PHR Mailbag: Tkachuk, Rangers, Thomas, Back-To-Backs, Advertising
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include what a successful offseason for the Rangers could be, the impact of back-to-backs, and more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in our last two mailbag columns.
Bill Blueshirt: The NYR has a long-standing interest in getting B. Tkachuk. Would a package of Cuylle, Schneider, their 1st rounder (#3 overall), and either Trocheck or Laba get it done?
When I first started reading the question, I thought ‘this is going to be a no’, especially with it being a package. But I have to say, I think this would get it done on Ottawa’s part, even if they have no interest in moving Brady Tkachuk. And this would assume that Vincent Trocheck wouldn’t have the Sens on his no-trade list; given that it seems as if he’s blocked trades to Western teams, there’s a chance of that happening.
Tkachuk has given no indication that he wouldn’t re-sign with the Senators, although that hasn’t stopped the speculation that he might do like his brother and give early notice that he won’t re-sign. In that scenario, Ottawa would probably want a return that gets them some future help but also allows them to stay competitive now. This would do that.
Trocheck, Tim Stutzle, Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto, and Ridly Greig would be a solid center group and plausibly could allow Ottawa to move one to fill another hole. William Cuylle could be a second-line power forward; he’s pretty much close to being one already. Braden Schneider would help shore up the weak side of their back end. And the fifth pick (after the lottery didn’t go New York’s way) would net them a strong future piece as well. So, I think they’d do this.
I’m not sure it’s in New York’s best interest, however. Are they a better team after this swap? Yes, Tkachuk is the best player in it but the supporting cast takes a big hit and they lose most of their best trade chips. Less depth, fewer trade options, and they’re two years away from a very expensive contract to keep him in the fold. If the Rangers were one player away and had the depth of a few years ago, this would be defensible. Given that they’re in a spot where they’re looking to do at least some sort of rebuild though, this isn’t the right time to go in big on a player.
lgr34561: What do you think an ideal offseason looks like for the Rangers and what are your expectations for them next season?
I have my doubts that the Rangers will do a full-blown rebuild so a successful offseason for them, in my books, would simply be sticking to the path they’re on.
For Trocheck, I think they have to move him this summer. He’s going to be one of the top centers available, if not the best one (if you think Robert Thomas won’t be in play anymore). The demand is extremely high with a lot of teams looking to buy. Coming out of a Trocheck trade with at least two high-end futures pieces (a good first-round pick or prospect and a top-six prospect or potential impact blueliner) would be big as that could fill two of the foundational holes down the road. The trade wouldn’t be two-for-one as money dictates there would probably be other pieces but those would be the core of the return. I don’t think they want to move J.T. Miller so quickly and Mika Zibanejad doesn’t want to move so they’d still be in solid shape down the middle.
I’m skeptical that Alexis Lafreniere has another gear to get to. He might be someone who just sits in that 50-60-point range and while that’s solid, I’d like to see Chris Drury explore options on that front. This wouldn’t be a straight seller move but rather more of a one-for-one move with a similarly-aged player with lots of club control (or a long-term deal) doing the other way. Basically, a swap to try to find someone who better fits Mike Sullivan’s system as I don’t see a coaching change happening again anytime soon, not with his contract.
Ideally, I’d say sign Schneider long-term and trade Will Borgen but Borgen’s contract might make it tough. One of those two will be a bottom-pairing piece and the price tag doesn’t fit the role so if Borgen getting dealt for value isn’t an option, then I’d say move Schneider and capitalize on the demand for right-shot defensemen. The return wouldn’t be as significant as Trocheck’s but I could see them landing one A-level asset.
Beyond that, if they can move a lower-end veteran (guys like Taylor Raddysh, Urho Vaakanainen, and the like) and open up more of a full-time slot for some of their near-ready prospects, that would be worth doing as well. That’s a lot of selling for a team that I think isn’t necessarily quite that committed to moving out pieces but doing that would be a good summer in my books.
Red Wings: Wings need help. Robert Thomas could be the 1C and Larkin could slide down to 2C. What would it take to get him out of St. Louis?
Now that we’ve covered Trocheck, let’s look at the other prominent center who is no stranger to the rumor mill. Adding Thomas would certainly help fill the top-six middleman slot that they’ve tried several times to fill and he and Dylan Larkin would be a solid one-two punch.
However, the asking price before the trade deadline was believed to be the equivalent of at least three top-15 assets. One theoretically could have been Detroit’s first-round pick but St. Louis already has that from the Justin Faulk trade. With it being too early to know where their 2027 pick could plausibly fall, I don’t think that could fill one of those slots, meaning we’re looking at three already-drafted pieces.
The Red Wings have several youngsters who technically fit the bill but some of those players have seen their stock drop as well. For example, Marco Kasper was an eighth-overall pick but he doesn’t carry that high a value now. That said, I could see him being one of the pieces. (If not him, then Nate Danielson makes sense.) For a winger, one of Michael Brandsegg-Nygard or 2025 first-round pick Carter Bear would fit the bill. Does St. Louis want more of a playmaker or a scorer and are they looking for someone close to ready now or a few years away? The answer to that dictates which one of those two would be in the offer. I don’t see the Blues having a ton of interest in Axel Sandin Pellikka so the other spot would either need to be one of the forwards already listed or goaltender Sebastian Cossa. (I’m not sure Trey Augustine carries top-15 value league-wide, as good a prospect as he is.) Cossa and Joel Hofer would be an interesting tandem for the near and long-term future with some upside.
On top of that, Detroit would probably need to offset the money somewhat. The good news is that there are some logical choices in J.T. Compher and Andrew Copp, veterans whose spots may be displaced by Thomas coming in anyway.
There are three questions I still have coming out of all of that. If I’m Alex Steen, I’m not sure that’d be enough for me as, again, some of the shine has come off some of these high-drafted pieces. The second is on Detroit’s end and it’s similar to the Tkachuk thing earlier, is this the right move for a team that keeps missing the playoffs to make? (I can come around to yes here, however, unlike the Tkachuk scenario.) The third is the biggest one: Would Thomas waive for the Red Wings? There’s a sense that GM Steve Yzerman has tried to swing big but has either had players tell them they’re not interested in going there or aren’t willing to sign long term. They only have to worry about the former here with Thomas signed through 2030-31 but there may be more appealing suitors for his services.
Duke II: While it may be common sense, is there any empirical data that confirms NHL players’ stats are worse in the second game of B-2-B games?
I’m going to try to answer this primarily from a team-based perspective. Statistically speaking, teams have a lower points percentage on back-to-backs so, therefore, it can also be gleaned that individual player stats aren’t quite as good as otherwise, there wouldn’t be a gap in points percentage. But the gap isn’t always as big as some might think. Here are the numbers, courtesy of More Hockey Stats (they have the team records, I’ve converted them to average points per game):
2025-26: Overall Average Points Per Game: 1.12
Points Per Game In Back Half Of Back-To-Back: 1.07
2024-25: Overall Average Points Per Game: 1.10
Points Per Game In Back Half Of Back-To-Back: 0.93
2023-24: Overall Average Points Per Game: 1.10
Points Per Game In Back Half Of Back-To-Back: 1.03
2022-23: Overall Average Points Per Game: 1.12
Points Per Game In Back Half Of Back-To-Back: 0.99
Now, you asked for the players. That’s a little harder to track down on an everything-in-one-place level but ESPN’s player profiles have this snuck in near the bottom. For example, here’s the profile for Minnesota’s Matt Boldy. He had 10 points in the second half of 12 back-to-backs this season, a 0.83 point-per-game average compared to 1.12 points per game for the full season. In 2024-25, he had a 0.33 point-per-game average in the second half of back-to-backs against a 0.89 full-season average. It wasn’t as pronounced in 2023-24 at a .786 point-per-game average in the back half of a back-to-back against a 0.92 mark for the season.
This is just one example but I suspect, given the reduced teams’ success in the back half of a back-to-back, that more players will follow Boldy and have a reduced output in those situations. If there are certain players you’re intrigued about specifically, the ESPN profiles can give you the breakdown you’re looking for.
Jolly Roger: Is there anything in the CBA regulating advertising on players’ helmets? Does every team make their own deal for such advertising? Do players receive a cut and can they opt out, for example if they disagree with the advertiser policies, or just don’t want to be a skating billboard?
Advertising isn’t a CBA element beyond that advertising revenue is part of Hockey Related Revenue, or HRR. HRR is what helps shape the salary cap with the players and owners getting 50% chunks of that revenue. That’s the players’ cut of it, so to speak. They are not able to opt out, nor can they solicit their own deal to stick a patch on a jersey or helmet.
Every team can make their own agreements for the advertising. Some have had sponsor changes already within the first few years. All 32 teams have at least one helmet agreement in place while many have separate agreements for home and away. Only 28 teams have jersey sponsorships for this season (soon to be 29 with the Sabres announcing Friday that they have a deal in place for next year) while, again, some have home and away sponsors as well.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.
Atlantic Notes: Moser, Mignosa, Carrick
Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser will suit up for Switzerland at the upcoming World Championship, per an announcement from the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation. The 25-year-old is coming off a strong season, one that saw him produce 29 points in 79 games while averaging a career-best 21:34 per night of playing time. Moser’s efforts saw him receive an eight-year, $54MM contract extension midseason that will keep him in the fold through 2033-34. With Victor Hedman not playing in their first-round exit against Montreal, Moser was counted on even more, logging 23:32 per night, the third-highest ATOI for Tampa Bay in the series. The Swiss are hosting this year’s Worlds and will now have another defensive anchor to rely on for the tournament.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Still with the Lightning, prospect Marco Mignosa announced on his Instagram page that he will play for Penn State next season. The 21-year-old finished up his junior career this season with OHL Soo, collecting 35 goals and 54 assists in 65 regular season games while adding 17 points in 10 playoff contests. Mignosa, a 2025 seventh-round pick, briefly joined AHL Syracuse on an ATO but never suited up for them, maintaining his college eligibility in the process.
- Sabres center Sam Carrick has gone from someone unlikely to play in the second round to being on the verge of a return. Speaking to reporters before last night’s game including Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald, head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that had this been an elimination game situation, Carrick probably would have played but instead, he opted to give the 34-year-old a bit more rest. With Buffalo losing last night and struggling at the faceoff dot, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Carrick and his 54.8% success rate on draws this season return to the lineup on Saturday.
Daniil Miromanov Expected To Sign In KHL
May 9: Miromanov is indeed expected to sign with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL for next season, reports Sport-Express’ Fyodor Nosov.
Apr. 25: Things didn’t go quite to plan for Flames defenseman Daniil Miromanov, who spent most of the year in the minors. A pending unrestricted free agent, it appears that he’s considering a return home for next season, as Sport-Express’ Artur Khairullin reports (Telegram link) that Miromanov may return to the KHL next season, with SKA St. Petersburg a leading candidate for his services.
Miromanov was a full-timer on Calgary’s roster last season, albeit often in a seventh defenseman role. The 28-year-old broke camp with the Flames out of training camp this year as well, but barely a week into the season after just one game played, he found himself on waivers. He passed through unclaimed and aside from a brief recall in November, he was exclusively with AHL Calgary the rest of the way, posting 11 goals and 27 assists in 66 games as he took full advantage of playing in a prominent role.
Miromanov originally broke into the NHL with Vegas, signing with them back in 2021 as an undrafted free agent. He saw time in parts of three seasons with them before being moved to the Flames back in 2024 as part of the return for Noah Hanifin. Between the two franchises, he has 94 career NHL appearances under his belt, posting 23 points and 110 blocked shots in 17:26 per night of playing time.
A big right-shot defender, Miromanov would undoubtedly generate some interest on the open market this summer. While he cleared waivers in October, his $1.25MM contract may have been a reason for that. On a contract closer to the minimum salary ($850K starting in 2026-27), he might have a better chance at sticking on an NHL roster next season.
However, Miromanov would likely be in a seventh defender role if he caught on with another NHL team next season. If he wants to have a chance to play more prominently as he did with the Wranglers this season, he could certainly get that chance by returning to the KHL where he’d also have a chance to play much closer to home.
Avalanche Assign Ilya Nabokov To AHL
The Colorado Avalanche’s minor-leaague affiliate has received a boost in the midst of their race for the AHL’s Calder Cup. Goaltender Ilya Nabokov has been reassigned to the Colorado Eagles following the end of his season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL’s Gagarin Cup Playoffs semi-finals.
