June 23 NHL trades move Nemec, Eklund and Kyrou

The New Jersey Devils traded Simon Nemec and Maxim Tsyplakov to the Calgary Flames for a 2026 second-round pick, two protected first-round picks, and Etienne Morin on June 23, 2026.

Devils ship Nemec for future assets

The Devils sent the 2022 second-overall defenseman and forward Maxim Tsyplakov to Calgary in a single afternoon deal. Calgary returned the thirty-fifth overall pick originally belonging to the Rangers, a 2027 first-round selection acquired from Vegas, a 2028 first-round pick from Colorado, both top-ten protected, and prospect Etienne Morin. Craig Conroy avoided using any of Calgary’s own first-round selections to land the twenty-two-year-old right-shot blueliner.

Nemec had posted top-four minutes and first-unit power-play time with New Jersey after arriving as the second overall selection in 2022. His offensive rushes and playmaking from the backend contrasted with defensive-zone inconsistencies that limited his ice time in lower-pairing roles.

The Flames gained a player who had already logged Olympic-level production for Slovakia while the Devils banked three future selections and a prospect without immediate cap impact.

Senators swap ninth overall for Eklund

Hours later the Ottawa Senators sent the ninth overall pick in the 2026 draft to the San Jose Sharks for William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen, and Brandon Svoboda. Ottawa thereby replaced a future selection with a twenty-three-year-old left-shot forward already driving play at even strength.

Eklund had recorded consistent secondary scoring and transition metrics in San Jose, areas the Senators targeted after trading Brady Tkachuk the previous day. General manager Steve Staios had fielded calls on both the ninth and twenty-fifth selections and chose an NHL-ready contributor over another prospect.

The Sharks cleared three forwards from their depth chart and received the highest remaining 2026 first-rounder still available on the board.

Blues complete Kyrou deal with Capitals

The St. Louis Blues traded Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals for the sixteenth overall pick, Connor McMichael, and Milton Gastrin. Kyrou, who had waived his no-trade clause, brought dynamic rush ability and previously elite finishing totals to a Capitals top-six that had lacked consistent secondary scoring since the deadline.

Washington parted with a first-round selection and two young forwards, one already under contract as a restricted free agent. The Blues obtained immediate draft capital and roster flexibility after months of Kyrou trade speculation.

These three deals executed within hours on June 23 repositioned six organizations with measurable changes to draft position, age curves, and cap commitments.