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It ended up being a mostly uneventful draft weekend for the Pittsburgh Penguins as far as major short-term changes went. They acquired Hendrix Lapierre for draft picks, used some of their stockpile future of picks to get extra 2026 mid-round selections and went about their business of drafting players without many fireworks going down with massive moves.

The big landmark for the NHL offseason is coming up on Wednesday for the July 1st free agency market that officially opens up at noon. Heading into that event, here’s where the Pens stand.

First line forwards: Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust

There’s always at least moderate smoke in the national media picture regarding the potential availability of Rakell and Rust to be traded, yet no trade has happened or seemingly been close. If you look at the ice time splits under Dan Muse last season, there’s these three forwards (who all averaged between 18-20 minutes per game) and then everyone else. The team could always opt tactically to nudge Egor Chinakhov to play with Crosby-Rust again and place Rakell on the second line, but these three right now are the central figures on the team as far as forwards go.

Other key NHL forwards: Evgeni Malkin, Egor Chinakhov, Ben Kindel, Tommy Novak

As of now, these four forwards look to be the base of the ‘second’ and ‘third’ lines, though nomenclature is about the only differential given how Muse has split ice time and assignments. Malkin averaged 14:26 of ES ice time last year, compared to Kindel’s 12:36 – based on the ages of both those numbers will likely be evening out a bit next season. These names can bounce around the lineup, including between center and wing in some cases, but all are in place to take important roles for the team for the players that will probably be in the 13-14 minute of ES ice time per game next year. As mentioned above, there’s the possibility that Chinakhov will grow further into the higher classification of player as the year goes along, but starting him out in this pile feels right for this moment.

‘Fourth’ liners: Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte

Most fourth liners across the league aren’t pushing 14 minutes per game like these two who tend to take regular shifts throughout the game and are relied on for a ton of defensive zone starts while matching up against scoring line opponents. Dewar and Lizotte will be the backbone of an important line next season that will be listed as a ‘fourth’ line it will still carry a very important part of the action.

Fill out forwards (3 lineup spots): Elmer Soderblom, Justin Brazeau, Hendrix Lapierre, Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes, Ville Koivunen, Filip Hallander, Tristan Broz

This group of players will likely float between different roles as the season goes along. Brazeau has played a limited amount but in key places in the lineup, he could yet reprise his role with Kindel and still end up seeing 11-12 ES minutes per game. Soderblom performed well down the stretch. Wingers like Brazeau and Soderblom could see time on lines with good players and yet still end up as the third and seldom-used part of the puzzle.

Lapierre was acquired for two draft picks, including a third rounder, so one would presume he will factor into the lineup at the start of the season in some form. What line that would be, and even whether that is at center or on the wing still could be considered up in the air right now.

Younger forwards who finished the season in the AHL will be knocking on the door but will need strong preseasons to find a role and/or trades sending out vets who currently occupy spots above them. Lapierre’s acquisition without any forwards under contract departing serve to make the math that much worse for players in the grouping of forwards attempting to graduate into the NHL full-time, at this moment anyways.

Left Defense: Parker Wotherspoon, Sam Girard

There’s not a lot currently in the rumor mill tying the Pens to Darnell Nurse, despite Pittsburgh being on a list of three places Nurse would accept a trade. If that avenue isn’t one Pittsburgh is interested in travelling, left defense could be an area to watch for offseason moves since it’s arguably the weakest spot on the roster. Ryan Shea’s camp has to be encouraged that Brett Kulak signed a $4.5 million contract for five years as an indicator the free agent market will be very rewarding for Shea. The Pens will have to find a Shea replacement or risk going into camp depending on a young player like Owen Pickering or Jake Livanavage to step into the playing lineup or have Ilya Solovyov go from a depth option to regular. What the Pens would truly need and want is to find the 2026 version of Wotherspoon as a free agent that wouldn’t cost an arm and leg on his contract and still be able to fill an important role. Finding and securing such a target is usually a very tall task.

Right Defense: Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang

It might already be time to put Harrison Brunicke’s name in pencil (or a sharper writing implement) to round out the lineup after a strong showing in the AHL playoffs. Regardless, at the very least the need is obvious that Pens could use more depth, a swing player like Connor Clifton would be a small but important piece of insurance. That might not be Clifton himself as he heads to free agency but given the ages of Karlsson and Letang plus the inexperience of Brunicke, another NHL caliber right shot defender wouldn’t be an unnecessary add even with the suspected elevation of Brunicke.

