Detroit Red Wings' Dylan Larkin (71) looks to pass during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in Elmont, N.Y.
The 29-year-old, who has a full no-trade clause, is willing to be dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Florida Panthers and the Minnesota Wild, according to the Detroit Free Press.
A report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman on Thursday revealed that Larkin, a Michigan native, has requested a trade from Detroit.
Detroit Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin (71) looks to pass during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in Elmont, N.Y. AP
Larkin has spent the entirety of his 11-year career in a Red Wings sweater, but has not seen the playoffs since his rookie season.
In the postseason following the 2015-16 season, Larkin played in five games and scored one goal before Detroit was eliminated by Tampa Bay.
Should he be dealt to any of his three preferred teams, Larkin will immediately play for a contender.
Vegas is currently up 2-1 over Carolina in the Stanley Cup Final, and Florida won back-to-back championships in 2024 and ’25.
Minnesota, which traded for Quinn Hughes earlier this year, recorded 104 points this season but lost to Colorado in the conference semifinals.
Dylan Larkin has a full no-trade clause. Getty Images
As recently as the end of April, Larkin — who was part of the U.S. team that defeated Canada for gold at the 2026 Olympics — said one of his biggest goals in the future was to bring the Red Wings back into Stanley Cup contention.
Larkin, who turns 30 next month, recorded 67 points in 74 games this season with a +3 rating.
Detroit finished sixth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 41-31-10.
Larkin’s current eight-year contract has five years remaining, paying him through 2031 with an $8.7 million cap hit until he is 31 years old.
His full no-trade clause is through the next two seasons, and it then extends to a ten-team list.
LAS VEGAS — The NHL’s best third-period team this season suddenly can’t hold a lead.
Vegas paid for it in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at Carolina and barely escaped after an even more improbable Hurricanes comeback in Game 3.
The Golden Knights’ 5-4 double-overtime victory in Game 3 put them two wins from their second Stanley Cup in four years.
To get there, they will not only need to get ahead, but stay there, beginning with Game 4 in Las Vegas.
That generally hasn’t been a problem for the Golden Knights, whose plus-47 goal differential in the regular season was the league’s best. They also were adept and closing out games in the playoffs, posting an NHL-leading plus-10 differential before Game 2.
Then came a lost 2-0 lead that night and 4-0 advantage that was erased in Game 3. Both leads held well into the third period.
An anomaly for the Golden Knights or something more concerning?
“It’s playoff hockey,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said. “A lot of stuff happens. I’m not concerned about it.”
In both games, the Golden Knights appeared to be in full control as the minutes in the third period were ticking down.
Their defense in Game 2 kept the Hurricanes from mounting much of a threat until Carolina finally broke through with three goals. The Golden Knights seemed even more in control in Game 3, with Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour appearing to concede by changing goalies after the second period.
The Golden Knights very well could be up 3-0 and going for the sweep, but the feeling is similar on the other side. Carolina blew its own lead in the opener, scoring two quick goals in the first period only to let Vegas rally.
“We’re one shot away from being 3-0 in two games,” Brind’Amour said. “So I think there’s a ton of positives. They’re a good team. They’ve got good players. We could’ve won this game.”
Teams with 2-1 series leads in the Stanley Cup Final have gone on to win 80.7% of the time. But if the Hurricanes win Game 4, suddenly it’s a best-of-three with potentially two of those games at Carolina, including what would be a winner-take-all Game 7.
The Hurricanes can look at how Game 3 ended and wonder how differently the series might be playing out. Shea Theodore shot the puck off the boards and got a perfect bounce as the puck deflected off the back of goalie Brandon Bussi’s skate and went into the net. It was Carolina’s second own-goal of the game.
The Golden Knights also could argue that game never should have come down to such a shot.
With the game scoreless in the second period, the Golden Knights had two goals wiped out by Carolina challenges, the first for offside and the second for goalie interference. The Hurricanes’ tying goal came on a mad scramble in front of Carter Hart’s net, and Tortorella opted not to challenge for goaltender interference.
He said the officials got all three calls correct, but was still fuming about his failed challenge for goaltender interference in a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 2.
“The one the other night was wrong,” Tortorella said. “I don’t care what any of you guys (media) said. It was wrong. The puck was there and it was poked. I don’t know what all this crap and this rule, you can’t overrule the official, some of the stuff you guys talk about, it’s ridiculous. I just wish we had the rule that if the puck wasn’t tied up and it went in the net, it’s a good goal.”
In addition to the video reviews that went the other way, the Golden Knights had chances to build on their four-goal lead.
Mitch Marner, whose hat trick in the second period was the fastest in Cup Final history at 6:10, was turned away early in the third period on a breakaway and soon after on a penalty shot.
“Even when Mitch had the penalty shot, I’m thinking, we need to score that one,” Tortorella said. “I’m not lying to you because they came back and scored four. I’m thinking, we need another one just to keep on going.”
The Golden Knights found a way to survive, and now they hope after Game 4 they will be just one win from taking it all.
