“I’m really
looking forward to moving to Sweden and playing for Rögle,” said
Friedman. “It feels like a perfect time in life to take this step.
You always want to go to the team that shows the most interest, which
Rögle did.”
“He’s
an intense two-way defender who will contribute offensively with his
mobility and defensively with his physique,” said Rögle
sports director Hampus Sjöström. “He’s a physical player
and possesses a strong character that will add a lot of color to the
group. A guy who competes hard in practise and games.”
Originally
from Toronto, Friedman played three years at Bowling Green University
and was chosen in the third round, 86th overall, in the
2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia
Flyers.
Between 2018 and
early 2025, Friedman played 93 NHL regular-season games for the
Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins
and Vancouver Canucks,
recording 13 points and 80 penalty minutes. He also played six
playoff games with Pittsburgh in 2022, recording one assist.
In February 2025,
Friedman was traded from Vancouver to the Nashville
Predators for future considerations but finished the season with
the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL.
Rögle
has been one of the SHL’s more successful teams over the
past five seasons but is coming off a year where it finished seventh
in the regular season and was eliminated in the play-in round. The
team also has under contract for 2025-26 former
NHLer Fredrik Olofsson.
The longtime NHL player, who played five seasons with the Bruins from 2005 through 2010 and famously scored the winning goal in overtime of the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway Park, was officially hired Thursday.
This will be Sturm’s first ever NHL head coach job, but he does have head coaching experience at the international level (he won Olympic silver with Germany in 2018) and the AHL level with the Ontario Reign. He had been the Reign’s head coach since the 2022-23 season. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings for four years.
Sturm has a tough job in front of him. The Bruins just completed their worst season in almost two decades. They tied for the fifth-worst record in the league, couldn’t score consistently, struggled to defend at a high level and saw a steep decline in goaltending.
There are two key reasons why the Sturm hire has a good chance of being a success.
One of them is player development. The Bruins have done a poor job developing from within for about a decade. Sure, they’ve had a few hits, but their lackluster drafting and development is among the reasons why they’ve lacked the necessary depth to make deep playoff runs in recent years.
Sturm, during his time with the Kings at the NHL and AHL levels, did a great job developing and building relationships with Los Angeles’ top young players. Two of the best examples are center Quinton Byfield (No. 2 pick, 2020) and defenseman Brandt Clarke (No. 8 pick, 2021). The Bruins acquired a couple young players/prospects at the trade deadline in March, most notably Casey Mittelstadt, Fraser Minten and Will Zellers. They also have the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
In total, Boston could have five first-round picks and four second-round picks in the next three drafts.
!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}}))}();
Even if the B’s end up trading some of these picks, the players they do get will benefit from Sturm’s ability to connect with players and put them in positions to maximize their potential.
Another reason why the Sturm hire should work out is the impact he can make on the Bruins’ defense. The backbone of the Bruins for the last 10-15 years has been a strong, fundamentally sound defensive structure that’s hard to play against. But for the last two years, the Bruins have been a below average defensive team.
!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}}))}();
Yes, the goaltending was horrible in 2024-25, and Jeremy Swayman had by far the worst season of his career, but the B’s didn’t do him many favors on most nights.
The Kings have been a very good defensive team for much of the last 10-15 years. Most of their success has been built on a foundation of sturdy defense and good goaltending. The Bruins clearly like that system and are hoping Sturm — a defensive-minded coach with plenty of experience in L.A. — can bring the best elements of it to Boston.
In fact, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney was asked at the team’s end-of-season press conference in April about the kind of coaching style his team needed, and he specifically mentioned improving defensively and the Kings’ success in that area.
“If you don’t defend in the NHL, you don’t have sustained success,” Sweeney said at that April 23 press conference. “However you want to do, whether that’s zone, man to man, whether it’s a hybrid, whether that’s neutral zone, whether that’s — look at L.A.’s situation this year, going from 1-3-1 to a little bit more of a pressure situation that they’re doing, but they still do a really good job. They led the League in goals against.
