EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers re-signed Jason Dickinson to a five-year contract worth $20 million on Sunday, preventing the defensive-minded center from testing the free agent market.
Dickinson will count $4 million against the salary cap through the 2030-31 NHL season. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, three days before his 31st birthday.
Instead, Dickinson will be counted on to provide depth in Edmonton as the organization looks to get over the hump and win the Stanley Cup following a decade of trying and falling short despite having two of the best players in the league in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Dickinson fit in well with the Oilers after they acquired him from Chicago in early March ahead of the trade deadline. He averaged roughly 15 minutes of ice time a game the rest of the season and 12 in the playoffs, becoming one of the team's most frequently penalty killers.
Re-signing Dickinson was one item on a lengthy offseason checklist for general manager Stan Bowman. Hiring a coach could be next, along with potentially trading longtime defenseman Darnell Nurse and upgrading the goaltending position.
The Calgary Flames aren’t exactly grabbing headlines for it just yet, but there’s a quiet sense building around the organization that their rebuild may be tracking a little cleaner—and maybe a little faster—than most teams in a similar position.
A big part of that comes down to what they’re about to walk into at the 2026 NHL Draft.
Heading into KeyBank Center in Buffalo, Calgary owns 11 picks in total, including two first-round selections and six picks inside the top 55. That kind of draft capital doesn’t guarantee anything, but it does give a rebuilding team something invaluable: flexibility. At this stage of the cycle, that’s often the difference between staying stuck and actually moving forward.
The 2026 NHL Draft begins Friday, June 26 at 5 p.m. MT with Round 1, followed by Rounds 2 through 7 on Saturday, June 27 at 9 a.m. MT. Both days will be broadcast on Sportsnet.
Here’s how the Flames’ draft board currently sits:
What stands out isn’t just the sheer volume—it’s how tightly packed those early picks are. Calgary will be on the clock repeatedly in quick succession across the first two rounds, giving them the ability to go in multiple directions: swing for upside, target organizational holes, or package selections if a meaningful trade opportunity presents itself.
Of course, none of it matters in theory. Draft capital only becomes real value when it’s used well—and the league has plenty of examples of teams both maximizing and wasting it.
The Colorado Avalanche, for instance, have shown both sides of that coin in recent years. Some picks have developed into key contributors, while others were moved out in pursuit of another Stanley Cup run that ultimately fell just short. It’s a reminder more than anything: stockpiling assets is only step one. Execution is everything.
For Calgary, that’s the warning label attached to all of this. The opportunity is real—but so is the risk of getting it wrong.
One potential swing at the top of the board is Swedish center Viggo Björck at sixth overall. He’s not the biggest player on the ice, but Calgary has been searching for more long-term center depth, particularly after moving Nazem Kadri back to Colorado.
Björck’s production with Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Hockey League—six goals and nine assists last season—doesn’t jump off the page at first glance, but his impact has been more noticeable in flashes and in international play. At the IIHF World Juniors, he added three goals and six assists in his debut tournament, helping power his country to a gold medal.
For a Flames organization trying to restock skill down the middle, he represents the kind of bet that can quietly reshape a depth chart over time.
There’s also a broader philosophical shift taking shape in Calgary. The organization still wants veteran presence in the room, but the runway for younger players is getting longer—and more meaningful.
Ryan Lomberg, for example, appeared in just two of Calgary’s final 19 games as the coaching staff increasingly leaned into extended auditions for younger players like Tyson Gross and Aydar Suniev. It wasn’t subtle, either. It felt like a preview of where things are heading.
General manager Craig Conroy didn’t fully tip his hand on Lomberg’s future when asked at season’s end, but he acknowledged the balancing act the organization is now managing.
“We’ve got to take a couple days because everything is emotional. I’ll reflect and see where we think this is going. We have a lot of players under contract right now. When you have players, there needs to be room to play, too.”
That “room to play” part matters—and it’s becoming harder to ignore in Calgary.
Among the young players already forcing the issue is Gross, who scored in just his third NHL game during a 3–1 loss to Colorado on April 9. The goal stood as his first at the NHL level, though he briefly thought he had two before a second was overturned for offside.
Even so, it was a glimpse of something the Flames haven’t had enough of in recent years: young players arriving and looking like they belong.
And that’s really the hinge point for all of this. Calgary’s rebuild won’t be defined by how many picks they have, or even where they pick. It’ll come down to whether those players turn into everyday NHLers—and how quickly they can push the roster forward.
