Snapshots: Canucks, McNabb, Babcock
This afternoon the Vancouver Canucks shared that Daren Hermiston has been named Director of Player Personnel and Player Development.
An NHLPA Certified Player Agent who represented players across the NHL as well as lower leagues, Hermiston had held such a role since 2009, as a member of THE.TEAM company. According to PuckPedia, his clients include Canucks forward Arshdeep Bains, along with several prospects such as Harrison Brunicke of the Penguins.
Before his time as an agent, the native of Kamloops, British Columbia studied Business Administration at Thompson Rivers University. Hermiston’s addition is the latest among several notable changes in the Canucks front office. After finishing last in the NHL, they’ve internally promoted Ryan Johnson to general manager, Manny Malhotra to head coach, and both Henrik and Daniel Sedin have moved up from their development roles.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Vegas head coach John Tortorella did not provide an update on Brayden McNabb other than that he has traveled back with the team, relayed by Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. A lack of transparency on the matter is no surprise at this time of year, especially coming from Tortorella and his Golden Knights. Even lineup decisions aside though, it is a relief to hear that McNabb is at least out of the hospital, after catching a rising shot square to the face in a scary injury early in last night’s game. Ending his night after just 5:39, from there the Golden Knights rolled with four defensemen much of the night, seldom using Dylan Coghlan, which certainly played a factor in Carolina’s eventual overtime win. Averaging just one second shy of 20 minutes a night in their playoff run so far, if McNabb’s injury is too severe to return with facial protection in tomorrow’s Game 3, Ben Hutton figures to be the next man up as Tortorella would continue to lean heavily on his top defenders.
- The Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL named Michael Babcock their new head coach, the league announced. The 31-year-old had been an assistant coach with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls (Ducks) for the past season. Son of Mike Babcock, he was a product of the Little Caesar’s program, playing in the USHL and spending four years with Merrimack College. Joining the coaching ranks as an assistant under his father at the University of Saskatchewan in 2021, Babcock advanced to the NHL level, coaching development/skills for the Senators and Blues before his first gig behind an AHL bench in 2025-26. Now set to take on his head coaching journey, Babcock is the sixth head coach in Brantford history, and the youngest to do so for the club. Meanwhile, San Diego will move forward seeking a replacement shortly.
Draft Notes: Ruck Twins, Belchetz, Cali
Liam Ruck and Markus Ruck, two top WHL scorers who expect to go in the first two rounds of the upcoming NHL draft, will return to the WHL for the 2026-27 season. (Via NHL.com’s Mike Morreale) In doing so, they will bypass opportunities to spend the season playing college hockey. Many of the Ruck twins’ peers among the elite draft prospects in the CHL have elected to make college commitments over the past week. The Rucks have decided that remaining with the Medicine Hat Tigers for an additional campaign is the best path for their development en route to the NHL.
The Ruck twins enjoyed a rapid rise up draft boards over the course of the 2025-26 season as they tore up the WHL as leading scorers for the Medicine Hat Tigers. Both Rucks stand 6’0″, while Liam is a winger and Markus a center. Liam scored 45 goals and 104 points in 68 games last season, while Markus scored 21 goals and 108 points. Neither brother came close to the point-per-game mark the previous year, making 2025-26 quite the breakout season for each player. Of the two, Liam is considered by most public-facing scouts to be the superior prospect. In the poll of 10 NHL scouts conducted by Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects, Liam slotted in as the No. 24-ranked prospect, while Markus ranked No. 33.
Other notes from the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo, NY:
- Ethan Belchetz, one of the draft’s top prospects from the OHL, appears to have recovered well from his season-ending injury, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. Belchetz’s season ended in March after he suffered a broken clavicle. Belchetz told Wheeler that he could play and feel “close to 100 percent” if there was a game tomorrow, and is participating in all of the fitness testing at the combine outside of the pullups and bench press. A Michigan State commit, Belchetz has a chance to be a top-10 pick. The 6’5″, 228-pound winger scored 34 goals and 59 points in 57 games for the Windsor Spitfires last season, and was ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the class by Elite Prospects.
- OHL prospect center Ryder Cali has generated some buzz recently, and Morreale reported from the combine that he is set to interview with 29 of the league’s 32 clubs. The 6’2″, 219-pound center is one of the draft’s youngest players (born September 6, 2008) and scored 16 goals and 36 points in 47 games for the North Bay Battalion as an OHL rookie. Cali recently committed to play NCAA hockey at Providence College and has a somewhat wide range of rankings by public-facing scouts. He generally sits somewhere on the bubble of the first-round, such as No. 33 (McKeen’s Hockey) or No. 37 (Wheeler), but as low as No. 68 (The Hockey News’ Tony Ferrari).
Central Notes: Sakic, Koivu, Holmes
Following today’s news that General Manager Chris MacFarland would be leaving the Colorado Avalanche to join their division rival, the Nashville Predators, speculation began regarding who would take over as the team’s General Manager in Denver. As it turns out, the search for a new General Manager only took a few minutes.
According to Bailey Curtis of DNVR Avalanche, the Avalanche sent out a public relations memo indicating that President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic would resume his role as the team’s General Manager. The franchise legend has already served as the team’s General Manager for eight years, and is largely credited with building the Colorado team that won the Stanley Cup in 2022. Although he retained his right to have the final call on roster decisions, Sakic hasn’t formally held the title since the Avalanche hired MacFarland in 2022.
Still, the memo didn’t indicate that it would be a long-term arrangement. It specifically stated that Sakic would be the General Manager through the 2026 NHL Draft and the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign. Colorado could wait until next offseason to promote from within, or hire a General Manager from outside the organization next year.
Additional notes from the Central Division:
- Long-time captain for the Minnesota Wild, Mikko Koivu, is returning to the Central Division — just not with Minnesota. According to a team announcement, the St. Louis Blues have hired Koivu to serve as a European development consultant. The Blues’ press release indicated that Koviu will assist with development plans for European prospects drafted by St. Louis. He has been working as an assistant and development coach for the Finnish Liiga’s TPS, alongside his older brother, Saku Koivu.
- A Chicago Blackhawks prospect is on the move in the OHL. According to a league announcement, the Sarnia Sting have acquired forward Parker Holmes from the Brantford Bulldogs for a 2028 third-round pick and a 2028 sixth-round pick. Holmes was taken with the 107th overall pick of the 2025 NHL Draft by the Blackhawks, and scored six goals and 17 points in 49 games for the Bulldogs this past season.
Big Hype Prospects: DuPont, Vanhanen, Lecompte, Pridham
The 2026 Memorial Cup has been action-packed. On the other side of the round robin, the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers and WHL’s Everett Silvertips have broken away from the pack and will compete for the CHL championship. One roster represents immense depth, while the other has one of the strongest top-lines in recent, junior hockey memory. Both are led by top NHL draft talent, giving us another chance to borrow MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series. This time, we’ll focus on the top scorers, and storylines, from Canada’s top tournament.
Four Big Hype Prospects
Landon DuPont, RD, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2025-26 Season – 63 GP, 18 G / 55 A / 73 P, 52 PIM, +59
Landon DuPont receives a rare double-feature in the Big Hype series on the other side of the second-highest scoring season a 16-year-old defenseman has ever put up in the WHL. He is the modern addition to a list including Doug Bodger (1982-83), Jim Benning (1979-80), and Scott Niedermayer (1989-90) and DuPont fits right in with the trio of NHL veterans. He was nothing short of electric this season, consistently taking over shifts with his effortless skating and next-level thinking. Those star traits are continuing to propel Everett past their competition at the Memorial Cup, even as DuPont fights through an injury that held him out of the Silvertips’ Game 3 against the Kelowna Rockets. He was back in the lineup for a 6-1 win over the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, though, and should get superstar treatment in the Final. On the other side of this tournament, DuPont will face tough questions about a potential NCAA future ahead of what appears to be, from far out, a surefire first-overall selection in 2027.
Matias Vanhanen, LW, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2025-26 Season – 62 GP, 21 G / 66 A / 87 P, 6 PIM, +58
Playing in front of DuPont has had its perks for the last two seasons – but winger Matias Vanhanen has shown the boost a complimentary style can bring. He led the Silvertips in scoring this season while playing smarter and harder than most of his peers. Vanhanen has the oomph to bully his way through traffic, or through battles in the corners, even while standing at 5-foot-10. The winger was largely unknown after spending last season – his first year of draft eligibility – in Finland’s U20 league. His year ended with a five-game taste of the Liiga and Vanhanen has brought those pro habits into his first season in North America. Boosted by smart, playmaking instincts, reliable puck-control, and a tireless motor – Vanhanen has held scout attention all season long. He is a strong blip on the draft radar and could be playing his way into high second-round territory with a tournament-leading seven points at the Memorial Cup.
Nathan Lecompte, C, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
2025-26 Season – 61 GP, 27 G / 36 A / 63 P, 20 PIM, +21
Another player entering his second year of NHL Draft eligibility, Nathan Lecompte found a new gear in his ability to drive the Saguenéens’ offense this season. He was a constant threat coming down the wings, capable of finding sneaky passes on odd-man-rushes or simply firing a hard wrist-shot in a blink. Lecompte’s ability to suck in opponents created space for goal-scoring teammates and he was quick to follow chances through to the net. He had the benefit of great company in Chicoutimi – but still fit perfectly as the orchestrater in a loaded top-six. Lecompte was a surprise performer at the New Jersey Devils’ 2025 training camp, as a free-agent invite, and has draft precedent in his family – the son of a former Chicago Blackhawks first-round pick Eric Lecompte. Perhaps most exciting for the scouts is Eric’s 6-foot-5 frame, which could suggest some late growth for the 5-foot-10 Nathan. That growth will come at Northeastern University – a club that should cater well to Lecompte’s ability to stand out on the fast break – next season.
Jack Pridham, RW, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
2025-26 Season – 65 GP, 46 G / 44 A / 90 P, 54 PIM, +38
Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Jack Pridham broke out as a dominant scorer while playing as one of only 50 age-20 players in the OHL. He used every bit of his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame to punish opponents, standing as a bully in the middle of the offensive zone with the quick hands needed to convert on pucks that come his way. Pridham added to that a lights-out shot when left with too much space, and a new layer of speed as he broke into the zone. There is buzz that the OHL’s second-ranking goal-scorer could go unsigned by Chicago this Spring, which would allow his rights to expire in the Summer unless he announces a new commitment to the NCAA – having previously decommitted from Boston University. That could set the third-year draft-eligible up to re-enter the 2025 draft class, though his eligibility has been debated by draft pundits. Should he enter the class, Pridham would quickly become one of the most interesting prospects of the year – with the size and quick thinking needed to earn a pro role juxtaposed by a much lower developmental standing than many of his other age-20 peers.
Minor Transactions: Kahun, Morozov, Iskhakov, Cali
Former NHL winger Dominik Kahun agreed on a mutual contract termination with his former club HC Lausanne of the Swiss National League, ending what was originally a three-year deal with the team. As a free agent, Kahun has elected to return to his native Germany and sign with EHC Red Bull Munich, according to an official announcement from the club on social media.
The move returns Kahun, 30, to the club that launched him to the NHL back in 2018. Kahun was a former star scorer for Munich, spending four seasons with the team from 2014-2018. In those four years, he went from scoring just six points in his debut season when he was fresh out of the German second division to becoming a point-per-game winger. He won three straight titles for Munich in 2016, 2017, and 2018. While he was an instant-impact NHL signing for the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring 13 goals and 37 points as a rookie, Kahun left the NHL for Switzerland after 2020-21. He has been largely stellar in the National League, serving as a point-per-game winger for SC Bern from 2021-2024. Over the last two years, Kahun has struggled more, and his stint with Lausanne was marked by inconsistency as he was great in the playoffs but not very productive in the regular season.
Other notes on player movement from around the hockey world:
- Vegas Golden Knights 2018 second-round pick Ivan Morozov has signed a one-year contract extension with the KHL’s Spartak Moscow. Morozov has spent the last three seasons with Spartak, where he has been one of the team’s most productive players and a two-time All-Star. Morozov scored a career-high 50 points in 2024-25 and managed 33 points in 49 combined regular-season and playoff contests in 2025-26. The 6’1″ center last appeared in North America during the 2022-23 season, when he registered 17 points in 58 games for Vegas’ AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.
- Another Russian forward who was selected in the second round of the 2018 NHL draft signed a KHL contract extension: Ruslan Iskhakov. Iskhakov was drafted No. 43 overall by the Islanders in 2018, and signed a two-year extension with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Iskhakov joined Metallurg last summer from CSKA Moscow, where he was an All-Star in 2024-25. This past season, the 5’7″ forward scored 17 goals and 38 points in 65 regular-season games, and eight points in 15 playoff contests. Iskhakov played two seasons in North America, scoring 101 points in 138 total games for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, and one point in one NHL game for the New York Islanders. Stefen Rosner of The Elmonters wrote today that the “ship has definitely sailed” on Iskhakov’s NHL future with the club.
- 2026 NHL Draft prospect Ryder Cali has committed to play NCAA hockey at Providence College, according to Mark Divver of New England Hockey Journal. Cali, 17, was formerly committed to Harvard University. Cali spent this past season with the North Bay Battalion of the OHL, and it is unclear at this time whether his commitment implies enrollment for 2026-27 or 2027-28, which would impact whether he will play an additional campaign in Ontario. It seems most likely he will spend at least 2026-27 in the OHL before heading to college, but that is not confirmed. Cali is considered a second-round prospect by most major draft outlets, ranked as high as No. 34 (Elite Prospects) and as low as No. 62 (Craig Button, TSN).
Canada Registers Sam Dickinson, Jack Ivankovic At World Championship
Team Canada will finish off the World Championship with the help of two top prospects. San Jose Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson and Nashville Predators goalie prospect Jack Ivankovic have been registered for the remainder of the tournament per Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff. Neither player is expected to suit up for Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup against Team USA, which could be Canada’s last of the tournament.
Both Dickinson and Ivankovic have been with the Canadian side through the extent of the World Championships – but are only now lineup-eligible, after being registered. Circumstance may keep the duo from debuting with Canada’s men’s team but the chance to spend time with NHL greats like Sidney Crosby, Evan Bouchard, and Ryan O’Reilly will nonetheless be invaluable.
Dickinson wrapped up his rookie season in the NHL with quiet totals. After notching historic scoring during his three-year career in the OHL, the puck-moving defender only scored one goal and 14 points in the first 72 NHL games of his career. He struggled to bring his dominant offense to the pro flight – but still showed flashes of the heads-up playmaking that earned him 91 points in 55 OHL games just last season. Dickinson will be leaned on as a core, offensive-defenseman behind San Jose’s young forwards for years to come. The chance to join his future-captain, Macklin Celebrini, at the 2026 World Championships will be another chance to find his comfort at the top level.
Ivankovic played through his freshman season at the University of Michigan after being drafted in the 2025 second round. He was called upon right away by the Wolverines and quickly stood out as one of the team’s biggest difference-makers. Ivankovic stuck around a .920 save percentage for much of the year, until his season was derailed by a scary-looking, lower-body injury sustained in a January matchup against rival Notre Dame. The injury was believed to be long-term – but Ivankovic was only out of the lineup for one month before returning to full-time, starting duties. He finished the year with a .921 save percentage and 25-8-1 record while backstopping the school that spent much of the year ranked #1. He also followed an NHL teammate – O’Reilly – to this tournament but lost his chances to start thanks to Jet Greaves‘ .926 save percentage through five wins.
While both prospects may continue to watch the tournament from the press box, their addition to the roster will stand as a bode of confidence from Hockey Canada. Both players will almost certainly be major parts of Canada’s World Championship, and other international, rosters in the years to come.
East Notes: Bruins, Korpisalo, Power, Charron
Jonathan Aspirot was certainly a feel-good story for the Bruins this season, going from a journeyman minor leaguer to a fixture on the top defense pairing alongside Charlie McAvoy. However, Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe argues that Boston’s top priority this summer should be upgrading McAvoy’s partner on the left side. Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, and Mason Lohrei have all been attempted with varying degrees of success to the point where Aspirot was given a chance and made the most of it. But with the Bruins looking to build on their return to the playoffs, adding a player who could help McAvoy find another gear would certainly help their fortunes considerably.
Elsewhere in the East:
- Still with the Bruins, com’s Conor Ryan examined some potential cap casualties should the team decide to make some bigger swings that they can’t fit into their roughly $16MM of cap room this summer. Chief among those is goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, who has two years left on his deal with Boston responsible for $3MM of his cap hit. With Michael DiPietro winning AHL MVP this season, he could plausibly become Jeremy Swayman’s backup next season, allowing them to move Korpisalo to open up a bit of cap space. With several teams likely looking to shake things up between the pipes, there could be a market for his services.
- Facing elimination tonight, the Sabres should have one of their top blueliners available. Owen Power was banged up late on Thursday but head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters today including Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the defenseman should be good to go. In his first taste of playoff action at the NHL level, the 23-year-old has five assists through 11 games and is averaging 20:44 per game of ice time, down just a tad from his season ATOI of 21:39. Ruff wouldn’t comment on any potential lineup changes for Buffalo for tonight’s game.
- Earlier this week, Penguins prospect Jordan Charron announced that he was committing to UMass-Amherst. However, it appears he won’t be making the jump to the college ranks right away. His former GOJHL team, the Ayr Centennials, noted (Twitter link) that the commitment is for 2027-28, meaning that he’ll stay with OHL Soo for one more year. The winger was a fifth-round pick last year and moved to the OHL level this season. He had a solid first year with the Greyhounds, notching 25 goals and 22 assists in 66 games and finished up on a tryout in the minors with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. However, since he didn’t play a game on that agreement, he retains his NCAA eligibility.
Flyers’ Jett Luchanko, Oliver Bonk Make Stanley Cup Playoffs Debut
The Philadelphia Flyers have made a surprising move in an attempt to avoid a second round sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. Rookies Jett Luchanko and Oliver Bonk made their Stanley Cup Playoff debut when the Flyers took the ice, playing over healthy scratches Matvei Michkov and Emil Andrae. Luchanko and Bonk now make 13 Flyers to play the first Stanley Cup Playoff game of their career in this postseason per NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman.
Philadelphia scratched Michkov in Game 5 of their first round win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has continued to underwhelm in four games back in the lineup since, still sat at just one point in the first eight playoff games of his NHL career. Luchanko will try to be the difference-maker in just his ninth NHL game. He began the season captaining the OHL’s Guelph Storm, then served as the two-way backbone to the all-out-offense of the Brantford Bulldogs after a mid-season trade. Luchanko ended the year with a combined 43 points in 38 games, a slight step down from the points-per-game pace he managed last year (56 points in 46 games) but still more than his 2023-24 season (74 points in 68 games). He has proved to be a tireless worker who can make a difference in the dirty areas of the ice – a knack that could make him a jammer in the Hurricanes’ breakouts.
Bonk played through his first season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this year. He had quiet results on both sides of the puck, finishing the year with 19 points and a minus-14 in 46 AHL games. It was an underwhelming introduction after a productive, two-way showing in three OHL seasons. Bonk curbed expectations when he scored one goal and one assist in the Flyers’ season finale and his NHL debut. He seemed to move with a bit more confidence on NHL ice and could stand as an X-factor puck-mover if he finds the same spark on playoff ice.
Whether they win or lose, the Flyers will face tough questions on the other side of the postseason. Michkov, the 2023 seventh-overall pick, has been benched twice in his first playoff run despite reaching 20 goals and 51 points in 81 games during the regular season. His 114 points in 161 games is the highest points-per-game from a U22 Flyers skater in the last 10 years. He has clear upside, though Philadelphia will have to find a way to bring it out – a task that could become even tougher if Luchanko can flex his might in the postseason.
Morning Notes: Hedman, Rutherford, Owen Sound
A few days ago, it was announced that the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Victor Hedman, had taken a leave of absence from the team for mental health reasons. Taking the absence on March 25th, Hedman missed Tampa Bay’s last 15 games of the regular season, and their Round One series loss against the Montreal Canadiens.
From a team perspective, it’s a bind in all honesty, as you’re stuck between wanting the best for the player and their long-term health, while also recognizing that your team is better when Hedman is on the ice. Furthermore, there’s no set timeline for how long it takes a player to recover, unlike more objective injuries.
Still, Hedman shared that he’s feeling much better, and there’s not much concern that he won’t begin the 2026-27 season on time. In fact, speaking on 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated that there’s a “1000% chance” that Hedman plays next year. Given that there’s a distinct possibility that the Lightning lose defenseman Darren Raddysh in free agency this summer, having Hedman back for the whole year will make that pill go down much easier.
Additional morning notes:
- Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford provided more context behind his decision to step down from his role at the head of Vancouver’s front office. In an interview with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Rutherford said, “It was time for me before the season even started; I was trending in that direction. But I think we can put something together here in our hockey department that I can feel good about when I step down.“
- According to Greg Cowan of the Owen Sound Sun Times, the OHL’s Board of Governors is preparing to meet to finalize the sale of the Owen Sound Attack. Cowan indicated that an official announcement of the sale is expected in the next few days and that the new ownership group plans to hire a relatively young player agent to lead the hockey operations department.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Jett Luchanko
The Philadelphia Flyers announced that top prospect Jett Luchanko has been recalled from his OHL team, the Brantford Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs recently lost in game seven of the OHL’s Eastern Conference Final to the Barrie Colts, ending their season. That has freed Luchanko to join the Flyers as a (likely) reserve player. The Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, did not qualify for the postseason.
The Flyers have lost the first two games of their series against the Carolina Hurricanes, and a loss tomorrow would push them to the brink of elimination. As a result, it is highly unlikely Luchanko actually gets to dress for games on this recall, but there is nonetheless some value in him getting the chance to join the Flyers in the midst of their run.
The 19-year-old is one of Philadelphia’s very best prospects. He was selected No. 13 overall at the 2024 draft, and has made the Flyers’ main roster out of training camp in back-to-back seasons. Each year, Luchanko has been reassigned back to junior hockey after playing in four NHL games.
Luchanko didn’t have the best season in the OHL this year, scoring 50 points in 53 combined regular-season and playoff contests across two different OHL teams. It’s not always the best sign for such a highly-drafted forward prospect to be scoring at below a point-per-game rate in the CHL a full two years after he was drafted, but Luchanko’s game has always been about more than just scoring. Elite Prospects, who ranked Luchanko as the No. 30 prospect in the NHL entering the season, called the forward a “mature defensive player” and “high-floor prospect.”
Now, as his junior season has come to a close, Luchanko will get the chance to soak in as much as he can by joining the Flyers for their playoff run.