The Senators don’t have a lot of blue-chip prospects knocking on the NHL door right now. But one that will command plenty of attention at training camp this fall is former first-round pick Carter Yakemchuk.

After spending this past season with the Belleville Senators, the 20-year-old right-shot defenceman appears to be tracking exactly the way Ottawa hoped when they selected him seventh overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.

The question now is whether Yakemchuk has done enough to seriously challenge for an NHL roster spot next season.

The short answer is... maybe.

Yakemchuk’s first pro season was productive and encouraging, and he certainly has a penchant for good first impressions. In his first AHL season, he had 40 points in 54 games. In his first regular season and first Stanley Cup Playoff games, he had 2 points in each contest.

But his ability to create offense from the back end has never been in question. It was about learning the defensive side of the game and improving his skating.

“I thought it was definitely a big learning year for myself, but I thought overall improved throughout the year, so I was pretty happy with it,” Yakemchuk told broadcaster David Foote in an interview posted this week on B-Sens YouTube channel. 

One of the biggest moments of his season came when he earned his first NHL recall and got the opportunity to make his NHL debut with Ottawa.

“I think I’d go with that for sure,” Yakemchuk said. “It was awesome. I mean to have my family there, and (for them) to be able to watch that game was awesome. Because obviously, without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So just to share that moment with them, it was awesome.”

But making the awesome jump from first-year AHL player to full-time NHL player is never easy for young defencemen, especially on a Senators team that’s now in a legitimate playoff window, way past development mode.

After a 2-8 record in the past two playoffs, it won’t be enough to just make the playoffs next season, and head coach Travis Green will want more reliability and structure on the back end, not less.

That’s where Yakemchuk’s camp battle gets interesting.

His challenge will be proving he can defend consistently enough to earn Green’s trust. Yakemchuk acknowledged that his goal is to improve in all areas this summer, particularly his skating.

“I think skating for me is the biggest thing I want to improve on. Obviously to play in this league or in the NHL, you’ve got to be a good skater, so that’s something I’ll be working on in the summer.”

After Yakemchuk tore up the preseason in the fall of 2024 (7 points in 4 games), the Sens had to be tempted to keep him around. But for his own good, they didn’t want to rush him unnecessarily. If they made that decision again this fall, it might be partially for the team’s good as well.

At the same time, the right side of Ottawa’s blue line isn’t exactly locked down at the moment. If it stays that way, and Yakemchuk arrives at camp a little quicker and more polished defensively, there’s absolutely an opportunity there to win a job.

By Steve WarneThe Hockey News

This story was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. Click on the latest headlines below to read the latest stories there:

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One of the San Jose Sharks' pending unrestricted free agents has already gotten his plans for the 2026-27 season sorted out.

Defenseman Lucas Carlsson has signed with Djurgårdens IF of the Swedish Hockey League. His newly-signed contract with Djurgårdens runs for four seasons and upon expiration, he'll be 32 years old.

Carlsson spent the majority of his time in the Sharks organization with their American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, but he did play a few games at the NHL level as well. 

During his two seasons as a member of the Sharks organization, Carlsson played 103 games for the Barracuda. From the blue line, he scored 22 goals and 49 points during that time.

Carlsson also played in 13 games at the NHL level for the Sharks, all of which came during the 2024-25 season. He scored a goal and had four points during his limited opportunities with the Sharks. 

Prior to his NHL career, Carlsson played in the SHL for Brynäs IF. In his SHL career, he's appeared in 136 games, scored 14 goals, and tallied a total of 38 points. Given the nature of his contract, it's likely we've seen the last of Carlsson in North America.

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Nathan MacKinnon scored seven goals over his first nine playoff games but has yet to open his account in the conference finals.

My Avalanche vs. Golden Knights goal scorer predictions expect that to change, with MacKinnon headlining the list.

Let's take a closer look at my NHL picks for Sunday, May 24.

