The 2025 NHL Draft is now just days away, and the Anaheim Ducks hold the tenth overall selection after dropping two spots, as they had the eighth-best odds of winning the Draft Lottery. Along with their top pick to be made on Friday, they have eight more picks spread throughout rounds 2-7 on Saturday.

The upcoming tenth overall pick will mark the seventh consecutive time the Ducks will have selected in the top ten of a draft, and they’re hoping it’s the last, as they have repeatedly stated they intend to challenge for a playoff spot in the 2025-26 season.

The Ducks' scouting staff has traditionally ignored consensus when making their selections since Pat Verbeek took over as general manager in 2022.

With his first selection as an NHL GM, Verbeek selected Pavel Mintyukov (10th overall in 2022). Mintyukov was his most “chalk” pick at the top of a draft, as he was consistently ranked between 10 and 12 by most media outlets.

In 2023, Verbeek drafted Leo Carlsson (2nd in ’23), surprising many as he passed on consensus number two player in that draft, Adam Fantilli, after Fantilli won the Hobey Baker as a freshman at the University of Michigan.

In 2024, Verbeek seemingly went way off the board with his top pick by drafting Beckett Sennecke (3rd in ’24) from the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. Sennecke was ranked as high as ninth (Elite Prospects) and as low as 16th (FC Hockey) by major media outlets heading into the 2024 NHL Draft.

Consensus rankings and mocks heading into the 2025 draft have the Ducks most commonly selecting a player in the range of Roger McQueen, Radim Mrtka, Victor Eklund, and Kashawn Aitcheson.

The biggest questions pertaining to the Ducks' tenth overall pick are whether or not they are looking to trade it in a deal to improve their current roster, and if they aren’t, are they preparing to make an off-the-board selection again? If they do go against consensus, who might they be targeting?

Logan Hensler

Coming into the 2024-25 season, Hensler was widely considered a top-three defenseman in this draft class and a relatively surefire top-ten pick.

He’s big (6-foot-2, 196 pounds), mobile, displays great defensive fundamentals, and has shown flashes of what can become a serviceable offensive contributor from the blueline. So what happened?

Hensler was born in late 2006, so he made the transition to the University of Wisconsin to start his collegiate career. He scored 12 points (2-10=12) in 32 games, as both he and his Wisconsin Badgers (13-21-3) disappointed in 2024-25.

For some players, the transition from the USHL to the NCAA isn’t always as smooth as it is for players like Macklin Celebrini or Artyom Levshunov. There’s often a learning curve. But Hensler’s talent remains, and he has a very NHL translatable skillset.

Hensler is being ranked anywhere between 15 and 26 by the media’s draft experts, but a team like Anaheim could look beyond his 2024-25 output and project him as a talented piece to their pipeline. Hensler’s game would complement the bevy of offensive talent on the left side of the current Ducks blueline.

Lynden Lakovic

Lakovic was the captain and leading scorer of the worst team in the WHL in 2024-25 despite missing seven weeks with a lower-body injury.

He possesses every physical tool one craves in a hockey player, but many have questioned the toolbox. Within an NHL frame (6-foot-4, 190 pounds), Lakovic is a tremendous skater, fluid and explosive. He’s a puck transporter with tremendous hands and a wicked release that he used to score 27 goals in 47 games this season, and he can break down defenders one-on-one.

The drawbacks are present when he doesn’t have the puck on his stick. His engagement is lacking at times, he doesn’t find soft ice well, and he has a questionable drive to win pucks back. He’s raw.

Lakovic’s skillset is reminiscent of 2024 third-overall pick Beckett Sennecke’s, so the Ducks clearly like players of that mold. If they feel he has more to offer in terms of intangibles, a selection with the tenth overall pick wouldn’t be unheard of.

Bill Zonnon

This one is far more off the board than the first two, but Zonnon seems to check every box Verbeek values in his players. Zonnon is big, smart, competitive, skates well, and gets to the middle of the ice.

Zonnon is ranked as high as 13 and as low as 34 among public scouts after a productive 2024-25 campaign that saw him finish seventh in the QMJHL in scoring with 83 points (28-55=83) in 64 regular season games and add 16 points (8-8=16) in 13 playoff games.

He is a versatile forward who can produce and provide an impact from any role within a depth chart. His motor alone raises his floor, and his hockey IQ raises his ceiling.

