Well, Pittsburgh Penguins' fans who were worried about the status of longtime star forward Evgeni Malkin's contract negotiations with the organization can breathe a little sigh of relief. 

During his season-ending press conference on Tuesday, Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas provided an update on where he and the organization stand as far as bringing Malkin, who turns 40 this summer, back next season. The 20-year NHL veteran, who has spent every season with the Penguins, is a pending unrestricted free agent. 

Many fans were concerned about the Penguins wanting to go younger and allow Malkin to walk. But, it seems as though Dubas would love to keep him around. 

"We’ve had [discussions]. Obviously, we had a great exit interview with Evgeni directly," Dubas said. "Then, subsequently, we’ve had continued discussions with he and his representative, J.P. Barry. The season that he’s had, where we’re at, where we’re going, I don’t look at our younger players and think that they’ve done enough to have a view that he’s blocking anybody out in that regard.

"We would love to have him back. We'll just continue to work with J.P. on it. That’s as clear as I can be.”

Dubas also went on to talk about Malkin's season and how great he has been for so long, emphasizing how his breaks in play may have actually served to benefit him this season. And he also mentioned the chemistry that Malkin built with Egor Chinakhov and center Tommy Novak after he returned from injury in December.

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"Every time he came back from being out, he played his best hockey, we felt," Dubas said. "I think that’s one thing to it. The other part is he shifted away from center after the injury in December onto the wing. I thought he and Tommy and Egor Chinakhov there - especially during that stretch - right away had great chemistry. I think it helped reduce some of the load on him, as well.

"I think all of those factors play into it but in the end, he’s one of the great players of all time and as everyone here knows, is very proud. All of those things played into him having the season that he did.”

If unsigned prior to Jul. 1, Malkin will hit free agency, but Dubas continues to communicate with Malkin's camp. He had 19 goals and 61 points in 56 games for the Penguins this season as well as two goals and three points in six playoff games. 

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Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

The Philadelphia Flyers had Owen Tippett available, albeit at less than 100%, for the entire first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then, he dubiously sat out all of the second round, despite skating with the team.

On Tuesday, Tippett and the Flyers came forward with a statement explaining the circumstances of the injuries, and full marks to Tippett for dealing with this like a true pro.

On top of Tippett playing through a sports hernia, as revealed officially in the statement, the 27-year-old also revealed that he attempted to come back and play through some internal bleeding, though he was unable to do so safely.

Here's the full statement from Tippett and the Flyers:

"I was unable to return for the second round series vs. Carolina Hurricanes due to an internal bleeding issue that I sustained during the first round series vs. Pittsburgh.

"Following a series of medical evaluations, treatments, and rehabilitation under the care of the Flyers medical team, I am making progress and feeling better each day. Despite being cleared to travel and skate with the team at certain practices, things did not progress at a pace that I hoped for or would allow me to safely continue playing.

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"I am beyond proud of what our team has accomplished this season and truly moved by the tremendous support of the fans.

"I want to sincerely thank everyone for that support -- both personally for me and my family, as well as our entire medical and performance staff.

"I am confident for a full recovery and look forward to returning for training camp in September and an exciting year ahead for this organization."

The Flyers winger shared at his exit interview later Tuesday that he is not yet certain if he'll need surgery, which is always a good sign he'll be good to go for training camp.

If Tippett's injuries were more severe, that determination would be easier to come to and would likely take place sooner, all things considered.

As exit interviews progress, the Flyers will have more to share on other injured players, like Rodrigo Abols, Tyson Foerster, Christian Dvorak, and Nikita Grebenkin, now that Tippett has pulled back the curtain on his own situation.

It's now a best of three as the Ducks and Golden Knights enter Game 5 of the series tied at two wins apiece. The Ducks responded well to a slow start in Game 3, scoring first in Game 4 and never relinquishing the lead.

“Better start,” Chris Kreider said of their Game 4 approach. “I think we got through the neutral zone, got pucks behind them, and then turned.”

“We want to make sure that we're ready from the start,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said. “They're a good starting team. They're good with the lead. I thought we did a good job of scoring early last game and not giving (the lead) up. When I say giving it up, not letting them get it. So we'll try to emphasize the importance of tonight's start and expect rising to the next challenge of another battle."

