The Canucks Need A Center: They Should Still Wing It With Ivar Stenberg
Former Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet once preached about protecting the guts of the ice. He wasn't wrong — but eventually, you need players who can attack through the guts of the ice, too.
That's why the debate between Caleb Malhotra and Ivar Stenberg has become so fascinating.
The Canucks need more than another center to fix this. They need players who can drive play through the middle of the ice for the next decade.
That doesn't mean they should pick one this draft.
Six months ago, this wasn't even a debate. If the Canucks landed the third-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Stenberg always felt like the obvious choice.
Today, Malhotra's rise has made that decision far less straightforward.
But at the end of the day, the best player available is still the right choice.
In this case, that's Stenberg.
The Case for Caleb Malhotra
When people talk about Malhotra, the first thing they mention is that he's the best center in this draft. You could even argue he and Viggo Björck have the best chance to become long-term first- and second-line centers from this class.
Honestly, if the Canucks somehow managed to get both, that would be the dream scenario.
But that's a story for another day.
The reality is Vancouver still needs help down the middle. Elias Pettersson has looked closer to a 50-point center than the 90-point version from three years ago, Marco Rossi still needs to prove he can be a permanent 2C on a contender, Filip Chytil is coming off another significant injury, and Aatu Räty and Braeden Cootes are still developing.
That's exactly why the argument for Malhotra is so compelling.
Watching Malhotra, it's easy to see a player who impacts every area of the game. His hands are elite. His reaction time is outstanding. He has high-end vision, a legitimate NHL shot, and competes every single shift.
Malhotra separates himself away from the puck. He's relentless on the forecheck, strong on the backcheck, wins battles, and impacts the game without needing possession.
That's why the Dylan Larkin comparison makes sense — not because he skates like Larkin, but because of the role: a trusted, all-situations center who drives play through all three zones.
Even if Malhotra never reaches that level, his floor still looks outstanding. At worst, you're getting a high-end 2C. At best, a legitimate No. 1 center.
The Canucks would still be getting an outstanding player if they called his name.
Why Stenberg Still Gets the Edge
Here's where the argument shifts.
If Stenberg is still available when Vancouver picks third, that's the pick.
This isn't about drafting the best center — it's about drafting the best player available.
And that's still Stenberg.
Watching the Swedish winger, it's easy to find yourself rewinding the tape. Not because of what he did with the puck, but because of what he saw before everyone else did.
That's what stands out the most. Stenberg doesn't force offence; he creates it.
He arrives early, protects pucks, wins them back, extends possessions and always seems to stay one step ahead. Those are NHL habits, and they're why his game should translate.
There's real substance underneath the skill.
Many scouts believe Stenberg has the second-highest offensive ceiling in this draft behind Gavin McKenna.
That's what makes him so intriguing. You don't often find players who combine elite offensive upside with pro habits away from the puck. He's just as comfortable creating off the rush as he is extending possessions below the goal line.
That's the type of player every team spends years trying to find.
When drafting third overall, that's exactly the type of upside worth betting on.
Malhotra projects as the player every coach wants.
Stenberg projects as the player every opposing coach has to game plan for.
That's the swing worth taking.
One Final Wrinkle
One final wrinkle came when the San Jose Sharks, who currently hold the second-overall pick, acquired Michael Kesselring.
Kesselring doesn't eliminate Chase Reid going second-overall, but it does give the Sharks another NHL-calibre defenceman. If Kesselring stabilizes part of San Jose's blue line, the Sharks may be more willing to pivot away from a defenceman like Reid and target a dynamic forward instead. That decision could completely reshape Vancouver's draft board at No. 3.
If that happens, Stenberg's chances of reaching Vancouver probably become much slimmer.
Still, the chances of Stenberg falling to Vancouver are a whole lot better than McKenna falling to No. 3.
The Final Pick
The Canucks need a center.
They just shouldn't draft one if they believe the best player on the board is still Stenberg.
If Stenberg is the better player, then the answer is simple; take the best player, and figure out the next center later.
This team isn't one player away from contending in the first place. There will be other opportunities to address the middle of the ice through future drafts, trades, or player development. That's a much easier problem to solve than finding another game-breaking talent.
If Stenberg becomes the player many believe he can be, nobody in Vancouver will care that he wasn't a center.
They'll just be glad the Canucks drafted the best player available.
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Joe Sakic’s Silence After The Avalanche’s Exit Is Aging Better Than Expected
Joe Sakic didn’t say much at the end of Colorado’s season—and in hindsight, that silence might have said plenty.
You can certainly credit Sakic for the way he handled the Avalanche’s end-of-season media availability earlier this month, especially in light of recent developments across the Stanley Cup Final picture.
Typically, at the end of a season—particularly for teams that fall short in the playoffs—you get the full medical rundown: the bumps, bruises, injuries that shaped the outcome but only come to light afterward. Sakic didn’t go there. No list. No explanations. No built-in caveats.
In hindsight, it was a deliberate and effective choice to keep the discussion of injuries as minimal as possible. No excuses. The message was straightforward: everyone is expected to be healthy heading into training camp, and that was the extent of it. Whether a team chooses to disclose injuries publicly is ultimately its prerogative. In Colorado’s case, the organization opted for discretion, even if it meant fewer storylines for the media and more room for speculation.
That context becomes more interesting given what the Vegas Golden Knights have since revealed about their own playoff health situation. By all accounts, they were dealing with significant injuries of their own.
Captain Mark Stone played through a torn adductor. William Karlsson underwent surgery for a broken wrist that ultimately sidelined him for the final game of the Stanley Cup Final, a 3-0 loss that clinched the championship for the Carolina Hurricanes. Defenseman Noah Hanifin was managing an upper-body injury that, under normal regular-season circumstances, likely would have kept him out for roughly two months. Brayden McNabb, according to both teammates and management, battled through multiple injuries during the playoff run, including the facial injury he sustained in Game 2 of the Final that quickly made the rounds on social media.
Yet much of the conversation following Vegas’ sweep of Colorado in the Western Conference Final centered on the Avalanche’s injuries. And to be clear, they were real and they mattered. Several key players were clearly playing through issues, including Cale Makar, Artturi Lehkonen, Brent Burns, Sam Malinski, and Nathan MacKinnon, who took a puck to the knee in Game 3 and was noticeably limited afterward. However, he was held scoreless in the series, marking the first time in his playoff career that had happened in a postseason matchup.
But that’s the point.
