San Jose Sharks fans haven't had much to cheer about over the last little while, but one positive note recently is that one of their top prospects, Sam Dickinson, won defenceman of the year in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).

Sam Dickinson is the best defenceman in the country.@SanJoseSharks | #TheFutureIsTealpic.twitter.com/wHpxcoJAmj

— London Knights (@LondonKnights) June 13, 2025

Dickinson, who is 19 years old, was drafted 11th overall by the Sharks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. With the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this past season, he scored 29 goals and added 62 assists for 91 points through 55 games, which comes out to an impressive 1.65 points-per-game average.

While Dickinson may not make the Sharks next season, he is showing his potential as a future star when he gets his shot. Sharks fans should be excited for what Dickinson can, and will, eventually bring to their blue line.

2 Trade Targets The Sharks Should Explore This SummerThe rumor mill is heating up. With only two weeks until the NHL Draft, there’s more and more buzz circulating around the league. For the San Jose Sharks, they find themselves in a spot where they’ll more than likely be taking on a few tough contracts — but ones tied to players who can still make an impact on the roster and in the room.

3 Free Agent Targets For The San Jose SharksThe San Jose Sharks find themselves in an interesting spot this off-season. They’re still deep into a rebuild, but this summer presents an opportunity to push that rebuild along a little faster. While GM Mike Grier seems to want the rebuild to happen somewhat naturally, you can bet he’ll be adding some fresh faces to the roster. With around $53 million in cap space, the Sharks need to at least hit the salary cap floor, but if they decide to spend more, it will likely translate into a better product on the ice.

Sharks Should Consider Targeting Rangers’ Matt RempeThe San Jose Sharks are looking to get back into playoff contention as soon as they can, and while they may have to go through one more season of struggling before they can make a playoff push, there are some players they can target that can help them become a tougher team to play against.

Oilers and Panthers head for must-win Game 5 Saturday with McDavid due for a big game

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final shifts back to Edmonton with the series tied 2-2 after the Oilers evened things up in Florida. What once looked like a commanding Panthers lead has now turned into a best-of-three showdown, with the Oilers regaining momentum on home ice at Rogers Place heading into a pivotal Game 5.

Game 5 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final arrives with the series tied 2-2, and history tells us just how crucial this night could be. The Edmonton Oilers return home to Rogers Place after splitting two games in Florida, reclaiming momentum and setting the stage for what could be the most defining game of the series.

Both teams now stand just two wins away from a championship, but based on decades of Stanley Cup history, Game 5 tends to separate contenders from champions.

Since the NHL moved to the best-of-seven format in 1939, the team that wins Game 5 of a tied Final has gone on to win the Stanley Cup over 70% of the time, according to NHL Stats and ESPN research. 

According to Hockey Reference, in the modern salary cap era (2006 to present), teams winning Game 5 of a tied Final on home ice have gone 6-1 in those series. That stat leans heavily in Edmonton’s favor as they prepare for Tuesday night’s clash in front of what will be another electric crowd at Rogers Place.

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

More NHL: New Jonathan Toews Next Team Betting Odds Revealed With Unexpected Frontrunner

Edmonton Oilers vs Florida Panthers Game 5 Best Bets:

• Oilers Moneyline (-110)
• Over 6.5 Total Goals (-112)
• Connor McDavid to Record 2+ Points (-128)

After scoring just one goal through the first two games, Edmonton’s offense has exploded for eight goals over Games 3 and 4, finding rhythm against a Florida defense that suddenly looks overwhelmed.

Connor McDavid leads the postseason in scoring and seems to have fully taken over the series, generating chances nearly every shift and elevating the entire top six.

Back at Rogers Place—where the Oilers are 7-3 this postseason and average over four goals per game—Edmonton holds a decisive edge. Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has shown cracks, posting an .857 save percentage in Game 4 and looking less sharp under increased pressure. That opens the door for another high-scoring night.

The total is set at 6.5 goals (-112), a number that’s already hit in back-to-back games. With both teams’ star power now fully engaged, special teams factoring in, and defensive fatigue showing, the conditions are perfect for the Over to cash again.

McDavid, meanwhile, has recorded six points in his last two games and has 10 multi-point outings this postseason. With the series tied and stakes at their peak, backing him to register 2+ points is one of the strongest player props on the board.

