16-3.

That was the Carolina Hurricanes’ record in the Stanley Cup Playoff run to finally hoist Lord Stanley’s prize under coach Rod Brind’Amour. It is a glorious trophy that was once lost to history and has endured everything from being used as a potting bowl by an elderly woman to being tossed to the bottom of Mario Lemieux’s pool. Carolina earned it, and so too did general manager Eric Tulsky and captain Jordan Staal, once the Pittsburgh Penguins’ second-overall pick. There is a figurative ton of Stanley Cup coverage today.

Elsewhere in the Daily, we pulled the thread of Penguins GM Kyle Dubas’s trade attempts to push forward to the next phase of the rebuild. On the NHL trade front, the Ottawa Senators are interested in Jake DeBrusk, and the Minnesota Wild needs a third team in the Dylan Larkin pursuit.

And I suspect the knives will be out for Mitch Marner in Toronto today. But he didn’t have any goals in the last couple of games! He folded!

Nope. Carolina was just that damned good defensively. It was a wonderfully enjoyable Stanley Cup Final, and the enduring scene–for me–will be Jack Eichel kneeling near the crease after slamming a point-blank chance off the crossbar in the third period. He knew. That was the moment of inevitability in that series.

Of course, Brandon Bussi is a huge goalie and played incredibly well. Even on the chance, Eichel didn’t have much net to hit.

Just a clean, fast-paced, high intensity, surprisingly offensive Stanley Cup Final that delighted hockey fans. I’m incredibly happy today because I also know the casuals got a good look at our game and enjoyed it. The ratings for this should be through the roof. You’re happy, I’m happy. Let’s rest here.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The headline was, “pulling on the thread,” and that’s what we did. After talking around it and referencing it for a month, we tugged on the string to see what comes next and the consequences of Dubas’s stated Penguins trade plans.

There were some pretty sharp comments on the story, too.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: The Buccos lost the series, lost another Paul Skenes start, couldn’t make contact with runners in scoring position, and Danny Demilio has the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates situation.

NHL Trade Talk, Stanley Cup, National Hockey Now

Carolina Hockey Now: Rachel Barkley has done a wonderful job writing about the Carolina Hurricanes. I’m thrilled for her to be able to cover the entire experience–Here’s a banger of an article: Hoist the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe, the numbers and notes of the 2026 Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup Win

I took a bit of a chance with Rachel. She doesn’t fit the usual mold of NHN writers who have experience covering a team in person or in professional media, but she proved her wares on X. Her enthusiasm for the job and performance was wonderful. She doesn’t live in Raleigh, but I think next year we have to get her to more games. She earned it. Follow her on X here.

You can also watch the Hurricanes and Jordan Staal lift the Stanley Cup here.

TSN: A journeyman no more. Brandon Bussi was brilliant in relief of Freddy Andersen in the series and a deserving winner.

Isn’t that the dream of every guy fighting through the often gray grind of the AHL? You get your big chance and seize it with both hands. I often feel bad that I don’t get a chance to chat with the lifers in Wilkes-Barre (the locker room isn’t open and I don’t have the time for scrums with guys like Phil Kemp, but they’re usually the best dudes because they’re there for a true love of the game. Good for Bussi.

OK, to the NHL trade rumors, N’at.

The Athletic ($): A tour de force from Pierre LeBrun with comments and nuggets on the bigger stories, including Minnesota needing a third team to acquire Dylan Larkin, and Auston Matthews staying in Toronto.

Ottawa Citizen: The Ottawa Senators have shown interest in Jake DeBrusk, and he’s now high on their trade board.

DeBrusk was long a target of Jim Rutherford, and he finally got him in Vancouver, but that seemed like a reach from the beginning.

Philly Hockey Now: Inching closer and closer to a deal, a new report reveals the Philly Flyers are going to sign Dan Vladar to a big extension.

Tags: Carolina Hurricanes jordan staal nhl trade Pittsburgh Penguins

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