One of the Chicago Blackhawks' biggest objectives this off-season should be to add a proven star forward to their top six. It is clear that Connor Bedard needs more help around him as the Blackhawks look to be more competitive in 2026-27.
Due to this, the Blackhawks should strongly consider targeting New York Islanders star forward Mathew Barzal this off-season. The Ottawa Citizen's Bruce Garrioch recently reported that the Islanders have been exploring Barzal's market.
"A league executive told The Citizen that the New York Islanders are exploring the market for forward Mathew Barzal," Garrioch wrote.
While that does not mean the Islanders will automatically trade Barzal this summer, the Blackhawks should still consider making a push for him. He would have the potential to be an excellent addition to their top six due to his elite playmaking skill. This is especially so when noting that he can play both center and right wing.
Barzal could thrive playing on a line with a superstar center like Bedard. The Islanders star forward would also give the Blackhawks another major weapon to work with on their power play.
Barzal would be more than a rental for the Blackhawks if acquired, too. This is because he has a $9.15 million cap hit until the end of the 2030-31 season.
In 81 games this season with the Islanders, Barzal recorded 19 goals, 53 assists, 72 points, and a plus-10 rating.
The NHL All-Star Game is going to look a little different next season.
On Tuesday, the league unveiled the format for the 2027 NHL All-Star Weekend, which is set to take place Feb. 5 and 6 at UBS Arena in Long Island, New York.
The All-Star Game itself will feature five different teams: the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden and what the league is calling a “world” team which will be comprised of international players from countries outside of the other four nations.
And yes, the league likely is making this transition based off the success of last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
Each of the five teams will be made up of 11 players, with nine skaters and two goalies.
Based off comments from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly during a press conference ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, it does not sound like Russian players will be included with the “world” team, not until a time if/when the IIHF allows Russia to compete again.
The NHL will select 30 players from each of the five teams for fans to vote on in order to create the rosters, with the 2027 NHL All-Star Fan Vote officially opening in December.
Fans will select eight players for each of the five teams, leaving the NHL and NHLPA to jointly select one forward, one defenseman and one goaltender to fill out each squad.
All five teams will play four 5-minute games as part of a round-robin tournament, and then the top two teams will advance to a 10-minute final match. The tournament will follow a point system of two points for a win, one point for a tie and zero points for a loss. There will only be overtime for the final match.
The winning team will take home a cool $2 million prize.
Additionally, the NHL All-Star Skills competition is undergoing some changes as well.
There will be eight total events and only ten players will participate.
All players will all be 25 years old or younger, with each participant selected jointly by the NHL and NHLPA.
The first six events are pretty traditional: Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot, Passing Challenge, One-Timers, Stick Handling and Accuracy Shooting.
After that, the top four players advance to a shootout, where they’ll have to face the All-Star goaltenders, and then the top two competitors will battle in the last event, which is called the Obstacle Course Finale.
The player crowned Skills Competition champion will be awarded a prize of $1 million.
So, in a nutshell, there’s your All-Star Weekend for next season.
Assuming the Florida Panthers aren’t decimated by injuries again, it’s reasonable to think that there could be some solid South Florida representation at the annual gathering of talent.
Interestingly, just as it was when the NHL held its 4 Nations Face-Off, the Panthers are likely to be represented by only those same four countries.
Looking at potential All-Star candidates from Florida’s current roster, Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones could easily get tapped by Team USA, and it’s not hard to imagine youngster Mackie Samoskevich making a case for himself to be a part of the 25-and-under Skills Competition.
The Panthers have several Canadians on their roster who could easily receive All-Star consideration with strong showings next season.
Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad have all participated at the NHL All-Star Game before, and we’ve seen what happens when Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe get going.
Florida has one of the deeper Finnish contingents in the NHL, as evidenced by their representation at both 4 Nations and this year’s Winter Olympics.
With the All-Star rosters being quite limited in size, though, it’s likely that only a fraction of Florida’s Finns receive consideration.
Obviously that includes Panthers captain and world class two-way center Sasha Barkov, who also captains the Finnish National Team. Fellow Florida centerman Anton Lundell continues to improve and impress year-over-year, and he could easily find himself on the short list of potential All-Stars should he continue on that path and have a strong start to his season.
Team Sweden will take a good look at Panthers blueliner Gus Forsling, as he has grown into one of the top two-way defensemen in the game.
Again, considering its an All-Star game with a limited roster, Forsling could end up an odd-man out among some very good Swedish defensemen such as Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin and Erik Karlsson.
Now keep in mind that plenty of things could change between now and next season, though.
Florida’s roster could end up looking a bit different depending how things shake out between the NHL Draft at the end of the month, free agency opening on July 1 and the days and weeks that follow.
Let us know in the comments below which Panthers players you think will be heading to Long Island for next season’s All-Star festivities.
