyes, and we’ve got a lot of belief in the person.” —Wes Clark

Clark was referencing Mbuyi’s mother passing away from cancer in 2021.

“If I had a bad game I could just talk to her about the game . . . my mom would just let me tell her what I think. She didn’t know much about hockey, she just always wanted to help out and do her thing,” Mbuyi said. “Everything I do is for my mom. With everything I do, I try to make her proud.”

Mbuyi made himself into a pro prospect despite the immeasurable personal loss. He was drafted seventh overall in the OHL draft and has continued on his journey with the most recent step of being selected by an NHL team. After two successful seasons in the OHL, Mbuyi is off to State College in 2026-27 to continue the next step of his career in Pennsylvania.

“I was always just a hard worker. A grinder. When I dropped down to my age group I had a pretty good year, but it was my bantam year when I kind of took off and started scoring,” Mbuyi said. “I don’t know what happened. I got some hands overnight.”

“I was just really determined. For me it wasn’t even about the points, it was just about working my ass off and getting seen, you know? Make an impact,” Mbuyi said.

There were plenty of scouting eyes and models that liked Mbuyi higher than the 86th overall pick that he ended up being drafted at. Here’s a smattering of the input they found and shared about the player.

One reason Mbuyi stuck around until the third round was his size. At only 163 pounds, he’s got a long way to go physically to mold himself into a pro level player. His upside, as seen above, is evident. The reason the Penguins liked him was on display at prospects camp for the way he thinks the game and the skill he has to pull it off.

From Josh Yohe at The Athletic:

There is one other person that everyone I speak with in the organization is excited about. His name is Pierce Mbuyi.

The Penguins genuinely did not expect him to still be available in the third round. Though Mbuyi is undersized, the Penguins love his skill, hockey IQ and competitive spirit. They think they got a steal.

Time will tell, of course. But this is as excited as I’ve heard people about a third-round pick in a long time.

To that, some of us are old enough to remember 2019 third round pick Nathan Legare, who carried even more hype early after draft day, though we digress.

Pal Jesse Marshall did a wonderful deep dive into Mbuyi, complete with a 13-minute video package breaking down some highlights that make this a special prospect.

Mbuyi’s best asset and his calling card are his one-timers. As a rookie last season, he led the entire OHL in power-play goals, scoring 19 from his favorite spot on the ice: the half-wall. As an opponent, when you see Mbuyi sitting in that spot with his stick loaded up over his head, you had better close on him immediately. Mbuyi scored many brute-force goals this year and did a great job opening space for himself, stalking open ice, and finding the right space for his teammates to get him the puck. He generates great velocity and accuracy from that position.

This isn’t just standing around in the same spot with his stick loaded, waiting to strike. Mbuyi manipulates opponents with his decision making. Most of the time, he does this via deferential passing. Mbuyi will pick his spot, load his stick up, and get ready to rip his lethal one-timer. Upon receiving the puck, if Mbuyi doesn’t have a lane, he just makes a touch-pass. The touch-pass inherently forces the defenseman to re-position himself to account for the puck movement. As the defenseman re-positions himself, so does Mbuyi. He re-loads his stick in a slightly different spot than the one he was just in, and when his teammate passes back to him, he has more time and space than he had on the initial retrieval.

Much of Jesse’s scouting report about Mbuyi was on full display in Pittsburgh last week. He is a shifty skater, strong at controlling the puck and has a knack for scoring goals and setting them up, making things happen nearly every time he went out on the ice. A successful debut at his first pro development camp will make Mbuyi a player to monitor for how he develops moving into a new realm in the NCAA ranks.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is no stranger to making a trade. And as we enter the dog days of summer, with the NHL’s 2026 free agent frenzy having died down, Dubas likely remains open to strengthening his roster—in the short and long term—via trade.

While we wait to see if Dubas takes another home-run swing, let us reexamine the larger trades he’s made during his tenure and see how those transactions have shaped the franchise as of July 2026.

The Erik Karlsson trade: One more time…

The Erik Karlsson trade will be remembered by Penguins fans not only for what it brought to Pittsburgh, but also for what it allowed the Penguins to shed thanks to the ill-fated Ron Hextall regime.

In August 2023, two months after he was hired, Dubas would make the defining acquisition of his Penguins tenure (thus far) by trading for the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Erik Karlsson, in a massive three-team trade with the San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens.

Dubas swung for the fences by bringing in Karlsson, giving Sidney Crosby and company one last legitimate chance at trying to compete for a championship.

The Penguins acquired Erik Karlsson, forwards Rem Pitlick and Dillon Hamaliuk, plus the San Jose Sharks’ 2026 third-round draft pick. The Penguins just used that 2026 third-round pick (86th overall) to draft forward Pierce Mbuyi.

Pittsburgh also used the trade to unload Jeff Petry, Casey DeSmith, Jan Rutta and Mikael Granlund while San Jose retained $1.5 million annually on Karlsson’s contract. The Penguins had to part with a 2024 first round pick plus a 2025 second rounder to get it done.

