From Pavel Dorofeyev landing in New York to J.J. Peterka shifting to Boston, the 2026 NHL Draft weekend brought a cascade of moves across the league—while teams also weighed blockbuster possibilities involving players like Jason Robertson and Zach Werenski.
Carolina Hurricanes fans filled downtown Raleigh for the team’s Stanley Cup celebration, but the draft floor was already rewriting the next chapter. The lead-up to the 2026 NHL Draft carried a busy trail of trades, and it spilled into the first round on Friday, June 26.
The biggest names in the shuffle included the Vegas Golden Knights’ Pavel Dorofeyev going to the New York Rangers and Utah Mammoth’s J.J. Peterka heading to the Boston Bruins. Both were moved in deals that touched the first-round order and pushed other players—and draft plans—into motion.
Before the draft, the Florida Panthers acquired Brady Tkachuk and Garnet Hathaway. The Chicago Blackhawks shipped out the No. 4 overall pick for Bowen Byram, and the Washington Capitals landed Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou. Valeri Nichushkin, William Eklund, Michael Kesselring, and Simon Nemec also moved teams. At the same time, reports said Jason Robertson and Mason McTavish were being shopped.
One reason the weekend felt so volatile was the way trades quickly turned draft assets into immediate roster leverage. Dorofeyev’s deal is the clearest example: a Golden Knights player who totaled 72 goals over the past two seasons and who just went to the Stanley Cup Final landed in New York. The move also matters because Dorofeyev is a restricted free agent.
New York’s addition came with a price. The Golden Knights get back into the first round by acquiring the 23rd overall pick, plus the 92nd and a 2028 first-round pick.
Boston, meanwhile, spent its own high-value piece. The Bruins gave up the 23rd overall pick in 2026, plus the Florida Panthers’ 2028 first-rounder pick (top 10 protected). Peterka’s path to Boston is short but pointed: he was dealt after one year in Utah. is set to play for German coach Marco Sturm in Boston. and will return to the Atlantic Division after previously playing for the Sabres.
The Peterka trade didn’t just land—there were ongoing conversations behind it. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Bruins were working on a deal with the Mammoth over J.J. Peterka.
Other teams focused less on blockbuster names and more on positioning players and picks for needs that appeared to be closing fast. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said the Blue Jackets are listening to teams calling about Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski. adding that Werenski is unlikely to extend his deal past its expiration in 2028.
In Buffalo, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said the Sabres are listening to offers on their pick. If he keeps it, Kekalainen said the team would go after the best player available. He also pointed to the Sabres’ needs on both wing and defense—an emphasis that connects directly to how Buffalo already moved key players. The Sabres moved out Alex Tuch in a sign-and-trade and also traded defensemen Bowen Byram and Michael Kesselring. Buffalo got the pick from Chicago in the Byram deal.
Ottawa made a different kind of gamble, trading for forward André Burakovsky and giving up a sixth-round 2027 pick. Burakovsky had 33 points last season, but only three from February until the end of the season. The Senators will be his fifth team. His father, Robert, played for Ottawa.
Los Angeles watched the trade market for depth and timing as well. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said the Ducks are engaged in talks with the Rangers and Blues, with the Rangers offer including a roster player and the Blues offering picks.
The draft room in Anaheim also intersected with defensive needs in Buffalo. Buffalo needed defensive depth after moving out Bowen Byram and Michael Kesselring in recent trades. The Ducks got back forward Anton Wahlberg and a 2026 second-round pick (45th overall) as part of that defensive rebalancing. Zellweger, 22, totaled 14 goals and 42 points the past two seasons.
A series of contracts and continuity deals followed, showing how teams were balancing immediate roster impact with longer-term financial planning.
Defenseman Brett Kulak, 32, scored the overtime series-clinching goal in the second round against the Minnesota Wild. He was acquired from the Penguins in the Samuel Girard trade after Pittsburgh acquired him earlier in the season from the Oilers in the Tristan Jarry trade. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Kulak will average $4.5 million in his deal.
Brent Burns is coming back for a second season with the Avalanche. Terms weren’t disclosed. Burns, 41, had 35 points with Colorado last season, including five game-winning goals. He has played 1. 007 consecutive games and will be in position next season to pass Phil Kessel’s record ironman streak of 1. 064.
Spence’s money was also part of the weekend’s business. Jordan Spence will average $5 million in the contract, after seven goals and 31 points last season—career highs.
The Islanders kept their own pending situation calm for now. The pending unrestricted agent is staying with the Islanders on a two-year deal with a reported $4.5 million cap hit. DeAngelo had 35 points in 76 games in his second season with the Islanders and 10th in the NHL.
And in Winnipeg, the uncertainty centered on whether a star goalie might change scenery. Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff confirmed he has been listening to offers on star goalie Connor Hellebuyck. “As an organization, it’s incumbent on me to listen,” he said. He didn’t answer whether the U.S. Olympic gold medalist has asked for a trade or if there is a timeline for making a deal. Hellebuyck is under contract through 2031. “What I’ve been hearing hasn’t made me act,” Cheveldayoff said.
Even the quieter parts of the weekend contained real leverage. When it comes to star value. Jason Robertson’s name kept showing up in trade talk—but the response was firm. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Stars gave Seattle permission to talk to Jason Robertson. and he turned down the team’s offer for about $15 million a year. Robertson can become a restricted free agent on July 1.
The draft itself also became a target. Sharks general manager Mike Grier said this week he had been getting calls about the No. 9 overall pick and a few others on the No. 2 pick.
The Blues, meanwhile, built a stash of early draft capital after trading Kyrou. After trading Kyrou, the Blues have four first-round picks, including back-to-back at 15 and 16. The question for St. Louis was whether those picks could be packaged to move up in the draft or to go after another team’s player.
The sequence of moves across first-round picks and player-heavy deals left teams doing double duty—deciding what they could afford to lose in the present while still trying to control what they could draft next. Dorofeyev’s restriction status. Peterka’s quick turn from Utah to Boston. and the way Hellebuyck and Robertson talk played out all landed on the same theme: even in a draft weekend defined by projection. teams still acted as if the next contract and the next roster slot could be decided before the confetti cleared.
2026 NHL Draft trades Pavel Dorofeyev New York Rangers J.J. Peterka Boston Bruins Brady Tkachuk Garnet Hathaway Zach Werenski Connor Hellebuyck Jason Robertson MISRYOUM USA24 News