Latest On Red Wings Offseason Plans
It’s safe to say that the Detroit Red Wings finish fell well short of expectations. Even for Steve Yzerman loyalists, this season felt different. Instead of fighting for a playoff spot until the last few days of the regular season like the last two years, the Red Wings were squarely in a playoff position before the team rolled over and died.
This has sparked intense speculation about what Detroit’s offseason will entail and whether Yzerman can guide this team to its goals. In a wide-ranging piece on The Athletic, Max Bultman broke down Yzerman’s end-of-season media availability and what it could indicate about the Red Wings’ offseason.
There’s no question that Detroit needs to add more goal-scoring. The Red Wings finished 30th in the league in even-strength scoring, which isn’t conducive to playoff eligibility. It’s a similar problem to last season, when Detroit finished 28th in the category. There will be some options on the free agent market to help with this issue, such as Anthony Mantha of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres.
It seems that Yzerman is keenly aware of this issue. Bultman quoted the franchise legend, saying, “We need to change some things. But (we’re) not just gonna go and get rid of everyone. But there needs to be some very blunt conversations with some of our players, and challenge them to do more and be better to get there. But ultimately, again, we need to surround them with more talent. And having said that, we still need more from some of our very key players.”
Additionally, Yzerman noted that the bottom six of the team’s forward corps need an identity change. Bultman shared another quote, saying, “So, I’d like to see us — in our bottom six, we need some production as well, and also to have some definition. Maybe a true checking line or shutdown line, and then depending on what you have in your top nine, you build your fourth line a little bit around that. If you don’t have enough production, then you’ve got to get some production on that fourth line. If you’re not big enough and hard enough or whatnot, then you need that. And truthfully, we need a little bit of all of that.”
Some of that has to do with the fact that Todd McLellan used so many different line combinations this season. He was doing his best to find a spark, but of the 10 combinations that skated in 80 or more minutes together this season, the top two lines were the only two that remained intact for much of the season.
Heading into the offseason, Yzerman can easily let aging veterans David Perron and James van Riemsdyk exit free agency or retirement. However, other players such as J.T. Compher, Michael Rasmussen, and Mason Appleton did not perform particularly well and should be traded if possible. Due to their contracts, it won’t be easy, but Yzerman may have to get more aggressive than he typically operates to apply the necessary remedies to Detroit’s issues.
East Notes: Desrosiers, LeBreton Flats, Senators
According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, the New York Islanders have fired assistant coach Benoit Desrosiers. Desrosiers was hired by the Islanders, along with Patrick Roy, partway through the 2023-24 season.
As Rosner noted, Desrosiers was particularly focused on New York’s play in the faceoff dot. The Islanders weren’t a bad faceoff team when Desrosiers was hired, but he was able to make them one of the best in the league. The Islanders were the best team in the faceoff dot in all situations during the 2024-25 season with a 54.9% success rate, and finished fifth this year with a 52.65% rate.
For his next role, it’s anyone’s guess. Given that he followed Roy from the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts to New York, it would make sense that Desrosiers will go wherever Roy does. Unfortunately, it’s not altogether clear if Roy will pursue a different opportunity this summer or remain with the Islanders as a scout. If he does, Desrosiers may seek a role with the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, or Tampa Bay Lightning, each of which finished at the bottom of the league in faceoff percentage.
Additional notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Later this year, the Ottawa Senators are expected to finalize the purchase of land in LeBreton Flats from the National Capital Commission to eventually build a new arena. In an update from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, Commissioner Gary Bettman believes that the deal will be finalized, saying, “As recently as when I walked in here today, things are continuing on a positive track. I’m hoping that is an express track, as opposed to a long one.” Although the Senators are likely to purchase the property, it may take several years to build a new arena due to the numerous regulations that need to be met.
- Sticking with the Senators, Bettman also commented on his decision to return Ottawa’s first-round pick to them for the upcoming draft. The Senators had originally lost the selection due to not including Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade protection when they traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights. In reversing his decision, Bettman said, “I thought it was important, particularly for other clubs, how seriously we take the processes of how you must comply with a trade. I was comfortable that some adjustment might be fair based on the due diligence and everything leading up to the transaction, without completely eliminating it. I thought it was fair under all the circumstances.”
Latest On Maple Leafs GM Search
In a new update from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, the Toronto Maple Leafs are likely down to their final two candidates for their open General Manager position. Still, Friedman doesn’t expect anything to be announced soon as the Maple Leafs continue to do their due diligence on each candidate, who couldn’t be more different.
One of the candidates is Scott White, Assistant General Manager of the Dallas Stars, as reported a few days ago. White was hired by the Stars organization after the 2005 lockout, working his way up from their AHL affiliate to the AGM position in 2016. In his developmental philosophy, White typically values players of high character, often providing prospects and draft options with numerous character assessments.
That’s not to say he doesn’t value talent, but he is keenly aware of what a bad locker room can create, even with the necessary talent to win. Unsurprisingly, the Maple Leafs are interested in allowing that philosophy to dictate the future of the organization. Toronto has undeniable talent, but the team has struggled to mesh well in recent years. White would be an interesting candidate to come in and make some blunt changes to reshuffle the team’s chemistry.
Meanwhile, Friedman shared that John Chayka, former General Manager of the Arizona Coyotes, is the other finalist, and likely the favorite. Chayka has not worked in the NHL since he left the Coyotes organization in 2020, as he’s largely focused on his company, Compass Restaurant Group, along with his wife.
Additionally, it was unlikely he would find another General Manager role before that due to some controversy surrounding him toward the end of his time in Arizona. Chayka was suspended from the NHL by Commissioner Gary Bettman for pursuing opportunities with other clubs while under contract with the Coyotes. Additionally, the Coyotes were forced to forfeit a second-round pick in 2020 and a first-round pick in 2021 for hosting a private scouting combine for draft-eligible prospects under Chayka.
Still, Chayka has what the Maple Leafs want. He has a shrewd analytical mind, similar to Eric Tulsky of the Carolina Hurricanes and Sunny Mehta of the New Jersey Devils. Like White, Chayka would likely implement changes to enhance the team’s talent; however, concerns about the locker room atmosphere may persist.
Friedman pointed out that although the team has narrowed its choices down to two finalists, neither White nor Chayka has advanced to the second round of negotiations, which involves meeting with the Maple Leafs’ ownership group. The first candidate to reach this stage is likely to be named the team’s next General Manager in a few weeks.
Snapshots: DiPietro, Gudas, Dickinson, Blackhawks
The Providence Bruins, AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins, announced that netminder Michael DiPietro has won the Les Cunningham Award, given to the AHL’s regular season MVP. DiPietro becomes the first goaltender to win the award since Dustin Wolf in 2023, and only the third since Jason LaBarbera in 2004.
DiPietro, 26, is in his fourth season with the Bruins organization. The former Vancouver Canucks prospect was traded to the Bruins organization at the start of the 2022-23 campaign in a trade for Jack Studnicka. Largely blocked in Boston behind Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo, DiPietro has been particularly good over the last several years but took his performance to a different level this year.
The AHL Bruins relied heavily on DiPietro this season, giving him 62.5% of the available starts. In one of the best seasons in recent memory, DiPietro finished with a 34-8-1 record in 45 games with a .930 SV%, 1.91 GAA, including three shutouts. Unless the Bruins move Korpisalo this summer, DiPietro is unlikely to find his way to the NHL with Boston. Much like the Canucks did last summer with Arturs Silovs, the Bruins could look to trade DiPietro for a premium to a goalie-needy team.
Other snapshots:
- The Anaheim Ducks will remain without their captain tonight in Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers. According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Radko Gudas is still dealing with his undisclosed injury and has been ruled out for tonight’s contest. Anaheim will certainly miss having his physicality in the lineup as they look to shut down Connor McDavid in a third consecutive game. Gudas skated in 9:40 of action in Game 1, earning a -1 rating while putting one shot on goal and delivering two hits.