Vegas was dealing with injuries, too—those are simply the ones they chose to acknowledge publicly. And even then, the focus remained on core pieces, not the full scope of what depth players may have been battling through behind the scenes.
Injuries, however, weren’t the reason Colorado lost control of the series.
The Avalanche surrendered leads in two of the four games, including a 3-0 advantage in Game 3 that ultimately swung the series. At that level, against a team as structured as Vegas, those moments matter more than any post-series injury ledger.
As Jared Bednar noted several times throughout the postseason, that’s exactly what makes the Stanley Cup so unforgiving. It’s not just talent. It’s not just cap construction. It’s not even just surviving four rounds. Everything has to align at the right time.
“It’s partly why I think it is the hardest trophy to win just because of the grind of it all,” Bednar said. “Not only do you have to be good; you have to be healthy, you have to be lucky, you have to be tough, playing through injuries.
“You have to be mentally tough, too, because it is a grind every day; every game is a Game 7. Every game feels like it is Game 7 because you need to win it.”
That reality makes Colorado’s playoff exit even harder to reconcile when set against what was, by almost every measure, the strongest regular season in franchise history.
The 2025-26 Avalanche finished with a franchise-record 121 points, surpassing the mark set by the 2000-01 Stanley Cup-winning team. They also captured the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s top regular-season club and were dominant at both ends of the ice from start to finish.
Colorado led the league with 298 goals scored while allowing a league-low 197 goals against. Their plus-101 goal differential paced the NHL, and they finished first in both goals per game and goals against per game. On paper and over 82 games, no team was more complete.
That’s what makes the ending so difficult to process.
The Avalanche didn’t lose because they lacked talent. They didn’t lose because they weren’t an elite team. They lost a series where execution, structure, and in-game details ultimately decided outcomes—and Vegas, when it mattered most, was simply sharper in those moments.
In a playoff environment where margins are razor-thin, that’s often all the difference there is.
And if you're the Vegas Golden Knights, it came down to something much simpler: cleaner execution, tighter structure, and the ability to consistently take away the Avalanche’s biggest strengths when it mattered most.
But as the saying goes, there’s always next season.
‘I Definitely Have The Coaching Bug’: Former Maple Leafs Defenseman Mark Giordano Went From An Advisory Role To Coaching Success With Marlies
When Mark Giordano’s 18-year playing career began to transition into its next phase, the veteran defenseman wasn’t entirely sure what the future held beyond his days on the ice.
Although he hasn’t suited up for an NHL game since the 2023-24 campaign, the long-time blue-liner never formally announced his retirement from professional hockey. But after going unsigned through the 2024-25 season, the 42-year-old local product began to realistically map out his next steps in the game.
That’s when Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving—who shares a long history with Giordano dating back to their days with the Calgary Flames—reached out with an opportunity to join the organization's player development pipeline with the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
“They called me a coaching advisor to start,” Giordano said.
What initially looked like a part-time player development role, however, expanded at a rapid pace.
Climbing the Coaching Ladder
Giordano immediately went to work mentoring the Marlies' young defensive corps—a natural fit for a man who won the Norris Trophy in 2019 and logged over 1,100 NHL games on the blue line. But a mid-season coaching shakeup within the organization accelerated his timeline.
When the Maple Leafs parted ways with NHL assistant coach Marc Savard and promoted Marlies assistant Steve Sullivan to the big club, a vacant spot opened up on John Gruden’s bench in the American Hockey League. Giordano seamlessly slid into the role on a full-time basis.
“I worked with the D a lot at the start of the year, I worked with the forwards and the power play at the end of the year. So I gained a lot of experience,” Giordano told The Hockey News amid the on-ice celebrations following the Marlies’ 2026 Calder Cup championship victory. “I think it was good for me to actually see it from a different point of view. I've always been on the D side my whole career. And I had a lot of fun. These guys were a cool group to be around and a really close group. I know everyone says that, but we really came together.”
Winning the Ultimate Prize
Giordano’s resume as a player is incredibly decorated. In addition to his top-defenseman honors, he captured a Spengler Cup and earned a silver medal with Team Canada at the 2008 IIHF World Championship. Yet, outside of those short tournament formats, a major professional championship ring had always eluded the veteran during his lengthy NHL career.
Mark Giordano hoists the Calder Cup. pic.twitter.com/DzGdy82fAR
— David Alter (@davidalter) June 20, 2026
That missing piece of the puzzle is exactly what made watching Giordano hoist the Calder Cup so unique.
“I definitely have the coaching bug,” Giordano admitted. “I've played a lot of different roles, and I think that's where I can help these guys. I've played in the American League. I've been a healthy scratch. I've been a six-seven defenseman. I think my biggest asset to them is I've been in all those shoes.”
What’s Next?
As the Marlies prepare to celebrate their AHL title with fans at Real Sports on Monday, questions will naturally shift to what the future holds for Toronto's coaching staff.
With a Calder Cup now on his resume, a head coach like John Gruden will undoubtedly be in high demand for NHL bench vacancies down the road. But Giordano has quickly proven that he is far more than just a sounding board; he is a versatile mentor capable of contributing to all facets of the game.
It should shock anyone to see Giordano flourish in his role behind the bench. There's a reason he was named the first captain in Seattle Kraken franchise history when he was claimed in the expansion draft.
At 42, Giordano is still incredibly young in coaching terms, and his passion for the whistle is undeniable. While jumping straight into an NHL head coaching gig might be a stretch at this stage of his second career, it shouldn't surprise anyone if he lands an NHL assistant coaching job sooner rather than later.
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Weekly Cupcakes: Brady Tkachuk is now a Florida Panther
News Around the League
- Senators send captain Brady Tkachuk to Florida Panthers after he informed them he would not re-sign with the team. [Ottawa Citizen]
- Florida had made an earlier trade with the Seattle Kraken sending Mackie Samoskevich there for a first and second round pick. [Florida Panthers]
- What will replace Hockey Night in Canada? Women’s sports! [CBC]
- Jonathan Toews annnounces retirement after 16 seasons and three Stanley Cups. [NHL]
Colorado Avalanche News
- Zach Stortini named as ECHL expansion franchise (and new Avalanche minor league affiliate) New Mexico Goatheads’ first head coach. [Colorado Avalanche]
- ICYMI: Pros and Cons of Jared Bednar returning to the Avalanche bench. [MHH]
- The Avs have lost another depth player; this time to the KHL as reports are surfacing that indicate Zakhar Bardakov is leaving for Russia. [Denver Sports]
- Goodbye Ross Colton as he is now a member of the Nashville Predators reuniting with former Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland. [Sportsnet]
One Year After Noah Dobson, Another NHL Franchise Makes A Blockbuster Draft-Week Trade
Ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders completed a blockbuster trade with the Montreal Canadiens.
