Jun 28, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson makes the nineteenth pick in round one of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Christopher Hanewinckel/Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks extended general manager Kyle Davidson’s contract without providing the length of the deal.
“We are committing to Kyle to continue the plan he has put in place,” chairman and owner Danny Wirtz said before the team’s season-ending game against San Jose. “We feel confident in that. We feel he has the right insight, the right team around him, and the belief he can continue to build a championship team.”
The Blackhawks are locked into 31st place in the 32-team NHL and haven’t made the Stanley Cup playoffs since the expanded COVID playoffs of 2020.
The 37-year-old Davidson took over as interim general manager when Stan Bowman was fired in October 2021. The interim tag was removed in March 2022.
Craig Berube wants — and expects — to be back as Toronto Maple Leafs head coach next season.
It was no doubt a difficult season for everybody around the organization, from management to players, to even the fans who spent their hard-earned money in hopes the team would win.
But there were countless speed bumps the Maple Leafs hit, causing them to veer off into the bottom of the NHL standings.
When asked during his end-of-season media availability on Thursday about how this team went from top of the Atlantic Division last season to the basement this year, Berube stated, "Goals against."
Toronto finished second-last in the NHL in that category with 295, only behind last-place Vancouver Canucks, who allowed 308 goals this season.
Despite all of the problems Toronto faced this season, Berube believes this version (or core) of the Maple Leafs can return to the playoffs next season.
"We have some good players here, and we have to make some adjustments," he said on Thursday. "We have to make some moves to bring in maybe some different players or different people, but there's a good core here and good players and good people, so I do believe we can bounce back."
Why, though, does Berube, whose coaching future hangs in the balance, believe he'll be back next season, especially when a new head of hockey operations hasn't been put in place yet?
Truth is, despite believing he'll be back, Berube is also unsure about his future in Toronto.
"No, I haven't heard anything about [being back]," he said. "Same as you guys heard. A new GM gets hired and people there, and they'll make a decision."
In what's now two seasons under Berube, the Maple Leafs have an 84-62-18 record, the 14th-best in the NHL. They reached the second round of the playoffs last year before getting ousted by the Florida Panthers in seven games.
Time will tell if they can get back to that level.
"I'm not going to sit here and talk about every little thing today about the on-ice performance and individuals' performance on the ice," Berube continued, "but those are things we've got to look at and assess and going forward here in what we're going to do."
The Calgary Flames wrap up their season with a matchup against the Los Angeles Kings tonight at Scotiabank Saddledome.
My Kings vs. Flames predictions are targeting Blake Coleman to stay hot in the season finale at home.
Read more in my NHL picks for Thursday, April 16, with puck drop set for 9:00 p.m. ET.
Kings vs Flames prediction
Kings vs Flames best bet: Blake Coleman Over 0.5 points (-110)
Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman has 20 goals and 15 assists, and has picked up the pace of late. He’s notched points in back-to-back contests, tallying an assist on Sunday against Utah before scoring Calgary’s lone goal in Tuesday’s loss to Colorado.
The 34-year-old has now cashed the Over in points in four of his last six home appearances. The opportunities tend to be there when he faces the Los Angeles Kings as well, notching eight SOG in the three matchups.
Much of his production has come at the Saddledome, where he has registered 22 points in 32 outings.
Kings vs Flames same-game parlay
Morgan Frost has cashed the Over in SOG in three of his last five contests. He had two shots on target against the Avalanche and five against the Mammoth over his last two games.
The Kings are allowing 10.1 SOG per game to centers, which ranks toward the bottom of the league. Frost is averaging 1.85 shots on net at the Saddledome in 2025-26 as well.
Calgary won 3-2 against the Kings last month, and it's actually 2-1 against them this season, with all of those games being decided by two goals or fewer.
The Flames are also 22-13-5 at home, while L.A. has lost three of its last five on the road.
Kings vs Flames SGP
Blake Coleman Over 0.5 points
Morgan Frost Over 1.5 shots on goal
Flames moneyline
Kings vs Flames odds
Moneyline: Kings -140 | Flames +120
Puck Line: Kings -1.5 (+165) | Flames +1.5 (-200)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-130) | Under 5.5 (+110)
Kings vs Flames trend
The Calgary Flames have hit the Moneyline in 7 of their last 9 games at home (+7.05 Units / 72% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Kings vs. Flames.
How to watch Kings vs Flames
Location
Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
Date
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Puck drop
9:00 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet One
Kings vs Flames latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Philly fans can clear their calendars for Saturday night.
That’s when the Flyers will open their best-of-seven first-round playoff series against the Penguins. Puck drop is scheduled for around 8 p.m. ET at PPG Paints Arena.
