Hurricanes’ Goaltending Picture Shifts As Bussi Pushes For Game 5 Start
The Carolina Hurricanes’ goaltending situation remains one of the biggest storylines of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, with the crease decision for Game 5 carrying major implications as the series returns to Raleigh tied at 2-2.
As first reported by Emily Kaplan of ESPN, the Hurricanes made a bold move in Game 4, healthy scratching veteran Frederik Andersen in favor of Brandon Bussi. Bussi delivered in his first playoff start, helping Carolina even the series with a road victory.
Andersen, 36, had been rock-solid through the first three rounds, entering the Final with an incredible 12-1 postseason record while leading the Hurricanes past Ottawa, Philadelphia, and Montreal.
However, the Golden Knights’ heavy forecheck, interior pressure, and ability to force him out of position exposed vulnerabilities in the first three games of the series. His performance dipped noticeably, prompting the coaching staff to make a change. Kaplan’s reporting confirmed the scratch was performance-driven, with no injury concerns.
Bussi, 27, emerged as one of the NHL’s feel-good stories in the regular season, posting a 31-6-2 record in 39 appearances. The goaltender had seen limited postseason action until the Final but made a strong impression in relief during Game 3, stopping 18 of 19 shots. His Game 4 start and solid outing have now pushed him firmly into the conversation as the legitimate starting goaltender the rest of the way.
With the series knotted at 2-2, head coach Rod Brind’Amour faces a high-stakes choice between his three goaltenders. With Bussi fresh off a strong relief appearance and a Game 4 win, the younger netminder brings energy, athleticism, and regular-season dominance. Should he turn back to Anderson, the body of work this postseason (despite the series struggles) still commands respect. Then there is Pyotr Kochetkov who served as Bussi’s backup in Game 4 despite his own lengthy absence. His availability adds another layer of fluidity, though he remains the long-shot option.
Brind’Amour has not yet committed to a Game 5 starter, and as reported by Hurricanes beat writer Walt Ruff, all signs are leading toward indicates the call will be made “at some point.”
Morning Notes: Ott, Puustinen, McIlvane, NHLPA Rebrand
The St. Louis Blues have signed Steve Ott to a two-year contract extension, securing the 43-year-old as the Springfield Thunderbirds head coach through the 2027-28 season and keeping him within the St. Louis Blues organization.
Ott took over as head coach on January 19, 2026, after the Thunderbirds were struggling midseason. In the club’s final 34 regular-season games, he guided the team to an 18-14-2 record, clinching a sixth-seed playoff berth in the Atlantic Division. Ott then led Springfield to the Division Finals, with a first-round series win over the third-seeded Charlotte Checkers and a historic upset victory over the Providence Bruins in the Division Semifinals. The win over Providence marked the single-biggest upset in AHL history, with the teams separated by 38 points in the regular season.
“It’s a great opportunity for myself, but not only that, I get to stay in an organization that I truly love,” Ott said of the extension. “To help develop our young guys with the development side of coaching, it’s really exciting for myself. … When you get asked to take that opportunity, I look at it as a big honor.”
Additional Notes
- The NHLPA has restructured and rebranded its commercial business unit as the NHLPA Player Collective. The move aims to expand global business opportunities and partnerships for NHL players, building on recent staff additions like Chief Commercial Officer Steve Scebelo (formerly of NFL Players Inc.) to enhance player-driven commercial initiatives worldwide.
- Forward Valtteri Puustinen has signed with Luleå HF of the SHL. The 27-year-old Finnish winger split time last season between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Colorado Eagles in the AHL after being traded from Pittsburgh to Colorado in January 2026. The 27-year-old recorded 77 goals and 189 points across 276 AHL games, seven goals and 24 points 66 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- The Boston Bruins are said to be hiring Matt McIlvane as an assistant coach. The 39-year-old spent the last three seasons as head coach of the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s AHL affiliate, where he earned a multi-year extension in April 2026 after previous success coaching in Europe.
Senators To Be Active In Trade And Free Agency Front During Offseason
The Ottawa Senators are wasting little time addressing areas of need following their first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. With the NHL Draft approaching on June 26-27, president of hockey operations and GM Steve Staios was active at last week’s Combine in Buffalo. According to Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun, Staios met with league executives and player agents amid a thin free-agent market that is pushing more clubs toward trades. The push includes additions at all areas of the roster.
A league executive indicated Ottawa is in the market for a top-six winger capable of lining up with Tim Stützle and captain Brady Tkachuk. While the Senators lack significant assets for a major splash, Garrioch’s sources noted Anaheim’s Mason McTavish as a realistic target given existing organizational ties. Jordan Kyrou was previously mentioned in early deadline chatter, though Garrioch noted that scenario “doesn’t make sense” for Ottawa at this stage.
On the blue line, adding a top-four right-shot defenseman remains a priority with veteran Nick Jensen expected to test unrestricted free agency following knee surgery. RFA Jordan Spence averaged 25 minutes of ice time during his four postseason games and holds arbitration rights, which could set up potentially tricky negotiations.
In an effort to boost the blue line and offer any veteran help, the Senators also checked in on St. Louis veterans Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk at the March trade deadline. However, neither was willing to waive their new move clauses to come to Ottawa. Faulk was ultimately dealt to Detroit, while Parayko declined to waive his no-move clause despite a strong offer from Buffalo that included a high-end prospect and first-round pick.
In net, the Senators are expected to focus on backup goaltending, and should qualify Leevi Meriläinen, while monitoring UFAs options like Connor Ingram and Stuart Skinner, among others.
Veteran UFA forwards Claude Giroux and Nick Cousins have noted strong desires to stay in Ottawa. Staios is reportedly high on retaining both, with Giroux likely returning on another bonus-heavy structure.
Trade talks will be a little more challenging without the draft capital of their No. 32 overall draft selection. Expect trade discussions to intensify in the coming weeks as clubs position themselves ahead of July 1 free agency.
Blues Linked To Sign Dillon Dubé As Depth Forward
As the Alexander Steen era officially begins on July 1, the St. Louis Blues appear poised to bolster their bottom-six forward group with a familiar face from their AHL affiliate.
According to a recent mailbag in The Athletic, a league source indicates there is a strong chance that 27-year-old forward Dillon Dubé signs a free-agent contract with St. Louis and plays in the middle for the Blues, likely as a fourth-line center option.
Dubé, originally a second-round pick (56th overall) of the Calgary Flames in 2016, brings 325 games of NHL experience to the table. He recorded 57 goals and 127 points during his time with Calgary, enjoying his most productive season in 2021-22 with 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games. After becoming a UFA and navigating the legal proceedings stemming from the 2018 Hockey Canada case where he was acquitted of all charges in 2025, Dubé spent the 2024-25 season in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk, posting 11 points in 42 games.
He joined the Springfield Thunderbirds on a professional tryout in December 2025 and made an immediate impact. In 46 regular-season games with the Blues’ AHL affiliate this past season, Dubé finished the regular season tied for second on the team in goals (20) and fourth with 37 points. He also contributed five goals and eight points in 12 games during the Thunderbirds’ playoff run.
The Blues are looking to rebuild a more aggressive and competitive bottom-six, with the potential of moving on from pending UFA Oskar Sundqvist and demand more consistency from players like Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker. Dubé’s two-way capabilities, center versatility, and recent scoring touch at the AHL level make him a low-risk, experienced option that fits the emphasis on grit and scoring upside.
For a Blues team in transition, remaining focused on nurturing younger talent like Jimmy Snuggerudand Dalibor Dvorsky while remaining competitive, adding a proven NHL veteran on a likely bargain deal provides valuable depth and flexibility without significant cap commitment.
While nothing is finalized until contracts are signed, Dubé’s strong performance in Springfield has clearly caught the attention of Blues management as they prepare for the Steen-led offseason. More updates are expected in the coming weeks as free agency approaches.