Defenseman Noah Dobson was dealt for the No. 16 and No. 17 picks, along with pending restricted free agent Emil Heineman.
On Sunday, we saw our first blockbuster trade of this draft season.
The Florida Panthers acquired Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for No. 9 and No. 25 in this year's draft, a 2029 first-round pick (top-10 protected), and a 2027 second-round pick.
Panthers Acquire Brady Tkachuk From Ottawa In Blockbuster Trade Florida weaponizes newfound draft capital to unite the Tkachuk brothers in Sunrise, fortifying a championship roster for another aggressive pursuit of NHL dominance.The two deals aren't comparable, in the slightest, but it is interesting to look at value.
Dobson, despite being overrated by many within the Islanders' fan base, is an offensive defenseman who recorded a 70-point season at age 24 before a down season.
He was also a pending restricted free agent who forced general manager Mathieu Darche to trade him after the two sides couldn't agree on a contract extension, before he inked an eight-year deal worth $9.5 million annually.
Tkachuk, who won gold with his brother Matthew representing Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, is a three-time 30-goal scorer, a now former captain, and some teams hate to play against him given his grit.
In terms of the returns, there's no question Darche got back a lot for Dobson, especially given the little leverage he did have.
Victor Eklund, who they took at No. 16, and Kashawn Aitcheson, who they took at No. 17, are likely big pieces of their future alongside Calder winner Matthew Schaefer.
Tkachuk's package is significantly stronger, even if Senators fans don't see it that way right now.
While general manager Steve Staois didn't have leverage and Florida was really the only team he was going to go to, despite having the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes as options, he also didn't have to trade Tkachuk at this moment.
He had two seasons left at $8.205 million annually, and Staios could have forced his star to add more teams to his willing-to-be-traded-to list like Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman did with Dylan Larkin.
Obviously, Brady's dream was to play with Matthew, and with NTC handed out like candy, he made that a reality.
Honestly, is it fair to say that Ottawa got back what Tkachuk is worth if not more?
We are talking about three first-round picks and a second-round pick, with a few of them likely on the move to add a top-six scorer like Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson or St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou.
The real question is, how many more blockbuster trades are coming before Friday's NHL Draft?
'I Mean, It's Toronto': Joe Pavelski Shares 'Interesting' Experience As Former Candidate For Maple Leafs Head Coach Role
After the Toronto Maple Leafs hired Jim Hiller as their head coach on Wednesday, the opportunity for other candidates to lead the team from behind the bench expired, and that includes Joe Pavelski.
Pavelski, a former star NHL center who played for the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars, was surprisingly in the running for the Maple Leafs' coaching vacancy, despite never having a role on an NHL coaching staff.
In the aftermath of being considered for the head coach job in Toronto, Pavelski spoke on the process of interviews and what it was like being contacted by the Leafs regarding the role.
"It was awesome, it was interesting," Pavelski told The Athletic. "When I got the call, if I had interest in the job, yeah, I mean, it’s Toronto. It kind of takes your breath away to be thought about as a head coach. So it definitely had my attention."
Though Pavelski has never coached in the NHL, the Maple Leafs were seriously considering Pavelski's services behind the bench as he was reported to be one of the few remaining candidates for the job.
Report: Joe Pavelski Confirms Ongoing Process With Maple Leafs For Head Coach RoleAfter multiple reports of Joe Pavelski being in the running to be the next head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the former NHL star has confirmed those reports himself."After they first reached out, I took a couple of days to think about it," he said. "It’s a process you definitely want to go through and see how it really looks. I have so much respect for what these coaches do, and that’s one of the reasons you really have to look at it. You know the time they put into it and the care they put into it and everything that comes with it. "I definitely wanted to follow up on the process and see where it went."
Since retiring from the NHL in 2023-24 has found some time to coach. This past year, he led the Madison Capitols U-15 AAA team, coaching his son, Nate.
The Montreal Canadiens hired Martin St-Louis, who had only experience coaching his son at the youth level, too.
Since then, St-Louis has had success in Montreal as its bench boss, making the possible hire of Pavelski in Toronto all the more sensible.
What Will Jim Hiller Bring To The Maple Leafs, What Could Make Him A Good Fit?Looking at Jim Hiller's head coaching history with the Los Angeles Kings, what will he bring to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and what makes him a good fit?Even Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour just led his team to the 2026 Stanley Cup. He also had a successful playing career and was able to transfer his knowledge to coaching and relate with his players.
"Even to have that opportunity (of interviewing with the Leafs), I probably owe Marty St-Louis a big thank you, or to Rod, for what those guys have done and what they’ve meant to their teams," he said. "Those guys have done a tremendous job. And you definitely see how it might benefit you in some ways."
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DitD & Open Post – 6/22/26: Draft Week Edition
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“I can’t promise any fireworks for the Devils this week, but there is potential for some in the lead-up to the draft and at the draft on Friday and Saturday. Devils’ ownership hired Mehta to make some changes, and I expect we’ll see some as the week moves along.” [Devils on the Rush]
“Knies isn’t the player that most think he is, a sort of Brady Tkachuk-lite — he’s a lot closer to Mercer than he is to those upper-echelon power wingers. The Devils are much better off sending a premier package for a legitimately premier player, one who has the capability to impact the game positively without being carried by his linemates.” [Devils’ Advocates]
Hockey Links
Well that’s certainly one way to kick off the week:
Darren Raddysh heads to the Leafs:
Mackie Samoskevich heads to the Kraken:
Jason Dickinson gets a five-year deal in Edmonton:
“The Stanley Cup has been passed out, and the sprint toward NHL free agency begins. It’s no secret that the unrestricted free agent Class of 2026 is relatively underwhelming, but the news leading up to July 1 isn’t all bad for prospective shoppers.” [Daily Faceoff]
“The NHL’s skyrocketing salary cap has made it much easier for teams to trade away overpriced contracts — provided the remaining term isn’t too long — compared to the flat-cap era. Gone are the days when a team like Calgary paid Montreal a first-round pick in the summer of 2022 for taking on just the final year of Sean Monahan’s $6.375 million cap hit.” [The Athletic ($)]
“The Winnipeg Jets face a franchise-altering decision regarding Connor Hellebuyck. Do they keep their franchise goaltender, who is on the short list for best in the world? Or do they cash in on a potential bidding war that his sudden availability would create? There are cases to be made for both courses of action.” [The Athletic ($)]
“The Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee meets Monday to vote on the Class of 2026, with an announcement to follow in the afternoon. The list of candidates is long, led by a six-time Selke Trophy winner in his first year of eligibility, an Olympic gold-medal winning goalie in his second year of eligibility, and the fourth person to win the Stanley Cup as a captain and coach of the same franchise. So, who are the top candidates to become Hall of Famers next year?” [NHL.com]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
2026 NHL Draft: Who could be targets for the Penguins in the first round?
Knowing what we know about Kyle Dubas draft tendencies, who could be some targets for the Pittsburgh Penguins with the 22nd pick at Friday night’s NHL draft?
