The Chicago Blackhawks have some options with the 4th overall pick, but it will mostly depend on what the teams ahead of them do.
Chicago needs forwards more than they need defensemen at both the NHL level and within the pipeline, which begs the question about best player available vs organizational need.
The truth is, if Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Caleb Malhotra are the first three picks, that doesn't mean that the Blackhawks are forced into taking a defenseman.
If they don't think that one of Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, or Carson Carels is going to be better than Artyom Levshunov or Sam Rinzel, and there is a fourth forward that they really like, they must not hesitate to take the risk.
Forwards like Viggo Bjorck, Tynan Lawrence, Ethan Belchetz, and Wyatt Cullen are projected to be NHL-caliber forwards in the future, and the Blackhawks need as many of those as they can.
If one of them is at the top of their board, even more than any of the defensemen, there is no shame in that. Kyle Davidson has to do what he feels will make the team better in the long term, even if it goes against popular opinion.
Of those forwards, Viggo Bjorck and Tynan Lawrence appear to have the highest ceiling. For Bjorck, he shone at the World Juniors and World Championships, which featured other young stars like Ivar Stenberg and Anton Frondell.
If the Blackhawks ended up with a forward like him, he has the mold of a player who could slot in on a line with his countryman Frondell. The success that they've had with Sweden on the national stage could translate to the NHL.
As for Lawrence, he had times when he was projected to be a top-three pick in the draft. His time at B.U. showed just how hard the transition to college hockey can be, and he wasn't the only one who dealt with that reality check in 2025-26.
Chicago also doesn't have to use the 4th overall pick. If those top-three forwards are gone, there is the option of trading the selection. Trading down could still land them one of the other forwards mentioned, plus another asset.
As with any other team that has selected 4th overall in the past, some decisions must be made depending on what the three teams ahead of them decide. For the Blackhawks this year, positional need could come into play.
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The Philadelphia Flyers and general manager Danny Briere got off to a blazing start to the offseason with their first trade, and the NHL draft and the start of free agency rapidly approach.
With Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit in the fold, the Flyers have already addressed a few immediate needs, and they have a number of prospects still on the way.
In a recent one-on-one with The Hockey News, I had the pleasure of picking Briere's brain, gleaning some insights into the Flyers' plans, how their prospects are coming along, and other odds and ends.
Here, we'll be covering topics like Egor Zavragin, David Jiricek, free agency, Jett Luchanko, former Flyers friends, and more.
Note that some questions and answers in this interview were edited for clarity and brevity.
Jonathan Bailey: "You have Simon Benoit now. You have talked a lot about Hunter McDonald, Ty Murchison, and those guys in the past. Do you think this changed anything for them? Benoit’s got one year on his deal, Seeler’s got a few more, but does that change anything for them now?"
Danny Briere: "You know, the way I see it is, those young guys, they both took a step forward last year. They're going to have to beat someone out of a job, like that's just the reality to make it in the NHL. You have to show that you can beat someone out of their job; that's going to be the challenge for them. So that's always the tough part, you know. Nothing is handed for free. You got to earn it.”
JB: "A few weeks ago, you re-signed Aleksei Kolosov for one year, but his goal was to play in the NHL. Now he’s the No. 3 goalie coming into the year. What's your confidence like in him, because he played pretty well last year?"
DB: "With Aleksei, two years ago, it was kind of a wasted year for him. So spending the year up as a third goalie with the Flyers, it wasn't ideal, and I think it was a little bit of a season that was lost for him last year. He had a good season, stepped back up, so we still see him as a young goalie that's still developing, but he needs more time. We feel it's a good spot for him to be in, as the No. 3. Most likely, there's going to be some injuries along the way, and sometimes he's going to have to play, he’s going to have the chance to play a few games. We don't know how many, and it's kind of the same thing that goes for McDonald and Murchison. You have to beat someone out of the job, so that's going to be the challenge for him."
JB: "Egor Zavragin is off to a new KHL team, maybe a tandem situation, but probably going to play. How optimistic does that make you now after the way this past year went?"
DB: "Yeah, I mean, it was a little disappointing to see, and there was a time where he, early in the year, had the best stats out of the group of three, and I think it almost felt like it was decided before that he was the youngest and he was going to be the one going to the VHL. So it's unfortunate, but we have no control over what they do now. There's a little bit of hope that he's going to be in the KHL the whole year and play some KHL games next year. I think it's going to be great for his development, and there's no rush, especially now knowing and seeing what we have here. We have a good group of four goalies that are under NHL contracts, and hopefully, we don't have to use all four, but we know it's there. And especially in Kolosov and Bjarnason’s cases, it's good to see them developing and playing some games. I think we're comfortable with where it's at, at the moment."
JB: "Jett Luchanko is turning pro this year. He made the team out of training camp both years he’s been here. Is that the expectation now, or do you want to leave that up to him and see where he's at?"
DB: "It’ll be up to him now. We’ll see. I mean, it's a big summer for Jett. Last year was a tough one, missed a lot of training, and he missed development camp. He came in, and he was still a little dinged up. So it's a big summer for him, but there's also no rush if we don't feel he's quite ready. We have Lehigh Valley that's down the road from here, and he's going to play a lot of minutes there, so I don't see us keeping Jett Luchanko as an extra player as a 13th or 14th forward on the team. If he doesn't fit into the top 12, he's most likely going to be in Lehigh so he can play lots of minutes and lots of responsibilities in every situation."
JB: "David Jiricek, I think he needs waivers. All things considered, pretty good in Lehigh, very productive. Where do you see him now that, especially because you have Benoit, is kind of like the insulator? If Juulsen isn’t coming back, that leaves a spot on the right for him… where do you see him right now?"
DB: “Yeah, like you said, he had a really good stint in Lehigh Valley. He proved that he's ready for the next level. For him, it's gonna be a battle for ice time. It's going to be up to him. Big summer for him. Yeah, he needs waivers. We're aware of that, and he's going to get a good look, and we hope that he's ready for it. We feel he's ready for it, but he's going to have to show it on the ice. We know the offense is there, the big shot is there, the size is there, and that's just for him to round out his game, where he becomes a player that the coaches trust every night."
JB: "Are there any players who definitely are, or definitely are not, coming back this summer?"
