The Pittsburgh Penguins were one of the teams reportedly interested in defenseman Nicolas Hague, but he is officially no longer an option for them. 

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the Vegas Golden Knights have traded Hague to the Nashville Predators in exchange for forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. In addition, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that Hague has signed a four-year, $22 million contract extension with the Predators. 

Hearing Nic Hague is signing a 4 x $5.5M extension in Nashville, after being traded there by Vegas

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 30, 2025

With the Penguins needing serious help on the left side of their defense, it would have been great for them if they acquired Hague. He would have had the potential to be a nice part of their top four and penalty kill, but alas, he is heading to Nashville instead. 

Hague appeared in 68 games this past season with the Golden Knights, where he recorded five goals, 12 points, 74 blocks, 82 hits, and a minus-2 rating. 

With Hague off the board, the Penguins will need to explore other options to improve the left side of their defense. The two big names who stand out as potential trade targets are Buffalo Sabres blueliner Bowen Byram and New York Rangers defender K'Andre Miller. 

NHL Free Agency: Penguins Should Target Bruins Gritty ForwardThe

Photo Credit: © Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Bruins, Maple Leafs, Mammoth could have ‘strong interest' in Marchand: Reports originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Could we see Brad Marchand back with the Boston Bruins?

The veteran forward is able to become an unrestricted free agent Tuesday when NHL free agency opens at noon ET.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Monday that if Marchand reaches free agency, the Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Utah Mammoth could have “strong” interest in signing the 37-year-old left wing.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun wrote in an X post Sunday that “several teams including Boston and Toronto hope to talk to (Marchand) come Tuesday when the market opens, if he doesn’t re-sign with the Cup champs. The Bruins would certainly be open to bringing him back. But again, perhaps Marchand re-signs in Florida.”

The Bruins weren’t able to work out an extension with Marchand before the trade deadline, and as a result, they traded him to the Florida Panthers for a conditional 2027 second-round pick, which was upgraded to a first-round pick after the two conditions were met.

Marchand was a perfect fit with the Panthers and was arguably their best player in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs — a run that ended with Florida winning its second consecutive championship. The Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in a six-game Stanley Cup Final.

Marchand scored six goals in the Cup Final, and he tallied 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 23 playoff games for the Panthers overall.

The Panthers re-signed center Sam Bennett to an eight-year, $64 million contract last week. Marchand and defenseman Aaron Ekblad are Florida’s two most notable free agents remaining.

The Bruins ranked as one of the worst offensive teams in the league last season, and they were the fourth-lowest scoring team after the trade deadline. Marchand is still a legitimate top-six forward who can score 25-30 goals if healthy for a full season. Bringing him back would make a lot of sense.

Kent Hughes was very busy at the draft, trading to acquire Noah Dobson and making a few pick swaps as well to ensure he could secure the players his scouting team was high on, but he’s far from done.

While the Montreal Canadiens’ GM has acknowledged that there are plenty of teams looking to bolster their center line, he’s still open to acquiring an impact winger to reinforce his top six, and there has been a lot of chatter about Jordan Kyrou perhaps being available at the draft.

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Insider Pierre LeBrun reported that multiple teams are interested in whether the St. Louis Blues are indeed seriously interested in moving him. The Canadiens are one of the interested teams.

Kyrou is a 27-year-old right winger who was drafted 35th overall in the second round of the 2016 draft by the Blues. He’s been a high scorer for the last four seasons, posting 75, 73, 67, and 70 points over that period. This season, he averaged only 17-29 minutes of ice time per game and was primarily used on the second line alongside Brayden Schenn and Dylan Holloway.

In the playoffs, he scored three goals in seven games as the Blue fell to the Winnipeg Jets in the first round. He’s just about to embark on the third year of his eight-year contract, and, interestingly, the pact, which has an $8.125 M AAV, has a full no-trade clause kicking in on July 1. In other words, if the Blues do want to trade him, they are getting dangerously close to the “it’s not or never” territory.

Kyrou’s age and profile certainly match the Canadiens’ requirement timeline-wise, and he can indeed be described as an impact winger. Granted, the salary is a tad high, and if you take it on, you are stuck with it until the full no-move clause becomes a modified one for season 2030-31, when he’ll still be able to submit a 15-team no-trade list.

