Kevin Bieksa is a three-time Canadian Screen Award winner.
The former Vancouver Canucks defenceman-turned broadcaster won his third consecutive Canadian Screen Award for best Sports Analyst on Friday, May 29.
Bieksa, who also won in 2024 and 2025, was first nominated for the award back in 2021 but lost out to fellow former hockey player and then-Sportsnet analyst Cassie Campbell-Pascall. He was also nominated in 2022, though Toronto Blue Jays analyst Joe Siddall took home the award instead.
A 10-year veteran of the Canucks organization, Bieksa spent the bulk of his NHL career in Vancouver, during five of which he wore an ‘A’ for the team. While known for many moments throughout his career with the Canucks, his most notable moment came during the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he scored ‘the Stanchion goal’ to send Vancouver to the Finals.
Other nominees for this year’s Best Sports Analyst award include Brian Stemmle of CBC Sports Presents, Kia Nurse of Raptors on TSN, and Luke Wilson of SC with Jay Onrait. Blue Jays on Sportsnet’s Dan Shulman also won the award for Best Sports Play-By-Play Announcer, while Hazel Mae was awarded the Gordon Sinclair Award for Broadcast Journalism.
Nov 3, 2022; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; During a pre-game on ice presentation prior to a game against the Anaheim Ducks the Vancouver Canucks officially mark Kevin Bieska's retirement from the National Hockey League as a member of the club in his return to Rogers Arena, where he signed a one-day contract with the team. Originally selected by the Canucks in the fifth round, 151st overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Bieksa spent parts of 12 seasons playing in the Canucks organization, including 10 at the NHL level from 2005-06 to 2014-15. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
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In desperate need of power play help and a top-four caliber veteran defenseman, the Philadelphia Flyers will be seeking intermediate-term reinforcements in free agency this offseason.
They can knock out two birds with one stone by signing longtime rival and Washington Capitals legend John Carlson, though he's widely expected to have many suitors around the NHL, including Stanley Cup contenders.
Fortunately for the Flyers, though, the latest from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman tells us Philadelphia should have a legitimate chance at the 36-year-old Stanley Cup champ.
According to Friedman, via the May 22nd episode of his "32 Thoughts" podcast, "there's some thought [Carlson] might want to go back East."
This would make the chances of a reunion with the Anaheim Ducks slim, and virtually rule out a contract anywhere else in the Western Conference given his familiarity with Anaheim compared to those teams.
By extension, the Flyers should be among the favorites to sign Carlson in free agency this summer, especially due to suggestions a return to the Capitals isn't in the cards.
Carlson, 36, scored 14 points in 16 games for the Ducks after being traded, and added another six assists in 12 playoff games.
The 2025-26 season was actually one of Carlson's most productive overall, as the Natick, Mass., native finished with 60 points, including 14 on the power play, in just 71 regular season games.
Just those 14 points alone would have placed Carlson third in scoring amongst Flyers defensemen, behind only Cam York, Travis Sanheim, and Jamie Drysdale, and tied with Rasmus Ristolainen.
Carlson's 14 power play points also would have tied Travis Konecny for second-most among all Flyers, behind only Trevor Zegras's 23.
So, it goes almost without saying that Carlson's 60-point ability and power play prowess are two things the Flyers need and are in the market for.
As long as the Flyers can move Ristolainen at peak value and don't want to rush David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk along, Carlson is certainly the best fit for them, and they have a legitimate chance of getting him now.
On a one- or two-year deal, Carlson is certainly worth an overpay from the Flyers in the region of $9- or $10 million, especially with all the cap space they'll have heading into the offseason.
The Vegas Golden Knights have made it to the Stanley Cup for the third time in nine years.
Standing in the way of their second win in franchise history will be the Carolina Hurricanes, who enter the Final with a remarkable 12-1 playoff record.
Beating the Hurricanes four times will be a challenge. Here are five things the Golden Knights need to do well to make it happen.
Tighten the screws at 5-on-5
The Carolina Hurricanes lead all teams with 3.51 expected goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play during the playoffs, well clear of the Vegas Golden Knights and their output (2.67). That's why the Golden Knights are underdogs at +125 at BET99 to win the Stanley Cup.
The Hurricanes have generated high-danger chances in bulk against each opponent, and that is something the Golden Knights need to crack down on.
While Carter Hart has performed very well in the playoffs, he ranked 66th among 67 eligible goaltenders in 5-on-5 high-danger SV% during the regular season. Vegas can’t test fate.
Score on the power play
The Hurricanes spent almost 90 minutes shorthanded through the first three rounds. They lost those minutes by a 4-1 score line.