Mason McTavish was re-inserted into the lineup for Game 4 after being a healthy scratch in Games 2 and 3. Though he didn't record a point, his line of Ryan Poehling and Cutter Gauthier was among the best, analytically, in Game 4. Gauthier recorded three assists, with two of them coming on the power play.

"He's been awesome," Gauthier said of McTavish after Game 4. "Throughout these playoffs, he's just been a player who keeps his head down and just works really hard. Definitely a heartbeat of our line with me and Poehls. Tonight, I thought he played a great game, getting on the inside, getting in front of the goalie's eyes, making life difficult for the defensemen. He didn't get on the scoresheet, but it definitely doesn't go unnoticed."

"Played great," Kreider said. "Tenacious, hard on pucks. (He) wanted to have an impact on the game and he did, so it was great."

"I thought he had a heck of a game," Quenneville said. "I really liked his attitude coming into the game. Not easy for him not to be in the lineup and then play the way he did, (it) shows character. He wanted to be a big part of it and he was in a lot of ways. Not just power play, but I thought he played a real solid game."

Defenseman Radko Gudas was a game-time decision for Game 4, but did not play. Quenneville said that Gudas is out for Game 5 as well. Troy Terry will play in Game 5 despite missing the morning skate, though that's been the norm during this playoff run.

With Gudas out, Olen Zellweger and Ian Moore will once again slot in as the third defensive pair. Both Zellweger and Moore were inserted into the lineup for Game 4, with Tyson Hinds being a healthy scratch. Moore scored Anaheim's fourth goal, which ended up being the game-winner. Zellweger had the primary assist on the goal.

"We read off each other well," Zellweger said of his partnership with Moore. "I thought we worked together well. Just playing those situations right and giving the team stability defensively. And then when we get the opportunities, being confident, jumping in the play."

Mark Stone, who left Game 3 early in the first period with a lower-body injury, will not be in the lineup for the Golden Knights once again. Brandon Saad will play in his second consecutive game after entering the lineup for Stone in Game 4.

Ducks Projected Lines

Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry
Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke
Mason McTavish - Ryan Poehling - Cutter Gauthier
Ross Johnston - Tim Washe - Jeff Viel

Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov - John Carlson
Olen Zellweger - Ian Moore

Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)

Golden Knights Projected Lines

Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden - William Karlsson - Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad - Tomáš Hertl - Colton Sissons
Cole Smith - Nic Dowd - Keegan Kolesar

Brayden McNabb - Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin - Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton - Dylan Coghlan

Carter Hart (confirmed)

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The Minnesota Wild bled shots to centers all season long and that has continued in the playoffs.

My Wild vs. Avalanche predictions see Nathan MacKinnon taking full advantage of the strong positional matchup in Game 5.

Let's take a closer look at my NHL picks for Wednesday, May 13.

Wild vs Avalanche Game 5 prediction

Wild vs Avalanche best bet: Nathan MacKinnon Over 3.5 shots (-170)

Nathan MacKinnon is averaging 8.3 shot attempts per game in this series and has cleared 3.5 shots in three of four. That's par for the course against the Minnesota Wild, whom he has enjoyed an unfathomable amount of success against.

MacKinnon has generated four or more shots in eight of the last nine vs. Minnesota. That includes eight and nine shot on goal performances in the two regular-season meetings down the stretch.

This sort of success should be expected. The Wild allowed the fourth most shots to centers this season, and have given up more than anybody during the playoffs.

Wild vs Avalanche Game 5 same-game parlay

Cale Makar was on the ice for more shots and chances than anybody over the last three games. He picked up zero points despite the Colorado Avalanche scoring six times. Almost everything runs through him, and he plays a ton of minutes, so the lack of scoring involvement is not going to continue.

Matt Boldy is averaging 4.3 shots on 8.4 attempts during the playoffs. He is Minnesota's go-to shooter and will be firing from anywhere and everywhere with Minnesota's season on the line.

