Category: NHL

MONTREAL (AP) — Four-time Stanley Cup champion Claude Lemieux has died at the age of 60, NHL Alumni Association says.

Claude Lemieux, the four-time Stanley Cup-winning winger who led the Devils to their first championship in 1995 and was one of the most-hated players in the NHL, has died, the NHL Alumni Association announced Thursday.

He was 60.

Lemieux died by suicide, according to TMZ, which reported he was found Thursday morning at the family’s furniture showroom. Per The Athletic, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office responded to a suicide attempt at the Lake Park warehouse, which has since been closed off for investigation.

The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Lemieux’s death to The Athletic, but was not able to release any records.

“The New Jersey Devils organization is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of former Devil Claude Lemieux,” the team said in a statement. “A clutch player on the ice and greatly appreciated by Devils’ fans off it, Claude’s impact in bringing the first-ever Stanley Cup to New Jersey will forever be remembered as one of the paramount performances in team history. Widely respected throughout the NHL, both as a trusted agent and a valued colleague, Claude leaves behind a lasting legacy within our game that he gave so much to. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this time.”

The Quebec native, who won his first Cup with the Canadiens in 1986, was in attendance as Montreal hosted the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Monday night, carrying the ceremonial torch before the game.

“Today is a dark day for the Canadiens family and the entire hockey community. I wish to express my most sincere and deepest condolences to Claude’s family and loved ones,” Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said in a statement. “A fierce competitor who rose to the occasion in big moments, Claude was a relentless, courageous, and tenacious player who led the team to the highest honors. He embodied the very essence of being a Montreal Canadiens player. Today we mourn the untimely passing of one of our champions. Our thoughts are with his family on this difficult day.”

A clutch scorer and one of hockey’s most reviled agitators, Lemieux won the Conn Smythe award as the playoff MVP after scoring 13 goals during the Devils’ Cup run in 1995, and after spending the next four-plus seasons with the Avalanche, he returned to New Jersey in a November 1999 trade and helped the Devils win another Cup that season.

Tu es chez toi ici, Claude Lemieux!

Welcome home, Claude Lemieux!#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/fQvfhZSNUB

— x – Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) May 26, 2026

Lemieux, who became a player agent after he retired, scored 80 postseason goals, the ninth-most all-time.

Lemieux recorded 379 goals and 407 assists in 1,215 regular-season games, and had 158 points in 234 playoff matches.

Traded by the Devils to the Avalanche before the 1995-96 season, Lemieux won a Cup for the second straight season

His most memorable moment from that postseason, however, was his vicious hit on Kris Draper during Game 6 of the Western Conference finals

Lemieux drilled Draper from behind in front of the benches at the red line and Draper’s face smashed into the boards, causing a concussion, along with a broken jaw, nose and cheekbone.

After retiring from the NHL following the 2002-03 season, Lemieux mounted a comeback in 2008 at 43 years old, playing 18 games for a Sharks team that won the Presidents’ Trophy.

He made one playoff appearance for San Jose as it was upset by the eighth-seeded Ducks in the first round in six games.

One of Lemieux’s three sons, Brendan, played parts of seven seasons in the NHL, including 109 games with the Rangers from 2019-21.

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If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for free and confidential crisis counseling.

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

The NHL world is stunned today with the passing of four-time Stanley Cup winning forward Claude Lemieux, who was one of the central figures of the legendary rivalry between the Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche.

Lemieux passed away on Thursday at the age of 60 as confirmed by multiple sources. 

The NHL Alumni Association is devastated to share that Claude Lemieux has passed away at the age of 60.

Born in Buckingham, Quebec, Claude was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft and would make his NHL debut just a few months later… pic.twitter.com/iohlATU6qz

— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) May 28, 2026

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Just days ago, Lemieux was in Montreal carrying the torch prior to their Game 3 Eastern Conference Final matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Claude Lemieux carried the torch for Montreal on Monday before Game 3…

Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/wpmkE47lyi

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 28, 2026

A four-time Stanley Cup winner, Lemieux helped the New Jersey Devils defeat the Red Wings in a shocking four-game sweep in the 1995 Stanley Cup Final, collecting his second Stanley Cup ring.

Moving on to the Avalanche, Lemieux delivered the infamous hit from behind to Red Wings forward Kris Draper in Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Final, effectively sparking what became one of the most iconic rivalries in sports. 

