Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick, Shea Weber, Krissy Wendell-Pohl, and Natalie Darwitz were named to the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2024 on Tuesday.Colin Campbell and David Poile were elected in the builder category.Datsyuk earned the call in his first year of eligibility. The dynamic Russian was one of the most skilled players the NHL has ever seen and racked up a boatload of accomplishments over a 14-year career with the Detroit Red Wings. He notched 918 points in 953 games, won the Stanley Cup twice, the Selke Trophy three times, and the Lady Byng on four occasions. He was named one of the league's top 100 players ever in 2017 and won Olympic gold in 2018.Roenick has been eligible since 2012. He notched 513 goals and 703 assists in 1,363 career games but had to wait for induction likely due to never winning a Stanley Cup or major individual award. He played on five different teams over a 20-year career and is the fifth-highest-scoring American-born player in league history.Weber is another first-year inductee. He was one of the league's most feared defensemen over a 16-season career with the Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens. Weber was a four-time All-Star and three-time Norris Trophy finalist and produced 539 points in 1,038 NHL games. While he never won the Stanley Cup, Weber has two Olympic golds, a World Championship gold, and a World Cup of Hockey title on his resume.Wendell-Pohl is a former captain of the American women's national team. She earned five World Championships and two Olympic medals in a prolific international career. Wendell-Pohl also had a 100-point collegiate season with the University of Minnesota in 2004-05.Darwitz's induction marks the first class to feature two women since 2010. She won three World Championships with the United States and earned three Olympic medals.Campbell is currently the executive vice president and director of hockey operations for the NHL. Before joining the league office, he was a player and head coach.Poile was a general manager for 40 years, split between the Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators. He stepped down from his position in 2023 as the only person in league history to oversee 3,000 games as GM.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Jake Walman and a second-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for future considerations, the teams announced Tuesday.Detroit signed Walman to a three-year, $10.2-million extension in February 2023. His contract featured a 10-team no-trade clause, according to Cap Friendly.Walman notched 21 points in 63 games this past season while averaging just under 20 minutes per contest. Detroit originally added the 28-year-old from the St. Louis Blues in March 2022.Detroit acquired the second-round pick it sent to San Jose earlier Tuesday in a trade with the Nashville Predators. The selection originally belonged to the Tampa Bay Lightning.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

From a controversial empty-net goal to jaw-dropping saves, the 2023-24 regular season and playoffs truly had something for everyone.Now that the Stanley Cup's been hoisted high, let's celebrate the top plays of the year that was, beginning with one honorable mention.Honorable mention: The slap shot empty-netter Feb. 10, 2024

The Stanley Cup champion Panthers are just starting their celebrations following Monday's triumph, a party that will likely continue all summer.But for fans of the other 31 teams, it's never too early to look toward next year, even though there is still an offseason's worth of changes to come.Here are the odds for who will hoist the Cup in 2025:TeamOddsStars+900Panthers+900Hurricanes+1000Oilers+1000Avalanche+1200Devils+1200Rangers+1200Maple Leafs+1600Golden Knights+1600Bruins+2000Canucks+2000Jets+2200Kings+2500Lightning+2500Predators+3000Red Wings+3500Penguins+3500Wild+4000Islanders+4000Senators+4000Sabres+5000Flyers+5000Blues+5000Kraken+6000Flames+7500Utah Hockey Club+7500Captials+7500Canadiens+10000Blackhawks+15000Ducks+30000Blue Jackets+30000Sharks+30000Odds via theScore BetThe Panthers are co-favorites, alongside the Stars, to repeat at +900, an implied probability of 10%. Florida was +1800 at the start of the 2023-24 season.The Oilers are still licking their wounds, but there's no reason to believe they can't make another run next year. They are +1000, alongside the 2023-24 preseason favorite Hurricanes.How are we feeling about next year, Maple Leafs fans? Oddsmakers are giving the blue and white a 5.9% chance of ending their 58-year drought after what could be a turbulent offseason in Toronto.The Golden Knights, Bruins, and Canucks are also in that Panthers sweet spot from +1600 to +2000. Boston already started its offseason moves by trading Linus Ullmark to the Senators.The yet-to-be-named Utah Hockey Club, formerly the Arizona Coyotes, are +7500 in their first year playing out of Salt Lake City.Chances look bleak for the Ducks, Blue Jackets, and Sharks, with implied odds of 0.3%.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper will lead Team Canada at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Olympics in Italy, Hockey Canada announced Tuesday.A management team featuring Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues, Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars, and Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins selected Cooper for the national team head coaching position."Jon is a world-class person, coach, and leader, and his impressive resume and success in the NHL make him the perfect person to lead Team Canada over the next two years at the 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Olympic Winter Games," Armstrong said."Our management group knows that Jon will represent our country with pride while bringing his winning pedigree to the international stage, and we look forward to working with him as we build teams with the best NHL players in Canada at two marquee events."Cooper has coached the Bolts for the past 12 seasons, making him the longest-tenured coach in the NHL. He's guided Tampa Bay to 10 playoff appearances, a Presidents' Trophy, four Eastern Conference championships, and two Stanley Cups.The 56-year-old served as an assistant coach with Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Cooper was also named Canada's bench boss for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing before the NHL pulled out of the Games due to the pandemic.The 4 Nations Face-Off will be played in February 2025 and feature Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland. The first six players for each team will be announced later in June.The NHL agreed to send its players to the 2026 Olympics after missing out on the past two tournaments.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL released Philadelphia Flyers top prospect Matvei Michkov from his contract, the NHL team announced Tuesday.Michkov, the seventh overall pick in 2023, is now eligible to sign an entry-level deal in the NHL. The Flyers drafted Michkov while he was signed in Russia through 2026. The supremely talented forward's commitment to SKA affected his draft stock, but he's now available to play in North America sooner than expected."We are certainly excited to learn of this news and look forward to reconnecting with Matvei's representatives in the coming days," Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said in a statement. "Additionally, we are appreciative of SKA Saint Petersburg for allowing Matvei Michkov to pursue his dream of playing in the NHL."Michkov was loaned to Sochi HC this past season, scoring 41 points in 47 games as a 19-year-old.Rumors of Michkov leaving the KHL early had been circulating since the Flyers' season ended. President of hockey operations Keith Jones said earlier in June that the organization hoped to accelerate Michkov's arrival."We absolutely love what he is going to bring to the Flyers," Jones said at the time. "If that timeline is sped up, that would be wonderful. But we don't know. ... When he arrives, our fan base is going to be pretty excited about getting a highly talented player that is different than what we have right now."The Flyers were a surprise team in 2023-24 but ultimately missed the playoffs by four points. They'll pick 12th overall in the upcoming draft.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche signed restricted free-agent forward Casey Mittelstadt to a three-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.The contract carries an average annual value of $5.75 million, reports The Athletic's Chris Johnston.Colorado acquired Mittelstadt from the Buffalo Sabres before this year's deadline in a blockbuster deal that sent defenseman Bowen Byram the other way. Mittelstadt filled a hole at center for the Avalanche, producing 10 points in 18 games before adding nine in 11 playoff contests."Casey was a great fit for our lineup and a big contributor to our team down the stretch and in the playoffs," general manager Chris MacFarland said. "His game has improved every season, and he took yet another big jump this past year. We believe he has an even higher level to reach, and it was important to get him signed for several years. Casey is an exciting, playmaking center with good vision and hands and, at just 25 years old, is going to be a big part of our team moving forward."Mittelstadt will be a UFA when his new deal expires in 2027.The Avalanche have roughly $10.4 million in cap space left, according to Cap Friendly, with a 2024-25 roster size of 13 players.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets announced they signed defenseman Dylan DeMelo to a four-year contract extension worth $4.9 million per season.DeMelo was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agency July 1 and would likely have been highly sought-after as a reliable right-handed blue-liner. He'll earn a significant raise over the $3-million cap hit he's earned over the past four seasons in Winnipeg.The Jets acquired DeMelo from the Ottawa Senators in 2020. He set a career high with 31 points this past season and ranked second in the NHL at plus-46. The 31-year-old averaged over 21 minutes per contest and contributed 167 hits along with 139 blocks.Winnipeg has approximately $8.7 million in flexibility left after signing DeMelo, according to CapFriendly. Brenden Dillon, Sean Monahan, and Tyler Toffoli are among the club's notable remaining free agents.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov had the unenviable task of going head-to-head with Connor McDavid throughout the Stanley Cup Final, and after coming out on top in Monday's Game 7, he had nothing but praise for the Edmonton Oilers phenom."He's probably the most talented hockey player I've ever seen in my life," Barkov said after winning his first championship, per NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "Obviously, I never played against (Wayne) Gretzky, but I can imagine he's something similar."McDavid, who became the sixth player in league history to win the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP despite losing the final, was in pursuit of Gretzky throughout the postseason. McDavid usurped the Great One's all-time playoff assist benchmark (31) and fell five points short of matching the scoring record (47). The 27-year-old became only the third player, joining Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, to eclipse 40 points in a single playoff.Barkov, who won the Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward, found a way to neutralize McDavid throughout the final. The Oilers star didn't record a point in Games 6 and 7 after back-to-back four-point performances. In the 43:40 the captains shared at five-on-five throughout the series, the Panthers surrendered a single goal, according to Natural Stat Trick.Barkov was a Conn Smythe candidate himself after leading the Panthers in playoff scoring with 22 points in 24 games. He shut down some of the league's top offensive talents throughout Florida's run, including Nikita Kucherov, David Pastrnak, and Artemi Panarin.