On Monday night, the Montreal Canadiens, who have an average age of 25.8, became the youngest team to advance to the Conference Final since the Habs in 1992-93. Back then, the Sainte-Flanelle had an average age of, you guessed it, 25.8.
While that’s an interesting similarity with the Tricolore’s last Stanley Cup conquests, there is one big difference between the two editions of the team’s journey in the playoffs. Back then, the Habs had to face the Quebec Nordiques, who were second in the then Adams Division, the Buffalo Sabres, who were fourth in the same division, the New York Islanders, who had finished third in the then Patrick Division, and the Los Angeles Kings, who had finished third in the then Smythe Division.
That year, the Canadiens didn’t have to face the toughest opponents, the Islanders having eliminated the Presidents' Trophy winners, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in the second round. The Pens, who had Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and Rick Tocchet in their lineup, were heavily favored but bowed out of the playoffs in a dramatic Game 7 overtime loss.
This year, the Canadiens have had to face the Tampa Bay Lightning, who were fifth overall in the standings, and the Sabres, who were fourth overall, and they will now face the second-ranked Carolina Hurricanes.
Meanwhile, the other semi-finalists had easier journeys. The Colorado Avalanche faced the 20th-overall Kings, the 7th-overall Minnesota Wild, and will now take on the 13th-overall Vegas Golden Knights. The Knights took on the 16th-ranked Utah Mammoth, the 15th-ranked Anaheim Ducks, and will face the 1st-ranked Avalanche. As for the Hurricanes, they had to overcome the ninth-overall Ottawa Senators and the 10th-overall Philadelphia Flyers and will now face the 6th-overall Canadiens.
If the Canadiens manage to get through the Hurricanes, they will have beaten three of the top five teams in the league in the regular season on their way to the Stanley Cup Final. That would be quite a feat.
In the late hours on the eve of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Anaheim Ducks acquired defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a conditional 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick.
The condition on the pick stated that if the Ducks missed the 2026 playoffs, they could elect to send Washington their 2027 first-round pick instead. The Ducks made the playoffs, so conditions were not met, and their 2026 pick now belongs to the Caps.
Carlson (36) was in the final year of his contract that carried an AAV of $8 million.
“I thought this was a time where I looked at giving this group another extra push, another little aid in helping us make this push to where we want to go,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said after the trade. “And so ultimately, if we get into the playoffs and we can have a nice run, I looked at it like this: it's worth it. It's worth it to give this group experience, give them a chance to make the playoffs, and to do well in the playoffs, with the hope that we'll be able to re-sign him when this season's over.”
Carlson was injured at the time of the trade, but wound up playing 16 games for the Ducks down the stretch of the regular season, where he was a fixture on both Ducks special teams units, averaged 24:11 TOI per game, and scored 14 points (3-11=14).
He played all 12 of the Ducks’ games in the playoffs, in the very same role as he did in the regular season, greatly factoring into the franchise’s first series win since their trip to the 2017 Western Conference Final. In those 12 games, playing primarily with partner Pavel Mintyukov, he averaged 24:03 TOI/G and scored six points (0-6=6).
Anaheim’s season came to an end on Thursday in Game 6 of their second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Carlson played a total of 28 games with the Ducks (including regular season and playoffs), and he will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if he and the Ducks do not come to an agreement on an extension before then.
Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
“I certainly loved it here, and there’s a lot of moving parts, but I’ve loved my time,” Carlson said during his exit interview. “It’s a special place here for sure, with some extraordinary talent and a bright future. So, that is certainly attractive to anyone, not just myself.”
The Ducks will now send the 18th overall pick in the 2026 Draft and their third-round pick in 2027 to the Capitals. Now that the dust has settled and the landscape is clear, the question of worth comes back to the forefront.
The idea of adding a player of Carlson’s caliber and experience to the Ducks’ roster made perfect sense at the time of the trade. The critiques of the trade lie in the price of acquiring a player on an expiring contract and the fit of said player on the roster he was joining.
Carlson had been Washington’s #1 defenseman for over a decade prior to the trade, was a force on both sides of the puck, and ate minutes on the power play, penalty kill, and at 5v5.
As his career has progressed and he’s found his way into his mid-to-late thirties, Carlson’s mobility has predictably declined, as has his defensive impact, while he’s maintained a high percentage of his offensive prowess.
With dynamic, albeit unproven offensive talents littered throughout their blueline (Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov) and defensive pipeline (Tristan Luneau), adding another offensive-oriented defender raised eyebrows and questions of whether it was the right add for this Ducks lineup.
