That's not the only Islanders-adjacent feat accomplished last night.
For the first time since 1980, the United States won the Gold Medal, known as the "Miracle on Ice." Later that year, the New York Islanders won their first-ever Stanley Cup.
One player won both that season. Islanders' Hall of Famer and shutdown defenseman, Ken Morrow.
For the past 46 years, Morrow remained the only American to ever win the Stanley Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal in the same season.
Jaccob Slavin became the second-ever player to accomplish the feat, joining Morrow in one of hockey's most exclusive clubs.
Clips went viral on social media of Brind’Amour celebrating his first Cup win as a head coach, including one of him taking his shirt off in the locker room before lifting the Cup with his players celebrating around him.
A shirtless Rod Brind’Amour holds the Stanley Cup during the Hurricanes’ locker room celebration in Las Vegas on June 14, 2026. NHLI via Getty ImagesCarolina Hurricanes Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour raises the Stanley Cup in the locker room after winning the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NHLI via Getty Images
Brind’Amour, nicknamed “Rod the Bod,” is no stranger to the Stanley Cup.
The 55-year-old, who spent parts of 10 years playing for the Hurricanes in the 2000s, was named Carolina’s captain prior to the 2005-06 season, and he would lead the team to their first Cup in franchise history. Brind’Amour’s No. 17 jersey is retired by the Hurricanes.
Brind’Amour’s Cup lift in 2006 is often regarded as one of the more iconic in NHL history. Back then, Brind’Amour couldn’t wait for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to hand him the Cup, and took it off the table himself before hoisting it in the air.
Brind’Amour’s second time with the Cup was memorable too. After Pyotr Kotchetkov handed his coach the Cup, Brind’Amour tossed the trophy in the air before catching it and wrapping it in a bear hug.
“That was just a little bear hug, I don’t know,” Brind’Amour said laughing.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes lifts the Stanley Cup after Game Six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Carolina Hurricanes won 3-0. Getty Images
“I wasn’t sure I was going to raise it over my head because that’s more of a player thing, but I had no choice,” Brind’Amour said.
Brind’Amour, who has led Carolina to the playoffs in all eight of his seasons at the helm, is only the fourth person in NHL history to win a Cup with the same franchise as a player and coach, and 14th person to win as a coach and player for any team.
NHL insider and former goalie, Kevin Weekes, tweeted out ahead of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final that he is under the impression that the Philadelphia Flyers have extended goalie Dan Vladar for five seasons.
Weekes' tweet lends credence to many other posts from people who closely follow the Flyers, who have been saying for some time now that the former Calgary Flames netminder was going to stay in Philadelphia.
👀 Per sources, I’m told G Vladar and the @NHLFlyers are working towards closing in on a 5 Yr Contract Extension that’s likely to land in the mid 5M AAV range. #HockeyXpic.twitter.com/V0ubAjFEx1
Two weeks ago, another NHL insider, Elliotte Friedman, also went on record to say he had heard that Vladar and the Flyers had already agreed to the extension. Still, the club was waiting until the start of free agency on July 1 to announce it officially.
Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins in the third round (75th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft, Vladar played only five games with the organization before a trade to the Flames in July 2021 gave him a chance to land a legit back-up role.
For four seasons, he split time (not evenly) with Jacob Markström and Dustin Wolf, compiling a 47-32-15 record with the Flames in 100 games. Once he became a free agent in July 2025, he found a home with the Flyers.
Thanks to a 29-14-7 record in 52, Vladar helped the Flyers back into the Stanley Cup playoffs, upsetting the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round before a sweep at the hands of the eventual champions, the Carolina Hurricanes. Because of his strong campaign, Vladar finished 6th in Vezina Trophy voting and earned some votes for the Hart Trophy, finishing 18th on the ballot.
At this time, there is no official word on what his new contract will be worth, but several insiders believe the annual salary will be between $5 and $6 million. For comparison, Wolf will start making $7.5 million this season, while Markström is making $6 million.
“Here’s Taylor Hall breaking in. Hall scores! Taylor Hall, and it is 1-0, Carolina!”
With his head up, Hall’s wrist shot beat Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart a little over three minutes after the puck dropped, signaling the start of Game 6. It marked the 34-year-old’s seventh goal of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He, along with his Carolina Hurricanes’ linemates Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake, were one of the Hurricanes’ strongest lines in the postseason, combining for 55 points.
At 10:57 p.m. Eastern Time, the final horn sounded at T-Mobile Arena, and Hall threw his gloves, stick, and helmet in the air as he and his teammates swarmed their goaltender, Brandon Bussi, behind his net.
The Hurricanes defeated the Golden Knights, 3-0, clinching their second Stanley Cup in their history.
And Taylor Hall became a Stanley Cup champion.
“It is incredible,” he told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. “I have been kind of everywhere and got here (to Carolina) and felt really at home within a couple days. I think that is a credit to (Rod Brind'Amour) and the coaching staff, and to the guys who have been here for seven or eight years and have really put in the work to make this a special place to play. I am so happy for them. I am just ecstatic. This is an amazing group to do it with. I couldn't have asked for anything more.”