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins briefly upstaged the riveting conclusion to the Stanley Cup Final with the announcement that Linus Ullmark was changing teams.The Senators acquired the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner on Monday night in exchange for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, fourth-line center Mark Kastelic, and this year's No. 25 draft pick, which the Bruins originally owned. Ottawa retains 25% of Korpisalo's $4-million cap hit over the next four seasons.Here's what the trade means for both sides.Senators Boston Globe / Getty ImagesThe defensemen in front of them were prone to slipups last season, but Korpisalo and goalie partner Anton Forsberg sapped Ottawa's confidence.Senators netminders let in the opponent's first or second shot in 22 games. Korpisalo's deflating .890 save percentage condemned the team to a seventh straight missed postseason and 26th-place finish.The Ullmark trade is doubly satisfying for Steve Staios, Ottawa's rookie GM. He adds a legitimate starter with a .918 career denial rate who ranked fifth in the NHL over the past five seasons in goals saved above expected, per Evolving-Hockey. In the process, Staios undid one of predecessor Pierre Dorion's glaring, expensive mistakes.A Korpisalo buyout would've cost the Senators $10.7 million through 2032, per CapFriendly. They're paying less dead money over a shorter span, now get to ice an accomplished goalie, and still possess the No. 7 pick in Friday's draft.The cool and collected Ullmark, who's never made 50 starts in a season, won't necessarily dominate in the Canadian capital. Ottawa's reputation as a goalie graveyard preceded Korpisalo's cursed stint. Staios also hasn't extended Ullmark, who's on track to reach free agency next summer, though contract talks could heat up this week.Staios didn't need to swap Jakob Chychrun, Erik Brannstrom, or another decent player to land his desired goalie. More moves will follow as he attempts to reshape and upgrade the Ottawa defense corps.Grade: A- (could be A if Ullmark extends)Bruins Richard T. Gagnon / Getty ImagesThe No. 25 pick comes late in the first round, Kastelic is a physical but pedestrian depth center, and Korpisalo's lighter cap charge will still sting if he performs like he did in Ottawa.Despite the meager return, the trade contains silver linings for the Bruins, notably that they'll get to draft in Round 1 for just the second time in five years. Renting Tyler Bertuzzi for one playoff round in 2023 cost Boston this selection before the Detroit Red Wings flipped it to Ottawa for Alex DeBrincat.Moving Ullmark creates current and future cap space for Boston and signals belief, faint as it may be, that Korpisalo can be better. The strength of the Bruins' defensive structure helped Jeremy Swayman, the new undisputed starter, record a .950 save percentage in the series win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Head coach Jim Montgomery can shelter Korpisalo, a luxury Ottawa didn't enjoy, and deploy him strategically against worse teams.Market forces weakened Boston's bargaining power. Potential Ullmark suitors disappeared when the New Jersey Devils traded for Jacob Markstrom, a proven workhorse, and the Los Angeles Kings picked up veteran stopgap Darcy Kuemper. Bruins GM Don Sweeney recouped a draft asset but wound up with the shakiest goalie of the bunch.Grade: C-Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid was understandably succinct in summing up his feelings after falling short in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final."It sucks, yeah," he said.The Oilers admirably rallied from a 3-0 series deficit against the Florida Panthers, but the Cardiac Cats held on with a 2-1 victory Monday night to secure their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history."You knew it was gonna be tight, you know, Game 7 for the Cup. ... It's tough. They did a good job of shutting things down," McDavid said. "We had our looks, just didn't find it."McDavid technically didn't go home empty-handed as he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the postseason, but it wasn't the hardware he wanted."I guess an honor with the names on that trophy, but," the superstar said, trailing off.McDavid is now the sixth player in NHL history to hold the mantle of playoff MVP as a member of the losing side. He didn't return to the ice to accept the trophy."I don't think he cares (about winning the Conn Smythe)," Leon Draisaitl said. "It speaks to how amazing of a hockey player he is. But no player in the world that wants to win a Stanley Cup more than him. He does everything right every single day just to win it one day. It's really hard, especially him being sad, being disappointed at the end.""He's the greatest player to ever play in my books," he continued. "So many things that a lot of people don't see that he does. His work ethic, he singlehandedly turned our franchise around pretty much. Just love sharing the ice with him. He's a really really special person."Despite the sting of defeat, McDavid said he was "proud" of the resiliency his team showed all year.Edmonton was tied for last place in the league in November before a coaching change helped the team climb its way out of the basement and into the Stanley Cup Final."We were behind the eight ball almost immediately," McDavid said with a chuckle. "We fought an uphill climb for months and months and months. It just sucks."He added: "We were right there. Right there."Draisaitl, meanwhile, said he hopes his team can take something positive from the disappointing loss."I think for the most part, it's just learning lessons, right?" he said. "We've done that over the last couple of years very well and implemented those lessons. But it's tough to drag a lesson out of this one when you're really one shot or two shots away from accomplishing everything."Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo is abandoning the prospect of reactivating the franchise, PHNX Sports' Craig Morgan reports.The site of Meruelo's planned arena for a future Coyotes franchise became unavailable last week when the Arizona State Land Department canceled the auction for the tract of land.Meruelo told Coyotes staff on Monday that he has no plans to pursue further arena options, Morgan reports.The Coyotes' assets were sold for $1.2 billion in April in a move that effectively relocated the team to Utah. As part of the transaction, the Arizona franchise was deemed "inactive" by the NHL.Meruelo has until Dec. 31, 2027, to build 50% of a new arena and inform the league of his intention to reactivate the franchise and trigger an expansion draft.With the cancelation of the land auction, Meruelo doesn't see a viable option to meet the parameters of the reactivation clause, Morgan reports.The Coyotes played the past two seasons at Arizona State University's Mullett Arena, which has a capacity of 4,600.Meruelo still owns the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners. The team had initially been scheduled to play six games at Mullett Arena next season, but the Roadrunners announced Monday that those games have been moved back to Tucson.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 on Monday to claim the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.Sam Reinhart netted the eventual game-winner in the second period. Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves.Oilers superstar Connor McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.The Panthers took the first three contests of the Cup Final. Edmonton battled back to force Game 7, becoming the third team in NHL history to do so in the Cup Final after facing a 3-0 deficit."Kind of your worst nightmare when you lose Game 6," Aaron Ekblad told Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas. "You kind of mourn it for a night, and then you gotta get back on the horse. We got some great leadership in that room that turned it around and found a way to get it done tonight."Matthew Tkachuk's acquisition in 2022 transformed the Panthers. The former Calgary Flame gave his Alberta fans a nod in victory."Shoutout to my fans in Calgary. You know I couldn't let Edmonton win," Tkachuk told Bukauskas.Aleksander Barkov is the first Finnish captain to win the Stanley Cup."It's incredible to see how hard everyone worked for this moment," Barkov told Bukauskas. "And now, there is no more games tomorrow."Panthers head coach Paul Maurice moves to 5-0 in Game 7s in his coaching career. It's the first Stanley Cup for the veteran bench boss, who's coached almost 2,000 NHL games in the regular season and playoffs."It's not what I thought it would be. It's so much better," Maurice told Bukauskas. "But it's the hugs, man. I saw Sam Bennett smile today, first time in two years. It's brilliant."Among those in the Panthers' front office to win the Cup is Hall of Fame goaltender Roberto Luongo, who didn't win the trophy as a player."It doesn't feel real right now," Luongo said, according to Sportsnet's Brendan Batchelor. "Put in a lot of work, whether it was on the ice or off the ice the last few years. We finally got it."Before the win, Florida was 0-2 in the Cup Final in franchise history, having lost to the Vegas Golden Knights last year and the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid was voted the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as MVP of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday night.McDavid is just the second skater and sixth player to win the honor as a member of the losing side and the first since goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere in 2003.The superstar was an undeniable force in these playoffs, ending the spring with 42 points in 25 games - just five points short of Wayne Gretzky's record for the most all time in a single postseason.Speaking of the Great One, McDavid broke Gretzky's benchmark for the most assists in one playoff with a whopping 34 helpers.McDavid became the third player to record at least 40 points in one postseason, joining Gretzky (1985, 1988, 1993) and Mario Lemieux (1991).The 27-year-old also became the first skater to record back-to-back four-point outings in the Stanley Cup Final as he helped the Oilers stave off elimination in Games 4 and 5 against the Florida Panthers.He produced 12 multi-point outings this spring and was held off the scoresheet seven times, including in Games 6 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.Edmonton selected McDavid with the first overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft.The winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy is selected by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins traded goaltender and 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for netminder Joonas Korpisalo, forward Mark Kastelic, and the 25th overall pick in this year's NHL draft, the teams announced Monday.Ottawa will retain 25% of Korpisalo's $4-million cap hit as part of the deal. He's under contract for four more seasons.Boston will save around $1.165 million in cap space as a result of the move, according to PuckPedia.The Bruins are getting their 2024 first-round pick back in the trade. They initially sent the pick to the Red Wings as part of the swap that brought Tyler Bertuzzi to Boston ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. Detroit then packaged the pick to the Senators last July to acquire Alex DeBrincat.In the 2023-24 campaign, Ullmark posted a 22-10-7 record as well as a .915 save percentage and 2.57 goals against average while sharing the crease with Jeremy Swayman. However, Swayman - a pending restricted free agent in line for a hefty raise - effectively claimed the starting job in the playoffs.Ullmark is under contract for the 2024-25 season on a $5-million cap hit, but he can become an unrestricted free agent once it expires.He's eligible to sign an extension on July 1, but the expectation is that he's prepared to play out the year without putting pen to paper, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported during the Game 7 broadcast of the Stanley Cup Final.The 30-year-old is one year removed from a dominant campaign that saw him go 40-6-1 while helping the Bruins set new NHL records in wins (65) and points (135). That success didn't translate into the postseason, where Boston was ousted in the first round in a major upset by the Florida Panthers.Korpisalo signed a five-year, $20-million with the Senators as a free agent last summer, but his first season in Ottawa didn't go according to plan. He registered a 21-26-4 record across 55 appearances to go along with an .890 save percentage and 3.27 goals against average.The 30-year-old Finn also ranked second last among all netminders in goals saved above average (-19.42) and dead last in goals saved above expected (-13.6) at all strengths during the regular season, according to Evolving-Hockey.Korpisalo showed promise after being acquired by the Los Angeles Kings in 2022-23, posting a .921 save percentage in 11 regular-season appearances before logging an .892 clip across six playoff games.The Bruins signed 25-year-old goaltender Brandon Bussi to a one-year, two-way deal earlier on Monday. He registered a .913 save percentage and a 23-10-5 record for the AHL's Providence Bruins this season.Kastelic, meanwhile, registered five goals and five assists in 63 games for the Senators this past campaign. Ottawa selected the 25-year-old in the fifth round of the 2019 draft.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final is off to a blistering start.Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe opened the scoring at 4:27 of the first period with a perfect redirection.

