Trades around the NHL may be picking up right now, but the Montreal Canadiens have been quiet so far. While this is the case, the possibility of the Habs making a trade before or at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft is certainly there.

The Canadiens are entering the summer with some roster needs to address, with a top-six center and right-shot defenseman being their most notable. This could lead to the Canadiens looking to free up some cap space.

Because of this, let's take a look at three Canadiens who could be traded before or at the draft. 

Brendan Gallagher 

Brendan Gallagher is an obvious trade candidate for the Canadiens. Gallagher was honest following the Canadiens' playoff run that his time with the Habs was coming to a close. The Canadiens have been looking to find him a new home, and ridding of his $6.5 million cap hit would offer Montreal a good chunk of money to make an upgrade elsewhere.

Samuel Montembeault

It would not be surprising in the slightest if the Canadiens traded Samuel Montembeault this off-season. He dropped to the No. 3 spot on the Canadiens' goalie depth chart and simply is no longer a fit on their roster because of it. With this year's free agent market being weak, there could be some teams out there willing to take a chance on Montembeault because of his past success. His $3.15 million cap hit would also be good for the Canadiens to move on from.

Kirby Dach 

Kirby Dach is another Canadiens player who should be watched leading up to the draft. If the Canadiens do not view the pending restricted free agent as a part of their plans, it would make sense for them to try to move him elsewhere. The former third-overall pick could interest some teams looking for help down the middle. 

It appears the Vancouver Canucks could be losing two veterans come free-agency. 

Earlier today, CHEK TV's Rick Dhaliwal reported that veterans Teddy Blueger and Derek Forbort are expected to test free-agency come July 1. Both players just wrapped their respective two and one-year deals with Vancouver. 

Blueger skated in 35 games for the Canucks in 2025-26, having missed the bulk of the season due to injuries. The center scored an impressive nine goals and eight assists in this span of time, the likes of which made him an intriguing trade candidate come the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. 

The forward first signed with Vancouver in free-agency, joining the club for their playoff run during the 2023-24 season. During that season, Blueger tied a career-high in points with six goals and 22 assists in 68 games, setting a new personal record for assists in a single season with 22. 

Blueger signed a contract extension with Vancouver in 2024, joining the Canucks for two more years at $1.8M AAV. 

Forbort played in two games for the Canucks this season, missing the rest of the year due to an injury that ultimately did not recover as planned. Prior to 2025-26, he skated in 54 games for Vancouver in 2024-25, cementing himself as a solid penalty killer for the team while logging two goals and nine assists. 

Before signing back-to-back one-year deals with Vancouver, Forbort spent time with the Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, and Los Angeles Kings. 

The Canucks' other pending unrestricted free-agents include forwards Evander Kane, Curtis Douglas and Joseph LaBate, defenceman Guillaume Brisebois, and goaltender Jiří Patera. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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The Tkachuk era in South Florida is going to kick into high gear this week.

On Sunday, the Florida Panthers made headlines by trading for 26-year-old Brady Tkachuk, sending a trio of first-round picks and a second-round pick to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for their now former captain.

Brady will join his 28-year-old sibling Matthew on the Panthers roster, reuniting the American bash brothers that have become the faces of Team USA hockey in recent years.

The move also gives Florida arguably the deepest and most talent-filled forward group in the NHL and places the Panthers back among the league’s top teams and Stanley Cup contenders.

On Tuesday, Tkachuk and Panthers General Manager Bill Zito will address the media and answer questions about the trade.

Tkachuk will surely be grilled on the circumstances that led up to the trade, what in the past may have contributed to the move and how he sees himself fitting in with his new team moving forward.

One interesting nugget that dropped on Monday regarding Tkachuk has to do with his jersey number.

The Panthers’ official team shop posted a video on social media of them making a new Tkachuk jersey with the number 8 on the back.

Hot off the press 👀 pic.twitter.com/X433t9dOO7

— FLA Team Shop (@FlaTeamShop) June 22, 2026

Florida’s official website, and the Panthers roster on the NHL Media site, also list Tkachuk as No. 8.