MacKinnon will have power-play mate Cale Makar back in action tonight, as well.

Avalanche vs Golden Knights goal scorer predictions for Game 3

Player to score a goal	Odds
Nathan MacKinnon	+105
Brock Nelson	+335
Tomas Hertl	+350
💲Goal scorer parlay: Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, Tomas Hertl	+2000

Goal scorer pick: Nathan MacKinnon (+105)

I'm backing Nathan MacKinnon to have a strong volume game, and his shot output correlates strongly with his goal scoring. MacKinnon found the back of the net in 62% of his games when attempting seven shots or more this season, and he has attempted at least seven shots in five of his last six.

Focusing specifically on this matchup, MacKinnon has generated 45 shot attempts over five games against the Vegas Golden Knights this year — including 11- and nine-attempt performances while John Tortorella was behind the bench.

The Colorado Avalanche desperately need a win and will rely heavily on MacKinnon to lead the charge. That means a ton of offensive zone starts and extra ice time for the Rocket Richard winner. Bet him to find the net up to -111.

Goal scorer pick: Brock Nelson (+335)

Brock Nelson has scored just twice in the playoffs despite creating 24 scoring chances and 4.03 expected goals.

That is highly abnormal, as Nelson has scored more goals than expected in 11 consecutive years.

He is a consistently excellent finisher, and I want to buy the dip. Even with this cold stretch, Nelson has found the back of the net in 32% of all games this year. A +335 price tag implies a 23% chance of scoring.

I think the fair price is somewhere in the middle, and would back Nelson up to +270.

Goal scorer pick: Tomas Hertl (+350)

Tomas Hertl is not playing a lot at 5-on-5, but he's getting a steady dose of offensive zone starts, which helps him maximize his minutes.

Nobody on the Golden Knights has recorded more shot attempts, scoring chances, high-danger chances, or created more rebounds than Hertl in this series.

He is also skating on a talented top power-play unit, playing a net-front role and looking to pounce on loose pucks sprayed to the net.

Hertl's a big threat to an Avalanche team that hasn't gotten high-danger saves consistently since the first round. I'd back him to +310.

Avalanche vs Golden Knights anytime goal scorer parlay (+2000)

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Four former members of the San Jose Sharks organization will compete in the American Hockey League's Western Conference Final, three currently play for the Colorado Eagles while there's one former Shark on the Chicago Wolves.

Starting with Colorado, Jacob MacDonald, Keaton Middleton, and Daniil Gushchin are all set to suit up in the Western Conference Final. 

MacDonald originally joined the Sharks organization in the middle of the 2022-23 season as a part of the deal that sent Ryan Merkley and Matt Nieto to the Colorado Avalanche. Known for his ability to play both on the wing and on defense, MacDonald played 59 games for the Sharks across two seasons. He scored eight goals and had 15 points during his time with the team in teal. When his contract with the Sharks expired, he returned to the Avalanche organization, signing a two-year contract.

Middleton never suited up for the Sharks at the NHL level, spending his entire time as a member of the organization playing for the San Jose Barracuda, often alongside his older brother, Jacob Middleton. The younger Middleton spent two seasons with the Barracuda, playing 102 games with the Sharks' farm team. He scored 10 goals and has 26 total points during his time with the Barracuda before moving to the Colorado Avalanche organization for the 2020-21 season.

Last but not least, Gushchin, the Sharks' third round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, spent parts of four seasons bouncing between the Barracuda and the Sharks. At the NHL level, he appeared in 18 games for the Sharks. During that time, he scored two goals and had five points. He was much more effective at the AHL level though, scoring 70 goals and 150 points in 182 games. 

The Sharks traded Gushchin to the Avalanche this past summer, getting Oskar Olausson in return. 

In the other locker room, there's just a single Sharks alumnus on the Chicago Wolves, Givani Smith. After spending parts of two seasons in the Bay Area, Smith was traded to the Colorado Avalanche alongside Mackenzie Blackwood ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. 

During his time with the Sharks, Smith played in 42 games, registering a single goal and four points during that time. He also recorded 50 penalty minutes with the Sharks. 

The AHL's Western Conference Final will kick off this Thursday as the Chicago Wolves visit the Eagles in Loveland, Colorado.

Having lost both games on home ice to start the Western Conference Final against Vegas, the Colorado Avalanche find now face a daunting task as the series shifts to T-Mobile Arena.

A lot is riding on tonight’s game. Win, and set yourselves up to even up the series on Tuesday. Lose, and everything is in jeopardy.

Colorado Avalanche

The dominance of the Avalanche on home ice was well known ahead of this series. They didn’t allow a single victory at Ball Arena to Los Angeles or Minnesota in the first two rounds, but that’s all changed against Vegas. A hot start in Game One quickly cooled off as the Avs failed to generate much offense through most of game, resulting in a 4-2 loss. Game Two saw the Avs score the first goal early and had great success defensively, but they couldn’t build on their lead. That opened the door for Vegas, who scored three times in the third to defeat the Avs 3-1.

Having played a defensively committed team in Los Angeles, and having a full week to prepare for Vegas ahead of the Western Conference Final, one would not expect that this series to unfold this way. While the Avs have outshot Vegas through both games in this series, Vegas’ defensive zone play has also led to many broken plays and limited sustained pressure. Far too often, the normally high-powered Avs offense has been distilled to the following outcomes:

• Puck battles along the boards are lost, leading to the puck going the other way
• Offensive zone passes are broken up, leading to the puck going the other way
• Pucks are shot directly into Carter Hart, or shot wide of the goal
• Not shooting at all(!)

When you have Nathan MacKinnon on your roster (who has ONE assist in this series) and he’s not shooting the puck more than he has (three shots in Game One, and one in Game Two), that is a very big problem. He isn’t the only one that’s struggling to produce: aside from Gabe Landeskog’s power play goal (the only power play goal in five attempts for the Avs, but that’s a whole other issue), not one of the top-six forwards has produced any offense.

Brock Nelson and Martin Nečas have no points in the series. Both have had their opportunities to create, and neither have finished on their chances. Meanwhile, both Pavel Dorofeyev and Jack Eichel have a goal and two assists for Vegas. Brett Howden scored the game-wining goal in Game One. Ivan Barbashev has two goals, including the game-winning goal in Game Two, and an assist on Eichel’s goal. While getting goals from Valeri Nichushkin and Ross Colton has been nice, it simply isn’t enough: top-end talent cannot be held off the scoresheet.

Defenseman Cale Makar missed the first two games due to injury, and the Avs certainly miss him on both ends of the ice. When addressing the media on Saturday regarding Makar’s availability for Game Three, head coach Jared Bednar said that it would be Makar’s decision on when he’s ready to play. “No one can go into Cale’s body and feel what he’s feeling, so when he feels like he can do all the things he needs to be able to do out on the ice to play, then he’s going to make the decision to play.”

Having Makar miss Game Three isn’t ideal, especially with Vegas now having the home ice ability to control on-ice match-ups. The Avs need every advantage they can get, with word that Vegas captain Mark Stone is returning to the lineup, getting Makar back in any capacity would go a long way.

Bednar did make a defensive adjustment in Game Two, reinserting Nick Blankenburg in place of Jack Achan. Blankenburg fared well in his limited time on ice, and if Makar is unavailable tonight, expect Blankenburg to get the call.

Bednar didn’t (and won’t) tip his hand regarding his goaltending, but Wedgewood is likely to start between the pipes for Game Three. Wedgewood played well through most of Game Two, providing his teammates with a chance to win early. While some criticism of his play on the Eichel goal might be warranted, that criticism can also be levied at the rest of the lineup for failing to give him more offensive support in return.

