Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz has landed a new gig.
The Seattle Kraken have announced that Schultz has returned to the organization in a player development role.
Schultz played his final two NHL seasons with the Kraken before signing with HC Lugano of Switzerland's National League during the 2024 NHL off-season. However, the former Penguins defenseman announced his retirement early on in the 2024-25 season after he had six assists in eight games for HC Lugano. Now, he is heading back to the Kraken in his first post-playing career NHL role.
Schultz spent five seasons with the Penguins from 2015-16 to 2019-20. In 234 career games with the Penguins over that span, he recorded 22 goals, 91 assists, 113 points, and a plus-43 rating. He also won the Stanley Cup twice during his time with the Penguins.
In 745 career NHL games over 12 seasons split between the Edmonton Oilers, Penguins, Washington Capitals, and Kraken, Schultz posted 71 goals, 253 assists and 324 points.
With less than one week until the start of the 2026 NHL Draft, it appears that the New York Rangers are more likely to pick a defenseman at the fifth overall pick as opposed to a forward.
If defensemen including Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, or Alberts Šmits are available for the Rangers to take at the No. 5 selection, it may be difficult for the team to pass up on.
However, if the Rangers opt to go in a different direction, there is one obvious forward who would be their top choice.
Björck is considered to be the consensus No. 2 center in the draft, only behind Caleb Malhotra, who is projected to be selected before the Rangers’ pick.
This past season, Björck played 42 games in the SHL for Djurgårdens IF, recording 15 points and finishing the season in a top-line role.
“While his numbers will be nothing to lose your mind over, the fact that Björck played on the first line – often skating in more than 20 minutes a night – as a 17-year-old in one of the top leagues in the world is bonkers,” Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff wrote. “Björck was electric at the World Juniors, showing a high-end blend of hockey sense and raw skill.”
The 17-year-old 5-foot-9 center made a name for himself competing for team Sweden at the 2026 World Championship, as he held his own against some of the top NHL’ers.
Despite his smaller frame, Björck doesn't let it affect his game, making up for it with his high hockey IQ and elite-level playmaking.
“He's the guy who can survive everywhere he goes, even though he's a smaller body," NHL Director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "He showed that in the Swedish Hockey League and also on the men's national team. ... He's like a Sidney Crosby-type player, and his hockey intelligence shows through with clever movement and spatial awareness in tight areas, which will, in my mind, help him adjust to the NHL in the future.”
If the Rangers do decide to take a forward with the No. 5 pick, keep an eye out for Björck.
Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated in his comments at the season-ending media availability last month that at the top of his agenda was to work on extensions for defenseman Bowen Byram and winger Zach Benson. A report this week from TSN’s Darren Dreger indicated that one of those items may be more difficult than expected, as Byram’s name has begun circulating in trade speculation, but ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported on Friday that the Sabres are working on a long-term extension for Benson.
The 21-year-old winger is coming off an impressive nine-point performance in the playoffs after his third NHL season, and according to Weekes, the Sabres are looking to sign him to a seven-year deal in excess of $7 million per season, similar to what the club inked linemate Josh Doan to during the season. Benson is a restricted free agent this summer and has played the third-most games of any player selected at the 2023 NHL Draft (only Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli have played more).
"We locked up Josh early, because we saw the character, the competitiveness, and potential for a leadership role long to the future." Kekalainen said. "(Zach is a) true core piece that fills all the boxes, maybe not the height, (but) everything else. The way he plays, how he's just relentless, a dog on the bone. I can't say enough good things about Zach Benson. He's got skill, he's got hockey sense, he's got instincts. He's relentless, he's a competitor."
Thoughts on the Michael Kesselring trade to San Jose
The Sabres enter the summer with just under $12 million in available cap space, with Benson, and forward Peyton Krebs as restricted free agents and wingers Alex Tuch and Beck Malenstyn as unrestricted free agents.The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, and The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun all reported last week that there is a significant gap between the Sabres and Tuch on a new deal.
The 30-year-old is expected to draw the most attention on July 1 and is reportedly looking for more than $10 million per season on a long-term deal. With the Sabres limited cap space this summer, if they lock up Benson to an extension, it would likely mean the end of any chance of re-signing Tuch, unless they clear out other contracts to make room.
