Category: Sports News

The Pittsburgh Penguins made a deal less than an hour before the trade deadline on Friday.

They acquired Detroit Red Wings forward Elmer Soderblom for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. 

The Penguins have acquired forward Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2026 third-round draft pick (originally belonging to San Jose).

Details: https://t.co/cPMi67CpvCpic.twitter.com/IAiqKPOwLi

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 6, 2026

Soderblom, 24, is signed for the rest of the 2025-26 season and the entire 2026-27 season at a cap hit of $1.125 million.

He's listed at 6-foot-8 and 252 pounds and has played in 39 games for the Red Wings this season, compiling two goals and three points. 

He has played in 86 NHL games, recording 11 goals and 22 points. 

Soderblom has also played in 119 games for the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins, compiling 23 goals and 54 points. He'll have a chance to play in some games down the stretch and during the 2026-27 season before becoming a restricted free agent. 

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

The Islanders are adding center Brayden Schenn from the St. Louis Blues ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline.

The Isles will send left wing Jonathan Drouin, two draft picks (a first-rounder and a third), and 20-year-old goaltender Marcus Gidlof, a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, to the Blues to complete the deal. (The first-round pick is a 2026 conditional selection received in the Brock Nelson deal.)

Schenn is in year six of an eight-year deal with a $6.5 million average annual value. He had a 15-team no-trade list and decided to waive that clause to come to New York.

On the season, the 34-year-old has tallied 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) over 61 games while averaging 16:41 time on the ice. He has also won 54.2 percent of his faceoffs this season, a career-high mark. (Schenn won 49.5 percent of faceoffs in the previous four seasons.)

The long-time NHL veteran has served as the Blues' captain since the 2023 season and was a member of their 2019 Stanley Cup-winning team, when he tallied 12 points (five goals, seven assists) over 25 postseason games.

Before joining St. Louis for the 2017 campaign, he played for six seasons with Philadelphia after first dipping his toe into the league with the Los Angeles Kings for nine games over two seasons.

Drouin, signed this past offseason to a two-year deal with a $4 million aav, tallied 21 points (three goals, 18 assists) over 55 games while averaging 17:09 time on the ice.

He has 82 games of postseason experience, with 13 goals and 30 assists (minus-19) while averaging 17:46 time on the ice.

After a 5-3 defeat to the Kings on Thursday, the Isles (35-23-5) sit at 75 points, good for third in the Metropolitan Division, but are just three points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have two games in hand.

JEAN-GABRIEL PAGEAU SIGNS EXTENSION

In addition to trading for Schenn on Friday, the Isles signed Pageau to a three-year extension that begins with the 2026-27 season.

The deal is worth $4.85 million annually.

Pageau has 14 goals and 15 assists in 33 games this season.

The 33-year-old center is in his seventh season with New York.

He has amassed 86 goals and 127 assists in 424 career games with the Islanders.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Mathieu Darche wanted to take a swing at the trade deadline to reward an Islanders team that has contended beyond what anyone expected this season. The general manager did not want to give up any of his top prospects, such as Victor Eklund or Kashawn Aitcheson. 

The result was that, after a few days of rumors surrounding Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas, Darche opted to pull the trigger on a different Blues player: Brayden Schenn. The Islanders acquired St. Louis’ captain in exchange for a package of assets, including Colorado’s 2026 first-round pick, the Devils’ 2026 third-round pick, Jonathan Drouin and goaltending prospect Marcus Gidlof. 

“We always said we want to be hard to play against. We have some snarl, and Brayden fits that,” Darche said. “You should see the texts we got from former players, players that have been with him. He plays hard. If something happens, he’s not afraid to defend a teammate. He’s scored 20 goals multiple times in his career. 

“… He’s a competitor. That’s what you want. At this time of year when you play hockey after the deadline and in the playoffs, it’s fighting for every inch on the ice, being able to take a hit and dish out hits. We want to be physical and Brayden does that. I think he fits exactly what we need right now.” 

Schenn, with two years left on his contract at $6.5 million annually, waived his no-trade clause to come to the Islanders.

He’s had a down year so far with the Blues, with 12 goals and 16 assists through 61 games, having been at or above 50 points per season for most of his career, though some of that can likely be attributed to St. Louis having a rough season. 

There was a pleasant coincidence at play, too, since both the Islanders and Blues were staying in the same San Jose hotel with St. Louis playing there Friday night, allowing Schenn to meet with Darche and Patrick Roy in-person before waiving his no-trade clause. The Isles also finish this trip in St. Louis on Tuesday, which will allow a proper goodbye for the 34-year-old Schenn, who spent the last nine seasons in the city. 

“He’ll be able to pack his bags and have more than a couple pairs of underwear,” Darche quipped. 