Drafted first overall in 2010 by the Edmonton Oilers, Hall went on to play for the New Jersey Devils, Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks before landing in Carolina.
“You never know what kind of turn your life is going to take,” Hall continued. “I got fortunate coming here. Like I said, special group to do it with, and they allowed me just to come in and have success, and that says a lot.”
During his three and a half season stint with the Devils, Hall captured the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2018, given "to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team."
At 34, Hall played 1,062 games before celebrating his first Cup win. Per NHLPr, he had the second-most contests by a number one pick before his first championship behind Washington Capitals’ captain Alex Ovechkin, with both players clinching their title against the Golden Knights in Vegas.
“I love the game, man,” Hall said. “I will keep doing this as long as I can. The Stanley Cup was the ultimate goal, but just playing hockey and being around my buddies doing it is incredible.”
Hall earned votes for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for their all-around role in helping the team win the Stanley Cup. He finished second behind Hurricanes’ captain Jordan Staal.
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The former Vancouver Canucks defenceman was part of the Carolina Hurricanes squad that rode a dominant performance through the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs to win their first championship since 2006, doing so by taking down the Vegas Golden Knights in six games.
Carolina capped off their remarkable 16–3 post-season run with a 3–0 win in Vegas, with goaltender Brandon Bussi backstopping them to the victory only three games after he officially took the starting role after Frederik Andersen sustained a knee injury in Game 2 of the series. The 22-save shutout was his first of the post-season and third all-time in the NHL.
The journey to the Hurricanes franchise’s second Stanley Cup began after suffering three Conference Final losses through the prior seven seasons, during all of which they made the playoffs.
This year’s run began with a quick sweep of the Ottawa Senators in the first-round, during which former Canuck Chatfield recorded one assist in the team’s series-winning Game 4. Carolina went on to also sweep the Philadelphia Flyers, scoring three or more goals in each of their games against Philadelphia. Chatfield scored his first goal of this year’s post-season in Game 3 of this series.
The Hurricanes met with the Montréal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Final — their fourth in the past eight seasons. Despite a dominant Game 1 performance for the Canadiens that saw Montréal put five goals past Andersen, Carolina continued rolling, winning four straight to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since their 2006 championship win. This was the third time the Hurricanes made the Final since relocating.
Vegas put up a valiant effort, but ultimately, Carolina was able to take the win in this year’s Stanley Cup Final. Both of the Hurricanes’ losses were separated by only one goal, with a thrilling Game 1 ending in a 5–4 score, and Game 3 featuring a shocking 4–0 comeback from Carolina cut short by an overtime goal scored by Shea Theodore.
Jun 14, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Carolina Hurricanes players celebrate the win against the Vegas Golden Knights in game six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Offensively speaking, Chatfield hit another gear during Carolina’s 2025–26 playoff run. The defenceman recorded a career-high of seven assists in a single post-season and doubled his previous points-high by recording eight in 19 games. He was also relied on heavily by his team through this run, recording a career-high average of 22:32 minutes played per game.
Chatfield’s time with the Canucks was spent mostly in the AHL. The defenceman played in a total of 18 games with Vancouver, recording his first-career NHL point with the team, before he was not extended a qualifying offer and became a free-agent. In his first season with the Hurricanes organization, the defenceman won the 2022 Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves. He has since powered his way to a full-time NHL role with Carolina.
Carolina’s Stanley Cup win officially makes Chatfield a champion at the NHL, AHL, and OHL level, as he also won the Memorial Cup in 2017 as a member of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires.
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When Sergei Bobrovsky decided that he didn’t want to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets any longer, fans were gutted. How could the best goalie to ever wear the Union Blue want to leave? He owns just about every organizational record there is for goalies, including games played, wins, goals-against, saves, shutouts, minutes played, and points scored.
Well, we soon got our answer. GM Jarmo Kekalainen came out publicly and stated that Bobrovsky came to the front office and said he was done with the organization. But why? Was it money? Was it Torts? Was it the city itself? Seems to be a combination of all of the above, and some fans were not happy.
And then, after the CBJ swept the Tampa Bay Lightning, that was it; he was gone. But let’s be honest: the time he spent there was historic in terms of team records, and it was fun to watch.
On June 15, 2013, Sergei Bobrovsky won his first and two Vezina Trophy following the 2012-13 season.
Bobrovsky played in 38 games, compiling a record of 21-11-6. He had 4 shutouts, the first of 33 in his CBJ career. His GAA was 2.00 with a save % of .932. The man played stellar.
But he had shown flashes in the previous two seasons with the Flyers. And with the 2012-13 season being shortened due to a labor dispute, he played for SKA St Petersburg of the KHL. He did really well there too, going 18-3-2 with a sub-2.00 GAA. And with all of that, the Jackets missed the playoffs due to a tiebreaker. They finished with 55 points, tied with the Minnesota Wild. They went 24-17-7 and deserved to be in the playoffs that year, in my opinion.