Goaltender: Arturs Silovs, Sergei Murashov/Joel Blomqvist

All indications are that the Pens are comfortable with going very young in net next year by having one of Murashov or Blomqvist in their goalie tandem. Murashov has clearly edged ahead of Blomqvist on the organizational depth chart, though Blomqvist being an older and more experienced player makes it easy to project NHL action next season at some point. Neither goalie will require waivers in 2026-27, so the possibility is open to rotate these goalies on/off the NHL roster depending on how circumstances dictate. That wouldn’t happen as a yo-yo after one bad performance, it’s just good news for the Pens that they don’t have to place all their hopes in one singular AHL goalie moving up next year when they have two decent options. That depth makes the situation encouraging after Murashov’s great year in Wilkes, if he stumbles or shows a need for more development time the team looks fairly content with having Blomqvist there to pick up any slack or in the event of an injury.

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Overall, the Penguins don’t look like they have a splashy move up their sleeves for this summer. The thought of giving 30-year old players like Alex Tuch or Darren Raddysh eight years on a contract likely never entered their minds, just as they have shown no signs of wanting to keep Anthony Mantha. The free agent class isn’t terribly impressive and in a climate where players have more say in trades than ever, Pittsburgh doesn’t look like it’s the destination of preference for players like Dylan Larkin – and there’d be no reason to suspect Zach Werenski or any other high-profile players that get to pick their spots either. The draft going by without dealing a veteran like Rakell or Rust might be an indicator that both players will return for another season with the Pens now that the event is over and 2026 picks have been made.

After the draft in 2025, the Pens made three summer trades. Most were fairly minor in the big scheme of things that saw backup goalie Alex Nedeljkovic and Vlad Kolaychonok traded out with the Silovs and Matt Dumba as a cap casualty joining the team. Summer 2024 was similar, there was a prospect swap (McGroarty for Brayden Yage), a couple of cap-related moves that saw Cody Glass and Kevin Hayes added while the ill-fit of Reilly Smith was sent away but little else in terms of truly impactful movement.

This summer could still see a name from the NHL roster above traded out before the league settles into ‘cottage season’ and activity dies down later in the summer, but at this point of the calendar in the usual flow of player movement most of the activity could be limited to whatever free agency deals end up getting struck. An outlook on the Pens shows they have some veteran players that could still be trade targets and a need to address defensive depth either in a trade or by signing a free agent or two.

The Sebastian Cossa era in Detroit is over, and some Edmonton Oilers fans might be wondering whether Stan Bowman missed a golden opportunity. There was chatter that Cossa was a goaltender the Oilers had on a short list of goalies they'd targeted.

Ultimately, the netminder was traded in a different deal, and it's probably for the best. That might sound odd to say, but if you're in the camp that Edmonton missed out, here's why you shouldn't lose any sleep over it.

ANOTHER TRADE‼️

The @utahmammoth acquire Sebastian Cossa from the @DetroitRedWings for the 23rd pick in the 2026 #NHLDraft!

Powered by @SAPpic.twitter.com/yXiUZLw1pV

— NHL (@NHL) June 27, 2026

Utah acquired the 23-year-old goaltender from the Red Wings on Friday, with a 2026 first-round pick as the centerpiece of the deal. It was a fairly high price to pay, and an asset the Oilers didn't have to match.

Ultimately, this wasn't a decision Bowman passed on — it was never really on the table. The Oilers lacked draft capital to make the deal. Frankly, the lack of a stocked cupboard of picks to make any number of trades is a problem. 

But even if the price had been different, the fit was questionable. Cossa has been excellent in the AHL, posting a 26-8-4 record with a 2.33 GAA, a .915 save percentage and five shutouts this past season. He's a legitimate prospect with a big future. What he isn't, yet, is a proven NHL starter — and that distinction matters enormously for a team trying to win a Stanley Cup around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl right now.

What's key to remember here is, this is a goalie with a grand total of one NHL game on his resume. 

Going into 2026-27 with a Tristan Jarry-Cossa tandem would have been a bet on potential over production at the worst possible time. Edmonton needs a goaltender who has been there, handled pressure, and won meaningful games — not one still working his way up. Utah, a younger team with more runway, is the right landing spot for Cossa at this stage of his development.

They can afford to be patient. 

The Oilers need to solve their crease situation this summer, and Cossa was never going to be that solution. The fact that Utah made that decision easier by outbidding everyone with assets Edmonton didn't have is, frankly, a lucky break. It allowed Bowman to get out of his own way and focus on adding a proven veteran. Time will tell if he can do so. 

