Author: NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

The Chicago Blackhawks’ rebuilding squad will get quite the test on the opening night of the NHL regular season.

To kick off the tripleheader on Tuesday, Oct. 7, the Blackhawks are in Sunrise to take on the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. Chicago, meanwhile, finished second-last this past season.

One game won’t tell the whole story, but it will set a first impression of how close these rebuilding Blackhawks are to competing against teams of the Panthers’ caliber with the pieces each squad has. Suffice it to say, Chicago has a ways to go to end the rebuild as it develops its young talent.

The Panthers’ top two defense pairings can compete with that of any team, especially after they acquired Seth Jones from the Blackhawks around the 2025 trade deadline. It’s another story for the Blackhawks.

When their highest-scoring blueliner this past season is youngster Alex Vlasic, whose 30 points were a career high, they can’t expect any sufficient offensive production from the back end. As for Connor Murphy, whose 117 hits and 160 blocked shots led Hawks blueliners, he’s entering the final year of his contract and could be trade bait. Only the Anaheim Ducks allowed more high-danger chances against than Chicago this past season, according to naturalstattrick.com.

That’s not to say there isn’t some talent in the pipeline, as Chicago has youngsters including Kevin Korchinski, Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel who can grow into important NHL roles.

NHL Prospect Pool Overview ’25-26: Chicago Blackhawks Brought In A Stellar Draft HaulThe Chicago Blackhawks are next up in Tony Ferrari's NHL prospect pool overview series.

Similarly, comparing the Hawks’ forwards with the Panthers’ forwards tells you how long their road to respectability truly is. 

Yes, the Blackhawks have cornerstone center Connor Bedard as their most important player and prospects Anton Frondell, Sacha Boisvert and Nick Lardis in the system. Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Donato had 58 and 62 points this past season, while Frank Nazar, 21, established his spot in the NHL full-time.

They’ll need Bedard to continue to grow as a difference-maker with help from his supporting cast, but they’re still over a season away from the wave of prospects taking this team to the next level. Right now, they don’t have enough true needle-movers to be in the same breath as a legitimate Cup contender like the Panthers, which are very deep at every position.

In net, the Hawks have a young goalie in Spencer Knight, who came over from Florida in the Jones trade, as well as veteran Laurent Brossoit. No goalie will be able to bail out the defensively lacking Blackhawks players in front of them. There may come a day when Knight can thrive between the pipes for Chicago, but that day isn’t likely going to come next season.

Chicago has about $22.3 million in salary cap space, and they used that room to acquire Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken for an upgrade on offense. But it’s unlikely they can weaponize much more of their cap space at this point to get the type of players that will make them beat teams like the Panthers more often than not. 

The truth is the Hawks are a dog’s breakfast of assets at this stage, and many of their current players include veterans past their prime, like captain Nick Foligno, and second-tier NHLers, such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Teravainen and Burakovsky. 

It’s clearly easy to see why the Hawks will be a long shot to play meaningful hockey down the stretch in 2025-26. The Panthers are likely to make it clear in Game 1 next year how far the Blackhawks have to go next season. After another year or two, the Blackhawks will be much better built to take the next step.

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In late June, the NHL announced the beginning of the selection process for determining the two host cities of the next World Cup of Hockey, which is scheduled to take place in February 2028.

According to the press release, the eight-team tournament will be split into two groups of four, with one group playing at venue in North America and the other at an international venue – almost certainly in Europe. In all probability, each venue would host six group-stage games and two quarterfinals, with the North American venue also hosting the two semifinals and the final.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, July 18, 2025, for North American cities and Wednesday, July 30, 2025, for international cities. The final selection of host cities is expected to take place sometime in early 2026.

North American entries will surely be current NHL arenas. Which one will be selected is anyone’s guess, but there are far fewer venues in Europe that the NHL is likely to view as suitable. First of all, the timeline of the selection almost certainly rules out the possibility of any Russian city hosting. Even if Russia does play in the tournament, it’s far more likely to play in the North American group than in Europe, where their presence could be more controversial.

Here are seven venues in European countries that have a strong possibility to host, ranked from most likely to least likely to be chosen.

Hockey Slovakia President Miroslav Šatan Reveals Formats Being Considered For 2028 World Cup Of Hockey Ever since the NHL and NHLPA announced that the World Cup of Hockey would return in February 2028 with at least eight teams, there has been much speculation about where the games will take place and who will participate, including some wild suggestions.

1. O2 Arena, Prague
Opened: 2004
Capacity: 17,383

When the facility then called Sazka Arena opened in Prague in 2004, it was fully up to NHL standards of the day with a capacity of over 17,000, club seats, luxury boxes and everything else. That year, it was the main venue for the IIHF World Championship and also hosted a game in the World Cup of Hockey. More than 20 years later, it is still one of only two hockey venues within the European Union that could reasonably be considered up to current NHL standards in terms of capacity and amenities.

In addition, Czech fans always tend to come out to support their team in big numbers, and Prague is centrally located in Europe, easily accessible from all corners of the continent by air and rail. It’s a popular destination for travelling fans, which is shown every time it hosts a major hockey event, meaning that all games could be well-attended, not only the ones that the host team is playing in.

For all those reasons, O2 Arena in Prague is the most likely European host, but it’s not a slam dunk.

2. Avicii Arena, Stockholm
Opened: 2004 (Renovated: 2025)
Capacity: 13,850

Stockholm is every bit of a hockey city as Prague is, and the facility formerly known as The Globe has also hosted numerous high-profile hockey events over the years, including World Championships, World Cups and NHL regular-season games.

Avicii Arena, however, opened in 1989 and is significantly older than O2 Arena, and despite extensive renovations ahead of this year’s World Championship, it still seats less than 14,000 for hockey. Also, while Stockholm is almost as accessible as Prague for visitors from elsewhere in Europe, it’s a considerably more expensive city to visit.

Still, the NHL considers Stockholm and Sweden an important market, as shown by how frequently they place events there, so Avicii Arena is very much in play for the World Cup.

3. Helsinki Arena
Opened: 1997 (reopening in 2025)
Capacity: 13,349

Between its opening in 1997 and 2022, this arena was the premier hockey venue in Finland and one of the top ones in Europe, hosting four World Championships, two World Juniors, three games at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and seven NHL games. However, it’s been closed since early 2022 – you can read more about that here.

The good news is, the arena will apparently return to operation this September. There are, however, recent reports from Finland that the building’s new operator is balking at reactivating the ice plant. If it’s fully hockey functional – and it’s given the green light before the NHL makes its decision – Helsinki has a chance.

Closed For 3 Years, Helsinki’s Largest Arena To Reopen With New Name From its opening in 1997 until March 2022, the building then known as Hartwall Arena hosted four IIHF World Championships, two World Junior Championships, three games in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and seven NHL regular-season games. It was the home rink to Jokerit, which played in the KHL. It was Finland’s premier hockey venue.

4. Lanxess Arena, Cologne
Opened: 1996
Capacity: 18,500

The largest full-time hockey venue within the European Union is in Cologne, Germany. Since its opening in 1996, Lanxess Arena has hosted three World Championships and drawn very strong attendance. The NHL also put one game here in the 2004 World Cup.

Cologne is also the hometown of Leon Draisaitl, which would make this arena a great place to showcase probably the greatest German hockey player ever and, possibly, the greatest German hockey team ever, in a best-on-best tournament.

If there’s a drawback, it’s that the NHL still hasn’t announced the format, and it’s not known yet whether Germany will be part of an eight-team tournament or have to qualify ahead of time. In the latter case, it’s highly unlikely that Germany would get to host the European group.

5. Uber Arena, Berlin
Opened: 2008
Capacity: 14,200

Or if the NHL wanted to go to Germany, would they pick Berlin instead? It’s definitely a larger and more accessible city. The NHL also put a preseason game there in 2019 when the Chicago Blackhawks visited Eisbären Berlin.

However, the same question marks surrounding Cologne apply to Berlin as well – it’ll only happen if Germany qualifies directly as one of the eight initial teams.

2026 Olympics will see best German team everThe Germans have had some very good results internationally in recent years, including a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and another silver at the 2023 IIHF World Championship. They’ve had some very good young talent to work with but they haven’t had a chance to put all of their best players together on one team since the 2010 Winter Olympics. They’ve improved a lot since then. In fact, it’s no stretch to say the 2026 Winter Olympics will feature the greatest German ice hockey team ever assembled.

6. Nokia Arena, Tampere
Opened: 2021
Capacity: 13,455

Tampere’s Nokia Arena has become Finland’s premier hockey venue in the last few years. Like Helsinki and Stockholm, the smaller capacity is a bit of a drawback, and it’s a much less accessible city than those other two – Tampere has only a minor airport, with Helsinki’s international airport a two-hour drive away.

Nokia Arena would be further up the list if Helsinki weren’t back in play. Even without Helsinki, though, this one feels like a long shot with some of the other choices available.

7. Swiss Life Arena, Zurich
Opened: 2022
Capacity: 11,157

The NHL and the IIHF recently came to an agreement to send NHL players to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy and possibly 2030 in France. As good as relations seem to be right now, the IIHF has been vocal about its opposition to a major international non-Olympic hockey tournament in Europe in February. Putting the European group in the city where the IIHF’s head offices are located feels like something unlikely to happen.

NHL Players Can Officially Play In 2026 Olympics. What About 2030?The IIHF, NHL and NHLPA all signed an agreement to officially allow NHL players to participate in the 2026 Olympics – and potentially the 2030 edition.

The Montreal Canadiens' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket, have added to their defensive depth.

Laval has announced that they have signed defenseman Charles Martin to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 season. 

Le Rocket s’entend sur les modalités d’un contrat d’une saison à deux volets avec le défenseur Charles Martin
Détails au https://t.co/Xo5HCaOsxZ

Rocket agree to terms on a one-year, two-way AHL contract with defenseman Charles Martin
Details at https://t.co/Xo5HCaOsxZpic.twitter.com/rndHTVnnLU

— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) July 14, 2025

Martin spent this past season split between the ECHL and AHL. In 40 ECHL games with the Rapid City Rush, the 6-foot defenseman recorded three goals, 18 assists, 21 points, and 40 penalty minutes. He also played in four AHL contests with the Calgary Wranglers in 2024-25, posting zero points and a minus-1 rating. 

At this point in his professional career, Martin has spent most of his time at the ECHL level. In 101 career ECHL games, he has recorded seven goals, 48 assists, and 54 points. Overall, the Quebec native has shown that he can produce solid offense from the point and be solid defensively at the ECHL level.

With this signing, the Rocket will now have another defenseman to consider using in their lineup. However, at a minimum, he should be a solid addition to the Canadiens' ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivieres Lions. 

Ex-Canadiens Goalie Signed NHL's Most Unique Off-Season DealHeading into July 1, former Montreal Canadien Jake Allen was the clear top pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) goalie who could hit the market. Due to this, there was expected to be a ton of interest in the 34-year-old, and he was in a position to land a high average annual value (AAV) had he tested the market.

Photo Credit:  © David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Most of the Toronto Maple Leafs' summer additions officially have numbers with their new club.

Henry Thrun was the first newly acquired player to confirm what number he'd be wearing with the Maple Leafs. The 24-year-old revealed on Monday afternoon during a Zoom media availability that he'd be donning the number three.

The defenseman wore the number with the San Jose Sharks before being traded to Toronto in exchange for Ryan Reaves. Thrun also had the number while captain at Harvard University. He was a big Zdeno Chara (who wore 33) fan growing up, which could be the reason behind the number.

Matias Maccelli, whom the Maple Leafs acquired from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for a conditional 2027 third-round pick, will wear 63, the same number he wore with Utah. The playmaking forward scored 18 points (eight goals and 10 assists) in 55 games last season, one year after tallying 57 points in 82 games.

Streaming Maple Leafs Games Just Got More Expensive: Breaking Down The Sportsnet+ Price Hike And Why Fans Are Upset About ItSubscribers of Sportsnet+ received an email last week that appears to have been unwelcome to users of the platform. Depending on your subscribed package, you saw a price increase that varied based on whether you subscribed to the base, premium, or annual version of either product. Looking at it from the perspective of fans who want to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, the increase was pretty substantial.

Nicolas Roy will wear 55 with the Maple Leafs. He wore number 10 with the Vegas Golden Knights, however, the number is retired in Toronto courtesy of Maple Leafs legends Syl Apps and George Armstrong.

Toronto acquired the 28-year-old in a sign-and-trade for Mitch Marner in late June. Roy had 15 goals and 16 assists in 71 games last season with the Golden Knights.

Ranking Every NHL Arena's Media Meal Part 1: The Bottom 8 Revealed (Nos. 25–32)As I write this, I feel blessed that I get to travel as often as I do. And while on the road covering the Toronto Maple Leafs, I like to see what every city has to offer in terms of restaurants, amenities, etc.

Michael Pazzetta will wear number 61 with his hometown team, a number previously worn by Jacob Quillan. The 27-year-old forward signed a two-year, $1.63 million contract on July 1. He didn't register a point in 25 games with the Montreal Canadiens last season.

Travis Boyd, who signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with Toronto on July 1, will wear the number 72 with the Maple Leafs. Boyd also wore 72 during his last stint with the Maple Leafs in 2021. The 31-year-old played most of last season with the AHL's Iowa Wild, scoring 53 points in 63 games.

According to The Hockey News' Karine Hains, the Maple Leafs will begin their season on October 8 inside Scotiabank Arena against the Montreal Canadiens. The full NHL schedule will be revealed on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET.

'It's Definitely A Topic To Talk About': Flames Star Nazem Kadri Responds To Maple Leafs RumorsThere is no doubt that many Toronto Maple Leafs fans miss having a forward like Nazem Kadri around. The Calgary Flames center has been at the center of rampant speculation as Toronto looks to add another top-six forward, and while a reunion might be a perfect fit, there doesn’t appear to be anything on the front burner in terms of an actual deal.

(Top photo of Boyd: John E. Sokolowski / Imagn Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been busy in this off-season's trade market. 

Last month, they sent Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights for Nicolas Roy and acquired left winger Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth. 

Last week, they shipped left winger Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks for depth defenseman Henry Thrun.

Meanwhile, speculation persists that Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving could have a bigger move in store to offset some of the offense lost with Marner's departure. 

Last week, Sportsnet's Luke Fox noted the Leafs have the cap space to add another top-six winger but lack tradeable assets, such as first-round picks and desirable prospects. He claimed there has been some talk of Treliving peddling a defenseman, such as Brandon Carlo or Morgan Rielly, provided the latter agrees to waive his no-movement clause.

Rielly might have more value in the trade market, but it's unlikely he'll agree to be moved. Carlo's eight-team no-trade list makes him easier to shop, but he might not fetch a top-six forward. 

Meanwhile, wishful thinking persists among some Leafs fans over a possible reunion with Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri. The Hockey News’ David Alter doesn't completely rule it out but doubts the Flames will give up their first-line center. 

A more realistic option could be found via free agency. Alter recently noted the availability of versatile forward Jack Roslovic, who tallied 22 goals and 39 points last season with the Carolina Hurricanes. Fox indicated that the 28-year-old UFA has been linked to the Leafs.

Turning to Minnesota, the contract impasse between the Wild and Marco Rossi shows no sign of ending. The 23-year-old center completed his entry-level contract and lacked arbitration rights. 

Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribuneindicates Wild GM Bill Guerin holds the leverage in this standoff. She also reported that the two sides have exchanged contract offers, with the Wild making short- and long-term proposals. 

Rossi is eligible to sign an offer sheet with a rival team, but Guerin has indicated his club will match any offer. 

The Wild have just over $10 million in cap room for this season. Rossi is a promising center, but it's doubtful a rival club will attempt to sign him to anything exceeding $10 million. 

A trade is possible, and Rossi has been a frequent fixture in the rumor mill since last summer. However, Guerin maintains his preference is to sign the youngster to a new contract.

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You can cross another name off the list of potential restricted free agent (RFA) targets by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On Monday, the Buffalo Sabres and RFA defenseman Bowen Byram avoided arbitration and agreed to a two-year extension worth $6.25 million annually. The contract runs through the end of the 2026-27 season.

Byram, 24, had been receiving a lot of attention on the trade market, and was one of the most viable options available on the back end. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound left defenseman registered seven goals and 38 points to go along with a plus-11 last season for the Sabres, and he has 33 goals and 110 points in 246 regular season games between the Sabres and the Colorado Avalanche, who drafted him fourth overall in 2019.

The Penguins have a glaring need on the left side of their blue line, so it might have made sense for Pittsburgh to pursue Byram in the RFA market. Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas made it known in his end-of-season press conference that he wasn't very interested in offer sheeting, and with Byram going to arbitration to cut that route off, any move for him would have involved a trade-then-sign.

As of now, Pittsburgh has Ryan Graves, Parker Wotherspoon, Ryan Shea, Alexander Alexeyev, and prospect Owen Pickering lined up on the depth chart for the left side. With RFA and UFA options dwindling, they will likely look to the cast they've already assembled for improvement.

Does Dabbling In RFA Market Make Sense For Penguins This Offseason?There were several interesting tidbits from Pittsburgh Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas's 2024-25 end-of-season press conference, which signaled the direction that the team might take over the summer and into the 2025-26 season and beyond.

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Feature image credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images 

Being the first overall pick of the NHL draft comes with lofty expectations, and that’s normal; it comes with the territory, but not all first overall picks will be generational talents and point-producing machines. The Montreal Canadiens had the first-overall pick in 2022 when the draft was held on their turf at the Bell Centre, and that brings yet another dose of attention to a player.

The lucky recipient of those expectations and heightened scrutiny was 18-year-old Slovakian left winger Juraj Slafkovsky. Since then, the media and fans alike have been keeping a close eye on his development.

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The Habs wasted no time throwing the youngster in the deep end as he was made to start in the NHL right away, but his rookie season was cut short by a shoulder injury, and he only played 39 games that year, picking up an underwhelming 10 points.

In 2023-24, he had an excellent second half of the season, becoming a mainstay on the top line alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. He gathered 50 points in 82 games, an output that most were satisfied with for his sophomore season.

That marked increase in production meant that expectations were raised once again before the 2024-25 campaign and before the puck dropped on the season, Slafkovsky admitted he had set objectives for himself in his third season, but refused to reveal them. In the end, in 79 games, he put up 51 points, and it wasn’t the kind of progress most had in mind, including the 6-foot-3 and 225-pound winger. At the end of the year, when he was asked if he had reached the expectations he had set for himself, he replied: What do you think?

He hadn’t, but the start of his career is by no means a disaster. In his three campaigns, he has suited up for 200 games and picked up 111 points. That’s a 0.56 point-per-game average for a player who wasn’t necessarily picked to fill the net.

Fifty-one years before they picked Slafkovsky with the first-overall pick, the Canadiens had drafted local favourite Guy Lafleur. The legend in the making had been a driving force in the LHJMQ, scoring 379 points in just 118 games, a 3.2 points-per-game average. Many saw Lafleur as a generational talent, the man who would lead the Canadiens to the promised land time and time again.

His first three seasons weren’t all that impressive, however, since he picked up 175 points in 215 games. A 0.81 point-per-game average, much less than what he had been producing at the junior level, and Lafleur was a player who had been picked to fill the net, unlike Slafkovsky. Still, the Canadiens didn’t start trying to trade him out of Montreal; they knew what they had on their hands and that he just needed time to reach his full potential. In his fourth year with the Habs, Lafleur exploded with the first of six consecutive seasons of 119 points or more, and he never looked back.

No, I’m not saying Slafkovsky will turn into Lafleur overnight, or ever, but what I'm saying is that some players need a little time to reach their potential when they make the jump to the NHL. It’s normal; this is a league featuring the world's best players, all of whom are physically mature adults and tough to play against.

Still not over this.

Wins a battle. Crossovers off the wall. He’s in the slot, with his captain and leading scorer screaming “Hey! Hey!” to his left. And he trusts himself to shoot instead.

Juraj Slafkovský has grown so much. #GoHabsGo

pic.twitter.com/CXrQzSwLl5

— Hadi Kalakeche (@HadiK_Scouting) March 23, 2025

Before joining the Canadiens, when he played in the junior ranks in Slovakia, he was likely always the most significant body on the ice. Still, when he turned pro with TPS Turku in Finland, he became a different player. In the NHL, he wasn’t anymore. That’s not easy to adapt to, and in his rookie season, Slafkovsky looked easy to push off the puck; he wasn’t used to being pushed like that. he was used to being the wall players crashed into, and that was no longer the case.

Playing a physical game in the NHL is hard, it’s demanding, and it’s tiring, but Martin St. Louis is slowly but surely making Slafkovsky realize that his success will come from using that big frame of his consistently. The 21-year-old has heard the coach, he knows it, he even said so himself coming back from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, declaring he would like to play more like Brady Tkachuk.

Slafkovsky knows what he needs to do, he knows the way he needs to play and he’s also aware that he needs to do it right away when the season starts, when he manages to put everything he knows into practice all at the same time, he’s going to be quite a player and one that will be a massive asset to the Canadiens, give him the time to get there.

Photo credit:  Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

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The NHL is overflowing these days with young talent that’s not just promising for the future, but already helping to reshape their franchises in real time. At 23, Tim Stützle is already the Ottawa Senators' most skilled player (spoiler: he has been for a long time), and on Monday was named by NHL.com as one of the league's 10 best forwards under 25 entering this season.

Stützle is the first name listed in a top 10 that includes the likes of Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, and Connor Bedard. Stützle led Ottawa with 79 points (24 goals, 55 assists) and helped the club return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

More Sens Headlines:
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Stützle has registered at least 70 points in three consecutive seasons, but his two-way game has improved along the way, and while it may seem like the smallest of intangibles, his body language has been much better as well. Stützle looks more in charge of his emotions, like a man with a job to do, unfazed by the nonsense. That's all part of the maturation process, never getting too high or too low.

Stützle has remained both durable and productive, and as he continues to work out the balance between offence and defence, he'd like to return to the 39-goal, 90-point levels he achieved three years ago. He'll have plenty of time to grow with the club, under contract with the Senators for six more years.

For now, for one of the best young players in the game, it's about summer training and a little golf. Earlier this month, Stützle and Red Wing defenseman Mo Seider teed it up in the BMW International Open Pro-Am event in Munich. They played in a foursome with Welsh soccer legend Gareth Bale and European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald. 

Another of Stützle's many virtues as a player is his happy demeanour and popularity as a teammate. And friendly chirps always come with that territory. Under Stützle's Instagram post, where Stützle says his group won the Pro-Am, teammates chimed in hard.

Stützle: A great day on the course!⛳️  Thank you for a fun day @bmw_golfsport @dpworldtour. W🤘🏽

Thomas Chabot: "Nothing like shooting a 98 on the @dpworldtour."

Stutzle: "Nothing like winning."

That's a motto that's music to the ears of Sens fans. After finally making the playoffs this year and getting a taste of some team success, the sky's the limit for one of the game's brightest young stars. 

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New York Islanders development camp was a great success, like Borat would say.

The young players from this past draft class and the few previous ones were all able to be together since the camp happened right after the draft, as opposed to a week before the start of training camp.

All the prospects got a taste of what being part of the Islanders organization is all about and a sneak peek at what it takes to be an NHL player. 

However, their development is just starting and picking the right offseason routine and offseason workout partners could be the difference in a good summer and a great one. 

This summer, No. 17 overall pick Kashawn Aitcheson has been skating with Islanders forward Bo Horvat, along with Ottawa Senators forward Dylan Cozens, free agent forward Nate Bastian, and others with Muskokah Hockey:

Bo Horvat and Kashawn Aitcheson training together this offseason 👀

📸: muskokahockey/IG pic.twitter.com/TnNI44jpMe

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) July 14, 2025

Islanders captain Anders Lee skated with Horvat last summer and it did a world of good for him.

No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer told us he's skating this summer with Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech with Mark Giordano as his coach.

Defenseman Isaiah George, who got a cup of coffee in the NHL last season, is also training with them.

Having prospects train with NHLers, especially those in the same organization, is massive in acclimating these young players to the team, as well as in building relationships, chemistry, and providing firsthand insight into what it takes and what is expected of someone who dons the blue and orange. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

PHOTO:  Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Another Ducks prospect will be making the transition from playing in Europe to playing in North America this upcoming season, but it won't be for college hockey just yet.

Latvian defenseman Darels Uļjanskis has decided to play for the Flint Firebirds in the OHL for the 2025-26 season. Previously, Uļjanskis was drafted by the Sioux City Musketeers in the eighth round of the USHL Draft in May and was expected to play in the USHL this season. He was then drafted fifth overall by the Firebirds in the CHL Import Draft two weeks ago.

"I was drafted in May to the USHL and Sioux City Musketeers, but I felt more for the CHL in Canada," Uļjanskis said in an interview with hockeysverige (translated from Swedish). "So I waited for it. Now in July, the Flint Firebirds (OHL) chose me, so that's where I'm going."

Committed to the University of Connecticut for the 2026-27 season, Uļjanskis will play one season in the OHL before transitioning to collegiate hockey.

Uļjanskis spent the last two seasons primarily playing in Sweden for AIK's J20 team. He was second among defensemen in scoring this past season. This came after the Ducks drafted him in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

With two development camps now under his belt, Uļjanskis is currently in Florida, where he is competing in the SoFlo hockey summer league. He will continue training in Florida until the beginning of August, when he will report to Flint for training camp. 

"I feel much better without the puck and more confident in the defensive game," Uļjanskis said. "I play much tougher and more aggressive than last year, I think.

"(The Ducks) want to see a two-way defenseman who can be trusted in all zones, and be aggressive and able to handle all parts of that game, but also create offensively. I have the summer to get bigger and stronger, so that will also help me for the season. Then I just want to get used to North American hockey."

Making it to the NHL as a seventh-round pick is an uphill battle, but not impossible. With more developmental paths opening up for prospects, like being able to play in both the CHL and NCAA now, finding the right development techniques and systems has become more accessible for young players.

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Photo credit: Derek Lee-The Hockey News

Over the weekend, a report that Anton Frondell would play the 2025-26 season in Sweden after signing his ELC with the Chicago Blackhawks went viral in the hockey world. Overall, this is not a shocking piece of news. 

The Blackhawks have been careful lately when it comes to calling players up to the NHL. They only want truly ready guys, if not a little more than ready. Not everybody can be Connor Bedard and make an impact at 18 years old.

Playing for Djurgårdens of the SHL for another year will be great for Frondell’s development. Djurgårdens is moving up a level in that league, so the competition will be stiffer, which is magnificent for Frondell as a young forward trying to enhance the two-way game. 

Frondell will be joined on the team by one of his good friends in Victor Eklund, who the New York Islanders selected 16th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Eklund isn’t the only notable teammate of Frondell with Djurgårdens either. He will suit up with former Blackhawks forward Marcus Kruger. Kruger is a tremendous elder player to have surrounding a young talent like Frondell.  

Was Kruger a key contributor offensively during Chicago’s dynasty years? No. As far as forwards go, they had Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Patrick Sharp for that. With that said, Kruger’s effort, character, and “do what I can for the team” attitude made him one of the best role players in NHL history. 

Kruger was skilled enough to play for an excellent Swedish Olympic team in addition to being a key player on a championship-caliber NHL team. He accepted his role and executed it. 

Having the countryman connection in addition to the Blackhawks connection should help Kruger pass some knowledge on to Frondell. When he comes to North America full-time for hockey, he will have learned his trade well. 

Throughout his 520 NHL games, Kruger played all but 48 with the Blackhawks. Those 48 came with the Carolina Hurricanes. Kruger had 38 goals and 85 assists for 123 points. When he was on the ice, despite his low offensive totals, Kruger was an effective player. He was so good defensively that he even earned some Selke Trophy love a couple of times. 

Frondell has infinitely more tools than Kruger did, but the mentality of being a good two-way hockey player is something that the elder can help the rookie with. 

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

Generations of kids spent their childhood trying to answer the question “Where’s Waldo?”, but that was an easy task compared to trying to answer the interrogation that’s on the mind of every Montreal Canadiens’ fan this offseason: Who will be the Habs’ second line center?

Depending on who you ask, the replies go from Kirby Dach to Zach Bolduc to “Kent Hughes is just about to pull a big trade, I can feel it!” or even to: Ivan Demidov would be the perfect fit at the second line pivot.

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But what does the man himself believe? Well, unlike what has been reported in the last day or so, Demidov has never said that it was outside of the realm of possibilities that he would play center and that it wasn’t something that interested him at all. According to RG.org’s Marco D’Amico, the young Russian said he would have to see if he could play at center. He has done it in the past, as a junior player, but never in the KHL.

PSA: Ivan Demidov never refused to work on his faceoffs this summer.

I was asked why he isn't an option for 2C and brought up a quote from Ivan back in February. He just wasn't confident in being able to play C because of faceoffs. https://t.co/bMvjWIfglvpic.twitter.com/iuH4dwGw1Q

— Marco D'Amico (@mndamico) July 14, 2025

Humble as they come, Demidov also added that face-offs would be the key factor, and he doesn’t always win them. The rookie will play wherever the Canadiens ask him to play, but he’s not confident that he could play center in the NHL. He didn’t say anything controversial, and any claims that he might have an attitude problem are false. He didn't refuse to work on his draws this offseason either. 

I don’t know how the idea could even be entertained given the fact that the player has elected to stay in Montreal this Summer and is diligently putting in the hours at the Canadiens’ Brossard training facilities instead of enjoying the sunshine and the scorching weather. Last weekend, he even appeared in a shootout showcase in Boisbriand to please the fans, and he’s also set to play in the Living Sisu LSHL three-on-three league this Summer.

Could Demidov end up being the Canadiens’ second-line center? Maybe, but right now, it doesn’t seem likely, especially given the fact that the youngster typically doesn’t lack confidence, and he confesses he doesn’t know how good he could be playing that position.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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There were several interesting tidbits from Pittsburgh Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas's 2024-25 end-of-season press conference, which signaled the direction that the team might take over the summer and into the 2025-26 season and beyond.

And one of those tidbits was the suggestion that the Penguins may look to restricted free agency to capitalize on some opportunities to acquire young talent.

 "I think the areas that you probably would see us spend more would be acquisition by trade, and then signing players that other teams might not be able to fit," Dubas said at the time. "I think the effect in free agency is probably going to be somewhat of a spike in salary, and so it’ll dry up the cap space rather quickly for us, and those players are mostly into that late 20-early 30 category.

"It could do two things. Number one, I think it's going to allow us to maybe trade for players that other teams can't afford that are restricted free agents, and then sign them longer range ourselves, using that cap space that way. You're signing a player that's 23-24 for seven or eight years versus going into free agency for someone who's 27 to 32 and getting them for seven years. So, I think that would be the more likely route.”

While it is only Jul. 14, and there is a lot of summer left - everyone should know by now about Dubas’s tendency to make a random higher-profile trade in the month of August - the Penguins, up to this point, haven’t given too much indication that they’re being active in the RFA market. There was some rumored interest in Utah Hockey Club forward Jack McBain before he signed a five-year contract at $4.25 million average annual value, but, other than that, it’s been pretty quiet.

In all fairness, Dubas and the rest of the Penguins’ organization keeps things pretty close to the vest. Oftentimes, moves happen out of nowhere - as was the case with both goaltending trades this summer involving Alex Nedeljkovic going to the San Jose Sharks and Arturs Silovs being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks - and there isn’t much that even the NHL’s most renowned insiders are aware of.

But, given the field of RFA targets remaining - players like McBain, Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque, and Buffalo Sabres left defenseman Bowen Byram are now off the board - it’s fair to wonder not only if Dubas will still dabble in the RFA market, but also if he should dabble in it.

When looking at the list of names left, there are definitely some higher-end targets, mostly at forward. Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi comes to mind, as does Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish and Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi. There are also lower-profile players such as Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nicholas Robertson and Nashville Predators forward Luke Evangelista, both of whom could be more realistic, upside-potential targets for the Penguins that wouldn’t cost nearly as much.

The fact of the matter is, however, that there are a few factors that may or may not weigh into whether or not the RFA market is still a sensible avenue for Dubas and the Penguins.

For one, Dubas has made it clear that he is not particularly interested in offer sheets due to the rising cap. So any offer sheet-eligible RFA is, likely, not going to be acquired that way. Instead, it would probably happen in an RFA trade-then-sign scenario for rights acquisition. This could, conceivably, be part of a bigger return for one of the Penguins’ top trade candidates in Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, and Erik Karlsson.

But the Penguins need to be wary of overpayment. They’re not in any kind of organizational position right now to be overpaying for players - even if they are young players who will, presumably, be part of their future. The time to pay up would have been prior to the 2025 NHL Draft, when the Penguins were initially going into it with two first-round picks. And the reality of the rising salary cap is that player salaries are also rising, which could muddy the market a bit in terms of player value. 

However, that’s not the only consideration. It is also worth noting that the Penguins already have 13 forwards listed on their active roster per Puckpedia - and it doesn’t include young players such as Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, both of whom made an impression in a small sample at the end of the 2024-25 season and should push for roster spots. 

Is Nick Robertson Worth A Look From The Penguins?One of the stated goals of Pittsburgh Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas at the end of the 2024-25 was to begin the "execution" phase of the organization's rebuild. He said part of that "execution" would, likely, involve young RFAs that other teams other couldn't afford or who needed a change of scenery. 

There is already a bit of a roster logjam at the forward position - especially after the signings of Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau and the decision to bring back RFAs Philip Tomasino and Connor Dewar - that would only get more complicated with the acquisition of another young forward. Of course, the Penguins could always ship out a forward in return, but there is such a thing as “too many” when it comes to trying to give some of your most promising young forwards the necessary space to develop.

Finally, there is this, too: There is the distinct possibility that Dubas might not want to try to make this roster any better at this point in time. WIth a consensus generational prospect waiting to, inevitably, be drafted first overall in 2026, Dubas might want to hold off on any moves that would markedly improve the roster and, possibly, take them out of real contention for the draft lottery.

Whether or not tanking is the right perspective is up for debate. But the fact of the matter is that the Penguins are still pretty weak on the blue line, their goaltending is a question mark, and their forward group is already better than it was heading into last season. Adding to that forward group even further may set them back just enough to miss out on the lottery but not enough to make the playoffs.

If the Penguins to look into the RFA market, perhaps dialing it back and targeting a lower-profile player is the right call right now. Regardless, all eyes will be on the Penguins for the rest of the summer to see if Dubas has anything else up his sleeve.

Penguins' Potential Trade Target Signs Extension With UtahOver the past couple of weeks, it was reported by Josh Yohe of The Athletic that the Pittsburgh Penguins had interest in one of the Utah Mammoth's young RFA forwards.

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Feature image credit: Charles LeClaire - Imagn Images  

The Buffalo Sabres re-signed defenseman Bowen Byram to a two-year extension worth $6.25 million per season.

This contract will expire at the end of the 2026-27 season, when he will be a pending 26-year-old UFA.

Before re-signing, Byram was an RFA who was scheduled for a team-elected salary arbitration. The 24-year-old D-man was also a topic of trade speculation during the off-season, partially because of the Sabres already having Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power on the left side. After trading right winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in June, some analysts speculated they could move Byram for a top-six forward.

Instead, the Sabres and Byram found common ground to maintain a nice defense corps, which also includes newly acquired Michael Kesselring and Mattias Samuelsson.

Byram is coming off his first full season with the Sabres, recording seven goals and a career-high 38 points in 82 games. He was one of nine Sabres players to finish with a positive plus-minus rating with a plus-11, and he averaged 22:42 of ice time.

Byram is coming off another two-year contract at a $3.85-million cap hit, signed with the Colorado Avalanche in 2023. He played parts of four seasons with the Avalanche, including in 2021-22 when he was part of their Stanley Cup championship. Colorado traded him to Buffalo for Casey Mittelstadt close to the 2024 NHL trade deadline.

Byram is now headed into his sixth NHL season. Across his previous five campaigns, he’s made over 250 regular-season and playoff appearances.

In 246 regular-season games, Byram has 33 goals and 110 points, along with 12 assists in 27 playoff contests.

The Sabres now have about $7.39 million in salary cap space, according to PuckPedia. Only defenseman Conor Timmins, who filed for arbitration, and goaltender Devon Levi remain RFAs on Buffalo.

Byram was also the second-highest-scoring RFA defenseman who remained unsigned. New Jersey Devils youngster Luke Hughes' 44 points are the most, while the Seattle Kraken's Ryker Evans now has the second-most, with 25.

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