John Davidson revealed that Bobrovsky refused to waive his no-trade clause leading up to the 2019 NHL trade deadline. Davidson made the following comment about Bobrovsky, who left Columbus to sign a 7-year deal with the Florida Panthers.
"I know that with Bobrovsky, he didn't want to waive his no-trade, so we couldn't trade him. And I get that; he had every right in the world. That's nobody's fault. It's just what it is.
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Fans have always thought that the Jackets just held on to Bobrovsky and Panarin and went "All-In." But it very well could be that since Sergei Bobrovsky refused to waive his no-trade clause, Columbus had no choice but to go for it that year. It worked out, and it didn't.
Sergei Bobrovsky, still a topic of conversation among Jackets fans. Some good. Some bad. But in the long run, he was one of the greatest players ever to wear a Columbus Blue Jackets jersey.
Bob has also cemented himself as one of the NHL's all-time great goalies by winning playing in three straight Stanley Cup Finals, and winning two straight Cups.
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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SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY - MAY 05: Detailed view of the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery set at the NHL Network Studio on May 5, 2026 in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Assuming the Pittsburgh Penguins stick with their choice at the 22nd overall pick on June 26th (which would be a decent-sized assumption based on Kyle Dubas’ history of trading down in the first round), which players might be around for them? Overall, the 2026 draft is now considered in some circles somewhat weak and disappointing compared to what it looked like it was shaping into earlier in the process.
Here’s a look at draft rankings and how they average out to set a baseline of what could happen, especially when it comes to prospects like Ryan Lin or Wyatt Cullen. This graphic suggests neither will still be on the board at No. 22.
Rankings are updated with a few new additions, and here is the landscape.
The NHL draft, it should be said, is nearly impossible to project. Too many players come from too many different countries and leagues to standardize or predict what 32 teams are thinking when they rank their players. Sometimes players get picked way higher than pre-draft expectations – take Ben Kindel going 11th overall last season which was far higher than almost anyone would have predicted going into the event. Kindel’s 2025-26 performance showed that was more about what the scouting/pre-draft community didn’t know in their analysis of his game.
However, the overall listings can show set some expectations.
With that in mind, we can probably starting zeroing in for the following:
20: Nikita Klepov
21: Ilia Morozov
22: J.P. Hulbert
23: Xavier Villeneuve
24: Juho Piiparinen
25: Maddox Dagenais
Klepov, is “is a highly skilled playmaker who flashed his skill level in the USHL last year and led the OHL in scoring this year with 97 points in 67 games,” per The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler. Puck skills and scoring ability is the name of his game in scouting reports, with exciting upside as a summer birthday to make him a younger prospect than many in the class. Concerns or limitations look like compete level at his size (6’0, 180) and not being the most dynamic skater for a winger.
Morozov seems to be a player sent to the Penguins in many mock drafts. A natural center with good size (6’3, 205), Morozov (no relation to former Penguin Aleksey) is also on the younger side for players in the draft. He’s cited by Wheeler as being a “pro-built center who has a good feel for timing on both sides of the puck and plays off his linemates well”, with some concerns about his offensive ceiling at the pro level.
Per Wheeler, Hulbert was “fourth in the WHL in scoring with 42 goals and 97 points in 68 games and playing both center and the wing effectively. He also finished second in the league in shots on goal with 294. He wasn’t viewed as a first-rounder coming into the season, but he made a ton of plays (though he has regressed a little down the stretch) to put himself in the mid-to-late first range”. He would seem to fit the Dubas profile in a lot of ways for being a WHL player, versatile in center/wing ability, highly productive with well-rounded game and competitiveness to boot. Hulbert also played on Harrison Brunicke’s junior team, so he certainly will be a player that Pittsburgh has kept tabs on throughout the season.
Villeneuve could be a high-risk, high-reward type of prospect. Wheeler says of the left shot defender, “this season, he continued to make plays at a high rate, was playing above a point per game, and led all D in shots on goal before a hip injury shut him down in early January, after his production had regressed a little following a hot start. He returned in time for the playoffs and was up and down for me in recent viewings. He didn’t meet my expectations this season on the whole, even factoring in the time lost”. Villeneuve is slight at 5’10 and 164 pounds, but everyone is looking for that Cole or Lane Hutson type of slick, offensively gifted defenseman. Villeneuve has some dynamic skill but also some questions to answer about projectability and whether or not he will take off.
Piiparinen could be described as the anti-Villeneuve. From Wheeler, “he’s an August birthday who’s already very polished, is a superb athlete, and has shown more offense at Finland’s junior level; he has played a more reserved/vanilla style at the pro level and at times internationally”. The 6’2, 204 pound left shot defender is known for steady, effective play, thinking the game well and making the little choices around the ice when it comes to playing the puck or taking proper positioning, with questions about his skill and just how high his ceiling might be.
