Jack’s Daily: Blackhawks Cap Plans; Ducks Bite Back; Stenberg Falls?

However, based on some of the latest Mock Drafts revealed across the league, there seems to be a belief that Stenberg will still be on the board at No. 4. McKenna is almost assuredly going first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs. But both Sam Cosentino from Sportsnet and Craig Button from TSN projected the Blackhawks to draft the Swedish forward with the fourth selection.

In OHL news, Jack Pridham and the Kitchener Rangers defeated the Barrie Colts 5-2 in Game 1 of the Championship Series on Wednesday. Pridham tallied the secondary assist on Dylan Edwards’ goal in the second period and now has 17 points (2G, 15A) in 15 postseason games. Kitchener moved to 9-0 at home in the playoffs.

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ESPN: The Buffalo Sabres cruised to a Game 1 win on home ice on Wednesday, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 behind two goals from their power play. Josh Doan, Ryan McLeod (PP), Jordan Greenway, and Bowen Byram (PP) found the back of the net, while Alex Lyon made 26 saves.

NHL.com: One of two goals scored by the Canadiens in Game 1 came from former Blackhawks first-round pick Kirby Dach via a stellar backhanded shot.

Vegas Hockey Now: Missed defensive assignments led to a missed opportunity for the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of their second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks. A few too many own-zone blunders, plus a lackluster offensive performance, led to a 3-1 road win for the Ducks, tying the series 1-1.

The Athletic: The NHL announced its three finalists for the 2026 Selke Trophy on Wednesday, with the award given annually to the league’s best defensive forward.

Montreal Hockey Now: One of the three finalists was Montreal Canadiens‘ forward Nick Suzuki, who’s currently the odds-on favorite to win the Selke Trophy.

Colorado Hockey Now: Another nominee was Colorado Avalanche forward Brock Nelson, whose defensive play has been stellar all season on the second line. Even with the Avs bringing back Nazem Kadri at the trade deadline, Nelson has remained as the second-line center because of his remarkable two-way play.

Philly Hockey Now: Bad news for the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. Forward Noah Cates will be out for the remainder of the second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes with a lower-body injury. Not the update the Flyers were looking for with a 2-0 deficit.

NHLtraderumors.me: According to Jeff Marek, there remains a big gap between the Dallas Stars and forward Jason Robertson in contract negotiations. Marek reports that Robertson has been offered a similar contract to teammate Thomas Harley.

ProHockeyRumors.com: Now that the OHL season has ended for the Brantford Bulldogs, one of Marek Vanacker and Parker Holmes’ teammates is heading to the AHL for some more playoff action. The Seattle Kraken assigned 2025 first-round pick Jake O’Brien to the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Wednesday

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