BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 01: Charlie McAvoy #73 of the Boston Bruins skates against the Buffalo Sabres in Game Six of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on May 01, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NHL announced on Tuesday evening that Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy will be suspended for the first six games of next season, the result of a slash on Buffalo’s Zach Benson in Game 6 of the Bruins-Sabres series.
McAvoy was given a major and a game misconduct on the play in real time, with that play occurring with less than 90 seconds left in the Bruins’ season-ending loss.
From the NHL:
(I didn’t know the league still made these “look, here’s how we reached this conclusion” explainer videos, but they’re as weird as they’ve ever been.)
Regardless of the colors you support, there’s really no way you can argue that McAvoy didn’t deserve some kind of supplemental discipline, as you simply can’t swing your stick at an opponent like that.
Sure, Benson deserved something for slew footing McAvoy prior to the incident, but you can’t retaliate by chopping down with your stick.
The sticking point from a Bruins perspective will be that the length of the suspension seems completely arbitrary, in keeping with NHL tradition.
Consider, for example, this play by Alex Pietrangelo:
That play came with an identical scoreline and pretty much the same amount of time left on the clock, and Pietrangelo was suspended for one playoff game.
I guess you could argue that at the NHL Currency Exchange, one playoff game = six regular season games, but who knows?
It’s a fool’s errand to try to get inside George Parros & Co’s collective brain and understand how they arrive at whatever conclusion, and it also feels a little silly to complain about the length of the suspension when it’s obvious McAvoy needed to get something.
Regardless, McAvoy will now miss around 7% of next season for the B’s.
McAvoy had been suspended twice prior to this incident, both times for checks to the head (one against Josh Anderson, then with the Blue Jackets, in the 2019 playoffs and one against Oliver Ekman-Larsson, then with the Panthers, during the 2023-2024 regular season).
There was already going to be plenty of juice in the first Bruins-Sabres match-up of next season, so this will only add fuel to the fire.
If nothing else, at least this news ties up the last remaining loose end from this past season for the Bruins.
Plus, now McAvoy has some extra time to get all of his dental work done. There’s always a bright side, right?
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Charlie McAvoy #73 of the Boston Bruins skates against the Buffalo Sabres in Game Five of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center on April 28, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)
NHLI via Getty Images
NEW YORK — Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been suspended for the first six games of next season for slashing Buffalo’s Zach Benson.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced the ruling Tuesday after holding an in-person hearing at league headquarters in New York on Monday. That gave senior VP of player safety George Parros and Co. the option to suspend McAvoy for six or more games.
McAvoy was ejected for his retaliatory two-handed slash to the right arm of Benson, who seconds earlier tripped him and sent him crashing into the boards. The league called it a “dangerous trip” that was penalized.
The incident came with under two minutes left in the Sabres’ series-clinching victory in the first round of the playoffs on May 1, with the Bruins on the verge of being eliminated.
Having successfully dispatched the Manitoba Moose in the AHL Central Division Semifinal series, the Grand Rapids Griffins are now gearing up for their impending matchup against the Chicago Wolves.
It marks their first playoff matchup since the 2019 Central Division Semifinals, in which the Wolves won three games to two in a best-of-five.
Meanwhile, thanks to the elimination of the Providence Bruins, the Griffins are now the lone division champion remaining in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The full schedule for the upcoming series, which begins on Thursday, has been released by the Griffins.
-Game 1: Thursday, May 14, 7 p.m. at Grand Rapids (Van Andel Arena)
-Game 2: Saturday, May 16, 7 p.m. at Grand Rapids (Van Andel Arena)
-Game 3: Tuesday, May 19, 8 p.m. at Chicago (Allstate Arena)
-Game 4 (if nec.): Thursday, May 21, 8 p.m. at Chicago (Allstate Arena)
-Game 5 (if nec.): Saturday, May 23, 7 p.m. at Grand Rapids (Van Andel Arena)
It was the Griffins who dispatched the Moose on Friday evening thanks to a two-goal performance by forward Carter Mazur, whom the Detroit Red Wings selected with the 70th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Goaltender Michal Postava continued his impressive run, picking up the victory after making 19 saves. So far in the Calder Cup Playoffs, Postava has posted a sparkling 1.25 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage with one shutout.
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On Tuesday, the NHL announced the three finalists for the 2025-26 Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award, which is presented annually to recognize the league’s top general manager.
