According to TSN's Darren Dreger, "Sources: The Edmonton Oilers are consulting with the NHLPA to see if there are objections that must be resolved before potentially hiring Mike Babcock."
He adds, "Amid allegations of invading players privacy, Babcock resigned in CBJ as Head Coach in 2023. Further investigation may be required."
In other words, the Oilers want to know if they can hire Babcock without issue, potentially to avoid any complications should they go down that road. Dreger notes, "If it’s determined an investigation is required to move forward, sources say the NHL would manage it. At this stage, the NHLPA has declined to comment."
And the drama never stops in Edmonton...
Babcock, 63, hasn’t coached in the NHL since resigning from the Columbus Blue Jackets before the 2023 season, following allegations that he improperly looked through players’ phones during meetings. One reported incident involved several minutes spent reviewing a player’s phone away from team facilities, raising significant concerns.
This wasn't the only questionable tactic Babcock employed in the latter years of his coaching career.
During Mitch Marner's rookie season in 2016-17, Babcock asked him to create a list of his teammates ranked by work ethic, from hardest-working to least hard-working. Marner reluctantly obliged, thinking he had no choice and that all responses would remain private. Babcock then told all the players who Marner had ranked at the bottom of the list. This left Marner devastated and in tears, and his teammates furious — Tyler Bozak reportedly stormed into Babcock's office and confronted him about it.
Many believe this is not a good person. Some wonder if he's even still a good coach.
That said, Babcock is experienced. He's won at the highest level, and coached 1,301 NHL games with the Maple Leafs, Red Wings, and Ducks, winning a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2008. But he's not been in the NHL for years, and he's one of the most polarizing figures in hockey today.
The fact the Oilers are even looking into this won't be met with universal praise.
The Oilers are searching for a new head coach after firing Kris Knoblauch following a first-round playoff exit, and were reportedly denied permission to speak with Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy. Peter Laviolette was just hired by the Los Angeles Kings, and other options appear to be limited.
Laviolette, 61, is replacing D.J. Smith, the interim coach after Jim Hiller was fired last season. The Kings are in transition next season after the retirement of captain Anze Kopitar.
Laviolette has coached nearly 1,600 regular-season games with six NHL teams, most recently the New York Rangers from 2023-25. He led the Rangers to the Presidents' Trophy and the Eastern Conference finals in his first season there but was fired in 2025 after they finished out of the playoffs.
He will be reunited with star forward Artemi Panarin, who was traded from the Rangers to the Kings last season. Panarin had a career-best 120 points in his first season under Laviolette.
Laviolette won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and has also coached the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals. He took the Flyers (2010) and Predators (2017) to the Stanley Cup Final.
He has a career .589 points percentage in the regular season and is 88-82 in the playoffs.
Laviolette is the first coach hired by Kings general manager Ken Holland, who had kept on Hiller after taking the job in May 2025. The Kings made the playoffs after the switch to Smith but were swept in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche.
Only two teams in the NHL remain without a head coach going into the 2026-27 season. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are alone in that category, as the Los Angeles Kings have reportedly hired Peter Laviolette, signing a three-year deal.
For the Maple Leafs, that's the second name that has come off the board in terms of available head coaches.
On June 1, the Vancouver Canucks hired Manny Malhotra, who was linked to the Maple Leafs' gig for some time.
Laviolette was expected to be a finalist for the Leafs, as well as the Oilers, in their respective hiring processes. Toronto's list continues to shrink as the off-season strums along.
In the midst of Laviolette being hired by Los Angeles, TSN's Pierre LeBrun did provide an update on Toronto's search for a new head coach.
According to LeBrun, in-person interviews are beginning this week for the Leafs, marking the second phase of the search. The NHL insider believes that this second phase of the coaching search includes "about five candidates."
The latest name to emerge in Toronto's quest for a new head coach was Joe Pavelski, a retired star center for the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. On top of Elliotte Friedman's reporting on Pavelski, other reports have indicated that Leafs GM John Chayka and his staff may be looking into a hire of a candidate with slightly more experience.
"I still get the sense they're going to lean for someone with a little more experience than Pavelski has as an NHL head coach," Chris Johnston reported on The Chris Johnston Show.
"Doesn't mean he won't get the job, but I still view someone like Peter Laviolette as a prime candidate for this position with the Leafs," he added.
So, with clear reports that the Maple Leafs were interested in Laviolette becoming the 42nd head coach in franchise history, they'll have to pivot as they enter the second phase of their search.
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The Kings have been looking for coaches since their season ended, and it seems they have made their decision. During their hiring process, the Kings have spoken with various coaches to potentially fill the role; among them were Jay Woodcroft and Bruce Cassidy. There were also discussions about keeping D.J. Smith as their head coach, after he was named interim coach following the Kings' firing of Jim Hiller in March.
Peter Laviolette is bringing coaching experience to the LA Kings organization. Laviolette's playoff coaching experience can also benefit the Kings, who have recently struggled in the postseason, as he has won 1 Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Peter Laviolette With The Kings
While Laviolette did not coach last year, he remained one of the top options for teams seeking a new head coach. Laviolette was also receiving interest from the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Laviolette also reunites with former Ranger Artemi Panarin, whom he coached from 2023 to 2025.
Laviolette's coaching style differs from what the Kings have had over recent seasons, as he is more aggressive in his offensive approach while maintaining a strong, locked-down defensive structure.
Another aspect Laviolette brings that can positively impact the Kings is his special teams: in the 2023-24 NHL season, the Rangers ranked in the top 3 in both penalty kill and power play. With the Kings having one of the worst special teams in the 2025-26 season, this could be the exact system change they need heading into next season.
Overall, Peter Laviolette is a good option for the Kings new head coach, as the changes he brings to the Kings organization. His coaching style can help transform the negative areas the Kings need to work on next season while also helping reunite with former players.
Overall, Peter Laviolette brings a new style to the Kings organization that could fix many of the issues they had last season, and with a new offensive and special teams system, the Kings could look very different come the start of the 2026-27 NHL season.
Peter Laviolette is set to become the next Kings coach, bringing championship experience to LA.
The Los Angeles Kings are turning to one of the most experienced coaches in NHL history.
According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, the Kings have hired Peter Laviolette as their next head coach, ending a search that reportedly could have also led him to openings with the Edmonton Oilers or Toronto Maple Leafs.
Peter Laviolette is set to become the next Kings coach, bringing championship experience to LA. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Instead, the 61-year-old will head to Los Angeles, bringing with him nearly three decades of coaching experience and one of the most accomplished resumes in the sport.
Over the years, Laviolette has served as head coach of the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers and now the Kings.
Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) controls the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks AP
Now he inherits a Kings roster that has reached the postseason four consecutive years but has struggled to break through in the Western Conference. Los Angeles is betting that Laviolette’s championship pedigree and playoff experience can help push the franchise beyond its recent ceiling and back into Stanley Cup contention.
This story is still developing and will be updated.
We’ve named numerous players the St. Louis Blues could target at pick No. 11, but today we are going to look at a player who could be available at 11 and possibly at pick No. 15.
That is no other than 6-foot-5, 228-pound left winger Ethan Belchetz.
The Oakville, Ont., native has been blessed with a massive frame and a skill set that should thrive in the NHL. Although his numbers in the OHL this season with the Windsor Spitfires weren’t setting the league on fire, he still posted a very respectable 34 goals and 59 points in 57 games.
Belchetz finished second on the team in goals and fourth in points.
Additionally, Belchetz has had strong showings on the international stage with Team Canada, posting four goals and five points in five games at the U-17s, and scoring four goals and seven points in five games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Belchetz is an interesting case. Drafting him is based on projection rather than what he’s shown so far. As we mentioned, his numbers aren’t poor by any means, but scouts were hoping for a stronger second season in the OHL.
His draft is based on projections due to his size, but he offers more than that. Belchetz, despite being a massive figure, makes nifty passes in small spaces. His playmaking goes a bit under the radar because he scores more goals than he sets up.
But with players like Belchetz, when things finally click for them, they become dominant players. Unfortunately, for some, they don’t always click.
With his size, Belchetz dominates the front of the net and scores many of his goals like that. He drives the puck to the net, looking to score in and around the crease. Another strength of his is his ability to take the puck off the boards. Using his body to win puck battles is one thing, but the ability to control the puck and make a play afterwards is another.
Eliteprospects.com polled their NHL draft scouts and ranked Belchetz as the best power forward. If Belchetz can become a physically dominant, goal-scoring power forward in the NHL, he fits the mold of a successful post-season player. The Blues’ prospect pool, outside of Adam Jecho, doesn’t feature many tall prospects like Belchetz, so he could add an element that they desperately need.
The 18-year-old would require patience, as there are still plenty of facets of his game that need developing, but Belchetz can be a home run swing in the right situation.
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While it will be tough for Game 4 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final to live up to the record-breaking showcase Game 3 provided, I’m expecting another classic between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday, June 9.
My top Hurricanes vs. Golden Knights predictions and NHL picks are calling for Vegas star Jack Eichel to shine the brightest in Game 4.
Hurricanes vs Golden Knights Game 4 prediction
Hurricanes vs Golden Knights best bet: Jack Eichel Over 2.5 shots (-120)
Add the American converting 55.2% of his attempts into shots during the regular season to Eichel beginning 78.8% of his five-on-five shifts in the offensive zone against Carolina, and I’m happy to play this prop to -125.
Hurricanes vs Golden Knights Game 4 same-game parlay
Pairing the game total Under with a pair of Overs in the shots market skyrockets the odds for this same-game parlay, and after three consecutive high-scoring contests, I’m anticipating the pendulum swinging in the defensive direction in Game 4. This SGP is in play down to +800 for me, too.
Carolina and Vegas respectively allowed just 1.23 and 2.19 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 through the first three rounds of the playoffs, so allowing 3.02 and 3.7 is set to prove unsustainable. Of course, I’m also expecting better goaltending with the two teams scoring 25 times despite generating just 20.15 expected goals.
Turning to Carolina winger Andrei Svechnikov, he left his mark on Game 3 with his first goal of the series and three shots on eight attempts. The Russian also sports a high-end 59.4 CF% at 5-on-5 this series, and he paces the Hurricanes in shots and attempts with the man advantage for the entire postseason.
Hurricanes vs Golden Knights SGP
Under 5.5
Jack Eichel Over 2.5 shots
Andrei Svechnikov Over 2.5 shots
Hurricanes vs Golden Knights odds for Game 4
Moneyline: Hurricanes -115 | Golden Knights -105
Puck Line: Hurricanes +1.5 (-275) | Golden Knights -1.5 (+220)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-130) | Under 5.5 (+110)
Hurricanes vs Golden Knights trend
The Carolina Hurricanes have won 20 of their last 25 games (+13.75 Units / 33% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Hurricanes vs. Golden Knights.
How to watch Hurricanes vs Golden Knights Game 4
Location
T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, NV
Date
Monday, June 8, 2026
Puck drop
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
CBC, ABC
Hurricanes vs Golden Knights 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.
As the calendar flips from May to June, and the NHL Stanley Cup final has begun, the majority of significant transactions between now and the start of the 2026-27 season will likely take place over the course of the next four to six weeks.
The Anaheim Ducks find themselves in unfamiliar waters after what could be seen as their first successful season in nearly a decade. They enter the offseason with a projected $38.7 million in cap space, two core RFAs (Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier) to sign to big extensions, two secondary RFAs (Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger) on whom tough decisions will have to be made, and one to three areas on the roster potentially in need of upgrades.
Anaheim could now be seen as a desirable destination for players on the move. Even after RFAs are inked to new deals, the Ducks will still have considerable cap space to add quality players to their roster who could help them now and moving into a bright future.
After feasibly identifying three areas in need of an upgrade on the Ducks’ depth chart (right shot defense, second-line center, top-nine winger), now seems like a good time to identify paths in which general manager Pat Verbeek could go about adding to his group and numerous organizations’ situations they could target around the league.
I’ve decided to break this up by division, so we’ll take a look at some teams in the Pacific Division, the Ducks’ own, and the one some would claim to be the NHL’s “pillow fight” division.
Disclaimer: This exercise is purely speculative. Some players mentioned have been previously reported to be in trade discussions, while others haven’t. This is intended to provide ideas on the type of players the Ducks could target this offseason.
(Alphabetical Order)
Calgary Flames
From the outside, the Flames appear to be one of the few NHL teams who are actually rebuilding and acquiring talent in the form of picks and prospects. Since the calendar flipped from 2025 to 2026, the Flames have parted ways with veterans Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar, and Nazem Kadri, and they could be in the business of parting with more to reset their window and build a contending core.
The Flames enter the 2026 offseason with $22.7 million in cap space, eight picks in the first three rounds of the 2026 draft (including two first-round picks), and a whopping 18 picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts (six first-round picks).
The three names that jump off the depth chart page who could fetch quality returns for Calgary and fit Anaheim’s roster are tenacious two-way forwards Blake Coleman (34) and Joel Farabee (26), as well as do-it-all offensive middle-six center Morgan Frost (27).
Coleman is a two-time cup winner who, even in his later years, can still find the back of the net, is one of the more difficult players to play against in the NHL, and has one year remaining on his contract ($4.9 million AAV, 10-team NTC). Farabee provides a similar skillset to Coleman, just eight years younger, and has two years remaining on his contract ($5 million AAV).
Frost has established himself as a 40-45 point center and can, in theory, provide secondary scoring as a stopgap second-line until a younger player like Mason McTavish or Roger McQueen seizes the role, and after which, Frost could thrive as a third-line center. Frost has one year remaining on his contract ($4.375 million, 8-team NTC).
Verbeek made his first deal with Calgary at the 2026 trade deadline, sending Ryan Strome to the Flames in exchange for a seventh-round pick. Could the Ducks’ GM revisit that relationship this summer?
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks were the NHL’s worst team in the NHL in 2025-26 by a country mile, finishing with just 58 points in the standings (14 points behind the 31st-place Chicago Blackhawks). They’ll have a completely new hockey operations department and coaching staff heading into the 2026-27 season, with new co-presidents of hockey operations Henrik and Daniel Sedin, general manager Ryan Johnson, and head coach Manny Malhotra.
The front office has made virtually the entire roster available on the trade market, and they enter the offseason with a projected $22 million in cap space to complement two first-round picks in the upcoming entry draft.
With five years left on his deal ($5.5 million, full NMC), Jake DeBrusk (29) seems like the most obvious forward to potentially find a new home for the 2026-27 season. Elias Pettersson (27) and Brock Boeser (29) are another pair of contracts the Canucks would likely be looking to move on from, but pose a much more difficult hurdle.
In desperate need of a change of scenery, Pettersson still has six years remaining on his sizable contract ($11.6 million AAV, full NMC). Even with retention, of which one doubts Vancouver’s willingness to retain close to the 50% maximum, the uncertainty around his ability to regain his potency will likely leave many teams (especially ones projected to flirt with the cap ceiling at some point, like Anaheim) extremely wary.
Boeser has a more manageable cap hit ($7.25 million, full NMC) with his remaining six years, but his high-watermark, 40-goal season in 2023-24 seems too distant a memory.
The prize on the Canucks roster, should he be made available, is right-shot defenseman Filip Hronek (28). Hronek is an all-situations defender who could potentially become the coveted long-term, top-pair partner alongside Jackson Lacombe and in front of fellow Czech netminder, Lukas Dostal, should the Ducks look to pursue him. He’s under contract for six more seasons at a cap hit that projects to become more reasonable by the day ($7.25 million, full NMC).
With Vancouver’s recent shift in front office and coaching leadership, they’ll likely want to start building their vision as soon as possible. In that scenario, Anaheim presents as good a potential trade partner as any.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is in the midst of their third Stanley Cup Final series in the brief, nine-year history of the franchise and are currently up 2-1 on the Carolina Hurricanes. Like with most “win-now” teams, they’ll have some decisions to make come the offseason on who within the depth chart to retain and who to move on from.
Traditionally, Vegas has had no hesitation when it comes to moving on from top players if they feel it’s what’s right for the club in order to win in the immediate future. They enter the 2026 offseason with a projected $4.6 million in cap space, and that will likely increase by $8.8 million if/when Alex Pietrangelo is placed on LTIR.
Vegas only has nine forwards and five defensemen on their roster for 2026-27, with top four defenseman Rasmus Andersson set to become a UFA on July 1 and breakout forward Pavel Dorofeyev to become an RFA.
Should either hit a market, Anaheim may be interested in adding one, but if Vegas intends to keep one or both, the Knights may need to move off a contract or two on their current roster.
Three players who look to be obvious options that Vegas may be inclined to move are centers William Karlsson (33) and Tomas Hertl (32), along with goaltender Adin Hill (30). Hill makes little to no sense for Anaheim, but the centers could garner some interest and slot in well in the Ducks’ middle six.
Karlsson has become the exact player Anaheim has needed since the Ducks traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2015, and though he’ll be 34 by the end of next season, he can still provide an extremely positive 200-foot, middle-six presence at the center position. He has one year remaining on his contract ($5.9 million, 10-team NTC).
Hertl had his struggles this season for the Knights, but has increasingly found his footing as Vegas has advanced further into the playoffs. He hasn’t been tasked with killing penalties as he had with the San Jose Sharks franchise, but he still possesses that skillset. He has four years remaining on his contract ($6.75 milion, three-team trade list).
By many accounts, Vegas has become one of the NHL’s true villain organizations, and they seem perfectly happy with that narrative. Is there a trade to be made between second-round opponents in the Pacific Division as one (Vegas) attempts to remain at the top for as long as possible and one (Anaheim) looks to reach that pinnacle in the next handful of years?
Nikita Tolopilo has developed into an intriguing goaltending option for the Vancouver Canucks. The 26-year-old played 21 games in 2025-26 and posted a 6-11-2 record. Tolopilo is in the final year of his contract with Vancouver and will need waivers this year to play in the AHL.
While speaking on the Раскатка and Betera podcast, Tolopilo discussed a potential move to the KHL after the 2023-24 season. He had initially played in the KHL during the 2020-21 season before moving to the HockeyAllsvenskan in 2021-22. Using a Russian-to-English translation service, here is what Tolopilo said about his decision to stay in North America.
"In my first year, when I just played in the AHL, how long was that, two years ago? They threw out the bait," said Tolopilo in his interview. "But I immediately said no. Although at that time, compared to the salary in the AHL, they offered me several times more. But then what's the point of all the work I did to sign a contract with Vancouver, and then a year later, give it all up and leave?"
Tolopilo then answered how much the KHL offered him by saying, "35-40 (million Russian Rubles) at that time. But I still don't think about that. The goal and objective is to play in the NHL full-time." 35-40 million Russian Rubles is approximately $669,408.25-$765,038.00 CDN.
The Canucks have some significant decisions to make with their goaltenders next year. Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen are signed to multi-year deals, while, as mentioned, Tolopilo would need to be sent down via waivers to the Abbotsford Canucks. NHL teams can carry three goaltenders on their roster, but that usually means one rarely sees game action and is used mostly as a practice goalie.
Apr 7, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo (60) in the net against the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Detroit Red Wings' Dylan Larkin (71) looks to pass during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in Elmont, N.Y.
The 29-year-old, who has a full no-trade clause, is willing to be dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Florida Panthers and the Minnesota Wild, according to the Detroit Free Press.
A report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman on Thursday revealed that Larkin, a Michigan native, has requested a trade from Detroit.
Detroit Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin (71) looks to pass during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in Elmont, N.Y. AP
Larkin has spent the entirety of his 11-year career in a Red Wings sweater, but has not seen the playoffs since his rookie season.
In the postseason following the 2015-16 season, Larkin played in five games and scored one goal before Detroit was eliminated by Tampa Bay.
Should he be dealt to any of his three preferred teams, Larkin will immediately play for a contender.
Vegas is currently up 2-1 over Carolina in the Stanley Cup Final, and Florida won back-to-back championships in 2024 and ’25.
Minnesota, which traded for Quinn Hughes earlier this year, recorded 104 points this season but lost to Colorado in the conference semifinals.
Dylan Larkin has a full no-trade clause. Getty Images
As recently as the end of April, Larkin — who was part of the U.S. team that defeated Canada for gold at the 2026 Olympics — said one of his biggest goals in the future was to bring the Red Wings back into Stanley Cup contention.
Larkin, who turns 30 next month, recorded 67 points in 74 games this season with a +3 rating.
Detroit finished sixth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 41-31-10.
Larkin’s current eight-year contract has five years remaining, paying him through 2031 with an $8.7 million cap hit until he is 31 years old.
His full no-trade clause is through the next two seasons, and it then extends to a ten-team list.
LAS VEGAS — The NHL’s best third-period team this season suddenly can’t hold a lead.
Vegas paid for it in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at Carolina and barely escaped after an even more improbable Hurricanes comeback in Game 3.
The Golden Knights’ 5-4 double-overtime victory in Game 3 put them two wins from their second Stanley Cup in four years.
To get there, they will not only need to get ahead, but stay there, beginning with Game 4 in Las Vegas.
That generally hasn’t been a problem for the Golden Knights, whose plus-47 goal differential in the regular season was the league’s best. They also were adept and closing out games in the playoffs, posting an NHL-leading plus-10 differential before Game 2.
Then came a lost 2-0 lead that night and 4-0 advantage that was erased in Game 3. Both leads held well into the third period.
An anomaly for the Golden Knights or something more concerning?
“It’s playoff hockey,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said. “A lot of stuff happens. I’m not concerned about it.”
In both games, the Golden Knights appeared to be in full control as the minutes in the third period were ticking down.
Their defense in Game 2 kept the Hurricanes from mounting much of a threat until Carolina finally broke through with three goals. The Golden Knights seemed even more in control in Game 3, with Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour appearing to concede by changing goalies after the second period.
The Golden Knights very well could be up 3-0 and going for the sweep, but the feeling is similar on the other side. Carolina blew its own lead in the opener, scoring two quick goals in the first period only to let Vegas rally.
“We’re one shot away from being 3-0 in two games,” Brind’Amour said. “So I think there’s a ton of positives. They’re a good team. They’ve got good players. We could’ve won this game.”
Teams with 2-1 series leads in the Stanley Cup Final have gone on to win 80.7% of the time. But if the Hurricanes win Game 4, suddenly it’s a best-of-three with potentially two of those games at Carolina, including what would be a winner-take-all Game 7.
The Hurricanes can look at how Game 3 ended and wonder how differently the series might be playing out. Shea Theodore shot the puck off the boards and got a perfect bounce as the puck deflected off the back of goalie Brandon Bussi’s skate and went into the net. It was Carolina’s second own-goal of the game.
The Golden Knights also could argue that game never should have come down to such a shot.
With the game scoreless in the second period, the Golden Knights had two goals wiped out by Carolina challenges, the first for offside and the second for goalie interference. The Hurricanes’ tying goal came on a mad scramble in front of Carter Hart’s net, and Tortorella opted not to challenge for goaltender interference.
He said the officials got all three calls correct, but was still fuming about his failed challenge for goaltender interference in a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 2.
“The one the other night was wrong,” Tortorella said. “I don’t care what any of you guys (media) said. It was wrong. The puck was there and it was poked. I don’t know what all this crap and this rule, you can’t overrule the official, some of the stuff you guys talk about, it’s ridiculous. I just wish we had the rule that if the puck wasn’t tied up and it went in the net, it’s a good goal.”
In addition to the video reviews that went the other way, the Golden Knights had chances to build on their four-goal lead.
Mitch Marner, whose hat trick in the second period was the fastest in Cup Final history at 6:10, was turned away early in the third period on a breakaway and soon after on a penalty shot.
“Even when Mitch had the penalty shot, I’m thinking, we need to score that one,” Tortorella said. “I’m not lying to you because they came back and scored four. I’m thinking, we need another one just to keep on going.”
The Golden Knights found a way to survive, and now they hope after Game 4 they will be just one win from taking it all.
“I think at the end of the day we’re a resilient group,” Theodore said. “We’ve had I don’t know how many comebacks in the regular season and just grinding to get to this point. We stay calm. We stay collected. Obviously, in the third period, we have to take a better hold of that, but I like the way we reset in overtime and especially the second overtime.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 06: Brandon Bussi #32 of the Carolina Hurricanes stops a penalty shot by Mitch Marner #93 of the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period of Game Three of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 06, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Hurricanes 5-4 in double overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes have one key decision to make ahead of Game 4 in the Stanley Cup Final: Do they actually want to win the cup, or not? That choice is on head coach Rod Brind-Amour, who has yet to decide whether or not his team will behave like an organization that wants to win, or if unwritten rules and hockey etiquette win reign supreme.
Despite Carolina’s overall dominance this season, an undercurrent for the Canes has been the largely abysmal play of goaltender Freddie Andersen. It’s an issue that has been rearing its head for months in Raleigh, and a concern that die-hard hockey fans had entering the playoffs. At no point during the 2025-26 season did Andersen seem in control in the crease. Starting 35 games this season, Andersen posted a horrific 0.874 save percentage this season (61st in the NHL), allowed 3.05 goals-per-game (42nd in the NHL), and only posted quality starts in 31.4% of his games (80th in the NHL). The only thing that really kept Freddie between the pipes this season was an injury to Pyotr Kochetkov, limiting his ascent to become the top starter — but the goaltending situation was complicated by the emergence of desperation signing Brandon Bussi.
Bussi’s NHL dreams were seemingly over before the Hurricanes threw him a lifeline. The undrafted 27-year-old had spent the majority of his career bouncing around the AHL as a middling goaltender, seemingly never getting a chance to step up into the big leagues. The Hurricanes needed a body to put in net to give Andersen some rest, and goodness did he make the most of it. Not only did Bussi eclipse Andersen in every appreciable way during the regular season, but he put up quality starts that ranked him among the middle of the NHL among goalies who started 30+ games this season.
Still, there was hesitance from head coach Rod Brind-Amour when the playoffs rolled around due to Bussi’s relative inexperience. He wanted a veteran presence in net, even if it meant moving away from the hot hand. An understandable choice at the time, and it worked well until the Stanley Cup Final. With Vegas the Carolina defense could no longer manhandle them in their zone with the forecheck and condense the ice, the Golden Knights’ skaters are strong enough to create quality opportunities on goal, and break through the Canes’ defense.
That brings us to Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, one of the most drama-filled, unpredictable, wild performances in the history of the final. A game that saw Vegas score four goals in the second period, including a natural hat trick from Mitch Marner. Andersen was pulled, Bussi got his shot — and he shone with a perfect third period that revitalized the Hurricanes. Carolina scored three goals in 39 seconds, dragged the game to double overtime, and lost on a random bouncing puck that was wholly unpredictable. Even the most biased Freddie Andersen fan has to admit that there was no comparison between the two goaltenders.
At no point did Bussi appear as if the moment was too big for him. Whatever fears you might have about starting him in net were assuaged in one period. Not only did he make the routine saves every goalie needs to make at the cup level, but he did came up big and made saves that Freddie Andersen simply hasn’t done all season long.
Now as we approach Game 4 the Hurricanes have a decision to make: Give the failing veteran the nod once more as a kind of career achievement award, or turn to the hot hand who can actually win them the game? The highs of Freddie Andersen might be higher, but they just haven’t presented themselves in the 2025-26 season. Meanwhile Bussi might be more of a middle-pack goaltender, but he won’t have the same lows.
Middle of the pack is good enough with Carolina’s defense. Middle of the pack is enough to win the cup with the team the Canes have built. The only thing this team can’t sustain is being put in a position where Andersen lets cupcake goals through every single Vegas scoring opportunity, because he barely offers any resistance. There is no doubt this is an emotionally difficult decision, especially in light of the death of Claude Lemieux, Andersen’s agent, friend, and mentor — but the entire Hurricanes organization can’t be asked to squander this opportunity because of one horrible moment. There’s been too much work at every level to play a demonstrably worse player at a time like this.
If the Hurricanes want to win the cup then it’s time to start Brandon Bussi and not look back. It’s the only chance this team has.
LAS VEGAS — Brayden McNabb showed up for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final with at least two dozen stitches in his face that forced the Vegas Golden Knights defenseman to wear a caged helmet for the first time since his youth hockey days in Davidson, Saskatchewan.
“It’s part of hockey,” McNabb said. “You get through it.”
After the Golden Knights took a 2-1 series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes with a 5-4, double-overtime victoryt, Vegas coach John Tortorella was a bit less measured in describing the 35-year-old McNabb.
“When you get this far in the playoffs, it’s not so much sometimes the end result, it’s just attrition and all that goes in (with) what these athletes have to do to play as many games as we’ve played so far,” Tortorella said. “Those are the things you remember. I’ve been fortunate to be in a few playoffs along the way and see some of this. I haven’t seen something like this.
“I heard the players yelling ‘warrior,’” Tortorella said. “He’s more than that. I’m just blown away, how he’s gone about his business.”
McNabb took an 87 mph puck to the face in Game 2 at Carolina, and was taken to a hospital before the game ended.
Two days later, with a flight home in between, McNabb was back on the ice for warmups. Wearing that caged helmet with “mid-20s, maybe 30” stitches holding his wounds together, McNabb nearly logged 36 minutes of ice time, delivered an arena-rocking hip check to Carolina star Taylor Hall, and finished with two assists, including one on Shea Theodore’s game-winner.
“A little tough, but I was able to get through it,” McNabb said. “Felt pretty good for the most part. The cage was different, getting used to that was a little bit (different), but for the most part felt OK, especially felt better as the game went on.”
McNabb’s grit has become familiar to Golden Knights fans. He’s been with the franchise since its inaugural season in 2017-18 and has played in a franchise-record 647 games. He also leads the Golden Knights in blocked shots with 1,416, which is the most among NHL skaters since 2017-18.
“It’s got to be near the top,” Theodore said when asked how McNabb’s performance ranked during their nine years together in Vegas. “The stuff he went through from last game and everything. I mean, it’s incredible for him to kind of bounce back like that and be able to come in today, get ready to play, and I thought he played unbelievable.
As it turns out, the Philadelphia Flyers have virtually no chance of pulling off a Dylan Larkin trade with the Detroit Red Wings, and maybe that's the way things should be.
Larkin, 29, will turn 30 years old on July 30, and while he has scored 30 goals in each of the five seasons and six times in his career, isn't going to turn the Flyers around.
Not by himself, anyway.
After the Flyers made the playoffs this past season, it made sense to throw future assets at players like Larkin, Mat Barzal, and John Carlson--particularly all three--if they were going to keep this up.
But, if the Flyers paid up for Larkin and just Larkin, it's a lateral move on the player's part when we consider team talent and future assets.
According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Larkin only wants to be traded to Minnesota, Vegas, or Florida, and the difference between the Flyers and those three teams is that those three teams are laden with stars and ready to win now.
Again, getting Larkin is a great idea for the Flyers, but they need to arm him with a supporting cast to make it worthwhile. Nothing we have seen in the past year suggests they can do that.
Matvei Michkov, who was supposed to be the team's franchise winger, is getting yanked around left and right and was badly misused in the last season under head coach Rick Tocchet.
It is still unclear if Trevor Zegras, the big addition from last offseason, is a center or winger at the NHL level. If he ultimately sticks as the latter, it doesn't help the Flyers' rebuild all that much.
In goal, the Flyers still have no backup goalie and are set to reward Dan Vladar with a massive contract extension after a late breakout year that was really the only good season of his NHL career to date.
In the end, the Flyers have no business getting into a bidding war with teams like Vegas, Minnesota, and Florida when they aren't really in a position to capitalize if they are successful.
Objectively, the best way to look at it is this: if the Flyers had Larkin, do they beat the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs?
The answer is an easy no, and that's fine. It's for the best.
The Hurricanes are a successful team because they acquire players who can play their system and fit what they are trying to do.
It didn't work with Mikko Rantanen, so they wisely pivoted and turned him into Logan Stankoven.
Here, the Flyers are still in the early stages of figuring out who those players are. Whether or not you believe they should be heading into the fourth year of Danny Briere and Keith Jones' reign is a different conversation.
If the Flyers aren't getting Larkin, they likely aren't getting Barzal either, and we can, by extension, rope Robert Thomas into that conversation.
The best way for the Flyers to evolve into Stanley Cup contenders is to rely on themselves and their own players, like Carolina did. That's the reality of the situation.
Larkin and Barzal were drafted 15th and 16th overall, respectively, so it's not an impossible ask.
Going forward, though, the Flyers will need to freshen their draft philosophy and make better value choices for better team-building.
If not, they'll never draft their own Larkin or trade for a Larkin-adjacent.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 06: Brandon Bussi #32 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Three of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 06, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The primary discussion around the hockey water cooler today is, who should start in net for the Carolina Hurricanes in game four of the Stanley Cup Final.
After allowing four goals on 16 shots, (and two more that were not counted), in the first two periods of game 3, Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour did something extremely rare for him. He pulled his starting goaltender.
After the game, he was quick not to place any blame on his goaltender.
“There was no reason to leave Freddie in there the way that game was going… (Bussi) gave us a chance. (The overtime winner) is a tough break. I hate it for him, because he was playing great.”
It seemed like more of a mercy change, rather than a change to relieve a tired Frederik Andersen. And let’s be frank, Andersen did look tired, to the eye test anyway if not strictly by the poor stats. (.750 save percentage for the game).
Andersen has a SV% of .815 in this series.
Bussi came in and did not allow anything until the goofy game-winner in the second OT. He allowed one goal on 19 shots.
In the first two series of the playoffs, Andersen was outstanding and was rated the best goalie in the playoffs.
He also played very well in the Montreal series, though not as sparkling as in the first two.
But now in the Stanley Cup Final, he seems slower than in the previous series.
During the past three regular seasons, Brind’Amour has rotated his goalies, seemingly with the idea to keep them fresh. Especially Andersen, who has a history of wearing down if over-played.
Then when the playoffs start, Brind’Amour throws out that strategy and plays Andersen exclusively. While the goalie has played well, after the first two rounds his performance drops below what it was during the earlier playoff series.
Brind’Amour has done the same thing this postseason, even though Brandon Bussi carried the load during most of the regular season. Bussi posted a 31-6-2 record with a GAA of 2.47 and SV% .895.
In contrast, Andersen was 16-14-5 with a GAA of 3.05 and SV% of .874.
To be fair, Andersen was the better goalie down the stretch although he was played more often than Bussi. After the Olympic break, where Bussi saw no action, they gave Andersen more starts even though he played during the Olympics.
The coaching staff had made their minds up at this time who the Carolina goalie would be during the playoffs. Up until now it has looked like a good decision, but does Andersen have anything left in the tank?
If you were the head coach, who would you go with?
