Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski wins Norris Trophy
Zach Werenski is the top NHL defenseman for 2026 after putting together a season that earned him the James Norris Memorial Trophy.
A year after finishing second for the award to Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar in 2025, Werenski put together another outstanding season for the Blue Jackets that pushed him into the top spot among voters in the Professional Hockey Writers Association over Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar and Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin.
"I think the biggest thing for me last year, being a finalist, is I wanted to prove to not only myself, but to everyone, that last season wasn’t a fluke and I could do it again," Werenski said. "I felt like I always had the talent, but in terms of my full game, I felt like last year was ... really my first breakout year, and I wanted to prove to myself that it wasn't just a one-off."
Mission accomplished.
"Obviously, we fell short of our ultimate goal, which was making the playoffs, but we made strides, and I definitely proved that it wasn’t just a fluke, and it wasn’t just a one-year thing and I can play at that level, and I can be in the conversation with those great defensemen," Werenski said. "Really proud of it."
The Norris Trophy voting tabulations were announced June 2 by the NHL, which released the news along with a video of Werenski getting the Trophy in a surprise visit from a camera crew June 24 while he and his wife, Odette, hosted a family get together with their newborn son, Hudson.
"I think the only people who knew were Odette and my brother [Brad], so just seeing my parents' reaction, everyone that was over, that’s the best part about it all is how surprised they were," Werenski said. "I definitely, maybe, thought something was coming, but like I said, until you actually see that it's here, and you hear the words, 'You're the Norris winner,' it's just in your mind. It's just a thought."
Werenski is the first Blue Jackets defenseman and sixth American-born player to win the Norris Trophy, joining Rod Langway, Chris Chelios, Brian Leetch, Adam Fox and Quinn Hughes. He trains with Hughes in Detroit during offseasons, and they became even closer while leading the U.S. to an Olympic gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
Hughes won the Norris Trophy in 2024.
"He just kept telling me all year, like, ‘This is yours to lose,’ and, ‘Go for it,’ and it gave me a ton of confidence," Werenski said. "So, I thought that was cool that I'm going to be up there with my peers and guys I've played against and guys that have pushed me to be better."
Older names included on the trophy left an impression, too, including former Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom, a seven-time Norris winner. Werenski, who's from the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, grew up watching Lidstrom play. Now, their names are linked forever on the same trophy.
"One of the first names I looked for was Nick Lidstrom," Werenski said. "It’s not hard to find because he’s on there seven times, but that's probably the one that I really looked for right away. I grew up watching him, obviously, being from Detroit. I knew how special a player he was, and to win it once is an incredible feeling, but to do what he did is ... it’s insane."
Columbus Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski still in his NHL prime
Werenski may have more in his future, too.
He doesn't turn 29 until July, and he's become an elite offensive defenseman. His defensive play certainly factored into finishing first, but Werenski's unique offensive acumen is what put him over the top with 81 points on 22 goals and 59 assists in 75 games. Leading the Blue Jackets in scoring for the second consecutive season as a defenseman swayed enough voters to complete a memorable 16-month span.
Despite the Blue Jackets stumbling from playoff contention, he helped the U.S. win gold on a play he sparked in overtime of the gold medal game, stealing the puck from Canadian superstar Nathan MacKinnon and sending a pass to Hughes' brother, Jack, for the golden goal in a 2-1 victory.
Months earlier, Werenski also helped the U.S. break a long championship drought in May 2025 at the men’s world championships in Stockholm, Sweden, giving him two international gold medals playing for the U.S. in less than a year's time. Prior to that, he also helped the U.S. win a silver medal at the NHL's inaugural 2025 Four Nations Face-Off.
During each gold medal celebration, Werenski made sure to honor deceased former Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau along with his U.S. teammates, displaying his No. 13 jersey each time and taking it a step further in the Olympic celebration by carrying two of Gaudreau’s three young children onto the ice for the team's victory photo.
Three months later, Werenski became a father for the first time when Odette gave birth to Hudson. Now, on top of those career and life milestones, Werenski is the first Blue Jackets defensemen to win the Norris Trophy and a first-time recipient of the award, which is named after James E. Norris, a longtime Red Wings owner.
"You know, I think if you look back to [2025] world championships, even as far [back] as [Four Nations] two seasons ago, it’s been an awesome year and a half for me," Werenski said. "It’s a long list of accomplishments, and you know, I wouldn't be here without a great support system, and a great family and great friends, and this just caps off a really great two seasons for me, and I feel very honored. I feel very blessed."
Since the Jackets selected him eighth overall in 2015, Werenski has matured into a homegrown superstar and now the NHL’s top defenseman. That’s why former GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who drafted him, made Werenski the Blue Jackets’ top defenseman and highest-paid player July 29, 2021, by signing him to a six-year contract worth $59.5 million.
That deal, which has two seasons left, was announced about a month after Kekalainen traded Werenski’s former defense partner, Seth Jones, to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Jackets received an enticing return package that allowed them to draft forward Cole Sillinger 12th overall in 2021 and defenseman David Jiricek sixth overall in 2022, but the deal also made Werenski their top defenseman.
Aside from injuries that limited his availability for two years (2021-2023), Werenski has capitalized on the opportunity to play a huge role. In the past two seasons combined, he ranks second among all NHL defensemen in points [163], third in goals [45], fifth in assists [118], first in shots [558] and second in ice time [26:41].