Included in the nominees is a name that fans of the Detroit Red Wings are very familiar with.
Former NHL forward Pat Verbeek, who played 135 games in a Red Wings uniform from 1999 through 2001 and later served as assistant general manager under Steve Yzerman, is up for the award thanks to his work as GM with the Anaheim Ducks.
Also included were Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin, who acquired defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in a bold mid-December trade, along with Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland.
Announcing the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award finalists... 🏆 #NHLAwards
This award is presented annually to recognize the work of the top general manager in the NHL. pic.twitter.com/2Z45rPNabJ
Guerin also served as general manager for Team USA during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, resulting in the first gold medal victory since the 1980 Miracle on Ice.
Verbeek served under Yzerman as assistant GM of the Red Wings from 2019 through 2022, and was also assistant GM and Director of Player Personnel under Yzerman with the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2012 through 2019, as well as their Director of Professional Scouting.
Prior to that, he worked as a pro scout with the Red Wings from 2006 to 2010.
He was named GM of the Ducks in February 2022 and has stockpiled some of the most exciting young talent in the NHL, along with a solid mix of veteran players.
Last season, the Ducks improved by 21 points, along with another 12 point improvement this season.
They won their first Stanley Cup Playoff series since 2017, and are two victories away from a berth in the Western Conference Final.
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The Anaheim Ducks face the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of their second-round NHL playoff series. Anaheim tied the series 2-2 with a 4-3 victory in Game 4. Vegas is favored by 1.5 goals in Game 5. The total is set at 6 goals.
How to watch Anaheim Ducks vs. Vegas Golden Knights
The Buffalo Sabres will try to even their second-round playoff series with the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal won Games 2 and 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the series. The Canadiens are favored by 1.5 goals in Game 4.
How to watch Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens
The Chicago Blackhawks have the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft after falling two spots in the draft lottery.
There is hope that Ivar Stenberg, a perfect fit for the rebuilding Blackhawks, falls to them at four. Most assume that Gavin McKenna will be taken by the Toronto Maple Leafs first overall, but it is the San Jose Sharks who must comply for Stenberg to end up wearing Blackhawks red.
One of those teams is the San Jose Sharks, who jumped up from nine to claim the second overall pick via the lottery. That bit of luck gives them options for this draft. They need defense help when it comes to long-term prospects.
Given that, will they take Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, or Carson Carels? If they do, and the Vancouver Canucks take Caleb Malhotra, that leaves Stenberg for Chicago. Some believe that Vancouver would pass on Stenberg in favor of Malhotra for a variety of reasons, including the fact that he's a true center, his father is their AHL affiliate's coach, and his game matches a need for them as an organization more.
Taking a defender second overall would be a reach for the Sharks. It's just a slight reach, but a reach nonetheless. They could consider moving down a handful of spots and still get one of their defensemen while adding more assets to their organization from the team trading up.
The Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Calgary Flames are all candidates to consider a move for San Jose's pick. If it isn't Chicago, it could throw a major curveball at Kyle Davidson.
One of New York or Calgary would almost certainly take Stenberg if Toronto takes McKenna. San Jose probably isn't dropping below six either, so they can ensure they get one of the top defenders.
If the Sharks were to move out of the top two and it wasn't Chicago moving into it, they wouldn't get any of McKenna, Stenberg, or Malhotra, the three players they could use the most. At that point, if they didn't trade down themselves, they'd be taking a defenseman as well.
Don't count out the Blackhawks being the team that moves into the second overall pick either, though. They have the assets needed to make a move up like that. Not only can they offer San Jose the chance to move back just two spots, which is the prime spot for them to take a defenseman, along with other high-level draft picks and defensive-minded prospects.
Every team ahead of Chicago is a Wild Card at this point in time, but the San Jose Sharks begin the true intrigue as the draft draws closer.
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Given the expectations for the 2025-26 Pittsburgh Penguins heading into the regular season, the fact that general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas could include playoff discourse as part of his season-ending press conference Tuesday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry says a lot about what he is building organizationally.
And it looks like the next steps forward are coming into focus as well.
Even though the team made tangible progress this season, Dubas stressed that there is still a "long way to go" for the Penguins to be Stanley Cup contenders to the likes of the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, and others. But, that said, he feels as though it's on him to deliver on that next stage in the process.
