Evening Notes: Cassidy, Subban, Islanders
Head coach Bruce Cassidy could find his way back to the Pacific Division sooner rather than later. He is believed to be in the mix for the Los Angeles Kings’ coaching vacancy after the club fired Jim Hiller in March, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period on The Hot Stove podcast. The Kings named D.J. Smith to the role of interim head coach. He led the Kings to an 11-6-6 record to close out the regular season, then oversaw Los Angeles in a first round sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche.
Cassidy has a track record of playoff success. He has made the postseason in 10 of his 12 years as an NHL head coach. Those squads made it past the first round in six of those appearances, made the Stanley Cup Finals twice, and won it all once. Where Cassidy goes, long seasons follow – and his experience leading an NHL bench could be invaluable for a Kings team in flux. Los Angeles added a superstar talent in Artemi Panarin this season – but he had to take on a heavy load after injuries to Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko. Good health for the entire lineup, and the presence of a seasoned head coach, could be enough to keep Los Angeles in playoff contention next season despite Anze Kopitar‘s retirement.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban accomplished his goal of donating $10MM to the Montreal Children’s Hospital earlier today, per the Montreal Gazzette. It was the largest donation to the hospital by an athlete in the country’s history. Subban announced a mission to raise the funds in 2015, amid routine visits to children staying in the hospital. 11 years later, he has completed the feat, with 100 percent of the money raised going to the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. Subban played 13 seasons in the NHL, including seven with the Canadiens. He scored 278 points in 434 games with Montreal and 467 points in 834 total games in his career.
- The New York Islanders have invited feisty Providence Friars forward Tanner Adams to their 2026-27 training camp per NHL.com’s Mark Divver. Adams wrapped up his junior year at Providence College this season. He filled an important, top-nine role on the offense – bringing aggression and physicality on the forecheck, even despite his sub-6’0 frame. Adams has totaled 28 goals and 67 points in 108 collegiate games so far. He will attempt to wow an NHL organization once again after attending the Toronto Maple Leafs’ training camp last season.
Poll: Which Active Players Will Become An NHL GM?
The connection between NHL playing careers and front office roles has existed for nearly as long as the league itself. Some of the most highly-regarded executives – from Glen Sather in the 1980s to Jim Nill today – began their journeys with a decade-or-more in NHL lineups. Looking at the league in 2025-26, there seems to be no shortage of potential NHL executives currently putting on the pads. The question is, which of them will make it to the big chair first?
A clear top candidate would be Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby – the face of the NHL for much of the last 20 years. Crosby has become synonymous with North American hockey through his historical playing career, while learning from player-turned-owner and fellow all-time-great Mario Lemieux. That leadership could soon be invaluable. Crosby will face the question of if he should play on, or if now is the time to call it quits, in the second half of next season. If he wants to prolong his time on an NHL payroll beyond his time in the lineup, he could have a great chance to learn under Kyle Dubas and alongside Jason Spezza in the Penguins front office.
Another strong candidate for a GM role will be Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. Former NHL GM Brian Burke recently said as much on The Sheet With Jeff Marek while speaking to how much he admires Landeskog’s professionalism. There is no doubt about the Avalanche star’s commitment to the game, most notably highlighted by his triumphant return from a severe knee injury. Landeskog played through that injury during Colorado’s run to the 2022 Stanley Cup. On the other side of his return, he continues to serve as a versatile and effective playmaker who can shine off without top-line minutes. He is currently part of a three-way tie for second on the Avalanche in playoff scoring with seven points in six games. With that kind of impact, there will be plenty of hockey ahead for the 33 year old, who is signed through the 2028-29 season. But when his career nears its end, a door to team management could quickly open.
Prior playing experience could also open the door for more European representation in front office roles. Landeskog would become the second Swedish GM in NHL history, while a player like Anze Kopitar could shoot to become the first from central Europe should he choose that path. Kopitar is hanging up his skates after the Los Angeles Kings’ exit from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had the third-most games played of any active NHL player this season. Every single one of those games came in a Kings’ jersey, with Kopitar captaining the team through the final 10 seasons of his career. All-time goals record holder Alex Ovechkin has also spent the entirety of his career with one team and could wield the experience needed to become the league’s first Russian GM.
Of course, playing success does not create a top exec – and many of the league’s top leaders could also have a chance. Longtime pros Jaccob Slavin, Nathan MacKinnon, Ryan O’Reilly, and Aleksander Barkov have all been recognized for their sportsmanship with the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. The trophy was also handed out to former Avalanche GM Joe Sakic and soon-to-be-former Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis. Its recognition of on-and-off-ice impact would stand out on any resume, especially next to the Stanley Cup precedent that MacKinnon, O’Reilly, and Barkov boast. It is also a feat managed multiple times by Kopitar, who could win the trophy again this season.
Many players around the league could put together a strong case for a managerial role. Who will do it first? Who will find another long career in the role? Vote for your choice below and use the comments to make a case for other players!
Which Active Players Will Become An NHL GM?
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PIT - Sidney Crosby 35% (217)
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COL - Gabriel Landeskog 33% (204)
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LAK - Anze Kopitar 14% (84)
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Other (Comment below) 12% (75)
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COL - Nathan MacKinnon 5% (33)
Total votes: 613
Kings Notes: Smith, Fiala, Wright
Los Angeles Kings General Manager Ken Holland was relatively noncommittal when asked about the team’s head coaching position. According to Eric Stephens of The Athletic, Holland shared that D.J. Smith is already considered a candidate. Still, the Kings will also talk to other possibilities over the next few weeks.
Smith was named the Kings’ interim head coach on March 1st, after the team fired Jim Hiller. Although it can’t all be attributed to the head coach, Los Angeles found the spark to get into the playoffs. One of the biggest issues that the Kings faced under Hiller was the offense. This season, in 59 games under Hiller, Los Angeles averaged 2.6 goals per game, and 3.1 goals per game under Smith. Even with the improvement, over a full season, that would have been the 16th-best offense in the NHL.
Former NHL player Manny Malhotra has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Kings’ head coaching position by some sources. However, considering that his current team, the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, finished last in scoring this season, it seems unlikely that the Kings would consider him for a lateral move. For an increase in offense, Los Angeles may consider Peter Laviolette, who is known for his aggressive approach to offensive schematics.
Additional Kings notes:
- Still recovering from multiple fractures during his time with Team Switzerland at the Winter Olympics, Zach Dooley of the Kings shared that forward Kevin Fiala is progressing well in his rehabilitation. He is not only progressing well but also exceeding expectations, as Dooley indicated that Fiala could have been an option in Round Two of the playoffs. The leg fractures Fiala suffered typically take three to six months to fully recover, meaning he would have returned exceptionally quickly, potentially beating the shorter end of the expectation.
- According to Alexander Legget of Mayors Manor, Holland is expecting depth forward Jared Wright to have a full-time role with Los Angeles next season. Wright, 23, is a former sixth-round pick of the Kings, and debuted with the club this season. He should perform relatively well in a bottom-six role with Los Angeles as he registered four assists in 23 games at the NHL level, and 30 points in 54 games with the AHL’s Ontario Reign.
Cole Caufield, Anže Kopitar, Jake Sanderson Named Lady Byng Finalists
The NHL has announced the finalists for the 2026 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. The trophy is presented annually to the player who exhibits a high standard of sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct, and playing ability. This year’s finalists are Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield, Los Angeles Kings centerman Anže Kopitar, and Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson.
Kopitar has won the Lady Byng three times, including in 2023 and 2025. He has exemplified sportsmanship and leadership through 10 seasons as the Kings’ captain. That run came to a peak this season as the 38-year-old Kopitar went on his final tour around the league. In what was the planned finale to his career, he scored 12 goals and 38 points in 67 games and helped Los Angeles push into their fifth consecutive playoff berth. After a first-round exit at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, Kopitar officially announced his retirement after 20 seasons in the league. He was a perennial 60-point scorer who reached as high as 92 points at his peak.
While Lady Byng voting will be based on this season, it will be hard not to consider Kopitar’s legacy in Los Angeles. One more Lady Byng win would tie him with Pavel Datsyuk for the most since 2000. Red Kelly also won four times between 1951 and 1961. Wayne Gretzky won the Lady Byng five times between 1980 and 1999. The all-time record holder is Frank Boucher, who won the trophy seven times in eight years between 1928 and 1935. Boucher’s run of wins let him take home the original Lady Byng Trophy and prompted the creation of the Memorial Trophy.
Caufield receives his first finalist bid for the Lady Byng this season, after finishing 64th and 34th in voting in the last two seasons respectively. The Canadiens’ star winger is predominantly known for big smiles and great goal-scoring, two traits that ramped up as he achieved a breakout 51 goals and 88 points in 81 games this season. Caufield became the first Canadiens player to cross the 50-goal mark since Stephane Richer in 1990. He also led the league with 12 game-winning goals. That performance helped boost Canadiens center Nick Suzuki to his first 100-point campaign and brought Montreal into their second consecutive postseason. Caufield does not wear a letter for Montreal but the impact of his personality on and off of the ice is still top class. Even if he does not win the Lady Byng this season, a nomination at the age of 25 speaks to Caufield’s chances at one day cementing the trophy.
The same can be said for the 23-year-old Sanderson, who stepped into Ottawa’s top defense role with a breakout season. Sanderson finished the year with 14 goals and 54 points in 67 games. He averaged nearly 25 minutes of ice time a night, in part thanks to the string of injuries that plagued fellow top defenseman Thomas Chabot – who missed 25 games. Only seven players averaged more ice time than Sanderson at even-strength. He also ranked in the top-15 of penalty-killing time per game. His ability to step into a major role for Ottawa, intermixed with a Gold Medal win with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, make Sanderson a great candidate for multiple nominations this award season.
Kings’ Brandt Clarke Hoping For Bigger Role
One of the top priorities for the Los Angeles Kings this summer will be re-signing top, young defenseman Brandt Clarke. The 23 year old racked up 81 points in 185 NHL games on his entry-level contract, including 40 points while playing in all 82 games of this season. He has already expressed his desire to stick in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future – but that desire may come with a catch. After a strong campaign, Clarke feels it’s time for more responsibility, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the April 27 episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast.
Clarke lined up as Los Angeles’ second-pair, right-defenseman this season. He operated behind Kings legend Drew Doughty and alongside veteran depth defenseman Joel Edmundson. Even with Edmundson’s knack for quiet results, the Kings’ second-pair still managed to outscore opponents 50-to-36, while racking up an expected-goal differential of 42.1-to-38.7 per Line Blender. Clarke’s game shined even brighter away from Edmundson. He outscored opponents 17-to-eight in roughly 350 minutes away from Edmundson, which amounted to only one-third of his total even-strength ice time this season.
Those are encouraging numbers for the Kings. On the heels of his first 40-point campaign, Clarke has proven an ability to step up and drive his line. He also proved to be a fantastic power-play quarterback, on the ice for 19 goals in 184 minutes of power-play ice time. But even when considering special teams, Los Angeles faces the same question. Can Clarke do enough to play above Doughty in the lineup?
Next season will be a contract year and almost certainly represent the beginning of sunset years for the 36-year-old Doughty. He fell to 23 points in 72 games this season after missing 52 games last year due to injury. It seems the days of Doughty’s 50-point seasons are well behind him. The two-time Stanley Cup champion added another feather to his cap this season with his third appearance at the Winter Olympics and now must face the challenge of turning over his role. It won’t be an easy transition. Even in a quiet year, Doughty led the Kings roster with 23 minutes of ice time on average, two more minutes than any other skater on the team. He continued to stand as a pillar of the lineup, while Los Angeles’ second and third defense pairs didn’t average more than 20 minutes each game.
