Although just two teams remain in the hunt for the Stanley Cup, it's still a wide-open race for the Conn Smythe Trophy. Here are the top five leading candidates:
5. Jonathan Marchessault
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
+/-
15
8
10
18
19:39
10
The Golden Knights' top line of Marchessault, William Karlsson, and Reilly Smith have been nearly unstoppable this postseason. Marchessault has been the most dangerous of the three, leading the team in goals, points, shots, and is second in assists.
4. Braden Holtby
GP
W-L
GAA
SV%
SO
18
12-6
2.04
.924
2
What a whirlwind of a season it's been for Holtby. By now, many forget it was Philipp Grubauer - not Holtby - who was between the pipes for the Capitals in their first two playoff games against the Blue Jackets after the former Vezina Trophy winner endured a turbulent season. That's all in the past, though, as Holtby has played fantastic when it's mattered most.
3. Evgeny Kuznetsov
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
+/-
19
11
13
24
21:31
7
Given that Kuznetsov leads all players in postseason points, there's an argument to be made that he should be higher on this list. He's seemingly brought his speed and creativity every single night. He's gone toe-to-toe with some of the game's best centers in the past two rounds, but yet, he's the one left standing.
2. Alex Ovechkin
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
+/-
19
12
10
22
21:14
5
Ovechkin is in rarefied air, as he sits second in both goals and hits this postseason. Armed with arguably the best shot of all time, plus a 235-pound frame, Ovechkin has simply been a nightmare for the opposition during a grueling playoff run. He's the heart and soul of the team. If he goes, they go. Right now, he's firing on all cylinders.
1. Marc-Andre Fleury
GP
W-L
GAA
SV%
SO
15
12-3
1.68
.947
4
Fleury has held the top spot on these power rankings since the get-go, and with good reason. He's been absolutely lights out since the beginning of the postseason without any blips on the radar. If the Golden Knights are to win yet another round and hoist the Stanley Cup, Fleury's play in goal will be a massive reason why.
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to rebuild their front office, as the team announced Thursday the hiring of Laurence Gilman as their new assistant general manager.
Gilman was the Vancouver Canucks' assistant GM from 2008-15. Prior to that, he worked in the Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes organization for 13 years, including a five-year stint as the assistant GM. He most recently served on the NHL's expansion draft rules and regulations committee in 2016.
With the Maple Leafs, Gilman will be the GM of the AHL's Toronto Marlies - a position previously held by current Leafs GM Kyle Dubas. He will also assist with player personnel duties and manage the club's player development department.
"Laurence provides terrific experience to our management team," said Dubas. "His 20-plus years in the NHL have seen him manage nearly every type of department in professional hockey and have success doing so."
Gilman is a highly regarded executive around the league, as he was strongly considered to be the next commissioner of the East Coast Hockey League before taking the job with Toronto, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
After naming Dubas the new GM on May 11, the Leafs have lost two key front-office executives in Lou Lamoriello and Mark Hunter. Lamoriello fled for Long Island after being bumped from the Leafs' GM job into a senior advisor role, while Hunter and the Leafs parted ways after he was passed over for Dubas for the GM role.
On Wednesday, the Leafs also promoted Brandon Pridham to the position of assistant GM - a role he and Gilman will fill.
Longtime NHL goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck was named the assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey on Wednesday, taking over for the late Jim Johansson.
"I'm really humbled and honored to have this opportunity," Vanbiesbrouck said. "I look forward to building on the foundation that has been put in place by Art Berglund and Jim Johannson, among others, and while I know I have much to learn, it's a challenge that I'm really excited about."
Most recently, Vanbiesbrouck served as the general manager and director of hockey operations for the United States Hockey League's Muskegon Lumberjacks.
The Detroit, Mich., native will be tasked with oversight of all of USA Hockey's international programs, including its men's, women's, and sled programs, as well as the National Junior Development Program.
"It is really exciting to get someone with John's background," said Jim Smith, president of USA Hockey. "He brings a unique perspective, including being a key volunteer for our organization for the last year eight years."
During a playing career that saw him appear in 882 games over 20 seasons, Vanbiesbrouck was a two-time NHL All-Star and a two-time Vezina Trophy finalist, winning the award in 1985-86. He's probably best remembered for his play during the 1996 playoffs, in which he posted a .932 save percentage and a 2.25 goals-against average as he carried the underdog Florida Panthers all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper is enjoying every second in the lead-up of a winner-take-all Game 7 against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
"There's a lot of teams that would love to be in our position, you're writing history," he told Fox Sports' Caley Chelios. "If you're not enjoying it, you're not human."
History certainly will be made, as Wednesday's victor will have a chance to take on the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final. Though unlikely, it's possible star players such as Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos never get this close to the Cup again, so Game 7s can leave a lasting impact on the legacy of a team or player.
The Lightning, however, have been vastly outplayed in this series. They've been outshot in every game so far, and the total shots in the series are 209-145 in Washington's favor. Given that Andrei Vasilevskiy might have to steal yet another game for the Bolts to be victorious, it's surprising Cooper is so at ease.
Cooper owns a lifetime record of 2-1 in Game 7s as an NHL coach. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET.
It appears Toby Enstrom's time as a member of the Winnipeg Jets could be over, and it if that's the case, it ended on salty terms.
Tied with Bryan Little as the longest-serving player on the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers - dating all the way back to 2007-08 - Enstrom was a healthy scratch in Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights, which turned out to be the team's final game of their season.
Enstrom was reportedly unhappy with head coach Paul Maurice's decision to leave him out of the lineup because he'd been playing through the series with a rib injury, according to Jeff Hamilton and Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press.
One anonymous source told Hamilton and McIntyre that Enstrom suffered broken ribs, but didn't say when the ailment occurred.
Maurice refuted this notion, however, when asked whether Enstrom played through broken ribs.
"No, he had dealt with broken bones in his feet during the year. But nothing broken," Maurice said, per Hamilton and McIntyre.
Jets players had their final exit meetings with coaches and management and met with the media during locker clean-out Tuesday, but Enstrom was nowhere to be found. Reporters who requested to speak with him were told he was "long gone."
Enstrom was one of three regulars to be scratched from the lineup for Game 5, along with fellow defenseman Ben Chiarot and forward Andrew Copp. Dmitry Kulikov, Joe Morrow, and Joel Armia stepped in instead. Maurice said he was "looking for some legs and for some jump" after his team had lost three straight.
The 2017-18 campaign was the last season of a five-year contract carrying a $5.75-million average annual value for Enstrom. A two-time 50-point defenseman, he was a shell of his former self over the last four seasons, suffering numerous injuries and never regaining his offensive form. He had just six points in 43 games this year.
Given the Jets' depth on the blue line - including 21-year-old Sami Niku, who was named the AHL's top defenseman in 2017-18 - a return to Winnipeg seems highly unlikely for Enstrom, and if so, it certainly didn't end the way he had hoped.
The Washington Capitals shut out the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-0 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final on Monday to force a winner-take-all seventh game. Theoretically, only one goal was necessary thanks to Braden Holtby's efforts between the pipes, but Devante Smith-Pelly's third-period insurance marker gave the Caps a crucial two-goal lead they wouldn't look back on.
While Smith-Pelly was credited with the goal, Chandler Stephenson did all the work to make it happen. Below, we'll break down the play, and how his hustle also prevented the Lightning from having a great scoring chance at the other end.
It all started with Smith-Pelly - the eventual goal-scorer - firing the puck all the way down the ice from his own end. At this point, Braydon Coburn (left, No. 55) had a full step and a half on Stephenson (right), so beating him out for the icing call seemed like a forgone conclusion.
However, thanks to his outstanding speed and will, Stephenson ended up step for step with Coburn and got his stick on the puck first to negate the icing call. Had he not done so, Washington's fourth line would've been stuck on the ice while Tampa's top unit would've presumably hopped over the boards for the offensive-zone faceoff - a huge chance to tie the game.
While Stephenson was charging down the ice, Jay Beagle (No. 83) followed up the play and was first to the loose puck that Stephenson chipped into the corner. As Beagle picked up the puck, Stephenson stayed behind the net to give him an outlet down low.
After receiving a pass from Beagle, Stephenson sensed pressure from Victor Hedman (No. 77), and instantly turned his body to shield the puck. It's worth noting that Smith-Pelly isn't even visible in the frame yet, although you can just barely see the tip of his stick on the right of the screen.
In one motion, Stephenson spun and fired a no-look pass from his backhand into the slot where the trail guy (Smith-Pelly) was flying in. It all happened so fast that even though the puck was nearly at Smith-Pelly's stick already, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was still hugging the left post and peaking into the corner behind him. Meanwhile, Nikita Kucherov (No. 86), was roaming in the high slot, but failed to pick up his man.
As Vasilevskiy pushed across the crease to get back into position, Smith-Pelly one-timed the pass from Stephenson and beat the goaltender five-hole.
Not only was this a sensational display of speed and hustle from Stephenson to beat out the icing and prevent a defensive-zone faceoff, but he also showed intelligence, poise, and vision by finding Smith-Pelly for the clutch goal.
The Montreal Canadiens re-signed goaltender Antti Niemi to a one-year contract worth $950,000, the team announced Tuesday. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Niemi's 2017-18 season got off to a turbulent start, but he really settled in after joining the Canadiens.
Team
GP
Rec.
GAA
SV%
SO
PIT
3
0-3-0
7.49
.797
0
FLA
2
0-1-0
5.11
.872
0
MTL
19
7-5-4
2.46
.929
1
Total
24
7-9-4
3.12
.911
1
The 34-year-old is expected to serve as the backup netminder behind Carey Price, while Charlie Lindgren - who is waivers exempt - will likely begin the season in the AHL.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and assistant general manager Mark Hunter mutually agreed to part ways, the team announced Tuesday.
Maple Leafs president and alternate governor Brendan Shanahan said the decision followed "extensive discussions."
After the news in late April that Lou Lamoriello would not return as the club's GM, Hunter and fellow assistant Kyle Dubas became the two front-runners to fill the vacancy. Toronto ultimately hired Dubas.
The expectation is that Hunter is not allowed to work for another NHL club until after the draft and free-agency period concludes, as per the conditions of his departure, reports TSN's Bob McKenzie.
This obviously makes sense from Toronto's perspective, considering the amount of knowledge Hunter had of the Leafs' strategy for both the draft and free agency.
Hunter could've stayed on with the club until the draft was over, but Toronto didn't want someone making key draft-day decisions if they were to eventually leave shortly thereafter anyway, per McKenzie.
Hunter, 55, has a wealth of experience both as a coach and an executive in the junior hockey ranks - most notably spending 12 years as owner, vice president, and GM of the OHL's London Knights before joining the Maple Leafs' front office in 2014.
Given his experience in junior hockey, Hunter's primary responsibilities with the Leafs included drafting, player evaluation, and player development. Under his watch, they drafted the likes of Mitch Marner, Travis Dermott, Auston Matthews, and Timothy Liljegren, and signed undrafted European free agents such as Nikita Zaitsev and Andreas Borgman.
Stats legend: GV = Giveaways TK = Takeaways ATOI = Average time on ice per game CF% = Percentage of shot attempts team took while player was on the ice at even strength (Rel) = CF% of player compared to when he's not on the ice
10. Mike Green
Position: Defense Age on July 1: 32 2017-18 cap hit: $6M 2017-18 team: Red Wings
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
66
8
25
33
68
29
22:05
47.8 (-1.2)
Green's best days are likely over, but as a right-handed shooting defenseman in a thin free-agent pool, he'll have a list of teams lining up to sign him. He can still play second-pairing minutes with a sturdy partner, and can quarterback a power play efficiently.
9. Joe Thornton
Position: Center Age on July 1: 38 2017-18 cap hit: $8M 2017-18 team: Sharks
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
47
13
23
36
55
33
18:21
54.4 (+3.4)
Thornton will be 39 on July 2 and tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee (2016-17) and right knee (2017-18) over the last two seasons. A return to the Sharks on a one-year deal with a significant pay cut seems likely. However, if he does leave San Jose, you can bet a few contending teams will overlook his mileage while offering him a deal as a second- or third-line center.
8. Carter Hutton
Position: Goaltender Age on July 1: 32 2017-18 cap hit: $1.125M 2017-18 team: Blues
GP
Rec.
GAA
SV%
SO
32
26-17-7
2.09
.931
3
Hutton chose a great time to have a career year. He'll be by far the best goalie available, and at 32, it's possible teams will still view him as a short-term No. 1, even though Hutton has never handled a starter's workload. The Sabres, Flyers, and Islanders are among the clubs that could give him a shot as an undisputed starter.
7. David Perron
Position: Left wing Age on July 1: 30 2017-18 cap hit: $3.75M 2017-18 team: Golden Knights
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
70
16
50
66
33
48
17:49
49.7 (-1.7)
Perron is also coming off a career-best campaign. The 2017-18 season was his first 60-point year, a mark reached even while missing 12 games. Returning to Vegas seems to be his best option to replicate that success, but he'll be looking to cash in as the third-highest scorer among UFAs.
6. James Neal
Position: Left wing Age on July 1: 30 2017-18 cap hit: $5M 2017-18 team: Golden Knights
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
71
25
19
44
32
49
17:11
51.5 (+0.4)
Even though Perron had 22 more points than Neal, the latter is an accomplished pure goal-scorer and will likely generate more interest. He's potted 20-plus goals in each of his 10 NHL seasons, and that type of consistent production could lead to a larger-than-expected contract for the 30-year-old winger.
5. James van Riemsdyk
Position: Left wing Age on July 1: 29 2017-18 cap hit: $4.25M 2017-18 team: Maple Leafs
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
81
36
18
54
38
30
14:54
55.6 (+7.4)
Van Riemsdyk is a one-dimensional player, but he does that one dimension better than anybody in the league. Nobody deflects pucks and provides a better net-front presence than JVR, as he finished third in goals per 60 minutes during the 2017-18 season, according to Natural Stat Trick. However, his lack of ice time was due to defensive flaws despite a high CF percentage, which can be attributed to his 62.7 offensive-zone start percentage. Regardless, Van Riemsdyk will get paid handsomely for his scoring prowess.
4. Paul Stastny
Position: Center Age on July 1: 32 2017-18 cap hit: $7M 2017-18 teams: Blues/Jets
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
82
16
37
53
19
43
18:18
54.2 (+3.8)
Stastny is boosting his already high value with an impressive playoff run with the Jets. He's an incredibly smart player, and his age won't be a deal breaker because of the demand for centers. Born in Quebec City while his father was playing for the Nordiques, Stastny should be an obvious target for the center-needy Canadiens if they whiff on John Tavares.
3. Evander Kane
Position: Left wing Age on July 1: 26 2017-18 cap hit: $5.25M 2017-18 teams: Sabres/Sharks
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
78
29
25
54
50
40
19:35
51.5 (+5.0)
Kane is the youngest UFA on this top-50 list, and is a rugged, physical winger with annual 30-goal potential. He recorded nine goals and 14 points in 17 games after joining the Sharks, providing a glimpse of the untapped potential he can provide on a good team. Even some previous character issues shouldn't get in the way of Kane's search for a massive contract this offseason.
2. John Carlson
Position: Defense Age on July 1: 28 2017-18 cap hit: $3.97 2017-18 team: Capitals
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
82
15
53
68
97
58
24:47
49.2 (+1.7)
Carlson thrived during his contract year, leading all defenseman with 68 points, but it's highly unlikely he'll approach that mark on another team. He also notched 32 power-play points, largely by feeding Alex Ovechkin one-timers and by taking advantage of ample time and space as opponents shadowed the Russian superstar. Whoever signs Carlson will be paying for a No. 1 defenseman, but it's worth noting top-line matchup responsibilities actually fell on Dmitry Orlov and Matt Niskanen in Washington.
1. John Tavares
Position: Center Age on July 1: 27 2017-18 cap hit: $5.5M 2017-18 team: Islanders
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
82
37
47
84
78
49
19:56
49.4 (-2.6)
NHL megastars rarely get to free agency. So, unless Tavares re-signs with the Islanders before July 1, he'll be the best player to hit the open market in recent memory. He's in the prime of his career, and will be paid accordingly. The contract probably won't challenge Connor McDavid's league-high $12.5-million cap hit, but if teams get into a bidding war for their potential franchise player, anything is possible.
Switzerland pulled off a massive upset Saturday at the World Championship, defeating Canada in the semifinals 3-2 to advance to the gold-medal game against Sweden on Sunday.
Swiss goaltender Leonardo Genoni was sensational, making 44 saves and leaving a Canadian squad full of NHL stars shaking their heads as they went to the bench after each failed scoring attempt.
In the crease opposite Genoni, Darcy Kuemper's performance was lackluster. He allowed three goals on just 16 shots.
The Swiss offense was stuck in neutral in the third period, as it had only one shot compared to Canada's 18. That lone shot - a redirect from Gaetan Haas on a wrister that was going wide - turned out to be the game-winning goal.
Despite the one-sided final frame, Switzerland weathered the storm in its own end. Canada got within a goal after Colton Parayko's tally with two minutes left, but no closer.
This marks the first time in four years that the Canadians won't play for gold at the worlds. They'll take on the United States at 9:45 a.m. ET on Sunday for the bronze medal.
