Last June, during the splashy 2024 NHL Draft at Sphere in Las Vegas, Utah was proactive in acquiring a No. 1 defenseman, Mikhail Sergachev, in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Conor Geekie, defenseman J.J. Moser, a seventh-round pick in 2024 and a second-round pick in 2025.

The first round of the 2025 NHL Draft is Friday at 5 p.m. MT. The second through seventh rounds will be held on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. MT. ESPN will televise the first round, while the NHL Network will air rounds two through seven. The full draft broadcast can also be streamed on ESPN+.

The Sabres traded forward J.J. Peterka to the Mammoth early Thursday morning in exchange for defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan, the teams announced. As part of the transaction, Peterka – who was set to become a restricted free agent – signed a five-year extension with Utah with an average annual value of $7.7 million.