The Philadelphia Flyers are not exactly widely expected to do what they did last season again in the upcoming season.
With a late-season surge after the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Flyers carried an electric run of form into the Stanley Cup playoff spot, clinching a berth in Game 81 and then eliminating the rival Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
The eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes put a commanding halt to that with a sweep of the Flyers in the second round, and that was the end of it.
Although those Flyers put up about as good a fight as you can in a series sweep, especially against a suffocating team like the Hurricanes, they have done little to improve their odds at a Stanley Cup of their own.
Now that the Hurricanes are officially Stanley Cup champions, BetMGM released its early odds for the 2027 Stanley Cup winner, placing the Flyers 17th overall at +5000.
At those odds, the Flyers are tied with the likes of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals, both of whom missed the playoffs and play in the same division.
Ahead of the Flyers are teams such as the New Jersey Devils (missed), the Utah Mammoth (Round 1 exit), the Anaheim Ducks, the Los Angeles Kings (swept by Colorado) and, somehow, the Ottawa Senators (swept by Carolina).
Admittedly, it is strange that the Mammoth, (+3000), Kings (+3500), and Senators (+1800) all have significantly better odds than the Flyers, who at least won a playoff round, even if it was against the Penguins.
The Senators, who lost to the same playoff opponent as the Flyers, showed nothing in their four games to justify such a massive gap between the two teams.
Out West, the Mammoth are probably about equal to the Flyers, and the Kings are annual pretenders, not contenders. At least the Flyers have some upward momentum.
With a strong showing at the 2026 NHL Draft and in free agency, the Flyers can easily position themselves to make such mediocre odds look short-sighted.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 05: Ilya Solovyov #7 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Buffalo Sabres during an NHL game on February 05, 2026 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Vitals
Player: Ilya Solovyov Born: July 20, 2000 (25 years old) Height: 6’3” Weight: 208 pounds Hometown: Mogilev, Belarus Shoots: Left Draft: Seventh round pick (205th overall) in 2020 by the Calgary Flames 2025-26 Statistics: 0 goals and 5 assists for 5 points in 14 regular-season games; 0 points in three playoff games. Contract Status: Signed through 2026-27 ($850,000 cap hit)
Story of the Season
The Penguins acquired Solovyov’s expiring contract in January by sending Valtteri Puustinen and a 2026 seventh-rounder to the Colorado Avalanche.
At the time Solovyov had skated in 16 games with the Avalanche and three games with the team’s AHL affiliate.
The trade came around the time Kris Letang was sidelined for two games with an upper-body injury. He suffered a fractured foot about a week and a half later that gave Solovyov a chance to slot into the lineup.
Solovyov spent most of his time in the regular season the bottom pairing with Connor Clifton.
He made his playoff debut in Game 4 as a substitute for Clifton on the right side of Ryan Shea. The Flyers never scored a goal with Solovyov on the ice, which was enough for head coach Dan Muse to keep dressing him over Clifton until the Penguins’ Game 6 elimination.
The Penguins re-signed Solovyov in May to keep him under contract for one more season before he hits unrestricted free agency in 2027.
Solovyov was traded to the Penguins on Jan. 20. He saw his ice time climb after the trade from 11:34 per game in Colorado to over 14 minutes per game in Pittsburgh.
Regular season 5v5 advanced stats
Data via Natural Stat Trick. Ranking is out of 11 defensemen on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes.
These numbers come with the major caveat that Solovyov played just 14 games this season with the club. Within that small sample size, however, Penguins were generally excellent at generating scoring chances and poor at stopping opponents from scoring when Solovyov (generally paired with Clifton during the regular season) was on the ice in a sheltered role.
Solovyov is dealing with a limited sample, but he is a player that WAR sees some positive and encouraging signs for the minutes that he has played by being able to put a nice impact offensively and defensively overall in what he’s been asked to do. The goals and finishing will likely come down in time once he plays more, but it shows some tools. One possible issue is taking penalties, Solovyov was called for five minor penalties in 15 games with the Penguins (and three more in 16 games with Colorado), he’ll want to cut down on the amount of times he gets whistled for infractions relative to the small amount of time he’s played in the future.
Solovyov does have some power on his shots and as shown in the lower left chart, had the versatility to spend time on the left and right points during different stretches. He doesn’t have a lot of dynamic puck skills but that nice shot power could be part of the reason to get him into games in the future.
Solovyov’s skating is functional, he’s good in short areas and making pivots when needing to defend. His straight-line speed and acceleration is in-line with his 6’3, 210 pound frame to not exactly be thought of as one of the speedier skaters in the league.
