The Florida Panthers have won back-to-back Stanley Cups, becoming the third team in the last decade to do so, joining the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Known for their physical defensive style and depth, the Panthers have decimated every team in the playoffs since losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2022-23 Stanley Cup finals. Their depth this season was highlighted by key contributions from their bottom defensive pairing and their fourth line, which included former Golden Knights players Nate Schmidt and Tomas Nosek. 

Schmidt signed a one-year contract with the Panthers in the previous offseason after becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1 following his buyout from the Winnipeg Jets. The 33-year-old fit perfectly into what the Panthers were looking for. He played in all but two regular-season games, scoring five goals and 19 points. In the playoffs, Schmidt added another three goals and 12 points in 23 games. 

During his time with the Golden Knights, Schmidt was loved for his vibrant personality and his outstanding performances on the ice. He scored 21 goals and 97 points in his three seasons with Vegas, routinely showing off his skating ability. The undrafted defenseman has defied a lot of odds in his career, and Golden Knights fans seem proud to watch their former breakout stud win his first Stanley Cup. 

Nosek has also added his first Stanley Cup to his resume. He, too, has had a difficult past few years, struggling to hold down a spot on several teams, but his performances in the playoffs changed everything this season. He skated in 59 regular-season games and wasn't in the lineup for the Panthers' first seven games of the playoffs, but his addition started the run against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round. He recorded three assists in 16 games in the postseason, serving as the Panthers' fourth-line center. 

After Captain Aleksander Barkov lifted the trophy, the first player he handed the Stanley Cup to was Schmidt. He handed it to another first-time winner Seth Jones, before he passed the honors to Nosek. 

The former original misfits were unable to win the cup with the Golden Knights but finally fulfilled lifelong dreams.

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The New York Rangers' shipping Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks last Thursday was the first significant move in the NHL off-season trade market.

It might not be the last one for the Blueshirts as GM Chris Drury continues to tinker with his roster. 

Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported the Kreider trade freed up the left winger's $6.5 million average annual value from the Rangers' salary-cap payroll, ensuring Drury the cap flexibility ($15 million) to explore other options to improve his roster this summer. 

Walker speculated that the next Ranger to be traded is K'Andre Miller. The 25-year-old defenseman is an RFA with arbitration rights coming off a disappointing 2024-25 performance. If Drury moves Miller, Walker believes he must find a suitable minute-munching blueliner to replace him. 

The Hockey News’ Remy Mastey cited Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli, claiming “there's absolute fire” regarding the Miller trade speculation. Seravalli claimed Mike Sullivan, the Rangers' new coach, is not a fan of the young blueliner's game. 

Meanwhile, Walker's colleague Larry Brooks believes there's no guarantee that Alexis Lafreniere will still be a Ranger when the regular season begins in October. He thinks Drury wants to make multiple moves to change the mix on the ice and the chemistry in the dressing room under Sullivan. 

Arthur Staple of The Athletic considers Drury in a position where he could go the offer-sheet route to add a talented young player. He speculated that JJ Peterka of the Buffalo Sabres could be a target.

Staple pointed out that the Rangers lack their 2026 second-round pick, which would be necessary as compensation if they signed Peterka to a deal with an average annual value between $7 million and $9.3 million. They'd have to reacquire that pick from Utah beforehand. 

As the 2025 NHL draft weekend approaches, Staple indicated that Drury has until June 25 to decide if he'll send his 2025 first-rounder to the Pittsburgh Penguins. That pick was sent to the Vancouver Canucks as part of the J.T. Miller trade in January, then flipped a day later by the Canucks to the Penguins in the Marcus Pettersson deal.

If Drury relinquishes that pick, he could use his 2026 first-rounder as part of the compensation package should he sign a rival club's RFA (like Peterka) to a lucrative offer sheet.

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Ryan Bowness didn’t stay on the market for long.

The former Ottawa Senators executive landed on his feet this week with the New York Islanders, who named him Assistant GM and Director of Player Personnel.

Bowness joins the Islanders after three seasons in Ottawa’s front office. Originally hired by former Senators GM Pierre Dorion in 2022, the up-and-coming young executive served as Assistant GM for two seasons before being promoted to Associate General Manager in 2024-25. The 41-year-old was also GM of the AHL's Belleville Senators.

The Senators did not issue an official statement regarding his departure in May or the reasons for the front-office change.

Report: Ottawa Senators Shake Up Front Office, Parting Ways With Associate GM Ryan BownessFor a team that’s only five days into its off-season, the Ottawa Senators aren’t wasting any time preparing for next season. On Monday, GM Steve Staios signed RFA defenceman Nik Matinpalo to a two-year extension. On Tuesday, according to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, the team parted company with associate GM Ryan Bowness.

