NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 21: New Jersey Devils introduce General Manager Sunny Mehta at Prudential Center on April 21, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI vis Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“Unfortunately for Meier, the narrative that he has underperformed donning the red and black isn’t unique to this past season. Outside of his 2022-23 production (and even then), he has long been soured on by fans, and for good reason. After all, the three-time 30-plus goal scorer has never surpassed that mark with New Jersey, nor has his production ever matched his output from his San Jose Sharks years. And yet, as perhaps the most bullish person on him of anyone I know, I would argue that as far as bounce-back candidates go, Meier should be right at the top of the list.” [Infernal Access ($)]
“Sunny Mehta wants to focus on the process. That should make New Jersey Devils fans feel optimistic about the 2026 offseason and beyond.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
Front office changes:
#NEWS: The New Jersey Devils announced the team will not renew the contracts of Dan MacKinnon and Chuck Fletcher.
“Even in a league with 32 teams that range from model franchises to … um, not that, everyone is good at something. In fact, every team in the league is the very best at something. You just have to be willing to dig deep enough to find it.” [The Athletic ($)]
“Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch revealed that McDavid played through a fracture in the foot and ankle area en route to losing in six games to the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference quarterfinals. He also said forward Jason Dickinson had a similar injury.” [ESPN]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 03: An interior view of Ball Arena prior to Game One of the Second Round between the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 03, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NHL couldn’t pass up a Saturday night time slot on ABC and started the Philadelphia/Carolina series before the first round ended. (Sidenote, there goes conspiracy theories about leagues tinkering in results: a Pittsburgh/Philadelphia Game 7 would have filled that spot really nicely, but alas). We went 3-1 on the East in the first round, whiffing on the Pens loss but getting the Montreal upset over Tampa right. I realized I forgot/ran out of time with the Pens’ run to write the East, would have been 3-1 in that too by missing the Ducks advancing past Edmonton but getting the rest of them.
Now it’s onto the NHL’s version of the Elite 8.
Philadelphia vs. Carolina
I don’t think anyone needed to see Game 1 to see where the wind was blowing on this matchup (pun intended), the Hurricanes have too much for the Flyers. That was on display in a 3-0 win on Saturday where the Flyers only mustered 19 shots on goal. Add in the injury to Owen Tippett and the uphill battle for the Flyers becomes all the more tougher a climb. I’m rooting for the funniest outcome where a Carolina sweep would put them into the next round before Buffalo/Montreal even play their Game 3. Thinking that happens, if not a gentleman’s sweep if the Flyers can win a home game.
Prediction: Carolina in 4
Buffalo vs. Montreal
Ahh, the Atlantic Division comes down to the Sabres and Canadiens, just as everyone suspected in the fall. Montreal is perhaps lucky to be here after playing rope-a-dope and only getting nine shots in goal in Game 7 and requiring a pair of greasy goals to dispatch Tampa. Still, they deserve credit all the same for making this far and Jakub Dobes in net is providing a huge boost to them. Buffalo is a little shakier in net, though Alex Lyon only surrendered five goals over the five games he played in and has become the man of the moment for the Sabres. The key to this series might be the power play, Buffalo advanced over Boston despite going 1-for-24 in the man advantage. That won’t cut it this time around. This series could be about coin flip odds, something about Montreal’s hot goalie and young talent is too tough to resist considering the Sabres aren’t scoring on the power play and resorting to lightning in a bottle with their goaltender situation.
Prediction: Montreal in 7
Vegas vs. Anaheim
Anaheim is perhaps the surprise team of the playoffs for the way they took care of the Oilers, weathering the best shots that Leon Draisaitl (10 points) and an injured Connor McDavid (6 points) could give. Those guys are always going to get theirs, but as usual their team’s roster weaknesses got exploited, this time by the Ducks. The Ducks’ pressure completely overwhelmed the shaky Edmonton team defense and goaltending, scoring 26 goals in the six games (4.33 average). Vegas showed some vulnerabilities against Utah (giving up 3.0 goals per game) and Carter Hart (.898 save%) hasn’t been THE guy, so much as the guy that the Golden Knights have right now. Jackson Lacombe was barely used in the Olympics and is making a star turn (nine points in six games, plus solid play defensively). Between the young talent Anaheim has, the goaltending matchup and the coaching edge of Quenneville over Tortorella to tip the scales for a slight upset (betting lines current have Anaheim +140 and Vegas at -165).