“I think at the end of the day we’re a resilient group,” Theodore said. “We’ve had I don’t know how many comebacks in the regular season and just grinding to get to this point. We stay calm. We stay collected. Obviously, in the third period, we have to take a better hold of that, but I like the way we reset in overtime and especially the second overtime.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 06: Brandon Bussi #32 of the Carolina Hurricanes stops a penalty shot by Mitch Marner #93 of the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period of Game Three of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 06, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Hurricanes 5-4 in double overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes have one key decision to make ahead of Game 4 in the Stanley Cup Final: Do they actually want to win the cup, or not? That choice is on head coach Rod Brind-Amour, who has yet to decide whether or not his team will behave like an organization that wants to win, or if unwritten rules and hockey etiquette win reign supreme.
Despite Carolina’s overall dominance this season, an undercurrent for the Canes has been the largely abysmal play of goaltender Freddie Andersen. It’s an issue that has been rearing its head for months in Raleigh, and a concern that die-hard hockey fans had entering the playoffs. At no point during the 2025-26 season did Andersen seem in control in the crease. Starting 35 games this season, Andersen posted a horrific 0.874 save percentage this season (61st in the NHL), allowed 3.05 goals-per-game (42nd in the NHL), and only posted quality starts in 31.4% of his games (80th in the NHL). The only thing that really kept Freddie between the pipes this season was an injury to Pyotr Kochetkov, limiting his ascent to become the top starter — but the goaltending situation was complicated by the emergence of desperation signing Brandon Bussi.
Bussi’s NHL dreams were seemingly over before the Hurricanes threw him a lifeline. The undrafted 27-year-old had spent the majority of his career bouncing around the AHL as a middling goaltender, seemingly never getting a chance to step up into the big leagues. The Hurricanes needed a body to put in net to give Andersen some rest, and goodness did he make the most of it. Not only did Bussi eclipse Andersen in every appreciable way during the regular season, but he put up quality starts that ranked him among the middle of the NHL among goalies who started 30+ games this season.
Still, there was hesitance from head coach Rod Brind-Amour when the playoffs rolled around due to Bussi’s relative inexperience. He wanted a veteran presence in net, even if it meant moving away from the hot hand. An understandable choice at the time, and it worked well until the Stanley Cup Final. With Vegas the Carolina defense could no longer manhandle them in their zone with the forecheck and condense the ice, the Golden Knights’ skaters are strong enough to create quality opportunities on goal, and break through the Canes’ defense.
That brings us to Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, one of the most drama-filled, unpredictable, wild performances in the history of the final. A game that saw Vegas score four goals in the second period, including a natural hat trick from Mitch Marner. Andersen was pulled, Bussi got his shot — and he shone with a perfect third period that revitalized the Hurricanes. Carolina scored three goals in 39 seconds, dragged the game to double overtime, and lost on a random bouncing puck that was wholly unpredictable. Even the most biased Freddie Andersen fan has to admit that there was no comparison between the two goaltenders.
At no point did Bussi appear as if the moment was too big for him. Whatever fears you might have about starting him in net were assuaged in one period. Not only did he make the routine saves every goalie needs to make at the cup level, but he did came up big and made saves that Freddie Andersen simply hasn’t done all season long.
Now as we approach Game 4 the Hurricanes have a decision to make: Give the failing veteran the nod once more as a kind of career achievement award, or turn to the hot hand who can actually win them the game? The highs of Freddie Andersen might be higher, but they just haven’t presented themselves in the 2025-26 season. Meanwhile Bussi might be more of a middle-pack goaltender, but he won’t have the same lows.
Middle of the pack is good enough with Carolina’s defense. Middle of the pack is enough to win the cup with the team the Canes have built. The only thing this team can’t sustain is being put in a position where Andersen lets cupcake goals through every single Vegas scoring opportunity, because he barely offers any resistance. There is no doubt this is an emotionally difficult decision, especially in light of the death of Claude Lemieux, Andersen’s agent, friend, and mentor — but the entire Hurricanes organization can’t be asked to squander this opportunity because of one horrible moment. There’s been too much work at every level to play a demonstrably worse player at a time like this.
If the Hurricanes want to win the cup then it’s time to start Brandon Bussi and not look back. It’s the only chance this team has.
LAS VEGAS — Brayden McNabb showed up for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final with at least two dozen stitches in his face that forced the Vegas Golden Knights defenseman to wear a caged helmet for the first time since his youth hockey days in Davidson, Saskatchewan.
“It’s part of hockey,” McNabb said. “You get through it.”
After the Golden Knights took a 2-1 series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes with a 5-4, double-overtime victoryt, Vegas coach John Tortorella was a bit less measured in describing the 35-year-old McNabb.
“When you get this far in the playoffs, it’s not so much sometimes the end result, it’s just attrition and all that goes in (with) what these athletes have to do to play as many games as we’ve played so far,” Tortorella said. “Those are the things you remember. I’ve been fortunate to be in a few playoffs along the way and see some of this. I haven’t seen something like this.
“I heard the players yelling ‘warrior,’” Tortorella said. “He’s more than that. I’m just blown away, how he’s gone about his business.”
McNabb took an 87 mph puck to the face in Game 2 at Carolina, and was taken to a hospital before the game ended.