“That’s part of winning hockey, it just has to be, and it’s going to be part of our fabric. We’re going to get back to that. Now, we have to continue to evolve offensively, as I referenced, the scoring deficiencies that we had this year in our power play in particular put a lot of pressure on our team that you have to be perfect. Our goaltenders previously have been really, really good. This year, they weren’t as good as what they had been. That’s fact, and our team in front of them didn’t defend with the same level of conviction. So the structure has to be there. It has to be part of the fabric of what a coach believes in.”
So it wasn’t surprising that the first thing Sweeney said about Sturm’s hire in a press release Thursday was about restoring the team’s defensive excellence.
“Throughout this process, our goal was to identify a coach who could uphold our strong defensive foundation while helping us evolve offensively,” Sweeney said. “We were also looking for a communicator and leader – someone who connects with players, develops young talent, and earns the respect of the room. Marco impressed us at every step with his preparation, clarity, and passion.
“His path – playing for multiple NHL teams, coaching internationally, and leading at both the AHL and NHL levels – has shaped a well-rounded coach who’s earned this opportunity. As a former Bruin, he understands what this team means to the city and our fans. We’re embracing a new direction with Marco behind the bench and are confident his energy, standards, and commitment to a competitive, hard-nosed brand of hockey reflect exactly what Bruins hockey should be.”
The upcoming offseason is a pivotal one for the Bruins. In addition to owning the No. 7 overall pick in the upcoming draft, they also have around $26.2 million in salary cap space (per PuckPedia) and a more robust collection of trade assets (prospects, draft picks, etc.) compared to this time a year ago.
Sweeney made a good hire with Sturm, but his work is far from over.
As the draft draws near and the rumours intensify about who could
land where, we’ll be taking a look at some of the options that could make sense
for the Montreal Canadiens. Today, we’ll take a gander at KaShawn Aitcheson.
A robust 6-foot-1 defenseman coming in at 198 pounds, he is
yet another left-shot blueliner, but he packs a punch and a physical side that
isn’t all that present in the Canadiens’ present defensive corps. Of course,
Arber Xhekaj can hit, but the jury is still out on whether or not he’ll be a
regular member of the team in the future.
According to Marco D’Amico from RG.org, Aitcheson could be
one of the players the Canadiens are keeping a close eye on in readiness for
the draft. In 64 games with the OHL’s Barrie Colts this season, he put up an
impressive 59 points. Then, in the playoffs, he produced a further 12 points in
16 tilts.
This represents a 20-point increase in his 2023-24
production, and even more notable, while he accumulated 126 penalty minutes in
his second season in Barrie, he reduced this to a more manageable 88 penalty
minutes this season. This shows that he has learned how to control his physical
game better and recognize where the line is. This is an excellent quality for
an 18-year-old, especially since it’s one of the reasons Xhekaj is struggling
to establish himself as a real regular under Martin St-Louis.
Despite his high offensive production, Aitcheson also excels
in his end, playing a brand of punishing hockey that reminds me of the style of
play Marc Bergevin liked his defensemen to play. Combining that style, play,
and production in a mobile defenseman would be a winning formula.
Still, according to D’Amico, the Canadiens made several
scouting trips to watch Aitcheson play this year, and he’s also represented by
Quartexx management, the agency co-founded by GM Kent Hughes, and where he
worked until his hiring by the Canadiens.
Even though he’s a left-shot defenseman, the mix of skill
and grit he brings to the table could make the rearguard an attractive option
for Montreal. Right now, he’s ranked 9th in the Central Scouting
Ranking of North American skaters. TSN’s Bob MacKenzie has him in 18th
place while Craig Button ranks him at 16th. THN’s Tony Ferrarri isn’t
as impressed and only has him in 42nd place, but Ryan Kennedy puts
him at number 12. Whoever said scouting was an exact science?
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
It has long been rumored that enigmatic Philadelphia Flyers goalie prospect Aleksei Kolosov would leave his NHL future behind to return home to Dinamo Minsk, his hometown club in the KHL. But he may not be going anywhere after all.
On Wednesday, former Washington and Montreal goalie Zach Fucale signed with Minsk, becoming the highest-paid goalie in the KHL, as announced by his agency, Gold Star Hockey, on Telegram.
