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.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Link to The Roar (BetMGM's editorial site): https://sports.betmgm.ca/en/blog/league/nhl/?utm_source=thehockeynews&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=nhl_blog_page

Link to BetMGM's sportsbook: https://betmgmsporton.onelink.me/otUl/4rkbpwij

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. 

Recent Canadiens News 

Canadiens' Patrik Laine Nearing New Milestone

Canadiens: Suzuki’s 4 Nations Face Off Snub Wasn’t A Message

Former Canadiens Player Is Still A Hab At Heart

Former Canadiens Player Gets Front Office Job

Since Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin and President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford have entered the organization, the team has made three different trades with the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is notable because both Allvin and Rutherford previously held titles with the Penguins organization. Each trade has held some weight within the Canucks organization, whether that’s due to it being a prospect swap or a move to bring in a highly sought-after name. Let’s take a look at all of the trades the Canucks and Penguins have made since Allvin and Rutherford were hired by Vancouver. 

October 17, 2023

To Pittsburgh: 

F Karel Plasek 

D Jack Rathbone

To Vancouver: 

F Ty Glover

D Mark Friedman 

The first trade Vancouver made with the Penguins after Rutherford and Allvin’s hires was in October of 2023. On the hunt for some organizational depth as well as a new spot for Rathbone, Vancouver acquired Glover and Friedman. The biggest part of this piece was Rathbone, who’d been picked 95th overall by the Canucks in the 2017 NHL Draft. While his ceiling was high as a promising defensive prospect, he never ended up panning out for Vancouver and was ultimately moved. Plasek, a sixth-round selection by Vancouver in 2019, only ended up playing in eight games with the Abbotsford Canucks in 2021–22, returning to Czechia the season after. 

Glover, who was born in the UK, spent the past two seasons with the AHL Canucks and the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL. He played five games in Abbotsford’s 2025 Calder Cup Playoff run and was able to lift the cup at the end of the postseason as a result of this. Having not been given a qualifying offer by the Canucks, Glover is now a free agent. Friedman, a serviceable depth defenceman, played in a total of 28 games for Vancouver from 2023 to 2025. He was traded to the Nashville Predators for future considerations in February and is now playing for Rögle BK of the SHL. 

January 31, 2025

To Pittsburgh: 

F Danton Heinen

F Melvin Fernström

D Vincent Desharnais

2025 First-Round Pick 

To Vancouver: 

F Drew O’Connor

D Marcus Pettersson 

This is by far the biggest trade Vancouver and Pittsburgh have completed so far under Rutherford and Allvin. Only hours after J.T. Miller was traded, and an hour after a 5–3 loss to the Dallas Stars, the Canucks made a deal with the Penguins to acquire Pettersson and O’Connor. This came as a surprise to many, as the team had just made a massive deal earlier in the day and weren’t expecting such a quick turnaround. 

One of the pieces obtained in the Miller trade, the New York Rangers’ 2025 first-round pick, was sent to the Penguins as part of Vancouver’s package. This package also included Heinen, Desharnais, and Fernström. While Heinen had some decent games as a swiss-army knife for the Canucks, the team ultimately decided to move on from him despite just signing him during the 2024 off-season. The same went for Desharnais, who’d slotted into the lineup a little less and didn’t quite see the same level of success. Fernström, who’d been picked 93rd overall by Vancouver in 2024, was a decent prospect who had a shot at becoming a nifty scorer. 

Pettersson and O’Connor were two of three players who made their Canucks debuts the game after this trade, helping the team look noticeably speedier once they hit the ice. O’Connor’s forecheck was evident from the start, while Pettersson’s ability to read plays and utilize his stick for checks also made an impact. The organization was clearly impressed with both players early on, as both Pettersson and O’Connor were signed to extensions less than a month after they were acquired.  

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Vancouver Canucks 2025-26 Milestones Preview: Quinn Hughes

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July 13, 2025

To Pittsburgh: 

G Artūrs Šilovs 

To Vancouver: 

F Chase Stillman

2027 Fourth-Round Pick 

The most recent trade made between these two teams was on Sunday, when Vancouver flipped goaltender Artūrs Šilovs for prospect Chase Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round pick. Stillman, who is the brother of former Canuck defenceman Riley Stillman, was selected in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils. A forward, Stillman has spent the past two seasons in the AHL, splitting time with the Utica Comets and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.  