“The things that I’ve liked a lot about him is he's a very intelligent player, very good puck mover,” Verbeek said of what he adds to his defense corps. “I like how he joins the rush in a real cerebral way. His 5-on-5 numbers this year have been outstanding. So I think moving forward, whether it's a playoff run or a playoff push, 5-on-5 play becomes very important, and it'll be important for our group to make sure that we can keep pushing to make the playoffs.
“When I look at what he's done, I think that was probably the most important part of all. Now, we can distribute the ice time in a different manner. We can get better matchups.
There's a lot that went into acquiring him and allowing us to have different looks, different options for our coaching staff.”
Carlson produced well in the regular season, and his underlying numbers were positive in the playoffs. When he was on the ice at 5v5, the Ducks accounted for 53.36% of the shots on goal, 54.59% of the shot attempts, and 51.55% of the expected goals, despite being outscored 11-7.
He was a key factor on the Ducks’ spectacular power play in their opening series against the Oilers, where they converted on eight of 16 opportunities. He was an important piece on the breakout, executing key first passes out of the zone to spark rush opportunities for his teammates.
However, his impact and the positive aspects he brought to the Ducks were somewhat negated in the Ducks’ next series against the Golden Knights.
Vegas was able to thwart the Anaheim power play, which only converted four goals on 22 opportunities through six games. The Knights played a stingy brand of defense in their end, blocking endless perimeter shots and limiting Carlson’s ability to produce from a relatively stationary position at the point. Lastly, they were able to eliminate his breakout impact, cycle for extended periods of time in the Anaheim zone, and exploit the Ducks’ overall lack of inner slot defensive prowess, an area where Carlson doesn’t exactly thrive.
Hindsight will always be 20/20, and Carlson did inarguably improve the Ducks’ blueline down the stretch of the regular season and into their playoff run. However, one can’t help but wonder if other reportedly available defensemen at the trade deadline, such as Colton Parayko, MacKenzie Weegar, or Brandon Carlo, would have been better stylistic and long-term fits on the Ducks’ back end than Carlson.
Until July 1, the Ducks will have exclusive negotiating rights with their three veteran UFA right-shot defensemen: Carlson, Jacob Trouba, and Radko Gudas. This offseason will provide Verbeek a unique opportunity to address an area of need, both on the roster and on the ice, and decisions made could prove pivotal in determining how they can build off the success of the 2025-26 season and playoff run.
NEW YORK — The Vegas Golden Knights’ appeal to have their punishment reduced for breaking media access rules was denied by the NHL and they will lose a second-round pick in the draft this year, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league had not announced the result of the team’s appeal.
The league docked Vegas the second-rounder and fined coach John Tortorella $100,000 for what it called flagrant violations of media regulations. Tortorella refused to speak to reporters and the team did not open its locker room following its second-round-series-clinching Game 6 victory at Anaheim.
Announcing the sanctions, the NHL said the Golden Knights had been warned previously about not following media and other policies. They were offered the chance to appeal in person to Commissioner Gary Bettman, and that ultimately was unsuccessful in getting the pick back or the fine reduced or rescinded.
The loss of a second-round pick is the strictest punishment for breaking media access rules in league history. Vegas opens the Western Conference Final at the Colorado Avalanche.
Asked about the punishment, Tortorella told reporters in Las Vegas, “We put out a statement as an organization, and so we’ll go back that. We have no more comment on that.” That statement said only that the team was aware of the announcement and would have no further comment.
Tortorella took over as coach on an interim basis when Bruce Cassidy was fired on March 29. The Golden Knights went 7-0-1 in their final eight regular-season games, then beat the Utah Mammoth and the Ducks to make it to the West final for a fourth time in their nine-year existence.
Now 67, Tortorella coached the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004. He has been fined $262,000 for various transgressions over his time in the NHL.
The Chicago Blackhawks have a huge off-season ahead. It already began with them being given the 4th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks jumped up into first and second, pushing Chicago down two spots.
Now, what lies ahead is an important period of time in which the Blackhawks must use to improve their team ahead of the 2026-27 season. After an 11-point improvement in 2025-26, a strong off-season may allow them to get closer to being in the race.
There are plenty of moves that could be made to improve the team via trades, free agency, and the draft. Some moves would be more consequential than others.
In a perfect off-season, the Blackhawks would address at least four of their most important weaknesses. These five transactions would make it a perfect off-season:
Whether Ivar Stenberg or Caleb Malhotra falls to them, they choose a defenseman, or make a trade involving the pick, they must make the right decision.
The Blackhawks have already built up a strong young core. They have a lot of development left, but there is talent there. Adding another high-end prospect to the mix will only increase their chances of succeeding in the future.