This is probably due to his usual No. 7 already being taken by Panthers veteran defenseman Dmitry Kulikov. 

Tkachuk wore No. 7 during his entire seven years in Ottawa, and before that he wore No. 27 at Boston University, No. 7 with the U.S. U18 and U17 teams he’d played for, and No. 71 for the St. Louis AAA Blues 16U squad.

That being the case, this would seemingly be the first time he’ll wear a jersey that didn’t include No. 7, which was the number his father Keith Tkachuk wore 1,183 of his 1,201 NHL games.

It’s also worth noting that papa Tkachuk was named a 2026 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame, capping off quite a week for the family of hockey stars.

And if you’re wondering what number Keith used for the 18 games he didn’t wear No. 7…you guessed it, it was the No. 8, which he wore during a very brief tenure with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2007.

Perhaps Brady will divulge more into his number-selecting thought processes during his introductory press conference.

Stay tuned.

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Photo caption: Feb 28, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk (7) warms up before playing the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)

At long last, Keith Tkachuk is a Hockey Hall Of Fame member.

The former St. Louis Blues left wing, among the greatest goal scorers among American-born players in NHL history, was indicted into the Hockey Hall of Fame for the Class of 2026, which was announced on Monday afternoon, 16 years after the power forward retired from the NHL.

“I think like a lot of people on this (call), the inductees, I was shocked," Tkachuk said. "You don’t go into your career thinking you’re going to be a Hall of Famer. You don’t play for that. But as you get older, when you get that call, it was truly the biggest honor I could ever have. I’m thrilled. I don’t know how I’m going to react in the NHL in November. It’s going to be overwhelming. But we’re doing this for our families who have sacrificed everything for us. I’m looking forward to spending that time with my family, my grandkids, my wife Chantal who sacrificed a ton for me. I’m looking forward to going in representing all the teams that I played for, especially the St. Louis Blues. I’ve been here a long time, so I’m looking forward to that.”

Tkachuk, who played the final eight-plus seasons of his NHL career with the Blues (2000-2010), who also had stints with the old Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes and a short stint with the now-defunct Atlanta Thrashers, who relocated to make up the current Winnipeg Jets franchise, played in 1,201 regular-season games and had 1,065 points (538 goals, 527 assists).

Introducing the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2026! 👏#HHOF2026#HHOFpic.twitter.com/jwTD6Q0OUL

— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) June 22, 2026

Tkachuk, who played 18 seasons in the NHL starting in 1991, never won the Stanley Cup in his career, and one wonders if that was a sticking point as to why it's taken him this long to finally be enshrined, is third among American-born players in NHL history in goals scored behind former Blue Brett Hull (741) and Mike Modano (561).

It's a long time coming and well-deserved for the 54-year-old, who currently serves as the team's director of recruitment. It was a decade-long wait.

"I don’t think about that," Tkachuk said. "I’m enjoying life right now. I’ve got a great family, grandkids now. This is the ultimate, for sure. The Tkachuks are never known to be patient, but we had to be a little patient."

Tkachuk was enshrined into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011 and Blues Hall of Fame; he will become the 27th former Blue to be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Tkachuk played in 543 regular-season games with the Blues and ranks 14th in franchise history with 427 points and sixth with 208 goals.

He is a five-time NHL All-Star (1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009) and two-time selection to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team (1995, 1998).

"Keith Tkachuk’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame is richly deserved," Blues chairman Tom Stillman said in a statement. "One of the greatest American-born hockey players of all time, ‘Big Walt’ brought a unique blend of skill and toughness to the St. Louis Blues. It was a privilege to watch him play in the Blue Note for nine seasons, and his impact on the franchise and our broader hockey community continues to be felt to this day. On behalf of the Blues organization and Blues fans everywhere, heartfelt congratulations to Keith and the entire Tkachuk family on this prestigious honor."

The news came 24 hours after Tkachuk's youngest son, Brady, was traded by the Ottawa Senators to join forces with older brother Matthew and the Florida Panthers.

