NHL News

7:17 AM ET Typically, NHL free agency begins on July 1 each offseason: a cherished tradition on Canada Day up north, and a pre-Independence Day festival of commerce for those of us in the United States. On July 1, 2021, the Stanley Cup had yet to be awarded. But 27 days later, we are ready

7:00 AM ET The NHL free-agent market officially opens on Wednesday — you can catch our simulcast of TSN’s “Free Agent Frenzy” coverage beginning at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN+ — as teams scramble to sign players who can be everything from the last pieces of a championship puzzle to the spackle around the holes

7:00 AM ET After 16 months of uncertainty, the hockey world is beginning to return to some sense of normalcy as the free-agent market ahead of the 2021-22 NHL season is set to open on Wednesday, July 28. Of course, there’s been nothing too normal about this summer thus far: In an effort to get

3:35 PM ET ESPN News Services NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils acquired defenseman Christian Jaros from the San Jose Sharks on Monday in exchange for forward Nick Merkley. The Devils said they had agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with the restricted free agent. The contract is worth $800,000 at the NHL level

8:45 PM ET There have been rumors percolating for months that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones could be on the move. On Friday, those rumors became reality. The Chicago Blackhawks landed Jones, along with a 2021 first-round pick (32nd overall), and a 2022 sixth-round pick from Columbus, in exchange for defenseman Adam Boqvist, Chicago’s

4:28 PM ET So far, the big trade that Buffalo Sabres fans are expecting — involving captain Jack Eichel — has not materialized. But GM Kevyn Adams continues to make tweaks to his organizational depth, with the latest move being trading Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a conditional 2022 first-round pick

3:10 PM ET As Day 2 of the 2021 NHL draft got rolling, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers elected to make a significant change to the makeup of their respective top-six forward groups, trading Cam Atkinson for Jakub Voracek in a one-for-one swap. It’s been a busy two days for Flyers GM Chuck

7:36 PM ET A long, long ride is over. The 2021 NHL draft had a bit everything. Consider the blockbuster trades, as stars like Seth Jones, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jakub Voracek, Cam Atkinson and Sam Reinhart all changed teams. Consider the history, as one NCAA school had a record-breaking weekend. Consider the mystery, as the COVID

2:27 AM ET The first round of the 2021 NHL Draft was like a blockbuster summer movie. There were tantalizing trailers, in the form of three blockbuster trades that preceded the draft and impacted picks — including Rasmus Ristolainen to the Philadelphia Flyers, Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the Vancouver Canucks, and Seth Jones to the Chicago

6:15 PM ET ESPN staff The 2021 NHL draft is here, and we’re tracking all 224 picks over two days and seven rounds, starting with the Buffalo Sabres‘ selection at No. 1 overall. Follow along live Friday and Saturday for each selection. Plus, Greg Wyshynski will take a closer look at how each first-rounder fits

7:00 AM ET Draft day is here! You’ve read through our top-50 prospect rankings, checked out the latest projections in Greg’s mock draft, learned more about what makes Owen Power such a great prospect from Emily’s story, and of course, digested the Seattle Kraken‘s expansion draft process thanks to our top takeaways file. Now, it’s

6:35 PM ET If it seems to you like the 2020-21 NHL season just ended, you’re not incorrect: the Stanley Cup was awarded on July 7 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. But the league has spun forward to the offseason and preparations for 2021-22 quickly: The expansion draft was held Wednesday, in which the Seattle

11:43 PM ET The Seattle Kraken selected their first group of players in the expansion draft on Wednesday night. Some arrived in person, the first to wear the newest NHL jerseys. Some had their names announced by flying fish and an octopus in the local aquarium, and some by Seattle SuperSonics legends Gary Payton and

11:36 AM ET The Seattle Kraken will not select Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price in the expansion draft, a source told ESPN on Wednesday. Price, who just led Montreal to the Stanley Cup Final, waived his no movement clause to become available for the Kraken’s expansion draft, which is being held on Wednesday night. Price

11:46 AM ET Montreal goalie Carey Price and St. Louis winger Vladimir Tarasenko were among several star players left exposed in the Seattle Kraken expansion draft, as the NHL revealed its teams’ protected lists on Sunday. The Kraken will select one player from 30 NHL teams, as the Vegas Golden Knights are exempt from the

11:47 AM ET Logan Mailloux, 18, has renounced himself from the NHL draft after his conviction for a crime of a sexual nature in Sweden last year had teams vowing not to select him this weekend. “Being drafted into the NHL is an honor and a privilege that no one takes lightly. The NHL draft

7:00 AM ET The Seattle Kraken will stretch their tentacles and pluck players from 30 teams on Wednesday night in the NHL expansion draft, starting at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Every team except the Vegas Golden Knights, the 2017 expansion franchise that was exempt from this draft, submitted lists of protected players to the

12:00 PM ET On Monday, Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop became the first active player under NHL contract to come out as gay. Prokop made the announcement on Instagram, saying, “From a young age I have dreamed of being an NHL player, and I believe that living my authentic life will allow me to bring