The three finalists for the NHL’s Norris Trophy are more than capable in their own end.

The Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar, Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes and Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski have developed into fantastic all-around defenseman. But their recognition as the NHL's top defensemen of the year are are centered around their ability to produce offense from the back end.

Makar, Werenski and Hughes finished the regular season as the top three scorers among defensemen in the NHL. The Avalanche, Blue Jackets and Canucks also all heavily outscored their opponents with their star defenseman on the ice at 5-on-5, according to naturalstatrick.com.

Despite that, the NHL’s best defensemen at keeping the puck out of their net sometimes get overlooked and do not receive the praise they deserve. 

Here are five of the NHL’s best defensive defensemen this season. Advanced stats are according to Natural Stat Trick unless otherwise noted.

Gustav Forsling, Florida Panthers

Forsling has become more of a household name after winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, but his ability to shut down his opponent's top players is evident each night.

In 80 games this season, the 28-year-old scored 11 goals and 31 points, averaging 22:57 of ice time. While his offence from the back end was appreciated, his 89 blocked shots and just 16 penalty minutes are the true indicators of where his value lies for the Panthers. 

Taking a deeper look at his game, it shows how much better the Panthers were with him on the ice. They had a 56.32-percent share of shot attempts, outscored their opponents 66-48 and dominated the high-danger chance share and scoring chance share at 5-on-5 with Forsling on the ice.

Jonas Brodin, Minnesota Wild

When Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek sustained long-term injuries, the Minnesota Wild went through a difficult stretch of games. What kept them afloat was their ability to keep the puck out of their net, highlighted by Brodin's play.

The 31-year-old Swede played just 50 games this season due to multiple injury absences but blocked 104 shots while averaging 22:57 of ice time. His return to the lineup in late March came at an important time, helping Brock Faber regain his footing and propelling the Wild to the playoffs despite a late push from the Calgary Flames.

At 5-on-5, the Wild outscored and outshot their opponents with Brodin on the ice. Brodin has not received the same appreciation as Kaprizov and Eriksson-Ek, but if you ask the players on the Wild roster, they will tell you how vital he is to their success. 

Why The NHL's Three Norris Trophy Finalists Each Deserve To WinThe NHL revealed the three finalists for the Norris Trophy, which goes "to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position."

Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes

Slavin has been known for his defensive game for quite some time now, but it became undisputed when he put his game on full notice at the 4 Nations Face-Off. 

His skating and tremendous stick work make him so difficult to beat in 1-on-1 situations. He reads the game extremely well, and it's why the Hurricanes held 56.44 percent of the expected goals with Slavin on the ice at 5-on-5.

In 80 games, Slavin blocked 136 shots and took just eight penalty minutes, while also adding six goals and 27 points offensively.

The Hurricanes have an identity of limiting chances against them that they stay true to no matter what, and Slavin personifies it. With Slavin at 5-on-5, the Hurricanes held 57.87 of the Corsi-for share, 56.83 percent of the high-danger chances and 57.38 percent of the scoring chances. 

Chris Tanev, Toronto Maple Leafs

Tanev is by far the oldest player on this list, but at 35 years old, he still managed to block 189 shots in 75 games, ranking sixth in the NHL. Pairing with Jake McCabe, the pair routinely served as the shut-down defenders for Craig Berube, and the Toronto Maple Leafs reaped the benefits.

The Maple Leafs outscored their opponents 55-34 for a goals-for share of 61.80 percent at 5-on-5 when Tanev was on the ice, the fourth-highest among defensemen to play at least 250 minutes. Tanev also limited opponents to 170 high-danger chances despite starting 279 of his shifts in the defensive zone. 

The Maple Leafs put a lot of faith into Tanev that he could continue to play at this level, signing him to a six-year contract. After one season, he showed that he was worth every penny.

NHL Awards Poll: Predicting The Winners Of The Hart, Vezina, Norris And MoreWhen playoff season rolls around in the NHL, it also signals award season for the league's best players and staff.

Dylan Samberg, Winnipeg Jets

When Samberg was out with a broken foot, the Winnipeg Jets went through their worst stretch of the season. When he returned, they immediately went back to their winning ways, in large part due to how calming a presence the 26-year-old is on the blueline.