Was the trade worth it?

For the most part, I say yes.

It allowed Pittsburgh to shed the contracts Hextall had handed out while giving the Penguins one of the NHL’s premier offensive defensemen. Around the league, there have been worse players than Karlsson traded for a lot more in recent days for only costing one first and one second round pick.

As a member of the black and gold, Karlsson has largely been as advertised. In 239 career games, the future Hockey Hall of Famer has notched 37 goals and 138 assists for 175 points. He was also one of the heroes of Pittsburgh’s playoff push last season.

The trade didn’t produce a Stanley Cup, and I think most can agree that the “championship window” is shut. Still, it also didn’t prevent Dubas from pivoting toward a younger roster once it became clear the Penguins weren’t true contenders any longer.

The Jake Guentzel trade: A new era begins

The Karlsson trade did not yield a Stanley Cup for the Penguins, and Dubas was now going to flex his muscles to begin what he was surely hired to do in the first place: prepare for life after Sidney Crosby.

It wasn’t all that popular at the time, but in March 2024, this current hybrid rebuild was kick-started when star winger Jake Guentzel was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes along with AHL defenseman Ty Smith in exchange for NHL forward Michael Bunting, three prospects (Vasiliy Ponomarev, Ville Koivunen, and Cruz Lucius), and two draft picks, which ultimately turned into promising defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke.

As for the three prospects received in the trade, this was more of a quantity-over-quality approach, as Dubas began to rebuild Pittsburgh’s thin prospect pool.

As of July 2026, Ponomarev is out of the NHL picture, currently in the middle of a three-year contract with Avangard Omsk of the KHL.

Lucius wrapped up the 2025-26 season with the Arizona State Sun Devils, playing in 36 games and registering an impressive 15 goals and 46 points. In April 2026, it was announced that Lucius would not sign a professional contract with the Penguins. He stands to become a free agent on Aug. 15, 2026.

During glimpses at the NHL level, Koivunen has looked like a fringe player with decent-to-impressive underlying statistics. He is rather dominant in the American Hockey League, however. Will he ever be able to put it all together to earn a permanent spot in an NHL lineup? The clock is ticking.

Brunicke, meanwhile, looks primed to earn an NHL roster spot, perhaps as soon as this season, after getting some more seasoning between the WHL and AHL.

This trade still feels somewhat incomplete, depending on what the future holds for Koivunen and Brunicke, with the 20-year-old blue liner indirectly becoming the crown jewel of the Guentzel trade.

The Marcus Pettersson trade: One last gift from Jim Rutherford

Defenseman Marcus Pettersson had become a dependable player on Pittsburgh’s back end, but with him eligible for an extension and Pittsburgh ultimately not clinching a playoff spot by the end of the 2024-25 season, he was shipped out west to the executive who originally brought him to Pittsburgh: Jim Rutherford and the Vancouver Canucks.

On Jan. 31, 2025, Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor were traded to the Canucks for forward Danton Heinen and defenseman Vincent Desharnais.

Pittsburgh also received forward prospect Melvin Fernstrom and a conditional first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, which Vancouver had acquired earlier in the day in the trade that sent forward J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers.

The first-round pick acquired from Vancouver eventually became two first-round selections after Dubas traded down with Philadelphia during the 2025 draft. Those choices wound up producing Bill Zonnon and Will Horcoff, significantly expanding Pittsburgh’s prospect pipeline.

Whether Zonnon or Horcoff become impactful NHL players remains to be seen, but the trade exemplified Dubas’ willingness to prioritize organizational depth—something he’s already developed a reputation for.

The Michael Bunting trade: Twins and 2C Tommy Novak

Michael Bunting, we hardly knew ye.

The Penguins traded Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round draft pick to the Nashville Predators on March 6, 2025, for forward Tommy Novak and veteran defenseman Luke Schenn.

Schenn, wanting to play for a playoff team, was then flipped two days later to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft (more on that below) and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 draft.

Novak has since become a top-nine fixture for the Penguins. Last season, he centered one of Pittsburgh’s more dynamic forward trios, using his playmaking to set up scoring threats Egor Chinakhov and Evgeni Malkin.

Novak, Malkin, and Chinakhov figure to build on that chemistry heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

Back to that Schenn-Winnipeg trade. That 2026 second-rounder would end up completing the twin set for the Penguins, as they drafted forward Markus Ruck with the 39th overall pick after drafting twin brother Liam with the 22nd overall pick some 12 hours prior.

Incomplete and/or inconclusive trades

I have lumped a few players into this section for different reasons, mainly due to incomplete or inconclusive trade grades since these players were recently acquired.

Robertson: Not that one — The Penguins acquired forward Nick Robertson, brother of Dallas Stars forward Jason, from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2028 fourth-round draft pick on July 1. The trade reunites Robertson with Dubas, who previously drafted him while in Toronto.

Robertson represents another familiar reclamation project for Dubas, who surely believes there is still untapped offensive upside.