DB: "[Rodrigo Abols] will most likely not be back. [Luke Glendening] we still have in the mix. Yeah, there's so many moving parts still, right? We're looking at different things, we're exploring. That's our job, to explore what's out there. Look at trades, you know. Three weeks ago, I would be talking about [Emil Andrae] as a guy who has a chance to find his way into the top six, and it'll be up to him, and now today, he's out. Same thing with [Sam Ersson]. So things changed, things evolved. It's a little too early, right? I don't want to pigeonhole myself and say, ‘Oh, this guy's definitely not coming back’ yet. We're keeping the door open, but it's our duty to look at what's out there, and if there’s an improvement that we can make to help the team."
JB: “Coming into this, I had Sergei Bobrovsky and Claude Giroux written down, two of your old teammates who are now free agents.”
DB: Smiles. "Yeah, it's pretty safe to say that there's not much room for Bob. I still have the feeling that Bob will re-sign in Florida. I don't think they have a goalie signed, so, yeah, they're gonna need a goalie, at least one, maybe two. I mean, Bob's a fantastic teammate, and great work ethic. He would have been a really good example for our guys, but no, I don't know how realistic that would have been."
JB: "Giroux, I assume, the same thing? I'm thinking of Rick Tocchet talking about Luke Glendening, having that veteran right-hand center for matchups, making that connection. You never know?"
DB: "Yeah, you never know where it's at. G's had a really good stint in Ottawa. I'm sure they want to keep him there, so I'm not sure he's thinking about going anywhere else. But I think he's been invested in the Senators for a while now, and they have a pretty good team."
JB: "Nick Deslauriers, Stanley Cup champion. You guys gave him the chance to go play for a contender, got nothing back, but showed the young guys they’ll be rewarded for being good teammates and working hard. How nice is it to see him actually go do it from your perspective?"
DB: "Yeah, it was pretty cool. Nick, again, what he did for us, protecting some of our young guys the last few years, it's not an easy job, and you don't play a lot, and you sacrifice, and you do extra work. It's a really tough job to do. So, we're thankful for what he did, and I feel it was the right thing to do, to give him a chance to go somewhere and have a shot at the Cup at the time. If you remember, like, we weren't looking too, too good to have a chance to make the playoffs, so yeah, it was pretty cool to watch him lift when it happened a couple nights ago."
JB: "A bit of a personal one, but Matthew Schaefer has special place in the heart for you, and not to talk about other teams' players too much, but is there a personal sense of pride for you to see him win the Calder Trophy, and then on Good Morning America, where they brought it out to surprise him?"
DB: Smiles. "Yeah, I'm not supposed to talk about players on other teams, but there's a special connection there with the family, not just Matthew, but also his brother and his dad. So it was pretty cool to see that, and a surprise on the show. Yeah, there's a little special place for him, obviously. [New York Islanders GM] Mathieu Darche knows that as well, so it's not a secret. Very proud of him. The only thing I don't like about him is that he plays in our division. That makes it tough. But, otherwise, on most nights, I'm happy for the Schaefer family and Matthew, and he’s a special talent to watch play."
DB: "No, there's nothing still at this point that we can share. We're still in a holding pattern with him, so I don't have anything to share yet."
JB: "Is he still someone you see, like just the way he plays, his style, his traits, long-term, bottom-six, pushing for that role?
DB: “Yeah, that's what we are hoping for, believing that he can give us. He's just got to get healthy, but yeah, we love his spunk. We love the sandpaper that he brings, great personality, really well-loved, too, in the locker room. So we're just hoping that we can get him to a place where he can provide that feistiness for us every night.”
Hiller's introduction to the Maple Leafs caps an abundance of decisions with the purpose of reshaping the organization. And Raddysh joining Toronto's blueline is a big change to the team's D-core.
In other words, it's the beginning of a new era for the Maple Leafs.
The start of this new era in Toronto began last off-season when Mitch Marner departed from the Maple Leafs in that sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. But as the year went along, there were plenty more changes on the cards, and maybe some were not anticipated at the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign.
Here are some of those notable changes and decisions that led to this new era for the Maple Leafs organization.
Joe Bowen's Retirement
After being the voice of the Maple Leafs for over 3,800 games and over 40 years of broadcasting, Joe Bowen has just wrapped up his final year in the booth.
It won't be the same for Leafs fans with Bowen no longer behind the microphone. But the 75-year-old will be in retirement as a new era of Maple Leafs broadcasting begins, starting next season.
The Maple Leafs have been a perennial playoff team in the NHL. In fact, this past season was the first time Toronto missed the post-season in nine years.
Until last year, the Leafs have consistently made the playoffs since 2016-17. In other words, they've never missed out on the post-season in the Auston Matthews era.
That change last season when Toronto ended their campaign as the last-place team in the Atlantic Division and fifth from the bottom of the entire NHL standings.
With that, the organization finds themself in a situation that it hasn't experienced in a decade, marking a new timeline for the Leafs.
John Chayka And Mats Sundin Hiring
Following that disappointing 2025-26 campaign by the Maple Leafs, ownership believed it was time for a change in the front office.
Former GM Brad Treliving was fired in late March, and current GM John Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin were named the successors to the previous management.
It was an interesting and unpredictable decision for MLSE to hire Chayka as the GM when he hadn't been in the league since 2019-20. To add to that, they brought in Sundin, a former captain and icon of the Maple Leafs, but he never experienced a role in an NHL front office or in any league, for that matter.
This different approach and assignment of roles is something the Maple Leafs organization hasn't gone through in recent years, and certainly marks a new era for the hockey club.
2026 First Overall Pick
In the aftermath of misery from the end of a poor regular season and the initial backlash from MLSE's front office hires, Toronto's spirits were reborn when they surprisingly won the 2026 NHL draft lottery.
Toronto had the fifth-best odds and an 8.5 percent chance of winning the lottery, and with a little bit of fortune, that hope became a reality. It marks the first time the Leafs will get the first overall pick in a draft since they selected Matthews in the 2016 draft.
With the likelihood of taking left winger Gavin McKenna in this year's draft, or even left winger Ivar Stenberg, Toronto is sure to get a talented youngster to boost a franchise that was trending downward at the end of the last campaign.
Hiller was another surprise hire by the Maple Leafs, both because of the lack of reports that included his name and also his previous tenure with the Los Angeles Kings.
Nonetheless, Hiller returns to the Maple Leafs after four years as an assistant coach from 2015-16 to 2018-19. And the word is, Toronto's stars are a big fan of Hiller.
As an assistant, he ran the power play, and over the course of his Leafs tenure, he guided them to be a top-five power play. With someone like Matthews dropping in production over the years, maybe Hiller can bring the best out of him.
Additions To Blueline
The latest move Chayka has executed is a sign-and-trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning for Raddysh. They acquired him from the Bolts for a 2026 fifth-round pick, and then reportedly inked him to an eight-year extension worth $8.5 million per season.