Imagine doubting Connor McDavid.There was a time, not that long ago, when there was a fair bit of that going around. Not just from the Miami Herald columnist who called him overrated, a take that should haunt him for the rest of days had it not done exactly what it was intended to do: attract controversy and clicks for days on end.But beyond that, the question of McDavid's legacy was a common one, especially as his Edmonton Oilers fell into a Stanley Cup Final hole: Did he need to win a Cup to be considered an all-time great? Did McDavid require a championship ring to justify all the McJesus hype?All of it was nonsense.To begin with, the notion of evaluating the legacy of a player who is 27 years old makes about as much sense as trying to drive a half-built car. McDavid's been around for a long time, but only because he came straight into the NHL as a teenager and won his first scoring title at 20.He's lived up to the predraft hype - remember when he and Jack Eichel were considered 1A and 1B by some experts? Since that arrival, McDavid's piled up five scoring titles and three regular-season MVP awards, even if playoff success for his team hadn't truly followed until this season. Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesBut that speaks to the main reason why the legacy talk is particularly daft: The Oilers, for all of McDavid's time in northern Alberta, have been a flawed team. They had a grim goaltending duo of Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen, which later became a $25-million contract for free agent Jack Campbell, who now plays in the minors. Darnell Nurse, the defenseman with the $74-million contract, was heading toward one of the worst plus-minus ratings in NHL playoff history before turning it around in the Stanley Cup Final as the Oilers stormed back. Jesse Puljujarvi, the forward taken fourth overall in the draft the year after McDavid arrived, didn't work out in Edmonton, and is emblematic of the team's struggles to put scoring talent around its captain, with the obvious exception of Leon Draisaitl and now Zach Hyman.The McDavid story has never been one of a generational talent failing to deliver in the playoffs, but one of a generational talent not quite able to drag his team past better, more complete rosters. He led the NHL in playoff scoring in 2022, with 33 points in 16 games, when the Oilers were knocked out in the West final by the eventual champion Avalanche. What more could the guy do? Lead the playoffs in scoring by even more? Only 11 players in NHL history have ever scored more than 33 points in a single playoff, and only one of those, Doug Gilmour in 1993, did it without reaching the Cup Final.The players to exceed that total now includes McDavid himself, with 42 points in 24 playoff games, more than anyone has scored in a single postseason other than some guys named Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. The only player in the last 15 seasons with a total that even approaches McDavid's numbers this year was Nikita Kucherov's 34 points in 2020. Sidney Crosby's career playoff high is 31 points. Nathan MacKinnon's is 25. The best playoff season from Auston Matthews is, um, 11 points.You want a superstar who rises to the occasion? How about the eight points McDavid delivered in Games 4 and 5 of the Final against the Panthers, when the Oilers were one loss from elimination. You want a player who delivers moments of magic that'll live in Stanley Cup Playoffs lore? Take your pick: McDavid's outrageous dekes of a pair of Dallas players to score in Game 6 of the West final, or his 1-on-4 absurdity against the Panthers in Game 5 that resulted in a tap-in goal for Corey Perry. Those highlights could take their place alongside Lemieux's wonder goal in the 1991 Cup Final, or Bobby Orr flying through the air in 1970.McDavid's exploits will lose a bit of their shine, of course, if the Oilers can't finish what would be a history-making comeback with a Game 7 win Monday. But that shouldn't detract from anything McDavid has done to lead Edmonton this season, and in his career. He was one of the best prospects the NHL has ever known. And all he's done is prove worthy of all the fuss.Michael Jordan didn't win his first championship until he was 27. LeBron James was the same age when he won his first. There would be some undeniable symmetry if McDavid became a champion at 27. But whatever happens in Game 7, there's still time.Connor McDavid's one of the best to ever play hockey. And that isn't overstating anything.Scott Stinson is a contributing writer for theScoreCopyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jack Michaels knows what sets his play-by-play apart from other qualified broadcasters in sports radio."I feel like I have a certain understanding of when a big moment is coming," the Edmonton Oilers play-by-play announcer said. It's a feel he picked up from watching horse racing as a kid.Like horse racing, Michaels believes a good hockey game is all about a slow build that grows to a crescendo. That crescendo has been swelling throughout the Stanley Cup Final this year, as the Oilers have mounted a historic comeback from a 3-0 series deficit to force a Game 7 on Monday night.After the Oilers' Game 6 victory Friday, Michaels called Game 7 the biggest game in Stanley Cup history. Only once in major North American sports history has a team recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win the championship (the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs).Michaels and color commentator Bob Stauffer will be doing their call on 630 CHED - boosted by SiriusXM and various internet apps - for fans connecting via the broadcast medium that's been linking communities for almost as long as the NHL itself. And they'll be ready to meet the moment.When Michaels calls a game, he thinks about all the people who are relying on him to be their eyes. "What you're trying to do is bring the person who can't afford tickets, can't afford to travel, they have a night shift or couldn't make the game or whatever reason - you're basically trying to take everyone who can't make the game and put them in the game, and put them beside you as if you're watching it together. You want to give the idea that this is somewhere I'd love to be, and if I can't be there, at least I'm with someone who can, who I can chat with," he said.Jack Michaels salutes the crowd after being recognized for calling his 1,000th Edmonton Oilers game in 2023 Andy Devlin / NHL / Getty ImagesWhen Michaels thinks about hockey in his childhood growing up north of Pittsburgh, his memories are punctuated by the voice of Penguins play-by-play announcer Mike Lange."He was considered one of the absolute greats of the game," said Michaels, who'd listen to the Hall of Fame announcer detail the exploits of Penguin greats like Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in their prime."He set a standard in terms of being among the greatest voices ever to call it. I had a sense for how exciting and fast-paced and thrilling hockey could be."Michaels eventually followed Lange into broadcasting, first in Colorado Springs as an announcer for the WCHL's Gold Kings. After an eight-year stint in Anchorage doing play-by-play for the Alaska Aces in the ECHL, he graduated to the NHL in 2010, becoming the play-by-play announcer for the Oilers. He calls games for both television and radio, but it's the latter for which fans love him most."You almost get a more accurate picture of what's going on through his description than you do actually watching the game," said Krysty Kline, an Oilers fan who listens to the radio calls from Orange County, California.Despite the bombardment of streaming services, broadcasts, podcasts and social media available today, a sizable number of fans will still tune in to the radio to hear Michaels. Because somehow, remarkably, radio still matters.Especially to Oilers fans.A 2-way conversationIf ever there were a man who knew the power of radio in Edmonton, it's Bob Stauffer, who hosts "Oilers Now" on 630 CHED in addition to doing color commentary on the broadcasts.He believes talk radio continues to find engaged listeners in Edmonton because of the deep affection for the iconic Oilers brand. "People are passionate, and people know the game," he said. "They're looking for sources of information, and then you can engage in a longer form of conversation on talk radio."Bob Stauffer, left, and Jack Michaels in 2010 Dylan Lynch / NHL / Getty ImagesUnlike podcasts, radio shows are live, and listeners can call or text to communicate directly with the host. Many shows, like Stauffer's, also field calls from fans. Essentially a real-time version of online comment sections, with the hosts ready to respond. "There are people that are hardcore radio listeners, they do value opinion," Stauffer said. "They don't mind listening to others getting different perspectives as well."That's one reason Kline listens to Stauffer's shows from 1,700 miles away, where she moved almost 17 years ago. Each afternoon, she puts her three girls - two toddlers and a newborn - down for a nap, tosses on her headphones, and tunes in to hear what Stauffer has to say about the Oilers. She uses the TuneIn app to find the station over the internet."They have an in-depth look at the players," said Kline. "And when listeners call in, it adds value."Kline says the Oilers coverage on 630 CHED goes beyond the nuts and bolts of hockey to give her what she's really looking for - the story. "It's the drama," she said. "Who's out? What's going on? Who sucks? Who doesn't? Who's this beautiful rising-from-the-ashes story? You follow along more passionately that way, and that's what those local shows do well. They share those stories."Tom Gazzola believes so much in the power of radio's connection that he was part of a group that started Edmonton Sports Talk as an internet station after the abrupt shutdown of Bell Media's TSN 1260 in 2023."Radio is there for you. People get to know the hosts, and they feel that they know them. It's not a quick two- or three-minute segment on the TV where you see somebody for a few minutes, and then they're gone for the rest of the broadcast. On radio shows, they're there for you and with you for a couple of hours. You can text in, you can call and actually interact with them. I think there's a certain level of comfort there and some accessibility. At the end of the day, we're just there to give people something to chew on while they grind through their days."Part of their livesThe Michaels-Stauffer duo is set to become part of the lives of some Edmontonians in a big way Monday night when they call what could be the most historic Stanley Cup Final in living memory - one that could return the Cup to Canada for the first time in 30 years and end Edmonton's Cup drought that has persisted since 1990.Jack Michaels calls the play-by-play in February 2024 Andy Devlin / NHL / Getty ImagesMichaels hasn't quite adjusted to the idea that he's someone's Mike Lange in an era when Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are the star attractions. But when he does take time to think of his role, he just hopes the radio broadcast pierces through the distractions to make people feel something."I hope people listening to it will have an emotion one way or another rather than just immediately forget it," he said. "I would like to think of certain games that people listen to me call as ones to be remembered. And hopefully it's a memory of driving in the car with their son or daughter or driving back from a trip out to the lake or something that they've shared with somebody. I'd like to be a small piece of that."For Michaels, it's the shared experience that's the coolest. "It's not about making the perfect call or anything like that. It's just being a little part of their lives," he added. "Hopefully a pleasant part."Jolene Latimer is a features writer at theScore.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Marc Savard as an assistant coach, the team announced Sunday.Savard mutually parted ways with the Calgary Flames in May after one season with the team.The hiring completes the Maple Leafs' coaching staff for next season. Toronto hired Craig Berube as head coach in May and added Lane Lambert as an associate coach earlier in June. Assistant Mike Van Ryn, goaltending coach Curtis Sanford, and video coaches Jordan Bean and Sam Kim return from last year's staff.Savard began his coaching career in St. Louis under Berube, running the Blues' third-ranked 24.3% power play in 2019-20. The 46-year-old left St. Louis after one season to be a head coach with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires for two years before returning to the NHL as an assistant with the Flames.Under Savard, Calgary's power play struggled out of the gate, operating at just 12.1% before the new year. After, Jan. 1, though, it rebounded to a respectable 22.8% to finish the campaign. The Flames finished the season with the 26th-ranked power play.On June 15, the Maple Leafs announced assistant Guy Boucher, who ran their power play in 2023-24, won't return next season.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Those who expected the Stanley Cup Final to need a Game 7 when the Florida Panthers went up 3-0 against the Edmonton Oilers back on June 13 are probably lying. But here we are, 10 days later, a mere day away from the ultimate winner-take-all event in hockey.The Oilers already silenced most of the naysayers by forcing the decisive tilt, but they obviously won't be satisfied unless they can win Monday's game and accomplish something that hasn't been done in more than 80 years in the process.Meanwhile, the Panthers are trying to avoid suffering a full-fledged and utterly embarrassing collapse of historic proportions, with one more chance to win a fourth game and their first-ever championship.Here's a look at some noteworthy numerical nuggets heading into the highly anticipated showdown in Sunrise:Game 7 lore Bettmann / Bettmann / Getty10: Game 7s in NHL playoffs history, including Monday night's affair, prior to which a team held a 3-0 series lead.3: Times a team has now rallied from a 3-0 series deficit in the Cup Final. Both other times took place during World War II. In 1945, The Toronto Maple Leafs blew a 3-0 lead to the Detroit Red Wings but then won Game 7.1942: The only time a team overcame a 3-0 series deficit to win the Cup. The Maple Leafs did it against the Red Wings three years before they prevented Detroit from returning the favor. The Oilers could be the first team in 82 years to pull it off and only the second team ever.3: Other times a team has overcome a 3-0 series deficit to win a playoff round of any kind. The 1975 New York Islanders stunned the Pittsburgh Penguins in the quarterfinals, the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Boston Bruins in the second round of the 2010 postseason, and the Los Angeles Kings sent the San Jose Sharks packing in the first round a decade ago, all in that manner.2019: The last time there was a Game 7 in the Cup Final, when the St. Louis Blues prevailed over the Bruins.17: Previous Game 7s in the championship round.12-5: The win-loss record for home teams in those games. Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / Getty0-3: How home teams have fared in the last three. The Bruins lost in their own arena five years ago, but they defeated the Vancouver Canucks in hostile territory in 2011. Two years earlier, the Penguins vanquished the Red Wings in Motown.198: Game 7s in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including the forthcoming contest. The league introduced the seven-game format in 1939.4: Game 7s in the 2023-24 playoffs, including Monday's Cup Final clash. The Oilers eliminated the Vancouver Canucks in seven in Round 2 after a pair of instances in Round 1. The Dallas Stars did so to the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Bruins knocked out the Maple Leafs in the opening stage after going the distance.2: Game 7s in the Cup Final that went to overtime, with the Red Wings having won both on home ice. Pete Babando lifted Detroit over the New York Rangers in the second extra frame in 1950. Four years later, Tony Leswick was the hero for the Wings against the Montreal Canadiens in the first overtime.Panthers' and Oilers' ties to Game 7 China Wong / National Hockey League / Getty3: Game 7s the Panthers played in before Monday. They beat the Penguins 3-1 to win the Eastern Conference Final in 1996, lost 3-2 to the New Jersey Devils in overtime of the first round in 2012, and upset a historically dominant Bruins squad with a 4-3 overtime victory in the first round last year.12: Game 7s the Oilers played in before Monday. They've won eight of them, and their .667 win percentage is tied with the Panthers and Sharks for fourth in NHL history.2-0: The Oilers' record in overtime of Game 7. They defeated the Stars in an extra frame in the first round in 1997. Six years earlier, Edmonton took care of the rival Calgary Flames in overtime of their division semifinal series.3: Teams that won their first Stanley Cup championship with a victory in Game 7. The Panthers can join the Blues (2019), Carolina Hurricanes (2006), and Tampa Bay Lightning (2004).2: Cup Final Game 7s the Oilers have played in before Monday. The Hurricanes bested Edmonton in that 2006 final, but the Oilers topped the Flyers in 1987.2013: The last time a team from the NHL, NBA, or MLB based in the Miami area played in a Game 7 in the championship round. The NBA's Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs that year. The only previous time it's happened was in 1997, when MLB's Marlins triumphed over Cleveland in 1997. Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty10: Game 7s that Oilers forward Corey Perry has played in. He's 5-5 with four goals and two assists in those contests. Perry is one of seven active players who've played in at least 10 of them.5: Game 7s that Panthers forward Vladimir Tarasenko has played in. Tarasenko leads the Florida roster in that regard, and he's the only player on either team who's played in a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Russian helped the Blues prevail over the Bruins in 2019 with an assist in that contest.2: Active NHLers who've notched a hat trick in a Game 7. Oilers forward Mattias Janmark scored thrice for the Golden Knights against the Minnesota Wild in the first round in 2021. Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta is the other player, having accomplished the feat with the Stars against his current team in the second round in 2020.35: Sergei Bobrovsky can join Johnny Bower, Gump Worsley, Patrick Roy, and Tim Thomas as the only goaltenders to win a Cup Final Game 7 at that age or older.4-0: Panthers head coach Paul Maurice's record in Game 7s. He can join Stars bench boss Peter DeBoer as the only head coaches in NHL history to win their first five. DeBoer is 8-0 in Game 7s.1994: The last and only other time opposing 50-goal scorers from the season in question faced off in a Game 7 of the Cup Final. Pavel Bure of the Canucks battled Adam Graves of the Rangers in that series. This time, it's Sam Reinhart and Zach Hyman.(Figures provided by the NHL)Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings signed forward Alex Turcotte to a three-year contract with a league-minimum cap hit of $775,000, the team announced Saturday.The Kings drafted Turcotte fifth overall in 2019. The 23-year-old played 20 NHL games last season, accruing four points. He tallied 29 points in 35 AHL contests.His extension is two-way in 2024-25 and one-way for the last two years of the deal.Turcotte played on a star-studded U.S. NTDP team in his draft year. L.A. selected him before teammates Trevor Zegras, Matt Boldy, and Cole Caufield, among others, but he's yet to become a full-time NHLer.The Kings will have to place Turcotte on waivers if they want to send him down beginning next season.Turcotte has one goal and four points in 32 career NHL games.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets are likely to trade top prospect Rutger McGroarty, sources told The Athletic's Murat Ates.Winnipeg wanted to sign McGroarty following the 2023-24 NCAA campaign but was reportedly unwilling to promise a path to NHL playing time, so the 20-year-old opted to return to the University of Michigan for his junior year. The Jets would lose his rights if they don't sign him in the next two years.The 20-year-old doesn't want out because of his views of the city of Winnipeg, Ates noted.McGroarty's name has already come up in trade discussions, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported earlier Saturday, adding that the situation remains up in the air."Winnipeg really needs to re-visit its development plan," a source told Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press.The Jets added veterans Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli up front for a deadline push, which notably forced 2020 No. 10 pick Cole Perfetti out of the lineup for all but one playoff game despite a 19-goal, 19-assist regular season. Winnipeg already has 12 forwards signed for next season, and that doesn't include restricted free agents Perfetti and David Gustafsson.Winnipeg drafted McGroarty 14th overall in 2022. He recorded 52 points in 36 games for the Wolverines this past season.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Leon Draisaitl praised Edmonton Oilers fans after the team's Game 6 Stanley Cup Final victory over the Florida Panthers on Friday."It means the world to us," Drasaitl said of getting fans a win in Edmonton's last home game of the season. "I've been here for a long time and been through some pretty bad years. Seemingly, the people that were there tonight, they showed up every night and still showed up at games and supported us. So, to give them that is really special. Hopefully, we can finish the job for them."The Oilers' latest win forces a Game 7 after they trailed 3-0 in the series. While Draisaitl recognized that it's been an incredible run, he added that he knows the next victory will be the most difficult."It's been a helluva story so far, but at the end of the day, we play to win," Draisaitl said. "This is gonna be the hardest game for us. They're gonna come out hard, they're gonna play at home. We have to bring our game again."I'm just really proud of the way we gave ourselves a chance. That's what it's all about. By no means is this gonna be easy, a walk in the park now."Draisaitl assisted on the opening goal in Game 6. After being critical of his play in recent contests, the star forward said postgame Friday that he was relieved to make an offensive impact."I'm an offensive guy," Draisaitl said. "Confidence comes from putting up numbers sometimes, that's just the way it is. Do I have other things I'm good at? Yeah, of course. But sometimes it's nice to make a play and get rewarded for it. You can ask any offensive player, that's just the way you feel."Game 7 is Monday at 8 p.m. ET. The Oilers are looking for the team's first Stanley Cup since 1990 and sixth in franchise history.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said he wouldn't have taken the risk of challenging Aleksander Barkov's goal that the Edmonton Oilers got wiped off the board Friday night had the situation been reversed.However, Maurice acknowledged that Sam Reinhart might have been offside on Barkov's tally, which would've cut the Oilers' lead to 2-1 mere seconds after Edmonton took a two-goal lead. The Pacific Division squad ultimately won 5-1 to force Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final."I have no idea. It may well have been offside," Maurice told the media postgame, including TSN. "The linesperson informed me that it was the last clip that they got where they made the decision that it shows it's offside. I don't have those. So I was upset after the call, based on what I see at my feet and what my video person looks at."Maurice explained he wouldn't have challenged the call had the script been flipped because nothing he viewed showed it as being definitive at that moment. A failed challenge results in a two-minute minor against the team that attempts to overturn it."There was no way I would have challenged that if (the situation were) reversed," he said. "There was no way I thought you could conclusively say that was offside. I don't know what (angles) the Oilers get. I don't know what the league gets. I just know that (if) I had to challenge that based on what I saw, I would not have challenged."The Panthers bench boss also joked that he and his staff would analyze the footage like a government agency."I'm not saying it's not offside," Maurice said. "We'll get still frames, we'll bring in the CIA, we'll figure it out. But in the 30 seconds that I would've made that call, I would not have challenged."Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe somewhat echoed Maurice's sentiments, pointing out that it was the kind of call needing numerous looks to determine."I'm sure it's the right call if they're watching a million replays," Verhaeghe said, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.But Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said he didn't think the play "was that close," per Sportsnet."In my mind, it was definitely offside," he added. "I guess you never know. But it was something we wanted to challenge almost immediately when we saw it."Had it counted, Barkov's goal would've come 10 seconds after Adam Henrique gave the Oilers a 2-0 lead 46 seconds into the second period.The Panthers captain scored later, cutting the Oilers' lead to 3-1 on a wrist shot less than 90 seconds into the third period. But Edmonton's Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse buried empty-netters to seal Edmonton's victory.Game 7 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Monday in Sunrise, Florida.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Friday's Game 6 to force a winner-take-all finale for the 2024 Stanley Cup.Warren Foegele, Adam Henrique, and Zach Hyman combined to give the Oilers a 3-0 advantage entering the third period. Aleksander Barkov scored early in the final frame to give the Panthers hope before Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse put the contest away with empty-netters.The Panthers had a goal called back in the second period after an offside challenge.Connor McDavid was held without a point for the first time since Game 1 of the series. He also failed to record a shot on goal for the first time since Game 1 of the second round.It's the first time in McDavid's career that the Oilers have won without him recording a point or shot in the contest.Stuart Skinner made 20 saves in the contest, while Sergei Bobrovsky allowed three goals on 19 shots.Skinner moves to 10-0 in Games 4-7 this postseason with a .940 save percentage.The Oilers are the third team in Cup Final history to extend a series to seven games after facing a 3-0 deficit and the first since 1945. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team to complete a reverse sweep in the Final."Honestly, we're just having fun," McDavid told Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas. "We really believe, we really believe in each other, we believe in this group. And we're having fun with it."A Game 7 will decide the Stanley Cup winner for the first time since the St. Louis Blues were victorious in 2019.Game 7 is Monday at 8 p.m. ET in Florida. Edmonton is aiming for its sixth Stanley Cup and first since 1990, while the Panthers will be looking to claim their first title in franchise history.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers thought they'd gotten one back 10 seconds after the Edmonton Oilers took a 2-0 lead in the opening minute of the second period in Friday's Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.However, the Oilers challenged Aleksander Barkov's goal due to Sam Reinhart potentially going offside, and the tally was overturned on review.