Highlights
Solovyov assisted on a Ryan Shea goal in his Penguins debut on Jan. 29.
After extending Solovyov, the Penguins have Sam Girard, Ryan Graves, Parker Wotherspoon, Caleb Jones and Owen Pickering as some of the left-shot defensemen signed through next season.
With Shea hitting free agency and potentially set for a raise that could push him out of the Penguins’ pay range, will Solovyov be able to win a more regular roster spot in training camp? If not, he could be set to head into next season in a similar seventh-defenseman role to what Clifton (also a pending free agent) played last season.
Ideal 2026-27
Solovyov spent three seasons as a fringe roster player and part-time AHL player with the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche. His ideal 2026-27 season would likely include him earning a spot in training camp and playing his first full-time campaign in the NHL.
Bottom line
The Penguins saw Solovyov in a limited sample size and mostly in a sheltered role last season, but he served as a largely reliable bottom-pairing option when called into the lineup. There’s a chance a strong training camp could earn him a longer look at the NHL next season.
It’s well known that the Montreal Canadiens have one of the deepest pools of prospects in the NHL, thanks to years of high draft picks. One of their most successful prospects this past season has been right-shot defenseman Bryce Pickford. The third-round pick who was selected 81st overall by the Habs at the 2025 draft has had a season for the ages with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL.
On Monday, the CHL announced that Pickford had been named the defenseman of the year, thanks to an 83-point season, which included 45 goals and saw him finish the campaign with a plus-55 rating. No defenseman has scored more goals than Pickford in the last 40 years, and he’s impressed the Canadiens so much in the early goings of the season that he was signed to his ELC just before Christmas.
However, the news wasn’t all good on Monday, as The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reported that the prospect may need shoulder surgery this offseason after playing through an injury this season. While this is definitely not good news, it’s impressive that he was able to perform the way that he has, considering the injury.
While Pickford has had a dominant season in the WHL, it’s important to remember that the step between that junior league and professional hockey is a steep one. Given where the Canadiens are in their rebuild, it will also be interesting to see whether they choose to let him develop or include him in a package for some immediate help.
Some would advocate that trading a right-shot defenseman when he has that much potential would be ill-advised, and it’s certainly not a course of action that would have been entertained back in 2022, but things have changed since then. The playoffs have made it obvious that the Canadiens need another right-shot defenseman, preferably one who can handle top-four minutes.
If the Canadiens aren’t convinced that David Reinbacher can be that player, they may need to go outside of the organization to fill that need. You have to give something to get something, as they say, and they won’t get an established right-shot blueliner if they do not dangle an enticing asset in front of a possible trade partner.
Following a magical 2025-26 season in which the Pittsburgh Penguins made an improbable run to the playoffs, it has clearly been stated by general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas that the plan is to keep improving next season.
Of course, a lot has to happen for the Penguins to continue taking steps toward becoming a legitimate contender again. The path forward is still not an easy one, even if 2025-26 was a springboard.
And one of the things they will certainly need to address in 2026-27 is how they are going to balance the drive to contend and the necessity to integrate youth onto the NHL roster for good.
Goaltending seems to be the most obvious shoe-in for a youth movement, as veteran Stuart Skinner is a UFA, leaving pending-RFA Arturs Silovs and the up-and-coming Sergei Murashov to be the likely NHL tandem next season. And, on the forward front, there are plenty of names (Ben Kindel aside) who saw smidgens of NHL action last season - including Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, Avery Hayes, and Tristan Broz - and will likely take on a bigger role in 2026-27.
But, the right side? Well, there is a bit more assurance there, but this is exactly where the conundrum of "rookie or replacement" takes hold. We know that Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang are highly likely to occupy two spots, leaving one spot wide-open.
Will the Penguins look to add on the right side this offseason, or will it be rookie and top defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke's spot to lose?
As it's been well-documented at this point, the now-20-year-old defenseman's 2025-26 season was a bit of a whirlwind, as he made the big club out of training camp but only played in nine games at the NHL level before an AHL conditioning stint, a trip to the World Junior Championship, and a sentence back to the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL for the back half of the season.
After the conclusion of his WHL season, he rejoined Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) for the last portion of the AHL regular season and its playoff run, which stretched to six games in the Eastern Conference Final. And Brunicke was a huge part of that run, as he played top-pairing minutes and was deployed in key situations throughout the postseason.
Yes, the sheer offensive numbers are nice to look at: He paced point-per-game (two goals and 24 points in 24 games) with Kamloops to close out their regular season, had a goal and eight points in 11 AHL regular season games, and contributed two goals and seven points in 15 Calder Cup Playoff games.
