Shea Theodore was the hero for the Vegas Golden Knights, but his winning tally in double overtime will hardly be remembered as the prettiest goal in NHL history. Theodore fired a shot from near the blue line that rocketed off the end boards. Carolina's Jordan Martinook was unable to corral it and it struck Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi's skate, going into the net.
It was a brutal break for Bussi and the Hurricanes. The rookie goalie was inserted for starter Frederik Andersen to start the third period with the Hurricanes down 4-0.
Carolina erased that 4-0 deficit in the third, thanks in part to a record three goals in just 39 seconds before the 'Canes added a late power play equalizer that sent the game to OT. Bussi stopped the first 18 shots he faced, but Theodore's bizarre goal got through to give the Golden Knights a 2-1 series lead.
Game 3 of this high-scoring series is set for Tuesday, June 9 (8 p.m. ET, ABC).
A Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman looks poised to leave the organization at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
According to Hockey News Hub, which reports a lot of KHL news, defenseman Alexander Alexeyev is set to sign a two-year contract with Salavat of the KHL.
Alexeyev signed with the Penguins as a free agent last July and has spent the entire 2025-26 season with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who are in the Eastern Conference Final. He finished the AHL regular season with three goals and 12 points in 38 games and has one goal and five points in 10 Calder Cup Playoff games.
Hearing Salavat will sign #LetsGoPens defenseman Alexander Alexeyev to a two-year contract. #KHL
Carolina scored three goals in the span of just 39 seconds in the third period, turning a 4-0 Vegas blowout into a 4-3 nail biter. Per Sportsnet Stats, that's the fastest any team has scored three goals in a Stanley Cup Final game.
The prior record was 56 seconds for three goals, set by the Montreal Canadiens during the 1954 Stanley Cup Final.
Jordan Martinook got the scoring started at 7:03. Taylor Hall made it 4-2 at 7:29. At 7:42, captain Jordan Staal scored to make it 4-3.
CAROLINA AGAIN, WHAT IS GOING ON, IT IS NOW A 1 GOAL GAME 😱🚨
Carolina scored a power play goal at 18:18 to erase its 4-0 deficit, sending Game 3 to overtime. Unfortunately for the 'Canes, their historic comeback bid fell short as they lost in double overtime.
Golden Knights star Mitch Marner scored the fastest natural hat trick in Stanley Cup history, a span of 6 minutes, 10 seconds in the second period, during the Golden Knights' 5-4, double-overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night in Game 3.
Vegas' 4-0 lead became short-lived, however, as the Hurricanes scored four unanswered goals in the third period to force overtime.
After neither team was able to score in the first overtime, Shea Theodore sent T-Mobile Arena into a frenzy when his shot off the end boards deflected off backup goaltender Brandon Bussi's skate and into the net for the win.
"Stuff happens throughout playoffs," Marner said. "It's obviously not how we envisioned that or how we wanted that to go, but stuff happens, man. It's a roller coaster ride. I thought we did a really good job just coming in after that third (period) and just deep breath, relaxing and saying, 'Hey, boys, we're fine here, man.'
"I don't even know if we took the foot off the gas. They made a couple of good plays that went in. Just happy that we stayed resilient. We kept fighting through, and we got the job done."
Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night, back at T-Mobile Arena.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 7, 2026
Two overturned goals earlier in the second period didn't deflate the Knights, as they controlled the entire period and went into the second intermission with a commanding lead that prompted Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour to replace starting goaltender Frederik Andersen with Bussi.
Just 16 seconds after assisting on Tomas Hertl's goal that put Vegas on the board midway through the second, Marner upped the lead when he gathered a loose puck near the right board, backhanded it toward the crease and it caromed off Carolina defenseman Sean Walker's blade and into the net, making it 2-0.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 7, 2026
Less than four minutes later, Marner left Andersen baffled by deking around him to the left and slipping the puck into the net to give the Knights a three-goal lead.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 7, 2026
After being outplayed in the first period, the Golden Knights appeared ready to seize momentum in the second.
Captain Mark Stone found a seam and beat Andersen in the five-hole to break the scoreless tie just 36 seconds into the period.
But the Hurricanes challenged for an offside call and it was upheld, keeping the game 0-0.
Not too long thereafter, Jack Eichel's persistence during a scramble in front of the net resulted in him finding the back of the net to break the scoreless tie just four minutes into the period.
Unfortunately for the Knights, the Hurricanes challenged for a goalie interference call, and it was upheld, keeping the game 0-0.