Expect a fast-paced Game 5 dominated by Edmonton’s top-end talent, fueled by a raucous home crowd and a wide-open style that favors the Over.

More NHL: 2026 Stanley Cup Odds: Oilers, Panthers Lead Early Contenders But One Unexpected Favourite Emerges

Panthers beat Oilers 5-2 in Game 5, one win away from repeat Stanley Cup champs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Brad Marchand scored twice, Sam Bennett had his NHL playoff-leading 15th goal and the Florida Panthers moved to the verge of a second consecutive Stanley Cup title by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in Game 5 on Saturday night.

The Panthers improved to 10-3 on the road this playoffs. They can hoist the Cup again as soon as Tuesday night if they win Game 6 on home ice in Sunrise.

Florida this time built a multigoal lead and built on it, unlike a couple of previous games in the final. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced, making some important saves when needed, and was aided by lockdown defense that took ice away from the Oilers.

Marchand, Bennett and Sam Reinhart provided the offense. Marchand joined Mario Lemieux as the only players in the past half-century to score five-plus goals in a final multiple times, and his 13 career goals in the final are the most among active players.

Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the series after the Oilers fell behind 3-0. Reinhart’s came 46 seconds later to restore the Panthers’ three-goal lead, and by the time Corey Perry scored with 3:13 left, it was too late.

Eetu Luostarinen sealed it with an empty-netter with 1:19 left, silencing the once fired-up crowd for a final time.

Edmonton’s power play went 0 for 3, a product of the Panthers’ aggressive penalty kill knocking McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the top unit out of their usual rhythm.

Calvin Pickard lost for the first time in eight starts this spring, allowing four goals on 18 shots. He got the nod over Stuart Skinner after entering in relief and winning Game 4 to improve to 7-0, a record that is now 7-1.

Skinner could be back in for Game 6, with the Panthers aiming to close things out following another cross-continental trip back to the other corner of North America. They are in this spot after bouncing back from blowing a three-goal lead and falling in overtime in Game 4, taking advantage of their depth to send the Oilers to the brink again.

The NHL is a traditional business, and change is rare. It takes a long time to be implemented. Still, following the release of the voting for the various trophies by Professional Hockey Writers Association members, I believe it has become glaringly evident that the NHL needs to add a new trophy, that of the best defensive defenseman.

Every season, when the James Norris Trophy is awarded to the NHL’s top defenseman, it becomes more and more evident that it is granted not necessarily to the best defenseman as a whole, but to the best offensive defenseman. Don’t get me wrong, Cale Makar is a fantastic defenseman, but when you think about the Colorado Avalanche’s blueliner, blocked shots and defensive coverage are not what comes to mind. What comes to mind is his number of points and how well he quarterbacks the Avs’ power play.

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And the same goes for his fellow Norris finalists. Makar finished the regular season with 92 points, Colombus Blue Jackets’ defenseman Zach Werenski was second with 82 points and Vancouver Canucks’ blueliner Quinn Hughes was third with 76 points. That’s precisely the order in which they finished for the Norris. Makar received 1861 voting points, Werenski received 1266, and Hughes received 918.

The top-10 in voting was completed by: Josh Morrissey (eight in regular season scoring amongst defensemen), Victor Hedman (seventh in scoring), Rasmus Dahlin (fourth in scoring), Thomas Harley (15th in scoring), Jacob Slavin (the exception to the rule, 70th in scoring), Lane Hutson (sixth in scoring) and Jake Sanderson (11th in scoring).

The only purely defensive defenseman of the lot is Slavin, who received only 60 voting points. The Carolina Hurricanes’ top-pairing defenseman doesn’t play on the man-advantage; he’s the Canes’ penalty kill anchor, leading them in blocked shots with 136 (38 more than second-place Brent Burns) and in average time on ice with 21:34.

The Hurricanes were 10th in the league in goals against and ninth in goals for. The defensive side of their game is just as important as the offensive side, and Slavin is the most significant cog in their defense. Without him, their result in their zone would be nowhere near as good.

If there’s a trophy for the best defensive forward (the Frank J. Selke), why shouldn’t there be a trophy for the best defensive defenseman? It makes sense, especially since people put more focus on the offensive side of the game nowadays. Fans and pundits all want to see goals, which is why the offensive juggernauts' defensemen gather as many votes for the Norris Trophy. No matter how many goals you score, though, you’re not going to win if there’s no one to ensure that your opponent scores less than you do.

