Eastern Conference Final Preview
The Eastern Conference Final is set, with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 on Thursday night at Lenovo Center. Both teams are four wins away from a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and both arrive playing some of their best hockey of the season. Carolina returns to the Conference Final for the third time since 2022-23 under Rod Brind’Amour, while Montreal is back at this stage for the first time since their unexpected run in 2021, and the first with their head coach, Martin St. Louis.
Paths to the ECF
Carolina has been the story of the postseason. The Hurricanes swept the Ottawa Senators in Round 1, and followed it up with a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 2, becoming the first team to sweep the first two rounds since the NHL went to a best-of-seven format in all four rounds in 1987. Through eight playoff games, they’re 8-0 with a plus-14 goal differential, allowing just 10 goals total and never more than two in a single game.
That dominance comes with a question, though: will 12 days off be a gift or a curse? Carolina last played on May 9, and the layoff is the longest of any team in the conference finals. The history of teams with extended layoffs in the playoffs is mixed, extra rest can mean fresh legs and full health, but it can also mean a loss of rhythm against a team that’s been in playoff intensity for weeks. Brind’Amour’s group used the time to get fully healthy, run extra video sessions, and skate without the wear of a daily playoff schedule. The Hurricanes have been playing the most cohesive, structured hockey of any team in the postseason, and there’s a real question about whether that timing holds up against an opponent that has been playing high-intensity playoff games for over a month.
Montreal’s path has been the opposite. The Canadiens needed seven games to put away the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1, including four overtime games, before grinding out another seven-game series against the Buffalo Sabres in Round 2. That series included an 8-3 Game 6 loss before the Habs bounced back in Game 7 on Monday night, where Alex Newhook was yet again the game seven hero, scoring the game-winner 11:22 into overtime. Montreal has played 14 games to Carolina’s eight; they arrive battle-tested but on shorter rest, with less than 72 hours between their Game 7 in Buffalo and Game 1 in Raleigh.
Head-to-Head
The 2025-26 regular season series belonged entirely to Montreal. The Canadiens swept Carolina 3-0-0, winning all three games in regulation and outscoring the Hurricanes 15-8. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Ivan Demidov each posted five points in the three games, with Slafkovsky scoring the game-winning goal in two of them. Lane Hutson added four points from the back end. Sebastian Aho led Carolina with six points (two goals, four assists), five of which came in one game, and Andrei Svechnikov added five (two goals, three assists).
The two franchises have met twice previously in the playoffs since Carolina’s relocation from Hartford, with the Hurricanes winning both. The most recent meeting was the 2006 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, a series in which Carolina trailed 2-0 before rookie goaltender Cam Ward took over the crease and helped the Hurricanes win the series in six games en route to a Stanley Cup. This is the first time these two have met in a Conference Final.
Key Players
For Montreal, scoring has come from across the lineup. Suzuki has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 14 playoff games, while Newhook (seven goals), Slafkovsky, and Caufield (four goals each) have all chipped in up front. On the back end, Hutson leads the entire team in points with 14, has been logging 26-plus minutes per game and is the engine of the Canadiens’ transition offense. Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson round out a mobile defensive group.
Carolina’s depth has been the calling card. Taylor Hall has found another gear in his game, playing some of his best hockey since his MVP season back in 2018, and leads the team in scoring with 12 points. Additionaly, Jackson Blake, Seth Jarvis, Nikolaj Ehlers, Logan Stankoven, and Andrei Svechnikov all give the Hurricanes scoring threats across the top three lines. Defensively, Jaccob Slavin remains one of the NHL’s premier shutdown defensemen, and rookie Alexander Nikishin has emerged as a real puck-mover in his first full NHL postseason.
Goaltending
Frederik Andersen has been one of this postseason’s biggest stories. He’s 8-0 with a 1.12 GAA and .950 save percentage, leading all playoff goaltenders in both categories. He’s allowed only 10 goals in eight starts and has two shutouts. The catch: Andersen’s regular season was uneven. He went 1-9-2 over a 12-game stretch earlier in the season before bouncing back with a 9-4-0 record after the Olympic break. His two starts against Montreal came during that rough patch where he went 0-2-0 with a 3.73 GAA and .806 save percentage.
