Former Belleville and Ottawa Senators broadcaster Jack Miller has officially called it a career.

Miller, the first voice of the Belleville Senators and a broadcaster for more than five decades, officially retired last week, closing the book on a fine 51-year broadcasting career. Miller’s work reached beyond the B-Sens to junior and international hockey, and even a few seasons spent calling Ottawa Senators games.

Miller began his career in his hometown of Cornwall before moving to Belleville in September 1974 for a job on CJBQ radio, and it didn’t take long before hockey became his specialty. In 1979, he began filling in on Bulls broadcasts, and his work in hockey took off from there.

For many Ottawa fans, they heard Miller’s voice for the first time on the Global TV Game of the Week between 1988 and 2002. For much of that era, regular-season NHL games were only on once or twice per week, so a little extra hockey on TV on Saturday afternoons was well received, particularly when the 67s were on the card. 

Miller also served as a play-by-play announcer and colour commentator for Ottawa Senators radio broadcasts from 1998 to 2002. Internationally, Miller worked on TSN Radio’s coverage of the World Juniors for 13 years, including tournaments across Europe.

Over the course of his career, Miller figures he called more than 3,000 games at the various levels. 

“My departure comes after a full career filled with things I never thought I’d be doing, or even set out to do,” Miller said in an interview on the CHL website when he announced his decision back in July. “I’ll miss the sports coverage on the air, going around doing hockey games.”

When the Belleville Senators joined the AHL in 2017, Miller was the natural choice to become their first play-by-play guy. He held that role until 2022, when the City of Belleville and the Senators organization honoured him on Jack Miller Day, by renaming the B-Sens press box the Jack Miller Broadcast and Media Centre.

Miller, who was inducted into the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame in 2019, was presented with a Belleville Senators jersey by team staff members this week, including David Foot, who succeeded him in the booth.

The jersey number was 51, honouring his 51 years in broadcasting. That's truly a remarkable feat, to be in the volatile, ever-shrinking radio industry for that long and going out on his own terms. Not many do anymore.

For Belleville sports fans who grew up with his voice, as it emanated from either the rink or the station, Miller’s official retirement marks the end of an era. The Hockey News wishes one of the industry's true gentlemen a very happy retirement.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

This article originally appeared on The Hockey News website: 

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When Nicolas Roy puts on a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, he'll be wearing a number he has never worn in the NHL before. The player will wear No. 55, a number he last used while playing in Junior with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the QMJHL.

Roy was a guest on Leafs Morning Take with hosts Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill. When asked about the number's significance, Roy explained that when he played junior hockey as a 14-year-old, he was the youngest player and the last one picked.

“I ended up with 55 and was kind of surprised a little bit and didn't really like it at first," Roy said. "But by the time I played two years with it and then got to juniors, I picked it for four years. Then when I got to Vegas, obviously 55 was already picked, so I picked 10 and obviously couldn't get 10 in Toronto, so I went back with 55".

Roy's No. 10, which he wore with the Vegas Golden Knights, was retired by the Maple Leafs in 2016 during a ceremony where all honored numbers became retired. The number was honored for George Armstrong and his tenure with Toronto.

Since the 2019-20 season, Vegas right-winger Keegan Kolesar has worn No. 55. Roy joined Vegas in the same season after previously playing in the Carolina Hurricanes organization.

Maple Leafs Reveal Jersey Numbers For Newly Acquired PlayersMost of the Toronto Maple Leafs' summer additions officially have numbers with their new club.

While defenseman Mark Giordano wore No. 55 with Toronto from 2022-2024, Roy is the first forward to wear the number since Jason Blake, who played three seasons with the team from 2007-2010. Prior to Roy, Blake was the only Toronto forward to have ever worn No. 55.

'My Favorite Player Growing Up Was Mats Sundin' Nicolas Roy Reacts To Be Traded To Maple Leafs In Mitch Marner Deal

Nic Roy was on a trip with family and friends when he found out that he was being traded from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Former Maple Leaf Mitch Marner Spotted Skating In Golden Knights Gear In Muskoka

Overall, the 2024-25 season was a good one for the young Montreal Canadiens. Not only were they in the mix, but they even managed to make the Stanley Cup season after a fantastic second half of the season. Thankfully for the Pittsburgh Penguins, though, they only took on the Habs in the first half of the season.

