The Floria Panthers ninth overall pick, used as part of the package to acquire Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators, helped net another high-end forward as the Senators flipped it to the San Jose Sharks for William Eklund on Tuesday. Ottawa also received forward Kasper Halttunen and the rights to forward prospect Brandon Svoboda. Eklund just completed his third full NHL season with the Sharks, producing 15 goals and 53 points in 78 games.
Florida’s division rival in Buffalo shipped defenseman Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks for the fourth overall pick in Friday’s draft. The Sabres also received defenseman Louis Crevier and a second-round pick (45th overall) in 2026 in the deal, while the Blackhawks received forward Jordan Greenway. Byram set an NHL career high with 42 points (11G/31A) in 82 games this season.
The New Jersey Devils sent defenseman Simon Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov to the Calgary Flames for conditional first-round picks in the 2027 NHL Draft and 2028 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and prospect Etienne Morin, a defenseman. Both of the conditional first-round picks are top 10 protected.
St. Louis dealt forward Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals. The Blues received forward Connor McMichael, forward prospect Milton Gastrin and a first-round pick (16th overall) in Friday’s draft. Over the past five seasons, Kyrou led the Blues in goals and power-play goals, was second in points and third in assists.
It looks like a second NHL team could be coming to Texas. Following a meeting of the Board of Governors, Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the league will open a six-month process to evaluate the possibility of expanding to either Houston or Austin, with Dan Freidkin leading the prospective ownership group. Bettman said the Board also had discussions about the possibility of Atlanta and Arizona as expansion markets, but the Friedkin family’s pursuit of a franchise in South Texas is the furthest along.
The Edmonton Oilers have hired Mike Babcock as their next head coach, days after he was cleared by the league to return. Following the debacle in Columbus, Babcock returns after a nearly a three-year hiatus.