Dagenais takes us back to the land of good-sized centers at almost 6’4 and 200 pounds. Wheeler writes, “Dagenais is a pro-sized forward who, at his best, stays around and on the puck and shows confidence holding and shooting it. When he’s engaged, going to the net, winning board battles and stacking positive shifts, he looks like a future middle-sixer NHLer who’s going to score 20 goals. He has good skill.” Concerns on him include a concussion history, possible pace and consistency issues.
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While meant as a little primer for names that could be in the range for the Pens’ pick, the truth is that without knowing their board it would be impossible to see what direction they might go for making the pick. Some-to-all of these players could be available and a perceived ‘reach’ for a different player happens all the time in the NHL draft. This grouping of players provides a good place to start, even if it still very possibly could not be where the Penguins decide to end up going. This range of candidates is out there as some names to read up on in the event they are who Pittsburgh is picking through when it comes time to making their first pick.
It was a special 2025-26 season for the Buffalo Sabres. This is because they not only made the playoffs for the first time since 2011 but also won the Atlantic Division. Now, the Sabres will be looking to build off their big year by putting together a strong off-season.
If the Sabres want to remain one of the NHL's top teams next season, they are going to need to make some upgrades to their roster this summer. One of their biggest needs is another top-six center.
When looking at trade candidates around the league, New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal stands out as a prime potential fit for the Sabres.
If the Sabres brought in Barzal, he could slot perfectly as their first-line center on a line with Tage Thompson and Zach Benson. Barzal's strong playmaking ability could make him a perfect linemate for a high-impact sniper like Thompson. Barzal would also give the Sabres another star to work with on their power play, which would be huge.
With the Sabres becoming contenders, they should not be afraid to make a bold move for a star center like Barzal if the Islanders make him available. He would be a great fit on their roster and could the addition that helps Buffalo take another big step forward in 2026-27.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: The Carolina Hurricanes celebrate after Game Six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Carolina Hurricanes won 3-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
The Hockey Guy provides assessments for where teams stand in their competitive windows, and he saves the Devils for last:
“General manager Sunny Mehta should pursue some of the bigger trade targets available this offseason, such as Jordan Kyrou, but there’s the salary cap to worry about, too. As such, there could be some under-the-radar, though potentially riskier, trade candidates that Mehta could pursue over the coming weeks. Let’s look at who those could be and why some of these trade targets offer buy-low, high-reward potential.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
“If there’s one commonality between most of the armchair-GM trade proposals, it’s the repeated inclusion of the same Devils’ pieces: the 12th overall pick, Simon Nemec, and Dawson Mercer. A draft pick is what it is, and I’ve certainly laid out the Nemec of it all before, but I feel as though it would be a worthy endeavor to dive into what Mercer actually brings to the table as a player and determine whether or not he deserves to be in these trade conversations. Half of those I’ve spoken to believe him to be a strong, all-situations asset to the team; a player the Devils cannot afford to lose. The other half believes that he is what he is — a 20-goal, 40-point player — and that he’s best used as a trade chip by virtue of his trade value being higher than his on-ice value.” [Devils’ Advocates]
“Twenty years later, the Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup champions again. Brandon Bussi stopped all 22 shots he faced, and the Hurricanes set off a Stanley Cup celebration with a heavy presence of their fans who made the trip here, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday.” [NHL.com]
Jordan Staal is awarded the Conn Smythe:
#SoundTheSiren captain Jordan Staal is the 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy winner for MVP of the #StanleyCup playoffs, as voted by @ThePHWA.
Staal had a Stanley Cup Final for the ages, becoming the first player to score in each of the first five games in 70 years.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 31: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in action during the game against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Vitals
Player: Evgeni Malkin Born: July 31, 1986 (Age 39 season) Height: 6’ 5” Weight: 213 pounds Hometown: Magnitogorsk, Russia Shoots: Left Draft: 2004 first round (2nd overall) by the Pittsburgh Penguins 2025-26 Statistics: 56 games played, 19 goals, 42 assists = 61 points ; 6 games played, 2 goals, 1 assist in playoffs. Contract Status: Malkin signed a one-year deal on May 26th to return to the Penguins in 2026-27 for his 21st NHL season after completing a four-year contract that wrapped up with the 2025-26 season.
Story of the Season
At 39 years old, Evgeni Malkin entered the 2025-26 season as the fifth oldest player in the NHL, preparing to play in his 20th NHL campaign in what will be a Hall of Fame career. While he may no longer be the player he was at his peak, Malkin proved to everyone that he still has something left to give, posting over a point per game season as he approaches his 40th birthday.
Malkin wasted no time getting his season rolling with a red hot right out of the gate that helped propel the Penguins up the standings and had people raising their eyebrows after preseason predictions had them as basement dwellers rather than playoff contenders.
Through the first month of play in 2025-26, Malkin paced the Penguins in scoring, producing 17 points in the month of October. There was a short period of time where he was leading the league in points courtesy of his hot start. That pace eventually cooled off, but Malkin made it clear he still had gas in the tank and could produce at a high level for the Penguins.