Samberg played in 60 games this season, blocking 120 shots and adding six goals and 20 points. His work on the penalty kill was greatly appreciated by the Jets, but his 5-on-5 dominance may have been the more important factor to the Jets’ success.

Listed at 6-foot-4, Samberg moves very well for a player of his size and uses his reach to break up transition and cycle opportunities. The Jets outscored their opponents 57-36 and had the advantage in Corsi, Fenwick, high-danger chances, shots on goal and scoring chances with Samberg on the ice.

He ranked fourth on the Jets in ice time, averaging 21:08, in large part because of the lack of power-play time. He’s developed into a true shutdown defenseman at just 26 years of age.

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The New York Rangers appear very close to hiring their next head coach. 

According to Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today, nothing has been confirmed or announced yet, but it sounds like things are getting close and very much trending toward Mike Sullivan becoming the 38th head coach in franchise history.

Earlier this week, The Pittsburgh Penguins parted ways with Sullivan after spending ten seasons with the organization.

The Rangers fired Peter Laviolette following a lackluster 2024-25 season where the Blueshirts missed the playoffs. 

Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury has direct ties to Sullivan and has reportedly been intrigued with hiring the Stanley Cup-winning coach for years. 

Multiple NHL insiders have reported that Drury waited to see if Sullivan would leave the Penguins in 2021 before going ahead and hiring Gerard Gallant. 

Now, Sullivan is available and the stars perfectly align for him to make his way to The Big Apple. 

Since parting ways with the Penguins on Monday, there have been rumblings linking Sullivan to the Rangers and they have only continued to pick up steam. 

It only seems like a matter of time before Sullivan is the Rangers’ head coach. 

ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild held an optional skate this morning ahead of its Game 6 matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Marcus Foligno was on the ice with just his skates, gloves and his stick shooting pucks before the scratches came on the ice to get some work in. 

Wild head coach John Hynes said that all signs point to Filip Gustavsson starting tonight after leaving Game 5 with an illness. 

Marc-Andre Fleury who came in for the third period and overtime, was on the ice this morning with the scratches so it looks like Gustavsson will start.

Hynes said this morning he has not made and final lineup decisions and will wait and see after the guys got their work in on the ice. 

But the guys on the ice were the normal healthy scratches. Vinnie Hinostroza, Liam Ohgren, Devin Shore, Declan Chisholm and Zeev Buium were on the ice with Fleury. 

So, it looks as if the Wild will be rolling the same lineup for Game 6 as they did in Game 5. The lines could be different but the players look to remain the same. 

Hynes didn’t want to reveal any lineup changes but Buium, Ohgren, Chisholm, Shore and Hinostroza are skating with Fleury right now. So probably the same lineup tonight.

— Dylan Loucks (@DylanLoucks4) May 1, 2025

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

Wild Related News

Golden Knights Face Wild For Game 6 Tonight Without Their Top Goal ScorerST. PAUL, Minn - The Vegas Golden Knights will be without its top goal scorer from the regular season. Head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed this morning that Pavel Dorofeyev will not play tonight.  Wild's Marc-Andre Fleury Sets NHL Playoff Goaltending RecordIn a 2-1 game after the second period in Game 5, Marc-Andre Fleury led the Wild on the ice for the third period. 

The Hockey News Big Show is here to not only discuss the closing stages of the first round but some of the other biggest topics in the NHL.

NHL Round 1 Surprises, MVPs, Coaching Job Openings And More by The Big Showundefined

Here’s what Michael Traikos, Ryan Kennedy and Katie Gaus discussed in this episode:

0:47: Game 6 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators is Thursday night. Are the Leafs still "fine," or could they blow another series lead again?

3:30: How much pressure is on the Maple Leafs in Game 6, and do you expect any lineup changes? 

6:06: Even if the Maple Leafs do win the series, have they changed your mind about them being a "contender?"

9:30: The Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals will meet in the second round. Thoughts on this series? 

13:28: In Game 5 between the Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights, there was a league review for a kicking motion, which gave Vegas time to watch the goal, and when it was determined there was no kick, Vegas challenged for offside, and the goal was overturned. Many online comments suggest that this is ruining hockey. Do you agree?

