The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired center Hendrix Lapierre from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2027 third-round draft pick and a 2028 fifth-round selection. Lapierre will be a restricted free agent on July 1. The Penguins have Todd Nelson, Lapierre's former AHL head coach, serving as an assistant coach, which may help Lapierre bounce back from a disappointing campaign. Lapierre, who was the AHL playoff MVP under Nelson two years ago, was limited to 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 74 appearances. He has posted 47 points (13 goals, 34 assists) in 158 career games.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (groin) is seen as the starter for next season ahead of training camp, Sportsnet's Luke Fox reports. Maple Leafs general manager John Chyka confirmed that Stolarz has recovered from a groin strain suffered in April and currently holds the No. 1 spot. Chyka traded away Joseph Woll for Samuel Ersson a couple of weeks ago, giving Toronto's goalie department a slightly different look. But the Maple Leafs plan to ride Stolarz primarily next season. The 32-year-old made 25 starts in 2025-26, posting a 10-10-2 record. He had a career-worst .893 save percentage and allowed 3.28 goals. Stolarz must improve his form in 2026-27 if he wants to stay ahead of Ersson and Dennis Hildeby on the depth chart.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired winger Valeri Nichushkin from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Nichushkin is signed for four more years at a $6.125 million cap hit. The Russian veteran is a proven scorer in the NHL and a valued defensive contributor. However, durability concerns affect his fantasy value. In 2025-26, Nichushkin played 70-plus games for the first time in eight seasons. He fell short of his third 50-point campaign by a single point, tallying 17 goals and 32 assists in 72 outings.

The Nashville Predators have acquired center Jack Drury from the Colorado Avalanche. The team also picked up forward Chase Bradley and a 2029 third-round draft pick in exchange for forwards Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L'Heureux. Drury had a solid 2025-26 campaign, notching a career-high 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 82 games and even receiving some Selke votes. He finished plus-15 for the season and won an impressive 58.1 percent of his faceoffs. As a bottom-six center, Drury has limited fantasy value, but he'll be a nice addition in the middle for the Predators. This trade marks the second offseason transaction between the Predators and the Avalanche, following Chris MacFarland's move from Denver to Nashville to succeed Barry Trotz as general manager.