Morning Chirps: Boisvert Reveals Reason for Transferring, Detroit Mourns Hockey Legend

July 1 has come and gone. The top free agent who made it to the open market is still unsigned. The Chicago Blackhawks roster did not get any significant additions outside of the return of an old friend. Motor City is mourning the loss of a hockey legend, and a slew of former Blackhawks got new jerseys.

Blackhawks Chirps

• While the rest of the NHL was wheeling and dealing on Tuesday, the Blackhawks made just a pair of moves. The first came via a trade when they acquired Sam Lafferty from the Buffalo Sabres for a sixth-round draft pick in 2026. He has one year remaining on his current deal, which carries a $2 million salary cap hit.
• The Blackhawks made one minor signing, adding forward Dominic Toninato on a one-year, two-way contract worth $850,000. Originally a fifth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2012, the 31-year-old has 189 games of NHL experience, scoring 13 goals and 35 points. Toninato will bolster the Rockford IceHogs lineup. He was captain of the Manitoba Moose last season, leading the club with 18 goals and putting up a career-high 18 assists and 36 points.
• General manager Kyle Davidson is happy with the mix he has on his roster and is ready to let some of his younger players make the jump next season.
• A couple of quick notes from development camp. Jack Pridham has confirmed that he has decommitted to Boston University and will return to the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL for the upcoming season. He would have been a teammate of Sacha Boisvert, who said the biggest reason he transferred to BU was the dismissal of North Dakota head coach Brad Berry.
• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, July 2: Kenny Wharram, Dave Logan, Ryan Huska, Eric Daze, and Dominic Kahun.

NHL Chirps

• If you’d like to get bite-sized updates from the opening of free agency as they happened, check out our Live Blog from yesterday.
• Some former Blackhawks got new homes yesterday: Caleb Jones (Pittsburgh, two years, $1.8 million), Jaycob Megna (Vegas, one year, $800K), Riley Stillman (Edmonton, two years, $1.55 million), Matthew Highmore (Islanders, one year, undisclosed), Boris Katchouk (Tampa Bay, one year, undisclosed), Anton Forsberg (Los Angeles, two years, $4.5 million), and Taylor Raddysh (Rangers, two years, $3 million).
• Nikolaj Ehlers remains the top free agent available. He and his agent are smartly waiting it out. After Brock Boeser re-signed with the Vancouver Canucks, Ehlers became the top prize of the unrestricted free agents. The Carolina Hurricanes remain the favorites. They have a ton of cap space, and he fits their system perfectly. Per ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning remain in the mix. Aarif Dean of Colorado Hockey Now says the Avalanche is still interested in his services. I am in favor of any move that might make Martin Necas available.
• Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now remembers Red Wings icon Alex Delvecchio, who passed away at the age of 93 on Tuesday.

• The Flyers were busy in free agency, but according to Philly Hockey Now’s William James, they could be with Tyson Foerster for an “extended period of time.” General manager Daniel Briere later confirmed he suffered an injury at the World Championships. It later became infected in his elbow, which required surgery to remove.
• According to Hannah Kirkell of Vegas Hockey Now, Mitch Marner is excited to be with the Golden Knights. Would you have expected him to say anything else?
• NHL Birthday Roll Call, July 2: Lorne Carr, Tomas Vokoun, Joe Thornton, Vladimir Sobotka, J.T. Brown, and Robert Thomas.