Author: NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

The last time an NHL goaltender won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player and the Vezina Trophy as its top netminder in the same season, the year was 2015. And the winner that season was likely Hockey Hall-of-Famer Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens. However, Winnipeg Jets star goalie Connor Hellebuyck became the fifth and latest goaltender to do so, taking home the 2024-25 Hart and Vezina Trophies Thursday night.

The 32-year-old Hellebuyck was far and away the league’s best goalie this year. He appeared in 63 games for the Jets this year, posting a 2.00 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. The Vezina win was the second consecutive honor for Hellebuyck, and the third of his nine-year NHL career. Hellebuyck put up a 47-12-3 record this season, becoming the seventh NHL goalie in league history to generate 45 wins or more, and the first goalie to do it since Washington Capitals netminder Braden Holtby did so in 2015-16.

Certainly, Hellebuyck’s post-season numbers weren’t nearly as dominant. He went 6-7 in 13 playoff games, generating a 3.08 GAA and an .866 SP. But no one could deny he was the league’s premier netminder through the regular season. Fellow Vezina finalists Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning star Andrei Vasilevskiy also had solid seasons, but neither could compare to Hellebuyck. 

The bigger honor, obviously, is the Hart. Only seven other goalies in league history have won the MVP award, and Hellebuyck had to beat out finalists Leon Draisailt of the Edmonton Oilers and Nikita Kucherov of the Lightning. While these two players had amazing seasons in their own right, it’s hard to deny that Hellebuyck was extremely valuable to the Jets winning the NHL’s Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top regular-season team. That’s the definition of the Hart award, and Hellebuyck is a deserving recipient.

With his third Vezina, Hellebuyck joins NHL legends Dominik Hasek, Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur as the only goaltenders to win the best goalie award at least three times since the league altered the Vezina voting process prior to the 1981-82 campaign. Hasek won the Vezina six times, Brodeur won it four, and Roy won it three. So Hellebuyck still has plenty of time to climb up that list. And there’s no good reason why he can’t do it.

Obviously, Hellebuyck wants more playoff success than he wants regular-season success at this point in his career. He’s signed to a contract that still has six seasons left at a relatively reasonable average annual value of $8.5 million. If he’d wanted to, he could’ve left Winnipeg and signed with a different team for considerably more money. But the Jets are still one of the most competitive teams in the league, and Hellebuyck is bound to get another chance at winning in the post-season next year.

For the interim, though, he’ll have to be content with being recognized as hockey’s pre-eminent goalie, the NHL’s most valuable player and an icon-in-the-making. Hellebuyck did everything the Jets asked of him this season, and the results he delivered earned him a special combination of awards few hockey players ever achieve.

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Calgary goalie and Calder Memorial Trophy runner-up Dustin Wolf has been named to the 2024-25 NHL All-Rookie Team. He joins fellow finalists forward Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks and defenceman and winner of the award Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens on the team.

The other three spots went to forwards Matvei Michkov (Philadelphia Flyers) and Cutter Gauthier (Anaheim Ducks) and defenceman Denton Mateychuk (Columbus Blue Jackets).

Wolf compiled a 29-16-8 record in his rookie season with Calgary with a GAA of 2.64 and a Save% of .910. His franchise rookie wins was just one below that of Hall of Famer Mike Vernon, who in his rookie season of 1986-87 compiled a 30-22-1 record.

The California kid's achievement is magnified by the fact that he was the fourth-last pick in the 2019 draft.

It goes without saying, the 24-year-old has the starting goalie position secured in Southern Alberta going forward.

Former Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Magnus Hellberg is on the move, as he has signed a three-year contract with Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Hockey League.

Hellberg, 34, signed a one-year deal with the Penguins during the 2023 NHL off-season. During his time with the club in 2023-24, he primarily played in the AHL. In 19 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he recorded a 9-8-2 record, a .905 save percentage, and a 2.92 goals-against average.

Hellberg also played in three games with Pittsburgh during the 2023-24 season, where he posted a 1-0-0 record, a .922 save percentage, and a 2.50 goals-against average. His time with the Penguins ended when he was traded to the Florida Panthers at the 2024 NHL trade deadline. Following the move, he had a 5-2-0 record, a .898 save percentage, and a 2.34 goals-against average in eight games with Florida's AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. 

Hellberg spent the entirety of this season in the AHL with the Texas Stars. In 41 appearances, he recorded a 24-14-1 record, a 2.69 goals-against average, and a .904 save percentage. Now, he is heading back to the SHL, where he should be a nice piece of Djurgardens IF's roster from here. 

Report: Penguins Only 'True Sellers' On NHL MarketWith the NHL Draft and free agency approaching fast, the NHL trade market is beginning to come into focus. 

