Judd Brackett Expected To Leave Wild
The Minnesota Wild could lose a core piece of their scouting room before the NHL Draft. Director of Amateur Scouting Judd Brackett is expected to leave the club for an elevated position somewhere else per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Brackett was granted permission to speak with the Toronto Maple Leafs regarding an assistant general manager position per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Brackett has built a strong reputation across USA Hockey – one honed since his move to the Minnesota Wild in 2020. He holds a strong voice in the Wild’s draft and prospect development conversations and played a role in the team’s connection to promising draft picks like Zeev Buium, Charlie Stramel, and Adam Benak.
Before his time with the Wild, Brackett spent seven seasons as an amateur scout and five seasons as Director of Amateur Scouting with the Vancouver Canucks. He was, again, a strong voice in the rooms that drafted Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko. Brackett was also a strong advocate for the 2019 U.S. National Team Development Program that produced Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Matt Boldy, and Trevor Zegras – though none found a home in Vancouver.
His accolades with USA Hockey extend beyond recognizing strong, NTDP talent. He was a scout for Team USA’s 2024, 2025, and 2026 World Junior Championship rosters. The Americans won Gold in two of those tournaments but fell to Finland in the quarterfinals this year. He also won a QMJHL championship in 2008 and two USHL Clark Cups in 2009 and 2014.
A step up in the hierarchy seems well-timed on the other side of Brackett’s sixth year with the Wild. While Toronto represents the most direct connection currently, it would be no surprise to see Brackett return to the Canucks organization amid their biggest front-office shakeup in recent years. Whether it’s a move to Canada, or a shift to a team-in-need like the Nashville Predators, Brackett’s talents as a draft mind will seemingly be put to the test this Summer. His insight could be the final push needed to encourage Toronto to draft perennial star Gavin McKenna, or begin honing in coverage of a loaded 2027 draft class.
Senators Interested In Mason McTavish
The Ottawa Senators will have a busy summer ahead, one way or another. After expressing interest in building out the blue-line, and padding their goalie depth, general manager Steve Staios has also made it clear that Ottawa needs another top-six forward per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. Garrioch names Anaheim Ducks youngster Mason McTavish as the current name on Ottawa’s radar, though Seattle Kraken center Jared McCann and St. Louis Blues’ winger Jordan Kyrou could also fit the bill.
Staios has the rare experience of having traded for McTavish once before. He acquired the burly forward for the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs in a 2022 trade with the Peterborough Petes. McTavish had put together a season of dominance in the year leading up to the trade – earning a top-three selection in the 2021 NHL Draft on the back of a Covid-shortened season, but strong performance, in Switzerland’s second-tier pro league. He made his NHL and AHL debuts at the very start of the 2021-22 season, then closed the year as the star of Staios’ OHL championship-winning Bulldogs.
Since then, McTavish has put up four consecutive seasons of at least 40 points in the NHL. He hit a career-high 22 goals and 52 points – the most goals and second-most points on the Ducks – in the 2024-25 season, but fell back to 41 points in 75 games this year. Even with up-and-down success, and a fluctuating lineup role, McTavish has still shined as a young professional. He earned Anaheim’s alternate captaincy in 2023 and has carried the letter through two more seasons since. McTavish was also the captain of Team Canada at his sole appearances in the 2021 U18 Men’s World Championship and 2022 World Junior Championship.
There seems to be some certainty that McTavish can hold down a middle-six role in the lineup. His upside could be far higher, having broken the 20-goal ceiling once before his 23rd birthday. Garrioch also points out McTavish’s career-long 48.6 faceoff percentage, which peaked with a 51.7 percent in the 2023-24 season. That added tool could give Ottawa some interesting flexibility with Dylan Cozens‘ role as second-line center – while also padding the forward depth chart as a whole.
The cost of that certainty could be high, especially if Ottawa hopes to find it in a recent, top-three draft pick. The Senators’ don’t have a wealth of talent, or assets, to work with – but they do have two first-round picks and four third-round picks over the next two classes. That includes the 32nd-overall pick this season – a spot that’s locked in after Ottawa’s pick was revoked, then regranted, following a trade scandal. Ottawa could build an impressive package if they send that selection, additional draft capital, and a rising prospect like Blake Montgomery the other way.
Big Hype Prospects: DuPont, Vanhanen, Lecompte, Pridham
The 2026 Memorial Cup has been action-packed. On the other side of the round robin, the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers and WHL’s Everett Silvertips have broken away from the pack and will compete for the CHL championship. One roster represents immense depth, while the other has one of the strongest top-lines in recent, junior hockey memory. Both are led by top NHL draft talent, giving us another chance to borrow MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series. This time, we’ll focus on the top scorers, and storylines, from Canada’s top tournament.
Four Big Hype Prospects
Landon DuPont, RD, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2025-26 Season – 63 GP, 18 G / 55 A / 73 P, 52 PIM, +59
Landon DuPont receives a rare double-feature in the Big Hype series on the other side of the second-highest scoring season a 16-year-old defenseman has ever put up in the WHL. He is the modern addition to a list including Doug Bodger (1982-83), Jim Benning (1979-80), and Scott Niedermayer (1989-90) and DuPont fits right in with the trio of NHL veterans. He was nothing short of electric this season, consistently taking over shifts with his effortless skating and next-level thinking. Those star traits are continuing to propel Everett past their competition at the Memorial Cup, even as DuPont fights through an injury that held him out of the Silvertips’ Game 3 against the Kelowna Rockets. He was back in the lineup for a 6-1 win over the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, though, and should get superstar treatment in the Final. On the other side of this tournament, DuPont will face tough questions about a potential NCAA future ahead of what appears to be, from far out, a surefire first-overall selection in 2027.
Matias Vanhanen, LW, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2025-26 Season – 62 GP, 21 G / 66 A / 87 P, 6 PIM, +58
Playing in front of DuPont has had its perks for the last two seasons – but winger Matias Vanhanen has shown the boost a complimentary style can bring. He led the Silvertips in scoring this season while playing smarter and harder than most of his peers. Vanhanen has the oomph to bully his way through traffic, or through battles in the corners, even while standing at 5-foot-10. The winger was largely unknown after spending last season – his first year of draft eligibility – in Finland’s U20 league. His year ended with a five-game taste of the Liiga and Vanhanen has brought those pro habits into his first season in North America. Boosted by smart, playmaking instincts, reliable puck-control, and a tireless motor – Vanhanen has held scout attention all season long. He is a strong blip on the draft radar and could be playing his way into high second-round territory with a tournament-leading seven points at the Memorial Cup.
Nathan Lecompte, C, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
2025-26 Season – 61 GP, 27 G / 36 A / 63 P, 20 PIM, +21
Another player entering his second year of NHL Draft eligibility, Nathan Lecompte found a new gear in his ability to drive the Saguenéens’ offense this season. He was a constant threat coming down the wings, capable of finding sneaky passes on odd-man-rushes or simply firing a hard wrist-shot in a blink. Lecompte’s ability to suck in opponents created space for goal-scoring teammates and he was quick to follow chances through to the net. He had the benefit of great company in Chicoutimi – but still fit perfectly as the orchestrater in a loaded top-six. Lecompte was a surprise performer at the New Jersey Devils’ 2025 training camp, as a free-agent invite, and has draft precedent in his family – the son of a former Chicago Blackhawks first-round pick Eric Lecompte. Perhaps most exciting for the scouts is Eric’s 6-foot-5 frame, which could suggest some late growth for the 5-foot-10 Nathan. That growth will come at Northeastern University – a club that should cater well to Lecompte’s ability to stand out on the fast break – next season.
Jack Pridham, RW, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
2025-26 Season – 65 GP, 46 G / 44 A / 90 P, 54 PIM, +38
Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Jack Pridham broke out as a dominant scorer while playing as one of only 50 age-20 players in the OHL. He used every bit of his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame to punish opponents, standing as a bully in the middle of the offensive zone with the quick hands needed to convert on pucks that come his way. Pridham added to that a lights-out shot when left with too much space, and a new layer of speed as he broke into the zone. There is buzz that the OHL’s second-ranking goal-scorer could go unsigned by Chicago this Spring, which would allow his rights to expire in the Summer unless he announces a new commitment to the NCAA – having previously decommitted from Boston University. That could set the third-year draft-eligible up to re-enter the 2025 draft class, though his eligibility has been debated by draft pundits. Should he enter the class, Pridham would quickly become one of the most interesting prospects of the year – with the size and quick thinking needed to earn a pro role juxtaposed by a much lower developmental standing than many of his other age-20 peers.
Free Agent Focus: Colorado Avalanche
Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. Even with the UFA crop being thinned out in recent months, there will be some quality veterans set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Avalanche.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Jack Drury – Not only has Drury become a stabilizing force in Colorado’s bottom-six, but he has also become one of the best bottom-six forwards in the entire league. Tying his career-high, Drury finished 10 goals and 27 points in 82 games while averaging 14:29 of ice time per game. Additionally, his 58.1% faceoff rate is even more impressive considering Drury began 63.8% of his shifts in the defensive zone. Given that he’s only one year away from reaching unrestricted free agency, it’s unlikely that Drury and the Avalanche will get together on a long-term deal this summer.
F Zakhar Bardakov – Despite averaging less than eight minutes of ice time per game, Bardakov remained on the NHL roster for much of the 2025-26 campaign. He had his moments, but was generally unimpressive, finishing with one goal and 10 points in 60 games. He maintained relatively solid defensive metrics and added 50 hits on the year, but didn’t do enough to earn a consistent NHL role. Still, given his familiarity with the NHL now, Colorado will likely keep him around to serve as depth since he won’t be too expensive to retain.
Other RFAs: F Sampo Ranta, F Daniil Gushchin, F Chase Bradley, F Taylor Makar, F Ivan Ivan, D Sergei Boikov
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
D Brent Burns – Burns is the primary suspect in the murder investigation of ‘Father Time’. Not only is he playing into his 40’s, but he also hasn’t missed a game in over a decade. He wasn’t a liability out there either, as the former 2003 draftee registered 12 goals and 35 points in 82 games, averaging just under 19 minutes of ice time per game. The Avalanche could use all the defensive depth it can get its hands on, and if Burns intends to keep playing and is interested in signing another bonus-laden deal, it should be a no-brainer for Colorado to keep him around.
D Brett Kulak – Outside of those on Team Canada at the Olympics, Kulak is the only player who got to play with Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon throughout the regular season. During his time with the Avalanche, Kulak did what he did best: blocking shots and stepping up in the playoffs. Throughout postseason play, the 32-year-old blueliner finished with one goal and five points in 13 games with 25 blocked shots, averaging 20:38 of ice time. Unfortunately, unless Colorado can open up significantly more cap space, he’s unlikely to return this summer.
Other UFAs: F Joel Kiviranta, D Jack Ahcan, D Nick Blankenburg, F T.J. Tynan, F Alex Barre-Boulet, F Tye Felhaber, F Matthew Stienburg, F Valtteri Puustinen, F Jason Polin, D Jacob MacDonald, D Ronald Attard
Projected Cap Space
Colorado’s salary cap picture is an ugly one. Yes, the team has done a good job of locking in MacKinnon and Martin Necas, and maneuvering around the cap to bring in additional talent, but it’s all coming to a head in a year. Heading into the summer, the Avalanche only have approximately $2.98MM in salary cap breathing room. This should be enough to retain Drury and Burns, albeit barely, but it will be wholly insufficient to fill out the team’s depth for anything other than league minimum salaries. Additionally, Colorado is only one year away from ponying up new deals for Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen, so they’ll have to be prudent with every dollar spent this summer, and likely won’t want to lock themselves into anything extending beyond next season.
Photos courtesy of Dennis Lee (Drury) and Jeff Curry (Burns) of Imagn Images. Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.
Dennis Hull Passes Away At 81
In an unfortunate announcement, the Chicago Blackhawks revealed that long-time player Dennis Hull has passed away at the age of 81. Dennis was the younger brother of Bobby Hull and the uncle of Brett Hull.
By the time Dennis reached the “Black Hawks” for the 1964-65 season, Bobby had already become a phenom and earned his iconic nickname, the “Golden Jet”. Still, being overshadowed by his larger-than-life brother, Dennis put together a quality career in the NHL.
It took him a few years to get everything figured out, but by the 1966-67 season, he had become a consistent scoring threat. Even after Bobby departed for the WHA’s Winnipeg Jets in 1972 for a whopping $1MM signing bonus ($13.94MM in today’s dollars), Dennis remained with the Black Hawks. In total, he spent 13 years in Chicago, scoring 298 goals and 640 points in 904 games while playing in five All-Star Games.
Although he never won a Stanley Cup during his tenure with the Black Hawks (though he played in three finals), the highlight of Dennis’ career was the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union. Dennis initially intended to boycott the event because Bobby was excluded from the team due to his participation in the WHA. After receiving encouragement from his older brother, Dennis played on a line with Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert, scoring two goals and four points in four games, helping Canada to a series victory.
A few years later, Dennis would retire at the age of 33 after a one-year stint with the Detroit Red Wings. Despite appearing on a handful of broadcasts, Dennis lived a relatively private life after retirement. His most notable post after his playing career was as Athletic Director for the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.
We at PHR offer our condolences to Dennis’s friends, family, and loved ones.
Prospect Notes: Meyer, MacKinnon, Second Overall
Top 2027 NHL Draft prospect Carter Meyer could be making a groundbreaking change of leagues. The U.S. star has requested release from the U.S. National Team Development Program per Jeff Marek of Daily Faceoff. Meyer is undoubtedly the top player of the NTDP’s U17 squad and is currently projected to be drafted in the 2027 top-10. Should he be granted release, Meyer would likely move to the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts, who picked up his rights with the 17th-overall pick in the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft.
Meyer is a true, top playmaker who proved he had the top-end motor to support his top-end skill during his first year at the NTDP. He led the team in scoring with 15 goals and 37 points in 42 total games – four points more than Nolan Fitzhenry in second place. The Boston University-commit also led the U.S. roster in scoring with 10 points in four games of the World U17 Hockey Championship. That performance earned him a promotion to the roster for the U18 Men’s World Championship, where he notched five points in five games. Meyer is the son of 281-game veteran of the NHL Freddy Meyer, who currently serves as the head coach of The Rivers School in Massachussetts high school hockey.
Other notes from the prospect world:
- The Providence Bruins have signed defenseman Dylan MacKinnon to a one-year, two-way, AHL contract. MacKinnon wrapped up his fifth season in the QMJHL this year, finishing with just 12 points in 47 games between the Moncton Wildcats and Charlottetown Islanders. He signed with the ECHL’s Maine Mariners to finish the season and managed no scoring in three pro games. MacKinnon was the shutdown defender on strong, offense-first teams during his junior career. That style didn’t pop much, leading the Nashville Predators to forgo signing MacKinnon after drafting him in the 2023 third-round. He will look to fit in a bit better at the AHL flight.
- Speculation around the San Jose Sharks’ dangling of the second-overall pick continues to grow. The team could find potential trade partners across the top-15 per NBCS’ Sheng Peng. The St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames have already expressed interest in moving up on draft day – but Peng points out that the Chicago Blackhawks could also be an interesting candidate. Any deal would need to land San Jose a player close to the NHL – and with some upside worth looking forward to. A tinge of promise could help San Jose justify stepping back in a top-10, or top-15, filled with upside and interesting defense prospects.
Free Agent Focus: Chicago Blackhawks
Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. Even with the UFA crop being thinned out in recent months, there will be some quality veterans set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Blackhawks.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Connor Bedard – Over a decade ago, the Blackhawks had just won their second Stanley Cup championship since 2010, and were looking to keep the core pieces together for the foreseeable future. A few days into the offseason ahead of the 2014-15 season, Chicago signed star forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to identical eight-year, $84MM contracts. This summer, they will have a similar franchise-defining negotiation. It appears that discussions have begun, as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that both parties were looking into short- and long-term agreements. Bedard has led the team in scoring in each season of his career and is coming off a year in which he scored 30 goals and 75 points in 69 games. If the Blackhawks and Bedard reach a long-term contract, it will certainly exceed the eight-year, $80MM benchmark set by Logan Cooley last October.
D Kevin Korchinski – Drafted a year before Bedard, Korchinski hasn’t panned out as well despite being a top-10 selection. After spending his entire rookie campaign in Chicago, Korchinski has largely been in the AHL since. He has performed relatively well with the Rockford IceHogs, although not with as much offensive flair as he showed throughout his time with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. Over the last two years, Korchinski has scored five goals and 53 points in 109 AHL contests, with another one goal and four points in 29 NHL games. Assuming the Blackhawks still believe in his ability to become a consistent top-four defenseman, Korchinski is likely poised for a one- to two-year contract this summer with a relatively low cap hit.
D Ethan Del Mastro – Similar to Korchinski, Del Mastro hasn’t spent much of his time with Chicago the past two years. Since the start of the 2024-25 campaign, Del Mastro has registered two goals and seven points in 42 NHL games, with an additional two goals and 27 points in 92 AHL contests. Still, although he may be a non-tender candidate for other organizations, there’s a decent chance the Blackhawks will retain Del Mastro to continue as organizational depth.
Other RFAs: D Dmitri Kuzmin, D Ryan Mast, G Drew Commesso
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Ilya Mikheyev – As much as Chicago would have liked to retain Mikheyev for the future, it doesn’t sound like the relationship is going to last any longer. A few weeks ago, reports indicated that contract talks between Mikheyev and the Blackhawks had broken down, and the organization was actively looking to trade his negotiating rights to an interested team. He has remained a consistent middle-six forward for Chicago, scoring 38 goals and 70 points in 157 games over the past two years with a +6 rating. Given his ability to perform well on the penalty kill and on the defensive side of the puck at large, and his tertiary scoring ability, Mikheyev shouldn’t have a hard time finding a greener pasture this summer.
D Matt Grzelcyk – What a difference a year can make. After registering 40 points in 80 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins on a one-year, $2.75MM contract during the 2024-25 campaign, Grzelcyk was poised to take advantage of a thin free agent class and cash in on the best season of his career. Unfortunately, no teams took the bait. He instead settled on a one-year, $1MM contract with the Blackhawks after skating with the team on a PTO in September. The 32-year-old blue liner shouldn’t have any expectations of breaking the bank this summer after registering 12 assists in 69 games with Chicago, averaging 16:58 of ice time.
Other UFAs: F Sam Lafferty, F Joey Anderson, G Olivier Rodrigue
Projected Cap Space
As has been the case for the past few years, the Blackhawks don’t need to worry about cap space this summer. Entering the offseason, the Blackhawks are projected to have the second-most cap space, just behind the San Jose Sharks, with $40.16MM in available room. As mentioned, Bedard’s next deal, whether on a long-term deal or not, should take more than a quarter out of that, but they’ll still have ample room left to make some big additions. Unfortunately, as is well known, that’s unlikely to come on the free agent market unless Chicago hands out some unadvised deals. Presumably, they’ll look to the trade market to address their defensive needs.
Photos courtesy of David Gonzales (Bedard) and Charles LeClaire (Mikheyev) of Imagn Images. Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.
Devils Expected To Sign Anton Silayev
The New Jersey Devils will have one more first-round pick in their system next season. Defenseman Anton Silayev is expected to sign his entry-level contract following his third season in Russia’s KHL per Artur Khairullin of Russian news site Sport-Express. The 6-foot-7 defender was selected 10th-overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. He will be the last of 2024’s top 15 to sign his entry-level contract when he puts pen to paper.
Silayev has had a sure role with the KHL’s Torpedo Novgorod since the 2022-23 season, when he led the team’s junior affiliate to a junior league championship. Even in his age-17 season, Silayev’s size, smooth skating, and stick checks proved tough for opponents to beat. Those advantages earned him a full-time role in the KHL during his draft season in 2023-24. Silayev had ups-and-downs as a KHL rookie. Never the scorer, he racked up only 11 points in 63 regular season games. More glaring were the amount of times that Silayev got turned around by top-tier competition – though his aggression in board battles and ability to move the puck still warranted a top pick come draft day.
Silayev has spent the last two seasons ironing out the gaps from his age-18 season. He climbed to 12 points in 63 games of the 2024-25 season, then joined the Torpedo’s minor-league club for the postseason en route to a league championship. He contributed two points to 17 games of the 2025 VHL playoffs. Surprisingly, Silayev’s routinely-low offense turned downwards this year. He finished the 2025-26 KHL season with just three points in 61 games. Much of that diminished scoring came from Silayev’s struggles to spark the breakout in the same way he had in prior years – casting a shadow over his clear improvements on either end of the ice. Following their elimination from the Gagarin Cup playoffs, Torpedo finished Silayev’s season with a brief assignment to Russia’s junior-league playoffs, where he scored two points in four games while standing as one of only 20 defensemen age-20 or older in the junior postseason.
A down year in Russia will be followed by a major opportunity for one of New Jersey’s top prospects. Silayev will likely step into a top role in the AHL, where his big frame and puck-moving abilities could quickly stand out. He could also be a candidate to break camp with the Devils to begin the 2026-27 season – if the club finds a way to use his unique style and size in a depth role while he finds his stride. Either way, an entry-level contract will give Devils fans another player to watch close once training camp kicks off.
John Carlson’s Next Contract Will Be Particularly Pricey
It’s not very often that 36-year-old players will get a raise on their next contract but that could very well be the case for defenseman John Carlson. In a column for The Athletic earlier this week, Pierre LeBrun reported that before Washington moved Carlson to Anaheim at the trade deadline, the two sides were in talks about a two-year extension worth $9MM per season.
That would represent a $1MM raise on the $8MM he made over each of the last eight years. But it would be a well-earned increase. Between the Capitals and Ducks this season, Carlson recorded 14 goals and 46 assists despite missing 11 games due to injury. His 60 points were his highest since the 2021-22 campaign. On top of that, he showed that he can still handle logging heavy minutes as he averaged more than 23 minutes per night during the regular season and over 24 minutes per contest in the postseason.
In essence, Carlson played like a legitimate top-pairing defenseman, so $9MM on the surface would seem reasonable. On the other hand, he’ll turn 37 in January and at some point, he’s going to slow down and his minutes will have to become more managed. If he drops to more of a second-pairing player, that price tag becomes particularly high, even in this market, one that is going to yield some inflated salaries this summer.
In recent years, we’ve seen teams try to sign players to above-market short-term contracts, knowing that they will have some short-term cap flexibility to absorb the extra cost. Carolina’s two-year, $15MM deal to Dmitry Orlov three summers ago is a good example of that. But it’s something that isn’t going to necessarily be appealing to most free agents which is why not many of those deals have been signed overall; most prefer the longer-term security. Given Carlson’s age, it becomes more palatable and it looks like he could very well be getting one of those now.
While the overall depth in this summer’s UFA class isn’t particularly deep overall, there is some depth among right-shot defenders. Carlson is joined by Darren Raddysh, Jacob Trouba, Rasmus Andersson, and even Brent Burns as players who should at least be able to handle top-four minutes. This potential price point for Carlson should be particularly appealing for most of the others on that list (aside from Burns, who is likely heading for another one-year deal).
Considering the extension didn’t get finalized with the Capitals, it stands to reason that Carlson’s camp believes he could do better on the open market. With that in mind, it seems likely that he’ll be viewing that two-year offer as the floor in negotiations for his next contract. We’ll see over the next month if that contract will be coming from the Ducks who would like to keep him around or if he’ll opt to test the UFA market where LeBrun believes several Eastern teams are likely to make an offer.
Photo courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.
Pacific Notes: Canucks Coaching Search, Edler, Lauzon
While there has been plenty of speculation that Manny Malhotra will become Vancouver’s next head coach, that still hasn’t materialized yet. Speaking with Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Province, Canucks GM Ryan Johnson indicated that there remains no timeline for when they will name a new bench boss. They’ll be doing so for the second straight offseason after Adam Foote’s tenure lasted just one season. Johnson was previously GM of AHL Abbotsford with Malhotra as the head coach there so there’s a logical connection. Johnston speculates that part of the holdup could be the team trying to work out its group of assistants, that the sides could still be discussing salary, or even how the team plans to handle things should Malhotra’s son Caleb, the top center in the draft, were to be picked third overall by the Canucks. At any rate, no agreement between the two sides is in place yet.
Elsewhere in the Pacific:
- Johnson also confirmed to Johnston that he is in talks with long-time Vancouver blueliner Alex Edler about a possible role with the team, confirming a report earlier in the week from HockeyNews.se’s Mattias Ek. Edler spent 15 seasons with the Canucks as a player from 2006 through 2021, spanning 925 games, the most by a defenseman in franchise history. Edler will serve as a coach during development camp and could be brought on in more of a full-time development role beyond that.
- Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon returned to practice on Friday with a non-contact jersey, relays Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The 29-year-old suffered an upper-body injury in the final game of the first round against Utah four weeks ago and hasn’t suited up since then. Lauzon had 13 points and 251 hits in 68 games during the regular season for Vegas and had 14 more hits in six contests in the opening round. Assuming he’s cleared to return by Tuesday’s series opener in Carolina, the Golden Knights should have a fully healthy roster at their disposal.