It's been a long road to get here, but former Ottawa Senators defenseman Mike Reilly has himself a Stanley Cup ring.
Reilly, the lone former Senator on the Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes, was a healthy scratch in the final game on Sunday night, a 3-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, but was still a key member of the club this season.
So, as is tradition, he fired on his skates and full gear to be part of the photos and on-ice celebrations.
The Wrap Around show recentlly discussed the idea of the Senators going after Jake DeBrusk in a trade.
Reilly signed with the Hurricanes as a free agent and appeared in 42 regular-season games this season, recording nine points. The Minnesota native also contributed during Carolina's playoff run, picking up two points in two postseason games against the Flyers, including a two-assist performance in Game 2 of the Eastern Semifinals.
Having a player as good as Reilly as a black ace in the playoffs certainly speaks to the 'Canes depth.
"Yeah, I'm probably the extra guy, but I understand," Reilly said after his two-point game last month. "I'm just trying to stay as ready as I can and as sharp as I can. At times, it's not that easy, but when your name gets called, you gotta be ready."
Signing with a team as good as Carolina, the eventual Cup winner, Reilly had to know he might be in a battle for playing time. But he got into just enough games this season, one more than the 41-game minimum required to have his name engraved on the Cup.
It's certainly been an interesting few years for Reilly, who's with his seventh NHL team. During his stop with the Islanders in 2024, three years after he left the Senators, he suffered a concussion, and during routine testing, doctors discovered he needed heart surgery to address a preexisting condition.
Who knew that a concussion could have a silver lining?
Moments like that suddenly shove hockey to the background and make you think about life and the big picture, but Reilly had a successful procedure and was obviously able to make a full recovery.
That ordeal, combined with his long NHL road to get here, made the former Senator's Sunday night victory party all the sweeter.
BetMGM has released its 2026-27 odds for the Stanley Cup, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are in a surprising position.
According to BetMGM's odds, the CBJ are listed at +5000 to win the 2027 Stanley Cup. That's the 16th-best odds in the league. Other teams at +5000 are the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers.
The Metro Division has the Hurricanes, Devils(+3000), and Blue Jackets as the top three in the division with the best odds. The Penguins(+6000) and Islanders(+6600) have worse odds than the CBJ.
The Colorado Avalanche are the best at +700, followed by the champion Hurricanes at +750.
The teams at the bottom are Vancouver Canucks at +50000, the Flames at +30000, and the Kraken at +20000.
Don Waddell and the Columbus Blue Jackets have some work to do, but clearly, Las Vegas is confident that the CBJ can make the playoffs.
Can Waddell make the needed moves for this team to compete? We will find out in a few weeks when free agency opens and teams start moving players around.
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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K’Andre Miller is officially a Stanley Cup champion.
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 on Sunday night en route to their first Stanley Cup since 2006, and Miller played a big part in propelling this team over the top.
Being selected by the New York Rangers in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft, Miller was projected to be a cornerstone piece of the Blueshirts’ defensive core.
Despite a breakout 2022-23 campaign in which Miller recorded a career-high 43 points, he was the subject of criticism throughout his final two years in New York, with his inconsistent defensive play causing concern among the fanbase and the Rangers’ management group.
So much so that when Miller became a restricted free agent during the 2025 offseason, the Rangers decided not to give him a long-term contract extension and instead trade the young blueliner to the Hurricanes in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 NHL Draft, and Scott Morrow.
The Hurricanes then signed Miller to an eight-year, $60 million contract, a move deemed risky at the time, given his inconsistencies and flaws that had held him back with the Blueshirts.
The 26-year-old defenseman has completely flipped the narrative that plagued him in New York, as over the course of the regular season, he transformed into the sure-fire top-four defenseman that the Rangers once had hoped he would blossom into.
Throughout the Hurricanes’ playoff run, Miller was one of Carolina’s most productive defensemen, recording nine points, the second most amongst all Hurricanes blueliners, while he led all Hurricanes players, averaging 24:03 minutes per game.
Shortly after hoisting the Stanley Cup, Miller made sure to mention the criticism he received during his time playing for the Rangers and how he proved all of the doubters wrong in what was a full-circle moment.