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Photo Credit: © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Oilers' Leon Draisaitl scores OT winner again, beat Panthers 5-4 in Game 4 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Leon Draisaitl scored in overtime for the fourth time this playoffs, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night to tie the series, erasing a three-goal deficit and bouncing back after allowing the late tying goal.

Jake Walman gave the Oilers their first lead with 6:24 left in the third period, before Sam Reinhart scored with 19.5 seconds left to send it to overtime. Three of the first four games of this final have needed extra time to be settled, the first time that has happened since 2013 and fifth time in NHL history.

Draisaitl’s goal 11:18 into OT — the fourth session of extra hockey between these teams — sent the series back to Western Canada all even. Game 5 of what’s turning into a classic back-and-forth series between two hockey heavyweights is Saturday night in Edmonton.

The Oilers became the first road team to rally from down three to win a game in the final since the Montreal Canadiens against the Seattle Metropolitans in 1919. Only six teams have come back from down three in the final in NHL history, the last time in 2006.

Edmonton is very much in it now, even after it looked like it would be blown out of the series. The Oilers fell behind 3-0 in the first period on a pair of goals by Matthew Tkachuk and another with 41.7 seconds left from Anton Lundell, which could have been a back-breaker.

Coach Kris Knoblauch pulled Stuart Skinner after his starter allowed those three goals on 17 shots in the first, when the ice was tilted against him and his teammates did not have much of a pushback. In went Calvin Pickard, the journeyman backup who won all six of his starts this playoffs before getting injured.

Pickard made some acrobatic saves, stopping the first 18 shots he faced and paving the way for a once-in-a-century comeback. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored on Edmonton’s first power play, Darnell Nurse beat Sergei Bobrovsky with another shot up high and Vasily Podkolzin made it 3-all with less than five minutes left in the second.

With Draisaitl in the penalty box to start the third, Oilers were on their heels for several minutes and relied on Pickard to keep the score tied. He turned aside every shot he faced until Walman fired the puck past Bobrovsky to silence a vast majority of the crowd and incite a roar out of the Edmonton fans among those in attendance along with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

Panthers fans had one more chance to cheer when Reinhart tied it late. Then Draisaitl quieted them again.

With Hockey Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Lundqvist also in the building, the Oilers made sure they would not go quietly and fall behind 3-1 in the final like they did last year. They forced Game 7 then but ultimately fell short, with Florida winning the Cup for the first time in franchise history.

Now each of these teams is a couple of victories away from being champions.

Game 5 at Rogers Place is set for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT.

Oilers' Leon Draisaitl scores OT winner again, beat Panthers 5-4 in Game 4 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Leon Draisaitl scored in overtime for the fourth time this playoffs, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night to tie the series, erasing a three-goal deficit and bouncing back after allowing the late tying goal.

Jake Walman gave the Oilers their first lead with 6:24 left in the third period, before Sam Reinhart scored with 19.5 seconds left to send it to overtime. Three of the first four games of this final have needed extra time to be settled, the first time that has happened since 2013 and fifth time in NHL history.

Draisaitl’s goal 11:18 into OT — the fourth session of extra hockey between these teams — sent the series back to Western Canada all even. Game 5 of what’s turning into a classic back-and-forth series between two hockey heavyweights is Saturday night in Edmonton.

The Oilers became the first road team to rally from down three to win a game in the final since the Montreal Canadiens against the Seattle Metropolitans in 1919. Only six teams have come back from down three in the final in NHL history, the last time in 2006.

Edmonton is very much in it now, even after it looked like it would be blown out of the series. The Oilers fell behind 3-0 in the first period on a pair of goals by Matthew Tkachuk and another with 41.7 seconds left from Anton Lundell, which could have been a back-breaker.

Coach Kris Knoblauch pulled Stuart Skinner after his starter allowed those three goals on 17 shots in the first, when the ice was tilted against him and his teammates did not have much of a pushback. In went Calvin Pickard, the journeyman backup who won all six of his starts this playoffs before getting injured.

Pickard made some acrobatic saves, stopping the first 18 shots he faced and paving the way for a once-in-a-century comeback. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored on Edmonton’s first power play, Darnell Nurse beat Sergei Bobrovsky with another shot up high and Vasily Podkolzin made it 3-all with less than five minutes left in the second.

With Draisaitl in the penalty box to start the third, Oilers were on their heels for several minutes and relied on Pickard to keep the score tied. He turned aside every shot he faced until Walman fired the puck past Bobrovsky to silence a vast majority of the crowd and incite a roar out of the Edmonton fans among those in attendance along with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

Panthers fans had one more chance to cheer when Reinhart tied it late. Then Draisaitl quieted them again.

