The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live: Reaction As Oilers Eliminate Stars Setting Up Cup-Final Rematch
Welcome to The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live, streaming nightly during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs.
After the big game of the night, our experts go live to react to the match that was, break down the key moments and storylines and read your opinions.
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On tonight's show, Stephen Kerr, Michael Augello and Andrew McInnis react to the Edmonton Oilers eliminating the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference final to return to the Stanley Cup final for the second-straight year.
Share your thoughts in the comments, and the hosts may discuss your message during the stream.
Check out the show right now.
Promo image credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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Washington Post
7 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Suns agree to trade Kevin Durant to Rockets for players and picks
The Phoenix Suns have agreed to trade 15-time all-star forward Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets in exchange for guard Jalen Green, forward Dillon Brooks, a 2025 first-round pick and five second-round picks, multiple people with knowledge of the situation confirmed Sunday. The trade agreement cannot be officially completed until the NBA's calendar resets in July. ESPN first reported the deal's terms. Durant, 36, will bring his proven scoring ability and championship experience to a young Rockets team that finished second in the Western Conference last season before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors. Houston was able to add the four-time scoring champion without surrendering all-star center Alperen Sengun or promising recent lottery picks such as Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. Rockets Coach Ime Udoka previously coached Durant as an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets in 2020-21 and for the U.S. men's basketball team at the 2020 Olympics. Durant's disappointing two-plus seasons with the Suns began with a February 2023 blockbuster trade from Brooklyn. Although Durant touted Phoenix's championship potential shortly after his arrival in the desert, the Suns were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2023 playoffs, suffered a first-round sweep against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024 playoffs and missed the postseason this year by finishing 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-46 record. Multiple missteps by Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who agreed to purchase the team in December 2022, preceded Durant's long-anticipated departure. Phoenix attempted to construct a 'Big Three' by acquiring Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards in June 2023, but Durant, Devin Booker and Beal struggled to build chemistry because of repeated injury issues and never meshed particularly well on the court. As the Suns slipped in the standings following a franchise-record 64-win season in 2021-22, Ishbia fired well-regarded coaches Monty Williams, Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer in quick succession. Despite those changes, Phoenix continually struggled to defend at a high level and fell short of its potential on offense despite its well-known stars. While Phoenix attempted to trade for disgruntled star Jimmy Butler before this year's trade deadline, its efforts were hamstrung by the no-trade clause in Beal's contract. Durant remained an ultraefficient scorer throughout his Phoenix tenure, averaging 26.6 points, six rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 43.0 percent on three-pointers last season. However, Durant has become more dependent on his jump shooting since he suffered a torn Achilles' tendon as a member of the Golden State Warriors during the 2019 NBA Finals. The two-time champion has seen his Player Efficiency Rating, free throw rate and ability to score at the rim slip noticeably since that injury, and he hasn't advanced to the conference finals since leaving the Warriors for the Nets in June 2019. By trading Durant, who is owed $54.7 million next season, the Suns took a step toward greater financial flexibility after leading the NBA with a $220 million payroll. Earlier this offseason, Ishbia hired Brian Gregory as general manager and Jordan Ott as coach, signaling a new era for an organization that traded significant draft assets to acquire Durant and Beal. Phoenix still faces major roster questions, including whether it should part with Beal this summer and whether the 28-year-old Booker, a four-time all-star, should be moved in pursuit of a full-scale rebuilding effort. The Suns do not control any of their first-round picks until 2032. Green, 23, was the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, but the athletic scoring guard must continue to improve his consistency and efficiency as he progresses through his career. Brooks, 29, is a proven wing stopper. This is a developing story and will be updated.
New York Times
23 minutes ago
- New York Times
Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: 6 potential trade chips, targets and free-agent signings
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A collection of notes, insights, ruminations and did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Columbus Blue Jackets: Since the end of the Stanley Cup Final early last week, business across the NHL has picked up, with a flurry of signings and trades as clubs get ready for next weekend's draft and the start of free agency. Advertisement Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell has yet to join the party, but it's not for lack of trying. Waddell, who spent part of last week in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., attending a showcase for young Russian players, has been quietly working behind the scenes on moves both big and small. As colleague Pierre LeBrun reported, the Blue Jackets had talked with the Dallas Stars about Mason Marchment before Marchment was traded to the Seattle Kraken last week. The Blue Jackets want a top-six forward and a right-shot center, but they also want to reconstruct their blue line with a right-shot (right side) defenseman who can play in the top four. They'd also like to overhaul their goaltending, which has been among the worst in the NHL over the past four seasons. Yeah, that's all. Of course, Waddell may not get it all done — that's literally every position on the ice, right? — by the time the league settles into its offseason hibernation around mid-July. As the silly season kicks into overdrive beginning this week, here are six players (or commodities) the Blue Jackets might trade, six players they could trade for and six players they could be expected to pursue via free agency. 1. No. 14 pick: OK, not a player (technically), but this pick will have a name by Friday evening. Waddell has made it clear he's willing to part with one or both of his first-round picks — he also has No. 20 — but the guess here is he'll need to add a sweetener (perhaps No. 2 on this list) to land an impact player. 2. Yegor Chinakhov, LW: Chinakhov has plenty of talent; the shot, the speed. But he has had trouble staying on the ice, and if there's one thing veteran GMs loathe, it's a player who is frequently injured or is perceived to be unwilling to push through pain. 3. Elvis Merzlikins, G: If we assume there is a market — a team that thinks it can pull Merzlikins' considerable talent back to the surface — the Blue Jackets would have to consider it. Any deal would likely require the Blue Jackets to pay a portion of his remaining salary (two years, $5.4 million salary cap hit). Failing a trade, a buyout is possible. Advertisement 4. No. 20 pick: It's unclear whether this draft is deep enough for anybody to be truly excited about the No. 20 pick, but, hey, you have to listen. Waddell is willing to move one of his first-round picks. He's not against moving both of his first-round picks, either. Friday could be fun. 5. Ivan Provorov, D: If it becomes clear that Provorov is hitting free agency, there will be several teams lined up to sign him, just as teams were lining up to trade for him at the deadline in March. If a club wants dibs, it might trade for Provorov's rights so it can negotiate a deal without interference from another club. We see you, Rangers. 6. Cole Sillinger, C: This one would sting. Sillinger is an important part of the Blue Jackets at a very young age, and there's certainly no desire to trade him. But if the Blue Jackets are in the market for big moves involving significant pieces, they'd have to include impact players, too. Sillinger, who plays behind Adam Fantilli and Sean Monahan, would move the needle for a lot of clubs. 1. JJ Peterka, LW, Buffalo: It seems unconscionable that the Sabres, waiting desperately for their rebuild to gain traction, would move a 23-year-old player who has scored 55 goals the past two seasons. But it doesn't sound like Peterka is longing for upstate New York. Few would be more familiar with the Blue Jackets' roster than former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen, who joined Buffalo's hockey operations department earlier this month. 2. Rasmus Andersson, D, Calgary: The Blue Jackets need a top-four defenseman who can play on the right side. They (desperately) need some grit and nastiness in their top four. Andersson checks both of those boxes. If Dante Fabbro doesn't re-sign with Columbus, Andersson could potentially get a look on the top pair with Zach Werenski. Andersson has one year remaining at $4.55 million and has a six-team no-trade list, according to PuckPedia. Advertisement 3. John Gibson, G, Anaheim: The Ducks and Gibson have been rumored to be parting ways for, what, three seasons now? It's never seemed more likely than now, with youngster Lukas Dostal playing his way into the No. 1 job. The market for free-agent goaltenders is thin. A trade might be the safest bet. Gibson has two years remaining at $6.4 million and a 10-team no-trade list. 4. Noah Dobson, D, NY Islanders: Is this guy seriously available? His name has been kicked about more than you'd expect for a 25-year-old, top-four defenseman who has averaged 11.5 goals and 52.25 points over the last four seasons. The return would have to be substantial, and there would be many bidders. 5. Jason Robertson, LW, Dallas: It's hard to believe the Stars would even take calls on a two-time 40-goal scorer, one-time 100-point producer who turns 26 next month, but they are reportedly listening. One should assume Waddell has Dallas GM Jim Nill on speed dial — wait, is that still a thing? — but the asking price would be monumental. 6. Martin Necas, RW, Colorado: The salary cap has gone up, but it won't provide enough relief for the Avalanche, who have been in cap and injury hell for a while now. Necas has a history with Waddell, of course. They were in Carolina together when Necas emerged as a legit NHL top-six forward. 1. Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto: It's also hard to believe the Maple Leafs will let a 100-point scorer walk, but it will likely come to that. If Marner is receptive to the idea of joining the Blue Jackets — and they're a much more inviting situation now than they were a short while ago — expect Waddell to throw massive term and money at Marner. His addition would make the Jackets one of the NHL's most dynamic offensive clubs. They might even discover a power play! 2. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Winnipeg: The bigger role he's long wanted with the Jets would be his in Columbus, including a possible run with Monahan and Kirill Marchenko on the top line. He's a 25-goal, 60-point player despite modest minutes. He played 15:47 per game last season, which would have ranked eighth among forwards in Columbus. 3. Jake Allen, G, New Jersey: In a thin market, he's at the top of most lists. If the Jackets part ways with Merzlikins, they'd almost certainly want a veteran player to pair with young Jet Greaves as a new-look tandem. Allen, who turns 35 later this summer, will seek a team that can promise him a shot at being the starter. It might take a three-year deal to land him, though. Advertisement 4. Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida: The Panthers will try to keep the band together after winning a second straight Stanley Cup title. For a time, it seemed Seth Jones' arrival would make Ekblad expendable, but he had a tremendous postseason and has made it clear he wants to stay. That's the only reason he's No. 4, not No. 1, on this list. 5. Brock Nelson, C, Colorado: He's not the right-shot center Columbus is looking for, and his career faceoff win percentage (48.0) is nothing to get excited about. But he's the type of player — big, immovable, sturdy — who can fit anywhere on the top two or three lines and have a presence about him. 6. Cody Ceci, D, Dallas: This wouldn't set off fireworks in the Arena District, but Ceci can carry big minutes and play a solid role next to an offensive defenseman. If Fabbro doesn't re-sign with the Blue Jackets, this might be more likely. It was a momentous week for the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets, whose efforts to build a new facility and add multiple sheets of ice to the growing central Ohio hockey scene took a big step forward. Delaware City Council approved plans to build a 125,000 square-foot complex — the Performance Impact Arena and Pavilion — that will include three ice rinks and a 6,000-seat amphitheater, which would host concerts in the summer and be transformed into an outdoor rink for use in the winter. The facility, with a price tag north of $50 million, will be built on approximately 14 acres at the southwest corner of the Sawmill Parkway/Ohio Route 42 intersection, about three miles south of Delaware. Ohio AAA Blue Jackets president Ed Gingher said the amphitheater, which hopes to host 30 concerts per summer, should be completed by May of 2027. For perspective, the downtown Columbus amphitheater, KEMBA Live!, can hold 5,200 for outdoor concerts. Advertisement The hockey rinks will likely be ready for use in the fall or winter of 2027. Gingher said the rinks will be available for use by all levels of hockey, including high school teams and tournaments and local adult leagues. The Ohio AAA Blue Jackets count current NHL players Sean Kuraly, Connor Murphy, Keifer Sherwood and Jack Roslovic among their alums, along with several other pro players and hundreds of players who have earned college scholarships. Sascha Boumedienne would be the program's third first-round NHL draft pick, joining Murphy and Roslovic. When the Blue Jackets arrived as an expansion team in 2000, there were four ice rinks in Columbus. When this project is completed, the area will have 14 rinks, not including the main ice at Nationwide Arena. • Every NHL GM needs to know how to juggle. Waddell, for one, has a lot of balls in the air right now, which might explain why talks with Provorov have been so slow. The Jackets are looking for a right-side defenseman who can balance their pairs, and the more likely path is via trade. That's been Waddell's focus for the last few weeks, and if he lands a top-four defenseman, Provorov is likely expendable. If he figures out he can't, you can expect the Provorov talks to get serious quickly. (By now, both sides know where they stand, right?) • Werenski finished second in Norris Trophy voting, the highest a Blue Jackets defenseman has ever landed. When we spoke with him earlier this week, he acknowledged having mixed feelings. 'If you would have told me before the season that I'd finish second in the Norris, I would have been ecstatic,' he said. 'But when it comes out and you're second, you want to win it. I thought maybe the voting would be a little closer, but there's no denying (Cale Makar's) 30 goals and 90-something points. I totally get why he wins it, right?' Makar earned 176 first-point votes and 1,861 points overall. Werenski earned 13 first-place votes and finished with 1,266 points. • Werenski said he knew he hadn't won the award before it was announced, however. It seems the NHL's new wrinkle this year — they surprised the award winners and captured it on video — was a big hit among fans, and made for a much more enjoyable awards show. But it did reveal to the other finalists whether or not they'd won. 'We were in Europe and all of these surprise videos are coming out,' said Werenski, who took a pre-wedding honeymoon with his fiancée. 'Nobody surprised me in Europe, right? (laughing) So, I knew two weeks before that I didn't win.' • Random item I stumbled upon this week: Mike Sillinger had a heck of an NHL career, totaling 240-308-548 in 1,049 games. But his claim to fame is playing for 12 different franchises (an NHL record) and being traded nine times (tied for an NHL mark). Now get this: His son, Cole Sillinger, who recently turned 22 years old, has already played more games for the Blue Jackets — 286 — than his father did for any of his 12 clubs. Advertisement • It sounds like the Blue Jackets and FanDuel Sports Network are nearing a deal to have the regional sports network continue to air games. There are still some details being worked out, but the framework of a deal is in place. FDSN has already announced it will continue to air Cleveland Cavaliers games next season. One issue regarding the Blue Jackets is finding a studio for use when the club is on the road. In recent seasons, host Brian Giesenschlag and analyst Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre have emanated from a Cincinnati studio during Blue Jackets road games, but that studio is no longer available for use. (Top photo of Ivan Provorov: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Fox News
23 minutes ago
- Fox News
Rockets to acquire Kevin Durant from Suns in NBA blockbuster trade: report
The Phoenix Suns reportedly agreed to trade Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets on Sunday, marking one of the first major moves of the NBA offseason. Durant, who was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Suns during the 2022-23 season, will head to the Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 overall pick of the 2025 draft and five second-round picks, ESPN reported. Rumors of the Suns trading Durant swirled for weeks after the team missed the playoffs with a 36-46 record in one season under Mike Budenholzer. Phoenix believed adding Durant to a team with Devin Booker, and later Bradley Beal, could help elevate them back to the NBA Finals. Phoenix was unable to propel itself back to the NBA Finals, losing in the Western Conference semifinals during the 2022-23 season, being ousted in the first round in the 2023-24 season and failing to even make the postseason this year. Durant, 36, has still proven to be one of the top scorers in the game when healthy. He averaged 26.6 points per game and shot 52.7% from the field. He's been an All-Star in each year he's been available to play since the 2009-10 season. He missed the entire 2019-20 season with an injury. The Suns get two key players in Green and Brooks. Green played all 82 games for the second straight year in 2024-25. He averaged 21 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He is only 23. Brooks, 29, will be on the move for the second time in his career. He was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Rockets in 2023. In two seasons in Houston, he averaged 13.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Houston was 52-30 and finished second in the Western Conference standings in 2024-25. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