Prediction: Anaheim in 6
Colorado vs. Minnesota
The heavyweight battle! The NHL’s divisional format usually gives that one monster second round matchup where the two teams involved are very much Stanley Cup worthy, and that certainly applies in the Central Division this year. The Avalanche coasted to a pretty easy win over Los Angeles, sweeping them without even needing to come out of third gear. The Wild had a much tougher first round matchup against Dallas. It was tight (besides Game 1’s big 6-1 Minnesota win, the other five games were one-goal contests until empty netters, and featured two OT games) but the Wild came out on top in relatively convincing fashion considering the circumstances. The Avs haven’t even played since April 26th, prior to last night’s Game 1. (This is being written just as the game started, so while you’ll know the result reading it on Monday, we don’t as of now). Hopefully for hockey’s sake, it will be a long series. In the end, gotta like the star power of the Avalanche and the form they are in right now. This looks like a year where Nathan MacKinnon and company aren’t going to be denied.
Prediction: Colorado in 6
—
As of now with the way the bracket is breaking, it’s looking like the SCF could be a showdown between the top two regular season teams (Colorado and Carolina). We’re still a long way from getting there, Colorado’s path through Minnesota and Anaheim/Vegas next round is no cake walk and Carolina is known for tripping up and running out of gas in the middle rounds. Overall though, it doesn’t look like too many Cinderella teams are primed to upset the apple cart. Maybe Montreal/Buffalo or Anaheim still have something to say about that. It’s pretty rare for the top two teams to both emerge at the end of three rounds of playoff action, we’ll have to see if Round 2 has some surprising outcomes to shake up the picture.
For one last time these playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning locked horns on Sunday night. With the stakes as high as could be, Martin St-Louis decided to insert Noah Dobson, who hadn’t played in three weeks due to an injury, in his lineup at the expense of Arber Xhekaj. A decision that raised a few eyebrows, given how physical the series had been, but the gritty defenseman’s missed coverage in OT in Game 6 ultimately cost him his spot on the roster.
Given how Dobson’s injury was on his left hand, some worried he wouldn’t be able to shoot properly, but the two slap shots he unleashed in the first frame cast all doubts aside. Even though the game was in Florida, the Bell Centre was packed to the rafters with 21,000+ fans for a watch party. The event sold out in less than an hour on Saturday morning, with fans paying $12 for the privilege.
After blanking the Canadiens in Game 6, there was a risk that Andrei Vasilevskiy had managed to get in the Habs players’ heads, making them wonder if he had suddenly become invincible, but that worry didn’t last for too long. With under two minutes to go in the first frame, Nick Suzuki tipped a Kaiden Guhle shot, the puck then deflected on J.J. Moser, past the Lightning’s supersize goalie to give the Habs the lead.
That was the captain’s first goal of the series, and it came at even strength with the Habs’ new look first line on the ice. The lamplighter was even more important, given that the team that scores first in a Game 7 wins 75% of the time, which put the odds in the Canadiens' favor.
The Dreaded Awful Second Period Came Back
For a good stretch of the regular season, the Canadiens struggled in the second period, and Sunday night, in the most important game of the year, that flaw came back with a bang. After Suzuki scored the first goal at 18:39 in the first, the Canadiens didn’t take another shot to end the period or in the second frame. It was the first time in their history that it happened.
Granted, the Bolts had a couple of power plays, but so did the Canadiens, and at the end of the day, if you cannot get a puck on the net, you certainly won’t get one in the net. It’s as simple as that. After 40 minutes, the score was tied 1-1 for one reason, and one reason only: Jakub Dobes, although he was getting some help from his blueline.
Perhaps the Habs were a bit frazzled by the enormity of the moment, but they were making mistakes you cannot make in that kind of setting. Juraj Slafkovsky’s no-look back passes were back, thankfully for him, he did that on the power play, and there was no harm done on the scoreboard. However, turning the puck over that way when your team is struggling to find something, anything to build on, is unacceptable. As is giving the puck back to the opponent with a soft pass when you cannot find a good option. Dobes is not Rocky Balboa; it’s rare that allowing your goalie to be peppered with shots while playing dead will lead to anything good.
St-Louis has shown a knack for speaking to his players and finding the right way to motivate them, and judging by how they bounced back in the third, he found the right words once again.
Feels A Little Like 2010
The Canadiens bounced back in the third after the coach told them they still had an opportunity, since it was still 1-1. The Habs took five shots on net and spent more time in the offensive zone, even though Tampa still had the upper hand. Dobes stood tall and stopped another eight shots to bring his total to 28 on the night. In this first round, the Czech netminder has looked like Jaroslav Halak back in 2010. Speaking to Sportsnet after the game, the young man was going through a rollercoaster of emotions and was absolutely beaming, as he should have been, he became the fifth rookie goaltender in Canadiens’ history to win a Game 7.
"People sometimes say that I get too emotional. But every game I play is like a Game 7."
