TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman revealed Tuesday that his absence in the final weeks of the season was caused by a need to address his mental health.

Hedman, in a statement released by the Lightning, did not provide specifics about what he has been dealing with. He didn't play in Tampa Bay's final 22 games of the season, including the seven playoff matchups in a first-round loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Hedman, 35, had been around the team in recent weeks, even taking part in some skates. But the defenseman's last game was in mid-March.

“Over the past couple of months, I made the decision to step away and focus on my mental health,” Hedman said. "It was not an easy decision, but it was the right one.

“I’ve always believed that being a leader means doing what’s best for the team. In this case, it also meant doing what was necessary to take care of myself, so I can be the best player, teammate, husband and father I expect to be.”

Hedman missed significant time earlier in the season with an elbow injury that required surgery in December. He returned before the Olympics and played for Sweden until tweaking something in pregame warmups before the quarterfinal against the U.S., which kept him from participating.

He told reporters at Tampa Bay's exit-interview day that he leaned on best friend and former Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, as well as Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark, who also spent time away from the Senators to address his mental health.

Hedman — the No. 2 pick in the 2009 draft — has been with the Lightning for all 17 of his NHL seasons, helping the franchise win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in the 2020 pandemic “bubble.”

He played in only 33 games this season, by far the fewest of his career, because of the injury and this subsequent absence.

Hedman thanked his teammates, the Lightning organization, his family and his therapist for their support and said he’s “in a much better place today.”

“This is something that exists in our game more than people see,” Hedman said. “If this moment helps make it easier for others to take care of themselves when they need to, that matters.”

___

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

After what has felt like months of waiting, the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery is officially here. Heading into the lottery, the Vancouver Canucks have the best odds of landing first overall for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. It is safe to say that there is plenty of excitement in the market as the Canucks have never selected first overall. 

While Vancouver finished 32nd overall, that does not guarantee they will win first overall. In fact, they have a better statistical chance of falling to third rather than winning the draft lottery. Below is a quick explanation of how the lottery works and what needs to happen for the Canucks to win.

Only the bottom 11 teams are eligible to win the first overall slot. This is because teams can only move up a total of 10 spots. Below are the 11 teams and their odds of winning the first overall pick. 

• Vancouver Canucks 18.5% 
• Chicago Blackhawks 13.5% 
• New York Rangers 11.5% 
• Calgary Flames 9.5% 
• Toronto Maple Leafs (conditional to BOS) 8.5% 
• Seattle Kraken 7.5% 
• Winnipeg Jets 6.5% 
• Florida Panthers 6.0% 
• San Jose Sharks 5.0% 
• Nashville Predators 3.5% 
• St. Louis Blues 3.0% 
• New Jersey Devils 2.5%
• New York Islanders 2.0% 
• Columbus Blue Jackets 1.5% 
• St. Louis Blues 0.5% 
• Washington Capitals 0.5%

The draft lottery consists of two drawings. As per the NHL, "The first draw locks in the No. 1 pick (and potentially another pick). The second draw determines the rest of the order. If the winner of the first draw wins the second draw, there is a redraw."

As for the draw itself, there are 1,000 eligible combinations. Vancouver has been assigned 185 combinations. Below is a list of the Canucks winning combinations. 

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery is scheduled for May 5, 2026 at 4:00 pm PT. The event will be broadcast on Sportsnet. After the event is complete, the NHL will be posting a video of the draw on YouTube. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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On Tuesday night, the New York Islanders and the other 15 teams that missed the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs will take part in the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery. 

The Islanders, who won the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery with just 3.5% odds (they selected future Calder-Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer), finished this season with the 13th-best odds to win the lottery at 2.0%.

While the Islanders could win the lottery, that wouldn't mean they'd select first overall for a second straight draft. Per the rules, a lottery team can only move up at most 10 spots. 

That means that the Islanders' "winning the lottery" would mean they'd select third overall. That would also mean that the Vancouver Canucks, who have the best odds at 18.5%, would win the lottery. 

The Islanders will either pick third overall, 13th, 14th or 15th. The latter two occur if two teams behind them jump. 

Here are the Islanders' lucky numbers, per team statistician Eric Hornick, with 20 total combinations that would give the Islanders the third pick:

1 2 5 6

1 2 5 11

1 3 4 13

1 5 7 9

1 5 11 12

1 6 7 11

2 3 7 13

2 3 12 13

2 9 12 13

2 12 13 14

3 6 13 14

3 8 12 14

3 10 11 14

4 5 8 11

4 5 8 14

4 6 9 14

5 7 10 14

6 11 13 14

7 9 13 14

8 9 10 14

As you can see, and as Hornick makes clear in his Draft Lottery "The Skinny", the number 14 is incredibly common, appearing 10 times. 

Per Hornick, the odds of the Islanders winning the lottery at 3.5% and then 2.0% in consecutive years are 1 in 1,428. 

So, you are saying there's a chance? 

You can tune in and watch the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery live from NHL Network in Secaucus on ESPN, Sportsnet, and TVA at 7 PM ET. 

The chance for the Nashville Predators to land the No. 1 overall pick is slim, but not zero. 

Entering Tuesday night's NHL Draft Lottery, which will be broadcast at 6 p.m. CST on ESPN, the Predators have a 3.5% chance to land the coveted first selection in the NHL Draft on June 26. 

The winner will more than likely select Canadian phenom Gavin McKenna, who has held the attention of the hockey world for nearly two seasons now.

After amassing 129 points (41 goals and 88 assists) in 56 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers during the 2024-25 season, McKenna made the switch to the NCAA this season, playing with Penn State.

Taking a slight dip in production, McKenna still recorded 51 points (15 goals and 36 assists) in 35 games, helping the Nittany Lions reach NCAA Regional Semifinals. 

The jump from the 10th-best odds to the No. 1 overall selection has happened before, as the New York Islanders had the same exact odds as the Predators do this season at 3.5% going into the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery. 

So you're saying there's a chance 👀

Join us for our 2026 NHL Draft Lottery party on Tuesday at the BetMGM Sports Lounge, where you can play your luck at winning exclusive #Preds prizes! Party starts at 5:30pm CT. pic.twitter.com/lvvbvKUPwt

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) May 1, 2026

They'd win and select defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who is a favorite to win the Calder Trophy this season. 

If the Predators don't wind up with the No. 1 overall pick, their highest odds are to stay at 10th, with a 73.3% chance of selecting there. 

The Vancouver Canucks currently have the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick at 25.5%, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks with 13.5%. 

If the Predators were to win the lottery, it'd be the first time in franchise history they'd select at first overall and the fourth time they've selected inside the top 5. Those previous top-five picks are David Legwand (2nd overall in 1998), Seth Jones (4th overall in 2013), and Brady Martin (5th overall in 2025). 

Odds To Win NHL Draft Lottery 

Via Tankathon

Vancouver Canucks: 25.5% 

Chicago Blackhawks: 13.5% 

New York Rangers: 11.5% 

Calgary Flames: 9.5% 

Toronto Maple Leafs: 8.5% 

Seattle Kraken: 7.5% 

Winnipeg Jets: 6.5% 

Florida Panthers: 6.0%

San Jose Sharks: 5.0% 

Nashville Predators: 3.5% 

St. Louis Blues: 3.0% 

Predators Winning Number combinations 

The Nashville Predators have 35 out of 1,000 unique four-digit number combinations going into this lottery. If one of these combinations is selected, they will win the lottery. 

1 2 3 13

1 2 7 8

1 2 7 13

1 2 8 12

1 3 10 11

1 4 7 13

1 4 8 9

1 4 9 14

1 4 10 14

1 5 6 8

1 7 10 12

1 8 9 13

2 3 7 8

2 3 10 13

2 3 13 14

2 4 5 8

2 4 13 14

2 6 8 9

2 6 8 10

3 4 5 6

3 4 8 13

3 4 9 13

3 5 10 11

3 6 8 14

3 7 9 13

3 7 12 13

3 9 10 14

4 5 6 10

4 5 6 11

4 5 7 12

4 7 8 14

4 7 9 11

5 9 11 14

7 8 12 14

9 10 12 13

The National Hockey League is going to conduct a lottery on Tuesday evening to decide who will make the first and second overall picks in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Every pick after will be in reverse order of the standings, except for the teams that make it to the final four, who will pick 28th-31st. The Ottawa Senators will pick 32nd as a punishment handed down by the league for an infraction made involving a no-trade clause. 

Ottawa originally had to forfeit one first-round pick from 2024, 2025, or 2026. Their pick was given back to them in 2026, but it must stay at 32 no matter what. It stems from a trade involving Evgenii Dadonov, where Ottawa wasn’t forthright about his no-trade list. 

Blackhawks Odds

The Chicago Blackhawks finished in 31st place out of 32. That means they have the second-best odds of winning the lottery and securing the first overall pick at 13.5 percent. They have a 14.1 percent chance of winning the second lottery, which will retain the second overall pick for them. 

There is a 30.7 percent chance they fall one spot to third, and a 41.7 percent chance they fall two spots to fourth. They can go no further down than that. No matter what, this will be the fourth straight year that they make a top-four draft pick. 

Top Prospects

Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are the consensus top two picks in the drafts. Both of them are forwards who bring a different element to their game. Each of them will be part of their new team’s core going forward. 

In the tier below them is another forward in Caleb Malhotra. There are also three defensemen, Keaton Verhoeff, Carson Carels, and Chase Reid, who are all possible top-five picks. There are always going to be varying opinions, but these young men stick out as the likely top prospects unless someone reaches. 

2026 NHL Mock Draft: First Round Projections If Blackhawks Win LotteryWhat would the 2026 NHL Draft look like if the Chicago Blackhawks win the lottery? This mock gives some insight. Prospects Blackhawks Will Consider If Picking 3rd Or 4thThe Chicago Blackhawks may end up picking 3rd or 4th if the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery doesn't go their way. Still, they'd be getting a tremendous player.

How To Watch

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will begin at 6 PM CT on ESPN. The lottery balls will be drawn at the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.

The NHL Draft Lottery is upon us.

Tuesday night in New Jersey, the NHL will host its annual Draft Lottery, where we find out the order of the first 16 picks for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

In what has been of the more surprising developments of the 2025-26 season, the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers are one of the teams in the thick of the lottery race.

An injury-plagued season unlike any seen before caused the Panthers to miss the playoffs for the first time in seven years, dropping a team that is expected to contend for the Cup again next season right in the thick of the mix for the number one overall selection.

When the dust settled on the regular season, Florida held the eighth-worst record in the NHL.

That gave the Panthers a 6% chance at landing the first overall selection.

The way the NHL Draft Lottery works is a very interesting process.

Here is how the NHL breaks it down:

“There are four balls numbered 1 to 14 and 1,001 possible four-number combinations. One combination is designated as a redraw (11, 12, 13, 14), allowing the NHL to divide by 1,000 among the 16 teams that did not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Based on the final NHL regular-season standings and the draft lottery odds determined by the Board of Governors, each team receives an allotment of randomly assigned four-number combinations. Essentially, the lower you finish, the more lottery tickets you receive.”

The NHL Draft Lottery actually consists of two separate draws; one for the first overall pick and one for the rest of the draft order.

A team can only move up a total of 10 spots, so only the bottom-11 teams are eligible to move up to first overall.

For Florida, that means they have the possibility of ending up with the first, second, eighth, ninth or tenth overall selection.

The Panthers will receive the first or second pick if they win either draw, but they’ll get bumped back to ninth or tenth if one or two teams below them win one or both of the draws.

In their history, Florida has actually won the Draft Lottery three times.

They won in both 2002 and 2003 but traded down each time. In 2014, Florida again won the Lottery and selected Aaron Ekblad with the first overall pick.

This year, whoever lands the top pick is expected to select elite forward Gavin McKenna, though Swedish star winger Ivar Stenberg is also under consideration by some for first overall.

Regardless of where Florida lands in the draft order, it will be interesting to see what the Panthers end up doing with their pick.

With Florida seemingly in win-now mode for the foreseeable future, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Panthers General Manager Bill Zito explore trading the high-end asset for a player or players who can contribute to the team immediately.

The NHL Draft Lottery will air at 7 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN.

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Photo caption: Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; A general view of the draft board after the first overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

After a day off in Tampa Bay on Monday, the Montreal Canadiens will practice in Florida before making their way to the state of New York for the first duel of their series with the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.

While the Habs needed seven games to get past the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sabres only needed six games to get past the Boston Bruins in their first-round series. Only two of their games were decided by a single goal, and only one needed extra time. Buffalo outscored Boston 20-12, while Montreal edged Tampa by a single goal,16-15. A single goal decided every single game in the Habs-Bolts series, and four games were decided in overtime.

The Faith Canadiens Put In Dobes Paid Off
The Turning Point Of the Canadiens vs. Lightning Series Didn’t Happen On The Ice
Canadiens Win The Series With Close 2-1 Steal In Game 7

Buffalo had the worst power play efficiency in the first round, only scoring one man-advantage marker in 24 opportunities for a 4.2% success rate. Meanwhile, the Canadiens had a 19.2% efficiency, scoring five goals on 26 opportunities, although three of their goals came in the first game. The Sabres fared much better on the penalty kill, only allowing two goals in 16 opportunities for 87.5%. As for the Canadiens, they gave up five power-play goals on 29 opportunities for a 82.8% efficiency.

In net, Jakub Dobes was between the posts for the Canadiens’ seven games, but the situation wasn’t as stable for the Sabres. Buffalo started the series with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who won the first game, but he was pulled from the second game after surrendering four goals on 20 shots. Alex Lyon took over, and Luukkonen rode the pine for the rest of the series. In five games, Lyon had a 1.14 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage.

Up front, Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch lead the charge with seven points each, followed by Peyton Krebs with six. The Sabres also benefited from a lot of offensive support from the blueline, with Bowen Byram notching five points, while Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin both had four. Meanwhile, the Canadiens were led by Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson, who had six points each, followed by Cole Caufield, Kaiden Guhle, Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Texier, all of whom had four.

This series will mark the eighth time the Canadiens and the Sabres have met in the postseason and the first time since the Conference Semifinal in 1998. Back then, the Sabres had become the third team in NHL history to sweep the Canadiens. However, the Habs have won four of the seven series so far, and they also swept the Sabres once en route to winning the Stanley Cup in 1993.

The Sabres finished the season with 109 points, three more than the Canadiens, but the two teams split their four regular-season matchups. Montreal won 4-2 in October and at the end of January, while the Sabres won two games of their own, 5-3 and 4-2, in the span of a week in January. It’s worth noting that Dobes was in the net for both of the Canadiens’ wins, while Colton Ellis and Luukkonen backstopped the Sabres to their two wins.

While the Canadiens’ top line struggled to make a mark at even strength in the first round against Tampa Bay, they should fare better against Buffalo. Despite having a solid defense, the Sabres do not have the same kind of defensive forward as the Lightning does. Furthermore, in the four regular-season duels, Suzuki put up eight points while Caufield had six. Meanwhile, Thompson led the Sabres with seven points, followed by Noah Ostlund, who had four.

The series will kick off on Wednesday night in Buffalo, with Game 2 on Friday night. The series will then move to Montreal for Game 3, which will take place on Sunday, May 10, while Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12.

---

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Whatever decision that Kyle Dubas and the Penguins make about the status of Evgeni Malkin could be the most important or telling one of the whole offseason. Bring back the 40-year old player and that sets a pretty clear course to try and make the 2026-27 season look a lot like this past year where a scrappy underdog team will be led by legends and try to see how far they can go. If the team decides against bringing Malkin back, that could signal a change in direction and possibly more of a rebuild mode to get younger and focus on the longer-term.

Two recent takes caught our eye; a case for why the Penguins should move on by Noah Hiles at the PG and the opposite side of the coin by Joe Starkey at the Trib. Let’s see who makes a better case.

Joe Starkey: Evgeni Malkin has earned proper sendoff from Penguins https://t.co/VaeIyQrjpU

— Tribune-Review Sports (@TribSports) May 3, 2026

The fact that he is no longer vintage Malkin hardly makes him a liability. He’s also one of the best bargains in the NHL. His cap hit of $6.1 million ranked a laughable 169th among all players and 98th among forwards, according to spotrac.com.

To review:

Cap hit among forwards: 98th

Points per game among all players: 22nd.

The Penguins have had plenty of stars. Malkin is a franchise legend — one of the four greatest Penguins of all-time (third on my list, behind Mario Lemieux and Crosby). His number will surely be retired. He is beloved inside and outside of the locker room. He can still play. He won’t break the bank.

And quite conveniently, he just put a definitive timeline on how long he wants to play. In speaking with reporters at locker-cleanout day Friday, Malkin said, “I want to play one more year in the NHL.”

There you have it. One more year. Surely, you don’t want to see him spend that year in a Washington Capitals jersey (or worse), do you?

…

Meanwhile, so much of his career has been spent in Crosby’s shadow, which has been largely a blessing because it took the focus off Malkin. Next year, however, much of the focus should be on Malkin. And it should mean something, too, that Crosby wants him back.

…

What’s the worst that can happen? Malkin underperforms? His one-year cap hit of $6 million or so won’t exactly bankrupt the franchise. It’ll be OK.

Hopefully, Dubas does the right thing here. If not, the Hoffman family should, assuming the sale goes through.

The great Evgeni Malkin deserves a farewell tour.

Most arguments for Malkin return can center around either sentimentality or the practical nature that he had a very strong season last year. It makes a lot of sense, the Pens almost surely can get Malkin for relatively cheap next year. It would be difficult to find a 50+ point player for a one-year commitment at like $4-6 million dollars. (Pittsburgh did find one such player in Anthony Mantha, but that kind of output is much more the exception than the rule for that class of player).

Starkey lays out a good case. Players who have given 20 years, 1400+ points, two scoring titles, an MVP and three Stanley Cups to a franchise deserve to be treated with respect and deference. If that player wants to play for one more year, maybe they should get that, right?

Not so according to the other take.

Parting ways with Evgeni Malkin won’t be easy for anyone. For fans and players alike, it will be tough to see him in another uniform. Yet, when considering everything at hand, it seems like the best option.

My column: https://t.co/HIDGBSYNcG

— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) May 2, 2026

It’s not unreasonable to believe he can replicate similar production next year. If the Penguins are able to retain Malkin while also adding another younger, more dynamic scorer, perhaps keeping him makes sense. His veteran prowess provides value, and he seems open toward embracing a lesser role.

But even still, it’s worth wondering if the money required to bring Malkin back couldn’t be better spent elsewhere.

Should Dubas want to drastically revamp the roster, this offseason is the time for that to happen

…

The Penguins would be better off letting the 2025-26 season be Malkin’s last in Pittsburgh. As someone who grew up in the area, who fell in love with sports when Malkin was in the thick of his prime, I’m well aware that this opinion will rub some the wrong way.

I understand the connection he holds with the fans. I myself still get goosebumps when hearing the crowd’s roar as he, the last player out of the room, makes his way to the ice just before the national anthem. He’s provided countless happy memories for Penguins fans, and it’s not wrong to hope for more.

However, when it comes to Malkin’s departure, it would be better to be a year early than a year late. The Penguins are already stuck with one franchise hero that’s well past his prime. Kris Letang has become more of a liability than an asset. It’s only a matter of time before Malkin’s game also plummets to that level, and the Penguins can’t afford to have two roster spots filled due to nostalgia.

The problems with this take are two-fold. For starters, the Penguins enter the offseason with about $45 million in cap space. Resigning Malkin won’t or shouldn’t hinder the Pens from revamping the roster as much as they are able to do so. The team had between $11-13 million cap space in 2025-26, they’re very likely to have at least that much room for 2026-27 as well. Whether or not they keep or part ways with Malkin, the financial aspect carries minimum significance.

The other issue is one of projection that Malkin’s game will ‘plummet’. 2026-27 might not be a ‘year too late’ it could potentially be right on time for a final campaign. Malkin was the team’s fifth leading scorer, and tied with Sidney Crosby for first in points per game. Those numbers would likely decline somewhat next season, though it’s an unsupported leap to project disaster.

Anyone is allowed a preference and an opinion, though it’s only the stance of Dubas that counts. It remains to be seen which path he will take. At breakdown day Malkin didn’t appear very confident he would be back next season, which indicates that Dubas hasn’t become particularly serious yet in reaching out to take care of the contract. On the whole, Dubas surely wants to get younger and steer the Penguins into their next era. However, 12 months ago it was looking like young players such as Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen would be ready for featured roles in the NHL in 2026-27. That no longer appears to be the case, the Pens got a big surprise from Ben Kindel’s emergence but they don’t really have a major youth movement impending on the NHL horizon.

If you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to switch into offseason mode as the Pittsburgh Penguins have a busy summer ahead as they look to continue to retool and build off the success of the 2025-26 season that saw them return to the playoffs for the first time in four years. There is plenty of work for Kyle Dubas to attend to and that work starts now as his team evaluates free agents, explore possible trade options, and prepare for the NHL Draft.

Pens Points…

With the Penguins out of the playoffs, all attentions turns to the offseason and what Kyle Dubas has plans to keep retooling the team back into a true contender. There are many avenues Dubas can pick this offseason, which should make him a busy man throughout the summer. [Pensburgh]

One of the many questions to answered this summer for Kyle Dubas and his staff will be which pending free agents to resign and which to let go. Among those pending free agents is defenseman Ryan Shea who put himself in line for a big pay day with his play this season. [Trib Live]

Shea is just one of a handful of players who the Penguins will need to make decisions on this summer. The biggest name among the group is obviously Evgeni Malkin, but Geno is far from the only player without a contract the Penguins could bring back for another run. [The Hockey News]

Two years ago, the Penguins signed Sebastian Aho as a free agent, but not the Aho who immediately comes to mind when you hear the name. Signed to be a depth defenseman in the Penguins system, Aho did not appear in a single NHL game in his two seasons in the organization. [Trib Live]

Second round action is now underway in the Stanley Cup playoffs with three of the four series already through Game 1 with just Montreal/Buffalo waiting to begin. Carolina looks to have already overmatched Philadelphia while Minnesota and Colorado should be great hockey theater. [Pensburgh]

NHL News and Notes…

Remember when we all thought the biggest event of the spring for the Penguins was going to be waiting to see how high they were picking in the 2026 NHL Draft? While the Penguins will not be taking part, 16 other teams will learn their draft fate tonight at the NHL Draft Lottery. [NHL]

NHL Award nominations roll on this week with the Bill Masterson finalists being announced on Monday. Rasmus Dahlin, Gabe Landeskog, and Jonathan Toews will vie for the Masterson trophy this season after comeback seasons from all three. [NHL]

NHL Draft lottery odds and what's at stake for Bruins with Maple Leafs' pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The immediate and long-term future of the Boston Bruins could be greatly improved if the ping-pong balls fall their way in Tuesday night’s 2026 NHL Draft Lottery at 7 p.m. ET.

The Bruins exceeded expectations in 2025-26 with a 100-point regular season and a wild card playoff berth. Despite losing to the Buffalo Sabres in a six-game first-round series, the B’s could still end up with a lottery pick in the upcoming draft.

That’s because they own the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top-five protected 2026 first-round pick, which was acquired as part of the Brandon Carlo trade from the 2025 trade deadline. The B’s also got center Fraser Minten and a 2025 fourth-round pick in that trade.

The Leafs finished with the fifth-worst record in the league this season and have an 8.5 percent chance of winning the lottery as a result. If their 2026 first-rounder lands in the top five,the Leafs keep it. In that scenario, the Bruins would get Toronto’s 2027 or 2028 first-rounder instead. (More detailed pick conditions here).

If the Leafs’ pick ends up being outside the top five, the Bruins get it to complete the Carlo trade.

REMINDER: The 2026 #NHLDraft Lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 5 (7 p.m. ET on @ESPN, @Sportsnet, @TVASports).

Draft Lottery Guide: https://t.co/pFMjPK7m9jpic.twitter.com/3a2MGt9Sg8

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 4, 2026

So, what are the chances the B’s get the pick this year? Boston has a 58.2 percent chance of getting it.

Here are the Maple Leafs’ draft pick odds, per Tankathon:

• No. 1 pick: 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)

The Bruins need at least one team to leapfrog the Leafs in order to get Toronto’s pick. The Bruins had the fifth-best odds to win the lottery last season and two teams (Islanders and Mammoth) jumped over them, so it’s possible. Teams can move up a maximum of 10 spots in the lottery.

Getting the No. 6 or No. 7 pick would be a massive boost to the Bruins’ collection of assets. The 2026 draft has a lot of high-end defenseman prospects, and that’s one area of the Bruins’ prospect pool that needs significant improvement.

The Bruins have a bunch of exciting forward prospects, most notably James Hagens, Dean Letourneau, Will Zellers and Will Moore, among others. They don’t have a top-tier defenseman prospect, and they need one with Hampus Lindholm (32) and Nikita Zadorov (31) on the wrong side of age 30.

The Bruins also could use the No. 6 or No. 7 pick as a trade chip to pursue an impact player. They desperately need another elite forward — preferably a center — to take some of the scoring burden off David Pastrnak. Trading for top-six forwards is tough, but having a top-7 pick is a nice asset to dangle.

Even if the Maple Leafs keep their pick, the Bruins will still get a first-rounder from Toronto eventually. The Carlo trade has been a massive win regardless of when this pick conveys.

But when you look at the ages of the Bruins’ core players, getting this pick now would easily be the most ideal scenario:

• Morgan Geekie, LW, 27 years old
• Jeremy Swayman, G, 27
• Charlie McAvoy, D, 28
• Pavel Zacha, C/W, 29
• David Pastrnak, RW, 29
• Elias Lindholm, C, 31
• Nikita Zadorov, D, 31
• Hampus Lindholm, D, 32
• Viktor Arvidsson, LW, 33 (UFA this summer)

The Bruins have owned the Maple Leafs on and off the ice for a long time. Toronto hasn’t won a playoff series against Boston since 1959, and the Leafs have made a bunch of awful trades with the B’s.

The Maple Leafs are due for some luck in this rivalry. And given the state of their franchise, they very badly need this pick. It should make for a thrilling lottery Tuesday night.

Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division)

Buffalo, New York; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT

LINE: Sabres -130, Canadiens +109; over/under is 5.5

NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Sabres host series opener

BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres host the Montreal Canadiens to start the Eastern Conference second round. The teams meet Saturday for the fifth time this season. The teams tied the regular season series 2-2. In their last regular season meeting on Feb. 31, the Canadiens won 4-2.

Buffalo has a 20-7-5 record in Atlantic Division games and a 50-23-9 record overall. The Sabres have an 18-5-5 record in games they score one or more power-play goals.

Montreal has gone 48-24-10 overall with a 20-10-3 record against the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens are fifth in NHL play serving 10.4 penalty minutes per game.

TOP PERFORMERS: Josh Doan has scored 26 goals with 26 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has seven goals and four assists over the past 10 games.

Nicholas Suzuki has 29 goals and 72 assists for the Canadiens. Josh Anderson has scored three goals with one assist over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 7-1-2, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.2 assists, 4.7 penalties and 11.3 penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game.

Canadiens: 5-3-2, averaging 2.4 goals, 4.6 assists, 5.6 penalties and 11.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

INJURIES: Sabres: Noah Ostlund: out (lower body), Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Sam Carrick: day to day (arm), Justin Danforth: out for season (kneecap).

Canadiens: Patrik Laine: out (abdomen).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Anaheim Ducks (43-33-6, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Golden Knights -159, Ducks +134; over/under is 6.5

NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Golden Knights lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Monday for the fifth time this season. The Golden Knights won the previous meeting 3-1.

Vegas is 39-26-17 overall with a 16-5-6 record against the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights have a 42-6-11 record in games they score three or more goals.

Anaheim is 43-33-6 overall with a 19-13-1 record in Pacific Division games. The Ducks have given up 288 goals while scoring 265 for a -23 scoring differential.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has scored 27 goals with 63 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has six goals and one assist over the past 10 games.

Cutter Gauthier has 41 goals and 28 assists for the Ducks. Troy Terry has four goals and five assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 8-2-0, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.3 assists, four penalties and 8.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.

Ducks: 5-4-1, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.4 assists, 3.2 penalties and 7.3 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: Jeremy Lauzon: day to day (undisclosed).

Ducks: Radko Gudas: day to day (lower body), Petr Mrazek: out for season (lower-body).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

For the first time since 2017, the Anaheim Ducks are through to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With a tall task ahead of them, they traveled to Las Vegas to open up their best-of-seven series against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday. 

The Ducks bested the Edmonton Oilers in six games, finishing on home ice on Thursday. A day later, the Knights wrapped up their series against the Utah Mammoth and immediately turned their sights on the Ducks.

Belief, Short Memory Can Help Ducks Beat Golden Knights

2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 2, Game 1 - Ducks vs. Golden Knights Gameday Preview (05/04/26)

Vegas got a surprise addition for Game 1 of this series and regained the services of middle-six center and former Ducks prospect William Karlsson. Karlsson slotted in on Vegas’ listed third line, between Tomas Hertl and Keegan Kolesar.

Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville elected to deploy the same lineup that earned his club their Game 6 victory on Thursday. Here’s how the Ducks lined up in this one:

Kreider-Carlsson-Terry

Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke

Gauthier-Poehling-McTavish

Viel-Washe-Moore

LaCombe-Trouba

Mintyukov-Carlson

Hinds-Helleson

Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks, as he had in every first-round game. He saved 19 of 21 shots. In Vegas’ crease, Carter Hart got the nod and stopped 33 of 34. 

Game Notes

The Ducks got out to perhaps their very best start of the postseason and played their best 60-minute, 200-foot defensive game in recent memory. They controlled play for most of the hockey game, defended the front of their net well, and created numerous high-danger chances. 

Unfortunately, the story of this game will be a waived icing call in the third period that directly led to the Golden Knights’ game-winning goal by Ivan Barbashev. It occurred 1:05 after Anaheim tied up the game and was pushing to net another tally. 

“Clearly, I disagree with the call, and it was clearly... you know… icing, but their guy stopped skating, which really made me annoyed,” Quenneville said after the game. 

“I didn’t mind the way we played. I thought we did alright,” Quenneville continued. “I thought we were there the whole game. Had a lot of pace, both teams worked hard. It was a heck of a hockey game.”

Jackson LaCombe-Vegas attacks in a much different stylistic way than the Oilers, and it impacted LaCombe’s effectiveness on the game. Vegas is much more savvy on the cycle and can maintain possession for minutes at a time. LaCombe is an elite rush defender, and he played well in all facets during this game, but he’ll have to find ways to render himself more effective deep in his end. 

He had a roller coaster game, as he passed up an opportunity to bury a puck in the low slot that would have given Anaheim a lead in the second period, he led an excellent sequence to set up the Ducks’ lone goal, and following the non-icing no-call, he misplayed Pavel Dorofeyev and allowed him to get to the middle with possession. At his best, LaCombe can be the Ducks’ difference-maker in this series, and he was good, but this was not his best. 

Lukas Dostal-Dostal did enough in this game to win it for Anaheim. Though the shot total was low, the quality of the chances the Knights generated should have earned them more than two goals on Dostal, but the Ducks’ netminder was locked in. 

Dostal was perfect on his angles, tracked movement around traffic, and displayed phenomenal rebound control, getting pucks to stick to him and pouncing on others around his crease. 

Power Play-Anaheim’s power play, a key contributor to the Ducks’ success in the first round, went 0-4 on the power play. Vegas’ penalty kill is elite, leaps and bounds above Edmonton’s, but the Ducks still managed to execute most of what they’re trying to accomplish between their two units. 

Carlson’s unit was able to run their give-and-go sequence with Carlsson and Granlund that led to a couple of quality looks, and LaCombe’s unit was able to find Gauthier on the right flank for a heavy, precise release on a one-timer. Hart matched them all, however, and it could be argued he stole this game for the Knights. 

Game 2 will be right back at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Wednesday at 6:30 PM PST.

Five Key Matchups for the Ducks in the Second Round vs. Golden Knights

Five Anaheim Ducks Storylines Ahead of their Second Round Series vs the Vegas Golden Knights

Ducks to Face Golden Knights in Round Two of 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Anaheim Ducks and the Vegas Golden Knights entered the Second Round as two of the top teams in the league when it comes to goals per game. The Ducks were second in the league with an average of 4.33 goals per game; the Golden Knights were fourth with 3.83. And yet, in a series promising offense, this was a 1-0 game with eight minutes remaining in the third period.

That’s hockey.

The Ducks came out flying and dominated the first period; they held a 7-1 shot advantage at the first TV timeout. They continued taking it to the Golden Knights throughout the first period, but entered the first intermission tied 0-0 thanks to some near misses and remarkable stops by Carter Hart.

The second period followed the same script: the Ducks were the better team, holding the edge in shots and generating more scoring chances. However, they couldn’t finish their chances, and the Golden Knights eventually took advantage of that.

Despite Anaheim’s domination, the Golden Knights broke the ice first, beating Lukáš Dostál 3:14 into the second period. Rasmus Andersson flew up ice in transition and dropped an entry pass for Mitch Marner, who drifted deeper into the zone and found Brett Howden back-door. 

Ducks dominate the game, but Vegas scores first. That’s hockey. Marner to Howden back-door.

1-0, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/tI7EVfvwTj

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 5, 2026

In the third, the song remained the same. The Ducks generated scoring chances seemingly at will, and held a 13-8 edge in shots.

The Ducks finally solved Carter Hart and found the equalizer at 13:57 in the third. Jackson LaCombe blew past Cole Smith, drove the net, and pinballed a pass through a sea of bodies to Mikael Granlund at the right dot. Granlund had an empty net to shoot at, and he didn’t miss.

If you didn’t feel that tying goal coming… I’m not sure what to tell you. Jackson LaCombe with a great play and Mikael Granlund finishes it off into the empty net.

1-1

pic.twitter.com/PhKphIZ0Rj

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 5, 2026

Just over a minute later, the Golden Knights regained the lead after the officials waved off an icing call. Pavel Dorofeyev blew past Leo Carlsson, protected the puck from Jackson LaCombe, and found Ivan Barbashev back-door for an easy tap-in.

Oh, so NOW they’re trying to hit the over. Pavel Dorofeyev with a fantastic play to find Ivan Barbashev back-door and the Golden Knights are right back on top!

2-1, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/f4u8jseT4k

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 5, 2026

Down by a goal once again, the Ducks pulled Lukáš Dostál for the extra attacker with just under two minutes remaining in regulation. They managed just three shots on goal, and Mitch Marner iced the game with a high-flipper.

Mitch Marner with the empty net goal of all time. Burger flip from looooooooong range.

3-1, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/9DbHJoqlXq

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 5, 2026

“I don’t think anyone in that locker room is very satisfied with that win,” said Marner following the 3-1 victory. “We know we can play a lot better. I don’t think we got to our game at all… We know we’ve got to be better.”

Three Takeaways of the Knight

1. The officials made themselves the story with the controversial no-call on Ivan Barbashev’s game-winning goal. Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe won the race to the puck, but the officials waved off icing; seconds later, the Golden Knights scored. Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville was irate behind the bench, and he didn’t change his tune during his postgame media availability.

“Clearly, I disagreed with the call. Clearly, it was icing,” Quenneville said. “Their guy stopped skating… We’d just scored. It was a huge call, and it was an easy call.”

Following the game, the officials declined to speak with the pool reporter or make a statement about the non-call.

2. The Golden Knights, who only allowed one goal when down a man in the First Round, continue to ice a dominant penalty kill. In the First Round, the Ducks converted on 50% of their power play opportunities. Tonight, they went 0-for-4 on the man advantage.

“I think our penalty kill has been really consistent,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella postgame. “I think they feel confident. The biggest thing with our penalty kill starting to take off a little bit is going together. If we’re going to be aggressive, we’re moving in all together, and all four guys are aggressive. If we have to sit tight and hold on, we do that, blocking shots at key times.

“A really important part of the game tonight, as far as them doing their work,” Tortorella finished.

3. The Golden Knights were the second-best team on the ice and should not have won this game tonight. However, their goaltender bailed them out; Carter Hart finished the game with a .971 SV% and a 2.08 GSAx.

“He was our best player tonight,” said Tortorella postgame. “We struggled to find our game… But Carter, he was outstanding.”

“Phenomenal game by him,” agreed forward Brett Howden. “Early on, especially, we didn’t have our best, and he really kept us in it. He gave us a really good chance, and continued that throughout the whole game. He played a great game.”

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Taylor Hall slipped the puck past Dan Vladar at 18:54 of overtime to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Monday night, taking a 2-0 lead in their second-round series in the NHL playoffs.

Hall took a short feed from Sean Walker and carried the puck in on the left side before being knocked to his knees near the top of the crease. But Hall hopped up as Jackson Blake battled for the loose puck, corralled it and beat Vladar to cap a night that saw the Hurricanes fall behind 2-0 quickly for their first deficit of the postseason.

The series shifts to Philadelphia for Thursday’s Game 3.

Seth Jarvis had the third-period goal that forced overtime for Carolina, while Nikolaj Ehlers also scored. Frederik Andersen finished with 34 saves to help the Hurricanes improve to 6-0 in the postseason.

Vladar had 40 saves, including twice stopping Carolina’s Eric Robinson on second-period breakaways. He also got a timely bit of help in that period from Travis Sanheim, who cleared a loose puck that had slipped behind Vladar in the crease to deny Carolina a tying score.Taylor Hall slipped the puck past Dan Vladar at 18:54 of overtime to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Monday night, taking a 2-0 lead in their second-round series in the NHL playoffs.

Hall took a short feed from Sean Walker and carried the puck in on the left side before being knocked to his knees near the top of the crease. But Hall hopped up as Jackson Blake battled for the loose puck, corralled it and beat Vladar to cap a night that saw the Hurricanes fall behind 2-0 quickly for their first deficit of the postseason.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, DUCKS 1

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Ivan Barbashev scored off a terrific pass from Pavel Dorofeyev with 4:58 left to put the Golden Knights ahead for good, and Vegas went on to defeat Anaheim in the opener of their second-round series.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Las Vegas.

Barbashev took advantage after officials did not call icing, which didn’t sit well with Ducks coach Joel Quenneville, who was clearly upset on the bench.

Vegas’ Brett Howden extended his goal streak to a career-long four games, his fifth over that span. Mitch Marner, who also assisted on Howden’s goal, added a 162-foot empty-net goal with 6 seconds left and Carter Hart made 33 stops.

Mikael Granlund scored for Anaheim, and Lukas Dostal recorded 19 saves.