The Avs will have to be better throughout their entire lineup, and for the entirety of Game Three, in order to get back into this series.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton – Nazem Kadri – Nicolas Roy
Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor

Defense:
Devon Toews – Sam Malinski
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Brett Kulak – Nick Blankenburg

Between the Pipes:
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood

Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas is heating up at the right time. With two wins on the road, they’re in the best position they’ve had throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A win today puts them in position to push the League’s best regular season team closer to elimination, and get one step closer to their third Stanley Cup Final.

Despite falling behind early in Game Two, Vegas was able to overcome Colorado’s tight play in the second period in addition to losing the services of defenseman Brayden McNabb for a large stretch of the game. Head Coach John Tortorella highlighted McNabb’s importance in media yesterday, “I thought our team played better, you know? It was a different team. As I said after the game [Friday] night, the second period, it was tilted, and we got out of there unscathed, very fortunately, and I thought that was the most important part of the game, was just being down by a goal after two periods. ‘Nabber’ comes back in, and I think it settled us down.”

Much has been made of Colorado’s ability to apply pressure late in games, but Vegas has proven that they are no slouch in third period play. In both games of this series, Vegas has bested Colorado in third period offense, outscoring Colorado 5-2 in the final frame, with two of those goals coming with an empty net late in regulation.

Tortorella also highlighted his roster’s ability to remain patient despite trailing in Game Two. “Team’s down one-nothing going into the third period, you don’t want to open yourself up and start doing crazy stuff and opening yourself up, because that team will make you pay, the team we’re playing right now,” He said.

“Just take each shift at a time, see if we can get a big play,” Tortorella continued, “We end up getting a big play. […] It’s a big play by a big player, and that’s what you hope for.

Given the production from his lineup, Tortorella doesn’t have to look far for more big plays from his big players coming into Game Three.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Pavel Dorofeyev
Mark Stone – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad – Tomáš Hertl – Brett Howden
Colton Sissons – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolesar

Defense:
Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Noah Hanafin – Rasmus Andersson
Kaedan Korczak – Dylan Coghlan

Between the Pipes:
Carter Hart
Adin Hill

Trades between the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils have historically been far and few between, but the Metropolitan Division rivals can lend each other a hand by exchanging their first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft.

The Devils, on the heels of another disappointing, injury-riddled season, ended up landing the 12th overall pick in the 2026 draft, but they need more NHL-ready talent to compete for a Stanley Cup rather than a 17- or 18-year-old prospect who might not meaningfully contribute for at least two or more years.

On the other hand, the Flyers seemed destined for a disappointing campaign of their own before some post-Olympic magic buoyed their playoff chances and vaulted them into the postseason after Game 81.

But, because the Flyers made the playoffs and won a round, knocking off the archrival Pittsburgh Penguins in six games, their first-round pick is going to be a lot lower than they'd like with respect to landing a top-six center or top-four defenseman.

So, they'll have to get creative to make it happen.

Maybe they go the offer sheet route, trade for someone like Elias Pettersson, or splurge on a free agent like Rasmus Andersson.

Or, they could do none of those things, leverage their winger logjam, and hedge their late first on draft day.

The Flyers have enough wingers at their disposal to feel comfortable flipping one at the draft, and the Devils are one of a few teams that have no real incentive to hang onto their pick if they don't have to.

According to MoneyPuck, the Devils finished 2025-26 with 35.2 goals fewer than expected at all strengths, last in the NHL by a comfortable seven-goal margin.

Ex-Flyers Goalie Carter Hart Dominating in NHL Playoff SpotlightFormer Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart is playing the best hockey of his career for John Tortorella and the Vegas Golden Knights.

They need finishing talent, and the Flyers might feel that the opportunity to flip someone like Tyson Foerster, who struggled badly in the postseason, was demoted to the fourth line in the playoffs, and dealt with injuries throughout the regular season, and the 21st pick for the 12th pick is too good to pass up.

