TORONTO (AP) — Sidney Crosby is seen by his peers as the NHL player most likely to become a head coach, according to the National Hockey League Players’ Association’s annual player poll released Friday.
The 38-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins captain topped the category with 10.3% of the vote, followed by Minnesota’s Nick Foligno at 5% and Detroit’s David Perron, Toronto’s John Tavares and Calgary’s Ryan Strome at 2.6% or lower.
The 11th annual poll surveyed 348 players anonymously from all 32 teams during the first half of the season.
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was named the player with the most intense training regimen at 20.7%, followed by Edmonton’s Connor McDavid at 5.5% and Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang at 4%.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander led a pair of off-ice categories, ranking first as the most fashionable player at 32.9% and for the best social media presence at 17.4%.
Nylander also featured among the league’s best nicknames with “Willy Styles,” but trailed Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak, whose “Pasta” nickname topped the list at 13.5%. Other notable entries included Detroit’s Patrick Kane (“Showtime”) and Nashville’s Ryan O’Reilly (“Factor”).
Florida’s Aleksander Barkov topped forwards who could also excel as defensemen at 18%, while Colorado’s Cale Makar led defensemen who could also excel as forwards at 36.3%.
St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was voted the league’s best puck handler at 22.4%, ahead of the New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin at 14%.
Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller was named the league’s best golfer at 15.9%, while Montreal’s Bell Centre was voted to have the league’s best ice at 46.8%. Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena topped the list for best visiting dressing room.
Players also pointed to Houston as the preferred expansion market at 34.3%, followed by Quebec City at 16.9%, while 68.1% opposed a switch to white jerseys at home.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks fired general manager Patrik Allvin on Friday after missing the playoffs for a third time in four seasons with him in the position.
President of hockey operations Jim Rutherford is keeping his job. Rutherford acknowledged he has to shoulder some of the blame for how the Canucks tumbled to the bottom of the NHL standings.
Allvin made his own decisions as GM, Rutherford said.
“He was in charge of most of the things in hockey, making the trades, deciding who was getting called up and down and working with the coach and all those things,” Rutherford said. “I take full responsibility for the season. I head up the hockey department. But I don’t make decisions for other people. And Patrik had the opportunity to make his own decisions.”
Allvin’s dismissal came a day after Vancouver ended its season with a 6-1 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton. The result punctuated a season where the Canucks finished last overall with a 25-49-8 record.
“It’s unfortunate. He’s a friend of mine. I think Patrik’s a great hockey guy,” Rutherford said. “But we felt it was time to make a change and let someone else sit in that chair, that GM’s chair, and make the decisions going forward.”
The Canucks will conduct a wide search for Allvin’s replacement, he added, and already have a “very good” candidate in Ryan Johnson, currently general manager of the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks and an assistant GM with the NHL club.
Vancouver’s next general manager will have a lot of responsibility, Rutherford said, including making a decision on whether Adam Foote will stay on as the team’s coach.
The Florida Panthers have assigned Marek Alscher, Mikulas Hovorka, Ludvig Jansson, Mike Benning, Tobias Bjornfot, and Wilmer Skoog to the Charlotte Checkers.
Additionally, Noah Gregor and Nolan Foote have cleared waivers and will be assigned to the AHL.
Alscher, Hovorka, Jansson, Bjornfot, and Skoog were called up in April to join the Panthers while they dealt with injuries.
Alscher recorded three assists in four games while averaging 20:22 of ice time. The 22-year-old made a strong first impression.
Jansson was called up at the same time as Alscher, and he recorded one assist in four games, averaging 17:16.
Hovorka was called up in three different instances, notching one assist in four games, averaging 14:55 of ice time. Skoog also earned his first call-up to the NHL, and he posted two assists in three games.
Bjornfot played 19 total games in the NHL this season, scoring two goals and four points. Bjornfot left a positive mark on the franchise, as he was more than serviceable when the Panthers needed him.
Each player will play a critical role for the Checkers as they look to avenge their Calder Cup finals loss last season. The Checkers are making their eighth consecutive playoff appearance and will begin their postseason run at Bojangles Coliseum on Wednesday, April 22, at 7 p.m. ET.
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While the Vancouver Canucks’ 2025–26 season has officially concluded, the AHL remains in action for another few days. To get these two prospects some playing time, the Canucks have re-assigned forward Ty Mueller and defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev to the AHL.
Mueller returns to the Abbotsford Canucks having spent the past six games with Vancouver, scoring his first career NHL goal in his team’s 6–1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. The forward has primarily played in the AHL this season, putting up 16 goals and 19 assists in 59 games played at a top-six centre role for Abbotsford. For his efforts at the AHL-level, Mueller was named Abbotsford’s MVP for 2025–26. This season was not technically his first in the NHL, as Mueller made his NHL debut on April 12, 2025 against the Minnesota Wild.
Like Mueller, Kudryavtsev also made his NHL debut the season prior, a game later on April 14, 2026 against the San Jose Sharks, but recorded his first NHL point this year. He played in three games with Vancouver this season and tallied his first point on Curtis Douglas’ first NHL goal against the Anaheim Ducks. Kudryavtsev also added an assist in Vancouver’s final home game of the 2025–26 season on April 14.
