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Chris MacFarland Joins Predators as President and General Manager
The Nashville Predators appointed Chris MacFarland as president of hockey operations and general manager on Tuesday. He will take charge in Nashville after Barry Trotz announced in February that he was stepping aside after three years as general manager. MacFarland spent the past four years as the Colorado Avalanche's general manager. He joined the NHL as an executive in 1999, spending 16 years with the Columbus Blue Jackets before moving to Colorado. In Nashville, MacFarland will be tasked with building a team capable of returning to the postseason -- the Predators have made the playoffs just once in the last four years.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Canucks Name Manny Malhotra as New Head Coach
The Vancouver Canucks have appointed Manny Malhotra as their new head coach, according to ESPN's Ryan S. Clark. The former Canucks player will take over from Adam Foote, who lasted only one year as head coach. Under Foote, Vancouver finished at the bottom of the NHL with 58 points and a 25-49-8 record. Malhotra has spent the last two seasons as head coach of Vancouver's AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, leading the team to the 2025 championship. Recently, the Canucks also promoted Ryan Johnson to general manager and Daniel and Henrik Sedin to co-presidents of hockey operations.
Source: Ryan S. Clark
Source: Ryan S. Clark
Brendan Gallagher to Leave Canadiens This Offseason
Montreal Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher has one season remaining on a six-year, $39 million contract, but he doesn't expect to spend it with the team that drafted him in 2010. "It's pretty clear I'll kind of be moving on here," said Gallagher in an emotional exit interview on Monday. Gallagher's contract carries a $6.5 million cap hit, and he hasn't performed up to the required level. This season, the 34-year-old managed just seven goals and 23 points in 77 games. He was a regular healthy scratch in the playoffs, appearing in only three of Montreal's 19 games. Even a change of scenery probably won't help Gallagher reclaim fantasy relevance.
Source: TSN
Source: TSN
Patrik Laine Looking Forward to Free Agency
Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine will not stay with the team for next season. The Finnish forward ended the season on Injured Reserve despite being ready to play soon after New Year's, indicating he clearly isn't part of the plans in Montreal. "I'm excited to see new opportunities and see where it goes," Laine told reporters in his exit interview on Monday. "We'll see where the wind takes me." Laine is set to end his tenure with the Canadiens after posting just 34 points (20 goals, 14 assists) in 57 games over two seasons. He has struggled to stay healthy for several years, which has dropped Laine's fantasy value to an all-time low.
Source: Sportsnet
Source: Sportsnet
Jeremy Lauzon Returns to Action Tuesday
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (upper body) will be back in action on Tuesday in Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals, Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com reports. Lauzon hasn't played since being hit by a puck in Game 6 of Vegas' first-round matchup with the Utah Mammoth. He finished the first round scoreless but had eight blocks and 14. Vegas hopes Lauzon's physicality will be an asset in the Finals. "Good solid positional defenseman," Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella said. "Has some bite to him. He was missed." Lauzon is expected to join Dylan Coghlan on the third defensive pairing, with Kaedan Korczak sitting out the action as a healthy scratch.
Source: Mike Zeisberger
Source: Mike Zeisberger
Zach Werenski Wins 2025-26 Norris Trophy
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has been announced as the winner of the 2025-26 James Norris Memorial Trophy. The award is presented annually to the NHL's "top defensive player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-around ability in the position." In the voting, Werenski beat Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) and Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres). Werenski, who became the seventh Blue Jackets player to capture a major NHL award, finished the regular season as the second-highest-scoring defenseman in the league. He tallied 81 points (22 goals, 59 assists) in 75 games, leading Columbus in assists and points. That's now back-to-back 80-point campaigns for Werenski, who has established himself as one of the top fantasy blue-liners.
Source: Columbus Blue Jackets
Source: Columbus Blue Jackets
Lane Hutson Posts a Power-Play Assist in Game 5 Loss
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson contributed a power-play assist in Friday's season-ending 6-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He set up Cole Caufield midway through the third period. Hutson was among Montreal's leading scorers throughout the postseason, but the Hurricanes proved too tough a nut to crack for the team. The 22-year-old finishes the playoffs with 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 19 games -- only three blue-liners in franchise history have been more productive in a postseason campaign. Hutson also enjoyed a big regular season, totaling 78 points (12 goals, 66 assists) in 82 outings. He's just two years into his NHL career, and the best is definitely yet to come from Hutson.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Cole Caufield Nets a Power-Play Goal in Season-Ending Loss
Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored a third-period power-play goal in Friday's 6-1 defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes. It was too little, too late, as the Canadiens were once again overwhelmed and eliminated in five games. Caufield had a disappointing postseason. He managed only 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 19 games and was limited to three even-strength points. During the regular season, Caufield averaged at least a point per game for the first time in his career, with 51 goals and 37 assists in 81 contests. He became the first Canadiens player in 36 years to score at least 50 regular-season goals, setting a high bar for himself in the next campaign.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Seth Jarvis Closes Out East Finals With Multi-Point Game
Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis notched a goal and an assist as the team moved into the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals with a 6-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night. He assisted Shayne Gostisbehere on the power play late in the second period and scored the final goal of the Eastern Conference Finals in an empty-net situation in the third. Jarvis has been quiet in the postseason, but he gained some momentum against Montreal with four points in five games. Overall, the 24-year-old has posted eight points (three goals, five assists) in 13 playoff games.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Logan Stankoven Notches Three Points in Big Game 5 Win
Carolina Hurricanes forward Logan Stankoven finished Friday's 6-1 Game 5 victory over the Montreal Canadiens with one goal and two assists. His ninth goal of the postseason was the series-clinching marker. Stankoven assisted both of his linemates, Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake, in the game. The trio has seen a lot of success in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, combining for 43 points. Stankoven has 12 points (nine goals, three assists) in 13 contests. After kicking off the postseason with a five-game goal streak, the 23-year-old has begun building another ahead of the Finals, lighting the lamp in back-to-back games.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Taylor Hall Racks Up Three Points in Series-Clinching Win
Carolina Hurricanes left wing Taylor Hall was one of the protagonists in a series-clinching 6-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night, scoring the opening goal and dishing out two assists. The former MVP recorded his second three-point night of the 2026 playoffs. Hall is having the best postseason of his 16-year career, and no player can match his even-strength points tally. 14 of his 16 points have come at even strength. Hall has tallied five goals and 11 assists in 13 contests. Taming Hall in the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals should be the Vegas Golden Knights' No. 1 priority.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Frederik Andersen Remains Stellar as Hurricanes Clinch Finals Berth
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen recorded 23 saves with a .958 save percentage in Friday's series-clinching 6-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. He was only beaten on a power play midway through the third period. Andersen became the third netminder in NHL history to register 12 wins through his first 13 games in a playoff year. The Danish veteran has been on a spectacular run and will give Carolina a great chance to win the Stanley Cup if he maintains his current level of play. Andersen has a 12-1 record, a 1.41 goals-against average, a .931 save percentage, and three shutouts in the playoffs. Across 11 career appearances against the Vegas Golden Knights, he has gone 5-6-0.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Lane Hutson Struggles in Game 4 Loss
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson finished Wednesday's 4-0 defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes with a minus-three rating. He was limited to one SOG and had one hit in 21:04 of ice time. Hutson has been a scoring machine throughout the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but he has managed only one point in the Conference Finals -- a power-play goal in Game 3. With Montreal now facing elimination in Game 5 on Friday night, the team needs a big performance from its star players, including Hutson. He has been on the score sheet in each of the Canadiens' two prior elimination games this year, posting assists in Game 7s against Tampa Bay and Buffalo. Overall, Hutson has 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 18 postseason games.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Logan Stankoven Nets Eighth Postseason Goal
Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven potted the third goal in Wednesday's dominant 4-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals was effectively decided within three minutes late in the first period, when Carolina scored three times. Stankoven capped the goal-scoring flurry with his eighth marker of the postseason. Since Round 2, Stankoven's scoring rate has plummeted, yet he remains among the best goal-scorers in the 2026 playoffs. He's also recorded one assist in 12 games, meshing extremely well with Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake on the second line.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Sebastian Aho Pots Game-Winner on Power Play
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho scored the game-winning goal in Wednesday's 4-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. He opened the scoring on the power play at the 14:59 mark in the first period. With his 11th career postseason power-play goal, Aho established a new franchise record. It was Aho's first goal with the man advantage in this year's playoffs. He has failed to meet his high standards throughout the postseason, settling for six points (four goals, two assists) in 12 games. But the Hurricanes have shared around the offense well and now need just one more win to reach the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
