NHL Rumours: Gustavsson Upset, Sundin’s Role & Blues Changes Coming

Gustavsson was dominant throughout most of the season, too, though. What likely gave the edge to Wallstedt was the final three game Gustavsson played, which he carried a .786 save percentage through.

After a Wild practice, The Athletic’s Joe Smith had reported that Gustavsson was approached for an interview, and the goalie told them, “Talk to the players who are playing.” (from How Wild plan to fix power play, adjust lineup for Game 4 vs. Stars: Notebook, The Athletic, Apr. 24, 2026)

Gustavsson is rightfully frustrated. After such a strong season, sitting on the bench in the playoffs while the rookie takes over is a tough situation. While the Wild’s coaching staff and management want what is best for the team, it comes with hard decisions, too.

Sundin Willing to Move to Toronto for Meaningful Role

When teams look to bring in one of their all-time greats, it often starts in a made-up role for them to be involved with the club. Of course, that isn’t always the case. Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic, Daniel Alfredsson, and many others play a role in their teams day-to-day things, and if Sundin is coming back to North America to join the Maple Leafs, it will have to be an important job.

Now, Sundin doesn’t have the experience in management to be named the general manager right away, but he does have a brilliant hockey mind, and could be a valuable asset in the front office.

With reports stating the Maple Leafs’ search is led by John Chayka, with Scott White still in the mix, too. Elliotte Friedman reported the Maple Leafs were having conversations with Sundin about a potential return, but wasn’t sure about what the role or title would be.

Darren Dreger spoke on TSN1050 and indicated that if Sundin is going to join the team, moving his family all the way to Toronto, it would be a meaningful position.

Some options that may include could be a vice president of hockey operations, special advisor to the general manager, or another creative way to get him involved in the decisions of the team.

Blues Announce Management Change, What About Players?

The Blues announced that Doug Armstrong would be moving into the president of hockey operations role as of July 1, leaving the general manager gig to Steen. This is old news, as the club had announced this would be happening over two years ago.

Steen has spent a number of seasons as a special advisor, getting himself ready for this job. Now, with plenty of questions surrounding the Blues’ roster, Steen will have his work cut out for him.

Jordan Binnington will be one of the bigger names to watch from them. He is a proven goaltender who has struggled with the Blues as of late. A few teams who could make sense would be the Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, and, depending on what happens with Sergei Bobrovsky this offseason, the Florida Panthers.

For Robert Thomas, there was plenty of interest at the trade deadline, and that will certainly bleed into the offseason. The Buffalo Sabres made a strong push, the Ottawa Senators were reportedly in, the Seattle Kraken tried, and the Utah Mammoth were looked at as the team to beat out in these sweepstakes.

The other big-name forward to watch is Jordan Kyrou. Any team needing offense should be calling the Blues. Whether it be Thomas or Kyrou, players like them aren’t available every day, and they can have massive impacts on the roster.