The Toronto Maple Leafs have selected Kingston Frontenacs Tyler Hopkins with the 86th pick in the NHL draft.

Hopkins, a center with OHL Kingston, scored 20 goals and 51 points in 67 games this season, the seventh-most points on the team. NHL Central Scouting projected the 6-foot-1, 181-pound forward to go 52nd overall in the 2025 Draft.

"Obviously being from Campbellville, grew up a Leafs fan. I've been to plenty of games over the course of my childhood and even the recent years. I think just when that moment kind of happened, it was just pure excitement, obviously, to get drafted is every kid's dream," Hopkins said via Zoom on Saturday afternoon.

"And to be drafted by your hometown team is one level even better than that. I think that I kind of hit the jackpot with it, getting two birds with one stone, and it was just pure joy and excitement when I was able to hear my name called."

Report: Maple Leafs And Golden Knights Discussing Mitch Marner Sign And Trade, Could Include Nic RoyThe Mitch Marner sweepstakes could end before free agency begins.

Hopkins played with Team Canada at the 2025 Under-18 World Junior Championships and won a gold medal. The 18-year-old tallied one assist in the tournament with Canada through six games, while also capturing gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup one year earlier.

"I'm a fast two-way forward that takes care of his defensive zone that can still create offense," Hopkins described himself in his 2025 draft profile via the OHL. "I think that if I can start to develop more of a scoring threat to myself and not so much as a passer, I think that that can propel me to that next level."

Hopkins is entering his third season with Kingston. In 126 games with the Frontenacs over two seasons, Hopkins put up 26 goals and 38 assists for 64 points.

2025 NHL Draft: Maple Leafs Use 64th Pick to Select Norwegian Tinus Luc KoblarAfter a bit of a wait, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Norwegian forward Tinus Luc Koblar with the 64th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-3 center currently plays for Leksands in the Swedish under-20 league.

"I think that something that I've tried to work on is my defensive game over the past two years. I think it's something that I've really kind of built a base on in my 16-year-old year and kind of still leading into this year by adding a little bit more of an offense," Hopkins said.

"I think at the next level, I'm that third-line center that is there, plays a 200-foot game, is able to move up and down a lineup and is relied on by the coaching staff."

Hopkins added that his favorite moment growing up as a Maple Leafs fan was seeing them eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs in 2023.

"The excitement inside of the arena when they got out of that first round, and obviously looking to keep pushing farther into the Stanley Cup finals, I think that was probably the coolest moment that I've actually been able to be at the rink and kind of see firsthand."

John Tavares Explains Why He 'Left Money' On The Table To Remain With Maple LeafsJohn Tavares took less money to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

When he arrives in Kingston for his third season of junior hockey, Hopkins wants to round out his offensive game and finish on opportunities when he gets them.

"I think I have the ability to contribute a little bit more to offensively to my team," said Hopkins. "So I think just kind of getting into the middle of the ice a little bit more, creating more scoring chances and then just working on finishing in those opportunities more consistently."

He added that he models his game around Lightning center Anthony Cirelli. It's been a whirlwind for Hopkins, who really hasn't had much of a break since his season in Kingston ended. The forward went straight to the Under-18 Worlds and then the draft combine before arriving in Los Angeles for the draft.

'You've Got To Move Forward If That Happens': Maple Leafs' John Tavares Reacts To Possibility Of Losing Mitch Marner In Free AgencyAlthough John Tavares might be holding onto a glimmer of hope that Mitch Marner returns to the Toronto Maple Leafs, he's being realistic about the situation.

And being drafted by Toronto will be a moment he likely remembers forever.

"I think there's like a hundred or more texts probably now. There's a hundred when I just looked," he said with a smile. "So a lot of people reaching out to support. Obviously, I've had a lot of people through my life that have been really special to me and able to kind of help support me to get to this moment right now."

(Top photo: Ontario Hockey League / YouTube)

The New York Rangers had two picks in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft, selecting defensemen Sean Barnhill and Artyom Gonchar.

With the 70th overall pick, the Rangers selected Barnhill. 

Barnhill was born and raised in Arizona as he spent most of his youth years playing hockey in the Valley. 

The 18-year-old has spent the past two seasons with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League. 

This past season, Barnhill recorded four goals, eight assists, and 12 points for the Fighting Saints.