Once they make the selection, assuming they make it, it will only become a strong pick with good development plans.
2. Sign Connor Bedard and make him the captain
Connor Bedard has lived up to being a first overall pick so far. His ability to generate offense for himself and his teammates has been noticeable from day one.
Whether it's Philipp Kurashev, Taylor Hall, Ryan Donato, Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Greene, or Andre Burakovsky, Bedard has found a way to put up points in bunches with any linemate over his first three seasons. If they could find him a star to play with, he would take another step in production.
Before any of that happens, however, the Blackhawks must get Bedard extended. On July 1st, he will officially become a restricted free agent. The Blackhawks are likely to get him signed up to a long-term deal that includes an average annual value of over $10 million.
It will be a lucrative contract for Bedard, but he's worth every penny. At one point, he might be "underpaid" based on NHL standards.
After he is signed long-term to a massive contract, the Blackhawks are going to name him as the team's next captain. After Nick Foligno left the team via a trade, it became apparent that Bedard was next.
Bedard made it clear that being the next captain would mean a lot to him and would be a role that he embraces.
"It’d be an honor," Bedard said on being the captain. "It’d be extremely special. We have a lot of guys in this room who can lead and take on those kinds of roles. If I’m the one who is chosen for that, I’d be extremely grateful, and that’s not something anyone would take for granted. This is a special organization; it’s been around for 100 years now. You see the names that have gotten that honor, that would be amazing. But whatever fits the team best, and whatever Kyle and everyone is thinking on that. Whatever happens, happens with that."
3. Add a key veteran forward & defenseman
Whether it's a linemate for Connor Bedard or a middle-six forward, the Blackhawks need at least one veteran forward added to the mix. More scoring touch is going to help this team, but they need someone older who has a proven track record of consistency.
It may also come in the form of a middle-six forward if they believe that Connor Bedard will play with young players already in the organization. Regardless, another solid veteran forward is needed in one way or another.
This also applies to the defense without the Connor Bedard factor. After trading Connor Murphy and Matt Grzelcyk went down with an injury, Alex Vlasic became the oldest defenseman on the NHL roster.
It is time to look for another older player to bring a steady presence to the group. With Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov, Wyatt Kaiser, and Louis Crevier as the big-minute guys on the team, they can use some support from someone who has played big minutes elsewhere.
The Blackhawks don't have to increase their average age by 5 or more years, but it would be helpful if they weren't the youngest team in the league again. Being like Montreal, the youngest team to make the playoffs, is where you want to be.
32 Thoughts Monday morning playoff preview, news & interview pod. Not reported in it, but heard this morning: Oilers have permission to talk to Craig Berube.
Today's guest is Henrik Sedin. Great answers to terrible questions.
If that is true, he will be traded away to a team that is attempting to sign him before he officially becomes a free agent. That relieves the Blackhawks of another veteran who is one of the best penalty killers and a solid, even-strength two-way player. That's tough to lose.
If it is so certain that they have to let him go, they must replace him. If they don't, they will go from having a top-two penalty kill to being outside of the top ten.
That player who directly replaces Mikheyev may or may not already be within the organization. Oliver Moore and Ryan Greene are guys who have similar profiles, but the team must be sure that they are getting the equal production of Mikheyev from someone else if they are letting him go.
It makes sense that the Blackhawks are uninterested in giving him a long-term extension, and money has nothing to do with it, but a younger player must be ready to take on his role.
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VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Adam Foote is out as coach of the Vancouver Canucks, fired Tuesday as part of the organization's latest purge of staff following a last-place finish in the NHL this season.
Foote lasted just one year in the role after being promoted from an assistant to succeed Rick Tocchet, who decided to leave when his contract was up. The Canucks lost 57 of 82 games to end up 14 points lower than the next-closest team in the league standings.
Assistant coaches Kevin Dean, Scott Young and Brett McLean also were dismissed.
Moving on from Foote comes after a total front-office overhaul. Last week, Hall of Fame player twin brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin were named co-presidents, and Ryan Johnson was elevated to general manager.
Then-president of hockey ops Jim Rutherford fired GM Patrik Allvin last month, then the 77-year-old announced on May 5 he was stepping down from the job he had held since 2021. Despite having the highest odds to get the first pick, the Canucks lost again in the draft lottery, falling to No. 3 behind Toronto and San Jose.
Vancouver has made just two playoff appearances over the past decade and soon will have a fifth coach in six seasons. Tocchet won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year for his part in the Canucks qualifying in 2023-24, and he got Philadelphia in and to the second round this spring.