With this news, Minsk now has two well-established goalies on its roster in Fucale, who was apparently invested in significantly, and Vasili Demchenko, who recently signed a two-year contract extension with the KHL outfit.
It's also worth noting that the three goalies share an agency, so nobody is doing Kolosov any kind of favors in terms of facilitating a return to Dinamo.
And that, ultimately, leaves Kolosov as the odd man out, as Dinamo continues to respect the contract he has with the Flyers and refuses to wait for further clarity on his future in the NHL.
Kolosov, 23, is one of three goalies on the Flyers' roster as things stand, joining Ivan Fedotov and Sam Ersson. All three of them will see their contracts expire at the end of the upcoming season, which leaves an opportunity for someone to take the reins and establish themselves as a player the Flyers want to build with.
Kolosov, while the youngest of the bunch, is no further along that trail than his more seasoned counterparts. The Belarusian has shown flashes, yes, but he's been equally unimpressive at both the AHL and NHL levels.
In 29 games in the Flyers organization last season, Kolosov managed just a 10-15-2 record with a save percentage no higher than .884 in either league.
So, in order to forge a path to an NHL future for himself, Kolosov must play out the last year of his contract and show evidence of positive development to justify another deal from the Flyers.
He's got the support of his colleagues and countrymen behind him, and even those back home wish to see Kolosov stick it out and make something of himself in the Orange and Black.
Whether the Flyers give him the chance to do that remains to be seen, but other options for Kolosov are far and few between at this moment in time, and a return home does not appear to be among them.
He is the third Bruins head coach hired by general manager Don Sweeney and the 30th head coach in franchise history. Sturm takes over for Joe Sacco, who was named interim head coach last November following the firing of Jim Montgomery.
Sturm has a lot of NHL experience — he played in 938 career games — but this will be his first head coaching gig at this level.
Sturm has previously held the position of head coach of the German men’s national hockey team and led them to a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. He also was an assistant head coach for the Los Angeles Kings from 2018 to 2022. He had served as head coach of the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, since the 2022-23 season.
Sturm has helped develop some of the Kings’ top young players, including forward Quinton Byfield and defenseman Brandt Clarke. Player development needs to be a huge focus for the Bruins over the next few years. The franchise has struggled in that area for a while.
“Throughout this process, our goal was to identify a coach who could uphold our strong defensive foundation while helping us evolve offensively,” Sweeney said in a statement Thursday. “We were also looking for a communicator and leader — someone who connects with players, develops young talent, and earns the respect of the room.
“Marco impressed us at every step with his preparation, clarity, and passion. His path — playing for multiple NHL teams, coaching internationally, and leading at both the AHL and NHL levels — has shaped a well-rounded coach who’s earned this opportunity. As a former Bruin, he understands what this team means to the city and our fans.
“We’re embracing a new direction with Marco behind the bench and are confident his energy, standards, and commitment to a competitive, hard-nosed brand of hockey reflect exactly what Bruins hockey should be.”
Sturm played five seasons for the Bruins from 2005-06 through 2009-10. He was the hero of the 2010 Winter Classic when he scored in overtime to beat the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park. Sturm began his NHL career with the San Jose Sharks in 1997-98 and retired after spending the 2011-12 campaign with the Florida Panthers.
The Florida Panthers are going to have to come back if they want to win their second straight Stanley Cup.
Florida blew a 3-1 second period lead in Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers, falling in overtime 4-3.
It was just 66 seconds into the game that Edmonton sent their already rabid fans into a frenzy.
Leon Draisaitl jumped on a rebound of a Kasperi Kapinen shot and fired the puck into a yawning cage, giving the Oilers an early 1-0 lead.
Midway through the period, Carter Verhaeghe picked up a loose puck toward the top of the Edmonton zone and fired a shot that deflected off Sam Bennett in front and past Stuart Skinner to tie the game at one.
The Oilers challenged the play for goalie interference, but officials ruled that Bennett, who appears to make contact with Skinner after falling to the ice, was tripped into the goaltender by defenseman Brett Kulak.
Officials confirmed the play was legal, and Florida was given a power play for the failed challenge by Edmonton.