NBC Sports Philadelphia will have the local broadcast. Flyers Pregame Live will start at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The schedule for the remainder of the series will be announced later Thursday night when the NHL regular season wraps up.
Rick Tocchet’s club heads into the postseason with 18 wins over its final 25 games. The Flyers finished with 98 points at 43-27-12. The Penguins (41-25-16) also had 98 points, but they earned home ice via the tiebreaker of more regulation wins.
The Flyers split their four-game regular-season series with Pittsburgh (2-2-0).
MONTREAL, CANADA - APRIL 11: Jakub Dobes #75 of the Montréal Canadiens stands during the anthems prior to the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre on April 11, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Montréal Canadiens 5-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NHL regular season wrapped on Wednesday night.
Unfortunately for hockey fans around central Ohio, the Columbus Blue Jackets fell just short of making the postseason for the first time since the 2019-20 season where the playoffs were held in the bubble. This marks the second straight season where the Blue Jackets were officially eliminated from postseason contention on the night before their final game of the season.
Even though Columbus won’t be a part of this year’s NHL playoffs, there will be a couple players from Ohio State who will be competing in the NHL postseason. Goaltender Jakub Dobeš of the Montreal Canadiens and defenseman Mason Lohrei of the Boston Bruins will take the ice in the two-month grind to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup which will begin on Saturday and run through June.
Jakub Dobeš – Montreal Canadiens
After starting the season as the second-string goaltender for Montreal, Jakub Dobeš has established himself as the starter for Montreal.
Dobeš enters the postseason having started 42 games for Montreal during the regular season, posting a 29-10-4 record with a 2.78 goals against average. The former Ohio State netminder stopped 90.1 of the shots he has faced this season.
Dobeš is a big reason why the Canadiens were able to rack up 106 points during the regular season. Down the stretch, Dobeš was tough to put pucks past. Before losing his final two starts of the regular season, Dobeš had won his previous seven starts.
The streak was snapped when Columbus was able to score five goals on him in Saturday’s game in Montreal in a game where the Canadiens had already secured a playoff spot. In his final start of the regular season, Montreal was beaten 4-2 at Philadelphia, who had clinched the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference the night before.
Now Dobeš will face a Tampa Bay team who he started three games against during the regular season. In his first game against the Lightning on Dec. 9 he allowed three goals in 19:50 before he was pulled in a 6-1 loss.
Dobeš fared much better in the other two games, saving 36 shots in a 4-1 win on March 31 at Tampa Bay, followed by a 17-save performance in a 2-1 win at home against the Lightning on April 9. Montreal was 2-2 against Tampa Bay during the regular season.
The former Ohio State goalie at least has a bit of playoff experience to lean on heading into this year’s postseason. Last season against Washington, Dobeš was thrust into action in the middle of the series with the Capitals, appearing in three games.
In his initial playoff run, Dobeš was 1-2 across three games, saving 52 of the 59 shots he faced before Washington was able to end Montreal’s season.
Mason Lohrei – Boston Bruins
The other former Ohio State Buckeye who will be playing in this year’s NHL playoffs is Mason Lohrei. The defenseman for the Boston Bruins appeared in 73 games during the regular season, registering 26 points.
While Lohrei had seven more points in four more games last season, this year he had a career-high seven goals. The biggest improvement for Lohrei came in his plus/minus rating. Last year Lohrei finished the regular season with a -43. This season Lohrei was a +17.
The Bruins will entered the playoffs as the first wild card team in the Eastern Conference, meaning they will be taking on the Buffalo Sabres, who won the Atlantic Division to secure their first playoff berth in 13 years.
Despite the Sabres being one of the hottest teams in hockey over the last few months, Boston will take some confidence into the series since they are 3-1 against Buffalo, including a 4-3 overtime win on March 25th.
Lohrei played in three of the four games against Buffalo this year, but didn’t record any points. In the most recent meeting between the teams, Lohrei uncorked two shots and was a +1 in the game. Lohrei does have 11 games of playoff experience, which all came during the 2024 playoffs.
The Bruins beat Toronto in seven games before falling to eventual Stanley Cup winner Florida in six games. Lohrei netted a goal and was credited with three assists during his initial playoff run.
There’s still a better than 50-50 chance of the Boston Bruins getting the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top-five protected 2026 first-round draft pick to complete the Brandon Carlo trade from March 2025.
But they are going to need a little luck in the NHL Draft Lottery next month.
For much of the post-Olympic break portion of the season, the Maple Leafs had either the seventh- or eighth-worst record in the league. In those scenarios, the Bruins’ chances of getting the Leafs’ pick this year were pretty high.
