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

It is not exactly a secret that the Montreal Canadiens want to improve at the center position. Due to this, during a recent episode of The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro, TSN's Travis Yost discussed a few potential center targets for the Canadiens. One name brought up by Yost was Chicago Blackhawks center Jason Dickinson.

"This group has real juice in the top six," Yost said about the Blackhawks' center group. "This is not going to be a playoff team. Does Jason Dickinson make a ton of sense for the Blackhawks long-term? I think that's an interesting question. He's definitely a capable third-line center. He immediately improves Montreal if he comes into Montreal."

The #GoHabsGo desperately need help down the middle, but who's available?@travisyost joins @TonyMarinaro to break down some possible center options on the trade market!#thesickpodcastpic.twitter.com/bs968tAduj

— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) August 29, 2025

Dickinson is entering the final season of his deal in 2025-26 and is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), so it is understandable that Yost is questioning the Blackhawks center's future in Chicago. He certainly could be a rental target for playoff teams once we get closer to the 2026 NHL trade deadline, assuming that the Blackhawks do not hold a playoff spot and he is not signed to a contract extension by then.

Dickinson's solid defensive play could make him a nice addition to the Canadiens' bottom six and penalty kill if acquired. However, given his importance to the Blackhawks' lineup and as a veteran in the room, Chicago would likely expect a decent return for him in a potential move.

In 59 games this past season, Dickinson recorded seven goals, 16 points, and 102 hits. This was after he set career highs with 22 goals, 35 points, and 143 hits in 82 games during the 2023-24 season.

Blackhawks Ranked in Bottom Half of Every Position for 2025-26The Chicago Blackhawks are not going to be very good this season and that's no surprise to anyone, but there are certain areas of their game and players to be excited about. TSN tiered every team's centers, winger, defensemen, and goaltending, and the Blackhawks found themselves in the bottom half of every position, whether you agree with that or not.

As the 2025-26 season is still a month away, the days are trickling down for teams to reach an agreement with their RFAs that aren’t signed yet. Most of the Montreal Canadiens’ fanbase is keeping an eye on the Anaheim Ducks and Mason McTavish, but the Habs’ brass should be keeping a close watch on the Luke Hughes negotiations with the New Jersey Devils.

Not that the Canadiens would be interested in acquiring Jack Hughes’ brother, but rather because, like Lane Hutson, he’s a young offensive defenseman, and his deal could be a good indicator of where the market is heading with the new CBA soon coming into force and the salary cap steadily increasing.

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According to Sportsnet, the sticking point in the Hughes negotiations would be the term. The team wants the 21-year-old to either sign a three-year bridge deal or a full eight-year extension, but the player would rather sign a five-year deal, which would end when his brother’s contract with the Devils also expires. It would make both Hughes brothers unrestricted free agents before the start of the 2030-31 campaign.

Speaking to RG.org, the Devils’ GM Tom Fitzgerald is confident that the younger Hughes’ contractual issue will be settled before the start of the season, as the Devils have no interest in finding themselves in another Dawson Mercer kind of standout, and the GM adds that the player and his agent are also hoping to avoid that.

In 155 NHL games, Hughes has picked up 93 points and 44 penalty minutes. That’s a 0.6 point-per-game average, which is a pretty good number for a defenseman. In comparison, Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber has 76 points in 162 games, for a 0.47 PPG, and was signed to an eight-year, $8.5 million AAV deal.

The Devils' GM also mentions that what fans don’t necessarily realize is that not all teams can spend right up to the cap, and that they may have an internal cap in place, which prevents them from giving too onerous a contract.

Whatever term and number the Devils and Hughes settle on, it’s sure to interest Hutson and his agent. Interestingly, Noah Dobson, who has a 0.59 PPG, was signed to an eight-year deal with a $9.5 million AAV by the New York Islanders, but with the Canadiens’ agreement. Will Hughes managed to secure a similar contract coming out of his entry-level deal, despite not having a large sample size. There lies the question.

As for Hutson, by recording 66 points in 82 games in his rookie season, he has given himself a 0.80 PPG. Does that put him in a position to break the bank right away, considering the cap increase and everything else? Hard to say. However, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes made a point of differentiating Dobson’s deal and those of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky because the defenseman had more experience and wasn’t just signing his first standard contract. One could argue that his situation is different from Hutson’s, and that’s clearly what Hughes will try to do, especially if New Jersey manages to ink its defenseman to a reasonable contract.  

With Carey Price’s bonus being paid on Monday, things could start to fall into place in Montreal sooner rather than later…

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Whether led by Sam Ersson or newcomer Dan Vladar, the fate of the Philadelphia Flyers will be decided by their goaltending in the 2025-26 season.

As a team, the Flyers, spearheaded by Ersson and a combo of Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov, had the worst save percentage in the NHL last season at a paltry .872.

Their cumulative 3.40 GAA ranked fifth-worst in the NHL, and overall, the Flyers' struggles in goal doomed them to placing as the fourth-worst team in the league.

That worked out in their favor, though, as it helped them land star winger prospect Porter Martone with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

But, eventually, the Flyers are going to have to start winning games and not drafts. That's why Rick Tocchet, Trevor Zegras, and Vladar were brought in.

