Central Notes: Wild, Schmidt, Engle
There is a mixture of good and bad news for the Wild as they head into the third game of their series against Colorado tonight. Michael Russo of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that defenseman Zach Bogosian will indeed return from the lower-body injury that kept him out of Tuesday’s game. Meanwhile, after missing practice Friday due to illness, winger Mats Zuccarello took part in today’s morning skate and will be good to go for this game as well. However, the news isn’t as positive for center Joel Eriksson Ek. He didn’t skate today and has been ruled out for tonight’s contest, meaning that Minnesota will be trying to get back into the series without their top center once again.
Elsewhere in the Central Division:
- A promising Stars prospect is on the move for the second time in less than six months. Earlier this week, WHL Victoria announced that they’ve acquired winger Cameron Schmidt from Seattle in exchange for a pair of draft picks, including the seventh-round pick in the draft from a few days ago. The 19-year-old was a late third-round pick last year, falling due to his smaller stature. But Schmidt is coming off an impressive 2025-26 season, one that saw him reach 100 points in 72 games between Vancouver and Seattle. He’ll now get a shot at one more run at the junior level before likely turning pro for the 2027-28 campaign.
- Jets prospect Edison Engle has changed his college commitment. According to Illegal Curve’s David Minuk and confirmed by Brad Elliott Schlossmann of the Grand Forks Herald, the 19-year-old will now play for Western Michigan next season instead of Ohio State as originally planned. Engle was a sixth-round pick by Winnipeg last summer, going 188th overall. He played for OHL Brantford this season and in his first year at that level, he put up 28 points in 61 games during the regular season before adding five more in 15 playoff contests.
Offseason Checklist: Winnipeg Jets
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those eliminated in the first round. Accordingly, it’s now time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Winnipeg.
After a 2024-25 season that saw the Jets finish first overall in the regular season and make it to the second round of the playoffs, expectations were high heading into this year. Yes, Nikolaj Ehlers was gone but the core group was expected to be good enough to keep them in a safe playoff spot. However, that certainly didn’t happen as they put up their lowest 82-game point total since 2015-16. Now, Kevin Cheveldayoff has several pieces to try to add to his group over the coming months if he wants to get Winnipeg back into a playoff spot. Unsurprisingly, that covers the bulk of their checklist.
Add A New Backup Goalie
With Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg’s starting goalie is in place for the long haul as the veteran is signed through the 2030-31 season. While Hellebuyck has called for some changes to the roster, one of those arguably should come at his position.
Eric Comrie has had three separate stints in Winnipeg’s organization over the years and has put up solid numbers overall, ones that are better than his career averages. But his usage has always been rather limited. When Hellebuyck was sidelined for 11 games with a knee injury earlier this season, Comrie got the opportunity to run with the number one job and the team promptly slumped, eventually falling into a hole they weren’t able to overcome.
Winnipeg’s cap situation in recent years necessitated a low-cost signing which made bringing back (or keeping) Comrie a logical decision. But they have plenty of flexibility this summer, with more than $20MM in projected cap room, per PuckPedia. That means instead of looking for a goalie near the league minimum salary, they can set their sights a little higher and even shop toward the upper tier of the backup market in the $4MM range.
While that would give them a very expensive tandem, that player should represent an upgrade on Comrie. Presumably, he’d be able to play a bit more than Comrie as well, keeping Hellebuyck a little fresher as he enters his age-33 season. Both of those situations could pay dividends down the stretch and be worth a few extra victories.
Re-Sign Perfetti
When the Jets opted to sign Cole Perfetti to a bridge deal two summers ago, it felt like a prudent move for both sides. Perfetti would get more time to prove that he’s worthy of the long-term deal he was seeking while Winnipeg got some shorter-term cap flexibility.
After the first season of the contract, it looked like Perfetti was in good shape. He was coming off a career-best 50 points and even repeating that would have put him in a good spot to at least double his current $3.25MM AAV. However, things didn’t go quite as well this season, as he notched just 12 goals and 20 assists in 68 games despite a small uptick in playing time to 15:37 per night. Ehlers’ absence clearly affected Winnipeg’s second line and Perfetti, in particular. Now, it’s not so clear what’s coming on his next contract.
The max-term (or close-to-max-term) deal that seemed likely last summer seems a lot less likely now as there are still questions as to his overall upside. Was the 50-point season an outlier or, with better linemates, does he have another level to get to?
Winnipeg has two years of team control left on the 24-year-old which takes another two-year bridge pact off the table as that would walk him to UFA eligibility in his prime. That leaves Cheveldayoff with two viable options: Sign Perfetti to a one-year deal and kick the decision down the road 12 months or try to work out a medium-term pact that buys a year or two of extra control. AFP Analytics projects that a one-year deal would cost around $4.26MM while a four-year agreement could run closer to $5.78MM per season.
How certain are the Jets when it comes to Perfetti’s ceiling and fit moving forward? They’ll have to make a call on that in the early part of the offseason as he’ll be arbitration-eligible for the first time this summer on top of his $3.5MM qualifying offer. Something will surely get done but it’s not as clear-cut of a call as it seemed a year ago.
Add A Top-Six Piece (Or Two)
The loss of Ehlers to Carolina clearly impacted the Jets more than they were expecting. They went from being one of the top-scoring teams in the NHL in 2024-25 (they tied for the lead in the West in that regard with Dallas, a pretty high-octane team) but saw their output drop by more than half a goal per game this season. Their top line was productive but Perfetti was ultimately fourth in scoring among forwards with output closer to the level of a third-liner.
Winnipeg has had a long-standing issue down the middle in terms of finding someone to play behind Mark Scheifele. The end result has been them moving high draft picks for short-term upgrades at that slot or taking a flyer on Jonathan Toews who proved to be overmatched in that role (though considerably more effective lower in the lineup). They briefly tried Perfetti there but abandoned that pretty quickly. At this point, it basically goes without saying that they need to fill the number two center spot. The problem is that few are available and the list of suitors is quite long.
At this point, the more realistic option might be to try to augment their winger situation. Yes, it would mean not solving the most important spot but they’re not in a position to be picky about how they upgrade their offense; it just needs to be upgraded. It’s not as if there’s a surplus of options available there either but generally speaking, there are more of those available in free agency than centers and they’re also typically easier to get in a trade. Adding one (or even two) of those to create a winger-driven second line could give them the secondary scoring they were clearly lacking this season.
Bring In A Top-Four Right-Shot Defender
When it comes to Winnipeg’s back end, there is a clearly defined top four – Josh Morrissey and Dylan Samberg on the left side with Neal Pionk and Dylan DeMelo on the right side. However, DeMelo has typically been at his best in a third-pairing role in his career while getting him to that spot would certainly help their overall defensive balance. Elias Salomonsson showed some promise this season but isn’t ready to jump into that spot on the depth chart just yet.
It’s not the deepest crop of free agents but there are a handful who could fit the bill, headlined by Rasmus Andersson, John Carlson, Darren Raddysh, and even former Jet Jacob Trouba. Landing one of those could even potentially make DeMelo expendable to try to flip him for some offensive help up front. This isn’t a must-get by any stretch but it would definitely get them a boost.
Failing that, adding a depth right-shot option would make sense. Colin Miller is a pending unrestricted free agent and probably won’t be back. Jacob Bryson (a lefty) is also set to hit the open market this summer. With Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn now in Buffalo and Ville Heinola on his way out the door, what was once a deep back end has been thinned out. Getting another righty in the mix (especially since their recall options for next season, as things stand, are primarily lefties) would be a prudent add. But a top-four pickup would be even better.
Photo courtesy of Terrence Lee-Imagn Images.
Senators Unlikely To Re-Sign Lars Eller
On the opening day of free agency last summer, the Senators decided to bring in some veteran depth down the middle when they signed Lars Eller to a one-year deal. However, it appears that they won’t be bringing him back for a second season as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Ottawa is expected to move on from the pending unrestricted free agent.
The 37-year-old was a very reliable two-way middle-six center in his prime, having some success in that role during long stints with Montreal and Washington. Even his first year in Pittsburgh in 2023-24 saw him surpass the 30-point mark before becoming more of a fourth liner in the second season of that contract, one that ultimately saw him get moved back to the Caps.
That was the role that Eller ultimately played for Ottawa this season. He suited up in 68 games for the Sens this season, notching five goals and ten assists while logging just 11:27 per game of ice time, his lowest ATOI since his rookie season with Montreal back in 2010-11. That role was further reduced in their first-round sweep at the hands of Carolina, as Eller played under nine minutes per contest in that series.
With Stephen Halliday emerging as a viable fourth-line option in his stints with Ottawa this season, the writing on the wall became a lot clearer for Eller’s future when Halliday inked a two-year deal earlier this week. Halliday will now become a full-timer on that line, taking the spot that was Eller’s at the beginning of the season.
Eller is a veteran of 1,184 career regular season games over parts of 17 years. He should have a chance to extend that to 18 seasons but after playing on a deal that ultimately netted him $2MM after factoring in achieved performance bonuses, he’ll likely need to cut that price tag in half for 2026-27.
Injury Updates: Stone, Tippett, Abols
While the Golden Knights regained the lead in their series against Anaheim on Friday night, it wasn’t all good news. Steve Carp of The Sporting Tribune mentioned that captain Mark Stone exited with an apparent lower-body injury on a non-contact play in the first period and didn’t return, ending his night with just 4:24 of playing time. The 33-year-old quietly set a career high in points per game this season, checking in at a 1.22 mark in 60 appearances. He hasn’t been quite as productive in the playoffs but he still has three goals and four helpers in nine games so far. Head coach John Tortorella didn’t have any further updates following the game and it wouldn’t be surprising if more information isn’t available until Sunday’s Game 4.
Other injury news from the playoffs:
- If the Flyers want to stave off elimination today against Carolina, they will have to do so without the services of one of their top wingers again. Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays (Twitter link) that Owen Tippett has already been ruled out of the lineup. The 27-year-old has yet to play in this series due to an undisclosed injury. Tippett finished the regular season tied for third in team scoring with 51 points although he had a quiet first round against Pittsburgh with only a goal and an assist in six outings. Still, his absence has been felt over the first three games and will last at least one more contest.
- Flyers winger Rodrigo Abols has resumed skating as he works his way back from a fractured ankle sustained back in mid-January, notes NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman (Twitter link). The 30-year-old had locked down a regular role in Philadelphia’s lineup over the first half of the season, chipping in with 10 points and 49 hits in 42 games before being sidelined. At this point, he’s still likely a long way from returning but the fact that he’s back on the ice is a good sign in his recovery process.
Domenick Fensore Considering KHL Options
For the last three seasons, Domenick Fensore has been a productive defenseman in the minors but his NHL opportunities have been limited. As a result, it appears as if he’s exploring other options for next season. Among those being pondered is the KHL as Sport-Express’ Artur Khairullin reports that Fensore is considering potential opportunities in that league.
The 24-year-old was a third-round pick by Carolina back in 2019, going 90th overall. Fensore played out his full college eligibility at Boston University, taking big strides offensively in the final two seasons where he collected 31 points in each. That earned him a contract from the Hurricanes for the 2023-24 season.
Beyond a brief stint in the ECHL early in his rookie year, Fensore has been a regular at the AHL level with the Chicago Wolves for his three-season professional career. He has been able to carry over his college production, notching 32 points last season and 35 this year despite only playing in 60 games.
But that output hasn’t landed him much of an opportunity with Carolina. Aside from a trio of late-season appearances when the Hurricanes were openly resting players for the playoffs, Fensore hasn’t had a taste of a meaningful game at the top level. And with the Hurricanes having some strong defensive depth, that might not change next season either.
With that in mind, it’s not entirely surprising that Fensore is considering other options. A pending restricted free agent, he has performed well enough for Carolina to tender him a qualifying offer to retain his rights but that would limit his options in North America. Accordingly, a stint overseas to try to show that he’s worthy of a legitimate NHL opportunity might be the next best step for him.
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.