- On the other side of tonight’s matchup, the Oilers are dealing with their own injury concerns. Team reporter Tony Brar shared that Jason Dickinson has been elevated to a game-time decision due to his undisclosed injury. Having missed Game 2 already, the trade deadline acquisition was one of, if not, the Oilers’ best forward in Game 1. Dickinson scored two goals in that contest in 12 minutes of ice time.
- A trio of Chicago Blackhawks players will join Team USA for the upcoming IIHF World Championships. According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, forwards Oliver Moore and Sam Lafferty, and defenseman Wyatt Kaiser will participate in the international contest. Lafferty is the only one of the group that has played for Team USA at the World Championships before, scoring one goal and three points in 10 games during the 2022 tournament.
Central Notes: Manson, Zuccarello, Trenin
Despite taking a commanding 3-0 series lead against the Los Angeles Kings, the Colorado Avalanche are already dealing with injury concerns. According to Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette, top-four defenseman Josh Manson is being evaluated for an upper-body injury and could miss Game 4.
Manson suffered the injury scare early in Game 3, being on the receiving end of a hit from Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson. Manson attempted to return to the game, though he was largely sheltered due to his discomfort. He finished the contest with one assist in 4:57 of ice time with one hit and one giveaway.
Although there is never a good time for injuries, the Avalanche have put themselves in a good position to absorb one. Yes, the team is potentially losing a formidable top-four defenseman. Still, with only one more win needed to advance to Round Two, they can likely sweep Los Angeles, giving Manson a larger gap to rest in between games. Colorado acquired Nick Blankenburg at the deadline for exactly this reason, who will likely fill in for Manson if he should be ruled out for Game 4. Blankenburg scored eight goals and 24 points in 61 games split between the Nashville Predators and the Avalanche this season.
Additional notes from the Central Division:
- According to Mike Morreale of the NHL, Minnesota Wild veteran winger Mats Zuccarello has been upgraded to a game-time decision for Game 4. Although he’s not the main driver of offense in Minnesota, the Wild didn’t win either of the two games that Zuccarello missed due to his upper-body injury. If he does return, he’ll look to pick up where he left off in Game 1, when he registered three assists in 16:41 of ice time.
- Unfortunately, it’s not all good news on the injury front for the Wild. In the same report from Morreale, the senior draft writer indicated that Yakov Trenin has been ruled out for Game 4. Throughout the entire regular season, Trenin played all 82 games and has not missed back-to-back games since last year. Still, he was fairly quiet during the first two games of the series, going scoreless in 16:38 of ice time, but he did deliver 16 hits.
Doug Armstrong, Alexander Steen Sharing GM Duties Through Draft
As previously announced a few summers ago, Alexander Steen will become the full-time General Manager of the St. Louis Blues on July 1st, 2026, while current General Manager Doug Armstrong will become the team’s President of Hockey Operations. In a new update from the team, although he’s still a few weeks away from taking over the role, Steen has been operating as a General Manager for the team for some time.
The team shared a quote from Armstrong, saying, “What I told the players right after the trade deadline is, for all intents and purposes that Alex is the GM as far as you’re concerned now. There are no more trades, there are no more waivers (this season). Now Alex has to put his stamp on the team in exit meetings and (set) his expectations.”
Armstrong stated that his sole responsibility moving forward will be to make the Blues’ selections at the 2026 NHL Draft, while Steen will manage all other aspects. If St. Louis makes any trades at the draft or leading up to it, Steen will have the final call, but will still have guidance from Armstrong. That appears to be how it will remain moving forward, unless Armstrong jumps to a different opportunity in the near future.
Steen will have his hands full in his first year with the reins. Thanks to Armstrong’s work, the Blues really only have to focus on an extension for Dylan Holloway this offseason. Still, Steen will have to make a call on trade candidates Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and Colton Parayko, among others, to put his first touches on the team’s direction moving forward.
Now, even if Steen opts for a retool and trades some or most of the team’s veterans, Armstrong didn’t leave him in a bad spot if he wants to go that route. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked all 32 teams’ farm rankings after the trade deadline, and the Blues clocked in at 10th, highlighted by Justin Carbonneau, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Adam Jirícek, with plenty of other prospects on their way up.