Put another way, it has taken 30 minutes for opponents — with the man advantage — to beat the Hurricanes by a goal. That’s the equivalent of 15 power plays, which could account for the majority of a series.
Vegas needs to find a way to be opportunistic on the man advantage, especially given how stingy Carolina is at 5-on-5.
Get out in front
It's difficult to beat the Hurricanes at the best of times. It's almost impossible when falling behind the eight-ball.
Carolina owns a spotless 7-0 record when leading after 20 minutes during the playoffs. The same can be said after 40.
They were otherworldly good when leading after two periods in regular season play, posting a 37-2-2 record.
Their structure and relentless forechecking pressure allow them to get downhill and neutralize possessions before they really get going.
Vegas can’t afford to fall behind and be forced to chase the game.
Keep Marner away from Miller
Mitch Marner leads the Golden Knights with 21 points through 18 games, and he has generated more 5-on-5 scoring chances than anybody on their roster.
John Tortorella would do well to keep him away from K’Andre Miller as much as possible.
Miller has won his minutes by a 16-3 score line while helping the Hurricanes control nearly 65% of the expected goal share.
His positioning, stick work, and defensive instincts have allowed him to completely neutralize top players for the opposing team. The Knights can’t allow that to happen to Marner.
Create off the draw
One area the Golden Knights have a clear edge is in the faceoff circle. They rank fourth during the playoffs in win percentage (53.3%) while the Hurricanes slot 12th with a 47.4% win rate.
Their faceoff prowess should allow them to start with possession more frequently in the offensive zone and on special teams.
That affords extra opportunities to create quick-strike offense before the Hurricanes are fully set and taking up shooting lanes.
Following a disappointing finish to their playoff run, the Montreal Canadiens will quickly shift to offseason business. That means making a move at the goaltending position where they have three goalies and no need for that many. It leaves Samuel Montembeault as the odd goalie out and could lead to trade discussions over the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers have their own goaltending issues to address.
Is there a fit between the two teams? Perhaps.
Frank Seravalli of Hockey 24/7 released his first trade board for the 2026 NHL off-season, and Montembeault is on the list at No. 11. The Oilers have Connor Ingram hitting unrestricted free agency, and not much of an appetite to overpay for him despite a desire to bring him back and a fairly strong season.
The question will be cost.
With Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler being ahead of Montembeault on the Canadiens' depth chart, if the Habs look to move Montembeault this off-season (along with his $3.15 million cap hit) what are they willing to do in order to get that contract off the books? The Canadiens aren't in a cap crunch situation, so they aren't desperate. However, they will have moves they want to make to come from a playoff team that made a good run to a contender that makes that run consistently.
Moving an expensive for a third-string goalie is one way to add to their already strong roster.
For the Oilers, acquiring Montembeault would be about striking while his trade value is low. If they believe the 29-year-old struggles this regular season were an anomaly, -- an .872 save percentage, and a 3.43 goals-against average in 25 games -- they may see him as a better bet as part of a tandem and an upgrade over Ingram and Tristan Jarry. Better yet, if they can find a way to move Jarry, Montembeault and Ingram could be an improvement at a reduced cost.
The risk, however, is real. Montembeault lost his spot on the Canadiens depth chart for a reason. This past season was not his best. Can he get back to the numbers he posted between 2022 and 2025?
In a recent article for ESPN, Rachel Kryshak took a look at multiple young players who could use a fresh start elsewhere. A Chicago Blackhawks defenseman was among the players discussed, as Kevin Korchinski made the cut.
"Another pending RFA who has been passed on the depth chart, Korchinski is an obvious trade candidate for Chicago to use to acquire a skilled forward," Kryshak wrote. "Chicago has more depth on the right side, but Korchinski needs offensive reps to meaningfully impact the game, and that feels out of reach with this franchise."
If the Blackhawks were to trade Korchinski, it would undoubtedly be a notable move. The left-shot defenseman was selected by the Blackhawks with the seventh-overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and is considered one of their most promising prospects. However, he has also had trouble taking that next step and cementing himself as an NHL regular.
If the Blackhawks were to make Korchinski available for trade, it is likely that several teams would love to acquire him. The potential for him to become a top-four offensive defenseman and power-play specialist is there. Furthermore, with Korchinski being only 21 years old, he still has plenty of time to improve.
Yet, with Korchinski being so young and the Blackhawks' left side not being the strongest, it would be understandable if they gave him another chance next season before potentially dealing him.
In 13 games last season with Chicago, Korchinski recorded two assists and a minus-4 rating. He also had two goals and 26 points in 53 AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had some really good chances to win Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Final series against the Toronto Marlies on Friday night, but it wasn't meant to be.