Foote, who was a defenseman during his playing career, was a favorite of former captain Quinn Hughes, who was traded to Minnesota in December. Also in consideration last year was retired forward Manny Malhotra, who coached the team's top minor league affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, to a Calder Cup title last year as champions of the American Hockey League.
Malhotra, who turned 46 on Monday, worked at the NHL level as an assistant with Vancouver from 2017-20 and the Maple Leafs from '20-24 before getting put in charge of Abbotsford. Johnson has been the GM of the AHL club for several years.
Should the Calgary Flames trade up to snag the second overall pick? It’s a bold move that definitely won’t come cheap.
Flames fans were likely hoping for better luck at the NHL Draft Lottery, but landing at sixth overall is where they currently stand.
While the sixth spot offers a solid prospect, the Flames need a franchise-altering forward to spark excitement, sell tickets, and provide hope. With a new arena on the horizon, the team needs to be competitive and exciting from day one - ownership has said as much. They need elite goal scoring, and forwards like Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg - who are slated to go in the top two picks - could potentially provide that.
With a surplus of second-rounders and two first-round picks, the Flames have the assets to move up. It might seem very unlikely for San Jose to part with the second pick, but as the saying goes, "If Gretzky can be traded, anyone can be moved."
So, what would it cost to move into that number two slot? It would be significant.
The Sharks could identify a cornerstone defenceman at the draft, like Carson Carels, Chase Reid or Keaton Verhoeff to complement their established phenom Macklin Celebrini. Meanwhile, with Matt Sundin at the helm in Toronto, they could potentially lean toward a Swedish selection like Stenberg, which would result in McKenna sliding to number two.
If the Flames can get there, somehow, they could finally land the star player the fanbase has been clambering for.
San Jose needs defence and better goaltending after finishing last season with the third most goals against, with 290. They also need veteran leadership. This is where the Flames can build a compelling package.
Whether it’s to secure Stenberg or McKenna, the Flames should be aggressive. Is it a heavy price? Maybe. Is it possible, sure, although not likely. But for a chance at a superstar, it’s a gamble worth taking.
The NHL Draft is on Jun 26-27, 2026 at Keybank Center in Buffalo and Craig Conroy will undoubtedly be looking for ways to level up this roster.
The Colorado Avalanche had just six power plays in total, so his output wasn't inflated by special teams. The tight whistle aligned with what we should see in a Conference Finals series, and MacKinnon still produced elite volume.
Expect more of the same in Game 1 at home. MacKinnon has generated five shots per game on 10.4 attempts through five contests in Colorado, and he has attempted 10+ shots in three of the last four.
Golden Knights vs Avalanche Game 1 same-game parlay
Quality defensive teams haven't been able to slow Cale Makar down. He has averaged exactly one assist over 21 meetings with Top-10 shot suppression teams, picking up a helper in 16 of them.
Carter Hart is not a goaltender the Avalanche should worry about. Home ice, coupled with an abundance of rest, should allow them to test him early and often in Game 1.
It's all about Jack Eichel on the Vegas side. He cleared 2.5 shots on goal in both appearances against Colorado this season, and has gone Over in eight of the last nine against the Avalanche.
Golden Knights vs Avalanche SGP
Nathan MacKinnon Over 4.5 shots
Cale Makar Over 0.5 assists
Jack Eichel Over 2.5 shots
Golden Knights vs Avalanche odds for Game 1
Moneyline: Golden Knights +155 | Avalanche -180
Puck Line: Golden Knights +1.5 (-155) | Avalanche -1.5 (+135)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+110) | Under 6.5 (-130)
Golden Knights vs Avalanche trend
Colorado has hit the moneyline in 13 of the last 15 games (+10.35 units, 36% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Golden Knights vs. Avalanche.
How to watch Golden Knights vs Avalanche Game 1
Location
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Date
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Puck drop
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Golden Knights vs Avalanche latest injuries
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With the Colorado Avalanche facing off against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals, it's going to be the first time these two teams have faced off against each other since the 2021 NHL Playoffs. Both teams can be seen as having taken different routes to reach the point where they now face off.
The Avalanche continued their regular-season dominance. The Los Angeles Kings, to no one's surprise, was a quick series, tight at times; though the Avalanche's talent overpowered the Kings. Though the Wild was a surprise to many others, as it was to me, for how quickly the series was.
Many, including myself, thought the Avalanche would come out of the series as the winners, but five games were pretty quick for what the Wild just went through with the Stars. Though the Avalanche capitalized on the Wild's weak spots and used some unfortunate injuries to their depth to once again move past to the next round in five games.
Then there's the Knights, a team that struggled at times against two young Western Conference teams, the Utah Mammoth and the Anaheim Ducks, but regrouped as the series went on and capitalized on their weaknesses to close out the series.
There will be some key factors in this series if both teams want to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Goaltending Will Be Key.
Both teams' goaltending has had some ups and downs, but the Avalanche does have a tandem. The Knights have been reliant on Carter Hart for all 12 games they have played. Win or lose, no matter what, he is their guy, and as the playoffs have continued, he has shown he is getting better.
He enters the series with an 8-4 record with a .915% save percentage and a 2.37 goals against average, which are no numbers to scoff at for the Avalanche. Similar to the Kings, the Knights want to play a very slow, controlled-paced game, limiting the number of shots on goal attempts by the enemy team.
That is one big reason why, during their series against the Ducks and Mammoth, they couldn't keep up with the speed and youth of those teams; they were forced into a shootout, and giving credit where it's due, they won some of those games, but it can be a recipe for success for the Avalanche.
The Avalanche needs to have all four lines rolling this series, constantly peppering Hart with shots. It's been a key reason the Avalanche are where they are today, thanks to their depth scoring, and it needs to be even more important in this one.
It goes the same for the Avalanche, goaltending-wise. They most likely run it back with Scott Wedgewood, given how well he played after his Game 4 loss to the Wild, but, again, to their advantage, if he can't find his rhythm, they have Mackenzie Blackwood to fall back on.
It will be interesting to see how this goaltending matchup plays out. I do believe now that the final four is set, that no matter who the Avalanche play, they have already faced the best goaltender in the playoffs, Jesper Wallstedt. It will be key to see if the Avalanche can force John Tortorella’s hand and pull Hart a game, forcing him to decide whether to start Adin Hill.
Capitalizing On Another Injury Affecting the Enemy’s Depth
The Wild took a major blow when they werent able to have Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Bordin in their lineup, hurting not only their defensive depth, which got exposed by the production from Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber, but also their center depth. In Vegas’s case, Mark Stone left Game 3 against the Ducks and didn’t play the rest of the series, and with his injury history, it could be a major flag for the Knights.
Here's the injury to Mark Stone that sent him to the locker room just before the 1st period ended. pic.twitter.com/PCx3WKe1n3
Now the Knights did end up winning said series, but losing Stone, who had three goals and four assists for seven points leading up to the injury, hurts the team going forward. He is a major piece of their offense, a key playmaking winger in their top-six, and just a great captain on and off the ice. Now there are no reports as of writing on whether he's going to be ready or miss Game 1 or more of the series, but like Eriksson Ek, you can’t miss the opportunity to win the games where he is not in the lineup.
We have already seen players like Jack Eichel and especially Mitch Marner help carry the offensive load in his absence, but the defensive burden is also missing with Stone out of the lineup.
Again, Marner has been outstanding for the Knights, putting up Conn Smyth-type numbers, but he can’t do it alone. Stone's absence from the lineup puts a lot of pressure on the top six to perform, and if the Avalanche can win the depth matchup, as they have so far in these playoffs, they need to capitalize on games without Stone.
Can The Avalanche Get More Support From Those Struggling
Despite the amount of scoring the Avalanche have gotten from pretty much everyone up and down the lineup, there is still more room for production, and that comes from the top-six. While Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas have led the way with support from Gabriel Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen, there could be more to expect from Valeri Nichushkin and especially Brock Nelson.
Nichushkin only has one goal and two assists for three points, both of which came from the first two games of the Wild series. Nelson, on the other hand, has two goals and one assist for three points, one goal and one assist coming from the series against the Wild, and the other goal against the Kings.
The issue, once again, comes down to their cap hit relative to their production. We have seen both of these players come up big for the Avalanche, either during the regular season or, in Nichushkin's case, be a major factor in the playoffs. There are never any points to be made about back/fore-checking or making bad defensive plays.
It's just frustrating that they're not producing like we know they can, but once they start hitting the scoresheet consistently, it just adds another level to this Avalanche team.
For the fifth time in nine years, the Vegas Golden Knights are in the Western Conference Final. If they want to advance to their third Stanley Cup Final, they’ll have to overcome a powerful and intimidating foe: the Colorado Avalanche.
Game 1 is on Wednesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MT at Ball Arena.
The Avalanche won the President’s Trophy as the team with the best regular season record, and they’ve gone 8-1 this postseason. After matching up against the Utah Mammoth and the Anaheim Ducks in the first two rounds, the Avalanche are easily the biggest challenge Vegas has faced to date. However, there are three areas in which the Golden Knights hold an advantage.
