The Philadelphia Flyers do not have the best early odds of winning the Stanley Cup in 2026, but how their odds rank compared to some other teams around the NHL might come as a shock.

The Flyers, who finished with the fourth-worst record in the NHL this season at 33-39-10, are not projected to win the Stanley Cup next year by any means, but oddsmakers are clearly expecting Philadelphia, led by new head coach Rick Tocchet and star sophomore forward Matvei Michkov, to take a step forward in 2025-26.

According to FanDuel, the Flyers have +8000 odds to win the 2026 Stanley Cup, which are notably only the 13th-lowest odds and ahead of Metropolitan Division rival Columbus Blue Jackets (+8500), the Anaheim Ducks (+10000), the Montreal Canadiens (+10000), Boston Bruins (+11000), and Buffalo Sabres (+14000).

In the case of the Flyers, this is an implied probability of roughly 1.23%.

Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins (+28000), Seattle Kraken (+31000), Chicago Blackhawks, and San Jose Sharks (+50000) can safely flush next season down the toilet if the opinions of oddsmakers mean anything.

The Flyers placing ahead of both the Canadiens and the Blue Jackets is a considerable surprise, given that the Canadiens made the playoffs with a 40-31-11 record and 91 points and the Blue Jackets narrowly missed out at 40-33-9 and 89 points.

Meanwhile, the Flyers finished dead-last in the Eastern Conference with a measly 76 points and just 21 regulation wins.

Flyers 2025 Draft Picks Officially Set with Help from Sergei BobrovskyWith help from old friend Sergei Bobrovsky, all of the Philadelphia Flyers draft picks in the 2025 NHL Draft are now set in stone, including their three coveted first-round picks.

Sure, the Canadiens could use some work up front to help ease the burden on captain Nick Suzuki and Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, but they're about to have a full offseason and regular season of Ivan Demidov.

As for the Blue Jackets, they have an outstanding young core of forwards like Kirill Marchenko, Dmitry Voronkov, Yegor Chinakhov, Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, and Gavin Brindley in addition to superstar defenseman Zach Werenski and prospects like Jet Greaves, Corson Ceulemans, Cayden Lindstrom, Denton Mateychuk, and Stanislav Svozil.

Even a slight step forward from these young guns, combined with some additions in free agency to smooth over the edges, should easily spell a playoff berth for Columbus.

The Flyers, on the other hand, don't have the No. 1 centers the Canadiens and the Blue Jackets have, and they don't seem to be optimistic about the prospects of landing one via trade this summer, either.

After all, GM Danny Briere has already said that teams are not giving away centers outside of fourth-line guys, and some of those same teams are also jockeying with the Flyers to move up in the 2025 NHL Draft order.

So long as Briere and the Flyers remain stagnant, they have no chance of making good on these odds, as dismal as they may already be.

With the Florida Panthers’ 5–1 win in Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals, former Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo is officially a two-time Stanley Cup champion. He, along with former Canucks Jonah Gadjovich and Nate Schmidt, won the championship after four grueling playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, and Edmonton Oilers. 

This is Luongo’s second Stanley Cup in as many years, as he and the Panthers also won against the Oilers in the 2023–24 season. Prior to that, he and the Canucks came only a hair away from their first in franchise history with a seven-game Stanley Cup Finals series in 2011. Cory Schneider was his goaltending partner at the time and, ironically enough, interviewed Luongo on the ice after his second Stanley Cup win. 

“It’s surreal, does not feel real. Last year was crazy, this year even crazier, to do it again,” Luongo told NHL Network analysts and former players Schneider and Brian Boyle. “When the time came they stepped up and they played the way we know how to play, an unbelievable performance.”  

Energy from the home crowd can be a big part of a team’s playoff wins, as seen from the Abbotsford Canucks’ home-ice success. Luongo, who banged the drum for the Panthers ahead of Game 6, jokingly noted how he was “more nervous for the drum than the game.” 

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Now that the dust has settled around Game 6, one of the most polarizing images to come from the Panthers’ celebrations the night before was a photo of Luongo and Brad Marchand posted from the former’s X account. Marchand, a member of the 2011 Boston Bruins team that took Vancouver to seven games, was acquired by the Panthers at the 2025 Trade Deadline for a conditional second-round draft pick that has now become a first. 

“Bill [Zito] and the team, we get together and work together as a team, we identify guys, we talk it over, we have disagreements, but at the end of the day we always find some guys that we think fit the way we play — we call them Panthers,” Luongo told Schneider and Boyle of Florida’s trade deadline acquisitions and how they have been able to fit seamlessly with the team. 

Now that the Stanley Cup has finally been awarded for the 2025 season, all teams will shift their focus onto the oncoming NHL Entry Draft and Free Agent Frenzy on July 1. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

The Devils made their first big move of the offseason Wednesday, trading veteran forward Erik Haula to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

New Jersey now has seven picks in the 2025 NHL Draft: two second-round picks (NJ and Edmonton via Utah), one third-round pick (Vegas), two fourth-round picks (NJ and Nashville), and two sixth-round picks (NJ and San Jose). The draft begins on Friday, June 27 and goes through Saturday, June 28.

Haula, 34, was entering the final year of his three-year contract ($3.15 million AAV). Over three seasons with the Devils, he totaled 41 goals and 56 assists (97 points) with 140 penalty minutes across 227 games. He was originally a seventh-round pick by the Minnesota Wild in the 2009 NHL Draft and spent time with them, the Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Predators, and Boston Bruins before being acquired by NJ in the Pavel Zacha trade in 2022.

The forward recorded 21 points (nine goals and 12 assists) over 51 games during his first stint with Nashville in the shortened 2020-2021 NHL season.

Hanzel, 22, was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He was then acquired by the Predators in March 2024 and spent the 2024-2025 season with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) and Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL), registering two penalty minutes over four games with Milwaukee and three goals and 19 assists (22 points) with 28 penalty minutes for Gwinnett.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Hanzel was part of the Seattle Thunderbirds' WHL championship-winning team in 2023. He amassed 149 points (39 goals and 110 assists) in 218 games with Seattle over four seasons, plus 35 points (seven goals and 28 assists) over 41 playoff games.

The Edmonton Oilers once again came up short in the Stanley Cup final, falling to the Florida Panthers for the second year in a row. 

Now, the overriding question becomes, “What do the Oilers do next?” That question isn’t so easy to answer, with some tough calls to make.

On the one hand, there’s a clear temptation to run it back with the same group of players. Edmonton was only one win away from a Cup championship in 2023-24, and they were only two wins away this year. The Oilers’ core should be relied on to have a successful 2025-26 campaign, and GM Stan Bowman would be a fool to mess around with it. 

However, what would the Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights or Tampa Bay Lightning do? These are the most successful teams in the NHL in recent years, and they all share one thing in common: the willingness not to be satisfied with the results they put together, no matter how successful they’ve been.

Panthers GM Bill Zito was fortunate and savvy enough to win his first Cup last season, and he had the stones to walk away from key defenseman Brandon Montour when he sought a raise. Before that, Zito traded MacKenzie Weegar and a 115-point Jonathan Huberdeau in the deal that brought star Matthew Tkachuk to Florida.

Even after this year’s second Cup win, Zito may allow lifelong Panther Aaron Ekblad to leave for greener pastures via free agency after trading for five more years of Seth Jones. Zito has always been one of the more proactive GMs in the league, and he’s never been afraid to shake things up.

Meanwhile, Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon has become famous for being cold-blooded in his roster decisions from year to year. Whether it’s acquiring defenseman Noah Hanifin and centers Tomas Hertl and Jack Eichel, McCrimmon has never been content with sticking with the status quo.

In Tampa Bay, Lightning GM Julien BriseBois has also constantly changed his lineup. BriseBois has traded (and reacquired) veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh, landed Nick Paul and Jake Guentzel, dealt for star Brandon Hagel, acquired (and traded) center Barclay Goodrow and left winger Tanner Jeannot and traded star defenseman Mikhail Sergachev while letting captain Steven Stamkos walk. Looking at the macro picture, it’s quite something to see how willing BriseBois has been when changing the mix of his team.

The Oilers need to be just as proactive with the talent on their roster. They’re almost assuredly going to be re-signing RFA D-man Evan Bouchard, and they’re going to take very long looks at UFA forwards Corey Perry, Trent Frederic, Connor Brown and Kasperi Kapanen. 

But there will probably be a lot of frustration if Edmonton brings back the same goalie tandem next season. One or both of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have to go. Whether that means trading for current Anaheim Ducks veteran John Gibson or taking a chance on a different netminder, the Oilers just need some more reliable, consistent netminding.

The Oilers Must Address Their Goaltending, Regardless Of What Happens In The FinalThere was a time during the playoffs this year where Stuart Skinner of the Edmonton Oilers had not posted a single-game save percentage between .835 and .999, which means he was either lights-out or out to lunch in every game.

In any case, while it would be easy and comfortable for Bowman to bring back just about everybody, the better option would be for him to make some notable roster changes. If it’s good enough for the Panthers, Golden Knights and Lightning, it should be good enough for Edmonton, especially if it convinces superstar captain Connor McDavid to sign a contract extension.

Change is not only necessary, but it’s crucial to keep up with the Joneses as other high-end teams continue making moves to improve. That should be front and center on Bowman’s mind as he plots out the next steps for this Oilers franchise.

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The Florida Panthers did not want to face the prospect of heading back to Edmonton for another deciding Game 7 against the Oilers, and after blowing a three-goal lead in a Game 4 loss on home ice last week, the reigning Stanley Cup Champions dominated Edmonton 5-2 in Game 5 and jumped on the Oilers early in a 5-2 win at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday to clinch their second straight Cup.

The Panthers had a number of players stand out in their run to the championship, including Sam Bennett – who scored 15 playoff goals and was named the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner – and veteran Brad Marchand, who scored five goals in the Cup Final and an overtime breakaway goal in Game 2, but the hero in the clincher was former Buffalo Sabre Sam Reinhart.  

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Reinhart, who was dealt to Florida in July 2021 for goalie Devon Levi and a 2022 first round pick (Jiri Kulich), scored the opening goal less than five minutes into the first period, and then added three more in the second and third period to become the first player to score four goals in a Stanley Cup Final game since Maurice “The Rocket” Richard in 1957. 

Had it not been for Vasily Podkolzin’s late goal to break Sergei Bobrovsky’s shutout bid, the former 2014 second overall pick would have scored the game-winning goal in both Panthers Cup-clinching victories. Along with Reinhart, former Sabres Dmitri Kulikov and Evan Rodrigues earned their second straight Cup victory. 

Former Sabre Jeff Skinner was not much of a factor in the Cup Final, going pointless in three games vs. the Panthers, while Evander Kane continued his undisciplined play, earning his sixth minor penalty of the series for a slash on Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and his second misconduct for a swipe at Matthew Tkachuk. Kane finished the series with one goal in six games and 32 penalty minutes.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

NHL insider believes Detroit Red Wings will work to re-sign Patrick Kane this off-season

The Detroit Red Wings are reportedly interested in bringing back forward Patrick Kane, according to NHL insider Darren Dreger. 

NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) on XDarren Dreger: I believe that the Red Wings would like to extend Patrick Kane, feels like they'll probably get something done - TSN 1050

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The veteran winger made a significant impact last season with almost 60 points through 72 games at 36 years old. Kane's value as a player coincides with his value as a mentor to up-and-coming forwards like Marco Kasper that will get to play with a three-time Stanley Cup champion.

Bringing back Kane would help the team continue to build chemistry as well as have him continue to give out lessons to young players that could use the advice. 

We can expect a cap hit around $4 million per season as that's what he signed for the Red Wings initially and may include a trade clause of sorts as that's what he asked for in his previous deal. As for term, we could see multiple years as it was a great fit for Kane last season but no more than two seasons seems likely. 

Detroit has roughly $21.3 million in cap space heading into this off-season and has been linked to several big name free agents like Aaron Ekblad and Mitch Marner. Other pending free agents with the Red Wings are Alex Lyon, Jeff Petry and key depth forward Tyler Motte among others. 

The next few weeks may feature some serious roster moves for the Red Wings heading into next season and it sounds like one we can expect is a Kane re-signing.

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Welcome to the off-season. The Wraparound is here to discuss the NHL and more in rapid-fire topics.

Can The Panthers Keep Bennett And Marchand? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan and Michael Augello discussed in this episode:

0:00: Where do the Florida Panthers rank among recent dynasties in the NHL?

3:30 What does the future hold for the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid with his impending free agency in 2026?

6:50 Will the Florida Panthers retain Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett?

10:30 After Mitch Marner’s charity event in Toronto was cancelled, is it all but confirmed that he will be leaving the Maple Leafs?

13:35 What team is the best fit for Jonathan Toews?

15:38 What team that wasn’t involved in the 4 Nations Face-Off could make some noise at the 2026 Olympics?

17:35 Could the Vancouver Canucks move on from Thatcher Demko this summer?

20:20 Is there a scenario where the New York Islanders draft anyone other than Matthew Schaefer?

21:45 How will Roman Josi’s recovery impact Barry Trotz’s off-season priorities?

25:40 Making early predictions for the 2025-26 NHL season

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

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Promo image credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, the Florida Panthers became back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 at home, 5-1.

Not only was it Florida's second-straight Cup win, but it was also their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. They lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 before besting the Oilers in back-to-back Cup years, and - given that they handily beat a very good Edmonton team in six games despite partaking in their third-straight Final - they may not show any signs of slowing down.

But this near-dynastic force, in a way, all started with a loss in the spring of 2023 by a different NHL team.

No, Florida isn't where they are because of a singular notch in the "L" column by the Pittsburgh Penguins. But, had Pittsburgh won this one game, a lot may have changed for Florida that could have altered their destiny.

On Apr. 11, 2023 - in the penultimate game to their regular season - the Penguins were set to square off against the lowly, rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks on home ice. In order to end up clinching a playoff spot, Pittsburgh simply needed to beat Chicago, one of the league's worst teams. 

And they did not succeed.

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Chicago went up, 1-0, approaching the midway point of the second period on a goal by defenseman Connor Murphy. Then, a little more than five minutes into the third, Penguins veteran forward Evgeni Malkin scored a power play goal to even the score. 

But - five minutes later - Pittsburgh was dealt a double-gut punch. Just past the 10-minute mark of the final frame, Buddy Robinson and Andreas Athanasiou scored back-to-back within 26 seconds to put the Hawks up, 3-1, pretty much sealing the deal. Pittsburgh forward Danton Heinen scored sandwiched between two Chicago empty-net goals by Tyler Johnson and Mackenzie Entwistle, but it was not enough.

Pittsburgh was dealt a course-changing loss, as it, ultimately, led them to miss the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. They also lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime, 3-2, a few days later, but even if they won that game, the Penguins would have missed.

And the team that squeaked into the postseason instead? The Florida Panthers.

Like Pittsburgh Before Them, The Florida Panthers Are Reinventing The WheelAnyone who has been invested in the National Hockey League over the years knows that, as the seasons pile on, the game evolves.

In the 2021-22 season, the Panthers won the President's Trophy as the best team in the league, but they were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning and made a shocking coaching change in the aftermath, hiring Paul Maurice and canning Andrew Brunette.

They also shook up their roster in the offseason of 2022, acquiring and then extending Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames in exchange for star forward Jonathan Huberdeau and top-four defenseman Mackenzie Weegar.

There were a sequence of moves in the following years that made them what they are. But, had they missed the playoffs in 2023 after a President's Trophy-winning season - all because the Penguins beat the lowly Blackhawks - it stands to reason that Florida GM Bill Zito may have made some more impulse moves to shake things up after a near-miss. 

Maybe they would have fired Maurice. Maybe they never go out and get veterans like Brad Marchand, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Seth Jones. There's no telling how their timeline and their roster management would have played out had the Penguins won that game against Chicago.

Every ounce of credit goes to Zito and the Panthers for becoming the machine they are today. More than likely, it was bound to happen eventually, anyway, regardless of what happened in terms of the 2023 postseason.

But the Penguins inadvertently opened the door of opportunity for the Panthers to begin their run at three straight Final appearances when they lost, perhaps, one of the most winnable "must-win" games in franchise history. 

As a result, the Penguins became a cellar dwellar. And the Panthers became a monster.

Amazingly, unbelievably, incredibly, the Florida Panthers are back-to-back Stanley Cup ChampionsThe Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup Champions.

---

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Featured image credit: Charles LeClaire - Imagn Images

For the second year in a row, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk was in the thick of a Stanley Cup celebration as a proud brother. Brady had said at the end of the season he had planned to follow Matthew's playoff run from afar this year, but as the sting of elimination faded, he obviously had a change of heart and wanted to be there for his brother.

Brady was down on the ice on Tuesday night in Sunrise, Florida, once again joining the family to watch Matthew hoist the Stanley Cup with the Panthers, who powered their way to a second straight Cup, taking down the Oilers in six games. 

Brady says he was impressed with how his brother managed to battle through injuries and still be a major factor.

“I mean I just I think it's gonna come out what he's been dealing with, but for him to step up like that... hopefully the next step is winning (Olympic) gold with him,” Brady said in a postgame interview with Darren Pang.

His diagnosis did come out. Matthew revealed he had a been playing with a torn adductor muscle – torn from the bone, no less – along with a "hernia thing" on the same side. 

“He was a mess,” head coach Paul Maurice told NHL.com. “That’s the medical term. He was a mess."

Hearing that relatively rare diagnosis will resonate with Sens fans like ice cubes down their back. Many still remember 2006 when their Stanley Cup hopes were badly derailed by Dominik Hasek's adductor injury suffered at the Olympics that year. 

Brady also powered through his own injuries this season. In fact, both Tkachuk brothers had injury trouble that seemed to begin during the 4 Nations Face-Off and lingered into the post-season. When NHL owners express concern over shutting the league down in February for a fierce, best-on-best, king-of-the-world tournament, this is exactly the kind of thing they're worried about.

The Tkachuks were named this week to the preliminary roster of six players to represent Team USA again this February at the Olympics.

As Brady posed for family photos on the ice, he was more than ready for the championship celebration, even donning a hat from The Elbo Room, the iconic Fort Lauderdale beach bar where the Panthers returned to party with fans for a second straight year.

This time, though, the celebration probably hit a little differently for Brady. Earlier this spring, the Senators made it to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in eight years, a real turning point for the franchise. Ottawa was eliminated in the first round by the Leafs, which was deeply disappointing, but it did mark a huge step in the team's evolution.

“Our end goal is something that isn’t really a pipe dream anymore,” Tkachuk said, as the Senators were cleaning out their lockers for the year.

“We’re going to continue to get better. It’s all about just growing as players, growing as a group and knowing that we want to win the Stanley Cup. Just getting into the playoffs isn’t good enough anymore.”

While this championship moment belonged to his brother once again, Brady’s turn might not be far off, maybe as soon as February at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

And hopefully someday in Ottawa as well.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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The Chicago Blackhawks have the third overall pick. This comes from the 2025 Draft Lottery pushing them back one spot. It is an important asset to the organization. 

With this selection, Chicago has many intriguing options —if they decide to keep it instead of trading it away. 

A new report from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff says that the Blackhawks are listening to offers on this 3rd overall pick. Are they trying to move up? Are they trying to move down? What do they want in return? 

“I do think they want to be active on the trade market,” Seravalli said. “I do think the number 3 overall pick is in play.” 

Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) on X"The Chicago Blackhawks are open for business over the next 10 days." @frank_seravalli dives into his earlier report that Chicago is open to trading their third overall pick on the Chicago Lead.

There is a lot to figure out before the draft begins on June 27th. Davidson has done a great job drafting since becoming the full-time general manager of the Blackhawks, so he has earned some trust when it comes to evaluating the entry draft. If he feels that there is more value to trading the selection, he will go should that road with confidence. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

The NHL's buyout window will open on June 20, and New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald has a decision to make. 

Ondrej Palat will make $6 million for the next two seasons before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2027. 

The 34-year-old played throughout New Jersey's lineup in 2024-25 and began the postseason playing with Justin Dowling and Nathan Bastian. Palat finished this past season with 28 points, including 15 goals, the most he scored in a Devils uniform. 

When playing on the top line with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, Palat was credited with doing the little things that allowed the dynamic duo to shine offensively.  

"He creates a lot of space for me and Jack out there," Bratt said. "Takes the job that sometimes is a tough job that fans and other people don't notice on the ice, to create space for players like us."

"He does a really good job of complementing us, going to the net and getting those greasy pucks in the corner, retrieving them for us," Hughes said.

On the ice, Palat's biggest accomplishment with the Devils came in Game 7 when he assisted on the series-winning goal with his relentless forecheck. 

Off the ice, the winger is valued by his teammates and head coach, Sheldon Keefe, who spoke about how valuable the former Stanley Cup champion is. 

"He knows he is an important guy for our group, no matter what happens," said Nico Hischier, who sits next to Palat in the locker room. 

While his on-ice play leaves something to be desired, considering his cap hit, the organization finds value in Palat. With that said, hockey is a business, and Fitzgerald may choose to part ways with his alternate captain.  

The NHL's buyout window will remain open until June 30 at 5:00 PM EST.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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You know the retort about if your grandmother had wheels, she'd be a bike?

Well, now that the Florida Panthers have won their second consecutive Stanley Cup, there's a lot of that going on with people who are delusional about the Toronto Maple Leafs. And that covers most of their supporters.

Their logic goes that since the Maple Leafs extended the Panthers to seven games in the second round of the playoffs, we can assume that the Leafs are once again very close to being serious Stanley Cup contenders. Heck, they're the second-best team in the NHL, some say.

Pfft. Legitimate Stanley Cup-contending teams don't take a 2-0 lead and enter Game 3 with a 3-1 lead against the Cup champs and fritter it away. And there is no Cup contending team that turns in the effort the Leafs did in Games 5 and 7 on home ice in that series.

Just because you lost to the champs doesn't make you almost as good as they are. The Panthers are the class of the league and they are light years ahead of the Leafs.

Watch today's video column for more, and share your thoughts.

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Former Seattle Kraken defenseman Jaycob Megna took home his first Stanley Cup after the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6.

The 32-year-old didn't play in postseason games this season but recorded eight games during the regular season. The 6'6 defenseman was born in Plantation, FL and signed as a free agent this past offseason. Megna will become an unrestricted free agent on July. 1, available to sign with any NHL team.

Megna was traded to the Kraken by the San Jose Sharks for a 4th-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft before the trade deadline. He played just six games with the Kraken, failing to record a point before the Chicago Blackhawks claimed him off waivers. 

With his Stanley Cup triumph, Megna becomes the first former Kraken player to win the Stanley Cup who played a game with the Kraken. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Kraken stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

With the Colorado Avalanche only having $1.2 million in cap space left after re-signing Brock Nelson, they will need to make some moves to free up cap space if they want to re-sign their pending unrestricted free agents or sign other players heading into free agency.

The Avalanche has a selection of contracts that they could look to move to free up some cap space, but how many of those cap hits need to be moved to make all of their offseason plans come to fruition?

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli posted his updated top 30 player trade board, which includes those he sees as likely to be traded this summer. With the NHL Entry Draft slowly approaching and free agency looming over the horizon, recent trade deadline acquisition Charlie Coyle made Seravalli’s list, ranking him at 10th. Samuel Girard at 15th, and Martin Necas at 28th.

Charlie Coyle: 10th

“Scoop: There is arguably no team in a more precarious salary cap position than the Avalanche. They’re up against it. Down the middle, they have Nathan MacKinnon at $12.6m, now Brock Nelson locked up at $7.5m. Does that make Coyle a luxury at $5.25m playing in the 3C role? Many see it that way, which is why Coyle’s name percolated at the Scouting Combine last week in Buffalo. He is one of three Avs on the board as they look for flexibility.” Seravalli states.

Acquired at the trade deadline from the Boston Bruins, Coyle came with a $5.25 million cap hit with two years remaining, including a no-movement clause.

His cap hit of $5.25 million is considerable for a third-line center, especially if he can't produce at the level he did during the 2023-24 season, when he finished with 25 goals and 35 assists for 60 points. However, having depth at the center is always valuable, but at that cap hit, unless production takes a step up, it's tough to swallow that much for so little.

However, the Avalanche would need to find another center immediately if they manage to trade him. Jack Drury could step up on the third line. Parkey Kelly could fill the position, but it became clear toward the end of the season that he was more comfortable playing on the wing, and it showed. Jonathan Toews' name is out there, but that raises significant questions about whether he can play well, considering he hasn't played for the past two seasons, and fill a crucial spot for the Avalanche.

Insider Suggests Colorado Avalanche as Top Destination for Jonathan ToewsThe Colorado Avalanche have already made their top priority signing by re-signing Brock Nelson and locking up their second-line center, but could they look to add another top centerman to their roster? 

Samuel Girard: 15th

“Scoop: The Avalanche have had on-again, off-again conversations with Girard in trade talks going back three years now. Most teams have drawn a line at having no more than one undersized defenseman in their lineup, and for the Avs, that would mean Girard is the odd-man out. The tricky part is the Avs struggled for depth on their blue line this season, particularly on their third pair, so they’ve got some work to do to fill out a more complete group with very limited cap space.”

With a cap hit of $5 million and one more year remaining on his contract, he's going to want a nice payday. However, has his performance shown that he's worth more than $5 million per year? He has dealt with injuries over the past couple of seasons, and his highest total of points in a season was 37, which he achieved back in the 2022-23 season.

Girard finished with three goals and 21 assists in 73 regular-season games this past season. He averaged 20:51 minutes of ice time per game, ranking him third among defensemen on the team, behind Cale Makar and Devon Toews. Additionally, he averaged 26.8 shifts per game, which was the second-most on the team, just behind Devon Toews, who averaged 27.6 shifts. He also ranked second in blocked shots on the team with 111, only trailing Makar’s 128.

However, as Serevalli stated, the blue line is a bit thin outside of Toews and Makar at the moment. Josh Manson is another name that could be moved for space, freeing up $4.5 million. Still, you will only have three defensemen signed if they decide to move either Manson or Girard going into next season.

Sam Malinski is a pending restricted free agent, and Ryan Lindgren is a pending unrestricted free agent, both of whom need new contracts and would require either Manson's or Girard's contract to be moved to free up that cap space to use on a new contract.

If the Avalanche were to trade him, it's really simple; he carries a considerable cap hit that the Avalanche could use on other players on the roster and free agency, and he's in his final year of his contract. Turning 28 next season, he could fetch a solid return if traded. 

A Closer Look at Sam Malinski's Role in the Avalanche’s Offseason DecisionsWith 16 days remaining until the 2025 Free Agency period begins, the Colorado Avalanche have to make some big decisions when it comes to how they want to free up cap space to re-sign their pending unrestricted free agents and their one restricted free agent.

Martin Necas: 28th

Scoop: And just like that, the Colorado Avalanche are back in the same spot now with the player they acquired for Mikko Rantanen that they were with Rantanen one year ago. Quality player. Needs new contract. Going to be expensive. What do we pay him? Here’s the thing: there’s a thought around the league that Necas might not sign for a $9 million AAV right now, hoping to potentially duplicate a season north of a point-per-game. Now what? And if Necas wouldn’t sign for $9m, wouldn’t they just have been better off keeping Rantanen at $12 or $12.5m?”

There has been a massive rumor stating that Necas is “unhappy” with the Colorado Avalanche. However, it's a big topic that needs to be addressed. The Mikko Rantanen trade was a blockbuster trade that shocked the hockey community, and losing Necas will be the nail in the coffin if they can't re-sign him or are “forced” to trade him due to the reports being true.

He is just one year away from becoming an unrestricted free agent, and it has been demonstrated earlier this year that the Avalanche aren’t hesitant to trade players in this situation if they doubt their ability to sign them.

Necas would be pretty young for an unrestricted free agent at 27 years old. He is also coming off a career season (83 points between the Hurricanes and Avalanche) and has proven that he can keep up with one of the best players in the world, Nathan MacKinnon, at least in skating speed.

As a result, he will have considerable negotiating power if he enters next summer as an unrestricted free agent with no contract extension and the cap increasing. The question remains, how much is the Avalanche willing to spend on Necas? And how much does Necas and his camp believe he is worth? Another major season could help his side in any contract extension talks.

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Czech goaltender Aleš Stezka, 28, has signed a three-year contract with Kometa Brno, the Czech Extraliga club announced on Wednesday.

Stezka had played the last two seasons in North America in the Seattle Kraken organization.

“After the end of the season, my agents and family started discussing what to do next,” said Stezka. “Mr. Zábranský approached me and asked if I would be interested in signing a contract with Kometa. The negotiations were very pleasant, positive, and I have to say that the agreement was great, fast, and fair. I liked the vision for the future. We had talked about it some time ago, but I decided to stay overseas. I am very happy that Mr. Zábranský contacted me again and that I can become part of a club with a great tradition and great fans.”

Originally from Plzeň in Western Bohemia, Stezka played youth hockey in Tremosna and Liberec before playing two years of junior hockey in the USHL with the Sioux Falls Stampede and Chicago Steel. He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

After playing six pro seasons back home in Czechia, which included 112 Extraliga games for Bílí Tygři Liberec, Piráti Chomutov and HC Vítkovice.

Former NHL Goalie Chris Driedger Signs In KHL Canadian goaltender Chris Driedger, 31, has signed a one-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk, the KHL club announced on Tuesday.

Over the past two seasons, he played one NHL game for the Kraken on Feb. 24, stopping 20 of 23 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He spent the rest of the time playing in the AHL for the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

He’s coming to a Kometa team that is the reigning Extraliga champion, and has under contract for 2025-26 former teammate Peter Mueller and also 25-year-old defenseman Filip Král, who played two games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023-24 and whose NHL rights are currently retained by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“It’s clear to me that I’m going to a club that has the highest ambitions, is followed by the media and the pressure is huge from all sides,” said Stezka. “But I’m ready for it. I’ll try to do my best for Kometa. We want to play good hockey, to get results and entertain our fans.”

Photo © Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Kometa Brno Returns To Top Of Czech Extraliga Kometa Brno is once again the champion of the Czech Extraliga, defeating Dynamo Pardubice 3-0 in the seventh and decisive game of the finals on Tuesday night in Pardubice. It was the second series in a row that the team won a seventh game on the road.