Buffalo could facilitate some return for Tuch, by trading him his negotiating rights before the start of free agency or doing a sign-and-trade at or around the NHL Draft, as Toronto did with Tampa Bay defenseman Darren Raddysh on Friday, but that would likely result in a mid-round pick, as the Lightning got for the pending free-agent blueliner.
That, of course, makes life a little different for the club’s amateur scouting staff leading up to the 2026 NHL draft. Barring a trade, the Flyers will pick at 21st overall. It’s their lowest first-round spot since 2020.
So the Flyers know the draft is still critical to what they want to do, even when they’re lower in the order.
“We’ve said it for a long time, we wanted to build a team that was going to be here for a long time; not just to go for it for a year or two,” general manager Danny Briere said last month. “That’s still the same approach on my end.”
After the recent trade with the Maple Leafs, the Flyers have only four picks in this draft, which will be held June 26-27. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at 11 a.m. ET.
“I’ll tell you how I feel about drafts and I’ll be totally blunt with you,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said June 2 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think it’s f—ing bulls–t when I hear about, ‘Oh, this draft isn’t as good.’ Here are the numbers. Approximately 45 players from any draft will play 350 games or more in the NHL. It might be 47 one year, 42 another year. That’s the number — you get 45 players that’ll play 350 games or more with varying degrees of success.
“And I know this about the draft. The teams that get good players from the draft say it was a good draft. The teams that don’t get good players from the draft say it wasn’t a good draft. So when people start telling me about a draft ahead of time, I call bulls–t.”
“What you’re trying to do is find a player that you feel has the potential to be an NHL player,” Button said. “That might be a third-line center, that might be a second-line scoring winger. Hey, listen, maybe you get David Pastrnak, who’s a superstar (drafted 25th overall in 2014).
“But the focus has to be on, ‘OK, what type of player do we like, what type of player do we think the guy can be?’ And then get after it and understand what the development path is, and then try to help that player be the best he can be. Put a stake in the ground and celebrate who you’re drafting.”
Before the draft arrives, we’re breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.
Next up:
Brooks Rogowski
Position: Center Height: 6-foot-7 Weight: 235 Shoots: Right Team: Oshawa
Scouting report
The massive pivot uses his frame and length to be a disruptive role player. He’ll make life difficult on the opponent by setting up in front of the net and being opportunistic offensively. He also moves well for his size.
Rogowski was limited to 46 games this season because of some injuries, but he put up 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 46 games for Oshawa. He had nine multi-point games. His minus-24 rating came on a Generals team that finished last in the OHL and owned a minus-96 goal differential.
The 17-year-old opened some eyes with his effectiveness on Team USA at the 2026 IIHF U-18 World Junior Championship, a tournament that ended last month. Rogowski had three assists and a plus-4 rating in four games.
“The thing with him was I actually liked him the best at the U-18s,” Daily Faceoff associate editor and prospect analyst Steven Ellis said last Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He was a fourth-line center at that tournament. I think that was where he really started to show that when he’s in a fourth-line role, he can overwhelm guys, he can go out there and take space away, push guys around. He has got the big frame obviously — 6-foot-7 and, like, 2-bazillion pounds. He’s a heavy dude.”
Rogowski, who turns 18 next week, probably has a ceiling of a third-line center in the NHL. He’s not expected to be a scorer at the next level, so his upside is not as high. But his sheer size and mobility could give him a real solid career.
“He really showed he can be a prototypical fourth-line center who can actually move pretty well, he can bully guys,” Ellis said. “He’s not necessarily a mean player, but he can be if he needs to and he has got a long reach.
“It seems like a fourth-line center is kind of where he is and that’s partly why I don’t really have him highly rated. I think he’s going to play a lot of games in the NHL, which is why he’s at least a second-round pick. But I don’t think he’s a first-round talent, that’s my concern.”
Those selections may make Rogowski a little less appealing to the Flyers.
But if the Flyers wanted to continue with an imposing look down the middle, Rogowski would bolster that theme. The Flyers would have a ton of size with Rogowski, Nesbitt, Gard and Jack Berglund, a 2024 second-rounder.
However, Rogowski might project as a fourth-liner in the NHL. It’s possible the Flyers would like more potential at No. 21. If anything, perhaps they could aim for him by trading up in the second round. And that’s if Rogowski falls into the Day 2 action.
The St. Louis Blues could be active on the trade market this off-season, looking to offload veterans while bringing in younger talent.
Earlier, we covered which players may have played their final games in St. Louis and identified some possible destinations for them.
But if they do finally make those long-talked-about moves, who could they look to acquire with those players or the assets they receive? With the Blues’ desire to get younger and more skilled, we’ll take a look at three under-25 players the Blues could explore trades for.
Matthew Knies, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Matthew Knies has been surfacing in the rumor mill, and while Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka mentioned that they aren’t actively looking to move him, they are willing to listen to offers.
The Blues could be a team that makes a play for Knies. His 6-foot-3, 232-pound frame is imposing, and he has no fear using his weight to win puck battles and get to the front of the net. In 2025-26, the 23-year-old posted 23 goals and 66 points in 79 games despite dealing with an injury for a large chunk of the season.
Knies is the perfect top-six winger, able to play big minutes at even strength, the power play, and the penalty kill. It would take a lot to pry Knies out of Toronto, but the Blues have veterans like Jordan Kyrou and Colton Parayko who could help facilitate a deal.
The Anaheim Ducks took a big step forward this season, but Mason McTavish didn’t. Following a difficult season that started with a contract dispute, McTavish could be on the move out of Anaheim.
The Ducks will likely look for experienced players to improve their chances of a long playoff run. Although McTavish’s 17 goals and 41 points in 75 games weren’t all too impressive, there is still belief that a new environment can help him find his game again.
Determining McTavish’s value is difficult. Despite the poor numbers, he’s still just 23 years old, plays as a center, and boasts a 6-foot-1, 219-pound frame.
Following another career season in offensive production, Bowen Byram seems to be coming into his own. Yet, the Buffalo Sabres are once again willing to gauge the market on the 25-year-old defender.
Byram finished the 2025-26 season with 11 goals and 42 points in 82 games, the second consecutive season in which he’s played 82 games. Injuries held Byram back early in his career, but he is healthy now and is thriving. He averaged over 22:00 of time for the second consecutive season and was a key part of the Sabres’ success in the playoffs, scoring four goals and seven points in 13 games.
Byram is a 6-foot-1, left-handed defenseman who flies around the ice, makes excellent breakout passes, and has improved defensively, becoming an all-around defender. Byram has one season remaining on his contract before becoming a UFA, and reports indicate he is seeking a major pay raise.
If the Blues feel they can work out an extension with Byram, icing Philip Broberg and Bowen Byram on the left side of their defense provides a foundation to build from the back.
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The Philadelphia Flyers have a history of targeting players they covet when the time is right, and they would be wise to do so again this summer.
At this point, it is no secret that the Flyers would like to add a No. 1 center, or even a top-six one, to start with.
But, at the same time, it is public knowledge that the Flyers also want to upgrade on defense, and one of their long-standing trade targets at the position is mired in trade rumors... again.
On Thursday, TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger reported that multiple teams were engaging the Buffalo Sabres in trade talks for defenseman Bowen Byram, who has one year remaining on his contract at a $6.25 million cap hit.
Byram, 25, is due for a big raise, and the Sabres, who need to pay players like Zach Benson while already having Owen Power, Rasmus Dahlin, and Mattias Samuelsson at left defense, may not be inclined to give it.
The former No. 4 overall pick just played 82 games for the second year in a row, seemingly putting the health issues that plagued him early in his career behind him.
It helps, too, that Byram just had a career-high 11 goals, 31 assists, and 42 points, as well as seven points in 13 playoff games.
Seven of Byram's points came on the power play, though it's worth noting that he largely takes a backseat to Dahlin in that role.
With the Flyers, the opportunity would be much greater.
The Flyers have worked diligently to clear wasted cap space from their books, and while they do need to still re-sign and extend Dan Vladar, Trevor Zegras, and Jamie Drysdale, they have more than enough money to sign Byram long-term, too.
Still just 25, Byram could very well command north of $10 million on his next contract, and while the Flyers wouldn't just hand him that without seeing him play first, there is plenty of potential for them to bet on.
With any young player, you are betting on what they will be, not what they are.
(Evolving-Hockey)
If Byram has the potential to score 20 goals and 60 points with No. 1 or No. 2 minutes behind Travis Sanheim, and with adequate power play ice time, that is a worthy bargain for the Flyers.
For those worried about Byram's actual defending, the buccaneering rearguard has actually developed into a perfectly fine defender in the same way Drysdale has.
As we see in Evolving-Hockey's data above, Byram's work shorthanded could improve, but Flyers assistant coach Todd Reirden did fantastic work with a rather uninspiring group last season. Byram only adds more potential to the cupboard.
The Sabres may require a winger to replace pending free agent Alex Tuch, and/or a defenseman to replace Byram at a lesser cost.
Flyers like Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett, and Rasmus Ristolainen, to name a few, would hypothetically fit the bill to varying degrees.
The Flyers already once tried to get Byram, when they offered Cutter Gauthier to the Colorado Avalanche 1-for-1, but now, several years on, seems like the right time to finally make it happen.
On Friday night, the Toronto Marlies signed a 4-3 win over the Chicago Wolves to win the AHL Championship and lift the Calder Cup. If former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cayden Primeau was on the wrong side of the defeat, three former members of the Habs’ organization are now Calder Cup champions: Brandon Baddock, Logan Shaw, and Michael Pezzetta.
While Baddock, who spent the best part of two seasons in the Canadiens’ organization playing mainly with the Laval Rocket and a single game with the Habs, didn’t play during the playoffs, he’s still a member of the organization.
Unlike Baddock, Shaw and Pezzetta played big roles in the Marlies Calder Cup conquest. The former was the first one to lift the trophy, since he is the team’s captain. He put up 17 points in 24 playoff games and was assessed 28 penalty minutes. Shaw spent only part of a season with the Canadiens, playing 30 games in the 2017-18 season after the Habs, who were hit by a slew of injuries, claimed him off waivers. Eight of his 39 career NHL points were picked up while playing with the Sainte-Flanelle. He has played 232 NHL games so far, spending most of his career in the AHL, where he has played for seven different teams.
As for Pezzetta, a former sixth-round pick by the Canadiens at the 2016 draft, he skated in 23 playoff games this year, gathering five points and 82 penalty minutes. Unsurprisingly, he’s still relied on for his physicality and ability to drop the gloves. He turned pro during the 2018-19 season and went on to play 200 NHL games with Montreal, totaling 38 points and 241 penalty minutes. After playing only 25 games with the Canadiens in 2024-25, he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs last offseason as a free agent but played only nine NHL games, spending most of the season with the Marlies.
As for Primeau, even if he lost in the final, he had a great season in the AHL with a 21-11-7 record, a 2.41 goals-against average, and a .916 save percentage. In the postseason, he was 9-9 with a 2.72 GAA and a .913 SV. While those are good numbers, his short stay in the NHL this season wasn’t great. In three games with the Leafs, he posted a 2-1-0 record but had a 4.30 GAA and a .838 SV. When he was waived, the Carolina Hurricanes claimed him, and that's how he ended up with the Wolves. It might just be that the AHL is his ceiling and he can’t make the jump to the NHL.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are keeping one of their first-round picks in their system.
The Blue Jackets have announced that they have signed defenseman Corson Ceulemans to a one-year, two-way contract extension. At the NHL level, the 6-foot-2 defenseman will have an $850,000 cap hit. He will have an AHL salary of $95,000.
Ceulemans appeared in 64 AHL games this past season with the Cleveland Monsters, where he set new career highs with eight goals, 16 assists, and 24 points in 64 games. It was a nice step in the right direction for the 2021 first-round pick as he continues to work on his development.
Ceuelemans has yet to make his Blue Jackets debut, but that could change during the 2026-27 season. The potential for him to become a solid NHL-caliber defenseman is still there, and it will be interesting to see if he breaks through next season.
In 157 career AHL games with the Monsters over four seasons, Ceuelemans has posted 14 goals, 31 assists, 45 points, and 90 penalty minutes.
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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As of the announcement on Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs are now Jim Hiller's team from behind the bench.
After several years of veteran teams and making the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Maple Leafs roster will be changing a little bit next season.
Mixing with the veteran talent of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and now Darren Raddysh will be youngsters such as Easton Cowan, whoever is selected first overall in the upcoming draft. Even 23-year-old Matthew Knies and 24-year-old Emil Andrae are young roster players for the Leafs going into next year.
It'll be interesting to see how Hiller handles those younger players in the Maple Leafs' roster, because when he was the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings from February 2024 to March 2026, he did not utilize his young players as much as he should have. And if that's not the case, some did not blossom or develop into the player they should have been to this point.
It's worth noting that Hiller's tenure with Los Angeles began on an interim basis.
Two of the biggest young pieces to the Kings' roster over the past couple of years have been center Quinton Byfield and defenseman Brandt Clarke.
Byfield, a second overall pick in the 2020 draft, hasn't seen an upward trend in terms of point production. Since recording a career high of 55 points with 20 goals in 2023-24, Byfield has never surpassed that point total, despite featuring in 81 and 79 games in each of the last two seasons.
It's not like Byfield was held back in the lineup. In fact, his ice time increased notably over the last two years, logging an average of 20:01 of ice time last season as the second-line center. He also filled in for Anze Kopitar on the top line, who missed 15 games with injuries.
As for Clarke, the eighth overall pick in the 2021 draft, he did not get much ice time on Los Angeles' back end under Hiller's management.
In 147 games with Hiller behind the bench, Clarke averaged 17:16 of ice time, which is less than Cody Ceci, Brian Dumoulin and Joel Edmundson. Despite limited ice time, Clarke is the defenseman who has played the most games under Hiller, and has the second-best points-per-game average among blueliners at 0.46, just behind Drew Doughty's 0.47.
He's also scored the most points among Kings defensemen in Hiller's tenure, recording 14 goals and 67 points.
Jordan Spence and Alex Turcotte are another pair of young, but promising players who have been limited under Hiller.
Before being traded to the Ottawa Senators for this past season, Spence played parts of four years with the Kings.
In his final year with Los Angeles, Spence played 79 games and registered four goals and 28 points while averaging just 16:47 per game. He also finished fourth on the team in plus-minus with a plus-23 from the 2024-25 campaign.
Last year with the Senators, his average ice time jumped to 18:44, and he was a pretty important piece for their defense with Nick Jensen out of the lineup for a chunk of the season. Naturally, Spence went on to have the best season of his NHL career so far, putting up seven goals and 31 points for Ottawa.
Turcotte was another very high draft pick, fifth overall in 2019, who didn't pan out as a difference maker and couldn't break out of the bottom six under Hiller. Turcotte's production isn't completely in the hands of Hiller's methods, but the truth is that he didn't blossom, and Hiller was his head coach for most of it.
In 162 career games, Turcotte has never reached 10 goals or more than 25 points in a campaign.
There will be multiple younger players in Toronto's NHL roster next season, and some with very bright futures. With some critical years of development coming up for those Maple Leafs youngsters, Hiller will need to do his fair share of teaching and allow those players to see the ice.
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The 2026 NHL Entry Draft has the chance to shape the future of the Vancouver Canucks. With 10 selections, including third overall, Vancouver will be adding plenty of depth to their prospect pool. Below is a list of all completed draft target articles.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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The offseason got a jolt, though at the expense of an already uninspiring July 1, when the top blueline UFA was taken off the market via a sign-and-trade.
It’s not a riveting post-Cup June just yet, but a trade every other day isn’t a bad clip as we march steadily toward the draft.
Islanders News
Bryan Trottier reflects on getting his own postal stamp. [Isles]
Special episode of Weird Islanders…a conversation with Josh Ho-Sang himself! Good dude. [LHH]
(Yester)day in Isles History: The Ryan Pulock block. [Isles]
Elsewhere
Take Darren Raddysh off your offseason, redundant-consonant list, as the Leafs have jumped the line with a sign-and-trade for the top free agent, sending a 5th to the Lightning and inking him to a massive eight-year deal after the 30-year-old’s breakout season. [Sportsnet | NHL]
Rumors and such: Does Bowen Byram want to leave Buffalo for a #1 role? Is Pavel Zacha available? Jordan Kyrou on the market to anyone who might bother? [Sportsnet | Athletic]
Jonathan Toews retires, for real this time. [NHL | Sportsnet]
Ron Francis returns to Pittsburgh in an advisory role. [Sportsnet | NHL]
The Bruins will retire Patrice Bergeron’s #37, which is just as well because that’s a terribly ugly number that shouldn’t be in general circulation anyway. [NHL]
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 18: Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) takes a shot on goal during the Pittsburgh Penguins versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on January 18, 2025 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Whether or not any trade has been close to completion, Rickard Rakell’s name has often been in the chatter as an offseason trade possibility. That’s again this case on TSN, where Rakell comes in as a highlighted player around the league.
6. Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh – LW
Rakell, 33, had 24 goals and 48 points in 60 games with the Penguins last season. He added a goal and four points in six playoff games as the Penguins fell in the first round to the Flyers.
The 6-foot-1 winger is entering the fifth season of a six-year, $30 million contract that carries an annual cap hit of $5 million.
The Penguins have been patient about holding onto Rakell, who is quite the asset on the ice. After producing 70 points in 2024-25, Rakell performed well again in 2025-26. He’s versatile enough to play all three forward positions, including an extended stint at center this past season. Add in a team-friendly cap hit and that’s a valuable player to have around.
Yet the questions still swirl, which could have something to do with team makeup as well. Pittsburgh re-signed 40-year old Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby turns 39 over the summer and Bryan Rust celebrated his 34th birthday last month. Add in Rakell, and that’s a mighty old nucleus of a top-six forward group.
The Pens don’t have a ton of other options, Egor Chinakhov has established himself, Tommy Novak is hanging around but prospects like Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen did not make tangible strides towards being plug-and-play in a huge NHL role next season.
That makes the idea of moving Rakell an alluring one, especially if the team’s initial outlook for 2026-27 didn’t include Malkin coming back. Moving on from Rakell now for younger assets and trying to target bringing in another forward (either directly in that transaction or by finding one elsewhere) could make sense in a team-building perspective.
The fallback of simply hanging onto a good player is a nice path to take too. Rakell is a player that is still going to help next season, if it comes to that.
Former Kraken defenseman and two-time Stanley Cup winner Justin Schultz will make his wa back to Seattle, the team announced Thursday, to take on a role in player development. The 35-year-old announced his retirement in 2024. At the time, he was playing for the Swiss National League.
Schultz's career spanned 12 NHL seasons with 745 regular season games. He hoisted the Stanley Cup twice, in 2016 and 2017, with the Pittsburgh Penguins. His success with the Penguins may have played a part in giving him this new opportunity: both GM Jason Botterill and newly-announced Assistant GM Patrik Allvin were part of the Penguins organization at that time.
Speaking on his new role, Schultz said that player development is "something that I've always wanted to do." Adding that "I loved my time in Seattle. I’m excited to get to work with these prospects. They're all obviously great players; they've been drafted or signed. I want to help in whatever way I can with what they need to get better. I've played a lot of games, won some Stanley Cups, I am hoping to relay some positive things to them.
Director of Player Development Cory Murphy is also excited to have Schultz join his team, calling him a "great fit within our [player development] group...He's familiar with the organization and the people; he's lived [the NHL player life] for a long time and had success doing it. That's something he's going to bring, the consistency of pro habits, what's needed on a daily basis to be an NHL player and to stay in the NHL. Not just to make it, but to stay there. That's something we pride ourselves on, looking to develop these prospects to make the NHL and have the tools for a longer NHL career.”
Kraken Development Camp will take place the last week of June, following the draft. The public are invited to view camp on June 30th, July 1st, and July 2nd. See the Kraken Community Iceplex website for times and details.
Opportunity Seized — July 1, 2024 - VOL. 77, Issue. 14 - Carol Schram
WHEN ARTURS SILOVS suddenly landed on the scene for Game 4 of the Nashville Predators’ first-round playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks, Luke Evangelista was one of the few NHL players who already had a read on the lanky Latvian
“I can remember that day, that game, those goals like it was just a few months ago,” Evangelista said. “It’s been a great ride so far.”
When he was drafted in Round 2 (42nd overall) by Nashville in 2020, Evangelista was primarily known as a smart, playmaking right winger. The following season, he saw limited action while the OHL was shut down, getting into just 14 games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
In the fall of 2021, he returned to the London Knights as a 19-year-old and was named captain. Then, he unveiled a new-found nose for the net, scoring an OHL-best 55 goals to go along with 56 assists. From there, he made a smooth transition to the AHL, logging 41 points in 49 games with Milwaukee in 2022-23.
Evangelista’s first NHL call-up came in February 2023 as the Predators started cleaning house ahead of the trade deadline. He staked his claim on a full-time roster spot for 2023-24 by finishing with 15 points in 24 games – a stretch that started with those two goals against Silovs.
And while there was change on the roster and behind the bench, Evangelista had no trouble convincing first-year Preds coach Andrew Brunette that he had the physical and mental tools to be an effective NHLer. “Luke is a big-time player,” Brunette said. “I don’t think he’s intimidated by anything. He wants the moment, and you love that about him.”
