Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks Win 2026 NHL Draft Lottery
The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the 2026 NHL draft lottery, shared by the league, which was conducted at the NHL Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey this evening. On 8.5% odds, Toronto jumped from #5 to the top selection and will be first on the stage on June 26 in Buffalo.
They were not the only club to have luck on their side, as the San Jose Sharks jumped from #9 to the second overall selection (5.2%), leaving the Vancouver Canucks to drop from the top slot to #3 overall. At this point, with the lottery determined, the 2026 draft’s first 16 selections are now official:
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- San Jose Sharks
- Vancouver Canucks
- Chicago Blackhawks
- New York Rangers
- Calgary Flames
- Seattle Kraken
- Winnipeg Jets
- Florida Panthers
- Nashville Predators
- St. Louis Blues
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Islanders
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- St. Louis Blues (from Red Wings)
- Washington Capitals
The Maple Leafs will have their choosing of the first player, for the first time since 2016, where they netted Auston Matthews, a draft which was also held in Buffalo. It will be the third time ever, the first being Wendel Clark in 1985. Of all the lottery scenarios tonight, Toronto’s chances at winning were a wild possibility, and sure enough, it has happened.
After hiring John Chayka as general manager, it was already apparent there’s serious pressure on the new regime to win over Matthews. Things couldn’t be off to better of a start than they are tonight. With a sparse free agent market, and complicated trade assets, the Leafs got a lucky break which has dramatically shifted their outlook. Just hoping to stay in the top five, to avoid relinquishing their pick to Boston as a result of the Brandon Carlo trade, that’s no longer a concern. Boston fans may simply look ahead to next year, but with conditions existing on the Philadelphia/Scott Laughton deal as well, they may have to wait for 2028 to obtain Toronto’s first rounder, while the 2027 selection would end up in the hands of Philadelphia.
Not to be outdone, already building one of the most talented young teams in the league, San Jose will pick #2 for the second consecutive season, despite taking a serious step forward, going 39-35-8 on the back of soon to be 20-year-old Macklin Celebrini‘s 115 points. It’s an embarrassment of riches for a team already thought to have one of the highest ranked prospect pools in the NHL, who will pick in the top five for the fourth straight year.
Gavin McKenna, widely considered to be the top prospect, jumped from Medicine Hat of the WHL to Penn State University in 2025-26, seeking a bigger challenge. Adversity he got, facing questions early on about his production against higher competition, as well as an off the ice incident where charges were eventually dropped. Through it all, the Whitehorse, Yukon native stayed the course, tying for fifth in NCAA scoring with 51 points in 35 games. Barring any major developments, Leaf fans can expect to see #72 in the blue and white next fall, although his immediate full time NHL role is a question mark. Even if not an immediate standout, McKenna’s offensive flair, reminiscent of Patrick Kane, has him a potential star for years to come. It’s about as perfect of a match as the organization could hope for after losing Mitch Marner, as McKenna is a natural wing who could feast alongside Matthews.
Likely missing out on the chance to select McKenna, but certainly not complaining, the Sharks still have a tremendous prospect in their grasp, Ivar Stenberg. The Swedish winger posted 33 points for Frolunda of the SHL, playing against men and coming away fifth in team scoring despite playing in fewer games than teammates. Back in January, the 18-year-old was thought to be emerging as jumping McKenna for the top spot. Largely considered to be a top six lock, with first line upside, Stenberg could be an immediate contributor wearing the teal next season. If so, he’d complete an entire top six corps made up of dynamic young forwards: Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund, Michael Misa, and Igor Chernyshov. Clearly not in much need of another forward, Stenberg is likely too strong a prospect to pass on.
Outside of McKenna and Stenberg, holding the highest upside, the field opens up a bit, which is especially cruel to Vancouver, who fell to #3, a range the haven’t found themselves in since selecting the Sedin twins in 1999. Defensemen Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, and Alberts Smits all offer top pairing potential as prospects any team would salivate over. If that’s the path they take, the Canucks would create a tremendous one-two punch with 20-year-old Zeev Buium.