He also tops every all-time defensive scoring record for the Blue Jackets by sitting first in points [465], goals [135], assists [330] and power-play goals [29] while also leading in games played [642] by defensemen.
Unlike many of his blue-line peers around the NHL, though, Werenski has skated with numerous partners on the Blue Jackets’ top defensive pairing since Jones left. The past two years, it's been Dante Fabbro for most of 2024-25 followed by a combination of Damon Severson, Ivan Provorov, Denton Mateychuk and Fabbro this past season.
Unfazed by the rotation, Werenski plugged along for another remarkable campaign that finished with a coveted NHL trophy. He's not done, either. Far from it.
"I don’t want to stop here," Werenski said. "I feel like the second you get complacent is the second you get passed up, and I want to keep playing for a long time. I want to play for my son, for my family. There’s so much motivation out there, and I still haven’t won the ultimate goal, which is the Stanley Cup. I really haven’t played in the playoffs or had much success in the playoffs, ever, so there's more motivation than ever for me to be even better next season to try and play in the playoffs."
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski wins Norris Trophy
Avalanche Name Joe Sakic GM Again After Chris MacFarland Leaves for Nashville
We got word that the Colorado Avalanche granted the Nashville Predators permission to speak with Chris MacFarland about the Predators’ General Manager position. That news quickly led to the announcement of his hiring and his move on from the Avalanche organization.
The former GM in Colorado just so happens to be proven and beloved Avalanche legend Joe Sakic, who will now resume the duties he held for the Avalanche from 2014 to 2021.
Sakic was promoted to President of Hockey Operations in 2022, at which time Chris MacFarland was promoted to GM of the Avalanche. He and Sakic worked together to build the 2022 Cup champion and every Avs team since then.
After Colorado’s untimely and unexpected elimination from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, fans and pundits looked to see what changes would result from the collapse.
Well, we have an answer: Chris MacFarland out, Sakic back in, and we have word that the Avalanche will not be moving on from Jared Bednar.
Chris Earned It
Now, I’m not going to pretend I have been a fan of every single move we’ve seen MacFarland make over his tenure in Colorado, but I will say he did plenty to prove that any team in the league would do well to secure his services.
He successfully re-vamped an Avalanche crease that was costing the team dearly, leveraged Mikko Rantanen for a 100-point scorer that’s signed into the future, and a depth centerman that could be a focal part of the bottom six for years to come.
Most impressively, he helped Sakic form the stacked 2022 Stanley Cup Champion team.
I would argue the “cup window” pressured MacFarland into short-sighted dealings, and where I see his shortcomings, I really see the risk side of a high-risk/high-reward strategy.
Most fans and pundits agree with the philosophy because you can’t waste Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar’s prime to develop younger, less proven talent.
Sakic Still Has His Guy
When Joe Sakic got the GM gig in 2014, fellow Avs legend Patrick Roy was the head coach of a team with budding superstar talent in Nathan MacKinnon, but Roy’s time as head coach was stained by a sophomore slump for MacK and an older, less successful group in 2015. That, along with issues with roster control and management, led to Roy’s leaving in 2016 just ahead of training camp.
When the Avalanche looked for a replacement, Joe Sakic chose Jared Bednar, who many viewed as a shoo-in for the gig as soon as Roy left. With little time to get prepared, Bednar’s Colorado Avalanche stumbled out of the gate.
Many viewed Bednar’s hiring as a huge risk as he had zero NHL coaching experience at the time, but had won at every level below.
When Bednar’s Avalanche only amassed 48 points in Colorado’s worst regular season ever, Joe Sakic gave Bednar a vote of confidence in the following quote for the Denver Post.
“As I told you last time, there is no thought otherwise. He’s coming back… I like the way Jared handles himself. He didn’t make excuses. He came to work every day.”
We all know what happened after that, but I’ll sum it up: Jared Bednar won a cup at the NHL level and is the Avalanche’s all-time winningest head coach.
Needless to say, if Sakic is back behind the GM’s desk, Jared Bednar is still his guy.
I, for one, think this team is in desperate need of a consistent message, and with fewer voices at the top and a what feels like a more reserved decision-maker in Sakic, I think this move can re-establish some order in that regard.
Let us know what you think of the shake-up in the comments!
Nashville Predators hire Chris MacFarland as president of hockey operations, GM
The Nashville Predators have hired Chris MacFarland to be their president of hockey operations and general manager, luring him away from their Central Division rival Colorado Avalanche.
MacFarland, who has spent the past 11 seasons with the Avalanche, will take over the duties performed by general manager Barry Trotz. Trotz announced his retirement on Feb. 2, but will stay on with the Predators in an advisory role.
In a news release, Predators majority owner Bill Haslam said that MacFarland was one of their main targets throughout the search. The Avalanche were eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Western Conference finals on May 26.
"We conducted an exhaustive search and were able to meet with several very qualified and impressive candidates," Haslam said. "But all along, we were hopeful to interview Chris (MacFarland). He turned out to be a perfect fit for us, just what we were looking for to lead our organization moving forward."
MacFarland, 56, has been with Colorado since 2015, when he was named assistant general manager. In 2022, he took over the general manager position from Joe Sakic, who was elevated to president of hockey operations.