The Cats took advantage of the man advantage as Nate Schmidt sent a perfect cross-ice pass to Brad Marchand at the side of the net. His shot sailed past a sprawling Skinner to give Florida their first lead of the series.
It didn’t take long during the second period for the Panthers to extend their lead.
Streaking through the neutral zone, Schmidt sent Bennett in along on Skinner, beating him over the blocker to put the Panthers up 3-1.
Edmonton responded quickly though, as Viktor Arvidsson fired a slapshot past a screened Sergei Bobrovsky just 1:17 later to close the gap back to one and get the fans energized again.
The Oilers tied the game 6:33 into the third period after Florida had been finding success keeping Edmonton from generating much of anything offensively.
From behind the net, McDavid found Mattias Ekholm creeping down from the point, and his shot went over a screened Bobrovsky’s glove to knot the game at three.
That’s how the score would remain through the rest of the third period, sending Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final to overtime.
Bobrovsky came up with big saves during overtime on Kasperi Kapanen, Trent Frederick and Evan Bouchard, but a power play goal by Draisaitl late in the OT session gave Edmonton the victory.
Tomas Nosek sent the puck over the glass with under two minutes to go, giving the Oilers' power play a chance, and then Florida, which had gone a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill, suddenly became extremely aggressive while down a man.
Alas, it's just one game, and as we all leaned last season, you've got to win four before you win anything.
On to Game 2.
QUICK THOUGHTS
Bennett has six goals and nine points over his past six games.
Similarly, Matthew Tkachuk has eight points in six games. He picked up an assist on Bennett’s goal first.
Since returning from an injury for Game 7 against Toronto, Evan Rodrigues has nine points in the seven games since.
Draisaitl didn’t score a single goal during last season’s seven-game Final, but this year it barely took him a minute to light the lamp, and now he’s got two.
Schmidt logged his third multi-point outing of the playoffs with a pair of primary assists.
Photo caption: Jun 4, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers right wing Vasily Podkolzin (92) reacts after a goal against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period in game one of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. (Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images)
EDMONTON – It was a cruel twist of fate for the Florida Panthers but a beautiful result for the Edmonton Oilers as Leon Draisaitl scored the overtime-winner on the power play off a feed from Connor McDavid.
The Panthers were attempting to kill a puck-over-the-glass penalty when Draisaitl scored with 31 seconds remaining to give his Oilers first blood in the Stanley Cup final.
"I'm the beneficiary, but the work was done before that," Draisaitl said post-game. "(Corey Perry) with a great play to (McDavid) then an amazing pass, and I'm the beneficiary. There were lots of great plays on that play. It made it 'easy' for me to put that home."
The game got off to a great start for the Oilers, as Draisaitl pounced on a long Sergei Bobrovsky rebound a little more than a minute into the contest to give Edmonton a 1-0 lead.
McDavid nearly made it 2-0 when he hit the post on a shorthanded rush, but special teams would turn the tide soon after.
The Panthers tied up the game midway through the first on a screen shot from Carter Verhaeghe that went off Sam Bennett in front of the net. The Oilers challenged the play for goalie interference but were rebuffed as officials ruled that Brett Kulak had pushed Bennett.
Not only did Florida have the game knotted up, but the Panthers were also given a power play for Edmonton's failed challenge. The Cats made the Oilers pay on that man advantage as Brad Marchand popped in an easy one after he was left alone by the side of the net.
Three consecutive power plays – two for Edmonton, one for Florida – dominated later in almost comical fashion as Corey Perry took a tripping call right off the faceoff for Anton Lundell's previous interference call. Not long after, Aaron Ekblad put Florida down again when he held Draisaitl.
Florida got off to the quick start in the second as the Oilers lost Bennett on the rush, leaving him open for a beautiful feed from Nate Schmidt two minutes into the frame. But Edmonton bounced back soon after when Viktor Arvidsson powered a slap shot past Bobrovsky.
After that, however, both goaltenders stood tall in the middle period. Bobrovsky thwarted excellent chances by Jake Walman, Trent Frederic and Evan Bouchard, while Stuart Skinner kept things close for the Oilers with great consecutive stops on Aleksander Barkov and Schmidt.
