Islanders Promote Rocky Thompson To Assistant Coach
The New York Islanders announced the hire of Rocky Thompson as an assistant coach for the staff of head coach Peter DeBoer.
Thompson’s hire is a promotion from the AHL, where he has served as the head coach of the Islanders’ affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders. Thompson’s tenure with the AHL Islanders will now end after one season.
The Calgary native took over in Bridgeport in the wake of a disastrous 2024-25 season. Bridgeport went 15-50-7, easily the worst record in the AHL. The team won just four home games all season. This year, under Thompson’s leadership, Bridgeport improved significantly. The Islanders went 34-30-8, reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22.
Before he took over in Bridgeport, Thompson was an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Flyers, on the staff of John Tortorella. His other experience in the NHL includes time as an assistant coach for the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers.
Outside of the NHL, Thompson has found some success. He was head coach of the Windsor Spitfires team that won the Memorial Cup in 2016-17, and won another Memorial Cup as a team consultant for the Saint John Sea Dogs in 2022.
Sharks Sign Patrick Giles To Two-Year Extension
The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Patrick Giles to a two-year contract extension, per a team release.
According to PuckPedia, the deal carries an $875K cap hit. Giles will earn an $850K NHL salary in 2026/27, a $250K AHL salary, and receive a $325K guarantee. In 2027/28, the deal will carry a $900K NHL salary, $300K AHL salary, and $375K guarantee.
The 26-year-old, who is repped by Shawn Hunwick of The·Team, was set to become a Group-VI unrestricted free agent in the summer. Giles’ expiring contract was a two-year, two-way pact signed in June 2024. 
Giles’ last deal paid him a league-minimum NHL salary in both years, with a $100K AHL salary in year one and a $150K AHL salary in year two. The deal also contained $132.5K and $180K guarantees in years one and two, respectively.
By re-signing Giles, the Sharks have gained some continuity in the lower portion of their depth chart.
The former Boston College forward has never been a big point producer – his 24 points in 67 AHL contests this season represent a career-high – but despite that fact he has still been able to earn call-ups to the NHL.
Over the past two years, Giles has earned the right to dress for 20 contests at the game’s highest level. Over that same amount of time, two years, he has produced just 35 combined points in the AHL.
What has made Giles a useful part of the Sharks organization, and the Florida Panthers before that, has been his versatility, work ethic, and defensive responsibility. He was the Barracuda’s top penalty-killing forward this season, and has even gotten a little bit of time on the penalty kill at the NHL level.
It’s that combination of useful traits that has made Giles the kind of depth player the Sharks clearly want to keep around. His defense-first style is such that coaches can trust him as a call-up option to fill in a fourth-line role when injuries hit.
Giles can give a team eight minutes of responsible, mistake-limiting hockey, and there is value in a forward who can do that even if his scoring is going to be limited. The Sharks must agree, as they have invested in Giles, at an increased cost, for another two seasons.
Photos courtesy of David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Lightning Notes: Raddysh, Kucherov, O’Reilly
The Tampa Bay Lightning have a pivotal offseason ahead of them as they look to rebound after a fourth consecutive first-round series loss, and one of the key situations they have to manage is the pending unrestricted free agency of defenseman Darren Raddysh. In his exit day media availability, GM Julien Brisebois said (via the Tampa Bay Times’ Eduardo A. Encina) that he has “already reached out to” Raddysh’s agent, Craig Oster of Newport. Brisebois said he and Oster have “been in touch throughout the second half of the year, just sharing concepts, ideas” on what a contract extension might look like.
Raddysh has lined himself up to receive a massive pay raise this summer. In a free agent market notably thin on difference-making talent, Raddysh is the best defenseman, and arguably best overall player, set to be available. He took over for Victor Hedman as Tampa’s top power play option and No. 1 defenseman, producing 22 goals and 70 points in 73 games. As a 30-year-old undrafted player, he’s set to receive a life-changing contract at some point this summer. Based on what Brisebois said today, it appears the Lightning are hoping that contract comes from them.
Other notes from Tampa Bay:
- Brisebois also addressed the future of future Hall of Fame forward Nikita Kucherov, who is set to enter the final year of his contract in 2026-27. He said of Kucherov: “I foresee him staying in our organization for a very long time,” and added that he will, “in due time,” engage with Kucherov’s agent on extension talks. Kucherov is repped by Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. The 32-year-old scored 44 goals and 130 points in the regular season, and produced six points in seven postseason contests.
