Jordan Spence's time in Ottawa came with humble beginnings.
After two years as a regular in the LA Kings lineup, Spence was traded at the draft to the Senators for a mere third-round draft pick.
New Kings GM Ken Holland wanted to move off Spence because, "It's just hard to play him and Brandt Clarke right now," referring to the sameness of the two players. Holland wanted a different sort of right-shot D, so he later went out and signed former Senator Cody Ceci to effectively take Spence's spot on the roster.
As Jordan Spence worked back in the fall to get into the lineup everyday, Senators GM Steve Staios spoke back then about why he acquired him.
After breaking the bad news to him and the feelings that go with that, the Kings took solace in the fact that Spence would have a better opportunity to play in Ottawa.
But a few months later, when the Senators opened their new season in Tampa Bay, Spence was a healthy scratch. Even with Tyler Kleven injured, Spence sat in the press box while Nikolas Matinpalo, Donovan Sebrango and a quick-healing Nick Jensen all suited up.
How times have changed.
By the time the season was over, Spence established himself as more than an everyday defenseman. Among Sens defensemen, he finished fourth in time on ice per game, which is the very best measurement of what your team thinks of you. He finished with a career-high 31 points, and along with being an excellent puck mover, he didn't mind finishing his checks along the boards.
One of his biggest virtues, at least on this team, was availability. While the Sens endured one injury after another on the blue line, Spence managed to dodge the injury bullet all season.
Now Spence is a restricted free agent, and the Senators find themselves considering lucrative compensation packages for Spence that they probably never would have dreamed of at the start of this season.
Naturally, a lot will depend on what Steve Staios does this summer. If he goes out and gets another top-four defenseman, ideally a physical, shutdown guy, that might knock Spence down to a bottom-six pairing, which would certainly affect what the Senators want to pay.
Spence is also two years away from unrestricted free agency.
So the Sens could sign him to a one-year deal and see if Spence can impress again, and also see what everything looks like when everyone stays healthy for a season. In particular, that's been a challenge for Thomas Chabot, who plays a similar game to Spence on the opposite side. Chabot has missed 15-30 games in four of the last five seasons.
The Sens could also buy up some of Spence's UFA years and do something longer term. He's still only 25 with just three full NHL seasons under his belt. Now he'll have a big new contract and a greater sense of belonging next season, so we're betting the best is yet to come.
With the NHL cap going bananas over the next few seasons, Spence isn't likely to re-sign for the max seven years. But barring the offseason addition of another right-shot defenseman in Ottawa, a good bet for Spence would be four years at $4.5 million AAV.
Meanwhile, back in LA, the Kings might be reconsidering Spence's value these days.
After Holland put his stamp on the team for this season, which included dealing Spence away for a third-round pick, the Kings' goal differential this season dropped 66 points, going from +44 last season to -22 this season.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:
The Carolina Hurricanes have certainly had a long wait ever since their last postseason game.
The Hurricanes completed a four-game sweep over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, May 9 and since then, they've just been finding ways to fill the time.
The Canes are awaiting the winner between the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens, but that series has gone all the way to a winner-takes-all Game 7 which will take place on Monday.
The Hurricanes had a six-game wait between the first and second rounds after sweeping the Ottawa Senators and by the time they next play, they'll have been off for a modern-NHL record 11 days.
Update / confirmation: Hurricanes have the modern NHL record for longest wait for their next series. pic.twitter.com/4QO3kh32WC
While the team may not know who their opponent will be, they do at least know when they'll be playing as the Game 7 situation forced them into schedule option B.
The Hurricanes will kick off their Eastern Conference Final run on Thursday at the Lenovo Center, although puck drop has still yet to be determined.
Here is the full list of dates for the Eastern Conference Final:
Game 1: Thursday, May 21 (Lenovo Center) Game 2: Saturday, May 23 (Lenovo Center) Game 3: Monday, May 25 (Bell Centre/KeyBank Center) Game 4: Wednesday, May 27 (Bell Centre/KeyBank Center) Game 5: Friday, May 29 (Lenovo Center) Game 6: Sunday, May 31 (Bell Centre/KeyBank Center) Game 7: Tuesday, June 2 (Lenovo Center)
The games will be exclusively broadcasted by TNT (truTV, HBO MAX) in the U.S. and will be available on Sportsnet, CBC and TVAS in Canada.
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PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 27: Harrison Brunicke #45 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates during the game against the St. Louis Blues at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Now it is time to look at some of the Pittsburgh Penguins young players that could break out in a big way for the 2026-27 season.
The candidates are mostly obvious, but how high should we be setting the ceiling?
Let’s dig into it a little bit,
Ben Kindel
The most encouraging development for the Penguins during the 2025-26 season was the emergence and rapid development of center Ben Kindel. From the moment he arrived in training camp and started to play in the preseason there was obvious reason for excitement and optimism. And then he delivered on that far sooner than anticipated by not only making the team as an 18-year-old in his draft year, and not only sticking around for the entire season and playoffs, but also making a sizable impact.
He was not a passenger.
He was one of the drivers of the team’s success for a good chunk of the season.
He did have some moments where he ran into a rookie wall, especially later on, but that is to be expected for a player that age going through that sort of grind for the first time.
At the very least, he looks like an NHL player. The question is what his long-term upside is, including in his second season.
To try and get an idea I pulled up comparable rookie seasons over the past 20 years. The criteria: 18-year-old forwards in their rookie season, scoring between 12 and 25 goals, and finishing with between 25 and 40 points. It eliminates the 18-year-olds like Sidney Crosby and Macklin Celebrini that were clearly on a different level, as well as the players that did not stick around long enough to contribute or simply did not contribute as much as Kindel did.
The comparable results were: Andrei Svechnikov, Cole Sillinger, Valeri Nichushkin and Evander Kane.
Kindel, Svechnikov and Nichushkin were the only ones that also exceeded a better than 50 percent shot attempt share in their rookie seasons, indicating an ability to drive possession.
It’s not exactly a big group of players to draw many conclusions or comparables from, which also kind of highlights how rare of a season it was for Kindel.
Svechnikov took a huge step forward in year two. Kane took a small step forward offensively. Nchushkin was limited to just eight games in his second season and took a few years to become an outstanding second-line winger. Sillinger took a massive step backwards and has not really taken a major step forward ever since.
It’s also not really an apples-to-apples comparison across the board because Svechnikov, Nichushkin and Kane are all wingers, while Kindel and Sillinger are the only centers on the list.
The ideal scenario here would be a Svechnikov-like jump offensively. But I am not sure he has Svechnikov’s shot, even if he might have the two-way game.
Sillinger is the example you do not want him to follow, but I also think his rookie year was significantly better and more well-rounded than Sillinger’s. Sillinger didn’t push play to the same degree that Kindel did and received slightly more favorable situations and matchups.
Kindel’s not likely to be a franchise-level player or star-level player. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be a really good, really important long-term piece. The sort of jump he takes next season will give us more insight into what that upside can be.
Harrison Brunicke
Brunicke’s 2025-26 season did not follow the path many people expected, getting playing time in the NHL, WHL and AHL. There’s been some concern that the Penguins didn’t really help his development this season by jumping him all around to three different levels, and having him sit for most of the first half of the season while they made a decision on him, but I’m not sure I agree with that take.
At the end of the day he is going to play more hockey games this season than he did in each of the previous two seasons.
He has also received a significant taste of pro hockey, including at the NHL level, and held his own as a 19-year-old.
He just wasn’t ready for full-time NHL action at that point. It’s okay. It happens.
He has been especially strong since getting an opportunity to play at Wilkes-Barre, including in the playoffs.
President of Hockey Operations/general manager Kyle Dubas has already made it clear that improving the team’s defensive play is going to be a huge priority this offseason, and I can’t think of a better place to start looking for that than internally with a player like Brunicke, even if it does not happen from the very start of the season.
Honestly, he checks every box for what the Penguins should be looking for on next year’s roster and would add youth, skating and a potential long-term defensive solution. He’s been a highly touted prospect from the moment he was drafted and has impressed at every step in the process.
They need somebody to emerge as a long-term piece on defense. Next year could be the start for him.
Sergei Murashov
There is not a young player in the organization that can change the Penguins’ timeline for contention more than Murashov.
I do not say that to put more pressure on the kid or raise expectations around him, but just to point out the reality of the situation and his position.
The Penguins farm system has improved significantly over the past few years in terms of depth and potential NHL players. But it is still lacking that one dude that can be a top-tier player. If Murashov reaches his ceiling, he could be that top-tier player. And given that he plays the most impactful position on the ice, and the one that can change an entire season for a team, he could be the most significant player they have.
That is what goalies do.
But goalies are also maddening, volatile beasts that can surprise in the best and worst ways. There are maybe five established goalies in the NHL that you should feel confident in from one year to the next. Or even within the same season.
Young goalies with no NHL track record are even more volatile and unpredictable.
The good news: Murashov looks NHL ready, at least in the sense that he has nothing left to prove in the AHL. He has dominated for two years down there, and entering play on Monday has a .938 save percentage this postseason in his first six games. He is almost certainly going to be in the goalie rotation next season with a chance to make a difference. I imagine there will be some rocky moments at times, but there is also the potential for a major contribution.
If they get back to the playoffs next season, my guess is he would be a big reason why.
Bill Zonnon
If you go back to the 2025 NHL Draft, the one Penguins player taken in the first round that seemed to get the most consistent praise for his game, and for being NHL-ready, wasn’t actually Ben Kindel, but instead Bill Zonnon. He’s been a favorite of prospect watchers all year and has received high-praise for his work ethic, two-way play and hockey IQ. He has done nothing but back all of that up on the ice in both the QMJHL and AHL. When it comes to the latter, he showed up having already learned the system on his own and was ready to be plopped into the lineup.
He then scored two goals in his first two games.
I don’t know if he will make the roster next season right out of training camp, but I could see a scenario in the middle of the season where he gets an opportunity and never returns to Wilkes-Barre.
After a complete collapse on home ice on Saturday night, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves on the brink of elimination for the second time in these playoffs as they face a do-or-die Game 7 with the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Centre on Monday night. The last time the Canadiens had to play a Game 7, they came out on top, but they needed a little help from the Forum ghosts, who had apparently made the trip to Florida for their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They won, but they didn’t deserve to with just nine shots on net. They’ll need to be better than that tonight.
Tonight’s tilt will be the 203rd Game 7 in league history and only the second in these playoffs, with the Canadiens starring in both. The Sabres will be playing only their eighth Game 7 in franchise history, and so far they have a 1-6 record, but are 1-1 when the game is played at home. Both home games required overtime. Meanwhile, this will be the 26th Game 7 in Canadiens history and the 15th on the road. The franchise has a 16-9 record and is 8-6 on the road.
The Habs will not be holding a morning skate today, but we may get some lineup hints if the healthy scratches take to the ice. Joe Veleno took an elbow to the head in the last game, and one can wonder if he’ll be dressed tonight or if Martin St-Louis will decide to make some changes after the disastrous Game 6.
That’s not a decision to take lightly, especially after using the same lineup for the last six games. Anyone you decide to bring in will be somewhat rusty. Brendan Gallagher has not played since Game 7 against the Lightning, while Oliver Kapanen’s last game was on April 26. When Gallagher entered the first round in Game five, he provided a much-needed spark and scored the first goal of the game. Can the veteran do the same against a much faster and younger Buffalo team? As for Kapanen, he has two goals against the Sabres in four games this season, but that was in the regular season.
St-Louis could also elect to mix his lines a little bit. The top line had an awful game in Game 6, and that was in large part because Juraj Slafkovsky was ineffective. On the other end, Ivan Demidov looks like he has finally found his rhythm in this series; perhaps he could cause some damage alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. There’s also the possibility of reuniting Alexandre Texier, Kirby Dach and Zach Bolduc, who worked well as a unit against Tampa.
Whichever combinations St-Louis decides to put on the ice, though, the Canadiens’ top players will have to be better. Montreal also can’t afford to miss golden opportunities. Game 6 might have been vastly different if Texier hadn’t missed the pass that would have sent him on the breakaway on the first shift of the second period.
In the last two games, St-Louis started with Slafkovsky, Suzuki, and Caufield, and they were scored on following defensive-zone turnovers by Caufield on Thursday and Slafkovsky on Saturday. It might be an idea not to lead with that line, but with an energy line that can set the tone in this pivotal game.
While Saturday’s defeat wasn’t Jakub Dobes’ fault, the Czech netminder can play a much better game than he did, and on Monday night, he’ll need to have his A-game. So far in these playoffs, the 24-year-old netminder has always bounced back (or, as St-Louis would say, "forward") after a loss; he is 5-0 with a .911 save percentage. In those five games, the Canadiens have scored 19 goals and only allowed nine for a 1.80 GAA. That’s the kind of performance Montreal needs. With a win, Dobes would become only the fifth goaltender in franchise history with multiple Game 7 wins; he would join Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, Jaroslav Halak, and Carey Price in the very select club.
In Game 7 against Tampa, Dobes allowed just one goal on 29 shots, while Suzuki scored the team’s first goal, and Alex Newhook scored the unorthodox game-winner. Kaiden Guhle assisted on both goals, while Lane Hutson, who leads the team in scoring, had an assist. The team that scores first in a Game 7 has won the game 75% of the time (152-50), which is what Montreal did against the Bolts, but in six games against the Sabres, they’ve only scored the first goal once. So far in this series, the home team has only won two of the six games.
Puck drop is set for 7:30 PM, and you can catch the game on ESPN, SN, TVAS, and CBC. Jean Hebert and Wes McCauley are set to officiate, while Scott Cherrey and Devin Berg will be the linemen. Whoever wins the game will head to Raleigh to face the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Conference Final on Thursday. It will be the Canes’ first game since May 9, when they completed the sweep against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Newfoundland native Alex Newhook gives the Montreal Canadiens a lead in the third period of Game 7.
Newhook is the only player on the Habs with his name already on the Stanley Cup. What a goal. pic.twitter.com/npd9fzJUnx
Juraj Slafkovsky is having a productive series, with six points through six games. What’s impressive is that he has managed strong outputs while scoring only once on 3.13 expected goals and 21 chances. He’s deserving of better.
Open ice will be hard to come by in a Game 7, with every puck hotly contested in a meat-and-potatoes style of game. Slafkovsky’s ability to get to the net and operate in tight spaces will serve him well.
Game 7 Prop #2: Rasmus Dahlin Over 2.5 shots
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Rasmus Dahlin is a one-man shooting gallery for the Buffalo Sabres. He has generated 3+ shots in eight of the last nine games and five straight in Buffalo.
He’s been more productive at home, especially in this series. Dahlin combined for 12 shots on 21 attempts through three home dates, a stark contrast to the eight on 11 he mustered up over three games in Montreal.
Nobody on the Sabres has generated more attempts or shots than Dahlin at home. Likely to play 25+ minutes in Game 7, the volume should remain quite strong.
Game 7 Prop #3: Nick Suzuki Over 0.5 assists
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Cole Caufield leads the Montreal Canadiens with 22 scoring chances against Buffalo, and right behind him is Slafkovsky at 21.
What do those two have in common? They're centered by Nick Suzuki at 5-on-5 as well as on the power play.
Suzuki is the best facilitator the Canadiens have up front and, clearly, he's helping create plenty of looks for his linemates. Given how much of the offense runs through Suzuki and the talented finishers on his wing, he's as likely as anybody to pick up a helper.
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The Oilers' head-coaching role is also vacant, as they fired Kris Knoblauch one day after the Leafs fired Berube.
Knoblauch was Edmonton's bench boss for three seasons, hired in November 2023. He led the Oilers to two straight trips to the Stanley Cup final, but also a first-round exit to the Anaheim Ducks in this past campaign.
As for Berube, he coached the Maple Leafs for two whole seasons.
In his first year, Berube was able to push Toronto to Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs, which is the furthest the Buds have gone in the post-season for quite some time.
In his second year, the team's direction started to change course. The Leafs went from 52 wins and Atlantic Division champions in 2024-25, to 32 wins and finishing at the bottom of the division one year later.
Outside of Berube's contributions in Toronto, he was a Stanley Cup champion in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues, and the following year, they finished first in the Central Division, albeit after playing 71 games due to COVID-19 ending the regular season early.
TSN's Edmonton reporter, Ryan Rishaug, reported that "a formal interview with Berube is expected after some initial conversation" between him and Oilers GM Stan Bowman.
In terms of Leafs GM John Chayka and his search for a new bench boss, on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman name-dropped Jay Woodcroft, David Carle and Manny Malhotra as three candidates that could be in the mix, or had initial conversations.
He further noted that Toronto's search will be very broad, and that it's too early to tell what kind of coach will be coming in.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 05: Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Minnesota Wild in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on May 05, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Colorado Avalanche News
That painful night in Dallas still fuels this Avalanche team: ‘You never totally get over it’. [Denver Post]
Avalanche finding ‘emotional balance’ ahead of Western Final. [NHL]
Avs head coach Jared Bednar thinks all players will be available for Game 1. [Denver Sports]
Sidney Crosby’s decision to play at worlds surprised Team Canada leaders. [Toronto Sun]
Gigantic Oilers goalie prospect crushing it in playoffs, but is his NHL path blocked? [Edmonton Journal]
Game 6 couldn’t have gone much worse for the Canadiens. The Sabres score seven unanswered goals in a commanding 8-3 win to force a deciding game. [Montreal Gazette]
Wild vets Brodin, Eriksson Ek each had broken foot that kept them out of playoff series loss to Avs. [TSN]
Sunday Overreactions: Wild need clarity from Hughes as soon as possible. [Sportsnet]
A list of suspensions and fines issued so far during the 2026 playoffs. [The Hockey News]
Golden Knights lose pick and coach John Tortorella is fined for boxing out media. [ESPN]
This offseason, the Philadelphia Flyers will be spending the bulk of their finances re-signing their own free agents, rather than those coming from other teams.
Established core players like Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale are pending restricted free agents in need of new contracts, and it's possible the Flyers retain the likes of Nikita Grebenkin (upper-body), Sam Ersson, and Emil Andrae.
The Flyers already re-signed Aleksei Kolosov, so that is one piece of relevant business done for the summer. Now, they won't have to worry about AHL goaltending for the 2026-27 season.
As for the names above, though, their contracts are going to be less straightforward than Kolosov's one-year deal worth $850k.
In regards to Zegras and Drysdale specifically, those two players are going to be the talk of town in terms of contract value and length.
We can all expect the Flyers' exciting duo to sign for another couple of years, though what a "couple of years" means depends on the person.
NHL analytics mavens Evolving-Hockey have made their widely anticipated contract projections for the 2026 offseason available, and we can reference their data model to see what kind of contracts we can expect for all the Flyers' free agents.
To establish some precedent, Evolving-Hockey projected Kolosov's most likely contract to be two years for $866.5k. The Belarusian was assessed to have a 48% chance to sign for two years, and a 42% chance to sign for one. So, they were pretty close to the mark on this one.
At the time of this writing, Zegras is given a 23% chance to re-up with the Flyers for four years, which Evolving-Hockey predicts to come with a $7.589 million annual cap hit.
Notably, their model also gives Zegras a 19% chance to sign for five and eight years, and those lengths would then carry cap hits of $7.919 or $9.654 million, respectively.
Personally, I would expect Zegras and the Flyers meet somewhere in the middle, like seven years and $8.5 million annually, give or take.
However, the Flyers will have a smaller margin for error with Drysdale's next deal, especially given that this past season was the best, and objectively the only good, season of his NHL career.
The 24-year-old defenseman's most likely contract comes in at five years and a $6.155 million annual cap hit, which will certainly carry some sticker shock.
A number in the $5 million range would be more reasonable for Drysdale, though Evolving-Hockey's model says the Flyers will have to offer between two and four years to get the price down to that level.
As it stands for the other relevant pieces, Ersson is projected to land a two-year, $2.762 million AAV contract if he re-signs with the Flyers, which seems unlikely at this stage.
Andrae and Grebenkin are given whopping 56% and 58% chances to land two-year extensions themselves, accompanied by modest cap hits of $1.462 and $1.127 million, respectively.
Grebenkin's is just about what I personally expected, though a one-year deal feels like the smartest move for Andrae.
He only has a 16% chance to sign one of those, but he is no longer waivers-exempt and won't be an unrestricted free agent until 2029.
If Andrae does remain with the Flyers, it would be surprising if it was for more than a season, even with the team's lack of left-shot defensemen coming up through the pipeline.
The Flyers will have a ton of cap space this summer with Kevin Hayes, Cam Atkinson, and Scott Laughton all coming off the books, so it will be interesting to see how aggressive they get with re-signing their own players as well as with targeting new ones.
The date May 18 this year marks Victoria Day for most provinces and all of Canada's territories. This day last year, however, consisted of a franchise-altering result for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
That result was when the Florida Panthers came to town for Game 7 of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. With hope from Leafs fans that Toronto was going to see the third round of the post-season for the first time since 2002, the Panthers steamrolled the Maple Leafs with a 6-1 scoreline.
That humiliating loss for Toronto at Scotiabank Arena turned out to be more than just a defeat or elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs. What came to fruition in the aftermath of that loss changed the immediate future of the organization.
What many will remember from that night is that, in addition to being the Maple Leafs' final contest of the campaign, it turned out to be the end of Mitch Marner's tenure in Toronto - and it wasn't memorable in a good way.
In the final moments of that game, fans began to boo Marner whenever he got control of the puck. They would also throw jerseys and garbage onto the ice during play.
This loss marked the seventh straight Game 7 that the Maple Leafs dropped dating back to the 2012-13 post-season.
Florida would go on to win its second consecutive Stanley Cup, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in six games. The Maple Leafs were actually the toughest series that the Panthers had in those playoffs in terms of the length of the series.
Nonetheless, there were a couple of changes to the team in that off-season, highlighted by the departure of Marner, who was signed and traded to the Vegas Golden Knights just one day before free agency kicked in.
Marner's departure marked the end of an era. For the previous nine seasons, Marner, along with Auston Matthews and William Nylander, were the team's top players. But with a third of that trio now gone, the Maple Leafs were always going to be a different team going into the next campaign.
Still with the off-season additions of Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, and Nicolas Roy - who arrived with the Marner deal - the difference was glaring, and not in a positive way.
Toronto ended up missing the playoffs for the first time in nine years and became a lottery-winning franchise for the first time since the Leafs drafted Matthews in 2016.
That Game 7 loss to the Panthers isn't solely responsible for the downfall of the 2025-26 regular season, of course. But it certainly played a role in the organization's trajectory.
Now, exactly one year later, Brendan Shanahan, Brad Treliving, Craig Berube, and some other members of the front office are no longer a part of the franchise.
At any rate, May 18, 2025 was certainly a day for Leafs fans to remember, for all the wrong reasons.
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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 02: Dougie Hamilton #7 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his goal with teammates on the bench during the first period against the Washington Capitals at Prudential Center on April 02, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“Everybody knows the Hughes brothers want to play together. Maybe Jack wants to come to Minnesota now to join forces with Quinn rather than wait or have it the other way around. It would be complicated, though, because it’s hard to believe Jack would leave their youngest brother, Luke, behind with the New Jersey Devils. That may be why, per league sources, the Wild made a pitch to former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald to acquire Luke this past season.” [The Athletic ($)]
“While he’s still young enough to improve, it stands to reason Nemec may not be looked at as a long-term core piece by Mehta. If that’s the case, here are a few landing spots that could make sense:” [Infernal Access ($)]
What should the Devils do about Dougie Hamilton?
Hockey Links
Hurricanes have had a long break:
The Carolina Hurricanes will have 12 days off between games, the longest layoff in NHL playoff history 🤯
By the time the Eastern Conference Final begins, Carolina will have played just eight games in 36 days. pic.twitter.com/GaAWqsRszz
Quinn Hughes on the idea of resigning in Minnesota: “I can say that I really like it here. I love the team. I love the city and the fans. Just being in that locker room, it’s a special group. Would definitely be open to re-signing here with the guys that we have in the room and just the people we have in the room. A lot of trust with Billy, as well, and love (coach John Hynes) and (associate coach Jack Capuano) and the coaching staff.” [The Athletic ($)]
“The Vegas Golden Knights have been stripped of their second-round pick in this year’s draft, with coach John Tortorella also receiving a $100,000 fine, for ‘flagrant violations’ of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoff media regulations, the league announced Friday.” [ESPN]
“It’s safe to say the ‘Yzerplan’ has not worked out. And as the Detroit Red Wings enter a critical off-season, they need to change up their methods, even if that doesn’t include Steve Yzerman.” [The Hockey News]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
PITTSBURGH - MAY 18: Sidney Crosby #68 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates a goal by teammate Ryan Malone #12 , surrounded by goaltender Martin Biron #43, R.J. Umberger #20 and Lasse Kukkonen #28 of the Philadelphia Flyers at 11:42 of the second period of game five of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Mellon Arena on May 18, 2008 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Eighteen years ago today, the Pittsburgh Penguins punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1992.
The Penguins, full of a mix of youth and grizzly veterans, had made their return to the postseason a year prior, quickly dispatched in five games by the Ottawa Senators.
Now a year later, Pittsburgh had seemed to have learned a lot from their loss, storming through the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-0 sweep of the Ottawa Senators and a 4-1 series win against the New York Rangers.
Up next were the Penguins’ cross-state rivals from Philadelphia, but the series shifted heavily towards Pittsburgh from the start.
The Flyers held off being eliminated in Game 4, but all things went Pittsburgh’s way in Game 5 at the Mellon Arena.
Ryan Malone scored twice along with goals from Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa, Jordan Staal, and Pascal Dupuis as the Penguins cruised to the Stanley Cup Final with a 6-0 win.
Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division)
Buffalo, New York; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Sabres -122, Canadiens +102; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Series tied 3-3
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens visit the Buffalo Sabres in game seven of the second round of the NHL Playoffs. The teams meet Saturday for the 11th time this season. The Sabres won 8-3 in the last meeting. Jack Quinn led the Sabres with two goals.
Buffalo is 50-23-9 overall and 23-10-5 against the Atlantic Division. The Sabres are seventh in the league serving 9.7 penalty minutes per game.
Montreal has a 23-13-3 record in Atlantic Division games and a 48-24-10 record overall. The Canadiens have a 49-9-9 record when scoring at least three goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tage Thompson has scored 40 goals with 41 assists for the Sabres. Rasmus Dahlin has three goals and nine assists over the last 10 games.
Cole Caufield has 51 goals and 37 assists for the Canadiens. Lane Hutson has 10 assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 6-3-1, averaging 3.5 goals, 5.8 assists, 5.3 penalties and 14.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
Canadiens: 5-4-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.3 assists, 6.1 penalties and 19 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
INJURIES: Sabres: Noah Ostlund: out (lower body), Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Justin Danforth: out for season (kneecap).
Canadiens: Patrik Laine: out (abdomen).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Stan Bowman might need to find a starting goaltender this summer, but the UFA market has looked him dead in the eyes and shrugged.
This year's free agent market could've been one for the ages. Stars like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kirill Kaprizov were all eligible for UFA status. Then they all signed extensions, and what was once a promising class became one of the weakest in years. Nowhere is that more apparent than in net.
Sergei Bobrovsky is the biggest name potentially available, a two-time Vezina winner and two-time Stanley Cup champion who has certainly become one of the more interesting storylines of the summer. But he's 37, the Panthers may still re-sign him, and even if he hits the market, he's not going to be a long-term answer for anyone.
Cam Talbot is also expected to reach free agency, but turns 39 on July 5. Frederik Andersen, who has been in and out of the lineup in Carolina for two seasons, is another name that might surface.
So: a 37-year-old coming off a down year, a 39-year-old, and a 36-year-old whose body has made his retirement decision for him twice already. For a team that needs its goaltender to carry a real workload next October, this is not exactly a buyer's market.
There is, however, one intriguing option. A 27-year-old pending UFA with two Stanley Cup Final appearances on his résumé, a .902 career save percentage, and a cap hit that won't break the bank. A guy who knows Rogers Place, knows the dressing room, knows how to play behind McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
His name is Stuart Skinner. You may have heard of him.
Skinner split his season between Edmonton and Pittsburgh after the mid-December trade, posting an .891 save percentage with the Edmonton Oilers and .885 with the Penguins. Nearly identical numbers on two very different rosters.
Pittsburgh isn't expected to bring him back, with younger options like Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov in the pipeline. He's projected to command somewhere in the $3.8 million range on his next deal.
The circular nature of it all is almost poetic. Bowman traded Skinner away in December to acquire Tristan Jarry, a move that did not go well for anyone involved. Jarry had an .858 save percentage in 19 games with the Oilers and started just once in the playoffs. Now Jarry is still owed $5.375 million a year for two more seasons, Skinner is a free agent, and Edmonton is back at square one.
Could Bowman actually re-sign the goalie he traded away six months ago? Stranger things have happened, though not many. The optics would be awkward. The price would be modest. And in a market this thin, modest and available might be the best offer on the table.
Skinner has always said he has no regrets about his time in Edmonton. Whether he'd want to come back is a separate question. Whether Bowman has the nerve to ask is another one entirely.
The Rangers have two new role models to copy in their hopes for retool-rebuild-renaissance: the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens.
Originally picked by The Hockey News Yearbook to finish seventh in the Atlantic Division, the Sabres could make it to the Conference Final with a win in Game Seven tomorrow night.
Their stunning – and it was STUNNING – second half rush was fueled by speed up and down the line, excellent leadership by captain Rasmus Dahlin and Lindy Ruff's sag coaching.
Not much difference with the Habs led by the equally astute Marty St. Louis except for goaltending. The difference last night was between the pipes. Buffalo has it and the Canadiens can't rely on their trio of rubber-stoppers.
By contrast, the Rangers have the goaltending and not much else!
Juraj Slafkovsky
Rasmus Dahlin 