Credit to Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky and head coach Rod Brind'Amour: they saw through some of Miller’s inconsistencies and knew he was the right fit for their structured system.
All it took was the right environment for Miller to tap into his potential.
“You look at this team and how it’s assembled: the coaching staff, our trainers, everybody was really pulling the same way this year,” Miller said. “It made it really easy coming to the rink and throwing a smile on my face and putting my best foot forward, so a lot of credit to these guys and the organization itself.”
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.
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 June 2 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.”
“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:
Adam Novotny
Position: Winger Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 200 Shoots: Left Team: Peterborough
Scouting report
The Czechia product is a sturdy, hard-on-the-forecheck player who can create offense through contact. He competes like a pro with his effort and skill in tight areas.
“I’d say the upside, the potential is maybe a top-six guy [in the lineup],” Daily Faceoff associate editor and prospect analyst Steven Ellis said last Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think he’s more of a safe bet at the second line, but I like him.”
Novotny put up 65 points (34 goals, 31 assists) over 58 games for Peterborough this season, his first in the OHL. He recorded a little under five shots per game and had six multi-goal games. He did so while adapting to North America as an 18-year-old.
“For the most part, it’s a big life change,” Ellis said. “It’ll take a little bit for players to figure it out, but once Novotny did, I feel like he showed he can really be so dangerous around the net. He has got a good shot and he’s a tough guy to push around because he has got a lot of muscle.”
Earning a silver medal at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, Novotny didn’t tear it up from a production standpoint. He had no goals and three assists in seven games, but he led Team Czechia with a ridiculous 34 shots. For some context, Martone scored six goals in the tournament with Team Canada and had 19 shots.
So Novotny did impress despite the underwhelming point total.
“I remember seeing the expected goals for him at the world juniors, he was among the best shot and play generators on that Czech team,” Ellis said. “He just couldn’t score. … This was a guy who was just truly unlucky, I think that’s the best way to kind of put it.”
“I could see him go as high as 15th,” Ellis said. “I think there are some scouts who might think he’s a little lower, but I think overall, there’s a lot to like about his game.”
There’s definitely some intrigue with Novotny’s shot mentality and skating ability. The Flyers could use more goal-scoring talent, guys that can make things happen in the offensive zone and on the power play.
Novotny isn’t the most well-rounded player and the Flyers have a ton of young wingers. That might not make him the ideal pick.
But the Flyers have shown recently they won’t always go with the safe pick. If Novotny is available at No. 21 and the Flyers feel his offensive strengths are high end, he’ll give them a good decision to make.
Interestingly, four of the Flyers’ last five first-round selections have come out of the OHL.
At long last, Rod Brind'Amour has finally proven that he and his Carolina Hurricanes can win the big games, and one Stanley Cup win later, the Philadelphia Flyers legend is exalted above most in NHL history.
Twenty years ago, Brind'Amour, now 55, won the Stanley Cup as the captain of the Hurricanes, and now he's done the same for the Hurricanes, steering the ship in a different way.
Having triumphed as both a player and coach with the same team, the Flyers Hall of Famer has joined exclusive company in NHL history.
The only three other people to ever accomplish such a feat? Toe Blake (Montreal), Hap Day (Toronto), and Cooney Weiland (Boston), all of which were for Original Six franchises.
That makes Brind'Amour's accomplishment that much greater.
In his nine years with the Flyers, Brind'Amour scored 235 goals, 366 assists, and 601 points in 633 regular season games.
The legendary two-way forward, now esteemed coach, still views the Flyers organization in high regard, and perhaps he doesn't get the job done without them.
Several former Flyers who left the team in recent seasons joined up with the Hurricanes for this playoff run: defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker, who were often paired together, and enforcer Nick Deslauriers.
At the other end of the ice, ex-Flyers John Tortorella and Carter Hart crumbled under the spotlight of the Stanley Cup Final.
Brind'Amour has made the playoffs as the head coach of the Hurricanes every season since taking over in 2018-19, and eight years and a Jack Adams Award later, he has captured the elusive Stanley Cup, too.
The Flyers helped their own friend along the way, suffering a sweep at the hands of the Hurricanes in Round 2, and now the Flyers, led by head coach Rick Tocchet, know the standard to which they need to play to win a Stanley Cup of their own.
Let Brind'Amour and the Hurricanes be the shining example of how to draft, build a team, lead, and stick to a plan.
The Colorado Avalanche's 2024 Trade Deadline was one to forget. The team had a bunch of holes that needed fixing, and management did their best to patch them up, but in the long run, they just reappeared. From the desperate need for a second-line center, to bottom-six production, to better play from their defensemen. The Avalanche addressed all those issues, but it hurt them in the long run.
Though the biggest trades we find out are ones that either didn't happen or were close to happening, but time ran out, look at the recent Maple Leafs news with Matthew Knies and the Montreal Canadiens. This time, for the Avalanche, it could have been a potential star winger in the making, but they decided to pass on it to address other needs.
A Potential Top-Six Winger For The Future
Initially reported by Sportsnet and NHL insider Elliotte Friedman on his “32 Thoughts: The Podcast,”the Flyers were shopping Cutter Gauthier. General Manager Danny Brière asked the Avalanche about Bowen Byram, but the Avalanche weren’t too keen on moving him at that time.
“I think Philly did ask about Bowen Byram and I just think Colorado wasn’t going there,” Friedman said. “I suspect Colorado’s answer was ‘We are not doing this 1-for-1, it’s got to be more than Gauthier for Byram.”
Now, another NHL insider, Frank Seravalli, brought this topic up again on this recent podcast, “Frankly Hockey”
"Here’s one trade that never happened: the Avalanche and Flyers were talking about Cutter Gauthier when they had to move him. The Flyers were looking for Bowen Byram for Cutter Gauthier straight-up. The Avalanche said, “well if you want Bowen Byram, you need to add a third in order to make that happen."
Instead of making the trade, the Avalanche pivoted to a need for a center and went with Casey Mittelstadt from the Buffalo Sabres in a one-for-one deal.
The Pros And Cons Of Not Making The Trade.
Looking back at the trades and now the news, the Avalanche could have had Gauthier, for it doesn't look great for them. Middelstadt was a need for the team after Nazem Kadri left for the Calgary Flames in free agency, after winning the Stanley Cup.
He was coming off his best two seasons with the Sabers, and the Avalanche saw the right time to move on from Byram, who was not performing as well as he could have been, but Middelstat's production got worse while Byram's improved.
Obviously, the Avalanche don’t “care” about draft picks if it means acquiring players helping them win a Stanley Cup. Still, when what's supposed to be your new second-line center, who's in his mid-20s, plays 81 games and only scores 15 goals and 29 assists for 44 points before being shipped off at the next trade deadline, and you have to pay more to give him up, it's not a good look.
Though, as much as recency bias goes with how well the Anaheim Ducks performed this season with Gauthiers' help, what are the chances that we see the same production from him this season?
Remember, when Byram was traded for Mittelstadt, Gauthier wasn’t in the league yet; he made his debut on April 18, 2024, after his NCAA season with Boston College ended. So the chances of the Avalanche seeing Gauthier at all that season were very low, if not at all, as the Ducks, who were eliminated from the playoffs by then, saw a chance to bring him on right away.
He would play his full season next year, playing all 82 games and scoring 20 goals and 24 assists for 40 points, before he would blow up this past season, scoring 41 goals and 28 assists for 69 points, 11 of those goals coming from the power play. So yes, the Avalanche would have loved that level of production from him, but would he have gotten the same level of production and role responsibility on a Stanley Cup team?
The Ducks are a rebuilding team with a lot of youth, which has given Gauthier a significant role in the top six alongside prospects like Leo Carlsson and Beckett Sennecke, with added support from their veterans. Though the Avalanche top-six, with Landeskog back, was pretty full. While you could have moved Arturri Lehkonen, Landeskog, Kadri, or someone else down the lineup, how long would that position last?
Gauthier is 22 years old. While he did score a lot, he wasn’t perfect and made some defensive mistakes. If that was him on the Avalanche, what stopped Jared Bednar from moving him back down the lineup or bringing in someone like Joel Kiviranta in a bottom-six role and taking him out of the lineup?
We saw it this season with younger guys like Gavin Brindley, who, when he was hot and performing well, got top-six minutes, but when the rest of the lineup started to get healthy, he was pushed down the line. He then started to produce less; his production dropped off, and he was ultimately taken out of the lineup and sent down to the Colorado Eagles in the AHL.
Ultimately, the Avalanche should be happy with the production and growth Brindley has shown. Still, it all comes back to this: if the Avalanche made that trade for Gauthier, would he be putting up the same numbers we saw this past season?
The Avalanche wanted Middelstadt to be someone he wasn't, and that makes the trade hurt worse. The Ducks now get a promising piece for their future, while the Avalanche, who did end up with their old center in Kadri, could have had that same winger on his line to help elevate his play.
The 2025-26 NHL season has concluded, now what do we do?
Don’t worry hockey fans, there are several key dates coming up that should keep you interested until the dog days of summer arrive.
First up will be the 2026 NHL buyout window. The first buyout period this year starts 48 hours after the Stanley Cup playoffs end. So, with Carolina ending it last night, clubs will start the process of figuring out if they wish to buy a player out, and that process must conclude by June 30th at 5pm ET.
What will Columbus do during the buyout season? Probably nothing. The only player that would even remotely be a candidate is goalie Elvis Merzlikins, and honestly, I can't see that happening.
And then, of course, on June 26th, the NHL will conduct the 1st round of the entry draft. The CBJ are picking 14th, and who they will choose is anybody's guess. There are plenty of quality players who will be available at 14. You can find the players we wrote about at The Hockey News -Columbus Blue Jackets site. You can watch the draft live on ESPN and ESPN+.
On June 27th, rounds 2-7 will be conducted. You can watch the coverage on NHL Network and ESPN+. The Jackets have six picks from rounds 2-7, but of course, that is subject to change depending on trades.
A few days later, on July 1st, the free agency period begins. There are a few big names out there, but time will tell what Don Waddell does. He first needs to lock up Jet Greaves and Adam Fantilli to contracts, which will take up a nice chunk of change. Cole Sillinger must also be given a new deal before July 1st. Get those three players done, and then Waddell can focus on free agency.
The Columbus Blue Jackets will have their annual development camp a few days after the NHL Draft. Last year, it went from July 2 to July 5. It's usually open to the public and will conclude with a Prospects Game on the final day of camp. It'll be held from June 29 to July 2 this year.
After the development camp, the NHL’s dog days begin. Other than random signings, there’s not a lot going on. The only thing really going on is all the speculation on Twitter from fans about what their team is going to do in free agency. Some people take a break, get out in the sun, and enjoy the world. It’s nice to take a break from the stressful relationship a lot of fans have with their teams. Whatever you’re doing this summer, have fun!
Stay with THN Columbus all Summer for breaking news, player pieces, and everything else you can think of.
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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Bear, who was on an expiring one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 at the NHL level, recorded 27 points (four goals, 23 assists) in 40 games with no points in two playoff games.
Ethan Bear's new one-year, two-way extension with #Isles comes in at $850,000 (NHL) level & $325,000 (AHL) with a guarantee of $425,000, I'm told.
He missed significant time with what appeared to be a wrist injury after blocking a shot in preaseason.
The 28-year-old didn't make the Islanders' lineup in 2025-26 but has 275 NHL games of experience and will continue to be a leader for the younger prospects as they embark on their first season in Hamilton.
It was a back-and-forth series between the two teams before the Hurricanes ramped it up and took over. The Golden Knights won Game 1; the Hurricanes responded in Game 2 before the Golden Knights won Game 3 once again. But a goaltending switch to Brandon Bussi changed momentum, and the Hurricanes rallied off three consecutive wins to claim victory 4-2 in the best-of-seven series.
While the Hurricanes go home to celebrate, the Golden Knights are left heartbroken. One of those heartbroken players is former St. Louis Blues forward Ivan Barbashev.
Barbashev played seven seasons with the Blues, notching 78 goals and 178 points in 410 games. Barbashev was traded to the Golden Knights during the 2022-23 season and helped them win the Stanley Cup. Barbashev was sent to the Golden Knights in exchange for prospect Zach Dean.
Barbashev, on the other hand, has enjoyed career seasons in Vegas, most recently recording 61 points this regular season. The 30-year-old has thrived in Vegas, utilized in numerous roles.