Šilovs, a fan favourite after his efforts in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and 2025 Calder Cup victory, ended up as the odd-man out after both Kevin Lankinen and Thatcher Demko were given contract extensions past the 2025–26 season. The Calder Cup winner and 2025 AHL Playoff MVP will likely get more NHL playing time with the Penguins than what he would have had with the Canucks. At the same time, Vancouver gains a prospect and a pick while not having to trade Šilovs within their conference. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

NHL 26's release date is rapidly approaching, as it will be available to play on Sep. 12. Due to this, EA Sports has revealed the top 10 players on each team in the game. 

The top two New York Rangers in NHL 26 are winger Artemi Panarin and goalie Igor Shesterkin, as they have each been given 92 overall ratings. Panarin played in 80 games this past season, where he had 37 goals and 89 points. Shesterkin, on the other hand, had a 27-29-5 record, a .905 save percentage, and a 2.86 goals-against average.

Rangers defenseman Adam Fox is next on the list, as the star blueliner has been given a 90 overall rating. Following Fox are Rangers star centers J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck. Miller has been given an 89 overall rating in NHL 26, while Trocheck is right behind him with an 88 overall rating. 

Defenseman Braden Schneider and forward Mika Zibanejad are the next best Rangers players, as they both have been given 86 overall ratings in NHL 26. From there, Alexis Lafreniere, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Will Cuylle round off the Rangers' top 10, as they have each been given 85 overall ratings in NHL 26. 

Recent Rangers News 

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All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. 

Sign up with BetMGM, make a deposit, and place your first wager on any game using your First Bet Offer token. If that bet with the token applied loses, you’ll get your original stake paid back in Bonus Bets, up to $1,500! Get in the game today with BetMGM. 

Calder Chase - Aug. 8 2025 - Vol. 79 Issue 1 - Ryan Kennedy

MAKING THE JUMP TO the NHL is difficult for almost every player, even those who come in as highly touted prospects. Luckily for this year’s rookie class, several of the kids have already had their baptism by fire. Not only did they make their NHL debuts last year, but some of them even logged playoff minutes, seeing pro hockey at its most intense. Whether that gives them a leg up as they try to string together a full 82-game slate in 2025-26 remains to be seen – but it can’t hurt, right?

Overall, this will be a slightly older rookie crop. You’ve got Russians who cut their teeth in the KHL and NCAA alums who spent at least a couple of years in school before turning pro.

As for the 2025 draft class, it will be interesting to see who can jump straight from the stage to the NHL. Last year, San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini was the only player from the 2024 draft to play the full NHL season. And with the NCAA now an option for CHL players, there is another developmental step for those too good for junior but too young for the AHL. Here are 10 names to keep an eye on in this year’s freshman NHL class.

IVAN DEMIDOV RW, MTL (+220)

THE ANTICIPATION FOR DEMIDOV in Montreal was red-hot, and the talented winger did not disappoint during an end-of-season stint. The dazzling 19-year-old brought show-stopping skill in two regular-season games and five playoff matches, tallying a goal and four points in the process. With Demidov’s solid frame and excellent instincts, he’ll be an obvious contender for the Calder Trophy, especially with the scoring opportunities he can seize for himself in the Canadiens’ lineup. Should Demidov nab himself a consistent role on a scoring line, the No. 5 pick from the 2024 draft will be in a position to be the next fan favorite in Montreal.

JIMMY SNUGGERUD RW, STL (+1600)

ANOTHER PLAYER WHO HAS already dipped his toe into NHL waters, Snuggerud stayed for a third season at the University of Minnesota to try and win an NCAA title, so he was ready for the pros. Unfortunately for the Golden Gophers, Snuggerud couldn’t secure that title last season, but he did continue to develop his game, which was great news for the Blues. Snuggerud played a combined 14 games for St. Louis between the regular season and playoffs, racking up an impressive eight points during that span. He has a wicked shot and good size, not to mention a plum opportunity in St. Louis.

ALEXANDER NIKISHIN D, CAR (+1600)

CANES FANS (NOT TO MENTION MANAGEMENT) were incredibly patient waiting for Nikishin, a 2020 third-rounder who has already won an Olympic silver medal and twice led the KHL in points by a defenseman. Still Calder eligible (he turns 24 in October), Nikishin will be one of the older rookies in the league, but he does have some NHL experience thanks to four playoff games with Carolina from last season. During that stretch, he showed great confidence and made his presence felt with his physicality and tenacious defense. Nikishin also has a big shot at his disposal, so he’ll be an all-around threat for the Hurricanes.