Game 2 went to overtime before a strange puck bounce found the back of the net, giving the Marlies a 2-1 win and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Michael Pezzetta took a shot from the blue line before WBS goaltender Sergei Murashov and Marlies forward Marc Johnstone tried to get the puck. It was a weird deflection and was originally ruled no goal, but the officials huddled and reversed the call.
It also looked like Murashov was interfered with by Johnstone in the crease.
Here's a look at the play:
Sergei Murashov clearly tangled with Marc Johnstone at the net.
Before that goal, former Penguin Alex Nylander opened the scoring for the Marlies in the first period before Tanner Howe tied the game in the third period. It was a classic Tanner Howe goal as he collected the loose change around the crease and fired the puck home.
Outside of the weird overtime goal, the story of the game was Marlies goaltender Artur Akhtyamov. He was sensational in the net, making 33 saves, some of which were highway robbery. He's been fantastic in the first two games of this series.
Murashov has also been great for the Penguins, but they simply aren't giving him goal support like they were in the first two rounds.
The series will now head to Toronto for Game 3 on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - OCTOBER 04: (L-R) Jake Allen #34 and Jacob Markstrom #25 of the New Jersey Devils sit in their stalls in the locker room prior to the 2024 NHL Global Series-Czechia game between the New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres at O2 Arena on October 04, 2024 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
HI!
Hope everyone had a lovely fake Spring and now real Spring so far. Not sure if you are all watching the playoffs, but there have been some fun games and fun young teams. I did not have Vegas beating Colorado in my bracket, let alone sweeping, so definitely pretty shocking. Although I had Ottawa beating Carolina so what do I know.
As annoyed as I am that we are on the outside looking in, stress free playoff hockey can be the next best thing. Ok, I’m lying, it sucks, I cannot believe we are back here again – I’d much rather be a pasty ball of anxiety, ignoring my family and friends, work, life etc. Some of these young fun teams (Utah, Anaheim, Philly etc) got invaluable experience we should’ve gotten the past 2 seasons.
Back to the Devils. There have been a few major themes plaguing this team the past few years: scoring, injuries, and goaltending. Our scoring woes and injuries are interconnected; when your good players get hurt and you have worse players on the ice, those worse players are going to score less. Jack has obviously been the main problem here, but don’t discount how much other injuries affect scoring (Pesce playing playing half a season, Glass and Grits missing time). Goal scoring is the biggest issue this summer and I plan to get more in depth about scoring like I did here once the marketplace for players becomes a little more apparent.
So, that leaves goaltending which I do think can be talked about now to see if there are any viable paths to fix the goaltending. And by “fix the goaltending” I am talking exclusively about Markstrom as Allen is on a great contract and was mostly good in contained deployment. Daws will also be in the mix as an RFA with arb rights, and with his contract status I would be surprised if he isn’t in Utica again next season.
Quick Look at the Future
First, It is instructive to consider how our future goalie pipeline looks, with Yegorov and Malek projected to be good NHLers with Daws as a serviceable backup/1B. Now, obviously you can take “future looks bright in goal” with a grain of salt since Goalies are strange magical creatures and always very difficult to project.
Every goalie drafted in the first two rounds in the 2010s visualized by the primary place they played in each season of their careers so far: pic.twitter.com/Km5i701PTX
Often it takes highly drafted/rated goalies until their D+5 or D+6 year year to pan out as NHL goalies, with the best coming up and staying around the D+4 year: Oettinger, Knight, Vasilevskiy, Gibson. On the other hand you can see the sheer volume of guys that never set foot in the NHL (blue/red) that were high picks and/or never really established themselves in the NHL.
So if I were to guess if there was some sort of plan, it was to run Markstrom/Allen until Yegorov and/or Malek were ready. Or knowing Fitz, he was just going to extend Markstrom until the end of days, who knows if anything was an actual plan. In 2026-27, Jakub Malek will be entering his D+5 year and Mikhail Yegorov will be entering his D+3 year and will be returning to BU for his 3rd season, so we are close or at the “ready” portion of their careers if they are going to pan out. One thing I agree with Jared on, is that that both Daws and Malek should at minimum be qualified, and I would be surprised if either went anywhere.
Also, Environment Matters
I promise at some point I will get to what we could potentially do with goalies. But first, I think it’s also important to understand the environment in front of them. For the most part, goalies are a product of their defensive environment, and how good or bad the structure in front of them will have an outsize effect on the goaltending results.
