MONTREAL, CANADA- MAY 25: Taylor Hall #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes scores a goal during the first period of Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Montreal Canadiens and the Carolina Hurricanes at the Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens will square off for the fourth time in the Eastern Conference Final at Bell Centre on Wednesday night, as they Canes will look to push the Habs to the brink while Montreal will try to even the series heading back to Raleigh for Game 5.
The Hurricanes have successfully shaken off a humiliatingly bad performance in Game 1 that left us all to wonder if the issues plaguing them in the third round were more intrinsic than a result of playing historically strong Florida Panther teams perfectly built to beat them.
Nikolaj Ehlers’ overtime heroics in Game 2 followed by those of Andrei Svechnikov in Game 3 have made this unquestionably the most successful season the franchise has had since 2006, and a sixth-straight road playoff win on Wednesday would have them one win away from a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
These wins have not come easily, even as the territorial dominance that delivered them has. The Canadiens have mustered just 25 shots total across the past eight periods of play, and there is no reason to believe a reversal in the flow of the game and puck possession is coming on Wednesday.
That means Frederik Andersen, who will certainly have the crease again, will have to be sharp and ready for the few high-danger chances Montreal will inevitably generate, as they remain lethal on the counter-attack and have the high-end talent to win a game on the power play if given enough man advantages.
Carolina will have to play another disciplined game and continue to lean on Montreal by playing physically and tilting the ice. If goaltender Jakub Dobes slips even a little bit, the Hurricanes could ride an early 2-0 edge to a blowout win that would likely break the Canadiens’ spirit.
But through six meetings between the teams this year, Carolina has proven unable to muster such a result. We still have not seen the Hurricanes deliver a true A-plus performance this postseason, especially offensively.
Is one coming tonight, or will Montreal be able to dig deep and do enough to get the series back even? The Vegas Golden Knights are through in the Western Conference and awaiting a Stanley Cup Final opponent. How long will they be waiting?
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 04: Egor Chinakhov #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in action during the game against the Florida Panthers at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Kyle Dubas has a busy offseason ahead for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and when it comes to potential returning players Egor Chinakhov is probably going to be near the top of the list. Now that Evgeni Malkin is officially re-signed, Chinakhov probably jumps to the top of the list.
Chinakhov was a mid-season addition from the Columbus Blue Jackets, arriving in Pittsburgh with enormous talent but inconsistent results. Things simply did not work out for him in Columbus, and the Penguins were there to roll the dice on him, sending two draft picks and Danton Heinen the other way.
It turned out to be one of the best, most impactful moves that Dubas made in what was already a fantastic year for him.
Immediately upon his arrival in Pittsburgh, Chinakhov started to play like the top-line winger the Blue Jackets had hoped he would be.
He scored 18 goals with 18 assists (36 total points) in 43 games with the Penguins, bringing his full-season total to 21 goals, 21 assists and 42 total points across both teams.
It was his performance with the Penguins that opened the most eyes and put him on the map.
While he struggled to generate offense in the playoffs, his play in the second half of the regular season at least made him a must-keep player for the upcoming season. Especially given how good he showed himself to be away from the puck and as a playmaker. He was not just a one-trick pony ripping wrist shots and feasting on a high shooting percentage. He made the people around him better and made plays all over the ice.
Now the Penguins have to figure out a new contract for him given that he is set to be a restricted free agent. The Penguins have more salary cap space than any other team in the NHL this offseason, so money is not going to be an issue. It is just a matter of how much money it is going to take and what that contract is eventually going to look like.
I have some ideas.
I went back over the past 10 years and tried to pick out some comparable players and situations to get a sense of what those deals have looked like.
I was not only trying to find players at a similar age and production level to what Chinakhov has done, but also players that were facing a similar contract situation. What I mean by that is, players that are restricted free agents, but have already signed at least one bridge deal as an RFA. In other words: Not players coming off an entry-level contract.
Here are some of the players that I found:
Player
Games Played At Signing
Career Goals At Signing
Goals/Game
Career Points At Signing
Points/Game
RFA Year Goals
RFA Year Points
Contract
Percentage Of Salary Cap
Jared McCann
427
93
.218
205
.480
27
50
5 years $25 million ($5.0)
6.06
Casey Mittelstadt
357
66
.185
196
.549
18
57
3 years $17.25 million ($5.75)
6.53
Joel Eriksson Ek
266
43
.162
96
.361
19
30
8 years $42 million ($5.25)
6.44
Artturi Lehkonen
412
80
.194
158
.383
19
38
5 years $22.5 million ($4.5)
5.45
Pavel Buchnevich
301
79
.262
195
.648
20
48
4 years $28 million ($5.8)
7.12
Egor Chinakhov
247
55
.223
113
.457
21
42
?
?
In terms of production and age, I am not sure these numbers are that far off. Maybe you want to argue that Chinakhov’s upside is a little higher than some of these guys, but how much is that worth in a contract negotiation? Do the Penguins want to gamble and go longer-term? Does Chinakhov want to gamble on himself and take a shorter-term deal in the hopes he can prove his second half wasn’t a fluke and try to cash in on the open market in a year or two?