Though he can play both wing and center, Darche said the plan for now is for Schenn to be a center. That, presumably, would require Cal Ritchie to shift over to the wing, which might be comfortable for the Islanders given the 21-year-old’s struggles at the faceoff dots. 

“We know he has the abilities,” Darche said of Ritchie, who has been given top-six responsibilities as a rookie. “He still has to work on the physical strength, the battling, the speed of execution to get the pucks. He’s a great prospect. Instead of learning in the AHL, he’s learning in the NHL. He’s done a great job.” 

Drouin, the sole NHLer who went the other way in the deal, was moved in large part to help keep the Islanders’ cap situation flexible after taking on Schenn’s contract. That said, Darche also acknowledged that the winger who had gone 38 games without scoring had “lost his confidence along the way.” 

As for the first-round pick, it was Darche’s preference to give up draft picks as opposed to high-end prospects who could turn pro as soon as next season.

It helps, too, that the Islanders had two first-round picks for next season and retained their own — though that is now the only pick they have in the first three rounds of the draft. 

“The beauty of it is, we didn’t touch any of our top prospects that will turn pro next year. That was the goal of this,” Darche said. “… Our guys that have been drafted a year ago or two years ago, I’d rather give a draft pick than them ’cause they’re a year or two ahead in their development ’cause they’re already drafted. We’ve achieved that without touching most of our top prospects.” 

It was their only trade of deadline day, though Darche did ink a three-year extension with Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Darche already had gotten some business done before the Olympic break when he brought in Carson Soucy and Ondrej Palat.

On Friday, ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline, the Chicago Blackhawks took a little bit of a break from being sellers to make a minor league trade. 

They acquired defenseman Derrick Pouliot from the New York Rangers in exchange for Aidan Thompson. Both players have spent the year with their respective AHL squads. 

Poulliot is 32 years old and will add some depth to a Rockford IceHogs team that desperately needs it. He had 28 points in 52 games this year with the Hartford Wolfpack. 

The elder defenseman has also spent a fair amount of time in the NHL, split between seven teams. He was with one of them, the 2016 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins, to earn a ring. 

As for Thompson, a former third-round pick (90th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, had an incredible collegiate career at Denver before coming to the AHL. In 40 games with Rockford this year, he had six goals and nine assists for 15 points. 

In minor league terms, this is the IceHogs adding veteran depth on the back end while the Wolfpack adds a young forward that may develop into a contributor. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Brayden Schenn is gone.

The St. Louis Blues captain, who has served in that capacity for three seasons and a Blue since acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017, has reportedly been traded to the New York Islanders less than an hour before the NHL Trade Deadline of 2 p.m. (CT).

The 34-year-old was in his ninth season with the Blues who had two more years remaining on an eight-year contract that carried a $6.5 million average annual value, had a modified no-trade clause but reports indicated he had to waive to go to the Islanders.

Darren Dreger of TSN reported that the return for Schenn is a first- and third-round pick along with a prospect for Schenn, who has 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 61 games this season.

To further update the reports, forward Jonathan Drouin and goalie prospect Marcus Gidlof were part of the package:

Brayden Schenn from St Louis for Jonathan Drouin, 2026 1st (Colorado), a 3rd and Marcus Gidlof. https://t.co/KrJZPcOB2Z

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 6, 2026

Here was Schenn a couple days ago talking about the upcoming trade deadline:

Brayden Schenn On Trade Talks Surrounding Blues: 'It's an uneasy time for everyone, especially the position we've put ourselves in'St. Louis captain, players understand change is inevitable with NHL Trade Deadline looming on Friday

It marks the end of an incredible run for Schenn, who was a very big part of the Blues' run to the Stanley Cup in 2019; he finishes his Blues career with 465 points (181 goals, 284 assists) in 650 games and 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 58 career playoff games.

The Blues' next home game will come on Tuesday ... against the Islanders, and it will be a quick homecoming for Schenn, who joins a team that currently is third in the Metropolitan Division (35-23-5).

More to come on this breaking trade ...

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Well, the biggest day of the NHL's regular season has finally arrived.

It's officially Friday, Mar. 6, which means it's the NHL trade deadline, and chaos will ensue. And one of the more interesting teams to watch on deadline day will be the Pittsburgh Penguins.

As of now, the Penguins have a loosening grip on second place in the Metropolitan Division, as they sit nine points back of the first-place Carolina Hurricanes, are tied points-wise with the third-place New York Islanders, and are just three points ahead of the surging Columbus Blue Jackets, who have won three straight and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. 

Oh, and they are still without star center Sidney Crosby - who rejoined what was a short, optional team practice on Friday - and they are likely to be without the services of Evgeni Malkin for at least a few games, as he has a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety for his slash to the head of Buffalo Sabres' defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during Thursday's 5-1 loss. 