It’s a loaded question to consider, since Dubas is always active in terms of desire to move up or down in the draft. His real target could be different from the pick that the Pens currently possess.
Assuming he stays in the neighborhood, who are some players in this pool that tend to fit the profile they like?
To determine that, we’ll stick with Corey Pronman’s player profiles and check in on the three first round picks from last year. As determined in the link above, Dubas frequently has selected forwards in the first round so for today we’ll narrow the focus to just that position.
On Kindel’s pre-draft report, Pronman wrote in part: “Kindel was one of the best forwards in the WHL this season. He’s small but checks every other box you want. He’s a very good skater with the first few steps and top speed to play at the higher levels. He’s a skilled, creative offensive player who sees the ice well and has scored in large numbers in junior”
Bill Zonnon was the second pick last year for Pittsburgh, from Pronman again: “Zonnon checks a lot of boxes NHL teams will be looking for. He’s a big, fast center with a skating stride that will easily translate to the NHL. He has good stick skills and can create offense on the move.”
Finally, Will Horcoff was the last first round pick for the Pens where last year Pronman wrote: “He left midseason to join Michigan where his game took off from that point, making a real difference for his team at the college level as a U18 player. He’s a very skilled big man who can make small-man-type plays in tight areas. He sees the ice at a high level and has a creative offensive mind.”
–
This doesn’t necessarily narrow things down, since many first rounders tend to carry similar traits, but the Pens ended up nabbing players with plus puck skills and who tended to be very productive players. That wasn’t a hard and fast rule since Horcoff was a projection pick, but in all three cases some similarities emerge for small-area players who excel in thinking the game and show skill at the lower levels.
It can be pointed out that the Penguins still selected three players with three different profiles. Kindel was an ultra-productive center/wing combo from the WHL that was seen as undersized. Zonnon was a big-body, high-motor type from Quebec and Horcoff was a massive player with offensive intrigue and a longer development curve. Other than all being forwards there wasn’t too much exact commonality on the styles.
Here’s some players that fit that type of general mold this time around.
Liam Ruck
Pronman says: “Ruck is a dangerous scoring winger. He’s a very slick and intelligent player who creates a lot with the puck. His pure athletic tools don’t jump out: he’s not that big, and he’s a below-average skater. He does work hard, though, and gets to the hard areas to generate offense, earning his coach’s trust consistently.”
In a lot of ways, Ruck sounds like Kindel in the pre-draft process, not that anyone would be expecting Ruck to play in the NHL next season. Ruck produced 104 points in the WHL last year, Kindel put up 99 points in that league in his draft year. There’s differences in position with Ruck being exclusively a winger and Kindel offering center ability but their frames (almost 6’ and 177 pounds for Ruck, 5’10 and 176 in the pre-draft process for Kindel) are the same. Kindel finished ranked 21st in Central Scouting’s NA skater ranking, Ruck checked in at 20th this year.
Kindel wasn’t expected to be selected 11th overall and taking Ruck 22nd would be slightly on the high-end of his most common projections, though he is generally seen as an expected late-first round pick. The main area to consider might be that Ruck is only going to project as a wing, and there are slight knocks on how his skating will translate. (Some might remember similar questions in the process with Kindel, which mostly looked unfounded from the get go).
JP Hulbert
Pronman: “Hurlbert is a very skilled scoring winger. He’s very creative and dynamic as a puck handler and passer while also having a good shot. With the puck, he looks like an NHL player, but his effort level and speed are average, and he can be pushed to the outside too easily”
A lot of the notes above about Ruck/Kindel apply equally to Hulbert. It’s another case of a creative, not large but talented forward (nearly 6’ and 183 pounds) from the WHL, who again was productive with 97 points in his draft year. Dobber Hockey said of Hulbert, “an offense-minded forward who is committed to playing at both ends of the ice with excellent puck-handling ability and a great wrist shot”, which again, sounds very much like Kindel’s reports coming out of the WHL.
Hulbert played on the same Kamloops team that Harrison Brunicke did – and sometimes as a center- he’ll be a player the Pens are well aware of. Hulbert, ranked 12th as NA skater by CSB, has a pre-draft expectation in most places to go in the 18-24 range, so if he’s even available at 22 that would be right in-line with where most are expecting that he comes off the board on draft night.
Nikita Klepov
Pronman: “Klepov is a highly skilled and intelligent winger. He has the ability to run a pro power play and make difficult plays consistently at the next level. He’s a solid skater who can generate chances with pace. His effort level is fine, although he’s not that physically imposing ”
Klepov (a league-high 97 points in the OHL) fits the mold of Ruck/Hulbert as well as an offensive winger. His puck skills and production are his calling cards that would be well within the norms of the type of player that Pittsburgh has targeted with high picks lately. There’s a chance Klepov, the eighth ranked NA skater, could be selected in the first 21 picks, which could become an issue for Pittsburgh sitting at 22, barring a move up the board via trade.
Jack Hextall
Pronman: “Hextall is a skilled center with excellent offensive sense. He’s a slick playmaker who executes difficult passes with consistency. He’s a diligent pivot who can play both ways and doesn’t shy away from going into traffic. His skating is solid, albeit not a standout trait”
Hextall, no relation to the former general manager, breaks the mold of the players listed above who could be seen as Kindel-esque types of profiles. Hextall is more along the lines of a Horcoff/Zonnon mashup as a center that hasn’t been a prolific scorer but one that will require more patience and development time. The Pens have prioritized boosting their centers, which might be the call again early in the draft. Unlike a prospect like Ruck or Klepov, Hextall isn’t seen as a prospect with a power play-type of future in the NHL at this point. Pronman listed a comparable as Peyton Krebs, who has at least made the NHL and scored 39 points last season. Hextall probably wouldn’t be a home run type of pick, but if the Pens are looking to make a solid choice that seems like a sturdy chance of becoming an NHL player of some sort, he could add value and depth to the center position down the line.
