NHL Rumours: Sharks Blockbuster Coming, Cassidy to Kings & Historic Hurricanes Run

In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we start off with the San Jose Sharks, who have the opportunity to pull off a blockbuster, and they have been linked to some massive names, including Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews. Next, the Los Angeles Kings have an opening behind the bench, and Bruce Cassidy could fit the bill if he doesn’t end up with the Edmonton Oilers.

Finally, the Carolina Hurricanes have swept the Philadelphia Flyers and are on a historic run through the first two rounds of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Sharks Dangling 2nd Overall Pick for Blockbuster

The San Jose Sharks have a great crew of young players, headlined by Macklin Celebrini, Michael Misa, Will Smith, William Eklund, Igor Chernyshov, and Yaroslav Askarov. Even beyond them, their prospect depth goes very deep. Jumping up to the second-overall pick after having just the ninth-best odds at it was a big stroke of luck.

The Sharks don’t have many high-impact veterans. Players like Tyler Toffoli, Dmitri Orlov, and others have been helpful, but with the second-overall pick, they could make a huge splash for an established player to play alongside the wave of youth.

A lot of connections are being made to Auston Matthews. For new general manager John Chayka, moving Matthews as one of his first moves likely wouldn’t be popular, but if he could bring in the second-overall pick along with the first-overall pick they already own, they would certainly be the star of the draft.

It would take more than second-overall to get Matthews, and the question regarding his no-move clause certainly comes into play, but there are a lot of reasons to think that this deal could come to fruition. The Sharks have a plethora of assets the Maple Leafs would want, and Matthews with Celebrini up the middle would be one of the best duos in the NHL.

Beyond Matthews, The Athletic’s Mark Lazarus suggested that Jason Robertson could be another option. (from What might the San Jose Sharks do with the NHL Draft’s No. 2 pick?, The Athletic, May 8, 2026)

The second-overall pick would be a lot closer to even value for Robertson than it would be for Matthews, but they would still likely add a touch to that deal. Robertson is a pending restricted free agent, the Dallas Stars don’t have an easy cap situation, and he is going to command north of $12 million annually.

Robertson and the Stars are a great fit for each other, but it will come down to how badly the team wants to keep him. He has no reason to take less than Mikko Rantanen on his deal, so the Stars will have to decide if they want to move out some money or Robertson.

Lazarus also suggested Robert Thomas and Matthew Knies could be options for the Sharks, as well as Darnell Nurse, though taking on Nurse would not command the second-overall pick without a lot more coming from the Edmonton Oilers.

Bruce Cassidy Sweepstakes Officially Underway

Bruce Cassidy has one of the best resumes for coaches who are currently involved in the league. He wants to be back behind the bench next season after getting fired from the Vegas Golden Knights right before the regular season ended, and there may be some options for him.

The Los Angeles Kings likely aren’t bringing DJ Smith back as the head coach, who took over mid-season in an interim position. They have a middle-of-the-pack roster, but now have some money cleared out with Anze Kopitar’s retirement. There is a lot to like about the Kings’ roster, but they need a bit more to get there.

One thing Cassidy is great at doing is getting the most out of his team. While the concern with him is that he seems to have a short shelf life with his teams, he does have success while he is there.

The Oilers have been rumoured to have interest, and could move on from Kris Knoblauch to bring him in, but there have been no indications of that happening as of now.

Hurricanes Off to Historic Start in 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

When looking at the Conn Smythe Trophy candidates as we approach the halfway point of the playoffs, there are a ton of Hurricanes players in the mix, and they are, quite literally, unbeatable.

The Hurricanes beat the Flyers 3-2 in overtime to complete the second-round sweep, and are now 8-0 in the playoffs. Not only are they 8-0, but they have only allowed 10 goals in total, and no more than two in a single game. This kind of start is unheard of.

From the forwards, the second-line group of Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake has a combined 14 goals. The rest of the roster has just 10 goals. Each of those three players has a case to be made for the Conn Smythe right now.

Looking at the blue line, Jaccob Slavin and K’Andre Miller both have an argument for the trophy, too. They have been such a good pairing.

Frederik Andersen may be leading the way for them, though. Of course, he has the 8-0 record, and is sporting a .950 save percentage and 1.12 goals against average. In Game 3 against the Flyers, Andersen saved 18 of 19 shots, and his save percentage across the postseason went down.

The longest winning streak to start a playoff is 11 games. Will the Hurricanes solidify themselves in the history books this season?