For Montreal, Jakub Dobes has stabilized the crease. He started all three regular-season games against Carolina and went 3-0-0 with a 2.67 GAA and .922 save percentage. His postseason numbers are more pedestrian (.910 SV%, 2.52 GAA), but he’s won when it has mattered and aside from the full team collapse in game 6, was at his best in the Buffalo series. Dobes leads all goaltenders in saves through two rounds with 363.
Transition vs Forecheck
The cleanest stylistic clash of the postseason runs through the neutral zone. Carolina has been the NHL’s premier shot-suppression team for nearly a decade under Brind’Amour, leading the league in 5-on-5 Corsi at 59.77% during the regular season (via moneypuck.com) and allowing just 23.9 shots against per game, also a league best. The mechanism is their aggressive forecheck, which applies pressure on both the strong and weak sides of the ice, an approach that’s rare in the modern NHL. Their wingers crash hard, their weak-side defenseman pinches down the wall, and their defensive zone coverage relies on man-to-man assignments. The result is a team that spends almost no time in its own end and forces opponents into low-danger looks when they do break out.
Montreal is built to attack that structure in the one place it can be exploited. When Carolina’s forecheck is beaten with a clean first pass, their forwards play so deep in the offensive zone that recovery becomes difficult, and odd-man rushes in the other direction are the most common result. The Canadiens have the personnel to take advantage. They have one of the fastest lineups in the NHL: Suzuki, Newhook, Anderson, and Hutson all rank in the 90th percentile or better at their position in 20-plus mph speed bursts, per NHL Edge. The engine, though, is Lane Hutson. The 22-year-old defenseman ranks among the NHL’s most prolific puck-transporters from the back end, but he’s 5-foot-9 and can be worn down on extended defensive shifts where physicality takes its toll. Carolina’s forecheck with guys like Stankoven, Jarvis, and Martinook is specifically designed to dump the puck to a defenseman’s side and hound him through long retrievals. If Hutson handles that pressure cleanly, Montreal’s offense unlocks. If Carolina grinds him down and forces turnovers in his own zone, the Habs’ best weapon becomes a liability.
The Canadiens’ three regular-season wins over Carolina were very likely powered by exactly this dynamic: clean breakouts, fast transitions, and high-quality looks generated against a team that thrives on grinding opponents down in the offensive zone. The shift-by-shift battle to watch: how Carolina’s forecheckers recover after offensive zone turnovers, and whether Montreal’s forwards consistently arrive in the neutral zone in time to punish those breakdowns.
X-Factors
The X-factors for these two teams are essentially mirror images of each other, both rooted in a longstanding tension between chance generation and chance conversion.
Finishing (Carolina): The Hurricanes are perpetually in this conversation, and 2025-26 was no exception. They led the NHL in shot attempts, scoring chances, and high-danger scoring chances at 5-on-5, yet finished just ninth in goals with the 19th-best shooting percentage. The pattern showed up in the regular-season series with Montreal in vivid fashion; Carolina outshot the Canadiens 103-60 across three games and lost all three. Through eight playoff games, the Hurricanes’ shooting percentage has trended back toward the league average, which is a big reason they’re 8-0. Sustaining that against a goalie who has owned them is the question. If Carolina reverts to its season-long shooting struggles, the volume of chances they generate may not be enough to outscore Montreal’s opportunism.
Limiting Chances Against (Montreal): The flip side of Carolina’s chance-generation problem is Montreal’s chance-suppression problem. The Canadiens have been consistently outshot and outchanced through the first two rounds, surviving on goaltending and finishing rather than defensive structure. In the regular season, they ranked fifth-worst in the NHL in high-danger shots against (via moneypuck.com). That’s a manageable issue against the Lightning and Sabres, both of whom run conventional offensive systems. It’s a far bigger problem against a Carolina team specifically built to bury opponents under shot volume. Montreal doesn’t need to flip the underlying numbers; they need to keep Carolina to the perimeter, force them into the low-danger looks that have defined their finishing struggles all season, and trust Dobes to handle the rest.
Wrap Up
On paper, Carolina has every analytical advantage: better possession metrics, better penalty kill, dramatically more rest, and the hottest goaltender in the playoffs. But Montreal arrives with history on its side and a blueprint that’s already worked. They are the youngest team to reach a Conference Final in 33 years, since the 1993 Canadiens, and that team won the Stanley Cup. Add in the regular-season sweep, a stylistic matchup that gives Montreal a real path, and a young core playing with no fear, and the makings of a series far more competitive than the oddsmakers expect are all there. Game 1 drops Thursday in Raleigh. See the full series schedule below.