- Lightning prospect Sam O’Reilly was named the winner of the Red Tilson Trophy today, an honor awarded to the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player. The 2024 first-rounder, 20, scored 71 points in 56 games this season, and had 22 points in 14 playoff games. He was acquired by the Lightning from the Edmonton Oilers this past summer in the deal that sent Ike Howard to Alberta. Brisebois hinted today at a belief that O’Reilly may already be close to NHL-ready, saying the prospect “probably won’t need that much time in order to be able to come here and contribute.”
Latest On Auston Matthews’ Maple Leafs Future
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston has reported, citing league sources, that Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews “still isn’t sure if he’ll be back in Toronto in the fall.”
What this means, according to Johnston, is that Toronto’s freshly-hired hockey operations leaders, GM John Chayka and senior advisor Mats Sundin, “will be auditioning” to keep Matthews “with their work around draft week in late June and the opening of free agency on July 1.”
Matthews reportedly has “some understandable concerns” about the Maple Leafs’ ability to vault back to their prior status as a team legitimately capable of contending for a Stanley Cup.
What Matthews appears to be looking for from the Maple Leafs is “real action,” meaning tangible transactions that meaningfully improve the caliber of the roster Matthews currently occupies a spot on.
Chayka and Sundin will meet with Matthews at some point in the coming weeks to discuss his future, but a firm decision on where he’s leaning is not expected at that time.
Whether the new leadership will be able to make enough changes to turn around the Maple Leafs, who finished 28th in the NHL just a year after finishing fourth in the standings, is the key question.
The upcoming class of free agents is widely considered to be thin on difference-making talent, and the team’s prospect pool (which ranked No. 29 in the NHL according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler) isn’t overflowing with valuable trade chips.
Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t avenues for the Maple Leafs to make significant improvements. Every summer, there are unheralded signings or trade additions that end up making a big impact in the years to come. But what it does mean is the Maple Leafs don’t have an abundance of obvious routes back to contention.
In most cases, that’s totally fine. Hockey operations leaders almost always more interested in moves that translate to wins on the ice in the winter, not wins in the headlines in the summer.
But in Toronto’s case, the scarcity of available big-name talent might genuinely matter. If their most immediate, pressing task is convincing Matthews they can quickly rebound and return to contention, working the margins of the roster and relying on savvy moves for undervalued players may not be enough to move the needle.
It’s too early to tell whether the Maple Leafs will ultimately be successful in their efforts for a quick turnaround. But Johnston’s reporting is still significant, as it indicates that the future of Toronto’s best player is far from set in stone.
Photos courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Latest On Pierre Dorion, Canucks GM Vacancy
5/5/26, 10:25 a.m.: Both CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal and Irfaan Gaffar of the Down to Irf podcast reported that the Canucks have not yet settled on Dorion – or anyone else – as their hire for the vacant GM position. Dhaliwal wrote “Pierre Dorion is a strong candidate to be named GM in Vancouver but he has not been hired,” while Gaffar noted the Canucks “have met with Pierre Dorion a few times as they have with other candidates but no decision has been made yet at all.”
This does not mean that Dorion will not be the Canucks GM, only that prior reporting should not be seen as an indication that Vancouver has already made its decision.
5/5/26, 8:40 a.m.: The Canucks’ interest in Dorion appears to be heating up. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reported today that there is, according to one league source, “a strong possibility” that Dorion is the team’s next GM.
Vancouver has reportedly begun cutting down their search for their next GM, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying on the 32 Thoughts podcast a few days ago that candidates Patrick Burke, Ray Whitney and Ryan Martin are no longer in the running.
This is no guarantee, of course, that the Canucks end up hiring Dorion. But based on Drance’s reporting, the former Senators GM should now be seen as a serious contender to land in Vancouver.
5/3/26: The Canucks have held at least an initial interview with former Senators general manager Pierre Dorion regarding their GM vacancy, Darren Dreger of TSN reports.
Dorion is one of several names to reliably appear in connection with Vancouver’s opening. Since firing Patrik Allvin on April 17, they’ve either received permission to talk to or have otherwise interviewed the Maple Leafs‘ Shane Doan, NHL VP of player safety Patrick Burke, Flames AGM Brad Pascall, and Oilers AGM Bill Scott.
Among those, Dorion is the only one of those with previous experience as an NHL GM. A longtime scout with the Canadiens and Rangers to start his executive career, he joined the Sens as their director of amateur scouting in 2007.
Dorion worked his way up the organizational ladder over the next decade before assuming the GM chair in 2016. In his first season at the helm, Ottawa advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time in 10 years. That was the first and only time they made the playoffs in Dorion’s tenure. A massive rebuild was initiated the following season as the team regressed, and years of stalled progress eventually led to Dorion’s firing early in the 2023-24 campaign.
Dorion hasn’t been hired anywhere since, nor has he been frequently mentioned in connection with any vacancies. That’s no surprise considering how his maligned tenure in Ottawa came to an end. His mishandling of a trade that sent Evgenii Dadonov to the Golden Knights, in which he failed to disclose the player’s no-trade list, resulted in a subsequent botched trade on Vegas’ part when they attempted to send him to the Ducks, which Dadonov had on his list. Ottawa was stripped of a first-round pick as a result, although under new ownership and a new front office, they were given the pick back – albeit locked into 32nd overall – this season.
If Vancouver views experience as paramount, he’d be a fine hire. The particular situation he would be stepping into, though, is eerily similar to the state of the Senators following their Conference Final run. Given how long it took the organization to build forward momentum under his direction, there would be fair criticism about repeating those same mistakes by opting for a “safer” hire in Dorion.
Senators Sign Stephen Halliday To Two-Year Extension
The Ottawa Senators have gotten some offseason work done early, signing center Stephen Halliday to a two-year extension with a $1.075MM AAV.
Halliday, who is repped by Kevin Magnuson of Magnuson Hockey Agency, was set to become a restricted free agent this summer.
The two-year entry-level contract Halliday signed in March of 2024, one that confirmed his exit from Ohio State University, was set to expire July 1.
Halliday, 23, has been a real draft-and-develop success story for the Senators. He was picked in the fourth round of the 2022 draft in his final year of eligibility, after he scored 35 goals and 95 points in 65 games for the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints. He was an instant-impact contributor for the Buckeyes, leading the team in scoring both seasons he played there. Halliday ended his college career with 77 points in 78 games played.
Since turning pro, Halliday has made real strides in his two seasons in the Senators organization. He signed with the AHL’s Belleville Senators at the conclusion of his sophomore NCAA campaign, and ended up scoring nine points in seven playoff games. That set the stage for his AHL rookie season, where he scored 19 goals and 51 points in 71 games.
That performance as an AHL rookie raised Halliday’s stock in the organization. He entered 2025-26 ranked as the No. 7 prospect in Ottawa’s system by Elite Prospects. The outlet projected him as a potential “top-nine playmaking power forward” at the NHL level if he could improve his “skating, pace, and inside-contact play.”
Halliday showed real flashes of that kind of upside this past season. He continued his strong track record as a scorer in the AHL, putting up a point-per-game scoring pace. But he was limited to just 29 games in Belleville because of NHL call-ups, and he ended up getting into 30 games for Ottawa.
Despite a severely restricted workload, (he averaged just 6:34 per game at even strength and had an additional 1:55 per game on the power play) Halliday managed four goals and 11 points. His performances suggested some promise, that there could be more to come down the line if he can continue to develop. Now, with a two-year extension in hand, Halliday will get the chance to turn that promise into reality.
Photos courtesy of Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Roby Jarventie Signs In Switzerland
Edmonton Oilers prospect Roby Järventie has signed a two-year contract with HC Ambrì-Piotta of the Swiss National League.
Järventie was set to become a restricted free agent this summer. His most recent NHL deal, signed last June, was a one-year, two-way pact with a league-minimum NHL salary, $125K AHL salary, and $200K guarantee.
The 33rd overall pick at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators, Järventie entered North America’s pro circuit in 2021 as a well-regarded prospect. He had spent the past two years competing at the pro level in Finland. He scored at a point-per-game rate during his draft season for KooVee Tampere in the second-tier Mestis, and had 25 points in 48 games for Ilves Tampere a year later.
With a coveted combination of size and offensive skill, there was real hope that Järventie could become an impactful NHLer in North America.