Photo caption: Feb 3, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Team McDavid center Sam Reinhart (13) of the Florida Panthers skates during the warmup before the 2024 NHL All-Star Game at Scotiabank Arena. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)
The Carolina Hurricanes dropped Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday, losing 5-4 to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Despite a strong start, Carolina couldn't fend off Vegas' push and eventually made the critical mistake in the final minutes.
Here are 7 takeaways from the loss:
1. Top Line MIA
The Hurricanes' top line has struggled to find consistency all postseason and now, on this stage, that effort is just not going to cut it.
They just haven't been as dominant as we're used to seeing them and they've just been unable to really sustain offensive pressure.
"They've got to play in the other teams end," said Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour. "They're too much one and done and not even one and it’s not a lot of time. So they got to get a little more offensive zone time. Kind of like that last shift they had. That was one of the shifts you could say, "Okay, there you go. That's how it needs to look." So we need them to get going."
The trio have only combined for two 5v5 goals all postseason and while they were at least strong defensively in the early rounds, they're now struggling to contain their opponents as they were one of the worst defensive lines for Carolina in Game 1.
The line had just a 48.16 expected goals for percentage, the highest expected goals against total and surrendered the most high-danger chances to Vegas.
"When it goes your way, it's never easy, but it may be easier," Aho said. "There's also a part that we almost sometimes try to do too much instead of just letting the game happen and come to us. So there's being that too a bit of it. So I think it's just go out there tomorrow with the highest confidence possible, both just kind of play the game and trust it'll happen. Obviously, like I said before, you've got to be a little bit smarter as well."
2. Second Line Continuing To Show Up
On the flip side, Carolina's best postseason trio, Logan Stankoven, Jackson Blake and Taylor Hall, were once again the team's best line.
Everyone is expecting them to fall off at some point, but they just continue to show up for the team.
They had a 15-6 edge in chances in their 5v5 minutes in Game 1 and they were the line on the ice for Shayne Gostisbehere's tying goal in the third period.
Unfortunately, they were also out there for the eventual game-losing goal as well though, one of the few mistakes the line made.
"A lot of what happened was self-inflicted, but they're a good team, so they can force you into some bad spots and maybe some bad situations," Hall said. "This is going to be a good series. This is two teams that are playing their best at this time of year. If we can manage some of the plays a little bit better, some of their physicality and some of their guys that aren't physical but do some amazing things out there, we'll be OK."
3. Nikolaj Ehlers Is A Difference Maker
It's abundantly clear that Nikolaj Ehlers is a big game player.
He's been great for Carolina all year long, but this postseason has seen him rise again and again in the moment.
Game 1 was a great showing for him as he utilized his speed and dynamism for the games opening two goals. He also had a screen in front for Jordan Staal's goal and all game long he looked like he was taking over the game.
"He might have been the most dynamic player out there," Brind'Amour said. "Certainly got us two goals on his own. I mean, that's a special player and he's been like that all playoffs all year for us."
"I think it's been a really good fit for him right away," Hall said. "I think the style that we play and his speed, he's not a physical guy, but he can forecheck really well and he creates turnovers. So, I think stylistically it was a really good fit for him and I think he was excited to get somewhere new and have a new opportunity. He's a really easygoing guy that can fit in well with any situation and we've really enjoyed playing with him and getting to know him."
4. Turnovers Galore
The two teams combined for 34 turnovers in Game 1 as both forechecks gave the defenses hell.
Both Carolina and Vegas are forecheck heavy teams that thrive in disrupting the other teams exits.
The Hurricanes were very effective at it, especially in the first period, and the Golden Knights were good in the second and third.
There was no real feeling that one team was much better than the other, it was just that in the end, the Hurricanes made one more mistake than the Golden Knights did.
"Just some of the things execution-wise we can do a better job of, key points being breaking out the puck," said Sean Walker. "You look at most of their goals, they were scored from the inner slot there on quick plays. That's something we'll be looking to shut down next game, for sure."
5. Shortside Hart
The Hurricanes seem to making a conscious decision to attack Carter Hart from the left side of the ice.
Three of the Hurricanes' goals in Game 1 came from that side of the ice and the bulk of their shots were also from that side of the ice.
Perhaps it's a one-game oddity or where the Vegas defense is weaker, but it's still an interesting trend to keep an eye on as the series moves on.
6. One More Save
While you can't really put the blame on Frederik Andersen for any of the goals against, being that they were mostly in-alone looks in and around the slot, but at this stage, you need a guy to make improbable saves too.
Andersen had to make a few big ones for Carolina, but everyone needs to step up their game at this stage and bail guys out if need be.
The veteran netminder has been so good for the Hurricanes this postseason, but they need him to elevate just a little bit more.