"He gave us a chance to win, and that's what you ask of your goalie," McDavid said of Skinner. "He made some big saves in the second and in overtime."
The Oilers found life in the third, however, when McDavid danced toward the net with the puck only to dish it off to Mattias Ekholm, who buried a wrister to even up the score.
Edmonton carried the play for much of the frame outshooting Florida 14-2, though the contest remained tied. Regulation solved nothing, so the Cup final kicked off with overtime, where one of the best chances came on a Kasperi Kapanen rush. The Oilers right winger split the 'D' and rang one off the post, nearly sending the building into hysterics.
With less than two minutes to go, Tomas Nosek took a puck-over-the-glass penalty and ultimately, the Oilers made the Cats pay, taking a 1-0 series lead.
Draisaitl and McDavid each had two points tonight.
"Ever since I got here, they don't take many nights off, that's for sure," Brett Kulak said of Draisaitl and McDavid. "They're usually our top guys every single night, and the bigger the stage, the better they get."
Welcome to The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live, streaming during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs.
After each game of the Stanley Cup final, our experts go live to react to the match that was, break down the key moments and storylines and read your opinions.
On tonight's show, Michael Traikos and Katie Gaus will break down Game 1 between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers with Avry Lewis-McDougall joining live from inside Rogers Place.
During the game, join the conversation in the comment section and send in your questions. They may end up on the post-game show.
“The Rematch” against the Florida Panthers has a different feeling around hockey circles than the first run-through did last year. McDavid experienced complete heartbreak last postseason.
The Oilers have home ice advantage for the first time this postseason. It might not seem like a lot, but the Oilers have been stellar at home this playoffs.
They sport a 6-1 record at home to go along with a 56.3 percent powerplay success rate and an 83.3 percent penalty kill rate. Additionally, they have a +16 goal differential and a .917 team save percentage.
Each of the three previous teams to make it to the Stanley Cup Final the year after they lost the Cup Final ended up winning it. The last three teams were the Panthers in 2024, the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins, and the 1984 Oilers (Wayne Gretzky’s first cup).
#LetsGoOilers are 12-2 since starting the playoffs 0-2. Each of the last 7 teams to make the Cup Final after going 0-2 in their first series of the playoffs went on to win the Stanley Cup:
WSH - 2018 LA - 2014 BOS - 2011 CAR - 2006 DET - 2002 MTL - 1993 PIT - 1992
Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play in overtime, Stuart Skinner made 29 saves and the Edmonton Oilers erased a multigoal deficit to beat the defending champion Florida Panthers 4-3 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final rematch on Wednesday night.
After Tomas Nosek’s penalty for putting the puck over the glass, Draisaitl’s goal 19:29 into OT sent the home fans into a frenzy and made sure the Oilers would not start this series like they did a year ago, when they fell behind three games to none.
For a while, it looked like they would at least start out trailing. Draisaitl’s goal 66 seconds in was followed later in the first period by Sam Bennett deflecting a shot in past Stuart Skinner after falling into him.
Edmonton’s Kris Knoblauch unsuccessfully challenged for goaltender interference, with the NHL’s situation room ruling that his own player, Jake Walman, tripped Bennett into Skinner. The resulting penalty paved the way for Florida’s Brad Marchand to score the go-ahead goal on the power play.
Bennett scoring his second of the night early in the second period put the Panthers up 3-1. They entered 31-0 over the past three playoffs since coach Paul Maurice took over when leading at the first or second intermission.
With Connor McDavid leading the way, the Oilers rallied. Fourth-liner Viktor Arvidsson brought the crowd back to life early in the second, and fellow Swede Mattias Ekholm — playing just his second game back from an extended injury absence — tied it with 13:27 remaining in regulation off a perfect pass from McDavid.
At the other end, Skinner made a handful of saves that were vital to keeping the Panthers from extending their lead or tying it late in the third. Florida counterpart Sergei Bobrovsky did the same, in between derisive chants of “Sergei! Sergei!” that followed goals he allowed.
