The Buffalo Sabres exceeded expectations this season, but they'll be heading home for the summer with a sour taste in their mouths after losing Game 7 in overtime to their rival Montreal Canadiens. It was great to see the Sabres relevant again and it's certainly better for hockey in general, so kudos to their management team for turning things around after years and years of disappointment under Kevyn Adams. There's some big decisions to make now heading into the offseason, one that includes t...
about 2 hours ago
· 0 reads
The Montreal Canadiens have made it to the second round in the postseason without the help of forward Patrik Laine. Laine, who arrived in Montreal after a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, had thought he had found a new home after a miserable experience in the United States. The experiment playing at center with Pascal Vincent leading the charge fell through, and Blue Jackets fans pathologized his mental issues and took to making fun of him on Twitter. Ditching the Union Blue ...
about 13 hours ago
· 0 reads
Analytics reigns supreme in the Toronto Maple Leafs front office. The ascent of general manager John Chayka has infused the organization with new blood and a new outlook. For better or worse, it has yet to be determined, as they're going through growing pains. Firing coach Craig Berube and taking a different path. According to TSN's Darren Dreger , the Maple Leafs new direction could find them looking within their own division to find one player who solves their playof...
about 14 hours ago
· 0 reads
The ruthlessness of the Vegas Golden Knights front office is unmatched in the NHL. Trading goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for an unknown prospect, while agent Allan Walsh cried foul on Twitter. Their latest move of infamy is firing former head coach Bruce Cassidy, who took them to their first Stanley Cup win in 2023, and is preventing him from speaking to other teams . They're petty and exercise their power (overtly) when possible. Today, as free-agency inches nearer and...
about 15 hours ago
· 0 reads
After losing his No. 1 standing in the Minnesota Wild net late this season, Filip Gustavsson is now facing another significant hurdle for 2026-27. It's been revealed that he will be undergoing hip surgery this week. #mnwild goaltender Filip Gustavsson will undergo surgery on his hip this offseason— questionable if he’ll be ready for start of next year — FOX 9 Sports (@Fox9Sports) May 18, 2026 GM Bill Geurin said at today's meeting with the media that he is unsure if Gustavsson will be re...
about 17 hours ago
· 0 reads
The Toronto Maple Leafs ' head coaching search continues to churn away, as they are reaching out far and wide to candidates of all stripes. From newbies to the old experienced hands, from so-called players' coaches to disciplinarians. And everything in between. But one potential candidate, University of Denver bench boss David Carle, has something that no other coach on the Leafs' ever-expanding list can claim: Three national championships. Carle, at the age of just 36, is already a legend in ...
about 18 hours ago
· 0 reads
Ilya Mikheyev is set for unrestricted free agency on July 1st, and it sounds like the Chicago Blackhawks have been unable to come to an agreement on extending him. Insider Elliotte Friedman reported Monday morning that the Hawks have made his negotiating rights available for trade. Friedman reports the Blackhawks have made pending UFA Ilya Mikheyev’s negotiating rights available for trade https://t.co/8OoAivYhmK — Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) May 18, 2026 Mikheyev, 31, is coming off a four-yea...
about 20 hours ago
· 0 reads
The Toronto Maple Leafs front office is continuing to take shape for the summer. After the hiring of new GM John Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin, the first to go of the old guard still remaining was Shane Doan, a special advisor to the GM. The next moves, on Sunday, are to cut ties with two assistant GMs, Brandon Pridham and Derek Clancey. Pridham was the team's "salary cap specialist", while Clancey was the AGM of Player Personnel. 🚨 BREAKING: The...
The Minnesota Wild have made the playoffs twice in the last two seasons under head coach John Hynes. This time, they advanced into the second round but were eliminated by their rivals, the Colorado Avalanche, headed by Jared Bednar. After Hynes three-year tenure in Minnesota, and the tumultuous coaching carousel which continues to this day, you have to wonder whether or not he'll be the next coach shuffled back onto the ride, which seems to continue in perpetuity. Hynes reco...
The Minnesota Wild made the blockbuster move of the season this year, acquiring Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. But GM Bill Guerin didn't stop there according to a report, as he also tried to acquire one of Hughes' brothers, Luke, from the New Jersey Devils. The Minnesota Wild made a pitch to try and acquire Luke Hughes during the season, per @RussoHockey . pic.twitter.com/gcxKpySS8e — PuckEmpire (@puckempire) May 17, 2026 Both of Quinn's brothers, Luke and Jack, play together in New ...
The goaltender market is starting to look like it'll be a busy one this offseason. We've talked a lot about names like pending UFAs Sergei Bobrovsky and Stuart Skinner, and a likely trade candidate like Jordan Binnington. Now we should be adding Darcy Kuemper's name to the list, per Scott Coffman in Mayors Manor . Once the LA Kings work out a new contract for RFA Brandt Clarke, and potentially re-sign pending UFA Scott Laughton, they'll have some cap issues if they were hoping to bring i...
Keep an eye on the Philadelphia Flyers this summer, as general manager Daniel Briere will be looking to add a tandem goaltender partner for Daniel Vladar next season. The Flyers exceeded expectations this season getting to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and now it's on Briere to add around the edges of the roster and get his team in better shape for more noise next spring. Vladar proved he can handle a decent work load and be there in big games, but it's a priority for the Flyer...
The Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs almost pulled off a huge trade before March's deadline, as The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta has recently shed some light on what went on for trade talks between these two teams. Pagnotta reports that the Oilers were open to sending Darnell Nurse to the Leafs in exchange for Morgan Rielly and Nic Roy: The Leafs and Oilers discussed a potential Morgan Rielly trade before the deadline. David Pagnotta expects Edmonton to circle back again, as both team...
After last season you'd think that Dougie Hamilton would have demanded a trade from the New Jersey Devils, but that wasn't the case at all. Now, with a new GM running show in Sunny Mehta, there's been an update on Hamilton's status as a Devil. Turns out Mehta will listen to any trade offers coming his way on just about anyone on the roster, but has made it very clear already in the early days on the job, he's not necessarily shopping Hamilton, and is really a fan of his game. Hamilton had a to...
Keep an eye on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the course of the next few weeks. Newly minted general manager John Chayka has been busy meeting with members of the organization to get a pulse check on the culture of the team, which evidently led to head coach Craig Berube getting fired, and now Chayka turns his attention to his captain, Auston Matthews. Chayka and Matthews will meet in Arizona over the course of the next two weeks and if they're not able to get on the same page about the vision o...
It's sounding more and more like Jonathan Marchessault's days as a Nashville Predator are coming to an end. After signing a lucrative long-term contract with the Preds a couple of summers ago, the speedy winger hasn't been able to reach the expectations that were placed on him once he signed his deal, alongside several other vets, and now the Preds are going to retool on the fly. Marchessault is a prime trade candidate heading into the offseason. The 35-year-old winger scored 12 goals in 62 ga...
The St. Louis Blues are expected to trade goaltender Jordan Binnington this offseason. With Joel Hofer ready and able to take over as the team's number-one goalie, Binnington has found himself near the top of almost all then insider's offseason trade boards. The Blues are retooling on the fly and are expected to use Binnington to try and find a top-nine forward who can step into the team's lineup on a regular basis next season. The veteran goaltender had a down season last year, but once again...
The Anaheim Ducks will be a team to watch this offseason as general manager Pat Verbeek is open for business. The Ducks smashed expectations this season, but that won't slow Verbeek down at all this summer as he looks to upgrade his roster. There's one player who is expected to be involved in any big move and that's Mason McTavish. The 23-year-old forward just started a long-term extension with the team that pays him $7 million AAV through the 2031 season, but it's become obvious throughout th...
Keep an eye on the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs this summer, as the two teams could align on a trade together now that Brad Treliving isn't in the picture. The Flames have notified teams around the league that they're open for business this offseason. The Flames only have four players who are untouchable in trade talks. GM Craig Conroy is willing to listen on just about anyone, and that includes center Morgan Frost. Frost could be a great fit for the Maple Leafs. Toronto is in need o...
If you were to handicap the Conn Smythe Trophy race before these Stanley Cup Playoffs began, it's pretty certain that two of the top three betting favorites right now would not have been on your board. According to Covers.com and Bet 99, the betting odds for the playoff MVP look like this heading into Saturday night's crucial Game 6 in Montreal between the Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche +195 Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes +45...
The Vegas Golden Knights are on to the Western Conference Final under John Tortorella. But one wonders, depending on how much farther they go, if he'll be able to keep the job on a full-time basis after the season. He's only got a deal that runs through the end of this campaign. He took over the team after they fired Bruce Cassidy with just eight games left in the regular season. This week, Torts earned himself a $100,000 fine, and more importantly, cost the Golden Knights a second...
Head coach Craig Berube was fired on May 13th , after meeting with the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, John Chayka, and executive advisor of hockey operations, Mats Sundin. The group met on the weekend, before GM Chayka would pull the trigger and restart the team's hunt for a coach after Berube's two seasons behind Toronto's bench. Once thought to be a premier coaching prospect in the NHL after winning a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, Berube's stock has f...
After the Minnesota Wild were eliminated in the second round by the Colorado Avalanche, superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes said all the right things, that he was open to re-signing in Minnesota. However, saying and doing are two different things. With one year left on his current deal, he's eligible for an extension as of July 1, and we'll see how that goes. Meanwhile, over in New Jersey, where Hughes' two brothers play, the Devils have an urgent extension situation brewing this sum...
Connor Hellebuyck has experienced the ultimate thrill of an Olympic Gold Medal. Now he has his sights set on a Stanley Cup. But from the sounds of his exit interview after the Winnipeg Jets were sent home at the end of the regular season, he's getting frustrated with where the team is, calling this season "unacceptable." If you haven't seen his reaction when asked whether he'd reconsider his future in Winnipeg, you must watch the agonizing pain he demonstrated while trying to answer...
Jay Woodcroft spent the 2025-26 season as an assistant coach under Joel Quenneville in Anaheim, watched the Ducks upset the Edmonton Oilers in six games in the first round of the playoffs, and is now entering his third consecutive summer of head coaching interviews.
Per Eric Stephens of The Athletic , Woodcroft is expected to pursue multiple head coaching opportunities this offseason, with Ducks GM Pat Verbeek making clear he will not stand in his way.
"I would never hold a coach back from...