16:43: Most surprising series so far?

20:11: First-round MVP candidates so far?

22:07: Player that's been the biggest surprise in the first round, for good or bad reasons?

25:19: The NHL’s coaching carousel is spinning like crazy, with so many open jobs. Where do we see Rick Tocchet and Mike Sullivan landing? Could more coaches lose their jobs?

29:15: The NHL’s Hart Trophy finalists are Leon Draisaitl, Connor Hellebuyck and Nikita Kucherov. Thoughts on no Nathan Mackinnon? Who will win it? 

33:16: Taylor Hall signed a three-year contract extension worth $3.167 million annually. Do we like it? 

34:25: Utah Hockey Club’s YouTube channel briefly showed "@UtahMammoth"  as the handle... sounds like this is it? Yay or nay?

36:58: Who do you want to see win the NHL draft lottery? Who actually wins it?

39:59: Patrik Laine enters the final year of his contract next season. Do the Habs re-sign him over the summer?

Watch the full episode here.  

Subscribe to The Hockey News Big Show on your preferred platform.

Even though the Montreal Canadiens went down in five games to the best team in the Eastern Conference in the first round of the playoffs, there is every reason to frame the 2024-25 season as a tremendous success.

The Canadiens pushed their rebuild ahead by a couple of years and exposed their young players to games down the stretch and in the playoffs that will make them more mature, more battle-tested and better.

Coach Martin St-Louis basically said after the game that the disappointment they feel now will create even more joy when this team becomes a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

He, like a lot of other people, are assuming that their great, young talent is going to become great, older talent.

That might happen, but all the Canadiens need to do is to look to their Atlantic Division neighbor to the west to know that compiling terrific young players doesn't necessarily or instantly lead to playoff success.

The Canadiens need to get bigger, tougher and better defensively. And the work on that begins now. Watch today's video column to learn how they can accomplish that.

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ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues on Thursday signed Will Cranley to a one-year, two-way contract extension that will pay the goalie $775,000 NHL/$85,000 AHL.

The 23-year-old was originally drafted by the Blues in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft. 

This season, Cranley played in 23 regular-season games for the Blues’ ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades, and was 11-9-3 with a 2.71 goals-against average, an .896 save percentage and two shutouts.

Cranley also dressed, but did not play, in two games for Springfield of the American Hockey League.

Cranley, who spent time in St. Louis recently as an extra goalie while the Blues prepped for and have competed in the Stanley Cup playoffs, is 20-24-7 with a 3.31 GAA, an .891 save percentage and two shutouts in 56 ECHL games.   

They actually did it.

One of the best organizations in the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche, finally has a great goalie.

Bookmark The Hockey News Colorado Avalanche team site so you never miss the latest news, game day coverage, and information on the Avalanche players.

Mackenzie Blackwood is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL today. If you aren’t convinced already, hopefully you can be persuaded by his regular season and early playoff performances.

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Blackwood’s Regular Season Dominance

Blackwood was acquired early in the regular season after Alexandar Georgiev wasn’t getting the job done for the Avalanche. It’s clear now, that trading for Blackwood was the best move made by the organization this year.

In 56 games played, Blackwood recorded a 28-21-6 record between the Avalanche and the San Jose Sharks. He also posted a 2.55 goals against average (GAA), a .912 save percentage (SV%), and four shutouts.

Additionally, he boasted a 13.3 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx).

Amongst NHL goalies who played at least 35 games, here is where he ranks in each statistic:

SV% - 5th

GAA - 8th

*Shutouts - 11th

GSAx - 15th

Wins - 13th

*Blackwood was tied with eight other goalies for 7th-place.

Let’s also not forget that Blackwood began the season on the NHL’s worst team, so there’s that to take into consideration.

NHL Public Relations Releases Start Time for Game 6The NHL has officially announced the start times for postseason games set to take place on May 1st.

Blackwood Has Taken It Up A Notch In The Playoffs

As if his regular season play wasn’t enough, Blackwood has elevated his performance in the playoffs. He has been head and shoulders above everyone else on his team game after game.