Abbotsford will play out their final two games of the 2025–26 regular season on Saturday, April 18 against the Ontario Reign, and on Sunday, April 19 against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The AHL Canucks currently sit at 30th-overall in the AHL standings ahead of the Hartford Wolf Pack and Calgary Wranglers.
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Ty Mueller (39) skates in warm up prior to a game against the Los Angeles Kings at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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The Colorado Avalanche enter the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs chasing something the NHL hasn’t seen in over a decade: a Presidents’ Trophy winner finishing the job with a Stanley Cup. The last team to pull it off was the Chicago Blackhawks—and that’s the kind of company this Colorado roster believes it belongs in.
Colorado didn’t just have a great year—they controlled the league. A 121-point campaign was the best in franchise history. That's really all that needs to be said there.
At the center of it all was Nathan MacKinnon, who delivered a defining season. His 53 goals not only led the NHL but earned him his first-ever Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, adding another layer to an already elite résumé. Meanwhile, Cale Makar piled up 79 points while anchoring the blue line. It won't be good enough for a third Norris Trophy, but he's still one of the best players in the world.
And then there’s the difference-maker Colorado hasn’t always had in recent postseasons: stability in net. Scott Wedgewood quietly put together one of the best goaltending seasons in the league, leading the NHL with a 2.02 goals-against average—exactly the kind of reliability that can swing a playoff series.
The First Test: Los Angeles
Standing in the way is the Los Angeles Kings, a team that made the playoffs without much margin for error. Their 90-point season was enough to sneak in, but it came with clear limitations—especially offensively.
Where L.A. hangs its hat is structure. They finished among the league’s better defensive teams, allowing the seventh-fewest goals. But scoring? That’s been the issue all year. Only one player, Adrian Kempe, cracked the 50-point mark.
The Kings will need to lean heavily on Darcy Kuemper, who brings playoff experience—including a Cup run with Colorado—to even the playing field.
If you’re looking for optimism from the Kings’ perspective, the regular-season matchups don’t offer much. Colorado swept all three meetings, outscoring L.A. 13–5 without allowing even an overtime point
Colorado has continuity with Jared Bednar, one of the league’s longest-tenured coaches, guiding a veteran core that knows how to win.
The Kings, meanwhile, are navigating the postseason with interim coach D.J. James, who did stabilize things late (11-6-6 finish), but this is still a team finding its identity under pressure.
Series Odds
Every major sportsbook is leaning heavily in the same direction—but each one prices the series slightly differently.
Across DraftKings, the Avalanche are listed at -450, making them strong favorites, while the Kings sit at +340 as a long-shot underdog.
At FanDuel, Colorado is even more heavily favored at -530, with Los Angeles priced at +390, reflecting a similar expectation that the Avalanche should advance.
Caesars is the most aggressive on Colorado, listing them at -600, the steepest favorite number among the books, while the Kings come in at +450, signaling a major underdog status.
Meanwhile, BetMGM mirrors DraftKings closely, with the Avalanche at -450 and the Kings at +350.
Avalanche "Should" Win
There’s always temptation to chase the underdog in a playoff series—but this one feels different.
Colorado checks every box: elite scoring, suffocating defense, playoff experience, and now, dependable goaltending. The so-called “Presidents’ Trophy curse” lingers, but history suggests if it strikes, it usually doesn’t happen this early.
For Los Angeles to flip this series, they’d need to play near-perfect defensive hockey and get a vintage performance from Kuemper—while somehow manufacturing offense against one of the league’s best defensive teams.
That’s a tall task.
It would seem that the Avalanche are destined to dominate their first round series, but we've seen upsets before. It's up to Colorado to find a way and get overthrow the monarchs.
The simulation puck has officially dropped—and if this version of reality holds any weight, the Colorado Avalanche aren’t just winning their first-round series… they’re steamrolling it.
The full 2-hour and 45-minute stream can be watched in its entirety here.
Game 1 — Avalanche 3, Kings 2
The opening frame had a little bit of everything—tempo, tension, and an early missed opportunity. Colorado’s first power play came eight minutes in after Cody Ceci cross-checked Nazem Kadri, but the Avs couldn’t cash in.
Still, they struck first.
With under five minutes to play in the period, Nic Roy buried a rebound off a Gabriel Landeskog chance that slipped through Darcy Kuemper. Depth scoring, right on cue.
Colorado carried a 1–0 lead into intermission, narrowly edging Los Angeles 9–8 in shots.
The Kings pushed back in the second. Anze Kopitar—playing what could be his final postseason—redirected a Drew Doughty point shot past Scott Wedgewood to even things up. The period tilted toward Los Angeles, who outshot Colorado 9–4, but the score stayed locked at one.
Then came the chaos.
Just 1:49 into the third, a Colorado turnover sparked a 2-on-1, and Artemi Panarin found Adrian Kempe for a clean finish to give Los Angeles its first lead.
It didn’t last.
Off an offensive-zone draw, Brock Nelson did the dirty work, and Landeskog did the rest—dangling from forehand to backhand and beating Kuemper to tie it. A captain’s answer.
Moments later, Nathan MacKinnon hit another gear, slicing through defenders before setting up Artturi Lehkonen on the doorstep… only for the puck to clang off iron like it owed him money. Full Arnold Schwarzenegger, terminator-level post.
Late-game pressure broke the Kings. With under a minute to go, Nelson retrieved a loose puck behind the net and fed Landeskog in the slot. This time, no mistake—glove side, game over.
