Five Minute Major

*Photo from TheScore*     Sign and trades can be fun to work out. The Los Angeles Kings have acquired C Pierre-Luc Dubois in a sign and trade with the Winnipeg Jets. Centers Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari are going to Winnipeg along with a second round pick in 2024. The deal has been confirmed by both teams.    Dubois said of going to the Kings that "First, my dream is to win the Stanley Cup, and I look at the organization, I look at the players, the whole roster, the staff and everybody, and I see that opportunity. And that's something that really, really excited me from the start when we saw that LA could be an option. We're hockey players. Our job is to play and to compete on the ice and win hockey games, but you also go home. You also have time away from the rink, and the city of LA , I've always been on the East Coast, I've always had the winters and I've always had the snow, but to be able to be in the city of LA is also something th...

*Photo from the Hockey Writers*     This is the period of lots of trades. The New Jersey Devils have acquired RW Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames in exchange for LW/RW Yegor Sharangovich and a 3rd round draft pick, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. The trade has been confirmed by both teams.    Coming to New Jersey, Toffoli has one year left on a 4 year, $17 million deal he signed with the Montreal Canadiens. He'll be paid $4.25 million this season by the Devils and is set to become a UFA at the end of the year.    Toffoli said of joining the Devils that "The Devils took huge strides last season, and they were definitely fun to watch. They have so much talent and it doesn't seem like they're too far off, so hopefully I can come in and help and just whatever it takes to win, and it's going to be a lot of fun. That's when hockey is at its best, when you're winning games."    Last season in Calgary, Toffoli set career highs in goals, ...

*Photo from Daily Faceoff*     Wednesday night marks the start of the NHL Draft, which also kicks off a busy week in the NHL ahead of free agency opening on July 1. The Chicago Blackhawks have the first overall pick in a draft that is considered to have some of the best high end talent in a long time. Here's a quick preview.    The first round will be on Wednesday, with rounds two through 7 being on Thursday in Nashville. Round one coverage begins at 7:00 PM Eastern on ESPN in the United States, and day two starts at 11:00 AM Eastern on NHL Network in the States. Sportsnet and TVA Sports have both days for Canada.    Of course, the draft order is the most important part of the draft, with top prospects like Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Matvei Michkov, Leo Carlsson, and Will Smith among the high end prospects to be taken in the top 10 of the draft. The order is as follows. 1. Chicago Blackhawks 2. Anaheim Ducks 3. Columbus Blue Jackets 4. San Jose Sharks 5....

*Photo from Yard Barker*     An emerging goalie is coming back for a few years. The Arizona Coyotes and G Connor Ingram have agreed to a 3 year, $5.85 million contract extension, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Coyotes have officially confirmed the deal.    Come July 1, Ingram was a pending RFA. Now, on the heels of his first full NHL season, he's got a new multi year contract. He has a $1.95 million AAV on his contract, which expires after the 2025-2026 season. He'll be a UFA when his contract expires.    Last season was Ingram's first full season in the NHL and with the Coyotes. He had a 6-13-8 record, posting a 3.37 GAA and .907 save percentage, recording one shutout and 15 quality starts in 26 starts and one additional appearance.    Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong said of the extension for Ingram that "We are very pleased to sign Connor to an extension. Connor is a good young goaltender who played well for us last season. He a...

*Photo from Canes Country*     Returning to the fray in Raleighwood is the captain. The Carolina Hurricanes and C Jordan Staal have agreed to a 4 year, $11.6 million contract, according to an announcement on Sunday by the team.    Staal was set to become a UFA on July 1 when free agency begins. Now, the player who's spent the last 11 seasons with the Hurricanes is back in the fold for 4 more seasons, and the captain of the Hurricanes at that. His 10 year, $60 million contract expired at the end of this season.    The contract for Staal carries a $2.9 million AAV over the 4 seasons, including a signing bonus of $1.315 million in the 2026-2027 season. He has a full no movement clause for the first 3 seasons and a full no trade clause for the final season of the contract.    Staal said of returning to Carolina that "Obviously, it's where I wanted to be. I feel like I've got some unfinished business, and I'm just super excited to be part of the o...