Much was expected of Reggie Leach in 1976 when the Flyers entered the playoffs in search of their third consecutive Stanley Cup title. After leading the NHL during the regular season with 61 goals, his offensive firepower was crucial if the Broad Street Bullies were to add more hardware to their trophy case.Leach understood the assignment. Through the first two rounds, he scored 15 goals in 12 games, including an astonishing five-goal performance against Boston, to tie Yvan Cournoyer's record set in 17 contests in 1973. The Cup chase was only three rounds then, so the Flyers would face Montreal in the final."It was just one of those years for myself that everything I shot went in," he said. "I felt like I was unstoppable at that time. It's all your confidence when you go into a game. That year was just unbelievable for myself."But his heroics weren't enough: The Flyers were swept by the Canadiens. Leach added four goals to his total, though, establishing the record of 19 he still shares with Edmonton's Jari Kurri. Leach's exquisite effort might have been shuffled to the back pages of the record book if it wasn't for the stamp of permanence that came after the Canadiens lifted the Cup.Reggie Leach skates in a 2017 Flyers alumni game Len Redkoles / NHL / Getty ImagesLeach was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for the most valuable player during the playoffs, the only time in NHL history that a skater from the losing team has received the trophy. Goalies from losing teams had won it before: Detroit's Roger Crozier in 1966 and Glenn Hall in 1968 with the Blues. Two more came after Leach: Ron Hextall in 1987 with the Flyers and Jean-Sebastien Giguere in 2003 with the Ducks."At the time, it wasn't a real big deal because of us losing to Montreal," Leach said. "With hockey, it's a team sport. When you lose, you lose together. But, after you retire, you look at stuff and you say, 'Oh my God, I did this, I did that.' That was the biggest thing after I retired."History of the Conn Smythe TrophyIn the NHL's early years, there was one award to win - the Stanley Cup itself. But new accolades were added to the trophy case over time. In 1925, the Lady Byng Trophy was donated by its namesake to recognize the player who best exemplified good sportsmanship. In 1927, the Vezina Trophy was first awarded to the league's top goaltender. The Art Ross Trophy was first given to the regular season points leader in 1948. But, until the Conn Smythe's introduction in 1965, no honor existed to celebrate the playoffs' standout performer."They started awarding the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1965 and the reason would be because there was no award for the top player in the playoffs like there was in other sports," said hockey historian Paul Patskou. Named after the longtime Maple Leafs owner, general manager and head coach who donated the prize, the trophy was fittingly designed as a replica of Maple Leaf Gardens, then home to Toronto's team.Former Canadien Maurice Richard congratulates Jean Beliveau on winning the Stanley Cup Trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy during the celebration in the locker room at the 1965 Stanley Cup Finals Bruce Bennett / Getty Images"The first winner was Jean Beliveau of Montreal in 1965. Of course, there was a big rivalry between Montreal and Toronto back then and it was kind of ironic that Beliveau would win something with a replica of the Leafs arena. But Beliveau was all class. That didn't bother him," Patskou says.What did trouble some was the original voting process, which the papers at the time decried as "a farce." Voting was performed by the governors of the NHL's six teams, but the papers at the time claimed at least three of the governors did not attend even one game in the final series, instead appointing executives to vote in their place. Voting has since been left to the Professional Hockey Writers Association.Ken Dryden of the Canadiens shakes hands with Reggie Leach of the Flyers after a game at the Montreal Forum Denis Brodeur / NHL / Getty ImagesThe Conn Smythe Trophy has been given to all positions - goalies, defensemen and offensive superstars. In its third year, it finally made its first appearance in Maple Leaf Gardens when forward Dave Keon won it in the Leafs' most recent Stanley Cup championship. "He didn't score a lot of points. But he did everything else," Patskou said. "And, for the first time, they didn't announce it that night. They announced the results the day after."Sometimes the award has gone to veterans, other times to rookies. "An interesting one was in 1971 when Ken Dryden won it when he was still a rookie. He'd only played six regular-season games and he won the Conn Smythe before he even became a regular player," Patskou said. Dryden, in fact, won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 1972.But only once has it gone to the skater of a losing team. That might all change in the 2024 playoffs.Could history repeat itself?"The last two games, (Connor) McDavid was just unbelievable," said Leach, who thinks the Oilers captain will help push the series to a Game 7. "When I played, we didn't have all the fancy stickhandling and all that stuff - it was mainly a pass-and-shoot game. It's unbelievable is what it is. He's really determined to win the Cup."Connor McDavid's Stanley Cup 2024 playoffs performance has put him in the conversation for this year's Conn Smythe Trophy Elsa / Getty ImagesIn his quest to bring the Cup back to Canada for the first time in 30 years, McDavid leads all scorers with eight goals and 34 assists, totaling 42 points in 23 postseason games. He's collected eight of those points in the last two games as the Oilers faced elimination; he's the first player in NHL history to record consecutive four-point games in a Stanley Cup Final. He's 10 points ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl in the scoring race and 20 points ahead of Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers' top scorer. It's driven him top of mind among pundits and oddsmakers.Almost 50 years after winning the Conn Smythe in a losing effort, that final-round defeat stings a little less for Leach, who is grateful for everything hockey has given him. "I think of who I am, being First Nation and making it to the National Hockey League and accomplishing my dreams and goals that I wanted to do as a youngster: having the opportunity to do it with the best players in the world and being recognized as one of the best players in the world for a couple of years," he said. "Hockey was just a just a stepping stone to who I am today. I'm the luckiest guy in the world that I got to play. It's a wonderful, wonderful experience to play professional hockey in the National Hockey League."Jolene Latimer is a features writer at theScore.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed restricted free-agent winger Yegor Chinakhov to a two-year contract carrying an annual cap hit of $2.1 million, the team announced Friday.He'll be an RFA at the end of the deal and can't become a UFA until 2028."Yegor is an outstanding young player who has shown steady improvement over his first three seasons with the organization," Blue Jackets president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell said. "We believe he has a chance to be a very good player for us and are excited about his continued growth as a Blue Jacket."Chinakhov enjoyed a breakout year in 2023-24, producing 16 goals and 13 assists in 53 games. His 16 goals were fourth on the team.The Blue Jackets drafted Chinakhov 21st overall in 2020. The 23-year-old has recorded 56 points in 145 career games.The signing is Waddell's first since being hired by the Blue Jackets on May 28. He has several other RFAs to take care of, including Alex Nylander, Alexandre Texier, Kirill Marchenko, Cole Sillinger, Kent Johnson, and Jake Bean.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Andrew Cogliano announced his retirement from the NHL on Friday after 17 seasons.The 37-year-old forward won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. He'll join the Avs' front office and will assist with player development and scouting, as well as working with the organization's AHL team."The game of hockey has given me and my family so much and I am grateful for every moment," Cogliano said. "I am blessed to have played for so long with some great organizations and amazing teammates. I will miss being with the guys in the dressing room and battling for each other on the ice every night, but it's time to move on. Thank you to everyone I ever played with, played for, and all the great fans for all of their support. I am excited to start my new chapter in the front office."Noted for his excellent skating and strong defensive game, Cogliano recorded 464 points in 1,294 career games between the Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks, and Avalanche. He added 39 points in 131 career postseason contests, including three goals and three assists in 16 games during Colorado's Cup run.Cogliano once played 830 consecutive games - the eighth-longest streak in NHL history. It ended in 2018 when he received the only suspension of his career.

It appears Mark Giordano is trying to defy Father Time.Giordano was the oldest player in the NHL last season, but he has no plans to hang up his skates anytime soon. He'll turn 41 on Oct. 3."Mark has made the decision that he's playing for a few more years," his agent, Rich Winter, told the Toronto Star's Kevin McGran. "He feels very confident. He's been talking to a lot of people who tell him: 'Don't quit until they make you.'"Giordano will need to find an employer, though, as he's a pending unrestricted free agent.He skated in 46 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2023-24 season, tallying nine points while averaging 16:37 per contest - his lowest since 2008-09. His underlying numbers were still solid, though. Evolving-HockeyBut Giordano fell out of favor down the stretch and was a healthy scratch in all seven of the Maple Leafs' postseason contests.The Toronto native, who's vaunted for his leadership, has recorded 577 points in 1,148 career games between the Calgary Flames, Seattle Kraken, and Maple Leafs. He won the Norris Trophy in 2018-19 as a 35-year-old, producing 17 goals, 57 assists, and a league-best plus-39 rating in 78 games with the Flames.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.The NHL's version of musical chairs began Wednesday, with starting goalies Jacob Markstrom and Darcy Kuemper switching teams and conferences.Markstrom, 34, was shipped to New Jersey after four seasons with Calgary, while Kuemper, 34, was moved to Los Angeles following two seasons with Washington. In both cases, a veteran gets a fresh start and a playoff-caliber team addresses a glaring need in goal.The music continues to play, though, as a handful of other notable netminders and hungry teams try to find the right fit ahead of and as free agency opens. Ottawa, Colorado, and Toronto are among clubs in the hunt. Let's match them with two intriguing guys each. China Wong / Getty ImagesOttawa: Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch reports Senators general manager Steve Staios is making a "hard push" for Boston's Linus Ullmark. The Bruins boast a long-term starter in Jeremy Swayman, so they're motivated to move the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner. However, an Ullmark-to-Ottawa swap won't be easy.Ullmark's a 2025 unrestricted free agent who'll earn $5 million this coming season and has a 15-team no-trade list. There's a good chance it includes most Canadian markets. The Sens also need to either trade or buy out current starter Joonas Korpisalo to create room for Ullmark, financially and on the depth chart. Fellow Swede Anton Forsberg is secure as the backup.The Sens seem desperate and do have blue-liner Jakob Chychrun and two first-rounders (seventh and 25th, originally Boston's pick) to dangle in a trade.Plan B would be prying Juuse Saros out of Nashville for a heftier price.Colorado: There's no disputing Alexandar Georgiev is the Avalanche starter. But he finished with an NHL-high 3,636 minutes this past regular season and burnout was evident down the stretch. (Georgiev rebounded in the playoffs.) Justus Annunen looks like a future backup and may be a serviceable one already, yet he's still too much of an unknown for a Stanley Cup contender.Cam Talbot, a pending UFA, is a good fit as a trustworthy, veteran No. 2. AFP Analytics projects Talbot can fetch a one-year, $1.8-million deal on the open market. Evolving Hockey pegs him at $2.6 million on a one-year pact. Split the difference and Talbot's looking at around $2 million - not a ton for a 36-year-old with a .913 save percentage through 486 games.Plan B: James Reimer, who won't cost much but is a year older.Toronto: The Leafs swung and missed on Markstrom and, theoretically, could pursue another big name - like Ullmark or Saros - via trade. However, they'd be better off signing a relatively cheap free agent to share the workload with Joseph Woll while also filling holes elsewhere. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesI mentioned Jets backup Laurent Brossoit as a possibility two weeks ago, and I'm doubling down - the fit is perfect. The technically sound 31-year-old has flourished since having hip surgery in late 2022 (.927 save percentage in 23 games) and should command a digestible $3 million or so a year. His veteran savvy and drive to start more games should pair nicely with Woll, who's the default starter in Toronto but who's struggled to stay healthy.Plan B: Overripe Panthers backup Anthony Stolarz, who, like Brossoit, is ready for big time after refining his craft for a decade in the NHL and AHL.MacKinnon talks playoff exit, CrosbyA month on, Nathan MacKinnon still isn't over Colorado's early playoff exit, capped by a double-overtime Game 6 loss to Dallas in Round 2."Even after being nominated for a couple of trophies, the end of the season definitely put a sour taste in my mouth," MacKinnon said in mid-June."I still want to be playing right now, and (the Avalanche) want to keep testing ourselves against the best in the league," the superstar center added. "(Dallas) was a great team, a deep team, and they kind of had our number in that series. A lot of close games but we just couldn't find a way to get it done." Michael Martin / Getty ImagesMacKinnon made those remarks during a call with reporters to promote Cwench Hydration, a new sports drink developed by MacKinnon's longtime trainer, Andy O'Brien. Cwench is part of Cizzle Brands, a health and wellness company founded by former BioSteel co-founder and CEO John Celenza.MacKinnon's up for the Hart and Ted Lindsay trophies after posting 140 points in 82 games. The 28-year-old finished second in Hart voting in 2017-18 and 2019-20, and third in 2020-21. This year's field is particularly stacked, though MacKinnon's case for MVP is arguably stronger than other finalists Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov.No. 29 on the Avs was a wrecking ball every night, carrying an injury-riddled club to the Central Division's third seed. "I'm just trying to control what I can," said MacKinnon, who'll be in Las Vegas for the annual awards show. "Some people will vote for me, some people won't. It is what it is." Dave Sandford / Getty ImagesHere's MacKinnon on three other timely topics:Teaming up with Sidney Crosby: Six players will be named to each 4 Nations Face-Off roster on June 28. Crosby and MacKinnon will undoubtedly be part of Team Canada's first wave of selections for the February 2025 event. The Nova Scotians - close friends despite an eight-year gap - have worn the red and white together only once, at the 2015 world championship."I'd love to play with him on a line," MacKinnon said of Crosby, the likely 4 Nations captain. "I'll gladly play wing. I think that'd be pretty cool. We'd have pretty good chemistry out there. We definitely talk about that. We talk about the (potential) lineup. It's exciting. We're hockey fans like everyone else."Losing Valeri Nichushkin - again: The star forward left the Avs in the middle of a tense playoff series for the second year in a row. Nichushkin was placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program ahead of Game 4 against the Stars, and is suspended without pay for six months."We just hope he finds peace, gets help," said MacKinnon, an alternate captain. "He's a great guy. He's a great teammate. We all love him. It's obviously bigger than the game, what he's going through. But we definitely miss him. He's a horse. He's one of the best two-way players in the league. He had nine goals (in eight playoff games) when we lost him. Huge hole, but we'll back next season and hopefully we have him for the rest of his career."Partnering with Cwench: Even by pro-athlete standards, MacKinnon's a health nut. He's been dialed into nutrition and sleep since he was a kid and "really started taking it super seriously" around the four-year mark of his career. "It's been a big advantage for me," he said. "Even at the top level, there's room to get that edge on guys. Any edge I can get, I'm looking to do."O'Brien, Cwench's chief performance officer, has worked for multiple NHL teams in the past and also calls Crosby a longtime client. He's been an integral part of MacKinnon's rise from first pick in the 2013 draft to top-five player in the world. "He's a real genius in his field. It's made me very comfortable in committing myself to (Cwench)," MacKinnon said.Hydration is "the low-hanging fruit I think everyone needs to take seriously," MacKinnon added of both pro athletes and regular people. "It can get overlooked. Honestly, if you're not hydrated, you're not going to perform well."Parting shotsLaine conundrum: The Blue Jackets are reportedly trying to fulfill a trade request from sniper Patrik Laine, which is a tricky situation for new GM Don Waddell to navigate so early in his tenure. Laine, 26, last scored at a 40-goal pace in 2017-18, and isn't a good defender, yet he's earning $8.7 million a year for the next two seasons and owns a 10-team no-trade list. Laine's recent injury and mental health issues further complicate the calculus for potential suitors. Rival GMs must be asking themselves who Laine is at this point in his career. That said, interest would surely skyrocket if Columbus is open to retaining salary. Many teams would love to acquire Laine at 50% retained ($4.35 million). Utah, which has oodles of cap space and excessive draft capital, jumps off the page as a landing spot, retention or not. New market, big splash? Carolina also makes some sense if it doesn't re-sign pending UFA Jake Guentzel (though the Hurricanes would be a strange trading partner for Waddell, who just spent a decade in Carolina).

It appears Elvis won't be leaving the building.New Columbus Blue Jackets president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell was candid about Elvis Merzlikins' trade value around the league due to his contract."Let's be honest, nobody is going to trade for that contract. Nobody," Waddell told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "People say, 'Well, why don't you buy out the contract?' It's a six-year buyout, and there are Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, when you might need that cap space."So you've eliminated those two options."Merzlikins said the Blue Jackets agreed to find the netminder "a new scenario" in January, but a deal never came to fruition at the deadline under the previous regime. He said he wanted to be "treated as (a) No. 1" goalie.The 30-year-old has three years left on his contract with a $5.4-million cap hit - the 10th-richest among NHL goalies. A buyout would go as follows:SeasonInitial cap hitBuyout cap hit2024-25$5.4M$1.15M2025-26$5.4M$1.625M2026-27$5.4M$2.925M2027-28N/A$1.75M2028-29N/A$1.75M2029-30N/A$1.75MMerzlikins posted an .897 save percentage and a 3.45 goals against average in 41 games lasts season. However, those lackluster surface stats were partially due to playing for a poor defensive team, as he still stopped 3.48 goals above expected, per Evolving-Hockey.The Latvian burst onto the scene as a rookie replacing Sergei Bobrovsky in 2019-20, finishing fifth in both Calder Trophy voting and Vezina Trophy voting while recording a .923 save percentage in 33 games. He registered save percentages of .916 in 2020-21 and .907 in 2021-22.Merzlikins projects to battle for starts with Daniil Tarasov in 2024-25.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to a two-year contract worth $2.5 million per season, the team announced Thursday.Before the deal, Nedeljkovic was eligible to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent on July 1.The 28-year-old joined the Penguins last summer on a one-year pact. He made 33 starts this past season, posting a .902 save percentage and 2.97 goals against average.Nedeljkovic was a second-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2014. He spent four years in the organization before a two-year stint with the Detroit Red Wings. He has a lifetime .906 clip in 141 NHL appearances.The Penguins project to have approximately $10.74 million in cap space after signing Nedeljkovic, per CapFriendly.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has let his peers know he's open for business ahead of the June 28 draft."I've told every team in the league that we are wide-open to considering moving pick 11," Adams said, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "We're wide-open to consider anything, to be honest, prospects if we think it's going to help our team."Adams continued, "We'd even look to move up. I think we have the assets to do that. We're very open to moving back, depending on how the draft slides and where guys are going. All of that is on the table."The Sabres have drafted eighth, first, ninth, and 13th overall since Adams took over in 2020. They selected Jack Quinn, Owen Power, Matthew Savoie, and Zach Benson to help build one of the league's top prospect pipelines.Buffalo's youth movement hasn't brought on-ice success just yet, as the club regressed in the standings this past season and missed the playoffs for an NHL-worst 13th consecutive campaign.The Sabres have approximately $23 million in flexibility this offseason to seek roster improvements, according to CapFriendly, but only have 13 players signed.Buying out veteran forward Jeff Skinner - who counts for $9 million per season through 2027 - has been a popular suggestion for the Sabres to save additional money, and Adams acknowledged the rumor."We're going to talk about everything," he said, according to Buffalo Hockey Beat's Bill Hoppe. "We're gonna look at every scenario. But that's probably as far as I'd go on specifics right now."Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two blockbuster trades were made Wednesday, but that doesn't mean more won't follow. Here's a list of the best 10 players who could be dealt this summer.Mitch Marner, Maple Leafs Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesTrade potential:If the Maple Leafs are going to shake things up and trade away a member of their core after another early playoff exit, all signs point to Marner. Auston Matthews is the franchise player. William Nylander just signed an eight-year extension. John Tavares wouldn't have any trade value, and he likely wouldn't waive his no-movement clause. Moving Morgan Rielly would create even more holes on defense.The problem for the Leafs is that Marner holds all the cards with his no-movement clause. But despite being from the Toronto area, there's a chance Marner might be open to a change of scenery given all the scrutiny he's received for his playoff performances.A lot will have to go right for a deal to come together. Any potential trade partner has to possess the space to take on Marner's $10.9-million cap hit this coming season and a willingness to give him a raise on a long-term extension. A trade partner must also offer enough to entice the Leafs, ideally a young center or young defenseman at the forefront of the package. Very few clubs check all of these boxes.One thing is clear: teams will be interested. Marner is one year removed from a 99-point season in which he finished 13th in Hart Trophy voting and was a Selke Trophy finalist. This type of star talent - at just 27 years old - doesn't become available often.Martin Necas, Hurricanes Josh Lavallee / National Hockey League / GettyTrade potential:It seems highly likely that Necas will be dealt, as his name is already out there as a trade candidate. Also, about half the NHL teams have reportedly contacted Carolina about his availability, including the Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Winnipeg Jets.The 25-year-old is a pending restricted free agent who can become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. The Hurricanes may not be able to afford to keep Necas considering all of the free agents they have this offseason - Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Brady Skjei, and Brett Pesce are all UFAs, and Seth Jarvis is an RFA.Necas produced 24 goals and 29 assists this past season as a winger but tallied a career-high 71 points in 2022-23 while splitting time between center and wing.Nikolaj Ehlers, Jets Darcy Finley / National Hockey League / GettyTrade potential:Three Jets players appeared on this list a year ago - Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Winnipeg re-signed Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele to eight-year deals and, to nobody's surprise, traded Dubois.It's clear the Jets don't want to let key players walk as free agents for nothing, and they shouldn't with another pending UFA in Ehlers. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff should trade the Danish winger if he doesn't think extension talks are progressing toward a solution. Cheveldayoff is reportedly already open to the idea of a move.For Ehlers, it'd be understandable if he didn't want to re-sign. He's been underutilized across the past two seasons under Rick Bowness, averaging 15:48 of ice time per contest. That isn't expected to change now that Scott Arniel - Bowness' right-hand man over the last two years - is the new head coach. Ehlers averaged 18:04 per game in 2021-22 under Paul Maurice and Dave Lowry.There will surely be a strong market for Ehlers' services. He's a dynamic, speedy forward with point-per-game potential if everything clicks. At 28 years old, there's a chance some of his best hockey lies ahead if he finds the right fit.Patrik Laine, Blue Jackets Dave Reginek / National Hockey League / GettyTrade potential:The Blue Jackets and Laine are reportedly working together to find the sniper a new home. That doesn't mean it'll be easy, though.Laine has two years left on his contract with an $8.7-million cap hit. He spent most of last season in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program or out with injuries, managing six goals and three assists in 18 games. Columbus probably isn't eager to retain a lot of salary, either.But the 2016 No. 2 pick is still an intriguing talent. Even though he's struggled to stay on the ice the last few seasons, he's averaged 30 goals and 65 points per 82 games since joining the Blue Jackets in 2021. We've already seen Laine's ceiling, too: a 44-goal, 70-point campaign with the Jets in 2017-18 as a sophomore. It's easy to forget he's still just 26.Trevor Zegras, Ducks Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images Sport / GettyTrade potential:It doesn't appear Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has Zegras in his long-term plans. He wasn't the GM to draft him, he only gave him a bridge deal after his entry-level contract expired, and now he's reportedly listening to offers for the 2022 Calder Trophy runner-up.Young, controllable centers are hard to come by (though there's a case to be made that his best long-term fit is on the wing), so there will be a market for Zegras' services. He rattled off back-to-back campaigns of at least 60 points in 2021-22 and 2022-23 but battled injuries this past year and struggled when healthy, managing 15 points in 31 games.Zegras is loaded with skill. However, there are questions about his compete level. Don't be surprised if Verbeek is willing to swing a trade for the right offer as he continues to leave his mark on the roster.Frank Vatrano, Ducks Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyTrade potential:Coming off a career-high 37-goal season, Vatrano's trade value will likely never be higher than it is now. His $3.65-million cap hit is also very team-friendly.However, Vatrano is entering the last year of his contract. And at age 30 and with only two other 20-plus-goal seasons to his resume, is Vatrano the type of player Verbeek wants to lock up long term? The GM could wait until the trade deadline, but Vatrano's value will only diminish if he isn't scoring like he did a year ago. The Ducks are a long shot to make the playoffs in 2025.Vatrano's name hasn't been mentioned in many reports, but it's only sensible for Verbeek to explore trade options for the veteran winger.Pavel Buchnevich, Blues Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyTrade potential:Buchnevich finds himself on this list for the same reason as many players: he's about to enter the last year of his contract. St. Louis reportedly listened to offers for him at the deadline but needed to be wowed to say yes.The Blues' 92 points would've put them in the playoffs if they played in the Eastern Conference. They're right in that crop of middling teams. But they also have several aging veterans on long-term contracts. Buchnevich is 29 and will likely seek a seven- or eight-year deal. Does GM Doug Armstrong really want another player under contract into his mid-to-late 30s?Buchnevich has played his best hockey since joining St. Louis in 2021, tallying 206 points in 216 games across those three campaigns. It's unclear what direction the Blues want to go. Still, there will be no shortage of suitors if they make Buchnevich available.Jakob Chychrun, Senators China Wong / National Hockey League / GettyTrade potential:The Senators have a decision to make with Chychrun entering the last year of his deal this offseason: extend or trade him. The team reportedly listened to offers for him at the deadline, and Chychrun said at the end of the campaign that there had been no extension discussions at that point. That doesn't mean a deal won't happen, but it's not a good sign.Despite missing the playoffs for the seventh straight year this past season, the Sens are low on cap space. Dealing Chychrun could help free up room to land a top goalie (more on that below) that GM Steve Staios seems to covet. Of course, moving Chychrun would also create a new hole on the blue line.If Chychrun receives an extension, that could open up the possibility of a Thomas Chabot trade. But either way, a marquee defenseman could be available out of Canada's capital this offseason.Linus Ullmark, Bruins Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / GettyTrade potential:The UFA goalie market is one of the weakest in recent memory, with veteran journeyman Cam Talbot arguably the top netminder who could become available. That could push goalie-needy teams - and there are a lot of them - to look for solutions via trade. That already came to fruition with the Devils acquiring Jacob Markstrom on Wednesday.This timing bodes well for the Bruins. Jeremy Swayman has become Boston's clear-cut No. 1 goalie, and he's an RFA due for a big raise this summer.Ullmark, meanwhile, makes $5 million annually and is entering the last year of his deal. The Bruins could surely use that cap space to improve the roster elsewhere.And it doesn't mean his value is in the dumps just because Swayman unseated him. Ullmark, who turns 31 this summer, still posted a stellar .915 save percentage in 40 games in 2023-24 after winning the Vezina Trophy the year prior. The Senators are reportedly pushing hard for Ullmark.Juuse Saros, Predators John Russell / National Hockey League / GettyTrade potential:Trade rumors around Saros have seemed to cool down, but a move still can't be ruled out. Despite GM Barry Trotz saying he'll "work hard" to extend the star netminder, a trade could be back on the table if talks go sideways.Saros is entering the final year of his deal with a team-friendly $5-million cap hit. He's been a true workhorse since taking the No. 1 job from Pekka Rinne, leading the league in games played in each of the last three years. Saros also finished no lower than sixth in Vezina Trophy voting for three consecutive campaigns between 2021-23.The Predators have an heir apparent waiting in the wings, too. Yaroslav Askarov, the 2020 No. 11 pick, is coming off his second straight stellar AHL season and appears ready for the NHL. If Nashville could deal Saros for some help up front while still having an answer in goal, it could be a win-win.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators are making a hard push for Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark, league sources told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.Talks between the Sens and Bruins have intensified over a deal for the netminder, Garrioch added.The Senators reportedly pursued Jacob Markstrom, who the Calgary Flames dealt to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.The Devils were apparently among the teams interested in Ullmark before landing Markstrom. The Los Angeles Kings also reportedly considered adding Ullmark but acquired Darcy Kuemper from the Washington Capitals on Wednesday in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois.This isn't the first time the Sens have targeted Ullmark, as they reportedly attempted to trade for the 30-year-old at the 2024 deadline. The Bruins nearly shipped Ullmark to the Kings at the deadline, but the goaltender used his 16-team no-trade list to nix the move. It's not known if Ottawa is on that list.Ullmark lost the No. 1 goalie job to Jeremy Swayman and started just one of Boston's 13 playoff games this past campaign. Swayman is a pending restricted free agent set for a big raise, while Ullmark is entering the last year of a contract with a $5-million cap hit.The Senators' team save percentage of .888 ranked last in the NHL a year ago. The club signed Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year, $20-million contract as a free agent last offseason, but he struggled with an .890 save percentage in his first season in Canada's capital. Ottawa also has Anton Forsberg under contract for one more year with a $2.75-million cap hit.The Sens reportedly offered Korpisalo to Boston as part of a package for Ullmark, but the Bruins had no interest.Ottawa has also kicked the tires on Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros, according to Garrioch.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid notched two goals and two assists as his Edmonton Oilers continued to stay alive with a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday.McDavid's first goal of the contest was his 40th point this postseason, which tied him for the fourth-best playoff output in NHL history. He finished with 42 and now sits in sole possession of fourth behind Wayne Gretzky's 47 in 1985, Mario Lemieux's 44 in 1991, and Gretzky's 43 in 1988.The current Oilers captain also set the NHL record for most points in a two-game span in a Cup Final with eight. He posted a goal and three assists in Edmonton's Game 4 victory on Saturday.Edmonton became the first team ever to win Game 5 on the road after trailing 3-0 in the Cup Final.Zach Hyman, Connor Brown, and Corey Perry added tallies for the Oilers, while Evan Rodrigues, Matthew Tkachuk, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Panthers.Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner made 29 saves, while his Florida counterpart, Sergei Bobrovsky, turned aside 19 of 23 shots.Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch alluded to the fact that his team has been written off ever since he was hired amid their struggles in the fall."We were counted out a lot through the playoffs, regular season, whatever, but it doesn't faze the group in there," he told the media, including Sportsnet. "They've got a lot of belief and a lot of just enjoying every extra day. ... There's a lot to smile about."Panthers bench boss Paul Maurice insisted his club isn't feeling down despite losing two in a row after winning the first three."I'm not feeling deflated and neither is the hockey team," he said, according to The Associated Press' Tim Reynolds. "Little grumpy."The Panthers lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 scheduled for Friday in Edmonton.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Eric Tulsky knows he's in for a tough challenge to kick off his first season as general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes."This is a complicated offseason, I think we all know that," he said Wednesday during his introductory press conference, per The Hockey News' Ryan Henkel. "There's a lot of free agents, and we're gonna have to work to be creative on solutions to keep the team moving forward."According to CapFriendly, the Hurricanes have around $24 million in projected cap space, but Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis are pending restricted free agents, while Jake Guentzel, Jordan Martinook, Teuvo Teravainen, Brett Pesce, and Brady Skjei can all become unrestricted free agents on July 1.The Hurricanes' previous general manager, Don Waddell, flocked to the Columbus Blue Jackets in May. Carolina promoted Tulsky from his role as assistant, tabbing him to solve its summer dilemma."We have a lot of truly outstanding players and people and we probably aren't gonna be able to keep all of them and that's gonna hurt," Tulsky said. "It's gonna hurt us on the ice and it's gonna hurt us in the locker room."At the same time, that does open up opportunity for some of the players we have to step into bigger roles on the ice and in the locker room."Tulsky first joined the Hurricanes in 2014 after the organization was impressed by his analytics chops as a blogger. He also holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry and physics from Harvard and a doctorate in chemistry from Cal.Despite his untraditional background, Tulsky doesn't think his promotion will spur "a huge shift" for the team philisophically."We didn't hire ChatGPT to be the GM," he said. "There are things that an NHL career brings, certain experiences that people who played in the league have that are an advantage to them."There are experiences outside of playing in the league that can be an advantage, too. ... So it's not like a hockey career is a prerequisite for doing this job."The Hurricanes were eliminated by the New York Rangers in the second round of the postseason. Carolina has been one of the league's premier regular-season teams for the past four campaigns and has made the playoffs for six straight years, but it hasn't seen the Stanley Cup Final in that stretch."Nobody is satisfied with that," Tulsky said. "Nobody goes into the business dreaming of having a lot of regular-season points and winning a round or two. So the goal is to find ways to keep getting better. And the good news for us is we are well positioned to keep taking steps."Tulsky has seemingly been busy during his brief time at the helm. Carolina is reportedly shopping Guentzel's rights and testing the market for Necas while working on a long-term deal for defenseman Jaccob Slavin. Tulsky also signed blue-liner Jalen Chatfield to a three-year, $9-million deal earlier in June when he still had the interim tag.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kings general manager Rob Blake acknowledged he deserves some of the blame for Pierre-Luc Dubois' disappointing tenure in Los Angeles after shipping the center out Wednesday."I don't think I did a good enough job integrating him in the right roles on the team here this year," the GM told reporters after trading Dubois to the Washington Capitals for goaltender Darcy Kuemper. "I think it wasn't a great fit in that aspect for us, and we'll take responsibility for that."Blake didn't elaborate, simply noting he and the club could've done more."I put it on us," he said. "We've got to work better as a group within this organization to make that fit."The GM also revealed that trade discussions started picking up earlier this month."I think the attention, probably from the (scouting) combine in Buffalo where teams start to talk ... kind of took place from there," he said.Last June, Blake landed Dubois in a sign-and-trade from the Winnipeg Jets for forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari, along with a second-round pick in this year's draft. The Jets inked him to an eight-year, $68-million contract before sending him to L.A. because the Kings would've only been able to give him seven years.Dubois was coming off a campaign with Winnipeg in which he tied his career high of 27 goals and established new personal bests in assists (36) and points (63). However, he failed to match those numbers in his first and only season with the Kings.The pivot, who'll turn 26 on Monday, collected only 16 goals and 24 assists, though he did play all 82 games for the first time since 2018-19. Dubois also authored favorable underlying numbers with a 53.88 expected goals for percentage and a 53.66 scoring chances for percentage, per Natural Stat Trick.However, his average ice time of 15:42 was the second-lowest of his seven-year career.Dubois spent his first three seasons and five games of his fourth with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who drafted him third overall in 2016. The Blue Jackets dealt him and a third-round selection to the Jets for Patrick Laine and Jack Roslovic in January 2021.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the Stanley Cup on another two-day hiatus, the NHL had itself a mini trade deadline on Wednesday when a pair of blockbuster trades set the hockey world ablaze out of nowhere.First, the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames finally agreed on a deal involving Jacob Markstrom. Then, the Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals swung a stunner that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to D.C.Below, we analyze how each team fared in their swaps.Trade No. 1: New Jersey receives Markstrom for defenseman Kevin Bahl and a 2025 first-round pick. The pick is top-10 protected, and Calgary will retain 31.25% of Markstrom's salary for the final two seasons of his current contract.Flames' perspective Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGeneral manager Craig Conroy didn't have much leverage in this one. Markstrom had full control with a no-trade clause, and the relationship between the goalie and front office was clearly strained after months of uncertainty around the former's future.The Flames and Devils negotiated a Markstrom deal at this year's deadline, but it reportedly fell apart over salary retention. Calgary now has $1.875 million allotted to Markstrom through 2026. Because the cap rising significantly, though, that's not a huge strain, especially considering the Flames' new duo in the crease - Dan Vladar and restricted free agent Dustin Wolf - will likely cost less than Markstrom's old cap hit alone. The team also still has two first-rounders in each of the next three drafts.Conroy had Bahl on his radar. Many were skeptical of the executive's desire to bring in Yegor Sharangovich from the Devils in the Tyler Toffoli trade, but he went on to bag a career-high 31 goals for Calgary this season. Perhaps there's enough evidence to trust his player evaluation.

At long last, Jacob Markstrom is a member of the New Jersey Devils, and the veteran netminder is motivated to reach the top of his game for his new team."I want to be pushed and I want to be challenged to perform my best, and I think my best will come out of this, for sure," he said during his introductory press conference Wednesday.After making a not-so-secret run for Markstrom around the trade deadline, New Jersey acquired the 2022 Vezina Trophy runner-up from the Calgary Flames earlier Wednesday in exchange for a protected first-round pick at next year's draft and defenseman Kevin Bahl.Goaltending was arguably the Devils' biggest weakness last season, and New Jersey has seemingly been trying to fill the position in a meaningful way ever since the end of the Martin Brodeur era.As a result, Markstrom understands this gig comes with "high expectations.""This is a big challenge. ... I just want to win hockey games," he said. "If we don't win, I'm the hardest criticizer of myself."The 34-year-old waived his no-move clause to facilitate the trade, but it doesn't sound like it was a particularly difficult decision."You obviously look at the hockey perspective: 'Do you feel like the team can win?' When that's a yes, everything else comes pretty easy," Markstrom said. "New Jersey and (general manager Tom Fitzgerald) really made a push for me. When somebody wants you to come play for that team, it makes you feel good."It doesn't take much more than that for me to get excited. I want to jump on the ship and be a part of it and hopefully sail it in the right direction."The Swede made his NHL debut during a relief appearance in New Jersey back in January 2011 as a member of the Florida Panthers, and his opponent was none other than Brodeur. Markstrom surrendered two goals on 14 shots in a 5-2 loss.The newest Devil said he remembers "everything" about that contest."Having (Brodeur) stand there, you get goosebumps thinking about it. ... It was a lot of good memories," he said. "Maybe there's a meaning behind all of this now for me to put that jersey on where I started my NHL career."Brodeur is currently serving as the Devils' executive vice president of hockey operations. Markstrom said he received a text from the Hall of Famer after the trade and is looking forward to working with the franchise legend."Hopefully I don't ask (him) too many questions," Markstrom joked.New Jersey will likely rely on Markstrom and backup Jake Allen next season. The two goalies were selected three picks apart in the second round of the 2008 NHL Draft.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Just one season after inking an eight-year, $68-million extension with the Los Angeles Kings, Pierre-Luc Dubois is on the move again.The Kings shipped Dubois to the Washington Capitals in exchange for goaltender Darcy Kuemper, the teams announced Wednesday.It's a one-for-one trade, and no salary was retained on either side."We are thrilled to announce the addition of Pierre-Luc to the Caps organization," general manager Brian MacLellan said in a statement. "This acquisition brings in a talented 25-year-old with immense potential to become a top-tier center in the NHL."With his size, exceptional skating, and high hockey IQ, we are confident he will thrive in our organization with increased responsibility and opportunity."The Kings acquired Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets in June 2023 in exchange for Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a 2024 second-round pick. However, Dubois didn't come close to meeting expectations in his first season in L.A., managing just 40 points.This marks the third time in four years that Dubois has been part of a blockbuster deal. In January 2021, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded him and a third-round pick to the Jets in exchange for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic.Dubois is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound center who will turn 26 years old Monday. His best season came in 2022-23 with the Jets when he produced 27 goals and 36 assists in 73 games.A no-movement clause in Dubois' contract will kick in July 1. His $8.5-million cap hit is on the books through 2030-31.The Capitals were in dire need of help down the middle. The longtime one-two center punch of Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov is no more, as the latter was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2024 deadline, while the former's playing career is potentially over due to hip issues. Dubois and Dylan Strome project to serve as the club's first- and second-line centers. John McCreary / National Hockey League / GettyKuemper, meanwhile, lost the starting goalie gig to Charlie Lindgren in 2023-24, posting an .890 save percentage and a minus-1.73 goals saved above expected in 33 games, per Evolving-Hockey."We also thank Darcy for his valuable contributions to our organization on and off the ice and wish him the best in Los Angeles," MacLellan said. "After witnessing Charlie Lindgren's performance last season, we believe he deserves a chance to play a more significant role within our team."Kuemper was once among the game's elite goalies. He finished fifth and seventh in Vezina Trophy voting in 2019 and 2020, respectively, owning a .926 save percentage in 84 games over those two seasons with the Arizona Coyotes. Kuemper also led the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup in 2022, recording a .921 save percentage during the regular season and a .902 mark in the playoffs.Even as recently as 2022-23, Kuemper ranked 15th among NHL goalies with a 13.21 GSAx.The 34-year-old briefly spent 19 games with the Kings during the 2017-18 campaign. His second tenure in L.A. projects to last longer, as he's under contract for three more seasons at a $5.25-million cap hit.Goaltending was a big area of need for the Kings entering the offseason, as both Cam Talbot and David Rittich struggled in the playoffs and were on one-year deals. Rittich was re-signed to a one-year, $1-million pact in May and projects to serve as Kuemper's backup.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils finally have their goalie.The Calgary Flames traded netminder Jacob Markstrom to New Jersey in exchange for a top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick and defenseman Kevin Bahl, the teams announced.Calgary is retaining 31.25% of Markstrom's salary, bringing his cap hit in New Jersey down to $4.125 million for the next two seasons. Markstrom waived his full no-movement clause to facilitate the move.Markstrom has long been rumored to wind up in New Jersey, as the Devils reportedly attempted to trade for him at the 2024 deadline. The Devils ultimately traded for fellow veteran Jake Allen, whom Markstrom is expected to pair with in tandem next season.New Jersey finished third last in the NHL with a team save percentage of .886 in 2023-24. Vitek Vanecek - now a member of the San Jose Sharks - and Nico Daws started the majority of games. Daws and fellow youngster Akira Schmid are both restricted free agents and project to serve as depth options in the AHL.Markstrom went 23-23-2 with a .905 save percentage and a 2.78 goals-against average in 48 games with the Flames in 2023-24. His performance was much more impressive than the surface stats showed, though, as he finished third among NHL goaltenders with 28.93 goals saved above expected, per Evolving-Hockey.The 34-year-old Swede finished as the Vezina Trophy runner-up in 2022 when he led the league with nine shutouts, and he finished fourth in Vezina voting during his final year with the Vancouver Canucks in 2020.Markstrom has had some down years, though. In 2022-23 he was only slightly above average with a 1.5 GSAx mark. In 2020-21 his GSAx was minus-12.11.Bahl, 23, is a 6-foot-6 defenseman. He's not known for his offensive abilities but averaged 17:24 of ice time in 82 games with the Devils last season while posting strong defensive metrics. Evolving-HockeyBahl is under contract for one more season with a $1.05-million cap hit and will be an RFA when the deal expires. He can't become a UFA until 2027.The New Westminster, British Columbia, native was a second-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2018. The Devils acquired Bahl in 2019 as part of the trade that sent Taylor Hall to the desert.Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf currently lead Calgary's goalie depth chart.The Flames now own six first-round picks over the next three drafts as they continue their youth movement under general manager Craig Conroy.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Barclay Goodrow is returning to the Bay Area.The San Jose Sharks claimed the veteran forward off waivers from the New York Rangers on Wednesday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Goodrow has three years left on his contract with a $3.64-million cap hit.The 31-year-old, who can play both center and wing, registered four goals and eight assists in 80 games with the Rangers last season while throwing 170 hits and winning 54% of his faceoffs. He added six goals and two assists in 16 playoff contests.His best season came in 2021-22 when he produced 13 goals and 33 points in 79 games.

The Dallas Stars traded forward Ty Dellandrea to the San Jose Sharks for a fourth-round pick in 2025, the teams announced Wednesday.The pick Dallas sent originally belonged to the Winnipeg Jets.Dellandrea is a pending restricted free agent, and he registered nine points in 42 games this season before adding one goal in the playoffs. The Stars drafted him 13th overall in 2018.The rebuilding Sharks now have 21 selections over the next three drafts, including first overall this year.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL record books are littered with Connor McDavid's name thanks in part to his otherworldly play in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. The Edmonton Oilers captain has built a strong case to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, even if the Florida Panthers hang on to win the series.Below, we break down some mind-boggling stats and numbers from McDavid's historic playoff run.-155 - McDavid is now the betting favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. He's -155 on theScore Bet (60.8% implied win probability) even though the Oilers are still +275 to win the series. McDavid entered Game 5 at +700 to win the Conn Smythe.5 - Only five players have won the Conn Smythe as a member of the losing side in the Stanley Cup Final: Roger Crozier (1966), Glenn Hall (1968), Reggie Leach (1976), Ron Hextall (1987), and Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2003). Leach is the only skater from that group.34 - The NHL record for assists in a single postseason, set by McDavid this year. It's three clear of Wayne Gretzky's prior record of 31. Even if McDavid hadn't scored this postseason, he'd still lead all players in points. If you just counted his primary assists (24), he'd have more points than anyone on the Panthers.42 - McDavid already has the fourth-most points in a single playoff year with 42, and he's within striking distance of Gretzky's all-time record of 47. McDavid has 10 more than the next most this postseason (Evan Bouchard), and 20 more than the Panthers' leader (Matthew Tkachuk). Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / Getty4 - With four points each in Games 4 and 5, McDavid became the first player ever with consecutive four-point games in a Stanley Cup Final. He and Gretzky are the only players with multiple four-point games at any time in a Final. McDavid's eight points over the last two games are the most while facing elimination in Cup Final history.11 - McDavid's point total in the Stanley Cup Final is tied with seven others for the third most ever, but only two back of Gretzky's record of 13. It's also the most points in a final by an active player, and the most by any skater since Daniel Briere's 12 in 2010.1.92 - The highest points-per-game mark while facing elimination in NHL history, currently held by McDavid. Ken Linseman (1.61) is second, while Gilbert Perreault and Leon Draisaitl (1.50) are tied for third.3 - McDavid is the first player ever with multiple three-point periods in a single Stanley Cup Final. Hall of Famers Bernie Geoffrion and Stan Mikita are the only others with multiple three-point periods during their careers in the Stanley Cup Final.174 - McDavid has racked up 174 points during the 2023-24 regular season and playoffs combined - besting his previous career high of 173 in 2022-23. Only Gretzky (10 times) and Mario Lemieux (three times) have exceeded that mark.52.5 - McDavid has a point on 52.5% of Edmonton's goals this postseason.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Though Connor McDavid is grabbing the bulk of the headlines, Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman believes there's another Connor who should be getting his fair share of the credit."(Connor Brown) has been unbelievable, even more so in this Cup Final," Hyman told Sportsnet after the Oilers' Game 5 victory. "I think a lot of people lost faith in him. I mean, look how good he's been. He's an unbelievable player, I've played with him for a long time (with the Toronto Maple Leafs) so I knew how good he can be."He's showing it every night. At the highest stage, he's one of our best players."Brown broke the ice during Edmonton's season-extending 5-3 victory Tuesday with a clutch shorthanded tally, his second goal and sixth point of the postseason. Thanks in part to the veteran winger, the Oilers' penalty kill has been lights out in these playoffs with an incredible 93.9% success rate, and the unit was a perfect 3-for-3 in Game 5."Special teams obviously were great," McDavid said of his team's latest win. "Penalty kill, there's nothing else to really say. They've been great. Brownie (scored) a massive goal to settle us in."Brown struggled mightily in the regular season after missing all but four games of the 2022-23 campaign with a torn ACL. The 30-year-old totaled just 12 points in 71 games and had to wait until March 13 to score his first goal as he readjusted to the NHL.Now, Brown is happy to put all the adversity behind him while helping Edmonton claw its way back into the Stanley Cup Final."It's been, obviously, quite the season for me to go from where I was to where I am," Brown said. "To contribute on the biggest stage is what you want to do as a player. At the end of the day, I'm having fun."The Florida Panthers won the first three contests to put Edmonton into a daunting hole, but the Oilers since won back-to-back games to maintain their dreams of lifting Lord Stanley's Mug."We're writing the story, we're taking it into our own hands," Brown said.When asked if the Oilers have planted a seed of doubt in the Panthers' heads, Hyman said, "It's just human nature.""That's the beauty of sports, it's never over until it's over," he explained. "Everybody on the outside can think it's over, but the guys in this locker room, we just believe. ... We're two games away, we got a chance, an amazing opportunity to go back home and send it to seven."The puck drops on Game 6 in Edmonton on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers rearguard Evan Bouchard became the fourth defenseman in NHL history to record 30 points in a single postseason Tuesday night.Bouchard joined the exclusive club after Zach Hyman knocked in one of the blue-liner's patented power-play bombs in the second period of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.The 24-year-old recorded two more points in the middle frame to bring his total to 32.

The Vancouver Canucks inked defenseman Filip Hronek to an eight-year contract carrying an average annual value of $7.25 million, the club announced Tuesday.Hronek was a pending restricted free agent.The 26-year-old Czech blue-liner posted career highs in assists (43), points (48), blocked shots (87), and games played (81) while averaging 23:26 of ice time in his first full season with the Canucks. He skated alongside Quinn Hughes on Vancouver's top pairing while playing on the team's second power-play unit and second penalty-killing group.Hronek also dished out 104 hits this season, falling one short of the career best he established in 2019-20, his second NHL campaign.

The New York Rangers have placed veteran forward Barclay Goodrow on waivers, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Goodrow has three years remaining on his contract with an annual cap hit of $3.641 million, and the Rangers are aiming to create cap space by making him available to other teams for free.If Goodrow goes unclaimed, the Rangers could buy him out, which would save them $3.88 million next season. However, New York would incur $1.11 million in dead money for three years beginning in 2027-28, according to CapFriendly. The NHL's buyout window opens 48 hours after the Stanley Cup is awarded.Goodrow has played a bottom-six role much of his career and posted 12 points in 80 games for the Rangers this season. The 31-year-old did have a strong playoff run, though, notching six goals in 16 appearances as New York reached the Eastern Conference Final.Before signing a six-year deal in New York, Goodrow also won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning.The Rangers have approximately $9.2 million in cap flexibility this summer. The club's prominent restricted free agents are defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider, while star goaltender Igor Shesterkin is eligible for an extension as of July 1.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.