Casey Mutryn
Pronman: “Mutryn is a hardworking, physical 6-foot-3 winger. He’s a good skater who can play at an NHL tempo and carry pucks up ice competently at the top level. His offensive game has developed more than expected. He has some puck skills and scoring touch.”
Mutryn’s profile sounds a lot like a bigger version of Rutger McGroarty, a prospect the Pens didn’t draft but traded for early in his development cycle. Both Mutryn and McGroarty were Team USA captains at their respective U-18 WJC’s. Mutryn would break past tendencies since he is known more for size and rugged play a bit more than short area work but sounds like the type of player that would fit right into some of the desires Dubas has skated to create a big, aggressive team in the future. Mutryn isn’t always seen as a first round lock in mock drafts, but the Pens do have another pick high in the second round (39th overall) and may even look to trade down and move back a few spots from their first pick at 22. If they’re super sweet on Mutryn, moving down to get an extra pick might mean angling for taking him a little later on. Then again, the Pens had no problem ranking (and actually drafting) someone like Kindel 10-20 picks higher than a lot of his pre-draft expectations, so Mutryn shouldn’t be ruled out straight up at 22 if he is a player Pittsburgh wants that much.
—
Of course, Dubas and the Pens could always easily decide to veer in another direction and target a defenseman with their first pick, later in the week we’ll take a look at yet more candidates that make sense as possibilities in their draft range. The need within the organization is certainly there for any way that want to go when it comes to identifying who the best pro available could be when they pick. The five names above would be fitting options but when a team picks deep in the first round there could be any number of ways they decide to go, with what happens before they pick sure to influence the night as well.
NHL Rumors: 3 Teams Linked To Sabres' Bowen Byram
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram is one of the NHL's top trade candidates to watch this off-season. He is entering the final season of his contract in 2026-27 and could be a player Buffalo moves if extension talks between him and the Sabres do not go well.
With Byram being a 25-year-old top-four defenseman coming off a strong season, there is no question that several teams would love to acquire him. Now, a few suitors have been named for the Sabres blueliner.
According to The Fourth Period, the Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks are linked to Byram at this stage of the off-season.
The Flyers have long been connected to Byram, and it makes sense when noting that they could use another high-impact left-shot defenseman. Furthermore, with Byram being just 25 years old, he would be an excellent fit on a Flyers club that is on the rise.
Byram would be a strong pickup for the Ducks as well. With Byram being able to play both sides, he could help the Ducks out tremendously if they acquired him. Keep in mind, the Ducks are entering the summer with Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, and Radko Gudas all as pending UFAs.
As for the Sharks, it is no secret that they need to continue to improve their blueline. They recently acquired Michael Kesselring from the Sabres, but they still need serious help on defense. Bringing in a young blueliner with plenty of skill, like Byram, would make a lot of sense for them because of it.
Should The Canadiens Worry About The Exodus Of American Players?
It used to be that Canadian teams had trouble luring free agents north of the border. Some argued the taxation system was the reason why, others said it was about the weather, and for those who didn’t want to come to Montreal, it was often said to be about the language. However, nowadays, the Canadian teams seem to have trouble even retaining their players. Should the Montreal Canadiens worry?
It started when the late, great Johnny Gaudreau told the Calgary Flames he would not be signing a contract extension with them and opted for a seven-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Johnny Hockey said he wanted to be closer to his family, which was within his right; he was an unrestricted free agent and free to head elsewhere.
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Days later, though, his former teammate Matthew Tkachuk, who still had a year left on his contract, told the Flames that he wouldn’t be signing an extension at the end of the following season. Calgary didn’t want to end up empty-handed once again. It made a blockbuster trade with the Florida Panthers, netting Jonathan Huberdeau, Mackenzie Weager, Cole Schwindt, and a conditional first-round pick at the 2025 draft.
Earlier this season, Quinn Hughes told the Vancouver Canucks he wouldn’t re-up either. The captain still had another year on his contract. Still, he gave the British-Columbia team an opportunity to get at least a sizeable return from the Minnesota Wild in Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohren, and a first-round pick at the 2026 draft.
Yesterday, a bomb was set off by the Ottawa Senators; they traded captain Brady Tkachuk to the Panthers. The captain wanted out and had given the team a shortlist of potential destinations, including the Wild, the Panthers, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Carolina Hurricanes. The Wild reportedly made an offer, but it wasn’t good enough, and the Sens shipped out their captain to Florida for a boatload of futures, three first-round picks (including two at this week’s draft), one in 2029, and a second-round pick in 2030. It’s a good return, but it does nothing to plug the giant pest-shaped hole in their current lineup. That’s enough to throw a spanner in the works of the best laid plans.
Welcome to Florida, Brady 🤝 pic.twitter.com/ufWVeES06V
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 22, 2026
Should this exodus of American players out of Canada worry the Canadiens? I wouldn’t think so. Those teams that were told their players wanted out were all in Canada, but that wasn’t the only common denominator. They were also all teams struggling to become winning teams or contending teams. The Habs just made a run to the Eastern Conference Final. While two Americans play massive roles in Montreal with Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield, both have committed long-term to the team and are showing incredible enthusiasm for what lies ahead for the Habs. Jacob Fowler, who’s earmarked as the goaltender of the future for the franchise, is also American, but seems to be loving Montreal so far.
There’s a reason why Kent Hughes has managed to sign both Caufield and Hutson to long-term, team-friendly deals; they want to win. Those players were willing to leave money on the table to win with the team that put its faith in them. The Canadiens picked them in the draft after many teams passed on them because of their size. Team USA also ignored both in the latest international competitions because of their diminutive physique. Both are motivated to bring a Stanley Cup back to Montreal to repay that trust. Hughes has said it time and time again; money is not everything for hockey players, they want to win.
On this day in 2019, the Canadiens drafted Cole Caufield 15th overall #Habs365#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/L66msF9nZ0
— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) June 21, 2026
As long as the GM makes good use of the money those players left on the table to improve the team and gives it the means to win, they won’t be tempted to leave. There’s a good culture in Montreal and a camaraderie that’s akin to one big happy family. The ultimate goal is not to have fun, though; it’s to win, to capture the trophy those guys have all dreamt about since they were kids: the Stanley Cup.
