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Top Prospect Michael Misa Interviewing With Multiple Teams

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Top NHL draft prospect Michael Misa, considered one of the best forwards available, has met with or is scheduled to meet with four teams ahead of the draft, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. The four teams are the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, Utah Mammoth, and Nashville Predators, all of whom hold four of the top five picks in the draft, highlighting the strong interest in Misa at the top of the board.

Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 184 pounds, Misa, 18, is coming off a phenomenal season in the OHL, where he led the league with 134 points in 65 games for the Saginaw Spirit. He nearly doubled his output from a season ago, when he put up 75 points in 67 games for Saginaw. Misa, who is currently participating in the NHL Combine in Buffalo, appeared on NHL.com’s “NHL Draft Class” podcast today and said he feels he is ready to make the leap to the NHL.

“Ultimately, I think that’s up to the NHL team that drafts me. I think we’re going to figure out a plan for what best suits me. But I believe when I’m at my best, I put all the work in this summer, hopefully I will be ready to go next year in the NHL,” he said.

With that said, Misa also discussed the possibility of playing in the NCAA next season alongside his brother, Calgary Flames forward prospect Luke Misa, who recently committed to Penn State. He called getting a chance to play with his brother “a dream.” Whether Misa begins next season in the NHL, returns to major junior, or heads to the NCAA, there’s little doubt he’ll be a top-five pick in the upcoming draft. When asked on a podcast what he’d say to the Islanders to convince them to take him first overall, Misa highlighted his all-around game as one of his biggest strengths.

“I think there are a lot of things. I’m someone who hates losing. I’m a hard worker and I think my work ethic can be seen when I play. And I think I’m someone who is coachable. I like to work with the coaching staff and the team. And when I’m at my best, I think I can be a force to be reckoned with,” he said.

Pacific Notes: Brown, Dean, Suter

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While it originally appeared Connor Brown would return to the Oilers’ lineup for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, his availability is again in question. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters Tuesday that Brown is now a game-time decision for the contest due to an illness, reports Chris Johnston of The Athletic.

Brown missed the last two games of the Western Conference Final after being hit in the head by Stars defenseman Alexander Petrovic during Game 3 of the series. During the regular season, Brown posted 13 goals and 30 points while skating in all 82 games. He’s contributed a strong five goals and eight points over 14 playoff games.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Conference:

  • The Vancouver Canucks and new head coach Adam Foote continue to overhaul the coaching staff and are expected to hire Kevin Dean as an assistant coach, per Thomas Drance of The Athletic. Dean, a former assistant for the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins, is known for his ability to coach defense, something that Foote is clearly familiar with as well. With Vancouver having a host of young, talented defenders, it makes sense that they would go after Dean, who Drance notes was highly sought after this spring.
  • While defensively responsible forwards like Yanni Gourde and Noah Cates are landing lucrative deals around the league, there appears to be no progress between the Canucks and pending free agent Pius Suter on a new contract, Drance reports. Suter, who recorded a career high 25 goals and 46 points this season, is perhaps best known for his strong defensive play, highlighted by receiving Selke Trophy votes for the first time in his career. Coming off his first 20-goal season, Suter now brings the kind of versatility that could make him one of the more sought-after names on the open market. While Vancouver has a little more than $12 million in cap space (per PuckPedia), they will likely have to cut that figure in half if they hope to retain Suter.

Free Agent Focus: Dallas Stars

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Free agency is now under a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Stars.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Mavrik Bourque – The Stars don’t have many restricted free agents, but one forward they may want to retain long-term is Bourque. The 23-year-old Quebec native enjoyed a solid rookie showing in 2024-25, posting 11 goals and 24 points in a bottom-six role. However, while he suited up in 73 games during the regular season, he only saw action in three playoff contests, with no points to show for it. Still, the arrow seems to be pointing up for the team’s 2020 first-round selection. Bourque has excelled in the AHL, posting 47 goals and 129 points in 147 games for the Texas Stars, and has the potential to make an impact in the NHL. For a team with limited cap space, signing a young forward with high upside makes sense.