The infamous "Fight Night at the Joe" on March 26, 1997 remains one of the most memorable games in Red Wings history.

Lemieux would later win the Stanley Cup once again with the New Jersey Devils in 2000, and would go on to play for the Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and briefly, the San Jose Sharks. 

He would routinely make appearances with former rival Darren McCarty at joint autograph signings. Additionally, he became an NHLPA-certified player agent and included current Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider among his clients. 

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Over the last several years, the Philadelphia Flyers have developed a penchant for making opportunistic buy-low trades, especially for players who were formerly high draft picks.

As they head into the offseason in desperate need of more talent at center and an upgrade on defense, it's time for them to explore this habit once again.

On Thursday morning, The Athletic released its latest NHL trade board as we approach the beginning of June, and it's chock-full of interesting options for the Flyers.

For this article, though, I wanted to focus on Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright, who was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Wright, 22, ranks 11th on the new trade board and fourth amongst centers, behind only Vincent Trocheck, Mason McTavish, and Elias Pettersson.

Wright's the youngest of the bunch and coming off the most disappointing season; he scored just 12 goals, 15 assists, and 27 points in 74 games for the Kraken after having 44 points in 79 games last season.

Now entering a contract year, it's now or never for Wright in Seattle, and the Kraken, at this point, aren't obligated to give him that opportunity.

The Burlington, Ontario, native can and will be replaced by prospects Berkly Catton and Jake O'Brien at center behind Matty Beniers, and the Kraken have long been looking for winger upgrades to complement those players.

Of course, it goes almost without saying by now that the Flyers have loads of wingers to trade in a deal that makes sense for them, and this might be one of those deals.

Wright's trade value has never been lower, and that should be music to the Flyers' ears.

In the recent past, the Flyers have shown a demonstrable level of patience when it comes to finding the right trade for them while maintaining interest in the players they want.

This was the case with David Jiricek before he was traded to the Minnesota Wild, and discussions around Trevor Zegras took place over an extended period of time before the deal was finally done last summer.

The Flyers also picked up Owen Tippett, a former No. 10 overall draft pick, in 2022 in the Claude Giroux trade.

That precedent tells us that now is the Flyers' time to trade for Shane Wright.

It has been suggested in the past that the Flyers were not especially interested in Wright, but again, the opportunity is presenting itself to Philadelphia at a great discount.

Wright had 44 points as a 21-year-old in his first full NHL season a year ago, and on the Flyers, he would be playing alongside much more talented wingers, such as Tippett, Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, and Travis Konecny.

It helps, too, that Wright is a right-shot center, one of the reasons the Flyers went out of their way to claim Luke Glendening off waivers a few months back.

Wright, unlike someone such as Jett Luchanko, is already a qualifiable, established NHL center, and with one year on his contract, the Flyers won't be tying themselves to a gaudy undertaking if things don't work out.

For a player who was once widely regarded as 2022's No. 1 overall prospect, this is a chance worth taking for the Flyers.

For every NHL team, including the eventual Stanley Cup winner, summer is a time of change. 

Naturally, the Cup-winning GM would love to stand in front of his team and make the Wolf of Wall Street speech: "We're not leaving! The show goes on!"

But the salary cap, free agency and maybe a retirement or two make that impossible. 

For a GM like Ottawa's Steve Staios, after watching his team get swept in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and score just five goals in the process, he might have been thinking a month ago that he has some serious work to do this summer to help his team close the gap.

However, the way the Carolina Hurricanes have played this spring may be giving him some new pause for thought.

What if the team that spanked the Senators in Round 1 goes on to just completely trample everyone else and win the Stanley Cup? Doesn't that have at least some effect on Staios’ view of his club and how much change is actually required?

As the 2026 playoffs march on, it's becoming crystal clear that the Hurricanes are a wagon. As of this writing, the Canes are 11-1 in these playoffs, getting timely scoring, solid goaltending and, most of all, they boast an absolutely suffocating defensive structure that the Senators, the Philadelphia Flyers and now the Montreal Canadiens had no answer for.

The Hurricanes have taken a 3-1 series lead on the Canadiens and dominated Game 4, outshooting Montreal 43-18 in a 4-0 victory. Every time cameras cut to Martin St. Louis, he looked completely exasperated, like a man with no answers.

It was a game the Canadiens had to have, and yet they finished the third period with just three shots on goal. 

Carolina is one win away from getting to the Cup final in just 13 games. The all-time NHL record (four rounds, all seven-game series) for fewest games needed to win a Cup is 18. That’s how good Carolina is.

