It looks like Senators fans will have another alternate jersey to look forward to next season.
Icethetics, the excellent YouTube channel by Chris Smith, reported on Sunday in its latest Jersey Watch episode that all 32 teams will be adding an extra alternate jersey for the 2026-27 season.
This rollout by Fanatics will apparently be called NHL Hometown Remix Jerseys, and according to Smith, two designs have leaked out already.
Smith says the Florida Panthers will roll with the NHL's first pink jerseys, featuring the team's secondary sunset logo on the front. The New York Islanders will bring back the old sea captain uniforms, the ones with the patch on the front that's often referred to as the Captain Highliner logo.
⚠️ REPORT: Details emerge of rumored NHL “Hometown Remix” jersey program, set to launch in September for 2026-27, via @icethetics.
The collection features #Isles fisherman look + #FlaPanthers **pink** sweater + other jersey color details
There have been no leaks or even hints yet as to what Fanatics has planned for the Senators' version of the Hometown Remix jersey, and frankly, it seems like a pretty quick turnaround. The Sens just rolled out their new red third jerseys last September.
Those were also leaked out in the offseason.
The new reds have a splash of black at the shoulders and waist, with metallic gold striping. They were pretty sharp, but from a distance and on television, the lack of contrast made the numbers very hard to identify.
The Senators also toyed with black helmets to go with their white road jerseys a few times this season. Those seemed to draw mixed reviews among fans.
Icethetics says the remix jerseys are likely to be hockey's answer to City Connect in baseball, produced by Nike. An example of that was the Blue Jays' dark blue jerseys with the city's skyline and CN Tower on the front.
According to NHLUniforms.com, the Senators have tinkered with their uniforms 17 times before, including special event jerseys like the 2014 Heritage Classic and the NHL 100 Classic.
The Anaheim Ducks continued their climb out of their elongated rebuild and ended the NHL’s third-longest playoff drought in 2025-26 (eight years).
They won their first series in nine years to open the playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers, but were ousted by the Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the second round.
The Ducks’ front office, led by general manager Pat Verbeek, will face a catalog of decisions in the 2026 offseason that will shape the future of their contending window, which has just been kicked wide open.
Several of those decisions will pertain to the right side of their blueline, as three key veteran defensemen will all see their contracts with the Ducks expire on July 1.
This spring, Jacob Trouba (32), John Carlson (36), and Radko Gudas (35) made up the Ducks’ right side of their defense corps for the franchise’s very first playoff game since 2018. All three are set to become UFAs on July 1, leaving Drew Helleson (25), Ian Moore (24), and Tristan Luneau (22) as the organization’s only right-shot defensemen with NHL experience under contract for the 2026-27 season.
Corinne Votaw-Imagn Images
Jacob Trouba
Of the three UFA veterans, Trouba seems to have the inside track on a potential extension due to his impact and fit since he was acquired in Dec. 2024, along with his role as the blueline’s top penalty killer and partner to #1 defenseman Jackson LaCombe.
Trouba arrived at his exit interview on May 15 with his hair in a bun and relayed that he intended to let it grow until he signed a contract extension.
“Until I sign. That was the promise at the start of the year,” Trouba said. “It was going ’til I sign an extension, and it’s still going.”
“We’ll see where it goes, I guess,” Trouba continued. “I’ve never been through the free agency situation, so I don’t know if I’ll have a lot of answers right now, and we’ll see where it goes.”
When asked if there had been any extension discussions to that point, Trouba responded by saying, “A little bit at the deadline. Didn’t get very far.”
“That’s something that I’ll always, no matter how this whole thing plays out, be appreciative of Pat and the organization,” Trouba said. “(They) took a chance on me when I was down, and I was certainly down.
“Finishing out that last year (in New York) was tough. Coming back this year, I had a lot to prove to myself, and I thought I did a good job of playing hockey again, and I’m pretty proud of that.”
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Radko Gudas
Radko Gudas signed a three-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks on July 1, 2023, and was announced as the team’s ninth captain in franchise history on Sept. 19, 2024, ahead of the 2024-25 season. The Ducks had spent the prior two seasons without a captain, following their long run with franchise legend Ryan Getzlaf wearing the “C” in Anaheim.
He provided a physical presence on the ice, leading by example by playing as hard as he could every shift, and he was the first player to answer media questions after difficult losses.
Gudas sustained various injuries during his time in Anaheim, including an ankle sprain that kept him out of all but two of the Ducks’ final ten games of the regular season and all but their first playoff game against the Edmonton Oilers in the first round.
He also stated during his exit interview that an injury he sustained a couple of years ago had still been lingering, adding to the reasoning for his absence through the final 11 games of the Ducks’ playoff run.
“Yeah, still dealing with that (the ankle),” Gudas said. “Since the injury I had a couple of years ago, it’s been still lingering throughout the whole time I was here, and we didn’t like the way it looked.”
Gudas has logged 885 games in his NHL career, adding 58 career playoff games. One wouldn’t be blamed for questioning how much he has left in the tank or questioning if he’d prefer to play his last professional games in his native Czechia.
“Yeah, we talked a few times,” Gudas said on whether he’s had contract discussions with the Ducks’ front office. “There’s so many aspects, so many options. I’ve definitely really enjoyed my time here, and I’m open to anything. So, we’re going to have a few of these conversations over the next few weeks. I think we need the season to calm down and see where the whole team’s going to head. So, there’s still lots of time.”
“Wearing the ‘C’ for the Ducks is one of the biggest prides I had in my professional career, being able to represent a club that’s doing this well and striving for greatness and having the opportunity to work with all of these guys here, and being the leader,” Gudas said on seeing his captaincy through.
“It was one of the biggest honors of my career. I have a very soft spot for Anaheim after these few years here, and if there’s a chance for me staying here, I’m open to do that…It would be a shame to say I don’t want to be part of a group that’s getting better every day. So, definitely it’s something that I would like, too.”
Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images
John Carlson
The Ducks put the nail in the coffin of their long rebuild when they acquired veteran rental defenseman John Carlson in exchange for a conditional first-round pick and a third-round pick at the 2026 trade deadline, the type of move rebuilding teams do not make.
Verbeek stated at the time of the trade that he intended to see how Carlson integrated into the roster and potentially pursue an extension following the season.
Carlson took on a massive role immediately on the Ducks’ blueline, down the stretch of the regular season, and into the playoffs, averaging 24:11 TOI per game and featuring on both special teams units.
He played the majority of his minutes alongside young left-shot defenseman Pavel Mintyukov (10th overall in 2022), aiding the talented youngster, whom the organization spent a valuable asset on, toward becoming an impact top-four contributor.
Various speculations on Carlson’s preferences have been made since the Ducks’ season came to an end nearly two weeks ago. Pondering has led some to postulate that his preference would be to return to the East Coast, as he was born in Massachusetts, played his minor hockey in New Jersey, and played the first 16+ seasons of his NHL career in Washington DC.
“That’s the part of it I don’t have answers for right now,” Carlson said during his exit interview. “I certainly loved it here, and there’s a lot of moving parts to that to properly answer the question. But I’ve loved my time. It’s a special place here, for sure, with extraordinary talent and a really bright future. So, that is certainly attractive to anyone, not just myself.
Carlson went on to state that there hadn't been extension talks to that point and that when it comes to potentially re-signing, he’s “open, for sure. There’s no bones about that.”
There’s belief that his immediate production after joining Anaheim, scoring 14 points (4-10=14) in 16 regular season games before adding six (0-6=6) in 12 playoff games, will lead to the AAV on his next contract to remain at his previous $8 million number or even eclipse it.
Building for Continued Success
With young right-shot talent (Moore, Helleson, Luneau) approaching or entering their prime NHL years on the blueline and more on the way in the form of Noah Warren, the Ducks front office is at a point where they have to decide how they want ice time divvied up between them next season, who they’ll want to attempt to bring back, the cost of doing so, and potentially adding via free agency or trade.
Gazing around the league, the majority of top defensemen have a complementary “running mate” opposite them on their team’s respective top pair. Identifying that player for blossoming star Jackson LaCombe could unlock his true potential and afford the Ducks an elite pair on their backend, an aspect necessary for winning Stanley Cups.
Finding LaCombe the Brock Faber to his Quinn Hughes, the Devon Toews to his Cale Makar, Brayden McNabb to his Shea Theodore, etc., may be a priority for the Ducks this offseason.
With the internal options mentioned, the potential of bringing back any number of their three current players on expiring deals, names projected on the UFA market like Rasmus Andersson and Connor Murphy, and names on various speculative “trade boards” like Dougie Hamilton and Colton Parayko, Verbeek has an abundance of puzzle pieces, options, and routes to take in an effort to build a contending blueline for the 2026-27 season.
For a team that struggled greatly to defend in all areas throughout the course of the regular season and playoffs, how Verbeek decides to build the right side of their blueline will be vital towards rounding out the Ducks’ overall game.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring will be a trade candidate to watch this off-season. With the Sabres having limited cap space and Kesselring struggling to find his fit in Buffalo, it would not be surprising in the slightest if they moved him this summer. This is especially so when noting that he is a pending restricted free agent.
If the Sabres end up making Kesselring available this off-season, keep an eye on these two teams as potential landing spots for the big right-shot defenseman.
Boston Bruins
The Hockey News' Russell Macias recently argued that the Bruins would be a great fit for Kesselring, and it is easy to understand why. The Bruins desperately need to improve the right side of their blueline, and acquiring Kesselring could help them do just that if he bounced back in Boston. When looking at the Bruins' roster, he could slot nicely on their second pairing and their penalty kill.
Edmonton Oilers
Could the Oilers look to reunite with Kesselring, who was once in their prospect pool, this off-season? The possibility should not be ruled out. The right side of the Oilers' blueline could use a boost, and this will be only more of the case if they do not re-sign pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) Connor Murphy. Due to this, the possibility of Edmonton targeting Kesselring should not be ruled out.
If you've been watching the Golden Knights taking a serious run at the 2026 Stanley Cup, you may notice how different this Vegas team is in comparison to the Rangers. To wit:
1. HATE: Unofficially the Knights have been knighted as "The Most Hated Sports Team in America. (How can anyone hate a team as the current bottom feeding Rangers? Pity is more like it.)
2. A GENUINE 'CHARACTER' COACH: After his Vegas guys knocked Anaheim out of their second round playoff series, bench boss John Tortorella ignored a serious league rule and did not show up for the post game media session. This despite the fact that his team WON the series, for crying out loud. (But that's "Us against the world" philosophy that wins for Vegas.)
3. PENALTY: The league fined Torts and added further punishment; had to give up a second-round draft pick. (The way the Knights win-at-all-costs philosophy works, the punishment is small potatoes.)
4. CASTING AWAY CASSIDY: After firing coach Bruce Cassidy late in the season, the Knights' high command has refused to allow Cassidy to apply for another coaching job; elsewhere. (Now you know why Vegas IS the most hated team in hockey. The upright Rangers never would do such a thing.)
5. MAKING IT WITH MITCH MARNER: While 31 out of 32 NHL would have loved to have signed the former Maple Leaf superstar it was Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon who nailed Marner without even exhaling. (The New York offense could use a Marner type.)
"Those Vegas guys love being hated," says The Old Scout, "and I suspect that they take pride in it. This has become their image. In fact the players and management are well aware of it. I guarantee that it helps motivate them into winners."
If you don't think that "Hating Vegas" helps them win more, just check the playoff standings. You have to wonder if the Rangers ever could become a target of such venom.
That’s all it could take for the Vegas Golden Knights to advance to the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals, reaching this benchmark for the third time since dropping the puck on their inaugural season in 2017–18.
Some of Vegas’ players are no strangers to Stanley Cup Finals. Former Vancouver Canucks defenceman Ben Hutton is one of 12 players currently under contract with the Golden Knights who won the Stanley Cup with the team back in 2023. Others, such as head coach John Tortorella, lifted the trophy with other teams before finding their way to Vegas.
All it will take is one more win.
Vegas came out swinging to start this year’s Western Conference Final against a battered Colorado Avalanche team, winning both Games 1 and 2 in Denver before taking an even greater series lead on home-ice with a shocking 5–3 comeback win. Their performance thus far has put them on the verge of sweeping the 2025–26 President’s Trophy winners.
In some ways, it’s felt like Vegas has become a different team since former Canucks head coach Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy as the Golden Knights’ bench boss at the end of March. The move seems to have paid off in dividends, however, as the team has lost only five games in both playoffs and the regular season since he’d been brought on-board.
May 24, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) celebrates scoring third period against the Colorado Avalanche in game three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
One former Canuck has made a big impact for the Golden Knights, particularly in this series. Nic Dowd scored an important empty-net goal in Game 1 to halt Colorado’s oncoming insurgence, beating out two of the Avalanche’s skaters to give his team a bigger lead to work with. In Game 3, he made a point of pestering Avalanche star Cale Makar, who’d made his series debut in this match, to try and negate his effectiveness.
One more win stands between Vegas and the Stanley Cup Final. The Golden Knights could punch their ticket as soon as Game 4 on Tuesday, with puck drop scheduled for 6:00 pm PT.
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The Colorado Avalanche are coming off a disaster of a Game 3 loss, blowing a 3-0 lead they built heading into the second period to lose 5-3, and are now down 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights.
All over social media, fans of the team are upset, and rightfully so. After the first two rounds, while at times execution wasn't perfect, this team looked ready to take on anyone on their path to the Stanley Cup Final. Now we're seeing a collapse like no other, and the chances of a 3-0 comeback with Cale Makar not fully healthy and Nathan MacKinnon favoring an injured knee have drastically diminished.
If this is a matter if/when the Avalanche lose, where does the team go from here? The roster is as good as it's ever been, scoring from top to bottom, and goaltending at a great price. If there had to be a change, would we look at it from behind the bench?
Next Coach Waiting Just Down The Road?
Here is where the rumors start to speculate. If Joe Sakic and Chris MacFarland were to move on from Jared Bednar and other members of the coaching staff, their first intention would be to talk with University of Denver head coach David Carle. The report comes from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period on theshow, The Sheet, talking with Jeff Marek. This is what he had to say on the topic:
“I think the trajectory is, when Colorado makes that [coaching] change in however many years down the road, that he's their guy - The Sheet (5/22).”
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Carle has been a topic of discussion among many teams looking for a new NHL head coach, given what he has done with the University of Denver team in the NCAA. He has been their head coach since the 2018-19 season, and in his eight seasons with the team, he has won the NCAA Championship four times: once as an assistant coach to Jim Montgomery in 2017, and three times as a head coach (2022, 2024, and 2026).
He’s helped Team USA win back-to-back gold medals in the IIHF World Junior Championships. The systems he implements in teams are fast-paced, offensive-style. He makes coaching adjustments quickly, decisively, and, most importantly, effectively; he makes moves not just for their own sake but for a reason.
Drawing Interest From Across The League
The one “drawback” that Carle has is that his talents are being recognized league-wide; interest has risen in the past couple of seasons in whether he is interested in joining teams as they make coaching decisions.
Just last season, the Chicago Blackhawks were looking for a new head coach before they signed Jeff Blashill, and according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Carle withdrew his consideration from the Blackhawks, who were in an “aggressive pursuit” of him.
Friedman on 32 Thoughts: The Podcastwondered whether Carle would step into a new coaching position and how many teams would make a run at him, but backed it up by noting how well he's doing in Denver.
"The one thing that Carle could do is he could say, look, I could coach at Denver for eleventy billion years. I’ve got a young family. I’ve got a great situation. I can comfortably live for a long time. If I’m coming out of here, somebody’s going to have to make it worth my while," Friedman said on the podcast. "I just don’t understand how after this, somebody isn’t going to make it worth his while because you could say that’s juniors, coaching NHL players is going to be a bit different. The NHL players watch this tournament. They know who can coach. They know who can’t coach. They’re going to look at this guy and they’re going to say this guy can coach.
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The pressure from around the league continues into this season as the Toronto Maple Leafs, who fired Craig Berube, made contact with Carle and his team and will reportedly touch back with him again at a later date.
This does put pressure on the Avalanche: if management likes what he's doing down in the NCAA, they don’t want to lose him to a rival NHL team that can make good use of his talents. Though it raises the question of whether management wants to make a change at the head coach position.
The Right Move Or A Panic Move?
Emotions are running high within the Avalanche community, and rightfully so, for a team that looked as good, if not better, than the 2022 championship team to be down 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals, not because they're being outplayed so heavily, but because they're making so many mistakes that are costing them. Defensive breakdowns, errors in their own zone, limited production from the top guys, it has been a disaster of a series.
For a team that had little to no flaws, a Stanley Cup is expected from this team. Yes, losing Makar to start the series was brutal, and now MacKinnon is probably at 80% because of the puck off the knee. Still, with the way they played in Games 1 and 2, you could make an argument that at worst it should have been 2-1 Knights heading into Game 4, not the worst, but still manageable to fight their way back.
Ever since the 2022 championship, this team has felt heartbreak after heartbreak, and after every playoff series loss, their fingers pointed at player performance, roster construction, and the coaching staff. Past postseason teams were not as well-built as this season's, and I give management full credit. Nazem Kadri, Nicolas Roy, and Brett Kulak made the necessary changes, but did the coaching staff do enough to make the most of them?
I don’t know whether management will give Bednar another “prove it” season. Losing Alex Tanguay now proves vital, as the power play has been a key topic this entire season and hasn't looked any better in the playoffs, considering the amount of talent on both units. Management is in for another interesting offseason and is looking at how they can make an already elite team better, whether that's shaking up some players or making some major decisions to the coaching staff.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens face off in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. The teams split the first two games in Raleigh, North Carolina. Games 3 and 4 are in Montreal. The Hurricanes are favored with a -136 moneyline compared to the Montreal Canadiens' +115. The over/under for the game is set at 5.5 goals.
How to watch Carolina Hurricanes vs. Montreal Canadiens
Yet another former Philadelphia Flyers regular appears destined to flame out of the NHL and pursue a playing career overseas.
On Monday, Hockey News Hub reported on X that former Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula, who was dealt by the Flyers midway through the season, had his KHL signing rights traded.
KHL powerhouse CSKA Moscow acquired Zamula's rights from Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in exchange for the rights to Boston Bruins prospect Georgii Merklulov, as well as financial compensation believed to be worth $420k.
Zamula, 26, was signed by the Columbus Blue Jackets after being offloaded by the Pittsburgh Penguins, again failed to establish himself as a consistent presence in an NHL lineup, appearing in just 20 games for the Metropolitan Division outfit and recording only two assists.
Across his final six appearances for the Blue Jackets this season, Zamula played seven minutes or fewer three times.
Without Zamula, the Flyers finally made the decision to roll with Emil Andrae and Noah Juulsen full-time, which, obviously, worked out well for them and helped culminate in a searing run to a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
While Andrae and Juulsen may not have futures in Philadelphia with the Flyers, either, it became clear quickly that Zamula was not a favorite of the new coaching staff's, and Rick Tocchet had even publicly implored Zamula to give more on the ice before the start of the season.
The Flyers had high hopes for the Russian defenseman once upon a time, but Zamula never matured enough physically to make a demonstrable impact, and he was far too turnover-prone and too slow a processor to stick in a low-risk, low-reward role on the bottom defense pair.
If the KHL trade is indicative of anything, it's that Zamula will be heading back to Russia to continue his pro playing career.
Reports out of Russia have indicated that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Egor Zamula's right have been traded to CSKA of the NHL.
This trade likely indicates that the 26-year-old defenseman will continue his career in Russia. Should he be given another NHL shot, however, he'd most likely stay in America.
Zamula, who was undrafted, played 20 games with Columbus last season after being signed in January. Zamula started the season with Philadelphia but was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 31. He then refused to report to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Pens put him on waivers for which he cleared. The Jackets immediately signed Zamula for the rest of the season due to some depth issues for Columbus.
Egor Zamula played in 20 games for the CBJ this past season and had 2 points. He was brought in for depth and wasn't really expected to contribute to the score sheet.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 23: Ivan Demidov #93 of the Montreal Canadiens skates against Taylor Hall #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on May 23, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Hurricanes finally got over their Eastern Conference Finals slump on Saturday, notching their first win in the ECF at home since 2006 to tie the series 1-1.
After getting dominated in Game 1, all eyes were on the Canes to see how they would respond with their backs against the wall in a close to must-win game. And they delivered with a thrilling overtime win, with Nikolaj Ehlers scoring two goals — including the OT winner — to propel Carolina past the Canadiens, 3-2.
Tonight will be another test, as the Canes travel to the Bell Centre, the mecca for hockey, to take on Montreal in Game 3 with a chance to wrestle back home ice advantage and take a 2-1 series lead. Despite the electric home atmosphere the Canadiens have, they are just 2-4 at the Bell Centre during the playoffs so far.
For what it’s worth, the Hurricanes have looked like the better team for the last four to five periods of hockey following Montreal’s four goal opening period in Game 1.
On Saturday, the Canes looked faster, were more physical and made the Habs look helpless at times. If it weren’t for the heroics of Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, overtime almost certainly wouldn’t have been needed.
Carolina slowed down Montreal’s top line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovský, limiting the trio to a combined four shots. The Habs top line was also a -1 when on the ice.
Maybe the most eye opening stat was that Montreal managed only 12 shots on goal. Before Saturday, and through the first 15 games of the playoffs, the Canadiens were averaging 24.9 shots per game. Each of Montreal’s top four forwards, Caufield, Suzuki, Slafkovský and Ivan Demidov are top 20 in the playoff in total shots on net. Being able to limit those guys to only five total shots was huge for Carolina and something that has to continue in Game 3 and for the rest of the series.
It’s clear that one change, completely suffocating and limiting offensive chances and zone time for Montreal’s top two lines paid massive dividends. The Canes made it a depth game, something that favors them. While Habs third liner Josh Anderson still managed two goals in Game 2, if the series continues as a battle of the bottom sixes for offensive production, expect the ice to continue to tilt in Carolina’s direction.
Heading into tonight, there shouldn’t be any changes to Carolina’s lineup. Despite two rocky performances from Frederik Andersen to start the series, the 36 year old netminder has been a standout during the postseason and there’s no going away from him now.
With the Colorado Avalanche going down 3-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights on the other side of the bracket, the Canes can taste it. They are on the brink of getting over the hump that has eluded them in recent years.
But it’s still one game at a time, and right now the only thing that stands in the way of the Hurricanes’ third ever Stanley Cup appearance is the Montreal Canadiens.
Time: 8 PM Eastern
TV/Streaming: TNT/TruTV/HBO Max
Radio: 99.9 The Fan
Odds: Hurricanes -142 Moneyline, Hurricanes 1.5 at +176
Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated in his end-of-season remarks that he was satisfied with how the three goaltender scenario with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis played out last season, and if you take his remarks at face value, it is possible that the club will bring back the same trio next season, but conspicuous from being mentioned in the potential competition for a spot was former prized prospect Devon Levi.
The 24-year-old was a Florida Panthers draft pick in 2020 and was part of the Sam Reinhart deal in 2021. After winning consecutive Mike Richter Awards at Northeastern for being the best goaltender in the NCAA, the Sabres signed Levi to an entry-level deal and the youngster impressed late in the 2022-23 regular season when Buffalo came within a point of snapping their playoff drought. The following year, it appeared that Levi was handed the starting job out of training camp, but after losing three of his first four starts, former head coach Don Granato when back to a goalie rotation.
In January 2024, Levi was demoted to AHL Rochester, where he has played 120 games over the last three seasons, and only nine games for the Sabres. After being demoted to the Amerks after training camp, any chance of seeing NHL action last season was eliminated when Buffalo claimed Colten Ellis off of waivers from the St. Louis Blues in early October.
"He's a talented goalie, he's played some great hockey at the American League level, and he's played some games in the NHL. Probably the toughest position of any positions on a hockey team is to get the responsibility to be a goalie that coaches rely upon on a regular basis, and I think almost every goalie in the league has gone through the process of when they need to develop and play games, they have to play in the minors, because it's the most demanding position. " GM Jarmo Kekalainen said last week.
"You don't get better by sitting on the bench, so till the time that they don't need waivers, and they can play games in the minors. Almost every goalie, even the superstar goalies in the league, (have) gone through that process. There's very few that step right into the NHL without playing in the minors over the history of the league. He's just getting through that process now, and next year he'll need waivers, so it's another part of that process, and we see how he keeps developing, and I think he's an NHL-caliber talent that has a potential to be a good goalie in this league for a long time."
One of the major mistakes of the Kevyn Adams era was to insert a 21-year-old fresh out of college into the NHL and assume that he could make that jump successfully. Levi’s numbers have declined over his time with Rochester, with his save percentage dropping from .927 in 2024, to .919 in 2025 to .904 last season. The youngster is entering the final year of a two-year bridge deal making $812,500, and with a number of clubs looking for tandem and backup goalies, it is likely that Kekalainen could get a decent return for Levi in a trade this summer.
Buffalo is not under the gun at this point, but if they do not make a move involving one or more of their goaltenders before the end of training camp, they risk losing an Ellis or Levi on waivers if they decide try to sneak one down to the AHL. Levi has not expressed any trade requests as this point, but it would be understandable if he was looking for a fresh start with another organization.
One has to wonder whether the recent success of the Vegas Golden Knights has more to do with John Tortorella becoming head coach than with Bruce Cassidy no longer being head coach. If the latter, this could be cause for pause if you're the Edmonton Oilers.
Rumored to be waiting on an interview with Cassidy that may never come, the Oilers are reportedly interviewing several candidates. Still, Cassidy is "their guy." He's target No. 1, and only if he's not available will the Oilers move on to other options.
Maybe that's best, given the way the series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche has gone.
Down 3-0 in the Western Conference Final, Colorado is being outplayed and outworked by a Golden Knights team that is firing on all cylinders under Tortorella. This is the same team that, just a couple of short months ago, had Cassidy calling the shots, and they looked iffy about making the playoffs at all.
Buffalo Sabres columnist Mike Harrington posted, "Man, this Vegas team must have HATED Bruce Cassidy to be playing like this for Torts. When somebody gets permission to talk to Cassidy, you wonder if this gives them pause at all."
This is just one person's opinion, but it's a valid argument. It certainly raises questions. How is it that one team (the same team) can buy in so feverishly under one coach with a reputation for holding players accountable, but not another?
Did the message wear thin? Did Cassidy lose the room? Or, does it have little to do with Cassidy and this is more about Vegas stepping up in crunch time, and buying in during a playoff run? Maybe it wasn't about the coach, but about the games meaning more.
Maybe the Oilers Aren't Worried...
One fan responded, "They needed a mental reset. With Cassidy, he was too close to the situation to figure it out. It happens. Torts came in totally objectively with a clear view of the situation and set their minds straight. Bruce is a great coach and will have no trouble getting another HC job."
Another wrote, "They loved Cassidy. However they just needed a reset. It was the same nonsense every press conference and nothing was changing. He would say we need to do something and it wouldn't change. The team probably just got tired of hearing the same thing over and over again."
Those two takes could also be true.
Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
Like Kris Knoblauch in Edmonton, he was once the right fit at the right time with this Oilers group. Last season? Not so much. The style didn't mesh with the group and where they were at, so Edmonton made a change. That's not to say Knoblauch is bad coach.
Cassidy is clearly a solid bench boss. If he wasn't, the Golden Knights wouldn't be toying with the idea of paying his salary in full not to coach elsewhere. No team does that if they truly believe he had lost his magical Stanley Cup touch.
Perhaps none of this matters if the Oilers never get a chance to formally interview him. Chris Johnston noted, "I think the Oilers are going to have to wait and see with Bruce Cassidy; if not, you're choosing between [Craig] Berube, [Peter] Laviolette, maybe there's a mystery box..."
Mar 12, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Colorado Avalanche, from left, forward Nathan MacKinnon (29), forward Brock Nelson (11), forward Nicolas Roy (10), forward Nazem Kadri (91) and defenseman Cale Makar (8) celebrate a goal. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
Colorado Avalanche News
The Colorado Avalanche need more from Necas, Nelson and Kadri to get back into the Western Conference Finals. [The Hockey News]
The Colorado Eagles are heading to their own WCF. [Mile High Hockey]
News Around the League
Gatineau group launches petition after being barred from hosting Habs watch party. Slush Puppie Centre is in the territory of the Ottawa Senators, NHL says. [CBC]
Why Mike Gillis “wasn’t the right fit” with the Leafs. [Sportsnet]
Lightning extend Sabourin on one-year, two-way deal. [TSN]
Canadiens’ Hutson OK after taking hard hit from Hall in Game 2. [The Score]
The Flames ‘want to move up’ from 6th overall in 2026 NHL Draft. [Flames Nation]
How the Columbus Blue Jackets became the NHL’s cautionary tale. Columbus isn’t really considered a rebuilding club, in that they just seem to be perpetually…building. [Calgary Herald]
Brent Burns’s great NHL career is only missing a Stanley Cup. ‘There are now 32 NHL teams and only half make the playoffs, so not hoisting the ultimate team trophy is not the scarlet letter on a great player’s career it (once) was. [Innsfield Today]
Carolina Hurricanes anthem singer touched by praise for bilingual ‘O Canada’. [CTV News]
Once upon a time, the Philadelphia Flyers were among the favorites to sign Mitch Marner in free agency. Not everyone supported the idea at the time, and now that stance looks foolish.
At this time last year, the Flyers had the second-best odds to land Marner, now 29, on the open market, behind only the Chicago Blackhawks, who had every incentive to break the bank to improve Connor Bedard's supporting cast.
Marner instead had his rights traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Vegas Golden Knights for forward Nicolas Roy, a 28-year-old center coming off a 31-point campaign.
Marner then signed a very modest eight-year, $96 million ($12 million AAV) contract with Vegas, and the rest, as they say, is history.
With two assists against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final on Sunday night, Marner is now up to seven goals, 14 assists, and 21 points in 15 playoff games.
For his career, the former No. 4 overall pick is now up to 84 points in 85 playoff games. Not bad for a player who had a reputation for being a playoff choker.
And for the Flyers, this is just another case of missed opportunity.
Repeating the Roy-for-Marner trade would have likely required them to part ways with someone like Noah Cates or Ryan Poehling; the latter was later packaged for Trevor Zegras instead.
Heading into this offseason, Flyers general manager Danny Briere stated outright that the team believed more players would be available in free agency, but Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov, and Artemi Panarin all took themselves off the market with contract extensions throughout the year.
So, the Flyers missed out on Marner, if they were ever in on him, and the Maple Leafs opted to send him to the Western Conference.
That scenario could very well play out again this summer, with big-ticket RFAs like Jason Robertson, Pavel Dorofeyev, and even Adam Fantilli potentially there for the taking.
But, to put into perspective how rare Marner's situation was, 2027 unrestricted free agents include Nikita Kucherov, Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Nico Hischier.
Kucherov is the only superstar forward in that group, and Hughes may be the only one who ends up on a new team, more than likely joining forces with Hischier on the New Jersey Devils.
Now that Marner and former Flyers John Tortorella and Carter Hart are within one win of reaching the Stanley Cup Final, now is a good time to reiterate that the Flyers must be opportunistic to be successful in their rebuild.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 2 : Brenden Dillon #5 of the New Jersey Devils takes a shot on goal during the second period of the NHL regular season game against the Washington Capitals at the Prudential Center on April 2, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
An illuminating conversation with Brenden Dillon:
What happened with the #NJDevils this season?@BDillon04 joined the guys and talked about the team's disappointing year and outlook with Sunny Mehta.
“There have been conflicting reports about Simon Nemec and whether he requested a trade from the New Jersey Devils. Regardless, I think there is a very real chance Sunny Mehta trades Nemec this summer – and rightfully so. The 22-year-old is a flawed player and hasn’t come close to living up to the expectations that come with being selected 2nd overall in the draft.” [Infernal Access ($)]
“Sunny Mehta has a few tasks at hand as the New Jersey Devils’ new general manager. Among them is improving the team’s depth on defense and up front. One model he could look to is what Kyle Dubas has done as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ GM over the last year and change.” [Devils on the Rush]
Hockey Links
A bit of a stunning result in the Western Conference Final:
“There are still teams with significant raises for top players kicking in next year, along with other key unrestricted and restricted free agents who will demand more expensive contracts. The combination of those forces will leave a few organizations without the requisite cap space to bring everybody back.” [The Athletic ($)]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
