This time last year, the hockey world was wondering who would be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and most were surprised to learn that Shea Weber was getting in on his first year of eligibility. I didn’t think the former Montreal Canadiens was a shoo-in to get in so quickly, mainly because he had never won a Stanley Cup and had never won any of the major individual awards. However, he did receive the Mark Messier NHL Leadership award in 2015-16 (the season immediately preceding his trade to the Habs). However, it’s not the NHL Hall of Fame and international play counts, so his two Olympic gold medals, gold and silver World Championships medals, and World Cup gold did count.

This year, another Hab is eligible for the Hall for the first time: Carey Price. Being officially retired is not a criterion for entry; a player only needs to have not played professional hockey for three years to be eligible. The former face of the franchise last manned the Canadiens’ net on April 29, 2022, in a 10-2 rout of the Florida Panthers’ “C-team”, since the Cats rested most of their regulars.

Canadiens: Hughes Is Considering Every Possibility
It’s Been 22 Years Since The Canadiens Made A Series Of Big Mistakes In One Draft
Should The Canadiens Take A Run At Tavares?

As a result, he’s eligible to get the call for the first time this year, like Zdeno Chara, Ryan Getzlaf, and Duncan Keith, to name a few. Like Weber, Price never won hockey’s ultimate prize. He fell short in a Stanley Cup Final loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 playoffs. Still, he had been simply spectacular in the first three rounds, finishing the postseason with a 13-9-0 record, a 2.28 goals-against average, and a .924 save percentage.

In fact, from the 2013-14 season, Price was clutch in the playoffs, posting brilliant numbers and achieving save percentages of .919, .920, .933, .936, and .924, along with goals against averages of 2.36, 2.23, 1.86, 1.78, and 2.28. If the Canadiens never won the Cup with him in net, it was no fault of his own; it was down to Montreal’s anemic offense. Price and the Tricolore might have reached the Cup Final in 2013-14 as well had it not been for the infamous Chris Kreider incident. The goaltender was dominant that year, but when Kreider crashed into him in Game 1 of the Conference Final against the New York Rangers, the Canadiens’ dream of a 25th Stanley Cup came crashing down as well.

From an individual standpoint, Price won every trophy he was up for in 2014-15 netting the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender, the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player for his team, the William M. Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed, and the Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player as voted by the members of the NHLPA. In 2021-2022, he was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for his dedication to the game and his perseverance. Price overcame substance abuse with the help of the Player Assistance Program and fought through numerous injuries in his career.

While those were his only individual awards in the league, he was voted as the toughest goaltender to play against in the NHL by the players year after year. He was recognized as one of the most intimidating netminders to play the game. When the NHL held its playoffs following the shortened COVID-19 season and included a preliminary round, no one wanted to be pitted against Price because he could win the series almost on his own, which he did with the Canadiens, eliminating the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 3-1 series win.

On the International scene, he won the World Cup, the 2014 Sochi Olympics gold medal, and the 2007 World Junior Championships, going 6-0 with a 1.14 GAA and a .961 SV. In that tournament, he was incredible in a 14-shooter shootout battle with the USA in the semi-final.

In the 15 years that his NHL career lasted, Price led the Canadiens to the playoffs 10 times, a fantastic feat considering the Habs were too often a middle-of-the-pack outfit. He also became the winningest goaltender in the history of the Sainte-Flanelle, posting 361 wins. He’s fifth in team history for GAA with a .917 save percentage and eighth in GAA with a 2.51. While these are not the top marks, he got them while playing 712 games. By comparison, SV leader Ken Dryden finished his career with a .922 SV, but that was across 397 games. Price’s body of work is impressive because he was so good for so long in perhaps the most high-pressure job in the league.

If Weber was granted entry to the Hall of Fame right away, Price should be as well. I will be shocked if he doesn’t get the call on June 24, even though there are plenty of other worthy candidates. I wouldn’t be surprised either if nemesis Chara was also inducted right away, just like former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith, who won three Stanley Cups and two Olympic gold medals.

Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

The 2025 NHL Draft is mere days away, and the Anaheim Ducks hold nine total picks in the seven rounds of the draft, including the tenth overall selection after dropping two spots at the NHL Draft Lottery, where they had the eighth-best odds of winning.

The number ten pick will be their seventh straight top ten pick and hopefully their last, as they intend to push for a playoff spot in the 2025-26 season.

The 2025 draft class is a fascinating one for the Ducks (and every team), as there isn’t an obvious franchise-changing forward or two (or three, or four) at the top like there was in 2023, and there isn’t a plethora of highly-touted defensemen projected to go inside the top ten like there was in 2024.

Opinion: Following Playoffs, Pat Verbeek Vindicated for High Asking Price in John Gibson Trade Talks

Ducks Announce 2025-26 Preseason Schedule

Ducks Prospect Traff Signs One-Year Contract in Sweden's Second-Tier Professional League

The Ducks have one of the deepest and most complete prospect/young roster player pools in the NHL, so any top ten talent would be a luxury addition.

On a nightly basis, the Ducks ice young core pieces like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras, Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Lukas Dostal.