“They’ve dreamt of playing together," Keith Tkachuk said of his sons. "They had an opportunity in the Olympics and 4 Nations. They’re best friends, they wanted to do this together and fortunately, it worked out. Both parties found a way to get it done.

"... It’s been a great weekend for the Tkachuks."

Totally worth the wait.

Congratulations Big Walt! pic.twitter.com/7WYlJNPmtH

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) June 22, 2026

Blues Inquired About Trading For Brady TkachukArmstrong admitted team was interested, not on player's list and "that's that." They have to find way to get on those types of players' list

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The Philadelphia Flyers have already addressed one major need this offseason by trading for goalie Joseph Woll, and next up on the list appears to be the center position.

The left defense position has been the talk of much of the offseason so far, given that the Flyers will most easily be able to address it, specifically at the 2026 NHL Draft.

Center, of course, is the position in much greater demand around the NHL, and as a result, the Flyers may need to buy low and explore bargain bin options around the league.

One such option is reportedly Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright, a former No. 4 overall draft pick who is just one year removed from a promising 44-point campaign as a 21-year-old player.

Wright, 22, had an uninspiring 2025-26 season that saw him score just 12 goals and 27 points while averaging only 13:48 of ice time on a bad Kraken team that needed some juice.

Offensive involvement has been the question mark for the former top prospect, as Wright has just 204 career shots on goal, though he does have 36 goals to show for it thus far.

NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Linked to Multiple Senators CentersThe Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly interested in three different Ottawa Senators forwards, including two established goal-scorers.

But, with all that said, The Fourth Period and NHL Network NHL insider David Pagnotta recently reported that "Young centre Shane Wright is still available and remains open to a move.

"[Seattle Kraken GM Jason Botterill] prefers to package him in a larger deal for a top-tier forward and he continues to scour the market. Teams continue to poke, and sources say the Philadelphia Flyers recently entered the chat, and trade discussions should pick up this week."

Of note, the 2026 NHL Draft is just four days away, and the Flyers were previously reported to not have much interest in Wright as a player.

If things have changed, as Pagnotta indicates, the Flyers have accepted that the market for centers is not favorable for what they would like to achieve.

Head coach Rick Tocchet liked having veteran Luke Glendening in the lineup for matchup purposes as the Flyers' lone right-hand center, and prospect Jett Luchanko is still not close to being ready for a full-time NHL role.

Those factors lend themselves well to the Flyers throwing a dart at Wright, who has plenty of talent and is still very young.

Wright has only one year remaining on his entry-level contract at a $866k cap hit, so if things don't pan out, he and agent Kurt Overhardt can work out something else out next offseason.

The Flyers have a surplus of wingers, a need for a young center with talent, and a need for a right-hand center.

Wright checks all those boxes for them, and it seems they are starting to coming around the idea of giving the 2022 No. 4 overall pick a fresh start in Philadelphia.

The Hockey Hall of Fame unveiled its Class of 2026 on Monday, a group headlined by Patrice Bergeron — who spent 20 years in Boston winning six Selke Trophies and a Stanley Cup — alongside goaltenders Carey Price and Pekka Rinne, power forward Keith Tkachuk, women's hockey pioneer Cindy Curley, and builder Brian Burke.

For Oilers fans, it's that last name that carries the most history.

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Burkie’s a Hall of Famer! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/TACWeXYjde

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 22, 2026

Burke and Edmonton go way back — and not always warmly. Before winning the Stanley Cup in 2007, he orchestrated the trade that sent Chris Pronger from the Oilers to the Ducks, a deal that will forever go down as the start of the Oilers Decade of Darkness.

His link to the Oilers was memorable, given his feud with former Oilers executive Kevin Lowe. Burke once threatened to rent a barn to fight Lowe after a heated offer sheet dispute — a threat serious enough that Commissioner Gary Bettman called within ten minutes to threaten a suspension.

Lowe, for his part, was equally colorful in return, calling Burke "a moron" and "an absolute media junkie" on the radio. The Ducks let Edmonton have Dustin Penner (the target of the offer sheet), and it didn't go down as well as the Oilers would have hoped. 