Landeskog finished with three points (2G, 1A), Nelson added two, and Roy chipped in with the opener. Wedgewood stopped 21.
Game 2 — Avalanche 3, Kings 2
Colorado controlled the pace early but found themselves trailing after Taylor Ward cleaned up a power play scramble midway through the first.
The response came quickly—and bizarrely.
Kuemper mishandled a routine puck in his crease, chaos followed, and Nelson capitalized with a slick backhand to tie it.
The second period belonged to Colorado. After Brian Dumoulin took a penalty, Martin Necas hammered home a power play goal to make it 2–1. The Avs dominated possession, outshooting the Kings 25–11 through two.
Kuemper, to his credit, kept Los Angeles alive with several massive saves, including a rocket from Cale Makar.
Kopitar tied it again early in the third on a power play one-timer, because of course he did.
But once again, Colorado had the final word.
Ross Colton forced a turnover, Nic Roy picked it up, and Colton spun and fired past Kuemper in one motion. Clinical. Decisive.
Blackwood stopped 18, and the Avalanche took a 2–0 series lead.
Game 3 — Avalanche 2, Kings 1 (OT)
Los Angeles struck first, capitalizing on a 2-on-1 as Kempe set up Brandt Clarke to beat Wedgewood.
From there, it became a goaltending duel.
Colorado dominated stretches of the second, but Kuemper refused to break—until Sam Malinski burst in on a breakaway and slipped a backhand home late in the period to tie it.
The third period? Pure chaos disguised as control. Both goalies traded highlight-reel saves.
Then overtime delivered the madness.
Scott Laughton nearly ended it for L.A., but Wedgewood pulled off a save that defied both physics and basic human expectation.
Moments later, the Kings went on the power play—but it backfired spectacularly.
Cale Makar won a race to the puck, fed Logan O’Connor in the slot, and O’Connor buried the shorthanded winner.
Ballgame. Series stranglehold.
Wedgewood was unreal, stopping 38.
Game 4 — Avalanche 1, Kings 0
This one was tight. Suffocating, even.
Both teams traded chances, but nothing got through—until the final seconds.
With just 21 ticks left, Nelson forced a turnover at center ice and sent Landeskog flying down the wing. One shot. One finish.
That was it.
Four games. Four wins. Series over.
Let’s Be Real
Nathan MacKinnon going an entire series without a goal? Not happening in any known universe. The simulation clearly has a personal vendetta.
But if there’s one takeaway here, it’s this: Colorado’s depth, structure, and late-game execution completely overwhelmed Los Angeles.
It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins have a wealth of playoff experience on their roster.
Five of them - Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, and Sam Girard - have Stanley Cup rings. A few more have gotten a taste of the Stanley Cup Final, only to have fallen just short. Many have limited playoff experience but playoff experience nonetheless.
But there are a handful of players - six of them, to be exact - on the Penguins' active roster who have never been graced with the opportunity to experience the greatest postseason in all of sports. Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov, Elmer Soderblom, Ryan Shea, Jack St. Ivany, and Ilya Solovyov will finally, in some capacity, have that opportunity when the Penguins face the Philadelphia Flyers in round one of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which begins Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET.
And a player's first time in the NHL playoffs is something that they can only experience once.
"It's, obviously, been a whirlwind of a season, but this has always been the goal since making the team," Kindel said. "Really, really excited to have this opportunity to go into the playoffs with this group of guys and see what we can do."
Kindel, a rookie, made the team out of training camp and was given the chance to stick around through the entirety of the regular season. And some of the other players in a similar situation didn't join the squad until midway through.
Chinakhov is one of those guys, as he was dealt from the Columbus Blue Jackets to Pittsburgh on Dec. 29. He has played in five NHL seasons up to this point, and all have ended in futility.
To come to the Penguins' organization mid-season and be thrust into the Stanley Cup Playoffs has been a whirlwind for him, but he's happy to finally have gotten here.
"I'm excited to play in the playoffs," Chinakhov said. "I played in the KHL [playoffs], and I know it feels different than the regular season. Yeah, just need to prepare and be ready for Game 1."
The same can be said for Soderblom, who joined the team at the NHL Trade Deadline from the Detroit Red Wings on Mar. 7.
"It's going to be fun," Soderblom said. "I think it's going to be something special, and it's going to be exciting to play, for sure. I think we can just learn a lot from the players who have been through it, you know, and won the Cup. So, I think it's a good opportunity to just get better."
The "new guy, new team" situation doesn't apply to everyone in this position, though. Shea and St. Ivany have been with the organization for a few years now, and they have seen the Penguins at the lowest point they've been since Crosby's rookie season.
Shea joined the Penguins in 2023-24 after getting drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks and spending a few years in the Dallas Stars' organization. He's been to the playoffs before, but nothing quite like the NHL playoffs.
“I mean, it’s pretty cool. I’ve played a lot of meaningful hockey in my life, whether it’s playoffs in the AHL or college hockey, but this is obviously the pinnacle," Shea said. "This is what you want to get to.
"I feel like the first two years, we were so close, but always the outside looking in. And this year, we had to learn how to play when we were in a position to make the playoffs, and we did pretty well coming down the stretch with that. But, I’m just super excited. It’s great for the guys."
Of course, there's not really any other way to truly prepare for the NHL playoffs aside from simply getting thrust into it. Crosby knows that feeling all too well, as he remembers his first taste of the playoffs.
