The hockey world is focused on western New York as NHL Draft is taking place this weekend in Buffalo.
Never ones to miss out on a good time, The Hockey Show hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork made the trip north to take in all the fun and festivities.
On this week’s show, Roy and Dave got into all the latest NHL happenings, including a plethora of trades, including Bowen Byram going to Chicago, Simon Nemac heading to Calgary, William Eklund being sent to Ottawa and both Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch being dealt to Washington.
Of course, a big topic of discussion focused on what the Florida Panthers have been up to.
Earlier this week the Panthers acquired Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa and then on Thursday they traded for gritty forward Garnet Hathaway from Philadelphia while remaining quite active in the goalie markets, including veteran Sergei Bobrovsky and several other netminders.
Roy and Dave also discussed their thoughts on the top prospects going in the first round of the NHL Draft, the hiring of Mike Babcock in Edmonton and the Islanders signing Tony DeAngelo to a two-year extension.
You can check out the full show in the video below:
BRANDON, CANADA - NOVEMBER 15: Liam Ruck #12 of the Medicine Hat Tigers skates during first period action against the Brandon Wheat Kings at Assiniboine Credit Union Place on November 15, 2025 in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With their first overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins selected forward Liam Ruck out of Medicine Hat of the WHL.
He’s a right-shot winger who has good touch, a quick release, likes to go short side and can pick his spots in the net — with an eagerness to try as a volume shooter. His skating is below average, but I’d also say it’s the slightly better of the two and that his motor helps him compensate, though it does raise questions about his projectability up levels at his size for some. He finds ways to take pucks to scoring areas, but can also work and score closer to the boards. He keeps his feet moving off the puck and plays with energy on both offense and defense (including the PK), relying on his effort and instincts to consistently make things happen or get open for them.
Ruck is known as a two-way forward with a high motor and strong offensive instincts; he excels around the net and generates scoring chances with his aggressive style of play, thanks to his strong forecheck and strong positioning. One of his greatest assets is his shot; he has a quick release and is a threat in the slot.
Projected as a reliable, steady middle-six NHL player contributing on the penalty kill, and could develop as an asset on the power play as a net-front presence.
Ruck is a dangerous scoring winger. He’s a very slick and intelligent player who creates a lot with the puck. His pure athletic tools don’t jump out: he’s not that big, and he’s a below-average skater. He does work hard, though, and gets to the hard areas to generate offense, earning his coach’s trust consistently. Ruck has a path to the league due to his great stick and brain.
#LetsGoPens select Liam Ruck 22nd overall. I ranked him 22nd overall.
The model, which does not the brother situation into account in any way, says it's a decent choice. It will be very interesting to see where this goes. pic.twitter.com/GeyFPE7NIU
Ruck is committed to the University of North Dakota for the start of the 2027-28 season.
It was an interesting night, San Jose just happened to trade up to pick 21, one before the Pens to take defenseman Ryan Lin. Did the Sharks know or suspect that Pittsburgh would have taken Lin? We might never know, but the timing of a move happening right before the Pittsburgh pick stands out a little bit.
In the end, the Pens stay on target to their prior tendencies with high picks by taking a productive, skillsy forward out of the WHL with their first pick this year. The big question now looks like whether or not the Penguins will attempt to keep the Ruck twins together by drafting Markus. That could be a target for the 39th overall pick that Pittsburgh has, but they made need to make a trade to move up a few spots in order to ensure they can keep the twin magic together.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 27, 2026
The trade gave the Red Wings a selection in the opening round of the Draft; they'd traded their first-round pick to the St. Louis Blues in March as part of the package to acquire defenseman Justin Faulk.
With the No. 23 pick, they selected forward J.P. Hurlbert, who led the WHL in scoring last season with the Kamloops Blazers and has committed to the University of Michigan.
Despite being chosen 15th overall by Detroit in the 2021 NHL Draft, Cossa has appeared in just one NHL game to date, making his lone appearance during the 2024-25 season in December, a 6-5 shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres.
The young netminder turned in an outstanding 2025-26 campaign with the Grand Rapids Griffins, but as the season progressed, Michal Postava seized the starting role.
By the time the Calder Cup Playoffs arrived, Postava had earned the crease, leaving Cossa to serve as the backup throughout the entire postseason.
Cossa posted a record of 26-8-4 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage in what would be his final season with the Griffins. A pending restricted free agent, Cossa was no longer waiver-eligible.
Now, all indications point toward 2023 second round (41st overall) pick Trey Augustine as being Detroit's goaltender of the future.
