The Colorado Avalanche are coming off a disaster of a Game 3 loss, blowing a 3-0 lead they built heading into the second period to lose 5-3, and are now down 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights.

All over social media, fans of the team are upset, and rightfully so. After the first two rounds, while at times execution wasn't perfect, this team looked ready to take on anyone on their path to the Stanley Cup Final. Now we're seeing a collapse like no other, and the chances of a 3-0 comeback with Cale Makar not fully healthy and Nathan MacKinnon favoring an injured knee have drastically diminished.

If this is a matter if/when the Avalanche lose, where does the team go from here? The roster is as good as it's ever been, scoring from top to bottom, and goaltending at a great price. If there had to be a change, would we look at it from behind the bench?

Next Coach Waiting Just Down The Road?

Here is where the rumors start to speculate. If Joe Sakic and Chris MacFarland were to move on from Jared Bednar and other members of the coaching staff, their first intention would be to talk with University of Denver head coach David Carle. The report comes from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period on the show, The Sheet, talking with Jeff Marek. This is what he had to say on the topic:

“I think the trajectory is, when Colorado makes that [coaching] change in however many years down the road, that he's their guy - The Sheet (5/22).”

-

Carle has been a topic of discussion among many teams looking for a new NHL head coach, given what he has done with the University of Denver team in the NCAA. He has been their head coach since the 2018-19 season, and in his eight seasons with the team, he has won the NCAA Championship four times: once as an assistant coach to Jim Montgomery in 2017, and three times as a head coach (2022, 2024, and 2026).

He’s helped Team USA win back-to-back gold medals in the IIHF World Junior Championships. The systems he implements in teams are fast-paced, offensive-style. He makes coaching adjustments quickly, decisively, and, most importantly, effectively; he makes moves not just for their own sake but for a reason.

Drawing Interest From Across The League

The one “drawback” that Carle has is that his talents are being recognized league-wide; interest has risen in the past couple of seasons in whether he is interested in joining teams as they make coaching decisions.

Just last season, the Chicago Blackhawks were looking for a new head coach before they signed Jeff Blashill, and according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Carle withdrew his consideration from the Blackhawks, who were in an “aggressive pursuit” of him.

David Carle withdraws from consideration for Blackhawks head coachSportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that David Carle has withdrawn from consideration for the role despite an "aggressive pursuit" from the Blackhawks.

Friedman on 32 Thoughts: The Podcastwondered whether Carle would step into a new coaching position and how many teams would make a run at him, but backed it up by noting how well he's doing in Denver.

"The one thing that Carle could do is he could say, look, I could coach at Denver for eleventy billion years. I’ve got a young family. I’ve got a great situation. I can comfortably live for a long time. If I’m coming out of here, somebody’s going to have to make it worth my while," Friedman said on the podcast. "I just don’t understand how after this, somebody isn’t going to make it worth his while because you could say that’s juniors, coaching NHL players is going to be a bit different. The NHL players watch this tournament. They know who can coach. They know who can’t coach. They’re going to look at this guy and they’re going to say this guy can coach. 

- <br>

The pressure from around the league continues into this season as the Toronto Maple Leafs, who fired Craig Berube, made contact with Carle and his team and will reportedly touch back with him again at a later date.

David Carle Among Three First-Time NHL Head Coach Candidates For Maple LeafsWith Craig Berube out, the Toronto Maple Leafs are in search of a new head coach, with multiple reports suggesting they'll look for a fresh candidate. Here are three first-time NHL head coaches who could be considered for the Maple Leafs' 42nd head coach in franchise history.

This does put pressure on the Avalanche: if management likes what he's doing down in the NCAA, they don’t want to lose him to a rival NHL team that can make good use of his talents. Though it raises the question of whether management wants to make a change at the head coach position.

The Right Move Or A Panic Move?

Emotions are running high within the Avalanche community, and rightfully so, for a team that looked as good, if not better, than the 2022 championship team to be down 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals, not because they're being outplayed so heavily, but because they're making so many mistakes that are costing them. Defensive breakdowns, errors in their own zone, limited production from the top guys, it has been a disaster of a series.

David Carle Among Three First-Time NHL Head Coach Candidates For Maple LeafsWith Craig Berube out, the Toronto Maple Leafs are in search of a new head coach, with multiple reports suggesting they'll look for a fresh candidate. Here are three first-time NHL head coaches who could be considered for the Maple Leafs' 42nd head coach in franchise history.

For a team that had little to no flaws, a Stanley Cup is expected from this team. Yes, losing Makar to start the series was brutal, and now MacKinnon is probably at 80% because of the puck off the knee. Still, with the way they played in Games 1 and 2, you could make an argument that at worst it should have been 2-1 Knights heading into Game 4, not the worst, but still manageable to fight their way back.

Ever since the 2022 championship, this team has felt heartbreak after heartbreak, and after every playoff series loss, their fingers pointed at player performance, roster construction, and the coaching staff. Past postseason teams were not as well-built as this season's, and I give management full credit. Nazem Kadri, Nicolas Roy, and Brett Kulak made the necessary changes, but did the coaching staff do enough to make the most of them?

Chris MacFarland Bet Everything on Winning — and the Avalanche Are Cashing InAfter a season-defining trade sparked outrage across the hockey world, Chris MacFarland and Jared Bednar ignored the noise, doubled down on their vision, and somehow built the Colorado Avalanche into an even more dangerous Stanley Cup contender.