1. Special Teams
The Avalanche are considerably better on the power play than they were in the regular season, which, admittedly, isn’t a high bar. During the regular season, the Avalanche scored 45 power play goals and allowed 13 shorthanded goals. In the postseason, the Avs have outscored their opponents 6-1 when on the power play.
The Golden Knights are no longer outsourcing their opponents while on the penalty kill. However, they’ve allowed just five goals and countered with four shorthanded strikes. Brett Howden became just the eighth player to record three shorthanded goals in a single postseason, and he and Mitch Marner don’t figure to slow down any time soon.
“When you hit the playoffs, special teams are important,” said head coach John Tortorella. “It’s one of the areas in a series where you concentrate on the other team– how they kill, how their power play plays. Because a lot of the 5-on-5, it’s just instinctive play… But the special teams, you really zero in on.”
2. Depth
It’s important to preface this statistic with a reminder that the Avalanche have played three fewer games than the Golden Knights. However, they’re also getting less production from lower in their lineup.
The Golden Knights have ten players with 5+ points; the Avalanche have nine. The Golden Knights have nine players with 6+ points; the Avalanche have seven. And the Golden Knights have six players with 9+ points; the Avalanche have two.
3. Goaltending
After struggling to keep the puck out of their net during the regular season, the Golden Knights are finally getting the stops they need from their goaltender. In 12 games played, Carter Hart is among the postseason leaders in nearly every statistic. He’s second in save percentage with a .912, and his 2.37 GAA is fourth among goaltenders who have played at least eight games.
The Avalanche face an interesting decision regarding who gets the starting nod. They’ve primarily turned to Scott Wedgewood this postseason, and he responded with a record of 7-1 and a .914 average save percentage. Mackenzie Blackwood has started their last three contests and recorded a .872 average save percentage.
The NHL isn't budging on the sanctions it dealt the Las Vegas Golden Knights for shirking its responsibilities with the media during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The punishment handed out by the league to the Knights for "flagrant violations" of the NHL's postgame media policy during the postseason will remain as assessed after an appeal by the team, according to multiplereports on May 19.
The league said its sanctions came after previous warnings were issued to the Knights regarding their compliance with the league's media policies. The team's appeal hearing occurred May 19 in New York, according to the reports. Some players did speak from the podium after Game 6, according to ESPN.
The Knights said in a statement after the penalties were announced that the team would have no further comment on the matter. Tortorella also had no comment when asked about the controversy by reporters for the first time since the end of the conference semifinals on May 16.
Tortorella took over as the the coach in Las Vegas after the franchise fired Bruce Cassidy in late March. The Knights open the Western Conference finals against the Colorado Avalanche on May 20.
The Knights were already without their first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft after acquiring defenseman Noah Hanifin in 2024.
Only three former Vancouver Canucks players remain in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Jalen Chatfield of the Carolina Hurricanes and Nic Dowd and Ben Hutton of the Vegas Golden Knights making it past the second round. Four ex-Canucks were eliminated during the second round of the post-season.
Eastern Conference:
Jalen Chatfield, Carolina Hurricanes
Chatfield and the Hurricanes knocked out both a former Canucks player and head coach on their way to the 2026 Eastern Conference Final, eliminating Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Noah Juulsen and head coach Rick Tocchet via series sweep. Chatfield, who played for Vancouver during the 2020–21 season, scored his first goal of this year’s post-season in a 4–1 Game 3 win against the Flyers. Carolina will face the Montréal Canadiens, who knocked out former Canucks and current Buffalo Sabres Tanner Pearson and Luke Schenn, in the Eastern Conference Final.
Eastern Conference Final Schedule:
Game 1: May 21, 5:00 pm PT
Game 2: May 23, 4:00 pm PT
Game 3: May 25, 5:00 pm PT
Game 4: May 27, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 5: May 29, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 6: May 31, TBD
*Game 7: June 2, 5:00 pm PT
Western Conference:
Nic Dowd, Ben Hutton, & John Tortorella, Vegas Golden Knights
Dowd, Hutton, and Vegas head coach Tortorella defeated the Anaheim Ducks in six games to advance to the third-round, making them the only former Canucks to be taking part in this year’s Western Conference Final. While Dowd has been in the lineup for Vegas’ entire playoff run, Hutton made his post-season debut in Game 1 of the Golden Knights’ second-round series. Vegas will take on a Colorado Avalanche team that eliminated former Canucks captain Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild.