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Ducks forwards Mason McTavish speaks to the media during his 2025-26 exit interview.
With the abundance of trade rumors that had cropped up this past week, it was only a matter of time before the hammer dropped. On Friday evening, during the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Ducks traded forward Mason McTavish to the St. Louis Blues for the 15th overall pick and the 29th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The Ducks then used the 15th pick to select forward Nikita Klepov. There is zero salary retention in the deal.
2025-26 was a rollercoaster season for McTavish. He missed the start of training camp due to a contract dispute before signing a six-year contract with a $7 million AAV. He did have a good start to the season, putting up 18 points in 25 games, but he was unable to perform consistently in a bigger role while Leo Carlsson was out due to surgery to remove a Morel-Lavallée lesion.
The inconsistency persisted into the second half of the season, with McTavish eventually shifted to the wing and even healthy scratched for a handful of games. He was also a healthy scratch in two of the Ducks' playoff games against the Vegas Golden Knights.
While McTavish is a capable player offensively, his lack of foot speed and below-average defensive work proved to be deficiencies. Without the pace needed to adjust to head coach Joel Quenneville's system, he was a square hole in a round peg. In his 2025-26 exit interview, McTavish said that he wanted to come into next season a bit leaner and work on improving his speed and defensive work. The fruits of his labor will be viewed in St. Louis instead of Anaheim next season.
The pick was introduced by last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Matthew Schaefer, who won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.
“Most strong teams that draft well, the strategy is always to take the best player available,” general manager Mathieu Darche said. “Malte is a 6-4-½ if not 6-5, 200-pound defenseman. Very strong skater for his size, moves the puck, likes to play physical, hard to play against. You can never have enough defensemen, good defensemen. “
Malte Gustafsson is pictured alongside Matthew Schaefer after getting picked in the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26. Getty Images
Gustafsson, known for his physicality as a showdown blueliner, comes from HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the country’s top professional league. As a 17-year-old, he spent most of last year in the SHL and notched three assists in 27 regular-season games. He also appeared for the club’s under-20 team and produced 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 19 games.
Gustafsson recently signed a one-year extension to remain in Sweden, so he won’t be joining the Islanders next year. He plans to take part in their development camp for prospects.
Malte Gustafsson participates in the agility test for the NHL Scouting Combine on June 6. NHLI via Getty Images
“I’m a big two-way defender. I like to contribute all over the ice,” he said. “I like to use my size, my length, play physical and compete. I have a pretty similar style to Victor Hedman.”
Gustafsson said he is “annoying” on the ice. Asked what that means, he replied: “hitting people.”
Gustafsson, now 18, earned a gold medal as an alternate captain for Team Sweden at the 2026 IIHF Under-18 World Junior Championship. He was named to the tournament’s All-Star Team after tallying five points (one goal, four assists) in six games.
He also won a silver medal as an alternative captain for Sweden at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He had six points (two goals, four assists) in five games.
“I debated with a few of our scouts about the big forwards. They’re all saying, Malte is a guy that stops those guys,” Darche said. “We’re all happy with the pick.”
Darche said he spoke to teams about potentially moving up in the draft, but the right trade didn’t present itself. The Islanders will next pick tomorrow in the fourth round. They don’t have a second- or third-round selection.
BUFFALO, NY -- With the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders selected left-shot defenseman Malte Gustafsson from HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
Last year, Gustafsson tallied three assists in 27 games among men with HV71.
Additionally, with HV71 U20, the 6’4”, 203-pound defenseman scored four goals with eight assists for 12 points in 19 games.
Gustafsson is a shutdown defender and a minutes eater.
Gustafsson’s game is well-rounded, but his calling card lies in his skating and athleticism. Possessing a long stride and excellent footwork, the big blueliner is effective in all three zones.
He can defend and shut down the rush, bring the puck up the ice in transition, as well as contribute offensively — with an occasional pop of elite skill, though inconsistent.
I think we are looking at a player who can be the next Adam Pelech for the franchise down the road. #Isleshttps://t.co/iAx25X3emp
The Väckelsång, Sweden native filled out his frame this season, and perhaps his most impressive showing occurred at the IIHF U18 tournament, where he ate impressive minutes for his country as a shutdown, do-it-all defenseman.
Gustafsson is slated to play for HV71 in the SHL next season, with no immediate plans to come to North America. He also joins a long list of Islanders left-shot defensive prospects, which includes Matthew Schaefer, Kashawn Aitcheson, Isaiah George, Marshall Warren, Jesse Pulkkinen, Xavier Veilleux, among others.