"I thought we were a good team, and at times we flirted with becoming very good, but ultimately, we are still well short of where we aspire to be, which is a contender," Dubas said. "That falls on me, and the work to push to get us there will continue."
He added: "Have we made progress? I’d say yes, we have. Are we where we want to be and aspire to be? No, not even close. And the work has continued since the minute that our season has ended and will continue through the summer. That’s what we’ll aim for is to continue to deliver contending championship hockey back to Pittsburgh."
1. Dubas is high on the prospect pool they've put together so far
Half of the press conference consisted of Dubas gushing about the prospects the Penguins already have in their system, many of which the organization believes have bright futures with the Penguins.
I did ask Dubas about - despite the discourse that core talent is usually obtained by selecting high in the draft - whether or not he believes some future pieces of a potential "core" are, indeed, already in their system.
"When it comes to the high end, you look throughout the league now, and everyone here knows it because that's what the Pittsburgh Penguins have always been about: the Penguins have always had high-end talent," Dubas said. "Obviously, there's two very notable first-overall picks, but then it's supplemented by players picked later in the first round or deeper into the draft.
"We have to find it any way that we can. That could be through trade, it could be in free agency, [or in] finding a player that goes undervalued and we're able to get more out of."
But, despite that, he gave some rave reviews for some of the top prospects in the system.
Dubas also touched on defenseman Harrison Brunicke and the progress he's made since training camp. He stressed that they believe his development plan - which included off-ice conditioning, five pre-season games, nine NHL games, five AHL games, and the World Junior Championship before ultimately being sent back to the WHL - ended up working out well for him. He is also impressed that Brunicke is playing on the top pairing for WBS during the Calder Cup Playoffs and that he has been tasked with some of the toughest minutes.
"He can play center, he can play wing. He's been a part of teams that always seem to be winning. He's deeply committed to doing all the small things," Dubas said. "The best thing I've heard in the last couple of weeks is that the American League staff, they told Amanda Kessel that they went to show him the systems on intake when he got there last week after his team had lost in Game 7 to Moncton. And he had been watching every game and studying the systems, and he knew them all himself.
"So it's those types of small, little intangible things that fuel the size, the skating, the habits, the ability to carry the puck, create offense, get to the net."
Clearly, Dubas is happy with the pool of young talent that the Penguins already possess - even if he knows there is more work ahead to pull in big talent.
2. The Penguins still have some work to do in order to become Stanley Cup contenders... but, no, they're not "tearing it down"
One of the biggest points of emphasis in this press conference was the fact that - again - despite the progress the Penguins made this season by making the playoffs and proving they are a "good team," they're still pretty far off from being Stanley Cup contenders.
And a major part of that, Dubas said, is that they have to improve defensively - and that they intend to address that this summer.
"When we’re looking at the group as we transition moving ahead, I think, as a whole, defensively, we still continue to give up a lot both in terms of what we’re expected to give up and in terms of what we actually gave up," Dubas said. "Both were in the bottom-10 in the league, and it was a massive topic amongst [head coach Dan Muse] and me throughout the year, but more importantly in the last couple of weeks since we’ve been out. And it is the major focus as we head into the offseason.
"Really, it’s the area that we have to improve upon the most if we’re going to continue to make strides and push the team back into being a contender."
Sam Girard (front) and Kris Letang are two blueliners with uncertain futures heading into next season for the Penguins. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
"You look at all the other teams around the division, and you measure yourself up against them day in and day out," Dubas said. "Carolina, they're obviously the class of the division right now, they won the division by 15 or 16 points, and they haven't lost a playoff game. We're not close to that, so that's what we have to push to get to be at that stage where they're at, going to the Eastern Conference Final. They've obviously been at it for a long time now, 10-plus years.
"But that's what we have to work to get to. And until we get to that point — and I think even when you get there, you're happy only for a few minutes and then you start to worry about what's coming up behind."
So, if they're still that far off of contention, it makes sense to sell off veterans and go younger now, right? Well, not necessarily. And that brings us to the final point of emphasis from Dubas's presser.
There were multiple references in this press conference to Dubas heavily exploring the trade market this summer. Sure, he mentioned deals in the "Chinakhov mold," which definitely makes sense for where they're at and where they want to go. Those options would be more cost-effective, even if there is inherent risk.
