The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading into the 2025-26 season with full intentions of having a youth movement on their NHL roster.

But, of course, a lot of that is dependent on who returns to the NHL roster next season.

As of now, there are four pending-unrestricted free agents - forwards Matt Nieto, Boko Imama, and Joona Koppanen as well as defenseman Matt Grzelcyk - and five pending-restricted free agents - forwards Connor Dewar, Philip Tomasino, and Vasily Ponomarev and defensemen P.O Joseph and Conor Timmins - who may or may not return.

But, barring any other moves in the trade market or free agency, here is a breakdown of which returning players remain under contract, how many roster spots - as things stand now - will be open for youth to fill, and which young players have the best shot at the NHL roster.

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Who is already under contract?

Here are the NHL players - and their contracts - who are currently set to return next season, according to PuckPedia data:

Forwards

- Sidney Crosby: $8.7 million (UFA 2027)
- Evgeni Malkin: $6.1 million (UFA 2026)
- Bryan Rust: $5.125 million (UFA 2028)
- Rickard Rakell: $5 million (UFA 2028)
- Kevin Hayes: $3.75 million (UFA 2026)
- Tommy Novak: $3.5 million (UFA 2027)
- Danton Heinen: $2.25 million (UFA 2026)
- Noel Acciari: $2 million (UFA 2026)
- Blake Lizotte: $1.85 million (UFA 2026)

Defensemen

- Erik Karlsson: $10 million (UFA 2027)
- Kris Letang: $6.1 million (UFA 2028)
- Ryan Graves: $4.5 million (UFA 2029)
- Ryan Shea: $900,000 (UFA 2026)
- Vladislav Kolyachonok: $775,000 (RFA 2026/UFA Group 6)

Goaltenders

- Tristan Jarry: $5.375 million (UFA 2028)
- Alex Nedeljkovic: $2.5 million (UFA 2026)

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Total number of contracts on the books for next season: 16

3 Amazing Stats Penguins' Sidney Crosby Can Hit Next SeasonPittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby is one of the greatest players in NHL history, and he is showing zero signs of slowing down at 37 years old. The 2005 first-overall pick is still a dominant player at this stage of his career, and his stats this season effectively demonstrate that. The veteran center posted 33 goals and 91 points in 80 games this season.

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How many spots will youth fill?

Well, if you're doing the math, if all 16 current returning contracts are accounted for at the start of the 2025-26 regular season - and if no pending-UFAs or RFAs return - the Penguins will have seven open roster spots.

But there's a good chance that, at least, a few pending-RFAs may return, and the team is likely to sign a few players in free agency. So, realistically, the Penguins should have anywhere between two and four spots for the taking. 

And - lucky for them - they have some youth talent who should be battling for those spots.

2 Prime Penguins Breakout Candidates For 2025-26 SeasonThe Pittsburgh Penguins are currently retooling their roster as they look to become a playoff team again. Because of this, the Metropolitan Division club will be hoping that some of their young players will take a notable step forward in their development next season.

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Who will be in the mix for a spot on the NHL opening night roster?

If you ask whoever the next head coach of the Penguins - or POHO/GM Kyle Dubas - this question, they'll tell you something along the lines of, "everyone is in the mix."

While this does hold some weight - and, occasionally, veterans get waived or jettisoned in some form to make way for youth - the reality is that there, more than likely, will only be a few spots wide open.

Here are some players to look out for in training camp:

The frontrunners

- F Rutger McGroarty: McGroarty technically did break camp last season and spent three games with the NHL club before getting optioned back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - but he really shined in his five-game stint at the end of the season on the top line alongside Crosby and Rust, recording a goal and three points in five games before a foot injury ended his season. He should have an inside track at making the team from the jump.

- F Ville Koivunen: Like McGroarty, Koivunen showed that he belonged at the NHL level at the end of the NHL regular season. He was nearly point-per-game with seven assists in eight games and split time between Malkin's and Crosby's lines - both of which he thrived on. He is, by all accounts, the heaviest favorite to land a forward spot on the opening night roster. And he's earned it.

- D Jack St. Ivany: Don't discount St. Ivany, who had a poor start to the 2024-25 season that led to a demotion in November. Unfortunately, he was out of action in WBS for nearly two months with an injury, but - upon return - he played quite well. With the right side being as thin as it is beyond Karlsson and Letang for the Penguins, St. Ivany has as good a shot as any in cracking the roster.

In Midst Of Whirlwind Season, St. Ivany Regains ConfidenceIt has been a whirlwind year for Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack St. Ivany. 

- D Owen Pickering: Pickering, 21, earned a long look at the NHL level last season, registering a goal and three points in 25 games to go along with a minus-5. He saw some top-four minutes on a pairing with Letang, and - although his play fell off a bit before he was re-assigned to WBS - he showed he is more than capable of playing at the highest level.

 The dark horses

- F Avery Hayes: Forget about Hayes at your peril. The 22-year-old winger recently signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins, and he put up 23 goals and 42 points in 60 AHL games last season. He's feisty, he's clutch, and he's getting better and better each year, so don't discount the possibility of an impressive training camp earning him a spot.  

Penguins Forward Prospect Earns Entry-Level Contract A potential key part of the Pittsburgh Penguins' future at the forward position earned himself a payday.

- F Filip Hallander: Now in his second stint with the Penguins' organization, Hallander, 24, is coming off of a breakout season for Timra IK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He registered 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games and earned SHL Forward of the Year honors, and his strong two-way game shined as well. Hallander has the potential to be an NHL mainstay, especially if he has a strong training camp.