Last month, Staios hired 52-year-old Matt Turek to take over at least part of Bowness’ portfolio, most notably as GM in Belleville. Staios and Turek worked together on Michael Andlauer's OHL team in Hamilton. Most recently, Turek was the club's GM, now located in Brantford.

The Islanders also did some recent executive house cleaning, replacing 82-year-old Lou Lamoriello with new GM Mathieu Darche. With the appointment this week, Bowness becomes one of Darche's first hires in a similar role to the one he had here.

Prior to Bowness' stint in Ottawa, the Halifax native spent six seasons in the Pittsburgh Penguins scouting department, including a stint as Director of Pro Scouting. He won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2017.

Before that, Bowness worked in the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers organization for seven years, holding a variety of roles including Pro Scout, Manager of Hockey Operations, and Manager of Player Development.

Communications Shift: Senators Now Play It Close To The Vest Under StaiosIf the past week’s events have taught us anything about Steve Staios’ stewardship of the Ottawa Senators as general manager, it’s that he is incredibly guarded.

Bowness was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2001 NHL Draft. He played junior hockey in the OHL with the Brampton Battalion and Oshawa Generals, then continued his playing career at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

Ryan is the son of Rick Bowness, a longtime NHL coach who previously served as head coach of both the Islanders and Senators. In fact, Rick was the first head coach in modern Senators history when they returned to the NHL in 1992.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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Former Stanley Cup champion Alexander Georgiev will be a free agent and could be a target for a Red Wings team hungry for help in net.

The Red Wings goalie room could use some retooling. 

After finishing bottom 12 in goals against average as a team last year, it's no surprise that one of the focuses for Steve Yzerman and company is goaltending help, according to Daily Faceoff's Jeff Marek. 

We've seen how quickly some teams can turn around their goalie rooms like the Colorado Avalanche this past season. They brought in Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood to restore stability in goal, trading away former All-Star and Stanley Cup champion Alexandar Georgiev, who was sent to San Jose for Blackwood in an early December deal.

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The Avalanche went from the third-worst goals against average in the league at 3.55 to fifth-best in the NHL and this left Georgiev on the outside looking in.

The 29-year-old Russian netminder had his numbers further trampled on when starting games for one of the league's worst defences in San Jose. Georgiev is seemingly not returning to the Sharks next season and will be available as an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. 

He finished with a brutal .875 save percentage and a 3.88 goals against average through 31 appearances with San Jose, marking last season as his career-worst.

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

This is a netminder that had a 40-16-6 record with a 2.53 goals against average just three seasons ago and can still be a difference making goaltender in the right system. 

New Detroit bench boss Todd McLellan has a history of inserting solid defensive structures in wherever he goes and could make the Red Wings taking a low-cost flyer on Georgiev a good idea. 

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Before this past season, Georgiev led all NHL goalies with 78 wins over the previous three years, posting a 2.77 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage during that span.

Some believe he was only successful due to Colorado's system and that the numbers are inflated but McLellan may be able to create a structure that works for him, if he was to sign in Detroit. 

McLellan’s defensive schemes played a key role in the LA Kings finishing with a top-nine defence during his five-year tenure, much like his seven seasons with the San Jose Sharks, where his ranked top six in defence. 

It's an option that the Red Wings will surely take into consideration as Georgiev is still relatively young at 29 and could work as a perfect spacer for the team as they wait for high end prospect Sebastian Cossa to develop. Until then, Georgiev would have the highest upside potential of any goalie in Detroit's current group.

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London Knights goaltender Austin Elliott is reportedly not joining the Toronto Maple Leafs for training camp after all.

After a 31-save showing in the Memorial Cup Final against the Medicine Hat Tigers, the Ontario Hockey League posted to X that the 21-year-old had earned an invite to Maple Leafs training camp in the fall.

"London Knights goaltender Austin Elliott has been a key difference maker this season," the OHL wrote, "and he earned a free-agent invite to the Maple Leafs training camp this off-season!"

However, that's actually not the case.

According to The Athletic's Joshua Kloke, Elliott has said he has not been invited to Toronto's training camp, adding he will attend Dallas Stars development camp this summer. "No plans right now to attend Leafs camp and no idea how the Leafs rumour started either," Kloke posted to X.

It wasn't a rumor, but a post on social media from the OHL which ignited the fire.

Maple Leafs Invite Knights Goaltender Austin Elliott To Training Camp After Memorial Cup TitleLondon Knights goaltender Austin Elliott has a ticket to an NHL training camp this fall.

Elliott finished this year with a 52-3 record, his best season ever in junior hockey. He joined the Knights following parts of four seasons with the WHL's Saskatoon Blades, where he struggled to keep his save percentage above .900.