Skinner was greeted with friendlier chants of “Stuuuu” after saves, including one in the first minute of overtime on a quality scoring chance. Bobrovsky stone-cold robbed Trent Frederic nine minutes in but eventually cracked.
Up next
Game 2 is Friday night in Edmonton before the series shifts to Sunrise, Florida for Games 3 and 4.
Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play in overtime, Stuart Skinner made 29 saves and the Edmonton Oilers erased a multigoal deficit to beat the defending champion Florida Panthers 4-3 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final rematch on Wednesday night.
After Tomas Nosek’s penalty for putting the puck over the glass, Draisaitl’s goal 19:29 into OT sent the home fans into a frenzy and made sure the Oilers would not start this series like they did a year ago, when they fell behind three games to none.
For a while, it looked like they would at least start out trailing. Draisaitl’s goal 66 seconds in was followed later in the first period by Sam Bennett deflecting a shot in past Stuart Skinner after falling into him.
Edmonton’s Kris Knoblauch unsuccessfully challenged for goaltender interference, with the NHL’s situation room ruling that his own player, Jake Walman, tripped Bennett into Skinner. The resulting penalty paved the way for Florida’s Brad Marchand to score the go-ahead goal on the power play.
Bennett scoring his second of the night early in the second period put the Panthers up 3-1. They entered 31-0 over the past three playoffs since coach Paul Maurice took over when leading at the first or second intermission.
With Connor McDavid leading the way, the Oilers rallied. Fourth-liner Viktor Arvidsson brought the crowd back to life early in the second, and fellow Swede Mattias Ekholm — playing just his second game back from an extended injury absence — tied it with 13:27 remaining in regulation off a perfect pass from McDavid.
At the other end, Skinner made a handful of saves that were vital to keeping the Panthers from extending their lead or tying it late in the third. Florida counterpart Sergei Bobrovsky did the same, in between derisive chants of “Sergei! Sergei!” that followed goals he allowed.
Skinner was greeted with friendlier chants of “Stuuuu” after saves, including one in the first minute of overtime on a quality scoring chance. Bobrovsky stone-cold robbed Trent Frederic nine minutes in but eventually cracked.
Up next
Game 2 is Friday night in Edmonton before the series shifts to Sunrise, Florida for Games 3 and 4.
EDMONTON – NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly held their annual Stanley Cup press conference before Game 1, and the lack of drama was actually a great sign for the league.
One topic that did get on Bettman's nerves, however, was all the talk about how teams, such as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, have been so successful lately, given that they reside in a tax-free state.
Bettman even had Daly answer the question of whether the NHL will be looking to address the matter in the next collective bargaining agreement because the commissioner said he hates the issue.
For the record, Daly said there are no plans to address the matter in the next CBA, which the league and NHLPA are working on right now. While he said some franchises have raised it as a concern, the league isn't worried at this point.
"These imbalances have existed forever," Daly said. "There's nothing new here. There are so many reasons why a player may choose to play in a particular location for a particular team, for a particular coach, that have nothing to do with the tax situation in that market."
Ron Hainsey, the NHLPA's assistant executive director, had some great words on the matter after the press conference, when he and union head Marty Walsh had their own scrum with reporters.
"Who ran the league between 2008 and ’20?" Hainsey said. "Boston, Pittsburgh, L.A., Chicago, Detroit for a bit. Were we supposed to expect Tampa and Florida not to be good at some point? I'm baffled this keeps coming up. You never hear about this in the NFL or NBA."
Otherwise, Bettman and Daly addressed a number of topics.
On how the current CBA negotiations are going compared to in the past: "No comparison," Bettman said. "We are having very constructive, cordial dialogue. I think we're in really good shape."
Walsh echoed this sentiment.
On expansion into markets such as Houston, Atlanta or Phoenix: "We've gotten a lot of interest," Daly said. The deputy commissioner went on to note that there are no formal expansion bid processes on the docket, but if someone came to the NHL with a strong plan, they would take it to the Board of Governors.
Elsewhere, look for the New York Islanders to get some sort of all-star event in 2027 to replace the one initially announced for 2026 ahead of the Olympics. Do not expect a change to overtime/shootout rules in the regular season, and don't even ask Bettman about play-in games being added to the NHL schedule.
