With the 2026 NHL Draft approaching and free agency looming, the Edmonton Oilers face important decisions on several veteran depth pieces who are about to see their respective contracts expire. While the team has clear needs at goaltending and possibly top-six forward, bolstering the bottom-six and defensive depth can't and shouldn't be ignored.
Edmonton has let players leave in the past. In many cases, their decision to overlook what they had in-house didn't turn out well.
To avoid a repeat mistake, here are three players the Oilers should seriously consider bringing back this offseason:
1. Connor Murphy (Defenceman)
Connor Murphy was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2026 trade deadline and quickly became a steady presence on Edmonton’s blue line. The 33-year-old right-shot defenseman brings physicality, strong penalty-killing ability, and reliable top-four minutes.
Why bring him back?
He wants to stay, he's a reliable player, and he fits perfectly alongside a player like Darnell Nurse. As much as Murphy himself can be effective, what some fans like about him even more than his own skill set is that he brings Nurse up to a different level, allowing him to play a style of hockey that better suits him.
At a projected $3.5M–$4M AAV on a short-term deal, Murphy would provide stability without breaking the bank.
2. Jason Dickinson (Centre)
Another mid-season acquisition from Chicago, Dickinson excelled in a shutdown third-line role. An injury in the playoffs was the lone reason fans didn't get to see more of what he can provide for this Oilers roster.
The 31-year-old is a strong defensive forward who wins faceoffs, kills penalties, and provides quiet but effective two-way play. When it wasn't available against the Ducks, it became clear how much the Oilers could have used him in the lineup. Oh, and he's got a solid scoring touch, too. He's a former 22-goal scorer who should signs he maintains that ability.
Why bring him back?
Edmonton’s bottom six took a massive step back this past season. Dickinson proved he can handle tough matchups and help drive better 5-on-5 play. A 2–3 year deal in the $4M-$5M range would be value but not a hefty discount. Something below $4 million would be a no-brainer.
3. Kasperi Kapanen (Winger)
Few have made more out of an opportunity than Kapanen. Picked up off of waivers, not much was expected, but he's proven to be a solid fit, offering speed and scoring ability. There were health issues last season, but when he's in, he's solid. He's expressed a strong interest in returning to the Oilers after playing a depth role in 2025-26.
The 28-year-old Finnish winger can keep up with top players, but is gritty enough to play a bottom-six role if the team is stacked. He has penalty-killing ability and offers secondary scoring that the Oilers desperately need.
Why bring him back?
Kapanen is a low-risk, high-familiarity option. On a one- or two-year deal (likely $1.5M–$2M), he represents excellent value compared to chasing similar players on the open market.
Final Thoughts
Re-signing Murphy, Dickinson, and Kapanen would allow the Oilers to bring back players who more than earned their keep. Letting them walk will lead the Oilers to look for similar options on the free-agent market, bringing back unknown and potentially more expensive assets.
Stan Bowman has some tough calls to make, but these three should be near the top of his “priority” list.
Trading for NHL players is a lot like playing the stock market.
Teams are always on the hunt for depressed assets who, for whatever reason, have underperformed in their current situation but may offer more potential value than the opportunity cost of acquiring them.
A quick glance around the league and several targets immediately come to the forefront. Injuries ravaged Michael Kesselring’s season in Buffalo, and he was frequently made a healthy scratch during the postseason. The hulking defenceman only played one game for the Sabres, logging 4:25 of ice time.
In Anaheim, Olen Zellweger and Mason McTavish were similarly made healthy scratches during the Ducks’ postseason run, the latter of whom has had his name surface in reports within the last week.
Sources indicated to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that thSenators were actively scouring the market for a top-six forward, and inevitably, the conversation turned to McTavish.
The 23-year-old centre had a relatively disappointing campaign with the Ducks in which he tallied 17 goals and 41 points in 75 regular season games. It was the fourth consecutive season in which McTavish surpassed 40 points, but the campaign represented a down year after he set career highs in goals (22) and points (52) the season prior.
Naturally, McTavish is going to generate extra interest because he was the third overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and he is a local hockey product. His parents moved from Switzerland, where his father, Dale, played professionally, to Carp when McTavish was just eight years old. McTavish would play for the Ottawa Valley Titans and the Pembroke Lumber Kings before being selected fifth overall in the 2019 OHL Draft by the Peterborough Petes.
There is also the connection to Michael Andlauer and Steve Staios. The two acquired Mason McTavish when they ran the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. And, in one of his first moves after becoming the Senators’ general manager, Staios hired Dale McTavish as a pro scout.
Beyond those connections, the idea of adding McTavish to the fold is intriguing on several fronts.
A lot of attention has been paid to the idea that the Senators need a quick winger for centre Tim Stützle. Especially in the playoffs, where every microcosm of the game is magnified, there were instances where it looked like the shifty German centre would attack the opposition’s end with possession, only to look for support and find none.
The NHL Edge data is not particularly flattering of McTavish’s skating ability.
He ranks below the 50th percentile in both his max skating speed and each speed-burst metric. His presence, however, would afford the organization the flexibility to consider using Dylan Cozens on the wing - a position where he flourished alongside Macklin Celebrini and Sidney Crosby at the World Championships. Cozens finished the tournament recording four goals and seven points in 10 games.
His max skating speed of 22.40 miles per hour ranked in the 84th percentile, while his 22+ miles per hour bursts ranked in the 91st percentile. Cozens had a resurgent 2025-26 campaign, scoring 28 goals and 59 points. They represented his highest totals since his breakout 2022-23 season in Buffalo.
Given the opportunity cost required to acquire a more proven scorer, it may benefit the Senators to target McTavish as a second-line centre and elevate an internal option like Cozens.
Perhaps the organization has suspicions that Cozens’ strong play in 2025-26 was primarily driven by the team’s structure and the fact that his most common linemate was Brady Tkachuk. If the physical, shot-generating Tkachuk is moved off Cozens’ wing and there are concerns that the centre will be hampered by that fact, it could make sense to use Cozens on the wing.
McTavish’s underlying metrics are a bit of a mixed bag to this point. Offensively, there are reasons to believe that his offence can play up.
According to HockeyViz, McTavish’s isolated offensive impacts were strong.
Hockeyviz.com
And, when he was on the ice, Anaheim did a significantly better job at generating chances.
Hockeyviz.comHockeyviz.com
The opposite can be said about his defence.
Hockeyviz.comHockeyviz.com
The defensive impacts make sense because the Ducks played a run-and-gun style. They ranked in the top five in shot generation at five-on-five, but gave up almost as many chances as they generated, with the fifth-highest expected goals allowed per 60 in the league.
McTavish played predominantly with rookie Beckett Sennecke and sophomore Cutter Gauthier, so given the team’s structure and the inexperience of his line, it is reasonable to understand why his line gave up its share of scoring chances. Granted, despite that rate, the line still generated 56.55 percent of the shots (CF%), 54.48 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), 56.21 percent of the total goals (GF%), and 58.65 percent of the expected goals (xGF%) per Evolving-Hockey.
The buy-in from the players in Ottawa under Travis Green’s watch has created strong structure and ushered in impressive underlying metrics for seemingly every player. With McTavish’s competitiveness, the hope would be that he could buy in and be part of the solution. His age would certainly align with the window created by the average age of the Senators’ young core.
His situation is reminiscent of what another high pick, Sam Bennett (fourth overall, 2014), experienced in Calgary. After some mildly productive years, Bennett was dealt, in his age-24 season, to the Florida Panthers for a 2022 sixth-round pick and Emil Heineman, along with a 2022 second-round pick. In Florida, Bennett flourished and became an important cog on two championship teams.
McTavish may not develop into Bennett, but the situations are similar. And for that, I believe there is enough under the hood to explore what it may take to bring the centre to Ottawa. The cost will assuredly be higher than what the Panthers paid for Bennett in 2021, but if the Senators perform their due diligence and find that the projected future value outweighs what they would have to give up now, it would make sense.
And if not McTavish, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Senators expand their search for a top-six forward beyond just wingers. If there is one common theme to Steve Staios and his management group, it is that they are diligent and will explore all of their options to make this group better.
There's certainly no love lost between Ottawa Senators fans and Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher.
So when Gallagher announced to the Montreal media on Monday that his time with the Canadiens was coming to an end, Senators fans likely viewed the moment a little differently than those in Montreal.
For Canadiens fans, Gallagher was the undersized, go-through-a-wall, heart-and-soul player who spent 14 seasons giving everything he had to the organization. Love him or hate him, he carved out an impressive NHL career and clearly wasn't prepared for the emotions that came with admitting his time in Montreal was over.
"I got to do it for 14 years now and it's not lost on me how special it was to call the Bell Centre home,’ Gallagher told the media.” The very first time I stepped foot in this organization, management, coaches, teammates I've had along the years. I can't (say enough good things). There's been ups and downs, but I don't have a single regret.
“It's pretty clear, I'll be kind of moving on here, but you know, I'm incredibly, incredibly..."
With that, Gallagher got emotional.
Gallagher still has a year left on his contract, which pays him $6.5 million. The 34-year-old is coming off his least productive season as a pro, recording 23 points in 77 games. While the Canadiens enjoyed a lengthy playoff run, Gallagher appeared in just three games, scoring one goal.
Whether his next step is a trade, buyout, or retirement remains to be seen. What isn't in doubt is that Gallagher leaves behind a memorable legacy in Montreal.
But in Ottawa, part of his legacy will always be tied to Tim Stützle.
Gallagher famously called out the young Senators star for embellishment following a game in April of 2022. Stützle had taken a knee-on-knee hit from Nick Suzuki and remained down on the ice for about 30 seconds before getting up and finishing the game. Gallagher wasn't impressed.
"You know, there's kids watching," Gallagher said. "We're role models. If I was a teammate of his, I'd tell him to smarten up. You know, it's just not a good look. Very talented player, very good player. He needs to stop laying on the ice. It's embarrassing."
The comments generated headlines across the hockey world and helped fuel an excellent Atlantic Division rivalry.
The irony, at least from Ottawa's perspective, was that Stützle was actually injured on the play. He gutted it out for the rest of that night, but missed the next two games against Nashville and the New York Rangers with a lower-body injury.
Nick Suzuki apologized for the hit, but Gallagher never walked back his take-down of Stützle. D.J. Smith would later say that after Gallagher's comments, he noticed an uptick in players from other teams taking runs at Stutzle.
At the time of the comments, Gallagher was a 30-year-old veteran in the league, while Stützle was 20 and wrapping up his second NHL season. Rather than escalating the situation, Stutzle chose not to react.
"I respect (Gallagher) as a player. Everyone has their own opinion. He's a veteran player. I have my opinion. That's all I want to say about it."
While Senators fans saw an older NHL player unfairly calling out one of the league's emerging young stars, Canadiens fans saw a beloved veteran standing up for what he believed.
Years later, opinions on the incident haven't changed much on either side.
Now, with Gallagher's Montreal career coming to an end, Canadiens fans will remember him as a fiery, buzzsaw player who was more than happy to bleed for the brand. Senators fans will remember him as a pain in the butt and a player they loved to hate.
Either way, Brendan Gallagher made sure nobody was indifferent.
It looks as though it was one-and-done for Eduards Tralmaks and the Detroit Red Wings organization.
Tralmaks, who was signed by the Red Wings last March to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 season, has signed a contract in Czechia - but also made it clear that if an opportunity to return to North America presented itself, he would consider it.
(Translated from Latvian)
"I’ll be ready, I have a signed contract in Czechia, however, if an NHL offer comes my way, I can still consider it and go back to the NHL," Tralmaks explained. "This is the month when hockey ends and agent work begins. I think that in a month and a half we’ll see where I’ll be in the future."
🚨 “Būšu godīgs, man ir parakstīts līgums Čehijā, tomēr, ja man parādās NHL piedāvājums, es to tāpat varu izskatīt un braukt atpakaļ uz NHL. Šis ir mēnesis, kad hokejs ir beidzies un sākas aģenta darbs. Domāju, ka pusotra mēneša laikā redzēsim, kur būšu nākotnē,” atzina hokejists… pic.twitter.com/QEwdeRH4PJ
Tralmaks appeared in 64 regular-season games this season for the Grand Rapids Griffins, finishing fourth overall in total team scoring with 26 goals and 16 assists and helping them become the first AHL club in decades to clinch a playoff spot in February.
His 26 goals were second overall on the club behind only John Leonard's 33 goals. He also registered four goals in eight Calder Cup Playoff games.
Before signing with the Red Wings, Tralmaks played with Rytíři Kladno in the Czech Extraliga, and led the club in scoring with 23 goals and 28 assists for 51 total points, which were good for the most of any player in Czechia’s top professional league.
He did have previous experience playing in North America, spending several years with the University of Maine before collecting 41 total points in parts of three seasons with the Providence Bruins, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Boston Bruins.
Tralmaks also previously played for the EHL's Boston Jr. Bandits as well as the Chicago Steel of the USHL.
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Carolina, a strong team throughout the post-season, swept both the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers before taking down the Montréal Canadiens in five games. This is their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since their championship win in 2006.
Vegas, who defeated the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks in six games, swept the President’s Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final to advance to their third Stanley Cup Final since their inaugural season in 2017–18.
Last year, five former Canucks took part in the Stanley Cup Final, with Nate Schmidt, Jonah Gadjovich, and Roberto Luongo (Advisor) of the Florida Panthers defeating Vasily Podkolzin and Troy Stecher of the Edmonton Oilers in six games.
These are the four former Canucks who will take part in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.
Jalen Chatfield, Carolina Hurricanes
Chatfield spent less than 20 games with the Canucks, but stuck with the organization in the AHL for four seasons. He signed with Carolina in July of 2021 and has remained with the Hurricanes since. In his first season with Carolina, he won the Calder Cup Championship with their AHL-affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
During the 2025–26 regular season, Chatfield put together a career-high in assists with 15. He also took on a much larger chunk of minutes, averaging over 20 minutes per game through 72 matchups. The defenceman has already hit career-highs in playoff points and TOI this year, scoring a goal and four assists and averaging 22:12 minutes in 13 post-season games.
Nic Dowd, Vegas Golden Knights
Dowd was a Canuck for less than one full season, skating in only 40 games for Vancouver in 2017–18, before joining the Washington Capitals for nearly eight years. The forward was traded to the Golden Knights ahead of this year’s trade deadline in exchange for goaltender Jesper Vikman and a 2027 third-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick.
As a staple centre in Vegas’ bottom-six, Dowd has been one of the players that have performed well for the Golden Knights throughout their current playoff run, but has fallen under the radar. The centre has scored three goals and put up an assist in 16 games this post-season, potting two of these goals in his team’s series against the Avalanche.
May 26, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Nic Dowd (26) warms up before a game against the Colorado Avalanche in game four of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Ben Hutton, Vegas Golden Knights
Hutton was drafted by the Canucks in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft, playing for Vancouver from the 2015–16 season to 2018–19. The defenceman skated with the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Toronto Maple Leafs before finding a home in Vegas during the 2021–22 season. He hoisted the Stanley Cup as a member of the Vegas team that won the championship in 2023.
So far this post-season, Hutton has played in a total of seven games for Vegas — six against ex-team Anaheim and one against the Avalanche — already five more than his total from the 2023 post-season. The defenceman collected an assist in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, with this being his first career NHL playoff point.
John Tortorella, Vegas Golden Knights
Tortorella’s time in Vancouver was polarizing, to say the least. The ex-Canucks head coach’s stint in Vancouver lasted through only the 2013–14 season, with Tortorella bringing the Canucks to a record of 36–35–11 during this span of time. Vancouver did not make the post-season during Tortorella’s time as head coach.
When the Golden Knights made the decision to replace head coach Bruce Cassidy with Tortorella at the end of March, many voiced opinions ranging from both concern and praise. Since then, however, Tortorella and the Golden Knights have lost only four post-season games, with Vegas’ record under their new head coach being 19–4–1 dating back to when he was hired.
2026 Stanley Cup Final Schedule:
Game 1: June 2, 5:00 pm PT
Game 2: June 4, 5:00 pm PT
Game 3: June 6, 5:00 pm PT
Game 4: June 9, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 5: June 11, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 6: June 14, 5:00 pm PT
*Game 7: June 17, 5:00 pm PT
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When the New Jersey Devils selected Lenni Hämeenaho with their second-round pick (58th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft, they believed that they were getting a talented player who could be a great contributor at the NHL level.
Through his first year pro in North America, it is obvious that this is the case. Hämeenaho spent part of the 2025-26 season with the Utica Comets and part with the New Jersey Devils.
In the AHL, he had 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points in 37 games played. When he played in the NHL, he had 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points in 37 games. As his role grew, so did his production.
Over the last handful of weeks, Hämeenaho has spent his time playing with Team Finland at the IIHF World Championships. In the end, the Finns won in overtime of the Gold Medal Game to secure a Gold Medal.
To take home the Gold, they defeated Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Team Switzerland. That is three straight seasons in which the Swiss lost the final game, scoring 0 goals all three times.
As heartbreaking as it was for Hischier and Meier, it was pure jubilation for Hämeenaho and his teammates. They play a high-effort, smart game that allows them to be successful no matter what their roster looks like.
This tournament had to be a bit of a confidence booster for Hämeenaho, who had 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points over the 10 games that he played. As a depth player on the team, he played a key role in them getting to the end and winning.
Now, coming off this Gold Medal-winning performance, Hämeenaho should be ready for big things with the New Jersey Devils. He has shown a scoring touch from the wing everywhere he goes, which should play into what the Devils are trying to do.
If he makes the team out of camp, a spot with Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes could be up for grabs, depending on how the off-season goes. Even a spot on the third line with a healthy Cody Glass isn't a bad place to be early in a career.
Confidence is half the battle for a lot of forwards who are expected to provide some level of offensive production, and Hämeenaho has proven that he can do it. If he can bring it with more regularity at the NHL level, he will prove to be a great draft pick.
Coming into 2025-26, New Jersey didn't have a high total of offensive-minded prospects to tout, but Hämeenaho has been a bright spot. He should go into the off-season and then training camp believing that he can help the Devils as they look to get back to the playoffs in 2026-27.
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RALEIGH, N.C.— With the Stanley Cup Final beginning in just over 24 hours, Raleigh, North Carolina, has become the temporary hockey mecca of the world. On Monday, hundreds of journalists, broadcasters, and other media members flocked to the Lenovo Center for the annual pre-Final media availability day.
For the players, this probably all seems like one big distraction that they’re contractually obligated to attend. But this is the third time in the past nine years that the Vegas Golden Knights have been a part of this dance, and they aren’t fazed.
“Well, most of our team is used to it,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella. “A lot of our team has traveled this road and found a way to win. We know what today is. We’ve talked about it, and we’ve baked it in as far as how we handle it. This is no problem for us at all.”
It’s true– most of the team is used to it. Of the 20 players the Golden Knights made available to the media, 11 have played in a Stanley Cup Final. Nine won the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023.
From the top to the bottom of the roster, the Golden Knights are winners. This isn’t groundbreaking news– variations of this phrase have been said thousands of times over the last nine years.
Because of their nature, the Golden Knights have also earned the reputation of being a team in perpetual ‘win-now’ mode. They’ve demonstrated a willingness to mortgage their future for a chance to win in the present, trading countless picks and prospects for players who will aid them in their quest to capture another Stanley Cup.
“The way that our organization was founded as an expansion team, one of the most important things we did was put together our pro scouting staff,” said McCrimmon. “Our amateur staff, who have drafted a lot of good players— and sometimes we trade those players, right?— have enabled us to be able to make some deals where we include players that we’ve drafted previously… That’s been the nature of our staff. We’ve had very close to the same staff in place since day one. We’ve got some great people in our organization, and that’s how we've built our teams.”
Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella is a firm believer in the importance of having the right mindset. He’s repeatedly stated that mental toughness is crucial to winning the most important games, and right now, his team has that in spades.
“They know how to do it,” said head coach John Tortorella. “They have experience. This organization, since its inception, the amount of playoff hockey they’ve played, and the amount of people that are in that room from 2023… They know how to do it.
“I think X’s and O’s are very important in today’s game,” Tortorella continued. “But nothing is more important than a mindset, a mental toughness, and a will that you need in certain situations and in the playoffs. Our guys get it, and I think that’s the major piece of foundation that we have in the organization.”
Over the last decade, no team has enjoyed success more consistently than the Golden Knights. Since their inception in 2017, they lead the league in both postseason wins (74) and games played (122).
“It’s exhilarating to win,” said general manager Kelly McCrimmon. “We’re super proud to be back in the finals for the third time in our nine-year existence. It’s a privilege, and we don’t take it for granted. We work real hard; you have to get lucky along the way at times also. That’s been our objective right from the opening season.”
In a league where only the strong survive, the Vegas Golden Knights have earned the reputation of being a team willing to become stronger by any means necessary. They aren’t shy about adding to their team, whether by means of signing a prize free agent like Alex Pietrangelo or taking a swing at a top trade target as they did with Mitch Marner and Mark Stone.
“We have made a lot of big decisions over our time in the league, and very bold,” Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon acknowledged during his Stanley Cup Final media availability. “I always say, to be big or bold is one thing, but you’ve got to make good decisions. And I think that we’ve collectively, through our hockey ops, done a good job of that.”
This year, the Golden Knights’ bold decisions reached a new peak when they relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach with just eight games remaining in the regular season. Kelly McCrimmon brought in John Tortorella to fill that void– a man he’d never even spoken to prior to the coaching change.
The gamble clearly paid off, as the Golden Knights went 7-0-1 down the stretch in the regular season to win their fifth Division Title in nine years. In the postseason, they beat the Utah Mammoth, the Anaheim Ducks, and the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche to advance to the Stanley Cup Final in just 16 games.
But despite the optics, Tortorella claims that he had very little to do with the team’s success. He’s repeatedly referred to himself as a ‘guidance counselor,’ stating that he does little more than nudge the team back onto the path when they’ve lost their way.
“This team knows how to play,” he said during his media availability on Monday. “It’s them. It’s not me or the coaching staff; it’s them.
“They handle themselves so well,” continued Tortorella. “That room self-sustains. That’s why they’re in the finals again this year, and that’s why they won it in 23, and that’s why they’ve been so successful. It’s not coaches being in there. It’s a room self-sustaining, and we’ve got good people doing that.”
Kelly McCrimmon seems to feel differently.
“He’s being really modest,” McCrimmon refuted. “He’s been a really successful coach in the NHL for a long time… I think he’s done a great job of coming in, reading the room, knowing what the team needs, and coaching from that perspective.”
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Speaking on the eve of the Stanley Cup Final, goaltender Carter Hart said Monday he has learned and grown a lot since signing with the Vegas Golden Knights after he and four other players were reinstated by the NHL following their acquittals in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case.
Hart is in the spotlight now in large part because he is the only one of the five players to sign a contract in the league. He addressed the situation after joining the Golden Knights in October but has spoken only about hockey since.
He was asked on Cup Final media day about comments he made in the fall and how he has learned and grown since then.
“I’ve been able to meet a lot of good people in the community,” Hart said. "I think the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation has done a really good job of making it easy for me to integrate into the community and meet a lot of cool people. Just really fortunate to be here in Vegas. It’s a great culture of people. Like I said, I’ve met a lot of cool people and just very fortunate to be here in Las Vegas and with this group.”
Hart's session was ended after his answer. General manager Kelly McCrimmon, who chose to sign Hart to a two-year, $4 million contract, was asked about the thought process and took issue with the notion that the 27-year-old goalie came with baggage.
“We went through a lengthy process of due diligence with Carter,” McCrimmon said. “Carter is a really good person. He’s ingrained himself in our community. He’s a player that I’ve known a long time, long prior to him becoming an NHL player. Playing very well. Obviously a big part of how our team is at this point that we’re at today, and he’s fit in seamlessly with his teammates.”
The Chicago Blackhawks lost Jack Pridham. He wasn’t going to sign with them, so they traded his rights to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He didn’t see much of a path to success in the Chicago organization, so he had other ideas.
After the trade was made, it became known that he was going to go to Denver, where he would find tremendous success with a truly elite NCAA program. There, he will attempt to translate his skills to a much tougher system against better opponents, which should better prepare him for the pro game.
It’s a tough loss for the Blackhawks, but they got a third-round pick for him, which is what they paid to select him in the 2024 NHL Draft. It also isn’t going to make or break the organization going forward. Their pipeline will be just fine.
As far as forwards go, they already have Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, and Frank Nazar at the NHL level. All of them are under 22 years old and are only going to get better. They also have high-quality depth players in the form of youth with Nick Lardis, Oliver Moore, Ryan Greene, and Sacha Boisvert.
In the pipeline, Roman Kantserov, Vaclav Nestrasil, Marek Vanacker, and AJ Spellacy were all ahead of Pridham on the ranking chart. Guys like Nathan Behm, John Mustard, and Mason West are also in the mix. With all of those players around, Pridham didn’t see a true path to the NHL, and that’s fair.
If the Blackhawks can turn half of those players mentioned into legitimate NHL contributors, the future will remain very bright. Right now, their farm is superior in the league for a reason. Building through the draft has been their philosophy, and sometimes losing players like Pridham comes with that mentality.
Time To Acquire NHL Talent Using Prospects
The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of great prospects. Clearly, they aren't all going to make it to the NHL on a full-time basis. There isn't enough room.
The prospects mentioned are aware of that reality, hence Jack Pridham's decision not to sign. If they see a path to more success elsewhere, they will take it.
This is a reason for the Blackhawks to start acquiring more NHL-ready talent. They have been a bottom-five team for a handful of years now, and it's time to come out of that.
With all of the youth in the lineup already, they must start experiencing late-season games that are meaningful. Trading prospects for players who will contribute right away will help the front office avoid players deciding to leave, as Pridham did.
Sure, they recouped a third-round pick this time, but they might not be as fortunate next time. Over the summer, especially around the draft and free agency, there will be opportunities for Kyle Davidson to improve the team. Some of these prospects are assets in that quest.
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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired the rights to forward prospect Jack Pridham in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.
The 20-year-old Pridham was selected by Chicago in the third round of the 2024 draft. He was eligible to re-enter the draft if he didn't sign an entry-level contract with an NHL team or commit to a college by 5 p.m. EDT on Monday.
Tampa Bay said Pridham had committed to play NCAA hockey next season, and the school was “expected to be announced in the coming days.”
The Blackhawks received a third-round selection in the 2027 draft in the deal with the Lightning.
Pridham had 46 goals and 44 assists in 65 games this season with Kitchener in the Ontario Hockey League. He also helped the Rangers win the OHL championship and Memorial Cup.
The Golden Knights have the playoffs' top scorers in Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel and two 10-goal scorers in Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden. Mark Stone is back from an injury. The Hurricanes have the hottest line in the playoffs with Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake. The Sebastian Aho line hasn't broken through yet in the playoffs. If it does, this is a different series, but for now, it hasn't.
Edge: Golden Knights
Defense
The Golden Knights push teams to the outside and block shots. The Hurricanes make it difficult to get out of the zone. Carolina's Jaccob Slavin is one of the best shutdown defensemen in the league. K'Andre Miller was a solid offseason addition who has a league-best +14 plus-minus. Sean Walker is at +13. Hurricanes defensemen have better puck possession numbers than the Golden Knights do. Vegas gets better offensive numbers from the blue line. Shea Theodore (four goals, 11 points) is the top-scoring defenseman in the series, but he also averages 4.12 giveaways per 60 minutes.
Edge: Hurricanes
Goaltending
Carolina's Frederik Andersen gave up eight goals in the two losses in the season series, but Andersen is a changed goalie since the playoffs began. His regular season goals-against average was 3.05 and now it's 1.44. Vegas' Carter Hart, who faces more shots, is at 2.22. Moneypuck.com lists Andersen's goals saved above expected at 11.5, compared with Hart's 7.7. Andersen is motivated to win for his late agent Claude Lemieux, the four-time Stanley Cup winner who died on May 28.
Edge: Hurricanes
Coaching
Vegas' John Tortorella won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, but he hasn't been back to the final since. Rod Brind'Amour hasn't won a Cup as a coach but did as captain of the Hurricanes in 2006. Tortorella gets kudos for turning around the team after it fired coach Bruce Cassidy with eight games left in the season and for sweeping the powerhouse Avalanche in a series involving two comebacks. Brind'Amour gets kudos for his video session after Carolina lost Game 1 to the Canadiens. The Hurricanes emerged in the next game as a different-looking team and dominated Montreal territorially for four games in a row to close out the series.
Edge: Hurricanes
Special teams
The Golden Knights' power play clicks at 23.9%, compared with the Hurricanes' 12.5%. But Carolina have a better penalty kill (92.5%) than the Golden Knights' (87.5%).
With the NHL Draft returning at the end of June, the Detroit Red Wings will be approaching proceedings a little differently than most. Having dealt their first-round selection at the trade deadline, Detroit will not have a pick on day one and will instead turn their full attention to the second round, where their first selection of the draft comes at 47th overall.
It is not a bad position to be in. The second round regularly produces meaningful NHL contributors, and there figures to be no shortage of intriguing options available when Detroit's card goes in.
One name worth watching closely is Markus Ruck, an 18-year-old forward from Osoyoos, British Columbia, who just wrapped up one of the more eye-catching individual seasons in recent Western Hockey League memory.
Playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers this past season, Ruck posted 21 goals and a staggering 87 assists for 108 points in 68 games. Both his assist total and his point total led the entire WHL, with his 87 helpers coming 21 clear of the next closest player in the league.
His 108 points also topped the league by four, with the player directly behind him being his own twin brother, Liam Ruck, in what made for an extraordinary family footnote to the WHL's individual scoring race. Markus carries some question marks at the pro level, primarily around his 168-pound frame, which raises durability and physicality concerns as he steps up in competition.
At six feet tall, there is a reasonable projection that he fills out over time, but NHL teams will weigh that risk when deciding how early to commit. His offensive skillset, however, is difficult to argue with. Elite playmaking ability at this volume and consistency does not come around often.
The draft boards reflect the uncertainty around his ceiling like TSN's Craig Button, who has Ruck ranked as high as 16th overall, while McKeen's Hockey places him 54th, producing a consolidated ranking on Elite Prospects of 45th, which sits almost precisely where Detroit will be selecting. If Ruck slides even slightly on draft day, the Red Wings could find themselves with a straightforward decision.
As for Liam, he carries a consolidated ranking of 34th and is generally considered the hotter commodity on draft boards, with Button placing him as high as tenth overall.
Getting to Liam at 47 would likely not happen and would require Detroit to trade up, making him a more complicated target. But the possibility of landing one half of a brother tandem that dominated the WHL's scoring charts this season is a scenario worth monitoring.
However the board falls, Detroit enters day two of the draft with meaningful ammunition and no shortage of options. The Red Wings have worked hard to build one of the deeper prospect pipelines in the league, and whoever they select at 47th overall figures to add to what is already a very promising foundation.
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For our money, the ice is the hottest place to be this June.
Starting Tuesday, June 2, Sebastian Aho’s dominant Carolina Hurricanes will go skate-to-skate with Mitch Marner’s mighty Vegas Golden Knights in the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup.
If you want to be there, last-minute tickets are available for all seven potential high-stakes showdowns.
At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats for games at Raleigh, NC’s Lenovo Center — aka the home of the ‘Canes — was $712 including fees on SeatGeek.
Prices start at $1,604 including fees for contests at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
Want to go?
Make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 for $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).
Both teams breezed through their respective Conference Finals to advance to this championship round that determines who gets to hoist the NHL’s iconic silver trophy high in the air.
Prior to that, Carolina and Vegas met twice in the regular season. The Golden Knights won both games.
“It’s a different animal. That’s for sure,” Rod Brind’Amour said about playing Vegas. “You can’t get this far without being top-notch, so we know that’s going to be a huge challenge.”
While they’re worried, major sportsbooks DraftKings and FanDuel consider Carolina to be a major favorite coming into the Stanley Cup.
Although this is the first time Aho’s ‘Canes have gotten to the Finals since 2006, they’re projected to be -155 favorites to win the Stanley Cup while Marner and Jack Eichel’s Vegas Golden Knights opened at +130, DraftKings claims.
Still, both teams are streaking. Carolina has come out on top in 12 of their 13 playoff tilts; Vegas is currently riding a six-game win streak.
We can’t wait to see how this series shakes out.
Want Need to be there?
You’re in the right place, Caniacs and Knights faithful.
Our team has everything you need to know and more about the 2026 Stanley Cup between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights below.
Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup home game ticket prices
A complete calendar including all announced Hurricanes Eastern Conference Finals home game dates at the Lenovo Center and the best prices on tickets are listed below.
Carolina Hurricanes home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Game 1 Tuesday, June 2
$712(including fees)
Game 2 Thursday, June 4
$964(including fees)
Game 5 Thursday, June 11
$1,717(including fees)
Game 7 Wednesday, June 17
$2,086(including fees)
Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup home game ticket prices
All Vegas Golden Knights playoff home game dates and the cheapest tickets available at the T-Mobile Arena can be found below.
Vegas Golden Knights home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Game 3 Saturday, June 6
$1,774(including fees)
Game 4 Tuesday, June 9
$1,604(including fees)
Game 6 Sunday, June 14
$1,635(including fees)
How to watch the Hurricanes and Golden Knights on TV
Fans hoping to catch St. Brind’Amour’s beastly team on the tube can watch all playoff games on ABC in the US or Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports in Canada.
Just make sure to review your local listings before tuning in.
If you don’t have cable, your best bet may be DIRECTV.
Huge 2026 concerts
Not sure what to do once the final buzzer sounds on the 2025-26 NHL season?
No worries.
Many of the most exciting acts around will be out and about all summer long. Here are just five of our favorites you won’t want to miss live.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
After achieving their seemingly lofty goal, set in the Spring of 2025, to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the 2025-26 Anaheim Ducks took it a step further and won their opening round series against the Edmonton Oilers.
The Ducks believe they’ve driven the final nail into the coffin of their long rebuild, and can now be seen as a young, proven, contending franchise for the foreseeable future. Their breakthrough season, exciting young talent that now boasts playoff experience and success, and a market that features a desirable lifestyle, have the potential to render Anaheim a destination for impact players on the move through the trade market or free agency moving forward.
Anaheim made the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2017, and they will likely be setting their sights on an even deeper run in 2026-27. However, they witnessed firsthand what it takes on the ice to win multiple long series in the springtime, as they were defeated by the now Western Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights in six games.
From a roster construction standpoint, the Ducks have some areas of their depth chart in need of tweaking and/or improving. They have several impact veterans with contracts set to expire every summer for the next three years, and though the prospect cupboard is still somewhat full, there aren’t many obvious internal replacements to fill the projected holes left behind by said veterans.
This year’s free agency class is as thin as it’s ever been, teams are flush with cap space due to the NHL’s now-ever-rising ceiling, and it’s been reported that teams are eyeing “massive” trades this summer. With that said, what holes are currently in the Ducks’ depth chart, and where can general manager Pat Verbeek look to improve his roster in the present, moving forward?
Right Shot Defensemen
Jacob Trouba (32), John Carlson (36), and Radko Gudas (35) will all see their contracts expire on July 1 if extensions are not agreed upon before then. That would leave the Ducks with just Drew Helleson (25), Ian Moore (24), and Tristan Luneau (22) as the only right-shot defensemen under team control with NHL experience.
If the Ducks were to roll with a right side of Helleson, Moore, and Luneau across from Jackson LaCombe (25), Pavel Mintyukov (22), and Olen Zellweger (22), they would boast a talented but vastly inexperienced blueline. For a GM who values experience to insulate his young talent, that potential blueline would likely be quite unappetizing for Verbeek heading into a season where expectations will be amplified.
LaCombe’s emergence as a true #1 defenseman has been a breath of fresh air and was needed for Anaheim’s build to get off the ground. The next step toward LaCombe realizing his potential will be finding him a complementary partner to grow alongside, and together, form an elite defensive pair in the NHL.
Acquiring the long-term Devon Toews to LaCombe’s Cale Makar, the Brayden McNabb to his Shea Theodore, Brock Faber to his Quinn Hughes, etc., will amplify the potential of LaCombe, the blueline, and the entire roster.
To a lesser extent, adding a similar complementary piece to the second pair beside either Zellweger or Mintyukov would also be welcome.
Second Line Center
The Ducks’ lack of center depth and consistency behind Leo Carlsson was exposed during their second-round series against the Golden Knights. Between Mason McTavish sliding to wing (and the press box), Granlund as the interim second-line center, and Ryan Poehling’s promotion to the third line down the stretch of the season, Vegas’ two-way centers like Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, and Mitch Marner’s cameo down the middle overmatched the Ducks with their 200-foot impact on every line.
Center isn’t as dire a need, as McTavish may return to form, Granlund can perform adequately, and prospect Roger McQueen (10th overall in 2025) could potentially be awarded an audition at some point in 2026-27.
However, if the Ducks intend to make a deeper run in the 2027 Playoffs, beyond the second round, an upgrade in the form of an all-three-zones, impact center to provide secondary scoring and defensive prowess could be necessary to elevate the forward group into that of a contending team.
Top Nine Winger
Every offseason, it seems as if all 32 NHL teams are looking to improve the top of their forward groups and are in the market for top-six wingers. As far as the Ducks are concerned, sophomore Cutter Gauthier (22) and rookie Beckett Sennecke (20) established themselves as two of the NHL’s top young scoring wingers, totaling a combined 129 points in the 82-game regular season and 18 points in the Ducks’ 12-game playoff run.
However, beyond that young, dynamic pair, the Ducks have short and long-term question marks on the wing. Troy Terry (28) is scheduled to undergo hip surgery this offseason, leaving the start to his 2026-27 campaign up in the air.
McTavish’s future with the Ducks has come into question, and if he’s to remain in Anaheim for the foreseeable future, it’s unclear if he’ll transition back to center or remain on the wing, the position he played down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.
Mikael Granlund (34) has two years remaining on his three-year contract with an AAV of $7 million. He’s a versatile player who can provide an impact anywhere in the top nine, so he can be seen as more of an impact gap-filler during the latter stages of his career.
Frank Vatrano was a staple in the Ducks’ top-six during his first three years in Anaheim, but found himself playing fourth-line minutes for head coach Joel Quenneville and the Ducks in 2025-26 when he did find himself in the lineup. He was healthy scratched for all 12 of the Ducks’ playoff games, and his future with the team is in question as he enters the second year of his three-year contract that carries an AAV of $4.57 million.
Chris Kreider (35) and Alex Killorn (36) will be entering the final year of their deals and may be suited for roles lower in the lineup as the Ducks look to advance further in the 2027 Playoffs than they did this year.
The Ducks still have one of the deepest prospect pipelines in the NHL, which features players of various NHL readiness, including Nikita Nesterenko (24), Sam Colangelo (24), Nico Myatovic (21), Yegor Sidorov (21), Sasha Pastujov (22), among a slew of others.
Though the potential remains that one or several of them break through and become top-six options, the likelihood of it being in 2026-27 is slim. A supplementary proven bridge veteran who more fits the Ducks’ timeline could be a useful addition to a team aiming to truly compete next season and beyond.
Some ancillary needs the Ducks may look to pursue could include an additional backup goaltender and/or more fourth-line depth pieces. Ville Husso is a serviceable backup, but NHL teams are electing to employ three goaltenders with increasing frequency, as injury and volatility are common at the position. The Ducks have multiple internal options from which they can build a fourth line. However, Verbeek has shown a penchant for tinkering with that area of his depth chart.
Stay tuned for articles this week featuring organizational situations around the league Verbeek could look to target were he intent on adding to his roster via the trade market this offseason.