Schedule (Via NHL.com)
Game 1: Montreal at Carolina — 8 p.m. ET, Thursday, May 21 (TNT, HBO Max, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS)
Game 2: Montreal at Carolina — 7 p.m. ET, Saturday, May 23 (TNT, HBO Max, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS)
Game 3: Carolina at Montreal — 8 p.m. ET, Monday, May 25 (TNT, HBO Max, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS)
Game 4: Carolina at Montreal — 8 p.m. ET, Wednesday, May 27 (TNT, HBO Max, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS)
* Game 5: Montreal at Carolina — 8 p.m. ET, Friday, May 29 (TNT, HBO Max, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS)
* Game 6: Carolina at Montreal — TBD, Sunday, May 31 (TNT, HBO Max, truTV, SN, TVAS)
* Game 7: Montreal at Carolina — 8 p.m. ET, Tuesday, June 2 (TNT, HBO Max, truTV, SN, TVAS)
* – If necessary
Evening Notes: Kulich, Burns, Canucks
Buffalo Sabres center Jiri Kulich offered the most encouraging update on Tuesday regarding his health, explaining that he underwent a procedure at the Mayo Clinic to remove a blood clot, as reported by Mike Harrington of TBN Sports. The clot kept him out of the Sabres lineup all but 12 games of his 2025-26 season, but thankfully Kulich said he expects to be back in the lineup next fall. Speaking publicly for the first time since November at the Sabres’ end-of-season media availability, the 22-year-old said doctors in Minnesota fully extracted the clot roughly two months ago. He couldn’t skate for a month afterward and admitted he had put on weight during the layoff, but he is now in his fourth week back on the ice and said he can “do pretty much everything right now.” His message to fans was direct, saying, “I’ll be able to play hockey again.”
The recovery cost him what would have been a major personal milestone. Kulich was widely projected as Czechia’s second-line winger at the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Additionally, Kulich missed his first taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as Buffalo pushed Montreal to a Game 7 overtime in the Eastern Conference semifinals. However, he stayed around the team throughout the run and said his teammates treated him “like family” through the ordeal.
His return matters significantly for Buffalo’s 2026-27 outlook. Kulich scored 15 goals as a rookie in 2024-25 and had three goals and five points in his 12 games this year before he was shut down. He remains on his entry-level deal at an $886,666 cap hit through next season, and slots back into a center group that now includes Zach Benson, Konsta Helenius, Josh Norris, and deadline addition Sam Carrick, giving Buffalo a much-needed depth and skill boost down the middle as the Sabres try to build on the franchise’s most successful season in 15 years.
Additional Notes:
- Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice, per Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. He had sat out some on-ice sessions following Colorado’s series-clinching 4-3 OT win over Minnesota in Game 5, and was listed as day-to-day after missing Saturday’s practice. He should be ready for Game 1 of the Western Conference Final against Vegas on Wednesday. Through nine playoff games, he has 3 assists, 14 SOG, 6 blocks, and 13 hits.
- On a day that saw new general manager Ryan Johnson clean house behind the bench, firing head coach Adam Foote and assistants Scott Young, Kevin Dean, and Brett McLean after a 25-49-8 last-place finish, Johnson also confirmed that assistant general managers Cammi Granato and Émilie Castonguay will remain in their roles, per Harman Dayal with the Athletic. The retention provides a measure of continuity inside an organization otherwise gutted at the top this spring, with Jim Rutherford stepping down as president of hockey operations, GM Patrik Allvin dismissed, and now the coaching staff turned over. Castonguay became the first woman to serve as an NHL assistant general manager when the Canucks hired her in January 2022, with Granato, a Hockey Hall of Famer, joining not long after. Both received extensions in March 2024 under the previous front office and have handled significant responsibilities in scouting oversight, player development, and contract and cap management.
Offseason Checklist: Nashville Predators
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those who have already been eliminated. Accordingly, it’s now time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Nashville.
A season which had no real expectations, the Predators improved from a brutal 2024-25 campaign, at times looking like they could sneak back into the playoffs. Coming up short where they’ll be rewarded with drafting 10th overall, even if they had made it, there was little optimism on their chances to get past a Western Conference powerhouse. Nashville has been at a crossroads for some time, but now with a new general manager set to come in, it could finally be time to embrace the dreaded tear down, a question which is already burning hot.
Hire A General Manager
It hardly requires analysis to determine the first order of business for the Predators as the clock ticks on their general manager search. The longer it drags on, the more speculation rises that they’re waiting on a candidate whose season has not yet ended. After David Poile’s 25 years with the organization, quickly followed by Barry Trotz whose tenure ended sooner than expected, it’s a feeling unfamiliar to the Predators to be in this position. Although uneasy, it presents a breath of fresh air.
A stable franchise which has rounded the corner from their fragile standing in the 2000s, the tough truth is that Nashville has just one true playoff run in their history. They’ve kicked the can down the road avoiding a tear down for practically half a decade now. Giving up on 40-goal-scorers Filip Forsberg and Steven Stamkos, along with franchise legend Roman Josi is easier said than done, but if anybody is willing to make the tough choices to benefit the future, it would be a new outside voice.
Former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald is a natural candidate, given his ties to the organization as their inaugural captain who has ample front office experience. Yet it’s curious as to why the role remains open. Perhaps Carolina’s Darren Yorke has their interest? Colorado’s Kevin McDonald? Maybe after evaluating every option they’ll opt to go internal, promoting Jeff Kealty, who has worked his way up the organizational ladder since 2001.
Whoever they choose, the lucky hire will be at a crossroads on day one; either a tear down, or continuing to take on the uphill battle of supplementing an aging core without premium draft selections.
Attempt To Move Jonathan Marchessault
Even if the 35-year-old was still producing in the Music City, it’s time for the franchise to turn over a new leaf under new management. However, the key word here is “attempt”, as Jonathan Marchessault’s production has fallen off a cliff, and he’s signed 2028-29 at $5.5MM.
Holding a 15-team no-trade list, it’s widely thought that the veteran is ready to move on. He won’t just do it anywhere though, seeking a favorable situation for both his family and career. With just 31 points in 62 games last year, and his worst possession metrics since being a fringe depth piece on Tampa Bay a decade ago, Nashville will have to retain salary. It’s no longer a matter of what they can fetch in return, as opposed to how much weight they can shed.
Loosely linked to the Canadiens as a team he’d like to go to, but otherwise not known to have reached any real talks, there’s no telling what comes next. To Montreal’s credit, they lack anchors to offer up. To do their respected veteran right and get him to his home province, Nashville would have to not only retain, but add sweeteners. It’s anybody’s guess as to other hypothetical teams, but they’d have to greatly value the undrafted Conn Smythe winner’s intangibles to bring him aboard.
Shop For “Change of Scenery” Center
The Predators are dangerously thin down the middle, an issue which will probably remain in October. Ryan O’Reilly has been tremendous, finishing one point behind Forsberg for team lead this season (74). Still, at age 35, there’s no telling how long he can keep it up before aging gracefully into a strong 3C.
Neither Fedor Svechkov or Brady Martin should be counted on for any meaningful time at 2C next season. Vitali Pinchuk’s signing as a KHL free agent was a big win, leaving fans optimistic he can fulfill an Erik Haula type role, but it’s no guarantee he will even make the roster out of camp. Finally, retaining Haula remains a possibility, but the 35-year-old has the chance to jump to a contender as one of few middlemen up for grabs with any real offensive ability.
After a short Trotz era mostly brought lateral trades, not making them much younger, the Preds would be wise to check in on Seattle’s Shane Wright or Anaheim’s Mason McTavish.
The challenge Nashville would face in discussion for Wright is Seattle’s shopping list. Having no interest in getting older, it would require pieces from the Predators’ several recent first round selections going out to the Kraken, at that point solving one problem only to create another.
That’s why McTavish stands out; his $7MM cap hit through 2030-31 is a stumbling block for most trade partners. Anaheim has shown willingness to bring in overpaid veterans in the past, and if Nashville could sell Marchessault on becoming the next, suddenly there’s a foundation. Salary retention aside, Frank Vatrano’s $4.57MM could come into play, and righty Nicklaus Perbix may be attractive to the Ducks. It’s a complicated deal to imagine, yet McTavish is the one diamond in the rough center the Preds could obtain without wrecking their prospect pool. It could also present an opportunity to shed Marchessault at the same time, sending the respected veteran to a favorable situation.
Consider Making A Blockbuster Trade
No stranger to making the headlines with bold trades toward the end of Poile’s tenure, Trotz was less aggressive in that area. Now with a barren free agent market, it’s the perfect time for the Predators to cash in on at least one of their veterans, even if avoiding a full scale raze of the roster.
Especially if able to land a young center meeting the criteria above, and committing to an aggressive shake up, it would be a perfect time to find O’Reilly’s new home. Coming off his highest scoring campaign since his All Star days as a Blue, the center makes just $4.5MM for the next two seasons. Even assuming Nashville holds off on shipping O’Reilly to a divisional rival in Minnesota, it figures that Detroit, Carolina, or New Jersey would be aggressive in pursuit, and there’s no telling who else could make a call. The only road block; the Predators are treating the Stanley Cup Champion as if he has full trade protection, so it would have to be a destination favorable to the Ontario native.
The options don’t end there for the Predators, either. Stamkos’ 42 goals were a highlight of a relatively dull season in Nashville, showcasing what they are paying him $8MM until 2028 for. Now midway through the contract, he flipped the script from a brutal situation to one which the Preds could feasibly get out of. Even if the 36-year-old would play out the contract gold, it’s most likely that 2025-26 was his best season. Assuming it’s downhill from here, now’s the time to weigh options, although much like O’Reilly, Stamkos holds the cards in his future.
Even outside of O’Reilly and Stamkos, who most likely will make another stop before the end of their remarkable careers, there are more bold options. Forsberg, Josi, and Juuse Saros, pillars of the franchise, are serious long shots, holding control as well. Yet with aggressive teams turning to the trade market this summer, and a new general manager at the helm, it’s time to give it thought.
Sign a Bottom Six Center
Even with the playoffs in reach, the Predators opted to cash in on upcoming free agents Michael McCarron and Cole Smith at the trade deadline, bringing in a second and a third round pick. Depleting their fourth line, from there they came away with an 11-8-2 record, left watching the beloved teammates move on to the playoffs without them.
Needing another penalty killing faceoff specialist, enter Utah’s Kevin Stenlund, 29-years-old, projected to fetch just $1.45MM according to AFP Analytics. The 6’3” righty won 54% of his draws this year, and could easily get back to double digit tallies as a Predator. Another option, Vancouver’s Teddy Blueger is slightly less dependable on the dot but makes up for it with his transition abilities, enough to offer third line contribution, and would come in under $3MM.
With their issues revolving around the center ice position, the Predators should have no issue forking over the going rate to replace McCarron. Even if the team goes nowhere in the next few years, they’re vital pieces of the penalty kill who can be flipped for assets later on. Absolutely looking to avoid another July 1 of big spending, if there’s one hole to fill on that day, it’s a fourth line center.
Image Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Devils Announce Coaching Changes, Sheldon Keefe To Stay
The New Jersey Devils announced today that Goaltending Coach Dave Rogalski has been relieved of his duties, and Assistant Coach Sergei Brylin will assume a new role within the organization.
With Sunny Mehta getting to work on transforming the team, along with his new assistant Braden Birch who was hired earlier this month, it’s the first step in what will be more changes after a disappointing campaign.
Rogalski, 45, got started at St. Cloud State in 2010, eventually mentoring current Capitals netminder Charlie Lindgren. Jumping to the NHL in 2018 with the Blues as a development coach, his organization took home the Stanley Cup the next year. Moving along to goaltending coach with the Devils for the 2020-21 season, he held the role ever since. Somewhat synonymous with the team as a whole, New Jersey has declined in that department, most visibly with Jacob Markström‘s 3.07 goals-against-average and his .883 save percentage, both his worst marks in a decade. Jake Allen, with ties to Rogalski since St. Louis, performed better but also experienced slight statistical declines year-over-year.
On the other hand, Brylin is much deeper connected within the team, playing 765 games as a Devil from 1994-2008. The Russian center helped New Jersey take home three Stanley Cups as a relentless two-way player who epitomized the Devils in that era. Upon retiring from the KHL, he promptly returned to the franchise, starting out with the AHL’s Albany Devils in 2012 and being promoted to assistant coach for the big club a decade later as part of Lindy Ruff‘s staff. Surviving the split and transition to Sheldon Keefe‘s tenure, Brylin was more involved with player development, not directly heading either of their special teams units.
A legend of the team, Mehta is showing loyalty and acknowledgement of his presence in the organization, keeping Brylin around in a new role which is not known at this point. James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now confirmed that the former player won’t retain any sort of coaching capacity.
With the departures aside, today’s news confirms that Keefe will stick around with two years remaining on his contract. Eager to assemble his own staff, it’s unfair to judge the 45-year-old for his shortcomings after a season so lost to injury, however, it’ll be interesting to see what sort of leash he has if things don’t turn around quickly next fall.
Latest On Golden Knights, Bruce Cassidy
May 19th: The NHL Coaches’ Association (NHLCA) is posturing to involve itself in the repeated instances of the Golden Knights blocking Cassidy from interviewing with the Kings and Oilers. According to a public announcement, the NHLCA said:
“The NHLCA has been closely monitoring the situation involving Bruce Cassidy. While we respect the League’s rules and processes, it is our position that coaches who remain under contract, but are no longer working for their Club, should not be prevented from pursuing other employment opportunities. It would be unprecedented at the head coaching level should multiple teams be denied permission to speak with Coach Cassidy. The situation is still unfolding, but our priority is to protect the interests of our members in this type of circumstance.“
Although their frustration is understandable, it’s unclear what the NHLCA would do to assist Cassidy. As was previously noted, coaches are often “relieved of duties” rather than “fired”, making them still subject to the obligations outlined in their contract.
May 18th: Despite firing him with eight games remaining in the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights are playing hardball with Bruce Cassidy‘s future. Earlier today, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Golden Knights haven’t given any team permission to interview Cassidy for head coaching vacancies.
Additionally, Andy Strickland of FanDuel Sports Network went a step further, indicating that the Golden Knights blocked the Los Angeles Kings from interviewing the former Jack Adams Award winner. However, that hasn’t been confirmed elsewhere. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising if they did, if they haven’t already, given that Vegas blocked the Edmonton Oilers from interviewing their former head coach just a few days ago.
Unless another head coach is fired in the next few weeks, that leaves the Toronto Maple Leafs as the only option left for Cassidy. However, on Friday’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said, “I do think they’ll reach out to talk to Cassidy, but I’d say it’s extremely unlikely he’s gonna end up being the guy in Toronto, and I do think they are prepared to go fresh. Someone new, someone different.”
As unfair as it seems to Cassidy, those are the rules of the coach’s contractual obligations. Although it’s essentially a firing, coaches are often “relieved of duties”, rather than outright fired. This means they are still bound by the contract they signed and continue to receive payment from the team that released them. So, until Cassidy’s contract with the Golden Knights formally ends, any team wishing to interview him will have to put in a formal request.
There remains plenty of speculation regarding the Kings and Maple Leafs, but it does seem the Oilers have moved on from their pursuit of Cassidy. Earlier today, it was confirmed that Edmonton received permission from Toronto to interview Craig Berube, and he appears to be the early favorite for the role.
Ultimately, if Vegas is going to continue to block their intradivisional rivals from hiring Cassidy, he’ll have to wait for another shoe to drop for his next landing spot. Although it’s hardly appropriate to speculate on someone losing their job, Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators and Sheldon Keefe of the New Jersey Devils may be looking for new roles this summer, given that each team will be under new management in the front office.
Sabres Likely To Explore Moving Devon Levi
For the last little while, there has been growing speculation that the Buffalo Sabres will move on from netminder Devon Levi relatively soon. Those rumors aren’t going away anytime soon. Speaking on Coming In Hot, Jeff Marek of the Daily Faceoff shared that the relationship between the Sabres and Levi is “over”.
Specifically, Marek mentioned that the Ottawa Senators had recently reached out to the Sabres regarding Levi in the hopes that he could play in the backup role behind Linus Ullmark. Marek opined that the Senators could reach out to Buffalo again this summer about the netminder’s availability.
While it’s rare for intradivisional rivals to engage in trading, the Senators and Sabres collaborated on a deal that sent Joshua Norris to Buffalo and Dylan Cozens to Ottawa last year. However, that trade was made when Kevyn Adams was the General Manager of the Sabres, and it’s unknown if Jarmo Kekäläinen will have the same appetite to make intradivisional swaps.
Regardless, it would make sense for Buffalo to make Levi available in trade talks this summer. The Sabres already have the tandem of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon signed through next season, and will presumably retain Colten Ellis as the third-string option unless they decide to expose him to the waiver wire in September.
For the past two years, Levi has almost exclusively played for the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Overall, he has maintained solid production, but can be relatively streaky at times. Throughout the past three years, he has managed a 64-39-22 record in 120 AHL contests with a .914 SV% and 2.52 GAA, including 10 shutouts. Additionally, he has a 17-17-2 record in 39 NHL games with a .894 SV% and 3.29 GAA.
In the podcast, Marek suggested that the relationship between Buffalo and Levi has declined, given the initial excitement the team expressed when signing him and the lack of extended NHL opportunities since then. Since he’s signed through next season at an $813K salary, Levi doesn’t have much say in the matter, but would likely welcome any change of scenery that comes with more NHL playing time.
Obviously, the Edmonton Oilers immediately come to mind as a team that should inquire about Levi should the Sabres make him available. Although the Oilers are desperate, it’s unlikely that Buffalo will force them to part with significant capital, given that not many teams are looking for goaltending improvements this summer. Yes, the Oilers desperately need goaltending help, but the Sabres don’t have much flexibility to start a bidding war with other teams.
Vancouver Canucks Fire Adam Foote
The changes coming to the Vancouver Canucks won’t end at the front office. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Canucks are parting ways with head coach Adam Foote and are expected to make additional changes to the coaching staff.
Shortly after Dreger’s report, the Canucks confirmed Foote’s dismissal in a team announcement. Additionally, the team has let go of assistant coaches Scott Young, Kevin Dean, and Brett McLean, starting fresh for the 2026-27 campaign.
It’s not a huge surprise to see Foote let go, even after one season. Foote was hired by Vancouver as an assistant coach partway through the 2022-23 season as a part of Rick Tocchet‘s staff. He remained in that role for three seasons and was promoted to the head coaching role when Tocchet departed for the Philadelphia Flyers last summer.
Factoring in the subpar roster and the fact that the Canucks made major changes to the front office, Foote wasn’t given a chance to succeed in Vancouver. As anticipated, the team had a disappointing season in 2025-26, finishing with a record of 25-49-8, which was the worst in the regular season.
Furthermore, there was no area in which the Canucks played particularly well. Vancouver finished 31st in goals for, 32nd in goals against, 32nd in penalty kill percentage, 29th in shooting percentage, 32nd in save percentage, 29th in CorsiFor, 30th in High-Danger Scoring Chances, and 31st in High-Danger Scoring Changes Against. The only category where the team excelled was power play percentage, finishing in 14th place.
Unlike most head coaches, it’s unlikely that Foote will find another head coaching position this summer. While he may ultimately secure a coaching position, his track record does not compare to that of Craig Berube, Bruce Cassidy, or Kris Knoblauch, who are all coaches seeking new opportunities.
On the flip side, all three of those coaches will immediately become candidates for the Canucks. Cassidy is unlikely to take the job, simply because the Vegas Golden Knights have already blocked other intradivisional rivals, namely the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, from interviewing their former coach. However, the Golden Knights may believe that the Canucks are so far out of contention that Cassidy’s landing in Vancouver wouldn’t come back to bite them anytime soon.
Still, it’s difficult to say what direction the Canucks will go. There are expected to be significant changes to the roster this offseason, so the team may opt for a younger coach to grow alongside the team.
In that same vein, Vancouver could look to an internal candidate. Former bottom-six center Manny Malhotra has been the head coach of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks for the last two years, and presumably worked closely with General Manager Ryan Johnson when he was serving as the General Manager in Abbotsford.
Lightning Sign Nick Abruzzese To One-Year, Two-Way Deal
The Tampa Bay Lightning have added some proven scoring depth to the organization, announcing the signing of forward Nick Abruzzese to a one-year, two-way contract. General Manager Julien BriseBois continues to bolster his depth pieces ahead of the summer, bringing back a familiar face who provided significant offensive punch at the minor-league level last year.
Abruzzese, 27, is coming off a highly productive campaign with the Lightning’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. In 56 regular-season games with the Crunch, the 5-foot-10, 178-pound forward racked up 15 goals and 51 points. His performance placed him fifth on the team in both goals and total points, while his 36 assists ranked third on the roster. Abruzzese maintained that scoring touch into the postseason, registering a goal and four points in four Calder Cup Playoff appearances.