Below is the 2025-26 season of xGA vs GA per/60 at 5v5 via JFresh’s hockeystats.com. xGA is a great proxy for “how good is this team defensively” since it accumulates and weights all of the chances given up, regardless of goalie. There is a linear correlation between xGA and GA – which is why defensive environment is so important. If your defense can’t prevent chances, you’re gonna get scored on a lot unless you have an all-world goalie (Washington Boston, Islanders) or you can get scored on a lot despite a stingy defense (Ottawa and Vegas).
2025-26 Devils Goaltending: A Retrospective
All of Tim’s fun math aside, we had two very differently performing goalies (I’m not including Daws for this exercise). Of Goalies with 30 or more games played, Markstrom was the 6th worst in terms of GSAA at -11.4 for a full season and -.27 per/60. Jake Allen, on the other hand, was 33rd at +9.8 and +.27 per 60.
Below is how those numbers accumulated by game as visualized by hockeystats.com. I’m including because this site is awesome and I highly recommend playing around in it ($$). I’m also including it to note that a massive chunk of Markstrom’s cumulative -11.4 GSAA came in 2 games: Colorado in October (first game back from his early injury) and the infamous 9-0 Islanders game. Otherwise he was basically break even over the course of the season.
Now before I get dangerously into “defending Markstrom” territory by pointing that out, let’s take a deeper stroll into these numbers. In only 18 of his 44 starts was he positive for GSAA, so basically 60% of his games he was below league average. Further, he gave up 3 or more goals in 28 of those 44 games, and in ONLY 4 of those was he positive for GSAA. If he gets one more save in each of those 24 games (28 minus 4), we are having a different conversation (or no conversation).
Piling on a bit here – when your goalie gives up bad goals at bad times and you’re chasing the game it can be defeating. I am so tired of hearing “he battled” – I don’t want my goalie to battle, I want him to stop pucks. Batting implies it was a struggle, which it often seemed like it was. He gave up the first goal of the game in 24 of his starts, more than half his games, and the devils were 9-14-1 in those games. You can see this in his below goalie card under “quality starts” which is when he had a GSAA above 0. Also, don’t be fooled by the excellent start percentile, he had 2 in total (above 2.0 GSAA). He notoriously overcommits and often is flat out swimming out there – I can’t remember the last time I got so nervous so often for a wrister from the point. Maybe our TBD new goalie coach can have that conversation with him: “hey, you’re too old to rely on athleticism, so use your size more. You’re a giant Viking.”
Further, the most glaring thing about Markstrom is his clear decline, as evidenced by his JFresh card. Take a look at the top right box which is his overall Wins Above Replacement (WAR) trend. Fitz decided 2 more years with this trend line was totally worth an extension. Extrapolating this through his new contract, he will be at -50% WAR by the end of 27-28:
I could also get into his low danger save percentage (26th percentile and 2nd to last) or his average goal distance against (3rd worst, 22.9 feet) but that would really be beating a dead horse.
There are a few ways to get out of Markstrom, and the second buyout window has been laid out here. We can also flat out waive him to the minors – his extension transitions to a modified NTC and is not an NMC starting in 26-27. Also, and while I highly doubt he is tradeable, but he does have a 20-team no-trade list in 2026-27 and a 5-team no-trade list in 2027-28.
Here’s the problem, though. Finding an alternative upgrade that can start 50ish games this offseason could prove extremely challenging. We would obviously have to dig into the UFA/RFA/Trade market which means utilizing precious trade assets or cap space that we don’t have a lot of.
Also of note, I’m largely going to rely on JFresh cards as a snapshot of each goalie below. The “main number,” Proj WAR, is a three year weighted average, and the top right provides a WAR trendline. All percentiles for each stat are how they compare to the league.
Stu Skinner – Honestly, not a terrible idea, he is better than Markstrom and only 25 and can handle the workload. He does come with some baggage, and when it goes badly for him it goes BADLY. However, in Edmonton he was largely a product of his environment and “Darnell Nurse” and he was mediocre at best for Pittsburgh.
Connor Ingram – He’s a backup and while he did take the starter job from Jarry in Edmonton, he is not a guy that can be relied on for 50+ games. I do like his age and potential and he’d be cheap.
Danil Tarasov – Career backup, and could be a possibility and was signed in Florida – basically the only reason I highlighted him amongst the UFA goalies. Every time Florida signed someone I always perked up, but they also signed Vanacek, so there’s that. If I were to guess, Florida basically ran the numbers and determined they could just find a warm body behind Bob for 15-20 games.
There are also a few non-NHL options and admittedly, I had to rely on the ole internet machine for the two below and the summaries are cut and pasted. But if you want to think outside the box, there are two KHL goalies that are regularly reported as the best in the league:
Bilyalov is statistically one of the most efficient goaltenders in KHL history. He set the KHL record for the longest modern shutout streak (316 minutes, 9 seconds) and won the league’s Best Goaltender honors. His high-end .927 career SV% comes over a substantial heavy-workload sample size.