Barbashev has excelled playing on the top line with Jack Eichel or in a third-line defensive role. Wherever placed, Barbashev has produced and fulfilled his role.
Although he fell just short of his third Stanley Cup, Barbashev scored several clutch goals and finished the 2025-26 post-season with six goals and 14 points in 22 games.
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Former Calgary Flames players have been represented in the Stanley Cup Finals every year since 2018.
While some have played more notable roles than others, each of these players suited up for the Flames before finding success after their tenure in Calgary was complete. With multiple former Flames having competed in the 2026 Finals, here’s a list of players who made the Finals shortly after leaving Calgary.
Mark Jankowski (CAR 2026) - Selected 21st overall by the Flames in 2012, Jankowski played four seasons in Calgary before moving to the Pittsburgh Penguins. After additional stints in Buffalo and Nashville, he landed in Carolina in 2024 and won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2026.
Rasmus Andersson (VGK 2026) - Drafted and developed by the Flames (53rd overall in 2015), Andersson played parts of ten seasons in Calgary before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights this year. He reached the Finals in his first season with Vegas, contributing significantly to their blue line.
Noah Hanifin (VGK 2026) - Acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2018 trade that sent Adam Fox the other way, Hanifin played six seasons for the Flames. He was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2024, where he has become a core piece of their defensive rotation. He appeared in the Finals in 2026 against the Hurricanes.
Matthew Tkachuk (FLA 23/24/25) - In a pivotal moment in franchise history, Tkachuk informed the Flames in 2022 that he would not re-sign. Drafted 6th overall in 2016, he played six seasons in Calgary before being traded to the Florida Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar (and Cole Schwindt). Tkachuk went on to appear in three straight Stanley Cup Finals, winning the Cup in 2024 and 2025.
Sam Bennett (FLA 23/24/25) - Often cited as a player the Flames moved on from too soon, Bennett was the franchise's highest draft pick at 4th overall in 2014. Despite his potential, he struggled to find an offensive role in Calgary and was traded to Florida in 2021. He appeared in three consecutive Finals, winning twice, and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2025 after a dominant 15-goal postseason.
AJ Greer (FLA 2025) - Greer had a brief stint in Calgary after being claimed off waivers, playing 59 games during the 2023-24 season. He signed with the Panthers as a free agent on July 1, 2024, and captured a Stanley Cup later that season.
Ryan Lomberg (FLA 23/24) - Lomberg spent seven seasons in the organization after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He played primarily for their AHL affiliate before joining Florida in 2020, where he reached two Finals and won the Cup in 2024. Lomberg returned to Calgary as a free agent in 2024 and has been a fan favourite in Calgary ever since.
Brett Kulak (EDM 24/25) - Drafted by Calgary 105th overall in 2012, Kulak played parts of four seasons in Calgary before being traded to Montreal. He eventually joined the Edmonton Oilers in 2022, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals with the Flames’ provincial rivals in 2024 and 2025.
Troy Stecher (EDM 24/25) - Stecher suited up for 20 games with the Flames at the end of the 2022-23 season. After signing back with Arizona, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2024, appearing in back-to-back Finals.
Derek Ryan (EDM 24/25) - After beginning his NHL career in Carolina, Ryan signed with the Flames in 2018. He spent three seasons in Calgary before joining the Oilers in 2021. He reached two Finals in Edmonton before retiring in 2025.
Brian Elliott (TBL 2022) - Elliott spent one season as the Flames' starter after being acquired from St. Louis for a 2nd-round pick. While his tenure in Calgary ended with a difficult playoff performance, he later signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning and reached the Finals in 2022.
Curtis McElhinney (TBL 2020 & 2021) - A 2002 draft pick of the Flames, McElhinney played parts of three seasons in Calgary. After a long journey through the league, he joined the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019, where he helped the team secure back-to-back Stanley Cups as a reliable backup.
Jay Bouwmeester (STL 2019) - Bouwmeester joined the Flames in 2009 and was an ironman on the blue line for four seasons. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues in 2013, where he eventually captured the Stanley Cup in 2019 before retiring in 2020.
Chris Butler (STL 2019) - Acquired from Buffalo in 2011, Butler played three seasons in Calgary. He signed with St. Louis in 2014 and was part of the Blues' 2019 championship run as a veteran member of the extended playoff roster.
Deryk Engelland (VGK 2018) - Engelland spent three seasons in Calgary before being selected by Vegas in the 2017 Expansion Draft. He helped lead the Golden Knights to the Finals in their inaugural season and received the Mark Messier Leadership Award for his efforts.
Canadian broadcaster Ron MacLean issued an on-air apology for making a comment about roofies during the pregame show for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
With the Vegas Golden Knights' game against the Carolina Hurricanes taking place in Las Vegas, Sportsnet did a spoof of "The Hangover" movie and showed Keeper of the Cup Phil Pritchard asleep on a couch next to the trophy.
As the skit ended, MacLean said, "The roofies, they'll get you every time."
MacLean later apologized on air for the comment, which he called "a bad mistake by me."
"I referenced a scene in the movie in which the tiger is put to sleep, Mike Tyson's tiger. The Keepers of the Cup, of course, are asleep in the skit and I used the term, the slang term for the drug which has far more serious connotations in reality.
— bnpeki 🇨🇦 Matthew Knies Enjoyer (@bnpeki) June 15, 2026
"I should have made that connection. I did not. .. I know I triggered some people I know I offended some people with that remark and I feel very badly for that and I want to thank you for bringing it to my attention, to our attention. Very sorry."
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: The Carolina Hurricanes pose for a team photo with the Stanley Cup after their 3-0 win against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Six of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes winning the Stanley Cup was about a lot more than hoisting the toughest prize in sports; it was proof of concept. For years the Canes had played bridesmaid, having unprecedented regular-season and playoff success under head coach Rod Brind-Amour, only to see it vanish when it mattered the most in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Carolina became a meme. They were the choke job, the organization destined to catch the flowers, but never make it to the altar. It raised questions about the Canes’ roster construction, the organizational approach, and made people wonder if Brind-Amour’s team-based, “no stars” hockey philosophy was too outdated for a modern league that put a premium on individual excellence. That all changed on Sunday night.
The Hurricanes bet on themselves in so many ways, but none more profoundly than how GM Eric Tulsky believed in the potential of his young players to such an extent that he signed them ALL to long-term extensions without needing to see the production to back it up. This is the backbone of the Canes’ organization, and why the winners of the Stanley Cup are going to be a long-term problem for the NHL for YEARS to come.
Typically when a team wins the Cup you can look over the roster and find the obvious pain points. There will be a star or two ready to hit free agency, a handful of trade-deadline acquisitions coming off contract, and young players waiting in the wings to get a massive payday. This is the roster turnover we’re accustomed to seeing in order to knock elite teams down a peg and restore the competitive parity in the league. When it comes to Carolina this simply doesn’t exist.
As we approach NHL free agency the Canes only have one starting player set to hit UFA, and that’s goaltender Freddie Andersen who was replaced in the Stanley Cup Finals by Brandon Bussi. That’s it. Other than Andersen the team will likely lose Nicolas Deslauriers and Mike Reilly, who were veteran defensemen largely signed to act as tutors to the younger talent, without playing a huge role themselves.
It’s tempting to say “but that’s just one year,” but it’s not. Look ahead to 2027 and there’s definitely more turnover in Jordan Staal, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Jalen Chatfield — but Staal is likely facing retirement, while the two defensemen are both hitting their mid-30s and probably due for roster turnover anyway. Look at 2028, 2029, 2030 — it keeps being the same story. The Hurricanes aren’t slated to potentially lose a top-tier skating forward until 2029 when Andrei Svechnikov is poised to be a UFA, and that assumes he won’t re-up with the organization he clearly loves being a part of.
So, where the hell are all the Canes players? Tulsky locked them up. He locked them ALL up. Every single player who showed a glimmer of promise inside Brind-Amour’s system was signed ahead of the curve, and rather than give them three or four-year “prove-it” deals, Tulsky went full analytics nerd on the process to secure their services into the next decade.
