Former Seattle Kraken and Coachella Valley Firebirds defenseman Maxime Lajoie has signed with KHL team Avangard Omsk. 

The 27-year-old spent just one season with the Kraken organization, skating in 70 games with the Firebirds, scoring four goals and 38 points. Prior to joining the Kraken, Lajoie was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round (133rd overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft. 

Lajoie went on to play 62 NHL games with the Senators before spending the next three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. He then signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs before joining the Kraken. 

He played 77 career NHL games, notching seven goals and 16 points. In his eight seasons, he played 378 AHL games, scoring 34 goals and 194 points.

Lajoie will be joining an Omsk team that features several NHL prospects, including Colorado Avalanche's Mikhail Gulyayev, Nashville Predators' Semyon Chistyakov, Pittsburgh Penguins' Vasili Ponomaryov and Winnipeg Jets' Dmitri Rashevsky. The team also features former NHLers Nail Yakupov, Vyacheslav Voynov, Alexander Volkov, and Nikolai Prokhorin. Lajoie will also play under coach Guy Boucher, whom he previously played for in Ottawa and Toronto.

“Many teams have wanted to sign Maxim for several seasons, and we’re glad that he’s chosen Avangard,” said Omsk GM Alexei Sopin. “He is a versatile defenseman with excellent skating and a great shot, he’s mobile, and works equally well defensively and offensively. He also successfully connects partners and makes reliable decisions. We believe that Maxim will help achieve the serious goals set for Avangard.”

Former Sen, Cane, Leaf Signs In KHLCanadian defenseman Maxime Lajoie, 27, has signed a one-year contract with Avangard Omsk, the KHL club announced on Tuesday. Two-Time Former Kraken Forward Signs With KHL TeamFormer Seattle Kraken forward Daniel Sprong has signed a contract with KHL club CSKA Moscow.

The Buffalo Sabres signing defenseman Bowen Byram to a two-year, $12.5 million extension earlier this month was thought to have all but eliminated the chances of his being moved until at least the beginning of next season, but according to the Fourth Period, the 24-year-old blueliner continues to be the most sought-after commodity on the summer trade market, with as many as 10 teams reportedly linked to the Stanley Cup winner.  

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams was reportedly was not happy with the offers being made for Byram leading into and following the NHL Draft, which were likely more future prospect-and-draft pick based, similar to what Montreal sent to the NY Islanders for Noah Dobson (a pair of 2025 first-rounders and forward Emil Heineman). The club choose salary arbitration to block the possibility of an offer sheet. 

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The Sabres are reportedly looking to make a hockey deal for Byram, preferably that includes a top-six forward. An interested club may prefer to trade for a player under contract with cost certainty, but the blueliner being represented by agent Darren Ferris – someone who normally advocates for a player to head to free agency – could lower the possibility of Adams getting what he is looking for in a trade. 

Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson reportedly is another player who is rumored to be available. The 25-year-old has five years remaining on a seven-year deal with a $4.285 million AAV, but with the re-signing of Byram – who will likely partner with Rasmus Dahlin if he is not dealt – and newly acquired Michael Kesselring potentially playing alongside Owen Power, the Sabres may be willing to deal him for the right price. 

 

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The Buffalo Sabres will have many important games to play next season, but their most important games could prove to be against their rivals in the Atlantic Division.

Thus, we've been steadily putting together a team-by-team series on each of Buffalo's seven Atlantic rivals this season. And in this file, we're wrapping up the series by focusing on the team that won the Atlantic's regular-season title -- the Toronto Maple Leafs:

BUFFALO SABRES VS. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

NEW MAPLE LEAFS PLAYERS: Matias Maccelli, LW; Dakota Joshua, LW; Nicolas Roy, C; Michael Pezzetta, LW; Henry Thrun, D

2024-25 SERIES: Sabres 0-3-0, Maple Leafs 3-0-0

2025-26 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER:  October 24 at Buffalo; October 25 at Toronto; January 27 at Toronto; March 14 at Buffalo

CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM?  The Maple Leafs dominated the Sabres last year, winning all three games against Buffalo by a combined score of 15-6. Whether the games were played in December or in Buffalo's second-last regular-season game last year, Toronto shook the Sabres like a schoolyard bully, and even without departed superstar right winger and new Vegas Golden Knight Mitch Marner, the Leafs have a better balance of skill and determination than the still-evolving Sabres do this time around.

To be sure, adding gritty forwards in former Golden Knight Roy and former Vancouver Canuck Joshua will make Toronto's bottom-six group of forwards one of the better groups in the league. And taking a shot on former Utah Mammoth winger Maccelli could pay off in a big way, if Maccelli once again gets back to the 40-assist, 55-point range he got to in 2023-24.

Losing Marner obviously hurts the Maple Leafs' offense, but with superstars Auston Matthews and William Nylander joined by terrific financial bargain center John Tavares and up-and-coming power forward Matthew Knies, the Buds have a collection of talent many teams would kill for. They're going to be a different team without Marner -- a team that produces fewer goals-for, but one that is going to make opponents pay a physical toll many of them won't want to pay.

