With the 2026 Rookie Faceoff just a couple of weeks away, the San Jose Sharks released their roster for the event on Tuesday. Surprisingly, Michael Misa and Igor Chernyshov who spent a considerable amount of time in the NHL last season were among those listed.
Full Roster:
Forwards:
Jordan Bax
Filip Bystedt
Igor Chernyshov
Aurelio Garcia
Andre Gasseau
Jake Gustafson
Brendan Hoffmann
Connor Lockhart
Cam Lund
Pavel Martinu
Michael Misa
Quentin Musty
Ivar Stenberg
Carson Wetsch
Defensemen:
Jake Boltmann
Mattias Havelid
Alexander Karmanov
Thomas Messineo
Mack Oliphant
Eric Pohlkamp
Leo Sahlin-Wallenius
Tristan Sarsland
Phillip Sinn
Goaltenders:
Matt Davis
Connor Hasley
Brady Knowling
The Sharks will play two games, the first on Saturday, September 12 against the Los Angeles Kings at 5 P.M, followed by a game on Sunday against the Utah Mammoth at the same time.
The Colorado Avalanche, Anaheim Ducks, and Vegas Golden Knights will also participate in the three-day event at Tech CU Arena and Sharks Ice at San Jose.
On Sunday, the hockey world was sent into a swirl over comments made by a former teammate of free agent forward Evander Kane.
The longtime NHL winger, who began his career as a member of the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets franchise after being selected fourth overall in 2009, has since bounced around the league.
Kane most recently playing for a last-place Vancouver Canucks team this past season after three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, the most notable stretch of his career, one that included two trips to the Stanley Cup Final. Kane remains unsigned heading into 2026-27, with some suggesting his off-ice reputation may be playing a role.
Gabriel didn't hold back, describing Kane as habitually late to team meetings and would routinely dress unprofessionally. He went further, calling Kane a bully who leaned on his toughness to intimidate teammates, while also acknowledging he personally wasn't intimidated and would confront him directly.
Peng, on the same episode, pointed out that San Jose's leadership group effectively pushed for Kane's exit, a situation that culminated in the Sharks terminating his contract in 2022 after he was found to have violated COVID-19 protocols at both the NHL and AHL level by attempting to use a fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination card.
Kane responded on social media to Gabriel's remarks with a cryptic message that read, in part, "I can't wait for the day I decide to share my truths. The only difference? Mine will come with facts, receipts, and the actual truth."
He continued, "a lot of people have become far too comfortable speaking publicly while relying on my silence. Enjoy it while it lasts. There are plenty of bombs with plenty of names attached."
I can’t wait for the day I decide to share “my truths.” The only difference? Mine will come with facts, receipts, and the actual truth.
For now, I’ll simply say this: a lot of people have become far too comfortable speaking publicly while relying on my silence. Enjoy it while it…
The BC native closed by suggesting that when the time is right, he'll address the claims directly, a comment that hints he may be waiting until retirement to offer more context on certain situations throughout his career that have often been viewed as problematic.
Kane will likely have plenty to address if that day comes, given he's never spent more than four seasons with the same team. Between 2013 and 2016, he faced a dismissed sexual assault lawsuit and an arrest for harassment and trespassing in Buffalo.
From 2019 to 2021, he was sued by a Las Vegas casino over roughly $500,000 in gambling debts before filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2021, listing $26.8 million in debt, and was also investigated by the NHL for alleged match-fixing, though he was cleared of betting on NHL games. Reports of friction with teammates have also followed him through stops in Winnipeg, Buffalo and San Jose.
Kane is now 35, but last season he still showed he can produce, finishing with 13 goals and 31 points on a struggling Canucks team. Whether any team is willing to take a chance on him now likely comes down to how front offices around the league weigh his remaining on-ice value against the mounting off-ice noise surrounding him.
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Arguably the most intriguing storyline going into training camp for the New York Rangers is the status of Alberts Šmits.
The Rangers selected Šmits with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to be a potential cornerstone for years to come.
A big reason the Rangers chose to draft Šmits over other defensemen in their range is that he’s considered one of the most pro-ready defensemen in the 2026 NHL draft class.
Playing at the Olympics, World Championship, and Liiga this past season, Šmits showed his maturity on the ice and cemented his status as a top prospect.
After some speculation about whether Šmits would take the professional hockey leap, he signed his entry-level contract with the Blueshirts, meaning he’ll either play in the NHL or the American Hockey League during the 2026-27 campaign.
The 18-year-old defenseman will have to compete for a spot on the Rangers’ opening-night roster, which will make for an intriguing thing to watch out for throughout training camp.
It will be an uphill battle for Šmits to make the Rangers’ roster, as the addition of Marcus Pettersson and the breakout of Matthew Robertson last season gives the team two left-handed blueliners to complement Vladislav Gavrikov.
Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury has also already made it clear that the organization does not plan on rushing Šmits’ development.
“We're gonna do right by him and the long-term health and well-being of him as a Ranger,” Drury said of Šmits. “This is not a sprint for him. We hope he's a rock-solid defenseman for the Rangers for the next 15 years. We're not going to put him in positions or situations that he can't handle. So excited to add him, but again, not going to do anything that's not in the best interest long term for him.”
