It's time to battle for the greatest trophy in sports.

The Stanley Cup is on the line as the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights meet up in the 2026 Cup Final, which begins Tuesday, June 2 (8 p.m. ET, ABC) in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Both teams have largely ripped through the playoffs to this point. Carolina is 12-1 in postseason play, its only loss coming in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals, while Vegas is 12-4. After two six-game wins, the Golden Knights swept the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference finals.

While the conference finals matchups didn't amount to much, the Stanley Cup Final figures to be a different matter with these two teams playing their best. So, who will win?

USA TODAY Sports' NHL experts made their predictions for the Stanley Cup Final matchup between the Hurricanes and Golden Knights:

Stanley Cup Final predictions: Picks for Hurricanes vs. Golden Knights

Mike Brehm: Hurricanes in 6. Is any team going to be able to get a shot? The Golden Knights clog up the middle and the Hurricanes are on you as you try to get out of the zone. The Golden Knights have pure scorers, but the Hurricanes have the Taylor Hall-Logan Stankoven-Jackson Blake line and a better defense.

Kevin Skiver: Hurricanes in 6. I've picked against the Golden Knights every step of the way, so I'm giving them one last chance to make me look stupid. Carolina has looked like a juggernaut throughout this postseason, and the 'Canes haven't played down to anyone's level. John Tortorella has done amazing things with this Vegas bunch. But the Knights come up just short due to a timely resurgence of the Hurricanes' top line of Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Andrei Svechnikov after a lackluster start to the postseason

Jace Evans:Golden Knights in 6. The Hurricanes enter the Stanley Cup Final an incredible 12-1 in the postseason so perhaps it’s total folly to pick against them and they’re about to complete one of the greatest playoff runs we’ve ever seen. But, I’m doing it. The reason is my faith in the Knights’ top-end talent. They’ve been piling up points this postseason but also possess the defensive ability to stifle Carolina’s best offensive players. Wouldn’t be surprised if we see a few overtimes in this series. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stanley Cup Final predictions, picks for Hurricanes vs Golden Knights

For the first time since winning it all in 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes are once again back in the Stanley Cup Final after defeating the Montreal Canadiens in five games.

Outside of a bad first period in Game 1, the Hurricanes dominated the series in one of the most lopsided conference finals in recent memory.

Even though it wasn't a sweep and two games went to overtime, it just never felt like Montreal actually had a chance.

Carolina dominated offensive zone time, they were more physical, they were more desperate, they piled on the shots while giving the Canadiens virtually nothing.

As the series went on, every sequential game just felt more and more lopsided, culminating in a statement 6-1 Game 5 victory for the Hurricanes.

Much like Game 4, the Canes started the game hot and before the first 20 had expired, they already held a 3-0 lead.

Taylor Hall started the run, popping home a loose puck off of Logan Stankoven power move, and not too long after, he'd return the favor, setting up Stankoven in the right circle to double Carolina's lead.

Before the period was over, Eric Robinson would add another, his third of the series, after outracing Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson for a high-flip clear and going five-hole on Habs netminder Jakub Dobes.

The second period didn't get any easier for the Canadiens either as the Hurricanes would add another pair, with Jackson Blake putting home a rebound off of a Hall partial breakaway and then Shayne Gostisbehere depositing one from the backdoor on the power play.

Just to give you a glimpse of how over it was, before the game was even halfway finished — with Carolina leading 4-0 and nearly tripling Montreal in shots — Lenovo Center erupted into "Ole" chants, the Canadiens faithful's normal spirited tune.

The Hurricanes will now advance to face the Vegas Golden Knights, with both teams looking to win their second ever Stanley Cup.

Game 1 is set for Tuesday, June 2 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh.

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The 2026 Stanley Cup Final is set.

The Carolina Hurricanes will face the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL championship series, starting Tuesday, June 2 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Hurricanes, who finished with 113 points in the regular season, will host Game 1 and 2, plus 5 and 7, if necessary

The Golden Knights, who finished with 95 points, will host Games 3 and 4, plus 6, if necessary.

Both teams are 1-1 in the Final. Carolina lost in 2002 and won in 2006, in seven games against the Edmonton Oilers. Vegas lost in 2018 and won in 2023, in five games against the Florida Panthers.

Here is the schedule, dates, times and TV broadcast information for the 2026 Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights.