After the 1998-99 season, the NHL introduced the Maurice “Rocket” Richard trophy, which is awarded annually to the league’s best sniper. It was named to honour the Montreal Canadiens’ legend, who was the first player ever to score 50 goals in a season and 50 goals in the first 50 games of his team (a feat only achieved by four other players since then: Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux, and Brett Hull). It should be noted that other players scored 50 goals in their first 50 games or fewer, but not in their team’s first 50 games (Jari Kurri, Alexander Mogilny, Lemieux, Cam Neely, and, more recently, Auston Matthews).

Maurice "The Rocket" Richard of the Montreal Canadiens scoring his 500th goal in 1957. pic.twitter.com/C8Y291pV98

— Old Canada Series (@oldcanadaseries) April 25, 2025

Richard led the league in goals five times throughout his 18-season career and was the first player to reach the 500-goal mark. To this day, 48 players have achieved the feat. When the Rocket hung up his skates in 1960, he was the top goal scorer in league history with 544 goals. Today, his 544 goals are the 33rd highest total in league history. Alexander Ovechkin became the top goal scorer this season, overtaking Wayne Gretzky, who finished his career with 894. The Russian sniper now has 897 and will play for at least one more season.

Given how vital a good defensive defenseman can be to his team, it’s high time the league introduced a new trophy to honour the best of the best in that field. If the league needs inspiration to name it, the rich Canadiens’ history could once again be dug into. Montreal has had its fair share of defensive masterminds at the blueline, and Doug Harvey’s name comes to mind.

Harvey spent the first 14 seasons of his career with the Canadiens, winning six Stanley Cups. In 1113 games, he gathered 540 points and 1216 penalty minutes, winning seven Norris Trophies. He possessed a keen hockey mind, and when he was acquired by the New York Rangers, he became the last player-coach in league history, leading them to their first postseason appearance in four years. The defenseman liked being one of the guys, and when he resigned as coach, he said, “As the coach, I couldn’t go out for beers with the boys”. Harvey was also offensively gifted and was one of the first defenseman to carry the puck as much as he wanted and slow down the pace of the play, he was the complete package. 

Should the league want to take a more modern approach, both Boston Bruins’ Raymond Bourque and Detroit Red Wings’ Nicklas Lidstrom would be excellent choices. Bourque was incredibly sound defensively, and every NHL fan rooted for him to win a Stanley Cup before retiring when he was traded to the Avalanche. As for Lidstrom, he was very gifted at shutting down opponents and marked the league’s history when he became the first European-born and trained player to raise the Stanley Cup and win the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP.

Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

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In the 2024 offseason, the Seattle Kraken signed Chandler Stephenson to a seven-year, $6.25M contract and after one season, the long-term implications don't seem very positive.

In his first season with the organization, the 31-year-old struggled at 5-on-5 despite scoring 13 goals and 51 points in 78 games. Stephenson recorded a career-high 18 power play points and provided value on the penalty kill, but for a $6.25M cap hit, the Kraken were hoping for more than a third-line producer. 

As the years will go by, the expectation is that Shane Wright and Matty Beniers will continue to improve and blossom into top-six centers, leaving Stephenson in a lesser role. When they factor in Berkly Catton, who is nearing an NHL role, it puts the Kraken in an increasingly peculiar spot.

Throughout his junior career, Catton has played exclusively as a center, and his skill set best suits a modern NHL center. He's a fantastic playmaker who loves to have the puck on his stick. He's a transition nightmare for his opponents, using his speed, edges and hands to create space for himself and his teammates. The unfortunate situation for Catton and the Kraken is that he is ineligible to play in the AHL next season if he is not ready to play in the NHL. He'd have to return to the WHL, where he's proven to be far too good for.

This season, the 19-year-old scored 38 goals and 109 points in 57 games, while adding another 11 goals and 42 points in 20 playoff games. If Catton does show he's ready to play in the NHL, the Kraken will be forced to play him as either a fourth-line center or a winger, both positions where Catton would likely not thrive during his rookie campaign, which is why the decision to sign Stephenson to a long-term deal at the time was puzzling, and it'll continue to be.

While he could be hampering the development of young forwards like Catton, he was also misprofiled by the Kraken front office. With the Vegas Golden Knights, Stephenson was so effective because Jack Eichel and William Karlsson took on the tough matchups, allowing Stephenson to play a type of roaming role to take advantage of lesser matchups. If Wright and Beniers continue their trajectory, they could create that role for Stephenson, but the Saskatoon, SK native's cap hit is still far too high for that role. 

"I think a lot of similarities there. It's crazy thinking that I'm one of the older guys now, it goes so quick. I mean, even this year, how quick it went by," said Stepheson during the Kraken's exit interviews. "My youngest daughter just turned one, and it feels like she's a couple months old. So, yeah, it was kind of a blur this year. But as far as playing and everything went, from that standpoint, it was fairly similar. I would say it’s just a different situation, different kind of everything as well. But I think it's just it's going to be good to just kind of reflect and know what to expect coming into next year, and just have that comfortability and experience, I guess. Yeah, I think it'll be a good season next year, for sure."

The Kraken want to find ways to incorporate youth and veterans, but strapping themselves to long-term contracts could be more detrimental than beneficial. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Kraken stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

Kraken Are A Threat To Offer Sheet Available Restricted Free AgentsThroughout the season, the Seattle Kraken's front office has been keen on their mindset to be aggressive in their pursuit of upgrading the roster, and according to recent reports, that pursuit includes possibly using offer sheets. 

It's officially summer, folks.

How do we know, you ask? Yes, the Stanley Cup Final series has already kicked off, but that's not the prime indicator.

Martin Necas rumors have officially started swirling, and the frenzy that has ensued is a certain head-scratcher.

While the Stanley Cup Final begins this week, the off-season has begun for 30 teams across the NHL.

With the combine this week and the draft to follow later in the month, @RealKyper introduces his first trade board of the off-season. https://t.co/yXm6NXGb8V

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 2, 2025

In the above article, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet talks about potentially beneficial trades across the league leading up to Free Agency. He had this to say about Necas, who still has one year remaining on his $6.5 million contract:

"The key piece in the first Mikko Rantanen trade this season, Martin Necas largely delivered on what was promised — he was just shy of being a point-per-game player in the regular season and found a home on Colorado’s top line. But before that trade, Necas only signed a short-term deal with Carolina when the two sides couldn’t agree on his long-term value, meaning he has one season left making $6.5 million against the cap, after which he could test the waters as a UFA. 

“After the Avalanche moved Rantanen because of how difficult they perceived contract extension talks to be going, how much patience will they have with Necas — not a homegrown player or superstar talent — if negotiations on an extension start slowly this July? There was a sense Necas wasn’t overly thrilled with his experience in Colorado and that he wants to explore other options."

The quote that garners a lot of attention: "There was a sense Necas wasn't overly thrilled with his experience in Colorado."

Where This All Started

Rumors began circulating in the summer of 2024, following the end of his previous bridge deal, that Necas was unhappy with his time in Carolina. Necas' father spoke out, saying that the forward wanted minutes on the first line and the first power-play unit, opportunities he wasn't consistently getting under head coach Rod Brind'Amour. The understanding was that Necas was unhappy with his utilization and felt that he wasn't able to play to his full capabilities. His father even went on to say in an interview with Denik Sport, "Martin wants to be traded."

Is Martin Necas' Time in Carolina Coming to a Close?When the clock struck 0:00 and the Carolina Hurricanes were eliminated in Game 6 in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the New York Rangers, emotions were running high.

It seems as though those comments held some truth to them, considering the blockbuster trade that sent him and teammate Jack Drury, who had also reportedly requested a trade in previous off-seasons, to the Avalanche in exchange for Mikko Rantanen.

In Carolina, this past season yielded incredible results for Necas - the best of his career. In 49 games played with the club, he still ranks highly among their roster:

• Points: 55 (3rd)
• Goals: 16 (6th)
• Assists: 39 (2nd)
• Power-Play Goals: 7 (T-2nd, Seth Jarvis)

Rumors also broke around the same time that alluded to Necas not being happy playing on the wing. When he was drafted, many listed him as a natural center. With Carolina's log-jam at the center position during his time with the team, HC Rod Brind'Amour didn't have much wiggle room and, instead, focused on developing him as a winger.

How Did Things in Colorado Shake Out?