Each of Elliott's three losses came at different points of the year: one in the regular season, one during the OHL playoffs, and one at the Memorial Cup.

After joining London in October, Elliott found his footing behind a strong Knights team and finished the season with a .924 save percentage, the best among OHL goaltenders. His save percentage dropped in the OHL playoffs, but climbed back up during the Memorial Cup, concluding the tournament with a .943 save percentage through five games.

Why Two-Time Stanley Cup Champion Brad Marchand Is Exactly What The Maple Leafs NeedWhile Brad Marchand was celebrating his second Stanley Cup victory, Florida Panthers teammate Sam Bennett  spoke to Sportsnet during their lap around the ice. Bennett waxed poetic about the veteran pest. "We just followed his lead,” Bennett said. While Sam Bennett had a strong playoff performance, what the  37-year-old Marchand managed to do in a very short time with Florida was remarkable. He exhibited the perfect combination of will and skill that was required to win all four rounds of a grueling postseason.

The University of Massachusetts Lowell commit was an all-star at the tournament. He was also awarded top goaltender honors after stopping 31 of 32 shots in the Knights' Memorial Cup win over Medicine Hat.

Only two players from London's championship-winning team will now be at Toronto's training camp in September: 2023 first-round (28th overall) pick Easton Cowan, who dominated the OHL this year, and forward Landon Sim, who has a one-year AHL deal with the Toronto Marlies.

Elliott, however, has a history with Toronto; the goaltender participated in Maple Leafs development camp in the summer of 2023. Also at that camp were Toronto goaltending prospects Artur Akhtyamov and Vyacheslav Peksa, plus invites Rastislav Elias, Luke Cavallin, and Samuel St-Hilaire.

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It appears Elliott will only have training, plus the Stars' development camp this summer, before starting his college hockey career in Lowell, Massachusetts.

(Photo credit: @LondonKnights / X)

The NHL announced on Thursday that Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier was named to the 2024-25 All-Rookie Team, voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Other Ducks to receive the honor include Paul Kariya in 1994-95, Bobby Ryan in 2008-09, and Trevor Zegras in 2021-22.

Gauthier got off to a slow start to his rookie campaign after making his NHL debut in the final game of the 2023-24 season, where he notched his first assist. He failed to find the scoresheet in his first five games of the 2024-25 season and was unable to find the back of the net in his first 15 games.

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During the first half of the season, he received inconsistent deployment throughout the lineup at 5v5 and was slowly demoted down the power play depth chart. As the season progressed, the NHL game slowed down for him as he began to grasp and comprehend how to leverage his attributes so they’d translate to the NHL style, following a remarkably successful two seasons playing for Boston College in the NCAA.

Gauthier has a unique blend of size, speed, and world-class release, skills that have a high likelihood of affording him a long, successful career in the NHL. His scanning skills improved as the season wore on, and he was more proactive when on the forecheck as well as when seeking out soft ice when his team had possession, both on the rush and cycle.

Following the NHL 4 Nations break, Gauthier finished the season with 22 points in his final 28 games and a total of 44 points (20-24=44) while playing in all 82 regular season games in his rookie year. He finished the season fifth among rookies in points, third in goals, and sixth in assists.

Joining Gauthier on the All-Rookie team are San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov, Montreal Canadiens defenseman and Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk, and Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf.

Hutson ran away with the Calder Trophy as Gauthier finished fifth in voting with six fourth-place votes and 74 fifth-place votes.

Following the conclusion of his 2024-25 season, Gauthier joined the United States national team at the 2025 IIHF World Championship alongside Ducks teammate Jackson LaCombe. Gauthier scored nine points (5-4=9) in ten games, helping the US win their first gold medal at the tournament in 92 years.

Gauthier is one of six young, potential core pieces on the Ducks roster (LaCombe, Zegras, Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger) who will become restricted free agents after the 2025-26 season and who will be eligible to sign contract extensions on July 1, 2025.

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Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

“There are a lot of things I do not understand about this proposed expansion,” New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey wrote in December 1992, as the NHL wrapped up its annual Board of Governors meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. During that week’s meeting, the league received expansion proposals for two teams. One was for a team in Anaheim, California, backed by Disney. The other was for a team in Miami, Florida, put forward by waste management-and-VHS-video magnate, Wayne Huizenga. “What makes it think the Sun Belt is ready for all these hockey teams?” Vecsey wondered.

At the time, the answer was money. With more time, the answer seems to be: because championship hockey teams can be built anywhere, including in the South. On Tuesday night in Florida, the Panthers won their second-straight Stanley Cup against the Edmonton Oilers, this time in six games – one fewer than they needed last season. If anything, you could now argue that there’s no better place to build a championship NHL team than the southern US. Since 1990, the Stanley Cup has been awarded to a team based in the South nine times – but five of those have come in the last six years. And three of those have also been against Canadian teams.