The netminder wasn’t the only one to pull off a performance reminiscent of 2010, however. Alex Newhook showed fantastic hand-eye coordination to bat the puck out of mid-air from behind the net; it bounced off Vasilevskiy and into the net. An unusual goal, but a game-winning goal, nonetheless. As those who watched in 2010 will remember, Mike Cammalleri had also scored an important goal by batting the puck out of mid-air. In the end, Montreal only took nine shots on the night, but two of them crossed the goal line and that's all that matters.
The last part of the game was nail-biting with the Bolts attacking with an extra man, but the Canadiens managed to hang on. Ironically, at one point, what would have been an icing was stopped by Slafkovsky’s broken stick that had been left for dead in Tampa’s zone. Considering how often the Habs had their sticks fail them in the regular season, it must have felt like poetic justice for St-Louis’ men.
The win also had shades of 2021, though, with veteran Phillip Danault celebrating with a pizza and bringing Mike Matheson a slice during his post-game interview. The Habs will now fly straight to Buffalo in readiness for the start of their second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday at 7:00 PM.
WHAAAAAA??!
Phillip Danault brings back the pizza celebration 🍕🍕👏🏻👏🏻
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 21: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins chat against the Vancouver Canucks at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 21, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…
As the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans begin the off-season, two of the franchise’s biggest stars are in something of a “wait-and-see” mode regarding their future. Captain Sidney Crosby hasn’t decided whether he’ll continue playing beyond the 2026-27 season when his contract expires. He could sign an extension this summer, but is in no rush to decide his long-term future. [PensBurgh]
Evgeni Malkin, on the other hand, is waiting to resolve his ongoing contract saga and see whether he will be a part of the team for the 2026-27 season. If he is not a Penguin, it appears Malkin has no issue donning the colors of another team to continue his NHL career. [PensBurgh]
The Penguins are likely headed for another off-season of major roster turnover, with uncertainty at center, defense, and goaltending, despite maintaining a veteran core led by Crosby. [PensBurgh]
Connor Dewar carved out a strong role with the Penguins this season, thriving as a reliable fourth-line contributor. But with Dewar set to become an unrestricted free agent, his future in Pittsburgh remains uncertain. [Trib Live]
Forward Filip Hallander has returned to Sweden to resume off-season training after missing most of the season due to a blood clot, with plans to be reevaluated ahead of training camp. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Mats Sundin as a senior executive adviser for hockey operations and John Chayka as general manager as part of the much-discussed front-office overhaul. [NHL]
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid played through a fracture in his foot/ankle area during the playoffs, head coach Kris Knoblauch said. [Sportsnet]
With guys like this, your power play should not suck. | NHLI via Getty Images
Feel relieved, Islanders fans: the Canadiens have eclipsed the 2015 Islanders’ dubious records by recording even fewer shots in a Game 7 than the Islanders did on that terrible night in D.C.
Of course the critical difference is that the Canadiens’ 9 shots (compared to the Islanders’ 11 on that frustrating night opposite Barry Trotz’s Caps) came in a startling 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Florida. So the Canadiens move on to face the Sabres, completing the second-round pairings. And dipshit Nikita Kucherov, who kept trying to chirp Jakub Dubes all series, goes home with a sad.
The second round began over the weekend, however with a bit of predictability and a bit of theater.
On the predictability front, I looked at my friend with puzzlement when he said “Hurricanes-Flyers should be a good series.” I don’t have any notion that it will be, and Saturday did not put any doubt in my head when Carolina easily handled Philadelphia, 3-0. [NHL]
Meanwhile, the opening of Colorado vs. Minnesota was insane. The Avalanche jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first, only to allow Minnesota to get two goals back in just over a minute span. In the second period, the Avs extended their lead to 4-2 only to allow the Wild to come back and tie it at 4-4. That didn’t last long, however, as Colorado retook the lead on the way to a 9-6 (EN) win, with a historic number of individual goal scorers. Cale Makar played only just over a minute in the first after taking a big hit, but returned with some of that magic spray and scored two goals. [NHL]
The Wild have Quinn Hughes, who was big in Game 1, but they start the series without Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek. [NHL]
Anaheim Ducks (43-33-6, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Monday, 9:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Golden Knights -166, Ducks +140; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Golden Knights host series opener
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Anaheim Ducks in game one of the Western Conference second round. The teams meet Sunday for the fourth time this season. The Ducks went 3-0 against the Golden Knights in the regular season. In their last regular season meeting on Feb. 1, the Ducks won 4-3.
Vegas is 15-5-6 against the Pacific Division and 39-26-17 overall. The Golden Knights have a +22 scoring differential, with 264 total goals scored and 242 conceded.
Anaheim is 43-33-6 overall with a 19-12-1 record against the Pacific Division. The Ducks have a 23-12-3 record when they commit fewer penalties than their opponent.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has 27 goals and 63 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has six goals and one assist over the last 10 games.