Eventually, the two patched things up, but it was a time in which offer sheets aren't as prevalent as they are in today's NHL. 

Burke also held the title of president of hockey operations with the Calgary Flames — Edmonton's fiercest rival — before later joining the Pittsburgh Penguins in the same capacity. 

Love him or hate him, few figures have shaped the modern NHL front office more than Burke. The Hall of Fame nod is well earned.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are going to be an interesting team to watch this off-season. While they made the playoffs in 2025-26, they are a team that is still focused on the future. Due to this, it is fair to wonder if they could end up trading some of their veteran players. 

Chris Johnston released his latest board for The Athletic, and two notable Penguins wingers made the cut: Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust.

Rakell was given the No. 21 spot on Johnston's trade board. It is not necessarily surprising, as questions about Rakell's future in Pittsburgh have come up since the end of the club's playoff run. He was also the subject of trade speculation this past summer. 

If the Penguins do shop Rakell, he should generate a good amount of interest. The 33-year-old winger is still an impactful top-six forward at this stage in his career, as evidenced by his 24 goals and 48 points in 60 games this past season.

As for Rust, he landed the No. 22 spot on Johnston's trade board. Like Rakell, Rust has also been talked about often in the rumor mill often this summer, just like was last year. 

Trading Rust would be a big deal, as he has spent all 12 seasons of his NHL career with the Penguins. However, the Penguins could also get a serious return for him if they moved him this off-season. The veteran forward had 29 goals and 65 points in 72 games this past season with Pittsburgh. This was after he had 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games for the Penguins in 2024-25. 

The hockey world was put into a frenzy on Sunday by the Brady Tkachuk trade from the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers. 

When it came to the Tkachuk trade rumors over the past two years, the New York Rangers were certainly linked to him, whether that speculation was true or not.

However, Tkachuk reportedly released a four-team trade list, which included the Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, and Carolina Hurricanes.  

“At the outset of discussions between Staios and the Tkachuk camp, Oster presented a list of four teams Tkachuk would consider in a potential trade: the Wild, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Vegas Golden Knights and, of course, Brady’s brother Matthew’s team, the Panthers,” NHL insider Pierre LeBrun wrote.

“At no time did Tkachuk promise to waive for all four teams. And that’s an important distinction, because as the process went and as Ottawa talked trades with the four teams, one thing became apparent: This was really just about Tkachuk wanting to be in Florida.”

The Rangers were notably not one of the teams on Tkachuk’s list. 

It shows that, despite New York being a desirable market for players to flock to, the Rangers are not ready to truly emerge as a Stanley Cup contender, which is deterring star talent from seeking a trade to The Big Apple.

Dylan Larkin reportedly requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings and submitted a list of three teams he would like to be traded to, which includes the Panthers, Golden Knights, and Wild, with the Rangers absent from his list. 

En route to missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury issued a letter to fans in January outlining the team’s plan to “retool” the roster and focus on the future as opposed to the immediate present. 

Drury then went ahead and traded the Rangers’ to point producer, Artemi Panarin, and is rumored to be shopping Vincent Trocheck this offseason.

Withstanding some of the organization's mixed messaging about fast-tracking the retool, whether it’s from Drury or head coach Mike Sullivan, the Rangers are not a team constructed to win now, and until that changes, star players will only continue to bypass the Blueshirts as one of their preferred destinations.

Patrice Bergeron, Brian Burke, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne and Keith Tkachuk have been named to the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, the Hall announced Monday. The inductees will enter the Hall in November.

Bergeron won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward six times, most of any player. He won his final Selke in 2022-23, his last year before retiring.

He was not just a defensive whiz. He scored 1,040 points, all for the Boston Bruins. His most productive offensive rates occurred while centering Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. The 2003 second-round pick developed into one of the top power-play specialists while working the bumper position.

He won the Stanley Cup in 2011. The Quebec native helped Canada win Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014. He also claimed international titles at the 2004 World Championship and 2005 World Junior Championship. Coaches regularly used Bergeron with Sidney Crosby during international competition.