Is Vladar really an upgrade, though, or are we in for an even split from Kim Dillabaugh's crew this season?

Flyers Goalie Sam Ersson Positioned for Success in 2025-26Despite the prolonged dissatisfaction with the state of the goaltending, the Philadelphia Flyers have positioned incumbent starter Sam Ersson for success in the 2025-26 season.

Since Feb. 1, 2024, which is shortly after Carter Hart took an indefinite leave of absence from the Flyers, Ersson is 33-27-9 with a 3.10 GAA, a .883 save percentage, and one shutout.

Across that same span, even though it's not relevant to Vladar individually, the former Calgary Flames goalie was 13-13-6 with a 3.04 GAA, a .892 save percentage, and two shutouts.

Effectively, there wasn't much of a difference separating the two goalies over the last year and a half.

Now, from Oct. 1, 2023, to Feb. 1, 2024, Ersson was 12-9-3 with a 2.60 GAA and a .898 save percentage with three shutouts. It should be noted that, in the three games that immediately followed Hart's departure in that span, Ersson surrendered 11 goals on 60 shots.

Take away those three games, and Ersson is 12-6-3 with a 2.36 GAA, a .909 save percentage, and three shutouts from Oct. 1, 2023 to Jan. 22, 2024.

So, I threw a lot of numbers out there, and the conclusion is effectively that the Swedish incumbent performed significantly better when he wasn't shouldering the load alone.

Flames Sniper Backs 'Excellent' Aleksei Kolosov to Stay with Flyers, Continue NHL CareerGoalie prospect Aleksei Kolosov has all the talent and experience to stay with the Philadelphia Flyers and forge a successful NHL career for himself, but will he?

Once nerves set in and the lackluster support behind him faltered, so did Ersson and the Flyers as a whole.

I also think Vladar is a better goalie than his stats indicate, but you have to wonder why he's never started more than 29 games in any of the last four seasons for the Flames.

Sure, Jacob Markstrom and Dustin Wolf earned their playing time, but Vladar isn't going to be allowed to give those guys many nights off with seasonal save percentages below .900 across 20-30 total games played.

Based on that, I'm expecting Sam Ersson to lead the Flyers onto the ice for opening night at Xfinity Mobile Arena on opening night.

He's the Flyers' homegrown goalie prospect-turned-regular, and we've already seen his upside in this environment. The key, however, is now figuring out if that was his ceiling.

If so, it means more opportunity for Vladar.

When looking at the Montreal Canadiens' roster, it is clear that their defense is a major strength. This is because they have seven caliber NHL defensemen, and they have multiple prospect blueliners who are knocking on the door to becoming NHLers.

The Canadiens only strengthened their blueline this off-season, too, as they brought in star defenseman Noah Dobson from the Montreal Canadiens in a trade with the New York Islanders. Thus, it is hard not to feel optimistic about the Canadiens' blueline heading into the 2025-26 campaign.

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis certainly is confident in the club's defensive group heading into the season. While speaking to reporters, including Habs 360's Chris G, Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble revealed that St. Louis had some massive praise for the Habs' blueline.

"Marty was doing his rounds, calling guys in the summer. He was "I'll take out seven d versus anyone in the league, and I would agree with that," Struble said.

Struble then discussed why he agrees with St. Louis' take on the Canadiens' defense.

"We have some really good young talent," Struble said. "We have some good young guys. We have some good older veterans. We have a good mix of skill and hard-nose, so it's going to be fun. It's going to be interesting to see how the year goes, but I think I'd take out seven guys versus anyone's."

St. Louis being so confident in the Canadiens' defense is certainly nice to hear, and it clearly has resonated with Struble. The Canadiens undoubtedly have some very good defensemen to work with this campaign, and it is a big reason why there is plenty of excitement surrounding the club heading into the 2025-26 season.

Noah Dobson Thrilled To Play For CanadiensEarlier this off-season, the Montreal Canadiens acquired star defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. They then signed him to an eight-year, $76 million contract, so he will be a big part of the Canadiens' present and future. 

Mitch Marner was nearly traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. 

At around the time of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, Marner was asked by Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving to waive his no-movement clause to facilitate a potential trade to the Carolina Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen.

Marner ultimately vetoed the trade and did not waive his no-trade clause. 

The superstar forward finally explained why he refused to go to Carolina, but it was nothing personal against the Hurricanes organization. 

“The last two years there were a lot of rumors going on, a lot of different stuff swirling around. You didn’t know what was going to happen,” Marner said via NHL.com. “Then the whole Carolina thing comes up in the middle of the season. It’s a bit of an awkward one. My wife was six or seven months pregnant, we really didn’t want to be a deadline player.

“I would have had to leave and go back to Toronto because my wife wasn’t coming down with me, so I was moving into Carolina myself if I did that. The logistics of it and everything, it just didn’t make sense and then from that point on, we told [the Maple Leafs] we were committed to [Toronto] and we were going to play it all out.”

Once this blockbuster deal fell through, the Hurricanes traded to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Logan Stankoven, a 2026 first-round and third-round pick, a 2027 third-rounder and a 2028 first-rounder.

Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in July and signed an eight-year, $96 million contract.

The rebuilding of the prospect cupboard was one of the considerable tasks that Steve Yzerman undertook when he returned to the Detroit Red Wings to take over the general manager's role from Ken Holland in 2019. 