- F Tristan Broz: Unfortunately, a long battle with mononucleosis kept Broz, 22, out for two months during his first professional season. But he still recorded 19 goals and 37 points in 59 games, and the Penguins were impressed with his growth at the center position. His production slowed a bit post-recovery from mono, so - as long as he is healthy - he should have a shot at the NHL roster at some point next season, even if not straight out of camp.

- D Harrison Brunicke: Brunicke, 19, also missed a signficant portion of his junior season with the Kamloops Blazers due to a broken wrist. But he was the standout in training camp last season, and he impressed in a 10-game AHL stint at the end of the season for WBS, even working on the second pairing during the team's two playoff games over more seasoned veterans. If he has a training camp anything like last season - he was specifically named by Dubas as someone who could compete for a spot - he may just earn himself a nine-game NHL trial this time around.

The "long shots, but don't discount"

- F Sam Poulin: Realistically, players like Poulin and Valtteri Puustinen should have a leg-up on some of the younger guys because of production and prior NHL experience. Poulin had 19 goals and 43 points in 57 AHL games last season, but he was playing third-line minutes by season's end. Unless he is a standout at training camp, he's probably in the AHL. But he's still young enough at 24 that he could break out in a big way.

- F Mikhail Ilyin: Ilyin, 19, just signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Penguins on Saturday, and he was just the eighth teenager in KHL history to record at least 30 points in a season last year. There's a good chance that Ilyin will return on loan to the KHL's Severstal Cherepovets next season, but if he comes to North America, he will certainly be one to watch with his keen hockey sense, playmaking ability, and creativity. 

Penguins Ink Forward Prospect Mikhail Ilyin To Three-Year ContractAfter some uncertainty surrounding his status, it looks like Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect Mikhail Ilyin is coming to North America next season after all.

- F Atley Calvert: Learn the name, because the 22-year-old undrafted Calvert was quite the buzz in the organization last season. He registered 13 goals and 36 points in 38 ECHL games with the Wheeling Nailers before his AHL call-up, after which he turned in nine goals and 14 points in 26 games. He can score some goals, and he's flying a bit under-the-radar. Don't count him out.

- G Joel Blomqvist: The only reason Blomqvist is in this spot is because there are two goaltenders on the NHL roster who are, essentially, blocking any real chance of Blomqvist making the opening night roster. By all means, Blomqvist should be starting NHL games next season, but that largely depends on what happens with Jarry and Nedeljkovic. An injury that kept him out for most of the end of the AHL season didn't help his case, either.

Will Joel Blomqvist Be On Penguins' Opening Night Roster?Between injuries and inconsistency, the 2024-25 season was one of ups and downs for Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending prospect Joel Blomqvist. 

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The London Knights are once again Memorial Cup champions. The OHL’s most dominant franchise over the last quarter century has once again asserted itself as CHL royalty, and it was a long, winding road to get there. 

Almost three years ago, the London Knights began what was supposed to be a rebuild or retool, an unusual spot for the franchise. That year, they made it all the way to the OHL final with a new core of stars emerging along the way. Denver Barkey, Easton Cowan, Oliver Bonk and Sam Dickinson were the future of the franchise and their growth and improvement over the following two seasons would set the Knights up for a historic run. 

Last year, they were looking to build off that relatively surprising season and they were dominant en route to an OHL championship before falling just short in the Memorial Cup final, losing on a last-second goal against Saginaw. They took a step – winning the OHL championship – but ultimately still finished their season with an agonizing loss in their final game. 

This year, they weren’t going to let the heroics of an opposing player or anything else get in there way. After dismantling every opponent that they came up against in the OHL and cruising to a league title for a second straight year, along with gaining entrance into the Memorial Cup, they finished second in the round robin. This was because of a loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers in a very hard fought game, but they breezed by the Moncton Wildcats to reach the final and a rematch with those same Tigers. 

After Jacob Julien opened the scoring in the first period, the Knights' core began to take over in the second period. Cowan scored on a net drive play, tapping a pass from below the goal line in from the top of the crease. About a minute and a half later, Barkey picked up a puck in the neutral zone, burst up ice for a breakaway and scored a beauty to put the Knights up three goals early in the second period. 

DENVER DANGLES!!!!#MemorialCup | #LetsGoFlyerspic.twitter.com/S4iujNJQjJ

— London Knights (@LondonKnights) June 2, 2025

After Barkey added another for his second of the night, the Knights were up 4-0 heading into the third period against a very strong Medicine Hat squad that hadn’t lost a game to this point at the Memorial Cup tournament after ripping through the WHL for a league title. A team that strong wouldn’t go down without a fight. 

As London looked to park the bus a bit and lock down their big lead, Medicine Hat pushed back, and it was no shock that 2026 NHL draft phenom Gavin McKenna was at the center of it all. 

Under three minutes into the final frame, McKenna caught a pass on the half wall and cut to the middle quickly before firing a laser by the London netminder. The shiftiness of McKenna finally broke through the tight defense that London had played on him to that point. 

A quick step inside followed by a lethal wrister 🎯

The 2026 #NHLDraft prospect has his third of the #MemorialCup! https://t.co/QzBNZac4JApic.twitter.com/8lB4e6xJw8

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) June 2, 2025

The Tigers continued to push, but the Knights continued to do their best not to break. With time winding down and their hopes beginning to be lost, McKenna found the back of the net once again, but the goal was reviewed and called back for a high stick earlier in the play by the Tigers. McKenna and the Tigers were understandably upset on the bench, but they kept pushing. 

