EDMONTON – Silly season is as silly season does.

The Edmonton Oilers are on the heels of a second consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final in as many years.

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As part of his postseason debrief, Stan Bowman identified two areas of growth: goaltending and forward depth. Part of the forward depth issue, Bowman identified as needing to get “faster and younger.”

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Apparently, getting younger might also extend to goaltending.

It’s no secret that the Oilers' goaltending wasn’t elite in 2024-25. However, reports indicate that the Oilers have mutual interest in Carter Hart.

NHL insider Kevin Weekes, noted for being very connected with goalie news around the league, speculated about the Oilers having interest in Hart. 

Obviously, this all hinges on several details. The first being, Hart would need to be found innocent regarding the 2018 Hockey Canada Sexual Assault Trial. Additionally, he would need to undergo whatever discipline the league decides to impose on the five players who are defendants in the case.

My Take

Insiders connecting the Oilers to a young, good goaltender like Hart makes sense, at least from an insider’s perspective. He grew up around Edmonton and is friends with Stuart Skinner (another local kid). 

However, it is nothing short of a PR nightmare if the Oilers consider signing him. It’s one thing for the Oilers to hire Bowman, considering the part he played in the Kyle Beach situation with the Chicago Blackhawks; it’s another thing for the team to sign a player who has been accused of a group sexual assault.

Hart last played in the NHL in the 2023-24 season. He started 25 games, producing a record of 12-9-3, with a 2.80 goals against average (GAA), a .906 save percentage (SV%), and one shutout. He has played 227 games in his career, boasting a 2.94 GAA and a .906 SV%. 

Regardless of how he was performing before needing to step away from the NHL, the Oilers would be best served by staying away and pursuing other options.

This is all speculation, so we will need to wait to see how the summer unfolds.

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Nic Roy was on a trip with family and friends when he found out that he was being traded from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The forward is a couple of weeks away from getting married, so it's an exciting time for the newest Leaf, who was part of the trade that saw the end of Mitch Marner's tenure with the blue and white.

"It was a good feeling. Obviously, shocked a little bit at first, but kind of learned about it a couple of days ago. So now I feel really good about it. I've got time to reflect and look at everything and really excited to join the Leafs for sure."

The newest Maple Leafs met the media via Zoom where he discussed the new opportunity to play in Toronto and even revealed that he grew up cheering for the Maple Leafs, despite growing up in Quebec.

Report: Maple Leafs Trade Mitch Marner To Vegas Golden Knights, Agrees To Eight-Year Deal Worth $12 Million AAVMitch Marner is on his way to Las Vegas.

Q: What excites you the most about the Leafs? What stands out about this team?

Roy: I want to be part of a team that's winning and obviously watching just the playoffs last year. I think for the (Florida) Panthers, their biggest challenge was the Leafs. And I think this group is ready to win right now. And that's why I want to be part of a team like that for sure.

Q: You played a pretty pivotal role on a Stanley Cup-winning team in 2023. What was it about that run and that experience that you think you can bring to Toronto?

Roy: I think just the full experience. Every time you win with a team, you know what it takes. There's always going to be ups and downs. Just the pressure of the moment. I think it's really what I enjoy. I really like to play in those big moments. That's what we play for as hockey players. So obviously I'm bringing the Stanley Cup experience that I got with me, but I got a lot of experience in the playoffs as well.

Golden Knights Trade Nic Hague To Predators: What It Means For Maple Leafs And Mitch Marner Trade TalksAs speculation intensifies around a potential trade of Mitch Marner's negotiating rights from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Vegas Golden Knights, one potential trade piece is now off the table. Early Monday morning,

Q: I'm just wondering about your run to the Stanley Cup. Is there a specific aspect that you can point to that is absolutely crucial for a team to have in order to get to that point?

Roy: I mean, there's a lot of things that come to mind, but I think everybody has to accept their role, whatever it is. I think obviously you've got their skilled players, you've got the guys that are going to play eight to ten minutes and got to be willing to play those physical minutes. So wherever you are in the lineup, or even if you're not in the lineup, you've got to be ready to jump in when you're getting asked. So I think I would say it's probably the biggest thing. Be there for your teammates and be ready to play any roles you're asked to play.

Q: I know it's a more complicated deal than a straight up one for one, but what did you think when you heard you were being traded so that for Mitch Marner, basically? How did you take the trade?

Roy: Well, obviously, knowing what Mitch has been in this league for a long time, what he means to the organization. Like I said, he's been a big part of this group. I played with Mitch on Team Canada when we were younger. He's an awesome player. So obviously brings a little bit of pressure knowing obviously what is meant to the team. But at the same time, there's only one thing I can control, and it's getting ready for a season, getting ready this summer, working out and skating and getting ready for a season. So that's what I'm focusing on right now.

'Leaving Isn't Easy': Mitch Marner Pens Goodbye Message To Maple Leafs Fans After Joining Golden KnightsMitch Marner has officially departed the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Q: What are your impressions of playing with guys like Auston Matthews and William Nylander?

Roy: I mean, two dynamic players. Obviously, really fun to watch both of them. Really excited to see what they do on a daily basis, what their routine is, and learning from them. So, yeah, pretty exciting to see them and work with them.

Q: A bit of a two-parter. First, growing up in Quebec. Who was the team you grew up watching? And secondly, what have the conversations been like for you with management about the role? I know it's a little bit early, but have you had any of those discussions?

Roy Well, first of all, it's kind of funny because growing up, I was actually, until I was maybe 11 or 12, I was actually a Leafs fan because my favorite player growing up was Mats Sundin. So I was cheering for the Leafs until I was 11 or 12 and then he signed with Vancouver. So I kind of switched to Montreal. But I guess we don't have to think about that second part. But as far as the role, I mean, it's been pretty quick, right? I've talked to a coach in GM in discussions, but mostly just welcoming me to the team and really excited to have me. So yes, it's we haven't really talked about a role or anything like that.

(Photo Credit: David Alter/THN)

Report: Maple Leafs Sign Former Canadiens Forward Michael Pezzetta To Two-Year, $1.575 Million ContractThe Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly made their first free-agent signing.

Former Maple Leafs Star Mitch Marner To Wear No. 93 With Golden KnightsThe Toronto Maple Leafs made their trade of Mitch Marner official on Tuesday morning.

'I Would Love To Play My Whole Career Here': Inside Steven Lorentz's Three-Year Extension With The Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz is staying at home.

On Tuesday, the New York Islanders announced that they signed goaltender David Rittich and right-shot defenseman Ethan Bear to one-year deals.

The AAV on Rittich's deal is $1 million annually, per PuckPedia with Bear signing a two-way deal with an NHL AAV of $775,000, with a minor salary of $325,000. 

Rittich, 32, posted a 2.84 GAA and a .887 SV% in 34 games with the Los Angeles Kings last season. The Czech goaltender earned a record of 16-14-2 as backup to Darcy Kuemper.

The signing comes in the wake of Semyon Varlamov’s rehab, which has seen no setbacks since undergoing lower-body surgery.

Rittich will likely fight with goalie Marcus Hogberg, who struggled with consistency towards the end of last season. 

Rittich projects as a strong third string or decent backup option, seeing as the goaltender has experience with 230 NHL games over 10 seasons.

In 2024-25, Bear logged 10 goals with 36 assists for 46 points in 62 games with the Hershey Bears of the AHL.

The 28-year-old defenseman most recently played in the NHL with the Washington Capitals, scoring one goal with three assists for four points in 24 games in 2023-24.

Bear suffered a significant shoulder injury in 2023 and entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program a year later, cutting his 2023-24 season short. Washington then sent Bear down and did not give the defenseman a qualifying offer.

As a right-shot defenseman, Bear will serve as solid depth for the Islanders after losing Noah Dobson.

PHOTO:  Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Kai Russell contributed to this story. 

The Philadelphia Flyers are on a crusade to start NHL free agency, quickly signing multiple players, including Christian Dvorak, to address some big team needs.

The biggest - literally - and perhaps the most important piece of business from the Flyers Tuesday was signing 6-foot-5 goalie Dan Vladar, who is now the only non-prospect to be contracted beyond the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Vladar, 27, should provide some semblance of stability to a position that has had none for the Flyers in recent years, even if he's not quite good enough to elevate the Flyers as a whole.

On the more surprising side, the Flyers also went out and added versatile forward Christian Dvorak on a one-year deal worth $5.4 million.

This was, for all intents and purposes, and overpayment, even in this free agent market, but this was probably the cost the Flyers needed to pay to pry Dvorak away from Stanley Cup contenders.

The 29-year-old played for new Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet during their time together with the Arizona Coyotes and has six 30-point seasons to his name at the NHL level. Oh, and he's won more than 55% of his faceoffs in each of the last two seasons.

The Flyers needed a reliable replacement for the departed Scott Laughton and Ryan Poehling while they wait for Jett Luchanko and Jack Nesbitt to develop, and signing Dvorak buys them another year for that.

Additionally, with the salary retained in the Andrei Kuzmenko trade now off the books, the Flyers have one more salary retention available to use this season.

Ex-Flyers Defenseman Ivan Provorov Signs Absurd Contract Ahead of NHL Free AgencyThe

Assuming Dvorak has a good season in Philadelphia, the Flyers can retain half his salary and move him at the NHL trade deadline. Then, if Luchanko's season ends early, he can then replace Dvorak and join the Flyers at the end of the season.

Two moves that made less sense were the additions of journeymen defensemen Noah Juulsen (RHD) and Dennis Gilbert (LHD).

These players could very well be brought in simply to breed competition for NHL roster spots, but fans won't be happy about the possibility two ineffective veterans with limited skillsets block prospects like Emil Andrae and Helge Grans from playing time.

Including Cam York and excluding Grans, the Flyers now have nine defensemen on their NHL roster, so something is going to have to give a few months from now.

It's worth noting that Juulsen was a favorite of Tocchet's on the Vancouver Canucks and is highly regarded for his shot blocking and penalty kill work, but he also didn't record a point in 35 games last season and is coming off a season-ending injury.

If the Flyers really wanted veterans to push for ice time, why not try Adam Ginning, a 25-year-old prospect on an expiring contract running out of time to crack the NHL? Hunter McDonald, Grans, and Louie Belpedio are there, too.

The Flyers also added a depth forward in Lane Pedersen, who briefly played for Tocchet in the past, as well.

With Tuesday's proceedings seemingly coming to a halt with a decision from Maxim Shabanov looming, the Flyers have $5.49 million in cap space with, hopefully, enough room to re-sign York and add Shabanov.

The Seattle Kraken have signed defenseman Ryan Lindgren to a four-year, $4.5 million AAV contract. 

The 27-year-old is a defensive defenseman who's played 405 games in the NHL, scoring 14 goals and 188 points with the New York Rangers and the Colorado Avalanche. Lindgren was traded from the Rangers to the Avalanche at the trade deadline as a pending unrestricted free agent.

Prior to the trade to the Avalanche, Lindgren was paired with Adam Fox, providing him stability and allowing him to be one of the best defensemen in the NHL.

“Ryan’s a heart-and-soul player who competes every shift,” said general manager Jason Botterill. “He does whatever it takes to win and has been a key fixture on the penalty kill throughout his career. We’re excited to welcome him to the team.”

Lindgren, a left-handed joins a Kraken defence core that consists of Vince Dunn, Ryker Evans, Jamie Oleksiak and Josh Mahura as left-handed defenders. Brandon Montour and Adam Larsson remain the right-handed defensemen. With the addition of Lindgren, the Kraken will likely explore a trade for Oleskiak to free up space on what's becoming a crowded blue line.

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MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues dipped into the center pool on the first day of free agency by inking veteran Nick Bjugstad to a two-year contract for $3.5 million ($1.75 million average annual value).

The 32-year-old played in 66 regular-season games with the Utah Mammoth last season and had 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists).

"Bjugstad's a player that we talked about," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. "He's got a great wing span, great size, he's got experience. We have the ability to put [Oskar] Sundqvist in [Radek] Faksa's spot if we want. We can put Bjugstad in there. We'll have the ability to stay in the market. The market dictates also, as I said, there's a number of teams looking for certain players. Players dictate where they want to play also, so we haven't been involved in some of the things we want to be involved in, but we're OK with that. We're still in the growing process.

"I'm not sure our time was right to put all the chips in the middle right now. I think we're still growing. I'm excited about that under-25 group, and we'll continue to push and see if we can get better."

Bjugstad is a big body (6-foot-5,, 205-pounds) and had 330 points (157 goals, 173 assists) in 760 NHL regular-season games that's including stints with the Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers and Mammoth.

"We think he's an experienced, NHL player that's going to be able to come in here," Armstrong said. "When I talked to him about coming to St. Louis, I said, 'We have a good veteran core and young players pushing.' It's probably a little bit like the situation that he was in. I said, 'We're going to need you to come in and be a good leader, but more importantly, you have to lead by your good play and we think he still has good hockey left in him." 

With Bjugstad's signing, it became a fair assumption that the Blues would not be bringing back Faksa, who became an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday and re-signed with the Dallas Stars, netting himself a three-year, $6 million contract ($2 million AAV).

"We talked to Faksa's agent," Armstrong said. "After a number of years, you get a feeling when something's going to work or not going to work. We talked last night and I got a sense that we should start looking other places. ... You just move forward."

In addition to signing Bjugstad, the Blues made a very interesting trade in a swap of young players when they traded forward Zack Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Logan Mailloux.