But the Leafs essentially tanked over the last week-plus and finished with a 32-36-14 record — the fifth-worst in the league. Toronto ended the regular season on a five-game losing streak and a 2-7-1 record in its last 10 games.
As a result, the Leafs improved their chances of keeping their 2026 first-round pick.
The Bruins now have a 58.2 percent chance of getting this pick. However, they need at least one team that finished lower in the standings than the Maple Leafs to jump Toronto in the lottery.
Last year, two teams jumped up in the lottery: the Mammoth from No. 14 to No. 4, and the Islanders from No. 10 to No. 1. Teams cannot move up more than 10 spots in the lottery under the current format.
Here are the Maple Leafs’ draft pick odds, per Tankathon. If the pick lands outside the top five, it goes to Boston this year.
No. 1: 8.5 percent (stays with Leafs)
No. 2: 8.6 percent (stays with Leafs)
No. 3: 0.3 percent (stays with Leafs)
No. 4: N/A
No. 5: 24.5 percent (stays with Leafs)
No. 6: 44 percent (conveys to Boston)
No. 7: 14.2 percent (conveys to Boston)
Ironically, the Bruins were in the same spot last year with the fifth-worst record and they fell to No. 7 after the Islanders and Mammoth leapfrogged them. It ended up working out for the Bruins because Boston College center James Hagens fell to them at No. 7 overall.
In the four years since the league tweaked its draft lottery rules, the team with the fifth-worst record has moved up to second once, remained at five twice and dropped to seventh once.
What happens if the Maple Leafs remain in the top five and keep the pick? Well, it’s a little complicated.
“The (Leafs’) 2027 pick goes to Philadelphia (as part of Laughton trade) if it is outside the top 10, which converts this pick to Boston to a 2028 unprotected 1st Round Pick. If this Pick slides to 2027 and is in the top 10, TOR can either transfer it to BOS to satisfy this trade and then give PHI the 2028 unprotected, or transfer it to PHI and give BOS the 2028 unprotected 1st Round Pick.”
So, the Bruins will get a first-round pick from the Maple Leafs at some point, but the exact year is still TBD. It could convey in 2026, 2027 or 2028.
The ideal scenario for the Bruins would be getting it this year and picking No. 6 or No. 7 overall in what is considered a strong 2026 draft class that is loaded with top-tier defenseman prospects. The Bruins need to bolster the talent and depth of their blue line prospects. Also, any player picked this year could join the Bruins when David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy are still in the primes of their careers. A 2028 draft pick might not be ready to join the NHL until 2030 or so.
The Bruins are back in the playoffs after failing to qualify last season, but the most impactful event for the franchise over the next month might be the draft lottery. Getting the No. 6 or No. 7 pick would be a massive boost for the B’s.
As the start of the Montreal Canadiens’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning approaches, the Habs coaching staff has plenty of strategizing left to do and wisdom to impart on their players. Part of that strategy should be warning their young player about Corey Perry.
The former Anaheim Ducks first-round pick at the 2003 draft may not score like he once did; he put up 98 points in the most productive season of his career, but he’s still as much of a pest as he always was. In his 1463 NHL games, the veteran has racked up 1566 penalty minutes and has made it a habit to get in people’s faces. Furthermore, he’s got a wealth of experience in the playoffs, which makes him an even more formidable foe.
While the one-time Hab (one season in 2020-21) has only won a Stanley Cup in his first NHL season, he has come very close to winning another one in the last few years, making an appearance in five of the last six Cup finals; twice with the Edmonton Oilers, once with the Bolts, once with the Canadiens and once with the Dallas Stars.
After 237 playoff games, the veteran knows all the tricks of the trade and is the kind of player who makes the most of the fact that the referees are somewhat more permissive in the playoffs, which is what makes him so dangerous.
With the extra leeway, he’s got plenty of opportunities to get in players’ faces and haggle with them; a push here, a slash there, that’s just another day at the office for Perry. In the last game between the two teams on April 9, he did just that and baited Arber Xhekaj into taking a roughing penalty. Something coach Martin St-Louis did notice: telling the media that Perry has been setting traps for 40 years, and Xhekaj fell for it. A cautionary tale if there ever was one. The Canadiens will need to take a page out of Lane Hutson's book, who just ignored Perry when he came knocking.
How one should deal with Corey Perry. Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
While the Lightning haven’t had the best power play this season, they are in 16th place with a 21% success rate. You do not want to give them any opportunities. The Bolts are the kind of team that will “make you pay cash”, as the coach so often said last season, when you shoot yourself in the foot. There’s a reason why Tampa Bay went out and got Perry from the Los Angeles Kings, and it’s because they know he can be a difference maker in the playoffs.