Depending on who is available at the time, the Flyers could put themselves in a position to draft a center like Viggo Bjorck or Tynan Lawrence, a hot riser like Wyatt Cullen, or top-tier defenders like Malte Gustafsson and Daxon Rudolph.

The Flyers should have no motivation to make such an aggressive trade until that situation becomes clear to them on draft day, but landing Bjorck or Gustafsson, specifically, would be an instant home-run for a franchise that badly needs young talent at center and left defense.

Bjorck's 5-foot-10 size has proven to be a major detractor for his draft stock, but Bjorck was once considered one of the favorites to go in the top three of this draft.

The 18-year-old didn't do anything to hurt his stock with 15 points in 42 SHL games and, from the Flyers' point of view, it might help that Bjorck is a right-shot center.

They added Luke Glendening from the Devils on waivers earlier this season for that specific reason, but instead of a career fourth-liner, the Flyers can draft one of the smartest, most skilled players in the whole 2026 draft class.

Trading someone like Foerster, Alex Bump, or Owen Tippett to an established rival like the Devils will always carry massive risk, but the Flyers have put themselves in a position where risk is necessary--even more necessary than what is typical--to take the next step.

The Flyers have always been adamant about building a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup year after year, and this is one of a few ways they can secure their future with a shrewd, low-cost transaction.

The Carolina Hurricanes were flat in their series opener against the Montreal Canadiens after a 12-day layoff, but the Canes called upon some former Buffalo Sabres to pull out Game 2 and even the series with a 3-2 overtime win in Raleigh on Saturday. The Hurricanes fourth line, which consisted of all ex-Sabres Eric Robinson, Mark Jankowski, and William Carrier, combined for Carolina’s opening goal 2:33 into the first period. 

Robinson played seven seasons under GM Jarmo Kekalainen in Columbus and 40 games for Buffalo in 2023-24, scored his second goal of the playoffs, after being set up by Carrier, who played three seasons with Rochester and the Sabres before being claimed by Vegas in the expansion draft in 2017 and winning a Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023. Jankowski, who played 19 games for Buffalo in 2021-22, had two helpers on the night, including setting up Nikolaj Ehlers for the game-winner at 3:29 of overtime. 

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

Former Sabres team captain Jack Eichel is having another excellent post-season with the Vegas Golden Knights. Eichel is second in the NHL in playoff scoring with 18 points, and scored the tying goal and set up Ivan Barbashev’s game-winner in a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. 

Some current and former Sabres are playing in the IIHF World Championships in Switzerland. Ryan O’Reilly is second to Macklin Celebrini in scoring for Team Canada with seven points (5 goals, 2 assists). Henri Jokiharju has six points (2 goals, 4 assists) with Finland, while Dylan Cozens has four goals for Canada in six games. 

Konsta Helenius, who scored two goals in four games against Montreal after replacing the injured Sam Carrick, has played two games for Finland and has an assist. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

The Golden Knights will have captain Mark Stone back on the ice for Game 3, coach John Tortorella confirmed before Sunday's game.

Stone hasn't played since suffering a lower-body injury on May 8 during Game 3 in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks.

The 34-year-old missed the last three games of the conference semifinal and the first two of the Western Conference Final against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Golden Knights won Games 1 and 2 in Denver to take a 2-0 series lead. They're now two wins away from returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2023, when they defeated the Florida Panthers to win the title in five games.

Stone had seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in the first nine playoff games. Vegas is 6-3 with Stone on the ice.

"No one wants to be out there more than Mark," defenseman Noah Hanifin said. "He's one of the most competitive guys I've ever played with in my career. How much he loves the game, how passionate he is about the game.

"He did all the work he can, just to make sure he's back, so we're excited for tonight."

In 94 career playoff games with the Knights, the veteran forward has 79 points (39 goals and 40 assists).

PHOTO CAPTION

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) skates against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena.