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.
Islanders’ Ryan Pulock Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock has undergone surgery to address a shoulder injury that he played through this season per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. Rosner adds that the injury was one of a few Pulock played through this season, and that the veteran defender is expected to be back to full health before training camp next season.
Pulock only missed six games this season, despite battling through a few different ailments. All of those absences came in the second half of the season – with Pulock missing two games in January, three games in March, and New York’s season finale. He otherwise filled a pivotal role in the lineup, standing opposite of rookie-phenom Matthew Schaefer on the Islanders’ top pair. Pulock served as the defensive backbone that helped Schaefer tie Brian Leetch‘s record for most goals by a rookie defenseman in NHL history (23).
On his own, Pulock racked up 27 points, 49 hits, and a team-leading 147 shot blocks on the year. It was his highest-scoring season since he scored 35 points in the 2019-20 season, when much of his year was spent alongside Devon Toews. Pulock also posted the lowest goals-against per 60 minutes of ice time on the Islanders’ blue-line this season, per HockeyStats.com. It was another successful year for the veteran defender – a testament to his impact on the nightly lineup despite an injury-plagued year.
Pulock is signed to a reasonable, $6.15MM cap hit through the 2029-30 season. That contract will help keep his focus solely on returning to full health this summer. He will enter the 2026-27 season looking to continue backing Schaefer’s high-scoring offense. Pulock’s top spot is nearly unrivaled on the depth chart, backed by Scott Mayfield, Adam Boqvist, and pending free agent Tony DeAngelo.
Eetu Liukas Signs In Finland
- New York Islanders prospect Eetu Liukas has elected to return to Europe after a three-year run playing professional hockey in North America. Liukas, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Islanders, No. 157 overall. Liukas spent two years playing in the Finnish Liiga on a full-time basis after being drafted, before heading to North America in 2023. He spent three years with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, but didn’t make huge progress. This past season, he scored 10 points in 24 games, and now he will continue his career back in Finland. He signed a contract with Liiga side HIFK Helsinki, on a deal stretching until the end of the 2027-28 campaign.
Ivan Demidov, Matthew Schaefer, Beckett Sennecke Named Calder Trophy Finalists
Midway through tonight’s Draft Lottery, the NHL announced its latest finalists for an end-of-season award. This year’s Calder Trophy finalists are Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov, Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, and Ducks winger Beckett Sennecke. The Calder Trophy goes to the NHL’s top rookie and is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Demidov is the only one of the three who had NHL experience heading into the season, that coming in the form of two regular season games and five postseason contests last year but that didn’t affect his eligibility. The 19-year-old was the fifth overall pick in 2024 and led all freshmen players in assists (43) and points (62), while playing regularly in a top-six role. He also paced all first-year players in power play points with 20. If he wins the award, he would be the second straight Montreal player to win the award after Lane Hutson did so last season.
That said, Schaefer is widely assumed to be the overwhelming favorite for the award this year. The number one pick last June, he made New York’s roster out of training camp and was put into a top role basically immediately. As a result, he wound up playing well enough to garner serious Olympic consideration for Canada. Meanwhile, he tied for the rookie lead in goals (23) and was third in points (59), setting a league record for goals by a freshman blueliner. He also logged 24:41 of ice time per game, by far the most for any first-year player and 11th overall among all NHL skaters. He would be the first Islander since 2018 to win the award (Mathew Barzal).
As for Sennecke, his third-overall selection in 2024 raised some eyebrows originally but it’s fair to say that Anaheim is pleased with their pick so far. He tied Schaefer for the rookie lead in goals while finishing second in assists (37) and points (60). He also recorded 197 shots on net to lead all rookies while logging more than 17 minutes a night of playing time. If he were to win, he would be the first Anaheim player to take home the award.
There is no word yet on when the NHL will reveal the winners. Last year, they announced some awards through pre-recorded segments while holding an abbreviated awards show in June. It’s unclear if they will do so again this year or do something different.
Islanders Promote Rocky Thompson To Assistant Coach
The New York Islanders announced the hire of Rocky Thompson as an assistant coach for the staff of head coach Peter DeBoer.
Thompson’s hire is a promotion from the AHL, where he has served as the head coach of the Islanders’ affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders. Thompson’s tenure with the AHL Islanders will now end after one season.
The Calgary native took over in Bridgeport in the wake of a disastrous 2024-25 season. Bridgeport went 15-50-7, easily the worst record in the AHL. The team won just four home games all season. This year, under Thompson’s leadership, Bridgeport improved significantly. The Islanders went 34-30-8, reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22.
Before he took over in Bridgeport, Thompson was an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Flyers, on the staff of John Tortorella. His other experience in the NHL includes time as an assistant coach for the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers.
Outside of the NHL, Thompson has found some success. He was head coach of the Windsor Spitfires team that won the Memorial Cup in 2016-17, and won another Memorial Cup as a team consultant for the Saint John Sea Dogs in 2022.
Latest On Sam Carrick, Noah Ostlund
5/4/26: The Sabres received some good news today regarding Carrick. Despite it being announced yesterday that he was expected to miss the team’s second-round playoff series, Carrick said today that he has progressed rapidly in his recovery and could be back on the ice in short order.
Ruff said that Carrick is “going to see our doctors today and thinks he’s further along than maybe I portrayed yesterday,” and that he could join our team back in practice tomorrow.”
It’s unclear whether Carrick is going to be ready in time for when the Sabres take on the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow night. But it’s looking increasingly likely that he will be able to play against Montreal at some point in the second round, especially if the series extends beyond the minimum of four games.
5/3/26: The Buffalo Sabres expect to be without centers Noah Ostlund and Sam Carrick for their upcoming second-round series, head coach Lindy Ruff announced today.
Carrick hasn’t played since March. He is sidelined with an upper-body injury, one he sustained in a fight with New York Islanders captain Anders Lee. Ostlund has been out since suffering his lower-body injury in game five against the Bruins.
This pair of injuries puts some strain on the Sabres’ center depth in advance of their series. The Sabres’ No. 4 center spot would typically be occupied by Carrick, but in his absence, the team has relied upon 23-year-old Tyson Kozak. Kozak is a hard-working, energetic player, but not someone who has the same level of experience or detail to his game when compared to Carrick. Carrick, 34, went to a Stanley Cup Final with the Edmonton Oilers and brings a level of reliability Kozak hasn’t yet established.
But while swapping out Carrick for Kozak is a downgrade in some respects, one could argue the loss of Ostlund is more significant. The 2022 first-rounder is one of Buffalo’s top prospects and showed flashes this season, scoring 11 goals and 27 points in 60 games. He even had his moments in the playoffs, scoring a goal and an assist in three games. Like Carrick, Ostlund is also a natural center.
As mentioned, while the Carrick injury has cost the Sabres a veteran fourth-line center, the real, more pressing risk posed by these absences is what would happen to the Sabres at the position if another center goes down.
No. 3 pivot Josh Norris is one of the team’s most talented players at the position, but has, unfortunately, been quite injury-prone in recent years. He missed three games in the first round due to an undisclosed injury, was limited to just 44 games in the regular season, and has reached 60 games played in a single campaign just once in his NHL career.
If Norris’ injury issues resurface in the second round (a series that is likely to be extremely physical given how the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens have competed their first-round series,) the Sabres could be left in a tough spot. They would potentially need to dress both Kozak and Josh Dunne or consider alternate options. Those options include shifting natural center Peyton Krebs back to the middle, breaking up a Tage Thompson line that has worked so well this year, or dressing talented rookie Konsta Helenius.
The options available to the Sabres if Norris or another center gets injured are not entirely ideal for a team looking to win a Stanley Cup. As a result, today’s two injury updates only further emphasize the importance of the health of Norris, Thompson, and Ryan McLeod for the Sabres.
Latest On Peter DeBoer Staff
- New York Islanders head coach Peter DeBoer only got to coach in four games before the end of the 2025-26 season, and that quick turnaround meant that he didn’t have an opportunity to build a staff from scratch. Stefen Rosner of The Elmonters named two coaches as legitimate candidates to get a job on DeBoer’s staff: Boston Bruins assistant Steve Spott, who is a longtime DeBoer assistant, and Misha Donskov, who will coach Canada at the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championships. Spott was on DeBoer’s staff with OHL Kitchener and in the NHL with San Jose, Vegas, and Dallas. Donskov overlapped with DeBoer in Vegas and Dallas.
Latest On Pierre Engvall
New York Islanders forward Pierre Engvall has had a difficult run of things since signing his seven-year, $3MM AAV contract extension in the summer of 2023. The 29-year-old missed the entirety of the 2025-26 season with an ankle injury, and the year prior he saw his role in the NHL decline sharply. Without question, he’s hoping to rebound next season, and Stefen Rosner of The Elmonters reported that Engvall “is feeling better, and the hope is that he’ll be ready for training camp.”
Rosner also noted that “given the severity of the ankle injury, it’s fair to expect a gradual ramp-up before he’s back to full strength.” That Engvall still isn’t a guarantee to be at 100% health before training camp, despite missing the entire campaign due to his injury, is notable – underscoring just how severe Engvall’s injury was. The Islanders don’t have many viable routes to move off of the hefty financial commitment they made to Engvall, as he almost certainly wouldn’t be claimed off of waivers and his 16-team no-trade list makes finding a deal for him difficult. So their best hope for his future with the team is for him to be able to recover and rediscover the form that once made him a speedy 15-goal, 35-point forward.
Marcus Hogberg Signs With SHL’s Linköping HC
Netminder Marcus Högberg is leaving professional hockey in North America for the second time in his career. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, Högberg has signed a three-year deal with the SHL’s Linköping HC.
His first stint in North America began in the mid-2010s. Högberg was selected by the Ottawa Senators with the 78th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. It took him several years to make the jump, waiting until the 2017-18 season to join the AHL’s Belleville Senators on a full-time basis.
He played relatively well, topping out in the 2018-19 campaign when he earned a 21-11-10 record in 39 games with a .917 SV% and 2.32 GAA. That performance afforded him an extended look in the NHL as Ottawa’s backup goalie during the 2019-20 season, registering a 5-8-8 record in 21 starts with a .904 SV% and 3.12 GAA.
Unfortunately, that was essentially the end of his tenure with the Senators. After a disastrous year in the 2020-21 season, Högberg left Ottawa as a free agent, joining Linköping HC.
After spending three years in Sweden, Högberg activated his NHL opt-out clause and signed a two-year contract with the New York Islanders. Due to Semyon Varlamov‘s injury last season, Högberg earned an extended look with the Islanders, backing up Ilya Sorokin, finishing with a 2-6-3 record in 15 games with a .878 SV% and 3.38 GAA.
New York pursued superior options last summer, landing David Rittich on a one-year deal, which pushed Högberg to the third-string role. He almost exclusively played for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, managing a 12-13-10 record in 31 games with a .890 SV% and 2.92 GAA.
Being that this will be his third stint with Linköping HC, Högberg is clearly comfortable with the SHL organization. Throughout his professional career in Sweden, Högberg has a 110-102-0 record in 219 games with a .915 SV% and 2.40 GAA, including 20 shutouts.
Ilya Sorokin, Jeremy Swayman, Andrei Vasilevskiy Named Vezina Trophy Finalists
The NHL has officially announced the field for the 2025-26 Vezina Trophy, naming Ilya Sorokin (New York Islanders), Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins), and Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning) as the three finalists. Voted on by the league’s general managers, the award recognizes the goaltender deemed most valuable to his team at the position.
This year’s group features a mix of powerhouse names and rising stars who have carried their respective clubs through an 82-game season.
Sorokin returns to the finalist circle for the second time in his career after a season where he was arguably the league’s busiest and most reliable netminder. Despite the Islanders’ inconsistent defensive metrics, Sorokin was a human highlight reel, leading the NHL with seven shutouts across 55 games played. He posted a 29-24-2 record with a 2.68 GAA and .906 SV%, but his case for the award is notably from his league-leading 452 high-danger saves.
Swayman has taken the reins in Boston and proved he is a bona fide elite starting goaltender. The 27-year-old recorded a career-high 31 wins and led all goaltenders with 38 starts with a SV% of .900 or better. Finishing the year with a 31-18-4 record, a 2.71 GAA, and a .907 SV%, Swayman’s ability to handle a heavy workload while maintaining elite performances night after night helped a transitional Bruins roster secure the top Wild Card spot in the East.
Vasilevskiy reminded the world why he remains the gold standard for modern goaltending, leading the NHL in wins for the sixth time in his career. Across 58 appearances, he posted a 39-15-4 record, with an historic 17-0-1 record during the middle of the season. He finished the campaign ranked second in the league in GAA at 2.31 and tied for fourth in save percentage at .912, making his sixth time as a Vezina finalist as he seeks to capture the trophy for the first time since 2019.
While Vasilevskiy holds the advantage in traditional win-loss metrics and goals against average, Sorokin’s case is built on the immense degree of difficulty he faced in New York. Swayman, on the other hand, represents a newer guard, showing that he can maintain elite efficiency over a full season’s workload. The winner will be revealed during the NHL Awards ceremony later this summer.