Daxon Rudolph Commits To Denver for 2026-27 Season
According to his Instagram, top NHL Draft prospect Daxon Rudolph announced his commitment to the University of Denver for the 2026-27 season, first reported by Brad Elliott Schlossman of Grand Forks Herald.
Rudolph has a consolidated ranking of ninth among the major outlets that cover prospects eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft and is seventh on the Elite Prospects 2026 NHL Draft Guide. In his second season with Prince Albert, he scored 28 goals, tying Josh Morrissey for the club’s record in scoring by a defenseman, for 78 points in 68 WHL games. The 18-year-old added 27 points in 19 playoff games for the Raiders, losing in the Western league final to the Everett Silvertips. As an assistant captain for Canada’s U18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he scored four points in five games and notched two assists in three games for the CHL team at this past Prospects Challenge.
That capped off a career with 119 points and a +45 rating in his two seasons there. Formerly the first overall pick in the 2023 WHL Draft, the Lacombe, Alberta native has demonstrated an ability to score, even registering 15 multi-point games within a 20-game stretch.
Rudolph is described by draft outlets as an offensive defenseman. The 6-foot-2.5 right-shot profiles as a player whose tools can produce high-end goals and effective playmaking. Combine that with his poise, and he’s able to make plays calmly to help him in his transition game and complement the steady offensive reads he visualizes. Defensively, he utilizes his stick as the primary approach. He’s said to have precision in the on-puck game due to his hand speed and quick reaction. What Rudolph needs to work on is his physicality, as he transitions into the NCAA, a big question mark will be how he acclimates to a much more steady gamestyle with bigger competition.
According to Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects, Rudolph had narrowed down his choice of NCAA schools to three top-tier programs. Aside from Denver, which emerges triumphant in the race for Rudolph, Michigan State and Boston College were also in the running as his preferred destinations. A visit to Denver was in the young defenseman’s travel plans in late May, per Robinson.
Set to join the defending national champions in Denver, Rudolph will round out an elite right side that already has fellow top 2026 prospect Ryan Lin, who recently announced his commitment to the Pioneers, and Blake Fiddler (2025-SEA-2nd), both of whom also stem from the WHL. Add on Calgary natives Ben Macbeath and sophomore Eric Jamieson, and that totals five blueliners with WHL roots for the Pioneers. Rudolph certainly adds intrigue to this blueline, but he will have some competition for top-pair minutes among his teammates.
David Carle’s program has dominated during the young coach’s tenure. Since 2019, Carle has taken Denver to five Frozen Fours in nine seasons, winning three national championships in the last five years, all with 29+ wins. Peter Baugh of The Athletic spoke to Rudolph at the NHL Scouting Combine, where he said, “It’s so appealing the amount of success they’ve had in that program, especially with him. Looking forward to playing for a guy like that.”
Carle has seen a few defenders in recent memory carry on their talents to the NHL past the NCAA, like former Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher, Scott Mayfield of the Islanders, and most notably, Zeev Buium.
Penguins Goalie Update, Future With Skinner, Silovs, Murashov
The Penguins do not have a goalie for the 2026-27 season…yet.
They do, actually, but regarding the two NHL goaltenders that finished this past NHL season for them, both aren’t under contract, and that could be the case moving forward. According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, Pittsburgh is weighing a few of its options in the crease at PPG Paints Arena for next year. Stuart Skinner appears to be on his way to free agency when July 1 comes around, but that isn’t the Penguins’ only path, per Yohe.
The 27-year-old Skinner is an unrestricted free agent, coming off a 27-game stint in Pittsburgh, having posted a 2.99 goals against average and an .885 save percentage in black and gold. Among goaltenders with three playoff games, he finished 15th out of 18 goalies in goals against average (3.08) and second-last in save percentage (.873).
His Penguins stretch came in the latter half of his 2025-26 season. Prior to the Oilers trading him with Brett Kulak in December of 2025 for Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin, he had a 2.83 GAA and an .891 SV% in Edmonton. He also amassed 8.3 goals saved above expected, which was nearly ten stops higher than his -1.5 GSAx tally in 51 games with the Oilers last season.
Pittsburgh leadership loved Skinner as a locker room presence and considered him good enough for his performance; however, one should consider the future in two ways. Yes, Skinner brought major playoff experience to a team that is trying to maximize its elder core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson, but it’s doubtful he’ll settle for his previous cap hit of $2.6MM from his four-year contract with Edmonton signed back in 2022 on the open market.
The other goalie to consider is pending restricted free agent Arturs Silovs. The 25-year-old Latvian is coming off a two-year deal at $1.7MM ($850K AAV) and saw 39 games in 2025-26. He averaged a 3.07 goals against and an .888 save percentage, adding on a -11.9 goals saved above expected (89th in 2025-26), which is not the most attractive stat line. However, Silovs rebounded in the playoffs with a 1.52 GAA (2nd in postseason) and a .939 SV%, salvaging two wins for the Penguins before the Flyers’ lone goal in Game 6 ended the season for Pittsburgh.
One certainty seems to ring true with the Penguins: Sergei Murashov is ready for the NHL next season. The 22-year old spent the majority of his year with the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton club, but also saw five NHL games with Pittsburgh. He ended the regular season with a 24-9-4 record, a 2.20 goals against average, and a .919 save percentage (both 3rd in AHL). The AHL Penguins are currently in the midst of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Toronto Marlies, and Murashov has averaged below two goals against a game and, through 12 contests, has posted a .936 SV%.
Murashov is set to end 2026-27 as a restricted free agent, which will be after the third season of his entry-level contract signed back in 2024. The Yaroslavl, Russia native has been under the Penguins organization since they drafted him in the 2022 fourth round at 118th overall. The Penguins have liked his development since he crossed the pond, and according to Yohe, he is on pace to be in between the pipes next season.
So, do you trade Silovs’ rights while the value is high and the NHL is in a window where goaltending is a need for teams? Do you let Skinner go to free agency and re-sign Silovs for less money? Do you keep Skinner, raising the annual number on his paycheck with a lengthy extension to tandem with the young rookie? Kyle Dubas has a load of cap space, around $37.8MM to work with, and a goalie room that shows promise, but how will he play it as the summer progresses?
Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Draft Prospect Ryder Cali Commits To Providence For 2026-27
According to a team announcement, Ryder Cali has officially committed to Providence College for the 2026-27 season, as first reported by Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal.
Cali is a top prospect eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft. The 17-year-old finished his 2025-26 season with 16 goals for 36 points, sixth on his team, the North Bay Battalion, in 47 OHL games. He finished 25th in the OHL among players aged 17 and under in league scoring. Among those players with 30 or more games, he was tied for 12th in points-per-game played. He added an assist at the IIHF U18 World Junior Championships with a +5 rating in five games played for Canada.
The Penetanguishene, Ontario native tallied 11 multi-point games, three of which were multi-goal games this season, and was an OHL Rookie of the Week. He represented North Bay at the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game in January of 2026, where he scored a goal. He was formerly committed to Harvard University.
The 6-foot-2 forward is ranked 37th overall on the Elite Prospects NHL Draft Guide 2026. He is considered ‘a man amongst boys’ according to scouts, and his game is described in a way that feels ready to develop further at the next level in NCAA and Hockey East play at Providence.
The Friars are adding a forward who wins puck battles, creates space to protect the puck with his body, and is known to provide structured defensive prowess. All these traits give Cali a solid foundation in scouts perpective of the young, 218-pound Canadian forward. He’s considered to have offensive upside with flashes of playmaking skills in not just his ability to find teammates in transition, but also eying scoring chances with passes to the slot.
Cali is joining a Providence squad that finished first in Hockey East last season, winning the regular season conference championship, and has made the NCAA tournament in each of the last two seasons. Head coach Nate Leaman is set to bring in Cali as his eighth roster player from the Canadian Hockey League and fourth on the 2026-27 projected roster from the OHL, joining Beau Jelsma, Ritter Coombs, and Donovan McCoy, according to College Hockey News’ roster webpage. Leaman has taken the program to the NCAA playoffs in eight of his campaigns since 2011-12 and won a National Championship in 2015.
More to come
Predators Hire Chris MacFarland As President Of Hockey Ops
According to a team announcement, the Nashville Predators have hired Chris MacFarland to be the organization’s new President of Hockey Operations & General Manager.
The Predators had been permitted to speak to MacFarland regarding a front office role, as initially reported by Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and Elliotte Friedman. Friedman also added that Predators owner Bill Haslam met face-to-face with MacFarland last night. The question had come down to what role and title MacFarland would be offered with Nashville, but it seems they’re going to ‘hand the keys‘ to him, and they closed this quickly.
MacFarland is one of three finalists voted in contention for this season’s Jim Gregory award, which is given to the league’s best general manager. He has been with the Avalanche since the 2015-16 season, being promoted to general manager in Colorado after Joe Sakic was elevated to president of hockey operations shortly after the team’s 2022 Stanley Cup victory. That move came from the Avalanche’s yearning to keep MacFarland from interviewing for the Anaheim Ducks open position, later filled by Pat Verbeek. The 56-year-old had previously been with the Columbus Blue Jackets as a director of hockey operations and assistant general manager from 2000 up until the 2014-15 season. He spent the final two years in Columbus as the GM of the Springfield Falcons, the AHL affiliate at the time.
Sakic, according to Elliotte Friedman, will return to the GM role along with his current position as Avalanche President of Hockey Operations.
In a previous 32 Thoughts podcast, it was said that the Predators were being patient in their search and were waiting to ask to converse with a top-tier candidate. The target that Friedman said was logical for Nashville, based on the length of their search, was MacFarland. Before this development, Friedman had spoken on Nashville’s radio show DMase, Vingan & Daunic on 102.5 The Game, saying that the Predators are standing pat for someone who they’re waiting to speak with, whether it be a member of a front office under contract or someone who is running a team that remains in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
This was a development when the Avalanche were down three games to none in the Western Conference Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights. Friedman said that MacFarland wouldn’t likely depart from Colorado unless it was a ‘huge step up’, and added that Nashville might not offer that. He believed that the Predators would ask permission to talk to MacFarland in the event they’re eliminated.
Now that Colorado is in offseason mode, the Predators are taking a swing at grabbing a big front office name that has helped one franchise in the West. Nashville could use that help to get back to its Cup-contending ways that they haven’t seen for nearly a decade. The Predators had been looking for their next leader in the front office after it was announced mid-season that Barry Trotz was stepping down. Before that, they had David Poile, who served as the team’s GM from 1997 to 2023.
The Predators ended up sixth in the Central Division, missing the playoffs by four points in the 2025-26 season. With MacFarland stepping in, he begins his tenure with 12 draft picks in the upcoming 2026 NHL draft, starting with 10th overall and around $27MM in cap space to work with this upcoming offseason. Free agents the Predators will need to assess include the likes of forwards Erik Haula, Tyson Jost, and defenseman Kevin Gravel, rounded out by restricted free agent Justin Barron.
Despite missing the postseason for the past two campaigns, whoever inherits this team has a mix of youth talent among veteran stars in Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, and Juuse Saros that can be supported in their quest back into the dance while still under contract. The salary cap rising to $104MM benefits everyone, but after the Predators inked Jonathan Marchessault, Steven Stamkos, and Brady Skjei to major contracts, they need to capitalize on the window they have with these notable names.
Zach Werenski Wins 2025-26 Norris Trophy
The NHL announced this morning that Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets has won the Norris Trophy, which is annually awarded to the defenseman who demonstrates the greatest all-around ability in his position.
Werenski finished the 2025-26 season scoring 22 goals for 81 points in 75 games this season. He received 113 first-place votes and 48 second-place votes with 16 third-place votes in the PWHA poll for a total of 1,589 points, and was a top-five pick on 194 of 198 ballots. A total of 14 defensemen received votes, with only Colorado’s Cale Makar eclipsing the 1,000-vote mark, second to Werenski and Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin, rounding out the top three with 13 first-place votes and 657 points.
The 28-year-old led the Blue Jackets in assists, points, points-per-game, and finished third in goals. He became the 10th defenseman in NHL history to lead his team in scoring in consecutive campaigns, scoring 82 points in 2024-25. Those back-to-back seasons helped him become the fifth U.S.-born defenseman in NHL history to record multiple 80-point campaigns and is the third to accomplish the feat in consecutive seasons, joining Phil Housley (1991-92 to 1992-93 in Winnipeg) and Brian Leetch (1990-91 to 1991-92 with the New York Rangers). In winning this season, he joins Rod Langway (2x), Chris Chelios (3x), Leetch (2x), Adam Fox, and Quinn Hughes as the sixth American player to win the Norris Trophy.
According to the Blue Jackets press release, Werenski is the seventh player in franchise history to win a major NHL award: joining Rick Nash – Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (NHL goals leader), 2003-04; Nash – NHL Foundation Player Award (Community Service), 2008-09; Steve Mason – Calder Memorial Trophy (Best Rookie), 2008-09; Sergei Bobrovsky – Vezina Trophy (Best Goalie), 2012-13 and 2016-17; Nick Foligno – King Clancy Award (Leadership & Community Service), 2016-17; Foligno – Mark Messier Leadership Award, 2016-17; John Tortorella – Jack Adams Trophy (Best Coach), 2016-17; Sean Monahan – Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Perseverance, Sportsmanship, Dedication to Hockey), 2024-25.
The Grosse Pointe, Michigan native is set to enter the fifth season of a six-year contract that he signed back in July of 2021 with a total value of $57.5MM (9.583MM AAV). He’s spent his entire career in Columbus, signing a three-year $15MM ($5MM) deal in 2019 and his entry-level contract, which paid him $925K annually from 2016 to 2019. After being taken eighth overall in 2015 by Columbus, Werenski spent his post-draft season with the University of Michigan, scoring 36 points in 36 games.
Photo Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.
Why The Flames Should Root For A Golden Knights Stanley Cup Win
It may sting for Calgary Flames fans if you’re watching the Golden Knights succeed right now.
The young franchise that has taken the NHL by storm is en route to its third Stanley Cup final in its ninth season ever. Through its aggressive approach to making many ‘win-now’ moves to benefit this team’s contention window, it has been able to acquire many of the NHL’s top talents from other squads, and most have paid off in their time wearing gold and grey. A few of those acquisitions came from the blue line of the Canadian team north of Sin City.
The Flames are well set up in their current rebuild; they, in part, have Vegas to thank for that. Calgary currently has six total draft picks in the top-64 of the 2026 NHL draft. One of those 2026 selections in the top 32 came from dealing away Noah Hanifin to the Golden Knights for a 2025 first-round pick. That eventually resolved to Calgary’s second first-round selection coming up in this year’s draft because of a condition, as Vegas traded its 2025 first to San Jose in a package for Tomas Hertl. In 2025, the first was used by Nashville to select Ryker Lee via the Yaroslav Askarov trade.
So the conditions involved in Hanifin’s deal are resolved, and the Flames have a late first-round pick to utilize later in June. Along with that, a future selection in a later NHL Draft might go in favor of the Flames, depending on the outcome of this year’s Stanley Cup Final.
Back in the middle of January, the Flames traded defenseman Rasmus Andersson to the Golden Knights, retaining $2.275MM of his AAV for a package deal that highlighted a return of defensemen Zach Whitecloud, Abram Wiebe, and two draft selections added to the team’s cupboard. Both picks have conditions that could help the future of the Calgary Flames, but they’d have to witness their former players emerge victorious for a championship.
Both draft picks Vegas sent as of today reside as a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick, per Puckpedia. For the 2027 pick, it isn’t exactly locked in for Calgary yet. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon placed a top-10 protection on the 2027 selection. Although this outcome is unlikely, this means that if the Golden Knights end up finishing next season in the top-10 of the NHL Draft after the lottery, Calgary will instead receive a 2028 first-round pick. If Vegas ends up winning the Stanley Cup in 2026 and then they finish as one of the worst teams in 2027, Calgary would then receive a 2029 first from the Golden Knights.
The 2028 second also has a condition on it, but banks on the Golden Knights winning this year. If Vegas wins the 2026 Stanley Cup, the 2028 second-round pick will upgrade to a first-round pick for the Flames in that respective draft.
So if the Golden Knights are Stanley Cup Champions in 2026, all signs will point to the Flames receiving upgrades on their future capital. Barring a Vegas collapse in 2027, they’d own a Golden Knights first-round pick in each of the next three first rounds of the 2026, 2027, and 2028 NHL drafts, along with each of their own.
The Flames are set to begin their offseason with a selection at sixth overall in the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, followed by a 30th or 31st overall selection, depending on the result of the Cup Final. Calgary finished this past season seventh in the Pacific Division with a record of 34-39-9, reaching just 77 points.
They have not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 2021-22 season, but with these draft developments, it can add to a youthful prospect pool that can help them get back there in time. Most notably, their prospect pool will see two major additions alongside 20-year-old defenseman Zayne Parekh, 19-year-old NCAA centers in Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter, 20-year-old winger Matvei Gridin, and the 2025-26 NCAA scoring leader, Quinnipiac’s Ethan Wyttenbach.
Photo Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Daxon Rudolph Close To NCAA Commitment
According to Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects, a top prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft, Daxon Rudolph, might have narrowed down his choice of NCAA schools to three top-tier programs.
Rudolph reportedly is between Denver, Michigan State, and Boston College as his preferred destinations, with a visit to Denver expected to come later this week, per Robinson. A right-handed defenseman, he has a consolidated ranking of ninth among the major outlets that cover prospects eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.
In his second season with Prince Albert, he scored 28 goals, tying Josh Morrissey for the club’s record in scoring by a defenseman, for 78 points in 68 WHL games. The 18-year-old added 27 points in 19 playoff games for the Raiders, losing in the Western league final to the Everett Silvertips. That capped off a career with 119 points and a +45 rating in his two seasons there.
The Lacombe, Alberta native notably competed in two separate tournaments before the WHL playoffs. As an assistant captain for Canada’s U18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he scored four points in five games and notched two assists in three games for the CHL team at this past Prospects Challenge.
The 6-foot-2 defenseman is known as a prospect who can string together offense. His passing and puckhandling are key attributes when he makes flashy plays, but also help him in his transition game and complement the steady offensive reads he visualizes. Defensively, his stick is active and precise in its ability to clog passing lanes and disrupt the flow of a puck carrier, which rounds him out with what many scouts project as a solid-floor for a blue-liner.
Any three of these schools would be a mutually beneficial partnership between program and player. Among his potential NHL draftees, Rudolph could join a few notable names, depending on the school he decides to attend.
Starting with the defending national champions in Denver, Rudolph could join an elite right side that already has fellow top prospect Ryan Lin, who recently announced his commitment to the Pioneers, and Blake Fiddler (2025-SEA-2nd). David Carle’s program has not only dominated in his tenure but has seen a few defenders in recent memory carry on their talents to the NHL past the NCAA, like former Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher, Scott Mayfield of the Islanders, and most notably, Zeev Buium.
Michigan State would also see Rudolph connect with a 2026 eligible right-shot defenseman. Chase Reid, a projected lottery selection, is likely to lead the charge in terms of blue line minutes after a great season with the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL, which has him slotted to be off the board early. Along with Reid, Tommy Bleyl is sure to add some competitiveness for ice time as another top prospect out of the QMJHL. So on the Spartans’ right side, Rudolph would join a hefty group with a potential commitment to East Lansing. Adam Nightingale already has a shiny resume, a great class of recruits, and is backed by a history of Spartans who’ve fared well in the NHL; Duncan Keith, Torey Krug, and Jeff Petry are a few to name, with former second overall pick Artyom Levshunov as a recent graduate.
Boston College would be the most intriguing option if Rudolph were to make a decision best for his ice time. Going off of College Hockey News, sophomore Luka Radivojevic, who scored 16 points in 34 games of his freshman season, is the Eagles’ best righty as of their roster projection. Nolan Joyce rounds out that side entering his senior season, but it would be a huge boost for Greg Brown‘s program if he were able to bring Daxon Rudolph to ‘The Heights’. Outside of forward Oscar Hemming, the Eagles don’t have a major first-round pick from the 2026 draft to boast on their team next season. Rudolph could certainly be that player.
Draft Situations The Rangers Should Monitor Closely
The last time the New York Rangers made the playoffs, they had 55 regular-season wins and needed two more to advance to the Stanley Cup final.
Two years later, they have fallen far from that mountain top. Since recording a near .700 points percentage, the Blueshirts have finished fifth, followed by this seasons eigthth seed placement in the Metropolitan Division. But maybe a power swing at the plate can get them back on track towards that climb back up. According to The Athletic’s Vincent Z, Mercogliano, New York is monitoring quite a few situations that are slowly unfolding around the league, and pouncing on one of these situations could be a step towards that quick turnaround that Rangers GM Chris Drury wants to implement.
Although the Rangers are poking around, things don’t always go sideways. Look for Drury to reach out, but the focus on the turnaround should begin with the NHL draft. While yes, New York boasts around $50MM in cap space this summer, they have an opportunity to insert a breath of fresh air into a lineup that could use it. Provided are three ways they can take advantage of the upcoming draft.
Snagging Second from the Sharks?
The San Jose Sharks once again have a top-five draft pick in their arsenal to utilize in taking a major top prospect in their future. They’ve been selected in the top ten in four of the last five drafts. Sharks GM Mike Grier has another one in place at second overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. After moving up seven spots in the lottery, they have the luxury of selecting a top prospect in wingers Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, depending on the direction the Maple Leafs decide to go in at first overall.
San Jose would likely go for defensemen, and with this draft boasting an abundance of high-upside blue-liners, there are a few ways the Rangers could provide the Sharks with a need while also supplementing their own. One route could be through exchanging the second overall pick for New York’s first-round pick, which is just a few spots back at fifth overall, where it would be more comfortable to take a defenseman around where they should be on the board.
While the Sharks could utilize the pick to bolster their forward group in the likely event they keep the pick, that would force many of their notable, talented prospects like Filip Bystedt, Igor Chernyshov, and Quentin Musty down the pipeline. Maybe San Jose could deal a young prospect to the Big Apple that could add to New York’s youth.
Keep the pick, wait for a Defenseman?
The fifth overall pick grants New York a chance that a major top prospect can fall to them, depending on how the first four teams play out their picks.
Despite Caleb Malhotra‘s consolidated ranking of 12th by major draft outlets, he’s exploded recently in the OHL playoffs with 26 points in 15 games with Brantford. Considering the connection with Caleb’s father as the coach of the third overall selecting Vancouver AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, it seems like there’s a likely chance there for him to put on a Canucks jersey if the perceived hypothetical of McKenna and Stenberg go first and second.
If New York wanted to, they could go for an available defenseman of whoever falls in their lap. Based on the trend of Malhotra rising, one of Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, Daxon Rudolph, Carson Carels, or Alberts Smits will be on the board for the Rangers to add a youthful jolt to its blue line. If Carels and Smits are among those names, it would benefit New York to gain a lefty, barring any moves in the D-corps.
How to approach the late first round?
New York also has a buffer within the top-32 after its lottery selection at fifth. Remember the K’Andre Miller trade? The Rangers received a 2026 first-round pick from Carolina, and the conditions of the pick, which banked on either Dallas or the Hurricanes ending their season first, were resolved quickly, via the Dallas Stars first round exit to Minnesota.
In the late first, among the consolidated rankings, New York has some forwards that may be left over based on how the first round plays out. Around 26th overall, they could go for a Center, which hasn’t been a picked position for them in this range since 2017, when the team took Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson.
Names like Tynan Lawrence (7th) or Oliver Suvanto (17th) might be taken in the middle of the round, but look out for NCAA commits in Penn State’s Yegor Shilov (24th) and Michigan State’s Jack Hextall (31st), Niagara’s 6-foot-4 Ryan Roobroeck (26th), or even NTDP standout Wyatt Cullen (29th) to be available.
Leo Lööf Signing With Liiga Club Ilves
A St. Louis Blues prospect is taking his talents back to Scandinavia.
As first reported by Mike Meyer of STL Sports Central, defenseman Leo Loof is signing a two-year contract with Ilves in Finland for the 2026-27 season. According to the club’s press release, the 24-year-old defenseman will return to his former club, where he previously spent two seasons before his journey to North America.
Loof finished his 2025-26 season in the AHL, scoring six points in 47 regular-season games played with Springfield. He did not dress during their Calder Cup playoff run, which ended via an 8-1 Game 5 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The former third-round pick in 2020 spent three seasons under the St. Louis Blues organization on a three-year entry-level contract signed back in 2023 that paid him $2.6MM ($867,500 AAV). The 6-foot-1, 201-pound Swede did not see an NHL debut, playing all three of those ELC seasons with the Thunderbirds for a total of 168 AHL games.
Leading into the 2020 NHL Draft, Loof was profiled as a tough player in his own end, who was efficient in his poise and ability to make strong reads on a play and deliver heavy hits. His accolades before coming across the pond included Bronze Medals with Ilves and the Swedish World Juniors team. He also won a Hlinka Gretzky Cup Bronze in 2020 and was considered the J18 Best U18 Defenseman while scoring the most points (12) by a defenseman in the J18 Allsvenskan in 2018-19.
The former 88th overall pick was in a logjam in comparison to other left-handed defensemen in the Blues system. St. Louis already extended Philip Broberg through 2032 at $48MM ($8MM AAV), Cam Fowler through 2030 at $18.3MM ($6.1MM AAV), as well as Tyler Tucker, who has a year left at $925,000. Among his counterparts in the pool, ELCs were signed by Lukas Fischer, at age 19, in late March, and Colin Ralph put ink to paper out of Michigan State in early April. Already in the AHL, Theo Lindstein and Michael Buchinger both played more games than Loof this past season.
New general manager Alexander Steen will inherit three selections in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, where some prominent defensemen could potentially be available for the taking, who would rank high among their prospect pool if selected. St. Louis could use those picks to take a defenseman at either the guaranteed 11th or 15th overall picks (Colorado’s standing to be determined). As the Blues look to build back into playoff contention out of their fifth-place finish in the Central Division, they currently carry $15.7MM in cap space.
Morning Notes: Malkin, Kane, Pronger
Some familiar names from the 2000’s have circulated recently in the hockey world.
The biggest is one who, as expected, doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. Evgeni Malkin is not likely to sign anywhere but Pittsburgh, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The long-time Russian star turns 40 a month after free agency opens on July 31, and his agent, J.P. Barry, has already been in discussions with the Pittsburgh Penguins about coming back on a one-year deal. The length appears to be consistent with both parties, but now it comes down to the question of how much money Malkin is to be paid.
Malkin is coming off the final season of a four-year contract worth $24.4MM ($6.1MM AAV). He finished his age-39 season with 19 goals for 61 points in a season where he played just 56 games, finishing fifth on Pittsburgh in scoring. That tally puts him at a cost of $100k per point, however, because of his contract being frontloaded, his $4.8MM in total salary from 2025-26 is likely where LeBrun believes the Penguins want to begin their number, while Malkin’s camp wants to start around his previous cap hit. It’s not out of the question that if Pittsburgh, who carries $42.5MM in cap space, wants to save as much as they can among their eight free agents and beyond, they can give Malkin performance bonuses to hinder the AAV on the contract.
Additional notes include:
- According to Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now, Patrick Kane‘s name has emerged as the potential lone unrestricted free agent that the Detroit Red Wings could be considered in re-signing in Hockeytown. The all-time American star finished with 57 points in 67 games in his third consecutive one-year contract with the Wings that paid him $3MM in his age 37 season. Kane’s cost per point carried a low $53K that Detroit would hope to continue benefiting from. If true, general manager Steve Yzerman will be parting ways with forwards David Perron and James van Riemsdyk, as well as defenseman Travis Hamonic and goaltender Cam Talbot. Simon Edvinsson is the lone defensive restricted free agent, and with $32.6MM in cap space to spare, a chunk of that will head towards the young Swede’s future paycheck.
- Allen’s tweet in particular referenced that van Riemsdyk’s spot, which fluctuated in many spots on the wing, would be filled by a younger player. Perhaps Carter Mazur (8 GP in 2025-26), Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (14 GP in 2025-26), and even Nate Danielson (28 GP in 2025-26) can compete for more ice time if this development comes to fruition.
- Chris Pronger interviewed for the Toronto Maple Leafs president of Hockey operations role, he confirmed as a guest on TSN 1050’s OverDrive show. The 51-year-old said that he had a good conversation about the team’s direction and his thoughts on their needs with MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelly. While he received positive feedback for his discussions, Toronto ultimately went for their options in John Chayka and Mats Sundin. Pronger previously denied rumors that he was interviewing for the Leafs GM role on another TSN show. The Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman, while working in media right now, isn’t opposed to a front office role but emphasized that it needs to be a situation that is right for him to take a new opportunity.