When the Tigers pulled their goalie, it was all of the Knights' core players who were leading shifts out on the ice. Barkey was blocking shots. Dickinson was clearing the slot. Bonk was making defensive stops. Cowan was winning puck races. The core four were doing what it took to win in the biggest game of the year. 

The London Knights were celebrating on the bench as the clock wound down and gloves went flying as the clock hit zero and the CHL finally crowned their kings.  

Redemption for the @LondonKnights! #MemorialCuppic.twitter.com/Qx3koU6P8w

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) June 2, 2025

This was a team of destiny. They began a rebuild and immediately got to the league final before losing. They came back the next year to win the OHL final but lost the Memorial Cup. They followed that up with this year's Memorial Cup win. The progression of the core and the team around them was incredible. 

Dale Hunter had a special tournament in his own right behind the bench. He became the winningest coach in Memorial Cup tournament history, finishing off with 17 wins after the championship game. He tied Don Hay for most Memorial Cup wins by a head coach as well. He didn’t want any of the spotlight, though, making it very clear in the aftermath of the game that this was a special team that he had the opportunity to coach. 

“Skill and will to win, that’s always the key,” noted Hunter. “We came up short last year, it hurt a lot, these boys were determined right from the get-go.”  

The stars were grateful for the opportunity that this team and the fans in London gave them over the years as they look to appreciate this championship before the large group of them look to move to pro hockey this year. 

“We hung out every day. We’d get ice cream together and watch horror movies together, even though I’m not a big fan of the horror movies,” laughed Cowan, who won MVP and led the tournament in scoring. “What a team we had.” 

The Knights were a deserved champion. They built this team up and developed all of the key players on this team. 

“We’ve kind of been working towards it for all four years here. To come up short last year and then get it done tonight, it’s a surreal feeling,” Knights captain Barkey said, overjoyed. “I’m so proud. I went down in the Kitchener series, and I didn’t know if I’d play again this year, but these guys stepped up and made sure I played hockey again this year.”

The London Knights are sitting atop the CHL throne, once again as Memorial Cup champions.

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The San Jose Sharks are solely focused on the 2025-26 campaign after a lacklustre season saw them finish at the bottom of the standings. While they can look forward to a second-overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NHL Entry Draft, they should also consider bringing in a few new faces to bolster their roster for next season.

One forward they should look into bringing in is Nicholas Robertson, who is a pending restricted free agent (RFA), and all signs are pointing to him leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs and pursuing a fresh start elsewhere. If Robertson wants more playing time and an increased role, the Sharks could be a perfect fit for him. 

It’s possible the Maple Leafs give Robertson a qualifying offer and trade him, rather than let him walk for nothing, which would be okay, and should likely still give the Sharks a solid opportunity to bring him in. He is a solid two-way forward and could flourish in a new system, but may cost the Sharks a third-round pick to bring him in.

Realistically, it should be a no-brainer, and they should be willing to move that mid-round draft pick to acquire Robertson. He provides solid offensive production and, despite having dealt with injuries in the past, doesn’t play with fear at either end of the ice. He likely re-signs on a bridge deal, so he would be a cost-efficient addition, which should be exactly what the Sharks look for this summer. 

Sharks Agree To Release Andrew Poturalski As He Seeks Another OpportunityThe San Jose Barracuda revealed in a recent statement that they had honoured the request of forward Andrew Poturalski and were releasing him as he pursues an opportunity outside of North America.  Sharks Extend Bona Fide Offers to Multiple ProspectsThe San Jose Sharks have announced that they’ve extended contract offers to a handful of prospects ahead of the June 1 signing rights deadline. Two Former Sharks Eliminated From 2025 Stanley Cup PlayoffsFormer San Jose Sharks Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci have been eliminated from the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, their playoff run came to an end last night with the Dallas Stars as they lost to the Edmonton Oilers in five games. 

Recent reports have connected the Philadelphia Flyers to trade discussions with the Minnesota Wild regarding free agent center Marco Rossi, but there is no serious progress made by the Flyers, or any other NHL team, on that front... yet.

Wild GM Bill Guerin sat down with The Athletic to clear up said reports and add a bit more context and clarity to the situation. Is a Rossi trade a possibility? Absolutely. Is a Rossi trade guaranteed to take place? Far from it.

“Teams see this stuff written and they call," Guerin told Michael Russo of The Athletic. "Marco’s a good player and I’m not interested in making our team worse or postponing our team being better. So I’m not dying to get rid of Marco. That’s the bottom line.”

Rossi, 23, is an offer sheet-eligible restricted free agent in need of a new contract, and he's coming off a career year that saw him post 24 goals, 36 assists, and 60 points in his second full season at the NHL level.

Plus, it's worth noting that the Austrian has played in all 82 regular season games for Minnesota in back-to-back seasons.

The Flyers were said to be unwilling to part ways with winger Tyson Foerster or one of their two late first-round picks in a Rossi trade, though Guerin neither confirmed nor denied that this is or was his price for the young center.

“I’ve talked to lots of teams about lots of players," Guerin said. "And names come up all the time, but there’s never been any serious discussion with anybody yet.”

In his update on the situation, Russo also reported that Rossi and his camp rebuffed a five-year, $25 million offer in the winter, and a recent attempt at a bridge deal.

Rossi's agent, Ian Pulver, told The Athletic he feels "there clearly is a difference of opinion with respect to Marco's value," and will continue to negotiate with the Wild, but time is ticking.

