The Edmonton Oilers made space under their salary cap by trading forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Klim Kostin to the Detroit Red Wings in return for future considerations.
Yamamoto, 24, had 10 goals and 15 assists in 58 games last season, his sixth in Edmonton. In 2021-22, Yamamoto reached career highs with 20 goals and 41 points.
The Oilers’ 2017 first-round pick has one more year left on his contract, at $3.1 million.
Kostin, also 24, is a restricted free agent. He scored 11 goals and 10 assists in 57 games with the Oilers after being traded by the St. Louis Blues in October.
Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson has already put his plan into action to surround his organization’s future franchise player, Connor Bedard.
The Hawks notably acquired forward Corey Perry from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a seventh-round pick in next year’s draft.
Hours earlier, the Illinois squad acquired forward Josh Bailey and a second-round pick in the 2026 auction from the New York Islanders in return for future considerations.
Bailey played in 1,057 NHL games with the Islanders, scoring 184 goals and 396 assists. He was selected in the first round, ninth overall, in the 2008 draft.
The Hawks, however, intend to buy out his contract, according to several media, including TSN.
The day before, Davidson and the Hawks picked Bedard first overall in the NHL Entry Draft. Bedard, who will celebrate his 18th birthday on July 17, had 71 goals and 72 assists in 57 games with the Regina Pats of the Western Junior Hockey League (WHL) last season.
For their part, the Ottawa Senators have reached a season-long, two-part deal with defenseman Jacob Larsson. This contract will bring him US$775,000 in the NHL, and $325,000 in the American Hockey League.
Larsson scored four goals and 13 assists in 57 games with the Belleville Senators, the Senators’ farm club, last season. He also played in seven NHL games.