Leo Carlsson has 29 goals and 37 assists for the Ducks. Mikael Granlund has two goals and 10 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 7-2-1, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.6 assists, 3.5 penalties and 7.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.
Ducks: 6-3-1, averaging 4.2 goals, 7.2 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.7 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body).
Ducks: Radko Gudas: day to day (lower body), Petr Mrazek: out for season (lower-body), Jansen Harkins: out (hand), Ross Johnston: day to day (lower-body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division)
Raleigh, North Carolina; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Hurricanes -262, Flyers +212; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Hurricanes lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes host the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Saturday for the sixth time this season. The Hurricanes won the last meeting 3-0. Logan Stankoven scored two goals in the victory.
Carolina is 53-22-7 overall with a 21-4-2 record in Metropolitan Division play. The Hurricanes rank second in league play with 291 total goals (averaging 3.6 per game).
Philadelphia is 16-12-5 against the Metropolitan Division and 43-27-12 overall. The Flyers have given up 239 goals while scoring 240 for a +1 scoring differential.
TOP PERFORMERS: Sebastian Aho has scored 27 goals with 53 assists for the Hurricanes. Stankoven has nine goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
Christian Dvorak has 18 goals and 33 assists for the Flyers. Porter Martone has four goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 9-0-1, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.3 assists, 5.2 penalties and 12.6 penalty minutes while giving up 1.6 goals per game.
Flyers: 7-3-0, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.7 assists, 5.5 penalties and 15 penalty minutes while giving up 1.8 goals per game.
INJURIES: Hurricanes: Alexander Nikishin: day to day (concussion).
Flyers: Owen Tippett: day to day (undisclosed), Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
DENVER — Cale Makar scored twice in the third period after returning from an earlier injury and the Colorado Avalanche overcame blowing a three-goal lead to beat the Minnesota Wild 9-6 on Sunday night in a wacky Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Makar, who left in the first period with an undisclosed ailment, scored his second goal of the game with 2:54 remaining to make it 8-6. Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-net goal with 2:08 remaining to seal it.
This was the 10th playoff game ever with at least 15 combined goals and just the second since 1994. There were five goals in each period.
Who figured this? A high-scoring affair between two of the better defensive teams in the league with two elite goaltenders. There were 14 different players who notched a goal in a game that turned into a track meet. It’s tied for the second-most in a playoff game.
The Avalanche improved to 72-1 since moving to Colorado in 1995-96 when leading a playoff game by three or more goals. The lone loss was Game 5 against St. Louis in a season they went on to win the Stanley Cup.
A well-rested Colorado team led 3-0 just 6:47 into the game. But the Wild steadily climbed back and took a 5-4 lead on a short-handed goal from Marcus Foligno late in the second.
Devon Toews tied at 5-apiece in the second period. It was just the fourth Game 1 in playoff history with both teams scoring five or more goals through two periods.
Both goalies struggled, but made some timely saves, too. Scott Wedgewood, who had the league’s best goals-against average this season, allowed one more goal than he did in the entire sweep of the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1.
He made 30 saves while Jesper Wallstedt stopped 34 shots.
Game 2 is Tuesday night in Denver.
Makar took a scary hit along the boards from Foligno early in the first period. The Avalanche defenseman’s right leg flew into the air before falling to the ice. Makar tested out his skating with some twirls at the end of the first and returned for the second. He had an assist on Nick Blankenburg’s goal.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Alex Newhook broke a tie with 8:53 left and the Montreal Canadiens outlasted the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Game 7 on Sunday night to end the thrilling first-round series.
The Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round after finishing off their first series victory since losing the Stanley Cup Final to Tampa Bay in 2021. Game 1 is Wednesday night in Buffalo.
Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes made 28 saves and Nick Suzuki got his first goal of the series for Montreal.
Each game of the series was decided by one goal and four went to overtime. The score was tied or within one goal for all but six minutes in the seven games.
The Lightning were eliminated in the first round for the fourth straight season after falling two wins short of a Stanley Cup three-peat in 2022.
Tampa Bay’s tough defense held the Canadiens without a shot for nearly 27 minutes from the first period into the third and just four through two periods. Brandon Hagel made an outstanding, sliding stick save with an open net in the final minute but the Lightning couldn’t get the tying goal during a 6-on-5 and 6-on-4 for the final six seconds.
Montreal got a couple lucky bounces to score twice on its first eight shots on goal and finished with only nine.
After Lane Hutson fired a slap shot that went wide and bounced back out, Newhook skated backhanded the puck out of the air and in off Andrei Vasilevskiy’s pad and his backside.
AVALANCHE 9, WILD 6
DENVER (AP) — Cale Makar scored twice in the third period after returning from an earlier injury and Colorado overcame blowing a three-goal lead to beat Minnesota in a wacky Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Makar, who left in the first period with an undisclosed ailment, scored his second goal of the game with 2:54 remaining to make it 8-6. Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-net goal with 2:08 remaining to seal it.