Corey Perry was telling Lane Hutson to get off the ice while both teams were in a big scrum, Hutson wasn't listening and Perry wasn't happy 😭🫣 pic.twitter.com/9NRv3hVXqz
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan isn't sure if he'll join the AHL's Toronto Marlies for their Calder Cup Playoff run.
The 20-year-old wrapped up his first NHL season on Wednesday night with an assist on William Nylander's goal in the third period in a 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators. His rookie year came to a close with 11 goals and 29 points in 66 games.
"I know I'm an NHL player. I feel comfortable, but I still got a lot more to give and I know I'll have a good summer here and get bigger and faster," Cowan told reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday.
"Everyone says that, but just take some time off and just get back to work, put in the work, and just get ready to have a better year next year."
Along with his 29 points, Cowan played throughout Toronto's forward group and finished the year averaging 14:43 of ice time. He also spent some time on the Maple Leafs' top power play unit after Auston Matthews' season ended due to a knee injury.
He impressed many this season and grew as the year continued. What caught a lot of people's eyes was how he reacted in the aftermath of Matthews going down, fighting Jackson LaCombe in the game against the Anaheim Ducks, and then standing up to Boston Bruins defender Nikita Zadorov a few games later for his hit on John Tavares.
At the trade deadline, though, the Maple Leafs sent Cowan down to the Marlies, making him eligible for the AHL club's Calder Cup Playoff run later this month.
He's one of seven players on Toronto's NHL roster — along with Jacob Quillan, Luke Haymes, Michael Pezzetta, Ryan Tverberg, William Villeneuve, and Dennis Hildeby — who can return to the Marlies for their postseason.
But will Cowan be there when the Marlies' playoff run begins?
"I'm not exactly sure," Cowan said on Wednesday. "I mean, yeah, I'd love to play more hockey. But it's not my decision. Whatever the management thinks is right, I'll agree with them."
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube was also asked if Cowan would go down to the Marlies after their exit interviews on Thursday, to which Toronto's coach said, "We'll discuss that tomorrow."
Berube continued, "Definitely a benefit for him playing in the (AHL) playoffs, right? You can look at the league, and you can dissect it anyway you want. It's a good league, and it's a good experience for him."
The Marlies have two more regular season games — on Saturday and Sunday against the Laval Rocket at Coca-Cola Coliseum — before their playoffs begin. Toronto currently holds the fourth spot in the North Division, but could squeeze into third place, depending on how the Cleveland Monsters' final two games go.
If the Marlies lock up third in the division, they'll begin their playoffs in the division semifinals (a best-of-five series) against the second-seeded team in the division. However, if Toronto ends up in fourth, they'll play a best-of-three series against the fifth-seed in their division.
WINNIPEG, CANADA - APRIL 11: Porter Martone #94 of the Philadelphia Flyers takes part in the pre-game warm up prior to NHL action against the Winnipeg Jets at the Canada Life Centre on April 11, 2026 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
A young power forward with swagger drafted early in the first round can be an amazing thing for an NHL team. And unlike Cutter Gauthier, this one actually was willing to sign a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers! Porter Martone joined up with the Flyers after his 2025-26 season at Michigan State wrapped up and boy did he make a seamless transition to the NHL. The youngster put up 10 points in nine important games down the stretch to announce his arrival to the league in a major way.
Martone has played the part of the net front power forward, looking like an old pro despite being brand new (and a teenager). He scored his first goal in overtime less than two weeks ago and then has kept it going, riding a six-game point streak at the end of the season.
The Flyers badly needed the skill infusion, they only had four 20-goal scorers this season (Owen Tippett’s 28 leading the way) and just two players who recorded 52+ points on the year. That added up to an offensive output of 2.93 goals/game, 22nd in the league and lowest among Eastern Conference playoff teams. The Flyers’ power play was dead last at 15.7% and is another area where Martone (who has five power play points already) has provided a massive lift to his new team to give them a tangible boost in an area they needed it the most. As a result, inserting a young, talented and productive forward ended up being a Godsend for a Philadelphia team that’s playing some of their best hockey in these last 10 games that Martone appeared in.
Martone has found his fit on the second line, skating with center Christan Dvorak and with Travis Konceny on the other wing. That mix of veterans with the brand new rookie has worked out to the tune of out-scoring the opposition 5-1 in the brief time they’ve been together. That grouping of talent allows Philadelphia to work with another line featuring Tippet and Trevor Zegras and then still a third line where Matvei Michkov operates, then a checking line led by veteran Sean Couturier. Adding Martone has diversified the attack and made for a much more dangerous team capable of coming at opponents in waves and transformed the Flyers into quite the squad down the stretch.