Western Conference Final Schedule:
Game 1: May 20, 5:00 pm PT
Game 2: May 22, 5:00 pm PT
Game 3: May 24, 5:00 pm PT
Game 4: May 26, TBD
*Game 5: May 28, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 6: May 30, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 7: June 1, 5:00 pm PT
May 7, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield (5) skates back to the bench after scoring a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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DENVER — Gabriel Landeskog doesn’t need any extra incentive. Being in the Western Conference Final is more than enough for the Colorado Avalanche captain.
If he did, though, memories of the second-round loss to Vegas in 2021 would be a powerful motivator. The Avalanche led that series 2-0 — and were up in the third period of Game 3 — before losing four straight.
It stung then. But that breakdown fueled the Avalanche, too, as they captured the Stanley Cup title the following season. And then the Golden Knights won the Cup the season after that.
“Obviously, it’s the same teams but a lot of turnover,” Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri said ahead of a series that gets under way in Denver. “Obviously, we’re hoping for a different outcome this time.”
Some familiar names remain from the ’21 series that matched the speedy Avalanche against the physical Golden Knights — an apt description of this upcoming series, too.
For Colorado, the lineup back then included Landeskog, Kadri, Cale Makar, Valeri Nichushkin, Devon Toews and Nathan MacKinnon, with coach Jared Bednar on the bench.
For Vegas, there were such players as captain Mark Stone, William Karlsson, Brayden McNabb, Keegan Kolesar, Shea Theodore and Reilly Smith. Avalanche nemesis Pete DeBoer was coaching then for Vegas, now it’s John Tortorella.
Nicolas Roy has switched sides, with Vegas then and Colorado now. Same, in reverse, for Vegas forward Brandon Saad.
“We feel like we have swagger, believe in each other,” Vegas defenseman Noah Hanifin said. “It should be a fun test.”
The Golden Knights have caught fire since Tortorella took over when Bruce Cassidy was let go. The team went 7-0-1 down the stretch — including a 3-2 overtime win over Colorado on April 11 — and beat playoff upstarts Utah and Anaheim to advance.
Much like they did with Vegas after the 2021 series, the Avalanche are hoping to parlay the sting of a playoff loss to Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars last season into a positive.
“The buy-in from our guys in both 2022 and this year, it’s at a different level,” said Bednar, whose Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche are 8-1 so far in the postseason. “Because they know what the stakes are.”
The Avalanche have been instilled as a plus-135 to capture the Cup, while the Golden Knights are plus-575.
“It doesn’t matter in this room,” McNabb said of being an underdog. “They’re a good team. We know that. We respect them.”
Familiar territory
The Golden Knights are making their fifth trip to the conference final since their first season in 2017-18. No team in that span has been to more.
“Your approach should always be the same, so I don’t really think a whole lot changes,” center Jack Eichel said. “You want to continue to elevate your game both individually and as a team the further you go.”
Trading places
Roy was dealt by Vegas last summer to Toronto for Mitch Marner. Roy wound up with Colorado in another trade and will be facing the team he helped to the 2023 Stanley Cup title.
“They have a really good lineup. They have depth,” Roy said. “We do as well. So looking forward to it.”
Four months ago, Kadri and Vegas defenseman Rasmus Andersson were teammates in Calgary. Andersson was traded in January and Kadri in March.
“Pretty crazy,” Kadri said. “It worked out for both of us.”
MacKinnon & Co.
MacKinnon leads the Avalanche this postseason with 13 points (seven goals, six assists). He’s got plenty of help, though, as 17 different players have notched a goal.
“That doesn’t just happen,” Landeskog said. “That’s everybody pulling their weight and everybody doing the best they can to help the team out.”
Dorofeyev heats up late
Both playoff series followed the same kind of pattern for Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev. He went scoreless in the first three games of the opening-round series against Utah before coming through with a goal in Game 4 and a hat trick in Game 5.
Then Dorofeyev had just two assists in the first three games of the second-round series against Anaheim before totaling five goals over the final three games.
“It seems like he’s beginning to be a high-stakes player, scoring big goals at big times,” Tortorella said.
The goaltenders
Colorado has used a combination of Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood in net. Wedgewood is 7-1 with a 2.21 goals-against average in this playoff run, while Blackwood is 1-0 with a 3.20 GAA.
For the Golden Knights, Carter Hart is 8-4 with a 2.37 GAA and a .915 save percentage.
The Montreal Canadiens are off to the Eastern Conference Final after defeating the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 of the second round.
Alex Newhook was the hero for the Canadiens in this one, as he scored the series-clinching goal in overtime with a nice wrist shot on the rush.
With this overtime winner, Newhook also made some NHL history.