Because if they do, this doesn’t stay a long rebuild for very long. If they don’t, all this draft capital is just paper again.
Should the Philadelphia Flyers try to add a top-six center for the second consecutive offseason, a familiar foe in the Eastern Conference could provide one... at the right price.
North of the border, the Ottawa Senators, fresh off a first-round sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, are looking for moves they can make to give themselves a better chance at Stanley Cup contention.
Defensive depth has been a question mark, but they have a strong foundation, led by Tim Stutzle, Linus Ullmark, Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, and Jake Sanderson.
At center, Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto, and Ridly Greig are all coming along nicely... and the Flyers reportedly have varying degrees of interest in all three.
"According to team sources, the Flyers have interest in Senators centers Shane Pinto, Dylan Cozens and Ridly Greig – in that order. DFO was told that the Flyers and Senators have had on and off trade talks going back to the 2024-25 season; per sources, the Senators were unwilling to move any of their pivots other than Josh Norris," NHL insider Anthony Di Marco recently reported for Daily Faceoff.
Pinto and Cozens are the two most attractive options of the three as the established top-six centers.
Pinto, 25, is coming off a career year, having scored 23 goals, 23 assists, and 46 points in 72 games for the Senators. He's the most expensive at a $7.5 million annual cap hit, though it should be noted that he has one goal in 10 career playoff games.
As for Cozens, he's the most established of the group, as well as the biggest.
The 6-foot-3 former No. 9 overall pick already scored 30 goals in his third NHL season with the Buffalo Sabres back in 2022-23, when he scored 68 points overall.
Cozens hasn't reached that peak since then, but he put together a nice 59-point campaign last season. Notably, the 25-year-old has four seasons remaining on his contract at a $7.1 million cap hit, and he will have a five-team no-trade list kick in next summer.
If the Senators become convinced that Cozens can't reach another gear by then, they could be motivated to strike a deal with the Flyers, even if the latter's preference really is Pinto.
Greig, son of Flyers scout Mark Greig, is more of a third-line center at this stage, though he is young at 23 years old and comes cheap with a $3.25 million cap hit.
The Flyers don't need to save the money, but they could cut corners on a future Noah Cates extension; both players have three seasons remaining on their contracts, but Cates is already older and more expensive.
At the same time, it goes almost without saying that the Flyers would not pursue a virtually pointless trade such as that.
Di Marco notes that "the Senators have shown on and off interest in Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen," and we can assume that this would be the starting point for any trade between the two teams.
Ristolainen's trade value should be going up after a strong playoff run with the Flyers, and that value should be even greater to a team like the Senators who wouldn't be forced to play him in a top-pairing role behind Chabot, Sanderson, and Artyom Zub.
The Flyers won't be unearthing the next superstar this summer, but it is becoming increasingly clear that they will, at the very least, have options to upgrade at the center position via trade.
The 2026 NHL Draft is quickly approaching in just five days and Free Agency begins in just ten days.
This means teams have ten days to re-sign expiring contracts.
One former Wild player re-signed a contract in a pretty cool way.
Nicolas Deslauriers won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes and during the team parade, he went up on stage with Canes' General Manager Eric Tulsky and announced a new contract.
The former Wild bruiser announced a two-year contract to stay in Carolina.
NIC DESLAURIERS JUST SIGNED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARADE 🔥🔥🔥
Deslauriers, 35, was the only trade acquisition for the Canes at the deadline. He played in seven games for the Hurricanes after being acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers for a conditional 7th-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
The 6-foot-1, 218-pound left-winger, recorded one assist in seven regular season games for Carolina and played in just one playoff game during the Canes' run.
In his time with the Wild, Deslauriers played in 20 regular season games in 2021-22. He recorded three goals and 53 hits. In five playoff games, Deslauriers recorded 13 hits. He has played in six career playoff games. Five with Minnesota and one with Carolina.
He has now signed a two-year contract. The deal will pay Deslauriers $850,000 in 2026-27 and $900,000 in 2027-28.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
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 Colorado Avalanche announced on Saturday that the organization has hired Zack Stortini as the head coach of the franchise’s ECHL affiliate, the New Mexico Goatheads.
