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Offseason Checklist: Utah Mammoth

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The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those already eliminated through the first couple of rounds.  Accordingly, it’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at Utah.

A year ago today, the Utah franchise didn’t even have its initial Hockey Club moniker, nor was the sale officially giving Smith Entertainment Group ownership of the deactivated Coyotes franchise hockey operations assets formally complete.  They gave their new fans in Salt Lake City an entertaining inaugural season in the Beehive State, but some notable injuries on defense early in the season put them in a hole they couldn’t get out of, and they finished seven points out of a playoff spot. However, with a young core and high-end possession numbers to build on, general manager Bill Armstrong will be looking to add once again to thrust the Mammoth franchise out of its years-long rebuild that started in Arizona. Here’s what he’ll look to do to make that happen.

Start Working On Extensions

While Utah has a mammoth amount of salary cap space to work with this summer (more on that later), it’s never too early to start looking ahead, especially when your No. 1 center is entering the final season of his entry-level contract. That’s the case with 21-year-old Logan Cooley, who took a demonstrable step forward for Utah in the second year of his NHL career this season. There’s no real rush – Cooley is a restricted free agent in the summer of 2026 and won’t be arbitration-eligible. Still, it may be advantageous for all parties involved for the two sides to come to terms on a long-term agreement shortly after he becomes eligible to sign an extension on July 1.

Cooley finished the year second on Utah with 65 points in 75 games and averaged nearly 18 minutes per game, up almost two minutes from his rookie deployment. After a corresponding 0.33 points per game improvement between his sophomore and freshman years, there’s reason to believe he can be a point-per-game threat alongside star winger Clayton Keller or sniper Dylan Guenther in 2025-26. It’s worth noting he did operate at a point-per-game pace over the final 18 games of the campaign with Utah in a playoff race.

Utah’s already shown a willingness to give max-term extensions to their foundational pieces early on. Armstrong did so with Guenther last offseason, awarding him an eight-year, $57.14MM extension after just 78 career appearances over two seasons. He rewarded the club with a 60-point effort in 70 games this season. With Cooley entering his first extension-eligible offseason with more than twice the career games played, it stands to reason Armstrong will have no hesitation in pushing for an eight-year contract.

With the salary cap projected to jump to $104MM for 2026-27, it will likely be pricey. AFP Analytics projects a long-term extension for Cooley at a $9.5MM price tag per season for seven years if signed this offseason. Waiting well into next year, if Cooley continues his upward trajectory, could very well mean he demands a price tag in the $10MM range. It’s likely better for the Mammoth to commit now and get a deal across the finish line to ensure any big free-agent spending this summer is amicable toward their long-term salary cap picture.

Stabilize The Goalie Tandem

2024-25 was a pivotal season for Karel Vejmelka. The 28-year-old netminder was inconsistent over his first three NHL seasons in Arizona but emerged as a legitimate No. 1 for Utah this season, starting 55 games with a .904 SV% and 2.58 GAA and ranking 18th in the league with 14.2 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. He earned a five-year extension in March for his work, which included a stretch of 23 straight starts at the tail end of the season with a playoff spot on the line.

The same can be said for Connor Ingram, but not in the same light. After tying for the league lead in shutouts last year, he started just 22 games and regressed to a .882 SV%, 3.27 GAA, and an -11.6 GSAx that ranked 98th out of 103 NHL goalies this season despite his limited workload. The fallback was understandable. He battled through injuries early in the campaign and also lost his mother. He entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in March, and he remains there today with his status for the beginning of 2025-26 uncertain until the program’s doctors clear him.

With Ingram under contract through next season at $1.95MM, it would make sense for the Mammoth to pursue another backup option in free agency to supplement Vejmelka. Ingram can’t be traded or waived while in the program, although he could be placed on long-term injured reserve to begin the season if he’s expected to miss at least the first 10 games and 24 days of the campaign.

If Ingram returns and plays closer to his 2023-24 form, the UFA pickup can be waived or traded. They already have three minor-league goaltenders signed through next year in Jaxson Stauber, Anson Thornton, and Matt Villalta, so there isn’t a need for another name in the mix with everyone healthy.

Consider Moving Underperforming Forwards

The Mammoth’s first season in Utah was marked by near across-the-board improvement. Wingers Lawson Crouse and Matias Maccelli were notable exceptions to the rule. Crouse, who’s been with the Arizona/Utah skater group for his entire NHL career and had established himself as a consistent 20-goal, 40-point force, dropped off the map entirely in 2024-25. The 6’4″, 214-lb power forward had just 12 goals and 18 points in 81 games and had his ice time slashed along the way. His 13:44 worth of deployment per game was his lowest in five years.

Maccelli’s regression was also quite disappointing. The 24-year-old Finn looked well on his way toward being a top-nine fixture for the franchise after scoring at a 60-point pace over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. He scored just eight goals and 18 points in 55 games this year, though, spending most of the last few months of the campaign as a healthy scratch due to his limited effectiveness in a checking role compared to Crouse.

Both are making significant cash. Crouse is signed through 2026-27 at a $4.3MM cap hit, while Maccelli has one year left on his deal at $3.425MM. The latter is probably worth keeping around and hoping for a bounceback. Trading him now would mean parting ways at the lowest point of his market value, and his signing rights will still be under team control as an RFA in 2026 if they still want to recoup an asset for him. Crouse, who has a much lower offensive ceiling but boasts a more consistent track record, may draw more interest.

Even with the Mammoth expected to be aggressive in free agency this summer, there isn’t a substantial financial urge for them to move either player. It might be more prudent to hope for rebounds for both next year. They have $21.2MM in cap space to fill just three roster spots, per PuckPedia, enough for them to potentially land the top UFA available in Mitch Marner, re-sign their lone notable RFA in Jack McBain, and land another serviceable depth piece on the open market. Mulling a trade for either Crouse or Maccelli would purely stem from fit and roster construction as the motivating factor.

Land A Needle-Moving Forward

Even with Sean Durzi and John Marino missing significant time on defense and their goaltending outside of Vejmelka putting up poor performances, Utah was still league-average defensively in 2024-25. Some natural improvement will come, especially with underlying metrics painting a much rosier picture of their defensive showing at 5-on-5 than their actual goals against indicate.

But the Mammoth, despite boasting five 20-goal scorers, ranked 20th in the league in offense in 2024-25. They have goal-scoring help coming soon in the form of top prospects Daniil But and Tij Iginla, but for a club with cap space to burn and an eagerness to bring postseason hockey to a new market, they’ll be in on the top names on this year’s UFA market.

They’ll consider the top name available in Marner, but landing a center, particularly one with size, might be the priority to serve as a more veritable second-line option behind Cooley. Former top-five pick Barrett Hayton has finally established himself as a quality two-way piece. He hit 20 goals and 46 points this year and averaged north of 16 minutes per game, but he’s likely best served as a No. 3 option long-term on a contending team.

That’s not to say they won’t look at wingers as well. They have an excellent top-three group at present with Guenther, Keller, and Nick Schmaltz, and Iginla and But will likely fill the last second-line winger role in a few years, but their current options of Crouse, Maccelli, or Josh Doan in the 2RW slot leave a little bit of uncertainty. But whether it’s a name like Marner, Sam Bennett, Nikolaj Ehlers, Brock Nelson, or someone else, expect them to have a fresh face near the top end of next year’s lineup to give them an added layer of scoring depth.

Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-Imagn Images.

Eastern Notes: Treliving, Flyers, Byram

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While the Toronto Maple Leafs moved on from Brendan Shanahan on Thursday, the team intends to keep general manager Brad Treliving, writes Chris Johnston of The Athletic. Treliving will report directly to MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley, per Johnston.

Treliving will immediately face tough decisions, as top forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares are set for free agency. Even with the rising salary cap, it seems unlikely Toronto can retain both players and still add other key targets needed to push the team to playoff success.

As Johnston notes, Toronto will more than likely look to lessen the NHL’s largest front office, which included 15 executive positions under Shanahan. Streamlining operations could provide greater clarity for Pelley and Treliving, allowing them to work more efficiently and make clearer decisions. A simplified structure might ultimately prove more effective.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Speaking of Marner, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic wrote that the Philadelphia Flyers should be in the market for forwards this offseason but added that he doesn’t see the potential Toronto free agent or any other big-name player as viable options. While GM Daniel Briere recently expressed that the organization is in a position to add key players as opposed to trade them away, making a move for a player that could receive upwards of $12 million per season may not fit into the Flyers plans. With a roster full of young, promising forwards, adding someone like Marner might accelerate the organization’s timeline prematurely.
  • While the Sabres are gauging the trade market for pending restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram, his new representation has called reports of a trade request a “total fabrication,” per Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report. With Byram set for restricted free agency this summer, he opted to change agents and is now represented by agent Darren Ferris with Quartexx Hockey. Byram set career highs with 38 points in 82 games this past season, while also averaging a career high 22:42 of ice time per game. It will be interesting to see whether the Sabres can generate trade interest for Byram, or if they’ll find a way to keep the 23-year-old long-term.

NHL Won’t Open Expansion Process, Open To Right Bids

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Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly addressed a range of topics in an interview with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, including ongoing expansion talks, updates on a potential collective bargaining agreement extension, and his thoughts on the current playoff format.

LeBrun’s first question focused on the CBA, which the league and NHLPA began discussing in April. While the current CBA doesn’t expire until September 2026, Daly was asked if progress was being made on a possible extension. Daly acknowledged that discussions are ongoing and progressing well, with both sides actively exchanging proposals and continuing the dialogue.

“I don’t have any timetable for you, but I would like to think that we’ll have a successful conclusion at some point in the not-too-distant future,” said Daly.

Daly added that as part of the CBA talks, both sides are discussing solutions to the current LTIR regulations and the lack of a salary cap during the playoffs. As Daly said, “Nothing’s done until it’s done, but I would tell you that I think we’ve made progress toward getting to a good resolution on that issue.”

With rumors swirling about potential expansion teams in Atlanta (for a third time) or Houston, LeBrun asked Daly whether it would be fair to say the league is actively engaged in the expansion process. While Daly said the answer depends on how one defines “expansion process,” he emphasized that the league is always open to the idea if the right opportunity presents itself.

As Daly noted, “I think what Gary (Bettman) is clear about is, there is no current intention to open up a formal expansion process and invite bids. It’s much more of a one-on-one conversation and relationship we have with various potential owners.”

Daly added that he doesn’t believe additional expansion teams would ’water down’ the league, noting that the global pool of elite talent is strong enough to support more NHL clubs. Daly said he shared in those concerns when four expansion teams were added in the late 1990s but added that the hockey world has changed dramatically over the last 25 years, with more elite players are coming from the United States and overseas than ever before.

Daly also touched on the current playoff format, which as LeBrun notes, allows for key matchups like Colorado against Dallas in the first round. Daly acknowledged that, like any topic, the NHL is open to discussing playoff format alternatives with the NHLPA as part of the CBA process but noted that no such discussions have taken place yet.

Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis Healthy, Sean Walker Questionable For Game 3

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The Carolina Hurricanes received a hint of good news of Friday. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour shared that forward Seth Jarvis is expected to play in Game 3 despite leaving Game 2 early with an apparent injury, per Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. Brind’Amour added that defenseman Sean Walker, who also left Game 2 early, will be “iffy” for Saturday’s matchup.

Walker exited Game 2 after his first shift in the second period following a big hit from Florida’s A.J. Greer. He was in the dressing room for 11 minutes of gametime but managed to return for a few more shifts in the period, before ultimately being pulled for good during the second intermission. Top forward Jarvis then left the game halfway through the third period after a hit from Niko Mikkola seemed to knock his head into the ice. Jarvis played one more shift after the big hit, but seemed to be off-balance and stumbling.

Hurricanes can breath a sigh of relief knowing that Jarvis will stick in the lineup. The 23-year-old currently leads the Hurricanes in playoff scoring with 12 points in 12 games. He’s also recorded the highest plus-minus, and second-most ice time average ice time, of any of Carolina’s forwards. Somehow Jarvis has found a way to earn an even bigger role in the postseason, after establishing himself as a summer-hockey star last year with nine points and 20:35 in average ice time through 11 playoff games. Jarvis should continue in his top-line role with a bill of good – or, good enough – health.

Walker’s injury could pose problems for Carolina, though. The Hurricanes are already without third-pair defenseman Jalen Chatfield, who’s been day-to-day with an undisclosed injury through the team’s last three games.  Carolina has turned to Scott Morrow in Chatfield’s absence, but the rookie defender has seem clearly outmatched by the pace of late-playoff hockey. Walker could open another hole in the lineup – though Carolina can find a thin silver lining in having star prospect Alexander Nikishin as their top healthy scratch. Nikishin made his NHL debut this postseason and managed two hits and two shots on net despite just 10:33 in ice time. He’s lauded as one of the world’s best U23 players after posting 46 points in 61 KHL games this season. Carolina may need to lean on that Russian expertise – and someone playing on their off-hand – should Walker be forced out of the Game 3 lineup.

Snapshots: Ylönen, Lipinski, Concussion Protocol

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Former Montreal Canadiens winger Jesse Ylönen is reportedly considering signing a deal in the SHL this summer, per Johan Svensson of Swedish news site Expressen (subscription required). Svensson didn’t specify what club the Finnish wing could be headed to. Nonetheless, the potential for a move seems high after Ylönen spent a full season in the AHL for the first time in his four-year career in North America. His minor-league stint was split between the Syracuse Crunch and Milwaukee Admirals, sparked by a late-February trade that swapped Ylönen and fellow minor-leaguer Anthony Angello.

Ylönen was slightly less productive in the Midwest – netting 14 points in 26 games for Milwaukee, including playoffs, after totaling 25 points in 47 games with Syracuse. The full-year total of 39 points in 73 games is far below the scoring pace Ylönen managed through his first two seasons in the AHL in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He spent both seasons with Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, and scored 36 points in 52 games and 32 points in 39 games respectively. That latter hot streak earned Ylönen his NHL rookie year during the 2022-23 season – and he managed a modest 16 points in 37 games to show for it. Montreal responded to positive numbers by keeping Ylönen all the lineup for the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign – but the upside bet didn’t pan out. Ylönen managed just eight points in 59 NHL games last season, and landed in the Lightning organization after Montreal declined a qualifying offer at the start of last summer.

Ylönen could be a proper match in Sweden. He grew up in Finland’s youth hockey program and played pro games in each of the country’s top two leagues. That includes totaling a combined 56 points in 127 games across three seasons in the Liiga, before he came over to North America. The SHL has certainly risen above its peers this season, but Ylönen could be well equipped for the challenge after finding, and then losing, his scoring touch in the NHL and AHL.

Other quick notes from around the league:

  • Calgary Flames prospect Jaden Lipinski is headed to the University of Maine next season, per the club’s Instagram. Lipinski will be one of the very few NCAA players with pro hockey experience – after playing one game at the end of the 2023-24 season, and two games this season, in the AHL. He recorded no notable stat changes. Lipinski is still eligible to attend college because all three games were played on an amateur try-out with the Calgary Wranglers, which kept him from earning any compensation for the matchups. NCAA revokes collegiate eligibility once players accept payment, or promise of payment, from a pro sports league. Since he didn’t, Lipinski will enter the league as a junior player who played up one year, akin to Vancouver Canucks prospect Tom Willander, who played two SHL games before joining Boston University last season. The Maine Black Bears will get a hardy addition with this news. Lipinski scored 58 points in 59 WHL games this season, and seemed to improve his ability to play physical and productive hockey. Those are the hallmarks of Maine’s style, and should create a golden stage for the Flames prospect to continue growing.
  • NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly shared that the league is satisfied with how the concussion protocol has performed this season in an interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Daly shared that the league has embedded due diligence into the process, even when players don’t formally enter the protocol. He shared that, with an additional layer of consideration, he feels the league has been able to properly answer any open questions about the process. Rates of concussions have risen and fallen in the NHL over time, but concerns around long-term effects of head injuries continues to ring louder. News site NPR published an op-ed on the link between lengthy hockey careers and CTE in December, sparking newfound debate over the effectiveness of the NHL’s concussion spotting.

Kings Retaining Marc Bergevin As Senior Advisor

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After coming up short for the Islanders’ GM vacancy, Marc Bergevin will remain in his role with the Kings as a senior advisor, John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor reports.

Los Angeles hired Bergevin, 59, midway through the 2021-22 campaign. He’s remained with the team since as one of the top input men for former GM Rob Blake. He’ll now continue to do the same for Ken Holland, whom the Kings installed as the 10th general manager in franchise history earlier this month.

Bergevin’s time with L.A. kicked off shortly after he was relieved of his duties as general manager by the Canadiens, his hometown team. The longtime NHL defenseman spent nearly a decade in the GM’s chair in Montreal after he was hired in advance of the 2012-13 season. He nearly ended up landing the second GM role of his executive career this week. He was one of two finalists for the New York job but was passed over today in favor of Mathieu Darche.

As for the Kings, there are no other indications of any staff changes outside of the Blake/Holland swap. Luc Robitaille remains in his post as team president and alternate governor while the rest of the hockey operations staff, including Bergevin and assistant GM Nelson Emerson, will remain in their posts.

Islanders Name Mathieu Darche General Manager

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2:01 p.m.: Darche has been given the title of general manager and executive vice president of hockey operations, the Islanders announced. Giving him a dual title suggests they won’t be hiring another person for oversight, at least not yet – Darche will report directly to ownership. Minority owner John Collins had the following statement:

Mathieu is the perfect choice to lead our hockey operations. He will be given every resource available to put the Islanders first-in-class on the ice, with our business initiatives, and in the community. Mathieu has served as a key member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and has a diverse background in top-level business models. He is a proven winner and is committed, as is our ownership group, to building a group that will be highly competitive next season and beyond.

11:33 a.m.: The Islanders are expected to name Mathieu Darche as their new general manager later today, sources tell Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic. The now-former assistant GM of the Lightning was one of two finalists for the role alongside Kings senior advisor and former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, per multiple reports.

Darche, 48, steps into the GM’s chair for the first time. He has some big shoes to fill, succeeding Hall-of-Fame executive Lou Lamoriello in the role after the Isles announced last month they wouldn’t be renewing his contract.

It’s a quick ascension for Darche, who’s only been in front-office roles for six years. After ending his playing career as an NHL/AHL tweener in 2013, he worked in the private sector before joining the Lightning, where he played a career-high 73 games in the 2007-08 season, as their director of hockey operations for the 2019-20 campaign. Darche kept the role until his departure from the organization today, although the organization added the AGM title to his duties beginning with the 2022-23 campaign.

The Quebec native has gotten plenty of experience as part of the management team of a perennial contender. He was involved in the Lightning’s three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final from 2020 to 2022 and won on his first two tries. While playoff success has evaded Tampa in the years since, they’ve remained a consistent threat in a tough Atlantic Division and have navigated some seismic roster changes like the departure of franchise fixture Steven Stamkos, continually retooling to stay just young enough to extend their championship contention window.

Darche won’t be the only front-office hire the Islanders announce in the coming days. They’re also looking for a president of hockey operations to oversee Darche, hiring two people to replace the dual roles Lamoriello held. That could very well be former Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, who’d been granted permission to interview with the Isles before Toronto announced they wouldn’t extend his contract.

He’ll be charged with steering the ship through a retool on Long Island that started in the final months of Lamoriello’s tenure. He jettisoned top-six staple Brock Nelson to the Avalanche at the trade deadline but gave their limited prospect pool a huge boost in the form of center Calum Ritchie, a star playmaker with OHL Oshawa whom Colorado drafted 27th overall in 2023, and a 2026 first-round pick. The lottery balls also bounced the Isles’ way to vault them from 10th to first overall in this year’s draft, giving Darche his pick between dynamic two-way defender Matthew Schaefer or star offensive center Michael Misa as the cornerstone of his retool.

Image courtesy of Eric Bolte-Imagn Images.

Golden Knights, Penguins Interested In Maxim Shabanov

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Maxim Shabanov has been tabbed as one of the crown jewels of this summer’s international free agency period, although it appears he’s still in the courting stage of NHL offers and isn’t close to a deal. That’s because his season in Russia just recently ended with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, who advanced to the Gagarin Cup Final but lost to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Today, Sergey Demidov of RG and NHL.com reports the Golden Knights and Penguins are two of the clubs that have “closely monitored” Shabanov throughout the season in hopes of landing him on an entry-level contract in the coming weeks.

There’s a natural fit for Shabanov, a 24-year-old right winger, in both organizations. The Golden Knights could use more cost-effective depth scoring with wingers Victor Olofsson, Tanner Pearson, Brandon Saad, and Reilly Smith all slated to become unrestricted free agents this summer. The Penguins, on the other hand, simply want to acquire younger, higher-upside talent to fill out their roster as they retool in the final stages of Sidney Crosby’s and Evgeni Malkin’s careers.

There are understandable concerns about Shabanov’s 5’8″, 157-lb frame that almost certainly makes him a winger at the NHL level despite being tested at center in Russia, but he’s coming off a spectacular season with Traktor. He led the team in scoring in the regular season with a 23-44–67 line in 65 games before leading the Gagarin Cup Playoffs with 10 goals and a +14 rating in 21 games.

The Penguins aren’t the only Metropolitan Division team that has an eye on Shabanov. After he got off to a hot start in the early weeks of the 2024-25 KHL season, the Islanders quickly displayed interest in his services, Ethan Sears of the New York Post said at the time. The Isles have had quite recent success with undrafted KHL pickups, hitting on one just last year with winger Maxim Tsyplakov. With a strong Russian presence on the Island in the form of Tsyplakov, Alexander Romanov, and Ilya Sorokin, there’s likely mutual appeal there for Shabanov as he adjusts to the NHL. He’d have Malkin in Pittsburgh, of course, and Pavel Dorofeyev in Vegas as well to help him with the transition.

Cap constraints likely won’t come into the picture, at least not immediately. Shabanov is only eligible for a one-year entry-level contract, so teams know they’ll have to reserve a chunk of change to re-up him in 2026-27 if he pans out for them next season.

The Anatomy Of A Stanley Cup Champion

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A lot has been made of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ elimination from the playoffs this week, with fans stating that ownership should tear the core apart. However, winning in the NHL has never been more challenging as parity has become the norm, creating a league where the line between winning and losing is razor-thin. The introduction of the salary cap in 2005 effectively eliminated the age of the dynasty. Still, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Tampa Bay Lightning managed to win multiple Cups, using a similar formula that relied on a mix of homegrown stars, bold and aggressive trades, and savvy free-agent signings. Looking back on the past decade, a clear pattern emerges, revealing a common thread that links all the Stanley Cup Champions from 2015 to 2024. These teams were built from the ground up and relied on similar roster construction to chase their championships, and could serve as a template for teams such as the Maple Leafs to follow.

Every Stanley Cup roster between 2015 and 2024 had an elite center running the first line, from Jonathan Toews in Chicago to Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh and Jack Eichel in Vegas. These champions built their dominance from the center of the ice out. That dynamic point producer anchoring the top unit set the tone for teams, allowing them to drive play at five-on-five and usually run an elite power play. Oftentimes, these centers were two-way players who didn’t skimp on their defensive game or shy away from physicality. Crosby and Toews have consistently demonstrated this, as well as many other intangibles that set the tone for their respective teams.

Outside of an elite center, the champions have all had a strong 2C that could operate as a first-line center on most other NHL teams. The ability to roll out two top centers has given teams the ability to overwhelm their opponents by essentially running two first lines. There is no better example of this than Pittsburgh with Crosby and second-line center Evgeni Malkin. During their runs to the Stanley Cup, Pittsburgh was able to get more out of Malkin on the nights that Crosby didn’t have his game and vice versa.

Behind that, top teams almost always have substantial center depth beyond their top six, and in many cases, they can play matchup minutes against the other team’s top players. Pittsburgh had Nick Bonino, who centered the HBK line (with Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin) that became a force during the Penguins’ 2016 run, while the Washington Capitals of 2018 had Lars Eller, who could match up against an opposing team’s top line or contribute offensively if played against similar level competition.

Beyond the middle of the ice, championship teams had one game-breaking winger. Pittsburgh had Kessel, Chicago had Patrick Kane, and Tampa Bay had Nikita Kucherov. Even in the past two years, the Champions (Vegas and Florida) have been able to deploy Mark Stone and Matthew Tkachuk, respectively. Having a winger who can take over a game gives the elite centers a pressure valve if they are having a bad game or are being tightly checked. Crosby had some off nights during the Penguins’ runs, but Pittsburgh was fortunate to have Kessel around to pick up the pieces. In Game 2 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals against Ottawa, the Senators did a phenomenal job checking Crosby and Malkin. However, Kessel was there to score the game’s only goal as the Penguins won 1-0.

Slipping back to the defense, nearly every team has had a top-pairing defenseman that is at or close to Norris-caliber over the past decade. This defenseman can play at a high level for 25-plus minutes per night and drives play at even strength while running an effective top power play unit. The one exception here might be the 2017 Penguins, who had Kris Letang, but he was sidelined due to injury and missed the entire playoffs. However, running it back to 2015, teams have had that minute-eating star defenseman who dominates at both ends of the rink. The list of players is elite: Cale Makar (Colorado 2022), Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay 2020 & 2021), Alex Pietrangelo (2019 in St. Louis and 2023 in Vegas) and John Carlson (Washington 2018), to name a few.

The depth is also essential for these Cup-winning rosters, as the bottom six can play a critical role depending on matchups and how many teams can roll four lines. Teams that can throw out a strong forechecking bottom two lines can wear down their opponents over a seven-game series using a mix of speed, grit and defensive reliability. The Penguins won two cups with this style, as did the Tampa Bay Lightning, who could deploy the likes of Pat Maroon, Tyler Johnson and Ross Colton on their bottom two lines during their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. Teams that can keep sending over fresh legs shift after shift can eventually overwhelm their opponents in a seven-game series as the top players on the opposing team start to wear down from being relied upon to carry the water for a weaker team.

The teams that can build out depth can keep their core players together for a long time, which is also a massive piece of building out a Stanley Cup-winning roster. Most of the teams that won a title over the past decade did so by having a core that was largely intact for over a few years, which built chemistry, resilience, familiarity and a buy-in from the players who remained in that organization. The core continuity allowed all those components to grow and mature, eventually becoming an advantage when the games matter the most. Teams that lacked that stability often would have difficulty competing year after year, which happened to Pittsburgh after 2017, as the organization became a revolving door for the past decade.

Lastly, goaltending is always a significant factor in playoff success, but it isn’t always about who has the best goaltending; it is more about which team has the timeliest goaltending. Most of the teams that have won championships have done so without a Vezina Trophy winner and simply had a goaltender who got hot at the right time of year and carried the team through a round or two. In some cases, teams relied on two goalies who heated up when the games mattered most and were able to get the job done, or in the case of Vegas in 2023, they relied on upstart Adin Hill, who was fantastic in his 11 wins on the way to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. In rare cases, teams didn’t even need average goaltending to win the cup and could get the job done despite poor netminding (Colorado 2022).

So, to recap, using the last ten Stanley Cup Champions: a team must acquire an elite first-line center, a strong second-line pivot, solid bottom-six depth up front, a Norris Trophy-calibre defenseman, and a goaltender that can get hot at precisely the right time. The ability to acquire the right mix of players at the right time is incredibly complicated and is something that Toronto has had to grapple with over the past decade; it isn’t easy to win in today’s NHL, and even the greatest of plans can be foiled by that reality. The Maple Leafs will be in tough to turn this era into a Stanley Cup, even if their blueprint isn’t far off from past winners.

Photos by Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports & Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Ivan Prosvetov Eyeing NHL Return

at CDT | by 2 Comments

CSKA Moscow of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League has released goaltender Ivan Prosvetov from the final two years of his contract to pursue NHL opportunities, according to Pavel Panyshev of Championat. They will retain his KHL rights through the time his deal was initially set to expire in May 2027 if he opts to return home before then.

Prosvetov, 26, will try again to land a full-time NHL roster spot as a backup on an opening-night roster in the fall. A fourth-round pick of the Coyotes in 2018, he spent four pro seasons there before being claimed off waivers by the Avalanche at the beginning of 2023-24. After failing to capture the No. 2 job there and finishing the year in the minors, he returned to his hometown on a three-year deal upon becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent.

The 6’5″ netminder’s NHL work to date leaves much to be desired. In 19 starts and five relief appearances across four seasons with Arizona and Colorado, he posted an 8-9-2 record with a 3.70 GAA and .881 SV%. His below-average save percentage equates to 15.3 goals allowed above average during that time. His best work came in his longest leash with the Avs one year ago, posting a .895 SV% in 11 appearances before being sent to the minors in January. After the demotion, he also looked like an elite AHL option for the first time with a 2.33 GAA, .921 SV%, two shutouts, and an 11-7-2 record in 21 games for the Colorado Eagles.

Prosvetov’s move to Russia gave him some more momentum. He started the lion’s share of games for CSKA this season and earned KHL Goaltender of the Month honors in November en route to finishing 2024-25 with a 2.32 GAA, .920 SV%, four shutouts, and a 20-16-2 record in 38 games. Those are still above-average numbers in the goalie-friendly KHL and, considering his upward momentum to end his last NHL campaign in the Avs’ system, it makes sense there would be some interest in bringing him back stateside.

Colorado no longer holds his signing rights, so he’s free to talk with any team regarding a one-way or two-way contract for next season and beyond. If he doesn’t find a suitable offer, he’ll presumably return to CSKA for 2025-26.

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