But, regardless, he and the other veterans in the room are ready to help those with little to no NHL postseason experience - even if they can only do so much.
"I think you've got to prepare as best you can, but until you've actually experienced it, there's only so much you can do to try to prepare," Crosby said. "But, we'll definitely do that. You can do your best to try to help them out and make sure that [they] prepare, but just getting thrown into it is just sometimes the best. And I think anyone who has played in the playoffs, you remember that first game, that's for sure. You'll remember that first shift, first period... those always tend to stick out."
And Shea - like Soderblom - said that the experience of guys like Crosby and the other veterans in the room will certainly help him and others, especially in terms of regulating emotions.
"I pick up the little things that guys talk about, whether it’s body language, picking up teammates, all that stuff," Shea said. "For me, I’m pretty hard on myself. So, having those guys through this experience and having a guy of that caliber coming up to you and being like, ‘Hey, go get it next shift’ or something like that… that goes a long way. We’re all in this fight together. I think we’ve done a great job this year being a team and keeping the vibes at a high, and I think we need that no matter what, whether we go down 2-0, up 2-0, whatever the case may be.
"We need to control our emotions, and that’s where those guys come in. And, for me, I know I’m going to be overly excited to start the game, but I think, at the end of the day, it’s just another hockey game. My nerves and my excitement will just pull back, and then, you’re pretty much just going about your business.”
The New York Islanders have salary-cap overages that impact their cap space heading into the summer.
Per PuckPedia, the Islanders' bonus overage carryover is $3.5 million.
Here's how they get to that number:
"The New York Islanders super rookie Matthew Schaefer earned the maximum bonuses possible for an Entry Level player - $3,500,000. He hit 4 “A” bonuses for Goals, Assists, Points per game, and Time on Ice, earning $1 million, and by finishing in the top 10 among NHL Defensemen in goals, he earned his $2.5 million “B” bonus. Since the Islanders used LTIR and finished over the cap, this entire $3.5 million bonus is an overage. This large overage isn’t quite as high as the overages incurred by Boston ($4.5 million in 23-24) and Edmonton ($3.55 million in 24-25) in recent years."
With the Nashville Predators missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs by three points, all eyes are on the NHL Draft Lottery, which will be held on May 5.
According to Tankathon.com, which runs mock drafts and tracks draft odds across all five major sporting leagues, the Predators have a 3.5% chance to land the No. 1 overall pick with the 10th-best odds.
Their highest odds are to land the 10th overall pick at 73.3%.
The Vancouver Canucks have the highest odds of getting the No. 1 pick at 25%. They finished dead-last in the NHL standings with a 25-49-8 record and 58 points.
It's a slim chance for the Predators to get the top pick, but it has happened before. The New York Islanders had the 10th-best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft at 3.5%.
They'd end up winning the lottery and drafting defensman Matthew Schaefer. This season, Schaefer has recorded 59 points in 82 games and is the leading candidate to win the Calder Memorial Trophy.
This didn't favor the Predators last season, who had an 11.5% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick and the highest odds of landing the No. 3 overall pick, yet fell to the No. 5 overall pick.
Nashville ended up selecting center Brady Martin from the Soo Greyhounds with the pick. It was selected three times in the first round of the 2025 Draft.
The New York Rangers notably had a 9.5% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and won the lottery, selecting forward Alexis Lafrenière.
This year's draft is all about Penn State forward Gavin McKenna, who lit the WHL on fire last season with 129 points (41 goals and 88 assists) in 56 games at 16/17 years old.
He made the move to the NCAA this season, recording 51 points (15 goals and 36 assists) in 35 games. While having a fall-off from the 2024-25 season, McKenna is still the top prospect in this draft class.
In the midst of a general manager search, the Predators will have 12 picks in this upcoming draft.
Nashville Predators 2026 NHL Draft picks by round
Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announces Brady Martin is selected as the fifth overall pick to the Nashville Predators in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
First round: One pick
Second round: Two picks (Acquired a pick from Minnesota Wild, trading C Michael McCarron)
Third round: Two picks (Acquired a pick from Seattle Kraken, trading F Michael Bunting to Dallas Stars for the pick, which was originally Seattle's.)
Fourth round: Two picks (Acquired a pick from Pittsburgh Penguins, trading D Luke Schenn and C Thomas Novak for Bunting and a 2026 4th round pick)
Fifth round: Three picks (Acquired two picks from the Edmonton Oilers, trading a 2025 fifth-round pick and from the Carolina Hurricanes, trading C Mark Jankowski.)
Sixth round: One pick (Acquired a pick from Utah Mammoth for 2025 sixth-round pick)
The Chicago Blackhawks finished the season 29-39-14, which was good for 72 points. Their 31st-place finish makes it four years in a row that they finished in the bottom three, and they will pick in the top four for the same number of years.
Kyle Davidson received a contract extension, which will give him security ahead of the rebuild's next step. Now, it's all about taking the opportunity to use their incredible farm system to put together a winner.
This could end up being the most important summer of the entire project. There are many young players in the organization, and not all of them can be on the NHL roster full-time going forward. Trades and signings must be a part of it.
There is no limit to how many moves a team can make during the off-season, but some are more important than others. These five decisions stick out as the top priorities:
Make a wise decision with their lottery pick
The Chicago Blackhawks are going to pick in the top four. If they're picking fourth, that means that multiple teams below them won lotteries, which is unlikely. Regardless of where they land, however, they have to make a smart decision.