RYAN LEONARD RW, WSH (+2200)

WASHINGTON IS COMING OFF a charmed season that saw the veteran squad thrive while folding in some youngsters. Leonard, who joined the Capitals after another stellar year at Boston College, doesn’t have to be a scorer right away to be effective. He has the grit, physicality and tenacity to drive foes crazy, but he can also produce. Leonard had back-to-back 30-goal years in college, and that was with a schedule that had 41 games. A two-time WJC gold medallist, he got into nine regular-season games and eight playoff contests with the Caps last year.

ZEEV BUIUM D, MIN (+1000)

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP for the Wild, as one young blueliner – Brock Faber – has already become a star, while another waits in the wings. Buium won the 2024 Frozen Four with Denver and twice won gold with Team USA at the WJC. He’s a dynamic force on the back end who put up 98 points over 83 games in his college career. Buium, an absolute steal with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft, got a taste of the NHL when he joined Minnesota for the playoffs, suiting up for four games and registering one assist against Vegas.

SAM RINZEL D, CHI (+4000)

HE WAS A RAW project when the Hawks took him in the first round of the 2022 draft, but after another season in the USHL and two with NCAA Minnesota, Rinzel is ready for the pro ranks. An excellent skater with great size, he used his time with the Gophers to build strength and bulk, which will serve him well while defending against NHL competition. In a nine-game stint with Chicago last year, he had an impressive five points. The team also has top prospect Artyom Levshunov knocking on the door, so competition on the Hawks’ blueline will be fierce.

DANIL BUT LW, UTH (+10000)

MAMMOTH GM BILL ARMSTRONG pulled off one of the bigger draft-day shocks in recent years when he tabbed But and Russian teammate Dmitriy Simashev with early first-round choices in 2023, back when the club was still in Arizona. Now, it’s time for Utah to reap the rewards. But is a massive kid with a great shot and smooth skating ability, plus he’s coming off a KHL title with Yaroslavl. Similarly, Simashev is a huge defenseman who is also a great skater and who also won that KHL title. Either could jump right into the Mammoth lineup, though But might have a better chance immediately.

ZAYNE PAREKH D, CGY (+1800)

IT WAS A BETTER-THAN-EXPECTED season for the Flames, but make no mistake, this team still needs a major infusion of talent. One of the youngsters tasked with leading the charge is Parekh, the dynamic rearguard who made his NHL debut in April. Parekh scored in that game against Los Angeles, and based on his junior career (where he set an OHL record for goals by a 16-year-old ‘D’ with 21), there’s more where that came from. An offensive defenseman who can run a power play and transition the puck up the ice, the former OHL Saginaw star is very much a modern-style NHL D-man.

MATTHEW SCHAEFER D, NYI

TRUE, HE ONLY PLAYED 17 games for OHL Erie last year, but if anybody can buck the odds, it’s Schaefer, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. A do-everything D-man with size, skating and skill, Schaefer had his draft year marred by an early case of mono and then a broken collarbone sustained at the WJC, where his absence caused Team Canada to self-destruct. The fact that the Islanders traded Noah Dobson to Montreal opens up an important spot on New York’s blueline, and while it would be folly to assume Schaefer could play heavy minutes right away, he could certainly pick up some of the slack.

STIAN SOLBERG D, ANA

PERHAPS A SLEEPER HERE, but Solberg ended his 2024-25 season with an incredible showing for Norway at the men’s worlds. He led the team in scoring with six points in seven games (including a hat trick against the United States) while averaging 25:30 in ice time. In 10 games with AHL San Diego after wrapping up his time with Farjestad of the Swedish League, Solberg had five points. But his calling card will be his play in his own end, where the 6-foot-2, 194-pounder plays a physical, aggressive game. Consider him the heir apparent to Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas in Anaheim.

The Hockey News Yearbook Issue is here! This is our most comprehensive and highly anticipated release of the year, delivering everything you need to get ready for the season. Inside, you’ll find in-depth team reports, expert fantasy hockey tips, betting insights, player analysis, and exclusive features you won’t find anywhere else. Whether you're a die-hard fan, a fantasy league veteran, or just gearing up for the new season, this issue has something for everyone. Don’t miss out! Pick up your copy at a newsstand near you today!