Also worth mentioning, Caleb Malholtra stands out as the top center. Son of longtime NHL center Manny Malholtra, and current head coach of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, Caleb will benefit from a major breakout campaign with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, and being a member of a draft class which is more thin down the middle among the top five. Besides the obvious connections, it will be a story line to watch on if Vancouver passes on the defensemen and considers Malholtra, who will join Boston University next fall.
Last year the New York Islanders jumped from #10 to the top spot. After a solid playoff window, their aging core was running out of juice. There was a fair bit of speculation on if they could select a game-breaking forward such as Misa or go with the top player, defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who lost a large chunk of his draft year due to injury.
New York went with Schaefer, as Misa landed with the Sharks, and the reward was massive. The teenager led all Islanders in ice time, playing over 24 minutes a night, scoring 23 goals and 36 helpers for 59 points in 82 games. The #1 pick finished second in the entire NHL in goal scoring from defensemen, a spectacular campaign for a player who wasn’t even a lock to make the roster. For how good he was as a rookie, it’s scary to think about what is in store. Such is indicative of the power of the draft lottery, and a number which will always be synonymous with Schaefer as an Islander; 3.5%.
Meanwhile, Toronto will hope to have the same sort of fortune with their selection. Often the NHL lottery is weighed by the “deserved” scale, up for interpretation. While every franchise deserves the opportunity to select game breaking talent, especially those with the worst records, it’s fascinating to consider how different things could be for the Maple Leafs, and just how much they had at stake tonight. Rather than forking over a top 10 selection to their playoff nemesis, and coming away with nothing from a lost season, the lights are as bright in Toronto as ever, and now, they’re on the clock for June 26.
Latest On Pierre Dorion, Canucks GM Vacancy
5/5/26, 10:25 a.m.: Both CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal and Irfaan Gaffar of the Down to Irf podcast reported that the Canucks have not yet settled on Dorion – or anyone else – as their hire for the vacant GM position. Dhaliwal wrote “Pierre Dorion is a strong candidate to be named GM in Vancouver but he has not been hired,” while Gaffar noted the Canucks “have met with Pierre Dorion a few times as they have with other candidates but no decision has been made yet at all.”
This does not mean that Dorion will not be the Canucks GM, only that prior reporting should not be seen as an indication that Vancouver has already made its decision.
5/5/26, 8:40 a.m.: The Canucks’ interest in Dorion appears to be heating up. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reported today that there is, according to one league source, “a strong possibility” that Dorion is the team’s next GM.
Vancouver has reportedly begun cutting down their search for their next GM, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying on the 32 Thoughts podcast a few days ago that candidates Patrick Burke, Ray Whitney and Ryan Martin are no longer in the running.
This is no guarantee, of course, that the Canucks end up hiring Dorion. But based on Drance’s reporting, the former Senators GM should now be seen as a serious contender to land in Vancouver.
5/3/26: The Canucks have held at least an initial interview with former Senators general manager Pierre Dorion regarding their GM vacancy, Darren Dreger of TSN reports.
Dorion is one of several names to reliably appear in connection with Vancouver’s opening. Since firing Patrik Allvin on April 17, they’ve either received permission to talk to or have otherwise interviewed the Maple Leafs‘ Shane Doan, NHL VP of player safety Patrick Burke, Flames AGM Brad Pascall, and Oilers AGM Bill Scott.
Among those, Dorion is the only one of those with previous experience as an NHL GM. A longtime scout with the Canadiens and Rangers to start his executive career, he joined the Sens as their director of amateur scouting in 2007.
Dorion worked his way up the organizational ladder over the next decade before assuming the GM chair in 2016. In his first season at the helm, Ottawa advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time in 10 years. That was the first and only time they made the playoffs in Dorion’s tenure. A massive rebuild was initiated the following season as the team regressed, and years of stalled progress eventually led to Dorion’s firing early in the 2023-24 campaign.
Dorion hasn’t been hired anywhere since, nor has he been frequently mentioned in connection with any vacancies. That’s no surprise considering how his maligned tenure in Ottawa came to an end. His mishandling of a trade that sent Evgenii Dadonov to the Golden Knights, in which he failed to disclose the player’s no-trade list, resulted in a subsequent botched trade on Vegas’ part when they attempted to send him to the Ducks, which Dadonov had on his list. Ottawa was stripped of a first-round pick as a result, although under new ownership and a new front office, they were given the pick back – albeit locked into 32nd overall – this season.
If Vancouver views experience as paramount, he’d be a fine hire. The particular situation he would be stepping into, though, is eerily similar to the state of the Senators following their Conference Final run. Given how long it took the organization to build forward momentum under his direction, there would be fair criticism about repeating those same mistakes by opting for a “safer” hire in Dorion.
Rasmus Dahlin, Gabriel Landeskog, Jonathan Toews Named Masterton Trophy Finalists
The NHL has announced its three finalists for the Bill Masterton Trophy: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog, and Winnipeg Jets forward Jonathan Toews.
The Trophy is awarded annually by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.”
Dahlin captained the Sabres to a season fans in Buffalo won’t forget for a long time. The franchise had not made the postseason in 14 years, the longest playoff drought in the “Big 4” North American professional sports leagues.
Dahlin’s leadership, and stellar on-ice play, helped the Sabres become one of the league’s best teams over the course of 2025-26.
Dahlin was able to accomplish all of this despite immense off-ice challenges.
Last July, Dahlin’s fiancee, Carolina Matovac, underwent an emergency heart transplant while the pair were vacationing in France. She later revealed that the couple lost their unborn child as well. The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn told Dahlin and Matovac’s story in an excellent piece last month. He noted that during the beginning of the season, Matovac’s recovery was weighing on Dahlin, and he “had trouble focusing” on the season.
Dahlin eventually stepped away from the team in November to be with his fiancee, a decision the entire Sabres organization emphatically supported. He told Fairburn:
The first part of the season was terrible. I could not think about anything else other than Carolina. Then Terry Pegula flew me home to Sweden to be able to see Carolina for a week, and it just gave me an unbelievable boost. Then I was able to go home during Christmas, and I’ve just been lucky to have the organization let me go home and do stuff I needed to do throughout this process. And things got better every day.
Dahlin did eventually return from his leave of absence, and when he did, he joined a Sabres team that was quickly becoming a juggernaut. He finished the season with 74 points in 77 games, and led Buffalo to victory over their first-round opponent, the Boston Bruins. His fiancee was even able to return to Buffalo and be welcomed back by an adoring home crowd.
Each nominee for the Masterton Trophy, every year it is awarded, is deserving in his own right. But the story of Dahlin’s 2025-26 season in particular embodies the core values of the award.
Moving on to Landeskog, this is actually the Avalanche captain’s second consecutive campaign as a finalist for the award. Landeskog missed three seasons as a result of knee injuries, coming directly after he led Colorado to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022.
Landeskog was productive for the Avalanche this season, scoring 35 points in 60 regular-season games, and five points in five playoff contests so far.
There are many athletes for whom missing three seasons would be an insurmountable, career-ending obstacle. There were those who, at times, speculated that might be the case for Landeskog. It did not. He is back in the NHL and his knee issues appear to be behind him, and the league is better for it.
The final nominee is Toews, the former Chicago Blackhawks star who captained the team to three Stanley Cup titles in the 2010’s. Toews’ story shares some similarities to Landeskog’s. He missed two full seasons as a result of a variety of health issues, including long Covid and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). Toews left the game unsure of whether he would be able to play again, and went to great lengths to pursue methods of recovery, including traveling to Asia for “a five-week Ayurvedic detox.”