In the pipeline and hoping to break through and join the aforementioned group in the next year or two are pieces like Beckett Sennecke, Stian Solberg, and Tristan Luneau.

Looking ahead to the 2025 Draft, where there are a lot of excellent and translatable players that will likely be available for the Ducks at ten, which among them represent the best fits for the Ducks’ future core?

Defenseman Matthew Schaefer appears to have pulled ahead as the projected first overall pick to be selected by the New York Islanders on Friday afternoon in Los Angeles. Immediately following Shaefer is a sizable list of talented forwards that includes Michael Misa, James Hagens, Porter Martone, Caleb Desnoyers, and Anton Frondell. Should any of those players be available to the Ducks at number ten, they’d likely be the easy, slam-dunk, home run pick.

Two players who are a little less certain, but will likely fall somewhere in the middle of the top ten, are centers Brady Martin and Jake O’Brien. Again, they aren’t expected to be available at ten, but if they are, they’d be excellent fits with high upside for the Ducks: Martin being a potential emotional and physical driver of an entire team, and O’Brien being a crafty and cerebral play-creator.

If those eight players are selected within the top nine, as can be expected, that will leave a handful of talented players with varying skillsets for the Ducks to potentially choose between.

Roger McQueen

Were it not for a back injury, specifically a fracture in the L4/L5 vertebrae, there’s a high likelihood McQueen would have been selected well within the top five of this draft, based on talent and prior production alone.

As it stands, however, McQueen was only able to suit up for a total of 17 regular season games for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, where he scored 20 points (10-10=20). He was able to briefly return to action in the WHL playoffs, notching one goal in three games before he suffered a muscle strain reportedly caused by overcompensation from his recovering back.

He is said to be 100%, but his situation is eerily similar to that of 2024 fourth overall selection Cayden Lindstrom, who suffered a disc injury early in his draft season and missed the entirety of his first post-draft season.

On the ice, McQueen is a truly unique blend of size and skill who even compares his game to that of Ducks legend Ryan Getzlaf. He’s not quite as physically engaged as Getzlaf was throughout his career, but the puck skills and usage of space on the ice are similar.

What McQueen brings that Getzlaf only flashed in his career is a willingness to unleash his above-average shot. McQueen is as good at finding open ice off-puck as he is at finding teammates for looks when on-puck. He can create off the cycle and the rush with equal potency and has a willingness to provide a 200-foot impact.

McQueen is one of the highest-risk/highest-reward draft-eligible prospects in recent memory, but if he hits, a potential 1-2-3 punch down the middle in Anaheim featuring Carlsson, McTavish, and McQueen is as physically and skillfully imposing as any center trio could hope to be and McQueen could fit seamlessly between wingers of any skillset.

Radim Mrtka

Of the six recent top ten picks in the Ducks organization (Zegras, McTavish, Gauthier, Mintyukov, Carlsson, Sennecke), there sits only one defenseman.

Among young defensemen in the organization, LaCombe had a breakout season in 2024-25, Zellweger is a former CHL defenseman of the year, Solberg continues to impress at every level in which he plays, and Luneau made the 2024-25 AHL All-Rookie team, but a reasonable question could be raised about the ceilings of the individuals in that stable of blueliners. Is there a true elite number-one defenseman among them?

It’s highly unlikely Mrtka is that truly elite number-one defenseman, but his skillset would round out any future defensive core in the NHL.

At a towering 6-foot-5.75 and 218 pounds, Mrtka has rare elite shutdown capabilities given his stride, four-way mobility, and angling intellect. He’s excellent on retrievals, quickly finding optimal outlets to ignite clean exits, and he patrols the offensive blueline with deftness and poise.

Drawbacks to his game are few, but a lack of physical assertion and questionable compete levels may be cause for him to drop outside the top ten of this draft.

After a tough 21-game start to his 2024-25 campaign in his native Czechia, Mrtka made the transition to North America to play in the WHL for the Seattle Thunderbirds. The fit was impactful and immediate, as he finished the season with 35 points (3-32=35) in 43 games while logging an astounding amount of minutes in all situations. He added three assists in six playoff games and notched four points (1-3=4) in five games at the U18 World Championship, playing for Czechia.

If some of the intangible aspects of his game can be ironed out, Mrtka has top pair potential. If the Ducks were to select him with the tenth overall pick, he could one day be a perfect complementary piece to one of the supreme offensive talents like LaCombe, Mintyukov, or Zellweger on the left side of the Anaheim blueline.

Victor Eklund

There seems to be an ever-increasing belief that Eklund won’t hear his name called in the first ten picks on Friday evening, despite his talent perhaps dictating his deservedness. When it comes to the top of the draft, general managers and front offices are more risk-averse and tend to select players with desirable size and who play premium positions.

Of his five first-round selections in his first three drafts as general manager of the Ducks, the slightest player Pat Verbeek has selected has been Pavel Mintyukov, who measured in at 6-foot-1.5 and 194 pounds at his draft combine.

Aside from his 5-foot-11, 169-pound frame, Eklund has every tool necessary to be a high-end producer at the NHL level. His skating is explosive, shifty, and slippery. He’s a puck hound, he gets pucks to the dangerous areas of the ice seemingly at will, and he possesses a high hockey IQ. He simply impacts play over all 200 feet of ice surface on every shift and is dangerous whether the puck is on his stick or not, and if it’s not, it soon will be.