Hendrix Lapierre: An interesting logjam — The Penguins acquired forward Hendrix Lapierre from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Shortly after the trade, Pittsburgh signed Lapierre to a two-year contract worth $1.3 million annually.

The acquisition also fits Dubas’ recent trend of targeting former first-round picks (see Chinakhov, Egor) whose development has stalled elsewhere.

He figures to fight for a spot among the other young forwards at Pittsburgh’s disposal for a bottom-six role.

Kaedan Korczak: One defenseman for another — The Penguins made an interesting move when they traded arguably their best left-handed defenseman last season, Parker Wotherspoon, to the Vegas Golden Knights for right-handed defenseman Kaedan Korczak. Pittsburgh will also retain half of Wotherspoon’s salary.

The left side of Pittsburgh’s defensive depth chart looks bare, while the right side figures to include Karlsson and Kris Letang at a minimum. Throw in Korczak, the budding Brunicke, and the recently signed Trevor van Riemsdyk, and you have another positional logjam.

It’s only July 8, so there is plenty of time for Dubas to sort out a proper roster before training camp.

David Gustafsson: Respectable AHL depth — The Penguins traded defenseman Jack St. Ivany to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for forward David Gustafsson. Gustafsson has spent his career as a tweener for the Jets and their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. He figures to earn the bulk of his playing time for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins following an impressive 2025-26 season for the Baby Penguins.

Rickard Rakell: Will he stay or will he go? — We end this long exercise by looking at top-line winger Rickard Rakell. His name has routinely come up in trade rumors over the last two seasons as Dubas has reshaped the Penguins in his vision, namely getting younger. At 33 years old and signed to a $5 million AAV through the 2027-28 season, Rakell remains one of the roster’s most valuable veterans, both on the ice and as a potential trade asset.

—

Looking back, Dubas’ philosophy has become clear. He has consistently prioritized flexibility, younger talent, and the maximization of asset value.

Some bets, like the Karlsson trade, were immediate swings at maintaining contention. Others, including the Guentzel and Pettersson deals, were investments for the future.

The verdict on many of those moves won’t be known for years. Yet, Dubas has fundamentally reshaped nearly every part of Pittsburgh’s roster in the three-plus years he’s been here, with no signs of slowing down as he works to build Pittsburgh into a perennial contender once again.

Early Bruins lineup projection: Where will Peterka, Borgen play? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins have a better roster right now than they did last season. But whether it’s good enough to compete in a loaded Atlantic Division remains to be seen.

There are reasons to be optimistic, though.

The JJ Peterka addition — which cost the Bruins two first-round picks — provides much-needed speed and skill to the top-six forward group. James Hagens’ first full NHL season will be another fascinating storyline to watch. The No. 7 pick from the 2025 NHL Draft has top-six center potential.

Did the B’s overpay for Will Borgen? Probably, but the ex-New York Rangers defenseman is an upgrade over Andrew Peeke on the right side of the blue line.

And the Bruins still have one of the league’s best goalies in Jeremy Swayman.

How will the Bruins configure their lines and pairings on Opening Night in October? Let’s look at an early roster projection.

Forwards

The biggest offseason addition at forward was JJ Peterka — a speedy top-six wing who has scored 25-plus goals each of the last three seasons.

He should be able to hit the 30-goal mark for the first time if he plays alongside an elite playmaker in Pastrnak, who tallied a career-high 71 assists last season.

Pavel Zacha could center the Peterka-Pastrnak tandem, but Minten would be a good fit, too. The Bruins outscored opponents 22-7 during the 288 5-on-5 minutes that Minten and Pastrnak played together last season, per Natural Stat Trick. Minten scored a career-high 17 goals last year and could go up another level offensively next to Pastrnak.

Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt had remarkable chemistry last season, and along with Viktor Arvidsson, they formed one of the most productive lines in the league. Arvidsson is gone, but Morgan Geekie is pretty good in his own right. Geekie scored 33 goals in 2024-25 and then posted a career-high 39 goals last season. Critics constantly point at his high shooting percentage (22 percent last season), but we now have more than one season of him shooting above a 20 percent rate. He’s a legit goal scorer.

The third line is an interesting one. James Hagens is the team’s top prospect and immensely skilled offensively. Putting him next to a center in Elias Lindholm who understands the defensive aspects of the game and wins faceoffs consistently would help ease Hagens’ transition to the NHL. Marat Khustnutdinov has been a nice development win for the Bruins and his speed would be a nice fit next to Hagens.

The fourth line is pretty straightforward. Tanner Jeannot, Mark Kastelic and Sean Kuraly played well enough together last season.

But this is one area where a younger player such as Alex Steeves or Matt Poitras could enter the mix based on how well they perform in training camp and the preseason. It’s time for Poitras to prove he can be a consistent NHL player.

Defensemen

The Bruins have too many players for six spots. A trade or another kind of move needs to be made to clear this logjam.

