NHL Player News

Buffalo obtained Timmins and Isaac Belliveau from Pittsburgh on Saturday in exchange for Connor Clifton and a 2025 second-round draft pick.

Timmins is a 26-year-old journeyman defender who split 2024-25 between Toronto and Pittsburgh, putting up three goals and 12 assists in 68 regular-season appearances. He has struggled to slot into lineups as a depth blueliner, but Timmins logged more ice time with the Penguins after simplifying his game and focusing on better decisions in the defensive zone. The Sabres have a lot of puck movers ahead of him, but the fact he's a right shot will give him a chance to shine on a team laden with lefties.

Ottawa acquired Spence from the Kings on Saturday in exchange for a third-round selection in 2025 and a sixth-round pick in 2026.

Spence is an undersized, right-shot defender with offensive upside. He skates well and can move the puck. In 2024-25, he delivered four goals and 24 assists in 79 regular-season games with the Kings. In Ottawa, Spence could land a third-pairing role. He may also become the third option for power-play time should one of Jake Sanderson or Thomas Chabot go down with an injury.

Bahl has signed a six-year, $32.1 million contract extension with the Flames on Saturday, PuckPedia reports.

Bahl, who was a pending restricted free agent, has locked in a long-term extension with the Flames. He posted three goals, 17 assists, 116 blocked shots and 109 hits across 73 regular-season appearances while averaging 21:23 of ice time per game last campaign. The 25-year-old is an integral piece of the Calgary's top-four defense group.

Fleury inked a two-year, $1.9 million contract with the Jets on Saturday.

Fleury had seven assists, 48 hits and 56 blocked shots across 39 regular-season appearances in 2024-25. The 28-year-old has plenty of competition for a role as a third-unit defenseman with the Jets, as Logan Stanley, Luke Schenn and Colin Miller are also in the mix.

Dobson signed an eight-year, $76 million contract extension with the Islanders and was dealt to Montreal on Friday in exchange for Emil Heineman and Montreal's two first-round picks in 2025, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

The move will give the Canadiens an outstanding young defense, including Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle and the up-and-coming David Reinbacher. Dobson had 10 goals and 29 assists in 71 regular-season appearances with the Islanders in 2024-25, but he starred the previous campaign with 10 goals and 60 assists. Dobson could pair with Hutson on the power play to give the Canadiens a pair of outstanding men on the point.

Lagesson agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with Detroit on Friday.

Lagesson saw action in just seven NHL games last year in which he generated one assist while averaging 14:34 of ice time. In the minors, the 29-year-old defenseman wasn't significantly more productive, generating just nine points in 23 outings. Even with a new deal in hand, Lagesson probably shouldn't be expected to offer much in the way of offensive upside, limiting him to mid-range fantasy value at best.

Vlasic was put on unconditional waivers by the Sharks on Thursday for the purposes of buying out the final year of his contract, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Vlasic signed an eight-year, $56 million contract in July of 2017. He saw action in 27 games during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring once and adding two assists, missing the first three months of the season with back problems. Vlasic could play for another NHL team next season but at the age of 38, it will likely be in a limited role.

Kesselring and Josh Doan were traded to the Sabres from the Mammoth on Wednesday in exchange for JJ Peterka, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Kesselring provides a boost to the right side of the Sabres' defense, though it came at a cost of a talented scoring winger. This is not a great trade for Kesselring's fantasy upside, as he's joining a team that already has Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power established as power-play options. Bowen Byram is also on the roster, but he has been included in trade rumors as well. Kesselring had 29 points, 150 shots on net, 87 hits, 67 blocked shots and 89 PIM over 82 games with Utah last season, and he projects as a top-four defenseman with moderate scoring potential.

Fehervary (knee) is expected to be ready for training camp, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports Wednesday.

Fehervary is expected to resume skating in a couple of weeks, so he should be able to get back on track for a fairly normal offseason training regimen. He underwent meniscus surgery in late April. The defenseman is expected to occupy a top-four role for the Capitals in 2025-26 after posting a career-high 25 points in 81 regular-season outings last season.

Lohrei signed a two-year, $6.4 million contract with Boston on Monday.

Lohrei compiled five goals, 33 points, 92 shots on net and 103 blocked shots across 77 appearances during the 2024-25 regular season. He also ranked second on the team with 16 power-play points, but injuries to Charlie McAvoy (shoulder) and Hampus Lindholm (kneecap) played a part in that production. Still, Lohrei has positioned himself well for a larger role in 2025-26, which could include more time on Boston's top power-play unit.