NHL Horoscopes Week 6: Pisces is among us

By Marisa IngemiFeb 16, 2021, 12:00 PM EST

Finally, some good news.

Aquarius season comes to a merciful end this week as the Sun enters Pisces. Like Aquarius season, a Pisces period can be a time of a lot of clashing and hot emotions, but it’s also an opportunity for growth. Unlike Aquarius’, Pisces’ tend to quantify their creativity with purpose and evolution more than ideas.

That could mean a manifestation of everything teams have worked on in the first five weeks of the season; Mercury retrograde comes to an end as well, leaving a shadow period that promises mayhem, too.

Stat Leaders

Connor McDavid: 30 points, 21 assists (Capricorn)
Auston Matthews: 13 goals (Virgo)
Tyler Myers: 35 PIM (Aquarius)
Andrei Vasilevskiy: .933 Save % (Leo)

EAST DIVISION

• Boston Bruins: Highest concentration in Taurus

Not that anyone expected them to be bad, but the Bruins have a lot of early pleasant surprises.

Horoscope: The Mars Taurus period has just a couple short weeks left. Use the rest of it to focus on defensiveness.

Do: Stick to your roots Don’t: Get carried away

• Buffalo Sabres: Highest concentration in Sagittarius

The Sabres played their first game of February this week.

Horoscope: This week’s first quarter moon on Friday will have a strong affect on those with Sagittarius in any of their big three.

Do: Ease into it Don’t: Too much too soon

• Washington Capitals: Highest concentration in Taurus

The Capitals have had a rough go of it with four consecutive losses.

Horoscope: The moon aligns with Mars in Taurus on Tuesday night. They could use some symmetry.

Do: Chemistry Don’t: Ignore defensive woes

[Your 2020-21 NHL on NBC TV schedule]

• New York Rangers: Highest concentration in Aquarius

The Rangers offense has hit a standstill.

Horoscope: There’s a few short weeks of Aquarius sun and Venus seasons left, take the time to work on creativity.

Do: Offensive cohesiveness Don’t: Spiral

• New York Islanders: Highest concentration in Aquarius

Gemini Mat Barzal has been playing some of his best hockey lately.

Horoscope: Aquarius season is all about open-mindedness, something the Islanders can keep using to hype up the offense.

Do: Offensive pace Don’t: Weaknesses

• New Jersey Devils: Highest concentration in Scorpio

The Devils are hoping to be back in action this week.

Horoscope: There’s not much to report, and it’s a slow week for Scorpios.

Do: Safety Don’t: Take risks

• Philadelphia Flyers: Highest concentration in Taurus

The Flyers haven’t been in action for a bit and they’re still supposed to go to Lake Tahoe.

Horoscope: Saturn squares with Taurus Uranus late this week, one of just three times this year; could be a sign of an unexpected twist.

Do: Health and safety Don’t: Rush

• Pittsburgh Penguins: Highest concentration in Leo/Taurus

Taurus Ron Hextall took over as Penguins GM last week.

Horoscope: It’s a mostly comfortable season for Taurus’ and boring for Leos. Not much room for drama, and yet.

Do: Extend leads Don’t: Keep giving up goals x3

CENTRAL DIVISION

• Detroit Red Wings: Highest concentration in Aquarius

It hasn’t been a good Aquarius season for the Red Wings home sign.

Horoscope: The Red Wings aren’t boring at least, a hallmark of Aquarius’.

Do: Keep growing Don’t: Hastiness

• Tampa Bay Lightning: Highest concentration in Gemini

Nothing has slowed down for the Lightning since a year ago.

Horoscope: This week’s Gemini moon is a solid opportunity for a relaxing, fun period to explore creativity.

Do: Everything that’s been working Don’t: Slow down

[NHL Power Rankings: Lightning, Stars trending in opposite directions]

• Florida Panthers: Highest concentration in Virgo

Virgo Sergei Bobrovsky has been a bit shaky despite some success.

Horoscope: The first quarter moon should boost some Virgo energy.

Do: Embrace the success Don’t: Ignore flaws

• Carolina Hurricanes: Highest concentration in Cancer

Aquarius Ryan Dzingel joined the fold from Ottawa early this week.