Most believe that Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg will be the first two forwards taken, while Chase Reid and Keaton Verhoeff will be the first two defensemen off the board. Regardless of who the Blackhawks take, they must get them on the best possible development path.
Extend Connor Bedard to a multi-year deal
Connor Bedard is the franchise centerpiece. The Blackhawks were handed a gift when they won the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery, and he has rewarded them by putting in the work to develop into an elite player. There is still even more room for growth, which is what's most impressive about him.
Bedard is a restricted free agent and is in need of a contract extension. He was wise to wait through this year to get it done, because he's proven that he's worth an eight-figure number for a very long time. He will get that.
Although this is a no-brainer, there is always a worry about how long it takes to get done. The Blackhawks must learn from cases like Jeremy Swayman or Luke Hughes, as missing training camp can hinder seasons. The earlier this deal gets done, the better it will be for the team and the player.
Add a high-end top-six forward with NHL experience
The Blackhawks have a lot of great young forwards. A lot of them have the skills necessary to play in the top six. They also have Tyler Bertuzzi, who scored 32 goals, which led the team. This was a career year for Bertuzzi, so they need to add another good top-six forward to the group.
There are going to be some snipers available via a trade (and possibly free agency), and there are some who have had their name out there, but it remains to be seen if they'll actually be moved.
If the Blackhawks want a chance at winning more next season, a high-end talent to play with Bedard is a must. This will also push other guys down the lineup, which can be beneficial to other centers like Anton Frondell or Frank Nazar.
Add a veteran to the defense
The Blackhawks were without Matt Grzelcyk for the last month of the season, which made 24-year-old Alex Vlasic their elder statesman on the blue line.
It might be wise to add another veteran to play with this youth-filled group. Artyom Levshunov, Wyatt Kaiser, and Sam Rinzel could all use another mentor in the room to help them when things get tough.
The Blackhawks may also draft a young defenseman, depending on where things fall, which would make a veteran useful as well. There isn't going to be a world-beater available, but a steady second-pair guy would go a long way.
Be smart with Ilya Mikheyev's pending free agency
The Blackhawks traded Nick Foligno, Connor Murphy, and Jason Dickinson at the deadline. All three of those pending UFAs are going to the playoffs, but it left a leadership hole on the team.
It also left Ily Mikheyev behind as a pending UFA. The Blackhawks tried to get him extended before the deadline, but to no avail. Over the summer, it would be in their best interest to revisit those conversations.
If Mikheyev is willing to sign a two-year deal at a good number, the Blackhawks should not hesitate. Even an overpriced one-year deal would be better than nothing. Mikheyev is one of the best penalty-killing forwards in the NHL, and he does everything you'd expect a bottom-six forward to do on a nightly basis.
Mikheyev, who is a wizard defensively, is also good for 15-20 goals a season with absolutely no power play time. A guy like that is hard to let go of, especially when he's one of your only players with significant NHL experience.
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Mind Over Chatter - Feb. 27 2026 - Vol. 73 Issue 3 - Jared Clinton
THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH talking a bit of trash. In fact, there was a time when Sebastian Cossa thrived on it.
In August 2021, now-Utah Mammoth winger and then-Cossa’s Edmonton Oil Kings teammate Dylan Guenther was asked about the netminder’s smack-talking proclivities. Guenther told reporters Cossa had “no mercy.”
But when Cossa is pressed about that penchant for verbal sparring, he only laughs before offering that that was then and this is now.
At the ripe old age of 23, Cossa insists he’s a changed man. “Some guys would chirp me, and I’d chirp them back,” he said. “That fuels me a little more and would make me a little more dialled at that point. But over the last two years, I’ve realized I don’t really need that as much. Let the players take care of that and then just worry about myself at this point.”
Credit where it’s due: it’s commendable Cossa has become comfortable enough in his own skin – and, as importantly, with his own game – that he has been able to stash the chirping in his back pocket. Truth be told, coming to the realization he no longer really needs that element to his game puts Cossa clear of many a beer-leaguer who somehow feels the need to heckle opponents at an 11 p.m. ice time. Perhaps that’s the maturity to which Cossa is referring when he mentions he’s been called “an old soul.”
For Cossa, though, growing up quickly has always been a part of his story. His life and his on-ice career have been on the fast track since the time he was 13.
While his hockey card lists Hamilton, Ont., as his hometown, Cossa makes clear he hails from Fort McMurray, Alta. And while oil and the money that flows along with it are plentiful in ‘Fort Mac,’ elite-level hockey teams are not. The options for a talented young player to take the step to AAA hockey were limited. So when he was only 13, he had to decide whether to stay close to home or pack his things to pursue his dreams.
Ultimately, Cossa chose to hit the road. Leaving his family behind, he billeted in Fort Saskatchewan, a stone’s throw from Edmonton, in order to play high-level hockey. By 14, he was a second-round choice of Edmonton in the WHL’s bantam draft. By 16, he was the Oil Kings’ starting keeper. And just one year later, he was drafted 15th overall by the Detroit Red Wings. Since then, no goaltender has been selected higher.
From there, Cossa has only continued on his upward trajectory. His first full professional season was spent with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, followed by a full campaign with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, which led to Cossa getting his first, albeit brief, taste of the NHL in 2024-25. “Life’s moved a little bit quicker for me,” he said. “But I couldn’t have asked for anything else. It definitely has helped me mature.”
