As the game clock ticked down to 10 seconds and a 9-3 demolition of the Florida Panthers neared its conclusion Tuesday night inside T-Mobile Arena, William Karlsson and Keegan Kolesar began jumping in their skates.

The Golden Knights forwards, circling the top of Vegas' zone with the kind of anxious energy reserved only for soon-to-be champions, caught serious air. Seemingly 3 feet high, their limbs flailed in every direction, pure elation.

A few seconds later, despite the final buzzer not yet sounding on Game 5, the Vegas bench spilled onto the ice to join Karlsson and Kolesar in a moment that won't ever be replicated. The Golden Knights, the NHL's boldest franchise, are first-time Stanley Cup champions after defeating the shorthanded Panthers in five games by a cumulative score of 26-12.

The glitziest and most glamorous trophy in North American pro sports now belongs to those who call the continent's flashiest city home. What a world.

"Listen to this right now. It's unbelievable," captain Mark Stone, wowed by the 19,058-person crowd, told Sportsnet as the celebration raged on around him.

Stone, as is tradition, was the first player to hoist the Cup. Reilly Smith, Jonathan Marchessault, Karlsson, Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore, and William Carrier followed, which was fitting. The six of them have been around since the beginning. The original Golden Knights - the so-called Golden Misfits - rule the franchise record books in virtually every category and were integral to claiming the 16 wins required to be the last team standing in June.

Marchessault, the undrafted sniper, was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for bagging 13 goals, three of them game-winners, and recording 12 assists. Nobody on Vegas was locked in quite like Marchessault, whom the Golden Knights selected alongside Karlsson, McNabb, and Carrier in the 2017 expansion draft. (Theodore and Smith both arrived via trade on the same day.)

Bill Foley, the club's cowboy owner, predicted a playoff debut in Year 3 and a Cup win in Year 6. His managers, coaches, and players destroyed the first milestone in Year 1 by not only securing a playoff berth but also winning three series. And now, with an almost entirely revamped roster, they've nailed the ambitious second milestone. Over a half-decade, the plucky Cinderella crew of 2017-18 evolved into the stacked, bullying championship outfit of 2022-23.

Vegas' playoff run was ultra convincing, too. The Western Conference's No. 1 seed went games without a hitch, almost always in full control. Automatic, surgical, dominating, overwhelming - feel free to choose your own adjective.

Also taking down the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, and Dallas Stars, the Golden Knights posted a 9-0 record when leading after the first period. They outscored the opposition 34-11 in the second, often rendering the final frame moot. Overall, in 1,084 minutes of five-on-five action across 22 games, the Golden Knights finished an absurd plus-33 (66 goals for, 33 goals against).

Vegas excelled in all three zones under Bruce Cassidy, who was hired as the franchise's third head coach one year ago Wednesday. Defensive structure insulated the goalies extremely well, speed helped Vegas attack through the neutral zone, and scoring chances were turned into goals through precision passing and shooting, whether it be off the rush, cycle, forecheck, or rebound.

"I'm in the club, and they can't kick you out," Cassidy, who lost in the 2019 Cup Final while coaching the Boston Bruins, told TNT. (Yes, he was grinning.)

President George McPhee and general manager Kelly McCrimmon laid the foundation for a Cup winner with a killer performance at the expansion draft. Then, with Foley's blessing, the front-office duo shuffled coaches and upgraded the roster through aggressive, sometimes cutthroat moves. Amazingly, 19 of the 24 players to appear in the playoffs were acquired via trade, free agency, or waivers. Nic Hague was the lone homegrown draft pick.

At several points along the way, critics warned McPhee and McCrimmon that the wheeling and dealing would catch up to them; that swapping out fan favorites Marc-Andre Fleury and Max Pacioretty, as well as a handful of first-rounders, would come back to haunt them; that the dangerous dances with the salary cap and team chemistry would eventually bite them in the ass.

Going "all-in" doesn't always work in Sin City. It ultimately did for them.

Among those traded for: former Buffalo Sabre Jack Eichel, who in his first postseason racked up a league-high 26 points, plus countless compliments for strong defensive play. Former Ottawa Senator Stone, Vegas' best all-around player, contributed 24 points, including three huge goals in the clincher. Both recently underwent major surgery - Eichel on his neck, Stone on his back, twice - and came out the other side arguably better than ever.

"It's the best feeling in the world," a nearly speechless Eichel said of winning.

Goalie Adin Hill, a 27-year-old journeyman fighting for playing time to start the season, was a rock, maintaining a .932 save percentage in 16 games. Marchessault deservedly won MVP, but Vegas doesn't climb the top of the mountain without Eichel, Stone, and Hill all playing at MVP levels. Those drivers were surrounded by enviable depth, from Alex Pietrangelo, Theodore, and Zach Whitecloud to Karlsson, Chandler Stephenson, and Ivan Barbashev.

The Golden Knights' short yet storied history now reads: lost in the Cup Final in Year 1; lost in the opening round in Year 2; lost in the conference final in Year 3; lost in the conference final in Year 4; missed the playoffs entirely in Year 5; and won the Cup in Year 6.

Most franchises would kill for results like that over a 30-year timeline. Yet, only a few would even consider adopting Vegas' aggressive mindset. Did Foley, McPhee, and McCrimmon benefit from relaxed expansion draft rules? Absolutely. What ultimately led them to glory, however, was the laser focus on winning, at all costs. They had a vision. They were given the resources. They were impatient. They weren't afraid to make mistakes or hurt feelings.

Now there's a Cup parade coming to the Strip.

"I might not go to bed for a few days here," Marchessault quipped.

Viva Las Vegas.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Saturday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. While teams leading 3-1 in the Final are 36-1 all time, the Panthers are capable of mounting an unlikely comeback, having erased a 3-1 deficit versus the Boston Bruins in the opening round. Here's the road map to Vegas taming Florida in Tuesday's Game 5 - then raising the Cup.

Zero in on Florida's stars

Heading into the Final, there was a case to be made that the teams' top three forward lines and top two defense pairings were equally talented. However, Vegas' overqualified fourth line of Nicolas Roy between William Carrier and Keegan Kolesar and the burgeoning third pair of Nicolas Hague and Zach Whitecloud is what tipped the scales in Vegas' favor as far as depth and head-to-head matchups.

Fast-forward four games, and Florida's usually productive third line has been minimized due to the absence of Eetu Luostarinen, who's out with an undisclosed injury. Alongside fill-in Ryan Lomberg, Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart haven't generated nearly as many scoring chances off the cycle and forecheck as we've come to expect during this playoff run.

It may seem wacky to suggest that losing a depth piece like Luostarinen has tilted the series. Yet, the Lomberg-Lundell-Reinhart trio has generated virtually nothing of substance through 21 five-on-five minutes (zero goals, two high-danger shot attempts, according to Natural Stat Trick). Lomberg's old line has somehow accomplished less (zero goals, one high-danger attempt).

An ineffective bottom six means Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and Brandon Montour have to be even bigger catalysts than they've already been. The club's play-driving stars have combined for eight points in four games, which is alright but not good enough. A glimmer of hope for Panther fans: The greater the moment throughout the postseason, the better their leaders have played.

Barkov, in particular, must put forth another monstrous performance. The captain looked terrific at both ends of the ice during Florida's home games, putting the clamps on Jack Eichel in Game 3 and then bagging a goal and a primary assist in Game 4. His 55.7% expected goals rate leads the team.

Tkachuk had two glorious chances in the first 10 minutes of Saturday's contest before failing to convert on a point-blank opportunity with the net empty and time running out in the third period. The Hart Trophy finalist was noticeably less physical along the boards and in the corners, and he skated for only 4:03 in the third and 16:40 total. Obviously hurt, Tkachuk's Game 5 status is up in the air.

The math is simple for Vegas at this point: The more difficult life is made on Tkachuk, Barkov, and Montour, the more likely they are to hoist the Cup.

Dominate the neutral zone

To the eye, the transition battle in this series has been completely one-sided. Most notably, Vegas has executed on the majority of stretch passes, while Florida's quick-strike tries have tended to yield icings and, thus, longer shifts.

It feels like Chandler Stephenson alone has flown through the neutral zone with the puck on his stick more times than the entire Panthers skater group. Both of the center's Game 4 goals were the byproduct of smart neutral-zone decisions. Whitecloud fed Stephenson a perfect pass for a zone entry ahead of his first goal, and Stephenson chipped the puck to a streaking Mark Stone for an entry moments before he scored his second off a one-timer.

Stone put on a clinic to start the second period Saturday - forechecking like a maniac, winning multiple puck battles, tipping several shots, and drawing a penalty over just a few shifts. He's been a rock star for the entirety of a 21-game postseason, with his 21 points failing to do his full body of work justice.

Led by Stone's dogged puck pursuit and puck-stripping abilities, the Golden Knights are pressuring Florida skaters into mistakes all over the rink. The Panthers have fumbled exits out of the defensive zone, leading to sustained zone time for Vegas. They've also fired pucks into shin pads, leading to a comical blocked shots counter of 99-54 for Vegas, the team that's almost always had the puck.

Adin Hill and his stellar work in the Golden Knights' crease can't be glossed over. He's been equal parts steady and stunning en route to a .925 save percentage off 120 total Florida shots. Hill's desperation paddle save on Nick Cousins in Game 1, with the score tied 1-1, was the series' first crossroads moment. If Cousins scores, would the Panthers be up 3-1?

Eyes on the ultimate prize

When a team's 60 good minutes away from sipping from the Cup, simply staying focused on the task at hand can become difficult. It isn't easy when everybody around you - in and outside of the organization - is making plans for the celebration. It's even harder in a chaotic party city like Las Vegas.

All of that said, the Bruce Cassidy-led Golden Knights have left no doubt that they can keep their eyes on the prize. The roster is filled with veterans, and the on-ice product has evolved into an organized, precise operation.

Florida will be throwing everything at Vegas in Game 5. The physicality will ramp up. The nastiness will ramp up. The number of risky plays will ramp up. The officiating, which hasn't been kind to the Panthers, could swing the other way. Surely, Florida's 0-for-13 power play will convert sometime soon.

The Panthers are a resilient and clutch bunch, as evidenced by a perfect 7-0 record in overtime games in these playoffs. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky could easily have another dynamite performance in him. TTechnically, this series isn't over. But if Vegas sticks to the road map, they'll be fine - Cup champion-level fine.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Spoiler alert for July 1: The 2023 unrestricted free-agent class doesn't have a headliner.

There's no Johnny Gaudreau of 2022, Dougie Hamilton of 2021, Alex Pietrangelo of 2020, or Artemi Panarin of 2019. There are plenty of household names available, sure, but most are past their prime and thus less desirable.

This year's crop is, in a word, underwhelming. However, that doesn't mean it's boring, especially with the upper limit of the salary cap likely rising once again by only $1 million for the 2023-24 season (to $83.5 million). With so little additional cap space available, some players are going to get squeezed.

"Is it the top-tier guys since there's no real big name in the class? Is it the guys in the middle? Or is it some of the lower-end, lower-lineup guys?" Kyle Stich, president of AFP Analytics, wondered aloud during a recent interview.

Will teams eat a "bad" cap hit for this coming season in order to sign a player they really like for multiple seasons, then feel better about it once the upper limit jumps? Or, with teams and players eyeing that big increase over the next couple of years, will there be more short-term deals than usual this summer?

With the help of Stich and AFP Analytics - which recently released contract projections for hundreds of free agents - let's take a look at three particularly intriguing UFAs.

Adin Hill (AFP projection: 2 years, $3.34-million cap hit)

AFP's projections were finalized after the regular season, so, as Stich puts it, the 27-year-old Hill "might have earned himself another year or two and another couple of million each year" by posting a .934 save percentage in 14 playoff games. Winning the Stanley Cup would be the icing on the cake.

Hill's stellar play in the Vegas crease this spring has moved him into Jordan Binnington and Scott Darling territory. Binnington signed for two years at $4.4 million per year in 2019 (5.4% of upper limit at signing time), while Darling signed for four years at $4.15 million per year in 2017 (5.7% of upper limit).

Hill's NHL sample size is small (115 total games), which could be viewed as a plus or a minus, depending on the front office. "If you're a team that wants to buy into what you've seen so far, you can talk yourself into him," Stich said. "If you're a team that wants to steer away, you can talk yourself out of him."

Michael Bunting (AFP projection: 5 years, $5.26-million cap hit)

Bunting's suspension in the first round of the playoffs may not have left a favorable impression on prospective future employers. But there's no denying the 27-year-old winger can slot into any top six. In Toronto, he showed he can play the heel alongside play-drivers Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

AFP envisions Bunting's next deal ending up in the same ballpark as Blake Coleman's deal with Calgary (six years, $4.9 million per, 6% of upper limit at signing) and Zach Hyman's deal with Edmonton (seven years, $5.5 million per, 6.8% of limit). Jonathan Marchessault, who, like Bunting, took a while to break through in the NHL, is another data point (six years, $5 million per, 6.7%).

Bunting's just one of many useful UFA wingers, such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Alex Killorn, and Ivan Barbashev. "Does he get signed first, get a high-dollar amount and term, and then the market dries out for somebody else?" Stitch wondered.

Dmitry Orlov (AFP projection: 5 years, $6.27-million cap hit)

Orlov must have been smiling ear to ear Friday as he learned of the sign-and-trade between New Jersey and Columbus. That deal took Damon Severson, Orlov's stiffest competition among UFA defensemen, off the market entirely.

Suddenly, the demand for Orlov, which was presumably already fairly high, is even higher. The 31-year-old Russian recorded a career-high 36 points this past season while splitting his time between Washington and Boston after a midseason trade. Orlov's ability to break the puck out, intimidate physically, and help out on the power play makes him an enticing, top-pairing package.

Two relevant contracts: Jeff Petry's deal with Montreal and Mattias Ekholm's deal with Nashville. Both defensemen, now playing for other teams, signed in their early 30s for four years, $6.25 million per season, and 7.7% of the upper limit at the time.

2003 draft, 20 years later

June 21 marks two decades since Cape Breton Screaming Eagles goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall in the 2003 draft. A historically strong class, 130 picks have played at least one NHL game, including all 30 first-rounders, ranging from Hugh Jessiman (two games) to Eric Staal (1,365).

The depth doesn't stop there: 48 of 292 total draftees, or a whopping 16.4% of the class, have appeared in 500 or more games. And 16 have reached the 1,000-game milestone, with the 38-year-old Fleury not far behind (985) heading into the second season of a two-year deal with the Minnesota Wild.

The top-five picks from draft day:

1. Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Pittsburgh Penguins

2. Eric Staal, F, Carolina Hurricanes

3. Nathan Horton, F, Florida Panthers

4. Nikolai Zherdev, F, Columbus Blue Jackets

5. Thomas Vanek, F, Buffalo Sabres

The Penguins, Hurricanes, and Sabres made out well. The Panthers did OK. The Blue Jackets ... not so great. Zherdev left in 2011 for the KHL. He was 26.

Placing a heavy emphasis on longevity, here's who I'd pick in a redraft:

1. Patrice Bergeron, F, Pittsburgh (actual slot: 45th)

2. Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Carolina (1st)

3. Corey Perry, F, Florida (28th)

4. Ryan Getzlaf, F, Columbus (19th)

5. Eric Staal, F, Buffalo (2nd)

Honorable mentions: Shea Weber (49th), Joe Pavelski (205th), Ryan Kesler (23rd), Brent Seabrook (14th), Brent Burns (20th), Corey Crawford (52nd).

Caps' Carbery no ordinary rookie

Back in 2016, Dave Drinkill reached out to NHL executive Kyle Dubas. Drinkill, the general manager of the OHL's Saginaw Spirit, had never hired a coach and was seeking advice from colleagues who'd been through the process.

Dubas told Drinkill to be thorough in his search and to trust his instincts. It's hard to explain, Drinkill recalls the Penguins' new president of hockey operations saying, but when you find your guy, you'll know. It's a gut feeling.

Drinkill felt it as he interviewed Spencer Carbery, a former minor-league winger who'd just won the ECHL's coach of the year award. The GM and prospective coach talked for several hours straight - about life, family, hockey - yet the conversation never dragged because they found so much common ground.

Carbery checked off all the boxes: On top of being detail-oriented and a strong communicator, his teaching philosophies and work ethic aligned with Drinkill's. Plus, Carbery had the "it" factor seen only in natural leaders.

"If someone walks into the room with a presence, and they're in charge, you just feel it," Drinkill explained. "You buy into what they're telling you, you get to work, and soon enough, you're ready to go through the wall for that person. You respect them, and they respect you. You can have fun, but when it's time to work, it's time to work. There's an understanding there. Carbs had that."

Fast forward six years, and Carbery is the Washington Capitals' new bench boss after successful head-coaching stints in the ECHL, OHL, and AHL. According to reports, the hottest NHL coaching prospect on the market also interviewed for vacancies in New York (Rangers), Anaheim, and Nashville.

An assistant on Sheldon Keefe's staff the past two seasons, Carbery led the Toronto Maple Leafs to first- and second-ranked power plays. In Washington, the 41-year-old is armed with a capable group of offensive contributors - including ultimate trigger-man Alex Ovechkin - that finished a disappointing 23rd and 16th in power-play percentage the last two seasons.

Carbery knows the Caps organization well, having spent eight total seasons as head coach of its ECHL and AHL affiliates. On one hand, the team's in transition after recently trading a handful of veterans. On the other, it remains tied to a core anchored by Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and John Carlson.

Carbery wants the Caps to play with more pace and better connectivity. You can expect him to spend as much time teaching the club's depth players as its stars. He'll be invested in matters big and small. That's how he's wired.

"I'm going to put everything I've got into this organization," Carbery said last week during a press conference. His old boss Drinkill has no doubts about it.

Parting shots

Barry Trotz: I love the idea of Trotz transitioning from head coach to general manager. (He officially takes over as Nashville Predators GM in July.) Always seeming very wise, Trotz is a hockey lifer who isn't afraid to change with the times or think outside the box.

I love the hire even more after reading a few of his recent comments. For one, Trotz told reporters he wants his scouting staff to "take some swings" and target players who "get people out of their seats" in the draft because the front office can find depth players in free agency or via trade. Of course, it's easy to ask for swings when your club has 13 picks in a draft being held locally. What a perfect time to make a splash. Still, the comment shows he's trying to attack team-building from a different angle than, say, his predecessor David Poile, who's been in the Preds' GM chair since 1997.

Player empowerment: Star players getting what they want, excelling, then motivating others to follow is an under-the-radar theme of the Stanley Cup Final. Vegas has Jack Eichel, who in 2021 got what he wanted after arguing with his old team, the Buffalo Sabres, over which type of neck surgery was the best route. Peers Tyler Johnson and Joel Farabee have since undergone the same artificial disc replacement procedure. Florida has Matthew Tkachuk, who, as a restricted free agent last summer, got what he wanted after telling his old team, the Calgary Flames, he wasn't interested in signing a long-term extension. Peers Alex DeBrincat and Pierre-Luc Dubois are both currently working with their respective clubs to facilitate a trade despite being RFAs. It turns out the NHL can be a copy-cat league at the player level, too.

Columbus Blue Jackets: GM Jarmo Kekalainen is about to hire Mike Babcock as head coach. He acquired Ivan Provorov in a complicated three-way trade on Tuesday, bidding farewell to a first-round pick in the process. He brought in Severson on an eight-year, $50-million contract on Friday. I don't like any of those moves in isolation, but props to Kekalainen for decisively turning the page on an injury-filled 2022-23 season and forging ahead at warp speed.

The NHL's first European GM is banking on a core led by Gaudreau, Patrik Laine, Zach Werenski, Kent Johnson, and David Jiricek - and is probably just getting started. The small-market Blue Jackets will be active on July 1, which, if nothing else, will be entertaining.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights, up 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final after a 7-2 beatdown of the Florida Panthers on Monday, are two wins away from their first Stanley Cup. Home-ice advantage shifts to the Panthers, though, with Game 3 set for Thursday night in Sunrise. Here are four pivotal battlegrounds to monitor.

Tkachuk line vs. Hague-Whitecloud

It's never a positive sign when you punch a rival in the face multiple times and get nothing but smirking and a viral TV moment in response.

That's exactly what happened in Game 1 as Panthers superstar Matthew Tkachuk and linemate Sam Bennett attempted (and failed) to rattle Golden Knights blue-liner Nicolas Hague in one of the series' many post-whistle scrums.

It's also never a positive sign when two games haven't produced much of a highlight reel despite what, on paper, is a winnable head-to-head matchup - Florida's top offensive line of Bennett between Tkachuk and Nick Cousins versus Vegas' least-experienced pairing of Hague and Zach Whitecloud.

Tkachuk has been on the ice for one goal for and one goal against - as well as 20 shot attempts for and 17 attempts against - in 15 total five-on-five minutes opposite Hague-Whitecloud. The Hart Trophy finalist's defensive-zone turnover led directly to Vegas' 4-2 goal in Game 1, and while he did score in Game 2, it was a garbage-time tally that he barely celebrated.

A Conn Smythe Trophy contender coming into the Cup Final, Tkachuk's been neutralized. The series will be over in four games if he's unable to break through in a meaningful way. The Panthers tend to go as Tkachuk goes.

Staying out of the penalty box would be a good starting point. After being relatively disciplined during the first three rounds of the postseason (24 total penalty minutes), Tkachuk's already racked up 36 PIMs against Vegas thanks to three minors - all roughing calls - and three misconducts. Despite playing a physical brand of hockey, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound Hague and 6-foot-2, 207-pound Whitecloud have largely avoided the box. Whitecloud's misconduct late in Monday's blowout is the duo's lone infraction. They're dialed in.

Panthers' goalies vs. netfront traffic

Two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky allowed four goals on 33 shots in Game 1, then four on 13 shots in the first half of Game 2. In relief, journeyman Alex Lyon surrendered three on 13 shots as Florida unraveled.

You don't have to dig up advanced statistics to conclude that Florida's goaltending needs to be significantly better. (Though Game 3's starter hasn't been named, expect Bobrovsky to take the net back.)

That said, the goalies don't deserve all the blame. In fact, it's the skaters in front of them who should be targeted by Panthers coaches in video sessions. Florida's defensive-zone coverage was subpar in the opener and downright horrendous in the second game - poor gaps off the rush, tentative pressure on the walls, and too much puck-watching, to name just a few concerning trends for a club that previously outlasted the attacks of Boston, Toronto, and Carolina.

The netfront area needs to be cleaned up ASAP. Bobrovsky and Lyon were screened on six of 11 non-empty-net goals. Amazingly, on four of those six screened goals, it was a Panther, not a Golden Knight, clogging up the shooting lane. The other two goals featured an even worse save-making environment of one Panther and one Golden Knight in front of the goalie.

There's sacrificing the body to block a shot, and then there's making life more difficult for your goalie. Vegas is doing the former (36-22 advantage in blocked shots despite controlling play), while Florida is doing the latter to an extreme.

Vegas' stars vs. Florida's agitation

The Golden Knights are a handful at even strength. An elite transition squad that often sustains pressure after the original scoring chance, they currently boast a five-on-five goal differential of plus-30 in the playoffs (56-26).

Let that sink in: Vegas, in 19 games against the NHL's best, is up 30 goals!

And while Vegas' 21.5% power play ranks fifth out of the nine teams with at least 30 opportunities this postseason, Florida cannot keep giving its opponent so many reps. The Golden Knights are generally uninterested in the extracurricular activities between whistles and the referees are clearly not afraid to penalize troublemakers. So, the Panthers, who've been shorthanded 11 times so far, must find the middle ground between agitation and discipline.

The Ivan Barbashev-Jack Eichel-Jonathan Marchessault line, which makes up 60% of Vegas' top power-play unit, has been deadly this series - and the rest of the run - regardless of game state. Eichel collected his fourth assist in two games Monday following a clean but thunderous hit by Tkachuk. Barbashev, who's issued three monstrous hits of his own, earned primary helpers on Game 1's winning goal and Game 2's 2-0 marker. Triggerman Marchessault has padded his Conn Smythe case by bagging three goals and adding an assist.

Penalty killing was a popular talking point ahead of the Cup Final - rightfully so, considering recent history (71.2% playoff kill rate for Florida, 63.0% for Vegas). The Golden Knights have been perfect through two games.

Panthers' depth vs. injury/fatigue

Florida's in trouble. The obvious reason: The Panthers are down 2-0 in a best-of-seven series and the second game was a gong show. The less obvious reason: The toll of a long, rough-and-tumble postseason seems to be catching up to them.

Catalysts Bobrovsky and Tkachuk had their worst showings of the run in Game 2; is this the beginning of the end for two terrific individual performances? Key defensemen Brandon Montour and Gustav Forsling have logged 70 and 50 more playoff minutes, respectively, than any Golden Knights skater; do they have enough gas in the tank to contribute to a four-win comeback?

Panthers winger Eetu Luostarinen has missed the first two games and blue-liner Radko Gudas left Game 2. Neither is guaranteed to draw back into the series, which may mean extra ice time for seventh defenseman Casey Fitzgerald and 12th forward Zac Dalpe, who was scratched Monday as head coach Paul Maurice opted for 11 forwards and seven defensemen. To put it mildly, that's not an ideal scenario.

The Golden Knights, with a buzzsaw of a fourth line featuring Nicolas Roy between Keegan Kolesar and William Carrier, was the deeper team at full health. With the Panthers seemingly fighting it, that gap is even wider.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Four were selected in the 2017 NHL expansion draft; two were acquired via trade on the same day. Four are now in their 30s; two are in their late 20s.

Together, Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, William Carrier, Shea Theodore, and Brayden McNabb represent the past and present of Golden Knights hockey. Despite all of the chaos swirling around a franchise that's become known for its cutthroat decision-making, the remaining members of the "Golden Misfits" still call Las Vegas home and are one win away from a second Stanley Cup Final in just six years.

The incredible part: Marchessault and Karlsson have been essential to this particular playoff run, while the other four have proved to be valuable assets in their own unique, less glamorous ways.

Marchessault, the rare dressing room "glue guy" who's also vitally important on the ice, is up to eight goals - three of them game-winners - plus six assists. He and star center Jack Eichel have been the offensive drivers through 15 games. Marchessault has accumulated a team-high 5.86 expected goals thanks to an insane 28 quality scoring chances, according to Sportlogiq.

Karlsson's bagged eight goals himself to go along with three assists. Most notably, he's been on the ice for 12 goals for and five against over 189 minutes of five-on-five action. The Swede's most common forward opponent against the Winnipeg Jets? Kyle Connor. Edmonton Oilers? Connor McDavid. Dallas Stars? Jason Robertson. Talk about acing three difficult assignments.

Turnover is inevitable in every NHL organization. But cores that win enough tend to stay largely intact, a decade zooming by relatively quickly. Not in Vegas, though.

The Golden Knights are bold. They make blockbuster trades and landmark signings to bring in the likes of Eichel, Mark Stone, and Alex Pietrangelo. They fire head coaches, with Bruce Cassidy counting as the third bench boss.

Six originals remain, and the front office deserves credit for choosing the right ride-or-die players. Especially in the cases of Marchessault and Karlsson.

2023 NHL draft FAQ

With the June 28-29 draft fast approaching, I checked in earlier this week with an Ontario-based amateur scout for an NHL team, a Europe-based amateur scout, and Dan Marr, the vice president of the league's in-house Central Scouting bureau. Here are a few takeaways from those discussions.

Quality of draft class: The 2023 class is generating loads of hype. So much, in fact, that some have labeled it exceptionally deep or excellent overall. The two team-affiliated scouts, who were granted anonymity because they're not permitted to speak with reporters, aren't quite buying the hype.

"After the top five, the draft becomes rather average," the Europe scout said.

In no particular order, those consensus top-five players are forwards Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Matvei Michkov, Leo Carlsson, and Will Smith.

"You could make the argument that any of those five guys could have gone first overall last year," the scout added. "That's where all of the hype comes from, or should come from. After them, it drops off pretty significantly. The 6-10 range is not that strong compared to the better drafts of recent memory."

The Ontario scout says the depth in 2023 is "nowhere close" to the vaunted 2003 and 2015 classes.

"You've got Bedard, Fantilli, and a few others at the top. So it seems really, really good at first glance," the scout said. "But the impression I've gotten from talking to people in the industry is that it's not that great, overall."

Marr, who scouted for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Thrashers for two decades prior to joining the league in 2011, is a bit higher on 2023. But he too stopped short of comparing it to 2003, which produced 48 players with at least 500 NHL games played, or 2015, McDavid and Eichel's draft year.

"The top 10 is strong," Marr said, before noting teams slotted between 15th and 20th overall in Nashville next month will be "very happy" with their picks.

High-level trends: Forward is the class' strongest position, and the first few tiers feature a variety of player types: goal-scoring forwards, pass-first forwards, two-way forwards, physically mature forwards, raw forwards, etc.

According to the Europe scout, there's a small chance consensus top defenseman David Reinbacher goes off the board within the first five picks. However, Reinbacher is more likely to be selected between sixth and 10th, and there's a sizable gap between him and the class' second-best blue-liner.

The goaltending crop is nothing special, either.

As for top leagues and countries, the Western Hockey League, led by Bedard, Zach Benson, and Nate Danielson, has a big presence. The U.S. National Team Development Program should have at least four first-round picks - forwards Smith, Ryan Leonard, Oliver Moore, and Gabriel Perreault - in a good-but-not-great year for the Michigan-based team. Sweden, as usual, is Europe's powerhouse, while Marr points out Czechia and Slovakia have truly revived their pipelines.

Marr's fairly certain the first two, perhaps three, defensemen picked will be from Europe or Russia. Austrian Reinbacher; Swedes Axel Sandin Pellikka, Tom Willander, and Theo Lindstein; and Russian Mikhail Gulyayev are the top names on Central Scouting's final ranking of international skaters.

Players of intrigue: Central Scouting expects 106 draft-eligible players at the scouting combine, which goes June 4-10 in Buffalo. Marr says eight or nine Russian players would've been invited but can't attend because of visa issues.

The "Russian factor" always lingers around the draft. It's more pronounced this year because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the exclusion of Russian teams from international tournaments. These variables could cause the country's best prospects to slide on draft night. Michkov, who's under contract with his KHL team through 2025-26, is the class' ultimate wild card.

The Europe scout would "probably recommend Michkov" as the top prospect outside of North America. "Michkov's ceiling is quite a bit higher than Carlsson's. I still love Carlsson as a player, but he's more of a potentially really good player than a potentially elite player."

The upside: Michkov's eventual arrival in the NHL could change the course of a franchise, like fellow Russian Kirill Kaprizov did with the Minnesota Wild.

"Everything about him is legit," Marr said of Michkov's on-ice abilities.

Eduard Sale, a forward from Czechia, is another interesting case. He entered the season with top-10 hype, the Europe scout notes, but was "sliding really, really hard throughout the year" due to concerns over his compete level and work ethic. And these concerns weren't limited to only a few talent evaluators.

Cam Allen, a defenseman from Canada, also saw his stock drop, though not because of a low compete level, the Ontario scout says. He just didn't produce or live up to expectations after winning the OHL's Rookie of the Year award in 2021-22. NHL teams are left wondering which Allen is the real Allen.

VR company making inroads

Buffalo Sabres rookie Devon Levi is a huge proponent. Seattle Kraken prospect Joey Daccord has been using it throughout the AHL playoffs. Other pro goalies and skaters are on board. Same goes for coaches and managers.

Virtual reality company Sense Arena has carved out a niche for itself in the hockey world over the past few years. With only a headset and handheld controllers required, the "completely immersive experience" can help players fine-tune read-and-react skills through a series of drills.

The objective is to expose oneself to different on-ice scenarios - off the ice.

"The more you are in situations where you need to make decisions, your brain creates a pattern. Then, when you get into the same situation on the ice, and you have been there a thousand times before, you just react. You don't think," said Sense Arena CEO Bob Tetiva, a former professional basketball player who founded the Prague-based company in 2018.

Sense Arena is making inroads at an opportune time, as coaches have begun to come around to the idea that hockey sense can be taught. While some players are naturally better at reading the game, expert teaching - whether it's on-ice instruction, video sessions, or VR - can lead to notable improvement.

"Is it easier to learn a language at three years old than at 23? Absolutely. But can you still learn a language? Yeah," Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis told Sportsnet earlier this season.

He added, "We can make (players) better. You're not going to get him fully there versus a kid who already has that. But if you improve him 10% or 15%, how much more productive and efficient can he be on the ice?"

Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson, who'd be nowhere without high-end hockey sense and IQ, seems to have a similar view.

"There are players who have it more than others. Some are very cerebral," Robertson told me last fall. "They just know what's going to happen, know how pucks are going to come off the boards - or wherever - so they get into the right spot. But you can teach how to play predictably, too. You can teach players to get to specific areas of the ice. People can learn that and adjust."

For goalies, VR is especially useful for learning how to better read shot releases off sticks and anticipating the puck's trajectory toward the crease. Both goalies and skaters can keep the mind sharp during injury and rehab periods. Heck, even when a player is healthy, VR can be a substitute for on-ice work, since there's less wear and tear on the body.

Parting shots

Sam Bennett: Bennett is endlessly fascinating for his habit of flipping the switch come playoff time. Over an eight-season career split between the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers, he's averaged 0.63 points and 3.8 hits per game in the playoffs versus 0.45 points and 1.8 hits per game in the regular season. Bennett, a bearded 26-year-old centering an all-agitator top-six line with Matthew Tkachuk and Nick Cousins, has certainly earned his increased production. As of Thursday morning, the Holland Landing, Ontario, native was first or tied for first in inner-slot shots (20), scoring chances generated off the forecheck (seven), and chances off rebounds (seven), according to Sportlogiq.

Offer sheets: Teams looking to dramatically improve their roster through free agency this offseason are fighting an uphill battle. The group of unrestricted free agents could be kindly described as "below average," and the group of restricted guys isn't much better. RFAs, of course, can be acquired only through the offer-sheet process, which is arduous and can ruffle feathers in the opposing front office. Three RFAs who jump off the page: goalie Jeremy Swayman (the Boston Bruins have limited cap space and a lot of players to sign), forward Michael McLeod (breakout performance for the New Jersey Devils in the playoffs), and forward Pierre-Luc Dubois (Winnipeg is losing him once he becomes a UFA next summer, anyway). Offer sheets are so rare that the chances any of them are tabled with one are slim. But if an enterprising team wants to get creative:

Carolina Hurricanes: For a team that's made the playoffs in each of Rod Brind'Amour's five seasons behind the bench, twice making it to the conference finals, the books are extremely clean. Amazingly, only three players are signed past 2024-25: Andrei Svechnikov, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Pyotr Kochetkov. This financial freedom, plus plenty of draft capital, should allow general manager Don Waddell to address Carolina's glaring needs: pure goal-scorers and an NHL-caliber goalie to pair with Kochetkov. Maybe that means re-signing UFA forward Max Pacioretty and UFA goalie Frederik Andersen, then adding one or two other game-breaking forwards via free agency or trade. Maybe that means bringing in a whole new cast of characters. Regardless, the Canes find themselves at a crossroads.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After back-to-back overtime victories, the Florida Panthers are two wins away from competing for the Stanley Cup. Easier said than done, of course, with the Carolina Hurricanes staring back in a tightly contested Eastern Conference showdown. Games 3 and 4 go Monday and Wednesday in Sunrise. Here are three questions the Panthers must answer to secure a Cup Final spot.

Can Bobrovsky hold off Carolina's charge?

The Panthers and Hurricanes played all 201:38 of the first two games - the equivalent of 10 full periods, thanks to overtime - with the score tied or with one team leading by a single goal. Despite what the win-loss counter might suggest, neither club has felt entirely comfortable or been in complete control.

This is both good and bad for Carolina, who can't afford to fall behind 3-0.

It's good because the Hurricanes are generating enough offense to win, with 23 quality scoring chances per game to the Panthers' 17, per Sportlogiq. It's also good because Rod Brind'Amour's squad is process-driven and rarely takes its foot off the gas - especially after losses, as evidenced by the 12-1 shot advantage to kickstart Game 2.

"I thought we had the better of it. We just haven't found a way to score," Brind'Amour said after Saturday's 2-1 loss in front of a raucous home crowd.

It's a virtual guarantee the Hurricanes, arguably the NHL's most predictable team in terms of playing style and effort level, will continue to push hard.

On the flip side, the tightness of this series is bad for Carolina because, well, the opposing goalie is on a heater and, now armed with a 2-0 series lead, has a wider margin of error. Among the 10 goalies who've logged 400 playoff minutes, Sergei Bobrovsky is first in goals saved above expected (7.53, according to Sportlogiq) and tied for second in save percentage (.931). In this series alone, he's rocking an incredible 5.56 goals saved above expected rate.

It's also bad because Andrei Svechnikov and Max Pacioretty, the Hurricanes' purest finishers, are unavailable due to injury. After capitalizing on their opportunities just fine in Rounds 1 and 2, Carolina's hit a wall, producing only one five-on-five goal against Florida. Sophomore Seth Jarvis, who scored on the power play in Game 1, seems particularly snakebitten at even strength.

This series has yet to feature a "greasy" goal, which is surprising and probably not a sustainable trend given both teams' preference for dump-ins and heavy forechecking. During chaotic moments of blanketing screens, jam attempts, and strange bounces, all three goalies have been perfect - so far, anyway. Dialing up the greasiness would be the most feasible way to cool Bobrovsky's heater.

Can Barkov continue to outduel Staal?

It's undeniable: The Panthers' top skaters have outperformed the Hurricanes' top skaters in head-to-head battles through two games.

The first layer: Florida captain Aleksander Barkov outdueling Carolina captain Jordan Staal. Barkov and linemates Carter Verhaeghe and Anthony Duclair hold a 2-0 edge in 39 minutes thanks to two snipes from Barkov, who on Saturday displayed his world-class poise and reach with a gorgeous net drive.

Staal was also an offensive catalyst in Game 2. He and linemates Martin Necas and Teuvo Teravainen created a handful of point-blank looks in Florida's zone, but they had nothing to show for them. Staal hasn't been the issue - Necas doesn't look his dynamic self, while Teravainen is rusty and/or still hurt after getting injured in Round 1.

Will Panthers coach Paul Maurice let the Barkov-Staal matchup cook in Games 3 and 4 - even though he could get Barkov away from Staal with the home-team benefit of last change? Letting it cook is certainly worth a try.

The gamesmanship from Maurice might actually appear in the second layer. The Nick Cousins-Sam Bennett-Matthew Tkachuk line has fared well overall (14-9 in high-danger attempts, 1-0 in goals) while mostly facing Carolina's best blue-liners, Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns. Yet the agitating trio can really feast on the third pairing of Shayne Gostisbehere and Jalen Chatfield.

On top of potting both overtime goals and making a clutch defensive play on a Hurricanes counter midway through the third period in Game 2, Tkachuk's been his usual pesky self. He's accidentally-on-purpose collided with the goalie multiple times, partaken in post-whistle scrums, and yapped many ears off. Tkachuk is deploying every trick in his bag, and damn, he's getting results.

Consider this, too: Florida has scored within five seconds of a five-on-five turnover a whopping 10 times in 14 playoff games. No. 10 was Tkachuk's Game 1 winner, and while Barkov's Game 2 tally missed the five-second cutoff, it too was scored after a five-on-five turnover (roughly 10 seconds).

It almost goes without saying, but Carolina must manage the puck properly.

Can everybody stay out of penalty box?

History is on Florida's side here. The team with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series in the round before the Cup Final has gone on to win 91% of the time.

If Carolina is able to mount a comeback, one or both of Frederik Andersen (who started Game 1 and will likely start Game 3) and Antti Raanta (Game 2 starter) will need to be steady. They've done their part so far, and the Hurricanes' system is friendly enough to goalies that it's not a huge series-tilting factor.

What might tilt the series is the Panthers' discipline level.

Florida led the league in minor penalties during the regular season. They co-led the league again during the first round. They smartened up (and received some help from the officials) during the second round. Against Carolina, the Panthers' discipline has been … somewhere in the middle of the extremes.

The Hurricanes capitalized on two of six power-play opportunities in Game 1, then went zero-for-three in Game 2. Bennett has been the No. 1 culprit. He was penalized three times - for delay of game (puck over glass) and boarding in the opener and for holding in the second game.

This isn't a sky-is-falling scenario for the Panthers or Bennett. They can rein it in. If they don't, the Hurricanes, starved for five-on-five goals, could make it a competitive series by making hay on the power play.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One win in five home playoff games.

A measly two goals scored in each of the final seven games of the season.

Just three times in which they definitively outplayed the opposition over an 11-game stretch - the only 11 that mattered out of the 93 since October.

There are countless ways to frame the Toronto Maple Leafs' latest playoff exit, which came at the hands of the Florida Panthers on Friday night in Game 5 of the second round. Yet it all comes down to this simple truth: the Leafs' most successful postseason of the Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner era includes five wins - still 11 short of the tally required to hoist the Stanley Cup.

In other words, the Leafs, for the seventh straight season, weren't even close to completing their preseason objective. An objective that's been elusive for 56 years. An objective that didn't seem preordained with a core of Matthews, Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly, but at the very least felt within the range of reasonable possibilities.

Who's presiding over the franchise, managing the roster, coaching the team, and slipping on the Leafs crest next season is all hanging in the balance. Changes are inevitable. The severity of those changes is to be determined.

The uncertainty starts at the top. The ownership group, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, can opt for the nuclear option of firing president Brendan Shanahan. The team initiated the so-called "Shanaplan" nine years ago, but three general managers and four coaches on, it has produced one series victory.

Process be damned - that's unacceptable for a club with endless resources.

Shanahan, who's under contract through 2024-25, hasn't done a poor job. The Hockey Hall of Famer's overseen unprecedented regular-season success, and it's not as if he and GM Kyle Dubas haven't adjusted to playoff losses. Sandpaper, defense, leadership, and depth have been added over the years.

A president shouldn't have unlimited runway, though, and Shanahan's coming up on a decade in charge. There's been anger, frustration, and sadness within the fan base for years. Apathy now, too. Moving on from Shanahan would signal a completely new era. A way to save face and chart a different path.

If Shanahan's canned, Dubas and coach Sheldon Keefe likely lose their jobs.

If MLSE sticks to the Shanaplan, Dubas or Keefe, or both, may still get fired.

Dubas, in case you haven't heard, is on an expiring contract. The public has assumed this lack of job security is directly related to playoff success. There's an argument to be made that Dubas excelled in 2022-23 by surrounding the core with layers of veteran support - Ryan O'Reilly, Luke Schenn, Jake McCabe, etc. - and that finally winning a playoff series validates those moves.

But that argument ignores the past. Dubas has been at the helm for five years, and the collection of players he's bet on hasn't lived up to the hype. Devoting half of the salary cap to four players has proven to be an unwise strategy. And while goaltending luckily wasn't a major issue in the postseason, it's fair to question Dubas for his offseason acquisition of injury-riddled Matt Murray, who closed out the year as the backup to rookie netminder Joseph Woll.

Make no mistake: Dubas will be highly sought after if he hits the free-agent market. The 37-year-old is well-respected across the NHL, and let's face it, he made far more good moves than bad during his first twirl in the GM's chair.

Consider this, too: Even if the Leafs want Dubas back, he could choose to walk away. It might be a better long-term career move for him to pull the chute on the Leafs experiment and start fresh elsewhere, whether that be in Pittsburgh, Calgary, or another city. His paychecks will be fatter, he'll likely have more autonomy, and he'll be working with a different core.

Pro sports is a results-driven business, and somebody must pay for a lack of results. It's usually the coach, which means Keefe's job isn't safe, even if Shanahan stays, and, yes, even if his buddy Dubas stays. Keefe, who boasts one of the best regular-season winning percentages in NHL history yet owns a 13-17 record in the playoffs, is under contract through 2023-24.

Player motivation is part of the coach's job, and Keefe is responsible for a hefty chunk of the Leafs' uninspiring performance in Game 3 versus Florida. He was arguably outcoached throughout this playoff run and past postseasons - for instance, shuffling his forward lines too often or not enough and failing to get his team ready for the relentless Panthers forecheck.

Like his players, Keefe didn't execute to the best of his abilities as the pressure mounted. There was progress this year, but not enough.

After past playoff losses, there were three options: stay the course, tinker through a handful of minor alterations, or turn the page with major changes. This time around, turning the page appears to be the only viable option.

Firing one, two, or three of Shanahan, Dubas, and Keefe would be the start. From there, the Core Five - the four highest-paid forwards and the highest-paid defenseman - probably shouldn't return fully intact. Move one? Two?

Matthews, the team's best player, launched the Leafs' comeback in Game 4 of the first round. He finished with five goals and six assists, or a point per contest, off a league-high 49 shots on goal and 66 scoring chances. Most crucially, though, Matthews failed to score a single goal in the second round.

Marner, the team's top point producer in the regular season and playoffs, scored the game-winner in the club's lone second-round win. He was also the biggest no-show of any Leafs star in Wednesday's painfully poor Game 3.

Tavares notched the series-clinching goal in Round 1 and won some key faceoffs. Otherwise, he continued to show signs of decline. Nylander, snakebitten before scoring in back-to-back games to end the season, was consistently dangerous. Rielly, meanwhile, was a puck-hungry menace all postseason, contributing 12 points from the back end, many in clutch moments.

The collective performance of Toronto's five top players was far from terrible. But it wasn't quite strong enough in gut-check situations. Again. And now the clock is ticking. In a matter of weeks, we'll find out plenty about the long-term plan.

Matthews, who turns 26 in September, and Nylander, 27 as of May 1, are both eligible to sign new contracts on July 1. Matthews' current deal includes a no-move clause in the final year, while Nylander's has a 10-team no-trade clause.

Marner, who turned 26 last week, and Tavares, 33 in September, each have two seasons remaining. Tavares' deal includes a no-move clause for all seven years, while Marner's no-move clause kicks in - conveniently - on July 1.

The Leafs, regardless of who's in charge, will probably view Matthews as an untouchable in trade talks. What's going on inside the superstar's head is just as relevant, though. Does Matthews want to stay in Toronto? If so, does he truly believe the Leafs can win a Cup? The same questions can be applied to Nylander, the favorite whipping boy for a segment of Leafs Nation.

Perhaps Nylander wants to play out his final year and then take his talents elsewhere via free agency. Or maybe the front office, which is handicapped by Tavares' undesirable contract and likely uninterested in involving Rielly in trade talks, can shake up the core by shipping out Nylander. Or Marner. Or both.

No matter what route it takes, the front office will need to get creative.

The downside of trading Nylander and/or Marner: It'll be difficult to win the trade(s). The Panthers did something similar last offseason, sending longtime core member Jonathan Huberdeau to the Calgary Flames in a blockbuster that brought back 2022-23 Hart Trophy finalist Matthew Tkachuk. Yet the Flames-Panthers trade isn't much of a template because the circumstances (Tkachuk wanted out, Johnny Gaudreau had recently left) don't align with Toronto's.

The upside of trading Nylander and/or Marner: It's the next step in the evolution. A last-ditch effort for this era. Everything around the core - from the second-tier guys to the role players to the goaltenders - has been turned over, and it'll be turned over again this offseason, with 10 unrestricted free agents on the roster. The only thing left to do is to add and subtract from the Core Five.

Well, that and maybe firing somebody in charge. That's the first domino to watch.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils players woke up Friday without a game on the schedule for the first time in seven months. It surely felt horrible to challenge the shorthanded Carolina Hurricanes in the second round but ultimately drop Game 5 and the series in overtime. Losing always sucks.

Give those players a few days, though, and the entirety of a wildly successful season should come into focus. The 2022-23 Devils set franchise records in wins and points. Center Jack Hughes leveled up from star to superstar. They beat the rival New York Rangers in the first round. Most crucially, they experienced the highs and lows of playoff hockey as a group.

This is only the beginning for New Jersey. Hughes, 21, and captain and Selke Trophy finalist Nico Hischier, 24, combine to cost only $15.25 million over the next four seasons. That's a dream scenario under next year's $83.5-million cap limit, and the sweetheart deals will get only sweeter as the limit rises.

Ondrej Palat, Dawson Mercer, and Michael McLeod - the latter of whom had a coming-out party in the playoffs - provide an enviable base for the supporting cast up front. The defense corps is in capable hands with veterans Dougie Hamilton, Jonas Siegenthaler, and John Marino under contract through 2026-27. The goalie duo of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid isn't ideal but is competent enough and signed at a combined $4.25 million cap hit. And youngsters Alexander Holtz, Simon Nemec, and Luke Hughes - the latter looked both 19 years old and brilliant in three playoff games - all have star potential.

Otherwise, general manager Tom Fitzgerald has a good dozen decisions to make on free agents. The unrestricted class - Erik Haula, Tomas Tatar, Miles Wood, Damon Severson, and Ryan Graves - is a mixed bag, with the smart money on only one or two guys returning. The restricted class - Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, McLeod, Kevin Bahl, Nathan Bastian, Jesper Boqvist, Yegor Sharangovich, and Mackenzie Blackwood - is naturally more straightforward.

The beauty of Fitzgerald keeping the books clear of albatross contracts while also locking up cornerstones on team-friendly deals is that New Jersey can tolerate imminent raises for 32-goal scorer Bratt and 40-goal scorer Meier. Fitzgerald can theoretically run back the same core and upgrade the club's depth pieces through free agency or trade. He has flexibility most GMs don't.

The Devils project to be the toast of the Metropolitan Division for years to come. They're one of a handful of teams across the entire league with an NHL roster, prospect pool, and cap sheet that screams future powerhouse.

Nothing to hang your head about, Jersey.

Woll's stock trending up

Regardless of what happens in Friday's Game 5 between Toronto and Florida, one thing appears certain: the Maple Leafs finally developed a goaltender.

Joseph Woll, a third-round pick in 2016, turned aside 24 of 25 shots in Wednesday's Game 4 to improve his career save percentage to .921. The Panthers didn't test him often in his first career playoff start and 14th overall appearance, but the 24-year-old still looked like he belonged in an NHL crease.

Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe, who opted to start Woll over two-time Stanley Cup winner Matt Murray in the wake of No. 1 goalie Ilya Samsonov's injury, said Woll is "ready for this." In the context of the big-market Leafs, "this" is the immense pressure associated with coming in cold while trailing in a series.

"He's dialed in, and he's just a really, really focused kid," Bruce Racine, Woll's former goalie coach in the St. Louis area, said via phone Thursday.

Racine, who's known Woll for 16 years, coaching him for the first 10 or so, praises the 6-foot-3, 203-pound goalie for his size, technical base, athleticism, and work ethic. It's all there. Yet Woll's edge is his mental makeup. He takes criticism well. He's intelligent on and off the ice. He's learned how to quickly get over bad goals and bad outings. He's calm, meditating between whistles.

One time, Racine gifted a young Woll a mental toughness packet: three pieces of paper stapled together containing lessons on mindset. For instance, if a coach is running a three-on-zero drill in practice, it's natural for a goalie to think, 'Oh my god, I hate this.' A healthier inner dialogue might be, 'OK, this is a tough drill, and I'm going to fight through it, no matter what.'

Woll, it turns out, cherished those three pages. "His mom told me a year and a half later that it's been on his bedside table the whole time," Racine said.

Put another way: So much of the goaltending position is mental, and Woll is advanced for his age. (Much like his former goalie partner Jake Oettinger.)

The Leafs haven't turned a draft pick into an NHL starter since James Reimer, a fourth-round selection in 2006. Woll, a Boston College alumnus with two world junior medals and 83 AHL games of experience, isn't quite ready for the No. 1 job, but he's tracking towards claiming it down the road. He's a bargain, too, signed for the next two years at $766,667 annually.

Endless respect for Cogliano

Injuries defined the 2022-23 Avalanche campaign, and next season is already off to a miserable start, with captain Gabriel Landeskog ruled out for 2023-24.

Andrew Cogliano is another Av with an uncertain future. The 35-year-old winger suffered a fractured neck in Game 6 of Colorado's first-round series loss to the Seattle Kraken. He was considered "out indefinitely" at the time and entered the offseason without a contract for 2023-24. Cogliano's endured plenty of wear and tear over 1,200-plus games spread across 16 seasons.

If this is it: Bravo.

Cogliano, the 25th overall pick in 2005, has an impeccable reputation. His teammates love him. Coaches love him. Rivals love him (as much as one loves a rival). And he's adapted his game over the years, becoming a pseudo-defensive specialist while bouncing from Edmonton to Anaheim, Dallas, and San Jose, before landing in Colorado. Prior to the 2022 trade deadline, Avs star Nathan MacKinnon reportedly lobbied management to acquire Cogliano.

At the end of the regular season, I poked around NHL dressing rooms to find out what makes a "good room." Figuring the wily vet would be an expert on the topic, I made sure to approach Cogliano when Colorado visited Toronto.

"Selflessness. That's probably the biggest thing, to be honest with you," Cogliano said matter of factly on March 15. "It's a business. It's a sport where you have to take care of yourself individually. That stuff matters. But a good room - a good team culture - comes when you get guys who are selfless and through their actions show that the team is more important than themselves."

To many, Cogliano embodies that selflessness through his commitment to the sport, once dressing for 830 consecutive games. He's long embraced the less desirable aspects of the job, like absorbing slap shots on the penalty kill.

"I remember last year watching the Stanley Cup when Colorado won, and so many of the guys who had been on that team for a while talked about how Cogliano had such a big impact," Detroit Red Wings forward Alex Chiasson said, bringing up Cogliano unprompted when discussing good rooms.

"He was traded at the deadline. He came into a new team. Yet they singled him out in interviews. That speaks for itself. He was playing 10 minutes a night. He knew his role. A lot of experience. But how much of his impact in the room translated to the ice? I'm sure that was really big, just because in such a short amount of time, he became so important to the rest of that group."

Parting shots

Defenseman factory: The Anaheim Ducks are likely taking forward Adam Fantilli second overall in June. It'll be more riveting to watch who they select with their other eight picks because Anaheim has an outstanding track record of drafting and developing blue-liners, regardless of draft slot. From 2008-18, the Ducks drafted Hampus Lindholm (sixth overall), Cam Fowler (12th), Jake Gardiner (17th), Shea Theodore (26th), Marcus Pettersson (38th), Justin Schultz (43rd), Brandon Montour (55th), Sami Vatanen (106th), and Josh Manson (160th). One day we might look at the 2019-22 cohort of Jamie Drysdale, Jackson LaCombe, Noah Warren, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Tristan Luneau just as fondly. Mintyukov (OHL), Zellweger (WHL), and Luneau (QMJHL) won their league's top defenseman award this year, making Anaheim incredibly the first NHL team to sweep all three in a single season.

Road-ice advantage: As of Friday morning, road teams in this year's playoffs owned a 39-29 record (a 57.4% win rate) and were being outscored by a single goal, 218-217. Last postseason, road teams went 35-54 (39.3% win rate) and were outscored significantly, 309-244. I'd love to say there's a seismic shift unfolding before our eyes, however, road teams' success this year might be an anomaly. You should always want the home-team benefit of last change and a favorable crowd. The wonky numbers probably speak more to the league's parity - the home team isn't necessarily the better team, but the one that cobbled together a few extra points over a long regular season.

Flyers hires: Philadelphia ownership is following a familiar playbook by hiring Keith Jones as its president of hockey operations and making Daniel Briere the permanent GM. Briere, who paid his dues as a minor-league executive and is by all accounts a sharp hockey mind, deserves to be the full-time GM. No issues there. Tapping a second ex-Flyer for the president's role is the eyebrow-raising part. The club could have brought in somebody with a deep hockey ops resume or track record of strong leadership in other fields to diversify the front office. Jones is a straight-up "hockey guy." That said, I don't hate the hire given the uniqueness of the Philly market and that Jones, a longtime broadcaster, has connections everywhere. Yes, there are inherent risks in again handing the keys to ex-players and an old-school coach in John Tortorella, but this isn't a guaranteed tire fire, as some suggest.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes are in complete control through two games of their second-round playoff series, having outscored the New Jersey Devils 11-2. The typically dynamic Devils, who also lost the first two games in Round 1, are looking to flip the script in Sunday afternoon's pivotal Game 3. Here are three duos primed to swing the series as the action shifts to Newark, New Jersey.

Jack Hughes and Jordan Staal

You need to see, oh, maybe five seconds from the first two games to get a strong read on how the highly anticipated Hughes-Staal matchup is unfolding.

In Game 1, Hughes was accidentally high-sticked by Staal. The unpenalized incident led to Hughes, one of the faces of the NHL, losing a front tooth. In Game 2, Hughes backchecked to no avail as Staal scored on a breakaway deke. The 3-0 goal led to Hughes banging his stick against the end boards.

Hughes, a 99-point man in the regular season, produced three goals and two assists in the Devils' seven-game first-round series against the New York Rangers. Held pointless through two contests versus the Hurricanes, No. 86 has been on the ice for four goals against, zero for, and has personally gone entire periods without looking dangerous - in large part due to Staal.

Hughes, 21, and Staal, 34, have shared the ice for 20 five-on-five minutes. In that time, Carolina leads in shot attempts (15-14), shots on goal (9-5), and goals (2-0), while New Jersey holds the edge in high-danger attempts (5-4).

Hughes epitomizes the Devils' patented rush offense, which has been virtually nonexistent to start the series, while Staal - who's five inches taller and 45 pounds heavier - epitomizes the Hurricanes' smothering, error-free defense.

Plain and simple, if New Jersey can't find a way in Game 3 to gain speed through the neutral zone, make controlled zone entries, and then infiltrate Carolina's defensive zone structure, this series will only go four games. The Devils are days from golfing if they're unable to access the inner-slot area.

New Jersey has the home-team benefit of last change on Sunday. Expect coach Lindy Ruff to work feverishly to get Hughes away from Staal. It's been a pretty lopsided matchup, with rare glimpses of hope mixed in along the way.

Nico Hischier and Timo Meier

The Devils were outscored 10-2 to start the Rangers series and 11-2 so far in this one. So, if you're a New Jersey fan looking for a silver lining … the Devils have been in this spot before, and it worked out fine in the end. Does that help at all?

Yeah, it ain't pretty for the Devils, who are being schooled by the Hurricanes in all even-strength facets: pace of play, teammate-to-teammate connectivity, board battles, functional physicality, and puck management. What's more, New Jersey's power play, a respectable 13th-best in the regular season, is 0-for-5.

"We should be really pissed off right now," said Hischier after Game 2. The Devils captain and Selke Trophy finalist was referring to overall team results, but he may as well have been talking about himself and Meier.

Consider this: According to Natural Stat Trick, 16 players have accumulated 3.5 expected goals or more in the playoffs. Fourteen have bagged between two and seven actual goals. The other two - Hischier and Meier - have zero.

Hischier is goalless in nine playoff games despite recording 24 shots on goal and 39 total attempts. Yes, he's collected five assists - three of them primary, none versus Carolina - but the lack of finishing is crushing, especially considering he's received a ton of offensive-zone starts in the second round.

Meier, the splashy midseason acquisition, is even more snakebitten. Zero goals off 32 shots of many types: 16 wrist shots, six snap shots, six backhands, two tips, and two slap shots. Injured in Game 7 of Round 1 thanks to a thunderous hit by Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba, Meier missed the series opener. He looked OK, if not slightly tentative, in his return to the lineup on Friday. Like his teammates, Meier generated very little in the middle of the ice in Game 2.

For their careers, Hischier and Meier are above-average finishers, scoring on 11.9% and 10.5% of regular-season shots, respectively. If the hockey gods have any mercy, they'll let at least one puck cross the goal line in Game 3.

Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin

Former top-three draft pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi between grinders Jordan Martinook and Jesper Fast is the forward line operating at a higher clip than all others in this series. The unsung trio has hounded pucks in each zone, delivered body checks at the right times, and buried scoring chances.

In less obvious ways, the Hurricanes' top defensemen have been equally valuable over the first two games. And, based on how well Burns and Slavin performed in the regular season, there's absolutely no reason to believe the yin-and-yang pairing will be rendered ineffective anytime soon.

Burns and Slavin, who sit second and third in ice time, trailing only Devils blue-liner Jonas Siegenthaler, have put on a defensive clinic. Tight neutral-zone gaps. Textbook stick checking. Brute force on occasion. Seven combined blocked shots, including four on the doorstep of Carolina's crease.

The No. 1 pairing is leading the charge in insulating goalie Frederik Andersen, either by denying New Jersey clean zone entries or keeping opposing forwards to the perimeter throughout their time in the zone. In other words, Burns and Slavin, each with 50-plus games of playoff experience, are executing Rod Brind'Amour hockey to a tee, and the rest of the Canes players aren't lagging far behind.

That's what, from the Devils' perspective, is ultimately so demoralizing about going down 2-0. Despite missing offensive catalysts Max Pacioretty, Andrei Svechnikov, and Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina is scoring enough while playing its coach's system perfectly. The Canes aren't perfect. They are vulnerable like every other team. But right now, they're completely dialed in.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves in a 2-0 hole despite playing fairly well through the first leg of their second-round series against the Florida Panthers. A critical Game 3 is set for Sunday in Sunrise, Florida. Here are four ways the Leafs - who must win four of the next five games - can salvage their season.

Let Nylander cook

Listen, William Nylander can be a frustrating player. He can occasionally space out on defense, missing an assignment or putting forth little effort, as he did at points in Game 1. He can make the odd head-scratching decision with the puck, too, as he did at points in Games 1 and 2. For example, he inexplicably passed on a wide-open lane to Florida's net in the second period of Game 1.

Nylander can also be an exhilarating player. The boxscore might not reflect it, but he's overwhelmed the Panthers all series, pressing the speed-boost button in the neutral zone countless times over 38 minutes of action. The smooth-skating Swede's been weaving through Florida's defensive shell, completing clean zone entries, and shooting from high-leverage scoring areas.

The results, Part 1: a series-high 13 shots on goal, and the second-highest individual expected goals generation, at 1.66, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The results, Part 2: zero points.

Sergei Bobrovsky, a .901 goalie in the regular season, has turned aside 69 of 73 Toronto shots on goal for a series-tilting .945 save percentage. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner has been nothing short of phenomenal, already saving a cool 4.28 goals above expected, per Natural Stat Trick.

On one hand, Nylander's lack of finishing is unacceptable. There are no moral victories in the playoffs, and it's not as if Nylander and his teammates are throwing everything possible at Bobrovsky. He isn't battling tricky deflections and tips, or being screened.

On the other hand, no Leafs player is feeling it right now quite like Nylander, and Sheldon Keefe knows this better than anyone. The Leafs coach must take the bad with the good and feed the explosive winger and his center, John Tavares, with offensive-zone starts. Doubling down should lead to goals.

At the top of the lineup, the Panthers have Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk to counter Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Florida's second layer of offensive pop, matching up with Nylander and Tavares, includes who? Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett? Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart? These are fun, clutch players, but none of them are as purely talented as Nylander.

That's precisely why No. 88's so crucial moving forward: He's the Leafs' edge.

Meanwhile, Tavares had a few Grade-A scoring opportunities of his own in Game 2, even hitting the post in the second period. Matthews, who struck iron in the third period of Game 1, has been buzzing all series, peppering Bobrovsky on the power play while earning a series-high 72% five-on-five expected goals rate. Marner's been his usual crafty self. All three are due.

Simplify puck plays

The Panthers have recorded 21 five-on-five goals in nine playoff games. Nine of 21, including two Thursday, have come within five seconds of a turnover.

This opportunistic brand of hockey, fueled by a surgical forecheck and cycle game, has been the series' key battleground. Similar to Nylander failing to solve Bobrovsky, the Leafs deserve plenty of blame for surrendering these chances. Yet the Panthers' nearly flawless execution can't be discounted.

Florida's such a well-connected, straight-line team that it's reasonable to expect its habit of turning nothing into something will continue. The Panthers' opening tally in Game 2 was a masterclass in how to score a "gritty" goal in the modern NHL. Each of Reinhart, Eetu Luostarinen, and Anton Lundell knew their specified duties and got to work as a unit - steal the puck, dump the puck, chase the puck, pass it, shoot it. No luck, just sustainable hockey.

The Leafs need to simplify in Game 3 and beyond, especially in transition.

If the puck's on your stick a few feet inside or outside your blue line, opt for the safer play. In that vulnerable area of the ice, manage the puck under the assumption the Panthers are ready to embarrass you. Sure, that's Hockey 101-level advice for the best of the best on the planet. It isn't anything they haven't heard. However, puck management's become a back-breaking issue.

The Leafs have averaged 15 giveaways per game this series, and defenseman Timothy Liljegren (first Panthers goal), Nylander (second goal), and both Marner and Matthews (third goal) all coughed up the puck in devastating fashion in Game 2. It's been a comedy of errors for a squad that averaged 10.5 giveaways per game in the first round and 10.3 a contest in the regular season.

Toronto had problems breaking the puck out of its own end in Game 1. While Florida is still wreaking havoc deep in Toronto's end, the Leafs were better at penetrating the Panthers' multi-layered forecheck in Game 2. Progress.

Make Panthers pay

For all the offense initiated by their functional physicality and nifty stick work, the Panthers cross the line often. We knew about this undisciplined streak ahead of Round 2, and the first two games have only solidified the reputation.

The Leafs have been granted seven power-play opportunities in two games - not bad if you hadn't watched the games, but not great if you had, given the handful of missed calls. The on-ice officials have ignored clear-cut infractions from the more aggressive team. Most glaringly, Bennett's WWE-style takedown in Game 2 injured Leafs rookie Matthew Knies but went unpenalized.

Toronto can't control what's going to be called and not called. What the Leafs can do is make Florida pay for being undisciplined. Tampa Bay shut out their power play in Games 5 and 6 of the first round; in the second round, Matthews, Marner, and the rest of the star-studded power-play contingent has generated just one goal off 12 scoring chances over 10 minutes.

Keep an eye out for Bennett in Game 3. Not because the Leafs will be looking for blood following the Knies incident, but because it feels like Bennett's been taking too many risks. He's prioritized body checks and cross-checks over winning 50/50 pucks, directing more energy toward agitating than scoring.

Will Bennett get caught up in the villain role? Will the constant agitation come back to bite him in the form of a stupid penalty and subsequent Leafs goal?

Address blue-line woes

The extra day off between Games 2 and 3 is a blessing for the Leafs. The players could use the rest and Keefe could use the lineup-pondering time.

With Knies out with a concussion, Zach Aston-Reese could return to the wing. The back end is an entirely different conundrum, with the Panthers carving Mark Giordano and Liljegren in Game 2. Giordano, 39, has looked his age as the postseason has chugged along. Liljegren, listed at 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, has been equally bad against Florida, constantly getting outmuscled along the boards and mishandling the puck under pressure.

In Game 6 of the Lightning series, Liljegren's first game of the playoffs, he played only 10:31 because Keefe opted for an 11-forward, seven-defenseman configuration. Perhaps the bench boss forgoes reinserting Aston-Reese on Sunday and instead tries 11-and-7 again, with either Justin Holl or Erik Gustafsson occupying the seventh blue-liner spot. Holl's the better penalty killer and Gustafsson's the better puck-mover. Given the Leafs' breakout struggles, Gustafsson would be the natural choice, while there's a pros-versus-cons conversation to be had about Holl replacing Giordano or Liljegren.

The 11-and-7 would also unlock a few additional shifts for the Leafs' top guns and secondary contributors, specifically wingers Michael Bunting and Calle Jarnkrok, who skated for only 15:11 and 8:36, respectively, in Game 2.

The third pair's been a disaster. Luckily for the Leafs, Jake McCabe and T.J. Brodie, despite a few mental lapses, have held their own against Florida, and Morgan Rielly and Luke Schenn have been tremendous the entire playoff run.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.