His best two draft selections thus far in defenseman Moritz Seider and forward Lucas Raymond have already made considerable impacts on the organization and, being viewed as foundational pieces, were re-signed to a combined 15 years last September.

This most recent season saw the emergence of additional Yzerman Draft selections like defenseman Simon Edvinsson and forward Marco Kasper, both of whom have become regulars in the Red Wings' lineup. 

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/players/red-wings-players-to-watch-in-2025-26-marco-kasper

Among the standout names among the prospects who continue their development in Detroit's system is defenseman William Wallinder, the 32nd overall pick by the Red Wings in 2020. 

Wallinder has spent the previous two seasons with the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins, skating in 127 total games along with another 12 postseason games. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

His ice time increased with the Griffins this past season to the numerous call ups by the Red Wings of William Lagesson, who often served as the club's eighth defenseman. 

In the mind of Griffins head coach Brian Lashoff, a former Griffins and Red Wings defenseman in his own right, Wallinder is progressing nicely. 

"He's steadily progressing into a guy that I think is definitely has potential to play," Lashoff said of Wallinder. "He, you know, took steps last year, playing more minutes, and we had (William) Lagesson with us at the start of the season, and then he went up to Detroit, so Wallinder took over a lot of that ice time. And I think he did well."

Lashoff touted Wallinder's skating and stickwork among his strengths that will eventually help him earn a full-time gig at the NHL level. 

"And, you know, obviously a great skater, you know, underrated. I think defensively, he has a good stick, and those types of things are going to be huge for him to take the next step to go to the NHL," he said. "So definitely a guy that I think is steadily, steadily progressing to the point where he's going to be knocking on the door." 

Wallinder, who was once named the Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year for the 2021-22 season while playing with Rögle BK, was called up to the Red Wings in December after an injury to Edvinsson, though he ultimately didn't see any playing time. 

In March 2023, Wallinder signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Red Wings. The 2025-26 season will mark the final season of that deal, after which he's eligible for restricted free agency. 

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This season, one of the main storylines in the NHL is how many players can make a successful comeback. There are players trying to win their way back into the league, and veterans who were gone for some time, but health has allowed them to return. 

Which of these stories will wind up having a fairy-tale ending?

Jonathan Toews, Winnipeg Jets

Jonathan Toews makes his highly anticipated return to the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets after stepping away due to health issues, including a long COVID ordeal and chronic inflammation. 

The 37-year-old former Blackhawks captain signed a one-year, $2-million deal with performance bonuses and will likely start as the Jets’ third-line center. Given the amount of time he’s been away, it’s hard to properly gauge what his on-ice level of production will be. If he hits anywhere between 40 and 45 points, that should be considered a success. 

Of course, the leadership Toews will bring will be essential to any Jets success this season. They’ve struggled to get over the hump in the post-season, and this is a player who has more post-season success on the roster than just about anyone. Even if he can’t do what he used to, he can be a mentor to younger players. 

Vitali Kravtsov, Vancouver Canucks

Vitali Kravtsov’s attempt to return to the NHL will be intriguing, simply because he’s going to have to earn a spot on the Canucks’ roster. Analysts like Jeff Marek have wondered what Kravtsov will do with his second opportunity after arguably blowing his first. Still, Marek argues it’s a low-risk gamble for the Vancouver Canucks. 

If Kravtsov is going to find a second life in the NHL, he’s going to have to beat out several other wingers vying for the same spot. He’ll be joining a group that includes Arshdeep Bains, Linus Karlsson, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and Aatu Raty. With the team’s depth chart highly competitive, Kravtsov will need to demonstrate clear development to earn a place.

While Kravtsov finished sixth in KHL scoring, questions remain about his ability to adapt to the NHL’s more physical and defensively structured game. Previously a perimeter player, observers are curious whether he can now succeed closer to the net and make a meaningful impact at the NHL level.

Ivan Prosvetov, Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames have signed 6-foot-5 Russian goaltender Ivan Prosvetov to a one-year, $950,000 deal, marking his return to the NHL after a season in the KHL with CSKA Moscow. 

In 2024-25, Prosvetov posted a 20-16-2 record with a .920 save percentage and 2.32 goals-against average, adding five shutouts and earning KHL Goalie of the Month honors. The 26-year-old has 24 NHL games with Arizona and Colorado, where he struggled. Can he out-battle Devin Cooley for a shot at the backup role?

Prosvetov was solid in the AHL, including a .921 SP in 21 games with the Colorado Eagles. 

Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche

Technically, this isn’t a comeback because Gabriel Landeskog played in the playoffs for the Colorado Avalanche in 2024-25, but who are we kidding? No one knows what to expect from him in a full NHL season. 

What people saw from the Avs captain is a great step in the right direction, but he’s not played anything close to a full season since 2021-22. Asking him to play and stay productive and on pace for 82 games next season might be a tall task. Then again, no one knows. 

This is a unique situation because the Avs are a solid team, but a great one if Landeskog is one of those players who can score 50-60 points and return like he never missed a beat. 