But in terms of dollars and cap space, these guys signed contracts that were all between 5.4 and 7.1 percent of the salary cap.
In terms of this year’s cap, you are looking at a range of $5.6 million on the low end and $7.4 million on the high end.
Given that Chinakhov is coming off a bridge contract that paid him $2.1 million, and given the season he had, and given the rise in the salary cap, none of that seems totally unreasonable.
Three years, $20 million?
Four years $26-$28 million?
Does something like that interest you?
In some ways it is a tough situation. You want to keep him. You want to believe in what you saw in the second half, and there is good reason to do so. But there is still a mystery on what his upside and consistent level of production is going to be.
Either way somebody here is going to be taking a gamble. Either the Penguins on signing a player that is still a bit of an unknown, or Chinakhov betting (or not betting) on himself.
Back in 2020, during their rebuild, the Ottawa Senators famously held three picks in the first round of the NHL Draft. But it wasn’t the first time Ottawa had three first-round selections, nor was it their first rebuild.
This year’s NHL Draft marks the 15th anniversary of the 2011 Draft, when the Senators also owned three first-round picks. Before we look back at how those selections turned out, let’s dig into the The Hockey News archives and revisit how people viewed the Senators at the time, leading into that draft.
The team was being run by general manager Bryan Murray, who had just hired Paul MacLean as the club’s new head coach.
From The Hockey News Archive, June 2011
SWINGING SENATORS
A TEAM THAT CAME within three wins of the Stanley Cup four years ago has completely bottomed out. Now the Ottawa Senators must set about reclaiming their perch as one of the most consistent performers in hockey by developing the young players in their system and making good on the bundle of draft picks they’ve collected.
SHORT-TERM NEEDS: Firm direction and a truckload of patience, two essential elements in pulling off a rebuild. Goaltending had been a black hole for the Sens before pending UFA Craig Anderson brought some hope to the cause via a mid-February trade, but the real optimism rests with 19-year-old Swedish protégé Robin Lehner.
LONG-TERM NEEDS: Daniel Alfredsson is the all-time face of the franchise, but he’ll turn 39 halfway through next season. Jason Spezza is a big, wonderfully talented center, but he has yet to assume the mantle of go-to guy. This team desperately needs high-quality forwards and it will get a chance to draft some with 12 total picks in 2011, including five in the first two rounds.
CAP SITUATION: The great purge of 2010-11 has left the team with almost $17 million in cap space for next season, which can be put to some good use adding scoring depth to a team that finished 29th in offense.
IN THE SYSTEM 2011-12: A cluster of forwards, Zack Smith, Bobby Butler, Erik Condra, Colin Greening, Jim O’Brien, got NHL playing time with all the bodies cleared out of Ottawa. They’ll get a shot to prove they’re legit big-leaguers next fall, as will towering blueliner Jared Cowen. 2012-13: Top prospect David Rundblad already plays against men in Sweden and fellow D-man Patrick Wiercioch will be close after another year in the AHL.
DRAFT TENDENCIES: Until this season, trading picks away. The Sens had just four total selections last year, the same paltry total they had in 2007. As demonstrated by the void of tantalizing forwards, Ottawa’s recent hits tend to be with D-men and goalies. - R.D.
Also from the Draft Preview in The Hockey News from 2011, let's take a look at how the THN rankings shaped up with the Senators’ actual first round draft class at 6, 21, and 24.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (THN Rank: 1) — Edmonton Oilers
Gabriel Landeskog (THN Rank: 3) — Colorado Avalanche
Jonathan Huberdeau (THN Rank: 5) — Florida Panthers
Adam Larsson (THN Rank: 2) — New Jersey Devils
Ryan Strome (THN Rank: 6) — New York Islanders
Mika Zibanejad (THN Rank: 11) — Ottawa Senators
Mark Scheifele (THN Rank: 41) — Winnipeg Jets
Sean Couturier (THN Rank: 4) — Philadelphia Flyers
Nathan Beaulieu (THN Rank: 18) — Montreal Canadiens
Mark McNeill (THN Rank: 16) — Chicago Blackhawks
Oscar Klefbom (THN Rank: 37) — Edmonton Oilers
Connor Murphy (THN Rank: 55) — Phoenix Coyotes
Stefan Noesen (THN Rank: 39) — Ottawa Senators
Tyler Biggs (THN Rank: 20) — Toronto Maple Leafs
Joe Morrow (THN Rank: 34) — Pittsburgh Penguins
Matt Puempel (THN Rank: 21) — Ottawa Senators
Stuart Percy (THN Rank: 70) — Toronto Maple Leafs
Phillip Danault (THN Rank: 31) — Chicago Blackhawks
Vladislav Namestnikov ((THN Rank: 36) — Tampa Bay Lightning
Zack Phillips (THN Rank: 9) — Minnesota Wild
Nicklas Jensen (THN Rank: 19) — Vancouver Canucks
Rickard Rakell (THN Rank: 25) — Anaheim Ducks
In 2020, the Senators held the third, fifth, and 28th overall selections and came away with Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson, and Ridly Greig.
It didn’t go quite as well in 2011, partly because the picks weren’t nearly as high. Ottawa selected sixth, 21st, and 24th overall.