The 23-year-old former No. 9 overall pick can sign offer sheets from other NHL clubs starting on July 1, and given the apparent lack of recent progress, it's an opportunity for the Flyers to swoop in and take advantage of a bad situation.

If the Flyers were to offer sheet Rossi with an AAV between $7.02 million and $9.36 million, they would owe the Wild a first, second, and third-round pick in 2026. If the Wild take Rossi to the NHL trade market before then, they can try to dictate their own trade return.

Russo mentioned towards the end of his piece that Guerin is after upgrades at the center position and wants another winger that can score.

We can safely assume that Foerster is off the table after his recent contract extension, even with his lack of trade protection.

Names like Owen Tippett, whose trade protection kicks in after this season, and Bobby Brink, heading into a contract year, might make some sense as the Flyers could look to integrate wingers like Alex Bump and Nikita Grebenkin into the NHL lineup in the near future.

And, with two late first-round picks and three second-round picks, the Flyers have the draft capital the Wild would be after to use in a trade for another center after hypothetically trading Rossi.

"What the future holds for Marco and the Wild, only time will tell," Pulver said.

The Buffalo Sabres need to be a significantly different team next season. Whether it's via free-agency or trades, the changes to Buffalo's roster have to be extensive. And Mikael Granlund -- a veteran center who revitalized his NHL career with the Dallas Stars this season -- should definitely be a free-agent target for the Sabres.

At the beginning of this season, Granlund was languishing on a bad San Jose Sharks team. The 33-year-old was banished to the Sharks after a terrible stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins, posting only one goal and five points in 21 games with the Pens in 2023. But he found his game again in a year-and-a-half with the Sharks, generating 30 assists and 45 points in 52 games with San Jose this year -- and he did it on a relatively-decent contract that paid him $5-million per season.

But once the Stars acquired him Feb. 1 in a deal that sent a first-round draft pick to the Sharks, Granlund looked reborn, putting up 14 assists and 21 points in 31 regular-season games. And he was one of Dallas' best playoff performers, amassing five goals and 10 points in 18 games. 

And now, Granlund hits the open market. He won't break the bank, but this is a scenario in which the Sabres have to be aggressively proactive to outbid other teams for Granlund's services. Whether it's offering him one more year of contract term than he'd get somewhere else, or giving him a per-season offer that is better than any rival team's, Buffalo has a chance to bring in a veteran who can be one of the leaders in the dressing room, and a solid second-or-third-line center who will make the Sabres' youngsters better. And given that Buffalo has approximately $23.2-million in cap space, bringing in Granlund should't be an issue for the Sabres.

The Stars don't have the cap space to bring back Granlund, so the question here is which team can sell Granlund on being a key component. And Granlund wouldn't have to do all the heavy lifting in Buffalo. He could come in, be a professional and a great example for Sabres players to follow. And if he doesn't like the fit in Western New York, Granlund could be dealt at the next trade deadline for draft picks and prospects that would help Buffalo's future.

Sabres Moving On From Rising Free Agent Star Would Be A Disastrous DecisionAfter 14 years of missing the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Buffalo Sabres have to change up their lineup. However, this organization cannot afford to play fast-and-loose with most of their assets -- and that includes up-and-coming left winger J.J. Peterka.

But that's a long time from now. In the short-term, Granlund would be able to offer his veteran knowhow and his still-solid offensive talents to the Sabres. When it's unlikely a top-tier free agent will sign with Buffalo, a second-tier asset like Granlund would be just what the doctor ordered for the Sabres. And it wouldn't cost them anything other than the cap space it takes to sign him. That's important here as well.

Ultimately, Granlund could decide he wants to use his remaining NHL time on a team that's better-positioned for a long playoff run than Buffalo is at the moment. But that's the challenge for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams -- he needs to convince at least a couple veteran free agents that there's a meaningful place for them in Buffalo. And again, we're not talking massive money for Granlund. In a rising salary cap world, giving Granlund something in the same area of what he made this year wouldn't be an egregious overpayment. The sell-job here is convincing Granlund he can help guide this Sabres team into a more prosperous era. And that should be something that's doable.

Kekalainen's Hiring Another Sign Sabres GM's Time Could Be Nearing An EndWhen the Buffalo Sabres announced Friday that former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen was joining the team as a special advisor to GM Kevyn Adams, a couple things became clear: firstly, it showed Kekalainen will be a highly-valued voice in the organization; but more importantly, it showed that Adams is more on the clock than ever -- and that Adams may have just hired the man who will succeed him if things don't go well for the team.

 The trickle-down effect Granlund would have on the Sabres' group of forwards would be considerable. He'd make Buffalo a more competitive environment, and that's precisely what Adams should be aiming for with any addition he makes. Granlund checks a lot of the boxes for the Sabres, and a quick strike in the UFA market next month could make Buffalo the winner in the Granlund sweepstakes. When other teams are fighting for Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, the Sabres can swoop in, pitch a notable deal for Granlund, and come away with an asset who makes the team better.

Adams' challenge is clear here, because if he can't persuade a player like Granlund to come to Buffalo, Adams needs to step aside in favor of a better persuader. Granlund is there for the taking, and the Sabres need to make him an offer he can't refuse.

Each year, a few prospects have their NHL rights expire on June 1. This would happen if they are not signed to an Entry-Level Contract (ELC) by June 1. The Minnesota Wild have one prospect eligible. 

Kalem Parker was a sixth round pick by the Wild in 2023. The 6-foot defenseman posted his second consecutive 40-point season in the Western Hockey League (WHL) this year.

