The post-Brady Tkachuk era began at least one season earlier than anyone could have imagined on Sunday night, and the announcement ruined many a Father's Day dinner.
Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers for the 9th and 25th overall selections in Friday’s NHL Draft, a conditional, lottery-protected first-round pick in 2029, and a second-round pick in 2027.
GM Steve Staios met the media on Monday and made it very clear this was not his idea and that he felt it best to accommodate the trade request rather than play a waiting game.
Though many Sens purists were in denial about this day ever coming, the signs were there. Matthew relocated to Florida, won two Stanley Cups, played with Brady at the 4 Nations Faceoff, and captured Olympic gold alongside his brother.
Now that the deal is done, rather than roasting the departed, it's important to note what this might mean in the big picture, not just for the Senators, but for all Canadian NHL markets.
1) What Canadian Teams Can Learn From The Brady Tkachuk Trade
This is not the first time this has happened in the NHL or even to the Senators.
Tkachuk was selected in the 2018 draft, and Alex DeBrincat was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022.
Neither was ultimately committed to a long-term future with the Senators, and for their own reasons, wanted to return to play in the States.
The template for this kind of move was set by Matthew Tkachuk, who forced Brad Treliving’s hand in Calgary and landed himself in Florida via trade.
Making a star American-born player the linchpin in a Canadian market via the draft or a blockbuster trade can carry an extra risk if they hope to keep them after free agency hits. Canadian teams need to be cautious and understand that.
2) American Players Currently Available Through Trade or Free Agency
Potential replacement players in the marketplace for Tkachuk and to fill the already existing top-six scoring forward dilemma are the talk of the town. The Sens got started with a deal on Tuesday for San Jose's William Eklund and two prospects, but their search may not be over.
They've also been linked to American players like RFA Jason Robertson and UFA Alex Tuch.
Robertson seems like a no-brainer if he wanted to come. He would really take the sting off losing a player like Tkachuk. Would he come in a sign and trade scenario? That is the $12 million question.
3) No Movement Clauses in Negotiations
These clauses have become more common with top players.
However, the Tkachuk trade is not the only trade where this sort of clause, regardless of the player’s citizenship, has put the team and others around the league in a bad position when it comes to negotiations and finding them new NHL homes.
Policy on the use of these clauses should be particularly stringent in negotiations with American players where it might be best to pay the higher AAV to ensure maximum return when an asset needs to be moved.
Contracts like Dylan Larkin’s, where the full no movement is in the early years of the player’s contract before any decline has occurred, seem to make more sense than a full NMC end-to-end.
There is a path forward, and there is life after Brady Tkachuk. If Steve Staios believes the team does not need to take a step backwards to recover from this, then let him execute his plan.
When push comes to shove, the lessons listed above need to be on the minds of all Canadian NHL General Managers.
What was supposed to be an easy episode about the draft turned into a look at a wild few days in the NHL and where the Islanders sit among the craziness.
We don’t know anything about prospects. So we reached out to our Patrons and asked them who they’d like to see the Islanders draft this Friday. A few names rose to the top for a variety of reasons, some good and some silly. Most of all, we want the Islanders to come out of Buffalo this weekend with a clear direction and a plan forward. Some nice prospects would be good, too, of course. But there’s a difference between working towards a goal and just keeping the lights on.
A few teams around the NHL are certainly working towards their goals, although it’s hard to see what some of those are. The Panthers grabbed Brady Tkachuk with the goal of winning another Stanley Cup, and the Senators replaced their captain by using one of their acquired picks to get William Eklund from the Sharks. The Blackhawks and Capitals spent a lot to get Bo Byram and Jordan Kyrou, respectfully, which makes us think the Islanders might be better off playing it safe. But the reality is, they might not have a choice. With a lot of older players locked into long, expensive contracts, they don’t have the wiggle room to maneuver the way other teams do, which means there’s a good chance next season’s team looks a lot like last season’s. That’s certainly a direction. Just not the one we want.
Along the way, we make some predictions about the draft, come to a startling revelation about the Islanders involvement in one of Wednesday’s trades and lament the hiring of longtime Islander villain Pascal Dupuis to their front office. Really, guys?
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The sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins from The Fenway Sports Group to Hoffman Family of Companies was unanimously approved by the NHL Board of Governors on June 23.
The sale was announced more than six months ago on Dec. 19, 2025, and it's expected to close imminently.
How much did the Pittsburgh Penguins sale cost?
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told NHL.com the transaction is set to cost about $1.75 billion.
In 2021, Fenway Sports Group bought controlling interest of the Penguins for $900 million from Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle. FSG owns several sports properties, including the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park in Boston.
"Actually, the deal was made a year ago, so based on the valuations at that time, that was consistent with what Sportico and Forbes and CNBC were doing, although at the time and even now I think it was low," Bettman said of the $1.75 billion valuation for the Penguins to NHL.com. "Having said that, it's nice that the Hoffmans got a good deal and it's nice that Fenway in five years doubled its investment. I still think it's low, but that's OK."
What are the Hoffmann Family of Companies that bought the Penguins?
The Hoffman Family of Companies, or HF Companies, is owned by couple David and Jerri Hoffman of Naples, Fla. The company owns a large catalog of area real estate, businesses, the Florida Everblades minor league hockey team and Hertz Arena.
