The London Knights are headed back to the Memorial Cup Final for the second consecutive season.

Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan delivered a two-point performance Friday night, helping the London Knights punch their ticket to the 2025 Memorial Cup Final with a 5-2 win over the Moncton Wildcats in the semi-final.

GOING BACK TO THE MEMORIAL CUP FINAL.#MemorialCuppic.twitter.com/bzzY43uM72

— London Knights (@LondonKnights) May 31, 2025

The 20-year-old recorded a primary assist on London’s second goal, patiently holding the puck in the slot before finding captain Denver Barkey to give the Knights a 2-1 lead. 

Barks has his first of the #MemorialCup#LetsGoFlyerspic.twitter.com/9PNwhCO0oj

— London Knights (@LondonKnights) May 31, 2025

At 18:11 of the third period, Cowan added an empty-netter to seal the victory. It marked his second goal and sixth point of the tournament, giving him the outright scoring lead heading into Sunday’s final. The ‘Cowboy’ also tied for a game-high seven shots on goal in the win.

The victory sets up a rematch against the Medicine Hat Tigers, who handed London a 3-1 loss in their final round-robin game on Tuesday. That defeat remains the only contest where Cowan was held off the scoresheet in the tournament.

Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan Held Off Scoresheet As Knights Fall To Tigers, Miss Bye To Memorial Cup FinalThe London Knights will have to take the long road to the 2025 Memorial Cup championship. 

For the Knights, Sunday represents more than just a shot at revenge, it’s a chance at redemption.

Last year, London came up short in the Memorial Cup final, falling 4-3 to the Saginaw Spirit. The club had 13 returning players from that group back this season, with the goal of reaching the top this time around.

That drive has been on full display as the Knights steamrolled through the OHL Playoffs with a 16-1 record, never losing to the same opponent twice. Cowan, the first-round pick (28th overall) by the Maple Leafs in 2023, has been at the center of it all, registering an OHL-high 39 points (13G, 26A) in 17 postseason games this year.

London will need him at his best as they sit just one win away from finishing what they started in 2024, but taking down Medicine Hat won’t be easy.

The WHL champions are undefeated in the tournament and earned a berth in the final thanks to a flawless round-robin. However, it’s often said it’s hard to beat the same team twice, especially on a stage like this. 

And the Knights have carried the weight of unfinished business all year. Now, they’ve got one more game to prove it.

Puck drop for the final is set to take place at 7:00 p.m. EST on Sunday in Rimouski.

Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Throughout their history, the Ottawa Senators haven’t made much use of the offer sheet strategy.

The one time they did was back in July of 1996 when they successfully signed Washington Capitals goaltender Ron Tugnutt. Then-Senators GM Pierre Gauthier had been dealing with the early stages of what would later become affectionately known in Ottawa as the "Goalie Graveyard."

Gauthier saw an opportunity in Tugnutt, an undervalued asset, and signed him to a one-year deal believed to be worth $400,000. The Capitals refused to match the offer to their third-string guy, and it turned out to be a fantastic move for Ottawa. That season, the Senators improved by 36 points and qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Offer sheets don't happen often, but the tactic paid off big for the St. Louis Blues last summer. The Blues successfully signed defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway to offer sheets, giving up only a second and a third-round pick as compensation.

Both former first-rounders had shown flashes in the NHL, and they were solid in last year's Cup run, but the change of address served them well. Once in St. Louis, they became full-timers: Broberg played 68 games this season, recorded 29 points, and played top four minutes (20:30). Holloway blossomed too, with 63 points in 77 games, finishing third in Blues scoring. Both players had a plus-minus of 21, a fitting number for the Blues who gambled and won.

At least in the short term, it certainly hasn't hurt the Oilers, who just claimed their second straight Western Conference title. Some deals, even offer-sheets, can work out for both teams involved.

The Blues’ success with those offer sheets may have opened the door for other teams to consider taking the same route this summer.

But the strategy can be risky and expensive. You usually need to craft a deal rich and long enough that the player’s current team won’t match. That often means overpaying (looking in your direction, Jesperi Kotkaniemi). And you also need to be prepared to give up significant draft compensation. That's especially true on offers for big stars when they're north of $9.36 million.

OFFER SHEET COMPENSATION TIERS

For Ottawa, their offer-sheet drought isn't likely to end this summer.

Obviously, offer sheets can't be signed until July 1st,  so the compensatory picks are for 2026. They also have to be a team's own picks, not ones they acquire from another team. 

And Ottawa is a little shy in that area.

The Sens have already forfeited their 2026 first-round pick to the NHL for messing up their trade of Evgenii Dadonov to Vegas. Their second-round pick was sent to the Utah Mammoth in the 2023 Jakob Chychrun trade.