On Saturday, New York will make four draft selections in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds. Day 2 of the NHL Entry Draft will be available to watch on NHL Network, Sportsnet, and ESPN+.
Officially, the Philadelphia Flyers are down one more trade target at the center position to start the 2026 offseason.
On Friday, during the 2026 NHL Draft, we saw a number of surprises, with teams still continuing to wheel and deal draft picks.
That trend continued when the Anaheim Ducks finally traded potential Flyers target Mason McTavish, acquiring the 15th and 29th overall picks from the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Previously, the Flyers had already missed out on Bowen Byram, which was understandable given the absolutely outrageous price paid for him by Chicago.
At center, Shane Wright could be an option, even with Seattle selecting defenseman Chase Reid at the top of the draft order.
It has also been reported that the Flyers are interested in Ottawa Senators centers Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto, and Ridly Greig, though that chatter has subsequently died down since.
In any case, with McTavish off to the Blues, the Flyers will not be adding yet another Duck to the reunion party in Philadelphia with Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, and Simon Benoit.
McTavish, 23, has five years remaining on his contract at a $7 million cap hit, and in St. Louis, he'll join a young nucleus that includes trade acquisition Connor McMichael, Dylan Holloway, Jimmy Snuggerud, Adam Jiricek, Dalibor Dvorsky, Robert Thomas, Philip Broberg, Justin Carbonneau, and more.
At the time of this writing, it is looking increasingly likely the Flyers will stand pat and make their pick at 21st overall, rather than trade it.
The New Jersey Devils selected Alexander Command with the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Command is a center that comes from Örebro in Sweden.
For Sunny Mehta's first draft as a general manager in the National Hockey League, it is no surprise that he selected an analytical darling.
Alex Command led Sweden's U20 in nearly every single offensive stat. Those he didn't lead, he ranked second to Nordmark.
He is an analytical superstar. Not sure about the Hischier comp on the broadcast. I had McCann, Lindholm, Norris in my final ranks.#NJDevilspic.twitter.com/w8GOX66sJ4
The Devils are going to be a team that's analytically driven under Mehta, and Command fits that mold as someone who will impact the game whether the puck is on his stick or not. He is a strong prospect in all three zones, which is the type of player that Mehta will be searching for over the course of his tenure.
If Command were to reach the NHL and become a full-time player, he could slot in as the third guy behind Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier down the middle. In the long term, the Devils need that. He could also become a winger at the NHL level, which would likely see him in the middle six.
The scouting report suggests that Command is incredibly fast, has some size as a 6'1", 187 lbs forward, and can play a strong two-way game down the center of the ice. It is an incredibly fitting profile for a player selected by the Devils in 2026.
When the selection was announced, Command was surprised. The New Jersey Devils may have gone off the board to some people, including Command himself, but Mehta clearly has a system on how he and his scouts make selections.
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Alberts Smits, left, stands with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, right, after being drafted by the New York Rangers during the NHL hockey draft Friday, June 26, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y.
One of the more NHL-ready prospects available in this year’s draft is a Ranger.
The Blueshirts selected Alberts Šmits with the No. 5 pick in the NHL draft Friday night, adding the left-handed defenseman to a defensive prospect pool that is in need of some shoring up during this retool.
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“It’s kind of a relief that the Rangers took me,” Šmits said on a Zoom call after he heard his name called in Buffalo. “I’m really happy to go to New York.”
Equipped with two first-round picks as Friday began, the Rangers ended up trading the No. 26 selection to Vegas — as well as one of their four third-rounders (No. 92) plus a top-10 protected first-rounder in 2028 — in exchange for young sharpshooter Pavel Dorofeyev.
Hanging on to the fifth-overall pick and still landing Dorofeyev certainly was a win for the organization. Signing the 25-year-old Russian to a seven-year, $77 million contract put a bow on the deal.
Alberts Smits, left, stands with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, right, after being drafted by the New York Rangers during the NHL hockey draft Friday, June 26, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. AP Photo/Adrian Kraus
That fifth-overall pick was an important asset to utilize and the Rangers came away with a prospect who is believed to be the most NHL-ready defenseman available in this draft class.
The 18-year-old Šmits spent the last season playing professionally in Finland’s Liiga and for Munich in Germany’s DEL. Going up against grown men in Europe’s top professional leagues, the 6-foot-3 Latvian is said to have the build and defensive prowess to make the jump to the NHL.
It’s likely that Šmits will sign his entry-level contract sometime soon and report to New York for this upcoming training camp.
