McNabb Questionable For Tonight
Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb appears to be questionable for tonight’s third game against Carolina. Speaking with reporters this morning including ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, head coach John Tortorella declined to provide an update on his availability. McNabb exited Thursday’s contest after taking a shot near his visor, resulting in a brief hospital trip to be evaluated. Kaedan Korczak briefly skated with the reserves before exiting early, suggesting that there’s a chance he’ll be called on if McNabb is unable to suit up. The veteran has seven points in 17 games so far this postseason while averaging 19:59 per night of ice time.
Latest On Brayden McNabb
This afternoon the Vancouver Canucks shared that Daren Hermiston has been named Director of Player Personnel and Player Development.
An NHLPA Certified Player Agent who represented players across the NHL as well as lower leagues, Hermiston had held such a role since 2009, as a member of THE.TEAM company. According to PuckPedia, his clients include Canucks forward Arshdeep Bains, along with several prospects such as Harrison Brunicke of the Penguins.
Before his time as an agent, the native of Kamloops, British Columbia studied Business Administration at Thompson Rivers University. Hermiston’s addition is the latest among several notable changes in the Canucks front office. After finishing last in the NHL, they’ve internally promoted Ryan Johnson to general manager, Manny Malhotra to head coach, and both Henrik and Daniel Sedin have moved up from their development roles.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Vegas head coach John Tortorella did not provide an update on Brayden McNabb other than that he has traveled back with the team, relayed by Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. A lack of transparency on the matter is no surprise at this time of year, especially coming from Tortorella and his Golden Knights. Even lineup decisions aside though, it is a relief to hear that McNabb is at least out of the hospital, after catching a rising shot square to the face in a scary injury early in last night’s game. Ending his night after just 5:39, from there the Golden Knights rolled with four defensemen much of the night, seldom using Dylan Coghlan, which certainly played a factor in Carolina’s eventual overtime win. Averaging just one second shy of 20 minutes a night in their playoff run so far, if McNabb’s injury is too severe to return with facial protection in tomorrow’s Game 3, Ben Hutton figures to be the next man up as Tortorella would continue to lean heavily on his top defenders.
- The Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL named Michael Babcock their new head coach, the league announced. The 31-year-old had been an assistant coach with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls (Ducks) for the past season. Son of Mike Babcock, he was a product of the Little Caesar’s program, playing in the USHL and spending four years with Merrimack College. Joining the coaching ranks as an assistant under his father at the University of Saskatchewan in 2021, Babcock advanced to the NHL level, coaching development/skills for the Senators and Blues before his first gig behind an AHL bench in 2025-26. Now set to take on his head coaching journey, Babcock is the sixth head coach in Brantford history, and the youngest to do so for the club. Meanwhile, San Diego will move forward seeking a replacement shortly.
Evening Notes: Cassidy, Dallas, League Expansion
The NHL has publicly backed the Vegas Golden Knights in the Bruce Cassidy situation. Speaking ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in Raleigh, commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Vegas is well within its contractual rights to deny rival teams permission to interview Cassidy, whom the club fired in March but who remains under contract through next season. “Obviously, we don’t find it unreasonable because we’re allowing it to happen,” Daly said.
Bettman framed it as a consequence of the long-term deal Cassidy signed. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reported that the league stated, “There are contracts in the league that wouldn’t have allowed this to happen. His was not one of them.” Regarding that contract situation, Cassidy told The Athletic today that just for the chance to interview for the current NHL coaching vacancies, he’d forfeit the reported $5 million the Vegas Golden Knights are on the hook to pay him not to coach next season.
Additional Notes:
- In speaking with the media earlier today, Bettman tempered NHL expansion talks stating, “we’re not ready to expand yet, but we are exploring those expressions of interest”, as reported by Cory Lavalette with NSJNews. Bettman has maintained that an interested group needs to check every box: ownership, market, arena, and arrive with a concrete plan before he’d bring it to the Board. The NHL has sat at 32 teams since Seattle joined for the 2021-22 season.