Before the opening puck drop, the sold-out crowd erupted when Brayden McNabb was announced in the starting lineup, just two days after taking an 87-mile-per-hour slapshot to the face.
McNabb wore a full-caged helmet and appeared to have stitching around his nose.
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (93) celebrates after scoring his third goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in game three of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena.
Not to be denied, they scored two goals 16 seconds apart. Marner ended up with a hat trick in the period for a commanding 4-0 lead after two periods. His three goals came in a span of 6 minutes, 10 seconds, setting a record for fastest Stanley Cup Final hat trick. The previous record-holder was the legendary Maurice "Rocket" Richard.
Golden Knights captain Mark Stone got a breakaway goal on a pass from Brett Howden at the blue line. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour challenged for offsides and a review showed that Howden was in the zone before the puck.
Then Jack Eichel scored shortly afterward. Referees consulted and called it a good goal on the ice.
Again, Brind'Amour challenged, this time for goalie interference. And the goal was overturned because Ivan Barbashev was shown on review to have clipped the head of Frederik Andersen as he skated through the crease.
WE HAVE A 2ND VEGAS GOAL WAVED OFF AFTER COACH'S CHALLENGE 😱
Barbashev's goal is overturned for goalie interference after he made contact with Frederik Andersen's head 😬 pic.twitter.com/ffuSDapVO5
They got a power play when Carolina had too many men on the ice. Tomas Hertl scored. Sixteen seconds later, Marner threw the puck in front of the net and Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker accidentally tipped it past his goalie.
The Marner show continued. He missed on a breakaway, took a feed from Brayden McNabb and scored his second goal of the game.
He blasted a shot past Andersen on another breakaway for the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history.
Incredibly, the Hurricanes made some history of their own. They erased their 4-0 deficit in the third period, setting their own record by scoring three goals in just 39 seconds. Game 3 went to double overtime, with the Golden Knights getting the dramatic victory.
Yesterday, the Nashville Predators' front office went through a major shakeup, with two moves that really point to a shift in direction for the organization.
Rob Blake has been hired as the team’s new Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. Blake, a Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman and former general manager of the Los Angeles Kings, steps into a senior leadership role and will work alongside newly appointed general manager Chris MacFarland. The two will oversee hockey operations decisions. Their attention now turns to the upcoming NHL Draft, as Nashville tries to rebuild their roster.
At the same time, Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations Brian Poile is leaving the organization. Poile, the son of longtime former general manager David Poile, had been with the franchise for nearly 16 years and spent the past eight seasons as assistant GM.
Majority owner Bill Haslam has made it pretty clear he wants change, and this is what that looks like. Long-standing internal voices are being phased out, and MacFarland and Blake are now in position to take over hockey operations and shape the next era in Nashville.
Stay updated with the most interesting Nashville Predators stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
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Shea Theodore scored at 5:38 of the second overtime, avoiding what could have been a potentially devastating loss for the Golden Knights after they blew a four-goal lead, and Vegas beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 on Saturday night for a 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final.
Theodore’s goal, which went off goalie Brandon Bussi’s skate, came long after teammate Mitch Marner had the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history.
The teams take two days off before meeting in Game 4 on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. Teams that take a 2-1 series lead in the final went on to win the Cup 46 of 57 times, or 80.7%.
Carolina had been 6-0 in overtime this postseason. The Hurricanes were trying to become the first team to win after trailing by at least four goals in the third period, but now clubs in that situation are 0-109.
“We just left our foot off the gas,” Theodore said on the ABC broadcast. “I think we have to be sharper in the third, but I liked the resiliency out of our group. I liked the way we started that second overtime, and I felt like we were more on our toes.”
This was the 10th time the first three games of a Cup Final were decided by a point. The last time occurred in 2016 series between Pittsburgh and San Jose.
The Golden Knights seemed to have the game in hand after scoring four times in the second, including a natural hat trick by Marner.
But Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall and Jordan Staal scored goals for the Hurricanes to turn what appeared to be a party atmosphere into a white-knuckler for the Golden Knights. Their goals, occurring 39 seconds apart, are the fastest in a Cup Final game.
Andrei Svechnikov jammed in a puck on a six-on-four power play with 1:42 left to force overtime.
Marner’s scoring outburst came over a 6:10 stretch of the second period, and he had four points in the period. He had the secondary assist on Tomas Hertl’s goal midway through the period.
