The Vancouver Canucks are in a complicated situation at the moment with one of their top prospects. While an entry-level contract has been offered to defenceman Tom Willander, the two sides haven't agreed on a deal, with most reports pointing to the inclusion of "Schedule A" bonuses being the issue. This has led to speculation among the fan base that the organization could trade the 20-year-old this off-season.

If the Canucks were to go down the trade route, the most likely return would be a second-line center. With J.T. Miller no longer in Vancouver, the organization needs to find a replacement who can help get back to contender status. While this issue would usually be solved in free agency, there are not many options available this year, which means the Canucks could be stuck overpaying a player after a bidding war. 

"He's Going To Have A Decision To Make At Some Point": Jim Rutherford Provides Details On Negotiations Between The Canucks And Tom WillanderDuring his media avaliability on Tuesday, Vancouver Canucks President of Hockey Operations, Jim Rutherford was asked about top prospect Tom Willander. The 2023 first-rounder has yet to sign his entry-level contract, with most reports saying the holdup has to do with "Schedule A" bonuses. Willander, who just finished his second season in the NCAA, was projected to join the Abbotsford Canucks for their 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs run, but instead is over in Sweden particpating in the 2025 IIHF World Championship.

Trading a top prospect is never easy and often a risky decision. The player acquired may not work out to the level the team wants, or the prospect may take off and become exactly what the original team needed. A good example of this is a trade from 2022 between the LA Kings and the Minnesota Wild, which has turned into an absolute steal for the Wild. 

Two Years in, The Fiala-Faber Trade is Aging PoorlyAs the Los Angeles Kings prepare to play the Minnesota Wild tomorrow, I thought it was time to gauge the acquisition of Kevin Fiala trade from the Wild that saw standout defensive prospect Brock Faber and a 2022 first-round pick (Liam Ohgren) go the other way.

Ahead of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, the Wild traded defenceman Brock Faber and the 19th overall pick (Liam Öhgren) to the Kings in exchange for Kevin Fiala. Fiala then signed a seven-year contract with LA with an average annual value of $7.875 million. At the time, the trade seemed fair from both sides, as the Kings added a proven goal-scorer while Minnesota acquired two players that could help them in the future. 

Flash forward three seasons, and this trade looks like a steal for the Wild. While Fiala has been productive for LA, Faber has developed into one of the top young defensemen in the NHL. In 2024, he was the runner-up for the Calder Trophy, while this season saw Faber average over 25 minutes a night while participating in the 4 Nations Face-Off for Team USA. 

As for Öhgren, he also had an impressive season. The 21-year-old recorded 37 points in 41 AHL games, while also dressing for 24 games at the NHL level. As for next season, Öhgren is projected to make the jump full-time to Minnesota to play in their bottom-six. 

The Kings-Wild trade is a good example of what could happen if Vancouver elects to move Willander this off-season for a top-six center. While it may work out in the short term, the long-term consequences could be significant. All trades have a level of risk to them, but based on recent history, trading a 20-year-old prospect who looks NHL-ready may not be the best decision for the organization. 

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The New York Rangers have a difficult decision on their hands. 

As part of the J.T. Miller trade, the Rangers either have to give up their first-round pick in 2025 or 2026. 

It will be given to the Pittsburgh Penguins due to a separate trade between the Vancouver Canucks and Penguins.

Rangers Hold 12th Overall Pick After Draft Lottery With A Big Decision To MakeThe New York Rangers will hold the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft on June 27. 

The Rangers hold the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, so should the team hold the pick or give it up in order to keep their 2026 selection?

One NHL insider believes it is too much of a risk to give up next year’s draft pick despite expectations of a comeback next season. 

“They have until 48 hours before the draft begins to decide whether or not they want to convey that pick, essentially to Pittsburgh,” NHL insider Frank Seravalli said. “I would do it solely because I think if things do go sideways next year, which I think they’re primed for a bounce back, but let’s just say on the off chance that it does go sideways, you definitely don’t want to have your team win the lottery, and it’s the Pittsburgh Penguins that hold a 2026 unprotected first-round pick, which is one of the huge boons of the deal.”

Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury has not indicated on what direction he plans on going regarding this decision.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals were the first two teams to advance to the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs and will now square off tonight at Capital One Arena for their second round series.

The top two Metropolitan teams share a brief playoff history, only having met one time prior (in 2019 with the Hurricanes upsetting the Capitals in seven games), but their is plenty of animosity between these two clubs.

Neither team is anticipated to have any lineup changes heading into tonight's tilt, with Frederik Andersen and Logan Thompson the anticipated starters in net.

The #Canes during warmups in D.C., ahead of Game 1 -

Svechnikov - Aho - Blake
Hall - Kotkaniemi - Stankoven
Martinook - Staal - Jarvis
Carrier - Jankowski - Robinson

Slavin - Burns
Orlov - Chatfield
Gostisbehere - Walker

Andersen
[Backup: Kochetkov] pic.twitter.com/JEnZv1Zj4r

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) May 6, 2025

Apologies, lines for Capitals in Game 1 vs. Hurricanes:

Ovechkin-Strome-Beauvillier
McMichael-Dubois-Wilson
Mangiapane-Eller-Leonard
Duhaime-Dowd-Protas

Chychrun-Carlson
Sandin-Roy
Alexeyev-TVR

Thompson

— Sammi Silber 🏒 (@sammisilber) May 6, 2025

This story will be updated throughout the game. Make sure you refresh the page so that you are reading the latest version of the story and be sure to join the conversation in the comment section below.

For the Capitals live blog, click here!

Also, be sure to check out the post-game Playoff Frenzy livestream.

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Broadcast

• The game is being streamed on ESPN, Sportsnet and TVAS, but for fans who want to listen to Mike and Tripp, you can tune into 99.9 FM The Fan.

Getting ready for Game 1 of the 2nd Round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. @Canes vs the Caps. We’ll bring a quick post game recap as well.

Also a reminded that @TrippTracy & I will call all of the playoff action from here on out on the Canes Radio Network on @999TheFanpic.twitter.com/NROOo8d3vt

— Mike Maniscalco (@mikemaniscalco) May 6, 2025

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Second Period

(20:00) Back for the second. Can Carolina keep the pressure up?

(19:25) Chatfield acts quickly to get back and kill a Strome chance in front.

(18:30) Svechnikov/Burns with a terrible turnover that winds up with Dubois getting a chance in front but he rings the crossbar.

(16:07) 1-0 Caps; Protas shoots one past Andersen off the rush to open the scoring. Carolina's strong start is all for not.

(11:35) Walker goes to the bench in some pain after absorbing a Kotkaniemi shot in his midsection.

(7:44) Canes survive a good shift by Caps top line after a turnover by Orlov earlier in the play.

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First Period

(20:00) Martinook-Staal-Jarvis-Orlov-Chatfield-Andersen the starting six for the Hurricanes.

(18:50) Great stick by Burns to deny a Capitals 2-on-1 chance. On the replay, it looks like the pass from Dubois was off.

(16:30) Wilson already making his presence known with a pair of hits on Orlov and Chatfield. Canes have to keep their heads up when he's out on the ice.

(14:00) Hurricanes forecheck really giving Washington troubles early on. SOG are 4-0 and shot attempts are 14-1.

(12:58) Aho takes an offensive zone high-sticking penalty. It was all Carolina early, but now the penalty kill is going to have to come up big.

(10:30) Kill comes through. Capitals had three shots on goal, including an Ovechkin one-timer.

(8:43) Svechnikov and Wilson come together after a whistle. They're each team's biggest agitators, so who'll come out on top?

(8:39) Gostisbehere rings the post.

(5:09) Carolina getting their shot at the power play now as Orlov is yanked down by Duhaime.

(3:10) One shot on goal for the Hurricanes on that man advantage. Washington kept the diamond tight on the kill and are selling out to block shots.

(2:02) Svechnikov off the crossbar.

(0:00) Score: 0-0 / SOG 13-6 CAR

Carolina outchanced Washington 32-6 at 5v5 and the Capitals also had 14 blocked shots in the opening frame.

Hurricanes game is all about wearing down their opponents, so in that regard, that was a good road period.  

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Be sure to check out the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub for all postseason stories!    

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For a team that’s only five days into its off-season, the Ottawa Senators aren’t wasting any time preparing for next season. On Monday, GM Steve Staios signed RFA defenceman Nik Matinpalo to a two-year extension. On Tuesday, according to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, the team parted company with associate GM Ryan Bowness.

Bowness was originally hired in the summer of 2022, so he was one of the few holdovers from the team’s previous regime. He avoided the axe that fell on the jobs of his boss, GM Pierre Dorion, along with head coach D.J. Smith, assistants Davis Payne and Jack Capuano, the media relations staff, and several others.

According to Garrioch’s report, this decision was a mutual parting of the ways. For the record, that’s also how the team framed Dorion’s exit.

Bowness was also the GM of the Belleville Senators. Garrioch indicates that Dave Poulin, the club’s senior vice-president of hockey ops, will replace Bowness at the AHL board of governors meeting this week, and expects that director of player personnel Rob DiMaio, a Staios hire, may take over Bowness' job as Sens' associate GM.

Prior to his hiring in Ottawa, Bowness served as director of pro scouting for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and his move here was more than just a professional opportunity—it was personal. As the son of Rick Bowness, the Senators' first head coach in the early '90s, Ryan was able to return to the team and town that both factored into a lot of his childhood and hockey memories. 

Ryan began his NHL front office career with the Thrashers in Atlanta, where his dad began his NHL playing career with the Flames in the 1970s.

The Senators have not issued an official statement on Bowness' status, but given his resumé and reputation, Bowness likely won’t be without opportunities for very long.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas has spent more than a year working to build back up the team's prospect pool, there was some hope that one budding young player would be joining the organization next season.

Unfortunately, that won't be the case.

Russian forward prospect Mikhail Ilyin - selected by the Penguins in the fifth round (142nd overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft - signed an extension to remain with the Severstal Cherepovets of the KHL next season.

The Penguins made an offer to Ilyin, but he declined it.

Ilyin, 20, has spent the majority of the past three seasons with Severstal, amassing seven goals and 30 points in 64 games last season. 

The 6-foot, 180-pound winger is known for his smarts and details, and his playmaking and passing skills are also strengths in his game. While his skating needs a little bit of work, his vision pretty much makes up for that deficiency.

Many expected Ilyin to being playing in North America next season, but given the success he's seen on the top line for Severstal in his third season with the team - playing with and against the highest competition in Russia, nonetheless - it's understandable why he may want to develop more with Severstal.

Across parts of three seasons with the Cherepovets, Ilyin has registered 19 goals and 61 points in 150 games.

Penguins Drop Two Slots In NHL Draft, Will Pick 11th OverallIn past draft lotteries, the Pittsburgh Penguins have seen their fair share of luck.

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The Buffalo Sabres falling to the ninth overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles in late June is not the best situation for the club, as there appears to be a consensus that there is a drop-off after the top five of this draft class, but that does not mean Buffalo will be unable to select a player that could help them down the road. 

Last year, the Sabres traded down from 11th to 14th with San Jose and acquired a second-round pick (which was dealt to Washington for Beck Malenstyn). The Sharks used Buffalo’s pick to select defenseman Sam Dickinson, while the Sabres chose Konsta Helenius.  

Other Sabres Stories

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Sabres Ownership Ranked Worst In NHL By Survey In The Athletic

Sabres Facing An Off-Season Of Change

The ninth overall pick one year ago was made by the Calgary Flames, and they selected defenseman Zayne Parekh. Selecting at #9 is a crapshoot, but it is still possible for the Sabres to get someone who could be a productive player. 

Here are the 9th overall picks from the last five drafts:

2024: Zayne Parekh(Calgary) - The 19-year-old led the OHL in defensive scoring with 107 points (33 goals, 74 assists) with the Windsor Spitfires. He played one game at the end of the season with Calgary and is expected to play in the NHL next season. 

2023: Nate Danielson(Detroit) - Danielson played four seasons in the WHL and graduated to the American Hockey League this season, where he scored 39 points (12 goals, 27 assists). Based on the Red Wings' slow developmental process, it is likely he will play next season with Grand Rapids. 

2022: Matthew Savoie(Buffalo) - This pick may already be considered a failure by Sabres fans, since Savoie was dealt to Edmonton in the Ryan McLeod deal. The 21-year-old spent all of last season with Bakersfield in the AHL and scored 19 goals, earning a four-game look with the Oilers. 

2021: Dylan Guenther(Arizona) - The Coyotes hit the jackpot at #9 with the selection of Guenther, who split time between the WHL and NHL as a 20-year-old, scored 18 goals in 45 games last season, signed a seven-year contract with Utah, and scored 27 goals this season with the Hockey Club. 

2020: Marco Rossi(Minnesota) - Selected one pick after the Sabres selected Jack Quinn, the Austrian-born center had complications after contracting COVID in 2020, but after spending most of 2023 in the AHL, Rossi has scored 20+ goals for the Wild the last two seasons.  

 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

LAS VEGAS -- Just before the regular season started, an anonymous poll of Golden Knights revealed 86.7% of the team saying the Edmonton Oilers are "Vegas' chief arch-rival."

Seven months later, the teams will meet in the postseason for the second time in three years, a battle of the last two Western Conference champions.

⚔️ A Rivalry Renewed ⚔️

🎙️: @garylawlesspic.twitter.com/vDQCsPqGnq

— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 6, 2025

Vegas won the West and the Stanley Cup in 2023, while the Oilers are looking for redemption after winning the West last year, only to lose to the Florida Panthers in the Cup Final.

With plenty of similarities from the 2023 playoffs comes several changes to both lineups.

Depth will be key, while top-line superstars will be counted on to ignite for both teams.

Here are three reasons the Golden Knights can get past their arch-rivals and advance to the Western Conference Final:

1. COACHING: Yes, Kris Knoblauch is now on the bench for Edmonton, instead of Jay Woodcroft, and many believe that's one of the reasons the team is better. It may be true, but that doesn't take away from the fact the Knights still have the edge with their bench boss, Bruce Cassidy. Long before he arrived in Vegas, the 59-year-old skipper spent time as head coach of both the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins, guiding the latter to the Cup Final in 2019, where they lost to the surprising St. Louis Blues. Knoblauch has is in his second year as a head coach, and sure he led the Oilers to the Cup Final in his inaugural season, but he also has the liberty of coaching who some consider the two best players in the world in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Where Cassidy holds the edge is in his ability to make adjustments on the fly, and keep fluidity among his forward lines and defensive pairings. We saw it in the opening round against Minnesota, and he won't be afraid to do it again if need be against the Oilers.

"I think the relationship between the coach and the player probably gets more and more cemented or solidified with time, as opposed to year one," Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. "But, he stands for the same things that that he stood for as a coach of the Boston Bruins, with the reasons that we hired him, the things that we wanted him to bring to our organization. I think that's been really consistent. I think he's had some changes to staff.

"I think there's different things that you just have to evolve and adapt and grow with day by day. But in terms of who he is and what type of coach he is, I think very much what he was when he arrived."

And that, in fact, is the coach who led the Knights to their first championship.

2. A WILD X-FACTOR: William Karlsson, affectionately known to the fanbase as "Wild Bill," has been exceptional on and off the stat sheet, and continues to do what he does quietly at both ends of the ice. Karlsson has been someone the Knights can count on, and Cassidy can turn to, when making line adjustments, to provide defense at one end, or to make things happen at the other. Karlsson just may be the most underrated never-nominated Selke Trophy kind of player in the NHL. Karlsson owns 67 points (29 goals, 38 assists) in his 100 playoff games and a franchise-best +38 rating. Of his nine regular-season goals this season, four were game-winning tallies, the second-most for Vegas.

"He's appreciated by the people in this room who see him every day, and by our fans and certainly by the organization," McCrimmon said. "But he is a consistent, zero maintenance, hard working, intelligent, two-way player. ... A proven playoff performer, just a tremendously valuable player in our organization. (He) knows exactly what the organization is about, what we stand for, what we want to look like. And he's a big, big part of that, has been from the beginning."

3. GOALTENDING: It's Vegas' Adin Hill versus either Calvin Pickard or Stuart Skinner for the Oilers. Game 1 will pit Hill against Pickard. And the fact is, Hill has proven statistically to be a much better goaltender, and is playoff tested. It was the 2023 series against the Oilers when Hill was brought in, and he's been the guy ever since. After sitting on the bench as Jordan Binnington's backup for the 4 Nation's Face-Off, Hill returned for the final stretch of the regular season with a chip on his shoulder and turned in a 12-3-1 mark to go along with a .920 save percentage and 2.11 goals-against average. In that stretch, among goalies with a minimum of 16 starts, Hill's save percentage was eighth-best in the league, while is goals-against average ranked fifth. Pickard has been the guy for the Oilers in the postseason, going 4-0 with a 2.93 goals-against average, but that .893 save percentage is rather low when coming into a series against a team as deep as the Knights. If the Oilers are forced to go with Skinner, he's 0-2 with a 6.11 GAA and .810 SV% this postseason.

"He was excellent, he got better as the series went on," Cassidy said, about Hill against Minnesota in the first round. "He’s been good in the playoffs, the big games. Hopefully that continues. It’s been his playoff resume so far."

ST. LOUIS – Defenseman Torey Krug’s career in the NHL is likely over.

The 34-year-old missed the entire 2024-25 season for the St. Louis Blues after having left ankle surgery.

The Blues announced on July 16, 2024 that the defenseman was diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle and would be re-evaluated in 6-8 weeks once Krug worked to rehabilitate the injury through non-surgical interventions over that time. But it was evident he needed a major procedure done and it was immediately known then that his career would be in jeopardy.

The injury is a cumulative result of a bone fracture suffered earlier in his career with the Boston Bruins.

"I don't really think there's much uncertainty with Torey," Armstrong said at Tuesday’s end-of-season media availability. "I talked to him. He was at the rink the other day; he's just getting almost normal, day-to-day living with his leg, his ankle.

I'm not expecting him to play again. Now, he's hoping that I'm wrong, I'm hoping that I'm wrong and he's pushing, but the surgery that he had, it was very, very invasive."

Krug spoke on Sept. 4 prior to training camp and was emotional about the potential of his career being over.

“Thirty-three years old and when you miss a whole year of hockey, obviously those things cross your mind," Krug said at the time. "I don't want to look too far ahead, but those are things you definitely think about.

"I've always wanted to see my kids watch me play and see how hard I work. I don't think regardless of what you're doing, they're going to see, even if it's away from the rink, how hard I work, being a parent, working on the house, doing stuff in the yard, they're going to see that. I just think it's in your DNA. It's tough but the mental side of it's just going to be just as tough as the physical side."

Krug has played 13 seasons in the NHL, the first nine with the Boston Bruins before he signed a seven-year, $45.5 million contract ($6.5 million average annual value) with the Blues on Oct. 9, 2020. He played 778 regular-season games and has 483 points (89 goals, 394 assists) and played in two Stanley Cup Final series with the Bruins, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games in 2013 and losing to the Blues in seven games in 2019.

"You want to win a Stanley Cup and I've had a chance to compete for ... I went to two finals and you make the playoffs so many times and you understand what comes with the job, all the injuries," Krug said. "There's other things that obviously come into play that I can make a living for a family and set up your kids. You don't want to trade that. A lot of great memories for sure."

Krug still has two years remaining on his contract but will need to remain on long-term injured reserve for the Blues to have his $6.5 million cap hit to spend at their disposal.