We did see Noah Laba work his way into the lineup last year despite coming from the NCAA the year before, so it’s always possible for Šmits to earn a roster spot through his performance from both rookie and training camp.
Regardless of the eventual outcome, all eyes will be on Šmits once players report back to training camp in September.
With just over two weeks left before the Montreal Canadiens’ trading camp officially kicks off, RFAs Arber Xhekaj and Samuel Bolduc have yet to be signed to new contracts. While some believe it may be because they're part of an impending trade, it could also be that negotiations are taking longer than expected. But there’s another contract Habs fans should worry about: that of Martin St-Louis.
While not everyone was convinced that St-Louis was the man for the job when he was hired in February 2022 because of his lack of experience behind a professional team’s bench, he has since proven the naysayers that he could more than handle the role. Since taking on the role, the former NHLer has taken his team through the various stages of a rebuilt and has shown himself to be a great teacher for young players.
As his young team progressed, the coach raised his expectations and demands, shifting from a pure development stage to one focused on results. Gone are the days when the Canadiens were just trying to gain experience; now, they are trying to win and make a name for themselves as Stanley Cup contenders.
Much like his players, St-Louis struggled the first time he took them to the playoffs. Their first series against the Washington Capitals was short-lived as the inexperienced group was eliminated in five games. The following year, though, the coach proved up to the challenge in the first round against Jon Cooper and the Tampa Bay Lightning. After sticking to his guns in believing that his first line could figure out the match-up games, he eventually realized that it needed help, and he got the better of Cooper in the match-up duel, leading the Canadiens to the second round.
The duel against the Buffalo Sabers wasn’t always pretty, but the Habs came out on top after a thriller of a seven-game series. The team ran out of gas in the Eastern Conference Final, as St-Louis had no answer for the Carolina Hurricanes’ perfectly executed system. Still, taking such a young team this far was an achievement, and when he spoke to the media at the end of the playoffs, GM Kent Hughes said a contract extension was in the cards for the bench boss.
The results have been great, players have repeatedly stated that they like playing for the Hall of Famer and it would be highly surprising if the pilot was to start the season without an extension in his back pocket. Is this a question of the Canadiens saving the signing announcement to have something to talk about at the September 14 golf tournament? It could very well be, just like Ivan Demidov’s contract extension took some of the attention away from the fact that Hughes didn’t make any signings in free agency, a St-Louis contract extension would put the projectors on the coach instead of on the GM who has yet to manage to make any needle moving deal this summer.
When St-Louis was initially appointed as coach on February 9, 2022, he was hired on an interim basis, but he was officially named the 32nd head coach in franchise history on June 1, 2022. He had a contract that covered the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. On April 24, 2024, the Canadiens announced that they had chosen to exercise their option on St-Louis’ contact and that he would be back for three seasons. Now that two of those are in the books, it’s time for the coach to put pen to paper again, but aside from Derek Lalonde’s hiring, it’s been all quiet on the coaching front this summer.
Starting the season without a new contract wouldn’t be great for stability and could make players wonder if St-Louis is all in, as they are. Last season, the coach mentioned that he was looking forward to this year because his wife could finally join him in Montreal with the couple’s three children no longer living at home in Connecticut. If anything, that new reality should make it even easier for him to commit to the team.
A lot can change over the span of a decade for an NHL franchise, especially when it comes to prospect lists. Some players live up to their potential, while others may never play a game for the organization that drafted them. It is also a fun exercise to look back and debate which players should have been drafted higher, and which ones are now considered draft busts.
Every year, The Hockey News puts out a list of an organization's top 10 prospects. These lists can be found in The Hockey News' Archive, which holds every issue published. With this in mind, here is how The Hockey News ranked the top 10 prospects for the Vancouver Canucks heading into the 2016-17 season.
1) Defenceman Olli Juolevi: A smart player who reads the game extremely well. Poised and smooth with the puck.
2) Goaltender Thatcher Demko: Intelligent and driven, he has shown improvement in his positioning and tracking.
3) Right Winger Brock Boeser: A blend of power and finesse, he shows no fear taking the puck to the net. excellent release.
4) Left Winger Brendan Gaunce: Must recover the edge that had him almost make the Canucks out of camp last year.
5) Defenceman Jordan Subban: An offensive force, great with the puck on his stick. Much improved defensively.
6) Defenceman Guillaume Brisebois: All-situations defenseman with smarts. Smooth skating gives him excellent mobility.
7) Defenceman Andrey Pedan: A tough, physical defenseman. Positionally sound in his own end and a solid skater.
8) Defenceman Nikita Tryamkin: Will be an imposing figure on an NHL blueline once he adjusts to the North American game.
9) Right Winger William Lockwood: Small, quick, offense-oriented player. Must bulk up during tenure at Michigan.
10) Right Winger Cole Cassels: A versatile player who could fit a penalty-killing role. His offense dried up as a rookie pro.
Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Olli Juolevi poses for a photo after being selected as the number five overall draft pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
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.
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The next wave of Los Angeles Kings prospects is about to get its first opportunity to make an impression.
The Kings announced their 27-player roster for 2026 Rookie Camp on Tuesday, with a group that includes two players who already reached the NHL last season, five members of the team’s 2026 draft class and a collection of prospects who spent time developing with the Ontario Reign.
Rookie Camp will run from Sept. 11-15 at Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, Calif., while the Kings will also participate in the 2026 Rookie Faceoff in San Jose during the same five-day window.
The roster features 14 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goaltenders, giving Los Angeles an early look at several of the young players who could eventually form part of the organization’s next NHL core.
Among the most recognizable names are forwards Jared Wright and Kenny Connors, both of whom made their NHL debuts with the Kings during the 2025-26 season.
Fourteen players from last year’s Rookie Camp group are returning, including defensemen Henry Brzustewicz and Jared Woolley.
Woolley enters his third Rookie Camp with some impressive junior numbers behind him. The defenseman posted a plus-32 rating across 66 games split between the London Knights and Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League last season, ranking eighth among OHL defensemen and 17th among all skaters.
Brzustewicz, meanwhile, followed up a strong sophomore season by emerging as one of the OHL’s more productive offensive defensemen. He recorded 54 points on 19 goals and 35 assists in 59 games, tying for third among league defensemen in goals while finishing seventh in points.
Los Angeles will also get an early look at five players selected by the organization at the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York.
That group includes second-round defenseman Adam Goljer, selected 49th overall, and forward Liam Lefebvre, who went 46th overall. Defenseman Giorgos Pantelas was selected 153rd, Lucas Ambrosio went 223rd and goaltender Yegor Rybkin was taken 89th overall.
The Kings’ prospect pool will have plenty of professional experience in the room as well.
Eleven players on the Rookie Camp roster appeared in the AHL with the Ontario Reign last season, including Wright, Connors, Kenta Isogai, Jack Hughes, Kaleb Lawrence, Koehn Ziemmer and Brendan Gorman among the forwards.
Defensemen Jakub Dvořák, Kirill Kirsanov and Brzustewicz also saw time with the Reign.
Goaltender Hampton Slukynsky is another player to watch after beginning his professional career with a perfect 2-0-0 record, a 1.00 goals-against average and a .957 save percentage.
He will have a familiar face alongside him in camp. Slukynsky will be joined by his brother, Grant, marking the first Rookie Camp appearance for the two brothers with Los Angeles. The pair previously played together at Western Michigan University.
Kings Set For Six-Team Rookie Showcase
Los Angeles will then take its prospects to San Jose for the 2026 Rookie Faceoff, where the Kings will compete against five other Western Conference organizations: the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights.
The tournament begins Sept. 12, with all six teams in action that day and again on Sept. 13. After a day without games on Sept. 14, the tournament concludes Sept. 15 with Utah facing Los Angeles.
The Kings will open the tournament against San Jose on Sept. 12 before facing Anaheim the following afternoon. Their final game comes against Utah on Sept. 15.
The complete schedule is:
Saturday, Sept. 12
Colorado vs. Anaheim — 1 p.m. PT
Utah vs. Vegas — 3 p.m. PT
Los Angeles vs. San Jose — 5 p.m. PT
Sunday, Sept. 13
Vegas vs. Colorado — 1 p.m. PT
Anaheim vs. Los Angeles — 3 p.m. PT
San Jose vs. Utah — 5 p.m. PT
Monday, Sept. 14
No games scheduled
Tuesday, Sept. 15
Utah vs. Los Angeles — 1 p.m. PT
Rink assignments for the individual games have not yet been announced.
Before the tournament begins, Kings fans will have an opportunity to see the prospects on the ice in El Segundo. Los Angeles will hold one Rookie Camp practice open to the public on Friday, Sept. 11, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the NHL sheet at Toyota Sports Performance Center.
For the Kings, the week represents more than the traditional opening of prospect camp. With NHL debuts already under their belts, a handful of recent draft picks entering the organization and several players coming off professional seasons, Los Angeles will have a deeper look at the young talent that could shape the franchise’s future.
If there was any doubt about Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck's intentions heading into next season, the Hart and Vezina Trophy winner made it clear late last week when he confirmed through his agent that he has requested a trade. The 33-year-old had knee surgery, and a career-worst .895 save % with the Jets last season, but still played 57 games (23-23-11) and was the key to Team USA’s gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
The Buffalo Sabres were connected to Hellebuyck around the NHL Draft in late June, but Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could not find common ground on a deal. The conventional wisdom is that now that Hellebuyck has made his trade request public, that Cheveldayoff is not in as strong a negotiating position to get the best deal for the netminder, but he reportedly is open to going to a wide swath of teams.
Unless Hellebuyck is prepared to hold out, Winnipeg could wait into the season for the right return for such a valuable commodity.
The Sabres could be in the mix for Hellebuyck, but deals that had previously been offered that included goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen might be off the table, since he has a five-team no-trade clause that could block a trade to Winnipeg. It is expected that any deal involving Buffalo would include one of their young centers (Noah Ostlund or Konsta Helenius), one of their top prospect defenseman (Daxon Rudolph or Radim Mrtka) and/or an established NHL forward (Jack Quinn or Ryan McLeod).
Other teams could be in the mix for the veteran netminder, either to get them into the playoff mix, or to elevate them from a consistent postseason entrant to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
Utah Mammoth
Team Status: The Mammoth made the postseason in their second year after the move from Arizona, and possess one of the best group of young talent in the NHL, but GM Bill Armstrong still has some critical areas to fill to make them a contender in the Western Conference. The club added defenseman MacKenzie Weegar at the trade deadline to shore up their blueline, and added some much-needed experience up front by acquiring center Vincent Trocheck from the NY Rangers, and signing forward Anders Lee in free agency.
Current Goalie Situation: Utah has leaned heavily on workhorse Karel Vejmelka, playing the Czech netminder 122 games over the last two seasons, but last season, in spite of a sub .900 save %, the 30-year-old went 38-20-3. The club made an investment in a goalie of the future in Sebastian Cossa, trading a 2026 first round pick to Detroit to get the 23-year-old in hopes of him taking some of the burden off of Vejmelka.
Assets To Trade: Utah has boatloads of young prospects that Cheveldayoff would crave in a deal for Hellebuyck. Vejmelka is entering year two of a five-year extension making $4.75 million, but he has a 10-team no-trade list that could make including him in a trade troublesome. Cossa has no protection. Prospects such as 2024 first rounder Tij Iginla, or 2025 top pick Caleb Desnoyers would likely be on Winnipeg’s wish list, but Armstrong’s willingness to swap such valuable prospects would depend on whether he believes that Hellebuyck would be a considerably upgrade on his current status in net, and whether he would be someone who could elevate the Mammoth to the level of Dallas, Colorado, Minnesota, Edmonton and Vegas.
It is hardly a secret that the Philadelphia Flyers took a huge step forward last season on the back of newcomer Trevor Zegras, but we may not be giving Zegras enough credit for his contributions and impact.
Zegras, 25, was the premier addition for the Flyers heading into the 2025-26 season, coming over from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for bottom-six center Ryan Poehling, a second-round pick (Eric Nilson), and a fourth-round pick (Brayden Klimpke).
All he did after that was rank third on the Flyers in goals with 26, trailing Travis Konecny by one and Owen Tippett by two, and second in points, with his 67 just barely behind Konecny's 68.
But, despite a career resurgence and establishing a new career-high in points, Zegras isn't quite considered one of the top 20 centers in the NHL just yet.
The NHL Network recently released its list of the 20 best centers in the NHL, and the Flyers, Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Utah Mammoth, and Minnesota Wild were the only playoff teams without a center making the cut.
Players like Dylan Larkin (20th), Tage Thompson (19th), Connor Bedard (16th), and Leo Carlsson (14th) are among those whose places on the list could be contested the most, and to be clear, it is absolutely a tough conversation with any of these players.
While he didn't make the list, Zegras should at least be in the conversation, however, and the upcoming 2026-27 season will only cement that further.
Zegras made a massive early impact with the Flyers
(Photo: Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
It is indisputable that the Flyers were much better last season with Zegras on the ice compared to when they were without him.
According to MoneyPuck, Zegras led the team in relative expected goals percentage (6.6%) at 5-on-5, meaning the Flyers owned 6.6% more of the expected goals with Zegras compared to without him.
Diving in further, we can look to Natural Stat Trick to see that, with Zegras on the ice, the Flyers had a 49.65% Corsi at 5-on-5 as well as a 53.57% expected goals percentage, a 51.54% share of the scoring chances, a 56.65% of the high-danger scoring chances, and scored 32 high-danger goals compared to opponents' 21 (60.38% share).
Without Zegras on the ice, the Flyers had a 46.87% Corsi, a 49.29% expected goals percentage, a 47.89% share of the scoring chances, a 51.02% share of high-danger chances, and were out-scored 46-45 in high-danger goals (49.45% share).
To earn the national recognition he deserves, the former No. 9 overall pick will likely need to cross the 30-goal and 70-point thresholds, which the Flyers can achieve by footing a better offense in general, and especially a power play that doesn't rank 32nd in the NHL out of 32 teams--last.
Zegras is a part of that power play and offense, yes, but further development and improved contributions from the likes of Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, Tyson Foerster, Alex Bump, and Denver Barkey will go a long way, too.
And maybe defenseman David Jiricek can provide the spark the power play needs from the point.
On Aug. 3rd, the New York Islanders announced that they had hired former Boston Bruins assistant general manager and Providence Bruins general manager Evan Gold to serve as an assistant general manager to general manager Mathieu Darche and general manager of the Hamilton Hammers, the club's AHL affiliate.
In a world where we've seen a shift from hard-nosed hockey guys to analytic gurus in NHL front offices, Gold views himself as a hybrid. He was a finalst for two general manager positions, coming very close to being named the next general manager of the Vancouver Canucks, but ultimately did not take the job.
He now joins an Islanders team that has a bright prospect pool.
Gold joined Jeff Marek on The Sheet Tuesday afternoon. Heres's the key takeaways from his chat.
Marek asked Gold how he viewed the Islanders when he was with Boston and how he views them now:
"I don't know that it's any different than how I see them now, really," Gold said. "They're a transitional team, with some really good veterans, and what appears to be a generational defenseman. They have really strong goaltending and now with Pete [DeBoer] here, especially, a veteran coach who's had tremendous success pretty much everywhere he's gone, so that really exciting for me. Coming to work for a leader like Mathieu [Darche], who I've known personally for several years, all of that together, and what I think we could build here is what was really exciting for me."
Marek then asked Gold about how important it is that first-year AHL coach Jay McKee mimicks DeBoer's NHL squad:
"I'll probably leave those initial conversations between Pete and Jay," Gold said. "I will say philosophically at a high level, it's important to me that the minor league team mirror the major league team, the NHL team, with certain non-negotiables. I do think when you call up a defenseman to throw him into a totally different in-zone structure than what he's used to playing for the previous 40 games he's played, that's a challenge, especially for younger players who might not have experienced different systems. So, again, just superficially talking, Jeff, I I do think it's important that the coaches get on the same page of what are my non-negotiables, what are the things that our players have to absolutely know how to do. It could be system stuff. It could be certain things in terms of wall play, it could be stick positioning, penalty kill, things like that.
"I don't know that it's realistic for exact mirroring AHL to NHL, and frankly, I'm not sure I would advocate for that. I think as you move away from the net, you probably can have a little more freedom. If Jay has certain things that he has had success with at the OHL level that he thinks, 'I'd like to try this here', I think there's certainly a discussion that the coaches can have. But those are just my two cents on that."
And the last big question from Marek to Gold was how he sees the Hamilton Hammers and what they're there for, winning or developing:
"We want to develop players for the New York Islanders, develop the future of the New York Islanders in a highly competitive environment," Gold said. "Part of development is winning. We want our players to quickly become accustomed to what success feels like, both personally and as a team member. So I do think you can and frankly should strive to do both. I know there are times when either outwardly or even inwardly it can be perceived that they're banging into one another, and you'll always make decisions based on what you think is is best at this at that specific instance, but again, we want to compete. We want to win hockey games. We all are competitive individuals, and we want our players to achieve their absolute maximum ability. And that's that's not just the young players too.
"Obviously, the young players are the future of the Islanders, but we're going to have some really important veteran players that might be relied on for very important roles at various points of the season could be in New York. It could be for helping to develop players who are going to be counted on either in the short term or long run. You know, on Long Island. So all of that is-it's not a way of evading your question. The answer is both."
Since taking over as general manager last summer, Darche has focused heavily on developing a much stronger developmental system. Gold is the latest addition to that system and he'll have his work cut out for him in turning the top prospects into future NHLers while making sure Hamilton is a place players want to play and are proud to represent.
September is now upon us. That means cooler days, fewer mosquitoes (God willing), and the return of Senators hockey.
As we turn the page on the calendar and another summer, here are some of the key dates for the Senators.
Sept. 12–13: NHL Prospects Challenge in Gatineau
We're only 11 days away from the 2026 NHL Prospects Challenge in Gatineau, where Senators rookies will take on their counterparts from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.
The Senators haven't yet released their roster for the event, but in general, their list of prospects is as good as it's been in several years. Carter Yakemchuk, Jonas Lagerberg, Jaxon Cover, Kasper Halttunen, Logan Hensler, Adam Nemec, Blake Montgomery, Gabriel Elliason, and Lucas Beckman are just some of the more compelling names in the system.
Many of them, not all, will play in these two games.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss whether the Zetterlund-Eklund friendship means they'll be good linemates.
Sept. 15: The Deadline for Eight-Year Extensions
With the new collective bargaining agreement starting on September 16, this will be the final day NHL teams can re-sign players to eight-year contracts. Under the new deal, the maximum term for re-signing your own players is seven years. For all other contracts, the maximum is six.
So September 15 is relevant for both Drake Batherson and Artem Zub, two important Senators who are eligible to sign extensions but won't become unrestricted free agents until next July.
While there have been no whispers out of the Zub camp, he'll be 31 on opening night, so the Senators probably aren't looking at a max term for him or paying him until he's 40.
But there have been whispers out of the Batherson camp.
Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch says he's heard that Batherson would like to get that eight-year term. If it is God's Plan for Drake to re-sign here, he'll likely be the highest-paid player in Senators history, probably getting somewhere around $9–10 million per season. If he waits and heads for the open auction of free agency, he'll likely get more annually.
If the two sides wanted to get something done this summer, and both were game to sign an eight-year deal by September 15, it would probably be done by now.
We'll find out if that's true two weeks from today.
Sept. 21–26: The Three Senators Preseason Dates
With the NHL season expanding to 84 games, the trade-off is a shorter preseason schedule. The Senators have only three preseason dates, but to maximize their time, two will feature split-squad games. All games will be against either the Habs or the Leafs.
They'll open the preseason on September 21 against Montreal at the Colisée Vidéotron in Trois-Rivières. Unlike last year's less-than-successful “home” preseason games in Quebec City, the Sens won't be travelling quite as far to play in front of Habs fans. They also won't have to burn a home preseason date to do it.
This one is part of Kraft Hockeyville Canada. While Trois-Rivières is hosting the game, Saint-Boniface, Quebec, is this year's recognized community.
A series of split-squad games will follow. On Wednesday, September 23, a portion of the players participating in training camp will travel to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs. At the same time, the Leafs will send a group to Ottawa to face the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre.
The same scenario will be repeated on Saturday, September 26, when the Senators and Canadiens face off simultaneously in Montreal and at the CTC.
Sept. 29: NHL Regular-Season Opening Night
The first game features the Florida Panthers visiting the Carolina Hurricanes at 5 pm, a battle between the winners of the last three Stanley Cups.
Even though the Senators were eliminated by the Hurricanes in the first round back in April, most of their fans will be cheering loudly for the 'Canes as they take on Florida newcomer Brady Tkachuk, who completely bailed on Ottawa in the offseason by asking for a trade. He'll be in white for the visiting Panthers, wearing the unfamiliar No. 8 and probably asking Jordan Staal for a pregame fight..
The evening also includes the classic Canadian matchup, the OG, with the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 pm.
The Senators won't open their regular season until Saturday, October 3, in Toronto. Their first three games will be on the road, with stops in Boston and Detroit on October 5 and 6. Ottawa's home opener is Thursday, October 8.
Also mixed in there this month is the team's annual golf tournament, the probable naming of a new captain, and later this week, their annual media season launch event.
In the meantime, welcome to September. Sens hockey is almost back.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest THN Ottawa headlines below:
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 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 82 NHL games.
8. Prokhor Poltapov – Left Wing (CSKA Moscow – KHL)
The Sabres went heavy on Russians in the 2021 NHL Draft, and the first one selected was winger Prokhor Poltapov with the first pick in the second round (33rd overall). The St. Petersburg native scored 25 goals at the junior level and seven points for Russia at the IIHF World Junior under-18s in 2021.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
Similar to third-rounder Stiven Sardarian in the same draft, Poltapov is a product of the CSKA Moscow system, but opted to stay in Russia while Sardarian headed to North America to play in the NCAA. In 2022, he split time almost equally between the junior MHL, the second pro-level VHL and the KHL.
In his first two KHL seasons, he posted just 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 112 games in a depth role. but broke out offensively with 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 68 games, and last season led CSKA with 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 68 games.
Poltapov is under contract for another season, but after the NHL Draft, Sabres assistant GM Jerry Forton indicated that the 6’0”, 176 lb. winger could join the club after the KHL season ends.
“We consider him almost a plug-and-play prospect the day he’s ready to come over, which I think should be next year,” Forton said. “I think he’s very much a guy that can come in and make an impact the day he gets over here.”
As the anticipation for the 2026-27 NHL season grows, TheHockeyNews.com will be taking a look at the top 10 prospects in the St. Louis Blues' system, with skilled, two-way right-handed defenseman Adam Jiricek coming in at the third spot.
The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all 23 and under. Therefore, players like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Logan Mailloux, among others, won't feature in this ranking for those reasons.
The order of these rankings reflects a mix of their ceilings and potential, as well as how they've performed over the past year with their respective clubs.
The top-rated defenseman in the St. Louis Blues prospect pool is none other than Adam Jiricek. Up until the 2025-26 season, injuries had hampered Jiricek's ability to shine, but he was healthy throughout the entire campaign and looked every part of the 16th overall pick of the 2024 NHL draft.
Jiricek played his second season with the OHL's Brantford Bulldogs, scoring 19 goals and 59 points in 55 games. His 59 points ranked fourth among defensemen in the OHL, and his 19 goals ranked third. When the playoffs rolled around, Jiricek kept his pace, notching seven goals and 22 points in 15 games, ranking third in goals and points on the Bulldogs.
While his offensive numbers shone, his defensive game never wavered, as evidenced most clearly by his exceptional performance at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
Jiricek and Jakub Fibigr skated together on the top pairing for Team Czechia and were dynamite. Jiricek finished the tournament with five goals and six points in seven games, earning best defenseman honors as Czechia won silver. But Jiricek and Fibigr were tasked with playing heavy minutes against opponents' top lines, routinely shutting them down.
Although Jiricek has had several brilliant tournaments, it was his best two-way display of his career up until that point.
The 20-year-old's season ended early when the Bulldogs, who were favorites to win the OHL Championship for most of the season, were eliminated from the playoffs. The Blues took that opportunity to bring him to the Springfield Thunderbirds, where he skated in six post-season games. He failed to record any points, but the fact that coach Steve Ott trusted a rookie defenseman to play in six playoff games is impressive in itself.
Jiricek is now poised to participate in his rookie season in the AHL, with high expectations. Standing 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Jiricek boasts a strong frame for an NHL defenseman. His size should allow him to defend the front of his net and deal with the physicality of the AHL, but where he'll thrive is in his puck-moving.
Jiricek is a mobile defenseman who can retrieve dump-ins and quickly initiate breakouts. Whether it's with a heads-up first pass or by taking the puck solo, Jiricek is very effective at moving the puck in a positive direction.
When in the offensive zone, Jiricek showed more confidence in the OHL and at the world juniors to jump into play, whether off the rush or on the cycle. With the puck on his stick at the blueline, he is a threat to feather a pass to a teammate or fire off a heavy shot. He possesses a strong slap shot, especially off a one-timer.
