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Morning Notes: McKenna, Karlsson, Laughton

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17-year-old Gavin McKenna is one of the top prospects in hockey and the presumptive No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft. Currently playing NCAA hockey for the Penn State Nittany Lions, he’s gotten off to a productive start, scoring 14 points in 12 games. But even with that production, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has indicated that McKenna’s performances in college hockey thus far have some left NHL teams wanting more.

Wheeler reported yesterday that after McKenna’s Penn State dropped back-to-back games against Michigan State in East Lansing, “the gathering collection of scouts and hockey folks weren’t kind to” McKenna in their thoughts postgame. Wheeler reported that “multiple NHL scouts” commented to The Athletic on McKenna’s “work rate off the puck, a number of backchecks he appeared to give up on,” and perhaps most distressingly for McKenna’s draft stock, “an ongoing desire for more effort.” Wheeler stopped short of saying that McKenna’s status as 2026’s top prospect was truly under threat; he is still a point-per-game NCAA freshman, after all, and his incredible skill level is still evident. But Wheeler did note that “this college hockey season has revealed” that McKenna is right now “a flawed player” whose flaws were better masked when he was playing in, and dominating, the WHL.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Injury issues have once again surfaced for Vegas Golden Knights veteran William Karlsson, who left last night’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks with an injury. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger relayed word from Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy last night, who guessed that Karlsson would be out on a day-to-day basis, but did also note that they don’t know for sure the extent of his injury. Since Vegas is not on the ice today, the earliest an update on Karlsson’s status is likely to be released is Monday. Karlsson played in just 53 games last season due to injury and has seven points through 14 games in 2025-26.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs veteran forward Scott Laughton left last night’s loss against the Boston Bruins with an upper-body injury after finding himself on the wrong end of a Nikita Zadorov body check. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told the media after the game, including The Hockey News’ David Alter, that the severity of Laughton’s injury is currently still being evaluated, but he did note that the player will miss the Maple Leafs’ game Sunday. Per TSN’s Mark Masters, Berube expressed frustration regarding the hit that injured Laughton, saying postgame “I thought it was a head shot.” Injuries have limited Laughton to just two games played this season, his first coming on Nov. 5.

Morning Notes: Stockselius, Camper, McKenna

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Calgary Flames 2025 second-round pick Theo Stockselius had his WHL rights traded on Friday, with the Calgary Hitmen trading several draft picks to the Seattle Thunderbirds, including conditional rights to the team’s 2027 first-rounder. Regarding the trade, Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson reported that Stockselius won’t be heading to the Hitmen for now – he’ll remain with the SHL’s Djurgårdens – but that this trade paves the way for Stockselius to have the option of starting his career in North America close to his eventual pro landing spot.

The move is an intriguing one for the Flames, as the team’s parent company (Calgary Sports and Entertainment) are the owners of the Hitmen and have the Hitmen play out their home schedule in the Scotiabank Saddledome. Should Stockselius eventually land with the Flames, it would allow Calgary brass to keep a very close eye on his development and likely give them the ability to exert more control over his developmental process. Stockselius began this season with Djurgårdens’ J20 Nationell side, scoring seven points in five games. That performance earned him his first-ever SHL call-up, and he skated in just over seven minutes of the team’s 5-2 Saturday win over Malmö. Scouts generally project Stockselius, a rangy 6’3 center, as a potential middle-six NHL pivot.

Some other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Former college hockey star and longtime pro player Carter Camper announced his retirement on social media Friday, bringing to a close a 14-year career in professional hockey. While the 37-year-old only managed three NHL games, he did have a long, highly successful career in the AHL and later, the SHL. The former Hobey Baker Award finalist for Miami (OH) scored 421 points across 551 AHL games and 121 points in 137 SHL games, and also won the Liiga championship in his lone season in Finland’s top pro circuit with Tappara Tampere. Now with his career in hockey finished, Camper announced that he’s transitioning to a career as a financial advisor at global financial services company Morgan Stanley.
  • Top prospect Gavin McKenna made his NCAA debut for Penn State this weekend, and his performance only served to underscore his overwhelming likelihood to be the 2026 number-one overall pick, writes FloHockey’s Chris Peters. While McKenna was perhaps not the standout player from Penn State’s weekend series at Arizona State University (that honor would have to go to Carolina Hurricanes 2025 second-rounder Charlie Cerrato who managed six points in the two games played) he still found his way to make his mark. McKenna had two assists in his debut game and scored a game-winning goal in the second game of the series, an extremely impressive start for one of the youngest players in college hockey. Widely ranked as the 2026 draft class’ top player for several years now, this weekend’s series suggests that isn’t likely to change anytime soon, and that McKenna could potentially follow in 2024 top pick Macklin Celebrini’s footsteps in winning the Hobey Baker Award as a draft-eligible true freshman player.

Snapshots: Beck, Krug, Robertson

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2021 Calgary Flames draft pick Jack Beck is headed to college hockey. SunDevilSuource’s Gabriella Chernoff reports that Beck has committed to play for Arizona State University this season. On the surface, Beck’s commitment might seem like a normal roster addition, but the reality is it’s anything but. Beck was a professional hockey player in 2024-25, playing most of the year with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers.

The NCAA had long held that athletes in almost all cases, at the moment they receive compensation in exchange for their services as players, sacrifice their eligibility to compete in NCAA competitions. But the college sports landscape has undergone massive shifts over the last several years, and Beck’s commitment is indicative of a major shift within hockey. CHL players, who were previously ineligible to play college hockey, have been committing to NCAA programs en masse for months – and now players who have signed professional contracts and played professional games, like Beck, are following them. In light of this development, is not immediately clear where the NCAA draws the line in terms of what pro experience is allowed for a player to retain his eligibility, but ESPN’s John Buccigross commented today that college coaches “aren’t happy” with the direction things are headed.

Other notes from the hockey world:

  • In a bit of unfortunate but also expected news, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reported that veteran defenseman Torey Krug failed his season-opening medical, and will, barring a hugely expected turn of events, not play in 2025-26. Rutherford added that the organization hopes to be able to place Krug on in-season long-term injured reserve to give them a “greater ability” to use the additional financial flexbility such a move would create over the course of the season.
  • The Dallas News’ Lia Assimakopoulos relayed word from Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill related to pending restricted free agent Jason Robertson: Nill said negotiations with Robertson, who is repped by Pat Brisson of CAA, are currently “at a standstill.” Nill added that both sides want to see where the market progresses before continuing further – but added that he remains confident they’ll reach an agreement on a new contract. Robertson, 26, is one of the Stars’ best players, scoring 80 points in 82 games in 2024-25.

NCAA Grants Eligibility To Two Former Pros

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In another milestone decision for collegiate hockey, the NCAA has granted eligibility to two players with experience in the AHL and ECHL. Forward Connor McClennon and defenseman Hudson Thornton will both suit up for the Bemidji State University Beavers, per Jared Rubado of The Bemidji Pioneer. This decision goes against the NCAA’s previous rule that stated any players who have signed pro contracts were ineligible from playing NCAA-sanctioned sports.

The future implications, or even the present justification, for this decision aren’t entirely clear. Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore told Rubado that the team wanted to “throw some darts” after seeing the NCAA allow former pros to participate in other sports. They worked with both players to submit request to the NCAA Eligibility Center, formerly the NCAA Clearinghouse. Both McClennon and Thornton pointed towards their reinstated eligibility for U Sports – Canada’s collegiate league – as one of the reasons why they should be granted a move to the NCAA.

Bemidji also pointed towards the NCAA’s extension of eligibility to pros in both basketball and football. As pointed out by Rubado, the NCAA allowed Ethan Burg to join the University of Tennessee’s men’s basketball team on July 24, despite Burg’s participation in the Israeli Basketball Super League.

The NCAA is also currently facing a U.S. District Court ruling that challenges how the NCAA counts years of eligibility. Previously, the collegiate association would include years in JUCO, or Junior College, against a player’s maximum five years of NCAA eligibility. This new antitrust lawsuit would look to reverse that decision, and extend additional eligibility to three players at West Virginia University, as well as players at Vanderbilt University, Rutgers University, and Memphis University.

The NCAA has released a statement challenging the court ruling, though they may face a tougher task overturning it after extending eligibility to two pro hockey players. McClennon played nine total games between the AHL and ECHL, scoring just one point in the former league. He spent last season at the University of Alberta. Thornton’s pro experience is much more extensive. He appeared in 49 ECHL games, and scored 14 points, this past season, in addition to making his AHL debut. Thornton has never played at the collegiate level, though he previously expressed interest in joining the University of Saskatchewan for next season.

While the long-term impact of this decision hasn’t had time to settle, it marks another boom to the ever-changing junior hockey landscape. It seems unlikely that the NCAA will officially acknowledge changes to their eligibility until after they conclude multiple lawsuits and court cases, leaving questions of who teams can recruit up in the air for now. On the other side, NCAA eligibility could begin mirroring U Sports. Currently, AHL or ECHL players are eligible to join U Sports programs, but must sit out for a season of competition if they are on a pro roster after January 10th. Even those guidelines seem uncertain, though, as U Sports commits to future changes and expansions of their own.