By 2022, he was ranked as the No. 5 prospect in Ottawa’s system by Elite Prospects, who wrote at the time that “his development since being drafted has been a sight to behold.”
The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler credited his rising trajectory as a prospect to “improvements to his acceleration and a more refined game on the perimeter.”
As an AHL rookie in 2021-22, Järventie scored 11 goals and 33 points in 70 games. The following campaign, a knee injury limited him to playing in just 40 games, but he nonetheless produced 16 goals and 30 points. Injuries proved to be a persistent obstacle for Järventie, as despite getting his first NHL games of his career in 2023-24, he was limited to under 30 total games played that entire campaign. In the summer of 2024, Järventie found himself traded to the Oilers in exchange for struggling 2021 first-rounder Xavier Bourgault.
In his first season as an Oiler, knee troubles once again blocked Järventie from making real progress towards becoming an NHL player. Mid-season knee surgery, and issues that resulted in his recovery, limited Järventie to just two games in the entirety of 2024-25.
Järventie signed with Finnish club Tappara Tampere last summer but eventually reversed course and elected to take another shot in an NHL organization. His decision paid off, to an extent, as he had a healthy and productive 2025-26 campaign. From 2022-23 through 2024-25, Järventie played in a total of 71 games. This year, he got into 61 games at the AHL level, meaning he nearly matched that number. In those 61 games, he produced 47 points and even earned three games at the NHL level.
But it appears that despite making tangible progress within the Oilers organization, Järventie has decided he would be best served continuing his career in Switzerland. Given his age, it’s not entirely out of the question that he could make a return to North America at some point down the line.
Injuries have been a huge obstacle to his development, but if he can put his knee issues behind him, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him back in the AHL, or even the NHL, in the future.
Photos courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Victor Hedman Announces Leave Of Absence Was For Mental Health
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman revealed in a statement published Tuesday morning that over the past several months, he stepped away from the team for mental health reasons. A portion of his statement reads:
Over the past couple of months, I made the decision to step away and focus on my mental health. It was not an easy decision, but it was the right one.
I’ve always believed that being a leader means doing what’s best for the team. In this case, it also meant doing what was necessary to take care of myself, so I can be the best player, teammate, husband and father I expect to be.
I’ve been fortunate to have strong support from my family, my teammates and the organization, my therapist and I’m in a much better place today.
Hedman’s statement can be read in full here. Hedman originally took his leave of absence on March 25, with the Lightning simply stating that it was for “personal reasons.” He last played March 19, leaving a win over the Vancouver Canucks early due to what was originally reported as an illness. Head coach Jon Cooper said at the time, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times, that Hedman “wasn’t feeling well.”
Tampa’s captain is a player who requires no introduction. He is one of the defining blueliners of his generation: a two-time Stanley Cup champion, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, a Norris Trophy winner, and a six-time Norris Trophy finalist overall. His 1,164 career games played and 811 career points are both the most by a defenseman in franchise history. He is a zero-doubt future Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and someone who will rank as one of the top blueliners in the recent history of the game.
A few days ago, Cooper told the media, including The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, that Hedman would be an option for the team “really soon.” He ended up not being able to return to the lineup as the Lightning’s season ended in game seven against the Montreal Canadiens. But the hope will be that Hedman’s progress can allow him to return to the ice next year.
Hedman is not alone as a player who has taken a leave of absence to focus on mental health. Ottawa Senators netminder Linus Ullmark took a leave of absence earlier this season, while other players such as Oliver Kylington and Jonathan Drouin have done the same in years past.
Stars Notes: Seguin, Benn, Heiskanen, Bourque
After an impressive 50-win, 112-point regular season, the Dallas Stars looked like legitimate Cup contenders heading into the postseason. However, their run came to an abrupt and disappointing end after being eliminated in six games by the Minnesota Wild in a Round One divisional matchup back on April 30th. This afternoon, the Stars held their end-of-season press conferences, giving fans their first look at where the organization stands as they begin to shift focus toward the offseason.
Stars center Tyler Seguin provided an update, via Abby Jones of DLLS Sports, on his ACL injury that he sustained back on December 2nd in a game versus the New York Rangers, saying the goal is to be ready by training camp ahead of the 2026-27 season. The recovery diagnosis is around 9 months, but Seguin claims to be feeling good. Stars captain Jamie Benn added his remarks, saying he has all the confidence in the world in Seguin’s recovery. “He is already in the gym, skating and grinding through the rehab process,” said Benn, which is positive news for Stars fans just four days removed from a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of Minnesota.