Nabokov spent the season on loan to Metallurg from the Avalanche. He once again filled a starter role in Russia, though this season brought dimmer results than his first two years in the KHL. Nabokov set a 22-7-5 record and a .901 save percentage in 38 games this season and dressed for an additional 21 games as backup. His record shined more than in year’s past, though this was Nabokov’s first KHL season without a save percentage north of .920. He recorded 23 wins in each of the last two seasons, to go with a .930 save percentage in 43 games and a .923 save percentage in 49 games respectively.
The first of those two seasons marked a true breakout for Nabokov. He rocketed up from the Metallurg’s junior roster to their KHL starting role and finished the regular season tied for the sixth-highest save percentage in the league. Not to be outdone, Nabokov then pushed Metallurg – a perennial Gagarin Cup contender – to a championship win with 16 wins and a .942 save percentage in 23 playoff games. That performance shined on NHL draft radars, ultimately earning Nabokov a top-40 selection despite 2024 being his second year of draft-eligibility.
The Eagles have been valiantly led by Trent Miner in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Miner has three shutouts, four wins, and a playoff-best .960 save percentage while playing in all five of the team’s games. He will continue to hold onto Colorado’s starting role, while Nabokov will challenge Isak Posch and Kyle Keyser for the backup chair. Miner would have to decline quickly to make way for Nabokov’s AHL debut, though his move to the Calder Cup Playoffs could be a good sign of his chance at securing a minor-league role next season. Nabokov could also see a recall to the NHL to serve as a third-string goaltender and get reps in with goalie coach Jussi Parkkila per Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette.
Leafs’ John Chayka To Meet With Auston Matthews, Craig Berube
The Toronto Maple Leafs have opened the doors to a new age after hiring John Chayka as general manager and Mats Sundin as a senior advisor. First order of business for the new staff will be finding how they want to define Toronto’s short-term goals – a task helped along by the club’s win at the 2026 NHL Draft lottery. With the top pick in hand, Chayka is now turning his attention towards meeting with the club’s most influential figures – head coach Craig Berube and franchise star Auston Matthews – in the near-future, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic on Thursday’s episode of TSN Overdrive.
There are conflicting reports of if a meeting date has been set yet, though. TSN’s Darren Dreger joined Overdrive to share that Chayka and Matthews do not have a date carved out yet, despite LeBrun’s mention of the inevitable meeting.
Whenever a meeting is held, the question to both Berube and Matthews will likely be the same: what role do you want to play in the Maple Leafs’ next few seasons? Reports have varied on Matthews’ commitment to the club that drafted him first-overall in 2016. He has already secured the franchise record with 428 career goals, passing Sundin’s 420 career goals earlier this season. Matthews also ranks fourth on the club with 780 career points. He has delivered a true star to the Toronto area, though the Maple Leafs weren’t able to turn that asset into postseason success, even with the support of Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares.
Through nine consecutive postseason appearances between 2017 and 2025, Matthews has been the one under the microscope – especially after picking up the team’s captaincy in 2024. His game has faced scrutiny at every level – criticisms that are hard to curb as Matthews attempts to recover from an MCL tear sustained in March of this season. That injury contributed to Matthews only potting 53 points in 60 games this season, his first under a point-per-game since his rookie season in 2016-17.
With two seasons left on a four-year, $53MM contract signed in 2023, Matthews will have to answer the question of if he can handle the heat. The postseason will remain Toronto’s primary goal for as long as Matthews, Nylander, and Tavares are headlining the offense. If those runs will include Berube is yet to be seen, after the Stanley Cup-winning head coach failed to lead the Maple Leafs to the playoffs in his second season with the club. Berube led Toronto to 52 wins last season. He has made the postseason in five of his nine years manning an NHL bench, excluding his mid-season firing from the 2023-24 St. Louis Blues.
Should Matthews want to explore greener pastures, or Chayka decide to move on from Berube, the Maple Leafs would again be faced with having to fill a major hole. Matthews’ departure would bump Tavares into a starring role and clear path for Gavin McKenna – or another choice at first-overall – to move into a spotlight role. Dismissing Berube would make the Maple Leafs a top candidate for coaching free agents like Bruce Cassidy, Dean Evason, Jay Woodcroft, or Gerard Gallant. More changes would only further separate the Maple Leafs from their era of short-lived playoff runs – a task Chayka will begin to face before the 2026 NHL Draft rolls around.
Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.
Nick Suzuki Offers Canadiens A Franchise Cornerstone
The Montreal Canadiens are in the midst of a close playoff race – but no matter the end result, the 2025-26 season will mark another step forward in Montreal’s long-term outlook. Top-line center Nick Suzuki reached 101 points this season, marking the first time a Canadiens player has crested the century-scoring mark since Mats Naslund reached 110 in 1986. Suzuki becomes only the fourth Canadien to reach that mark, joining Naslund and some of the core players in Montreal’s six Stanley Cup wins from the 1970s.
Suzuki’s was undoubtedly propelled by the additions of Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, and Ivan Demidov – who have each posted breakout years early into their career. Hutson has, specifically, offered a jolt to the Canadiens’ offense – bringing a top-tier playmaking that helped him notch 146 points in the first 166 games of his career. But Suzuki has stood tall in the middle of Montreal’s dynamos, offering a full-ice awareness that has proved pivotal to the Canadiens’ movement up the ice for the last two seasons.
That full-ice ability was honored when Suzuki was named a finalist for the 2026 Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL forward who best excels at the defensive side of the game. Only two players in NHL history have won the Selke Trophy and scored at least 100 points in the same season: Doug Gilmour in 1993, and Sergei Fedorov in both 1994 and 1996. Should he win, the 26-year-old Suzuki would join Hall-Of-Fame-company. Even a nomination emphasizes Suzuki’s ability to provide a top-tier impact on both sides of the ice.
Best yet, the Canadiens’ top center is still at least a couple of years away from his prime – and carries a reasonable $7.88MM cap hit through the 2029-30 season. He checks boxes across the board, locking down Montreal’s top-line and capable of performing next to a rotation of wingers – all at a discount price. Those traits, and Suzuki’s clear hockey IQ, were enough to earn him the title of youngest captain in Canadiens history when he was awarded the ‘C’ at the age of 23, in 2022. Four years later, Suzuki is continuing to find new heights in Montreal, while bringing the lineup along with him. His cohesive playmaking helped propel Caufield to 51 goals this season, second-most in the league to Nathan MacKinnon‘s 53 goals.
The Canadiens have pushed into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after ending a three-year playoff drought last season. They seem well-set to enter the next decade of NHL action as one of the Eastern Conference’s heavy-hitters, on the back of an emerging roster. While questions still remain for some of their young guns, there is no doubt about Suzuki’s spot in Montreal’s future. With a controlled contract and incredible impacts on both ends of the ice, the Canadiens will move forward with Suzuki in a starring role – with potentially even higher heights still yet to come.
Islanders’ Ryan Pulock Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock has undergone surgery to address a shoulder injury that he played through this season per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. Rosner adds that the injury was one of a few Pulock played through this season, and that the veteran defender is expected to be back to full health before training camp next season.
Pulock only missed six games this season, despite battling through a few different ailments. All of those absences came in the second half of the season – with Pulock missing two games in January, three games in March, and New York’s season finale. He otherwise filled a pivotal role in the lineup, standing opposite of rookie-phenom Matthew Schaefer on the Islanders’ top pair. Pulock served as the defensive backbone that helped Schaefer tie Brian Leetch‘s record for most goals by a rookie defenseman in NHL history (23).
On his own, Pulock racked up 27 points, 49 hits, and a team-leading 147 shot blocks on the year. It was his highest-scoring season since he scored 35 points in the 2019-20 season, when much of his year was spent alongside Devon Toews. Pulock also posted the lowest goals-against per 60 minutes of ice time on the Islanders’ blue-line this season, per HockeyStats.com. It was another successful year for the veteran defender – a testament to his impact on the nightly lineup despite an injury-plagued year.
Pulock is signed to a reasonable, $6.15MM cap hit through the 2029-30 season. That contract will help keep his focus solely on returning to full health this summer. He will enter the 2026-27 season looking to continue backing Schaefer’s high-scoring offense. Pulock’s top spot is nearly unrivaled on the depth chart, backed by Scott Mayfield, Adam Boqvist, and pending free agent Tony DeAngelo.
Hockey Canada Releases World Championship Roster
One day after USA Hockey announced the preliminary group that they would be bringing to Switzerland for the 2026 IIHF World Championship, Hockey Canada followed suit. Instead of their preliminary roster, Hockey Canada revealed the final group they’ll bring to the international tournament. It consists of three goalies, eight defensemen, and 12 forwards and is as follows:
Goaltenders
Jet Greaves (Blue Jackets)
Jack Ivankovic (Predators)
Cam Talbot (Red Wings)
Defensemen
Evan Bouchard (Oilers)
Dylan DeMelo (Jets)
Sam Dickinson (Sharks)
Denton Mateychuk (Blue Jackets)
Darnell Nurse (Oilers)
Morgan Rielly (Maple Leafs)
Zach Whitecloud (Flames)
Parker Wotherspoon (Penguins)
Forwards
Mathew Barzal (Islanders)
Connor Brown (Devils)
Macklin Celebrini (Sharks)
Dylan Cozens (Senators)
Emmitt Finnie (Red Wings)
Dylan Holloway (Blues)
Fraser Minten (Bruins)
Ryan O’Reilly (Predators)
Mark Scheifele (Jets)
John Tavares (Maple Leafs)
Robert Thomas (Blues)
Gabriel Vilardi (Jets)
As is typically the case with any iteration of Team Canada, the team will be led by offensive firepower. Celebrini, 19, is a major addition to the team after scoring 45 goals and 115 points in 82 games for the San Jose Sharks in his sophomore campaign. Additionally, Celebrini brought the same talent to the Olympics, where he registered five goals and 10 points in six games. Even being under 20 years old, there’s a worthwhile argument that Celebrini will be the best player at the World Championship.
Sticking to the forward corps, the Canadians are bringing a lot of experience to the team. O’Reilly, Scheifele, and Tavares are all considered longtime veterans at this point and are still producing like top-tier players. Furthermore, Barzal, Cozens, Holloway, Thomas, and Vilardi will not only give Canada a formidable top six but also the ability to put out three strong scoring units.
The questions for Team Canada begin to arise on the blue line. Bouchard will likely be treated as the top option, but he has too many flaws in his defensive game to warrant ice time in all situations. Nurse and Rielly have plenty of experience, but have each seen their play drop off considerably in recent years. Unlike their forward corps, the Canadians may be led by younger defensemen rather than veteran talent.
Interestingly enough, the Canadiens don’t look too bad between the pipes. Greaves was underappreciated in the national spotlight this season, managing a 26-19-9 record with the Blue Jackets with a .908 SV%, 2.60 GAA, and 18.6 Goals Saved Above Average. Although Cam Talbot has played for Team Canada once before, the Canadians may lean on Ivankovic as the backup, who backstopped the University of Michigan to the top team in the NCAA regular season this year.
Latest On Vancouver Canucks GM Search
It appears that the Vancouver Canucks are down to their two finalists for the next General Manager of the organization. According to Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV, Vancouver has begun to tell prospective candidates that they are no longer under consideration, and the team is down to Ryan Johnson and Evan Gold as the finalists.
Johnson, 49, is an obvious choice to take over the Canucks front office, especially considering that the team denied the Nashville Predators permission to interview him. Even if they didn’t consider him a candidate, Vancouver can refuse any team’s interest in their staff, as is their right, but it likely would have lowered their credibility around the league if they denied Nashville and didn’t give Johnson a fair shot.
That’s not to say the Canucks ultimately have to promote Johnson, but he has been with the team for more than a decade and has dramatically improved the state of their AHL affiliate. After his playing career ended following the 2010-11 campaign, Johnson was hired by the Canucks as a development coach in 2013-14. He served in that role for two years before being promoted to the Assistant Director of Player Development in 2015-16.
Since the 2017-18 campaign, Johnson has served as the General Manager of their AHL affiliate and the Assistant General Manager of Vancouver. He spearheaded the transition from the Utica Comets to the Abbotsford Canucks for the 2021-22 campaign and oversaw the team that won the Calder Cup last season.
Meanwhile, Gold would be an outside hire if the Canucks landed on him. Gold has served as the General Manager of the AHL’s Providence Bruins and the Assistant General Manager of the Boston Bruins for several years, being considered more analytical than Johnson. Before that, he served in the legal affairs team in Boston for the Hockey Operations department after obtaining his law degree from the University of Toronto. Unlike Johnson, Gold doesn’t have any professional or even semi-professional playing experience to speak of.
Regardless, today’s update from Dhaliwal shows how much things can change. Only a few days ago, reports indicated that the Canucks had settled on Pierre Dorion as the team’s next General Manager, only to have today’s news indicate he’s no longer under consideration. Considering the lengthy duration of the process and Dhaliwal’s assertion that finalists have been selected, a definitive hiring decision is expected within the next few days.
Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid Named Hart Trophy Finalists
According to an announcement from the league, Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers are the three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy. The award is given annually “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.”
Although he hasn’t won the award since the 2018-19 campaign, Kucherov becomes a finalist for the league-MVP for the third consecutive year. Despite not leading the league in scoring this season, it’s hard to argue that Kucherov isn’t deserving of the award. Given the number of injuries the Lightning dealt with this season, especially to the defensive corps, there’s no telling how bad the season could have gone if they didn’t have Kucherov’s point-producing offense (although a significant argument can be made that it was Andrei Vasilevskiy doing the heavy lifting).
Most impressively, Kucherov managed his fourth consecutive season in which he managed to register more than 80 assists. His final scoring line was 44 goals and 130 points in 76 games with a +43 rating, averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per game. In some of the major scoring categories, Kucherov ranked eighth in goals (44), second in assists (86), second in points (130), third in goals created (46.3), fourth in even-strength goals (35), fourth in goals per game (0.58), first in assists per game (1.13), first in points per game (1.71), and second in goals created per game (0.61).
MacKinnon, on the other hand, has a strong case, being the most dominant player on the most dominant team. Like Kucherov, he has become synonymous with the award over the last several years, finishing in the top five in voting for four consecutive years, and winning the award in the 2023-24 campaign.
He’s already won one major award this year, taking home the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the highest-scoring player. MacKinnon finished with 53 goals and 127 points in 80 games with a +57 rating, averaging north of 22 minutes of ice time per game. Compared to the other finalists, MacKinnon finished first in goals (53), third in assists (74), third in points (127), second in goals created (48.0), first in even-strength goals (42), first in goals per game (0.66), fifth in assists per game (0.93), third in points per game (1.59), and third goals created per game (0.60).
Meanwhile, everything that is true of Kucherov and MacKinnon is true of McDavid. The 29-year-old has already won the award three times and has finished in the top 10 in voting every year of his career after his rookie campaign. As incredible as McDavid has been throughout his career, he quietly had the second-highest scoring season of his career, scoring 48 goals and 138 points in 82 games with a +17 rating, averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice time per game.
Taking home the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s highest-scoring, McDavid finished third in goals (48), first in assists (90), first in points (138), first in goals created (50.5), fifth in even strength goals (34), third in goals per game (0.59), second in assists per game (1.10), second in points per game (1.68), and first in goals created per game (0.62).
Despite each of the three finalists having a strong claim for the award, the conversation can’t be had without mentioning youngster Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks. The language used by the NHL regarding the award, along with the writers who make up the PHWA’s interpretation of it, has sparked considerable debate in recent years.
The argument regarding MacKinnon doesn’t seem as convincing, considering how dominant his teammates on the Avalanche were this year. However, there is a valid point that the Lightning and Oilers might not have made the playoffs this season if they hadn’t had either player available, though this is likely less applicable to the Lightning.
Even though the Sharks didn’t qualify for postseason play, there’s little rationality that the team would have been in striking distance of a playoff spot without Celebrini. The second-year forward scored 45 goals and 115 points in 82 games for the Sharks this season, with the next closest player, Will Smith, finishing with 59 points (albeit in limited action due to injuries). Furthermore, the gap between Celebrini’s and Smith’s point totals, 115 and 59, respectively, is significantly more than the gaps that Kucherov, MacKinnon, or McDavid had on their teams this season.
Regardless, the votes have already been cast, and we’ll find out in a few short weeks which one of the trio will ultimately be named the league MVP for the 2025-26 season.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig of USA TODAY Sports.