"By the way, we had a play-in," Bettman said. "Did you know that three clubs' positions in the playoffs weren't determined until the last game that they played in the regular season? We think that what we have is working very well."
The Buffalo Sabres are in need of many things this summer -- but more than anything else, they need some veterans to come in and establish a winning standard for a new era for the franchise. And while it won't be a cakewalk to acquire the type of talent that can change things for the Sabres, that doesn't mean Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams shouldn't be swinging for the fences in trades and free agency.
And one intriguing possibility for the Sabres is a veteran center with a Stanley Cup championship on his resume -- Calgary Flames star Nazem Kadri. The 34-year-old is coming off a career-best scoring season, with 35 goals and 67 points. And he's locked up to a very reasonable salary that pays him $7-million per season for the next four years.
Now, Kadri has said he's comfortable in Calgary, and he has a full no-trade clause this year, so this admittedly could be a pipe dream. However, what's the harm in Adams making a pitch to the Flames for Kadri's services? He's an Ontario native who might want to play much closer to home than Alberta is. And although Calgary narrowly missed out on the playoffs this past season, you can make a solid argument that the Sabres have more overall depth and talent than the Flames. Maybe he wants to take a bigger swing with a new team.
And if it does work out, Kadri will make Buffalo a much tougher team to play against -- something that most observers want to see from a newly-rejigged Sabres team. And even if Kadri's play begins to slip, you're still getting someone who knows what it is to be a winner, and who knows how to be a true professional.
Players like Kadri aren't going to fall into Buffalo's lap. Adams will have to make the move worth Calgary's while, and that means giving up young players and draft picks that will be part of the Flames long-term rebuild. But the Sabres have plenty of those type of assets, and if they do want to take the next competitive step, they're going to have to pay a steep price for it.
But that said, Kadri would be a terrific option for Buffalo. In a market where top-six forwards are hard to come by, acquiring Kadri from the Flames would be a gigantic win for Adams and Sabres brass. It's not going to be easy by any means, but a gamble on Kadri could pay off in a very big way.
Kadri isn't a game-changer per se, but he is someone who would put a burr into the Sabres' saddle. And that's precisely what this organization needs at the moment. Adams may well look to other options to change the culture around the team, but if he can pry Kadri out of Calgary's hands, it could be one of the key moves that turns the Sabres from perennial disappointment to a playoff team at long last.
So yes, Kadri is definitely worth enquiring about for Buffalo, and stranger things have happened in the NHL than seeing Kadri in a Sabres uniform. You never know until you try, and the Sabres should be trying their utmost to bring in a player with the pedigree that Kadri has. He can help set a new standard for this organization, and he'd be well worth the price Buffalo would have to pay for him.
One of the most popular rumors that circulated prior to the NHL trade deadline involved the Buffalo Sabres interest in Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson. That speculation evaporated after the trade that sent JT Miller to the NY Rangers in late January, but there may be some smoke to that fire according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.
The 26-year-old center, who had the second-worst offensive season of his NHL career in the first year of an eight-year, $92.8 million deal with the Canucks, has a no-movement clause in his contract that kicks in on July 1. Buffalo is undeniably looking to shake their roster up after their 14th straight season outside of the playoffs, and has pieces that might interest Vancouver in a hockey deal.
Pagnotta indicated that RFA defenseman Bowen Byram is likely to be moved by Buffalo, as he is slotted behind Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power on the left side of the Sabres blueline, and said that other names such as Power, wingers JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch have been mentioned as possible trade targets. The rumors regarding Buffalo and Pettersson involved Byram and Dylan Cozens, who was dealt to Ottawa at the deadline for center Josh Norris.
There has been consistent chatter that the Canucks would expect to get a top center in a deal for Pettersson, something that the Sabres may be unwilling or unable to provide, although Norris does not have any trade protection next season. Peterka is a restricted free agent who could be a target for an offer sheet this summer, Tuch is entering the final year of his contract and makes a very reasonable $4.75 million AAV in 2025-26, while Power also is entering year two of a seven-year, $58.45 million contract and does not have any trade protection as well.
Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo
