John Tortorella has a lot of redeeming qualities, including the fact he develops a culture with his hard-driving, old-school style.

But he was the wrong fit for the Philadelphia Flyers, who dismissed the 66-year-old coach Thursday toward the end of another disappointing season.

The Flyers are still a bad team, but maybe the players will develop quicker without the fear of being benched if they make a mistake. That was a Tortorella trademark, and it didn’t seem to sit well with the players or management.

A young, rebuilding team like the Flyers needs someone who can nurture players, get the most out of their potential.

That wasn’t a strength – or the MO – of the no-nonsense Tortorella.

In three years under Tortorella, the Flyers went 97-107-33 and missed the playoffs each year. The team overachieved for most of last season, then collapsed near the end, losing eight straight and blowing a playoff spot.

Despite the addition of wunderkind Matvei Michkov, the team has regressed greatly this season. The Flyers are 28-36-9, have lost 11 of their last 12 and have the NHL’s fourth-worst winning percentage.

The Flyers will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season, matching the worst span in franchise history.

Biggest Issue

Worse, the younger players – other than Michkov and Noah Cates – didn’t develop.

Former first-round picks Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost were traded because of their struggles.

Promising defensemen Cam York, who made a gaffe in Tuesday’s 7-2 loss in Toronto and was subsequently benched the rest of the game, and Jamie Drysdale have been extremely inconsistent.

Right winger Owen Tippett, a team cornerstone at 26, has taken a step backward. The goalies and the defense have been abysmal. Ditto the overall offense.

Tortorella sounded like he had packed in the season after Tuesday’s shellacking in Toronto.

“I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season,” he told reporters.

Maybe he meant he just hates coaching when there is nothing at stake, which is understandable. But it came across as a man who was fed up and had thrown in the towel on the season. Not a good look for the team’s leader.

Two days later, he was fired and replaced by interim coach Brad Shaw.

Yes, Tortorella won a Cup in Tampa Bay ages ago, but his teams have not been in the post-season in six of the last 10 years. Including time in Vancouver and Columbus, he has gotten past Round 1 once in the last 10 years. Those aren't great results.

Dismal Times

Flyers GM Danny Briere said all the obligatory things after Tortorella was dismissed. He called it a “very difficult decision,” saying Tortorella played a “vital role” in the rebuild and “set the standard of play and re-established what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer.”

From here, it means missing the playoffs, not having a true No. 1 or No. 2 center, watching too many young players regress and again searching for the dependable goalie.

Other than that, the Flyers resemble the franchise’s 1973-74 and 1974-75 Stanley Cup champs.

That’s not a slap at the current team. They try hard. They rarely get outworked. But they just don’t have the talent to compete.

Flyers Vs. Penguins: Who Will Be Cup Contenders Sooner?Remember when the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins rivalry was arguably the best in the NHL, matching hated cross-state rivals who were usually among the league’s elite?

Now the attention is focused on Briere, who needs to be active in the trade and free-agent markets, and do well in the draft. He has seven picks in the first two rounds in June. With the way some of those previous top choices have panned out (with other GMs in charge), maybe it’s time to deal some of those picks for established players?

Tortorella is gone, but the other problems – a lack of talent at key positions, failure to develop promising prospects – haven't gone away.

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The misery is over. At least it is for John Tortorella.

Two days after losing 7-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs — the second straight seven-goal loss during a losing streak that has stretched on for six games — the Philadelphia Flyers coach is done for the season. The Flyers have nine games remaining, but Tortorella won’t be coaching them.

Associate coach Brad Shaw takes over interim coaching duties. He coached 40 games for the New York Islanders in 2005-06, going 18-18-4, and he was an associate or assistant coach in St. Louis, Columbus and Vancouver before joining the Flyers in 2022-23.

“Today I made the very difficult decision to move on from John as our head coach,” said GM Daniel Briere. “John played a vital role in our rebuild. He set a standard of play and re-established what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer. John’s passion on the bench was only equaled by his charitable work in our community. As we move into the next chapter of this rebuild, I felt this was the best for our team to move forward. I’d like to thank John for his tireless wok and commitment to the Flyers.”

Is John Tortorella Still The Right Coach For Flyers’ Rebuild?When the Philadelphia Flyers resume their schedule Saturday afternoon against the powerful Edmonton Oilers, there are a couple of interesting things about their remaining 25 games.

Tortorella was hired in Philadelphia in 2022-23, taking over a rebuilding team that had already moved on from previous captain Claude Giroux. In his first season, the Flyers finished with the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. But last season, he exceeded expectations — and temporarily flirted with a playoff spot — as the team missed out on a wild card spot by just four points.

This year, however, he could not build on that success.

The Flyers, who have gone the past 14 games without a regulation win, have the worst winning percentage in the East. It doesn’t help that they were sellers at the trade deadline, having moved veterans Scott Laughton, Andrei Kuzmenko and Erik Johnson. But either way, it appears that even Tortorella was growing tired of all the losing.

John Tortorella: "This falls on me, I'm not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season where we're at right now...but I have to do a better job."#Flyerspic.twitter.com/M3LJbWdadB

— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) March 26, 2025

“It’s my job to prepare this team in this type of situation. I haven’t done a good enough job in the past couple of games,” Tortorella said following the blowout loss to the Leafs on Tuesday. “When you’re in this type of situation where you’re losing all the time and there’s nothing at the end of the tunnel for you, there’s certainly going to be some frustration. But this falls on me.

“I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season with where we’re at right now, but I have to do a better job. So this falls on me.”

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Hockey’s a high-speed, physical game, so injuries in the NHL are virtually unavoidable. But not all injuries are created equal.

Some are easier to play through with the help of doctors and therapists, while others can force even the most determined athlete to the sidelines.

Now that we’re into the last month of the NHL’s 2024-25 regular season, injury news takes on extra importance. It also catches fans’ attention when top stars, such as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, are out of action — especially without much explanation about their status or return date.

Here’s an overview of where the teams with playoff aspirations are sitting, injury-wise, as of Wednesday, March 26.

Atlantic Division

The seeding here is wide open for the defending Stanley Cup champs and two serious challengers.

The Florida Panthers are hoping that Matthew Tkachuk and newcomer Brad Marchand will be able to step in seamlessly when they get the doctors’ thumbs-up and are expecting Dmitry Kulikov to return before the playoffs begin. Marchand could play as soon as Friday against the Utah Hockey Club.

For the moment, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs’ rosters are looking pretty complete. None of the Lightning’s key players has missed more than a handful of games this year, although big defenseman Erik Cernak left Tampa Bay’s 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins late in the first period on Tuesday.

Metropolitan Division

The seeding is probably set for the Metro’s top three teams. The Washington Capitals should face the second wild-card team in Round 1, while the Carolina Hurricanes currently hold home-ice advantage against the New Jersey Devils. 

Devils coach Sheldon Keefe will be hoping his team can stay alive long enough for Dougie Hamilton to get back into action — possibly after the first round. Jonas Siegenthaler could return after the end of the regular season, but Jack Hughes is ruled out after his shoulder surgery. Also, Jacob Markstrom hasn’t been his usual self since coming back from his MCL sprain in early March. He’s now 1-5-1 since rejoining the team.

The Hurricanes dodged a bullet when Seth Jarvis avoided injury after crashing hard into the boards in Los Angeles on Saturday. Andrei Svechnikov has now missed seven games with an upper-body injury, but the good news is he skated as an extra forward on Tuesday. 

Eastern Conference Wild Cards

The Ottawa Senators look reasonably safe in the first wild-card spot. They’re also pretty healthy, and Brady Tkachuk continues to perform at a high level.

For the second wild card, it looks like a five-horse race. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets saw Sean Monahan and Erik Gudbranson return to action in their 4-3 overtime win over the New York Islanders on Monday. 

The Islanders are still without Semyon Varlamov, who has been sidelined since November. They’re hoping Mat Barzal can return soon after a two-month absence due to a knee issue.

The Detroit Red Wings’ head of steam seemed to evaporate around the same time Andrew Copp headed for surgery in late February. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson is also now out of action, and trade acquisition Petr Mrazek left Monday's game against Utah with an injury as well.

That leaves the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens as the healthiest of the bunch. Kirby Dach remains sidelined, but Kaiden Guhle is with the Habs on their current road trip. He could be back in action soon.

Central Division

Like the Metro, the Central Division seeding looks pretty set. While the Winnipeg Jets battle the Capitals for the Presidents’ Trophy, the Dallas Stars have the inside track on home-ice advantage in the ‘Rantanen’s Revenge’ first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Jets have missed Neal Pionk since he went down two weeks ago and are now without Gabriel Vilardi as well. Both players are classified as week-to-week.

And while the Stars will most likely have to wait until the playoffs begin before Miro Heiskanen can get back to action, they were lucky that Roope Hintz missed just a handful of games and that Rantanen was just bruised and swollen after he got hit in the face by a puck on Monday.

The Avs are also now missing a key defenseman, with Josh Manson sidelined until late in the regular season. But what a boost it would be for Colorado if Gabriel Landeskog really is able suit up for the first time since he was handed the 2022 Stanley Cup.

Pacific Division

The Edmonton Oilers may benefit from taking a conservative approach to McDavid and Draisaitl’s injuries, if it means they’ll be fresher for a deep playoff run. But that caution needs to be balanced with more immediate concerns. 

Now seven points behind Vegas, first place is probably out of reach. But the Los Angeles Kings have been crushing their opponents ever since Drew Doughty got back into the lineup in January, and they now hold home-ice advantage as they look to flip the script in the playoffs’ most enduring matchup. 

The Kings are the best team in the league in their own barn, and have established their team chemistry. But Alex Turcotte missed Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the New York Rangers with an upper-body injury, and Tanner Jeannot took just one shift after a brief fight with Matt Rempe late in the second period. 

Meanwhile, the Oilers will be waiting at least another 10 days to get their first look at new acquisition Trent Frederic. Evander Kane could also make his first appearance of the year in the post-season. 

On Tuesday, the Golden Knights got Shea Theodore back into the lineup for their 5-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. But they lost their leading goal-scorer, Tomas Hertl, to a shoulder ailment after he went hard into the boards on Sunday, and his timeline’s unclear. Veteran Alex Pietrangelo, who declined Team Canada’s 4 Nations invitation due to ongoing health issues, also missed Tuesday’s game with what’s being called a lower-body issue.

Western Conference Wild Cards

The Wild have endured some of the worst injury luck in the league this year and now hold just a two-point lead over the St. Louis Blues after two straight losses. Jonas Brodin is now back in the lineup, and coach John Hynes indicated Tuesday that Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov are expected to start skating soon, which is good news. Marcus Foligno is also dealing with an upper-body issue that has kept him out for five games.

Despite losing Colton Parayko to injury, the St. Louis Blues are starting to look like playoff shoo-ins.

Behind them, the Calgary Flames are close to getting captain Mikael Backlund back after a two-week absence, and Utah is fully manned after dealing with several long-term injuries on the blueline earlier in the season. 

But the Vancouver Canucks can’t seem to maintain any positive momentum. Quinn Hughes appears to have raised his game to another level despite dealing with multiple injuries this year, and Thatcher Demko looked good in his return against the Devils on Monday. But Elias Pettersson (the $11.6-million forward) and Nils Hoglander were knocked out of Saturday’s loss against the New York Rangers. They went back to Vancouver for treatment as the Canucks continued their Eastern road swing.

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Here's your latest look at the NHL from a betting and fantasy hockey lens on The Hockey News Cheat Sheet.

Which NHL Rookie's Making The Best Calder Trophy Case? by The Cheat Sheetundefined

Here's what George Nassios and Andrew McInnis discussed this week:

0:00: Will Connor Hellebuyck become the first goaltender since Carey Price to win the Hart Trophy?

4:15: Which rookie has made the best case in the second half of the season to win the Calder Trophy?

11:38: With the St. Louis Blues’ recent winning streak, is it worth betting on them to make the playoffs at +104?

14:19: Do the Washington Capitals deserve to have such strong odds of being successful in the playoffs?

18:23: Would you rather bet on the San Jose Sharks or the Chicago Blackhawks to finish last in the standings?

21:42: Should the Toronto Maple Leafs be favorites or underdogs to win a playoff series this season?

27:32: Are the Vegas Golden Knights flying under the radar as potential Western Conference final winners?

31:21: Is any other player capable of winning the Conn Smythe on a losing team this season?

34:28: Best adds and drop for the first round of fantasy hockey playoffs

Subscribe to The Hockey News Cheat Sheet on your preferred platform and come back on Wednesdays for the latest episodes.

Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Wild Wednesday Rewind looks at March 26, 1986, when Neal Broten set an NHL record for players born in the United States.

It went down in a Minnesota North Stars victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, when Broten recorded two assists. He ended up with a career-high campaign in scoring.

Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media.  And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.      

Welcome back to The Hockey News' NHL power rankings, where we rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.

We’ve got our second NHL playoff clinch with the Winnipeg Jets, which defeated the Washington Capitals in overtime on Tuesday.

The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks were the first to be eliminated, while the Nashville Predators avoided being the third team with a win against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken are next on the chopping block unless they can win their next couple of games, with the Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins likely to follow. Should the Bruins get eliminated, their eight-season post-season streak – tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the longest current streak – will end. 

Who gets in, however, will likely be determined in the final day of the regular season. This season has been wildly unpredictable, and as many as five teams from last year’s playoffs – Predators, Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and Bruins – might miss the cut. Most egregious of all are Presidents’ Trophy Rangers, and also the Canucks and Bruins, both of which finished in the top four in their conferences.

1. Winnipeg Jets (49-19-4, +77. Previous: 2)

The Jets take back the top spot after beating the Caps in overtime after Nikolaj Ehlers was sprung on a breakaway during an untimely line change by the Caps. Ehlers is scoring at a point-per-game pace this season, and one wonders how many more points he could score if he was averaging more than 16 minutes per game. 

2. Washington Capitals (47-15-9, +75. Previous: 1)

Tuesday’s loss to the Jets was only the Caps’ third loss in March with a power play that converted on less than 10 percent of its chances. That’s pretty wild considering who’s on their top unit, though it didn’t stop Alex Ovechkin from getting one goal closer to Gretzky’s record.

3. Colorado Avalanche (44-25-3, +38. Previous: 4)

The Avalanche have lost only once in regulation in March, making them the best team this month. A slight cause for concern is Mackenzie Blackwood’s recent play – entering Tuesday’s game against the Red Wings, Blackwood had a .895 SP in March.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (43-24-4, +37. Previous: 3)

Impressive wins against the Jets and Tampa Bay Lightning by a combined 8-3 score were undone by losses to the Los Angeles Kings and Preds by a combined 10-3 score. There’s just always something about the Hurricanes that holds them back from being considered a serious Cup contender.

5. Dallas Stars (45-21-4, +55. Previous: 5)

When the Stars made the trade for Mikko Rantanen, it effectively put a huge target on their backs… or is a target on their face, considering how many of them have been hit by pucks? The Stars have just two regulation wins over the past two weeks, but no one’s panicking.

6. Los Angeles Kings (40-21-9, +28. Previous: 9)

Darcy Kuemper is quietly having a really solid season, and the Kings have risen from the dead following a five-game losing streak to go 9-1-0. Claiming second place in the Pacific in a first-round matchup against the Edmonton Oilers would be huge because neither team is particularly good on the road, especially the Kings, who are 14-18-5.

7. Vegas Golden Knights (43-20-8, +51. Previous: 10)

The Knights have won four in a row averaging five goals per game, pushing them from sixth to fourth in goals-for per game. They’re a perennially good team, but it’s easy to forget that their offense isn’t usually this good, and it’s even more surprising considering the talent they lost over the past few seasons. The last time the Knights finished the season with a top-five offense was in the 2020-21 shortened campaign. Before that was in 2017-18 when they made the final.

8. Edmonton Oilers (41-24-5, +26. Previous: 8)

It’s going to be a tough week without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and they face a tough test Wednesday against the Stars. After a tough stretch where they lost five in a row in late February, the Oilers went 7-3-1 and lost only one game by more than one goal… to the Ducks, surprisingly enough.

Can The Oilers Prove They Are More Than A Two-Man Team? This Is Their ChanceOver the next couple of games at least, the Edmonton Oilers have a real shot at proving they are a lot more than just Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning (41-25-5, +59. Previous: 7)

Connor Hellebuyck could be a unanimous winner for the Vezina, but note Andrei Vasilevskiy is the only other goalie with a save percentage above .920 with at least 20 starts. The Lightning are 34-19-3 when he’s in net and 7-6-2 when he’s not.

10. Florida Panthers (43-25-3, +36. Previous: 6)

A tough road trip for the Panthers, which went 2-4-0 with only one regulation win, though at least it was in a key battle against a divisional rival. It’s worth mentioning again just how important it is to win the Atlantic, avoiding a first-round matchup against the Leafs or Lightning and facing a wild-card team instead.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs (43-25-3, +21. Previous: 13)

The good news is the Leafs bounced back after a horrible loss to the Preds with a 7-2 win against the Flyers. The bad news is they have a pretty tough path to clinch the division with a road trip to California, playing seven of their remaining 11 games on the road and facing the Panthers two more times.

Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann Succeeded Where Many Undrafted College Free Agents FailedToronto Maple Leafs left winger Bobby McMann's accomplishments stand out at this time of year.

12. St. Louis Blues (38-28-7, +15. Previous: 15)

Shades of 2019? The Blues have a ton of momentum with seven straight wins and now sit four points clear in the second wild-card spot, breezing through the easiest part of their remaining schedule. They have one more road game in Nashville on Thursday before it gets tough, facing the Avs twice and the Jets one more time before the end of the season.

13. Montreal Canadiens (33-28-9, -23. Previous: 11)

Their confidence may be high and their offense excellent, but remain incredibly streaky. After going 3-0-1 with wins over the Panthers and Sens, they go 0-1-2 with 15 (!) goals allowed. They have to start getting better on the road – they’ve only had one road trip where they’ve won more than they’ve lost, and started their four-game road trip with a 6-1 loss to the Blues on Tuesday.

14. Ottawa Senators (37-28-5, +1. Previous: 12)

The 5-1 loss to the Avalanche showed just how far away the Senators are from really competing, but as long as their recent 1-3-0 slide doesn’t continue, I foresee playoffs in the Sens’ future. They’ve overcome a fascinating up-and-down season from Linus Ullmark, who can be brilliant in one stretch but disastrous in the next. He went 7-0-1 in December with only eight (!) even-strength goals allowed to 0-4-0 in February with a 4.35 GAA and then back on track with a 7-2-1 record in March.

15. Minnesota Wild (40-27-5, -8. Previous: 16)

No matter what happens to the Wild, the big positive is they’re playing with house money because no one expected them to be this good. We were robbed of a potentially extraordinary season from Kirill Kaprizov, and the Wild offense has suffered immensely, ranking 17th in goals prior to Kaprizov’s last game and 32nd since.

16. Calgary Flames (34-25-11, -20. Previous: 19)

What a show of resilience by the Flames, who have won four straight – all comeback wins. For a team that had a hard time scoring, they’re not having much trouble now with Nazem Kadri at the heart of it, scoring consecutive overtime-winners against the Isles and Kraken.

17. New Jersey Devils (37-28-7, +24. Previous: 14)

Sheldon Keefe sounded so frustrated in his press conference, he might’ve driven the bus that ran over Johnathan Kovacevic. They’ve lost four of their last five, though they’re not in danger of missing the playoffs with a seven-point cushion over the Islanders. Stranger things have happened, and there’s no jinx here, but Jacob Markstrom is now 1-5-1 with a .843 SP in March.

18. Utah Hockey Club (32-28-11, -13. Previous: 17)

Utah squandered Monday’s game against the Wings even though the two teams were trending in different directions, putting Utah three points behind the Canucks. They’ll need to come away with at least two wins in their upcoming road trip to stay in the race, which means they must win one game against the Panthers and Lightning in their upcoming back-to-back with only one goalie they trust.

19. New York Rangers (34-32-6, -2. Previous: 20)

Saturday’s win against the Canucks was such a misnomer because they were thoroughly outplayed by a tired, banged-up team playing a road game at 10 a.m. in their home time zone. Otherwise, it would be five straight losses and nine in their last 11 games. Without Igor Shesterkin, this is a lottery team.

20. Vancouver Canucks (33-26-12, -16. Previous: 18)

The injury to center Elias Pettersson couldn’t come at a more inopportune time as the Canucks fight for their playoff lives. Quinn Hughes is superhuman, but even he cannot accomplish this alone. Thatcher Demko’s return provided a spark in a 4-3 shootout win against the Devils, but they have three more road games on their six-game trip and sit five back from the red-hot Blues.

21. Columbus Blue Jackets (32-29-9, -8. Previous: 21)

Sean Monahan notched two assists in his return to play, and it was not a coincidence the Jackets also managed to stop their six-game losing streak. They needed some luck (and help from the referees) to beat the Islanders, and it’s kept their playoff hopes alive. They host the Canucks on Friday in a key game for both teams with major playoff (and power rankings) implications.

22. New York Islanders (32-28-10, -16. Previous: 22)

The Isles are giving up valuable extra points losing in overtime to the Flames and in a shootout to the Blue Jackets. Those two extra points had they won would’ve put them in a wild-card spot, a situation hardly imaginable for a team that can barely win three games in a row. Ilya Sorokin deserves a lot of credit – since Semyon Varlamov’s last game on Nov. 29, Sorokin, Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy are tied with 38 starts apiece, and no goalie has faced more shots than Sorokin.

23. Detroit Red Wings (33-32-6, -22. Previous: 23)

Since their seven-game winning streak, the Wings are 5-11-1 with the second-worst (!) points percentage in the NHL. Their play has dropped off so much that they went from holding a wild-card spot to being last among the five teams vying for that spot. Their goaltending is again a mess with trade-deadline acquisition Petr Mrazek suffering an injury.

24. Buffalo Sabres (29-35-6, -26. Previous: 27)

Impressive win over the Jets, and they ruined Dylan Cozens’ homecoming in a 3-2 win, but at this point, who cares, right? The Sabres are going to miss the playoffs for the 14th straight season, and since their last playoff appearance in 2011, they have the league’s worst points percentage and the fewest goals-for per game.

25. Pittsburgh Penguins (29-33-11, -53. Previous: 25)

Well, I see we’re back to Tristan Jarry’s old ways! Not that the Pens had much of a chance of making the playoffs anyway, but there was a glimmer of hope during his four-game winning streak. He was pulled Tuesday in a 6-1 loss to the Lightning, and Alex Nedeljkovic didn’t fare any better.

26. Seattle Kraken (30-36-6, -20. Previous: 24)

Fatigue must be a factor again for Joey Daccord, who passed last season’s career high in starts (46) and has a .877 SP in March, the second straight month where his save percentage has dipped significantly. He did something similar last season when his save percentages peaked in December and January and kept dropping over the final few months of the season. 

27. Anaheim Ducks (30-32-8, -33. Previous: 26)

The Ducks looked like they were trending up in February but have now lost seven of their last 11, including two games where they allowed seven goals. They are, however, on pace to post their best points percentage in six seasons.

28. Nashville Predators (27-36-8, -47. Previous: 29)

Two surprising wins against the Leafs and Hurricanes overshadow the bad news that Roman Josi will not return this season. They’re on pace for their fourth-worst points percentage in an 82-game season and the highest goals against per game in franchise history.

29. San Jose Sharks (19-42-9, -77. Previous: 31)

For a team that loses more games than anyone else, there’s still a lot of positive vibes. The latest is Luca Cagnoni, who earned an NHL call-up during an outstanding rookie season in the AHL as an undersized offense-first defenseman, the type that’s been all the rage following Quinn Hughes and Lane Hutson’s success.

30. Boston Bruins (30-33-9, -46. Previous: 28)

How did we get here? With a six-game losing streak and Jeremy Swayman doing his best Jordan Binnington impersonation – he really does live rent-free in Boston, doesn’t he – in an embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Kings, the Bruins have to really think about where this team’s headed next season and beyond. Their eight-season post-season streak is in real danger.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (21-41-9, -61. Previous: 32)

A 7-4 win against the Flyers saves the Hawks from being at the bottom again. It’s still kind of amazing to me the Hawks have managed to win three consecutive games just once this season.

32. Philadelphia Flyers (28-36-9, -52. Previous: 30)

Zero regulation wins in March. Zero. They have three more chances to avoid that dubious honor with a three-game homestand, but who’s hopeful? They’ve allowed 14 goals in their last two games and a goaltending tandem that – wait, they have goalies?!

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Top-level NHL draft prospect Michael Misa tore the OHL apart with a season that rewrote the history books.

Misa finished atop the OHL scoring race with 134 points, 10 points more than second place. He had the most points per game among players with at least 25 games played – only his linemate, Igor Chernyshov, had a higher average, but he played just 23 games.

Misa’s 62 goals ranked second in the OHL behind Nick Lardis, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick from 2023. Misa also led the entire CHL in scoring and finished behind just Lardis once again as a goal-scorer. 

To say that Misa was the OHL’s best player this season would be an understatement. He was a force of nature. He’s in the conversation for the best player in the CHL with Gavin McKenna, a player discussed as a generational talent, although he’s 10 months younger than Misa.

This has come in the biggest season of Misa’s career thus far, his NHL draft year, when first overall is on the table.

“I just want to be the best player every time I’m at the rink,” Misa said earlier this season. “My determination on and off the ice. I’m a really coachable guy who is going to do everything it takes to win.”

When you consider players in their draft year, Misa’s season is even more impressive.

Since 2000, only Patrick Kane has had a higher-scoring draft year among OHLers, and Misa is tied with Kane for the most goals in a draft-eligible season. 

Kane spent most of his draft year as an 18-year-old while Misa just turned 18 last month. Among U-18 skaters, Misa’s scoring output ranks fifth since 1980, with only players like Eric Lindros and Dino Ciccarelli ahead of him.

Misa earned exceptional status as a 15-year-old coming into the OHL, so there were always sky-high expectations, but to put together a season like he has is truly special. 

Four forwards have been granted exceptional status in OHL history – Misa, Connor McDavid, Shane Wright and John Tavares. Among those players, only Tavares matched Misa’s 134-point output, although Tavares did it in his age-16 season before following it up with an 118-point performance as a draft-eligible player.

“I have always played up a year with the (2006-born players), and it just made sense for me to keep doing it,” said 2007-born Misa. “I want to keep challenging myself and putting myself in the best position to get better.”

2025 NHL Draft Rankings: Ferrari's Mid-Season Top 64It's 2025 NHL draft rankings time again as we're about to see the class playing some of its highest-level hockey.

Improving and developing his game in every facet has been a key point of emphasis for Misa since his youth hockey days. He wants his team to put the responsibility of being the best on his shoulders. 

Being the best isn’t just about scoring, though. It’s about putting forth solid efforts at both ends of the ice. 

“I’ve been PK-ing more this year and trying to focus on my defensive game as well,” Misa said. “It has been great because it’s opened my game up for more puck touches and chances to create offense.” 

Hockey IQ has always been one of Misa’s greatest strengths. He has all the physical tools from skating and a wicked shot to slick passing and handling ability, but his ability to read the ice, see how play develops and attack at the perfect moment has made him special. 

Many young players don’t understand until their mid-twenties that the more they play defense, the more puck touches and opportunities they get. That’s why Misa is such a complete, dynamic, and well-rounded player. He understands hockey better than many players already in the NHL. 

With the NHL draft approaching, Misa isn’t focused on going first overall, although he admits it would be special. The young center is focused on what is right in front of him, the OHL playoffs. 

Last year, he was a middle-of-the-lineup piece on a powerhouse team that won the Memorial Cup. This year, he wants to be the centerpiece to an OHL championship team. 

His journey to accomplish that goal will start Thursday as the Spirit take on the Erie Otters in the first round of the playoffs. Erie could welcome back Matthew Schaefer, the top contender for first overall who has been out since the world juniors with a broken collarbone. 

If it is Misa facing Schaefer in the first round, NHL draft fans will be glued to this series, as we could see the top two picks in June go head-to-head. Misa will be looking to assert himself and lead Saginaw on a long playoff run once again.

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Holding the Eastern Conference's first wild-card berth, the Ottawa Senators are close to securing their first trip to the post-season since 2017. Nevertheless, some fans and pundits are already pondering their potential off-season moves.

Julian McKenzie of The Athletic was recently asked about the Senators' biggest off-season need and how they might address it. He believes they could use a top-scoring right winger. 

Looking at the free-agent market, he indicated Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs would be the obvious choice. Given the Senators' cap situation, he considers the 27-year-old right winger too expensive, suggesting Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets and Mikael Granlund of the Dallas Stars would be more affordable options.

The Senators have a projected cap space of $18.444 million for next season, with 13 active roster players under contract. 

McKenzie also doesn't see the Senators (or anyone else) successfully signing away Leafs left winger Matthew Knies with an offer sheet. The 22-year-old power forward is in the final season of his entry-level contract. He pointed out the Leafs have $27.4 million of projected cap room for 2025-26. 

The Senators won't be signing Marner or Knies, but it would generate considerable headlines if they did. Landing one or the other would elevate the Battle of Ontario rivalry to levels not seen since the two clubs' memorable playoff clashes over 20 years ago.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings struggle to keep their playoff hopes alive. Their latest March swoon has some observers wondering what GM Steve Yzerman will do to bolster the roster this summer. 

The Red Wings are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the ninth straight season, six of those under Yzerman's watch. If he wasn't feeling any pressure in Hockeytown before the start of the season, he'll be feeling it by the end of it.

This could be the most crucial off-season of Yzerman's tenure as Wings GM. 

The Athletic's Max Bultman recently looked at the club's current slide and what it says about their off-season needs. He believes they need stability in goal, a difference-maker among their top-six scorers and depth on defense. 

Bultman listed Marner, Ehlers, Vancouver's Brock Boeser and Florida's Brad Marchand as possible free-agent targets. He also suggested Washington defenseman Jakob Chychrun as a free-agent blueline option, but he's since signed an eight-year extension with the Capitals.

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The St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens face off Tuesday with two of the NHL’s most valuable players since the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Blues center Robert Thomas and Canadiens center Nick Suzuki are largely responsible for their teams' rise in the standings to a wild-card spot in the past month. Both players are among the NHL’s top 10 scorers since the 4 Nations tournament, but their contributions, in particular, have led to some massive results.

The Blues occupy the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a three-point lead on the Vancouver Canucks. St. Louis was eight points behind Vancouver during the 4 Nations Face-Off. 

While it’s unfair to the team to say only Thomas carried them to where they are today, he has done much of the heavy lifting. Since Feb. 20, Thomas posted 14 assists and 19 points in 16 games. He got at least one point in 13 of those games, and he posted two or more points in four of them. The 25-year-old now has 42 assists and 60 points in 60 games this season. 

A Blues team that’s 16th in the league in goals-for per game (2.97) would be well out of a playoff spot were it not for Thomas’ contributions on offense. His point-per-game average is well above any other Blues player, considering he missed some time due to an injury this season.

While he’s still somewhat of a hidden gem outside of St. Louis, Thomas is doing everything asked of him. He’s a high-value performer at an average salary of $8.125 million per season.

In the Eastern Conference, the eighth-place Canadiens also are getting terrific contributions from captain Suzuki. Since Feb. 20, he has six goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 13 games. The 25-year-old has also put up at least one point in 10 of those games, and six of them are multi-point nights. 

The Habs are 13th in goals-for per game, so Suzuki’s point production is necessary to where they are today. And his salary of $7.875 million also makes him a great bang-for-his-bucks type of player. 

The Blues and the Canadiens aren’t anywhere close to locking up a playoff spot. That means they’re almost certainly going to need more out of Thomas and Suzuki. But the good news for Montreal and St. Louis fans is that both players are ready, willing and able to drive offensive production and take the heat off the rest of the lineup.

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For most of the last four decades, the Philadelphia Flyers have been the poster child for mediocre-to-poor goaltending.

This year is no exception.

In their first full season without goalie Carter Hart since 2018-19, the Flyers are again near the bottom of the standings and again getting mostly subpar goaltending. Hart, who left the team about 14 months ago, is awaiting trial next month for an alleged sexual assault in 2018, and his lawyers say he will plead not guilty. The Flyers did not give Hart a qualifying offer last summer, and he became a UFA.

Samuel Ersson, 25, and Ivan Fedotov, 28, have had some spurts of impressive play, but for the most part, they and their defense have contributed to another disappointing season. The Flyers (28-35-9) will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season, matching a franchise record for futility.

To point fingers solely at the goaltending and defense would be unfair.  The offense has been awful: 25th out of 32 teams in goals scored (2.71 per game) and 30th on the power play (13.8-percent success rate).

The goaltending has been even worse. Flyers goalies are last in the NHL in save percentage (.880) and 28th in goals against (3.39 per game).

'Heartbeat' Of The Team

Flyers coach John Tortorella wasn’t using hyperbole when he said goaltenders are the “heartbeat” of a team’s success.

“It’s the water in Philly or something happens that everything gets screwed up,” Tortorella said earlier this season. “No one expected Carter leaving and forcing 'Ers' into this situation. Then it’s just a domino effect with these other guys… I’m not sure where it all goes, but it is what it is. We have to deal with it.”

So what in the name of Bernard Marcel Parent is the reason the Flyers have been a goalie graveyard for so long?

For every Bernie Parent, Pelle Lindbergh (whose career was cut short by his tragic death) or Ron Hextall, there were dozens of flops. And when they did find a goalie with elite potential – hello, Sergei Bobrovsky – they traded him in arguably the worst deal in franchise history.

The goalie carousel looked like it had finally stopped when Hart arrived in 2018-19. He brought stability and confidence to the team. As a rookie, he equalled an NHL record for most consecutive wins (eight) while under 21. He had a 2.83 GAA and .917 save percentage that season. In his first six years, he was mostly solid despite having a weak team in front of him.

Despite Appearances, Tortorella Loves Coaching Flyers Rookie StandoutIf you’ve watched the Philadelphia Flyers this season, you wouldn’t be faulted for believing that John Tortorella has had a miserable time coaching rookie Matvei Michkov.

The Issue Begins

When Hart left the team midway through last season – he was 25 at the time – goaltending became an issue for the Flyers.

Ersson, thrust into the No. 1 goalie spot, played gallantly in 2023-24 before being worn down by his extensive use. This year, he has been extremely inconsistent (3.00 GAA, .886 save percentage), looking more like a No. 2 goaltender than a reliable No. 1.

Fedotov, a 6-foot-7, 214-pounder, has been given a chance to show his Olympic success – he led Russia to a silver medal in 2022 – and strong KHL play would translate to the NHL. He hasn’t taken advantage of the opportunity, however. Witness his 3.21 GAA and .877 save percentage in 24 games this season.

So the Flyers’ rebuild has taken a significant step backward.

Oh, there are some promising goaltender prospects in the system, but they aren’t ready, and the fans are getting restless. That might cause GM Danny Briere to add a veteran goaltender in free agency, someone who can steady the ship as the team tries to become relevant.

Jake Allen, Frederik Andersen, Anton Forsberg, Ilya Samsonov, David Rittich, and Matt Murray are some of the veterans that are expected to be UFAs this summer.

Maybe Briere goes that route. Or maybe he stays with his unproven goaltenders and tries to spend money on free-agent centers, such as Sam Bennett or Ryan Donato, who also plays wing.

Whatever the Flyers do, they must soon find a goaltender – at some point – who is capable of avoiding the long losing streaks that have plagued them during their playoff-drought years.

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