Milan Lucic, St. Louis Blues

Milan Lucic is getting a tryout with the St. Louis Blues after leaving the NHL to join the NHL Player Assistance program. He’d signed with the Boston Bruins last season, but his numbers demonstrated that this was a player who had clearly lost a step. 

He played in four games before allegations of abuse surfaced, and that was after a 19-point season with the Calgary Flames in 77 games. Lucic is now 37 years old and was never the fastest player in the NHL. He could struggle to keep up with the pace of today’s NHL. 

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The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games. 

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#13 - Vsevolod Komarov - Defense (Rochester - AHL)

Komarov was the Sabres fifth-round pick (134th overall) at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal. The native of Chelyabinsk played his minor hockey in the Metallurg Magnitogorsk system but came to North America to play for the Quebec Remparts after being selected in the CHL Import Draft. In his first season, the 6’3”, 188 lb. blueliner focused more on being conscientious in his own zone and had 19 points (2 goals, 17 assists) in 60 QMJHL games, but made offensive strides in the sophomore campaign (12 goals, 27 assists) and scoring the game-winning goal for Quebec in the Memorial Cup final.

Buffalo locked up Komarov on an entry-level contract in June 2023, and in his third QMJHL season, and he led all QMJHL blueliners with 69 points (14 goals, 55 assists) in 60 games with Quebec and Drummondville and was named the league’s top defenseman and First Team All-Star.

“You could see right from the start that the hockey sense was there, the compete was there, and the poise. He just needed to get stronger and get his legs under him, move quicker. And he had the size as well,” Drummondville GM Yanick Lemay said about Komarov in The Athletic. “So it was just a matter of time for him I think to mature physically and get more powerful and that’s what he did the last two years.”

In his first professional season, Komarov’s offensive game struggled to translate from junior (18 points in 69 games), but the 21-year-old showed off a high-level of physicality, leading the Amerks with 85 penalty minutes. The Sabres are hoping to see some progress in his second pro season, which could lead to an opportunity in the NHL at some point this or next year. 

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This year, the Lions du Lac St-Louis, a midget AAA team based in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. Since its inception in 1976, many talented youngsters have played for the team on their way to the NHL. As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the team will retire the jerseys of five NHLers who have marked its history.

On September 5, the jerseys of Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman Mike Matheson, free agent and former San Jose Sharks blueliner Marc-Edouard Vlasic, New York Islanders’ forwards Jonathan Drouin and Anthony Duclair, and Anaheim Ducks’ left winger Alex Killorn will all be retired.

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Vlasic played for the Lions from 2002 to 2004 before joining the Remparts de Québec in the QMJHL and being drafted by the Sharks, with whom he has spent his entire career so far. While he has never won the Stanley Cup, he does have two silver medals from the World Championship, one gold medal from the Sochi Olympics, and was part of the World Cup-winning team in 2016.

Killorn spent a single season in Lac St-Louis before joining the Harvard University program, where he caught the eye of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, who drafted him in the third round of the 2007 draft. He won the Cup twice with the Bolts and has now played 950 NHL games; he is expected to reach the 1000-game mark this upcoming season in Anaheim.

Former Hab Drouin, Matheson, and Duclair were teammates with the Lions when the team won the Jimmy-Ferrari Cup in 2011. Drouin was the only one to spend two seasons with the Lac St-Louis team before being drafted by the Halifax Mooseheads. Alongside Nathan MacKinnon, he won the QMJHL championship and the Memorial Cup before being drafted third overall by the Lightning in 2013. While his career hasn’t gone as expected, he has played 607 games with the Lightning, the Canadiens, and the Colorado Avalanche, picking up 374 points in the process.

As for Duclair, he joined the Remparts de Quebec of the QMJHL before being drafted in the third round by the New York Rangers. Since then, he has played for eight NHL teams. Just like Drouin, he has played 607 NHL games, but he’s slightly less productive with 314 points.

Finally, Canadiens’ rearguard Matheson was the Lions’ captain in 2010-11, leading the team to a championship and being named the league’s best defenseman. After playing midget hockey in Quebec, he joined Boston College in the NCAA and was then selected in the first round by the Florida Panthers in 2012. So far, he has played 627 NHL games with the Florida Panthers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Canadiens, accumulating 265 points along the way.

Matheson has really come into his own in Montreal, setting new highs in offensive production and becoming an important leader on a young Habs team. While he hasn’t been relied on as much offensively of late, his mentoring has been crucial for the young defense corps. It will be interesting to see how the Canadiens will choose to go forward in his case as he’s entering the final year of his contract.

Canadiens: Big Season Ahead For MathesonThe Montreal Canadiens made the most significant trade of the summer when they acquired Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. That acquisition is going to have a substantial impact on the team and on certain players in particular. One of the players who is likely to be the most affected is Mike Matheson.

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World of Chel has received some improvements in NHL 26.

The most impactful change comes to loadouts with the goal of removing a meta build.

Boosts have been removed and have been replaced with three X-Factor slots. 

X-Factors are no longer only available in specific player classes. Any player can now use any ability, allowing players to use different skills with different positions.  

There has been an adjust to Ability Points (AP), it ca now be increased to +10 and decreased to -10, each loadout has an AP budget.

Your player class will impact which attributes you can increase the most, a sniper will be able to increase their shot power more than a playmaker. 

As discussed previously there are 28 X-Factors in NHL 26 with five categories and three tiers. This allows you to build around your favorite trait or add lots of extra skills. 

The Battle Pass is now free for all users and time sensitive objectives have now been added to increase rewards. 

All special characters from NHL 25 have been updated. New characters will be added each season.

Players will now be able to transfer all of their EASHL Club information from NHL 25 to NHL 26 including name, identity, grudge match records, identity, and club details.

There is a limited window to transfer your club so do it ASAP. 

EA SPORTS NHL's WoC notes can be seen here. 

The full list of the players and their attributes can be seen here.   

NHL 26 is set to release Sept. 12, those who pre-order the deluxe edition get access Sept. 5. 

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.    

It’s been a productive summer for Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios, who’s taken care of nearly all his offseason business. Staios bolstered the NHL roster by signing veteran center Lars Eller and acquiring defenseman Jordan Spence in a draft-day trade. He’s also wrapped up most of the organization’s free agent signings, with only defensemen Donovan Sobrango and Max Guenette left to finalize.

As the Senators prepare for another training camp, The Hockey News Ottawa has ranked the top six players at each position. While some forwards can play multiple roles — complicating things — the following lists rank Ottawa’s best players by position, regardless of the lines they'll probably be on.

Left Wing Rankings

Brady Tkachuk

Ridly Greig

David Perron

Nick Cousins

Olle Lycksell

Zack MacEwen

There’s no debate at the top: Brady Tkachuk is the Senators’ number one left winger, and it’s not close. The bigger question is the battle for the second spot. Ridly Greig enters his third full NHL season — often the breakout year for young players — while veteran David Perron will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing campaign. Lycksell is a point-per-game AHL player, but he's also 163 pounds. The rugged MacEwen might be the first option on the fourth line in the event of injury.

Right Wing Rankings

Drake Batherson

Claude Giroux

Michael Amadio

Fabian Zetterlund

Arthur Kaliyev

Hayden Hodgson

Drake Batherson and Claude Giroux are neck-and-neck here, but Batherson’s skating and youth give him the slight edge. Meanwhile, despite his big new contract, I'm not ready to rank Zetterlund ahead of Amadio, who's turned into a good, consistent two-way guy for the Sens. Zetterlund can lift heavy things; now he needs to lift up his offensive production. Five points in 20 regular-season games and zero in the playoffs won’t cut it. 

Kaliyev, a recent free agent signing with a laser of a shot, will be intriguing to watch after the Kings moved on from him last season. Still, if the Senators have injuries and need a fourth-line winger, they may opt for the wrecking ball option here too, making Hodgson the likelier call-up.

Center Rankings

Tim Stützle

Shane Pinto

Dylan Cozens

Lars Eller

Jan Jeník

Stephen Halliday

Tim Stützle is Ottawa’s undisputed number one center. The debate comes at the second spot, where we believe Shane Pinto edges out Dylan Cozens. Based on his paycheque and what the Sens gave up, Cozens will obviously get the first crack at second-line center. While Pinto may not have truly broken out offensively yet, we love his intelligence, speed, and two-way game. If he gets more offensive responsibility, high in the batting order, the stats will come. 

Cozens, meanwhile, has to show he can return to being the player he was a couple of years ago. Last season's glimpse was a decent audition. But as former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff put it back in March, “Dylan could never quite find his game here.” That's a concerning critique that no one has ever had for Pinto. 

Right Defense Rankings

Nick Jensen

Artem Zub

Jordan Spence

Carter Yakemchuk

Nikolas Matinpalo

Lassi Thomson

Assuming Nick Jensen returns to full health after hip surgery, he’s Ottawa’s top right-side defender. Zub remains steady, but might be pushed by the newcomer Spence, who'll get plenty of opportunities this season. GM Steve Staios basically got him for nothing in a slick bit of draft-day maneuvering. The more Spence succeeds, the better that looks on Staios.

Carter Yakemchuk, the Senators’ 2024 seventh-overall pick, could push for NHL minutes sooner rather than later. Even after re-signing Matinpalo, Staios hasn’t dismissed the idea of Yak cracking the roster out of camp. But if Jensen is healthy, the kid will likely start the year in Belleville.

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/steve-staios-we-re-not-dismissing-that-carter-yakemchuk-makes-our-team-out-of-camp

Steve Staios: 'We’re Not Dismissing That Carter Yakemchuk Makes Our Team Out of Camp'When the Ottawa Senators selected defenseman Carter Yakemchuk seventh overall at the 2024 NHL Draft, the assumption in most hockey circles was that he'd eventually need a pinch of seasoning in the AHL before cracking the NHL lineup. Then the kid suddenly changed some minds after almost making Ottawa's roster last fall.

Left Defense Rankings

Jake Sanderson

Thomas Chabot

Tyler Kleven

Donovan Sobrango

Jorian Donovan

Matthew Andonovski

Jake Sanderson is Ottawa’s number one on the left side, and Thomas Chabot remains a fairly strong second option. But Tyler Kleven continues to climb the ranks with his physical, punishing style of play, and could narrow the gap on Chabot as the season progresses.

Goaltender Rankings

Linus Ullmark

Leevi Meriläinen

Hunter Shepard

Mads Søgaard

Jackson Parsons

Kevin Reidler/Vladimir Nikitin

Ottawa’s NHL tandem is set with Ullmark and Meriläinen, but injury history makes depth crucial. Søgaard has the most NHL experience of the group and would likely get the first call-up. Still, Hunter Shepard is a name to keep an eye on. It's hard to ignore a guy who's won two of the last AHL Calder Cups.

Of course, a player's ranking is highly subjective and doesn't necessarily dictate where he'll play in the lineup. Those decisions rest solely on the whims of Travis Green and his coaching staff. But in taking stock of everything, it's pretty clear the Senators boast a roster that won't be an easy out for anyone this season.

By Steve Warne
This article was first published at THN.com/Ottawa

Read more Sens articles from The Hockey News-Ottawa:
Our One-On-One With Drake Batherson
Could Arthur Kaliyev Be The Senators' Next Adam Gaudette Story?
Senators' NHL Dream Began Over Pints in the Dressing Room
Former Ottawa Senator Travis Hamonic Signs With Atlantic Division Rival

The NHL’s Atlantic Division might well be the league’s most competitive division. And in this short THN.com series, we’re predicting how it will look at the end of the 2025-26 regular season.

As part of this article, you’ll find this writer’s rankings of the Atlantic Division teams. Additionally, you’ll see where each team was placed in The Hockey News’ Yearbook & Fantasy Guide 2025 and their odds of being Atlantic Division winners, as per BetMGM.

1. Florida Panthers 

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 1st

BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 2.55 (+155)  

Why I've Ranked Them First: Against all odds, the Panthers figured out how to retain the services of three UFA veterans – left winger Brad Marchand, center Sam Bennett and defenseman Aaron Ekblad – who all could’ve done just as well or better financially by signing with a different team. So, while it does sting Florida to be without injured star right winger Matthew Tkachuk until the new year, the Panthers’ all-around depth is about as good as it gets.

You can say a lot of things about Florida – they’re line-crossers, they’re borderline-dirty, they hurt people – but you can’t say they’re not proven winners. And although they’re going to be favorites to win their third-straight Stanley Cup, they showed last season that it didn’t make a whit of difference where they finished in the playoff ranks. This is a team built to win, and the Panthers are going to do a lot of winning in 2025-26.

Why I Could Be Wrong: Maybe Tkachuk’s absence hurts the Panthers’ chances to win close games. Perhaps Sergei Bobrovsky acts his age when he turns 37 in September, and new backup Daniil Tarasov doesn’t work out as envisioned. Maybe the toll of so much playoff hockey starts to bite into Florida’s effectiveness. There are many possibilities that could dethrone the Panthers as the Atlantic’s top team.

Now, we don’t see any of these aforementioned things preventing the Panthers from making the playoffs, but in a highly competitive division like the Atlantic, any of those developments could allow other Atlantic teams to overtake Florida for the top spot. But if they’re relatively good on the health front, and their veterans put in the hard work, it’s hard to see the Panthers not being a top team in the division.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 3rd

BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 4.60 (+360) 

Why I've Ranked Them Second: Let’s get the obvious out of the way: the Maple Leafs will be a different team in the post-Mitch-Marner era – a team that won’t make as many highlight-reel offensive plays, and a team that won’t be quite as sharp defensively without Marner. But you know what? The Leafs were not an empty vessel that Marner propped up every game. This Toronto team won the division last season – only its second division title since 1999-2000 – and they have the talent to do so again.

If you’re acknowledging Marner played a major role and will be missed, you also have to acknowledge the Maple Leafs have excellent depth at all positions other than at left wing. And you have to believe the Buds are going to be a home-ice advantage team in next year’s playoffs. Of course, they’ll be judged next season by how far they go in the post-season. But when it comes to the regular season, Leafs coach Craig Berube is going to guide this grittier team to at least get to second-place in the Atlantic, or possibly, to their second-straight Atlantic title win.

Why I Could Be Wrong: The removal of Marner from the picture will ramp up expectations on returning Maple Leafs star forwards Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies, and that pressure could send Toronto on a downward spiral. The Leafs were a consistently great team last year, but there’s no assurance everything is going to go their way in 2025-26. And with the improvements of teams like the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, Toronto could find itself battling just to hang onto a wild-card berth.

The Maple Leafs can’t afford a harsh bite from the injury bug, because if health woes strike one of Toronto’s stars, they don’t have replacement-level value to slot in in their place. That could spell big trouble for the Leafs’ aspirations to win home-ice advantage once again.   

3. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 2nd

BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 3.70 (+270) 

Why I've Ranked Them Third: In THN.com’s Summer Splash series, the Lightning finished a distant 25th in the league in terms of their off-season. But that’s because their biggest off-season addition was former Maple Leafs fourth-line forward Pontus Holmberg. That said, the Summer Splash series didn’t focus on what teams likely will be dominant next season. And Tampa Bay’s overall high-quality depth is going to make them a surefire playoff team again in 2025-26.

Any team that has multiple future Hockey Hall-of-Famers at forward, on defense and in goal should be regarded as a playoff lock until further notice. And there’s no reasonable reason to believe the Lightning will miss the playoffs next year. The Bolts need to be healthy, but that’s true of every team. So long as superstars Andrei Vasilevskiy, Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point are in their lineup, the Lightning are going to be tough to beat – and they’re going to have a firm hold on a playoff spot.

Why I Could Be Wrong: Remember a couple of years ago, when Vasilevskiy posted the worst save percentage of his career? Sure, he still finished with a .900 SP that season, but for the first time in his pro hockey career, Vasilevskiy looked human. He rebounded in a major way last season, but Vasilevskiy is now moving toward his mid-thirties, and maybe he can’t bail out his teammates the way he often did as he carved out a legacy as one of the NHL’s best netminders. 

Losing defenseman Nick Perbix also could hurt Tampa Bay’s status in the Atlantic. Hedman is now 34 years old, and while we’re not suggesting the end is near for the Swedish blueliner, very few continue to beat Father Time year after year, and the Lightning’s many miles on their competitive odometer could start them on a downward spiral – and maybe they get passed by the Ottawa Senators. Tampa may be primed for a fall, if not in terms of making the playoffs, then in terms of being a true top-three team in the Atlantic.

4. Ottawa Senators

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 4th

BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 9.50 (+850) 

Why I've Ranked Them Fourth: Let’s look at this placement as a positive for the Senators. It’s probably not realistic to pin all your hope on Ottawa vaulting up to first or second place in the division. Let’s just recognize the Senators are a more experienced group, and a group that may not be able to knock off teams like the Leafs, Lightning and Panthers, but firming up their grip on a wild-card spot would still be progress, so long as they put up a longer playoff fight than they did last year.

The Sens took a step forward this past season. They went from 37-41-4 in 2023-24 to 45-30-7. That’s an excellent first year for coach Travis Green, and it gives them the foundation on which they raise the bar to a new level. That’s the challenge for the Senators, and although we feel pretty good about picking Ottawa as a playoff team, we nonetheless see them as needing a little while longer to develop before they can push into a home-ice advantage position.  

Why I Could Be Wrong: The Senators certainly can’t afford a step backward in 2025-26. Missing out on the playoffs would be a catastrophe. So you have to consider the possibility that the pressure to produce playoff games next year is going to be considerable, and Ottawa can’t let the expectations overwhelm them. Otherwise, the playoffs are going to be out of reach.

The Sens’ core of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson have established themselves as difference-makers. Now Ottawa needs their depth players to overachieve if they’re to keep pace in the Atlantic. The Senators have foundational players, and they have solid goaltending. But in what is arguably the NHL’s toughest division, the Sens aren’t as strong on paper as teams like Toronto, Florida and Tampa Bay are. But that could change if everyone steps up. 

5. Montreal Canadiens

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 5th

BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 15.00 (+1400) 

Why I've Ranked Them Fifth: After a long time in the wilderness, the Canadiens have come in from the cold and put themselves in a position to be a respectable playoff contender. Last year’s first-round exit at the hands of the Washington Capitals showed Montreal management how far they still have to go before they’re seen as a playoff lock or a team destined to go on a long playoff run. That’s a possibility, we suppose, but there’s also the possibility the Canadiens take a lateral step, still finishing fifth in the Atlantic for the second-straight season, but losing out on a wild-card berth as the Metropolitan Division sends four teams to the post-season.

The Habs pulled off a stunning off-season trade with the addition of former New York Islanders star defenseman Noah Dobson, and it’s now fair to say that Montreal’s defense corps is one of the stronger defense corps in the league. That should make them a tough opponent, but we believed the improved play in the Metro will push them out of the playoff picture. 

Why I Could Be Wrong: Montreal’s day in the sun is coming, and maybe it’s coming sooner than we suspected. Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has improved his team’s roster piece by piece, and he’s now at a point where he’s looking to augment his roster with savvy support players. If Hughes can deliver them, Montreal could pull off a shocker and vault over the Senators and put a firm grip on the fourth-place spot.

The Canadiens have shown us the potential Hughes and Montreal brass see in them. Now it’s about pushing down the gas pedal and accelerating the rebuild – and coach Martin St. Louis feels like just the kind of coach who can take them there. The Habs have the foundation you want to see in a true Cup contender, and once they fill out the forward group, they’re going to be extremely tough to beat. And 2025-26 could be the year they figure it all out and confirm their status as one of the teams to beat in the Atlantic and the Eastern Conference.

6. Buffalo Sabres

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 7th

BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 51.00 (+5000) 

Why I've Ranked Them Sixth: By the end of last season, the Sabres were relying on journeyman goalie James Reimer, and they finished the season in seventh place in the division. Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams may be under more pressure next season for any GM whose name isn’t Steve Yzerman, and THN’s editorial staff believed the Sabres had the worst off-season of any team in the league. You can understand why Sabres fans are so exhausted by all the years of excuses. If things don’t go right for Buffalo – and any finish that doesn’t include a playoff appearance will be listed as something that didn’t go right for the Sabres – there’s going to be major unrest in Western New York.

Getting one spot better in the division than they got to last year but still missing the playoffs is exactly the kind of hollow victory the Sabres have been used to in recent years. They’ve had years of rebuilding all for naught, and missing the playoffs would call into question management’s ability to do its job. And unfortunately for Buffalo fans, the Sabres are going to be outclassed by five teams in the division, if not more.