Montreal took some time to get into gear this year, and Sidney Crosby and co. took advantage. They won all three meetings and obliterated the Canadiens on the scoreboard, winning the season series 18-6.

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The first meeting between the two teams took place on October 14 at the Bell Centre, and the fans in attendance didn’t get an excellent performance from their favorites. While the Penguins committed 23 giveaways, the Habs were unable to take advantage. Although they held their own in the first half of the game, they led 3-2 with less than five minutes left in the second frame. The Pens then scored four unanswered goals to skate away with a 6-3 win.

Two and a half weeks later, in Pittsburgh, the host posted a 3-1 win on the back of a great performance by captain Sidney Crosby, who scored a pair of goals early on. Christian Dvorak got the Habs back within one, but it was too little too late, and Blake Lizotte sealed the win with an empty netter with less than a minute left in the game.

Finally, in December, the Pens destroyed the Canadiens 9-2, in front of their fans, at the Bell Centre. It would turn out to be the last blowout loss Montreal would suffer on the season. Montreal only took 23 shots on net while Pittsburgh had 33. The Habs were unable to score on the man-advantage, despite having four opportunities, while Pittsburgh converted on two of their three opportunities. After that game, something clicked, and the Canadiens never looked back.

Over the three duels, Rikard Rakell had six points, Crosby five, and Kris Letang four. The Penguins’ experienced core had no trouble evading the Habs' coverage and hitting the team on the scoreboard. The question is, will they be around to continue their dominance over the Canadiens next season?

Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas has already said that he’s willing to listen to offers on his veteran as a rebuild is looming in Pittsburgh, but so far, none of the big names have moved. Bryan Rust, Rakell, and Erik Karlsson are all still in Pittsburgh. The fact that Dubas is looking for young NHL-ready talent for the two aforementioned forwards cuts down the number of potential suitors for the aging players.

Still, the Penguins managed to land Anthony Mantha and Matt Dumba to bolster their lineup and brought in a new coach in Dan Muse. Meanwhile, Matt Nieto, Matt Grzelcyk, P.O. Joseph, and Alex Nedeljkovic have all left town.

There’s also been talk and rumblings about Crosby’s availability, but Elliotte Friedman put an end to speculation, saying the captain would be starting the season in Pittsburgh. As things stand, the Pens will be a tougher outfit to take on this season than they were last year, but the same can be said for the Canadiens with the additions of Noah Dobson and Zach Bolduc, to name a few.

While it will take some time before the Habs can try their hand at beating the Penguins again, fans will be treated to three duels between the two sides in December. On the 11th in Pittsburgh, the 20th in Montreal, and the 21st in Pittsburgh again. Suppose the Canadiens hope to beat Crosby and co. They’ll need Samuel Montembeault to step up. The starter was in the net for all three defeats last season, with a 4.75 goals-against average and a .833 save percentage. He needs to improve these numbers if the Canadiens are to have a chance.

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If the New York Islanders are going to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, starting netminder Ilya Sorokin is going to have to lead the way.

He's arguably the club's only superstar, and after back-to-back subpar statistical seasons — he posted a 3.01 GAA and a .908 SV% in 2023-24, followed by a 2.71 GAA with a .907 SV% in 2024-25 — the Islanders need him to be ready when the puck drops on Oct. 9 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Steel City. 

When the 2024-25 season began, Sorokin wasn't game-ready as he was still working his way back from offseason back surgery. Head coach Patrick Roy, fortunately, had the stable Semyon Varlamov to turn to for the start of the season.

Now, a year later, Sorokin is putting in the work to be ready, while Varlamov is working his way back from lower-body surgery after his season came to an end in late November.

Islanders Ilya Sorokin's Summer Training Tape A year ago, New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin was rehabbing after undergoing offseason back surgery. 

The goal for the Islanders is not to play Sorokin into the ground, as it's clear that he isn't an Andrei Vasilevskiy type, someone who can play 60-plus games at an elite level.

That's not a knock on Sorokin, who is still among the elite netminders in the game when he's on his game. Very few goaltenders are capable of doing what Vasilevskiy can do, and it does help that he's on a team with tremendous talent, even if that talent has changed throughout the course of his 11-year career.

Sorokin is a fascinating topic among the Islanders fan base, with one side focusing solely on the stat line and the other just watching.

While the stat line, as mentioned, was not pretty in 2024-25, looking at the game situation matters.

Out of 29 goalies at 5-on-5 who played 2,000-plus minutes, Sorokin ranked 11th with a .919 SV% and 12th with a 2.21 GAA. He ranked seventh in high-danger SV% with a .839 SV%.

Those aren't amazing numbers but much better than his overall stat line, eh?

However, Sorokin’s downfall came on the penalty kill, where the Islanders were second-to-last with a 72.2 PK percentage.

Of 34 goalies to play in 160-plus minutes on the penalty kill, Sorokin ranked 24th with an .847 SV% and 26th with an 8.65 GAA.

All statistics are courtesy of Natural Statrick. 

While the play in front of Sorokin down a man, or two, was subpar, Sorokin wasn't good enough — something he for sure knows.

With Bob Boughner now tasked with managing the penalty kill, the hope is that his system allows for Sorokin to have more success. It truly just comes down to decision-making, as the Islanders often got caught debating what to do, which led to more chaos and easier finishes for the opponent. 

Sorokin's job is to stop the shots he can see, but his struggles with screens was his Achilles heel.

For a goaltender, being aggressive on the PK is key to counteracting the screens and in-tight deflections. But, there's a lot of goalies that like to play deeper, to see around the screens -- it's just a style. 

It isn't a style that has worked well for Sorokin, that much is true, and one would think goaltender coach Piero Greco has pointed it out. 

The good news for Sorokin and the Islandeers is that if they can figure out the PK, they should be in solid shape since they were on the penalty kill only 5:43 minutes per game, which ranked second-best in the NHL.

That's the sad part of the Islanders penalty-kill struggles in 2024-25. 

In all situations, Sorokin faced the third-most shots in the NHL in 2024-25 (1,696) and the third-most high-danger shots (444).

The Islanders need to get those numbers down if they want Sorokin fresh, especially until Varlamov is ready to go. Yes, the Islanders brought in David Rittich on a one-year, $1 million deal, but in a season where the Los Angeles Kings were dominant and Darcy Kuemper was a Vezina finalist with a 2.02 GAA and a .921 SV%, Rittich struggled mightily, posting a 2.84 GAA with an .886 SV% in 34 appearances.

It's the Sorokin show until it's not.

Sorokin is two seasons removed from his 2022-23 Vezina finalist season, where he posted a 2.34 GAA with a .924 SV% in 56 games. He's looking to bounce back and lead the way as he ramps up for his sixth NHL season, entering the second season of an eight-year deal worth $8.25 million annually.

A year ago, New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin was rehabbing after undergoing offseason back surgery. 

He was unable to have a normal summer and wasn't game-ready for the start of the 2024-25 season. 

Islanders Goalie Ilya Sorokin Unveils Best Russian Chirper He's Faced In NHLChirping is an art. Some NHL players have mastered the art, while others should probably just let their game do the talking. Most chirps are directed from one skater to another, but chirping a goalie does happen.

Now, he's able to put in the work and preapre accordingly for the 2025-26 season and that's exactly what he's doing. 

Ilya Sorokin putting in some offseason work!

Remember he wasn’t healthy last offseason so this is great to see. Hopefully Semyon Varlamov is progressing as well.#Isles will need excellent goaltending from their tandem next season. pic.twitter.com/5bNv3FVTv1

— Isles Den (@IslesDen) August 11, 2025

Sorokin posted a 30-24-6 record in 61 games, 60 starts, with a 2.71 GAA (second highest of career) and a .907 SV% (lowest of his career). 

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.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Philip Tomasino is heading into another contract year for the 2025-26 season. He had a year left on his contract going into the 2024-25 season before he was dealt to the Penguins by the Nashville Predators last November for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. 

Tomasino only had one assist in 11 games for the Predators before compiling 11 goals and 23 points in 50 games for the Penguins. He played up and down the lineup during the season and would have some good stretches mixed with some bad ones. 

He burst onto the scene right away with four points in his first five games, three of which were goals, before going pointless for his next six games. This inconsistency would continue for the rest of the season despite Tomasino getting a lot of minutes with second-line center Evgeni Malkin. The two played 250:33 of 5v5 minutes this year, and the numbers were a mixed bag. When they were on the ice together, they had a 48.2% CF%, 48.2% of the expected goals, 50.8% of the scoring chances, and 50.4% of the high-danger chances. 

