Latest On Victor Hedman, Charle-Edouard D’Astous
The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without captain Victor Hedman as they fight to stave off elimination tonight against the Montreal Canadiens, head coach Jon Cooper told the media today. Cooper did add that he expects Hedman to be an option “really soon,” hinting that he could potentially be able to dress on Sunday if the Lightning are able to force game seven against the Canadiens.
Cooper didn’t issue a firm update on the status of injured blueliner Charle-Edouard D’Astous, but Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reported that D’Astous is likely to make his return from injury tonight. D’Astous hasn’t played since game one of the series after suffering an undisclosed injury.
If he does end up returning, D’Astous could provide a real boost to Tampa Bay’s blueline. The former SHL, Liiga, ECHL, and QMJHL defenseman of the year had a breakout 2025-26 season, earning a full-time NHL role as an undrafted 28-year-old rookie. D’Astous scored 29 points in 70 games and added 112 penalty minutes.
He averaged 18:45 time on ice per game this season, and could take Emil Lilleberg‘s spot on the team’s third pairing. Lilleberg has averaged 16:59 time on ice per game in this series, including two minutes per game on the penalty kill. He could also take the spot of Maxwell Crozier, though that would require the left-shot defenseman playing on his off-side.
If Hedman is indeed able to return for a potential game seven, or even for the start of the second round (if Tampa Bay is able to make it there,) his return would provide a major boost to Tampa’s lineup.
The Lightning captain is one of the standout blueliners of his generation, a Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner. While his injuries slowed him down this season, and he’s potentially no longer a top point producer thanks to Raddysh’s emergence, he remains a central pillar of this era of Lightning hockey.
While Tampa is on the verge of elimination tonight, they remain one of the strongest teams in the postseason. Their combination of skill, ferocity, and veteran experience is one few teams can match, and they have one of the game’s finest goaltenders backstopping them.
If they can find a way to get past Montreal, and get a healthy Hedman back into their lineup, they could pose a serious threat to make their fourth Stanley Cup Final of the decade.
Jon Cooper, Dan Muse, Lindy Ruff Named Jack Adams Finalists
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Muse, and Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff were named the finalists for the Jack Adams award, which is presented annually “to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.”
In a year flush with options for the award, each member of this trio still stands out. Cooper, who is the NHL’s longest-tenured head coach, led the Lightning to a 50-26-6 record. 
He was able to deftly manage significant injuries on his team’s blueline, with veteran stalwarts Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh limited to 33 and 48 games played, respectively.
In the face of those injuries, Cooper’s Lightning didn’t miss a beat, and he was able to get the most out of previously unheralded blueliners.
Cooper trusted undrafted 30-year-old Darren Raddysh as one of his team’s top defensemen in the absence of Hedman, and Raddysh rewarded his coach with a breakout 22-goal, 70-point campaign. He became just the second Lightning blueliner in franchise history to hit 70 points in a season.
Raddysh wasn’t the only undrafted blueliner to emerge for the Lightning. 28-year-old Charle-Edouard D’Astous, an elite blueliner in various leagues from the ECHL to SHL, was seamlessly integrated into Tampa’s lineup and put into positions to succeed. By the end of the season, D’Astous finished his rookie campaign with 29 points in 70 games, firmly establishing himself as an NHL defenseman.
For other coaches, dealing with so many injuries to key players can be a fatal blow to their team’s Stanley Cup hopes. For Tampa Bay, it served as an opportunity to integrate new faces into the lineup, and give new players a chance to have career-best campaigns. That, more than anything else, is why Cooper (and the rest of his staff) have been nominated for this award.
But Cooper isn’t the only deserving candidate. First-year head coach Dan Muse is another worthy option, as he guided the Penguins to a 41-25-16 record, good for second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins entered the season considered by most to be a rebuilding club, a franchise with next to no hope of playing meaningful games in the spring. The Penguins not only beat those expectations, but they cruised into the playoffs.
The former New York Rangers and Nashville Predators assistant oversaw numerous players in his lineup who had career-best years, or campaigns that revitalized previously sagging career trajectories.