The Senators did fairly well with their first pick, selecting Swedish center Mika Zibanejad sixth overall.
Five years after his draft day, and 281 games with the Senators, Ottawa traded Zibanejad to the New York Rangers, where he eventually blossomed into a star on Broadway.
In hindsight, Mark Scheifele, taken one pick later by the Winnipeg Jets, would probably have been the slightly better choice, but not by a ton. The pick was fine. The lack of patience with the player was not. Zibanejad has gone on to better things as a core piece of the Rangers over the past decade, hitting 1000 games this season.
Things began to thin out once the first round reached the half way point and can you can see based on pre-draft rankings, how unpredictable it became.
At 21st overall, the Senators selected Stefan Noesen, which was considered a bit of a reach according to The Hockey News, which had him ranked 39th. Noesen didn’t last long in Ottawa, and never played here, as he was later included in the 2013 trade that brought Bobby Ryan over from the Anaheim Ducks.
Noesen took a long time to establish himself as an NHL player, but over the past four seasons he has become a dependable forward. This season, however, was largely a write off. Injuries limited the New Jersey Devils winger to just seven points in 38 games. The year before, he had reached career highs hitting the 20 goal, 40 point mark for the first time.
Finally, at 24th overall, the Senators selected Matt Puempel, whom The Hockey News had ranked 21st. After being drafted, Puempel spent two more seasons in the OHL and nearly two more years with the Binghamton Senators before beginning to get NHL opportunities.
Over parts of three seasons with Ottawa, Puempel played 52 games, but never came close to recapturing his junior scoring touch. In November 2016, the Senators placed him on waivers and he was claimed by the Rangers.
One month later, he enjoyed probably the highlight of his NHL career, recording a hat trick in a Rangers win over Arizona. But that proved to be the peak of his time in the league.
After several seasons overseas in Sweden and Germany, Puempel announced his retirement from pro hockey last month. He has since become the head coach and general manager of the Essex 73's in the PCJHL near his hometown of Windsor, Ontario.
Matt Puempel (@mpuempel) has announced his retirement from professional hockey.
After two stellar seasons with the Peterborough Petes, including OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year honours in 2010, Matt was selected by the Ottawa @Senators in the first round of the 2011 @NHL Entry… pic.twitter.com/owoWeCE7hP
The Columbus Blue Jackets found out where they would land in the upcoming NHL Draft, and to no one's surprise, they didn't win the lottery. For the second straight year, they will pick #14, and for the second straight year, they might actually get lucky.
Welcome to draft speculation season, where we will talk about all the potential draft targets for the CBJ. Could someone fall to them at #14, or will they reach for a player who is projected to be lower? Who know, but it's fun to speculate.
So, here we go.
Target: Caleb Malhotra -
Toronto, ON, CAN
Height/Weight: 6'1.75" - 185 lbs.
2026 Team: Boston University - NCAA
Position: Left Shot Forward
2025-26 Stats WithThe Brantford Bulldogs of The OHL: 84 points in 67 games. He also had 26 points in 15 playoff games.
THN Ranking: 5th - Kennedy;15th - Ferrari
NHL Central Scouting: Ranked 6th among North American Skaters.
What Scouts Have Seen
Elite Hockey IQ & Playmaking - Malhotra’s greatest attribute is his advanced mind for the game. Scouts consistently praise his high-end spatial awareness, patience, and puck-manipulation skills. He is highly deceptive, frequently freezing defenders with shoulder fakes, posture shifts, and eye manipulation before slicing open defenses with precise passes. He controls the pace of play, slowing it down to his liking and excelling under intense pressure.
Complete 200-Foot Game - Unlike many high-scoring junior players, Malhotra operates as a reliable, detailed defensive presence. He is comfortable matching up against opponents’ top lines in a shutdown role, winning hard puck battles in the dirty areas, and taking care of his own zone with structured stick detail. His combination of effort and defensive responsibility has drawn favorable style comparisons to Jonathan Toews from some talent evaluators.
Power & Playoff Driver - Malhotra’s stock soared in the second half of the year. When games grew tighter in the OHL playoffs, he took over Brantford's offense as a dual-threat asset, using an increasingly accurate shot to complement his primary pass-first instinct. He has a relentless motor and constantly driving attacks toward the inside of the ice.
Weaknesses & Areas for Development
Physical Strength: While he possesses an ideal 6'2" frame, he is still relatively lean and needs to add muscle mass to compete with NHL-sized centers.
Shot Power: While accurate, his release does not yet carry elite velocity and will require mechanical refinement as he matures.
Skating Mechanics: Though he has good top-end elusive speed, his overall stride is a work in progress and can still look a bit rigid.
What Scouts Are Saying
DobberProspects - "Caleb Malhotra has NHL bloodlines; he is the son of former NHL player Manny Malhotra, and he is showing that the apple does not fall far from the tree. Caleb has been a standout player for the Brantford Bulldogs early in the 2025-26 season, showcasing his abilities across the entire 200 feet of the ice surface with sound defense and high-energy offense. He is a high-end two-way centre who looks to hear his name called on the first day of the 2026 NHL Draft."
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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Multiple reports have suggested the Nashville Predators could target Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland to run their hockey operations department. If that opportunity is real, the reaction in Denver may not be panic or outrage.