Ducks director of amateur scouting and assistant general manager Martin Madden seems to have an affinity for players in Zonnon’s mold, especially so if they play in the QMJHL. The Ducks walk away from most drafts with a player akin to Zonnon, but Zonnon would have the most upside of those similar players (Nathan Gaucher, Maxim Masse, Nico Myatovic).

Honorable Mentions

Carter Bear, Justin Carbonneau, Vaclav Nestrasil, Blake Fiddler

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

In a surprising but polarizing move earlier today, the Vancouver Canucksdealt a fourth-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft for former Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane. Kane, who is originally from Vancouver, has already expressed his excitement in returning to play in his hometown. 

“It’s an honour to become part of an organization and team I grew up watching as a kid,” he wrote on X. “Vancouver is a city that lives and breathes hockey, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to play in front of my hometown as I did many years ago as a Vancouver Giant.” 

Many fans have mixed reviews on Kane’s arrival in Vancouver. Despite the forward’s ability to produce in a middle-six role as well as shift the tone in which a team performs at, Kane isn’t getting any younger. The 2025–26 season, which is also the last of his current $5.125M AAV contract, will be his 16th NHL season. This doesn’t include the injuries that have plagued him especially in the past few seasons. Still, Canucks management seems to have faith that Kane will change the way their team plays. 

“I think every team is looking to be hard to play against, and for us, with the group we have here, when a player like this becomes available to the cost, we felt we had a chance to upgrade our top nine, mid-six, and become a harder team to play against,” Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin explained in a media availability on Wednesday. “The way his contract was structured, he had a preferred 15 teams to go to, and Vancouver was his preferred destination.” 

Something Allvin notes that Kane can bring to Vancouver with him is experience. Throughout an NHL career that has seen him play for five different teams, Kane has logged almost 100 Stanley Cup Playoff games. In this span of time, he scored 32 goals and 23 assists. 

“To have a player that is on a one-year deal get a chance to come home and after two back-to-back years in the Stanley Cup Finals with the experience playing with [Leon] Draisaitl and [Connor] McDavid and a good team in Edmonton, means alot to have an excited player come here to Vancouver and provide the spark and juice we need,” Allvin added.

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One other thing that Allvin touched on was Kane’s off-ice antics. Throughout his career, the 33-year-old has caught heat for a variety of scandals that have made the Canucks fan base wary of acquiring him. Canucks legend Trevor Linden even weighed in on the topic earlier today while on Global News. 

“You talk about the dressing room and there’s certainly been those issues throughout Evander’s past. Having said that, he’s a guy that can bring a certain type of hockey to that locker room,” Linden said on a morning segment. “For Edmonton to trade him to a division rival is interesting.” 

“I think the past is the past with Evander,” Allvin explained regarding how he thinks the forward has grown as a person. “The last couple of years in Edmonton, I think he contributed a lot to the off-ice stuff and helping out in the society there. Having three kids here now, I think he’s matured. I do believe that this gives us a chance and gives him a chance to see if this is a fit.” 

Fans will have to wait for the 2025–26 season to begin to see how the Kane experiment goes. In the meantime, the 2025 NHL Draft is only two days away, while the 2025 free agency period opens up on July 1. 

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, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Most of the questions at the Buffalo Sabres media availability we directed at GM Kevyn Adams and the disposition of players currently on their roster, including the contract situation of restricted free agent winger JJ Peterka and defenseman Bowen Byram, and veteran winger Alex Tuch entering the final year of his deal. 

Assistant GM Jerry Forton and who the Sabres were going to select ninth overall at the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles on Friday seemed to be an afterthought, but comments about a pair of defenseman expected to be there when Buffalo’s pick is up were particularly revealing. At ninth overall, it is expected that Buffalo will miss out on the cluster of center prospects (Michael Misa, Caleb Desnoyers, Anton Frondell, Brady Martin, Jake O’Brien, Roger McQueen) and the top power forward in winger Porter Martone, but the Sabres may be in position to take one of the top defensemen after presumptive first overall pick Matthew Schaefer. 

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Forton spoke of Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman Radim Mrtka and Barrie Colts blueliner Kashawn Aitcheson as two intriguing prospects. Mrtka joined the WHL’s Thunderbirds after starting the season in the Czech League, and while he put up solid offensive numbers in the WHL, scouts aren’t expecting him to duplicate that in the NHL. There’s still a lot to like about the big 18-year-old as a future middle-pair blueliner, who models his game after Victor Hedman and Moritz Seider. 

"Mrtka (offers a) very unique package to be able to move the way he does at 6'6", (is) almost more agile with the puck, if that's possible," Forton said. "A smart player at both ends. I was over in Czechia early in the year when he wasn't getting a lot of playing time in the men's league over there to see what he was willing to do to move to North America. He comes from a background where he has very little in the way of resources for hockey or anything outside hockey. He uprooted, high character kid, a huge ceiling."

The 18-year-old Aitcheson had a breakout offensive year with the Colts, jumping from eight to 26 goals last season, finishing behind only 2024 first-rounders Zayne Parekh and Sam Dickinson among OHL defensemen. Aitcheson led the Colts with 59 points and scored 12 points in the OHL playoffs.  

“Aitcheson brings very much an old-school approach to the game. I could certainly see him be one of those players that might get the recency bias bump (from the Florida Panthers winning the Stanley Cup),” Forton said. “There's very few players in junior hockey, college hockey and Europe that play the way he plays. Very unique, and he brings some offense, especially off the heavy shot as well."

 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Reilly Smith will not be hitting the free-agent market on July 1. 

According to TSN's Chris Johnston, the Vegas Golden Knights have signed Smith to a one-year, $2 million contract extension for the 2025-26 season. In addition, Johnston reported that Smith's new contract has a full no-trade clause. 

Reilly Smith signs a one-year extension with Vegas worth $2M. Deal includes a no-trade clause.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 25, 2025

Smith spent the 2023-24 season with the Penguins after the Metropolitan Division club acquired him from the Golden Knights in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick. During his lone season as a Penguin, Smith recorded 13 goals, 40 points, and a plus-3 rating in 76 games. 

Smith's time with the Penguins ended during this past off-season, as Pittsburgh traded him to the New York Rangers in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick. After posting 29 points in 58 games with the Rangers this season, he was traded back to the Golden Knights near the deadline. In 21 games with the Golden Knights following the trade, he had three goals, 11 points, and a plus-11 rating. 

The Golden Knights keeping Smith around on this cheap one-year deal is understandable. The former Penguins winger has had the most success of his NHL career with the Golden Knights, and it will be intriguing to see what kind of season he puts together in Vegas in 2025-26 from here. 

Penguins Getting Rangers' Pick Is Win-Win For Both SidesOn Tuesday, the New York Rangers announced that they would give the Pittsburgh Penguins their 12th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft instead of sending them their 2026 pick.

Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Flyers are one of many teams searching for a drastic improvement at the goalie position, but so far, their search of the NHL trade market hasn't yielded the results they'd hoped for.

Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff reported Tuesday that the Flyers have explored the possibility of trading for either St. Louis Blues goalie Joel Hofer or Vancouver Canucks warden Thatcher Demko, but the asking price for the players was deemed to great relative to the risk.

"According to a team source, the Flyers kicked tires on St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer (RFA) and Vancouver Canucks netminder Thatcher Demko; the ask for both goaltenders included a first-round pick, Daily Faceoff was told," Di Marco wrote. "According to a source, Hofer’s unproven potential and Demko’s injury history (along with being a year away from UFA status) are too big of risks to take to justify giving up a first-round pick."

Indeed, the Flyers won't find many better options in goal who are actually available for the price they want to pay, but their risk assessment is accurate in this instance.

It worked out for them in the Trevor Zegras trade, and it seems that this is now the trade philosophy going forward.

Demko, 29, has plenty of appeal as a recent former Vezina Trophy finalist and NHL All-Star, but a career-altering knee injury helped limit him to just 23 starts for the Canucks and new Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet last season.

In those 23 games, Demko was 10-8-3, recording a 2.90 GAA, a .889 save percentage, and one shutout. 

It should be noted, though, that the San Diego, Calif., native finished the season with just 22 goals allowed in his last 10 games, along with a .907 save percentage. Not All-Star numbers, no, but still a significant upgrade over the performances the Flyers got this season from Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov.

Demko has one year remaining on his contract at a $5 million cap hit and can sign an extension with the Canucks, or the Flyers, if they trade for him, on July 1. If not, he will be an unrestricted free agent next July 1, which opens the door for him to leave for free if he wishes.

Flyers Trade for Trevor Zegras: Trade Grade, Immediate OutlookThe first big deal of the 2025 NHL offseason saw the Philadelphia Flyers trade center Ryan Poehling, the 45th pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, and a fourth-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Trevor Zegras.

The connection the Flyers have to Demko via Tocchet helps, but there are no indications that the Canucks are actively looking to jettison their No. 1 goalie at the moment.

As for Hofer, he's a young career backup, 6-foot-5, and a pending restricted free agent.

The Blues have just $5 million in cap space and will need to re-sign or replace the 25-year-old goalie in addition to, potentially, retaining Radek Faksa. And that's excluding the need to pursue upgrades elsewhere on the roster.

Hofer has been mostly consistent in the NHL in his fledgling career, though his numbers don't exactly scream "franchise goalie" yet.

In 63 starts and 69 total appearances, Hofer is 35-22-5 with a 2.71 GAA, a .908 save percentage, and two shutouts.

This past season, serving as Jordan Binnington's understudy, Hofer was 16-8-3 in 31 games with a 2.64 GAA, a .904 save percentage, and one shutout.

Last year, Hofer was 15-12-1 in 30 games with a near identical 2.65 GAA but a much improved .914 save percentage.

We can deduct that Hofer is probably an average NHL starter with the potential to elevate his game over extended periods of time, which would be a marked upgrade for the Flyers in their current state.

Flyers Scouting Top Russian Prospects Ahead of NHL DraftWith the 2025 NHL Draft now less than a week away, the Philadelphia Flyers are continuing their due diligence down at the Gold Star Hockey Development Camp in Florida, which runs until June 26.

The question is, if the Flyers won't pay a first-round pick for Hofer, who can (or will) they pay it for?

If the Flyers prefer to use one of their three first-round picks on a goalie in the upcoming NHL draft, they'll be banking on that goalie being a better long-term option than Hofer and Demko.

In that case, they may be forced to pivot to a less exciting bridge option, such as Jake Allen or Alex Lyon.

Additionally, it's worth noting that the Flyers can choke the Blues out with an offer sheet, so to speak, and sign Hofer to one worth somewhere between $4 million and $4.68 million. Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, anyone?

An offer sheet between $2.34 and $4.68 million requires compensation of a 2026 second-round pick, which the Flyers have. And by going into the higher end of that range, the Flyers can prevent the Blues from matching the offer sheet, unless St. Louis decides to match and significantly inhibit their ability to replace departing players and add to the roster as it is.

Even then, between the trade rumors and the offer sheet, the Flyers can say they made an earnest effort for a top target.

EDMONTON – Trades have a way of igniting a fan base.

The Edmonton Oilers are primed for several trades this offseason. With Stan Bowman looking to upgrade the forward group and goaltending, there's a decent chance that means Stuart Skinner might be on his way out. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. 

If this does come to fruition, here are five possible destinations that make sense for one reason or another.

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Anaheim Ducks

The Oilers have been connected to the Anaheim Ducks and John Gibson for what feels like an eternity (and then some). The hiring of Joel Quenneville makes them feel like a team that wants to make a push, and a tandem of Skinner with Lukas Dostal would be a great duo.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers are another team that hockey insiders have identified as a team that needs to improve its netminding. Because of the Flyers accumulating draft picks and prospects in trades over the past few years, they have the assets to facilitate a cap-dump trade with the Oilers.

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings finished last season with Cam Talbot, Petr Mrazek, and Alex Lyon as their three goaltenders in the NHL. At last year’s trade deadline, they added Mrazek, a goaltender who has a track record of injury. 

There is no new contract for Lyon yet, but there is a good chance that another team will pick up his services. That opens up a potential deal to add a goalie and create another three-headed monster – or give them the flexibility to trade away Talbot and/or Mrazek.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are looking to make a big splash. Their new GM Ken Holland wants to go “all-in.” He knows Skinner well from his time managing the Oilers – and GMs love to reacquire players they are familiar with. Also, a tandem of Skinner with Darcy Kuemper would be quite the 1-2 punch.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have cap space to burn and a bone to pick. They have the young and spry Pyotr Kochetkov to go along with Frederik Andersen. However, trading away Andersen (to the Oilers or another team) and going with a Skinner-Kochetkov tandem could prove to be shrewd management.

With the system that the Hurricanes play, it would not surprise this writer if Skinner turned in a Vezina-finalist calibre season. In the very least, he could have the best year of his very young career.

If Skinner is going to get traded this summer, these are the five most likely destinations.

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The Vegas Golden Knights have re-signed forward Reilly Smith to a one-year, $2 million contract. 

During the 2024 offseason, the New York Rangers acquired Smith from the Pittsburgh Penguins as their big addition of the summer. 

The Rangers needed another reliable top-six forward to pair alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. The hope was that Smith could be the missing piece to the puzzle. 

However, that trio did not work out and over time, Smith saw his role diminish. 

In 58 games with the New York Rangers, the 34-year-old forward recorded 10 goals, 19 assists, and 29 points while averaging 15:36 minutes. 

At around the time of the  2025 NHL Trade Deadline with the Rangers struggling, Smith was traded to the Golden Knights, a team Smith spent the best days of his career with. 

The comfortability with his former team was shown instantly and the veteran forward tallied 11 points in 21 games. 

Now, Smith will remain in Vegas.

The Edmonton Oilers came within two wins of a Stanley Cup championship this year. But as soon as they lost to the Florida Panthers in the Cup final for the second straight season, speculation began as to what changes Edmonton would be making to their roster. 

On Wednesday, the Oilers’ first big change happened when they traded veteran left winger Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks for a fourth-round pick in this week’s NHL draft.

The deal completely makes sense from Edmonton’s perspective. Unloading Kane and his $5.125-million cap hit provides the Oilers with financial flexibility when they’re trying to re-sign RFA star defenseman Evan Bouchard. And they get a fourth-rounder (that initially belonged to the Ottawa Senators) as a bonus in what is essentially a salary dump.

Let’s be honest here – Kane isn’t exactly an unproblematic player. Once again, he was one of the more penalized playoff players, accumulating 44 penalty minutes in 21 playoff games. For better or worse, Kane plays with a sizable chip on his shoulder, and that can lead to undisciplined play in important moments.

Kane is now joining the fifth franchise in his 16-year NHL career. The 33-year-old’s caustic presence sometimes boils over, and that’s the gamble the Canucks are making with Wednesday’s trade.

Vancouver management can sell Canucks fans on the fact that Kane will ostensibly replace the offense that’s departing with the expected loss of right winger Brock Boeser, and Kane’s status as a Vancouver-born-and-raised player will appeal to a wide swath of Canucks fans. Kane is also entering the final year of his current contract, so the Canucks can walk away from him next summer if things don’t work out as they hope.

However, the Oilers will happily move on without having to worry about Kane’s impact on and off the ice. They’ve now got about $17 million in cap space, and that will allow them to re-sign Bouchard and likely pending UFA forwards, including center Trent Frederic and right wingers Corey Perry and Connor Brown. Had they kept Kane, that wouldn’t have been feasible.

Evander Kane Releases Statement As Oilers Trade Him To CanucksEvander Kane is headed to the Vancouver Canucks.

Vancouver, on the other hand, now has only $7 million in cap space. Canucks fans can kiss Boeser goodbye and probably center Pius Suter as well. But so long as Kane is healthy, they’ll be a tougher team to play against, and Kane can reliably be counted on to produce 20 to 25 goals and 40 to 50 points. Kane is clearly in the back nine of his career, but having the opportunity to play in his hometown could breathe new life into his game.

In any case, Wednesday’s trade was a shot across the bow of the rest of the league. The Oilers and Canucks didn’t wait until the NHL draft arrived Friday to make a move of consequence. Instead, they chose to move quickly to get ahead of the trade market, and Edmonton and Vancouver can now go to their fan bases and point to this deal as an example of being proactive on the trade front. 

Will this trade work out for both teams? Time will tell, but there’s no question the Canucks are taking the bigger risk here. The Oilers got the cap space they were looking for, but Vancouver took on a bigger risk-reward opportunity. Next season will tell us whether the Canucks were smart to acquire Kane.

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The Florida Panthers did something very ‘cool’ with their championship ice.

When members of the media arrived at Amerant Bank Arena for exit interviews on Saturday, some who wandered into the inner-bowl found an unusual site.

The ice was all chopped up, hacked into thousands of pieces in preparation to be bulldozed out of the building.

It’s the normal protocol for the end of any season, so it didn’t strike anyone as anything other than that.

A day later, the Panthers held their Stanley Cup Championship parade along A1A in Fort Lauderdale.

Weather-wise, it was a perfect late-June day as the sunshine soaked the hundreds of thousands of fans who lined the streets to celebrate with the Panthers.