The Penguins made a bet that they could get the most out of struggling Blue Jackets first-rounder Egor Chinakhov, and that bet paid off as he scored 18 goals and 36 points in 43 games after his trade to the Steel City. He had six points in 29 games before the trade. Muse was able to manage an 18-year-old rookie’s transition to the NHL, guiding Benjamin Kindel to a successful 17-goal, 35-point debut campaign.
Numerous other players put up significantly improved performances under Muse’s watch, including veteran blueliner Erik Karlsson (66 points,) forward Anthony Mantha (64 points,) forward Tommy Novak (42 points,) defenseman Ryan Shea (35 points,) defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (30 points,) and forward Justin Brazeau (17 goals, 34 points.)
The formerly rebuilding Penguins took a risk to hire Muse, a first-time NHL head coach, in large part due to his exceptional reputation as a developer of players. For a team increasingly focused on youth, his track record in player development was seen as extremely valuable.
What most didn’t expect was for Muse’s leadership and player development acumen to pay dividends so quickly, and materialize in growth for players of all different ages and at varying stages of their careers. While the Penguins improved considerably as a team, it’s the widespread improvement Muse oversaw, player to player, that has gotten him nominated for this award.
Finally, the third nominee is Ruff, who achieved what for so many coaches seemed impossible and ended the Sabres’ league-leading playoff drought.
In his second stint in Western New York, Ruff has turned the Sabres into a sensation. Buffalo went 50-23-9 this season.
For the first time since 2010, the Sabres will be able to add a banner to the rafters of KeyBank Center as division champions.
Battling against the weight of the Sabres’ recent history, Ruff guided his team through significant early pressure, pressure that ended up costing GM Kevyn Adams his job. By the time the calendar flipped to the new year, Ruff’s Sabres had the makings of a juggernaut. They ended up storming to the top of the Atlantic Division, and have entirely reversed the league-wide conversation about the franchise.
The enormity of the achievement of returning the Sabres to the playoffs after so many failed attempts by the franchise is enough to qualify Ruff for the Jack Adams, and in a year where so many coaches have proven their quality, Ruff may very well be the favorite.
Photos courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images, James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
Snapshots: Stanley, Jarry, Bedard
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley‘s status for game six tonight against the Boston Bruins is questionable as he manages an illness, reports The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn. Stanley missed Sabres practice on Thursday but Ruff said he was feeling better then compared to how he felt on Wednesday. If he isn’t able to dress in tonight’s game, Michael Kesselring would likely get the call.
Kesselring, 26, would be making his playoff debut if he ends up dressing for the Sabres tonight. A key piece of the team’s return in exchange for forward JJ Peterka, Kesselring spent most of 2025-26 sidelined by injury. He played in just 34 games and his unavailability is part of what prompted Buffalo to acquire two defensemen at the trade deadline. He had a strong season the year prior in Utah, though, and there is hope he can rediscover that form with a stretch of good health. If Kesselring does play, his entrance into the lineup would mean the Sabres would be staffing their third pairing with two right-shot defensemen, the other being Conor Timmins.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- The Edmonton Oilers will be under a significant amount of pressure to upgrade their roster this summer after a disappointing first-round exit, and an area likely to receive considerable attention is their goaltending. Neither veteran Tristan Jarry nor Connor Ingram inspired much confidence, and The Athletic’s Chris Johnston and Sean Gentille wrote that “it wouldn’t be surprising if Edmonton looked to move on” from Jarry. The 31-year-old, who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins early in 2025-26, has two years remaining on his deal at $5.375MM AAV. Finding a taker for Jarry could prove difficult at that cap hit, as he posted an .858 save percentage in 19 games in Edmonton. A buyout wouldn’t yield significant cap savings.
- Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard won’t play for Team Canada at the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championships, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Bedard reportedly wanted to represent his home country at the tournament but was told the “best thing” would be for him to focus on rehabbing his injury. Bedard missed time in December and January with a shoulder injury. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick, who turns 21 in July, scored 30 goals and 75 points in 69 games this season.