The Penguins will probably be dealing with Martone as a key opponent for many, many years to come. They’ll get a first look at him in these playoffs and hopefully will give him an introduction to the world of NHL playoff hockey and limit the amount of success he will have in this first taste of action.
Dec 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) skates up ice with the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Every year here at PensBurgh we set some over/under predictions for individual Pittsburgh Penguins players, and at the end of every regular season we like to revisit those predictions and see how everybody did.
It is time to revisit those predictions.
Let’s go back to the start of the 2025-26 NHL season and see what we were thinking for the Penguins’ most prominent players, both new and returning, and see how their performances compared.
Oh man. Not even close on any of them. This is not necessarily a reflection of the individual players or their development, but a reflection on what direction the season ended up taking.
Everything here was so unexpected that we did not even have Ben Kindel on our NHL radar when we set the young players over/under at the end of August.
Here is what each player actually did at the NHL level:
Ville Koivunen: 5 assists in 39 games
Rutger McGroarty: 3 goals in 24 games
Owen Pickering: 0 assists in 4 games
In most cases there just was not a ton of room for these guys to get an extended look or major role on this yaer’s team because the forward depth was just too good. Koivunen was so impressive at the end of the 2024-25 season that was easy to have relatively high expectations for him. I am not ready to give up on him, but his AHL production has not yet transferred to the NHL. Right now there is a lot of Dominik Simon in him in that he has great underlying numbers, but it does not always pass the eye test or result in points for himself.
I actually like McGroarty’s game at the NHL level quite a bit. His season got off to a delayed start as he was coming back from an injury, but again, the NHL depth was just so much better than anybody could have anticipated that he never really got a look.
Pickering looks like it may not happen for him here.
While pretty much all of the young players went under, we had some big overs here.
What each player actually did:
Anthony Mantha: 33 goals in 81 games
Just Brazeau: 17 goals in 64 games
Matt Dumba: 3 points in 11 games
Connor Clifton: 6 points in 50 games
Parker Wotherspoon: 30 points in 80 games
Mantha more than doubled our pre-season number for him and ended up leading the Penguins with 33 goals. Who saw that coming? Nobody. He might have been the best value signing of any team in the NHL this past offseason. He also played his way into a big contract this summer, whether it is with the Penguins or somebody else.
Brazeau was also a revelation for the Penguins, scoring 17 goals in only 64 games. His production leveled off in the second half, but he still exceeded what most expected for him. Both Mantha and Brazeau set career highs in goals.
Along the same lines, Wotherspoon also far exceeded what anybody could have expected. He recorded 30 points, 25 more than we anticipated, while becoming a steady complement to Erik Karlsson on the team’s top defense pairing.
Clifton and Dumba were the veteran defensemen brought in so the Penguins could buy some future draft picks from Buffalo and Dallas, with only Clifton playing a major role this season. He did not reach the over/under we had for him. Dumba spent most of the season in the American Hockey League.
Now we are talking. We ended up getting pretty close with a lot of these.
What each player actually did:
Rickard Rakell: 24 goals in 60 games
Bryan Rust: 29 goals in 72 games
Tommy Novak: 16 goals in 82 games
Erik Karlsson: 65 points in 75 games
Rakell did not match his production from a year ago and saw a little bit of regression, but a great second half got him to 24 goals in only 60 games. Had he not missed 22 games you have to imagine he would have easily exceeded the 25.5 goal total. He scored at a 32 goal pace over 82 games.
It is a similar story for Rust who ended up with 29 goals in 72 games. Those 10 missed games probably cost him another 30-goal season.
We were in the right ballpark with Novak, but just missed it by two goals.
Karlsson’s bounce back season resulted in him reaching the 65-point mark and earning team MVP honors.
We were again pretty close here for the most part.
Here is what each player actually did:
Sidney Crosby: 74 points in 68 games
Evgeni Malkin: 61 points in 56 games
Kris Letang: 34 points in 74 games
Crosby did not reach his over/under mark, mostly due to games missed after the Olympics. When he was on the ice he scored at an 89-point pace over 82 games. He did reach the point-per-game average for yet another season.
Malkin reached his over/under despite the fact he missed 28 games, which is a testament to how outstanding he has been this season offensively.
Letang had a roller coaster season, and at times was a tough watch, but he and Sam Girard have really come on strong during the stretch run. He missed the over/under by one point with eight missed games.
We had a bonus over/under in early February given the way Egor Chinakhov was scoring goals following his acquisition from the Columbus Blue Jackets. At the time, he had scored eight goals with 12 total points in his first 18 games. We wanted to see what he would do after that.