With Hockey Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Lundqvist also in the building, the Oilers made sure they would not go quietly and fall behind 3-1 in the final like they did last year. They forced Game 7 then but ultimately fell short, with Florida winning the Cup for the first time in franchise history.

Now each of these teams is a couple of victories away from being champions.

Game 5 at Rogers Place is set for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT.

With the NHL Draft and free agency approaching fast, the NHL trade market is beginning to come into focus. 

And it appears that there won't be too many sellers on the market. That is, except one.

According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic during an appearance on TSN 1050, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the only "true sellers" on the market this summer, while most other teams that finished near the bottom of the league standings are looking to improve.

If this is the case, that should put the Penguins in a prime position to sell off some of their veteran talent for a better return.

Presumably, Pittsburgh's three biggest trade targets are forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell as well as defenseman Erik Karlsson. Rust and Rakell each had 30-plus goal seasons for the Penguins in 2024-25, as Rust finished with 31 goals and 65 points while Rakell had 35 goals and 70 points - both primarily playing alongside Sidney Crosby on the top line.

Karlsson, 35, recorded 11 goals and 53 points to go along with a minus-24 last season, and his name has been in the rumor mill for a while.

Penguins Facing Big Decision With Star Forward The Pittsburgh Penguins will be a team to watch very closely this off-season. After missing the playoffs for the third year in a row, there has naturally been speculation that the Metropolitan Division club will make changes to their roster. 

Pittsburgh has already accrued more draft capital than any other NHL team for the next three seasons, as they have a total of 30 picks - including 18 selections within the first three rounds and 10 within the first two.

Given that the Penguins are in a "transitional" period, GM/POHO Kyle Dubas plans to continue to accrue assets while also trying to leverage some excess capital to acquire young talent. He has mentioned the RFA trade-then-sign market as something he may dabble in if the right situation presents itself.

Nonetheless, the Penguins as the lone "true" sellers in the market should put them in an advantegeous position ahead of the draft, where they are rumored to want to move up.

Should The Penguins Trade Up For Higher Draft Pick?With the month of June in full swing, buzz around the 2025 NHL Entry Draft is heating up.

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Feature Image Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Following the recent conclusion of the Memorial Cup, the 2024-25 season has officially ended for all the Philadelphia Flyers prospects.

Some prospects saw their stocks within the organization slashed this season, while others either remained neutral or showed signs of positive development as they caravan towards an NHL future with the Flyers.

Our end-of-season Flyers prospects rankings will objectively reflect that progress, or lack thereof, as we crown a new king and give credit where credit is due to a couple of dogs who like to play nice… sometimes.

For the sake of this exercise, we’ll name only the top 25 Flyers prospects, as anything more will include graduating or underachieving players without a clear path to a future in the organization. Note that these players have been ranked on their upside as well as projected NHL contribution.

Tier 1: Starter, Regular NHL Contributor

No. 1: Egor Zavragin, G

Egor Zavragin is the king of Flyers prospects at the end of the 2024-25 season. In 43 KHL games, his first season in Russia’s top league, Zavragin went 20-14-3 with a 2.50 GAA, a .917 save percentage, and four shutouts. Still just 19 years old, Zavragin added a 10-5-0 record in the Gagarin Cup playoffs to the tune of a 2.29 GAA, a .918 save percentage, and two shutouts. He was even better under pressure!

The Flyers’ former third-round pick is already borderline dominant in the KHL in his teen years, making him an easy choice for No. 1 in these rankings.

No. 2: Spencer Gill, RHD

Spencer Gill was drafted later than Oliver Bonk was and scored fewer points this season, but is rated higher. Why? For me, the answer is simple.

Neither defenseman will be a scorer at the NHL level, and Gill is bigger and meaner, making him a more friendly projection for the role they will play with the Flyers.

During training camp, I was blown away by Gill’s pace of play, nastiness, defensive stick, and tenacity. It’s a shame that his season ended prematurely due to a reported broken ankle, but I’m excited to see the progress he’s made over the last year at the Flyers Training Center this summer.

No. 3: Oliver Bonk, RHD

Back-to-back OHL champion and Memorial Cup winner: Oliver Bonk just wins. I’m not sure how good he’ll be defensively or what the offense will look like, but he has all the tools needed to become a middle-pair NHL defender down the road. That could happen sooner than later if all goes well.

No. 4: Denver Barkey, LW

Dog.

No. 5: Jett Luchanko, C

Jett Luchanko, like Denver Barkey, is a high-energy forward who can make plays offensively and plays with good details. The difference is, Luchanko was drafted 13th, while Barkey snuck into the third round of 2023.

Luchanko’s D+1 year was a marginal improvement on his draft year, and some of that is due to the Guelph Storm selling off all their talent aside from him. Plus, Luchanko played for them, Canada, the Flyers, and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this year. He needs stability and people to play with, and I’m concerned with his shooting still. That said, I’m not out on Luchanko yet, but I would like to see more.