Numbers aside, the version of Brunicke on display during the AHL playoffs was not necessarily a different version from the onset of the 2025-26 season, but it was a vastly improved and much more mature version -- one that was more physically imposing, stronger in his own zone, better at breakouts, and sturdier at the net-front. And this was all while he managed to build even more on his elite skating ability, strength in transition, and offensive instincts.
Some think that Brunicke showed enough in that final AHL run to prove that he is NHL-ready. However, while that might be the case, him being "NHL-ready" also needs to come with the expectation that there are still going to be growing pains in his adjustment to the NHL. Given the type of player he is, he is going to make mistakes, and some of those mistakes are going to be loud ones.
So, given the Penguins' need to see what they have in some of their young talent like Brunicke but also their desire to build on the playoff push that began this spring, is it worth risking to, essentially, leave that final right-side defensive slot open for Brunicke without much of a failsafe for him? Or should the Penguins look for outside help to give Brunicke someone to compete against for an NHL roster spot and for someone to fill as a nice stopgap between Letang or Karlsson's eventual departure and Brunicke's top-four readiness?
Honestly, there's no easy answer.
Sure, many advise that the Penguins say goodbye to Letang, who is 39 and underperformed last season, in order to make way for both Brunicke and someone else to populate the right side behind a still-capable No. 1 defenseman in Karlsson. But, the reality is that it's not that simple. Letang has a full no-movement clause, and even if he was willing to waive that to go somewhere else, a mutual team would have to want to take on him and his $6.1 million for two more years.
Realistically, Letang will be wearing a Penguins' sweater next season, but that doesn't mean his role shouldn't be subject to change. The problem is that, if Letang is destined for a reduced role on a bottom pairing, it's a tall ask to rely on a high-ceiling but still-stabilizing rookie in Brunicke to take on a top-four role out of the gate.
If the Penguins truly want to compete and take a big step next season, it likely doesn't involve Letang in a top-four role anymore, but it realistically probably doesn't involve Brunicke in one quite yet, either. Which puts them in quite the pickle.
All that said, seeking outside help may not be the worst idea -- especially if that outside help is a mid-20 something with upside and the potential to act as that bridge - or, potentially, as more - between where Brunicke is now and him eventually accepting the baton from Letang or Karlsson.
This has been written about, but Buffalo Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring seems to make a lot of sense here, as he is more proven at the NHL level than Brunicke but, at 26, could use a change of scenery after injuries and inconsistency pushed him out of a potential top-four role in Buffalo. He is also a pending-RFA, and the Sabres will be cap-crunched if they look to add substantially this summer, rendering a deal between the two clubs actually making sense.
If someone like Kesselring can be had for a fair price, it could, potentially, be the best situation for the Penguins and for Brunicke. They would be getting a player who should be able to help them in the now and, potentially, be a mainstay for future contention, and they would also be getting a player to tow the line of challenging Brunicke while also shielding him from taking on too much too soon.
And, yes, there is a fine line between blocking young talent and handing them the keys, and Dubas and the Penguins must tread carefully and hold that line when it comes to their most promising defensive prospect and, arguably, their most promising prospect in general. Because of their lack of true prospect depth on the blueline, they cannot afford to miss on Brunicke, and they have to do everything in their power to set him up for success.
For everyone's benefit, introducing, at least, a stopgap "replacement" might not be the worst thing for the "rookie" who has a hefty load of the team's future weighing on his shoulders.
Nobody expected Scott Wedgewood to take over Colorado's crease, but training camp could determine whether he ever gives it back.
The most intriguing storyline surrounding the Colorado Avalanche next season won't be a trade deadline addition or a midseason surge. It'll begin the first day training camp opens.
Can Mackenzie Blackwood take the starting job back from Scott Wedgewood?
The Avalanche will continue to call it a tandem, and that's the expected answer. But when the games carried the most weight, the rotation largely disappeared. Wedgewood got the lion's share of the starts in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, making it clear who Jared Bednar trusted when everything was on the line.
That has become a talking point for a fanbase still trying to process how a team that looked like a legitimate Stanley Cup favorite was swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final.
As always, the search for blame began almost immediately.
Brock Nelson's production was scrutinized. Martin Necas became an easy target. Nathan MacKinnon's injury entered the conversation. But reducing Colorado's collapse to one player or one moment ignores what actually happened.
The Avalanche were pushed around from the opening faceoff of Game 1. They lost battles along the boards, struggled to manage the puck, and repeatedly surrendered leads. The speed and offensive firepower that masked so many flaws during the regular season suddenly disappeared, leaving behind the defensive lapses and careless turnovers that had quietly followed the team all year.
That's why the spotlight has now landed on Wedgewood.
He certainly had difficult moments against Vegas, but there were remarkably few instances where you could point to an obvious bad goal and say he cost Colorado the game. More often than not, he was dealing with odd-man rushes, broken coverage, or self-inflicted mistakes in front of him.
Ironically, this entire conversation may have started months before the playoffs.
Blackwood entered the season recovering from a lower-body injury that Bednar later acknowledged to The Hockey News took longer than expected to heal.
The Hockey News attended several voluntary offseason skates, and Blackwood participated in one late in the summer alongside several AHL players. From this writer's vantage point, he looked noticeably slow—enough that it raised concerns. During another session a few days later, Blackwood audibly groaned in pain during a drill before leaving the ice and disappearing from workouts for an extended stretch.
It became increasingly obvious he wasn't fully healthy.
While Blackwood worked his way back, Wedgewood quietly took advantage of the opportunity. He handled the majority of the reps, looked comfortable from the start, and carried that confidence into the regular season.
That's really where this story began.
Wedgewood came out flying and stayed that way for long stretches, while Blackwood never quite found a consistent rhythm. He started slowly, caught fire, cooled off again, and spent much of the season alternating between brilliant and ordinary performances. Even so, he closed the year with a tremendous effort in Game 4 despite the loss.
It's also worth remembering that Blackwood and Wedgewood are built differently as goaltenders.
Bednar has explained that Blackwood is at his best when he has consistent preparation, regular reps, and the chance to settle into a rhythm over multiple starts. Wedgewood, meanwhile, is almost a throwback. He can sit for a week, step into the crease without warning, and immediately give his team a chance to win.
That's been the story of his career.
He's bounced around the league enough to earn the journeyman label, but somewhere along the way he quietly became one of the NHL's most dependable—and underrated—goaltenders.
There's a reason Avalanche fans embraced the nickname "The Lumberyard."
Wedgewood didn't simply keep the net warm while Blackwood recovered. He grabbed the opportunity and turned it into the best season of his career.
He finished 31-6-6 in 45 appearances with a 2.02 goals-against average and a career-high—and league-leading—.921 save percentage. Those numbers went a long way toward explaining why he and Blackwood shared the William M. Jennings Trophy as the NHL's top goaltending tandem.
Blackwood's season deserves a little more context than the raw numbers provide.
Despite never fully settling into a rhythm, he still posted a 23-10-2 record with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. Considering his save percentage dipped below .900 at multiple points before climbing back over the mark by season's end, the finish was more encouraging than it might appear at first glance.
It's difficult to find timing and confidence when you miss training camp, skip the preseason, and spend the opening weeks trying to catch up while the goaltender sharing your crease is putting together one of the best statistical seasons in hockey.
And that's exactly what makes this training camp so compelling.
If Blackwood arrives healthy and finally gets the preparation Bednar believes he needs, the Avalanche could once again have the luxury of two starting-caliber goaltenders pushing each other every night. Wedgewood has already proven he can carry a contender for extended stretches, while Blackwood still possesses the ceiling that convinced Colorado he could be its long-term answer.
Maybe the Avalanche truly do have a tandem.
Or maybe Wedgewood has earned the right to keep the crease until someone takes it away.
Either way, "The Lumberyard" enters next season as one of Colorado's biggest strengths—and perhaps the most fascinating position battle on a roster built to win the Stanley Cup.
Ethan Bear skates during a September 2025 practice for the Islanders.
The Islanders brought back organizational depth for their blue line Monday, inking defenseman Ethan Bear to a one-year, two-way extension, the team announced.
He was set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
Bear, 28 years old and a fifth-round pick by the Oilers in 2015, has skated in 275 NHL games across his career — most recently in March 2024 with the Capitals — but hasn’t found a route back to that level the last two seasons.
With AHL Bridgeport in 2025-26, Bear sustained an injury during training camp and appeared only in 40 games during the regular season, collecting four goals and 23 assists to lead the affiliate’s defensemen in scoring.
But earlier in his career, Bear, on occasion, secured a regular role in NHL lineups, logging 71 games for the Oilers in 2019-20, 58 for the Hurricanes in 2021-22 and another 61 for the Canucks the following season.
He was waived by Washington in October 2024, assigned to AHL Hershey for the 2024-25 campaign after clearing, earned an AHL All-Star Game nod and ended up with Bridgeport last season on a two-way deal.
Bear will be far from the only question the Islanders have to answer regarding the right side of their organization’s blue line this summer.
Ethan Bear skates during a September 2025 practice for the Islanders. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Tony D’Angelo will be an unrestricted free agent.
They have plenty of depth on the left side, starting with Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer, Adam Pelech and a recovering Alexander Romanov, but Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield are the only certainties on the right side.
Those calls and additions will likely impact Mathieu Darche’s club at the NHL level more imminently than the Bear transaction.
But for now, in the weeks before free agency begins, the Islanders began by addressing their depth.
On Monday morning, the Winnipeg Jets announced that they have extended Walker Duehr, the fifth leading scorer of their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. Less than a year ago, the 28-year-old undrafted right winger signed as a free agent with the Jets, only skating in three NHL games last season.
According to the press release, Duehr's new deal is two years in length and worth $1.75 million, with a $850,000 salary in the NHL.
After four seasons in the NCAA with Minnesota State University, Duehr joined the Calgary Flames organization, skating five games with the Stockton Heat and making his NHL debut on Nov. 14, 2021. He'd spend parts of four seasons with Calgary before the San Jose Sharks claimed him off waivers on Jan. 22, 2025. Instead of staying on the main roster, he played only eight games with the Sharks and 16 with the Barracuda in the AHL.
Interestingly, since turning professional in 2021, Duehr actually skated the most games last season, suiting up 62 with the Moose, tallying 17 goals and 34 points, and going pointless in three contests with the Jets. The 2025-26 campaign also marked the first time in his hockey career, since AAA hockey, that he scored more than 15 goals and 30 points.
As a member of the Tri-City Storm, Duehr won the USHL Clark Cup in 2015-16, and followed that up with an NCAA (WCHA) championship in 2018-19. After six seasons in the AHL, his stat line includes 59 goals and 112 points in 205, while in the NHL, he's got 11 goals and 21 points in 95 games.
By adding Duehr's contract to the books, the Jets have roughly $21 million left in cap space with a couple of unrestricted and restricted free agents left to sign, in addition to adding a backup goalie for Connor Hellebuyck.
Another NHL season has come and gone without the Detroit Red Wings anywhere near a Stanley Cup celebration, and as the confetti falls for another organization, it presents yet another opportunity for the Red Wings to study what separates contenders from pretenders.
This past season, the lessons come courtesy of the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights and, more importantly, the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
The Golden Knights offer perhaps the most instructive case study in modern NHL roster construction as General manager Kelly McCrimmon has built a culture of aggressive, calculated risk-taking, consistently flipping draft assets and prospects for proven impact players at exactly the right moments.
Almost no players on the Vegas roster is homegrown, yet the Golden Knights have remained perennial contenders by making their organization appear as an irresistible destination, the kind of place where players know the front office is serious about winning at all costs. That reputation attracts talent, and that talent helps the team continue to win games.
That culture of urgency is precisely what Detroit has severely lacked in recent years as the situation has reached a boiling point when franchise captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade, citing in the past that their is a lack of organizational vision when it comes to genuinely contending for a Stanley Cup.
The Red Wings possess more than enough assets to make the kind of aggressive moves Vegas has made repeatedly. However, the difference is that general manager Steve Yzerman has not viewed those swings as the right fit for where the franchise stands.
Rather than pursuing players like Robert Thomas or Quinn Hughes, players who are home run talents and could genuinely elevate the roster, Yzerman has tended toward singles and doubles. This past season, Justin Faulk and David Perron are useful additions, and Faulk in particular looks like he could be a meaningful contributor going forward, but on a true contender he would be the third or fourth addition when making a run towards a Stanley Cup.
Vegas built its identity by going all in, with Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, Mark Stone and most recently Mitch Marner being acquired not by playing it safe. They were acquired by selling assets aggressively and timing those moves with precision. It is worth noting that the financial model matters just as much as the boldness of the moves.
The only players to win the Stanley Cup while carrying eight-figure cap hits are Eichel with Vegas and Sergei Bobrovsky and Aleksander Barkov with Florida. Keeping individual salaries at or around the $10 million range allows organizations to build the kind of roster depth that survives a two-month playoff grind and the Hurricanes are the clearest proof of that principle.
Carolina won the Stanley Cup without a single player earning eight figures, with Sebastian Aho serving as the highest-paid player on the roster at $9.75 million. They also enter the off-season with close to $12 million in available cap space, a testament to how methodically the organization has been constructed. They didn't build their roster overnight as they developed some homegrown talent but also made aggressive moves for impact players when the moment called for it.
They went out and added Nikolaj Ehlers in free agency, traded for superstar winger Mikko Rantanen and later landed Logan Stankoven from Dallas in a follow-up deal, brought in experienced contributors like Taylor Hall at the right price, and filled their bottom six with reliable, cheap depth pieces in William Carrier, Jordan Martinook, Eric Robinson, Mark Jankowski and Jordan Staal, who has never been easy to overlook regardless of where he plays. They also added K'Andre Miller via trade and signed Sean Walker to shore up the back end.