Tomasino enjoys playing with Malkin, as evidenced by their good moments early in his first season with the Penguins. 

"I think we just complement each other really well," Tomasino said

Head coach Dan Muse may look to give them more minutes together, but Tomasino will have to earn those minutes since the top six looks really strong on paper right now. The Penguins still haven't dealt forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, and there's no guarantee that they will before the season. 

With them still in the fold, they will take up two of the top-six spots, as will Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The other two spots will be up for grabs and will have a lot of players jockeying for them, including Tomasino, Anthony Mantha, Tommy Novak, Rutger McGroarty, and Ville Koivunen. McGroarty and Koivunen looked great in their short stints to end the 2024-25 season after being called up from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. They got to spend time with Crosby and Malkin and looked ready to be full-time NHLers. 

If Tomasino loses out on a top-six spot to start the season, he could still secure a third-line role with Novak if Muse and Co. are successful. Novak and Tomasino are familiar with each other from their time in Nashville, and they looked solid when they were on the same line together, albeit for a small sample. They only played 67:50 at 5v5 during the 2023-24 season, but they made those minutes count, compiling 54.7% of the expected goals, 62.6% of the scoring chances, 64% of the high-danger chances, and a 55.7% CF% rate. 

Three of Tomasino's goals came on the power play last year, and he'll be a solid contender to be on the second PP unit again next season. His release is good enough to be utilized anywhere in the offensive zone, and he has a knack for scoring goals in big situations. For example, he had six game-winning goals last year, which was good for second on the Penguins. Only Crosby was ahead of Tomasino with 10 game-winning goals, which made sense because Crosby was the Penguins' best player last year. He finished the season with 33 goals and 91 points in 80 games. It was his third-straight 90+-point season despite being well into his 30s. 

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: Oft-Forgotten Part Of Jake Guentzel Trade Has IntrigueHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

The 2025-26 season will be another contract year for Tomasino after the Penguins re-signed him to a one-year, $1.75 million contract on July 1. He was originally a restricted free agent before the Penguins didn't give him a qualifying offer, allowing him to test free agency. Despite becoming an unrestricted free agent, he still decided to return to the Penguins, along with fellow forward Connor Dewar, who also wasn't given a qualifying offer by the Penguins. He signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Penguins on the same day as Tomasino. 

Tomasino is slated to be a restricted free agent again after this upcoming season, so the Penguins will control his rights into next summer unless they don't qualify him again. If he's more consistent this year, the Penguins may try to sign him for longer than a year since he's still only 24. The Penguins want young players like him to take the next step at the NHL level. He'll cost a bit more, but that won't be a problem for the Penguins since they will have over $40 million of cap space next summer. They won't spend all of it since they are still rebuilding, but they'll spend enough. It won't be a situation where the Penguins have to worry about barely getting above the cap floor.

With all of that in mind, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas will be keeping a close eye on Tomasino this year. 

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Still The Best After All These Years - November 16, 2009 - Volume 63, Issue 09 - KC 

BEST NOT TELL THE BIG BOSS about this. After all, it might affect Nicklas Lidstrom’s future with the Red Wings.

Sure, Lidstrom has been a standout for 18 seasons now, was an integral contributor to four Stanley Cups and has become one of the greatest defensemen in NHL history.

Little known fact, though: Lidstrom is a rebel. For example, two of his four boys, Adam and Samuel, play minor hockey in the Detroit Compuware AAA organization. In case you weren’t aware, Compuware is owned by Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos and is a huge rival of Wings owner Mike Illitch’s Little Caesars AAA organization.

Just so you know, Illitch and Karmanos aren’t exactly a modern-day version of Amos ’n Andy.

“I don’t even know if (Illitch) knows about it,” said Lidstrom, justifying his insubordination by explaining Compuware’s rink is about 10 minutes from his house.

Chances are, Illitch would probably be willing to overlook Lidstrom’s miscreance in return for a couple more seasons of work. Despite the fact Lidstrom turns 40 in April, there has been almost no drop-off in his performance level, as evidenced by the fact our panel identified him as having the best point shot, best first pass and being the top shut-down defenseman in the NHL, not to mention the best mentor.

There have been precious few players who have played at the elite level Lidstrom has at such an advanced age. Gordie Howe scored 103 points when he was 41 and Jean Beliveau was a point-per-game player while leading the league in playoff assists when he was 40. Doug Harvey won his last Norris Trophy at 37 and Chris Chelios was a runner-up for the Norris when he was 40.