The Blues don’t have to trade him though, they come in $1.6 M under the cap right now and they do have 23 NHL contracts signed for the next season, so for them, it’s really about deciding if they want the player to remain for all those seasons and not about a cap crunch.

If they do decide to trade Kyrou, though, the question becomes what could they be interested in? Hughes has accustomed us to trades involving draft picks and futures, but with the acquisition of Dobson, he finds himself with a lot of blueliners on his hands, including one that could hold fair value on the market in Mike Matheson. However, the veteran is entering the final year of his contract, and that could diminish his value.

Matheson reportedly met with Jeff Gorton and Hughes at the scouting combine, and according to sources, a potential extension was discussed, but does the arrival of Dobson change his desire to stay in town?

Lane Hutson’s arrival already diminished his offensive role, and chances are it will be further reduced with Dobson now patrolling the Canadiens’ blueline. According to RG.org’s Marco D’Amico, the Edmonton Oilers have already approached the Habs about Matheson, and they will be an interesting option to explore, depending, of course, on what they have to offer.

At this stage, it’s hard to know if the Blues are seriously considering pulling the trigger on a Kyrou deal, but if they are, it’s an option that’s worth thoroughly exploring, something Hughes will no doubt do in the limited time left before Kyrou’s no-movement clause kicks in.

Photo credit:  Jeff Le-Imagn Images

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As speculation intensifies around a potential trade of Mitch Marner's negotiating rights from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Vegas Golden Knights, one potential trade piece is now off the table. Early Monday morning, multiple reports surfaced that Golden Knights defenseman Nic Hague was being dealt to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and forward Colton Sissons. Hague is also expected to sign a four-year extension worth $5.5 million per season.

According to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, Hague was previously a person of interest for the Maple Leafs. His name surfaced amid reports that the Leafs and Golden Knights were discussing a trade for Marner’s negotiating rights before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. While forward Nic Roy was mentioned as a more likely piece in that return, with only one reference to Hague, it is unlikely that this move will cool Toronto's interest in getting something for their star player.

However, the situation grew more complex on Sunday when Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, on his

32 Thoughts podcast, questioned if the Leafs would file for tampering charges against Vegas should Marner end up with the club as a free agent.

“I have no proof that Vegas is guilty of anything, but it's a time around the league where teams are extremely sensitive about it. And as a couple of GMs told me on Saturday, they think the NHL is itching to try and make an example out of someone,” Friedman said. “But if they make a deal with Toronto and send a good player or two to Toronto, I'm betting any chance the Maple Leafs file for tampering goes away. So all those reasons Getting to Marner faster, clearing cap space, Toronto gets good players, and eliminating any possibility of any tampering investigation. Which is being whispered everywhere around the league. All that goes away if this deal gets done”.

If Mitch Marner Leaves in Free Agency, Could the Maple Leafs Pursue Tampering Charges?Just when you thought Mitch Marner’s seemingly inevitable exit from Toronto couldn’t get more nasty, a new report has emerged. The Toronto Maple Leafs may be preparing to take action.

Of course, any league action would require proof of tampering. If the league takes action against the Golden Knights for tampering, the club could face the following sanctions:

• Up to a $5-million fine
• Termination of any contracts that were signed
• Forfeiture of draft picks
• Awarding draft picks or cash to the offended club
• Marner himself could be subjected to a fine of up to $1 million or possibly face a suspension.

Report: Maple Leafs And Golden Knights Discussing Mitch Marner Sign And Trade, Could Include Nic RoyThe Mitch Marner sweepstakes could end before free agency begins.

Certainly, the awarding of draft picks to the offended club would ensure some sort of compensation. We’ll wait and see. But for now, Hague’s name can be removed from the list of players potentially coming to Toronto. 

Hague's name was only mentioned in one report while Nic Roy's name had been mentioned frequently. The move didn't really save Vegas much cap space, clearing just $640,000. The move of Hague shouldn't scuttle talks with Toronto. But it doesn't mean a deal between the two clubs will happen, either.