Horoscope: It’s a slow time for Cancers, but the Canes’ secondary sign in Aquarius is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

Do: Get chemistry going Don’t: Be stagnant

• Nashville Predators: Highest concentration in Gemini

The Predators haven’t had a great start anywhere, but especially their showings against the Red Wings this past week.

Horoscope: The quarter moon in Gemini usually isn’t the best energy for Geminis.

Do: Get the offense going Don’t: Lose track

• Dallas Stars: Highest concentration in Gemini and Cancer

The Stars haven’t seemed to find a rhythm all year.

Horoscope: This upcoming quarter moon is pretty boom or bust, and the Stars haven’t been able to find consistency on either end quite yet.

Do: Consistency Don’t: Fall behind

• Chicago Blackhawks: Heaviest concentration in Aries

Scorpio Patrick Kane is having a Hart type campaign.

Horoscope: The Aries moon this week will have a theme of new beginnings. Maybe the young players will keep performing well.

Do: Young excitement Don’t: Impatience

• Columbus Blue Jackets: Heaviest concentration in Cancer

Aries Patrik Laine has been polarizing in every way since joining the Blue Jackets.

Horoscope: This would usually be a boring week for Cancers but drama never evades the Blue Jackets.

Do: Laine Don’t: Be boring

WEST DIVISION

• Minnesota Wild: Highest concentration in Virgo and Cancer

The Wild hasn’t played in two weeks now.

Horoscope: The Wild is still just looking to get healthy.

Do: Protocols Don’t: Do too much.

• St. Louis Blues: Highest concentration in Cancer and Aries

The Blues just finished up seven consecutive games with the Coyotes.

Horoscope: Usually there’s nothing mundane about Aries and this has been a slow period for Cancers, so a series against the same team made perfect sense.

Do: Change of scenery Don’t: Get boring

[MORE: World’s Longest Hockey Game raises over $1.8M for cancer research]

• Arizona Coyotes: Highest concentration in Leo

The Coyotes have to be thrilled to see anyone new soon.

Horoscope: Pisces Conor Garland has been playing pretty well. This is a rare week without much Leo action, follow the water sign.

Do: New opponents Don’t: Fall into a trap

• San Jose Sharks: Highest concentration in Aries

Aries Logan Couture is had a solid campaign.

Horoscope: A bold Aries moon could be just what the Sharks need to get a jumpstart this week.

Do: Creativity Don’t: Fall back

• Vegas Golden Knights: Highest concentration in Leo

Sagittarius Marc-Andre Fleury has seized the net.

Horoscope: The end of Aquarius season could spell more good things for the Golden Knights.

Do: Keep the pace Don’t: Drama

• Anaheim Ducks: Heaviest concentration in Aquarius

Cancer John Gibson has been one of the few positives.

Horoscope: The start of Pisces season spells more good news for Gibson as a water sign, but not much else.

Do: John Gibson Don’t: Let the offense keep falling

• Los Angeles Kings: Highest concentration in Libra

Things haven’t gone well for Aquarius goalie Jonathan Quick.

Horoscope: The slow season for Libras doesn’t have much action for the Kings. Create your own story.

Do: Enjoy positives when they come Don’t: Let the goalie situation fester

• Colorado Avalanche: Highest concentration in Scorpio

Once the Avalanche recover from injuries, the rest of the league should be scared.

Horoscope: Scorpios could see a fortunate quarter moon at the end of the week, and the Avalanche sure need it.

Do: Recover Don’t: Rush

NORTH DIVISION

• Vancouver Canucks: Heaviest concentration in Cancer and Libra

Things have gotten messy for the Canucks as the defense continues to struggle.

Horoscope: Last week’s new moon was one of conflict, but the good news is the astrological world isn’t pulling Libras or Cancers too harshly right now. The bad news is, still a lack of direction.

Do: Get on track Don’t: Future declarations

• Calgary Flames: Heaviest concentration in Pisces

Aquarius goalie Jacob Markstrom has played really well.

Horoscope: The Flames should be looking forward to a Pisces season they can spread their wings a bit and get some creativity flowing.

Do: Move the offense Don’t: Rely too heavily on goaltending

• Edmonton Oilers: Heaviest concentration in Cancer and Libra

Capricorn Connor McDavid still leads the league in essentially everything.