Sure, no matter how you slice it, getting swept in round one was disappointing for the Sens organization and the fan base, but it's becoming obvious there's no shame in it.

The Senators were one of the best teams in the NHL in the second half of the season, but because they got off to a rough start thanks to poor goaltending, their punishment was getting pinned as the lowest seed and having to play the very best team right away.

Carolina isn't just good. They're hungry, they're filled with experience, and they're covered in playoff scars.

In 2019, they lost in the Conference Final. In 2020, they lost in the first round. In 2021 and 2022, they lost in the second round. In 2023, they lost in the Conference Final again. In 2024, the second round. In 2025, another loss in the conference final.

This is a group that is clearly being driven by the sting of all those past playoff failures, and all those hard lessons are now well-learned. They work hard, they sweat the small stuff, and they're doing whatever it takes to avoid reliving the heartbreaks of the past.

The Senators will have some of that motivation next season, too, though not to the same degree as 2026 Carolina.

The good news is that if the Hurricanes do win it all this year, there will be solace in that for the Sens. It sucks to be swept. It sucks less to be swept by the Cup champs. Meanwhile, the hunger fueling the 'Canes right now may become difficult to replicate next season, which could allow famished teams like Ottawa to close the gap.

There will be changes this summer because there always are. But the Senators may be closer to contention than they appeared to be a month ago.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. Read more at THN.com/Ottawa.

Former Senators Defenseman Enters Ottawa Sport Hall Of Fame Wednesday NightThe Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame will honour Jason York's 757-game career, more than half of it played with the Senators.

The Hockey News is currently in the process of revealing its Top 100 NHL players of the 2025-26 season rankings. So far, The Hockey News has revealed players 100 to 71.

One Buffalo Sabres star has made the rankings so far, as Alex Tuch made the cut. 

Tuch was given the No. 97 spot on The Hockey News' rankings. When looking at the season he put together for the Sabres, it makes sense that he has been ranked among the NHL's top players from this season. 

In 79 games this season with the Sabres, the 6-foot-4 forward recorded 33 goals, 33 assists, 66 points, 82 hits, and a plus-24 rating. With numbers like these, the pending unrestricted free agent is setting himself up for a nice raise, whether he re-signs with the Sabres or joins another club. 

Tuch did not make The Hockey News' top players rankings for the 2024-25 season. This was after he had 36 goals and 67 points in 82 games during last season. 

In 360 games over five seasons with the Sabres, Tuch has recorded 139 goals, 170 assists, 309 points, and a plus-60 rating. With numbers like these, he has been a very good player for the Sabres, and it will be interesting to see if he ends up staying put. 

The Philadelphia Flyers made enormous strides across all positions this season. They became faster, more organized, more emotionally resilient, and significantly more difficult to play against.

Their postseason run proved they are no longer simply a rebuilding team trying to survive meaningful hockey games. It also exposed something important to address this summer.

The Flyers still need another legitimate top-four defenseman.

Not because their current group failed. In many ways, the exact opposite is true. Philadelphia’s defense corps performed admirably considering the pressure it was placed under, particularly against one of the most suffocating forechecking teams in hockey against the Carolina Hurricanes. The issue is that that series highlighted how thin the margin for error becomes when a team relies too heavily on one or two defenders to absorb chaos shift after shift.

The Flyers have built a respectable blue line. They have not necessarily built a fully insulated one.

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Travis Sanheim Is Carrying an Enormous Burden

Sanheim had arguably the best all-around season of his career, recently being named as one of the NHL's top 100 players of the 2025-26 campaign. He skated pucks out cleanly and closed gaps early. He defended the rush aggressively instead of retreating into survival mode. And, most importantly, he continued to be reliable in playing enormous minutes without his game falling apart physically or mentally.

The problem is that the Flyers still leaned on him to solve almost every difficult defensive sequence—defensive-zone faceoffs, heavy forecheck shifts, penalty kill, late-game situations, transition recovery, top competition. He was essentially the emergency solution for every structural problem the roster encountered.

That is not sustainable long-term if the Flyers want to evolve from “dangerous playoff team” into legitimate contender.

A defense corps becomes truly dangerous when a team can spread those responsibilities across multiple pairings instead of overloading one player. Philadelphia is not quite there yet.

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Jamie Drysdale’s Encouraging Growth

Drysdale became one of the—if not the—most important developments of the Flyers’ season.

