NHL Player News

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.

Luostarinen is signing an eight-year, $40 million contract extension with the Panthers on Wednesday, David Dwork of The Hockey News reports.

Luostarinen appeared in 73 regular-season games during the 2025-26 campaign -- his lowest mark since the 2020-21 season -- but remained productive, logging 11 goals, 22 assists, 121 hits, 57 blocked shots and 32 PIM while averaging 16:34 of ice time. After spending the last six seasons with Florida, he'll remain under contract with the team on a long-term deal.

Hischier is slated to sign a five-year, $58.5 million contract extension with the Devils on Wednesday, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.

Hischier has one more year remaining on his current contract, so his extension will kick in for the 2027-28 campaign. The 27-year-old has racked up at least 60 points for New Jersey in five consecutive seasons, most recently recording 28 goals, 38 assists, 62 blocked shots, 58 hits and 29 PIM while averaging 20:43 of ice time across 82 regular-season appearances in 2025-26.

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.

Robertson was acquired by Pittsburgh from Toronto on Wednesday in exchange for a fourth-round pick, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Robertson set career highs in 2025-26 with 16 goals and 32 points in 78 outings with the Maple Leafs. The 24-year-old has offensive potential beyond what last season's numbers imply, and there have been stretches where he's been extremely effective. However, consistency has been a problem for Robertson, and he was never able to cement himself as a top-six forward with Toronto. A fresh start is probably what's in his best interests, but it wouldn't be surprising if he similarly struggles to maintain a top-six job with the Penguins in 2026-27.

Bourque and Ilya Lyubushkin were traded to the Predators from the Stars on Wednesday in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.

After making 73 regular-season appearances for Dallas in 2024-25, Bourque appeared in every regular-season game for the Stars last year, racking up 20 goals, 21 assists, 78 hits, 22 PIM and 21 blocked shots while averaging 15:29 of ice time. He carved out some time on the power play with the Stars and will attempt to continue his development with a change of scenery ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

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.

Cousins signed a two-year, $3.175 million contract with the Senators on Tuesday, per PuckPedia.

Cousins will continue to bring the physicality and agitation in a bottom-six role. The 32-year-old had 23 points, 92 PIM and 169 hits over 81 regular-season outings in 2025-26. He also shot 11.4 percent, the second-highest mark of his career, so he may experience some regression in 2026-27.

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.

Greer signed a four-year, $17 million contract with the Ducks on Tuesday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

Greer will get a nice payday after a career year of 17 goals and 15 assists over 78 games with the Panthers in 2025-26. The 29-year-old forward has also topped the 100-PIM mark in three of the last four years and the 200-hit mark in two consecutive seasons. Expect Greer to be a fixture in the bottom six for the Ducks, though he may struggle to replicate his offense from last year.