(Header/feature image courtesy of Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet has officially completed his coaching staff, adding two respected names to help guide Philadelphia into its next chapter.
On Friday, the Flyers announced the hiring of Todd Reirden as assistant coach and Dylan Crawford as assistant/video coach, joining Jaroslav Svejkovsky and Jay Varady to form Tocchet’s trusted team.
OFFICIAL: We have hired Todd Reirden as assistant coach and Dylan Crawford as assistant coach, video. https://t.co/AnpHz7ySa8
“I’m happy to have rounded out my coaching staff by bringing Todd and Dylan on board,” Tocchet said in a statement. “Todd’s extensive experience across all levels of coaching, as well as his success throughout his career, will play a pivotal role in all facets of our game. Dylan adds another level to our video team in an area that is rapidly expanding and becoming more critical in the outcome of games and the way teams prepare.”
There’s plenty of reason for Tocchet’s enthusiasm. Reirden, 53, brings 14 years of NHL coaching experience and a proven track record in sharpening defensive groups and special teams. Most recently, he served as associate and assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2020 to 2024, overseeing the Penguins’ defense corps and power play. Before that, Reirden spent six seasons with the Washington Capitals—including a Stanley Cup championship in 2018.
Reirden’s addition could be a crucial piece for the Flyers, whose defense has seen growing pains amid roster transitions and prospect integrations. His experience in managing elite defensemen and steadying back ends will be vital as Philadelphia continues to mold its young talent into NHL regulars.
Crawford, meanwhile, represents the new wave of NHL coaching—where video and analytics play an ever-larger role in game preparation. The 35-year-old spent the last three seasons working alongside Tocchet in Vancouver, where his attention to detail and modern approach to video analysis earned high praise. With seven years of experience in video coaching, Crawford will help ensure the Flyers are prepared for every angle and nuance of the fast-changing NHL game.
Together, Reirden and Crawford give Tocchet a staff with a balance of experience, innovation, and familiarity. As the Flyers aim to turn promise into progress, this staff will be tasked with building a structure that maximizes the potential of an evolving roster.
Watching the Stanley Cup Final come to an end earlier this week, I couldn’t help but wonder how the Edmonton Oilers could have the best player in the world and not give him decent goaltending to work with. Throughout the playoffs, Stuart Skinner had a 7-7 record, a 2.99 goals-against average, and a .889 save percentage while backup Calvin Pickard was 7-1, with a 2.85 GAA and a .886 SV. Those are not Cup-winning numbers.
Former Montreal Canadiens player turned ESPN analyst P.K. Subban was quite vocal about how nonsensical that is:
“There’s some donkeys [coaches, presidents, and GMs] in control of the money”
While it’s easy to judge the Edmonton management, it’s not the first time a team has failed to strike the right balance. The same happened before our very eyes with the Canadiens. After drafting Carey Price at the 2005 draft, the Habs had arguably the best goaltender in the business, and they proceeded to focus on giving him a good blueline rather than surrounding him with scoring power.
To an extent, Price’s situation was even worse than McDavid’s. The Anahim Lake, BC native only made it to the Cup final once, while the 28-year-old Oilers captain has already won two Cup Finals under his belt. Let’s not get back into the “yes, but what if Chris Kreider never happened?” debate; what happened happened, and Price only came so close to Lord Stanley’s mug once.
It can take time to assemble the right roster, one that has all the ingredients of a championship-winning team. For years, Florida Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky was considered an overpaid goaltender with his $10 million cap hit. Now, with two Stanley Cup rings and three consecutive Cup Finals appearances, nobody’s calling him overpaid. Over those last three playoffs, he had .915, .906, and .914 SV alongside 2.78, 2.32, and 2.20 GAAs. If you go back to before Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk joined Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad in Florida, his stats were nowhere near as good.
It takes time to build the perfect roster, and putting all your eggs in one basket is just not going to work. It didn’t work for Price, it didn’t work for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Big Four, and it won’t work for McDavid either.
It’s no wonder the Oilers’ captain is in no rush to sign a contract extension, even though he’ll be entering the last year of his deal next season. Unless the Oilers do some serious retooling, I wouldn’t be surprised to see McDavid take his incredible skills elsewhere, and it won’t be because he wasn’t patient enough. He has been in Edmonton for 10 years already.
I’m aware that Edmonton’s big guns didn’t produce much in the Final either, but perhaps, if they had a goaltender who could make the first save on the first shot, the confidence level would have gone up and things would have been different…but we’ll never know.
One thing’s for sure: GMs all around the league are taking notes on what to do and what not to do. In Montreal, Kent Hughes has locked up his top line and a defenseman. If everything goes according to plan, he should lock up his number one goaltender in the coming years, but Jacob Fowler will have to be as advertised for that to happen. Careful planning is not necessarily enough; you also need a bit of luck. There’s a reason why the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in professional sports.
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
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With GM Don Waddell less than two weeks away from free agency, the NHL's hot stove is starting to heat up, and Columbus seems to be in the mix. At least that's what the rumors say.
On Thursday, TheFourthPeriod.com reported that the Columbus Blue Jackets were one of a few teams who have contacted Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams about German forward J.J. Peterka. Peterka is a pending RFA.
"The Vancouver Canucks are believed to have interest in both players, while the likes of the New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning are among the other teams reportedly eyeing Peterka," the Fourth Period reports.
It's also been reported that Peterka is unhappy in Buffalo and wants a change of scenery.
The site also reports that the Sabres aren't interested in picks or futures, but rather players who can step in help the Sabres to the postseason for the first time since 2011.
Peterka is going into his fourth pro season, and has been pretty good so far. Last season, he played in 77 games, had 27 goals and totaled a career high 68 points. He also had 18 power play points and three GWG. For his young career, he has 67 goals, and 150 points in 238 games.
So what would Buffalo want for Peterka?
The Jackets have picks 14 and 20 in the upcoming draft, but knowing the Sabres want players instead of picks, that probably won't work. You have to think that a deal to get Peterka to Columbus would start with Cole Sillinger.
Sillinger is going into fifth year already, which seems crazy to me. The young Columbus-born center has played in 286 NHL games, scored 43 goals, and has totaled 107 points.
Surely it would take more than Sillinger to land Peterka, so what else would they require? Remember who else is in Buffalo - Jarmo Kekäläinen. Kekäläinen rarely misses on trades, and he knows who the Jackets have from top to bottom.
Might Jordan Harris or Luca Del Bel Belluz get added to the deal to get it done?
One things for sure, Don Waddell is not going to sit by and watch all the available players around the league get traded without him doing his due dilligence.
Expect more rumors and speculation during the NHL's silly season.
Let us know what you think below.
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After re-signing Matthew Duchene to a four-year deal worth $4.5 million annually, the Dallas Stars only have a projected $4.955 million in available cap space. They have five unrestricted free agents – Jamie Benn, Mikael Granlund, Evgenii Dadonov, Brendan Smith, and Cody Ceci – and two restricted free agents – Bourque and Nils Lundqvist.
Assuming one of the depth forwards signs for the league minimum of $775,000, Benn returns on a modest $3 million deal, and Granlund re-signs at $5 million annually, the Stars would be $3.82 million over the cap before signing Bourque.
They won’t be able to sign them all, and Bourque could be the odd-man out given their needs.
Bourque, drafted 30th overall in 2020, recorded 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 73 games this past season, his rookie campaign. He played 12:41 minutes per game, primarily on the club’s third line.
In 2023-24, his final season in the AHL, he recorded 77 points in 71 games (26 goals, 51 assists).
To determine the value of an offer sheet, you divide the salary by either five years or the term of the contract, using whichever is lower.
Here’s a story going more in-depth on the process:
Assuming the Islanders do not risk a future first-round pick in an offer sheet, the only relevant compensation levels in the 2025 offseason are:
Below $1,544,424 AAV (no draft pick compensation)
$1,544,425 – $2,340,037 (2026 third-round pick)
$2,340,038 – $4,680,076 (2026 second-round pick)
As a reminder, a team must forfeit its own draft picks in an offer sheet.
Of course, the Islanders sent their 2026 second-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks on June 29, 2023, alongside Josh Bailey.
However, similar to how the Blues reacquired their own 2025 second by sending a 2026 second and a 2025 third to the Penguins in exchange for their original 2025 second and a 2026 fifth, the Islanders could offer Chicago the 42nd pick in 2025 along with a future late-round pick to get their 2026 second rounder back.
The Bourque Comparison
A Bourque offer sheet would be similar to what Philip Broberg signed with the St. Louis Blues in 2024, which was a two-year deal at the then-maximum AAV within the second-round pick compensation tier – $4,580,917.
For Bourque, this would be a contract worth $4,680,076 annually for any term of five years or less.
The Broberg-Holloway-Bourque Parallel
While offer sheets are rare, the parallels between Dylan Holloway, who was also signed to an offer sheet in 2024 by the Blues, Broberg, and Bourque are uncanny.
Broberg and Holloway were on the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers, stuck behind deep rosters that limited their upside.
They then joined a Blues lineup that offered significantly higher ice time than Edmonton’s while paying them double or triple what they were previously getting offered.
For Bourque, it could be the same story with the Islanders, as New York just traded away center Brock Nelson, and may also move center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. They could use an NHL-ready, young forward.
Potential Fit With the Islanders
While Bourque developed as a center, he would likely start his time with the Islanders on the wing, a position he saw time at with the Stars in 2024–25.
The Islanders lack right-wing talent, especially if Mathew Barzal returns to center, so putting a right-handed Bourque on the second-line wing would make sense.
His back-to-back 20+ goal AHL seasons show he knows how to find the back of the net, but he is better known as a crafty playmaker with speed and aggression, something that would fit well alongside Barzal.
With general manager Mathieu Darche wanting to bring speed and energy to the Islanders' lineup, putting together a second line of Anthony Duclair, Barzal, and Bourque would do just that at an affordable cost while getting younger.
In the long run, Bourque could move back to center or stay on the wing, as the Islanders lack right-wing depth both in the NHL and the prospect pool.
The Granlund Dilemma
While it might seem easy to let Granlund walk, that decision is not so simple.
He posted 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in 31 regular-season games and added 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 18 playoff games for Dallas in 2024–25.
From the time he was acquired on Feb. 1 through the end of the regular season, Granlund ranked in the top six among Stars skaters in goals, primary assists, and total points. In the playoffs, he ranked in the top three in goals and in the top four in points.
Granlund also has strong personal ties to the team, as he is Finnish and close with fellow countrymen Mikko Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, and Esa Lindell.
While keeping him may put the team in a bind, the Stars are in win-now mode, and letting him leave, especially if he’s willing to sign below market value, is hard to imagine.
Could Dallas Create Cap Space?
Now, let’s say Dallas somehow fully offloads both Matt Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin’s contracts that combine for $7 million against the cap and replace them with league-minimum salaries; they would have just $1.63 million to sign Bourque, still under a 20-player roster.
From there, the only possible salaries the Stars could shed to fit Bourque at $4.68 million would be Wyatt Johnston’s recently signed $8.4 million AAV deal, or Jason Robertson’s $7.75 million AAV, assuming nobody with full trade protection waives.
Robertson’s name has flown around in trade rumors, so it is possible he is moved, but even then, Dallas would be unlikely to find a way to fit Bourque at $4.68 million without sacrificing other areas of the lineup.
While the Stars could move mountains and oceans to ensure they don’t lose Bourque to an offer sheet, it is hard to imagine they prioritize a 23-year-old with 74 career NHL games over another defenseman or two – the team’s biggest weakness.
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With Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, the incoming Calum Ritchie, Casey Cizikas, and Kyle MacLean, the New York Islanders are deep down the middle of the ice.
And that center ice depth is becoming more valuable by the day.
On Thursday, the Dallas Stars announced that they had signed center Matthew Duchene to a four-year deal worth $4.5 million annually. Then, while partying with the Stanley Cup, Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett said he wasn't leaving.
Those are two big names that come off the free agent board, and they aren't the first two to do so.
Former Islanders center Brock Nelson signed a three-year extension in Colorado, as he won't hit the open market. Ryan Donato signed a four-year extension with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Center Yanni Gourde, who went back to Tampa at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, signed a six-year extension.
That leaves John Tavares, Mikael Granlund, Claude Giroux, Robbi Fabbri, Brandon Tanev, and Radek Faksa as the top centermen that could be available.
With Mitch Marner leaving the Maple Leafs, it wouldn't be a shock to see him back. It's clear the Stars are trying to shed cap space so that they can retain Granlund. It sounds like Giroux will get something done in Ottawa.
So, for teams looking to improve down the middle this summer, the options are limited.
While Barzal and Horvat won't be on the move, Pageau has generated interest leading up to the 2025 NHL Draft. He has one year left on his deal at $5 million annually with a 16-team no-trade clause.
Cizikas has two years left on his deal at $2.5 million with no trade clauses. MacLean has one year left at $775,000.
Darche's phone will likely be ringing quite a bit with the center market drying up.
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To this point, the Philadelphia Flyers have shown an odd hesitancy to make any bold moves for NHL roster players during their rebuild. Could it be as simple as holding out for Connor McDavid in 2026?
McDavid, 28, has one year remaining on the eight-year, $100 million ($12.5 million AAV) contract he signed with the Edmonton Oilers on July 5, 2017, which means the five-time Art Ross Trophy winner can hit unrestricted free agency in 2026 if he chooses.
On the other hand, McDavid can extend with the Oilers, losers of two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals at the hands of Sergei Bobrovsky and the Florida Panthers, as early as July 1.
In Thursday's end-of-season press conference, McDavid was non-committal on his future in Edmonton, opting for a generic, middle-of-the-road answer rather than something more optimistic or certain.
“This core has been together for a long time and we’ve been building to this moment," McDavid said. "With that being said, ultimately, I still need to do what’s best for me and my family. But of course there’s unfinished business here.”
Winning appears to be the biggest priority for the NHL's best player, and McDavid won't be giving himself the best chance of doing that by thundering onward with an Oilers team filled out with scraps year after year.
"If I feel that there's a good window to win here over and over again, then signing is no problem," added McDavid.
And "if" is doing a lot of work in that sentence, given how the last two years have played out.
By the time 2026 rolls around, and depending on which players the Flyers decide to keep and trade, Philadelphia could have nearly $50 million in cap space to make a pitch to McDavid and, potentially, other NHL stars to join Matvei Michkov and Co.
"If I feel that there's a good window to win here over and over again, then signing is no problem."
Connor McDavid on his future with the Oilers as he approaches the final year of his contract. pic.twitter.com/00QHhWmQbe
Additionally, the contract of Ryan Ellis could always be placed on long-term injured reserve to create an extra $6.25 million in a pinch during the season.
The current CBA permits a player to earn a maximum of 20% of the salary cap, so if the NHL salary cap is $104 million for 2026-27, McDavid could sign a deal worth $20.8 million annually. That's no problem for the Flyers, who will still have Michkov, Jett Luchanko, and whoever the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft is on rookie contracts at that point.
Goaltending, like in Edmonton, would pose a major problem, but it's ultimately up to the Flyers to use draft picks and other assets to solve it.
Realistically, the Flyers could boast a center depth of McDavid, Sean Couturier, James Hagens, and Luchanko just two years from now.
A lot would have to go right for that to happen, to be clear, but the possibility is there.
Furthering the appeal of the Flyers is the presence of wingers such as McDavid's Canada teammate, Travis Konecny, Tyson Foerster, Michkov, Owen Tippett, and even Bobby Brink.
That's much more appealing than Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, and a bunch of dart throws.
Defense is less certain on the Flyers' end, but they could still be better than what the Oilers have with a few breaks. The book is not closed on Jamie Drysdale, and who knows what happens with Cam York?
A trade for Alex Romanov would give the Flyers some serious depth on the left side, and management are believers in prospects like Helge Grans, Oliver Bonk, and Spencer Gill.
Inexperienced, yes, but they may have more to offer at the NHL level at this point than the likes of John Klingberg, Brett Kulak, Troy Stecher, and even Darnell Nurse.
Evan Bouchard sways the conversation slightly, but for all his offensive exploits, he's average at best defensively and is set to command a massive new contract.
The Panthers have proven that NHL teams don't necessarily need one alpha above the rest to win so long as the group is the right mix of good players.
Even with an all-out pitch to McDavid, the Flyers are still perfectly capable of finding this harmony.
But the big question remains: can the Flyers strike the big trade? And is their big swing ultimately going to be McDavid? Never say never in this league.
For both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, it was very much a Jekyll and Hyde act - a wild card in terms of which version was going to show up on a nightly basis.
Skinner ended up with an .889 save percentage in the playoffs - including five performances surrendering five or more goals and nine of his 15 appearances coming in at a sub-.900 save percentage - and Pickard ended the playoffs at .886 with seven of his 10 appearances clocking in at sub-.900.
The Oilers are in need of change between the pipes. And so are the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins happen to have a goaltender in 30-year-old Tristan Jarry whose contract they would be wise to unload due to a plethora of goaltending prospect talent waiting in the wings in their system. Between waivers and inconsistency, 2024-25 certainly wasn't an ideal campaign for Jarry, as he ended the season 16-12-6 with an .893 save percentage.
But there are several reasons why he might still be a good fit for the Oilers should they pursue a change in goaltending personnel.
Despite his inconsistency - and outright poor performance - over the past season-plus, the capacity for Jarry to perform at a very high level is there.
The veteran netminder has made two All-Star appearances - in 2020 and 2022 - and was decent down the final stretch of the 2024-25 season for the Penguins. It's very possible that the pressure of the Penguins' situation - and the team playing so poorly in front of him - have been large factors for his lapses in overall play.
Jarry is capable of reaching a higher level, as he still has a career .909 save percentage despite horrid stretches last season. A change of scenery - and a better team in front of him - should, conceivably, help that.
2. His AAV isn't terrible
At the end of the day, the going prices for starting goaltenders in the NHL is rising more and more by year, much like the cap itself. What seemed like a bad contract as recently as last season may not look so bad as soon as next season.
Jarry is slated to make $5.375 million for the next three seasons. While that number is not ideal if a goaltender is struggling, it's certainly not the end of the world if he's performing at around a league-average clip.
In addition, the Penguins have all three of their retention slots available, so it stands to reason that they could retain a pretty big chunk of Jarry's contract as a sweetener.
3. He has some history with Edmonton
Jarry spent some significant time in Edmonton during his junior days, as he suited up for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL for four consecutive seasons from 2011-15. During his tenure, he led his team to the Memorial Cup in 2014, posting a 44-14-3 record that season to pair with a .914 save percentage.
Perhaps the guy who has been there, done that with a team in Edmonton may be able to find a little mojo with a change of scenery to a familiar place.
4. The Oilers need to act while their window is open
There was a goaltending battle in the Stanley Cup Final between Skinner and Pickard, something one does not typically see at that late a stage in the playoffs. Simply put, that cannot happen.
Jarry is still unproven in the playoffs with just 8 total games and at an .891 save percentage, but - with a shortage of high-quality netminders available right now - he may just be one of their best options to bank on a bounceback.
5. They should get another piece back in a trade
Honestly, the Penguins would probably need to send an asset along with Jarry in order for a team to take him. If this happens - in addition to retention - what's the real harm in banking on a rebound performance?
As mentioned before, the cap is going up significantly for the next three years, year-by-year. And the contract itself soon won't look all that bad. So, if the Oilers are desperate to find a solution and goal - and they want to maximize what they'd get out of taking on Jarry's contract - now is the time to bite.
After winning the Stanley Cup earlier this week, the summer of Brad Marchand and the Florida Panthers has officially kicked off.
The 37-year-old former Boston Bruins captain is having the time of his life after clinching his second Cup. After lifting the Cup on Tuesday, Marchand joined Panthers' fans in a "Thank you, Boston" chant on Wednesday.
The following night, he took to social media to extend his gratitude to his former team. On his Instagram page, he posted stories thanking his teammates' former teams.
Starting with the New Jersey Devils.
Five former Devils were part of the Panthers' Stanley Cup victory. Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov won his second consecutive Cup while Jesper Boqvist, A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek, and Vitek Vanecek each won it for the first time.
Marchand continued to thank the Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and more. You can see his hilarious Instagram stories here.
New Team of the Week, HUT Champs, and Crowned cards have been added to NHL 25 Hockey Ultimate Team.
The new Team of the Week prize is 96 overall Olli Jokinen while the HUT Champs rewards are 95 and 96 overall Saku Koivu for winning 10 games or finishing top 100 respectively. TOTW cards can be acquired in sets.
A 96 overall Closers Leon Draisaitl was also added after he scored four overtime winning goals in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Six 96 overall Florida Panthers cards were added to celebrate their win, as were five 96 overall active players who have three Stanley Cup rings. 10 95 and 96 overall back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions were added as were 96 overall Sam Reinhart and 95 overall Ted Lindsay and Maurice Richard to celebrate players who have scored four goals in a finals game.
The NHL's off-season has arrived, and here at the Sabres team website on THN.com. we're in the midst of a series of columns examining which teams Buffalo could make a notable trade with.
FREE AGENTS: Justin Dowling, C; Curtis Lazar, C; Daniel Sprong, RW; Nathan Bastien, RW; Cody Glass, C (RFA); Nolan Foote, LW (RFA); Brian Dumoulin, D; Luke Hughes, D (RFA)
NEEDS: Experienced fourth-line forwards; overall change in team chemistry
SABRES FIT? The Devils were drummed out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs rather easily by the Carolina Hurricanes, falling in five games as they failed to get into the second round for the 12th time in their past 13 seasons. Thus, Fitzgerald made no mistake in suggesting major changes were coming. And that could mean New Jersey chooses to deal away a valuable youngster if it means shaking up the chemistry of the core of the team.
That said, the Devils aren't trading superstar center Jack Hughes, nor are they dealing his brother, defenseman Luke Hughes. The same goes for captain Nico Hischier and most, if not all of New Jersey's defense corps. However, that still leaves one tantalizing possibility for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams to contemplate making a trade pitch for.
The player who does jump to mind in that regard is center/right winger Dawson Mercer. The 23-year-old forward is entering the second year of a three-year contract that pays him $4-million per season, and Mercer has posted at least 17 goals in each of his first four NHL seasons. Mercer also has a career-high of 27 goals and 56 points, which he put up in the 2022-23 campaign. His best days are still ahead of him, and most importantly from Buffalo's point of view, Mercer doesn't have any no-trade or no-move protection right now.
So, the Sabres could swing a deal that sends winger J.J. Peterka to New Jersey in what could be a straight-up, one-asset-for-one-asset trade. If Peterka is looking to be on a playoff-bound team, he could do much worse than the Devils, and in return for him, Adams would bring in an above-average player in Mercer who will only be a restricted free agent when his current contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season.
That essentially kicks the financial can down the road for the Sabres when it comes to Mercer, and that also provides plenty of motivation for Mercer to play well in Buffalo. And acquiring a still-on-the-rise talent like Mercer could be considered a coup for Adams as he, like Fitzgerald, tries to alter the chemistry of his squad.
Otherwise, there really isn't a good fit between the Devils and Sabres on the trade front. New Jersey's defense corps is one of the deeper groups in the league, and we don't see Fitzgerald messing with it. And the Devils' goaltending is also set with veteran Jacob Markstrom and youngster Nico Daws in place. So unless Bufffalo is intent on sending a third-or-fourth-line forward to New Jersey -- and even then, it's difficult to imagine what the Sabres would want in return -- it's hard to envision a match between the Sabres and Devils.
Still, a Mercer-for-Peterka swap is intriguing. Both players are the same age, both have approximately the same goal-producing ability, and both might benefit from a change in employer. And Adams and Fitzgerald wouldn't need to throw in draft picks or prospects to make the trade work. It's a one-for-one move, and one that could be made well in advance of free agency.
New Jersey would need to sign Peterka to a contract extension, but we don't forsee that being a problem. The chance to play alongside the Hughes Bros. would be highly-appealing to Peterka, and Mercer could go to Buffalo knowing the Sabres are counting on him to be a key cog for many years to come. So yes, a Peterka-for-Mercer move makes a lot of sense for both sides. And no one should be surprised if Buffalo and New Jersey can come together and make it happen.
While official dates for the 2025 Colorado Avalanche Prospect Development Camp have yet to be announced, a quick glance at the uploaded schedule for Family Sports Center, the training facility for the Avalanche, tells us that we can perhaps expect to see the prospects hit the ice at the beginning of July.
FSC has blocked out significant ice time for July 1-3, and while the blocks themselves don't clarify anything more than that the times are designated for the team, conclusions can be drawn that this will be for the upcoming camp.
Tuesday, July 1st: 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Mountain Time (Avalanche Rink)
Wednesday, July 2nd: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time (Avalanche Rink)
Thursday, July 3rd: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time (Avalanche Rink)
Thursday, July 3rd: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Mountain Time (Fix It 24/7 Rink)
It's also worth noting that the Avalanche also have ice time booked on the Avalanche Rink on Monday, June 30th, from 1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m..
Taylor Makar, Oskar Olausson, Marek Hejduk, Cooper Gay, Nikita Prishchepov, and Sean Behrens were among notable attendees at 2024's team development camp. Forward Prishchepov, a 2024 7th-round draft pick, made his NHL debut in November of 2024 with the Avalanche. Forward Makar, brother of Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, debuted in his first professional game with the Colorado Eagles late this past season, following the completion of his season with the University of Maine.
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For the second consecutive season, the Florida Panthers have won the Stanley Cup. It also is the second year that former Minnesota Wild defenseman Dmitry Kulikov has won the Cup.
Kulikov, 34, played in 80 games during the 2021-22 season for the Wild. He recorded seven goals and 24 points that year and was a plus-23.
The 6-foot-1 defender only played in only two playoff games for the Wild that season and was a minus-4. He was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations.
He eventually made his way to the Panthers where he has been the last two seasons.
Former Wild forward Nico Sturm was traded to the Panthers for their cup run this season. It is the second time in his career that Sturm has won the cup.
Sturm, 30, spent the first four years of his NHL career with the Wild after going undrafted. He recorded 20 goals, 16 assists, 36 points, and 118 hits in 111 games with the Wild.
The 6-foot-3 center played in eight playoff games for the Panthers this year. He has won two Stanley Cups since the Wild moved on from him in 2022.
Duchene, 34, scored 30 goals and was at point-per-game last season, and he is very clearly still a key piece of Dallas's win-now competitive window. However, Duchene's signing puts Dallas just $455,000 under the salary cap - as of now - heading into next season with just nine forwards, six defensemen, and two goaltenders signed to their roster.
Dallas is in some serious cap trouble, and they will have to offload some contracts in order to not only sign enough players to fill their roster, but also to bring back more pending-unrestricted and restricted free agents that they are interested in keeping.
Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas mentioned in his season-ending press conference that he would, potentially, look to the RFA trade-then-sign market - as well as just the trade market in general - to acquire young talent.
Pittsburgh has some trade assets to surrender. And Dallas may have a few players who fit the bill.
The most obvious candidate here is 23-year-old up-and-coming center Mavrik Bourque.
A first-round pick (30th overall) by Dallas in 2020, Bourque registered 11 goals and 25 points in 73 games last season - which was his rookie year - in a limited role. Prior to cracking the NHL roster, Bourque had a fantastic 2023-24 campaign with the AHL's Texas Stars, putting up 26 goals and 77 points in 71 games. In two full seasons with Texas, he recorded 46 goals and 124 points.
Because of the Stars' cap situation, Bourque could become a casualty to a team like the Penguins, who may be willing to take on a salary dump - someone like defenseman Matt Dumba - if Bourque is part of the return. In addition, bringing back somewhat of a wild card in Bourque - who was a healthy scratch for most of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs - would simply occupy precious cap space, even if only a little, that the Stars simply don't have.
This is a realistic target for Dubas and the Penguins, and they should pursue Bourque pretty aggressively. The Penguins also are in desperate need of bodies on their blue line, so taking on Dumba would actually benefit them roster-wise.
But if the Penguins want to shoot even bigger? If he does, indeed, become available on the market, Dubas should be doing everything he can to take a swing at star forward Jason Robertson.
Robertson, 25, has been one of the league's premiere goal-scorers for the past several years. His best season came in 2022-23, when he notched 46 goals and 109 points to go along with a plus-37. He is dangerous on the power play, he has high-end puck skills, he has a deceptive release, and he is a bigger body at 6-foot-3 - which are all things the Penguins will be looking to add.
He is a pending-RFA in 2026, so the challenge for the Penguins - should they somehow land him - would be to sell the rebuild-on-the-fly in order to extend him long-term. Many would argue that the Penguins are not in the right position to be targeting guys like Robertson right now, and - while that's generally true - he's not a player any team, even Pittsburgh, should pass on given the chance to acquire him.
In order to land Robertson, of course, there would be a steep price. This likely starts with winger Rickard Rakell - who matched Robertson's goal total last season - as well as a first-round pick and a higher-end, near-NHL-ready prospect.
But it's a price they should be willing to pay if they truly want to execute a rebuild on-the-fly and have someone long-term who can help bridge the contention gap.
The Florida Panthers have won the Stanley Cup, again.
Isn’t it interesting that The Hockey Show has been around for two NHL seasons, and during its existence, only one team has won the Stanley Cup.
Not too shabby for co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork, who grew up in South Florida rooting for the Panthers while growing their love of hockey.
On Tuesday night, after Florida clinched their second consecutive Stanley Cup title on home ice, Roy and Dave were there once again.
Just like last year, the final THS postgame video comes from the ice at Amerant Bank Arena, with Panthers players, employees and family members celebrating in the background.