It may simply be: thanks for the run, and good luck.
Rumors are circulating that the Nashville Predators may be targeting Chris MacFarland from the Colorado Avalanche for a key front office role. Why would MacFarland consider leaving a successful Avs organization to lead the Predators?#Smashvillepic.twitter.com/8ssQuby049
— Locked On Predators (@LO_Predators) May 26, 2026
That sounds harsh for a general manager who helped oversee a Presidents’ Trophy-caliber season. But in Colorado, regular season success stopped being the standard a long time ago. This organization is measured in Stanley Cups now, and since winning it all in 2022, the Avalanche have delivered a first-round exit, a second-round exit, and now a humiliating Western Conference Final sweep against the Vegas Golden Knights.
At some point, the conversation stops being about bad luck and starts becoming about leadership.
Not just Jared Bednar.
Everybody.
The Stars Vanished When Colorado Needed Them Most
Martin Nečas had a 100-point season. On paper, that sounds like validation for Chris MacFarland after moving on from Mikko Rantanen. And to be fair to Nečas, he did produce through the first two rounds of the playoffs, posting a goal and 12 assists in 13 games while becoming a point-per-game player in the postseason for the first time in his career.
But against Vegas, he disappeared.
Then again, in all fairness, you could say that about the entire team.
Brock Nelson looked like one of the smartest additions Colorado made all season. He played Selke-caliber hockey for stretches, helped Team USA capture Olympic gold, and brought the kind of two-way stability contenders need this time of year.
Then the playoffs hit another level, and suddenly he could barely hit the net.
And then there’s Nathan MacKinnon.
The Avalanche superstar captured his first Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal scorer in the regular season. He spent the entire year looking like the best player on the planet, dragging Colorado through injuries, inconsistency, and long stretches where the roster around him felt incomplete.
And yet in the biggest series of the season, MacKinnon did not score a single goal.
That almost does not sound real.
Yes, he was clearly hurt. Yes, Vegas defended him aggressively every shift. But when your franchise player goes silent for four straight games and your supporting cast completely crumbles around him, it becomes impossible to ignore what actually happened.
Colorado didn’t just lose.
They disintegrated.
That’s what makes this collapse feel different from the others. This wasn’t a seven-game war. This wasn’t a bounce here or there. The Avalanche looked overwhelmed, frustrated, disconnected, and completely out of answers by the end of the series.
Meanwhile, Vegas looked calm the entire time.
Prepared. Structured. Ruthless.
The Golden Knights were obviously better than their regular-season record suggested, and every stylistic breakdown entering the series hinted this matchup would be tighter than people realized. But even then, nobody expected Colorado to fold the way it did.
Injuries or not, the Avalanche had no response once adversity hit.
The Rantanen Trade Will Follow MacFarland Everywhere
That’s why the Mikko Rantanen conversation is never going away.
Was it really worth trading one of the best postseason performers in hockey for a package that still feels incomplete? Rantanen was expensive, yes. The reported ask around $14 million annually was significant. But it also sounded like there was room to negotiate before things completely unraveled.
Instead, MacFarland pulled the trigger.
And now the Avalanche are left trying to explain why the player who used to carry them through playoff rounds is suddenly gone while Colorado keeps falling short.
Meanwhile, Carolina looks thrilled with how its side of the broader situation played out, Logan Stankoven looks like a future star, and they could very well make the Stanley Cup Finals. Meanwhile, Colorado is stuck trying to convince everyone the move was about long-term vision rather than panic management.
Fair or not, that’s the reality now.
You can call it aggressive asset management if you want.
Fans are starting to call it something else.
“Quick Trigger Finger MacFarland.”
And honestly, after the way this season ended, it’s not hard to understand why.
Colorado’s Goaltending Gamble Never Truly Changed
The Avalanche have spent years acting like they can outscore structural problems.
Sometimes they can.
Four rounds of playoff hockey usually say otherwise.
Colorado finally stabilized the position with Darcy Kuemper during the Stanley Cup run. He battled through injuries, gave them timely saves, and helped them win a championship. Then the organization immediately pivoted away from him as if elite goaltending suddenly became optional again.
That decision set off another cycle of bargain hunting.
Alexandar Georgiev was brought in and briefly looked serviceable behind an elite roster before everything unraveled. The Avalanche then pivoted again, bringing in Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood to patch the position together one more time.
Blackwood even received a five-year extension worth $5.25 million annually almost immediately after arriving.
That’s a major commitment for someone who eventually lost his starting job to Wedgewood this season. Blackwood did play brilliant in Game 4, but that's beside the point. He wasn't consistent enough throughout the season to be considered the number one guy, despite his exorbitant salary.
And that’s the problem with Colorado’s approach under MacFarland. Every move feels temporary. Every solution feels like a patch instead of a foundation.
There’s always another adjustment coming.
Another reset.
Another attempt to outsmart the problem rather than truly solve it.
The Avalanche Lost Their Identity
What made the 2022 Avalanche special wasn’t just talent.
It was chemistry.
Everybody had a role. Everybody bought in. That team felt connected. Dangerous. Relentless.