The last time a player had four points in a period of the Cup final occurred in 1919 when Frank Foyston of the Seattle Metropolitans pulled off that feat.
Marner nearly added to the total in the third period, but failed to capitalize on a breakaway and a penalty shot. Those missed chances came back to bite the Golden Knights.
The Hurricanes made the comeback after changing goalies to open the third, going with Bussi, who stood tall in making 18 saves. Frederik Andersen had given up those four goals on 16 shots.
Carolina also rallied without forward and former Golden Knight William Carrier, who had an upper-body injury in the second period.
Vegas’ Carter Hart stopped 29 shots.
Vegas twice thought it took the lead early in the second period, but the Hurricanes successfully challenged both goals to keep the game scoreless.
Mark Stone’s goal from the slot 36 seconds into the period was overturned when Brett Howden was determined to be offside after a video review. Another review wiped off Jack Eichel’s rebound goal four minutes in when Rasmus Andersson was called for goalie interference.
It’s not the first time this series went against the Golden Knights.
An unsuccessful video challenge by Vegas coach John Tortorella in Game 2 on Thursday night led to a power-play goal by Jordan Staal, whose goal helped the Hurricanes rally to win 4-3 in overtime.
The Golden Knights received a major boost when defenseman Brayden McNabb took the ice. He took a puck in the face in the first period Thursday night at Carolina and didn’t return to the game. McNabb, who had on a cage to protect his face, is Vegas’ best defensive defenseman. He was on the first defensive pair with Theodore.
“I wish I could say it’s shocking, but it’s not,” Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said on the ABC broadcast. “Just the way he comes to the rink every day, it’s like nothing happened. He’s one of a kind. They don’t make them like that anymore, that’s for sure.”
This series has been, if anything, unpredictable.
Each team blew two-goal leads in the first two games, with the Golden Knights rallying in the opener and Hurricanes responding with a Game 2 victory in overtime.
Shea Theodore scored at 5:38 of the second overtime, avoiding what could have been a potentially devastating loss for the Golden Knights after they blew a four-goal lead, and Vegas beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 on Saturday night for a 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final.
Theodore’s goal, which went off goalie Brandon Bussi’s skate, came long after teammate Mitch Marner had the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history.
The teams take two days off before meeting in Game 4 on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. Teams that take a 2-1 series lead in the final went on to win the Cup 46 of 57 times, or 80.7%.
Carolina had been 6-0 in overtime this postseason. The Hurricanes were trying to become the first team to win after trailing by at least four goals in the third period, but now clubs in that situation are 0-109.
“We just left our foot off the gas,” Theodore said on the ABC broadcast. “I think we have to be sharper in the third, but I liked the resiliency out of our group. I liked the way we started that second overtime, and I felt like we were more on our toes.”
This was the 10th time the first three games of a Cup Final were decided by a point. The last time occurred in 2016 series between Pittsburgh and San Jose.
The Golden Knights seemed to have the game in hand after scoring four times in the second, including a natural hat trick by Marner.
But Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall and Jordan Staal scored goals for the Hurricanes to turn what appeared to be a party atmosphere into a white-knuckler for the Golden Knights. Their goals, occurring 39 seconds apart, are the fastest in a Cup Final game.
Andrei Svechnikov jammed in a puck on a six-on-four power play with 1:42 left to force overtime.
Marner’s scoring outburst came over a 6:10 stretch of the second period, and he had four points in the period. He had the secondary assist on Tomas Hertl’s goal midway through the period.
The last time a player had four points in a period of the Cup final occurred in 1919 when Frank Foyston of the Seattle Metropolitans pulled off that feat.
Marner nearly added to the total in the third period, but failed to capitalize on a breakaway and a penalty shot. Those missed chances came back to bite the Golden Knights.
The Hurricanes made the comeback after changing goalies to open the third, going with Bussi, who stood tall in making 18 saves. Frederik Andersen had given up those four goals on 16 shots.
Carolina also rallied without forward and former Golden Knight William Carrier, who had an upper-body injury in the second period.
Vegas’ Carter Hart stopped 29 shots.
Vegas twice thought it took the lead early in the second period, but the Hurricanes successfully challenged both goals to keep the game scoreless.
Mark Stone’s goal from the slot 36 seconds into the period was overturned when Brett Howden was determined to be offside after a video review. Another review wiped off Jack Eichel’s rebound goal four minutes in when Rasmus Andersson was called for goalie interference.
It’s not the first time this series went against the Golden Knights.
