Category: Ice Hockey

With Steve Staios seemingly looking to build the Ottawa Senators’ roster along the lines of the Florida Panthers’ model, how does he intend to deal with his six unrestricted free agents as July 1st approaches?

With UFAs Claude Giroux, Nick Cousins, Adam Gaudette, Matthew Highmore, Travis Hamonic and Anton Forsberg all needing new deals, the main question for Staios should be:

“How do these guys fit with what we are trying to do here?”

If the Panthers are the prototype, clearly the Senators are looking to become more difficult to play against through physical play, puck possession and structure. Those are three things that the Panthers have in abundance, and their three playoff opponents to date can attest to that.

This is the Senators’ current depth chart of players who are under contract on one-way deals for next season.

Forwards

Tkachuk-Stutzle-X
Perron-Cozens-Batherson
Greig-Pinto-Amadio
X-X-MacEwen

Defence

Sanderson-Zub
Chabot-Jensen
Kleven-Matinpalo

Goalies

Ullmark
Sogaard

So let’s take a look at the Senators’ pending UFAs and each of their situations.

Claude Giroux

RFA Fabian Zetterlund will surely get a qualifying offer that he can decline so that the Senators maintain his rights and then work with him to avoid arbitration.

The acquisition of Zetterlund, a gritty player with offensive upside, at the trade deadline last season came at the expense of losing a less-developed but more raw and gritty player in Zack Ostapchuk.

Given his age (25), right shot and commitment to physical fitness, it almost feels like Staios is planning for life beyond Giroux. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t want both in the lineup, but Giroux has much more past than future remaining, and the Senators aren’t likely to take a step forward with him in the top six.

At first glance, it would seem that rather than going after higher-priced free agents, Zetterlund might be signed to a longer-term deal to fill that hole in the top six.

Given his low level of production after being acquired, it would be normal to question such a move. However, the same thing happened when Zetterlund was acquired mid-season by the Sharks from the Devils in 2022-23. He only registered three points in 22 games.

The following season and this past season, he was trending upward until he got traded. Perhaps he just takes a little longer to get acclimated.

If that's what the Sens are counting on, is there a place in the current configuration for Giroux on the kind of contract he’ll want? There is talk that the veteran winger and the team are interested in making a deal and the number being bandied about is $3 million with some bonus structure.

Would Giroux accept a bottom-six role if he still got to be on the power play, penalty kill and to play up in the lineup when injuries arise? If the Sens sign Zetterlund to a longer, higher-paying deal, it may further diminish Giroux's role here.

Will RFA Fabian Zetterlund Get Paid On His San Jose Numbers Or The Ones In Ottawa?Fabian Zetterlund has only been an Ottawa Senator for a couple of months, and he’s already asking the club for a raise. That wouldn’t fly in a normal workplace, but that’s how it goes in the NHL when you bring in a pending restricted free agent at the trade deadline.

Nick Cousins

Cousins came in on a show-me contract for one year after winning the Stanley Cup. Cousins’ 15 points in 50 games were better than the 15 in 69 he had the year before. His veteran presence has value to the team, to be sure. However, if Zetterlund and Giroux are back, how many of the same guys are going to return?

The Senators can’t just ice the same squad that lost to the Leafs in round one.

Cousins would likely be re-signed if the money made sense. But he’s almost 32, and probably looking for more than one year at more than league minimum. With $16.6 million in projected cap space, the Zetterlund and Giroux deals, if they happen, might eat up close to half of that. Also, his being healthy-scratched in game one of the Leafs’ series was conspicuous to say the least.

Adam Gaudette

Gaudette established himself as a full-time NHLer last year, and it was a great story of reinvention. He may also want more term and money than one might want to pay. Gaudette may fit with what the Senators are trying to do, but again, what is his ceiling? And does he truly fit with a team trying to become harder to play against in a playoff series?

Look for Gaudette to find a home elsewhere and get a nice video tribute in his first game back.

Matthew Highmore

Highmore may not be a full-time NHLer, but Travis Green clearly likes him, and teams do need depth. Look for Highmore to return on one of those higher-paying AHL contracts with a league-minimum cap hit when he's in the show.

Travis Hamonic

It was all class the way the Senators made sure that Travis Hamonic got his 900th game in game 82 against the Hurricanes. With all due respect, if he gets to 901, it should be with another team.

Anton Forsberg

With Forsberg having a $2.75 million cap hit last season, it’s likely that the Senators will take those savings and let Sogaard and Merilainen battle it out for the backup job.

Why Is Ottawa Senators Defenceman Nick Jensen So Guarded About His Lower-Body Injury?Ottawa Senators defenceman Nick Jensen has reportedly undergone surgery for a lingering lower-body injury. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reported this week that, according to league sources, Jensen had the procedure done in New York on Monday and admitted the injury was something he played through for the final few months of the season. He rarely participated in practice because of it.

One big wildcard is Nick Jensen. Jensen isn’t a UFA, but the state of his health could affect the team’s spending plans. He’s projected to be ready for training camp, but the team was very cagey about his health status in the second half of the season. If the Sens have to bring in some impactful right-handed defence help, that could alter plans.

No matter what happens, it's going to be an interesting month.

Pat Maguire
The Hockey News Ottawa

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Building A Contender: What The Ottawa Senators Can Learn From The Oilers And Panthers

Even before the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers start the 2025 Stanley Cup final on Wednesday, they’ve already appeared in more post-season games than any other team in the league since the NHL went back to its regular playoff format in the 2021-22 season.

Here’s the top five:

1. Florida Panthers: 72 games
2. Edmonton Oilers: 69 games
3. Dallas Stars: 63 games
4. Carolina Hurricanes: 55 games
5. Colorado Avalanche: 45 games

Meanwhile, eight teams missed the playoffs entirely in all four of those seasons, and three more have played just a single series. That’s more than a third of the league.

The Stars and Hurricanes may still be hurting from their eliminations last week. But their spots in third and fourth place on that list serve as a good reminder of how much both those teams have achieved over the last four years.

Plenty of their peers would trade places in a heartbeat.

Multiple long playoff runs tell other players and agents that you’ve got a good thing going in your dressing room and your organization. That helps attract new talent and generates lots of valuable playoff gate revenue and merch sales, which keeps your owner happy.

So, despite the Stars’ dramatic flameout in Game 5, which opened up a potential rift between coach Peter DeBoer and franchise goaltender Jake Oettinger, Dallas owner Tom Gaglardi backed his bench boss in a big way when he spoke to Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News the very next morning. 

“He’s a top-three, top-five coach in the league,” Gaglardi said. “You think I want to be going into the coaching market right now, do you see who’s getting hired? Pete’s a seasoned coach. I’m just one voice in the discussion, but I don’t see (firing) Pete being on anyone’s agenda.”

DeBoer, 56, doesn’t have a Cup and has never been a Jack Adams finalist. But he did reach the Stanley Cup final with the New Jersey Devils back in 2012 and has made the conference final six times in the last eight years with the San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights and now the Stars.

That’s why he has never been out of work for long. And while DeBoer has become the league’s seventh-longest-tenured coach after just three seasons in Dallas and is now heading into the final year of his current contract, Gaglardi would prefer not to make a change just for the sake of change.

That being said, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported on Monday that other voices in the organization are not happy with DeBoer. Can they calm the waters, or will this tidal wave of emotion and frustration sweep the coach out to sea?

In terms of their roster, the Stars are at a bit of a natural crossroads. With less than $5 million in available cap space, per PuckPedia, and longtime captain Jamie Benn heading toward UFA status just weeks before his 36th birthday, there’s an opportunity to reframe the team’s leadership. 

That said, GM Jim Nill told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic they wanted to keep Benn last September. 

“We’ll figure something out. He’s going to be a Dallas Star for life,” Nill said.

Even at a lower price tag, bringing back Benn would mean cutting back elsewhere. Decisions will need to be made on veterans Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund and Evgenii Dadonov, who are also pending UFAs. 

Young stars Jason Robertson and Thomas Harley are also one year away from becoming RFAs with arbitration rights. They’ll both be eligible to sign extensions starting on July 1.

With inflation expected to hit NHL salaries in a big way once the cap starts climbing this summer, history may eventually show that Nill got good value when he signed Mikko Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston to long-term extensions in March. In the meantime, those moves will leave him operating from a position of weakness as he tries to retool his group to take that elusive next step without sliding backward.

Damage Limitation In Carolina

As for the Hurricanes, they have plenty to be proud of. 

In 2023-24, they only won one playoff round, and then they lost Jake Guentzel, Brady Skjei, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Teuvo Teravainen, Stefan Noesen and Brett Pesce during the off-season. Superboss Don Waddell also moved on to Columbus, handing the GM reins to first-timer Eric Tulsky. 

In the aftermath of July 1, most observers thought the Canes’ window had closed – including coach Rod Brind’Amour. 

“When I walked into this summer, with the pieces that left this organization, I was like 'I don't think we're going to make the playoffs,' ” the coach said during his exit interview last week. 

And while the Hurricanes did drop by 12 points in the regular-season standings and endured six weeks of drama during Rantanen’s brief stay, they cruised through their early series against the Devils and Washington Capitals in impressive fashion before falling to the mighty Panthers. 

They even snapped their long conference final losing streak with a decisive Game 4 win against the Panthers.  And having three conference final appearances on their resume in the seven years since they returned to the playoff picture in 2019 is a feature, not a bug, in the Tom Dundon era.

After last year’s major roster reconstruction, this summer should be less of a storm surge and more of a gentle breeze in Cane country. 

Brind’Amour has most of the pieces in place that he needs to run it back, and Tulsky has $28 million in cap space to chase after another superstar, if a fit is available.

The NHL likes to promote its parity and how any team can win on any given night. For now, the Stars and Hurricanes have separated themselves from the rest of the chase pack when the games really matter. 

Job 1 for next season will be to avoid backsliding. Then, they can take another run at building on what they’ve learned from their battle scars.

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The 2025 NHL Entry Draft is 24 days away, and the Seattle Kraken are slated to make the eighth overall pick in the first round. 

The Kraken have selected forwards with their first-round pick in four consecutive drafts, selecting Matty Beniers (2nd overall in 2021), Shane Wright (fourth overall in 2022), Eduard Sale (20th overall in 2023) and Berkly Catton (eighth overall in 2024). The Kraken's prospect pool is filled with skilled forwards but lacks on the defensive end, and it's why many draft experts expect the Kraken to select a defenseman.

If they go this route, the top-ranked defenseman at the moment is Radim Mrtka. For most of the season, Mrtka was the second-ranked defenseman in the class, but recently, he's seen his name rise in the rankings. 

It's not hard to see why so many draft experts are high on the 17-year-old. Listed at 6'6, 216 lbs, the right-handed defenseman is known as a mobile defenseman despite his large frame. He registered three goals and 35 points in 42 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL. 

Before joining the Thunderbirds, Mrtka played 20 games in Czechia, both in the top professional league and in their U-20 league. He recorded one assist in 10 games in the first division and added four assists in 10 games in the U-20 league. 

Mrtka projects to have a solid two-way game in the NHL. His size has allowed him to dominate on the defensive side of the puck, and his skating, combined with his puck skills, gives him the potential to be a threat offensively. At the moment, he doesn't have a very overpowering shot, but with his size, it wouldn't be too surprising to see him develop one as he gets older. 

There's a reason @NHL scouts are enamoured with @SeattleTbirds d-man Radim Mrtka for the 2025 #NHLDraft! 🇨🇿 #U18MensWorldspic.twitter.com/yHpUcjNwJQ

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) April 24, 2025

He has all the makings of a potential top-pairing or top-four defenseman in the NHL, and with the right development, he could get there. With right-handed defensemen Brandon Montour and Adam Larsson currently on the roster, it would provide Mrtka with great leaders to learn from. Montour would help Mrtka on the offensive side of the puck, and Larsson on the defensive. 

Mrtka would be a safe pick at pick No.8 and would instantly become the Kraken's best defensive prospect, joining a list consisting of Ty Nelson, Caden Price, Lukas Dragicevic and Ville Ottavainen. 

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

Kraken Will Have The Eighth-Overall Pick In The 2025 NHL Draft The Seattle Kraken will make the eighth selection of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft after moving down two spots in the draft lottery.

Everything to know about the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to NHL playoff MVP originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Lord Stanley isn’t the only piece of hardware that will be awarded in the Stanley Cup Final.

One player from the Edmonton Oilers or the defending champion Florida Panthers will be honored as the most valuable player in the 2025 NHL playoffs with the Conn Smythe Trophy. And the rare Cup Final rematch could see a repeat award winner.

Oilers star Connor McDavid earned the 2024 Conn Smythe in a losing Cup Final effort, and the three-time Hart Trophy winner enters this year’s NHL championship round with a playoff-high 26 points (6 goals, 20 assists). McDavid’s co-star, Leon Draisaitl, is also a Conn Smythe Trophy contender as he sits second in points with 25 (7 goals, 18 assists).

The one-time champion Panthers, meanwhile, could have their first Conn Smythe Trophy winner in franchise history. Captain Aleksander Barkov (17 points), forward Matthew Tkachuk (16) and center Sam Bennett (16) lead 10 Florida skaters with at least 10 points entering the Cup Final. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is putting together a strong Conn Smythe Trophy resume as well, as he sports a 2.11 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.

So, how is the Conn Smythe Trophy winner determined? And has there ever been a back-to-back winner? Here’s everything to know about the NHL playoff MVP award:

What is the Conn Smythe Trophy and when was it first awarded?

The Conn Smythe Trophy is a postseason award given to the most valuable player in the playoffs. It debuted in the 1965 postseason.

Historically, most Conn Smythe Trophy winners have come from the team that also won the Stanley Cup. Though, there have been a handful of instances where a player who lost in the Cup Final was awarded the trophy.

The award is named after former Toronto Maple Leafs owner, president, general manager and coach Conn Smythe. It was under Smythe’s ownership that the Leafs changed their name from the St. Pats and that the Maple Leaf Gardens arena was constructed. A mini replica of the venue and a Maple Leaf are among the trophy’s features.

How is the Conn Smythe Trophy winner determined?

The Conn Smythe Trophy is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Seventeen PHWA members were included in the 2024 vote.

When is the Conn Smythe Trophy winner announced?

The winner is both selected and announced following the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final.

Who won the first Conn Smythe Trophy?

Hall of Fame center Jean Béliveau won the inaugural Conn Smythe Trophy in 1965. Béliveau tallied eight goals, including four game-winners, and eight assists over 13 games as the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.

Who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2024?

Connor McDavid was a near-unanimous Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 2024 despite Edmonton falling to Florida in the Cup Final. McDavid earned 16 of 17 first-place votes after racking up the most assists (34) and points (42) in the postseason. He was also the leading scorer in the Cup Final with 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists).

McDavid is one of only a handful of players to ever take home the Conn Smythe Trophy without also winning the Stanley Cup.

Who has won the most Conn Smythe Trophies?

Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy owns the most Conn Smythe Trophies with three. Roy won two with the Canadiens (1986, 1993) and one with the Colorado Avalanche (2001).

There are five other multi-time Conn Smythe Trophy winners: defenseman Bobby Orr (1970, 1972), goalie Bernie Parent (1974, 1975), center Wayne Gretzky (1985, 1988), center Mario Lemieux (1991, 1992) and center Sidney Crosby (2016, 2017).

Have there been a back-to-back Conn Smythe Trophy winner?

Parent, Lemieux and Crosby were all back-to-back winners, and McDavid has a chance to do the same this year.

How many Conn Smythe Trophy winners have come from the losing team?

There have been six instances where the Conn Smythe Trophy recipient was on the team that lost in the Cup Final.

Who are the Conn Smythe Trophy winners from losing teams?

Four of the six Conn Smythe winners from non-champions were goalies:

• 2024: Connor McDavid, center, Edmonton Oilers
• 2003: Jean-Sebastien Giguere, goalie, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
• 1987: Ron Hextall, goalie, Philadelphia Flyers
• 1976: Reggie Leach, winger, Philadelphia Flyers
• 1968: Glenn Hall, goalie, St. Louis Blues
• 1966: Roger Crozier, goalie, Detroit Red Wings

How many goalies have won the Conn Smythe Trophy?

The Conn Smythe Trophy has gone to a goalie 17 total times,with Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning being the position’s most recent winner in 2021.

List of Conn Smythe Trophy winners by year

Here’s a full look at every Conn Smythe Trophy winner:

• 2024: Connor McDavid, center, Edmonton Oilers*
• 2023: Jonathan Marchessault, center, Vegas Golden Knights
• 2022: Cale Makar, defenseman, Colorado Avalanche
• 2021: Andrei Vasilevskiy, goalie, Tampa Bay Lightning
• 2020: Victor Hedman, defenseman, Tampa Bay Lightning
• 2019: Ryan O’Reilly, center, St. Louis Blues
• 2018: Alex Ovechkin, winger, Washington Capitals
• 2017: Sidney Crosby, center, Pittsburgh Penguins
• 2016: Sidney Crosby, center, Pittsburgh Penguins
• 2015: Duncan Keith, defenseman, Chicago Blackhawks
• 2014: Justin Williams, winger, Los Angeles Kings
• 2013: Patrick Kane, winger, Chicago Blackhawks
• 2012: Jonathan Quick, goalie, Los Angeles Kings
• 2011: Tim Thomas, goalie, Boston Bruins
• 2010: Jonathan Toews, center, Chicago Blackhawks
• 2009: Evgeni Malkin, center, Pittsburgh Penguins
• 2008: Henrik Zetterberg, center, Detroit Red Wings
• 2007: Scott Niedermayer, defenseman, Anaheim Ducks
• 2006: Cam Ward, goalie, Carolina Hurricanes
• 2004: Brad Richards, center, Tampa Bay Lightning
• 2003: Jean-Sebastien Giguere, goalie, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
• 2002: Nicklas Lidstrom, defenseman, Detroit Red Wings
• 2001: Patrick Roy, goalie, Colorado Avalanche
• 2000: Scott Stevens, defenseman, New Jersey Devils
• 1999: Joe Nieuwendyk, center, Dallas Stars
• 1998: Steve Yzerman, center, Detroit Red Wings
• 1997: Mike Vernon, goalie, Detroit Red Wings
• 1996: Joe Sakic, center, Colorado Avalanche
• 1995: Claude Lemieux, winger, New Jersey Devils
• 1994: Brian Leetch, defenseman, New York Rangers
• 1993: Patrick Roy, goalie, Montreal Canadiens
• 1992: Mario Lemieux, center, Pittsburgh Penguins
• 1991: Mario Lemieux, center, Pittsburgh Penguins
• 1990: Bill Ranford, goalie, Edmonton Oilers
• 1989: Al MacInnis, defenseman, Calgary Flames
• 1988: Wayne Gretzky, center, Edmonton Oilers
• 1987: Ron Hextall, goalie, Philadelphia Flyers
• 1986: Patrick Roy, goalie, Montreal Canadiens
• 1985: Wayne Gretzky, center, Edmonton Oilers
• 1984: Mark Messier, winger/center, Edmonton Oilers
• 1983: Billy Smith, goalie, New York Islanders
• 1982: Mike Bossy, winger, New York Islanders
• 1981: Butch Goring, center, New York Islanders
• 1980: Bryan Trottier, center, New York Islanders
• 1979: Bob Gainey, winger, Montreal Canadiens
• 1978: Larry Robinson, defenseman, Montreal Canadiens
• 1977: Guy Lafleur, winger, Montreal Canadiens
• 1976: Reggie Leach, winger, Philadelphia Flyers
• 1975: Bernie Parent, goalie, Philadelphia Flyers
• 1974: Bernie Parent, goalie, Philadelphia Flyers
• 1973: Yvan Cournoyer, winger, Montreal Canadiens
• 1972: Bobby Orr, defenseman, Boston Bruins
• 1971: Ken Dryden, goalie, Montreal Canadiens
• 1970: Bobby Orr, defenseman, Boston Bruins
• 1969: Serge Savard, defenseman, Montreal Canadiens
• 1968: Glenn Hall, goalie, St. Louis Blues
• 1967: Dave Keon, center, Toronto Maple Leafs
• 1966: Roger Crozier, goalie, Detroit Red Wings
• 1965: Jean Beliveau, center, Montreal Canadiens

It looks like the Vancouver Canucks are beginning to fill out their coaching staff. As reported by Thomas Drance of The Athletic earlier today, it appears that the Canucks will be bringing in former Chicago Blackhawks assistant coach Kevin Dean to help new head coach Adam Foote lead the team. 

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Dean was reported to have parted ways with Chicago in mid-May. Shortly after, the idea of him joining the Canucks organization was brought up after CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal discussed him being a possible fit during a segment of the show “Donnie & Dhali” last week.  

Dean was part of Team USA’s coaching staff at the 2025 IIHF World Championships, where he, along with current Canucks Conor Garland and Drew O’Connor, won the country’s first gold medal since 1933. He has spent the last three NHL seasons with the Blackhawks and the five before that with the Boston Bruins. Dean also has experience with coaching in the AHL, having spent 10 years split between the Lowell Devils and the Providence Bruins. His NHL career lasted nearly a decade, with Dean playing for the New Jersey Devils (1994–99), Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2000), Dallas Stars (1999-2000), and the Blackhawks (1999-2000). 

With Dean reported to be in as the Canucks’ new defensive coach, all that’s left for the team to take care of is picking out a coach to help with the offence. Notably, Vancouver’s offence struggled a bit last season, so with two more defensively-minded coaches on staff, the team will look to find someone who can bolster the offensive tools they have. 

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, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Welcome back to another Memorable Match from the Vancouver Canucks’ 2024–25 season. Last time, we looked at the team’s match against the Detroit Red Wings on February 2. This week, we’ll take a look at their narrow 4–3 loss against the St. Louis Blues on March 20. 

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This was an important game for Vancouver and St. Louis, as both teams were making a push for a Western Conference wild card spot. At the time, both teams had 75 points on the season, with the Canucks residing in the final playoff spot due to having played less games at the time. Within a four-point span of them were the Calgary Flames (73) and the Utah Mammoth (71). Ahead of them in the standings were the Minnesota Wild with 83 points. 

In this high-stakes affair, it was St. Louis’ Zack Bolduc who opened the scoring with less than five minutes left in the second period. Despite the fact that Vancouver entered the third period down a goal, within the first seven minutes, they soon vaulted to a 2–1 lead thanks to Kiefer Sherwood and Brock Boeser (marking the 200th of his NHL career). A couple of minutes later, Tyler Tucker and Dylan Holloway scored for the Blues, with both players’ goals only coming 25 seconds apart. 

Gameplay aside, there were a few reasons why this game was memorable. For starters, the game ultimately went to overtime after a buzzer beater from Boeser, as the forward scored at 19:57 of the third period. This was the second game in a row in which Boeser scored multiple goals, as he previously put up two in the team’s 6–2 victory against the Winnipeg Jets two days prior. As well, Sherwood made his 383rd hit of the season, which tied him for the NHL record previously held by Jeremy Lauzon. He went on to break this record the game after. Finally, Canucks captain Quinn Hughes tallied his 399th career NHL point in this game. 

Canucks 2024–25 Memorable Matches will be posted every Tuesday until June 11. 

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, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

This year's NHL Awards show will be a one-hour special before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final.

The NHL said the show will highlight all award winners this season. Most of them are expected to be announced before the program airs on June 12 at 6 p.m. ET on TNT in the United States and Sportsnet in Canada.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was already announced as this year's winner of the Selke Trophy and King Clancy Trophy. He received both awards in a team meeting when patients of Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital made a surprise visit.

Those surprise video announcements will continue leading up to the show. The program itself is expected to announce the winners of the Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy.

Isaiah Mustafa will host the NHL Awards show. The actor and former professional football player starred in Old Spice commercials such as "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like," which included surprise twists, including him going from a washroom setting to a beach riding a horse in one shot.

Mustafa, a Los Angeles Kings fan, currently stars in Prime Video's crime thriller series Cross.

After Mustafa wraps up the awards show, there will be an hour until the 8 p.m. ET start time for Game 4 of the Cup final between the Edmonton Oilers and Panthers.

Oilers center Leon Draisaitl is one of the three finalists for the Hart Trophy, which goes to the NHL's most valuable player. Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and Tampa Bay Lightning right winger Nikita Kucherov are the other finalists.

No goalies on the Oilers or Panthers are finalists for the Vezina Trophy, which goes to the goaltender of the year. Hellebuyck is up for that award as well as Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper and the Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy.

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Canadian left winger Taylor Leier, 31, announced his retirement on Monday via his personal Instagram account and explained is reasons.

“Hockey has been my life, my passion, and my identify for as long as I can remember,” Leier wrote. “My decision hasn’t been easy, but after undergoing a second shoulder surgery to repair a fracture sustained last season, I was diagnosed with degenerative changes in the joint.”

Originally from Saskatoon, Sask., Heise played junior hockey for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks and played parts of three NHL seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers before spending the last five seasons of his career in Europe – in Czechia with Oceláři Třinec, in Germany with Adler Mannheim and the Straubing Tigers and in Sweden with Linkoping HC. He finished his career in 2024-25, where he played a total of three seasons in two separate tours of duty.

Leier was chosen in the fourth round, 117th overall, by Philadelphia in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2015 and 2018, he played 55 NHL games for the Flyers, scoring two goals and adding five assists and 10 penalty minutes. He spent the majorithy of that time in the AHL with the Leigh Valley Phantoms.

Midway through the 2018-19 season, Leier was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Justin Bailey, and played the next season and a half with the Rochester Americans before heading to Europe in 2021.

Photo © Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Most of the recent rumors regarding the Buffalo Sabres focused on Bowen Bryam, with recent reports claiming they're gauging the 23-year-old RFA defenseman's value in the trade market. 

Some believe the Sabres would put the cap savings from shipping out Byram to re-sign forwards like JJ Peterka.

However, recent reports suggest the Sabres could face some difficulty signing Peterka. The 23-year-old right winger is completing his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights.

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli has Peterka atop his latest NHL Trade Targets Board. He claims multiple teams made significant offers to the Sabres for Peterka at the trade deadline, but GM Kevyn Adams considers him part of his club's core. However, Seravalli believes they have less of a choice with the threat of an offer sheet when free agency begins on July 1.

Chris Johnston of The Athletic includes Peterka among his list of off-season trade candidates and also mentioned the possibility he receives an offer sheet if unsigned on July 1. Johnston also noted that Adams considers Peterka to be among his young core, but it's unclear if the player will make that commitment to the Sabres.

The offer sheet threat could be overblown because the Sabres have over $23 million in cap space this summer. That's more than enough to match an offer from a rival club, especially if they trade Byram.

If Peterka isn't willing to sign a long-term deal, it could change their mind about moving Byram. However, Adam Proteau believes moving on from a rising star like Peterka could be disastrous for the Sabres.

Meanwhile, Seravalli's report last week that Jonathan Marchessault might welcome a trade from the Nashville Predators raised conjecture over possible landing spots for the 34-year-old right winger. The Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils were mentioned, along with a reunion with his former club, the Vegas Golden Knights. 

The Tennessean's Alex Daugherty examined what a Marchessault trade might look like, pointing out Marchessault's contract is a significant stumbling block. He's signed through 2028-29 with an average annual value of $5.5 million. Daugherty indicated Marchessault has a full no-movement clause, but if the Predators approach him about a trade, he can submit a 15-team no-trade list.

If the Predators find a suitable trade partner for Marchessault, Daugherty doubts they'll get much of a return. He speculates it would be a low draft pick or low-range prospect at best, plus they might have to add a draft pick with Marchessault to make the deal work.

Everything to know about the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to NHL playoff MVP originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Lord Stanley isn’t the only piece of hardware that will be awarded in the Stanley Cup Final.

One player from the Edmonton Oilers or the defending champion Florida Panthers will be honored as the most valuable player in the 2025 NHL playoffs with the Conn Smythe Trophy. And the rare Cup Final rematch could see a repeat award winner.

Oilers star Connor McDavid earned the 2024 Conn Smythe in a losing Cup Final effort, and the three-time Hart Trophy winner enters this year’s NHL championship round with a playoff-high 26 points (6 goals, 20 assists). McDavid’s co-star, Leon Draisaitl, is also a Conn Smythe Trophy contender as he sits second in points with 25 (7 goals, 18 assists).

The one-time champion Panthers, meanwhile, could have their first Conn Smythe Trophy winner in franchise history. Captain Aleksander Barkov (17 points), forward Matthew Tkachuk (16) and center Sam Bennett (16) lead 10 Florida skaters with at least 10 points entering the Cup Final. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is putting together a strong Conn Smythe Trophy resume as well, as he sports a 2.11 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.

So, how is the Conn Smythe Trophy winner determined? And has there ever been a back-to-back winner? Here’s everything to know about the NHL playoff MVP award:

What is the Conn Smythe Trophy and when was it first awarded?

The Conn Smythe Trophy is a postseason award given to the most valuable player in the playoffs. It debuted in the 1965 postseason.

Historically, most Conn Smythe Trophy winners have come from the team that also won the Stanley Cup. Though, there have been a handful of instances where a player who lost in the Cup Final was awarded the trophy.

The award is named after former Toronto Maple Leafs owner, president, general manager and coach Conn Smythe. It was under Smythe’s ownership that the Leafs changed their name from the St. Pats and that the Maple Leaf Gardens arena was constructed. A mini replica of the venue and a Maple Leaf are among the trophy’s features.

How is the Conn Smythe Trophy winner determined?

The Conn Smythe Trophy is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Seventeen PHWA members were included in the 2024 vote.

When is the Conn Smythe Trophy winner announced?

The winner is both selected and announced following the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final.

Who won the first Conn Smythe Trophy?

Hall of Fame center Jean Béliveau won the inaugural Conn Smythe Trophy in 1965. Béliveau tallied eight goals, including four game-winners, and eight assists over 13 games as the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.

Who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2024?

Connor McDavid was a near-unanimous Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 2024 despite Edmonton falling to Florida in the Cup Final. McDavid earned 16 of 17 first-place votes after racking up the most assists (34) and points (42) in the postseason. He was also the leading scorer in the Cup Final with 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists).

McDavid is one of only a handful of players to ever take home the Conn Smythe Trophy without also winning the Stanley Cup.

Who has won the most Conn Smythe Trophies?

Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy owns the most Conn Smythe Trophies with three. Roy won two with the Canadiens (1986, 1993) and one with the Colorado Avalanche (2001).

There are five other multi-time Conn Smythe Trophy winners: defenseman Bobby Orr (1970, 1972), goalie Bernie Parent (1974, 1975), center Wayne Gretzky (1985, 1988), center Mario Lemieux (1991, 1992) and center Sidney Crosby (2016, 2017).

Have there been a back-to-back Conn Smythe Trophy winner?

Parent, Lemieux and Crosby were all back-to-back winners, and McDavid has a chance to do the same this year.

How many Conn Smythe Trophy winners have come from the losing team?

There have been six instances where the Conn Smythe Trophy recipient was on the team that lost in the Cup Final.

Who are the Conn Smythe Trophy winners from losing teams?

Four of the six Conn Smythe winners from non-champions were goalies:

• 2024: Connor McDavid, center, Edmonton Oilers
• 2003: Jean-Sebastien Giguere, goalie, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
• 1987: Ron Hextall, goalie, Philadelphia Flyers
• 1976: Reggie Leach, winger, Philadelphia Flyers
• 1968: Glenn Hall, goalie, St. Louis Blues
• 1966: Roger Crozier, goalie, Detroit Red Wings

How many goalies have won the Conn Smythe Trophy?

The Conn Smythe Trophy has gone to a goalie 17 total times,with Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning being the position’s most recent winner in 2021.

List of Conn Smythe Trophy winners by year

Here’s a full look at every Conn Smythe Trophy winner:

• 2024: Connor McDavid, center, Edmonton Oilers*
• 2023: Jonathan Marchessault, center, Vegas Golden Knights
• 2022: Cale Makar, defenseman, Colorado Avalanche
• 2021: Andrei Vasilevskiy, goalie, Tampa Bay Lightning
• 2020: Victor Hedman, defenseman, Tampa Bay Lightning
• 2019: Ryan O’Reilly, center, St. Louis Blues
• 2018: Alex Ovechkin, winger, Washington Capitals
• 2017: Sidney Crosby, center, Pittsburgh Penguins
• 2016: Sidney Crosby, center, Pittsburgh Penguins
• 2015: Duncan Keith, defenseman, Chicago Blackhawks
• 2014: Justin Williams, winger, Los Angeles Kings
• 2013: Patrick Kane, winger, Chicago Blackhawks
• 2012: Jonathan Quick, goalie, Los Angeles Kings
• 2011: Tim Thomas, goalie, Boston Bruins
• 2010: Jonathan Toews, center, Chicago Blackhawks
• 2009: Evgeni Malkin, center, Pittsburgh Penguins
• 2008: Henrik Zetterberg, center, Detroit Red Wings
• 2007: Scott Niedermayer, defenseman, Anaheim Ducks
• 2006: Cam Ward, goalie, Carolina Hurricanes
• 2004: Brad Richards, center, Tampa Bay Lightning
• 2003: Jean-Sebastien Giguere, goalie, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
• 2002: Nicklas Lidstrom, defenseman, Detroit Red Wings
• 2001: Patrick Roy, goalie, Colorado Avalanche
• 2000: Scott Stevens, defenseman, New Jersey Devils
• 1999: Joe Nieuwendyk, center, Dallas Stars
• 1998: Steve Yzerman, center, Detroit Red Wings
• 1997: Mike Vernon, goalie, Detroit Red Wings
• 1996: Joe Sakic, center, Colorado Avalanche
• 1995: Claude Lemieux, winger, New Jersey Devils
• 1994: Brian Leetch, defenseman, New York Rangers
• 1993: Patrick Roy, goalie, Montreal Canadiens
• 1992: Mario Lemieux, center, Pittsburgh Penguins
• 1991: Mario Lemieux, center, Pittsburgh Penguins
• 1990: Bill Ranford, goalie, Edmonton Oilers
• 1989: Al MacInnis, defenseman, Calgary Flames
• 1988: Wayne Gretzky, center, Edmonton Oilers
• 1987: Ron Hextall, goalie, Philadelphia Flyers
• 1986: Patrick Roy, goalie, Montreal Canadiens
• 1985: Wayne Gretzky, center, Edmonton Oilers
• 1984: Mark Messier, winger/center, Edmonton Oilers
• 1983: Billy Smith, goalie, New York Islanders
• 1982: Mike Bossy, winger, New York Islanders
• 1981: Butch Goring, center, New York Islanders
• 1980: Bryan Trottier, center, New York Islanders
• 1979: Bob Gainey, winger, Montreal Canadiens
• 1978: Larry Robinson, defenseman, Montreal Canadiens
• 1977: Guy Lafleur, winger, Montreal Canadiens
• 1976: Reggie Leach, winger, Philadelphia Flyers
• 1975: Bernie Parent, goalie, Philadelphia Flyers
• 1974: Bernie Parent, goalie, Philadelphia Flyers
• 1973: Yvan Cournoyer, winger, Montreal Canadiens
• 1972: Bobby Orr, defenseman, Boston Bruins
• 1971: Ken Dryden, goalie, Montreal Canadiens
• 1970: Bobby Orr, defenseman, Boston Bruins
• 1969: Serge Savard, defenseman, Montreal Canadiens
• 1968: Glenn Hall, goalie, St. Louis Blues
• 1967: Dave Keon, center, Toronto Maple Leafs
• 1966: Roger Crozier, goalie, Detroit Red Wings
• 1965: Jean Beliveau, center, Montreal Canadiens

Now that the dust has cleared and everyone's had time to calm down, what is the perception of how things ended for the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Was that Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers as bad as we initially thought? Or did the fact that the defending Cup champions rolled past the Carolina Hurricanes change anyone's opinion?

In hindsight, maybe the Leafs should not blow things up. Maybe fans should take solace in the fact that the Leafs took a (baby) step forward in the playoffs went further than they have in the past two decades.

Maybe they should re-sign not only Matthew Knies, but also Mitch Marner and John Tavares. Maybe they should roll things back.

That is what Toronto Sun columnist suggested, arguing that the current Leafs might be the third-best team in the NHL. But if it is what GM Brad Treliving is also thinking on the eve of the Stanley Cup final between the Panthers and Edmonton Oilers, then he isn’t the right man for the job.

Which teams, right now, are better than the Toronto Maple Leafs?

You can start with the Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers, then move to the Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers.

But after that, who? The Carolina Hurricanes? No. The Washington Capitals? No. The Tampa Bay Lightning? No. The New Jersey Devils? No. The Ottawa Senators? No. The Montreal Canadiens? No. You move to the Western Conference and you can’t feel good about how the Dallas Stars played against the Oilers. You can’t feel good about the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets or the ease with which Vegas lost to Edmonton in the second round of the playoffs.

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Who's better than the Leafs?

Florida and Edmonton are. Same goes for Washington, Tampa Bay, Montreal, Vegas, Colorado and even St. Louis.

Why? Because those teams actually went all the way to the final in recent years. And in most cases, they won. That's something that the Leafs haven't done. They haven't even reached the third round.

Yes, the Maple Leafs got closer to winning a Cup than they have in the Auston Matthews-era. But they are still so far, far away when it comes to getting the job done.

After all, there is a difference between getting close to beating an opponent and actually beating that opponent and then winning another two rounds for a championship.

What Could Morgan Rielly's Next Year With The Maple Leafs Look Like?The Toronto Maple Leafs need to look deeply at who’s bringing the team closer to success and who isn’t.

Roll things back? Isn’t that what they’ve done for the past nine years.

This wasn’t the first time that the Leafs lost to a team that reached the Stanley Cup final. In 2019, they lost in the first round to Boston, which then lost to St. Louis in the final. In 2021, they lost in the first round to Montreal, which then lost to Tampa Bay in the final. A year later, they lost in the first round to Tampa Bay, which won in the final. The next year, they lost in the second round to Florida, which then lost in the final to Vegas.

Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

This year, they did it again. After losing to the Panthers, the Leafs then watched as the defending champs beat Carolina in five easy games. So, of course, the thinking is that had Toronto won Game 7 then the Leafs could have been looking at a Stanley Cup final match-up against the Oilers.

Except for one thing: the Leafs didn’t beat the Panthers in Game 7. They lost. And like their previous close calls, they lost big.

Stanley Cup champions don’t get embarrassed at home, as they Leafs did in Games 5 and 7 to the Panthers. Their superstars don’t go MIA when the team needs them the most. They don’t point fingers or make excuses. They don’t blame the media, the fans and their opponents.

They just win.

NHL Rumor Roundup: McDavid's Future With Oilers, And Marner To The Golden Knights?As hockey fans await the start of the Stanley Cup final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, some pundits are pondering Connor McDavid's future in Edmonton. 

That’s why the Leafs need to change their DNA, as Treliving put it in last week's season-ending news conference. That means breaking up the core and making the kind of significant change that could in theory cause the Leafs to take a step backwards in order to take a step forward.

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

Bakersfield Condors forward Drake Caggiula has signed a one-year deal in Switzerland with Lausanne HC, it was announced Monday. 

Hailing from Pickering, Ont., Caggiula split time this season between the Condors and the Edmonton Oilers. Over seven NHL games, Caggiula collected an assist while putting up 24 goals and 28 assists for 52 points in 62 regular season games with Bakersfield. 

Having signed with Edmonton as an undrafted free agent, Caggiula has played in 289 career NHL regular season games with the Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. In that time, he scored 46 goals and added 46 assists for 92 points. 

With Caggiula heading overseas for the first time in his career, he will factor heavily into Lausanne's plans and be an important player for them. While he has struggled to hold down a consistent NHL role over the past few years, Caggiula has proven his value before and could get another look next summer if he is looking to return to the NHL. 

Canadian forward Drake Caggiula, who turns 31 on June 20, has signed a one-year contract with Lausanne HC, the National League club announced on Monday.

“We are very pleased to welcome Drake to Lausanne,” said club sports director John Fust. “He is an experienced player with a solid track record in North America. Beyond his offensive skills and intensity on the ice, he will bring true leadership to the locker room.”

Caggiula, who hails from Pickering, Ont and played four seasons for the University of North Dakota, was never drafted by an NHL team and signed as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in 2016.

Between 2016 and 2025, Caggiula played 289 NHL regular-season games with the Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, recording 92 points and 141 penalty minutes. He also played 21 playoff games with Edmonton and Chicago, registering six points and 27 penalty minutes.

Last season, he played seven NHL games in his second tour of duty with Edmonton and spent the rest of the season with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

Danish Ex-Oiler Signs In Germany Danish forward Patrick Russell, 32, has signed a contract to play with Kölner Haie, the DEL club announced on Friday. Terms of the agreement were not specified.

This is Caggiula’s first tour of duty in Europe. He joins a Lausanne team that has been one of Switzerland’s best the past few years and wants to win a title this year under reigning coach of the year Geoff Ward. Last season the team finished first in the regular season and has lost in the finals each of the past two seasons to the ZSC Lions.

In addition to Caggiula, Lausanne has under contract for 2025-26 goaltenders Connor Hughes and Antoine Keller, as well as Swedish defenseman Erik Brännström, American Austin Czarnik, German Dominik Kahun, and Finns Janne Kuokkanen, and Antti Suomela, Lauri Pajuniemi and Sami Niku.

Photo © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images: Drake Caggiula playing for the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 pre-season.

Erik Brännström Signs Multi-Year Deal In Switzerland Swedish defenseman Erik Brännström, 25, has signed a three-year contract with Lausanne HC, the National League club announced on Monday.

If you want the Philadelphia Flyers to draft the No. 1 center of their future with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, you've already been warned not to get your hopes up.

Wisely, some might say, the Flyers are keeping their options open ahead of the draft later this month. After all, it was only a year ago that the decision to trade down and pass on Zeev Buium to select Jett Luchanko tore through the fanbase like wildfire.

When the Flyers did so, they chose need over value. This was publicly communicated beforehand, as GM Danny Briere suggested they would take a center if a center and a defenseman were tied in rank on their draft boards.

Now, the Flyers are indicating the opposite with four weeks to go before the draft.

“We obviously are aware," Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said of the talent issue at center, as quoted by Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. "But there’s also a couple other players that it’s going to make it hard. There’s a couple wingers, and even a defenseman, that could be in the mix. You’ve got to be careful not to go by a top line player potentially, just for position. That’s the challenge we’ll face."

Flahr and the Flyers have been earmarked to draft a center with their top draft pick for months now, with top options comprised of the likes of James Hagens, Michael Misa, Anton Frondell, Caleb Desnoyers, Jake O'Brien, Roger McQueen, and Brady Martin.

The fact that Flahr is already willing to look past a glaring need at the position suggests there are multiple centers on that list who are quite low on their draft boards relative to the consensus.

Flyers Trade Rumors: Wild 'Not Dying' to Deal Marco Rossi AwayRecent reports have connected the Philadelphia Flyers to trade discussions with the Minnesota Wild regarding free agent center Marco Rossi, but there is no serious progress made by the Flyers, or any other NHL team, on that front... yet.

McQueen, for example, has struggled with back issues, and teams will be eager to test him out at the NHL combine and get a better feel for his health going forward now that he's been cleared for testing.

On the flanks and on the back end, the Flyers could very well still find some studs. A "couple wingers" likely refers to Swede Victor Eklund, the younger brother of William Eklund, and Canadian Porter Martone, who has drawn some stylistic comparisons to Matvei Michkov.

The mention of a defenseman could just be Flahr being coy about Matthew Schaefer, who is generally considered to be the premier player in this class but could be available if the Flyers trade up with the San Jose Sharks to acquire the No. 2 pick, as some rumors have previously suggested.

Some mock drafts, including one from NHL.com, have connected Barrie Colts defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson to the Flyers at No. 6, but more realistic options at that draft slot include the smooth-skating, 6-foot-3 Jackson Smith or the towering, two-way giant in the 6-foot-6 Radim Mrtka.

After losing three recently drafted defense prospects, including two from the 2023 draft, the Flyers are badly hurting for some young defensemen in their system, even after selecting Spencer Gill and Austin Moline in 2024.

Is that reason enough to potentially pass on the No. 1 center of your future? For the Flyers, it's at least on the table after last year's controversy.

The New Jersey Devils were expected to go much further in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but, like the Montreal Canadiens, they fell at the first hurdle, being eliminated in five games by the Carolina Hurricanes.

While not having their top center, Jack Hughes, can go some way towards explaining what happened there, the organization refused to use that excuse. After his team’s elimination, GM Tom Fitzgerald was clear:

"We've got a lot of decisions to make on certain players, whether we bring guys back, trade players (but) we won't be coming back with the same group (in 2025-26) […] I can tell you that because it wasn't good enough."

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Now the question is, which players are they likely to move? With Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier down the middle, the Devils have two real top-six centers, meaning that former first-round pick and 18th overall selection at the 2020 draft, Dawson Mercer, is used as their third-line center.

Canadiens: Potential First Round Pick - Malcolm Spence
Canadiens Farm Team On The Brink Of Elimination
Canadiens: The Grades Are In – Emil Heineman

The 23-year-old Newfoundlander stands at 6 feet and 180 pounds, making him taller than another possible option we discussed this past weekend (Marco Rossi is only 5 feet 9 inches and 182 pounds), but not significantly bigger. Mercer caught the eye of Habs fans when he played his junior hockey in the QMJHL with the Drummondville Voltigeurs and the Chicoutimi Sageneens.

Since he graduated to the NHL, Mercer hasn’t missed a single game because of injuries, playing 82 games in each of his four seasons. In his rookie year, he scored 42 points, and then increased to 56 points in his sophomore season. However, his production dipped to just 33 points the following season, and he could only muster 36 this year, even though he spent an average of 17:53 on the ice.

With Hughes’ injury, he’s been moved back to center, but looking at his line combinations over the last two seasons, he’s been playing mainly on the wing, which isn’t surprising given his low numbers in the faceoff department. In his four NHL seasons, he’s only won 39.3% of his faceoffs.

Fitzgerald signed him to a three-year contract with a $4M cap hit last Summer, clearly wanting to see more from him before committing long term and putting him on a reasonable cap hit with no clause hindering possible trades.

Mercer’s numbers are not as enticing as Rossi’s, for example, but he has the kind of profile Hughes has dealt for in the past. If you look at Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook’s numbers before the Canadiens acquired them, Mercer is better. When he was hired, the Canadiens’ GM explained that he wouldn’t be a “buy high” kind of guy, and the two aforementioned trades were living proof of that. The question is, though, is the rebuild still in that phase? The one in which you get an asset and hope to help them reach their potential? Or have the Canadiens moved on to the results phase, where they’ll bring their prospects along but won’t go out to get projects elsewhere?

The Canadiens made the playoffs this season, but Hughes and Jeff Gorton were quick to say that it doesn’t change anything in the grand scheme of things, and it won’t speed up the rebuild. If the GM is looking for a player who has already established himself as a second-line center, Mercer is not his man. However, if he’s still looking for “projects,” he might just be…

Photo Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

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