Burke will enter the Hall in the builder category. He served as general manager for the Hartford Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs, winning the Cup with the Ducks in 2007. In Vancouver, Burke executed the trades that allowed the Canucks to draft Daniel and Henrik Sedin in 1999.

Burke was president of hockey operations for the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins. He also worked for the NHL as senior vice president and director of hockey operations.

Curley played at Providence College. The forward helped the Friars win back-to-back NCAA championships in 1984 and 1985.

The native of Stow, Mass., was a member of Team USA’s inaugural World Championship team in 1990 and won three silver medals while playing for the Americans at the event.

Price played his entire career for the Montreal Canadiens. The netminder won a franchise record 361 games.

He reached his peak in 2014-15, when he posted a .933 save percentage and a 1.96 goals-against average in 66 appearances. The smooth-moving Price won the Hart Trophy as league MVP and the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie that season.

Price, a native of Anahim Lake, British Columbia, won Olympic gold with Team Canada in 2014. He was also a gold medalist at the 2007 World Junior Championship. His career ended early because of a knee injury.

Rinne played all 683 of his games with the Nashville Predators. The 2004 eighth-round pick developed into a workhorse for the Predators, playing a career-high 73 games in 2011-12. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2017-18 with a .927 save percentage and a 2.31 GAA.

The Finnish goalie represented his country at the 2014 and 2015 World Championships. He helped the Finns win silver in 2014.

Tkachuk was one of his generation’s most dangerous power forwards. The left-shot Tkachuk scored 1,065 points, including 538 goals, for the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers.

In 1996-97, Tkachuk, a native of Melrose, Mass., scored 52 goals for the Coyotes. He became the first American to lead the NHL in goals.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, Providence Friars, Providence Friars, NHL, Women's Hockey, Men's Olympic Ice Hockey, Women's Olympic Ice Hockey

2026 The Athletic Media Company

It’s been a pretty good start to the summer for Patrice Bergeron.

Just a few days after the Bruins announced that they’ll be retiring his #37 this season, Bergeron learned today that he has been elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

This year was the first year Bergeron was eligible for induction, and it’s no real surprise that he got the call the first time around.

Bergeron will officially be inducted into the HHOF in this year’s induction ceremony on November 9.

The Leafs usually have a Hockey Hall of Fame Game around the induction too…might be a nice time for the Bruins to visit town.

From an NHL news release, Bergeron had this to say:

“This honour is the pinnacle of my career and represents the coaches and players that I went to battle with. It’s a surreal honour and I’m thankful that hockey has given so much to me and my family.”

Joining Bergeron in the 2026 class are:

• Brian Burke (in the Builder Category)
• Cindy Curley, a Massachusetts native who starred at Providence College and with the U.S. Women’s National Team
• Pekka Rinne
• Carey Price
• Keith Tkachuk

It’s cool to see Bergeron go into the Hall with two other stars of his era in Price and Rinne, the former of whom had plenty of great match-ups with the Bruins teams of Bergeron’s prime years.

Tkachuk is the outlier here in that he comes from a different era of the NHL, but he finally earned enough votes this year to get himself in.

(Maybe Brady can demand to be included in the HHOF too.)

Looking at the stats that got Rinne elected as a Hall of Famer, I can’t help but wonder if he’ll one day be joined by a fellow Finnish goalie who spent his whole career with the Bruins.

Rinne has around 60 more career wins than Tuukka Rask, though he also started 122 more games than Rask.

Other than that, their career numbers are pretty similar. Rask has a slightly better save percentage and GAA, while Rinne had more shutouts.

Rask had better playoff stats than Rinne as well, while each of them won a single Vezina Trophy and were in the top-ten finalists five times.

Anyways, we can argue about that another day.

Congrats to Patrice Bergeron, who is already in the IIHF Hall of Fame and in the Hall of Fame of My Heart!

As we slowly inch closer to the 2026-27 season, we're beginning to get an idea of what the new season will look like. With the NHL expanding its regular season schedule to 84 games, the San Jose Sharks certainly won't be the only team with a condensed preseason, but we now know exactly how many games they'll play and when. 