Isayev has been the league’s top lockdown technical goaltender over recent seasons. He carried Lokomotiv to the Gagarin Cup finals behind an elite postseason where he averaged a tiny 1.65 GAA.
RFA Options
Similarly, it is slim pickings for RFA Goalies, and we are entering offer sheet territory here. As I will get into below, we are very light on legitimate trade assets, and coughing up assets and picks where our biggest need is scoring punch may be ill advised – and as Jared wrote here, offer sheets are fun in theory but rarely ever happen. However, Yegorov and Malek are no guarantees and finding a viable long term solution here could, in turn, make one of them a very valuable trade chip.
Trade Options
I’m not bringing up Hellebuyck here, even though there was some offhand mentions of him after the Jets brutal season and they are in limbo moving forward. However, I don’t see a world or a mechanism where the Devils can take a run at him. What I did focus on was teams with crowded creases that will likely need to make decisions on their goalie room.
The other consideration here is our limited assets to actually swing multiple trades and I will scream from the rooftops that we need more scoring help first and foremost. Some of these guys might not need major packages, and a good baseline comp is Logan Thompson who was acquired by the Capitals for 2 3rd rounders from Vegas.
Anthony Stolarz – Stolarz is a popular name around the Devils fanbase, probably heavily influenced by sentimentality as he is NJ born and bred. He is an excellent goalie, but he has a hard time staying healthy and hasn’t made it through a full season – he has had 2 knee surgeries, a brutal concussion, a scary incident after taking a puck to the throat, and a groin injury this past season. He has a 4-year, $3.75MM extension kicking in next season and with Woll and Hildeby signed through 27-28, he is the guy that should fall out as Toronto retools. I would definitely take the risk knowing we have Daws and Malek as call-ups.
Alex Lyon – Lyon has 1 more year at $1.5MM and has shown time and again that he can rise to the occasion. He was the main reason Florida even got into the playoffs 2 seasons ago, and he took over for Lukkonen as the primary starter this season (although he lost the crease in the playoffs). With UPL signed long term, Ellis and Levi waiting in the wings, I can see a world where Lyon is the guy who falls out of the mix. He’s also a bit of a psycho which I enjoy.
Filip Gustavsson – Is Minnesota going to trade out a goalie? Rumors were abound that they have floated Wallstead in multiple trade offers, but he wound up taking over the net in the playoffs, so does that leave the Gus Bus on the outs? He has a 4-year $6.8MM extension that kicks in next season, so making this work would be difficult. Do they want to give the keys to Wallstead, and could we actually give Minnesota our own Swedish Goalie veteran mentor in return with a pick or two?
Sebastian Cossa – Cossa has been recently rumored as available according to several insiders, as the “Yzerplan” is going about as well as the “Fitzplan.” They already have Gibson signed as the starter and I have read that they see Augustine as the better prospect. I would absolutely take a look at him if he is really available. He has done nothing but win and stop pucks:
Devin Cooley – For some reason Cooley doesn’t have a JFresh Card, but he is a rising star in this league, put up a .909 sv pct for an atrocious Calgary team and is currently carrying USA’s D team to the knockout stage at Worlds (.930 sv pct). He has 1 more year at $1.5MM and with Dustin Wolf having 4 more years at $7.5MM, and Calgary in full tear down mode, I can see him getting an opportunity elsewhere.
So, After All That
The goalie market isn’t great from a UFA and RFA perspective, but there are some intriguing trade options. The question then becomes, do we have enough assets to bring in more scoring help AND a goalie upgrade? If Sunny can pull off a Logan Thompson style robbery, I’m all for it but once we get into the 12th overall/Nemec/Mercer territory, I think I more inclined to stand pat for one more year and offload Markstrom after this upcoming season.
One thing I will also point out is the analytics community views goaltending as a means to an end, and not the lynchpin of a team – the best example of this is Carolina. I alluded to it above when talking about environment, there is a major correlation between how good the team in front of a goalie is, and the results that goalie sees with few outlier exceptions. So maybe just play better defense? Get Keefe on the phone, I cracked the code.
How about you, gang? Do we NEED to get out of Markstrom and find anyone else in your opinion? Do any of the above options intrigue you? Anyone on team “play better and our current guys will be fine”? Or are there any other goalies that are on your radar that I missed?
Former Detroit Red Wings forward Darren McCarty continued his tribute to his longtime rival, Claude Lemieux, who died at age 60 on May 28.