Sebastian Aho: Until contract until 2031 for $9.75M AAV
Nikolaj Ehlers: Under contract until 2031 for $8.5M AAV
Seth Jarvis: Until contract until 2031 for $7.9M AAV
K’Andre Miller: Under contract until 2032 for $7.5M AAV
Jaccob Slavin: Under contract until 2032 for $6.4M AAV
Logan Stankoven: Under contract until 2033 for $6M AAV
Jackson Blake: Under contract until 2033 for $5.1M AAV
Not only do the Hurricanes have their entire core locked down for the foreseeable future, but they haven’t broken the $10M AAV mark for any player. Cap all this off with the fact that Carolina’s two most important young forwards in Stankoven and Blake are locked in on discount long-term deals, and it spells a horror story for the rest of the league. This is not the future a Stanley Cup winning team should have, and to add to the nightmare we have an organization that already has over $11M in open cap space, will open up more when they waive Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and a rising salary cap that not only means Carolina has their whole core locked in, but can be SERIOUS players in free agency to lure stars to Raleigh, now with the proof that they have an organization that can win the cup. It might just be enough to break the Vegas/Dallas/Florida stranglehold as tax shelters in the league.
Oh, but it gets worse. The Hurricanes’ prospect system was ranked No. 11 in the NHL by The Hockey Writers, with Kurban Limatov, Bradly Nadeau, Dominik Badinka, Felix Unger-Sörum, and Nikita Artamonov all poised to make their debuts in the next few years. Teams that consistently go so deep in the playoffs and routinely pick in the late-20s or early 30s simply shouldn’t have a prospect pool with the depth of Carolina’s.
The Carolina Hurricanes were built through disruption. Brind-Amour and Tulsky had specific visions on how they were going to build a team based on strength at every position, a de-emphasis on individual play, and a premium on team over stars. It hasn’t managed to lure top players, but it has now created a champion. That is an undeniable allure, and there’s no stopping this team for a long time.
Here’s the final kicker: Brandon Bussi, the free agent goalie turned Stanley Cup superstar? Yeah, Tulsky signed him to a three-year extension before the playoffs that will keep him in Carolina until 2029 for just $1.9M AAV.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JUNE 4: Gavin McKenna poses for a portrait during the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine at Harborcenter on June 4, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes have hoisted the Stanley Cup, and now we hit the point where everyone is looking ahead to the 2026 NHL Draft in June. A forward-thinking, prospect-based draft — we’re going to be waiting four or five years to see some of these guys hit the ice in the pros, unless they’re taken in the Top 5 and can make the jump immediately.
The best teams are looking far into the future, projecting their core needs down the road, looking at veterans who might retire, as well as free agent markets to try and piece together as a vision for what their team could be down the line. It’s what makes the NHL Draft so fascinating, especially when you see which teams invest heavily in their European scouts to look at Sweden, Finland, and Russia to find diamonds where nobody else is looking.
Here’s the full first round mock, then we’ll discuss some of the picks.
Pick
Team
Player
Position
Current Team
League
1
Toronto Maple Leafs
Gavin McKenna
LW
Penn State
NCAA
2
San Jose Sharks
Chase Reid
D
Soo Greyhounds
OHL
3
Vancouver Canucks
Ivar Stenberg
LW/RW
Frölunda HC
SHL
4
Chicago Blackhawks
Caleb Malhotra
C
Brantford Bulldogs
OHL
5
New York Rangers
Keaton Verhoff
D
North Dakota
NCAA
6
Calgary Flames
Tynan Lawrence
C
Boston University
NCAA
7
Seattle Kraken
Carson Carels
D
Prince George Cougars
WHL
8
Winnipeg Jets
Viggo Björck
C/RW
Djurgårdens IF
SHL
9
Florida Panthers
Albert Smits
D
Jukurit
Liiga
10
Nashville Predators
Daxon Rudolph
D
Prince Albert Raiders
WHL
11
St. Louis Blues
Adam Novotny
LW/RW
Petersborough Petes
OHL
12
New Jersey Devils
Ryan Lin
D
Vancouver Giants
WHL
13
New York Islanders
Mathis Preston
C
Spokane Chiefs
WHL
14
Columbus Blue Jackets
Oliver Suvanto
C
Tappara
Liiga
15
St. Louis Blues (via Red Wings)
Malte Gustafsson
D
HV71 U20
U20 Nationell
16
Washington Capitals
Xavier Villeneuve
D
Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
QMHL
17
Los Angeles Kings
Wyatt Cullen
C
USNTDP
USHL
18
Washington Capitals (via Ducks)
Ethan Belchetz
LW
Windsor Spitfires
OHL
19
Utah Mammoth
Oscar Hemming
F
Boston College
NCAA
20
San Jose Sharks (via Oilers)
J.P. Hurlbert
F
Kamloops Blazers
WHL
21
Philadelphia Flyers
Ilia Morozov
C
Miami University (Ohio)
NCAA
22
Pittsburgh Penguins
Juho Piiparinen
D
Tappara
Liiga
23
Boston Bruins
Elton Hermansson
RW/LW
MoDo Hockey
HockeyAllsvenskan
24
Vancouver Canucks (via Wild)
Nikita Klepov
F
Saginaw Spirit
OHL
25
Seattle Kraken (via Lightning)
Yegor Shilov
C
Victoriaville Tigers
QMJHL
26
New York Rangers (via Stars)
Alexander Command
C
Örebro HK U20
U20 Nationell
27
Buffalo Sabres
Brooks Rogowski
C
Oshawa Generals
OHL
28
Montreal Canadiens
Maddon Dagenais
C
Québec Ramparts
QMJHL
29
St. Louis Blues (via Avalanche)
Liam Ruck
F
Medicine Hat Tigers
WHL
30
Calgary Flames (via Golden Knights)
Marcus Nordmark
LW
Djurgårdens IF U20
U20 Nationell
31
Carolina Hurricanes
Jack Hextall
C
Youngstown Phantoms
USHL
32
Ottawa Senators
William Håkansson
D
Luleå HF
SHL
Gavin McKenna goes No. 1: This is as much of a no-brainer as there has been. McKenna is the cause of angst among hockey fans who think the lottery was rigged for the Leafs, because he is that damn good. One of the most gifted passing wing prospects we’ve seen in YEARS, there are some real questions how he can mesh with Auston Matthews in Toronto, but the concern is not nearly enough to assuage taking a guy with his vision from the edge. McKenna will be a superstar, and even at 19-years-old, he’s ready to make the jump now.
The profound rise of Chase Reid: A fascinating prospect, most scouting services had Reid around the No. 10 pick before this process began, but he has cemented himself as a Top 3 pick in this 2026 class. His ability to push the pace offensively from the blue line has major shades of Cale Makar to his game, and with both his skating ability as well as puck handling, he could bring the same kind of edge to a team wanting to play a hybrid, aggressive system.
I’m still obsessed with Ivan Stenberg: Reid absolutely warrants the hype, but the more film I keep seeing of Stenberg, the more I’m convinced he’s going to be SPECIAL. There is some hesitancy that his finesse, pretty game might waver when it’s integrated with a physical NHL style, but Stenberg is just so good with the puck on his stick that I think he will find Mitch Marner-esque ways to evade contact.
Yes, Caleb Malholtra is Manny Malholta’s son: Feel old yet?
Yes, Wyatt Cullen is Matt Cullen’s son: Oh god, I’m so old.
What happened to the Senators’ pick? Ottawa should be picking at No. 20, but they elected to delay a punishment from the NHL over the 2021 trade of Evgenii Dadonov, in which the Senators did not forward a list of teams on Dadonov’s no-trade list to teams ahead of making deals with them. The NHL initially told the Sens they would lose their 1st round pick in their choice of 2024, 2025, or 2026 — with Ottawa delaying the penalty to this year. The league later revised their punishment to push the Senators to the back of the first round, rather than forfeit their pick altogether.
That's not the only Islanders-adjacent feat accomplished last night.
For the first time since 1980, the United States won the Gold Medal, known as the "Miracle on Ice." Later that year, the New York Islanders won their first-ever Stanley Cup.
One player won both that season. Islanders' Hall of Famer and shutdown defenseman, Ken Morrow.
For the past 46 years, Morrow remained the only American to ever win the Stanley Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal in the same season.
Jaccob Slavin became the second-ever player to accomplish the feat, joining Morrow in one of hockey's most exclusive clubs.
