NHL Player News

Staal was named the Conn Smythe winner after Sunday's 3-0 win over the Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Staal was tied for 22nd in points (12) during the playoffs, but he tied for fifth in goals (eight) thanks to an impressive five-game goal streak to start the Cup Finals. He didn't score in the clincher, but Staal did enough earlier in the series to sway the voters away from Vegas' playoff points leader Mitch Marner or any of the Hurricanes' other top forwards. At 37 years and 277 days old, Staal is the oldest Conn Smythe winner in NHL history. He is under contract with the Hurricanes for one more season.

Ehlers scored an empty-net goal on three shots in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

It's not every year that a big splash in free agency pays off, but Ehlers brought everything the Hurricanes could have asked for. His tally to seal the championship was his eighth goal of the playoffs, and he added 10 assists, 39 shots, 14 hits and a plus-9 rating over 18 appearances. He also had a 26-goal, 71-point effort -- a career-best year -- during the regular season. This was just the first campaign of a six-year deal, so expect Ehlers to be an early-round pick in fantasy drafts in the fall.

Hall scored a goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Vegas bungled a zone entry, and Hall took a pass from Jaccob Slavin to get behind the defense. Hall made no mistake on the shot, and his goal at 3:47 of the first period was the game-winner in the Hurricanes' Cup-clinching victory. The 34-year-old had a stellar postseason with seven goals, 12 assists, 55 shots on net, 24 hits, 14 PIM, 13 blocked shots and a plus-14 rating over 19 appearances. Hall signed a three-year contract extension in April of 2025, so he figures to continue to be a part of the Hurricanes' middle six in 2026-27.

Blake scored a goal on three shots, dished an assist, added two PIM, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Blake had five points over six games versus Vegas in the Cup Finals. The 22-year-old winger made a name for himself in the postseason with six goals, 14 assists, 43 shots on net, 18 hits, 14 blocked shots, 24 PIM and a plus-8 rating over 19 appearances. Blake has already established himself as a reliable scoring winger, and he should be part of the Hurricanes' core for years to come.

Bussi posted a 22-save shutout in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Bussi won the last three games of the series to finish what Frederik Andersen started. The Hurricanes' defense did its part, and Bussi handled the rest to post his first career playoff shutout in the biggest game of his life. He allowed just six goals on 87 shots (.931 save percentage) over his four playoff appearances to help the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup. After signing a three-year contract extension in February, Bussi is a virtual lock to open 2026-27 on the Hurricanes' NHL roster.

Hart allowed two goals on 22 shots in Sunday's 3-0 loss to the Hurricanes in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

This was Hart's best game of the series, but the Golden Knights' offense couldn't give him any support. Sunday's loss brought Vegas' pursuit of a second championship to an end, as the Golden Knights came up two wins short. Hart finished the postseason 14-8 with a 2.56 GAA and a .907 save percentage in a league-high 22 games. He is under contract for 2026-27 and will likely get a chance to enter the season as the Golden Knights' top goalie.

Bussi will patrol the road blue paint in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Golden Knights on Sunday, per Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News.

Bussi has won back-to-back starts after replacing Frederik Andersen between the pipes in Game 3. The 27-year-old Bussi has posted a .908 save percentage and a 2.18 GAA over three appearances during this series. The Golden Knights will have a few changes for Game 6 -- William Karlsson (arm) and Keegan Kolesar aren't suiting up, while Reilly Smith and Braeden Bowman are drawing into the lineup. Kaedan Korczak is also set to skate in a third-pairing role at the expense of Dylan Coghlan. If Vegas staves off elimination Sunday, Game 7 would be set for Wednesday in Raleigh.

Valimaki scored two goals in AHL Chicago's 5-4 overtime loss to Toronto in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals on Sunday.

Valimaki has impressed in the postseason with five goals, eight assists, 33 shots on net and a minus-2 rating over 18 appearances. He'll need to keep chipping in on offense -- the Wolves squandered their home-ice advantage, losing twice in Chicago before the series shifts to Toronto.

Villeneuve notched three assists in AHL Toronto's 5-4 overtime win over Chicago in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals on Sunday.

Villeneuve has been excellent from the blue line this postseason with two goals and 17 assists over 21 appearances. He's added 34 shots on net, 34 PIM and a plus-2 rating. Villeneuve made three NHL appearances at the tail end of the season, so he may be ready to compete for a spot with the big club on a full-time basis in 2026-27.

Lettieri logged three assists in AHL Toronto's 5-4 overtime win over Chicago in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals on Sunday.

Lettieri has already earned six points over two games in the finals. He's now at 23 points, 59 shots on net and a plus-1 rating over 20 playoff appearances. The Marlies are heading home with a 2-0 series lead after winning both games in Chicago to start the series.