NHL draft

The Minnesota Wild selected Swedish center Adam Andersson in the 2026 NHL Draft, along with Canadian forward Kayden Lemire and Czech goaltender Filip Ruzicka. Andersson, acquired via trade with Los Angeles, contributed 17 points in 30 games for Leksands IF’s U20 team and helped Sweden win gold at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship. Lemire and Ruzicka were chosen in later rounds after trades with Columbus and via the fifth round, respectively.

The Chicago Blackhawks traded the No. 4 overall pick to the Sabres for Bowen Byram, prioritizing a defenseman over drafting Chase Reid. The 2026 NHL draft saw top three picks go to forwards, leaving defensemen like Reid to fall, with the Kraken selecting him at No. 7. The Hawks now hold multiple second-round picks but face questions about whether Byram will outperform Reid long-term.

The San Jose Sharks' GM Mike Grier has executed two trades this month and possesses three first-round picks for Friday’s NHL Draft.

The Nashville Predators traded forwards Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Jack Drury, Chase Bradley, and Colorado’s third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft. Drury, a 26-year-old center, and Bradley, a 24-year-old forward, are expected to bolster the Predators’ forward depth.

The Blackhawks traded prospect Jack Pridham's rights to the Lightning for a 2027 third-round pick due to expiring NHL draft rights after Pridham decommitted from Boston University. Pridham, a 2024 third-round pick, would have re-entered the 2026 draft if untraded, while the Lightning offers a clearer NHL path. A similar situation occurred with prospect Dominic James, who signed with the Lightning after his Blackhawks rights expired.