2026 NHL Offseason Thread: Larkin or Lark-OUT?

[2PEENZ]

Yeah 25min/night minute muncher, never injured, good for 30pts. He's just wildly overpaid. Oilers might have to retain $2MM or take back a somewhat less bad contract but he'll move I'm pretty sure.

[2PEENZ]

I've wanted him gone for a while, but the Oil will have a hole without him no doubt. Hopefully they use that ~$7MM in savings on a cheaper 4-5 dman and useful bottom 6 forward. Could see Kulak coming back, actually.

[Alexei Ca$hin]

Nurse is still decent. Just horribly misclassed as a #1 pair guy and overpaid. Perfect candidate for a fresh start.

[Alexei Ca$hin]

Lol Nick Suzuki with 1 first place vote for the Hart. McDavid with 68 3rd - 5th place votes. Great league, great system.

[nick]

Kucherov was left off of 2 ballots entirely; Mackinnon left off of 3

[sutterfamily]

I also don't understand how Jon Cooper wins best coach if he ALSO had the MVP and MVG. Like, pick maybe 2 of three?

[nick]

Seems like Lindy Ruff and Dan Muse split the "this team was supposed to be bad but were actually good" vote (with a bunch of other guys getting first place votes too), allowing Cooper to come up the middle for what amounts to a lifetime achievement award more than anything.

Also, pretty bad that 40 broadcasters with voting privileges on this one didn't even submit a ballot?

[neuartillery]

Seems like Lindy Ruff and Dan Muse split the "this team was supposed to be bad but were actually good" vote (with a bunch of other guys getting first place votes too), allowing Cooper to come up the middle for what amounts to a lifetime achievement award more than anything.

That makes sense. Cooper may be the best coach in the sport and his not getting a Jack Adams until this point was an oversight, but that award almost always goes to a "surprise good" team's coach.

I don't know if there was a clear best goaltender this year. Looking at the advanced stats, maybe Logan Thompson, but the Vezina is rarely given to a goalie whose team didn't make the playoffs. So that cuts him, Sorokin, and Shesterkin out. Wedgewood was a platoon guy. I guess that leaves Vasi as the best classical candidate.

As for the Hart, I would've given it to McDavid. That one feels like voter fatigue.

[neuartillery]

1. Torts isn't returning to Vegas, a little surprised by this but maybe three months is the ideal amount of Torts

2. "The Toronto Maple Leafs traded goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Emil Andrae, goaltender Samuel Ersson and a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft"

I don't get it? Ersson real bad, Andrae is OK as a small, offensively inclined defenseman on the third pair or in the press box.

[sutterfamily]

how could toronto trade the best 6th defenceman in hockey, how

[sutterfamily]

1. Torts isn't returning to Vegas, a little surprised by this but maybe three months is the ideal amount of Torts

This is pretty funny. My read: the egotistical blowhard management (McCrimmon) doesn't wanna give Torts (the other egotistical blowhard) any of the credit for this run.

[practice]

Goalies just aren't worth much I guess? I don't get it either but trades are fun and it's cool the pick is a 2026

[practice]

There are so many worst case ontario moments over th past decade for the Leafs that one that I think goes under the radar is the dying seconds of game 6 in 2023 vs Boston when Woll was about to post a shutout but the Leafs players on the ice stopped playing with a couple seconds left on th clock giving some Boston scrub a clear seam pass to another one who buried it, and Woll injured himself trying to save it and preserve the shutout. All of this leads to Samsonov starting game 7 instead

[practice]

One thing I like about this trade is it will put my belief in my own certainties to the test. I think Benoit maybe was once a serviceable 6/7 in a playoff series where refs aren't calling penalties, last year he was the worst player on the team by far. If he ends up contributing to a good season in Philly I will be totally rudderless,l

[neuartillery]

I’ve gotten a few of those “hmm maybe the player isn’t bad, it’s the team I like” revelations over the last year with the Wings. Do not like.

[neuartillery]

Leaves think outside of the box, hire former Kings coach / Leaves assistant Jim Hiller as coach

[practice]

it's a low bar but I'm glad it's not a 5 year deal or something for a big name/Cassidy. Mirtle has said a few times that the Babcock salary still being on the books 4 years after they fired him made it really difficult for the GM to get approval to fire the next coach. I like that presumably this new coach will be easier to replace with another coach, when the time comes.

[neuartillery]

"On the plus side, no one will miss him when he's gone" is among the saddest reactions to a coaching hire I can think of

[neuartillery]

The San Jose Sharks acquired Buffalo Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring and the Sabres’ first-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft for the Sharks’ No. 20 pick.

Makes sense from both sides, Kesselring didn't seem to fit in Buffalo but is almost assuredly a top-four D in SJ

[sutterfamily]

That seems like a lot to give up for Buffalo tho - they move up 7 spots but still firmly in long-shot/project territory and give away a serviceable (if poor fitting) NHL D? (not complaining)