NHL Pacific

After winning the 2023 Stanley Cup as a backup goaltender for the Vegas Golden Knights, Jonathan Quick will hit the open market this summer in search of a new deal.

It may not take the three-time Stanley Cup champion to find a new home either, with ESPN's Kevin Weekes reporting that "barring anything unforeseen" it's "highly likely" the veteran signs with his hometown New York Rangers.

Quick was born in Connecticut and played college hockey at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, so suiting up for the Rangers would be somewhat of a homecoming for the 2005 third-round draft pick.

However, he likely wouldn't see much playing time for the Blueshirts with 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin set to play the majority of games. He made 58 appearances last season and it's possible he could make more in 2023-24.

Quick began his career with the Los Angeles Kings and spent 15 and a half seasons with the franchise before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a deal that included Vladislav Gavrikov and Joonas Korpisalo.

The Blue Jackets then flipped Quick to the Golden Knights in exchange for goaltender Michael Hutchinson and a 2025 seventh-round pick.

The 37-year-old is widely expected to have his number retired by the Kings after leading the franchise to three Western Conference Finals and two Stanley Cup titles. He posted a 370-275-82 record, 2.46 goals-against average and .911 save percentage during his tenure in Los Angeles.

Entering the 2023-24 season, it'll be important for Rangers fans to recognize that Quick isn't the same Vezina Trophy contender that he once was.

In 41 games (36 starts) split between the Kings and Golden Knights last season, Quick posted a 16-15-6 record with a 3.41 goals-against average, .882 save percentage and two shutouts. He did not play a single postseason game for Vegas during the team's title run.

Quick can still be a valuable backup, but it seems quite clear that the Rangers intend to lean even more heavily on Shesterkin next season.

Tyler Toffoli is on the move.

The New Jersey Devils are acquiring Toffoli from the Calgary Flames in exchange for Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round pick, the franchise announced Tuesday.

Sharangovich is slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

The Devils have numerous restricted and unrestricted free-agents to re-sign this summer, and Sharangovich is likely only one of a number of potential moves the franchise will make moving forward.

New Jersey's restricted free agents include Nathan Bastian, Jesper Boqvist, Michael Mcleod, Timo Meier and Kevin Bahl. The team's unrestricted free agents are Jonathan Bernier, Ryan Graves, Miles Wood and Tomas Tatar.

The Devils are projected to have $19 million in cap space this summer, according to CapFriendly, so adding some more talent around Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier seems likely following the acquisition of Toffoli.

Toffoli, who is entering the final year of his contract worth $4.25 million annually, spent the last season and a half in Calgary after coming over in a trade from the Montreal Canadiens. He is coming off the best season of his career in 2022-23, having tallied 34 goals and 39 assists for 73 points in 82 games.

The 31-year-old was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the 2010 draft and he spent seven and a half seasons with the franchise before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks during the 2019-20 campaign.

In 733 games across 11 seasons, Toffoli has notched 227 goals and 239 assists for 466 points. He helped the Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2014 and could be a great asset for a young Devils team hoping to win a title in 2023-24.

In Sharangovich, the Flames are getting a 25-year-old center with plenty of upside.

The Devils selected the Belarusian in the fifth round of the 2018 draft and he had a solid three seasons in New Jersey, notching 53 goals and 53 assists for 106 points in 205 games.

During the 2022-23 campaign, Sharangovich notched 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points in 75 games.

With an extension likely following the trade, Sharangovich figures to be a key depth player for the Flames next season in a lineup that includes Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau and Elias Lindholm.

While the Devils are looking to make the postseason in back-to-back years, the Flames are looking to bounce back from a highly disappointing 2022-23 campaign in which they missed the postseason for the second time in three seasons.

Seattle Kraken star Matty Beniers has been named the recipient of the 2022-23 Calder Trophy, which is given annually to the most outstanding rookie in the NHL.

🏆 ROOKIE OF BENIERS 🏆@Matty_Beniers10 *officially* wins the 2023 Calder Memorial Trophy as the @NHL’s Rookie of the Year! pic.twitter.com/QVNzJQbrtP

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) June 27, 2023

Beniers beat out Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power and Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner for the honor.

How Matty Beniers of the @SeattleKraken won the Calder pic.twitter.com/SKrmK49lPg

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 27, 2023

The Kraken selected Beniers second overall in the 2021 draft.

The 20-year-old appeared in 10 games during the 2021-22 campaign after his season with the Michigan Wolverines ended, and he made an immediate impact in the Kraken offense with three goals and six assists for nine points.

The 2022-23 campaign was Beniers' first full NHL season, and he did not disappoint. He had 24 goals and 33 assists for 57 points in 80 games. He led all rookies in points and plus-minus rating (plus-14).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgi8WMg2Llw

Additionally, Beniers finished tied for first with Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston in goals and finished second in assists. He also tallied 10 power-play points and four game-winning goals.

His big season helped the Kraken finish fourth in the Pacific Division during the 2022-23 campaign with a 46-28-8 record and clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Beniers will continue to be an impact player for Seattle for years to come, and his Calder Trophy win is only the beginning of what should be a tremendous career.

Saturday was a night of celebration for the Vegas Golden Knights, but it was also a time of reflection for the franchise and the city.

The Golden Knights celebrated their 2023 Stanley Cup title with a parade down the Las Vegas Strip on Saturday night, but the NHL's expansion franchise that began play during the 2017-18 season also took the time to honor victims of the October 2017 mass shooting that killed 60 people and injured more than 850 others.

The franchise brought out the "Vegas Strong" banner to honor all those who lost their lives in the shooting.

Always Vegas Strong. #NeverForget #VegasStrong pic.twitter.com/1D2Q4BfC49

— sdsportsfan169 (@1sdsportsfan169) June 18, 2023

"From day one, it was never about lifting a trophy. It was about lifting a city," Golden Knights in-arena host Mark Shunock said (one hour, 49-minute mark). "And while there are thousands, hundreds of thousands of you here tonight, there are some who would have loved to have been here with us, and we can never forget. So these names on this banner are forever imprinted on our hearts."

A gunman opened fired from the 32nd floor windows of the Mandalay Bay hotel into a crowd of 20,000 people at an outdoor country music festival in October 2017, which was the same month the Golden Knights opened play in the NHL.

The gunman killed himself before police were able to reach him, and his motive for the attack remains unclear.

The Golden Knights played a big role in helping the Las Vegas community heal after the tragic event, and the team's Stanley Cup victory was a reminder that the team is truly one with the city.

The Vegas Golden Knights are the 2023 Stanley Cup champions, and their fans won't have to wait long to celebrate their victory.

The Golden Knights are set to hold their championship parade this Saturday on the Las Vegas Strip starting at 10 p.m. ET:

Multiple sources have confirmed the initial plans for the Stanley Cup Champions parade are scheduled for Saturday at 7PM down the Las Vegas Strip.

— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) June 14, 2023

According to the team, the parade will begin on Saturday at "Flamingo Road at 7 p.m. PT. The parade route extends to Tropicana Boulevard. Both sides of Las Vegas Boulevard will be closed during the parade. The parade will culminate with a rally on Toshiba Plaza and the Park District in front of T-Mobile Arena, beginning at approximately 9 p.m. PT."

Check local listings for television information.

The Golden Knights closed out their Stanley Cup Final series against the Florida Panthers with an emphatic 9-3 blowout victory on Tuesday night to win the series 4-1. Vegas entered the league as an expansion team just six years ago, becoming the second-fastest team to win the Stanley Cup in the expansion era (since 1967) behind the Edmonton Oilers, who did so in their fifth season.

Star forward Jonathan Marchessault was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as postseason MVP. He's one of just six players who remained on the roster from the Golden Knights' inaugural season. It's fitting that Marchessault and the rest of that group will be able to celebrate together in Sin City.

This will mark the second championship celebration for the city of Las Vegas in as many years. The Las Vegas Aces commemorated their 2022 WNBA championship with a parade on the Strip and a celebration in front of the Bellagio fountains. It was the first-ever major sports championship for a Las Vegas-based team.

Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel captured his first Stanley Cup title eight years into his career.

Speaking to reporters after the Golden Knights' 9-3 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 5 on Tuesday night, Eichel explained he feels "really fortunate and blessed" to have won a championship after a long wait.

"I think it's only human nature to have some doubt creep in when you don't make it to playoffs for an extended period of time," he said. "You're wondering if it will ever happen. So many people go through their whole career without having the opportunity to hoist the Stanley Cup. It's the hardest thing in the world [to win]."

Eichel entered the NHL with tremendous hype as the No. 2 overall pick by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2015 draft.

In six seasons with the Sabres, he was a productive offensive player. He scored at least 24 goals in each of his first five seasons, but the team had struggled to find its footing with no playoff appearances since 2010-11.

The relationship between Eichel and the Sabres deteriorated over time, most notably during the 2020-21 season when he only played in 21 games due to a neck injury.

Per Wajih AlBaroudi, Eichel's doctors recommended an artificial disk replacement to fix the injury. The Sabres requested he undergo fusion surgery in part because the artificial disk replacement had never been done on an NHL player, and the league's collective bargaining agreement gives clubs the final say over a player's injury recovery.

Eichel's agents released a public statement in July 2021, in which they stated the "process is not working" and preventing him from being able to play.

A statement from the agents of Sabres captain Jack Eichel: pic.twitter.com/9vyY4albk2

— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) July 31, 2021

Vegas acquired Eichel from Buffalo in November 2021 in a deal involving three players and three draft picks. He had the disk replacement surgery soon after the trade and missed three months before returning in February 2022.

The 26-year-old led the Golden Knights with 66 points during the 2022-23 regular season. He was fantastic in the postseason with 26 points in 22 games, including three assists in Tuesday's closeout game against the Panthers.

The victory gave Vegas its first Stanley Cup title in its sixth year of existence. The team had a franchise-record 111 points during the regular season.

The Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup Finals on Tuesday night, beating the Florida Panthers 9-3 in Game 5.

And Jonathan Marchessault—who finished second this postseason with 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists, behind only teammate Jack Eichel (26 points)—was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs:

🏆 JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT WINS THE CONN SMYTHE 🏆@JMarchessault18 takes home the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy after registering 13 goals and 12 assists! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/eQAUUIaBTv

— NHL (@NHL) June 14, 2023

Jonathan Marchessault: original Golden Knight, Stanley Cup champion, Conn Smythe winner. ⚔️💛 pic.twitter.com/Yjd9xCQPCA

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 14, 2023

A number of players on Vegas made a strong case.

There was Eichel, who led all players in scoring. Mark Stone was tied for third in scoring this postseason (24 points), capping off a fantastic run with a hat trick on Tuesday. Goalie Adin Hill went 11-4 in the playoffs with two shutouts and eight games with 30 or more saves.

But few people took much issue with Marchessault—one of the truly great stories in the NHL, given his background as a player who went undrafted and was claimed by Vegas in its expansion draft—claiming the award:

On my ballot, I went:
1. Marchessault
2. Eichel
3. Stone

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 14, 2023

Jonathan Marchessault wins the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Original Golden Knight.

What a story.@NHLNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) June 14, 2023

The Panthers gave Vegas Reilly Smith for a 4th round pick in 2017 so Vegas would take Jonathan Marchessault in the expansion draft. Marchessault is a Cup Champ, a Conn Smythe winner, and will probably be the first Knight to have his number retired. Life changing. So cool. https://t.co/ItXa1lAZjE

— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) June 14, 2023

The 32-year-old Marchessault has been a solid regular-season performer in his six seasons in Vegas, notching 28 goals and 29 assists in the 2022-23 campaign. But he comes alive in the playoffs, with 34 goals and 36 assists across 87 playoff games for the Golden Knights.

These playoffs were the second time in five playoff appearances with Vegas that he recorded 20 or more points.

Jonathan Marchessault extended his point streak to 10 games and became the first @GoldenKnights player in the regular season or #StanleyCup Playoffs to record a streak of that length.#NHLStats: https://t.co/EBZNGgbdih pic.twitter.com/aooqGjpDvm

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) June 14, 2023

So yes, let the party begin for Marchessault and his teammates:

No sleep for Marchessault ❌😴 https://t.co/uxoxAAt236

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 14, 2023

"I've never had so much fun in my life."

Jonathan Marchessault talks with @SNkylebukauskas about his journey to this historic night in Vegas. pic.twitter.com/w1pDGnEGvW

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 14, 2023

It was appropriate that Marchessault—one of the six original Golden Knights still on the roster who are aptly named the "Misfits"—earned this prestigious award. He went from being unwanted at the draft to one of the unprotected players snagged by Vegas in the expansion draft.

A number of teams would certainly want him now.

The Vegas Golden Knights cruised to their first-ever Stanley Cup title with a 9-3 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the 2023 Final on Tuesday night.

THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS ARE THE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 🔥

GOING TO BE A PARTY ON THE VEGAS STRIP ♠️♦️ pic.twitter.com/x8ztkOxNdo

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 14, 2023

The perfect hand off from Stone to Smith 🤩 https://t.co/ROht1crXzF

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 14, 2023

Florida suffered a brutal blow pre-game with the news that star forward Matthew Tkachuk had been ruled out with an upper-body injury, but the remainder of the Panthers roster failed to put up much of a fight in a do-or-die matchup.

The floodgates opened when Golden Knights captain Mark Stone began the scoring at the 11:52 mark of the first period before Nicolas Hague scored at the 13:41 mark to give Vegas an early 2-0 lead.

STONE WITH THE GAME OPENING GOAL

1-0 VEGAS 🔥 https://t.co/W1eai6Omeb

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 14, 2023

MAKE THAT 2-0 🚨 https://t.co/BFY5QpnWc0

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 14, 2023

The Panthers appeared to have some life when Aaron Ekblad found the back of the net at the 2:15 mark of the second period, but it was all downhill from there as the Golden Knights' offensive onslaught continued.

FLORIDA GETS ONE BACK ‼️ https://t.co/JKZYkM1K52

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 14, 2023

Stone, Alec Martinez, Reilly Smith and Michael Amadio scored in the second period as Vegas' lead ballooned to 6-1 entering the final frame.

MARTINEZ MAKES IT 3-1 KNIGHTS 🤩 https://t.co/Zopfy51Jbg

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 14, 2023

PUT THE GOLD-TINTED SHADES ON, IT'S 4-1 🚨 https://t.co/BmGl4y5X5m

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 14, 2023

STONE'S GOT 2, VEGAS HAS 5 🎉 https://t.co/gDFjqfIDBK

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 14, 2023

BUZZER. BEATER.

6-1 KNIGHTS ⚔️ https://t.co/8JDw9V91tg

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 14, 2023

The Golden Knights added another goal from Ivan Barbashev at the 8:22 mark of the third period to take a 7-1 lead. Sam Reinhart scored for the Panthers at the 8:47 mark to make it 7-2, but it was too little too late for Florida.

Sam Bennett scored Florida's third goal of the game at the 11:39 mark of the third period before Stone scored his third of the night at the 14:06 mark to put Vegas up 8-3 and send the Golden Knights fans into a frenzy.

Nicolas Roy capped off the night with a goal of his own at the 18:58 mark of the final frame to put Vegas up 9-3.

VEGAS ADDS ONE MORE WITH JUST OVER HALF THE PERIOD TO GO 👀 https://t.co/YOLctRcLO4

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 14, 2023

STONE'S GOT THE FIRST HAT TRICK IN THE CUP FINAL SINCE FORSBERG IN 1996 🎩 https://t.co/9NWpmA57OA

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 14, 2023

The Golden Knights were dominant in their gentleman's sweep of the Panthers, outscoring Florida 26-12 through five games en route to hoisting the Stanley Cup, and fans were understandably elated with the outcome:

How about those Vegas Golden Knights?! #StanleyCupFinal CHAMPIONS #vegasgoldenknights @GoldenKnights pic.twitter.com/evxS5fVnO6

— Ryan Andrew (@rlorbecki) June 14, 2023

Bruce Cassidy is finally going to get his name on the Stanley Cup. It's well deserved.

— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) June 14, 2023

I say this in extremely complimentary fashion: The Vegas Golden Knights had an extremely boring Stanley Cup championship run. Almost no real chaos. Showed up pretty much every night and just took care of business up and down the lineup. Not overly sexy. Just consistent as hell.

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 14, 2023

The @GoldenKnights have suffered long enough #StanleyCupFinal pic.twitter.com/bbaAC12YUr

— The Morning Skate (@morning_skate) June 14, 2023

I think we’re going to have a very happy little one in the morning! @GoldenKnights pic.twitter.com/xHnqUU3EiE

— Natasha McL-Chaisson (she/elle/ella) (@NMCNutrition) June 14, 2023

Let's just call it a WIN already ✨️ @GoldenKnights pic.twitter.com/oApoODBzft

— Nicole Alicia Xavier 🍸 (sha•vee•er) (@nicoleaxavier) June 14, 2023

The Golden Knights are really about to win it for @BarkAndreFurry. I’m so hyped.

— Ethan Talks Games (@KriegerSouls) June 14, 2023

Congrats to the Golden Knights. What a freaking season. That was some hockey. #StanleyCupFinals

— Bilnation (@Bilaal10) June 14, 2023

I LOVE THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS AHHHHHH #VegasBorn

— James Mead (@jamessmead18) June 14, 2023

OMYGAWDDDD WE HAVE DONE IT!!!!WE ARE THE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS DID IT! YOU PLAYED YOUR HEARTS OUT GOD BLESS. #GoldenKnights #GoKnightsGo #NHLTwitter #Winners #Champions #StanleyCup

— I'm David. (@PargaNation) June 14, 2023

Vegas Golden Knights fans right now pic.twitter.com/UgrShBRu0v

— Blake Garman (@FrostedBlakes34) June 14, 2023

14 min left in the 3rd and the massive crowd of @GoldenKnights fans outside T-Mobile Arena are absolutely ready to PARTY and celebrate what could be a historic KNIGHT! #VegasBorn

📸: @PalomaFOX5News pic.twitter.com/puOnq5Da9t

— FOX5 Las Vegas (@FOX5Vegas) June 14, 2023

LET'S GOOOOO @GoldenKnights

— quiche (@keishaidk) June 14, 2023

The Vegas @GoldenKnights are officially the Gold Standard of the NHL! In Year 6, they get the job done! They are the 2023 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS! #StanleyCup #VegàsBorn #UKnightTheRealm pic.twitter.com/AGzVBphWdT

— Stacy Albano — Connor Bedard is THAT. GUY. (@StacyAlbano) June 14, 2023

https://twitter.com/VinSharma95/status/1668814413737115650

While the Golden Knights and their fans are going to celebrate their title all summer in the desert, the rest of the NHL has eyes toward 2024.