As the calendar flips from May to June, and the NHL Stanley Cup final has begun, the majority of significant transactions between now and the start of the 2026-27 season will likely take place over the course of the next four to six weeks. 

The Anaheim Ducks find themselves in unfamiliar waters after what could be seen as their first successful season in nearly a decade. They enter the offseason with a projected $38.7 million in cap space, two core RFAs (Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier) to sign to big extensions, two secondary RFAs (Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger) on whom tough decisions will have to be made, and one to three areas on the roster potentially in need of upgrades. 

Anaheim Ducks Offseason Rumor Roundup: 6/6/26

Anaheim Ducks a Tantalizing Potential Destination for Red Wings Center Dylan Larkin

Anaheim could now be seen as a desirable destination for players on the move. Even after RFAs are inked to new deals, the Ducks will still have considerable cap space to add quality players to their roster who could help them now and moving into a bright future. 

After feasibly identifying three areas in need of an upgrade on the Ducks’ depth chart (right shot defense, second-line center, top-nine winger), now seems like a good time to identify paths in which general manager Pat Verbeek could go about adding to his group and numerous organizations’ situations they could target around the league. 

I’ve decided to break this up by division, so we’ll take a look at some teams in the Pacific Division, the Ducks’ own, and the one some would claim to be the NHL’s “pillow fight” division.

Disclaimer: This exercise is purely speculative. Some players mentioned have been previously reported to be in trade discussions, while others haven’t. This is intended to provide ideas on the type of players the Ducks could target this offseason.

(Alphabetical Order)

Calgary Flames

From the outside, the Flames appear to be one of the few NHL teams who are actually rebuilding and acquiring talent in the form of picks and prospects. Since the calendar flipped from 2025 to 2026, the Flames have parted ways with veterans Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar, and Nazem Kadri, and they could be in the business of parting with more to reset their window and build a contending core. 

The Flames enter the 2026 offseason with $22.7 million in cap space, eight picks in the first three rounds of the 2026 draft (including two first-round picks), and a whopping 18 picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts (six first-round picks). 

The three names that jump off the depth chart page who could fetch quality returns for Calgary and fit Anaheim’s roster are tenacious two-way forwards Blake Coleman (34) and Joel Farabee (26), as well as do-it-all offensive middle-six center Morgan Frost (27). 

Coleman is a two-time cup winner who, even in his later years, can still find the back of the net, is one of the more difficult players to play against in the NHL, and has one year remaining on his contract ($4.9 million AAV, 10-team NTC). Farabee provides a similar skillset to Coleman, just eight years younger, and has two years remaining on his contract ($5 million AAV). 

Frost has established himself as a 40-45 point center and can, in theory, provide secondary scoring as a stopgap second-line until a younger player like Mason McTavish or Roger McQueen seizes the role, and after which, Frost could thrive as a third-line center. Frost has one year remaining on his contract ($4.375 million, 8-team NTC).

Verbeek made his first deal with Calgary at the 2026 trade deadline, sending Ryan Strome to the Flames in exchange for a seventh-round pick. Could the Ducks’ GM revisit that relationship this summer?

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks were the NHL’s worst team in the NHL in 2025-26 by a country mile, finishing with just 58 points in the standings (14 points behind the 31st-place Chicago Blackhawks). They’ll have a completely new hockey operations department and coaching staff heading into the 2026-27 season, with new co-presidents of hockey operations Henrik and Daniel Sedin, general manager Ryan Johnson, and head coach Manny Malhotra. 

The front office has made virtually the entire roster available on the trade market, and they enter the offseason with a projected $22 million in cap space to complement two first-round picks in the upcoming entry draft. 

With five years left on his deal ($5.5 million, full NMC), Jake DeBrusk (29) seems like the most obvious forward to potentially find a new home for the 2026-27 season. Elias Pettersson (27) and Brock Boeser (29) are another pair of contracts the Canucks would likely be looking to move on from, but pose a much more difficult hurdle. 

