Rasmus Dahlin, Cale Makar, Zach Werenski Named Norris Trophy Finalists
As part of revealing the finalists for major league awards, the NHL announced the Norris Trophy finalists today. According to a league announcement, Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets are the three finalists to be named the “defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-around ability in the position.”
Although he’s earned multiple votes over the last three years, this is the first time that Dahlin, 26, has been named a finalist for the Norris Trophy. Throughout the first four years of his career, there were several questions regarding Dahlin, particularly if he was the top defenseman that the Sabres believed he would be when they drafted him.
Over the last four years, he has proven he is everything Buffalo hoped he would be, if not more. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign, Dahlin has scored 71 goals and 274 points in 379 games, topping out with a 19-goal, 74-point performance this season. Additionally, he’s averaged nearly 25 minutes a night over that stretch, showing he can play in every situation comfortably. He’s physical, he blocks shots, he puts a ton of them on net, and he has captained the Sabres to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
Unlike Dahlin, Makar’s name has become synonymous with the Norris Trophy throughout his career. Throughout his career, Makar has been a finalist for the Norris Trophy six times, winning the award twice. Even when he wasn’t a finalist during his rookie campaign, he still finished top-10 in voting.
Still, it’s fair to argue that Makar took a step back offensively this season. After posting back-to-back 90-point campaigns in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, Makar dropped back to 20 goals and 79 points this season. Regardless, he sustained more than a point per game on average, blocked over 100 shots, finished with a +32 rating, and was the top defenseman on the top team in the league.
Meanwhile, Werenski finished as a Norris Trophy finalist for the second year in a row, at the very least. The Gross Pointe, MI native finished 22 goals and 81 points in 75 games, averaging over 26 minutes of ice time per night. Although he doesn’t block as many shots as Dahlin or Makar, and didn’t have a double-digit rating, Weresnki played in every situation and led the Blue Jackets in scoring by a 14-point margin, which is extremely uncommon for a defenseman.
Unfortunately, given that each of the finalists’ all-around game, it’s a toss-up who will ultimately come away with the award this season.
Although it’s difficult to argue either Dahlin, Makar, or Werenski out of being a finalist, there are a few other defensemen who easily could have found their way into the top three. Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers, who finished as the highest-scoring defenseman this season with 21 goals and 95 points in 82 games, has a case, as does Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, who finished with 12 goals and 78 points in 82 games, with a +36 rating.
Penguins Sign Connor Dewar To Two-Year Extension
The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting a head start on returning some of their depth players from this past season. According to a team announcement, the Penguins have signed forward Connor Dewar to a two-year, $4.5MM ($2.25MM AAV) extension.
There’s little argument that he doesn’t deserve the raise. Pittsburgh acquired Dewar from the Toronto Maple Leafs at last year’s deadline, and the team signed him to a one-year, $1.1MM contract last summer.
He took that opportunity and ran with it. Much like the rest of his peers, Dewar played a role in the Penguins’ rejuvination this season, finishing with the best individual performance of his career. In 78 games, Dewar scored 14 goals and 30 points with a +16 rating, averaging just under 14 minutes of ice time per game.
The closest he had ever come to that production was during the 2023-24 season with the Minnesota Wild and the Maple Leafs. In 74 games that season, Dewar tallied 11 goals and 19 points in 74 contests, though much of that production came in Minnesota. Typically in a bottom-six role throughout his career, Dewar proved that he could be a key tertiary contributor in a middle-six role this season.
Despite being eliminated by their intra-state rivals in Round One of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, Dewar kept up his solid play in the postseason. In six games, the Manitoba native scored two goals with 19 hits, averaging 13:49 of ice time.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Penguins can afford Dewar similar ice time next season. Pittsburgh already has 10 forwards signed through the 2026-27 campaign, and will likely attempt to promote more prospects to the NHL for a further injection of youth. The Penguins need to focus on reducing the number of bubble forwards on their roster. However, it’s already evident that they are pleased to keep players like Dewar, who displays a strong work ethic and can make valuable contributions to the lower lines of the forward group.
NHL Sets Salary Cap For 2026-27 Season
The NHL’s financial landscape is officially shifting toward a period of unprecedented growth. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the league has formally notified its 32 member clubs of the confirmed team payroll ranges for the 2026-27 season. These figures represent a significant victory for the NHLPA and front offices, as hockey-related revenue continues to surge, finally moving past the stagnant cap era of the early 2020s.
For the first time in league history, the salary cap ceiling is poised to break into nine digits. The league has officially set the Upper Limit at $104 million. To maintain the necessary spread across the league, the Midpoint has been established at $90.4 million, while the Lower Limit will rise to $76.9 million. Perhaps most notably for the league’s elite superstars, the maximum individual player salary, which is set at 20% of the upper limit, will climb to $20.8 million per season.
This jump to $104 million marks a massive increase of roughly $8.5 million over the previous year’s projections. This rapid escalation provides vital breathing room for teams currently navigating difficult salary cap situations. Organizations that have locked their core players into long-term deals will see those contracts take a significantly smaller percentage of the overall pool. An $8 million AAV contract that once felt like a burden will soon represent a much more manageable portion of a team’s total budget, allowing General Managers to be more aggressive in the free-agent market while retaining their homegrown talent.
The rising floor also creates a unique dynamic for rebuilding teams. With a minimum spending requirement of $76.9 million, clubs heavy on entry-level contracts will be forced to spend more aggressively to stay compliant. This could lead to a busier trade market where rebuilding teams take on veteran contracts in exchange for draft assets, or it could result in higher-value, short-term “bridge” deals for veteran leaders brought in to mentor young prospects.
With the 2026-27 numbers now set in stone, front offices finally have the clarity needed to plan their long-term rosters. Fans should expect a flurry of contract extensions this summer as agents and GMs look to navigate this new, high-ceiling market before the next wave of superstars resets the bar for what a “max contract” looks like in the modern NHL.
Anthony Cirelli, Brock Nelson, Nick Suzuki Named Selke Trophy Finalists
The NHL announced today that Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche, and Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens have been named the three finalists for the 2025–26 Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the forward who “best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.” Voting was conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the conclusion of the regular season.
Cirelli earned his second consecutive Selke nomination after another standout two-way campaign in Tampa Bay. The Lightning posted the NHL’s second-best goal differential (+57) and third-best goals against (229), with Cirelli driving their defensive identity. Despite missing 11 games, he led all Tampa Bay forwards in shorthanded ice time (186:51) for a penalty kill that ranked third in the league at 82.6%. At even-strength, the Lightning outscored opponents 76-42 with Cirelli on the ice, a team-best 64.4% goal share, and the highest mark of his eight full NHL seasons. He also posted a career-high +38 rating and took a team-leading 1,075 faceoffs. Cirelli finished third in last year’s voting, becoming the first Selke finalist in franchise history.
Nelson, a first-time finalist in his first full season with Colorado, played a crucial role in the Avalanche’s defensive turnaround. They captured the Presidents’ Trophy, allowing a league-low 197 goals, 34 fewer than last year and 25 fewer than any other team this season. Nelson logged a career-high 1,591:55 in total ice time and nearly 50% more shorthanded minutes. Colorado’s penalty kill led the NHL at 84.6%, surrendering just 36 goals on 234 opportunities. Nelson also set personal bests in faceoffs taken (1,459) and wins (735, 50.4%). If he wins, he’d become the first player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to claim the Selke, the last Colorado player to reach finalist status was Joe Sakic in 2000–01.
Suzuki, the Canadiens’ captain, helped Montreal win its highest point total (106) since 2014–15 and its stingiest defensive season (251 goals against) in seven years. He played all 82 games, leading the team’s forwards in total ice time and even-strength minutes. Suzuki took 1,449 faceoffs (32.2% of Montreal’s draws) and ranked sixth in the league in total attempts. At even strength, the Canadiens outscored opponents 94–58 with him on the ice, a career-best 61.8% goal share. Suzuki aims to join franchise legends Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau, who won the award seven times.
The Selke Trophy was first awarded in 1977 in honor of longtime executive Frank J. Selke, a key architect of championship teams in both Montreal and Toronto.
The NHL’s awards finalist announcements continue Thursday, May 7, when the league will reveal the three finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy.
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 Auston Matthews’ Maple Leafs Future
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston has reported, citing league sources, that Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews “still isn’t sure if he’ll be back in Toronto in the fall.”
What this means, according to Johnston, is that Toronto’s freshly-hired hockey operations leaders, GM John Chayka and senior advisor Mats Sundin, “will be auditioning” to keep Matthews “with their work around draft week in late June and the opening of free agency on July 1.”
Matthews reportedly has “some understandable concerns” about the Maple Leafs’ ability to vault back to their prior status as a team legitimately capable of contending for a Stanley Cup.
What Matthews appears to be looking for from the Maple Leafs is “real action,” meaning tangible transactions that meaningfully improve the caliber of the roster Matthews currently occupies a spot on.
Chayka and Sundin will meet with Matthews at some point in the coming weeks to discuss his future, but a firm decision on where he’s leaning is not expected at that time.
Whether the new leadership will be able to make enough changes to turn around the Maple Leafs, who finished 28th in the NHL just a year after finishing fourth in the standings, is the key question.
The upcoming class of free agents is widely considered to be thin on difference-making talent, and the team’s prospect pool (which ranked No. 29 in the NHL according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler) isn’t overflowing with valuable trade chips.
Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t avenues for the Maple Leafs to make significant improvements. Every summer, there are unheralded signings or trade additions that end up making a big impact in the years to come. But what it does mean is the Maple Leafs don’t have an abundance of obvious routes back to contention.
In most cases, that’s totally fine. Hockey operations leaders almost always more interested in moves that translate to wins on the ice in the winter, not wins in the headlines in the summer.
But in Toronto’s case, the scarcity of available big-name talent might genuinely matter. If their most immediate, pressing task is convincing Matthews they can quickly rebound and return to contention, working the margins of the roster and relying on savvy moves for undervalued players may not be enough to move the needle.
It’s too early to tell whether the Maple Leafs will ultimately be successful in their efforts for a quick turnaround. But Johnston’s reporting is still significant, as it indicates that the future of Toronto’s best player is far from set in stone.
Photos courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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.