D Nils Lundkvist– For a team that has five defenders set to make more than $3MM next season, the Stars may not want to shell out much more cap space to blueliners. With that said, the team should have some interest in retaining Lundkvist, a former first-round selection of the New York Rangers. The 24-year-old skated in 39 games this past season, posting five assists, a plus-four rating, 34 blocked shots, and 23 hits. Although his offensive output declined from the 2023–24 season, in which he tallied 19 points and a plus-13 rating, Lundkvist saw an increase in average ice time, rising to 15:01 from 14:06 per game. With only six defensemen under contract for next season (excluding non-rostered players), re-signing Lundkvist could be a cost-effective option for the team’s third pairing.

Other RFAs: F Antonio Stranges, G Remi Poirier, G Benjamin Kraws

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Jamie Benn – The team’s most notable pending unrestricted free agent, at least from a nostalgic point of view, is longtime captain Jamie Benn. For the first time in his career, Benn is heading for the open market. Benn has played all 1,192 of his games in Dallas, and the soon-to-be 36-year-old ranks second only to franchise legend Mike Modano in several key categories, including games played, points, goals, and shots on goal. Benn also recently discussed his desire to re-sign with Dallas. This past season, Benn showed he can still be productive in a bottom-six role, finishing with a solid 16 goals and 49 points. And while the Stars may have a mutual desire to retain their captain, the issue now may be the team’s limited cap space. Should the team resign Benn or use this opportunity to get younger?

F Matt Duchene – Duchene showed last season that he can still perform at a high level, finishing with an impressive 30–52–82 stat line in 82 games. However, the well dried up for the 34-year-old in the playoffs, where he posted just one goal and six points in 18 games. That reality may leave a sour taste for GM Jim Nill and the front office as they consider whether to re-sign Duchene. Either way, Duchene’s strong regular season may generate enough interest on the open market to price him out of Dallas. He will certainly see a sizeable raise on his previous $3MM AAV deal.

F Evgenii Dadonov – Like Duchene, Dadonov is coming off a resurgent season that will likely lead to a pay raise in free agency. While he didn’t share the statistical success of Duchene, Dadonov posted 20 goals and 40 points on the year, his most points since the 2021-22 season. However, Dadonov also struggled in the playoffs, posting four points and a minus-three rating in 13 games. Still, 20-goal scorers don’t grow on trees and Dadonov is sure to draw interest from teams seeking depth scoring.

F Mikael Granlund – Perhaps no pending free agent’s market is harder to gauge than Granlund’s, who has been a wildly inconsistent contributor throughout his career. Still, he appeared to find instant success after being traded to Dallas last season, posting 21 points in 31 games. He finished the year with 66 points between San Jose and Dallas, his most since the 2017-18 season. He also posted a solid 10 points in 18 playoff games. The pass-first forward just turned 33 and may be seeking one more significant contract on the open market.

D Cody Ceci – One of the more unusual stats from the 2024–25 season was that Cody Ceci appeared in 85 regular season games — 54 with the Sharks and 31 with the Stars. He tallied 24 points overall, including nine assists during his time in Dallas. Ceci also logged a notable 20:14 of ice time per game with the Stars, a number that increased to 21:31 in the playoffs. The Stars are sure to have interest in retaining Ceci’s services, but the veteran of 871 career games will have plenty of suitors if he reaches the open market. Like Granlund, Ceci may be looking for one final large, multi-year agreement.

Other UFAs: D Brendan Smith, G Magnus Hellberg, F Colin Blackwell, F Cameron Hughes, F Kole Lind (UFA-Group6), F Emilio Pettersen (UFA-Group6), F Matej Blumel (UFA-Group6)

Projected Cap Space

Nill and the front office will have to get creative if they want to make any sort of waves in free agency, or even to simply retain a few of their pending free agents. According to PuckPedia, the team currently has just south of $5 million in cap space. With over $60 million committed to their top seven players, the team is top-heavy with contracts and faces tough decisions regarding the future of their pending free agents, including Benn.

Contract info courtesy of PuckPedia.

Prospect Jackson Smith Set To Commit To Penn State

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Defensive prospect Jackson Smith, one of the top prospects heading into the NHL draft, is set to commit to Penn State, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. While Wheeler notes that the signing isn’t “done done,” he added that Jackson is set to visit the Nittany Lions following the draft combine, which starts this week.

Wheeler also confirmed that Smith, 18, had visited other schools before choosing the WHL route this past season, and noted that this year’s recruitment process has taken place through virtual meetings. While Smith feels Penn State could be a good fit, he may return to the WHL next season before joining Penn State in 2026-27, Wheeler adds.

With the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, Smith posted 11 goals and 54 points in games this season, showcasing his offensive upside. He added five points in seven games at the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship this spring, helping Canada to a gold medal. While Matthew Schaefer may be the consensus number one defender available in the draft, Smith may slot right behind him, with the University of Wisconsin’s Logan Hensler and fellow WHLer Radim Mrtka also in the mix. What may set Smith apart from his peers is his ability to make an impact at both ends of the ice, according to Max Bultman of The Athletic.

As Bultman notes, Smith has the size (six-foot-three, 190 pounds), skating ability, and two-way potential to make him a top-10 pick later this month. Smith’s former coach, ex-NHLer Stu Barnes, compares his style of play to that of Dallas Stars standout Thomas Harley. Said Barnes, “You try to, with these young guys, give them maybe somebody that they can look to at the next level and see what could be, and I think Thomas Harley’s a great comparison.” Barnes himself was a former lottery pick, going fourth overall in the 1989 draft to the Winnipeg Jets.

LA Kings Sign Defenseman Kirill Kirsanov To Entry-Level Deal

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The Los Angeles Kings have signed 22-year-old defenseman Kirill Kirsanov to a two-year entry-level deal, the team announced today. Kirsanov, the team’s third-round selection in the 2021 draft, spent last season split between the Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL and the Torpedo-Gorky NN in the VHL (Russia’s top developmental league). His contract will run through the 2026-27 season.

At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Kirsanov already has the physical traits NHL teams covet and profiles more as a prototypical defensive-minded blueliner than an offensive one. In 34 games in the KHL last season, he posted three goals and seven points to go along with eight penalty minutes and a plus-five rating. He scored seven points in 28 VHL regular season games and added five points in 19 playoff games for Torpedo-Gorky NN, who would go on to win their first VHL Championship in club history.

The Kings appear to have most of their defensive spots locked up for next season with Drew Doughty, Mikey Anderson, Joel Edmundson, Jordan Spence, and Brandt Clarke all set to return, and Kyle Burroughs and Jacob Moverare also in the mix. While Kirsanov will more than likely begin his North American career in the AHL, his development will be crucial for a team facing several question marks on the blue line in the not-too-distant future. Spence and Clarke both have one year remaining on their current contracts and are due for significant raises, while Moverare and Burroughs are also entering the final year of their deals. If Kirsanov can put all the pieces together, he could push for an NHL spot sooner rather than later.

Goalie Jack Ivankovic Commits to University of Michigan

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One of the top goaltending prospects heading into the NHL draft has found a home in the NCAA, as Jack Ivankovic has committed to the University of Michigan, per Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff. The 18-year-old Ontario native spent last season in the OHL with the Brampton Steelheads, where he compiled a 25-12-5 record to go with a .903 save percentage and two shutouts. He shined at the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship this spring, where he went 6-0 with a .961 save percentage, leading Canada to a gold medal. Ivankovic also helped Canada hoist the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

If Ivankovic heads to Michigan, he’ll get the best of both worlds, joining a strong program while also having a chance to compete as a freshman. Despite his listed size at 5-foot-11, Ivankovic has positioned himself as a first-round option ahead of the draft. The Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis sees Ivankovic as potentially the next Dustin Wolf, a fellow undersized goaltender who has flourished despite his perceived physical disadvantages.

As Ellis notes, despite Wolf going 41-15-4 with seven shutouts and a .936 save percentage for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips ahead of the 2019 draft, he slid all the way to the Calgary Flames’ 214th overall pick, largely due to his six-foot, 166-pound frame. Since being drafted, Wolf has done nothing but excel all the way up to the NHL, where he currently finds himself as a Calder Cup Finalist after going 29-16-8 on the season with a .910 save percentage and three shutouts. His 29 wins were 14 more than any other rookie netminder on the season.

So, can Ivankovic make a rise similar to the one Wolf has achieved? That’s the debate NHL front offices face, but a team thin on goaltending prospects might be eager to take a chance on Ivankovic late in the first round.

Stars’ DeBoer, Oettinger Haven’t Spoken Since Elimination

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Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer told reporters he hasn’t spoken to all-star goalie Jake Oettinger since pulling him early in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final — a revelation that left TSN Hockey analyst and former NHL goaltender Martin Biron puzzled.

The 26-year-old Oettinger opened the playoffs on a strong note but struggled against the Oilers, fading as the series wore on. His postseason came to a sudden end in Game 5, when he surrendered goals on the first two shots in a 6–3 loss that knocked the Stars out. DeBoer noted that the coaching staff discussed potentially sitting Oettinger for Game 4 of the Western Conference Final, citing his heavy playoff workload and the fact that he was dealing with an “upper-respiratory thing.” Despite all of this, Baron still finds it strange that DeBoer didn’t seek to discuss the situation with his star goaltender.

“My first reaction is that it’s mind-boggling. I get that you’re not going to talk to him Thursday night after the game. And Friday, no one is in the office. But Saturday morning, you know you’re going to talk to the media. So, you need to have that conversation and clear the air. Then you can address the media. I don’t know what they were thinking. And I think this is on Pete DeBoer and the organization. Jake Oettinger isn’t going to knock on the door and ask to talk. Imagine if Scott Arniel doesn’t go and talk to Connor Hellebuyck in this type of situation. Or if Jon Cooper doesn’t go and talk to Andrei Vasilevskiy in a situation like this. That would never happen,” Biron said.

For his part, Oettinger told reporters Saturday that while he was surprised to be pulled so early in Game 5, he understood the decision, noting that if he had made a save on either of the first two shots, he likely would have stayed in the game. Oettinger, who noted the illness he was dealing with didn’t hinder his performance, said he will use the setback as a learning opportunity and even joked about how often he was shown on the jumbotron after being pulled. “I don’t know why they kept showing me. I hadn’t even moved in like 30 minutes,” he joked.

He would go on to add, “It sucks. It’s embarrassing. Any time you get pulled, whether it’s the playoffs or regular season, you just want to get off the ice and crawl under your bed and not talk to anyone. But especially in a moment like that, it’s embarrassing.”

When asked directly whether he had any concerns about his relationship with DeBoer moving forward, Oettinger again chose to focus on his own performance rather than address his dynamic with the coach.

“I think for me it’s just the whole experience is something I’m going to learn from, and it’s just going to help me grow and be a better person and a better goalie. My job is to stop the puck, and I feel like I’m one of the best in the world when I’m playing well. So that’s all I’m going to focus on. All the extra stuff is just extra stuff. If I go out there next year and I’m the best goalie in the world, then this stuff doesn’t matter. One of (the media) could be coaching, and it wouldn’t matter,” he said.

