The Buffalo Sabres need to be a significantly different team next season. Whether it's via free-agency or trades, the changes to Buffalo's roster have to be extensive. And Mikael Granlund -- a veteran center who revitalized his NHL career with the Dallas Stars this season -- should definitely be a free-agent target for the Sabres.

At the beginning of this season, Granlund was languishing on a bad San Jose Sharks team. The 33-year-old was banished to the Sharks after a terrible stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins, posting only one goal and five points in 21 games with the Pens in 2023. But he found his game again in a year-and-a-half with the Sharks, generating 30 assists and 45 points in 52 games with San Jose this year -- and he did it on a relatively-decent contract that paid him $5-million per season.

But once the Stars acquired him Feb. 1 in a deal that sent a first-round draft pick to the Sharks, Granlund looked reborn, putting up 14 assists and 21 points in 31 regular-season games. And he was one of Dallas' best playoff performers, amassing five goals and 10 points in 18 games. 

And now, Granlund hits the open market. He won't break the bank, but this is a scenario in which the Sabres have to be aggressively proactive to outbid other teams for Granlund's services. Whether it's offering him one more year of contract term than he'd get somewhere else, or giving him a per-season offer that is better than any rival team's, Buffalo has a chance to bring in a veteran who can be one of the leaders in the dressing room, and a solid second-or-third-line center who will make the Sabres' youngsters better. And given that Buffalo has approximately $23.2-million in cap space, bringing in Granlund should't be an issue for the Sabres.

The Stars don't have the cap space to bring back Granlund, so the question here is which team can sell Granlund on being a key component. And Granlund wouldn't have to do all the heavy lifting in Buffalo. He could come in, be a professional and a great example for Sabres players to follow. And if he doesn't like the fit in Western New York, Granlund could be dealt at the next trade deadline for draft picks and prospects that would help Buffalo's future.

Sabres Moving On From Rising Free Agent Star Would Be A Disastrous DecisionAfter 14 years of missing the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Buffalo Sabres have to change up their lineup. However, this organization cannot afford to play fast-and-loose with most of their assets -- and that includes up-and-coming left winger J.J. Peterka.

But that's a long time from now. In the short-term, Granlund would be able to offer his veteran knowhow and his still-solid offensive talents to the Sabres. When it's unlikely a top-tier free agent will sign with Buffalo, a second-tier asset like Granlund would be just what the doctor ordered for the Sabres. And it wouldn't cost them anything other than the cap space it takes to sign him. That's important here as well.

Ultimately, Granlund could decide he wants to use his remaining NHL time on a team that's better-positioned for a long playoff run than Buffalo is at the moment. But that's the challenge for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams -- he needs to convince at least a couple veteran free agents that there's a meaningful place for them in Buffalo. And again, we're not talking massive money for Granlund. In a rising salary cap world, giving Granlund something in the same area of what he made this year wouldn't be an egregious overpayment. The sell-job here is convincing Granlund he can help guide this Sabres team into a more prosperous era. And that should be something that's doable.

Kekalainen's Hiring Another Sign Sabres GM's Time Could Be Nearing An EndWhen the Buffalo Sabres announced Friday that former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen was joining the team as a special advisor to GM Kevyn Adams, a couple things became clear: firstly, it showed Kekalainen will be a highly-valued voice in the organization; but more importantly, it showed that Adams is more on the clock than ever -- and that Adams may have just hired the man who will succeed him if things don't go well for the team.

 The trickle-down effect Granlund would have on the Sabres' group of forwards would be considerable. He'd make Buffalo a more competitive environment, and that's precisely what Adams should be aiming for with any addition he makes. Granlund checks a lot of the boxes for the Sabres, and a quick strike in the UFA market next month could make Buffalo the winner in the Granlund sweepstakes. When other teams are fighting for Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, the Sabres can swoop in, pitch a notable deal for Granlund, and come away with an asset who makes the team better.

Adams' challenge is clear here, because if he can't persuade a player like Granlund to come to Buffalo, Adams needs to step aside in favor of a better persuader. Granlund is there for the taking, and the Sabres need to make him an offer he can't refuse.

Each year, a few prospects have their NHL rights expire on June 1. This would happen if they are not signed to an Entry-Level Contract (ELC) by June 1. The Minnesota Wild have one prospect eligible. 

Kalem Parker was a sixth round pick by the Wild in 2023. The 6-foot defenseman posted his second consecutive 40-point season in the Western Hockey League (WHL) this year.

Parker, 20, recorded ten goals, 30 assists, and 40 points in 66 WHL games this season with the Calgary Hitman and the Moose Jaw Warriors.

He has 24 goals, 22 assists, and 146 points in 286 career WHL games across five seasons. 

Former Minnesota Wild Players In The 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.

REPORT: Possible Landing Spots For Minnesota Wild's Marco Rossi.

Minnesota Wild Free Agent Target: Brock Nelson.

There are a few players who weren't signed by the team that drafted them by the deadline that have panned out before. Emil Lilleberg, a defenseman, was a fourth round pick by the Arizona Coyotes in 2021. He did not sign and has played the last two NHL seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He had 19 points in 76 games this season.

The Wild left Servac Petrovsky unsigned last year and he decided to sign a contract in the Czechia league with HC Bílí Tygři Liberec.

We will see what happens with Parker. The Wild did not sign him before the deadline which makes him a free agent. 

Photo Credit: Apr 26, 2025; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; General view of the ice surface prior to the game between the Minnesota Wild and the Vegas Golden Knights in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-Imagn Images.

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles Kings signed defenseman Kirill Kirsanov to a two-year entry-level contract through the 2026-27 season. Kirsanov was drafted by the Kings in the third round (84th overall) in the 2021 Draft.

In an offseason where the Kings are dealing with another Russian defenseman's pending contract or lack of contract, Vladislav Gavrikov, Ken Holland's first move was signing prospect Kirsanov. Not to portray the move was a swap out for Gavrikov should he not sign, as the two are entirely different defensemen.

However, they have some of the same qualities, aka safe-event-free hockey. In 34 games for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), Russia's top professional hockey league, he recorded three goals and seven points (3-4=7) with eight penalty minutes (PIM) and a plus-5 rating (19 total points in 120 KHL games with three teams).

Congratulations to #GoKingsGo prospect Kirill Kirsanov and Torpedo Gorky, who won the VHL championship 4-2.

Kirsanov joins Slukynsky and Woolley as the only Kings prospects with a league championship this year.

Woolley can also win the Memorial Cup this week.

— The Armchair Scout (He/Him) (@Davidenkness) May 27, 2025

He's been touted for having a mature game and has spent five seasons in what is considered the second-best hockey league in the world. Once again, this shouldn't be seen as a move to act as a safety net if Gavrikov goes unsigned and hits free agency. It is, however, a good sign that the defensive pipeline is getting shored up, with prospects getting dealt left and right during Rob Blake's tenure.

Kirsanov represents a wildcard for the franchise in a pivotal season for Holland and the company.

The Russian defenseman will likely get a straight ticket to Ontario, where he should manage top minutes as the number one/two. He truly will live the 'wildcard' tag if he can play up the LA Kings 2way standard on the backend, maybe a mid-season call-up, even if the Kings desperately need a puck mover.

I'm unsure what his future looks like in LA, especially with the usage and approach towards Jordan Spence in the playoffs. Spence could be on the way out by his or team's design. Jacob Moverare hasn't been the answer as a potential top four guy in LA since his drafting almost a decade ago.

The Kings will hit free agency licking their chops, and with Holland at the helm, they should be aggressive. Kirsanov, while not a backup plan, is a good sign for a very questionable backend, which looks to be their Achilles heel heading into 2025-26.

When the NHL season came to a close, many teams decided they needed to go in a new direction with their coaching staff and fired their bench boss. At one stage, the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks needed a new coach. It was initially thought that the Montreal Canadiens’ farm team head coach, Pascal Vincent, could be targeted by one of those teams.

However, only two teams remain without a pilot at the moment: the Bruins and the Penguins. According to Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts podcast, appointments are likely to come this weekend or early next week, and Vincent’s name hasn’t been mentioned as a possible option for those two teams.

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In his post-mortem of the season, Montreal Canadiens' GM Kent Hughes said he wouldn’t stop a team from talking to Vincent if they were interested in hiring him as a head coach, even though the Laval Rocket was still playing in the playoffs.

However, Vincent himself stated that he was entirely focused on the AHL playoffs and essentially said that if a team wanted him, they wouldn’t mind waiting until the end of the playoffs to speak with him. While that made sense, considering the number of vacancies and the difficulty in finding the right coach, perhaps teams couldn’t afford to wait, fearing that other candidates would be gone by the time the Rocket was eliminated.

Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas mentioned several names as possibilities for Boston and Pittsburgh, such as Joe Sacco, Mike Love, Jay Leach, Marco Sturm, Jay Woodcroft, DJ Smith, and David Quinn.

The Canadiens organization won’t be sad if, in the end, Vincent remains in post with the Laval Rocket. In his first year at the helm, the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate had a 48-19-5 record and won the regular-season championship. They are now in the Eastern Conference Final of the Calder Cup playoffs, and even though they are down 2-0 in the series, Vincent and his coaching staff have done a masterful job all year long. Given how many significant young prospects are in the Canadiens’ pipeline, there’s no doubt that keeping Vincent would be a blessing.

Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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If the New York Rangers keep the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and this specific prospect is available, the team should select Kashawn Aitcheson. 

The Rangers could use more defensemen in their pipeline and Aitcheson has the body type and skill set to be a quality NHL defenseman in the future. 

Standing at about 6-foot-1, 198 pounds, Aitcheson uses his size and frame to his advantage as he plays a physically demanding game, a perfect quality in a blueliner. 

In addition to his steady defensive presence, the 18-year-old prospect boasts an impressive offensive arsenal for a defenseman, making him the ultimate package.

“Aitcheson is one of my favorite prospects in the draft,” Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff wrote. “He has the potential to be an intimidating force in the NHL – someone who just gives opponents nothing to work with. His physicality is the best attribute of his game because he’s willing to get involved with just about anyone. Aitcheson already has 20 goals, which is no small feat for an OHL defenseman.”

In 64 games with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League this past season, Aitcheson recorded 26 goals, 33 assists, and 59 points. 

The majority of mock drafts have Aitcheson going in the vicinity of the Rangers’ pick and he’s expected to be one of the first defensemen off the board.

Keep your eyes out for Aitcheson because he’s one of the more intriguing prospects that could fall to the Blueshirts.