Related: Merciless Panthers win second successive Stanley Cup after beating Oilers again

North of the border back in 1992, the fear of American dominance was palpable, even though, at that time, the most recent expansion to Tampa Bay and San Jose (alongside Ottawa) looked like an on-ice failure. Nevertheless, the mere presence of these teams, not to mention two more, was a concern.

“This is the age of marketing, my friends, and we’re selling image, brand names, fuzzy feelings and merchandising opportunities,” Globe and Mail sports columnist John Allemang warned after the NHL’s December 1992 meeting, sarcastically proposing changes for the increasingly Americanized, commodified game. “Let’s scrap this three-period stuff, introduce the concept of half-time,” he snarked. “Emilio Estevez learned to skate for Mighty Ducks, give him a chance, tell him the wife [Paula Abdul] can sing the national anthem. The American anthem, stupid. Is there any other?” Beyond the potential for merch sales and richer owners, “does anyone else win?” Montreal Gazette columnist Pat Hickey asked around the same time. “Then there’s the question of what these new franchises do for the Canadian psyche,” Hickey wrote. “If we ever thought this was our game, the latest decision on expansion should dispel this notion.”

It seems hardly worth repeating that Florida’s win Tuesday further extends the Canadian Stanley Cup drought to now 32 years, more or less fulfilling the worst fears of those sports columnists, and many others, who saw the NHL’s US growth as a threat to the sport’s true identity and thus by extension to that of its birth country, Canada. And they weren’t entirely wrong. This year, more than most others, the existential threat of American dominance on the ice spoke to a bigger Canadian national identity crisis that would have seemed unthinkable in 1992. The idea that Canada, including hockey, could be subsumed by the US has felt more pressing than ever. Canadians – like swimming phenom Summer McIntosh or NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – are dominating in other sports. Youth hockey numbers may be declining, loosening generational ties to the game. Yet, nothing still spurs deep national anxiety like hockey failure.

So yes, yet another Cup hoisted in the US – in Florida, again, no less – certainly stings a little from a nationalist point of view for Canadians. It fulfils all the worst nightmares of 1992’s sports writers. But the Oilers’ loss is frankly more frustrating strictly from a hockey perspective. Taken together, the Oilers’ undisciplined play, general lack of offence, uneven goaltending, and lacklustre defence in the clutch, made it not only difficult to believe they could win, but that they even should. The Panthers are a scary-good hockey club, with a roster filled with pure gamers, the likes of which other teams only have one or two. Florida play an aggressive, often suffocating offence, and are backed by elite goaltending. The Panthers play great hockey. They just happen to be in Florida. There may not be a lot else to it.

It may be, in fact, that the quality of hockey in south Florida is so high because of, rather than in spite of, all that marketing and money and commercialization the NHL welcomed in the early 1990s. Expansion meant that the league – and by extension, the game – had to find a way to appeal to new audiences, most of whom had been living just fine without it until then. This meant that the NHL had to rethink its product. It had to embrace something much of the hockey world still often reflexively rejects – change. Over the decades, the NHL gradually morphed hockey into something new. Along the way, the game lost some aspects, like enforcers, but added things like goals. It got faster, more finessed, more exciting, more watchable, even as some argued it was somehow softer. It hasn’t always gone smoothly (it’s worth mentioning here that Atlanta is looking to get a new team for the third time), but its audiences and profits also grew, more or less according to plan. And so far, hockey hasn’t lost its Canadian identity. After the NHL’s buzzy, highly commercialized Four Nations tournament this past spring, it may even be more entrenched than ever.

Looking back now, it’s clear that the cynical, calculated marketing — and of course the money — were indeed the point of the NHL’s expansion to a place like Florida. But they didn’t destroy hockey. Instead, it just keeps getting better.

Bennett has heartfelt reaction to winning Stanley Cup with Marchand originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett was the top villain in Boston during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs when he appeared to hit then-Bruins captain Brad Marchand in the head during Game 3 of their second-round series at TD Garden.

Marchand was knocked out of the game as a result of the hit and also didn’t play in Game 4. The Panthers won both of those games and ultimately eliminated the B’s in Game 6.

Bennett was not suspended for the hit, which angered Bruins fans. There was no penalty called on the play, either.

Fast forward a year and Bennett and Marchand are not only friends, they just won the Stanley Cup together with the Panthers. That sentence would have sounded absurd if you said it at this time last year.

But unfortunately for Bruins fans, it’s reality.

The B’s dealt Marchand to the Panthers at the trade deadline on March 7, and he played a key role in the Panthers securing their second straight Stanley Cup title, culminating with a 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Cup Final on Tuesday night.

Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, and when asked about Marchand after the game, he gave a heartfelt answer on the bond the two players have created.

“As soon as he got traded here, he chirped me in the group chat instantly for our history and the (2024) playoffs,” Bennett told reporters at his press conference.

“What he’s meant to this team — I truly don’t think we win a Stanley Cup without him. His leadership, his will to win, it’s inspiring. I was telling him before every game, ‘We’re going to follow you.’ And we did. He was a dog every night. He for sure could have won this trophy.

“He’s a better player and person than I ever knew, and I’m grateful that I got to play with him.”

Marchand tallied 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 23 games during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including six goals in the Cup Final. Bennett posted 22 points in 23 games, including a playoff-leading 15 goals (five in the Cup Final).

Either one of them would have been a deserving Conn Smythe Trophy winner. Bennett won it after receiving 76 voting points (including 11 first-place votes), eight more than Marchand’s 68 voting points.

The question now is will these guys be back in Florida next season? Both Marchand and Bennett are able to become unrestricted free agents this summer.

The Hockey News is happy to bring you a comparison between the rookie seasons of three of the most exciting young defensemen to play in the NHL, in collaboration with RG.org. Our partners extracted the stats necessary to bring you this in-depth look at Montreal Canadiens Lane Hutson’, Colorado Avalanche Cale Makar’, and Vancouver Canucks Quinn Hughes’ rookie seasons.

Habs fans will be glad to see that Hutson’s rookie season compares well to the Colorado and Vancouver franchise cornerstones. It doesn’t guarantee that he’ll achieve the same status, but it’s at the very least very interesting to see.

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Hutson led all NHL rookies in scoring and finished seventh among all defensemen in total points. He broke the Canadiens’ franchise record for a rookie blueliner. Makar and Hughes also reached high production benchmarks in their first full seasons, with Makar winning the Calder Trophy and Hughes being named a finalist alongside him. The Canadiens' rookie recorded more points than the other two, but he achieved this by playing more games.

Ice Time & Usage

Interestingly, Hutson had more ice time than both Hughes and Makar, while receiving less power-play ice time than they did. The naysayers often said this year that the Canadiens’ rearguard was shielded and received too many offensive zone starts, but he got fewer than both Hughes and Makar. There’s even a significant different with the Canucks defenseman.

Unsurprisingly, none of them spent a significant amount of time on the ice when their team was down a man. Nowadays, however, Makar features on the Avalanche's top penalty kill unit, while Hughes skates on the second line for Vancouver. Will Hutson ever get there? It remains to be seen.

5v5 Advanced Metrics

This is where Makar and Hughes outperformed the Canadiens' youngster. For those unfamiliar with the Corsi metric, the Corsi number for an individual player is calculated by dividing the number of shot attempts his team receives at even strength while he is on the ice by the number of shot attempts the opponent gets while he is on the ice. Essentially, it’s a bit like plus minus, but with shots. Here, it’s expressed as a percentage that's calculated by taking the shot attempts for and dividing them by the shot attempts against.

As for the xGF%, it represents the expected goals for and evaluates the quality of shot attempts made when a player is on the ice. It’s about the likelihood that a goal will be scored. Hutson trails the other two defensemen by less in this category, which is arguably more critical than the Corsi number.

xGA/60 represents the expected goals against per 60 minutes, and of course, the lower the number, the better. Both Makar and Hughes fare better than the Canadiens’ blueliner in that department. There is room for improvement, but it's worth noting that the Avalanche (.657) and the Canucks (.565) had a higher points percentage in Makar and Hughes’ rookie season than the Canadiens did this season (.555). As Montreal improves, so will Hutson’s number in that department.

SCF% represents the scoring chance percentage, basically the attempts that hit the net and are counted as a scoring chance. As for the HDCF%, it focuses on high danger chances; in both categories, the higher the number, the better. Hutson trails both Hughes and Makar in both of these categories, and the difference is more flagrant with the Colorado blueliner.

Still, Hutson’s 5v5 profile was close to neutral in possession but slightly positive in expected goals and high-danger chance generation. His numbers suggest offensive involvement despite not driving play at the same level as Hughes or Makar.

WAR/GAR Summary

WAR represents the wins above replacement and is calculated to measure a player's complete performance. It’s essentially using offensive, defensive, and other aspects of the game to calculate the number of wins a player contributes to the team. As for GAR, it represents goals above replacement and takes into account a player’s offense, defense, and penalties. These numbers show just how elite Hughes and Makar are.