Toews was able to return to the NHL, signing with his hometown Winnipeg Jets. He played in all 82 games of the Jets’ season, his first full, healthy NHL campaign since 2018-19. He scored 11 goals and 29 points while winning 62% of his faceoffs. Like Landeskog, he had no assurances he would be able to continue his storied NHL career, but he found a way to return to the game.
Photos courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Maple Leafs Hire John Chayka As GM, Mats Sundin As Senior Advisor
May 3: Toronto has confirmed both hirings on Sunday. Chayka is stepping in as general manager, while Sundin is joining as senior executive advisor. Maple Leafs president Keith Pelley’s statement was as follows:
I’m thrilled to welcome John and Mats to their roles, two great hockey minds that will strengthen our entire hockey club. From the start of this process, it’s been about building a championship-calibre team for our fans and our city and today is an important step towards that goal.
May 2: The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to hold a press conference on Monday where they will announce Mats Sundin and John Chayka have been hired to lead the team’s front office. The news was first reported by Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun and later seconded by Sportsnet. The specifics of roles and responsibilities haven’t been defined, but it seems likely that Chayka will step into the team’s vacant general manager role.
Chayka became the youngest general manager in NHL history when he was hired by the Arizona Coyotes on May 4, 2016, at the age of 26. He was championed as an innovative, analytical thinker at the time and held the Coyotes role through four seasons, also serving as President of Hockey Operations for the latter three. Arizona only made the playoffs in Chayka’s last season, but he suddenly resigned from his roles just one day before the team kicked off the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The decision came just eight months after Chayka agreed to a multi-year extension with the Coyotes.
The NHL suspended Chayka in 2021 after it was revealed that he had entertained offers from other teams while still under contract with the Coyotes. The league also discovered that Chayka and the Coyotes had held private draft combines, something strictly forbidden by the league. Arizona was forced to give up its 2020 second-round pick and 2021 first-round pick as a result.
Chayka championed roster turnover in his time with the Coyotes. He added multiple impactful players to the roster, including Phil Kessel, Taylor Hall, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Darcy Kuemper. He also brought in players who remain core components of the Utah Mammoth: Nick Schmaltz, Lawson Crouse, Clayton Keller, and Barrett Hayton. But quantity did not mean quality for the Coyotes, who struggled to click and never managed more than 35 wins under Chayka’s reign. He did have a knack for finding NHL talent in the draft, selecting six players who have gone on to play in at least 200 NHL games, though that is out of 32 total selections.
Many of Chayka’s gut calls seemed to be the right choices at the wrong time. He will look to correct his timing with a Toronto club in need of any kind of direction forward. The Maple Leafs managed to break out of their first-round slumps with trips to the second round in 2023 and 2025 – but they haven’t made it to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2002.
The Leafs couldn’t capitalize on the combination of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Mitch Marner – losing the latter to the Vegas Golden Knights last summer. Chayka’s primary task will be to build a core that can push through the playoffs before more of their core four step out of the lineup. He will have the boost of young difference-makers Matthew Knies and Easton Cowan, though the former appeared in trade rumors through the middle of the season. That trade could kick off a refresh of the Toronto lineup, as much as the decision to keep Knies around could define the top-end of Toronto’s future.
Sundin will be a strong steward as the Maple Leafs enter a new era. He joined the Leafs in a franchise-changing trade in 1994, with Wendel Clark among the four assets sent back to the Quebec Nordiques. Sundin, only two seasons removed from his first season above 100 points, instantly scored at a point-per-game pace for the Maple Leafs. He reached 94 points in the 1996-97 season, enough to cement his spot as the leader of Toronto’s lineup and earn him the captaincy. He wore the ‘C’ for the next 11 seasons from 1997 to 2008. Even in his final season in Toronto, Sundin managed 78 points in 74 games. His career spanned the Leafs’ last two trips to the Eastern Conference Finals – in 2002 and 1999. He left the Leafs for one season with the Vancouver Canucks in 2008-09, then retired as Toronto’s all-time points leader (987). He also held the goals record (420) until Matthews passed him on January 3.
Sundin’s number was retired by Toronto in 2012. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame nine months later. In retirement, he has lived in the same privacy he fought for during his playing days. He supported Team Sweden at the 2013 World Championship and the 2017 World Cup as a team consultant. The Tre Kronor won Gold at both tournaments. Sundin has otherwise not filled any formal team roles. The same robust leadership and hockey knowledge that guided his playing career will now guide Sundin’s managerial career. His guidance could be an important presence for Toronto’s top players.
Photo courtesy of Patrick Breen, Patrick Breen/The Republic.
Rangers Promote Tanner Glass To Director Of Player Development
The New York Rangers have made their first change of the summer. The club has released Jed Ortmeyer from his role as Director Of Player Development and promoted Tanner Glass in his spot per Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic. Glass has served as the Assistant Director since 2020. This decision is part of a complete assessment of New York’s departments, general manager Chris Drury told Mercogliano.
New York has now missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2018 and 2019. Their roster has failed to pull into a better form since those prior struggles, with Mika Zibanejad still leading the ship, now alongside Alexis Lafreniere and J.T. Miller rather than Mats Zuccarello and Pavel Buchnevich. The Rangers made the bold decision to trade star scorer Artemi Panarin partway through their losing season in an attempt to fortify their future assets, at the least.
Now the team will take another step to ensure they get more out of their draft capital. Glass played three seasons with the Rangers from 2014 to 2017, as part of an 11-year career in the NHL. He was a depth forward in every stop he made but found a way to stick in the lineup thanks to gritty and high-energy play away from the puck. Glass retired in 2018 and joined the Rangers as a development coach one year later. His presence has played a small role in the success of New York’s burgeoning youngsters, like Noah Laba and Gabriel Perreault, though Drury made sure to also praise Director of Amateur Scouting John Lilley for deciding to pick both players.
New York has value in the pipeline. They received high-scoring, OHL center Liam Greentree as part of a return for Panarin and recently watched 2025 second-round pick Malcolm Spence run to the Frozen Four semi-finals with the University of Michigan. Both players could one day secure roles in the lineup, as could shutdown defensemen E.J. Emery and Sean Barnhill or utility forwards Adam Sykora and Brody Lamb. Honing their development, as well as the development of future draft picks, will now be Glass’ top priority. New York has two first-round picks, one second-round pick, and four third-round picks as part of 11 total selections in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Blues Sign Dylan Holloway To Five-Year Extension
The Blues have agreed to terms with winger Dylan Holloway on a five-year extension, the team announced Friday. The contract carries an average annual value of $7.75MM for a total value of $38.75MM, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports. The deal will kick in next year and run through the 2030-31 season. Holloway was due to hit restricted free agency this summer and would have had arbitration rights.
Per PuckPedia, Holloway’s deal includes a 20-team no-trade clause in 2029-30 and a 15-team no-trade clause in 2030-31, the only two seasons of the deal in which he’s eligible for trade protection. The deal is paid entirely in base salary (no signing bonuses) and will earn him $10MM next season, $9MM in year two, $7.5MM in year three, $6.25MM in year four, and $6MM in its final season.
An article on the Blues’ site just yesterday expressed Holloway’s willingness to sign a long-term extension. His wish has come to fruition in short order. The contract buys up his remaining RFA years and takes him two seasons past when he would have initially been eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2029. He’ll be 29 years old upon expiry – likely at a point when his market value will never be higher – while joining a massive class of 2031 UFAs in St. Louis that includes Pavel Buchnevich, Jordan Kyrou, and Robert Thomas.
It was clear the Blues would be on the hook for a big payday as soon as he hit the ground running in the Show-Me State two years ago. Plucked from the Oilers alongside defenseman Philip Broberg on a two-year, $4.58MM offer sheet in August 2024, the 2020 first-round pick broke out to finish third on the Blues in scoring with 63 points in 77 games, posting a +21 rating while helping fuel the franchise to its first playoff experience in three years.
Things did not go nearly as smoothly for Holloway at the beginning of 2025-26. His offensive struggles were in line with those of the rest of his Blues teammates. By the time he sustained an ankle injury on Dec. 12, he had been limited to eight goals and 17 points in 33 games with a -11 rating. He would only play one more game before the Olympic break, re-aggravating his injury and virtually missing over two months.
The fully healthy version of Holloway that emerged, however, looked more like a perennial All-Star contender than the high-end middle-six piece he was drafted to be. He was easily St. Louis’ MVP down the stretch, but they ultimately failed to make a late push for a postseason berth. His 14 goals and 34 points through his final 25 games ranked t-12th and t-7th in the league, respectively, following the Olympic break, while no one had a better rating than his +26 mark in that span. Only Nikita Kucherov had more even-strength points (30) than Holloway’s 29. It was an absolutely dominant run of play for a new-look first line of himself, Thomas, and Jimmy Snuggerud that should be set to reprise itself in training camp next fall – assuming Thomas sheds the trade rumors that dogged him leading up to this year’s deadline.
That run brought Holloway’s season totals up to a 22-29–51 scoring line in 59 games – an even better points-per-game pace than last season despite his early struggles. He’s averaging 29 goals and 69 points per 82 games in a Blues uniform. The deal comes in a little north of AFP Analytics’ $7.2MM projection on a five-year deal, but as Dom Lusczyszyn of The Athletic relays, his superb 5-on-5 defensive impacts mean his deal should age quite well for the Blues, at least until he’s owed another sizable raise at the beginning of the next decade.
St. Louis doesn’t have much other roster management to do before the fall. Holloway’s extension already brings them up to 20 players on next season’s projected active roster with $15.85MM in cap space still available, per PuckPedia. The Blues’ list of notable remaining RFAs for this year starts and ends with Jonatan Berggren and Matthew Kessel.
Image courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.
Cole Caufield, Anže Kopitar, Jake Sanderson Named Lady Byng Finalists
The NHL has announced the finalists for the 2026 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. The trophy is presented annually to the player who exhibits a high standard of sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct, and playing ability. This year’s finalists are Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield, Los Angeles Kings centerman Anže Kopitar, and Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson.
Kopitar has won the Lady Byng three times, including in 2023 and 2025. He has exemplified sportsmanship and leadership through 10 seasons as the Kings’ captain. That run came to a peak this season as the 38-year-old Kopitar went on his final tour around the league. In what was the planned finale to his career, he scored 12 goals and 38 points in 67 games and helped Los Angeles push into their fifth consecutive playoff berth. After a first-round exit at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, Kopitar officially announced his retirement after 20 seasons in the league. He was a perennial 60-point scorer who reached as high as 92 points at his peak.
While Lady Byng voting will be based on this season, it will be hard not to consider Kopitar’s legacy in Los Angeles. One more Lady Byng win would tie him with Pavel Datsyuk for the most since 2000. Red Kelly also won four times between 1951 and 1961. Wayne Gretzky won the Lady Byng five times between 1980 and 1999. The all-time record holder is Frank Boucher, who won the trophy seven times in eight years between 1928 and 1935. Boucher’s run of wins let him take home the original Lady Byng Trophy and prompted the creation of the Memorial Trophy.
Caufield receives his first finalist bid for the Lady Byng this season, after finishing 64th and 34th in voting in the last two seasons respectively. The Canadiens’ star winger is predominantly known for big smiles and great goal-scoring, two traits that ramped up as he achieved a breakout 51 goals and 88 points in 81 games this season. Caufield became the first Canadiens player to cross the 50-goal mark since Stephane Richer in 1990. He also led the league with 12 game-winning goals. That performance helped boost Canadiens center Nick Suzuki to his first 100-point campaign and brought Montreal into their second consecutive postseason. Caufield does not wear a letter for Montreal but the impact of his personality on and off of the ice is still top class. Even if he does not win the Lady Byng this season, a nomination at the age of 25 speaks to Caufield’s chances at one day cementing the trophy.
The same can be said for the 23-year-old Sanderson, who stepped into Ottawa’s top defense role with a breakout season. Sanderson finished the year with 14 goals and 54 points in 67 games. He averaged nearly 25 minutes of ice time a night, in part thanks to the string of injuries that plagued fellow top defenseman Thomas Chabot – who missed 25 games. Only seven players averaged more ice time than Sanderson at even-strength. He also ranked in the top-15 of penalty-killing time per game. His ability to step into a major role for Ottawa, intermixed with a Gold Medal win with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, make Sanderson a great candidate for multiple nominations this award season.
Latest On Maple Leafs GM Search
April 29th: According to Nick Alberga of Leafs Morning Take, a third candidate has made it to the final stages of the Maple Leafs GM search. Michael Futa, currently serving as a special assistant to the General Manager with the Carolina Hurricanes, has joined White and Chayka as a finalist for the role. Futa spent many years with the Los Angeles Kings organization as the team’s Director of Amateur Scouting, Vice President of Hockey Operations, and Assistant General Manager.
April 24th: In a new update from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, the Toronto Maple Leafs are likely down to their final two candidates for their open General Manager position. Still, Friedman doesn’t expect anything to be announced soon as the Maple Leafs continue to do their due diligence on each candidate, who couldn’t be more different.
One of the candidates is Scott White, Assistant General Manager of the Dallas Stars, as reported a few days ago. White was hired by the Stars organization after the 2005 lockout, working his way up from their AHL affiliate to the AGM position in 2016. In his developmental philosophy, White typically values players of high character, often providing prospects and draft options with numerous character assessments.
That’s not to say he doesn’t value talent, but he is keenly aware of what a bad locker room can create, even with the necessary talent to win. Unsurprisingly, the Maple Leafs are interested in allowing that philosophy to dictate the future of the organization. Toronto has undeniable talent, but the team has struggled to mesh well in recent years. White would be an interesting candidate to come in and make some blunt changes to reshuffle the team’s chemistry.
Meanwhile, Friedman shared that John Chayka, former General Manager of the Arizona Coyotes, is the other finalist, and likely the favorite. Chayka has not worked in the NHL since he left the Coyotes organization in 2020, as he’s largely focused on his company, Compass Restaurant Group, along with his wife.
Additionally, it was unlikely he would find another General Manager role before that due to some controversy surrounding him toward the end of his time in Arizona. Chayka was suspended from the NHL by Commissioner Gary Bettman for pursuing opportunities with other clubs while under contract with the Coyotes. Additionally, the Coyotes were forced to forfeit a second-round pick in 2020 and a first-round pick in 2021 for hosting a private scouting combine for draft-eligible prospects under Chayka.
Still, Chayka has what the Maple Leafs want. He has a shrewd analytical mind, similar to Eric Tulsky of the Carolina Hurricanes and Sunny Mehta of the New Jersey Devils. Like White, Chayka would likely implement changes to enhance the team’s talent; however, concerns about the locker room atmosphere may persist.
Friedman pointed out that although the team has narrowed its choices down to two finalists, neither White nor Chayka has advanced to the second round of negotiations, which involves meeting with the Maple Leafs’ ownership group. The first candidate to reach this stage is likely to be named the team’s next General Manager in a few weeks.
Ilya Sorokin, Jeremy Swayman, Andrei Vasilevskiy Named Vezina Trophy Finalists
The NHL has officially announced the field for the 2025-26 Vezina Trophy, naming Ilya Sorokin (New York Islanders), Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins), and Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning) as the three finalists. Voted on by the league’s general managers, the award recognizes the goaltender deemed most valuable to his team at the position.
This year’s group features a mix of powerhouse names and rising stars who have carried their respective clubs through an 82-game season.
Sorokin returns to the finalist circle for the second time in his career after a season where he was arguably the league’s busiest and most reliable netminder. Despite the Islanders’ inconsistent defensive metrics, Sorokin was a human highlight reel, leading the NHL with seven shutouts across 55 games played. He posted a 29-24-2 record with a 2.68 GAA and .906 SV%, but his case for the award is notably from his league-leading 452 high-danger saves.
Swayman has taken the reins in Boston and proved he is a bona fide elite starting goaltender. The 27-year-old recorded a career-high 31 wins and led all goaltenders with 38 starts with a SV% of .900 or better. Finishing the year with a 31-18-4 record, a 2.71 GAA, and a .907 SV%, Swayman’s ability to handle a heavy workload while maintaining elite performances night after night helped a transitional Bruins roster secure the top Wild Card spot in the East.
Vasilevskiy reminded the world why he remains the gold standard for modern goaltending, leading the NHL in wins for the sixth time in his career. Across 58 appearances, he posted a 39-15-4 record, with an historic 17-0-1 record during the middle of the season. He finished the campaign ranked second in the league in GAA at 2.31 and tied for fourth in save percentage at .912, making his sixth time as a Vezina finalist as he seeks to capture the trophy for the first time since 2019.
While Vasilevskiy holds the advantage in traditional win-loss metrics and goals against average, Sorokin’s case is built on the immense degree of difficulty he faced in New York. Swayman, on the other hand, represents a newer guard, showing that he can maintain elite efficiency over a full season’s workload. The winner will be revealed during the NHL Awards ceremony later this summer.
Macklin Celebrini, Nikita Kucherov, Connor McDavid Named Ted Lindsay Award Finalists
The NHL kicked off award season today, announcing that Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers have been named finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award.
Although the Hart Memorial Trophy has more name recognition, there’s a concrete argument that the Ted Lindsay Award carries more weight for the players. It’s awarded annually to the most outstanding player of the regular season as voted on by members of the NHL Players Association. Instead of being judged by writers, the winning player receives the award as judged by their peers.
Even if he doesn’t win, Celebrini’s finish as a finalist is a testament to the year he had. The 19-year-old had an outstanding season, scoring 45 goals and 115 points in 82 games, almost single-handedly leading the Sharks to the postseason. It wasn’t enough to crack the top-three in scoring leaders for the NHL, but he led the under-25 group by a long shot. The next closest was Wyatt Johnston (22) of the Dallas Stars, who scored 45 goals and 86 points in 82 games.
It would be a disservice to write about Celebrini’s regular season with the Sharks without also mentioning his performance with Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Despite falling to the United States in the Gold Medal game, Celebrini was unstoppable, scoring five goals and 10 points in six contests throughout the international tournament.
Meanwhile, Kucherov’s spot as a finalist for the award is par for the course. The high-scoring Russian is the defending winner of the award, also winning it in the 2018-19 season after leading the league in scoring. Unfortunately, unlike the past two seasons, Kucherov didn’t lead the league in scoring or the assist category, which has become a common occurrence for him. Regardless, with the amount of injuries the Lightning sustained this season, it’s hard to argue that Kucherov’s play provided the stability the team needed to remain competitive.
Then there’s McDavid. If he hasn’t done so already, the 29-year-old may want to invest in another trophy closet relatively soon. He’s already claimed the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer, something he has already done five additional times. Furthermore, regarding the Ted Lindsay Award, McDavid has already had that honor on four occasions.
Given their seasons, it’s hard to argue against any of the finalists. Still, although it’s difficult to remove any of the finalists, it’s surprising that Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche didn’t finish in the top three of votes. MacKinnon was the most dominant player on the most dominant team, scoring 53 goals and 127 points in 80 games with a +57 rating.