NHL Summer Buzz: Golden Knights trade two defensemen

Welcome to NHL Summer Buzz. With the NHL Expansion Draft and its trade/waiver freeze over, and the beginning of free agency on July 1, the 31 NHL teams are free to make moves to shape their roster for the 2017-18 season.
Here's a look at the latest offseason happenings around the League:

4:20 p.m.

Three Canadiens will become unrestricted free agents

Forwards Dwight King and Brian Flynn and defenseman Nikita Nesterov will not return to the Montreal Canadiens next season, general manager Marc Bergevin told SiriusXM. Each will become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
King, 27, has 109 points in 365 career NHL games, including one in 17 games this season after being traded to the Canadiens from the Los Angeles Kings on March 1.
Flynn, 28, has 61 points in 275 career NHL games for the Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres.
Nesterov, 24, has 33 points in 132 career NHL games, including five in 13 games after being traded to Montreal from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 26.

2 p.m.

Calvin Pickard sees 'good opportunity' with Golden Knights

Goaltender Calvin Pickard enjoyed his time with the Colorado Avalanche, but he's excited about the opportunity to play for the Vegas Golden Knights, who selected him in the NHL Expansion Draft Wednesday.
"It's going to be a very good opportunity for me, an expansion team, very cool city, a lot of buzz around the team, great arena, great fans and an organization that's set up," Pickard said Thursday. "It's definitely an exciting time around that team and I'm looking forward to getting it all going."
Pickard, 25, already knew he'd be selected, having been informed by his agent, Ritch Winter, and in a call from Vegas general manager George McPhee when he was en route to T-Mobile Arena for the ceremony.
"It was definitely weird, just sitting at home with the family and knowing it was going to happen," Pickard said. "My phone was going crazy with all the messages. It was pretty cool. I'm definitely grateful for the opportunity. I'm excited that I'm wanted in Vegas and I'm looking forward to working with the whole new organization."
Pickard, Colorado's second-round pick (No. 49) in the 2010 NHL Draft, was 15-31-2 with a 2.98 goals-against average, .904 save percentage and two shutouts with the Avalanche this season.

1:18 p.m.

David Schlemko traded to Canadiens

Defenseman David Schlemko was traded to the Montreal Canadiens from the Vegas Golden Knights for a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
The Golden Knights selected Schlemko, 30, from the San Jose Sharks in the NHL Expansion Draft on Wednesday. He has three years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $2,100,000, according to CapFriendly.com.
Schlemko has 87 points (17 goals, 70 assists) in 360 career NHL games with the Arizona Coyotes, Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils and Sharks.

12:50 p.m.

Peter Budaj re-signs with Lightning

Goaltender Peter Budaj signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The contract for Budaj, 34, has an average annual value of $1.025 million, according to CapFriendly.com. He would have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Budaj went 30-21-3 with a 2.18 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and seven shutouts this season with the Los Angeles Kings and Lightning. He was traded to the Lightning for goaltender Ben Bishop on Feb. 26.
Budaj has played 357 NHL games (155-128-39) for the Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche.
The Lightning also have goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy under contract for three more years with an average annual value of $3.5 million.

11:45 a.m.

Trevor van Riemsdyk traded to Hurricanes

Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes
from the Vegas Golden Knights along with a seventh-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Vegas received a second-round pick in the 2017 draft.
Van Riemsdyk, 25, was selected by Vegas from the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL Expansion Draft on Wednesday. He has 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists) in 158 NHL games during three seasons with the Blackhawks and won the Stanley Cup in 2015.