Blackwood has a 2-3-0 record to go along with a 2.38 GAA, a .909 SV%, one shutout and 4.4 GSAx. He ranks sixth in SV%, sixth in GAA, tied for first in shutouts, and fourth in GSAx.

The only reason why the Avalanche have a fighting chance at winning this series is due to the stellar play of Blackwood.

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Vegas Golden Knights forward Victor Olofsson will rejoin the lineup in place of Pavel Dorofeyev, who suffered an injury in Game 5. 

Olofsson played the first three games of the series before he was taken out of the lineup for veteran Tanner Pearson. In three games, Olofsson failed to record a point and mustered just three shots on goal. 

Although the first three games of his NHL playoffs career haven't gone as he would have liked, he possesses a threat every shift due to his lethal shot. So much so that despite serving as a healthy scratch for the previous two games, he'll step right onto the top power play unit where Dorofeyev was playing. 

He won't, however, take his spot on the top line. Mark Stone will join Jack Eichel and William Karlsson on the first line, with Olofsson joining the second line next to Tomas Hertl and Brandon Saad. 

"Great opportunity for me. It's always tough watching games from the sidelines, so I'm really excited to be back in there," said Olofsson.

At the moment, Dorofeyev has been announced day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Teams rarely release the ailment a player is suffering from during the playoffs. 

Cassidy did not have any updates on Dorofeyev yesterday, mentioning that the team did not skate and he would find out more soon. The unfortunate information he did find out is that Dorofeyev, the team's leading goal scorer, cannot play Game 6.

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

Golden Knights Video Coach The True Star Of Game 5Vegas Golden Knights forwards Jack Eichel and Mark Stone finally introduced themselves into the series in Game 5, but the true headliner was video assistant coach Dave Rogowski detecting a possible offside on a Minnesota Wild goal.

Bruins closer to getting better pick from Panthers due to Marchand trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Florida Panthers are into the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Brad Marchand is one of the main reasons why.

That might be a weird sentence for Boston Bruins fans to read, but it’s true.

The Panthers eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the first round on Wednesday night with a 6-3 win at Amalie Arena.

Marchand picked up two assists in the victory, giving him four points (four assists) for the series. Florida outscored Tampa Bay 6-2 during Marchand’s 5-on-5 ice time through five games.

Marchand has made a seamless transition to the Panthers lineup since the Bruins sent him to Florida just before the March 7 NHL trade deadline.

He’s giving the Panthers scoring depth, playmaking, toughness, penalty killing and even more playoff experience. Marchand is also teaming up with Matthew Tkachuk to chirp opposing players, which is quite a sight.

The rivalry between the Panthers and Bruins is still a heated one, but Florida’s success this spring does impact Boston in a meaningful way.

When the Bruins traded Marchand to the Panthers, they got a conditional 2027 second-round pick in return. If the Panthers reach the Eastern Conference Final and Marchand plays in at least 50 percent of their playoff games, that second-rounder owed to Boston would become a 2027 first-round pick. The Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy has reported that 2027 first-rounder would be top-10 protected, so if the pick does fall in the top 10, it would convey as an unprotected 2028 first-round pick.

Right now, the chances of the Panthers reaching the conference final and Marchand playing in half (or more) of the games look pretty good. The Panthers will be favored in their Round 2 series, whether it’s against the Toronto Maple Leafs or Ottawa Senators. That means there’s a good chance of Boston landing either a 2027 or 2028 first-round pick from Florida (likely the former).

The Panthers are the best team left in the playoffs thanks to their combination of high-end skill, toughness, experience and quality goaltending. Injuries might be the only factor that could derail this team.

The talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs has shifted greatly from their first three games against the Ottawa Senators to the last two.

The Maple Leafs were on the verge of sweeping the Senators after the first three games of their first-round playoff series. While the Senators probably deserved to win at least one of those first three games, the competitive pendulum swung the other way in Games 4 and 5. The Maple Leafs probably deserved to win one of those two games, only to lose both of them as Ottawa clawed its way back to respectability.

What we’ve wound up with is a series that is considerably closer than people who were talking about a sweep had figured on. The truth is, predicting the Maple Leafs would be in a Game 6 situation versus the Senators is not surprising.

