It's been said time and time again that the Colorado Avalanche prospect pool is pretty thin. Many scouting outlets rank the pool among the league's lowest, and it makes sense. Many, if not all, of the Avalanche's top prospects or high-round picks have been traded to help the current team compete for a Stanley Cup, which has resulted in them drafting in the later rounds and hoping to find a gem in the rough.

At the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Avalanche made nine selections from rounds two to seven, the most since the 2007 Entry Draft. The sections are already showing some promise and have helped the team in some ways. Ilya Nabokov looks like the goalie of the future. Will Zellers was traded for Charlie Coyle, who was flipped for Gavin Brindley. Max Curran was a part of the massive trade for Nazem Kadri.

Though there was one prospect I wanted to keep an eye on, Christian Humphreys, out of the U.S. National U18 Team in the NTDP. What started as a rough initial step into the NCAA turned into a stepping stone into the OHL, and with a new look and growing confidence, his return to the NCAA and what he can truly bring to the Avalanche franchise.

First Steps Into The OHL

During his first season with the Kitchener Rangers, I had the opportunity to talk with him about his transition from the NCAA to the OHL, the mental toll it took on him, and any impacts it had on how he plays the game. It impacted him a ton, and it showed on the score sheet, with only one point in his first ten games. Add on less ice time; he knew that if he wanted to continue to grow as a player, he needed to do what was best for him, and that meant signing an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.

“Yeah, I mean obviously the deadline was a part of it…it’s hard whenever you’re a player, and you’re playing good hockey, and you’re not getting rewarded for it, it’s frustrating. And I think for me there’d be games where I’d play really well, and I’m still only getting eight minutes a night, and you’re kind of sitting there as a player, what more do I need to do? And obviously, a little bit in the season, I had talks with my family about it, and I was like, hey, maybe this isn’t the best option for me… , but I think just the opportunity when it presented itself, it was hard to say no.”

-

The transfer showed immediately, in his first 14 games with the team, he already had four goals and 12 assists for 16 points. He applauds the work ethic and ease of transition his teammates showed when he was introduced into the lineup and worked on integrating his skills and talents into their system.

“Yeah, I think for me the biggest part is they’re just letting me be who I am. Obviously, the second I got here, the guys were phenomenal. I mean I can’t really put into words how great they were and the second I stepped in the locker room, they’re so happy to have me and the culture here is, you can’t really describe it. I mean all the guys are so close, and we have such a special group this year and I think just playing wise, even talking to coaches, they’re just letting me play…I just stepped in here, and they’re like, obviously on the defensive side we’re going to teach you some pointers and stuff, and it’s great. And whenever I get in the offensive side, they’re just letting me be who I am, so I can’t really thank them enough.”

-

Humphreys finished the season with 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points, helping the Rangers finish second in the Midwest Division, second in the Western Conference, and into the playoffs. Despite a strong run against the Flint Firebirds and upsetting the Windsor Spitfires, they would be swept by the eventual OHL champions, the London Knights. He would finish with three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 13 playoff games.

Elevating His Game And Then Some

This past season for Humphreys and the Rangers was one to remember for both him and the team. Finishing with 27 goals and 58 assists (fifth most in the OHL) for 85 points (10th most in the OHL), he helped the Rangers not only finish first in the Midwest Division but first in the Western Conference, missing out first in the league by five points to the Brantford Bulldogs.

CHRISTIAN HUMPHREYS HATTY🎩🎩🎩

The #GoAvsGo prospect has his third goal of the night to record his first career #OHL hat-trick!@OHLRangerspic.twitter.com/Pj2g70GONW

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 7, 2026

He, along with Jack Pridham (Blackhawks), Cameron Reid (Predators), Sam O'Reilly (Lightning), and Luca Romano (Islanders), were a few NHL prospects to help lead this team into the playoffs, and they did not disappoint.

The Rangers went on a tear against anyone who came in infront of their path towards the finals, beating the Saginaw Spirit, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the Windsor Spitfires, all in five games, leading to their eventual championship matchup against the Barrie Colts, who just pulled off a massive upset against the Brantford Bulldogs in seven games.

That didn't stop the Rangers from continuing their warpath and eventually sweeping the Colts to secure the OHL Championship, their fifth in franchise history. Humphreys finished with nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points, including the game-winning goal to secure the OHL championship. He finished in points only behind Dylan Edwards (25) and playoff MVP O'Reilly, who had 28.

THE RANGERS RESPOND👏

Christian Humphreys tips it in to put the @OHLRangers back in front!#OHLChampionship | #KITvsBARpic.twitter.com/bSmozEE2OU

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) May 13, 2026

Humphreys and Kitchener will now represent the OHL in the Memorial Cup, which begins in Kelowna on May 22. 

Take Two In The NCAA

With the season over and a championship under his name, its time to return back where it all started, the NCAA. It was announced that he has commitment to join the University of Minnesota next season.

Minnesota Lands Commitment From OHL Playmaker and Avalanche Draft Pick.An Avalanche draft pick and OHL assist leader, commits to the University of Minnesota, igniting Gophers' future offensive power.

Now the Gophers had a pretty disappointing past season, finishing with a record of 11-21-3, their most losses in a season since the 1997-98 season. Though this could be good for Humphreys, he can help anchor a team that had a rough last season and be a driving force to help them bounce back into the playoffs.

He's joining a group that includes Mace'o Phillips (Flames 2025 3rd round draft pick), Tanner Henricks (Blue Jackets 2024 4th round pick), Tarin Smith (Ducks 2024 3rd round pick), and potentially many more talented prospects.

It's hard to tell what a prospect can really do for your organization. You want to see what they did in the minors carry over into the NHL and help your team win, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. It's "easier" for first- and second-round picks, but expecting a seventh-round pick to slot into an NHL lineup and help produce is a lot to ask.

Humphreys is only 20, so there is still quite some time to grow and develop his skills but this past season with the Rangers really turned some heads and showed what talent is really has. If he can continue that in the NCAA with Minnesota, I hope that can lead to him signing his ELC and continuing to grow as a player in the AHL and one day in the NHL.

Chris MacFarland Named 2025-26 General Manager Of The Year FinalistChris MacFarland has been named a finalist for the 2025-26 General Manager of the Year for the first time in his career

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2026 Top 100 Prospects - Feb. 27 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 8 - Brian Costello

IT’S ONLY THROUGH THE assistance of NHL head scouts, directors of player personnel and GMs that The Hockey News is able to provide readers a comprehensive list of the top 10 prospects within each organization and a ranking of the top 100 from that large collection of 320 prospects.

Team scouts offer us guidance on NHL-affiliated prospects who have the highest forecasted ceilings five to 10 years out. We then ask a panel of these scouts to rank the top 60 from a list of the 32 top 10s. The scouts’ rankings are added up to form the overall top 100, and, in some cases, a team’s top-10 list is adjusted based on the data from the top 100.

As you would expect, rebuilding teams often have far more than the average 3.13 prospects per team within the top 100, and current contenders typically only have one or two – or even none.

We start this project in mid-January after the World Junior Championship while NHL teams are in the midst of their winter scouting meetings. At that point, we draw a line in the sand about who’s a prospect and who’s an NHLer. In some cases, those scenarios change. That’s why names such as Sam Rinzel, Isaac Howard, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Gabe Perreault, Nick Lardis and Hunter Brzustewicz are listed as prospects, even though they’ve broken through as NHLers over the past month or two. Meanwhile, Michael Misa (San Jose) and Zayne Parekh (Calgary) haven’t played in the junior ranks all season (other than the WJC), but we decided early on that they should be listed as prospects since injuries kept them from establishing themselves as NHLers the first few months of the season.

Each player’s top-100 rank from last year is in parentheses, while unranked players are denoted as “NR.” Prospects drafted in 2025 are denoted as “NEW.”

1

C

CHICAGO

(NEW)

Djurgarden (SHL)

ANTON FRONDELL

2

C

SAN JOSE

(NEW)

San Jose (NHL)

MICHAEL MISA

3

C

BOSTON

(NEW)

Boston College (HE)

JAMES HAGENS

4

RW

PHILADELPHIA

(NEW)

Michigan State (Big Ten)

PORTER MARTONE

5

D

CALGARY

(6)

Calgary (NHL)

ZAYNE PAREKH

6

D

UTAH

(20)

Tucson (AHL)

DMITRI SIMASHEV

7

C

NASHVILLE

(NEW)

Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

BRADY MARTIN

8

C

UTAH

(10)

Kelowna (WHL)

TIJ IGINLA

9

C

MONTREAL

(42)

Michigan (Big Ten)

MICHAEL HAGE

10

C

ANAHEIM

(NEW)

Providence (HE)

ROGER MCQUEEN

11

C

UTAH

(NEW)

Moncton (QMJHL)

CALEB DESNOYERS

12

C

BUFFALO

(15)

Rochester (AHL)

KONSTA HELENIUS

13

C

DETROIT

(31)

Grand Rapids (AHL)

NATE DANIELSON

14

D

ST. LOUIS

(39)

Brantford (OHL)

ADAM JIRICEK

15

D

BUFFALO

(NEW)

Seattle (WHL)

RADIM MRTKA

16

C

WASHINGTON

(NR)

Hershey (AHL)

ILYA PROTAS

17

D

WASHINGTON

(62)

Boston University (HE)

COLE HUTSON

18

LW

SAN JOSE

(72)

San Jose (AHL)

IGOR CHERNYSHOV

19

D

OTTAWA

(11)

Belleville (AHL)

CARTER YAKEMCHUK

20

C

CALGARY

(NEW)

North Dakota (NCHC)

COLE RESCHNY

21

D

MONTREAL

(17)

Laval (AHL)

DAVID REINBACHER

22

C

SEATTLE

(NEW)

Brantford (OHL)

JAKE O’BRIEN

23

RW

MONTREAL

(NEW)

Ufa (KHL)

ALEXANDER ZHAROVSKY

24

C

COLUMBUS

(30)

Michigan State (Big Ten)

CAYDEN LINDSTROM

25

D

ANAHEIM

(84)

San Diego (AHL)

STIAN SOLBERG

26

D

PITTSBURGH

(71)

Kamloops (WHL)

HARRISON BRUNICKE

27

D

CHICAGO

(52)

Rockford (AHL)

SAM RINZEL

28

RW

NY RANGERS

(19)

Hartford (AHL)

GABE PERREAULT

29

RW

ST. LOUIS

(NEW)

Blainville-Bois. (QMJHL)

JUSTIN CARBONNEAU

30

LW

CAROLINA

(40)

Chicago (AHL)

BRADLY NADEAU

31

G

SAN JOSE

(NEW)

Prince George (WHL)

JOSHUA RAVENSBERGEN

32

C

VANCOUVER

(NEW)

Prince Albert (WHL)

BRAEDEN COOTES

33

RW

DETROIT

(48)

Grand Rapids (AHL)

MICHAEL BRANDSEGG-NYGARD

34

D

NY ISLANDERS

(NEW)

Barrie (OHL)

KASHAWN AITCHESON

35

D

COLUMBUS

(NEW)

Penn State (Big Ten)

JACKSON SMITH

36

RW

NY ISLANDERS

(NEW)

Djurgarden (SHL)

VICTOR EKLUND

37

G

DETROIT

(46)

Michigan State (Big Ten)

TREY AUGUSTINE

38

D

PHILADELPHIA

(34)

Lehigh Valley (AHL)

OLIVER BONK

39

RW

VANCOUVER

(22)

Abbotsford (AHL)

JONATHAN LEKKERIMAKI

40

LW

NY RANGERS

(47)

Windsor (OHL)

LIAM GREENTREE

41

LW

DETROIT

(NEW)

Everett (WHL)

CARTER BEAR

42

C

MINNESOTA

(NR)

Michigan State (Big Ten)

CHARLIE STRAMEL

43

D

NEW JERSEY

(24)

Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

ANTON SILAYEV

44

C

TAMPA BAY

(NHL)

Syracuse (AHL)

CONOR GEEKIE

45

C

(75)

Boston College (HE)

DEAN LETOURNEAU

46

C

NASHVILLE

(NR)

Yaroslavl (KHL)

EGOR SURIN

47

D

UTAH

(56)

Tucson (AHL)

MAVERIC LAMOUREUX

48

C

PHILADELPHIA

(NEW)

Windsor (OHL)

JACK NESBITT

49

C

PHILADELPHIA

(16)

Brantford (OHL)

JETT LUCHANKO

50

LW

WASHINGTON

(43)

Hershey (AHL)

IVAN MIROSHNICHENKO

51

DAVID JIRICEK

D, Iowa (AHL)

52

ROMAN KANTSEROV

RW, Magnitogorsk (KHL)

53

JANI NYMAN

RW, Coachella Valley (AHL)

54

SASCHA BOUMEDIENNE

D, Boston University (HE)

55

TREVOR CONNELLY

LW, Henderson (AHL)

56

MATVEI GRIDIN

RW, Calgary (AHL)

57

BRAYDEN YAGER

C, Manitoba (AHL)

58

COLE BEAUDOIN

C, Barrie (OHL)

59

TANNER MOLENDYK

D, Milwaukee (AHL)

60

OSCAR FISKER MOLGAARD

C, Coachella Valley (AHL)

61

SACHA BOISVERT

C, Boston University (HE)

62

OTTO STENBERG

C, Springfield (AHL)

63

WILL HORCOFF

LW, Michigan (Big Ten)

64

QUENTIN MUSTY

LW, San Jose (AHL)

65

CULLEN POTTER

C, Arizona State (NCHC)

66

SAM O’REILLY

C, Kitchener (OHL)

67

JACOB FOWLER

G, Laval (AHL)

68

MAREK VANACKER

LW, Brantford (OHL)

69

CAMERON REID

D, Kitchener (OHL)

70

RYKER LEE

RW, Michigan State (Big Ten)

71

JOAKIM KEMELL

RW, Milwaukee (AHL)

72

HUNTER BRZUSTEWICZ

D, Calgary (AHL)

73

EGOR ZAVRAGIN

G, St. Petersburg (KHL)

74

SEMYON FROLOV

G, Spartak Moscow Jr. (Rus.)