You can see an overall percentile grade for Hutson in various categories in the card below. Hutson ranked in the 92nd percentile in overall WAR. He stood out in playmaking and puck movement, particularly at even strength and on the power play. His defensive impact was limited, but his ability to drive offense, draw penalties, and find high-percentage passes positioned him as one of the league’s most productive offensive defensemen in his first year.

Postseason Performance

All three defensemen made the playoffs in their rookie season and left a mark in the postseason tournament. Hutson’s sample was much smaller, with the young Canadiens being eliminated in just five games by the Washington Capitals; however, he still led all Habs defensemen in points in the playoffs, and also led all Montreal players. Cole Caufield was second with four points, and Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, and Christian Dvorak all had two points.

Makar was a point-per-game performer, and Hughes was one point short of it. It’s impossible to know if Hutson could have remained a PPG player had the Canadiens gone deeper in the postseason, but given how he performed all through the season, it would have made sense.

Overall, this exercise demonstrates that Hutson’s rookie season positions him firmly in the same elite rookie tier as Makar and Hughes. His numbers also illustrate the importance Hutson held for the Canadiens, who trusted him in key situations. Even though he was playing in his first complete season, Hutson showed he could already be a top-pairing defenseman.

The following sites were used by RG.org to compile the data necessary to produce the numbers:

• NHL.com

• Hockey-Reference.com

• Natural Stat Trick

• JFresh Hockey (via TopDownHockey / PuckPedia / NHL Rosters)

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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Unless Kent Hughes pulls out yet another draft trade, the Montreal Canadiens will be picking twice in the first round. Once at number 16 in place of the Calgary Flames, thanks to the Sean Monahan trade in August 2022, and a second time with their pick.

In their history, the Canadiens have picked 16th four times. Were there good players in the lot? Were there some busts? Does history give us hope as to the value of the first of the Canadiens’ two first-round picks?

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Montreal used the 16th selection in 2020, 2000, 1998, and 1985. Nobody will be surprised to hear that they selected Kaiden Guhle with the pick in 2020 and that he has since become a part of the Habs’ young core. If it weren’t for all the injuries, he would have been close to a perfect pick.

In 2000, they opted for Marcel Hossa, Marian’s younger brother. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, the name was pretty much all they shared. Marcel didn’t have the talent or NHL longevity his brother was blessed with. He played 59 NHL games in Montreal, gathering 19 points before being traded to the New York Rangers for Garth Murray. He then spent three years with the Rangers and one with the Phoenix Coyotes before retiring from the NHL after 237 games and 61 points.

In 1998, the Canadiens used the 16th overall pick to choose Eric Chouinard, son of coach Guy Chouinard. The big winger had dominated in the QMJHL, posting seasons of 83, 109, and 104 points. His skills didn’t translate very well to the NHL, and after two and a half seasons, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in return for a second-round pick at the following draft, which became Maxim Lapierre. In the end, Chouinard only played 90 games in the NHL, picking up 26 points in the process before heading overseas to play there.

Finally, in 1985, Montreal picked Tom Chorske. The American needed a few years before making the jump to the pros, but he broke into the Canadiens' lineup in 1989-90, skating in 14 games and picking up four points. Then, in the following season, he skated in 57 games with the Canadiens, registering 20 points. He was a promising player, but the following September, he was sent to the New Jersey Devils along with Stephane Richer for Roland Melanson and Kirk Muller. Overall, Chorsle played 596 games in the NHL across 11 seasons, scoring 237 points.

It's not the largest sample, but it does illustrate how hit-and-miss drafting can be, even in the first round. We'll have a look at picks number 17 in the coming days. 

Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

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The worst Philadelphia Flyers trade of all time hits a little closer to home after the Florida Panthers won their second consecutive Stanley Cup Tuesday night.

How Sergei Bobrovsky left the Flyers is something fans won't soon forget, and the Russian's success post-Philadelphia is all the reason for it.

Just two years into his Flyers tenure, Bobrovsky was traded by the Flyers to the Columbus Blue Jackets for an assortment of mid-round draft picks that ultimately became Anthony Stolarz, Taylor Leier, and Justin Auger.

The three of those players combined never experienced success at the NHL level to the degree Bobrovsky has, and Stolarz, ironically, has taken flight after leaving the Flyers himself.

In fact, the Edison, N.J., native was 16-7-2 with a 2.03 GAA, a .925 save percentage, and two shutouts as Bobrovsky's backup last year. The two former Flyers, of course, went on to win the Stanley Cup over the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.

For good measure, Stolarz was 21-8-3 for former Flyers coach Craig Berube's Toronto Maple Leafs this season, racking up an outstanding 2.14 GAA, a .926 save percentage, and a career-high four shutouts en route to picking up a Vezina Trophy vote.

