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Sharks Sign Egor Afanasyev

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May 19: Afanasyev is headed to the Sharks for next season. He’s signed a one-year deal worth $800K, the team announced.

May 15: After being traded to San Jose last summer, Egor Afanasyev surprised some people by inking a deal with CSKA Moscow of the KHL instead of joining the Sharks.  However, things could be changing on that front as the two sides reached an agreement on a mutual termination, per the KHL, paving the way for the winger to potentially join San Jose for next season.

The 24-year-old was a second-round pick by Nashville back in 2019, going 45th overall after a solid season with USHL Muskegon.  He went to the OHL the following year with Windsor before returning home for the 2020-21 campaign, spending time in three different levels in Russia.

Afanasyev spent three years in Nashville’s system, getting into 19 games with the Predators but didn’t have much success offensively, recording just a single goal.  He was, however, a steady performer in the minors and put up 27 goals and 27 assists in 56 games in 2023-24 with AHL Milwaukee which was enough for San Jose to part with Ozzy Wiesblatt to secure his rights.

Unfortunately for Afanasyev, he wasn’t able to match that level of success back home this season.  In 53 games, he notched just seven goals and 14 assists although he was a little better in the playoffs with four points in six outings.

Afanasyev is waiver-eligible moving forward so if he does wind up joining the Sharks, his time with them could be short-lived if he fails to crack the roster.  Alternatively, he could be looking to try his hand at a different league altogether but with some recent NHL experience under his belt, a return to North America would seemingly make the most sense.  Sport-Express’ Artur Khairullin suggests (Telegram link) that Afanasyev is expected to sign with San Jose so it looks as if he’ll give it another go to try to make the top level.

Snapshots: Blashill, Braun, Misa, Niederreiter

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Lightning assistant Jeff Blashill isn’t just the only name firmly linked to the Blackhawks’ vacancy this summer; he’s becoming the clear favorite for the role, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on today’s 32 Thoughts podcast. Talk around the league sprouted up aggressively this week after Blashill canceled an interview he had with another club about their opening.

“I heard on Friday morning that he was in as the head coach of Chicago,” Friedman said. “I started asking around and had a couple [of] people tell me it’s too soon… that would be premature.”

It’s premature because the Blackhawks also have a strong interest in someone on the staff of a recently eliminated team, Friedman said. “It’s possible that one of the reasons there has been a bit of a delay is somebody who is central to the process with the Blackhawks was not available at the end of last week, so it had to be pushed into this week. He is a very serious contender there. I just can’t tell you it’s 100% his job” (via CHGO Blackhawks).

The fact that Blashill’s the only name leaked from what’s otherwise been an airtight coaching search for Chicago likely speaks volumes about how highly the club values him compared to other candidates they’ve interviewed. Chicago surely hopes that after a few years of working under Jon Cooper in Tampa, he’s able to get the Blackhawks to greater heights exiting their rebuild than the success he had as head coach of the Red Wings at the beginning of theirs.

There’s more from around the hockey world:

  • Two years removed from his last NHL game, defenseman Justin Braun is still playing overseas in Germany and will extend his career for another season. The 38-year-old has signed a one-year deal with Dresdner Eislowen ahead of their first season in the top-flight DEL in franchise history after gaining promotion from the DEL2, the team announced. The longtime Sharks (and briefly Flyers and Rangers) rearguard had spent the last two years with the Straubing Tigers, where he posted a 10-33–44 scoring line and a +22 rating in 103 games.
  • After an underwhelming pre-draft season, OHL exceptional status grantee Michael Misa reclaimed his spot as the 2025 draft class’ top scorer with a 62-goal, 134-point showing in just 65 games for the Saginaw Spirit. It remains to be seen whether he’ll go No. 1 overall ahead of speedy two-way defenseman Matthew Schaefer, but Misa’s happy with his trajectory this season as a more explosive yet still well-rounded center. “I think my defensive ability, just to be that second guy in battles—it was something my coach harped a lot on me this year,” Misa told RG’s Marco D’Amico. “Just trying to become that 200-foot player. I think my offensive ability was there. But being able to be reliable defensively and break pucks out is something I think I improved on.“
  • Team Switzerland is getting a boost at the World Championship after losing Devils captain Nico Hischier to injury. Jets winger Nino Niederreiter is heading to the tournament to represent his country as they aim to secure the top spot in Group B, the team announced.

What The Senators Must Do To Become Stanley Cup Contenders

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The Senators lost to the Maple Leafs in the opening round of this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. While they performed well in a six-game loss, they showed the team isn’t ready to be a serious contender. Some might argue that this is the first major hurdle in their rebuild, and they have plenty of time to ramp up expectations, but Ottawa has been rebuilding for half a decade and will need to be bold this summer if they hope to jump into the upper echelon of NHL teams.

Ottawa’s rebuild went through severe growing pains, the biggest being that the team hasn’t drafted particularly well outside its first-round picks. They took Drake Batherson in the fourth round in 2017 and Shane Pinto in the second round back in 2019, but their bottom six has been an area of concern for quite some time, and they hadn’t been able to squeeze bottom-six NHLers out of their draft picks. That put increased pressure on Ottawa’s strong top six, an area that Ottawa could look to improve if it wants to contend.

It doesn’t matter how good Ottawa’s top six is; if they don’t receive much help from the bottom two lines, winning games, particularly in the playoffs, becomes increasingly complex. A good comparison for this is the Penguins during the prime years of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, when the Penguins couldn’t get out of the first round with a weak bottom six but became a buzzsaw during 2016 and 2017 when GM Jim Rutherford built an above-average third and fourth line.

Ottawa needs to adopt the same approach to take the next step. Last year, Ottawa’s top six was dramatically improved by the end of the season, with Pinto centering the third line, and the acquisition of Fabian Zetterlund offering another solid piece for the bottom two lines. But if they want to be bold, there are two places they should look to improve, both of which would organically improve their overall depth.

The first is up front, where their depth was mentioned as an issue. Ottawa could tinker at the edges of their roster and sign depth players as they did last summer, or they could make a push to acquire a top-six forward who could push a David Perron or Claude Giroux (if he re-signs) into the bottom six and add some scoring. Alex Adams of Sportsnet has speculated about the Senators potentially taking a run at Winnipeg’s Nikolaj Ehlers or Florida’s Sam Bennett, and both would fit what Ottawa needs. However, the Senators have solid center depth in their top nine and limited cap space, making Bennett a longshot target. Brock Boeser could also be a target, but Ottawa might be best served to look elsewhere for cap management reasons, given what he will command on the open market.

The other area that the Senators badly need to address is the right side of their defense. Artem Zub is a good pro and a solid second-pairing defenseman, but he should not be on the first unit for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. That said, Ottawa currently has a solid defensive core, but it could use some help in the short term.

The Senators probably won’t be in on the likes of free agent Aaron Ekblad, and they don’t have the high-end assets to acquire a top young defenseman on the trade market. But what about a reunion with former Senators captain Erik Karlsson? The three-time Norris Trophy winner had his best years in Ottawa, and although he was traded to San Jose, Karlsson’s wife is from Ottawa, and it’s possible he would welcome a return to Canada’s capital. But would it make sense for Ottawa to do so? The short answer is no, but there could be a match there if the Penguins were willing to retain money.

Karlsson would provide offense, but plopping him into the top four would mean he has to play with Jake Sanderson or Thomas Chabot, both young defensemen tasked with covering for many of Karlsson’s defensive shortcomings. Given his skating and strong positional work, Sanderson could probably do that, but it would be a big ask for Chabot. Acquiring a player like Karlsson would allow Zub to drop to the second or third pairing, depending on the availability of Nick Jensen. The other thing that a Karlsson acquisition would do is serve as a stopgap until defensive prospect Carter Yakemchuk is ready to play in the NHL in a couple of years. Yakemchuk could become the top-pairing right-shooting defenseman that Ottawa is looking for. Still, the timeline for his development is unlikely to meet the urgency with which Ottawa needs to fill that hole.

Ottawa’s real target for a trade should be a defenseman who can help elevate Sanderson or Chabot. Zub has been a good soldier for Ottawa, but whenever he plays away from Sanderson, his underlying numbers take a hit, while Sanderson’s improve. It’s a delicate situation for Ottawa as they probably don’t want to disrupt their top pairings’ chemistry, but it might be worth exploring another defenseman on the trade market. Cost will be an issue for the Sens, but Seattle’s Adam Larsson is a name that could be available, as could Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson. The latter of those two might be tailor-made for Ottawa, but he did struggle last year, having some of the worst numbers of his career, and he will be due a massive extension shortly. Ottawa might be wary of acquiring an expensive veteran via trade if they have to turn around and give a lucrative long-term deal to an aging defenseman.

The options are out there if Ottawa does opt to fill in some of the holes at the top of their roster; however, at the moment, the cap space isn’t there to aggressively pursue any of the top free agent options. Ottawa has 14 players signed for next season and has just $17.5MM (as per PuckPedia) left in cap space. After they find a backup goaltender, re-sign Tyler Kleven and Zetterlund, it doesn’t leave much left over to pursue top-end talent, and this doesn’t even account for Giroux, who could potentially re-sign as well. The Senators don’t have much coming from their prospect pipeline either, so they will need to dip into free agency or the trade market to acquire some depth help, too.

The time has come for the Senators to act like a win-now team, especially given the window they have left to compete. They don’t have much young help coming, so management must be aggressive and creative. Bold calculated moves are required so the Senators don’t squander the prime of their young stars, who are almost all on long-term contracts.

Photo by Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Bruins Sign Simon Zajicek To Entry-Level Contract

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The Bruins have made a splash in the undrafted free agent market. They announced they’ve signed Czech goaltender Simon Zajicek to an entry-level contract for the 2025-26 campaign. He’ll carry a cap hit of $872.5K if he’s on the NHL roster.

Zajicek, 23, has been a late but quick bloomer. He wasn’t even close to getting NHL consideration in his draft year. He would have first been eligible following the 2018-19 season, a campaign he split between Czechia’s U-19 junior league and their third-division professional circuit. Despite that, he saw action in the top-level Extraliga by the following year and, after several seasons bouncing between the Extraliga and the second-division Maxa liga, emerged as a full-time tandem option for HC Litvinov in 2024-25.

Not only did Zajicek stick on Litvinov’s roster for the entire season, he wrestled the lion’s share of starts away from Flyers reserve list netminder Matej Tomek, a high-end option in European professional leagues since 2019. Zajicek recorded a .930 SV% in 29 games to lead the Extraliga, adding a 2.12 GAA, five shutouts, and a 15-13-0 record. He also played in three of Litvinov’s four playoff games and recorded a .927 SV%.

The 6’2″, 187-lb netminder will now head to training camp in Boston in the fall to determine where he falls on the organization’s depth chart to begin the season. The Bruins’ NHL duo of Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo is locked in for 2025-26, but their minor-league tandem, Brandon Bussi and Michael DiPietro, are both pending unrestricted free agents. Signing Zajicek indicates they expect at least one of them not to return. If both come back or they replace them with subsequent free agent signings, the younger Zajicek could get his start in the North American pros down a level with ECHL Maine.

Maple Leafs Notes: Marner, Tavares, Berube, Game 7 Offense

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With yet another Game 7 loss in the books, there’s little doubt that Mitch Marner’s future lies somewhere other than Toronto, writes Chris Johnston of The Athletic. After his first 100-point regular-season performance, Marner didn’t record a point in last night’s season-ending loss and saw only 18:43 of ice time, his lowest of the 2025 playoffs. He recorded eight points in six games against the Senators in the first round but had just one point and a minus-three rating in Games 4 through 7 against Florida.

As Johnston wrote following the Leafs’ Game 5 loss to put them on the brink of elimination, Marner testing the unrestricted free agent market this summer is nearly a given. In his media availability following last night’s loss, he referred to his Toronto tenure in the past tense:

“It meant everything. (They) took maybe a risky pick on a small kid from Toronto and I’ve been forever grateful to be able to wear this Maple Leaf, and be a part of some of the great legends here and be able to wear this jersey.”