In other words, a lot of different scenarios could happen with the Penguins on deadline day, whether GM/POHO Kyle Dubas decides to add to the roster, stands pat, or still elects to sell a few players for futures. And Penguins' forward Rickard Rakell - who has been playing an elevated role in the lineup during Crosby's absence - is all too familiar with the energy on deadline day, as he was dealt from the Anaheim Ducks to the Penguins on deadline day in 2022.

"You just try to go about your day as normal as you can, but obviously, you know that things are happening," Rakell said. "But nothing you can really do about it. So, just try to treat it as normal as possible."

Is It Worth It To Move Stuart Skinner Before Friday's NHL Trade Deadline? Stuart Skinner is out there in trade talks, but does it make sense to move him?

One of the biggest subjects of trade rumors for the Penguins has been goaltender Stuart Skinner, who they acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in mid-December as part of the deal that sent Tristan Jarry the other way. But being the subject of trade rumors is nothing new for the 27-year-old netminder, who learned a while ago to drown out the noise because things are out of his control. 

But he understands that rumors are always going to surround certain players, like himself, at this time of year - especially when they have no trade protection. 

"I mean, I think it's going to be like that unless you have a no-trade clause, so whenever this time of the year, maybe some things are in the back of your mind," Skinner said. "But, I've learned, just through experience, that you can't control anything. The only thing I can control is how I play, bringing a good attitude every day, and enjoying the group of guys that I'm with right now. 

"And it's been a blast. I love hanging around these guys, so that's all I'm focused on."

6 Penguins' Storylines To Watch During Trade Deadline WeekEveryone's eyes will be on Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins leading up to the NHL trade deadline on Mar. 6.

Of course, Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas has been a busy man throughout this season, and he expressed a desire to add forward and defensive depth. With time ticking down to the 3:00 p.m. cutoff, whether or not he makes any changes to the roster is still very much up in the air.

Regardless of what happens on deadline day, however, the Penguins are very much comfortable with the group that they have. It's a group of players who have spent the entire season defying outside expectations, and there is a lot of belief in the room. 

And that doesn't figure to change, whether there are new faces in the room or not. 

"We've shown what we can do this year, and I'm very comfortable with that," Rakell said. "Nobody really believed in us before the season, and I think that we proved a lot of people wrong. We're excited for this challenge in this room, and we know it's gonna be a battle here at the end of the regular season, but we're up to the task."

The 'Chinakhov Template': 10 Penguins' Trade Targets Who Fit The Dubas MoldPittsburgh Penguins GM and POHO Kyle Dubas spoke on Wednesday's 'GM Show' about the types of deals he'll be looking for by Friday's NHL trade deadline - and here are some trade candidates who fit his mold.

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

The Penguins have made their first trade on deadline day, adding forward Elmer Soderblom from Detroit for a third round pick.

From the team:

The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2026 third-round draft pick (originally belonging to San Jose), it was announced today by President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas. 

Soderblom is signed through the 2026-27 season, and his contract carries an average annual value of $1.125 million.

The 6-foot-8, 252-pound forward has appeared in 39 games this season where he’s recorded two goals, one assist and three points. The 24-year-old has played parts of each of the last three seasons in the NHL, all with Detroit, where he’s accumulated 22 points (11G-11A) in 86 career regular-season games.

Soderblom has skated in 119 career AHL games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, notching 23 goals, 31 assists and 54 points. He’s also appeared in 10 Calder Cup Playoff games over parts of two seasons.

Prior to coming to North America, the native of Gothenburg, Sweden played parts of three seasons from (2019-22) with Frolunda of the SHL, Sweden’s top professional league, where he tallied 38 points (24G-14A) in 90 career regular-season games. He also represented his home country at the 2021 World Junior Championship, as well as the 2019 World Under-18 Championship where he brought home a gold medal.

Soderblom was drafted by Detroit in the sixth round (159^th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft.

Soderblom is a unit, as the kids might say, at 6’8” and over 250 pounds he’s one of the biggest pro hockey players out there these days. So far he’s been finding his way in the Detroit organization, splitting the last two seasons in the NHL and AHL before becoming a mainstay in the NHL roster this season with 39 NHL games under his belt. An obvious parallel for Soderblom is Justin Brazeau, similar in size and has figured out a way to get up to NHL speed in his mid-20’s.

This transaction stays in-line with stated goals by GM Kyle Dubas for the Penguins to find younger, NHL ready talent that might contribute more in a bigger opportunity. Soderblom carries a $1.125 million salary cap hit this season and next. The Penguins still have their own selection in the third round of the 2026 draft.