Off-Ice Notes: MacFarland, Campbell, Julien
There was plenty revealed in today’s introductory press conference for the new President of Hockey Operations and General Manager for the Nashville Predators, Chris MacFarland. Although the Colorado Avalanche let MacFarland interview with the Predators and subsequently let him join the Central Division rival, they didn’t do so without a fight.
According to Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean, the Avalanche made multiple extension offers to MacFarland. Regardless, despite their attempts, Colorado was unwilling to give him a promotion, and that, along with the six-year term by Nashville, persuaded MacFarland to leave.
Additionally, Daugherty shared that a buyout was not needed for MacFarland. The NHL eliminated teams’ ability to send compensation to another team for hiring an executive, meaning the Avalanche allowed MacFarland to walk out of the final year remaining on his contract to take the role in Nashville.
Additional off-ice notes:
- After firing most of their coaching staff, the Vancouver Canucks are looking to build their bench from the ground up. The Canucks have already promoted Manny Malhotra from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks to take over head coaching duties, but still need to fill in a couple of assistant coaching positions. To that end, Adam Kierszenblat of The Hockey News reported that Vancouver is interested in hiring Jessica Campbell for an assistant coaching position after she moved on from the Seattle Kraken a few weeks ago.
- According to a report out of Switzerland, longtime NHL coach Claude Julien has been hired by the NL’s ZSC Lions as the team’s next head coach. A former Stanley Cup champion with the Boston Bruins in 2011, Julien has spent the last few years as an assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues. Outside of his lengthy coaching career in North America, Julien briefly served as a senior advisor for the NL’s HC Ambrì-Piotta in the 2022-23 season.
Maple Leafs Interested In Vincent Trocheck
After the news that center Max Domi would be out indefinitely after offseason surgery, the Toronto Maple Leafs have already begun perusing the trade market for a second-line center. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, the Maple Leafs have reached out to the New York Rangers to gauge the price for Vincent Trocheck.
It’s a peculiar idea for a few reasons. Toronto finished 28th in the league after a disastrous 2025-26 season, and many believed they would undergo a brief retool instead of simply running the team back with outside additions. Secondly, of all the needs that the Maple Leafs have, center isn’t one of them.
Although the Maple Leafs finished the year with Domi as their second-line center, that was only because captain Auston Matthews underwent surgery to repair a torn MCL. Considering a 12-week recovery timeline in March, it’s certain that Matthews will begin the 2026-27 season on schedule. Additionally, once Matthews does return, veteran John Tavares is expected to resume his role as Toronto’s second-line center.
Still, there’s no question why the Maple Leafs, or any other team for that matter, would be interested in Trocheck. He’s locked in for three more years at an affordable $5.625MM salary and is coming off another productive season in which he scored 16 goals and 53 points in 67 games with a 56.9% faceoff percentage.
Regardless, despite making Trocheck available at the trade deadline and planning to do so again this summer, General Manager Chris Drury remains firm in his asking price. It’s well known that New York wants a young NHL-caliber player, plus additional assets, for Trocheck.
Ideally, among all the players on the Maple Leafs, the Rangers would likely target Matthew Knies as a return package. At this point, that doesn’t seem like something Toronto would entertain, nor should they.
Theoretically, the Maple Leafs could package forward Nicholas Robertson, prospect defenseman Ben Danford, and Colorado’s conditional first-round pick in 2027, along with additional assets. However, even if New York were interested in such a trade, it would only provide short-term gains for Toronto and wouldn’t position them as favorites for the Stanley Cup. This approach would involve further mortgaging of their future.
If new General Manager John Chayka is intent on getting the Maple Leafs back to postseason contention next season, their main targets should be on defense. Toronto had the most shots against of any team this year by a wide margin, and it’s beyond clear that their defensive corps is not up to par.
Given that Danford is widely considered NHL-ready, and assuming they want to be aggressive, Toronto should allow him to crack the opening night roster and package additional assets for another defenseman or two.
Anders Lee Could Be Heading to Free Agency
The New York Islanders are facing the very real possibility of losing their captain this summer. According to a report from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, long-time Islanders forward Anders Lee appears increasingly likely to test the open market as an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
LeBrun reports that Lee’s agent, Neil Sheehy, met with Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche to discuss a potential extension. However, the two sides remain “far apart” on the parameters of a new deal. While the organization reportedly intends to keep negotiating and wants their captain back in the fold, the current gap in expectations means that the draft and free agency period could mark the beginning of the end for Lee’s tenure on Long Island.
With several weeks remaining before the official start of the new league year, there is still time for negotiations to shift. Front offices and agents frequently use the threat of free agency as a final leverage point, and a breakthrough in talks could materialize.
However, if Lee does hit the open market, the 35-year-old forward will draw plenty of attention from contending teams looking for size, leadership, and net-front production. Lee has spent his entire 13-year NHL career with the Islanders, serving as team captain since 2018. Replacing his locker room presence and physical edge would be a massive challenge for Darche. For now, the Isles will need to do all they can to course correct in their conversations, or determine if their captain will wear a new sweater next season.
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.
Hurricanes Eye Adjustments Ahead of Game 2
Following a “self-inflicted” loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the series, the Carolina Hurricanes took to the podium today ahead of Thursday’s Game 2 and addressed the media. The overarching sentiment from both the players and coaching staff wasn’t one of panic, but a firm sense of accountability. While credit was given to a resilient Vegas squad, the Hurricanes emphasized that their biggest opponent in the opening game of the series was themselves.
Veteran forward Taylor Hall stated the team’s frustrations when assessing how the game got away from them. “A lot of what happened was self-inflicted,” Hall noted. “But they’re a good team. They can force you into some bad spots.” The turnover battle and executing under heavy pressure should continue to be a crucial area of the series for Carolina as they adjust their approach.
A substantial portion of that execution falls on the shoulders of the team’s offensive leaders. Carolina’s top line found itself limited for much of the evening, struggling to generate the high-danger scoring chances that defined their success leading up to this round. When asked about the top line’s lack of production, franchise center Sebastian Aho didn’t mince words.
“It’s on us to figure it out,” Aho said. “We can be a little bit smarter with the puck, that’s for sure. We have to get to our game where we can use our strengths.”
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour echoed his players’ statements. When asked by reporters whether the video gave him a better or worse impression of last night’s performance, Brind’Amour candidly replied, “Maybe both.”
For a coach known for demanding a relentless, structurally sound work ethic, the gaps in execution were a little clearer as the game moved on.
“If we had played our best game and it was that outcome, I think there would be a different feel today,” Brind’Amour explained. “We’ve got to be better. We were not as good as we need to be… There’s certainly areas we have to clean up, but we’re still right there.”
The Hurricanes will look to clean up those self-inflicted errors, manage the puck with more care, and unlock their top-line offense as they look to even things up before the series shifts locations.
2026-27 Performance Bonus and 35+ Candidates
As NHL front offices gear up for free agency, managing the salary cap demands a delicate balance between risk and reward. While performance bonuses are often linked to elite rookies on entry-level contracts, the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) adds two additional avenues for performance-based incentives: injury comeback deals and contracts for 35-year-old or older veterans. These mechanisms enable teams to secure impactful players with low base salary cap hits, effectively deferring financial obligations until later.
If a team ends the fiscal year with earned bonuses exceeding their remaining cap space, the excess funds are carried over into the next league year as a direct salary cap penalty. This can significantly impact teams near the cap limit or heavily relying on LTIR. PuckPedia has detailed the upcoming free agents who qualify for these specialized incentive structures for the 2026-27 season.
To qualify for a performance-bonus-eligible contract via the injury route, a player must have 400 or more career games and have spent 100 or more days on Injured Reserve during the previous season. This structure allows franchises to take low-risk gambles on proven assets, while the financial incentives toward active roster availability and durability rather than pure scoring production.
Six players fit this criteria heading into free agency, including Derek Forbort (VAN), Alexander Kerfoot (UTA) Patrik Laine (MON), Petr Mrazek (ANA), Matt Murray (SEA), and Tomas Nosek (FLA).
For a team looking for top-six offensive upside, a player like Laine could be highly coveted on a bonus-laden deal, while teams seeking goaltending depth or penalty-killing options could turn to turn to Mrazek, Forbort, or Nosek under this low-risk umbrella.
Contracts signed by players who will be 35 or older by July 1 of the contract year are also eligible for performance bonuses on one-year deals. Front offices frequently use these to protect against sudden age-related decline, tying mid-six-figure bonuses to basic longevity milestones—such as reaching 10, 40, or 60 games played—or team-oriented postseason success.
The upcoming free agent class has an extensive group of veteran forwards eligible for this structure, including Jamie Benn (DAL), Evgenii Dadonov (NJD), Nicolas Deslauriers (CAR), Lars Eller (OTT), Nick Foligno (MIN), Claude Giroux (OTT), Luke Glendening (PHI), Erik Haula (NSH), Adam Henrique (EDM), Marcus Johansson (MIN), Patrick Kane (DET), Anders Lee (NYI), Gustav Nyquist (WPG), Alex Ovechkin (WSH), David Perron (OTT), Corey Perry (TBL), Ryan Reaves (SJ), Reilly Smith (VGS), Jonathan Toews (WPG), Garrett Wilson (PHI), James van Riemsdyk (DET), and Mats Zuccarello (MIN).
The blue line also features a robust market of eligible 35+ defensemen who can weaponize these flexible agreements. This group includes Zach Bogosian (MIN), Brent Burns (COL), John Carlson (ANA), Ian Cole (UTA), Radko Gudas (ANA), Travis Hamonic (DET), Nick Jensen (OTT), Nick Leddy (SJ), Jeff Petry (MIN), Luke Schenn (BUF), and Brendan Smith (CBJ).
Contending teams could use performance bonuses to maximize rosters with high-profile franchise icons like Ovechkin, Benn, Giroux, and Kane eligible for a flexible, low-base-salary structure. However, general managers must be cautious. A player hitting a games-played milestone in late March could trigger a cap overage, restricting cap space at the trade deadline or forcing a painful penalty on the 2027-28 books.
Jonathan Toews Likely To Retire
While an official announcement has not yet been finalized, it appears that Jonathan Toews is likely skating into retirement. According to a report from TSN’s Darren Dreger, the veteran center is expected to officially call an end to his illustrious professional hockey career.
The news comes on the heels of the 2025-26 season, which saw the 38-year-old forward make a highly anticipated return to the ice with his hometown Winnipeg Jets. After stepping away from the game for two full seasons to focus on his health and manage chronic immune response syndrome, Toews shocked many by serving as a durable, veteran presence in Winnipeg.
Defying expectations regarding his physical stamina after the lengthy layoff, Toews suited up for all 82 games for the Jets, grabbing 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points while logging a minus-20 rating. It was a tough season overall for the club, as Winnipeg finishing with a 35-35-12 record for 82 points, good for 7th in the highly competitive Central Division.
If this report becomes official, Toews will retire as one of the most respected, defensive-minded leaders of his generation. The bulk of his legendary resume was built during his 15 seasons as the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks, where he anchored a modern dynasty, winning three Stanley Cup championships.
Should he choose to hang up his skates, Toews closes his career with 383 goals, 529 assists, and 912 total points across 1,149 regular-season games, while maintaining a stellar plus-128 rating over his 16 active NHL seasons.
Morning Notes: Eliáš, Vecchione, Agozzino
The Czech Ice Hockey Association’s Executive Committee has finalized its new national team management structure, appointing NHL legend Patrik Eliáš as general manager and Richard Král as assistant coach on two-year contracts. The duo joins a staff that includes head coach Zdeněk Moták, assistant Pavel Gross, and goaltending coach Jaroslav Kameš.
Eliáš, a two-time Stanley Cup champion who spent his entire 20-season NHL career with the New Jersey Devils, ranks second all-time among Czech players with 1,025 points. Czech Hockey president Alois Hadamczik praised the hire, noting that Eliáš possesses both an extensive overview of NHL talent and a deep understanding of domestic players thanks to his recent management work at home with HC Slavia Prague.
“Patrik is a well-known personality not only in our country,” said Alois Hadamczik, president of Czech Hockey. “He has an overview of the players in the NHL and, thanks to his work in the Czech Republic in recent years, also of the players here at home. He has managerial skills and I believe that he will be a benefit to Czech hockey.”
Additional News
Vecchione to stay in KHL: Forward Mike Vecchione has signed a one-year deal with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL after spending last season with Barys Astana, bringing a championship resume that includes an NCAA title at Union and a pair of Calder Cups with the Hershey Bears.
Agozzino Signs in Switzerland: Former NHL forward Andrew Agozzino, who spent last season under contract with the Utah Mammoth, has signed a contract running through 2027 with HC Bienne to strengthen the Swiss National League club’s offensive sector. Agozzino played primarily in the AHL during the 2025-26 season with the Tucson Roadrunners scoring 19 goals and 39 points in 56 regular season games.
Roy and Laviolette Enter Maple Leafs Head Coach Interview Process
The Toronto Maple Leafs are widening the net in their high-stakes coaching search, adding significant championship pedigree to the mix. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the process is heating up this week, with sources confirming that veteran bench bosses Patrick Roy and Peter Laviolette have entered the interview stage.
With the additions of both names, the Toronto General Manager John Chayka is prioritizing experienced, commanding voices capable of navigating the relentless pressure of the Toronto market. After failing to push past organizational roadblocks in the postseason, management appears focused on hiring a motivator who can instill defensive structure and accountability into a star-studded roster.
Roy is possibly the most polarizing and fascinating option on the board. The Hall of Fame goaltender and Jack Adams Award winner is famous for his fiery competitive drive and intense demeanor. Since the 2023-24 season, Roy has proven he could still connect with modern NHL rosters, executing an impressive mid-season turnaround with the New York Islanders. His aggressive, emotion-driven coaching style could provide the exact culture shock the Maple Leafs’ core needs to finally break through their playoff ceiling.
On the other end of the spectrum, Laviolette, a proven tactician who ranks among the winningest American-born coaches in NHL history. Laviolette brings a resume of proven success having guided three different franchises—the Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, and Nashville Predators—to Stanley Cup Final appearances, capturing the Cup with Carolina. Laviolette is known for implementing aggressive, up-tempo neutral zone systems and demanding strict physical conditioning. He is a head coach that offers a structured, stable blueprint for immediate success.
By interviewing both of these veteran head coaches, the Maple Leafs are clearly not rushing into a lateral hiring decision. They are hunting for a definitive identity shift and searching for the right fit. The Maple Leaf front office is thoroughly evaluating which brand of leadership will maximize the championship window of this core group.
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.