Category: Ice Hockey

Preston has ‘all the tools,' but will his tough draft year dissuade Flyers? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For the first time in a while, the Flyers are coming off a playoff run.

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.

But that was when the Flyers drafted a foundation piece, grabbing Tyson Foerster at 23rd overall.

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.”

Last summer, the Flyers made nine selections, with six coming over the first two rounds. Porter Martone was their headliner at sixth overall. Now the Flyers will try to hit on a pick in the 20s.

“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:

Mathis Preston

Position: Winger
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 172
Shoots: Right
Team: Vancouver

Scouting report

Preston is an ultra-talented prospect who had a difficult draft year. But his upside is abundantly clear.

He can do damage with an advanced shot and high-end speed.

“Really good skill,” Daily Faceoff associate editor and prospect analyst Steven Ellis said June 9 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “One of the better skaters.”

The 17-year-old put up 44 points (18 goals, 26 assists) through just 46 games this season in the WHL. He finished with Vancouver after being traded from Spokane in January. Not long after joining the Giants, he had to miss significant time because of a knee injury, according to The Province’s Steve Ewen.

“We didn’t get to see him really feel super comfortable for a guy that was kind of projected to be more of an offensive leader, like a 90-point guy heading into the season,” Ellis said. “And he wasn’t remotely close. Some of that was out of his control.”

Despite the injury and his season being split between two teams, Preston still recorded 4.3 shots per game.

“There are points where he pulls off these great moves and then they fall apart all of a sudden,” Ellis said. … “It feels like he has got all the tools to be a really good player, but then there are just points where it’s just not working. Is it a point of he’s snakebitten or is it a point of he’s just making some of the wrong plays in the end?”

Preston is the 22nd-ranked player on Ellis’ final top-120 draft board. His status possibly saw a boost at the 2026 IIHF U-18 World Junior Championship, a tournament that ended last month. He had six points (two goals, four assists) and 21 shots in five games for Team Canada.

“It almost feels like he’s a guy that will play better when he has got smarter guys around him to get the puck to,” Ellis said. “When you watch him at the under-18s, he was one of the better players on Canada in that tournament. It felt like he was the one that anytime Canada needed a goal, he was making something happen.”

NHL Central Scouting has Preston slotted at No. 32 among North American skaters, dropping him eight spots from his midterm mark of No. 24. He’s the No. 33 overall player on EliteProspects.com and No. 39 on Button’s June 17 list.

Fit with Flyers

Preston’s shot and speed should intrigue the Flyers. Those strengths are needs for the Flyers and they give Preston a ceiling of a top-six winger.

It’s not ideal, though, that he plays on the wing. The Flyers a pretty well-stocked with young wingers. Preston also hasn’t quite met the hype around his game, which may cause some reservation.

But the Flyers have shown a willingness to take swings on talent. Preston could be appealing talent at No. 21.

More targets

• Could Lawrence’s early jump to college have him fall to Flyers in draft?

• Will Flyers eye 6-foot-4 forward with ‘goal-scoring hands’ at No. 21?

• Palmieri ‘type of player’ may be available for Flyers at No. 21 in draft

• Russian center with pro build has interesting case for Flyers at No. 21

• Lin has ‘Brandon Montour profile,’ but will he be there for Flyers at No. 21?

• D-man with ‘unbelievable maturity to his game’ could be option for Flyers at No. 21

• ‘Second-line center all day long’ should intrigue Flyers in draft

• ‘This kid is a hell of a player’ — Flyers could draft 45-goal, 104-point winger

• Is Novotny, a winger that’s ‘so dangerous around the net,’ a fit for Flyers?

• A Drysdale type of defenseman for the Flyers at No. 21 in the draft?

• Another OHL first-rounder for Flyers? Klepov, with 97 points, has tons of appeal

• A center with ‘fantastic’ hockey sense could give Flyers option to trade down

• Should a 6-foot-7 center have the Flyers’ attention in first round of draft?

• Is Hermansson too ‘offense or bust’ for Flyers at No. 21 in draft?

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils traded Simon Nemec to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, getting draft picks for the 22-year-old defenseman.

In new general manager Sunny Mehta’s first major roster transaction, the Devils received two future conditional first-round picks, as well as No. 35 overall this year and prospect Etienne Morin for Nemec and winger Maxim Tsyplakov.

There had been buzz in recent weeks that Nemec was interested in a change of scenery. The right-handed shooting Slovak is just 22 years old and 159 games into his NHL career since New Jersey selected him with the second pick in the draft in 2022.

The first-rounders are top-10 protected, with Calgary potentially parting ways with one in each in some combination of 2027, ‘28 and ’29.

Morin, 21, is a left shot defenseman who spent last season in the minors.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils traded Simon Nemec to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, getting draft picks for the 22-year-old defenseman.

In new general manager Sunny Mehta’s first major roster transaction, the Devils received two future conditional first-round picks, as well as No. 35 overall this year and prospect Etienne Morin for Nemec and winger Maxim Tsyplakov.

There had been buzz in recent weeks that Nemec was interested in a change of scenery. The right-handed shooting Slovak is just 22 years old and 159 games into his NHL career since New Jersey selected him with the second pick in the draft in 2022.

The first-rounders are top-10 protected, with Calgary potentially parting ways with one in each in some combination of 2027, ‘28 and ’29.

Morin, 21, is a left shot defenseman who spent last season in the minors.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

With the 2026 NHL Draft just a few days away, there appears to be more clarity regarding three prospects the New York Rangers could look to target at the fifth overall pick. 

According to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, three prospects the Rangers are linked to are defensemen Alberts Šmits, Carson Carels, and Keaton Verhoeff.

Šmits, a 6-foot-3, 209-pound defenseman, is the No. 2-ranked international skater per NHL Central Scouting.

The 18-year-old defenseman was the youngest player at the 2026 Winter Olympics, representing Latvia and recording two assists in four games while averaging 18:44 minutes per game.

In 38 games for Jukurit in Liiga, Finland's top league, Šmits recorded six goals, seven assists, and 13 points.

Verhoeff, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound defenseman, was placed No. 4 on NHL Central Scouting's rankings of North American Skaters. 

The 17-year-old defenseman is coming off a season with the University of North Dakota, in which he posted 17 points through his first 22 collegiate games, but he had only three assists in his final 14 games.

Carels, a 6-foot-2, 198-pound defenseman, ranked third among all North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting Rankings.

The 17-year-old defenseman is coming off a season with the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League, in which he recorded 20 goals, 53 assists, and 73 points in 58 games.

Despite some speculation regarding the Rangers’ interest in center Viggo Björck, Wheeler reports that he hasn’t gotten any indication that they’re going to be the team to take Björck. 

There has also been talk of the Rangers moving back from the fifth overall pick, according to Wheeler, although it’s unclear exactly what the team would be seeking in return if they were to move down.

With the 2026 NHL Draft just a few days away, there appears to be more clarity regarding three prospects the New York Rangers could look to target at the fifth overall pick. 

According to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, three prospects the Rangers are linked to are defensemen Alberts Šmits, Carson Carels, and Keaton Verhoeff.

Šmits, a 6-foot-3, 209-pound defenseman, is the No. 2-ranked international skater per NHL Central Scouting.

The 18-year-old defenseman was the youngest player at the 2026 Winter Olympics, representing Latvia and recording two assists in four games while averaging 18:44 minutes per game.

In 38 games for Jukurit in Liiga, Finland's top league, Šmits recorded six goals, seven assists, and 13 points.

Verhoeff, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound defenseman, was placed No. 4 on NHL Central Scouting's rankings of North American Skaters. 

The 17-year-old defenseman is coming off a season with the University of North Dakota, in which he posted 17 points through his first 22 collegiate games, but he had only three assists in his final 14 games.

Carels, a 6-foot-2, 198-pound defenseman, ranked third among all North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting Rankings.

The 17-year-old defenseman is coming off a season with the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League, in which he recorded 20 goals, 53 assists, and 73 points in 58 games.

Despite some speculation regarding the Rangers’ interest in center Viggo Björck, Wheeler reports that he hasn’t gotten any indication that they’re going to be the team to take Björck. 

There has also been talk of the Rangers moving back from the fifth overall pick, according to Wheeler, although it’s unclear exactly what the team would be seeking in return if they were to move down.

Former New York Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov is on the move yet again.

On Tuesday, the New Jersey Devils traded the Russian forward, along with defenseman Simon Nemec to the Calgary Flames, in exchange for the New York Rangers' 2026 second-round pick, the Vegas Golden Knights' 2027 first-round pick, the Colorado Avalanche's 2028 first-round pick and prospect Etienne Morin.

Both first-rounnd picks are top-10 protected. 

Fomer #Isles Maxim Tsyplakov, who was dealt to #NJDevils in the Ondrej Palat deal, is headed to #Flames with Simon Nemec. https://t.co/c0vVDrpWgZ

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) June 23, 2026

The Islanders traded Tsyplakov on Jan. 8 to the Devils in exchange for Ondrej Palat and their 2026 third-round pick before flipping that pick to the New York Rangers to acquire Carson Soucy. 

Tsyplakov, who was in the first season of a two-year extension worth $2.25 million annually, recorded 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 126 games with Long Island. 

With New Jersey, Tsyplakov recorded just one goal and one assist in 22 games. 

Sunny Mehta has made his first trade as general manager of the New Jersey Devils.

On Tuesday afternoon, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Devils were trading defenseman Simon Nemec to the Calgary Flames.

NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman quickly confirmed that Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov would go to Calgary in exchange for a second-round pick this season, a first-round pick in 2027, a first-round pick in 2028 (both top 10 protected), and Etienne Morin

Nemec & Tsyplakov for 2nd (NYR) this year, Vegas 1st 2027, COL 1st 2028 (both top 10 protected) & Etienne Morin https://t.co/iJclSTQhWH

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 23, 2026

Per the team, the conditions of the picks are as follows:

* The first-round pick that is acquired by Calgary from the Vegas Golden Knights in either the 2027 or 2028 NHL Draft (whichever first-round pick Calgary receives from its January 18, 2026 trade with Vegas).

* The first-round pick that is acquired by Calgary from Colorado in either the 2028 or 2029 NHL Draft (whichever first-round pick Calgary receives from its March 6, 2026 trade with the Colorado Avalanche).

New Jersey now holds six picks in the 2026 NHL Draft (one first, two seconds including one from the New York Rangers, a fourth, fifth, and sixth).

Morin is a 21-year-old defenseman who spent last season with Calgary’s minor-league affiliates, the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) and the Rapid City Rush (ECHL).

Nemec was drafted second overall by New Jersey in 2022. He has appeared in 155 NHL games with the Devils and 112 in the American Hockey League with the Utica Comets. The 22-year-old appeared in 68 games for the Devils during the 2025-26 season, recording 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists).

New Jersey acquired Maxim Tsyplakov on January 27 from the New York Islanders for Ondrej Palat, a 3rd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a 6th-round pick in 2027. In 22 games with the Devils, he scored one goal.

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NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Islanders hired Stanley Cup winner Pascal Dupuis as director of player development, the team announced Tuesday.

Dupuis, 47, spent the past three seasons in the front office for the Shawinigan Cataractes in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and has been with the team in various capacities the past six years since becoming a co-owner.

“Pascal is exactly the kind of person we want shaping the next generation of Islanders,” general manager Mathieu Darche said. “Pascal’s perspective will be invaluable for our developing players who are trying to find their way to the Islanders. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the organization.”

Dupuis played 15 years in the NHL and was part of Pittsburgh’s title team in 2009.

“His story is one every young player in our system can learn from as nothing was handed to him,” Darche said. “He was undrafted, found his way to the NHL through his tireless work ethic and built a career playing over 800 NHL games."

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Islanders hired Stanley Cup winner Pascal Dupuis as director of player development, the team announced Tuesday.

Dupuis, 47, spent the past three seasons in the front office for the Shawinigan Cataractes in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and has been with the team in various capacities the past six years since becoming a co-owner.

“Pascal is exactly the kind of person we want shaping the next generation of Islanders,” general manager Mathieu Darche said. “Pascal’s perspective will be invaluable for our developing players who are trying to find their way to the Islanders. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the organization.”

Dupuis played 15 years in the NHL and was part of Pittsburgh’s title team in 2009.

“His story is one every young player in our system can learn from as nothing was handed to him,” Darche said. “He was undrafted, found his way to the NHL through his tireless work ethic and built a career playing over 800 NHL games."

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

The Buffalo Sabres announced on Tuesday their exhibition schedule for the 2026-27 season. The schedule has been reduced to four games, due to the new NHL - NHLPA collective bargaining agreement and the league moving to an 84-game regular season for the first time.

The club will play twice at KeyBank Center and twice on the road in late September, with the regular season slated to begin before the end of the month. The Sabres will open on the road in Pittsburgh against the Penguins on Monday, September 21, and will play at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, September 22. The final two games will be in Detroit against the Red Wings on Thursday, September 24, and against the Penguins in a Saturday matinee on Saturday, September 26th.  

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Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

The chatter regarding Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram has become red-hot in the days leading up to the NHL Draft at KeyBank Center this weekend. The 26-year-old blueliner is in the second year of a two-year, $12.5 million bridge deal and Buffalo GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated last month that he is interested in extending the 25-year-old, coming off a career-high 42-point season, but in the last week there have been indicators that Byram is either looking for a new deal well out of the Sabres price range or that he through agent Darren Ferris has communicated that he will to play out the final year of his deal and hit the free agent market next summer.

Byram is listed only behind Detroit team captain Dylan Larkin on The Athletic’s Trade Board. Kekalainen earlier this month moved out RFA blueliner Michael Kesselring in a deal with the San Jose Sharks, but the big right-hander was not much of a factor witn Buffalo last season The Stanley Cup winner was a big part of the Sabres top four, along with Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, and Owen Power, and his departure would mark a significant downgrade of their defensive corps. 

The Sabres do not have an obvious replacement for Byram on their roster, with 2025 first rounder Radim Mrtka likely starting his pro career in Rochester next season,  veterans Luke Schenn and Logan Stanley heading for free agency, and righties Conor Timmins and Zach Metsa better suited for bottom-pairing duties. Kekalainen is in a difficult position, since the return for Byram will be mitigated by his contract status and the knowledge that whoever he is traded to will likely be a one-year rental. 

Rochester goalie Devon Levi also appears on the list. The 24-year-old has played most of the last three seasons with the Amerks and will not be waiver exempt next season. With Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis on the NHL roster, the Sabres face the prospect of losing the youngster for nothing on waivers after training camp or moving him for a draft pick. With a number of clubs looking for inexpensive starters, tandem goalies and backups, Kekalainen should not have a problem finding a new home for Levi.     

 

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The New York Islanders announced on Tuesday that they have hired former NHL forward and Stanley Cup champion Pascal Dupuis as their new Director of Player Development. 

This role had been previously held by former Islander Eric Cairns, who had held that role since the 2013-14 season. 

#Isles announce they have hired former #NHL forward Pascal Dupuis as Director of Player Developement.

Eric Cairns previously held that role.

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) June 23, 2026

Cairns is no longer involved in hockey operations for the organization. 

Dupuis played 15 years in the NHL after going undrafted, recording 409 points (190 goals, 219 assists). He won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2009.

He was forced to retire in December of 2015 due to a medical condition related to blood clots. 

Since 2021-22, Dupuis has owned the QMJHL's Shawinigan Cataractes, serving in different roles, from hockey operations to player development over the years. 

This marks Dupuis first NHL post-career gig. 

Dupuis comes aboard the Islanders at a time when player development has never been more crucial, as the organization has prospects that they're banking on becoming critical pieces over the next few seasons. 

D.J. Smith’s coaching career has already taken a few turns through the NHL, junior hockey, and back again — and now it’s leading him into a new role with a familiar face on a new bench.

The Edmonton Oilers announced Tuesday that Smith has been hired as an assistant coach under Mike Babcock, adding another experienced voice to the staff as he continues his NHL coaching journey.

The 49-year-old Smith most recently spent time with the Los Angeles Kings, where he stepped in as interim head coach from March 1 through the end of the 2025–26 regular season. He helped guide the club to an 11–6–6 finish during that stretch after initially joining the organization as an assistant in early 2024 before being elevated midseason to replace the fired Jim Hiller, who has since been hired to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

The move to Edmonton reunites Smith with Babcock, under whom he began his NHL coaching career as an assistant with the Leafs in 2015. He spent four seasons in Toronto during a formative stretch of the club’s rebuild before eventually landing his first NHL head coaching opportunity.

Smith took over the Ottawa Senators in 2019 and spent parts of five seasons behind the bench, overseeing a long rebuild. Over 317 games, he compiled a 131-154-32 record, ranking second in franchise history in total wins among head coaches despite the team’s overall inconsistency under his tutelage.

Before his NHL coaching career, Smith built his reputation in junior hockey. He joined the Windsor Spitfires coaching staff in 2005 and spent eight seasons there, helping the program capture two Memorial Cup championships.

He later took over the Oshawa Generals in 2012 and quickly turned them into contenders, leading them to an OHL championship and a dominant Memorial Cup title in 2015.

Smith’s path to coaching began as a player. Drafted 41st overall by the New York Islanders in 1995, his rights were later moved to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 1996 trade.

As a defenseman, he appeared in 45 NHL games split between Toronto and the Colorado Avalanche, while spending most of his playing career in the AHL, where he logged 393 games over nine seasons.

Now with another NHL opportunity in Edmonton, Smith continues a coaching career that has steadily moved between development roles, head coaching responsibilities, and now back into a senior assistant position on a contender’s staff.