“Sean obviously took some big steps throughout the season,” Saints general manager Trevor Edwards said. “Early on, he was a developing player who still struggled a little bit with his own confidence when things didn’t go maybe according to plan. But, as the season went on, he really took off and became more comfortable with the pace of the game. By the end of the season, he was playing top-four minutes for us.”

Barnhill's 6-foot-5, 214-pound frame stands out about him. For his size, Barnhill is also a strong skater with impressive defensive tendencies. 

“With a deep, balanced stance and quick feet, Barnhill denies rushes and then jumps up into the play,” via Elite Prospects 2025 NHL Draft Guide. “He matches the footwork of smaller, high-skill attackers with ease, and he rarely overextends. The skating appears most in his rush defence, where he makes some high-level stops with his feet moving after taking away the middle.”

Next season, Barnhill is expected to play at Northeastern University.

With the 89th overall pick, the Rangers selected Gonchar. The Russian native is actually the nephew of former NHL player Sergei Gonchar.

Rangers Select Forward Malcolm Spence In Second Round With 43rd Pick The New York Rangers have selected left winger Malcolm Spence with the 43rd overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft. 

The 18-year-old played for the Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk of the MHL in Russia this past season where he recorded seven goals, 18 assists, and 25 points in 50 games. 

He stands at 6-foot-0, 156 pounds.

“Gonchar is a quick and agile two way defenseman,” via Neutral Zone. “He rushed the puck up ice with confidence and joined the play deep into the offensive zone on multiple occasions. He was tasked with minutes on the first powerplay unit and snapped the puck around with intention.”

Artyom will remain in the MHL next season.

The Nashville Predators opened the second day of the NHL Draft with two second-round selections at 35th and 58th overall. 

Lincoln Stars defenseman Jacob Rombach was selected with the 35th pick, and Brampton Steelheads goalie Jack Ivankovic was picked with the 58th overall pick. 

Nashville received the 58th and 122nd overall picks in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights for the 55th overall pick. 

The Predators continue to scout size and strength as Rombach has a 6-foot-7-inch, 209-pound build. The Blaine, Minnesota native scored 18 points in 57 games and logged 57 penalty minutes with the Stars in the USHL this past season. 

He is committed to play at the University of Minnesota this fall. 

While Rombach still has some room to develop, his size and use of his frame are promising.

The Predators picked up their first goalie of this draft in Ivankovic. In his second season in the OHL, Ivankovic posted a 25-12-5 regular season record with a goals-against average of 3.05 and a save percentage of .903. 

He won the F. W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy in his first season, which is awarded to the OHL rookie goalie with the best goals against average. Ivankovic had a 2.72 goals against average. 

His numbers did inflate in the playoffs as he had a 4.87 goals against average and a .877 save percentage in five games played. 

Ivankovic is committed to playing at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2026 and will likely spend the coming season with Brampton. 

We got a goalie fight! Jack Ivankovic Vs Owen Flores! pic.twitter.com/GraFKk5AW5

— Connor Williams (@cwilliams_384) October 6, 2024

At 5-foot, 11-inches and 178 pounds, Ivankovic is slightly smaller than most NHL goalies, but has a lot of time to grow physically and on the ice. Having a good goalie ready to go is a huge advantage. 

Nashville had three first round picks on Friday. 

The selected Soo Greyhounds center Brady Martin with the fifth overall pick, Kitchener Rangers defenseman Cameron Reid with the 21st overall pick and Madison Capitols forward Ryker Lee with the 26th overall pick. 

During the midst of the second round of the NHL draft, goaltender John Gibson was traded from the Anaheim Ducks to the Detroit Red Wings. In return, the Ducks received goaltender Petr Mrazek, along with a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick.

It seemed that Gibson’s name had been in trade rumors for several years, but that comes to an end with this transaction. The Ducks aren’t retaining any salary from Gibson in this trade, meaning the Red Wings will take on the netminder’s $6.4-million cap hit with two years remaining on his contract.

Gibson, 31, had his fair share of injuries last season, making 28 starts for the Ducks. That is the lowest amount of starts he has had in a season since the 2014-15 NHL season.

In those 28 starts and 29 appearances, Gibson recorded a 2.77 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage, ending the season with an 11-11-2 record.

Gibson stamped his name in the Ducks organization as one of the best goaltenders in the franchise, as he holds the title for most games played by a goalie with 506 and was just two wins shy of equalling Jean-Sebastien Giguere’s 206, the most in franchise history.

The Pittsburgh native has 26 games of playoff experience and will be looking to help the Red Wings get back to the post-season for the first time since 2016.

