USA Wins 2026 Olympic Hockey Gold
The United States won the 2026 Olympic men's hockey gold, beating Canada 2-1 in overtime on Jack Hughes' golden goal. Connor Hellebuyck made...
By Mike Johnson · 7 min read
Mike Johnson
Senior NHL Insider & Trade Analyst
Mike Johnson is a Senior NHL Insider with over 15 years covering the league, focusing on salary cap analysis, trade rumors, and offer-sheet markets. He has broken stories on the 2025 Hughes-to-Wild trade narrative, the Kaprizov $17M extension cycle, and the 2026 RFA market reset. Mike fact-checks every article against PuckPedia, CapWages, NHL.com, and named insiders such as Elliotte Friedman, Frank Seravalli, Pierre LeBrun, and Daily Faceoff Rundown. Originally from Toronto, Mike played junior hockey before transitioning to NHL coverage. Follow him on X at @NHLTradeRumors. Editorial inquiries: editorial@nhltraderumorstalk.com.
Articles by Mike Johnson
Who Won the 2026 Stanley Cup? Carolina
The Carolina Hurricanes won the 2026 Stanley Cup, beating Vegas 4-2 with a 3-0 Game 6 shutout on June 14. Captain Jordan Staal, 37, won a re...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
Richest NHL Players 2026: Net Worth
The richest NHL players in 2026, ranked by estimated net worth. Mario Lemieux (~$200M–$300M) and Wayne Gretzky (~$250M) lead all-time; Ovech...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
Hockey Hall of Fame 2026 Inductees
The Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2026 is official: Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Keith Tkachuk, Cindy Curley and Brian Burke....
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
2027 Stanley Cup Odds & Favorites
As of June 15, 2026, the Carolina Hurricanes are the +700 favorite to win the 2027 Stanley Cup at DraftKings, with Colorado +800 and Vegas +...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
NHL Expansion 2026: Next Team
No NHL expansion has been approved as of June 2026: still 32 teams, no formal process. Houston is the reported front-runner thanks to an exi...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
2026 NHL Awards: Every Winner
Every 2026 NHL Awards winner in one place: Kucherov over McDavid in a coin-flip Hart, Schaefer's unanimous Calder, Werenski's Norris, and Jo...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read
Golden Knights Offseason Squeeze
Vegas reached Game 6 of the 2026 Cup Final, then handed itself a summer with about $4.6M in cap space to re-sign Pavel Dorofeyev, replace a...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
Highest-Paid NHL Players 2026-27
The highest-paid NHL players for 2026-27, ranked by cap hit. Kirill Kaprizov leads at a record $17M, Connor McDavid sits sixth by choice, an...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read
How to Watch the NHL: 2026-27
How to watch the NHL in 2026-27: every channel (ESPN, ABC, TNT, NHL Network), every streaming option, the free routes, blackout traps, and t...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
NHL 2026-27: The 84-Game Season
The NHL 2026-27 season expands to 84 games, the first since 1993-94. Both new games are divisional. Here is why it changed, when it starts,...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read
How to Watch the 2026 NHL Draft
Round 1 is June 26 at 7 p.m. ET, Rounds 2-7 are June 27 — but the channel changes between days. The full how-to-watch guide for the 2026 NHL...
By Mike Johnson · 6 min read
Who Is Gavin McKenna? The No. 1 Pick
A Yukon kid who dominated two leagues two years apart, now the 2026 No. 1 pick. Inside Gavin McKenna's game, his NHL comps, and the McKenna...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
2026 NHL Draft Order: McKenna Goes No. 1
McKenna and Stenberg were the only two locks in a top-heavy class, and the 2026 NHL Draft delivered exactly that: McKenna No. 1 to Toronto,...
By Mike Johnson · 6 min read
NHL 2026: Every Team's Biggest Need & Dream UFA Fit
A thin free-agent class makes 2026 about fit, not fame. The Need-Fit Map names all 32 teams' biggest hole and the realistic target who fills...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read
NHL Cap Space 2026: Who Can Actually Sign Tuch?
A quarter-billion in unspent cap room sits across the NHL — and almost none of it belongs to a team that wants to win. The War Chest Index r...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read
Hischier Trade Clock Hits July 1
Nico Hischier trade rumors are rising: extension talks with new GM Sunny Mehta are in their infancy, Montreal, LA and Minnesota are circling...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
⚡ Breaking
Trade Rumors
Larkin-Robertson Swap: Who Says No?
Dallas has checked in on Dylan Larkin, but the Stars cannot fit his $8.7M until Jason Robertson and his unsigned $14M ask move out. Inside t...
By Mike Johnson · 11 min read
NHL Arbitration 2026: Eligible List
NHL RFAs must file for salary arbitration by July 5. Jason Robertson headlines the 2026 eligible class, but the Hearing Bluff means almost n...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
NHL Buyout Candidates 2026
The NHL buyout window opens June 15. Rielly, Gallagher, Kotkaniemi, and Frederic are the names in play, but the Dead-Cap Tail means most buy...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read