This version of the Avalanche feels different.
Now it’s about rentals. Reunions. Deadline swings. Familiar names. Emotional nostalgia plays.
Nazem Kadri returns and immediately people wonder if Colorado is trying to recreate something that already came and went. Erik Johnson gets brought back for another run and fans understandably love the emotion of it, but hockey decisions cannot survive on emotion alone.
At some point, you have to ask what the actual direction is.
Because this current version of the Avalanche looked nothing like the connected machine that rolled through the league in 2022. That team found ways to win.
This team found every way to lose and got exposed while doing so.
When Vegas punched them, they had no response. When Vegas dished out cheap shots, no one batted an eye. Contenders find ways to survive adversity. Colorado looked consumed by it.
And the scary part is this wasn’t some shocking upset.
Vegas exposed problems that have quietly existed for years.
The Avalanche still have MacKinnon. They still have Cale Makar. As long as those two exist, the Stanley Cup window remains somewhat open.
But windows eventually close when management mistakes urgency for vision.
Chris MacFarland may not be a bad general manager. But after another disappointing ending, it’s fair to ask whether he’s actually building toward something new — or simply rearranging pieces around a core talented enough to mask deeper flaws for most of the regular season.
Because in Colorado, regular season brilliance no longer means anything.
On Tuesday night, the Colorado Avalanche were eliminated from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs after being swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals.
Colorado's elimination does have an impact on the New York Islanders, given that they traded the 2026 first-round pick they acquired from the Avalanche in the Brock Nelson deal to the St. Louis Blues in their 2026 NHL Trade Deadline deal for Brayden Schenn.
At the time, that pick wasn't known, but now we know it will be No. 29.
Here are the last 10 players to be selected with the 29th overall pick:
2025: Mason West — Chicago Blackhawks
2024: Emil Hemming — Dallas Stars
2023: Theo Lindstein — St. Louis Blues
2022: Maveric Lamoureux — Arizona Coyotes
2021: Chaz Lucius — Winnipeg Jets
2020: Brendan Brisson — Vegas Golden Knights
2019: Brayden Tracey — Anaheim Ducks
2018: Rasmus Sandin — Toronto Maple Leafs
2017: Henri Jokiharju — Chicago Blackhawks
2016: Trent Frederic — Boston Bruins
Does this change the way you view the Schenn deal?
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 12 : Nico Hischier #13 of the New Jersey Devils warms up before the NHL regular season game against the Ottawa Senators at the Prudential Center on April 12, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
On a potential Nico Hischier contract extension: “All things being equal, it would appear an extension is the most likely outcome, but things are at an early and delicate stage.” [The Athletic ($)]
“Hischier will be 28 before playing a game on a new deal and he has made 22 playoff appearances. Of course he wants to hear the roadmap to more success. There’s no denying the team has an excellent core, which he is aware of, and Mehta’s winning pedigree should have Hischier confident the front office can make the right moves. I don’t envision this negotiation being much of a struggle, and expect the captain to sign a lucrative extension before reporting to training camp in September.” [Infernal Access]
“Trading Nemec may make the most sense because if he returns to the Devils and struggles as he has the last two seasons, his trade value will plummet. And with the Devils needing some scoring help, Nemec may be their best trade asset. We’ll see what GM Sunny Mehta and the Devils decide to do.” [Devils on the Rush]
Hockey Links
The Golden Knights are on to the Stanley Cup Final:
A look at the top remaining free agents in this summer’s class: [Sportsnet]
“Maple Leafs forward Max Domi is out indefinitely after complications arose during an offseason surgery. Toronto announced the news Monday and shared that Domi — who played through his undisclosed ailment during the 2025-26 regular season — will continue to work with the club’s medical staff until being reevaluated ahead of training camp in September.” [ESPN]
“Veteran forward Claude Giroux is looking to come back for a 20th NHL season this fall, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports. Giroux is a pending unrestricted free agent after spending the past four years with the Ottawa Senators. He said after Ottawa’s first-round playoff exit last month he would need time to weigh his future, but it appears he’s not ready to hang up his skates just yet.” [TSN]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
Just over a year after being fired by the Philadelphia Flyers, John Tortorella has already done several things many thought impossible.
Tortorella, 67, hopped out of the ESPN booth and behind the bench, taking over for Bruce Cassidy as head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights.
The result was a 7-0-1 finish to the regular season, and now a scintillating run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
At the time of Tortorella's hiring by the Golden Knights, many were concerned about the fit with former Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, given the public's general view of Marner as a "soft" player who ran from the spotlight.
Instead, Marner is the playoffs' leading scorer with seven goals, 14 assists, and 21 points in just 16 games, with teammate Jack Eichel right behind with his 18 points in 16 games.
Even in Philadelphia with the Flyers, Tortorella made things work with Matvei Michkov, even if there were battles and benchings along the way.
In Vegas, Tortorella has also been reunited with former Flyers goalie Carter Hart, whose sudden departure to tend to the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case in 2024 was something Tortorella pointed to as the team crumbled in the months that followed.
After being found not guilty of the sexual assault charge and serving a suspension levied by the NHL, Hart has returned to form under his old Flyers coach, leading all goalies who have played past the first round with a .924 save percentage and a 12-4-0 record.