- The Dallas Stars announced a non-binding letter of intent for a proposed new arena and entertainment district at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano, roughly 18 miles north of downtown, with the letter of intent heading to the Plano City Council on June 8. The lease at the current American Airlines Center run through 2031, putting any move about five years out, and the news landed a day after the Mavericks announced their own plans to leave downtown.
Stanley Cup Final Preview
The 2026 Stanley Cup Final is set, with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 on Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center. Both teams are four wins away from hoisting the Cup, and both arrive playing their best hockey of the season. Carolina returns to the Cup Final for the first time since winning it in 2006, while Vegas makes its third appearance in nine years as a franchise, having last lifted the trophy in 2023.
Paths to the SCF
Carolina has been the juggernaut of the postseason. The Hurricanes defeated the Ottawa Senators in four games and the Philadelphia Flyers in four games in Rounds one and two, respectively. In the Eastern Conference Final, Carolina found themselves on their heels in game one coming off a two-week break, and lost to the Montreal Canadiens 6-2. However, the Canes were able to quickly get back on track in ‘gentleman’s sweep’ fashion, winning the next four games and thus deciding the series in five games. Carolina enters the cup with 12 wins and 1 loss in 13 playoff games. Allowing 1.62 goals per game on average, far and away the fewest of any team this postseason, the Canes have smothered opponents defensively while overwhelming them at the other end.
Vegas’s path was very different, although impressive in its own right. After a midseason swoon that saw the Golden Knights lose six of their final seven games heading into late March, general manager Kelly McCrimmon fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on March 29 and replaced him with John Tortorella. Under Tortorella, the team righted itself, captured the Pacific Division title at 39-26-17, and is now four wins away from a championship. The Golden Knights took six games to defeat both the Utah Mammothand the Anaheim Ducks in rounds one and two, respectively. Then in the Western Conference Final everything seem to click and Vegas was running on all cylinders. Vegas absolutely stunned the Presidents’ Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche in a four game sweep, looking unstoppable in doing so.
Vegas last played May 26, Carolina May 30, meaning both teams should be well rested heading into game one.
Head-to-Head
The two teams have never met in the postseason. The Golden Knights went 2-0 in the 2025–26 regular-season series, but Carolina is 9-7 all-time against Vegas. The two regular-season meetings came in a one-week window in late October 2025.
Vegas took the first matchup 4-1 at T-Mobile Arena on October 20, handing Carolina its first loss of the season after a 5-0 start. Jack Eichel, Pavel Dorofeyev, Ivan Barbashev, and William Karlsson all scored for the Golden Knights, with Mitch Marner adding two assists. The teams were essentially even in shots (Vegas 26, Carolina 27), but Vegas’s finishing edge proved decisive. Sebastian Aho scored Carolina’s lone goal.
The rematch in Raleigh on October 28 was a wilder affair, with Vegas pulling out a 6 to 3 comeback win. Eichel, celebrating his 29th birthday, scored twice in the final 4:59, including a breakaway goal off a Barbashev pass after forcing a turnover on Taylor Hall at the blue line. Dorofeyev added two more, Marner notched two more assists, and Tomas Hertl sealed it with an empty-netter. Carolina was depleted: Shayne Gostisbehere left after the first period, Joel Nystrom took a puck to the mouth in the second, and the Hurricanes were down to four defensemen for stretches of the third.
Frederik Andersen started both games for Carolina and surrendered eight goals on 59 shots (.864 save percentage), numbers that look nothing like his current playoff form. In the two games, Vegas saw production from across the lineup: Dorofeyev had three goals, Eichel had three points, Marner had four assists, and Barbashev had three points. Aho was the only Carolina skater with multiple points. With both teams now at full strength, the regular season series carries limited weight heading into the Final, but the formula Vegas used to win remains relevant: finishing the chances they got, capitalizing on turnovers, and forcing Andersen to be perfect.
Key Players
Carolina has gotten production from up and down the lineup, but the Stankoven, Hall, and Blake line has been their defining unit. Hall leads the Hurricanes with 16 points in 13 games and is the third leading scorer in the entire postseason. Jackson Blake has 15 points, and Logan Stankoven has 12, with nine goals. Three of those goals have been game winners in Carolina’s first 12 wins. Meanwhile, the traditional top line of Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Andrei Svechnikov has been quieter than expected but began finding its form against Montreal. On the back end, K’Andre Miller has been a revelation defensively, and Jaccob Slavin continues to be one of the NHL’s premier shutdown defensemen.
For Vegas, this is the Mitch Marner show. Marner leads the NHL playoffs in points (21), primary assists (11), shorthanded points (4), and multipoint games (6), fully justifying the eight-year, $96 million contract he signed after a sign and trade from Toronto last summer. The Golden Knights also boast the postseason leaders in goals, with Dorofeyev and Brett Howden tied at 10 each, and assists, with Jack Eichel’s 16. The supporting cast is the same group of past Stanley Cup champions that built the 2023 Cup roster: Eichel, Mark Stone, Shea Theodore, Karlsson, Barbashev, Brayden McNabb, and Noah Hanifin. Theodore has been the linchpin from the back end with 16 assists in 16 games.
Goaltending
This may be the most goaltending-dependent Cup Final in years, with Carter Hart having played every minute in all 16 of Vegas’s playoff games and Andersen the same in all 13 of Carolina’s.
Frederik Andersen has been one of the postseason’s defining stories. He’s posted a 1.41 goals against average, .931 save percentage, and three shutouts through 13 starts, leading the NHL in all three categories among goalies who advanced past the first round. He remains one of the Conn Smythe favorites alongside Mitch Marner. Andersen’s regular season was uneven, but he’s been a different goaltender since the playoffs began, allowing two or fewer goals in all but one of his 13 starts and giving up just 17 total goals against through three rounds.
Carter Hart has matched him stride for stride. After joining Vegas in December and going 18-4 with a .922 save percentage under Tortorella, Hart has carried that form into the playoffs to the tune of a 12-win, 4-loss record with a 2.22 GAA and .924 save percentage. Per NHL Edge data, he leads NHL goalies who advanced past round one in high danger save percentage at .873, with Andersen fourth on that list at .857. Hart was the difference in Vegas’s Western Conference Final sweep of Colorado, repeatedly turning aside high-quality looks from one of the league’s most dangerous offenses and giving his team a chance every night.
If both goaltenders continue at this level, the series will come down to which team can find one or two more bounces. If either one falters, his team’s championship hopes likely go with him.
Two Paths to the Same Place
On the surface, the Hurricanes and Golden Knights have similarities. Both are structurally sound, defensively responsible teams that have excelled with elite goaltending and proven playoff cores. Dig a layer deeper, though, and they couldn’t be more different in how they actually win games.
Carolina is a volume team. As previously mentioned in the Eastern Conference Final Preview, Carolina has been the NHL’s premier shot-suppression team for nearly a decade under Brind’Amour, leading the league in 5-on-5 Corsi at 59.77% during the regular season (via moneypuck.com) and allowing just 23.9 shots against per game, also a league best. Their aggressive forecheck applies pressure on both the strong and weak sides of the ice, an approach that’s rare in the modern NHL. The result is a team that spends almost no time in its own end and forces opponents into low-danger looks. Through three rounds of the playoffs, Carolina has outshot their opponent in every single game. They overwhelm you with chances and trust that the volume will eventually break through.
Vegas does the opposite. They’ve been outchanced and out-attempted in plenty of games this postseason and still found ways to win. Their 5-on-5 shot attempts percentage was just 48.5 through the first two rounds before they swept Colorado. Where Carolina wins through pressure, Vegas wins through finishing. They lead the NHL in high danger goals this postseason with 34. Howden and Dorofeyev are tied for the most goals in the playoffs (10 each) and the most high-danger goals (six each), while Marner (five) and Stone (four) also rank in the top 10. Per NHL Edge IQ data, Vegas has the highest “Projected Goal Rate” For this postseason (6.62%) and the lowest Projected Goal Rate Against (4.78%), meaning they’re generating the highest quality chances and allowing the lowest quality ones. They have the most goals of any playoff team (58), six comeback wins, and an 8-0 record when leading after two periods.
That contrast sets up the central question of the series. Carolina’s playoff identity has been built on burying opponents under volume, and they’ve done it against three Eastern Conference teams already. Vegas hasn’t faced anyone like them. The Avalanche came closest in terms of possession dominance during the regular season, but couldn’t sustain it once Carter Hart and the Vegas structure took over. Whether Vegas can survive Carolina’s chance generation for an entire series, and whether Carolina can finally finish at a rate that justifies their volume, will define how this Final unfolds.
X-Factors
The X factors for these two teams are linked but operate in opposite directions.
Finishing (Carolina): Carolina’s volume game only works if it produces. The question now is whether both of their scoring lines fire at once. If the Stankoven, Hall, and Blake line keeps producing and the Aho, Jarvis, and Svechnikov trio finds another gear against Vegas’s top defensive pairings, the Hurricanes have more high end finishing depth than they’ve had in years. If only one is producing, the volume alone won’t be enough against Carter Hart and the rest of the Vegas lineup.
Possession Sustainability (Vegas): Vegas has gotten away with being outchanced for stretches of these playoffs thanks to Hart, opportunistic finishing, and Marner driving offense from the wing. But Carolina is a different animal than anyone they’ve faced. If the Golden Knights’ underlying numbers slip too far against the Hurricanes’ relentless forecheck, they’ll be relying on Hart to bail them out shift after shift. Even his historic run has limits.
In a way, both teams have to take a page out of one another’s book: Carolina capitalizing on and creating higher danger chances, and Vegas finding ways to improve their possession game to try to be on par with Carolina. Whichever finds more success in their attempts could see that as being the biggest reason they are lifting Lord Stanley when it is all said and done.
Storylines
Beyond the tactical matchup, several narrative threads make this Final particularly compelling.
- Eichel and Hanifin are chasing USA Hockey History: Both Jack and Noah were on the gold medal-winning United States men’s hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics. A Vegas Cup would make them just the second and third American players in history to win Olympic gold and the Stanley Cup in the same year, joining Ken Morrow of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team and the Islanders’ Cup-winning roster that June.
- Brind’Amour finally breaks through: The Hurricanes’ coach had lost three Conference Finals in his tenure (2019, 2023, 2025), and his system’s playoff ceiling has been the central question hanging over the franchise. Twenty years after captaining Carolina to its only Cup in 2006, he’s back in the Final, this time behind the bench.
- Marner’s Toronto exit: After nine years and 741 points with the Maple Leafs without ever advancing past the second round, Marner was signed and traded to Vegas on June 30, 2025, signing an eight-year, $96 million deal. He has responded by leading the entire NHL playoffs in points and emerging as the Conn Smythe co-favorite alongside Andersen.
- Tortorella’s unusual hire and a Devils parallel: Tortorella was hired with eight games left in the regular season to coach the rest of the year and the playoffs, with his future to be determined in the offseason. The closest historical parallel is the 2000 New Jersey Devils, when Lou Lamoriello fired Robbie Ftorek on March 23rd while New Jersey was leading their division, promoted assistant Larry Robinson, and won the Cup that June. A Tortorella Cup would put him in a small club of coaches to win the Stanley Cup after a mid-season hiring, becoming just the eighth all-time, according to Sportnet.ca.
- Staal chasing NHL history. Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal won the Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009 as a 20-year-old third-line center playing behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Now 37 and in his 14th season with Carolina, he’s four wins away from a second championship. Per NHL.com, a Carolina Cup win would also see Staal break the NHL record for the longest gap between Stanley Cup wins by any player; Chris Chelios currently holds it at 16 years (1986 with Montreal, 2002 with Detroit).