Wild vs Avalanche SGP

• Nathan MacKinnon Over 3.5 shots
• Cale Makar Over 0.5 points 
• Matt Boldy Over 3.5 shots

Wild vs Avalanche odds for Game 5

• Moneyline: Wild +160 | Avalanche -190
• Puck Line: Wild +1.5 (-145) | Avalanche -1.5 (+125)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-105) | Under 6.5 (115)

Wild vs Avalanche trend

The Colorado Avalanche have hit the moneyline in 12 of their last 14 games (+9.35 units, 35% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Wild vs. Avalanche.

How to watch Wild vs Avalanche Game 5

Wild vs Avalanche latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Top Philadelphia Flyers rookie Porter Martone has had a rollercoaster of a season, making the leap from the OHL to the NCAA, then the NCAA to the NHL, and then partaking in the Stanley Cup playoffs

He isn't giving himself a rest just yet.

On Tuesday, during exit interviews, Martone, 19, revealed that he will playing in the upcoming IIHF Men's World Championships for Canada, which was confirmed by Hockey Canada shortly thereafter.

New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer, who notably has never missed a regular season game in his NHL career, will be joining Martone as the new additions to the roster.

You may recall that Martone played two games for Canada at the World Championships last year, lining up alongside now-Flyers teammates Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster.

Their glowing reviews of the youngster helped convince the Flyers to make him their No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Martone finished his first abbreviated season in the NHL with four goals, six assists, and 10 points in nine regular season games, as well as two goals, three assists, and five points in 10 playoff games.

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Altogether, 15 points in 19 games for a rookie with no prior professional experience.

At the time of this writing, Martone is the only Flyers representative for the upcoming World Championships, which begin on Friday, May 15, and run to May 31.

Other notable players heading to Worlds include Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Macklin Celebrini, Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, Mat Barzal, Robert Thomas, John Tavares, Roman Josi, and J.J. Moser.

It's just another tournament for Martone to set his sights on winning, and with a good chunk of big names attending, more opportunity for development and competition for the Flyers' youngster.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The NHL announced today that Minnesota Wild Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin is a finalist for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award.

The award has been presented annually since 2009-10 to the general manager who best excelled at his role during the regular season.

It is voted on by the League's general managers and a panel of NHL executives and print and broadcast media after the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

This is the first time Guerin has been named a finalist for this award.

Guerin, in his seventh season with Minnesota, had the Wild seventh in the NHL in points during the regular season and has advanced to the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2015.

He acquired defenseman Quinn Hughes in a trade with Vancouver on Dec. 12 and added several veterans to the roster at the NHL Trade deadline including forwards Bobby Brink, Nick Foligno and Michael McCarron and defenseman Jeff Petry. The team also added forward Nico Sturm from free agency.

His moves helped the Wild make the second round for the first time in 11 years and is now a finalist for the GM of the year award. Well deserved.

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The Professional Women’s Hockey League is headed for Las Vegas, a source briefed on the situation confirmed to The Athletic on Tuesday.

The league is expected to announce Vegas as the home of the PWHL’s 10th franchise Wednesday afternoon, and an invitation was recently distributed by Foley Entertainment Group, which owns the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, touting an announcement. Vegas will be the second of what could be four expansion teams for the 2026-27 season; PWHL Detroit was announced last week.

“You’re invited to join us for a historic Las Vegas sports announcement,” the invite, which was sent to youth hockey teams in the area and obtained by The Athletic, said. “This event will bring together our sports and hockey community, recognizing our city’s passion and spirit, while celebrating the future of the sport in our city with a look ahead at what’s to come.”

While Foley Entertainment Group might be involved with the team in some capacity, the league itself operates under a single-entity ownership model. Mark Walter — the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers — and his wife, Kimbra, own the PWHL and all of its teams, a difference from other major pro sports leagues such as the NHL, NFL and MLB.

A PWHL team in Vegas would likely play at T-Mobile Arena, home of the Golden Knights, which has a capacity of 17,500 for hockey and one of the best atmospheres in the NHL. There’s also Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nev., home to the AHL Henderson Silver Knights. However, a 5,567-seat arena is likely too small for the PWHL, which averaged 9,304 fans per game during its record-breaking 2025-26 regular season. 