Two days later, with a flight home in between, McNabb was back on the ice for warmups. Wearing that caged helmet with “mid-20s, maybe 30” stitches holding his wounds together, McNabb nearly logged 36 minutes of ice time, delivered an arena-rocking hip check to Carolina star Taylor Hall, and finished with two assists, including one on Shea Theodore’s game-winner.
“A little tough, but I was able to get through it,” McNabb said. “Felt pretty good for the most part. The cage was different, getting used to that was a little bit (different), but for the most part felt OK, especially felt better as the game went on.”
McNabb’s grit has become familiar to Golden Knights fans. He’s been with the franchise since its inaugural season in 2017-18 and has played in a franchise-record 647 games. He also leads the Golden Knights in blocked shots with 1,416, which is the most among NHL skaters since 2017-18.
“It’s got to be near the top,” Theodore said when asked how McNabb’s performance ranked during their nine years together in Vegas. “The stuff he went through from last game and everything. I mean, it’s incredible for him to kind of bounce back like that and be able to come in today, get ready to play, and I thought he played unbelievable.
As it turns out, the Philadelphia Flyers have virtually no chance of pulling off a Dylan Larkin trade with the Detroit Red Wings, and maybe that's the way things should be.
Larkin, 29, will turn 30 years old on July 30, and while he has scored 30 goals in each of the five seasons and six times in his career, isn't going to turn the Flyers around.
Not by himself, anyway.
After the Flyers made the playoffs this past season, it made sense to throw future assets at players like Larkin, Mat Barzal, and John Carlson--particularly all three--if they were going to keep this up.
But, if the Flyers paid up for Larkin and just Larkin, it's a lateral move on the player's part when we consider team talent and future assets.
According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Larkin only wants to be traded to Minnesota, Vegas, or Florida, and the difference between the Flyers and those three teams is that those three teams are laden with stars and ready to win now.
Again, getting Larkin is a great idea for the Flyers, but they need to arm him with a supporting cast to make it worthwhile. Nothing we have seen in the past year suggests they can do that.
Matvei Michkov, who was supposed to be the team's franchise winger, is getting yanked around left and right and was badly misused in the last season under head coach Rick Tocchet.
It is still unclear if Trevor Zegras, the big addition from last offseason, is a center or winger at the NHL level. If he ultimately sticks as the latter, it doesn't help the Flyers' rebuild all that much.
In goal, the Flyers still have no backup goalie and are set to reward Dan Vladar with a massive contract extension after a late breakout year that was really the only good season of his NHL career to date.
In the end, the Flyers have no business getting into a bidding war with teams like Vegas, Minnesota, and Florida when they aren't really in a position to capitalize if they are successful.
Objectively, the best way to look at it is this: if the Flyers had Larkin, do they beat the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs?
The answer is an easy no, and that's fine. It's for the best.
The Hurricanes are a successful team because they acquire players who can play their system and fit what they are trying to do.
It didn't work with Mikko Rantanen, so they wisely pivoted and turned him into Logan Stankoven.
Here, the Flyers are still in the early stages of figuring out who those players are. Whether or not you believe they should be heading into the fourth year of Danny Briere and Keith Jones' reign is a different conversation.
If the Flyers aren't getting Larkin, they likely aren't getting Barzal either, and we can, by extension, rope Robert Thomas into that conversation.
The best way for the Flyers to evolve into Stanley Cup contenders is to rely on themselves and their own players, like Carolina did. That's the reality of the situation.
Larkin and Barzal were drafted 15th and 16th overall, respectively, so it's not an impossible ask.
Going forward, though, the Flyers will need to freshen their draft philosophy and make better value choices for better team-building.
If not, they'll never draft their own Larkin or trade for a Larkin-adjacent.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 06: Brandon Bussi #32 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Three of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 06, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The primary discussion around the hockey water cooler today is, who should start in net for the Carolina Hurricanes in game four of the Stanley Cup Final.
After allowing four goals on 16 shots, (and two more that were not counted), in the first two periods of game 3, Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour did something extremely rare for him. He pulled his starting goaltender.
After the game, he was quick not to place any blame on his goaltender.
“There was no reason to leave Freddie in there the way that game was going… (Bussi) gave us a chance. (The overtime winner) is a tough break. I hate it for him, because he was playing great.”
It seemed like more of a mercy change, rather than a change to relieve a tired Frederik Andersen. And let’s be frank, Andersen did look tired, to the eye test anyway if not strictly by the poor stats. (.750 save percentage for the game).
Andersen has a SV% of .815 in this series.
Bussi came in and did not allow anything until the goofy game-winner in the second OT. He allowed one goal on 19 shots.
In the first two series of the playoffs, Andersen was outstanding and was rated the best goalie in the playoffs.
He also played very well in the Montreal series, though not as sparkling as in the first two.
But now in the Stanley Cup Final, he seems slower than in the previous series.
During the past three regular seasons, Brind’Amour has rotated his goalies, seemingly with the idea to keep them fresh. Especially Andersen, who has a history of wearing down if over-played.
Then when the playoffs start, Brind’Amour throws out that strategy and plays Andersen exclusively. While the goalie has played well, after the first two rounds his performance drops below what it was during the earlier playoff series.