The raw talent was never the question. The organization knew they were getting a skilled, smart, "rover"-style defenseman in Drysdale when they acquired him in 2024. The concern was whether his game would stabilize enough defensively to justify top-four deployment against elite teams. This season, it finally started to happen.

His retrievals became cleaner, and his confidence under pressure improved noticeably. He stopped forcing low-percentage plays quite as often and began understanding when to accelerate play versus when to simplify it. Most importantly, his skating became an actual defensive weapon again rather than merely an offensive tool.

That said, Drysdale still profiles best beside a steadying presence.

His pairing with Cam York has not been a bad one by any stretch of the imagination, but some of Drysdale’s toughest moments came during prolonged defensive-zone sequences where he was repeatedly forced into physical net-front battles after failed clears or extended cycles. He competed hard, but that is not necessarily the optimal usage for him over an 82-game season and deep playoff run.

The Flyers need another defenseman who can absorb difficult defensive minutes while still moving the puck efficiently enough to survive against heavy pressure teams, and who can allow the more offensive-minded, free-flowing players like Drysdale and York to be effective on both ends of the ice. 

The key is finding someone who isn't a pure shutdown defender who kills offense, but someone who is not another offensive rover who duplicates Drysdale’s strengths. The Flyers could benefit from someone who stabilizes the entire structure, and is responsible enough to let their wealth of offensive defensemen really shine without risking defensive mistakes.

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Cam York Took a Necessary Step Forward

Cam York deserves major credit for responding after an uneven prior season.

This year, his game looked calmer and more mature. His puck management improved substantially, and he became far more reliable navigating defensive pressure without defaulting to glass-and-out hockey.

THE FLYERS WIN IT IN OVERTIME, THEY WIN THE SERIES 🚨

CAM YORK THE HERO, THE STICK THROW INTO THE CROWD 😱 pic.twitter.com/sviP6IFoyv

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 30, 2026

That response is important because the Flyers need defensemen who can actually exit cleanly against aggressive forechecks. Teams that simply rim pucks away eventually get trapped shift after shift until they break. York handled that challenge far better this season than he had previously.

But there is still a difference between being a solid top-four option and being someone capable of driving a matchup against elite postseason pressure. York is trending in the right direction, but the Flyers still lack one more proven stabilizer who can insulate everybody beneath him in the lineup hierarchy.

Adding another legitimate top-four defenseman would not just help the top pairing, but would improve everybody’s slotting.

That happens, and suddenly York is facing slightly easier matchups; Drysdale gets cleaner offensive usage; Sanheim is not playing half the game; Nick Seeler and Rasmus Ristolainen are not overextended physically by May.

Depth on defense is never really about the sixth defenseman. It is about how much pressure gets removed from the top four.

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Rasmus Ristolainen Still Matters, But Age and Wear Are Factors

Ristolainen remains an important contributor to this team.

His physicality changes shifts. Especially after the Olympic break, he closed plays early and created discomfort around the crease. In playoff hockey, those things still matter significantly. The Flyers do not have many defensemen with his size profile or ability to physically wear down opponents over a series.

But he is also entering the stage of his career where usage has to be managed intelligently. The Flyers cannot keep asking him to consistently absorb brutal forechecking pressure, heavy defensive-zone deployment, and physically taxing hockey without reinforcement around him, especially with his injury history.

The issue is not that Ristolainen cannot still help a contender—the Flyers have made it clear that they fully trust him to be a consistent blue line presence—but it's that Philadelphia currently needs him to do slightly too much.

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The Emil Andrae Situation Is Becoming Difficult to Ignore

This may be the organization’s most fascinating blue-line dilemma.

Emil Andrae looks capable of helping the Flyers play faster offensively. His instincts are obvious. His passing pops immediately. He processes offensive-zone movement quickly and gives the power play a different kind of fluidity.

Yet the Flyers still hesitate to fully commit to him.

Some of that likely comes down to trust defensively. While Andrae plays a gritty, fearless game that belies his 5'9" stature, it doesn't change the fact that smaller defensemen are relentlessly targeted below the goal line. Coaches worry about retrieval battles, cycle coverage, and net-front matchups becoming exploitable weaknesses over seven-game series. That concern is understandable, but there is also a point where organizational indecision becomes counterproductive.