But that's not the only thing he said. And there is one portion that stood out in particular:
“I think what we really lack are those players in their later 20s that are really true difference makers. Or mid-20s, late 20s, that are true difference makers," Dubas said. "I think if you’re one of those players that’s a free agent or your situation in your spot is not going well and you have some control, you can look at us and see very clearly that you’re going to be supported by a great coaching staff that gets the most out of players. But you’ll also have young players that are going to push from behind and older players that are going to set the tone.
“I think Pittsburgh, for all that it is as a city, a sports city, it’s a great place to play, a great place to grow and have a family. But also, I think in terms of the sporting side, for us on the hockey side, I think it should be one of, if not the most, appealing places to any player that has a choice in those matters. We’ll investigate all those as we go into the summer."
I don't know about you, but that sure sounds like a sales pitch to me.
And with some bigger names who fit that mold rumored to, potentially, be on the trade block this summer - such as Stars superstar Jason Robertson (26 years old), Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (28), St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas (26), and Stars defenseman Thomas Harley (24) - could Dubas and the Penguins be pitching to those guys directly?
It's quite possible, and the Penguins have plenty of draft capital, cap space, and tradeable assets to work with. They would have to build out quite a big package in comparison to those other teams, but in the end, they have flexibility in terms of "tacking on" in trade packages that other organizations don't.
Dubas is confident in the young players the Penguins are already developing. But he recognizes that returning to sustainable contention will require both homegrown talent and the willingness to swing big when opportunity arises.
"I think if we're going to take really big steps next year that [are] sustainable, it's going to be by using the cap space that we have, but [also] the assets that we have, the draft picks, the prospects, etc, to go and acquire somebody," Dubas said. "Is that going to be possible? We're sure going to find out. But I'm being open with you because that's the path ahead.
"We don't have a mirage in our view, in the office, that next year all these young guys are going to magically all hit. They're prospects for a reason. Some of them are going to reach their potential. Some of them are going to go beyond their potential. But you don't know if some of them are. We've amassed a good quantity there. We have to see which ones can develop into true quality guys, and then we have to use that to just supplement, really, on the proven players in their mid 20s, late 20s, that we know what we're getting. I think that's the area where we'll be able to take steps."
In conclusion: Buckle up, Penguins' fans. This could be a pretty fun summer.
The Buffalo Sabres appear to be making some significant lineup changes for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Final against the Montreal Canadiens after two straight losses in which they have been outscored 11-3.
At the morning skate at the Bell Centre, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was in the starter’s goal, 20-year-old rookie Konsta Helenius skated on the third line in between Jason Zucker and Jack Quinn, and veteran Luke Schenn took the place on the bottom pairing with Conor Timmins. Ryan McLeod shifted to the fourth line with Jordan Greenway and Beck Malenstyn, and Sam Carrick skated as an extra forward after getting slugged by Montreal defenseman Arber Xhekaj.
Luukkonen has not played since Game 2 of the series against Boston, after allowing four goals in the first two periods, one from center ice on a Morgan Geekie dump-in and another from Viktor Arvidsson 16 seconds into the third period. The 27-year-old Finn went 22-9-3, with a 2.52 GAA, and .910 save percentage in 35 games during the regular season, but is 1-1, with a 4.19 GAA, and .825 save % in the playoffs.
Montreal has won the depth battle so far in the series with Buffalo
Head coach Lindy Ruff was cagey at the media availability on Tuesday, not confirming any potential lineup juggling, but said that the addition of Helenius was to inject some offense into his forward group. The 20-year-old scored nearly a point-per-game in his second season with the AHL Rochester Americans, and three points in the Amerks first round loss to the Toronto Marlies. Schenn has played 58 playoff games with six different clubs and won two Stanley Cups, and may be inserted into the lineup as a physical presence after the shenanigans that occurred during and after the loss.
Ruff may be looking for something to snap the Sabres out of their current funk, similar to what Minnesota did by switching back to Jesper Wallstedt in Game 3 against Colorado, and what the Avalanche did by shifting to MacKenzie Blackwood after Scott Wedgewood had started the first seven playoff games.
In league discipline news, Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn was fined $3,515.63, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for running into Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes in the second period on Sunday. Xhekaj was also fined $3385.42 for his right cross to the jaw of Carrick. The NHL finally came down with their ruling on Boston’s Charlie McAvoy, for his high sticking incident with Zach Benson. The Department of Player Safety has suspended McAvoy six games.
