The Los Angeles Kings signed pending restricted free-agent forward Akil Thomas to a two-year extension with an average annual value of $775,000, the team announced Thursday.
The first year of the deal is two-way, while the second season is one-way.
Thomas made his NHL debut on April 1 and chipped in with three goals and four points in seven regular-season games. Despite his scoring touch, he didn't suit up for the Kings' first-round matchup against the Edmonton Oilers.
After running into some injury trouble over his three previous campaigns, the 24-year-old broke out in a big way in 2023-24, spending the bulk of his time with the AHL's Ontario Reign.
Thomas amassed 22 goals - including nine game-winners - and 46 points in 64 outings before adding five points in eight postseason contests during the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Kings selected Thomas in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft.
The Toronto native scored the golden goal for Canada at the 2020 World Junior Championship.
Philadelphia Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones has heard the rumors suggesting highly touted prospect Matvei Michkov may be able to join the organization this summer - but the executive couldn't offer more details.
"When we drafted him, the expectation was he would finish his contract with (the KHL's SKA Saint Petersburg)," Jones said Wednesday. "So, we are listening. We are reading many of your articles and kind of following along. But we have no update on it. We would welcome him with open arms."
The Flyers selected Michkov with the seventh overall pick at the 2023 NHL Draft. The Russian winger had three more seasons remaining on his KHL contract at the time, meaning he wouldn't be able to hit the NHL until at least the 2026-27 campaign.
However, Russian news outlet SportExpress reported in May that Michkov's current deal is being terminated, which would allow the Flyers to sign him sooner than expected. That information hasn't been corroborated by a North American outlet, though.
"We absolutely love what he is going to bring to the Flyers," Jones said. "If that timeline is sped up, that would be wonderful. But we don't know. ... When he arrives, our fan base is going to be pretty excited about getting a highly talented player that is different than what we have right now."
After drafting Michkov last June, Flyers general manager Danny Briere said he was "blown away by his personality."
Briere added that he thought Michkov would get scooped up before Philadelphia was on the clock. He even tried to trade up for him, but the price was too high.
SKA Saint Petersburg loaned Michkov to HC Sochi in September, and the 19-year-old went on to pot 19 goals and 41 points in 47 outings.
New Toronto Maple Leafs bench boss Craig Berube is starting to build his staff and added Lane Lambert as an associate coach on Wednesday.
Toronto also announced that Dean Chynoweth won't be returning as an assistant coach following three years at his post.
Lambert was head coach of the New York Islanders for the past two seasons, amassing a 61-46-20 record before being fired and replaced by Hall of Famer Patrick Roy in January.
New York made the playoffs in Lambert's only full season at the helm but was eliminated in the first round by the Carolina Hurricanes.
He served as the Islanders' associate coach for four seasons prior to his promotion.
The 59-year-old was an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators from 2011-14 before jumping to the Washington Capitals' bench for four years. He won the Stanley Cup with the club in 2018.
The Maple Leafs hired Berube in May after parting ways with Sheldon Keefe, who manned the bench for five seasons. Toronto has won just one playoff series in the last eight years.
Though Dallas Stars veteran Joe Pavelski stopped short of calling it a career, he said that this past season was likely his last.
"This was it for me. It was known for a while, probably," he said during Tuesday's end-of-season media availability. "The plan is not to play next year. ... I don't want to say this is official, but the plan is not to be coming back. There'll be more to come on that. Everything's so raw. ... I'm gonna need a little bit of time to really put it together and figure it out that way, but most likely that was it.
"Couldn't have asked for a better opportunity, a better group of guys to be around. I'm getting through this (scrum) fairly good, but there's been a lot of different emotions down the stretch."
Pavelski was still effective in his 18th NHL campaign, totaling 27 goals and 67 points in 82 regular-season games while spending the bulk of his ice time on the top line with Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz.
The 39-year-old's production dried up in these playoffs, though. The longtime NHL forward chipped in one goal and four points in 19 contests before the Stars were bounced from the Western Conference Final in six games.
"It still stings, it's gonna sting for a while," Pavelski said. "It's disappointing in the sense that we believe we should still be playing."
Despite his recent dry spell, Pavelski remains the league's active leader in playoff goals (74) and ranks among the top active players in postseason points.