(Headline Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

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The 2025 NHL Draft is in the books. After months of speculation, the drafted prospects will go to their new markets and continue their life of trying to make it to the NHL. For the Chicago Blackhawks, that means adding 8 new players to the organization. 

Kyle Davidson and his staff seemed to have a specific strategy. They decided that big-stature forwards were something that the organization lacked in the prospect department. 

3 of Davidson’s 8 selections came in the first round. That is now 11 first-round picks since he took over in 2022. There always seems to be a risk involved with at least one of them each year, but high upside is worth considering now and again. 

This is a grade for each player selected by the Blackhawks over the course of 7 rounds: 

#3: F Anton Frondell - A

The Chicago Blackhawks selected Anton Frondell with the third overall pick, which was expected once the San Jose Sharks took Michael Misa second. 

Frondell believes that his game is modeled after Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers, who is one of the best two-way centers in the history of the NHL. 

This is a player who is a high-character, highly motivated individual. He is thankful for the opportunity to be such a high draft pick. 

"It's an amazing feeling. I'm still shocked." Frondell said after being selected by the Blackhawks. "It was a blackout when I heard my name. Now I finally have a new favorite NHL team. I'm happy to be here. Really happy."

The Blackhawks are expecting to have a player who adds an incredible skillset to their young group of forwards. How long will it take to get him into the NHL lineup? Well, Frondell thinks it could come sooner than later. 

"If I get the chance to take a spot on the team, I will do everything I can to do that, to play. And if I'm not good enough, if I don't make it, I'm going back to Djurgårdens."

The fact that Frondell already has it as a goal to make the team out of his first camp is good news for the Blackhawks. He wants to get better, he wants to contribute, and he wants to be elite. 

His two-way game is noticeable, which is where his Barkov comparison comes from, but he has a long way to go to reach that level of success offensively. The tools are there for him to develop. 

With all of these things considered, an A-grade for this pick is fair. He is perfectly different from guys like Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar to justify picking him third overall. The makeup of the under-23 forward group took a big leap. 

#25: F Vaclav Nestrasil - B+

The Chicago Blackhawks entered the 2025 NHL Draft with two first-round picks. The second one was pick 25, which was handed to them by the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

With that selection, Chicago selected a forward named Vaclav Nestrasil. This was a pick designed to add some size and skill up front. Nestrasil, a Czech native, is 6'6" and 185 lbs.

As a forward playing for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL in 2024-25, Nestrasil scored 19 goals and had 23 assists for 42 points in 61 games. 

He elevated his game in the postseason, as he scored seven goals and six assists for 13 points in 14 postseason games en route to a Clark Cup championship. 

With a lot of development ahead, Nestrasil could turn into a great middle-six forward. Is there a high-end ceiling to his game? Possibly not, but his size matched with his skill makes him appear to fit what the Blackhawks came in looking for. That is why a B+ makes sense as a grade. 

#29: F Mason West - A

When it looked like the Blackhawks were done with the first round, they made a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes to jump back in. Carolina gave Chicago the 29th overall pick in the deal, and they used it to select Edina High School forward Mason West. 

Mason West was the most intriguing prospect entering the 2025 NHL Draft. He is a big kid at 6'6" and 2018 lbs. He is also incredibly skilled. 

However, the Blackhawks took a chance by making this selection. West is committed to playing his high school football season instead of solely committing to hockey. Once his football season is over, he will resume his career in the USHL with the Fargo Force and be fully devoted to hockey. 

Beyond the USHL, he is set to play college hockey at Michigan State, with whom the Blackhawks have had a great relationship in recent years. 

West pledges that nothing will change his overall outlook, which is that he will be done with football once his senior year is complete. He feels that he owes it to his community to finish what he started. 

"I just really wanted to get back into the first round and take what I thought was a Grand Slam hack." Kyle Davidson said of this pick. "I was swinging for the fences and figured, why not? Let’s go for a big one here. And so that’s kind of what I did.” 

Davidson knows the risks that come with this selection. This was his 11th selection in the first round over the last four years, so there is some wiggle room. Most of his picks have worked out, even the ones that looked bleak at the time (Sam Rinzel, for example). 

West, being a two-sport athlete, makes this a lot different than Rinzel, who was also a high-school player at the time of his selection. Davidson thinks that Chicago's development staff, in addition to Michigan State, will give him the perfect opportunity to take advantage of his pure skill.  

