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 legends by signing Zdeno Chara, trading for Tuukka Rask, and digging up Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand as draft-day gems. 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.
Avalanche Notes: Blackwood, Lehkonen, Malinski
The Colorado Avalanche appear ready to lean on the hot hand as they look to close out their second-round series against the Minnesota Wild. Following an optional morning skate at Ball Arena, Mackenzie Blackwood occupied the starter’s crease, a strong sign he will get the nod for tonight’s pivotal Game 5.
Blackwood appears to have earned the opportunity after a composed performance in Game 4, where he stopped 19 of 21 shots to help Colorado secure a 3-1 series lead.
Additional Notes:
- While the optional session was described as “pretty well attended,” the Avalanche were without two key fixtures: forward Artturi Lehkonen and defenseman Sam Malinski. Both players missed Game 4 with upper-body injuries, and their absence this morning could mean that they will remain unlikely to suit up for the potential clincher.
- The veteran winger, Lehkonen, has been a postseason engine for Colorado, providing elite two-way play and secondary scoring. On the back end, Malinski’s mobility will be missed if he cannot go, likely keeping Jack Ahcan in the lineup for a second straight game.
- With a chance to advance to the Western Conference Final on home ice, the Avalanche are prioritizing momentum in goal while navigating significant depth challenges. If Blackwood can replicate his Game 4 form, Colorado may secure the rest needed to get their sidelined stars back for the third round.
Toronto Maple Leafs Part Ways With Head Coach Craig Berube
In a significant move to kick off a hopeful, transformative offseason, Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager John Chayka announced today that the club has parted ways with head coach Craig Berube. The decision comes as Chayka and the Toronto front office look to pivot following a 2025-26 campaign that fell short of the organization’s high expectations.
“Craig is a tremendous coach and an even better person,” Chayka said in the team’s official release. “This decision is more reflective of an organizational shift and an opportunity for a fresh start than it is an evaluation of Craig. We are grateful for his leadership, professionalism, and commitment to the Maple Leafs organization.”
Despite Chayka’s framing of the move as an “organizational shift,” the results on the ice were difficult to ignore. After a strong first year, the Maple Leafs struggled with consistency during the 2025-26 season, ultimately missing the postseason for the first time in a decade. Berube, who was hired in 2024 to bring a rugged, playoff-ready identity to the roster, leaves Toronto with an 84-62-18 record.
With the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft already secured, Chayka now has the opportunity to pair a generational prospect with a head coach of his own choosing. The coaching market remains robust, with several veteran options and high-upside AHL candidates available to steer a roster still led by Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
By acting early in the offseason, the Maple Leafs ensure they can secure their top target before the draft and free agency. For a club entering a pivotal summer, this “fresh start” behind the bench marks the official beginning of the Chayka era in Toronto.
Berube, who led the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup in 2019, departs Toronto with two years remaining on his contract. He instantly becomes one of the most experienced options on the coaching market for other clubs seeking veteran leadership.
Penguins Face Critical Offseason Following First-Round Exit
The Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves at a familiar yet increasingly urgent crossroads. After a 2025-26 campaign that saw the club return to the postseason only to suffer a first-round exit, President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas faces an offseason defined by a massive $42.7 million in projected cap space and the looming free agency of franchise icon Evgeni Malkin.
The Malkin Question
The top priority for Pittsburgh is the future of Malkin, who turns 40 in July. Despite his age and a nagging shoulder injury that hampered his second half, Malkin remained productive, posting 61 points in 56 games. Dubas was vocal during his season-ending press conference about the desire to keep “Geno” in the only jersey he has ever worn.
“We would love to have him back,” Dubas stated, noting that the team’s younger players haven’t yet pushed well enough to displace a legend of Malkin’s caliber. The shift to the wing late in the season alongside Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov seemed to reduce the physical toll on Malkin, potentially providing a blueprint for a short-term extension.
The “Big Three” Legacy
As Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson enter the final years of their respective deals, the pressure to build a contender around them is immense. Dubas admitted that while the goal is to remain competitive, he must act in the “best interest of the Penguins,” even if it means making unpopular decisions regarding aging core members. For now, the focus remains on keeping the band together for one more run while carefully integrating the “NHL Pipeline” into the supporting cast.
Goaltending Transition
Pittsburgh’s crease is set for a significant overhaul. While veteran Stuart Skinner is a pending UFA and Arturs Silovs is an RFA, Dubas noted that a youth movement is imminent. The organization is high on prospects Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist, both of whom are expected to compete for NHL roster spots this fall. Dubas indicated the team will likely retain one of the Skinner/Silovs duo to pair with a rookie, ensuring the “bridge” to the next generation of goaltending begins now.
Cap Flexibility vs. Long-Term Health
With over $40 million to play with, the Penguins are theoretically the biggest players in the free-agent market. However, Dubas preached extreme caution. While stars like Anthony Mantha (coming off a 33-goal season) are hitting the market, Dubas warned against “burning space long-term” on deals the team might regret by 2028.
The strategy appears to be a “pragmatic retool” rather than an aggressive spending spree. The team has already made minor moves, re-signing defenseman Ilya Solovyov ($850k) and forward Connor Dewar to shore up depth, suggesting Dubas will hunt for value rather than just high-priced stars.
Under The Radar 2025 UFA Signings That Stole The Show
Every NHL offseason, the biggest contracts get the biggest headlines. But by the time the calendar flips to spring, it’s often the quieter signings, the ones buried halfway down the free agent tracker, that end up paying the biggest dividends.
The 2025 class was no exception. While plenty of attention went to the marquee deals last July, some of the most impactful contracts in the league came from players who generated little fanfare on Day 1 of free agency. Low-risk gambles, bounce-back candidates, and cheap depth signings that turned into significant bargains for their teams. Here are three of them.
Justin Brazeau — Pittsburgh Penguins (2 years, $3MM / $1.5MM AAV)
When Kyle Dubas signed the 6-foot-6, 232-pound winger to a two-year deal at roughly the league minimum, the move drew little attention. Brazeau was coming off a 2024-25 season split between Boston and Minnesota in which he produced 11 goals and 22 points across 76 games. The signing appeared to fit a familiar profile, a depth forward brought in to provide size and fill out the bottom of the lineup.
His production told a different story. In 64 games, Brazeau recorded 17 goals and 34 points, matching his entire prior NHL career goal total (16) across 95 previous games. At a $1.5MM cap hit, he outproduced forwards who were making four times as much.
Daniel Vladař — Philadelphia Flyers (2 years, $6.7MM / $3.35MM AAV)
Of the three signings on this list, Vladař’s drew the most skepticism at the time. The Czech goaltender arrived in Philadelphia following several difficult seasons in Calgary, where he posted a cumulative -23 Goals Saved Above Average, via hocketstats.com. For a Flyers team that had struggled with team save percentage for several years, committing $6.7MM over two years to a goaltender with that trajectory raised questions across the league.
Valdař answered every one of them.
In a career-high 52 games, he posted a 2.42 goals-against average, .906 save percentage, and 13.8 goals saved above expected, per moneypuck.com. Year-over-year, that’s one of the largest single-season goaltending turnarounds in the league. His performance separated him as the Flyers’ true number one goaltender, and Vladař settled into the starter’s role within weeks of the season’s opening. He also earned his first Olympic appearance, winning his debut for Czech Republic.
His playoff performance reinforced the value of the contract. Vladař held Pittsburgh’s third-ranked offense (3.52 goals per game) to four goals on 74 shots over the first three games of their opening-round series, a .946 save percentage. He closed out the series with a 42-save shutout in Game 6, a 1-0 overtime win that gave Philadelphia its first playoff series victory since 2020. It is safe to say Philadelphia has found their starter.
Anthony Mantha — Pittsburgh Penguins (1 year, $2.5MM + bonuses)
Mantha didn’t just bounce back. He produced the best season of his career, and one of the most efficient contracts in the entire league.
The context of the deal made the production all the more notable. Mantha was coming off a 2024-25 season cut short by a torn ACL with Calgary. He was entering his age-31 season and had not produced 50 points in several years. Pittsburgh’s one-year, $2.5MM contract, with up to $2MM in performance bonuses, appeared structured as a reclamation deal, the kind of short-term agreement that often precedes a trade-deadline move.
Instead, through 81 games, Mantha recorded 33 goals, 31 assists, and 64 points, surpassing his previous career highs in both goals (25) and points (48) by significant margins.
Mantha had the most goals among all 2026 pending UFAs, and his cap hit translated to roughly $39k per point which was one of the most efficient rates in the league among forwards not on entry-level contracts.
His production was a central factor in Pittsburgh’s emergence as a playoff team, and he is projected to roughly double his cap hit this summer.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The 2026 free agent market is being written off before it even opens. Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, and Jack Eichel are gone, all locked up the season. What was once projected to be a historic UFA class has thinned into a market headlined by Alex Tuch, who many believe will resign with Buffalo, and a handful of aging wingers. The consensus is that there’s nothing left worth chasing.
The consensus said the same thing about Brazeau, Vladař, and Mantha twelve months ago.
Weak top ends are exactly where bargains get found. Last summer’s most valuable contracts came from players nobody was bidding against: reclamation projects, depth signings, and bounce-backs that quietly became some of the best deals in the league. This summer’s market may look bare on July 1, but the lesson from 2025 is clear, the bargains don’t disappear when the stars do. They just get harder to spot.