Las Vegas has quickly become a hub for major professional sports. After the NHL’s Golden Knights — led by owner Bill Foley — broke the seal on Las Vegas as a professional sports market in 2017, other leagues quickly followed suit. The WNBA Aces relocated from San Antonio in 2018; the NFL’s Raiders moved from Oakland for the 2020 season; MLB’s Athletics, also formerly in Oakland, plan to open a ballpark in 2028; and the NBA in March approved exploration of placing an expansion team in the city for the 2028-29 season.

The Aces have become a dynasty franchise in Vegas, winning three league titles in four years. In March, the organization announced it was the first WNBA team to sell out season ticket allotments for three consecutive seasons. The Aces play at Michelob ULTRA Arena and have drawn big crowds for select games hosted at T-Mobile. In July 2024, the Aces played against Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever in front of 20,366 fans — the largest regular-season crowd at a WNBA game since 1999.

Vegas has also become a premier destination for NHL players, which was on display yet again this summer when the Golden Knights landed Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.

“Players don’t want to leave,” Foley said in a July interview with The Athletic’s Jesse Granger. “Once they get here, and they see our facilities and where we play, and they see the way we take care of our players, scouts and coaches, and how everyone is all in, they don’t want to leave.”

PWHL Las Vegas and Detroit will join the original six markets of Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, New York and Minnesota and the league’s first expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver.

San Jose, Calif., and Hamilton, Ont., have also emerged in recent weeks as two of the league’s other prime options to reach 12 teams for next season, according to chatter in league circles.

Teams in Las Vegas and another western market, along with another in the east, would make the league more geographically balanced, potentially placing four franchises in the West, two in the Midwest (Detroit and Minnesota) and six in the East. Having that kind of footprint might also allow the PWHL to split into two conferences and potentially four divisions; PWHL executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer told the Associated Press the league is exploring the idea.

Selecting expansion markets has been a fluid process for league executives, who have spent months working through the available options.

“There is a line of cities eager to have us there, whether it’s for a couple Takeover Tour games or for a full-time team,” Stan Kasten, the president of the MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers and a PWHL advisory board member, said last month. “We’re going to have news about that in the next few weeks.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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Florida Panthers play-by-play voice Steve Goldstein has been keeping busy.

Over the past several years, the Panthers have been a mainstay during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, keeping Goldstein occupied calling games with the team during the first round and hosting broadcasts on TV and inside Amerant Bank Arena during the Cats’ postseason runs.

This year, an injury-decimated season kept the Panthers out of the playoffs.

If you’re thinking that meant Goldstein would have a little more time off, you are sorely mistaken.

Once Florida’s season ended, Goldstein was tapped by Sports USA owner and executive producer Larry Kahn to be a voice on the network as the Stanley Cup Playoffs got started.

Kahn was clearly a fan of Goldstein’s work after previously asking Goldie to call the 2026 Winter Classic for Sports USA.

While it’s probably safe to assume that he’d rather be calling Panthers games, Goldie is also a lifelong hockey nerd who knows better than to pass up a chance at calling the best playoffs in all of sports.

“Of course, it would be awesome to still be calling Panthers games during the playoffs, but you know they’ll be back,” he said. “It’s great to have this opportunity.”

In the weeks since the postseason began, to say Goldie has been calling a lot of hockey in a bunch of different places would be an understatement. Let’s just hope he’s collecting frequent flyer miles.

So far, Goldstein has called games in Dallas, Boston, Los Angeles, Tampa, Las Vegas, Anaheim and soon, Denver, handling the majority of playoff games Sports USA has broadcast.

He’s crisscrossed the country, calling four different first-round series and so far, both of the Western Conference semifinals, while sprinkling in a stop in Boone, North Carolina for his son Kyle’s graduation From Appalachian State University.

Goldie’s postseason started in Texas, calling Game 1 between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild on Saturday, April 18. A few days later he called Game 3 between the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins in Boston, then followed that up with Game 4 of the series between the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings in LA three nights after that.

But it wasn’t until after calling Games 5 and 7 of the series between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa that things really kicked into high gear for Goldstein.

After calling the Canadiens’ impressive Game 7 victory in Tampa on Sunday, May 3, he flew home Monday and was back on a flight out west to Las Vegas on Tuesday.