Sakic will move back the general manager role at least through the start of free agency.
While MacFarland was with Colorado, the Avalanche built a loaded roster that includes Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon and two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar. MacFarland is directly credited with signing MacKinnon to an eight-year deal in 2022, but he also worked alongside Sakic during the Avalanche's rebuild era — an era that developed MacKinnon into a superstar and the drafting of Makar in 2017.
MacFarland also oversaw several key trades, including sending Matt Duchene to Ottawa in 2018 in exchange for three draft picks and defenseman Samuel Girard in a three-team deal.
Colorado's success the past decade is undeniable. After finishing in last place in the league in 2017, the Avalanche have made the playoffs nine consecutive seasons (2018-2026) and won the Stanley Cup in 2022. This season, they won the Presidents' Trophy with the best record in the league. Accurately assigning credit for that success is difficult, but MacFarland had a role during all of it.
Prior to his time in Colorado, MacFarland was director of hockey operations and assistant general manager with the Columbus Blue Jackets for 14 seasons (2000 to 2015).
According to the Avalanche website, MacFarland has "worked in nearly every facet of the organization including scouting at the professional and amateur level, player contract negotiations, salary cap management and arbitration, collective bargaining agreement administration, budgeting and team scheduling issues."
A New York native, MacFarland played hockey at Pace University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business in 1992 and a law degree in 1998. He began his career as an intern in the NHL’s New York office in 1993-94 and also worked in the NHL's productions office.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Predators hire Chris MacFarland as president, general manager
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes: Stanley Cup Final Game 1 Preview
On Tuesday, the Vegas Golden Knights will play Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Puck drop is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. PST.
Carter Hart starts in goal for the Golden Knights. Hart has a record of 12-4 and an average save percentage of .924 in 16 games this postseason.
Freddie Anderson starts in goal for the Hurricanes. Anderson has a record of 12-1, three shutouts, and an average save percentage of .931 in 13 games this postseason.
Golden Knights Lines
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Colton Sissons — Tomáš Hertl — Mark Stone
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar
Defense
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Jeremy Lauzon — Dylan Coghlan
Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill
Hurricanes Lines
Andrei Svechnikov — Sebastian Aho — Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall — Logan Stankoven — Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers — Jordan Staal — Jordan Martinook
William Carrier — Mark Jankowski — Eric Robinson
Defense
Jaccob Slavin — Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller — Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere — Alexander Nikishin
Goaltenders: Freddie Anderson / Brandon Bussi
Special Teams
VGK power play: 23.9%, 4th
VGK penalty kill: 87.5%, 5th
Hurricanes power play: 12.5%, 13th
Hurricanes penalty kill: 92.5%, 2nd
Game Notes
The Golden Knights are 14-11 in Game 1s in franchise history. They have won both Game 1s during their two Stanley Cup Final appearances.
Historically, teams that take a 1-0 series lead go on to win 70.3% of the time.
The Golden Knights won both games against the Hurricanes during the regular season and outscored Carolina 10-4.
Mitch Marner is the postseason leader in scoring with 21 points (7G, 14A).
Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden lead the league with ten postseason goals.
Jack Eichel leads the league in assists this postseason with 16.
During Media Day on Monday, head coach John Tortorella reiterated that the most important thing for a player to have is the right mindset. He says that the Golden Knights have mental toughness, and that’s why they’re winners.
How to Watch
TV: ESPN
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340
Predators Land Chris MacFarland As Colorado Returns To Sakic At Helm
Colorado’s front office is heading into a familiar-looking transition point, as Chris MacFarland moves on from the Avalanche after more than a decade with the organization to take over hockey operations in Nashville.
Nashville Makes Its Move
The Nashville Predators officially named MacFarland their new president of hockey operations and general manager on Tuesday, filling the most important vacancy in their organization with one of the NHL’s most experienced executives.
MacFarland leaves Colorado after 11 years with the club, including the past several seasons as general manager following Joe Sakic’s transition to president of hockey operations after the Avalanche’s 2022 Stanley Cup win.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, MacFarland had conversations with Predators owner Bill Haslam on Monday after being given permission by Colorado to speak with Nashville.
“We could not be more pleased that Chris has elected to join the Predators organization and lead our hockey operations group,” Haslam said in a statement. “We conducted an exhaustive search and were able to meet with several very qualified and impressive candidates, but all along, we were hopeful to interview Chris. He turned out to be a perfect fit for us — just what we were looking for to lead our organization moving forward."
Nashville had been searching for a permanent hockey operations leader since Barry Trotz stepped away from the general manager role in February.
Colorado Turns The Page Internally
Back in Denver, the Avalanche confirmed that Joe Sakic will step back into general manager duties “for the foreseeable future,” covering key upcoming moments like the NHL Draft and the start of free agency.
Avalanche owner Josh Kroenke expressed gratitude for MacFarland’s long run with the organization and the role he played in shaping the current roster core.
"Chris was instrumental in our success over the last decade and a key part of our 2022 Stanley Cup championship. This was an opportunity for him to take on a bigger role with the Predators while being closer to his family. We wish him and his family all the best in Nashville."
MacFarland officially took over as GM in 2022 and helped maintain Colorado’s status as a consistent contender. The Avalanche reached the playoffs in every season of his tenure as general manager, including a Presidents’ Trophy campaign this year. That season ultimately ended in disappointment with a sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final.