With the acquisition of the Penguins, Geoff Hoffmann, CEO of HF Companies' Private Equity arm, will serve as Governor. Greg Hoffmann, CEO of the firm’s Real Estate arm; Kyle Dubas, General Manager & President of Hockey Operations of the Pittsburgh Penguins; and David Hoffmann, Founder & Chairman of HF Companies, will each serve as Alternate Governors.
David Hoffman bought Florida's Everblades and Hertz Arena in August 2019. The Blades were affiliated with the St. Louis Blues for the last two seasons, but the Blues announced June 22 that they have moved their ECHL affiliation to the Worcester (Mass.) Railers with an agreement through the 2030-31 season, leaving Florida looking for a new partner. Pittsburgh has had an affiliation agreement with the Wheeling Nailers for 29 years.Four years ago, Geoff Hoffman and his wife Megan founded Type 1 Timer Hockey in 2022. Inspired by their son Henry's experience of living with Type 1 diabetes, it's the only hockey camp in the United States intended specifically for kids with the diagnosis and is held annually at Hertz Arena.
"The Penguins represent everything Hoffmann Family of Companies stands for — community, excellence and long-term thinking," Geoff Hoffman said in a release. "We look forward to building on the team’s success by providing support and resources to both Kyle Dubas and the hockey operations team, as well as the established leadership group on the business side. We're proud to represent this storied franchise and are eager to become an active, invested part of the Pittsburgh community."
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
According to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, one name to watch this week, and as NHL free agency opens, is former Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi.
Pagnotta writes, "We’re a week away from the free agent doors swinging open. One player to look out for: Jesse Puljujarvi." He adds, "He had a monster season in the Swiss League. His hip issues are a thing of the past, I’m told, and there’s already lots interest from several teams eyeing a mid-six upgrade."
Could the Oilers be among them?
This is a different management team that has no real history with Puljujarvi. There's a new coaching crew that would be able to give him a fresh look and while many of the same players are here that saw Puljujarvi struggle, if accountability and effort are going to be the focus of training camp and the 2026-27 season, maybe Puljujarvi thrives under someone like Mike Babcock. Perhaps he needs that structure and no-nonsense leader to finally break through.
He scored 52 points in 52 games this past season playing for Geneve Servette. Prior to leaving the NHL, he spent time with both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers in 2024-25. He's shown flashes of a high ceiling in the NHL, but not been able to put it all together.
If he gets another shot in the NHL, this could be his last. He'll be extremely motivated and as a big body with skill, maybe he's a fit on a low-cost, relatively risk-free contract.
He was taken fourth overall by the Oilers in the 2016 draft and there may be a part of this organization that would love to see that selection finally pay off.
If you’re reading this story, there is a good chance that you remember where you were on June 24, 2024.
It was on that night, inside a packed Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, that the Florida Panthers became Stanley Cup champions for the first time in team history.
Florida defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 that night, ending an epic series that was an intense roller coaster of emotions for both the teams and their fans.
The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 series lead, winning the first three games of the Final by a combined score of 11-4.
It looked like they were an unstoppable force destined to cruise their way to a Stanley Cup.
Then the Oilers dominated Game 4, turning Downtown Edmonton into a party zone after beating down the Panthers 8-1.
They followed that up with a 5-3 road win in Game 5 and a strong 5-1 win in Game 6, pulling off the unthinkable and forcing a seventh and deciding game.
With all the momentum squarely on Edmonton’s side, it was an unbelievable situation for the Panthers and their fans to find themselves in ahead of a do-or-die Game 7.
The Panthers got back to their roots, grinding down Edmonton and holding them to only a handful of high-end chances while skating to a resounding 2-1 victory.
For all the blood, sweat and tears it took to reach the pinnacle, it sure seemed worth it during that night of celebrating.
Enjoy the memories today, and relive some of the magic in the videos below.
Photo caption Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov (16) hoists the Stanley Cup after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
The St. Louis Blues, after a long time under consideration, have parted ways with Jordan Kyrou, sending him to the Washington Capitals for a package of two players and a pick.
The Blues received 25-year-old Connor McMichael, prospect Milton Gastrin, and the 16th overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft.
That’s a very positive haul for the Blues, who add another skilled forward prospect in Gastrin, a fourth first-round pick in this year’s draft, and McMichael, an established NHL center with recent success in the league.
McMichael and Kyrou each finished the 2025-26 season with 46 points, although both players clearly had down years.
The year prior, McMichael scored 26 goals and 57 points in 82 games as the Capitals finished in first place in the Eastern Conference.
While McMichael’s history of success isn’t as strong as Kyrou’s, McMichael brings versatility to play center or wing.
Stylistically, McMichael and Kyrou have similarities. McMichael is a speedy winger, ranking in the 77th percentile in max skating speed, while ranking in the 69th percentile of players recording 20-22 miles per hour bursts, according to NHL EDGE.
Connor McMichael scored 14 goals and 46 points in 78 games this season. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
McMichael is also a dual-threat offensive player, possessing a strong shot and goalscoring instincts while also maintaining a playmaker’s mindset. The former 25th overall pick of the 2019 NHL draft i a capable puck handler, willing to skate with the puck in transition.
But that’s not the only way McMichael is effective. He is a smart player, which makes him an offensive threat without the puck. McMichael is efficient at timing his entrances to high-danger areas.
His defensive game isn’t as polished as Kyrou’s has become, but there is still plenty of time for him to improve in that aspect of the game.
