Trevor Lewis Announces Retirement
Two-time Stanley Cup champion Trevor Lewis has announced the end of his playing career. Lewis played 17 seasons and 1,034 games in the NHL between 2008 and 2025, including 14 seasons with the Los Angeles Kings. He filled an important, depth role in the Kings’ race to the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cups. Lewis also holds the honor of most NHL games played by a Utah-born player.
Lewis’ hockey career began with the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers in the 2004-05 season. He quickly stood out as a grinder for the Buccaneers. After a quiet rookie season, he exploded in his draft season of 2005-06. Lewis finished the year with 35 goals and 75 points in 56 games. His ability to bring tempo to his shifts helped Des Moines blaze their way to the 2006 USHL Clark Cup Championship. It also earned Lewis a string of individual awards, including the USHL’s MVP and ‘Gentleman of the Year’ awards, as well as the USA Hockey Player of the Year award.
Even with those accolades, Lewis was ranked as a third-round talent by The Hockey News headed into the 2006 NHL Draft. That low rank didn’t stop the Kings from going out on a limb for Lewis in the first-round. Los Angeles traded away forward Pavol Demitra, fresh off a 62-point first season with the team, to acquire depth winger Patrick O’Sullivan and the 17th overall pick, used to select Lewis.
Lewis was originally committed to the University of Michigan following his draft but decided to sign an entry-level contract with Los Angeles instead. That left him ineligible for college – and prompted to sign with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack. By location, the Utah-born Lewis was eligible for the WHL, not the OHL – but the CHL Board of Governors decided to allow Lewis to move to the Ontario league. He went on to nearly match his scoring from the prior year, with 73 points in 62 games.
Lewis moved to the AHL at the end of the season and scored six points in his first eight games. His scoring cooled down in his rookie AHL season, but Lewis heated up with his footing under him. He began his second pro season with 19 points in the first 28 games of the AHL season. That prompted the first NHL call-up of his career, a move he rewarded with three points in his first four games. He played two additional scoreless games before being reassigned for the remainder of the season. His 2008-09 season ended with 51 points in 75 AHL games.
A taste of NHL hockey helped Lewis break camp with the Kings for the 2009-10 season. He wound up as a healthy scratch after five scoreless games to start the season and was reassigned to the minors before the calendar turned over. He finished the year with just seven points in 23 AHL games. It was a muted season, but it didn’t knock Lewis off-course. He earned a full-time role with the Kings in the 2010-11 season and quickly settled into a bottom-six role that he would fill for the next 10 seasons.
Lewis’ scoring never flashed too bright. He scored only 20 points across 144 games between 2010 and 2012. Despite that, he seemed to have a knack for showing up in must-win games. Lewis scored four points in six games of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, then returned with nine points in 20 games of the Kings’ Cup-winning 2012 run. That scoring included two goals in the Cup-winning Game 6 of the Cup Finals. He combined for 25 points in 121 games across the next two seasons, backed by eight points in 44 playoff games. While again quiet scoring, Lewis did rack up 216 hits in 70 playoff games between 2010 and 2015 – the ninth-most of any NHL skater in that timeframe, and second on the Kings to Dustin Brown‘s league-leading 330 hits.
Lewis proved capable of filling a depth-grinder role on a championship roster twice over during his time with the Kings. His career continued to follow the path of low-scoring, high hit totals, and depth minutes. He scored a career-high 14 goals and 26 points in 68 games of the 2017-18 season, narrowly beating out 25 points scored in the 2014-15 season and 24 points scored in 2016-17. Two years later, the Kings opted to leave Lewis in free agency after 12 seasons with the team. He signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets after attending training camp on a professional tryout. Lewis turned that deal into 10 points, just two penalty minutes, and a plus-seven in 56 games with Winnipeg.
Lewis was again left in free agency in the following summer and, at the age of 35, decided to sign a one-year deal with the Calgary Flames for the 2021-22 season. That deal reunited Lewis with head coach Darryl Sutter, who led the Kings’ Cup runs. He scored 16 points in 80 games in his first season with the Flames, enough to earn another one-year deal, which he matched with 16 points in 82 games in the 2022-23 season. That year was just the second time that Lewis played every game of the season, joining the 2016-17 season.
The Kings brought Lewis home for the final two seasons of his career. He was slower and less involved than he looked in the prime of his career, but still managed a commendable 28 points in 142 games from a fourth-line role to close things out. Lewis, now 39, did not re-sign for the 2025-26 season and will now move his career forward.
He calls things to a close with the fourth-most hits (1,429), the sixth-most playoff games (86), and the seventh-most regular-season games (816) in the Kings franchise history. His all-three-zones energy and grit are traits teams still search for as they hope to build Cup-winning depth charts. He is a Utah-great and could find the next steps of his career in supporting the burgeoning Utah hockey scene.
Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports.
Flyers Recall Five Players
The Philadelphia Flyers have shored up their depth with a series lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Philadelphia has recalled forwards Oscar Eklind and Jacob Gaucher, defensemen Helge Grans and Hunter McDonald, and goaltender Carson Bjarnason to serve as black aces. The five will join the Flyers roster following the end of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ season in the AHL.
Gaucher is the only call-up who played multiple NHL games this season. He stepped into four games with the Flyers, split between a three-game call-up in January and a one-game stint earlier this month. Gaucher posted no scoring, no penalty minutes, and a minus-one in those appearances. He was a fixture of Lehigh Valley’s middle six and finished the AHL season with 20 goals, 36 points, and 44 penalty minutes in 69 games. His scoring ranked second on the Phantoms in goals and third in points.
McDonald received his NHL debut near the end of Philadelphia’s regular season. He recorded one assist, four penalty minutes, and a plus-three while only playing in 15 minutes of ice time. It was a high-energy performance from a player who seemed to only find the penalty box in the minor-leagues. The second-year pro racked up just six assists to go with 92 penalty minutes in 65 AHL games this season. That mark fell just under his rookie AHL season last year, when he notched 18 points and 99 penalty minutes in 71 games.
While the big presence of Gaucher and McDonald earned an NHL look, Philadelphia’s remaining call-ups spent the season in the minor-leagues. Eklind racked up nine goals and 15 points in 49 games with Lehigh Valley. It was his second season in North America after rising the ranks of Sweden’s pro leagues over the last eight seasons. Grange scored 14 points in 61 games, a step down from his 23 points last season. Grange also played the first six games of his NHL career last season, marked by one assist and two penalty minutes. Bjarnason played through his first pro season this year. He split results in two ECHL games, with a .881 save percentage, and recorded 14 wins and a .877 save percentage in 32 AHL games.
Philadelphia will also bring up an overwhelming amount of size in these recalls. The 6-foot-3 Gaucher is the only one of the five under 6-foot-4. Where he brings an impact in front of the net, Eklind offers shooting from the flanks, and both Grange and McDonald bring imposing physicality on the blue-line. In the mix, Bjarnason will stand as the young prospect with upside. Even with that range of talent, it is unlikely any of the five will step into Stanley Cup Playoff action unless Philadelphia faces multiple injuries.
West Notes: Buium, Canucks General Manager Search, Predators
Vancouver Canucks young star Zeev Buium won’t play for Team USA in the upcoming IIHF World Championships, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports.
The 20-year-old is no stranger to the international circuit in early stages of his career, and winning, at that. Buium helped the United States take home gold last year at the World Championships, their first such title in 92 years, with four points in eight games. That came after back-to-back gold medals at the 2024 and 2025 World Junior Championships.
Assuming today’s news to be the case, the skilled lefty will focus on resting up after the long grind of 76 NHL games in his rookie year. After being dealt to the Canucks, Buium’s ice time jumped nearly two full minutes, averaging 20:21 wearing the blue and green.
Despite facing the challenges of being on the NHL’s bottom-ranked team, Buium escaped with a commendable 49.3% corsi for at five-on-five, with over 60% of his zone starts on the attack, with some shelter in mind. With plenty of gold earned in the past, it’s a well deserved break for Buium who will set his eyes on another big step coming in 2026-27.
Elsewhere across the conference:
- Also in Vancouver, Islanders Assistant General Manager Ryan Bowness was listed as a name to watch as a candidate for the team’s open General Manager position by Dhaliwal, and later relayed by Stefen Rosner of NHL.com. The 42-year-old, son of Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness, has ties to Jim Rutherford, having served in the Pittsburgh scouting department from 2016-2022. Bowness is just in his first year on Long Island, coming over after three years in the Senators organization. On the other hand, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet mentioned an internal candidate, Abbotsford Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson on yesterday’s edition of 32 Thoughts. Friedman speculates that Rutherford would make the recommendation for the 49-year-old after 13 years in the organization, and GM of their AHL affiliate since 2017-18. Johnson was a Canucks player himself from 2008-2010.
- With exit interviews coming from various Nashville Predators players, Brooks Bratten, Senior Content Manager, wrote on the team’s reflection from a season which came up short, and their optimism ahead. Interestingly, Steven Stamkos described the expectation to stay competitive and push for the playoffs in 2026-27. Such idealism is normal for non-playoff teams in an offseason so fresh, but Nashville will be a team to watch this summer, with a new general manager coming in and ample evidence it’s time for bigger changes. Likely to miss another top 10 draft selection, of which they have just one since 2013 (Brady Martin, 5th, 2025), the Predators once again find themselves in a difficult, middling ground. Even the 36-year-old Stamkos’ 42 goals weren’t enough to move the needle, and a real shake up could be on the horizon under a new regime.
Lineup Notes: Carlile, Sabourin, Hanifin
The Tampa Bay Lightning are featuring a different lineup from Game 1’s loss to Montreal, as Declan Carlile is filling in for the injured Charle-Edouard D’Astous, shown in lines posted by the team. D’Astous’ status is not surprising, after being injured and not returning after a hard collision, sandwiched between Josh Anderson and Jake Evans.
Entering this season with just three NHL contests under his belt, Carlile ended up playing 42 for the Bolts, recording three points and 40 penalty minutes. Tonight marks the playoff debut for the 25-year-old undrafted Michigan native, who will skate alongside Emil-Martinsen Lilleberg on the third pairing.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Vegas defenseman Noah Hanifin left practice early this afternoon after appearing to tweak something, observed by Danny Webster of The Las Vegas Review-Journal. The 29-year-old was mostly durable this year outside of a short IR stint early in the year, playing 71 games and finishing third among Knights in ice time (22:36). Further details aren’t yet known, the team back in action tonight for Game 2. If Hanifin is unable to go, 33-year-old Ben Hutton could draw into the lineup, with just three playoff games across his whole career, all with Vegas.
- Also in Tampa Bay, 33-year-old Scott Sabourin is also making his playoff debut, replacing Conor Geekie who is scratched, after playing just 8:12 in the opening contest. It’s a nice story for the winger, undrafted and grinding away for seven years in the AHL before his debut with Ottawa in 2019. Sabourin has split duty this year between Tampa Bay and Syracuse almost evenly, and in his 26 games with the big club the veteran has five points and 89 penalty minutes. The decision to ice Sabourin tonight clearly has physicality in mind, and he’ll be hungry to make an impact in that area.
Snapshots: Finley, Hintz, Anastas
Today the New York Islanders revealed that prospect Quinn Finley underwent shoulder surgery, ending his season.
The 21-year-old appeared set to begin his professional career after concluding a strong junior season at the University of Wisconsin, and inking an entry-level deal last week. Instead of joining the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders for the Calder Cup Playoffs though, Finley will look ahead to next fall.
New York’s third round selection in 2022 (78th overall), Finley’s offensive production dipped slightly in 2025-26, 33 points in 36 games, down from last campaign’s 40. It was still enough to lead a strong Badgers team in goals, until falling in the NCAA championship game.
Having proven enough at the collegiate level, the 6’0” lefty winger figures to get started next year in Hamilton, Ontario, as Bridgeport is relocating after 25 years in Connecticut. Ranked 8th among Islanders prospects by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic just last month, the Indiana native brings enough responsibility in both zones to have an NHL future as a complementary bottom-six contributor, but he’ll aim to continue his scoring ways and develop into more once healthy.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Dallas head coach Glen Gulatzan updated reporters on Roope Hintz, including Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News, that he is not traveling with the team to Minnesota. The news effectively rules him out for games 3 and 4, although Gulatzan said he is “very doubtful” for game number four, so perhaps there’s a slight possibility. Hintz has been out since March 6, but he hasn’t been a regular in the lineup since before the Olympics, after dealing with illness as well. An alarming 6-1 defeat at the hands of Minnesota in the series opener showed the impact of missing their vital center, but Dallas fought back to even the series. In order to get through the Wild and have a shot at buying enough time for Hintz to return, they’ll have to continue to lean on Matt Duchene in an elevated role who so far has risen to the occasion.
- The Carolina Hurricanes announced that their AHL club the Chicago Wolves’ interim head coach Spiros Anastas has been named official head coach moving forward. Since the assistant Anastas took over for Cam Abbott back in December, he led the club to a 25-14-5-6 record, good for 11th in the league, and back to the AHL playoffs. Anastas, 40, played collegiately at Lebanon Valley College of NCAA Division III from 2006-10 as a four-year captain, and quickly rising up the ranks, once serving as an assistant at the ACHA level. After his playing career, Anastas eventually won a Calder Cup title as an assistant coach with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013, later serving as a head coach in the ECHL and also gaining international experience leading Greece and China.
Predators Reassign Brady Martin To AHL
The Nashville Predators have reassigned top prospect Brady Martin to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals for the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs. Milwaukee is set to face the Manitoba Moose in the first round of the postseason. Martin’s season in the OHL came to an end with a loss to the Kitchener Rangers on Friday.
Martin broke camp with the Predators to start the season after being selected fifth overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. He scored one assist in three games with Nashville before being reassigned to the OHL. He took on the Soo Greyhounds’ captaincy upon his return and scored 11 points in his first five games back in the league. Martin continued to score at a point-per-game pace through December, then joined Team Canada for the 2026 World Junior Championship. His imposing, physical presence made Martin a pillar of the Canadian lineup. He proved as much with eight points in five games to start the tournament – but that hot run came to an end when Martin sustained an injury on a hit from Czech defenseman Matyas Man.
Martin went on to miss a month with the injury. The Greyhounds continued to watch his workload upon his return, which ultimately capped Martin to only 24 regular season games. He scored as many points, then added 10 more points in 10 playoff games. After overcoming an up-and-down season, Martin will now face his first test in the AHL. He should bring another game-changing impact to an Admirals lineup that has already added Reid Schaefer, Ryan Ufko, Zachary L’Heureux, and Joakim Kemell from the Predators lineup. The reinforced lineup should pose a tough challenge for the AHL’s Western Conference.
Ducks Sign Ethan Procyszyn To Entry-Level Deal
The Anaheim Ducks have signed 2024 third-round pick Ethan Procyszyn to a three-year, entry-level contract. Procysyn has captained the OHL’s North Bay Battalion for the last two seasons. The Battalion’s season came to an end with a round two sweep against the Brantford Bulldogs. The details of Procyszyn’s first pro deal are as follows, per PuckPedia:
| Year | NHL Salary | Signing bonus | Potential performance bonuses | Minors salary |
| 2026-27 | $850K | $102.5K | $72.5K | $85K |
| 2027-28 | $935K | $107.5K | $32.5K | $85K |
| 2028-29 | $1.0125M | $112.5K | $85K |
Procyszyn played through his fourth OHL season this year. He led the Battalion across the board, with 31 goals, 59 points, 94 penalty minutes, and a plus-32 in 65 games. Procyszyn also led North Bay in goals, points, and penalty minutes in the 2024-25 season.
The pair of seasons were an impressive breakout for Procyszyn after he put up only 36 points in 62 games of his draft season. He flew under many radars ahead of the 2024 draft, in part thanks to only appearing on the international stage once in his junior career. Procyszyn won a Silver Medal at the 2023 U17 World Hockey Championship, where he racked up three goals and four points in seven games with Team Canada. The all-situations center stood out with his play-driving and physicality through his OHL career. He was a strong leader for a middle-of-the-pack North Bay squad. Procyszyn controlled space with a 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame. An NHL entry-level deal will set him up to test that physical game in the minor-leagues next season.
Oilers’ Adam Henrique Out Day-To-Day
The Edmonton Oilers were able to add star forward Leon Draisaitl back to the lineup before Monday night’s Game 1 against the Anaheim Ducks. Unfortunately, they did not leave the matchup unscathed, with depth forward Adam Henrique sustaining an undisclosed injury late in the first period. The injury came on a collision with Oilers teammate Kasperi Kapanen. Henrique sat out of the final two periods and will now be unavailable for Game 2, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters including Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
Henrique was filling Edmonton’s fourth-line center role before going down with injury. He also served on the team’s top penalty-killing unit alongside Jason Dickinson. It could be Dickinson picking up the slack at even-strength in Henrique’s absence. The Trade Deadline acquisition fills the third-line center role and scored two goals – the opener and the tying goal – in Monday night’s win. Dickinson also took the third-most faceoffs of any Oilers center, behind Connor McDavid and Draisaitl. He won four of his 10 draws, or 40 percent – a dip from the 48.7 faceoff percentage he recorded in 17 regular season games with Edmonton.
While Dickinson prepares for a bit more trust in Game 2, it will be Josh Samanski stepping into the lineup to fill Henrique’s spot. Samanski made his NHL debut in late January. He went on to tally four points, six penalty minutes, and a plus-two in 24 games – while adding 31 points and 40 penalty minutes in 45 AHL games. Samanski stood out as a do-it-all, utility forward in his small NHL sample – but his lack of scoring could become glaring in must-win games. That is where Dickinson’s hot streak in the bottom-six could buoy the offense, while allowing Samanski to play the hard minutes while stars rest up.
Henrique has racked up 15 points, 18 penalty minutes, and a minus-12 through 65 games this season. On the tail-end of his career, the 1,000-game veteran has fallen into a depth role for the Oilers. He does still offer upside in faceoffs and on special teams, though. Henrique posted a 54.0 faceoff percentage and 104 minutes of penalty-killing time this season, both ranked third among the Oilers forwards. He will be a defense-oriented addition to the Oilers’ playoff lineup if he works back to full health before the end of the first round.
Senators Sign Lucas Beckman To Entry-Level Contract
The Ottawa Senators have signed 2025 fourth-round pick Lucas Beckman to a three-year, entry-level contract set to begin in the 2026-27 season. Beckman is currently playing in the QMJHL Playoffs with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. He has gone undefeated in the postseason, recording an 8-0-0 record, .962 save percentage, and 0.75 goals-against average. The Sagueneens allowed the fewest goals against in the QMJHL this season.
Beckman was a major part of Chicoutimi’s league-best defense. He began the season with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar where he recorded a measly four wins and .905 save percentage in 23 games. That slow start, and a month-long absence due to injury, were enough to prompt Baie-Comeau to sell-high on Beckman before the QMJHL Trade Deadline. That move proved to benefit both sides, as Beckman quickly found his way into a key role for the Sagueneens. He recorded 13 wins and a .940 save percentage in 15 games with Chicoutimi to close out the season – and is now on one of the greatest playoff runs that the QMJHL has seen. Through QMJHL history, only four other goalies have posted undefeated records in at least eight playoff games. Detroit Red Wings prospect Rudy Guimond is the only to join Beckman in doing it this century. Beckman’s .962 save percentage is higher than any of his loss-less peers – as are his two shutouts.
The second-half of the season has ramped up excitement for Beckman’s future outlook. He recorded 31 wins and a .914 save percentage in 52 games with Baie-Comeau last season, playing through what was his first full season at the junior level. Beckman looked poised and confident all season long, flashing a great glove-side and strong ability to stay composed when facing a flurry of shots. His game was still in need of ironing out, which pushed Beckman to the 97th-overall pick in 2025 – a mark that some draft pundits still argued was too high. One year later, he seems to quickly be silencing doubters. An NHL entry-level contract will force the 18-year-old Beckman to either return to the QMJHL, or jump to the NHL, next season. Given his fortunes in Chicoutimi, and his lack of even 100 regular season games of QMJHL experience, a return to Quebec seems to be the likeliest outcome.
Lightning’s Victor Hedman Doubtful For First Round
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman has not played since March 19th due to illness. He missed the final 15 games of the regular season and, despite returning to practice in the postseason, the first game of the Lightning’s first round matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. Head coach Jon Cooper provided a bit more clarity on Hedman’s timeline during Tuesday’s practice, specifying that Hedman is doubtful to play in the first round per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Tampa Bay also lost Charle-Edouard D’Astous to injury in Game 1.
This news will keep the Lightning blue-line hobbled through the rest of their matchup against the Canadiens. Tampa Bay rotated their top four defenders heavily in Game 1. The top-pair of J.J. Moser and Darren Raddysh played in 23 and 24 minutes of ice time respectively while the second-pair of Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak played 21 minutes. Raddysh and McDonagh both found their way onto the scoresheet but their efforts weren’t enough, and Tampa Bay ultimately dropped Game 1 by a score of 3-4.
That loss will put added pressure onto Tampa Bay’s blue-line next game. Hedman has had a challenging season – playing in only 33 games and scoring only 17 points due to various injuries and illnesses. Even then, his veteran presence is an essential part of the Lightning’s defense corps. Hedman scored 76 and 66 points in his previous two seasons respectively and leads all Bolts defenders with 50 points in 61 playoff games dating back to 2020. He would have been an integral part of this first round race. His absence places that weight onto Raddysh and Moser, two defenders who served minimal roles in the Lightning’s 2025 playoff run.
While the lights will be shining bright, both Raddysh and Moser proved their ability to stand up to the challenge throughout this season. Raddysh’s breakout season was marked by 70 points in 73 games, joining Hedman as the only defensemen in Lightning history to reach 70 points. Moser offered a strong, two-way game behind Raddysh – and played upwards of 27 minutes a night in support of the D-zone. Their stylistic chemistry – backed by Cup-winning experience in McDonagh and Cernak – should be enough for Tampa Bay to fortify their defensive end even without their captain in the lineup. If the weakened Lightning blue-line can push the team past Montreal, they could be due for an X-factor addition if Hedman returns to full health in the second round.
Meanwhile, Declan Carlile will make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in place of the injured D’Astous per NHL.com’s Benjamin Pierce. Carlile played in 42 NHL games this season, marking his first full year in the league after totaling four games over the last two seasons. He has recorded four points and 40 penalty minutes at the NHL level, and added 11 points and 27 penalty minutes in 16 AHL games this season. Carlile will likely suit up next to Lilleberg on a Lightning third-pair that is sure to be sheltered through the first round. In their minutes, Carlile and Lilleberg will have to combine to make up for the 29 points and team-leading 112 penalty minutes that D’Astous racked up as an NHL rookie this season.