NHL Player News

Gilbert signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Sabres on Wednesday, per Darren Dreger of TSN.

Gilbert managed to secure a one-way deal, which might indicate that Buffalo plans to start 2026-27 with him on the NHL roster. However, the 29-year-old is likely to serve as the seventh defenseman and spend most games as a healthy scratch if he does make the team. Gilbert had an assist in eight regular-season outings with Ottawa in 2025-26. He also recorded 13 assists in 37 AHL regular-season appearances between Belleville and Lehigh Valley last campaign.

Viel signed a five-year, $12.5 million contract with the Lightning on Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Viel made a career-high 45 regular-season NHL appearances between the Bruins and Ducks last year, logging three goals, seven assists, 121 hits, 79 PIM and 21 blocked shots while averaging 11:56 of ice time. The 29-year-old will now attempt to carve out a role with the Lightning on a multi-year agreement.

Arvidsson (ribs) agreed to terms on a two-year, $10 million contract with Detroit on Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Arvidsson certainly cashed in on his 2025-26 campaign in which he generated 25 goals and 29 assists in 69 regular-season games for the Bruins. With his new club, the 33-year-old Swede could push for a top-six role, as well as see time on the power play. As such, Arvidsson should be capable of replicating his numbers from last year and offering solid top-half fantasy value.

Johnston signed a three-year, $6 million contract with the Blues on Wednesday, per Lou Korac of NHL.com.

Johnston had three goals, 14 points, 107 PIM and 192 hits in 62 regular-season outings with Anaheim in 2025-26. The 32-year-old should be in the mix for a fourth-line spot with the Blues, but he'll probably also spend a fair amount of time as a healthy scratch.

Andersson signed a seven-year, $59.5 million contract with the Golden Knights on Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Andersson joined the Golden Knights via trade in January of 2026, and he recorded seven goals, 10 assists, 60 blocked shots, 18 PIM and eight hits while averaging 21:42 of ice time across 33 regular-season appearances with his new club. While he became an unrestricted free agent Wednesday, the Golden Knights expressed a consistent interest in bringing him back, and the two sides agreed to a long-term deal on the first day of free agency. Despite a slight dip in production after joining Vegas last year, he should continue to occupy a spot on a prominent defensive pairing in future seasons.

Lomberg signed a two-year, $2.6 million contract with the Blue Jackets on Wednesday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

Lomberg appeared in just 57 regular-season games with the Flames during the 2025-26 campaign, generating four goals, five assists, 129 hits, 59 PIM and 17 blocked shots while averaging 9:03 of ice time. After losing out on playing time late last season, Lomberg will attempt to carve out a role with his new team on a two-year agreement.

Korpisalo was acquired by the Rangers from Boston on Wednesday in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round pick and Kalle Vaisanen.

Korpisalo had a 14-9-6 record, 3.15 GAA and .894 save percentage in 31 regular-season appearances with Boston in 2025-26. He's set to serve as the No. 2 option with the Rangers behind Igor Shesterkin, and Korpisalo will probably end up with around 25-30 starts in 2026-27 if all goes as planned.

Perry signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Kings on Wednesday, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Perry had 17 goals, 37 points and 81 PIM in 72 regular-season outings between Los Angeles and Tampa Bay in 2025-26. He began the campaign with the Kings, but they dealt him to Tampa Bay on March 6 in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick. It seems Perry enjoyed his time in LA enough to return to the team as an unrestricted free agent. The 41-year-old has done a remarkable job of defying his age by continuing to provide a nice balance of grit and offense, but it remains to be seen how much longer he can keep this up. It wouldn't be shocking if Perry dips below 15 goals and 30 points in 2026-27 despite reaching those milestones in each of the past two regular seasons.

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.

Schwartz (upper body) signed a three-year, $9.75 million contract with the Avalanche on Wednesday, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

After spending the first 10 years of his career in St. Louis, Schwartz joined the Kraken for the past five seasons. He made just 50 regular-season appearances during an injury-riddled 2025-26 campaign, recording 11 goals, 15 assists, 42 blocked shots, 32 hits and eight PIM while averaging 16:08 of ice time. The 34-year-old will get a change of scenery ahead of the 2026-27 season, and he should have an opportunity to carve out a role in Colorado.