His offensive skill set should allow him to quarterback a power play at the NHL level, but whether it's on a top unit or second unit remains to be seen.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 2: Fedor Svechkov #40 of the Nashville Predators skates before the game against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on April 2, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by Mile High Hockey staff members. Seven writers have ranked players under the age of 25 in the Colorado Avalanche organization as of September 1, 2026. Now, we’ll count down each of the 25 players ranked.
Name: Fedor Svechkov
Age: 23
Position: C
Height: 6’0”
Likely 2026-27 Team: Colorado Avalanche
Weight: 187 lbs.
2025 Rank: N/A
Final Rank: #4
High Rank: #1 (Adrian)
Low Rank: #25 (Brennan)
2025-26 Statistics:
Nashville Predators: 70GP: 4G, 13A, 17P
Milwaukee Admirals (AHL): 10GP: 5G, 3A, 8P
Of all the recent additions, center Fedor Svechkov has the best chance of making an impact for the Colorado Avalanche. Acquired in June as part of the Jack Drury trade from the Nashville Predators along with Zach L’Heureux, Svechkov brings a notable amount of NHL experience over two seasons. That total number of 122 games, including 70 last season, is the most of anyone on our ranking and helped catapult the 23-year-old into our top five.
Svechkov is another new face to the organization with first round pedigree taken at 19th overall in the 2021 draft and he arrived to the Predators organization with high hopes after spending two seasons playing for various teams at multiple levels in Russia. In the 2023-24 season the young center began his North American career in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals where he scored 39 points in 57 games. After that he was on a path to big league graduation spending 52 and then 70 games in the NHL with Nashville scoring 17 points in each season. Svechkov might have left the AHL behind entirely but the Olympic break sent him back to Milwaukee to play 10 games in early 2026 where he scored eight points in that brief sojourn.
If there’s one player on our ranking that has a spot penciled onto the current Avalanche roster it’s Svechkov. It’s easy to see him as a direct Jack Drury replacement in the lineup at fourth line center and GM Joe Sakic even said so after acquiring the Russian. Svechkov has a little experience with the penalty kill and was drafted with scouting reports pointing towards attributes he possesses of a well-rounded two-way forward. He will have to improve on his 40% career faceoff win rate but most young centers need development in that area.
It’s easy to see Svechkov will spend significant time with the Avalanche because he’s no longer waiver exempt and also the fact that by taking on the contract Svechkov signed earlier in the year with Nashville, the Avalanche will owe him $1.25 million each year over the next two seasons. There’s a lot of incentive for both parties to make this opportunity work, which is why Svechkov lands at number four with a chance to take over the consensus top spot if this year goes well.
May 24, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) warms up before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights in game three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Stephen R. Sylvanie/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The title still is sinking in for Cale Makar — highest paid player in NHL history.
With it, of course, comes great expectations for the Colorado Avalanche standout defenseman. Like more gaudy stats and deep Stanley Cup runs. Pressure becomes part of the price tag for signing an eight-year, $163.2 million extension that kicks in next season. Pressure, the two-time Norris Trophy winner asserted, he welcomes.
“I’m a guy that just puts a lot of pressure on myself to do well year in, year out,” Makar said at a news conference on the heels of a deal he signed that will keep him with Colorado through the 2034-35 season. “It’s going to make me even push myself a little bit more.”
The 27-year-old Makar took becoming the league’s first player to sign for more than $20 million a season in stride. He’s already predicting the figure won’t stand for long. It could be Edmonton’s Connor McDavid or Toronto’s Auston Matthews, who are eligible for extensions next summer. Down the road, it might be Makar’s teammate Nathan MacKinnon.
“I fully expect Nate to even double what this is right now,” cracked Makar, who’s turned in four 20-goal seasons in his career. “It’s incredible to see where the game is going.”
No doubt, the Avalanche are in a championship window with two of the top players in the game — Makar and MacKinnon — on the roster. Makar’s new salary ($20.4 million) in 2027-28 will take up roughly 18% of the projected salary cap. That season will also see MacKinnon slated to have a cap hit of $12.6 million and Martin Necas $11.5 million.
Joe Sakic, the Hall of Fame forward turned front-office executive, downplayed the notion this could make the Avalanche too top heavy.
“You can’t win without superstars,” Sakic said. “Yeah, you need depth. You need your team playing really well at the right time. ... Unless you have guys like Cale and Nate on your team, it makes it a lot harder.”
That belief only was bolstered by what transpired in the Western Conference Final when Makar missed the opening two games due to an upper-body injury. Makar, clearly not at full strength, returned for the final two games in a series in which the Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights.
“You need your stars to be on the ice for you, and you need them to play well,” Sakic explained. “That definitely hurt. I mean, it’s a big reason why we were 0-2, and a big reason why we lost the series.
“Him and Nate, they created such a great culture in our dressing room, and moving forward, you need that. Not just winning games, but we’re in an entertainment business, too, and how lucky are we to be able to watch these guys in an Avs uniform? ... We’re all spoiled a little bit to have them in our organization and to watch them play on a regular basis.”
Makar already can feel a sense of excitement brewing around the team. A chance at redemption, too.
“We’ve created such a great culture here,” said Makar, who had 20 goals and 59 assists last season. “When guys get here, they know it’s going to be hard work, but it’s exciting because you know it’s going to be worth it, hopefully.”