“We’re happy to welcome Zack to the Avalanche and Goatheads organizations,” Avalanche Scout Mike Battaglia, who oversees ECHL operations for the Avs. “Over his first seven years coaching in the AHL and OHL, Zack has established himself as a rising coach, and we feel he’s a great fit for the Goatheads as we embark on their inaugural season.”
We have announced today that the organization has hired Zack Stortini as the head coach of the franchise’s ECHL affiliate, the New Mexico Goatheads. pic.twitter.com/UIbqIOT0mM
Stortini spent parts of six seasons in the NHL, five of which were with the Edmonton Oilers.
Selected by the Oilers in the third round of the 2003 NHL Draft, Stortini played parts of 15 professional seasons, appearing in 860 games across the NHL and AHL.
He made his NHL debut on January 20, 2007, against the Calgary Flames, and played all but one of his 257 NHL games with the Oilers. Through his 257 NHL appearances, he tallied 41 points (14g/27a). He was known primarily as an enforcer and physical presence rather than a scorer.
In 2011, he became a full-time minor league player. His 603 AHL games were spread across teams including the Charlotte Checkers, San Jose Barracuda, Binghamton Senators, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Norfolk Admirals, Milwaukee Admirals, Oklahoma City Barons, Hamilton Bulldogs, and others, totalling 109 points (55g/54a).
He accumulated 1,825 penalty minutes during his professional career and served as captain or alternate captain at multiple stops. He was also a three-time nominee for the AHL's Yanick Dupre Memorial Award for community contributions.
Stortini did get chances to return to the NHL, hoping to breakthrough in preseason with the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers. He did not make either team.
After retiring, he returned to the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL as an assistant coach. Most recently, he spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners before being named the first head coach of the new ECHL expansion team, the New Mexico Goatheads.
One specific area that the Blue Jackets should look to improve this off-season is their defensive depth. When looking at this year's pending unrestricted free agents, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea stands out as an interesting potential target for them to consider.
When Sergei Bobrovsky decided that he didn’t want to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets any longer, fans were gutted. How could the best goalie to ever wear the Union Blue want to leave? He owns just about every organizational record there is for goalies, including games played, wins, goals-against, saves, shutouts, minutes played, and points scored.
First up will be the 2026 NHL buyout window. The first buyout period this year starts 48 hours after the Stanley Cup playoffs end. So, with Carolina ending it last night, clubs will start the process of figuring out if they wish to buy a player out, and that process must conclude by June 30th at 5pm ET.
According to BetMGM's odds, the CBJ are listed at +5000 to win the 2027 Stanley Cup. That's the 16th-best odds in the league. Other teams at +5000 are the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers.
After being drafted 1st overall, Nash went on to sign his first NHL contract, a deal that was signed minutes before the deadline. That contract, at the time, was the most lucrative ever signed by an NHL rookie, valued at $1.2 million per season, with bonuses and incentives ranging from $8 million to $12 million.
When looking at this year's pending UFAs, one players who stands out as a potential option for the Blue Jackets to consider is Minnesota Wild forward Vladimir Tarasenko.
Adam Fantilli is the future of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and with him needing a new deal, many fans are worried that he won't get signed before July 1st, leading to an offer sheet that the CBJ won't be able to afford.
I'm here to tell you that there's nothing to worry about. At least, that's my humble opinion.
Former Columbus Blue Jackets forward and Cleveland Monsters Captain Ryan Craig has been promoted by the Vegas Golden Knights to be their next head coach. He replaces John Tortorella, who just took the VGK to the Stanley Cup Final. It was announced on June 16 that Tortorella would not be back to coach Vegas.
One way that the Blue Jackets could look to improve their group this summer is through free agency. There are some interesting pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) who could hit the market on July 1, and one of them is Dallas Stars forward Michael Bunting.
"The league has completed its review of Mike Babcock's tenure in Columbus, and of certain alleged conduct associated therewith. Our investigation has concluded that, even in the light least favorable to Mr. Babcock, there is no current basis to restrict his employment in the league."
Everyone is the media expects and hopes GM Don Waddell does something to bolster the lineup. From trading up to trading down, to trading players, everything seems to be on the table.
When looking at this year's pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), one player who could be an intriguing addition to the Blue Jackets' roster is Seattle Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen.
The Blue Jackets have announced that they have signed defenseman Corson Ceulemans to a one-year, two-way contract extension. At the NHL level, the 6-foot-2 defenseman will have an $850,000 cap hit. He will have an AHL salary of $95,000.
Jake Christiansen has a lot to prove next season if he wants to remain a member of the CBJ. He'll be a UFA at the end of 26-27, and will be playing for his future.
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.
On Monday, the Hockey Hall of Fame will announce its latest crop of inductees, and one former Montreal Canadiens player should keep his phone within reach. Goaltender Carey Price was eligible to enter the Hall last year, but he didn’t get the call then; the selection committee instead opted for Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith, Joe Thornton, Alexander Mogilny, Brianna Decker, and Jenniffer Botterill on the players’ side and Daniele Sauvageau and Jack Parker on the builders’ side.
While Price’s contract comes to an end this season, he hasn’t made an official retirement announcement, but being officially retired is not a criterion for entry; a player only needs to have not played professional hockey for three years to be eligible. The former face of the franchise last manned the Canadiens’ net on April 29, 2022, in a 10-2 rout of the Florida Panthers’ “C-team”, since the Cats rested most of their regulars.
The goaltending great's resume leaves little doubt that he should be in the Hall. From an individual standpoint, Price won every trophy he was up for in 2014-15, netting the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender, the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player for his team, the William M. Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed, and the Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player as voted by the members of the NHLPA. In 2021-2022, he was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for his dedication to the game and his perseverance. Price overcame substance abuse with the help of the Player Assistance Program and fought through numerous injuries in his career.
The one blemish on his record is that he couldn’t bring a 25th Stanley Cup to Montreal; that wasn’t on him, though. From the 2013-14 season onward, Price was clutch in the playoffs, posting brilliant numbers and achieving save percentages of .919, .920, .933, .936, and .924, along with goals-against averages of 2.36, 2.23, 1.86, 1.78, and 2.28. He came up just short in 2021, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the final. If the Canadiens never won the Cup with him in net, it was no fault of his own; it was down to Montreal’s anemic offense. Price and the Tricolore might have reached the Cup Final in 2013-14 as well had it not been for the infamous Chris Kreider incident. The goaltender was dominant that year, but when Kreider crashed into him in Game 1 of the Conference Final against the New York Rangers, the Canadiens’ dream of a 25th Stanley Cup came crashing down as well.
This year, there are a few big names who will be in their first year of eligibility, including Boston Bruins mainstays Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, and Stanley Cup Champions Phil Kessel and Eric Staal. The likes of Rod Brind'Amour, Vincent Damphousse, and Keith Tkachuk are still waiting for their turn as well. The official announcement will take place on Monday, June 22, at 3:00 PM ET. Watch this space to find out if Price made the cut.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 14: Ben Kindel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins warms up before a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Utah Mammoth at Delta Center on March 14, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Eli Rehmer/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Kyle Dubas makes such frequent transactions around the Penguins that plotting a long-term path can be difficult. It only takes one call to dramatically alter the future in ways that can’t be imagined these days.
With that in mind that this exercise is likely to have more hits than misses, what could the Penguins look like for the 2027-28 season? Let’s take a shot.
Top-6 forwards: Sidney Crosby, Egor Chinakhov, Ben Kindel, Bryan Rust, ?, ?
The forward group is going to need a lot of work. We’ll project that Crosby signs an extension and plays as a 40-year old in 2027-28 and Evgeni Malkin heads on to a happy retirement. Rickard Rakell is still under contract for this season, but we’ll put an outlook that he’s traded, which isn’t the case for Bryan Rust.
By this point, McGroarty ought to be in the NHL lineup, though it’s not a certainty. Similarly, is a then 21-year old Bill Zonnon ready for prime time after one year in the AHL coming up in 2026-27? It’s a possibility but also a big leap to even pencil him in as a full-time NHLer by then, as can be said for all the other players a rung below the NHL.
Right shot defense: Harrison Brunicke, ?, Kris Letang
Kris Letang is under contract, he’ll also be 40 this year and his decline could push him elsewhere by the start of 2027-28. He might well have a spot here. There could be an outside chance that Erik Karlsson sticks around, but it seems better odds than not by 2027 that he will be gone. Beyond Brunicke, there isn’t a lot in the even intermediate picture here, though that could be solved in the coming days or weeks if the Pens are able to acquire the services of a defender on a multi-year contract.
Left shot defense: ?
On this, we’re drawing a complete blank. Maybe one can hope Owen Pickering and/or Jake Livinavage will be in the picture by this point. It’s certainly possible, though nothing to bank on with confidence. The Pens have a lot of work to do, whether that means re-signing Parker Wotherspoon or bringing in more NHL bodies soon, the canvas is pretty blank and needs a lot of painting to be done. This could be one reason why those Darnell Nurse rumors are lingering, Nurse might not be the most optimal potential option out there, but the Pens do need some material here.
Goalie: Sergei Murashov, ?
It’s possible Arturs Silovs could grow into some staying power and come back for a third season as a Penguin in 2027-28. The pliable nature of goalies makes us think this could be something at least TBD more than baking in an expectation at this point.
—
There’s not much material above, which is kinda the point to emphasize how open-ended the situation is for Pittsburgh moving forward. They only currently have seven players who finished the season in the NHL (Kindel, Rust, Rakell, Lizotte, Dewar, Letang, Graves) even under contract in 2027-28, several of those names being veterans that they may even trade in the next 15 months. That small number is bound to change soon, including once they get through the heavy player movement seen at next week’s draft and through the thick of free agency in the opening days of July.
It emphasizes a ton of options available and flexibility of how to move forward. Some answers will find themselves, like if players like McGroarty, Avery Hayes, Ville Koivunen and Elmer Soderblom step up and prove they should have a spot moving forward or if mid-level veterans like Wotherspoon, Novak, and Sam Girard entrench themselves into a longer stay.
Otherwise, at this point, the Penguins have a position that looks both risky and also exciting in a medium-term outlook. From 2021-23, tons of players like Rust, Rakell, Letang, Malkin, Graves, Tristan Jarry and Noel Acciari all got 3-6 year contracts, lately that’s been eradicated. Only Lizotte (three-years) and Jack St. Ivany (2024, a near-minimum deal for three seasons) have received term of more than two seasons since July 2023, not counting the requisite three-year deals that go to entry level rookies.
As a result, the future is wide open for the Pens to steer in any number of directions. Dubas already indicated not to expect Pittsburgh to be involved in high-end free agents that will sign for lots of dollars and term this summer. Trades could be a way to bolster the lineup, and progress of any young players in the next 12 months would also be very welcome for a Penguin team that is going to need a lot of material to develop for their club in an intermediate outlook.
After the Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the playoffs by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, people shifted their focus to the offseason, which features the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, trade rumors, and free agency.
And it appears one of the Penguins' pending-unrestricted free agents has made a decision on his future.
According to NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, forward Anthony Mantha is electing to test free agency. LeBrun said that the Penguins were willing to bring Mantha, 31, back on a one-year deal, but Mantha and his agent, Olivier Fortier, want to see if they can get something longer-term.
The towering 6-foot-5 winger is coming off a career year that directly followed up ACL surgery, as he recorded 33 goals and 64 points this season, both career-highs. He led the Penguins in goals during the regular season but came up empty in the six-game first-round series against the Flyers, totaling just one assist.
There was never really much doubt that Mantha would test the market, as the Penguins were probably always going to be reluctant to hand him term given their direction and efforts to build younger. Some sources have claimed Mantha is looking for a four-year deal, although that has not yet been confirmed.
Mantha isn't the only free agent the Penguins must decide on. Other UFAs include defenseman Ryan Shea and forward Noel Acciari, while scoring winger Egor Chinakhov and goaltender Arturs Silovs headline the RFA class.
The Colorado Avalanche have found the first coach in New Mexico Goatheads history, turning to a rising name in the professional ranks to lead their new ECHL affiliate into its inaugural season.
The organization announced Friday that Zack Stortini has been hired as the Goatheads' first head coach. The 40-year-old arrives after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners, the top affiliate of the Utah Mammoth.
Stortini joins the Avalanche system with seven years of coaching experience between the AHL and OHL, earning a reputation as a developing coach with a strong background in player development. During his time in Tucson, the Roadrunners compiled a 141-116-26-5 record and reached the Calder Cup Playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2022-23 through 2024-25.
"We're happy to welcome Zack to the Avalanche and Goatheads organizations," Avalanche scout Mike Battaglia, who oversees ECHL operations for Colorado, said in a statement. "Over his first seven years coaching in the AHL and OHL, Zack has established himself as a rising coach, and we feel he's a great fit for the Goatheads as we embark on their inaugural season."
Before joining Tucson, Stortini spent three seasons with the OHL's Sudbury Wolves, serving as an assistant coach from 2019-21 before being promoted to associate coach for the 2021-22 campaign.
His coaching resume includes helping oversee the development of several standout young players. During the 2022-23 season, Tucson forward Michael Carcone led the AHL in scoring with 85 points in 65 games. A year later, Josh Doan earned AHL All-Rookie Team honors after scoring 26 goals in 62 contests.
For Stortini, the opportunity represents his first head coaching position at the professional level.
"I am grateful to the organization for the opportunity to be the first head coach of the Goatheads, and am really looking forward to leading the new ECHL club," Stortini said. "I'd like to thank REV Entertainment, Jared Johnson and Mike Battaglia for their trust in me, as well as extend a big thank you to the whole Goatheads organization and the Rio Rancho community. I am excited to get started this season."
Long before moving behind the bench, Stortini carved out a lengthy professional playing career.
Selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the third round of the 2003 NHL Draft, he played parts of 15 professional seasons, appearing in 860 games across the NHL and AHL. He suited up for 257 NHL contests with the Oilers and Nashville Predators, recording 14 goals and 41 points, while adding more than 600 games in the AHL.
Known as a physical forward and respected locker-room presence, Stortini accumulated 1,825 penalty minutes during his professional career and served as captain or alternate captain at multiple stops, including Sudbury and Binghamton. He was also a three-time nominee for the AHL's Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to local communities and charitable causes.
The Goatheads, who will play out of Rio Rancho Events Center, are preparing for their first season as Colorado's ECHL affiliate under the ownership of REV Entertainment. The organization recently hired Jared Johnson as general manager after he spent the last several years with the SPHL's Huntsville Havoc, where he oversaw business operations and ticketing while helping the franchise establish multiple attendance records.
Winnipeg native Isaac Poulter will remain with his hometown organization for at least another season.
The Jets announced that they have re-signed the 24-year-old goaltender to a one-year, two-way contract extension carrying an NHL average annual value of $855,000. He will make roughly $103K playing in the minors.
Photo by James Carey Lauder/USA Today
Poulter spent the 2025-26 season in the Jets organization, splitting time between the Manitoba Moose and ECHL's Norfolk Admirals.
The Winnipeg-born netminder went 2-0-0 through three appearances with Manitoba while posting a 25-17-1 record with two shutouts in 43 games with Norfolk.
The signing gives Winnipeg additional organizational depth in goal while keeping a familiar Manitoba name in the system. The 6-foot-2 backstop has appeared in 80 career AHL games, owning a 42-24-10 record with five shutouts - decent numbers for the second-best league in North America.
Before turning pro, Poulter spent four seasons with the Swift Current Broncos before working his way through the American Hockey League ranks and eventually signing an NHL deal with the New Jersey Devils. He began his hockey career at the RINK Hockey Academy.
Although the 2026 NHL Draft is generally regarded as weaker and more shallow than usual, the Philadelphia Flyers can still address an important need of theirs with their first-round pick. And, if they're lucky, two needs at the same time.
A few months back, it looked as though the Flyers would certainly end up nabbing one of the B-tier center prospects, such as Alexander Command or Ilia Morozov.
The draft stock of both players has risen astronomically since, and they are unlikely to be options for the Flyers when they're on the clock at Pick 21.
However, the Flyers can still secure themselves a talented player who can play both center and wing, if they choose to pass on a top defenseman at that point in the first round.
With the 21st overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers select...
It's no secret that the Flyers have preferred to draft for size in recent years, and Maddox Dagenais does fit that mold.
Dagenais, however, played more of a finesse game until, midway through the season, started imposing himself physically and used his size to his advantage.
Where the 18-year-old falls in the draft will ultimately depend on how teams view him: is Dagenais only engaged sometimes, or is he the player who found and unlocked his own dominance?
Dagenais currently ranks as high as 16th (McKeen's) and as low as 43rd (Smaht Scouting), though the consensus is in the middle: somewhere in the 20s.
While Dagenais is most likely to be a winger at the next level, he does have the ability to play center, and that gives the Flyers more options going forward.
For me, comparisons to this kind of player would include Pavel Zacha and Pierre-Luc Dubois, who were both high draft picks with size, skill, and versatility, but never lived up to their full potential.
Still, they developed into useful top-six forwards who can provide different elements to their respective teams.
It helps, too, that Dagenais hails from an NHL bloodline; his father, Pierre, played 142 NHL regular season games with the New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers, and Montreal Canadiens.