“Alberts is very competitive,” Rangers director of player personnel and director of amateur scouting John Lilley said on Zoom. “He’s a very good two-way defenseman, defends very hard, good shot, offensively moves the puck. He just has a very well-rounded game. In terms of when he’s ready to play, that’ll take care of itself. That’s not up to me. That’s something that Dru and [head coach Mike Sullivan] will figure out as we move forward, but we think he’s an excellent prospect and just thrilled to get him.
Šmits played a ton of hockey in 2025-26, participating in his first full pro season, the Olympics, World Juniors and World Championship.
Alberts Smits of Latvia in action during the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Switzerland game between Latvia and Finland at Swiss Life Arena on May 21, 2026 in Zurich, Zurich. Getty Images
At the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics this past February, Šmits made waves as the youngest player and lone draft-eligible prospect to compete in the tournament. He recorded two assists in four games for Latvia.
Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury, who served as assistant GM for Team USA at the Olympics, likely had a front-row seat to Šmits’ performance in Italy.
With Jukirit in the Finnish Liiga last season, Šmits posted 13 points (six goals and seven assists) in 38 games while averaging around 20 minutes per game.
“I’m a two-way defenseman,” Šmits said when asked to describe his game. “I’m trying to take care of the D-zone first. And then I also can create some offense and help the forwards in the offensive zone and create some offensive plays and try to create some chances for scoring.”
The maturity in Šmits’ game may put him on a faster track to the NHL level than some of the other prospects taken around him. There’s a hard-nosed edge to his game that the Rangers clearly covet on their back end.
Šmits, who is inspired by Detroit’s Moritz Seider, said he visited New York City last week.
The Rangers selected defenseman Alberts Smits with the No. 5 overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday.
Smits, 18, is a 6-foot-4 blue liner out of Latvia, who represented his country at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He played professionally with Jukurit in Finland's Liiga and for Municah in Germany's DEL.
He was the recipient of the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence ahead of the draft, which is presented annually by the candidate who "best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness, and athleticism."
In 52 professional games over the past two seasons, he has seven goals and nine assists. Smits got a taste of playoff action with Munich and tallied six points (two goals, four assists) in 11 games.
Smits played four games for 10th-placed Latvia at the Olympics with two assists. And he is the highest-drafted player from that country in NHL history.
New York entered the night with another first-round selection, but packaged the No. 26 pick with the No. 92 pick and a 2028 first-round selection, but packaged them in a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights for winger Pavel Dorofeyev.
Gavin McKenna poses with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and singer Justin Bieber after being selected with the first pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs at KeyBank Center.
The NHL world waited in anticipation for the 2026 No. 1 overall pick to be announced Friday night.
As expected, it was Penn State’s Gavin McKenna selected by the Maple Leafs. But the bigger surprise was who announced the pick.
Fellow Canadian and devoted Maple Leafs fan Justin Bieber announced the selection in Buffalo on Friday night.
Before the draft commenced, the NHL shared that a special guest would be taking the stage to announce the pick.
Bieber’s presence brought on mixed reactions, however.
About halfway through Bieber’s nearly three-minute appearance, boos were heard spreading through Buffalo’s KeyBank Center.
Gavin McKenna poses with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and singer Justin Bieber after being selected with the first pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs at KeyBank Center. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Fans had opinions on social media as well, with many commenting on the length of Bieber’s opening spiel.
“CEASE YOUR SPEAKING BIEBER,” one fan wrote on X.
“Wow the Leafs made this cringy as hell with Bieber,” another griped.
Others had more well-thought-out opinions on the subject. One fan commented on how the biggest moment of McKenna’s life felt more centered around Bieber than McKenna.
“Really feel like the NHL dropped the emotional ball on this,” the tweet read.
Singer Justin Bieber of Canada looks on during day one of the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. Getty Images
Immediately after the pick, McKenna posed for a picture with Bieber and sat down for an interview with ESPN and Sportsnet alongside the singer.
McKenna hails from Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. Bieber has a song named “Yukon” on his 2025 album “Swag.”
The scene was slightly awkward, considering the anticipation surrounding the pick. McKenna is a franchise-altering selection for a team in need of an immediate boost. The 18-year-old has been receiving attention from the media and fans since he started high school.
Now, he will take the biggest stage in hockey, in one of its biggest markets.
“Šmits is a tall defenseman with impressive mobility and smarts,” The Athletic’s Corey Pronman writes. “He can make a reliable first pass and has a big point shot, projecting to have quality amounts of offense at the top level. He isn't a super smart puck-mover, but there's enough touch in his game to project to be reliable with the puck in the NHL.