Given his steady and persistent rise, it might stand to reason that patience isn’t Cossa’s strong suit. After all, his career has thus far been defined by what’s next, not what’s present. So when his pathway to regular NHL duty was blocked after the franchise swung a deal in the summer for veteran keeper John Gibson, it was natural to wonder how he would react.
But he showed maturity with his understanding of his place in the Red Wings’ pecking order. “You do want to be there at the NHL level, but sometimes, you need to look in the mirror and see what you can continue to improve and also understand the situation as well,” he said, later adding that it would be hard to argue he should be in the NHL with how well Gibson and backup Cam Talbot have been playing.
Many of the things Cossa has worked on improving this season have been the mental, not physical, aspects of the game. Standing 6-foot-7, Cossa casts a shadow over the blue paint, and size has always been one of his most evident attributes. He’s also far more athletic for a goalie of his stature than one might expect. Knowing how to properly use those raw tools, though, is what separates top keepers from the pack. “For me, it’s a lot of positional stuff – depth-related, when to take ice and when to maybe take a little bit less,” he said. “Something for me is my hands, for sure. When my hands are on and dialled, there’s not a lot of spots to get beat for me.”
The way Cossa says that, too – that when he’s on, he’ll back himself to stop just about anything – has an air of self-assuredness that some would say borders on cockiness. But that matter-of-factness is self-belief that Cossa feels he builds through his work ethic. “We’ve got a really good system here with me and my goalie coach (Roope Koistinen) putting in a lot of work but being smart with it,” Cossa said. “I’m going into games feeling confident because I’ve put in the work during the week, and, at that point, it’s just going out there and playing.”
As with his grasp of his place on the depth chart, Cossa is not so confident as to believe he is infallible. He offers a frank and honest assessment of his play, particularly his past two seasons in the AHL. The first, he said, was defined by a meek start and a strong finish. His sophomore year, however, he views as the opposite: dominant early, with an ill-timed drop-off come the playoffs. That’s led him to view the current campaign as an opportunity to prove he has the requisite consistency to make the NHL leap.
— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) April 3, 2026
If that is his challenge to himself, the early returns have been favorable. When the AHL broke for its All-Star Game – at which Cossa represented the Central Division – he was tied for the league lead with 20 wins (in 26 games) and second in goals-against average (1.99) and save percentage (.928) among goaltenders to have played at least 900 minutes. On their merits alone, those are impressive numbers. But when taking into consideration the AHL-leading Griffins have a sizable target on their backs, meaning Cossa gets the opposition’s best on a nightly basis, his performance stands out even further.
Even still, Cossa won’t be caught lamenting that he hasn’t found his way back up to Detroit this season. He’s keen on taking advantage of the opportunity he has and not trying to waste his time or energy focusing on the opportunity he wants.
His journey may have started early, but Cossa understands this is a long haul. “I love Grand Rapids, the city, and I love the group we have here,” he said. “I’m having a lot of fun, which makes it easier going to the rink every day. If you weren’t very happy here or putting a lot of thought into that, the answer would be different. But for me, right now, I’m trying to stay where my feet are.”
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The Buffalo Sabres have to wait until Sunday night to play their first postseason game in 15 years, and although the Sabres won the Atlantic Division and will be at home in front of an excited crowd at KeyBank Center, they will face a significant challenge in their division rival, the Boston Bruins. The Beantowners finished nine points behind the Sabres in the first Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 100 points, but have more playoff experience than Buffalo with the likes of David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, nd Jeremy Swayman.
The Sabres lost three of four matchups against Boston this season (3-1 in Boston on October 11, 4-3 in overtime at TD Garden on October 30, and 4-3 in overtime at KeyBank Center on March 25). Buffalo’s only win, 4-1, came at home on December 27. Bruins head coach Marco Sturm gave away a bit of his club’s gameplan on Friday before they embarked for Western New York, stating that they plan to be the big bad Bruins.
“We know how we have to play. We're excited. We are bigger, stronger, we are more physical.” Sturm said. “We just have to be smart. But, we're going to go after them. Whoever comes in first place, second….I don’t really care. We are going to play our game.”
The Bruins apparently are going to try to take a page out of the Tampa Bay Lightning playbook, who on their infamous visit in March, targeted Sabres team captain Rasmus Dahlin and defenseman Bowen Byram, but Buffalo effectively pushed back and won a wild 8-7 contest. Boston has a group of tough players, including former Sabre first-rounder Nikita Zadorov (152 penalty minutes), center Mark Kastelic (140 penalty minutes), and rugged winger Tann Jeannot, and is likely calculating that they can take some liberties against Buffalo because of its ineffective power-play (21st in the NHL at 19.5%).
Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff gave his club the day off after practicing on Thursday, and indicated that he does not expect to have center Sam Carrick for the series, but that rookie Noah Ostlund may play at some point. Goalie Alex Lyon may practice with the club on Saturday, after rookie Colten Ellis missed Thursday’s workout.
The NHL released the series schedule, with Game 1 on Sunday at 7:30 pm. Game 2 will be on Tuesday at 7:30 pm. The series shifts to TD Garden for Games 3 and 4, on Thursday at 7 pm and Sunday afternoon at 2 pm. If necessary, Game 5 will be on Tuesday, April 28 in Buffalo, Friday, May 1 at TD Garden, and Game 7 on Sunday, May 3rd. Games 5, 6, and 7 start times are to be determined.