Andrae is 24 years old. He has little, if anything, left to prove offensively at the AHL level. If the Flyers truly believe he can become an NHL regular, he needs real NHL minutes consistently enough to work through mistakes and develop rhythm.

If they do not believe that, then they owe it to both the player and the roster construction process to make a concrete decision. Because right now, he exists in an awkward middle ground: too skilled for prolonged AHL usage, but not fully trusted for NHL deployment.

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Why They Are Not Rushing Oliver Bonk or David Jiricek

While the Flyers are a team that prioritizes giving young players real chances when they've earned them, the team deserves props for resisting the temptation to accelerate their prospects too quickly. Danny Briere said as much when it comes to their plans for deploying Bonk and Jiricek at the NHL level.

Bonk’s NHL debut showed why the organization is rightfully excited about him. He looked poised, intelligent, and offensively composed. He has all the tools to be an NHL regular, but defensemen require a different developmental timeline, and the Flyers would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to integrating Bonk into the team. The 21-year-old seems to be first on their list when it comes to a next man up, but they're correctly making a point to not shoehorn him before they trust he can handle it.

The same applies to 22-year-old David Jiricek. Young defensemen almost always need time, particularly defensemen expected to handle difficult minutes against top competition. 

The Flyers are trying to build something sustainable. Throwing Bonk or Jiricek into roles before they are structurally ready could hurt development more than help it.

That patience is the correct approach, but it also reinforces why the Flyers still need another established NHL defenseman now.

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Two Realistic Targets

Dante Fabbro

Fabbro would be a clean fit for what the Flyers need. He is not flashy, but that is partially why he works for Philadelphia. Fabbro defends rushes well, moves pucks efficiently, and understands positional structure. He would not require power-play touches to justify his role, and he could comfortably stabilize second-pair minutes while easing Sanheim’s workload.

Dante Fabbro plays it perfectly 🚨 pic.twitter.com/oxizSY5kps

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 14, 2026

Most importantly, he plays a composed style that translates well against aggressive forechecking systems. Fabbro fits that archetype of a valuable calm retrieval-and-exit defenseman.

He is currently signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets through the 2028-29 season with an AAV of $4.1 million, which would be a reasonable price to pay with the role he'd be suited for in Philadelphia, considering how Briere stated in his end-of-season press conference that the Flyers have a comfortable amount of cap space to utilize.

Mario Ferraro

Mario Ferraro is another intriguing option.

David Pagnotta: Mario Ferraro...wants term, that's why he's not staying in San Jose, the Sharks are only willing to give him a 2, 3 year extension and he's looking for 5, 6 years plus; he wanted to stay - Leafs Morning Take (5/26)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) May 27, 2026

Currently a UFA after completing a four-year, $13 million contract ($3.25 million AAV) with the San Jose Sharks, Ferraro plays with pace, competes relentlessly, and thrives in transition-heavy environments. He is not a traditional towering shutdown defender, but his mobility and aggression make him effective disrupting forechecks early before sequences fully develop. He would also fit stylistically with how Tocchet wants the Flyers to play: aggressive, quick, direct, and emotionally engaged.

Ferraro may not be a true No. 1 defenseman, but he could absolutely become the kind of experienced second-pair stabilizer that pushes an entire defensive group into a healthier structure. And that is what the Flyers are really searching for now.

The Hockey News is currently in the process of revealing its Top 100 NHL players of the 2025-26 season rankings. So far, The Hockey News has revealed players 100 to 71. 

Two Pittsburgh Penguins have made the rankings so far, as Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin both made the cut. 

Karlsson was given the No. 98 ranking by The Hockey News. It is not surprising to see Karlsson make these rankings, as he turned back the clock in a big way this season. In 75 games this season with the Penguins, he recorded 15 goals, 51 assists, 66 points, and a plus-8 rating. He was a significant reason for Pittsburgh's turnaround this season due to his strong all-around play.

As for Malkin, he was given the No. 84 spot in The Hockey News' rankings. The 39-year-old forward was excellent this season for Pittsburgh, posting 19 goals and 61 points in 56 games. With numbers like these, Malkin demonstrated that he can still be a star in the NHL. It also helped him land a one-year contract extension to stay in Pittsburgh. 

Overall, the Penguins got some excellent value from both Karlsson and Malkin this season. It will be intriguing to see what kind of years they put together in 2026-27 from here. 

The Hockey News revealed players 71 to 80 on their Top 100 NHL Players In 2026 rankings. A Philadelphia Flyers defenseman was among the players listed, as Travis Sanheim made the cut. 

