The NHL draft is entering its second day on Saturday, June 28, and free agency is around the corner on July 1.
But there are also trades to be made as NHL teams acquire or move players to improve their immediate future or get their salary cap situation under control.
There was a big trade on the second day of the draft as the Detroit Red Wings acquired goalie John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks. That followed defensemen changing teams in a couple earlier trades.
A day earlier, the New York Islanders sent defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for winger Emil Heineman and Montreal’s first two first-round picks (16th and 17th overall).
Trades will pick up with the draft continuing and free agency approaching. Tracking the latest NHL deals:
June 28: Red Wings acquire John Gibson from Ducks
The Detroit Red Wings acquire goalie John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks for goalie Petr Mrazek, a 2027 second- round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick. Gibson had been mentioned in trade rumors for years and the Red Wings have needed better goaltending for years. Lukas Dostal has emerged as a No. 1 goalie in Anaheim and needs a new contract as a restricted free agent. Mrazek is a better fit financially at $4.25 million than Gibson at $6.4 million. Gibson, who will get more playing time in Detroit, had a solid season with a 2.77 goals-against average and .911 save percentage, a little better than how Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon performed.
June 28: Senators acquire Jordan Spence from Kings
Spence’s ice time had dropped, particularly in the playoffs, so the trade gives him more opportunity. The defenseman is only 24. Los Angeles had drafted a defenseman, London’s Henry Brzustewicz, in the first round. The Kings receive a 2025 third round pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder.
June 28: Sabres, Penguins swap defensemen
The Buffalo Sabres acquire defensemen Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau from the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Connor Clifton and a 2025 second-round pick.. The Sabres are changing up their defense after earlier acquiring Michael Kesselring. Clifton is entering the final year of his contract. Timmins is four years younger.
Also: The Washington Capitals acquire defenseman Declan Chisholm and a 2025 sixth-round pick from the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Chase Priskie and a 2025 third-rounder.
June 27: Hurricanes, Blackhawks trade picks
The Carolina Hurricanes trade No. 29 pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for No. 34 and 61, plus a fifth-round in 2027. The Blackhawks select Fargo forward Mason West.
June 27: Kings, Penguins trade draft picks
The Los Angeles Kings trade the No. 24 pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for the 31st and 59th overall picks. The hometown Kings move down seven spots and pick up a late second-rounder. Pittsburgh uses the pick on University of Michigan winger Will Horcoff, son for former Oilers captain Shawn Horcoff.
June 27: Senators, Predators trade draft picks
The Ottawa Senators trade the No. 21 pick to the Nashville Predators for the 23rd and 67th overall picks. Ottawa moves down two spots and gets a third-rounder. Nashville uses the pick to draft Kitchener (Ontario) defenseman Cameron Reid.
June 27: Penguins, Flyers trade draft picks
The Pittsburgh Penguins trade pick No. 12 to the Philadelphia Flyers for picks No. 22 and 31. No back-to-back picks for the Penguins and the Flyers go from three first-rounders to two. The Flyers take Windsor (Ontario) center Jack Nesbitt with the pick.
June 27: Blue Jackets acquire Charlie Coyle, Miles Wood from Avalanche
The Avalanche get back 20-year-old forward Gavin Brindley, a third-round selection (77th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft and a conditional 2027 second-rounder. This move helps the Blue Jackets’ depth. Wood has a lot of speed and kills penalties. Coyle, acquired by the Avalanche at the trade deadline, had 25 goals two seasons ago. The Avalanche clear cap space.
June 27: Canadiens acquire Noah Dobson from Islanders
Dobson, a restricted free agent, signed an eight-year, $76 million extension as part of the deal, according to Friedman. Dobson, a skilled offensive defenseman, had 70 points two seasons ago and joins a Montreal blue line that features rookie of the year Lane Hutson. Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche gets two picks in the middle of the first round. Could he use the 16th and 17th picks as part of a package to move up in the draft? He didn’t, drafting Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson. Heineman, whom the Islanders acquired from the Canadiens as part of the deal, is known for his speed and two-way ability.
June 26: Mammoth acquire JJ Peterka from Sabres
The Utah Mammoth will be aggressive this offseason as they head into their second season in Salt Lake City. Peterka is coming off a career-best 68 points and totaled 55 goals the past two seasons. The 23-year-old was a restricted free agent and signed a five-year deal with the Mammoth after the trade.
The Sabres, who need to adjust their roster to try to end a 14-season playoff drought, get back defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan. Kesselring, 25, had a career-best 29 points as he got more ice time because of injuries on the Utah blue line. Doan, 23, is the son of former Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan. He has another year left on his contract.
June 26: Panthers acquire Daniil Tarasov from the Blue Jackets
The Panthers give up a 2025 fifth-round pick for Tarasov, 26, a restricted free agent who became available with Jet Greaves emerging in Columbus. Current backup Vitek Vanecek is a pending unrestricted free agent. Tarasov has a career 3.44 goals-against average but those numbers should come down while playing behind a better Panthers defense. Sergei Bobrovsky will be 37 next season and has a year left on his contract. General Bill Zito potentially has found his future No. 1 goalie.
Also: The Seattle Kraken acquired two-way center Frederick Gaudreau from the Minnesota Wild for a 2025 fourth-round pick. … In a free agency move, the Dallas Stars re-signed captain Jamie Benn for one year at $1 million, plus an additional $3 million in potential performance bonuses
June 25: Oilers trade Evander Kane to Canucks
This was a salary cap move, saving more than $5 million with the Oilers needing to re-sign defenseman Evan Bouchard. The Oilers get back a fourth-round pick. Kane, a Vancouver native, adds help on the wing with the Canucks expected to lose Brock Boeser to free agency.
June 23: Flyers acquire Trevor Zegras from Ducks
Zegras wanted to play center and the Ducks didn’t have room for him there in their top six. The Flyers land a creative forward who has scored several lacrosse-style goals but also has dealt recently with injuries. The Ducks get back center Ryan Poehling, who wins faceoffs and kills penalties, two areas where Anaheim needed improvement. They also receive a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder.
June 21: Blackhawks, Kraken make trade
The Chicago Blackhawks traded for left wing Andre Burakovsky, sending center Joe Veleno back to the Seattle Kraken. Burakovsky was available after the Kraken earlier acquired Mason Marchment. Burakovsky has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons but bounced back to play 79 games during the 2024-25 season, netting 10 goals and 27 assists with Seattle. Veleno scored 17 points this season between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. – Elizabeth Flores
June 19: Kraken acquire Mason Marchment from Stars
The Stars needed to clear out cap space after re-signing Matt Duchene so they traded 22-goal scorer Mason Marchment and his $4.5 million contract to the Seattle Kraken for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2025 fourth-rounder. In addition to his goals, he’s 6-foot-5 and throws hits.