That’s also why Dylan Larkin has demanded a trade from the Detroit Red Wings. He’s already in the USA, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about winning, and Steve Yzerman being unable to show that he could lead the Wings to become a contender. His failure to bring him the right pieces at the trade deadline prevented Detroit from taking the next step.
Hughes and the Canadiens don’t have to worry, at least as long as they are showing the players that they have a plan to make the Habs worthy of being called les Glorieux again and that they keep moving the needle towards that.
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NHL Draft Week Starts with a Tkachuk Bang
The week leading into the NHL Draft has kicked off with a bang as the long-speculated joining of the Tkachuk brothers has come to fruition.
The Florida Panthers, back-to-back Cup winners and three-time finalists before falling off due to injuries in 2025-26, are reloading by acquiring Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators for a package of first-round picks. The Senators are apparently not rebuilding but rather aiming to turn some of those into new, current-NHL assets.
Islanders News
The latest episode of On The Island dropped, covering the Isles after the Olympic break, the deadline moves, Pete DeBoer’s late-season hiring, some bonus Pierre Turgeon content, Mat Barzal connecting with a cancer patient who’s a big Islanders fan…and maybe Anders Lee’s final highlight? [YouTube]
Elsewhere
- Fathers Day blockbuster, Brady Tkachuk to Florida for two first-rounders this week, another in 2029 (top-10 protected) and a 2nd. [NHL]
- Friedman: the Senators didn’t have a good feel that Tkachuk would re-sign a couple of years from now, so they acted now. [Sportsnet]
- Supposedly the Senators will make a big push for Stars RFA Jason Robertson. [@TheFourthPeriod]
- Trade grades: yay for the Panthers, tough for the Senators — although Florida still has a goaltending question, and the Senators maybe did well considering Brady is not quite as good as the hype. [Athletic]
- Former Leaf Bobby McMann re-signs for six years with Seattle. [Sportsnet]
- Jason Dickinson signs a five-year extension in Edmonton. [Sportsnet]
The Hockey News Sunday Recap: Nashville Predators – June 21st, 2026
Happy Sunday, Predators fans.
While it may be the offseason in Nashville, things haven't exactly slowed down around the hockey world. Between front office changes, free agent speculation, trade rumours, and plenty of action overseas, there was no shortage of headlines this week.
From the Predators continuing to reshape their hockey operations department to some notable developments around the NHL, we've rounded up the biggest stories from the past week all in one place.
Grab a coffee, settle in, and catch up on everything you may have missed.
THN Archive: Best In ShowJuuse Saros faced the daunting challenge of replacing a franchise icon in the Predators’ net. How’d it go? No other NHL goalie played more than Nashville’s Vezina-nominated, puppy-loving netminder
Predators Rank 28th In 2027 Stanley Cup OddsOddsmakers predict a long road ahead for Nashville as the franchise enters a pivotal rebuild. Despite promising prospects, the Predators face steep odds behind the powerhouse Hurricanes.
Predators Acquire Ross Colton From AvalancheGeneral Manager Chris MacFarland bolsters Nashville’s middle six by adding grit and goaltending depth, reuniting with versatile forward Ross Colton in his first major move since joining the Predators.
THN Archive: The O'Reilly FactorThe Maple Leafs Don’t Need Ryan O’Reilly to Win Playoff MVP Again—Just a Little Help Ending the Longest Stanley Cup Drought in NHL History Would Suffice
Predators Add Jamie Langenbrunner To Their Front OfficeTwo-time Stanley Cup champion Jamie Langenbrunner joins Nashville’s revamped staff, bringing veteran scouting expertise and collegiate recruiting savvy to help Chris MacFarland reshape the Predators' front office.
THN Archive: Franchise Legend - David LegwandThe Predators’ first-ever draft pick spent 15 years in Nashville as the team endured expansion growing pains and relocation rumors before finding its ‘Smashville’ identity and emerging as an NHL contender
Predators' Cam Reid Commits To University of Michigan Fresh off a Memorial Cup title, Nashville's first-round pick brings his offensive prowess to Ann Arbor, joining an elite wave of former OHL stars revitalizing the Wolverines' roster.
THN Archive: Old Beginnings Familiar Team. Completely Different Role. After Serving as Nashville’s Bench Boss for the Franchise’s First 15 Seasons, Barry Trotz Is Back – but This Time as the Gm. He Didn’t Think He Was Ready for the Front Office Quite Yet, but It Was the Perfect Opportunity to Take Over a Club 
Predators 2026 NHL Draft Targets: Daxon Rudolph Boasting a pro-ready frame and elite mobility, this Prince Albert standout offers the smooth-skating defensive presence and power-play utility Nashville needs to bolster its blue line.
THN Archive: Opportunity Seized Luke Evangelista was a steady producer as a Predators rookie – with the promise of much more to come
Predators Should Consider Trading Stamkos While Trade Market Is HotWith Steven Stamkos reportedly willing to waive his no-movement clause for three specific contenders, Nashville must strike now to maximize the veteran's surging value before the draft.
THN Archive: A Flip Of The Subban SwitchWhether he’s lighting the lamp or lighting up kids’ faces, it takes but a moment for Subban to turn his ‘it’ factor onStay updated with the most interesting Nashville Predators stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
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THN Archive: A Flip Of The Subban Switch
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A Flip Of The Subban Switch—Aug 20, 2018 - VOL. 72, Issue. 02 - Matt Larkin
IT’S A SLEEPY, SUNBAKED morning in Las Vegas, hours before the 2018 NHL Awards, where P.K. Subban will be unveiled as the cover model for EA Sports’ new video game, NHL 19. He saunters into the lobby of the Encore Tower Suites, shorts and T-shirt, wide-brimmed hat covering his eyes, the kind of outfit famous people wear to avoid detection. But that’s impossible for Subban. He’s unmistakable, and not just because he’s one of the NHL’s few black stars. It’s the smile, the raspy voice and, of course, the league’s most gregarious personality that make Subban pretty much allergic to hiding.
And so, when he enters the lobby, it takes about 0.4 seconds for a kid to notice him. He’s scheduled for hours of interviews upstairs to talk about the video game, and he’s arrived early to take a breath and prepare, but that opportunity disappears. Subban flicks the virtual “on” switch. He gives the youngster several minutes of his time, cracking jokes, taking selfies. Soon after that, he’s sprawled on a couch in a suite, snapping off one-liners, claiming he’s the best-looking guy to grace the video-game cover, sharing memories of cheating at PlayStation as a kid, hitting his brothers Malcolm and Jordan with pillows and mini-sticks.