Connor Clifton was signed to a two-year deal in free agency, and he should replace Andrew Peeke as the third-pairing defenseman on the right side.

The Bruins gave up a second- and third-round pick to acquire Will Borgen from the Rangers last week. He is more of a defensive defenseman and doesn’t solve the Bruins’ need for more scoring from the blue line. But he does bring a physical element to the ice and should kill penalties, too.

Jonathan Aspirot is not your typical first-pairing defenseman, but he did find success next to McAvoy last season. The B’s outscored opponents 28-22 during the 490 5-on-5 minutes Aspirot and McAvoy played together last season, and that was with this duo starting just 41 percent of its shifts in the offensive zone.

Mason Lohrei is entering the final season of his two-year bridge deal. He is a talented offensive player and a good skater, but is he trustworthy enough in the defensive zone? He shouldn’t lack motivation in a contract year.

Jordan Harris was brought back on a one-year, one-way deal. Similar to Lohrei, Harris was a healthy scratch for multiple games against the Sabres in the first round of the 2026 playoffs.

Goaltenders

Starter: Jeremy Swayman

Backup: Michael DiPietro

The most encouraging development for the Bruins last season was Jeremy Swayman returning to the elite form we saw from him in the 2024 playoffs and before. Swayman ranked No. 2 in goals saved above expected and wins above replacement for goalies in the regular season, which helped him become a Vezina Trophy finalist. He then played really well against the Sabres in the first round of the playoffs.

The departure of Joonas Korpisalo, who was traded to the Rangers last week, opens up the backup job, and Michael DiPietro is the clear favorite to win that role. DiPietro played fantastic for the AHL’s Providence Bruins last season. He led the league in wins (30), GAA (1.90) and save percentage (.930).

The Bruins do a better job than most, if not all teams when it comes to developing goalies. A Swayman-DiPietro tandem has the potential to be one of the NHL’s best next season.

For many Calgarians, the first sign that something had changed wasn’t a headline or a push notification. It was silence.

On Tuesday morning, listeners who tuned to Sportsnet 960 The Fan expecting the usual mix of Flames discussion, breaking news, and debate were met with static. The station that had served as Calgary’s sports soundtrack for decades had gone dark.

The closure came as part of a broader restructuring by Rogers Sports & Media, which announced it would shut down several radio stations and media outlets across the country, including Sportsnet 960 and 660 News in Calgary.

What happened?

Rogers is closing Sportsnet 960 The Fan and 660 News in Calgary as part of a national restructuring.

The shutdown was announced Tuesday and affects multiple radio stations in Calgary, Vancouver, Halifax, and Kitchener.

In a statement provided to FlamesNation, Rogers said:

“After a thorough review of our radio stations across the country, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to close Sportsnet 960 and 660 News in Calgary. We are grateful to our listeners and to our team for their contributions to the local community.”

The cuts extend beyond Calgary. Six stations in four markets are being affected, including outlets in Vancouver, Halifax, and Kitchener.

Apparently, even the Flames were caught off guard.

According to CTV Calgary, the Calgary Flames were “blindsided” by the news. The team’s vice-president of communications Sean Kelso said the organization learned of the closure as the announcement became public.

That detail underscores how deeply The Fan 960 had become woven into the franchise’s day-to-day identity. The station carried Flames games, hosted postgame shows, and served as a regular platform for players, coaches, executives, and fans. For many listeners, it was less a media outlet than a community gathering place.

Sean Kelso, VP of Communications for the Flames said the team was "blindsided" by the Fan 960 news today.

It's wild that Rogers wouldn't let the Flames know that this was happening despite having the radio rights for the 2026-27 season.

Story courtesy of CTV News Calgary pic.twitter.com/pOHGMFGf7B

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) July 8, 2026

More than a frequency

The loss lands at a curious moment for hockey in Calgary.

Interest in the Flames has been trending upward, a new arena project remains on the horizon, and the organization is trying to build momentum around a younger core. Yet the city’s primary sports-talk station has disappeared just as demand for local hockey conversation remains strong.

That is what makes this story larger than a business decision. Sports radio has never simply been about scores. It is where fans process trades, argue about line combinations, celebrate playoff wins, and vent after losses. It is where generations learned the voices of Calgary hockey.

For many listeners, names such as Peter Maher, Mike Richards, Rob Kerr, Peter Loubardias, and Pat Steinberg became part of the rhythm of daily life over the years.

For some, those broadcasts even shaped careers. The Fan 960 was often a first classroom for aspiring journalists, broadcasters, and storytellers who learned the language of hockey through hours spent listening in cars, kitchens, and arenas.

What comes next?

Rogers’ decision reflects the economic pressures facing traditional radio across North America, where audiences and advertising dollars have increasingly shifted to podcasts, streaming, and digital platforms. The business logic may be clear. The emotional impact is harder to measure.

Calgary still has talented hockey voices, independent outlets, and a passionate fan base. The conversation around the Flames will continue online, on podcasts, and through new platforms. But something meaningful was lost when 960 went silent.