This was the 10th playoff game ever with at least 15 combined goals and just the second since 1994. There were five goals in each period.
Who figured this? A high-scoring affair between two of the better defensive teams in the league with two elite goaltenders. There were 14 different players who notched a goal in a game that turned into a track meet. It’s tied for the second-most in a playoff game.
The Avalanche improved to 72-1 since moving to Colorado in 1995-96 when leading a playoff game by three or more goals. The lone loss was Game 5 against St. Louis in a season they went on to win the Stanley Cup.
A well-rested Colorado team led 3-0 just 6:47 into the game. But the Wild steadily climbed back and took a 5-4 lead on a short-handed goal from Marcus Foligno late in the second.
Devon Toews tied at 5-apiece in the second period. It was just the fourth Game 1 in playoff history with both teams scoring five or more goals through two periods.
Both goalies struggled, but made some timely saves, too. Scott Wedgewood, who had the league’s best goals-against average this season, allowed one more goal than he did in the entire sweep of the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1.
With the offseason officially in full swing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, it's fair to wonder what this roster is going to look like next season.
Fresh off a season where they defied expectations and made the NHL playoffs, the Penguins will have some big decisions to make this summer regarding some uncertain situations. GM and POHO Kyle Dubas has done a masterful job in collecting assets and draft capital, and there's a good chance he will target and favor young talent to help this team take the next step in 2026-27.
So, which pending restricted and unrestricted free agents figure to be part of that focus? There is a pretty long list of them, and not all of them will be wearing black and gold next season.
Here is who the Penguins should lock up - and who they should let go.
Restricted free agents
F Egor Chinakhov: Sign
This is a no-brainer, and it doesn't require too much explanation. Chinakhov said during locker cleanout day that he wanted to sign in Pittsburgh and be "part of the organization for a long time."
Well, his 18 goals and 36 points in 43 regular season games with the Penguins certainly earned him a multi-year deal, even if it is more along the lines of a two- or three-year bridge deal. The Penguins really like Chinakhov and his potential as a star top-six winger, and Chinakhov really likes the Penguins.
I would be shocked if he is not in Pittsburgh next season, and I think three years, $4.5 million per sounds about right given the salary cap spike.
I can't say I've seen a player literally earn a new contract at the last minute before. But Silovs did just that.
His .939 save percentage and otherwordly performance in the playoffs gave the Penguins a chance to come back from down 3-0 against the Philadelphia Flyers, and his playoff success is nothing new. He was tournament MVP during the Abbotsford Canucks' AHL Calder Cup run in 2025, and he gave the Vancouver Canucks a chance to win against the Edmonton Oilers in a seven-game series in 2024 with next to no prior NHL experience.
Finding goaltenders who can turn it up five notches in the playoffs isn't an easy thing. It's a rarity. Even if there are some ups and downs as Silovs searches for regular season consistency, re-signing him as a playoff surety is a worthwhile gamble.
There's a greater than decent chance that he and Sergei Murashov are the Penguins' NHL tandem next season.
Acciari had a nice season for the Penguins, registering 13 goals and 25 points, which were each the second-highest totals of his career. He did that as part of a fourth line that was very formidable for the Penguins, generating momentum from the forecheck, turning in strong defensive plays and physicality, and successfully killing penalties.
But Acciari is 34, and he's the exact kind of player who would block a worthy young player like Avery Hayes or Tristan Broz. Those guys are at a point in their development where NHL playing time is essential if they've earned it, which they largely have.
For that reason, there's no sense in bringing back Acciari in terms of where the Penguins are at.
D Connor Clifton: Walk
Clifton started to come around at the end of the season, and his physicality is a unique aspect of his game and something that the Penguins could definitely use more of.
At the end of the day, he's replaceable - and the Penguins may just add to their blue line this summer, anyway. Even if they don't, Brunicke can effectively replace those minutes on the Penguins' bottom pairing, assuming he has a strong camp.
After putting together a nice season - posting career-highs in goals (14) and points (30) to go along with a plus-16, the highest mark among forwards on the Penguins - there is a chance that another NHL team offers Dewar something above what the Penguins are willing to. And, like Acciari, he's a fourth-line player, and Pittsburgh has plenty of younger players who will be vying for NHL roster spots.
It's also worth noting that Dewar's production dropped off significantly in the second half of the season.
But I think this is a player they bring back. Dewar likes it in Pittsburgh, and the Penguins are very happy with what Dewar has brought to the fourth line alongside Blake Lizotte. He'll be 27 next season, which is still young enough to have around for several more years as a key depth contributor.
F Kevin Hayes: Walk
Hayes is a great locker room presence. The guys love him, and he's a very positive and honest influence in that room.