As for Bobrovsky, nothing out of the ordinary for the two-time Vezina Trophy winner. The 36-year-old just enjoyed arguably his greatest postseason run yet, going 16-7 for the Panthers to the tune of a 2.20 GAA, a .914 save percentage, and three shutouts.

Flyers Draft 2025: Who Are the Best (and Worst) Trade-Up Targets for Philly?With seven picks in the first two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft, the possibilities are endless for the Philadelphia Flyers. They could use all seven picks, trade up once, trade up twice, or even trade down like they did in 2024.

Formerly undrafted, Bobrovsky has now gone to the Stanley Cup Finals three years in a row, going the distance and winning all 16 necessary games in the last two.

Bobrovsky arrived in Philadelphia the season after their run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final run, and current Flyers GM Danny Briere, who was teammates with Bobrovsky and dealt with the immediate aftermath of his departure from Philadelphia, should know better than most the value of good goaltending and what it means to give up on young goalies too early.

Briere's Flyers had the worst team save percentage in the NHL this season (.872), trailing the Buffalo Sabres (.880) by a decent margin.

It's unclear if developing goalies like Sam Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov can be the answer, and an inexperienced (at the NHL level) veteran in Ivan Fedotov is essentially out of developmental runway.

Briere knows he needs a franchise goalie at some point, but will he be trading for his Bobrovsky or will he repeat history and trade his Bobrovsky away?

On the other side of arguably the worst Flyers trade of all time, Bobrovsky has secured his status as a future Hockey Hall of Famer and one of the best playoff goalies ever.

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk revealed his several injuries suffered during the playoffs. 

Matthew Tkachuk’s performance in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final was hard fought as he helped his Florida Panthers finish off the Edmonton Oilers in six games with a dominant 5–1 win at home.

The win secured Florida their second straight Stanley Cup and inserted the teams name into the conversation of a hockey dynasty as this was their third straight finals appearance.

More NHL: Blackhawks Reportedly Open to Trading No. 3 Pick in 2026 NHL Draft

In post-series interviews, Tkachuk revealed he had played the entirety of the playoffs with a completely torn adductor that was ripped off the bone as well as a sports hernia, both on the same side. 

Tkachuk confessed that he had “wanted to throw in the towel a bunch of times” but was kept in the lineup thanks to intensive medical management. 

Despite missing the end of the regular season, he returned in Game 1 of the opening round, ultimately contributing eight goals and 23 points in as many games, including a clutch goal in Game 6 on Tuesday. 

The physical toll of such injuries is immense. A torn adductor avulsion off the bone typically requires surgery followed by four to six months of rehabilitation, a timeline mirrored by recovery from a hernia, depending on severity.

Panthers insiders, including coach Paul Maurice, have expressed cautious optimism that Tkachuk could be ready for the playoffs next year, but warned that starting the season in late 2025 may be more realistic than expecting him in opening night form. Rushing him back too soon could increase the risk of chronic injury. 

This will be one of the many offseason stories for the Panthers as they are facing serious offseason roster decisions, especially as they chase a historic third straight Stanley Cup.

More NHL: 2026 Stanley Cup Odds: Oilers, Panthers Lead Early Contenders But One Unexpected Favourite Emerges

Early futures emerged with Florida at +750 odds to win the 2025‑26 Stanley Cup, but their cap situation is tense with roughly $19 million available yet have three massive pending unrestricted free agents in Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand, who will likely all require big tickets following another successful Stanley Cup win. 

These roster variables, combined with Tkachuk’s injury uncertainty, complicate Florida’s path to a three-peat. While the +750 odds may look juicy, they don’t factor in the potential early-season absence of their star winger and the possibility of losing key contributors.

Bettors and fans alike should temper their expectations, as they shouldn't get too greedy and enjoy their second straight Stanley Cup as it's a legendary moment before thinking about a third. 

More NHL: Frontrunners Forming In Marner Sweepstakes After Recent Insider Reports

The weeks leading up to NHL free agency - as well as the 2025 NHL Draft on Jun. 27-28 - have been quite eventful and interesting up to this point.

And that is especially true for young forwards on the trade market, as yet another name was added to the list.

On Sunday, it was reported by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast that Buffalo Sabres young star forward JJ Peterka is now on the trade market.

Elliotte Friedman updates on how things may have shifted regarding JJ Peterka’s future in Buffalo (32 Thoughts) pic.twitter.com/BmRPccNxzR

— sabresource (@sabresource1) June 15, 2025

Peterka, 23, joins other young players allegedly on the trade market, such as Tampa Bay Lightning forward prospect Isaac Howard, Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi, Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram, and - potentially - Dallas Stars star forward Jason Robertson.

Realistically, Pittsburgh Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas should be calling on all of these guys to at least get a feel for what the price would be. Pittsburgh has 30 draft picks over the next three seasons - including 18 in the first three rounds - which is more than any other team in hockey.