For decades, turning the dial to 960 was a habit that connected the city to its hockey team. On Tuesday, many listeners reached for that familiar signal and found only static.

Sometimes the end of an era is announced with a press release. Sometimes it arrives as a hiss through the speakers on the drive to work.

For Calgary sports fans, this was the latter.

The San Jose Sharks were one of the busiest teams to start out the month of July. While their moves have been met with a considerable amount of criticism from fans and experts alike, the message that Mike Grier was trying to send is clear. The Sharks are ready to move out of the rebuilding phase, and they want to win.

The first major move by the Sharks in free agency was the most unexpected one. Most expected the team's priority on July 1 to be solving their blue line, not adding more middle-six forwards to an already noticeable logjam. A half hour into free agency, though, insider Elliotte Friedman broke the news that the Sharks' first piece of business was signing 31-year-old winger Mason Marchment, the son of long-time Sharks scout Bryan Marchment. 

Marchment does help address the Sharks' need for depth goal-scoring, as they only had three players on the roster surpass the 20-goal threshold last season, but it does put the team in a strange bind, which we'll discuss more in detail at a later date. 

The more notable additions came later in the day, addressing the Sharks' defensive group. First, the Sharks signed former New York Rangers captain and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba to a four-year deal worth $33 million with an average annual value of $8.25 million. While it is a steep price to pay for an aging defenseman, as we’ve seen in recent months, $8 million isn’t what it used to be around the NHL. Trouba’s deal is currently the 29th highest cap hit for a defenseman, but once a multitude of young, high-end defensemen start signing their second or third contracts, he’ll have a run-of-the-mill deal for a second-pairing defenseman by the time his new contract expires.

The Sharks were then done with big-name free agent signings, with no disrespect meant to Eric Comrie, who will likely compete for the Sharks’ backup goalie job when training camp comes around. As a result, Grier turned his attention to the trade market. After months of rumors and speculation linking the Sharks to either Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Reilly or Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, Grier opted to pull the trigger and acquire the latter. 

Nurse, despite public opinion, is a serviceable second-pairing defenseman who often is the brunt of considerable criticism due to his high cap hit. It is true that he carries the 11th highest average annual value amongst NHL defensemen, and it is certainly fair that he has not lived up to his $9.25 million cap hit since signing his current contract back in 2021. At that time, he seemed to be on the same trajectory as players like Cale Makar, Zach Werenski, and others, but of course, that never came to fruition. If Nurse had a $6 million, or even $7 million, cap hit, he likely wouldn’t be constantly scrutinized. With that being said, there’s a certain amount of expectations that come with a cap hit that nears eight figures.

The Sharks didn’t add superstars in free agency this summer, and they still drastically lack a true number one defenseman, or even a number two for that matter. Despite that, the Sharks now have a total of three, arguably four depending on your view of Michael Kesselring, legitimate top-four defensemen. Last season, it could’ve been argued they had just one, Dmitry Orlov. If you take salary out of the equation, it’s hard to back an argument that the Sharks’ current defensive corps of Nurse, Trouba, Orlov, and Kesselring isn’t a dramatic improvement over last year’s group that included John Klingberg, Nick Leddy, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Mario Ferraro. 

While many have their opinions, both positive and negative, regarding the Sharks’ moves this summer, it’s hard to dispute that Mike Grier’s message to the NHL has been received loud and clear.

The Pittsburgh Penguins had a member of their front office poached by another team on Tuesday.

Vukie Mpofu, who served as the Penguins' director of hockey operations and legal affairs for the past three seasons, left the organization to be an assistant general manager of the Nashville Predators. 

He will work alongside Predators general manager Chris MacFarland and help with everything, including salary cap compliance, contract negotiations, scouting, and player acquisitions. 

Welcome to Smashville, Vukie! 👋

We've hired Vukie Mpofu as Assistant General Manager.

Full details » https://t.co/SKqeZhr28bpic.twitter.com/H8g9WoWK0g

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) July 7, 2026

“We are very pleased that Vukie has elected to join the Predators hockey operations staff as Assistant General Manager,” Predators GM Chris MacFarland said in a statement. 

This is a significant loss for the Penguins' front office, as Mpofu handled the salary cap situation and player contract negotiations. Dubas hired Mpofu from the Los Angeles Kings in 2023, shortly after he arrived in Pittsburgh.

It remains to be seen if Dubas hires anyone to replace Mpofu.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

Mavrik Bourque's timeline in the NHL has moved at the same pace as a shooting star. 

It was just two seasons ago that he was dominating the AHL, putting up 77 points in 71 games with the Texas Stars, but earning just one call-up to Dallas. 

Now, upon his arrival in Nashville via a trade that sent Fedor Svechkov and Zach L'Heureux to Dallas, he is poised for a middle-six role and adds critical depth down the middle for the Predators. 

"I have to show up and be able to deliver (for the role I'm in)," Bourque said. "I think if I show what I've got and believe in what I can do, I'll have a chance to be in a good spot." 