GM Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings have needed a true starting goaltender for several years. For the past five seasons, Ville Husso made the most appearances between the pipes for Detroit, posting a 36-32-11 record with a 3.26 GAA and a .892 SP during his two and a half seasons with the Red Wings before he was traded to the Ducks this past February.

As for Anaheim, they’re getting an experienced goalie in Mrazek. The Ducks will be his sixth team he’s suited up for in his 13-year career.

Last season, the 33-year-old suited up for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Red Wings, totalling 38 starts between both clubs. He put up a 3.35 GAA, a .891 SP and a 12-21-2 record. Mrazek will likely be the backup goaltender for the promising 25-year-old Lukas Dostal in Anaheim.

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ST. LOUIS -- Doug Armstrong made it known Joel Hofer isn't going anywhere.

The St. Louis Blues general manager wasn't kidding.

The Blues announced on Saturday that the goalie has signed a two-year contract extension for $6.8 million ($3.4 million average annual value).

 Armstrong said on Monday in his pre-draft availability that, "you're not going to get him," when asked if he was worried about offer sheets being thrown at the 24-year-old, who could have become a restricted free agent on Tuesday.

Hofer, who just finished up a two-year contract that paid him $775,000 annually, played in 31 regular-season games for the Blues last season and posted a 16-8-3 record along with a .904 save percentage, one shutout, and a career-best 2.64 goals-against average.

Overall, the Winnipeg, Manitoba, native has played in 69 regular-season games with the Blues and has a 35-22-5 record.  His .909 save percentage and 2.65 GAA across the past two seasons rank 8th and 12th, respectively in the NHL among goaltenders with a minimum of 60 games played).

Hofer was originally drafted by the Blues in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft.  

Now Armstrong doesn't have to worry about the following:

"He'll get a qualifying offer. He'll take us to arbitration, we'll take him to arbitration," Armstrong said. "We're not concerned about offer sheets or anything like that."

June 28, 2025 - With the 68th overall pick in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Seattle Kraken have selected defenseman Will Reynolds from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

Reynolds, 17, is a 6’3”, 187-pound shutdown specialist from Nasonworth, New Brunswick. Known for his hard-hitting, shot-blocking style, he thrives in the defensive zone with a game built around physicality and strong positional awareness. He’s particularly effective at closing gaps during rushes, timing his pinches well to disrupt breakouts.

Despite varied rankings—from as high as 63rd by NHL Central Scouting among North American skaters to 174th by Draft Prospects Hockey—Reynolds' pro-ready defensive tools earned him a spot with Seattle. The Kraken add a dependable, tough presence to their blue line pipeline.

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Photo Courtesy of NHL Seattle Kraken

After a bit of a wait, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Norwegian forward Tinus Luc Koblar with the 64th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-3 center currently plays for Leksands in the Swedish under-20 league.

While not a major point producer—with just eight goals and 13 assists in 45 games last season—Koblar is known for his playmaking and puck distribution. His skating is an area the Leafs will need to develop, but he is projected as a potential middle-six forward. Combined with his size, his strong net-front presence suggests he could blossom into a valuable contributor. He also brings strong defensive skills that should translate well to the NHL level as the Leafs work on other areas of his game. Having played for Norway’s national junior teams, he is experienced in all situations.

The Leafs were surely impressed by his recent playoff performance, where Koblar excelled for Leksands by scoring four goals in seven games. According to head scout Mark Leach, the organization looks for players who have a history of excelling in key moments. Certainly, Toronto sees that upside in the young forward.

Excited to have ya, Tinus!! pic.twitter.com/9ihOcbHhC2

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 28, 2025

After getting drafted, Koblar addressed the media:

He described being drafted as an "unreal experience" filled with "true pleasure" and excitement.

*   Affection for the Maple Leafs: He's been a fan of the Maple Leafs since childhood, admiring the organization. Noted that he had a Leafs jersey going up although it didn't have a name. 

*   Influence of Parents: His parents, both high-level athletes (his mome is a biathlete and his dad  alpine skier), played a "huge role" in his competitiveness. He dislikes losing.

*   Areas for Improvement: Koblar says he wants to become more physical and use his body more effectively.

*   Favorite Player: He admired Anze Kopitar growing up. Koblar was born in Slovenia.

*   Family Reaction: His mother was "super happy," and his father (an alpine coach) reacted with enthusiastic screaming.