2026 Stanley Cup Final schedule: dates, times, TV information

All times p.m. ET

• Game 1: Tuesday, June 2, Vegas at Carolina, 8, ABC
• Game 2: Thursday, June 4, Vegas at Carolina, 8, ABC
• Game 3: Saturday, June 6, Carolina at Vegas, 8, ABC
• Game 4: Tuesday, June 9, Carolina at Vegas, 8, ABC
• x-Game 5: Thursday, June 11, Vegas at Carolina, 8, ABC
• x-Game 6: Sunday, June 14, Carolina at Vegas, 8, ABC
• x-Game 7: Wednesday, June 17, Vegas at Carolina, 8, ABC

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricanes vs Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final schedule, TV info

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Hurricanes advance to face Vegas in the Stanley Cup Final, beating Montreal 6-1 in Game 5.

With their team up 4-0 and seemingly on the cusp of the Stanley Cup Final, Carolina Hurricanes fans took a playful shot at the struggling visitors.

Fans at Raleigh's Lenovo Center broke out into a boisterous "Olé" chant during the second period — the same chant that is frequently heard during Montreal Canadiens games at the Bell Centre.

Hurricanes fans doing Ole chants with their team up 4-0 in Game 5 🫣 pic.twitter.com/dAgOP4Ien4

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 30, 2026

Carolina fans have plenty to celebrate. Up 3-1 in the series, the Hurricanes appear poised to book their first Stanley Cup Final ticket since they won it all in 2006.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricanes fans mock Canadiens with Olé chant during Game 5 blowout

Hurricanes roll past Canadiens 6-1 in Eastern Conference Final, earn trip to Stanley Cup Final originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Carolina Hurricanes have finally broken through their Eastern Conference Final roadblock. Now comes the chance to play for the Stanley Cup for the first time in two decades.

Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Eric Robinson scored in a dominating first period that helped push the Hurricanes past the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 on Friday night, closing a five-game series that sent the Eastern Conference’s top seed on to face Vegas for the Cup.

Jackson Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere added second-period goals that pushed the Hurricanes to a 5-0 lead entering the final period, while Seth Jarvis scoring into an empty net with 3:41 left. Frederik Andersen carried a shutout until midway through the third in net.

Carolina swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs, then regrouped from a Game 1 loss to the Canadiens after an extended between-rounds break to win four straight. That included a run of 10 straight goals going back to Andrei Svechnikov’s overtime winner in Game 3 before Montreal finally got on the board with Cole Caufield’s power-play score at 10:50 of the third.

That made the Hurricanes the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Final with only one loss since 1983, according to SportRadar, and the only team to do so since the league went to best-of-seven series in all four postseason rounds in 1987.

It was a long-awaited moment for the franchise, which is on an eight-year run of postseason appearances under Rod Brind’Amour. The Hurricanes have been a perennial contender in the East, yet they entered this series having gone 1-12 in the Eastern Conference Final under Brind’Amour — falling in sweeps to Boston in 2019 and Florida in 2023 before losing in five games to the Panthers in last year’s rematch.

But they were tested, and wounded, from those past postseason failures. Throw in their depth and talent, and the Hurricanes were finally ready to punch through for their third shot at the Cup since the former Hartford Whalers relocated to North Carolina before the 1997-98 season.

The last time the Hurricanes reached this point? Brind’Amour was the captain on a team that hoisted the Cup in a seven-game series against Edmonton in 2006.

After regrouping from a 6-2 loss in Game 1, the Hurricanes took control of the series from the young and skilled Canadiens — who had arrived at this round ahead of schedule after Game 7 road wins against Tampa Bay and Buffalo through the first two rounds. They won consecutive 3-2 overtime wins, then took Game 4 in a 4-0 road romp Wednesday.

Beyond the score, Carolina was getting to its smothering game in pressuring the Canadiens in their own end or shutting off most high-danger chances they could muster going the other way.

By midway through the second period, festive and rowdy Hurricanes fans were offering mocking “Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé!” chants with Carolina up 4-0. By the final two minutes, they were chanting “We want the Cup! We want the Cup!” as the Hurricanes closed this one out.