I don’t know whether management will give Bednar another “prove it” season. Losing Alex Tanguay now proves vital, as the power play has been a key topic this entire season and hasn't looked any better in the playoffs, considering the amount of talent on both units. Management is in for another interesting offseason and is looking at how they can make an already elite team better, whether that's shaking up some players or making some major decisions to the coaching staff.

Avalanche Blow 3-0 Lead As Knights Come Back To Win 5-3 And Take 3-0 Series LeadA dominant first-period surge vanished in a historic meltdown as Vegas punished Colorado's defensive lapses, turning a three-goal deficit into a commanding stranglehold on the series.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens face off in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. The teams split the first two games in Raleigh, North Carolina. Games 3 and 4 are in Montreal. The Hurricanes are favored with a -136 moneyline compared to the Montreal Canadiens' +115. The over/under for the game is set at 5.5 goals.

How to watch Carolina Hurricanes vs. Montreal Canadiens

• Date: Monday, May 25

• Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

• Where: Bell Centre, Montreal

• TV Channels: TNT, truT, HBO, Spor

• Live Stream:ESPN+ | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Odds

• Spread: Montreal Canadiens +1.5

• Moneyline: Montreal Canadiens +115 (44.7%) / Carolina Hurricanes -136 (55.3%)

• Over/Under: 5.5

Yet another former Philadelphia Flyers regular appears destined to flame out of the NHL and pursue a playing career overseas.

On Monday, Hockey News Hub reported on X that former Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula, who was dealt by the Flyers midway through the season, had his KHL signing rights traded.

KHL powerhouse CSKA Moscow acquired Zamula's rights from Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in exchange for the rights to Boston Bruins prospect Georgii Merklulov, as well as financial compensation believed to be worth $420k.

Zamula, 26, was signed by the Columbus Blue Jackets after being offloaded by the Pittsburgh Penguins, again failed to establish himself as a consistent presence in an NHL lineup, appearing in just 20 games for the Metropolitan Division outfit and recording only two assists.

Across his final six appearances for the Blue Jackets this season, Zamula played seven minutes or fewer three times.

Flyers Defenseman Benched After Struggles, Agent's Criticism of TeamJust two games into the season, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> defenseman Egor Zamula has already been benched for his continued struggles.

Without Zamula, the Flyers finally made the decision to roll with Emil Andrae and Noah Juulsen full-time, which, obviously, worked out well for them and helped culminate in a searing run to a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

While Andrae and Juulsen may not have futures in Philadelphia with the Flyers, either, it became clear quickly that Zamula was not a favorite of the new coaching staff's, and Rick Tocchet had even publicly implored Zamula to give more on the ice before the start of the season.

The Flyers had high hopes for the Russian defenseman once upon a time, but Zamula never matured enough physically to make a demonstrable impact, and he was far too turnover-prone and too slow a processor to stick in a low-risk, low-reward role on the bottom defense pair.

If the KHL trade is indicative of anything, it's that Zamula will be heading back to Russia to continue his pro playing career.

Reports out of Russia have indicated that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Egor Zamula's right have been traded to CSKA of the NHL. 

This trade likely indicates that the 26-year-old defenseman will continue his career in Russia. Should he be given another NHL shot, however, he'd most likely stay in America. 

Zamula, who was undrafted, played 20 games with Columbus last season after being signed in January. Zamula started the season with Philadelphia but was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 31. He then refused to report to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Pens put him on waivers for which he cleared. The Jackets immediately signed Zamula for the rest of the season due to some depth issues for Columbus. 

Egor Zamula played in 20 games for the CBJ this past season and had 2 points. He was brought in for depth and wasn't really expected to contribute to the score sheet. 

---

Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.

Let us know what you think below.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Hurricanes finally got over their Eastern Conference Finals slump on Saturday, notching their first win in the ECF at home since 2006 to tie the series 1-1. 

After getting dominated in Game 1, all eyes were on the Canes to see how they would respond with their backs against the wall in a close to must-win game. And they delivered with a thrilling overtime win, with Nikolaj Ehlers scoring two goals — including the OT winner — to propel Carolina past the Canadiens, 3-2. 

Tonight will be another test, as the Canes travel to the Bell Centre, the mecca for hockey, to take on Montreal in Game 3 with a chance to wrestle back home ice advantage and take a 2-1 series lead. Despite the electric home atmosphere the Canadiens have, they are just 2-4 at the Bell Centre during the playoffs so far.

For what it’s worth, the Hurricanes have looked like the better team for the last four to five periods of hockey following Montreal’s four goal opening period in Game 1. 

On Saturday, the Canes looked faster, were more physical and made the Habs look helpless at times. If it weren’t for the heroics of Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, overtime almost certainly wouldn’t have been needed. 

Carolina slowed down Montreal’s top line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovský, limiting the trio to a combined four shots. The Habs top line was also a -1 when on the ice. 

Maybe the most eye opening stat was that Montreal managed only 12 shots on goal. Before Saturday, and through the first 15 games of the playoffs, the Canadiens were averaging 24.9 shots per game. Each of Montreal’s top four forwards, Caufield, Suzuki, Slafkovský and Ivan Demidov are top 20 in the playoff in total shots on net. Being able to limit those guys to only five total shots was huge for Carolina and something that has to continue in Game 3 and for the rest of the series. 

It’s clear that one change, completely suffocating and limiting offensive chances and zone time for Montreal’s top two lines paid massive dividends. The Canes made it a depth game, something that favors them. While Habs third liner Josh Anderson still managed two goals in Game 2, if the series continues as a battle of the bottom sixes for offensive production, expect the ice to continue to tilt in Carolina’s direction. 

