The Philadelphia Flyers have already addressed one major need this offseason by trading for goalie Joseph Woll, and next up on the list appears to be the center position.
The left defense position has been the talk of much of the offseason so far, given that the Flyers will most easily be able to address it, specifically at the 2026 NHL Draft.
Center, of course, is the position in much greater demand around the NHL, and as a result, the Flyers may need to buy low and explore bargain bin options around the league.
One such option is reportedly Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright, a former No. 4 overall draft pick who is just one year removed from a promising 44-point campaign as a 21-year-old player.
Wright, 22, had an uninspiring 2025-26 season that saw him score just 12 goals and 27 points while averaging only 13:48 of ice time on a bad Kraken team that needed some juice.
Offensive involvement has been the question mark for the former top prospect, as Wright has just 204 career shots on goal, though he does have 36 goals to show for it thus far.
But, with all that said, The Fourth Period and NHL Network NHL insider David Pagnotta recently reported that "Young centre Shane Wright is still available and remains open to a move.
"[Seattle Kraken GM Jason Botterill] prefers to package him in a larger deal for a top-tier forward and he continues to scour the market. Teams continue to poke, and sources say the Philadelphia Flyers recently entered the chat, and trade discussions should pick up this week."
Of note, the 2026 NHL Draft is just four days away, and the Flyers were previously reported to not have much interest in Wright as a player.
If things have changed, as Pagnotta indicates, the Flyers have accepted that the market for centers is not favorable for what they would like to achieve.
Head coach Rick Tocchet liked having veteran Luke Glendening in the lineup for matchup purposes as the Flyers' lone right-hand center, and prospect Jett Luchanko is still not close to being ready for a full-time NHL role.
Those factors lend themselves well to the Flyers throwing a dart at Wright, who has plenty of talent and is still very young.
Wright has only one year remaining on his entry-level contract at a $866k cap hit, so if things don't pan out, he and agent Kurt Overhardt can work out something else out next offseason.
The Flyers have a surplus of wingers, a need for a young center with talent, and a need for a right-hand center.
Wright checks all those boxes for them, and it seems they are starting to coming around the idea of giving the 2022 No. 4 overall pick a fresh start in Philadelphia.
The Hockey Hall of Fame unveiled its Class of 2026 on Monday, a group headlined by Patrice Bergeron — who spent 20 years in Boston winning six Selke Trophies and a Stanley Cup — alongside goaltenders Carey Price and Pekka Rinne, power forward Keith Tkachuk, women's hockey pioneer Cindy Curley, and builder Brian Burke.
For Oilers fans, it's that last name that carries the most history.
Burke and Edmonton go way back — and not always warmly. Before winning the Stanley Cup in 2007, he orchestrated the trade that sent Chris Pronger from the Oilers to the Ducks, a deal that will forever go down as the start of the Oilers Decade of Darkness.
His link to the Oilers was memorable, given his feud with former Oilers executive Kevin Lowe. Burke once threatened to rent a barn to fight Lowe after a heated offer sheet dispute — a threat serious enough that Commissioner Gary Bettman called within ten minutes to threaten a suspension.
Lowe, for his part, was equally colorful in return, calling Burke "a moron" and "an absolute media junkie" on the radio. The Ducks let Edmonton have Dustin Penner (the target of the offer sheet), and it didn't go down as well as the Oilers would have hoped.
Eventually, the two patched things up, but it was a time in which offer sheets aren't as prevalent as they are in today's NHL.
Burke also held the title of president of hockey operations with the Calgary Flames — Edmonton's fiercest rival — before later joining the Pittsburgh Penguins in the same capacity.
Love him or hate him, few figures have shaped the modern NHL front office more than Burke. The Hall of Fame nod is well earned.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are going to be an interesting team to watch this off-season. While they made the playoffs in 2025-26, they are a team that is still focused on the future. Due to this, it is fair to wonder if they could end up trading some of their veteran players.
Rakell was given the No. 21 spot on Johnston's trade board. It is not necessarily surprising, as questions about Rakell's future in Pittsburgh have come up since the end of the club's playoff run. He was also the subject of trade speculation this past summer.
If the Penguins do shop Rakell, he should generate a good amount of interest. The 33-year-old winger is still an impactful top-six forward at this stage in his career, as evidenced by his 24 goals and 48 points in 60 games this past season.
As for Rust, he landed the No. 22 spot on Johnston's trade board. Like Rakell, Rust has also been talked about often in the rumor mill often this summer, just like was last year.
Trading Rust would be a big deal, as he has spent all 12 seasons of his NHL career with the Penguins. However, the Penguins could also get a serious return for him if they moved him this off-season. The veteran forward had 29 goals and 65 points in 72 games this past season with Pittsburgh. This was after he had 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games for the Penguins in 2024-25.
The hockey world was put into a frenzy on Sunday by the Brady Tkachuk trade from the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers.
When it came to the Tkachuk trade rumors over the past two years, the New York Rangers were certainly linked to him, whether that speculation was true or not.
However, Tkachuk reportedly released a four-team trade list, which included the Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, and Carolina Hurricanes.
“At the outset of discussions between Staios and the Tkachuk camp, Oster presented a list of four teams Tkachuk would consider in a potential trade: the Wild, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Vegas Golden Knights and, of course, Brady’s brother Matthew’s team, the Panthers,” NHL insider Pierre LeBrun wrote.
“At no time did Tkachuk promise to waive for all four teams. And that’s an important distinction, because as the process went and as Ottawa talked trades with the four teams, one thing became apparent: This was really just about Tkachuk wanting to be in Florida.”
The Rangers were notably not one of the teams on Tkachuk’s list.
It shows that, despite New York being a desirable market for players to flock to, the Rangers are not ready to truly emerge as a Stanley Cup contender, which is deterring star talent from seeking a trade to The Big Apple.
Dylan Larkin reportedly requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings and submitted a list of three teams he would like to be traded to, which includes the Panthers, Golden Knights, and Wild, with the Rangers absent from his list.
En route to missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury issued a letter to fans in January outlining the team’s plan to “retool” the roster and focus on the future as opposed to the immediate present.
Drury then went ahead and traded the Rangers’ to point producer, Artemi Panarin, and is rumored to be shopping Vincent Trocheck this offseason.
Withstanding some of the organization's mixed messaging about fast-tracking the retool, whether it’s from Drury or head coach Mike Sullivan, the Rangers are not a team constructed to win now, and until that changes, star players will only continue to bypass the Blueshirts as one of their preferred destinations.
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.”
After the recent trade with the Maple Leafs, the Flyers have only four 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 June 2 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:
Elton Hermansson
Position: Winger Height: 6-foot Weight: 182 Shoots: Right Team: MoDo
Scouting report
Hermansson is a player that fuels on point production, scoring with plenty of finesse and confidence.
The 18-year-old put up 11 goals and 10 assists over 38 games this season in HockeyAllsvenskan, a Swedish pro league that’s a tier below the SHL.
He had a very productive 2026 IIHF U-18 World Junior Championship, a tournament that ended last month. Hermansson recorded 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in seven games for Team Sweden, which won gold.
But his work ethic and battle level without the puck are suspect.
“He had that U-18 tournament, which was impressive,” Daily Faceoff associate editor and prospect analyst Steven Ellis said June 9 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Extremely offensive, great creator. But it’s kind of offense or bust for him and I think that’s part of the issue.”
“I think he has got to work on his B game, making sure he’s more effective and you can throw him in for a checking role,” Ellis said. “He doesn’t hit many guys, that’s kind of the thing. I think if he adds a little bit more speed, he’d be really interesting.
“But I think from a pure skill perspective, few guys can go out there and dangle like he can, few guys can go out there and create the offensive opportunities like he can. It’s just can he do a bit more than that? I think that’s where there’s a question mark for me.”
While immensely skilled, Hermansson is not the biggest and there are some concerns with his competitiveness.
Can he be a true play-driver or does he rely a little too much on others? Will he consistently play 200 feet? The Flyers will have to answer those questions if they see Hermansson as an option at No. 21.
The scoring talent is absolutely there and that could intrigue the Flyers. But a different player may give them more answers.
Patrice Bergeron, Brian Burke, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne and Keith Tkachuk have been named to the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, the Hall announced Monday. The inductees will enter the Hall in November.
Bergeron won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward six times, most of any player. He won his final Selke in 2022-23, his last year before retiring.
He was not just a defensive whiz. He scored 1,040 points, all for the Boston Bruins. His most productive offensive rates occurred while centering Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. The 2003 second-round pick developed into one of the top power-play specialists while working the bumper position.
He won the Stanley Cup in 2011. The Quebec native helped Canada win Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014. He also claimed international titles at the 2004 World Championship and 2005 World Junior Championship. Coaches regularly used Bergeron with Sidney Crosby during international competition.
Burke will enter the Hall in the builder category. He served as general manager for the Hartford Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs, winning the Cup with the Ducks in 2007. In Vancouver, Burke executed the trades that allowed the Canucks to draft Daniel and Henrik Sedin in 1999.
Burke was president of hockey operations for the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins. He also worked for the NHL as senior vice president and director of hockey operations.
Curley played at Providence College. The forward helped the Friars win back-to-back NCAA championships in 1984 and 1985.
The native of Stow, Mass., was a member of Team USA’s inaugural World Championship team in 1990 and won three silver medals while playing for the Americans at the event.
Price played his entire career for the Montreal Canadiens. The netminder won a franchise record 361 games.
He reached his peak in 2014-15, when he posted a .933 save percentage and a 1.96 goals-against average in 66 appearances. The smooth-moving Price won the Hart Trophy as league MVP and the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie that season.
Price, a native of Anahim Lake, British Columbia, won Olympic gold with Team Canada in 2014. He was also a gold medalist at the 2007 World Junior Championship. His career ended early because of a knee injury.
Rinne played all 683 of his games with the Nashville Predators. The 2004 eighth-round pick developed into a workhorse for the Predators, playing a career-high 73 games in 2011-12. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2017-18 with a .927 save percentage and a 2.31 GAA.
The Finnish goalie represented his country at the 2014 and 2015 World Championships. He helped the Finns win silver in 2014.
Tkachuk was one of his generation’s most dangerous power forwards. The left-shot Tkachuk scored 1,065 points, including 538 goals, for the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers.
In 1996-97, Tkachuk, a native of Melrose, Mass., scored 52 goals for the Coyotes. He became the first American to lead the NHL in goals.
Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, Providence Friars, Providence Friars, NHL, Women's Hockey, Men's Olympic Ice Hockey, Women's Olympic Ice Hockey
SAINT PAUL, MN - MARCH 18: Patrice Bergeron #37 of the Boston Bruins celebrates after scoring a goal against the Minnesota Wild during the game at the Xcel Energy Center on March 18, 2023 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
It’s been a pretty good start to the summer for Patrice Bergeron.
Just a few days after the Bruins announced that they’ll be retiring his #37 this season, Bergeron learned today that he has been elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
This year was the first year Bergeron was eligible for induction, and it’s no real surprise that he got the call the first time around.
Bergeron will officially be inducted into the HHOF in this year’s induction ceremony on November 9.
The Leafs usually have a Hockey Hall of Fame Game around the induction too…might be a nice time for the Bruins to visit town.
From an NHL news release, Bergeron had this to say:
“This honour is the pinnacle of my career and represents the coaches and players that I went to battle with. It’s a surreal honour and I’m thankful that hockey has given so much to me and my family.”
Joining Bergeron in the 2026 class are:
Brian Burke (in the Builder Category)
Cindy Curley, a Massachusetts native who starred at Providence College and with the U.S. Women’s National Team
Pekka Rinne
Carey Price
Keith Tkachuk
It’s cool to see Bergeron go into the Hall with two other stars of his era in Price and Rinne, the former of whom had plenty of great match-ups with the Bruins teams of Bergeron’s prime years.
Tkachuk is the outlier here in that he comes from a different era of the NHL, but he finally earned enough votes this year to get himself in.
(Maybe Brady can demand to be included in the HHOF too.)
Looking at the stats that got Rinne elected as a Hall of Famer, I can’t help but wonder if he’ll one day be joined by a fellow Finnish goalie who spent his whole career with the Bruins.
Rinne has around 60 more career wins than Tuukka Rask, though he also started 122 more games than Rask.
Other than that, their career numbers are pretty similar. Rask has a slightly better save percentage and GAA, while Rinne had more shutouts.
Rask had better playoff stats than Rinne as well, while each of them won a single Vezina Trophy and were in the top-ten finalists five times.
Anyways, we can argue about that another day.
Congrats to Patrice Bergeron, who is already in the IIHF Hall of Fame and in the Hall of Fame of My Heart!
As we slowly inch closer to the 2026-27 season, we're beginning to get an idea of what the new season will look like. With the NHL expanding its regular season schedule to 84 games, the San Jose Sharks certainly won't be the only team with a condensed preseason, but we now know exactly how many games they'll play and when.
The Sharks will open the preseason on the road in Anaheim on September 20. They'll then return home for a quick two game homestand against the Anaheim Ducks and the Vegas Golden Knights before heading for Vegas to close out the preseason on the road.
9/20 1:00 PM - @ Anaheim Ducks
9/22 7:00 PM - vs Vegas Golden Knights
9/24 7:00 PM vs Anaheim Ducks
9/26 7:00 PM @ Vegas Golden Knights
As of now, it's unknown exactly when the regular season will begin, but it's expected to start in late September, leaving little time between preseason and opening night.
Entering the week of the 2026 NHL draft, there's been some new speculation surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs and the next assignment for GM John Chayka to improve the team this off-season.
With already trading away Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers, and acquiring Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning and signing him to a new contract, another move appears to be on the cards, potentially.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman has connected the Maple Leafs to Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky as a possible move this off-season on the 32 Thoughts podcast.
"Wouldn't shock me if (Bobrovsky) ended up being their guy potentially," Friedman said on the podcast.
With that speculation, what would it look like if Toronto really acquired Bobrovsky? Well, here are some pros and cons of a potential marriage between the Maple Leafs and the two-time Vezina Trophy winner.
Pros
There has been some movement and discussions around the Maple Leafs' goaltending depth and pipeline.
For starters, Woll is no longer on the Leafs roster from that aforementioned trade with the Flyers. However, Toronto received goaltender Samuel Ersson, as well as defenseman Emil Andrae, in that trade.
Regarding Ersson, it doesn't seem like the Leafs are fully committed to him, as the Swedish netminder is a pending RFA and hasn't put up great campaigns in the NHL since his debut season in 2022-23.
"Even though (Toronto) traded for Ersson, I'm not convinced they keep them," Friedman mentioned.
If the Leafs are looking to let go of Ersson, Friedman sees the Panthers taking him off their hands since both their goaltenders are pending UFAs.
"I wonder if (Florida) look at a guy like Ersson because it doesn't sound like Toronto is married to him," he said.
So, business from that perspective could be handled in some way.
Aside from the convenience it could bring to both parties, bringing in a netminder of Bobrovsky's stature and experience could have a positive impact on Toronto's goaltending department.
It would be specifically effective for the development of 24-year-olds Dennis Hildeby and Bobrovsky's fellow countryman, Artur Akhtyamov. Both Hildeby and Akhtyamov will be looking to break into the NHL soon, whether that's with the Leafs or somewhere else, and Bobrovsky could be the perfect mentor for the Toronto Marlies' Calder Cup-winning tandem.
That leaves Anthony Stolarz, the remaining NHL goalie for the Maple Leafs. There's an easy connection between Stolarz and Bobrovsky, as they were teammates in Florida and won the 2023-24 Stanley Cup together.
Though Bobrovsky saw most of the action in that regular season and post-season, they were an excellent tandem together. If the Maple Leafs go on to acquire Bobrovsky's talents, they would have a couple of Cup winners in their crease for 2026-27.
Cons
Although Bobrovsky has multiple honors in a career that will likely be acknowledged by the Hockey Hall of Fame someday, the Russian goaltender is getting up there in age. Bobrovsky will turn 38 years old before the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
Part of this could be because Panthers GM Bill Zito signed Brad Marchand to a contract extension last off-season, who was the same age as Bobrovsky now. Marchand ended up signing a six-year ticket at $5.25 million per season. Now Bobrovsky is seeking similar treatment.
Bobrovsky's reported demands come after one of the worst campaigns of his 16-year NHL career. He posted a .877 save percentage and a 3.07 goals-against average in 52 games for the Panthers. That is indeed the lowest SP he's ever recorded, and the second-worst GAA.
On a broader scale, among NHL goaltenders who played a minimum of 40 games last season, Bobrovsky has the third-worst SP, only behind Kevin Lankinen and Jordan Binnington.
Also, he can indeed help guide the young pair of goaltenders from the Marlies, but the truth is Bobrovsky would be taking one of their spots on the NHL roster.
So, with a mix of his age, reported contract demands and his play from last season, acquiring Bobrovsky this off-season may not be the answer for the Maple Leafs.
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The hockey world was stunned on June 21 when news broke of Brady Tkachuk being traded to the Florida Panthers from the Ottawa Senators, fetching Ottawa a grand total of four draft selections — 9th and 25th in 2026, a top-10 protected first-round selection in 2029, and a second-round pick in 2027.
Where this gets intriguing is the consideration of the picks regarding Ottawa’s future. The Senators made the post-season for the first time in seven years in 2025, though both last year and this year’s playoff runs ended in the first-round. Whichever players the team picks up at 9th and even 25th during this year’s draft will definitely become impact players — but only time will tell how long it takes them to.
Vancouver has found their name embroiled in trade chatter throughout the past few weeks, with the names most mentioned being veteran players like Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Jake DeBrusk. Some reports have even tied specific players to certain teams, such as Pettersson and the St. Louis Blues.
From the standpoints of both teams, especially now that Ottawa has a tidy crop of three first-round draft picks, a deal for DeBrusk would work pretty well. A consistent 40 to 45-point player, DeBrusk can chip in to Ottawa’s offence without having the expectation of being one of the team’s key pieces.
In this scenario, the other trade Florida conducted on June 21 works decently in the Canucks’ favour.
Prior to acquiring the younger Tkachuk, the Panthers flipped forward Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for the 25th pick, now Ottawa’s, as well as a conditional second-round selection in 2027.
There are two obvious differences in what DeBrusk and Samoskevich could provide a different team with.
For one, DeBrusk evidently demonstrates more of an immediate impact offensively. The forward was still able to put up back-to-back 40+ point seasons with the Canucks, even when they finished 32nd in the league this year. He’ll fit decently with the Senators’ window, which appears open now.
Samoskevich, on the other hand, is much younger. A middle-six forward, the 23-year-old logged back-to-back 30-point seasons in the NHL since playing in his first full season in 2024–25. With youth comes the potential to become a big-time producer later on down the road — but for a team like Ottawa, having a proven goal-scorer is something that would help the Senators’ puzzle feel closer to completion.
Mar 9, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser (6) stick checks Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk (7) as Tkachuk scores on this shot in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Where this impacts the Canucks is dictating the right package for a player like DeBrusk. If Ottawa is still interested, they’ve got a good chunk of assets they can now use to potentially acquire the Canucks winger, and maybe even another player, if it works well for both sides. When looking at what Samoskevich fetched Florida, it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that DeBrusk could also command a first-round pick from the Senators — likely 25th if not moved as part of a package.
At the end of the day, however, as much as Vancouver would likely jump at the opportunity to grab another first-round pick in this year’s draft, the Senators will probably want to use the assets acquired in the Tkachuk package to make a big splash and acquire a bigger-impact player. If they do decide to go down the route of obtaining secondary pieces that can produce offensively, a trade with the Canucks for DeBrusk could be one to look out for.
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The Edmonton Oilers re-signed defenseman Connor Murphy to a five-year contract worth $20.5 million on Monday.
The team announced the deal roughly 24 hours after extending center Jason Dickinson for the next five seasons at $20 million. Murphy and Dickinson joined Edmonton in separate deals from Chicago as pending unrestricted free agents ahead of the trade deadline in early March.
Murphy, like Dickinson, improved the Oilers’ ability to keep the puck out of their own net. Their goals-against average was 3.34 in the 62 games before acquiring them and dropped to 2.90 in the final 20 games of the regular season with them.
That number shot up to 4.33 in a first-round loss to Anaheim, though that also included goaltenders Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram combining for a playoff-worst .866 save percentage.
General manager Stan Bowman could address the goaltending situation via trade or free agency, and he and the front office need to hire a coach after firing Kris Knoblauch, who led consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup in 2024 and ’25.
Re-signing Murphy, 33, is part of the organization’s commitment to being better defensively in an effort to finally get Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl their first championship after more than a decade in the NHL together. Murphy has skated in 840 games in the league with the Coyotes, Blackhawks and Oilers.
During the 2025-26 season, it was revealed that the 2026 first-round pick that the Chicago Blackhawks received from the Florida Panthers in the Seth Jones trade was top-10 protected. It was initially believed not to be, but it was sorted out during the year.
The reason that it was even a conversation was because of the fact that Florida was in the midst of a tough year, despite being the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. Injuries to consequential players really brought them down, and that pick ended up being 9th overall.
The first-round pick became a 2027 selection for Chicago when the 2026 pick became unavailable to them. That also pushed back a first-round pick that Florida promised to the Boston Bruins in the Brad Marchand trade back one year.
On Sunday night, a trade was announced that shocked the NHL world. Florida acquired Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for draft picks. One of those was the top-10 protected pick that was going to go to the Blackhawks.
Kyle Davidson allowing that pick to be protected changed the landscape of the entire league. Brady will join his brother, Matthew Tkachuk, and a healthy Florida Panthers team ready to make another Stanley Cup run, and having the 9th overall pick played a big role in that deal getting done.
Did anyone think the Panthers would be in line for a top-ten pick when they acquired Seth Jones ahead of their second straight Cup run? No, they didn’t. That’s even more of a reason, however, to make sure that the pick isn’t protected just in case. Now, Florida has eyes on its third Cup in four years.
Next year, the pick is unprotected, but it is even less likely now that it will be a pick in the top third of the 2027 NHL Draft.
Multiple teams have and will be affected by this choice as the years go on. Not only are all the teams mentioned above going to be impacted, but anyone Florida plays and beats in the playoffs as a result of adding Brady to their lineup will be impacted.
There is also a chance that Ottawa flips some of those draft picks for help to replace Brady. They have come too far in their rebuild to let one trade request set the clock extremely far back.
Not that it was ever likely, but Brady Tkachuk would have been an incredible addition for the Blackhawks due to his age, position, pedigree, and style of play, but it won't happen now. Instead, management led by Kyle Davidson must figure out their own play to add a star forward to pair with Connor Bedard on the top line.
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PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 22: A general view Consol Energy Center during Round One of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft on June 22, 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
It was an electric night in Pittsburgh 14 years ago as the Penguins played host to the 2012 NHL Draft, which was held at PPG Paints Arena.
Then known as the Consol Energy Center, the arena was only a couple of years old and Pittsburgh had landed the NHL Draft for the first time since 1997, when it was held at the Civic Arena.
Heading into the 2012 NHL Draft, the Penguins had just flamed out of the playoffs in dramatic fashion, losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in a series that no one needs to be reminded of.
Pittsburgh was slated to pick 22nd in the draft, but a lot of drama was swirling ahead of the event and during the offseason in general surrounding the contract of pending free agent Jordan Staal.
When the opening night of the draft arrived, Ray Shero made his splash move, dealing Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes for the No. 8 overall pick that evening, Brandon Sutter, and Brian Dumoulin.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman certainly enjoyed the moment with his ability to hype up the crowd with his “and” thrown in there a couple times after the “for those of you in the building, you’ll be particularly interested.”
With the 8th pick, the Penguins selected defenseman Derrick Pouliot, who ultimately turned out to be a disappointment for Pittsburgh fans.
Brandon Sutter played three seasons for the Penguins and then was dealt by Jim Rutherford to Vancouver as a package that helped bring Nick Bonino to Pittsburgh.
Bonino and Dumoulin each won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in Pittsburgh.
In Carolina, Jordan Staal singed a 10-year deal worth $60 million, later adding another four years with the Hurricanes, now having played the second most games in franchise history.
Staal recently made history by becoming the oldest Conn Smythe Trophy winner while leading Carolina to the 2026 Stanley Cup.
The Los Angeles Kings have unveiled their 2026-27 preseason schedule, a four-game exhibition slate highlighted by the return of the annual “Empire Classic” at Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 19 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The condensed schedule continues a division-heavy theme for Los Angeles, with matchups against familiar Pacific Division opponents and a pair of in-state meetings with the Anaheim Ducks, along with a home date against Utah.
Los Angeles Kings 2026-27 Preseason Schedule
Saturday, Sept. 19 — vs. Vegas Golden Knights — 6:00 p.m. (Toyota Arena, Ontario, CA)
Tuesday, Sept. 22 — vs. Utah Mammoth — 7:00 p.m. (Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA)
Wednesday, Sept. 23 — at Anaheim Ducks — 7:00 p.m. (Honda Center, Anaheim, CA)
Saturday, Sept. 26 — vs. Anaheim Ducks — 1:00 p.m. (Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA)
Tickets for the Empire Classic will be available via axs.com and ontarioreign.com. Fans looking to attend the Sept. 23 and Sept. 26 home exhibition games at Crypto.com Arena are encouraged to explore Season Ticket Membership options through lakings.com/memberships, while full preseason ticket details are available at lakings.com/preseason.
The schedule arrives amid a broader league-wide restructuring of the exhibition calendar. The NHL has trimmed the preseason from six games per team to four as part of a wider scheduling overhaul connected to the league’s move toward an 84-game regular season.
League officials have framed the change as a way to reduce injury risk in exhibition play while shifting emphasis toward meaningful regular-season games. The adjustment was agreed upon by the league and NHLPA under the current collective bargaining agreement, which runs through the 2029-30 season, following growing concern over high-profile injuries sustained during preseason action in recent years.
For fans who're already craving to end that hockey itch, help is on the way, but it'll arrive in September.
The Ducks' 2025-26 season has been over for just over a month and with the 2026 NHL Entry Draft just around the corner, it feels like a good time to start recapping this past season for each player in the organization.
Today's edition of 'By the Numbers' will feature players who wore Nos. 51-60 this season.
If you missed the previous edition of 'By the Numbers', you can click here to read it.
Olen Zellweger
Zellweger was a mainstay on the Ducks' blue line up until the tail-end of the regular season, when a couple of defensive shortcomings seemingly put him in head coach Joel Quenneville's doghouse. There was an emphasis on defensive habits, with Zellweger deployed on the penalty kill throughout the season as opposed to the power play, where his skills may have been better utilized.
Tyson Hinds' call-up and subsequent strong play left Zellweger a spectator at the end of the regular season and into the playoffs. He went an entire month without playing in a game before he re-entered the lineup out of necessity for Game 4 of their playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Paired with Ian Moore, he picked up a secondary assist on Moore's game-winning goal while playing mostly sheltered minutes on the bottom pair.
May 14, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger (51) controls the puck past Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) during the third period in game six of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
In Game 5, his play earned him more ice time and a promotion to the second defensive pair alongside John Carlson. He then tied the game late in the third period, though the Ducks fell in overtime. He was scoreless in Game 6 but had almost 14 minutes of ice time.
A pending RFA this summer, the Ducks appear to be at a crossroads with both Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov, who is also an RFA. The two lefties have taken turns showing flashes of what they can become if given the proper ice time and runway. However, neither has been able to do this on a consistent basis just yet. With Jackson LaCombe entrenched as the Ducks' No. 1 on the left-hand side, it's a battle of who will be the No. 2 behind him.
Lucas Pettersson
After splitting time between the HockeyAllsvenskan and the SHL in 2024-25, Pettersson spent most of the past season with Brynäs in the SHL before finishing out the year in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls. He had 20 points in 40 games, primarily playing on the wing. Pettersson was also part of Sweden's gold medal-winning squad at World Juniors, collecting six points in six games.
Drafted as a center in the second round of the 2024 draft, Pettersson may project better as a winger due to his size (5-foot-11) and speed. He is dependable in both zones and has shown that he can contribute offensively off the rush and on the man advantage. He would be a candidate for the penalty kill as well.
As of now, it's unclear whether Pettersson will play for the Gulls in 2025-26 or return to Sweden for another season with Brynäs. The Gulls' forward depth is in flux, with Jan Myšák departed to HV71 in the SHL, Justin Bailey needing a new contract and Nikita Nesterenko and Sam Colangelo expected to be up with the Ducks full-time. If Pettersson does return to Brynäs, it would give him the chance to play either down the middle or on the wing again.
Tarin Smith
Smith was named captain of the Everett Silvertips prior to the start of the 2025-26 WHL season, his fourth full season with the club. He appeared in 60+ games for the third consecutive season, setting a new career high in assists (55) and points (71) as one half of the Silvertips' top defensive pairing.
Unfortunately, his final WHL postseason was cut short due to a dislocated shoulder that he suffered during the Silvertips' first playoff series. He will be out of the sling at the end of June and be able to resume skating in August. November is the targeted date for his full return to the ice, and he'll be doing it in the NCAA after committing to the University of Minnesota this past May.
An offensively-gifted defenseman, Smith was a finalist for the WHL Defenseman of the Year. Continued focus in the defensive zone will be a priority for him as he transitions to the collegiate game and goes up against older and stronger players.
Coulson Pitre
After spending the entire 2024-25 season with the Gulls, Pitre split the 2025-26 season between the AHL and ECHL. He was nearly a point per game player in the ECHL with the Tulsa Oilers (21 in 26 games), but failed to replicate that kind of production with the Gulls, putting up just five points in 25 games.
An upper-body injury that occurred prior to training camp kept Pitre out until almost November. After returning, he was then assigned to Tulsa, where he remained until January, when he was recalled to the Gulls. Pitre spent most of his time with the Gulls in a bottom-6 role, rotating between center and wing. His development has been hampered by injuries and he hasn't been able to carve out a consistent role with the Gulls through two full seasons.
May 14, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger (51) controls the puck past Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) during the third period in game six of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Like 2023 second round pick Nico Myatovic, Pitre thrives in a complementary role, forechecking hard, retrieving/recovering pucks and setting up his higher-level teammates. However, it's been difficult for Pitre to find the same level of success at the AHL level that Myatovic has recently started to find.
Health will be paramount for Pitre as he enters the final year of his ELC. He could be in line for a bigger role with the Gulls this upcoming season depending on what moves are made during the summer.
Maxim Massé
Massé had his best season to date in 2025-26, setting career highs across the board. He eclipsed 100 points for the first time in his juniors career and helped lead the Chicoutimi Saguenéens to a QMJHL championship.
After four full seasons in the QMJHL, Massé will be heading to the NCAA to play for UMass. He follows in the footsteps of fellow Ducks prospects Roger McQueen, Alex Blais, Saguenéens teammate Emile Guité and the aforementioned Smith in transitioning from the CHL to the NCAA.
"It's good for the development," Massé said in an interview with THN Anaheim this past February. "We're only playing 30-40 games a season. Gaining some strength in my lower body and upper body, too, and just getting better with my skating. (The Ducks) were supporting me 100% in that."
Improving his skating, in addition to continuing to add strength, has been a focus for Massé since he was drafted by the Ducks in 2024. Playing collegiate hockey will allow him to ply his trade against older and stronger players and provide a bigger challenge than the CHL.
Yegor Sidorov
After a strong rookie season in the AHL in 2024-25 with 34 points in 59 games, Sidorov took a slight step back offensively in 2025-26. He had 29 points in 68 games while finding himself moving up and down the lineup throughout the season.
Scoring goals has never been an issue for Sidorov, who had a prolific juniors career in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades. The big question was whether he could impact the game in other ways outside of scoring. It appears that he is still trying to find his 'B-game' after a promising start to his pro career. Sidorov was also a healthy scratch for both of the Gulls' Calder Cup Playoffs games against the Colorado Eagles, with players like scrappy forward Cal Burke getting the nod over him.
May 14, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger (51) controls the puck past Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) during the third period in game six of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
With a new coaching staff entering the picture, Sidorov could find himself in a more consistent next season. He too is in the final year of his ELC and will likely be part of the group competing for a spot on the NHL roster during training camp, with Troy Terry expected to be out until December after recently undergoing hip impingement surgery.
Sidorov was one of the final training camp cuts last season and if he once again doesn't make the cut, he could at least still be in line for a bigger role with the Gulls. Finding ways to impact the game outside of the scoresheet could help him get that.
Ethan Procyszyn
Procyszyn was a 30-goal scorer for the second consecutive season, also his second season as captain of the North Bay Battalion in the OHL. His points total dipped slightly from his career-high 64 in 2024-25, but he continued to be a driving force for the Battalion in 2025-26.
A gritty, hard-nosed forward, Procyszyn grabs points any way he can and is the true definition of a grinder. His playstyle suits the NHL game quite well, as teams are always looking for players who are willing to go the dirty areas of the ice.
Procyszyn signed his ELC in April following the conclusion of the Battalion's playoff run, though he didn't appear in any games for the Gulls. He'll be able to get his feet wet in the AHL next season as one of the Gulls' depth centers behind captain Ryan Carpenter.
Sasha Pastujov
After a surprise demotion to the ECHL to start the 2024-25 season, Pastujov returned to the AHL with a chip on his shoulder, putting up 45 points in 43 games. He built off of his strong season by leading the Gulls in points (57) in 2025-26 and also finished second on the team in goals (21).
Pastujov is a cerebral player who shows good vision and has a strong shot in his arsenal. Skating has always been the knock on him, an area that he has previously acknowledged needs work. He just completed his third full season as a professional and is a pending RFA. It's likely that he'll be tendered a qualifying offer and should be given a chance to compete for a spot on the NHL roster.
If he isn't able to crack the NHL roster, he'll slot into the Gulls' top-6 and be relied upon as one of their top playmakers.
Tyson Hinds
Another player who went through the rigors of the AHL for a few seasons before finally getting the call to the NHL, Hinds spent most of the 2025-26 season with the Gulls before being called up to the Ducks in April. He appeared in the last six games of the regular season and the first nine games of the Ducks' first playoff run since 2018 before being a healthy scratch for the final three games of the Golden Knights series. This came after logging heavy minutes as part of the Gulls' top defensive pair alongside Tristan Luneau.
May 8, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Tyson Hinds (60) plays for the puck against Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) during the first period in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Hinds fits the mold of the modern-day stay-at-home defenseman, a mobile defender who uses his length and skating to take away lanes and knock the puck away. He fared well (for the most part) alongside whoever his defensive partner was and wasn't afraid to activate offensively when the opportunity called for it.
He is a pending RFA and will likely be tendered a qualifying offer. The left side of the Ducks' defense is a bit crowded at the moment, so it's difficult to envision there being a regular spot for Hinds. But he showed that he is ready to be an everyday NHLer and could find a role as the seventh defenseman.
NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Linked to Multiple Senators CentersThe Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly interested in three different Ottawa Senators forwards, including two established goal-scorers.
Patrice Bergeron, Brian Burke, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne and Keith Tkachuk have been named to the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, the Hall announced Monday. The inductees will enter the Hall in November.