*   Family Background & Move to Norway: Born in Slovenia to Olympic-level athlete parents, they moved to Norway because his father became an alpine coach for the Norwegian national team.

*   Next Year's Goals: He hopes to play in the SHL (Swedish Hockey League) next year.

*   Relationship with Leksands teammate Victor Johansson, whom the Leafs drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft: He has a great relationship with Victor Johansson (another Leafs prospect) who has only said positive things about Toronto.

Toronto Maple Leafs News and CommunityToronto Maple Leafs news, video, analysis and community on The Hockey News Follow all Leafs news at https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/John Tavares Explains Why He 'Left Money' On The Table To Remain With Maple LeafsJohn Tavares took less money to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs. John Tavares Takes Pay Cut in 4-Year Extension With Hometown Maple Leafs Worth $4.38M Per SeasonJohn Tavares is returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

(Top photo: Maple Leafs / YouTube)

The New Jersey Devils had two picks in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. With the selections, the organization selected two forwards in Conrad Fondrk and Ben Kevan. 

50 Overall: Conrad Fondrk | Center 

2024-25 Team: USNTDP

2025-26 Team: Boston University 

Height: 6-feet | Weight: 192 pounds

Shoots: Left

Position: Center

Place of Birth: St. Paul, Minnesota

NHL.com Senior Draft Writer Mike Morreale mentioned Utah Mammoth's Alex Kerfoot as a comparable. According to Neutral Zone, a similar player is the Carolina Hurricanes' Tyson Jost. 

The Devils selected @USAHockeyNTDP LHC Conrad Fondrk (6-0, 193) with the No. 50 pick in the '25 NHL Draft. Watching tape, reminds me of Alex Kerfoot. Had 27 pts (13-14) in 40 gms. Broke his leg in March vs Wisconsin. Creates plays, high IQ, good defensively, good on PK, faceoffs

— Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL) June 28, 2025

In 15 games with the national program this season, Fondrk collected 12 points (six goals, six assists) and zero penalty minutes. Inconsistency is the one knock on his game as he has been described as "hot and cold". 

Austin Garret, SMAHT Scouting: He is a bit small and slender…. but he showed a willingness to try creative plays and blended skill and mental processing that was above the others on the team. He is quick to turn out of pressure, he is masterful in transition and moves pucks to scoring areas with relative ease."

Per Devils team reporter Sam Kasan, Fondrk will attend the organization's 2025 Development Camp. 

63 Overall: Ben Kevan | Right Wing

2024-25 Team: Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)

2025-26 Team: Arizona State University 

Height: 6-foot-0 | Weight: 175 pounds

Shoots: Right

Postion: Right Wing 

Place of Birth: Fairfield, CA, USA

One NHL player who Kevan tries to model his game after is St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou. He is known for his strong skating ability and puck handling. On the flip side, his lack of defensive awareness and physical play are areas that he will need to improve upon. 

If he can round out his game, Kevan is Kevan projects as a potential bottom-six winger with potential to become a middle-six forward. 

Sebastian High, Elite Prospects: Perhaps the most dynamic USHL product eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, Benjamin Kevan can break games open when he’s at his best. In those sequences, the 6-foot forward blends strong agility, speed, and handling skill to cut through defences and carve out dangerous scoring chances for himself and teammates. 

There has not been confirmation if Kevan will attend the organization's 2025 Development Camp. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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Photo Credit: © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Flyers close out their NHL draft 2025 class with a sixth-round center originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The Flyers wrapped up their 2025 NHL draft class Saturday afternoon with Nathan Quinn in the sixth round.

The 5-foot-11, 173-pound center went to the Flyers at 164th overall. He was the third center taken by the Flyers, joining first-rounder Jack Nesbitt and second-rounder Matthew Gard.

With the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts, the 17-year-old put up 17 goals and 29 assists over 54 regular-season games in 2024-25.

(More coming…)

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• Busy second round continues with a teammate of a Flyers prospect

• Flyers grab another big center to wrap up four picks in second round

• Finnish winger who made impressive second-half climb goes to Flyers in fifth round

• Flyers draft 6-foot-4, righty-shot defenseman in fifth round

The Ottawa Senators continue to load up on right-shot defensemen. On Saturday afternoon, on day two of the 2025 NHL Draft, they acquired 24-year-old defenseman Jordan Spence from the Los Angeles Kings.

In return, they give up the 67th overall pick and a sixth-round selection in 2026 (originally Colorado's).