In 2024-25, Eklund scored 31 points (19-12=31) in 42 games for Djurgardens IF of HockeyAllsvenskan. He represented Sweden at the World Junior Championships, where he notched six points (2-4=6) in seven games en route to a loss in the bronze medal game. Djurgardens won the league and were promoted to the SHL for the 2025-26 season. Eklund scored seven points (2-5=7) in 16 qualification games.

Should the Ducks consider drafting him with the tenth pick, Eklund’s brand of pace, skill, and tenacity would pair well with any combination of linemates the Ducks currently have on the roster or in the organization. He can make high-speed reads off of dynamic transition players like Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, or he can dominate a cycle game alongside Mason McTavish.

Looking back on the 2020 and 2021 drafts, players with similar profiles to Eklund were Lucas Raymond and Victor’s brother, William Eklund. They both weighed in at 5-foot-10 or 5-foot-11 and roughly 170 pounds. Raymond was selected with he fourth overall pick in 2020, and William Eklund was selected with the seventh in ’21. Both were able to add necessary strength to compete at the NHL level, and both would have strong cases to be selected in the top two in a redraft of their respective draft classes.

If Victor Eklund is selected outside the top nine of the 2025 NHL Draft, he will likely have fallen farther than he should have. There’s little doubt his selection will be seen as a remarkable value pick, wherever that may be.

Ducks Sign Nikita Nesterenko to Two-Year Contract

Ducks’ Dostal Talks 2024-25 Season

Ducks Prospect Alexandre Blais Commits to University of Connecticut 

Top Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Finnish defenseman Topi Niemelä, 23, has signed a one-year contract with the Malmö Redhawks, the SHL club announced on Monday.

“Topi is a skilled defenseman who likes to contribute on offense,” said Redhawks GM Oscar Alsenfelt. “He’s really good on the power play, has a sharp first pass and good mobility on the ice. He is already at a high level in many parts of his game, but also has the potential for even more.”

At six feet and 181 lbs, Niemelä spent the past two seasons in the AHL playing in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, but his age, Alsenfelt’s words and the fact that he signed just a one-year contract seem to indicate that the Finnish defenseman views signing in Sweden as a strategic step back in his ultimate goal of reaching the NHL, rather than a permanent return to Europe.

“We have been looking for a defenseman with Topi’s profile and skill set, and he wants to come here because he sees a strong development environment with us,” said Alsenfelt. “He wants to get better and break into the NHL – and we will help him with that.”

Niemelä is the second Finnish defenseman in the Leafs’ organization to head back to Europe this off-season after Roni Hirvonen signed with Finnish club Kärpät Oulu a week ago. 

Leafs Prospect Returns Home To Finland Finnish defenseman Roni Hirvonen, 23, has signed a one-year contract with Kärpät Oulu, the Liiga club announced on Monday.

Coincidentally, Niemelä comes from Oulu in northern Finland and played for that city’s famous Kärpät club from his childhood through his early days as a pro until he was 21. Niemelä was chosen in the third round, 64th overall, by Toronto in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

Niemelä has 64 points and 48 penalty minutes in 177 career Liiga games and 70 points and 65 penalty minutes in 147 career AHL games.

If Niemelä returns to North America, it remains to be seen whether it will be in the Toronto organization or elsewhere. For now, the Leafs retain his NHL rights.

Niemelä joins a Malmö team that finished 10th in the SHL regular season last year and lost in the quarterfinals. The roster so far includes ex-NHLers Janne Kuokkanen, Robin Salo, Fredrik, Händemark and goaltender Marek Langhamer. It also includes prospects Eemil Viro (Detroit Red Wings) and Lauri Pajuniemi (New York Rangers).

Photo © David Kirouac-Imagn Images: Topi Niemelä playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2023 pre-season. 

Ex-NHL D-Man Moves From Czechia To Sweden Czech defenseman Michal Kempný, 34, has signed a one-year contract with Brynäs IF, the Gävle-based SHL club announced on Friday.

According to an interview conducted by HockeySverige, the most reputable hockey news site in Sweden, New York Islanders goaltending prospect Marcus Gidlöf shared that he will be attending the team's development camp. 

"They haven't had a development camp in previous years, but now they're going to have one, and then I'll go over there," Gidlof told HockeySverige (Swedish to English translation). 

Here's the original article:

Gidlöfs besked - inför NHL-campenLeksands Marcus Gidlöf berättar om sina planer inför sommaren, och säsongen då SHL-klubben ser ut att inleda med tre målvakter.

Development camp will begin Monday, June 30 and will consist of three on-ice days before their Blue & White Scrimmage on July 2. 

Gidlof, a 6'6, 223-pound goaltender, was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft and had a very strong 2024-25 campaign. After a strong season with Leksands IF -- he posted a 1.73 GAA with a .924 SV% for the junior team before posting a 2.33 GAA with a .908 SV% for the main team -- he was loaned to Djurgardens IF for their playoff run.

He posted a 0.53 GAA with a .980 SV% in two playoff games, helping Djurgardens win the championship and get back to the SHL after being relegated in 2022. 

Gidlof also represented his country at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. 

Serving as Sweden's backup,  Gidlöf appeared in two WJC games, owning a 1.38 GAA with a .938 SV%. 

The 19-year-old will not be joining the Islanders organization yet, as he has committed to returning to Leksands IF for the 2025-26 season. 

With Jakub Skarek leaving the Islanders organization to go play in Liiga, the Islanders' goaltending prospect pool is a little thinner than it was a year ago.

At the NHL level, the Islanders have Ilya Sorokin and, if healthy, Semyon Varlamov. Then, it's Marcus Hogberg, Tristan Lennox, and Henrik Tikkanen.

Where Gidlof fits into the depth charts is yet to be determined. However, he has looked like a really talented prospect, possessing great size and athleticism. 

Islanders Development Camp Primer: Bring In The College KidsFor the first time since 2019, the

Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

PHOTO: David Reginek-Imagn Images

Why Mason Lohrei's new contract with Bruins is a win for both sides originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins entered the 2025 NHL offseason with a bunch of restricted free agents, and one of them just signed a new contract.

The B’s announced Monday they have signed defenseman Mason Lohrei to a two-year contract that carries a $3.2 million salary cap hit.

This is a reasonable number for both the player and team.

Lohrei gets a nice raise from his entry-level contract ($925,000 cap hit) and a chance to prove himself over the next two years. If he becomes the top-four defenseman and offensive-driving player many people expect, he’ll have a chance to really cash in not too long from now. And in two years, the league’s salary cap should be significantly higher.

The Bruins also did well to sign a key young player at a low salary cap hit for two seasons. They now have more time before having to decide whether to commit to Lohrei long term.

Lohrei is one of Boston’s best draft-and-develop stories in recent years. They selected him in the second round (pick No. 58) in the 2020 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in 2023-24, and his first full campaign was 2024-25. Lohrei tallied 33 points (five goals, 28 assists) in 77 games this past season, along with 19:31 of ice time per game.

Lohrei’s offensive instincts, playmaking ability, shot and hockey IQ are all impressive. He needs to improve defensively, but there’s a lot to like about his skill set.

Now that Lohrei is signed, the Bruins can turn their focus to some other RFAs, including forwards Morgan Geekie, John Beecher, Jakub Lauko and Marat Khusnutdinov, among others.

Pierre LeBrun recently revealed that the Toronto Maple Leafs and the John Tavares family had contract extension talks, and that the parties are far apart. According to reports, the pending UFA received an offer for a three-year contract with a $4 million average annual value (AAV). The soon-to-be 35-year-old center just played the last year of the seven-year contract with an $11 million cap hit he signed as a free agent back in 2018, when his presence on the free agent market had caused quite a stir.

Back then, Tavares had refused to meet with the Montreal Canadiens to hear their offer, but things might just be different this time around. When the Leafs were eliminated, Tavares was very clear about his desire to come back to Toronto, but this new development might have soured his enthusiasm.

Canadiens: Hughes Is Considering Every Possibility
Pronman Ignored Canadiens’ Demidov?
Former Member Of Canadiens’ Organization Wins Third Stanley Cup

On Sunday, we discussed the fact that the Canadiens were one of the interested teams in signing free agent Jonathan Toews. Still, they ultimately lost that battle, as the former Chicago Blackhawks captain opted for the Winnipeg Jets instead. If talks break down between Tavares and Toronto, he could be an interesting option to explore for the Canadiens.

He’s two years younger than Toews and just came off a 74-point season. Just like Toews, he was also a captain, although he was stripped of the captaincy in Toronto to give it to Auston Matthews. That was in no way an indictment of his leadership skills, but rather a way to place the team squarely in the franchise’s cornerstone’s hands. Of course, he doesn't have the same winning track record as Toews does however. 

The question is, however, what kind of cap hit would Tavares be after, and would he be willing to play for the Leafs’ oldest rivals, the Canadiens? We’ve seen Josh George block a trade from the Canadiens to the Leafs because he was too used to hating the Ontario outfit.

Like Toews would have been, Tavares would be nothing more than a temporary fix to the Canadiens’ center woes, but he would be an excellent placeholder until Michael Hage has had the time to develop and turn pro. In his last four seasons, the Mississauga, Ontario native posted 76, 80, 65, and 74 points, and it’s not hard to imagine him clicking with Ivan Demidov in Montreal.

One can also wonder if the veteran might decide to head south of the border after the salary dispute he had with the Canadian Tax Authorities. However, the case has recently been adjourned. When that happens, such cases often remain dormant. Still, it could have soured Tavares on the already higher taxes in Canada.

Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

With the 2025 NHL Draft now less than a week away, the Philadelphia Flyers are continuing their due diligence down at the Gold Star Hockey Development Camp in Florida, which runs until June 26.

As reported by Hockey News Hub, the Flyers, led by GM Danny Briere himself, are watching the camp, which is being held at the Florida Panthers' practice facility in Fort Lauderdale, keeping a close eye on some of the top attending Russian prospects.

Some names at the camp include top goalie prospect Semyon Frolov, defenseman Maxim Agafonov, and winger Alex Zharovsky.