*Photo from NHL.com*     Here comes another pre-draft trade. The Colorado Avalanche have acquired C Ryan Johansen from the Nashville Predators in exchange for the rights to C Alex Galchenyuk, according to announcements from both teams.    Johansen has two years and $16 million left on a 8 year, $64 million contract he signed with the Predators prior to the 2017-2018 season. The Predators will retain half of the remaining salary owed to Johansen as part of the trade.    Last season, Johansen missed 27 games due to injury which required surgery. When Johansen was on the ice, he scored 12 goals and had 16 assists, averaging 15:46 of ice time per game while suiting up for 55 games in the regular season for the Predators, who fell short of the playoffs.    Colorado GM Chris McFarland said of landing Johansen that "Ryan is a talented, veteran center who helps our top six. He gives us size in the middle of the ice and brings leadership and experienc...

*Photo from the Boston Globe*     No more bouncing around the league for this player. The New Jersey Devils and C/LW Erik Haula have agreed to a 3 year, $9.45 million contract, according to an announcement by the Devils on Friday.    Prior to the contract, Haula was a pending UFA on July 1. Now, he's in New Jersey for 3 more years. Last season with the Devils marked the 6th team Haula played for in the past 5 years. He played for the Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, and the Boston Bruins before landing with the Devils.    Haula said of the multi year deal that "It was a huge deal to have security. We bounced around quite a bit and just to have the ability to be able to look into housing and get my family all set up and so we're really excited with how it all ended up and I'm just really excited to be back."    The contract for Haula carries an AAV of $3.15 million and has a $1 million signing b...

*Photo from Elite Sports NY*     The Hall is adding more new names. Henrik Lundqvist, Pierre Turgeon, Tom Barrasso, Mike Vernon, Caroline Ouellette, Ken Hitchcock, and Pierre Lacroix are the 7 inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame for the class of 2023, according to an announcement on Tuesday.    Lundqvist, Barrasso, and Vernon are 3 goalies being inducted into the Hall of Fame, with Turgeon and Ouellette joining them on the player side. Hitchcock and Lacroix were elected into the Hall of Fame as builders. The 7 will be inducted formally on November 13 in Toronto.    The most recent name is Lundqvist, elected in his first year of eligibility. The former 7th round pick is a Vezina trophy winner and Olympic Gold Medalist, winning 459 games in net, the 6th most in NHL history. In the salary cap era, only Marc-Andre Fleury has started and won more games than Lundqvist. His .918 career save percentage is tied for 8th among goalies with at least 300 games p...

*Photo from TSN*     Two veterans are nearing the end of the road in the NHL. The Arizona Coyotes have placed RW Zack Kassian and D Patrik Nemeth on waivers for the purpose of buyout, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.    Kassian had one season and $3.2 million left on a 4 year, $12.8 million contract signed with the Edmonton Oilers prior to the shortened 2021 season. Kassian's contract gives the Coyotes an approximate $1.67 million cap hit in 2023-2024 and a $766,667 cap hit in 2024-2025.    Following a trade from the Oilers in July, Kassian only spent one year with the Coyotes. In that season, he recorded just two goals, adding zero assists for the lowest point total of his career. He averaged 9:09 of ice time and authored a -18 rating in 51 games for the Coyotes.    In his career, Kassian has played for 4 teams over 12 seasons. In that time, he has 92 goals and 111 assists to his name, totaling 203 points. He's averaged 12:37 of ice time...

*Photo from The Athletic*     One more pending free agent is off the board. The Montreal Canadiens and C Sean Monahan have agreed to a one year, $1.985 million contract, according to an announcement by the team on Tuesday morning.    The contract delay's Monahan's free agency by one season, as he was a pending UFA until July 1. His contract includes a $15,000 bonus that will kick in if he reaches 26 games played this season. That makes the AAV of the contract an even $2 million, but the cap hit will remain $1.985 million.    Playing in his first season with the Canadiens, Monahan recorded 6 goals and 11 assists for 17 points. He averaged 17:22 of ice time per game in 25 games. He didn't play after December 5 due to a lower body injury, which required season ending surgery.    Chosen as a first round pick in the 2013 NHL draft, Monahan has suited up for the Canadiens and Calgary Flames in 10 NHL seasons. In that time, he has 479 points, divided bet...

*Photo from the Deseret News*     One bottom sixer is back in Oil country. The Edmonton Oilers and C/RW Derek Ryan have agreed to a two year, $1.8 million contract, according to the team on Tuesday.    When free agency opens on July 1, Ryan was set to be a UFA, but he's now back in the fold through the 2024-2025 season. His contract carries a $900,000 AAV and includes a $125,000 signing bonus for the upcoming season. He was making $1.25 million annually with the Oilers on his previous contract.    Ryan was a productive member of the Oilers bottom six last season. He potted 13 goals and added 7 assists to reach 20 points, averaging 11:10 of ice time per game while posting a +11 rating in 80 games in the regular season. In the playoffs, he had one goal and two assists in 11 games.    Originally breaking into the league as an undrafted free agent, Ryan has played 153 career games in the regular season. He has 28 goals and 41 assists to his name, aver...

*Photo from WITF*     There's a new leader in the big apple. The New York Rangers have hired Peter Laviolette as their next head coach, according to an announcement by the Rangers on Tuesday.    Rangers GM Chris Drury said of the hiring that "We are thrilled that Peter will be the next head coach of the New York Rangers. With Peter's extensive experience as a head coach in the National Hockey League, as well as the success his teams have had at several levels throughout his career, we are excited about what the future holds with him leading our team."    Following a first round loss to the New Jersey Devils, the Rangers fired Gerard Gallant as head coach. Laviolette was previously head coach of the Washington Capitals, with the two parting ways at the end of the regular season. The Capitals didn't advance past the first round of the playoffs in Laviolette's 3 seasons.    In Washington, the Capitals were decimated by injuries and underperforma...

*Photo from DraftKings*     This budding star is staying where he is. The New Jersey Devils and RW/LW Jesper Bratt have agreed to a 8 year, $63 million contract, according to an announcement by the Devils on Thursday.    Bratt said of his new contract that "This is the deal I wanted and I'm really excited. I'm just so happy we could get it done. Obviously that was kind of my main focus, to be here for a long time to keep that going. We have so many positive things from what happened this year and when I looked at a team, looked at my teammates with long-term deals and all that stuff, I knew that we have something really good to build on for a lot of years."    The pending RFA now won't be any more. His contract carries an AAV of $7.875 million and has a full no movement clause from 2024-2025 until 2027-2028. From that point on, he has a no movement clause and a modified no trade clause in the form of a 15 team no trade list.    Playing on a o...

*Photo from Itinerant Fan*     The selling process is almost over now. A group led by Toronto billionaire Michael Andlauer has reached an agreement to purchase the Ottawa Senators, according to an announcement by the team on Tuesday.    With the sale, Andlauer will become the majority owner of the team. The purchase is coming in at just under $1 billion, with the team being sold for $950 million. The sale is pending approval from the NHL board of governor's and commissioner Gary Bettman.    In a statement, Andlauer said that "My family and I are very excited to be a part of the Ottawa Senators hockey club. I believe that the Senators' fan base is one of the most passionate in the league and I'm excited to take the franchise's success both on and off the ice to the next level. The short and long-term future of the team is incredibly bright, and I look forward to getting to know the team, the fan base, and the community."    Andlauer has some f...

*Photo from CNN* Vegas wins series 4-2     One of the NHL's newest teams is now at the top of the league. Mark Stone scored 3 goals, Jack Eichel had 3 assists, and the Vegas Golden Knights routed the Florida Panthers 9-3 on Tuesday night in Vegas.    The Golden Knights entered the league 6 years ago and took the hockey world by storm, making the Stanley Cup Final in their first year, ultimately falling short to the Washington Capitals. This time, they took advantage of the chance, dispatching the Panthers in 5 games to win the Cup that evaded them in their first season.    Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault said that "I remember game 4 we wanted to bring it back home and get a chance to win it at home. And we did. Our team delivered tonight. We were dominating the whole game. I was just so proud to do it in front of our fans. It's a moment I'll never forget."    Stone paced the Golden Knights on the scoresheet with a hat trick, while Ei...

*Photo from The Hockey Writers*     On the off day cycle, we have more coaching news. The Calgary Flames have named assistant coach Ryan Huska as their next head coach, according to an announcement by the Flames on Monday.    Huska served as an assistant coach for the Flames for the previous 5 seasons, being promoted to that role after being the head coach of the Flames AHL team for 4 seasons before that. This will be Huska's first chance as an NHL head coach.    Flames GM Craig Conroy said of hiring Huska that "When I looked around and said, 'What am I looking for and who would be the best fit?' it really became clear the last four or five days that Ryan was the guy. I feel like he's put his time in, he's done everything he can, the only thing he hasn't gotten is the chance to be an NHL head coach, and now he is."    As an assistant, Huska oversaw the penalty kill and the defense group of the Flames. The penalty kill ranked 6th in the NHL la...

*Photo from NHL.com*     We have a sign and trade on our hands. The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired D Damon Severson from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2023 3rd round draft pick, according to both teams.    Prior to the trade, Severson and the Devils agreed to an 8 year, $50 million extension. The deal had to be completed before the trade in order for Severson to get 8 years instead of 7. Severson has a $6.25 million AAV and a full no trade clause for the first 4 seasons, followed by a modified no trade clause for the next 4 seasons.    The former second round pick Severson was a pending UFA with free agency set to open on July 1. He was set to have a strong market for his services in free agency as one of the better UFA's on the board. He gets a signing bonus in 6 of the 8 seasons of his contract.    Severson said of the sign and trade process that "It was a crazy process, but getting it done before July 1 where the rush would have ...

*Photo from the Tampa Bay Times* Vegas leads series 3-1     One more win, and immortality is secured in the hockey world. Chandler Stephenson scored twice, Mark Stone had two assists, and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers with a 3-2 victory on Saturday night in Sunrise.    After losing game 3 in overtime, the Golden Knights bounced back and built an early lead in game 4 they never gave up. Now, in their second trip to the Stanley Cup Final in their 6 year history, the Golden Knights can win it for the first time with one more win in the series.    Stephenson said of the next game that "It's a different game than the other ones, a lot more emotion, a lot more of everything. Everybody knows what's going to be there. I think just try to play. That's the biggest thing. Being at home too, the fans, everybody is going to be into it. The emotion is going to be high. Adrenaline. Everything. The biggest thing is just be composed. Shift by s...

*Photo from Bucky's 5th Quarter*     The beginning of the offseason means it's extension season. The Montreal Canadiens and RW Cole Caufield have agreed to a 8 year, $62.8 million contract extension, according to an announcement by the Canadiens.    The 22 year old Caufield was a pending RFA and is now locked up through his remaining RFA seasons and the start of his UFA years. His contract carries a $7.85 million AAV and he has a $5 million signing bonus in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. He has a modified no trade clause for the final 3 seasons, which is a 15 team no trade list.    Caufield said of agreeing to his extension that "My side, their side, it's all been handled very well very professional. With the injury, I didn't really expect anything to happen right away, and we just knew both sides wanted to be there in long term too, so I couldn't be more excited. I think it all worked out."    Last season was Caufield's second full season in the league...

*Photo from Yahoo Sports* Vegas leads series 2-1     We've got ourselves a series now. Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist, Carter Verhaeghe won the game, and the Florida Panthers rallied to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights with a 3-2 overtime victory on Thursday night in Sunrise.    Both Tkachuk and Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who were trailing late in regulation until they flipped the switch, forcing overtime and then winning in overtime. This also goes down as the first win in the Stanley Cup Final in Panthers team history.    Tkachuk said after the game that "All that was on our mind was get the win. It didn't matter how we were going to be able to do it. It didn't matter leading up what was going to happen. We just knew what the result had to be and we got it."    It was the Panthers who took an early lead to start. Brandon Montour gave them a 1-0 lead with his 7th goal of the playoffs, assisted by Tkachuk an...