Stars’ Brandon Gorzynski Commits To Arizona State University

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Brandon Gorzynski, the recent draft pick of the Dallas Stars, announced his collegiate commitment on Instagram. Starting in the 2026-27 NCAA season, Gorzynski will continue his development at Arizona State University.

Gorzynski was selected 126th overall by the Stars in the 2025 NHL Draft. Despite being drafted in the fourth round, he was Dallas’ second-highest selection in this summer’s draft, given how much draft capital they’ve traded over the past few years in their competitive window.

The native of Scottsdale, AZ, played for the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen last year and will return to the team for the 2025-26 season. As one of the youngest players on the roster, he finished sixth on the team in scoring with 17 goals and 42 points in 68 games, with a +27 rating. He also produced well in the WHL playoffs, scoring four goals and eight points in 11 postseason contests.

Despite being on a team that has only appeared in the National Tournament once (2019), Gorzynski will join one of the most competitive collegiate conferences in the sport. The Sun Devils have played in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) since the start of last season. It’s home to the two most recent Frozen Four champions, the University of Denver Pioneers and the Western Michigan University Broncos.

In their first season outside of being an independent team, Arizona State finished second in the conference with a 14-9-1-2-5 record in 24 games, finishing 10 points back of the Broncos. In the conference tournament, despite earning an opening game win against the University of Minnesota Duluth, they were dispatched in the next game by the Pioneers.

Snapshots: McKenna, Peterka, Dobson, Pacioretty

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Although the 2025 NHL Draft is only a few days away, the projected first overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft is already making waves. The expectation is that Gavin McKenna, currently rostered with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, will play in the NCAA for the 2025-26 season.

In this week’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, podcast host Elliotte Friedman shared that McKenna has completed interviews with Penn State University, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Denver. Friedman lists the former two as the perceived favorites, but all four programs are expected to compete for a National Championship next season.

Any program that lands McKenna will have successfully recruited a generational talent. McKenna scored 41 goals and 129 points in 56 games for the Tigers this season, with another nine goals and 38 points in 16 postseason contests en route to a Memorial Cup Final finish. To put McKenna’s season into perspective, Connor McDavid scored 28 goals and 99 points in 56 games for the OHL’s Erie Otters in his age-17 season, with another four goals and 19 points in 14 postseason games.

Other snapshots:

  • According to Frank Seravalli in the DFO Rundown podcast, the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders have had loose trade negotiations regarding forward JJ Peterka and defenseman Noah Dobson. A one-for-one swap would fill an area of need for both organizations, with the Sabres prioritizing a right-handed defenseman and the Islanders looking to jumpstart a lethargic offense. Still, both teams are continuing to gauge the market for each player, and a trade isn’t considered imminent.
  • Nick Alberga of The Leafs Nation reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs remain interested in re-signing winger Max Pacioretty for next season. Despite a solid postseason performance, Pacioretty should warrant a relatively cheaper contract, given he missed more than half of the season due to injury. Still, Alberga notes that Pacioretty is prioritizing remaining close to his family in Michigan, meaning his desired employer will come down to the Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings.

Blue Jackets’ Cayden Lindstrom Commits To Michigan State

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June 5: Lindstrom confirmed to Portzline he’ll play for the Spartans next season (article link). Lindstrom returned to play four games for Medicine Hat in the WHL finals en route to a championship, recording two goals and two assists, but went pointless in three Memorial Cup games for the Tigers.

March 29: Things haven’t gone as planned for Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom this season.  Felled by a back injury dating back to before the draft last year, he has yet to suit up in 2024-25 and isn’t expected to.  But instead of remaining with WHL Medicine Hat for 2025-26, it appears he’ll be on the move, as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Lindstrom is likely to play at Michigan State next season.

Lindstrom was the fourth overall pick back in June and while many high draft picks sign their entry-level deals in the days and weeks after that, he was a notable exception.  As a result, he remains eligible to play in the NCAA next season.

It’s a decision that might seem a bit surprising at first, but given his injury history, it does make some sense.  Major junior teams play 68 games per season and after missing all of this year, more game volume might seem like the way to go.  Meanwhile, the NCAA regular season is only 34 games long which will allow Lindstrom more time for off-ice workouts and time with the training staff to try to limit or prevent any possible recurrence of this back trouble.

Last season, Lindstrom played well in limited duty, notching 27 goals and 19 assists in just 32 games for the Tigers which helped make him one of the first players off the board despite the injury concerns.  While that’s not necessarily enough to say that he has nothing left to prove at that level, that type of dominance suggests that he might be better suited playing against older competition which he’ll get at MSU should he officially join them.  He can’t do so until at least August 1st.

Portzline notes that several other schools, including Ohio State, also pursued Lindstrom’s services.  Columbus likely would have preferred that he landed there to keep him closer to the team but instead, Lindstrom will join a Spartans program that had eight NHL-drafted prospects on it this season, some of which could soon be making the jump to the pros.

Justin Poirier Commits To University Of Maine

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A high-scoring winger is headed to the NCAA’s Hockey East Conference. Earlier today, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reported that Carolina Hurricanes prospect Justin Poirier has committed to the University of Maine.

Being selected with the 156th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, Poirier doesn’t carry the same pedigree as other Canadian junior talent moving to the NCAA. Still, if his tenure in the QMJHL is a sign of things to come, the Black Bears shouldn’t have any issue putting the puck in the net this season.

Poirier has been one of the premier goal-scorers since joining the Major Junior ranks in 2022-23 with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. He’s scored 122 goals and 210 points in 181 games over the last three years, with another 22 goals and 36 points in 26 postseason contests.

Finishing first in goal-scoring in 2023-24 and fourth in 2024-25 shows that Poirier’s goal-scoring prowess isn’t just a flash in the pan. He’ll make a positive offensive weapon for a stagnant men’s ice hockey program.

Maine is no longer the program that made it to back-to-back Frozen Four appearances in the late 2000s. They haven’t been able to keep pace in a difficult Hockey East Division and have only qualified for the National Tournament twice in the last 15 years.

Lack Of Cap Space An Impediment For Lightning And Isaac Howard

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With more college teams starting to be eliminated, we’re seeing an influx of NHL prospects signing contracts.  With Michigan State losing on Thursday, several of their prospects will be turning pro.  While it’s expected that Lightning winger Isaac Howard will be one of them, his situation might take a little longer to resolve.

Scott Wheeler of The Athletic relays (Twitter links) that Howard’s desire is to burn a year of his entry-level deal right away and join Tampa Bay for the stretch run where he could play for them, including in the playoffs.  However, that’s something they can’t afford to do.  Per PuckPedia, the team has just $8,372 of cap space which obviously isn’t enough to fit Howard in.  Even prorating by day, they’d likely only be able to sign him with two days left in the regular season.  That’s still not for another roughly three weeks and it might be harder for the team to consider using him in the playoffs after sitting for so long.

Alternatively, the Lightning could push for Howard to go to AHL Syracuse.  For that to happen, he’d have to sign an entry-level deal that begins next season (eliminating his NHL eligibility this season) or sign a tryout deal with the Crunch, play with them for a bit, and then sign an NHL deal with Tampa Bay beginning this year to be playoff-eligible.  The latter route is rarely taken but there is a recent instance of a player doing that; Anaheim’s Sam Colangelo took that path last season.

Howard started his college career at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2022-23 but went to Michigan State via the transfer portal the following year.  He put up a point per game last season and found another gear offensively this year, tallying 26 goals and 26 assists in just 37 games, slotting him fifth in NCAA scoring while demonstrating he’s ready to make the jump to the pros.  But with Tampa Bay’s cap situation, just how exactly he’s going to start his professional career remains in question.

Blackhawks Sign Oliver Moore To ELC

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11:02 AM: The Blackhawks officially confirmed Moore’s signing.

9:43 AM: The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to sign college center Oliver Moore to an entry-level contract (as per Scott Powers and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic). Moore was a Blackhawks first-round pick in 2023 (19th overall) and will be leaving college early to sign a pro contract and join Chicago.  PuckPedia reports that the deal, which will carry a cap hit of $942K and an AAV of $1.34MM, breaks down as follows:

2024-25: $830K salary, $95K signing bonus, $25K games-played bonus
2025-26: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $600K ‘A’ bonuses
2026-27: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $600K ‘A’ bonuses

Moore’s NCAA season came to an end on Thursday when the University of Minnesota was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament, and the expectation is that the 20-year-old will join the Blackhawks today for practice and possibly dress for his NHL debut tomorrow.

Moore finished fourth on the Golden Gophers in scoring this season, his second in the NCAA. The Mounds View, Minnesota native tallied 12 goals and 21 assists in 38 games, along with a +13 plus/minus. In his rookie season last year, Moore posted very similar numbers with nine goals and 24 assists in 39 games and was named to the Big Ten All-Rookie Team. Moore’s college career ultimately ended in disappointment when Minnesota was knocked out of the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, however, he did finish his career on a high, recording points in eight of his final nine college games and ten points overall to wrap his collegiate career.

Moore has also had a decorated international career, winning gold medals with Team USA at back-to-back World Juniors, including this past year where he registered a goal and four assists in seven games.

Moore went through some offensive inconsistencies this season, but he remains a high-end prospect with elite skating abilities and should be an impact player for the Blackhawks in the near future. His versatility will be an asset, and he should bring energy to a Blackhawks team that continues to stockpile young talent.

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