After the Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the playoffs by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, people shifted their focus to the offseason, which features the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, trade rumors, and free agency.
And it appears one of the Penguins' pending-unrestricted free agents has made a decision on his future.
According to NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, forward Anthony Mantha is electing to test free agency. LeBrun said that the Penguins were willing to bring Mantha, 31, back on a one-year deal, but Mantha and his agent, Olivier Fortier, want to see if they can get something longer-term.
The towering 6-foot-5 winger is coming off a career year that directly followed up ACL surgery, as he recorded 33 goals and 64 points this season, both career-highs. He led the Penguins in goals during the regular season but came up empty in the six-game first-round series against the Flyers, totaling just one assist.
There was never really much doubt that Mantha would test the market, as the Penguins were probably always going to be reluctant to hand him term given their direction and efforts to build younger. Some sources have claimed Mantha is looking for a four-year deal, although that has not yet been confirmed.
Mantha isn't the only free agent the Penguins must decide on. Other UFAs include defenseman Ryan Shea and forward Noel Acciari, while scoring winger Egor Chinakhov and goaltender Arturs Silovs headline the RFA class.
The Colorado Avalanche have found the first coach in New Mexico Goatheads history, turning to a rising name in the professional ranks to lead their new ECHL affiliate into its inaugural season.
The organization announced Friday that Zack Stortini has been hired as the Goatheads' first head coach. The 40-year-old arrives after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners, the top affiliate of the Utah Mammoth.
Stortini joins the Avalanche system with seven years of coaching experience between the AHL and OHL, earning a reputation as a developing coach with a strong background in player development. During his time in Tucson, the Roadrunners compiled a 141-116-26-5 record and reached the Calder Cup Playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2022-23 through 2024-25.
"We're happy to welcome Zack to the Avalanche and Goatheads organizations," Avalanche scout Mike Battaglia, who oversees ECHL operations for Colorado, said in a statement. "Over his first seven years coaching in the AHL and OHL, Zack has established himself as a rising coach, and we feel he's a great fit for the Goatheads as we embark on their inaugural season."
Before joining Tucson, Stortini spent three seasons with the OHL's Sudbury Wolves, serving as an assistant coach from 2019-21 before being promoted to associate coach for the 2021-22 campaign.
His coaching resume includes helping oversee the development of several standout young players. During the 2022-23 season, Tucson forward Michael Carcone led the AHL in scoring with 85 points in 65 games. A year later, Josh Doan earned AHL All-Rookie Team honors after scoring 26 goals in 62 contests.
For Stortini, the opportunity represents his first head coaching position at the professional level.
"I am grateful to the organization for the opportunity to be the first head coach of the Goatheads, and am really looking forward to leading the new ECHL club," Stortini said. "I'd like to thank REV Entertainment, Jared Johnson and Mike Battaglia for their trust in me, as well as extend a big thank you to the whole Goatheads organization and the Rio Rancho community. I am excited to get started this season."
Long before moving behind the bench, Stortini carved out a lengthy professional playing career.
Selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the third round of the 2003 NHL Draft, he played parts of 15 professional seasons, appearing in 860 games across the NHL and AHL. He suited up for 257 NHL contests with the Oilers and Nashville Predators, recording 14 goals and 41 points, while adding more than 600 games in the AHL.
Known as a physical forward and respected locker-room presence, Stortini accumulated 1,825 penalty minutes during his professional career and served as captain or alternate captain at multiple stops, including Sudbury and Binghamton. He was also a three-time nominee for the AHL's Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to local communities and charitable causes.
The Goatheads, who will play out of Rio Rancho Events Center, are preparing for their first season as Colorado's ECHL affiliate under the ownership of REV Entertainment. The organization recently hired Jared Johnson as general manager after he spent the last several years with the SPHL's Huntsville Havoc, where he oversaw business operations and ticketing while helping the franchise establish multiple attendance records.
Winnipeg native Isaac Poulter will remain with his hometown organization for at least another season.
The Jets announced that they have re-signed the 24-year-old goaltender to a one-year, two-way contract extension carrying an NHL average annual value of $855,000. He will make roughly $103K playing in the minors.
Photo by James Carey Lauder/USA Today
Poulter spent the 2025-26 season in the Jets organization, splitting time between the Manitoba Moose and ECHL's Norfolk Admirals.
The Winnipeg-born netminder went 2-0-0 through three appearances with Manitoba while posting a 25-17-1 record with two shutouts in 43 games with Norfolk.
The signing gives Winnipeg additional organizational depth in goal while keeping a familiar Manitoba name in the system. The 6-foot-2 backstop has appeared in 80 career AHL games, owning a 42-24-10 record with five shutouts - decent numbers for the second-best league in North America.
Before turning pro, Poulter spent four seasons with the Swift Current Broncos before working his way through the American Hockey League ranks and eventually signing an NHL deal with the New Jersey Devils. He began his hockey career at the RINK Hockey Academy.
Although the 2026 NHL Draft is generally regarded as weaker and more shallow than usual, the Philadelphia Flyers can still address an important need of theirs with their first-round pick. And, if they're lucky, two needs at the same time.
A few months back, it looked as though the Flyers would certainly end up nabbing one of the B-tier center prospects, such as Alexander Command or Ilia Morozov.
The draft stock of both players has risen astronomically since, and they are unlikely to be options for the Flyers when they're on the clock at Pick 21.
However, the Flyers can still secure themselves a talented player who can play both center and wing, if they choose to pass on a top defenseman at that point in the first round.
With the 21st overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers select...
It's no secret that the Flyers have preferred to draft for size in recent years, and Maddox Dagenais does fit that mold.
Dagenais, however, played more of a finesse game until, midway through the season, started imposing himself physically and used his size to his advantage.
Where the 18-year-old falls in the draft will ultimately depend on how teams view him: is Dagenais only engaged sometimes, or is he the player who found and unlocked his own dominance?
Dagenais currently ranks as high as 16th (McKeen's) and as low as 43rd (Smaht Scouting), though the consensus is in the middle: somewhere in the 20s.
While Dagenais is most likely to be a winger at the next level, he does have the ability to play center, and that gives the Flyers more options going forward.
For me, comparisons to this kind of player would include Pavel Zacha and Pierre-Luc Dubois, who were both high draft picks with size, skill, and versatility, but never lived up to their full potential.
Still, they developed into useful top-six forwards who can provide different elements to their respective teams.
It helps, too, that Dagenais hails from an NHL bloodline; his father, Pierre, played 142 NHL regular season games with the New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers, and Montreal Canadiens.
Dagenais has all the tools to be a successful NHLer, and even an upper-tier forward, at that. How far he can take it depends on him, his work, and the team that drafts him, be it the Flyers or another team.
The forward and the rest of his Hurricanes teammates were celebrating their Stanley Cup championship during the team’s parade on Saturday when the NHL veteran attended to a pressing matter.
The 35-year-old, who joined the team in March via trade, was a free agent following the team’s impressive run — but that’s no longer the case.
As seen in a video posted to the franchise’s X account, general manager Eric Tulsky pulled out a contract before Tulsky stepped up to sign it.
The forward high-fived a teammate before putting pen to paper and proudly shouting a message to the fans.
Deslauriers played sparingly during the Hurricanes’ championship run, as he appeared in just one game during the first round against Ottawa.
According to WFMY News 2, Deslauriers will be paid $850,000 in the 2026-27 season and $900,000 in 2027-28.
Deslauriers began the season with the Flyers, with whom he played 24 games before being traded to Carolina for a conditional seventh-round pick on March 6.
Nicolas Deslauriers of the Carolina Hurricanes raises the Stanley Cup at T-Mobile Arena after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NHLI via Getty Images
The Quebec native was a third-round pick by the Kings in 2009, but ultimately began his NHL career with the Sabres in 2013-14.
He spent four seasons in Buffalo before moving on to stints with the Canadiens, Ducks, Wild and the Flyers.
He has 53 goals and assists apiece in 708 regular season games.
The Hurricanes won the franchise’s second Stanley Cup by defeating the Golden Knights in six games.
Jordan Staal was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for the MVP of the playoffs with 12 points (eight goals, four assists).
The Ducks' 2025-26 season has been over for just over a month and with the 2026 NHL Entry Draft just around the corner, it feels like a good time to start recapping this past season for each player in the organization.
Today's edition of 'By the Numbers' will feature players who wore Nos. 31-40 this season.
If you missed the previous edition of 'By the Numbers', you can click here to read it.
Calle Clang
Clang had the best season performance of his North American career in 2025-26, posting an 18-9-9 record with an .897 SV% and 2.80 GAA. He missed time at various points of the season due to a leave of absence for personal reasons and two separate injuries. The second injury unfortunately ruled him out for the San Diego Gulls’ first playoff series in four seasons.
Clang’s stellar season earned him his first AHL All-Star selection, as both he and forward Tim Washe were selected to represent the Gulls in Rockford. At the AHL All-Star Game, he took home the honor of top goaltender.
San Diego goalie Calle Clang keeps his eye on the puck as it deflects off of his gear during the second period of their game at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Friday, Nov. 22, 2024.
Set to be an RFA this offseason, Clang chose to return home to Sweden and sign with Rögle BK in the SHL, the club he played for prior to transitioning to North American hockey. His contract is for two years, which means that he will likely not receive a qualifying offer from the Ducks.
With Clang expected to depart the organization, defense Tristan Luneau is the only remaining piece left from the Rickard Rakell deal that occurred at the 2022 trade deadline. With Lukáš Dostál and Ville Husso holding things down in net for Anaheim and Tomáš Suchánek, Damian Clara and Vyacheslav Buteyets doing the same for San Diego, there was little opportunity left for Clang moving forward despite his strong season. He will compete with Arvid Holm for Rögle’s starting job next season.
Vyacheslav Buteyets
More well-known as ‘Slava’ by his teammates, Buteyets spent time with all three Ducks affiliates this season. He spent most of the season with ECHL Tulsa as their starter, putting up an 18-19-5 record with a .908 SV% and 3.11 GAA. He made four starts for the Gulls, sporting a 1-3-0 record with an .865 SV% and 4.29 GAA. He also made his NHL debut, coming in in relief of Ville Husso in an eventual 7-0 loss to the Utah Mammoth. He allowed three goals on 10 shots, though it was difficult to fault him on any of them.
Buteyets has now spent two full seasons in North America (mostly in the ECHL) after coming over from Russia. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, he is a pending RFA. There is a possibility that the Ducks simply cut ties with Buteyets and do not tender him a qualifying offer. As mentioned above, there is more than enough quality goaltending depth. But as seen last season, injuries can crop up at any moment, making depth paramount in emergency situations.
Ville Husso
Husso’s patience and determination paid off for him in 2025-26. After being acquired from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations in Feb. 2025, he performed well enough with the Gulls to earn a call-up at the end of the season after John Gibson went down with injury.
With Gibson out of the picture for 2025-26, shipped off to the Red Wings, Husso signed a two-year contract to return to the Ducks and compete with Petr Mrázek for the backup goaltender position. Husso performed well to make a case for the position, but was sent down to the AHL at the very end of training camp.
He was recalled when Dostál suffered a hand injury in November and momentarily took over the starting role after Mrázek also got hurt. During a seven-game stretch in December as the starter, Husso went 4-2-1 with an .893 SV%, though one of those losses was the aforementioned 7-0 defeat to the Mammoth.
May 8, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ville Husso (33) defends the goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Husso did enough to keep the Ducks afloat without their No. 1 goaltender and then was passed through waivers (going unclaimed) upon Dostál and Mrázek’s return. A brief recall in January after Mrázek suffered another injury led to a prolonged stay in the NHL after Mrázek underwent season-ending hip surgery. Husso finished the season with a 10-8-2 record and an .884 SV% and 3.25 GAA.
While those numbers may not look particularly convincing, it’s worth noting that Husso’s stats were slightly skewed by his final two starts, which involved him facing less than 20 shots in both games.
It was a very unlucky season for Mrázek, who struggled with injuries and made just 10 appearances (eight starts) in his first and likely only season with the Ducks.
After being acquired from the Red Wings in June 2025, Mrázek entered training camp competing with Husso for the backup goaltender spot. While both goaltenders performed well during preseason, Mrázek ultimately edged out Husso, who was sent down to San Diego.
Mrázek made just two starts through the first 10 games of the season as Dostál carried the starter’s workload, but he began to pick up more starts in November. He was even slated to be the starter when Dostál went down with broken finger, but suffered an injury of his own on Nov. 30 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Nov 30, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Anaheim Ducks goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) talks with a team member after being injured during the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
This injury sidelined Mrázek for nine games before he returned to action on Dec. 19. He would make two more appearances before suffering another injury on Jan . 5 against the Washington Capitals, which ultimately ended his season. He underwent hip surgery on Feb. 17 and recently resumed skating this past May.
It’s difficult to envision Mrázek getting more than an offer to be an NHL third goalie at this point due to a combination of his age (34) and repeated injuries. Lower-body injuries in particular can impact goaltenders much more, and it was concerning to see how much they impacted Mrázek this past season.
Matthew Phillips
One of the players on an AHL-only deal who got playing time during preseason, Phillips made waves with a two-goal performance against the Mammoth. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Phillips has minimal NHL experience (34 games), but carries plenty of AHL experience.
His addition to the Gulls was a welcome one, as he finished second on the team in points and tied for first in assists. Though he is just 5-foot-8 (and perhaps actually even shorter than that), he makes up for his lack of height with extended effort and is a force on the man advantage.
With the Gulls expected to undergo several personnel changes after the departures of head coach Matt McIlvane and assistant coach Michael Babcock, along with the expectation that players like Nikita Nesterenko and Sam Colangelo will be up with the Ducks full-time, players like Phillips will be relied on to be the top point producers in 2026-27.
Justin Bailey
Bailey was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in Jan. 2025 in a straight one-for-one swap that sent Pavol Regenda the other way. A speedy forward who’s more of a ‘Quad-A’ than a true NHL depth forward, Bailey provided adequate depth scoring upon joining the Gulls. But he became a more consistent offensive threat this past season as a regular in the Gulls’ top-6 and lead the team in goals with 25.
Another player on an AHL-only deal who played during preseason for the Ducks, Bailey was part of the squad who played against the Kings in Ontario, Calif. as part of the Inland Empire Classic. Coming off a one-year AHL-only deal, bringing back Bailey should be a priority for the Gulls.
The Flyers traded Deslauriers to the Hurricanes ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. In the end, the move certainly paid off for the 35-year-old forward, as he is now a Stanley Cup champion.
Deslauriers played in seven regular-season games for the Hurricanes following being traded by the Flyers, where he had one assist, five penalty minutes, and 35 hits. He also played in one playoff game for the Hurricanes.
Deslauriers spent four seasons with the Flyers from 2022-23 until his trade to the Hurricanes this campaign. In 195 games with the Flyers over that span, he posted nine goals, 11 assists, 20 points, 273 penalty minutes, and 665 hits.
The Toronto Marlies are AHL champions for the second time in their history, and it was a former Senator who helped lead the charge.
The Leafs' top farm club edged the Chicago Wolves 4-3 in Toronto on Friday, winning the best-of-seven Calder Cup championship series in 5 games.
Artur Akhtyamov made 27 saves for the win and won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the MVP of the AHL playoffs. But when it came time to bring out the biggest AHL Trophy of them all, that was presented to Marlies captain and former Senator Logan Shaw.
Steve Warne suggests that London Knights forward Jaxon Cover might be a good option for the Sens at the NHL Draft next week.
Shaw played sparingly in parts of two seasons in the Senators organization from 2020-22 and finished the postseason among the AHL's leading scorers with 17 points in 24 playoff games.
His biggest connection to the Senators these days is Drake Batherson.
For many years now, he and Batherson have been members of the famous East Coast summer skate that features the likes of Sidney Crosby, Nate MacKinnon, and Brad Marchand. When Marchand won the Stanley Cup last year, Shaw (far left below) was part of the fun, along with Batherson and ex-Senator Chris Kelly (far right).
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Now the group will have another day with another Cup this summer.
Shaw's biggest moment in the final was cramming home the overtime winner in Game 2, allowing the Marlies to take a 2-0 series lead and take control of the series and win it in 5 on Friday.
"This tops my hockey moments for sure," Shaw said in a post-game interview with Shawn McKenzie on the club's YouTube channel. "I hope these young guys get a lot more (championships). I hope to guide them to a lot more, as much as I can.
"But I'm gonna soak this one in for sure. And Toronto, they're in a great spot. The prospects are awesome; these guys are awesome. The organization does everything the right way. And we're champions!"
Shaw was the 2011 third-round pick of the Florida Panthers, and has appeared in 232 NHL games with Florida, Anaheim, Montreal, Winnipeg and Ottawa. But the 33-year-old has spent the past four seasons as the Marlies captain, providing a mentorship role for the Leafs young prospects.
Another local connection is Marlies' 22-year-old forward Luke Haymes, who grew up in Ottawa. Haymes made his NHL debut this season, getting into four games with the Leafs, including a game in Ottawa against the Senators.
In his first full pro season, Haymes is an AHL champion.
Marlies head coach John Gruden also figures in the Ottawa connections. Gruden played a couple of seasons with the Sens back in the late 90s. When the Senators sought to replace DJ Smith a couple of years ago, Gruden was said to be a possible candidate.
Meanwhile, Gruden's boss, Marlies GM Ryan Hardy, was responsible for one of the most beautiful gestures you'll ever see in a championship celebration. As the Marlies celebrated on the ice Friday night, Hardy joined his team for all the hugs, wearing Rodion Amirov’s No. 72 jersey.
Amirov was the Leafs 15th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, but passed away in 2023 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour a year earlier.
Akhtyamov, this year's playoff MVP, was Amirov's teammate at the 2021 World Juniors and was proud to pose with his friend's jersey in the Marlies' official championship photo.
Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz has landed a new gig.
The Seattle Kraken have announced that Schultz has returned to the organization in a player development role.
Schultz played his final two NHL seasons with the Kraken before signing with HC Lugano of Switzerland's National League during the 2024 NHL off-season. However, the former Penguins defenseman announced his retirement early on in the 2024-25 season after he had six assists in eight games for HC Lugano. Now, he is heading back to the Kraken in his first post-playing career NHL role.
Schultz spent five seasons with the Penguins from 2015-16 to 2019-20. In 234 career games with the Penguins over that span, he recorded 22 goals, 91 assists, 113 points, and a plus-43 rating. He also won the Stanley Cup twice during his time with the Penguins.
In 745 career NHL games over 12 seasons split between the Edmonton Oilers, Penguins, Washington Capitals, and Kraken, Schultz posted 71 goals, 253 assists and 324 points.
With less than one week until the start of the 2026 NHL Draft, it appears that the New York Rangers are more likely to pick a defenseman at the fifth overall pick as opposed to a forward.
If defensemen including Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, or Alberts Šmits are available for the Rangers to take at the No. 5 selection, it may be difficult for the team to pass up on.
However, if the Rangers opt to go in a different direction, there is one obvious forward who would be their top choice.
Björck is considered to be the consensus No. 2 center in the draft, only behind Caleb Malhotra, who is projected to be selected before the Rangers’ pick.
This past season, Björck played 42 games in the SHL for Djurgårdens IF, recording 15 points and finishing the season in a top-line role.
“While his numbers will be nothing to lose your mind over, the fact that Björck played on the first line – often skating in more than 20 minutes a night – as a 17-year-old in one of the top leagues in the world is bonkers,” Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff wrote. “Björck was electric at the World Juniors, showing a high-end blend of hockey sense and raw skill.”
The 17-year-old 5-foot-9 center made a name for himself competing for team Sweden at the 2026 World Championship, as he held his own against some of the top NHL’ers.
Despite his smaller frame, Björck doesn't let it affect his game, making up for it with his high hockey IQ and elite-level playmaking.
“He's the guy who can survive everywhere he goes, even though he's a smaller body," NHL Director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "He showed that in the Swedish Hockey League and also on the men's national team. ... He's like a Sidney Crosby-type player, and his hockey intelligence shows through with clever movement and spatial awareness in tight areas, which will, in my mind, help him adjust to the NHL in the future.”
If the Rangers do decide to take a forward with the No. 5 pick, keep an eye out for Björck.
Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated in his comments at the season-ending media availability last month that at the top of his agenda was to work on extensions for defenseman Bowen Byram and winger Zach Benson. A report this week from TSN’s Darren Dreger indicated that one of those items may be more difficult than expected, as Byram’s name has begun circulating in trade speculation, but ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported on Friday that the Sabres are working on a long-term extension for Benson.
The 21-year-old winger is coming off an impressive nine-point performance in the playoffs after his third NHL season, and according to Weekes, the Sabres are looking to sign him to a seven-year deal in excess of $7 million per season, similar to what the club inked linemate Josh Doan to during the season. Benson is a restricted free agent this summer and has played the third-most games of any player selected at the 2023 NHL Draft (only Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli have played more).
"We locked up Josh early, because we saw the character, the competitiveness, and potential for a leadership role long to the future." Kekalainen said. "(Zach is a) true core piece that fills all the boxes, maybe not the height, (but) everything else. The way he plays, how he's just relentless, a dog on the bone. I can't say enough good things about Zach Benson. He's got skill, he's got hockey sense, he's got instincts. He's relentless, he's a competitor."
Thoughts on the Michael Kesselring trade to San Jose
The Sabres enter the summer with just under $12 million in available cap space, with Benson, and forward Peyton Krebs as restricted free agents and wingers Alex Tuch and Beck Malenstyn as unrestricted free agents.The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, and The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun all reported last week that there is a significant gap between the Sabres and Tuch on a new deal.
The 30-year-old is expected to draw the most attention on July 1 and is reportedly looking for more than $10 million per season on a long-term deal. With the Sabres limited cap space this summer, if they lock up Benson to an extension, it would likely mean the end of any chance of re-signing Tuch, unless they clear out other contracts to make room.
Buffalo could facilitate some return for Tuch, by trading him his negotiating rights before the start of free agency or doing a sign-and-trade at or around the NHL Draft, as Toronto did with Tampa Bay defenseman Darren Raddysh on Friday, but that would likely result in a mid-round pick, as the Lightning got for the pending free-agent blueliner.
That, of course, makes life a little different for the club’s amateur scouting staff leading up to the 2026 NHL draft. Barring a trade, the Flyers will pick at 21st overall. It’s their lowest first-round spot since 2020.
So the Flyers know the draft is still critical to what they want to do, even when they’re lower in the order.
“We’ve said it for a long time, we wanted to build a team that was going to be here for a long time; not just to go for it for a year or two,” general manager Danny Briere said last month. “That’s still the same approach on my end.”
After the recent trade with the Maple Leafs, the Flyers have only four picks in this draft, which will be held June 26-27. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at 11 a.m. ET.
“I’ll tell you how I feel about drafts and I’ll be totally blunt with you,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said June 2 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think it’s f—ing bulls–t when I hear about, ‘Oh, this draft isn’t as good.’ Here are the numbers. Approximately 45 players from any draft will play 350 games or more in the NHL. It might be 47 one year, 42 another year. That’s the number — you get 45 players that’ll play 350 games or more with varying degrees of success.
“And I know this about the draft. The teams that get good players from the draft say it was a good draft. The teams that don’t get good players from the draft say it wasn’t a good draft. So when people start telling me about a draft ahead of time, I call bulls–t.”
“What you’re trying to do is find a player that you feel has the potential to be an NHL player,” Button said. “That might be a third-line center, that might be a second-line scoring winger. Hey, listen, maybe you get David Pastrnak, who’s a superstar (drafted 25th overall in 2014).
“But the focus has to be on, ‘OK, what type of player do we like, what type of player do we think the guy can be?’ And then get after it and understand what the development path is, and then try to help that player be the best he can be. Put a stake in the ground and celebrate who you’re drafting.”
Before the draft arrives, we’re breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.
Next up:
Brooks Rogowski
Position: Center Height: 6-foot-7 Weight: 235 Shoots: Right Team: Oshawa
Scouting report
The massive pivot uses his frame and length to be a disruptive role player. He’ll make life difficult on the opponent by setting up in front of the net and being opportunistic offensively. He also moves well for his size.
Rogowski was limited to 46 games this season because of some injuries, but he put up 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 46 games for Oshawa. He had nine multi-point games. His minus-24 rating came on a Generals team that finished last in the OHL and owned a minus-96 goal differential.
The 17-year-old opened some eyes with his effectiveness on Team USA at the 2026 IIHF U-18 World Junior Championship, a tournament that ended last month. Rogowski had three assists and a plus-4 rating in four games.
“The thing with him was I actually liked him the best at the U-18s,” Daily Faceoff associate editor and prospect analyst Steven Ellis said last Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He was a fourth-line center at that tournament. I think that was where he really started to show that when he’s in a fourth-line role, he can overwhelm guys, he can go out there and take space away, push guys around. He has got the big frame obviously — 6-foot-7 and, like, 2-bazillion pounds. He’s a heavy dude.”
Rogowski, who turns 18 next week, probably has a ceiling of a third-line center in the NHL. He’s not expected to be a scorer at the next level, so his upside is not as high. But his sheer size and mobility could give him a real solid career.
“He really showed he can be a prototypical fourth-line center who can actually move pretty well, he can bully guys,” Ellis said. “He’s not necessarily a mean player, but he can be if he needs to and he has got a long reach.
“It seems like a fourth-line center is kind of where he is and that’s partly why I don’t really have him highly rated. I think he’s going to play a lot of games in the NHL, which is why he’s at least a second-round pick. But I don’t think he’s a first-round talent, that’s my concern.”
Those selections may make Rogowski a little less appealing to the Flyers.
But if the Flyers wanted to continue with an imposing look down the middle, Rogowski would bolster that theme. The Flyers would have a ton of size with Rogowski, Nesbitt, Gard and Jack Berglund, a 2024 second-rounder.
However, Rogowski might project as a fourth-liner in the NHL. It’s possible the Flyers would like more potential at No. 21. If anything, perhaps they could aim for him by trading up in the second round. And that’s if Rogowski falls into the Day 2 action.
The St. Louis Blues could be active on the trade market this off-season, looking to offload veterans while bringing in younger talent.
Earlier, we covered which players may have played their final games in St. Louis and identified some possible destinations for them.
But if they do finally make those long-talked-about moves, who could they look to acquire with those players or the assets they receive? With the Blues’ desire to get younger and more skilled, we’ll take a look at three under-25 players the Blues could explore trades for.
Matthew Knies, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Matthew Knies has been surfacing in the rumor mill, and while Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka mentioned that they aren’t actively looking to move him, they are willing to listen to offers.
The Blues could be a team that makes a play for Knies. His 6-foot-3, 232-pound frame is imposing, and he has no fear using his weight to win puck battles and get to the front of the net. In 2025-26, the 23-year-old posted 23 goals and 66 points in 79 games despite dealing with an injury for a large chunk of the season.
Knies is the perfect top-six winger, able to play big minutes at even strength, the power play, and the penalty kill. It would take a lot to pry Knies out of Toronto, but the Blues have veterans like Jordan Kyrou and Colton Parayko who could help facilitate a deal.
The Anaheim Ducks took a big step forward this season, but Mason McTavish didn’t. Following a difficult season that started with a contract dispute, McTavish could be on the move out of Anaheim.
The Ducks will likely look for experienced players to improve their chances of a long playoff run. Although McTavish’s 17 goals and 41 points in 75 games weren’t all too impressive, there is still belief that a new environment can help him find his game again.
Determining McTavish’s value is difficult. Despite the poor numbers, he’s still just 23 years old, plays as a center, and boasts a 6-foot-1, 219-pound frame.
Following another career season in offensive production, Bowen Byram seems to be coming into his own. Yet, the Buffalo Sabres are once again willing to gauge the market on the 25-year-old defender.
Byram finished the 2025-26 season with 11 goals and 42 points in 82 games, the second consecutive season in which he’s played 82 games. Injuries held Byram back early in his career, but he is healthy now and is thriving. He averaged over 22:00 of time for the second consecutive season and was a key part of the Sabres’ success in the playoffs, scoring four goals and seven points in 13 games.
Byram is a 6-foot-1, left-handed defenseman who flies around the ice, makes excellent breakout passes, and has improved defensively, becoming an all-around defender. Byram has one season remaining on his contract before becoming a UFA, and reports indicate he is seeking a major pay raise.
If the Blues feel they can work out an extension with Byram, icing Philip Broberg and Bowen Byram on the left side of their defense provides a foundation to build from the back.
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The Philadelphia Flyers have a history of targeting players they covet when the time is right, and they would be wise to do so again this summer.
At this point, it is no secret that the Flyers would like to add a No. 1 center, or even a top-six one, to start with.
But, at the same time, it is public knowledge that the Flyers also want to upgrade on defense, and one of their long-standing trade targets at the position is mired in trade rumors... again.
On Thursday, TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger reported that multiple teams were engaging the Buffalo Sabres in trade talks for defenseman Bowen Byram, who has one year remaining on his contract at a $6.25 million cap hit.
Byram, 25, is due for a big raise, and the Sabres, who need to pay players like Zach Benson while already having Owen Power, Rasmus Dahlin, and Mattias Samuelsson at left defense, may not be inclined to give it.
The former No. 4 overall pick just played 82 games for the second year in a row, seemingly putting the health issues that plagued him early in his career behind him.
It helps, too, that Byram just had a career-high 11 goals, 31 assists, and 42 points, as well as seven points in 13 playoff games.
Seven of Byram's points came on the power play, though it's worth noting that he largely takes a backseat to Dahlin in that role.
With the Flyers, the opportunity would be much greater.
The Flyers have worked diligently to clear wasted cap space from their books, and while they do need to still re-sign and extend Dan Vladar, Trevor Zegras, and Jamie Drysdale, they have more than enough money to sign Byram long-term, too.
Still just 25, Byram could very well command north of $10 million on his next contract, and while the Flyers wouldn't just hand him that without seeing him play first, there is plenty of potential for them to bet on.
With any young player, you are betting on what they will be, not what they are.
(Evolving-Hockey)
If Byram has the potential to score 20 goals and 60 points with No. 1 or No. 2 minutes behind Travis Sanheim, and with adequate power play ice time, that is a worthy bargain for the Flyers.
For those worried about Byram's actual defending, the buccaneering rearguard has actually developed into a perfectly fine defender in the same way Drysdale has.
As we see in Evolving-Hockey's data above, Byram's work shorthanded could improve, but Flyers assistant coach Todd Reirden did fantastic work with a rather uninspiring group last season. Byram only adds more potential to the cupboard.
The Sabres may require a winger to replace pending free agent Alex Tuch, and/or a defenseman to replace Byram at a lesser cost.
Flyers like Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett, and Rasmus Ristolainen, to name a few, would hypothetically fit the bill to varying degrees.
The Flyers already once tried to get Byram, when they offered Cutter Gauthier to the Colorado Avalanche 1-for-1, but now, several years on, seems like the right time to finally make it happen.
On Friday night, the Toronto Marlies signed a 4-3 win over the Chicago Wolves to win the AHL Championship and lift the Calder Cup. If former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cayden Primeau was on the wrong side of the defeat, three former members of the Habs’ organization are now Calder Cup champions: Brandon Baddock, Logan Shaw, and Michael Pezzetta.
While Baddock, who spent the best part of two seasons in the Canadiens’ organization playing mainly with the Laval Rocket and a single game with the Habs, didn’t play during the playoffs, he’s still a member of the organization.
Unlike Baddock, Shaw and Pezzetta played big roles in the Marlies Calder Cup conquest. The former was the first one to lift the trophy, since he is the team’s captain. He put up 17 points in 24 playoff games and was assessed 28 penalty minutes. Shaw spent only part of a season with the Canadiens, playing 30 games in the 2017-18 season after the Habs, who were hit by a slew of injuries, claimed him off waivers. Eight of his 39 career NHL points were picked up while playing with the Sainte-Flanelle. He has played 232 NHL games so far, spending most of his career in the AHL, where he has played for seven different teams.
As for Pezzetta, a former sixth-round pick by the Canadiens at the 2016 draft, he skated in 23 playoff games this year, gathering five points and 82 penalty minutes. Unsurprisingly, he’s still relied on for his physicality and ability to drop the gloves. He turned pro during the 2018-19 season and went on to play 200 NHL games with Montreal, totaling 38 points and 241 penalty minutes. After playing only 25 games with the Canadiens in 2024-25, he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs last offseason as a free agent but played only nine NHL games, spending most of the season with the Marlies.
As for Primeau, even if he lost in the final, he had a great season in the AHL with a 21-11-7 record, a 2.41 goals-against average, and a .916 save percentage. In the postseason, he was 9-9 with a 2.72 GAA and a .913 SV. While those are good numbers, his short stay in the NHL this season wasn’t great. In three games with the Leafs, he posted a 2-1-0 record but had a 4.30 GAA and a .838 SV. When he was waived, the Carolina Hurricanes claimed him, and that's how he ended up with the Wolves. It might just be that the AHL is his ceiling and he can’t make the jump to the NHL.