Sanheim was given the No. 72 spot in the Hockey News' rankings, and it is understandable when looking at the year he had. In 81 games this season with the Flyers, the 30-year-old blueliner recorded 11 goals, 26 assists, 37 points, 152 blocks, and a plus-12 rating. With numbers like these, Sanheim had a strong all-around season for the Flyers and was a notable reason for them taking a big step in the right direction this campaign.

\n\n

Sanheim also moved up in The Hockey News' rankings compared to last season. This is because The Hockey News ranked him as the 86th best player in the NHL during the 2024-25 season. 

Sanheim will now be looking to build off his strong 2025-26 campaign by having another good year next season. He is one of the Flyers' most important defensemen, and it will be interesting to see what he can do next season for the Metropolitan Division club from here. 

NHL insider Chris Johnston released his first 2026 NHL off-season trade board for The Athletic. While no current Chicago Blackhawks players were listed on Johnston's trade board, the Original Six club's fourth-overall pick was. 

"Similar to the scenario with the Sharks at No. 2, the prospect-rich Blackhawks are open to the possibility of moving off a valuable pick if they can get something back that improves them in the present," Johnston wrote.

If the Blackhawks were to trade the fourth-overall pick, it would undoubtedly be a major deal. The only way it would make sense for Chicago is if they were bringing in a proven star who would upgrade their group in a significant way. 

The fourth-overall pick could a great trading asset for the Blackhawks to use a first-line winger or a high-impact left-shot defenseman. Yet, with the Blackhawks rebuilding, it would also make sense if they decided to keep their fourth-overall pick and bring in another exciting prospect to their system. 

It is going to be very interesting to see what the Blackhawks decide to do with the fourth-overall pick. It is likely that there would be a lot of interest in it, but time will tell what the Blackhawks decide to do. 

One could say that the Toronto Maple Leafs have a surplus of goaltenders. With the NHL tandem of Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz for the past two years, and an AHL tandem of Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov, GM John Chayka may consider moving off one of them.

Hildeby and Akhtyamov, who have been great in the American League with the Toronto Marlies, and Hildeby was exceptional for the Maple Leafs in his 20 appearances last season, could very well draw interest in the trade market this summer. 

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman even reported that Chayka will be asked about Akhtyamov around the draft.

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But in terms of the NHL netminders, what are the pros and cons of trading either Woll or Stolarz?

The Pros

There are a couple of pros that come with the idea of trading away one of Woll and Stolarz.

What can't be ignored across the NHL is the desire for good goaltending, and when healthy, Woll and Stolarz can typically provide that. Meaning, they both have value on the trade market, especially for teams that have struggled in the goaltending department for some time. 

That would include teams such as the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres, and others.

This season wasn't so pretty for any member of the Maple Leafs, but Toronto's goalies showed out in the campaign before that.

In 2024-25, Woll put up a .909 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against average in 42 games, while Stolarz posted a .926 SP and a 2.14 GAA.

Neither Woll nor Stolarz reached a .900 SP this past year, but there's a little more to the equation with the team's defense collapsing and an overall underperformance from the whole roster.

The point is, they've proven to be solid netminders that can put up big performances with an adequate team in front of them.

Another pro for the Maple Leafs if they trade one of Woll or Stolarz is that a hypothetical move will make room for either Hildeby or Akhtyamov. Both those young goaltenders deserve a regular chance in the NHL to this point.

\n\nWhy The Maple Leafs Extended Goaltending Prospect Artur Akhtyamov\nThe Maple Leafs now have four goaltenders under NHL contract beyond this season.\n

For example, if Hildeby hadn't been given the opportunity he had with the Maple Leafs last season, filling in for the absent Woll and Stolarz, it would be challenging to label what he could be in the NHL. But with 20 appearances last year as a rookie, he put up an impressive .914 SP, a 2.80 GAA and his first career shutout, showing the league and his team just how good he can be between the pipes.

Akhtyamov hasn't had the same opportunity that Hildeby had last year. Still, with how he's performed in the minors in the regular season and stepped up his game for the Calder Cup playoffs, the 24-year-old probably deserves some more NHL action in the near future.

So as long as Woll and Stolarz both remain with the Leafs, there's no true path for Hildeby or Akhtyamov to the NHL, and that could handicap the ability to unlock their full potential. And they are two goaltenders who may have a higher ceiling than the current Maple Leafs' tandem.