At the beginning of the 2024-25 season, Bourque was called up as a full-timer in Dallas, playing in 73 games and scoring 25 points. This past season, he played in all 82 games, recording 41 points (20 goals and 21 assists). 

It's almost hard to believe that he was playing out of position during his time with the Stars. 

Media Availability: Mavrik Bourque | Nashville PredatorsMavrik Bourque speaks to the media after signing a six-year, $33 million contract with the Nashville Predators.

"I've played center my entire life except for last year, so I'm looking forward to having a shot down the middle and showing what I can do," Bourque said. "I believe I'm a better player down the middle and I know what I need to work on to be a good center in the NHL." 

Drafted 30th overall in the NHL Draft, Bourque returned to Shawinigan for two more seasons in juniors, showcasing his game and leading his team to a QMJHL championship. 

He'd join Texas the next season, which he wasn't unfamiliar with, having played six games there at the end of the 2020-21 season. From there, it became a process for Bourque to continue working his way up the lineup and amplifying his game. 

Each season offered something different, but that's exactly what Bourque wanted. 

"I was playing mostly fourth Line in my first (NHL) season and playing on the PK," Bourque said.  I was coming from an offensive season (in the AHL) to the NHL, where I was playing mostly defensive minutes. In my second season, I played more offense and had a bigger role with some key guys leaving.

"I feel like I've been in a lot of situations in the NHL, even in 2 years." 

That experience made Bourque more attractive to the Predators and Chris MacFarland when they were in the market for another center. He brings a mix of youth and all-around experience that is hard to find in the league nowadays. 

"He's a smart, heady hockey player," MacFarland said about Bourque. "He's a good two-way guy that we think the arrow is still pointing up for. We intend to give him every shot at playing in the middle."  

Bourque is committed to Nashville, signing a six-year, $33 million contract and is eager to prove that every ounce of ink on that dotted line will be worth it. 

"I'm just excited and looking forward to showing them why they gave me that contract," Bourque said. 

Cole Smith is an interesting signing for the Chicago Blackhawks. He is a forward who brings a physical presence that the Blackhawks have lacked during the Connor Bedard era. Their bottom six is starting to take shape with the addition of Smith. 

There are a lot of combinations that could work with a player like this added to the mix, but you'd think some trio including Smith and the newly acquired Jordan Greenway will make up the fourth line. 

On Tuesday, Smith met with the Chicago media for the first time, and he had some interesting things to say about his earliest days as a member of the organization. 

A lot of his early comments have to do with him coming off a trip to the Stanley Cup Final with the Vegas Golden Knights, and how he can use that experience to help his new young team. 

"Being so close, it really drives you. You want to get back there again really badly," Smith said. "I had a little bit of that taste of success in the playoffs. That's something that's going to keep driving me forward to want to get back there." 

Being a strong and physical player is what drew the Blackhawks to Smith. They have been easy to play against in recent years, and now they have a handful of players who can help change that narrative.

Smith was a big part of Vegas' fourth line for that reason, and they were a key contributor to the team's overall success. 

"There are a lot of good players in the NHL and AHL," Smith said. "Finding a part of your game that will make you stick is very important. I've been able to find that and stay consistent. "That's how I've been able to stick and sign contracts in the NHL." 

There was a bit of a personal touch to this conversation for Cole Smith, too, including a chat about his time with the Chicago Wolves. Besides playing against the Blackhawks at the United Center, however, he has never explored the city. He plans on doing that a lot more once he finds a house in town and arrives on a full-time basis. 

Smith has mostly signed short-term deals in the NHL up to this point. Three years isn't a huge contract by any means, but he is happy to settle down and have a bit of stability for a while.

In the middle of all this, before coming to Chicago to stay, he and his fiancée are going to get married in Nashville. That will be part of what Smith describes as a "busy" summer that will consist of packing up in both Minnesota and Nashville, along with the aforementioned wedding, before moving it all to Illinois. 

Landing an NHL free agent isn't just a team going out and signing a guy. The player has to agree to it. Smith saw things in the organization that helped him believe in the future of the club. 

"You can tell they have high-end offense," Smith said of the team on the ice. "They take little plays and put it in the back of the net. You can tell playing against them that they are a young team and susceptible to some things. That young offense is very striking. As far as wanting to sign there, what stood out to me is how much they wanted me to be a part of their group. They made me feel special. They really wanted to get me in on that third or fourth line."

At 30 years old, Cole Smith is far from being "old", but he is much older than most of the group he will share a locker room with. He believes in "leading by example" but admitted that he will say something if it needs to be said, which is exactly the type of veteran presence that the Blackhawks need right now. 

It sounds like, for a variety of reasons, Smith is eager to get to Chicago so he can help the Blackhawks take a step in their rebuild. They have sorely missed depth at forward for a long time, and now they have a little more. 

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The Chicago Blackhawks have made multiple new additions to their roster this off-season. Now, they have revealed the numbers for their newcomers. 