Brind’Amour has done the same thing this postseason, even though Brandon Bussi carried the load during most of the regular season. Bussi posted a 31-6-2 record with a GAA of 2.47 and SV% .895.
In contrast, Andersen was 16-14-5 with a GAA of 3.05 and SV% of .874.
To be fair, Andersen was the better goalie down the stretch although he was played more often than Bussi. After the Olympic break, where Bussi saw no action, they gave Andersen more starts even though he played during the Olympics.
The coaching staff had made their minds up at this time who the Carolina goalie would be during the playoffs. Up until now it has looked like a good decision, but does Andersen have anything left in the tank?
If you were the head coach, who would you go with?
It is no secret that the Philadelphia Flyers should be looking to find a legitimate first-line center this off-season. It is their biggest need as they look to take another step forward next season.
Unfortunately for the Flyers, they have received bad news on two of the NHL's top trade candidate centers.
Dylan Larkin and Robert Thomas were both viewed as prime potential targets for the Flyers. However, based on recent reports, the likelihood of the Flyers landing either one of them is very low.
The Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James revealed Larkin's trade list, and the Flyers were not among the teams on it. Instead, Larkin's wanted destinations are the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Minnesota Wild. With Larkin having a full no-trade clause, he has complete say over where he will be moved.
As for Thomas, Andy Strickland recently revealed that the Blues are unlikely to trade Thomas this off-season, and he is expected to be on their roster at training camp.
These are certainly tough updates for the Flyers, as Thomas and Larkin were both prime potential options for their first-line center spot. Yet, the Flyers will now need to explore their options elsewhere. Unfortunately, this year's free agent market is not going to provide them with that, as the best pending UFA centers are Boone Jenner, Scott Laughton, Erik Haula, and Jack Roslovic.
The Toronto Marlies have booked their ticket to the AHL's Calder Cup final after defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2-1 in overtime on Sunday night, ending the Eastern Conference final series in six games.
The Marlies now await the winner between the Colorado Eagles and Chicago Wolves to kick off their first Calder Cup final appearance since 2018.
Plenty has changed since the Marlies won their first Calder Cup in 2018. Several members of the team's staff earned NHL roles, either with the Toronto Maple Leafs or elsewhere, and the same can be said for a handful of the players.
In 2018, Kyle Dubas was the GM of the Marlies, and Sheldon Keefe was the head coach of the team. The very next season after winning the Calder Cup, Dubas became GM of the Maple Leafs, and Keefe was promoted to coach them in 2019-20.
While they haven't won any Stanley Cups since or any notable playoff runs, they've led the Maple Leafs to some excellent regular seasons. In fact, the Dubas and Keefe Leafs are responsible for three of Toronto's six best NHL seasons in franchise history. That includes the top two, with a 115-point campaign in 2021-22 and a 111-point season in 2022-23.
GM Ryan Hardy runs this year's Marlies team, and John Gruden is the head coach. Hardy has been the GM of the Marlies since 2021-22, while this is Gruden's third year as the bench boss.
After the Maple Leafs fired Brad Treliving, Hardy, alongside Brandon Pridham, was co-GM of the NHL team to finish out the year. Before that, Hardy had been an assistant GM for four seasons.
As for Gruden, with the head coaching vacancy with the Maple Leafs, he could very well be a candidate to lead the NHL team from behind the bench next season. For the most part, coaches who win the Calder Cup get an opportunity in the NHL.
Examples of that would be Jon Cooper, Jared Bednar, Jeff Blashill, Ryan Warsofsky and now Manny Malhotra. Even further down the line in history, Todd McLellan, John Tortorella, Peter Laviolette, Barry Trotz, and others have won the Calder Cup and had notable careers behind an NHL bench.
So, for the Marlies' Gruden, a promotion could be in the fold in the near future.
In terms of the Marlies roster that won the 2018 Calder Cup, there are several familiar names that went on to become NHL regulars not long after.
Many players on that team have played over 300 NHL games, including the likes of Trevor Moore, Justin Holl, Mason Marchment, Kasperi Kapanen, Travis Dermott, Timothy Liljegren, Pierre Engvall and Carl Grundstrom.
This year's team has more veterans on the roster compared to the 2018 winning team. However, there are still some youngsters who could make an impression in the NHL one day.
Players such as Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan have already stuck their foot in the door with the Maple Leafs and will likely get plenty more opportunities next year.
In addition, Luke Haymes, Ryan Tverberg, Noah Chadwick, and, of course, the strong goaltending tandem of Artur Akhtyamov and Dennis Hildeby could be destined for the NHL in the coming years.
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The Montreal Canadiens’ blueline isn’t exactly the most physical in the league, and Martin St-Louis doesn’t have a lot of trust in Arber Xhekaj, whether he wants to admit it or not. The gritty blueliner even played just 1:52 in his last game in the playoffs, and it looks like he could be moved this summer, even if he is an RFA.
If that’s the case, Kent Hughes should take a long, hard look at Jeremy Lauzon. The Vegas Golden Knights blueliner won’t fill the net; he’s a stay-at-home blueliner, but he’s one that definitely has his coach’s trust, and he’s a Quebecer.
