All articles tagged with #hockey
Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon had six family members engraved on the Stanley Cup, a growing trend among trophies’ owners that has sparked discussion and recalls past controversies, such as Basil Pocklington’s name on the Oilers’ Cup and Brad Aldrich’s later removal; the Hockey Hall of Fame handles care of the Cup rather than engraving decisions.
Post-offseason power rankings for the 2026-27 NHL season rank the Carolina Hurricanes No. 1 after their Cup run, with the Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Montreal Canadiens rounding out the top five. The piece highlights key offseason moves and cap considerations shaping the standings—Panthers adding Barkov and Tkachuk, Lightning adding Mikheyev, Viel, and Carlson, and Montreal locking in Demidov and Dobes—while other teams juggle extensions, star contracts, and coaching changes as the season approaches.
Philadelphia Flyers have made a five-year, $90 million offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson, giving the Ducks until July 10 to match; if Anaheim declines, they receive four first-round draft picks as compensation. Carlsson, 21, posted career highs of 29 goals, 38 assists and 67 points in 70 games last season and has 141 points (61 goals, 80 assists) in 201 career NHL games since being drafted No. 2 in 2023. This marks the second offer sheet of the offseason after Barrett Hayton signed with the Devils.
The Philadelphia Flyers tendered a five-year offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson with an average annual value of $18 million, triggering a compensation of four first-round picks per season for four years. The Ducks have seven days to decide whether to match or accept the draft-pick compensation. Carlsson, 21, totaled 67 points in 70 games last season and was the Ducks’ No. 2 overall pick in 2023. The Flyers will withhold further comment until Anaheim makes its decision.
The Nashville Predators acquired forward Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Dallas Stars in exchange for Nashville’s 2027 second-round pick and Vegas’ 2028 third-rounder. Bourque, 24, posted 41 points in 82 games last season and could slot into a top-six role, while Lyubushkin provides reliable depth on the third pair. The deal helps Dallas clear cap space ahead of pursuing or re-signing Jason Robertson and gives Nashville a potential boost for secondary scoring, with Bourque and fellow RFAs in contract talks and about $14M in cap room available. The move signals a rapid roster reshaping under new GM Chris MacFarland.
The St. Louis Blues announced a series of front-office promotions and new hires after formalizing President of Hockey Operations Doug Armstrong and GM Alexander Steen’s roles. Keith Tkachuk was promoted to advisor to the president of hockey operations; Chris Thorburn became director of player development; Elliott Mondou was promoted to assistant to the GM. Additional moves include Alex Starovoytov to full-time scout, Madison Greenough to senior data engineer, Jazzmyn Carter to senior coordinator of hockey operations, Robert Bortuzzo returning as pro scout, Shane Malloy as director of strategic planning, and Dr. Ted Barile as team chiropractor, with reporting lines aligned to Armstrong or Steen.
With the salary cap rising to $104 million, NHL teams are gearing up for the opening of free agency as The Athletic expands its big-board to 100 top targets. Sergei Bobrovsky sits atop the list, with John Carlson and Jacob Trouba among others also in the early tier, and the piece provides per-player stats, contract projections, and destination rumors to guide teams through a market that is busy but lacking a true headliner.
Elite Prospects released updated scouting reports on 16 surprise picks from the 2026 NHL Draft, expanding beyond their Draft Guide coverage of 207 of 223 selections. The profiles cover Connor Davis, Tyler Deakos, Parker Von Richter, Finn Kearns, Mikhail Cherepanov, Cullen McCrate, Ryan Cameron, Jimmy Rieber, Daniil Rusakovich, Carl Axelsson, Luken Huff, Bobby Cowan, Artyom Prima, Darian Anderson, Max Vilén, and Quinn McKenzie, detailing strengths, weaknesses, and likely pro trajectories. The full reports and grades are in the updated web version of the 2026 NHL Draft Guide.
18-year-old twins Liam and Markus Ruck were split into separate Penguins development-camp groups on day one, with a Friday tournament to decide. Drafted in 2026 (Liam 22nd; Markus 39th), they expect to eventually play together in the NHL but will develop independently for now, return to Medicine Hat next season, and attend North Dakota in 2027-28, as Penguins GM Kyle Dubas said they’ll focus on strengthening and gym work.
Bleacher Report's post-2026 draft NHL Power Rankings rank all 32 teams from 32 to 1 based on draft results, trades and offseason moves. The Carolina Hurricanes sit No. 1 after their Stanley Cup run, while teams from Vancouver to Montreal are evaluated for how their draft-day choices and deals shape their outlooks ahead of the next season.
With the July 1 free-agent signing period opening, NHL.com previews the top unrestricted free agents likely to be available, including forwards Jamie Benn, Michael Bunting, Lars Eller, Claude Giroux, Boone Jenner, Patrick Kane, Anders Lee, Anthony Mantha, Mason Marchment, Alex Ovechkin, Corey Perry, Vladimir Tarasenko and Mats Zuccarello; defensemen Rasmus Andersson, John Carlson and Jacob Trouba; and goaltenders Frederik Andersen, Sergei Bobrovsky, Stuart Skinner and Cam Talbot.
Nashville signs center Jack Drury to a five-year, $22.5 million contract after acquiring him from Colorado in a trade that sent two prospects and a 2029 third-round pick in exchange for Drury and forward Chase Bradley; the deal includes no-trade protections in later years (full NTC in 2027-28 and 2028-29, then 8-team NTC for 2029-30 and 2030-31). Drury, who had a career-high 10 goals and 17 assists in 82 games last season with strong faceoffs, strengthens the Predators’ center depth as they manage roughly $20 million in cap space for next season.
An exhaustive team-by-team rundown of the 2026 NHL Draft, listing every pick and Bleacher Report’s Adam Herman grades for each team, from first-round stars to later-round selections, with San Jose highlighted for its top picks and overall A+ grade.
Bleacher Report’s Adam Herman grades all 32 teams on how effectively they used their draft capital in the 2026 NHL Draft. The piece highlights standout classes (e.g., Ducks, Hurricanes, Blackhawks, Panthers, Sharks, Blues, Maple Leafs, Jets, Islanders) that earned high marks for value and upside, while others land mid-to-low grades based on how well their picks fit their assets and long-term plans. The evaluation emphasizes upside-driven, risk-reward choices and how trades and depth picks shaped each team’s overall result.
The Boston Bruins unveiled seven selections at the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo (Ivanov; Bartholdsson; Kotkov; Olsson; Vandeven; Henriquez; McCrate), backed by trades that brought Peterka and Ivan Ivan, with Development Camp set to follow.