Blackhawks' top off-season addition Bowen Byram will wear No. 24 for the Blackhawks. This is a change for the 25-year-old blueliner, as he wore No. 4 for both the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres. The most recent Blackhawks player to wear No. 24 was Jaycob Megna during the 2023-24 season. 

Jordan Greenway, who was also acquired from the Sabres, will wear No. 12 for the Blackhawks. The 6-foot-6 winger wore No. 12 during his time with Buffalo. The most recent player to wear No. 12 for the Blackhawks was Sacha Boisvert, but he will now be switching to No. 90. 

Cole Smith will rock No. 22 for the Blackhawks, just like he did with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. Joey Anderson was the most recent player to wear No. 22 for Chicago, as he did during the 2024-25 season. 

As for Ian Cole, he will sport No. 28 for the Blackhawks. The last player to wear No. 28 for the Blackhawks was Andre Burakovsky, who was traded to the Ottawa Senators earlier this off-season.

As for exciting prospect Roman Kantserov, he will wear No. 80 for the Blackhawks. The 21-year-old rocked No. 8 for Metallurg Magnitogorsk last season, but that is currently taken on Chicago by Ryan Donato. He will be the second player in Blackhawks history to wear No. 80. The first was Antoine Vermette during the 2014-15 season.

🚨new numbers just dropped!🚨 pic.twitter.com/yMsbeU9JQv

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 7, 2026

Some athletes are remembered for the numbers they put up. Others are remembered for the championships they helped deliver. Then there are players who become something bigger — the face of a franchise, the person whose story becomes inseparable from the team itself.

Joe Sakic is one of those players.

Born on July 7, 1969, in Burnaby, British Columbia, Sakic’s career was tied to one of the most important transformations in NHL history. From the Quebec Nordiques to the Colorado Avalanche, he experienced nearly every chapter a franchise can go through: the struggles, the relocation, the rise to dominance, and eventually the work of building it all over again as an executive. 

For the Avalanche, Sakic was never just a great player. He became the example of what the organization wanted to be. 

Selected 15th overall by the Nordiques in the 1987 NHL Draft, Sakic entered the league during a difficult period for the franchise. The Nordiques had endured years near the bottom of the standings, but they had found the player who would eventually become the centerpiece of their turnaround.

The growth didn’t happen overnight.

Sakic developed alongside the team, eventually taking over as captain in 1992 and helping change the culture around the organization. He wasn’t someone who needed to be the loudest person in the room. His leadership showed up in the details — the preparation, the consistency, and the standard he set for everyone around him.

The Nordiques weren’t just looking for wins. They were searching for an identity.

When the franchise moved to Denver and became the Colorado Avalanche, Sakic immediately proved why he was the player they had built around.

During the 1995-96 season, he recorded 120 points and helped lead Colorado to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. In the postseason, Sakic added 34 points and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

The Avalanche had arrived, and Sakic was the centerpiece of it.

Five years later, he reached another defining point in his career. During the 2000-01 season, Sakic recorded 118 points, won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, and once again helped guide Colorado to a Stanley Cup championship.

But the image that still stands out from that championship run came after the final victory.

When Sakic received the Stanley Cup, he immediately handed it to Ray Bourque, his teammate who had spent 22 seasons chasing the one championship that had always eluded him with the Boston Bruins. To this day, it probably stands as one of the most iconic, if not the most iconic Cup lifts in the history of the sport. 

Even as one of the greatest players of his generation, he understood that hockey was never about one person.

After retiring in 2009, Sakic’s connection to the Avalanche continued — only this time from behind the scenes and cleaner. No more smelly gear, but expensive suits. 

He transitioned into the front office and eventually became the architect of Colorado’s next championship team. As general manager, Sakic helped build the roster that captured the 2022 Stanley Cup, the third championship in franchise history.

The season was another historic achievement for Sakic. He was named the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year, recognizing his work in building a team that finally reached the top after years of patience and development.

Very few people in hockey history can claim what Sakic has accomplished. He won championships as a player and then helped construct another championship team as an executive with the same organization.

That is what makes Sakic’s career so special. He was part of every defining era of the franchise, helping establish the standard on the ice before later helping restore it from the front office.

From Quebec to Colorado, his impact has always extended beyond goals, assists, and trophies.

It was about loyalty. It was about leadership. It was about perseverance.

It was about doing things the right way.

Joe Sakic wasn’t just “Super Joe.”

Joe Sakic was the Colorado Avalanche.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Sakic.

There are going to be some new faces wearing Florida Panthers sweaters next season, as well as some familiar faces wearing different numbers on those sweaters.

We’ve already learned the numbers that a pair of new Panthers, Brady Tkachuk and Jacob Markstrom, would be wearing.

Tkachuk will wear No. 8 for Florida while Markstrom will continue wearing the No. 25 that he’s worn everywhere he’s played during his NHL career.