Letting Marner walk will, of course, free up all of his $10.9MM cap hit to spend elsewhere on the roster. Retaining him on a long-term deal would have likely cost them an additional $2MM per season, if not more – TSN’s Darren Dreger said last night that an eight-year, $13.5MM AAV offer was on the table at some point (via Nick Barden of The Hockey News). Whether that flexibility is spent wisely will determine how quickly Toronto can execute a retool without their top scorer.

There’s more on the Leafs:

  • Former captain John Tavares, also a pending unrestricted free agent, had a much different tone last night. He made it clear in no uncertain terms that he wants to come to terms on an extension to continue his career in Toronto (via TSN), although it’ll need to be at a considerable discount from his expiring $11MM cap hit. There were some extension talks during the season, but it’s not clear how close the two sides got to an agreement. The 34-year-old managed nearly a point per game in the regular season but only had a 5-2–7 scoring line in 13 postseason games, including a four-game point drought to end the playoffs.
  • While last summer’s coaching change did help propel the Leafs out of the first round for the second time in three years, it didn’t get them to the Conference Finals for the first time in the salary cap era. “I think this team has fire,” bench boss Craig Berube told James Mirtle of The Athletic. “I can’t explain (what happened) right now, nor do I want to, (with Game) 5 and (Game) 7 at home. Obviously (there are) things that we have to look at and talk about as an organization.”
  • The Maple Leafs’ powerhouse offense cocooning, not necessarily defensive missteps, have been what’s cost them in past Game 7s. That trend continued in 2025, with Max Domi’s early third-period goal registering as Toronto’s only output for the night. As The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel points out, Toronto has now been limited to just one goal in a remarkable five straight Game 7s.

Goaltending Questions Loom For The Penguins

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Despite a difficult season that included two demotions to the AHL, Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry has done enough to retain the starting job heading into next year, Seth Rorabaugh of triblive.com believes.

As Rorabaugh notes, the 30-year-old Jarry posted less-than-stellar numbers on the season but showed improvement after returning from being waived and then demoted to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. All told, Jarry appeared in 36 NHL games, with a 16-12-6 record, 3.12 goals against average, and .893 save percentage. However, in his final 14 games, Jarry had an 8-4-2 record, .904 save percentage, and two shutouts. It’s also important to note that much of the criticism surrounding the Penguins has focused on their defensive play in front of their goaltenders, including the play of big contract players like Erik Karlsson and Ryan Graves.

Still, Jarry’s performance over the past few seasons has been deeply disappointing for a Penguins team caught between trying to stay competitive and facing the growing need to begin a rebuild. His late-season improvements were likely enough to justify keeping him as the starter next season, but not enough for GM Kyle Dubas to generate trade interest from teams in need of goaltending who believe that Jarry is back to his all-star form.

And as Rorabaugh points out, Dubas indicated in his year-end press conference that he expects Jarry to be in an open competition with the club’s other goaltenders coming into training camp, making a potential buyout sound unlikely. Also under contract is Alex Nedeljkovic, whom the team views as a reliable NHL backup, but not a viable starting option. Like Jarry, Nedeljkovic struggled last season behind an inconsistent defense, finishing with a 14-15-5 record and a .894 save percentage.

The Penguins’ system is stocked with polished prospects, but it remains unclear whether any have the experience to handle a significant NHL workload. That group includes Sergei Murashov, who performed well in both the ECHL and AHL this past season, though it was his first year playing in North America. Joel Blomqvist also impressed at the AHL level but struggled during his first taste of NHL action. Murashov, 21, the Penguins’ fourth-round selection in the 2022 draft, posted a .913 save percentage in 16 games in the AHL after posting even better numbers in the ECHL. He also broke a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins record by winning his first 10 games. While his continued development is something to closely monitor, the Russian is unlikely to push Jarry or Nedeljkovic for playing time to start the season.

All things considered, Jarry appears to have a path to retaining the starting job next season, even if it may not be the team’s ideal scenario.

Jets’ Morrissey Injury “Not Good,” Says Coach Scott Arniel

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The Winnipeg Jets not only lost Game 6 against the Dallas Stars, ending their season, but they also lost key defender Josh Morrissey to a potentially significant injury, per a TSN report.

Morrissey was injured in the second period of Game 6 after getting tangled up with Stars forward Mikko Rantanen. His knee appeared to twist awkwardly, and after struggling to get to the bench, Morrissey was helped to the locker room and did not return. Following the game, head coach Scott Arniel said the injury is “not good,” but that the team would learn more upon returning to Canada. Arniel noted that Morrissey’s injury was among a series of obstacles the team had to face against the Stars.

“Again, losing Josh tonight was a big blow. Just a lot of circumstances that happened. Our leadership within our group kept grinding everybody and pushing everybody. It’s growth. It hurts a lot. But we lost to a great team,” Arniel said.

Morrissey enjoyed a fantastic regular season, recording his third consecutive campaign with over 60 points. Typically a model of durability — with at least 78 games played in each of the last four seasons — Morrissey wasn’t as fortunate in the playoffs, where he sustained two separate injuries that forced him to miss time. He was also injured in Game 7 of the first round against the St. Louis Blues after being hit by Oskar Sundqvist, which caused him to miss Game 1 against the Stars.

It remains unclear whether the injury Morrissey suffered against the Stars is related to his earlier ailment, and the full extent has yet to be revealed. If the injury proves to be serious, he’ll have the entire offseason to recover with the goal of being ready for the start of the 2025–26 campaign.

Poll: Who Will Win The Western Conference Finals?

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The Western Conference finals are set, as the defending conference champion Edmonton Oilers will take on the Dallas Stars, led by the phenomenal play of Mikko Rantanen. It’s a rematch from last season’s conference final, where the Oilers came out on top in six games.

The Oilers have been on a heater since starting round one with a 2-0 series deficit against the Los Angeles Kings. Since then, the Oilers have lost just one game, winning four in a row against the Kings before taking down the Golden Knights in five games. Unsurprisingly, the team is being led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have combined for 33 points in 11 games. The Oilers lead all teams with 43 playoff goals, averaging nearly 4 goals per game.

The Oilers have also benefited from standout play by defenseman Evan Bouchard, who leads the team with 26:24 of ice time per game in the playoffs, while contributing 12 points and a team-high 13 takeaways. This continues Bouchard’s tremendous playoff run from last season, when he recorded 32 points and a plus-14 rating, helping the Oilers reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

An intriguing storyline for the Oilers heading into the Western Conference Final is the performance of their goaltenders. Despite the team cruising through two rounds, Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner have combined for just an .886 save percentage, which doesn’t inspire much confidence during a playoff run. At some point, it stands to reason that the Oilers may struggle to sustain their momentum with that level of goaltending. That said, Pickard has been perfect since stepping in as the starter, posting a 6-0 record and providing timely saves when needed.

The Stars are being carried by Rantanen, whose league-leading 19 playoff points have been nothing short of spectacular. However, offensive support from the rest of the roster has been inconsistent. Wyatt Johnston, who tallied 71 points during the regular season, has managed just eight in the playoffs and carries a troubling minus-13 rating. Veterans Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have struggled to make an impact, while 20-goal scorers Evgenii Dadonov and Mikael Granlund have failed to replicate their regular-season production. Despite Rantanen’s heroics, Dallas enters the Western Conference Final with a minus-four goal differential.

That also includes the exceptional goaltending of Jake Oettinger, who has posted a .919 save percentage through 13 playoff games. The 26-year-old has been a consistently reliable performer in the postseason, carrying a .913 save percentage over 60 career appearances. His steady presence in the net will be critical as Dallas prepares to face Edmonton’s high-powered offense.

So, what will win out: the Oilers’ explosive offense, or the Stars’ stout goaltending and the heroics of Rantanen? It’s a clash of strengths that could define the rematch. Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thinking!

Who will win the Western Conference Finals?
Edmonton Oilers 66.91% (2,220 votes)
Dallas Stars 33.09% (1,098 votes)
Total Votes: 3,318

Snapshots: Tocchet, Stolarz, Stars

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Rick Tocchet landed with the Flyers for his next head coaching gig as many expected, but they weren’t the only team with interest in hiring him after he departed the Canucks organization. One club linked to him was the Bruins, who have yet to fill their vacancy.

After his brief stint on the free agent market came to a close, it appears that having some long-term front office stability was a priority for Tocchet as he decided which clubs to have mutual interest with, according to RG’s James Murphy. With Boston general manager Don Sweeney entering the final season of his contract and the team in a precarious, retooling position, that was enough for Tocchet to essentially withdraw himself from consideration for the role.

“He was concerned for two reasons – Sweeney’s status and Sweeney’s track record with his head coaches,” a source told Murphy. Boston has fired Bruce Cassidy and Jim Montgomery in the last three years, both of whom have gone on to either win a Stanley Cup or vastly improve their team’s outlook in their new roles in Vegas and St. Louis.

As Murphy points out, if true, Sweeney may have spoken too soon when discussing his confidence in landing his preferred candidate during his end-of-season media availability. “I’ll call you up and let you know if somebody turns it down, the invitation to interview for one of the most historic jobs in the National Hockey League,” Sweeney said at the time.

More from around the NHL:

  • After a Game 6 shutout to keep his team alive, Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll is getting the start again in tonight’s Game 7. Even if Anthony Stolarz, who was Toronto’s starter to begin the postseason but hasn’t played since leaving Game 1 with apparent concussion symptoms, was available to play, he’d likely go, but that’s not the case. Stolarz did not practice this morning and will not dress, according to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic. Veteran Matt Murray, who entered Game 5 in relief of Woll for his first playoff action in five years, will again dress as Woll’s backup.
  • The Stars’ in-season moves are arguably the biggest reason they’ve advanced to the Western Conference Final in three straight years, Nicholas J. Cotsonika writes for NHL.com. Aside from Mikko Rantanen re-emerging as a superstar after his roller-coaster regular season that saw him arrive in Dallas from Colorado by way of Carolina, their depth has stepped up in considerable fashion with top defenseman Miro Heiskanen and top left-winger Jason Robertson – the latter of whom only has one point in five games – missing the majority of their postseason slate thus far.

Panthers’ Evan Rodrigues Likely To Return For Game 7

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Panthers winger Evan Rodrigues will be back in the lineup for tonight’s Game 7 after missing the last two contests with an undisclosed injury, relays Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. He’ll replace Jesper Boqvist, who had directly filled Rodrigues’ spot on the top line alongside Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart in his absence.

Florida’s offense is back at full strength to counter the Maple Leafs’ top unit of Matthew Knies, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner, who are collectively coming off their best performance of the series in Game 6 while facing elimination. Knies was questionable for tonight’s do-or-die contest after getting banged up in the first period, but Toronto head coach Craig Berube confirmed this morning he’ll be in the lineup without any minutes restrictions.

Even before exiting the lineup, Rodrigues’ minutes were limited at times earlier in the series. He played a season-low 8:48 in Game 2 after a hit from behind by Toronto forward Scott Laughton that earned him a controversial embellishment call, and he left the Cats’ Game 4 win in the third period after a hard hit from Leafs defender Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Rodrigues has two points in four games in the series, both in Florida’s Game 3 overtime win. He combined with linemates Barkov and Reinhart to assist on the Panthers’ first two goals of the game and logged nearly 19 minutes of ice time, his most of any game so far in the playoffs.

The 31-year-old only has three assists in nine postseason outings this year but was an indispensable depth piece in the Panthers’ Cup win last year, scoring 7-8–15 in 24 games – including four goals and seven points in seven Stanley Cup Final games. The versatile top-nine forward hit 30 points for the fourth year in a row in the regular season, mostly playing a supporting role on Florida’s top two lines.

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