Every one of those moves was calculated and added a different touch to a roster that would go on to slowly develop into a Stanley Cup champion.
The concern in Detroit is that Yzerman's approach, while patient and methodical, does not appear to be trending in that direction with enough urgency. Additions like John Gibson and Justin Faulk make sense as finishing pieces for a team already on the cusp of contending.
But they cannot be the headline moves for a team still trying to establish itself as a legitimate threat. Taking swings at players like Robert Thomas or Quinn Hughes, players who push a roster forward rather than merely maintaining the status quo, is what separates the organizations hoisting trophies from the ones watching them do it. Until Detroit starts making those kinds of moves, the gap between the Red Wings and the league's elite will likely remain exactly where it is.
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The Winnipeg Jets have spent years building toward something special, and yet when the Stanley Cup was handed out once again this past spring, they were watching from home just like the majority of the league.
Lessons from the teams that went furthest, the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights and Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, are sitting right there for Kevin Cheveldayoff to absorb and act on.
The Golden Knights remain perhaps the most instructive case study in modern NHL roster construction. General manager Kelly McCrimmon has built a culture of aggressive, calculated risk-taking, consistently flipping draft assets and prospects for proven impact players at exactly the right moments.
Almost no one on the Vegas roster is homegrown, yet the Golden Knights have remained perennial contenders by positioning their organization as an irresistible destination, the kind of place where players know the front office is committed to winning at all costs.
To their credit, the Jets have shown a willingness to operate with a similar mindset, locking up world-class talents like Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck to long-term commitments speaks to an organizational vision that players have bought into.
But where Winnipeg has fallen short is in making the kind of complementary moves that push a contender over the top. Instead of swinging for the fences this past offseason, the Jets brought in Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist, additions that underwhelmed and ultimately did little to move the needle behind the team's core stars. In a league where the margins between playoff teams are razor thin, those are the kinds of misses that cost you.
The consequences of those misfires have now created urgency at the highest level with Hellebuyck being vocal in the media about his desire to win a Stanley Cup, and his comments carried the unmistakable weight of a ticking clock.
Winnipeg enters this offseason with some major positives like over $21 million in available cap space and an opportunity to reshape a forward group that badly needs new blood after too many players underperformed this past season.
Carolina's blueprint is worth studying closely with no players earning eight figures, building their roster through a combination of bold acquisitions and smart, affordable signings.
They landed Nikolaj Ehlers in free agency, traded for Mikko Rantanen and later added Logan Stankoven from Dallas, brought in Taylor Hall at the right price, and filled their bottom six with reliable contributors like William Carrier, Jordan Martinook, Eric Robinson, Mark Jankowski and Jordan Staal. They also fortified the back end through a trade for K'Andre Miller and the signing of Sean Walker.
Winnipeg does not need to replicate every one of those moves, but the approach is a model worth following. The Jets have an opportunity to dip into a free agent market rich in capable middle-six and bottom-six forwards.
Names like Michael Bunting, Scott Laughton, Eeli Tolvanen, Bobby McMann, Mason Marchment, Anthony Mantha, Jason Dickinson and Oliver Bjorkstrand all represent realistic targets who could make meaningful contributions without breaking the cap bank. Adding three of these kinds of players to the mix could go a long way toward restoring the offensive depth this team has been missing.
Beyond the depth market, the Jets need to take an all-in swing on a true top-six impact forward, the kind of move that changes the complexion of the lineup the way the Ehlers acquisition changed Carolina's. Winnipeg still has draft picks and prospects to work with, and if the window is as open as Hellebuyck's comments suggest the organization believes, those assets need to be spent.
Despite a season hampered by injuries, the Jets defense is not a concern as they still have their top four anchored by Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Dylan DeMelo and Dylan Samberg. The focus this offseason needs to be entirely on rebuilding the offense.
Winnipeg is ahead of many teams around they league, with elite goaltending, proven star forwards and a legitimate defensive core that is closer to contending than most teams in the league. The gap between the Jets and the Golden Knights is not talent at the top but rather the finishing touches, the kinds of moves that create meaningful separation in the standings and genuine depth for a playoff run.
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NHL broadcaster Ron MacLean has apologized for making a comment about roofies before Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
With the game between the Hurricanes and Golden Knights taking place in Las Vegas, Sportsnet did a skit inspired by the movie “The Hangover” that showed Keeper of the Cup Phil Pritchard asleep on a couch next to the trophy.
After the skit, MacLean said, “The roofies, they’ll get you every time.”
Ron MacLean attends the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards at CBC Broadcast Centre. Getty Images
MacLean apologized for the comment later during the coverage of Game 6, acknowledging his mistake.
“I referenced a scene in the movie in which the tiger is put to sleep, Mike Tyson’s tiger. The Keepers of the Cup, of course, are asleep in the skit and I used the term, the slang term for the drug which has far more serious connotations in reality,” MacLean said.
— bnpeki Matthew Knies Enjoyer (@bnpeki) June 15, 2026
“I should have made that connection. I did not. .. I know I triggered some people, I know I offended some people with that remark, and I feel very bad for that, and I want to thank you for bringing it to my attention, to our attention. Very sorry.”
MacLean has been in the news for controversy before, staying silent during his former Coach’s Corner co-host Don Cherry’s comments that Canadian immigrants do not benefit from the sacrifices of veterans and do not wear remembrance poppies.
Ron MacLean apologizes after making a comment on roofies during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. @bnpeki/X
The Canadian also apologized for that mistake after Cherry was forced to step down.
The Hurricanes won the game 3-0 to claim their first Stanley Cup since 2006.
The 2025-26 NHL Season has officially concluded with the Carolina Hurricanes winning their first Stanley Cup since 2006.
Now that the offseason has arrived, one of the main storylines in the coming days and weeks leading up to the 2026 Draft is the future of Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin.
Larkin, who has played only five Stanley Cup Playoff games in his NHL career, which began in 2015, requested a trade from Detroit earlier this month after the club missed the postseason for the 10th year in a row, which is now the longest active drought.
Is Detroit any closer to finding a taker for Larkin? According to top NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, who initially reported Larkin's trade request, an offer may be on the table for GM STeve Yzerman.
While speaking on Sportsnet 590 The Fan, Friedman indicated that he believes not only is there "groundwork" of a deal being built, but that the Red Wings may also have already received an offer from the Florida Panthers, who were one of three teams on Larkin's initial trade request list.
"I definitely think the action has started on Larkin," Friedman said. "I think that teams have contacted Yzerman, and I think - I believe Florida has made an offer. So, I mean, we'll see. I think there's action going on out there, there's no question. There's talk going on right now, and I don't know if anything gets done. Like, it's tough."
"Vegas and Carolina, they're two teams who like to deal, but they're like, 'Yeah, we don't need any trade rumors about us right now.' But I definitely think there's groundwork and conversations being done out there."
According to reports led by Detroit Free Press beat writer Helene St. James, the three teams on Larkin's trade list included the Panthers along with the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild, all of whom feature one or more of his teammates from the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.
The Panthers hold the No. 9 overall selection in the upcoming NHL Draft, which could be dangled as bait for Larkin. As of now, the Red Wings do not have a first-round selection after having traded it in March to the St. Louis Blues as part of the package to acquire Justin Faulk.
Forward Anton Lundell, who has 89 combined points over the last two seasons, has also been suggested as a potential trade piece Florida could offer.
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The Chicago Blackhawks have a big decision to make with their fourth-overall pick. This year's draft class has many interesting options, and the Blackhawks will be looking to land a future star with their first-rounder.
The Athletic recently released their latest 2026 NHL Mock Draft, where multiple of their writers predicted the entire first round. When it came to the Blackhawks' fourth-overall pick, Scott Powers had Chicago select defenseman Chase Reid.
Reid showed great promise this season in the OHL with the Soo Greyhounds, as he posted 18 goals, 30 assists, and 48 points in 45 games. This is after he had seven goals and 40 points in 39 games with the Greyhounds during the 2024-25 season. With numbers like these, it is clear that he has a lot of skill.
The potential for Reid to emerge as a star defenseman in the NHL is there, so it would make sense if the Blackhawks went with him as their fourth-overall pick. This is especially so if players Ivar Stenberg, Caleb Malhorta, and projected first-overall pick Gavin McKenna get selected before the Blackhawks are on the clock.
However, the Blackhawks also have two exciting right-shot defensemen in Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov, so it would also be understandable if Chicago pursued a left-shot defenseman with their first-round pick. If they do want a left-shot defenseman, Carson Carels and Alberts Smits are the top options available this year.
Nevertheless, Reid would still be a great pickup for the Blackhawks' system is selected. He has the tools to become a high-impact two-way defenseman in the NHL, so let's see if he ends up being Chicago's selection.
The Athletic released its latest 2026 NHL Mock Draft. Several of their writers predicted the first round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
When it came to the Montreal Canadiens' first-round pick, Arpon Basu predicted that the Habs would select forward Nikita Klepov this year.