Transaction Notes: Brabenec, Svozil, Witkowski, Ollas
Czech Extraliga club HC Kometa Brno are currently negotiating the potential signing of two NHL prospects for next season: the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Stanislav Svozil and the Vegas Golden Knights’ Jakub Brabenec, according to a team release. Both Brabenec and Svozil are prospects who did not appear in the NHL this past season and are pending RFAs.
Brabenec, 22, was a fourth-round pick of the Golden Knights at the 2021 draft. 2025-26 was the most productive of his three AHL campaigns, as he scored 12 goals and 31 points in 62 games. He entered the season ranked as the No. 17 prospect in the Vegas system, per Elite Prospects. Svozil, 23, was a third-round pick of the Blue Jackets at the 2021 draft. He entered the season ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the Columbus system according to Elite Prospects. Considered a well-rounded potential NHL third-pairing defenseman, Svozil endured a difficult 2025-26 that saw his role with AHL Cleveland cut down significantly.
More transactions from around the hockey world:
- 132-game NHL veteran Luke Witkowski signed with Brno, per the team’s release, bringing the former NHL bruiser to the Czech Extraliga after a two-year stint in Sweden. Witkowski, 36, spent this season with Brynäs IF, where he scored two points in 27 games. Witkowski last played in North America in 2022-23 and last appeared in the NHL in 2021-22.
- New York Rangers prospect goaltender Hugo Ollas has elected to return to his native Sweden for 2026-27. The 2020 seventh-rounder signed a deal with the Nybro Vikings of HockeyAllsvenskan, according to an official team release. Once considered a top-10 prospect in the team’s system by some outlets, Ollas’ upside as a massive 6’8″ netminder didn’t translate to success beyond the collegiate level. He was a strong three-year tandem goalie at Merrimack College but fizzled out in the Rangers’ system. He wasn’t able to get more than a single start at the AHL level and posted an .896 save percentage across two years and 51 total games played in the ECHL.
Evening Notes: Doan, Pascall, Kostin
Last week, reports emerged that the Toronto Maple Leafs had granted permission to the Vancouver Canucks to interview Shane Doan for an unknown role. However, even if a deal between Doan and the Canucks doesn’t come to fruition, he may leave Toronto anyway.
John Chayka, the former General Manager of the Arizona Coyotes, is widely considered to be one of the finalists for the Maple Leafs’ GM vacancy. On yesterday’s edition of DFO Rundown, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period shared that if Toronto hires Chayka as the organization’s next General Manager, Doan has little interest in staying around.
Much of the turmoil between the two likely stems from Doan’s exit from the Coyotes after the 2016-17 season. It was Chayka’s first as Arizona’s General Manager, and the team abruptly decided to let him leave via free agency, although Doan would ultimately retire. Though there were certainly arguments from an on-ice perspective that the Coyotes had little use for a soon-to-be 41-year-old forward who was struggling to produce, it was the cause of consternation for many fans who felt the franchise’s greatest player had been given the cold shoulder to end his professional career.
Additional evening notes:
- While the Maple Leafs may be nearing the conclusion of their GM search, the Canucks are not. Still in the interview process with several candidates, another has joined the fray today, as TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Vancouver has interviewed Brad Pascall, the Assistant General Manager of the Calgary Flames. If the Canucks were to offer him the position, it would be a major milestone in Pascall’s career, since he’s been the Flames’ Assistant General Manager since the 2014-15 season and has never worked for another NHL organization.
- A former up-and-coming prospect with the St. Louis Blues is staying in the KHL for a few more seasons. According to William Espy of The Hockey News, forward Klim Kostin has signed a three-year extension with the KHL’s CSKA Moskva. It’s somewhat surprising, given Kostin’s return performance in the KHL this season, scoring two goals and five points in 31 games between CSKA and Avangard Omsk.
Did Anthony Mantha’s Playoff Performance Hurt His Free Agency Stock?
The Pittsburgh Penguins were bounced by the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of their first-round matchup in dramatic fashion, losing a 1-0 game in overtime on a Cameron York goal. The seeing-eye shot found its way past Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs and was a microcosm of the series for one player, Anthony Mantha. York was Mantha’s man on the play, and Mantha was two steps too late covering the point, allowing York to fire the game-winning goal. Mantha was invisible in the series, putting up one assist in six games to go along with a -5 and 20 PIM. The worst part of his play was that Mantha looked disinterested at times, missed assignments, took lazy penalties, and found himself largely chasing the game after a magical regular season. All in all, the playoffs may have cost Mantha millions of dollars.
It was just a month ago that the talk was about Mantha getting a four-year deal, with some folks throwing out numbers in the $5-6MM range. It seemed not only probable a month ago but quite likely after the 31-year-old posted 33 goals and 31 assists this season in 81 games. Mantha had been playing under a one-year, $2.5MM (plus $2MM in incentives) “prove it” contract, in the hopes of securing a lucrative contract this summer. However, those types of numbers ($5MM to $6MM) could very well be off the table after Mantha had a poor playoff showing this year. In fact, in 20 career NHL playoff games, Mantha has never scored a goal, tallying just seven assists. It’s a steep decline in production for a player who has four career 20+ goal seasons and averages 50 points per 82 regular-season games.
Mantha will still get some of his money this summer, as NHL general managers are about to see a windfall of cap space they haven’t seen in close to a decade, and the GM fraternity can never seem to help itself when it comes to overspending on a mid-tier free agent who just happened to get hot at the right time. It’s a tale as old as time in the NHL, with some pretty famous examples of players having a good year in their UFA walk year, or even just a good playoff, before getting paid an amount of money that will never line up with their production.
Fernando Pisani, back in 2006, is a great example of this. After a Cinderella run with the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals, in which he scored 14 goals and four assists in 24 games, he was rewarded handsomely with a four-year, $10MM contract that offseason. Unfortunately, Pisani never topped 28 points in a season again in his NHL career. There were health concerns with Pisani later in his career, but in any event, reaching those levels again was not likely.
Ville Leino is another great example of a player heating up and cashing in. He turned a 19-goal, 34-assist season in 2010-11 into a lucrative six-year, $27MM contract that was an absolute disaster for the Buffalo Sabres and was eventually bought out in 2014. Leino had never scored more than 11 points in an NHL season prior to his 53-point breakout with Philadelphia , and would tally just 10 goals and 36 assists in 137 games spaced over three seasons with the Sabres.
Mantha will fall into the camp of players who eventually got paid for having a terrific season, but, unlike the Pisani and Leino examples, Mantha does have a track record of scoring in the NHL. However, there are also injury concerns and concerns about his ability to score consistently. He had some lean years after he was traded from Detroit to the Washington Capitals, including 2022-23, when he posted just 11 goals and 16 assists in 67 games. He followed that up with a 44-point campaign in 2023-24 but still had to sign a prove-it contract with the Flames in the 2024 offseason for just $3.5MM.
It’s going to be very tough to gauge how general managers around the league will value what Mantha brings and what he doesn’t. Mantha is a big man, and GMs always love size. However, he plays small and doesn’t always look like he is working hard, which is often true for big men in the NHL. Mantha has other attributes that make him an attractive free-agent target; he can skate well for a big man, handles the puck well, is a good passer, and can shoot.
All of that is great, but this is the knock that has followed him since he was scouted in junior. He doesn’t always seem engaged, and in many games, particularly the big ones such as the recent playoff series with Pittsburgh, you wonder whether Mantha can find the intensity and determination to reach the next level and become a playoff performer. Mantha was often viewed in his draft year as a boom-or-bust prospect, and now 11 years into his NHL career, he is still fitting that label. Mantha was a bust in Washington after a big trade from the Red Wings sent him there, but in Pittsburgh, he was an under-the-radar signing that was a huge win for the Penguins (minus the playoffs). What his next team gets is anyone’s guess, but the $6MM annual offer on a long-term deal that seemed so likely before the playoffs now feels like a reach for Mantha. However, all it takes is one GM fighting for his job to overpay, and Mantha could be a bust once again.