Hurricanes roll past Canadiens 6-1 in Eastern Conference Final, earn trip to Stanley Cup Final originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Carolina Hurricanes have finally broken through their Eastern Conference Final roadblock. Now comes the chance to play for the Stanley Cup for the first time in two decades.

Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Eric Robinson scored in a dominating first period that helped push the Hurricanes past the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 on Friday night, closing a five-game series that sent the Eastern Conference’s top seed on to face Vegas for the Cup.

Jackson Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere added second-period goals that pushed the Hurricanes to a 5-0 lead entering the final period, while Seth Jarvis scoring into an empty net with 3:41 left. Frederik Andersen carried a shutout until midway through the third in net.

Carolina swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs, then regrouped from a Game 1 loss to the Canadiens after an extended between-rounds break to win four straight. That included a run of 10 straight goals going back to Andrei Svechnikov’s overtime winner in Game 3 before Montreal finally got on the board with Cole Caufield’s power-play score at 10:50 of the third.

That made the Hurricanes the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Final with only one loss since 1983, according to SportRadar, and the only team to do so since the league went to best-of-seven series in all four postseason rounds in 1987.

It was a long-awaited moment for the franchise, which is on an eight-year run of postseason appearances under Rod Brind’Amour. The Hurricanes have been a perennial contender in the East, yet they entered this series having gone 1-12 in the Eastern Conference Final under Brind’Amour — falling in sweeps to Boston in 2019 and Florida in 2023 before losing in five games to the Panthers in last year’s rematch.

But they were tested, and wounded, from those past postseason failures. Throw in their depth and talent, and the Hurricanes were finally ready to punch through for their third shot at the Cup since the former Hartford Whalers relocated to North Carolina before the 1997-98 season.

The last time the Hurricanes reached this point? Brind’Amour was the captain on a team that hoisted the Cup in a seven-game series against Edmonton in 2006.

After regrouping from a 6-2 loss in Game 1, the Hurricanes took control of the series from the young and skilled Canadiens — who had arrived at this round ahead of schedule after Game 7 road wins against Tampa Bay and Buffalo through the first two rounds. They won consecutive 3-2 overtime wins, then took Game 4 in a 4-0 road romp Wednesday.

Beyond the score, Carolina was getting to its smothering game in pressuring the Canadiens in their own end or shutting off most high-danger chances they could muster going the other way.

By midway through the second period, festive and rowdy Hurricanes fans were offering mocking “Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé!” chants with Carolina up 4-0. By the final two minutes, they were chanting “We want the Cup! We want the Cup!” as the Hurricanes closed this one out.

The Carolina Hurricanes paid tribute to a legend of the opposing team before their Friday, May 29, NHL playoff game against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Hurricanes mentioned the "lasting legacy" of four-time Stanley Cup winner Claude Lemieux, who died on Thursday at age 60.

Lemieux won his first Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1986, scoring 10 goals, including four game-winners, as a rookie. He had taken part in the Canadiens' torch-bearing ceremony before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Lemieux would go on to win three other Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils (twice) and Colorado Avalanche. He was playoff MVP in 1995 with the Devils.

The Hurricanes honour the life of Claude Lemieux ❤️ pic.twitter.com/sgMof2m8VN

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 30, 2026

Lemieux's son, Brendan, had played for the Hurricanes. Lemieux was also the agent for Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen.

The Hurricanes lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006 with a victory in Game 5. The Vegas Golden Knights, who won the Western Conference finals, await the winner.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricanes honor Claude Lemieux before NHL playoff game vs Canadiens

Former New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller has stood out for the Carolina Hurricanes throughout their playoff run thus far, as the team is one game away from a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. 

After five seasons playing in New York, the Rangers sent Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes last summer in a sign-and-trade deal that included a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 NHL Draft, and Scott Morrow.

The Hurricanes went ahead and signed Miller to an eight-year, $60 million contract, which was deemed a risky move at the time, given his inconsistencies and flaws that had held him back with the Blueshirts.

However, Miller has flipped the script, transforming into one of the Hurricanes’ most valuable blueliners on a team filled with top-notch defensemen. 

In 12 playoff games, Miller leads all defensemen on the team with eight points, while his 24:05 minutes per game are the most amongst all Carolina players. 

The 26-year-old defenseman's evolution has caught the attention of many across the hockey world, including The Great One, Wayne Gretzky. 