They also have valuable trade chips in Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, and Erik Karlsson, who have each generated some degree of interest on the trade market.

But, of all these names, Peterka may just be the perfect fit for the Penguins.

Penguins Have Prime Opportunity To Target Lightning's Top Forward ProspectOn Saturday, news about the potential departure of the Tampa Bay Lightning's top prospect from the organization became one step closer to being confirmed.

His defense isn't something that is going to "wow" anyone, but the talent is there. The young right winger keeps getting better year-by-year, as he put up 28 goals and 68 points in 77 games last season - an 18-point increase over his 2023-24 totals. 

Peterka's goal-scoring ability, creativity, disruptiveness, and forechecking ability - to pair with his age - is the kind of thing that the Penguins should be looking to add at this juncture in their rebuild.

A pending-restricted free agent (RFA) this summer, Peterka is, apparently, displeased in Buffalo and is looking for a change, while Buffalo still prefers to keep him, if possible. Therefore, the price will likely be a bit hefty, but it's something that should be well-worth the risk.

Dubas mentioned that the Penguins may dabble in the RFA trade-then-sign market. Peterka is the perfect opportunity for him to swing a bit bigger and, potentially, help the organization in the long-term.

With Robertson's Name Out There, Could Penguins Swing Blockbuster Trade?With both the NHL Draft and free agency on the horizon, trade speculation is running rampant in hockey circles at the moment.

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The American Hockey League has a new record holder. In Game 3 of the 2025 Calder Cup Finals, Abbotsford Canucks forward Linus Karlsson scored his 11th goal of the playoffs, setting a new record in goals scored in a single postseason by a Swedish player. Previously, this record was held by Andreas Johnsson and Mikael Andersson, who each had 10. 

Karlsson has been a rock for Abbotsford throughout the Calder Cup Playoffs, acting as the team’s leading scorer with 11 goals and nine assists in 21 games played. Despite missing playing time during the AHL’s regular season due to being called up by the Vancouver Canucks, Karlsson still registered 23 goals and 16 assists in 32 games with Abbotsford. Earlier in the season, he set an Abbotsford franchise record for most goals scored in an AHL career with the AHL Canucks with 66. 

In his time with Vancouver in the 2024–25 season, Karlsson made his presence known by getting himself to the front of the net and scoring three goals and three assists in 23 NHL games. This included his first NHL goal, which he tallied on January 29, 2025 against the Nashville Predators. He has been in the Canucks’ system since 2019, when he was traded from the San Jose Sharks for Jonathan Dahlén. 

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Karlsson and the AHL Canucks are currently fighting for the series lead in Game 3 of the Calder Cup Finals, with Games 4 and 5 on home ice for Abbotsford. They’ll play in front of the home crowd two more times during this season on June 19 and 21. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Only three NHL players recorded a hat trick in their team's Stanley Cup-clinching game heading into Tuesday night. But Florida Panthers right winger Sam Reinhart went one step further to do something only one other player has done.

Reinhart not only scored a hat trick but added another for a four-goal game as the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 to successfully defend their Stanley Cup championship. He opened the scoring early in the first period and scored on Stuart Skinner in the second period to extend the lead to 3-0. In the final half of the third period, Reinhart added two empty-net goals.

Reinhart became the first NHL player to score four goals in a Cup final game since Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice 'Rocket' Richard did so on April 6, 1957, against the Boston Bruins. But Richard's performance came in Game 1.

For the last time a player scored four times in his team's Cup-winning game, we must go back 103 years.

On March 28, 1922, the Toronto St. Pat's won the NHL championship series to take on the Pacific Coast Hockey Association's Vancouver Millionaires in a best-of-five battle for the Stanley Cup.

In a do-or-die Game 5, St. Pat's forward Babe Dye made history.

Dye opened the scoring three minutes into the game. He scored again 80 seconds later. He completed the hat trick in the third period to give Toronto a 4-0 lead and then scored yet again seven minutes later to make it 5-0 in the eventual 5-1 St. Pat's win. 

Dye played 272 NHL games across 12 seasons, scoring 203 goals and 252 points. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1970, eight years after his death.

Reinhart has 294 goals and 619 points across 775 regular-season games and 32 goals and 56 points in 76 playoff contests. This post-season, he finished with 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 21 games.

The last player to score a hat trick in their team's Cup-winning game is Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, who accomplished the feat against the Panthers in Game 5 of the 2023 Cup final. He was the first to do it since Dye and the third to do it overall.

Jack Darragh of the original Ottawa Senators was the first player in NHL history to score a hat trick in his team's Cup-clinching match when they beat the Seattle Metropolitans in 1920.

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