75

JACK BERGLUND

C, Farjestad (SHL)

76

MIKHAIL YEGOROV

G, Boston University (HE)

77

PYOTR ANDREYANOV

G, K.A. Moscow Jr. (KHL)

78

DMITRY GAMZIN

G, CSKA Moscow (KHL)

79

ADAM KLEBER

D, Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC)

80

KEVIN KORCHINSKI

D, Rockford (AHL)

81

ISAK ROSEN

RW, Rochester (AHL)

82

MIKHAIL GULYAYEV

D, Omsk (KHL)

83

VACLAV NESTRASIL

RW, UMass (HE)

84

LYNDEN LAKOVIC

LW, Moose Jaw (WHL)

85

BEN DANFORD

D, Brantford (OHL)

86

ISAAC HOWARD

LW, Bakersfield (AHL)

87

SEBASTIAN COSSA

G, Grand Rapids (AHL)

88

TRISTAN LUNEAU

D, San Diego (AHL)

89

EDDIE GENBORG

RW, Timra (SHL)

90

LENNI HAMEENAHO

RW, Utica (AHL)

91

DAVID EDSTROM

C, Milwaukee (AHL)

92

CHARLIE CERRATO

C, Penn State (Big Ten)

93

BRAD LAMBERT

C, Manitoba (AHL)

94

ERIC NILSON

C, Michigan State (Big Ten)

95

DANNY NELSON

C, Notre Dame (Big Ten)

96

BLAKE FIDDLER

D, Edmonton (WHL)

97

EMIL HEMMING

RW, Barrie (OHL)

98

HENRY BRZUSTEWICZ

D, London (OHL)

99

OWEN BECK

C, Laval (AHL)

100

HAMPTON SLUKYNSKY

G, Western Michigan (NCHC) 

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Toronto continued to usher in a new era on Wednesday, May 13, firing coach Craig Berube after two seasons.

It's nearly the completion of a changing of the guard for the Maple Leafs, with Keith Pelley remaining as president of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MPSE). Pelley, who is known to be close to Berube, left the decision to retain or move on from the coach to new GM John Chayka, who will now undergo a coaching search while awaiting the NHL entry draft and either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg on June 26.

REQUIRED READING: Maple Leafs fire coach Craig Berube after two seasons

Berube – who went 84-62-18 with the Leafs in his two seasons and missed the playoffs this year after a second-round exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers in this first season – becomes the latest coach to exit a beleaguered franchise. As Mitch Marner continues to find success with the Golden Knights and Auston Matthews' future in Toronto remains clouded, Toronto is looking for a spark. It hasn't made a conference finals since 2002 and, of course, hasn't hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup since 1967.

Toronto, however, found luck in this year's lottery when it drew the No. 1 overall pick, jumping four spots to do so. Now, with Chayka at the helm, who will be the coach to reap the benefits of that good fortune? Here are four candidates who could be next in line in Toronto, which promises to be one of the most intriguing coaching searches this offseason.

Toronto Maple Leafs coaching candidates

Bruce Cassidy (470-254-9-96 career record, one Stanley Cup)

The first option on this list seems like the most obvious pick in the world. Bruce Cassidy to the Maple Leafs to at least hit the ground running in the McKenna/Stenberg era makes a lot of sense. He won a Stanley Cup in his first season in Vegas, but was relieved of his duties in favor of John Tortorella this year (Cassidy interestingly played winger Marner at center this season, and Vegas is playing some of its best hockey under Tortorella).

Cassidy has an abrasive coaching style, and his middling playoff record may be a turnoff for a fanbase that is sick of not only early exits, but heartbreaking ones at that. But if the Leafs can land Cassidy, they'll have an established coach with a high floor. The biggest red tape might be the Golden Knights themselves. Vegas reportedly blocked Cassidy from interviewing with the Oilers. If it continues to do so, Toronto may have its hand forced in looking elsewhere.

Bruce Boudreau (617-342-128, no Stanley Cups)

This is a longshot and a stopgap solution, before anyone gets mad.

The Maple Leafs seem to desperately need a culture shift within the organization, and that's what Bruce Boudreau does. He won't win you a Cup, but he'll build a cohesive team with a strong locker room. The Leafs last season had no fight in them, and it has shown time and time again. The team is going into a rebuild it didn't ask for with the No. 1 overall pick, and whether it's McKenna or Stenberg, the rebuild has to start somewhere.

Boudreau is 71 years old and hasn't coached since 2023, so there are hurdles here as well. But for a franchise seeking an identity, the Toronto native could be a Band-Aid. If Chayka and the Toronto faithful are willing to wait.

David Carle (no NHL experience)

The Denver Pioneers' bench leader has become a bit of a white whale for NHL teams. A two-time NCAA national champion, Carle was heavily sought after by the Chicago Blackhawks last year but withdrew his name from consideration. Perhaps the prestige of Toronto could draw him in, but with an even more unstable front office, it's a hard sell.

To humor the possibility, however, Carle's relentlessly positive coaching attitude would be refreshing in a league that lacks creativity in its hires. He recently compared McKenna to the Lightning's Nikita Kucherov, incredibly high praise. Is it realistic? Probably not. Is it worth a phone call? Every single time.

John Gruden (no NHL experience)

No, not that Gruden.

The Maple Leafs promoted former blue-liner John Gruden to coach the Toronto Marlies in 2023, and the organization has seemingly been enamored with him and the job he's done. The former OHL champion won the J. Ross Robertson Cup in neighboring Hamilton, and is in the midst of the Calder Cup Playoffs with a semifinal series against the Cleveland Monsters.

Whether the Leafs think Gruden is ready to make the jump is up for debate, but he is undoubtedly part of their long-term plans. Like Carle, it would introduce someone fresh to the NHL coaching mix. As the Montreal Canadiens thrive with Martin St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning remain perennial contenders with Jon Cooper, that may be more enticing than going with the old guard options.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maple Leafs next coach? Bruce Cassidy, John Gruden among candidates

Now that the Philadelphia Flyers are out of the Stanley Cup playoffs and don't have any draft picks hinging on other teams' positioning in the standings, there is a lot less for Flyers fans to pay attention to until the offseason starts.

That is, unless you want to cheer on some old friends on their path to the Stanley Cup.

Around the NHL, many former Flyers, some recent and others not so recent, are representing the organization for new clubs.

We can safely assume that no Flyers fan really wants to see Cutter Gauthier succeed with the Anaheim Ducks, but center Ryan Poehling was a pleasant surprise as a depth forward during his two seasons in Philadelphia.

Those Ducks are down 3-2 in the series to the Vegas Golden Knights, who are led by ex-Flyers head coach John Tortorella and a surging Carter Hart.

Also out there in the West is former Flyers forward Bobby Brink, who traded to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for David Jiricek at the NHL trade deadline.

Flyers Captains Go To Bat For Matvei MichkovSean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Travis Sanheim all went out of their way to stand up for Philadelphia Flyers teammate Matvei Michkov after a difficult season for the youngster.

He, alongside Cal Petersen and Nicolas Aube-Kubel, are on the ride as depth pieces for the Wild; Brink hasn't played for Minnesota since the first round, recording one assist in four games.

They aren't looking so hot right now, trailing the Colorado Avalanche three games to one in that series.

Of course, closer to Philadelphia in the East, the Hurricanes have Nick Deslauriers, who was traded by the Flyers heading into the NHL trade deadline, former Flyers defenders Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker, South Jersey native Eric Robinson, as well as former Flyers great Rod Brind'Amour as head coach.

They await the winner of the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens matchup, which features goalie Alex Lyon, local product Mattias Samuelsson, and former Flyers defender Luke Schenn.

Flyers, Owen Tippett Share Gruesome Injury Update; Surgery Not Needed YetOwen Tippett reveals the devastating injuries he suffered playing for the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Those two are tied at 2-2, so it will be some time still before Deslauriers, Brind'Amour, and the band of ex-Flyers get back on the ice for a playoff game.

The caveat, obviously, is that the Hurricanes knocked the Flyers out. It is in the eye of the beholder that they deserve to either succeed or fail.

Is the enemy of the enemy Hurricanes your friend this year?

In the summer of 2024, in his first offseason as GM of the Senators, Steve Staios put a large stamp on his hockey club.

Staios pulled off a deal to solve goaltending, getting Linus Ullmark, the goalie who had won the Vezina Trophy the season before. He also added winning experience, signing three veteran forwards – Michael Amadio, Nick Cousins, and David Perron – who all brought Stanley Cup-winning pedigree into the room.

But one of his other goals that summer was to rebalance the blue line. With Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, and Jakob Chychrun, the Sens were top-heavy on the left side with a few too many offensive defensemen and not enough physical, defense-first defenders. 

So Staios traded Chychrun to Washington for Jensen and a third-round pick. Jensen wasn't overly physical, but he did play the shutdown role well, and for a good chunk of last season, he and Chabot were perfect for each other. He was the yin to Chabot's yang.

But Jensen's time in Ottawa has been unravelled by last May's hip resurfacing surgery, and in a contract year, his post-surgery performance didn't leave management with an overwhelming desire to re-sign him. It's quite likely that he'll be allowed to walk into free agency this summer.

Now, with Jordan Spence becoming a full-timer, and Carter Yakemchuk getting close, the blue line scale is more out of balance than ever. 

Sanderson-Zub
Chabot-Spence
Kleven-Yakemchuk/Matinpalo

To varying degrees, each player brings some good things to the table. But the group still clearly needs another shutdown D who, ideally, embraces the physical side of the game even more than Jensen did.

Enter Rasmus Ristolainen. Could he be that missing piece?

TSN insider Darren Dreger reported on his podcast two weeks ago that the Senators and Philadelphia Flyers were engaged in serious trade discussions involving Ristolainen ahead of the March trade deadline.

“I know that Steve Staios was fairly far down the road in negotiations in acquiring Ristolainen at the trade deadline,” Dreger said. “But you know, Philadelphia knew what they had. I don't think they believed or were convinced that they were going to be as good as they were late in the season.

“So that's a pretty clear indication of what Staios and Ottawa were trying to acquire, like a proven defenseman.”

Ristolainen is exactly the kind of big, physical defenseman, willing to play that heavy game that Staios likes, and suddenly, the Senators' D-pairings would start to make a lot more sense.

Sanderson-Ristolainen
Chabot-Zub
Kleven-Spence
Matinpalo

However, while Ristolainen would rebalance things, it's fair to wonder how much tread is left on those tires.

Like Jensen, the defender whose role he would effectively be taking over for, staying healthy is a concern. Once he became a regular in the league, the former first-rounder played seven years of mostly injury-free hockey for the Buffalo Sabres.

However, in the past three seasons in Philly, the 31-year-old has been injury-prone with seasonal totals of 31, 63 and 44 games played. Ristolainen's biggest issue was a pair of triceps tendon ruptures.

The good news is he feels like that's all behind him and looks forward to a full summer ot training.

"Yes, thank God," Ristolainen told the media this week in his year-end availability. "It's the first normal, somewhat normal, off-season in four years, so I'm kind of excited about that, not needing to worry about rehabbing."

Even if he's healthy, he won't come cheap. He's in the final year of his contract at $5.1 million per season, and will soon be looking for more in unrestricted free agency in 2027. 

And of course, the cost to the Senators goes beyond money. There's the little matter of compensation for the Flyers. He played heavy top four minutes this spring in the first playoff experience of his career, so the Flyers will want something meaningful in compensation.

GM Daniel Briere admitted that the "media circus" resulted in a lot of calls about Ristolainen, and while he listened respectfully to everyone, no one offered enough to make it worth his while.

"We weren't looking to dump him," Briere said at his deadline day availability. "Where do you find six-foot-four, physical, top-four right-shot defensemen? There's not a lot. And we saw it on the market. And yes, when that (media reports) came out, I did get a lot of calls. And we took them seriously.

"But at the end of the day, it just did not make sense, value-wise."

And keep in mind that was Briere's take on things on March 6th, when the Flyers were six points and four teams out of the final wild card spot. The GM of a team with that standing couldn't be faulted for thinking that his team isn't close and may need to think about shipping out veterans.

Now, after Ristolainen helped the club go on a furious run to make the playoffs and get to the second round, Briere is probably feeling differently about the player's availability.

That probably won't stop Staios from calling this summer. But with the Flyers now relevant again after missing the playoffs for five years in a row, the price tag probably hasn't come down, and will probably now include a demand for assets that can help the Flyers now.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:  

Our One-On-One With Senators Winger Drake BathersonSenators Defenseman Goes From 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs To Signing In SwitzerlandThree Senators Prospects Take Centre Stage In 2026 OHL FinalWhat’s The Plan For Senators UFA Lars Eller?Archive: The Year Erik Karlsson Became Ottawa's First Norris Trophy Winner At 22

TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs fired coach Craig Berube on Wednesday after he guided the team to a last-place finish in the Atlantic Division this season.

The move ended Berube’s two-year run with the Maple Leafs. He helped the club to a 108-point campaign in his first season as coach, but Toronto struggled mightily in 2025-26.

“Craig is a tremendous coach and an even better person,” general manager John Chayka said in a statement. “This decision is more reflective of an organizational shift and an opportunity for a fresh start than it is an evaluation of Craig.”

Chayka, who resigned as Coyotes GM right before the bubble playoffs in 2020 and was suspended in 2021 for pursuing opportunities with other clubs, was hired earlier this month.

He succeeded Brad Treliving, who was fired in March.

Toronto won the NHL draft lottery last week. The Maple Leafs are expected to pick either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg with the first overall pick on June 26 at the NHL draft in Buffalo.

Berube went 84-62-18 with Toronto, but the Maple Leafs were just 32-36-14 this season. The drop in points — from 108 to 78 — was the team’s largest year-over-year points decline.

The Maple Leafs headed into the season with high hopes despite the loss of star winger Mitch Marner.

Toronto added a trio of forwards — Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy — in hopes of replacing those minutes by committee on a team thought to be still poised for Stanley Cup contention.

The Maple Leafs, however, never really got out of second gear. Along with a string of key injuries and absences, the club largely looked out of sorts from puck drop.

Despite a roster still anchored by star forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander, the Maple Leafs’ power play was a huge issue.

Defensive deficiencies also caused glaring problems for a club that finished with the second-worst goals-against mark and was outshot a league-worst 66 times.

“They played with more passion than we did,” Berube told reporters in December after a 4-0 road loss to the Washington Capitals. “That’s what it boils down to. It looked to me like they had way more urgency in their game, more passion in their game. That’s the difference.”

Asked to explain how that could be the case, he replied: “Ask those guys, not me.”

The exchange was just one example of clear disconnect.

A three-time Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goal-scorer, Matthews found the back of the net just 27 times before suffering a season-ending knee injury on a hit from Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas in March.

Toronto’s players didn’t do much in the immediate aftermath, which led to stinging rebukes from Berube — a former NHL enforcer with the seventh-most penalty minutes in league history — media members and fans as the locker room culture was called into question.

Berube, 60, was hired in May 2024 after Treliving let Sheldon Keefe go following 4 1/2 seasons in charge.

Toronto won a playoff round for just the second time in the NHL’s salary-cap era during his first campaign. The Maple Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators before falling to Florida in a series accented by 6-1 losses on home ice in Games 5 and 7. The Panthers would go on to win their second straight Stanley Cup.

The Maple Leafs had embraced Berube’s straightforward, no-nonsense, north-south approach in 2024-25 after Keefe was unable to get the same talented group over its playoff hump but didn’t come close to duplicating that success a second time.

Berube’s coaching journey began with the Philadelphia Flyers organization after retiring as a player. He worked his way up the ladder, moving from the AHL to the NHL as an assistant in 2006-07.

He took over as Flyers head coach early in 2013-14 and lasted another season before getting fired.

Berube then led the St. Louis Blues’ AHL affiliate after a year on the sidelines. He became an NHL associate coach in 2017-18 and was promoted to the top job with St. Louis in November 2018.

Berube rallied the group, which at one point sat last in the overall standings, to make the playoffs before it went on a magical run that culminated with the franchise’s only Cup victory.

Berube lost in the first round each of the next three seasons and missed out entirely in 2022-23. The Blues fired him just 28 games into the subsequent campaign.

When Berube was hired by the Maple Leafs, Treliving said he had plenty of conversations with people who worked with, worked under and played alongside the former tough guy.

“They talked about how they would go through a wall for him,” Treliving said. “There was the connection he had with his players, the accountability he had with his players, and the bond he was able to build with staff.”

The PWHL is doubling down on expansion, adding more teams in 2026.

On Wednesday, the league unveiled plans to add teams in Las Vegas and Hamilton, Ontario. Both teams will take the ice beginning with the 2026-2027 season. The PWHL Las Vegas team is slated to play its home games at T-Mobile Arena. The PWHL's Hamilton franchise will play in TD Coliseum.

“Hamilton and its surrounding communities have long been central to the growth of girls’ and women’s hockey, producing generations of talented players and passionate fans,” Jayna Hefford, PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations, said in a release. “This is a region with deep hockey roots, and the response we saw during our Takeover Tour game at TD Coliseum made it clear that fans in the region are ready to rally around a team of their own."

WE’RE NOT DONE YET! 🎉​
​
The PWHL is expanding to Hamilton, ON and Las Vegas, NV!​
➡️ https://t.co/I3OHhhyQ3m​
➡️ https://t.co/xd5Kd36jnwpic.twitter.com/2Qav8ERDpe

— PWHL (@thepwhlofficial) May 13, 2026

“From the staggering growth of youth hockey participation to the passionate support for the Golden Knights and Aces, the Las Vegas community has enthusiastically embraced both hockey and women’s sports. While professional women’s hockey may be new to the market, we know Las Vegas is ready to welcome and champion a PWHL team of its own,” Amy Scheer, PWHL executive vice president of business operations, said.

The news of Las Vegas and Hamilton joining the PHWL comes on the heels of significant growth for the league. Detroit also recently landed a PWHL expansion franchise, bringing the league's current eight teams to 11 by the time next season arrives.

The PWHL is expected to reveal more details regarding expansion, including the roster-building process and how expansion teams will be integrated into the 2026 PWHL Draft in the coming weeks.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Las Vegas, Ontario land PWHL expansion teams as women's hockey booms

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the hunt for a new head coach yet again. The club fired Craig Berube on Wednesday after just two years at the helm.

With a new front office regime spearheaded by John Chayka and Mats Sundin, this was perhaps inevitable after the team missed the playoffs with a disappointing 32-36-14 record (second-worst in the East).

We'll look at the Maple Leafs next head coach odds and see who may be the best and most likely fit ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season with our NHL picks.

Next Toronto Maple Leafs head coach odds

Odds courtesy of Bet99 on Wednesday, May 13.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are an organization in flux. The Auston Matthews era has been rife with disappointment and drama. Mitch Marner was largely used as a scapegoat prior to his departure after last season (he's still playing in the postseason, by the way), and more changes were destined when things actually got much worse in 2025-26.

The Leafs finished with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, and rumors have swirled surrounding Matthews' future with the team.

With John Chayka taking over as general manager, one of his first acts was to fire head coach Craig Berube on Wednesday. While no odds are yet on the table for who will take over behind the bench, names are already being floated as speculative possibilities.

The Usual Suspects

Bruce Cassidy (+200)

The Vegas Golden Knights shocked the hockey world by dismissing Bruce Cassidy just before the playoffs, replacing him with the forever-angry taskmaster, John Tortorella.

It's become a common, and justified, criticism that the same 10 names are regurgitated whenever coaching positions become available. Berube himself was fired by the St. Louis Blues and hired by the Leafs in relative short order.

But Cassidy may be worth the retread. In his first three seasons coaching Vegas, he reached the playoffs each time, winning the Stanley Cup in 2022-23. He would have been in the postseason again this year, too, but here we are.

It's not surprising that Cassidy is at the top of the board. He's already interviewed for the Los Angeles Kings job, and would have been a candidate in Edmonton, but the Golden Knights reportedly denied permission for that interview to happen.

Patrick Roy (OTB)

Patrick Roy was canned by the New York Islanders in April. He's probably the most high-profile candidate available after Cassidy. 

Personally, I doubt this happens. The Hall-of-Fame goaltender has had a shaky tenure as an NHL head coach between stints with the Islanders and Colorado Avalanche. He's coached in the postseason twice, once with each team, and didn't escape the opening round either time.

With the first-overall draft pick coming to town and a possibly contentious relationship to mend with star forward Matthews to deal with, I expect someone with a more established pedigree to get the gig.

Bruce Boudreau (+300)

The 71-year-old Bruce Boudreau also feels unlikely, but he was born in Toronto, played junior hockey in the 70s with the Toronto Marlboros, and eventually played with the Maple Leafs as a pro.

He hasn't coached in the NHL since a brief stint with the Vancouver Canucks, but he had a long history of success as the coach of the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, and Minnesota Wild before that. 

Granted, that track record also featured a lot of first-round playoff exits, but that should make him fit in nicely in Toronto.

Peter Laviolette (OTB)

Peter Laviolette has an extensive resume at the NHL level, winning the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2006, and reaching the Stanley Cup Final with both the Philadelphia Flyers (2010) and Nashville Predators (2017).

Like a lot of these big names, though, his tenures seem to be getting shorter. He lasted just three years with the Washington Capitals from 2020-23, and only two seasons with the New York Rangers immediately thereafter.

Gerard Gallant (+600)

Gerard Gallant took the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in the team's inaugural season, and was unceremoniously fired during his third year with the club. He also got kicked to the curb after two playoff appearances as the New York Rangers' head coach in 2023. 

Gallant never seems to last long, so maybe this is a new (maple) leaf for him and Toronto.

Less established options

If Chayka & Co. miss out on Cassidy or simply want to buck the trend of recycled NHL bench bosses on their fourth or fifth run, there are some options worth exploring.

Manny Malhotra (+600) is knocking on the door, and it's only a matter of time before he's an NHL head coach. Currently leading the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks, he won the Calder Cup in his first season at the helm.

Malhotra was also an assistant coach for these Maple Leafs before returning to the Canucks organization.

I would also expect Todd Nelson to get a look. He served as the Edmonton Oilers' coach on an interim basis when he replaced Dallas Eakins in 2014-15, but has otherwise made a name for himself in minor hockey and as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he's been since last June.

He has the benefit of experience without being a regurgitated option at the top level. He is a fresh face but isn't wet behind the ears.

If the Leafs decide to promote from within, assistant coach Derek Lalonde may be an option. Yes, he's a former NHL head coach (Red Wings from 2022-25, but mostly cut his teeth coaching in the NCAA and minors before serving as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning two Cups).

If not Lalonde, Toronto Marlies head coach John Gruden (+500) is an internal option who may be more viable.

There are sure to be other names bandied about, but this looks like a solid crop of options, depending on which direction Chayka wants to go. My guess is they'll make a hard push for Cassidy because, well, why wouldn't they? Failing that, someone from the "less established" category might be wise, whether that's Malhotra, Nelson, or an internal hire of Lalonde or Gruden. 

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The inevitable almost seemed like a foregone conclusion once the Toronto Maple Leafs made the change to new management that Craig Berube's time with the organization was numbered.

The ax came down on Wednesday morning when the Leafs announced that Berube has been fired as coach.

Berube, who won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 201`9 and spent nine seasons in the Blues organization, was let go after the Leafs hired John Chayka as their new general manager and Mats Sundin as senior executive of hockey operations.

Berube, 60, spent two seasons as Leafs coach and according to multiple reports, still has two years remaining on his contract at $4.5 million per season.

After the Blues fired Berube 28 games into the 2023-24 season when the team was 13-14-1, he took the rest of the season off before being hired by then Toronto GM Brad Treliving. The Leafs would win the Atlantic Division title at 52-26-4 before losing to eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the second round of the playoffs.

The Leafs would miss the playoffs this past season at 32-36-14, a 30-point dropoff but won the NHL Draft lottery and have the No. 1 overall pick but Berube won't be around to see it.

“Craig is a tremendous coach and an even better person,” Chayka said in a statement released by the Maple Leafs. “This decision is more reflective of an organizational shift and an opportunity for a fresh start than it is an evaluation of Craig. We are grateful for his leadership, professionalism and commitment to the Maple Leafs organization and wish Craig and his family nothing but the best moving forward.”

Berube began his Blues career as the coach of the Chicago Wolves in 2016-17 after coaching the Philadelphia Flyers for two seasons (2013-15); he would join Mike Yeo's staff as associate coach in 2017-18 before replacing Yeo in November of 2018, ultimately leading the Blues from the basement of the league to the Cup on June 12, 2019 when the Blues defeated the Boston Bruins in seven games to win it all.

The Blues would reach the playoffs in each of the next three seasons before missing out at 37-38-7 in 2022-23, and ultimately leading to his firing 28 games into the 23-24 season.

Current Blues coach Jim Montgomery was Berube's assistant coach in St. Louis for two seasons (2020-22) before leaving the Blues to be hired as the coach of the Bruins for the 22-23 season. It's a crazy notion, but Montgomery and Berube are close friends, and if Berube wanted to continue to coach, would the Blues entertain bringing 'Chief' back under Montgomery's staff?

The Blues are looking for two, perhaps three, new assistant coaches and Montgomery will have a say in who the team brings in. Alexander Steen, who will take over as GM for Doug Armstrong on July 1, played for Berube for two seasons (2018-20), so just put the puzzle pieces together there. 

Berube would likely be looking for another head coaching position rather than an assistant's job, and with the reported $9 million left on his contract, he has options to sit out of he chooses to do so, but with his ties to St. Louis and an ever-lasting affection with Blues fans forever and a previous respect factor and successful job he did with the organization, it's something to consider and not a reach by any means.

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TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs fired coach Craig Berube on Wednesday after he guided the team to a last-place finish in the Atlantic Division this season.

The move ended Berube’s two-year run with the Maple Leafs. He helped the club to a 108-point campaign in his first season as coach, but Toronto struggled mightily in 2025-26.

“Craig is a tremendous coach and an even better person,” general manager John Chayka said in a statement. “This decision is more reflective of an organizational shift and an opportunity for a fresh start than it is an evaluation of Craig."

Chayka was hired earlier this month. He succeeded Brad Treliving, who was fired in March.

Toronto won the NHL draft lottery last week. The Maple Leafs are expected to pick either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg with the first overall pick on June 26 at the NHL draft in Buffalo.

Berube went 84-62-18 with Toronto, but the Maple Leafs were just 32-36-14 this season. The drop in points — from 108 to 78 — was the team’s largest year-over-year points decline.

The Maple Leafs headed into the season with high hopes despite the loss of star winger Mitch Marner.

Toronto added a trio of forwards — Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy — in hopes of replacing those minutes by committee on a team thought to be still poised for Stanley Cup contention.

The Maple Leafs, however, never really got out of second gear. Along with a string of key injuries and absences, the club largely looked out of sorts from puck drop.

Despite a roster still anchored by star forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander, the Maple Leafs’ power play was a huge issue.

Defensive deficiencies also caused glaring problems for a club that finished with the second-worst goals-against mark and was outshot a league-worst 66 times.

“They played with more passion than we did,” Berube told reporters in December after a 4-0 road loss to the Washington Capitals. “That’s what it boils down to. It looked to me like they had way more urgency in their game, more passion in their game. That’s the difference.”

Asked to explain how that could be the case, he replied: “Ask those guys, not me.”

The exchange was just one example of clear disconnect.

A three-time Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goal-scorer, Matthews found the back of the net just 27 times before suffering a season-ending knee injury on a hit from Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas in March.

Toronto’s players didn’t do much in the immediate aftermath, which led to stinging rebukes from Berube — a former NHL enforcer with the seventh-most penalty minutes in league history — media members and fans as the locker room culture was called into question.

Berube, 60, was hired in May 2024 after Treliving let Sheldon Keefe go following 4 1/2 seasons in charge.

Toronto won a playoff round for just the second time in the NHL’s salary-cap era during his first campaign. The Maple Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators before falling to Florida in a series accented by 6-1 losses on home ice in Games 5 and 7. The Panthers would go on to win their second straight Stanley Cup.

The Maple Leafs had embraced Berube’s straightforward, no-nonsense, north-south approach in 2024-25 after Keefe was unable to get the same talented group over its playoff hump but didn’t come close to duplicating that success a second time.

Berube’s coaching journey began with the Philadelphia Flyers organization after retiring as a player. He worked his way up the ladder, moving from the AHL to the NHL as an assistant in 2006-07.

He took over as Flyers head coach early in 2013-14 and lasted another season before getting fired.

Berube then led the St. Louis Blues’ AHL affiliate after a year on the sidelines. He became an NHL associate coach in 2017-18 and was promoted to the top job with St. Louis in November 2018.

Berube rallied the group, which at one point sat last in the overall standings, to make the playoffs before it went on a magical run that culminated with the franchise’s only Cup victory.

Berube lost in the first round each of the next three seasons and missed out entirely in 2022-23. The Blues fired him just 28 games into the subsequent campaign.

When Berube was hired by the Maple Leafs, Treliving said he had plenty of conversations with people who worked with, worked under and played alongside the former tough guy.

“They talked about how they would go through a wall for him,” Treliving said. “There was the connection he had with his players, the accountability he had with his players, and the bond he was able to build with staff.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The PWHL is officially expanding to Las Vegas and Hamilton, Ont., for the 2026-27 season, the league announced Wednesday.

The Las Vegas franchise, which The Athleticreported on Tuesday, will play its home games at T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. The rink has a capacity of 17,500 for hockey and boasts one of the best atmospheres in the NHL. Hamilton will play at TD Coliseum, which recently underwent a $300 million renovation.

Vegas and Hamilton follow Detroit as part of the PWHL’s second wave of expansion, which could include a fourth franchise. The three new teams will join the league’s eight current markets in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Boston, Minnesota, New York and Seattle.

The PWHL hosted a successful neutral-site game in Hamilton in January, with 16,012 fans at TD Coliseum — the third-largest “Takeover Tour” crowd of the season. There is a school of thought that a team in Hamilton could siphon support from the league’s Toronto franchise, which plays just 40 miles from TD Coliseum. However, according to the league’s press release, over 70 percent of Hamilton’s “Takeover Tour” ticket buyers purchased their first-time PWHL game ticket, “underscoring the league’s opportunity to reach a distinct audience,” even with two other teams located in Ontario.

There’s a chance Hamilton could draw some Toronto Sceptres fans from the Greater Toronto Area, but the city is also within commuting distance from southern Ontario cities such as St. Catharines, Kitchener, Waterloo and London.

“The response we saw during our Takeover Tour game at TD Coliseum made it clear that fans in the region are ready to rally around a team of their own,” said Jayna Hefford, the PWHL’s executive vice president of hockey operations.

Hamilton’s expansion effort was made in partnership with Oak View Group, which operates TD Coliseum, and the city of Hamilton. The league will continue to operate under its single-entity ownership model, where Mark Walter — the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers — and his wife, Kimbra, own the PWHL and all of its teams.

Expanding to Las Vegas is somewhat of a departure from the norm for the PWHL, which launched its first three expansion teams in markets that were part of the “Takeover Tour.” Still, according to Amy Scheer, the league’s executive vice president of business operations, “Las Vegas is ready to welcome and champion a PWHL team of its own.”

Las Vegas has rapidly become a hub for major professional sports. According to the PWHL’s press release, since the Golden Knights’ inaugural season in 2017, youth hockey participation in Nevada has surged, particularly among girls and women, by 600 percent.

“From the staggering growth of youth hockey participation to the passionate support for the Golden Knights and Aces,” said Scheer, “the Las Vegas community has enthusiastically embraced both hockey and women’s sports.”

The PWHL’s expansion to Vegas also widens the league’s footprint to the American Southwest. According to the release, the city’s accessibility, hospitality infrastructure and world-class facilities make Vegas a “strong long-term fit for the PWHL.” The Golden Knights and MGM Resorts International, which is a part owner of T-Mobile Arena, supported the league’s expansion efforts to Vegas.

“The arrival of the PWHL in Vegas is a milestone for women’s hockey and our entire community,” said John Penhollow, the Vegas Golden Knights president of business operations. “We’re proud of how far youth hockey has come locally, and even more excited about the path forward and opportunities ahead for future generations.”

As part of Wednesday’s announcement, the league revealed each team’s official colors and said team names and logos will be announced at a later date. Hamilton’s team colors will be gold, maroon and cream; Vegas will wear green and gold.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Toronto Sceptres, Minnesota Frost, Vancouver Goldeneyes, New York Sirens, Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge, Seattle Torrent, Boston Fleet, Sports Business, Women's Hockey, NHL, women's sports

2026 The Athletic Media Company

The Toronto Maple Leafs brought Craig Berube in as coach in 2024 because of his championship pedigree.

But he was fired after his second season in Toronto with the Maple Leafs missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

"Craig is a tremendous coach and an even better person," new GM John Chayka said in a statement. "This decision is more reflective of an organizational shift and an opportunity for a fresh start than it is an evaluation of Craig. We are grateful for his leadership, professionalism and commitment to the Maple Leafs organization and wish Craig and his family nothing but the best moving forward."

The May 13 move follows the March 30 firing of general manager Brad Treliving and gives whoever's hired a clean slate at coach.

Berube, who won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, got the Maple Leafs to the second round last season before losing to the Panthers in a Game 7 rout at home.

This season was always going to be tough because they lost free agent Mitch Marner in a sign and trade. But the Maple Leafs hovered around .500 before getting to eight games over in mid-January.

The Leafs had eight consecutive losses coming out of the Olympic break. After a 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators in which the Leafs were badly outshot on Feb. 28, Berube pointed to his heart and to his head and said of the players, "They've got to bring the heart and the competitiveness that's needed."

The Maple Leafs were sellers ahead of the March 6 trade deadline. Scott Laughton was moved to the Los Angeles Kings, and Bobby McMann went to the Seattle Kraken. Nicolas Roy was moved to the Colorado Avalanche a day earlier.

Captain Auston Matthews was limited to 60 games, including having his season end on a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim's Radko Gudas.

But the team's biggest problem was defensive play as the Maple Leafs gave up the second most goals in the league.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Craig Berube fired as Maple Leafs coach after not making playoffs

Yesterday started with Kyle Dubas praising Bill Zonnon as the 2025 first round draft pick was about to turn pro full time. To say Penguin management is impressed with Zonnon’s habits would be an understatement after the player showed he was going above and beyond to watch and learn the system before even joining the team.

Bill Zonnon's hard work is paying off. See Kyle Dubas' quote below ⬇️ https://t.co/99mq5GNVfXpic.twitter.com/RdlIrT6B7x

— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) May 13, 2026

Zonnon put that preparation to good use when he scored the go-ahead goal that stood as the game winner in Wilkes-Barre’s 2-0 Game 1 victory over Springfield.

FIRST PROFESSIONAL GOAL FOR BILL ZONNON🚨🗣️@WBSPenguins | @penguins | #WBSvsSPR

📺💻📲: https://t.co/xslzIvekI0pic.twitter.com/aVVNoHrQII

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) May 13, 2026

Needless to say the Atlantic Division Finals were not too big of a stage for the 19-year old to make his AHL debut. The Penguins took a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five series against Springfield.

Here was the Pens’ lineup for the night.

Billy Z sighting 👀

Our projected lines for the night ⬇️

Catch the action on AHLTV on FloHockey: https://t.co/CrNDVVHuPjpic.twitter.com/1Hp7ZX67lc

— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 12, 2026

Sergei Murashov only needed to stop 24 shots, the quantity not sounding like much but it doesn’t tell the whole tale of how good the goaltending was and needed to be. Murashov was deservedly named the number one star of the game and was the best player on the ice all night long, especially during a critical juncture in the second period when he had to be extremely sharp to keep the puck out of the net. What he lacked in total saves that needed to be made was more than made up for by the quality of stops required.

Harrison Brunicke wasn’t too far behind Murashov as far as top-performing players on the night. It has certainly been an unconventional and path-less-traveled type of season for Brunicke. Rocky at times even, in a year that spanned playing games across different leagues, levels and tournaments fromthe NHL. AHL, WHL to the WJC. Based on his play in the AHL playoffs, Brunicke has come out of the storm just fine. His defensive play looks much more confident and steady. His reads and stopping ability have increased, he uses his stick effectively. Overall he just looks like a stronger player whether it’s been boxing guys out in front of the net, tossing them aside from the goalies after whistles or using his body to shield pucks as he carries them. Maybe it was going back to junior and getting the chance to play huge minutes and grow. Maybe a light just went of and he would have been fine by now no matter what happened. No matter how the particulars, Brunicke looks like a different and better version of himself compared to the one who had an AHL conditioning stint early in the regular season.

Tanner Howe scored a third period insurance goal to boost the lead to 2-0.

Howie capitalizes on the breakaway!! pic.twitter.com/zn9JubXkVK

— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 13, 2026

In the end, Game 1 will be remembered as the Zonnon debut. Springfield’s goalie, Georgi Romanov has arguably been the early player of the playoffs so far in the AHL. Romanov’s 5-1 record and .954 save% in the first two rounds of the playoffs were a leading reason why the Thunderbirds pulled off upsets over Charlotte and Providence. Romanov had the Pens blanked too until Zonnon made it happen with his goal.

The Pittsburgh organization has to continue to be pleased with how this playoff run is going. Murashov has been stellar, Brunicke is showing out and seemingly growing by the game and now their latest player to join the fray in Zonnon has made an immediate impact to show why they were so excited to get him into their organization. Vibes are strong, all signs pointing in the right direction as Wilkes heads into Game 2 tomorrow night.

During the second intermission of the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabers' Game 4 matchup, it was shared that New York Islanders alumnus Josh Bailey will be enshrined in the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame this summer. 

The announcement came as ESPN announced broadcaster Steve Levy will be a part of this year's class. Sharing the announcement on the air, Bailey was named one of eight inductees in this year's class. 

Per ESPN, Josh Bailey will be inducted into the New York State Hockey Hall Of Fame this year.

Next up should be the New York Islanders Team Hall of Fame.

Excellent news, great to see the lifetime Islander get his respect! pic.twitter.com/2SOJVz8YEm

— Isles Den (@IslesDen) May 13, 2026

Bailey, a lifetime Islander, was drafted with the 9th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. The forward became a mainstay after his debut on Nov. 11, 2008, playing in 1,057 games with the franchise. He is one of only three players to reach the milestone with the team. 

He recorded 184 goals and 396 assists for 580 points in 15 seasons on Long Island. He sits in fourth and seventh in Islanders history in assists and points, respectively. 

However, the playoffs were where Bailey truly made his mark. In 71 games, he recorded 16 goals and 34 assists for 50 points, helping New York to a pair of third-round appearances in his career. He also added a pair of overtime winners, both against the Pittsburgh Penguins, including his iconic Game 1 goal in the team's first postseason game back at Nassau Coliseum in 2019. 

🎥 ISLES REWIND: 6️⃣ years ago, on April 10, 2019, Josh Bailey scored in OT vs. PIT and @brendanmburke emphatically declared that Game One went to the Island #Isles pic.twitter.com/FQjE8qujQo

— 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐱 (@IslesFix) April 10, 2025

His Islanders career came to a close on June 29, 2023, when he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks with a second-round pick for future considerations. His contract was brought out later that afternoon, and Bailey didn't play another NHL game despite signing a pro tryout with the Ottawa Senators the following preseason. 

Today, Bailey can be found in the broadcast booth, working alongside Alan Fuehring on Islanders broadcasts on the New York Islanders Radio Network. 

He will become the fifth Islanders player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Forward John Tonelli was enshrined in 2023, and legends Ken Morrow, Denis Potvin and Ed Westfall joined him one year later. Hall of Fame journalist Stan Fischler was also inducted in 2023. 

The 2026 Induction Ceremony will take place on July 12 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy. More information is available here.