But he played in only 28 games this season and was healthy-scratched otherwise. He's 33, and he still has a set of hands, but his footspeed is an issue. There's not really much point in keeping him around.
There are a lot of narratives out there about Malkin right now: He's too old, he's too injury-prone, he's too unpredictable, the Penguins need youth, they shouldn't commit to term, etc.
Well, here's the thing. Malkin - who will be 40 next season - was over point-per-game for the first time in three years this season, is willing to play wing, has declared he wants "one more year," probably won't ask for a lot of money based on past comments, and is not currently blocking any "younger player" from top-six minutes because Ben Kindel is going to stay put at center and no one else has pushed.
So, there is no good reason not to bring him back for one year. It's what Malkin wants, and it will have little to no effect on what Dubas is trying to accomplish. Quite frankly, I fail to understand why an extension hasn't happened yet.
That said, I think it will. It may just drag out a bit, whether that's fair to a franchise legend like Malkin or not.
While folks didn't seem to be overly impressed with Mantha's playoff performance - he recorded just one point in six post-season games - this is a guy who still led the Penguins in goals this season with 33 and was a huge reason they ended up making the playoffs, especially during the stretch run of the season.
But, Mantha is going to get paid - and he should get some term, too. Even though the Penguins have a lot of cap space, committing term to a 31-year-old winger coming off a career year and who is prone to injury probably isn't the smartest move.
Had the Penguins not been in playoff contention, flipping Mantha would have been an easy choice. Not flipping him at the deadline isn't going to set back their future, however, so neither will letting him walk and cash in elsewhere.
D Ryan Shea: Sign
Shea - like many - also had a career year for the Penguins. He had six goals and 35 points and was a team-high plus-30, and he helped shore up the Penguins' bottom defensive pairing. The 29-year-old will be due for a relatively significant pay raise from his current $900,000, and he is likely to sign for more than one year.
I do think Shea will sign an extension with the Penguins for two or three years, but I don't necessarily think that means he'll stick around. I believe the Penguins are going to try to upgrade their blue line this summer - particularly, on the left side - and it would be a crowded place with a new face, Parker Wotherspoon, Shea, and Sam Girard.
It's more likely that Girard or Wotherspoon is dealt as part of a package, but there is a chance that Shea could be the odd-man out. The only way I don't see the Penguins signing him in the first place is if a team wants to throw stupid money at a third-pairing defenseman, and I can't entirely rule that out.
Speaking of the left side, Solovyov is another option. While he very well may leave for a better opportunity outside of Pittsburgh, I kind of see him as a Jack St. Ivany replacement of sorts: He'll be young enough at age 26 that there is still more upside potential, he'll come cheap, he can play both sides, and he is a good depth option.
Again, if another team comes knocking and offers Solovyov the chance to get more minutes, he'll probably bite. But I don't necessarily think that's going to happen. If the Penguins can retain him, I think they will.
G Stuart Skinner: Walk
The goaltending situation in Pittsburgh will be sure be an interesting one to watch. Skinner played well in the playoffs and was good enough down the stretch for the Penguins to help them reach the playoffs in the first place. He's also a great locker room presence and has said numerous times that he loves the family environment in Pittsburgh.
However, the play of Silovs during the playoffs may have just pushed Skinner out. Silovs is younger - technically, he was still a rookie this season - and he has a proven track record at this point of being able to perform in the playoffs.
Again, Murashov is pretty likely to be full-time in the NHL next season. I'm sure the Penguins would love to have Skinner back in a veteran mentor capacity to guide their most promising goaltending prospect.
But I'm not sure Skinner would settle for that. Goaltending is always needed across the league, and the 27-year-old can probably find a better opportunity elsewhere. Plus, I think the Penguins would be generally comfortable with a Silovs-Murashov tandem next season, especially with Joel Blomqvist and Taylor Gauthier likely to be waiting in the wings in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
When the Senators parted ways with head coach DJ Smith and GM Pierre Dorion during the 2023–24 season, it was fair to wonder if they'd get another opportunity. The two men were at the helm through some pretty dark days for the franchise, including a seemingly never-ending rebuild.
But after a couple of seasons as an assistant coach in L.A., Smith resurfaced this season as the Kings' interim head coach when Jim Hiller was fired, and helped guide them to the post-season.
It was a reminder that everyone is usually better in their second job because of the lessons learned in their first.
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said last week that he's frustrated by the incessant questions about his future.
The Vancouver Canucks, with the worst record in the NHL this season, think there’s a chance that may also be true for Dorion.
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Canucks, after firing Patrik Allvin on April 17, have interviewed Dorion for their GM vacancy.
Former Ottawa Senators GM, Pierre Dorion was in Vancouver last week and has interviewed for the Canucks GM vacancy.
Dorion was fired in 2023 because of the Senators’ botched communications during their 2021 trade of Evgenii Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Sens failed to disclose Dadonov’s no-trade list, which derailed the Knights’ later attempt to trade him to Anaheim.
The NHL penalized the Senators by docking them a first-round draft pick, a debt they were scheduled to pay off this year until Gary Bettman recently let them off the hook. The Sens will draft 32nd overall this summer, no matter what.
Dorion certainly had a long list of missteps as GM in Ottawa, but it’s not hard to imagine that, under the late Eugene Melnyk, there was considerable meddling in hockey matters.
Interestingly, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Dorion's former assistant GM may be competing with him for the Canucks job. After Dorion was fired in Ottawa, Ryan Bowness spent another year and a half with the Sens as associate GM under new Sens GM Steve Staios.
Dorion did have some highlights, though, including arguably the most lucrative first round in Sens history. He took Tim Stützle and Jake Sanderson in the 2020 Draft and eventually signed both to team-friendly long-term deals. He also grabbed Ridly Greig in the first round that year.
The 53-year-old Ottawa native made the most of the 2018 Erik Karlsson trade to San Jose, acquiring Josh Norris, Dylan DeMelo, and Chris Tierney, along with a 2020 first-round pick that became Stützle, and a 2019 second that was packaged so they could draft Mads Søgaard.
He also has an ace in the hole.
While the Canucks have interviewed other candidates, no one will be able to match Dorion’s GM experience in navigating the pitfalls of an NHL rebuild while dealing with challenging ownership.
That job experience would almost certainly come in handy in Vancouver.
There were 24 NHL teams at the start of the 1992-93 season. When Gary Bettman took over as commissioner of the National Hockey League in early 1993, he had a vision. He wanted to bring hockey to non-traditional markets, and he wanted those teams to experience great success.
It didn’t happen overnight– for years, poor management and low attendance made these teams the punchline of every joke around the league– but Bettman’s dream has finally become a reality. There are 32 teams in the NHL, 10 of which are based in non-traditional markets. And as for success, five of the last six Stanley Cup Champions have hailed from non-traditional markets.
The Vegas Golden Knights were perhaps the greatest of Bettman’s many accomplishments. He’d long since wanted to put an NHL team in Las Vegas, and finally got his wish in 2016. The team’s success speaks for itself– they made the playoffs in their first season, and won the Stanley Cup in their sixth.
In 2026, the Golden Knights are no longer the new kids on the block. In 2024, the Arizona Coyotes relocated to Salt Lake City; now, all eyes are on the Utah Mammoth.
In a poetic turn of events, the Golden Knights drew the Mammoth in Utah’s first-ever postseason run. Ultimately, the Golden Knights proved they’re still the team to beat, eliminating their opponent in six games. But in those six games, the Mammoth made their mark, impressing the Golden Knights with their play and their fans.
“It was a really cool experience playing there; it was a pretty rowdy building,” said defenseman Noah Hanifin. “I think it’s good for the league. It’s good for the game, and there’s a bright future there.”
“It was a lot of fun playing in Utah,” agreed forward Brett Howden. “The crowd is so good. They’re really into the game, which is really fun… And their stands, they’re really over top of you, so you can really feel them. But yeah, it was really cool. It was fun.”
As many teams do during the postseason, the Delta Center provided every Mammoth fan with a rally towel, and the resulting scenes were electric.
“Me and Keegan [Kolesar] both said it kind of reminded us of the Winnipeg series,” Howden said. “When we played there, they had the White Out, and they all had the white towels. So, it kind of had the same vibe.”
Following the series win, several Golden Knights players acknowledged how much they enjoyed getting to experience a team’s first postseason run. They also drew comparisons between Utah and Vegas’ early days.
“It was awesome, it was really cool to see,” said Noah Hanifin. “I remember when Vegas [entered the league], and just what a cool environment it was to play in, and how much pride and passion the fans had, and I felt the same way in Utah.”
Brett Howden also compared playing in Salt Lake City to the times when he played in Vegas as a visitor.
“When I wasn’t with Vegas, we’d come to play here, and it was just so much fun,” he said. “Like, the crowd was so engaged, and it made it a lot of fun as an away team.
“It’s even better as a home team playing here,” Howden added with a wry smile.
The Golden Knights will visit one of the first non-traditional hockey markets in the Second Round. The Anaheim Ducks, who entered the league in 1993, are back in the postseason for the first time since 2017. Southern California hasn’t exactly become an arctic tundra in the 33 years since the Ducks entered the league– but that means very little, as is the case in Vegas.
“I’ve seen some of the games in Anaheim, and it looks like they’ve got a great crowd,” said Howden.
TAMPA, Fla. — Alex Newhook broke a tie with 8:53 left and the Montreal Canadiens outlasted the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Game 7 on Sunday night to end the thrilling first-round series.
The Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round after finishing off their first series victory since losing the Stanley Cup Final to Tampa Bay in 2021. Game 1 is Wednesday night in Buffalo.
Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes made 28 saves and Nick Suzuki got his first goal of the series for Montreal.
Each game of the series was decided by one goal and four went to overtime. The score was tied or within one goal for all but six minutes in the seven games.
The Lightning were eliminated in the first round for the fourth straight season after falling two wins short of a Stanley Cup three-peat in 2022.
Tampa Bay’s tough defense held the Canadiens without a shot for nearly 27 minutes from the first period into the third and just four through two periods. Brandon Hagel made an outstanding, sliding stick save with an open net in the final minute but the Lightning couldn’t get the tying goal during a 6-on-5 and 6-on-4 for the final six seconds.
Montreal got a couple lucky bounces to score twice on its first eight shots on goal and finished with only nine.
After Lane Hutson fired a slap shot that went wide and bounced back out, Newhook skated backhanded the puck out of the air and in off Andrei Vasilevskiy’s pad and his backside.
Playing in front of their 461st consecutive sellout crowd and hundreds more fans watching from Thunder Alley outside Benchmark International Arena, the Lightning lost for the 11th time in their last 13 playoff games at home, including three times in this series.
The Canadiens didn’t have a shot on net in the second period despite two power-play chances. They became the first team to have zero shots in a playoff period since Pittsburgh in Game 1 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals against Nashville.
Dominic James tipped in Charle-Edouard D’Astous’ one-timer from just inside the blue line to tie it at 1 on a power play in the second period.
Suzuki opened the scoring 1:21 left in the first. After scoring 29 goals in the regular season, Suzuki needed a lucky bounce to get one. His redirection of Kaiden Guhle’s slap shot was heading wide but the puck hit Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser and went in.
Montreal’s Martin St. Louis, a Hockey Hall of Famer whose No. 26 is retired by the Lightning, became the fifth player to appear in a Game 7 for a team and coach against them in another.
Another name can be added to the long list of candidates interviewed for the Vancouver Canucks' open general manager job. In a post on social media, TSN's Darren Dreger wrote, "Former Ottawa Senators GM, Pierre Dorion was in Vancouver last week and has interviewed for the Canucks GM vacancy." Dorion has not been listed with an organization since 2023, when he was let go by the Ottawa Senators.
Dorion has plenty of experience as an NHL executive. He served as the Senators' GM from 2016-2023, and before that, was with Ottawa in different capacities since 2007. Dorion also spent time as a scout with both the New York Rangers and the Montréal Canadiens since 1994.
Under Dorion's leadership, the Senators posted a regular-season record of 225-261-59. During that time, Ottawa made the playoffs once, which was in 2017. Some notable draft picks made during Dorion's time as GM include Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson and Brady Tkachuk.
May 9, 2016; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion attends a press conference to introduce Guy Boucher as the new head coach of the Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
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TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs hired former captain Mats Sundin as senior executive adviser of hockey operations and John Chayka as general manager Sunday.
The moves mark a reset of the club’s front office after a season that ended with Toronto missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The team said Sundin will provide support across hockey operations, with a focus on team culture, player development and leadership support.
“This fan base deserves greatness and I am grateful for the opportunity to help this team, organization and city achieve that,” Sundin said in a release.
Toronto fired GM Brad Treliving in March, near the end of the disastrous campaign for the Maple Leafs, who entered the season among the Stanley Cup favorites.
The club also did not replace president Brendan Shanahan after he was let go in May 2025.
Sundin and Chayka arrive with the organization still searching for its first Stanley Cup since 1967.
The Maple Leafs’ career points leader, Sundin had a complicated Toronto exit in 2008 before a brief stint with the Vancouver Canucks, but remains a fan favorite for his 13 seasons in blue and white.
The 55-year-old Swede, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012 and returned home to start a family after retiring, has never held a formal management position in the game.
The 36-year-old Chayka became the NHL’s youngest GM when he was hired by the Arizona Coyotes a decade ago. His time in the desert was marked by an analytics-heavy push and bold trades.
“I’m honored to join the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and excited to work alongside Mats and the entire organization,” Chayka said in a statement. “This is one of hockey’s most historic franchises, with a passionate fan base who want to win."
Chayka abruptly resigned in July 2020 on the eve of the league’s pandemic restart and was subsequently suspended by commissioner Gary Bettman for one year in 2021 for “conduct detrimental to the league and game” after pursuing job opportunities with other teams while still employed by the Coyotes.
Arizona was also docked first- and second-round picks for holding unauthorized workouts with draft prospects under his watch, in breach of the league’s scouting combine policy.
