Seth Jarvis scored on the power play in overtime after Carolina erased a deficit in regulation only to gave up a late tying goal, and the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night to the series.
Jarvis’ OT heroics came after a thrilling third period that included four goals being scored and another getting called off because of goaltender interference.
The Hurricanes had almost nothing going for the first 45 minutes, falling behind by two goals as the Golden Knights took advantage of a couple of scoring chances and locked down defensively. A couple of strong shifts in the offensive zone just before the midway point of the third brought the crowd back to life because the Hurricanes were buzzing.
Logan Stankoven made a terrific individual effort to get them on the board, taking the puck away from Rasmus Andersson, going to the net and banking a shot off Jeremy Lauzon and in with 9:40 remaining in regulation. Less than three minutes later, Mark Jankowski fired a shot past Carter Hart to tie it, flipping the script from Game 1, when Vegas erased a multigoal deficit and won.
The Hurricanes took the lead with 4:35 left when their captain, Jordan Staal, redirected Shayne Gostisbehere’s point shot in on the power play. It was just their eighth power play goal of the playoffs.
That was 25 seconds after the Golden Knights thought they scored at the other end.
Frederik Andersen initially went full extension to deny Ivan Barbashev with the paddle of his stick, and a scrum ensued in the crease that ended with the puck eventually in the net. Referee Jean Hebert waved it off immediately, saying Andersen was pushed into the net and ruling it was goaltender interference.
Tortorella after some deliberation opted to challenge, and the on-ice officials in consultation with the NHL’s situation room confirmed the call on the ice stood. That put the Hurricanes on the power play, and Staal — the captain who has been around longer than anyone else on his team — cashed in.
After Mark Stone tied it for Vegas with 1:21 left in regulation to send the game to OT, Tomas Hertl tripped Staal to put Carolina back on the power play. That allowed Jarvis to score just Carolina’s eighth power play goal of the playoffs.
The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of assets that could allow them to make a big trade for a player who helps them win in the present.
They are not competing for the Stanley Cup next season, but they are going to attempt to be better than 31st place once again.
It is a weak free agent class, which is becoming the new normal, but a lot of great players are on the trade market. On Thursday, however, the NHL world was hit with massive news.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is available because he has requested a trade. This could stem from a messy contract issue a few years ago or their current playoff drought, and that has made him want out.
Larkin is a world-class player, and guys like him don't get moved very often, which is why Chicago must have him at the top of their trade target list as we advance. He would make them a significantly better team all by himself.
Whether he plays center or wing in Chicago doesn't matter; they'd get a boost either way. He also has experience with head coach Jeff Blashill from Blashill's time in Detroit.
In 808 games played in his NHL career, Larkin has 276 goals, 367 assists, and 643 points. At 29 years old, he is consistently a top player, averaging around a point per game annually.
Larkin made the playoffs with the Red Wings in his rookie season and hasn't been back since, so the big game NHL experience isn't there necessarily, but he played a big role in Team USA winning the Gold Medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
This is also an incredibly fast player, so much so that he's won the fastest skater competition at the NHL Skills Competition. With stars like Connor Bedard, Anton Frondel, and Frank Nazar at even strength and on the power play, the Hawks would all of a sudden have a dangerous-looking attack if they added Larkin.
What would it cost to get Larkin? Well, now that this report is out, the Red Wings don't have much leverage, especially considering that Larkin currently has a no-move clause and can influence where he goes. Chicago has draft capital and prospects that can be moved in a deal like this.
If he decided that he likes Chicago's direction, enjoys the city, and wants to reunite with Blashill, the Hawks should be all over it.
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Larkin has five seasons left on an eight-year deal worth $8.7 million annually with a full no-trade clause over the next two seasons.
The 29-year-old recorded a career-high 34 goals and 33 assists for 67 points in 74 games this past season.
The New York Islanders are in dire need of adding elite talent to their roster, and Larkin certainly would be a fit.
However, general manager Mathieu Darche wasn't willing to move his top prospects at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, and there's no reason to think that Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson are on the table now.
Then again, no one expected for Larkin to be available this summer.
While the Red Wings don't have much leverage given Larkin's full no-trade clause, one would think Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman would explore Mathew Barzal's availability if the Islanders come calling, given Barzal has five seasons left at $9.15 million annually.
Barzal isn't being shopped despite a recent report, and ideally, the Islanders would want Barzal setting up Larkin. Also, does Barzal fit the Red Wings timeline?
Detroit has missed the playoffs for a 10th straight season and is likely heading toward a retool, so a player like Cal Ritchie could be more enticing than a Barzal.
Could Cole Eiserman be on the table?
There's no question that Darche will contact Yzerman, as will the other 30 teams, to see what the cost would be for the lethal scorer.
Long Island bound is likley not in Larkin's future, but it's not every day a player of this level becomes available.
One would think that Detroit would be looking for a haul of picks and prospects for Larkin.
The Islanders own the 13th pick at the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Detroit Red Wings could be on the verge of one of the biggest moves in recent franchise history.
According to an explosive new report from NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, longtime Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin, the only remaining player on the roster who played in the franchise's most recent Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in 2016, has requested a trade.
"According to multiple sources, Dylan Larkin recently requested a trade from Detroit," Friedman reported on Sportsnet. "There’s a lot to unpack here. First, should mention that no one would comment. Not Larkin, not agent Pat Brisson, not Red Wings Executive Vice-President & GM Steve Yzerman."
Larkin, a Michigan native who played for the University of Michigan and whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (15th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft, was named the 37th captain in team history in January 2021.
The Red Wings are currently stuck in the NHL's longest active postseason drought at 10 years and counting.
After the Red Wings missed the playoffs in 2024-25, Larkin openly expressed disappointment that GM Steve Yzerman didn't make a more meaningful acquisition at the NHL Trade Deadline, which may have caused some tension in their relationship.
Larkin, who signed an eight-year contract extension in 2023, still has five years left on the deal with an $8.7M cap hit, and holds a full no-trade clause over the next two seasons; that turns into a 10-team list afterward.
In 808 career NHL games, Larkin has scored 276 goals with 367 assists. His 643 points are ranked 10th all time in team history.
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The NHL’s Stanley Pup, a friendly competition featuring adoptable rescue dogs, will air in the U.S. and Canada on June 8 to celebrate the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.
All 32 NHL teams will be represented by a puppy, many of which will be available for adoption through adoption partner Brandywine Valley SPCA.
The St. Louis Blues’ dog this season is named Jordan Bone-Ington.
The show will premiere on June 8 on truTV and simulcast on HBO Max in the U.S. (8:30 p.m. CT) and on Sportsnet in Canada (7 p.m. CT).
This years event will feature several celebrity appereances, as notable names are Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live, D2: The Mighty Ducks), Flavor Flav, Anthony Anderson (black-ish), Jean Smart (Hacks), Brooke Shields (The Blue Lagoon, Pretty Baby), Kelli Giddish (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), Michael Strahan (Good Morning America), Joel McHale (Community, Animal Control), singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, Kendall Vertes (Dance Moms), Emma Kenney (Shameless, The Connors), broadcasting legend Doc Emrick, Anson Carter, Paul Bissonnette, Liam McHugh and Chris Chelios (NHL on TNT), and Dan Powers and Chris Powers (Empty Netters Podcast).
Meet our representative for this year's Stanley Pup 🦴🐶 While the competition is ruff, we are pawsitive that this puck hound will bring the same dogged determination as her namesake.
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Buffalo Sabres veteran head coach Lindy Ruff exceeded all expectations last season, ending an NHL record 14-season playoff drought and winning the Atlantic Division, which was thought to make him a favorite for the Jack Adams Award, but on Wednesday Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper narrowly edged out Ruff for coach of the year. Cooper led the Lightning to a 50-26-6 record (106 points), three points in back of Ruff’s Sabres.
Cooper received 36 of 99 first place votes, while Ruff received 26, and Pittsburgh’s Dan Muse 18. The criticism of the choice of Cooper, in Buffalo in particular, comes from the perception that his victory was more of a career achievement award for a two-time Stanley Cup winner that had never won coach of the year, while Ruff, who won the Jack Adams with the Sabres in 2005-06, lost out to a coach that he bested by three points in the standings.
There is no doubt that Ruff exceeded expectations more than any other coach in the league, as the Sabres were expected to miss the playoffs for a 15th straight season and was something that seemed likely through the first two months of the regular season. Buffalo’s turnaround, which coincided with the firing of GM Kevyn Adams, started with a 10-game winning streak and resulted in the Sabres posting the league’s best record after December 9.
Can someone make this make sense? Schopp is looking for answers on how the voters decided to go with Cooper over Ruff. #Sabres#NHLpic.twitter.com/UfRgU4ROWh
The perception that Cooper’s win is based more on career achievement than a deserving victory is not accurate. Other than the injury to Josh Norris that kept the Sabres center out two months, and a series of short-term ailments to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis in goal, the Sabres were relatively healthy all season, but that is not to take away from Ruff instilling a work ethic and defensive responsibility from a club that had not shown that under Don Granato.
That is in stark contrast to the Lightning, who may not have led the league in the quantity of man-games lost, but arguably led in quality man-games lost. Two of Tampa Bay’s veteran blueliners; Ryan McDonagh and Victor Hedman, played less than 50 games. Another top-four defender, Erik Cernak missed 21 games. Up front, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, Nick Paul and Brayden Point missed significant chunks of the season, with some playing injured down the stretch.
Cooper pieced together a roster on many nights, filling the gaps with free agent unknowns like Charle-Edouard D’Astous and Dominic James, minor-league call-ups Gage Goncalves and Max Crozier, and coaxing career years out of defenseman J-J Moser, and journeyman Darren Raddysh.
While arguments can be made that Ruff was cheated out of the award since nearly one-third of the voters left them off their ballot completely, Cooper was left off more ballots and won on the strength of more first place votes.
Former Florida Panthers AHL goaltending coach Sylvain Rodrigue has been hired by the Minnesota Wild.
Rodrigue will serve as the goaltending coach for both the Wild’s NHL team and their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild. Rodrigue will also assist in amateur and professional player evaluation and work with drafted and signed goaltenders in a developmental capacity.
The 52-year-old had spent the past two seasons working with the Charlotte Checkers as the goaltending coach. He worked in close contact with young netminders like Cooper Black and Kirill Gerasimyuk, both of whom had strong 2025-26 campaigns.
Prior to working with the Panthers, Rodrigue spent 11 seasons working in various goaltending roles with the Edmonton Oilers. He served as the goaltending coach at the NHL and AHL levels, while also serving as a goaltending consultant and development coach.
Dating even further back, Rodrigue was a goaltending coach in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and in the QMJHL.
Although the Montreal, Que., native never played in the NHL, he did play four seasons in the QMJHL, where he recorded an .863 save percentage and a 4.38 goals-against average.
Joining the Wild, Rodrigue will now have the opportunity to work closely with Jesper Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson, two of the top goaltenders last season. While there are some reports that one of the backstoppers could be on the move this off-season, he’ll still have plenty of talent to work with.
In the AHL, Rodrigue will work with Samuel Hlavaj, a top performer at multiple international events with Team Slovakia.
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On Thursday, the USHL announced plans to partner with stakeholders, including the NHL and USA Hockey, to establish member clubs in California, Arizona, and Nevada, marking the league's first major expansion into the western United States.
Los Angeles Kings President Luc Robitaille on what USHL expansion means for the future of player development in the West.
"This will create a whole new competitive layer to the western region that will allow junior-level players to develop and compete closer to home," Robitaille said Thursday morning.
THE USHL IS HEADED WEST! More opportunity. More access. More pathways for the next generation of players.
"This expansion is about more than adding teams. It is about expanding opportunity." — USHL President and Commissioner Glenn Hefferan
The USHL currently operates 16 teams, all in Midwestern markets, and is now considering expanding to 19 franchises, moving beyond its traditional Midwestern footprint.
Thursday's announcement brings major excitement for junior players, who will increase their chances of making it to the NHL, providing the right opportunities and mentorship to play in their home country.
More details regarding club ownership, markets, and timelines for when the teams will begin play will be announced on June 24.
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Sylvain Rodrigue was hired by the Wild on Monday as the Director of Goaltending.
Rodrigue, 52, will work with the organization's goalie coaches in both the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL) while assisting in amateur and professional player evaluation and working with drafted and signed goaltenders in a development capacity.
He joins the Wild after most recently working two seasons (2024-26) in the Florida Panthers organization as a goaltending coach for the Charlotte Checkers (AHL).
The native of Montreal, Quebec, Rodrigue previously spent 11 seasons (2013-24) holding various roles within the Oilers organization, including goaltending consultant, goaltending development coach, and assistant goaltending coach, as well as serving as goaltending coach for the Bakersfield Condors, the team's AHL affiliate.
He played four seasons in the QMJHL and recorded a 4.38 goals-against average (GAA) and a .863 save percentage (SV%) in 167 career games.
In the last two seasons, the Wild rank first in the NHL in save percentage. Under Rodrigue, the Panthers rank 27th.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno has received this season's King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership and service, the NHL announced Thursday.
The award is presented annually to the player who “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community,” according to the league's qualifications.
Each team nominates a player for the award, which is determined by a selection committee headed by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and including former King Clancy Memorial Trophy winners. Clancy, the namesake of the award, was a longtime player, referee, coach and manager who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958.
Foligno was recently presented the trophy in a surprise appearance at the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota by his older brother and current teammate, Nick Foligno, who won it himself in 2017. They established the Janis Foligno Foundation in memory of their mother, who died of breast cancer in 2009, and have been active in fundraising for breast cancer research.
The NHL will donate $25,000 to the foundation as part of the award to Foligno, who last month finished his 15th season in the league, including the last nine with Minnesota. He played his first six years for Buffalo.
Previous Wild players to win the award were defenseman Matt Dumba (2020) and forward Jason Zucker (2019).
At 32, Tomas Hertl knows there won't be that many more chances at a Stanley Cup.
Thus, he's making the most of his second chance.
Hertl hasn't stopped thinking about hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup since the first time he made it to Final.
That was in 2016, when the San Jose Sharks won the Western Conference but lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Cup Final.
And for Hertl, it was even more of a disappointment since his time was cut short in the series due to an injury.
The following year the Sharks lost to the Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final in six games, then it was another trip to the conference final and a loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Last season, in his first playoff run with the Golden Knights, it was another exit from the conference final, as the Edmonton Oilers ended things.
Hertl said after his game-winning goal in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, he's making the most of his second-chance opportunity.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 3, 2026
"Obviously, you don't waste it," he said on the postgame broadcast. "It's still a lot of game(s) left, (but) it's a great start (to) the series."
After a wild back-and-forth affair on Tuesday, it was Hertl's shot from the slot that put Vegas ahead late in the third period.
The Golden Knights' 5-4 win marked the first time in 56 games that a road team that trailed by multiple goals in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final came back to steal the win.
"It was awesome," Hertl said. "The building buzzing. Obviously, we didn't have the greatest start, but it's kind of been our story all season, but we never give up.
"We just a team, it doesn't matter, we up or down, we just keep playing. We come strong in the second and the third and turn it around and big win in the first game."
After failing to score in 29 straight games, 20 in the regular season and nine in the playoffs, the 32-year-old from Czechia has four goals in the team's last eight games, two of them being game-winners in comeback victories.
"I haven’t coached him for long, and a lot of those games weren’t that good," Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said. "I think he’s grown. He never stopped working. I thought there were some major struggles in his game, but he never stopped working at his game.
"It’s just great timing, just to try to balance our lineup. He has given us some very important minutes."
"It's been our story all season, we never give up." 👏
Hertl knows how important everyone's role is, with so much at stake, which is why he's tried to stay focused with the task at hand.
That included Tuesday night pregame, when the Stanley Cup was brough onto the ice, and he avoided looking at it.
"I try to put head down and don't think about it because it's ultimate goal and chasing for a long time," Hertl said. "I have second shot in my career."
PHOTO CAPTION
Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) celebrates scoring during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes in game one of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center.
The Buffalo Sabres are entering the summer with several pending free agents. Due to this, there is a chance that we could see a few of their players not back on the team next season.
Because of this, let's look at four Sabres pending UFAs who may not be back in Buffalo in 2025-26.
Luke Schenn
The Sabres brought in Luke Schenn at the deadline for more defensive depth. He was not used often by Buffalo, as he played in just four regular-season games and two playoff games for the Sabres. With the Sabres having more notable players due for contracts this summer, there is a good chance that the 36-year-old Schenn won't be back.
Logan Stanley
It would not be surprising if Logan Stanley decided to test the market this summer. The 6-foot-7 defenseman had a career year, posting new career highs with nine goals, 17 assists, and 26 points in 73 games. With this, he will certainly be getting a raise, but it seems likely it won't be from Buffalo.
Tanner Pearson
Tanner Pearson is another Sabres pending UFA who might not be back next season. He had two assists in four games after being acquired by the Sabres ahead of the deadline and did not make a playoff appearance for Buffalo.
Alex Tuch
There is certainly a good chance that Alex Tuch will re-sign with the Sabres. However, until that comes to fruition, questions about his future in Buffalo will continue to come up. Tuch is in a position to ask for a major payday as the NHL's top pending UFA forward. Will the Sabres be willing to pay the price, or will the Syracuse, New York native sign elsewhere?
The Stanley Cup Final continues tonight as the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes meet in Game 2 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC.
Vegas struck first in the series and now has a chance to take a commanding 2-0 lead before the action shifts back to Nevada. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, will look to defend home ice and avoid falling into a deep hole against a Golden Knights team that has lost just once this postseason.
Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET as our Covers experts break down their top NHL picks and predictions for tonight's showdown.
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Neil Parker's expert pick: Frederik Andersen Over 21.5 saves
He finished with just 18 saves after being nothing short of spectacular throughout the postseason with a high-end .920 save percentage, 1.65 GAA, and .560 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes.
Carolina was also vulnerable for stretches of the series opener, and in particular, the Vegas Golden Knights dominated the second period with a 73.3% overall shot share.
Vegas isn’t going to go prolonged stretches without generating offense, and Andersen isn’t going to post a .783 SV% with -1.73 goals saved above expected again in Game 2, so there is an easy path to this Over.
I’d play this prop confidently to -115.
Todd Cordell's expert pick: Taylor Hall Over 0.5 points
Price: -115 at BET99
Taylor Hall didn’t hit the scoresheet in Game 1, but there were a lot of good signs under the hood.
Carolina won the shot attempt battle 17-7 and out-chanced Vegas 7-4 during his 5-on-5 minutes.
His power play also generated four shot attempts and three chances in the same amount of time Carolina’s No. 1 unit created one. They saw a 50-50 split in usage — not many second units get that kind of run.
On paper, Jack Eichel hasn't scored much in these playoffs, finding the back of the net just twice in 17 games. However, the underlying numbers suggest he's been far more dangerous than that production indicates.
Eichel owns 5.93 individual expected goals, one of the highest marks on the Vegas Golden Knights, and he's recorded eight shots on goal across his last three road games.
The veteran has also generated 67 individual Fenwick attempts during the postseason, trailing only Pavel Dorofeyev on Vegas. Eichel continues to create offense at a high level, and the Golden Knights are producing 15.15 high-danger chances per 60 minutes with him on the ice. If those opportunities continue, he's a strong candidate to break through in Game 2.
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 players and coaches continue to move around the NHL carousel, the Philadelphia Flyers keep managing to find a way to be at the center of it all.
This time, with former Flyers head coach Craig Berube getting the boot by the Toronto Maple Leafs, another ex-Flyers bench boss could be stepping in to replace him.
According to TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger, former Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette will be one of the candidates to become the next Maple Leafs head coach, in addition to legendary goalie and, more recently, ex-Islanders head coach Patrick Roy.
Laviolette, 61, last coached in the 2024-25 season for the New York Rangers, guiding the team to a disappointing 39-36-7 record on the heels of a 55-24-4, Presidents' Trophy-winning campaign in 2023-24.
If hired by the Maple Leafs, Laviolette would be kicking off his latest escapade in the NHL Eastern Conference.
The veteran bench boss has previously coached the Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, Flyers, and Rangers to varying degrees of success.
Laviolette led the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup win in 2006 and brought the Flyers to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, but has seen much less success since, reaching the Final just once in the last 15 years.
In five years with the Flyers, Laviolette was 145-98-29 with a 23-22 record in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
In any case, the Maple Leafs coaching search is worth monitoring to the Flyers because they own Toronto's 2027 (or 2028, in a rare event) first-round pick, and you can bet they will be one of the teams in on superstar center Auston Matthews if the ceiling falls out there.
Laviolette is just two years removed from a Presidents' Trophy with the Rangers and has as good a track record of making the playoffs of just about anyone out there, which could very well bring down how high the Flyers' pick from the Maple Leafs ends up being.
That, of course, makes life a little different for the club’s amateur scouting staff leading up to the 2026 NHL draft. Barring a trade, the Flyers will pick at 21st overall. It’s their lowest first-round spot since 2020.
So the Flyers know the draft is still critical to what they want to do, even when they’re lower in the order.
“We’ve said it for a long time, we wanted to build a team that was going to be here for a long time; not just to go for it for a year or two,” general manager Danny Briere said last month. “That’s still the same approach on my end.”
The Flyers have only five picks in this draft, which will be held June 26-27. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at 11 a.m. ET.
“I’ll tell you how I feel about drafts and I’ll be totally blunt with you,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think it’s f—ing bulls–t when I hear about, ‘Oh, this draft isn’t as good.’ Here are the numbers. Approximately 45 players from any draft will play 350 games or more in the NHL. It might be 47 one year, 42 another year. That’s the number — you get 45 players that’ll play 350 games or more with varying degrees of success.
“And I know this about the draft. The teams that get good players from the draft say it was a good draft. The teams that don’t get good players from the draft say it wasn’t a good draft. So when people start telling me about a draft ahead of time, I call bulls–t.”
“What you’re trying to do is find a player that you feel has the potential to be an NHL player,” Button said. “That might be a third-line center, that might be a second-line scoring winger. Hey, listen, maybe you get David Pastrnak, who’s a superstar (drafted 25th overall in 2014).
“But the focus has to be on, ‘OK, what type of player do we like, what type of player do we think the guy can be?’ And then get after it and understand what the development path is, and then try to help that player be the best he can be. Put a stake in the ground and celebrate who you’re drafting.”
Before the draft arrives, we’re breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.
Next up:
Maddox Dagenais
Position: Center Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 196 Shoots: Left Team: Quebec
Scouting report
Dagenais can really rip the puck.
He possesses an advanced shot to go along with an NHL frame. His release is high end and the accuracy is there. He had two hat tricks and 30 goals over 62 games this season for Quebec in the QMJHL.
“He has got really good shooting hands,” Button, a former NHL GM and scout, said. “He understands how to put goaltenders back on their heels with that shot.”
The 18-year-old was a point-per-game player. He was second on the Remparts with 62 points, behind only Flyers prospect Nathan Quinn, who had 73 in 58 games.
In the second round of the playoffs, Dagenais was shut down by eventual champion Chicoutimi. He went scoreless in four games with a minus-7 rating. He had three goals and three assists in Quebec’s first-round series, which went seven games.
“I think he’s a better winger,” Button said. “I see him as a winger, I see him as a shooter, I see him as somebody that can really shoot the puck. I see him as more of a goal-scoring type of winger; I don’t see him as a center. He has got size, he drives inside, he gets the puck and he has got really good hands.”
“He’s not a great skater,” Button said. “His skating has improved, but skating isn’t the hallmark of his game. He’s smart, he’s competitive, he has got really good hands, goal-scoring hands. But that’s a lot of skating you’ve got to do as a center. I don’t see that in his profile. I see him as a shooting, goal-scoring winger.”
(Dale Preston/Getty Images)
Fit with Flyers
If the Flyers like Dagenais, they probably would love if he could play down the middle at the next level.
Center is a premium position and one of need for the organization. Meanwhile, the Flyers already have a large crop of young wingers, led by Martone and Matvei Michkov. Part of the reason they traded Bobby Brink was because of all the youth on the wing.
The Flyers will draft the best player available at No. 21, but a true center would be ideal if they take a forward.
Dagenais’ size and shooting ability should intrigue the Flyers. They’ve wanted to get bigger and add more goal scoring. Dagenais could help in both aspects.
Frederik Andersen Over 21.5 saves
Jack Eichel anytime goal
