NHL Wraparound Podcast

Spring Cleaning – Washington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals entered the 2025-26 season expecting some regression after nearly winning the Presidents' Trophy the year before. That concern proved justified as declining production, injuries, weaker special teams, and uncertainty surrounding Alex Ovechkin's future left Washington outside the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine why the Capitals could not recreate the magic of their previous season and the major fork in the road facing General Manager Chris Patrick this summer.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Capitals are eliminated from playoff contention on April 13 after entering the season with expectations of taking a step backward from their Eastern Conference-leading 2024-25 campaign.[00:00:25] Neil and Vic revisit Washington's late-season decline from the previous year. The Capitals were 32 games above .500 on March 23, 2025, but finished the regular season 4-7-1 as the pursuit of Alex Ovechkin's scoring record became the team's central focus.[00:00:55] Washington still won the Eastern Conference and defeated Montreal in five games, but looked noticeably slower than Carolina during its second-round playoff elimination.[00:01:15] Eight Capitals players produced career seasons in 2024-25, making it difficult to expect the same level of performance one year later.[00:01:35] Neil believes the attention surrounding Ovechkin's record chase disrupted the team's rhythm. Once the record was secured, Washington never fully regained the form it displayed earlier in the season.[00:02:00] A quiet offseason provides little reinforcement, and the Capitals pace toward only 90 points through their first 72 games before finishing the season with an 8-2-0 run.[00:02:20] Several important players experience major declines in production. Dylan Strome falls from 82 points to 58, while Aliaksei Protas drops from 66 points to 52.[00:02:45] Connor McMichael also regresses, falling from 26 goals and 57 points to 14 goals and 46 points. Neil and Vic discuss how only a few additional goals could have changed several close games and kept Washington in the playoff race.[00:03:00] Pierre-Luc Dubois becomes one of the team's most significant losses. After playing all 82 games and producing career highs with 46 assists and 66 points the previous season, Dubois is limited to only 29 games.[00:03:30] Tom Wilson, Jakob Chychrun, and Logan Thompson remain dependable, while Ryan Leonard takes an encouraging step with 20 goals and 45 points.[00:03:50] Justin Sourdif contributes 15 goals and 35 points after arriving from Florida, while Aliaksei Protas' younger brother, Ilya Protas, positions himself for a full-time role next season.[00:04:10] Washington's special teams also regress. The power play falls from 14th to 25th, while the penalty kill drops from fourth to 15th.[00:04:35] Neil explains that even moderate declines become costly in a league where so many games are decided by one goal.[00:04:55] The Capitals also remain one of the NHL's older teams, and the unified effort that produced so many career seasons in 2024-25 does not carry over.[00:05:10] Alex Ovechkin's future becomes the defining offseason question. He has not yet decided whether he will return for another season or retire.[00:05:30] General Manager Chris Patrick enters the 2026 NHL Draft with five selections, including two first-round picks.[00:05:50] Washington owns its original first-round selection and Anaheim's pick acquired in the John Carlson trade.[00:06:05] The Capitals do not own a second-round pick after the Justin Sourdif trade, a third-round pick following the Jakob Chychrun deal, or a sixth-round selection after acquiring David Kämpf.[00:06:25] Washington projects to have approximately $4.4 million in cap space, leaving Patrick with limited flexibility before additional offseason moves.[00:06:45] Unrestricted free agents include Ovechkin, Brandon Duhaime, David Kämpf, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Timothy Liljegren.[00:07:00] Restricted free agents Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre also require new contracts as management evaluates which younger players belong in the next version of the team.[00:07:20] Neil believes ownership and management must first learn Ovechkin's intentions before deciding whether to retool or begin a more significant rebuild.[00:07:40] If Ovechkin returns, Washington is unlikely to dismantle the roster around him. The organization may instead attempt one more playoff push during the final chapter of his career.[00:08:00] If Ovechkin retires, the Capitals could accept several difficult seasons in order to acquire higher draft picks and inject more youth into the lineup.[00:08:20] Vic argues that Washington still possesses enough useful pieces to avoid tearing the roster down completely. A retool may be more appropriate than a total rebuild.[00:08:40] Neil compares the possible approach with Pittsburgh's successful strategy of adding several complementary veterans around Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.[00:09:00] The episode concludes with Washington standing at a clear organizational crossroads. Every major offseason decision—from free agency to roster construction—will depend on whether Ovechkin chooses to return for one more season.

Spring Cleaning – Winnipeg JetsThe Winnipeg Jets suffered one of the NHL's most dramatic declines during the 2025-26 season, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs just one year after winning the Presidents' Trophy. After entering the year as one of the expected powers in the Central Division, Winnipeg collapsed under the weight of declining goaltending, a lack of secondary scoring, and an overwhelming dependence on its top line. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine what went wrong, the challenges of building in the Winnipeg market, and the difficult offseason awaiting General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Jets are eliminated from playoff contention on April 13, becoming the second consecutive Presidents' Trophy winner to miss the postseason the following year.[00:00:25] Neil and Vic revisit the preseason expectation that Winnipeg would join Colorado and Dallas among the Central Division's elite teams.[00:00:50] The departures of Nikolaj Ehlers and Mason Appleton weaken the forward group, while questions remain about how much Jonathan Toews can contribute after several years away from the NHL.[00:01:20] Winnipeg also enters the season needing more offense from its third and fourth lines to reduce the burden on Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Gabriel Vilardi.[00:01:45] Toews is viewed as a potential leadership addition for a team believed to be close to Stanley Cup contention, while Connor Hellebuyck returns as the reigning Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy winner.[00:02:00] The Jets' collapse is dramatic. Winnipeg finishes 34 points worse than the previous season, while its goal differential falls from plus-86 to minus-29.[00:02:25] After beginning the season 9-3-0, the Jets go 6-19-5 over their next 30 games, including four regulation losing streaks of at least three games.[00:02:50] An 0-7-4 stretch becomes the clearest sign that Winnipeg's season is spiraling out of control.[00:03:00] Hellebuyck's numbers fall sharply after his MVP season. His record drops from 47-12-3 to 23-23-11, while his goals-against average rises from 2.00 to 2.86 and his save percentage falls from .925 to .895.[00:03:30] Winnipeg becomes overwhelmingly dependent on its top line. Scheifele, Connor, and Vilardi account for 105 of the team's 231 goals, representing more than 45 percent of the offense.[00:04:00] The supporting cast fails to provide enough production. Cole Perfetti, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nino Niederreiter, Adam Lowry, and Alex Iafallo collectively fall from 77 goals to 46.[00:04:25] Free-agent signing Gustav Nyquist produces only one goal and 12 points in 51 games, making his season one of the organization's biggest disappointments.[00:04:45] Neil explains that injuries played a role, but the larger problem was the absence of meaningful secondary scoring throughout the lineup.[00:05:00] The discussion turns to the challenge of attracting free agents to Winnipeg. The weather, Canadian dollar, family considerations, and smaller market all complicate recruitment.[00:05:30] Despite those challenges, players who do join the Jets often speak highly of the organization and the city.[00:05:45] Cheveldayoff enters the 2026 NHL Draft with seven selections but no second-round pick after acquiring Luke Schenn from Pittsburgh.[00:06:00] Winnipeg owns two seventh-round picks, including one acquired from Buffalo in the Tanner Pearson trade.[00:06:15] The Jets project to have approximately $3.3 million in cap space before the July 1 reset.[00:06:30] Unrestricted free agents include Nyquist, Toews, Colin Miller, Jacob Bryson, and backup goaltender Eric Comrie.[00:06:50] Restricted free agents Cole Perfetti and Isak Rosén represent more important long-term decisions for the organization.[00:07:00] Neil expects Perfetti to be a priority but questions whether Winnipeg will retain Comrie, Toews, or Nyquist.[00:07:20] Cheveldayoff must find a way to add higher-end support players despite the difficulty of convincing free agents to sign in Winnipeg.[00:07:45] The Jets still possess a strong core that includes Scheifele, Hellebuyck, Connor, Josh Morrissey, and Neal Pionk.[00:08:00] Kyle Connor's new eight-year, $12 million-per-season contract provides another major long-term commitment from one of the franchise's top players.[00:08:20] Neil credits Cheveldayoff for successfully keeping several elite players in Winnipeg despite the market's disadvantages.[00:08:40] The episode concludes with a clear offseason priority: improve the team's depth and secondary scoring so the Jets are no longer dependent on one line and one goaltender to carry them back into the playoffs.

Spring Cleaning – Vancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks suffered one of the NHL's sharpest declines, becoming the first team eliminated from playoff contention on March 22. Just two years removed from winning the Pacific Division and pushing Edmonton to seven games in the second round, Vancouver has been torn apart by internal conflict, major trades, coaching uncertainty, and poor performance at home. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine how the Canucks fell so quickly and why their large collection of draft picks may not produce immediate results.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Canucks become the first NHL team eliminated from playoff contention on March 22. Neil and Vic begin by reviewing the expectations entering the season, the reality of Vancouver's collapse, and the enormous amount of work ahead.[00:00:25] Expectations were already low after Vancouver missed the playoffs in four of the previous five seasons. The lone exception came in 2024, when the Canucks won the Pacific Division and reached the second round.[00:00:50] That successful run created optimism that Vancouver had filled several important roster gaps. However, the organization quickly unraveled during the following seasons.[00:01:05] The highly publicized conflict between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson became one of the franchise's biggest problems. Miller was eventually traded in a deal involving Filip Chytil, but the move failed to stabilize the team.[00:01:30] Vancouver also faced uncertainty surrounding Brock Boeser's contract, Thatcher Demko's health, and Rick Tocchet's future behind the bench.[00:01:50] Tocchet ultimately chose to leave Vancouver despite previously winning the Jack Adams Award with the Canucks. He returned to Philadelphia, where he had been a popular player, raising additional questions about what he saw inside the Vancouver organization.[00:02:15] Boeser publicly indicated he would not re-sign with the Canucks, entered free agency, and then surprisingly returned to Vancouver on a new contract.[00:02:35] Kiefer Sherwood emerged as one of Vancouver's better players before being traded to the San Jose Sharks, removing another productive piece from the lineup.[00:02:55] The Canucks then made their biggest move by trading Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild amid concerns that he would not sign another contract in Vancouver.[00:03:20] Neil acknowledges that Vancouver received a respectable return in the Hughes trade, but emphasizes that no package can fully replace a player of his caliber.[00:03:40] Conor Garland, whose energy and competitiveness represented much of Vancouver's identity, was traded to Columbus and went on to play well for Rick Bowness and the Blue Jackets.[00:04:00] Veteran defenseman Tyler Myers was also moved to the Dallas Stars, leaving Vancouver without several recognizable pieces from its recent playoff team.[00:04:20] The Canucks' disastrous home record further illustrates how far the franchise has fallen. A team that appeared to be building momentum two seasons earlier becomes one of the league's biggest disappointments.[00:04:45] Vancouver's notable unrestricted free agents include Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger, and Derek Forbort, creating additional decisions for an already depleted roster.[00:05:05] The Canucks do possess a strong collection of draft capital, entering the 2026 NHL Draft with 10 selections.[00:05:25] Vancouver owns two first-round picks, including its original selection and another acquired through the Quinn Hughes trade.[00:05:45] The organization also holds two second-round picks and three sixth-round selections, giving management several opportunities to add young talent.[00:06:05] Neil believes the draft picks provide a possible foundation for improvement three years from now, but they do very little to solve Vancouver's immediate problems next season.[00:06:30] He explains that modern NHL team-building requires much more than simply accumulating picks and waiting for prospects to develop.[00:06:50] Successful organizations must balance drafting with trades, free-agent signings, player development, and creating an environment where established players want to join and remain with the team.[00:07:15] Neil compares the current NHL with his experience in Detroit during the 1980s, when teams could focus more heavily on collecting draft selections and patiently developing players.[00:07:40] Today's general managers must use draft picks as both future players and trade assets while simultaneously finding experienced talent to support the roster.[00:08:00] The episode concludes with a blunt assessment of Vancouver's direction. The Canucks have draft picks, but Neil does not believe the organization is currently drafting, trading, developing, or attracting players well enough to execute a successful rebuild.

Spring Cleaning – Vegas Golden KnightsThe Vegas Golden Knights captured the Pacific Division title and returned to the Stanley Cup Final, but the biggest story of their offseason wasn't their playoff run—it was the stunning decision to part ways with head coach John Tortorella just 48 hours after losing to the Carolina Hurricanes. Neil Smith and Vic Morren break down one of the NHL's most fascinating organizations, examining Vegas' win-now philosophy, looming salary-cap challenges, lack of draft capital, and what comes next for Kelly McCrimmon and George McPhee.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Golden Knights finish first in the Pacific Division with 95 points before defeating Utah and Anaheim, sweeping Colorado, and advancing to the Stanley Cup Final, where they fall to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games. Just two days later, Vegas shocks the hockey world by moving on from head coach John Tortorella.[00:00:35] Neil reacts to the surprising coaching change. Although the organization publicly praises Tortorella's work, the announcement does not suggest the separation was mutual, leaving many questions about what happened behind the scenes.[00:01:00] Unlike most Spring Cleaning episodes, Neil and Vic shift away from evaluating expectations and immediately focus on the uncertainty surrounding the franchise because the coaching situation overshadows everything else.[00:01:30] Vegas underachieves during the regular season despite boasting a star-studded lineup featuring Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Pavel Dorofeyev, and captain Mark Stone. Bruce Cassidy is replaced late in the year before Tortorella guides the team to a 7-0-1 finish and a deep playoff run.[00:02:15] While the Golden Knights fail to reach the 100-point mark many expected, their run to the Stanley Cup Final ultimately fulfills the organization's championship expectations.[00:02:45] The discussion turns to Kelly McCrimmon and George McPhee. Rather than analyzing player statistics, Neil focuses on the difficult roster decisions awaiting one of the NHL's most aggressive front offices.[00:03:15] Vegas has mortgaged much of its future in pursuit of championships. The organization owns no first-round selections until 2028 and only 14 total draft picks over the next three drafts.[00:03:45] The Golden Knights are projected to become the NHL's oldest team when free agency begins, carrying an average roster age of 31.2 years.[00:04:10] Vegas enters the 2026 NHL Draft with only four selections and no first-round pick after acquiring Noah Hanifin. The club also forfeits its second-round selection following an organizational media violation during the playoffs and no longer owns its fourth-round pick after acquiring Anthony Mantha.[00:04:50] Salary-cap flexibility is limited, with approximately $4.6 million in projected space. However, the Golden Knights could gain nearly $9 million more if Alex Pietrangelo remains on long-term injured reserve.[00:05:20] Neil explains the long-term risk of Vegas' aggressive "win-now" strategy. Every contender eventually pays the price for trading away future assets, just as the Rangers did several years after winning the Stanley Cup in 1994.[00:05:50] Even with Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and young sniper Pavel Dorofeyev leading the offense, Neil stresses that three elite players alone cannot sustain a championship-caliber roster without continually replenishing talent.[00:06:20] Vegas' unrestricted free agents include Riley Smith, Cole Smith, Colton Sissons, Brandon Saad, Rasmus Andersson, Ben Hutton, Jeremy Lauzon, and Dylan Coghlan. Neil believes Andersson deserves another opportunity after an underwhelming but steady postseason.[00:07:10] Riley Smith and Jeremy Lauzon are also viewed as valuable pieces worth retaining if possible, while Vegas continues evaluating its veteran depth.[00:07:35] Restricted free agent Pavel Dorofeyev becomes the organization's top priority. Reports suggest he could receive a significant offer sheet, potentially forcing Vegas into one of the offseason's biggest contract negotiations.[00:08:10] Neil does not believe the Golden Knights will allow another team to steal Dorofeyev. Based on Vegas' history, he expects McCrimmon to match almost any offer necessary to keep one of the organization's young offensive stars.[00:08:45] Vic raises the possibility of accepting four first-round picks if Dorofeyev receives an offer sheet exceeding the highest compensation threshold. Neil rejects the idea, believing Vegas will continue operating aggressively rather than beginning a rebuild.[00:09:30] With the salary cap increasing significantly over the next two seasons, Neil expects Vegas to navigate the current financial squeeze before continuing its familiar strategy of chasing championships every year.[00:10:00] The search for a new head coach becomes the organization's biggest immediate priority. Henderson AHL coach Ryan Craig has been mentioned, but Neil questions whether Vegas would suddenly change philosophies after consistently hiring experienced NHL coaches.[00:10:40] Neil believes Kelly McCrimmon and George McPhee will once again pursue a proven veteran capable of managing expectations, pushing an experienced roster, and keeping the Golden Knights among the NHL's elite. Winning immediately—not developing for the future—remains the Vegas Golden Knights' identity.

Spring Cleaning – Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs entered the 2025-26 season coming off a 108-point, first-place finish, but the loss of Mitch Marner, injuries, internal tension, and disappointing roster decisions sent the franchise in the opposite direction. Toronto missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016, leading to the dismissal of General Manager Brad Treliving and serious questions about Craig Berube's future. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine how the Maple Leafs' championship window slammed shut and why fixing the organization may take much longer than one offseason.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Maple Leafs are eliminated from playoff contention on April 2 after entering the season with high expectations following a 108-point campaign and a first-place finish in 2024-25.[00:00:25] The offseason trade of Mitch Marner creates an enormous offensive void. Toronto hopes Matthew Knies, Max Domi, Bobby McMann, and Nick Robertson can collectively replace Marner's production, but that offense-by-committee approach never develops.[00:00:50] Neil revisits his preseason concerns about the return for Marner and the overall construction of the roster. Even before the season began, he did not believe the Leafs were properly built for a deep playoff run.[00:01:10] Brad Treliving ultimately pays the price for the team's collapse. Neil emphasizes that Marner's value went far beyond his 100-point production because he was also one of Toronto's most dependable defensive forwards.[00:01:35] Auston Matthews' knee injury becomes another devastating setback. The Maple Leafs captain misses the final weeks of the season and faces a lengthy recovery following an injury suffered after leading the United States to Olympic gold.[00:02:00] Internal dysfunction contributes to the disappointing season. Neil points to tension between the coaching staff and management, along with widespread dissatisfaction over the direction of the team.[00:02:20] Craig Berube's coaching also comes under scrutiny. With Toronto missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade, questions immediately arise about whether he will return behind the bench.[00:02:40] The difficult relationship between Berube and William Nylander becomes one of the season's recurring storylines, with the two appearing to clash throughout much of the year.[00:03:00] Keith Pelley's role in hockey decisions is heavily criticized. Although Pelley insists he is not making the hockey decisions, Neil believes his public comments suggest otherwise.[00:03:25] Neil describes Pelley's leadership as “Buffoonery 101,” criticizing his statements about finding a data-focused general manager while simultaneously presenting opinions about the quality of Toronto's core.[00:03:50] Since taking control, Pelley has dismissed Brendan Shanahan, moved on from the Raptors' leadership, and remained highly visible as the Leafs' hockey operation deteriorated.[00:04:10] The next general manager inherits a deeply complicated situation. Toronto owns only six selections in the 2026 NHL Draft and has no picks in either of the first two rounds.[00:04:30] The Maple Leafs add an extra third-round selection through the Scott Laughton trade with Los Angeles and acquire another pick from Colorado in the Nicolas Roy deal.[00:04:50] Neil points out that the practical return from the Mitch Marner situation amounts to a fifth-round draft pick, a result he considers a major failure by the organization.[00:05:10] Toronto previously surrendered first-round picks in trades involving Laughton and Nikita Grebenkin, leaving the franchise with very little high-end draft capital returning in the other direction.[00:05:30] Many of the acquired selections do not arrive until 2027. If Colorado remains a contender, its pick will likely fall near the bottom of the round, while the picks Toronto traded away could become more valuable if the Leafs continue to struggle.[00:05:55] Neil expresses sympathy for Maple Leafs fans who have endured decades of disappointment. He believes the situation may become even more difficult before the franchise begins to recover.[00:06:15] Calle Järnkrok and Troy Stecher headline Toronto's unrestricted free agents, while Nick Robertson and Matias Maccelli are the notable restricted free agents requiring new contracts.[00:06:35] The episode concludes with a bleak assessment of Toronto's future. What once appeared to be one of the NHL's strongest championship windows now looks completely closed.[00:06:50] Neil does not simply believe the window is closing—he believes it has been slammed shut. The Maple Leafs now face a difficult organizational reset involving the front office, coaching staff, roster construction, and long-term direction.

Spring Cleaning – Utah MammothThe Utah Mammoth took a major step forward during the 2025-26 season, qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in only their second year in Salt Lake City. Led by Clayton Keller and an exciting young core, Utah earned the first Wild Card position in the Western Conference before falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine the franchise's progress, its impressive depth, the areas that still need improvement, and why Utah could soon challenge for a top-three position in its division.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Mammoth qualify for the playoffs as the Western Conference's first Wild Card team. It marks the first postseason appearance for the Arizona-Utah franchise since the 2020 bubble and its first traditional playoff berth since 2012.[00:00:25] Utah gives a strong account of itself in the opening round before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. Neil sees the Mammoth as a young, exciting team that has made meaningful progress.[00:00:45] Captain Clayton Keller leads a talented young foundation. After entering the season expected to challenge for a Wild Card berth, Utah does more than simply knock on the door and successfully earns a playoff position.[00:01:00] Vic looks back at the franchise's final season in Arizona, when the team remained competitive through roughly 45 games before news of the relocation contributed to an 0-12-2 collapse.[00:01:25] The move to Salt Lake City provides stability, but Utah remains inconsistent at home. The Mammoth post a .537 winning percentage at the Delta Center, tied for 22nd in the NHL.[00:01:50] Keller is joined by Dylan Guenther, Nick Schmaltz, and Logan Cooley as the centerpiece of the offense. Utah also strengthens the lineup by acquiring J.J. Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres.[00:02:10] The defense features Mikhail Sergachev, Ian Cole, John Marino, and Sean Durzi. Utah also signs Nate Schmidt following his Stanley Cup-winning season with the Florida Panthers.[00:02:30] Karel Vejmelka provides dependable goaltending, but Neil believes the Mammoth need another strong option in net with Vitek Vanecek approaching unrestricted free agency.[00:02:50] Statistically, Utah improves by only three standings points from the previous season. However, its goal differential jumps from minus-10 to plus-28, showing a much stronger overall team.[00:03:15] The Mammoth improve from 17th to 12th in goals against, although their goals-against average and save percentage remain similar. Their special teams rankings also decline despite the playoff qualification.[00:03:35] Utah makes an important late-season acquisition by adding defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames, further strengthening an already capable blue line.[00:03:55] Much of Utah's improvement comes from deeper in the lineup. Lawson Crouse matches a career high with 24 goals and finishes with a career-best plus-20 rating.[00:04:15] Michael Carcone scores 16 goals and records a career-high 31 points. Kailer Yamamoto becomes increasingly important late in the year and contributes five points in the playoff series against Vegas.[00:04:35] Kevin Stenlund, Alex Kerfoot, Jack McBain, and Brandon Tanev give André Tourigny four dependable forward lines. That depth allows Utah to remain competitive even when its stars are not producing.[00:04:55] Neil cautions that the Western Conference was weaker than the East, making the playoff path somewhat easier. Utah will need further improvement to guarantee another postseason appearance.[00:05:15] Compared with Nashville, Los Angeles, San Jose, Anaheim, St. Louis, and Winnipeg, Utah appears to maintain a small but consistent edge throughout the season.[00:05:35] The Mammoth avoid the extended winning and losing streaks that define many other teams. Their consistency from October through April becomes one of their greatest strengths.[00:05:55] General Manager Bill Armstrong enters the 2026 NHL Draft with seven selections, including two third-round picks and two fifth-round picks.[00:06:15] Utah does not own a second-round pick after including it in the MacKenzie Weegar trade. The organization also lacks a sixth-round selection following a previous pick swap with Nashville.[00:06:35] The Mammoth project to have approximately $5.5 million in cap space before the July 1 reset. Neil believes Salt Lake City has also become a more attractive destination for NHL players.[00:06:55] Unrestricted free agents include Alex Kerfoot, Kevin Stenlund, Kevin Rooney, Kailer Yamamoto, Ian Cole, Nick DeSimone, and Vitek Vanecek. Barrett Hayton is the team's lone restricted free agent.[00:07:15] Neil identifies Kerfoot as the unrestricted free agent Utah should prioritize retaining. Armstrong must then determine how to replace any veterans who leave during the offseason.[00:07:35] Compared with many teams featured in Spring Cleaning, Utah does not require a major overhaul. The roster already has a strong foundation and primarily needs additional depth and goaltending support.[00:07:55] Neil believes the Mammoth remain a few years away from becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. However, their playoff experience and young core could allow them to challenge for a top-three position in the division as soon as next season.

Spring Cleaning – Seattle KrakenThe Seattle Kraken entered the 2025-26 season with modest expectations and once again fell short of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite an encouraging start and stretches of strong play, extended losing streaks, inconsistent offense, and limited development from several young forwards kept Seattle stuck in the middle of the Western Conference. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine the front-office transition from Ron Francis to Jason Botterill, the organization's revolving door behind the bench, and why the Kraken may still be several years away from becoming a true contender.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Kraken are eliminated from playoff contention on April 11 after missing the postseason for the fourth time in their first five NHL seasons. Seattle's only playoff appearance remains its surprising second-year run to Game 7 of the second round.[00:00:25] Lane Lambert completes his first season behind the Seattle bench after replacing Dan Bylsma. The Kraken entered the year hoping offseason additions could provide more stability and help the club move closer to a Wild Card position.[00:00:45] Mason Marchment, Ryan Lindgren, and Frederik Gaudreau were among the veterans added to strengthen the roster, although Marchment was later traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.[00:01:00] Seattle begins the season with an encouraging 11-5-5 record. The goaltending tandem of Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord also performs better than expected and gives the team a chance to compete early.[00:01:20] The positive start quickly disappears during a damaging 1-9-1 stretch between mid-November and mid-December. Although Seattle responds with an 8-0-2 run, the club never finds lasting consistency.[00:01:40] The Kraken suffer at least three consecutive regulation losses on six separate occasions. Those repeated slides prevent the team from building momentum or remaining firmly involved in the playoff race.[00:02:00] Scoring remains one of Seattle's biggest weaknesses. The Kraken finish among the NHL's lowest-scoring teams and fail to receive the expected growth from several important forwards.[00:02:20] Jared McCann has not replicated the 40-goal season he produced in 2022-23. Matty Beniers appears to have settled into the range of a 50-point player rather than developing into a dominant first-line center.[00:02:40] Shane Wright also continues to fall short of expectations attached to his high draft position. His limited progress becomes another major concern for an organization that needs its young players to drive the next stage of growth.[00:03:00] The conversation turns to Seattle's leadership transition. Ron Francis, the franchise's original general manager, is departing after previously moving into the role of team president.[00:03:20] Jason Botterill now assumes complete control of hockey operations. Neil questions the organization's direction and notes that Botterill's previous tenure as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres produced mixed results.[00:03:45] Seattle's constant coaching changes also come under scrutiny. The franchise has moved from Dave Hakstol to Dan Bylsma and now Lane Lambert, yet no coach has been able to create sustained success.[00:04:10] The Kraken's lone breakthrough came during their second season, when they defeated the defending champion Colorado Avalanche before pushing the Dallas Stars to seven games in the second round.[00:04:30] Botterill enters the 2026 NHL Draft with eight selections, including two first-round picks. Seattle owns its original selection and the pick acquired from Tampa Bay in the Oliver Bjorkstrand trade.[00:04:50] The Kraken also hold multiple selections in the fourth and seventh rounds, giving the organization additional opportunities to strengthen a prospect system that must produce more impact players.[00:05:10] Seattle projects to have approximately $4.3 million in cap space. That provides some flexibility, but likely not enough to completely reshape the roster through free agency.[00:05:30] Unrestricted free agents include Jaden Schwartz, Eeli Tolvanen, trade-deadline acquisition Bobby McMann, and original Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.[00:05:55] Vic does not expect Seattle to be significantly better next season. The Kraken may not be a bottom-tier team, but the roster currently appears trapped between rebuilding and legitimate playoff contention.[00:06:20] Neil believes Seattle will remain around the Wild Card conversation, but major offseason work is required to move the organization higher in the standings.[00:06:40] The episode concludes with uncertainty surrounding the Kraken's immediate future. With a new decision-maker, another head coach, limited scoring, and several unresolved roster questions, Seattle must establish a clear organizational direction before it can become a consistent playoff team.

Spring Cleaning – Tampa Bay LightningThe Tampa Bay Lightning remain one of the NHL's model organizations, but another first-round playoff exit raises serious questions about whether their championship window is beginning to close. After finishing second in the Atlantic Division, Tampa Bay lost a tightly contested seven-game series to the Montreal Canadiens, marking a fourth consecutive opening-round elimination. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine the Lightning's regular-season excellence, postseason scoring problems, major injury challenges, and the difficult decisions awaiting General Manager Julien BriseBois.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Lightning finish second in the Atlantic Division before losing to Montreal in seven games during the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It becomes Tampa Bay's fourth straight first-round defeat since reaching the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.[00:00:30] Despite the playoff disappointment, Neil emphasizes the extraordinary consistency of the organization. Since winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup in 2021, the Lightning have averaged more than 102 standings points per season.[00:01:00] Jon Cooper continues to get strong results regardless of injuries or roster limitations. Even when key players are unavailable, Cooper consistently finds combinations that allow Tampa Bay to remain competitive.[00:01:30] Nikita Kucherov delivers another elite regular season, recording his fourth consecutive 100-point campaign and the sixth of his career. His production keeps Tampa Bay among the NHL's most dangerous offensive teams.[00:01:50] Jake Guentzel reaches the 30-goal mark for the sixth time in his career while setting a personal best with 88 points. Brandon Hagel also produces a career season with 36 goals and a plus-34 rating.[00:02:10] Defenseman Darren Raddysh provides one of the season's biggest surprises, finishing with 22 goals, 48 assists, and 70 points while posting a plus-21 rating. His breakout season positions him for a significant contract as an unrestricted free agent.[00:02:30] Brayden Point experiences a major decline in goal production. After previously scoring 51, 46, and 42 goals, he finishes with only 18 while missing 19 games due to injury.[00:02:50] Injuries become a defining part of Tampa Bay's season, with the club losing 339 man-games. Victor Hedman appears in only 33 games because of injuries and a leave of absence to focus on his mental health.[00:03:10] Ryan McDonagh, Emil Lilleberg, and Erik Cernak also miss significant time, often leaving the Lightning without multiple regular defensemen simultaneously.[00:03:30] Neil believes Cooper deserves serious consideration for his first Jack Adams Award. He compares Cooper's candidacy with Dan Muse in Pittsburgh and Lindy Ruff in Buffalo.[00:04:00] While the regular-season product remains excellent, the Lightning's postseason results reveal a troubling trend. Tampa Bay has now failed to advance beyond the first round in four consecutive seasons.[00:04:25] Tampa Bay scores only 15 goals during its seven-game series against Montreal. Because nearly every game remains within one goal, a single additional offensive play could have changed the outcome.[00:04:45] Brandon Hagel leads the Lightning with six playoff goals, but the rest of the offense struggles. Jake Guentzel and Dominic James finish with two goals each, while Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov score only once apiece.[00:05:05] Kucherov's postseason production becomes a major concern. Despite his regular-season brilliance, he has scored only two goals across his last 22 playoff games over four seasons.[00:05:30] Corey Perry and Nick Paul also fail to provide the secondary scoring Tampa Bay needs. Neil believes the Lightning occasionally become too focused on making the perfect play instead of creating simpler scoring opportunities.[00:05:50] Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobeš delivers an outstanding performance in Game 7, helping the Canadiens survive despite Tampa Bay controlling much of the play.[00:06:15] Andrei Vasilevskiy forces the deciding game with a 1-0 shutout in Game 6, although he faces only nine shots. In Game 7, Alex Newhook scores the series-winning goal on a puck that caroms off Vasilevskiy after being played from behind the net.[00:06:45] Attention shifts to Julien BriseBois and the offseason ahead. Tampa Bay owns six selections in the 2026 NHL Draft but does not have a first-round pick after trading it to Seattle in the Oliver Bjorkstrand deal.[00:07:10] The Lightning also lack a fourth-round selection and enter the offseason slightly above the projected salary cap before the July 1 reset.[00:07:30] Unrestricted free agents include Oliver Bjorkstrand, Corey Perry, Mitchell Chaffee, Scott Sabourin, Darren Raddysh, and Declan Carlile. The Lightning have no restricted free agents requiring new contracts.[00:07:50] Several members of the core remain signed through the 2029-30 season, including Guentzel, Point, Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, Cernak, and J.J. Moser.[00:08:10] Nikita Kucherov becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency after the following season. With Kucherov, Point, and Vasilevskiy currently carrying team-high salaries of $9.5 million, BriseBois may soon need to open the vault to retain his superstar.[00:08:35] The Lightning are also becoming one of the NHL's older teams. Neil believes their win-now window remains open, but the organization must acknowledge that its championship core cannot remain at the top forever.[00:09:00] Tampa Bay's limited draft capital and consistently low draft position have weakened the prospect pipeline. That makes it difficult to replace aging veterans with inexpensive young players.[00:09:30] Neil concludes that free agency may be Tampa Bay's most realistic path for supplementing the roster in the immediate future. Until the Lightning rebuild their collection of draft picks and prospects, BriseBois must continue using creative trades and veteran signings to keep the team among the NHL's contenders.

Spring Cleaning – St. Louis BluesThe St. Louis Blues entered the 2025-26 season expecting to build on their surprising late-season surge under Jim Montgomery, but instead fell well short of a playoff berth. Offensive regression, inconsistent goaltending, and prolonged losing streaks prevented the Blues from challenging for a Wild Card position. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine what went wrong, the transition from Doug Armstrong to Alex Steen in the front office, and how St. Louis can use an impressive collection of draft picks to begin its next chapter.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Blues are eliminated from playoff contention on April 11 after entering the season with realistic hopes of earning a Wild Card berth. Following their strong finish in 2024-25 under Jim Montgomery, expectations were considerably higher than the previous year.[00:00:30] St. Louis never finds sustained consistency. Losing streaks of 1-6-2 and 1-8-1 derail the season, accounting for nearly one-quarter of the schedule and making it difficult to recover in a competitive Western Conference.[00:00:50] Offensive production falls well below expectations. The Blues fail to produce a single 25-goal scorer, while injuries contribute to declines from Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, leaving the offense without a consistent finishing touch.[00:01:10] Goaltending also becomes a concern. Jordan Binnington struggles throughout much of the season, forcing Jim Montgomery to rely more heavily on Joel Hofer down the stretch as St. Louis searches for answers in net.[00:01:30] Neil explains that the Blues never truly challenged the Utah Mammoth for the final playoff position despite preseason expectations that the two clubs would battle throughout the year. Instead, Utah clearly separated itself while St. Louis remained near the bottom of the standings.[00:01:45] Attention turns to the future as Alex Steen prepares to officially replace longtime General Manager Doug Armstrong on July 1. After spending two years preparing for the role, Steen now inherits responsibility for reshaping the franchise.[00:02:00] The Blues possess one of the strongest collections of draft assets in the league, entering the 2026 NHL Draft with 12 selections, including three first-round picks and three third-round picks acquired through previous trades.[00:02:30] Although St. Louis lacks a second-round selection, the organization also owns multiple fourth- and fifth-round picks, giving Alex Steen significant flexibility to either build through the draft or pursue trades.[00:02:45] Salary-cap flexibility remains limited, with the Blues projected to have only about $1.84 million in available space before the July 1 reset. That leaves little room for major free-agent additions.[00:03:00] Oscar Sundqvist headlines the unrestricted free agent class, while restricted free agents Jonathan Berggren, Matt Kessel, and Dylan Holloway become much higher priorities for the organization.[00:03:20] Neil points to Holloway as one of the club's most important offseason decisions after arriving via offer sheet. While another offer sheet remains possible in theory, Neil believes St. Louis will make retaining the young forward a top priority.[00:03:40] Looking at the roster from a broader perspective, Neil questions whether the Blues are close enough to contend or whether a more significant rebuild is necessary. He believes simply making minor adjustments may not be enough to return to the playoffs.[00:04:00] Jordan Binnington becomes one potential trade candidate. Neil wonders whether another organization would be interested in acquiring the Stanley Cup-winning goaltender, whose international success may still make him attractive despite an inconsistent NHL season.[00:04:30] Alex Steen now faces difficult decisions about which veterans remain part of the organization's future. Moving established players could accelerate the transition to a younger core while creating additional salary-cap flexibility.[00:04:50] Despite holding a wealth of draft picks, Neil cautions against trading too many of them away. Those selections represent one of the franchise's greatest long-term assets and must be used wisely to strengthen the organization.[00:05:00] The episode concludes with Neil emphasizing that modern NHL general managers must treat draft picks as both future players and valuable trade currency. For Alex Steen, successfully balancing those two approaches will determine how quickly the St. Louis Blues can return to playoff contention.

Spring Cleaning – San Jose SharksThe San Jose Sharks took one of the NHL's biggest steps forward during the 2025-26 season, narrowly missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs after exceeding nearly every preseason expectation. Fueled by the emergence of superstar Macklin Celebrini and a growing collection of young talent, the Sharks became one of the league's most exciting offensive teams. Neil Smith and Vic Morren break down San Jose's rapid progress, the defensive issues that still need attention, and why General Manager Mike Grier may have one of the brightest futures in the NHL.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Sharks are eliminated on April 13 after making an unexpected push toward the playoffs. Neil and Vic revisit their preseason expectations, when both believed San Jose was still another year away from serious contention despite an active offseason by General Manager Mike Grier.[00:00:35] Macklin Celebrini emerges as the driving force behind the Sharks' remarkable improvement. The young superstar explodes from 63 points as a rookie to 115 points in his second NHL season while improving his plus-minus from minus-31 to plus-eight.[00:01:00] Will Smith continues his development with 58 points despite playing fewer games than the previous season. Michael Misa also shows tremendous promise, while Kiefer Sherwood earns a five-year contract extension after arriving from Vancouver.[00:01:20] Veterans Tyler Toffoli, William Eklund, and Alexander Wennberg provide stability alongside the Sharks' young core, helping San Jose become a far more competitive team throughout the season.[00:01:45] Neil admits no one could have predicted Celebrini's meteoric rise, which included becoming an important contributor for Team Canada at the Winter Olympics. His development dramatically accelerates San Jose's rebuild.[00:02:00] Additional young forwards Pavel Regenda, Igor Chernyshov, and Michael Misa each contribute offensively, giving the Sharks an even deeper pipeline of emerging talent expected to improve in the coming years.[00:02:20] Team-wide improvements are significant. San Jose finishes 34 points better in the standings, improves its goal differential from minus-105 to minus-41, and scores 41 more goals than it did the previous season.[00:02:50] While the offense flourishes, major defensive concerns remain. The Sharks improve their power play to the middle of the NHL rankings, but the goals-against average and penalty kill remain among the league's weakest.[00:03:20] Neil credits the offensive explosion almost entirely to Celebrini's impact while emphasizing that Ryan Warsofsky's next challenge is transforming the Sharks into a stronger defensive hockey club.[00:03:45] Looking ahead, Mike Grier enters the 2026 NHL Draft with eight selections, including two first-round picks—one acquired from Edmonton in the Jake Walman trade—and two fourth-round selections accumulated through previous deals.[00:04:30] The discussion reviews the complicated series of trades that reshaped San Jose's draft capital, illustrating how Grier has continued collecting assets while rebuilding the organization.[00:05:00] The Sharks project to have minimal cap space before the July 1 reset, largely because they absorbed Carey Price's contract from Montreal to help reach the NHL salary floor while acquiring additional assets in return.[00:05:30] Neil explains why rebuilding teams often take on long-term contracts from other organizations, using available cap space to collect draft picks and prospects while remaining compliant with league salary requirements.[00:06:00] Logan Couture's retirement, Marc-Edouard Vlasic's buyout, Martin Jones' buyout, and retained salary from the Erik Karlsson and Tomáš Hertl trades continue to affect San Jose's salary structure, though much of that financial picture improves after July 1.[00:06:45] A large portion of the Sharks' defense enters free agency. Ryan Reaves, Pavel Regenda, John Klingberg, Nick Leddy, Mario Ferraro, and Vincent Desharnais headline the unrestricted free agent class, making defense Mike Grier's top offseason priority.[00:07:20] Restricted free agents Colin Graf, Philipp Kurashev, Zack Ostapchuk, and defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin also require new contracts. Neil expects Mukhamadullin to continue developing into an important piece of San Jose's blue line.[00:07:50] Neil also looks ahead to the following offseason, when Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith become restricted free agents. Celebrini is expected to command a franchise-changing contract, with Smith likely following shortly afterward.[00:08:10] Comparing the pair to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton, Neil believes Celebrini and Smith represent the foundation of San Jose's next era. With elite young talent already in place, the Sharks now turn their focus toward building a defense capable of supporting what could become one of the NHL's most dynamic teams.

Spring Cleaning – Philadelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers made a surprising return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026, finishing third in the Metropolitan Division and reaching the postseason for the first time since the 2020 bubble. After defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games, Philadelphia was swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine Rick Tocchet's impact, the late-season surge that changed the Flyers' trajectory, and the offseason decisions facing Danny Brière and Keith Jones as the organization attempts to build on a major step forward.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Flyers complete a surprise playoff run after finishing third in the Metropolitan Division. Philadelphia defeats Pittsburgh in the opening round before Carolina ends the season with a four-game sweep.[00:00:40] Neil and Vic revisit the modest expectations surrounding the Flyers entering the season. While few predicted a playoff berth, Neil believed Philadelphia could remain in the Wild Card race if Rick Tocchet could get the roster to overachieve.[00:01:20] The Flyers' young foundation already included Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, Jamie Drysdale, and Cam York. Veterans Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Travis Sanheim provided leadership, while Trevor Zegras, Christian Dvorak, and Dan Vladař were added during the offseason.[00:02:00] Tocchet receives significant credit for producing immediate results. Zegras finds new life after leaving Anaheim, while Vladař stabilizes a goaltending position that has troubled the Flyers for years.[00:02:40] Owen Tippett's injury after the first round becomes a major loss against Carolina. Neil reflects on how Tippett developed into an important return from the trade that sent longtime captain Claude Giroux to Florida.[00:03:15] On February 26, the Flyers sit four games above .500 and eight points outside the final Wild Card position. Philadelphia responds with an 18-6-1 finish, including multiple five-game winning streaks, to force its way into the playoffs.[00:04:00] The late-season surge reveals a clear identity. The Flyers become difficult to play against in every zone, applying pressure on the forecheck, maintaining tighter defensive gaps, and fully embracing Tocchet's demanding system.[00:04:30] Neil compares the team's style to the traditional Philadelphia identity of physical, relentless hockey. Opponents once again understand that playing the Flyers will require a difficult, exhausting night.[00:05:00] Philadelphia's first-round victory over Pittsburgh becomes a defining achievement. The Flyers eliminate a Penguins team led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson before running into a deeper and more experienced Carolina club.[00:05:30] Dan Vladař emerges as the clear number-one goaltender, with Samuel Ersson serving as the backup. Ivan Fedotov is traded to Columbus before the season, ending another uncertain chapter in Philadelphia's ongoing search for stability in net.[00:06:00] Rasmus Ristolainen misses much of the first half while recovering from triceps surgery. The Flyers also receive a major late-season boost from Porter Martone, who produces 10 points in his first nine NHL games.[00:06:30] Despite the team's progress, the power play remains the NHL's worst for another season. The relationship between Tocchet and Matvei Michkov also becomes a concern after the young forward is scratched twice during the playoffs.[00:07:00] Neil questions how Philadelphia handled Michkov's arrival, arguing that the organization presented him as a franchise savior before he had earned that status. Both John Tortorella and Tocchet have since challenged his defensive play and willingness to follow the team's structure.[00:08:00] Michkov remains one year away from restricted free agency. Neil believes the Flyers are unlikely to trade him immediately, but his future could become uncertain if his relationship with the coaching staff does not improve before his next contract.[00:08:30] Philadelphia still lacks a true game-breaking scorer and goes a second consecutive season without a 30-goal player. However, the organization's prospect pipeline includes Martone, Denver Barkey, Alex Bump, Nikita Grebenkin, Jett Luchanko, and Oliver Bonk.[00:09:00] The Flyers enter the 2026 NHL Draft with only five selections and no picks in the fourth or fifth rounds. They project to have more than $7 million in cap space before the July 1 reset.[00:09:30] Unrestricted free agents include Carl Grundström, Rodrigo Ābols, Luke Glendening, and Noah Juulsen. Restricted free agents include Zegras, Grebenkin, Drysdale, Emil Andrae, and Ersson.[00:10:00] Neil identifies Zegras and Drysdale as the two most important players to re-sign. The organization must also continue adding young talent through the draft and determine which depth veterans still fit Tocchet's system.[00:10:30] With available cap space and a suddenly more attractive competitive environment, Neil expects the Flyers to pursue at least one meaningful free agent who can improve the current roster without compromising the long-term plan.[00:11:00] The episode concludes with optimism surrounding Philadelphia's direction. The Flyers now possess a defined identity, a respected head coach, a reliable starting goaltender, and an improving young core that has made the franchise an appealing destination once again.

Spring Cleaning – Pittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins entered the 2025-26 season with low expectations, an unproven head coach, and widespread speculation that the franchise might finally begin dismantling its aging core. Instead, rookie head coach Dan Muse engineered one of the NHL's biggest surprises, guiding Pittsburgh to a second-place finish in the Metropolitan Division before a first-round loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Neil Smith and Vic Morren revisit how badly they underestimated the Penguins, the remarkable resurgence of Erik Karlsson, and the difficult offseason decisions now facing General Manager Kyle Dubas.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Penguins finish second in the Metropolitan Division before being eliminated by Philadelphia in the opening round. Neil and Vic revisit the extremely low expectations surrounding Pittsburgh entering the season under first-year head coach Dan Muse.[00:00:40] Questions existed about whether Sidney Crosby would remain with the team through the trade deadline, whether Erik Karlsson would be dealt, and whether the collection of veteran depth additions could keep Pittsburgh competitive.[00:01:00] Dan Muse exceeds every expectation and quickly gets the roster to buy into his system. Pittsburgh becomes a more difficult, responsible, and consistent team than it had been the previous season.[00:01:20] Erik Karlsson's transformation becomes one of Muse's greatest accomplishments. After a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, Karlsson plays responsibly at both ends of the ice and reestablishes himself as a major contributor.[00:01:45] Neil and Vic admit they completely misjudged the Penguins during their preseason analysis. Muse becomes a Jack Adams Award finalist after leading a team expected to miss the playoffs to one of the strongest records in the Metropolitan Division.[00:02:00] Pittsburgh improves dramatically on offense, increasing its goal total from 243 to 293. The club's goal differential rises by 75 goals, moving from minus-50 to plus-25.[00:02:20] The Penguins receive scoring throughout the lineup, with 12 players reaching double digits in goals and five surpassing 20. Anthony Mantha delivers a career-best season after signing a one-year contract.[00:02:45] Yegor Chinakhov scores 21 goals after arriving from Columbus, while Justin Brazeau, Connor Dewar, Tommy Novak, and Noel Acciari all contribute career-best or near-career-best production.[00:03:00] Karlsson improves from 53 points and a minus-24 rating to 66 points and a plus-eight. Rookie Ben Kindel also makes an immediate impact with 17 goals and 35 points in 77 games.[00:03:30] The coaching comparison becomes impossible to ignore. Mike Sullivan leaves Pittsburgh for the New York Rangers, while Muse departs the Rangers' staff and immediately delivers a far more successful season with the Penguins.[00:04:00] Pittsburgh also makes major defensive progress. Its goals-against average drops from 3.46 to 3.09, supported by improved structure and a productive overhaul in goal.[00:04:20] The trade sending Tristan Jarry to Edmonton for Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak becomes one of the season's most successful moves. Pittsburgh escapes Jarry's long-term contract while adding a more dependable starting goaltender.[00:04:45] Kulak is later moved to Colorado for Samuel Girard, giving the Penguins another useful defenseman. Artūrs Šilovs also provides reliable goaltending depth behind Skinner.[00:05:30] Neil explains why the season felt almost like a championship for Pittsburgh when compared to the expectations entering the year. Nearly every major move worked, and several veterans delivered unexpected career seasons.[00:06:00] The offseason presents a complicated challenge for Kyle Dubas. Pittsburgh enters the 2026 NHL Draft with five selections, including two second-round picks, but no choices in the fourth, fifth, or seventh rounds.[00:06:30] The Penguins project to have approximately $10.2 million in salary-cap space before the July 1 reset. Their unrestricted free agents include Evgeni Malkin, Kevin Hayes, Anthony Mantha, Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar, Connor Clifton, Ryan Shea, Ilya Solovyov, and Stuart Skinner.[00:07:00] Restricted free agents Yegor Chinakhov and Artūrs Šilovs also need new contracts. Neil expects a busy summer with the possibility of significant turnover if Dubas cannot retain several of the players who helped drive this year's success.[00:07:20] Malkin wants to return, and Crosby has publicly expressed support for keeping his longtime teammate. Mantha's career year creates a more difficult decision because another team may offer him a larger contract in free agency.[00:08:00] The Penguins' unique challenge is that they are still building around one of the NHL's oldest cores. Malkin turns 40, Crosby turns 39, Kris Letang is already 39, Erik Karlsson turns 36, and Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell are also well into their 30s.[00:08:40] Neil and Vic compare Pittsburgh's position to the previous season's Washington Capitals. Washington received career years from multiple veterans before injuries and regression caused the team to miss the playoffs one year later.[00:09:00] The Penguins could face the same danger if their older stars decline and the supporting players cannot repeat their career seasons. Pittsburgh must continue adding younger talent rather than assuming this year's formula will work again.[00:09:30] Dan Muse receives enormous credit for creating belief, accountability, and structure throughout the lineup. His ability to get the players to buy into his approach becomes the defining reason behind Pittsburgh's unexpected success.[00:10:00] The episode concludes with Neil and Vic admitting their preseason prediction was completely wrong. The Penguins earn an A-plus for the season, but sustaining that success will require a smart, aggressive, and carefully managed offseason.

Spring Cleaning – New York RangersThe New York Rangers entered the 2025-26 season with modest expectations under first-year head coach Mike Sullivan, but even a Wild Card berth proved well beyond their reach. A season defined by offensive struggles, major trades, and an aggressive roster teardown ended with the Rangers eliminated on March 25. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine the dismantling of a team that reached the Eastern Conference Final only two years earlier, the young players receiving late-season opportunities, and the long rebuild now facing General Manager Chris Drury.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Rangers are eliminated from playoff contention on March 25 after entering the season as a possible Wild Card team. Neil and Vic revisit their preseason belief that New York would need to overachieve under Mike Sullivan to remain in the playoff race.[00:00:40] Neil's preseason warning to “bring a program” proves accurate as the roster becomes increasingly unrecognizable. By the final weeks, the Rangers are relying heavily on Hartford call-ups, college signings, and inexperienced players auditioning for future roles.[00:01:00] New York's offensive problems surface immediately. The Rangers are shut out by Pittsburgh on opening night and fail to score in each of their first three home games before finally breaking through in their fourth appearance at Madison Square Garden.[00:01:30] The dismantling continues after the offseason departures of K'Andre Miller and Chris Kreider. Artemi Panarin is later traded to the Los Angeles Kings, further removing proven scoring from a team already struggling to generate offense.[00:02:00] Neil explains that the returns for those veteran players may eventually benefit the organization through prospects and draft picks, but they provide almost no immediate help during the 2025-26 season.[00:02:20] The Rangers eventually discover a productive late-season line featuring Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafrenière, and Gabe Perreault. Zibanejad delivers a strong bounce-back season, Lafrenière improves, and Perreault emerges as one of the organization's more promising young forwards.[00:02:45] Other prospects receive extended opportunities, including Noah Laba, Adam Sýkora, Drew Fortescue, and goaltender Dylan Garand. Their improved play provides some optimism, but Neil cautions against overvaluing performances after the team has already been eliminated.[00:03:00] Neil calls the late-season surge a mirage. With no playoff pressure and young players desperate to prove themselves, the final games resemble preseason auditions more than meaningful evidence of what the Rangers will become next year.[00:03:30] Attention turns to the unrestricted free agents, including Jonny Brodzinski, Conor Sheary, and veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick, who may retire after the season.[00:03:50] Restricted free agents Braden Schneider, Vincent Iorio, and Dylan Garand represent more important decisions for Chris Drury as the organization begins identifying which younger players belong in the next version of the team.[00:04:00] The Rangers enter the 2026 NHL Draft with 11 selections, including two first-round picks and four third-round picks. One of those first-rounders came from Carolina in the K'Andre Miller trade.[00:04:25] Despite the large number of selections, Neil believes the rebuild will take considerable time. The Rangers possess some useful pieces, but their prospect pipeline lacks enough elite talent to make them a likely playoff contender next season.[00:04:45] Neil identifies the draft as the organization's most important path forward. Drury must maximize those selections while continuing to explore trades involving veterans who can bring back younger players or additional assets.[00:05:00] Igor Shesterkin remains the most important building block and gives the Rangers an elite foundation in goal. From there, management must determine how many current veterans still fit the club's long-term timeline.[00:05:20] Mika Zibanejad remains a highly respected player, but his age creates questions about whether he should be part of a multi-year rebuild. Neil also argues that Lafrenière has not developed into the franchise-altering player expected from a first-overall pick.[00:05:45] The episode concludes with cautious evaluations of Perreault, Sýkora, Laba, and Garand. Each player showed promise, but Neil emphasizes that the pressure-free final weeks cannot be treated as proof that the Rangers are ready to contend again.

Spring Cleaning – Ottawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the second Eastern Conference Wild Card, but their postseason stay ended quickly with a four-game sweep by the Carolina Hurricanes. Even so, Ottawa made measurable progress during the 2025-26 season, improving significantly on offense while overcoming injuries to several of its most important players. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine the Senators' scoring growth, defensive and goaltending concerns, and the increasingly important decisions surrounding Claude Giroux and captain Brady Tkachuk.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Senators qualify for the playoffs as the second Wild Card before being swept by Carolina in the opening round. Neil and Vic revisit the biggest question entering the season: whether Ottawa could generate enough offense after failing to produce a 30-goal scorer the previous year.[00:00:35] Tim Stützle and Drake Batherson both surpass 30 goals, while Dylan Cozens finishes with 28. Ottawa scores 278 goals as a team, an improvement of 35, and raises its goal differential from plus-nine to plus-32.[00:01:00] Neil discusses the continued development of Ottawa's young core. Stützle, Batherson, and several other key players are entering the prime years of their careers, giving the Senators hope that their best talent can mature together.[00:01:20] Special teams remain a major concern. The penalty kill drops from 19th to 29th overall and ranks 31st on the road, creating a weakness that becomes increasingly difficult to overcome against stronger opponents.[00:01:45] Ottawa's goaltending produces an unusual statistical profile. The Senators rank near the middle of the league in goals-against average but near the bottom in save percentage, suggesting the club limits shots but struggles to stop enough of the dangerous chances that get through.[00:02:00] Linus Ullmark misses time on personal leave, Levi Merzlikins fails to match his previous performance, and James Reimer is added later in the season to stabilize the backup position.[00:02:20] Injuries create even greater problems on defense. Brady Tkachuk suffers a thumb injury early in the season, while Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Nick Jensen, Tyler Kleven, and other defensemen miss significant time.[00:03:00] Neil explains how the repeated absences of Sanderson, Chabot, Jensen, and Kleven damaged Ottawa's defensive structure. With several regulars unavailable at the same time, the Senators struggled to protect their goaltenders and maintain consistency.[00:03:30] Despite improved scoring, Ottawa cannot break through against Carolina. The Senators compete hard but lack the depth and execution necessary to challenge one of the NHL's elite teams.[00:04:00] The discussion shifts to the offseason. Ottawa enters the 2026 NHL Draft with seven picks, including three selections in the third round, but has no second-round or seventh-round pick.[00:04:45] The Senators project to have approximately $2.34 million in cap space before the July 1 reset. Their unrestricted free agents include Claude Giroux, Lars Eller, Nick Cousins, Nick Jensen, Dennis Gilbert, Lassi Thomson, and James Reimer.[00:05:15] Restricted free agents Stephen Halliday, Jordan Spence, and Levi Merzlikins also require new contracts. Neil expects General Manager Steve Staios to prioritize Spence and address the defense and goaltending before making decisions on veteran forwards.[00:05:45] Claude Giroux's future becomes another major storyline. The veteran has taken a hometown discount to remain in Ottawa, and Neil believes Giroux may prefer to finish his career with the Senators, although management must determine whether he still fits the club's direction.[00:06:30] Attention then turns to Brady Tkachuk, who has two years remaining on his contract at $8.2 million annually. Trade speculation continues despite Tkachuk publicly denying that he wants to leave Ottawa.[00:07:00] Neil explains why the rumors will not disappear until Tkachuk signs another contract. As the captain approaches the final year of his deal, Ottawa must continue evaluating the market and understand what other teams might offer for its most valuable player.[00:08:00] Tkachuk's value extends far beyond his production. He is the face of the franchise, an emotional leader, and one of the NHL's most intimidating and competitive captains.[00:09:00] The episode concludes with Neil emphasizing that Steve Staios cannot remove any possibility from consideration. Ottawa has a strong young foundation, but improving the penalty kill, stabilizing the goaltending, resolving the defensive depth, and securing Tkachuk's future will determine whether the Senators can take another step next season.

Spring Cleaning – New York IslandersThe New York Islanders narrowly missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs after remaining in the postseason race almost the entire 2025-26 season. While the year ultimately ended in disappointment, the emergence of first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer, a resurgent Ilya Sorokin, and a brighter organizational outlook gave Islanders fans reasons for optimism. Neil Smith and Vic Morren break down the turning point that derailed the season, the coaching change from Patrick Roy to Peter DeBoer, and the offseason challenges facing General Manager Mathieu Darche.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Islanders are eliminated from playoff contention on April 12 after spending much of the season battling for a Metropolitan Division playoff spot. Neil and Vic revisit the preseason expectations, which focused less on immediate success and more on building a stronger future through young talent and organizational growth.[00:00:45] Despite trading Noah Dobson to Montreal in exchange for Emil Heineman and two first-round picks, the Islanders emerge with a brighter long-term outlook. Neil credits the remarkable rookie season of first-overall selection Matthew Schaefer as one of the biggest surprises in the entire NHL.[00:01:00] The discussion highlights several major positives from the season. Schaefer immediately establishes himself as a future superstar, Ilya Sorokin returns to Vezina Trophy form, and Bo Horvat delivers one of the best goal-scoring seasons of his career while helping stabilize the Islanders' offense.[00:02:00] Schaefer's rookie campaign exceeds every expectation, tying Brian Leetch's long-standing rookie record for goals by a defenseman with 23. Despite Dobson's departure, New York's blue line remains productive thanks largely to Schaefer's immediate impact in all situations.[00:02:30] Injuries to Kyle Palmieri and Alexander Romanov challenge the roster throughout the season, while the special teams produce mixed results. The penalty kill climbs dramatically from 31st to 10th in the NHL, but the power play improves only slightly, moving from 31st to 30th despite an abundance of offensive talent.[00:03:00] The defining moment of the Islanders' season arrives on March 30 against Pittsburgh. Holding a 3-1 lead and on the power play, New York surrenders a shorthanded goal to Rickard Rakell. Neil and Vic describe that play as the turning point that completely changed the trajectory of the season.[00:04:00] Following the collapse against the Penguins, the Islanders lose seven of their final eight games. Patrick Roy is dismissed with four games remaining, and Peter DeBoer is brought in to begin preparing the organization for the future after another disappointing finish.[00:05:00] Looking ahead, New York enters the 2026 NHL Draft with only five selections after previous trades involving Josh Bailey's contract and the acquisition of Carson Soucy. The Islanders also project to be approximately $3.8 million over the salary cap before offseason adjustments.[00:05:45] The goaltending situation becomes another major storyline. Semyon Varlamov returns to action late in the season with Bridgeport after missing the entire NHL campaign, raising hopes that he can once again form a dependable tandem with Sorokin if his health cooperates.[00:06:30] Neil believes the Islanders will likely add another experienced goaltender regardless of Varlamov's status to protect against further injuries. Finding reliable depth in net will remain one of Mathieu Darche's offseason priorities.[00:06:45] Captain Anders Lee headlines the unrestricted free agent class alongside Carson Soucy, Tony DeAngelo, and David Rittich. Neil expects Lee to remain with the organization, potentially on a team-friendly contract, while several of the other veterans could be replaced during the offseason.[00:07:30] Restricted free agents Max Chabanov, Mark Gatcomb, and Adam Boqvist also require new contracts as Darche continues reshaping the roster around its younger core.[00:08:00] The episode concludes with Neil and Vic projecting the Islanders as a bubble playoff team once again next season. With Matthew Schaefer continuing to develop, Sorokin back at an elite level, and Peter DeBoer behind the bench, New York's future appears brighter, but additional offensive production—particularly from Mathew Barzal—will be necessary to become a legitimate playoff contender.

Summer Coolers – New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils entered the 2025-26 season expecting to challenge the Carolina Hurricanes for the Metropolitan Division title. Instead, injuries, inconsistent goaltending, declining production from key players, and growing organizational instability resulted in a deeply disappointing season. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine why New Jersey's once-dangerous transition game has become easier to defend, the front-office changes coming after Tom Fitzgerald's dismissal, and whether Sheldon Keefe will remain behind the bench.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Devils are eliminated from playoff contention on April 7 after beginning the season with championship-level expectations. Despite adding Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov, New Jersey fails to emerge as the serious Metropolitan Division challenger many expected.[00:00:40] Neil reviews the problems that quickly derailed the season, including Jacob Markstrom's subpar play and Jack Hughes missing significant time after accidentally cutting his finger at a restaurant. The Devils once again prove to be a dramatically different team without Hughes in the lineup.[00:01:00] Ondřej Palát struggles to produce before being traded to the New York Islanders. His departure becomes another sign that the roster assembled to contend was not performing at the level expected by management.[00:01:15] Sheldon Keefe's handling of several difficult situations comes under examination. The head coach benches Dougie Hamilton despite his $9 million salary and later leaves Markstrom in net during a lopsided defeat, creating questions about his decision-making and relationships with veteran players.[00:01:40] General Manager Tom Fitzgerald is dismissed by the end of the season, leaving New Jersey searching for both a new GM and a new president. Keefe's future also becomes uncertain as the organization prepares for a potentially significant leadership overhaul.[00:02:00] The Devils receive disappointing offensive production from several core players. Jesper Bratt's totals decline, Nico Hischier scores fewer goals, and Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer fail to deliver the consistent secondary scoring New Jersey needs.[00:02:20] Neil and Vic revisit the transition game that made the Devils one of the NHL's most exciting teams several seasons earlier. Opponents have adjusted, but New Jersey has failed to develop the heavier forecheck or more physical style needed to create space and make that transition attack effective again.[00:02:45] Neil argues that the issue goes beyond coaching strategy. The Devils may not currently possess enough size, strength, and physicality within the roster to successfully make the tactical changes required.[00:03:00] The offseason begins with major uncertainty at the top of the organization. The incoming president and general manager must quickly determine the direction of the franchise and decide whether Keefe remains the right coach to lead the next phase.[00:03:15] New Jersey enters the 2026 NHL Draft with only five selections. The Devils previously traded their third-round pick to the Islanders in the Palát deal and sent their seventh-round selection to Seattle in the trade for Daniel Sprong.[00:03:30] Evgenii Dadonov, Zack MacEwen, and defenseman Dennis Cholowski headline the unrestricted free agent class. After Dadonov's disappointing season, the organization appears likely to move on from several veteran depth pieces.[00:03:40] Restricted free agents Arseni Gritsyuk, Paul Cotter, and Šimon Nemec represent more important decisions. Gritsyuk emerges as one of the few bright spots during his rookie season, while Cotter provides useful energy and physicality.[00:04:00] Neil believes the current version of the Devils is not a guaranteed playoff team entering 2026-27. While he does not directly call for Keefe's dismissal, he expects the new management group may choose its own coach to bring renewed energy and a different approach.[00:04:20] The episode concludes with the recognition that major work lies ahead. New Jersey still possesses high-end talent, but the next leadership group must address the team's identity, physical makeup, goaltending, and declining offensive production before the Devils can return to contention.

Spring Cleaning – Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens continued one of the NHL's most impressive rebuilds during the 2025-26 season, finishing third in the Atlantic Division with 106 points before advancing to the Eastern Conference Final. Powered by the emergence of several young stars and significant growth throughout the roster, Montreal exceeded preseason expectations and established itself as one of the league's rising contenders. Neil Smith and Vic Morren discuss the Canadiens' remarkable progression, their evolving goaltending situation, and the important roster decisions awaiting Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton this offseason.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Canadiens finish third in the Atlantic Division with 106 points before defeating Tampa Bay and Buffalo in consecutive seven-game playoff series. Although Carolina ends Montreal's postseason run in the Eastern Conference Final, Neil and Vic agree the season represents another major step forward for one of the NHL's youngest teams.[00:00:45] Expectations entering the season centered on simply returning to the playoffs for a second consecutive year. Instead, Montreal surpasses those expectations as several young players elevate their games and transform the Canadiens into a legitimate contender.[00:01:30] Cole Caufield headlines the breakout performances with a spectacular 51-goal season. Montreal improves by 15 points in the standings, scores 38 more goals than the previous year, and finishes tied for the fifth-highest point total in the NHL.[00:02:00] The Canadiens' special teams take mixed steps forward, while the goaltending situation undergoes a dramatic shift. Sam Montembeault struggles after entering the season as the starter, allowing Jakub Dobes to seize the number-one role during Montreal's impressive playoff run.[00:03:00] Neil discusses the changing landscape of NHL goaltending, where many teams now rotate capable netminders rather than relying on one established superstar. Montreal becomes another example of how confidence and momentum can dramatically reshape a team's crease during a single season.[00:04:30] The conversation turns to Jakub Dobes' future. While Jacob Fowler continues developing within the organization, Neil believes Dobes possesses the competitiveness and edge necessary to remain Montreal's starter after an outstanding postseason performance.[00:06:00] Montreal's young core continues to impress. Cole Caufield reaches 51 goals, Nick Suzuki records his first 100-point season, Juraj Slafkovský enjoys a career year, and rookie Ivan Demidov leads all first-year players in scoring one season after Lane Hutson accomplished the same feat.[00:07:00] Neil and Vic highlight the Canadiens' growing depth with contributions from Alex Newhook, Jake Evans, Kirby Dach, Josh Anderson, Zach Bolduc, Phillip Danault, and Alexander Texier. On defense, Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, and Alexandre Carrier provide a strong foundation despite questions surrounding Dobson's new contract value.[00:08:30] Marty St. Louis receives praise for his continued development as an NHL head coach. After arriving in Montreal with virtually no professional coaching experience, St. Louis has guided the Canadiens through one of the league's most successful rebuilds.[00:09:00] Looking ahead, Montreal enters the offseason with eight selections in the 2026 NHL Draft and approximately $11 million in projected salary cap space. Brendan Gallagher's reported desire for a trade could create additional financial flexibility if a deal can be completed.[00:10:00] Neil reflects on Gallagher's outstanding career in Montreal, praising his leadership and passion while acknowledging that a change of scenery may benefit both player and organization at this stage of his career.[00:11:00] Patrick Laine's disappointing tenure in Montreal is revisited after another injury-filled season. Neil explains why he questioned the acquisition from the beginning and believes Laine's inability to consistently impact the game beyond goal scoring has once again prevented him from becoming a long-term solution.[00:13:00] The episode concludes with Montreal's remaining contract decisions, including restricted free agents Kirby Dach, Zach Bolduc, Joe Veleno, and Arber Xhekaj. Neil expects Xhekaj's toughness and physical presence to keep him in Montreal as the Canadiens continue building toward sustained Stanley Cup contention.

Spring Cleaning – Nashville PredatorsThe Nashville Predators entered the 2025-26 season with limited expectations after their expensive veteran roster collapsed the year before. Although Nashville recovered from another poor start and remained in the Western Conference playoff race until the final weeks, a late-season stumble ultimately ended its postseason hopes. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine the Predators' uneven progress, the encouraging production from several core players, and the major organizational decisions ahead as Nashville prepares to transition from Barry Trotz to a new general manager.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Nashville Predators are eliminated from playoff contention on April 13 after entering the season with relatively low expectations. Neil and Vic revisit the disappointing 2024-25 campaign that followed the high-profile additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei.[00:00:45] Neil explains why Nashville made few major changes during the summer of 2025. Barry Trotz appeared committed to allowing the veteran roster another opportunity while continuing to rebuild the organization's prospect pool and future assets.[00:01:00] The Predators begin the season 6-12-4, leading to growing pressure on head coach Andrew Brunette. After an 8-3 home loss to Florida, questions emerge about Brunette's future and whether veterans such as Stamkos or Ryan O'Reilly could be traded.[00:01:30] Nashville responds with a strong 28-16-5 stretch over its next 49 games. A five-game winning streak culminates with a victory over San Jose on March 24, giving the Predators a three-point lead over Los Angeles for the final Western Conference Wild Card position.[00:02:00] The playoff push falls apart during the final weeks as Nashville finishes 4-6-1 over its last 11 games. Neil and Vic discuss how the Predators remained competitive with Los Angeles but ultimately surrendered the final postseason spot to the Kings.[00:03:00] Steven Stamkos and Filip Forsberg each reach the 40-goal mark, while Ryan O'Reilly improves from 53 to 74 points. Luke Evangelista finishes fourth on the team with 56 points, and rookie Matthew Wood contributes 17 goals during an encouraging first NHL season.[00:03:30] The panel also examines several disappointing performances. Jonathan Marchessault falls from 56 points to 31, while Fedor Svechkov records only 17 points for the second consecutive season despite appearing in 18 more games.[00:04:00] Attention turns to Nashville's front-office uncertainty. Barry Trotz has not yet been replaced as general manager, although several candidates have been connected to the position, including former New Jersey Devils executive Tom Fitzgerald.[00:04:30] Neil expects the Predators to have a new general manager in place before the 2026 NHL Draft. That executive will inherit significant flexibility and the opportunity to establish a new direction for the organization.[00:05:00] Nashville enters the draft with 12 selections, tied for the most in the NHL. The Predators own multiple picks in the second, third, fourth, and fifth rounds, giving the incoming management team an unusually large collection of assets to use or trade.[00:05:30] The Predators project to have approximately $7.2 million in salary cap space. Their unrestricted free agents include Eric Haula and Tyson Jost, while defenseman Justin Barron is the organization's most significant restricted free agent.[00:06:00] Most of Nashville's veteran core remains under contract beyond next season, including captain Roman Josi. That stability gives the next general manager an opportunity to keep the roster largely intact while adding younger and more productive supporting pieces.[00:06:30] The episode concludes with Neil stressing that Nashville can no longer rely almost entirely on Stamkos and Forsberg to carry the offense. The Predators must develop more young players and create greater scoring depth if they expect to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Spring Cleaning – Minnesota WildThe Minnesota Wild took an important step forward during the 2025-26 season, finishing third in the Central Division and winning their first playoff series in 11 years. After defeating the Dallas Stars in six games, Minnesota's run ended against the Colorado Avalanche in the second round as several major injuries weakened the lineup. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine the impact of the Quinn Hughes trade, the emergence of Jesper Wallstedt, and the offseason decisions facing General Manager Bill Guerin as the Wild attempt to move from playoff team to legitimate Stanley Cup contender.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Wild finish third in the Central Division before defeating Dallas in the opening round and falling to Colorado in five games. Neil and Vic discuss how injuries to Joel Eriksson Ek, Jonas Brodin, and Zach Bogosian significantly affected Minnesota's chances against the Avalanche.[00:00:45] Minnesota's elimination includes a painful collapse in Game 5 after surrendering a late two-goal lead. Despite the disappointment, Neil believes the season represented meaningful progress for an organization that had not advanced beyond the first round in more than a decade.[00:01:00] The panel revisits the modest expectations surrounding the Wild entering the season. A quiet 2025 offseason featured the acquisition of Vladimir Tarasenko and the signing of Nico Sturm, while the organization continued carrying a reduced salary-cap penalty from the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts.[00:02:00] Kirill Kaprizov's massive contract extension becomes one of the season's defining stories. His new deal begins next season at $17 million annually, placing him among the highest-paid players in NHL history and increasing the pressure on Minnesota to build a championship-level roster around him.[00:02:30] The December acquisition of Quinn Hughes dramatically changes the Wild's outlook. Neil describes Hughes as one of the NHL's elite defensemen and credits his arrival with helping transform Minnesota from a potential Wild Card team into one of the Central Division's strongest clubs.[00:03:00] After beginning the season 3-6-3, the Wild respond with a 10-0-2 run in November that includes seven consecutive victories. Additional winning streaks throughout the season solidify their place alongside Colorado and Dallas near the top of the division.[00:04:00] Neil and Vic also examine Winnipeg's unexpected decline and how it created an opening for Minnesota. While the Jets were expected to remain one of the Central's dominant teams, their regression allowed the Wild to move firmly into the division's top three.[00:04:30] Minnesota's statistical improvement is reviewed. The Wild score 44 more goals than the previous season, improve their goal differential from minus-11 to plus-32, climb to second on the power play, and move from 30th to 13th in penalty killing.[00:05:00] Rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstedt emerges as one of the NHL's best young players, finishing second in the league in save percentage while recording four shutouts. Kirill Kaprizov scores 45 goals, Matt Boldy adds 42, and Brock Faber reaches career highs with 15 goals and 51 points.[00:06:00] The discussion highlights Minnesota's impressive young foundation. Wallstedt, Kaprizov, Boldy, Faber, and Hughes give the Wild elite talent at every major position and provide legitimate reasons to believe the club can remain among the NHL's top teams for years.[00:07:00] Bill Guerin enters the offseason with only five selections in the 2026 NHL Draft. Minnesota does not own a first-round pick after the Hughes trade, has no second-round selection following the Gustav Nyquist deal, and also lacks a seventh-round pick.[00:07:45] The Wild have limited projected cap space and an aging unrestricted free agent class. Nick Foligno, Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson, Vladimir Tarasenko, Michael McCarron, Robby Fabbri, Jeff Petry, and Zach Bogosian are all eligible to reach the open market.[00:08:30] Neil identifies Zuccarello and McCarron as two veterans Minnesota should strongly consider retaining. Zuccarello remains an important offensive contributor despite his age, while McCarron adds size, toughness, and valuable depth down the middle.[00:09:00] Restricted free agents Bobby Brink and Damon Hunt also require new contracts. Meanwhile, Filip Gustavsson's offseason hip surgery creates another goaltending storyline after Wallstedt overtook him as Minnesota's primary option during the playoffs.[00:10:00] The episode concludes with optimism surrounding the Wild's future. Unlike previous seasons when simply making the playoffs was the goal, Minnesota now possesses the talent and foundation to expect postseason qualification and focus on how high it can climb in the standings.

Spring Cleaning – Los Angeles KingsThe Los Angeles Kings reached the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the second Western Conference Wild Card but were quickly swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the opening round. While making the postseason appeared to be a positive step, a closer examination revealed a team with significant flaws that barely survived the regular season. Neil Smith and Vic Morren discuss the coaching turmoil, declining offensive production, and major rebuilding challenge now facing General Manager Ken Holland as he attempts to return one of the NHL's marquee franchises to true contender status.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Kings qualify for the playoffs as the second Wild Card before being swept by Colorado in four games. Neil and Vic discuss the expectations entering the season after Ken Holland's veteran-heavy offseason additions, including Corey Perry, Joel Armia, Cody Ceci, and Brian Dumoulin, raised questions about the age and direction of the roster.[00:01:00] Neil reflects on Ken Holland's third NHL general manager position, explaining why Los Angeles represents the greatest challenge of his career after successful runs in Detroit and Edmonton. Unlike those situations, Holland inherits a roster with significant holes rather than an established championship core.[00:01:45] The discussion turns to the coaching carousel. Jim Hiller begins the season under heavy scrutiny after questionable playoff decisions the previous year before being dismissed on March 1. Interim coach D.J. Smith finishes the season, but Neil believes Holland will likely hire his own permanent bench boss this offseason.[00:03:00] Despite losing Kevin Fiala for the season after the Olympics and changing coaches late in the year, the Kings somehow rally to earn a playoff berth. Neil and Vic describe the finish as "smoke and mirrors," helped as much by Nashville and San Jose fading as by Los Angeles improving its own play.[00:04:00] The panel examines some alarming team statistics. The Kings finish with one of the NHL's worst home winning percentages, rank near the bottom of the league on both the power play and penalty kill, score the fourth-fewest goals in the NHL, and struggle mightily in overtime and shootout games.[00:05:00] Offensive regression becomes another major concern. Adrian Kempe remains productive, but Quinton Byfield, Andrei Kuzmenko, Alex Turcotte, and Alex Laferrière all fail to provide the secondary scoring needed to support the club's top players throughout the season.[00:06:00] Neil suggests the Kings may have actually benefited more from missing the playoffs than being swept in the opening round, as a higher draft position could have accelerated the rebuilding process. Instead, Los Angeles exits early without significantly improving its long-term outlook.[00:06:30] The retirement of longtime captain Anže Kopitar creates another major offseason challenge. Neil and Vic discuss potential successors, including Drew Doughty and Adrian Kempe, while emphasizing the enormous leadership void left by one of the greatest players in franchise history.[00:07:00] Looking ahead, the Kings enter the 2026 NHL Draft with nine selections, including two second-round picks and two sixth-round picks. The organization also projects to have approximately $3.6 million in salary cap space before the league's July cap increase.[00:07:45] Los Angeles' unrestricted free agents include Andrei Kuzmenko, Scott Laughton, Mathieu Joseph, Jeff Malott, Jacob Moverare, and goaltender Phoenix Copley. Neil believes Scott Laughton is the veteran most likely to return because of the style of game Ken Holland values.[00:08:15] Restricted free agent Brandt Clarke headlines the organization's contract negotiations. Neil questions whether the young defenseman will command more money than the Kings are willing to pay and suggests Holland could consider moving him if the right trade package becomes available.[00:09:00] The episode concludes with the enormous task awaiting Ken Holland. Between hiring a permanent head coach, replacing Kopitar's leadership, improving special teams, increasing offensive production, and reshaping the roster, the Kings face one of the busiest and most important offseasons in the NHL.

Spring Cleaning – Florida PanthersThe Florida Panthers entered the 2025-26 season chasing history, attempting to become just the fifth franchise in NHL history to win three consecutive Stanley Cups. Instead, injuries ravaged the defending champions from the opening days of training camp, ultimately ending their playoff streak before it truly began. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine how health derailed Florida's pursuit of a three-peat, the difficult roster decisions now facing General Manager Bill Zito, and why the Panthers may still be well-positioned to rebound if they can get healthy next season.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Florida Panthers are eliminated from playoff contention on April 4, ending their bid for a third consecutive Stanley Cup championship. Neil and Vic discuss the enormous expectations surrounding the defending champions after another aggressive offseason by General Manager Bill Zito.[00:00:45] Florida successfully re-signs key contributors including Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad, Tomas Nosek, and Mackie Samoskevich, giving the organization confidence that another championship run was within reach. Looking back at their preseason predictions, Neil recalls identifying one factor above all others that could derail the Panthers' season—health.[00:01:00] Injuries quickly overwhelm the defending champions. Neil explains how years of deep playoff runs and an aging veteran core finally begin to take their toll, with Sergei Bobrovsky, Brad Marchand, and several other veterans battling injuries throughout the season.[00:01:45] The discussion reviews Florida's overwhelming injury problems, beginning with Aleksander Barkov's knee injury during training camp and Matthew Tkachuk missing nearly half the season. By year's end, the Panthers are among the NHL leaders in man-games lost, with at least nine players unavailable for the remainder of the season.[00:02:30] Neil emphasizes that championship-caliber teams cannot simply replace elite players with depth pieces and expect the same results. The Panthers' remarkable run of three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances finally catches up with them as the accumulated physical toll proves impossible to overcome.[00:03:00] Looking ahead, the panel examines Florida's limited draft capital after years of aggressive trades. The Panthers enter the 2026 NHL Draft without a first-round pick following the Seth Jones trade and will also be without a first-round selection in 2027 after acquiring Brad Marchand from Boston.[00:03:45] Neil praises Bill Zito's work as one of the NHL's premier general managers and expresses confidence that Florida's front office will find creative ways to replenish the roster despite having fewer premium draft assets than most organizations.[00:04:00] The Panthers' unrestricted free agent class is reviewed, led by goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov, along with forwards A.J. Greer, Vinny Hinostroza, Tomas Nosek, Luke Kunin, and Noah Gregor. The discussion centers on which veterans Florida should prioritize retaining as it reshapes its roster.[00:04:45] Neil explains that Bill Zito's first priority will be resolving the goaltending situation before addressing the remainder of the roster. With several important contract decisions looming, Florida begins its offseason earlier than expected after three consecutive years of playing deep into June.[00:05:00] The episode concludes with optimism for the Panthers' future. While the pursuit of a historic three-peat ultimately fell short, Neil believes Florida's championship core remains capable of contending again if the club can return to full health and successfully navigate another challenging offseason.

Spring Cleaning – Edmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers entered the 2025-26 season with one objective: return to the Stanley Cup Final and finish the job after consecutive championship losses to the Florida Panthers. Instead, Edmonton endured an inconsistent season that ended with a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine the roster decisions that left the Oilers without enough depth, the goaltending gamble that backfired, and the enormous offseason facing General Manager Stan Bowman as the organization works to convince Connor McDavid that another championship run remains within reach.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Oilers finish second in the Pacific Division before suffering a shocking first-round playoff elimination against Anaheim. Neil and Vic discuss why anything short of another Stanley Cup Final appearance was considered a disappointment after Edmonton's back-to-back championship appearances.[00:00:45] Edmonton's offseason departures—including Corey Perry, Evander Kane, and Connor Brown—leave the roster noticeably thinner. Combined with Zach Hyman missing the opening 19 games of the season, the Oilers struggle to replace valuable secondary scoring throughout the year.[00:01:30] The panel examines how the emotional and physical toll of consecutive Stanley Cup Final losses affected Edmonton's season. Despite another slow start that initially appeared familiar, the Oilers never found the momentum that had fueled previous playoff runs.[00:02:00] The conversation shifts to one of the season's most controversial moves as Stan Bowman trades Stuart Skinner to Pittsburgh for Tristan Jarry. Neil and Vic break down the disappointing results after Jarry struggles badly while Skinner performs better with the Penguins, making the trade one of the NHL's biggest disappointments.[00:03:30] Edmonton's increasing dependence on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl becomes impossible to ignore. The panel reviews how nearly one-third of the club's offense comes from its two superstars while the number of secondary contributors continues to decline, placing enormous pressure on the league's best players.[00:05:00] Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' role is discussed as Neil describes him as an invaluable all-around player rather than an elite offensive producer. The conversation also highlights encouraging development from young forwards Matt Savoie and Vasily Podkolzin while acknowledging the continued lack of consistent secondary scoring.[00:07:00] Attention turns to Stan Bowman's difficult offseason. Questions surround head coach Kris Knoblauch's future, while Connor McDavid's contract extension becomes one of the biggest storylines facing the organization after both McDavid and Draisaitl publicly acknowledged the team took a step backward during the season.[00:09:00] The Oilers enter the offseason over the salary cap with only four selections in the 2026 NHL Draft after several aggressive trades. Neil and Vic review the organization's pending unrestricted free agents, including Adam Henrique, Jason Dickinson, Jack Roslovic, Kasperi Kapanen, Connor Murphy, and goaltender Connor Ingram.[00:11:00] The discussion centers on Edmonton's challenge of attracting quality free agents while uncertainty surrounds Connor McDavid's long-term future. Neil believes the opportunity to play alongside McDavid and Leon Draisaitl remains a major selling point despite questions about the organization's direction.[00:13:00] The episode concludes with a look ahead to 2026-27. Neil warns that unless Edmonton significantly improves its depth and solves its ongoing goaltending concerns, the Oilers risk taking another step backward despite employing two of the greatest players in the world.

Spring Cleaning – Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings entered the 2025-26 season expecting to finally end one of the NHL's longest playoff droughts. Instead, a promising campaign collapsed during the final months, leaving Detroit outside the postseason for a 10th consecutive year. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine the Red Wings' lack of secondary scoring, another damaging late-season fade, and the mounting pressure on General Manager Steve Yzerman and head coach Todd McLellan to make significant changes this offseason.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Detroit Red Wings are officially eliminated from playoff contention on April 11, extending their postseason drought to 10 consecutive seasons. Neil and Vic discuss the expectations surrounding Steve Yzerman and Todd McLellan after a relatively quiet offseason highlighted by the additions of John Gibson and James van Riemsdyk.[00:00:30] Detroit appeared firmly positioned for the playoffs on January 25 with a 32-16-5 record, first place in the Atlantic Division, and a 10-point cushion over the playoff cutline. John Gibson proved to be a successful acquisition, providing the stable goaltending the Red Wings had been missing.[00:01:00] The conversation turns to Detroit's lack of offensive depth. Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, Lucas Raymond, and Moritz Seider once again carried most of the scoring burden, while the supporting cast failed to provide enough consistent production.[00:01:30] Marco Kasper's regression becomes one example of Detroit's secondary-scoring problems. After recording 37 points the previous season, Kasper falls below 20 points in 2025-26, leaving the Red Wings overly dependent on the same small group of established players.[00:02:00] Neil praises Gibson for solving Detroit's goaltending concerns and credits James van Riemsdyk for contributing effectively in a limited veteran role. However, neither addition was enough to overcome the club's lack of depth throughout the lineup.[00:02:30] Neil and Vic examine Detroit's repeated late-season collapses. Over the past five years, the Red Wings have consistently struggled during March and April, failing to produce the final push necessary to secure a playoff berth.[00:03:00] The pressure surrounding the organization reaches a new level. Detroit's passionate fan base has still never seen a playoff game at Little Caesars Arena, while Steve Yzerman's return to the franchise has yet to produce a postseason appearance.[00:03:15] Neil questions whether major changes may be coming within the organization. Dylan Larkin's leadership is discussed, along with the futures of Todd McLellan and Steve Yzerman after another season in which the Red Wings failed to finish strong.[00:03:45] Detroit's acquisition of Justin Faulk from St. Louis appeared to signal that the organization believed it was ready to compete. Instead, the Red Wings continued leaving valuable points on the table and eventually fell out of the playoff race.[00:04:00] Looking ahead, Detroit enters the offseason with approximately $11.1 million in projected salary cap space but only six selections in the 2026 NHL Draft. The Red Wings no longer own their first- or third-round picks after surrendering them in the Faulk trade.[00:04:30] The panel reviews Detroit's unrestricted free agents, including Patrick Kane, David Perron, James van Riemsdyk, Travis Hamonic, and backup goaltender Cam Talbot. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson headlines the restricted free agent group.[00:05:00] Neil explains why the offseason presents a difficult challenge for Steve Yzerman. Detroit has cap flexibility, but limited premium draft capital and few obvious internal solutions capable of immediately improving its secondary scoring.[00:05:30] The episode concludes with uncertainty surrounding the direction of the franchise. Yzerman has traditionally avoided high-risk moves, but after one of the NHL's most disappointing collapses, Neil believes the Red Wings may finally be forced to make significant changes.

Spring Cleaning – Dallas StarsThe Dallas Stars entered the 2025-26 season with Stanley Cup expectations after three consecutive trips to the Western Conference Final and four straight 100-point seasons. Instead, Dallas suffered another painful postseason disappointment, falling to the Minnesota Wild in six games during the opening round. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine the Stars' dramatic swings in performance, the devastating injuries that depleted their lineup, and the difficult decisions awaiting General Manager Jim Nill as he attempts to extend the championship window of one of the NHL's most talented—but increasingly veteran—teams.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Dallas Stars finish second in the Central Division before losing to Minnesota in six games during the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Neil and Vic discuss the consistently high expectations surrounding a team that has averaged more than 107 points over the last five full seasons.[00:01:00] The conversation turns to Dallas' repeated playoff disappointments after three consecutive trips to the Western Conference Final. Glen Gulutzan returned for his second stint behind the Stars' bench, following a long line of respected coaches who were also unable to lead the organization back to the Stanley Cup Final.[00:01:45] Neil explains how the strength of the Central Division and the NHL's current playoff format creates an extremely difficult opening-round matchup for any team finishing second or third. Dallas knew for months that Minnesota would likely be its opponent, but still could not find a way through one of the league's deepest teams.[00:02:00] Vic reviews the Stars' wildly inconsistent regular season. Dallas followed a 14-1-2 stretch with a 2-6-4 slide, then produced a 14-0-1 run that included 10 consecutive victories before struggling again late in the year. The panel discusses why the Stars can look unbeatable at their best and completely vulnerable when their game disappears.[00:03:00] Dallas' recent playoff history is placed under the microscope. The Stars surrendered a 2-1 series lead against Edmonton in 2024, struggled offensively against the Oilers again in 2025, and then lost another 2-1 series advantage against Minnesota after allowing a late lead to slip away in Game 4.[00:04:00] Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston each score 45 goals, but the offense drops sharply after the two young stars. Mikko Rantanen is revealed to have suffered a torn MCL during the Olympics, limiting his effectiveness after returning for the final 10 games of the regular season.[00:05:00] The Stars' extensive injury list is examined. Tyler Seguin suffers a season-ending torn ACL, Roope Hintz tears his hamstring shortly after returning from the Olympics, while Miro Heiskanen, Radek Faksa, Michael Bunting, and Nils Lundkvist also deal with significant injuries during the playoff push.[00:06:00] Neil and Vic debate how much the injuries contributed to the first-round exit. While every playoff team deals with health issues, Dallas lost several high-impact players whose absence significantly reduced the club's offensive depth and ability to compete with Minnesota.[00:07:00] Attention shifts to the offseason facing three-time General Manager of the Year Jim Nill. Dallas owns only five selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, with no picks in the first or third rounds after aggressively trading future assets to acquire veteran help.[00:07:45] The Stars enter the offseason above the projected salary cap before the July reset. Their unrestricted free agents include captain Jamie Benn, Michael Bunting, Adam Erne, Nathan Bastian, Alex Petrovic, and Kyle Capobianco.[00:08:00] Jason Robertson headlines Dallas' restricted free agent class after another elite goal-scoring season. Neil describes Robertson as one of the NHL's premier natural finishers and expects his next contract to become one of the largest and most important negotiations of Jim Nill's tenure.[00:09:00] The discussion turns to the aging portion of the Stars' core. While Robertson and Johnston remain young franchise pillars, longtime veterans Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are approaching the final stages of their careers, forcing Dallas to consider when and how to begin retooling the roster.[00:10:00] The episode concludes with a difficult question surrounding Jamie Benn's future. Neil praises Benn's leadership, toughness, and lasting impact as captain, but acknowledges that Jim Nill must eventually decide whether to continue with the veteran core or transition the team toward a new generation of leadership.

The Columbus Blue Jackets once again fell just short of the Stanley Cup Playoffs during the 2025-26 season, extending their postseason drought to six consecutive years. After a dramatic midseason coaching change sparked one of the NHL's best second-half turnarounds, Columbus appeared poised to finally break through before another late-season collapse dashed those hopes. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine why the Blue Jackets continue to struggle in pressure situations, the emergence of several young stars, and the important decisions awaiting General Manager Don Waddell this offseason.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Blue Jackets are eliminated from playoff contention on April 13 after another season that began with modest expectations. Neil and Vic discuss how Columbus entered the year as a playoff bubble team following an emotional 2024-25 campaign and why sustaining that momentum proved difficult.[00:00:45] Columbus struggles through the first half of the season before General Manager Don Waddell makes a coaching change on January 12, replacing Dean Evason with veteran bench boss Rick Bowness. The move immediately energizes the Blue Jackets as they surge back into the playoff race.[00:01:00] Despite their remarkable turnaround, the Blue Jackets once again falter when the stakes are highest. A disastrous 2-8-1 stretch over their final 11 games erases their playoff position, highlighted by a disappointing season-ending loss to Washington that prompts Rick Bowness to publicly question his team's competitiveness and commitment.[00:02:00] Neil explains that Columbus' biggest problem isn't talent—it's finishing. Whether protecting leads during games or holding onto playoff positioning in the standings, the Blue Jackets repeatedly fail to close the deal, continuing a troubling pattern that has followed the organization over the past two seasons.[00:03:00] The discussion turns to the club's promising core. Zach Werenski anchors the defense while Kirill Marchenko, Adam Fantilli, Sean Monahan, Charlie Coyle, Cole Sillinger, Boone Jenner, and emerging goaltender Jet Greaves provide optimism that the talent necessary to compete is already in place.[00:04:00] Neil and Vic examine Rick Bowness' future after he signs a one-year extension. Following his emotional criticism of the team at season's end, the veteran coach returns determined to change the culture and help Columbus finally overcome its inability to finish important games.[00:05:00] Looking ahead to the offseason, the Blue Jackets enter the 2026 NHL Draft with all seven of their original selections intact and approximately $8.75 million in projected salary cap space, giving Don Waddell flexibility to strengthen the roster.[00:05:45] The panel reviews Columbus' unrestricted free agents, including captain Boone Jenner, Charlie Coyle, Mason Marchment, Danton Heinen, Erik Brännström, and Brendan Smith. Neil identifies Jenner, Coyle, and Marchment as important veterans the organization should strongly consider retaining.[00:06:30] Columbus' restricted free agent class features several key pieces of the franchise's future, including Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, Igor Zamula, and new number-one goaltender Jet Greaves. Fantilli's next contract is expected to become one of the organization's highest offseason priorities.[00:07:00] The episode concludes with cautious optimism for the Blue Jackets. With an improving young core, a respected veteran coach returning behind the bench, salary cap flexibility, and a full complement of draft picks, Neil believes Columbus has the pieces to become a playoff team—provided they finally learn how to finish games and seize the opportunities in front of them.

The Colorado Avalanche entered the 2025-26 season with one goal—winning the Stanley Cup. After capturing the Presidents' Trophy with an NHL-best 121 points, Colorado appeared destined for another championship run before suffering a stunning sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine how one of the league's most talented rosters fell short, the playoff disappearance of several superstar players, and the difficult offseason facing General Manager Chris MacFarland as the Avalanche attempt to capitalize on what remains of their championship window. IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Avalanche finish atop the NHL standings with the Presidents' Trophy before sweeping Los Angeles and defeating Minnesota in five games, only to be swept themselves by Vegas in the Western Conference Final. Neil and Vic revisit the preseason expectation that anything short of a Stanley Cup would be considered a disappointment. [00:01:00] Colorado's dominant regular season is reviewed, including a remarkable 31-2-7 start, two separate 10-game winning streaks, the league's best home and road records, and elite performances at both ends of the ice. The panel also discusses the surprising weakness of an all-star power play that somehow finished near the bottom of the NHL despite its immense talent. [00:03:00] The discussion turns to Colorado's star-studded roster. Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 53 goals, Martin Nečas records his first 100-point season, Brock Nelson scores 30 goals once again, and Cale Makar remains among the league's elite defensemen before the stars unexpectedly go quiet during the conference final against Vegas. [00:04:00] Neil and Vic examine the collapse against the Golden Knights as Colorado's biggest offensive weapons—including MacKinnon, Nečas, Makar, and Nelson—struggle simultaneously. They compare the Avalanche's postseason exit to recent playoff disappointments by other Stanley Cup contenders whose stars failed to produce at the most critical time. [00:05:00] Colorado's goaltending situation is debated following another successful regular season from Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood. Neil questions whether the Avalanche's goaltending matched the elite talent in front of them, while acknowledging that history has shown teams can still win championships with solid—but not necessarily superstar—goaltending. [00:07:00] Attention shifts to Chris MacFarland's offseason challenges. The Avalanche enter the 2026 NHL Draft with eight selections but will not make their first pick until the fourth round after aggressively trading premium draft capital in recent seasons to strengthen a championship-caliber roster. [00:09:00] Neil explains the difficult reality of managing a veteran contender with limited draft assets after pushing nearly every chip to the center of the table. Vic outlines how Colorado accumulated additional selections later in the draft while reviewing the transactions that cost the Avalanche their early-round picks. [00:10:00] The panel reviews Colorado's pending free agents, including Joel Kiviranta, Brent Burns, Brett Kulak, Jack Ahcan, Nick Blankenburg, restricted free agent Jack Drury, and Zakhar Bardakov. Neil identifies Drury as the organization's top contract priority after his strong two-way season. [00:11:30] The episode concludes with a discussion about Colorado's championship window. Neil believes the Avalanche remain the NHL's most talented team and cautions against overreacting to one disappointing playoff series. With Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and the core still intact, he estimates Colorado has another two to three years to capture another Stanley Cup, provided the organization makes smart decisions without disrupting an elite roster.

The Chicago Blackhawks remained in rebuilding mode during the 2025-26 season, finishing last in the Central Division for the fourth consecutive year. While another playoff berth was never expected, Neil Smith and Vic Morren discuss why there are encouraging signs throughout the organization. From Connor Bedard's continued development under new head coach Jeff Blashill to an impressive collection of future draft picks and a stronger defensive identity, the Blackhawks appear to be laying the foundation for a return to contention in the years ahead.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Blackhawks are officially eliminated from playoff contention on April 2 after another season at the bottom of the Central Division. Neil and Vic discuss why expectations remained modest entering the year despite Jeff Blashill taking over behind the Chicago bench, and why the rebuild appears to be progressing in the right direction.[00:00:45] Neil explains that Chicago's long-term plan remains focused on accumulating elite young talent before aggressively adding veteran pieces. Connor Bedard continues his development, showing significant improvement defensively under Blashill while maturing into the franchise cornerstone the Blackhawks envisioned.[00:01:00] The discussion turns to Chicago's impressive collection of future assets. The Blackhawks own nine selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, including two first-round picks and three second-round picks, while also holding the possibility of multiple first-round selections again in 2027, giving General Manager Kyle Davidson tremendous flexibility to continue building the roster.[00:01:45] Neil and Vic review Chicago's offseason contract priorities. Connor Bedard headlines the restricted free agent class, while defenseman Kevin Korchinski also requires a new contract. The panel expects Bedard's extension to be one of the organization's easiest decisions after his continued growth.[00:02:00] Defensively, the Blackhawks show noticeable improvement. Their penalty kill becomes one of the NHL's best, while goals against decline from the previous season despite still finishing above three goals allowed per game. Neil credits Jeff Blashill for establishing stronger defensive habits throughout a young roster.[00:02:30] The conversation shifts to the changing leadership within the organization following the departures of longtime veterans Nick Foligno, Jason Dickinson, and Connor Murphy. With Connor Bedard now wearing an "A," the Blackhawks officially enter a new era centered around their emerging young core.[00:03:00] Neil and Vic evaluate the supporting cast around Bedard, highlighting productive seasons from Tyler Bertuzzi and Ryan Donato while acknowledging that Chicago still lacks the overall depth necessary to compete consistently with the NHL's top teams.[00:03:30] The episode concludes with optimism about Chicago's future. Although the rebuild is far from complete, the Blackhawks possess a deep prospect pool, significant draft capital, an improving defensive structure, and one of the league's brightest young stars in Connor Bedard, giving the organization reason to believe brighter days are approaching.

Spring Cleaning – Carolina HurricanesThe Carolina Hurricanes reached the summit of the hockey world during the 2025-26 season, capturing the Stanley Cup after finishing first in the Eastern Conference with 113 points. While Carolina entered the season as a perennial contender, few believed this roster had enough to finally win it all. Neil Smith and Vic Morren look back at the moves that transformed the Hurricanes into champions, the emergence of unexpected playoff heroes, Brandon Bussey's remarkable story, and why General Manager Eric Tulsky may have built a team capable of contending for years to come. IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Carolina Hurricanes celebrate their first Stanley Cup championship since 2006 after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. Neil explains why winning the Stanley Cup only begins one of the busiest periods for an NHL general manager as the draft and free agency quickly follow a championship run. [00:01:00] Vic reviews Carolina's outstanding season, finishing first in the Eastern Conference and reaching the Stanley Cup Final after sweeping Ottawa and Philadelphia before eliminating Montreal in five games. Neil and Vic revisit their preseason expectations following the additions of Nikolaj Ehlers and K'Andre Miller, while questioning whether the Hurricanes had done enough to become true Stanley Cup contenders. [00:03:00] Neil discusses the offseason additions that ultimately changed Carolina's fortunes. K'Andre Miller strengthens the blue line, Nikolaj Ehlers flourishes in his first season away from Winnipeg, and the biggest surprise of all arrives when Brandon Bussey is claimed off waivers after injuries to Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov force Carolina to rely on an unknown goaltender. [00:05:00] Brandon Bussey emerges as one of the NHL's biggest surprises, posting a 31-6-2 record while helping stabilize Carolina's goaltending. The discussion also highlights the continued development of Logan Stankoven, Jackson Blake, and the resurgence of veteran Taylor Hall as the Hurricanes' young core matures into championship contributors. [00:06:00] Vic breaks down Carolina's statistical improvements, including a significant jump in road performance, the NHL's second-ranked offense, and a top-five goals-against average despite relying on three different goaltenders throughout the season. [00:07:00] The conversation shifts to Carolina's balanced attack during the playoffs. Six players finish the regular season with at least 50 points, while nine players record double-digit playoff points. Neil explains how the Hurricanes won without relying on a traditional superstar, instead overwhelming opponents with depth, defensive structure, and exceptional team play. [00:08:30] Logan Stankoven's acquisition from Dallas continues to pay enormous dividends, while Jordan Staal delivers a Conn Smythe Trophy-winning postseason through dominant two-way play, leadership, and faceoff excellence. The panel also praises contributions throughout the lineup from Eric Robinson, Mark Jankowski, and Carolina's outstanding forward depth. [00:10:00] Attention turns to Eric Tulsky's offseason priorities. Carolina enters the draft with only four selections after previous trades but possesses nearly $12 million in projected salary cap space. The Hurricanes face relatively few contract decisions, with Frederik Andersen headlining the unrestricted free agents and Alexander Nikishin representing the lone restricted free agent discussed as part of the club's future plans. [00:12:00] Neil and Vic examine why Carolina's roster remains almost entirely intact heading into the 2026-27 season. With long-term contracts already in place for much of the championship core and the salary cap continuing to rise, Eric Tulsky has significant flexibility to reinforce an already elite roster. [00:13:00] The episode concludes with a look toward Carolina's chances of repeating as Stanley Cup champions. Neil believes the Hurricanes have every opportunity to defend their title if they remain healthy, while Vic credits Rod Brind'Amour's balanced, team-first approach and outstanding playoff execution as the driving force behind one of the NHL's most complete championship performances.

Wednesday morning, it was announced Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman was stepping down from the position and into a senior advisory role under team CEO Chris Ilitch.With captain Dylan Larkin's desire to be traded still at the forefront, the incoming GM will have this saga waiting from the moment the ink is dry on a contract.Beyond that, a proud franchise which hasn't made the playoffs in ten seasons appears to be in some disarray. Plenty to unpack as the Wings look to steady the waters.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #DetroitRedWings #SteveYzerman #JimDevellano #ChrisIlitch #Dylan Larkin #ViktorArvidsson #DaniilTarasov #KeeganKolesar #BradyTkachuk

Spring Cleaning – Calgary FlamesThe Calgary Flames once again fell short of the Stanley Cup Playoffs during the 2025-26 season, officially seeing their postseason hopes come to an end on April 7. While expectations entering the year were modest following a quiet offseason, Calgary's inability to generate offense ultimately proved too much to overcome. Neil Smith and Vic Morren discuss the Flames' disappointing season, the emergence of young goaltending, and why General Manager Craig Conroy may still be well positioned to accelerate the club's rebuild thanks to significant draft capital, ample salary cap space, and a new arena on the horizon.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Flames are eliminated from playoff contention after another season in which expectations remained relatively low following minimal roster changes during the previous offseason. Neil and Vic examine why Calgary was unable to build upon its near-playoff finish from the year before.[00:00:30] Calgary proves to be one of the NHL's strongest home teams but struggles badly on the road. The panel identifies the club's biggest issue—one of the league's lowest-scoring offenses—as the primary reason the Flames were unable to remain in the playoff race.[00:01:00] Jonathan Huberdeau's continued offensive struggles are discussed after recording just 194 points over four seasons in Calgary before shutting himself down prior to the end of the season. On a positive note, Devon Cooley establishes himself as a dependable backup to Dustin Wolf following Dan Vladar's departure to Philadelphia.[00:01:30] Looking ahead, Vic outlines why Calgary's future remains brighter than its current results suggest. The Flames possess 11 selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, including two first-round picks and four second-round picks, while also holding multiple premium selections in both the 2027 and 2028 drafts.[00:02:00] The discussion turns to General Manager Craig Conroy's long-term rebuilding strategy. With a new arena scheduled to open in the coming years, the organization appears focused on assembling a competitive young roster that can grow alongside the franchise's next chapter.[00:02:45] Neil and Vic examine Calgary's offseason flexibility. The Flames enter free agency with nearly $10 million in available salary cap space, giving Conroy the opportunity to aggressively pursue upgrades through free agency, trades, or by leveraging the organization's impressive collection of draft assets.[00:03:00] Calgary's pending free agents are reviewed, including unrestricted free agents Ryan Lomberg, Victor Olofsson, and Jake Bean, along with restricted free agent John Beecher. The panel discusses which players may fit into the club's long-term plans.[00:03:30] The episode concludes by emphasizing that Calgary possesses many of the ingredients necessary for a quick turnaround. With significant cap flexibility, one of the league's deepest collections of future draft picks, and several important organizational decisions ahead, Neil believes the Flames have an opportunity to return to playoff contention much sooner than many expect—provided the right moves are made this offseason.

The Buffalo Sabres finally ended the NHL's longest active playoff drought during the 2025-26 season, capturing the Atlantic Division title with 109 points and returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 15 years. After defeating the Boston Bruins in the opening round, Buffalo pushed the Montreal Canadiens to a thrilling seven-game series before falling in overtime of Game 7. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine one of the league's most remarkable turnarounds, from a struggling team in November to one of the NHL's hottest clubs, while discussing the impact of a midseason front office change, Lindy Ruff's leadership, and the bright future ahead for one of hockey's youngest rosters.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Sabres complete an incredible turnaround by winning the Atlantic Division with 109 points and ending a 15-year playoff drought. Neil and Vic revisit the modest expectations entering the season after Buffalo acquired Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring from Utah in exchange for JJ Peterka and signed veteran goaltender Alex Lyon, with few expecting a dramatic improvement.[00:01:00] Buffalo catches fire after a slow start, launching a 10-game winning streak that begins in Edmonton. The discussion centers on the dismissal of General Manager Kevin Adams, the hiring of Jarmo Kekäläinen, and whether the front office change helped fuel Buffalo's remarkable turnaround.[00:02:00] The Sabres finish 30 points better than the previous season, posting a dominant 33-6-2 run while climbing from the bottom of the standings to first place in the Atlantic Division. Neil compares Buffalo's surge to some of the NHL's most improbable in-season turnarounds.[00:03:00] Vic examines Buffalo's dramatic statistical improvements, including a 67-goal swing in goal differential, major improvements in home and road records, a penalty kill that climbs to fourth in the NHL, and significant gains in goals against and save percentage.[00:04:00] Neil explains why Buffalo's improvement wasn't simply the result of coaching, as Lindy Ruff remained behind the bench. Instead, the panel discusses how confidence, defensive commitment, and organizational stability transformed the Sabres into one of the league's best teams.[00:04:45] Buffalo's stars deliver career seasons. Tage Thompson reaches the 40-goal mark for the third time, Alex Tuch posts another outstanding year, and Rasmus Dahlin establishes himself among the NHL's elite defensemen with career highs while entering the Norris Trophy conversation.[00:05:30] The conversation shifts to Buffalo's impressive young core, including Josh Doan, Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn, Owen Power, Bowen Byram, Mattias Samuelsson, Zach Benson, Konsta Helenius, and Noah Östlund, giving the Sabres one of the league's brightest futures.[00:07:00] Neil and Vic examine Jarmo Kekäläinen's first offseason as Buffalo's general manager. The Sabres have only four draft picks, limited cap space, and several important unrestricted and restricted free agents requiring decisions.[00:08:00] Alex Tuch headlines Buffalo's offseason priorities after another outstanding campaign. The panel also discusses pending decisions involving Beck Malenstyn, Tanner Pearson, Luke Schenn, Logan Stanley, Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs, and Michael Kesselring.[00:09:00] The episode concludes with a discussion about whether Tuch should accept a hometown discount to remain in Buffalo or maximize his value on the open market, while looking ahead to what could be another exciting season for one of the NHL's fastest-rising franchises.

The Boston Bruins exceeded expectations during the 2025-26 season, rebounding from one of the worst campaigns in franchise history to earn the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Although their postseason ended with a six-game first-round loss to the Buffalo Sabres, Boston's dramatic turnaround under first-year head coach Marco Sturm restored optimism throughout the organization. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine how the Bruins rediscovered their identity, why several players enjoyed career-best seasons, and whether this surprising success is sustainable heading into another critical offseason for General Manager Don Sweeney.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Bruins return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after finishing as the second Wild Card team in the Eastern Conference before falling to Buffalo in six games. Neil and Vic revisit Boston's dismal 2024-25 season, which included the fewest goals in the Eastern Conference, one of the league's worst goal differentials, poor special teams, Jeremy Swayman's struggles, and the departure of longtime captain Brad Marchand.[00:01:00] Despite modest offseason additions that included Victor Arvidsson, Tanner Jeannot, and Sean Kuraly, along with the hiring of first-time NHL head coach Marco Sturm, expectations remained low entering the season. Neil explains why few believed Boston would be anything more than David Pastrnak carrying an otherwise rebuilding roster.[00:02:00] Marco Sturm quickly changes the culture. Boston improves dramatically defensively while becoming one of the NHL's best home teams. Offensively, the Bruins score 50 more goals than the previous season as Morgan Geekie, Pavel Zacha, Charlie McAvoy, Victor Arvidsson, Casey Mittelstadt, Fraser Minten, Marat Khusnutdinov, and several newcomers enjoy breakout or career-best seasons.[00:04:00] The discussion turns to Boston's vastly improved blue line. Jonathan Aspirot emerges as an unexpected contributor, Mason Lohrei makes a remarkable turnaround from minus-43 to plus-17, and Nikita Zadorov develops into the physical defensive presence the Bruins had hoped for after signing him.[00:05:00] While Boston's power play jumps from 29th to ninth in the NHL, the penalty kill remains a concern. Neil explains that the larger issue isn't simply killing penalties but avoiding unnecessary trips to the penalty box after the Bruins finished as the league's most frequently penalized team.[00:06:00] Neil and Vic discuss how Boston appeared to regain its trademark identity despite losing Brad Marchand at the previous trade deadline. Don Sweeney, heavily criticized one year earlier, now receives credit for many of the offseason and in-season moves that helped fuel Boston's unexpected playoff run.[00:06:45] Attention shifts to the offseason. The Bruins enter the 2026 NHL Draft with seven selections, including three fourth-round picks, while continuing to benefit from previous trades involving Charlie Coyle, Jeffrey Viel, and Lucas Reichel. Boston also prepares to welcome highly regarded prospect James Hagens for his first full NHL season.[00:07:30] Free agency presents relatively few challenges. Victor Arvidsson headlines the unrestricted free agents after a bounce-back season, while Lucas Reichel and Jordan Harris top the restricted free agent list. Neil believes re-signing Arvidsson should be one of Don Sweeney's highest priorities.[00:08:00] Neil emphasizes that Boston's biggest objective moving forward is injecting more youth into the lineup while remaining competitive. James Hagens represents an important first step, but the Bruins must continue balancing veteran leadership with younger talent to sustain long-term success.[00:09:00] The episode concludes by comparing Boston's surprising season to recent campaigns by the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, where numerous players enjoyed career years before regression followed. Neil and Vic debate whether Boston's breakout performances from Morgan Geekie, Pavel Zacha, Charlie McAvoy, and others represent a sustainable foundation or a difficult act to repeat in 2026-27.

The Anaheim Ducks took a major step forward during the 2025-26 season, ending an eight-year playoff drought by finishing third in the Pacific Division and advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Neil Smith and Vic Morren look back at the moves that fueled Anaheim's turnaround, including the hiring of Joel Quenneville, the emergence of one of the NHL's brightest young cores, and Pat Verbeek's aggressive roster construction. They also examine the Ducks' statistical profile, why the numbers don't tell the full story, and the important contract decisions that will shape Anaheim's future as they continue their climb toward Stanley Cup contention.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00:00] The Ducks complete a remarkable turnaround by finishing third in the Pacific Division, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2018, defeating Edmonton in six games before falling to Vegas in the second round. Neil and Vic revisit their preseason expectations after Anaheim added Chris Kreider, Mikael Granlund, Ryan Poehling, retained Lukas Dostal, and traded longtime goaltender John Gibson to Detroit.[00:01:00] Neil discusses why Pat Verbeek's decision to hire Joel Quenneville proved to be one of the organization's most important moves. The conversation also looks at the growth of Anaheim's young defense, veteran leadership from Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas, and the addition of John Carlson at the trade deadline.[00:02:00] Anaheim's season was anything but consistent. After an 11-3-1 start, the Ducks endured an 0-8-1 slide before responding with multiple lengthy winning streaks. Neil explains why those ups and downs are typical of one of the NHL's youngest rosters.[00:03:00] Vic examines why Anaheim's statistics paint a very different picture than their playoff appearance. Despite improving their goal differential by 27 goals and scoring 52 more goals than the previous season, the Ducks still posted a negative goal differential and remained near the bottom of the league in special teams, goals against, and save percentage.[00:04:00] The discussion shifts to Anaheim's offensive breakout. Cutter Gauthier explodes for 41 goals, Leo Carlsson scores 29, Beckett Seneca finishes with 23 goals as a Rookie of the Year finalist, and Jackson LaCombe establishes himself as one of the NHL's rising young defensemen with a tremendous regular season and playoff performance.[00:06:00] Attention turns to Pat Verbeek's offseason priorities. Anaheim enters the summer with six draft picks but no first-round selection following the John Carlson trade, along with approximately $10.7 million in salary cap space and a long list of unrestricted and restricted free agents to address.[00:07:00] Neil and Vic discuss which veterans should return, including Jacob Trouba, captain Radko Gudas, Jeffrey Viel, and the backup goaltending situation involving Petr Mrázek and Ville Husso. They also examine the significant extensions awaiting Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and the rest of Anaheim's young core.[00:08:00] The episode concludes with Neil sharing a conversation with Los Angeles Kings General Manager Ken Holland, who believes the Ducks possess one of the NHL's brightest futures. With an elite young core already in place and only minor roster adjustments needed, Anaheim appears poised to become one of the Western Conference's rising powers and potentially the premier team in Southern California for years to come.

In the season finale, Neil and Vic are joined by noted NHL contributor Dave Pagnotta to springboard us into the off-season. However, that doesn't mean business is shutting down.There are noted unsigned UFA's but, perhaps more significantly, RFA's and offer sheets are certain to affect the NHL landscape both in the immediate and in years to come with the salary cap continuing to rise and several of the league's superstars set to become UFA's in two years.Plenty to unpack including Dave's take on how the needle has moved for certain teams amidst a flurry of off-season activity to date.IN THIS EPISODE:[02:34] - Dave Pagnotta from The Fourth Period provides updates on several UFA's still looking for their destination for the 2026-27 season.[09:57] - The Flyers shock the hockey world signing Ducks forward Leo Carlsson to an offer sheet that would make him the highest-paid player in NHL history...for now.[15:58] - Having been in this spot dating back to the offer sheet saga with Joe Sakic in 1997, Neil talks about the resentment Ducks GM Pat Verbeek might have towards Flyers management. This also extends to the business ramifications for other teams around the NHL.[26:28] - How the economic climate brought on by the Carlsson offer sheet might affect the UFA market, particularly in two years when superstars Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Zach Werenski all will hit market unless they extend with their current clubs.[31:05] - Quietly, the New Jersey Devils signed Utah forward Barrett Hayton to a one-year offer sheet. Dave offers up the positions by both the Devils and Mammoth.[33:46] - With the trade market active prior to July first and, given the free agent activity since, Neil, Vic and Dave weigh in with where they see the needle moving with various teams around the league.[44:07] - A look back to the growth for the podcast during 2025-26 and thank you listeners and viewers.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #DavePagnotta #TheFourthPeriod #SiriusXM #NHLNetwork #BradyTkachuk #ClaudeGiroux #PatrickKane #MichaelBunting #AnthonyMantha #VladimirTarasenko #JohnKlingberg #LoganStanley #CamTalbot #PatrikLaine #LeoCarlsson #PavelMintyukov #CutterGauthier #OlenZellweger #MasonMcTavish #AlexanderNikishin #DanMilstein #KeithJones #DannyBriere #PatVerbeek #HenrySamueli #WayneGretzky #ThomasChabot #KyleConnor #QuinnHughes #SheaWeber #BarrettHayton #JoeSakic #ConnorMcDavid #AustonMatthews #ZachWerenski #EeliTolvinen #PhilEsposito #WarrenYoung #MarioLemieux #ConnorBedard #AntonFrundell #AlexTuch #ConnorHellebuyck #TroyTerry #FrankVatrano #AlexKillorn #KeithJones #DannyBriere #BowenByram #ColePerfetti #DylanLarkin #AlexDebrincat #PeterDeBoer #CaleMakar #SonnyMetah #BillArmstrong #BooneJenner #LoganThompson #JohnCarlson #RadkoGudas #JacobTrouba #CharlieLindgren #SeanDurzi #GavinMcKenna #ThomasChabot #WilliamEklund #JasonRobertson #IlyaLyubushkin #JamieBenn #SteveYzerman #AlexOvechkin #AndersLee #DarnellNurse #SidenyCrosby #ArtursSilovs #AlexTuch #JordanKyrou #VincentDesharnais #BooneJenner #DarrenRaddysh #SergeiBobrovsky #GavinMcKenna #AndersLee #DmitriSimashev #TijIginla #MavrikBourque #KenHolland #MoritzSeider #ViktorArvidsson #LucasRaymond

Five days into free agency and we've seen an abundance of activity on both large and small scales.Still, there's a quartet of players Neil has identified that are for looking teams and would be good fits for a number of clubs.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #AnthonyMantha #PatrickKane #ConnorBedard #VladimirTarasenko #ClaudeGiroux #BradyTkachuk

The initial rush of free agent signings has passed, as has the abundance of trades which took place well before July 1.With the holiday weekend upon the U.S., time to exhale just a bit and update on what's taken place since Wednesday's Free Agency recap which is available on YouTube and BZZR.comX: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #FrederikAndersen #RyanShea #BooneJenner #JonnyBrodzinski #AndersLee #JamieOleksiak #JoelKiviranta #LarsEller #JohnCarlson #MattGatcomb #MaxShabanov #VitekVanecek #SemyonVarlamov #IlyaSorokin #DavidRittich #JakeAllen #NicoDaws #AlexOvechkin #JakubDobes #NickFoligno #KasperiKapanen #ErikGudbranson #DylanCoghlan #DarnellNurse #ShakirMukhamadullin #ZackSharp #NickPaul #KeeganKolesar #VincentTrocheck #SeanDurzi #ColeBeaudoin #MarcusPettersson #BlakeColeman #OlliMaatta #JakeMiddleton #JamieBenn #MichaelBunting #ClaudeGiroux #PatrickKane #AnthonyMantha #PhilEsposito #VladimirTarasenko #CamTalbot #LoganStanley #JohnKlingberg #PatrikLaine #JimNill #BillArmstrong #MikeBabcock #JulienBriseBois #DavePagnotta #TheFourthPeriod #NHLNetwork #NHLNetworkRadio #SunnyMehta #BillGuerin #CraigConroy #JohnChayka #DevonLevi #PavelDorofeyev #WillBorgen #ChrisDrury #PeterLaviolette #KenHolland #DylanLarkin #SteveYzerman #ZachWerenski #DonWaddell #EJHradek

If it appears the NHL off-season has been particularly active since the Carolina Hurricanes lifted the Stanley Cup on June 14, you're not alone.Re-signings, trades, the Draft and the prospect of several notable players looking to be moved are all making headlines.E.J. Hradek from The NHL Network joins Neil and Vic to discuss all of these areas in advance of free agency officially kicking off on July 1.IN THIS EPISODE:[01:54] - E.J. Hradek from the NHL Network worked the Draft and comments on how the feel of the vent has changed over the past couple of years in a de-centralized format.[08:03] - Discussion about Caleb Malhotra, selected third by Vancouver, and the prospect of being coached by his dad, Manny, who was drafted by Neil in New York in 1998.[13:27] - The top picks of the 2026 Entry Draft and which players could see NHL action in the new season. Particular attention to first overall pick Gavin McKenna to Toronto, who has roots unlike any player we've seen.[24:37] - The trade market has heated up significantly compared to a year ago in advance of free agency. Neil and E.J. weigh in with their thoughts, which may connect to the current free agent pool.[34:37] - Neil sidebars as to how potential expansion may affect team strategies and business models as the chances to win a championship mathematically decrease.[39:56] - Several RFA could be the targets of offer sheets. Opinion on what teams need to consider with reference to the Blues signings of Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway two years ago.[45:33] - On one side, teams are always looking to bolster their respective lineups. However, the climate also now has players seeking to be moved despite having no movement clauses in their contracts and other already suggesting they're not intending to extend with their current teams.[58:26] - What E.J. looks most forward to when free agency kicks off July 1.[1:01:09] - Wrap-up segment including two breaking trades and other NHL news.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #EJHradek #NHLNetwork #CraigButton #TSN #CalebMalhotra #MannyMalhotra #LiamRuck #MarkusRuck #AlexanderKarmonov #RoyWorters #DarrenPang #BobbyLalonde #MatthewSchaeffer #JustinBieber #PKSubban #StuartScott #GavinMcKenna #IvanStenberg #DaxonRudolph #AlbertsSmits #CarsonCarels #ChaseReid #ViggoBjorck #KeatonVerhoeff #WyattCullen #MattCullen #TynanLawrence #DarrenRaddysh #PavelDorofeyev #OlenZellweger #MasonMcTavish #BrandonCarlo #JohnCarlson #BowenByram #JordanGreenway #LouisCrevier #AlexTuch #JordanKyrou #ConnorMcMichael #ValNichushkin #JackDrury #JJPeterka #IvanIvan #DylanLarkin #DarnellNurse #JasonRobertson #ZachWerenski #KirillMarchenko #ConnorHellebuyck #DrewDoughty #KenHolland #ConnorMurphy #JasonDickinson #BobbyMcMann #ZachBenson #TonyDeAngelo #JordanSpence #BrentBurns #BrettKulak #BrandtClarke #ConnorBedard #LeoCarlsson #CutterGauthier #AdamFantilli #TrevorZegras #SimonEdvinsson #JetGreaves #JamieDrysdale #MitchMarner #NikolajEhlers #BradMarchand #BrockBoeser #MikaelGranlund #VladimirGavrikov #PatrickKane #IvanProvorov #DmitryOrlov #JakeAllen #MichaelBunting #JamieBenn #LarsEller #ClaudeGiroux #BooneJenner #AndersLee #AnthonyMantha #MasonMarchment #AlexOvechkin #CoreyPerry #VladimirTarasenko #MattsZuccarello #RasmusAndersson #JacobTrouba #FrederikAndersen #SergeiBobrovsky #StuartSkinner #CamTalbot #QuinnHughes #JeffSkinner #ViktorArvidsson #PhilipBroberg #DylanHolloway #SteveStaios #MavrikBourque #DougArmstrong #BillZito #BradyTkachuk #DonWaddell #JimNill #CaleMakar #EricLindros #PorterMartone #AustonMatthews #NikitaKucherov #KrisKnoblauch #JohnChayka #TerryPegula #ThomasHarley #LesterPatrick #RichardPatrick #MuzzPatrick #CycloneTaylor #LynnPatrick #KenHolland #SteveYzerman #DrewDoughty #AnzeKopitar #JohnTavares #MikeSullivan #RichNash #BrendanGallagher #NilsHoglander #SethJarvis #EricRobinson #JuanSoto #NewYorkYankees #NewYorkMets #GoldenStateWarriors #BrianCashman

Thirty two teams would appear to sit well as an appropriate number of clubs within the NHL. However, with record revenues, greater worldwide appeal and the skill/speed level at an all-time high, it might be hard for commissioner Gary Bettman to resist growing the league footprint further - in this case to Austin or Houston, Texas.Vic and Neil discuss potential plus and downsides to expanding the league and whether the talent pool can support more teams without short-changing the product.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #GaryBettman #DanFriedkin #FreidkinGroup #ASRoma #Everton #EnglishPremiereLeague #BorjeSalming #IngeHammerstrom #VaclavNedomansky #PeterStastny #AntonStastny #MarianStastny #GordieHowe #MarkHowe #MartyHowe #DallasStars #VegasGoldenKnights #SeattleKraken #MontrealCanadiens #NewYorkIslanders #EdmontonOilers #QuebecNordiques #DetroitRedWings #TorontoMapleLeafs #BostonBruins #ColumbusBlueJackets #MinnesotaWild #NashvillePredators #TexasStars #HoustonAeroes #WHA #TheAHL.com #FourNationsFaceoff

Nothing like a little excitement heading into the NHL Draft and Free Agency with a somewhat controversial head coaching hiring in Edmonton and a quartet of deals.Noted columnist Steve Simmons joins Vic and Neil for an in-depth discussion on these topics plus the latest vibe in Toronto with a new GM, a new head coach, a major acquisition, a veteran on the way out and the first pick of the Draft on the way in.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #HartfordWhalers #ArizonaCoyotes #SteveSimmons #SunMedia #MitchMarner #MikeBabcock #StanBowman #ConnorMcDavid #LeonDraisaitl #BowenByram #JordanGreenway #LouisCrevier #JordanKyrou #ConnorMcMichael #MiltonGastrin #WilliamEklund #KasperHalttunen #BrandonSvoboda #SimonNemec #MaximTsyplakov #EtienneMorin #JohnChayka #JimHiller #DarrenRaddysh #MorganRielly #GavinMcKenna #MikeKennan #ZachHyman #JoelQuenneville #ClaudeJulien #KenHolland #CraigConroy #DonMaloney #ConnorBedeard #LukeHughes #CalebMalhotra #PaulMaurice #ChrisPronger #DougArmstrong #AlexSteen #TJOshie #TomWilson #AliaksaiProtas #SpencerCarbury #MikeGrier #BradyTkachuk #MatthewTkachuk #SteveStaios #WilliamNylander #AustonMatthews #DarnellNurse #CarterVerhaeghe #MattBoldy #QuinnHughes #MarcoRossi #DylanLarkin #SteveYzerman #CliffFletcher #PatBurns #PatQuinn #BryanMcCabe #SherryBassin #ErieOtters #VictorHedman #SergeiBobrovsky #ConnorHellebuyck #KyleConnor #JosephWoll #KeithPelley #AleksanderBarkov #DanMuse #CraigBerube #ToddMcLellan #FrankMahovlich #BradTreliving #MatsSundin #BrendanShanahan #DougGilmour

The crowning of a Stanley Cup champion ends the competition on the ice for another season with the opening of new eras following quickly behind with the NHL Entry Draft.TSN Analyst and Director of Scouting Craig Button joins Neil and Vic to look at the top prospects and potential strategies for teams either picking near the top or with multiple selections in the first round.Toronto: You're on the clock!IN THIS EPISODE:[01:39] - Neil and Craig reminisce about what make the Draft special, despite the feel being different with the event being de-centralized.[06:58] - Top 10 Draft order followed by teams with multiple picks in the first round. Craig then begins his assessment of the top prospects, starting with Gavin McKenna, expected to go to the Maple Leafs.[20:56] - Draft strategy from year to year from two seasoned former NHL executives. Best player or best fit? Some excellent history on past drafts here.[28:54] - More Draft tales.[33:44] - News from around the NHL including thoughts on Mike Babcock finally being named Oilers head coach and opinions on whether the recent trades of Brady Tkachuk and Darren Raddysh does anything to affect potential movement of Dylan Larkin, Elias Pettersson and Darnell Nurse.[42:11] - Wrapping up the Stanley Cup prediction showdown between Vic, Neil and Craig.[46:07] - Final segment including those going into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #CraigButton #TSN #MarioLemieux #EricLindros #QuebecNordiques #ClaudeRuel #ScottBowman #RejeanHoule #BradyTkachuk #JohnChayka #ConnorBedard #MacklinCelebrini #ConnorMcDavid #AustonMatthews #WendelClark #CraigSimpson #MitchMarner #MichaelMisa #SamDickinson #GavinMcKenna #IvarStenberg #ChaseReid #CarsonCarels #ViggoBjorck #NickSuzuki #KenHolland #RyanJohnson #DanielSedin #HenrikSedin #MikhailSergachev #CalebMalhotra #MannyMalhotra #AlbertsSmits #KeatonVerhoeff #DaxonRudolph #TynanLawrence #ConnorHellebuyck #DylanLarkin #MarkScheifele #AdamLowry #DmitryBorichev #PyotrAndreyanov #PavelBrendl #BrianBurke #ChristerRockstrom #MikeSillinger #BobBoughner #NicklasLidstrom #SergeiFedorov #PavelBure #DallasDrake #VladiirKonstantinov #JimDevellano #MikeModano #TrevorLinden #JeremyRoenick #RodBrind'Amour #TeemuSelanne #KirkMuller #EdOlczyk #AlIafrate #PetrSvoboda #MarkNapier #AlArbour #MikeBossy #DwightFoster #MichelBergeron #MarkMessier #RogerNeilson #LeonDraisaitl #MikeKeenan #KellyMcCrimmon #BruceCassidy #DarnellNurse #EliasPettersson #QuinnHughes #SteveYzerman #JackButton #GaryBettman #MichelBergeron #HockeyHallofFame #CareyPrice #PekkaRinne #KeithTkachuk #CindyCurley #MikeGartner #NewYorkStateHockeyHallofFame

A blockbuster trade over the weekend has the Tkachuk brothers - Matthew and Brady - as teammates in Florida.Vic and Neil review the trade which was made possible, in part, due to a deal done a short time before between the Panthers and Seattle Kraken.We'll also look at some additional signings of players who were retained by their clubs before getting to free agency on July 1 plus a dive into the Toronto-Tampa Bay trade which sees defenseman Darren Raddysh donning the Maple Leaf.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #BradyTkachuk #MatthewTkachuk #MackieSamoskevich #BillZito #PaulMaurice #SteveStaios #BradMarchand #SamBennett #KeithTkachuk #JasonRobertson #MartyBeniers #FloridaPanthers #OttawaSenators #SeattleKraken #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #DallasStars #EdmontonOilers #CarolinaHurricanes #BuffaloSabres #MontrealCanadiens #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #LosAngelesKings #FourNationsFaceoff #MichiganWolverines #BobbyMcMann #JasonDickinson #ConnorMurphy #StanBowman #NickDeLauriers #EricTulsky #DarrenRaddysh #WarrenYoung #JulienBriseBois #GavinMcKenna #JohnChayka #JosephWoll #SimonBenoit #SamErsson #EmilAndrae #JimHiller #CraigBerube #CraigButton #TSN

Yes, even the Stanley Cup champions have spring cleaning though, in the case of the Carolina Hurricanes, not nearly as much as past winners.Sticking with the on-ice strategy set forth by head coach Rod Brind'Amour, the lineup was augmented during the off-season by GM Eric Tulsky with the team among the NHL elite from Day 1 to mid-June.Vic and Neil break down what made the difference and discuss how Carolina is set up both in the immediate and long term.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #CarolinaHurricanes #VegasGoldenKnights #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #MontrealCanadiens #FloridaPanthers #ChicagoWolves #TheAhl.com #ColoradoAvalanche #WinnipegJets #TorontoMapleLeafs #BostonBruins #NewJerseyDevils #DallasStars #EdmontonOilers #PittsburghPenguins #NewYorkRangers #ArizonaCoyotes #DetroitRedWings #RodBrind'Amour #EricTulsky #K'AndreMiller #NikolajEhlers #BrentBurns #DmitryOrlov #FrederikAndersen #PyotrKochetkov #CaydenPrimeau #BrandonBussi #JeffMarek #TheSheet #SethJarvis #AndreiSvechnikov #NathanMacKinnon #NikitaKucherov #MikkoRantanen #RayFerraro #ESPN #ShayneGostisbehere #EricRobinson #MarkJankowski #NickDeLauriers #MikeReilly #JordanStaal #ConnSmytheTrophy #JordanMartinook #JalenChatfield #AlexanderNikishin #JacksonBlake #TaylorHall #LoganStankoven #JaccobSlavin #CaleMakar #JackEichel

Three head coaching vacancies whittled down to one Wednesday with eye-opening selections in both Toronto and Vegas, leaving the Edmonton Oilers as the lone NHL club without a bench boss though that might not be for long.Following an apparently exhaustive search, the Maple Leafs landed on former Kings coach Jim Hiller while the Golden Knights opted to stay within the organization, tabbing AHL Henderson Silver Knights coach Ryan Craig for his first NHL head coaching position.Vic and Neil discuss both hirings plus, the breaking news in Edmonton where Mike Babcock has been cleared by the NHL to resume coaching, with all signs pointing to him signing with the Oilers.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #TorontoMapleLeafs #VegasGoldenKnights #EdmontonOilers #LosAngelesKings #PhiladelphiaFlyers #DetroitRedWings #ColumbusBlueJakctes #HendersonSilverKnights #TheAHL.com #JimHiller #JohnChayka #MikeBabcock #DJSmith #BruceCassidy #MannyMalhotra #AustonMatthews #WilliamNylander #JohnTavares #MorganRielly #KellyMcCrimmon #GeorgeMcPhee #PatrickRoy #JayWoodcroft #JohnTortorella #CraigBerube #PatFerschweiler #WesternMichiganBroncos #DavidCarle #DenverPioneers #JoePavelski #PeterLaviolette #ToddMcLellan #KenHolland #JosephWoll #SamErsson #KrisKnoblauch #GerardGallant #PeterDeBoer #StanBowman #TrentFrederic #MikeCommodore #JohanFranzen #ESPN #WorldCupofHockey

Since entering the NHL in 2017, no team has operated quite like the Vegas Golden Knights. With a "win now" mindset from their inaugural season, the team has traded draft picks and have made whatever moves the rules have allowed in order to be annual contenders.After removing Stanley Cup-winning coach Bruce Cassidy with just eight games left in the regular season, the VGK responded to interim coach John Tortorella to within two wins of the Stanley Cup.And within two days of the Final, Torts was gone and replaced by the Golden Knights AHL affiliate head coach in Henderson, Ryan Craig.So begins the off-season for the Golden Knights. Short on draft picks, salary cap challenged and the search for a new coach comprises the summer laundry list for team President George McPhee and GM Kelly McCrimmon.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #VegasGoldenKnights #JohnTortorella #BruceCassidy #KellyMcCrimmon #GeorgeMcPhee #MitchMarner #JackEichel #PavelDorofeyev #MarkStone #NoahHanafin #AnthonyMantha #AlexPietrangelo #ReillySmith #ColeSmith #ColtonSissons #BrandonSaad #RasmusAndersson #BenHutton #JeremyLauzon #DylanCoghlan #AkiraSchmid #CarterHart #AdinHill #NicDowd #WilliamKarlsson #RyanCraig #UtahMammoth #AnaheimDucks #ColoradoAvalanche #CarolinaHurricanes #DallasStars #MinnesotaWild #WinnipegJets #CalgaryFlames #PhiladelphiaFlyers #WashingtonCapitals #NewYorkRangers #TheAHL.com #HendersonSilverKnights

It started on Oct. 7 and 1394 regular season and playoff games later, the Carolina Hurricanes sit atop the NHL mountain.Never wavering from their approach despite past disappointment, the 'Canes clearly separated themselves from the rest of league to claim the Stanley Cup for the second time - 20 years after the first.Vic and Neil do the deep dive into what went right for the new champs and where the Vegas Golden Knights fell short.We'll also share our schedule for the balance of the season with the Draft and Free Agency approaching.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #WilliamKarlsson #ReillySmith #CarterHart #JaccobSlavin #TaylorHall #IvanBarbashev #NoahHanafin #RasmusAndersson #BrandonBussi #FrederikAndersen #PavelDorofeyev #JackEichel #CraigButton #TSN #JohnTortorella #MarkStone #AdamOates #BrettHull #BrettHowden #AndreiSvechnikov #JordanMartinook #JordanStaal #ConnSmytheTrophy #TomasHertl #LoganStankoven #JacksonBlake #MitchMarner #SebastianAho #SethJarvis #MarkStone #SheaTheodore #NikolajEhlers #RodBrind'Amour #K'AndreMiller #MikkoRantanen #JasonBlake #EricRobinson #ShayneGostisbehere #SeanWalker #JalenChatfield #SamBennett #CamWard #MartinGerber #GaryBettman #NHLonABC #SteveLevy #MarkMessier #PKSubban #SeanMcDonough #RayFerraro #EmilyKaplan #ConnorMcDavid #NikitaKucherov #JasonRobertson #CaleMakar #ZachWerenski #NathanMacKinnon #DavidPastrnak #ColeCaufield #RasmusDahlin #EvanBouchard #LoganThompson

In Thursday's pivotal fifth game, the Carolina Hurricanes moved to within a victory of their first Stanley Cup title in 20 years drawing off from the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period en route to a 4-2 win.The loss for Vegas was compounded when forward William Karlsson went down to injury midway through the game and may be finished for the Final.Vic and Neil break it down and look ahead to Sunday's sixth game. Also of note: the Hart Trophy for Most Valuable Player has been announced and another long-time veteran is looking for a trade.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #BrandonBussi #PyotrKochetkov #FrederikAndersen #AmirMiftakhov #RodBrind'Amour #NikolajEhlers #TomasHertl #JackEichel #PavelDorofeyev #IvanBarbashev #JordanStaal #ConnSmytheTrophy #YvanCournoyer #BraydenMcNabb #RayFerraro #NHLonESPN #ABC #CarterHart #WilliamKarlsson #SeanWalker #JohnTortorella #JacksonBlake #TaylorHall #AndreiSvechnikov #CarterHart #SethJarvis #LoganStankoven #JordanMartinook #SheaTheodore #SebastianAho #BrettHowden #MarkStone #JalenChatfield #ToeBlake #NikitaKucherov #HartTrophy #ConnorMcDavid #NathanMacKinnon #Presidents'Trophy #MacklinCelebrini #DylanLarkin #DarnellNurse #WayneGretzky #MarkMessier

In a game they needed to have, the Carolina Hurricanes turned to their captain to even the Stanley Cup Final with the Vegas Golden Knights at two games apiece.Jordan Staal, a champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, tallied twice, including the game winner early in the third period. In doing so, he became the first player 44 years to score in each of the first four games of the Final.Vic and Neil break it down and also note where the VGK need to elevate their game having lost home-ice advantage.We also have coaching news, a disgruntled captain specifying trade demands and a most worthy Masterton Trophy winner.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #RodBrind'Amour #BrandonBussi #PyotrKochetkov #FrederikAndersen #IvanBarbashev #MitchMarner #RodBrind'Amour #JacksonBlake #JalenChatfield #CarterHart #LoganStankoven #MarkStone #SheaTheodore #BraydenMcNabb #NikolajEhlers #TaylorHall #ShayneGostisbehere #JordanStaal #MikeBossy #SebastianAho #AndreiSvechnikov #SethJarvis #RasmusAndersson #WilliamKarlsson #SeanWalker #BrettHowden #JackEichel #CraigButton #TSN #ConnSmytheTrophy #PeterLaviolette #DJSmith #AnzeKopitar #KenHolland #ArtemiPanarin #MikeBabcock #ZachHyman #BruceCassidy #KrsiKnoblauch #DylanLarkin #SteveYzerman #MichaelMcCarron #BillGuerin #GabeLandeskog #BillMastertonTrophy #MarkMessierLeadershipAward #JonathanToews #RasmusDahlin

In the midst of the Stanley Cup Finals, plenty of off ice news. In this edition of Quick Takes, Neil gives his thoughts on the Kings hiring of Peter Laviolette and potential hirings of Joe Pavelski in Toronto and Mike Babcock in Edmonton.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #PeterLaviolette #AnzeKopitar #JoePavelski #MartinSt.Louis #ZachHyman #MitchMarner #ChrisChelios #MikeCommodore #JohanFranzen #LosAngelesKings #NewYorkRangers #TorontoMapleLeafs #EdmontonOilers #ColumbusBlueJackets #DetroitRedWings #AnaheimDucks

After three games of the Stanley Cup Final, we all get an extra day before Game 4 to exhale in what has been an exhilarating first three games. Saturday, an extraordinary four-goal third period comeback by the Carolina Hurricanes fell short in overtime as Shea Theodore's fortunate bounce off Brandon Bussi's skate has the Golden Knights in a position to take command of the series Tuesday.Vic and Neil are joined by TSN analyst Craig Button to review the epic, look ahead and also pay tribute to a pair of long-time executives lost over the weekend.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #CraigButton #TSN #BraydenMcNabb #NikolajEhlers #SheaTheodore #TomasHertl #JackEichel #MitchMarner #ConnSmytheTrophy #SeanWalker #WilliamCarrier #AlexanderNikishin #MauriceRichard #FrederikAndersen #BrandonBussi #JordanMartinook #TaylorHall #SenatianAho #JordanStaal #JaccobSlavin #AndreiSvechnikov #NicDowd #JohnTortorella #ConnorMcDavid #MarkMessier #BrainLeetch #LoganStankoven #BrettHowden #TaylorHall #JacksonBlake #RodBrind'Amour #WesternMichiganUniversityBroncos #DylanLarkin #SteveYzerman #QuinnHughes #CliffFletcher #AtlantaFlames #BillyHarris #JacquesRichard #WHA #StampedeCorral #LannyMcDonald #HaroldBallard #MatsSundin #MikeGartner #GlennAnderson #WendelClark #BobPulford #BobClarke #BillTorrey #GerryMeehan #RaySheppard #ClaudeLemieux #RobBLake #ChrisMacFarland #ConnorMcDavid #TedLindsayAward #NickSuzuki #AnthonyCirelli #BrockNelson #SelkeTrophy #ColeCaufield #AnzeKopitar #JakeSanderson #LadyByngTrophy #AndreiVasilevskiy #IlyaSorokin #JeremySwayman #VezinaTrophy #RasmusDahlin #MarkStone #K'AndreMiller #NoahHanafin #JalenChatfield

After managing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs as a wild card in 2024-25, Le Club de Canadien took another step forward winning two post-season rounds in the spring of 2026.With one of the most dynamic top lines in the NHL and led by star sophomore Lane Hutson on the backline, the Habs have emerged as one of the most entertaining teams in the NHL.With their goaltending apparently set with Jakub Dobes emerging as a clear number one, the management team of Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes and head coach Martin St. Louis will look to strengthen further to keep the trajectory headed north.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #MontrealCanadiens #TampaBayLightning #BuffaloSabres #CarolinaHurricanes #OttawaSenators SanJoseSharks #PhildelphiaFlyers #ColumbusBlueJackets #JeffGorton #KentHughes #MartinSt.Louis #SamMontembeault #JakubDobes #CaydenPrimeau #JacobFowler #AndreiVasilevskiy #BrandonBussi #FrederikAndersen #PatrickRoy #MartinBrodeur #MikeRichter #BillySmith #RonHextall #DanVladar #IvanDemidov #ColeHutson #ColeCaufield #NathanMacKinnon #NickSuzuki #JurajSlafkovsky #AlexNewhook #JakeEvans #JoshAnderson #KirbyDach #ZachBolduc #PhillipDanault #AlexandreTexier #NoahDobson #MikeMatheson #AlexandreCarrier #KaidenGuhle #JohnathanKovacevic #CareyPrice #GannonLaroque #BrendanGallagher #PatrikLaine #DonWaddell #JordanHarris #JoeVeleno #ArberXhekaj #JordanGreenway #ScottSabourin

For 50 minutes, the Vegas Golden Knights had control of a game which would have given them a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final.However, in a most improbable ten minutes, the Carolina Hurricanes managed to score three goals in 5:05 before getting tied in the final minute.And on a power play, Seth Jarvis became an overtime hero turning the Final into a best-of-five.Also, the third time's a charm for Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper as he wins his first Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year.Previously nominated in 2014 and 2019, Cooper narrowly beat out Lindy Ruff from the Buffalo Sabres and rookie bench boss Dan Muse of the Pittsburgh Penguins.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #TaylorHall #CarterHart #LoganStankoven #ShayneGostisbehere #BraydenMcNabb #NikolajEhlers #MitchMarner #BrettHowden #SeanWalker #SebastianAho #PavelDorofeyev #IvanBarbashev #FrederikAnderssen #WilliamKarlsson #JalenChatfield #JordanMartinook #K'AndreMiller #DylanCoghlan #JeremyLauzon #WilliamCarrier #MarkJankowski #JordanStaal #JohnTortorella #DaveJackson #JimHiller #JaccobSlavin #SethJarvis #JackAdamsAward #JonCooper #LindyRuff #DanMuse #Coop'sCatchforKids #JulienBriseBois #SteveYzerman