NEW YORK (AP) — Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been suspended for the first six games of next season for slashing Buffalo’s Zach Benson.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced the ruling Tuesday after holding an in-person hearing at league headquarters in New York on Monday. That gave senior VP of player safety George Parros and Co. the option to suspend McAvoy for six or more games.
McAvoy was ejected for his retaliatory two-handed slash to the right arm of Benson, who seconds earlier tripped him and sent him crashing into the boards. The league called it a “dangerous trip” that was penalized.
The incident came with under two minutes left in the Sabres’ series-clinching victory in the first round of the playoffs on May 1, with the Bruins on the verge of being eliminated.
Benson tripped McAvoy with a slew foot, receiving a two-minute penalty. McAvoy got up and went after Benson with a baseball-swing slash. He received five minutes and a game misconduct.
The defenseman was offered an in-person hearing, giving the NHL Player Safety Department the leeway to suspend him for six games or more.
"All parties agree that this is an intentional and forceful strike delivered to an opponent's body specifically for the purpose of retribution and message sending," Player Safety said in a video explaining the decision.
Player Safety noted that it "is important to note that players are not excused from illegal acts just because of a prior foul by an opponent."
The Pittsburgh Penguins should be looking to add to their roster this off-season after taking a nice step in the right direction during the 2025-26 season. One of their top needs is more defensive depth.
When looking at this year's pending unrestricted free agents, one player who the Penguins should consider making a push for is Buffalo Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley.
If the Penguins signed Stanley, they would be bringing in a hard-nosed, 6-foot-7 defenseman who showed this season that he is capable of providing some offense from the point. In 76 games this regular-season split between the Winnipeg Jets and Sabres, he had nine goals, 17 assists, 26 points, 110 hits, and 128 penalty minutes. With numbers like these, he would have the potential to be a solid pickup for the Penguins.
Stanley's age also adds to his appeal. This is because the 2016 first-round pick is turning only 28 later this month. With this, Stanley is right in his prime and would be a strong fit on a team that is focused on the future, like the Penguins.
If the Penguins signed Stanley, he would be a strong fit on their bottom pairing and on their penalty kill. However, he could move up Pittsburgh's lineup if needed due to his versatility.
It will be interesting to see if the Penguins sign Stanley, but the fit looks strong on paper.
The Montreal Canadiens are facing off against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 4 on Tuesday. The Habs will be looking to stay hot after winning each of their last two games against Buffalo in a dominating fashion.
With the Canadiens having the Sabres' number right now, Buffalo is understandably making some notable changes to their roster in Game 4. Konsta Helenius and Luke Schenn will be in the lineup for the Sabres, while Sam Carrick and Logan Stanley are being scratched.
The Sabres will also be going with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as their starting goalie over Alex Lyon.
Helenius is the Sabres' best prospect, so it is notable that he will be playing in Game 4. In his first nine NHL games this season with Buffalo, the 2024 first-round pick recorded one goal and four points.
Seeing Schenn entering the lineup for the Sabres is definitely notable as well. The 36-year-old blueliner has yet to play a game this post-season for the Sabres, but will now be getting his first chance to in Game 4.
Seeing the Sabres make a change between the pipes is not necessarily surprising. Lyon allowed five goals on 36 shots against the Canadiens in Game 3, so Luukkonen will now be looking to help the Sabres get things back on track.
The teams last clashed on Sunday for Game 4. The Ducks scored first, and the Golden Knights spent the rest of the night chasing the game. They scored a 6-on-5 goal to cut Anaheim’s lead to one, but ultimately fell 4-3.
Carter Hart starts in goal for the Golden Knights. Hart has a record of 6-4 and an average save percentage of .908 in ten games this postseason.
Lukáš Dostál starts in goal for the Ducks. Dostál has a record of 6-4 and an average save percentage of .874 in ten games this postseason.
Mark Stone, who exited Game 3 with a lower-body injury after playing just 4:24, has been officially ruled OUT for Tuesday’s game against the Ducks.
Golden Knights Lines
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad — Tomáš Hertl — Colton Sissons
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar
Defense
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton — Dylan Coghlan
Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill
Ducks Lines
Chris Kreider — Leo Carlsson — Troy Terry
Alex Killorn — Mikael Granlund — Beckett Sennecke
Mason McTavish — Ryan Poehling — Cutter Gauthier
Ross Johnston — Tim Washe — Jeffrey Viel
Defense
Jackson LaCombe — Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov — John Carlson
Tyson Hinds — Radko Gudas
Goaltenders: Lukáš Dostál / Ville Husso
Special Teams
VGK power play: 21.9%, 5th
VGK penalty kill: 90.3%, 4th
Ducks power play: 32.3%, 2nd
Ducks penalty kill: 73.1%, 14th
Game Notes
The Golden Knights are 9-8 in Game 5s in their franchise history.
Tonight’s game could decide the fate of the Golden Knights’ season. Historically, teams that take a 3-2 series lead go on to win 79.8% of the time.
Mitch Marner is on an absolute tear right now. He has six goals and 12 points in his last five games, and is the postseason leader in scoring with 16 points.
Brett Howden’s second-period goal in Game 4 pushed him into sole possession of the lead in that category with seven.
Jack Eichel leads the league in assists this postseason with 12.
The Golden Knights’ penalty kill gave up two goals in Game 4 after allowing just one goal on their last 27 kills.
After a season filled with injuries and no playoff appearance, the Florida Panthers enter the 2026 off-season looking to recharge and come back healthier.
Despite that, GM Bill Zito will have his hands full with the Panthers’ goaltending situation and with decisions on several pending restricted free agents. Outside of Sergei Bobrovsky and A.J. Greer, the Panthers’ UFA class is rather small, but their RFA class features players they’ll likely hope to keep around.
The first step is tendering qualifying offers to these RFAs. Typically, the deadline to do so is 5 p.m. EST on June 30.
With all that covered, we’ll take a look at which four RFAs the Panthers should extend this off-season.
Mackie Samoskevich, RW
Besides Anton Lundell, no other Panthers player under the age of 25 has more experience than Mackie Samoskevich. His rookie season in 2024-25 was impressive, posting 15 goals and 31 points in 72 games in limited ice time.
In 2025-26, expectations for the 23-year-old grew, and he failed to live up to them. With injuries to Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk to start the season, Samoskevich has the opportunity to move up the line and produce alongside skilled Panthers forwards.
He struggled greatly, and his shooting percentage was a disaster. He finished the season with 12 goals and 32 points in 77 games.
Heading into the 2026-27 season, the Panthers appear to still have plenty of faith in the speedy winger, but time is running out. While Samoskevich can still turn into a strong NHL winger with the Panthers organization, he could be used as a major trade piece for a goaltender if needed.
Outside of Sandis Vilmanis, no AHL call-up was as impressive as Mike Benning was late in the season.
The 24-year-old finished the AHL campaign with eight goals and 31 points in 57 games, while also adding two goals and six points in 18 games. While in the NHL, Benning showed he could handle big minutes, as he recorded three games of ice time over 20 minutes.
Although the Panthers’ blueline for next season appears full, Benning, alongside the next names on this list, will likely compete to be the seventh defenseman. Benning might be on the smaller side, but his skating and puckhandling make up for those deficiencies.
Donovan Sebrango was a waiver wire pickup for the Panthers during the 2025-26 season, and he proved to be effective. Sebrango skated in 40 games with the Panthers this past season and showed he can be relied on as a third-pairing defender when needed.
Sebrango doesn’t bring the possible offense Benning brings, but he stands 6-foot-2 and isn’t afraid to throw his weight around.
The 24-year-old is a safe option the Panthers would like to keep around.
Tobias Bjornfot remains an interesting case. Drafted 22nd overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2019, Bjornfot has recorded 153 games of NHL experience and has done an adequate job in the NHL, especially with the Panthers, but has never been able to lock down a full-time role.
This past season, Bjornfot skated in 19 NHL games with the Panthers, and that number would have likely been higher if he hadn’t suffered an injury later in the season.
Like Sebrango, Bjornfot is a steady option on the third pairing, and at 25 years old, he’s experienced enough to understand his role.
In addition to Samoskevich, Benning, Sebrango, and Bjornfot, the Panthers have Wilmer Skoog, Ben Steeves, Mikulas Horvoka, Evan Nause, and Cooper Black listed as RFAs.
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