Jon Cooper Wins 2026 Jack Adams Award
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has added another crowning achievement to a storied NHL career.
Cooper was announced Wednesday as the 2026 recipient of the Jack Adams Award, granted each season to the NHL coach “adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.” Voted on by members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association, Cooper becomes just the second coach in franchise history to capture the honor, joining John Tortorella (2004).
This marked Cooper’s third time as a finalist for the award. Voters ultimately selected the veteran bench boss over fellow 2026 finalists Dan Muse (PIT) and Lindy Ruff (BUF).
The league’s longest-tenured head coach guided the Lightning to a ninth consecutive playoff berth in 2025-26. Tampa Bay navigated an injury-filled campaign to finish with a 50-26-6 record, securing 106 standings points to tie for fifth overall in the NHL. It marks the organization’s first 50-win season since 2021-22.
Under Cooper’s stewardship this year, the Lightning finished among the NHL’s elite, ranking near the top of the league in wins, goals scored, goals against, goal differential, road wins, regulation wins, and comeback wins, as well as penalty kill percentage.
The award puts a bow on a milestone-heavy season for the prospective Hall of Fame coach. Cooper coached his 1,000th career NHL game, all with Tampa Bay, on December 31, and quickly followed that up on January 12 by becoming the second-fastest coach in league history to reach 600 wins with a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Multiple Players Have NHL Draft Rights Expire
According to PuckPedia, multiple prospects had their draft rights expire at the deadline today, meaning they’ll re-enter the 2026 NHL Draft or become unrestricted free agents.
Two distinct groups are impacted by this deadline. Prospects playing in the Canadian Major Junior leagues (OHL, QMJHL, or WHL) or those playing in Europe.
Of those players from the CHL who have played through their age-20 seasons, they’ll re-enter the 2026 NHL Draft, or become unrestricted free agents if they go undrafted. For the European players, they’ll become unrestricted free agents, though many typically stay in Europe to continue their professional careers.
The only other prospect whose draft rights expired, and didn’t meet either of the above requirements, was Toronto Maple Leafs 2025 draftee Matthew Hlacar. Hlacar was taken with the 217th overall pick of last year’s draft, and scored six goals and 12 points in 51 games for the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers this season. Toronto didn’t issue him a bona fide offer, which is simply tendering the player a league-minimum, entry-level deal to extend their signing rights.
The remaining prospects who will re-enter the 2026 NHL Draft or become UFAs are as follows:
D Ales Cech (Mammoth, 5-153, 2024)
D Simon Forsmark (Hurricanes, 4-101, 2022)
F Max Graham (Penguins, 5-139*, 2024)
F Petr Hauser (Oilers, 5-141**, 2022)
F Nils Juntorp (Hurricanes, 6-188***, 2022)
F Gustav Karlsson (Sabres, 6-187, 2022)
F Maximilian Kilpinen (Red Wings, 4-129, 2022)
D Kasper Kulonummi (Predators, 3-84, 2022)
F Hunter Laing (Flames, 6-170, 2024)
G Ryerson Leenders (Sabres, 7-219, 2024)
D Nathan Mayes (Maple Leafs, 7-225, 2024)
G Landon Miller (Red Wings, 4-126, 2024)
F Kaden Pitre (Lightning, 6-181, 2024)
F Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson (Sabres, 7-202, 2022)
F Santeri Sulku (Flyers, 7-197, 2022)
D Albin Sundin (Oilers, 6-183, 2024)
F Riku Tohila (Blackhawks, 7-199, 2022)
G Jakub Vondras (Hurricanes, 6-171, 2022)
* Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils; traded to the Penguins in March 2025.
** Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils; traded to the Oilers in March 2025.
*** Originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks; traded to the Hurricanes in January 2025.
Lightning Acquire Rights To Jack Pridham
1:30 p.m.: As alluded to earlier, Pridham is expected to name a new NCAA commitment in the coming days, which would extend the Lightning’s ability to sign him by an additional two years. According to Sean Shapiro of EliteProspects, Pridham appears headed to the University of Denver, the reigning National Champions, to continue his development.
10:17 a.m.: The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired the rights of forward prospect Jack Pridham from the Chicago Blackhawks. The 20-year-old Pridham was not expected to sign with Chicago before the 5 P.M. deadline on June 1st, which would have terminated Chicago’s holds over his player rights after a third-round selection in 2024. Tampa Bay has sent a 2027 third-round pick back to Chicago in exchange for Pridham’s rights.
Additionally, the Lightning announced that Pridham will announce an NCAA commitment in the coming days, which will extend his NHL rights until his graduation or departure from school. That will give Tampa Bay plenty of time to decide if they would like to ink Pridham to an entry-level deal. The young forward was previously committed to Boston University; a commitment that he has since rescinded.
Pridham took home the CHL’s Memorial Cup with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers on the eve of his trade to Tampa Bay. He was a true star for Kitchener all season long, racking up a team-leading 46 goals and 90 points in 65 regular season games. That dominance continued into the postseason, when Pridham totaled 17 points in 18 games – fourth-most on the team. The performance was an exciting step forward after Pridham’s OHL debut last season. He scored 54 points, split evenly, in 48 games of his first OHL season after spending just over one season in the BCHL.
The young forward has long used his strong, 6-foot-2 frame to battle for space and protect the puck. This season, he added an encouraging layer of speed to his game, and found more space operating off of stellar additions to the Rangers lineup, including fellow Bolts prospect Sam O’Reilly, who won the OHL’s regular-season MVP, playoffs MVP, and Memorial Cup MVP. The two-way center, and two-time Memorial Cup-winner, put in a lot of the hard-work needed to open space for scorers like Pridham.
Now, Tampa Bay will hope the duo can one day rediscover their spark in the NHL. First, Pridham will pursue a career in college hockey. He will stand as, perhaps, the top available recruit and could be a strong addition to the Boston circuit, Big Ten, or a trailblazer in the NCHC. Pridham is the son of former Toronto Maple Leafs’ assistant general manager Brandon Pridham. That NHL experience should drive the younger Pridham towards big goals, though his ability to reach them will be rooted in his ability to keep the scoring rolling through a step up in competition next season.
Steen Scores OT Winner For Norway's First World Championship Medal
Meanwhile, in the Bronze Medal Game, Norway pulled off the upset, overcoming a blown two-goal lead with less than two minutes to go to beat Canada 3-2 in overtime. The winner was scored by Lightning prospect Noah Steen, who finished off the season in the minors with Syracuse. Heading into the tournament, Norway’s best finish came all the way back in 1951 when they finished fourth. It’s their first-ever medal in any IIHF top-division tournament. Canada, meanwhile, has now failed to secure a medal for the third straight year.
Lightning Sign Benjamin Rautiainen To Entry-Level Contract
The Tampa Bay Lightning have inked one of their draft selections from last summer. According to a team announcement, the Lightning have signed forward Benjamin Rautiainen to a three-year, entry-level contract. According to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times, the Lightning had to buy out the final year of Rautiainen’s contract with Tappara to facilitate the deal.
As mentioned, Rautiainen, 20, was drafted 108th overall by the Lightning in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Tampere, Finland native was playing for the Finnish Liiga’s Tappara, scoring 10 goals and 33 points in 50 games with a +4 rating. Additionally, he registered two goals and four points in nine postseason contests.
This season, Rautiainen turned heads. He was easily the most dominant force in Finland’s professional ranks, scoring 25 goals and 77 points in 59 games with a +24 rating. The next closest scorer was Joachim Blichfeld (33 goals and 71 points in 52 games), who is seven years older than Rautiainen.
Always looking for cheap depth, Rautiainen made Tampa Bay’s decision relatively easy. Although it’s typically unreasonable to expect a younger player to make the jump from Europe to the NHL, unless they’re coming from the KHL, there’s a non-zero chance Rautiainen cracks the Lightning’s roster out of training camp, albeit as a 12th or 13th forward.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt Rautiainen to begin the 2026-27 season with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Rautiainen’s ability to provide offense in multiple ways should blend well with his peers in Syracuse, who recently tied for eighth in AHL scoring.
Corey Perry Intends To Continue Playing Career
Recently turned 41-year-old Corey Perry is looking to extend his career into a 22nd season, confirmed by Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic earlier today.
Playing in unusual colors back in 2019 as a Dallas Star at age 34, it already looked like Perry hardly had much left in the tank, with just five goals in 57 regular season games. Nobody back then would have expected that the 6’3” winger would be a notable member of the 2026 free agent class, but sure enough, it looks like that’ll be the case.
By now everyone knows about Perry’s five losses in the Stanley Cup Final, but the power forward impressively keeps humming along, notching 17 goals in 72 games this season, six of them in just 22 games after being traded back to the Lightning at the deadline. Fetching his short-term club in Los Angeles a 2028 second-round pick, it goes to show how high Perry remains valued today.
Lebrun speculates that a return to the Bolts won’t be happening, and assuming Perry is picked up by a hypothetical eighth club (barring a return to any of his previous seven) he’d have major milestones in store. The Ontario native needs just 36 regular season appearances to become the 26th player in league history to reach 1,500 games. Only Alex Ovechkin and Brent Burns are in that club as fellow active players.
As long as Tampa Bay can be crossed off the list, Perry should have several other suitors to choose from on July 1. A deal right in line with last summer’s one year, $2MM contract, that one offered by the Kings, would be in order. With practically an entire portfolio of recent one year contracts to draw upon as examples, the possibility also exists of one like his 2023 agreement with Chicago, a higher rate to join a younger squad, with the idea of later choosing his favored destination at the trade deadline. Of course, at this point it’s not so much about the money as it is about the fit, ideally one which would lead Perry to his ever-elusive second Stanley Cup ring one way or another.
While the veteran was making the rounds on various teams and going on deep playoff runs, his original club in Anaheim built a formidable roster which is ready to contend. A Ducks return would be a storybook ending for Perry, who broke into the NHL in 2005 as a “Mighty Duck”, donning the eggplant alongside franchise legends Teemu Selänne and Scott Niedermayer. Back to the present day, it’s worth mentioning that their forward corps already feature Alex Killorn and Chris Kreider as aging veterans offering similar on-ice traits to Perry. Still, the 2011 Hart Trophy winner would be a great model for 20-year-old Beckett Sennecke.
Tack on Perry’s 244 playoff games to his total resume, and it has been an incredible career for the 28th overall selection in 2003. Somewhat hard to believe, just he and Burns are the only remaining active players from the draft 23 years ago which has gone down as arguably the best in NHL history. At least for one more year, its impact will continue to be felt, all while more rising young stars emerge who were born years after Perry’s name was called at the draft.
Lightning Re-Sign Scott Sabourin
Veteran Scott Sabourin will be sticking around in the Lightning’s organization for another year. The team announced today that they’ve signed the winger to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed but he’ll be guaranteed at least a $75K raise at the NHL level with that minimum salary moving up to $850K next season from $775K in 2025-26.
The 33-year-old joined Tampa Bay last summer on a one-year, two-way deal, one that worked out well for both sides. Sabourin played in 26 games with the Lightning this season, the second-highest NHL total of his career. He picked up a goal and four assists in those outings, along with 89 penalty minutes and 63 hits. That’s the type of physicality he’s been known for over his professional career, one that spans parts of 15 seasons.
Sabourin was on Tampa Bay’s roster for the playoffs and even got into a pair of games in the first round against Montreal, his first career NHL postseason action. For his career, he now has 73 career NHL appearances under his belt, collecting three goals, 10 assists, and 147 penalty minutes over parts of six seasons.
While he hasn’t been a big offensive producer in the NHL, Sabourin has been a reasonable producer in the minors. He played in 24 games with Syracuse this season, notching a respectable six goals and two assists. Prior to this season, Sabourin had at least 25 points in the minors in each of the last three years.
It’s likely that Tampa Bay envisions Sabourin filling the same role he did this season. For games where they expect things to get more physical, he’ll probably see time on the fourth line. Meanwhile, he can serve as a capable depth producer in Syracuse in between those outings, assuming he clears waivers to be eligible to be sent back to the Crunch.
Byron Froese Expected To Retire
According to a report from Dmitry Storozhev of Championat, forward Byron Froese is expected to retire following Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s second consecutive Gagarin Cup championship. Froese has spent the past two years in the KHL after a successful 12-year career in North America.
Speaking to the outlet after Game 6, Froese said, “I don’t know, I need time. I’ll probably finish, but you can never say never. I just need some rest. I’ve only been home for about two months in the last two years. So I need time to think and discuss it with my family.”
Froese, 35, began his professional career in 2009 when he was selected with the 119th overall pick of that summer’s draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. After spending a few more years in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips and Red Deer Rebels, Froese made the jump to professional play for the 2011-12 season. For the first several years of his career, Froese split his time between the AHL and ECHL.
Failing to carve out a path in the Blackhawks organization, Froese signed as an AHL free agent with the Toronto Marlies and was signed to a standard NHL contract by the Toronto Maple Leafs a year later. Having his contract upgraded wasn’t a surprise, given Froese scored 18 goals and 42 points in 46 games with the Marlies with a +22 rating.
In Toronto, Froese enjoyed his longest stay in the NHL over a single season. During the 2014-15 campaign, Froese appeared in 56 games for the Maple Leafs, scoring two goals and five points with a -11 rating, averaging 12:38 of ice time per game. Next season, toward the trade deadline, Froese was included in the trade package to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the deal that sent Brian Boyle to Toronto.
That trade was the starting point of a nomadic portion of Froese’s career. From the 2017-18 campaign to the 2022-23 season, Froese played in the Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, and Vegas Golden Knights organizations. His last appearance in the NHL came during the 2023-24 season with the Golden Knights, when Froese registered one assist in 16 contests.
If this is the end, Froese will finish with seven goals and 20 points in 141 games with a -15 rating. Additionally, he’s credited with 142 goals and 312 points in 513 AHL contests, somehow finishing with a net-zero rating. Sadly, Froese never achieved champion status at any level in North America, but he can at least retire with two Gagarin Cup rings.
We at PHR congratulate Froese on carving out a career that spanned two continents over 15 seasons, and wish him the best on his next chapter if he does hang up his skates this summer.
Lightning Sign Nick Abruzzese To One-Year Extension
The Tampa Bay Lightning have added some proven scoring depth to the organization, announcing the signing of forward Nick Abruzzese to a one-year, two-way contract. General Manager Julien BriseBois continues to bolster his depth pieces ahead of the summer, bringing back a familiar face who provided significant offensive punch at the minor-league level last year.
Abruzzese, 27, is coming off a highly productive campaign with the Lightning’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. In 56 regular-season games with the Crunch, the 5-foot-10, 178-pound forward racked up 15 goals and 51 points. His performance placed him fifth on the team in both goals and total points, while his 36 assists ranked third on the roster. Abruzzese maintained that scoring touch into the postseason, registering a goal and four points in four Calder Cup Playoff appearances.
Originally selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth round (124th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, the Slate Hill, New York native has carved out a stellar AHL career. Across 267 career minor-league contests split between Syracuse and the Toronto Marlies, Abruzzese has totaled 62 goals and 194 points. He also brings 11 games of NHL experience to the table—all with Toronto—where he recorded one goal and two assists, alongside an international stint representing Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
For a Lightning team that is frequently navigating tight salary cap constraints, Abruzzese provides a bit of depth and insurance. The veteran forward gives Syracuse a top-six offensive weapon while offering Tampa Bay a reliable, skilled call-up option who can step into the NHL lineup at a moment’s notice.
Lightning Sign Groshev To Two-Year Extension
The Tampa Bay Lightning have locked up some organizational blue-line depth, announcing a two-year, two-way contract extension for defenseman Max Groshev. The 24-year-old was slated to become a restricted free agent this summer. The deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $875K at the NHL level.
In the first year of the deal, Groshev will earn $850K at the NHL level and $200K in the minors, backed by a $300K overall guarantee. The second year sees a substantial raise in his minor-league compensation, jumping to a $900K NHL salary and a $750K minors salary.
The significant bump in his minor-league salary and the first-year guarantee show that Tampa Bay highly values his role in the organization, protecting him against salary dips while keeping his cap hit remarkably team-friendly if he makes the NHL roster full-time.
The 2025-26 campaign was a memorable one for the Russian defenseman. Groshev earned his first taste of NHL action, making his league debut on December 28 against the Montreal Canadiens. He maximized his opportunity in that brief two-game stint, logging 23 minutes of ice time, registering a plus-1 rating, and picking up his first career NHL assist.
When he wasn’t with the big club, Groshev was a steady, reliable presence on the Syracuse blue line. In 58 AHL games with the Crunch last season, the 6-foot-2, 196-pound skater tallied three goals and 21 points. His 18 assists, 21 points, and impressive plus-16 rating all ranked third among Syracuse defensemen. He also chipped in one assist in four Calder Cup Playoff appearances.
Originally selected by Tampa Bay in the third round (85th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Groshev has taken a patient development path. He has accumulated 181 games of AHL experience, all with Syracuse, notching 20 goals and 65 points over that span.
With General Manager Julien BriseBois consistently navigating tight salary cap constraints, having dependable, cost-controlled depth options like Groshev who can seamlessly slide into the bottom pair during injuries is crucial. Because his $875K cap hit can be completely buried in the minors if necessary, this deal offers the Lightning zero-risk roster flexibility. While he will likely compete for a depth spot out of training camp, expect him to start the season logging heavy minutes in Syracuse, sitting at the very top of the Lightning’s recall list.