Team Canada Notes: Donskov, Carbery, McKenna
As expected, Hockey Canada is making a change behind the bench for their international teams. According to an announcement from the organization, Hockey Canada has named Misha Donskov as head coach for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship this summer and the IIHF World Junior Championship next winter.
Donskov, 49, was rumored to be a favorite for the role for some time. Although he has never held a head coaching position in an official capacity throughout his professional career, he has been involved in the game for some time. His career began ahead of the 2001-02 season, when he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as a team consultant. Donskov enjoyed the same role with the now-relocated Atlanta Thrashers from 2004-05 to 2008-09.
He spent some time in the OHL and with various Team Canada clubs, primarily working as a video coach. He returned to the NHL in 2016-17, being named Director of Hockey Operations for the Vegas Golden Knights, and became one of the team’s assistant coaches ahead of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. He had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup in 2023 as a coach of the Golden Knights.
Since then, Donskov enjoyed a two-year stint as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars before fully transitioning to the international stage this season. He was an associate coach on Dave Cameron‘s staff at the World Junior Championships this season, earning a bronze medal.
Additional international notes:
- Although it won’t be at the World Junior Championships, Donskov will have another successful coach joining him this summer in Switzerland. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Spencer Carbery, head coach of the Washington Capitals, will serve as an assistant coach under Donskov for the international tournament. Unlike Donskov, this will be Carbery’s first time serving internationally with Team Canada, despite being only one year removed from winning the Jack Adams Award.
- Team Canada has made another addition to their World Championship club, though this time it’ll be on the ice rather than the bench. Mike Morreale of the NHL announced that top prospect Gavin McKenna will join Team Canada for the 2026 NHL Draft international contest. McKenna, 18, remains the consensus top choice in the upcoming draft on most boards after scoring 15 goals and 51 points in 35 games for the NCAA’s Penn State University Nittany Lions this season.
Blues’ Dylan Holloway Wants Long-Term Deal
Two summers ago, the St. Louis Blues sent waves through the hockey world by poaching defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton Oilers via offer sheets. Both players have performed exceptionally well with the Blues so far, but only one has signed a long-term contract with the organization.
Holloway will have that opportunity this summer. On July 1st, Holloway’s two-year, $4.58MM contract, the offer sheet that pried him away from Alberta, will expire. Holloway will be eligible for arbitration and is owed a qualifying offer of $2.29MM, which St. Louis is expected to tender.
In a new update from the Blues, the team quoted Holloway, saying, “It was kind of wild two years ago. But obviously I’m very thankful to be a Blue and I want to be a Blue for a long time.” There will obviously be mutual interest from St. Louis to retain Holloway, but they may not have much appetite for a lengthy commitment just yet.
Holloway was exceptional during his first year with the club, scoring 26 goals and 63 points in 77 games with a +21 rating, averaging 16:49 of ice time. Additionally, he finished fifth on the team in hits and was behind only Jordan Kyrou for the best possession metrics among Blues’ forwards.
Unfortunately, Holloway hit a wall this season, particularly due to a right ankle injury that began in mid-December. His point-per-game production remained strong, but Holloway only finished with 59 games played on the season. If there are concerns that Holloway might be affected by injuries for several years, the Blues will likely hesitate on a long-term deal this summer.
Back in October, before Holloway’s injury, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic theorized on what an extension for Holloway may look like. Being spot on for his $8MM salary call on Broberg, Rutherford believes it will be around the same for Holloway, indicating that it will likely fall between $7MM and $9MM per year on a long-term pact.
Still, if Holloway was being truthful in his comments, and not just paying lip service, he shouldn’t mind another two-year bridge deal with St. Louis. He doesn’t become eligible for unrestricted free agency until after the 2028-29 season, and even if the Blues are willing to commit long-term this summer, it won’t be for top dollar after he missed nearly 30% of the season.
Regardless, outside of decisions on who to keep and who to trade, Holloway is the only important contract the Blues will have to wrestle with this summer. The club will have to decide whether or not to tender a contract to waiver-claim Jonatan Berggren, but it likely won’t take too much time deciding on the future for the other pending free agents, such as Justin Holl, Oskar Sundqvist, and Matthew Kessel.
Golden Knights Reassign Braeden Bowman, Trevor Connelly
The Vegas Golden Knights are giving their AHL affiliate some reinforcements for the Calder Cup playoffs. According to a team announcement, the Golden Knights have reassigned forwards Braeden Bowman and Trevor Connelly to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.
Never believed to be a top prospect in Vegas’ pipeline, Bowman joined the organization ahead of last season as an OHL free agent. He performed quite well during his rookie season, scoring 14 goals and accumulating 36 points in 68 games with a -5 rating, while exclusively playing with AHL Henderson.
After a tremendous start with the Silver Knights and due to some injury concerns at the NHL level, Bowman was able to debut with the Golden Knights this season. He spent much of the year in Vegas, scoring eight goals and 26 points in 54 games with a -16 rating.
Although his production was well above-average for a young undrafted free agent, it’s important to remember that Bowman was relatively sheltered throughout his rookie campaign. Much of his time with Vegas was spent on a line with Jack Eichel, and he began more than 60% of his shifts in the offensive zone.
Meanwhile, unlike Bowman, Connelly is a very recognizable prospect in the Golden Knights system. Being the only first-round pick that the team has retained (up to this point), Connelly is arguably the top prospect in the Golden Knights organization by a country mile.
The 20-year-old spent the entire season with AHL Henderson and was only recently recalled to serve as injury depth for the postseason. Connelly had a more than respectable rookie season, scoring 14 goals and 49 points in 46 games with a +2 rating.
Both Bowman and Connelly have played for the Silver Knights so far this postseason, playing integral roles in their series sweep over the San Jose Barracuda. Since they weren’t being used in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the pair of forwards will now help AHL Henderson take on the Colorado Eagles in the Division Semifinal.
Jets’ Nikita Chibrikov, Elias Salomonsson Undergo Surgery
The AHL’s Manitoba Moose will face big lineup impacts as they move on to the Calder Cup Playoffs’ second round. Top Winnipeg Jets prospects Nikita Chibrikov and Elias Salomonsson will both be out for the remaining playoffs after undergoing surgery. Chibrikov is out six-to-eight weeks after a core muscle surgery per Murat Ates of The Athletic. Salomonsson will be on the mend much longer, set to rehab for five-to-six months after shoulder surgery per Ates.
Rehabbing through the summer could cut down Salomonsson’s chances at breaking camp with the Jets next summer. The 21 year old had an encouraging start to his NHL career in the second-half of this season. He scored five points and a minus-six in the first 32 games of his NHL career, to go with nine points in 29 AHL games. He was a wall on the blue-lines for much of the year, bringing confident defense into his first year of pro hockey in North America. With little depth on the Jets blue-line after the trade of Logan Stanley, Salomonsson seemed to have a chance at securing a third-pair role early into the 2026-27 season. Now, those chances could hinge on how he recovers from shoulder surgery.
Chibrikov’s summer training shouldn’t be knocked too far off course by his surgery. The 23 year old filled a third-line role with the Moose for much of the season. He finished the year with 16 points and a minus-19 in 53 AHL games and no scoring in 11 NHL games. Chibrikov has just four points in 16 career NHL games, a quiet mark for the former 50th-overall draft pick. Chibrikov had a strong rookie season in the AHL, netting 47 points in 70 games – a mark he hasn’t been able to match in 83 games over the last two seasons combined. The 2026-27 season will be focused on getting back to that first-year performance. If he can, Chibrikov could earn another chance to prove his productivity at the top flight.
Manitoba will look to find a spark from late-season addition Alfons Freij on defense, and Brayden Yager or Colby Barlow on offense, to help supplant their pair of missing prospects. The Moose will kick off a series against the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday.