Canucks To Promote Ryan Johnson
5/14/26: The Canucks’ promotion of Johnson to the GM position will be announced today, Frank Seravalli of Victory+ reports. CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal added that in today’s announcement, the Sedin twins will be elevated to new roles as co-presidents, presumably of hockey operations.
5/12/26: The Vancouver Canucks are expected to promote Abbotsford Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson sometime in the near future. The anticipation is that the position will be that of either Director of Hockey Operations or General Manager, as reported by Rick Dhaliwal of Cheknews. Dhaliwal also stated that both Daniel and Henrik Sedin will have a big say in the final decision that will be a pivotal one for the Canucks’ front office.
The search itself has been an extensive one, with Canucks ownership and front office interviewing more than 15 candidates before narrowing the field. In recent weeks, the race had reportedly come down to Johnson and Boston Bruins assistant GM Evan Gold, before momentum shifted decisively in Johnson’s favor, and Dhaliwal reported he does not believe Gold remains in the mix.
The search to fill key front office vacancies has been ongoing for the last month following the dismissal of former GM Patrik Allvin. Adding to the shake-up, the team announced last week that President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford will also be stepping down from his role, though he will remain with the organization in an advisory capacity and as an alternate governor.
The changes in Vancouver do not come as a shock following an extremely disappointing 2025-26 season. The Canucks finished the season a staggering 25-49-8 with 58 points, which was last in the NHL by 14 points. Moreover, the Canucks were forced to part with franchise defenseman Quinn Hughes back in December, after he indicated he had no intention of re-signing with the team.
Johnson is no stranger to the NHL or to the Canucks organization. After wrapping up a 701-game playing career in 2011, he found his way back into the game in 2013-14, rejoining his former team of two seasons as a development coach. He climbed the ranks quickly: promoted to Assistant Director of Player Development within two years before being handed the reins of Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, as General Manager in 2017. When the affiliate relocated in 2021, Johnson became the first GM in Abbotsford Canucks history. Two years later, Patrik Allvin promoted him to Assistant General Manager in Vancouver while keeping him on in his role with Abbotsford. Across five seasons as Abbotsford GM, Johnson has compiled a 191-134-31 record and captured a Calder Cup in 2024-25.
With the 2026 NHL Draft Combine just weeks away and Vancouver holding the third overall pick, whoever ends up running hockey operations won’t have much time to settle in. Johnson, if officially named, will inherit a roster in transition, a fan base running thin on patience, and the heavy task of building the Canucks’ first Stanley Cup contender in over a decade.
East Notes: Flyers, Luukkonen, Golcic
The Philadelphia Flyers issued a slate of injury updates today, clarifying what ten of their skaters were battling through or otherwise managing while the season drew to a close. In the NHL, it is customary for players and teams to disclose injuries but not with complete specificity. The media might learn a player is out with a lower-body injury, rather than, specifically a sprained ankle, for example. When a season ends, more specific detail is often provided on injuries, and that’s exactly what the Flyers have done today.
Some of the Flyers’ disclosures are already things that have been made public – namely the ones suffered by Owen Tippett, Christian Dvorak, and Cam York. But some are new developments. Defenseman Emil Andrae was previously considered a healthy scratch when he exited the team’s playoff lineup, but the Flyers revealed today that the blueliner suffered a fractured wrist that will require surgery. The injury that knocked Noah Cates out of the second-round series was a fractured foot, but that won’t require surgery according to the team. Additionally, other Flyers were revealed to be playing through injury, including Travis Konecny (fractured rib; nasal fracture,) Garnet Hathaway (fractured fibula,) Trevor Zegras (elbow ligament sprain,) and Alex Bump (MCL sprain.)
Other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- The Buffalo Sabres appear to be sticking with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as their starting netminder for tonight’s crucial game five against the Montreal Canadiens, The Buffalo News’ Rachel Lenzi reported from morning skate today. The Sabres made the decision to swap Alex Lyon for Luukkonen after going down two games to one in Montreal, and Luukkonen rewarded them with a brilliant performance that allowed the team to return to Western New York with a tied series. Luukkonen actually began the postseason as Buffalo’s No. 1 but lost the role after two games in the first round against the Boston Bruins.
- Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Jan Goličič announced on social media that he has committed to play college hockey at Quinnipiac University. The Lightning selected Goličič, 19, in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft. A big 6’5″, 209-pound left-shot defenseman, Goličič actually developed in the junior leagues of Austria before heading to the QMJHL for his draft year. He’s spent the last three campaigns in the QMJHL, and scored 44 points in 57 games this past season. Goličič is a top prospect for the Slovenian national team. He represented his country at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championships, and was named to the roster for this year’s tournament as well. As indicated by this article from PuckPedia, it appears Goličič’s decision to make a college commitment before June 1 will extend Tampa Bay’s exclusive rights to sign him, which will now follow the more extended timeline associated with college prospects.
Edmonton Oilers Fire Kris Knoblauch
The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Kris Knoblauch, per an official announcement. The news was first reported by TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. Assistant coach Mark Stuart has also been relieved of his duties.
Oilers GM Stan Bowman issued the following statement regarding the decision:
Following a thorough review of this past season, we believe these changes are needed. We are grateful for the contributions both Kris and Mark have made to our organization and we wish them the best moving forward.
A three-year contract extension signed by Knoblauch has yet to begin, meaning the coach is set to be paid by the Oilers through the 2028-29 season.
This past campaign was Knoblauch’s third behind the bench in Edmonton. He was hired away from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack early in the 2023-24 season, after Edmonton fired former coach Jay Woodcroft amid a disastrous start to the season. 
Knoblauch, who was Connor McDavid‘s head coach in the OHL and a WHL and OHL championship-winning bench boss, immediately turned the Oilers around. Knoblauch led Edmonton to a 46-18-5 record in the 69 games he coached, and the Oilers went to the Stanley Cup Final.
In the 2024 Final, Knoblauch’s Oilers stormed back from a 3-0 series deficit to the Florida Panthers, nearly accomplishing one of the most stunning championship victories in the history of the sport – but they ended up falling in a nail-biter seventh game.
The following season, Knoblauch’s Oilers, who went 48-29-5, made it to another Stanley Cup Final, but once again lost to the Panthers, this time in six games.
This past season, Knoblauch and the Oilers took a decided step back. Bogged down by roster issues, most pressingly in goal, the Oilers struggled to find their identity all season. They went 41-30-11 and lost in the first round to a young, upstart Anaheim Ducks team. After the loss, McDavid was critical of the Oilers, saying they were “an average team all year.”
The signs that Edmonton would eventually make this decision emerged a few days ago, when reports indicated that the Oilers had requested permission to speak with former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy. Cassidy remains under contract with the Golden Knights despite being fired during the season. While requests for permission to speak with fired coaches are usually a formality, the Golden Knights, according to reports, have withheld permission to speak with Cassidy. It is unclear if that has changed or will change.
But the reasons for the Oilers’ interest in Cassidy are clear: he is generally considered the most accomplished coach without a job at the moment, and this is a hire the Oilers can’t afford to get wrong. McDavid signed a two-year contract extension this season, one that would allow him to hit unrestricted free agency after the 2027-28 season. The 29-year-old’s extension officially put the Oilers on the clock – they have to prove to McDavid that he can still win a Stanley Cup in Edmonton. In other words, they have to earn his continued loyalty.
Cassidy, a Stanley Cup champion with Vegas in 2023, would give the Oilers a demanding coach who is still widely considered to be among the league’s best. But even if Edmonton doesn’t end up hiring the former Golden Knights, Boston Bruins, and Washington Capitals head coach, they still have now guaranteed they’ll be making a change behind the bench.
The list of other available veteran coaches doesn’t inspire as much confidence – especially after the New York Islanders took Peter DeBoer off the board late in the regular season – but it would still be a major surprise to see Edmonton turn to another first-time NHL head coach after parting ways with Knoblauch.
As for Knoblauch himself, one would have to imagine he will draw some league-wide interest in his services. The 47-year-old doesn’t have a Stanley Cup ring, but has been able to bring his teams as close as a team can possibly get without winning it all. His contract extension means Knoblauch doesn’t have to rush into his next gig, but it’ll be interesting to see if he’s considered for the vacancy of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, or potentially even in Vegas if current coach John Tortorella decides not to return for a full campaign.
Photos courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Evening Notes: Kings Outdoor Game, Predators, Charron
Rumors are floating around that the Los Angeles Kings could be getting an outdoor game in a Southern California beach setting, as written by Andy Tonge of Mayor’s Manor.
An idea which has been tossed around for over a decade, Tonge wrote that Santa Monica is a possibility, with the NHL reaching out to the city in the past, and talks turning more serious in recent months. Hypothetically it’s thought that the Lot 1 North parking lot, by the renowned pier, would be the landing spot. No date is in mind at this point but in all likelihood it would be sometime after next season.
Last January the Winter Classic took to Miami, not to be outdone by the Stadium Series a month later in Tampa. Unusually cold weather in the Bay worked to the league’s advantage that day, although more creativity was required for the New Year’s action at LoanDepot Park. The ice was modified, nearly doubling in thickness, with an extra mobile refrigeration unit.
A pair of breakthrough events in Florida which would have seemed impossible not long ago, concerns surrounding ice conditions as well as declining fan viewership have been a damper on outdoor games over the past several years. Still, it’s fun to speculate on the possibility of the Kings taking to the ice on the Pacific Ocean, with the iconic Ferris Wheel in the background, even if an exhibition.
Elsewhere across the league:
- The Nashville Predators scouting meetings are underway as they prepare to walk on the stage at 10th overall next month in Buffalo. Assistant General Manager Jeff Kealty told Brooks Bratten, Beat Reporter, that the team could target their overall best player available, having a well stocked pool but craving high-end upside. Also featured in the article, Tom Nolan, Chief Amateur Scout, had high praise for forward prospect Wyatt Cullen whose father Matt played for the Predators at the tail end of his 1,516 game career. Brady Martin, their fifth overall selection last summer, was the team’s first top 10 selection since 2014. Somewhat hard to believe, in their entire history the Predators have drafted and developed just two forwards who went on to score 30 or more goals in a season for them; Viktor Arvidsson and Patric Hörnqvist, who were fourth and seventh rounders respectively. A franchise which has never bottomed out in their history, with no apparent plans to do so anytime soon, they must connect on some swings at the podium to reverse the trend.
- Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect Jordan Charron committed to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, he shared on Instagram. A fifth round pick in last summer’s draft, the 6’2” winger notched 47 points in 66 games with the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL, a teammate of the aforementioned Martin. With Charron into the fold, the Minutemen are up to six NHL-drafted prospects on their roster for next year. He came out of the gate blazing in his final OHL campaign, raising eyebrows with seven goals in his first six games. Already having a physical edge, if Charron’s scoring touch can continue to grow amidst the challenges of the collegiate game, the Ontario native has a real middle six upside for the Penguins.
Snapshots: Wild, Avalanche, Liiga
Minnesota Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian is out tonight, with Jeff Petry slotting in, noted by Michael Russo of The Athletic. The soon-to-be 36-year-old, already not the fleetest of foot, has been battling a lower body injury which cost him Game 2 of the series. In nine playoff games, he’s averaging 12:45 a night, not surprisingly coming away with no points as a traditional shutdown rearguard.
Petry, another veteran at age 38, makes his third playoff appearance of the spring for the Wild after a five year hiatus, last doing so as a Canadien in 2021. No longer a high point-getter, Petry’s possession metrics at five-on-five have actually held steady, over the 53% mark in corsi for with the Wild in a small sample size.
Down three games to one in the series, it’s fair to wonder if this could be it for either of the veterans, if unable to extend their season tonight. Petry has the distinction of being one of seven remaining active players from the 2006 draft class, while Bogosian is one of two active former Atlanta Thrashers (the other being Evander Kane). Before that’s even any possibility though, the Wild have a prime chance to capitalize on a banged up Colorado lineup.
Elsewhere:
- On the opposite side, the Avalanche are again missing Artturi Lehkonen and Sam Malinski, relayed by Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports. Colorado has run it back with their same lineup from Game 4’s win, featuring Jack Ahcan on the third pairing, plucked right from the AHL in the midst of the Calder Cup Playoffs, and Joel Kiviranta on the fourth line. Both Lehkonen and Malinski are out with upper-body ailments which have sidelined them since Game 3.
- Tappara have brought home the 2026 Liiga Championship, their fourth since 2022. They defeated KooKoo in Game 7, after a memorable series which had previously brought the longest postseason game in league history, a four overtime marathon where Columbus prospect Oiva Keskinen netted the game winner for the eventual champs. Projected 2026 first round picks Oliver Suvanto and Juho Piiparinen were also part of the championship roster, the forward and defenseman thought to be late-first round options. In terms of other notable names, the youngsters skating alongside former fifth overall selection Olli Juolevi, as well as 20-year-old top Tampa Bay prospect Benjamin Rautiainen.
Golden Knights’ Brayden McNabb Suspended One Game
The Vegas Golden Knights will have another defenseman to replace in Thursday’s Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Brayden McNabb has been suspended one game for his hit on Ducks forward Ryan Poehling in Game 5. The incident occurred in the first period, when McNabb delivered a crushing hit to Poehling while he wasn’t looking. McNabb was assessed a game misconduct for interference, while Poehling’s night was brought to an early end.
Poehling is expected to be out of the Ducks’ lineup indefinitely, though head coach Joel Quenneville wouldn’t specify an injury or timeline to Zac Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune. Poehling took an exciting step forward on the Ducks’ third line this season. He scored a career-high 36 points in 75 regular-season games and has since added four goals and five points in 11 playoff games. Those marks helped him earn a career-high 15:04 in average ice time in his first season in Anaheim. The Ducks will need to replace a notable part of their lineup as they approach potential elimination in Game 6.
Vegas will have a tough hole to fill as well. They are already without Jeremy Lauzon, who was the only Golden Knights defenseman to record more hits (251) than McNabb (110) this season. Without either defender, the Golden Knights will be without a substantial amount of their physical presence. That will put more weight on forwards Keegan Kolesar and Brett Howden, as well as defender Kaedan Korczak, to make their minutes felt while Vegas’ scorers rest up.
Don Sweeney, Peter Chiarelli Could Support Harvard Coach Search
Harvard Crimson men’s hockey head coach Ted Donato has announced his plans to step away from the school after 22 years with the team. The news leaves a vacancy in one of the most reserved seats in college hockey, behind a Crimson squad that has added more NHL talent in recent years. To match their growing roster, the Crimson could look towards their NHL alum to support their coaching search. Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney and former Bruins and Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli could both be tapped to aid the search per NHL.com’s Mark Divver. School legend Brad Kwong could also chime in.
All three overlapped on the 1984-85 Crimson roster. That season marked Sweeney’s freshman year, while Chiarelli was a sophomore and Kwong was Harvard’s senior captain. The Crimson wouldn’t reach championship heights that season but they did win an ECAC Conference Championship in the 1986-87 season, led by Chiarelli as captain and Sweeney as a top-pair defender. Chiarelli – who would retire from playing one year later – scored a career-high 15 points in 34 games that season. Sweeney played one more year for the Crimson and secured 1988 all-star honors after scoring 29 points in 30 games.
Sweeney went on to become a core component of the Bruins lineup from 1988 to 2003, before ending his playing career with a one-off season on the Dallas Stars. He still holds the fifth-most games played (1,052) in Bruins history and has since reached new heights with the team as a manager.
Chiarelli preceded Sweeney as Boston’s GM. He was with the team form 2006 to 2015 and oversaw their run to the Stanley Cup in 2010. The Bruins made two other appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals under Chiarelli’s reign in 2011 and 2013. Some of the best and worst moments of Chiarelli’s career came with the Bruins. He added franchise a legend trading for Tuukka Rask. Chiarelli also added core components of the Cup-winning roster, including Marc Savard, Johnny Boychuk, and Mark Recchi. Most notably, he also orchestrated a trade that sent winger Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for draft picks that would turn into Tyler Seguin (2010 first-round), Jared Knight (2010 second-round), and Dougie Hamilton (2011 first-round).
But those draft picks would not shine for Chiarelli. One of the darkest stains on his career occurred a few years later when Seguin was traded to the Dallas Stars alongside Rich Peverley and Ryan Button in exchange for Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, Matt Fraser, and Joe Morrow. Seguin continues to stand as a difference-maker in Dallas’ lineup – when healthy. He was a star amid some of Dallas’ toughest seasons, leaving the unanswered question of if he could have been the injection of youth that pushed Boston back to championship success.
Success with the Bruins aside, the experience that Sweeney and Chiarelli gained just across town will be invaluable as Harvard looks to keep their hockey club on the right track. Both GMs bring strong thinking and hockey awareness to the Crimson’s search. The same can be said about Kwong, who continues to invest in hockey and owned the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints from 2009 to 2024. The trio will face a tough task attempting to replace Donato, a former Bruins forward and father of current Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato.
Donato led Harvard to the postseason in each of his first two seasons with the club, before hitting a cold spell from 2007 to 2014. With an injection of NHL prospects like Alexander Kerfoot, Jimmy Vesey, and Colin Blackwell – the Crimson turned those fortunes around in 2015. Back in the playoffs, the yclimbed all the way to the Frozen Four in 2017, with the additions of Ryan Donato, Adam Fox, and John Marino. Harvard has made an additional six postseasons in nine seasons since – and won the ECAC for the first time since 1989’s National Championship in 2022, then supported by NHL talent including Matthew Coronato, Alex Laferriere, and Ian Moore. Keeping postseason experience the norm in Harvard will be top priority in a coaching search.
Photo courtesy of Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images.
Vegas’ Projected Offseason Crossroads
The Vegas Golden Knights have never been a franchise to shy away from high-stakes roster construction, but the 2026 offseason presents a financial labyrinth that will test the front office’s renowned creativity. As the organization is currently pushing for a second Stanley Cup, they find themselves in a precarious position with an offseason projection of $4.6 million in cap space and only 16 players currently under contract. The primary challenge lies in the collision between a dwindling budget and the soaring market value of their 2025-26 regular season leading goal-scorer, Pavel Dorofeyev.
At just 25 years old, Dorofeyev has cemented himself as one of the key youth centerpieces of the Vegas attack after a campaign where he notched a team-high 37 goals. While his 64 points was fourth on the team, it is that high-end goal-scoring touch that makes him a restricted free agent of utmost importance. Even on a team-friendly discount, Dorofeyev could command at least $7.5 million annually.
Vegas faces critical decisions regarding several veteran contributors who are set to hit the open market. This group includes 35-year-old Reilly Smith and 33-year-old Brandon Saad, alongside gritty depth players Colton Sissons (32) and Cole Smith (30). While this veteran experience has long been a hallmark of the Golden Knights’ identity, these players could quickly become unaffordable pieces. Management must now decide if they can afford to re-invest in this veteran presence or if the cost of locking in Dorofeyev as a cornerstone necessitates letting these familiar faces walk in favor of younger, cheaper talent.
The defensive side of the puck offers little to no relief, as half of the blue line remains unsigned and headed toward free agency this summer. The Golden Knights are staring at the potential departure of three significant unrestricted free agents: Rasmus Andersson, Jeremy Lauzon, and Ben Hutton. Andersson and Lauzon, both 29, represent the prime of the Vegas defensive corps, and their status as impending free agents puts the front office in a corner. Replacing their top-four minutes on a shoestring budget is a near-impossible task if they reach the open market. If the team moves to aggressively outbid competitors to keep their defense intact, the idea of re-signing Dorofeyev gets even more complicated; conversely, prioritizing the young sniper may necessitate a complete and risky overhaul of the defensive pairings as these veterans depart.
Ultimately, the 2026 offseason will be a defining chapter for the Golden Knights’ “win-now” philosophy. Solving the Dorofeyev dilemma is not just about one contract, but about the cascading effect that signing a premier goal-scorer has on the ability to field four lines and three defensive pairs. To remain under the cap while icing a championship-caliber squad, the front office will likely be forced into the kind of aggressive salary-shedding trades that have become a bit of a franchise trademark. Whether they can successfully navigate this crunch without gutting their depth remains the biggest question in the NHL’s Western Conference.
Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer Wins 2026 Calder Trophy
The National Hockey League officially announced today that New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer has been awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy for the 2025-26 season. The honor, voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association, recognizes the league’s most proficient player in their debut campaign.
Schaefer’s victory is one for the history books. At just 18 years and 223 days old on the final day of the regular season, he became the youngest Calder Trophy winner in NHL history. He is the sixth Islander to take home the hardware, joining a list of franchise legends including Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, and Mat Barzal. Notably, he is only the fourth defenseman, and the 13th first-overall pick, to win the award, following in the footsteps of Aaron Ekblad and fellow Islanders blueliners Potvin and Bryan Berard. He becomes the first rookie to unanimously win the Calder Trophy since Teemu Selanne in the 1992-93 season with the Winnipeg Jets.
The Hamilton, Ontario native’s rookie season was nothing short of historic. Schaefer suited up for all 82 games, racking up 59 points (23 goals, 36 assists). His 23 goals tied Brian Leetch’s long-standing record for the most goals by a rookie defenseman in a single season. Beyond the scoring totals, Schaefer displayed veteran-level stamina, averaging 24:41 of ice time—the highest ever recorded by an 18-year-old skater. He even logged a staggering 31:59 during a single contest on March 24, setting a new benchmark for teenage durability in the modern era.
Schaefer excelled when it mattered most. As the top NHL rookie in power-play goals (8) and shots on goal (222), he kept his draft class in check with four game-winning goals. He also became the youngest defenseman ever to reach the 20-goal and 50-point mark. Back with the Islanders, the 18-year-old superstar led the team in ice time and plus/minus (+13), and finished second in total points.
By securing the Calder, Schaefer cements his status as the cornerstone of the Islanders’ future and the premier young talent in the game today.
Sharks Sign Carson Wetsch to Entry-Level Contract
The San Jose Sharks have officially signed forward Carson Wetsch to a three-year, entry-level contract. Wetsch, who recently completed a standout season in the Western Hockey League, was selected by San Jose in the third round (82nd overall) of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
The 20-year-old right winger is coming off a highly productive campaign as the team captain of the Kelowna Rockets. In 65 games with Kelowna during the 2025-26 season, Wetsch recorded a career-high 72 points (22 goals, 50 assists). His 1.11 points-per-game pace and 80 penalty minutes should bring a positive sign forward for the “power forward” identity that intrigued Sharks scouts during his draft year.
Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 201 pounds, Wetsch has earned praise from scouts for his high motor and mature defensive habits. Known for his ability to win puck battles and play a heavy game, he projects as a versatile bottom-six winger who can kill penalties and provide secondary scoring at the professional level.
The signing marks another step in San Jose’s ongoing rebuild as they continue to lock down key pieces of their prospect pool. Now that his junior eligibility has concluded, Wetsch is expected to transition to the professional ranks for the 2026-27 season, likely beginning his tenure with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.