Red Wings GM Ken Holland thinks Lidstrom could play another five seasons and chances are he’ll play at least a couple more in Detroit before hanging them up.

“I don’t think we’re going to wake up one day and say, ‘Holy cripes, what happened to this guy?’ ” Holland said.

Do a YouTube search of “Nicklas Lidstrom’s 1,000th point,” and you’ll see precisely why he’s considered the NHL’s best point man. He takes a half slapshot through a maze of skates, which hits Henrik Zetterberg’s stick and deflects to the top corner.

“THERE IS NO PRESSURE POINT WITH NICKLAS LIDSTROM”

“That really nails it,” Lidstrom said. “I kept my head up and I couldn’t get it on net, so I’m looking for Zetterberg’s stick. That’s the typical play I try to make.”

Lidstrom’s shot from the point isn’t about to blow by anybody. More than anything, it sneaks its way to where it wants to go.

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

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

Other Sabres Stories

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Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

#33 - Melvin Novotny - LW (Leksands IF Jr. - Sweden)

The Sabres had a trio of seventh-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, and with the first pick (195th overall) they selected left winger Melvin Novotny. The 18-year-old had a breakout season in the SHL junior system, scoring 38 points (12 goals, 26 assists) in 41 games for Leksands IF, and also played for Sweden at the World Junior under-18s. 

According to the Elite Prospects Draft Guide, the 6’1”. 187 lb. forward is considered a smart player, who is “a chess player that uses his teammates as his pawns, throwing them pucks to retrieve while himself moving into favourable positions in the offensive zone…..He’s not the most physical player overall, but has a knack of spinning away from checks and using contact as an advantage.”

Instead of following the usual path toward playing in the SHL, Novotny is heading to North America to play with Muskegon in the USHL and is committed to playing for U.Mass (Amherst) in 2026. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

The Carolina Hurricanes made two substantial moves this offseason to bolster their roster in pursuit of a Stanley Cup. 

The most highly coveted unrestricted free agent this offseason was arguably Nikolaj Ehlers. 

After most of the top free agents had already signed with their new respective teams, Ehlers was still pondering his next move. 

Ultimately, the Hurricanes won the sweepstakes for Ehlers as he signed a six-year, $51 million contract.

Carolina also took a big swing at defenseman K’Andre Miller, who has the potential to be a reliable blueliner for years to come, but he’s just yet to fully put all of the tools together. 

The Hurricanes acquired Miller in a sign-and-trade from the New York Rangers, and quickly signed him to an eight-year, $60 million contract.

Rod Brind'Amour feels that these two moves put the Hurricanes over the top. 

“If there's something out there that can make us better, we're going to try to figure out how to get it,” Brind'Amour said. “The additions were the best we could do. We just want to have a chance. I feel like we do.”

There Are Reportedly Over Five Teams Interested In Signing Jack Roslovic, Including The Maple LeafsTraining camps around the NHL are set to begin in just over a month, and Carolina Hurricanes forward Jack Roslovic remains unsigned. 

The Hurricanes have been a top contender in the Eastern Conference for years, but have never seemed to be able to get over the hump. 

We’ll have to see if Ehlers and Miller are able to change that.

The Buffalo Sabres' schedule has been out for a while now, but here at THN.com's Sabres site, we've been breaking down each Sabres opponent next season. And in this file, we're examining one of the NHL's best regular-season teams -- at the end of last season, at least -- the St. Louis Blues.

Last year, Buffalo won both games against St. Louis, but the Sabres avoided the Blues in the second half of the year, when they were an entirely different team. Buffalo and St. Louis will play relatively early this time around -- and will that make a difference in the bottom line between these two teams? Time will tell.

However, in the meantime, you can make your voice heard by leaving a comment below. And feel free to register as a community member on THN.com. Your voice is unique, and we want to hear it.

Former Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki was a guest on the Sens Nation Podcast this week, the official podcast of The Hockey News Ottawa, and shared some candid thoughts about fighting in today’s NHL.

During his NHL career with the Senators and the Nashville Predators, “Boro” never shied away from dropping the gloves, often taking on some of the game’s toughest heavyweights. Borowiecki played 458 regular-season NHL games, recording 15 goals, 56 points, and 848 penalty minutes. Known for his fearless, physical style and a strong work ethic, he was a fan favourite in Ottawa.

In my wide-ranging conversation with him this week, we covered a number of topics, including a recent Predators development camp where a Nashville reporter posted on-ice video of Borowiecki, now a development coach, demonstrating fighting tactics to young prospects.

Borowiecki explained that fighting advice is a very small part of the job, and with three children under five, his perspective on fighting in hockey has changed.

“I look at it from a different lens now, which maybe is wrong of me,” Borowiecki said. “For me, it was a way to survive in the league and make a name for myself. If I was coaching my son, I’d be focused on competing, playing hard, playing with some passion and emotion — and whatever results, results.

"I’m not going to encourage him to go fight. Maybe that’s your answer there. If that’s the way I’m going to approach it with my son, I’m not going to push other kids to. I don’t really have much desire to see 17-year-old kids hitting each other. It doesn’t do it for me in the junior level.

“Again, I want to see guys go out there and compete, play with passion, play with some aggressiveness, embrace the contact, embrace the confrontation — and whatever results, results. From a coaching standpoint, for me, it’s play hard, play extremely hard defensively, play hard offensively. Have that puck, be a pain in the butt to contain, to check, to cover. You know what? Sometimes when you play that relentless, high-energy style, things are (still) going to happen.”

Borowiecki also reflected on his transition to coaching, the evolution of fighting in hockey, and the challenges faced by today’s young players. He shared insights on the Senators’ push to return to the playoffs, praised the leadership of former teammate Brady Tkachuk, and offered thoughts on the coaching styles of Guy Boucher and D.J. Smith.

He also discussed his post-career health and answered some lighthearted hockey questions, showing the same honesty and personality that made him such a respected player in Ottawa.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

This article originally appeared on The Hockey News website: 
More Sens Articles:

Keith Tkachuk On Brady's Future In Ottawa: 'I Don't Think He's Going Anywhere'
Next NHL Expansion Fee May Be 40 Times More Than The Ottawa Senators Paid
The Ottawa Senators' 2025-26 Lineup Is Probably Already Set
Should Batherson Have Been Considered For Team Canada's Orientation Camp?
Mark Stone Jokes That It Wasn't Always Easy Playing On Brady Tkachuk's Line
2018 World Junior Trial Ends: Former Senator Alex Formenton Found Not Guilty

The Buffalo Sabres are facing enormous pressure to end their 14-year Stanley Cup playoff drought next season, and it's not hyperbole to say that the Sabres can't afford so much as a single off-night if they're going to be a playoff team. Every game really counts, and Buffalo needs to beat many above-average squads if they're going to earn a playoff berth in the highly-competitive Atlantic Division.

As such, the Sabres will be worth watching every game, because every game matters. And so we're examining each of Buffalo's opponents next year -- who each team has added, when they'll square off this year, and other relevant info -- and we're now well into the Central Division, witht the St. Louis Blues. The Blues are a strong team that didn't play well against Buffalo last year, but with some notable changes, that could change in the Blues' favor this time around. So let's get down to business, and break down the Sabres/Blues rivalry.

BUFFALO SABRES VS. ST. LOUIS BLUES

NEW BLUES PLAYERS: Pius Suter, C, Nick Bjugstad, C; Logan Mailloux, D

2024-25 SERIES: Sabres 2-0-0, Blues 0-1-1

2025-26 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER:  November 6 at Buffalo; December 29 at St. Louis

CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM?  There's a neat sense of deja vu when it comes to the Sabres and Blues playing each other this year and last year. On Dec. 29, 2024, Buffalo played St. Louis in St. Louis for their final game against each other. And on Dec. 29, 2025, the Sabres will be playing the host Blues. for their final game of next season. You don't see that every year.

In any case, the Blues came on strong late in the season last year to earn a Western Conference wild card playoff berth, but when they did get to the post-season, the Blues blew a late lead and lost Game 7 to the Winnipeg Jets, ending St. Louis' season in the first round. For as great a story as they were on that late-season run, the Blues showed their deficiencies in falling to the Jets.

So, armed with as much salary cap space as he could muster, Blues GM Doug Armstrong set out to bolster his lineup this summer. And he did just that, strengthening St. Louis down the middle, and giving an opportunity to a young defenseman he acquired at a fairly high price.