Coming off a 2024-25 season where he played 68 games, injuries (and a bad decision on his part) limited Malkin to just 56 games this past season. In December, the Penguins played 14 games, but Malkin appears in just two of those games, missing the rest due to injury. Malkin’s absence from the lineup coincided with one of the Penguins worst stretch of the season, surely not a coincidence given the level Malkin was playing at before going down.
In total, Malkin missed 15 games between early December and when he returned on January 8th but he wasted no time getting back on the scoresheet, recording a goal in his return to action and racking up 13 points across 12 games played in the month of January.
Of course not all of Malkin’s time out of the lineup was injury related. In an early March game against the Buffalo Sabres, Malkin slashed Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin across the neck and was handed a five game suspension for his actions.
Much like his return from injury in January, Malkin returned to the lineup on March 16th in Denver and did so with a bang against the Avalanche, recording a pair of goals and an assists in a shock 7-2 Penguins victory over the eventual President’s Trophy winners.
In the playoffs, Malkin found the back of the net twice to tie the team lead for goals scored in the Penguins six game loss to the Flyers in the first round.
October and January are the big months here that really stand out for Malkin this season. It should be noted those two months are when his legs were the most fresh, at the beginning of the season and coming off a long injury layoff that saw him miss 15 games. December and February were low volume in terms of games played because of injury and the Olympic break, but Malkin was still clicking at above a point per game pace even in those small sample sizes.
Regular season 5v5 advanced stats
Data via Natural Stat Trick. Ranking is out of 18 forwards on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes.
Perhaps not the driver of play that he was at his peak, but Malkin’s scoring rates still remain among the highest on the team at 39 years old. His goal total improved slightly from last year, but it’s dishing the assists where he earned his money this season. Maybe Malkin does need to focus on shooting the puck more in 2026-27 with his GF% being that high and his shooting percentage being in the top half of qualified skaters.
2025-26 proved to be a major bounce back season for Malkin following his career-worst worst performance in 2024-25. The offensive impact this year was back in a major way and WAR rankings shine favorably on his game.
Malkin is always going to live in the Sidney Crosby shadow but has some incredible playmaking chops of his own. At this point he is a much more effective player setting up his teammates than taking the shots himself, and a shift to wing has freed him up to be more involved on the forecheck. Malkin also remained incredibly productive on the power play, leading the team in power play points per 60 minutes played and ending up with 26 PPP in his 56 games.
Malkin was able to increase his amount of shots from mid and high danger zones from last season, despite playing in 12 less games. That might say more about 2024-25 than this current year. Overall, through coaching inputs on zone starts and skill he’s still able to spend lots of time in the offensive end and as little as possible in the defensive part.
Age and a few knee surgeries have put a ceiling on what was once the most explosive skater of his generation back in his heyday. These stats show a real ceiling to how fast Malkin can be these days, right around the 20mph area. He still has the burst to remain worthy of playing in a league that gets a little faster each season, even as he slows, it’s just not quite the same as it once was and missing that high gear.
Evgeni Malkin, are you KIDDING @Joe_Brand1?? Another day, another bank shot. Here's how Geno's goal sounded on our airwaves, presented by S&T Bank. pic.twitter.com/MH4r2XTrMQ
One has to wonder in this coming season will be the last for Evgeni Malkin in his Hall of Fame career. There were whispers last offseason that 2025-26 was going to be the end, at least for his time in Pittsburgh, but an impressive age 39 season left little to doubt that Malkin can still play and it led to a one year deal for 2026-27 and a 21st NHL season where he will be 40 years old.
Malkin was already among the oldest players in the league last season and he could climb even higher this season depending on other retirement decisions from those ahead of him on the list. At some point his NHL career will come to and end, but until that time comes, it’s best to just enjoy having Malkin in a Penguins uniform, the only uniform he should ever wear as an NHL player.
Ideal 2026-27
There were two 40 year old forwards in the NHL in 2025-26, Alexander Ovechkin and Corey Perry. Evgeni Malkin will be 40 when next season begins so they can serve as a good comparable for what to expect from Malkin as he laces up the blades for his 21st NHL season.
Ovechkin posted 32 goals and 32 assists for 64 points while playing all 82 games. Corey Perry recorded 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points in 72 games played.
Malkin nearly equaled Ovechkin last season in total points despite playing 26 less games and he far surpassed Perry’s numbers in less games as well. Whether or not either of those guys play in 2026-27 remains to be seen, but we know Malkin will be in the league for another year.
Gone of the days of Malkin being a 30 goal scorer and even the 20 goal mark may be a stretch for him anymore, but what we do know is he can still distribute the puck to rack up assists. Given that he will likely still be in the Penguins top six and getting top power play time, a repeat of the season we just saw from Malkin, minus some injuries perhaps, will do just fine for the Penguins.