There have been 15 players who have worn No. 8 for Florida, with the most recent being Nico Sturm in 2025 and Kyle Okposo the year before, and the most notable including Peter Worrell and Valeri Bure.

Having already worn No. 25 for the Panthers during his first tour with the team, Markstrom is part of a group that includes Viktor Kozlov, Joe Nieuwendyk and most recently, Mackie Samoskevich and Nolan Foote.

On Tuesday, the Panthers revealed a few more new number selections that fans will be seeing when the Cats hit the ice next season.

Defenseman Radko Gudas will wear No. 6 for the first time in his NHL career, taking the number that had previously been worn by Donovan Sebrango.

Notable No. 6’s for Florida include Jason Wooley, Dan Boyle, Ryan Whitney of Spittin’ Chicklets and Alex Petrovic.

Yes, the same Petrovic who Florida just re-signed and announced that he’ll be wearing No. 36.

He becomes only the seventh Panthers player to wear No. 36, joining the likes of Jussi Jokinen, Joey Tetarenko and most recently, Patrick Giles.

As for the aforementioned Sebrango, who kindly gave up his No. 6 to Gudas, the Panthers say he’ll now be wearing No. 73.

Sebrango will be only the fourth Florida player to ever wear No. 73, joining Bracken Kearns, Brandon Pirri and Dryden Hunt.

As for the new faces in Pantherland, we’ll start with the two who come in sequential order and likely will see time on the same forward line.

They are No. 20 Lars Eller and No. 21 Garnet Hathaway.

Eller joins a group of 14 players who have won No. 20 for Florida, including original captain Brian Skrudland, Valeri Bure (he wore two numbers during his three years with the Cats), Ed Belfour, Richard Zednik, Sean Bergenheim and most recently, Michael Benning.

There have also been some notable Panthers to wear Hathaway’s No. 21, such as Tom Fitzgerald, Denis Shvidki, Vincent Trocheck and Nick Cousins.

Finally, we get to another one of Florida’s new goaltenders.

Acquired in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, netminder Akira Schmid will wear No. 40 for the Panthers.

It’s the same number Daniil Tarasov wore last season, and one that has been worn seven total times in team history by names like Steve Washburn, Eric Boguniecki and Janis Sprukts.

Now that we’re getting all the new and returning players squared away with their jersey numbers, the next thing to look out for will be the schedule for the upcoming season.

That will be released on July 16, with Opening Night matchups coming out the evening before on July 15.

Stay tuned.

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After an excellent 2025-26 season, the Buffalo Sabres have made some notable changes to their roster so far this summer. However, with the summer being so young, it would not be surprising if they continued to make moves before the start of training camp.

When looking at the Sabres' roster right now, it is clear that one of their top needs is another impactful winger. This is especially true with Alex Tuch no longer on their roster. 

When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins have two wingers who the Sabres would be wise to consider targeting: Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell.

Both Rust and Rakell have both been creating chatter in the rumor mill as trade candidates yet again this summer. If the Sabres landed either one of these players, they would certainly help boost their top six. 

Rust once again made a big impact this past season with the Penguins, as he posted 29 goals, 36 assists, and 65 points in 72 games. This was after he had 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games for Pittsburgh in 2025-26. 

Rakell was limited to only 60 games last season, but he still recorded 24 goals and 48 points. He also had 35 goals and 70 pointsi n 81 games for the Penguins during the 2024-25 season. 

Ultimately, with the Sabres needing forward help, it would make sense if they tried to land Rust or Rakell. It will be interesting to see if they make a push for them from here. 

Claude Giroux looked around in NHL free agency and is returning to his 2025-26 team.

The Ottawa Senators announced on Tuesday, July 7, that they had re-signed the forward to a one-year deal that has $2 million in salary and up to $3 million in bonuses.

“Claude took his time to evaluate his options and his decision to re-sign with us shows his belief and commitment to our group,” said general manager Steve Staios. “He is the consummate professional and brings veteran experience to our core on and off the ice.”

Giroux, 38, will return for a fifth season in Canada's capital. He signed with his hometown Senators in 2022 after spending most of his career with the Philadelphia Flyers, plus a short stint with the Florida Panthers.

After nine seasons in the NHL, former Chicago Blackhawks forward David Kampf is heading overseas.

HC Litvinov of the Czech Extraliga has announced that they have signed Kampf to a three-year contract. 

Kampf heading overseas comes after he posted two goals, six points, 45 hits, and a 52.3 faceoff winning percentage in 40 games last season split between the Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals. The Capitals traded his signing rights to the Buffalo Sabres as part of the sign-and-trade to land Alex Tuch, but Buffalo chose not to sign Kampf.

Kampf spent the first four seasons of his NHL career with the Blackhawks from 2017-18 to 2020-21. In 235 games with the Blackhawks over that span, he posted 17 goals, 41 assists, and 58 points. 

Following his time with the Blackhawks, Kampf had stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Canucks, and Capitals. In 576 career NHL games, he posted 50 goals, 99 assists, 149 points, and 498 hits.