\n\nKoblar Impresses, Woll Disappoints: How The Maple Leafs Have Looked Through 2026 World Championship Round Robin\nAfter seven games played at the 2026 World Championship, the round robin phase is complete. Here is where the Toronto Maple Leafs' representatives at the tournament have fared so far.\n

The Cons

While Woll and Stolarz are a respectable tandem, moving off one of them could hurt Toronto's goaltending.

Never in either of their NHL careers have they been true No. 1 netminders, and with their health issues and injury history, who knows if they'll ever reach that status.

Therefore, there would be a great risk in moving off Woll or Stolarz if that means the responsibility on one of them would grow significantly.

Woll's career-high of games played in an NHL season was set in 2024-25 when he featured in 42 contests. That number dropped to 39 this past campaign. Stolarz's personal best is even lower at 34 games, also in 2024-25. Missing multiple stretches of the season last year, his total of appearances decreased as well, finishing the year with just 26 games played.

\n\nIs There Reason For Concern With Maple Leafs' Woll Struggling For Team USA At 2026 World Championship?\nFrom what was originally deemed as a chance to get more reps and gain experience with Team USA, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll has struggled in his first two games at the 2026 World Championship. \n

It's true that if Woll or Stolarz gets dealt before next season, there will still be another goaltender to support them at the NHL level. But that upcoming puckstopper, whether it's Hildeby or Akhtyamov, would be unseasoned.

Ultimately, there is likely a market for Woll and Stolarz, and probably a suitable trade return for one of them. But it will be a massive risk for Chayka to go through with that, especially if the Leafs are looking to be competitive next season.

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The Montreal Canadiens had an opportunity to tie the Eastern Conference Final when they hosted the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night at the Bell Center, but only one player played like he believed that was a possibility: Jakub Dobes.

From start to finish, the netminder was the Habs’ best player, and he never stopped trying even though the team in front of him looked like it was just going through the motions. On his 25th birthday, the masked man faced another 42 shots and made 39 saves for a .929 save percentage.

Dobes goes all out to prevent a 5th goal.

Say what you will about the skaters, but Dobes showed up on Wednesday night. #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/qcIMqvvAwO

— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) May 28, 2026

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Throughout the game, he was the only one who gave the fans in the stands any reason to cheer. Speaking to the media after the game, Lane Hutson said it best when he summarized the game:

The only one that turned up was Dobby […] It was a shitty, shit game.

- Lane Hutson after the 4-0 defeat.

It’s not the first time the Czech netminder is the Canadiens’ best player in a game; it’s been the case in most of the Canadiens’ wins and even in their losses in these playoffs. When the goaltender was asked to comment on the game, he explained:

Yeah, it sucks right now, but tomorrow is a new day. We’re an amazing group full of exciting people. We’ll have a great time on the plane, we’ll go to dinner, we’ll joke around and bring our best hockey for Game 5, we promise. We’ll try our best to bring it home for Game 6.

-

Dobes had every reason to be annoyed about the game and the result. He could have been critical of his team, but he wasn’t. Not once on the ice did his body language show that he was blaming a teammate for a goal. The 25-year-old led by example on the ice, and he also acted like a leader once the game was over. In 18 games in these playoffs, he has a 2.53 goal-against-average and a .912 save percentage. 

After Game 7 of the second-round series, when he was asked if he was getting a bit tired, Dobes said he wasn’t and could play another 40 games. Watching him play, it looks like he wasn't kidding. But the same cannot be said for the rest of the team, who simply appear to be running on an empty tank. The Canadiens just don’t have the energy needed to fend off the relentless forecheck of the Hurricanes, who are proving without a shadow of a doubt that they are the best team on the ice in this series.

It’s a shame because Dobes deserved better, and the Canadiens had set up a storybook moment by having Jaroslav Halak be the torchbearer. The Slovak netminder appeared on camera not only bearing the torch but also holding a stop sign with Dobes’ name. It was a wonderful wink to the fact that the goaltender is doing exactly what Halak did in 2010 and is being cherished by the fans just like he was. Unfortunately for the team, it seems history will repeat itself, and the Canadiens will bow out of the Eastern Conference Final in five games, just like they did back then.

La passation du flambeau, et du panneau d’arrêt 🛑

The passing of the torch, and the stop sign #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/MDveE7lXNO

— x - Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) May 28, 2026

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