Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen retains the confidence of head coach Rod Brind'Amour despite a recent tough stretch. In the first two rounds of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Andersen had a .950 save percentage. Over the last six games, it has declined to .867. In Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights, Andersen allowed five goals with a .783 save percentage. "I think a couple of those games, we weren't giving up a lot of shots. So the save percentage count is a tough one for our team," Brind'Amour said ahead of Game 2. "We don't give up a lot. There's still quality chances. There's just not a lot of fluff. So yeah, I'm not concerned about it." Andersen has lost back-to-back starts only twice this calendar year and will look to bounce back on Thursday night against Vegas.

New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck is drawing trade interest, including from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports. Recently, the Maple Leafs ruled out Max Domi indefinitely due to complications from an offseason surgery. As a result, the team is looking to bolster its center depth. Trocheck is an attractive target for teams, as his contract carries a very affordable $5.625 million cap hit. He has three years remaining on the deal. The 32-year-old has finished five consecutive seasons with at least 50 points. In 2025-26, he tallied 16 goals and 37 assists in 67 appearances, averaging nearly three hits per game.

Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin has requested a trade, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports. Larkin looks eager to move on from Motown after the Red Wings missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a tenth consecutive year. So far, Larkin has shown considerable patience while waiting for a competitive team to be built around him. He has been with the Red Wings since entering the NHL in 2015. The team named him captain in January 2021. Detroit locked Larkin into an eight-year, $69.6 million contract in 2023, giving him a full no-trade clause through next season. While the Red Wings have struggled for a decade, Larkin has been strong individually. He scored a career-high 34 goals this season, adding 33 assists in 74 contests.

New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee is heading toward free agency, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports. While the Islanders want to keep their captain, talks over a new contract haven't progressed. Lee, who has spent his entire 14-year NHL career with the Islanders, is coming off a seven-year, $49 million contract. His production has declined with age, but Lee managed a respectable 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 82 games this season. Lee will turn 36 in a month, but he still appears to have some gas left and could attract plenty of interest in the open market.