He called Game 2 between the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, May 6, and then Thursday he was heading back east to North Carolina for his son’s graduation from Appalachian State.

A late-night flight home on Friday had Goldie walking into his home around 1 a.m., just in time to re-pack and head right back to the airport for a 1 p.m. Saturday flight back across the country to Anaheim for Sunday’s Game 4 between the Ducks and Golden Knights.

The following day, which was Monday, he was on a relatively shorter flight from Anaheim to Denver, where he actually gets to chill for a couple days before calling Game 5 between the Wild and Avalanche on Wednesday.

After that, he’ll fly to Anaheim on Thursday to call Game 6 between the Ducks and Golden Knights that night, and from there it’s TBD.

It’s possible he goes to Vegas if that series goes seven games. Or if the Sabres and Canadiens series extends to a sixth game, Goldie could be heading up to the hockey mecca of Montreal for that one.

After this round is over, look for Goldie to be working one of the conference finals.

Even with all the miles and hotels, Goldstein said he’s having a blast calling playoff hockey and visiting with with all the friends he’s made along the way.

That includes former Panthers like Radko Gudas, who Goldie caught up with after a recent morning skate in Anaheim.

Gudas is a genuinely good guy who was a fan and media favorite during his time with Florida, so hearing that the two dads took some time to reminisce and chat about what their kids are up to came as no surprise.

Goldie has also been blessed with an all-star group of analysts to work alongside in the broadcast booth this postseason.

While surely nobody compares to the great Randy Moller, Goldstein has called games with Kings TV analyst Jim Fox, Bruins analyst Billy Jaffe, Utah Mammoth color man Nick Olczyk and analyst for the New York Rangers Dave Maloney.

Panthers fans can universally agree that they’ve got one of the best play-by-play voices and hockey personalities in the game.

Despite the Cats missing out on the playoffs this year, it’s nice that Florida’s official voice is still out there doing his thing.

For fans wondering how and where they can hear Goldie’s calls, Sports USA games can be found on Sirius XM and various local radio stations throughout the county, as well as online at SportsUSA.live.

Keep up the great work, Goldie!

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin might get his wish to stay in Pittsburgh after all.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said Tuesday the club would “love” to have the three-time Stanley Cup-winning forward back for a 21st season next winter.

Malkin is scheduled to become a free agent for the first time in his career in July and turns 40 in August. The Russian star is coming off a solid bounce-back year, finishing with 19 goals and 42 assists in 56 games.

The future Hall of Famer said after Pittsburgh's first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia that he plans to play in the NHL next season and would prefer to do it with the only franchise he's ever known. Dubas had been vague most of the year about Malkin's future, but sounded more optimistic a couple of weeks removed from the Penguins' first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia.

“He's a special player,” Dubas said of Malkin.

Dubas pointed to Malkin's resiliency during an eventful year in which he missed 20 games because of injury and five more because of suspension as proof that Malkin remains an effective player on a team that returned to the postseason following a three-year absence.

Each time Malkin's season threatened to derail, he returned with what Dubas described as “renewed energy.”

Dubas pointed out that no player in Pittsburgh's improved prospect pool appears poised to take on Malkin's role as a top offensive option.

“I don’t think he’s blocking anybody," Dubas said. “We would love to have him back.”

Malkin and longtime running mates Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang have spent two decades playing alongside each other, the longest three teammates have played together in major North American sports history.

While Dubas knows that run will likely end during his tenure, he also allowed that what the trio has is special. Letang remains under contract for two more seasons. Crosby, the only player in NHL history to average a point a game for 21 straight years, is eligible for an extension in July.

Dubas added that while the team as a whole took a significant step forward under first-year head coach Dan Muse, there remains work to be done regardless of who is on the roster when the Penguins report for training camp in September.

“We're still well short of where we aspire to be,” Dubas said.

Dubas praised the Flyers for “getting to their game” early in the first-round series, and while the Penguins eventually found their footing, it was too late. He added that it's clear by watching some of the teams still in the playoffs that the gap between where Pittsburgh is and the top contenders is still significant.

“We have a long way to go,” he said. “I don’t kid myself with that.”

___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl