Theo Rochette Generating NHL Interest
This is the time of year when we start to see a lot of activity on the international front as players move during the transfer window. One of those could be Swiss forward Theo Rochette, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this week in a 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that a few NHL teams appear to be taking a look at Rochette.
The 24-year-old was a prolific producer in the QMJHL. Over five seasons between Chicoutimi and Quebec, Rochette posted 115 goals and 202 assists in 271 regular season games while staying above the point-per-game mark in the playoffs as well. While he went undrafted, he seemed like a realistic candidate to sign an entry-level deal and start off at the AHL level.
But Rochette had other plans. He instead signed a two-year deal with HC Lausanne in 2023, then inked a five-year extension after that, keeping him signed through 2030-31. In three seasons with the club, he has notched at least 30 points in each of them and had his best showing in 2025-26, tallying 22 goals and 21 assists in 46 games. That earned Rochette a spot on Switzerland’s entry for the World Championship where he has been productive in a depth role, recording five points in eight games heading into today’s semi-final action.
Clearly, there is an NHL out clause in his current contract that will give Rochette an opportunity to take a shot at playing in North America. Considering the security he has in his current contract, it seems reasonable to think that if Rochette opts to sign, he’ll be going somewhere where he has a chance to play regularly in the NHL. If not, staying and playing at home would make more sense so it wouldn’t be shocking if Rochette is particularly selective when considering offers from interested teams.
Minor Transactions: Berezkin, Guskov, Hasley
It turns out that Oilers prospect Maxim Berezkin won’t be coming to North America for next season after all. Instead, the KHL announced that the 24-year-old has signed a two-year extension with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. A fifth-round pick back in 2020, Berezkin had a breakout year in 2024-25 when he posted 15 goals and 27 assists in 66 games, leading to the belief that he could come over and potentially contribute in a bottom-six role in Edmonton. Things didn’t go as well this season, however, as his output dropped to seven goals and 25 helpers in 64 contests. Edmonton will continue to hold Berezkin’s rights but at this point, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll make the jump to North America down the road.
Other minor moves with an NHL connection:
- Wild forward prospect Matvei Guskov has inked a one-year extension with HK Sochi, per a KHL announcement. The 25-year-old was a fifth-round pick in 2019 and played his junior hockey with OHL London but returned home one year later. Guskov had his best showing by far this season, collecting 32 points in 50 games but won’t be coming back to North America at this time. With no transfer agreement in place between the NHL and Russia’s federation, Minnesota will continue to hold Guskov’s rights.
- The Sharks have added some minor-league depth. Their AHL affiliate announced that they’ve signed goaltender Connor Hasley to a one-year deal. The 25-year-old wrapped up his college career with Arizona State, posting a 3.12 GAA and a .907 SV% in 24 games. He then joined ECHL Wichita for four contests to wrap up the season. San Jose liked what they saw in those outings and will now keep Hasley around for a full year.
Senators Hire Maciej Szwoch To Goalie Development Role
The Ottawa Senators have hired goalie coach Maciej Szwoch to serve as coordinator of goalie scouting and development. Szwoch spent 10 seasons working with Farjestad BK of Sweden’s SHL from 2015 to 2025. He also served as a consultant for the Detroit Red Wings from 2015 to 2022.
Szwoch most notably oversaw the rise of Team Italy’s Olympic starter and Anaheim Ducks prospect Damian Clara during his time in Farjestad. Clara served as Farjestad’s backup in the 2024-25 season and finished the year with nine wins and a .879 save percentage in 21 games. He also led NHL prospects Mans Goos, Carl Lindbom, and Melker Thelin on recent Farjestad rosters.
Szwoch began his coaching career with the Vaxjo Lakers’ youth teams in 2007. He climbed to Vaxjo’s men’s squad two years later, while also intermittently working with Norway’s Frisk Asker. With pro footing under him, Szwoch moved to MoDo Hockey in 2011 – taking reign over a goalie room that featured Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg. He continued to oversee their growth until his move to Farjestad.
Ottawa will now reconnect Ullmark with his former goalie coach after the former Vezina Trophy winner posted the first sub-.900 save percentage of his NHL career. A fresh face in the Senators goalie room could help Ullmark get back on track while also seeking out some upside to work into the Senators’ backup role.
Latest On Maple Leafs Head Coaching Search
A few days ago, Frank Seravalli of Victory+ reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs were expected to interview Anaheim Ducks assistant coach Jay Woodcroft for their head coaching vacancy. In today’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, not only did Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman throw cold water on Seravalli’s report, he extinguished it completely.
Friedman shared that there’s no expectation that Woodcroft will interview with the Maple Leafs, nor is there any expectation that they’ll ask permission to do so from the Ducks. Still, Friedman confirmed that Woodcroft has interviewed with the Los Angeles Kings for their head coaching vacancy.
At this point, the only other candidate connected to Toronto has been David Carle, the current head coach at the University of Denver. Given that he’s already coached the Pioneers to three National Championships and the United States to two gold medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship, there’s no question why the Maple Leafs would be targeting him.
Still, Carle has been hesitant to leave his situation just south of downtown Denver. Recent reports indicate that Carle is open to the idea of joining the Maple Leafs, but the two sides remain in the early stages of a potential hire. There is speculation that if the Colorado Avalanche part ways with Jared Bednar after a fourth consecutive playoff exit before the Stanley Cup Final, Carle would likely step in to take the role.
Other than that, there haven’t been many other candidates linked to Toronto. Bruce Cassidy, the former head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, has become a popular candidate on the West Coast, but hasn’t been linked to the Maple Leafs in any meaningful fashion. Furthermore, Kris Knoblauch, who was recently removed from his post as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, is in a similar situation.
Regardless, for several reasons, new General Manager John Chayka may be playing things extremely close to the vest regarding Toronto’s next head coach. That’s a challenging modus operandi to sustain in Toronto’s media market, but the Maple Leafs will continue to proceed carefully in any case.
Lightning Sign Benjamin Rautiainen To Entry-Level Contract
The Tampa Bay Lightning have inked one of their draft selections from last summer. According to a team announcement, the Lightning have signed forward Benjamin Rautiainen to a three-year, entry-level contract. According to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times, the Lightning had to buy out the final year of Rautiainen’s contract with Tappara to facilitate the deal.
As mentioned, Rautiainen, 20, was drafted 108th overall by the Lightning in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Tampere, Finland native was playing for the Finnish Liiga’s Tappara, scoring 10 goals and 33 points in 50 games with a +4 rating. Additionally, he registered two goals and four points in nine postseason contests.
This season, Rautiainen turned heads. He was easily the most dominant force in Finland’s professional ranks, scoring 25 goals and 77 points in 59 games with a +24 rating. The next closest scorer was Joachim Blichfeld (33 goals and 71 points in 52 games), who is seven years older than Rautiainen.
Always looking for cheap depth, Rautiainen made Tampa Bay’s decision relatively easy. Although it’s typically unreasonable to expect a younger player to make the jump from Europe to the NHL, unless they’re coming from the KHL, there’s a non-zero chance Rautiainen cracks the Lightning’s roster out of training camp, albeit as a 12th or 13th forward.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt Rautiainen to begin the 2026-27 season with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Rautiainen’s ability to provide offense in multiple ways should blend well with his peers in Syracuse, who recently tied for eighth in AHL scoring.
Predators Sign Felix Nilsson To Entry-Level Contract
According to a team announcement, the Nashville Predators have signed forward Felix Nilsson to a three-year, entry-level contract. The Predators didn’t disclose the financial terms of the deal, but it will carry through the 2028-29 season.
Nilsson, 20, was drafted with the 43rd overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft by Nashville. He was coming off a solid season for Rögle BK’s under-20 team, scoring 19 goals and 41 points in 36 games with a +17 rating. Nilsson did appear in 18 games for Rögle BK in the SHL, though he went scoreless.
The Stockholm, Sweden native gradually became a full-time SHLer the next season. He established a relatively low bar, scoring one goal and three points in 41 games with a -5 rating. On the international scene, Nilsson registered one goal and eight points in 16 games for Team Sweden’s U19 & U20 teams.
During the 2024-25 campaign, Nilsson continued his evolution into a formidable top-six forward. He completed the season with five goals and 22 points in 40 games, finishing with a -3 rating, which showcased his above-average playmaking abilities. Playing for Team Sweden in the U20 IIHF World Junior Championship, the then 19-year-old recorded one goal and six points in seven games, helping Sweden reach the Bronze Medal game.
This season, it became apparent that Nilsson was ready to make the jump to North America. He recorded 14 goals and 40 points in 52 games, achieving a +18 rating. He tied for 18th in overall scoring while leading all under-21 players in points.
Unless the Predators make several subtractions to their forward corps this offseason, Nilsson will likely begin his professional career with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. The Admirals have been a solid team in recent history despite taking a step back this season.
Timo Meier Given One-Game Suspension In World Championship
According to a public announcement, the IIHF Disciplinary Commission has given a one-game suspension to Team Switzerland’s Timo Meier for a knee-on-knee hit in the quarterfinals against Team Sweden. It’s a tough blow to Team Switzerland, as they are looking to reach the Gold Medal game for the third consecutive season.
The play of note came in the second period of the quarterfinal matchup. Oskar Sundqvist received the puck in the offensive zone and quickly adjusted when Meier was attempting to deliver a check. Instead, Meier followed Sundqvist’s path and was given a minor penalty for the play.
As is typically the case, the IIHF Disciplinary Commission reviewed whether there was a reasonable expectation of Meier being able to get out of the way. If it’s clear that he wasn’t, there likely wouldn’t have been a suspension since intent would have been removed from the situation.
In the announcement, the Disciplinary Commission said, “The Disciplinary Panel determined that this was not a situation where a sudden movement by the opposing player created unavoidable contact. Rather, Meier adjusted to his opponent’s movement and extended his knee, causing direct knee-on-knee contact.”
Although he’s had his offensive struggles for the New Jersey Devils, that hasn’t been the case for Meier at the World Championships. Playing on the most dominant team thus far, Meier is third on the team in scoring with three goals and 11 points in eight games with a +10 rating.
Team Switzerland will have to beat Team Norway tomorrow to reach the Gold Medal game for the third consecutive year. Unlike the Swiss, the Norwegians have never reached the Gold Medal game and have only finished as high as fourth in the tournament, most recently in 1951.
West Notes: Pridham, Celebrini, McKenzie
The clock is winding down on the Chicago Blackhawks’ ability to retain 2024 draftee, Jack Pridham. Pridham, 20, will have to commit to an NCAA program, sign his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks, or re-enter the draft this summer, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic.
Unfortunately, although Chicago would prefer the former two options, Powers didn’t allude to any firm decision either way. Despite committing to Boston University last year, Pridham instead decommitted from the Terriers program to continue his development with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers. Including today, Pridham only has three more days to make a decision.
If he doesn’t commit to a collegiate program and doesn’t sign with the Blackhawks, Pridham would likely go higher than his 2024 billing of 92nd overall. Given his age, Pridham may not be a first-round talent, though he’d surely be a lock to go in the second round, at the very least. He’s coming off an impressive year with the Rangers, scoring 46 goals and 90 points in 65 games with a +38 rating. Additionally, he has been integral in Kitchener’s postseason run, scoring two goals and 17 points in 18 games, and will help the Rangers in the Memorial Cup Final on May 31st.
Additional notes from the Western Conference:
- Coming as a shock to nobody, Emily Kaplan of ESPN reported that it’s highly likely Macklin Celebrini will be named captain of the San Jose Sharks ahead of next season. Specifically, Kaplan said, “Celebrini wearing a “C” as captain next season is all but guaranteed.” Eligible for an extension this summer, Celebrini would become the 14th captain in franchise history, and the first since Logan Couture in the 2023-24 campaign.
- Despite being the subject of retirement rumors throughout the past season, Texas Stars captain Curtis McKenzie isn’t ready to hang up his skates. According to a team announcement, Texas has signed McKenzie to a one-year extension through the 2026-27 season. McKenzie has been the Stars’ captain since the 2021-22 campaign and has registered 206 goals and 510 points in 725 games throughout his 13-year AHL career.
Minor Transactions: Kahun, Morozov, Iskhakov, Cali
Former NHL winger Dominik Kahun agreed on a mutual contract termination with his former club HC Lausanne of the Swiss National League, ending what was originally a three-year deal with the team. As a free agent, Kahun has elected to return to his native Germany and sign with EHC Red Bull Munich, according to an official announcement from the club on social media.
The move returns Kahun, 30, to the club that launched him to the NHL back in 2018. Kahun was a former star scorer for Munich, spending four seasons with the team from 2014-2018. In those four years, he went from scoring just six points in his debut season when he was fresh out of the German second division to becoming a point-per-game winger. He won three straight titles for Munich in 2016, 2017, and 2018. While he was an instant-impact NHL signing for the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring 13 goals and 37 points as a rookie, Kahun left the NHL for Switzerland after 2020-21. He has been largely stellar in the National League, serving as a point-per-game winger for SC Bern from 2021-2024. Over the last two years, Kahun has struggled more, and his stint with Lausanne was marked by inconsistency as he was great in the playoffs but not very productive in the regular season.
Other notes on player movement from around the hockey world:
- Vegas Golden Knights 2018 second-round pick Ivan Morozov has signed a one-year contract extension with the KHL’s Spartak Moscow. Morozov has spent the last three seasons with Spartak, where he has been one of the team’s most productive players and a two-time All-Star. Morozov scored a career-high 50 points in 2024-25 and managed 33 points in 49 combined regular-season and playoff contests in 2025-26. The 6’1″ center last appeared in North America during the 2022-23 season, when he registered 17 points in 58 games for Vegas’ AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.
- Another Russian forward who was selected in the second round of the 2018 NHL draft signed a KHL contract extension: Ruslan Iskhakov. Iskhakov was drafted No. 43 overall by the Islanders in 2018, and signed a two-year extension with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Iskhakov joined Metallurg last summer from CSKA Moscow, where he was an All-Star in 2024-25. This past season, the 5’7″ forward scored 17 goals and 38 points in 65 regular-season games, and eight points in 15 playoff contests. Iskhakov played two seasons in North America, scoring 101 points in 138 total games for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, and one point in one NHL game for the New York Islanders. Stefen Rosner of The Elmonters wrote today that the “ship has definitely sailed” on Iskhakov’s NHL future with the club.
- 2026 NHL Draft prospect Ryder Cali has committed to play NCAA hockey at Providence College, according to Mark Divver of New England Hockey Journal. Cali, 17, was formerly committed to Harvard University. Cali spent this past season with the North Bay Battalion of the OHL, and it is unclear at this time whether his commitment implies enrollment for 2026-27 or 2027-28, which would impact whether he will play an additional campaign in Ontario. It seems most likely he will spend at least 2026-27 in the OHL before heading to college, but that is not confirmed. Cali is considered a second-round prospect by most major draft outlets, ranked as high as No. 34 (Elite Prospects) and as low as No. 62 (Craig Button, TSN).
IIHF To Decide On Russia Participation On Event-By-Event Basis
The IIHF announced an update this morning to Russia’s eligibility to compete in IIHF competitions for the 2026-27 season. The announcement came during the organization’s annual congress held in Zurich, Switzerland this week.
In its update, the IIHF wrote that the original decision made by the IIHF Council in January to rule out Russian participation in IIHF events for the 2026-27 season, which was appealed by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, has been overturned by the IIHF’s Disciplinary Board.
The IIHF stressed that this does not mean that Russia has automatically been reintegrated. Instead, they said the decision has been sent back to the IIHF Council to be re-analyzed “based on safety, security, operational, and sporting plans.”
As a result, the IIHF says it will decide on Russian eligibility to participate in IIHF competitions “on an event-by-event basis.”
While the decision is by no means an indication that Russia will be able to quickly re-enter IIHF events, it does mark a notable development in Russia’s favor as the country looks to return to full international competition. That the country has no longer been fully ruled out for the upcoming season is an improvement from their position in the last few years. The move comes just one day after Belarus was reinstated for IIHF tournaments.
Russia and Belarus have not been allowed to participate in any major international competition since the former’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. As a result of the conflict, the IIHF cited security concerns in keeping the country out of competition.
Russia’s ice hockey federation issued a statement against the ban in February, which read in part: “the argument regarding the impossibility of ensuring the safety of participants in international tournaments involving Russian national teams is no longer relevant, lacks any basis, and is merely a formal pretext for denying our country’s participation.”
The key underlying issue with Russia’s participation is the stance of numerous European hockey federations, including superpowers Sweden, Finland, and Czechia.
Sweden’s federation has previously strongly backed the IIHF’s ban, calling it “absolutely necessary.” The Athletic’s Chris Johnston reported earlier this year that it was “highly unlikely Finland, Sweden or Czechia would agree to play in any tournament featuring a team from Russia with the war ongoing.” The source he cited “also questioned whether the Canadian government would allow its athletes to participate in such an event.”
Now that the IIHF will have to decide on Russian participation on an event-by-event basis, it appears the governing body’s disciplinary board has dealt a blow to the IIHF’s previous argument that cited safety concerns.
While this is by no means a guarantee Russia will return to international competition at any specific point, it does make that a more realistic possibility than it has been at any point since the country’s ban was originally imposed, though significant opposition from other federations remains.