“Defensively, K'Andre Miller is playing as well as I've ever seen a defenseman play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs,” Gretzky said. “He is just solid offensively, but defensively, nobody can get around him. He's like a brick wall, and when he's not out there, Slavin is.”

While the Philadelphia Flyers may need to make an upgrade on defense this summer and find a power play quarterback while doing it, there are certain traps they must avoid to ensure a clean operation.

One of those traps happens to be a former No. 2 overall pick who is a pending restricted free agent seeking a big payday on his next contract.

In recent weeks and months, it has been reported multiple times that top New Jersey Devils prospect Simon Nemec is looking for a deal comparable to that of Luke Hughes, who inked a seven-year, $63 million contract that comes with a $9 million annual cap hit. 

The problem, though, is that Hughes had recorded 40 or more points in each of his first two NHL seasons, and might have done it again this year had he not missed 14 games due to injuries.

Nemec, 22, shows flashes at times, but just played his first full-ish NHL season and scored 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games - a slight improvement on a 19-point campaign in 2023-24.

On paper, the Flyers adding Nemec makes some sense, since they need a power play shot-caller and some young talent.

It would have made more sense, though, if they hadn't already traded Bobby Brink for David Jiricek at the NHL trade deadline two months ago and then follow that up with having Oliver Bonk make his playoff debut against the Carolina Hurricanes to end the season.

Between Jamie Drysdale, Bonk, Jiricek, Spencer Gill, Carter Amico, and Rasmus Ristolainen, for as long as he remains in Philadelphia, the Flyers have no reason to make such a risky play for an RFA, be it through trade or through offer sheet.

The Flyers have taken their fair share of licks over the last two seasons over Matvei Michkov's playing time and usage, and Nemec has been a similar story in Newark with the Devils.

Couple that with constant rumors of trade requests, a gaudy contract demand, and a level of play that doesn't currently warrant that contract, and the Flyers could easily get themselves in trouble.

Nemec does a lot of things well, to be clear. He has a good feel for the ice and where his teammates are, improved significantly at using his legs to kill plays on the rush, and is quietly a wizard at exiting his own zone and entering the opposing end with his skating.

He does, however, struggle to play with urgency, win pucks, and break pucks out cleanly from his own end.

After a successful season that ended with a two-round playoff run, do the Flyers have the patience to take on another project in addition to Drysdale, who is now finally coming into his own after three years, and Jiricek?

This is a move that would have made plenty of sense before the Flyers pried Jiricek out of Minnesota, but it now carries too much risk and baggage that could very well outweigh even the median outcome of Nemec's development.

The Ottawa Senators can scratch one name off their Belleville Senators’ coaching candidate list.

On Friday morning, the New York Islanders announced that Jay McKee had agreed to a contract to become the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Hammers. McKee spent the last nine seasons coaching in the Ontario Hockey League with the Kitchener Rangers and the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs.

McKee’s powerhouse Brantford Bulldogs squad were upset in the OHL semifinals after taking a commanding 3-1 series lead against the Barrie Colts. With several of the organization’s best players expected to graduate, and having spent so much draft capital on talent pursuing a Memorial Cup opportunity, the organization appears poised to endure a downturn in its development cycle.

Recognizing that, it made sense for McKee to explore and pursue other opportunities.

Given his connections and ties to Michael Andlauer and Steve Staios, the prevailing belief was that it was only a matter of time before McKee would join the Ottawa Senators’ organization in some kind of coaching capacity.

Having fired David Bell midseason as the head coach in Belleville and replacing him with Andrew Campbell, who has held the interim head coach tag, there appeared to be a potential vacancy in the organization for McKee to slide into.

McKee, of course, was the head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs in Staios’ last year as the organization’s general manager and president. Together, the duo presided over the 2021-22 OHL championship team, while Michael Andlauer continued to own the Bulldogs until he sold the franchise in January of last year.

That combination of familiarity and success made McKee feel like a natural candidate for the job in Belleville, but that obviously will not happen now.

Organizations insist on strong communication and relationships between the parent team and their affiliate, but would the presence of McKee, who has strong ties to the Senators’ general manager and owner, have been viewed as an existential threat to head coach Travis Green’s job?

There is absolutely no question that McKee would have been perceived as an eventual successor, but few coaches in the NHL have more job security than Green after the Senators’ 2025-26 season.