Why The Kovalchuk Precedent Won't Help The Ottawa Senators Retrieve Their Forfeited First-Round PickIn November 2023, the NHL came down hard on the Ottawa Senators, announcing they would have to forfeit a first-round draft pick due to the mishandling of their July 2021 trade of Evgenii Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Senators still have their own 2026 third-rounder so, in theory, they could offer-sheet a lesser-paid player like Holloway. But honestly, it might be decades before we see the Holloway story repeat itself. If the Sens are excited enough about a player to sign him at $2.34 million, chances are his team is too.

If offer sheets do become fashionable this summer, it's a trend the Sens won't be jumping on anytime soon.

(Banner Image Credit: Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY NETWORK)

Recent Senators News atThe Hockey News Ottawa

The Ottawa Senators’ Quiet Logjam Up Front: What Are They Planning?

Senators Open To Re-Signing Adam Gaudette – But At What Cost?

Senators Hope To Deal Themselves Another Winner At 21

Former Senators Head Coach Enters Ottawa Sport Hall Of Fame

Former Sens Defenceman Officially Signs On To Play In Switzerland

May 30, 2025 — SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken have signed defenseman Josh Mahura to a two-year, one-way contract extension worth an average annual value of $907,500, General Manager Jason Botterill announced Friday.

Mahura, 27, played 64 games for the Kraken during the 2024–25 season, posting nine assists, 89 hits (fifth on the team), and 54 blocked shots.

The six-foot, 193-pound defenseman was originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the third round (85th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft. He has appeared in 255 NHL games combined between the Kraken, Florida Panthers, and Anaheim Ducks, recording 54 points (10 goals, 44 assists) and 110 penalty minutes. He was part of the Florida Panthers’ 2024 Stanley Cup-winning roster and has 21 career playoff appearances.

Related

Kraken Re-Sign Forward John Hayden To A Two-Year DealSeattle, WA - The Seattle Kraken have signed veteran forward John Hayden to a two-year, one-way contract extension worth $775,000 annually, beginning with the 2025-26 NHL season, General Manager Jason Botterill announced.

Stay updated with the most interesting Kraken stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News or Join the discussion with others in your hockey community on the Seattle Kraken Forum.

**Cover Photo by Caroline Anne | The Hockey News

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach and former Philadelphia Flyers bench boss Craig Berube likes what he's seen from Nikita Grebenkin, one of his old players. And he knows there's room for plenty more as Grebenkin embarks on the next chapter of his NHL career with the Flyers.

Appearing on the "Nasty Knuckles" podcast with Riley Cote and Derek Settlemyre, Berube took the time to talk up the Flyers' newest prospect, drawing on his brief hands-on experience with Grebenkin when the latter was with the Maple Leafs early last season. 

"As a player, he's got some really good skill down low in the offensive zone. He's got good hands, he's big and strong. He's got to continue to work on his skating. That was an area of concern a little bit," Berube said of Grebenkin.

The 22-year-old Russian winger played seven games under Berube for the Maple Leafs last season, not including the preseason, and showcased some of his untapped ferocity with 13 hits.

One of those hits, which was questionable, injured Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore in his NHL debut on Nov. 20. But that's proof in itself that Grebenkin is the hammer that sees everything as a nail and likes to play on the edge.

Plus, Grebenkin dropped the gloves with Ottawa forward Adam Gaudette in the preseason.

"The kid's got jam, got in a couple fights for us. He likes to mix it up, and he's got an unreal personality. This guy is as funny as it gets. I don't know if he can even speak a word of English, but he does, and he had this thing there, 'Backcheck, forecheck, paycheck.' That was all he kept saying in the room," Berube continued.

"I really liked him, and he's got potential. Like I said, he's got some ability with his size and his hands, and he has that jam. He's going to get in there. He's going to get involved. He likes to bang bodies, likes to get to that net, not scared to mix it up, which is good to see. I wish him all the best because I really liked him."

Grebenkin, of course, was arguably the crown jewel of the Scott Laughton trade with the Maple Leafs that also yielded the Flyers a 2027 first-round pick for their efforts.

Berube, who worked closely with the Flyers and frequented the Wells Fargo Center between jobs after being fired by St. Louis in 2023, really likes the player. And at the age of 22, Grebenkin only has room to grow and improve.

At one point, the Flyers had called up Grebenkin on an emergency basis to potentially make his debut for the team, but that was put on pause within the hour.

So, after being acquired by the Flyers, Grebenkin spent the rest of the year in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, posting three goals, four assists, and seven points in 11 regular season games and adding a goal, three assists, and four points in a seven-game Calder Cup playoff run.

With only Tyson Foerster and Owen Tippett set in stone at the left wing position, you have to imagine that Grebenkin will have an opportunity to make the Flyers out of camp in a few months, independent of if Jakob Pelletier re-signs with Philadelphia or not.