Raddysh, a Toronto native, was one of the top players in the 2026 UFA class, making this a big grab by the Leafs and a boost to their back end.
With that, throw in the trade with the Philadelphia Flyers when Toronto received 24-year-old defenseman Emil Andrae and sent away Simon Benoit. This improves the Leafs' ability to advance the puck up the ice with Andrae's puck skills, along with his ability to skate.
Not to mention, the biggest change to Toronto's back end may be yet to come. With talks of Morgan Rielly potentially being moved this summer, that would be the most era-changing move Toronto could make, considering he is actively the longest-tenured Maple Leaf on the team.
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We’re now just one week away from the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo and less than two weeks from the start of a new league year.
Between the annual prospect selection and the opening of free agency a few days later, player movement and contract signings will make for a fun few days around the NHL.
The Florida Panthers should be in the thick of the fun.
Florida holds the ninth overall selection at next week’s draft, and they also have over $15 in cap space to work with.
That means Panthers General Manager Bill Zito will have some options to work with, and you better believe he and his staff have been diligently preparing for several potential situations, depending on how the chips may end up falling.
Either of those two netminders landing in Pantherland would almost certainly mean that Bobrosky was not returning, so one domino falling will impact the other, whichever and whenever that may be.
Both Binnington and Hellebuyck are under contract and would require a trade to end up wearing a Panthers sweater next season.
Binnington, 32, has one year remaining on his current deal with a $6 million average annual value (AAV), while Hellebuyck, 33, has five years left on his contract that pays an AAV of $8.5 million.
Even though he just turned 36, Gudas can still play at a high level and has an idea of what would be expected of him under Paul Maurice in Florida.
The final season of Gudas’ three with the Panthers was Maurice’s first, when Florida marched to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final only to come up short against the Vegas Golden Knights.
After a successful run with Florida, Gudas signed with the youthful Anaheim Ducks, who promptly named him their captain.
He’s hitting the market after earning a $4 million AAV over three years on his last deal, and will likely be seeking something in the $3.5 to $4 million range on his next deal, according to Weekes.
Currently, the Panthers have six defenseman under NHL contracts for next season: Aaron Ekblad, Gus Forsling, Seth Jones, Niko Mikkola, Dmitry Kulikov and Uvis Balinskis.
Obviously there are only so many assets and so much money to go around, so it will be interesting to see whatever ends up happening with the Panthers at all three positions.
Will Zito go into the season with seven defensemen on NHL contracts?
What direction will the team end up doing in goal?
How does the ninth overall pick at next week’s draft play into the decision?
Let us know down in the comments how you think things should play out.
Photo caption: Jan 15, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (7) looks on against the Florida Panthers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
The 2026 Stanley Cup has been awarded to the Carolina Hurricanes, and the NHL is now firmly in the 2026 offseason. The 2026 NHL Entry Draft is one week away, qualifying offers are due to RFAs after that, and unrestricted free agency will begin shortly after that.
A handful of trades have already taken place throughout the league, and more are reportedly on the way. This is the time of year when breadcrumbs from NHL insiders are entire meals for interested parties.
The Anaheim Ducks are coming off their most successful season in a decade, and their roster situation has them as one of the more intriguing teams when it comes to potential movement.
Here’s what’s been reported and speculated about the Ducks over the last week:
Mason McTavish
The smoke continues to billow around McTavish (23) and from a variety of outlets. It undoubtedly stems from interested opposing teams looking to land a talented, distressed asset and the fact that he served as a healthy scratch for two of the Ducks’ 12 playoff games this spring after signing a six-year contract with a $7 million AAV.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen continues to link McTavish to his hometown Ottawa Senators. He listed McTavish as one of a handful of forwards with whom the Sens have shown “some level of interest.”
“A league executive told ‘The Citizen’ that they believe that McTavish is a legitimate fit for the Senators,” Garrioch reported in his latest column.
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes joined in, taking to Twitter on Wednesday to report on opposing clubs’ interest in McTavish.
“Per sources another name getting plenty of attention is (forward) McTavish of the (Anaheim Ducks), he has skill, grit, term, and upside,” Weekes tweeted. “Teams are calling, it would have to be a quality ‘hockey trade’ I’m told. See how this goes…”
Darren Dreger of TSN seems convinced it’s a “when, not if” situation in Anaheim in terms of McTavish’s future.
“I’m in the belief that Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks is going to be traded. I know there’s definitely a lot of chatter around McTavish, around the National Hockey League,” Dreger relayed on the “Starr and McKenna” radio show.
Right Shot Defensemen
The current biggest hole on the Ducks’ depth chart sits on the entire right side of the blueline. All three of their veteran blueliners (Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, Radko Gudas) will see their contracts expire on July 1 if they’re not signed to extensions.
Carlson has already made it known, via his agent, that he will not be returning to the Ducks and intends to test the unrestricted free agency waters. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun was first to break the news.
“John Carlson is headed to market. His agent, Rick Curran, has informed the Anaheim Ducks GM Pat Verbeek of that,” LeBrun reported on Tuesday. “Both sides talked about a potential extension, but Carlson is moving on.”
The most probable of the three to return seemed to be Jacob Trouba, who found a fit next to Jackson LaCombe on the team’s top pair for the majority of his tenure in Anaheim. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in passing on “The Fan Hockey Show” on Wednesday that Trouba intends to follow Carlson to free agency.
“(John) Carlson’s hitting the market, and it sounds like (Jacob) Trouba is hitting the market here too,” Friedman said.
Ducks captain Radko Gudas may not be far behind his brethren, as Kevin Weekes, again, tweeted that if Gudas hits the market, teams will be interested in his services.
“Per sources, I’m told Anaheim Ducks captain (defenseman) Gudas is gaining interest in the marketplace,” Weekes tweeted. “If him and the Ducks can’t get a deal done, the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs are among potential fits. He’s physical, experienced, playoff tested, on a 2-3 year term between $3.5 million and $4 million-plus.”
The Blockbuster that Got Away
Lastly, Dreger dropped a bombshell to end last week, when he was on the “Starr and McKenna” show, indicating there were discussions of a deal being had between the St. Louis Blues and the Ducks that included Robert Thomas and Colton Parayko heading to Anaheim and Mason McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov, and Roger McQueen going back to St. Louis.