Originally selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth round (124th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, the Slate Hill, New York native has carved out a stellar AHL career. Across 267 career minor-league contests split between Syracuse and the Toronto Marlies, Abruzzese has totaled 62 goals and 194 points. He also brings 11 games of NHL experience to the table—all with Toronto—where he recorded one goal and two assists, alongside an international stint representing Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
For a Lightning team that is frequently navigating tight salary cap constraints, Abruzzese provides a bit of a depth, insurance policy. The veteran forward gives Syracuse a top-six offensive weapon while offering Tampa Bay a reliable, skilled call-up option who can step into the NHL lineup at a moment’s notice.
Kraken Sign Defenseman Alexis Bernier To Entry-Level Contract
The Seattle Kraken have locked up one of their promising young blue-line prospects, signing defenseman Alexis Bernier to a three-year, entry-level contract. According to the team, the deal will carry an average annual value of $1,033,333 at the NHL level and will officially kick off next season.
Bernier, 19, was selected by Seattle in the third round (73rd overall) of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-1, 196-pound right-shot defenseman is fresh off a championship run in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), where he helped the Chicoutimi Saguenéens capture the Gilles-Courteau Trophy. Despite a torn ACL limiting him to just 21 regular-season games this year following a trade from Baie-Comeau, Bernier bounced back strong for the postseason, skating in 20 playoff games and adding four goals and seven points to anchor Chicoutimi’s defense.
Prior to his injury-shortened campaign, the St-Hyacinthe, Quebec native enjoyed a breakout 2024-25 season with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. He racked up 14 goals and 46 points in 59 games, leading all Drakkar defensemen in scoring and earning a spot on the QMJHL First All-Star Team. Known for his high-end poise, physical edge, and sharp breakout passing, Bernier projects as a versatile, puck-moving shutdown defenseman at the professional level.
With the June 1 signing deadline looming for 2024 draft picks, General Manager Jason Botterill wasted no time securing Bernier’s rights before he could potentially re-enter the draft. Bernier and the Saguenéens will now turn their focus to the upcoming Memorial Cup tournament before he officially makes the jump to the professional ranks in the fall.
Golden Knights Forfeit Draft Pick, John Tortorella Fined
May 19th: The Vegas Golden Knights met with NHL league officials at 10:00 AM today to appeal the severe discipline handed down following their Game 6 media blackout against the Anaheim Ducks. Ultimately, the face-to-face meeting did not result in a reprieve for the club, as the original penalties will remain strictly as assessed.
Consequently, head coach John Tortorella is still on the hook for a $100K fine, and the Golden Knights will officially forfeit their second-round draft pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The league’s firm stance stems from what it characterized as “flagrant violations” of playoff media regulations, compounded by multiple previous warnings issued to the organization regarding compliance.
While the door appears completely closed on the draft penalty being revoked or reinstated, there is a small glimmer of hope for the franchise down the line. Reports indicate that if Vegas remains fully compliant with all league rules and media policies moving forward, there could be an opportunity for the NHL to address or revisit aspects of the situation in the future. For now, however, the reigning Western Conference finalists must absorb the heavy loss of draft capital and a hefty financial hit as they prepare for their third-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.
May 15th: The National Hockey League didn’t let the Vegas Golden Knights celebrate their Western Conference Final berth for too long. According to an announcement from the league office, the Vegas Golden Knights will forfeit their 2026 second-round pick, and head coach John Tortorella will be fined $100K for “flagrant violations” of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Regulations.
Although the punishment was unknown, this was an expected outcome for many. In the announcement, the league shared, “The imposition of these penalties comes after previous warnings were issued to the Club regarding their compliance with the Media Regulations and other associated policies.” After last night’s series-clinching win, Vegas closed the locker room doors to the media, and Tortorella refused to meet with them.
According to the league, the Golden Knights will have the ability to appeal the punishment, though they likely won’t have much leverage, given that they’ve been warned multiple times. Still, instead of arguing for a complete erasure of the punishment, Vegas may argue themselves into a slap on the wrist with an understanding that a harsher punishment will be had if something like this happens again.
Regardless, the loss of a second-round pick puts Vegas in a deep hole. Although they normally trade away their draft capital or trade away the prospects, they now lose one for nothing. After today’s news, the Golden Knights don’t have another second-round pick at their disposal until the 2030 NHL Draft.
The Golden Knights offered a press release of their own, saying, “The Golden Knights are aware of today’s announcement from the NHL regarding the postgame media availability following Game 6 in Anaheim. The organization will have no further comment.“