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Edition: Can Buffalo Jump Past Tampa Bay Into Third Place In Atlantic Division?The Buffalo Sabres are facing massive pressure to at least qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 15 years. But there's intense competition for each and every standings point teams can generate,  and the Sabres' don't benefit by playing in the Atlantic Division -- the most competitive division, in our estimation, in the league. And Buffalo is going to have to get a leg up on more than a few Atlantic rival teams, Tampa Bay included if they really intend to claim a Cup anytime soon.

There are some intriguing elements of the schedule that will make the Buffalo/Toronto games worth circling on your calendar: firstly, the October 24-25 games are the only games the Sabres will play against the same opponent on back-to-back nights this season. Winning the first game should be a priority,  as there won't be much pressure to win Game 2 (and Games 3 and 4, for that matter).

In addition, the teams' final game against each other will take place a month before the end of the regular-season, and shortly after the NHL's trade deadline. If the Maple Leafs can power through the schedule and more or less lock up a playoff spot by that March 14 game between the Sabres and Leafs, all the pressure will be on Buffalo to salvage the series as they try to secure a wild card berth.

In theory, the Sabres should be on the rise this coming year. They're going to be desperate to shake off their 14-year playoff drought, and upsetting Toronto in the four-game series will go a long way toward sending a message that this Buffalo team can run-and-gun with any opponent in the league. But the Maple Leafs aren't going to lie down and play dead against the Sabres. It will take a stellar defensive effort to shut down Toronto's high-octane offense, and stellar defensive efforts are not what this Buffalo team is known for.

Know. Your Enemy, Sabres Edition: Ottawa Senators Could Be Standing In Way Between Buffalo, PlayoffsThe Buffalo Sabres happen to play in the NHL's most competitive division, the Atlantic Division, Every one of the Atlantic's eight teams have designs on being a playoff team next season -- and as part of this continuing THN.com series, we're analyzing each of the Sabres' seven divisional rivals to see what chance Buffalo has against each of them.

The Leafs fully intend on being the best regular-season team in the Atlantic for the second straight season, even without Marner.  So when the Sabres go head-to-head against Toronto, there's little room for error for Buffalo.

The Sabres have got potentially eight standings points up for grabs against the Buds, and squandering opportunities like upsetting the Leafs could be stark reminders of why Buffalo has once again failed to be a post-season team. They need to take the Maple Leafs by the throat and make them understand this is a new era of Sabres hockey.

Because if they don't, the Sabres will face an uphill battle just to stay in their games against the Leafs, let alone win them. Toronto can still run up the score on opponents, which is why nothing less than a focused defensive attack will prevent Buffalo from being in the wrong part of the win/loss columns and pour more water on this disappointing-of-late rivalry.

For some expansion NHL franchises, success comes quickly. The Vegas Golden Knights, for instance, got to the Stanley Cup final in their first year of operation. And they got to the NHL’s semifinal another two years before winning their first championship in 2022-23.

However, for other expansion teams, the road to respectability can be a long one. The Nashville Predators came out of the gate as typical expansion losers, and it took them 11 years to ever win a playoff series. Yet one expansion team in particular stands out as having an especially tough go of it – the Columbus Blue Jackets, who’ve been fighting their way into being true Cup contenders.

The Jackets are in a slump that includes their inability to make the playoffs in any of the previous five seasons. And beyond that, they’ve made it out of the first round of the post-season just once in their 24 seasons of operation – and they still have yet to get to the third round of the playoffs. Thus, it’s understandable why some Columbus fans have become jaded over the plight of this team.

But here’s a hunch on this writer’s behalf: we’re picking the Blue Jackets to sneak into the playoffs in the Metropolitan Division next season. We’re certainly not suggesting being a playoff team in 2025-26 will be easy for the Jackets, but let’s take a look at the state of their roster and see why we believe there’s reason to see Columbus as a team that can end their playoff drought and announce itself as a long-term Cup contender for the foreseeable future.

First, a quick look at the Blue Jackets’ year last season. The Jackets had the eighth-best offense in the league at an average of 3.26 goals-for per game last year. All teams above them in that department, and one team below them in that department, were all playoff teams. However, Columbus’ defense was the eighth-worst in the league at a goals-against average of 3.26, and that’s been the challenge for GM Don Waddell to try to address this summer.

But now, let’s look at the state of their roster: Waddell didn’t make many changes this off-season, adding only veteran Bruins center Charlie Coyle and former New Jersey and Colorado winger Miles Wood. But those are two veterans who can help fortify Columbus’ attack. 

At forward, Waddell has assembled an on-the-rise core collection of young players, including center Adam Fantilli, and wingers Kent Johnson, Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov. And soon enough, Waddell will add another asset when he trades disgruntled winger Yegor Chinakhov. Columbus’ core forwards are solid ones, and if they can stay as offensively potent as they were last year, Waddell is going to be pleased. 

Meanwhile, Columbus’ defense corps are also likely to be improved next season. Waddell re-signed veteran blueliner Ivan Provorov to a seven-year deal averaging $8.5 million per season. And Waddell additionally brought back D-man Dante Fabbro, who set new (if modest) career highs despite playing only 62 games as a Jacket last year. It doesn’t sound familiar to say, but the Blue Jackets’ defensemen may be their best element next season.

The only real point of contention in terms of Columbus being a playoff team next year is that the Jackets’ goaltending situation is far from ideal. We're not completely sold on starter Elvis Merzlikins once again getting the lion’s share of the action. And backup Jet Greaves could force his way into the conversation as the Jackets’ starter. Greaves had excellent numbers – including a .938 save percentage and 1.91 goals-against average in 11 NHL appearances last year – and if he does unseat Merzlikins as the No.1 option between the pipes, Greaves will be well worth the $812,500 they’ll be paying him next season.

All things considered, the Blue Jackets aren’t in the upper tier of legitimate Cup contenders just yet. Until their young players prove they can thrive in the post-season, you have to be careful with your expectations of this relatively young team. But it’s not good to ignore that Columbus finished just two standings points, two overtime or shootout losses, out of getting into the playoffs last year. That’s absolutely something you want to build off as a unit, and there should be no step backward for this Columbus team.

All this, and we haven’t yet mentioned two things: No. 1 is superstar Zach Werenski, who absolutely deserved all the votes he got last season as the NHL’s top defenseman. He didn’t win the Norris Trophy, but he deserved to be in the conversation.

And No. 2: Waddell still has approximately $16.3 million in cap space. He’s going to have all kinds of flexibility to go out and make a big move during the season. Columbus can add a proven veteran when the moment calls for it, and whether that’s at forward or in goal is up to Waddell.

We’re getting ahead of ourselves. Right now, all Columbus fans should know is that Waddell has put together a roster that can compete with the powerhouse teams in the Metropolitan Division. And while the days where the Blue Jackets are absolutely dominant may not have arrived just yet, those days aren’t all that far off, either.

So yes, we know it’s only late July, but we’re calling it right now – the Jackets get back into the playoffs next year and end their playoff drought. There will be bumps in the road for Columbus, but the Blue Jackets have the talent and guidance to evolve into a playoff team this coming year. And if they don’t do so, there will be bigger questions on the horizon next summer.

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THN.com’s Summer Splash series continues – and in this file, we’re focusing the spotlight on Team No. 23 in our rankings of teams’ off-seasons – the Nashville Predators.

In this team-by-team series, we’ve been analyzing every NHL team’s off-season, moving in reverse order from the teams that got the worst to the best, and the ones that finished in between those two poles. To create the rankings, we’re breaking down every organization’s notable additions and departures, including trades, free-agent acquisitions, departures, and hirings and firings if applicable.

We’re now moving into the stretch of teams that have more or less stayed the same this summer. At the end of this article, you’ll see the teams that finished beneath the Predators. But for the moment, the focus is entirely on the Preds.

Additions

Erik Haula (LW), Nicolas Hague (D), Nick Perbix (D) 

The Breakdown: The Predators were a massive letdown last season, finishing seventh in the Central Division – their worst finish since they finished sixth in the division in 2013-14. As a result, some observers were expecting Preds GM Barry Trotz to make extensive changes to their roster this summer, but that hasn’t happened.

Instead, Trotz went out and acquired Haula in a trade with New Jersey. After that, he traded for former Vegas Golden Knights D-man Hague, and finally, he signed former Tampa Bay Lightning blueliner Perbix to a two-year deal carrying an average annual salary cap hit of $2.75 million. Haula will contribute to Nashville’s bottom-six group of forwards, while Hague and Perbix will firm up the Predators’ defense corps. 

Other than that, this is largely the same Predators team that underachieved greatly last year. Trotz did hang onto $10.1 million in salary cap space, so more moves may eventually be coming for Nashville. But Trotz is banking on a revamped group of defensemen to improve what was the NHL’s sixth-worst defense last season, averaging 3.34 goals-against per game.

Departures

Colton Sissons (C), Jakub Vrana (LW), Kieffer Bellows (LW), Jeremy Lauzon (D), Marc Del Gaizo (D)

The Breakdown: There are few departures from the Predators – at least, when it comes to players who were notable performers in Nashville last season. Sissons was the most-utilized player who is now a former Predator, but even then, Sissons was a fourth-liner who posted just seven goals and 21 points in 72 games. Preds management hasn’t lost all that much this off-season, but you won’t find an NHL team that hasn’t lost a handful of players one way or another.

Three of the four departing Preds players were forwards, while the other two were fringe defensemen. And the additions of Hague and Perbix will cover off any drop-off in play resulting from those changes at forward.

Trotz has shown in his time running the Predators that he’s not afraid to swing for the fences, mostly when it comes to free-agent acquisitions like star forward Steven Stamkos, winger Jonathan Marchessault, center Ryan O’Reilly and defenseman Brady Skjei, but those moves last season did not lead to playoff success. So Trotz is moving in the other direction and doubling down on his 2024-25 roster.

The Bottom Line

The Predators play in arguably the NHL’s toughest division in the Central Division, so getting back into the playoff picture will be a serious challenge. But if star defenseman Roman Josi can return to action after dealing with a nervous system disorder last year, and if Trotz’s changes to his group of blueliners improve Nashville’s back end, the Preds should be more competitive in 2025-26.

Still, for the purposes of this Summer Splash ranking, we have to note that the Predators essentially have stayed the same. The losses they’ve dealt with up front have been traded off by the improvements they’ve made in their own zone. And Nashville now has to hope for a better result in the win/loss columns next season.

If the Preds hadn’t made those two additions on defense, they’d have finished at or near the bottom of these rankings. But even with Hague and Perbix in tow, Nashville feels very much like a team that’s running it back with the same lineup and hoping for better results. Father Time will render his own judgment on that approach, but for the moment, Trotz will be counting on the benefit of the doubt in the hope he can turn things around after one terrible year.

Summer Splash Rankings

23. Nashville Predators

24. New York Islanders

25. Tampa Bay Lightning

26. Toronto Maple Leafs

27. Dallas Stars

28. Calgary Flames

29. Los Angeles Kings

30. Winnipeg Jets

31. Chicago Blackhawks

32. Buffalo Sabres

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Veteran winger Max Pacioretty, who spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Montreal Canadiens, flipped the script for the 2024-25 NHL season, signing a one-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His regular season was rather uneventful as he missed all but 37 games, mostly due to injury. However, when the playoffs rolled around, the 36-year-old was arguably one of the Leafs' top performers, putting up three goals and eight points in 11 games.

While it initially appeared that Pacioretty might choose to retire from the NHL after the playoffs wrapped up, that may not be the case, as it was reported back in June that the Leafs and Pacioretty have mutual interest in teaming up for another season.

But what do you think? Will Pacioretty return to Toronto, head to another team or will he ultimately choose to retire? 

The St. Louis Blues announced they have re-signed forward Nikita Alexandrov to a one-year, two-way contract. 

The contract will pay him $750,000 at the NHL level and $300,000 at the AHL level with a $350,000 guarantee. 

The 24-year-old recorded 21 goals and 49 goals in 48 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds last season. 

A second round selection of the Blues in 2019, Alexandrov has appeared in 51 career NHL games with the Blues and has three goals and six assists. 

The Burgwedel, Ger., native has been nearly a point per game player at the AHL level over the past three seasons and has 58 goals and 129 points in 170 career AHL games and 10 points in 23 Calder Cup Playoff games.

Nikita Alexandrov has signed a one-year, two-way contract. https://t.co/f1Yf0dl7YU#stlblues

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) July 26, 2025

The Blues have a deep forward which will make it difficult for Alexandrov to make the team out of camp but he will be relied upon to drive the offense for the Thunderbirds. 

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.  

Photo Credit: © Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images

The key to having a successful team in the NHL is drafting and developing young players so they can someday lead their team to glory, and some teams are way ahead of the game when it comes to young talent and a young core.

Here are the top six teams with the best under-25 cores in the NHL.

Montreal Canadiens

Cole Caufield (RW), Lane Hutson (D), Juraj Slafkovsky (LW), Alex Newhook (LW/C), Zack Bolduc (RW/C), Ivan Demidov (RW), Kaiden Guhle (D), Jakub Dobes (G)

The Montreal Canadiens have been increasingly threatening over the years, especially last season, when they made the playoffs after a three-year drought. 

However, GM Kent Hughes and the Habs are just getting started as they have plenty of fun years ahead of them with the young roster they’ve got.

According to eliteprospects.com, the Canadiens are the youngest team in the league for this upcoming campaign, with an average age of 25.35. Their U-25 core consists of several elite players, including Cole Caufield, who recorded his first 70-point season, and Lane Hutson, who is coming off a Calder Trophy-winning season.

With that, Martin St. Louis’ team has an abundance of skill around their main guys, and that’s what puts them at the top of the list.

The 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, along with Alex Newhook, Ivan Demidov and newly acquired Zack Bolduc, completes a loaded top-nine forward group for Montreal.

On the back end, Kaiden Guhle joins Hutson and 31-year-old Mike Matheson to fill out the left side of the Habs’ defense. Since his NHL debut in 2022, Guhle has averaged 20:52 of ice time in the regular season and 21:48 in the 2025 playoffs.

In addition, goaltender Jakub Dobes had his coming-out party this season, recording a 2.74 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.

Anaheim Ducks

Leo Carlsson (C), Mason McTavish (C), Cutter Gauthier (LW), Jackson LaCombe (D), Pavel Mintyukov (D), Olen Zellweger (D)

The Anaheim Ducks have not qualified for the playoffs in the last seven seasons. However, with the setup of their young roster and season-by-season progression, Ducks fans might not have to wait long until they see the post-season again. 

Next season,  players such as Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier will all be one year older and a little more seasoned. All three of those forwards registered their first 20-goal seasons, with McTavish scoring the most points of the three with 52.

In addition to the trio of forwards, Anaheim has a loaded left side on the blueline with Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov. LaCombe has led the way from the back end for the Ducks, scoring 14 goals and 43 points in his second full season.

Along with those three left-defensemen, Drew Helleson is set to suit up for his sophomore season after scoring 13 points in 56 appearances last year. These four defensemen complete two-thirds of Anaheim's blueline.

Ottawa Senators

Tim Stutzle (LW/C), Jake Sanderson (D), Ridly Greig (LW/C), Dylan Cozens (C), Leevi Merilainen (G)

Compared to other teams in this article, the Ottawa Senators have a shorter list of U-25 players. However, there is no shortage of quality in their young core as they hold some of the best U-25 players in the entire league.

In addition, during NHL.com’s “Young Stars Week,” they made rankings of the top 10 forwards, defensemen and goaltenders, and each list had a Senator on it.

On the forwards and defensemen list, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson were ranked No.1 in their respective positions, and with great reason.

Stutzle and Sanderson are considered leaders on the Senators as much as captain Brady Tkachuk and veteran Claude Giroux are in terms of how they play on the ice.

Stutzle and Sanderson have the potential to compete for individual awards and milestones, with Sanderson finishing in the top 10 for Norris Trophy voting, while Stutzle is capable of reaching the 100-point mark over the years he has remaining in his young career.

With that, in the top 10 list of goaltenders under 25, Leevi Merilainen was ranked fourth on NHL.com’s list. The 22-year-old netminder is set to be Ottawa’s backup next season after recording a 1.99 GAA and .925 SP in 12 games last season.

It doesn’t stop there for the Senators as they have tremendous young center depth down their lineup. Ridly Greig and Dylan Cozens complete the Sens’ middle-six forward group with scoring and grit.

Philadelphia Flyers

Matvei Michkov (LW/RW), Trevor Zegras (LW/C), Bobby Brink (RW), Tyson Foerster (RW/LW), Jamie Drysdale (D), Cam York (D)

After a rough campaign last year, the youth of the Philadelphia Flyers will be looking to spark some new energy in Rick Tocchet’s first season behind the bench.

Leading the way in Philadelphia’s U-25 core is Matvei Michkov. The Russian was a top-five rookie in the NHL last season, equalling Macklin Celebrini’s 63 points for second-best in the league, and he also finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting.

Alongside him in the forward group is Trevor Zegras, who will be putting on the Flyers sweater for the first time next season after his trade from Anaheim. Zegras is looking to find his footing after his last two seasons were cut short.

Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster continue to rise after they recorded their first 40-point seasons last year, with Foerster scoring 25 goals. The two wingers will look to solidify their roles in the top six in 2025-26 under Tocchet.

As for the blueline, Jamie Drysdale and Cam York highlight Philly’s young D-core. Drysdale was able to play 70 games in his first season with the Flyers last year. He’ll want to get his development back on track after missing a chunk of games in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns.

In some ways, York will also get a fresh start with a new voice behind the bench. Last season, there were reports about an altercation between York and former coach John Tortorella, which contributed to Tortorella’s firing. Now with Tocchet in play, York will have a chance to play more freely than before.

Utah Mammoth

Logan Cooley (C), Dylan Guenther (RW), JJ Peterka (RW)

The Utah Mammoth are an overlooked team at times, but with the elite young players they have, they won’t be an afterthought much longer. After finishing just seven points shy of a playoff spot, it’s not such a stretch to think Utah could make its first post-season appearance in franchise history next year.

Center Logan Cooley and right winger Dylan Guenther lead the way for the Mammoth’s young core. They both had breakout seasons with Cooley recording 25 goals and 65 points in 75 games, and Guenther scoring 27 goals and 60 points in 70 games.

With that, Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong made a splash and traded for right winger JJ Peterka from the Sabres. Similar to Cooley and Guenther, Peterka scored 27 goals and 68 points in 77 appearances for Buffalo last season.

While it’s not a long list, there is no denying that Armstrong’s club has an exciting trio up front and will be running Utah’s offense for years to come.

New Jersey Devils

Jack Hughes (C), Dawson Mercer (RW/C), Luke Hughes (D), Simon Nemec (D)

The New Jersey Devils are a product of great drafting. They’ve developed their own talent and turned them into stars. Jack Hughes is a prime example of that

Not only is Hughes one of the best players on this list, but he’s also one of the top centers in the NHL. In his last three seasons, he’s recorded at least 70 points, including a 99-point campaign in 2022-23.

With that, Hughes was selected by Team USA to compete in the 4 Nations Face-Off. He was one of four players on that team who were under 25 years old.

Along with Jack, his brother Luke is also considered a member of New Jersey’s U-25 core as a defenseman. He registered two straight 40-point seasons to complete his entry-level phase as he looks for a new contract.

Also on the Devils’ back end is Slovakian D-man Simon Nemec. He was selected second overall in the 2022 draft, but hasn’t been able to find a rhythm in the NHL because of New Jersey’s blueline depth. Last season, he played just 27 games after a 60-game campaign in the season prior.

Dawson Mercer was shot out of a cannon when he entered the NHL in 2021-22, scoring 42 points in his first season and 56 points in his sophomore year. Since then, he has dipped mildly, but has shown resilience and durability as he’s never missed a regular-season game in his four-year career.

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Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone will always have a soft spot for Ottawa. Six years after he was traded away by the Senators, Stone still spends most of his summers in the city. He has a boatload of friends here, and he’s pleased to see that the Senators—his former team—are playing so well again.

Stone appeared this week on the Coming in Hot podcast with hosts Brent Wallace, Jason York, and Graeme Nichols, and shared some thoughts about his former team, including his friend, former teammate and tenant, Brady Tkachuk.

Stone says it hasn’t been much fun to play against Tkachuk or his brother, Matthew, including a pair of international tilts during the recent 4 Nations Face-Off. In truth, Stone joked, he sometimes wasn't even big on playing with Tkachuk.

“I’d be lying if I said I wanted to play every night against [the Tkachuks], that’s for sure,” Stone said. “I mean, there were some nights I didn’t even want to be on Brady’s line in Ottawa because you knew you were going to have to be in a scrum every second shift. I’m like, ‘All right, buddy, let’s just relax here.’”

That was, in no way, an attempt to throw shade at Tkachuk. The interview was fun and respectful throughout. Stone says he believes that the Sens captain has toned things down a bit and is starting to realize just how valuable he is on the ice.

“As he goes, the team goes, in my opinion. He’s their engine. Obviously, he’s the captain at such a young age. He had learned so much, but had so much to learn as well. I think the experiences – whether it’s Four Nations or getting to the playoffs for the first time, even the negatives, right? Even going through those years of struggle, I think it probably put it in his mind, like, ‘I don’t want to be back there,’ right? ‘I never want that to happen again.’

"I think he’s really done a good job getting through that adversity and getting ready, and putting this team in a great position.”

As a personal observation – Stone said nothing to this effect at all – but the tough times Brady and the Senators have gone through in Ottawa the past six years probably galvanize Stone's belief that he got out at just the right time in 2019. 

Stone described his affection for the Tkachuk family when asked about Brady’s bachelor party three years ago, which happened right after Stone and the Knights defeated Matthew and the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final.

“Yeah, we’re obviously friends, good friends,” Stone said. “You know, obviously love that family. So we had a great time at that bachelor party. The last one I’ve been to, actually. So as I said, they’re such good, good people. I’m so happy that they were able to win the next year. You know, I’m sure it was tough for him, congratulating me. But yeah, it’s impressive now what they’re doing in Florida.”

If Stone’s time in Ottawa and in Vegas have something in common, it would be the fairly high roster turnover. But the reasons for the volume of roster changes couldn’t be more different.

“Well, I think you look at Vegas two ways. You’re losing buddies, but you know, when I was in Ottawa, unfortunately, it was losing friends for the wrong reasons. In Vegas, it’s the nature of the business. It sucks, but we’re always looking to get better, so that’s what is very attractive to me. There’s just a ton of internal pressure to try and win every single year, and that’s something I love being a part of.”

Stone has now been gone from the Senators for six years but says he’s only been back at Canadian Tire Centre for two games since the 2019 trade, which he described as 'brutal.'

“I love coming back here. Still spend my summers here. Super happy with where the (Senators) are going, right? I like to say I’ve got a lot of friends on the team, but there are only three guys left from when I was here (Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, and Drake Batherson). But I still love watching the guys play. So I love coming back into the facility, seeing the staff, because the majority of the staff is still the same, which is awesome.

“Those guys were some of the best in the league, still are, whether it’s the equipment guys, the medical staff, strength staff. They’ve got a great, great staff there.

“So I love coming back in.”

Mark Stone and the Vegas Golden Knights will visit Ottawa on January 25.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
Image Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

This article orginally appeared at The Hockey News Ottawa, where you'll find all the latest Senators news:
2018 World Junior Trial Ends: Former Senator Alex Formenton Found Not Guilty
Croatia's NHL Trailblazer: Sens Prospect Bruno Idžan Takes NHL Road Less Travelled
Top 3 Ottawa Senators Bounce-Back Candidates For 2025-26
Sens Captain Brady Tkachuk Celebrates Hard at Brother Matthew's Wedding
Can The Senators Count On Dylan Cozens To Consistently Produce?
Senators Re-Sign 2021 First-Round Pick To One-Year Deal
An Early Glance At The Senators’ 2026 Free Agent Class
Why Mason McTavish Isn’t Coming Home To The Senators

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made multiple moves this off-season. This included bringing in several new players, including winger Anthony Mantha. The Penguins signed the 6-foot-5 forward to a one-year, $2.5 million contract earlier this month.

Mantha, unfortunately, missed the majority of this past season after tearing his ACL early on in the campaign and undergoing surgery. As a result, he appeared in just 13 games with the Calgary Flames in 2024-25, posting four goals, seven points, 16 hits, and a plus-6 rating. Overall, he was on pace to have another solid season before his injury.

While Mantha did not play much this past season due to his injury, he has the potential to be a very good signing for the Penguins when looking at his resume. He has demonstrated for much of his career that he can be an effective point producer, and the Penguins will be hoping he can be just that for them in a top-six role next season. 

Just back during the 2023-24 season, Mantha posted 23 goals, 21 assists, and 44 points in 74 games split between the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights. He has also recorded at least 20 goals and 40 points three times during his career, so he undoubtedly can make an impact when playing at his best.

Overall, with the Penguins needing more offense, there is no harm in them taking a shot on a big and skilled winger like Mantha with this one-year contract. If he stays healthy, he could end up being a very nice part of their forward group in 2025-26. 

Former Penguins Forward Signs PTO With RangersAccording to the New York Post's Mollie Walker, the New York Rangers have signed former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Conor Sheary to a professional tryout (PTO).

Photo Credit: © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

It is fair to argue that the Chicago Blackhawks' current roster could use more secondary scoring before the start of the season. When looking at the unrestricted free agents (UFAs) who are left on the market, one intriguing option who stands out is forward Victor Olofsson. 

Olofsson, 30, just had a strong 2024-25 season as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights. In 56 games with the Pacific Division club, the 2014 seventh-round pick posted 15 goals, 14 assists, 29 points, and a plus-17 rating in 56 games. With numbers like these, he would certainly have the potential to give the Blackhawks' bottom six and second power-play unit a boost. This is especially so when noting that he can play both left wing and right wing.

Olofsson has also shown for much of his career that he has the ability to put the puck in the net. The seven-year veteran has scored at least 20 goals three times during his career, which includes him scoring 28 times during the 2022-23 season with the Buffalo Sabres. He has also record at least 40 points three times, so he could give the Blackhawks more offense if brought in.

On a one-year deal, Olofsson could be a very solid veteran for the Blackhawks to add to their group. It will be interesting to see where he ends up signing, but the Blackhawks could be a good potential landing spot for him. 

Blackhawks Should Swing Trade For Bruins ForwardThe Chicago Blackhawks have had a quiet off-season thus far, but the possibility of them making another addition to their roster before the season is here should not be ruled out. They currently have over $21 million of cap space and could use it if it means bringing in a player that would help them beyond the 2025-26 campaign.

Photo Credit: © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

The Anaheim Ducks have missed the playoffs every year since 2017-18 and in doing so, have drafted in the top ten for seven consecutive seasons and procured one of the NHL’s deepest and most potent prospect pools.

Despite several young players having graduated and become full-time NHLers, such as Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger, the Ducks still have an impressive pipeline of potential impact and depth prospects yet to make the jump.

Can ‘Rangers West’ Help Get the Ducks Back Into the Playoffs?

Lukas Dostal: Increased Pressure, Journey from 'No-Name Goalie' to Paid Among NHL Elite

For this exercise, only players who haven’t lost rookie status are eligible for a ranking, and to be clear, these are my (Patrick Present) subjective rankings.

Honorable Mentions: Yegor Sidorov, Herman Traff, Tarin Smith, Lasse Boelius, Calle Clang

Top Ten:

10. Nathan Gaucher, 21, C, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

9. Ian Moore, 23, RHD, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

8. Sasha Pastujov, 22, W, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

7. Tomas Suchanek, 22, G, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

6. Eric Nilson, 18, C, Michigan State University (NCAA)

5. Lucas Pettersson, 19, C, Brynas IF (SHL)

Kicking off the top five is another Swedish center who, on paper, is a very similar player to Eric Nilson, but who might have the slight edge on the offensive side of the puck: Lucas Petterssson.

Pettersson does all the little things that coaches love in their centers: he stays above pucks in offensive-zone forecheck scenarios, angles well on the backcheck, and he doesn’t lose assignments in d-zone coverage. As a prospect, those aspects will set his floor relatively high and practically guarantee him a career in the NHL.

“I think he's really smart both ways. He's got enough skill and speed to think that he will produce offensively at the pro level, in the NHL level,” Ducks assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting Martin Madden told The Hockey News: Anaheim Ducks. “His two-way (play) is really, really, smart. Now, when you play that way, you need to be strong enough to play that way against men, right? So he just wasn't there yet last year.”

The aspects that will separate and elevate him, potentially to a top-six role in the NHL, will be the details of his offensive game. He’s an outstanding skater, both explosive and shifty with impressive four-way mobility.

He scans the ice well before pucks arrive and connects with his wingers when building attacks up ice. He has the hands to simultaneously invite attention and avoid defending sticks in transition to gain entry, along with the vision to make plays on the cycle.

The Ducks selected Pettersson in last year’s draft (35th overall in 2024) as the first Swedish player taken in what was considered one of Sweden’s weaker classes.

He bounced around Swedish hockey divisions in 2024-25, seemingly unable to find a fit until he was loaned to Ostersunds IK of HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second professional tier, where he scored 19 points (9-10=19) in 26 games while playing middle-six minutes.

He had a difficult time securing minutes on a nightly basis in the SHL while playing for MoDo Hockey last season, but he’ll head back to the SHL on loan in 2025-26 to play for Brynas IF alongside longtime Anaheim Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg.

“I think he found a good fit for him. I think he's going to be really well surrounded in Brynäs,” Madden said. “Yes, it's going to be in the SHL again, so he will need to earn his ice time, but I think he's better prepared for it now. He's had to deal with that tough first year.”

Like most prospects his age, his focus will be on getting bigger, stronger, and harder to play against. He’s now in the midst of an offseason without the distractions that come with the NHL combine and draft process, so those goals should be easier to attain.

Though Madden compared Pettersson to William Karlsson when the Ducks drafted him, to me, the duo of Pettersson and Nilson is reminiscent of a time when the Ducks had Karlsson and Rickard Rakell in their pipeline. Both are 200-foot players who can kill penalties and contribute offensively, but Nilson projects to have the edge on the defensive end like Karlsson, while Pettersson has more offensive skill and instinct, like Rakell.

Ducks Sign Drew Helleson to Two-Year Extension

Ducks Sign Lukas Dostal to Five-Year Extension

Ducks Sign Clang, Myšák to One-Year Deals

Photo Credit: Derek Lee-The Hockey News

The Chicago Blackhawks were only going to arbitration with one player. Arvid Soderblom needed a new contract as an active restricted free agent. 

The date for his hearing was July 28th, but that will no longer be necessary. Two days before the date, they avoided arbitration by agreeing to an extension. 

Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) on XChicago and Arvid Soderblom avoid arbitration 2 x $2.75M

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Blackhawks and Soderblom have agreed to a two-year deal worth $2.75 million. He will remain with the club for at least two more years after a good year proving himself in 2024-25. 