As the team made their way south on A1A toward the rally stage set up across from Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, Panthers players were all outfitted with water guns to spray fans with refreshing water as temperatures reached into the 90s.

But it wasn’t just any water that was being sprayed out of those squirt guns.

It was melted championship ice, straight from Sunrise.

That’s right, the same ice that the Panthers skated on when they won the Stanley Cup last week was melted down and sprayed on fans celebrating the championship.

mmm…refreshing! pic.twitter.com/nvyKbZC2uX

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 24, 2025

This is just the latest way that the Panthers have found a way to connect with their fans as the team has made sure to take the Stanley Cup with them across Miami-Dade and Broward counties, out in public, to share the joy with everyone in South Florida.

They did the same thing last year, and odds are they’ll do it again if they can win another Stanley Cup in the coming years.

Seeing the bond that has formed between the Panthers players and their fans over the past few years has been something extremely special and unique.

Enjoy this, Cats fans, as these kind of situations are incredibly rare.

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Photo caption: Jun 22, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, UNITED STATES; Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) celebrates during the Stanley Cup championship parade and rally. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Wraparound is back to discuss the NHL's Central Division and other breaking news in rapid-fire segments.

Will Jonathan Toews' Cup Experience Elevate The Winnipeg Jets? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan, Bailey Curtis and Lou Korac discussed in this episode:

0:00 Initial reactions to the Edmonton Oilers trading Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks

4:23: Making sense of the Nashville Predators’ decision to re-acquire Erik Haula

8:50: Breaking down the Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect pool

13:33: After the Dallas Stars extended Matt Duchene, who will be the next best center target in free agency?

19:40: Evaluating the Colorado Avalanche’s off-season priorities

24:51: Could Jonathan Toews’ presence as a former Stanley Cup Champion help elevate the Winnipeg Jets?

28:07: Will Marco Rossi’s contract dilemma put the Minnesota Wild’s off-season plans in jeopardy?

32:29: Will Joel Hofer be a top offer sheet candidate this summer?

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Promo image credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

The Ottawa Senators have released their 2025 preseason schedule, and as usual, there's a steady diet of games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. But this year, there’s a new wrinkle: the Sens will play a pair of games in Quebec City — first against the New Jersey Devils on September 28, and then against the Canadiens on September 30.

Those Quebec City games actually made waves when they were announced last season, and not in a good way. To drum up some buzz, the Senators tried a marketing stunt that didn’t quite land. They dressed Spartacat, their mascot, in a partial Quebec Nordiques jersey. Wearing the colours and logo of a former division rival didn’t go over particularly well, for reasons that probably should’ve been obvious.

The Sens will also make one American stop on October 2. That game will give Captain Brady Tkachuk a chance to enjoy some home cooking at his childhood home. He grew up in St. Louis, and the Blues will host Ottawa that night.

On September 21st at the CTC, the Sens will start their preseason the way they ended last season – with a game against the Maple Leafs. The two teams will square off again the very next night in Toronto.

Interestingly, there’s just one game at Canadian Tire Centre this preseason, although both Quebec City matchups are technically “home” games for the Sens.

2025-26 Ottawa Senators Preseason Schedule (All Times Eastern):

Sunday, Sept. 21: Toronto at Ottawa, 3 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 22: Ottawa at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 28: New Jersey at Ottawa (Videotron Centre, Quebec City), 3 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 30: Montreal at Ottawa (Videotron Centre, Quebec City), 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 2: Ottawa at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 4: Ottawa at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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Evander Kane will be suiting up for his fifth NHL franchise next season. The talented 33-year-old former Buffalo Sabres winger was traded by the Edmonton Oilers to his hometown Vancouver Canucks for a 2025 fourth round pick on Wednesday.  

Part of the motivation for the deal was cap-related, as the Oilers needed to clear his $5.125 million salary to accommodate the pay increase for forward Leon Draisaitl, the expected hefty salary of RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard, and to re-sign pending unrestricted free agents like Trent Frederic, Corey Perry, and Connor Brown, but Kane has likely worn out his welcome with the Oilers after causing some difficulty during the regular season. 

Kane was injured in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and underwent hip and groin surgery last summer. The winger then had knee surgery in January, but close to the trade deadline made noises about wanting to play before the end of the regular season, that would have put a crimp in GM Stan Bowman’s plans of adding players with Kane’s salary on long-term injured reserve. 