“There was a bigger deal, I’m told, that was down the road, and it included Mason McTavish going to the St. Louis Blues,” Dreger said. “I believe that (Robert) Thomas and (Colton) Parayko could have been part of that. I head Mintyukov, maybe McQueen, who signed not that long ago with the Anaheim Ducks. So, it doesn’t matter because it didn’t happen, but Mason McTavish’s name has been out there for a while.”
There were likely other pieces in play with that potential deal, and we’ll never know what halted the discussions. It would have changed the complexion of the Ducks on their playoff run and into the future. It’s since been reported that Thomas is now off the table from St. Louis, so any hopes of this trade being revisited should be quelled.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 31: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck in the third period during the game against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Vitals
Player: Sidney Crosby Born: Aug 7, 1987 Height: 5’11” Weight: 200 pounds Hometown: Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada Shoots: Left Draft: First round pick (1st overall) in 2005 by the Penguins 2024-25 Statistics: 68 games played; 29 goals; 45 assists; 74 points; one goal and four assists in six playoff games Contract Status: 2026-27 is the final season on Crosby’s current contract. He’s eligible to officially extend on July 1.
Story of the Season
“This is where I want to be,” Sidney Crosby said at the start of 2025 training camp. “I love it here… I talk about the first day, and you think about first impressions. I didn’t know a lot about Pittsburgh prior to being drafted, and I showed up at the airport and could barely move. The support that I felt from day one, the relationships that I formed here, the memories, the teammates, the fans. I mean, you go down the list.”
“I’m so grateful and thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to play here as long as I have. And I think anyone who knows me knows what the city means to me and how special it is.”
2025-26 was a season of affirmation between Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. The long-time captain had to endure speculation about his future like never before in the summer of 2025 (not helped by his agent saying a trade was “always a possibility”). All that external noise placed the captain at an unavoidable, awkward late-career crossroads that he never wanted to be at in the first place.
In the end, Sidney Crosby did what he always does: set aside the outside noise, get to work and help his team win. Crosby roared out the gates, scoring eight goals and 15 points in the first 12 games of the season to do his part for the 8-2-2 record that Pittsburgh jumped out to at the beginning of the season.
From there, the future took care of itself with the Pens weathering some storms of blown leads and Crosby there to help lead them along the way. By the Olympic break the Pens were second in the Metropolitan Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference via points percentage with a 29-15-12 record that had them on track for qualifying for the playoffs.
Then came the road bump in Italy. Crosby’s Olympic tournament ended with a knee injury in the quarterfinals on February 18th. He would attempt to test his leg and make the effort to see if he could play for the gold medal game on the 22nd, but the damage was too great. The Canadians ended up losing in OT, only generating one goal, providing a surreal and unexpected finish derailed in large part by the absence of their captain.
Upon coming back to the States, it was announced Crosby would miss a minimum of four weeks, a timeline he hit on the nose by returning to the lineup on March 18th, exactly four weeks after the injury was suffered. He would record a goal and an assist in his return.
Those last 26 games of the season after the Olympic break could be seen as the rest of the team holding up their end of the bargain to their veteran leader. Crosby only played in 12 of the final 26 games – scoring just two goals (while adding in 13 assists). There was a time when two goals and 15 points from Crosby over a 26-game span would spell doom. That time was not 2025-26, when players up and down the whole lineup stepped in and stepped up. The Pens still managed to lock up a playoff spot in a relatively drama-free fashion, despite a limited impact from their brightest star. They showed that this team, with major inputs from Erik Karlsson, Egor Chinakhov, Bryan Rust, Anthony Mantha and Rickard Rakell, were able to shoulder the load to deserve to make the playoffs for the first time since 2022 and silence the naysayers decrying Crosby playing out his days with a moribund franchise.
It’s a nice story from that perspective; the star player made it clear he wanted things to go better and certainly carried his end of the bargain while he could. When he couldn’t, plenty of others were there to do the rest and keep the Penguins in second place in the division – far better than preseason projections.
There was nothing nice about the postseason, however. Crosby, like many of his teammates, had a poor start to the playoffs, falling into an 0-3 hole. He rebounded have two very strong performances in Games 4+5 (producing four total points to help keep the season alive) but the Pens ultimately bowed out in Game 6.
Though things didn’t play out exactly as he would have liked, the 2025-26 season was another successful campaign for Crosby. He extended his NHL record streak of point/game seasons to 21. He passed Steve Yzerman and Mario Lemieux in career points this year, two legends and major influences of Crosby’s formative years. Passing Lemieux obviously stands out in that Crosby has taken over the all-time point record for the franchise, that crazy as it sounds, there was no absolute guarantee he would finish out his days with had the club continued to mire below the playoff picture.
Thanks to a great 2025-26 from Crosby and the Pens at large, that debate about a change will recess, possibly and thankfully for good. Sidney Crosby is where he wants to be and still a major factor in making the Penguins relevant. This past year he proved it to them, and the rest of the franchise from the players to the coaches to managers were able to reciprocate.
The splits tell the story of Crosby’s red hot start in the season’s first two months, followed by a decrease in goals following his injury. The ice time was also down in March/April as the Penguins made sure their captain was right and ready for the playoffs where he was back to his usual 20+ minute per night workload.
Regular season 5v5 advanced stats
Data via Natural Stat Trick. Ranking is out of 18 forwards on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes.
A good indicator of just how successful a season it was for Crosby would be to isolate the Pens’ on ice shooting percentage with him on the ice. If he and his teammates are converting, he’s done well. In the odd year when it’s been a challenge, then it’s been frustrating. This year was very good – and even better was seven other Penguin forwards enjoyed more success in this department to indicate a very strong offensive performance. Crosby managing to finish above a 2.5 P/60 in his first line center role at age-38 is yet another feather in his cap as one of the top offensive players of all time.
Sidney Crosby: still very good at hockey! WAR has detected no fall off in his game as Crosby advances deep into his late 30’s. His style and ways are different from his athletic peak earlier in the career, but the results are still better than just about everyone when it comes to generating offense.
You’d expect good things from the microstats, and as usual Crosby never disappoints. He’s still elite as an in-zone offensive weapon with the familiar tenets of his game to create a ton of chances for his teammates while also scoring plenty of goals for himself. Zone entry struggles are the only indicator of a player that doesn’t have quite the same number of tools available that he once did.
There’s aging well, and then there’s this look above. Crosby’s production today is basically the same as it has been since 2014 when the Mike Johnston era helped to usher him out of his pure peak days from 2005-13. The highs aren’t quite as high recently as they were in the 2019-22 period, but considering Crosby is pushing 40 his rates of production remain incredibly impressive, and just as consistent as we all have come to know over the past 21 years as the absolute trademark of Crosby’s game. If his career has taught anything it’s that he’s always going to be very good, and somehow he’s never going to be anything else.
