Daily Nuggets: Cassidy, McCrimmon Speak; Farewell, Winnipeg

Good morning, folks. This is the start of a long offseason for the Vegas Golden Knights. Players completed their exit interviews, and head coach Bruce Cassidy and GM Kelly McCrimmon met with the media on Saturday. And so, the 2024-25 season officially comes to a close. 

Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, Edmonton Oilers’ defenseman Mattias Ekholm nears a return to action. On Saturday, the Dallas Stars closed out the President’s Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets in overtime, and the hockey world rallied around Mark Scheifele.

Golden Knights News

It’s been a busy few days at City National Arena. Certain Golden Knights players met with the media on Friday for exit interviews. Brayden McNabb reflected on what went wrong, and Jack Eichel spoke about feeling ‘empty’ after being eliminated from the postseason.

On Saturday, the Golden Knights held a doubleheader. First, head coach Bruce Cassidy met with the media for his year-end availability. He praised Jack Eichel and complimented how the team limited McDavid and Draisaitl but also acknowledged their struggles to score.

Following Cassidy’s press conference, general manager Kelly McCrimmon also spoke. He provided injury updates and addressed the hot topic of offer sheets. He then provided context to the ‘wasted season’ comment made by William Karlsson following the Golden Knights’ Game 5 loss and subsequent elimination.

NHL News, Rumors, & National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele’s father unexpectedly passed away prior to Game 6 on Saturday. All around the world, hockey fans rallied to show their support and donated over $30k to the True North Youth Foundation.

Edmonton Journal: With Winnipeg’s elimination on Saturday, the Oilers are locked into a Western Conference Finals rematch with the new-look Dallas Stars. Luckily, it sounds like their best defenseman, Mattias Ekholm, is close to returning and could draw in as soon as Game 3.

Sportsnet: Ah, the two greatest words in sports– Game 7. For the Florida Panthers, expecting Game 7 has become a lifestyle, a mentality that drives their success; for the Toronto Maple Leafs, in recent years, it has felt like a curse. And it all comes down to this.

San Jose Hockey Now: Well, that’s a nice bit of business. According to reports, the Sharks are close to an agreement to keep them at SAP Center until 2050.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Even at 37 years of age, Sidney Crosby can still put on a show. On Saturday, that’s exactly what he did; Crosby recorded four points in Canada’s 7-0 victory over Slovakia in the 2025 IIHF World Championship. 

Philly Hockey Now: The NHL Entry Draft means very little to the Golden Knights, as George R. R. Martin will probably finally release his newest installment to the Game of Thrones series before they pick in the first round. But for a team exiting a rebuild like the Flyers, this is one of the season’s most important events. Will James explore the possibility of the Flyers trading back and why that might benefit the franchise going forward.

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