His team climbed a mountain to defy the odds and overcome the worst statistical goaltending in the league during the first half of the season. Thanks to what was one of the best five-on-five teams in the league analytically, and the play of a resurgent Linus Ullmark, the Senators clinched a second consecutive postseason berth.

Green deserves all the credit for the structure and system the Senators played to keep the team competitive during their goaltenders’ struggles, key injuries to the blue line, and several distractions throughout the season.

Although a loyalty to Nolan Baumgartner may have impacted Green’s reluctance to take away the penalty kill duties from him, that decision was ultimately made and paid dividends down the stretch.

It was a season that merited Jack Adams Trophy consideration.

With a recently hired Pete DeBoer in New York, there is no clear path for McKee to get an NHL head-coaching opportunity there, but he can continue to hone his craft and develop as a viable candidate for the future.

It feels fair to assume the Senators likely reached out to McKee to gauge interest in the Belleville position, but now they will have to pivot to an alternative. I reached out to the Senators organization for comments on the interim tag status of Andrew Campbell and their search for a prospective head coach, but at the time this article was posted, the organization had not responded.

By Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News 

Report: Red Wings Expected To Move On From Three Former SenatorsAs Detroit battles what's now the NHL’s longest active playoff drought, it may be the end of the line for three former Senators veterans.

Does the NHL have a new villain?

This week on The Hockey Show, one of the main topics of discussion was that very question.

Between the controversial signing of Carter Hart and not permitting former coach Bruce Cassidy to talk with other teams, they’re not exactly making PR-friendly moves.

Not that it’s mattered in terms of wins, as the Golden Knights are on their way to the Stanley Cup Final following their shocking four-game sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.

Who they’ll face has yet to be determined, but as of Friday afternoon it looked like the Carolina Hurricanes were on their way to eliminating the Montreal Canadiens.

Three straight dominant defensive victories will do that.

Joining THS co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork this week to discuss all that and more was Sara Civian of The Civ Report and the Too Many Men podcast.

Also this week, THS producer Rose Arias sat the boys down to go over episodes four and five of Off Campus, the new hockey romance show on Amazon Prime.

The latest wins and fails of the week included a haymaker-filled tilt at the Memorial Cup, a spear to the cup that wasn’t called correctly, Montreal’s fans turning against them and a Miami Heat player being spotted at a Golden Knights game in Vegas.

You can check out the full show and interview in the videos below:

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Hurricanes roll past Canadiens 6-1 in Eastern Conference Final, earn trip to Stanley Cup Final originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Carolina Hurricanes have finally broken through their Eastern Conference Final roadblock. Now comes the chance to play for the Stanley Cup for the first time in two decades.

Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Eric Robinson scored in a dominating first period that helped push the Hurricanes past the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 on Friday night, closing a five-game series that sent the Eastern Conference’s top seed on to face Vegas for the Cup.

Jackson Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere added second-period goals that pushed the Hurricanes to a 5-0 lead entering the final period, while Seth Jarvis scoring into an empty net with 3:41 left. Frederik Andersen carried a shutout until midway through the third in net.

Carolina swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs, then regrouped from a Game 1 loss to the Canadiens after an extended between-rounds break to win four straight. That included a run of 10 straight goals going back to Andrei Svechnikov’s overtime winner in Game 3 before Montreal finally got on the board with Cole Caufield’s power-play score at 10:50 of the third.

That made the Hurricanes the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Final with only one loss since 1983, according to SportRadar, and the only team to do so since the league went to best-of-seven series in all four postseason rounds in 1987.

It was a long-awaited moment for the franchise, which is on an eight-year run of postseason appearances under Rod Brind’Amour. The Hurricanes have been a perennial contender in the East, yet they entered this series having gone 1-12 in the Eastern Conference Final under Brind’Amour — falling in sweeps to Boston in 2019 and Florida in 2023 before losing in five games to the Panthers in last year’s rematch.

But they were tested, and wounded, from those past postseason failures. Throw in their depth and talent, and the Hurricanes were finally ready to punch through for their third shot at the Cup since the former Hartford Whalers relocated to North Carolina before the 1997-98 season.

The last time the Hurricanes reached this point? Brind’Amour was the captain on a team that hoisted the Cup in a seven-game series against Edmonton in 2006.