Dagenais has all the tools to be a successful NHLer, and even an upper-tier forward, at that. How far he can take it depends on him, his work, and the team that drafts him, be it the Flyers or another team.
The forward and the rest of his Hurricanes teammates were celebrating their Stanley Cup championship during the team’s parade on Saturday when the NHL veteran attended to a pressing matter.
The 35-year-old, who joined the team in March via trade, was a free agent following the team’s impressive run — but that’s no longer the case.
As seen in a video posted to the franchise’s X account, general manager Eric Tulsky pulled out a contract before Tulsky stepped up to sign it.
The forward high-fived a teammate before putting pen to paper and proudly shouting a message to the fans.
Deslauriers played sparingly during the Hurricanes’ championship run, as he appeared in just one game during the first round against Ottawa.
According to WFMY News 2, Deslauriers will be paid $850,000 in the 2026-27 season and $900,000 in 2027-28.
Deslauriers began the season with the Flyers, with whom he played 24 games before being traded to Carolina for a conditional seventh-round pick on March 6.
Nicolas Deslauriers of the Carolina Hurricanes raises the Stanley Cup at T-Mobile Arena after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NHLI via Getty Images
The Quebec native was a third-round pick by the Kings in 2009, but ultimately began his NHL career with the Sabres in 2013-14.
He spent four seasons in Buffalo before moving on to stints with the Canadiens, Ducks, Wild and the Flyers.
He has 53 goals and assists apiece in 708 regular season games.
The Hurricanes won the franchise’s second Stanley Cup by defeating the Golden Knights in six games.
Jordan Staal was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for the MVP of the playoffs with 12 points (eight goals, four assists).
The Ducks' 2025-26 season has been over for just over a month and with the 2026 NHL Entry Draft just around the corner, it feels like a good time to start recapping this past season for each player in the organization.
Today's edition of 'By the Numbers' will feature players who wore Nos. 31-40 this season.
If you missed the previous edition of 'By the Numbers', you can click here to read it.
Calle Clang
Clang had the best season performance of his North American career in 2025-26, posting an 18-9-9 record with an .897 SV% and 2.80 GAA. He missed time at various points of the season due to a leave of absence for personal reasons and two separate injuries. The second injury unfortunately ruled him out for the San Diego Gulls’ first playoff series in four seasons.
Clang’s stellar season earned him his first AHL All-Star selection, as both he and forward Tim Washe were selected to represent the Gulls in Rockford. At the AHL All-Star Game, he took home the honor of top goaltender.
San Diego goalie Calle Clang keeps his eye on the puck as it deflects off of his gear during the second period of their game at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Friday, Nov. 22, 2024.
Set to be an RFA this offseason, Clang chose to return home to Sweden and sign with Rögle BK in the SHL, the club he played for prior to transitioning to North American hockey. His contract is for two years, which means that he will likely not receive a qualifying offer from the Ducks.
With Clang expected to depart the organization, defense Tristan Luneau is the only remaining piece left from the Rickard Rakell deal that occurred at the 2022 trade deadline. With Lukáš Dostál and Ville Husso holding things down in net for Anaheim and Tomáš Suchánek, Damian Clara and Vyacheslav Buteyets doing the same for San Diego, there was little opportunity left for Clang moving forward despite his strong season. He will compete with Arvid Holm for Rögle’s starting job next season.
Vyacheslav Buteyets
More well-known as ‘Slava’ by his teammates, Buteyets spent time with all three Ducks affiliates this season. He spent most of the season with ECHL Tulsa as their starter, putting up an 18-19-5 record with a .908 SV% and 3.11 GAA. He made four starts for the Gulls, sporting a 1-3-0 record with an .865 SV% and 4.29 GAA. He also made his NHL debut, coming in in relief of Ville Husso in an eventual 7-0 loss to the Utah Mammoth. He allowed three goals on 10 shots, though it was difficult to fault him on any of them.
Buteyets has now spent two full seasons in North America (mostly in the ECHL) after coming over from Russia. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, he is a pending RFA. There is a possibility that the Ducks simply cut ties with Buteyets and do not tender him a qualifying offer. As mentioned above, there is more than enough quality goaltending depth. But as seen last season, injuries can crop up at any moment, making depth paramount in emergency situations.