An unsuccessful video challenge by Vegas coach John Tortorella in Game 2 on Thursday night led to a power-play goal by Jordan Staal, whose goal helped the Hurricanes rally to win 4-3 in overtime.
The Golden Knights received a major boost when defenseman Brayden McNabb took the ice. He took a puck in the face in the first period Thursday night at Carolina and didn’t return to the game. McNabb, who had on a cage to protect his face, is Vegas’ best defensive defenseman. He was on the first defensive pair with Theodore.
“I wish I could say it’s shocking, but it’s not,” Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said on the ABC broadcast. “Just the way he comes to the rink every day, it’s like nothing happened. He’s one of a kind. They don’t make them like that anymore, that’s for sure.”
This series has been, if anything, unpredictable.
Each team blew two-goal leads in the first two games, with the Golden Knights rallying in the opener and Hurricanes responding with a Game 2 victory in overtime.
One postseason appearance changed everything, and now the Utah Mammoth face the kind of offseason that could determine whether they're simply an exciting young team—or the NHL's next legitimate powerhouse.
A Playoff Breakthrough Changes The Conversation
Expectations surrounding Utah entering the 2025-26 season were modest at best.
The foundation was certainly intriguing. Clayton Keller remained the offensive catalyst, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther continued developing into stars, Nick Schmaltz provided veteran production, and Mikhail Sergachev anchored the blue line. But with the Central Division loaded from top to bottom and several young players still finding their footing, most believed another year of growth would be necessary before playoff hockey became realistic.
Instead, the Mammoth accelerated the timeline.
General manager Bill Armstrong aggressively strengthened the roster, acquiring J.J. Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres and adding veteran defenseman Mackenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames without sacrificing a first-round pick in either deal. Those moves transformed Utah into one of the league's biggest surprises, finishing 43-33-6 and punching a ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The opportunity was there for an even deeper run.
After grabbing a 2-1 series lead over the Vegas Golden Knights, Utah looked poised for an upset before consecutive overtime defeats completely shifted the momentum. The Mammoth ultimately exited in six games, but the series proved something important: this team is much closer than many expected.
Now comes the difficult part—deciding whether it's time to push all of the chips to the middle.
The Next Wave Could Arrive Sooner Than Expected
Few organizations possess the type of high-end prospect depth Utah currently enjoys.
Tij Iginla appears ready to make the jump after dominating the WHL with the Kelowna Rockets. The sixth overall selection from the 2024 NHL Draft exploded for 41 goals and 90 points in just 48 games while finishing with an eye-popping plus-47 rating. His offensive instincts are obvious, but his commitment away from the puck may be what earns him NHL minutes immediately.
Caleb Desnoyers isn't far behind.
The fourth overall pick in 2025 produced 22 goals and 78 points across 45 games, showcasing the creativity and hockey IQ that made him one of the premier prospects in his draft class. At 173 pounds, additional strength would certainly benefit him, but his talent is difficult to ignore.
Utah suddenly finds itself with an enviable problem.
If one—or both—young centers prove capable of sticking in training camp, the organization could dramatically reshape its lineup while injecting another wave of speed and skill into an already dangerous forward group.
Tough Contract Decisions Will Shape Utah's Future
Cap space provides flexibility, but difficult choices still await.
With roughly $14.2 million available, Armstrong must determine which pending unrestricted free agents remain part of the organization's long-term vision.
Kailer Yamamoto made a compelling late-season case. After settling into a top-six role, he recorded nine points over his final 13 games, including the playoffs, bringing energy and secondary scoring exactly when Utah needed it most. A projected contract near $1.8 million makes a reunion financially appealing, assuming the organization believes his late surge is sustainable.
Kevin Stenlund offers value in different ways.
His offensive totals won't dominate headlines, but a 54.2 percent faceoff success rate and league-leading shorthanded ice time made him one of Utah's most trusted defensive forwards. With projections placing his next contract around $1.4 million, retaining him would preserve an important piece of the penalty kill.
Alex Kerfoot presents a more complicated decision.
Limited to just 34 games because of injuries, the versatile forward produced only 13 points and is expected to command more than $3.3 million annually. His ability to play multiple positions remains valuable, but with organizational depth growing down the middle, Utah must determine whether that price fits its long-term blueprint.
Is Barrett Hayton Part Of The Long-Term Plan?
Perhaps no player presents a more fascinating offseason decision than Barrett Hayton.