Their rivalry goes back to heated playoff battles between the Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche, when, in Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Finals, Lemieux checked Red Wings center Kris Draper from behind, driving Draper's face into the boards. It led to the famous "Fight Night at the Joe," the next season, when McCarty got payback by pummeling Lemieux.
"This is extremely sad no matter what feelings from past or present you hold. My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends and people who got to see the person off the ice wasn’t the person on said on social media," McCarty said on social media.
McCarty further paid tribute to his former foe during a television appearance on Woodward Sports.
Darren McCarty talks about burying the hatchet with Claude Lemieux, and the two’s relationship off the ice ❤️
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) May 29, 2026
"I'm a guy who has asked for redemption in a lot of ways in my life, and trying to prove that some of the things I've done in the past aren't who I am today," McCarty said. "Claude Lemieux is the one person in life who has proven to me that the guy on the ice wasn't the guy off the ice. He was loved very much. ...
"The best way for me to describe my feelings and whatever else, is that it's very sad. I'm very sad,"
McCarty and Lemieux would team up in later years and make public events regarding their feud to raise money for charity.
"We were supposed to go golf later in the summer and do all this stuff that will never be done," McCarty added. "Just, any compassion at all, say a prayer for his family and his kids and wife."
The Chicago Blackhawks should be looking to improve their roster this off-season after another tough season. Their biggest need is a proven star winger in their top six.
Due to this, the Blackhawks have now been recommended to strike a deal for one of the NHL's top off-season trade candidates.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Adam Gretz urged the Blackhawks to make a trade for Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Matthew Knies.
"Toronto might also be looking to move him to get more long-term assets into the organization as John Chayka tries to rebuild it. Could he get the No. 4 overall pick for Knies? Would Chicago do that? It shouldn't be off the table. Especially since they are likely to miss out on the Gavin McKenna/Ivar Stenberg duo at the top. Get some help for Connor Bedard. Get some help that can grow with him," Gretz wrote.
It is not difficult to understand why Knies is being viewed as a prime potential trade target for the Blackhawks. This is because the Phoenix, Arizona native would not only provide the Blackhawks' first line with a major boost but is also still only 23 years old. Due to this, he would be an incredible fit on a young Blackhawks team that is looking to take that next step.
If the Blackhawks acquire Knies, he would also be guaranteed to be a long-term part of their core. This is because the 6-foot-3 forward is signed until the end of the 2030-31 season, carrying a $7.75 million.
It is also important to note that Knies is a player that the Blackhawks like. The Blackhawks were among the teams very interested in Knies leading up to this year's deadline, so it would not be shocking in the slightest if they kicked tires on him again during this off-season.
In 79 games this season with the Maple Leafs, Knies recorded 23 goals, 43 assists, 66 points, and 152 hits.
The Carolina Hurricanes punched their ticket to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final on Friday night, knocking out the Montreal Canadiens in five games.
The Canes have been knocking on the door for some time now, with Conference Final appearances (and losses) in 2019, 2023, and 2025.
2026 became Carolina's breakthrough, and they sit at an astonishing record of 12-1 entering the Stanley Cup Final.
History will be on the line for obvious reasons, but one subtle reason directly involves a New York Islanders legend.
Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin seeks to become the first American to win an Olympic Gold Medal and the Stanley Cup in the same season since Ken Morrow accomplished the feat in 1980.
Jaccob Slavin looking to become the first American since Ken Morrow in 1980 to win Olympic gold and Stanley Cup in the same year.
Feat has been accomplished by Canadians: Yzerman, Shanahan (2002); Keith, Toews (2010), Doughty (2014).
Ever since the Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off their search for a new head coach following Craig Berube's dismissal over two weeks ago, there has been a lack of confirmed names in the running for the position.
However, confirming a report by TheHockeyNews.com about a week ago, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Maple Leafs interviewed multiple interior candidates.
Lalonde and Van Ryn served as assistant coaches beside Berube for the Maple Leafs last season.
Last year marked Lalonde's first season as an assistant coach with the Maple Leafs. He was in charge of Toronto's penalty kill, which was one of the team's few bright spots as they ended the year with an 81.2 penalty kill percentage, finishing in the top 10 of the NHL.
It's also worth noting that before Lalonde was hired by the Leafs to be an assistant coach going into the 2025-26 campaign, he was coming off a two-and-a-half-year stint as the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings.
He led the Red Wings behind the bench for the entirety of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, but got fired in December of the 2024-25 campaign.
Before Detroit, Lalonde served as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning and helped the franchise win a pair of Stanley Cups.
As for Van Ryn, he wrapped up his third season as assistant coach for the Maple Leafs. He was brought in by Sheldon Keefe in 2023-24 and stayed on with Berube's staff, having a history with him with the St. Louis Blues from 2018-19 to 2022-23, also as an assistant coach.
He was in charge of the defense's general system and operation, which didn't pan out so well for Toronto as they allowed the second-most goals in the NHL last season, with 295 and an average of 3.60 goals-against per game.
Van Ryn has never been an NHL head coach. However, he was a head coach in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners in 2017-18, and the OHL's Kitchener Rangers in 2015-16.
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First up is 30-year-old Eric Robinson of Bellmawr, New Jersey. Robinson was undrafted and signed with the Blue Jackets in 2018 after spending four years at Princeton.
After playing 266 games and recording 82 points for Columbus, he was traded to Buffalo by Columbus for a conditional pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, December 6, 2023. He then signed with Carolina as a free agent on July 1, 2024.
In this year's playoffs, he's played 13 games and has 6 points. In his two seasons with the Hurricanes, he's played in 38 games and has 10 points.
Former CBJ draft pick in 2011, Mike Reilly will also be on the Canes roster for Cup Final. He has played in 2 games and has 2 points.
Reilly famously refused to sign with the Blue Jackets in 2015, instead choosing free agency. He signed with Minnesota; the team his father was a minority owner of at the time.
Reilly has now played for 7 NHL teams since 2015.
Robinson and Reilly will be going up against Brandon Saad, William Karlsson, Keegan Kolesar, and John Tortorella, who are all ex-Blue Jackets.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
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For the first time since 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes will play in the Stanley Cup Finals.
After three Eastern Conference Finals losses through the past seven post-seasons, Carolina has finally advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, taking down the Montréal Canadiens in five games in order to do so. They have made the post-season in every season since 2019. This year, Carolina will take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
Former Vancouver Canucks defenceman Jalen Chatfield, who spent 18 games with Vancouver in 2020–21 and four total seasons with the organization, is looking to win his first Stanley Cup and the Hurricanes’ first since their victory against the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. The defenceman won the AHL’s Calder Cup Championship with the Chicago Wolves in his first season with the Hurricanes organization.
While not often known for his offensive prowess, Chatfield had himself an impressive series against the Canadiens. The defenceman put up two assists in Game 2 against Montréal, also adding one more in Carolina’s Game 4 win. As it stands, Chatfield currently has one goal and four assists in 13 playoff games this year.
The win for Carolina means that, including Chatfield, a total of four former Canucks — three players, one coach — will take part in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. For Vegas, Nic Dowd, Ben Hutton, and head coach John Tortorella will compete for this year’s championship.
May 29, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes players celebrate a goal scored by left wing Eric Robinson (50) against the Montreal Canadiens in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
2026 Stanley Cup Final Schedule:
Game 1: June 2, 5:00 pm PT
Game 2: June 4, 5:00 pm PT
Game 3: June 6, 5:00 pm PT
Game 4: June 9, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 5: June 11, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 6: June 14, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 7: June 17, 5:00 pm PT
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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For the first time in 20 years, the Carolina Hurricanes are back in the Stanley Cup Final, and they’ll look to bring the Cup back to Raleigh when they face the red-hot Vegas Golden Knights. They head into the 2026 Stanley Cup Final as the -155 betting favorite, and the -145 favorite on home ice for Game 1.
Despite dropping Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Final, the Hurricanes hunkered down defensively and won four straight to move one step closer to delivering on their Stanley Cup odds. They won Friday's Game 5 by a 6-1 count on home ice. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights surprisingly swept the once-heavily favored Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
Before Game 1 takes place on Tuesday, June 2, let's dive into the opening Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes Stanley Cup Final odds and Conn Smythe odds.
Stanley Cup Final odds 2026: Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes
Although the Vegas Golden Knights swept Colorado and have had three more days of rest, sportsbooks are still pegging the Carolina Hurricanes as the series favorites, with a 60.78% win probability.
Home-ice advantage remains a real factor for Carolina, which went 29-10-2 at the Lenovo Center during the regular season, and the Hurricanes have lost only once all postseason.
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Key matchup to watch: Battle of the Netminders
We're set up for a loaded offense vs. elite defense matchup, with the goaltending duel between Carter Hart and Frederik Andersen potentially proving decisive in who hoists the Cup.
After a two-year hiatus from the NHL, the Golden Knights took a flier on Hart, but the former top prospect struggled in Vegas, recording a .891 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average in 18 regular-season starts.
The postseason, however, has been a completely different story, as Hart has reverted to his early days with the Philadelphia Flyers, sporting a .924 SV% as Vegas ran the table against Utah, Anaheim, and Colorado.
Meanwhile, Andersen has stood on his head for Carolina, boasting a .928 SV% along with three playoff shutouts.
Series leader odds: Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes
Goals
Points
Pavel Dorofoyev +550
Jack Eichel +310
Seth Jarvis +600
Mitchell Marner +450
Sebastian Aho +950
Mark Stone +450
Jack Eichel +950
Sebastian Aho +500
Mitchell Marner +950
Seth Jarvis +800
Logan Stankoven +950
Shayne Gostisbehere +1400
Mark Stone +950
Nikolaj Ehlers +1800
Andrei Svechnikov +950
Andrei Svechnikov +1800
Conn Smythe odds 2026: Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes
Player
Odds
Mitch Marner
+165
Frederik Andersen
+260
Taylor Hall
+600
Logan Stankoven
+900
Carter Hart
+1200
Jackson Blake
+1200
Jack Eichel
+1600
Nikolaj Ehlers
+4000
Odds as of 5-30 via BET99.
Our very own Josh Inglis called it two weeks ago, as Mitch Marner has shot up the Conn Smythe board after the Golden Knights took advantage of a Colorado Avalanche team that was banged up, with prior Conn Smythe frontrunners Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both dealing with injuries.
Relative to his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Marner has been an absolute revelation in the postseason with VGK, leading all players in points (21). Now he's the odds-on favorite heading into Game 1 of the SCF.
If you’re bullish on VGK bringing home the Cup, dark-horse candidates for Conn Smythe would be Pavel Dorofeyev (+5000) or Brett Howden (+10000), who enter the Final tied for the playoff lead with 10 goals apiece, as each continues to benefit from playing alongside Jack Eichel and Marner.
For Carolina, Taylor Hall has enjoyed a second wind at age 34, with the former first-overall pick and Jackson Blake pacing the Hurricanes in playoff points.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes series prediction
With a superior defense and Andersen holding a longer track record of elite play relative to Hart, it’s going to be hard to overlook a Hurricanes team that has gone 12-1 this postseason.
This is a team that just held Montreal to an average of 17.8 shots per game over five contests, and I expect them to figure out VGK over the course of a seven-game series.
Prediction: Hurricanes to win the Stanley Cup (-155) / Hurricanes in six (+450)
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes Game 1 prediction
Game 1 winners in the Stanley Cup Final have gone on to lift the Cup 77.2% of the time since the best-of-seven format was introduced, and Carolina will land the first blow on home ice.
Rod Brind’Amour’s club has completely shed the label of being playoff “frauds,” and Tuesday’s Game 1 signals a full week since Vegas last saw game action.
Take the Canes to catch the Golden Knights sleeping a little.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Although they themselves were unable to make it this far, the Philadelphia Flyers will be well represented in this year's Stanley Cup Final.
On one side, we have the Eastern Conference Champion Carolina Hurricanes, who had to get through the Flyers to get here in the first place, and on the other, the Vegas Golden Knights, who improbably swept and made quick work of the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
Both sides are spearheaded by men who proudly went to battle for the Flyers for years: John Tortorella, who coaches Vegas and coached the Flyers, and Rod Brind'Amour, who coaches the Hurricanes and played for the Flyers.
With the Golden Knights, Tortorella has reunited with former Flyers goalie Carter Hart, who has enjoyed a blazing playoff run to this point. Hart, 27, is 12-4-0 this postseason with a 2.22 GAA and .924 save percentage.
The Hurricanes are where things get more nostalgic, though.
Led by Brind'Amour, the Hurricanes boast a decently sized contingent of former Flyers, which includes Shayne Gostisbehere, Sean Walker, and Nick Deslauriers, who was traded to Carolina at the NHL trade deadline as a favor to the Flyers' tough guy and locker room favorite.
They also have forward Eric Robinson, a Bellmawr, New Jersey, native who played youth hockey for the Philadelphia Flyers Elite 14UAAA and Virtua Hockey 16 UAAAA, 16U, and 18U teams before moving on to the USHL and NCAA.
No matter the outcome, one recent Flyer will come away with a Stanley Cup triumph added to their resume.
Tortorella, Walker, and Deslauriers were all on the Flyers together just over two calendar years ago, with Walker the first to leave after being sent to Colorado at the trade deadline in March 2024.
Tortorella was next in 2025, and then Deslauriers this past deadline in 2026.
This year's Stanley Cup may sting for some, but it's important to remember that many of these departures were necessary, with the obvious exception of Gostisbehere, whose exile from Philadelphia remains head-scratching to this day.
Golden Knights
Hurricanes