Spence appeared in 79 regular season games with Los Angeles in 2024-25, putting up four goals and 28 points, along with a plus-23 rating. In 180 career NHL games, Spence has collected eight goals and 61 points. He is signed for the 2025-26 NHL season with a contract that carries an AAV of $1.5 million.

Spence was a fourth-round selection (95th overall) by Los Angeles in the 2019 NHL Draft. He appeared in 160 games in the QMJHL with Moncton and Val-d’Or. He's the first Australian-born player to play in the NHL. He's literally a Manly man, born in Manly, Australia, and learned the game in Japan, before the family moved to North America.

11 days ago, The Hockey News/Ottawa's Graeme Nichols wrote about Spence as a possibility for the Senators after Sporrtsnet's Elliotte Friedman mentioned the Kings may be willing to move Spence.

Summer Trade Targets: Would Kings Defenceman Jordan Spence Be A Fit With The Ottawa Senators?When outlining the prospective right defencemen the Ottawa Senators could potentially target in a trade this summer, one of the names that I've mentioned offhand is Jordan Spence of the Los Angeles Kings.

From Nichols:

Spence's underlying metrics were excellent. Granted, he played sheltered minutes on one of the better defensive teams in the league, so that is an obvious consideration to factor in.

When Spence was on the ice at five-on-five per NaturalStatTrick, the Kings generated 56.80 percent of the shots (CF%), 56.98 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), 65.43 percent of the total goals (GF%), and 56.88 percent of the expected goals (xGF%).

The problem with Spence is that he is listed at 5'11" and 180 lbs.

He defends almost exclusively through his skating, gap control and stick placement, but his strong underlying possession metrics are driven principally by his excellent puck-moving ability. According to the NHL.com's Zach Dooley, "no Kings blueliner had a higher success rate of exiting the defensive zone this season via a carry-out or a pass than Spence did, at just shy of 90 percent."

Highly efficient exits mean fewer minutes spent defending within the defensive zone. In essence, Spence's success is not that dissimilar from what makes Nick Jensen so effective.

Like Ken Holland, however, it certainly feels like the Senators have emphasized adding a measure of size and physicality to their lineup. It may also be a coincidence, but it was also an observation of their selections at the 2024 NHL Draft.

With puck-movers like Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson already in the lineup on Spence's opposite side, the need for an undersized puck-mover just is not there. Circumstances may change if Jensen's recovery from offseason hip surgery goes well and he is ready for training camp.

The organization could decide that a puck-mover to partner with Tyler Kleven as an alternative to Nik Matinpalo is ideal.

---

And suddenly, we may have some interesting battles shaping up at training camp this fall. Not only that, but the local sports radio station may have a new spokesperson for their omnipresent Spence Diamonds ads.

Steve Warne & Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News/Ottawa

Banner image credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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The Vancouver Canucks have selected center Kieren Dervin with their 65th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Having already picked centre Braeden Cootes of the Seattle Thunderbirds and goaltender Alexei Medvedev of the London Knights, Vancouver is officially halfway through their draft selections so far today. 

Dervin split the 2024–25 season with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL and St. Andrew’s College. In his 10 games with Kingston, he scored a goal and two assists. He played 50 games with St. Andrew’s, tallying 33 goals and 46 assists, according to EliteProspects. In the past two seasons with St. Andrew’s, he scored 48 goals and 78 assists in 99 games. 

A 6’1 left-shot center, Dervin hasn’t had much experience in the OHL, but showed flashes of being a solid two-way player while creating offensively. He has committed to Penn State University of the NCAA. 

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Vancouver has made their first three selections of the draft and have three more to go, as they recently traded their fourth-round pick in this draft to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Evander Kane. As a result, the Canucks have picks 143 (fifth-round), 175 (sixth-round), and 207 (seventh-round) left to go. 

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, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

The Vegas Golden Knights' first move on the second day of the NHL Draft was trading picks 58 and 122 to Nashville for the 55th overall pick.

And with the 55th overall pick on Saturday, the Knights then selected 6-foot-2, 185-pound Jakob Ihs Wozniak, who played for Sweden's Lulea HF. Ihs-Wozniak had 57 points in 40 games last season with Lulea HF.

We are proud to select forward Jakob Ihs-Wozniak with the 55th pick! 😃 #VegasBornpic.twitter.com/e94OsOLINs

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 28, 2025

Ihs-Wozniak, 18, is a right-handed Australian left winger with a big shot who was expected to put up some eye-popping numbers last season after breaking the scoring record for 17-year-olds in the Swedish junior league the previous year.

Unfortunately, his production stagnated. He also had some underwhelming showings at the Hlinka Gretzky and Five Nations tournaments, resulting in him tumbling out of the The Hockey News' top 10 rankings.

Scouts want to see Ihs-Wozniak ramp up both his physical play and his urgency.

"When he decides to compete and work, he is very hard to stop," said one scout. "I find him wildly inconsistent, particularly with his compete. When he’s using his body, he’s really good. I just haven’t seen him do it that often."

Ihs-Wozniak projects as a second-liner if he figures things out. Multiple scouts said that when he goes to the dirty areas, he can accomplish a lot.

"We’re still trying to figure him out," said another scout. "He just blends in sometimes. He has some consistency issues that need to be addressed. He has size and does some good things, but you often can’t find him."

The team still has four other picks, at No. 91 (third round), No. 154 (fifth round), No. 186 (sixth round) and No. 187 (sixth round).

After the events of the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins were left without the second-round pick given to them by the Washington Capitals for forward Anthony Beauvillier at the trade deadline.

They managed to get it back - and then some - on Day Two.

On Saturday, the Penguins acquired right defenseman Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for pending-RFA defenseman Conor Timmins and defensive prospect Isaac Belliveau.

Pittsburgh subsequently used the 39th overall pick to select defenseman Peyton Kettles from the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. 

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound right defenseman is heralded as a true shutdown defenseman, as Elite Prospects raved about his ability to stymie the opposition's best players:

"When Swift Current needed to close out a game, Kettles didn't leave the ice," his profile reads. "With immense defensive range, a physical edge and a nuanced shutdown game, it's easy to see why. A defensive stalwart with room to grow, he routinely shuts down the opposition's best."

Kettles is probably not going to contribute much offensively - he put up five goals and 13 points in 53 games - but paired with an offensive defenseman, he can complete an effective tandem. He was actually teammates with Penguins' prospect Owen Pickering during their shared time with Swift Current from 2022-24.

Clifton, 30, is a journeyman defenseman who is owed $3.33 million through the end of the 2024-25 season. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound blueliner registered one goal and 16 points - primarily on Buffalo's third pairing - last season.

Timmins was acquired by the Penguins at the 2025 trade deadline - along with forward Connor Dewar - from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick. Like Dewar, he is set to become a restricted free agent, and it was unclear whether or not the Penguins were planning to bring him back next season. 

He registered three goals and 15 points in 68 games between the Leafs and Penguins last season - with seven of those points coming in 17 games with Pittsburgh.

Belliveau, 22, was selected in the fifth round (154th overall) by the Penguins in the 2021 NHL Draft. He had split time between the ECHL and AHL over the last two seasons, registering 19 goals and 61 points in 119 combined games.

'We’re Thrilled With The Players That We Have': 3 Takeaways From Penguins' Day One DraftDay One of the 2025 NHL Draft is officially wrapped, and the Pittsburgh Penguins were certainly one of the more active teams in the first round.

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Feature image credit: Timothy T. Ludwig - Imagn Images

The Buffalo Sabres were slated to select near the top of the second round on day two of the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles, but they pulled off a trade sending the 39th overall pick and defenseman Connor Clifton to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Conor Timmins and minor leaguer Isaac Belliveau. 

The 30-year-old was a free agent signing of the Sabres in 2023 after spending his first five seasons with the Boston Bruins. The New Jersey native signed with Buffalo in part because of former head coach Don Granato, who coached him as part of the US National Development Program and potentially as a right-handed compliment to either Rasmus Dahlin or Owen Power. In 152 games, Clifton had 34 points (5 goals, 29 assists) and played mostly on the bottom pairing.   

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Sabres Facing An Off-Season Of Change

Timmins, 26, was originally a second-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche who was traded to Arizona in a 2021 deal for goalie Darcy Kuemper. He was dealt the following year to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he played for nearly three seasons. At the 2025 trade deadline, the right-handed defenseman was sent to Pittsburgh. Belliveau, 22, was a 2021 fifth-round pick of the Penguins who has split time between the ECHL and AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton the last two seasons.

The reason for the deal appears to be mostly financial, as Clifton was slated to earn $3.33 million in the final year of his three-year contract. Timmins is a larger right-handed defenseman, an arbitration-eligible RFA, coming off a 15-point season and in arbitration will undoubtedly make less than what Clifton is making.   

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