The Pittsburgh Penguins took a nice step in the right direction during the 2025-26 season by making the playoffs. A big reason for it was general manager Kyle Dubas' smart roster moves.
Many of the players that Dubas has taken chances on lately have benefited in Pittsburgh big time. Among them this season were Egor Chinakhov, Justin Brazeau, Parker Wotherspoon, and Anthony Mantha.
With this, it would not be surprising if Dubas looks to add to the Penguins' roster again this off-season. When looking at the NHL's trade candidates heading into the summer, Winnipeg Jets prospect Brad Lambert stands out as an interesting potential option for the Penguins to consider.
Lambert was given permission to seek a trade from the Jets during this season. While a trade did not come to fruition during the season, it would not be surprising if he is available again this summer. If he is, the Penguins should strongly consider taking a chance on him.
Lambert is a former first-round pick who has yet to break out in the NHL. Yet, with Lambert being just 22 years old, he is still plenty young enough to change that. Perhaps a fresh start with the Penguins could help him hit a new level.
Lambert appeared in 25 games this season with the Jets, where he had three goals and six points. He also had six goals and 13 points in 34 games in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose this season. While these numbers do not necessarily stand out, he also had 21 goals and 55 points in 64 games with the Moose during the 2023-24 campaign. With this, he has shown offensive promise at the AHL level in the past.
Overall, Lambert is a young player who desperately needs a change of scenery. With the Penguins being a team focused on the future, they should consider taking a flier on him in a low-risk move.
2026 Top 100 Prospects - Feb. 27 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 8 - Brian Costello
IT’S ONLY THROUGH THE assistance of NHL head scouts, directors of player personnel and GMs that The Hockey News is able to provide readers a comprehensive list of the top 10 prospects within each organization and a ranking of the top 100 from that large collection of 320 prospects.
Team scouts offer us guidance on NHL-affiliated prospects who have the highest forecasted ceilings five to 10 years out. We then ask a panel of these scouts to rank the top 60 from a list of the 32 top 10s. The scouts’ rankings are added up to form the overall top 100, and, in some cases, a team’s top-10 list is adjusted based on the data from the top 100.
As you would expect, rebuilding teams often have far more than the average 3.13 prospects per team within the top 100, and current contenders typically only have one or two – or even none.
We start this project in mid-January after the World Junior Championship while NHL teams are in the midst of their winter scouting meetings. At that point, we draw a line in the sand about who’s a prospect and who’s an NHLer. In some cases, those scenarios change. That’s why names such as Sam Rinzel, Isaac Howard, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Gabe Perreault, Nick Lardis and Hunter Brzustewicz are listed as prospects, even though they’ve broken through as NHLers over the past month or two. Meanwhile, Michael Misa (San Jose) and Zayne Parekh (Calgary) haven’t played in the junior ranks all season (other than the WJC), but we decided early on that they should be listed as prospects since injuries kept them from establishing themselves as NHLers the first few months of the season.
Each player’s top-100 rank from last year is in parentheses, while unranked players are denoted as “NR.” Prospects drafted in 2025 are denoted as “NEW.”
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The Countdown - Apr. 17 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 10 - Jared Clinton
JUST AS TIME MAKES fools of us all, so, too, has Macklin Celebrini.
When the now-San Jose Sharks star was in his pre-draft season, the skinny on the then-Boston University center was that he was a talented player with an exceptional, but not elite, ceiling. Comparisons were drawn to top-line, team-leading pivots rather than true superstars. No one, truly, was using the ‘G’ word – generational – when it came to Celebrini. In The Hockey News’ 2024 Draft Preview, for instance, the comparison used was Elias Pettersson.
Yes, yes. Yuck it up. But the fact of the matter is, there is perhaps no player who has flipped any perceived notion of his upside on its head quite as quickly as Celebrini, who has gone from being mentioned as a franchise centerpiece to an MVP-caliber talent. That his name is floating around the Hart Trophy debate this very season is proof positive of his impact.
What makes Celebrini’s surge to stardom all the more incredible, though, is that he’s done it before he’s even old enough to order an adult beverage. In fact, his 19-year-old season ranks up there with the best ever.
Where does Celebrini’s output rank among the NHL’s greatest baby-faced sensations? In this edition of Countdown, we flip through the history books to find the greatest teen scorers in each NHL franchise’s history.