Raised in Toronto, Evangelista caught the hockey bug early. His aspirations were juiced by his mom’s cousin, Brendan Shanahan. “He’s been a cool influence,” Evangelista said. “Someone you look up to, who makes you realize the dream is possible.”
As a preschooler, Evangelista was thrilled to get behind-the-scenes access and a photo with Jaromir Jagr after his family was invited to attend a morning skate when Shanahan’s New York Rangers visited the Leafs.
HE’S SOMEONE YOU LOOK UP TO, WHO MAKES YOU REALIZE THE DREAM IS POSSIBLE—EVANGELISTA ON SHANAHAN
By then, Evangelista was already a true-blue fan of his hometown team. The first jersey he ever owned was that of a rookie defenseman who shares his first name and is now a teammate—Luke Schenn.
When Schenn broke into the league at 18, his 33-year-old teammate Jamal Mayers offered some prescient advice. “He said, ‘Always be nice to the five- and six-year-olds. One day, they’re going to be your teammates,’” Schenn said. “I didn’t really know what he meant by that at the time, but now I understand.”
Evangelista and Schenn met for the first time at the Predators’ camp in September, after Schenn signed with Nashville. It’s said that you should never meet your heroes, but the thoughtful and engaging Schenn did not disappoint. “He exceeded my expectations,” said Evangelista, 22. “He was way cooler than I thought.”
Early on, the revamped Predators went through some growing pains. But Evangelista was a steady contributor all season, finishing sixth in rookie scoring with 16 goals and 39 points.
He was scratched for just the second time all year for the infamous 9-2 loss to Dallas on Feb. 15 that triggered the cancellation of the team’s outing to see U2 in Vegas. But through the 18 games without a regulation loss that followed, he was a key part of the success story with six goals and 10 points, and he carved out a regular spot on the first power-play unit.
Prior to Nashville’s first-round series against Vancouver, Schenn invited Evangelista to his home for dinner and some mini-sticks with his kids. The gesture was a highlight for a talented player whose NHL story is just beginning. “I remember calling my mom,” Evangelista said. “I was like, ‘If you told the six-year-old me that I’d be playing mini-sticks with Luke Schenn, I’d be freaking out.’”
With the 2026 NHL Draft just a week away, it's time to zero in on some Nashville Predators 2026 Draft Targets.
In the first edition, we covered Viggo Björk, and today, we are going to look at Daxon Rudolph from Prince Albert of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
He checks just about every box you want in a modern top-four NHL defenseman. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he already has the frame to handle pro minutes, but it’s the way he moves that stands out more than anything.
Rudolph is a smooth skater with strong hockey sense, which shows up in how calmly he handles pressure on the breakout. He can slow things down when he needs to or speed them up and transition play through the neutral zone without much hesitation. There’s a real offensive element to his game too, especially with a heavy shot from the point that becomes a legitimate weapon on the power play.
He does jump into the rush when the opportunity is there, but it doesn’t feel reckless. His defensive game is more advanced than you’d expect at his stage, particularly in how he manages gaps and uses his stick to cut plays off early. Coming off a strong season in Prince Albert, he looks like a player trending toward a long-term top-four NHL role.
Scout's Takes:
Here are some of the scouting reports put out by the most notable scouts/hockey writers in the NHL.
"Rudolph’s hockey sense is off the charts. He doesn’t try to do more than he’s capable of and force plays for the sake of making them. Instead, he plays to his strengths, which happens to be quite a few elements. He has a booming shot, makes great breakout passes and can knock guys down.
- Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff
"Rudolph is a good skater whose skating patterns, flow and edges are comfortable. He can manipulate coverage or jump off the line. He sees the ice well and can beat the first layer and then find the back door through a second layer. He defends the rush well and has a good stick. He’s a heady player who thinks the game well."
- Scott Wheeler - The Athletic
"His combination of size, skill, physicality and willingness to block shots are attractive attributes. The right-shot defenceman could develop into a top-pairing NHL blue liner in time."
- Jason Bukala - Sportsnet
Draft Projection
This season, it seems like with every passing mock draft, there is a completely different order outside of the top three. For Rudolph, it seems that the sweet spot for him to be drafted is in the range of 7-10. It wouldn't be overly shocking if the Predators lean towards taking Rudolph, especially considering how much forward depth they have in their system.