McMichael is an RFA who was earning $2.1 million on his last contract. His qualifying offer is also $2.1 million, but the expectation is that McMichael is looking for a deserved pay raise.
Where McMichael fits in the lineup will be an interesting aspect to watch. Robert Thomas is the first-line center, and Dalibor Dvorsky will skate on either the second or third line. Could McMichael play up the middle for the Blues, or will he be shifted to the wing?
The Blues have an abundance of left-handed wingers: Dylan Holloway, Jake Neighbours, Pavel Buchnevich, and Otto Stenberg. On the right side, they have Jimmy Snuggerud and possibly Justin Carbonneau, if the Blues believe he is ready to play in the NHL next season.
McMichael is a skilled, adaptable forward, who should be able to play anywhere in the Blues lineup.
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The NHL's new Collective Bargaining Agreement cut preseason down from six games to four. This upcoming preseason will be the first time since 2014 that the Islanders hand't faced the Philadelphia Flyers.
Also included in the preseason release is the scheduling of two rookie camp scrimmages against the New Jersey Devils.
On Sept. 13, the Islanders rookies will face the Devils' in New Jersey at their practice facility before hosting them at Northwell Health Ice Center on Sept. 15.
Islanders rookie camp opens a week before NHL camp does.
On Tuesday, Calgary Flames General Manager Craig Conroy made a blockbuster trade with the New Jersey Devils, acquiring 21-year-old defenseman Simon Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
Nemec joins the youth movement in Calgary, one led by 19-year-old Zayne Parekh, 23-year-old Matt Coronato, 24-year-old Dustin Wolf, 24-year-old Connor Zary, and 26-year-old Martin Pospisil.
“I’m pretty excited to join Calgary, it’s a good young team. I think it can be a really good spot for me, so I’m really happy.”
Simon Nemec is eager to join the squad and reunite with his fellow countrymen!https://t.co/ZuN2Mxq3rJ
Moreover, the Flames not only acquired a young player with three years of NHL experience, but Nemec has logged a lot of minutes for Slovakia in international hockey.
Here are five fascinating statistics about Nemec's career.
5. Named MVP of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Nemec had a great 2020-21 season. First, he played 39 games with HK Nitra, scoring 26 points. Then, he led all Slovakian U18 skaters in points and earned a Top 3 Player on Team award at the U20 World Juniors.
However, the following year, in 2021-22, he skated for the first time at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and won the tournament's MVP award and captured a silver medal. As captain, he had one goal and five assists in six games.
4. Nemec Will Be Only the 7th Slovakian Player in Flames History
As of 2026, Nemec is one of just 95 players from Slovakia to play in the NHL, and just the 29th defenseman to skate in a game. Moreover, he is about to become only the 7th player from Slovakia to put on a Flamin' C sweater, joining current teammates Martin Pospisil and Samuel Honzek.
Interestingly, Nemec will become the first and only defenseman from his country to play in Calgary, since everyone else has been a forward. Former Flames players from Slovakia include Adam Ruzicka, Ronald Petrovicky, Robert Dome, and Marek Hrivik.
3. Enjoys Playing Flames Goalies, Past and Present
Nemec has scored only 16 goals in the NHL, with his first coming against Philipp Grubauer and the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 7, 2023. So far, he's lit the lamp against 12 goalies, with Spencer Knight of the Chicago Blackhawks surrendering the most, since he gave up Nemec's only career hat trick on Nov. 12, 2025.
Interestingly, the former Devils' defenseman has beaten both of his new teammates, Wolf and Devin Cooley, while also getting one past former Flames goalie Dan Vladar. With five career goals against the Blackhawks, Nemec should enjoy playing in the Western Conference, as the two teams will meet three times.
2. Third-Highest Scoring Defenseman from 2022 Draft
As the second overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Nemec is just one of 76 players from his class to suit up for a game in the league. Of course, that year's leading scorer is first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky of the Montreal Canadiens with 184 points, while Nemec ranks 10th overall in scoring.
With 49 points in 155 games, he is the third-highest scoring defenseman from 2022, behind the Canadiens' Lane Hutson (146 points) and the Anaheim Ducks' Pavel Mintyukov (69 points). Regarding games played, Nemec moves up to 8th and is one of 12 skaters in his draft class to surpass 100 games.
1. Won an Olympic Bronze Medal in 2022
Because Nemec had not yet made the jump to North America in 2022, he had a chance to represent Slovakia at the Winter Olympics. At just 18 years old, he captured a bronze medal when his team defeated Sweden. To make the lineup, Nemec had to play in qualifying games, where he picked up an assist in three contests. At the Winter Olympics, he played in seven games, picking up another assist.
In 2026, Nemec returned to the Slovakian lineup, first in two qualifying games, and six more at the Olympic Games. Once again, they played in the bronze medal game, except this time around, Slovakia lost 6-1 to Finland. Through two appearances, Nemec has already played 13 Olympic games.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Dennis Cholowski will hit the free agent market on July 1st, his agent confirmed with The Hockey News on Wednesday morning.
The 28-year-old served as one of the club’s depth defenseman, appearing in 17 games for the Devils in 2025-26 and 13 in the American Hockey League with the Utica Comets. He was acquired by New Jersey in March 2025 from the New York Islanders for forward Adam Beckman.
Drafted in the first round in the 2016 NHL Draft, he has additionally played for the Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals, and Seattle Kraken.
Cholowski was among the handful of unrestricted free agents facing uncertain futures with the Devils, alongside Evgenii Dadonov, Zack MacEwen, and Colton White.
When NHL free agency opens at 1 p.m. ET on July 1, it will mark Sunny Mehta's first opportunity to navigate the market as the Devils' general manager.
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
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As the day progressed, we saw the Ottawa Senators flip the No. 9 pick they just acquired from the Florida Panthers in the Brady Tkachuk trade to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for William Eklund, hinting that Ivan Stenberg may be their selection at No. 2.
William is the older brother of Islanders prospect Victor Eklund, who the team selected 16th overall at the 2025 NHL Draft.
The last trade of the day -- the biggest head-scratcher, too -- was the Chicago Blackhawks trading the No. 4 overall pick and No. 45 in the 2026 NHL Draft to acquire Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres, a gambful, for sure.
That second-round pick was the Islanders.
On day two of the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, former Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello traded that pick to Chicago to get them to take the final season of Josh Bailey's deal which carried a $5 million cap hit.
It's time for Chicago to start acquiring NHL talent over prospects, but this deal has to work, especially when you see Byram's AAV on his upcoming extension.
The Islanders, after missing the playoffs for the last two seasons, have yet to get involved in these pre-draft trade shenanigans as we wait and see how general manager Mathieu Darche decides to navi his second free agency on Long Island.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 29: Louka Cloutier meets team personnel after being selected 132nd overall by the Colorado Avalanche during the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft Rounds 2-7 at Sphere on June 29, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Again, and for the foreseeable future, the NHL Entry Draft is of a different relevance to the Colorado Avalanche as they don’t have a first round pick until at least 2029. Even their lone remaining second round selection for the foreseeable future (in 2027) likely won’t make it through the next trade deadline so picking later in the draft is the new normal for Colorado.
Still, this draft offers more intrigue than usual because the Avalanche hold nine draft picks, though Colorado won’t be on the clock until day two. That might not sound exciting or important but if the Carolina Hurricanes can get a Jackson Blake at 109th overall then it’s no excuse to write-off the goal of getting an impact player outside the top 100 picks.
Colorado’s 2026 draft class splits evenly into two different tiers. First, the newly acquired third round pick from the Ross Colton trade plus a duo of fourth and fifth round picks make for a nice mid-round cluster and then there’s four remaining Hail Mary lotto tickets in the seventh round. Both sections of the draft require a bit of a different strategy but it is still possible to get NHL contributions in each portion of the draft as shown below.
Candidates at 74th Overall
Huzzah! Joe Sakic procured a relevant draft asset in the aforementioned recent Ross Colton trade. This was Nashville’s own third round pick and holds some decent value especially as it sits in the top third of the round. There’s a lot of thought that this pick should just get traded because the Avalanche have made horrendous picks in the third round (and later) as shown below but that shouldn’t be an excuse to stop trying. A good pick needs to be coupled with a development plan and organizational commitment but it can be done to try and reverse previous failures. Let’s be honest, whoever gets selected at 74th overall is in all probability instantly a top five prospect in this organization.
Perhaps it’s time to go back to the Rouyn-Noranda well to look for options in the third round with this rare opportunity for Colorado to pick early on the second day of the draft. Enter Lars Steiner who is a 5-foot-10 right winger import to the QMJHL from Switzerland. He can shoot the puck as evidenced by his 30 goals in 44 games this season and produced 55 points overall. Steiner played on the Swiss team at the World Junior Championship and contributed four points in five games. As a late birthday he will turn 18 this fall and should have many options available to him on where to play next season. Steiner is ranked 89th on NHL Central Scouting’s North American list but many other rankings have him in the third round. He’s the type of talent the Avalanche might be intrigued by as they value goal scoring in their prospects highly.
Candidates at 126th, 128th, 149th, and 152nd Overall
With this much mid-round draft capital it is possible the Avalanche package some of these picks to move around the draft board. This isn’t something the organization has done much of in the past, in fact the only draft selection in the Joe Sakic era they have moved up for was when they ascended ten spots to 139th to select Ryder Rolston in 2020. Of course the idea is contingent on not trading these picks away in other deals for immediate needs on the Avalanche roster.
It is difficult to identify any particular targets 100 picks deep into the draft but there will always be some fallers who were expected to go a round or two higher. Those types of players should be the target here in hopes to rebuild the prospect system. Forecasting particulars, though, Colorado loves their specific targets of overagers, NCAA players and Russians. Potentially a combination of two or three of those attributes would be perfect if they can find it.
One player actually does fit all three criteria and that is Egor Barabanov, ranked number one on The Althetic’s top overager list as the left shot center was fourth in the OHL in scoring for Saginaw with and has recently committed to UMass. We know the Avalanche have a lot of familiarity with that program and have a prospect in defenseman Francesco Dell’Elce heading into his junior year at the school. Listed at 43rd on NHL Central Scouting’s rankings for North American skaters Barabanov might fall out of reach for Colorado but the value of overagers is tough to peg. Still, no doubt the young Russian is on their radar.
Candidates at 195th, 214th, 215th, and 222nd Overall
There has been an interesting draft factoid for the Avalanche is that almost all seventh rounds picks they have taken in their history drafted out of the CHL have been signed to a NHL Entry Level Contract (the lone exception being goalie Ivan Zhigalov drafted in 2022). The CHL produces a deep talent pool will always have some options late in the draft, Nikita Prishchepov’s selection at 217th overall in 2024 as the latest example. While the impetus is to use very late draft selections on long-term projects from either Russia or the NCAA, it’s interesting to note that the CHL seventh round picks have made it a worthy investment.
Speaking of Russian goaltenders, Yegor Rybkin has Avalanche prospect written all over him. He is the second ranked international goalie, stands at 6-foot-7 and was injured for most of the year, which might make him drop in the rankings. He plays in Russia’s MHL for the Nizhny Novgorod system so his NHL rights will be held indefinitely by the team that drafts him. The organization loves large goaltenders and long-term projects. With four seventh round pick at their disposal some selections will fit that criteria.
For the first time since a stunning trade that sent him packing to the City of Brotherly Love, former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll has broken his silence.
Taking to Instagram, the 27-year-old goaltender posted a heartfelt farewell to the city that drafted him a decade ago, expressing deep gratitude for his time in Blue and White while signaling he is ready for a fresh start with the Philadelphia Flyers.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the organization, the city, my friends and especially, my teammates for helping make my time in Toronto so special. I have enough memories to last a lifetime. I’ll forever be proud and grateful for my time with the Leafs. 🍁Philly, get ready.”
- Joseph Woll on Instagram.
“The trade, the first by newly appointed Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka, caught many by surprise. Toronto sent Woll alongside fan-favourite, hard-hitting defenseman Simon Benoit to the Flyers. In return, the Maple Leafs acquired goaltender Samuel Ersson, 24-year-old Swedish blueliner Emil Andrae, and a third-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft.
For Woll, the move marks the end of a highly scrutinized tenure in Toronto. Selected 62nd overall by the Leafs in the 2016 draft, “The Brick Woll” showed flashes of brilliant, elite-level goaltending but battled inconsistencies and untimely injuries. He departs Toronto with a career regular-season record of 63-43-9, a 2.94 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage, and four shutouts across 117 games. In the postseason, he went 6-6 with a 2.73 GAA and a .906 save percentage over 14 appearances.
However, the 2025-26 campaign was a grueling one for both Woll and the Maple Leafs, who missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in ten years. Tasked with anchoring the crease alongside Anthony Stolarz, Woll struggled behind a porous Toronto defense that surrendered the second-most goals per game in the league (3.60). He posted a 15-16-7 record, and while he recorded a career-high two shutouts, his 3.34 GAA and .899 save percentage over 39 games were the lowest marks of his NHL career.
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The Columbus Blue Jackets took part in their first Entry Draft on June 24th, 2000, in Calgary, Alberta. They left Calgary after drafting 11 players; how did it go?
They took, with the 4th overall pick, Rostislav Klesla from the Brampton Battalion of the OHL. The big defenseman played in 8 games in the 2000-01 season before being sent back to his junior team in Brampton.
Klesla made the team full-time the next season, playing in 75 games. He scored 8 goals and had 16 points. Klesla played with the Jackets until 2011 when he was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes. He would go on to play 3 more seasons in Phoenix, until on November 26, 2013 he was placed on waivers by the Coyotes. On March 4, 2014 he was traded to the Washington Capitals. One day later he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres. On March 8th, he refused to report to the Sabres, and was later suspended. He went back to Europe to his home country of the Czech Republic to play, and then retire in 2016.
Klesla finished his NHL career with a stat line of 48 goals and 159 points in 659 games. Rusty, as his teammates and fans called him, was beloved during his time in Columbus.
The rest of the 2000 Entry Draft for the CBJ did not do so well. Only two other players they picked that year ever played in the NHL. Petteri Nummelin, a defenseman from Finland, played in 139 career NHL games. Slovakian center Andrej Nedorost played in 28 career NHL games.
The 2000 draft class is stacked with stars. From Rick DiPietro, Dany Heatley, and Niklas Kronwall to Ilya Bryzgalov, Justin Williams, and newly elected Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist.
But the crazy thing about this draft is how many players found their way to Columbus and played for the Blue Jackets. Besides Rusty Klesla (4), Marion Gaborik (3), Raffi Torres (5), Scott Hartnell (6), and Ron Hainsey (13) all played for the CBJ, and all were first-round picks. Antoine Vermette (55) and Mike Rupp (76) also played for the CBJ. Some of these guys had really good years playing for the Jackets too.
Oh what could have been.
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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The Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres completed a borderline blockbuster trade. Chicago sent the 4th & 45th overall picks, along with Louis Crevier, to Buffalo in exchange for Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway.
Byram is an incredible defenseman who comes to Chicago hoping to be their number one. He feels that after a career year, it is time for him to get the ice time and paycheck that he deserves. With Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, and Owen Power already established in Buffalo, Byram felt overshadowed.
As a Blackhawk, Byram will be the number one guy on defense. On most nights, he will lead the team in time on ice, and should be their top offensive producer from the back-end. The team will be better with him on it.
The catch is that Byram has one year left on his deal, which carries a cap hit of $6.25 million. After that, he will require a substantial pay upgrade on a long-term extension. His salary will likely double. He is just 25 years old, which means he has some great hockey ahead of him, but it will still be a hard contract to live up to.
Jordan Greenway is not a game-changer. He will be a fourth-line option for Jeff Blashill, bringing a physical presence to the game, but you can't point to him as a reason the team will be better.
Early in the life of the trade, it has the makings of a legitimate disaster for the Chicago Blackhawks. They gave up a top-five pick and a second-round pick, along with a solid defenseman in Louis Crevier, for Bowen Byram without an extension and a fourth-line forward.
The outlook of the trade will improve if they get Byram signed, but there will also be worry about it becoming an albatross. They gave up a lot, including their most valuable asset, and Connor Bedard still has a huge hole on his wing.
In the likely event that they are unable to get Bedard a true top-line winger, that will make it four years in a row to start his career. That's terrible asset management.
Byram is a really good player, and the Blackhawks should have taken him 3rd overall in 2019, but this is a massive overpay for him 7 years later.
Blackhawks Trade Grade: D+
The trade grade will become a C if Byram signs a fair extension, and it will become an A if he is the true number one defenseman that the Blackhawks need for a large portion of the Connor Bedard era. For now, there are way too many question marks.
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TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 8: Matthew Knies #23 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on against the Washington Capitals during the third period at the Scotiabank Arena on April 8, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
Player X is a free agent. Player X can sign with any team. Player X ultimately decides to sign with Team Y because the GM or head coach of the team is a former teammate. Or they’re from the same hometown and came up through juniors together. Or, to quote a classic film in Spaceballs, he’s their father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say that nepotism is running rampant across the NHL, even though this is a league where we see players drafted all the time in part because of their bloodlines. Heck, the NHL themselves are all too happy to put a PDF out there showing direct ties between players, as they did this as recently as last year’s draft. But I do think connections and networking matter to some extent.
It’s something we see in the real world all the time. People might leave one job for another because of a personal connection with someone who is at the new place. People who are looking for work may leverage their network and talk to people they know until they land somewhere new. Why would the NHL be any different?
Sheldon Keefe had nearly a decade of experience in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, first with the Marlies and then the Maple Leafs, before coming to New Jersey. New general manager Sunny Mehta was in the Panthers organization from 2020-2026, with a brief consultation stop in Washington between his time in New Jersey and Florida.
Neither Keefe or Mehta are old, but they’ve been around long enough where they know people. They’ve built up those relationships over the years, whether its Keefe coaching someone or Mehta being a part of a front office that brought said player in.
This week, I thought it would be noteworthy to at least take a look at players who either will be or might be available this offseason with some previous connection to Keefe or Mehta. Some of these players will be under contract, but they may or may not be available for a trade. Some of these players might be free agents. But are any of them potential fits for a Devils team that will need to undergo some changes this summer as Mehta reshapes the roster?
I’m well aware there are a lot of players around the league who played for Keefe or Mehta, but for purposes of this article, I’ll try to avoid fourth line types. I already mentioned AJ Greer a few weeks ago and I’m not going to dive deeply into the Ryan Lombergs and Kevin Stenlunds of the world, with all due respect to those players.
Matthew Knies
Contract: 5 years, $7.75M AAV, 10-team no trade list starting in 2030-31
Matthew Knies has been on the trading block for what seems like several months now, and despite the Maple Leafs landing the #1 pick in the NHL Draft and their recent sign-and-trade acquisition of Darren Raddysh, it appears that Knies is very much still in play. In fact, Knies came dangerously close to being dealt to the Montreal Canadiens at the trade deadline for a package including a pair of first round picks and prospect Alexander Zharovsky.
Knies isn’t a perfect player as he doesn’t really drive play and his defensive metrics are so-so, but he does a lot of things well. He’s a big body winger who can get to the dirty areas in front of the net and make things happen with rebounds and redirections. He’s shown that he’s more than capable of playing with elite level players, and one would presume he’ll be tethered to Jack Hughes’s wing if the Devils were to land him. And in a rising cap environment, having a player like Knies locked in at under $8M AAV for the next half decade is a tremendous value. That should not be understated.
Keefe was in Toronto as Knies was breaking into the NHL, and while Knies didn’t have his breakout seasons until after Keefe left Toronto, we’re talking about a player who has yet to turn 24 years old and is still scratching the surface of what he’s going to be as a player.
Morgan Rielly
Contract: 4 years, $7.5M AAV, NMC, 10-team no trade list starting in 2028-29
Rielly, the current longest-tenured Maple Leaf, may or may not be on the trading block in Toronto.
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos wrote a few weeks ago that the belief is that Toronto is open to moving on from Rielly and that his NMC “wouldn’t be a major hurdle to overcome”. And Rielly did enjoy some of his finest seasons as a Maple Leaf with Keefe as the head coach, posting 68 points in 2021-22 and 58 points in 23-24. Rielly did struggle the last two seasons under Craig Berube, but it would stand to reason he could be a bounceback candidate if he were to play in a system better suited to his strengths as a player. And if anyone would know what those strengthts are, it’s Sheldon Keefe.
Rielly is not the greatest defensive defenseman, but he is still a good skater and he can move the puck….two things the Devils need more of from the backend.
Rielly could make sense for the Devils if they wind up sending a defenseman back Toronto’s way to help offset some of the salary, and with Raddysh in the fold in Toronto, Rielly might now be expendable to some extent. But with his NMC, Rielly has final say on his destination, so he’d have to want to be reunited with Keefe.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Contract: 2 years, $3.5M AAV, 16-team no-trade list
Keeping our eyes on Toronto, let’s take a look at another veteran defenseman on Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
OEL didn’t play for Keefe in Toronto, but he did play for Sunny Mehta in Florida in the 2023-24 season, picking up a Stanley Cup ring as a depth defenseman for the Panthers. OEL parlayed his Florida run into a four-year deal with the Maple Leafs, and while he was nearly traded this past season at the deadline, he ultimately stuck around in Toronto through the end of the season.
