Category: Ice Hockey

The Buffalo Sabres could be approaching a crossroads when it comes to the future of star defenseman Bowen Byram. We've argued on THN.com that the Sabres should hang onto Byram, but for argument's sake, let's say Buffalo and Byram part ways. If that happens, there are numerous veterans the Sabres could bring in to shore up their defense corps.

Let's start with Philadelphia Flyers blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen. The 30-year-old is under contract for the next two seasons at a very reasonable $5.1-million salary, and his physical game is precisely what the Sabres need more of.

Of course, Ristolainen spent the first eight seasons of his NHL career with the Sabres, but while Buffalo traded him to Philly in 2021, a reunion in Western New York might work out very well for Ristolainen and the Sabres. Ristolainen has no no-trade or no-move clauses in his current contract, but you can argue the Sabres are closer to a playoff berth than the Flyers will be next season, so a move back to Buffalo may be right up Ristolainen's alley.

Meanwhile, another D-man option for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams to target is Vegas Golden Knights veteran Nicolas Hague. Like Ristolainen, the 26-year-old is a big body (6-foot-6), and given that Vegas has.a logjam of talent on the back end, the Sabres wouldn't have to give up the sun and moon to acquire him. Hague made $2.29-million this year, but he's an RFA who would give Buffalo team control over him. 

Finally, there's Seattle Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who has one more year in his current contract at $4.6-million, but so long as Buffalo isn't on Oleksiak's 16-team no-trade list, he'd provide some calm and experience to the Sabres' defense.

Does Ducks Young Star Forward Make Sense As A Trade Target For Sabres?As one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL for many seasons now, the Buffalo Sabres need to make extensive roster changes this summer. And an intriguing target for the Sabres could be an Anaheim Ducks youngster in need of a change of employer -- left winger Trevor Zegras.

As you can see, while there isn't a superstar D-man out there to step into Byram's shoes, there are some legitimate candidates potentially available to make Buffalo's defense corps more formidable than it's been in recent years. Star blueliners Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power still rule the roost for the Sabres, but Ristolainen, Hague and Oleksiak all bring skill sets to the table that could prove very beneficial to Buffalo's cause.

Adams would have to give up young players, draft picks and prospects to pluck one of the aforementioned veterans away from their current team. But at this stage in their history, the Sabres don't need more young players and draft picks.

Sabres Can't Afford To Wait For Star-Studded UFA Group Of 2026 -- They Need To Spend Their Salary Cap Space NowThere are some very good players available in NHL free agency this summer.  Toronto Maple Leafs stars Mitch Marner and John Tavares are looming UFAs, as is Vancouver Canucks star winger Brock Boeser. But with that said, let's be honest -- this year's group of free agents isn't particularly deep with high-end talent. And that may result in some teams waiting until the summer of 2026 to spend the bulk of their salary cap space. But the Buffalo Sabres can't afford to be patient and wait until then to improve their lineup. The change for the Sabres has to come right away.

Instead, the Sabres need D-men who've consistently demonstrated they can contribute meaningful minutes. And if Adams can acquire at least one of the veterans we've mentioned, moving on from Byram might not be so painful.

The Philadelphia Flyers, as expected, had a hectic week meeting with various top prospects at the NHL Scouting Combine. Such is life as a team with three first-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft.

How those first-round picks are allocated remains to be seen, but the Flyers have made it clear through their actions and words, so far, that they aren't discriminating or setting out to draft a specific player or position.

Management could very well have its choice of a top center, winger, and defenseman at the No. 6 pick, and the Flyers could always use their two later first-round picks to move up and select another prospect they really love.

So, to cover all those bases, the Flyers met with a myriad of different prospects who play different positions and are projected to fall to different places in the 2025 NHL Draft. What do we know so far?

According to Jackie Spiegel of the Inquirer, the Flyers spoke with the following top prospects (in no particular order): Michael Misa, James Hagens, Caleb Desnoyers, Porter Martone, Anton Frondell, Victor Eklund, Logan Hensler, Malcom Spence, Sascha Boumedienne, Shane Vansaghi, Blake Fiddler, Cullen Potter, Brady Martin, Jake O'Brien, Roger McQueen, Henry Brzustewicz, Kashawn Aitcheson, Joshua Ravensbergen, Haoxi 'Simon' Wang, Justin Carbonneau, Vaclav Nestrasil, Carter Bear, William Horcoff, Carter Amico, and Radim Mrtka, among other names.

And, according to further reports from interviews with the aforementioned prospects, we know that Martone, O'Brien, and Martin have had dinner with the Flyers.

Of course, this doesn't mean a whole lot with three weeks to go until the 2025 draft, but it does give us a good idea of the Flyers' intentions at this moment in time.

NHL Draft 2025: New Flyers Trade Opportunity ArisesIf the Philadelphia Flyers are still looking to trade up in the 2025 NHL Draft, they could potentially have more than one trade partner willing to strike a deal.

Martone, although he is a right wing, is the best prospect in this class at his position and has been compared stylistically to Matvei Michkov.

At the scouting combine, Martin compared himself to Sam Bennett and Tom Wilson, which aligns with the philosophy of Rick Tocchet and the 'old school' Flyers teams.

And then there's O'Brien, a player I mocked to the Flyers in an earlier mock draft who is coached by one of Danny Briere's old buddies, Jay McKee. O'Brien is a big, 6-foot-2 center with eyes in the back of his head and a natural playmaking flair to his game.

On the other side of the coin, there is an equal possibility that some of these meetings and dinners are to serve as diversions and distractions from the Flyers' true intentions, which is more likely than not going to be drafting the No. 1 center of their future. Martone isn't a center, and Martin may not be one either at the NHL level. And Martin isn't as naturally skilled as O'Brien and some of the other options at that position.

Notably, the Flyers strayed hard from public consensus a year ago when they drafted Jett Luchanko 13th overall, so fans must still expect the unexpected until more information comes out.

Cam Robinson of EliteProspects did report Saturday that there is a strong belief the Utah Mammoth covets Martin, which has been welcomed news amongst many Flyers fans.

Utah holds the fourth pick, so if Martin goes there, the chance the Flyers land one of the more star power-laden players in this draft class increases greatly.

Only time will tell what the Flyers are thinking heading into the draft, but so far, their scouting combine draft board, so to speak, is looking mighty clean.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have hired former Nashville Predators assistant coach Dan Hinote to join their coaching staff, the team announced on Friday.

Hinote was behind the bench in Nashville from 2020-24, helping the Predators advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in three of his four seasons there. He spent the 2024-25 campaign as associate coach with the Colorado Eagles, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. In the Calder Cup Playoffs, Hinote and the Eagles fell to the Abbotsford Canucks in five games of their best-of-five series during the Division Finals.

Hinote is a native of Leesburg, Fla., about 85 miles northwest of Tampa. He began his coaching career with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2010-11 season, spending four seasons behind the bench in Columbus before moving into a professional scouting role with the club.

As a player, Hinote skated in 503 regular season NHL games with the Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues, recording 38 goals and 90 points. He also appeared in 72 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, during which he recorded six goals and 15 points. Hinote won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001.

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The Montreal Canadiens’ farm team, the Laval Rocket, held its post-mortem earlier this week following its elimination in the Eastern Conference final of the Calder Cup by the Charlotte Checkers. While the Rocket was swept in that series, it had a very successful season with Pascal Vincent at the helm, and at least for now, the bench boss is going nowhere.

The winner of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the coach of the year in the AHL explained to the media that it would take an offer he couldn’t resist to leave the organization of his youth.

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There were plenty of coaching vacancies in the NHL following the end of the regular season, and many wondered if Vincent might have another chance at being a bench boss in the big league. However, the vacancies all filled up one after the other while he was focusing on coaching the Rocket in the postseason.

Speaking to the press, it didn’t look like he felt he missed out on an opportunity. Vince is proud of what he has accomplished with a young Rocket side this season, and he is looking forward to what they’ll be able to achieve in a second season.

The 53-year-old coach has extensive experience behind the bench, both in the AHL, where he served as the head coach of the Manitoba Moose for five seasons, and in the NHL, where he was an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets for five years before returning to the AHL to coach the Moose. He left the Jets’ organization at the end of the 2020-21 season to join the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In Ohio, he served as an assistant coach for two seasons before being appointed the top job at the start of the 2023-24 season, following Mike Babcock's resignation two and a half months after his appointment, despite not having coached a game. Under his leadership, the Jackets maintained a 27-43-12 record, earning 66 points in the standings and a .402 winning percentage.

Vincent has the skills to coach in the NHL, but the way he spoke yesterday, he may wait for a big-league opportunity with the team he cheered for as a kid.

Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

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‘David Krejci-like' center with plenty of upside would give Flyers good decision originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The 2025 NHL draft is a huge one for the Flyers’ rebuild.

Not only does Danny Briere have a lot of high-round picks at his disposal, but he also could be creative in how he uses them.

“There are all kinds of possibilities here,” the Flyers’ general manager said in April. “I think it’s really exciting going into it. It’s powerful to have so many picks like that. I think a lot of teams will be wanting to have discussions with us to make some things happen — teams that don’t have picks or teams that want to tweak things.”

So it’s a busy time for the Flyers leading up to the draft, which will be held June 27-28. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at noon ET.

“There are really good players in this draft,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said last Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Maybe people say it’s not a good draft; I’m not buying it. I think this draft has got lots of good players.”

The Flyers are slotted to make 11 picks, including three first-rounders and four second-rounders. Their first-round selections will come at No. 6 (own pick), No. 22 (Sean Walker trade) and either No. 31 or 32 (Oilers trade).

Before the draft arrives, we’re breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.

Next up:

Jake O’Brien

Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 172
Shoots: Right
Team: Brantford

Scouting report

O’Brien, who doesn’t turn 18 years old until the third week of June, is an intelligent center and a surgeon in the offensive zone. He makes precise reads and executes with high-end skill.

On the 2024-25 Bulldogs that went 44-19-5, O’Brien put up 98 points (32 goals, 66 assists) in 66 regular-season games. He had five games of four or more points and his 41 power play assists led all of Canadian major junior hockey. He added 11 points (three goals, eight assists) over 11 playoff games.

“He’s a really, really, really good, solid player, somebody I see as a second-line center,” Button, a former NHL GM and scout, said. “He might be David Krejci-like. I think people look at Jake, me included, and go, ‘Could he be like Patrice Bergeron because he’s so smart?’ He thinks that way, he thinks that way in the game. But he might be more David Krejci than Patrice Bergeron. Just a really, really solid — in my view — two-way center in the NHL.”

Krejci had a highly successful career with the Bruins. He won a Stanley Cup and finished with 786 points (231 goals, 555 assists) and a plus-166 rating in 1,032 games.

O’Brien will have to round out his overall game, but most prospects do at his age. He can improve his physicality and be stronger in the faceoff circle. However, he has great size and it’s evident that he’s still growing into his body, which makes his ceiling awfully intriguing. He’s the 11th-ranked player in the draft on Button’s list.

“I think one of the biggest advancements in Jake’s game this year, he was always a thinker; I think he really balanced out the thinking with the doing,” Button said. “You can be a smart player and always be in the right spots on the ice, and certainly Jake does that, but you also have to do. You have to balance the physical with the mental. I think that’s where Jake took some real big strides this year. ‘OK, I’ve got to trust myself, I’ve got to make sure that not only am I thinking it, but I’m doing it.'”

EliteProspects.com has O’Brien as the 10th-best player in the draft, while NHL Central Scouting has him as the fourth-rated North American skater.

“I think his game is predicated on really understanding where he needs to be, how he needs to be there,” Button said. “He put up points this year. He has always been a smart player.”

Fit with Flyers

O’Brien could fall right into the Flyers’ range at No. 6 and he certainly has some qualities to address organizational weaknesses.

The Flyers have needed more centers in their system, particularly ones with size and playmaking abilities to eventually complement Matvei Michkov. O’Brien’s prowess on the power play should also be appealing to the Flyers. The club has sported an NHL-worst 13.7 power play percentage over the last four seasons combined.

There might be a few more safer picks than O’Brien at No. 6, but the Flyers have shown they’re willing to take swings on talent. O’Brien’s room for growth is there and his upside would be a nice addition to the team’s prospect pool.

More targets

• Hagens is ‘Matt Duchene type of player’ who could be on Flyers’ radar at No. 6

• Flyers would probably love if Barkov-like prospect is available at No. 6

• ‘Fascinating,’ 6-foot-5 center has tons of intrigue for Flyers at No. 6

• Younger brother of Flyers prospect is ‘complete’ center and option at No. 6

The Chicago Blackhawks haven’t played in close to two months, but a handful of former players are participating in the Stanley Cup Final.  It’s always interesting to see guys move on and have success elsewhere for the sake of their careers. 

Ahead of the trade deadline this season, Chicago sent Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers in a massive deal for both franchises. Jones has been great for them in the playoffs, including game two, where he played a huge role. 

In addition to his role as a shutdown player - it’s impossible to completely contain Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl - Jones contributed on offense in a big way. In what turned out to be a 5-4 overtime win, Jones had one goal and one assist. Plus-minus isn't always a wonderful indicator of how a player performed, but Jones was +3 against this lethal Edmonton offense. 

For the game to reach overtime, former Blackhawk forward Corey Perry scored with just over 17 seconds left in regulation to force the fourth period. At 40 years old, Perry has 8 goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Another former Hawk worth noting is Gustav Forsling, who put on a masterclass defensively. His name doesn’t appear on the scoresheet, but Florida doesn’t win without his contributions. 

“If you skate that well as a young man, you're put into offensive situations, you become a power play guy," Florida head coach Paul Maurice said. "But he has taken that skill and applied it to the defensive side of the game."

As mentioned before, Edmonton’s superstars rarely get completely shut down. However, Forsling was key in keeping them in check just enough to win the game. Getting his stick in the way on multiple opportunities set up by Edmonton was huge in the win. After a tough Game One, Forsling needed to bounce back in Game 2. Based on the difficulty level of the opponent, he can say he did that. 

All of these former Blackhawks made Game 2 one of the best games you’ll see in the NHL ever. To say that players who once donned the Blackhawks sweater were influential in the outcome would be an understatement. 

Each of the first two games has gone to overtime, and each ended with a legend scoring the winner. Leon Draisaitl and Brad Marchand have the series knotted up at one win apiece.

Game 3 will take place on Monday evening as the series will shift to Sunrise, Florida. 

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

Another spring, another Toronto heartbreak.

In the wake of the early exits by the Maple Leafs, once again, speculation is rampant about Mitch Marner's future. The 27-year-old winger, who was once thought to be a franchise pillar, will see out the final season of his deal with a $10.9 million cap hit and an absolute no-movement clause.

While he hasn't requested a trade, it's time to begin penning the discussions after nearly a decade of playoff underachievement for the Leafs' core. It would be smart for the Maple Leafs to explore trades because if you're the GM of the Leafs, you don’t want to lose Marner for nothing come July 1st. 

Several teams will be interested in trading for Marner or signing him outright. Potential teams could be the Los Angeles Kings, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Dallas Stars. 

This is where the Los Angeles Kings come in as a fit that could take them to the next level. 

A Natural Fit in L.A.

With new general manager Ken Holland now calling the shots and over $21 million in projected cap room, the Kings are primed to make a franchise-altering move this offseason.

A Marner trade wouldn't be about skill entirely—it would address one of the team's most significant issues head-on: consistent top-line scoring and playmaking aside from Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala.

We saw in the playoffs once again how the Kings were unable to dethrone the Oilers for a fourth straight year, even with home-ice advantage; they still lost in the first round. The same history repeated with the Maple Leafs who once again couldn’t get over the hump of reaching the eastern conference finals. 

Both teams have had early exits in the playoffs over the last 8 years or so, and have played at a lesser version of what was expected of them come playoff time. 

Although the Kings' foundation is solid, particularly on defense and in goal, there's an apparent need for another top-notch playmaker to go along with Fiala's vision and Phillip Danault's two-way play.

The Kings need another right wing to fill their depth chart alongside Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe. Byfield didn’t have the best series against the Oilers, while Kempe had great moments, but it wasn’t enough to win. 

But someone like Marner, who accumulated 102 points last season and plays tough minutes on the power play and penalty kill, aligns with the Kings' identity of speed, structure, and defensive responsibility.

Imagine a Fiala, Danault, and Marner line—or even a power-play combination of Drew Doughty, Marner, Fiala, and Quinton Byfield. It could give L.A.'s struggling offense a boost.

🚨 Is Mitch Marner swapping Maple Leafs blue for LA Kings silver and black?! 👇#lakings#LeafsForever#NHLTradeRumors#mitchmarnerhttps://t.co/NEJCkJ6e2S

— NHL Trade Rumors (@nhltraderumours) May 24, 2025

What Would a Trade Cost?

If the Maple Leafs decide to trade Marner before he becomes a free agent on July 1st, the deal would cost assets, future draft picks, and cap space. 

The Kings could be asked to trade at least one of their players from their young core or rising stars (look at Brandt Clarke or Quinton Byfield), a first-round draft choice, and perhaps a player such as Kevin Fiala or Trevor Moore to balance out salaries. 

But, again, this is all hypothetical because a trade might not be necessary unless the Maple Leafs want to get something in return rather than letting Marner walk. Again, there will be several teams that will have a better and more enticing offer that fits with what the Maple Leafs are looking for. 

Why It Makes Sense—For Both Sides

For the Maple Leafs, trading Marner would provide cap relief and the ability to retool their roster, which is currently top-heavy. For the Kings, it would bring new offense to a core that has now shown up for four straight playoff runs without a series win.

And again, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said a few weeks ago after another early exit in the Stanley Cup playoffs that changes will come in the offseason, and the first significant change could be to find Marner a new home. 

Bottom Line: If Mitch Marner becomes a possibility, the Kings should be highly in the running. He's the kind of elite-level forward who might put them over the top—and bring playoff success to Los Angeles for the first time in history.

Mitch Marner, Bowen Byram, Brad Marchand…

Let’s have some fun looking at a few routes Ken Holland and the Kings can take this offseason.#GoKingsGo | @Hockey_Royaltyhttps://t.co/JqWqkYtsQ1

— Russell Morgan (@NHLRussell) June 3, 2025

The NHL Draft Lottery was held on May 5, and it was determined that the Anaheim Ducks would hold the tenth overall selection in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, dropping two spots after holding the eighth-highest odds to win the lottery.

This will mark the Ducks' seventh consecutive year drafting in the top ten. Ownership and the front office have a public mandate to make the playoffs in 2025-26 and put an end to the third-longest active playoff drought in the NHL.

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With one of the deepest and most potent cores of young players in the league, having taken a significant step in the standings in 2024-25, and holding the third-most available cap space in the NHL, the idea of Anaheim trading the tenth overall pick, whether on its own or as part of a package, in exchange for a proven impact player is something often speculated, validly so and especially in a draft where the caliber of player potentially available at ten may not reach that of year’s past.

The drawback to that idea lies in the rarity of such trades. In the last 15 years, only six top ten picks have been traded in the days leading up to or at the NHL Draft:

2011

To CBJ: Jeff Carter

To PHI: 2011 eighth overall pick (Sean Couturier), 68th overall pick, Jakub Voracek

2012

To CAR: Jordan Staal

To PIT: 2012 eighth overall pick (Derrick Pouliot), Brian Dumoulin, Brandon Sutter

2013

To NJ: Corey Schneider

To VAN: 2013 ninth overall pick (Bo Horvat)

2017

To ARI: Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta

To NYR: 2017 seventh overall pick (Lias Andersson), Anthony DeAngelo

2021

To VAN: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Conor Garland

To ARI: 2021 ninth overall pick (Dylan Guenther), Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, 2022 second-round pick, 2023 seventh-round pick

2022

To OTT: Alex DeBrincat

To CHI: 2022 seventh overall pick (Kevin Korchinski), 39th overall pick, 2024 third-round pick

When asked about his opinion on the infrequency of top ten picks being traded at the draft, Ducks assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting Martin Madden gave his thoughts.

“I just think that most staffs, most GMs, you see it coming throughout the season,” Madden said. “You work hard to assess those top-15 guys in the draft. You know them best.

You know what you like, you know what you want, and, as it gets closer, you don't want to let that go. I think that's why most of those picks are never traded.”

Top ten picks in any draft are franchise-altering pieces. If they hit, they typically have the talent to become a core piece with the capacity to stabilize a roster for the foreseeable future. If a team misses on a top ten pick, however, it can set them back in their climb toward contention significantly. As seen in the above examples and in countless others where top picks were traded a year or two in advance, the team trading the pick away usually comes away worse off.

A couple of NHL teams are projected to be closing in on the salary cap ceiling for the 2025-26 season, leading some to speculate on the availability of talented players on their rosters. The Colorado Avalanche are projected to have $1.2 million in cap space with 19 players under contract, and the Dallas Stars are projected to have $4.96 million with 16 under contract.

Speculation suggests Stars forward Jason Robertson and Avalanche forward Martin Necas could be made available, as their UFA years are on the ever-nearing horizon. If speculation turns to reality, those are the caliber of players teams would likely be willing to part with a top ten pick for.

Deals involving top ten draft picks have become scarce in the landscape of the NHL trade market. However, in the event that a young, potential core piece becomes available, a team like the Ducks may be a candidate to be persuaded into trading their highest pick in the upcoming draft. If such a trade is to occur, it will likely be finalized on the first day of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft or the day preceding it.

Photo Credit: NHL.com

'I Do Wonder if Anaheim Takes a Shot at This': How the Anaheim Ducks Fit as a Possible Destination for Jonathan Toews Comeback

Ducks Wont Be Bothered by Offer Sheets

Former Duck Joins Exclusive Club

As expected, the Dallas Stars dismissed coach Peter DeBoer Friday morning, ending DeBoer’s time with the Stars after three seasons. DeBoer burned his bridge with star goalie Jake Oettinger in the Western Conference final, making it more likely that Dallas would part ways with the veteran bench boss. 

However, longtime observers of the NHL’s coaching community know many coaches with resumes like DeBoer’s aren’t unemployed for very long. There are always teams that are impressed by someone with the pedigree that DeBoer possesses, and his next NHL coaching opportunity may come sooner rather than later.

Where could DeBoer wind up? Let’s look at three teams below and see if there’s a potential fit there.

1. Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres have missed the playoffs for 14 straight seasons, and while you can say many things about DeBoer’s coaching style, you can’t deny that he’s been able to guide teams into the post-season. Indeed, while DeBoer struggled to be a playoff coach in the early part of his NHL career, in nine of his past 10-and-a-half seasons coaching, he has led the Stars, Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks into the playoffs.

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is under extraordinary pressure to end his team’s playoff-less streak, so while veteran Lindy Ruff will probably start the season as Buffalo’s coach, we can see a world in which the Sabres stumble out of the gate and turn to DeBoer to salvage their season. Buffalo’s underachieving core may test DeBoer’s patience, but if he were able to turn things around, Sabres fans would more than welcome him, warts and all.

DeBoer may quietly prefer to coach a team that’s a lock to make the playoffs, and that doesn’t describe Buffalo right now. But there are only 32 jobs in the NHL to choose from, and DeBoer might see the Sabres as his last, best chance to get it right. And hockey fans in Western New York would at least get the satisfaction of knowing DeBoer has a wealth of experience to draw from.

2. Nashville Predators

Like the Sabres, the Predators had a brutal 2024-25 season, failing to make the playoffs despite major additions including Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos. Preds GM Barry Trotz – himself an accomplished coach – can’t do both main management jobs, so giving Nashville’s reins to DeBoer would instill a sense of urgency to an organization that desperately needs it.

Because of the Predators’ subpar 2024-25 season, current Predators coach Andrew Brunette is on a short leash. Trotz is likely to make some notable roster changes this summer, but the pressure Nashville’s coach faces to get the team back into the playoffs is considerable. And Trotz may decide that DeBoer’s long shelf life as an NHL coach makes him a great fit with the Preds.

DeBoer can draw on his ability to squeeze strong play out of his teams to turn the Predators back into a reliable playoff team, and while a change behind the Preds’ bench may not happen until well into next season, DeBoer has the luxury of sitting back and waiting for an opportunity to fall into his lap. And that opportunity definitely could come in Music City.

3. Los Angeles Kings

The Kings have already had tumult since the Edmonton Oilers eliminated them in the first round of this year’s playoffs, parting ways with GM Rob Blake and replacing him with multi-time Stanley Cup-winner Ken Holland. So, right off the hop, you have to wonder if current Kings coach Jim Hiller’s job is in jeopardy. Holland undoubtedly wants his own coach running the Kings, and although Hiller has done well in the regular season, playoff success has eluded him.

DeBoer has experience coaching in California from his four-and-a-half years coaching the Sharks, including the only time he’s reached the Cup final, back in 2015-16. Holland may not want to hand over power to a young coach, because the Kings are a team trying to contend now while transitioning into a new era with their younger players.

The balance that’s needed in L.A. calls for someone who can add structure and instill confidence in their players, and his experience with Oettinger aside, DeBoer has the resume that GMs like Holland will be intrigued with. 

The Kings are the longest shot in this group of three potential destinations for DeBoer. But DeBoer’s veteran know-how may ultimately be what makes him the right person for the job in Los Angeles. The Kings need someone who can get them out of the first round, and DeBoer has done exactly that with the Stars. So you have to think he’s a candidate to get the job in L.A. if it becomes available.

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ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Blues coach Jim Montgomery finished fourth in voting for the Jack Adams Award, falling short of being in the top three and being a finalist.

First awarded in 1973-74, the Jack Adams Award is presented annually “to the coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.”

Montgomery finished with 38 points, including two first-place votes. Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery (464 points) won the award, followed by Scott Arniel of the Winnipeg Jets (249) and Martin St. Louis of the Montreal Canadiens (66).

Montgomery, who turns 56 on June 30, was hired by the Blues on Nov. 25 after Drew Bannister was fired and was 35-18-7 and helped fuel a turnaround that included a franchise-record 12-game winning streak that culminated in the Blues' first playoff appearance since 2021-22 before falling to the Presidents' Trophy-winning Jets in the first round in seven games.

Montgomery, who signed a five-year contract after being fired by the Boston Bruins on Nov. 19 despite coaching the Bruins to an NHL-record 65 wins in 2022-23, was an assistant coach with the Blues under Craig Berube for two seasons starting in 2020-21.

If Kent Hughes wants his Montreal Canadiens to become a perennial contender, there are a few key areas the general manager needs to address. At the top of the list is a second-line center, and not far behind is a right-shot defenseman. Unfortunately for Hughes, the organization has just lost another right-shot defenseman.

Gustav Lindstrom wasn’t a Canadiens’ draft pick; he was selected 38th overall at the 2017 NHL draft by the Detroit Red Wings and first joined the Habs before the 2023-24 season. In the second Jeff Petry trade. After just 18 games with the organization, he was claimed by the Anaheim Ducks on waivers.

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The defenseman returned to the organization after being released from his professional tryout agreement with the Ducks, signing a one-year, two-way contract. In 42 games with the Laval Rocket this season, he put up 11 points and added another two in 13 playoff games.

The Swedish side Djugarden announced earlier this week that they had signed the blueliner to a 5-year deal. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as he found himself behind players much younger than him, such as David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux. While no one likes to see assets leave an organization, Lindstrom wasn’t what the Canadiens needed and was unlikely to have a significant impact at the NHL level.

Hughes and Co. are not scrambling to find a replacement right now. Lindstrom might be the first of many veterans who decide to take their game elsewhere this Summer.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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EDMONTON – “That’s hockey.”

You win some, you lose some.

In the words of Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry, who knows more about puck than I do, that’s just hockey.

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After the euphoria in Edmonton in the wake of their Game 1 victory, the City of Champions is picking itself up after a Game 2 defeat. They lost a double-overtime heartbreaker to the Florida Panthers, who tied up the series 1-1.

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“We made some great plays, they capitalized on some plays where we could have been there,” Perry told reporters after the game. “One mistake and it gets magnified, and it did tonight.”

One of those great plays came from the mind (and stick) of Connor McDavid. He made a tremendous play on Leon Draisaitl’s powerplay goal that put everybody’s head into a tailspin.

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The second period was another sore spot for the Oilers in Game 2, which isn’t surprising given that the Panthers were down 3-2 after the opening 20 minutes.

Perry discussed how the Panthers executed their strategy, a style that the Oilers can also employ. 

“We talk about it all the time; you hem them in and roll the lines over, keep them tired,” Perry revealed. “That’s the way we play. They’re going to do it as well; they’re a great team.” 

Perry shines in moments like these. His calm optimism mirrors that of McDavid and head coach Kris Knoblauch. He hasn’t lost sight of what the Cup Finals are – the two best teams going toe-to-toe until one bests the other.

“They’re a good team, like I keep saying,” Perry stated. “They’re going to push us to the max, and we’re going to push them to the max.”

Best on best is the name of the game. The Oilers were never going to sweep the Panthers in the Cup Final. But if the Cup Final from last year taught us anything, it’s to expect everything.

You win some, you lose some, that’s just hockey. Get a good night’s sleep and move on to the next game. The series is tied 1-1 heading back to Florida.

The Oilers got to this position by taking the regular season one game at a time. Perry has carried that mentality into the postseason. And the Oilers will get another crack at the can on Monday for Game 3.

“Yeah, it’s frustrating right now, but we are in the final for a reason.”

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Philadelphia Flyers GM Danny Briere has seen and done it all during his brief time in charge of his former team, and his first piece of business is looking like his best so far.

On June 6, 2023, two years ago yesterday, Briere made his first trade as the general manager of the Flyers, sending Ivan Provorov and Hayden Hodgson to the Los Angeles Kings (and then the Columbus Blue Jackets) in exchange for what would become Oliver Bonk, Helge Grans, the 22nd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Cal Petersen, and Carson Bjarnason.

Petersen's albatross contract has, of course, expired, leaving the Flyers with just the good stuff: a great goalie prospect in Bjarnason, an NHL-caliber defenseman with an elite toolkit in Grans, a promising potential top-four defender in Bonk, and a first-round pick that became much higher than expected as the fruits of the Sean Walker trade.

In the last two years, Briere has swung his fair share of deals, like the Cutter Gauthier one that yielded Jamie Drysdale, and the other that offloaded Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost for diminishing returns.

Bringing in Grans, Walker, and other draft picks has proven to be one of Briere's best moves so far, if not the very best.

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The 22nd pick in this year's draft, whether used on a prospect or traded for future-facing roster player, will assuredly aid the Flyers in taking the next step.

With an extended opportunity at the start of the upcoming season, Grans, 23, could replace the older, more expensive, and oft-injured Rasmus Ristolainen, though he'll have to earn his place on the NHL roster.

The same is true of Bonk, a back-to-back OHL champion and Memorial Cup winner who will be starting his professional career in the Flyers organization this fall.

Provorov, since leaving Philadelphia, has scored a total of 65 points in Columbus while playing in all 82 regular season games two years in a row. Despite that, the Flyers' former top draft pick and his Blue Jackets have yet to make the playoffs.

For Briere, this trade was an easy win at the time and is looking even better with the time that has already passed. 

The future will decide what happens next, but the Flyers have all the pieces in place to take multiple successful steps forward on the backs of the assets they acquired in Briere's first deal as Flyers GM.

Much to the perpetuated disappointment of Philadelphia Flyers fans, former Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky continues to steal the show in the NHL playoffs, setting a new postseason record while playing with the Florida Panthers.

Bobrovsky, 36, made 42 saves against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Friday night, powering his Panthers to a crucial 5-4 overtime victory to tie the series at 1-1.

In Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss in Game 1, Bobrovsky also made 42 saves, meaning he has invented and holds an NHL record that will make Flyers fans' skin crawl.

The Russian netminder is now the only goalie in NHL history to start a Stanley Cup Finals series with back-to-back 40-save efforts.

If it makes you feel any better, Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, passed Boston Bruins legend Tuukka Rask for 18th all-time in wins in the NHL playoffs after posting his 58th career postseason win with the Game 2 victory Friday night.

The former Flyers goalie is now three playoff wins away from catching Henrik Lundqvist, seven away from Dominik Hasek, and nine away from fellow countryman Andrei Vasilevskiy.

We can only hope that the Flyers made good use of the second-round pick and two fourth-round picks they received from Columbus for 'Bob' back in 2012.

Bobrovsky is now 13-6 this postseason with a 2.21 GAA, a .912 save percentage, and three shutouts.