The Blackhawks see Spencer Knight as their goalie of the future, but Soderblom is a nice backup to have. The modern-day NHL requires teams to have multiple sufficient goalies to play a fair amount of games. The Blackhawks now have that locked in. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

The New York Rangers have signed Conor Sheary to a professional tryout. 

The veteran forward will report to Rangers training camp in December and fight to earn a spot on the roster. 

Throughout Sheary’s 10-year NHL career, he has played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Washington Capitals, and Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Sheary played under the Rangers’ new head coach Mike Sullivan, as they won a Stanley Cup together with the Penguins. 

He spent most of his time this past season with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, where he recorded 20 goals, 41 assists, and 61 points in 59 games. 

In the last few years of Pierre Dorion's tenure as Ottawa Senators GM, fans and media would wonder during the summer if this was the year the long rebuild would finally be over. If not last year, was this the year? Is it over now?

Okay, how 'bout now?

Now?

Sens fans are thankful those days are over. Today, those questions can be replaced with: Are the Senators now a contender, ready to legitimately battle with the NHL's best?

Yes. Yes, they are.

Let's go back to July 1st. When Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios was asked how he felt about his team for next season after his modest 2025 free agent shopping trip, the assumption was that he'd speak mainly about the acquisition of veteran NHL depth forward Lars Eller. 

"We feel good," Staios said. "Adding Lars Eller today was significant for us heading into the season."

But then he was quick to point out that the club's work at the trade deadline was part of why he feels good about the roster for next season.

"Looking back, (we also acquired) Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund (at the deadline), and Jordan Spence at the draft. We didn't have a lot to do in free agency this year as far as acquisitions. The work has actually been laid out in a bit of a slow roll."

Hearing an NHL GM who still has $4.3 million in cap space declaring that he didn't have a lot to do in free agency is an amazing show of confidence in his roster. And Staios has every right to be confident and satisfied with what he has.

Let's get ahead of the Montreal Canadiens fans who like to fill up our message board with chirps and questions, which we welcome. They're probably going to mention that the Senators were only a wild-card team last year. How can they suddenly be flirting with a roster that might be a finished product?

Well, for starters, making the playoffs will do wonders for their collective psyche. But they also weren't far from being labelled contenders last season, finishing with a record of 45-30-7. Teams with lesser records have won Cups before. The Florida Panthers, the reigning two-time Cup champs who everyone is trying to emulate right now, were just one point ahead of Ottawa.

Meanwhile, is Staios is right to include Cozens and Zetterlund as part of why he felt he didn't have much to do this summer, then the club should have been noticeably better after the deadline, right?

Oh, they were, my friends. As Everyday Sens packages up nicely, they were a lot better.

Ottawa prior to the trade deadline:
• 31-25-5 (18th)
• .549 P% (15th)
• 1.96 GF/60 (5v5)(28th)
• -2.18 Goals Above Expected

Ottawa after the trade deadline:
• 14-5-2 (2nd)
• .714 P% (4th)
• 2.61 GF/60 (5v5)(11th)
• 13.56 Goals Above Expected#GoSensGopic.twitter.com/cYQUw8jVmW

— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) July 19, 2025

When you consider what happened after the trades, March 7th instantly goes down in the books as one of the most successful deadline days in franchise history. Here are the standings on March 7th, the day of the deadline. The Sens were just hanging on by a thread to the final wild card.

After deadline day, the Senators totally floored it, putting up the second-best record in the NHL at 14-5-2 (.714) to close the season and run away with the Eastern wild card race. Here are the final standings.

5 on 5 scoring? That was worrisome through most of the season, but it saw a massive spike in the final quarter of the season. Goalie graveyard? Not anymore. The Sens will roll into a new season with a healthy former Vezina winner, and his new full-time backup didn't allow a goal in regulation in 4 of his 12 NHL starts last season.

Remember when the Senators' goal used to be a chance to play meaningful games at the end of the season? Last spring, they not only played in them, they thrived in them. Staios's deals at the deadline may have been the final additive that Ottawa's rebuilt engine needed to finally start purring. Spence and Eller now serve as nice bells and whistles to the final assembly.

Yes, it cannot be ignored that the Senators came out of the playoff gates slowly. But a lot of that can be chalked up to first-time jitters for the club's key young players. They've wanted it so badly for so long, and by the time they calmed down and found their poise, their room for error was gone.

Now they've experienced it. Now they've had a taste. Now they know. The Stanley Cup Playoff nets have the exact same measurements as they do back in Hickory.

I get it. It's summer. Time for golf, cottage or whatever. But Sens fans who aren't completely excited for the season ahead should probably put that on their to-do list very soon.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
Image Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

This article orginally appeared at The Hockey News Ottawa, where you'll find all the latest Senators news:
2018 World Junior Trial Ends: Former Senator Alex Formenton Found Not Guilty
Croatia's NHL Trailblazer: Sens Prospect Bruno Idžan Takes NHL Road Less Travelled
Top 3 Ottawa Senators Bounce-Back Candidates For 2025-26
Sens Captain Brady Tkachuk Celebrates Hard at Brother Matthew's Wedding
Can The Senators Count On Dylan Cozens To Consistently Produce?
Senators Re-Sign 2021 First-Round Pick To One-Year Deal
An Early Glance At The Senators’ 2026 Free Agent Class
Why Mason McTavish Isn’t Coming Home To The Senators