Frolov is beginning to gain some steam as a potential first-round selection, rivaling top North American goalie Joshua Ravensbergen in that regard.

Confirmed in attendance:#LetsGoFlyers GM Daniel Brière, #TimeToHunt Roberto Luongo, #ALLCAPS scout Maxim Mayorov.

Each team has at least one representative at this event. https://t.co/FA5OIcxJ2F

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) June 20, 2025

Both Frolov and Zharovsky, an uber-skilled inverted right winger with a prototypical 6-foot-1 frame, were on my list of Russian prospects who could complement star Flyers sophomore Matvei Michkov (and potentially Maxim Shabanov, too).

All 32 NHL teams are said to be taking in Gold Star's camp ahead of the draft, though other notable names in league with Briere include the Panthers' Roberto Luongo and Washington Capitals scout Maxim Mayorov.

This camp, led by former NHLer Sergei Samsonov (a former teammate of Brad Shaw's), will put the potential Flyers draft picks through some drills and skills training in front of the attending teams in addition to some gym work at BARWIS Sports Performance Academy.

Of note: agent Dan Milstein, the leader of the Gold Star Hockey operation, represents Flyers prospects Nikita Grebenkin and Aleksei Kolosov, as well as former Flyers forward Andrei Kuzmenko.

Sharks to host free 2025 NHL Draft viewing party at SAP Center on June 27 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s almost that time, Sharks fans.

With San Jose set to make nine selections in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft, Team Teal enthusiasts will have a chance to watch the Sharks make their two first-round picks, at Nos. 2 and 30, at SAP Center on Friday, June 27.

The team is hosting its third annual NHL draft viewing party at its home arena, providing Sharks fans and the community with a place to celebrate and watch the big night, free of charge. Event tickets are complimentary, and those who attend will be able to watch the draft’s first round on the SAP Center center-hung video board.

Here was the scene at last year’s draft viewing party after the Sharks selected Macklin Celebrini with the No. 1 overall pick.

The event will be hosted by Sharks in-arena personalities Emily Harlan and Danny Miller. Fans also will be able to take part in a meet and greet with NBC Sports California’s Alan Hoshida, host of Sharks Pre and Postgame Live, with a photo op at the news desk for the show. Other festivities at the draft viewing party include:

• Games and family activities including face painting, a create-your-own-jersey rally towel station and a surf experience on the SAP Center Arena floor.
• A Fan Cheer booth on the concourse with San Jose Barracuda in-arena host Aaron Fonseca.
• Food and drink at concession stands located throughout the SAP Center concourse for a fee.
• Fan photo opportunities with the Sharks Zambonis and the Shark Head.
• Music from DJ Mario E.
• Sharks mascot S. J. Sharkie and Frenzy from the San Jose Barracuda.
• Members of the Coca Cola Tank Patrol, the Sharks in-game entertainment and promotions team.
• Tabling activations will be hosted by the Sharks Foundation, San Jose Barracuda, Sharks Ice at San Jose, Coca-Cola, Mike Counsil Plumbing and TechCU.

Sharks alumni players, including Scott Hannan, Dan Boyle, and Tom Pederson, are expected at the event, and the Sharks Audio Network will stream audio live from SAP Center starting at 3:30 p.m. PT throughout SAP Center for fans to enjoy.

Doors for the viewing party will open at 3 p.m. PT for Sharks365 members and 3:15 p.m. for the general public. Fans who would like to attend the draft viewing party must claim their free tickets by clicking HERE. Close to 10,000 tickets already have been issued, per the Sharks, with a limited number of tickets remaining. Last year, more than 8,000 fans attended the Sharks draft viewing party.

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

Bruins trade targets: Four top-six forwards B's should consider pursuing originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins will not be a true contender again until they fix their offense.

There were a lot of reasons for Boston’s lackluster 2024-25 season in which it failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The goaltending was subpar. The penalty kill was uncharacteristically bad. The team struggled defensively.

But a lack of scoring, especially on the power play, is what really doomed the Bruins. They were one of the worst offensive teams in the sport. The only reliable scorers were David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie.

If you watched the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Stanley Cup Final in particular, you know that without enough high-end offensive talent, it’s extremely difficult to win a championship.

The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers combined to score 45 goals in the Cup Final (7.5 per game). The Panthers averaged 4.1 goals per game in the playoffs overall — the second-highest average for a Cup champion in the last 15 years. Scoring is up, and the Bruins need to keep pace.

So, how do the Bruins add much-needed goal scorers to their roster before next season? Free agency is one option, but the 2025 class isn’t super deep. Only one player who’s able to become an unrestricted free agent this summer — 34-year-old John Tavares — scored more than 27 goals this past season.

The trade market is perhaps the best place for the Bruins to make immediate upgrades.

After taking a sledgehammer to his roster at the trade deadline in March, B’s general manager Don Sweeney now has a lot of assets to use to make deals. Those assets include five first-round picks and four second-round picks over the next three drafts, as well as some talented prospects.

Which players should the B’s target via trade? Let’s look at four players worth considering.