Bottom line
Evgeni Malkin entered 2025-26 with doubts about his future with the Penguins as he was entering the final season of his contract. As the season played out and it became apparent that Malkin still had much to give and his future in Pittsburgh was secured for another season with a well earned one-year contract that will see him play his 21st NHL season with the Penguins in 2026-27.
Injuries did force Malkin from the lineup more than in past seasons, playing his fewest amount of games since the 2021-22 campaign when he played in only 4q contests. Still though, when Malkin was on the ice he showed the talent that has made him a future Hall of Famer, scoring at over a point per game pace for the first time in four seasons.
There was some angst among the Penguins fan base about bringing Malkin back for 2026-27, but this season showed he can still produce and he’s not blocking anyone in the system. It was an easy call to give him a new deal and if he can put together a similar season at 40 years old, then it’s a win all around.
Final Grade
A-.
At 39 years old and in his 20th NHL season, Malkin posted a point per game and played a key role in helping the Penguins get back to the playoffs. His red hot start had the Penguins off and running and put them in good position to survive the rough patches that were to come. He did go down with injury that cost him a large chunk of games in the middle of the campaign, but he returned and produced straight away.
All in all, it’s hard to be too critical of a 39 year old who is still playing and contributing at the level of Evgeni Malkin did in 2025-26. He earned his new contract and here’s to hoping we see this version of Malkin again in the new season.
The curtain fell on the 2025-26 season on Sunday night when the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 to claim the Stanley Cup in six games. While it’s not much of a consolation, the Montreal Canadiens can at least say that the champions-to-be eliminated them. Carolina was an absolute force in the postseason, going 16-3, and thoroughly deserves the championship.
Jordan Stall was named the Conn Smythe winner even though he only had 12 points in 19 games after scoring six goals in the Cup final alone, including at least one in the first five games of the series against Vegas. As the Canes’ players celebrated and took their lap with Lord Stanley’s Cup, three former Canadiens won their first Cup: Nicolas Deslauriers, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Mike Rielly.
Deslauriers, who spent two seasons in Montreal, is an energy player who has made his name with his fists. The Hurricanes acquired him from the Philadelphia Flyers at the trade deadline, so he hasn’t been a member of the team for long, but he was clearly very appreciated by his new teammates as he got to raise the Cup quite early last night.
However, it’s worth noting that he may not qualify to have his name engraved on the Cup as he didn’t play at least 41 regular-season games with the Canes and didn’t play a single game in the Cup final, being limited to just one game in the first round, against the Ottawa Senators. However, the team can petition the commissioner for a player’s name to be engraved on the Trophy if extenuating circumstances prevented them from being available to play. Deslauriers wasn’t injured; he was a healthy scratch.
As for Mike Reilly, who played parts of three seasons with the Canadiens, he was signed as a free agent by the Canes this past offseason for just one year to a contract with a $1.1 million cap hit. He skated in 42 games with Carolina during the regular season and will therefore qualify to have his name on the Cup, despite not playing a single game in the playoffs.
Finally, former third-overall pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi, whom the Canes poached from the Habs with an unreasonable offer sheet in the 2021 offseason, also played 42 games in the regular calendar, putting up nine points, meaning he will also have his name on the priceless trophy. It’s probably not how he dreamt of winning Lord Stanley’s mug, as he has fallen out of favour with the Canes’ coach Rod Brind’Amour, but he will still be remembered as a Cup champion.
Back in 2021, he was offered a single-season contract by the Canes with a $6.1 million cap hit in what looked like a retaliatory offer sheet after the Canadiens had tried to poach Sebastian Aho from Carolina with an offer sheet in the 2019 offseason. Well aware that the Finn wasn’t worth $6.1 million per season, the Canes signed him to an eight-year contract extension before the end of the 2022 season, which had a $4.82 cap hit. He even has a 10-team no-trade clause. The centerman never put up more than 43 points in a season, and there have been plenty of rumours about the Canes trying to trade him in the last couple of seasons. Still, they failed to find any takers, which was hardly surprising, given both the term and the money remaining to be paid under his contract.
It wouldn’t be a shock if the Canes elected to buy him out this summer, since it was the first time in his tenure with Carolina that he wasn’t used in the playoffs. Should the Champions elect to do that, he would have a $850,000 cap hit until the end of the 2033-34 season. While no one likes to admit they were wrong, it might be time for Carolina to admit the offer sheet backfired and cut its losses.
All things considered, though, the Canes’ front office hasn’t been wrong often, as last night’s Cup win proves. It was the franchise’s second championship win after raising the Cup in 2006; back then, they had eliminated the Canadiens as well.
NHL free agency is rarely a place where teams add franchise players anymore. Superstars no longer get to unrestricted free agency. Those players are so valuable, and teams almost never let them walk for nothing in free agency these days.