According to NHL Public Relations, Newhook is now just the second player in the history of the NHL to score multiple Game 7 series-clinching goals in the same post-season. The only other player to achieve this was Nathan Horton, who did so with the Boston Bruins back in 2011 during their Stanley Cup championship run.
This achievement shows just how clutch of a player Newhook has become this post-season. The 25-year-old forward is continuing to show the Canadiens that they made the right call acquiring him from the Colorado Avalanche during the 2023 NHL off-season.
With his Game 7 overtime winner against the Sabres, Newhook now has seven goals and nine points in 14 games this post-season for the Canadiens. This included him scoring six goals and recording seven points in the Canadiens' series against Buffalo alone.
With the NHL conference finals set to begin on Wednesday, oddsmakers believe that the Colorado Avalanche are in line to become the next Stanley Cup champions.
The Avalanche lead BetMGM’s Stanley Cup odds board at +135, yet their hoisting the trophy would be a positive outcome for the sportsbook.
Key Takeaways
Only one remaining team, the Canadiens, began the year with odds longer than +1200.
The Canadiens beat the Hurricanes in all three regular-season matchups.
Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon is the odds leader and most popular pick to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Stanley Cup Odds
BetMGM
DraftKings
bet365
Colorado Avalanche
+135
+130
+130
Carolina Hurricanes
+175
+170
+165
Vegas Golden Knights
+575
+600
+600
Montreal Canadiens
+600
+700
+650
The Avalanche most recently won the Stanley Cup in the 2021-22 season. They’re down to +135 at BetMGM after opening the season at +800, the third-shortest of all teams and only behind the Edmonton Oilers (+650) and the Florida Panthers (+750).
Colorado continues to appeal to bettors; 17.7% of tickets and 23.7% percent of the money wagered in the Stanley Cup futures market were on the Avalanche, both the leading amounts in their respective categories.
While the Avalanche have been the most popular pick to win the league championship, the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t far behind in odds. Sitting at +175 after opening at +900, they have 8.3% of bets (second) and 10.5% of the pot (third) backing them.
While the Avalanche have been the most popular pick to win the league championship, the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t far behind in odds. Sitting at +175 after opening at +900, they have 8.3% of bets (second) and 10.5% of the pot (third) backing them.
The two remaining teams — the Vegas Golden Knights and the Montreal Canadiens — are much further down the board.
One of those teams, the Knights, has still remained quite popular with bettors. The 2022-23 champions are +575 in odds to win the Stanley Cup after opening the season at +1200. They have 7.3% of wagers (third) and 11% of the money (second) supporting them.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy also has a $100,000 ticket placed at +650 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook riding on the Golden Knights. A win would pay a $750,000 total prize.
The final remaining team is the Canadiens, who are +600 after opening the year at a whopping +8000. Only 10 of the league’s 30 teams had longer odds when players took the ice for the first time last October.
The Canadiens aren’t just fighting the oddsmakers, they’re also fighting the public consensus. Their 4.5% of tickets and 3.6% of the handle are both the lowest of the remaining teams and rank ninth among all teams in both categories.
▪️ Avalanche +135 ▪️ Hurricanes +175 ▪️ Golden Knights +575 ▪️ Canadiens +600@GoldenKnights are the only remaining liability on the future market@Canes are the best outcome
The Golden Knights and the Canadiens are both +200 series underdogs, while the Avalanche and the Hurricanes are both -250 series favorites in the conference finals, per BetMGM sportsbook.
No team has been better in the playoffs than the Hurricanes, who swept the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers in consecutive series. On the flip side, the Canadiens went seven games with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres, and needed overtime to grab a win against the Sabres in Game 7 on Monday.
Despite the series odds heavily tilting one way, the Hurricanes lost all three of their regular-season matchups with the Canadiens by an aggregate score of 15-8.
Out west, the Avalanche have only dropped one game in the playoffs, a Game 3 second-round defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Wild. The Knights went six games with both the Utah Mammoth and the Anaheim Ducks, although they won seven of their last nine games on the ice.
The Knights did not have the same luck against their favored opponent as the Canadiens, losing two of three regular-season matchups with the Avalanche. The lone win was the most recent matchup on April 11, which ended in overtime, 3-2.
Conn Smythe odds
With the Avalanche in pole position to win the Stanley Cup, center Nathan MacKinnon is the Conn Smythe Trophy odds leader (+170) and most popular pick for BetMGM users, with 22% of tickets and 27.5% of the handle. Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen is second in odds (+400) but far behind in support from bettors, receiving 5.7% of wagers (second) and 8.1% of the pot (third).
The most popular underdog pick is Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, who is third in odds at +900. He only has 5% of bets, but he also generated 17.6% of the money wagered in this market (second).