THERE AREN’T A LOT OF PLAYERS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH THE GAME THAT WANT TO BE THEMSELVES
– P.K. Subban
He’s built such a brand as the game’s most interesting talker that people have grown to expect that out of him. It seems Subban never gets a chance to just…be. Table that idea to him, though, and he quickly fires it back, like he’s clearing a puck from his zone while patrolling the Nashville Predators’ blueline. “People who maybe aren’t like me might see it that way, but everyone’s got to be themselves,” he said. “So, what would be ‘on’ for someone is just normal for me. If I need a break from people, I take a break. If I don’t want to post something on social media, I don’t. But when you are with me, you’re going to get P.K.”
The whole world gets P.K. – not just his Predators teammates or fans watching him play Norris Trophy-caliber hockey year after year. If one word defines his personality, even more than funny, it’s “giving.” In a literal sense, he’s peerless in his philanthropic efforts, having famously pledged to donate $10 million to the Montreal Children’s Hospital while he played for the Canadiens. He’s also generous with his time every day. As Predators coach Peter Laviolette explains, he wants his troops at the rink ready for game-day preparations by 5:00 p.m., and Subban arrives at Bridgestone Arena at 4:45 p.m. on the nose to run Blueline Buddies, a program he created to unite an underprivileged youth and a Metro Nashville police officer before every home game in the hopes of building a positive relationship between at-risk kids and law enforcement. In addition to giving them tickets to the game and a meal, Subban carves out time to chat with the kid and the cop. He never misses it.
He’s a charitable man yet also a highly public man, and that doesn’t jive with typical hockey culture. No matter how beloved Subban is by people who watch the game from afar, snippets of evidence pop up throughout his career suggesting the old-guard inner circle rejects him. He was a much louder leader than Max Pacioretty in Montreal, but the majority of teammates voted Pacioretty over Subban for the captaincy in 2015. Less than a year after Subban’s pledge to the Montreal Children’s Hospital, Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin traded him – two days before his no-movement clause kicked in July 1. After a game between the Predators and Habs this past season, former teammate Brendan Gallagher ripped Subban for always “trying to make it about P.K. Subban.” After Subban joked about Sidney Crosby telling him he bad breath and tweeted a picture of a Listerine bottle during the 2017 Cup final, Subban was infamously unavailable to media before Game 6, prompting accusations the Predators had gagged him.
He’s a fun guy who loves to show his personality, and not everyone in hockey is comfortable with that yet. “Look at Jeremy Roenick, a guy who had a ton of personality, but he’s one of the best American-born players to ever play the game,” Subban said. “But people talk about his personality all the time. Maybe that’s just hockey. There’s not a lot of players that have come through the game that want to be themselves. It’s very easy to fall into the culture of how everybody talks and the way they walk. It’s a great culture, by the way, I love the game of hockey, but I’ve chosen to be myself.”
Subban believes NHLers are starting to show more exuberance. He singles out Connor McDavid’s on-ice displays of emotion as a sign that players are cracking open their shells. And if you talk to anyone from the Predators, who have one Cup final appearance and one Presidents’ Trophy since Subban arrived in the 2016 one-for-one Shea Weber trade, they have no problem accepting his grandiose presence because it doesn’t get in the way of his play. “You always hear P.K. talking,” said Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne. “But through the game he’s very focused, and he’s a very driven person. He’s not the loudest guy during the game, but in the locker room or anywhere like that before the game, he likes to stay loose and keep everybody else loose and have fun. So, he has a positive effect on us.”
For Laviolette, no one is immune to criticism, and that includes Subban. Protective of his player, he won’t reveal exactly what he and Subban talk about, but Laviolette insists it’s just standard hockey stuff, no different than what he discusses with any of his players about what they can do differently, how they can improve their game-to-game play and so on. There’s no sense he views Subban as a distraction. “He’s done a really good job of trying to manage his life, and it’s a busy life,” Laviolette said. “The things he does are different from other people. But for me, it always comes back to: Is he putting the time in during practice? Does he practise hard? Does he play hard? Is he a good teammate? And he’s been all those things in Nashville.”
Subban won the Norris Trophy in 2013 as the league’s top defenseman and has been a finalist two other times, including this past season. He’s a two-time first-team all-star, and he’s played in three All-Star Games. Yet most conversations about Subban concern who he is off the ice. It’s easy to forget what he’s capable of on it.
Since 2010-11, his first full NHL season, Subban is fifth among blueliners in points, trailing only Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Dustin Byfuglien and Keith Yandle. He ranks seventh in goals and eighth in points per game, too. This past season, Subban finished top-three in the league in primary points per 60 minutes 5-on-5. That’s particularly remarkable considering Ryan Ellis’ injury meant Subban played the first half of the season without his regular partner, Mattias Ekholm, and instead had to drag around a significantly older and slower Alexei Emelin. Those words may seem harsh, but the truth is right there in the numbers. Emelin’s 5-on-5 Corsi was three percentage points higher with Subban than without. He takes real pride knowing Laviolette can look at the whiteboard and pair him with anybody, whether it’s Emelin, the 32-year-old banger, or Ekholm, 28, the talented, rangy shutdown defender who forms a truly elite tandem with Subban.
YOU ALWAYS HEAR P.K. TALKING, BUT THROUGH THE GAME HE’S VERY FOCUSED, AND HE’S A VERY DRIVEN PERSON
– Pekka Rinne
Subban is known as an offensive juggernaut, but, among the 133 defensemen who played at least 1,000 minutes 5-on-5 in 2017-18, he had the 11th-highest defensive-zone start percentage and ranked in the top third for quality of competition. He generates tons of chances but also battles the opposition’s scoring lines. “For me, what has been really great about him has been his ability to defend, his ability to go back under pressure and break out pucks, his ability to take on other teams’ top performers and shut them down,” Laviolette said. “Defensively, he’s been a huge part of our team, and that’s probably a little underrated for what it is. He’s a terrific offensive defenseman, but his game on defense is equally good.”
The new guard, the millennials, the fancy-stats advocates know that about Subban, and the Norris Trophy voting tells us his excellence isn’t exactly overlooked. But there’s no denying conversations about him usually nudge aside his play and focus on his antics, like his trademark bow-and-arrow goal celebration. He’s a rare high-end player for whom the analysis doesn’t always involve actual hockey, and he notices it. “I would have to agree with that,” he said. “There are times when people like to talk about the personality and the celebrations and stuff like that, but before you can be that way, you’ve got to be able to back it up. We’re not talking about celebrations if I’m not scoring. A lot of times, when people pay attention to that, those people are just sloppy and don’t do their research. It’s very easy to say, ‘LeBron James has got to control his emotions.’ Well, yeah, but he’s getting emotional at a crucial point in the game, and he already dropped 44 points, so maybe you should talk about the fact he has 44 points, and he’s complaining to the ref because he hasn’t been on the foul line once the whole game.”