"Listen, you're playing hard hockey," Brind'Amour said. "That's what it is and you're going to make mistakes because the other team forces you to make them. They made some mistakes too. If you want to be on a positive, go with 30 seconds before we gave up the game winner, Jarvy has the exact same shot, the exact same spot. It doesn't go in, they come down and they get it there. Is it a one play game? I don't know. We got to he better. We were not as good as we need to be if we're going to win. And there's certainly areas we got to clean up, but we're still right there.
7. Power Play Has To Produce
Another sore spot this postseason has been the power play's struggles.
For a unit that finished the regular season as the fourth best group, the way they've fallen off in the playoffs has been puzzling to say the least.
Part of it probably ties into the top line's offensive struggles, being that they're three of the main guys on that top unit, but they have to find a way to be difference makers, especially with how Vegas' man advantage looks.
Even if you don't score, you have to build momentum not kill it, sort of like how the Golden Knights' fourth goal came about.
After the power play expired, they kept the pressure on and found a way to get a goal.
"It's definitely something that we want to fix and fix quickly," Hall said. "I don't think it was about turning down shots. It was more about execution, more about being a touch more patient in spots. We had some shots blocked, some shots that really didn't need to be taken at that time. You've got two minutes. I know you want to be a shooter, but with the way they're killing, they're giving us room to move the puck around and create space and we have to do that, obviously, a lot better than we did."
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One of the Montreal Canadiens' goals this off-season should be to add another right-shot defenseman who is capable of playing top-four minutes. When looking at this year's pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba stands out as an interesting potential option for the Canadiens to consider.
If the Canadiens signed Trouba, he would give them a hard-nosed defenseman with plenty of experience. This would not be a bad thing for a Canadiens club that is entering its Stanley Cup window.
If the Canadiens signed Trouba, he would be a candidate to play on both their second pairing and penalty kill. Yet, even if he had a bottom-pairing role for the Canadiens, he would still have the potential to provide their roster with a nice boost if successfully signed.
Trouba showed this season with Anaheim that he is still capable of providing a bit of everything from the point. In 81 games this season with the Ducks, the 6-foot-3 defenseman recorded 10 goals, 25 assists, 35 points, 143 hits, and 149 blocks. With numbers like these, he would have the potential to provide the Canadiens with a bit more offense from the point. Yet, his physicality and toughness are the main reasons why Montreal should consider pursuing him.
With Trouba being 32 years old, a three-year deal is probably the longest that the Canadiens should consider signing him for. He still has some good hockey left in him, and it will be intriguing to see if the Canadiens sign him this summer from here.
Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned on his podcast, 32 Thoughts, that Florida Panthers winger A.J. Greer will likely test the free agent market this off-season.
It’s a wise decision for the 29-year-old, who is coming off a career season in an elevated role with a rising salary cap. In 2025-26, Greer posted 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points in 78 games.
With his physical nature, scoring touch around the net, and experience helping the Panthers win the Stanley Cup during the 2024-25 season, Greer could be in line for a major payday.
With all that being considered, today we are going to look at three teams that could sign Greer this off-season.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils missed out on the playoffs again last season, largely due to the fact that they couldn’t produce enough offense when Jack Hughes went down with an injury.
The Devils need to get stronger and more difficult to play against in their bottom six, and the addition of Greer would do so.
The Devils received fairly strong depth scoring from players like Connor Brown, Cody Glass, and Arseny Gritsyuk, but it simply wasn’t enough to change the fortunes of the Devils. If Greer replicates his production, he could be a game-changer for the Devils.
Few teams are as familiar with Greer as the Edmonton Oilers are. Facing off in the finals, Greer was a thorn in the side of every Oilers player he came across.
The Oilers are a match for Greer because he provides all the elements they are missing and that they were hoping to receive from Trent Frederic. The Oilers want players who play physically, hunt down pucks on the forecheck, and can also provide depth scoring in a third- or fourth-line role.
Greer has done so with Florida, and out West in the Pacific Division, there are plenty of reasons to believe he can do so with the Oilers.
Dubas and the Pens had plenty of success finding players similar to Greer last season and getting the best out of them. Could Greer be the next case of the Penguins doing so?
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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning has won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year.
The Lightning announced the honor Wednesday. Cooper finished ahead of Buffalo’s Lindy Ruff and Pittsburgh’s Dan Muse in voting by members of the NHL Broadcasters' Association.
It is the first Jack Adams Award for Cooper, the longest-tenured coach in the league at 13 years. He is widely considered among the best at the profession and has two Stanley Cup rings to show for it.
Cooper led the Lightning into the playoffs despite missing several key players for long stretches because of injuries.
Build it and they will come. | NHLI via Getty Images
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman used his traditional Stanley Cup final media availability to crow about growing revenues and TV ratings — fuel to increase the next rights fee contracts and boost revenues further — and brag that the game’s never been better.
And with the dramatic back-and-forth between the Hurricanes and Golden Knights in Game 1 of the final, it’s hard to claim he’s wrong.
It was also an occasion to unveil the format for next season’s All-Star weekend, which takes place on Long Island after this year’s was postponed due to Olympics participation.
With the conference-vs.-conference format a thing of the past, the league will lean into the international theme again by holding a five-team, 10-game mini tournament of round-robin, 3-on-3 games. That means teams representing the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Finland…and then “the World,” which would include any Putin apologists and targets who are otherwise currently banned from international competition due to their country of origin.
Islanders News
Isles business head Kelly Cheeseman calls the All-Star thing a “tentpole” event, notes that the building has now been open five(!) years. [NHL | Isles]
As the Leafs coaching search continues, reportedly they have interviewed ex-Isles coaches Patrick Roy and Peter Laviolette. [Dreger on Twitter]
Who could or should be moved to clear up Islanders cap space? [THN]
Elsewhere
After the Ehlers-fueled Canes burst out to a 2-0 lead in Game 1, Vegas came back and got the last goal in a back-and-forth classic. [NHL]
Brandon Bussi was a revelation this season at age 27, now he’s patiently playing the part of loyal backup for Carolina. [NHL]
Stan Fischler: It’s a “gentler” John Tortorella behind the Vegas bench. Sure. [NHL]
Yes, Russians but not “Russia” can participate in the All-Star thing. Interestingly, they had polled players about the matter. [Sportsnet]
Manny Malhotra has earned trust by coaching through highs and lows to win the Canucks job. [Sportsnet]
And the Avalanche have graciously allowed Chris MacFarland to leave to become GM of the Predators, and closer to his family. [NHL]
Brendan Gallagher knows his days in Montreal are done, and it hurts. [Sportsnet]
RALEIGH, N.C. — Tomas Hertl joined the Vegas Golden Knights in a trade in March 2024 when they were defending champions, fortifying a group that had just won the Stanley Cup and expected to contend perennially with an elite forward in his prime.
He had just one point in the playoffs that spring, a first-round exit, then just five last year in a second-round loss. It was “here we go again” when Hertl languished in the final 20 games of the regular season without a goal, a stretch that reached 29 before he ended it against Anaheim on May 10.
That two-month drought now feels like ancient history, especially after Hertl was the hero in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, scoring the go-ahead goal with under four minutes left to beat Carolina and take the lead in the series. It’s his second winning goal in three games, and the scoring touch is back at just the right time for the Golden Knights.
“I haven’t coached him for long, and a lot of those games weren’t that good,” coach John Tortorella said. “I think he’s grown. He never stopped working. I thought there were some major struggles in his game, but he never stopped working at his game. It’s just great timing, just to try to balance our lineup. He has given us some very important minutes.”
Hertl will be counted on for more of those big minutes in Game 2 at the Hurricanes and beyond in the final. As one of the Vegas players who has not hoisted the Cup, he certainly was feeling the pressure when the puck wasn’t going in the net earlier this postseason and his ice time got reduced as a result.
“Obviously, it’s not easy because everybody’s looking at me,” Hertl said. “I watched YouTube videos of how I score, talk with family and stuff.”
A call from former San Jose teammate Joe Pavelski, who has scored 74 goals in 291 NHL playoff games, set him straight. They talked for a half-hour on May 9, Hertl scored the next night and then had a goal streak with two in a row.
“He’s still texting me, which I really appreciate it and obviously all the teammates always around me,” Hertl said.
Hertl’s goal in the Cup final opener was the fourth of the night scored by a player who hasn’t won the Cup. Carolina’s Nikolaj Ehlers scored the first two, and teammate Shayne Gostisbehere tied it in the third period with what would have sent the game to overtime if not for Hertl finishing a beautiful backhanded feed from Colton Sissons.
“I just tried to get open, and I don’t even say a word and he just make an incredible play,” Hertl said. ”I won’t say it was an easy shot, but I don’t think the goalie have time to move, so it was kind of open.”
The almost pained look of relief on Hertl’s face from the second round this time was pure, unfiltered joy for the 32-year-old from Czechia.
Hertl’s happiness was only matched and perhaps eclipsed by those of his teammates, who watched him go through the worst slump of his professional career. Now in his second final after losing with the Sharks in 2016, the way Hertl is playing makes Vegas look every bit like the winner it expects to be.
“Everyone goes through tough stretches,” original Golden Knights player Shea Theodore said. “His just kind of came at that bad time. He’s scored some really big goals for us here, and it’s great having him feel a little bit more and get that confidence.”
After two productive seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL, star forward Matvei Michkov has been nominated to receive permanent recognition from his hometown of Perm back home in Russia.
As first shared on X by our good friend Uggg, Michkov, 21, has been nominated for the 2026 Stroganov Prize by the Perm community, awarded annually to the person who brings honor and glory to the Perm Krai region through their endeavors and achievements.
Michkov has been nominated by the Perm community for, of course, high achievement in sports. Here's what they had to say on Michkov's candidate page:
"Matvey Michkov – the only Perm hockey graduate who was selected in the first round of the NHL draft," the page read.
"The 2024/2025 season was Matvey Michkov’s triumphant debut in the NHL. Twice recognized as the best rookie of the month in the NHL and became the most productive Philadelphia rookie in the 21st century. In the 2025/2026 season, Matvey reached 73 (31+42) points in 100 games in the NHL – the best figure for Flyers rookies since 1995."
Two years into his NHL career, Michkov now sits at 114 points in 161 games for the Flyers, recording 20 goals and 51 points this past season despite its perception as a hugely disappointing campaign for the youngster.
That success, though, has made the 21-year-old a local icon, and it's a matter of when and not if he earns permanent recognition, be it through the Stroganov Prize or something else.
"Matvey Michkov today is the brightest representative of the younger generation of Russian sports on the world stage. He is a model for thousands of young athletes of the Kama region and a worthy successor to the traditions of famous Perm athletes," the Perm community concluded.
It speaks volumes about Michkov to be looked upon in this way, and it only further proves he belongs with the Flyers as a big piece of what the organization is building.
Young standouts like Michkov, Porter Martone, Denver Barkey, Jack Berglund, and Jett Luchanko have all led by example on and off the ice in different ways, and that makes the Flyers' future look that much brighter going forward.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Colton Sissons smiled widely and raved about how much fun it was to play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
He and the Vegas Golden Knights traded chances, goals, saves and counterpunches with the Carolina Hurricanes, getting the championship series off to a terrific start. Vegas won a high-scoring, entertaining 5-4 affair that usually would drive an old-school coach like John Tortorella crazy.
“I think he enjoyed it,” Sissons said. “Obviously the result.”
It was a game so good even Torts enjoyed it.
Game 1 had a little bit of everything, from Nikolaj Ehlers scoring 25 seconds in for the Hurricanes and lifting an already riled-up crowd to its feet to each goaltender making big saves to keep the puck out of the net. The only thing missing was the lockdown defense that got these teams to this point, but that only made for a more exciting opener.
“Both teams played good defense for certain minutes, other times not,” Tortorella said. “You just never know what’s going to happen.”
The goals
What happened was a lot of scoring from two of the best defensive teams in the playoffs. It was the first Cup final game in history with a goal in the first 30 seconds of each of the first two periods.
Ehlers scored his first off the rush and second on a breakaway. The two-goal lead lasted all of 80 seconds before Shea Theodore scored, and Ivan Barbashev and William Karlsson put Vegas ahead, rallying from another deficit.
“It was great from our group to kind of battle back,” Theodore said.
Jordan Staal scoring his first goal at this stage of the playoffs since 2009 and breaking older brother Eric’s record for the longest gap between Cup final goals brought the crowd back to life. So did Shayne Gostisbehere tying it with under nine minutes left in regulation.
With time ticking closer to overtime, the Golden Knights made one more highlight-reel play in a night full of them. Sissons’ backhand pass set up Tomas Hertl — who also had a rough go the first couple of rounds — for the go-ahead goal with 3:34 left in regulation.
The saves
Long before Sissons and Hertl teamed up on the winner, each guy was denied on a Grade-A scoring chance by Carolina’s Frederik Andersen. At the other end of the rink, Carter Hart made some 10-bell saves of his own.
Logan Stankoven got in all alone on a breakaway in the first with a chance to break the game open.
“That could’ve been a dagger,” Sissons said.
Instead, Hart made that save and kept Vegas in the game throughout. His best came with under four minutes left and the score tied, flashing his glove to rob Seth Jarvis, Carolina’s top-line right wing whose snakebit struggle of a run continued.
“He gives us so much confidence,” Sissons said. “When we needed him most, he was there.”
The drama
The start of the Cup final quickly got the NHL past a lackluster third round, when Vegas swept Colorado in the West and Carolina bounced back from a rough start against Montreal, winning four in a row to blow through the East final roadblock that had been an issue for so long.
Fans were buzzing from pregame warmups, and the two teams put on a show worth the hefty price of admission.
“I thought it was a great game from both sides,” Theodore said. “That’s a loud building to play in front of.”
After a ton of excitement between two hockey powerhouses, viewers can only hope for six more games just like this one.
It was an apparent taunt toward Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart, who, along with four others, was part of the high-profile Hockey Canada sexual assault trial in London, Ontario. All were found not guilty by a judge.
Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were charged with one count of sexual assault. McLeod faced a second charge of being party to the offense.
All five were in London, Ontario in June 2018 for a Hockey Canada gala celebrating their gold medal in the world junior championships. Police charged them in February 2024 with sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room after meeting her in a bar. Hart was the only player who testified at the 2025 trial.
After a mistrial and the dismissal of a second jury, Justice Maria Carroccia said she would render a verdict in the case.
"I cannot rely upon the evidence of (the accuser) and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me," Carroccia said before pronouncing all five not guilty on July 24, 2025.
NHL response and Hart's return to the league
The NHL said it found the allegations "disturbing" and players were ineligible to return while it reviewed the judge's ruling.
In September, the NHL cleared a path for a return, noting each player "expressed regret and remorse for his actions."
The league said players could sign on Oct. 15 and play on Dec. 1. Hart signed with the Golden Knights on Oct. 16.
Carter Hart's time with the Golden Knights
After signing with the Golden Knights, Hart told reporters he had learned a lot during his time away from the game and that he would only take hockey questions afterward.
He played his first game Dec. 2, a shootout win, and was hurt on Jan. 8. He missed nearly two months, but he returned on April 2, which – along with a coaching change to John Tortorella – helped Vegas makes the playoffs.
Hart helped the Golden Knights win three rounds, including a sweep of the No. 1 overall Colorado Avalanche. Vegas is in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning the 2023 title.
Carter Hart at the Stanley Cup Final
The Athletic asked Hart at Stanley Cup Final media day to follow up on his October comment about what he learned.
"I’ve learned a lot," Hart said. "I’ve grown a lot since then. And I’ve been able to meet a lot of good people in the community, and I think the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation has done a really good job of making it easy for me to integrate into the community and meet a lot of cool people and just really fortunate to be here in Vegas.
"And it’s a great culture of people, and like I said, I met a lot of cool people, and I’m just very fortunate to be here in Las Vegas and with this group."
General manager Kelly McCrimmon addressed Hart's signing during a news conference the same day.
"We went through a lengthy process of due diligence with Carter," McCrimmon said, per the Athletic. "Carter is a really good person. He’s ingrained himself in our community. He’s a player that I’ve known a long time, long prior to him becoming an NHL player. Playing very well. Obviously a big part of how our team is at this point that we’re at today, and he’s fit in seamlessly with his teammates."
As the calendar flips from May to June, and the NHL Stanley Cup final has begun, the majority of significant transactions between now and the start of the 2026-27 season will likely take place over the course of the next four to six weeks.
The Anaheim Ducks find themselves in unfamiliar waters after what could be seen as their first successful season in nearly a decade. They enter the offseason with a projected $38.7 million in cap space, two core RFAs (Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier) to sign to big extensions, two secondary RFAs (Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger) on whom tough decisions will have to be made, and one to three areas on the roster potentially in need of upgrades.
Anaheim could now be seen as a desirable destination for players on the move. Even after RFAs are inked to new deals, the Ducks will still have considerable cap space to add quality players to their roster who could help them now and moving into a bright future.
After feasibly identifying three areas in need of an upgrade on the Ducks’ depth chart (right shot defense, second-line center, top-nine winger), now seems like a good time to identify paths in which general manager Pat Verbeek could go about adding to his group and numerous organizations’ situations they could target around the league.
I’ve decided to break this up by division, so we’ll take a look at some teams in the Central Division, which features three bona fide cup contenders, a couple of teams on the rise, and a couple potentially looking to reset a bit.
Disclaimer: This exercise is purely speculative. Some players mentioned have been previously reported to be in trade discussions, while others haven’t. This is intended to provide ideas on the type of players the Ducks could target this offseason.
(Alphabetical Order)
Colorado Avalanche
The Avs recently saw their spectacular season come to an unspectacular end, as the Presidents’ Trophy-winning club was swept in the Western Conference Final by the Vegas Golden Knights after dispatching the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild in nine total games through the first two rounds.
They only have a projected $2.29 million in cap space heading into the offseason, with just four NHL defensemen under contract. They’re likely going to have to subtract from their forward group to add to their blueline.
As one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL, it may benefit the Ducks to look for two-way, 200-foot forwards to fill gaps in their young core’s game. Artturi Lehkonen (30), Ross Colton (29), and Nicolas Roy (29) all have one year remaining on their current contracts and could fit that bill.
Lehkonen has an AAV of $4.5 million (12-team NTC), Colton has a $4 million AAV, and Roy’s is $3 million.
Another potential target Colorado could look to offload is Valeri Nichushkin (31), who is coming off his least productive season since 2020-21. He has four years remaining on his contract at a $6.125 million AAV.
The Avs will be forced to move some money out this summer if they intend to keep their contending window as open as possible. They’ll have a new general manager at the helm, as Chris McFarland is on his way to the Nashville Predators organization.
Dallas Stars
The Stars continue as one of the Western Conference’s elite clubs year after year, but haven’t been able to get over the hump and hoist the Stanley Cup. They enter the 2026 offseason with $10.1 million in projected cap space, but they’ll likely have to clear more space to fit in RFA winger Jason Robertson’s potential extension, which could result in a top-heavy depth chart.