Why I Could Be Wrong: Buffalo does have some terrific players – defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, winger Tage Thompson – but one of the knocks on them is that they haven’t been able to augment their lineup with productive veterans. Another knock is that they make a regular habit of trading players – most recently, up-and-coming winger JJ Peterka –  and the optics of moves like that one make Buffalo a locale that isn’t at the top of many players’ lists. But we could be wrong, and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff may steer Buffalo into a wild-card berth. That’s probably the ceiling for the Sabres this year, but it should be a ceiling they can get close to.

The Sabres might take all the naysayers’ negativity and use it as motivation to surprise people in 2025-26. It’s certainly not going to be easy to push past teams like Ottawa and Montreal, but the Sabres have every opportunity to prove to opponents they’re a different team – 82 opportunities, to be exact. And miracle seasons have happened for teams like the Sabres, so it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility for Buffalo to end their playoff drought at 14 years. Because if the drought lasts 15 years, Sabres fans may feel like the misery will never end.

7. Detroit Red Wings

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 6th

BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 41.00 (+4000) 

Why I've Ranked Them Seventh: It’s been painful to imagine the frustration Red Wings fans feel. This organization was for a very long time the gold standard for hockey organizations, but for the past nine seasons, Detroit has flailed and wailed, and been a non-playoff team. And for the past six seasons, they’ve had franchise icon Yzerman underwhelming in his attempts to build an elite roster.

Thus, the Wings have been unable to consistently compete with actual Cup contenders in the East and the Atlantic. Since 2015-16, the best this franchise has finished is in fifth place (just twice), and every other year was spent in sixth, seventh or eighth place in the division. That’s not an anomaly. That’s what you really are as a team. And that’s why we think Detroit is going to finish in second-last in the Atlantic

Why I Could Be Wrong: Todd McLellan came in as the Wings' coach last season and had some immediate success. However, that success was short-lived, and Detroit’s players once again proved they weren’t a playoff team. But Yzerman added goalie John Gibson in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks this summer, and the defense-challenged Wings could respond very well to Gibson coming in and providing experience between the pipes.

The high end for this Detroit team is a wild-card spot, and you have to figure Yzerman is desperate to use every bit of his $11.9-million in salary cap space during the season. The Red Wings have some components to like, and the newly rejigged roster might catch lightning in a bottle and emerge as a wild-card team. 

8. Boston Bruins

The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 8th

BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 101.00 (+10000) 

Why I've Ranked Them Eighth: The Bruins shockingly plummeted down the Atlantic standings last season, finishing dead last in the division. Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman struggled behind a defense corps that had injuries (to veteran Hampus Lindholm) and behind a team that had multiple trades (that sent veteran Brandon Carlo to Toronto, and captain Brad Marchand to the Panthers). Bruins GM Don Sweeney acknowledged his team was flawed, and he focused on the future with the roster moves he made.

Boston may not be quite so bad this year, but even a slight improvement may only see them add a few standings points to their credit. The Bruins aren’t going to bowl over opponents with sheer skill and dogged determination – instead, they’re going to sink to the bottom of the Atlantic and force Sweeney to look at making more moves with an eye on the future.

Why I Could Be Wrong: Over the years, the Bruins have made their doubters look silly. And that could prove to be the case this coming season, as Boston has numerous veterans (including superstar winger David Pastrnak and rugged defenseman Charlie McAvoy) who could get the Bruins back in the thick of things as they pursue a wild-card berth.

A rebound year from Swayman would be just what the doctor ordered for Boston, and an improved performance from center Elias Lindholm would also help the Bruins’ cause. And given that few people believe Boston will be a playoff team, the pressure on the Bruins won’t be nearly as harsh as it will be for other teams. Boston has too many proud vets to just roll over, and they could pull off an upset by sneaking into a wild-card spot.

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Why I've Ranked Them Third: After winning the Pacific in 2023-24, a lot went wrong for the Canucks last season. There was a reported feud between star center Elias Pettersson and center J.T. Miller, injuries to star players, such as defenseman Quinn Hughes, goalie Thatcher Demko and Pettersson, and inconsistent play from the rest of the roster. Most, if not all, of those situations have been addressed this summer.

Predicting The NHL's Pacific Division Rankings In 2025-26As we approach September, it’s a great time to post some predictions for the 2025-26 NHL season. 

Drop a comment and share your perspective. 

Earlier this off-season, the Montreal Canadiens acquired star defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. They then signed him to an eight-year, $76 million contract, so he will be a big part of the Canadiens' present and future. 

Playing for a big-market team like the Canadiens certainly comes with pressure, but Dobson made it clear while speaking to reporters, including Habs 360's Chris G, that he is very excited about that.  

"It's a privilege to play for the Montreal Canadiens. It's exciting. You embrace that. As a kid growing up in East Coast Canada, being on the Montreal Canadiens is pretty cool. Playing at the Bell Centre 41 games a year is special. You don't take that for granted. So, I'm just going to embrace the opportunity. It's a long season, you got one game at a time, but I'm super excited."

Hearing that Dobson is thrilled for the chance to play for a big-market team like the Canadiens is undoubtedly a good thing. It is apparent that he embracing this golden opportunity, and it will be fascinating to see how much of an impact he can make with the Habs because of it. 

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