Samwise NHL & Hockey Newsletter
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Maple Leafs Select Forward Gavin McKenna First Overall in 2026 NHL Draft
The Toronto Maple Leafs selected 18-year-old forward Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. Pop star and Maple Leafs fan Justin Bieber announced the selection at the podium, in the same arena where Toronto chose Auston Matthews first overall in 2016. McKenna, a native of Whitehorse, Yukon, posted 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 35 games with Penn State this season, ranking tied for fifth in NCAA scoring at 1.46 points per game. He is the third player in Maple Leafs history selected first overall, joining Matthews (2016) and Wendel Clark (1985).
San Jose Sharks Lead the Pack as Trade Frenzy Highlights NHL Draft Opening Night
The San Jose Sharks emerged as one of the standout teams from Friday's first round of the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, selecting playmaker Ivar Stenberg second overall and defenseman Keaton Verhoeff ninth. The back-to-back top-10 picks give San Jose a blue-chip defensive prospect to pair alongside Sam Dickinson. Toronto took McKenna first and Vancouver selected center Caleb Malhotra third. The St. Louis Blues headlined draft-night trades, acquiring Mason McTavish from Anaheim using two first-round picks, while the New York Rangers landed Pavel Dorofeyev from Vegas. All 32 first-round selections were made Friday evening at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
Sources: CBS Sports Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Blues Acquire Center Mason McTavish from Ducks for Two First-Round Picks at Draft
The St. Louis Blues acquired center Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks on Friday in exchange for the No. 15 and No. 29 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. McTavish, 23, recorded 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists) in 75 games for Anaheim this season and added six points in 10 playoff games. He has five seasons remaining on a six-year contract signed with the Ducks in September 2025. Anaheim used the No. 15 pick to select forward Nikita Klepov. St. Louis entered the draft holding four first-round picks and moved two of those selections to acquire a proven young center for their rebuild.
Rangers Acquire Dorofeyev from Golden Knights, Sign Winger to Seven-Year, $77M Contract
The New York Rangers acquired forward Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday and signed the restricted free agent to a seven-year, $77 million contract. Vegas received the No. 26 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a third-round pick (No. 92), and a conditional first-round selection in 2028. Dorofeyev set NHL career highs this season with 37 goals, 27 assists, and 64 points in 82 games for the Golden Knights. New York moved ahead of July 1 free agency to lock up Dorofeyev before open bidding could begin on a winger who had established himself as one of Vegas's most consistent offensive contributors.
NHL Draft Rounds 2 Through 7 Underway Saturday in Buffalo to Complete 2026 Classes
The 2026 NHL Draft resumes Saturday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo with rounds two through seven beginning at 11 a.m. ET, as all 32 teams complete their selections following a trade-filled opening night. Friday's first round saw Gavin McKenna go first overall to Toronto, Ivar Stenberg second to San Jose, and Caleb Malhotra third to Vancouver, with player trades reshuffling the board throughout the evening. Teams holding extra picks from pre-draft deals, including St. Louis, San Jose, and Ottawa, enter Saturday with multiple selections in later rounds. The draft features 224 total picks across seven rounds, with the remaining 192 scheduled to wrap up Saturday.
NHL Free Agency Opens Wednesday with $104M Cap and a Star-Studded Unrestricted Market
NHL free agency begins Wednesday with the salary cap rising to $104 million for 2026-27, an $8.5 million increase fueling an active open market. Defensemen Rasmus Andersson (47 points this season) and veteran John Carlson (60 points with Anaheim) headline the available field. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is also set to become an unrestricted free agent when his Florida contract expires. Alex Ovechkin, 40, scored 32 goals and 64 points in 82 games and is expected to seek a new deal. Alex Tuch came off the board this week in a sign-and-trade to Washington worth eight years and $84 million.
Sources: The Hockey News Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Ottawa Senators Add Defenseman Zellweger and Forward Burakovsky in Draft-Day Transactions
The Ottawa Senators completed two draft-day acquisitions Friday to deepen their roster heading into an active offseason. Ottawa acquired defenseman Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Anton Wahlberg and the No. 45 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and picked up forward Andre Burakovsky from the Chicago Blackhawks for a sixth-round selection in 2027. The moves add experienced pieces for a Senators organization that also received multiple draft picks, including two first-round selections this year, when it traded Brady Tkachuk to Florida earlier in June. Ottawa continues to accumulate assets and depth while pushing toward a return to playoff contention.
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs — Final Results
Eastern Conference
First Round: Hurricanes vs. Senators — Hurricanes win 4–0
Second Round: Hurricanes vs. Flyers — Hurricanes win 4–0
Conference Finals: Hurricanes vs. Canadiens — Hurricanes win 4–1
Western Conference
First Round: Golden Knights vs. Utah Mammoth — Golden Knights win 4–2
Second Round: Golden Knights vs. Ducks — Golden Knights win 4–2
Conference Finals: Golden Knights vs. Avalanche — Golden Knights win 4–0
Stanley Cup Final
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Vegas Golden Knights — Hurricanes win 4–2 🏆 2026 Stanley Cup Champions
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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