In desperate need of a change of scenery, Pettersson still has six years remaining on his sizable contract ($11.6 million AAV, full NMC). Even with retention, of which one doubts Vancouver’s willingness to retain close to the 50% maximum, the uncertainty around his ability to regain his potency will likely leave many teams (especially ones projected to flirt with the cap ceiling at some point, like Anaheim) extremely wary. 

Boeser has a more manageable cap hit ($7.25 million, full NMC) with his remaining six years, but his high-watermark, 40-goal season in 2023-24 seems too distant a memory. 

The prize on the Canucks roster, should he be made available, is right-shot defenseman Filip Hronek (28). Hronek is an all-situations defender who could potentially become the coveted long-term, top-pair partner alongside Jackson Lacombe and in front of fellow Czech netminder, Lukas Dostal, should the Ducks look to pursue him. He’s under contract for six more seasons at a cap hit that projects to become more reasonable by the day ($7.25 million, full NMC).

With Vancouver’s recent shift in front office and coaching leadership, they’ll likely want to start building their vision as soon as possible. In that scenario, Anaheim presents as good a potential trade partner as any.

Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas is in the midst of their third Stanley Cup Final series in the brief, nine-year history of the franchise and are currently up 2-1 on the Carolina Hurricanes. Like with most “win-now” teams, they’ll have some decisions to make come the offseason on who within the depth chart to retain and who to move on from. 

Traditionally, Vegas has had no hesitation when it comes to moving on from top players if they feel it’s what’s right for the club in order to win in the immediate future. They enter the 2026 offseason with a projected $4.6 million in cap space, and that will likely increase by $8.8 million if/when Alex Pietrangelo is placed on LTIR.

Vegas only has nine forwards and five defensemen on their roster for 2026-27, with top four defenseman Rasmus Andersson set to become a UFA on July 1 and breakout forward Pavel Dorofeyev to become an RFA. 

Should either hit a market, Anaheim may be interested in adding one, but if Vegas intends to keep one or both, the Knights may need to move off a contract or two on their current roster. 

Three players who look to be obvious options that Vegas may be inclined to move are centers William Karlsson (33) and Tomas Hertl (32), along with goaltender Adin Hill (30). Hill makes little to no sense for Anaheim, but the centers could garner some interest and slot in well in the Ducks’ middle six. 

Karlsson has become the exact player Anaheim has needed since the Ducks traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2015, and though he’ll be 34 by the end of next season, he can still provide an extremely positive 200-foot, middle-six presence at the center position. He has one year remaining on his contract ($5.9 million, 10-team NTC).

Hertl had his struggles this season for the Knights, but has increasingly found his footing as Vegas has advanced further into the playoffs. He hasn’t been tasked with killing penalties as he had with the San Jose Sharks franchise, but he still possesses that skillset. He has four years remaining on his contract ($6.75 milion, three-team trade list).

By many accounts, Vegas has become one of the NHL’s true villain organizations, and they seem perfectly happy with that narrative. Is there a trade to be made between second-round opponents in the Pacific Division as one (Vegas) attempts to remain at the top for as long as possible and one (Anaheim) looks to reach that pinnacle in the next handful of years?

Offseason Preview: Anaheim Ducks Trade Partners/Targets, Metropolitan Division

Offseason Preview: Anaheim Ducks Trade Partners/Targets, Central Division

Offseason Preview: Anaheim Ducks Trade Partners/Targets, Atlantic Division

Nikita Tolopilo has developed into an intriguing goaltending option for the Vancouver Canucks. The 26-year-old played 21 games in 2025-26 and posted a 6-11-2 record. Tolopilo is in the final year of his contract with Vancouver and will need waivers this year to play in the AHL. 

While speaking on the Раскатка and Betera podcast, Tolopilo discussed a potential move to the KHL after the 2023-24 season. He had initially played in the KHL during the 2020-21 season before moving to the HockeyAllsvenskan in 2021-22. Using a Russian-to-English translation service, here is what Tolopilo said about his decision to stay in North America. 

"In my first year, when I just played in the AHL, how long was that, two years ago? They threw out the bait," said Tolopilo in his interview. "But I immediately said no. Although at that time, compared to the salary in the AHL, they offered me several times more. But then what's the point of all the work I did to sign a contract with Vancouver, and then a year later, give it all up and leave?"

Tolopilo then answered how much the KHL offered him by saying, "35-40 (million Russian Rubles) at that time. But I still don't think about that. The goal and objective is to play in the NHL full-time." 35-40 million Russian Rubles is approximately $669,408.25-$765,038.00 CDN.

The Canucks have some significant decisions to make with their goaltenders next year. Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen are signed to multi-year deals, while, as mentioned, Tolopilo would need to be sent down via waivers to the Abbotsford Canucks. NHL teams can carry three goaltenders on their roster, but that usually means one rarely sees game action and is used mostly as a practice goalie.  

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin wants out and has three teams on his mind.

The 29-year-old, who has a full no-trade clause, is willing to be dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Florida Panthers and the Minnesota Wild, according to the Detroit Free Press.

A report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman on Thursday revealed that Larkin, a Michigan native, has requested a trade from Detroit.

Larkin has spent the entirety of his 11-year career in a Red Wings sweater, but has not seen the playoffs since his rookie season.

In the postseason following the 2015-16 season, Larkin played in five games and scored one goal before Detroit was eliminated by Tampa Bay.

Should he be dealt to any of his three preferred teams, Larkin will immediately play for a contender.

Vegas is currently up 2-1 over Carolina in the Stanley Cup Final, and Florida won back-to-back championships in 2024 and ’25.

Minnesota, which traded for Quinn Hughes earlier this year, recorded 104 points this season but lost to Colorado in the conference semifinals.

As recently as the end of April, Larkin — who was part of the U.S. team that defeated Canada for gold at the 2026 Olympics — said one of his biggest goals in the future was to bring the Red Wings back into Stanley Cup contention.

Larkin, who turns 30 next month, recorded 67 points in 74 games this season with a +3 rating.

Detroit finished sixth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 41-31-10.

Larkin’s current eight-year contract has five years remaining, paying him through 2031 with an $8.7 million cap hit until he is 31 years old.

His full no-trade clause is through the next two seasons, and it then extends to a ten-team list.

The Carolina Hurricanes have one key decision to make ahead of Game 4 in the Stanley Cup Final: Do they actually want to win the cup, or not? That choice is on head coach Rod Brind-Amour, who has yet to decide whether or not his team will behave like an organization that wants to win, or if unwritten rules and hockey etiquette win reign supreme.

Despite Carolina’s overall dominance this season, an undercurrent for the Canes has been the largely abysmal play of goaltender Freddie Andersen. It’s an issue that has been rearing its head for months in Raleigh, and a concern that die-hard hockey fans had entering the playoffs. At no point during the 2025-26 season did Andersen seem in control in the crease. Starting 35 games this season, Andersen posted a horrific 0.874 save percentage this season (61st in the NHL), allowed 3.05 goals-per-game (42nd in the NHL), and only posted quality starts in 31.4% of his games (80th in the NHL). The only thing that really kept Freddie between the pipes this season was an injury to Pyotr Kochetkov, limiting his ascent to become the top starter — but the goaltending situation was complicated by the emergence of desperation signing Brandon Bussi.

Bussi’s NHL dreams were seemingly over before the Hurricanes threw him a lifeline. The undrafted 27-year-old had spent the majority of his career bouncing around the AHL as a middling goaltender, seemingly never getting a chance to step up into the big leagues. The Hurricanes needed a body to put in net to give Andersen some rest, and goodness did he make the most of it. Not only did Bussi eclipse Andersen in every appreciable way during the regular season, but he put up quality starts that ranked him among the middle of the NHL among goalies who started 30+ games this season.

Still, there was hesitance from head coach Rod Brind-Amour when the playoffs rolled around due to Bussi’s relative inexperience. He wanted a veteran presence in net, even if it meant moving away from the hot hand. An understandable choice at the time, and it worked well until the Stanley Cup Final. With Vegas the Carolina defense could no longer manhandle them in their zone with the forecheck and condense the ice, the Golden Knights’ skaters are strong enough to create quality opportunities on goal, and break through the Canes’ defense.

That brings us to Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, one of the most drama-filled, unpredictable, wild performances in the history of the final. A game that saw Vegas score four goals in the second period, including a natural hat trick from Mitch Marner. Andersen was pulled, Bussi got his shot — and he shone with a perfect third period that revitalized the Hurricanes. Carolina scored three goals in 39 seconds, dragged the game to double overtime, and lost on a random bouncing puck that was wholly unpredictable. Even the most biased Freddie Andersen fan has to admit that there was no comparison between the two goaltenders.

At no point did Bussi appear as if the moment was too big for him. Whatever fears you might have about starting him in net were assuaged in one period. Not only did he make the routine saves every goalie needs to make at the cup level, but he did came up big and made saves that Freddie Andersen simply hasn’t done all season long.

Now as we approach Game 4 the Hurricanes have a decision to make: Give the failing veteran the nod once more as a kind of career achievement award, or turn to the hot hand who can actually win them the game? The highs of Freddie Andersen might be higher, but they just haven’t presented themselves in the 2025-26 season. Meanwhile Bussi might be more of a middle-pack goaltender, but he won’t have the same lows.

Middle of the pack is good enough with Carolina’s defense. Middle of the pack is enough to win the cup with the team the Canes have built. The only thing this team can’t sustain is being put in a position where Andersen lets cupcake goals through every single Vegas scoring opportunity, because he barely offers any resistance. There is no doubt this is an emotionally difficult decision, especially in light of the death of Claude Lemieux, Andersen’s agent, friend, and mentor — but the entire Hurricanes organization can’t be asked to squander this opportunity because of one horrible moment. There’s been too much work at every level to play a demonstrably worse player at a time like this.

If the Hurricanes want to win the cup then it’s time to start Brandon Bussi and not look back. It’s the only chance this team has.

As it turns out, the Philadelphia Flyers have virtually no chance of pulling off a Dylan Larkin trade with the Detroit Red Wings, and maybe that's the way things should be.

Larkin, 29, will turn 30 years old on July 30, and while he has scored 30 goals in each of the five seasons and six times in his career, isn't going to turn the Flyers around.

Not by himself, anyway.

After the Flyers made the playoffs this past season, it made sense to throw future assets at players like Larkin, Mat Barzal, and John Carlson--particularly all three--if they were going to keep this up.

But, if the Flyers paid up for Larkin and just Larkin, it's a lateral move on the player's part when we consider team talent and future assets.

According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Larkin only wants to be traded to Minnesota, Vegas, or Florida, and the difference between the Flyers and those three teams is that those three teams are laden with stars and ready to win now.

Again, getting Larkin is a great idea for the Flyers, but they need to arm him with a supporting cast to make it worthwhile. Nothing we have seen in the past year suggests they can do that.

Matvei Michkov, who was supposed to be the team's franchise winger, is getting yanked around left and right and was badly misused in the last season under head coach Rick Tocchet.

NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Defenseman Linked to Atlantic TeamsThe Philadelphia Flyers have no shortage of trade suitors for Rasmus Ristolainen.

It is still unclear if Trevor Zegras, the big addition from last offseason, is a center or winger at the NHL level. If he ultimately sticks as the latter, it doesn't help the Flyers' rebuild all that much.

In goal, the Flyers still have no backup goalie and are set to reward Dan Vladar with a massive contract extension after a late breakout year that was really the only good season of his NHL career to date.

In the end, the Flyers have no business getting into a bidding war with teams like Vegas, Minnesota, and Florida when they aren't really in a position to capitalize if they are successful.

Objectively, the best way to look at it is this: if the Flyers had Larkin, do they beat the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs?

The answer is an easy no, and that's fine. It's for the best.

The Hurricanes are a successful team because they acquire players who can play their system and fit what they are trying to do.

It didn't work with Mikko Rantanen, so they wisely pivoted and turned him into Logan Stankoven.

Here, the Flyers are still in the early stages of figuring out who those players are. Whether or not you believe they should be heading into the fourth year of Danny Briere and Keith Jones' reign is a different conversation.

If the Flyers aren't getting Larkin, they likely aren't getting Barzal either, and we can,  by extension, rope Robert Thomas into that conversation.

The best way for the Flyers to evolve into Stanley Cup contenders is to rely on themselves and their own players, like Carolina did. That's the reality of the situation.

Larkin and Barzal were drafted 15th and 16th overall, respectively, so it's not an impossible ask.

Going forward, though, the Flyers will need to freshen their draft philosophy and make better value choices for better team-building.

If not, they'll never draft their own Larkin or trade for a Larkin-adjacent.

The primary discussion around the hockey water cooler today is, who should start in net for the Carolina Hurricanes in game four of the Stanley Cup Final.

After allowing four goals on 16 shots, (and two more that were not counted), in the first two periods of game 3, Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour did something extremely rare for him. He pulled his starting goaltender.

After the game, he was quick not to place any blame on his goaltender.

“There was no reason to leave Freddie in there the way that game was going… (Bussi) gave us a chance. (The overtime winner) is a tough break. I hate it for him, because he was playing great.”

It seemed like more of a mercy change, rather than a change to relieve a tired Frederik Andersen. And let’s be frank, Andersen did look tired, to the eye test anyway if not strictly by the poor stats. (.750 save percentage for the game).

Andersen has a SV% of .815 in this series.

Bussi came in and did not allow anything until the goofy game-winner in the second OT. He allowed one goal on 19 shots.

In the first two series of the playoffs, Andersen was outstanding and was rated the best goalie in the playoffs.

He also played very well in the Montreal series, though not as sparkling as in the first two.

But now in the Stanley Cup Final, he seems slower than in the previous series.

During the past three regular seasons, Brind’Amour has rotated his goalies, seemingly with the idea to keep them fresh. Especially Andersen, who has a history of wearing down if over-played.

Then when the playoffs start, Brind’Amour throws out that strategy and plays Andersen exclusively. While the goalie has played well, after the first two rounds his performance drops below what it was during the earlier playoff series.

Brind’Amour has done the same thing this postseason, even though Brandon Bussi carried the load during most of the regular season. Bussi posted a 31-6-2 record with a GAA of 2.47 and SV% .895.

In contrast, Andersen was 16-14-5 with a GAA of 3.05 and SV% of .874.

To be fair, Andersen was the better goalie down the stretch although he was played more often than Bussi. After the Olympic break, where Bussi saw no action, they gave Andersen more starts even though he played during the Olympics.

The coaching staff had made their minds up at this time who the Carolina goalie would be during the playoffs. Up until now it has looked like a good decision, but does Andersen have anything left in the tank?

If you were the head coach, who would you go with?

It is no secret that the Philadelphia Flyers should be looking to find a legitimate first-line center this off-season. It is their biggest need as they look to take another step forward next season.

Unfortunately for the Flyers, they have received bad news on two of the NHL's top trade candidate centers. 

Dylan Larkin and Robert Thomas were both viewed as prime potential targets for the Flyers. However, based on recent reports, the likelihood of the Flyers landing either one of them is very low. 

The Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James revealed Larkin's trade list, and the Flyers were not among the teams on it. Instead, Larkin's wanted destinations are the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Minnesota Wild. With Larkin having a full no-trade clause, he has complete say over where he will be moved. 

As for Thomas, Andy Strickland recently revealed that the Blues are unlikely to trade Thomas this off-season, and he is expected to be on their roster at training camp. 

These are certainly tough updates for the Flyers, as Thomas and Larkin were both prime potential options for their first-line center spot. Yet, the Flyers will now need to explore their options elsewhere. Unfortunately, this year's free agent market is not going to provide them with that, as the best pending UFA centers are Boone Jenner, Scott Laughton, Erik Haula, and Jack Roslovic. 

The Toronto Marlies have booked their ticket to the AHL's Calder Cup final after defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2-1 in overtime on Sunday night, ending the Eastern Conference final series in six games.

The Marlies now await the winner between the Colorado Eagles and Chicago Wolves to kick off their first Calder Cup final appearance since 2018.

Plenty has changed since the Marlies won their first Calder Cup in 2018. Several members of the team's staff earned NHL roles, either with the Toronto Maple Leafs or elsewhere, and the same can be said for a handful of the players.

In 2018, Kyle Dubas was the GM of the Marlies, and Sheldon Keefe was the head coach of the team. The very next season after winning the Calder Cup, Dubas became GM of the Maple Leafs, and Keefe was promoted to coach them in 2019-20.

While they haven't won any Stanley Cups since or any notable playoff runs, they've led the Maple Leafs to some excellent regular seasons. In fact, the Dubas and Keefe Leafs are responsible for three of Toronto's six best NHL seasons in franchise history. That includes the top two, with a 115-point campaign in 2021-22 and a 111-point season in 2022-23.

GM Ryan Hardy runs this year's Marlies team, and John Gruden is the head coach. Hardy has been the GM of the Marlies since 2021-22, while this is Gruden's third year as the bench boss.

After the Maple Leafs fired Brad Treliving, Hardy, alongside Brandon Pridham, was co-GM of the NHL team to finish out the year. Before that, Hardy had been an assistant GM for four seasons.

As for Gruden, with the head coaching vacancy with the Maple Leafs, he could very well be a candidate to lead the NHL team from behind the bench next season. For the most part, coaches who win the Calder Cup get an opportunity in the NHL. 

Examples of that would be Jon Cooper, Jared Bednar, Jeff Blashill, Ryan Warsofsky and now Manny Malhotra. Even further down the line in history, Todd McLellan, John Tortorella, Peter Laviolette, Barry Trotz, and others have won the Calder Cup and had notable careers behind an NHL bench. 

So, for the Marlies' Gruden, a promotion could be in the fold in the near future.

'I've Gotten A Bit Stronger': Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan Feels Marlies Playoff Run Helped Him GrowWith big moments in the Calder Cup playoffs with the Toronto Marlies, Toronto Maple Leafs youngster Easton Cowan believes that his game has been growing on the ice.

In terms of the Marlies roster that won the 2018 Calder Cup, there are several familiar names that went on to become NHL regulars not long after.

Many players on that team have played over 300 NHL games, including the likes of Trevor Moore, Justin Holl, Mason Marchment, Kasperi Kapanen, Travis Dermott, Timothy Liljegren, Pierre Engvall and Carl Grundstrom. 

This year's team has more veterans on the roster compared to the 2018 winning team. However, there are still some youngsters who could make an impression in the NHL one day.

Players such as Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan have already stuck their foot in the door with the Maple Leafs and will likely get plenty more opportunities next year.

In addition, Luke Haymes, Ryan Tverberg, Noah Chadwick, and, of course, the strong goaltending tandem of Artur Akhtyamov and Dennis Hildeby could be destined for the NHL in the coming years.

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The Montreal Canadiens’ blueline isn’t exactly the most physical in the league, and Martin St-Louis doesn’t have a lot of trust in Arber Xhekaj, whether he wants to admit it or not. The gritty blueliner even played just 1:52 in his last game in the playoffs, and it looks like he could be moved this summer, even if he is an RFA.

If that’s the case, Kent Hughes should take a long, hard look at Jeremy Lauzon. The Vegas Golden Knights blueliner won’t fill the net; he’s a stay-at-home blueliner, but he’s one that definitely has his coach’s trust, and he’s a Quebecer.

Today In Canadiens History: A Legendary Coaching Career Started
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If Vegas doesn’t sign him to a contract extension, Hughes should pounce. The 29-year-old might be a left-shot defender, but he would steady the Habs’ third pairing. He’s 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, and over his 384 career games in the NHL, he has averaged 17:34 of ice time.

In Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final, which went to double overtime, he spent 25:08 on the ice, blocked six shots and landed four hits. He’s also used on the Knights' second penalty killing unit, which would lighten the load on Lane Hutson. While the sophomore defenseman has shown that he can play on the PK, it would be ideal if St-Louis didn’t have to use him when Montreal is down a man; he could rest him and get more offensive minutes out of him.

Lauzon is coming off a four-year contract with a $2 million cap hit. Granted, he’ll be after a raise, but he might still not be all that expensive and with the cap going up again this upcoming season, the Canadiens could afford to make the move. The one red flag may be his injury history, but it would be worth digging into it to establish if he’s injury prone, or just unlucky.

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As we wait for a Stanley Cup champion to get on with the rest of the offseason, the name of Detroit Red Wings’ top center is percolating in the rumor mill. Word is Dylan Larkin has requested a trade. Most teams should be interested but it seems there’s only three teams he’s willing to waive his No Trade Clause to join — Florida, Minnesota and Vegas. Will he get what he wants or will Steve Yzerman get the upper hand?

Helene reports that Dylan Larkin gave #LGRW three teams where he'd accept a trade and believes those teams are: #FlaPanthers, #mnwild and #VGK. https://t.co/RGkuQuBXAi

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 8, 2026

One organization that is making moves is the Nashville Predators and Chris MacFarland quickly added former LA Kings GM Rob Blake to his staff. Apparently there were thoughts of Blake joining the Avalanche and that option is now removed.

Welcome to Smashville, Rob! 👋

We've hired Rob Blake as the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations.

Full details » https://t.co/KemLeOR7fgpic.twitter.com/1pWu4PzQt9

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) June 5, 2026

It’s also awards season since the in-person show got nixed. There were mixed reviews on how Tampa Bay Lightning’s star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy received the Vezina trophy. The NHL set up a prank and stuffed the trophy in his very small car, saying the police needed to raid it. All was good in the end but was it necessary?

A special surprise for Andrei Vasilevskiy! 🏆 #NHLAwards

Andrei Vasilevskiy is the winner of the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender for the second time in his career! pic.twitter.com/mZw1WVXF8I

— NHL (@NHL) June 6, 2026

Russian center with pro build has interesting case for Flyers at No. 21 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For the first time in a while, the Flyers are coming off a playoff run.

That, of course, makes life a little different for the club’s amateur scouting staff leading up to the 2026 NHL draft. Barring a trade, the Flyers will pick at 21st overall. It’s their lowest first-round spot since 2020.

But that was when the Flyers drafted a foundation piece, grabbing Tyson Foerster at 23rd overall.

So the Flyers know the draft is still critical to what they want to do, even when they’re lower in the order.

“We’ve said it for a long time, we wanted to build a team that was going to be here for a long time; not just to go for it for a year or two,” general manager Danny Briere said last month. “That’s still the same approach on my end.”

The Flyers have only five picks in this draft, which will be held June 26-27. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at 11 a.m. ET.

“I’ll tell you how I feel about drafts and I’ll be totally blunt with you,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said last Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think it’s f—ing bulls–t when I hear about, ‘Oh, this draft isn’t as good.’ Here are the numbers. Approximately 45 players from any draft will play 350 games or more in the NHL. It might be 47 one year, 42 another year. That’s the number — you get 45 players that’ll play 350 games or more with varying degrees of success.

“And I know this about the draft. The teams that get good players from the draft say it was a good draft. The teams that don’t get good players from the draft say it wasn’t a good draft. So when people start telling me about a draft ahead of time, I call bulls–t.”

Last summer, the Flyers made nine selections, with six coming over the first two rounds. Porter Martone was their headliner at sixth overall. Now the Flyers will try to hit on a pick in the 20s.

“What you’re trying to do is find a player that you feel has the potential to be an NHL player,” Button said. “That might be a third-line center, that might be a second-line scoring winger. Hey, listen, maybe you get David Pastrnak, who’s a superstar (drafted 25th overall in 2014).

“But the focus has to be on, ‘OK, what type of player do we like, what type of player do we think the guy can be?’ And then get after it and understand what the development path is, and then try to help that player be the best he can be. Put a stake in the ground and celebrate who you’re drafting.”

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

Next up:

Ilia Morozov

Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 200
Shoots: Left
Team: Miami (Ohio)

Scouting report

The Russian prospect provides a noticeable presence and strong work ethic down the middle.

At just 17 years old, Morozov was rock solid in his transition to the college level. He put up eight goals and 12 assists in 36 games for Miami (Ohio). Three of his goals came on the power play and one at shorthanded. He had a two-goal performance on the road against Western Michigan, the defending national champs at the time.

“Good player,” Button, a former NHL GM and scout, said. “I see him as a third-line center. Nothing wrong with third-line centers, third-line centers are really valuable.”

His ceiling offensively might not be super high, but Morozov sees the ice well and his shot has potential. Button has him at No. 25 on his May 20 draft list.

“Anton Lundell and Adam Lowry, to me, are the prototypical third-line centers,” Button said. “I think Anton has a little bit easier of a time scaling up to what I would call a 2b. He can be a second-line center, he can do that, but he’s not a prolific point producer you might want from a second-line center. But an excellent third-line center and I think Adam Lowry is an excellent third-line center.

“I see the same thing with Morozov. I don’t see this guy that’s going to be a big offensive force, but I see a guy that with his size, his spurt, his competitiveness, you want out there on the ice. That’s kind of the profile that I look at with these types of players.”

Morozov is the 10th-ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting. EliteProspects.com has him as the 21st-best player, while Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis has him at No. 23.

Fit with Flyers

The Flyers have needed more centers in their system, so Morozov checks a box there. But the concern may be his upside. Can the Flyers grab a player with more of a top-six makeup?

The club is hoping Jett Luchanko, Jack Berglund or Jack Nesbitt can eventually develop into a second-line center, but there’s no guarantee there. Morozov would at least give the Flyers another option down the middle.

His size and strength are intriguing, especially when you consider Berglund and Nesbitt are both 6-foot-4 or taller. Down the road, the Flyers would possibly have an imposing look at a premium position.

Morozov’s ability to relate to Matvei Michkov would be a nice bonus, too.

More targets

• Could Lawrence’s early jump to college have him fall to Flyers in draft?

• Will Flyers eye 6-foot-4 forward with ‘goal-scoring hands’ at No. 21?

• Palmieri ‘type of player’ may be available for Flyers at No. 21 in draft

Last Thursday, news broke that Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin had requested a trade.

The 29-year-old centerman, who won gold with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, is entering the fourth season of an eight-year deal worth $8.7 million annually. 

Per Helen St. James of the Detroit Free Press, the New York Islanders, who are looking to add a top-six scorer, are not one of the teams on Larkin's shortlist, which was submitted to Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman.

Those three teams are believed to be: Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights. 

Spoiler alert: #Isles are not on Dylan Larkin’s initial 3-team lst. https://t.co/q1ZHUmT96v

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) June 8, 2026

While this list can be expanded on, and likely will be, it's clear that Larkin wants to join a Stanley Cup contender, as he should, after years of waiting for Yzerman to build a winning hockey club in Michigan. 

NHL Insider Frank Seravalli has cited The Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James, and confirmed that Dylan Larkin has submitted a three team list for a trade out of Detroit. 

The three teams are the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and, to no one's surprise, the Vegas Golden Knights. Shocker, right? 

This means that the Columbus Blue Jackets are effectively out of the running for Larkin's services.  

Many fans considered it a pipe dream anyway, but with the Zach Werenski connection, many believed that it could be a move that very well might happen. Other fans knew from the start that Larkin would never come to Columbus, as the soon-to-be 30-year-old had no interest in a team like Columbus. 

Helene reports that Dylan Larkin gave #LGRW three teams where he'd accept a trade and believes those teams are: #FlaPanthers, #mnwild and #VGK. https://t.co/RGkuQuBXAi

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 8, 2026

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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