Horoscope: Edmonton is starting to find a bit of a flow, and that’s bound to happen when a fixed sign Leo like Leon Draisaitl is vibing during Aquarius season. Regroup a bit heading into the change.

Do: McDavid and Draisaitl, obviously Don’t: Lose direction

• Winnipeg Jets: Heaviest concentration in Aries

Bad luck Cancer Pierre-Luc Dubois has already been injured.

Horoscope: An Aries moon always leads to urges to make drastic changes. Winnipeg already has done some of that, so don’t try to do too much before adjusting now.

Do: Patience Don’t: Shake up too much

• Ottawa Senators: Heaviest concentration in Pisces

Gemini goalie Matt Murray hasn’t had it easy.

Horoscope: If a dramatic 6-5 overtime win over Toronto after trailing 5-1 isn’t a welcome to Pisces season I don’t know what is.

Do: Fun? Excitement? Don’t: Ignore goalie issues

• Montreal Canadiens: Heaviest concentration in Leo and Taurus

Taurus duo Tyler Toffoli and Josh Anderson have continued to play excellent hockey since joining the Habs.

Horoscope: This season was always going to be tough for fixed signs, and the Canadiens are dealing with the majority of two of them. An Aquarius exit could get them past this current wall.

Do: Keep the faith Don’t: Let the wall grow

• Toronto Maple Leafs: Heaviest concentration in Gemini

The Leafs suffered a dramatic loss to the Senators on Monday night but still are keeping pace in the North.

Horoscope: The quarter moon in Gemini this week forms a square with the newly-Pisces entered sun on Friday, which could indicate there’s some stress to come.

Do: Keep improving Don’t: Get comfortable

—

Marisa Ingemi is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop her a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Ingemi.

Vegas Golden Knights come back to beat Florida Panthers in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final

Associated PressJun 4, 2023, 12:40 AM EDT

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

LAS VEGAS – Back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in five years and trailing the Florida Panthers less than 10 minutes into Game 1, the Vegas Golden Knights sent a very clear message.

“We were ready,” Jonathan Marchessault said.

Ready and dominant. Vegas rallied from an early deficit, got the go-ahead goal from Zach Whitecloud with just over 13 minutes left and arguably the best save of the playoffs from Adin Hill and beat Florida 5-2 Saturday night to take the lead in the best-of-seven series.

“We kept out composure, and it was good,” said Marchessault, one of six original Knights players left from the start of the franchise in 2017 who scored the tying goal in the first period. “We just wanted to play the right way and be disciplined, and tonight we were able to be the better team.”

Whitecloud put Vegas ahead, a crucial penalty kill followed and captain Mark Stone scored an insurance goal that was reviewed for a high stick and confirmed. Reilly Smith sealed it with an empty-netter to make the score look more lopsided than the game.

The combination of that offense and Hill’s 33 saves put Vegas up after a feisty opener between Sun Belt teams who wasted little time getting acquainted with big hits during play and plenty of post-whistle pushing and shoving.

“It’s exactly what we expected,” said Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore, who scored his first goal of the playoffs and ended a 27-game drought dating to March 7. “That’s how they wanted to play. We were just trying not to play into it.”

That stuff is just beginning. Game 2 is Monday in Las Vegas.

Before the Panthers even get a chance to respond, they ratcheted up the physical play late after falling behind by two. A handful of penalties resulting from a fracas with 4:24 remaining left the Florida bench well short.

The outcome was determined long before that.

After falling behind on a short-handed goal by Eric Staal that sucked the life out of the crowd of 18,432, the Golden Knights rallied for their ninth comeback win this playoffs. Marchessault – known since arriving in Las Vegas for scoring big goals – answered before the end of the first period.

Early in the second, Hill made a desperation stick save to rob Nick Cousins of what would have been a sure goal. The save was reminiscent of the one Washington’s Braden Holtby made against Vegas – in the same crease – five years ago.

“That’s an unreal save – it’s a game-changer,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “You need those saves at key moments.”

Giving up a tying goal to Anthony Duclair with 10.2 seconds left in the second did not slow the Golden Knights’ momentum much. Whitecloud’s goal, with two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky screened and unable to see, fired up fans once again.

Bobrovsky, in the final for the first time, downplayed any reason for concern after stopping 29 of 34 shots and losing for just the second time in 12 games this postseason.

“I played a good game,” Bobrovsky said. “I played a solid game. They created some good chances other than goals. They had lots of good scoring chances, and that was fun.”

Part of the fun came when play was stopped.

Less than 10 minutes in, Hill was none too happy about Nick Cousins crashing into his crease and gave the agitating Panthers winger a jab that incited a handful of scrums. During the second period, Matthew Tkachuk let Vegas’ Nic Hague know he wasn’t thrilled about a hit in the corner on Cousins and a collision with Brandon Montour after the whistle.

“If guys are going to come in my crease and try to push me around, I’m going to stand my own ground,” Hill said. “I’m not going to do anything too crazy or get too wild, but, yeah, I’ve got to stand up for myself.”

Florida coach Paul Maurice, back in the final for the first time since 2001, displayed a similarly calm demeanor as he did all the way back in the first round, when his team fell behind 1-0 then 3-1 to NHL-best Boston before winning in seven.

“It’s going to be tight,” Maurice said. “Everybody breathe.”

The Golden Knights are in the final for the second time in six years of existence, five years after making it in their inaugural season. Vegas won the opener in 2018 and lost the series to Washington in five games.

The Panthers are back playing for the Cup for the first time since 1996. Florida got swept by Colorado in that final 27 years ago, 18 months before Tkachuk, the team’s leading scorer this playoffs, was born.

It’s the 66th different matchup of teams in the Cup final in NHL history and the 46th since the expansion era began in 1967-68. This is the first time since Washington-Vegas and just the third time since the turn of the century in which the final features two teams who have never won the league’s championship.

Penguins name former Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas as director of hockey operations

Associated PressJun 1, 2023, 2:21 PM EDT

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PITTSBURGH (AP) Kyle Dubas wanted to take a breath and take a break after being fired as the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Then the Pittsburgh Penguins called.

The break ended shortly thereafter.

Dubas joined the Penguins as the team’s president of hockey operations, less than two weeks after a somewhat ugly exit from Toronto following a second-round playoff loss to Florida.

The 37-year-old Dubas goes from one type of hockey crucible to another. In Toronto, he was tasked with helping the Maple Leafs emerge from two decades of postseason futility. In Pittsburgh, his mission will be to prop open the Stanley Cup window for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang a little longer.

All three are 35 or older and haven’t won a playoff series since 2018. Yet Dubas believes strongly the issue isn’t the age of the franchise’s core but deficiencies elsewhere on the roster. Dubas replaces Brian Burke, who was fired along with general manager Ron Hextall in April after the Penguins failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

“I heard a lot of people that were highly skeptical of the team’s ability to contend here and the way I view it, if the people want to bet against (Crosby, Letang and Malkin) they can go ahead and do so,” Dubas said. “But I’m going to bet on them and go with them here. I think it is a group that’s capable of contending to win a championship.”

Crosby and Malkin were excellent for much of last season and Letang showed remarkable resiliency while dealing with multiple setbacks, including a stroke and the death of his father. Yet save for a 14-2-2 stretch in November and December, the Penguins struggled to find consistency and ultimately stumbled down the stretch to snap the longest active playoff streak in major North American Sports.

While the Penguins do have $20 million in cap space and the 14th overall pick in this month’s NHL draft, significant changes or upgrades could be difficult in the short term.

Dubas inherits a team that was the oldest in the NHL last season and is littered with question marks, particularly in goal and the forward group outside of Crosby, Malkin and Jake Guentzel.

Two-time All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry will become a free agent this summer and was beset by injuries over the second half of the season. Forward Jason Zucker, who served as the emotional sparkplug for long stretches, is also scheduled to hit the open market and may have priced himself out of town.

Pittsburgh also has several aging players with full or partial no-movement clauses, including 38-year-old forward Jeff Carter, 30-year-old Bryan Rust and 35-year-old defenseman Jeff Petry.

“I think that those are obviously very real situations, everyone knows that they exist,” Dubas said. “To me the effect on it … is what we can add in terms of depth pieces? What we can add in terms of younger players? That’ll be the real key.”

Dubas does plan to hire a general manager to fill the vacancy created when Hextall was let go after a short but largely unfruitful tenure. Dubas will serve as the GM on an interim basis until early July.

Dubas comes to Pittsburgh after nine seasons with the Maple Leafs, including the last five as general manager. Toronto won a postseason series for the first time since 2004 this spring before falling to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference semifinals in five games.

Shortly after the Maple Leafs’ playoff exit, Dubas said that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to remain in Toronto. His contract was set to expire on June 30, but team president Kyle Shanahan opted to pre-emptively fire Dubas instead. Toronto hired former Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving as Dubas’ replacement.

Dubas helped build the Maple Leafs into a regular-season power during his tenure. Toronto set single-season records for wins and points, and went 221-109-42 in his tenure. Dubas also didn’t shy away from big moves – he fired Stanley Cup-winning coach Mike Babcock in November 2019 and replaced him with Sheldon Keefe – but struggled to find the right mix in the playoffs until this spring.

In the end, advancing beyond the first round for the first time since 2004 wasn’t enough for Dubas to remain in Toronto.

He joked he was maybe a little “too honest” during his season-ending press conference with the Maple Leafs when he expressed reservations about returning. Shanahan’s abrupt decision to move on came as a bit of a surprise, and Dubas planned to take some time to hit the reset button before looking for another job.

Yet the Penguins – who’d already been given clearance by the Maple Leafs to interview Dubas – provided a compelling reason to speed up the timetable. Dubas’ due diligence included speaking to Crosby and longtime coach Mike Sullivan to take the pulse of a leadership group that remains firmly in place.

Dubas called them “some of the best competitors” in hockey. Competitors that have – for one reason or another – been unable to recapture the magic of their runs to back-to-back Cups in 2016 and 2017.

Time is running out for Crosby to put his name on the Cup for a fourth time in a career that will almost certainly end in the Hall of Fame. Dubas knows he’ll be judged in part on whether he can make that happen. After taking more than six weeks of searching before landing on Dubas, Fenway Sports Group Chairman Tom Werner believes Dubas is up to the challenge.

“Our philosophy is giving Kyle and his associates the best possible resources to win,” Werner said. “Kyle’s been very articulate today about his path to success … we’re very confident that Kyle will execute the plan he’s articulated to us.”

Seattle Kraken sign GM Ron Francis to 3-year extension through 2026-27 season

Associated PressJun 1, 2023, 11:55 AM EDT

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SEATTLE — Ron Francis was initially approached about extending his stay as the general manager of the Seattle Kraken back in the winter, but putting finality to the decision took longer than expected.

The Kraken kept winning and pushed what was mostly a formality to a secondary need until after Seattle’s unexpected playoff run finally ended.

“At that point it was kind of verbally done, just kind of a few little small details. And then we get into the playoffs and busy and it kind of got put on the back burner and I didn’t want it to be a distraction with the team and where they were at,” Francis said.

That finality came when the Kraken announced Francis had signed a three-year extension through the 2026-27 season. Francis originally signed a five-year deal when he became the first GM in franchise history back in 2019 and the new contract will kick in starting with the 2024-25 season.

“I’ll never forget the day that he said, ‘Yes, I’m ready to do this,’” Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said. “But today is another great day for our fans because not only did he come and build, he is going to stay here and continue to build this franchise.”

Seattle reached the second round of the NHL playoffs in its second year of existence, following a challenging first year where it underachieved and was among the worst teams in the league.

But Francis navigated through that difficult first season and helped land the pieces that turned Seattle into a playoff team in the second year without mortgaging future opportunities or putting the Kraken into challenging salary cap situations.

“He has been the leader that’s gotten us to where we are today. And he is the leader to take us to the next level,” Seattle co-owner Samantha Holloway said.

Seattle is the second stop for Francis as an executive after spending seven seasons in the front office of the Carolina Hurricanes. Francis started as director of hockey operations before becoming the general manager in 2014. Francis was let go by the Hurricanes after the 2018 season.

Seattle jumped at the chance to bring the Hall of Fame player in to lead the front office. Seattle’s expansion season was a major underachievement with the Kraken going 27-49-6 and finishing last in the Pacific Division with 60 points. But Francis was able to move veteran players to stockpile draft picks and left enough salary cap room to make some key moves entering the second season.

