NHL Rumor Mill – June 19, 2023

by | Jun 19, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 19, 2023

A look at some teams that might be interested in trading for Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

POTENTIAL TRADE DESTINATIONS FOR ERIK KARLSSON

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng speculated over 10 possible trade destinations for Erik Karlsson.

The 33-year-old Sharks’ defenseman’s representatives recently met with Sharks management. Both sides agreed to try and find a trade that would be acceptable for Karlsson.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

All of Peng’s selections are either contenders or on the cusp of winning. He assumed the Sharks will retain between $3 million and $5.75 million of Karlsson’s $11.5 million average annual value in each of the remaining four years of his contract.

Four of Peng’s trade destinations – the Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs – have previously shown an interest in Karlsson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers lack the cap space plus they acquired Mattias Ekholm at the trade deadline. I don’t see them in the bidding for Karlsson now.

The Panthers have about $10 million in cap space. Even with the Sharks retaining salary, I don’t see them having a serious interest or the depth in tradeable assets (draft picks, prospects, young NHL players) to make this happen.

Karlsson maintains a home in Ottawa and would probably welcome a return to the rising young Senators. Whether they pursue him depends on whether prospective new owner Michael Andlauer would approve of such a move. Even then, general manager Pierre Dorion might be leery of overpaying to bring an aging Karlsson back to Ottawa.

The Leafs’ previous interest occurred under former general manager Kyle Dubas. Assuming new GM Brad Treliving would also pursue Karlsson, I don’t see them having sufficient long-term cap space and the necessary assets to pull it off.

Peng included the Buffalo Sabres, noting their rumored interest in Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buffalo Hockey Now’s Michael Augello lists several good reasons why he doesn’t think Karlsson’s fits with the Sabres. I will add that their priority is landing a reliable starting goaltender and perhaps a shutdown defenseman.

The Dallas Stars need more firepower on their blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: They also need the cap space to do it. I don’t see general manager Jim Nill getting into bidding for Karlsson.

The Detroit Red Wings are an up-and-coming team that doesn’t have as much NHL-ready young talent on their blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wings have the cap space and the depth in assets to make this happen. General manager Steve Yzerman has yet to make a major acquisition to help his club, sticking to his rebuilding plan. Maybe he’d be willing to do it for Karlsson if he was a few years younger. I don’t think he’s willing to commit to four years even if they got him at 50 percent of his salary.

The Los Angeles Kings are full of right-handed rearguards but they lack the dynamism of Karlsson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Peng admits the Kings seem to be a long shot. They already made their big blueline move by acquiring Vladislav Gavrikov at the trade deadline and signing him to a contract extension. Most of the recent Kings trade rumors focus on Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Peng includes the New York Islanders on his list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nope, sorry, I don’t see Isles GM Lou Lamoriello wanting any part of this. I’m well aware of Lamoriello’s stealthiness in the trade market but this type of move doesn’t seem like something he’d do. He seems more focused on bolstering the scoring punch among his forwards. I also don’t think Karlsson would waive his no-movement clause to join the Isles.

The Seattle Kraken round out Peng’s list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve previously mentioned the Kraken as a possible destination. They’ve got over $20 million in cap space. Even with a new contract for Vince Dunn taking a healthy bite out of it, they could still have enough for Karlsson at a reduced AAV. They’ve also got a growing pool of prospects to draw on for trade bait.

General manager Ron Francis has avoided making a big splash in the trade market, saving those moves for free agency. He probably won’t deviate from that plan this summer.

I’m not saying that a Karlsson trade is impossible. I don’t doubt that there are teams looking into it. One of the clubs on Peng’s list might be able to work out a suitable deal with Sharks general manager Mike Grier, perhaps involving a third team to make Karlsson’s AAV more affordable.

What I believe, however, is it will be difficult to do, especially with so many clubs carrying limited cap space for next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 18, 2023

by | Jun 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 18, 2023

The Golden Knights celebrate their Stanley Cup win on the Las Vegas Strip, the Panthers believe their playoff run signals better days ahead, the Senators new owner will meet with Daniel Alfredsson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL/LAS VEGAS SUN: The Vegas Golden Knights celebrated their Stanley Cup win with a parade on Las Vegas’ famous Strip and a rally at Toshiba Plaza on Saturday. Tens of thousands of fans turned out to watch the parade while at least 7,000 fans jammed the plaza.

Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup parade (NHL.com).

Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault and center William Karlsson were among several players who spoke to the fans during the rally.

THE SCORE: Josh Gold-Smith has clips of the best moments from the Golden Knights Stanley Cup parade.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Despite the disappointment of failing to win the Stanley Cup, the Florida Panthers believe their 2023 playoff run points to a bright future for the franchise. “We can build on this, and we’ll only get better,” said captain Aleksander Barkov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Returning to the Stanley Cup Final is a difficult task. Few teams in the salary cap era are able to maintain a Cup-contending roster.

Salary-cap constraints this season led to the depletion of a Panthers roster that won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2021-22. Management will have more room to maneuver for next season with around $10 million in cap space with all their core players under contract for 2023-23. They’ll likely invest that money in attempting to shore up the supporting cast to match the depth of clubs like the Cup champion Golden Knights.

OTTAWA SUN: Michael Andlauer, the prospective new owner of the Senators, is preparing to meet this week with Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Sens Hall-of-Famer Daniel Alfredsson. He and Sutcliffe are expected to discuss a new arena in the city while his discussions with Alfredsson will be about bringing him into the organization in a possible front-office role.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The discussions with the mayor will likely focus on the size of the arena project and possible locations. Alfredsson, meanwhile, seeks what the report calls a “meaningful” hockey operations role.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Future Hall-of-Fame goaltender Henrik Lundqvist debut his “Open Heart” documentary last week at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film follows Lundqvist, his family and his team members following his open heart surgery and recovery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow this link to see a trailer of Lundqvist’s documentary.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Dawson Mercer has a year remaining on his entry-level contract but Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald hopes to sign the 21-year-old forward to a long-term extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mercer followed up a solid 2021-22 NHL debut (17 goals and 42 points in 82 games) with a 27-goal, 56-point performance in his sophomore season while skating on the Devils’ second line. Given his upside, it’s no wonder Fitzgerald wants to lock the young forward into a lengthy deal before his value rises even higher.

Whether Mercer and his agent will agree remains to be seen. His development projects to a 70-point season in 2023-24 skating alongside Jack Hughes and Timo Meier. Meanwhile, first-line right wing Jesper Bratt just got an eight-year deal worth an average annual salary of over $7.8 million after reaching 73 points for the second straight season.

Mercer won’t get that much but his agent could make the case for a new contract worth between $6 million and $7 million. His camp could also push for a three-year deal so he can cash in again well before his UFA eligibility.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Former Flyers star Simon Gagne has taken over as the new general manager of the Memorial Cup champion Quebec Remparts. He was their assistant coach under head coach and GM Patrick Roy, who recently stepped down from both roles.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 16, 2023

by | Jun 16, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 16, 2023

Check out the latest on Erik Karlsson, Alex DeBrincat, and Brett Pesce in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE SHARKS WILL ATTEMPT TO TRADE KARLSSON

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports San Jose Sharks management met with Erik Karlsson’s representatives last week with both sides agreeing they’ll attempt to get a trade done. The 33-year-old defenseman wants to play for a winner and the Sharks are rebuilding.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

Karlsson has four more years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $11.5 million. LeBrun wonders if there’s a team out there willing to take on that contract or how much the Sharks will have to retain to get a deal done. Karlsson also has a full no-movement clause giving him the final say.

LeBrun said there’s no guarantee a trade gets done. Nevertheless, several teams have been “kicking tires” in recent days.

THE ATHLETIC: Shayna Goldman and Harman Dayal recently listed the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators as clubs that could be interested. They admitted it would take “a lot of creativity to overcome the logistical challenges and this exercise revealed the lack of optimal fits.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Goldman and Dayal didn’t state that those teams were in fact interested but merely suggested that they could be good destinations for Karlsson. They also went into greater detail than what I’ve summarized regarding why he might fit with those clubs as well as the considerable obstacles.

Karlsson’s career-best 101-point season would make him a very enticing trade target if not for that hefty contract. His age makes it a gamble for any club taking on those final four years. His cap hit is probably too expensive for any team to acquire with a salary cap rising by just $1 million for next season. His no-movement clause limits where the Sharks can send him.