The Sharks will open the preseason on the road in Anaheim on September 20. They'll then return home for a quick two game homestand against the Anaheim Ducks and the Vegas Golden Knights before heading for Vegas to close out the preseason on the road.

9/20 1:00 PM - @ Anaheim Ducks

9/22 7:00 PM - vs Vegas Golden Knights

9/24 7:00 PM vs Anaheim Ducks

9/26 7:00 PM @ Vegas Golden Knights

As of now, it's unknown exactly when the regular season will begin, but it's expected to start in late September, leaving little time between preseason and opening night. 

Entering the week of the 2026 NHL draft, there's been some new speculation surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs and the next assignment for GM John Chayka to improve the team this off-season. 

With already trading away Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers, and acquiring Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning and signing him to a new contract, another move appears to be on the cards, potentially.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman has connected the Maple Leafs to Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky as a possible move this off-season on the 32 Thoughts podcast.

"Wouldn't shock me if (Bobrovsky) ended up being their guy potentially," Friedman said on the podcast.

With that speculation, what would it look like if Toronto really acquired Bobrovsky? Well, here are some pros and cons of a potential marriage between the Maple Leafs and the two-time Vezina Trophy winner.

Pros

There has been some movement and discussions around the Maple Leafs' goaltending depth and pipeline. 

For starters, Woll is no longer on the Leafs roster from that aforementioned trade with the Flyers. However, Toronto received goaltender Samuel Ersson, as well as defenseman Emil Andrae, in that trade.

Regarding Ersson, it doesn't seem like the Leafs are fully committed to him, as the Swedish netminder is a pending RFA and hasn't put up great campaigns in the NHL since his debut season in 2022-23.

Why The Maple Leafs May Decide To Not Tender Newly Acquired Goaltender Samuel Ersson A Qualifying OfferWhile acquiring Samuel Ersson adds an intriguing young goaltender to the pipeline, his looming arbitration rights and Toronto’s crowded crease mean the Maple Leafs might just walk away.

"Even though (Toronto) traded for Ersson, I'm not convinced they keep them," Friedman mentioned.

If the Leafs are looking to let go of Ersson, Friedman sees the Panthers taking him off their hands since both their goaltenders are pending UFAs.

"I wonder if (Florida) look at a guy like Ersson because it doesn't sound like Toronto is married to him," he said.

So, business from that perspective could be handled in some way.

Aside from the convenience it could bring to both parties, bringing in a netminder of Bobrovsky's stature and experience could have a positive impact on Toronto's goaltending department. 

It would be specifically effective for the development of 24-year-olds Dennis Hildeby and Bobrovsky's fellow countryman, Artur Akhtyamov. Both Hildeby and Akhtyamov will be looking to break into the NHL soon, whether that's with the Leafs or somewhere else, and Bobrovsky could be the perfect mentor for the Toronto Marlies' Calder Cup-winning tandem.

Maple Leafs Assistant GM Ryan Hardy Explains Akhtyamov Playing More Than Hildeby With MarliesWhile the Toronto Marlies have an outstanding goaltending tandem, Artur Akhtyamov has had the net for the majority of the AHL Calder Cup playoffs. Toronto Maple Leafs assistant GM and Marlies GM Ryan Hardy explains how it got here.

That leaves Anthony Stolarz, the remaining NHL goalie for the Maple Leafs. There's an easy connection between Stolarz and Bobrovsky, as they were teammates in Florida and won the 2023-24 Stanley Cup together.

Though Bobrovsky saw most of the action in that regular season and post-season, they were an excellent tandem together. If the Maple Leafs go on to acquire Bobrovsky's talents, they would have a couple of Cup winners in their crease for 2026-27.

Cons

Although Bobrovsky has multiple honors in a career that will likely be acknowledged by the Hockey Hall of Fame someday, the Russian goaltender is getting up there in age. Bobrovsky will turn 38 years old before the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

In addition to that fact, he is reportedly looking to sign a six- or seven-year contract and seeking as high as $42 million on that next deal. Bobrovsky's expiring contract paid him $10 million per season and was a seven-year agreement. 