Evening Notes: Smits, Babcock, Cossa
Latvian defenseman Alberts Smits has been named the winner of the 2026 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence, NHL Central Scouting’s annual honor for the draft prospect who best exemplifies character, competitiveness, and athleticism. The 18-year-old sits second among international skaters on Central Scouting’s final ranking and is expected to go inside the top 10 at the draft in Buffalo later this month, a slot that would make him the highest-selected Latvia-born player in NHL history, surpassing Zemgus Girgensons, whom Buffalo took 14th in 2012.
Smits has built that case against older competition. The 6-foot-3 left shot put up 13 points in 38 games for Jukurit in Finland’s Liiga before a February loan to München of Germany’s DEL, and he was the youngest player at the 2026 Winter Olympics, averaging nearly 19 minutes a night for Latvia. He also led Latvia in ice time at both the World Juniors and the World Championship. “I’m the only one who’s playing in a men’s league right now,” Smits said when asked what separates him from a deep class of draft-eligible defensemen, pointing to the pro experience he believes gives him an edge. He models his game after Miro Heiskanen and Moritz Seider, as reported by Mike G. Morreale at NHL.com.
Additional Notes
- The Babcock situation in Edmonton has escalated. Building on Darren Dreger’s report, Frank Seravalli reports that the NHLPA has asked the NHL to move forward with a formal investigation into the allegations that Mike Babcock invaded players’ privacy during his time in Columbus, and, per sources, has specifically requested that the league delay Babcock’s hiring by the Oilers until that investigation can be completed.
- Kevin Weekes with ESPN reported that Red Wings goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa could be on the move, with the Utah Mammoth among the interested clubs. Cossa, the 15th pick in the 2021 draft, would give Utah a younger option behind starter Karel Vejmelka, with backup Vitek Vanecek headed to free agency. In 2025-26 with AHL Grand Rapids, Cossa finished 26-8-4 with a 2.33 GAA and a .915 save percentage across 39 games.
Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog Wins Bill Masterton Trophy And Mark Messier Leadership Award
Gabriel Landeskog‘s comeback now has some hardware to show for it, twice over. The NHL announced Tuesday that the Colorado Avalanche captain is the 2025-26 recipient of both the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award. The Masterton, awarded annually by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, goes to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.” Landeskog beat out fellow finalists Rasmus Dahlin of the Sabres and Jonathan Toews of the Jets for the honor.
In keeping with recent tradition, the league surprised Landeskog with the trophy off the ice, and used his other award as the cover story. As detailed by NHL.com’s David Satriano, Landeskog sat down at his home for what he believed was simply an interview about winning the Messier Award. He was then handed an iPad containing video messages from his surgeon, Dr. Matthew Jordan, teammates Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, his wife, Melissa, and his father, Tony. When Landeskog turned around afterward, Melissa and the couple’s three children were waiting alongside a Hockey Hall of Fame representative holding the Masterton Trophy. “I’ve been very sneaky,” Melissa told NHL.com of keeping the secret.
The Messier Award, meanwhile, recognizes “the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey.” Unlike the PHWA-voted Masterton, the Messier Award’s winner is selected solely by its Hall of Fame namesake. Landeskog, Colorado’s captain since September 2012, deflected the individual recognition toward his locker room, describing the Avalanche’s approach as “leadership by committee” in comments to NHL.com. His leadership résumé extended beyond Denver this season, he also captained Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, recording four points in five games. He succeeds Alex Ovechkin as the award’s recipient.
The win closes the book on one of the more improbable returns in recent NHL history. Landeskog last played a full, healthy season in 2021-22, when he captained Colorado to the Stanley Cup while managing a deteriorating knee. He didn’t appear in another NHL game for nearly three years, undergoing four major procedures, including a cartilage replacement surgery in May 2023 that no NHL player had ever come back from. He ended that distinction himself in April 2025, rejoining the Avalanche lineup midway through their first-round series against the Stars after a brief AHL conditioning stint.
That return made him a Masterton finalist a year ago, though the award went to Sean Monahan. The difference this time: a full season of evidence. Landeskog posted 14 goals and 35 points in 60 games in 2025-26, and the production accelerated as the year went on. Per Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now, Landeskog managed just four assists through his first 16 games before putting up 31 points over his final 44, a 58-point pace over a full schedule.
The 22 games he missed had nothing to do with the knee. Rawal notes Landeskog broke a rib crashing into the Panthers’ goalpost in January, then later lost additional time after taking a Cale Makar slap shot to the groin. Through it all, the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche were a staggering 45-7-8 with their captain in the lineup, compared to 10-9-3 without him.
Landeskog, 33, added 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 13 playoff games before the Avalanche were swept out of the Western Conference Final by the Golden Knights. The hardware wasn’t entirely off his radar; he admitted to NHL.com that the Masterton had crossed his mind at some point, though he had been led to believe the winner wouldn’t be revealed for a few more weeks. Characteristically, he treated the recognition as a shared one, crediting the long list of doctors, teammates, and family members behind his comeback, starting with Melissa and their three children.
Brandon Bussi Gets The Start In Game Four
Brandon Bussi will make his first career playoff start tonight in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, per Renaud Lavoie with TVASports, as the Carolina Hurricanes turn to their rookie netminder with the series hanging in the balance. The Vegas Golden Knights lead the series two games to one, with puck drop for Game 4 set for 7 p.m. CT at T-Mobile Arena.
It’s a remarkable spot for a 27-year-old who began the season as insurance. Undrafted and a career AHLer until this year, Bussi signed with Florida on July 1 before Carolina claimed him off waivers on October 5. When Pyotr Kochetkov‘s lower-body injury limited him to nine games, Bussi seized the net, going 31-6-2 with a 2.47 GAA and .895 save percentage across a team-high 39 starts.
Still, he hadn’t seen a second of playoff action until Saturday, and he made it count. Entering Game 3 down 4-0, Bussi stopped the first 18 shots he faced, including a Mitch Marner penalty shot, while Carolina ripped off four straight third-period goals (three in a Cup Final-record 39 seconds) to force overtime. Shea Theodore‘s double-OT winner, a bank off the end boards and Bussi’s pad, was the only blemish.
The decision says as much about Frederik Andersen as it does about Bussi. After a dominant 12-1 run through three rounds with a 1.41 GAA, the 36-year-old has been tagged for 12 goals on 65 shots in this series, a 4.44 GAA and .815 save percentage. Andersen also took a hit to the head in Game 3 and didn’t skate Monday in what the team called a maintenance day.
Rod Brind’Amour kept his decision quiet until the last possible moment. Now the suspense shifts to whether Bussi can help the Canes tie the series at two.
Kale Clague Signs With KHL’s Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
The Winnipeg Jets are losing a small piece of their defensive depth for next season. According to multiple reports, defenseman Kale Clague has signed a two-year contract with the KHL’s Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg.
The Regina, Saskatchewan native had a coming home of sorts this season, signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Jets for the 2025-26 season. Unfortunately, that didn’t translate to any playing time in the NHL, as Clague spent the entire campaign with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
It was a relatively productive year, scoring nine goals and 27 points in 67 games. Still, it was a far cry from the 10-goal, 39-point performance he enjoyed a year earlier with the Rochester Americans. Additionally, Clague finished with a -16 rating, which stands as his worst mark since the 2018-19 campaign.
Given his age and the length of his new contract, the 2025-26 season could very well have been Clague’s last in North America. Despite being drafted over a decade ago, the 28-year-old blue liner has only managed 94 games at the NHL level, scoring two goals and 21 points with a -22 rating.
He’s unsurprisingly performed much better in the AHL, at least offensively. Debuting in the 2018-19 season with the Ontario Reign, Clague has registered 39 goals and 165 points in 321 career AHL appearances.
In Russia, Clague should largely operate as a two-way threat, with the capacity to average a point every two games. If he performs particularly well, another NHL team may give him another opportunity, but it’s unlikely at this point.
Wild Sign Michael McCarron To Six-Year Extension
Last month, it was noted that the Wild and Michael McCarron had mutual interest on extending the forward’s stay in Minnesota. But one of the key sticking points in talks was McCarron’s understandable desire to get some term on his next deal, a luxury he has yet to have in the NHL; his longest contract was his entry-level deal back in 2013.
The centerman has now gotten his wish. McCarron has signed a six-year, $19.8MM extension with the Wild per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The deal will carry an annual average value of $3.3MM. Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic were the first to report (subscription link) that McCarron was closing in on signing a long-term deal to remain with the Wild.
The team over at PuckPedia provided the year-by-year breakdown of McCarron’s new contract:
| Year | NHL Salary | Trade Protection |
| 2026-27 | $4.5MM | NMC |
| 2027-28 | $4MM | NMC |
| 2028-29 | $3.4MM | NMC |
| 2029-30 | $2.7MM | NMC+15 NTC |
| 2030-31 | $2.7MM | NMC+15 NTC |
| 2031-32 | $2.7MM | NMC+15 NTC |
The 31-year-old came over from Nashville a little before the trade deadline with Minnesota flipping a 2028 second-round pick to get him. Considering that he has largely been a bottom-six forward (at times playing on the fourth line with the Preds), the price tag seemed a little steep on the surface but reflected the shift towards a sellers’ market.
McCarron played in 20 games following the swap, picking up three goals and two assists along with 40 hits, while averaging 12:40 per night, nearly two minutes below his ATOI in Nashville. However, he was counted on more in the postseason, as his playing time jumped to just under 15 minutes per night while he chipped in with two goals and two helpers in 11 outings.
Offensively, McCarron managed 17 points during the regular season between the two teams, the second-highest total of his career. Overall, over parts of nine NHL seasons between Montreal, Nashville, and Minnesota, he has 36 goals and 43 assists in 381 games. Generally speaking, forwards with that type of offensive production aren’t the types of players that teams typically try to lock up on long-term agreements.
However, there are some intangibles that McCarron brings that makes him stand out, literally in a sense. His six-foot-six frame makes him one of the bigger players in the league while he plays with plenty of physicality. He can shift between both center and the wing, versatility that came in handy for the Wild down the stretch. He can also take a regular role on the penalty kill where, again, that positional versatility comes in handy. It appears GM Bill Guerin is valuing these intangibles if he ultimately winds up doling out a long-term agreement here.
McCarron made $900K this season and it’s safe to say it’s going to take considerably more than that to get him to forego testing the open market this summer. Speculatively, it wouldn’t be shocking if a deal pushed past the $3MM range, which would give him a per-season salary higher than the sum of money he made over the past three years combined. Russo and Smith noted that the Wild viewed McCarron as their top priority among their pending free agents and it looks like they’re about to check that off the to-do list.
Afternoon Notes: Hischier, Gasseau, Daley Jr.
General Manager Sunny Mehta will have his hands full with the New Jersey Devils, primarily by finding a trade partner for defenseman Dougie Hamilton and making a decision on defenseman Simon Nemec‘s future. Still, there’s another negotiation that will help define the Devils’ offseason.
According to Todd Cordell of Infernal Access, Mehta and the rest of the front office have already begun prioritizing a Nico Hischier extension this summer. New Jersey’s captain is entering the final season of a seven-year, $50.75MM extension and has been the subject of some trade speculation as we approach the offseason.
That might be why the Devils are pushing for an extension sooner rather than later. If negotiations sour, New Jersey could make Hischier available on the trade market, and he could be of supreme value for teams that miss out on Dylan Larkin this summer. Hischier registered 28 goals and 66 points in 82 games for New Jersey this season, and he only has a 10-team no-trade list in his contract.
Additional afternoon notes:
- In an interview at the NHL Draft Combine, General Manager of the Boston Bruins, Don Sweeney, confirmed to Jim McBride of The Boston Globe that the team would likely trade forward Andre Gasseau this summer, or allow him to become an unrestricted free agent in August. Gasseau, 22, recently wrapped up his senior season with the NCAA’s Boston College Eagles, scoring six goals and 23 points in 23 games, but lost multiple games due to wrist surgery. The former seventh-round pick wants NHL ice time immediately, and the Bruins are unwilling to do that.
- According to Jeff Marek of The Sheet, Trevor Daley Jr., son of veteran Trevor Daley, is leaving the United States National Team Development Program for the OHL. Daley Jr. will join the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds for the 2026-27 season after registering one assist in four games for the NTDP this past season.