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The winger replaced former Sabre Jeff Skinner in the Oilers lineup early in the first round series against Los Angeles and helped turn the series around with his rambunctious physical play, but Kane’s lack of self-control revealed itself in the Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, when he took six minor penalties and two misconducts in six games. 

After six seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers / Winnipeg Jets, the 2009 fourth overall pick was traded to the Sabres in February 2015 along with Zach Bogosian, for Tyler Myers, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and a first-round pick. Kane played 196 games over three seasons with Buffalo before being traded at the 2018 trade deadline to San Jose.  

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The Vegas Golden Knights have signed forward Reilly Smith to a one-year, $2-million contract extension containing a no-trade clause. 

The Golden Knights reacquired the 34-year-old ahead of the trade deadline this year, sending Brendan Brisson and a third-round pick to the New York Rangers. Smith had spent six years with the Golden Knights before he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the offseason following their Stanley Cup win.

In his return to Vegas, Smith recorded three goals and 11 points in 21 games, rekindling his chemistry on a shutdown line with William Karlsson. 

In the organization's exit interviews, Smith mentioned how much he adored the city and that he'd love to re-sign with the team. 

"If there's an opportunity to stay here, that would be great," said Smith. "I think the best hockey I've played in my career has been wearing this jersey."

Smith also mentioned how grateful he would be to reach the 1000-game plateau in a Golden Knights jersey. The Mimico, ON native, has played 919 games in his career, and if he dresses in 81 games this season, he'd reach the milestone. 

"I would like to play 1000 games in my career, and to do it in this jersey would mean a lot."

Golden Knights' Pending Free Agent Hoping To Stay In VegasReilly Smith is coming to the end of a three-year, $5M contract he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights, but maintains he wants to remain a Golden Knight. 

Smith is a valued player in both the locker room and on the ice. He was a leader before he left the organization and has returned to be a trusted voice. On the ice, he plays with urgency, and his experience in the NHL has transformed him into a strong defensive winger, both on the penalty kill and at 5-on-5.

The Golden Knights now approach the draft and the beginning of free agency with just Tanner Pearson, Victor Olofsson, and Brandon Saad as their unrestricted free agents without a contract. 

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The Trevor Zegras trade brought the 2019 NHL draft class back into the spotlight earlier this week.

After the Philadelphia Flyers acquired center Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, only three of the top 10 players from the 2019 NHL draft remain on the team that picked them.

Jack Hughes was selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils, while the Los Angeles Kings selected Alex Turcotte with the fifth pick. Following him was Detroit Red Wings selection Moritz Seider.

Aside from those three players, the next player in the draft who is still on their drafted team is left winger Matt Boldy, who was selected 12th by the Minnesota Wild.

From 2024 through 2017, the 2019 draft had the most players from the top 10 change teams, either from trades or offer sheets. Before the Zegras trade, center Dylan Cozens (Buffalo, seventh overall in 2019) was traded to the Ottawa Senators at the 2025 NHL trade deadline.

Right winger Kappo Kakko (NY Rangers, second overall in 2019) went to the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 18 in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen, as well as third- and sixth-round picks in the upcoming 2025 draft.

A couple of other players were dealt during the off-season. Vasily Podkolzin was traded on Aug. 18, 2024, to the Edmonton Oilers from the Vancouver Canucks, which selected him 10th overall.

The Oilers also lost D-man Philip Broberg to an offer sheet from the St. Louis Blues. The Swedish blueliner was selected eighth overall. 

Kirby Dach, selected third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks, was part of a trade during the 2022 off-season. He was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens for the 13th overall pick, which became Frank Nazar. Chicago also received a 2022 third-rounder, which they used to select left winger Gavin Hayes.

Even the Colorado Avalanche traded Stanley Cup champion Bowen Byram (fourth overall in 2019). The Buffalo Sabres acquired him in exchange for center Casey Mittelstadt.

It doesn’t seem like Hughes or Seider will be moving from their respective teams anytime soon, as they are among the leaders in their draft class in games played and points.

Hughes leads the draft class with 351 points, 107 points more than runner-up Boldy. Despite being a defenseman, Seider is sixth in the class for points, just six shy of equalling Zegras’ total of 186.

Turcotte has spent most of his young career with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. However, he spent all of last season with the Kings for the first time, recording 25 points in 68 regular-season games and three playoff games.

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LOS ANGELES -- The New York Islanders find themselves in a really lucky situation as we approach the 2025 NHL Draft. 

Unlike the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023 or the San Jose Sharks in 2024, Mathieu Darche's squad didn't have to be one of the worst teams in the NHL to come away with the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. 

In a challenging season, plagued by injuries and inconsistencies that hindered their progress, the Islanders finished nine points out of the second wild-card spot and 23rd out of 32 in the league standings.

Luck was on their side when they watched their 3.5% odds at the first overall pick turn into the winning lottery balls, and now Darche will be adding a tremendous talent to a team that already has a defined core. 

The question is, how does this first overall pick impact the Islanders' timeline?

The Islanders have forwards Mathew Barzal, 28, and Bo Horvat, 30, locked up for five more seasons, along with 29-year-old star goaltender Ilya Sorokin. 

Those five years should be the window to win, right?

But what about Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov, a pair of 25-year-old pending restricted free agents?

A pair of 30-year-old defensemen, Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, have four and five years left on their deals, respectively. Scott Mayfield, 32, has five years left on his deal.

Does Darche have the pressure to win a Stanley Cup over the next five years?

What about 23-year-old forward and pending RFA Simon Holmstrom? How does he impact the timeline? 

There's other veteran players under contract like forwards Kyle Palmieri and Casey Cizikas, who have two years left on thier respective deals. Are they, at this point, pieces that will play a part in a Stanley Cup roster?

What about Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee, who each have one year left on their deals?

Of the handful of players just mentioned, how many of them are just holding spots until the club's prospects are ready? And is the prospects' collective timeline the real timeline Darche is focusing on when it comes to building his roster into a hopeful Stanley Cup contender?

It wouldn't be fair to use the term stop-gap, so we won't be doing that.

But it is impossible to look at the proveribal writing on the wall and not put a few things together. 

Ritchie is a prime candidate to take over Brock Nelson's role as the club's No. 2 center at some point, but it's more likely that he takes Pageau's role first, possibly as soon as this year. 

Pageau is someone who may be on the move at the draft, but could also be a strong asset for the Islanders to hold onto and move at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. 

Danny Nelson, who projects to be a really strong, defensively-minded bottom-six center, could be primed to take Cizikas' spot as the club's fourth-line center iceman. 

Scoring winger Cole Eiserman should be able to slide into Palmieri's spot. 

If it's 17-year-old Matthew Schaefer who is donning the Blue & Orange on Friday night, is he ready to step into an NHL role immediately?

Is he going to go back to juniors for a year or go play collegiately? 

Is he the player the Islanders build their franchise around, taking the pressure away from "having to win" over the next five seasons?

"If I were Mathieu Darche, I would look at moving [Casey Cizikas] right away, because of the value of this type of player in the marketplace right now," Jeff Marek, the host of 'The Sheet' said in a conversation for The Elmonters.  "We talked about timelines, and whose timeline are you doing it on? I don't think anyone watching or listening to this for any amount of time will say that Casey Cizikas is going to be part of that timeline. What is everybody looking for out there? Centers."

Had the privilege of chatting with @JeffMarek last night about #Isles ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft.

Key takeaways from the chat @TheElmontershttps://t.co/vQi2cWkeLB

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) June 25, 2025

Marek mentioned Mayfield as well, as someone who the Islanders should have a real conversation with about opportunity, as he's a player that would need to waive his full no-trade clause to go anywhere. 

Now, trading all these veteran players to make room for the young players makes sense on paper, but money is a thing. Being competitive is a thing. 

There's a reason why former general manager Lou Lamoriello didn't sell off more than Nelson at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

With no prospects ready to take the veterans' places in the lineup, the roster they would have fielded for the final month and a half of the season wouldn't have generated ticket sales, that's for sure. 

Darche made it clear at his introductory press conference that he thinks his roster is good enough to compete. While that may be true — the roster is good enough to compete for a playoff spot — the gut feeling is that he will evaluate his roster and figure out exactly what he's working with and where the incoming players fit. 

By the end of the 2025-26 seaosn, Darche has to be honest with himself on the realistic timeline for the Islanders to win a Stanley Cup. 

If he truly thinks that he can win one of the next five years with Barzal, Horvat, and Sorokin being the three cogs, he will need to be proactive on the trade market and clear the necessary cap space to add in free agency. 

Prospects are called prospects for a reason, and while the outlook on the team's prospect pool has never been brighter, relying on each one to live up to their potential isn't a realistic approach to building a winning operation. 

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PHOTO:  Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images