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.
Maple Leafs Expected To Hire Mats Sundin, John Chayka To Front Office
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 hasn’t been specified but it seems likely that Chayka steps 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 onto the Coyotes role through four seasons – also filling the President Of Hockey Operations role 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 mutli-year extension with the Coyotes.
The NHL suspended Chayka from working in the league in 2021, after it was revealed that he had entertained roles with 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 their 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 still exist as 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 made.
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 building 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 one of four assets going 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 leader in points (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 did support Team Sweden at the 2013 World Championship and 2017 World Cup as a team consultant. The Tre Kronor won Gold at both tournaments. Sundin has otherwise not filled any formal team roles. It will be the same robust leadership and hockey knowledge that guided his playing career that 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.
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.
Nashville Predators Sign Vitali Pinchuk
Earlier today, agent Dan Milstein shared that his client, Vitali Pinchuk, had agreed to a one-year, entry-level contract with a mystery team. A few hours later, Milstein announced that the Nashville Predators had won the sweepstakes. The Predators confirmed the signing, though they didn’t release any financial details of the one-year pact. According to PuckPedia, the entry-level contract carries a $922,500 base salary, $102,500 signing bonus, $85K AHL salary, and $1MM in potential performance bonuses.
Pinchuk, 24, has been the topic of much speculation over the last two years. Despite going undrafted through his years of eligibility, the Belarusian has made quite a name for himself with the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk. Last month, reports indicated that nearly every team, 29 in fact, had contacted Pinchuk’s representation about bringing him to North America.
His production speaks for itself. Over the last two years, Pinchuk has scored 56 goals and 109 points in 131 games, with an additional seven goals and 18 points in 19 postseason contests. It wasn’t enough to lead the league in scoring, but Pinchuk was the only under-25 player to finish top-10 in KHL scoring this past season.
Pinchuk stands at 6’3″, 203 lbs. He is overtly physical, but uses his larger frame to protect the puck. Still, he largely utilizes his offensive skill, which he has plenty of, to make the most impact.
Unless something unexpected happens, Pinchuk should begin the 2026-27 season on the Predators’ opening night roster. Still, depending on training camp and preseason play, he could use a month of seasoning with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, though the expectation is that he spends most of the year in Nashville.
Given his frame, he won’t be out of place starting on the third line. He has the offensive firepower to offer Nashville tertiary scoring immediately, and the team could easily move him up the lineup if he performs well. Still, the Predators will want to make some room for him, as they already have 14 forwards signed for next season (including Pinchuk) with others looking to crack the roster.
Anze Kopitar Officially Retires After 20 Seasons
April 26th: Kopitar’s career has officially ended following a four-game sweep by the Colorado Avalanche in Round One of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Slovenia-born center finishes his career with 452 goals and 1,316 points in 1,521 regular-season games. He retires first in games played for the Kings, first in assists, first in points, and third in goals. Additionally, Kopitar scored 27 goals and 89 points in 106 career playoff games, helping Los Angeles win two Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014.
Sept. 18th: Kings franchise center Anze Kopitar will retire following the 2025-26 campaign, he said in a press conference Thursday. He confirms what he alluded to last month as he enters the final season of the two-year, $14MM extension he signed in 2023.
It’s a trying day for L.A. sports fans, who also saw MLB’s Dodgers announce future Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw will retire at the end of the 2025 campaign. “This will be my last year in the NHL,” Kopitar said. “[My family has] been by my side for 20 years. They now deserve a husband and a dad. I want to get this announcement out of the way now, so it’s not a distraction. I don’t want the attention on me. The moves we made made us better. I can’t wait to start.”
Like his baseball counterpart, Kopitar was a first-round pick by his club and spent his entire career in Los Angeles. The 11th overall pick of the 2005 draft from Sweden’s Södertälje SK wasn’t only the first player from Slovenia to be drafted in the first round, he was the first to even make his NHL debut when he arrived in North America one year later. He hit the ground running in 2006-07, breaking camp with the Kings and immediately stepping in as their top-line center with 61 points in 72 games while seeing north of 20 minutes per game as a rookie. That wasn’t enough to make him a Calder Trophy nominee in a stacked class that included Evgeni Malkin, Paul Stastny, and Jordan Staal, though.
That marked the beginning of what will be a 20-year career, one of the most consistent of its kind. Kopitar continued to flirt with the point per game mark in his second year, making the All-Star Game after tallying 77 points in 82 appearances. He spent a few years struggling to carry the burden of a Kings club that was exiting a rebuild, but after he made the playoffs for the first time in 2010, he finished top 15 in Selke Trophy voting for eight consecutive seasons, cementing himself alongside Patrice Bergeron as the best two-way forward of the 2010s.
While the Kings have had some star power in their lengthy franchise history, Wayne Gretzky notwithstanding, it was Kopitar who first managed to bring the Stanley Cup to Hollywood. The Kings advanced to three straight Western Conference Finals from 2012-14 and ended up converting those into championships on the first and last occasion. During that three-year run, Kopitar’s 188 points in 211 regular-season games ranked 12th in the league, and his +60 rating ranked ninth. No one had more playoff points than Kopitar’s 55 in 64 games during that span.
L.A. had rewarded Kopitar nicely coming off his entry-level deal, giving him a seven-year, $47.6MM commitment following his sophomore season. Before that deal was due to expire in the summer of 2016, the Kings extended him on his big payday – an eight-year, $80MM contract that coincided with him assuming the captaincy from Dustin Brown. While the Kings’ team success dipped in the latter half of the 2010s, that contract saw Kopitar have his career year in 2017-18. He posted a 35-57–92 scoring line in 82 games, remarkably his only time over the point-per-game threshold, with a +21 rating to take home his second Selke Trophy and finishing third in MVP voting, his highest-ever finish for the Hart.
Even as Kopitar enters his age-38 season, he remains an effective top-six center. The slow signs of decline are there, though. His 21 goals and 67 points in 81 games last season tied for his lowest output since 2019, and his usage has ‘dwindled’ to a few ticks under 19 minutes per game. He’s still one of the league’s best faceoff men, winning 57.2% of his draws last year, and has continued to rattle off four consecutive top-10 Selke finishes. One noticeable dropoff is his willingness to deliver and take contact. While never an overtly physical center, he recorded a career-low 31 hits in 2024-25. The tradeoff is durability – he’s only missed four games in the last eight seasons.
Those hoping for Kopitar to be a part of the Kings’ bench or front office next year will be disappointed. He’s planning on moving his family back to Slovenia after the season ends and isn’t leaving the door open to change his mind on retirement, he told Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period. Nonetheless, he’ll retire sitting right alongside Gretzky, Marcel Dionne, and Luc Robitaille as the most impactful players in franchise history, and he’s the only one to spend his entire career in California. His 1,278 career points rank second in franchise history behind Dionne’s 1,307, so he’ll end up as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer barring a highly disappointing sendoff campaign. With two Cups, two Selkes, and likely over 1,300 career points when all is said and done, he’s a virtual lock to be inducted into the Hall of Fame when he’s eligible in the class of 2029.
Kopitar now looks to deliver at least a playoff series win in his final season, something the Kings haven’t accomplished since winning the Cup 11 years ago. He’ll do so as his successor as the club’s leading offensive producer, winger Adrian Kempe, is also a pending unrestricted free agent.
All of us at PHR congratulate Kopitar on a spectacular career.
Image courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images.
Senators’ Jake Sanderson Out With Concussion
As the Ottawa Senators cling to their season in Game 3 of Round One against the Carolina Hurricanes, the team may have lost its top defenseman for the foreseeable future. In a report from Sportsnet, Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson left the game with an injury.
The morning after Sanderson’s exit, it was revealed that the star defenseman has sustained a concussion per TSN’s Bruce Garrioch. Head coach Travis Green told Garrioch that Sanderson is, “not doing well” and will be out for Game 4.
In a breakdown from Kevin Bieksa on Sportsnet, Sanderson seemed to have been injured from taking a hit to the head from Carolina Hurricane Taylor Hall.
In any case, Sanderson’s absence will be detrimental to the Senators’ chances for Game 4. As Bieksa noted, he is the team’s best defenseman, and his absence puts Ottawa in a nearly inescapable hole. Although they did return Tyler Kleven tonight, the team is already without Artem Zub and Nick Jensen.
Like the rest of the team, Sanderson was quiet in Game 1, but showed up in a big way in Game 2. He recorded an assist on both of Ottawa’s goals and has averaged over 35 minutes thanks to a nearly five-period contest on Monday.
Sanderson’s role as the team’s top defenseman is unquestioned. He led the team in scoring among defensemen, registering 14 goals and 54 points in 67 games with a +16 rating. Additionally, he led the team in ATOI by a significant margin with 24:50. The next was Thomas Chabot, who averaged 22:35 throughout the 2025-26 campaign.