Wrap Up
This is the most evenly matched Cup Final in years on paper. Both teams have elite goaltending, structural identities, and proven playoff performers. Carolina has been the better team analytically all postseason. Vegas has been the more clutch one. The Hurricanes will try to win the series the way they’ve won the first three rounds: possession, suppression, and trusting Andersen to bail them out on the rare breakdowns. Vegas will try to do what they did to Colorado: weather the storm, finish the chances they get, and let Hart do the rest. Andersen versus Hart may end up being the deciding factor. Whichever goaltender holds his postseason form longer is probably the one whose team wins the Cup. Game 1 drops Tuesday night in Raleigh, and it is shaping up to be one heck of a Stanley Cup Final.
Why The Flames Should Root For A Golden Knights Stanley Cup Win
It may sting for Calgary Flames fans if you’re watching the Golden Knights succeed right now.
The young franchise that has taken the NHL by storm is en route to its third Stanley Cup final in its ninth season ever. Through its aggressive approach to making many ‘win-now’ moves to benefit this team’s contention window, it has been able to acquire many of the NHL’s top talents from other squads, and most have paid off in their time wearing gold and grey. A few of those acquisitions came from the blue line of the Canadian team north of Sin City.
The Flames are well set up in their current rebuild; they, in part, have Vegas to thank for that. Calgary currently has six total draft picks in the top-64 of the 2026 NHL draft. One of those 2026 selections in the top 32 came from dealing away Noah Hanifin to the Golden Knights for a 2025 first-round pick. That eventually resolved to Calgary’s second first-round selection coming up in this year’s draft because of a condition, as Vegas traded its 2025 first to San Jose in a package for Tomas Hertl. In 2025, the first was used by Nashville to select Ryker Lee via the Yaroslav Askarov trade.
So the conditions involved in Hanifin’s deal are resolved, and the Flames have a late first-round pick to utilize later in June. Along with that, a future selection in a later NHL Draft might go in favor of the Flames, depending on the outcome of this year’s Stanley Cup Final.
Back in the middle of January, the Flames traded defenseman Rasmus Andersson to the Golden Knights, retaining $2.275MM of his AAV for a package deal that highlighted a return of defensemen Zach Whitecloud, Abram Wiebe, and two draft selections added to the team’s cupboard. Both picks have conditions that could help the future of the Calgary Flames, but they’d have to witness their former players emerge victorious for a championship.
Both draft picks Vegas sent as of today reside as a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick, per Puckpedia. For the 2027 pick, it isn’t exactly locked in for Calgary yet. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon placed a top-10 protection on the 2027 selection. Although this outcome is unlikely, this means that if the Golden Knights end up finishing next season in the top-10 of the NHL Draft after the lottery, Calgary will instead receive a 2028 first-round pick. If Vegas ends up winning the Stanley Cup in 2026 and then they finish as one of the worst teams in 2027, Calgary would then receive a 2029 first from the Golden Knights.
The 2028 second also has a condition on it, but banks on the Golden Knights winning this year. If Vegas wins the 2026 Stanley Cup, the 2028 second-round pick will upgrade to a first-round pick for the Flames in that respective draft.
So if the Golden Knights are Stanley Cup Champions in 2026, all signs will point to the Flames receiving upgrades on their future capital. Barring a Vegas collapse in 2027, they’d own a Golden Knights first-round pick in each of the next three first rounds of the 2026, 2027, and 2028 NHL drafts, along with each of their own.
The Flames are set to begin their offseason with a selection at sixth overall in the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, followed by a 30th or 31st overall selection, depending on the result of the Cup Final. Calgary finished this past season seventh in the Pacific Division with a record of 34-39-9, reaching just 77 points.
They have not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 2021-22 season, but with these draft developments, it can add to a youthful prospect pool that can help them get back there in time. Most notably, their prospect pool will see two major additions alongside 20-year-old defenseman Zayne Parekh, 19-year-old NCAA centers in Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter, 20-year-old winger Matvei Gridin, and the 2025-26 NCAA scoring leader, Quinnipiac’s Ethan Wyttenbach.
Photo Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Lauzon Returned To Practice On Friday
- Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon returned to practice on Friday with a non-contact jersey, relays Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The 29-year-old suffered an upper-body injury in the final game of the first round against Utah four weeks ago and hasn’t suited up since then. Lauzon had 13 points and 251 hits in 68 games during the regular season for Vegas and had 14 more hits in six contests in the opening round. Assuming he’s cleared to return by Tuesday’s series opener in Carolina, the Golden Knights should have a fully healthy roster at their disposal.
These RFAs Will Fetch Surprising Contracts This Summer
The UFA class this summer is looking rather sparse at this point, which will put pressure on teams to lock up their restricted free agents, particularly if they are eligible to sign an offer sheet. While Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson will get much of the chatter among the RFA class, there are a handful of lesser-known players who are on the cusp of signing eye-popping contracts over the next few months. These candidates are largely under the radar for the more casual fan, but they have put in the work to secure a healthy payday this summer. The rising salary cap, coupled with a lack of UFAs, is going to give arbitration-eligible RFAs unprecedented leverage, and it will be on full display this summer.
The Vegas Golden Knights are on a heater in the postseason, thanks to their stars, including Mitch Marner. However, one lesser-known contributor is forward Pavel Dorofeyev, who is finishing a season in which he made just $1.835MM. The 25-year-old just had a career year, posting 37 goals and 27 assists in 82 games, after tallying 52 points in 82 games a year ago. Dorofeyev is a potential offer sheet candidate, given the Golden Knights’ precarious cap position this offseason, his age, and his recent run of success. An offer of $9.5MM per season isn’t out of the question for Dorofeyev, and if Vegas didn’t match, they would receive a first, second, and third-round draft pick.
Would a team be willing to pay that much for Dorofeyev’s services? It’s entirely possible, given the thin free-agent market and the sheer number of teams sitting on absurd amounts of cap space for the first time in years. Couple those factors with GMs in several markets fighting to keep their jobs, and you have a recipe for some wild RFA contracts. But a $9.5MM AAV for Dorofeyev isn’t out of the question, and projections from AFP Analytics have come in around $9MM annually on a long-term deal. Goal scorers almost always get paid (see Brock Boeser), and with Dorofeyev entering his prime, someone somewhere will pay handsomely if Vegas can’t or won’t.
Another forward who is sure to get paid this summer is Connor McMichael of the Washington Capitals. The 25-year-old was a late first-round pick (25th overall) in 2019 and took his time developing, but has become a bona fide middle-six forward over the last two years after establishing himself as a full-time NHLer at 23. McMichael took a step back offensively this season, dropping from 57 points to 46, with much of the decline coming from a nearly five-percentage-point drop in shooting percentage. AFP has McMichael receiving just shy of $6.5MM on a six-year deal if he signs long term, which isn’t out of the realm of possibility given his offensive production over the last two years. McMichael might have more to give as he continues to approach his prime, which could add an additional bit of intrigue to a contract negotiation that could come with some sticker shock when it concludes.
Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti took a major step back this season in offensive production, dropping from 50 points to just 32, although his PPG drop wasn’t as dramatic given the time he missed. Perfetti was an obvious long-term extension candidate a year ago, but after this year’s setback, he could be looking at a bridge deal of one year, in the $4MM to $4.5MM range. However, given his age (24) and talent, it would not be shocking to see him signed long-term if the Jets (or another team) feel they could buy low and get him at a discount before he breaks out. AFP Analytics has him tabbed for a long-term AAV of $6.395MM, a number that would send shockwaves around the NHL. However, that price tag is the cost of buying upside, and teams have done it before and had it work, making it a real possibility.
Next, we head to Florida to examine the case of Panthers forward Mackie Samoskevich, who is set to join a long list of Florida players who have cashed in on their success over the last few seasons. Coming off his second full NHL season, the 23-year-old isn’t going to get big money long term, but he will likely receive a bridge deal worth around $3MM per season, which should get some people’s attention. Last summer, Samoskevich took a one-year deal at the league minimum ($775K), but this summer will be a very different story. The Panthers have some business to attend to in the crease, as both their goalies are UFAs, but they do have a decent amount of cap space, so it’s unlikely that Samoskevich is moved out.
One look at Braden Schneider’s offensive stats and the casual observer might not believe he is due for a big payday, but he is. It’s typical for defensive defensemen are often overlooked as they don’t appear on the scoresheet or draw headlines in the media. But NHL teams pay a premium for defenders who can take on tough defensive assignments against their opponents’ top players, and that’s what the New York Rangers rearguard is capable of. Whether Schneider can actually do that is up for healthy debate, as it pits the analytics crew against the eye-test crowd. But debate or not, the 24-year-old is getting paid this summer. AFP Analytics has him at a $4MM AAV on a short-term deal and $6MM if he goes long term, both numbers that will have some folks mouthing the word, “Wow.”
Lastly, we come to Ottawa Senators defenseman Jordan Spence, who is also due a large payday that will surely surprise some people. Spence quietly had a terrific first season in Ottawa and is projected by AFP Analytics to receive either a one-year deal worth just over $3MM or a longer-term deal for nearly $5MM. That number is eye-popping, but given the rising cap, Spence’s untapped potential, and his previous work, $5MM isn’t outrageous, even though it is surprising. Spence’s contract could be one that wakes fans up to the new economic reality in the NHL, where defenders who can play the minutes he can will be receiving north of $5MM fairly regularly. There are some unique circumstances with Spence. He is a right-handed offensive defenseman who can play up and down the defensive unit. He drives play offensively and has sparkling underlying numbers.
This list isn’t exhaustive, as there are a handful of other players who will receive eye-popping extensions as RFAs, including the likes of Jet Greaves and Peyton Krebs. In terms of projecting things out, these seem to be the most obvious candidates to get big raises this offseason, but there are always surprises, and given the plethora of teams with money this offseason, some wild numbers will surely be thrown around.
Latest On Golden Knights, Bruce Cassidy
May 28th: Vegas does not plan to grant teams permission to talk with Cassidy until the end of their run in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs per ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. Cassidy is believed to have mutual interest with the Oilers and has also fielded interest from the Kings. Kaplan adds that Edmonton could pivot to John Tortorella should Vegas be willing to part with the coach who has led them to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Golden Knights had originally planned to move on from Tortorella and promote Ryan Craig, head coach of the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights, but their recent postseason success has complicated that plan. Edmonton will follow that plan very closely as they look to bring in a veteran head coach to replace Kris Knoblauch.
May 19th: The NHL Coaches’ Association (NHLCA) is posturing to involve itself in the repeated instances of the Golden Knights blocking Cassidy from interviewing with the Kings and Oilers. According to a public announcement, the NHLCA said:
“The NHLCA has been closely monitoring the situation involving Bruce Cassidy. While we respect the League’s rules and processes, it is our position that coaches who remain under contract, but are no longer working for their Club, should not be prevented from pursuing other employment opportunities. It would be unprecedented at the head coaching level should multiple teams be denied permission to speak with Coach Cassidy. The situation is still unfolding, but our priority is to protect the interests of our members in this type of circumstance.“
Although their frustration is understandable, it’s unclear what the NHLCA would do to assist Cassidy. As was previously noted, coaches are often “relieved of duties” rather than “fired”, making them still subject to the obligations outlined in their contract.
May 18th: Despite firing him with eight games remaining in the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights are playing hardball with Bruce Cassidy‘s future. Earlier today, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Golden Knights haven’t given any team permission to interview Cassidy for head coaching vacancies.
Additionally, Andy Strickland of FanDuel Sports Network went a step further, indicating that the Golden Knights blocked the Los Angeles Kings from interviewing the former Jack Adams Award winner. However, that hasn’t been confirmed elsewhere. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising if they did, if they haven’t already, given that Vegas blocked the Edmonton Oilers from interviewing their former head coach just a few days ago.
Unless another head coach is fired in the next few weeks, that leaves the Toronto Maple Leafs as the only option left for Cassidy. However, on Friday’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said, “I do think they’ll reach out to talk to Cassidy, but I’d say it’s extremely unlikely he’s gonna end up being the guy in Toronto, and I do think they are prepared to go fresh. Someone new, someone different.”
As unfair as it seems to Cassidy, those are the rules of the coach’s contractual obligations. Although it’s essentially a firing, coaches are often “relieved of duties”, rather than outright fired. This means they are still bound by the contract they signed and continue to receive payment from the team that released them. So, until Cassidy’s contract with the Golden Knights formally ends, any team wishing to interview him will have to put in a formal request.
There remains plenty of speculation regarding the Kings and Maple Leafs, but it does seem the Oilers have moved on from their pursuit of Cassidy. Earlier today, it was confirmed that Edmonton received permission from Toronto to interview Craig Berube, and he appears to be the early favorite for the role.
Ultimately, if Vegas is going to continue to block their intradivisional rivals from hiring Cassidy, he’ll have to wait for another shoe to drop for his next landing spot. Although it’s hardly appropriate to speculate on someone losing their job, Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators and Sheldon Keefe of the New Jersey Devils may be looking for new roles this summer, given that each team will be under new management in the front office.
Injury Notes: MacKinnon, Nichushkin, Smith
The Western Conference Final has taken a turn for the worse for the Colorado Avalanche. After a devastating 5-3 loss in Game 3 on Sunday, the Avalanche find themselves in a 3-0 series hole against the Vegas Golden Knights, with their Stanley Cup aspirations hanging by a thread.
According to Sportsnet’s Eric Francis, there is currently no definitive update on the status of Nathan MacKinnon or Valeri Nichushkin. Both players are dealing with lower-body injuries sustained during Sunday’s contest and are undergoing treatment today. MacKinnon, who leads the team in postseason scoring with 15 points, suffered his injury in the second period after bravely blocking a shot. Despite clearly favoring his leg and receiving limited ice time in the third period, he managed to finish the game. Nichushkin also exited early and saw only 8:34 of ice time. With the season on the brink, Colorado’s coaching staff will likely hold off on any roster decisions until the final pregame media availability on Tuesday.
Conversely, the news coming out of the Vegas camp is far more optimistic. Following a gritty performance in Game 3, head coach John Tortorella provided a reassuring update regarding winger Cole Smith. Smith took a hard hit late in the game that left some observers concerned, but Tortorella confirmed that there is no concern regarding his status moving forward. The Vegas depth has been a massive factor in their comeback series lead, and Smith appears set to remain in the lineup as they look to secure a sweep.
The Avalanche now face a do-or-die scenario in Game 4 at T-Mobile Arena. Whether Colorado can force a fifth game at home on Thursday will depend heavily on the medical reports of their star players and their ability to bounce back from the frustration of blowing a three-goal lead on Sunday night. Puck drop for Game 4 is scheduled for 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday.
Stone Returns For Game 3
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone returns to action in Game 3 tonight on home ice, reported by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. He had been dealing with a lower-body injury, missing five straight games.
Unable to come away with a win before heading out to Vegas, it only makes things more difficult for Colorado, as they’ll desperately try to get back on track tonight. Without their captain, the Golden Knights have gotten massive performances from Brett Howden, the 28-year-old netting nine goals this postseason, needing three more to match his entire output in the regular season. Pavel Dorofeyev, no longer such an underrated sniper, has also stood out with 10 goals, and finally, one can’t skip over Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel who are playing at an elite level.