Ville Husso
Husso’s patience and determination paid off for him in 2025-26. After being acquired from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations in Feb. 2025, he performed well enough with the Gulls to earn a call-up at the end of the season after John Gibson went down with injury.
With Gibson out of the picture for 2025-26, shipped off to the Red Wings, Husso signed a two-year contract to return to the Ducks and compete with Petr Mrázek for the backup goaltender position. Husso performed well to make a case for the position, but was sent down to the AHL at the very end of training camp.
He was recalled when Dostál suffered a hand injury in November and momentarily took over the starting role after Mrázek also got hurt. During a seven-game stretch in December as the starter, Husso went 4-2-1 with an .893 SV%, though one of those losses was the aforementioned 7-0 defeat to the Mammoth.
May 8, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ville Husso (33) defends the goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Husso did enough to keep the Ducks afloat without their No. 1 goaltender and then was passed through waivers (going unclaimed) upon Dostál and Mrázek’s return. A brief recall in January after Mrázek suffered another injury led to a prolonged stay in the NHL after Mrázek underwent season-ending hip surgery. Husso finished the season with a 10-8-2 record and an .884 SV% and 3.25 GAA.
While those numbers may not look particularly convincing, it’s worth noting that Husso’s stats were slightly skewed by his final two starts, which involved him facing less than 20 shots in both games.
It was a very unlucky season for Mrázek, who struggled with injuries and made just 10 appearances (eight starts) in his first and likely only season with the Ducks.
After being acquired from the Red Wings in June 2025, Mrázek entered training camp competing with Husso for the backup goaltender spot. While both goaltenders performed well during preseason, Mrázek ultimately edged out Husso, who was sent down to San Diego.
Mrázek made just two starts through the first 10 games of the season as Dostál carried the starter’s workload, but he began to pick up more starts in November. He was even slated to be the starter when Dostál went down with broken finger, but suffered an injury of his own on Nov. 30 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Nov 30, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Anaheim Ducks goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) talks with a team member after being injured during the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
This injury sidelined Mrázek for nine games before he returned to action on Dec. 19. He would make two more appearances before suffering another injury on Jan . 5 against the Washington Capitals, which ultimately ended his season. He underwent hip surgery on Feb. 17 and recently resumed skating this past May.
It’s difficult to envision Mrázek getting more than an offer to be an NHL third goalie at this point due to a combination of his age (34) and repeated injuries. Lower-body injuries in particular can impact goaltenders much more, and it was concerning to see how much they impacted Mrázek this past season.
Matthew Phillips
One of the players on an AHL-only deal who got playing time during preseason, Phillips made waves with a two-goal performance against the Mammoth. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Phillips has minimal NHL experience (34 games), but carries plenty of AHL experience.
His addition to the Gulls was a welcome one, as he finished second on the team in points and tied for first in assists. Though he is just 5-foot-8 (and perhaps actually even shorter than that), he makes up for his lack of height with extended effort and is a force on the man advantage.
With the Gulls expected to undergo several personnel changes after the departures of head coach Matt McIlvane and assistant coach Michael Babcock, along with the expectation that players like Nikita Nesterenko and Sam Colangelo will be up with the Ducks full-time, players like Phillips will be relied on to be the top point producers in 2026-27.
Justin Bailey
Bailey was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in Jan. 2025 in a straight one-for-one swap that sent Pavol Regenda the other way. A speedy forward who’s more of a ‘Quad-A’ than a true NHL depth forward, Bailey provided adequate depth scoring upon joining the Gulls. But he became a more consistent offensive threat this past season as a regular in the Gulls’ top-6 and lead the team in goals with 25.
Another player on an AHL-only deal who played during preseason for the Ducks, Bailey was part of the squad who played against the Kings in Ontario, Calif. as part of the Inland Empire Classic. Coming off a one-year AHL-only deal, bringing back Bailey should be a priority for the Gulls.
The Flyers traded Deslauriers to the Hurricanes ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. In the end, the move certainly paid off for the 35-year-old forward, as he is now a Stanley Cup champion.
Deslauriers played in seven regular-season games for the Hurricanes following being traded by the Flyers, where he had one assist, five penalty minutes, and 35 hits. He also played in one playoff game for the Hurricanes.
Deslauriers spent four seasons with the Flyers from 2022-23 until his trade to the Hurricanes this campaign. In 195 games with the Flyers over that span, he posted nine goals, 11 assists, 20 points, 273 penalty minutes, and 665 hits.