Flyers Mock Draft: Expert Predicts Philly's Best-Case ScenarioThe Philadelphia Flyers still hold the sixth pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but this expert's latest mock draft says that's not such a bad thing after all.

For me, Barkey is the better all-around prospect at this time because of that.

No. 6: Nikita Grebenkin, LW

Tier 2: NHL Contributor, But to What Degree?

No. 7: Alex Bump, LW

No. 8: Carson Bjarnason, G

No. 9: Helge Grans, RHD

I’m a big fan of Helge Grans and think that he can beat out Emil Andrae and Egor Zamula for an NHL roster spot with the Flyers this fall.

He’s 6-foot-3, skates like a gazelle, can move the puck with ease, and makes physical plays when necessary. The 23-year-old still has time on his side and just had his most productive AHL season, by far, since 2021-22.

If Grans can put it all together, he can easily steal a roster spot in the wake of Rasmus Ristolainen’s triceps injury. That could be all the Flyers need to be forced into making a tough decision down the road.

No. 10: Emil Andrae, LHD

No. 11: Aleksei Kolosov, G

Tier 3: Potential NHL Contributor

No. 12: Jack Berglund, C/LW

No. 13: Ethan Samson, RHD

I didn’t care much for Ethan Samson’s performance in camp last year, but the former sixth-round pick really opened some eyes this year, mine included.

Samson doubled his offensive output from a year ago, jumping from just 12 points in 63 games to a more respectable 24 in 69 games. At 6-foot-1, 181 pounds, Samson isn’t the biggest guy on the ice, but he’s not afraid to play with a physical edge.

It’s hard to imagine him leapfrogging Gill or Bonk down the road, but in a thin Tier 3, Samson is showing some signs of life and could eventually be a No. 7 defender at the NHL level.

No. 14: Cole Knuble, RW/C

After an underwhelming D+1 season that saw him score just nine goals and 20 points in 36 NCAA games with Notre Dame, Knuble quietly finished 2024-25 with 12 goals and 39 points in 34 games.

Flyers Mock Draft 3.0: A Bold Trade and the NHL Scouting CombineThe Philadelphia Flyers, as expected, were one of the busiest teams at the NHL Scouting Combine, giving some clues of their intentions leading up to the 2025 NHL Draft later this month.

Knuble, the son of former Flyers forward Mike Knuble, quietly out-produced Alex Bump (1.15 PPG vs. Bump’s 1.12.)

I think Bump plays with more offensive poise, but Knuble’s hockey sense and increasingly refined details are helping him find success in the NCAA. I wouldn’t write him off just yet.

No. 15: Alexis Gendron, RW

No. 16: Hunter McDonald, LHD

Tier 4: May or May Not Make an NHL Roster

No. 17: Alex Ciernik, RW

No. 18: Zayde Wisdom, RW

No. 19: Samu Tuomaala, RW

Samu Tuomaala is struggling to both produce and stay healthy, and I think it has significantly hampered his development and crushed his chances of making the Flyers.

The 22-year-old Finn was a candidate to sneak onto the roster last fall before suffering an injury, which came on the heels of a season-ending injury from the season prior.

Then, Tuomaala suffered another injury during this season that sidelined him from March 1. In 46 games, the speedster was a team-worst -19 and scored only 11 goals before his season ended.

It’s hard to imagine Tuomaala becoming anything more than a bottom-six energy guy with a good shot, but if I want a bottom-six energy guy, I prefer Zayde Wisdom, who just had an excellent and potentially career-saving season.

After all, they say the best ability is availability…

No. 20: Karsen Dorwart, C

No. 21: Heikki Ruohonen, C

Heikki Ruohonen looked like a nice late find for the Flyers with the 107th pick last year based on some strong international production with Finland and the Kiekko-Espoo U20s. The Harvard commit played in North America for the first time this season, scoring 16 goals and 39 points in 49 games for the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Ruohonen finished sixth in scoring among D+1 NHL-drafted USHL skaters this season, though it’s worth noting that his 0.8 points per game ranked third in that group. Will Zellers was the only one with more than a point per game, so it’s hard to penalize Ruohonen for his so-so production. I like his potential as a future fleet-footed bottom-six center with that prototypical 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame.

No. 22: Massimo Rizzo, F

No. 23: Noah Powell, RW

No. 24: Devin Kaplan, RW

No. 25: Ty Murchison, LHD

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It’s no secret that Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens are on the hunt for a couple of essential pieces this Summer, a second-line center and a right-shot defenseman, or at the very least a defenseman that can play on the right side. There have been rumblings about interest in a few players, including two New York Islanders players: Bo Horvat and Matthew Barzal.