Crosby gets around the ice well and is one of the big influences in the modern game for taking harsh angle shots, but he knows at this stage that a nose for the net is where goals are going to come from. Zone starts being friendly for offense set him up for success and then he continues the territorial domination in a major way to play a lot in the offensive zone and avoid as much time as possible being in his own end of the rink.
Interestingly, as seen above in the advanced stats, the Pens’ first line was more selective in the amount of shots (be it by design or inability to produce a large quantity). That plus the zone entries likely influenced the decision to get Egor Chinakhov up to the first line. It’s not that playing with Rickard Rakell and ol’ trusty Bryan Rust doesn’t work, but given the ages of all three there is a need for some young blood and fresh skill on the Pens’ first line. That will be interesting to track moving forward to see if Pittsburgh keeps working to develop a Chinakhov-Crosby connection or reverts back to the known quantity of playing with veterans.
The chart of where goals were scored this season shows a player still willing and able to work into the high danger areas and then convert once there. An underrated talking point with Crosby is how his scoring touch has provided an ability to remain a 30-40 goal scorer this late in his career. That adds such an impressive element in his massive portfolio of hockey success. For someone known for his playmaking abilities, it’s actually his high rate of goals that deserves a lot of the credit for his late-career sustainment of being one of the world’s best. I’m not sure we would have really expected that to be the case 10 or 20 years ago for how just his game would evolve at this point.
Overall, Crosby’s wheels are more than fine at his advanced age. This data looks better on the page than it might on the ice, eight of the nine 22+ bursts came in calendar 2025 (the ninth was in January). Despite his best efforts, the aging process is going to drain him as the long grind of a season goes along. Then obviously a knee injury isn’t going to help the cause. Father Time will always be undefeated but Crosby can still more than hang with the players in the league when it comes to getting from Point A to Point B, despite being one of the oldest players now. His burst isn’t as dynamic as it once was to skate through the defense successfully on any given shift like when he was a young player, but he remains a very strong skater overall with very nice burst ability.
Highlights
Questions to ponder
The timing of his decision for when Crosby wants to extend his contract in Pittsburgh is the biggest Sid-centric question of this offseason. By all accounts, Crosby’s desire to play is not slowing down, but his next contract for 2027-28 would commit him to playing as a 40-year old. Until he puts pen to paper and signs on for 2027-28, the whole future direction of the Pens could be considered up in the air since a much different path forward would take effect depending on whether Crosby plays or not.
Crosby signed his last contract just before camp in September 2024, will he do something similar so that the inevitable questions about potential retirement don’t get brought up every day in every city? That’s not a topic he will want lingering or to address regularly, yet it certainly won’t go away easily either without resolution. It really doesn’t seem like this upcoming year will be his final season, but at the same time he’s more than earned the right not to be in a hurry. Crosby’s always said he needs to find out the information from his body to dictate decisions about the future, that info can only be learned in due time. The timing will be what everyone is watching out for going into 2026-27.
Ideal 2026-27
At this point Crosby’s chasing legends, he currently is seventh place in all-time NHL scoring (1761). He is 89 points away from Gordie Howe in fourth and will be hunting down Marcel Dionne (1771) and Ron Francis (1798) next year. Always team-oriented, Crosby would just as soon do whatever it takes to keep the Pens’ bounce-back from being a one-year wonder and help Pittsburgh remain a playoff team as a best case scenario. But since this is a personal ideal, that would involve a 90 point season to pass Howe, a contract extension for 2027-28 and another appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs come next spring.
Bottom line
Crosby’s case to be the greatest of his time doesn’t need any more supporting evidence but he provided more anyways with one of the best age-38 seasons in NHL history. 2025-26 was both rewarding for him to play well and lead the Pens back to the playoffs after three straight seasons of missing the postseason, yet filled with significant frustrations due to the injury suffered at the Olympics that knocked the rest of his season off track.
PensburghGrade: A–
Pittsburgh’s leader and captain came through one more time, to the surprise of absolutely no one. The first half of his season was A+ work, his performance was likely limited from there due to the injury. Still, the production was there, the wins were back and now he’s setup for a 22nd season with the Penguins with reason to be energized and excited for the upcoming season.
The Abbotsford Canucks are looking for a new head coach. With Manny Malhotra stepping up to coach in Vancouver, a prominent spot has now opened for the Abbotsford bench. The franchise is looking into different candidates to fill the leadership role.
Manny Malhotra led the team to their first championship in franchise history in only his first year coaching. His leadership and passion were the motors that drove every player to play their best, come together as a team, and lift the cup.
During the 2025-26 season, the AHL Canucks were looking to defend the championship but fell to ninth place in the Pacific Division. With Malhotra joining the NHL team, Abbotsford must search for a head coach who will not only concentrate on developing players but also focus on teamwork, leadership and passion.
If the Canucks were to look internally, one possible candidate is Jordan Smith, who is the team's current assistant coach. He joined the organization in 2025 from the St. Louis Blues AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. He led Abbotsford to the championship alongside Malhotra. Given Smith already knows the prospects, organization, and team philosophy, he has the tools to continue guiding the team.
Another internal hire could be Harry Mahesh. He joined the organization in 2024, alongside Malhotra. He spent the 2023-24 season as a Coaching Development Associate for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. His expertise and knowledge of the group are beneficial, especially in the short term. Mahesh is knowledgeable about development, which is one of the core principles of any AHL team.
Abbotsford Canucks celebrate winning the 2025 Calder Cup (Photo Credit: @abbycanucks on "X")
Externally, Abbotsford may look into Nolan Baumgarter. He currently works as an assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators. His history with the Canucks organization is extensive. He was signed as a free agent by Vancouver in 2002 and played four seasons, split between 2002-03 and 2008 to 2012. He retired with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL and returned to the organization as an assistant coach. He was behind the bench between 2017 to 2021, giving him experience with player development. Baumgertner knows the ins and outs of both the NHL and the AHL, which could make him a good fit for the head coach position.
Vancouver has also reportedly been interested in adding Jessica Campbell to the organization. Campbell became the first female coach behind the NHL bench in 2024. She was behind the bench with the Seattle Kraken for two seasons before announcing she was leaving after her contract expired. She has experience in assisting the AHL’s Coachella Valley Thunderbirds and would bring a fresh perspective to the Abbotsford bench.