It will be interesting to monitor how Dallas handles Seguin’s contract situation. While his production remains solid, the 34-year-old has only played in 47 games over the last two seasons. In those 47 games dating back to the 2024-25 campaign, Seguin has 16 goals and 22 assists for a total of 38 points. At a $9.85 MM cap hit through next season, Dallas has little margin for error. If Seguin can stay healthy and return to play a full 82-game season, that number is far easier to justify, but another shortened season due to injury could force the front office to make some difficult decisions regarding Seguin’s future.
Additional Stars notes:
- During today’s press conferences, Benn did not provide any comment on his playing future, saying he will take time to see how his body feels physically and go from there, reported by Brien Rea of Victory+. The 17-year veteran is coming off a frustrating first round against Minnesota, where he was held pointless in the six-game series and finished a -7.
- Jason Robertson was asked about where things stand with his contract, stating he’s somewhat optimistic about negotiations with Dallas, but also reiterated that “it’s a business,” and said he learned that lesson four years ago in his last negotiation, according to Robert Tiffin of D Magazine. Roberston also provided some reflection on his 2025-26 season and said he felt it was the biggest step of his career, via Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News. The 26-year-old pending RFA had 45 goals and 51 assists in 82 games played, good for the team lead in scoring.
- The Dallas star defenseman Miro Heiskanen provided an injury update today, informing the press that he suffered a torn oblique muscle in the team’s April 9th matchup against the Wild, toward the end of the regular season. Heiskanen noted the injury was slowly improving each game, but he aims to get healthy and back to 100% over the summer, via Robert Tiffin of D Magazine. Heiskanen had two goals and four assists in the six games against Minnesota.
- Stars pending RFA Mavrik Bourque was asked today about his future with the team, saying he wants nothing but to be a Star heading into the 2026-27 season, as reported by Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports. Borque felt he finally took the big step the team wanted to see six years after drafting him 30th overall back in 2020. Bourque helped fill the production void in the top six with the absence of Seguin, posting career highs in goals (20), assists (21), and points (41). Dallas is certainly hopeful this is a sign of bigger things to come for the 24-year-old center.
Senators’ Ridly Greig Suspended Two Games
5/4: Greig has been suspended for two games for his sucker punch on Walker, per TSN’s Bruce Garrioch. With Ottawa’s season wrapped up, Greig will need to serve the suspended games at the start of the 2026-27 regular season. That will require that he is on Ottawa’s active roster, rather than assigned to the AHL. Greig signed a four-year, $13MM contract extension in January.
4/26: Senators forward Ridly Greig‘s season is over following Ottawa’s sweep at the hands of the Hurricanes, which was finished off yesterday. He’ll now be facing a delayed start to his 2026-27 campaign as well. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Sunday that Greig will have a hearing for roughing Carolina defenseman Sean Walker in their Game 4 loss.
Obviously, there’s no rush to make the decision. Still, it shouldn’t be more than a few days until Greig learns his fate. It’s not an in-person hearing, so his looming supplemental discipline won’t be any longer than five games.
Greig wasn’t penalized on the play, which was largely missed in the moment. At the midpoint of the second period in one of the many after-the-whistle scrums on Saturday, Walker and Ottawa winger Warren Foegele were engaged in a pseudo-fight near center ice. Greig, who didn’t have a sparring partner, came over and delivered a sucker punch square to Walker’s chin while he had his head down (video via Sportsnet).
In what was a silent series offensively for the Sens, Greig was one of only seven Ottawa skaters to record a point. His primary assist on Dylan Cozens‘ game-tying goal late in regulation in Game 2 was only the second postseason point of his career. He had a goal in six games against the Maple Leafs last season.
The 23-year-old will be kicking off his fourth full NHL season in the fall, whenever he does end up getting into the lineup. He’s already established himself as one of the Sens’ most physical forwards while posting some remarkably consistent offensive totals. He’s hit exactly 13 goals in each of his three full-time campaigns, with his point totals ranging from 26 to a career-high 35 this season.
Walker didn’t sustain an injury on the play, which certainly contributed to the non-call on the play. Walker took matters into his own hands later in the frame, earning a minor penalty for boarding Greig.