However, there’s new management in Long Island, gone are the Lou Lamoriello days, and in is former Hab Mathieu Darche. With new management comes a new approach, and while veteran GM Lamoriello was reportedly interested in moving the players mentioned above, Darche is not, according to insider Pierre LeBrun.

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In his latest article for The Athletic, LeBrun reports that Darche has let it be known to his two players that they aren’t going anywhere. The writer also adds that he believes Montreal would have been a team interested in making an offer.

Going after Horvat was a possibility we had mentioned and explored, but we wondered if he would even be available under Darche. According to LeBrun, we were right to wonder.

While the popular saying suggests that there are plenty of other fish in the sea, not all are great catches, and what Hughes and co. are after is not all that common, especially since there are many teams also in the hunt for a top six center.

Marco Rossi and Mason McTavish remain a couple of interesting possibilities to explore for the Canadiens, but the price tag is likely to be relatively high for either of them. 34-year-old free agent Matt Duchene could be an interesting option, while he’s a bit long in the tooth, he still produces at a point-per-game pace. He has already turned down an offer to come to Montreal before signing a massive deal with the Nashville Predators, so it remains to be seen if he could be convinced to come this time around.

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

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Every time a new NHL coach is hired, we hear about how he’s a perfect fit.

When Marco Sturm was introduced as the 30th coach in Boston Bruins history on Tuesday, he also made it clear that Boston was the right fit for him.

“I didn't want to take my first opportunity and just go for it,” Sturm said. “No, I wanted to be prepared. And yes, I always wanted to come back here, obviously, but I think the timing of it was just perfect, right? Selfishly, I'm glad the Bruins didn't play well last year, because otherwise I wouldn't be here. Let’s be honest.”

That’s pretty candid, especially for a first-time NHL bench boss. 

Sturm’s 302 games played with the Bruins between 2005 and 2010 are a strong sell for the fan base. Here’s a guy who had boots on the ground as Boston transformed from a non-playoff team into a Stanley Cup champion. He skated alongside franchise legends Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron, and Bergeron was on hand at Tuesday’s presser to show his support.

While the new coach talked about how excited his two kids – now young adults – are excited that the family will once again have a home base back in Boston, he has to feel good about the success rate of the coaches that have preceded him.

Look past Joe Sacco, who was strictly an interim placeholder last season. Here’s what you’ve got:

• Jim Montgomery, 2022 to 2024: 2023 Jack Adams Winner, .652 points percentage
• Bruce Cassidy, 2017 to 2022: 2020 Jack Adams Winner, 2023 Stanley Cup champ (with the Vegas Golden Knights), .672 points percentage
• Claude Julien, 2007 to 2017: 2009 Jack Adams Winner, 2011 Stanley Cup champ (Boston Bruins), .614 points percentage

The Bruins are far from perfect, but they’ve put their coaches in positions to succeed for the better part of the last two decades.  

With a new two-year contract extension in hand that will take him through the 2027-28 season, GM Don Sweeney said Tuesday the conversations he held with his large field of 14 head-coaching candidates helped illuminate his club’s shortcomings.

“It can be uncomfortable, in terms of the critical eye that other people are watching your team and breaking down your team and the changes they want to make,” he told reporters. “You have to understand that the position we're in, we didn't execute both at the management level and the coaching level and the player level. So we have to be open to that and the tweaks that coaches want to make.”

The Bruins are going into the Sturm era without a captain in place, after Brad Marchand’s shocking deal at the trade deadline. David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy have worn the A’s for the last two seasons and, as Sturm pointed out Tuesday, are homegrown players who started their careers during the Chara and Bergeron era. 

Having McAvoy back on the blueline following his shoulder injury will be helpful. And at 31, Hampus Lindholm should have plenty of tread left on his tires after he missed the last 65 games of the season due to a knee injury that required surgery. 

While Jeremy Swayman’s unsettled contract situation cast a large black cloud on the Bruins heading into last season, his vibes should be much better after he wrapped up his year with a gold medal for Team USA at the IIHF World Championship last month, giving up just 12 goals in seven games and shutting out Switzerland in the gold medal game. On that team, U.S. right winger Conor Garland also called Bruins D-man Andrew Peeke “so underrated at how hard he played and how strong he was” on a shutdown pair with Brady Skjei.

After they were signed to a couple of the biggest contracts in 2024 free agency, Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov struggled to live up to expectations last season. 

For the second straight year, Pastrnak shone at the Worlds – this time leading the tournament with 15 points and earning best-forward honors. Lindholm was right behind, finishing second with 14 points and joining Pastrnak on the tournament all-star team.

Ever so slowly, the door is cracking open for European coaches to work in the NHL. Sturm’s 938-game playing career certainly gave him name recognition and relationships to build off, but the World Championship stage was where he began to make his name as a coach nearly a decade ago. 

In three seasons at the helm of his native Team Germany, Sturm helped move his national team from an also-ran into a perpetual playoff-round participant as one of the world’s top eight hockey nations.

Then, after helping the Germans win their surprise silver at the 2018 Winter Olympics, Sturm shifted his attention back to North America. Leaving his family behind to join the Los Angeles Kings organization in the fall of 2018, he gained experience as an assistant for three-plus years, then ran the bench of the AHL Ontario Reign for the last three seasons.

“Learning from, especially, from a guy like Todd McLellan, for me, he was the perfect fit – the perfect coach to learn from,” Sturm said. “Sometimes I say, ‘Yeah, now I'm ready,’ or you can hear ‘Marco’s ready,’ but I probably knew the on-the-ice stuff, right? I knew it as a player, a coach. I've seen a lot, and now, getting a lot of information from Todd and how he runs it, how he prepares. That's something I think I wanted to get better at, and I needed someone, I would say, to guide me through it.”

Because they’ve been chasing the Cup for more than a decade, Boston’s prospect pool is thin. But 2019 first-rounder and 2020 second-rounder Mason Lohrei established themselves as regulars last season, and there will be roster space available if any or all of Matthew Poitras, Fraser Minten or Fabian Lysell step up at training camp this fall.

The Bruins also hold the seventh-overall pick in the 2025 draft, their first top-10 selection since they took Dougie Hamilton at No. 9 in 2011. And according to PuckPedia, they’ve got more than $28 million in available cap space this summer, though they will need to take care of some young players. Morgan Geekie, Jakub Lauko, Marat Khusnutdinov, Beecher and Lohrei are all RFAs with arbitration rights. 

When Sturm arrived in Boston in 2005 as one of the key assets coming back in the Joe Thornton trade, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight for the fan base. 

“It was not my fault,” he said. “But I got here and I'm not going to lie, it was difficult because everyone loved Joe.”

Twenty years later, he’ll play a new role while trying to calm today’s choppy waters and guide a similar rise.

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Oilers' Leon Draisaitl scores OT winner again, beat Panthers 5-4 in Game 4 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Leon Draisaitl scored in overtime for the fourth time this playoffs, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night to tie the series, erasing a three-goal deficit and bouncing back after allowing the late tying goal.

Jake Walman gave the Oilers their first lead with 6:24 left in the third period, before Sam Reinhart scored with 19.5 seconds left to send it to overtime. Three of the first four games of this final have needed extra time to be settled, the first time that has happened since 2013 and fifth time in NHL history.

Draisaitl’s goal 11:18 into OT — the fourth session of extra hockey between these teams — sent the series back to Western Canada all even. Game 5 of what’s turning into a classic back-and-forth series between two hockey heavyweights is Saturday night in Edmonton.

The Oilers became the first road team to rally from down three to win a game in the final since the Montreal Canadiens against the Seattle Metropolitans in 1919. Only six teams have come back from down three in the final in NHL history, the last time in 2006.

Edmonton is very much in it now, even after it looked like it would be blown out of the series. The Oilers fell behind 3-0 in the first period on a pair of goals by Matthew Tkachuk and another with 41.7 seconds left from Anton Lundell, which could have been a back-breaker.

Coach Kris Knoblauch pulled Stuart Skinner after his starter allowed those three goals on 17 shots in the first, when the ice was tilted against him and his teammates did not have much of a pushback. In went Calvin Pickard, the journeyman backup who won all six of his starts this playoffs before getting injured.

Pickard made some acrobatic saves, stopping the first 18 shots he faced and paving the way for a once-in-a-century comeback. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored on Edmonton’s first power play, Darnell Nurse beat Sergei Bobrovsky with another shot up high and Vasily Podkolzin made it 3-all with less than five minutes left in the second.

With Draisaitl in the penalty box to start the third, Oilers were on their heels for several minutes and relied on Pickard to keep the score tied. He turned aside every shot he faced until Walman fired the puck past Bobrovsky to silence a vast majority of the crowd and incite a roar out of the Edmonton fans among those in attendance along with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

Panthers fans had one more chance to cheer when Reinhart tied it late. Then Draisaitl quieted them again.

With Hockey Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Lundqvist also in the building, the Oilers made sure they would not go quietly and fall behind 3-1 in the final like they did last year. They forced Game 7 then but ultimately fell short, with Florida winning the Cup for the first time in franchise history.

Now each of these teams is a couple of victories away from being champions.

Game 5 at Rogers Place is set for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT.

Detroit Red Wings have reportedly reached out to the Vegas Golden Knights on defenceman Nic Hague

The Red Wings are notably weak on the blueline with it being one of their main priorities heading into the off-season. It already sounds like they are getting to work as they've been involved in the recent rumors around Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Nic Hague. 

There’s growing chatter online about Hague potentially being on the move, and one team being floated in connection is Detroit.

Tony Wolak (@TonyWolak) on XRed Wings reportedly interested in trading for LD Nic Hague. He’s one of my top targets for top-four D this offseason. #LGRW

It was first reported by the Fourth Period, that Vegas was speaking to several teams on Hague but The Hockey Writers' Tony Wolak added that the Red Wings were one of the teams involved. While nothing official has been confirmed, the idea has some practical weight. 

Vegas is in a very cap-tight situation with just under $10 million in space and a few contracts still left to be sorted out. Hague is a restricted free agent could be due a significant raise that the Golden Knights may not be able to afford. Insiders believe he is expecting around $3 million annually if not more on a multi-year deal. 

With Vegas prioritizing other pieces and known for making bold cap-clearing moves, Hague becomes one of the most likely candidates to be moved. 

For Detroit, Hague presents an intriguing fit. He’s a 6’6” left-shot defenseman who plays a physical, defensively sound game and brings the exact type of presence that could complement the Red Wings' existing blue line structure. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Moritz Seider remains their franchise cornerstone, while Simon Edvinsson is expected to take on a step forward next season. But beyond those two, the team lacks reliable defencemen, especially on the left side.

Hague’s shot-blocking, penalty-killing, and willingness to play heavy minutes would be a welcome boost for a Red Wings team that has lacked some grit in recent years. 

The Red Wings also have the cap space and asset flexibility to make a deal with over $21 million available and a stockpile of picks. GM Steve Yzerman could justify using some of that capital to bring in a 25-year-old defenseman who fits both their timeline, identity and won't come at a heavy price tag. 

Hague’s age and experience of over 250 NHL games and a Stanley Cup ring could give him the kind of resume that could stabilize a up-and-coming young team like the Red Wings looking to take the next step toward playoff contention.

More Red Wings: Could the Red Wings Sign Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner? New Betting Odds Spark Major Buzz

There are still questions to consider. If Vegas demands a high-end prospect or premium pick, Detroit might hesitate, especially with their rebuild still in a delicate balance.

But if the price is manageable, Hague could be exactly the kind of addition that signals Detroit is ready to start contending for a playoff spot.

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SHL's Djurgården IF announced they have signed Texas Stars goaltender Magnus Hellberg to a three-year contract that runs through the 2027-28 season. 

Hellberg had a 24-14-1 record with a .904 SP and 2.69 GAA with the Stars this season before posting a 3-3 record with a .921 SP and 2.36 AA in the Calder Cup Playoffs. 

The 34-year-old formed a solid duo with Remi Poirier and backstopped Texas to the Western Conference Finals. 

Originally a second round selection of the Nashville Predators in 2011, Hellberg appeared in 26 career NHL games with the Predators, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, and Pittsburgh Penguins.

In parts of eight AHL seasons Hellberg was a 2015 All-Star and racked up a 124-97-18 record, .912 SP, 2.55 GAA and 17 shutouts. 

The Uppsala, SWE., native spent parts of five seasons in the KHL where he was a two-time All-Star. 

📃✍🏻 Djurgården välkomnar med mycket stor glädje Magnus Hellberg till föreningen. Den 34-årige målvakten, som spelat i NHL, KHL, SHL, AHL och dubbla OS, ansluter på ett treårigt avtal skrivet till 2028.

▶️ Läs mer på https://t.co/81KFrua4p1.#DIFHockey | #AlltidOavsettpic.twitter.com/g9rRX7V0sd

— Djurgården Hockey (@DIFHockeyse) June 12, 2025

Hellberg represented Sweden at the 2018 and 2022 Olympics and World Championships, winning the 2018 World Championship gold medal.  

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.   

Photo Credit: © Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LA Kings' captain Anze Kopitar has been awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the third time in his career, joining Wayne Gretzky as the only other player in franchise history to win the award three times. Marcel Dionne and Butch Goring also won the award as LA Kings, giving the franchise a total of eight wins, the most of any non-Original Six franchise (Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, New York Rangers, and Toronto.)

And the "Nicest NHL Player" award goes to... 🏆

Anze Kopitar's kids surprised him with his third Lady Byng Memorial Trophy during a day of family golf in Slovenia. 🥹

Catch the 2025 #NHLAwards before Game 4 of the #StanleyCup Final TONIGHT at 6p ET on @NHL_On_TNT and… pic.twitter.com/yoLqTKXgdk

— NHL (@NHL) June 12, 2025

The native of Slovenia now finds himself among an elite group of three-time winners that includes Martin St. Louis, Ron Francis, and Mike Bossy. Only Frank Boucher (7), Wayne Gretzky (5) and Pavel Datsyuk (4) have won more Lady Byng trophies than Kopitar, or as it is known by his children Jakob and Neza, "The Nicest NHL Player" award. 

The 19-year veteran received 50 1st place votes, edging out Tampa Bay's Brayden Point and Vegas' Jack Eichel for the 2024-25 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, given out annually to the NHL "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."

In 81 games played this season, Kopitar registered 21 goals and 46 assists, while taking just four penalty minutes, tying a career-low in PIM set in the 2022-23 season. The two-time Stanley Cup champion has one year remaining on his current contract and is set to begin his 20th season with the Kings next year.

In addition to his three Lady Byng trophies, Kopitar has two Frank J. Selke trophies (2016, 2018), given to the best defensive forward in the league, and trails franchise point leader Marcel Dionne (1,307) by just 29 points. Barring injury, next year should see Kopitar surpasse Dionne to become the franchise's all-time point leader.  In 1,454 games played, Kopitar has 440 goals and 838 assists for a total of 1, 272 points, good for a points per game average of 0.88.

The National Hockey League (NHL) announced Thursday the winner of the Lady Byng Trophy. The award its given to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. 

This year's winner is Los Angeles Kings forward and captain Anze Kopitar. This is the third time the native of Slovenia has won the award. 

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury finished seventh in voting for the trophy. He had 16 first place votes which was the fifth most. 

Fleury, 40, also was a finalist for the Bill Masterton Award. In his final season in the NHL, Fleury went 14-9-1 with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage in 26 games for the Wild. 

Wild Forward Signs Contract In Czech Extraliga League. 

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Wild's John Hynes Receives Vote For Jack Adams Award.

Photo Credit: Feb 1, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) interacts with a young fan during warmup prior to game against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner has secured a top 10 finish for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

Voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, the Lady Byng is given "to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."

The 28-year-old placed eighth in voting with three first-place, five second-place, 10 third-place, eight fourth-place, and 10 fifth-place votes for 149 points. The winner, L.A. Kings forward Anze Kopitar, finished with 50 first-place, 31 second-place, 11 third-place, 22 fourth-place, and 18 fifth-place votes for 856 points.

Ahead of Marner in the voting was Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (195), Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (221), Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki (694), Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (760), Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel (782), and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point (793).

Below is the PHWA's top 10:

1. Anze Kopitar, LAK 856 (50-31-11-22-18)
2. Brayden Point, TBL 793 (27-43-28-21-19)
3. Jack Eichel, VGK 782 (34-26-28-36-12)
4. Jaccob Slavin, CAR 760 (33-36-22-17-17)
5. Nick Suzuki, MTL 694 (8-35-48-29-42)
6. Cale Makar, COL 221 (12-3-9-8-11)
7. Marc-Andre Fleury, MIN 195 (16-2-2-2-5)
8. Mitch Marner, TOR 149 (3-5-10-8-10)
9. Colton Parayko, STL 72 (1-2-4-6-10)
10. Jake Sanderson, OTT 71 (1-1-8-3-5)

Report: John Tavares, Maple Leafs In Ongoing Contract Talks Ahead Of NHL Free AgencyWith the start of NHL free agency less than three weeks away, the Toronto Maple Leafs are facing decisions that could dramatically change their roster construction. While much speculation centers on the future of projected No. 1 NHL free agent Mitch Marner, the team must also address other key players like John Tavares and Matthew Knies.

Marner finished the season with a career-high 102 points — 27 goals and 75 assists — in 81 games, the first time he's hit the 100-point mark in his NHL career. The forward, whose contract with Toronto expires on July 1, had 14 penalty minutes this season, the 16th-least among players with 50+ points.

After being nominated for the King Clancy Trophy in 2019-20, which is awarded "to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community," Marner was selected again this season.

Not only has he been selected as Toronto's nominee for those trophies, but the playmaking forward was a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2023. Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron won the award that year, receiving all but nine first-place votes (187 out of 196).

Report: Blue Jackets And Mitch Marner’s Agent Discussed Offer Sheet In 2019, Targeting Maple Leafs Forward In Free AgencyBefore signing a six-year, $65.4 million contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019, there was reportedly a chance that then-restricted free agent Mitch Marner could've inked an offer sheet with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

New Jersey Devils forward Niko Hischier finished in the second spot with 804 points, while Marner ended up in third place with 480 points. Auston Matthews finished with 22 points that year before becoming a finalist for the trophy last season.

Marner is expected to become a free agent on July 1 after nine seasons with the Maple Leafs, where he ranks fifth all-time on the team's point list (741 points in 657 games), fifth in the club's all-time playoff points (63 points in 70 postseason games), and fourth in assists (520).

He was drafted by his hometown team with the fourth-overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.