Luostarinen, Lundell Set To Play Game 1 For Panthers

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Forwards Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell missed Saturday’s practice for the Florida Panthers, but coach Paul Maurice said afterward that both are expected to play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers, per George Richards of NHL.com. Maurice did, however, note that forward A.J. Greer’s availability may be in question.

“I think the only question mark is Greer. We will list him as day-to-day. The other guys are fine. They’ll be back on the ice tomorrow when we do a little bit of an optional,” Maurice said.

Greer and Luostarinen were both injured in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Hurricanes. There was no explanation given for Lundell’s absence from practice, but he played a key role in closing out the Hurricanes, scoring a goal in the Panthers’ 5–3 win in Game 5, while also winning 62 percent of his faceoffs. Lundell put up a career-high 45 points in the regular season and has added five goals and 12 points during the playoffs.

In his first season with the team, Greer has made a significant impact despite averaging just 9:36 of ice time per game. He appeared in 81 regular-season games, posting 17 points while leading the team with 222 hits. The physical forward has added two goals and three points during the playoffs.

Luostarinen has elevated his game in the playoffs, recording 13 points in 18 games after tallying just 24 points in 80 regular-season games. His availability for Game 1 is a major boost for the Panthers, especially given that he ranks second on the team this postseason in hits (71) and leads all forwards with 19 blocked shots.

Dallas Notes: Benn, Hintz, Lundkvist, Oettinger

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For the first time in his career, longtime Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn is heading for free agency. That said, Benn told reporters he intends to play next season — and plans to do so with the Stars, per Taylor Baird of NHL.com.

The Stars’ captain said, “I’m going into the summer planning on playing next year. I don’t see myself going anywhere else. This is all I know. Hopefully, we can figure something out.”

Benn has played all 1,192 of his games in Dallas. The soon-to-be 36-year-old ranks second only to franchise legend Mike Modano in several key categories, including games played, points, goals, and shots on goal. He also secured the franchise’s only Art Ross Trophy when he posted 87 points during the 2014-15 season.

This past season, Benn proved he can still contribute in a bottom-six role, finishing with a respectable 16 goals and 49 points. However, his production dipped in the postseason, where he managed just three points in 18 games.

Elsewhere with the Stars:

  • GM Jim Nill confirmed that forward Roope Hintz sustained a foot fracture after being slashed by Edmonton Oilers’ defenseman Darnell Nurse in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, according to Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. The injury kept Hintz out of Game 3, and while he was on the ice for Games 4 and 5, the injury limited the defensively responsible forward. The slash was originally called a major penalty; however, the referees later downgraded it to a minor, much to the frustration of coach Pete DeBoer. Nill also confirmed that defenseman Nils Lundkvist was recently cleared by his surgeon for full contact in practice. Lundkvist underwent shoulder surgery in February that was originally labeled as a season-ending procedure. However, DeBoer noted at the start of the playoffs that Lundkvist could have potentially returned if the Stars made a deep enough run. While Lundkvist ultimately wasn’t able to return, it appears he’ll have a clean bill of health heading into next season.
  • DeBoer also noted that the coaching staff discussed potentially sitting goalie Jake Oettinger for Game 4 of the Western Conference Final, citing his heavy playoff workload (more than any other goalie) and the fact that he was dealing with an “upper-respiratory thing,” per Assimakopoulos. The 26-year-old started strong in the playoffs but cooled off considerably against the Oilers. His postseason ended abruptly in Game 5, when he allowed two goals on the first two shots he faced in a 6–3 loss that eliminated the Stars.

Free Agent Focus: Chicago Blackhawks

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Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Blackhawks.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Philipp Kurashev – As the Blackhawks continue to navigate through a rebuild, holding onto a 25-year-old forward with a 50-plus point season on his résumé makes plenty of sense, and that’s exactly what they have in soon-to-be restricted free agent Philipp Kurashev. But after a breakout 54-point campaign in 2023–24, Kurashev took a step back this past season, managing just 14 points in 51 games. So, who is the real Kurashev? And what is his value to the Blackhawks, or potentially other teams? These are the questions the Blackhawks’ front office must answer as they weigh his next contract.

D Wyatt Kaiser – No pending free agent, restricted or unrestricted, may be more important to the Blackhawks than Wyatt Kaiser, who took a clear step forward this past season. The 2020 third-round pick appeared in a career-high 57 games, recording four goals and eight points, and finishing third on the team with 93 blocked shots. Just as notable, his even plus-minus rating was the best among all Blackhawks defensemen and second-best on the roster overall, behind only forward Ilya Mikheyev’s plus-four. At just 22 years old, Kaiser may be the kind of defenseman the Blackhawks look to sign long-term as they aim to solidify their blue line for the Connor Bedard era.

G Arvid Soderblom – Despite being buried on the depth chart heading into the last season, Soderblom ended the season with more games between the pipes than any Blackhawks goalie. With Laurent Brossoit missing the season with a meniscus tear, and veteran Petr Mrázek being traded at the deadline, Soderblom saw action in 36 contests, compiling a 10-18-7 record to go with a .898 save percentage. While those numbers are unflattering by league standards, Soderblom statistically outperformed Mrazek and Spencer Knight, who came over in a blockbuster trade that sent Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers. Knight appeared in 15 games for the Blackhawks, finishing with a 5-8-2 record and .893 save percentage. While the Blackhawks may like the idea of keeping Soderblom in the mix, they already have $7.8MM committed to Brossoit and Knight next season. If Soderblom is now viewed in the league circles as a legitimate backup, another team could step in with a solid offer.

Other RFAs: D Louis Crevier, D Victor Soderstrom, F Antti Saarela, F Aku Raty, F Jalen Luypen

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Alec Martinez – On April 13, the day of the Blackhawks’ last home game of the season, Martinez announced that he would be retiring following the season. A three-time Stanley Cup champion, the 37-year-old was signed last offseason to a one-year, $4 million deal to bring leadership and experience to a young Chicago lineup. And while it’s difficult to measure the impact of his presence in the locker room, Martinez’s on-ice performance left much to be desired. He finished the year with 12 points and a minus-15 rating in 44 games. Martinez will finish his career with 862 games played, 289 points, and, of course, those three Stanley Cups.

F Pat Maroon – Similar to Martinez, veteran Pat Maroon is hanging up his skates after a 14-year career. Back in March, Maroon announced he would be retiring, citing a desire to start a new chapter with his family. He signed a one-year, $1.3MM contract with the team in free agency last summer, and like Martinez, was brought in to provide mentorship and leadership. In 68 games on the season, Marron totaled five goals and 19 points in a bottom-six role. He’ll finish his career with 323 points in 848 games. Like Martinez, he can also boast three Stanley Cups (winning in three consecutive years with the St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning).

F Ryan Donato – Donato, coming off a career-best season with 31 goals and 62 points, is among the top centers headed for unrestricted free agency. If the Blackhawks hope to keep him, they’ll likely have to fend off interest from around the league. At the trade deadline, the Blackhawks held discussions with Donato about a possible contract extension and did not end up dealing him for future assets. Scott Powers of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the deal the team put on the table was a three-year offer worth somewhere around $4MM per season, essentially doubling his expiring contract. Donato did exactly what any player on an expiring contract hopes to do — post career-best numbers and set himself up for a sizable payday. The reported $4MM per season may not be a large enough figure to keep Donato in Chicago.

Other UFAs: F Andreas Athanasiou, F Zach Sanford, F Brett Seney, F Cole Guttman

Projected Cap Space

General manager Kyle Davidson will have plenty of financial flexibility this summer, as the team has nearly $30MM in cap space, per PuckPedia. If the team is serious about keeping Donato and Kaiser in Chicago long-term, their new contracts would certainly put a dent into that space, but would still leave Davidson with ample flexibility to pursue additional free agents.

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