Part of this could be because Panthers GM Bill Zito signed Brad Marchand to a contract extension last off-season, who was the same age as Bobrovsky now. Marchand ended up signing a six-year ticket at $5.25 million per season. Now Bobrovsky is seeking similar treatment.

Bobrovsky's reported demands come after one of the worst campaigns of his 16-year NHL career. He posted a .877 save percentage and a 3.07 goals-against average in 52 games for the Panthers. That is indeed the lowest SP he's ever recorded, and the second-worst GAA.

On a broader scale, among NHL goaltenders who played a minimum of 40 games last season, Bobrovsky has the third-worst SP, only behind Kevin Lankinen and Jordan Binnington.

Also, he can indeed help guide the young pair of goaltenders from the Marlies, but the truth is Bobrovsky would be taking one of their spots on the NHL roster.

So, with a mix of his age, reported contract demands and his play from last season, acquiring Bobrovsky this off-season may not be the answer for the Maple Leafs.

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The hockey world was stunned on June 21 when news broke of Brady Tkachuk being traded to the Florida Panthers from the Ottawa Senators, fetching Ottawa a grand total of four draft selections — 9th and 25th in 2026, a top-10 protected first-round selection in 2029, and a second-round pick in 2027. 

Where this gets intriguing is the consideration of the picks regarding Ottawa’s future. The Senators made the post-season for the first time in seven years in 2025, though both last year and this year’s playoff runs ended in the first-round. Whichever players the team picks up at 9th and even 25th during this year’s draft will definitely become impact players — but only time will tell how long it takes them to. 

This is where the Vancouver Canucks come in. 

Vancouver has found their name embroiled in trade chatter throughout the past few weeks, with the names most mentioned being veteran players like Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Jake DeBrusk. Some reports have even tied specific players to certain teams, such as Pettersson and the St. Louis Blues. 

One specific report from two weeks ago, made by Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, suggested that the Senators had been interested in potentially acquiring DeBrusk. 

From the standpoints of both teams, especially now that Ottawa has a tidy crop of three first-round draft picks, a deal for DeBrusk would work pretty well. A consistent 40 to 45-point player, DeBrusk can chip in to Ottawa’s offence without having the expectation of being one of the team’s key pieces. 

In this scenario, the other trade Florida conducted on June 21 works decently in the Canucks’ favour. 

Prior to acquiring the younger Tkachuk, the Panthers flipped forward Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for the 25th pick, now Ottawa’s, as well as a conditional second-round selection in 2027. 

There are two obvious differences in what DeBrusk and Samoskevich could provide a different team with. 

For one, DeBrusk evidently demonstrates more of an immediate impact offensively. The forward was still able to put up back-to-back 40+ point seasons with the Canucks, even when they finished 32nd in the league this year. He’ll fit decently with the Senators’ window, which appears open now. 

Samoskevich, on the other hand, is much younger. A middle-six forward, the 23-year-old logged back-to-back 30-point seasons in the NHL since playing in his first full season in 2024–25. With youth comes the potential to become a big-time producer later on down the road — but for a team like Ottawa, having a proven goal-scorer is something that would help the Senators’ puzzle feel closer to completion. 

Where this impacts the Canucks is dictating the right package for a player like DeBrusk. If Ottawa is still interested, they’ve got a good chunk of assets they can now use to potentially acquire the Canucks winger, and maybe even another player, if it works well for both sides. When looking at what Samoskevich fetched Florida, it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that DeBrusk could also command a first-round pick from the Senators — likely 25th if not moved as part of a package. 

At the end of the day, however, as much as Vancouver would likely jump at the opportunity to grab another first-round pick in this year’s draft, the Senators will probably want to use the assets acquired in the Tkachuk package to make a big splash and acquire a bigger-impact player. If they do decide to go down the route of obtaining secondary pieces that can produce offensively, a trade with the Canucks for DeBrusk could be one to look out for. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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