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Central Edition: Will Buffalo Sweep Series Vs. Sub-Par Nashville Predators Next Season?The NHL's 2025-26 schedule has been out for a while now, and THN.com's Buffalo Sabres site has been analyzing every team the Sabres will take on next season. We've worked our way through the Eastern Conference teams, and we're currently focusing on the Central Division teams. And in today's file, we're turning our attention to the Nashville Predators.

At center, Armstrong added two veterans -- first and foremost, former Vancouver Canuck Pius Suter, and then, journeyman Nick Bjugstad. Both players combined cost Armstrong $5.875-million -- not bad at all, especially given how this year's market for centers was a seller's market.

Elsewhere, Armstrong added 22-year-old defenseman Logan Mailloux in a trade with Montreal that sent 22-year-old winger Zac Bolduc to the Canadiens. Mailloux will start the season on the Blues' third defense pair, but he has the chance to work his way up the depth chart by quickly adapting to the NHL level.

So, the Blues team the Sabres will face this year is going to be much tougher than the one Buffalo faced in December of last year. Indeed, while the Sabres handled their business against St. Louis last year, the Blues were a tale of two teams -- one that was inconsistent early in the year, and the other was a legitimate powerhouse that bulldozed its way into the playoffs. The Sabres managed to avoid that powerhouse Blues team, and this time around, they won't be so fortunate.

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What we're ultimately saying here is that Buffalo will have a tall task trying to win both games against St. Louis next season. It's not out of the question that the Sabres can beat the Blues twice -- and to be sure, that's exactly what Buffalo should be aiming to do -- but if this St. Louis team is properly motivated, they're a handful for every NHL team, the Sabres included.

The Blues' many veterans won't forget that Buffalo beat them twice last year, and they'll want to avenge their losses to the Sabres. For that reason, St. Louis should expect to bounce back against Buffalo, and the Sabres need to prepare for a much tougher battle against the Blues next season.

As is normal, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a topic of discussion right now – specifically, when it comes to potential trades the Maple Leafs might be involved in. However, from this writer’s perspective, the Leafs can’t afford to throw in their remaining top young prospects in any trade. They’ve already mortgaged the future in recent years by parting ways with youngsters in their system, and they’re nearly completely bereft of high-end up-and-coming talent. And if that means they don’t go out and get a veteran like Calgary’s Nazem Kadri, so be it.

Indeed, the Leafs have said goodbye to many prospects of late: center Fraser Minten was dealt to the Boston Bruins for defenseman Brandon Carlo last season, and winger Nikita Grebenkin was shipped to Philadelphia for center Scott Laughton. While neither Minten nor Grebenkin will be all-stars anytime soon, they were valuable components of Toronto’s future.

And now, whether it’s OHL star winger Easton Cowan, defenseman Ben Danford or center Tyler Hopkins, the Leafs need to say “no” to including their top prospects in any deal. And that goes no matter what short-term fix we’re talking about for Toronto. Sure, you can probably get a few years out of 33-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust or 32-year-old Penguins forward Rickard Rakell, but is that worth losing out on a decade-and-a-half of a crafty performer like Cowan? We don’t think so.

Similarly, the Flames are going to want an arm and a leg for Kadri, who we still see as a good fit for Toronto. But Leafs GM Brad Treliving has to keep in mind the long-term good of the franchise, and that means holding hard to at least a handful of talents their scouting department has hit home runs with.

That’s certainly the case with Cowan, who may not be the next coming of former Leaf Mitch Marner, but who nonetheless has more skill than most Leafs prospects, if not all Leafs prospects. Trading him should be a non-starter for Leafs management. Because before you know it, Toronto will be at the end of its competitive cycle, and at that point, Leafs fans will be crying out in agony if the Leafs’ cupboard is basically bare.

Thus, there has to be some restraint on Treliving’s behalf when it comes to trading away prospects. The Maple Leafs are indeed built to win now, but it doesn’t make sense to knowingly abandon Toronto’s chances of staying competitive regardless of where they are in any particular season. Treliving has to draw a line somewhere, and we’re at that point where the line has to be drawn.

The Leafs are almost assuredly going to be a playoff team next season. But giving away everything in their prospect drawer just isn’t good management. There needs to be at least a few solid young players in Toronto’s system – and that can’t happen just to acquire the veteran-of-the-moment.

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