If things played out slightly differently, and it was a straight-ahead back-and-forth, we-punch-you, you-punch-back situation from game to game, alarmist Leafs fans might not be as up in arms as they are at the moment.

“We expected it to be challenging,” Leafs blueliner Morgan Rielly told reporters on Wednesday. “No one expected it to be easy. So, again, we're up in a series, and we're in a position where we have a chance to regroup and refocus and go out there and play some good hockey.”

Indeed, we picked Toronto to win this series, but we picked the Buds to win in six games. It doesn’t make a difference exactly how we arrived at this moment – the truth is, the Senators were never going to roll over and be embarrassed en route to a sweep. Ottawa is a well-coached, dynamic and talented group, and so are the Maple Leafs. Nothing we’ve seen through five games has changed our mind in that regard.

“We’re up 3-2 in the series, so we’re fine,” Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev told reporters after Tuesday’s Game 5 loss. “We’re going to prepare for our game Thursday, and we’ll make the adjustments that we need to.”

We’re still confident the Maple Leafs can pull this one out with a Game 6 win in Ottawa, if not then, then in Game 7. The Leafs have already shown they can win at home and on the road, and they’ve been a resilient bunch throughout the regular season and thus far in the post-season.

Of course, we completely understand why Leafs fans would be swimming in anxiety right now. The history with this collection of talent does not lend itself to optimism at crossroads moments like these. Until Toronto proves it can close out opponents, there’s going to be significant doubt among Leafs Nation that it can do so.

But you know what? Sometimes teams do take that next step in their evolution. Sometimes teams can shake off the demons of the past. That’s where we see the Leafs right now. Beating the Sens is certainly not going to be easy. However, Toronto management and coaching have prepared Leafs players for this challenge.

These Maple Leafs Were Supposed To Be Different, But In Game 5, It Was More Of The SameAnyone who has watched the Toronto Maple Leafs over the past decade has seen Game 5 of the Battle of Ontario so many times.

The Leafs know the ramifications that await them if they can’t get the job done. A complete collapse could trigger massive changes from top to bottom in the organization. That pressure may well choke them out, but it’s equally likely that it motivates them to prove their doubters wrong. And so, if Toronto wins in six or seven games, no one should be surprised. 

Sometimes the pundits do get things right, and the way things are shaping up in this emotional and rollercoaster series, the Leafs are in the position many of us thought they’d be in. That’s what makes this particular series so compelling. Toronto and Ottawa are worthy rivals for one another, and the rest of this showdown promises to be high drama.

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It's not a sin to change your mind. 

What if Jon Cooper decides that he's done all he can do in Tampa Bay and would like to exit the last year of his pact?

Nothing is impossible. 

Successful NHL Coaches The Rangers Should StudyThe most successful coaches in the NHL right now are do not belong to the Rangers

And what if Coop – arguably the best NHL coach of the past decade – decides that he'd love the Rangers challenge. 

Well, that tells The Maven that two and two make Cooper.

That, however, is pure conjecture. But – as of this minute – the Rangers still have not announced that Mike Sullivan or any other Sullivan has replaced Pistol Pete Laviolette.

A guy can change his mind, right?

That especially goes for Rangers owner Jim Dolan and his second in Blueshirt command, Chris Drury.

Sure, it's possible. that they've decided that – perhaps – Sullivan ISN'T the best choice to coach their hockey club. Could happen. Right?

Maybe – just maybe – Sully looked at all the coach-job openings and decided to

chuck the crazy Rangers scene and go somewhere more sane. Boston maybe?

And, let's say for the sake of argument that it does happen -- or even happened already. That Sully decided to avoid Manhattan mania.Then what?

The Maven will tell you what: That would mean that there are several non-Sullivan possibilities.

Try these NHL assistants on for size: Dean Chynoweth in Winnipeg or Dominique Duchare in Vegas.

My "Special Advisor On Coach Hirings," Jess Rubenste adds these worthies:

Marco Sturm, Head Coach of the AHL Ontario Reign; David Carle at  Denver U; Jay Pandolfo at Boston U and Pat Ferschweller who directed the Western Michigan sextet to the NCAA title. 

All have excellent credentials, but none can beat Jon Cooper.

Can you just imagine his name on the Blueshirts directory: JON COOPER, HEAD COACH, RANGERS.

As we used to say in Al & Shirley's candy store in Brooklyn, "They should be so lucky!"

With their 5-4 double overtime win over the New Jersey Devils on April 29, the Carolina Hurricanes have officially moved on to the second round. The Hurricanes are now set to face off against the Washington Capitals in the next round, which should be a great series between the two Metropolitan Division rivals.

With the Hurricanes advancing to the second round, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour has made some NHL history. According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, Brind'Amour became the first coach in the history of the league to win at least one playoff round in each of his first seven seasons as a bench boss. 

This is certainly an impressive accomplishment for Brind'Amour, but his goal from here will be to lead the Hurricanes on a long playoff run. The Hurricanes have the talent to make a push for the Stanley Cup, and it will be interesting to see if they can get past the Capitals in the second round from here. 

In 534 games as the Hurricanes' bench boss over seven seasons, Brind'Amour has put together a 325-160-49 record. He also memorably won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach during the 2020-21 season. 

Recent Hurricanes News 

Carolina Hurricanes Recall 3 Players From AHLThe Carolina Hurricanes officially advanced to the second round with their 5-4 double overtime win over the New Jersey Devils in Game 5. Now, they have made some roster moves in preparation for the second round.  Hurricanes Hit Home Run With Taylor Hall ExtensionThe Carolina Hurricanes made a major move on April 30, signing forward Taylor Hall to a three-year, $9.5 million contract extension. This news was announced shortly after the Hurricanes knocked out the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the post-season.  Exciting Hurricanes Rookie Is Thriving In PlayoffsIt has been a strong start to the post-season for the Carolina Hurricanes. They currently have a commanding 3-1 series lead over the New Jersey Devils and need to win only one more game to advance to the second round. 

Adam Gaudette has quietly been one of the best stories of the Ottawa Senators’ season – a tale of a player struggling to get back to the NHL, joining forces with a team struggling to get back to the NHL playoffs.

And the story already has a happy ending, no matter what happens next in the Battle of Ontario. 

Gaudette had been all but out of the league for the past two years, but found a perfect fit in Ottawa, where he last held full-time NHL work in 2022. The Senators had just hired Travis Green, his former coach from the Vancouver Canucks, where Gaudette had played some of his best hockey.

With a familiar coach he trusted and a team that had just overhauled its bottom-six forwards, Gaud's Plan to sign in Ottawa made perfect sense. Sure, it was a two-way deal, but if he was ever going to make it back to the NHL, this was as good a path as any. 

Scouts around the league were intrigued by Gaudette’s 44-goal performance with the Springfield Thunderbirds last season, which led the entire AHL. No one expected that output to carry over directly to the NHL, but the Senators were in the market for more offense from their bottom six. They were in the process of turning the page on players like Parker Kelly, Mark Kastelic, Dominik Kubalik, Boris Katchouk, Rourke Chartier, and Jiri Smejkal.

The Senators believed (hoped) Gaudette could boost their secondary scoring, but could he also be trusted to play the kind of responsible defence expected of a bottom-six forward, the lack of which had kept him out of the NHL for two years?

So far, the answer has been: absolutely.

In fact, in Game 5 in Toronto, as the Senators fought to keep their season alive, Gaudette made an excellent defensive play and immediately followed it up with a strong offensive effort, setting up one of the biggest goals of the season. It was a perfect ten-second window into everything Gaudette has brought to Ottawa this year.

With the Senators leading 1–0 in the third period and killing a penalty, Gaudette intercepted an Auston Matthews centering pass in the defensive zone and burst up ice on a two-on-one with Dylan Cozens.

Now, it’s easy to picture a fourth-liner from the Senators’ recent past making that sort of defensive play and getting that chance, but too often, those players lacked the skill or poise to capitalize.

But not Gaudette. That's exactly what he brings to the table.

The 2018 Hobey Baker winner waited for Cozens to catch up, then delivered a perfect pass for a crucial shorthanded goal that drained all the Toronto energy out of the rink, which was nearly empty by game's end.

Despite not getting the big minutes (or money) some of his teammates do, Gaudette played 81 games and finished sixth on the team in goals with 19, both career highs. He’s also tied for fourth in team playoff scoring, with three points in five games.

He’s delivered exactly the kind of secondary scoring Ottawa needed from its bottom six—and his defensive commitment was also on full display in Tuesday night’s elimination game. With a one-goal lead in the third period against one of the NHL’s best power plays, his coach trusted him to be on the ice.

"I think there's obviously been a bit of learning experience and growing pains and stuff throughout my career and figuring out where I kind of fit in," Gaudette told the media. "I think here, under Greener, and with this team, we kind of found the way I'll have success in contributing on the score sheet or in other ways on a good playoff hockey team.

"And doing that, I think it gives me more confidence in going out there playing my game, being physical and playing a heavier game. And a game that I didn't really play back when I was younger. I wasn't as big, I wasn't as strong and I wasn't playing as physical. And now in the series and throughout this year, I just have the confidence to play that way."

Brady Tkachuk On Thursday's Game 6 Atmosphere in Ottawa: 'I Expect Pure Insanity'In the moments after being announced as one of the game's three stars on Saturday night in Ottawa, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk gestured to centre ice, telling fans the team would be coming back for Game 6.

Two years ago, the Leafs didn't see it.

Gaudette didn't play a single minute with Toronto, where he toiled in the minors with the Marlies, scoring 20 goals and 34 points in 40 games. The organization dealt him to St. Louis near the 2023 deadline, and the Blues didn't really use him either and eventually let him walk as a free agent.

Green has had a bird's eye view of Gaudette's career and he's thrilled to see the growth since 2017–18, when they both debuted with the Vancouver Canucks.

"He's had a fantastic season," Green said. "I think maturity is a big part of why he's in the NHL again. Players, when they first come in – compared to years, four or five, six – it's a big difference. We talked about that the other day. And I think he's just really learned the game itself, the important areas of the game. And he's applying it."

Much of the media dialogue on Wednesday centred on the Senators' improved diamond setup on the penalty kill — something Gaudette was a key part of in Game 5. Somewhere between now and July 1, Steve Staios would be wise to make sure this diamond in the rough is taken care of.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

Ullmark Steps Up In Game 5 As Ottawa Senators Stave Off Elimination AgainAfter a Game 4 overtime victory on Saturday night, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk skated off the ice, confidently yelling at the fans, "We'll be back!"

There are currently five head coaching vacancies in the NHL: Anaheim Ducks, New York Rangers, Seattle Kraken, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Vancouver Canucks. Three teams currently employ interim head coaches: the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Philadelphia Flyers.

The Ducks were the first team to part ways with their head coach after the conclusion of the 2024-25 regular season, when they announced Greg Cronin would not return in 2025-26 despite a 21-point increase in the standings from the year prior.

“I started to look at things when we probably went out of the playoff picture,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek stated during his media availability following his decision to not bring Cronin back. “I started to really look at things closer and, obviously, there were some concerns.

Verbeek declined to state the exact concerns but implied they weren’t about the team’s record or the culture within the organization.

“I can’t,” Verbeek said when asked of said concerns. “Those are private conversations that I had with the coach, and I’d like them to remain private and confidential.”

There are five to eight openings behind NHL benches this offseason, and there may even be more if teams like the New York Islanders decide to make a change after hiring a new GM or the Nashville Predators after one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory.

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As is the case every offseason, there’s a long list of deserving candidates from freshly on-the-market coaches like Mike Sullivan and Rick Tocchet to those who’ve had success at lower levels like David Carle and Pat Ferschweiler to those looking to return to the position after some time away like Jay Woodcroft and Don Granato, plus countless more.

A sizable list of quality candidates exists for Verbeek and the Ducks, who are said to be casting a “wide net” with their search for the team’s next head coach and are well into their interview process.

However, the Ducks face fierce competition from teams looking for a new direction behind their benches. Six of the eight teams looking for new coaches are flagship, tentpole, standard-bearing organizations in the NHL.

The Rangers, Penguins, Canucks, Bruins, Blackhawks, and Flyers are all teams in sizable, influential NHL media markets and are often seen as some of the most lucrative jobs in the field.

The Rangers, Bruins, Penguins, and Canucks are all one or two years removed from the playoffs, could be looking to return to that level, and maximize their respective windows around their current superstar players like Artemi Panarin, David Pastrnak, Sidney Crosby, Quinn Hughes, etc.

The Blackhawks and Flyers are looking to take their next steps toward contention around budding superstar talents like Connor Bedard and Matvei Michkov while adding more at the top of the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft.

The Kraken are a team seemingly desperate to make an impact in a young market and willing to make a splash.

For the Ducks, the questions become, How does the Anaheim job compare, and What do they have to offer that separates them?

Despite the potential fool’s gold that the relative success of the 2024-25 season was, the Ducks saw much of their young core take strides in their development while contributing in significant roles on the team.

They have one of, if not the actual, best goaltending tandems in the NHL, highlighted by sprouting 24-year-old star Lukas Dostal. They have enticing young blueline talents like Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger, and Pavel Mintyukov oozing with potential. Up front, they have four promising offensive dynamos who all ended the season on a high note in Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, and Trevor Zegras.

Off the ice, the coach will be living in the warmest (objective) and most beautiful (subjective) climate of all the available positions. They also won’t be under the intense microscopes that they’d be under in one of the larger markets, where media and fans heavily scrutinize minutia. It will still occur in Anaheim, as it’s unavoidable and comes with the job description, but it won’t be nearly as impassioned.

From a unique vantage point, the Ducks’ job can be seen as the most stable of the bunch. They have taken the step in their rebuild that the Flyers and Blackhawks haven’t, their window isn’t closing like it could potentially be with the Rangers, Canucks, Bruins, and Penguins, and while there’s urgency, it seems less prominent urgency than in Seattle, where Dan Bylsma recently lost his job after just one season.

The result will come down to how much those aspects of the Ducks' job matter to the individuals in contention versus what the other teams bring in their respective situations. Whoever is ultimately hired in Anaheim will seemingly have an exceptional opportunity to do something special with what the team has to offer.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins just wrapped up their 57th season, missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season. Despite their recent lack of success, the franchise has appeared in the playoffs 37 times and won five championships.

Our newest series will take a look back at how the Penguins performed on specific days leading up to the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

Today, May 1, Pittsburgh has compiled a 2-5 record in seven games on this date.

• 1991 - Game 1 Loss vs. Boston Bruins (6-3)
• 1992 - Game 7 Win vs. Washington Capitals (3-1)
• 1998 - Game 5 Loss vs. Montreal Canadiens (5-2)
• 2008 - Game 4 Loss vs. New York Rangers (3-0)
• 2013 - Game 1 Win vs. New York Islanders (5-0)
• 2017 - Game 3 Loss vs. Washington Capitals (3-2 OT)
• 2018 - Game 3 Loss vs. Washington Capitals (4-3)

Notable Penguins Performances On This Day

May 1, 1992 - Hall of Famer Ron Francis sets up all three Penguins goals in a 3-1 win over the Capitals. At the time, it was only his second career three-point playoff game, following a 1988 contest with the Hartford Whalers.

May 1, 2013 - Pittsburgh gets two-point performances from Pascal Dupuis (two goals), Jarome Iginla (two assists), Jussi Jokinen (two assists), and Evgeni Malkin (two assists) in a 5-0 win over the Islanders. 

Top 10 Winningest Head Coaches In Penguins History Ft. Mike SullivanThere have been only 22 head coaches in the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins, with Mike Sullivan serving as the most recent and longest-tenured coach from 2015 to 2025. As expected, Sullivan has coached the most games, winning the most and losing the most. 

Historically, it was Dupuis's only two-goal playoff game in a Penguins sweater, and the second of his career. Meanwhile, Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves for his sixth career postseason shutout.

May 1, 2017 - Despite a goal and assist from Malkin and Justin Schultz, the Penguins are defeated by the Capitals 3-2 in overtime. This game marked the first time in his career that Schultz would record two points in a playoff game. He would finish his career with six two-point playoff games.