Now in Nashville, MacFarland steps into a situation that has been aggressive but inconsistent. The Predators fell just short of the playoffs this season despite major offseason swings, including the additions of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.
“I know this is a proud organization with a solid track record of putting together teams that the fans of Smashville support wholeheartedly," MacFarland said in a statement. "My goal here is to build a winner, working with Bill Haslam, Sean Henry and our hockey operations staff and players to put a team on the ice that will compete for the Stanley Cup. I am excited about our future.”
With the move, Nashville completes its search for a top executive, while Colorado stays the course with a familiar structure under Sakic heading into a crucial offseason.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes Expert Picks & Game 1 Best Bets
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The Stanley Cup Final is finally here.
The Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes begin their quest for hockey's ultimate prize when they meet in Game 1 tonight at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC.
With both teams just four wins away from lifting the Stanley Cup, puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET as our Covers experts break down their top NHL picks and predictions for the series opener.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes expert picks tonight
| Pick | Odds |
|---|---|
Todd Cordell:  Pavel Dorofeyev over 0.5 points | -120 |
Todd Cordell:  Jackson Blake over 0.5 points | -135 |
| Quinn Allen: Logan Stankoven anytime goal | +220 |
Odds courtesy of BET99.
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Todd Cordell's expert pick: Pavel Dorofeyev Over 0.5 points
Price: -120 at BET99
Pavel Dorofeyev has taken off since being promoted to the top line alongside Jack Eichel. He has averaged an ultra-efficient 3.53 points per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play while generating expected goals at an elite clip.
Dorofeyev is also a big threat on the man advantage, where he leads the Vegas Golden Knights in goals and shots during the playoffs.
He is an exceptional shooter and generates plenty of looks. He will really test Frederik Andersen, who is riding a high now but posted a highly underwhelming .874 save percentage during the regular season.
Expect Dorofeyev to hit the scoresheet in Game 1.
Betable to -130.
Todd Cordell's expert pick: Jackson Blake Over 0.5 points
Price: -135 at BET99
The Noah Hanifin - Rasmus Andersson pairing has lost their 5-on-5 minutes on the scoreboard and controlled just 41.20% of the expected goals share, ranking them 16th out of 17 pairings to log 100+ minutes in the playoffs.
John Tortorella is giving them a lot of defensive zone starts, which doesn’t make life easy, but they’re still struggling to limit chances and keep the puck out.
Jackson Blake leads the Carolina Hurricanes in offensive zone start percentage (89.57%), expected goals, and time on ice at 5-on-5. He is the most likely candidate to take advantage. Play to -150.
Quinn Allen's expert pick: Logan Stankoven to score
Price: +220 at BET99
Logan Stankoven is flourishing in these playoffs with nine goals in just 13 games, but the underlying metrics suggest the production is no fluke.
His 4.1 individual expected goals rank third on the Carolina Hurricanes behind only Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake, while he also sits third on the team in high-danger chances created per 60 minutes (17.98).
Carolina is also controlling 67.8% of shots on goal with Stankoven on the ice at 5-on-5, highlighting his ability to drive offensive-zone pressure. He registered 11 shots across the final two games of the Eastern Conference Final and scored in both contests.
I'll play this pick to +180.
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Canadiens' Florian Xhekaj Is Big Breakout Candidate For Next Season
The Montreal Canadiens are one of the most exciting teams in the NHL. They not only made it to the Eastern Conference Final this year but also have plenty of promising prospects in their system. Florian Xhekaj is among them, as the 21-year-old forward has the potential to emerge as an impactful NHL forward.
Xhekaj appeared in his first five career NHL games this season with the Canadiens, where he recorded an assist, seven penalty minutes, and nine hits. Down in the AHL with the Laval Rocket this season, he had 17 goals, 29 points, and 182 penalty minutes in 64 games. This is after he had 24 goals, 35 points, and 175 penalty minutes in 69 games for Laval in 2024-25.
Overall, Xhekaj has shown promise at the AHL level. Because of this, the 6-foot-3 forward is a breakout candidate to watch for the 2026-27 season. It would not be surprising in the slightest if the young forward takes another step forward in his development and cements himself a spot in the Canadiens' bottom six because of it.
Xhekaj's toughness and grit are hard to ignore, but he has also shown at the AHL level that he has a bit of a scoring touch. It will be interesting to see if he can translate this kind of play over to the NHL next season with Montreal, but it is hard not to feel optimistic about his future with the club.
Vegas and Carolina rugged and rolling as they open a Stanley Cup Final nearly a decade in the making
RALEIGH, N.C. — Rod Brind’Amour knows the exact moment he realized the Carolina Hurricanes could be Stanley Cup contenders.
“Eight years ago,” he said. That was when Brind’Amour took over as coach, beginning a journey of making the playoffs every year and falling short of the final each time until now.
The Vegas Golden Knights were born nine years ago, but from the time they pillaged the rest of the NHL in the expansion draft through this spring, they have set championship expectations. They made the final in their inaugural season and won it all in 2023. Their third visit to the Cup Final perhaps is their most surprising.
This Vegas-Carolina final almost is a decade in the making for a pair of teams in non-traditional markets that have become powerhouses. The collision course brought them to this moment, a best-of-seven series that begins with Game 1.