When healthy, the center consistently impacts games with relentless forechecking, responsible defensive play, and dependable two-way effort. The problem has been availability. Since 2021-22, his career has alternated between mostly healthy campaigns and seasons interrupted by lengthy absences.
Now arbitration eligible, Hayton is projected by AFP Analytics to earn north of $5.3 million annually on his next contract.
That's where the conversation becomes interesting.
With Iginla and Desnoyers pushing toward NHL jobs and Utah already possessing significant depth down the middle, Hayton could emerge as one of the organization's most valuable trade assets. His age, defensive reliability, and untapped offensive upside would undoubtedly attract interest across the league.
Whether Armstrong chooses continuity or leverages that value to strengthen the wings could become one of the defining decisions of Utah's offseason.
After exceeding expectations and announcing themselves as a legitimate playoff team, the Mammoth are no longer chasing relevance—they're trying to build a roster capable of contending for the Stanley Cup every single year.
He is wearing a full cage and is in the starting lineup. He received a huge cheer from the Vegas crowd when introduced.
McNabb was hit in the visor by Nikolaj Ehlers' hard shot during Thursday's Game 2 and dropped to the ice. He went to the dressing room while grabbing his face and was taken to the hospital, according to ABC. He was able to fly home with the team on Friday.
He played a little more than five minutes before being hurt in Game 2 but is averaging nearly 20 minutes a game in the playoffs. He's known more for his defense and penalty killing, but had three assists in the Golden Knights' Game 1 win.
McNabb is TAKING WARMUPS and is a game time decision after taking this slap shot to the face in Game 2 and going to the hospital 🤯
He played 11 shifts for a little less than eight minutes, tops on the Golden Knights for the period. One shot on net, one missed shot, another one was blocked. No blocked shots himself.
"He's one of a kind," captain Mark Stone told ABC about McNabb's ability to return.
On Thursday afternoon, a major report from NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman indicating that Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade began making the rounds on social media.
Multiple NHL Insiders have discussed the major shift in Larkin's future aspirations, which he said as recently as late April were wanting to get the Red Wings over the hump and back into Stanley Cup contention.
In the meantime, there have been no official confirmations from Larkin or his representation, or from GM Steve Yzerman.
Yzerman's good friend Darren Pang is now reacting to the reported trade request from Larkin, and harkened back to the mid-90s when rumors circulated that Yzerman himself was on the verge of being traded to the Ottawa Senators.
“I mean, very interesting that it came out the way that it came out,” Pang said while appearing on The Daily Faceoff Live podcast. “My hope would be that it came out internally first, that he and his agent wrote to Steve Yzerman and, at this particular point, I remember Steve — 22 years being a captain — and with Mr. I and Mrs. I, they were very close friends. Just their relationship. And I know there was one point in Steve's career where there was a possibility of moving Steve to Ottawa for Alexei Yashin."
“But Mr. I pulled him aside, with respect, and asked him if it's something he'd want to do. They hadn't won a Stanley Cup in 13 years before he won his first Stanley Cup in Detroit, and with all the respect between the two, he said no, and he wanted to stay part of the equation and win in Detroit. That's what ended up happening."
Pang expressed his hope that Larkin had contacted both Yzerman and the Red Wings ownership before this request was made public.
“What I'm saying is that I'm hoping that Dylan Larkin's first call was to Steve Yzerman, and then his next call was hopefully to Chris or Marian Ilitch to say why," Pang said. "Because if this is false reporting, which it doesn't sound like it is, that would have been awful."
Pang then concluded by saying he was somewhat taken aback by Larkin's reported trade request considering his Michigan roots and previous open statements of wanting to lead Detroit back to Stanley Cup contention.
“But if it's the legitimate side of it and Dylan Larkin doesn't want to continue in his home state of Michigan with all the growth they've done and all the battling they've done together, I gotta tell you, I'm a little surprised," Pang said. "I would think that he would do what Steve did way back when and say, ‘I'm going to put this team on my shoulders and say we're going to win right here, and I'm going to be a Michigan-born captain and be the guy that leads this team here.’
“To me, it's a little surprising because there are a lot of great parts in Detroit. I don't think that they're that far off; they've proven that........I thought the next moment would be leading the Detroit Red Wings to the playoffs and then eventually hunting down the Stanley Cup in years to come.
But it doesn't look like that's going to happen if this ends up being legitimate.”
Larkin currently ranks 10th all-time in total Red Wings scoring with 643 points in 808 career NHL games.
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For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final is Saturday night, with an exciting series thus far. They better get it over before the World Cup takes center stage though.