He ended the season with 83 points, tallying 11 goals and 17 assists in the remaining 30 games he played with the Avalanche in the regular season, averaging just under a point per game.

Impressive? Given the change in systems he needed to adapt to, most would say so.

Necas was accustomed to playing a style with Carolina that emphasized a heavy neutral-zone presence and hard-checking game. Brind'Amour demands a certain defensive style from his players that wasn't much suited for Necas. His absence from Carolina's penalty kill units further proves that.

With the Hurricanes, he was never on a consistent line for long, never mind on the first line.

What he DID get in Colorado, though, was consistent first-line minutes next to one of the best active players in the NHL and minutes on the first power-play unit, both things he reportedly wanted. In these situations on the ice, especially next to Nathan MacKinnon, he could put his best assets to use: his speed and ability to transition the puck - something Carolina had to adapt to missing after he was traded away.

It’s a Marty Party 🎉 pic.twitter.com/h00HNddDhC

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 9, 2025

But, then begs the question: if he got what he was asking for, why wouldn't he be thrilled?

First, let's all remember to take the report with a grain of salt. This is ONE journalist with a single report after a tumultuous season for every party involved in this trade. Everyone was shocked by the blockbuster trade, despite two of the three players involved having reportedly requested to be moved in previous years (i.e., Necas and Drury).

Second, if there is any truth to this, all bets here are on him not getting more of an opportunity to prove himself as a natural center.

He was given one game by head coach Jared Bednar in MacKinnon's absence (due to a minor injury) on April 10th against the Vancouver Canucks. It didn't last longer than two periods.

Call it a lack of experience or simply not being built to play the position, but when a guy who wants to play center is out on the ice for three of the four goals allowed, it's not the greatest way to build an argument to play him there consistently. He was only at center for one of those goals, as he was moved back to the wing in the third period, but that lone goal saw him caught too deep in the other end and then leisurely skating back... Not the best look.

🗣️Jared Bednar

Watch Bednar's full postgame availability following a 1-4 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.#GoAvsGo | @gs_off_icepic.twitter.com/TyXNpFsHvI

— Guerilla Sports (@guerillasports_) April 11, 2025

In his defense, that was an off-game for the team as a whole, as Coach Bednar said following the game that the team wasn't skating enough. Bad decisions were made, breakouts were "terrible," zone transitions weren't up to his standards, and he made sure everyone knew that the lineup shuffling due to missing guys was not an excuse for any of it.

The Multi-Million Dollar Question: Will Necas Get Traded?

All that to say... With the Brock Nelson extension securing a player at the 2C position for the next three years, there's not much of an opportunity for Necas to get another look at center. And now with talks of the Avalanche potentially targeting Stanley Cup-winning center Jonathan Toews, it looks less and less likely for the Czech native.

The idea is that, with Necas' contract expiring after the 2025-26 season, the Avalanche may put a deal in front of him somewhere between $7 million and $9 million. After the points he put up in the regular season this past campaign, a number in that range seems generous enough and would be his largest salary sum yet.

Necas has never signed a deal longer than three years, his most recent contracts acting as bridge deals while Necas continued to prove himself. His worth has always been a point of contention in contract talks, even leading the forward to file for arbitration in 2024 before the season. Hearing dates for players were not released, but he signed his two-year, $6.5 million deal on July 29th, 2024.

Rumors have popped up in the last few weeks that the Avalanche may consider trading him to earn some draft capital back, or to deepen their roster even further, but NHL insider Elliotte Friedman alluded to rumors being just that: rumors.

Elliotte Friedman: Regarding the Martin Necas, Charlie Coyle rumours, I'm not sure the Avalanche feel they have to do anything, they like how the team looks on paper - 32 Thoughts Podcast

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 14, 2025

My expectation is that Martin Necas will be in the starting lineup for the Avalanche come October. From there, he has a chance to work further with MacKinnon and best his numbers from this past season to earn himself a heftier contract. If he is traded by the deadline next March, it won't be from lack of trying on Chris MacFarland and company's part.

Stylistically, Necas is a perfect fit for this team, especially next to MacKinnon on the first line. He's gotten almost everything he's wanted out of how he's been utilized on the ice, so that can no longer be an excuse as to why he couldn't get a deal done with Colorado.

The main factors, in my eyes, will be the salary and whether or not playing center is a dealbreaker for him moving forward.

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