NHL Player News

Cole signed a one-year, $4 million contract with Chicago on Wednesday, PuckPedia reports.

Cole has moved around the league in recent years, and he'll join his seventh team in as many seasons during the 2026-27 campaign. He's appeared in all 82 regular-season games in two consecutive seasons, most recently recording three goals, 20 assists, 151 blocked shots, 73 hits and 50 PIM while averaging 18:16 of ice time with the Mammoth last year.

Gudas (ankle) signed a six-year, $9 million contract with the Panthers on Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

The Ducks traded Gudas' rights to the Panthers on Monday. Florida was able to reach an agreement on a long-term deal with Gudas before free agency. Across 56 regular-season appearances with Anaheim last year, he recorded two goals, 11 assists, 164 hits, 88 blocked shots and 67 PIM while averaging 16:11 of ice time.

Zellweger signed a three-year, $9.3 million contract with the Sabres on Wednesday, per PuckPedia.

Zellweger was a restricted free agent before signing this deal. Buffalo acquired him from Anaheim on Friday. He had seven goals, 22 points, 34 PIM, 33 hits and 85 blocks in 76 regular-season outings with the Ducks in 2025-26. The 22-year-old is likely to begin next season on Buffalo's third pairing, but he has untapped upside and could grow into a bigger role over the length of this new contract.

Lyubushkin and Mavrik Bourque were acquired by Nashville from Dallas on Wednesday in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round selection, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN.

Lyubushkin had a goal, nine points, 40 PIM, 68 hits and 90 blocks in 53 regular-season appearances with the Stars in 2025-26. He'll be competing for a third-pairing spot with Nashville, but he might end up being the team's seventh blueliner, which would lead to him regularly serving as a healthy scratch.

Byram agreed to terms on a six-year, $75 million contract with Chicago on Wednesday, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.

Byram's deal will make him the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL when it kicks in next season, surpassing Erik Karlsson's $11.5 million AAV. With the NHL salary cap rising, the 25-year-old Byram is unlikely to hold that title for long. With Buffalo last year, he notched 11 goals and 31 assists in 82 regular-season games. He should be capable of topping those numbers in 2026-27, especially if he can cement himself as the quarterback for Chicago's No. 1 power-play unit.

Lauzon signed a six-year, $24 million contract with the Golden Knights on Tuesday, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.

Lauzon getting six years is a little surprising, but he's clearly important to Vegas' plans. The 29-year-old defenseman will slot into a third-pairing role, though he could play a little more if injuries pile up. Lauzon is an excellent option in banger leagues due to his high-end physicality, but his relative lack of offense makes him risky in standard fantasy formats -- he's never had more than 14 points in a regular season.

Miller signed a contract with Lausanne of the Swiss National League on Tuesday, per Tim Hiebert of PuckPedia.

Miller was limited to two assists, 29 hits, 13 blocked shots and a minus-8 rating over 18 games for the Jets in 2025-26. The 33-year-old defenseman has had some success as a depth blueliner, but at this stage of his career, it'll likely be difficult for him to get back to the NHL on a regular basis.

Vegas acquired Wotherspoon from Pittsburgh on Tuesday in exchange for Kaedan Korczak.

As part of the trade, the Penguins will retain 50 percent of Wotherspoon's $1 million cap hit for the 2026-27 campaign. He registered three goals, 30 points, 70 shots on net, 112 blocked shots and 162 hits across 80 appearances during the 2025-26 regular season.

Korczak was traded to the Penguins from the Golden Knights on Tuesday in exchange for Parker Wotherspoon.

Korczak is three years younger than Wotherspoon but carries a significantly higher cap hit ($3.25 million), especially with the Pens retaining half of Wotherspoon's contract. Perhaps more importantly, the 25-year-old Korczak is a right-handed defenseman, which gives Pittsburgh some cover on that side behind Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang.

Samson was not given a qualifying offer from the Lightning on Monday, which means he will become an unrestricted free agent, per PuckPedia.

Samson picked up five goals and 18 points over 40 games between AHL Lehigh Valley and Syracuse in 2025-26. The defenseman was a sixth-round pick by Philadelphia in 2021 and has never appeared in an NHL game.