Yes, a potential option is off the board. And yes, the Mammoth might have acquired a terrific goaltender. Then again, there's a chance it takes Cossa a couple of years to get close to realizing his potential. It could be years before he hits his ceiling, whatever that might be. 

The Oilers don't have time to wait, and it would have been a high price to pay, especially if the risk didn't pay off. 

On to the next option, Stan.

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Predators Take Shape —July 1, 1998 - VOL. 59, Issue. 39 - Jeff Legwold

Nashville Predators’ GM David Poile has the requisite combination of realism and optimism for a man at the helm of an expansion team in today’s NHL.

“Obviously we’re not going to compete for the Stanley Cup right away,” Poile said following the June 26 expansion draft and June 27 entry draft in Buffalo. “But our thinking is we want to be better in the second year than the first, better in the third than we were in the second. We’re trying to build this up.”

The biggest building block so far came in the entry draft when the Predators moved up from No. 3 to No. 2-by surrendering their second round selection-to secure Plymouth Whalers’ center David Legwand. The 17-year-old from suburban Detroit-he turns 18 in August-has already been called the possible cornerstone of the franchise. (See pg. 31 for more on Legwand).

Poile also obtained nine players through trades just hours after the expansion draft and signed another in free agency (left winger Patrie Kjellberg) the same night. He subsequently traded center Mike Sullivan, who the team selected from the Boston Bruins in the expansion draft, to the Phoenix Coyotes for a seventh round pick in the 1999 entry draft.

“I think people now see David will make the deals he thinks will help us,” Trotz said. “He’s not afraid.”

But he is a realist. Poile drafted three unrestricted free agents in the expansion draft with the knowledge he wouldn’t even open negotiations with two of them (defenseman Al lafrate being the exception). Instead, the Predators will gladly take the compensatory draft picks they’ll be awarded when defenseman Uwe Krupp and goalie Mike Richter sign elsewhere later this summer.

Armed with the knowledge he wasn t going to lure big-name players to Nashville right away, Poile had to decide what kind of team to mold. With the recent push to find ways to open up the game, the GM figured it would be prudent to acquire speed, both up front and on the defense corps.

So the Predators selected players such as center Greg Johnson from the Chicago Blackhawks and defenseman Joel Bouchard from the Calgary Flames. They also went for guys who had put up decent scoring numbers in the minors, but who hadn’t yet done it consistently at the NHL level. Included in that group are forwards Craig Darby from the Philadelphia Flyers, Andrew Brunette from the Washington Capitals and Paul Brousseau from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“Maybe a player blossoms because he gets more of a chance with us,” Poile said. “That’s how we are selling it, that they can come in and have a chance to contribute if they want to make the commitment.”

“And we wanted some character guys, guys who were going to show up every night,” Trotz said. “I’ve said we’re going to play in-your-face hockey and we’re going to.”

Trotz has called Doug Brown, selected from the Detroit Red Wings, the “poster child” for the Predators. “Here’s a guy who plays every game as hard as he can play it, is a great person on and off the ice and has terrific leadership skills.”

The Predators also have grit in the form of defenseman Jayson More (a free agent signee), and center Scott Walker, taken from the Vancouver Canucks in the expansion draft.

Since Brown’s 19 NHL goals for the Stanley Cup champions in 1997-98 is the most by any player on the current Predators’ roster, grind-it-out hockey will be the team’s trademark.

“We all need goals,” Poile said. “But 50-goal scorers are not available in the expansion draft. We took players who we think are hard-working, character guys who will not be afraid of challenges. We want people who persevere.”

New goalie Mike Dunham meets that criteria. The 26-year-old has played well during his pro career, but not often. That’s because with the New Jersey Devils he was cemented behind star Martin Brodeur. “At every level of his career he has had success,” Poile said of Dunham. “Now we have lifted away that obstacle (Brodeur).”

“This is a great opportunity,” Dunham said. “I’m going to approach it one save at a time. You can’t overwhelm yourself.”

In the end, the Predators likely came away with more speed and fewer goals than they anticipated. Now Nashville will wait for the likes of Legwand to grow up, for those such as Brunette to help it along, for those such as Brown to show it the way.

And they’ll look for those such as tough left winger Denny Lambert and rugged defenseman Bob Boughner to make sure they have enough room.

“We challenged (management) to come up with the best players for our franchise,” said owner Craig Leipold. “And we feel absolutely great about this team.”