Rank
Player
P
GP
P/GP
1
Sidney Crosby
201
180
1.12
2
Evgeni Malkin
180
177
1.02
3
Nikita Kucherov
167
147
1.14
4
Joe Pavelski
143
201
0.71
5
Alex Ovechkin
141
151
0.93
The Wisconsin native hasn't lifted Lord Stanley's Mug, though he advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 and 2020 and made the conference finals on five other occasions, including in back-to-back years with the Stars.
Pavelski became the 25th player to appear in 200 playoff games this spring, but he's the only NHLer without a ring in that group.
Selected by the San Jose Sharks in the seventh round of the 2003 NHL Draft, Pavelski racked up 476 goals and 1,068 points in 1,332 regular-season games. He enjoyed his best statistical season in 2021-22, when he amassed 81 points in 82 games.
"I feel excited," Bourque said, according to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. "I've been waiting for that for a while. My game's ready, I'm ready to go."
Bourque has one game of NHL experience - his April 6 debut against the Chicago Blackhawks. He registered two shots on goal in just under 11 minutes of ice time.
The 22-year-old was voted AHL MVP in April after leading the league with 77 points (26 goals, 51 assists) in 71 games with the Texas Stars. He added 11 points in seven contests before his team was eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs.
Dallas selected Bourque with the 30th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard has been a force of nature in these playoffs, and his leaderboard-climbing performance hasn't been lost on his teammates.
"He's just good," Leon Draisaitlsaid Saturday with a laugh. "He's so calm. He makes the right play seemingly every time with the puck on his stick, and he defends well, too. ... He's just elevated his game to another level. Just no stress in his game."
Bouchard registered two assists during Edmonton's 3-1 Game 5 victory Friday night to become the third-fastest defenseman to reach 50 playoff points (45 games) in NHL history, trailing only Bobby Orr (39 games) and Brian Leetch (41 games).
The 24-year-old is in the midst of his third career postseason run, and he already sits fifth all time in playoff points by a rearguard in franchise history:
Rank
Player
Points
GP
P/GP
1
Paul Coffey
103
94
1.10
2
Charlie Huddy
77
138
0.56
T-3
Kevin Lowe
52
172
0.30
T-3
Randy Gregg
52
130
0.40
5
Evan Bouchard
51
45
1.13
Bouchard is only two points away from taking sole possession of third place in the Oilers' history books, and with Edmonton up 3-2 in the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars, he'll have at least two more games to work with.
Edmonton forward Zach Hyman couldn't settle on just one thing when asked what stands out the most about Bouchard's game.
"Everything," he said. "He's been pretty special, obviously. ... Any time he's on the ice, it feels like we have the puck. If you find him, he's going to make a play, and you're excited. ... Fun to be a part of."
Bouchard leads all defensemen with 25 points (six goals, 19 assists) in 17 games this spring. That offensive output is good for the second-most points by a blue-liner in a single postseason in Oilers history, behind only Paul Coffey's 37-point outburst in 1985.
He's also tied for the sixth-most points in one playoff run among all rearguards and third among active defensemen:
Rank
Player
Year
Points
GP
1
Paul Coffey
1985
37
18
2
Brian Leetch
1994
34
23
3
Al MacInnis
1989
31
22
4
Cale Makar
2022
29
20
5
Miro Heiskanen
2020
26
27
T-6
Evan Bouchard
2024
25
17
T-6
Denis Potvin
1981
25
18
T-6
Ray Bourque
1991
25
19
Bouchard enjoyed a career year, setting new highs in goals (18) and points (82) in the regular season while skating in all but one contest.
The Oilers will look to eliminate the Stars in Game 6 on Sunday to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006 when they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.
Dallas Stars defenseman Chris Tanev was in the lineup for the Game 5 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday.
Tanev departed the Stars' 5-2 Game 4 loss Wednesday after blocking a shot in the second period. Dallas listed him as questionable to return with a lower-body injury, but he didn't take another shift. He was considered a game-time decision for Game 5.
The workhorse has been a key cog for the Stars since they acquired him from the Calgary Flames prior to the trade deadline. Before his abbreviated showing in Game 4, Tanev averaged 23:26 of ice time in 16 playoff contests and was credited with 65 blocks.
Despite being tasked with some tough matchups, Dallas has controlled 53.8% of the expected goals and 51.1% of the scoring chances while outscoring teams 12-10 with Tanev on the ice at five-on-five in these playoffs, per Natural Stat Trick.
Lian Bichsel would've been in line for his NHL debut had Tanev not been able to play. The 20-year-old was drafted 18th overall by the Stars in 2022.