Parker, 20, recorded ten goals, 30 assists, and 40 points in 66 WHL games this season with the Calgary Hitman and the Moose Jaw Warriors.

He has 24 goals, 22 assists, and 146 points in 286 career WHL games across five seasons. 

Former Minnesota Wild Players In The 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.

REPORT: Possible Landing Spots For Minnesota Wild's Marco Rossi.

Minnesota Wild Free Agent Target: Brock Nelson.

There are a few players who weren't signed by the team that drafted them by the deadline that have panned out before. Emil Lilleberg, a defenseman, was a fourth round pick by the Arizona Coyotes in 2021. He did not sign and has played the last two NHL seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He had 19 points in 76 games this season.

The Wild left Servac Petrovsky unsigned last year and he decided to sign a contract in the Czechia league with HC Bílí Tygři Liberec.

We will see what happens with Parker. The Wild did not sign him before the deadline which makes him a free agent. 

Photo Credit: Apr 26, 2025; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; General view of the ice surface prior to the game between the Minnesota Wild and the Vegas Golden Knights in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-Imagn Images.

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles Kings signed defenseman Kirill Kirsanov to a two-year entry-level contract through the 2026-27 season. Kirsanov was drafted by the Kings in the third round (84th overall) in the 2021 Draft.

In an offseason where the Kings are dealing with another Russian defenseman's pending contract or lack of contract, Vladislav Gavrikov, Ken Holland's first move was signing prospect Kirsanov. Not to portray the move was a swap out for Gavrikov should he not sign, as the two are entirely different defensemen.

However, they have some of the same qualities, aka safe-event-free hockey. In 34 games for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), Russia's top professional hockey league, he recorded three goals and seven points (3-4=7) with eight penalty minutes (PIM) and a plus-5 rating (19 total points in 120 KHL games with three teams).

Congratulations to #GoKingsGo prospect Kirill Kirsanov and Torpedo Gorky, who won the VHL championship 4-2.

Kirsanov joins Slukynsky and Woolley as the only Kings prospects with a league championship this year.

Woolley can also win the Memorial Cup this week.

— The Armchair Scout (He/Him) (@Davidenkness) May 27, 2025

He's been touted for having a mature game and has spent five seasons in what is considered the second-best hockey league in the world. Once again, this shouldn't be seen as a move to act as a safety net if Gavrikov goes unsigned and hits free agency. It is, however, a good sign that the defensive pipeline is getting shored up, with prospects getting dealt left and right during Rob Blake's tenure.

Kirsanov represents a wildcard for the franchise in a pivotal season for Holland and the company.

The Russian defenseman will likely get a straight ticket to Ontario, where he should manage top minutes as the number one/two. He truly will live the 'wildcard' tag if he can play up the LA Kings 2way standard on the backend, maybe a mid-season call-up, even if the Kings desperately need a puck mover.

I'm unsure what his future looks like in LA, especially with the usage and approach towards Jordan Spence in the playoffs. Spence could be on the way out by his or team's design. Jacob Moverare hasn't been the answer as a potential top four guy in LA since his drafting almost a decade ago.

The Kings will hit free agency licking their chops, and with Holland at the helm, they should be aggressive. Kirsanov, while not a backup plan, is a good sign for a very questionable backend, which looks to be their Achilles heel heading into 2025-26.

The Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers enter the Stanley Cup Finals playing some of their best hockey of the season. The two teams also entered the playoffs as the third seed in their divisions and did not have home-ice advantage in any of the series they played. 

The Oilers enter the finals with a 12-4 record, and the Panthers enter with a 12-5 record. The Oilers lead the NHL in goals per game in the playoffs (4.06), and the Panthers lead the NHL with the least goals allowed per game (2.29). Coincidentally, the Panthers rank third in goals scored per game and the Oilers rank fourth in goals allowed per game. 

The teams begin to separate themselves when goaltending and special teams are brought into the equation. The Oilers are clicking at 30 percent on the man advantage, and the Panthers are firing at 23.2 percent. On the penalty kill, the Panthers boast a league-best 87.9 percent success rate, and the Oilers have the third-worst penalty kill, defending just 66.0 percent.

Although Edmonton’s goaltending has improved as the playoffs have gone along, Sergei Bobrovsky is posting a .912 save percentage, and Stuart Skinner is posting a .904 SP.

The Oilers have the two best players in the series, those being reigning Conn Smythe winner Connor McDavid and the NHL’s Maurice “Rocket” Richard winner Leon Draisaitl, and the dynamic duo lead the post-season in points. The Oilers' depth is producing like they never have before, but no team is deeper than the Panthers. They are led by two-time Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov but are receiving scoring and defensive contributions from their top three lines. Their top nine forwards are all scoring at a 0.70-point per-game pace or better. 

Despite the plethora of factors that affect the game, a series is won or lost at 5-on-5. Through three rounds, the Oilers hold an expected goals rate of 54.42 percent at 5-on-5, outscoring their opponents 42-26 and hold the advantage in high-danger chances 187-142, according to Natural Stat Trick. Similarly, the Panthers have been just as dominant. They hold the advantage in expected goals with a rate of 54.96 percent at 5-on-5, outscoring their opponents 47-28 and are winning the high-danger chances battle 155-137. 

Last year’s matchup saw the Panthers storm out to a 3-0 series lead before the Oilers clawed back to force a Game 7. The Panthers ultimately prevailed, but the series was incredibly even at 5-on-5. The Panthers held a slight advantage in expected goals (51.26 percent), high-danger chances (48-46) and Corsi For (53.12 percent). The goal scoring was dead even, with each team scoring 14 goals at 5-on-5. But in all situations, the Oilers outscored the Panthers 23-18, although most of the scoring discrepancy could be attributed to Edmonton’s 8-1 victory in Game 4. 