Attention anyone not doing homework on Subban: he’s doing homework on you. He reads what people write about him. He respects some of his detractors and dismisses others. Whether he takes criticism to heart depends on who it comes from. “It’s very easy to know people who do their research in the media and people that don’t,” he said. “You can just follow the trend of what people are saying, or you can actually do your research, get to know someone, follow their career, look at the numbers. The numbers don’t lie.”
So Subban will keep burying pucks with his heavy slapshot and rubbing it in haters’ faces, pulling arrows from his imaginary quiver. He knows he’s one of the sport’s highest-impact players on the ice. At the same time, he realizes he’s different. As he said, “on” is his normal. He follows more of an NBA athlete template, not because of the color of his skin but because he’s willing to build a brand for himself.
Subban takes that part of his career seriously. When Nashville’s season ended with a second-round Game 7 home loss to Winnipeg, he headed to Harvard University for a course called The Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports. Also present for the class: Boston Bruins’ Zdeno Chara, ex-NBA star Chris Bosh, former NFL defensive end Michael Strahan and U.S. Olympic gold-medallist skier Lindsey Vonn, who happens to be Subban’s girlfriend. They met at the ESPY Awards a year ago, “and the rest is history,” as he puts it.
The Harvard course is aimed at anyone in the talent industry looking to grow a business across multiple digital platforms, from actors to musicians to agents to athletes, and it introduces students to various case studies showing why some ventures succeed and others fail. A star-studded class roster spawned some fun photos and Instagram videos, naturally, but Subban was committed. He recognizes his potential for a long post-hockey career. Strahan, who became an analyst and talk-show host after retiring, is a great example to follow. “In today’s world, with pop culture, everything crosses now,” Subban said. “Nothing is in a specific lane. Unless it’s television for children and television for adults, everything else is sort of crisscrossing, and even that does, too. So, in the world of business, the more you know, the better, and I just had the opportunity. Hopefully for the next couple years in the off-season, I don’t have as much time to do things like that, but it was really, really good. I’m glad I did it.”
That statement is quintessential contradictory Subban. He’s devoted to having fun but obsessed with pursuing the Stanley Cup. He’s carefree and fun-loving while understanding his personality is a commodity he can market. He clowns around in the dressing room but also sacrifices his free time for noble causes. There’s no other P.K. Subban. Maybe that’s why he refuses to flip his ‘off’ switch. Being anything less than special would make him someone else.
Exploring Panthers Options At Goaltender Following Acquisition Of Brady Tkachuk
The Florida Panthers sent shockwaves across the NHL on Sunday when they acquired Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.
Adding Tkachuk to Florida’s already deep and skilled roster puts them squarely back into place as one of the league’s elite teams and Stanley Cup contenders.
There is still one glaring hole on the roster that needs to be filled, though, and it comes at perhaps the most important position in hockey.
Of course, we’re talking about the goaltender.
At the moment, the Panthers do not have any NHL goalies signed for the 2026-27 season.
That will change in the coming days and weeks, but after acquiring Tkachuk, it puts Florida in a more precarious spot in terms of the amount of money they have to spend on their goaltending.
According to PuckPedia, Florida has just over $7 million in cap space to work with.
With longtime Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and the two sides reportedly far apart on contract negotiations, Florida General Manager Bill Zito may have to look outside the organization to fill the team’s need.
The good thing for Zito is that he’s got an ace up his sleeve: Florida’s Goaltending Excellence Department.
Headed by Roberto Luongo, Florida’s goalie guild has helped the team find several solid tendies who have either played well in the team’s systems or turned into a valuable trade asset, including Alex Lyon, Anthony Stolarz, Devon Levi, Vitek Vanecek and Daniil Tarasov.
They also targeted Brandon Bussi last summer, but the Panthers lost him to the Carolina Hurricanes after trying to sneak him to AHL Charlotte on waivers.
So what will Zito and his goalie experts choose to do with the team’s need between the pipes and relatively limited resources?
It’s been widely reported that a pair of high-end netminders may be available by trade: the Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck and St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Binnington.
Hellebuyck’s contract pays him an average annual value (AAV) of $8.5 million through 2030-31 and Binnington makes a $6 million AAV, though he’s entering the final year of his deal.
After using their first-round picks to acquire Tkachuk, it’s unlikely the Panthers would be willing to part with the kind of NHL-level assts it would take to pry Hellebuyck away from Winnipeg.
Depending on the price, Binnington may be a possibility, though Florida would likely need to shed some additional salary in order to leave room for any addition depth adds or call-ups, and/or have St. Louis retain some of his salary.
Another potential trade target that would be more in-line with a team looking for a bargain in goal could be Devin Cooley of the Calgary Flames.
In addition to being Calgary’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy last season, the 29-year-old enjoyed his longest stretch in the NHL of his career, posting a 2.69 goals against average and .909 save percentage for a Flames team that wasn’t particularly good defensively.
Cooley also features the kind of size (6-foot-5, 192 pounds) and agility that Florida has appeared to target when shopping for goalies, and he makes a very reasonable $1.35 million AAV through the 2027-28 season.
There is also the likelihood that the Panthers take a good look at this year’s class of expiring contracts, with several interesting names set to hit free agency, including the aforementioned Vanecek and Tarasov.
Don’t be surprised to see Florida take a good look at another familiar name who will be looking for a new contract on July 1 in former Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner.
Aside from his playoff experience and reputation as a positionally sound goaltender who moves well laterally for someone with his size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds), Skinner would also likely come on the inexpensive side.
If Florida’s goalie guild signs off on Skinner or Cooley or any other goaltender’s ability to perform, the way they had previously with Vanecek and Tarasov, it would make sense that a Panthers team operating at full strength would be comfortable with either of those gentlemen stopping pucks for the Cats.
It would also allow Zito and his staff some additional financial flexibility under the cap, which is never a bad thing.
We’ll see how things play out over the next week, as the NHL Draft is set for Friday and Saturday in Buffalo, and free agency set to open four days later on July 1.
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Photo caption: Nov 22, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) defends his net against Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)