Free agency is now a place to add depth at positions of need. This year’s class of unrestricted free agents is pretty underwhelming. There are no first-line caliber players who could hit the market.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has not had a ton of success in free agency during his tenure. Sure, he’s made some nice additions, like getting Morgan Geekie for cheap money in 2023. But there have been plenty of bad deals, including the Elias Lindholm contract (seven years, $54.25 million) signed in 2024. David Backes and Matt Beleskey’s contracts were pretty bad as well.
The best way for the Bruins to make substantial improvements to their roster is the trade market. The B’s have a lot of good trade assets to make deals. But if they strike out on trades, are there any UFAs who the B’s should pursue?
Let’s look at five free agents who would be a good fit for the Bruins.
Alex Tuch
Position: Left wing
2025-26 Stats: 33 G, 33 A in 79 games
Tuch should have plenty of potential suitors because he’s the only legitimate top-six forward in this free agent class. He played a prominent role in helping the Sabres end their 15-year playoff drought by tallying 66 points (33 goals, 33 assists) in 79 games this past season.
The 30-year-old veteran has scored 33 or more goals in three of the last four seasons. He’s effective on the power play, and he plays with a physical edge.
The Bruins need goal scorers, and Tuch would certainly be an offensive upgrade over Viktor Arvidsson. And despite playing in Buffalo for several seasons, Tuch does have 79 games of playoff experience, largely from his time with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Viktor Arvidsson
Position: Left wing
2025-26 Stats: 25 G, 29 A in 69 GP
Trading a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Edmonton Oilers for Arvidsson last July was a tremendous deal for the B’s. Arvidsson enjoyed a bounce-back season with 54 points in 69 games. His 25 goals were 10 more than he scored the previous season.
Bringing back Arvidsson makes a lot of sense for the Bruins. He brought much-needed scoring depth and speed on the wing. But doing so on a long-term deal would be a risk. Arvidsson is 33 years old. He should still be an effective player for a couple more years, but any contract that stretches longer than that could be dicey.
Anthony Mantha
Position: Right wing
2025-26 Stats: 33 G, 31 A in 81 GP
Mantha missed most of the 2024-25 campaign due to an ACL injury, but he had a major bounce-back season with the Penguins in which he set career highs with 33 goals and 64 points. Mantha has scored 20-plus goals four times, including each of his last two healthy seasons.
Mantha has been injury prone for much of his career, but when healthy, he’s a pretty good goal scorer. If the Bruins lose Arvidsson, Mantha would be worth pursuing.
If Andersson hits free agency, he’s worth pursuing because the Bruins badly need a right-shot, top-four defenseman who can play in all situations. Andersson, who’s capable of playing 21 to 24 minutes per game, checks those boxes.
The 29-year-old veteran also would help the Bruins generate more offense from the blue line. He scored a career-high 17 goals this season and has hit the 10-goal mark in three of the past four seasons.
Andersson is the best defenseman who could hit the open market and he won’t be cheap to sign. Overpaying for a defenseman who will soon turn 30 carries some risk. The Bruins paid a lot of money for Elias Lindholm in free agency two years ago at the same age Andersson is now, and that contract has been a disaster so far.
That said, adding Andersson would address a huge roster need for the Bruins and give them more scoring punch on the back end, at least in the short term.
John Carlson
Position: Defenseman
2025-26 Stats: 14 G, 46 A in 71 GP
Carlson is still a very good offensive player at 36 years old. After spending the first 16-plus seasons of his career with the Washington Capitals, Carlson was traded to the Ducks in March. He was a huge help to the Ducks on and off the ice and helped a young Anaheim team get to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Carlson would help the Bruins generate more goals and scoring chances from the blue line. He has scored 10-plus goals in seven of the last nine seasons. He has tallied 44-plus points in eight of the last nine seasons. He’s a very good passer, he’s good in transition, he shoots the puck a lot and he can quarterback a power play at a high level.
Carlson also is a tremendous leader, and he has 149 games of playoff experience, including a Stanley Cup title with the Capitals in 2018.
The Natick, Mass., native would only be a short-term upgrade for the Bruins given his age, but his offensive talent, wealth of experience and his ability to play the right side of the blue line make him a good fit for Boston.
LAS VEGAS, N.V.– There were two vastly different scenes at opposite ends of the ice at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday night.
At one end, the Carolina Hurricanes were the physical embodiments of relief and joy. After Nikolaj Ehler hit the empty net to give them a 3-0 lead, the visiting bench came alive. And after the final horn blared, gloves hit the ice as the players swarmed towards their net to mob their goaltender.
At the other end, the Vegas Golden Knights could only watch as their opponents celebrated the accomplishment of a dream they spent all year chasing. As the final seconds ticked off, the despondent home team made their way towards their own net to console goaltender Carter Hart.
After the final handshake line of the season, the Hurricanes stayed on the ice to lift the Stanley Cup and celebrate with their teammates and families. The Golden Knights saluted their fans before trudging off to their locker room; once inside, the emotional scenes continued.
“It’s not a good feeling right now,” said defenseman Brayden McNabb. “It’s tough to be on this side of it… These chances don’t come around very often. It stings.”
1. Where Did It All Go Wrong?
Looking back, the last time that the Golden Knights were in control of this series was heading into the third period in Game 3. They held a 4-0 lead over the Hurricanes and looked to be firmly in the driver’s seat.
What followed was 12 periods of hockey in which they were outscored 16-6. While they managed to survive blowing that four-goal lead in Game 3 thanks to a flukey game-winner from Shea Theodore in double overtime, they did not manage another win.
There aren’t any statistics to explain why the Golden Knights’ good fortune expired. But for the next three games, everything that went right for them over the course of this Stanley Cup run went wrong. Every ounce of luck disappeared, and every bounce went against them. It was as if the hockey gods stopped smiling down on them.
“We just didn’t capitalize on our chances,” said Mark Stone. “We had a lot.”
2. Goonies Never Say Die
Throughout the trials and tribulations of the season, one thing remained remarkably consistent for the Golden Knights: no matter what the scoreboard read, they were never out of a game.
You can attribute a lot of that ‘Goonies never say die’ attitude to John Tortorella, who preached the importance of having the right mindset and raved about the group’s mental toughness. But Tortorella didn’t take the wheel until March 29th— by that point, the Golden Knights were battle-hardened by the grind of a season where they hadn’t yet lived up to expectations.
“Wild year; crazy year,” said defenseman Brayden McNabb. “[I’ll remember] how we pulled it together and got here. We came together as a group late in the year. Torts came in and did a great job, did a hell of a job. We battled, battled our asses off this whole playoffs, and we came up short. It’s going to sting; it’s going to haunt us. We’re proud of how we got here and how we played; unfortunately, it just wasn’t good enough.”
Tortorella came in and pressed all the right buttons, reinvigorating a tired group and getting them to this point. The fact that they ran out of gas just before reaching the finish line doesn’t take away from the run that they had.
“I don’t think you ever really expect it to be over,” said Mark Stone. “We always believed that we were going to figure things out and get things back in the right direction. And we did that– I’m not so sure many people thought that this team would be here competing at this time of year.”
3. What Comes Next?
There’s no way around it– the Golden Knights players are devastated by tonight’s loss. And, really, after the run they just had, how could they not be?
“This feeling sucks,” agreed Captain Mark Stone. “I never want to have it again. When I look at everything that happened throughout this season, all the ups and the downs, to give ourselves a chance, and to play in the Final is pretty impressive. But it doesn’t make things better right now… It kills me inside that I’m standing here right now.
“I’m thinking about how proud I am of the group with everything we went through this year to get here,” continued Stone. “I’m proud of every single guy who stepped foot in this locker room this season… It’s unfortunate that it came to an end in the wrong way.”
But despite the obvious heartache, this team is far from beaten. They know their window to win is still very much open. Even mere minutes after coming up just short, they’re already thinking about another chance to win the Stanley Cup next season.
“Just getting to this point, you realize what it takes to win and how hard it is,” said defenseman Noah Hanifin. “We’ll regroup, and we’ll get back at it.”
Head coach John Tortorella, whose contract expires this summer, didn’t comment on whether he wanted to return.
“I haven’t even [thought about it],” said Tortorella. “I’ve got to swallow this a little bit.”
The Hurricanes were playing in their third Stanley Cup finals, losing in 2002 and winning in 2006 [Getty Images]
The Carolina Hurricanes won the NHL's Stanley Cup for the first time in 20 years after beating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 on Sunday in Las Vegas.
The Hurricanes wrapped up the best-of-seven series with a game to spare, winning 4-2 to secure their second crown.
Head coach Rod Brind'Amour, who lifted the Stanley Cup as Carolina's captain in 2006, led the Hurricanes into the play-offs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference and only lost three matches as they saw off the Ottawa Senators, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Montreal Canadiens and the Golden Knights en route to the title.
"I think it was just our time. We weren't going to be denied," Brind'Amour said.
"It's different, because as a player, I really wanted it for myself. Now, sitting back behind [the bench] watching, I really wanted it for these guys because there's no harder-working group. It's just like a proud dad watching his kids go to work."
Taylor Hall opened the scoring for the Hurricanes after just three minutes and 47 seconds before Jackson Blake doubled their lead midway through the second period.
Nikolaj Ehlers wrapped up the win with 68 seconds remaining on the clock, scoring into an empty net after the Golden Knights had pulled netminder Carter Hart for an extra skater in the final three minutes as they searched for a route back into the match.
The Hurricanes' rookie goaltender Brandon Bussi made 22 saves in his first career play-off shutout.
Carolina captain Jordan Staal, a two-time Stanley Cup champion after previously winning with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, became the oldest player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the play-offs. The 37-year-old scored eight goals and registered four assists in the Hurricanes' championship run.
"It's something I've been going after ever since I won the first one. You want to win it again and again and again," said Staal, whose 17-year gap between titles in the longest in NHL history.
"It's been such a grind. I just wanted to win so bad."