The two teams are balanced, and made for post-season hockey. With stars on each team, a long seven-game series would surprise no one. 

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When the NHL season came to a close, many teams decided they needed to go in a new direction with their coaching staff and fired their bench boss. At one stage, the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks needed a new coach. It was initially thought that the Montreal Canadiens’ farm team head coach, Pascal Vincent, could be targeted by one of those teams.

However, only two teams remain without a pilot at the moment: the Bruins and the Penguins. According to Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts podcast, appointments are likely to come this weekend or early next week, and Vincent’s name hasn’t been mentioned as a possible option for those two teams.

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In his post-mortem of the season, Montreal Canadiens' GM Kent Hughes said he wouldn’t stop a team from talking to Vincent if they were interested in hiring him as a head coach, even though the Laval Rocket was still playing in the playoffs.

However, Vincent himself stated that he was entirely focused on the AHL playoffs and essentially said that if a team wanted him, they wouldn’t mind waiting until the end of the playoffs to speak with him. While that made sense, considering the number of vacancies and the difficulty in finding the right coach, perhaps teams couldn’t afford to wait, fearing that other candidates would be gone by the time the Rocket was eliminated.

Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas mentioned several names as possibilities for Boston and Pittsburgh, such as Joe Sacco, Mike Love, Jay Leach, Marco Sturm, Jay Woodcroft, DJ Smith, and David Quinn.

The Canadiens organization won’t be sad if, in the end, Vincent remains in post with the Laval Rocket. In his first year at the helm, the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate had a 48-19-5 record and won the regular-season championship. They are now in the Eastern Conference Final of the Calder Cup playoffs, and even though they are down 2-0 in the series, Vincent and his coaching staff have done a masterful job all year long. Given how many significant young prospects are in the Canadiens’ pipeline, there’s no doubt that keeping Vincent would be a blessing.

Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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If the New York Rangers keep the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and this specific prospect is available, the team should select Kashawn Aitcheson. 

The Rangers could use more defensemen in their pipeline and Aitcheson has the body type and skill set to be a quality NHL defenseman in the future. 

Standing at about 6-foot-1, 198 pounds, Aitcheson uses his size and frame to his advantage as he plays a physically demanding game, a perfect quality in a blueliner. 

In addition to his steady defensive presence, the 18-year-old prospect boasts an impressive offensive arsenal for a defenseman, making him the ultimate package.

“Aitcheson is one of my favorite prospects in the draft,” Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff wrote. “He has the potential to be an intimidating force in the NHL – someone who just gives opponents nothing to work with. His physicality is the best attribute of his game because he’s willing to get involved with just about anyone. Aitcheson already has 20 goals, which is no small feat for an OHL defenseman.”

In 64 games with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League this past season, Aitcheson recorded 26 goals, 33 assists, and 59 points. 

The majority of mock drafts have Aitcheson going in the vicinity of the Rangers’ pick and he’s expected to be one of the first defensemen off the board.

Keep your eyes out for Aitcheson because he’s one of the more intriguing prospects that could fall to the Blueshirts.

The 2025 NHL Entry Draft takes place on June 27, and the Vancouver Canucks currently have one pick in each round. Barring any trades, the Canucks will be selecting 15th in the first round, with many suggestions for players to pick already being pitched. In preparation for this year’s draft, we’re taking a look at the past five NHL Entry Drafts that the Canucks have taken part in, as well as where each of their picks have ended up. Last week, we took a look at the Canucks 2020 Draft picks. This week, let’s look back at the 2021 NHL Draft. 

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Vancouver made six selections in the 2021 NHL Draft, with most coming during the later round of the selection process. The Canucks only made one pick within the first four rounds, as they dealt their first, third, and fourth-round selections. They moved their 2021 first-round pick (ninth overall) to the Arizona Coyotes alongside Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, Antoine Roussel, a 2022 second-round pick, and a 2023 seventh-round pick in exchange for Conor Garland and Oliver Ekman-Larsson ($990,000 retained). They flipped their 2021 third-round pick for Jason Dickinson, and swapped their fourth-round pick for a fifth and defender Madison Bowey. Their remaining selections were used to pick Danila Klimovich, Aku Koskenvuo, Jonathan Myrenberg, Hugo Gabrielson, Connor Lockhart, and Lucas Forsell. 

Danila Klimovich, F 

Klimovich was the Canucks’ first selection in the 2021 Draft, going 41st overall in the second round. He signed his entry-level contract only a couple of days after being drafted. Because he has yet to play in his first NHL game, this contract has not expired yet. The forward began his quest for North American pro-hockey the season after he was drafted, scoring eight goals and 10 assists in 62 games played with the Abbotsford Canucks in 2021–22. Since then, he has shown significant progression by working on rounding out his game as a whole and staying consistent with point totals. In 2024–25, he scored a team-high 25 goals and added 13 assists in 65 games. 

Aku Koskenvuo, G 

Vancouver didn’t make their next pick in this draft until the fifth round, selecting Finnish goaltender Aku Koskenvuo 137th overall. Koskenvuo, who joined Finland at the World Juniors twice after being drafted by the Canucks, played 27 games with HIFK U20 in 2021–22. He joined Harvard University the season after, spending two full seasons with the school and posting a collective 39 games played. Koskenvuo had a particularly notable season this year, starting 20 games and putting up a 2.81 GAA. At the conclusion of Harvard’s 2024–25 season, the Canucks signed Koskenvuo to a two-year entry-level contract. 