It was rumored before the trade deadline that the Sharks were willing to retain 20 percent of Karlsson’s cap hit. They’ll have to go much higher than that. The creativity Goldman and Dayal referred to includes a three-team trade where the cap hit gets spread around so the receiving team pays considerably less. However, that could still mean the Sharks retain up to 50 percent.

Anything’s possible, of course, and the Sharks might surprise us and pull this off. Still, it’s going to be a daunting challenge.

WILL THE SENATORS AND DEBRINCAT END UP IN ARBITRATION?

TSN: Chris Johnston noted the Ottawa Senators electing to take Alex DeBrincat to arbitration is setting a window for when the 25-year-old winger is traded. DeBrincat would be more valuable to them in the trade market if he’s on a multi-year contract. Johnston anticipates they’ll want to trade him by the end of July or early August when the arbitration hearings are underway.

Johnston believes the Senators will push to get a trade done much sooner than that, perhaps sooner than the upcoming NHL Draft (June 28-29). There’s said to be very strong interest from the small list of trade destinations the DeBrincat camp provided to the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Taking DeBrincat to arbitration has given the Senators control of the situation. As the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch pointed out, the winger can’t sign his $9 million qualifying offer nor can he sign an offer sheet from a rival club. If they do trade him, it gives DeBrincat the opportunity to discuss a contract extension with his new club.

Garrioch believes the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and Detroit Red Wings are on DeBrincat’s list. He also suggested the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues and Seattle Kraken as destinations, reminding us that the winger lacks no-trade protection.

COULD THE HURRICANES TRADE PESCE?

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Carolina Hurricanes hope to re-sign Brett Pesce to a contract extension this summer. Failing that, however, he believes they could shop the 28-year-old defenseman for the best possible return.

LeBrun indicated the Buffalo Sabres have reached out to the Hurricanes regarding Pesce’s status. Darren Dreger, meanwhile, believes the Edmonton Oilers could also be interested. He acknowledged the cap-strapped Oilers would have to shed salary by perhaps trading winger Warren Foegele or defenseman Cody Ceci in a cost-cutting move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Edmonton Journal’s David Staples expressed skepticism over whether the Oilers can acquire Pesce. He believes the Hurricanes’ asking price will be high (likely a first-rounder and a good young player) plus he doesn’t think the Oilers can afford to sign Pesce to a long-term contract. He also doubted the Hurricanes would be interested in Foegele or Ceci or Kailer Yamamoto as part of the return.

Buffalo Hockey Now’s Michael Augello, meanwhile, suggested the Sabres could be in on Pesce as a one-year rental, though it would also make sense for them to try and sign him to a long-term extension.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 16, 2023

by | Jun 16, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 16, 2023

The Devils sign Jesper Bratt to an eight-year deal but will take Timo Meier to arbitration, the Senators also elect arbitration for Alex DeBrincat, Jarome Iginla returns to the Flames and John LeClair to the Flyers. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils re-signed Jesper Bratt to an eight-year, $63 million contract on Thursday. The average annual value is $7.87 million.

New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bratt was slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1. He is completing a one-year contract worth $5.45 million. The cap hit also keeps him below Jack Hughes’ $8 million AAV, which leads all Devils forwards.

The 24-year-old winger’s new contract is front-loaded. He’ll earn $10 million in actual salary next season, declining gradually down to $6 million in 2030-31. He also gets a full no-movement clause from 2024-25 to 2027-28, after which it becomes a 15-team no-trade clause with his no-movement preventing him from being sent to the minors.

It’s a significant investment in Bratt by the Devils. He earned this raise with back-to-back 73-point performances. With their Stanley Cup window opening, they obviously consider the winger to be a key part of their future. It will be money well-invested if Bratt maintains that level of production through most of this contract.

The Devils also filed team-elected arbitration with Timo Meier. They had hoped to get the 26-year-old winger signed up for the same term as Bratt but he seeks more money.

Meier was acquired from the San Jose Sharks before the March trade deadline. The Sharks reportedly went over $9 million annually in their efforts to re-sign him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This report suggests that taking Meier to arbitration is a way of buying time as the two sides continue to negotiate a new contract. The date for his hearing will be sometime in July or August but both sides could hammer out an agreement on a deal before then.

Meier is coming off a four-year contract with an AAV of $6 million. However, he earned $10 million in actual salary, which is what it would’ve cost the Devils to qualify his rights. In the worst-case scenario, the team-elected arbitration would reduce that qualifying offer to $8.5 million as one-year arbitration awards can be at 85 percent of the QO.

This move also ensures Meier won’t receive an offer sheet. Given how high his qualifying offer amount would’ve been, it’s doubtful that any club would’ve attempted to go that route.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators are taking winger Alex DeBrincat to team-elected arbitration. If the two sides fail to reach an agreement on a new contract, the arbitration award would be 85 percent of his $9 million qualifying offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeBrincat, 25, earned $6.4 million annually on his current contract but $9 million in actual salary this season. The report also indicates the Senators are actively shopping him and would prefer to get a deal done before July 1.

If they’re unable to move him, getting him signed to a one-year deal at $7.65 million provides them with cap flexibility to add another player. It would also perhaps make him more enticing as a trade candidate.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Jarome Iginla has returned to the Flames as the special advisor to general manager Craig Conroy. The all-time franchise leader in scoring and games played, the popular former captain was traded by the Flames to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Iginla spent 16 of his 20 NHL seasons in Calgary. He retired as a player in 2018 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.

It was long assumed that Iginla might one day return to the Flames in a front-office role. Conroy said he and his former teammate used to talk about one day working together in the NHL.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers yesterday announced John LeClair is returning to the club as a special advisor of hockey operations. He spent 10 seasons with the Flyers from 1994-95 to 2003-04, scoring 333 goals and 310 assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeClair was part of the Flyers’ famed “Legion of Doom” line alongside Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg. He’s among their single-season leaders in goals (51) and career leaders in goals and points (643).

LeClair joins general manager Daniel Briere, president of hockey operations Keith Jones and special advisor to hockey ops Patrick Sharp among former Flyers recently hired to front-office roles.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will undergo shoulder surgery that could keep him out of training camp in September. He expects to be ready to go by the time the regular season begins in October.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekblad is the second Panthers blueliner undergoing shoulder surgery. However, he’s expected to be ready to return in time for the start of training camp.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars traded forward Fredrik Olofsson’s rights to the Colorado Avalanche for future considerations. They also re-signed goaltender Matt Murray to a one-year, two-way contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No, not that Matt Murray, Leafs fans…

NHL.COM: The order of selection for all seven rounds of the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft has been released. Round one begins on June 28 with the following six rounds on June 29.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear in mind that this list could be revised if there are trades involving 2023 draft picks leading up to June 28.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Tampa Bay Lightning are reportedly set to sell a minority stake of their franchise to private equity group Arctos Sports Partners for a record $1.4 billion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Last fall, Forbes indicated that 14 of the NHL’s 32 teams were valued at $1 billion or higher, with the Lightning sitting 14th at $1 billion. Selling their minority stake for more than its estimated value will have a ripple effect on the value of the other NHL franchises.

ESPN.COM: Las Vegas police arrested a man who threatened to carry out a mass shooting at T-Mobile Arena just four hours before Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final was played there.

Court records indicate the man has arrests in Las Vegas on various charges stretching back to 2014. He was also arrested last October on a felony charge of threatening an act of terrorism or mass destruction.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 15, 2023

by | Jun 15, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 15, 2023

How will the impending sale of the Senators affect their offseason plans? What’s the latest on the Canadiens? Could the Predators explore this summer’s trade market? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE SENATORS

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports speculation began over what changes Michael Andlauer could make to the Senators following news of his agreement in principle to purchase the club. Whatever he has in store must wait until the sale is officially completed, which could take several weeks or months.

Ottawa Senators winger Alex DeBrincat (NHL Images).

That won’t affect the offseason plans of general manager Pierre Dorion and his staff as they prepare for the upcoming draft in Nashville (June 28-29) and the start of the free-agent period on July 1. Dorion must also consider possible trade options for restricted free-agent winger Alex DeBrincat.

DeBrincat lacks a no-trade clause but he and his agent provided the Senators with a list of preferred trade destinations. Garrioch reports the list includes his hometown Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars. He pointed out that the Panthers and Golden Knights lack the salary-cap space to make a deal for DeBrincat so there would have to be some major juggling to do that.

Garrioch also indicated that DeBrincat will receive his $9 million qualifying offer from the Senators on June 25. Dorion will have until 5 pm Monday to determine if he’ll elect arbitration in the hope of getting a 15 percent discount on that qualifying offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s anticipated that the Senators will attempt to move DeBrincat prior to the first round (June 28) of this year’s draft. As Garrioch noted, this is the time to strike when the iron’s hot while general managers have the cap space and the willingness to spend in the trade market.

The Red Wings have plenty of cap space and need additional scoring. However, they could be seeking more of a power forward than a finesse player.

I doubt the Golden Knights and Panthers will get into the bidding. Nevertheless, their respective general managers have well-earned reputations for making significant moves.

Like the Golden Knights and Panthers, the Stars lack sufficient cap room. GM Jim Nill could be in the market for more affordable depth. Encouraged by the play of promising young players like Wyatt Johnston, he could also promote a youngster such as Mavrik Bourque.

UPDATE ON THE CANADIENS

THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu confirmed a Radio-Canada report claiming the Montreal Canadiens are attempting to move up in the 2023 first-round draft order. Currently holding the fifth-overall pick, they’ve attempted to swap picks with the fourth-overall San Jose Sharks and have contacted the Anaheim Ducks about the second-overall selection.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Basu observed that the cost of jumping to second overall would be astronomical but worth it to land a highly-touted prospect like Adam Fantilli. If this wasn’t Connor Bedard’s draft year, Fantilli would be the favorite to go first overall.

I don’t see the Habs prying that pick away from the Ducks but it doesn’t hurt to ask. The same goes for trying to get the Sharks’ pick.

Basu also reports the Canadiens will not buy out winger Mike Hoffman. The first contract buyout window for NHL teams opens today and runs until 5 pm ET on June 30. They are willing to retain half of Hoffman’s $4.5 million cap hit in a trade but that seems unlikely to happen given he didn’t produce enough to justify the cost.

The Canadiens won’t be tendering a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Denis Gurianov. However, they haven’t ruled out signing him as an unrestricted free agent to a one-year deal at a reduced rate.

They’re also interested in signing pending UFA center Sean Monahan to an affordable one-year deal to give him a chance to prove he can stay healthy and improve his value in next summer’s free-agent market.

PREDATORS EXPLORING THE TRADE MARKET

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: Michael Gallagher reports Predators general manager Barry Trotz intends to go shopping for offensive-minded players in this summer’s trade market. He’s willing to spend as much of the club’s $15.5 million in projected cap space for 2023-24 as possible to achieve that aim.

Trotz doesn’t anticipate he’ll be a big player in this summer’s UFA market, describing it as “a little bit lean.” He also wants to add players “that fit our culture.” He’s pitched trade offers to clubs that are looking to shed salary.

Gallagher observed there are three teams (Montreal, Tampa Bay and Vancouver) with less than $1 million in cap space. He also noted there will be several others looking to move a player with a sizable cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens will garner $10.5 million in cap relief by placing all-but-retired sidelined goalie Carey Price on long-term injury reserve. Still, they’ll be open to moving out a veteran forward like Mike Hoffman to free up cap room.

Meanwhile, the Lightning will garner over $6.8 million in LTIR cap relief due to permanently sidelined defenseman Brent Seabrook.

It’s been well-documented the Canucks are actively trying to shed salary. They’re believed to be shopping Conor Garland but Trotz might have his eye on scoring winger Brock Boeser.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 14, 2023

by | Jun 14, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 14, 2023

The Vegas Golden Knights are the 2023 Stanley Cup champions, the Senators move closer to having a new owner, the Rangers have a new head coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS ARE THE 2023 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights thumped the Florida Panthers 9-3 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final to become the 2023 champions. The Golden Knights take the series four games to one.

Vegas Golden Knights – 2023 Stanley Cup Champions (NHL.com).

Vegas captain Mark Stone tallied a hat trick, Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore each had three assists and Reilly Smith scored what proved to be the winning goal. Adin Hill stopped 32 shots for the win.

Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. He was tied for first among this year’s postseason scorers with 13 goals and was second in points with 25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first Stanley Cup championship in the Golden Knights’ six-year history. This game had a sense of inevitability after they took a 2-0 into the second period. The Panthers cut the lead in half early in the second but that only seemed to spark the Golden Knights. They dominated the rest of that period with four unanswered goals to put the game out of reach.

Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy started five of the six remaining original Golden Knights – Marchessault, Smith, Theodore, William Karlsson and Brayden McNabb – for Game 5. They, along with William Carrier, were the first Golden Knights to hoist the Stanley Cup following the game after Stone received it from league commissioner Gary Bettman.

Stone is just the third player in NHL history to tally a hat trick in a Cup-clinching game, joining Jack Darragh of the 1920 Ottawa Senators and Babe Dye of the 1922 Toronto St. Pats.

The Golden Knights earned this championship after missing the playoffs last season and trading scorer Max Pacioretty to Carolina last summer in a cost-cutting deal.

They began the season with starting goaltender Robin Lehner out for the season recovering from hip surgery. They played with five goalies this season, with Hill taking over midway through their second-round series against Edmonton after Laurent Brossoit was sidelined.

Stone missed part of this season to his second back surgery in less than a year. There were questions about Eichel’s effectiveness after missing most of last season recovering from neck surgery.

For Cassidy, this is sweet redemption after being fired a year ago by the Boston Bruins. The Bruins set records this season for wins (65) and points (135) but were upset by the Panthers in the opening round of the playoffs.

Team owner Bill Foley’s 2016 prediction of his club winning the Stanley Cup in their sixth season came true. “I’m going to relax and think about my next asinine statement,” said Foley with a big smile following the game.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Despite their disappointing finish to the Stanley Cup Final, the Florida Panthers had an extraordinary postseason run. They squeaked into the playoffs, upset the record-setting Presidents’ Trophy-winning Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the second-overall Carolina Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers have a solid core of talent led by Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad to remain a playoff contender next season. However, they couldn’t match the Golden Knights’ roster depth in the Final. Expect management to get to work on addressing that issue this summer.

SPORTSNET: The Panthers paid a heavy physical price in this postseason. Following Game 5, head coach Paul Maurice revealed Tkachuk suffered a fractured sternum in Game 3. Tkachuk played a limited role in Game 4 and couldn’t play in Game 5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: One report indicated Tkachuk needed help from his brother Brady to get out of bed following his pregame nap before Game 4. He was their leading scorer in this postseason. Tkachuk’s feisty style at times drew criticism from fans but no one can say he didn’t give his all.

Maurice also revealed Ekblad suffered a broken foot, dislocated his shoulder twice, and tore his oblique during the Panthers’ playoff run. He missed only one game. He said blueliner Radko Gudas played with a high-ankle sprain that should’ve sidelined him for six weeks. He missed one period.

The Panthers coach didn’t reveal any more details on his injured players. However, he admitted that multiple players will require surgeries, with some facing recovery periods of four-to-six months. Most of those injuries occurred during their first-round series with the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We should learn more details in the coming days. Some of those players could end up missing the opening weeks of the 2023-24 season.

IN OTHER NEWS…

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators have an agreement in principle with Toronto billionaire Michael Andlauer to purchase the club. His bid is believed to be worth $950 million. A part-owner of the Montreal Canadiens, Andlauer must now sell his share of that team.

The agreement will go before NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who will present it to the Board of Governors meeting later this month in New York. It requires a two-thirds majority for approval.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will still take several weeks for the sale to close and for Andlauer to take over the Senators. Barring the unforeseen, however, it’s expected he’ll become their new owner.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers have hired Peter Laviolette as their new head coach. He received a three-year contract worth slightly less than $5 million per season.

TSN: Patrick Roy officially stepped down as head coach of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts. When asked if any NHL clubs had reached out to him regarding a coaching position, Roy said “absolutely none”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some fans think it’s more than a coincidence that Roy made this announcement on the same day that the Senators reached an agreement in principle with Andlauer. However, he indicated at the start of this season that he would be stepping down as Remparts coach.

SPORTSNET: Patrick Sharp is returning to where his NHL career began by joining the Philadelphia Flyers as a special advisor to hockey operations.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers signed forward Derek Ryan to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $900K.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Changes are coming to the Canadiens’ medical staff after the club finished with the most man-games lost to injury for the second straight year. They fired head athletic therapist Graham Rynbend and head physiotherapist Donald Balmforth on Tuesday.