“It’s for all the marbles,” Golden Knights forward Cole Smith said. “Just the way they play, they play a really fast game. So do we. It’s going to be a really great series.”
Brind’Amour has been a Carolina constant
The Hurricanes won their only Stanley Cup championship in 2006, when Brind’Amour was their captain. He played 9 1/2 seasons for them and spent seven more as an assistant before getting named coach in 2018. He has been a part of 98 of Carolina’s 100 playoff victories since the franchise formerly known as the Whalers moved from Hartford in ’97.
“Roddy’s been at the helm of it the whole time and just establishing the culture that we do have here,” said defenseman Jaccob Slavin, now in his 11th season with the team. “It’s been building and building and we’ve been close and knocking at the door. I think we finally just have the right personnel, the right commitment, the right buy-in because our game really hasn’t changed.”
Slavin, captain Jordan Staal, grinder Jordan Martinook and center Sebastian Aho have been together since the time Brind’Amour got promoted, and wingers Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis and goaltender Frederik Andersen got added the well-established core along the way. The Hurricanes won at least one series every year but had never strung together three in a row.
“We’ve been trying really hard for eight years, and it’s not anybody’s fault,” Martinook said. “It’s just we’ve fallen short.”
What has been different for the Hurricanes
Logan Stankoven, acquired at the trade deadline last year when Mikko Rantanen was sent to Dallas six weeks after Carolina got him from Colorado, has thrived at center on the second line between Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake. Stankoven leads the team with nine goals.
Hall, who came from Chicago in that initial three-way trade with Rantanen, tops the Hurricanes with 16 points. Nikolaj Ehlers, signed last summer as a free agent, had a monster Game 2 of the East final after they lost the series opener, including scoring the overtime winner.
“I don’t think I’ve done anything special to get this group (here),” Ehlers said. “This group was ready for it.”
Carolina is 12-1 this playoffs, the fewest losses to get to the final since 1983. Brind’Amour feels like this is where his team has belonged for a long time but still has unfinished business.
“I don’t think we have broken through,” Brind’Amour said. “You’ve got to win. I know everyone makes a lot about getting this far, but nobody’s going to remember who comes in second.”
The Golden Knights were winners from the start
Vegas came in second during its inaugural season when no one expected the expansion team to be any good. The Golden Knights went all the way to the final before losing to Washington in five games.
“Set the tone right away,” said center William Karlsson, one of the three original so-called “Misfits” who are still around from the beginning. “That came out of nowhere.”
First general manager George McPhee plucking Karlsson, defensemen Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb and winger Reilly Smith — back after a year and a half absence — from other teams put Vegas in position to succeed. Smart selections in the draft, free agent signings and trades by McPhee and now-GM Kelly McCrimmon established a standard of winning at all costs.
“It’s what you want to be as an athlete,” McNabb said. “You want to be on a team that does that.”
In came Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev and Alex Pietrangelo, and the Knights won the Cup in their sixth season. They’ve only missed the playoffs once.
What has been different for the Golden Knights
Pietrangelo’s career-ending injury opened space to deal for Mitch Marner on June 30. Marner leads all scorers in the playoffs with 21 points, succeeding at a time of year that he never did in nearly a decade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“I think our team is deeper and a better team than what he had played on in Toronto,” McCrimmon said. “Not that Toronto didn’t have real good teams, but you have to have that depth throughout your roster because to go through three rounds or ultimately, hopefully, four rounds, everybody’s got to take their turn.”
Pavel Dorofeyev has been a breakout star on that front, and he and teammate Brett Howden are tied for the most postseason goals with 10 apiece. Karlsson returned in the second round after missing the previous six months with an undisclosed injury.
Goaltender Carter Hart, a controversial signing last fall after he and four other Hockey Canada junior players were acquitted of sexual assault, has rounded into form. Hart stopped 118 of 125 shots in a West final sweep of Colorado.
And, most notably, Vegas has won 19 of 24 games since McCrimmon fired coach Bruce Cassidy in late March and hired John Tortorella, whom he had never met or spoken with before.
“We asked ourselves, ‘Who can come in and give us that kind of a bump?’” McCrimmon said. “John was the guy that we really felt strongly could do that.”
Golden Knights and Hurricanes built their Stanley Cup Final teams in different ways
RALEIGH, N.C. — On the eve of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes, one of the general managers involved laid out his thinking when making roster moves.
“We want to be aggressive off the ice,” the GM said. “When you have a chance to add really high-end players, we never want to miss out on it.”
While the Golden Knights under Kelly McCrimmon deservedly have earned their reputation for going after every high-end player available, that sentiment came from Carolina’s Eric Tulsky, whose team generally has been considered far more selective.
The Hurricanes have taken bigger leaps since Tulsky took over two years ago, but his challenge has been finding particular players who fit coach Rod Brind’Amour’s demanding style. The Golden Knights have added one big star after another, in the name of trying to win it all for a second time in less than a decade of existence.
One approach will end with hoisting the Cup.
“It probably should be more fun than we appreciate in the moment,” McCrimmon said. “We have made a lot of big decisions over our time in the league — very bold. I always say that to be big or bold is one thing. You’ve got to make good decisions, and I think that we’ve collectively through our hockey ops have done a good job of that. It’s exhilarating to win.”
Building the Hurricanes
Six Carolina players were drafted and developed, including No. 1 defenseman Jaccob Slavin, top-line forwards Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, and young building-block winger Jackson Blake.
Starting goaltender Frederik Andersen was a free-agent signing, and second-liners Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven were acquired in trades. Tulsky, a Harvard graduate with a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley, worked under previous GM Don Waddell and pieced the rest of the puzzle together himself.
McCrimmon pointed to Waddell as a positive influence and complimented his counterpart for smart draft picks and trades.
“They’ve consistently been building their team, and they’ve done it different ways,” McCrimmon said. “Looking at it from the outside, they’ve been aggressive in their way of doing that. They have an idea what they want it to look like, the type of players that their organization will make good use of and they go out and get those guys.”
Sometimes those guys do not fit. One of the big gambles Tulsky made came in January 2025 when he gave up young forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury in a three-way trade that landed the Hurricanes big winger Mikko Rantanen and the veteran Hall.
Rantanen was not interested in re-signing, so Tulsky explored options and flipped him to Dallas for young Logan Stankoven and picks.
“Sometimes it doesn’t go the way you hoped, and you’ve got to be ready to figure out how you’re going to move forward from there,” Tulsky said. “One of the strengths of our organization is we’re not afraid to take those swings, but we’re confident that if we just keep staying aggressive, some will work out, some won’t (and) we’ll end up ahead of where we would be if we just stayed passive the whole time.”
Stankoven, free-agent signing Nikolaj Ehlers and other additions like Eric Robinson and Mark Jankowski have fit Brind’Amour’s mold like a glove. Tulsky was a hockey blogger before moving into management and he thinks analytically but also credits his staff for talent evaluation to play for this coach.
“We’ve really focused on finding people who fit the way we want to play,” Tulsky said. “We ask players to play a very distinctive style, and our scouts have done a great job finding players who can come in and look their best playing the way Rod needs them to play.”
Building the Golden Knights
From the start, Vegas was built to win. Original GM George McPhee aced the expansion draft, from picking players from the other 30 teams in the league to making side deals that brought even more talent into the fold.
The initial bunch delivered an unexpected trip to the final during the club’s inaugural season in 2017-18, with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury the backbone of a group that included forwards William Karlsson and Reilly Smith and defensemen Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb. Karlsson, Theodore and McNabb have been around the entire time, and Smith returned after a brief absence.
Along the way, McPhee and McCrimmon never shied away from making big moves. They made trades for Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin, signed Alex Pietrangelo and made a sign-and-trade for Mitch Marner.
“We appreciate how George and Kelly operate,” McNabb said. “They’re always trying to build a winning team, and they’ve done a great job for the nine years.”
The Golden Knights have made the playoffs in eight of them, won the Cup in 2023 and consistently been championship contenders.
“It’s a privilege,” McCrimmon said. “We don’t take it for granted. We work real hard. You have to get lucky along the way at times, also. That’s kind of been our objective right from the opening season.”
McNabb said McCrimmon is doing his job. There are no complaints from players about Vegas going big-game shopping all the time.
“I don’t know if he’s in on every player, but he’s trying to make the team better and that’s what you want and you appreciate,” McNabb said. “You want to be on a team that’s trying to get better and have the best team going into playoffs and performing in playoffs.”
Vancouver Canucks hire Manny Malhotra as head coach
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Manny Malhotra was hired as coach of the Vancouver Canucks.
The former Canucks forward takes over for Adam Foote, who was fired after Vancouver finished last in the NHL during his only season behind the bench.
Malhotra becomes the 23rd head coach in franchise history and the latest Canucks player to be promoted by the team as it begins its rebuild.
“Manny and I have been in the battle together before, so I know firsthand what a good teacher, leader, and quality person he is,” general manager Ryan Johnson said in a statement.
The pair previously worked together in the minors with the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks.
“Manny is a great coach who has the right skill set and mentality to help players develop and get better each day,” Johnson said. “We both believe that pressure is a privilege, and learning to become a good pro takes patience, dedication and a ‘be better than yesterday’ mindset.”
Foote was fired on May 19 after the Canucks went 25-49-8 last season. Malhotra immediately emerged as a prime candidate to replace him, with Johnson saying he would sit down with the 46-year-old former NHL player and “talk about the future.”
Malhotra previously served as a development coach and an assistant coach for the Canucks, then spent four seasons as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs before becoming Abbotsford’s head coach.
There, he guided the AHL team to a Calder Cup championship during the 2024-25 campaign. The club then missed the playoffs last season as several players dealt with long-term injuries.
It was the way Malhotra led Abbotsford through a challenging year that showed exactly the kind of coach and person he is, Johnson said.
“To see that when you can rely on the foundation of the consistent environment and the coaching through the worst of times and really continue to propel players forward, even though the wins and losses aren’t there, it tells you a lot about him,” he said.
“That entire staff showed that they’re champions based off of not the year before, but of what they did last year, and what people around them took out of a pretty tough season.”
The promotion reunites Malhotra with former teammates Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who were named Vancouver’s co-presidents of hockey operations on May 14.
Malhotra, from Ontario, spent 16 seasons playing in the NHL after getting drafted by the New York Rangers in 1998.
He had 116 goals and 295 points in 991 regular-season games with Vancouver, New York, the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes.
Malhotra took a puck to the face while playing for the Canucks in March 2011, an injury that left him with limited vision in his left eye. He missed much of the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final that year and was given a reduced role the following season.
“He loves the game and getting to know what makes his players tick, and I am very confident Manny will help us ice a competitive and hard-working team that our fans will be proud of moving forward,” Johnson said.
Bettors Backing Golden Knights Over Favored Hurricanes in Game 1 of Stanley Cup
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Bettors are backing the Vegas Golden Knights in their quest to win the Stanley Cup over the Carolina Hurricanes, beginning with Tuesday’s Game 1 showdown.
Key Takeaways
- The Knights just swept the Stanley Cup favorite Colorado Avalanche.
- BetMGM shortened the Hurricanes from -140 at opening to -155 in Game 1.
- DraftKings bettors submitted more player props on Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev than any other player.
Betting insights from BetMGM shared with Covers showed that, among all Golden Knights versus Hurricanes picks, 58% of tickets and 68% of the Game 1 moneyline handle are on Vegas. That’s despite the team moving from +115 at opening to +125, while Carolina is now -155.
The Knights - currently +120 to be crowned champions - also have the public series advantage at BetMGM, claiming 10.4% of all tickets and 21% of the money wagered in the Stanley Cup odds future market. The Hurricanes (-145 series odds) have just 10% of wagers and 15.7% of the handle supporting them.
“Bettors have backed the Golden Knights throughout the season, making them a liability for us on the futures market,” said BetMGM senior sportsbook trader Matthew Rasp. “The Hurricanes are favorites to lift the Cup and that would be a favorable outcome for the book.”
FanDuel told a similar story, with 62% of bets and 59% of the pot supporting the Knights in the series. However, 53% of tickets and 69% of the Game 1 moneyline handle are on the Hurricanes, who will begin the series on home ice.
The Hurricanes were tied for the shortest Stanley Cup odds in the Eastern Conference when the playoffs began, tying the Tampa Bay Lightning at +500. They shortened to +275 in the second round and +175 in the conference finals before falling to their current value of -145, per BetMGM.
The Golden Knights followed a much different path. Their +1,000 odds at the beginning of the playoffs were well behind the Avalanche (+300) and tied with the Dallas Stars. They shortened to +600 in the second round but only moved to +575 in the conference finals, where they were sizable underdogs against the Avs.
However, a wildly unexpected 4-0 sweep in the Western Conference Final helped the Knights surge up the oddsboard to the +120 value at the time of writing.
Setting the tone
Tuesday’s series opener represents just one of the four wins needed to claim the title, but history suggests it can go a long way toward shaping the series outcome.
Teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-seven series own a 546-255 all-time record (68.2%), according to NHL Records. That number jumps to 74.7% for teams that open the series at home, while road teams that take a 1-0 lead have gone on to win 57.2% of the time.
Game 1 player props
Individual moments of brilliance and glaring mistakes often shift the balance of power throughout a series.
DraftKings Sportsbook shared with Covers that the most-bet NHL player props of the day all involve possible goal-scorers. Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev (+220), who scored 10 goals in 16 playoff games, topped the board, followed by Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (+250) and Knights winger Mark Stone (+320).
Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis (+1,200) is responsible for the fourth most-bet prop of the day, claiming the most tickets for first goal-scorer. Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (+270 anytime goal-scorer) rounded out DraftKings’ five most popular player props.
Conn Smythe Trophy odds
Despite not being mentioned in any of the most popular player prop bets, Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner is the Conn Smythe odds leader at +150 at BetMGM. He has 11% of tickets and 17.5% of the handle, both the leading amounts for players still active in the playoffs.
Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen is a close second at +250 with 7.8% of bets and 14.6% of the pot backing him. Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall (+650) leads the chase pack but is only responsible for 2.3% of wagers and 2.2% of the money.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Perfect Fit for Star Islanders Forward
The Philadelphia Flyers may have just gotten a major boost in their pursuit of a No. 1 center, and they won't have to look very far.
Two of the Flyers' biggest weaknesses are center depth and speed, and those go hand in hand when superimposed.
Top center prospect Jett Luchanko may be able to help in that aspect, but he's just 19 years old, needs to develop his offensive game, and has yet to play a full pro season.
To bridge the gap, the Flyers will need to explore the NHL trade market, as offer sheets for the top RFAs this year are just plain unrealistic at this point in time.
Fortunately, the Flyers just got a clear new No. 1 trade target to address the center position and lack of speed, and that's none other than New York Islanders star Mat Barzal, who is, perhaps surprisingly, a candidate to be traded this summer.
As reported by Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, "A league executive told The Citizen that the New York Islanders are exploring the market for forward Mathew Barzal. The club would like to clear some cap space, but it’s a big financial commitment with four years left at $9.15 million through 2030-31."
Barzal's $9.15 million cap hit is chump change to the Flyers, who are now free of the cap charges left behind by Kevin Hayes, Scott Laughton, and Cam Atkinson.
Even after they inevitably re-sign Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, the Flyers will have plenty of cap space to fit in a No. 1 center, and they can give themselves further breathing room by moving on from Rasmus Ristolainen and his $5.1 million cap hit, as they are widely expected to.