After regrouping from a 6-2 loss in Game 1, the Hurricanes took control of the series from the young and skilled Canadiens — who had arrived at this round ahead of schedule after Game 7 road wins against Tampa Bay and Buffalo through the first two rounds. They won consecutive 3-2 overtime wins, then took Game 4 in a 4-0 road romp Wednesday.

Beyond the score, Carolina was getting to its smothering game in pressuring the Canadiens in their own end or shutting off most high-danger chances they could muster going the other way.

By midway through the second period, festive and rowdy Hurricanes fans were offering mocking “Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé!” chants with Carolina up 4-0. By the final two minutes, they were chanting “We want the Cup! We want the Cup!” as the Hurricanes closed this one out.

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson looked at five NHL players who have the potential to be bought out this off-season. Among the players who Richardson discussed was Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves. 

"The Penguins have $37.9 million in salary-cap space for next season. Buying out Graves would only save them $1.2 million annually for the next two seasons, dropping to $944,444 in the third year. However, they could do it if they cannot find a club willing to take him off their hands," Richardson wrote.

When noting that Graves has had trouble finding his fit since joining the Penguins, it would not be particularly surprising if the Metropolitan Division club bought him out this off-season. This is especially so when noting that the 6-foot-5 defenseman even spent time in the AHL this season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

If the Penguins do not view Graves as a bounce-back candidate heading into the off-season, they could end up buying out the 2013 fourth-round pick. Trading him would be very difficult, as he has a $4.5 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season. That is an expensive cap hit and a good amount of term for a player who struggled to stay in the NHL this season.

Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see what happens with Graves this off-season. With the Penguins having plenty of cap space, the possibility of them giving him another chance next season should not be ruled out. However, it would also be understandable if they moved on from the veteran blueliner.

In 22 games this season with Pittsburgh, Graves scored one goal and had a minus-3 rating. In 15 AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he posted three goals and 10 points. 

There is likely not another defenseman in this draft as NHL-ready as Alberts Smits is, and it’s why he would be such a perfect fit for the Florida Panthers.  

While the Panthers’ defense core has few to no weaknesses, they can afford to add another young, two-way defender. It’s unlikely that Smits would feature in the Panthers’ lineup during the 2026-27 season, but he could play in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers, and nothing is impossible.

Their current defense core heading into next season features Gustav Forsling (29), Aaron Ekblad (30), Seth Jones (31), Niko Mikkola (30), Dmitry Kulikov (35), and Uvis Balinskis (29). They desperately need youth, and Smits can provide that.

But outside of being near NHL-ready, Smits has a high ceiling. Standing 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Smits sports a frame that is ready for the NHL, and he has no fear in using it. Smits is strong when protecting the front of the net, uses it to avoid forecheckers, and separates players from the puck around the boards.

Smits also has the skating and speed to make his large frame effective. Smits routinely uses his skating to avoid forecheckers and start transition offense. Whether that’s by carrying the puck up by himself, or moving it to teammates before continuing up the ice, if there were a thing to nitpick on, it would be his decision-making once he enters the offensive zone. 

A bit too often, Smits defers to playing the puck into the corner and making a safe play, rather than trying to create offense. When his team is cycling the puck, the Latvian defender can jump into the play and is often the main puck possessor. 

Who Can The Florida Panthers Target At Pick No. 9 In The 2026 NHL Draft?The Florida Panthers may not have moved up during the NHL draft lottery; in fact, they fell a spot, but there are plenty of intriguing players to choose from at ninth overall.

Finally, Smits has had no issues quarterbacking a power play unit. He’s done so at the World Juniors Championships, did a bit at the Olympics, and has recently done so at the World Championships. At the world juniors, Smits posted one goal and five points in four games; at the Olympics, he posted two assists in four games; and at the World Championships, he posted four assists in eight games. 

Smits has also shown plenty of versatility. He started the season in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league, where he scored six goals and totaled 13 points for Jukurit. He was then loaned to EHC München in the DEL, where he scored two goals and six points in 11 playoff games. 

Smits would be a perfect fit for the Panthers, but there remains a high likelihood that he will be selected before then. Scouts and draft analysts are pretty split on how to rank the defensemen in this draft class, as some have Smits in the top five and others outside the top 10. 

One thing is certain: Smits would fit the Panthers' play style and culture to a tee. 

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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.