Ultimately, the organization should be casting a wide net to find the perfect candidate. Whoever leads the team’s bench must be someone who understands the importance of developing players while maintaining team morale and igniting passion. Whoever steps in next must have a winning mentality that will push the team to achieve great things.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a massive addition to their lineup.
According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the Leafs were in the process of finalizing a sign-and-trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning to acquire defenseman Darren Raddysh.
Confirming that Toronto and Tampa Bay are finalizing a sign-and-trade involving pending UFA Darren Raddysh. Hearing that it will be an eight-year deal with an AAV in the 8's (north of $8 million).
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman first reported early Friday morning that the Leafs and Tampa working on a sign-and-trade.
Late-night news:
Don’t expect this to be finalized until the morning, but there is word the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning are working on a sign-and-trade for Darren Raddysh.
The 30-year-old defenceman had a breakthrough 2025-26 with 22 goals and 70 points
The 30-year-old Raddysh just wrapped up a breakout season with the Lightning. Entering the year with modest expectations, Raddysh completely shattered his previous career highs and emerged as one of the premier offensive defensemen in the league. He had 22 goals, setting the Lightning record for goals in a season by a defenseman, while adding 48 assists.
By all accounts, Raddysh was considered the top defenseman available via free agency on July 1. The Leafs take a massive step in bolster their blue line by acquiring Raddysh, a right-handed who could instantly help the team's top power-play unit.
Raddysh is from nearby Caledon, Ontario.
"Darren has emerged as one of the NHL’s premier two-way defensemen, combining elite puck-moving ability with poise, competitiveness, and strong play in all three zones. He strengthens our blue line in every situation and is exactly the type of player we want helping lead this team," Maple Leafs GM John Chayka said in a release about the signing.
If there was any doubt about Toronto's desire about rebuilding or retooling, the acquisition of Raddysh firmly puts the Leafs in retool mode. Raddysh will be 38 when the deal expires, so Toronto is definitely taking on some long-term risk in an effort to maximize a short-term gain.
But Raddysh was by all accounts the No. 1 target in free agency and the Leafs get their man.
Chayka is expected to address the media in the early afternoon to discuss the signing.
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It looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs are set to bolster their defense by making a big splash on the open market.
A former Philadelphia Flyers forward is calling it a career.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare has officially retired from professional hockey.
Bellemare kicked off his NHL career with the Flyers during the 2014-15 season. From there, he spent his first three NHL seasons in Philadelphia, where he posted 17 goals, 17 assists, 34 points, and 259 hits.
Bellemare's time with the Flyers ended when he was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights at the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Following his time in Vegas, he also had stints with the Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Seattle Kraken.
Bellemare spent each of the last two seasons of his career in Switzerland's National League with Ajoie HC. In 37 games this past season with the NL club, he posted one goal and 11 assists.
In 700 career NHL games over 10 seasons, Bellemare recorded 64 goals, 74 assists, 138 points, and a plus-22 rating.
While the Philadelphia Flyers would like to upgrade their defense at some point this offseason, a reunion with an old friend could be out of the preferred price range.
Since leaving the Flyers in 2019, rugged defenseman and NHL public enemy Radko Gudas has enjoyed successful stints with the Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, and Anaheim Ducks.
Gudas, 36, is now the captain of the Ducks, though he could leave in free agency with a reportedly robust market awaiting him.
According to former NHL goalie and NHL insider Kevin Weekes, Gudas is "gaining interest" and the former Flyers defenseman will have suitors, including the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs, if he hits the open market.
Gudas, alongside teammates Jacob Trouba and John Carlson and Vegas Golden Knights defender Rasmus Andersson, figures to be one of the top defensemen hitting the free agent market this year.
Aside from those, the Flyers don't have many attractive options to choose from, and especially in Carlson's cases if they want a power play quarterback.
As it most closely relates to the Flyers and their offseason plans, though, Gudas is the most suitable alternative to Rasmus Ristolainen for any contenders out there looking for physical defensemen.
The free agent class as a whole is uninspiring this summer, which will steer more teams, including the Flyers themselves, towards trades.
Conversely, the Ducks may very well be a team to keep an eye on for Ristolainen, given that Trouba, Carlson, and Gudas are all free agents, and Carlson has already decided to move on.
In any case, Gudas's situation is one worth keeping an eye on as we head into the draft and free agency, as the former Flyers tough guy will likely have a domino effect on the broader defenseman market this summer.
It feels like we’ve seen this before, but the Montreal Canadiens could certainly use a right-shot defenseman this offseason, and preferably one that could play a top-four role and handle some serious minutes. Those are not easy to find, but the closer we get to July 1, the more likely it becomes that a defenseman who absolutely fits the bill will be available in free agency.
Back in the 2024-25 season, the New York Rangers traded their captain, Jacob Trouba, to the Anaheim Ducks. The blueliner was on a big contract with an $8 million cap hit, which the Ducks could absorb, and they did. Now, though, the contract is set to expire, and it appears that the negotiations between the two sides are not progressing particularly well.
It’s hard to know why, it could be that he wants too much money or that he wants too much term, or it could even be both. If he does become a free agent, though, that’s a call Kent Hughes has to make, at least to see if there would be any interest from the player to join what the Canadiens are building.
At 32 years old, Trouba has never won the Stanley Cup, and Hughes can at least point to the fact that his team reached the Eastern Conference Final. Of course, the veteran wouldn’t be a long-term hire; he could be the perfect temporary place-holder while David Reinbacher gets some experience to fill that top-four role eventually,
Trouba is not the biggest points producer; he got 35 points in 81 games, but he can hit. He’s got a big body at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, and he plays like it. This past season, he landed 125 bone-crushing hits, and that makes opponents think twice about approaching him. Furthermore, he’s a good shot blocker, blocking 143 hits this past season, and he’s playing a lot of minutes; he spent nearly 23 minutes on the ice for the Ducks. That’s the kind of veteran profile that Martin St-Louis would trust.
Would he entertain the thought of playing in Canada? He did it in Winnipeg for 6 years. There was noise about him not wanting to return to Canada in 2024 when the Rangers traded him, but only fools don’t change their minds, and a lot has changed for the Canadiens since then…
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 02: Nico Hischier #13 of the New Jersey Devils reacts during the third period against the Washington Capitals at Prudential Center on April 02, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. The New Jersey Devils defeated the Washington Capitals 7-3. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“We are two weeks from July 1, at which point players who have one year left on their current contracts can sign extensions. All signs seem to be pointing to that eventually being the case with New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier.” [The Athletic ($)]
Jeremy Colliton is out:
#NEWS: Assistant Coach Jeremy Colliton is leaving the organization to pursue other business opportunities. The search for a replacement will begin immediately.
