NHL Player News

Valimaki signed a two-year contract with Brynas IF of the SHL on Tuesday.

Valimaki finished 2025-26 with AHL Chicago after a trade from the Utah organization. The 27-year-old blueliner could still impress in the SHL and work his way back to North America in the future, but his chances of being an NHL regular are slim.

Nemec, along with Maxim Tsyplakov, was traded to the Flames from the Devils on Tuesday in exchange for Etienne Morin, a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports.

Nemec is set to be a restricted free agent come July 1, so the Flames will have to get to work on a new contract for the 22-year-old blueliner. It's unlikely to come cheaply, as the Slovak produced 11 goals, 15 assists and 101 shots in 68 regular-season games this year. With his new club, Nemec could be in line for minutes with the No. 2 power-play unit, setting him up to potentially reach the 30-point threshold for the first time in his NHL career.

Allan signed a two-year contract with the Sharks on Tuesday.

Allan was acquired by the Sharks from the Blackhawks in January but didn't get into a game with either team in 2025-26. The 2021 No. 32 overall pick spent the entirety of the year in the minors, putting up two goals and six points over 29 games with AHL Rockford, in addition to producing two goals and 14 points across 35 regular-season games with AHL San Jose. The Sharks have several pending unrestricted free agents on the blue line, so Allan has an opportunity to be an NHL regular in 2026-27, depending on how the organization proceeds come July 1.

Murphy signed a five-year, $20.5 million contract with Edmonton on Monday, per PuckPedia.

Murphy collected five goals, 17 points, 70 shots on net, 138 blocked shots, 90 hits and 71 PIM across 80 regular-season games between Edmonton and Chicago in 2025-26. He also picked up two goals, one assist, 12 hits and 15 blocks in six outings during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Oilers. Murphy will probably occupy a bottom-four role while seeing plenty of time on the penalty kill in the 2026-27 campaign.

Raddysh was traded to the Maple Leafs from the Lightning on Friday in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick and agreed to terms on an eight-year, $68 million contract, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.

Raddysh was expected to hit the free-agent market July 1, so the fact that the Lightning were able to get at least something on the trade market feels like a win. The 30-year-old blueliner is coming off a career year in Tampa this season, racking up 22 goals and 48 assists, including 25 power-play points, in 73 regular-season contests. With Toronto, Raddysh figures to slot into the top pairing in addition to linking up with the No. 1 power-play unit.

Kesselring was traded to the Sharks from Buffalo on Wednesday, along with the 27th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, in exchange for the No. 20 overall pick in 2026.

Kesselring was not going to get much in the way of ice time with the Sabres for the coming season, given the team's logjam on the blue line. In San Jose, the 26-year-old defenseman should get a chance at a third-pairing role, especially if veterans Nick Leddy and John Klingberg walk in free agency.

Clayton signed a one-year, two-way contract with Vancouver on Tuesday.

Clayton notched two goals and 11 points in 65 AHL regular-season games between Abbotsford and San Jose in 2025-26. The 26-year-old blueliner hasn't seen any NHL action yet. He will probably spend most, if not all, of the 2026-27 campaign in the minors.

Benoit and Joseph Woll were dealt to the Flyers from the Maple Leafs on Tuesday in exchange for Samuel Ersson, Emil Andrae and a 2026 third-round pick.

Benoit suited up for 73 games in 2025-26, logging six helpers, 194 hits, 114 blocked shots and a minus-22 rating while averaging 17:18 of ice time. The Flyers' top four appears to be set for at least the 2026-27 campaign, but Benoit should be able to be a fixture on the third pairing with his new team. The 6-foot-4 defenseman is entering the final season of his three-year, $4.05 million deal -- he's scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent ahead of the 2027-28 campaign.

Andrae, Samuel Ersson and a 2026 third-round pick were acquired by the Maple Leafs from the Flyers on Tuesday in exchange for Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit.

With this move to Toronto, Andrae will have the chance to carve out an everyday role with his new club. The 24-year-old accounted for two goals, 13 points, 68 hits, 58 blocks and a plus-15 rating over 61 regular-season games with the Flyers in 2025-26. Andrae will likely fill a third-pairing role to start with the Maple Leafs, and he could factor into the second power-play unit if he performs well in the early going.

Bear agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract with the Islanders on Monday.

Bear has spent the last two seasons playing exclusively in the AHL, having last appeared in an NHL game back in 2023-24 when he was with Washington. With Bridgeport in 2025-26, the 28-year-old blueliner notched four goals and 23 assists in 40 regular-season contests. If he can earn a call-up from the Isles in 2026-27, Bear should be capable of offering decent upside, considering he has 67 points in 275 career regular-season games.