The nucleus of Makar, MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog lifted Colorado to a Stanley Cup title in 2022. Makar had eight goals and 21 assists during the championship run to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.
“He’s a generational player — unreal to watch,” Sakic said. “Fan favorite.”
For Sakic, including a no-movement clause in the deal was a no-brainer.
“Cale’s that player who has the right and should have the right to dictate where he wants to play for his entire career,” Sakic said. “There wasn’t even a thought on that.”
In Makar’s mind, signing for eight years was important for clarity “in the sense of the direction that we want to go,” Makar explained. “As a player, all you want to ask for is to win.
“Obviously we’ve done it once, and I really don’t want that to be the end because once you feel it, you want to get it again.”
The NHL’s salary landscape is changing quickly, and the Vegas Golden Knights may have found themselves on the right side of that curve.
When Kelly McCrimmon committed more than $25 million annually to Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner, the contracts were viewed as massive investments in two of Vegas’ most important players. A year later, they suddenly look like bargains.
According to projections from AFP Analytics, Eichel’s current $13.5 million annual salary could have climbed to roughly $17.7 million if he were negotiating the same contract today. Marner, meanwhile, could command approximately $15.3 million annually — more than $3 million above the $12 million AAV attached to his eight-year deal with Vegas.
Combined, that is a projected $33 million per season for two players who currently cost the Golden Knights $25.5 million.
That difference illustrates just how dramatically the NHL’s financial landscape has shifted. A rising salary cap has created more room at the top of the market, while a new wave of superstar contracts has pushed the ceiling even higher. Macklin Celebrini and Leo Carlsson have helped elevate the center market, Kirill Kaprizov has reset expectations for elite wingers, and Cale Makar’s recent $20.4 million AAV extension is another striking example of what the league’s best players can now command.
For Vegas, it also offers a reminder that timing can be everything.
McCrimmon and the Golden Knights made their commitments before the latest wave of contracts reset the market. What looked expensive at the time now looks considerably more manageable — and potentially one of the more important pieces of business the organization has done to keep its championship window open.
Eichel’s eight-year, $108 million extension officially begins this season and keeps him under contract through 2033-34. The deal made him the highest-paid player in franchise history when it was signed.
But Eichel has done little to make that price tag look excessive.
The 29-year-old center is coming off his second consecutive 90-point season, finishing last year with 27 goals and 63 assists for 90 points in 74 games. He has become the offensive centerpiece Vegas envisioned when it acquired him from Buffalo in 2021, and his production continues to place him among the NHL’s elite centers.
The timing of his extension now looks particularly significant.
Celebrini and Carlsson have helped push the center market into unprecedented territory, meaning Eichel would have entered negotiations with an entirely different financial landscape had Vegas waited.
Marner’s situation is similar.
Vegas acquired Marner from Toronto in a sign-and-trade last summer, immediately committing to him for eight years at $12 million annually. The move came with enormous expectations after nearly a decade in Toronto, where Marner established himself as one of the league’s most productive forwards.
His first regular season in Vegas was, by his standards, somewhat quieter.
Marner finished with 24 goals and 56 assists for 80 points in 81 games after recording 102 points in his final season with the Maple Leafs.
Then came the playoffs.
Marner produced 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points in 22 games, delivering the best postseason performance of his career as the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final.
Vegas ultimately fell to Carolina in six games, but Marner’s playoff run offered a glimpse of exactly why the organization was willing to make such a significant investment in him.
It also makes the projection particularly interesting.
If Eichel and Marner were entering negotiations today, Vegas could be looking at approximately $33 million annually for the pair rather than the $25.5 million it is currently committed to.
That is roughly $7.5 million in annual savings. Over seven years, the difference would exceed $52 million. That’s the kind of money that can fundamentally change the construction of an NHL roster.
It also changes the way McCrimmon’s contract decisions should be viewed.
The Golden Knights have occasionally been criticized for spending aggressively and handing out large contracts. But in this case, the timing appears to have worked decisively in their favor.
McCrimmon isn’t the only general manager who deserves credit for recognizing where the market was headed, either.
Former Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland made a similar bet last season when he signed Martin Necas to an eight-year, $92 million extension worth $11.5 million annually. At the time, the contract represented a significant commitment to a player who had never recorded a 100-point season.
Then Necas broke through.
In his first full season with Colorado, Necas reached the 100-point mark for the first time, making the contract look considerably more favorable in hindsight. As the NHL’s elite market continues to climb, that $11.5 million AAV could become another example of a team paying for star talent before the price of star talent skyrocketed.
McCrimmon didn’t necessarily have to predict exactly where the salary cap would go or which players would eventually reset the market. He simply had to recognize that elite talent was becoming more expensive and act before the next wave arrived.
He did.
So did MacFarland.
Now Vegas has two of its most important players locked into long-term contracts that would cost significantly more if negotiated in today’s market, while Colorado may have done something similar with Necas.
And that could become one of the biggest advantages for teams that recognized the changing financial landscape early.
What looked like a massive financial commitment when Vegas made it may eventually be remembered as a timely one. The same could be true of Colorado’s investment in Necas.
The NHL’s market is moving.
The Golden Knights, and teams like the Avalanche, may have moved before it did.