Could Matthew Knies still be an option? “The Devils need a top-6 forward and have the pieces to meet the rumored ask of the Toronto Maple Leafs.” [Infernal Access ($)]
Hockey Links
It appears Mike Babcock is headed to the Oilers:
NHL investigation on Mike Babcock is wrapping up shortly.
Per ESPN sources, expectation is Babcock will be clear to coach, and the Oilers want to hire him.
Statement from the @NHLPA on Mike Babcock being cleared to return to the NHL by a league investigation into his departure from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023: pic.twitter.com/HbooZUFtN5
Jonathan Toews is hanging up his skates. The Winnipeg Jets have scheduled an 11am CT press conference for Friday (tomorrow), where Toews will announce his retirement.
3 Cups. 1,149 career games. 912 points. 2010 Conn Smythe winner. 2013 Selke winner. 2015 Messier Awards. Great…
The Bruins are retiring Patrice Bergeron’s No. 37:
To the rafters.
The #NHLBruins are proud to announce that during the upcoming 2026-27 season, the club will bestow its highest honor upon Patrice Bergeron by retiring his No. 37. pic.twitter.com/MxBQ0uylEA
“In today’s NHL, players aren’t just judged on their ability; they’re graded on value and efficiency — how large is their impact relative to their contract? Let’s look at players who didn’t live up to their contracts in 2025-26 and how much longer those deals will be on the books.” [The Athletic ($)]
If the Ducks move on from Mason McTavish, where might he be traded to? [Daily Faceoff]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 22: Justin Brazeau #16 of the Pittsburgh Penguins moves the puck in front of Mike Reilly #6 of the Carolina Hurricanes at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 22, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins are likely looking at replacing a defenseman from last season. Pierre LeBrun dropped a not unexpected nugget that it looks like Ryan Shea will be headed to the free agency market on July 1 since the Pens aren’t interested in giving a contract with the term (likely 3-4 years) that Shea can command after a breakout season in 2025-26.
One possible name for a Shea replacement could be found via Dom Luszczysyn’s look at free agency in Mike Reilly.
From Mason Marchment to Vincent Desharnais, 10 free agents teams should target this summer based on their expected contracts from @AFPAnalyticshttps://t.co/ReXsFil2P8
No player confounds models on an annual basis more than Reilly. Every year, his on-ice numbers dazzle, and every year, he struggles to get much playing time out of it. C’est la vie.
While I don’t think Rielly is anywhere near as good as last year’s 60 percent xG (!) would indicate — he plays extremely sheltered minutes — I do think he’s capable of third-pair duty. At 6-2, there’s no issue with size either. Reilly is projected to cost about a million bucks and should deliver a bit more value above that with his puck-moving ability.
The description of Reilly sounds similar in some regards to the scouting report on Parker Wotherspoon, before he enjoyed a breakout season in Pittsburgh as a player who did good things with limited opportunities but never fully got established. The salary range of $1 million bucks annually fits the bill too.
Granted, there are some key differences in these two profiles as well. Wotherspoon always carries a better defensive impact. He’s also four years younger than Reilly, who has played NHL games for a decade and bounced around through seven different NHL teams without finding much traction. In Wotherspoon’s case, he was a player that mostly bided his time in the AHL in two organizations and failed to make much headway. Reilly is much different being a journeyman who has been all over the place.
It would be a major reach to project that Reilly could step into top-pair responsibilities like Wotherspoon did and perform that well. The base of his game is too different, Reilly has averaged 40 NHL games over the last five seasons. He has been more a guy to come in and play a part for a period of time, but seldom become a lineup regular. He HAS been able to do it at times (Boston 2022 and 2023, NYI in 2023-24) but often tends to slip back into a depth position, like he did with Carolina this year (42 regular season games, two in the playoffs).
So while it’s a nice thought for a Wotherspoon-esque glow up if given a chance, the fact is that Reilly’s had several chances over the years and never quite latched on, for whatever reason(s) that might be. However, when shifting the focus back for the matter of replacing Ryan Shea, Reilly aligns well style-wise based on that.
Mike Reilly wouldn’t be a hugely glamorous add, but then again neither were the free agent signings of Wotherspoon, or Shea for that matter. Whether or not Reilly, who will have his name etched on the Stanley Cup, gets any additional shine for his free agency prospects remains to be seen, though at this point (and with his 33rd birthday coming up this summer) it seems unlikely the market will heat up an extreme amount.
The Penguins are likely seeking a low-cost, short commitment to players who can join the blueline, Mike Reilly is just the sort of under-the-radar name that would fit the bill and carries some traits to suggest he could provide value to an NHL team next season. It probably wouldn’t end up as much of a success story as the Parker Wotherspoon experiment did, but an NHL team could do a lot worse adding Reilly to the mix, especially since it appears they’ll be watching a defender depart via free agency in Shea.
The San Jose Sharks have acquired forward Andre Gasseau and the 120th overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft from the Boston Bruins in exchange for the 104th and 157th overall picks in this month’s draft.
Gasseau, 22, was selected by the Bruins with the 213th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. A native of Garden Grove, California, Gasseau started his hockey career with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings before moving to the USHL and the USNTDP.
Eventually, he made his way to the NCAA where he spent four seasons at Boston College. He was teammates with current Sharks forward Will Smith during the 2023-24 season. He was also named the captain of the Eagles for his senior season.
Gasseau currently isn’t projected to be a game-changer at the NHL level, but will provide important organizational depth at the AHL and ECHL levels for the time being.
As an unsigned college player, the Sharks are on a deadline to sign Gasseau to his entry-level contract, as he can become an unrestricted free agent if he’s not signed by August 15.
Old Beginnings—Sept 18, 2023 - Vol. 77, Issue 03 - Michael Traikos
BARRY TROTZ IS back in Nashville, a place where he’s spent so much of his hockey career, doing what he’s really never done before.
As a coach, he would have normally taken the summer off. But as a rookie GM, there’s been no time for that. Not with the draft and free agency to take care of, and daily meetings with amateur scouts and pro scouts taking up his time, all while working the phones and figuring out what kind of team he’s going to ice this season. “It’s pretty hectic,” he said. “It’s been a different rhythm than coaching. What I’ve found is that, as a coach, you’re married to the NHL schedule. As a manager, you’re married to the situation.”
Of course, no one envisioned a situation where Trotz, 61, would become GM. Not Trotz. And certainly not David Poile, who, in the final week of February, officially announced he would be stepping down as GM of the Predators in what now looks like a seamless drop pass to his old friend and colleague. “It was a perfect situation,” said Poile, 73. “It was also a long time coming. I had told my owners last summer that it was time to make a change, and we all agreed upon that. It was just a matter of ‘How is it going to work?’ ”
What he meant was he didn’t know who would take over.
Though Trotz had just been fired by the New York Islanders, he wasn’t exactly hurting for work. A year ago, teams were lining up for his services. The Winnipeg Jets offered him the opportunity to return home. A local brewery even sweetened the deal with a promise of free beer for life. But Trotz politely turned it down. The Philadelphia Flyers reportedly offered him a multi-year contract worth $7 million annually to coach. Again, Trotz said no. As the months went by, more and more teams kept calling. They all received the same answer: he wanted to take time off to spend with his family.
And then Poile called and offered something completely different. “We just talked,” Poile said. “I never said, ‘Would you be interested?’ or anything like that. But as we went along and he kept turning down these jobs and the season was moving along, I brought it up to him. Once I planted that seed, it obviously struck a chord with him.”
By then, the two longtime friends had been talking regularly. Mostly, it was about hockey. But they also talked about the future and what Trotz wanted to do with the rest of his career and where his wife and family wanted to live.
Up until then, Trotz still wanted to coach. He probably still does. You don’t become the third-winningest coach in NHL history (914 wins) – only Scotty Bowman (1,244) and Joel Quenneville (969) have won more games – and suddenly stop for no reason. But while Trotz admits that he “was in process of being on the 18th tee” of a long career behind the bench, he also wasn’t ready to put away his clubs just yet. Nor was he angling for a management job.
But the fact that it was Nashville changed everything. “He had lots of coaching opportunities, and it’s pretty public that he was offered quite a few,” Poile said. “But one thing that kept coming back was that, regardless of what happens, he would be moving back to Nashville now and that whatever happened and wherever he went, he would always go back in the off-season to Nashville. That’s what he and his wife decided.”
It was around that time Poile was also making a serious life decision. He had decided the 2022-23 season would be his last. No one really believed him, of course. After all, more than 50 years had passed since Poile got his first job in the NHL with the Atlanta Flames in 1972. Hockey lifers, such as Poile, never really retire. But as Trotz became more and more interested in the position, a succession plan started to take shape.
“I always thought when I finished coaching, I would come back to Nashville and have some kind of role,” Trotz said. “I didn’t necessarily think it was going to be as a GM or anything like that. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I had spent a lot of time in Nashville, and it had become home, and I thought it was a natural fit.”
As Poile echoed, “It was a perfect situation.” Not just for Trotz, but for Poile as well. Part of the reason why he had been so reluctant to move on was he couldn’t picture anyone doing his job. Then again, Trotz wasn’t just anyone. He was Poile’s first hire when Nashville was awarded an NHL franchise in 1997, a position he held until 2014. His fingerprints are all over the franchise. The year before the Predators played their first game, Trotz worked for the team as a scout. He designed the team’s facilities and helped pick the paint colors. He even coined several of the team’s catchphrases, such as “the Nashville Way.”
In many ways, the team belongs as much to Trotz as it does to Poile. “From a management standpoint, if it was another team, I don’t know if I would have gone that route,” Trotz said. “What pulled me in was my love for this franchise and the city. I think I would probably still be coaching if it weren’t for this opportunity. It was a new challenge. I would get to be more at home, and it would be full circle.”
I ALWAYS THOUGHT WHEN I FINISHED COACHING, I WOULD COME BACK TO NASHVILLE AND HAVE SOME KIND OF ROLE– BARRY TROTZ
Indeed, this is going to be a challenge. Trotz is not only transitioning from being a coach to being a GM, but he’s taking over a team that is also undergoing its own transition from perennial contender to middle-of-the-road bubble team. Since reaching the Cup final in 2017, the Predators have won just one playoff round in six years. Last season, they missed the playoffs, which is part of the reason why Poile decided a new voice was needed. “The realization is there that we’re in the middle,” Poile said. “While we’ve made the playoffs every year, we weren’t winning any playoff rounds. It was my opinion, and Barry concurred, that it was time to take a proverbial step backwards in order to take a few steps forward.”
And yet, there is a bit of a disagreement as to what path Nashville is on. Poile’s last moves as GM – trading defenseman Mattias Ekholm and winger Tanner Jeannot – effectively pushed Nashville toward what looks like an inevitable rebuild. But in trading away Ryan Johansen and then signing defenseman Luke Schenn and center Ryan O’Reilly in free agency, Trotz made it clear Nashville is not a place where vets can come to retire. Rather, he said, “I want you to come here to win.”
WE’RE NOT IN A RESET. WE’RE NOT IN A REBUILD, WE’RE IN SOMETHING IN BETWEEN RIGHT NOW– BARRY TROTZ
“I don’t have the correct word for it,” Trotz said. “But we’re not in a reset. We’re not in a rebuild, we’re in something in between right now.”
Indeed, the Predators still have Norris Trophy winner Roman Josi on defense, 40-goal scorer Filip Forsberg up front and Vezina Trophy contender Juuse Saros in net. That’s a pretty good core. They also have a cupboard that is well stocked with prospects – Nashville has seven players who were ranked among the top 100 prospects in last season’s Future Watch magazine.
“We were watching the NHL Network the other night, and they had our prospect pool ranked seventh,” Poile said. “I like that number. I think that’s fair with the draft we had. I believe we’ll be in the top five next year at this time.”
Whether they will be in the playoffs will depend on what Trotz did this summer. Then again, a lot of it will be dependent on how new coach Andrew Brunette handles the roster. Handing over the team to someone else is an entirely new experience for Trotz – and it’s not something that he’s looking forward to.
“I’m going to miss the bench,” he said. “I’m going to miss the locker room. As a coach, you’re looking at it probably from a different angle. In the seat I’m in now, it seems that you’re looking from a long ways away. You’re up in the press box rather than behind the bench. The angles, the speed, the emotions and the chaotic stuff is all behind the bench. Whereas up top, it’s more sterile and generic. But hopefully, the thing I should have learned is the timing of when you ask questions or put a little heat on the coaches or back off and say nothing. I’ll have a better grasp of that than someone who hasn’t been behind the bench.”
And if he runs into a jam, he’ll still have his old boss to lean on. While Poile won’t have an office in Bridgestone Arena, he joked that he’ll still have a phone. And chances are the two friends will be talking just like they always have.