Egor Chinakhov: Over/Under 7.5 Goals For Remainder Of Regular Season
He exceeded it.
What he actually did:
Egor Chinakhov: 10 more goals for a total of 18 goals in 43 games with the Penguins and 21 goals for the entire season between Columbus and Pittsburgh.
Of all the roster moves general manager Kyle Dubas made over the past year to re-tool this team, there might not be a more significant move than the addition of Chinakhov. He is still younger and just entering his prime years in the NHL. He has enormous talent and star potential. From the moment he arrived he completely transformed the Penguins lineup and added a dimension of speed and skill that had been lacking. Not only did he put everything together from a goal-scoring perspective, he also showed that he is simply an outstanding hockey player that can impact the game in a number of ways. He can score goals and shoot the puck like few others in the NHL. He has exceptional speed and quickness. He is a strong playmaker. He is a much better defensive player than we were initially led to believe. He is just simply a really good hockey player.
Maybe his shooting percentage regresses a little bit next season. That should not stop him from still being a major contributor. His shot is good enough to maintain a higher shooting percentage than your average player. The shot volume can also still be there to help make up for any regression. He is also just really good in every other area that even with a slight regression in shooting percenatge he will still make a difference in most games and on most shifts. He also did all of this goal-scoring while getting very little power play time with the top unit. Get him out there with them and he could really become a goal-scoring force.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 07: Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Egor Chinakhov (59) skates with the puck against Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (55) during the first period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers on March 7, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With the regular season over for the Pittsburgh Penguins, all there is to do is sit and wait for everyone else to wrap up their schedules, which will be Thursday for a few select teams. What helps the Penguins at the moment is they already know who their first round opponent will be so preparations won’t be delayed and they can get to work scheming for the Philadelphia Flyers will no delay. As for when the Penguins and Flyers will drop the puck on their first playoff matchup since 2018, that is still wait and see since the schedule is yet to be released for that series or any of the others.
Pens Points…
Penguins fans are plenty familiar with the Philadelphia Flyers, but it’s still been eight years since the two sides have contested a playoff series and there are A LOT of new faces this time around. Get acquainted with this Flyers teams and learn how they got here before the series begins this weekend. [Pensburgh]
There are certain players who will grab all the headlines as the Penguins prepare to take on the Flyers to open the playoffs and there are others who will fly under the radar. While the big names in this series are well known, one of those under the radar guys could the someone who flips the series in the Pens favor. [Pensburgh]
This will be the fifth time the Penguins and Flyers have met in the playoffs during the Crosby/Malkin era and those matchups have provided some all-time memories, good and bad. From the chaos of 2012 to the infamous Max Talbot moment in 2009, these teams never disappoint. [Pensburgh]
Stepping away from the much anticipated Penguins/Flyers series for a moment, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are preparing to wrap up their AHL season this weekend with a few meaningless contests as they have already wrapped up a playoff spot and a first round bye. [Pensburgh]
When Dan Muse was hired as the Penguins head coach last year, no one knew what to expect from the new bench boss. Certainly no one thought he was going to guide this Penguins team to the postseason, but his leadership style and fresh system have put the Penguins back where they belong. [Penguins]
Building this Penguins team was a long process that began in the offseason and wasn’t complete until the trade deadline a few weeks ago. Drafting Ben Kindel in June was just the start, followed then by free agent signings that exceeded every expectation, and completed by a few trades to bring in key pieces during the season. [The Hockey News]
While Skinner and Silovs have done the bulk of the work at the NHL level this season, Sergei Murashov still projects as the Penguins future in goal. He was a stalwart in the AHL for the Baby Penguins this season and took home All-Rookie Team honors for his play. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
After being eliminated from the playoffs and delivering a lackluster performance in their final game of the season, Columbus Blue Jackets interim head coach Rick Bowness stepped to the mic and delivered an all-time coach presser. A day later, the players spoke and agreed with his harsh assessment of their play. [NHL]
The Vegas Golden Knights are the champions of what might be the most anticlimactic race of all time. With a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, they clinched their fifth Pacific Division title in franchise history.
Connor McDavid’s words were truth disguised as jest– this year, teams in the Pacific Division have done nothing but squander opportunities to pull ahead in the race to claim the division title. It took until day 190 of the NHL season for a team to pull ahead and stake its claim on the Pillow Fight Division title.
“We were on top there for a while, for a lot of the season,” said Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb. “Then we’re in third, flirting with a wildcard. We found our game at the right time and won the division. That’s what we wanted to do, and we did it.”
For the first 30 minutes of play, it didn’t look like the Golden Knights were particularly interested in winning said division. It took them nearly nine minutes to record their first shot on goal; the Kraken recorded nine shots before Vegas managed two. But after an encouraging power play opportunity, Seattle only outshot the Golden Knights 11-6 at the end of the first period.