Seattle signed free agent forward Andre Burakovksy, traded for winger Oliver Bjorkstrand and inserted rookie Matty Beniers into the lineup on Seattle’s top line from the first day of the season. The results on the ice couldn’t be argued. Seattle went 46-28-8 and reached 100 points, knocked off defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Dallas in seven games in the conference semifinals.

“It’s been a real team effort. I’m sitting up here today and they’re saying good things about me, but it’s a much bigger picture than just me,” Francis said. “I’m excited to be here for a few more years and hopefully everybody’s opinion doesn’t change, but we’re going to stick to the plan and continue building it the right way so we can be a great franchise for multiple years.”

Francis also stuck with coach Dave Hakstol after that difficult first season. He may be the next in line for a contract extension from the team after a season where he was recognized as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for top coach in the league.

Maple Leafs hire Brad Treliving as team’s new general manager

Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT

Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

TORONTO — Brad Treliving has a new job.

And the Maple Leafs have a new plan.

Treliving was hired as Toronto’s general manager less than two weeks after firing Kyle Dubas.

The 53-year-old Treliving left the Calgary Flames in April following nine seasons that included five playoff appearances and two 100-point seasons.

“Brad brings a wealth of knowledge from his years of experience as a general manager and hockey executive in Calgary, Arizona and beyond,” Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement. “He has earned tremendous respect amongst his peers throughout his years in the NHL and has built excellent relationships at all levels within the game.”

Treliving joins the Leafs at a crucial juncture in the wake of Shanahan’s stunning dismissal of Dubas on May 19.

The Original Six franchise, whose Stanley Cup drought stands at 56 years, won a playoff series for the first time in nearly two decades with a victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning this spring, but then lost to the Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers in five games.

Dubas, who had been Toronto’s GM since 2018 and didn’t have a contract beyond June 30, suggested at an end of season news conference May 15 he wasn’t sure he wanted to remain in the role – at least in part because of the stress on his young family.

A roller coaster five days followed, with Shanahan ultimately firing the 37-year-old Dubas despite previously wanting to keep his GM, and the now-unemployed executive eventually indicating to his boss he wished to stay.

Treliving is the third GM – joining Dubas and Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello – hired in Toronto by Shanahan, whose so-called “Shanaplan” aimed at getting the storied franchise back on its feet when he came on board in 2014 has seen unparalleled regular-season success, but just that one series victory in eight attempts.

“I’m thrilled to join an Original Six team and recognize how much the Maple Leafs mean to this community,” Treliving said. “This is a very exciting day for my family and I.”

Treliving has a lot to deal with as he settles into his new office at Scotiabank Arena.

Treliving, who served in the Phoenix Coyotes’ front office for seven seasons before arriving in Calgary, will have to decide the future of head coach Sheldon Keefe, while stars Auston Matthews and William Nylander can sign contract extensions as of July 1.

Matthews and Mitch Marner have full no-movement clauses ready to kick in the same day. Nylander will have a 10-team list.

The NHL draft is also set for the end of June in Nashville, Tennessee, while the Leafs have 12 roster players primed to hit free agency at noon EDT on July 1.

The Flames, who missed the playoffs this season, won the Pacific Division in 2021-22 under Treliving before falling to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round.

Johnny Gaudreau then stunned the organization by leaving Calgary for the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency last summer. Fellow star forward Matthew Tkachuk added another wrinkle by informing the team he didn’t plan to re-sign.

Treliving subsequently dealt the winger to Florida as part of a package that included forward Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar heading to southern Alberta.

Huberdeau then signed an eight-year, $84 million contract extension with the Flames that kicks in next season.

Tkachuk, a Conn Smythe Trophy candidate as playoff MVP, and the Panthers open the Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Despite the departures of Gaudreau and Tkachuk, the Flames looked like contenders ahead of the 2022-23 season.

The acquisition of Huberdeau and the signing of center Nazem Kadri was expected to fill the void left by Gaudreau and Tkachuk, but the mix wasn’t right for a group led by hard-nosed coach Darryl Sutter.

Huberdeau and Kadri finished well off their career-high points totals of the previous season – the former went from 115 with Florida to 55 in Calgary – while subpar goaltending was an issue much of the season.

Treliving now turns his attention to Toronto.

Just like last summer, he has lots of work to do.