NHL Player News

Anaheim acquired Masters and the No. 192 pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft from Carolina on Saturday in exchange for the rights to John Carlson.

Masters had three assists in 10 regular-season appearances for ECHL Wichita in 2025-26. The 23-year-old is eligible for restricted free agency this summer. The Ducks selected Noah Kosick with the No. 192 selection to close out the sixth round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Carolina acquired Carlson from Anaheim on Saturday in exchange for Kyle Masters and pick No. 192 in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Carlson is eligible for unrestricted free agency Wednesday, which doesn't give the Hurricanes much of an exclusive negotiating window. He compiled 14 goals and 60 points in 71 regular-season games between Anaheim and Washington in 2025-26. He also earned six assists in 12 outings for the Ducks during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Carlo (lower body) has been traded from Toronto to St. Louis in exchange for two 2026 third-round draft picks, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on Saturday.

The picks are No. 73 and 76. Carlo is a massive, right-shot shutdown specialist who plays a safe, low-risk game that coaches adore. He's excellent on the penalty kill, but endured a lot of injury issues last season. He produced seven assists, 66 shots on goal, 98 blocked shots and 65 hits across 55 appearances during the 2025-26 campaign. Carlo has one more season left on his six-year, $24.6 million contract.

Doughty will not get a contract extension this summer, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on Saturday.

Kings general manager Ken Holland wants Doughty to finish his career with the team, and he said the contract situation will come into focus after the 2026-27 season. Doughty has spent his entire career with Los Angeles, playing 1,279 regular-season games and putting up 165 goals and 544 assists. He has won two Stanley Cups (2012 and 2014) with the organization. Doughty has also played for Team Canada at the 2010, 2014 and 2026 Olympics, as well as the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.

Ekblad (finger) said Friday that his injury has healed, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Ekblad sustained a broken finger in late March. The 30-year-old looks good to go for the start of 2026-27, where he should take on top-four minutes and power-play time for the Panthers. He had 26 points (four goals, 22 assists), 103 blocked shots, 84 hits and 55 PIM over 72 outings last season.

Clarke signed a five-year, $37 million contract extension with the Kings on Friday.

Clarke wrapped up his entry-level deal in 2025-26, posting eight goals, 32 assists, 159 shots on net, 185 blocked shots, 63 PIM and a plus-11 rating over 82 regular-season games. His new deal will carry a $7.4 million cap hit. This cements his place in the Kings' future plans and should help the team ease the transition on the blue line as Clarke starts to take over the top role from Drew Doughty. The 23-year-old Clarke should be a popular fantasy pick this year, especially if he retains a spot on the first power-play unit.

Zellweger was traded to Buffalo from Anaheim on Friday in exchange for Anton Wahlberg and the No. 45 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Zellweger had seven goals, 22 points, 34 PIM, 37 hits and 85 blocks in 76 regular-season appearances with Anaheim in 2025-26. He's set to become a restricted free agent Wednesday, so the Sabres will need to work out a contract with him. Zellweger will probably start next season as part of the Sabres' third pairing, but the 22-year-old has the potential to develop into a top-four blueliner.

Burns signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with Colorado on Friday.

Burns and Corey Perry are the last two players remaining from the 2003 NHL Draft class, having both been selected in the first round that year. The 41-year-old Burns also leads that group in games played, having logged 1,579 regular-season contests, in which he has produced 273 goals and 672 assists, while also making 148 postseason appearances. Despite the impressive resume, Burns' return for another year is almost certainly linked to trying to win the Stanley Cup, a feat which has thus far eluded him.

Kulak signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract with the Avalanche on Friday.

Kulak was moved around during the 2025-26 campaign, spending time with the Oilers, Penguins and Avalanche. However, he'll gain some stability over the next few years after he was slated to become a free agent during the offseason. Across 83 regular-season appearances between his three teams last season, he logged a goal, 11 assists, 108 blocked shots, 38 PIM and 19 hits while averaging 18:58 of ice time.

Spence signed a four-year, $20 million contract with the Senators on Friday, Alex Adams of Sportsnet reports.

After spending the first four years of his career with the Kings, Spence joined the Senators for the 2025-26 campaign. He made 73 regular-season appearances, recording seven goals, 24 assists, 59 blocked shots, 55 hits and 22 PIM while averaging 18:44 of ice time. He was slated to become a restricted free agent during the offseason, but he'll remain under contract with Ottawa for the next four seasons following his new agreement.