For Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals, the beginning of the end has arrived with ‘mixed emotions’

Ovechkin called coach Spencer Carbery on Sunday to say he wanted to address his teammates, but it wasn't a total surprise.

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NHL Opening Night preview | LIVE

YouTube video by The Athletic Hockey Show

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NHL season previews 2026-27: Projecting each team from worst to first

The Athletic’s 2026-27 edition of the team season previews, a deep dive into what to expect from each team.

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NHL Player Tiers 2026-27: Connor McDavid is still the king, the kids are coming

Connor McDavid remains the best player in the NHL but youth is served in our 2026-27 edition of Player Tiers.

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NHL trade grades: Rangers get reasonable return after waiting to deal Vincent Trocheck (Gift Article)

There isn't a first-round pick or a blue-chip prospect headed back to Manhattan from Utah, but the deal is fair enough for both teams.

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NHL contract grades: Bowen Byram contract won’t sink Blackhawks but it’s still a massive overpay (Gift Article)

Kyle Davison believes he got his No. 1 defenseman and paid him accordingly. He’d better be right.

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Every NHL team’s salary-cap situation, ranked from best to worst (Gift Article)

Lost track of which teams actually have money to spend once free agency comes around on July 1? We've got you covered.

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NHL trade grades: Jacob Markstrom makes sense for the Panthers in win-win trade with Devils (Gift Article)

There’s obviously risk in Florida betting on a 36-year-old goalie coming off a rough season but Markstrom should work out.

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NHL trade grades: Mason McTavish for 2 firsts represents smart risks for Ducks, Blues (Gift Article)

The Blues are betting McTavish just needs a change of scenery, while the Ducks move out a struggling player for two picks Friday night.

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NHL trade grades: Kyrou deal nets top-line winger for Capitals, excellent haul for Blues (Gift Article)

Is this a win-win? St. Louis shakes up its roster for a fresh run and Washington beefs up its non-Ovechkin core.

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PWHL Mock Draft: Harvey goes to Vancouver, but Seattle faces a choice at No. 2 (Gift Article)

The 2026 draft is Wednesday night in Detroit, with a record 235 players (including 23 Olympians) hoping to hear their name over six rounds.

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What We Learned: The missing ingredient

Nikolaj Ehlers was the best player in the Stanley Cup Final. We should have seen it coming.

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Hurricanes win Stanley Cup for first time since 2006, finish off dominant 16-3 playoff run (Gift Article)

It's the first Stanley Cup win since 2006 for the Canes, who went to the conference final three times between 2019 and 2025.

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Three keys for Hurricanes and Golden Knights in Game 6 with Stanley Cup on the line

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John Tortorella’s wardrobe confidence, and why the Golden Knights believe Game 7 will happen (Gift Article)

“We’ll be back here,” Tortorella said after a Game 5 loss that leaves them facing elimination for the first time in these playoffs.

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The Hurricanes needed Brandon Bussi to avoid disaster. He’s given them much more (Gift Article)

For the first time this series, a multi-goal lead never truly looked in danger. Bussi's play in Game 5 was a big reason why.

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Hurricanes take control in Game 5, push Golden Knights to brink in Stanley Cup Final: Takeaways (Gift Article)

The Canes found the lingering aspects of their game in Game 5 and are one win away from their first Stanley Cup title in two decades.

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