NHL Insider's Latest Gives Flyers-John Carlson Dream New LifeThe Philadelphia Flyers' chances of signing John Carlson in NHL free agency just got a major boost.Barzal, 29, does have a 22-team no-trade list that presents as a roadblock for the Flyers, but other than that, there's no reason a deal can't work between the two sides.
For the Flyers, Barzal has played center on and off throughout his 10-year NHL career, though he's been more of a winger in recent seasons.
To that end, though, Barzal is a two-time 80-point scorer with a respectable 42% career faceoff percentage, and he's a right-shot center that the Flyers would covet for matchup purposes.
In the 2023-24 season, when Barzal scored 22 goals and 80 points in 80 games, he ranked in the 97th percentile in max skating speed and in the 98th percentile in miles skated per game, according to NHL EDGE.
That's a player who can help the Flyers with their woeful transition and zone entry game on both the power play and even strength, and someone whose playmaking skills and speed would be big helps for someone like Matvei Michkov.
Given that the Islanders reportedly want to clear cap space, they're likely seeking a strictly future-oriented package for their best forward.
The Flyers could make a bid involving center prospects like Luchanko and Jack Nesbitt, and they have three first-round picks in the next two drafts, including the 21st overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Some combination of these assets should be a good starting point to entice the Islanders to make an in-division deal with the Flyers, whom it would behoove to strike while this iron is hot.
Canucks Hire Former Rangers Forward Manny Malhotra As Head Coach
Former New York Rangers forward Manny Malhotra has been named head coach of the Vancouver Canucks.
The Canucks finished last in the NHL standings with 58 points, and after sweeping front-office changes that included bringing in Ryan Johnson as general manager and Henrik and Daniel Sedin as co-presidents, the previous head coach, Adam Foote, was fired.
Malhotra most recently served as the head coach of the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks, while he also has experience in an assistant coaching role with both the Canucks and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“Manny and I have been in the battle together before, so I know firsthand what a good teacher, leader, and quality person he is,” Johnson said.
“Connection, consistency and putting in place the proper foundation will be key for our group moving forward. Manny is a great coach who has the right skillset and mentality to help players develop and get better each day. We both believe that pressure is a privilege, and learning to become a good pro takes patience, dedication, and a ‘be better than yesterday’ mindset. He loves the game and getting to know what makes his players tick and I am very confident Manny will help us ice a competitive and hard-working team that our fans will be proud of moving forward.”
The Mississauga native started his NHL career with the Rangers, being drafted by the Blueshirts in 1998 with the seventh overall pick in the first round.
Over four seasons and 206 games playing for the Rangers, Malhotra recorded 19 goals, 22 assists, and 41 points.
Malhotra also went on to play for the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, and Montreal Canadiens before officially retiring in 2016.
Rasmus Dahlin Finishes Third In Norris Trophy Voting
Buffalo Sabres team captain Rasmus Dahlin was one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy after leading his club to their first playoff appearance in 15 years, but on Tuesday it was announced that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski won the annual award for the league’s best blueliner, finishing ahead of two-time winner Cale Makar for his first Norris Trophy.
Werenski who led or was near the top of several categories for NHL defensemen in 2025-26 and tied the single-season Blue Jackets franchise records for assists, finished with 113 first-place votes and 1,589 points. Makar had 47 first place votes and 1,191 points. Dahlin had 13 first-place votes and 657 points, 104 points ahead of Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard, and 297 points ahead of Detroit’s Moritz Seider.
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Dahlin was also named one of the three finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey” along with Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog and Winnipeg’s Jonathan Toews. The winner will be announced at some point during the Stanley Cup Final.
While the Carolina Hurricanes host the Vegas Golden Knights in Raleigh for the first two games on Tuesday and Thursday, the rest of the hockey world is descending on Buffalo for the annual NHL Scouting Combine at the LECOM Harborcenter. Most team representatives are already here, interviewing perspective draftees and talking with other clubs about possible trades ahead of or during the NHL Draft later this month.
The Sabres have the 27th pick in the first round, but it would be surprising if GM Jarmo Kekalainen dealt the pick with Buffalo hosting the draft this year. Buffalo does not have a second-round pick, which was traded to Ottawa in the Dylan Cozens / Josh Norris deal in March 2025, and their third round pick was sent to the NY Rangers in the Sam Carrick deal.
With just under $13 million in cap space, Kekalainen has limited flexibility unless he sheds some salary on the roster, which is likely the reason why the chances of re-signing winger Alex Tuch are slim. The Sabres have RFA’s Michael Kesselring, Peyton Krebs, and Zach Benson to re-sign, as well as UFA Beck Malenstyn, which could mean some significant changes to the Buffalo roster next season.
Tuch reportedly is looking for more than $10 million per season on a new deal, and with a very thin unrestricted free agent class and the NHL salary cap increasing to $104 million, it appears to be a perfect storm for the Sabres winger to hit the jackpot on July 1. The same goes for Malenstyn, who was extremely effective as a fourth-line crash-and-bang winger, and will look for a raise from his $1.35 million salary.
Kesselring, who was injured on multiple occasions last season, is unlikely to crack the Sabres top-four blueline group, and with one year until qualifying for unrestricted free agency, the 26-year-old may be looking to go somewhere where he can get more playing time.
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