Sixteen teams will compete for what's often said to be the hardest trophy to win in professional sports, but only one can be crowned NHL champion in June.
Our hockey experts will deliver their NHL Playoffs best bets and NHL picks every day from now until the Stanley Cup is presented.
NHL Playoffs best bets for Saturday, April 18
Game
Best bet
Odds
OTT vs. CAR
Cozens 1+ points
+115
MIN vs. DAL
Wild moneyline
+105
PHI vs. PIT
Under 6.5
-130
Odds courtesy of Kalshi.
Saturday, April 18
Senators vs Hurricanes Game 1
3:00 p.m. ET, ESPN.
Best bet: Dylan Cozens 1+ points (+115 at Kalshi)
Dylan Cozens finished the regular season third in scoring for the Ottawa Senators, registering a point in five of his last six games.
He notched a multi-point performance in a 6-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on April 5, and had four points in two games against them this season.
Perhaps more importantly, the Yukon native strung together a four-game point streak to help secure a second consecutive postseason berth for the Sens.
Furthermore, his 28 shots in the month of April are nine more than his closest teammates, a testament to his level of confidence right now.
Anytime goalscorer pick: Andrei Svechnikov (+195 at Kalshi)
Andrei Svechnikov has scored in six of his last seven games, hitting his stride at the perfect time.
The 2018 second-overall pick led the 'Canes with eight playoff goals last season, and has scored in three straight games against Atlantic Division opponents. He scored against the Senators on April 5.
Four of his last six goals have come via the power play, which matches up well against the Sens' abysmal 29th-ranked penalty kill.
Wild vs Stars Game 1
5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
Best bet: Wild moneyline (+105 at Kalshi)
The Dallas Stars limped into the postseason with a 7-5-2 record, and just three of those wins came against postseason teams. More concerning, Dallas ranked 20th in expected goals percentage at five-on-five.
For comparison, the Minnesota Wild ranked fourth in xGF% at 5-on-5 during the same stretch.
As noted, Dallas will be without key center Roope Hintz, and No. 1 defenseman Miro Heiskanen (lower body) is likely to play at less than 100% after missing the final three games of the regular season and being deemed questionable for the series opener.
Stars No. 1 Jake Oettinger is also coming off his worst NHL season with a .899 save percentage and just 23.14 goals saved above expected across 54 starts.
Anytime goalscorer pick: Joel Eriksson Ek (+325 at Kalshi)
Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek has only scored twice with a 4.6 shooting percentage across his past 17 games despite piling up an impressive 7.96 expected goals and 29 high-danger scoring chances.
There’s statistical correction coming in the goals column for Eriksson Ek considering he’s been dangerous and also posted an 11.3 SH% across 387 games since the beginning of the 2020 campaign.
Flyers vs Penguins Game 1
8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN.
Best bet: Under 6.5 (-130 at Kalshi)
The Philadelphia Flyers were dominant defensively at five-on-five down the stretch with the fewest goals against and second-fewest expected goals against per 60 minutes during their NHL best 15-5-1 run after the March 6 trade deadline.
Excellent defense will be critical against the Pittsburgh Penguins because the Pens paced the league in goals per 60 minutes and team shooting percentage at 5-on-5 during the same result.
I’m anticipating the solid Philly defense to help kick-start statistical correction to the shooting efficiency from Pittsburgh and pave the way to this total going Under the number in Game 1.
Anytime goalscorer pick: Travis Konecny (+270 at Kalshi)
Flyers winger Travis Konecny only scored twice across his final 13 games of the regular season despite recording 3.67 individual expected goals and 14 high-danger scoring chances while averaging 18:20 of ice time and jumping the boards with the No. 1 power-play unit. His 7.4 shooting percentage during the skid was also way below his 17.7% mark through the first 64 games of the season.
Popular NHL betting markets
The NHL is a betting buffet — the key is picking the right market for your edge.
Futures: Not only can you bet on the team you think will win it all in the Stanley Cup odds, but you can also wager on Conn Smythe odds. The latter trophy is awarded to the player judged to be the best performer in the postseason, not just in the Stanley Cup Final
Game lines: The spread, moneyline, and total are the bread-and-butter once the playoffs begin. As the postseason rolls on and teams become more risk-averse, lines will get tighter and totals will drop, so bettors can take advantage of swings throughout series one way or the other.
Props: NHL player props will still be going strong all the way until a potential Game 7 of the Cup Final. The most popular markets include anytime goalscorer, player points, assists, shots on goal, and goalie saves.
Same-game parlays: SGPs can be fun, but value varies. Compare the parlay payout to betting legs individually, and prioritize lines you’d play on their own.
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2 — Consecutive trips to the final by Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, who lost to Florida each time but are back for another try. The last team to reach the final three years in a row and not win was St. Louis from 1968-70.
4 — Current playoff teams seeking their first Stanley Cup championship: Buffalo, Minnesota, Ottawa and Utah. The Sabres in their 55th season without a title have the second-longest wait of anyone in the league, just behind Toronto's drought that dates to 1967.
6 — Teams in the field that did not make it last year: Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Utah. That is one shy of the largest turnover in history (2021). The Penguins were 6-1 long shots to make it after a three-year absence, while the Flyers got in for the first time since 2020.
7 — Coaches who got their team into the playoffs in their first season in charge. Anaheim's Joel Quenneville, Boston's Marco Sturm, Dallas' Glen Gulutzan, Pittsburgh's Dan Muse, Philadelphia's Rick Tocchet were hired last offseason. Los Angeles' D.J. Smith took over March 1 and Vegas' John Tortorella on March 29.
10 — Players who have skated in 1,000 or more regular-season games and never hoisted the Stanley Cup, led by Colorado's Brent Burns (1,579). The others are Ottawa's Claude Giroux (1,345), Minnesota's Nick Foligno (1,287), Dallas' Jamie Benn (1,252) and Matt Duchene (1,195), Pittsburgh's Erik Karlsson (1,159), Dallas' Tyler Myers (1,139), Edmonton's Adam Henrique (1,058) and Minnesota's Marcus Johansson (1,058 GP) and Jeff Petry (1,048).
13 — Years since the Presidents' Trophy winner for the best regular season also won the Stanley Cup. Colorado is looking to become the first since Chicago in 2013 and 16th ever.
14 — Seasons since the Sabres last made the playoffs, the longest drought in NHL history. Detroit now has that distinction (10 seasons).
15 — U.S. players who won gold at the Olympics who now have a chance for a double championship year: Colorado's Brock Nelson, Dallas' Jake Oettinger, Boston's Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman, Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel, Minnesota's Matt Boldy, Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber, Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson, Buffalo's Tage Thompson, Carolina's Jaccob Slavin, Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel, Vegas' Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin, and Anaheim's Jackson LaCombe.
21 — Series victories by the Sabres in their franchise history. Lindy Ruff was coach for 10 of them.
87 — Times Montreal has qualified, the most of any team. Boston is in for a 78th time, ranking second.
201 — Career playoff points for Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, who needs one point to pass former teammate Jaromir Jagr for sole possession of the fifth most in NHL history.
820 — Regular-season games played by Philadelphia's Rasmus Ristolainen, the most of any active player without making the playoffs. Former teammate Rasmus Dahlin of Buffalo (568 games) is also in tor the first time as the only defenseman to make his postseason debut after recording 400 points.
While 16 teams are preparing for battle in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Detroit Red Wings were once again left cleaning out their lockers at Little Caesars Arena after another disappointing finish.
Despite being tied for first overall in the Eastern Conference in late January, the Red Wings stumbled to a 9-15-5 record during the final 29-game stretch of their centennial campaign, seeing their playoff cushion disappear and ultimately be eliminated from postseason competition last Saturday.
It marks the 10th consecutive season of no postseason hockey in Detroit, not only the longest drought in team history, but now officially the longest active drought in the NHL.
Forward Alex DeBrincat, who scored 41 goals, the most by any Red Wings forward since Marian Hossa in 2008-09, explained that the club needed to channel the disappointment they're currently feeling and use it as fuel for next season.
“Over the summer, we need to bottle up what this feels like and come back stronger,” DeBrincat said. “I think, I feel like we’ve said that the past couple of years, but overall, I think we played good hockey for, you know, 3/4 of the season and put ourselves in a great spot, had confidence. We were coming to the rink ready to play and confident we could beat any team in the League for a long time there."
Not long after the resumption of the schedule following the Olympic break, the Red Wings suffered a 4-3 OT loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on March 4, a game in which they led 3-1 in the third period.
What followed was a series of costly losses, perhaps the most damaging of which was a stunning 4-3 regulation setback against the Florida Panthers. Detroit led 3-2 with 90 seconds left, only to see the Panthers knot the score and then score the go-ahead goal with just 14 seconds left.
While they eventually rebounded with two straight wins over the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens at home, they dropped four of their next five, all against opponents they were jockeying for playoff position against.
“And that kind of slipped," DeBrincat said of Detroit's lead in the standings. "I don’t know exactly when it slipped or what happened, but then you see the mental side of the game come in, and we feel defeated, and you can see it. We need to find a way to work hard every game to the end of the season."
Following the aforementioned 5–3 loss to the Devils last Saturday that sealed Detroit’s playoff fate, the Red Wings earned a point with a third-period comeback against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. However, they then sleepwalked through an 8–1 loss in their regular-season finale against the Panthers—their largest margin of defeat all season and the most goals the club has surrendered since November 2022.
"I think our last game was probably one of the most embarrassing games I’ve played in myself," DeBrincat said of their lopsided loss. "Everyone, it seems like, we weren’t working hard, and I know it didn’t mean anything, but you could kind of see that creep into our game during that last bit. Very frustrating.”
DeBrincat is set to enter the final season of a four-year deal he signed shortly after being acquired from the Ottawa Senators during the 2023 offseason, but the Farmington Hills, Michigan, native reiterated that he feels comfortable playing in his hometown.
“I love it here. I think we’re still a little far away from even having those conversations, but yeah, this is my home,” said DeBrincat. “I’ve loved every bit of playing here, but I think at the end of the day, it’s a business, so we’ll see what they want to do. But yeah, I love it here.
“I think this is a team I want to be a part of for a long time, and I think everyone knows that. I want to be a big part of changing the culture, and obviously, we’ve done a little bit of that, but there’s still work to do.”
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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.
OTT vs. 
CAR
MIN vs. 
DAL
PHI vs. 
PIT