If Steen chooses to move on from Thomas, Kyrou, or Parayko, St. Louis could easily find themselves with a top-5 farm system, giving Steen plenty of flexibility moving forward. Still, there’s no telling what his thought process is, and we likely won’t know what direction he’ll want to take until he does something.
Blue Jackets Won’t Retain Mike Haviland, Scott Ford, Aron Augustitus
The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that assistant coaches Mike Haviland and Scott Ford, as well as video coach Aron Augustitus, won’t be returning to the team for the 2026-27 season. This decision will allow recently-extended head coach Rick Bowness to bring on his own staff for his first full season with the team. Among the candidates to earn an assistant role with Columbus will be Cleveland Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.
Notably, these decisions will keep former Blue Jackets player Jared Boll in his assistant coach role. Boll retired from his playing career after the 2017-18 season and joined the Blue Jackets as an assistant development coach in the following year. He held onto that role until he was promoted to the Blue Jackets bench ahead of the 2023-24 season. Boll has played an integral role in developing many of the Blue Jackets’ young stars and should continue to oversee their paths next season.
Haviland will enter the coaching market with a substantial amount of experience under his belt. His coaching career began in the ECHL where he took home two Kelly Cups across four seasons as a head coach – one on each side of the rivalry between the Trenton Titans and Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies. He was promoted to the AHL with the Norfolk Admirals in 2006 and earned the league’s ‘Coach of the Year’ award in 2007. That accolade preceded a move to the Rockford IceHogs, which would represent a path into Haviland’s first NHL coaching role – as an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks. He filled that role for four seasons, including Chicago’s Stanley Cup-winning 2009-10 campaign. Haviland was dismissed by Chicago in 2012 and returned to the AHL for two seasons, before taking on the head coach role at Colorado College for seven seasons. It was that role that Columbus pulled Haviland out of, first to serve as an AHL associate coach for two seasons and then to serve as an NHL assistant for the last two seasons. He will now search for a new gig with the ability to fill numerous roles.
Ford began his coaching career in 2015, after a minor-league career that spanned 552 AHL games and 172 ECHL games. He served as an assistant coach for eight seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals – a run that was briefly interrupted by one season with the Chicago Wolves. Ford earned his first NHL role – and his first NHL regular season game behind the bench – when he was hired as an assistant by Columbus in 2024. His hiring marked a reunion with then-head coach Dean Evason, who coached over Ford from 2012 to 2015, then coached alongside him from 2015 to 2018. Evason, like Ford, is on the open market after being dismissed by the Blue Jackets.
This will also mark a quick change for Augustitus. The 30-year-old coach was promoted to the Blue Jackets’ head video coach role last summer, after four years as an assistant video coach with the club. He first joined the organization in 2018.
Vogelhuber could be the first to take on a role on Columbus’ refreshed bench. The 37 year old has served as Cleveland’s head coach for the last four seasons, after four years as an assistant coach with the team. He has led the Monsters to a winning record, and three playoff appearances, in his time overseeing the bench. He was also named a coach at the 2024 AHL All-Star game. Cleveland’s performances under Vogelhuber have represented a quick turnaround for a team that posted a 68-76-23 record in the three seasons leading up to his promotion.
These changes will mark a turnover of the Blue Jackets’ bench after posting a 40-30-12 record and missing the postseason by six points. Bowness will have his chance to build a staff capable of making up that gap next season. How the Blue Jackets choose to assemble their new bench crew could tip off their plans for Bowness’ future with the club. The 71 year old is currently the oldest head coach in the NHL and came out of retirement to replace Evason earlier this season. He has signed a one-year extension with Columbus but may not have many seasons left beyond that. Columbus’ hires could suggest if a strong staff can support a few more years, or if they will lead to a warm handoff of head coaching duties.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Terada-Imagn Images.
Senators’ Jake Sanderson Out With Concussion
As the Ottawa Senators cling to their season in Game 3 of Round One against the Carolina Hurricanes, the team may have lost its top defenseman for the foreseeable future. In a report from Sportsnet, Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson left the game with an injury.
The morning after Sanderson’s exit, it was revealed that the star defenseman has sustained a concussion per TSN’s Bruce Garrioch. Head coach Travis Green told Garrioch that Sanderson is, “not doing well” and will be out for Game 4.
In a breakdown from Kevin Bieksa on Sportsnet, Sanderson seemed to have been injured from taking a hit to the head from Carolina Hurricane Taylor Hall.
In any case, Sanderson’s absence will be detrimental to the Senators’ chances for Game 4. As Bieksa noted, he is the team’s best defenseman, and his absence puts Ottawa in a nearly inescapable hole. Although they did return Tyler Kleven tonight, the team is already without Artem Zub and Nick Jensen.
Like the rest of the team, Sanderson was quiet in Game 1, but showed up in a big way in Game 2. He recorded an assist on both of Ottawa’s goals and has averaged over 35 minutes thanks to a nearly five-period contest on Monday.
Sanderson’s role as the team’s top defenseman is unquestioned. He led the team in scoring among defensemen, registering 14 goals and 54 points in 67 games with a +16 rating. Additionally, he led the team in ATOI by a significant margin with 24:50. The next was Thomas Chabot, who averaged 22:35 throughout the 2025-26 campaign.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
The regular season has come to an end with half the league heading home and the other half in the playoffs. We’ve already seen some fallout from teams missing the postseason with more to follow while there have been some big performances in the early going of the playoffs as well.
With that in mind, it’s time to open up the mailbag once again. Our last call for questions yielded enough for three columns. The first included the future of Tom Fitzgerald in New Jersey, Edmonton’s trade deadline activity, and some discussion on insured contracts. In the second, among the topics were Darren Raddysh’s next contract, some young Rangers finishing strong, and Steve Yzerman’s future in Detroit. Lastly, the third took a tour around the Pacific Division, while captaincy candidates for St. Louis and what Washington can do to fix their roster were also discussed.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
Morning Notes: Boeser, Hall, Norris
Team USA is expected to add a goal-scoring punch to their roster for the 2026 IIHF World Championship. Top Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser is expected to suit up for the Stars and Stripes in the summer tournament per Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK News.
Boeser notched 22 goals and 48 points in 75 games this season. The performance continued his downward turn after posting a career-high 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games of the 2023-24 season. Boeser earned All-Star recognition that season, an accolade that he hasn’t received since his rookie season in 2017-18. He followed the career year with just 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games last season.
This will be Boeser’s first chance to suit up for the USA’s men’s national team. He played in three international tournaments during his days in junior hockey, including captaining USA at the 2014 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He scored eight points in five games at that tournament, then later notched five points in four games at the 2015 World Junior-A Challenge and three points in seven games at the 2016 World Junior Championships. Boeser has stood out as a shoot-first winger dating back to those international appearances and should bring a similar impact to USA’s middle-six at Worlds.
Other notes from around the league:
- Carolina Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall is not expected to receive supplemental discipline for his hit that injured Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson, per hockey insider Frank Seravalli and TSN’s Bruce Garrioch. Senators head coach Travis Green criticized the decision, saying that the hit was blatantly high. Hall seemed to contact Sanderson’s head, and even knocked off his helmet, with a corner hit in the third period of Thursday night’s game. He was assessed a minor penalty on the play, while Sanderson left the game with 15 minutes to go. The star defenseman will now move forward with a questionable tag for the rest of the first round series. That will be a major absence with Ottawa at risk of being swept on Saturday. Sanderson is the only Senators defenseman to record a point this series. He has two assists.
- It seems the Buffalo Sabres could be without Joshua Norris for the foreseeable future. After being designated as out day-to-day, head coach Lindy Ruff shared that Norris is currently questionable to practice with the team. Norris sat out of Game 3 with an undisclosed injury. He has battled routine absence all season long and ultimately sat out of 38 games. Norris was a major part of the Sabres’ offense in his healthy stretches. He scored 34 points in 44 games and gave the team an extra motor in their top-six. Unfortunately, the Sabres will have to revert to their backup lineup with Norris again on the mend. His absence will be, in part, filled by rookie Noah Ostlund who scored two points in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in Thursday night’s win.