But despite being thoroughly outshot– and arguably outplayed– the Golden Knights entered the second period with a clean slate and a 0-0 tie.
Both teams recorded nine shots on goal in the second period, and the Golden Knights generated three high-danger scoring chances against Seattle’s two.
The Kraken broke the ice 2:24 into the second period. Carter Hart kicked out Jamie Oleksiak’s blast from the point, and Jani Nyman beat Jeremy Lauzon to the puck. Nyman found Shane Wright all alone in front of the net, and Wright fired it home.
Jani Nyman beats Lauzon to the puck and finds Shane Wright alllllll alone in front of the net.
The Golden Knights netted the equalizer at 17:35 in the second. Nic Dowd won the offensive zone draw, and Shea Theodore beat Nikke Kokko with a shot through Reilly Smith’s screen.
Nic Dowd with the face off win, Reilly Smith with the screen, Theodore with the snipe.
Finally, the ice opened up in the third period. The Golden Knights outshot the Kraken 12-4 and controlled 91.39% of the expected goal share. They also generated nine high-danger scoring chances while not allowing Seattle to manage a single one.
The Golden Knights took their first lead of the night just 1:23 into the third period off another face-off play. Jack Eichel won the offensive zone draw back to Brayden McNabb, who walked the line and fired a shot on goal. As McNabb’s shot came through, Mitch Marner redirected it home from the slot.
Brayden McNabb with the shot, Mitch Marner with the surgical redirection!
The Golden Knights extended their lead at 12:01 in the third. Jack Eichel capitalized on a blown coverage in the offensive zone and set up a two-on-one. Rasmus Anderson got the pass across for Reilly Smith, who slammed a fluttering puck into the empty net.
The Golden Knights added another on a delayed penalty at 16:36. Tomáš Hertl fired a shot on goal; Kaedan Korczak, who was parked atop the crease, whacked at the rebound. The puck came loose, and Reilly Smith banged in his second of the night from the goal line.
Kaedan Korczak is in front of the net whacking at Tomáš Hertl’s rebound, and Reilly Smith scores his second of the night on the delayed penalty.
Nothing this year has been easy for the Golden Knights, and this game was no different.
“We just slowly went about our business and finally found our game,” said head coach John Tortorella following the 4-1 win. “You’d almost want to play one of those before the playoffs, if you knew the result was going to be a win– they don’t like being in it when it’s going on. But give our guys a lot of credit, they stayed with it and just kept on playing. They’ve grabbed hold of it. We have found some consistency, and they feel more and more comfortable with it.”
Three Takeaways of the Knight
1. Despite playing without much intensity in the first period, the Golden Knights entered the first intermission tied at zero. Despite having nothing to play for, the Kraken took advantage of Vegas’ uninspired play and shelled Carter Hart in the first period. Shea Theodore raved about his goaltender postgame:
“He’s been great,” Theodore said following the 4-1 win. “He’s been so solid. I think we’ve given up too many chances, but he’s been big back there. He’s been a backbone ever since he came back.”
2. The team is fully bought in right now, and no one embodies that more than Reilly Smith. He’s been in and out of the lineup for a chunk of the season, but he’s never let that affect his work ethic or attitude around the locker room.
“We have high expectations, and we try to live that every day,” said Smith after his two-goal performance. “Through the organization, the players, everyone, tries to live up to that level. Every day we’re at the rink, we don’t accept losing, and I think the last couple of weeks are a good testament to that.”
3. And with that, the 2026 regular season comes to a close for the Vegas Golden Knights. They’ll kick off the postseason this weekend at home against the Utah Mammoth.
When asked if he had any early thoughts about their playoff opponent, John Tortorella simply replied:
The Ottawa Senators polished off their 2025-26 NHL regular season with a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night at Canadian Tire Centre. The game meant nothing in the standings, but as any Senators fan will tell you, there’s never a bad time to beat the Leafs.
Drake Batherson, Warren Foegele, Dylan Cozens had the goals for Ottawa, while Claude Giroux added two assists and James Reimer made 19 saves. The Senators went 2-for-3 on the power play and outshot the Leafs, 38-20.
The Senators got the victory, despite resting five of their top players, including Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, Michael Amadio, Thomas Chabot, and Jake Sanderson.
They also had nothing to play for.
“I think since we found out who we’re playing in the first round, most of us are just thinking about that, to be honest,” Batherson said. “Obviously, you want to go out there and play well, but it’s tough when you know this weekend you’re playing Game 1.”