#66: F Nathan Behm - B

Nathan Behm has a ton of skill. He was a big-time scoring winger for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL, but he relied on carrying the puck and skating for all of his effectiveness. To become a full-time NHL player, Behm must work on his play without the puck on his stick.

If he can start to find other ways to be effective, in addition to being more physical and getting to the harder areas, he will become a useful NHL player. 

#98: F Julius Sumpf - C+

With the 98th overall pick, the Blackhawks selected Julius Sumpf of the Moncton Wildcats. Sumpf was one of Moncton's top scorers and is a big-bodied player at 6'2"/194 lbs.

He plays a strong 200-foot game. Once he gets the chance to prove himself in the pros, he will have to show that he can score at the rate he did in major junior. 

#107: F Parker Holmes - C-

Chicago taking Parker Holmes is simply them taking a chance on a big forward who can be a physical presence on the ice. He's 6'4" and 214 pounds as a kid, but his puck skills are limited.

There won't be much offense that comes with his game, so he will have to make a name for himself in different ways. The league has gone away from needing enforcers but he clearly knows how to fight when needed. 

#162: D Ashton Cumby - C

The Blackhawks have one of the deepest prospect farms when it comes to defensemen in the entire NHL. They were never planning on selecting any high-end defenders in 2025, but they couldn't leave the draft without at least selecting one. They made Ashton Cumby the 162nd pick. 

#194: G Ilya Kanarsky - B

With the 194th overall pick, the Blackhawks took their first goaltender of the class. That is Ilya Kanarsky. 

No matter what, it is always nice to add a goalie to the prospect farm each year. You never know which one of these late-round kids could take a net in the NHL one day. 

With Spencer Knight, Drew Commesso, and Arvid Soderblom amongst others in the organization, Ilya Kanarsky has plenty of time to try and develop into a pro-caliber goalie. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

Fortunately for the Philadelphia Flyers, heavily linked trade target Nicolas Hague has been traded to the Nashville Predators, averting a potential disaster.

The Hague trade itself wasn't actually that bad. The 26-year-old defenseman fetched the Vegas Golden Knights longtime Predator and fourth-line center Colton Sissons, as well as heavy-hitting rearguard Jeremy Lauzon.

The reality is, while the Golden Knights added $4.857 million in salary in the deal, Hague, a pending RFA, would have cost them much more.

Upon being traded, Hague signed a four-year, $22 million ($5.5 million AAV) deal with the Predators that would have otherwise made him the fourth-highest paid defenseman in Vegas behind Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, and Noah Hanifin.

Lauzon, who can play the same bottom-pairing role for less than half ($2 million) the cost, is a fine addition. Vegas effectively turned Hague into two roster players for the same price on the cap.

As for the Flyers, trading for Hague would have been a disaster.

Yes, Hague is 6-foot-6, but he averages 17:33 a game on his career and has never cracked 20 points. While he uses his size and reach effectively to defend the rush, the former second-round pick is quite poor in his own end and is regularly critiqued for his lack of foot speed and for watching the puck too often.

Flyers Trade Rumors: Big Golden Knights Defenseman Linked to PhiladelphiaA Philadelphia Flyers trade my finally be on the horizon, with a new rumor suggesting a big Vegas Golden Knights defenseman could be on the move.

Combine that with the fact his new contract would make him the second-highest-paid Flyers defender behind only Travis Sanheim, and you're flirting with danger on defense.

Even after a down year, Cam York, a pending RFA himself, is a much more effective player with significantly higher upside offensively.

No, York isn't big like Hague is, but that's why the Flyers went crazy with size in the NHL Draft in recent years, drafting hulking righties like Spencer Gill and Carter Amico.

Plus, if the Flyers really wanted to add size on the left side of their defense, they already have it.

Adam Ginning is fighting for his NHL career, and the Flyers really like Hunter McDonald, one of their less heralded prospects.

Trade assets and spend big money on Hague, or save the assets and money and give valuable NHL playing time to Ginning or McDonald?

The choice was clear, and the Flyers did the right thing by avoiding Hague, if they were ever truly in on him.