Islanders News
The Islanders re-signed hometown boy Marshall Warren to a two-way deal. [Isles | Newsday]
Lemme tell you this kid Luca Romano had a good year, a real good year. He’s talkin’ ‘bout the Memorial Cup win and looking forward to camp. [Isles]
Here are players who said they talked to the Isles at the NHL combine. [THN]
Jason Blake is enjoying life as an NHL dad with his son. in the Stanley Cup final. [Athletic]
Ilya Sorokin finished second in the voting as Andrei Vasilevskiy receives the Vezina, with local police being involved in an elaborate prank to break the news to him. [NHL]
Elsewhere
Lots and lots of notes on the draft combine. [Sportsnet]
What does Dylan Larkin’s reported trade request mean for Detroit and its infinite rebuild? [Winging It In Motown]
Longtime NHL GM Cliff Fletcher (including for the Atlanta Flames when they entered with the Islanders), who pulled off some massive trades back when big, multi-player trades were a thing, has died at 90. [Sportsnet]
Former Sabres forward and GM Gerry Meehan has also passed, age 79. [Sportsnet]
The rising cap could test the Senators ownership and put them back into “small market” purgatory. [Sportsnet]
Former Kings player and GM Rob Blake will join the Predators. [TSN]
The Philadelphia Flyers have made it public knowledge that they would like to upgrade their defense if they can, and one avenue they're exploring is the 2026 NHL Draft.
This past week, the NHL Scouting Combine got underway in Buffalo, New York, and the Flyers, alongside the other 31 NHL teams, were able to watch NHL hopefuls test their strength and athleticism, then meet with them.
One player the Flyers met with, according to The Inquirer's Jackie Spiegel, is offensive dynamo Xavier Villeneuve, a defenseman who can do it all on the attacking side of the game.
Villeneuve, 18, is a 5-foot-11, 164-pound defenseman who is committed to Boston University for the 2026-27 season.
The Laval, Quebec, native scored 38 points in 37 QMJHL games with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL, playing alongside Flyers prospect Spencer Gill.
Injuries limited the talented Villeneuve to those 37 games, which hurt his chances of improving on a 60-point D-1 campaign with the Armada, but the talent still shines through.
Villeneuve tried too hard to play hero after coming back from his injury, but it's a credit to the player that he has the talent and confidence to do that.
Time in the gym at Boston will undoubtedly benefit the diminutive defender as he works to become stronger and more explosive.
In their 2026 draft guide, EliteProspects ranked Villeneuve as their 13th overall player, comparing him to Lane Hutson and former Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.
"The only prospect in this year’s draft with higher upside than Xavier Villeneuve is our No. 1-ranked prospect, Gavin McKenna," the guide reads.
"Both are capable of breaking down defences, carrying a top power play, and helping their teams rack up wins."
Villeneuve, just like other mobile defenseman of his stature, like Hutson and Quinn Hughes, isn't much of a shooter, though his vision, skating, aggression, and decisiveness are his biggest strengths.
For a Flyers team that has been dire on the power play for years on end, the second-best power play quarterback in the draft in Villeneuve could be there for the taking thanks to size detractors.
Of course, those same size detractors didn't stop Lane Hutson or his younger brother, Cole Hutson, from also attending Boston University and becoming some of the most exciting young defense prospects in all of hockey.
Lane, of course, is already a Norris Trophy candidate, and he'll only continue to get better.
Gostisbehere, too, is still a productive 50-point player and power play for the Carolina Hurricanes, even at the age of 33.
The Flyers' former third-round pick scored a career-high 33 power play points with Philadelphia way back in 2017-18, and neither side has been able to fully replicate that success since.
That was also the last time the Flyers can say they've had a legitimate power play guy on defense.
Fortunately, they are doing their due diligence with Villeneuve, who has enough variance in his draft stock to reasonably be available for the Flyers to draft with the 21st overall pick later this month.
It helps, too, that Villeneuve is represented by Quartexx Management, who also represent Flyers prospects Porter Martone and Oliver Bonk, as well as recent former Flyers Nick Deslauriers, Morgan Frost, Elliot Desnoyers, and Victor Mete.
Villeneuve was also teammates with Flyers prospects Jack Nesbitt and Matthew Gard on Canada's 2025 U18 World Juniors team.
The Flyers have no shortage of connections to Villeneuve, nor a shortage of reasons to draft him, and all that's left is to make it happen in a few weeks.