Heading into tonight, there shouldn’t be any changes to Carolina’s lineup. Despite two rocky performances from Frederik Andersen to start the series, the 36 year old netminder has been a standout during the postseason and there’s no going away from him now.

With the Colorado Avalanche going down 3-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights on the other side of the bracket, the Canes can taste it. They are on the brink of getting over the hump that has eluded them in recent years.

But it’s still one game at a time, and right now the only thing that stands in the way of the Hurricanes’ third ever Stanley Cup appearance is the Montreal Canadiens. 

Time: 8 PM Eastern

TV/Streaming: TNT/TruTV/HBO Max

Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Odds: Hurricanes -142 Moneyline, Hurricanes 1.5 at +176

Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated in his end-of-season remarks that he was satisfied with how the three goaltender scenario with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis played out last season, and if you take his remarks at face value, it is possible that the club will bring back the same trio next season, but conspicuous from being mentioned in the potential competition for a spot was former prized prospect Devon Levi. 

The 24-year-old was a Florida Panthers draft pick in 2020 and was part of the Sam Reinhart deal in 2021. After winning consecutive Mike Richter Awards at Northeastern for being the best goaltender in the NCAA, the Sabres signed Levi to an entry-level deal and the youngster impressed late in the 2022-23 regular season when Buffalo came within a point of snapping their playoff drought. The following year, it appeared that Levi was handed the starting job out of training camp, but after losing three of his first four starts, former head coach Don Granato when back to a goalie rotation. 

In January 2024, Levi was demoted to AHL Rochester, where he has played 120 games over the last three seasons, and only nine games for the Sabres. After being demoted to the Amerks after training camp, any chance of seeing NHL action last season was eliminated when Buffalo claimed Colten Ellis off of waivers from the St. Louis Blues in early October.   

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

"He's a talented goalie, he's played some great hockey at the American League level, and he's played some games in the NHL. Probably the toughest position of any positions on a hockey team is to get the responsibility to be a goalie that coaches rely upon on a regular basis, and I think almost every goalie in the league has gone through the process of when they need to develop and play games, they have to play in the minors, because it's the most demanding position. " GM Jarmo Kekalainen said last week.

"You don't get better by sitting on the bench, so till the time that they don't need waivers, and they can play games in the minors. Almost every goalie, even the superstar goalies in the league, (have) gone through that process. There's very few that step right into the NHL without playing in the minors over the history of the league. He's just getting through that process now, and next year he'll need waivers, so it's another part of that process, and we see how he keeps developing, and I think he's an NHL-caliber talent that has a potential to be a good goalie in this league for a long time." 

One of the major mistakes of the Kevyn Adams era was to insert a 21-year-old fresh out of college into the NHL and assume that he could make that jump successfully. Levi’s numbers have declined over his time with Rochester, with his save percentage dropping from .927 in 2024, to .919 in 2025 to .904 last season. The youngster is entering the final year of a two-year bridge deal making $812,500, and with a number of clubs looking for tandem and backup goalies, it is likely that Kekalainen could get a decent return for Levi in a trade this summer.

Buffalo is not under the gun at this point, but if they do not make a move involving one or more of their goaltenders before the end of training camp, they risk losing an Ellis or Levi on waivers if they decide try to sneak one down to the AHL. Levi has not expressed any trade requests as this point, but it would be understandable if he was looking for a fresh start with another organization.  

  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

One has to wonder whether the recent success of the Vegas Golden Knights has more to do with John Tortorella becoming head coach than with Bruce Cassidy no longer being head coach. If the latter, this could be cause for pause if you're the Edmonton Oilers. 

Rumored to be waiting on an interview with Cassidy that may never come, the Oilers are reportedly interviewing several candidates. Still, Cassidy is "their guy." He's target No. 1, and only if he's not available will the Oilers move on to other options. 

Trending Stories:

Don't Expect Knoblauch To Take Head Coaching Opportunity

Oilers Fire Head Coach Kris Knoblauch, Mark Stuart Also Gone

Oilers' Stan Bowman Talks Coaching Change: Key Takeaways From His Media Availability

Maybe that's best, given the way the series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche has gone. 

Down 3-0 in the Western Conference Final, Colorado is being outplayed and outworked by a Golden Knights team that is firing on all cylinders under Tortorella. This is the same team that, just a couple of short months ago, had Cassidy calling the shots, and they looked iffy about making the playoffs at all. 

Buffalo Sabres columnist Mike Harrington posted, "Man, this Vegas team must have HATED Bruce Cassidy to be playing like this for Torts. When somebody gets permission to talk to Cassidy, you wonder if this gives them pause at all."

This is just one person's opinion, but it's a valid argument. It certainly raises questions. How is it that one team (the same team) can buy in so feverishly under one coach with a reputation for holding players accountable, but not another? 

Did the message wear thin? Did Cassidy lose the room? Or, does it have little to do with Cassidy and this is more about Vegas stepping up in crunch time, and buying in during a playoff run? Maybe it wasn't about the coach, but about the games meaning more. 

Maybe the Oilers Aren't Worried...

One fan responded, "They needed a mental reset. With Cassidy, he was too close to the situation to figure it out. It happens. Torts came in totally objectively with a clear view of the situation and set their minds straight. Bruce is a great coach and will have no trouble getting another HC job."

Another wrote, "They loved Cassidy. However they just needed a reset. It was the same nonsense every press conference and nothing was changing. He would say we need to do something and it wouldn't change. The team probably just got tired of hearing the same thing over and over again."

Those two takes could also be true.

Like Kris Knoblauch in Edmonton, he was once the right fit at the right time with this Oilers group. Last season? Not so much. The style didn't mesh with the group and where they were at, so Edmonton made a change. That's not to say Knoblauch is  bad coach. 

Cassidy is clearly a solid bench boss. If he wasn't, the Golden Knights wouldn't be toying with the idea of paying his salary in full not to coach elsewhere. No team does that if they truly believe he had lost his magical Stanley Cup touch. 

Perhaps none of this matters if the Oilers never get a chance to formally interview him. Chris Johnston noted, "I think the Oilers are going to have to wait and see with Bruce Cassidy; if not, you're choosing between [Craig] Berube, [Peter] Laviolette, maybe there's a mystery box..."

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.

Colorado Avalanche News

• The Colorado Avalanche need more from Necas, Nelson and Kadri to get back into the Western Conference Finals. [The Hockey News]
• The Colorado Eagles are heading to their own WCF. [Mile High Hockey]

News Around the League

• Gatineau group launches petition after being barred from hosting Habs watch party. Slush Puppie Centre is in the territory of the Ottawa Senators, NHL says. [CBC]

• Why Mike Gillis “wasn’t the right fit” with the Leafs. [Sportsnet]
• Lightning extend Sabourin on one-year, two-way deal. [TSN]
• Canadiens’ Hutson OK after taking hard hit from Hall in Game 2. [The Score]
• The Flames ‘want to move up’ from 6th overall in 2026 NHL Draft. [Flames Nation]

• How the Columbus Blue Jackets became the NHL’s cautionary tale. Columbus isn’t really considered a rebuilding club, in that they just seem to be perpetually…building. [Calgary Herald]

• Brent Burns’s great NHL career is only missing a Stanley Cup. ‘There are now 32 NHL teams and only half make the playoffs, so not hoisting the ultimate team trophy is not the scarlet letter on a great player’s career it (once) was. [Innsfield Today]
• Carolina Hurricanes anthem singer touched by praise for bilingual ‘O Canada’. [CTV News]

Once upon a time, the Philadelphia Flyers were among the favorites to sign Mitch Marner in free agency. Not everyone supported the idea at the time, and now that stance looks foolish.

At this time last year, the Flyers had the second-best odds to land Marner, now 29, on the open market, behind only the Chicago Blackhawks, who had every incentive to break the bank to improve Connor Bedard's supporting cast.

Marner instead had his rights traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Vegas Golden Knights for forward Nicolas Roy, a 28-year-old center coming off a 31-point campaign.

Marner then signed a very modest eight-year, $96 million ($12 million AAV) contract with Vegas, and the rest, as they say, is history.

With two assists against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final on Sunday night, Marner is now up to seven goals, 14 assists, and 21 points in 15 playoff games.

For his career, the former No. 4 overall pick is now up to 84 points in 85 playoff games. Not bad for a player who had a reputation for being a playoff choker.

And for the Flyers, this is just another case of missed opportunity.

Repeating the Roy-for-Marner trade would have likely required them to part ways with someone like Noah Cates or Ryan Poehling; the latter was later packaged for Trevor Zegras instead.

Flyers Offseason: Odds Mitch Marner Trades the Maple Leafs for Philadelphia Are HighFans hoping the Philadelphia Flyers swing big for Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Mitch Marner might see their wish come true this summer. At least, that's what the oddsmakers are thinking.

Heading into this offseason, Flyers general manager Danny Briere stated outright that the team believed more players would be available in free agency, but Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov, and Artemi Panarin all took themselves off the market with contract extensions throughout the year.

So, the Flyers missed out on Marner, if they were ever in on him, and the Maple Leafs opted to send him to the Western Conference.

That scenario could very well play out again this summer, with big-ticket RFAs like Jason Robertson, Pavel Dorofeyev, and even Adam Fantilli potentially there for the taking.

But, to put into perspective how rare Marner's situation was, 2027 unrestricted free agents include Nikita Kucherov, Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Nico Hischier.

Kucherov is the only superstar forward in that group, and Hughes may be the only one who ends up on a new team, more than likely joining forces with Hischier on the New Jersey Devils.

Now that Marner and former Flyers John Tortorella and Carter Hart are within one win of reaching the Stanley Cup Final, now is a good time to reiterate that the Flyers must be opportunistic to be successful in their rebuild.

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

An illuminating conversation with Brenden Dillon:

What happened with the #NJDevils this season?@BDillon04 joined the guys and talked about the team's disappointing year and outlook with Sunny Mehta.

Full interview..https://t.co/XaBjIOZ3BLpic.twitter.com/OE3wYeIxZI

— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) May 21, 2026

“There have been conflicting reports about Simon Nemec and whether he requested a trade from the New Jersey Devils. Regardless, I think there is a very real chance Sunny Mehta trades Nemec this summer – and rightfully so. The 22-year-old is a flawed player and hasn’t come close to living up to the expectations that come with being selected 2nd overall in the draft.” [Infernal Access ($)]

“Sunny Mehta has a few tasks at hand as the New Jersey Devils’ new general manager. Among them is improving the team’s depth on defense and up front. One model he could look to is what Kyle Dubas has done as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ GM over the last year and change.” [Devils on the Rush]

Hockey Links

A bit of a stunning result in the Western Conference Final:

THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS TAKE GAME 3! ⚔️ #StanleyCup

Watch Game 4 between the @Avalanche and @GoldenKnights on TUESDAY at 9p ET on @espn, @Sportsnet, & @TVASports! pic.twitter.com/09eogAwoQq

— NHL (@NHL) May 25, 2026

What an impact John Tortorella has made with the @GoldenKnights… 👀

Wow. #StanleyCuppic.twitter.com/eMTRRssUWR

— NHL (@NHL) May 25, 2026

We are tied in the Eastern Conference Final:

THE CANES EVEN UP THE SERIES!! 🌪️ #StanleyCup

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final is MONDAY at 8p ET on @NHL_On_TNT, @Sportsnet, and @TVASports! pic.twitter.com/eWuadfuKpq

— NHL (@NHL) May 24, 2026

“There are still teams with significant raises for top players kicking in next year, along with other key unrestricted and restricted free agents who will demand more expensive contracts. The combination of those forces will leave a few organizations without the requisite cap space to bring everybody back.” [The Athletic ($)]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Vitals

Player: Egor Chinakhov
Born: February 1, 2001 (Age 24/25 season)
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 203 pounds
Hometown: Omsk, Russia
Shoots: Left
Draft: 2020 first round (21st overall) by the Columbus Blue Jackets
2025-26 Statistics: 72 games played, 21 goals, 21 assists = 42 points (w/ Penguins: 43 games played, 18 goals, 18 assists=36 points); 6 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists in playoffs.
Contract Status: Just completed a two-year contract originally signed with Columbus. Set to become a restricted free agent and is arbitration eligible.

Monthly Splits

via Yahoo!

For reference when looking at Chinakhov’s monthly splits for this season, he was acquired by the Penguins on December 29th from the Columbus Blue Jackets, and made his Penguins debut on January 1st. Knowing that removes any confusion about what stats belong with Columbus and which with Pittsburgh.

While he didn’t score in his debut with the Penguins on New Years Day, he didn’t wait long to make an impact with his new team, scoring in his second game just two nights later in Detroit, then adding another five in January and becoming one of the Penguins most valuable players in the second half of the season.

March was a make or break month for the Penguins playoff hopes, and they faced a daunting schedule without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for lengthy portions. That is exactly when the Penguins needed their depth to step up and Chinakhov held up his end of the bargain, scoring six goals and recording 15 points in 17 games to help keep the Penguins afloat during the crucial stretch.

Story of the Season

When a player is described as needing a fresh start or a change of scenery, it’s often deployed as just a nice way of saying that specific player isn’t very good. Since Kyle Dubas took over the Penguins front office, he has brought in a few names that have been labeled in that fashion and the results have been mostly as expected with those players.

Then there is Egor Chinakhov.

Brought over from Columbus just before the new year, Chinakhov carried the “change of scenery” moniker as a former first round pick who was struggling mightily with the Blue Jackets, recording just three goals and three assists through the first 29 games of the season. It was a high price for Dubas to pay for Chinakhov, sending over a second and third round pick plus Danton Heinen to Columbus, but the pay off was well worth the cost.

Chinakhov joined the Penguins at a critical juncture of their season, coming off a December that saw them go 5-5-4 and lose eight straight at one point, including a slew of embarrassing meltdowns that resulted in several blown multi-goal leads.

Although Chinakhov didn’t arrive in Pittsburgh until around the midway point of the 2025-26 season, his impact was felt the rest of the way. After making his Penguins debut on New Years Day, he scored nine goals in his first 20 games with the team leading into the Olympic break and helped them post a 12-3-3 in that same span, putting an ugly December behind them and giving them momentum for the home stretch once the season resumed.

Coming out of the break, the Penguins were sitting in a playoff spot but facing a daunting March slate and missing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Like many of his teammates, Chinakhov stepped up with an outstanding performance throughout this stretch, recording 15 points across 17 games that solidified the Penguins as a playoff team.

In total with the Penguins in 2025-26, Chinakhov played in 43 games, tallying 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points. That works out to a .84 points per game pace over an 82 game season and a massive improvement over his time with the Blue Jackets where he was at just a .21 PPG pace.

Regular season 5v5 advanced stats

Data via Natural Stat Trick. Ranking is out of 18 forwards on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes.

Corsi For%: 49.1% (10th)
Goals For%: 59.7% (2nd)
xGF%: 49.5% (16th)
Scoring Chance %: 48.8% (15th)
High Danger Scoring Chance%: 49.0% (18th)
5v5 on-ice shooting%: 13.4% (2nd)
On-ice save%: .909% (6th)
Goals/60: 1.72 (2nd)
Assist/60: 1.29 (6th)
Points/60: 3.01 (1st)

One thing Egor Chinakhov does very well is put the puck in the net. His shot speaks for itself and Penguins fans saw first hand just how lethal he is when the puck is on his stick. Chinakhov does not create many high danger opportunities on the ice but he doesn’t need to when he can shoot the puck as well as he does.

Chinakhov ranked second in both GF% and G/60, but the only players above him in those catrgories were Filip Hallander and Avery Hayes respectively, both who played significantly less minutes this season than Chinakhov. He was the only Penguins player to top a P/60 of three this season, and even though that number is isolated to his time with the Penguins and does not account for him time in Columbus, that gives him the fourth best P/60 in the entire league this season when just looking at his second half.

Charts n’at

Via Advanced Hockey Stats and NHL Edge

Chinakhov is an offensive weapon. His shot enables him to look very good on goals and finishing, it’s going to be exciting to see a full season’s worth of data next year with him in a scoring line role surrounded by players who can get the puck to him. Figuring out how to get a spot or role on the power play ought to be a top off-season coaching priority for Dan Muse to ponder to unlock even more from Chinakhov’s game to help the team.

Chinakhov’s shot is otherworldly, and his speed is right there to boot. Those are scarce skills to combine a shot like that on a player who can move as fast. Maybe Chinakhov is the long awaited good karma the Penguins were due for Konstantin Koltsov, a player with all the speed in the world, but cursed with cinder blocks at the end of each arm where his hands should have been.

The wildest part about the shot metrics are how many wrist/snap shots Chinakhov takes. He has almost unmatched velocity and often can release these just as quickly. As long as they’re on target, goalies don’t stand a chance against this type of power. Interestingly enough, however, according to NHL Edge, Chinakhov did not score a goal on any of his 10 hardest shots of the season.

The speed bursts and acceleration that Chinakhov regularly displays is just absurd. It’s one trait besides his shot that really makes him stand out on the ice and there were several instances this season where his speed caught defenders flat footed and created chances for the Penguins.

Highlights

I’m still taken back that Kyle Dubas traded a 2 and Heinen for EGOR Chinakhov

pic.twitter.com/xVynwfX57i

— Ken Craig (@Ken_PittDSEN) February 27, 2026

A quick pause in #Steelers news to have a moment to appreciate Egor Chinakhov. #LetsGoPenspic.twitter.com/ewwYHXFuc7

— Trey Carney (@CarneyMedia) March 9, 2026

Egor Chinakhov with a backhanded BEAUTY 👀 pic.twitter.com/tP5RjGmbrt

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 2, 2026

Egor Chinakhov has points in nine of his last 11 games (7G-3A).

Since he made his Penguins debut on January 1, no one has more goals than him ‼️ pic.twitter.com/vPGSmyHtlV

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 1, 2026

What a pass from Egor Chinakhov!! pic.twitter.com/R0hfnjEzkk

— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) April 9, 2026

MAKE IT 3️⃣

Egor Chinakhov scores late in the period to put the Pens up 3-0 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1aT1VShUjE

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) April 1, 2026

Evgeni Malkin with the smooth 🍎 to Egor Chinakhov 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/Y6kgwpGGpq

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) January 30, 2026

EGOR CHINAKHOV GETS THE PENS ON THE BOARD pic.twitter.com/xNMvQox4Ur

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) January 10, 2026

Malkin’s 2nd of the game set up nicely by Egor Chinakhov pic.twitter.com/dnU93AazEH

— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) March 17, 2026

Egor Chinakhov (4% owned) has looked like a whole new player since joining PIT.

With 2 more points (1G/1A) on Monday, he now has:

6 Pts (4G/2A) in last 6 GP
– 15 SOG (2.5 per game)
– 28 shot attempts

PP2/L2 with Malkin#LetsGoPens

pic.twitter.com/VTq3WDpdMN

— Beebs Bondy (@Beebsbondy) February 3, 2026

egor chinakhov shoot out goal 💥 pic.twitter.com/ZyNEeXdHdS

— xx jo (extend evgeni malkin) (@chinny_crosby) January 14, 2026

EGOR CHINAKHOV. RED HOT. 🥵 pic.twitter.com/DT0U5Nnqdf

— SleeperNHL (@SleeperNHL) February 4, 2026

CHINNY LEVELS UP! 📈

Egor Chinakhov hits a new career high in goals with 17. pic.twitter.com/QGbncVwMRk

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 24, 2026

It’s hard to quantify what Egor Chinakhov added to this team when he arrived in Pittsburgh.

But this man I believe was a large part of the Penguins going from a lottery team to a playoff team. pic.twitter.com/S7kb0wI0X6

— Penguins Jesus (@PenguinsJesus) April 11, 2026

Questions to ponder

What will Chinakhov’s next contract look like?

There is little reason to believe Chinakhov won’t be in a Penguins uniform next season, but he will need a new deal this summer since he is a pending restricted free agent. He made $2.1 million against the cap on his last deal that was signed with Columbus and he has surely done enough to warrant a pay raise on this deal. How much of a pay raise remains to be seen but given the Penguins cap space it won’t be any issue for them to take on.

Besides money, the other question regarding Chinakhov’s new deal will be length and that’s where more of the risk comes into play. Perhaps Dubas has seen enough and is convinced Chinakhov can live up to his first round billing and will feel confident in giving him a long term deal to remain in Pittsburgh. On the flip side, maybe Dubas is more interested in a bridge deal as a “prove it” challenge for Chinakhov. It will be interesting to see how this plays out between the front office and the player this summer.

Bonus question: What is Chinakhov’s ceiling as a player?

After coming over from Columbus in Decemeber, Chinakhov was an absolute offensive force for the Penguins. His numbers in Pittsburgh spread out across a full NHL schedule work out to roughly 35 goals and 70 points. That puts him in company with players like Adrian Kempe, Brandon Hagel, and fellow pending RFA Pavel Dorofeyev. Those are some pretty good comparables and the Penguins will be thrilled to have Chinakhov post those type of numbers.

It almost feels like we are putting blinders on when we only look at his work with the Penguins and ignore how bad he was in Columbus, but that team was a complete disaster until their midseason coaching change so it’s hard to know exactly what to make of that.

Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking, but given how good Chinakhov looked in the Penguins system, it doesn’t feel like that much of a stretch to think he could be a centerpiece for the Penguins future both in the short and long term.

Ideal 2026-27

Taking his 43 game sample size with the Penguins from this past season and extrapolating it over the course of 84 games is the ideal scenario for Chinakhov next season. He’s more than earned a top-six role and as long as he’s playing with guys who can get the puck on his stick he can do the rest with his speed and shooting ability.

His own playmaking ability gets overshadowed by his lethal shot, but in his time with the Penguins this season he showed that he was more than capable of dishing the puck just as well. Getting him looks from his teammates combined with setting up chances for his teammates will go a long way towards the Penguins success in 2026-27.

One major focus for the Penguins this offseason involving Chinakhov will be figuring out a way to get him more power play time, ideally by getting him a permanent spot on the top unit with the likes of Crosby and Karlsson. Simply having his shot lingering as a threat should be enough to open up opportunities for others on the ice, but knowing he needs little space to get shots on net at even strength, the extra space on the man advantage could turn him into even more of a weapon and fully unleash his game.

Bottom line

There’s no question about it, Egor Chinakhov has been one of the more important and impactful acquisitions by Kyle Dubas since he came to Pittsburgh. From a healthy scratch in Columbus to a top-six mainstay with the Penguins, Chinakhov shattered whatever expectations anyone had of him when he was acquired.

It didn’t take long for his game to blossom in the Penguins system and it has everyone wondering what exactly the Blue Jackets were doing that they failed to unleash the player we were watching on a nightly basis. His shot is lethal, he can skate by you in a flash, and he has playmaking ability that the Penguins were sorely lacking in years past. Every shot he takes feels like a rocket coming off his stick, and more than once did he score where no one was actually sure the puck went in the net or not.

There is a new deal to iron out this summer between the Penguins and Chinakhov and it’s a deal he certainly earned with his play once the Penguins traded for him in December. If he can continue to develop and be the player we saw in the second half of the season, then it’s a safe bet he’ll have a home in Pittsburgh for many years to come.

Final Grade

A.

It’s fair to say the Penguins probably don’t survive that March stretch without Chinakhov playing at the level he did. With Crosby battling injury and Malkin either being suspended or injured himself, the Penguins needed players to step up and Chinakhov was one who did on almost a nightly basis.

Even outside of that March stretch, it was clear Chinakhov brought something to the Penguins that they did not have on the roster before he arrived and helped take an already good offense and make it that much better. Working closely with fellow Russian Malkin seems to have unlocked something in Chinakhov that remained buried during his time in Columbus.

If there was one knock on Chinakhov from this season it’s his performance in the playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers. In his first taste of playoff hockey, he put up a goose egg in all offensive categories over the six games. It wasn’t even that his process in those games was bad he just could not buy a goal and the Penguins were desperately in need of some.

All in all though, not much to complain about from Chinakhov in his first stint with the Penguins. He’s an exciting player who revitalized his career and has the makings of a player who could be a very important piece in what Kyle Dubas is trying to build in Pittsburgh.

Nine years ago today, Chris Kunitz scored one of the most memorable goals in Pittsburgh Penguins history with a double overtime game-winning goal in Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Final.

The Penguins were looking to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 2017 after beating the Sharks to win the title in 2016.

Pittsburgh bullied their way past the Blue Jackets and won a second-round matchup against the Capitals for a second straight season, earning a spot in the Eastern Conference Final for the fifth time in ten seasons.

The Ottawa Senators and their defensive way of stifling offense gave Pittsburgh fits throughout the series, holding the Penguins to three goals for the first three games.

The Penguins managed to battle through the slog, winning Game 4 and Game 5 to put the Senators on the brink of elimination.

Ottawa held serve at home, sending things back to Pittsburgh for a series-deciding Game 7.

Chris Kunitz opened the scoring, but Mark Stone quickly equalized.

Justin Schultz gave the Penguins a third period lead, but again, the Senators wouldn’t go away as Ryan Dzingel tied the game 2-2.

Overtime was up next, followed by a second overtime period.

Then came one of Chris Kunitz’s career-defining moments.

The Penguins were headed back to the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth time since 2008.

Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Tuesday, 9 p.m. EDT

LINE: Avalanche -120, Golden Knights +100; over/under is 6

STANLEY CUP SEMIFINALS: Golden Knights lead series 3-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Colorado Avalanche in the third round of the NHL Playoffs with a 3-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Sunday for the seventh time this season. The Golden Knights won the last matchup 5-3.

Vegas has gone 25-14-9 in home games and 39-26-17 overall. The Golden Knights have a 48-7-11 record in games they score at least three goals.

Colorado has a 55-16-11 record overall and a 32-9-5 record on the road. The Avalanche are 31-7-6 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent.

TOP PERFORMERS: Pavel Dorofeyev has 37 goals and 27 assists for the Golden Knights. Mitchell Marner has seven goals and 10 assists over the last 10 games.

Nathan MacKinnon has 53 goals and 74 assists for the Avalanche. Gabriel Landeskog has scored four goals with five assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 8-2-0, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.1 assists, 3.8 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game.

Avalanche: 6-4-0, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.3 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: Jeremy Lauzon: out (upper-body).

Avalanche: Cale Makar: day to day (undisclosed).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche have faced very little adversity so far this postseason. They swept the Los Angeles Kings without much ado, and dispatched the Minnesota Wild in just five games. But after blowing a three-goal lead in Game 3 to fall behind 3-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final, the Avalanche are learning just how quickly snow melts in the deserts of Nevada.

This time last week, the Avalanche were a team destined for greatness, and for their second Stanley Cup in five years. Nearly every writer and analyst in the hockey world predicted this series going in the other direction, and for good reason.

What everyone failed to take into account is just how much the Golden Knights thrive on being counted out. 

Game 4 of the Western Conference Final is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. PST on Tuesday.

1. Had Us in the First Half, Not Gonna Lie…

When the Golden Knights were down 2-0, Pavel Dorofeyev scored on the power play to cut the Avalanche’s lead in half. Or, at least, he thought he did. Instead, the goal was waved off, and the officials upheld the call on the ice. Just 36 seconds later, Jack Drury scored shorthanded to give his team an insurmountable 3-0 lead.

As it turned out, that insurmountable three-goal lead wasn’t insurmountable in the slightest. 

“The period ends,” said Mark Stone following the win. “That’s probably the best thing that happened to us— the period ends.”

In a year where miraculous comebacks were the norm, the Golden Knights did something tonight that they failed to do all season: they came back from a three-goal deficit. And they did so against an Avalanche team that was 52-0-0 with a multi-goal lead.

2. Return of the Cap

Golden Knights Captain Mark Stone returned to the lineup for Game 3 after missing the previous five games with a lower-body injury. He slotted in on the third line with Tomáš Hertl and Colton Sissons and made his impact felt almost immediately. He threw four hits in his 15:45 TOI, jump-started the comeback with his power play goal, and assisted on Hertl’s game-winner.

“He does a lot for our team, on the ice and off the ice,” said Mitch Marner postgame. “His leadership, the intensity he brings to every game… It’s big to have 61 back. It’s great to have him in the locker room.”

Of course, no one is happier about Stone’s return to the lineup than Stone himself.

“I don't like watching, ever,” said Stone following the 5-3 win. “I want to play every game. It’s been an unfortunate part of my career, sitting out. But this time of year, it definitely is harder.”

3. Can We Say That?

Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella had just one thing to say about his team following the 5-3 comeback win.

“This was a game where we showed some balls,” Tortorella said postgame. “I want them to feel it for a little bit, as far as what they just did against a really good hockey club.”

Tortorella was absolutely right. Facing a three-goal deficit against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the first period, the Golden Knights easily could have folded. They didn’t.

Instead, they chipped away at Colorado’s lead, gaining more and more confidence with every goal. The Golden Knights were an avalanche, and the Avalanche– who were such a powerhouse during the regular season and in the first two rounds of the playoffs– were powerless to stop it.

“We’re a team that doesn’t have any quit,” said Mitch Marner following the 5-3 win. “We want to make sure every game, regardless of the score, we’re fighting and trying to come back.”

Things were supposed to be different as the Western Conference Final series between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights shifted to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. And for a period it appeared the visitors were back on track, but ultimately a collapse led to a 5-2 loss as the Avalanche are now in a 0-3 series deficit and on the brink of elimination.

The Game

First, the fun stuff.

Gabe Landeskog opened the scoring just three minutes into the game, giving Avalanche fans a sense of relief that the required fast start did, in fact, come to fruition. Four minutes later Nazem Kadri added to the lead on a slick pass from Martin Nečas.

On a Vegas power play it appeared that Pavel Dorofeyev scored as the puck hit off the shaft of his stick. The officials initially waived it off thinking the puck hit his hand. Apparently video evidence as in inclusive so the original no-goal call stood. A break for the Avalanche and they doubled down on it in short order as Jack Drury took the puck shorthanded and made a nice deke to beat Carter Hart to the post. A 3-0 lead and 16-7 shot advantage was just what the doctor ordered for Colorado after 20 minutes of play.

#HockeyOps explains "no goal" video review at 12:32 of the first period in the @GoldenKnights / @Avalanche game.https://t.co/oxTVMv4oKB

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 25, 2026

Unfortunately this game lasted longer than 20 minutes as the positives started unraveling almost immediately as the second period began. Mark Stone, just off the injured list himself scored on the power play just 19 seconds into the frame. No time to panic but William Karlsson scored for Vegas four minutes later to officially get back in the game. Keegan Kolesar tipped a Dylan Coghlan shot at the midpoint to tie the game at 3-3 and Vegas didn’t look back.

In the third period Colorado looked cooked as they could only muster seven shots on goal. Vegas got the go-ahead tally as Tomas Hertl walked Sam Malinski and shot the puck past Scott Wedgewood at the midpoint of the period. Colorado received their fourth power play late in the frame but looked laughably disjointed on it. Then, it was only a matter of time before Vegas cashed in on the empty net from Brett Howden to arrive at the 5-2 final score and 0-3 series deficit for the Avalanche.

Takeaways

Injuries will become a major talking point (excuse) moving forward. Despite getting Cale Makar back at clearly less than 100% this contest unfortunately saw Nathan MacKinnon take a puck off of his knee late in the second period. He tried to come back in the third but only lasted a shift until he was put on power play and extra attacker only duty. Val Nichushkin also was absent the entire third period with an undisclosed ailment. There was no update on either player in the post game.

This seemed like the game where things were going right for the Avalanche. With the three-goal lead and a crucial call that went their way, things were unfolding nicely to at least give the Avalanche some much-needed momentum if only for one game. The most alarming part is how that success was so short-lived, they couldn’t even get this game to overtime. Postgame Jared Bednar admitted morale is cratering. Can this team muster up enough moxie to make it a series or is it already over?

Jared Bednar on the team morale: "It's low. It's as low as you can get. … Gotta find a way to get over it."

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) May 25, 2026

Upcoming

One more contest in Vegas for Game 4 as the Avalanche hope to begin the road to saving their season. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. MT on Tuesday, May 26th.