Jason Robertson, RW, Dallas Stars

2024-25 stats: 35 G, 45 A in 82 games

Contract: Signed through 2025-26, $7.5 million salary cap hit

The Stars are in a tough salary cap situation. They just traded a very good forward in Mason Marchment to the Kraken for third- and fourth-round picks. If the Stars choose to free up more cap space, would Robertson be available?

“The Stars aren’t actively shopping him but are listening on him to educate themselves on the market and what teams might be willing to do at some point,” The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported Saturday.

It also doesn’t sound like the Stars are in a rush to do something.

“The market interest is already pretty robust for Robertson, as it should be,” LeBrun added. “Either way, though, I don’t see a quick resolution in the coming week or two. This is a slow-play situation where he’s either extended by the end of the summer or traded in August.”

Robertson would be a perfect addition to the Bruins lineup. He is a tremendous goal scorer and would take a lot of pressure off Pastrnak. Robertson scored 35 goals last season, and he has averaged 37.8 goals over the last four years. He scored 41 goals in 2021-22 and 46 in 2022-23. He also is quite durable, having not missed a game since 2022.

Robertson is entering the final year of his contract, and a long-term deal would be expensive. But 25-year-old forwards who consistently score 30-plus goals are tough to develop and acquire.

Martin Necas, RW, Colorado Avalanche

2024-25 stats: 27 G, 56 A in 79 games

Contract: Signed through 2025-26, $6.5 million salary cap hit

Necas took his offensive production to a new level in 2024-25, setting career highs with 56 assists and 83 points in 79 games between the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche. He also scored 27 goals — one short of his career-high set in 2022-23.

Necas has averaged 26.3 goals over the last three seasons, and he’s a very good playmaker on the wing. He’s also one of the fastest players in the league, and the Bruins definitely need to play with more pace next season.

His zone entries are elite as well, and that’s an area that new Bruins head coach Marco Sturm mentioned in his introductory press conference where Boston must improve.

Necas is also just 26 years old, so he would fit the age timeline of the Bruins’ core players. He also is from Czechia and has played quite a bit with Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha during international tournaments, including a gold medal triumph at the IIHF World Championship in 2024.

Necas is able to become a UFA next summer. If the Avalanche aren’t able to reach an extension with Necas, would they move him at some point? The Bruins should at least give Colorado a call.

Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks

2024-25 stats: 15 G, 30 A in 64 GP

Contract: Signed through 2031-32, $11.6 million salary cap hit

The strongest argument against trading for Pettersson is his contract. He is signed for the next seven seasons with a $11.6 million cap hit. That’s a huge salary and one that wouldn’t be super easy for the Bruins to absorb.

On the flip side, No. 1 centers are very tough to find, and Pettersson is supremely talented.

The 2024-25 season was a tough one for the Canucks and many of their players. A reported feud between Pettersson and J.T. Miller resulted in the latter being dealt to the New York Rangers during the season. The situation seemed to affect Pettersson, who saw his production drop from 89 points (34 goals, 55 assists) in 82 games in 2023-24 to just 45 points (15 goals, 30 assists) in 64 games last season.

However, Pettersson is in the prime of his career at 26 years old. He has three seasons of 80-plus points, including a career-high 102 during the 2022-23 campaign. He’s great on the power play and has elite playmaking talent.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to at least contact Vancouver and see what the price might be.

Marco Rossi, C, Minnesota Wild

2024-25 stats: 24 G, 36 A in 82 GP

Contract: RFA on July 1

Rossi just had the best season of his career, setting personal bets in goals, assists, points, power-play points and time on ice. The No. 9 overall pick from the 2020 draft can become a restricted free agent in July. He did benefit from playing alongside star wing Kirill Kaprizov for much of the 2024-25 season, but he clearly has impressive offensive talent.

So far, the Wild and Rossi haven’t been able to agree on an extension. The Athletic’s Michael Russo recently reported that Rossi “had been looking for a long-term deal in the Matt Boldy range ($7 million) — an area the Wild have so far shown no appetite to go near.”

The Vancouver Canucks have offered the Wild the No. 15 pick in next week’s NHL Draft, plus a player, in exchange for Rossi, per Patrick Johnston of The Province. Should the Bruins match that offer?

It’s definitely worth considering. Rossi is a 23-year-old center who has scored 21-plus goals each of the last two seasons and should have his best years still ahead of him. And the Bruins very much need centers with top-six talent.

With K’Andre Miller on the trade block, what is the level of degree of interest in the young defenseman?

According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, there have been 12-15 teams in the mix on Miller in recent weeks. 

Miller is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1 and is in need of a new contract extension. 

At the NHL Draft Combine, Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects shared a similar sentiment.

“One player whose name keeps popping up at the Combine is K'Andre Miller,” Robinson wrote via X. “I'm told the Rangers have let teams know he's available, but clubs are weighing that option versus the Offer Sheet route. Appears to be significant interest in the 25-year-old.”

According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, it seems inevitable that Miller will be moved this offseason.

The 25-year-old still appears to have value due to his potential despite coming off a season in which he regressed in his overall level of play.

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Flyers received an important update regarding top KHL free agent Maxim Shabanov and his journey to the NHL.

Shabanov, 24, has officially chosen Quartexx Hockey as his North American representation, which will now allow him to negotiate and sign with the Flyers or other NHL teams come July 1.

Notably, Quartexx serves as the representation for Flyers players such as Nick Deslauriers, Oliver Bonk, Elliot Desnoyers, Anthony Richard, Jacob Gaucher, and Ben Gleason, as well as former Flyers Victor Mete and Morgan Frost.

Quartexx also represents New York Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov; the Islanders are one of the teams interested in Shabanov according to their shared agent, Alex Chernykh.

For GM Danny Briere and the Flyers, the next step will be successfully pitching Shabanov and Quartexx on a role conducive to success at the NHL level.

"There is only one criterion. We just need to look at the team rosters and understand where he will really have his place, as it happened with other players. So that he comes there and plays in the NHL, so that he has time and a place in the roster," Chernykh said in a previous interview. "For us, the player’s place in the NHL plays a role. We are now thinking more about the player, not the club."

Note that, at his age, Shabanov is only permitted to sign a one-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers or other NHL teams.

His upcoming contract negation will center purely on his role and fit with the Flyers and not salary and term.

Editor's Note: Joltin' Joe Dionisio was a top-notch sports columnist with  Newsday for many years – among his other literary accomplishments. Now hockey manager for Santa Barbara's Ice In Paradise rink, Dionisio was in South Florida when the Panthers were born. Here he presents his view of the Cup Final followed by an exclusive report on the early struggles of hockey journalism Down South.

Take it away, Joe:

"Florida was relentless in the Stanley Cup Final. Role players and stars checked with equal vigor.  Their respected coach milked every bit of talent, from first-liner to fourth-liner.  Management was laced with puck-savvy hockey minds.  But I'm not talking about the 2025 Stanley Cup champs.

"The DNA of today's Panthers was born over three decades ago, when the NHL granted an expansion team to South Florida.  

"It's worth noting the huge influence New York had on the first chapter of the Cats' nine lives. Islanders GM Bill Torrey took the reins as president. Roger Neilson -- fired five months earlier by the Rangers – took over as coach and Isles legend Billy Smith served as goalie coach.  

"Blueshirts netminder John Vanbiesbrouck was the very first player plucked from the 1993 expansion draft. (His tandem partner was ex-Islander Mark Fitzpatrick). Rangers d-man Joe Cirella and Isles winger Tom Fitzpatrick were later nabbed in the expansion draft.

"The Empire State Meets Sunshine State theme wasn't only on the ice. My Islander colleague Greg Bouris did stellar work as the Panther's PR boss.  

"As a native New Yorker, I was among the initial wave of journalists covering the NHL's newest club. At the Palm Beach Post, I served as the very first hockey columnist in South Florida newspaper history.   

"I was also in the 'delivery room' when the team was born, as Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga strolled into the Palm Beach Breakers Hotel to announce his latest toy. I was nearly alone at that press conference, because the Florida media didn't give a rat's ass – pun intended – about hockey. 

"Roger Neilson used to sit on a bench with his dog, right outside Lighthouse Rink off Federal Highway in Pompano Beach, and nobody ever recognized him.  A few Floridian journalists knew of the NHL, but many wouldn't have known Mario Lemieux from Nintendo Mario. The gaffes of some reporters were quite embarrassing.

"Try following the following boo-boos on for size:

The referee called a penalty on the Panthers for icing. Chris Chelios is the NHL's worst goon. "When do they play the fourth quarter?" a fellow reporter asked me.    

"This past week's hockey mania in Broward County shows the evolution of the fanbase.  I'm elated to see how far the franchise has come."

Thanks to Joltin' Joe.  I know that Al Greenberg, my man in South Florida, agrees because Al Greenberg also has witnessed  the evolution of a hockey revolution as detonated by the Panthers!

The NHL’s buyout window is now open, and the list of possible buyout candidates shares a connection: a decent handful of them are either current or former members of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In THN.com’s list of potential buyout candidates, a whopping five of seven players had direct ties to the Leafs. 

Those five players – left Pierre Engvall of the New York Islanders, defenseman TJ Brodie of the Chicago Blackhawks, blueliner Justin Holl of the Detroit Red Wings and current Leafs players Ryan Reaves and David Kampf – all had disappointing seasons in 2024-25, so it’s hardly a shock that teams might be considering (or in Brodie’s case, have already decided) to buy out their deals. 

But the Toronto connection tells you something many hockey observers already know – namely, that the spotlight that comes with being a Leaf can artificially inflate the value of a player, at least for the short term.

This is why teams like the Isles shelled out big money and long term for a relatively unproven asset like Engvall. The Swedish pivot signed an astonishing seven-year, $21-million contract with the Islanders in the summer of 2023. 

It took only a year for the Isles to have buyer’s remorse on the contract, placing Engvall on waivers in October 2024 after he had only played 92 games in an Islanders uniform. He also only had eight goals and 15 points in 62 games this past season. The Leafs didn’t sign Engvall to that contract, but you have to imagine former Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello’s connection to Toronto factored into his decision to sign Engvall long-term.

Meanwhile, Brodie and Holl also had the benefit of using their time in the Toronto spotlight to be signed by the Blackhawks and Red Wings, respectively. Chicago and Detroit should’ve seen the Maple Leafs’ decision to let Holl and Brodie leave as a warning sign, but they didn’t, and Brodie got a two-year, $7.5-million contract while Holl got a three-year, $10.2-million deal. 

It’s hard to discern which contract was worse between the two of them. 

Holl quickly stood out like a sore thumb in Detroit, with his defensive deficiencies exposed almost immediately. He only averaged 14:48 of ice time in ’24-25, more than five minutes under his 20:14 average in his last season with the Leafs. And Brodie eventually became a regular healthy scratch less than one year into his time in the Windy City with a career-low average ice time of 15:38.

Each of the two D-men had some good days as Maple Leafs, but there’s no question their value was boosted considerably by Toronto’s profile in the media.

This isn’t to suggest most of the players we’ve mentioned don’t have a place in the NHL. (That said, at this stage, Reaves simply isn’t an NHLer anymore.) 

On less-costly contracts, the expectations on many, if not most of them, would’ve been greatly reduced. But playing for the Leafs clearly inflates the value of players, and teams need to take a careful approach to signing anyone who’s played in Toronto. And that applies to all the players we’ve mentioned, but especially Kampf, Reaves and probably winger Calle Jarnkrok, another candidate to be bought out of his contract with the Maple Leafs.

Exploring Buyouts? Why That Would Be A Major Misstep For The Maple Leafs This SummerThe Toronto Maple Leafs could look quite different next season. From star forward Mitch Marner testing free agency to a wealth of vacant spots up front to fill either via trade or free agency, General Manager Brad Treliving has the opportunity to put an additional stamp on the team he took over in 2023. But what he should try to avoid, if possible, is using buyouts.

Any time an NHL team considers acquiring a former Maple Leaf, there should be a serious case of buyer beware. Just because a player had a few moments of success in the white-hot spotlight of Toronto, that doesn’t mean they’re worth throwing a boatload of money at. 

Playing in Toronto doesn’t automatically make you great. It only makes you seen, and that’s not reason enough to invest vast sums of money in someone who you probably could replace with someone else on a far cheaper contract.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are entering the off-season with multiple pending free agents, and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is the most notable. The Massachusetts native will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 if the Penguins do not re-sign him by then. 

When noting that Grzelcyk is coming off a 40-point season and has a good amount of playoff experience, he would certainly have suitors if the Penguins do not bring him back. Due to this, let's go over three teams who could sign Grzelcyk this summer.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings could be pursue Grzelcyk this off-season, as their left side could use a bit of a boost. This would be even more of the case if defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov leaves LA and signs elsewhere this off-season.

If the Kings landed Grzelcyk, he could slot nicely on their third pairing and be another option for their second power-play unit. However, he also could move up their lineup when injuries arise, so he could be a nice depth addition for a playoff club like the Kings. 

Boston Bruins 

The Bruins will likely aim to improve their defense this summer, so a reunion between them and Grzelcyk could make sense. Grzelcyk had a solid tenure with the Bruins, and that could be enough for them to consider bringing him back. 

Grzelcyk notably had great chemistry with Bruins star blueliner Charlie McAvoy. However, at this point of his career, Grzelcyk would likely be a better fit for the Bruins' bottom pairing if brought back. 

San Jose Sharks 

The Sharks desperately need help on the left side of their defense, so a player like Grzelcyk could grab their attention. When looking at their current defense, Grzelcyk could work well on their second pairing and would be an obvious choice for their power play. Furthermore, he would give them another veteran to help mentor their younger players.

Grzelcyk showed this season that he can be effective on a non-playoff team, so he could be a nice pickup for the Sharks on a short-term contract. 

Penguins Rumors: 4 Teams Linked To Rickard Rakell

Photo Credit: © John Jones-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell has been creating plenty of chatter in the rumor mill again now that the off-season is here. With the Penguins retooling their group, questions have naturally come up about the 32-year-old winger's future in Pittsburgh.

Rakell's value is undoubtedly high right now, as the veteran forward is coming off an excellent season for the Penguins. In 81 games on the year, the 6-foot-1 winger set new career highs with 35 goals and 70 points. With this, the Penguins undoubtedly could get a great return for him in a potential move, especially when noting that he has a bargain $5 million cap hit until the end of the 2027-28 season. 

Rakell is reportedly starting to generate interest, too, as The Fourth Period reported that the Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken, Ottawa Senators, and Chicago Blackhawks are all reportedly linked to him. 

The Kings have been connected to Rakell in the past, and it makes sense when noting that they certainly need another top-six right winger. The Kraken reportedly being in on Rakell is also understandable, as they had a disappointing season and have already been very active this summer. The Senators also have been on the hunt for a top-six winger, while the Blackhawks undoubtedly need to give young star Connor Bedard a star winger to work with. 

Yet, while Rakell is reportedly garnering interest, the Penguins do not necessarily need to rush a move. As noted above, he is under contract for multiple more years, so the Penguins can wait for the best offer possible. It will be fascinating to see if he ends up getting moved before the start of next season from here. 

Penguins Rumors: Pittsburgh Has Clear Target In Sabres StarThe

Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images