Now in the Stanley Cup Final, Tortorella, Hart, and the Golden Knights await the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens series.
May 26, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns (84) and center Nathan MacKinnon (29) congratulate Vegas Golden Knights. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
One week ago, the Colorado Avalanche looked like they were cruising toward another deep playoff run. Now they’re heading home earlier than anyone expected after getting swept out of the Western Conference Final by the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Avalanche fell 2-1 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena, completing a four-game series win for Vegas that few people saw coming given how the playoffs started for Colorado.
This was supposed to be the year Colorado pushed all the way. They opened the season on an incredible 31-2-7 run, rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs, and entered this series as one of the clear favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Instead, everything came apart in just over a week.
Vegas, meanwhile, found its rhythm at exactly the right time. A team that was fighting just to stay in the playoff picture late in the regular season ended up completely controlling the series and punching its ticket back to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Game
It was a cautious start by both teams but Vegas got on the board first as Mark Stone got behind the defense just under five minutes into the game. It was one of their first shots on goal and Mackenzie Blackwood settled into the net from that point forward. Still, Vegas took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission after a fairly balanced first period.
In the second the Avalanche couldn’t get much going and fired only six shots on goal despite earning a power play and then controlling play for a little while after. Vegas also didn’t score and had a power play themselves. A 1-0 Vegas lead wasn’t insurmountable at that point after 40 minutes of play.
The third period was a continuation of the first but both teams weren’t generating much offense. Vegas got the crucial second goal, though from Coke Smith. From that point on they could lock down the game. Gabe Landeskog gave Colorado a glimmer of hope with three minutes to go and cut the lead but they never could find the equalizer. A sweep, a completely collapse and a final 2-1 loss.
A Series That Got Away From Colorado Fast
Game 4 summed up the series pretty well. Vegas struck early when Mark Stone got behind the defense and scored on a breakaway just a few minutes into the first period.
Colorado goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, making his first start of the series, kept things from getting out of hand early. He made several big saves and was probably the reason the game stayed close as long as it did. This series was never about goaltending, though.
But offensively, Colorado just never really found its footing.
There were long stretches where the Avalanche couldn’t generate much of anything. At one point, they went nearly 30 minutes of game time with just one shot on goal. For a team that’s built around speed and scoring, that’s a tough stat to explain.
Injuries, Pressure, and a Quiet Offensive Struggle
It’s worth noting the Avalanche weren’t at full strength. Nathan MacKinnon played through an injury he picked up in Game 3, and Valeri Nichushkin was out after getting hurt earlier in the series. Other key players like Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen also weren’t at 100%.
Still, even with that context, this was a tough series for Colorado’s offense overall.
They weren’t able to consistently break through Vegas’ defensive structure, which clogged up the middle of the ice and made it hard to create clean chances. That part isn’t surprising — Vegas has been doing that to teams all postseason — but the extent of the struggle definitely was.
And honestly, the overall effort in Game 4 will be hard to ignore. For a team with this much talent, it just wasn’t there often enough when it mattered.
A Painful Finish to a Promising Season
The Avalanche had built a reputation this season for being nearly unbeatable in certain situations. Before Game 2 of this series, they were 45-0 when leading after two periods. Before Game 3, they were 52-0 when leading by multiple goals.
But those numbers didn’t matter once the series got away from them.
Game by game, Vegas chipped away at their confidence. Colorado had leads slip away, momentum disappear, and eventually just couldn’t recover.
Last year ended in heartbreak too, but this year feels different — more abrupt, more complete, and harder to explain.
Blow it all up. No one should feel safe after this historic embarrassment.
May 26, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) and right wing Logan O’Connor (25) defend against Vegas Golden Knights right wing Cole Smith (22) during the first period in game four of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone and Cole Smith scored for Vegas and the Golden Knights suffocated Colorado’s high-powered offense to beat the Avalanche 2-1 on Tuesday night for an unthinkable sweep to make their third Stanley Cup Final in nine seasons.
The Golden Knights will get a break while they watch to see whether Carolina or Montreal emerges from the Eastern Conference Final.
This is a crushing end for an Avalanche team that won the Presidents’ Trophy and had blown through the playoffs with an 8-1 record. Chicago in 2013 was the last team to claim the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season.
Stone scored for the Golden Knights on a lob pass from Brayden McNabb deep in his zone. Stone caught the puck and had a direct path to the net and made the most of it. Smith later tipped in Dylan Coghlan’s shot from the point with 5:45 left for a critical two-goal margin.
Carter Hart stopped 20 shots, coming within 2:03 of his first playoff shutout in six years.
Gabriel Landeskog ended that shutout, one of the few highlights of the night for the Avalanche, who went the final 14:23 of the second period without a shot on goal and more than 22 minutes with just one shot.
Mackenzie Blackwood, making his first start in the series, gave the Avalanche a chance to win with several dazzling saves en route to 24 saves overall. His best stop came late in the second period when he lunged to glove a power-play shot from Pavel Dorofeyev.
The journey to the Cup Final isn’t quite the Cinderella story of the Golden Knights’ first team that made the Stanley Cup Final in 2018 before losing in five games to Washington, but Vegas’ journey to this point was far from expected.
The Golden Knights faced the possibility of not making the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history when management fired coach Bruce Cassidy, who led the club to the 2023 title, with eight games left in the regular season.
In came John Tortorella, who validated the controversial decision by leading Vegas to a 7-0-1 record to close the regular season and then series victories over Utah and Anaheim. Then the Golden Knights faced an Avalanche team on a roll and without any sign of slowing down.
At least until facing Vegas.
Colorado coach Jared Bednar searched for answers against the Golden Knights, even changing goalies on Tuesday. The Avalanche also dealt with injuries to their top two players this series — reigning Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar and Hart Trophy finalist Nathan MacKinnon.
The Golden Knights had their own injury issues, winning the first two games of the series without Stone.
Is it finally time for Tomas Hertl to raise the Stanley Cup? It's certainly a possibility, as his Vegas Golden Knights punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night when they completed a sweep of the President's Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche.
Hertl isn't the only former Shark on the hunt though, as former Sharks winger Joel Ward, an assistant coach for the Golden Knights, is also looking for his first championship. Neither one were able to raise the prestigious trophy in San Jose, now they'll have the opportunity to do so with one of their greatest rivals.
As a 32-year-old center with a long injury history, Hertl is running out of opportunities to etch his name on the grandest trophy in hockey. He's halfway through a massive contract that he signed with the Sharks back in 2022 and his name has been in trade rumors ever since he arrived in Sin City.
Ward, on the other hand, never had the chance to win the Stanley Cup during his playing career. He retired as a member of the Sharks organization following the 2017-18 season, just a couple of seasons after the team in teal came up just short and lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final.
By eliminating the Avalanche, the Golden Knights did crush a pair of former Sharks' Stanley Cup dreams though. Both Brent Burns and Mackenzie Blackwood will have to wait at least one more season to raise the trophy.
A change of scenery has benefitted former Nashville Predators forward Cole Smith, forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon as the trio will play in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 2-1, on Tuesday to sweep their way to their third Stanley Cup Finals appearance in nine seasons.
Smith scored the game-winning goal with 5:45 left in the game, tipping in a shot from Dylan Coghlan for his third goal of the playoffs.
Sissons and Lauzon were traded to the Golden Knights in late June for defenseman Nicolas Hague and a 2027 third-round draft pick, which was later upgraded to a second-round selection after Vegas advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
Smith was dealt at the trade deadline in March for a 2028 third-round pick and defenseman Christoffer Sedoff.
VEGAS HAS SOME BREATHING ROOM AS COLE SMITH SCORES WITH 5:45 TO GO, KNIGHTS UP 2 😱🚨 pic.twitter.com/lMlnaJ2l5G
Sissons has six points (two goals and four assists) in 15 playoff games, and Lauzon has played in six games. Smith has four points (two goals and two assists) in 15 games.
While this will be Smith and Lauzon's first trip to the finals, Sissons will return for the first time since 2017, when the Predators faced the Pittsburgh Penguins and fell in six games.
In the run to the finals, Sissons had 12 points (six goals and six assists) in 22 games.
The Golden Knights have been seen as the winner of the trade with the Predators. Hague played 62 games with the Predators this season, scoring 15 points (three goals and 12 assists) and having a plus/minus of minus-10.
Nashville also signed Jonathan Marchessault out of free agency in 2024, who had been with the Golden Knights for seven seasons. Since joining the Predators, Marchessault's play has declined, recording 31 points (12 goals and 19 assists) in 62 games this past season.
The Golden Knights will await the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals is TBD.
While, arguably, the hottest news topic of the summer for the Penguins has already been taken care of, there is still a fair amount of business to attend to. GM and POHO Kyle Dubas still needs to make some decisions regarding free agents Anthony Mantha and Stuart Skinner, as well as consider whether or not Arturs Silovs's strong playoff showing warrants an extension.
But the biggest outstanding piece of business pertaining to a player rostered last season involves restricted free agent winger Egor Chinakhov.
Chinakhov, 24, was brought over from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a late-December trade for forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick. He requested a trade last summer and found himself in the press box a few times and relegated to fourth-line role in Columbus, producing just three goals and six points in 29 games.
When Dubas and the Penguins acquired Chinakhov, however, they believed in his potential as a high-end top-six winger. And, if his tenure with the Penguins post-trade is any indication, it looks like they may have been correct in that assessment.
In 43 games with the Penguins, Chinakhov had 18 goals and 36 points, and he flashed that potential with his elite shot - among other tools - that helped the Penguins win hockey games and qualify for the playoffs. The impressive thing, too, is that just two of those goals and six of those points came on the power play, as Chinakhov was relegated to minutes on the second unit.
His five-on-five play was impressive. And much of it was spent playing alongside Malkin.
Of his 18 goals with the Penguins, seven were assisted by Malkin, with six of those tallies being primary assists. Chinakhov spent the better part of the last month of the season - beginning with Malkin’s exit from the lineup due to a five-game suspension in early March - playing on a line with either Rickard Rakell or Sidney Crosby, and he also found success with those guys. But of the 10 goals he scored before Malkin was suspended, Malkin factored in on six.