Jonathan Myrenberg, D

Myrenberg, a defender, was selected only three spots after Koskenvuo in the 2021 Draft, going 140th overall to the Canucks. He spent the season after his draft year with Linköping HC J20 in the J20 Nationell league as well as the SHL. Later, in October of 2022, he and fellow Canucks prospect Michael DiPietro were traded to the Boston Bruins for forward Jack Studnicka, who spent 52 games with Vancouver before also being traded. Myrenberg is still with Linköping HC and will play with them in the 2025–26 season. 

Hugo Gabrielson, D 

Vancouver’s first pick of the sixth round was Gabrielson, who they took 169th overall. After being drafted, he spent three seasons with Västerviks IK of HockeyAllsvenskan, tallying five goals and 19 assists in 122 games played with the club. This season was his first with Nybro Vikings IF, with whom he scored five goals and 21 assists in 44 games played. Gabrielson has not been signed by the Canucks yet and is soon approaching four years since being drafted. 

Connor Lockhart, F 

Lockhart was Vancouver’s second pick of the sixth round, going 178th overall. He spent his first post-draft season with the Erie Otters, putting up 23 goals and 25 assists in 64 games played. His hockey career then took him to the Peterborough Petes and the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. In the 2023–24 season, he was suspended for “violat[ing] the League’s Code of Conduct.” He signed a contract with the Bloomington Bison of the ECHL and played 68 games for them in 2024–25. 

Lucas Forsell, F 

Vancouver’s last pick in the 2021 Draft was Forsell, who went 201st overall in the seventh round. He has spent nearly his entire professional hockey career with Färjestad BK of the SHL. In 2022–23 he was loaned to BIK Karlskoga of HockeyAllsvenskan, putting up two goals and four assists in 17 games played. This season, he and Färjestad BK qualified for the 2025 Champions Hockey League Final, but ultimately lost 2–1 to the ZSC Lions. The six-foot forward recently announced that the Canucks would not be signing him, making him a free agent.   

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By Josh Casper, Features writer

In 1938, Edward VIII, the former Prince of Wales, publicly congratulated the NHL’s Boston Bruins on winning the Prince of Wales Trophy, which he had donated nearly a decade-and-a-half earlier, for the only time on record.

Two years earlier, the entire British Empire listened with bated breath as King Edward VIII told his subjects that he could not be their king without the support of the woman he loved. He was thus abdicating the throne, and he would become the Duke of Windsor the following year. ‘The Abdication,’ like ‘The Cup,’ is self-explanatory. Royalty, like sports, is, if nothing else, theater. The Royal Family attempted to erase Edward, now a failed king remembered as the charismatic Prince of Wales, from history so the new reticent king might step out of his brother’s vast shadow.

Similar mythology surrounds the Prince of Wales Trophy, such as why the Montreal Canadiens had their name engraved twice. The silver chalice hovers above an uncut crystal at the base – to symbolize ice – and is buttressed by four legs shaped like gold hockey sticks, surrounded by four golden hockey pucks. Francophone hockey fans often mistake the Prince of Wales feathers atop the trophy, which is emblazoned with the Royal Arms of Canada, for a fleur de lis. Prince Edward gifted the $2,500 trophy (equal to about $45,000 today) to the NHL in 1925.

As the Prince of Wales, Edward was renowned worldwide, especially in North America, where he became a symbol of a generation as the jazz-loving bachelor who also endured the travails of war. In 1919, Edward crisscrossed Canada from St. John’s, Nfld., to Vancouver on a special Canadian Pacific Railway train.

“I want Canada to look upon me as Canadian, if not actually by birth, yet certainly in mind and spirit,” said the Prince of Wales in St. John’s.

Edward developed a particular affection for the Canadian West and its pioneering ranchers. Before coming back east to America, the prince bought a cattle ranch in Alberta’s High River Valley that he visited five times during the next decade. He said the Canadian West was one of the few places that treated him like a person rather than a prince.

“Canada is a great country,” said Edward to comedian Will Rogers. The prince described Canadians as vigorous and confident.

Americans were more acquainted with the Prince of Wales than with hockey. But that was slowly changing. Ice hockey at the 1924 Chamonix Winter Olympics garnered almost as much attention as (Chariots of Fire runner) Harold Abrahams at the Paris Summer Games. Team Canada and the United States facing off for gold only stoked expectations. Suddenly, hockey was heating up.

The Prince of Wales, a devoted sportsman, took particular interest and planned to attend. Then, days before the final, the avid steeplechaser was thrown from his horse while trying to clear a five-foot jump.

Edward’s equerry noticed a protruding bone: “I am afraid your collarbone is broken, sir.”

Unable to move his mangled shoulder, the prince drolly replied: “Yes, I believe it is.”

The gold-medal game was shaping up to be a similarly gruesome affair. By the first intermission, the players’ blood-soaked sweaters tinged the ice with a crimson hue, mainly from Harry ‘Moose’ Watson, who was bloodied and knocked out cold for two minutes but returned to score the go-ahead goal. Led by captain Dunc Munro, Canada shut down the Americans and claimed the gold with a 6-1 victory. The U.S. took silver and Great Britain got the bronze.

Though he missed the banquet while recovering from surgery, the Prince of Wales was determined to meet Team Canada. The day before they were set to depart, Edward invited them to York House. Manager William ‘Billy’ Hewitt and Munro led the team into the prince’s study. As they sat by the fireplace, Prince Edward turned to Munro and said, “You will know that dislocating a collarbone is not serious. It easily comes out and is easily put back.”

They laughed. Hockey was a rough sport. No helmets. So was point-to-point racing. Not wanting a dead Prince of Wales, the British Racing Association made helmets mandatory in 1924.

The prince had never been to a hockey game, but Hewitt was impressed by his hockey IQ. Edward even recognized Harold McMunn, who was added to the Allan Cup-winning Toronto Granites team that represented Canada.

Like the prince, Munro later admitted that his biggest obstacle came after dark. “Just think of the temptation,” said Munro of the casinos filled with young French ingenues. “But we resisted it.”

Hewitt had them in bed by 10 o’clock, something the prince never mastered. Edward’s nocturnal speakeasy adventures became such press fodder during his 1924 New York holiday that King George V never allowed him to return.

“It seemed a great hardship then,” Munro quipped. “We did not always feel too friendly to Mr. Hewitt, but we are glad of (him) now.”

In 1924, when the NHL added two clubs, the Montreal Maroons and the first U.S. club, the Boston Bruins, Munro signed a three-year, $22,500 contract with the Maroons (over $400,000 today). He played in the first NHL game on U.S. soil, a 2-1 Bruins win at 5,000-seat Boston Arena (now Northeastern’s Matthews Arena) over the Maroons.

To familiarize American audiences with pro hockey, newspaper scribes described the new Prince of Wales Trophy as the NHL pennant, given to the NHL champion, whether or not they beat a western team for the Stanley Cup.

“It is not the intention of the prince that his Cup shall displace the Stanley Cup. There is a championship trophy in Canada, the Stanley Cup, but that is the supreme prize of all.”

Had the 1924-25 season gone smoothly, the Hamilton Tigers might’ve won the first Prince of Wales Trophy, but incensed that they would not receive a $200 bonus, Hamilton quit on the eve of the 1924 playoffs. The third-place Canadiens, next up, got to defend their 1923 Stanley Cup and beat second-place Toronto for the NHL title before losing the Stanley Cup final to Victoria of the Western Canada League.

After the Hamilton players declared they would never again play for Hamilton, Tex Rickard, building a new Madison Square Garden, pounced to help bring hockey to his new arena. The New York Americans were born. Instead of awarding the Prince of Wales Trophy to Montreal, the NHL brass saw an opportunity.

The Prince of Wales Trophy was to be awarded to future NHL champions, so NHL president Frank Calder decided that the winner of the first game at MSG between the New York Americans and Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 15, 1925, would receive the trophy until the next NHL championship.

The Canadiens, reeling without terminally ill goaltender Georges Vezina, beat the Americans 3-1 to earn the first Prince of Wales Trophy. The defending NHL champions, the Canadiens later engraved their name twice: once for their 1924 NHL title and again for winning the Prince of Wales Trophy game.

In March, before an afternoon game between the Maroons and Canadiens, thousands of fans queued in front of silversmith Mappin & Webb’s display window on Rue Ste-Catherine to see the Prince of Wales Trophy, which stayed in Montreal. Munro and his Maroons, who were at Madison Square Garden as spectators, kept the trophy in Montreal, winning the 1926 NHL title and the last inter-league Stanley Cup.

Much more was decided that December 1925 day than who possessed the Prince of Wales Trophy. The NHL was transformed forever. If they weren’t already, the beckoning bright lights of Broadway and dollar signs of Wall Street would forever be part of pro hockey.

From 1927 to 1938, the Prince of Wales Trophy was given to the winner of the American Division. From 1938 to 1967, it was presented to the NHL’s regular-season champion. Since expansion in 1967, the trophy has been awarded to a division or conference champion for the regular season or playoffs. Most recently, since 1993-94, it’s served as the title trophy for the Eastern Conference playoff champ.

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This article appeared in our 2025 Playoff Special issue. Our cover story focuses on Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl, who looks primed for another deep playoff run. We also include features on other Cup contenders, including the Dallas Stars, Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers and more. In addition, we give our power ranking of the top playoff teams heading into the 2025 post-season.

You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.

The Buffalo Sabres will host the annual NHL Draft Combine this week, with the 2025 NHL Decentralized Draft in Los Angeles late this month. Buffalo will select ninth overall if they do not trade the pick, but between now and the night of the first round. Draft prognosticators have begun to decipher what teams will select and how the draft will unfold, and according to the Athletic’s most recent mock draft, the Sabres are projected to select OHL defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson with their pick. 

The 18-year-old blueliner had a breakout offensive year with the Barrie Colts, jumping from eight goals last season to 26 goals, finishing behind only 2024 first rounders Zayne Parekh and Sam Dickinson among OHL defenseman. Aitcheson led the Colts with 59 points and scored 12 points in the OHL playoffs.  

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Corey Pronman indicated that Aitcheson was the second ranked blueliner on The Athletic’s draft list next to presumptive top overall selection Matthew Schaefer, and that the 6’2”. 196 lb. defenseman “brings a combination of tenacity, skill and athleticism to the blue line and will help us at both ends of the ice on top of making our team harder to play against”. 

While the possibility of taking a blueliner is good, the Sabres might be hesitant to take a offensive lefty such as Aitcheson with both Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power locked up on long-term deals and aged 25 or younger. Buffalo’s blueline organizational depth is thin on the right side, with 21-year-old Vsevolod Komarov in Rochester, and 2023 second-rounder Maxim Strbak and 2024 second-rounder Adam Kleber in the NCAA.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo