RALEIGH, N.C.– The Vegas Golden Knights entered the third period of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final in a familiar position: trailing their opponent by multiple goals. But on Thursday, for the first time in a long time, they weren’t able to come back from that multi-goal deficit.

The Golden Knights spent most of the regular season playing from behind. They finished the regular season with 1,965 minutes spent trailing their opponents– second only to the 32nd-place Vancouver Canucks– and still won the Pacific Division. 

This is a veteran team that doesn’t panic and never says die. This is a team that has been able to erase multi-goal deficits at will and emerge triumphant on the other side. But they’ve been playing with fire all year, and they finally got burned.

Now, their season is on the line.

“We’re just gonna get ready for our next game,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella following the 4-2 loss.

Game 6 against the Carolina Hurricanes is scheduled for 5:20 p.m. PST on Sunday at T-Mobile Arena.

1. Lost in the Wilderness

The Golden Knights losing Game 5 to fall behind 3-2 in the series isn’t great for their hopes of winning the Stanley Cup. However, it’s possible that the final score wasn’t the worst loss the Golden Knights suffered in Game 5. 

At 8:19 in the second period, William Karlsson took a hit from Sean Walker along the boards. It was a seemingly harmless play, a typical, run-of-the-mill check. But Karlsson went to the bench cradling his left arm, spent a few moments talking with the trainers, and headed down the tunnel. He did not return to the game, and ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported that Karlsson left the arena to seek further medical attention.

Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella indirectly provided an update on Karlsson postgame– and it doesn’t sound good.

“He’s an important piece to us,” said Tortorella following the 4-2 loss. “Up the middle of the ice, penalty killer, power play guy. He’s a winner. But having said that– it’s all good stuff– he’s not gonna be with us, probably. We gotta find a way to fill that void, not with just one guy, but as a team.”

2. Shame, Shame, Shame!

Game 5 was a strange game. The Golden Knights fought until the final horn and threatened until the last second. But in many ways, they lost the game nine minutes into the second period.

At 8:56 in the second, Jeremy Lauzon took a dumb penalty. As Logan Stankoven sped towards the corners to try and win a footrace to a loose puck, Lauzon caught him in the stomach with a cross-check and flipped the smaller winger like a sack of baby potatoes. 

The Golden Knights killed it off. But as Lauzon stepped out of the box, Brayden McNabb boarded Jackson Blake and took another penalty. The Hurricanes took the lead a minute into the ensuing power play.

The Hurricanes, who were so sound when playing with the lead before this series, took off and never looked back. They tacked on another before the period ended and extended their lead on the power play halfway through the third.

“We had a really good start,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella following the loss. “We lost momentum when we took back-to-back penalties.”

3. GUA-RAN-TEE!

For the first time in 48 days, the Vegas Golden Knights look vulnerable. For the first time in 48 days, they lost two games in a row. For the first time in 48 days, they are trailing in a series.

John Tortorella isn’t worried.

Following the 4-2 loss, Tortorella sat at the podium and said that his team would be back at the Lenovo Center for Game 7. In fact, he guaranteed it. 

“We’ll be back here,” he said. “We’re just gonna do it in a different order.”

Less than a minute later, he doubled down on his promise.

“I’m gonna leave my clothes here,” Tortorella swore. “That’s for sure. They’ll be in the hotel.”

The Golden Knights have a steep hill to climb, and without William Karlsson in the lineup, that hill becomes even steeper. 

But there was a time when they looked like a one-and-done team. It’s been a while, but the Golden Knights have been down in a series before– and they were without Karlsson’s services then, too. And they certainly weren’t supposed to get past Colorado.

Yes, it’s a steep hill to climb. But they’ve spent two months proving everyone wrong. What’s one more time?

The Vegas Golden Knights lost Game 5 and key forward William Karlsson on Thursday, June 11.

But coach John Tortorella was in form afterward, essentially guaranteeing the Stanley Cup Final would return to Raleigh, North Carolina, for Game 7 and ripping a reporter's question about the goaltending.

"We're going to find a way," he said. "I'm going to leave my clothes here, that's for sure. They'll be in the hotel."

The Carolina Hurricanes won 4-2 as Jordan Staal scored for the fifth game in a row and first-line players Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho broke through with three goals. Brandon Bussi made 23 saves in his second consecutive start since replacing Frederik Andersen at the start of the third period of Game 3.

Tortorella took exception when a reporter asked if he considered replacing Carter Hart with Adin Hill for the start of the third period on Thursday. Hart has given up four goals in every game of the series.

"Oh for Christ - that could be the stupidest question I've heard," he said.

The Golden Knights had some positives with Pavel Dorofeyev scoring twice to end a drought. Jack Eichel had two assists.

But Hart will need to outplay Bussi in Game 6 and the Golden Knights will need to solve the Hurricanes' power play without penalty killer Karlsson for Tortorella's vow to come true.

Jordan Staal ties NHL record with Game 5 goal

Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal's five-game streak in the Stanley Cup Final tied an NHL record and put him in elite company.

He joined Hall of Famers Yvan Cournoyer (1973), Jean Beliveau (1956), Maurice Richard (1951) and Fred "Cyclone" Taylor (1918) with the streak. Staal would pass them if he scores in Game 6 on Sunday in Las Vegas.

Hurricanes coach glad for two-day break

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said he's grateful that there are two days off before Game 6 in order to tamp down the excitement about winning the franchise's first Stanley Cup title since 2006.

"I don't think it will be too hard to focus this group," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden Knights' John Tortorella vows Game 7 return, defends goaltender

The Golden Knights are on the brink of elimination from the Stanley Cup Final after losing Game 5 to the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2, on Thursday.

The teams return to Vegas for Game 6 on Sunday, as the Golden Knights look to stave off elimination and force a Game 7, which would be in Raleigh, North Carolina on Wednesday.

Though Pavel Dorofeyev opened the scoring 6:52 into the game with a power-play goal to give Vegas a 1-0 lead, the Hurricanes answered shortly thereafter to thwart the Knights' energy, as Jordan Staal scored his sixth goal of the series.

Pav's 11th (!!!) goal of the playoffs
🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪 pic.twitter.com/MtMvOk0epj

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 12, 2026

After being outscored 9-1 in the second period through the first four games, the Hurricanes outscored the Knights 2-0 on Thursday to secure a 3-1 lead after two periods, getting goals from Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho.

Svechnikov added a power-play goal in the third, to push Carolina's lead to 4-1 before Dorofeyev scored his second goal a little more than two minutes later to cut the lead in half.

Battlin' pic.twitter.com/uBO5Ov9FXd

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 12, 2026

Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi was in lockdown mode, however, as he stopped 23 shots on the night.

Vegas netminder Carter Hart, who made 20 saves, allowed four goals for the fifth straight game.

PHOTO CAPTION

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) scores against Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi (32) and defenseman K'andre Miller (19) during the third period in game five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center.

The Vegas Golden Knights lost more than Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes. They lost a key player.

Golden Knights forward William Karlsson left the Thursday, June 11 game in the second period after absorbing a check from Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker along the boards.

A trainer looked at Karlsson's arm on the bench and Karlsson skated to the dressing room. He didn't return and ABC reported that Karlsson left Lenovo Center to undergo further examination.

Golden Knights coach John Tortorella looked discouraged when the trainer came out to talk to him. He gave a discouraging postgame report on Karlsson's status for the rest of the series.

William Karlsson rentre au vestiaire après cette mise en échec reçue... pic.twitter.com/2RoHCW48lZ

— TVA Sports (@TVASports) June 12, 2026

William Karlsson injury update

Tortorella said he had no update on Karlsson but didn't sound positive about the player's status.

"He's not going to be with us probably," he said. "We've got to find a way to fill that void, not with just one guy but as a team."

Karlsson had two goals and two assists in the Final. He was limited to 14 games in the regular season, but his return late in the regular season was one of several factors that helped the Golden Knights clinch a playoff berth.

"He's an important piece for us," Tortorella said. "Penalty killer. Power play guy. He's a winner."

The Hurricanes lead the series 3-2 after the 4-2 victory and can clinch their first Stanley Cup title since 2006 on Sunday, June 14 in Game 6 at Las Vegas.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: William Karlsson leaves Game 5, 'probably' out for series

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes had spent the NHL playoffs waiting for their power play to get going, along with top-line performers Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho.

And they had spent the first four games of the Stanley Cup Final being outplayed in critical second-period sequences.

On Thursday night, it all came together, aligning to bring the Hurricanes within a victory of winning the Cup.

Svechnikov scored twice and Aho added a second-period goal in a breakout offensive game for both, helping the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 for a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“I liked our effort for sure, and I hope we’re getting better,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I think there’s certain areas of our game that are starting to look a lot like we need it to look. But I do think there’s still another level that we’re going to need to get to find that next one.”

Captain Jordan Staal found the net again for the fifth straight game in this series after Vegas had taken a 1-0 first-period lead, while Brandon Bussi finished with 23 saves in his second career postseason start.

Game 6 is Sunday night in Las Vegas, with the Hurricanes playing for the chance to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time since Brind’Amour captained them to the title in 2006.

Aho’s goal in the second period marked his first of the series, coming when Sean Walker found him cutting to the left side after Jordan Martinook — swapped with Seth Jarvis to work alongside Aho and Svechnikov on the top line — won a puck battle behind the net on the forecheck.

Then there was Svechnikov, who entered Thursday with four postseason goals before striking twice on the power play. On the first, he whipped the puck past Carter Hart on the right side for a 2-1 lead in the second period.

On the second, he had a short putaway at the post off a sharp feed from Nikolaj Ehlers for a 4-1 lead, one of three assist for Ehlers on the night that included him having two delay-of-game penalties for putting a puck over the glass.

Before those second-period scores, Vegas had outscored Carolina 9-1 in the second period during the series.

And unlike most multi-goal leads in what has been a wild and thrilling series, this one held up with Bussi doing enough to stave off Vegas’ late push to climb back in it.

“It required everything we have,” Staal said on the ESPN broadcast.

Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice for Vegas, finding the net for the first time since Game 1 of the Western Conference Final sweep of Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado.

“I thought we were still doing some good things,” Vegas’ Jack Eichel said. “We had chances.”

Hart entered this one as the first goaltender in Stanley Cup Final history to give up at least four goals in each of the first four games, then did it again to continue a difficult series while finishing with 20 saves.

Asked if he considered swapping to backup Adin Hill, coach John Tortorella responded: “That could be the stupidest question I’ve heard.”

Vegas had twice before been in a 2-2 series in these playoffs, in the first round against Utah and the second round against Anaheim. Both times, the Golden Knights won Game 5 and closed out the series in Game 6.

This time, they’ll have to win on home ice to force the series back to Carolina for a Game 7 on Wednesday night. And they’ll have to take two in a row against a Hurricanes team that hasn’t suffered consecutive losses since mid-January.

Not that Tortorella was fazed.

“We’ll be back here,” he said confidently, saying he would leave his clothes behind at the team’s hotel in expectation of returning to North Carolina.

Vegas played much of the night without center William Karlsson, who was being checked out on the bench for an apparent upper-body injury. Karlsson skated to the tunnel midway through the second period and didn’t return. Tortorella said the center was “not going to be with us, probably” in the coming games.

The Carolina Hurricanes dominated the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night, 4-2, to take a 3-2 series lead and come within one game of lifting the Stanley Cup. 

After struggling for the majority of the postseason, both the power play and two of Carolina’s top three regular season scorers — Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho — carried the Canes to a big win on Thursday night. Svechnikov scored two power play goals while Aho found the back of the net for the first time in the Stanley Cup. 

Nikolaj Ehlers gave the Knights a power play a little less than seven minutes into the first period on a delay of game penalty. 

The Knights, after being just 1-for-12 on the power play in the first four games, capitalized courtesy of Pavel Dorofeyev, who found the back of the net on a cross ice pass from Jack Eichel. 

It didn’t take long for Carolina to respond, though. And who else but Jordan Staal. After getting the penalty, Ehlers redeemed himself with a great shot-pass to the front of the net that was tipped in by Staal for his sixth goal of the Stanley Cup so far. 

After the first, the score was knotted at 1-1. Uncharacteristically, the Canes were outshot, 8-5, by the Knights. 

There wasn’t much offensive action for either side in the first 10 minutes of the second period, but two straight Vegas penalties changed that. 

The Golden Knights killed the first, but it was Svechnikov who went five-hole on the second power play, giving the Canes a 2-1 lead in the second period. In the first four games, Carolina was outscored 9-1 in the second, but it was a different story tonight. 

That was all that was needed to get the top line for the Canes going it seemed. With a little over two minutes in the second, a great forecheck from Jordan Martinook led to a goal from Aho, who went high over Carter Hart. It marked Aho’s first goal of the series, giving the Hurricanes a 3-1 lead in the second.

For the first time in the Stanley Cup, Carolina outplayed Vegas in the second period, entering the third with a 3-1 advantage and just 20 minutes away from their first series lead. 

Carolina picked up right where they left off in the third period. After Mark Stone was called for a double minor for high sticking Jalen Chatfield, Svechnikov scored his second power play goal of the night on a great pass from Ehlers. 

Dorofeyev added his second of the game with a little over six minutes left in the game to cut Carolina’s lead to two goals. 

The Canes were able to hold the Knights off and secure the big win, with Bussi saving 22 of 24 shots.

The Stanley Cup will be in the building as the Hurricanes have a chance to lift it for the first time since 2006 on the road Sunday at 8 PM. 

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — William Karlsson left the ice, and the Vegas Golden Knights' night went south. He may not be back to help them recover.

With Karlsson knocked out of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final because of injury, the Golden Knights took four penalties that turned into two power-play goals against. Carter Hart allowed four goals for a fifth consecutive game in the series, and now his team is on the brink of elimination after losing 4-2 to Carolina on Thursday night.

“When we lose Bill, it kind of screws things up," coach John Tortorella said. “We lost momentum when we went back to back in penalties. It was about the same time that we lost Bill. We’ve got to find a way.”

Karlsson appeared to injure his left arm or shoulder after getting knocked into the boards by Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker a little over eight minutes into the second period. He got medical attention on the bench briefly, skated off and never returned and Tortorella foreshadowed that being the end of Karlsson's series.

“He’s not going to be with us, probably,” Tortorella said. "We’ve got to find a way to fill that void, not with just one guy but as a team.”

Karlsson making his playoff debut at the start of the second round changed everything for Vegas, shifting Mitch Marner to the wing and providing the kind of strong, reliable center depth needed to win this time of year. Karlsson had nine points in 14 games after missing the previous six months because of an undisclosed injury.

But the void left by Karlsson’s departure was all too clear, especially on the penalty kill. Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov scored the first of his two power-play goals less than four minutes after Karlsson left, then added another in the third.

“He’s an important piece to us: up the middle of the ice, a penalty killer, power play guy," Tortorella said. “He’s a winner."

Fourth-liner Nick Dowd called Karlsson one of the team's best players. Defenseman Brayden McNabb, who along with Karlsson and Shea Theodore are the only players who have been around for Vegas’ entire nine-year existence, said Karlsson was a big leader in the locker room.

Karlsson is also nearly impossible to replace.

“He means so much," fellow center Jack Eichel said. "He’s a world class player. He plays in all situations. He’s extremely reliable in our own zone, and he creates a lot of offense. ... It's tough. You lose someone like Karl who’s so valuable to our team and playing so well. But it just means everyone else has to step up.”

Tortorella expects that to happen, promising there will be a Game 7 in Raleigh on Tuesday night.

“We’ll be back here. We’re just going to do it in a different order," Tortorella said. "I’m going to leave my clothes here, that’s for sure. They’ll be in the hotel.”

To do that, they'll have to win Game 6 back home in Las Vegas on Sunday. Hart is expected to be in net again despite a save percentage of .856 in the final.

Asked if he considered going to backup Adin Hill — who backstopped Vegas to the Cup in 2023 — in the third period, Tortorella scoffed and said, "That could be the stupidest question I’ve heard.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 to take a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup Final.

If the Philadelphia Flyers really do decide to trade with the Edmonton Oilers and acquire Darnell Nurse, any realistic scenario ends in a win for them, no matter what.

Social media tells a different story, but Nurse, 31, is a very serviceable and solid NHL defenseman.

Typecast as a No. 1 for the Oilers for a longtime, and given an annual $9.25 million albatross cap hit, Nurse does some things well, and other things not so well.

A fluid athlete and a nephew of Eagles legend Donovan McNabb, Nurse thrives using his legs, toughness, physicality, and skill, though his decision-making and hockey IQ have consistently held him back throughout his career.

That's a fine gamble for the Flyers, though.

In recent years, smaller defenders like Cam York and Emil Andrae have established themselves as NHL defenders, while Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen underwent career renaissances with the Flyers after some bleak years.

Plus, Jamie Drysdale and Nick Seeler, who each looked like a lost cause at this level for different reasons, found homes with the Flyers and leveled up drastically year over year.

With the amount of talent Nurse has, and with a better supporting cast at his position, there is no reason to believe he can't do the same in Philadelphia, even at his age.

The trade cost for Nurse is obviously going to be the main sticking point, both for the Flyers and for the Oilers.

Flyers Weighing Ambitious Trade for $74 Million Oilers DefenderThe Philadelphia Flyers will consider a stunning trade for a big-money Edmonton Oilers defenseman... at the right price.

On one hand, the Oilers are hoping to rid themselves of as much as Nurse's $9.25 million cap hit as they possibly can without paying an egregious price to do it.

The Flyers, too, hope to avoid paying an egregious price, whether that's monetary with the salary, or in terms of assets when it comes to paying for salary retention.

Regardless of the outcome, though, the Flyers win.

If they decide to take on Nurse's full cap hit, it will be because they received a sweetener from the Oilers that they simply could not turn down.

Something of that magnitude would assuredly come via players like Isaac Howard, Beau Akey, and Matthew Savoie, and/or a first-round pick.

And if the Flyers can convince the Oilers to retain money on Nurse's salary, they have plenty of spare assets to make it worthwhile.

Andrae, a pending RFA, would be a cheap, solid addition to Edmonton's blue line, and the Oilers may also see this as an opportunity to add mid-round draft picks to replenish their future draft capital.

The Flyers do not have fourth- or fifth-round picks this year, but they do have two third-round picks in 2027, as well as their fourth and fifth that year.

And, maybe the Oilers consider picking up the signing rights to a goalie, such as Flyers pending RFA Sam Ersson, too?

Each side has lots to offer to the other, though it, of course, comes down to finding a palatable middle ground that benefits both sides to an acceptable degree.

On paper, for the Flyers, adding a skilled, experienced veteran like Nurse comes with few downsides. It just comes down to business, at the end of the day.

Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal scored again Thursday night in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights, extending his goals streak that has put the 37-year-old center among some of the best players in NHL history.

“It’s a good time to get hot," Staal said. "I want to contribute any way I can. The puck’s been going in for me lately, and it’s good timing and (I try) to still contribute in all the other aspects that I can do.”

A look at Staal's series:

6,202

Days between goals in the final from 2009 with Pittsburgh until Staal scored in Game 1, breaking brother Eric's record of 6,198 from ‘06 to ’23.

6

Goals by Staal in the series, one shy of tying the modern-day record for the most by a player in the final.

3

Captains to score six or more goals in a final before Staal: Wayne Gretzky for Edmonton in 1985, Frank Foyston for Seattle in 1920 and Newsy Lalonde for Montreal in 1919.

2

Players in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers franchise history to score a goal in the final at age 37 or older before Staal: 39-year-old Ron Francis in 2002 and 38-year-old Mark Recchi in '06.

1

Player older than Staal to score in each of the first two games of the final: Larry Robinson with Montreal in 1989.

0

Players older than Staal to score in each of the first three games of the final. Brad Marchand last year with Florida was the only one to do so after turning 37.

1992

Was the last time a player scored five-plus goals in the first four games of a final before Staal: Mario Lemieux when Pittsburgh went back to back.

1982

Was the last time a player scored in each of the first four games of the final before Staal: Mike Bossy when the New York Islanders won the third of four championships in a row. Only two others did before that: Minnesota's Steve Payne in 1981 and Boston's Johnny Buczyk in 1970.

1973

Was the last time a player scored in five consecutive games in the final before Staal: Yvan Cournoyer in 1973 with Montreal.

1956

Was the last time a player scored in the first five games of the final before Staal: Jean Beliveau in 1956 with Montreal. Canadiens teammate Maurice Richard in 1951 and Cyclone Taylor of the Vancouver Millionaires in 1918 are the only other players to score in Games 1-5.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

After months, and maybe even years of speculation, the inevitable has finally come. The Edmonton Oilers will be trading Darnell Nurse after the 31-year-old asked the team for a trade, proving that he agrees a change is best for both parties.

Like all players with a no-trade clause do, Nurse gave the Oilers a short list of three to five teams that he would prefer to be dealt to.

According to NHL insider, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins are two teams that have been revealed to included on Nurse's top trade destinations.

When hockey fans hear the name Darnell Nurse, the immediate thought is his controversial $9.25 million cap hit. This number is the more than likely the sole reason for his imminent departure from Edmonton.

Let's not get it twisted, Nurse is a very solid top four caliber defenseman in the National Hockey League, but his questionable contract has given fans and media across the league a conflicting impression of the 6'4" blue-liner.

The 31-year-old veteran has been on the receiving end of some harsh but also sometimes warranted criticism. When you're being payed top dollar to play for a household franchise, the expectation is that you live up to that contract, and unfortunately for Nurse, he was never going to do that.

The former seventh overall pick has always been a reliable shutdown defender that will provide anywhere from 25-40 points in a full season, nothing more, nothing less. He should have never been given such a large contract in the first place.

With that being said, Nurse is still a good hockey player and his services on the ice would be a great help for a large number of teams across the league.

Two Bad Contracts. One Good TradeThe Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers have a shared history that runs deeper than four straight first-round exits and a trade that shook the hockey world. The two teams have recently swapped players, including Warren Foegele, Viktor Arvidsson, and Corey Perry. They also share a general manager in Ken Holland. Holland ran Edmonton for years, getting the Oilers ever so close to the promised land, but also signed the contracts that still haunt that roster.

Where Do The Kings Come In?

In 2022, the Edmonton Oilers and Darnell Nurse reached an agreement on a massive eight-year contract extension, worth $9.25 million annually.

The General Manager that handed over the contract? None other than current Kings GM Ken Holland. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to see that there is a very clear connection here.

It's clear that Holland is a big fan of Nurse's game, and could even be willing to reunite with him in Los Angeles, as it seems Nurse would be interested in making the move to California.

If the Kings decided to pursue him, Nurse would fit in quite well in the top four of the team's d-core alongside Mikey Anderson, Drew Doughty, and Brandt Clarke. While also providing as an upgrade over guys like Brian Dumoulin, Cody Ceci, and Joel Edmundson. 

The Kings See Potential in Newly Signed Martin ChromiakLOS ANGELES – The Kings have signed forward Martin Chromiak to a one-year deal. It is a two-way contract with an AAV of $850,000.

There are still so many questions to be answered. Will the Kings pursue Nurse? What does a deal even look like? Will the Oilers retain any salary? 

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It did seem as though Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider had firmly placed himself in the conversation for the Norris Trophy, given annually to the top defenseman in the NHL during regular-season play. 

However, Seider found himself snubbed for the award, which once again went to Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar; Seider ultimately finished fifth overall in voting. 

Meanwhile, it was announced on Thursday that Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, who was selected by current Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman in the second round (58th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft, won the Hart Trophy for the second time in his career. 

Kucherov seemed like a natural choice for the award, finishing second overall in total NHL scoring with 130 points ((44 Goals, 86 Assists) behind Connor McDavid. 

Seider would finish 11th overall in voting for the Hart Trophy: 

Final voting totals for the 2025-26 Hart Trophy: pic.twitter.com/7OKcoq2qeA

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 11, 2026

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Seider, who did take home the Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year in 2021-22, stands a good chance of being selected as the 38th captain in Red Wings history if his teammate Dylan Larkin ultimately gets his reported wish of being dealt to a new club. 

Seider wore the "A" on his jersey this season along with Lucas Raymond as alternate captains. 

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NEW YORK (AP) — Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, the second such honor of his career after also winning the Hart in 2019.

The league announced the news Thursday prior to Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Kucherov led all players with 1.71 points a game on 44 goals and 86 assists. With 130 points, he ranked second to only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, who had 138.

McDavid was a close second by 10 points in voting by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon was third and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini fourth.

Kucherov had 42 more points than his next-closest teammate, Jake Guentzel. He was third in Hart Trophy voting a year ago and second in 2023-24.

___

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

Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP for the second time, adding to his team's awards haul.

Kucherov finished second in the NHL with 130 points in 76 games - a league-best 1.71 points per game - as the Lightning clinched their ninth consecutive playoff berth and finished second in the Atlantic Division. He had 42 more points than his closest teammate, the second-largest gap between a team’s top two scorers in 2025-26 after the San Jose Sharks' Macklin Celebrini.

He edged fellow finalists Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) and Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) in a vote by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. He beat McDavid by 10 points.

Kucherov led the league in scoring the past two seasons and was a finalist both times. He won the award in 2018-19.

Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (Vezina Trophy) and coach Jon Cooper (Jack Adams Award) also received NHL honors this season.

Other NHL awards winners

Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player): Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid

Vezina Trophy (goaltender): Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy

Norris Trophy (defenseman): Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski

Calder Trophy (rookie): New York Islanders' Matthew Schaefer

Jack Adams Award (coach): Lightning's Jon Cooper

Selke Trophy (defensive forward): Montreal Canadiens' Nick Suzuki

Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship): Canadiens' Cole Caufield

Masterton Trophy (perseverance): Avalanche's Gabriel Landeskog

Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award: Landeskog

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lightning's Nikita Kucherov wins second Hart Trophy as NHL MVP