On the first free agent contract of his career, Clarke will hope to flip those roles. Even ceding two minutes of ice time each night would bring the two defenders much more in-line. Los Angeles could also face a question of who to partner Clarke with as he climbs to star minutes. They will have roughly $18MM in cap space this summer, per PuckPedia, with Clarke and Andrei Kuzmenko as their biggest pending-free agents.
Any remaining salary cap could be dedicated to bringing in a difference-maker at left-defense – someone who could operate behind Michael Anderson while still offering more top-end upside than Edmundson. The market for left-defenders is slim this summer but a player like Mario Ferraro has experience standing up to 20 minutes a night for L.A.’s division rival, the San Jose Sharks. Ferraro is hoping for a deal with term this summer, which could go far in helping Los Angeles cement a top-four they can move into the future with – one that has Clarke at the helm.
This season, Clarke became the second Kings defenseman since 2000 to post a 40-point season before their 23rd birthday. The only other defender to achieve the feat in black-and-silver was Doughty. Now, the two will need to find a balance – with one in the midst of their big break and the other fading into retirement. Finding the right balance for their ice time could go far in cementing Los Angeles’ future, and helping the team break past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after five early exits in a row.
Scott Laughton Interested In Kings Contract Extension
Seattle Kraken prospect Blake Fiddler has committed to the University of Denver, shared in a post by College Puck NXT earlier today. The reigning National Champions (their third title since 2022) will bring in the 2025 second round selection out of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.
Until any of that though, Fiddler joins a Pioneers squad loaded with high end talent, alongside top 2026 defensive prospect Ryan Lin. Fiddler didn’t take a leap on the stat sheet in 2025-26, just three more points in one fewer game year-over-year, but his Oil Kings still had a strong season. With nothing else to prove in the WHL, the youngster will make a leap which should pay dividends in his long term development.
Kings’ Quinton Byfield Suffered Two Oblique Tears
As occurs each year, after teams are eliminated from the postseason, players start to disclose the injuries they were managing during the final stretch of the regular season and the playoffs. According to Zach Dooley of the Los Angeles Kings, Kings forward Quinton Byfield tore his right oblique just after the Olympic break, and tore his left oblique after the other healed.
Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that Byfield will need surgery to repair either muscle. He’ll take the first few weeks of the offseason to rest and recover before beginning his summer training.
Although it should never be a formal expectation that a player should perform through injuries, it is typically how most hockey players operate, especially at this time of year. Typically, you can tell if a player is playing through something, as they typically aren’t as good as they usually are. However, in Byfield’s case, you’d never know he was dealing with anything.
The former second overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft was arguably playing the best hockey of his NHL career after the league returned from the Olympics. Finishing out the regular season, Byfield scored 13 goals and 19 points in 24 games with a +4 rating, averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per game. Additionally, he performed well in the faceoff dot, winning 53.3% of draws over that stretch.
Byfield will want to build on that success entering next season. Unless Los Angeles makes a significant splash, Byfield should assume the center role on the Kings’ first line, replacing Anze Kopitar after his retirement. Over the last three years, Byfield has averaged between 50 and 55 points a season, though the Kings will need much more offense than that. If he can continue the same pace he had after the Olympic break, Los Angeles would be far more comfortable having a 65-70 point center leading the pack.
Kings Notes: Doughty, Kempe, Clarke, Kuemper, Edmundson
The Los Angeles Kings’ season came to an abrupt and disappointing end this week following a four-game sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche. As players gathered for exit interviews, the focus shifted from a frustrating postseason to an offseason filled with contract questions and health updates.
Veteran defenseman Drew Doughty is entering the final year of his contract. While he remains the face of the Kings’ blueline, he admitted that discussions regarding an extension have not yet begun. Despite recording 23 points in 72 games, Doughty was candid about his own performance, stating it “wasn’t as good as it needed to be.” However, his desire to remain a “King for Life” hasn’t wavered. “I want to stay here,” Doughty said. “If they approach me to get something done, I’m going to get it done.”
Additional Notes:
- Forward Adrian Kempe shed light on the lower-body injury that hampered him in late March, revealing it was a foot injury that impacted his play for about five or six games. While it bothered him during the regular-season stretch, Kempe insisted it “didn’t really affect” him by the time the playoffs began.
- Defenseman Brandt Clarke is a pending restricted free agent. Clarke, who emerged as a reliable top-four option with 31 points in 82 games this season, confirmed that while talks occurred during the year, both sides tabled them to focus on the playoff push. “I love Los Angeles. I love my teammates,” Clarke noted. “I want to lock myself in and be part of this core.”
- Goaltender Darcy Kuemper is coming off a heavy workload, appearing in 50 games this season with a 2.78 GAA and .891 SV%. When asked about representing Team Canada at the upcoming World Championships, Kuemper remained non-committal, stating he is currently uncertain about attending.
- Despite the sweep, veteran defenseman Joel Edmundson—who is in the middle of a four-year deal—emphasized that the locker room remains tight-knit. “I love this team,” Edmundson said. “We all love each other and care for each other… that’s going to pay off in the long run. It gets us excited for the next couple years.” With several key pieces nearing free agency and a core that struggled to find its footing against Colorado, the Kings’ front office now faces a pivotal summer to ensure that the “next couple years” Edmundson referenced lead to a deeper playoff run.
Kings To Reassign Jared Wright
The Los Angeles Kings are going to reassign forward Jared Wright to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, reports Anthony Collazo of Mayor’s Manor. The Kings telegraphed this move earlier in the year, when they made a paper transaction to reassign Wright to the AHL so he could be eligible to re-join Ontario in the postseason.
Wright, 23, spent most of this season in Ontario. 2025-26 is actually Wright’s first campaign as a full-time professional, as he signed with the Kings close to the end of last season. Before signing in Los Angeles last spring, Wright played three seasons of college hockey for the University of Denver Pioneers, where he won a national title in 2024.
In 54 games for the Reign, Wright scored 17 goals and 30 points. He began the season in the AHL but earned his first NHL recall in March. After a one-game reassignment, Wright was recalled on March 5 and didn’t play another game in the AHL past that point. Wright was a fourth-line player for the Kings, scoring four points in 23 games while averaging 11:25 time on ice per game.
In the AHL, Wright plays a more substantial role. He received middle-six deployment in Ontario this season and was one of the team’s top penalty-killing forwards. Wright was a regular penalty-killer in Denver as well, and will likely play on that side of special teams if he ends up carving out a long-term spot in the NHL.
In the immediate term, this expected reassignment will return a valuable defensive winger back to the Reign, who will stand to benefit from his penalty killing and secondary offensive production. He’s also fresh off of getting into his first set of NHL playoff games, and while they didn’t go too well for the Kings as a whole, the experience should help him for his time in Ontario.
The Reign will begin their Pacific Division Semifinal against the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Wednesday in Ontario, California.
Kings Will Send Third-Round Pick To Rangers For Panarin
- There were ramifications to the Artemi Panarin trade now that the Los Angeles Kings have been eliminated from the postseason. According to Peter Baugh of The Athletic, since the Kings did not win a series, they will send their 2026 third-round pick to the New York Rangers. If they had miraculously ousted the Colorado Avalanche, the Rangers would have received Los Angeles’ second-round pick.
- The Rangers weren’t the only team affected by the Kings’ loss today. According to PuckPedia, since it is now confirmed that Los Angeles will finish lower than the Dallas Stars in the standings, the Senators will receive Dallas’ 2026 third-round pick in the Warren Foegele trade.
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