William Nylander had the lone goal for Toronto, pulling the Leafs within one midway through the third before Cozens sealed it with an empty-netter on a 2 on 0. He dished the puck off to Shane Pinto to score on the empty net, but Pinto gave it right back to him.
The Senators finish the regular season with 99 points. The last time they hit that mark was 2015, the year of the famous Hamburglar run. The last time they surpassed the 99-point mark was in 2007, when they advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final for the only time in their history so far.
Despite missing the final two games, Stützle led the team offensively with 34 goals, 49 assists, and 83 points. Having just turned 24 in January, he's only now entering his prime.
Ottawa may not have a 100-point scorer, but they boasted a fine balanced attack this season, with 13 different players recording 30 or more points.
Toronto, meanwhile, closes out the season on a five-game losing streak, finishing the season 21 points behind the Senators. A disappointing campaigfn after winning the Atlantic Division last year.
As for the Senators, they head to the postseason once again, set to face the Carolina Hurricanes, the top seed in the Eastern Conference. It marks the first ever playoff meeting between the two franchises.
Games 1 and 2 will be played in Raleigh, with dates and time still to be announced. We do know that some of the Stanley Cup Playoff series are set to begin as early as Saturday night.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins will open in Buffalo against the Sabres, the Montreal Canadiens will visit the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Philadelphia Flyers will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Full schedule details are expected to be released Thursday.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mitch Marner broke a third-period tie and the Vegas Golden Knights won the Pacific Division for the fifth time in their nine-year history, beating the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Wednesday night to close the regular season.
Two points ahead of Edmonton entering the night, Vegas needed only a point to win the Pacific and set up a first-round series against Utah. Edmonton will finish play Thursday night at home against Vancouver.
Reilly Smith had two late goals, Shea Theodore also scored and Carter Hart made 22 saves to help Vegas win its third straight. The Golden Knights finished 39-26-17, going 7-0-1 since John Tortorella took over as coach for the fired Bruce Cassidy.
Shane Wright scored for Seattle, and Nikke Kokko stopped 22 shots. The Kraken have lost two straight to fall to 34-36-11 with a game left Thursday night at Colorado.
Marner gave Vegas a 2-1 lead at 1:23 of the third. Off a faceoff, defenseman Brayden McNabb took a long, straightaway shot that Marner tipped in for his 24th goal of the season.
Theodore tied it with 2:25 left in the second. The defenseman got the puck at the right point off a faceoff, moved to the top of the circle and fired a wrist shot past Kokko's glove.
Wright opened the scoring at 2:24 of the second after missing the previous eight games because of an upper-body injury.
Golden Knights captain Mark Stone played his 400th game for the franchise.
Up next
Kraken: At Colorado on Thursday night.
Golden Knights: Host Utah in the first round of the playoffs.
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks hosted their season finale at the United Center by welcoming the San Jose Sharks. Neither team is going to the playoffs, but there is always going to be hype around a Connor Bedard vs Macklin Celebrini matchup.
Before the game began, the Blackhawks announced an extension for General Manager Kyle Davidson. Danny Wirtz made it known while on CHSN's Blackhawks pregame show.
The game had a rough start for the Blackhawks. They were outshot 7-3, hardly had the puck, and didn't do much when they did. It took them over half the period to even get one shot on goal.
They were fortunate to only be down 1-0. At 5:17 of the second period, Michael Misa scored a power play goal to make it 2-0 Sharks. From there, however, the Blackhawks started to play much better. In fact, they played better from that point on than they did at any point in the prior two weeks.
With just 30 seconds remaining in the second period, Sam Rinzel put his team within one. His seeing-eye shot found its way through Yaroslav Askarov, and the Blackhawks cut their deficit in half going into the second intermission.
In the third period, the Blackhawks scored four straight goals courtesy of Louis Crevier (twice), Ryan Greene, and Nick Lardis. That 5-2 score held as the final.
The Blackhawks end their 2025-26 season with a record of 29-39-14 for 72 points, which is an 11-point improvement from a year ago.
Louis Crevier deserves the extra individual credit on this night. Not only did he have the two goals, but his defensive work against some elite players was noticeable. On the penalty kill, he was blocking shots, getting in the way of passes, and using his big frame to his advantage.
Macklin Celebrini didn't have a point. The Sharks only have two wins when he doesn't find the scoresheet all year, so shutting him down played a key role in the win. Louis Crevier's pair with Alex Vlasic played flawlessly against his line.
It took some time for the Blackhawks to get going in this game, but they dug deep and pulled one out in front of their home fans one last time.
The Chicago Blackhawks’ season is now over. Ahead for them is another off-season of building for the future. The Blackhawks have the second best odds at winning the lottery, which will take place on May 5th, 2026.
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