Robertson (26) has been at the center of trade discussion and speculation for the last two summers now, remains without a contract, and is one year from UFA eligibility. If he's made available via trade, the Ducks have the pieces to acquire the Arcadia, CA native, despite his potential addition not necessarily filling a need for the Ducks.
If an extension is inked between the Stars and Robertson, other pieces in Dallas could entice Anaheim. Mavrik Bourque (24) broke out a bit in his second full season in the NHL and could fit nicely with the Ducks as a middle-six center. He’s an RFA this summer, and due to the Stars’ cap sheet, this is a perfect offer sheet scenario if a trade cannot be agreed upon.
Elsewhere in Dallas, Tyler Seguin (34) is in his mid-30s, expensive ($9.85 million AAV), has one year remaining on his deal, and is often injured, but when he’s on the ice, he’s remained productive. Verbeek values experience, and Seguin may require a valuable asset or two attached if the Stars intend to move on.
Lastly, an Ilya Lyubushkin (32) reunion could make sense, as he had chemistry with a rookie Pavel Mintyukov in 2023-24 before the former was traded. He has one year remaining on his contract with a $3.35 million AAV.
Similarly to Colorado, the Stars have difficult waters to navigate, as they push forward and accumulate as many “kicks at the can” as possible with their window wide open and their core in their primes.
St. Louis Blues
The Blues have been one of the most active and discussed teams in the NHL from the days leading up to the 2026 trade deadline to the present. They had the second-worst record in the NHL at the deadline, but finished strong and only missed the playoffs by four points.
Reports suggest the Blues will remain active as they look to stay competitive while making some changes to their core. Three of the biggest names who continue to appear on trade boards and in discussions are Robert Thomas (26), Jordan Kyrou (28), and Colton Parayko (33).
All three players would be immediate fits and impact contributors on the Ducks’ roster. Thomas is consistently one of the NHL’s top play creators and offers a premium two-way skillset, even killing penalties. Kyrou’s production took a bit of a dip in 2025-26, but he had three straight 30-plus-goal seasons prior, and he remains a forward who can make plays at high speeds and tilts the ice considerably. Thomas and Kyrou have matching contracts, with five years remaining at an $8.125 million AAV (full NTC).
Parayko could be the coveted ideal right-shot defense partner for the Ducks’ emerging star defenseman, Jackson LaCombe (25). He’s in the latter stages of his career, but the Canadian Olympian and Stanley Cup winner in 2019 is an immediate stylistic fit and is on an increasingly reasonable contract, with four years remaining at a $6.5 million AAV (full NTC).
At the trade deadline, a deal was agreed upon between the Sabres and Blues to send Parayko to Buffalo, but the defenseman was unwilling to waive his NTC. Reports have since come out that he was willing to waive for Anaheim or the Los Angeles Kings and that his preference may be for the Alberta native to remain in the Western Conference.
The Blues have built a quality prospect and young player pool despite not picking near the top of the draft. They can add significantly to that pipeline by moving on from some excellent players at every position who are firmly in their primes.
The Toronto Maple Leafs coaching search is getting more interesting. Sources say Patrick Roy and Peter Laviolette are a part of this weeks stage of the interview process.
Roy, who the Islanders hired on Jan. 20, 2024, was relieved of his duties back on Apr. 6, with just four games to go in the regular season. The Islanders have given Toronto permission to talk to Roy, who is still under contract, per David Pagnotta.
He led the Islanders to a 97-78-22 record over the better parts of three seasons, with one playoff berth. They fell to the now Stanley Cup finalist Carolina Hurricanes in five games during the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender previously coached the Colorado Avalanche from 2014-2016 before walking away from the position ahead of the 2016-17 season.
We'll see if Roy's motivating tactics are enough to sway recently appointeed general manager John Chayka into a gig, or at least, a second interview.
If Monday morning made it clear that Patrik Laine and Brendan Gallagher would move on, it didn’t provide as much clarity about forward Kirby Dach. When the Montreal Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes was asked about the Albertan forward, he was really not committing in his comments:
We know he’s a talented player, but also very unlucky with injuries so far. But we have to sit down and have a chat with Kirby, probably during his exit meeting today. Then, Jeff, Marty, and I, Sedge (John Sedgwick – the Canadiens’ “capologist”) have to discuss his case, but it’s too early to talk about those things.
The fact that he included Sedgwick in that answer is revealing. It feels like the Canadiens will have to think long and hard before making a qualifying offer to Dach. The 25-year-old is coming off a four-year contract with a $ 3,362,500 cap hit, meaning his qualifying offer has to be $4 million. That’s a lot of money for a player who has skated in 154 games out of a possible 328 over the last four years. That’s only 47% of the games the Habs have played.
His four-year deal was an audition of sorts, a chance to prove that he could play the role the organization acquired him to play, which was that of a second center. In 154 games, he has put up 77 points and has never had a better face-off percentage than 41.4 %. He finished the playoffs playing on the wing of the fourth line, and it’s safe to say that he will never be what the team bet on him being when they sacrificed Alexander Romanov to get him.
When Dach spoke to the media, however, he said he hadn’t had any talks about his contract yet and was looking forward to having that discussion. When asked about his season, he replied:
I felt confident in my game, felt good, felt like whatever the coaching staff asked me to do, I was willing to do it, and I was able to do it.
To be blunt, we weren’t in the meetings Dach had with the coaching staff, but his play doesn’t pass the eye test. When he made that mistake against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which cost the Canadiens Game 2 of their first-round series, he was vilified online by fans, and there were calls to scratch him, but Martin St-Louis refused to do it. Dach rewarded him with his best game of the playoffs, putting up two points and playing a key role in the Game 3 win. After the game, the bench boss said he wouldn’t give up on a player who hadn’t given up on himself.
Unfortunately, Dach didn’t keep that level of performance throughout the playoffs, and he soon faded away, being pretty much invisible by the end of the Canadiens’ run. When the Habs were sent packing by the Carolina Hurricanes, Dach hadn’t had a point in nine games.
Of course, you can’t expect a player who gets fourth-line minutes to light up the scoreboard, but you can expect him to bring energy and a spark by making life hard on the opponent. That’s not what Dach did. He’s 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds, and if he were to play with speed and use his big body, he could make a difference, but more often than not, he doesn’t. When Dach was asked if the long playoff run helped with his next contract, he replied:
Yeah, I think it was nice to kind of go on that run and be healthy, play the style that I needed to play.
When he was asked to summarize his time in Montreal, he explained:
It’s been a long couple of years, obviously, with the injuries and the surgeries. It adds up, and mentally it wears on you. Physically, it’s another thing. But for me, I just tried to have the same attitude: come to the rink every day and make sure I was doing everything I needed to do to be in the lineup.
Of course, it’s hard not to sympathize with a player who has gone through so many injuries, but at the end of the day, hockey is a business, and it’s about winning games and ultimately winning the Stanley Cup. By the end of the playoffs, it was hard to see what Dach was doing to deserve to be in the lineup over, say, someone like Brendan Gallagher, who would have given everything he had to get one last game with the Sainte-Flanelle. Not that the veteran would have changed the outcome of the series, but he at least would have brought some passion, some energy, a spark to lead his team into battle.
At this stage, it’s hard to know what the Canadiens will elect to do with Dach. No one likes losing an asset for nothing, but it feels like, from what he has shown so far, he wouldn’t be worth the four million cap hit. If the Habs do not give him a qualifying offer, he will become an unrestricted free agent and be free to sign with any team or sign a new deal with the Canadiens for less money.
The Vegas Golden Knights erased a 2-0 deficit to win Game 1 over the Carolina Hurricanes and steal home-ice advantage.
The two teams meet again at the Lenovo Center on Thursday, June 4, and my top Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes predictions and NHL picks are calling for improved play from Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen in Game 2.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes Game 2 prediction
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes best bet: Over 21.5 saves (-105)
He finished with just 18 saves after being nothing short of spectacular throughout the postseason with a high-end .920 save percentage, 1.65 GAA, and .560 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes.
Carolina was also vulnerable for stretches of the series opener, and in particular, the Vegas Golden Knights dominated the second period with a 73.3% overall shot share.
Vegas isn’t going to go prolonged stretches without generating offense, and Andersen isn’t going to post a.783 SV% with -1.73 goals saved above expected again in Game 2, so there is an easy path to this Over.
I’d play this prop confidently to -115.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes Game 2 same-game parlay
The Golden Knights and Hurricanes generated 6.35 expected goals in Game 1, and both goaltenders struggled in the opener. In addition to Andersen finishing with -1.73 GSAx, Vegas starter Carter Hart also checked in with a -1.72 mark.
With a heightened focus on attention to defensive detail being a chalkboard talking point for both teams, I’m anticipating a lower-scoring Game 2 with better goaltending for both teams.
Turning to Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis, he finished Game 1 with four scoring chances and has an unsustainably low 8.0 shooting percentage and just two goals across his past eight games despite generating 3.15 expected goals and 11 individual high-danger scoring chances.
This same-game parlay has my attention down to +750.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes SGP
Hurricanes moneyline
Under 5.5
Seth Jarvis anytime goal
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes odds for Game 2
Moneyline: Golden Knights +130 | Hurricanes -150
Puck Line: Golden Knights +1.5 (-190) | Hurricanes (+160)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-130) | Under 5.5 (+110)
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes trend
The total has gone Under the number in 13 of the past 16 games the Carolina Hurricanes have played. Find more NHL betting trends for Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes.
How to watch Golden Knights vs Hurricanes Game 2
Location
Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
Date
Thursday, June 4, 2026
Puck drop
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
ABC, SN
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes latest injuries
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