Ekman-Larsson enjoyed some of his best seasons in Arizona when he was with now-Leafs GM John Chayka, so its certainly possible that Chayka decides to hold on to the veteran blueliner. Considering Toronto is a team that has already been active this summer, I don’t know if that future includes Ekman-Larsson. But he’d be, at least from a contractual perspective, a relatively inexpensive veteran option who should help provide a little more offense from the backend.
I don’t know what the trade market would even look like for Ekman-Larsson, but I don’t think he’d cost a first-round pick to acquire.
Radko Gudas
Contract: Unrestricted free agent
At 36 years old, I don’t know how much Gudas has left in the tank in terms of being an effective hockey player.
Gudas, who spent three seasons in Florida with Mehta, is what he is at this stage of his career. He’s a defensive defenseman who blocks shots, hits people, and provides veteran leadership. He will not help a team offensively, and it’s debatable whether or not he’s helping the team enough defensively anymore. He’ll also throw the occasional and unnecessary dirty hit that will draw faux outrage from the Department of Player Safety.
The Devils would need to completely overhaul their backend to create enough openings where then I could justify considering Gudas for a 1-year deal. They may trade some defensemen, but I doubt its to create a spot for this type of player.
Anthony Duclair
Contract: 2 years, $3.5M AAV, 16-team no-trade
Duclair is a speedy winger who has generally been a decent source of secondary offense, but fairly or unfairly, has always managed to wear our his welcome no matter where he’s been. For a player who turns 31 this summer, there’s a decent chance he’ll be on his TENTH NHL team next season, and he hasn’t managed to last with any one team more than three seasons. Duclair was also benched by now-former Islanders coach Patrick Roy this past season.
I don’t write all of that to pick on Duclair or make fun of him. He’s a guy who can skate well and he has a good shot. He also had some of his best seasons in Florida with Sunny Mehta. Add in that the Islanders likely need to clear some cap space if they want to make additions to a group that nearly made the playoffs this past season and Duclair could be an odd man out in Elmont.
I’m not really interested in Duclair unless the Islanders were retaining salary, but he could be a name to keep an eye on if they choose to buy him out. In that scenario, I would have some mild interest in Duclair as a depth forward if he’d take a 1-year prove-it deal.
Vladimir Tarasenko
Contract: Unrestricted Free Agent
Admittedly, I had this article done and ready to publish. Then I saw the news that Vladimir Tarasenko is switching agents for what seems like the hundredth time and remembered that it was just over two years ago that the Panthers acquired Tarasenko for what would be a Stanley Cup winning run.
Tarasenko has been a long-time goalscorer, topping the 30+ goal plateau six times in his career with the Blues before bouncing around the league for much of the last half-decade, with stops in Minnesota, Detroit, South Florida, Ottawa, and that team across the Hudson River. Injuries and aging have seen a bit of a dip in his production, but he is coming off of a season where he scored 23 goals in Minnesota. That would place him fourth on the 25-26 Devils behind Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Timo Meier. Tarasenko wound up finishing third on the Wild in even-strength goals, showing he doesn’t need to be a power play specialist to be productive.
I don’t really know what to make of Tarasenko switching agents. Players don’t typically do that and then simultaneously sign team-friendly deals. AFP Analytics might be underselling Tarasenko with a one-year projection at roughly $3.4M AAV considering the rising cap and he’s coming off of a deal that paid him $4.75M AAV the last two years. Tarasenko might be a bit of a one-trick pony at this stage of his career, but it just so happens that that one trick is something the Devils could use more of in their lineup in goal scoring.
That said, Mehta was part of a Panthers front office that thought enough of him to bring him in as a depth piece and to provide secondary offense for a championship run. Tarasenko fit in well on that Panthers team before departing as a free agent. I could see Mehta being interested, and if Tarasenko is interested in another short-term deal, this is one that could make a lot of sense for the Devils.
Owen Tippett
Contract: 6 years, $6.2M AAV, 10-team no trade
I’ll preface this next part of the article saying this is from David Pagnotta, so take it with a grain of salt. But he did mention Owen Tippett’s name as a potential trade option recently, and it does seem like there’s a least a little smoke there, so let’s talk about it.
To be clear, the Flyers trading Tippett now makes little to no sense. They’re a team emerging from a multi-year rebuild, they made the playoffs this past season, and Tippett was arguably one of their best players during Philadelphia’s playoff run. Danny Briere signed Tippett to a contract extension not too long ago. They really shouldn’t be looking to move off of Tippett unless they’re convinced this is fool’s gold or someone makes them an offer they can’t refuse, and if I were the Devils, I’m not emptying the tank on an Owen Tippett trade as much as I respect the player.
That said, there’s a connection there as Mehta and Tippett overlapped in Florida. Florida did wind up moving Tippett, along with draft picks, in the Claude Giroux trade, and I can understand why Florida moved on when they did. To Tippett’s credit, he established himself as a regular with more consistent playing time in Philadelphia.
I don’t blame Mehta if he kicks the tires here. I just think its more likely he’ll have to try to find the next Owen Tippett rather than trading for the actual Owen Tippett. I think if the Devils and Flyers were to hook up on a trade, its unlikely to be involving a player of this magnitude.
Frank Vatrano
Contract: 2 years, $4.571M AAV, 7-team no trade
Vatrano overlapped with Mehta in Florida from 2020-2022 and was ok there as a secondary source of offense. But he took his game to another level when he initially landed in Anaheim.
Vatrano found a good landing spot on a team that had young players that had yet to establish themselves as NHL regulars. He saw the most ice time in his career, played in all situations, and posted career high marks in goals and points in 2023-24. He earned a nice three year contract extension with a modest pay raise as a result.
Unfortunately for Vatrano, he saw his role diminish this past season under the first one with new head coach Joel Quenneville in Anaheim. His ice time? One of the lowest of his career. His production? Career worst considering he appeared in 50 games. His playoff performance this season? Non-existent, as he was scratched for Anaheim’s run.
Vatrano needs a change of scenery, and to be clear, I have ZERO interest in Vatrano at his current number. But he might be worth keeping an eye on if Anaheim chooses to buy him out. And they might, as they’d save $4M against the cap the next two seasons by doing so and they have several key RFAs who need new contracts.
Michael Bunting
Contract: Unrestricted Free Agent
At this stage of his career, Bunting is a journeyman veteran winger who on his best day can chip in 15-20 goals over the course of a season.
That said, it wasn’t too long ago that under Sheldon Keefe, Bunting enjoyed some of the finest seasons of his career, with 112 points over 161 games with Toronto before departing in free agency.
With the benefit of time and hindsight, it’s clear that Bunting was more than adequate playing the Robin to the Batman of the Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner’s of the world. It’s also clear that he’s not quite the same player away from elite NHL talent. That’s not a knock, just an acknowledgement of the situation and an analysis of the player.
There are a lot of things about Bunting’s game that are easy to like though, such as his ability to get under the skin of the opposition, his compete level when it comes to winning puck battles, and a willingness to drive to the net.
Bunting is another guy where if his contract demands are anywhere near close to his AFP analytics projection of 4-years and $5.8M AAV, he’s probably a non-starter as far as the Devils are concerned given their cap situation. But he’s also coming off of a not-so great season between Nashville and Dallas, and I suppose an argument could be made that he’d be the goal-scoring, agitator compliment that Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt could use to round out that line. I don’t think he’d have to take a one-year, prove it type of deal, but maybe New Jersey is a situation given Keefe’s history with him makes sense.
Evan Rodrigues | Eetu Luostarinen
Rodrigues’ Contract: 1 year, $3.075M AAV
Luostarinen’s Contract: 1 year, $3M AAV
Florida is a team that probably doesn’t need to make cap casualty moves as they currently have roughly $15M in available cap space.
That said, Florida is a win-now team that will surely be looking to get back to the Stanley Cup playoffs next season. Florida will be a threat to win a championship next season if they get in. And perhaps most importantly, Florida is a destination NHL city. They literally just traded for Brady Tkachuk. Dylan Larkin wants to play in Florida. Connor Hellebuyck likely wants to as well. And why wouldn’t they? Florida provides warm weather, no taxes, and a legitimate chance to win.
If I’ve learned anything in recent years, its never say never when it comes to teams like Vegas and Florida when it comes to big game hunting. If they want whoever the next star player is that wants to go there, they’ll probably find a way to make it happen. And while it might be possible the players I just mentioned could go the other way in a potential deal to offset costs, it’s also possible they’re spun off in a different direction entirely if Florida needs to free up cap space in a hurry. Most of Florida’s big money players have some sort of no move clause or trade protection. Rodrigues and Luostarinen do not.
Rodrigues has been a perfectly fine role player for the Panthers for the last three seasons. He can play anywhere in the lineup and not look out of place. He can shift to center if needed, which may be ideal for a Devils team that could use a few more options in that respect. He’s a versatile Swiss army knife type of piece that fits on good hockey teams. As for Luostarinen, he’s another big, left-handed center slash winger option who plays a good two-way game, is physical, and provides secondary offense.
Sunny Mehta is obviously familiar with both players, and while I’m not saying they’re definitely going to be available this summer, I could see him being interested if either one was dangled out there on the open market, particularly Luostarinen.
Final Thoughts
All in all, I’d call this exercise…..mostly uninspiring.
The Devils aren’t really in a position to take on a big salary player unless they move more money out. They’re not in a position to pay top of the market prices in UFA, nor should they in a weak UFA class. And even if they were, history has shown time and again that’s not a winning formula in the long-term.
I do think a couple of the forward options could make sense if their respective teams ate salary and/or bought the players out entirely. I do think most of the defensemen could make sense if the Devils make drastic sweeping changes on their blueline. But we’re talking about some drastic changes moving on from several players with no-trade clauses of some sort and overhauling the operation at this point, which doesn’t seem likely given the contractual situations Sunny Mehta is inheriting.
Still, I think a few of these names are probably worth keeping in mind in the off-chance they do become available. In the former Panthers cases, Mehta was a key voice in a front office that ultimately signed off on bringing them in. There’s something there with these players that he likes. And in Keefe’s case with the former Leafs, we’re talking about players he has coached before and has that familiarity with, as opposed to exclusively bringing in external free agents with no previous ties.
These players probably won’t become Devils in the next month or so. But would it be all that surprising if a few of them passed through Newark in the next 12-24 months? Probably not.