Chinakhov and Malkin have some legitimate chemistry, and the Russian linemates were clearly able to feed off each other. A huge priority for the Penguins moving forward will be to best-position their young players to find the consistency required for long-term success.
The soon-to-be-40 Malkin may not be around for the long-term future of the franchise. But, Chinakhov, hopefully, will be. So, if having Malkin around - even for a short while - helps Chinakhov build on what he accomplished with the Penguins last season, it’s worth it.
And, well, the Malkin part of it is done. Now, the focus has shifted to the Chinakhov part of it, and it's something the Penguins should not take lightly, especially in a situation where they have plenty of talent on the verge of the NHL in their system but not a high quantity of talent that has the ceiling potential Chinakhov possesses.
Of course, giving Chinakhov a lucrative deal after half a season of performing well is probably doing too much at this point. Even if he showed a significant degree of potential as a legitimate top-six winger, it’s still on him to prove that he can sustain that over a longer period of time. So, with that, a bridge deal makes some sense in this case — perhaps in the two-year, $12 million range, taking into account the rising cap.
After all, the Russian sniper is an RFA, and the Penguins hold the leverage. They can drag out this process, or they can get a deal done that meets the needs and expectations of both parties. It’s always possible that Chinakhov is betting on himself and may seek a bit more term and a little more average annual value, although a prove-it extension does seem to make sense.
But, Chinakhov himself has expressed his desire to return to the Penguins for the long haul — and he has been pretty emphatic about that for a while.
“Yeah, for sure,” he said during locker cleanout day. “I’d love to be part of this organization for a long time, and yeah, we’ll see. But, I love to be here, for sure.”
Malkin, too, loves playing with Chinakhov, and he even quipped that he wanted his linemate to sign first. Things may not have panned out that way, but the fact remains that the Penguins are a much better team with both Chinakhov and Malkin on it.
So, if they truly value taking big steps next season, a Chinakhov extension has to be priority No. 1 in the coming days and weeks.
After some speculation, the Pittsburgh Penguins made it official on Tuesday, re-signing franchise icon Evgeni Malkin to a one-year deal.
Malkin's contract has an average annual value of $5.5 million, but it is structured really well. According to Pierre LeBrun, he has a $2.5M salary, a $3M signing bonus, $500K in games-played bonuses, a $1M bonus if the Penguins make the playoffs next year, and an extra $500K per playoff round won bonus.
Malkin could make up to $9M if everything goes perfectly next season.
This contract was a long time coming, especially after Penguins president/general manager Kyle Dubas told the media earlier this month that the team would "love" to have him back.
"We would love to have him back. We just continue to work with J.P. on it. That’s as clear as I can be," Dubas said during his end-of-season presser on May. 12.
The two sides worked for the next couple of weeks before announcing the news on Tuesday afternoon.
"We look forward to Geno continuing to provide great moments for the city of Pittsburgh, while helping us return the Penguins to Stanley Cup contention through his play on the ice and his leadership off the ice," Dubas said in a statement on Tuesday.
It has always made so much sense to bring Malkin back for next season, especially after the season he just had. He finished with 19 goals and 61 points in 56 games before recording three points in six playoff games. This was his first point-per-game season since the 2022-23 season, when he compiled 27 goals and 83 points in 82 games.
There's no way the Penguins were going to replace his production from last year in free agency, given how poor this year's class is expected to be. The best free agent available is Alex Tuch, and he's going to sign for too much money and too long a term.
Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) controls the puck against the Florida Panthers during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Alberti-Imagn Images
Malkin will also get a full season to play with Egor Chinakhov after the two played together in the second half of the regular season. They showed instant chemistry on the second line and read off one another super well.
You can also say the same about Tommy Novak's chemistry with Malkin. Malkin hinted during the 2025 offseason that he wanted to play with Novak in the 2025-26 season, and he got his wish, playing with him in numerous games.
To take it a step further, the Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin line was together for 30 games and played 222:55 at 5v5 this season. When that line was on the ice, the Penguins had a +5 goal differential, 51.8% of the expected goal share, 52.8% of the scoring chances, and 52.1% of the high-danger chances.
There's a good chance that the Penguins go right back to that line when the 2026-27 season starts in October, which brings me to my next point. Malkin played on the wing for a lot of this past season and looked rather comfortable there. He can still play center if needed, but he was excellent after Penguins head coach Dan Muse moved him to the wing. That flexibility is super important.
Malkin also isn't blocking anyone on this roster. Do the Penguins have some young forwards coming? Yes, but they are players who will be pushing for some of the bottom-six spots. I see Avery Hayes filling Noel Acciari's role for next season, while Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, and even Tristan Broz will be pushing for spots on the third and fourth lines. None of them is ready for a top-six role, yet.
Dubas will still be able to accomplish his goal of getting younger and getting those difference-making players in their mid-to-late 20s while still having Malkin on the roster. He's not preventing any of that, especially since this upcoming season might be his final one in the NHL.
This deal was one of the biggest slam dunks in the history of slam dunks, and now, the Penguins can turn their attention to other matters, including a new deal for Chinakhov. He's set to be a restricted free agent this summer, and the Penguins are expected to bring him back.
