News & Analysis
Original reporting, analysis, and commentary on the NHL — players, teams, trades, and the numbers behind the game.
Analysis
AnalysisMay 10, 2026
Buffalo and Montreal Are Splitting a Series Their Stars Aren't Playing In
The Sabres and Canadiens are tied 1-1 heading to Game 3, but the series story isn't the stars. It's the second lines and depth scoring deciding everything.
AnalysisMay 9, 2026
The Carolina Hurricanes Are Built Different This Year. The Numbers Prove It.
Carolina is 7-0 in the 2026 playoffs and one win from the conference final. The numbers, the goaltending, and what makes this Hurricanes team different.
AnalysisMay 9, 2026
How the NHL Salary Cap Actually Works (And Why the League Just Closed a Loophole Worth Millions)
The NHL closed the LTIR playoff loophole this season. Here is how teams used long-term injured reserve to ice cap-illegal rosters, and what changes now.
AnalysisMay 9, 2026
The Quinn Hughes Trade Has Already Worked. Now It Has to Justify Itself.
The Wild's blockbuster Quinn Hughes trade ended an 11-year drought. Whether it justifies what they paid depends on what happens against Colorado.
AnalysisMay 8, 2026
How the NHL Playoff Format Actually Works (And Why It's Controversial)
The NHL's divisional bracket protects rivalries but punishes 100-point teams stuck behind division winners and rewards weak teams in soft divisions. How the format actually works, why it arrived in 2014, and why the case for reform is louder than ever in 2026.