*All ages are as of Jan. 31 in the corresponding season, as per Hockey-Reference.
1 EDMONTON OILERS
WAYNE GRETZKY, 19 – 137 PTS (1979-80)
Who else? Gretzky’s output is double that of the closest Oilers teen, Jason Arnott, who had 68 points in 1993-94.
2 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
SIDNEY CROSBY, 19 – 120 PTS (2006-07)
Shockingly, both of Crosby’s teen seasons exceed Mario Lemieux’s 100-point best. At 19, ‘Sid the Kid’ won the Hart.
3 LOS ANGELES KINGS
JIMMY CARSON, 19 – 107 PTS (1987-88)
Carson’s great year made him the centerpiece of the infamous Gretzky trade. Sadly, he was out of the NHL by 27.
4 SAN JOSE SHARKS
MACKLIN CELEBRINI, 19 – 115 PTS (2025-26)
Celebrini is smashing a record that he already held. He surpassed Pat Falloon’s 59-point teen total as a rookie.
5 NEW YORK ISLANDERS
BRYAN TROTTIER, 19 – 95 PTS (1975-76)
OK, Trottier has the team record. But Matthew Schaefer is the fifth-highest-scoring teenage blueliner in NHL history.
6 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
STEVEN STAMKOS, 19 – 95 PTS (2009-10)
In 2008, then-Bolts coach Barry Melrose said rookie Stamkos wasn’t ready. The next year, ‘Stammer’ potted 51 goals.
7 CAROLINA HURRICANES
RON FRANCIS, 19 – 90 PTS (1982-83)
Francis has the team’s teen point record, but Sylvain Turgeon set the standard for young-gun goals (40) the following year.
8 DETROIT RED WINGS
STEVE YZERMAN, 19 – 89 PTS (1984-85)
After debuting with a 39-goal, 87-point campaign, ‘Stevie Y’ staked claim as the Wings’ future with sophomore year.
9 BUFFALO SABRES
PIERRE TURGEON, 19 – 88 PTS (1988-89)
Sure, Turgeon takes the cake, but 19-year-old Phil Housley’s 77-point 1983-84 campaign was an all-timer.
10 DALLAS STARS
BRIAN BELLOWS, 19 – 83 PTS (1983-84)
Bellows’ 41 goals are the same as Wyatt Johnston’s rookie point total, which was most by a Stars teenager since 1990.
11 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
EDDIE OLCZYK, 19 – 79 PTS (1985-86)
A dream for hometown hero ‘Eddie O,’ surpassing both 28-goal and 75-point bests by Denis Savard in 1980-81.
12 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
ERIC LINDROS, 19 – 75 PTS (1992-93)
Since Lindros’ 41-goal season as a 19-year-old, only four other teens have managed to reach the 40-goal plateau.
13 COLORADO AVALANCHE
OWEN NOLAN, 19 – 73 PTS (1991-92)
The 1990 draft’s No. 1 pick had just three goals and 13 points as a rookie before exploding for 42 goals as a sophomore.
14 WINNIPEG JETS
PATRIK LAINE, 19 – 70 PTS (2017-18)
Laine’s 44 goals are fifth most by a teen. Coincidentally, Jets 1.0 icon Dale Hawerchuk netted 45 at 18 in 1981-82.
15 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
AUSTON MATTHEWS, 19 – 69 PTS (2016-17)
Prior to Matthews’ brilliant season, Ted Kennedy’s 49-game Original Six Era 54-point mark had stood for 72 years.
An asterisk for Carpenter? The lockout delayed Alex Ovechkin’s NHL debut. At 20, he posted 106 points as a rookie.
17 MINNESOTA WILD
MARIAN GABORIK, 19 – 67 PTS (2001-02)
Gaborik set the benchmark at 18 and surpassed it the next campaign. No teen has scored for Wild since 2013.
18 NEW JERSEY DEVILS
KIRK MULLER, 19 – 66 PTS (1985-86)
Muller was a star upon his NHL arrival. He spent seven years as a Devil but remains franchise’s fourth-highest scorer.
19 BOSTON BRUINS
RAY BOURQUE, 19 – 65 PTS (1979-80)
Bourque won Calder and finished fourth in Norris voting after brilliant debut. He’d go on to win the Norris five times.
20 NEW YORK RANGERS
MIKE ALLISON, 19 – 64 PTS (1980-81)
Only teens to score 30 points for Rangers since Allison: Alex Kovalev (1992-93) and Michael Del Zotto (2009-10).
21 ST. LOUIS BLUES
ROD BRIND’AMOUR, 19 – 61 PTS (1989-90)
Best known as a Cane, Brind’Amour has high-water mark in St. Louis and third-best Blues rookie year ever.
22 VANCOUVER CANUCKS
TREVOR LINDEN, 18 – 59 PTS (1988-89)
Ultimately, Linden’s 30-goal, 59-point rookie year wound up as the sixth-highest-scoring season of his NHL career.
23 CALGARY FLAMES
DAN QUINN, 19 – 58 PTS (1984-85)
Thanks to Quinn and Sean Monahan, Flames legend Jarome Iginla has neither the team’s teen goal nor point record.
24 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
RICK NASH, 19 – 57 PTS (2003-04)
Most lopsided production ever? Nash was first player since 1918 with more than 40 goals and fewer than 20 assists.
25 OTTAWA SENATORS
ALEXANDRE DAIGLE, 18 – 51 PTS (1993-94)
Make your jokes, but Daigle was a threat for Ottawa. He was second in Sens scoring behind Alexei Yashin in 1993-94.
26 MONTREAL CANADIENS
JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY, 19 – 50 PTS (2023-24)
When he netted point No. 41 in 2023-24, Slafkovsky surpassed a total set by Henri Richard nearly 70 years earlier.
27 NASHVILLE PREDATORS
SCOTT HARTNELL, 19 – 41 PTS (2001-02)
Forget chasing Hartnell. The Preds have had just one teenager with a double-digit point total in the 23 seasons since.
28 ANAHEIM DUCKS
CAM FOWLER, 19 – 40 PTS (2010-11)
Of the five best seasons by Ducks teens, three have been by defensemen: Fowler, Jamie Drysdale and Oleg Tverdovsky.
29 FLORIDA PANTHERS
RADEK DVORAK, 19 – 39 PTS (1996-97)
Dvorak gets the nod on points per game and goals, but an 18-year-old Aaron Ekblad also posted 39 points in 2014-15.
30 SEATTLE KRAKEN
MATTY BENIERS, 19 – 9 PTS (2021-22)
Post-college, Beniers burst onto the scene. But his offense has peaked with Calder-winning 57 points in 2022-23.
31 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
N/A – 0 PTS
The youngest Golden Knight to collect a point is Peyton Krebs – 20 years, three months and seven days. Just missed it.
32 UTAH MAMMOTH
N/A – 0 PTS
Logan Cooley’s 44-point season at 19 is in purgatory after the NHL quarantined Arizona’s statistical history.
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The Philadelphia Flyers are entering the off-season with some roster needs to address. One specific area that the Flyers could look to improve is their backup goaltender position.
If the Flyers end up wanting to bring in a new upgrade over Samuel Ersson for their backup spot, Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz stands out as an interesting potential option.
With the Maple Leafs having Joseph Woll as their starter and prospect Dennis Hildeby looking ready for the NHL, questions about Stolarz's future in Toronto have come up. If the Maple Leafs do end up making the 6-foot-6 netminder available, the Flyers should consider reuniting with him.
Stolarz had a tough year for his standards in 2025-26 with Toronto, posting a 10-10-3 record, an .893 save percentage, and a 3.28 goals-against average in 26 appearances. Yet, when noting that he had the best save percentages in the NHL in 2023-24 (.925) and 2024-25 (.926), the possibility of him bouncing back in 2026-27 is certainly there. Therefore, he could be a good goalie for the Flyers to take a chance on.
If the Flyers brought back Stolarz, he would give them a new 1B goalie, and he could thrive in a tandem with Dan Vladar. This would have the potential to benefit a Flyers team that is looking to build off their successful 2025-26 season.
Stolarz was selected by the Flyers with the 45th overall pick of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. In 19 games with Philadelphia over two seasons, he had a 6-4-4 record, a .911 save percentage, and a 2.86 goals-against average.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone will miss Game 4 of their second-round playoff series against Anaheim on Sunday night with an undisclosed injury.
Coach John Tortorella said veteran Brandon Saad will draw in for Stone, who got hurt in the first period of Game 3 on Friday.
Stone attempted to return to the game, but couldn't do it after apparently injuring some part of his lower body while chasing down a puck in the first period of the Knights' 6-2 victory. Vegas leads the series 2-1.
Stone had picked up a first-period assist on Shea Theodore's opening goal in the rout, giving him three goals and four assists in nine playoff games this season.
The 33-year-old Stone scored 73 points in 60 games for Vegas during the regular season. The two-way forward has been a mainstay for the Golden Knights since late in the 2018-19 season, becoming the first captain in club history before leading Vegas to the 2023 Stanley Cup championship with a hat trick in the clinching victory.
Saad scored nine points in 49 games for Vegas during the regular season. Game 4 will be his first appearance in this postseason, but the well-traveled forward played in eight postseason games for the Golden Knights last spring.
“Playoff hockey is the best time of the year, so I'm excited to get in and help the team win,” Saad told reporters at the pregame skate.
Tortorella chose Saad over Reilly Smith, who played all six games of Vegas' first-round series victory over Utah before being scratched for every game against Anaheim.
It was certainly a season to remember for San Jose Sharks prospect Filip Bystedt.
As a member of the Sharks' American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, Bystedt took a major step forward during his second season in North America. The 22-year-old forward improved in every offensive statistic and showed that he is almost ready to fight for a spot in the NHL.
The Swedish forward nearly doubled his goal total from his first season with the Barracuda, scoring 22 goals in 65 games compared to the 12 that he scored during the 2024-25 season. He actually did double his assist total, going from 19 assists to 38. Given his strong play, the Barracuda named him their Most Valuable Player as a part of their team awards earlier this week:
"The offensive gameplay is that of an NHL player, but there were some issues in the defensive zone," Elite Prospects scout Austin Broad wrote about Bystedt back in January. "On multiple occasions, Bystedt allowed a player to get behind him and open for prime scoring chances. If he wants to be a full-time NHL player he will need to improve his two-way play, especially as a center."
The other issue that Bystedt will run into as he looks to earn an NHL roster spot is simply a lack of opportunity. The San Jose Sharks have an abundance of bottom-six forwards competing for very few spots. Unless Bystedt forces General Manager Mike Grier to make a move, it's unlikely that Bystedt gets the opportunity to start this upcoming season on the Sharks roster. A chance to make an impact in the NHL will likely come sooner than later, but it'll be up to him to take advantage.
Fake trade proposals have become the norm on social media. Fans around the NHL create graphics proposing trades that often spark plenty of debate online. One recent trade graphic has even sparked an opinion from Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand, who commented his feelings about a Vancouver Canucks/Toronto Maple Leafs proposal.
The trade graphic was created by an account called lane.memeson. The proposed trade would send center Elias Pettersson and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Maple Leafs for the first overall pick in 2026, a 2027 second-round pick and forward Matthew Knies. As of writing, the post has over 4,700 likes and over 500 comments.
Marchand kept his thoughts short and too the points. He wrote, "Hahahahahhshashahhsh …..terrible trade for Toronto". Marchand's comment has generated over 700 likes and over 25 comments.
Pettersson is a player who always seems to find his way into trade rumours. While not on the same scale, the same can be said about Knies, who is signed until 2031 with a cap hit of $7.75 million. All that is known for sure is that if Marchand were in charge of Toronto, he would not be interested in making this trade.
Mar 3, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) reacts to a penalty call against the New Jersey Devils during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
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The Philadelphia Flyers are going to have a boatload of cap space to play with in free agency this offseason, even after they re-sign many of their own players, such as Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale.
As the club's power play continued to helplessly flounder on the big stage in the Stanley Cup playoffs, one free agent began to gain some plaudits in an otherwise barren free agent class.
That's none other than 30-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh, who exploded for 22 goals, 48 assists, and 70 points in 73 games this season while taking over as the team's top point player on the first power play unit.
In the previous two seasons, Raddysh had scored no more than 37 points while playing second unit power play minutes behind Victor Hedman.
Now, on paper, the formerly undrafted defenseman would actually be a good addition to the Flyers, but it's the future risk that brings about many questions.
Age, obviously, is one of them, and with the Flyers looking to integrate Oliver Bonk and/or David Jiricek at the expense of Rasmus Ristolainen and Noah Juulsen, adding another veteran wouldn't make too much sense.
Jiricek, in particular, has the ability to emerge as a top power play quarterback.
With unrestricted free agents, like Raddysh, you're always paying them for what they were, not necessarily what they are or will be with your team. With younger unrestricted free agents, it's a cheaper bet largely hedged on potential.
Behind Rasmus Andersson, Raddysh is the clear-cut second-best defenseman out there on the free agent market this year, and he should command a significant raise on his $975k cap hit (as in, nearly 10x) while getting quite a few years of term to match.
So, by the basic math, the Flyers would be paying between $7- and $9 million a year on the cap to a 30-year-old defenseman coming off a career year with a Cup contender, featuring on a power play with the likes of Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point, and Brandon Hagel.
And the Flyers, of course, do not have even one player of that caliber at the moment. Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone will probably get there, but now isn't that time.
Heading into the offseason, the Flyers absolutely need to find a power play quarterback better than Ristolainen and Jamie Drysdale and fix the units altogether, but there are better ways to do it than throwing a very risky $50 million contract at a player coming off a career year.
If the Flyers want to preach youth and development, they must go that route and find their own guys, just like Tampa Bay did with Raddysh over the last few seasons.
Ducks forward Mason McTavish speaks to the media after their morning skate at Honda Center.
The Ducks look to regroup after a poor showing in Game 3, in which Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner had a natural hat trick and their goaltender Lukáš Dostál was replaced after the first period, allowing three goals on eight shots.
Perhaps the Ducks felt too comfortable, as Alex Killorn alluded to postgame, after having one of their best performances of the season in Game 2. Jeff Viel said on Saturday that the team didn't come ready to play.
"I think we might have gotten a little bit too comfortable and thought it was going to be easy," Viel said. "(Vegas is) a veteran team, so they've been there before. They were going to raise their game for sure."
May 8, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Tim Washe (42) defenseman Jackson LaCombe (2) and left wing Jeffrey Viel (28) recover the puck as goaltender Ville Husso (33) defends the goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
“I think that there's a lesson to take out of today's game,” head coach Joel Quenneville said after Game 3. “Only going to get harder every single game, not going to get any easier. So, let's get ready to go to war.”
Mason McTavish, who was a healthy scratch for Games 2 and 3, will re-enter the lineup for Game 4. Jansen Harkins will come out of the lineup to accommodate McTavish. McTavish is expected to be on a line with Ryan Poehling and Cutter Gauthier.
Defenseman Drew Helleson was not at Sunday’s morning skate and will miss Game 4 with an undisclosed injury. He is day-to-day, per Quenneville.
Ducks captain Radko Gudas is a game-time decision for Game 4, but the expectation is that he will play and slot into Helleson’s spot alongside Tyson Hinds.
Mar 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (7) gets set for a face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
“He’s our guy, he’s the best guy ever and plays so hard,” McTavish said of Gudas. “He’s never fun to play against (while) practicing. So I'm sure he’ll be throwing his body around and winning his battles. He makes a lot of sneaky, really good plays, too, so I'm excited about that.”
“He’s got a great shot, he’s got great vision,” Gudas said of McTavish. “He's going to be great on the power play. Wherever he's going to play, I think he's going to be a big factor for us. We need him to be humming for us to be successful, so I'm looking forward to seeing him back out there and playing a big role for us. He's a big part of this young core, so we're happy to see him back in lineup.”
Vegas’ Mark Stone will miss Game 4 due to an undisclosed injury that he suffered in Game 3. He played just 4:24 before departing during the first period. Brandon Saad will draw into the lineup, making his first appearance of the series.
Ducks Projected Lines
Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke Mason McTavish - Ryan Poehling - Cutter Gauthier Ross Johnston - Tim Washe - Jeff Viel
Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba Tyson Hinds - Radko Gudas Pavel Mintyukov - John Carlson
Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)
Golden Knights Projected Lines
Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Pavel Dorofeyev Brett Howden - William Karlsson - Mitch Marner Brandon Saad - Tomáš Hertl - Keegan Kolesar Cole Smith - Nic Dowd - Colton Sissons
The Philadelphia Flyers were forced to deal with some substantial injuries throughout their Stanley Cup playoff run, and they were never particularly close to getting back some reinforcements, either.
On Saturday night, after the Flyers' 3-2 Game 4 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, we learned that players like Owen Tippett and Christian Dvorak were playing through debilitating injuries: a separated shoulder and sports hernia, respectively.
Defenseman Cam York purportedly played through a broken rib, and Noah Cates went down for the count early in Round 2 with a foot injury.
In the wake of injuries to Tippett and Cates, the Flyers could have used another winger and center, but reinforcements never arrived.
Bottom-six duo Nikita Grebenkin and Rodrigo Abols, who have been out since March 21 and Jan. 17, respectively, weren't able to get close to a return in time for the Flyers.
On the topic of injuries, I’ve heard that forwards Nikita Grebenkin and Rodrigo Abols will only become considerations to return for the Flyers if they make a long run, such as late in a long ECF or early in the SCF#IgniteTheOrange
Abols, 30, had resumed skating just prior to the Flyers' Game 4 loss to the Hurricanes, albeit in a non-contact jersey.
Grebenkin, 23, has been sidelined with an upper-body injury that originally came with a seven-to-10 day evaluation timeline.
A source familiar with their situations told The Hockey News that the Flyers would have needed to play a long Eastern Conference Final, or even reach the Stanley Cup Final outright, for Grebenkin and Abols to become considerations to return to the team and play.
Since the Hurricanes won't begin the Eastern Conference Final until Thursday, at the earliest, this would have meant another two or three weeks of rehab, recovery, and conditioning for the two injured forwards.
Grebenkin finished his first full season in the NHL with four goals, 10 assists, and 14 points in 55 games, primarily featuring on the fourth line with an occasional opportunity to play higher in the lineup here and there.
The eclectic Russian forward is a pending restricted free agent, and the Flyers will have a decision to make on his future with their glut of wingers.
As for Abols, he'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it remains to be seen as to whether or not the Flyers want to bring the Latvian back for a third season for depth or set their sights higher elsewhere.
The Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens meet in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series. The series is tied 1-1 after the Canadiens won 5-1 in Game 2. The Canadiens are favored by 1.5 goals in Game 3.
How to watch Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens
The Anaheim Ducks are looking to even their second-round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4. Vegas took a 2-1 lead in the series with a 6-2 victory in Game 3. Vegas is favored by 1.5 goals. The over/under is set at 6.5.
How to Watch Vegas Golden Knights vs Anaheim Ducks
One of the Chicago Blackhawks' top objectives this off-season should be to improve their forward group. It isn't a secret that they need to improve their top six. Due to this, the Blackhawks have now been labeled as a potential fit for one of the NHL's most fascinating young forwards.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Lucky Ngamwajasat named the Blackhawks among the top potential trade destinations for Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov.
"It's been hard sledding for Bedard in Chicago, as the 'Hawks have yet to make the playoffs in his short tenure in the Windy City. A lack of talent has been one of the biggest culprits for this and a trade for Michkov would instantly give Chicago's franchise player a dazzling linemate," Ngamwajasat wrote.
The idea of the Blackhawks bringing in Michkov is an intriguing one. While the 21-year-old forward had a tough 2025-26 season with the Flyers, there is no question that he has a ton of skill and potential. He also recorded 26 goals and 63 points in 80 games with the Flyers as a rookie, so he has already shown that he can be an impactful offensive contributor early in his career.
Michkov did see his numbers drop a bit this season, though, as he finished the 2025-26 season with 20 goals and 51 points in 81 games. He also had zero goals and one assist during the Flyers' playoff run and was scratched in Philadelphia's Game 4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Yet, when noting that Michkov is still so young and has already put up strong offensive numbers in the NHL, it is hard to bet against him bouncing back. With this, he would have the potential to be a strong pickup for the Blackhawks if acquired.
However, at the same time, the Blackhawks also have several promising forward prospects in their system who have the potential to be special. Thus, there is certainly an argument to be had that the Blackhawks should focus on their current youngsters rather than bring in a player who took a step back in his second season, like Michkov.
This season marks the first time the Sabres have advanced past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since they advanced to the 2007 Eastern Conference Final. The Sabres have earned three playoff series victories over the Canadiens in franchise history.
Buffalo last faced Montreal in the playoffs in the 1998 Eastern Conference Semifinals, a series in which the Sabres won four games to none. The Sabres also defeated the Canadiens three games to none in the 1983 Adams Division Semifinals and four games to two in the 1975 Semifinals. Buffalo has allowed just 12 total goals in the team’s last six games. Prior to this season, the Sabres last allowed 12 or fewer goals in a six-game span in the playoffs from April 20 to May 4, 2007 (12). The Sabres have allowed only one power-play goal over their last six games, the fewest by a Buffalo team in any six-game span in the playoffs all-time.
In his last five games, Zach Benson has posted six points (3+3), including at least one point in three straight contests. Benson’s five points (2+3) in his last three games are the most by an NHL skater age 20 or younger in any three-game span in the playoffs since Wyatt Johnston from April 27 to May 1, 2024 (3+2). A point in tonight’s game would make him the first NHL skater age 20 or younger since Cole Caufield from June 6 to 18, 2021 (five games; 2+3) to register a point streak of four or more games in the playoffs. Benson would be the first Sabres skater to do so since Pierre Turgeon from April 5 to 9, 1989 (four games; 3+5).
Alex Lyon has allowed 11 total goals in seven appearances in the playoffs, tied for the fewest goals allowed in any seven-game span in the playoffs by a Sabres goaltender all-time (Dominik Hasek; April 23 to May 14, 1999). It is the first time any NHL goaltender has allowed 11 or fewer goals in their first seven playoff games (within a single playoff year) with a team since Jacob Markstrom from May 3 to 15, 2022 with Calgary (11). Lyon has posted a .934 save percentage in his first seven appearances in the playoffs, the best mark by a Sabres goaltender in any seven-game span in the playoffs since Ryan Miller from April 18, 2007 to May 4, 2007 (.937). It is the second-best save percentage by a Sabres goaltender in their first seven playoff appearances with Buffalo (within a single playoff year) all-time (Steve Shields; April 21 to May 5, 1997; .935).
Peyton Krebs has registered six points (2+4) in the playoffs thus far and his plus-6 rating through the team’s first eight playoff games ranks first among all Sabres skaters. Krebs’ plus/minus is the best by a Sabres skater in their first eight playoff games with Buffalo since Toni Lydman from April 22 to May 8, 2006 (plus-9). It is tied with Matthew Barnaby (May 9, 1993 to May 3, 1997; plus-6) for the best mark by a Sabres forward all-time in their first eight playoff games with Buffalo.
In his last five games, Josh Doan has registered six points (2+4), including at least one assist in each of his last three contests. An assist tonight would make Doan the first Sabres forward since Tim Connolly from April 27 to May 4, 2007 (four games; 0+4) to register an assist streak of four or more games in the playoffs.
Bowen Byram has recorded four goals in the playoffs and is one goal away from recording the most goals by a Sabres defenseman in a single playoff year all-time.
Conor Timmins tallied the first point of his playoff career with an assist in Game 2 against the Canadiens. Timmins would become the third Sabres defenseman to record an assist in at least two consecutive games this postseason with an assist tonight (Byram, Owen Power).
The Philadelphia Flyers' playoff run came to an end on Saturday night with their 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4. While the Flyers were swept by the Hurricanes, the 2025-26 season undoubtedly was a big success for Philadelphia.
The Flyers took a significant step in the right direction with their rebuild by making the playoffs and winning their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Now, they should be looking to strengthen their roster this summer.
The Flyers' biggest need heading into the 2026 NHL off-season is a legitimate first-line center. Due to this, they would be wise to kick tires on St. Louis Blues star Robert Thomas.
Thomas was one of the most notable trade candidates leading up to the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, and he should continue to generate interest around the league this summer. With the Flyers needing a first-line center, there may not be a better option for them to pursue than Thomas right now.
Thomas is not only a star center, but the 26-year-old is also signed until the end of the 2030-31 season. With this, he would give the Flyers a long-term answer for their first-line center spot, which would be huge.
While the price to land Thomas would be very high, he is the kind of player that the Flyers should be looking to add as they aim to aim to take another step forward in 2026-27. In 64 games this season with St. Louis, he had 25 goals, 39 assists, and 64 points.