If Vegas doesn’t sign him to a contract extension, Hughes should pounce. The 29-year-old might be a left-shot defender, but he would steady the Habs’ third pairing. He’s 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, and over his 384 career games in the NHL, he has averaged 17:34 of ice time.
In Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final, which went to double overtime, he spent 25:08 on the ice, blocked six shots and landed four hits. He’s also used on the Knights' second penalty killing unit, which would lighten the load on Lane Hutson. While the sophomore defenseman has shown that he can play on the PK, it would be ideal if St-Louis didn’t have to use him when Montreal is down a man; he could rest him and get more offensive minutes out of him.
Lauzon is coming off a four-year contract with a $2 million cap hit. Granted, he’ll be after a raise, but he might still not be all that expensive and with the cap going up again this upcoming season, the Canadiens could afford to make the move. The one red flag may be his injury history, but it would be worth digging into it to establish if he’s injury prone, or just unlucky.
DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 16: Dylan Larkin #71 of the Detroit Red Wings skates against the Colorado Avalanche during the game at Ball Arena on January 16, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
As we wait for a Stanley Cup champion to get on with the rest of the offseason, the name of Detroit Red Wings’ top center is percolating in the rumor mill. Word is Dylan Larkin has requested a trade. Most teams should be interested but it seems there’s only three teams he’s willing to waive his No Trade Clause to join — Florida, Minnesota and Vegas. Will he get what he wants or will Steve Yzerman get the upper hand?
One organization that is making moves is the Nashville Predators and Chris MacFarland quickly added former LA Kings GM Rob Blake to his staff. Apparently there were thoughts of Blake joining the Avalanche and that option is now removed.
Welcome to Smashville, Rob! 👋
We've hired Rob Blake as the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations.
It’s also awards season since the in-person show got nixed. There were mixed reviews on how Tampa Bay Lightning’s star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy received the Vezina trophy. The NHL set up a prank and stuffed the trophy in his very small car, saying the police needed to raid it. All was good in the end but was it necessary?
A special surprise for Andrei Vasilevskiy! 🏆 #NHLAwards
Andrei Vasilevskiy is the winner of the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender for the second time in his career! pic.twitter.com/mZw1WVXF8I
That, of course, makes life a little different for the club’s amateur scouting staff leading up to the 2026 NHL draft. Barring a trade, the Flyers will pick at 21st overall. It’s their lowest first-round spot since 2020.
So the Flyers know the draft is still critical to what they want to do, even when they’re lower in the order.
“We’ve said it for a long time, we wanted to build a team that was going to be here for a long time; not just to go for it for a year or two,” general manager Danny Briere said last month. “That’s still the same approach on my end.”
The Flyers have only five picks in this draft, which will be held June 26-27. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at 11 a.m. ET.
“I’ll tell you how I feel about drafts and I’ll be totally blunt with you,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said last Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think it’s f—ing bulls–t when I hear about, ‘Oh, this draft isn’t as good.’ Here are the numbers. Approximately 45 players from any draft will play 350 games or more in the NHL. It might be 47 one year, 42 another year. That’s the number — you get 45 players that’ll play 350 games or more with varying degrees of success.
“And I know this about the draft. The teams that get good players from the draft say it was a good draft. The teams that don’t get good players from the draft say it wasn’t a good draft. So when people start telling me about a draft ahead of time, I call bulls–t.”
“What you’re trying to do is find a player that you feel has the potential to be an NHL player,” Button said. “That might be a third-line center, that might be a second-line scoring winger. Hey, listen, maybe you get David Pastrnak, who’s a superstar (drafted 25th overall in 2014).
“But the focus has to be on, ‘OK, what type of player do we like, what type of player do we think the guy can be?’ And then get after it and understand what the development path is, and then try to help that player be the best he can be. Put a stake in the ground and celebrate who you’re drafting.”
Before the draft arrives, we’re breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.
Next up:
Ilia Morozov
Position: Center Height: 6-foot-3 Weight: 200 Shoots: Left Team: Miami (Ohio)
Scouting report
The Russian prospect provides a noticeable presence and strong work ethic down the middle.
At just 17 years old, Morozov was rock solid in his transition to the college level. He put up eight goals and 12 assists in 36 games for Miami (Ohio). Three of his goals came on the power play and one at shorthanded. He had a two-goal performance on the road against Western Michigan, the defending national champs at the time.
“Good player,” Button, a former NHL GM and scout, said. “I see him as a third-line center. Nothing wrong with third-line centers, third-line centers are really valuable.”
His ceiling offensively might not be super high, but Morozov sees the ice well and his shot has potential. Button has him at No. 25 on his May 20 draft list.
“Anton Lundell and Adam Lowry, to me, are the prototypical third-line centers,” Button said. “I think Anton has a little bit easier of a time scaling up to what I would call a 2b. He can be a second-line center, he can do that, but he’s not a prolific point producer you might want from a second-line center. But an excellent third-line center and I think Adam Lowry is an excellent third-line center.
“I see the same thing with Morozov. I don’t see this guy that’s going to be a big offensive force, but I see a guy that with his size, his spurt, his competitiveness, you want out there on the ice. That’s kind of the profile that I look at with these types of players.”
The Flyers have needed more centers in their system, so Morozov checks a box there. But the concern may be his upside. Can the Flyers grab a player with more of a top-six makeup?
The club is hoping Jett Luchanko, Jack Berglund or Jack Nesbitt can eventually develop into a second-line center, but there’s no guarantee there. Morozov would at least give the Flyers another option down the middle.
His size and strength are intriguing, especially when you consider Berglund and Nesbitt are both 6-foot-4 or taller. Down the road, the Flyers would possibly have an imposing look at a premium position.
Morozov’s ability to relate to Matvei Michkov would be a nice bonus, too.
The 29-year-old centerman, who won gold with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, is entering the fourth season of an eight-year deal worth $8.7 million annually.
Per Helen St. James of the Detroit Free Press, the New York Islanders, who are looking to add a top-six scorer, are not one of the teams on Larkin's shortlist, which was submitted to Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman.
Those three teams are believed to be: Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights.
While this list can be expanded on, and likely will be, it's clear that Larkin wants to join a Stanley Cup contender, as he should, after years of waiting for Yzerman to build a winning hockey club in Michigan.
NHL Insider Frank Seravalli has cited The Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James, and confirmed that Dylan Larkin has submitted a three team list for a trade out of Detroit.
The three teams are the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and, to no one's surprise, the Vegas Golden Knights. Shocker, right?
This means that the Columbus Blue Jackets are effectively out of the running for Larkin's services.
Many fans considered it a pipe dream anyway, but with the Zach Werenski connection, many believed that it could be a move that very well might happen. Other fans knew from the start that Larkin would never come to Columbus, as the soon-to-be 30-year-old had no interest in a team like Columbus.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
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The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hit the end of the line in the 2026 Calder Cup playoffs last night, dropping a 2-1 overtime game to the Toronto Marlies in Game 6. It was a bitter pill for a team to swallow to run out of gas and yield to an older, stronger opponent, but one that planted many promising seeds for the future.
Here were the lines for the Pens, this graphic isn’t even accurate as Owen Pickering (who took warmups) was a very last minute scratch, adding to the injury pile on the blueline. Alex Alexeyev returned from injury, but with Pickering, Phil Kemp, Sebastian Aho and Finn Harding all unavailable, WBS needed to rely on ECHL callups in Emil Pieniniemi and David Breazeale in an elimination game.
— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) June 7, 2026
Ultimately it would be the final goal of the WBS season. Toronto’s Easton Cowan scored in the second period to tie the game, leaving the teams clinging to that 1-1 battle for a large portion of the night.
In overtime, it was former Penguin (and WBS Penguin) Alex Nylander delivering the goal to end the series and send Toronto to the Calder Cup Final.
In the end, it wasn’t meant to be for WBS, and their season comes to an end as a result. They had some chances, including Tanner Howe getting a great look just a minute prior to Nylander ending the game. The opponent had something to do with the outcome as well, have to give credit to them. Toronto was a very well-coached team playing a 1-1-3 neutral zone trap that was difficult to fight through to earn quality scoring chances (not to be confused with the high number of shot total that Wilkes usually ended up with). The Marlies got great goaltending along the way from Artur Akhtyamov and had some savvy vets who could pop out and make WBS pay at key moments. That all contributed.
The team would probably not blame the injury situation, but there’s no doubt that played into things. It’s hard, if not impossible, to win a playoff series with four of a team’s top six or seven defensemen all hurt by the end of it. And yet, the Pens only conceded two goals in almost 74 minutes in Game 6, a testament to Sergei Murashov (37 saves on 39 shots for the game) and their team will to keep battling.
In the end, WBS fell short and their season is over. In the wider picture, there’s much to be proud of for the players and see a lot of promise for the future.
Murashov has to be at the top of that list as an emerging young goalie. Last season Murashov only got to play one AHL playoff game, this spring he got in 15 of them (posting a .931 save% and 2.11 GAA along the way). This run will likely provide direct, tangible benefits for Murashov’s future and development as a player.
Harrison Brunicke’s topsy turvy season trying to find a place to stick ended on a sweet note. Many considered him the best player on the ice in more games than not down the stretch. With all the defensive injuries and then ECHL callups in the lineup, the Pens often resorted to double-shifting defensemen. Brunicke was a beast, a big development change from about six-eight months earlier when he played choppy in the NHL and then not much better in a short AHL stint in late 2025. Fast forward to the middle of 2026 and it was like a different player for how much growth he was able to inject into his game.
Tristan Broz led the team in points, with 11 (3G+8A) in the 15 games. As always in his career, when a team that Broz is on scores a big goal in a crucial moment, he has that knack of having something to do with it. Who knows what that means for his future next season, but as always he acquitted himself well in the AHL once again.
Bill Zonnon turned pro on the fly in the middle of the AHL playoffs and ended up with four goals and three assists in 11 games. Very impressive stuff from him, the youngster will need some time to round out his game but the best part is that he’ll never be as inexperienced or in as peripheral a role in the future as he was in this playoff and Zonnon still managed to make a difference.
Mikhail Ilyin in some ways was even less experienced than Zonnon for AHL playoffs in terms of lack of familiarity with the North American style, rink sizes and all that after five AHL regular season games, and Ilyin still ended up tied for second on the team in playoff scoring (2G+7A). Ilyin’s talent level is legit and there’s good reason to be hopeful about how the adaptation process is going to show he can succeed in this environment. Early signs are pretty good.
Agreed with the note here from Jonathan Bombulie about Ville Koivunen standing out after the whistle. Next training camp (when he needs waivers to go to the AHL) is literally now or never for him, here’s to hoping he shows up with the same moxie and nerve to try and stand out, which he hasn’t done much at the NHL level.
Rutger McGroarty and Avery Hayes played like players who aren’t long for the AHL. Both, you would think, will be under serious contention for an NHL roster spot out of camp. It can always be dangerous to pencil anyone in right now (especially before trades and free agent signings flood the deck with plenty of options) but at the same time, you would also have to think these two have done everything asked of them to show what they were supposed to show.
In all, that’s a wrap on the 2025-26 WBS Penguins team. They fall a little short of the promised land, which is a big shame for an organization that has never won a Calder Cup. While they will benefit in the years to come from what Pittsburgh hopes is a continuing stream of talented young players, the immediate future probably won’t be as bright for WBS next year if they have to deal with the immediate or eventual NHL graduations of players like Murashov, Brunicke, McGroarty, Hayes, Broz and Koivunen. One way or another, this was sort of the crest of the wave for this mini-generation of those prospects, a trough could follow before the next batch gears all the way up again. It’s never a fun ending to come up short, but this team has a lot for the organization to be proud of both on individual and overall areas of growth and achievement following this AHL season.
Craig Conroy is about to enter his fourth NHL Draft as the general manager of the Calgary Flames, assuming the duties on May 23, 2023. He inherited the role from Brad Treliving, who held only three draft picks in the 2022 NHL Draft, none of whom have reached the NHL as of the 2025-26 season.
Meanwhile, Conroy had a month to prepare for the 2023 NHL Draft, with the 16th overall pick, and five more for a total of six that first year. He restocked the team's 2024 draft pool, selecting 10 prospects, including two first-rounders at 9th and 28th overall.
In 2025, Conroy trimmed his selections down to eight, once again with two first-rounders at 18th and 32nd overall. Overall, the Flames general manager has made 24 selections at the NHL Draft, with 11 more on tap at this year's event, including 6th overall and eight picks in the top 68 spots.
Today, many could call Conroy a veteran at the draft table, which raises the stakes with every selection he makes in Buffalo. While many will look towards the future, let's revisit his previous draft picks and catch up with where they are in 2026.
2023 NHL Draft
Samuel Honzek (16th overall) LW/C
Samuel Honzek made his NHL debut during the 2025-26 season, skating in 18 games, tallying two goals and four points. At the moment, he's on the Flames roster for next season, with two years remaining on his entry-level deal.
Samuel Honzek (Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images)
Étienne Morin (48th overall) D
Étienne Morin became an AHL regular with the Calgary Wranglers last season, scoring his first goal and adding six assists in 42 games. He also spent seven games in the ECHL, but is going to be a lock to remain with the Wranglers in 2026-27.
Aydar Suniev (80th overall) LW/RW
Aydar Suniev earned a one-game NHL call-up in 2024-25 and has seven games of experience with the Flames, but is currently a mainstay with Wranglers. Last year, in his first full AHL campaign, he scored 16 goals in 57 games.
Jaden Lipinski (112th overall) C/RW
After parts of four seasons in the WHL with the Vancouver Giants, Jaden Lipinski went on to play for the University of Maine in 2025-26, scoring three goals and totaling 12 points in 30 games. As of right now, he remains unsigned by the Flames, and his rights expire on July 1, 2027.
Yegor Yegorov (176th overall) G
Yegor Yegorov is one of two netminders that Conroy has drafted, and the Russian-born puckstopper is ready to make the move to North America, committing to Miami University for the 2026-27 season. Like Lipinski, Yegorov is unsigned, but his rights remain with the organization until July 1, 2027.
The Swedish-born Axel Hurtig has found a home in Calgary, joining the WHL's Hitmen squad for the 2024-25 season and serving as team captain last year. After 35 points in 119 games in the WHL, Hurtig is getting called up and slated to be in the Wranglers' lineup for the upcoming season.
2024 NHL Draft
Zayne Parekh (9th overall) D
Zayne Parekh doesn't need an introduction to Flames fans. After dominating the OHL for three seasons, including 107 points in 61 games as a defenseman in 2024-25, he became an NHL regular in 2025-26 and is a core player in Calgary's rebuild. In 37 games with the Flames, the 20-year-old had four goals and nine points.
ZAYNE'S PLAYING 🏒
Zayne Parekh, the first defenseman since Bobby Orr to record multiple 30-goal seasons in the OHL/OHA, will make his NHL debut tonight!
Matveii Gridin was busy in 2025-26, skating 37 games with the Wranglers and another 37 with the Flames, tallying a total of 16 goals and 50 points in his first season of professional hockey. As another key prospect in the rebuild, Gridin has two years left on his entry-level deal.
Andrew Basha (41st overall) LW/RW
Andrew Basha won a Memorial Cup with the Medicine Hat Tigers, skating with the club for parts of five seasons before making his AHL debut last year. In 27 games, he had a goal and five points, and he will be a regular in the Wranglers' lineup next season.
Jacob Battaglia (62nd overall) RW/LW
Jacob Battaglia has yet to play outside of the OHL, amassing 230 points in 265 games over the past four seasons. However, he is no longer in the Flames organization as Conroy traded the winger to the New York Rangers in exchange for Brennan Othmann on Mar. 6, 2026.
Henry Mews (74th overall) D
Henry Mews' first season in the NCAA with the University of Michigan Wolverines lasted only ten games, but he managed to collect nine assists in those contests. In the OHL, he averaged 0.93 points per game with the Ottawa 67's, collecting 174 points in 188 games. He's still recovering from a knee injury and may not be ready for the 2026-27 season.
Kirill Zarubin (84th overall) G
Kirill Zarubin continues to skate in his native Russia, serving as the starting netminder for AKM Tula in the MHL, posting a 26-13-3 record last year with a .930 SV% and 2.17 GAA. According to his Elite Prospects profile, the 20-year-old is in line for a promotion to the VHL for the upcoming campaign.
Trevor Hoskin (106th overall) RW/C
Trevor Hoskin swapped NCAA jerseys last season, moving from Niagara University to Merrimack College. His production stayed the same, with 35 points in 39 games, a slight dip from the previous year, 39 points in 36 games. Hoskin is returning to Merrimack for the 2026-27 season.
Luke Misa (150th overall) C/LW
Luke Misa was a teammate of the projected No. 1 overall pick, Gavin McKenna, at Penn State University last year, where Misa, a freshman, scored 8 goals and 19 points in 37 games. After producing at almost a point-per-game pace (0.91) in the OHL, his numbers dipped down to 0.51 in the NCAA.
Hunter Laing (170th overall) C/RW
Hunter Laing had his best season as a WHL skater in 2025-26, scoring 24 goals and 55 points in 64 games, the first time he surpassed 50 points in the league. Interestingly, the Flames did not retain Laing's draft picks, making him eligible for reentry in this year's draft.
Eric Jamieson (Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Eric Jamieson (177th overall) D
Eric Jamieson is currently the only player drafted by Conroy to go on and win an NCAA National Championship, achieving the feat last season with the University of Denver. In addition to a championship, Jamieson was named to the NCAA (NCHC) All-Rookie Team, thanks to 18 points in 43 games with only 47 penalty minutes and a plus-12 rating.
2025 NHL Draft
Cole Reschny (18th overall) C/LW
Cole Reschny is committed to staying at the University of North Dakota and looks to improve on his six-goal, 35-point performance in 36 games last season. As a former 20-goal scorer in the WHL, he'll look to get back to double digits in his second NCAA campaign.
Cullen Potter (32nd overall) C/LW
Cullen Potter will begin his third NCAA season in 2026-27, transferring to Michigan State University after two years with Arizona State. Despite a career minus-2 total, he's producing at a 0.81 points-per-game pace, with 48 points in 59 NCAA games.
Cullen Potter (Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
Theo Stockselius (54th overall) C/LW
Theo Stockselius, a Swedish native, has yet to skate in North America, but finally made his SHL debut in 2025-26, collecting an assist in 16 games with Djurgårdens IF. Additionally, he earned a spot on Sweden's U18 club in 2025 and, most recently, the country's U20 team in 2026.
Mace'o Phillips (80th overall) D
Mace'o Phillips is another Flames prospect poised to take a jump in their career this season, agreeing to skate at the University of Minnesota after several seasons in the USHL. As an alternate captain with the Green Bay Gamblers, he scored one goal and had ten helpers for 11 points in 44 games.
Ethan Wyttenbach (144th overall) LW/RW
Ethan Wyttenbach had a great first season in the NCAA, scoring 25 goals and 59 points with Quinnipiac University, totals slightly higher than his previous year in the USHL. At 19, he's going to return to Quinnipac for another campaign in 2026-27.
Aidan Lane (176th overall) RW/LW
Aidan Lane made his NCAA debut last year with Harvard, scoring six goals and 13 points in 34 games. He's bounced around, skating in the PHC, USHL, OHL, and now the NCAA since 2024. At the time of this writing, Lane remains unsigned by the Flames, who retain his rights until 2029.
Jakob Leaner is another Swedish prospect in the Flames system, who is still skating at the U20 level in his native country. As of spring 2026, he has yet to make his SHL debut, but he reached double digits for the first time since age 16, with two goals and 12 points in 36 games. The Flames retain his rights until 2029.
Yan Matveiko (18th overall) C
Yan Matveiko made his VHL debut last year, earning an assist in his only appearance. Down in the MHL, he tallied 15 goals and 37 points in 50 games with the second-best plus/minus rating (plus-23) on Krasnaya Armiya Moskva. Like several of his 2025 draft classmates, Matveiko remains unsigned by the Flames, who maintain his rights until 2029.
How would you rank Conroy's draft history through three years? Which players are you hoping will make an impact somewhere in the organization next season? Who will be the next one to make their NHL debut with the Flames? Let us know what you think in the comments.