“He defends very well due to his length and feet, while also competing hard and being willing to play the body. He projects as a top-pairing defenseman.”
The 18-year-old defenseman was the youngest player at the 2026 Winter Olympics, representing Latvia and recording two assists in four games while averaging 18:44 minutes per game.
Many consider Šmits to be the most pro-ready defenseman in this year’s class.
In 38 games for Jukurit in Liiga, Finland's top league, Šmits recorded six goals, seven assists, and 13 points.
The Vegas Golden Knights never shy away from making bold, aggressive moves. And after coming up just short in the Stanley Cup Final, they were bound to take a swing.
On Friday, they began the offseason by doing just that. The Golden Knights traded 25-year-old RFA Pavel Dorofeyev, their leading goalscorer for the past two years, to the New York Rangers. In return, they receive two picks in the 2026 Entry Draft— the 26th and the 92nd overall picks— as well as a conditional pick in the 2028 Draft.
For years, the Golden Knights have traded their futures for proven NHL players to help them win now, leaving them with an empty cupboard. Trading Dorofeyev for picks either allows them to refill that cupboard or gives them ammunition to load up and take another big swing.
Earlier this month, Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon sang Dorofeyev’s praises during his Media Day availability ahead of the Stanley Cup Final.
“Pavel’s a goal scorer– that’s what our amateur staff saw in him when we drafted him out of Russia,” said McCrimmon. “For me, I’m a big believer that the playoffs make you better as a player. This playoff has been really good for Pavel, and not only in terms of his production. He’s really playing well; to me, his game is growing as a really good young player.
“He’s been able to play with some really good players. Our power play was a big part of his production this year, which he was a big part of himself. Now he’s playing on the right side of Jack Eichel, who’s a real good player to play with. So, he’s made the most of his opportunities, but he really continues to improve and he is a natural goalscorer.”
Dorofeyev went on to score just two goals during the Golden Knights’ six-game loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, both coming during their 4-2 Game 5 loss.
Elliotte Friedman just reported that the Rangers signed Dorofeyev to a seven-year, $11 million contract, and the Golden Knights are a team strapped for salary cap space. They couldn’t have given Dorofeyev that deal without some serious roster surgery.
Believe there is a long-term extension coming for Dorofeyev w/NYR.
However, the Golden Knights’ past two seasons ended in the exact same way: getting shut out. Trading a 25-year-old sniper who led the team in scoring for the past two years is just one more bold move in a nine-year history of bold moves.
Instead of becoming the hometown pick many envisioned, Carson Carels will now be a player the Winnipeg Jets have to game plan against for years to come.
The 18-year-old Manitoba product was selected sixth overall by the Calgary Flames in Friday night's 2026 NHL Draft, coming off the board before Winnipeg had the opportunity to make its selection.
The Jets had been heavily linked to Carels throughout the draft process and would have loved the opportunity to bring the Cypress River native home, but Calgary ensured that wouldn't happen.
Carels celebrated the biggest moment of his hockey career surrounded by family and friends back on his family's farm in Cypress River, Manitoba, making for a fitting backdrop as one of the province's brightest young stars officially became an NHL player.
The smooth-skating defenseman earned his lofty draft status after a sensational season with the Prince George Cougars. After recording 35 points the previous year, Carels exploded for 20 goals and 53 assists for 73 points in just 58 games, vaulting himself into the conversation as one of the top prospects in the 2026 class.
Some scouting services ranked him as high as third overall, while Elite Prospects' consolidated rankings placed him around sixth.
Carels also represented Canada at the World Junior Championship, recording an assist and a plus-three rating in five games while helping the team capture a bronze medal, further cementing his reputation as one of the premier defensemen available.
Instead of adding one of Manitoba's brightest young talents to their blue line, the Jets will now have to face him as a member of a division rival.
What could have been a storybook homecoming has instead become another compelling chapter in the rivalry between Winnipeg and Calgary.
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The Calgary Flames bolstered their blue line by selecting Carson Carels with the sixth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Carels plays for the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and posted 20 goals and 73 points in his second season in 2025-26.
The Cypress River, Manitoba product projects as a cornerstone defenceman and will continue his development at the University of North Dakota next season, a path that should allow him to round out his game before making the jump to the professional ranks.
Carels has all the tools to emerge as one of the biggest steals in the top 10. Viewed as a future top-pairing defenceman, he possesses the skating, hockey sense, and all-around game to log heavy minutes.
Paired alongside Zayne Parekh in Calgary’s future top four, Carels could help form a dynamic defensive duo capable of driving play at both ends of the ice.