During New York Islanders development camp, a prospect told The Hockey News that No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer’s skating was similar to that of Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes.

Schaefer’s skating is probably his greatest strength. Take a look at this video:

If Schaefer can skate like the wind and evade NHLers, making the Islanders out of training camp isn’t just wishful thinking.

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.

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Found Money - Aug. 8 2025 - Vol. 79 Issue 1 - Murray Townsend

OLDTIMERS WILL remember the term ‘Bonus Babies’ was once used to describe young baseball players who received huge signing bonuses for their first pro contracts. Eventually, you’d have had to call everybody a bonus baby, so the term went out of fashion, just like Cooperalls.

We’re reinventing the term and bringing it back. Because we have the power to do that. Cooperalls? Not so much.

Our definition, however, has nothing to do with money. Our bonus babies are players who can provide fantasy managers an unexpected, well, bonus. Not that they will do so, just that they could. These are players who, if certain circumstances change or otherwise fall into place, could score much more than currently anticipated and who, therefore, deserve more than the regular consideration in your fantasy drafts.

Maybe a trade or injury elevates them unexpectedly up the depth chart. Maybe the recently fired coach didn’t like them for some reason. Maybe it’s a free-agency year and they know they’ve got to improve their stats. Maybe they’re starting fresh with a new team. The possibilities are endless.

Of course, we’re keeping it within the realms of reality. We’re not going to consider a player way down the Oilers’ depth chart a bonus baby just because GM Stan Bowman could trade Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid and open up a bunch of power-play time in Edmonton.

Speaking of McDavid, it was once the case that you could find your bonus babies simply by seeing who was playing on a line with a superstar. Wayne Gretzky did it for Dave Semenko and Mike Krushelnyski. It hasn’t quite worked out the same way with McDavid and Draisaitl’s linemates – save for Zach Hyman – and even that was only really the case for one year. Times change.

To that end, here are some potential bonus babies for the 2025-26 fantasy season.

More Fantasy Hockey: Why Golden Knights' Pavel Dorofeyev Will Be A League Winner in Fantasy

OLEN ZELLWEGER - ANA

Though undersized, especially for a blueliner, Zellweger has a ton of offensive ability. With new coach Joel Quenneville on board, there will be changes to what was the NHL’s worst power play in 2024-25. That could leave Zellweger – not Jackson LaCombe – as the top-unit PP defenseman. Zellweger had just 20 points in his first full season last year, but that’s just a start. There’s plenty more to come.

TREVOR ZEGRAS – PHI

Zegras floundered in Anaheim the past two seasons, partly due to injuries, but his situation changes completely with the trade to Philadelphia. He should immediately play on the top line and first power-play unit, which should give him the chance to get his burgeoning career back on track.

IVAN BARBASHEV – VEG

Barbashev could be the bonus baby of the year. He’s coming off a 51-point campaign – not bad for a secondary scorer. The thing is, 48 of those points were at even strength. What if he earns more power-play time this year? It’s not out of the realm of possibilities. After all, he has gotten some power-play time in the past, but he just hasn’t been used as a top-unit PP guy in Vegas yet. As an added bonus, he could well find himself playing 5-on-5 minutes with Mitch Marner, whose very job is to help other players score. That all bodes very well.

FILIP HRONEK – VAN

Hronek is a talented offensive defenseman who just so happens to be stuck playing behind one of the NHL’s elite offensive blueliners in Quinn Hughes. A trade would be a massive boon to Hronek’s production.

JOEL HOFER – STL

Among NHL backups from last season, Hofer is the most qualified to be a No. 1 goalie. To get there, Hofer would need a trade. Whether that trade saw Hofer shipped out from St. Louis or the Blues’ current No. 1, Jordan Binnington, being the one to go is immaterial. Either way, Hofer would be getting more ice.

More Fantasy Hockey: Jets' Perfetti Presents Sleeper Case With New Elite Linemates, Bigger Workload

JACK QUINN & ZACH BENSON – BUF

It will be either a Jack attack or a Zach attack in Buffalo. The Sabres need someone to fill the hole created in the lineup by the JJ Peterka trade. The right winger gave the Sabres 68 points last season, and Quinn and Benson are the players most likely to step up and fill the void.

Hofer is 25 with excellent credentials and stuckbehind Binnington. One trade would make him a starter.

NICK LARDIS – CHI

Look, Lardis is not even expected to play in the NHL this year, but he scored 71 freakin’ goals last year with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs. And then he scored 11 more in seven playoff games. What if the 2023 third-round pick makes the team right out of training camp? Then we have ourselves a bonus baby.

NICK ROBERTSON – TOR

He’s never hit his stride with the Maple Leafs, and he believes a change of scenery would do it for him. Maybe he’s right. The potential is there.

More Fantasy Hockey: Who’s #1? New List Ranking the Top 50 NHL Skaters for the 2025–26 Season

JET GREAVES – CLB

Greaves is a veteran of this realm, albeit not at the NHL level. After playing with the Cambridge Hawks U-16 AAA team, he hoped to jump to the OHL. But he had to play a year of Jr. B before earning an OHL deal with the Barrie Colts, who’d drafted him the previous April. After each of his two years with the Colts, Greaves hoped to be taken in the NHL draft, but he was passed up in both instances. Eventually, Greaves earned an NHL contract after a strong 2021-22 split between the ECHL and AHL. And after a great 2024-25 season with AHL Cleveland, he was called up by the Blue Jackets and carried them down the stretch, almost helping them to the playoffs. Now, he’s in a position to play his first full NHL season – and defy expectations again.

ZEEV BUIUM – MIN

Could he be the next Lane Hutson? Buium signed with Minnesota after a great couple of seasons with the University of Denver. He didn’t get into a regular-season contest with the Wild but got in four playoff games. Hutson had 49 points at Boston University before signing with Montreal, playing a few games and then exploding this past season. Buium had 48 points at the University of Denver. Similar situations.

RYAN LEONARD – WSH

After wrapping up his season with Boston College, the 2023 draft’s eighth-overall pick struggled to produce with the Capitals. Leonard notched one goal and one assist in 17 combined regular-season and playoff games. Not exactly encouraging for fantasy players. But, make no mistake, he’s a scorer, and he’s going to score in the NHL. This year, he could play on the first, second, third or fourth line in Washington – or on the first line for AHL Hershey. He’s a wild card.

MATEJ BLUMEL – BOS

Three years in the Dallas Stars organization provided him with just 13 NHL games, but his situation has changed. After leading the AHL in goals last season with 39, he signed as a free agent with Boston. He’s not pencilled into the Bruins’ starting lineup or even at the top of the injury-replacement list, but maybe, just maybe, he gets a chance at some point and makes good with the Bruins.

More Fantasy Hockey: Red Wings Fantasy Hockey Outlook: Kasper and Gibson Potential League Winners

JOHN GIBSON – DET

His situation changed during the summer. After slipping into mediocrity and then a backup role in Anaheim, the former elite No. 1 goalie got a reset after a trade to Detroit. At 32, Gibson is still young for a goalie, and he can revitalize his career.

JESPERI KOTKANIEMI – CAR

Do you believe in miracles? If so, there’s hope.

BOWEN BYRAM – BUF

There were constant trade rumors surrounding Byram prior to him signing with the Sabres, but it was just a two-year deal, so maybe he still gets moved. Players who leave Buffalo have gone on to considerable success elsewhere. Sam Reinhart is an obvious recent example, but there’s also Jack Eichel, Brandon Montour and Ryan O’Reilly among others.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 44 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today we look at the history of jersey #44. 

Let's take a look.

Rostislav Klesla - 2001-2004 - Klesla was drafted 4th overall in the 2000 NHL Draft.

Klesla's scouting report went like this, " Klesla is a very physical, defensive defenseman. Has solid hockey sense and positional skills. Doesn't score as many points as he possibly could. Also, he is rather prone to injury." Despite that last part about injuries, former GM Doug MacLean drafted Klesla at #4 anyway.

Klesla made his NHL debut in 2000 before he was sent back to Junior. He would come up in the next season and be there full-time. He would then go on to play in 515 games for the Jackets over the course of 10 seasons. On February 28, 2011, he was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes and played the next four years. 

In 2014, he would return to his home country of Czechia and play the next two years for HC Oceláři Třinec. After a four-year break from playing to coach for HC Vítkovice, he would play a season in Czechia's fourth-tier league before finally retiring. 

Peter Sarno - 2006 - Sarno was drafted in the 6th round of the 1997 NHL Draft by Edmonton

Sarno played a single game for the Blue Jackets during the 2005-06 season. He also played 39 games for the Syracuse Crunch that season. 

After his year with Columbus, he left for Europe, where he would play until 2010. 

Aaron Johnson - 2003-07/2011-12 - Johnson was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.   

Johnson played 172 games for the Jackets over two stints. Scouts said of Johnson was "A puck-moving defenseman, Johnson is a very good skater. Has good offensive instincts and can quarterback the powerplay. Can play a tough and physical game. Needs to improve his play in his own end."

During his time with Columbus, he also spent three years with the AHL Syracuse Crunch, where he had 73 points in those three seasons. 

In 2016, he left North America and signed on with Adler Mannheim of the DEL in Germany. He then left for England, where he played for the Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL. In 2021, he became a Player-Asst. Coach for a season. He came back home to Columbus in 2021 and joined the Jackets as a Team Consultant. Last season, he was the Team Relations Specialist for the Jackets 

Aaron Rome - 2008 - Rome was drafted by the LA Kings in the 2002 NHL Draft. 

Rome played 25 games over the course of two seasons for Columbus after being traded from the Ducks on November 15, 2007. He totaled 1 goal and 3 points. He spent most of his time in Syracuse that season, playing 41 games. Rome would leave for the Vancouver Canucks in the summer of 2009 as a free agent. Rome would retire in 2014. 

Rome went on to spend three seasons as a skills coach for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. 

Grant Clitsome - 2010 - Clitsome was drafted in the 9th round of the 2004 NHL Draft by the CBJ.

Clitsome played in 93 games and had 36 points for Columbus. In 2012, he was placed on waivers in order to send him to Springfield of the AHL. But he was claimed by the Winnipeg Jets and would play the next three seasons for the Jets. 

He announced his retirement from professional hockey on June 1, 2016, after undergoing back surgery.

Justin Falk - 2015-2016 - Falk was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the 4th round of the 2004 draft.

Falk played 29 games for the Blue Jackets and totaled 6 points.  On March 2, 2015, Falk requested a trade that sent him and a fifth-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jordan Leopold.  The following summer in 2016, he would sign with the Buffalo Sabres. 

After retiring in 20198, Falk went into coaching and was a scout for the Sabres in 24-25. 

Taylor Chorney - 2018 - Chorney was drafted by Edmonton in the second round of the 2005 draft.

Chorney would play a single game for Columbus after being picked up on waivers on February 21, 2018. After that one game, he left for Europe, where he played until 2021. He retired after the 2021 season. 

Vladislav Gavrikov - 2019-2022 - Gavrikov was drafted in the 6th round of the 2015 NHL Draft. 

Gavrikov played 256 games for the Jackets over the course of 4 seasons. He totaled 15 goals and 73 points. Gavrikov is widely considered one of the best late-round picks to ever play for the Jackets, despite his short time in Columbus. He played great defense and would always seem to show up on the scoreboard. 

After he signed a three-year, $8.4 million contract extension with the Blue Jackets in November of 2020, former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen would make the decision to trade Gavrikov to the LA Kings in March of 2023. A decision that a lot of CBJ hated and wondered why it happened. Kekäläinen knew Gavrikov was going to want a hefty raise and didn't want to pay him. 

Gavrikov signed a two-year extension with LA just a couple months after the trade. In the summer of 2025, Gavrikov would get his big contract. He signed a 7-year. $49-million deal with the New York Rangers, which will take him into his mid-30s. 

Erik Gudbranson - 2023-2025 - Gudbranson was drafted 3rd overall in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers. 

Gudbranson is going into the last year of a 4-year deal he signed with Columbus back in July of 2022. He has played 164 games and has 43 points. Unfortunately, he missed 66 games last season after suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery. 

Gudbranson is more than just a defenseman; he's a protector and intimidator. Gudbranson rarely fights but will when he has to. Mainly, he'll just stare at guys until they back down from him. 

With Gudbranson going into his final season on his current deal, many CBJ fans hope they re-sign him, while some others are hoping for someone else to step in and take his spot. He's a fan favorite and seems to love it in Columbus. 

Let us know what you think below.

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It’s been a busy summer for Montreal Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes. After his young team surprised the media and qualified for the playoffs, the man in charge didn’t rest on his laurels; he went out and got All-Star defenseman Noah Dobson in a trade with the New York Islanders and added some firepower up front with the acquisition of Zachary Bolduc by sending Logan Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues. One area of concern remains, however: the Habs' depth at center.

TSN Analyst Travis Yost has been publishing his Summer Talent Tiers series, and this past week, he focused on center depths. Unsurprisingly, powerhouse teams such as the Colorado Avalanche, the Edmonton Oilers, the Dallas Stars, and the Florida Panthers are in the top tier. However, two teams are in the bottom tier, at the very bottom of the rankings: the Canadiens and the Nashville Predators.

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In a nutshell, Yost explains the Canadiens’ ranking by the fact that Kirby Dach has been consistently injured, with only 47% of the time available to the team over the last three seasons. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody who follows the Tricolore.

The Habs have been struggling down the middle for ages, including for most of the Marc Bergevin era. The former DG was on to something when he fleeced the Chicago Blackhawks, sending them Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann for former first-round pick Philip Danault and a second-round pick.

Against all odds, Danault showed that he had plenty of offensive acumen and ended up centering the Canadiens’ top line between Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar. Still, when the time came to sign him to a new contract, the former GM wouldn’t reportedly budge from his six-year, $30 million offer, and the center ended up signing a six-year, $33 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings.

Danault took his offensive instinct, his skills in the faceoff department, and his penalty-killing efficiency to Los Angeles, leaving a gaping hole down the middle for the Canadiens. The fact that Jesperi Kotkaniemi signed a disproportionate offer sheet with the Carolina Hurricanes in the same offseason didn’t help either, making a panicked Bergevin acquire Christian Dvorak from the defunct Arizona Coyotes. A few months later, Bergevin was shown the door by Geoff Molson, and Hughes inherited the depleted center line.

The new GM went out and acquired two young players he believed could play center in two seasons, Dach and Alex Newhook. Neither had managed to make their mark with the teams that drafted them, but the GM felt the Canadiens could help them reach their potential. Three years and many injuries later, Dach had only a 40.3% success rate in the faceoff department and managed 22 points in 57 games during the 2024-25 season. Those are not second-line center numbers. In other words, even when he is playing, the Habs do not have a genuine second-line center.

As for Newhook, circumstances have forced Martin St-Louis to use him mainly as a center, despite evidence suggesting he is more suited to a winger role. Much like Dach, his faceoff numbers are just not good enough (42.8%), and neither is his offensive output (26 points in 82 games).

Canadiens: Newhook Looking For Success At Faceoff DotOn Wednesday, Quartexx Hockey shared a reel in which Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook could be seen working on his faceoff skills alongside San Jose Sharks’ Will Smith under the watchful eye of former Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron.

As the season draws near, the only real center the Canadiens have added this season is Joe Veleno on the free agency market. The Detroit Red Wings' first-round pick and 30th overall at the 2018 draft is better than Dach and Newhook in the faceoff department with a 46.9% success rate, but in 74 games this past season, he could only muster 18 points. In four full NHL seasons, he has never put up more than 28 points.

Whichever way you look at it, the Canadiens do not have a real second-line center on the roster. Yes, Oliver Kapanen and Owen Beck are knocking at the Habs’ door to make the team this season, but throwing them in the deep end as second-line center would be doing them a disservice; they are not ready yet for that kind of role, and they might never be.

While Kapanen scored 35 points in 36 games with Timra IK in the Swedish League, the caliber of play is not the same as it is in the NHL. In the 18 games he played with the Habs last season, he could only put up two points. Granted, he didn’t have much ice time, but when he was allowed to play in the top six, it was clear that he was not yet ready for it.

As for Beck, even at the junior level, he couldn’t pick up more than 81 points in a season. Last year, in Laval, he had 44 points in 64 games. On a contending team, Beck is a third-line center, not part of the top six. It’s worth mentioning, however, that in his 12 games with the Canadiens, he did maintain a 53.8% success rate at the faceoff dot.

Then, there’s Jake Evans, who’s just coming off the best season of his career and is undoubtedly a center. He’s a skilled penalty killer, has a 51.6% success rate when taking draws across his six-year career in the NHL, but he’s not a big points producer. He’s a very hard worker, but he lacks the offensive instincts to succeed as a top-six center; he could be a temporary solution. As for the newly acquired Bolduc, he hasn’t played pivot since his junior days, and while he may be able to do it, he may have his hands full this year learning a new system in Montreal.

The Yost assessment is correct, but the good news is that the Habs brass is painfully aware of the issue down the middle and is trying to fix it. Unfortunately, the Canadiens are not the only team with an issue down the middle, and fixing it is not as easy as one would hope.

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New Jersey Devils assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon recently spoke with NHL.com ahead of the 2025-26 season.

With several players competing for roster spots, MacKinnon highlighted forward Arseniy Gritsyuk, who is expected to arrive in New Jersey this week.

Gritsyuk was selected 129th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, the same year the Devils took Jack Hughes first overall. After several seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), the 24-year-old winger is now ready to compete for a spot in the NHL.

Expectations are already high. Last season, Gritsyuk tallied 17 goals and 27 assists for 44 points in 49 games. He officially signed with the Devils in May and is confirmed to be traveling to North America.

Ahead of his arrival, MacKinnon compared Gritsyuk’s path to another familiar case:

“If you're looking for an NHL comparison, I look at Evgenii Dadonov, who came over early but it didn’t work. He went back to the KHL for several years and then came over the second time, which was more in line with the age Gritsyuk is now, and it went very well,” MacKinnon told NHL.com. “We’re hoping the added time that Arseni took in the KHL means the first audition sticks.”

For his part, Gritsyuk isn’t worried about where he’ll slot into the lineup. Speaking with Russian outlet TASS, he said:

“I don’t have any favorite hockey players — you evaluate them from a professional point of view. I studied the team’s roster. Yes, there’s Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier — top-six center forwards. I’d like to join them, but we’ll see how ready I am.”

He also praised the Devils’ two franchise centers, pointing out their contrasting styles:

“Hughes skates well, Hischier is more of a two-way forward, and he can also fight in defense. It is clear that Hughes is a superstar, and the whole team is built around him to get results. So it will be harder with him in the line — you will have to do more work. But it makes no difference to me which of them I play with.”

Both Gritsyuk and the Devils’ staff are eager to see how he transitions to the North American game. He will make his debut at training camp this month, giving fans their first real look at what he can bring to the ice.

The Philadelphia Flyers may have found a key piece of their heavily debated goaltending future with goaltender Yegor Zavragin. The 19-year-old netminder from Russia has gained attention as one of the top junior-aged goalies in Europe, thanks to a breakout season split between the KHL and MHL. 

Elite Prospects' Steven Ellis ranked Zavgarin at number 19 in the top 25 NHL-affiliated goalie prospects of the 2025-26 season. Ellis said "Zavgarin wss  one of the better junior-aged goalies in Europe last year, posting solid numbers in the KHL with HK Sochi and SKA St. Petersburg." 

Zavragin played in 37 games for the KHL St. Petersburg where he held a .912 save percentage and 2.55 goals against average. Goaltending prospect Carson Bjarnson of the Western Hockey League Brnadon Wheat Kings posted similar numbers with a .913 save percentge, and 2.93 goals against average over 40 games played.

Zavragin held strong numbers against his opponents throughout his time with the SKA St. Petersburg. Throughout the 2023-24 playoffs, he returned to the MHL Mamonty Yugry, where he delivered consistently good performances that highlighted his composure, technical skill, and ability to rise to the occasion under pressure. During that playoff period Zavragin played in nine games, holding a .945 save percentage with just 1.60 goals against average.

At 6-foot-2, Zavragin has the ideal frame for a modern NHL goaltender. His strong athleticism gives him the ability to easily move across the crease, while his quick glove hand is already seen as a strength in his game. Many Flyers fans, already dealing with years of inconsistency in the crease, are understandably excited about the young goaltender's potential.

Zavragin is still under contract with SKA St. Petersburg until 2027, giving him plenty of time to refine his game before moviing into the North American game. Some scouts have highlighted his need to control his post-to-post movement, but the foundation is there for him to develop into a reliable starter at the NHL level.

For a Flyers team still in the midst of a rebuild, Zavragin could be a light at the end of the tunnel for long-term stability at arguably the most important position on the ice. If his upward trajectory continues, the Flyers could finally be closing in on the franchise goaltender they’ve long been searching for.