Klepov would be a very fascinating prospect for the Canadiens to add to their system. The 17-year-old winger just had a dominant season in the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit, posting 37 goals, 60 assists, and 97 points in 67 games. His 97 points were the most in the entire OHL this season, so it is clear that the young winger has a ton of offensive potential.
Klepov would have the potential to be an outstanding fit on a Canadiens club that is full of skilled players. He has the potential to emerge as an impactful NHL forward later down the road, so he could be worth taking a gamble on if he is available when the Habs are on the clock.
However, given how strong of a season Klepov just had, it would also not be surprising in the slightest if he is already selected when it is time for the Canadiens to pick. It will be interesting to see what happens on that front, but if Klepov is available, the Canadiens should strongly consider picking him.
When the Carolina Hurricanes celebrated with the Stanley Cup, did you notice that somewhere between the hugs, the champagne and the endless shots of Rod Brind'Amour hoisting the most prized trophy in sports, Carolina had something Edmonton didn't?
Besides the cup, oobviously.
Carolina had just climbed to the top of the totem pole without possessing the kind of individual talent that usually dominates social media posts, magazine covers and debates over who the best player in the world happens to be.
They didn't have Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, or anyone as close to that level of talent.
And yet there they were, the last team standing.
That fact is both encouraging and instructive for the Edmonton Oilers.
Fans in Edmonton are fortunate enough to watch two generational talents every night, but here has always been something a little unfair about the expectations that accompany them, as though McDavid and Draisaitl are supposed to drag every weakness, bad line and defensive breakdown across the finish line by themselves.
Carolina's stars are excellent players. Sebastian Aho is one of the league's most underrated centres. Seth Jarvis has blossomed into a terrific winger. Jaccob Slavin remains one of the finest defensive defencemen in hockey. Frederik Andersen gave them quality goaltending when it mattered most.
But let's be honest, nobody is confusing that group with the sheer star power Edmonton possesses.
The Hurricanes didn't win because one player put the franchise on his back.
They won because there were no passengers. Their stars had helped. Their third line mattered. Their defence contributed. Their penalty kill mattered. Their fourth line mattered.
Everybody pushed in the same direction.
Which is why some of the conversations that surface after every disappointing season in Edmonton have always felt a little strange.
Somewhere along the way, Oil Country began treating Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl less like stars and more like solutions.
Wayne Gretzky had Mark Messier and Paul Coffey. Sidney Crosby had Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Nathan MacKinnon has Cale Makar.
Nobody wins alone. And that's the lesson Stan Bowman should take from what Carolina just accomplished.
Not that Edmonton needs fewer stars. Quite the opposite. The Oilers should wake up every morning thankful they employ McDavid and Draisaitl because players like that simply don't come around very often.
The challenge isn't finding another Connor McDavid.
The challenge is finding Edmonton's version of Seth Jarvis. Or Jordan Martinook. Or Jaccob Slavin. Or the players who quietly turn good teams into great ones without attracting much attention along the way.
Carolina's Stanley Cup run wasn't powered by superstars overwhelming other teams every night.
It was powered by depth, and structure, and everyone understanding their role and doing it exceptionally well.
That should be the most comforting part for Edmonton fans.
The Oilers don't need Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to become something more.
What they need is a roster that asks less of them. Less pressure with fewer minutes and more support. More nights where two points from McDavid and Draisaitl feel like a luxury instead of a necessity.
Because as Carolina proved last night, Stanley Cups aren't necessarily won by the team with the biggest names.
The Athletic released their latest 2026 NHL Mock Draft, where several of their writers predicted the first round. When it came to the Philadelphia Flyers' first-round pick, Kevin Kurz predicted that the Flyers would select center Maddox Dagenais.
Dagenais would be a fascinating prospect for the Flyers to add to their system. The 6-foot-4 center has the potential to become an impactful player in the NHL and would give the Flyers another promising center prospect, which is a need.
Dagenais just had a strong season in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts. In 62 games with the QMJHL club, the Montreal native posted 30 goals, 32 assists, and 62 points. This is after he had 12 goals and 26 points in 43 games with the Remparts during the 2024-25 season.
Overall, Dagenais has shown promise at the junior level and could be some consideration if he is available when the Flyers are on the clock. However, when noting that he is a big center with good upside, it is certainly possible that another club could take him before it is the Flyers' turn to select.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Flyers end up making Dagenais their first-round pick at the draft this year. The fit looks strong on paper.
Flyers Legend Rod Brind'Amour Joins Exclusive Company in NHL HistoryPhiladelphia Flyers Hall of Famer Rod Brind'Amour is now a member of one of the most exclusive clubs in sports after winning another Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Matthew Knies Enjoyer (@bnpeki) 
