Mar 28, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) gets set during a face off in the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Rick Osentoski/Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
CHICAGO — Patrick Kane has rejoined the Chicago Blackhawks, agreeing to a two-year, $16 million contract with his first NHL team.
The deal, which includes a full no-movement clause, was announced by the Blackhawks.
Kane, 37, became one of the NHL’s most dynamic players while spending his first 15-plus seasons in Chicago, helping the Blackhawks win three Stanley Cup championships. He ranks among the franchise’s career leaders with 446 goals, 779 assists and 1,225 points.
“Day in and day out for 16 seasons, Patrick captivated the city of Chicago with his dazzling skill, creating some of the most memorable moments in Blackhawks history as he helped bring our storied franchise back to the pinnacle of our sport,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a release. “He’s shown on countless occasions that he knows what it takes to win at the highest levels.”
The addition of Kane adds another offensive presence to a lineup that will begin the season without Connor Bedard, who had surgery on his left shoulder on July 8. Kane likely will play with Bedard when the 21-year-old center returns to the ice.
The rebuilding Blackhawks went 29-39-14 last season, an 11-point improvement on the previous season. The team has finished No. 31 in the NHL each of the past three years.
Chicago is looking for its first postseason appearance since the NHL used an expanded playoff format after the 2020 season was affected by the pandemic.
Kane isn’t same player he was during his first stint with the Blackhawks. But he had 16 goals and 41 assists in 67 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season. He has recorded at least 50 points in 18 of his 19 seasons.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft passed Mike Modano in January for the most NHL points by a player born in the United States. He has 508 career goals — fourth on the U.S. list — and 1,400 points in 1,369 regular-season games.
Kane was one of Chicago’s biggest stars during the best stretch in franchise history, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. The Blackhawks also made it to the Western Conference Final in 2014, losing to the Los Angeles Kings in an epic seven-game series.
Kane, who won the 2016 Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, was traded to the New York Rangers in February 2023. The Blackhawks then won the draft lottery and took Bedard with the No. 1 overall pick that same year. As reports swirled about the possibility of Kane returning to Chicago, Bedard openly embraced the idea.
“I can’t imagine his first game back at the (United Center), the reaction he’d get and how much juice that would bring to not only our team but our fans, as well,” Bedard said. “That would be incredible to play with him and learn from him. Hopefully he decides to come back.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed goaltender Jet Greaves to a three-year, $15 million contract through the 2028-29 season.
The deal was announced Thursday by general manager Don Waddell, who said "Jet is a high-character, talented and athletic goaltender who has become an important part of our hockey club. Our intent always was to get a deal done to ensure he remains a Blue Jacket and we are thrilled that we were able to do so.”
The 25-year-old Greaves finished 26-19-9 with a 2.60 goals-against average last season to become the fifth goaltender in franchise history to win 25 games in a season. He had two shutouts in 55 games. His .908 save percentage tied for sixth among NHL goaltenders.
In 76 career appearances, Greaves has a 36-28-11 record with a .913 save percentage and four shutouts. He made his NHL debut at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Greaves is a native of Cambridge, Ontario who made his international debut for Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Championships in Switzerland. He finished 6-2 in the tournament to tie for third in wins.
Blackhawks icon Patrick Kane is returning to Chicago.
The All-Star winger has signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the team that drafted him first overall in 2007 and he helped lead to three Stanley Cup titles over a six-season span.
Kane, 37, spent the last three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Playing the first 16 seasons of his NHL career in Chicago, Kane made an indelible mark on the franchise record book, ranking second in assists (779) and points (1,225), as well as third in career games played (1,161) and goals (446).
Kane, the 2008 NHL rookie of the year, helped the Blackhawks end a 47-year Stanley Cup drought in 2010.
Three years later, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in leading Chicago to another title. He added a third for good measure in 2015, when he led all scorers in the playoffs.
His best season came the following year, when he won the Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award after tallying 46 goals and 106 points in 2015-16.
The Blackhawks dealt Kane to the New York Rangers in a three-way deal in early 2023. He then signed a series of three successive one-year contracts with the Detroit Red Wings before ultimately deciding to return to the site of his greatest accomplishments.
“Day in and day out for 16 seasons, Patrick captivated the city of Chicago with his dazzling skill, creating some of the most memorable moments in Blackhawks history as he helped bring our storied franchise back to the pinnacle of our sport," Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement.
“He’s shown on countless occasions that he knows what it takes to win at the highest levels, and we couldn’t be prouder for Patrick to once again call the United Center home and continue to shine in Chicago’s brightest lights."
The NHL had a big signing on Thursday, as Patrick Kane reunited with the Chicago Blackhawks on a two-year, $8 million AAV contract. With this signing, a former Minnesota Wild forward is now the best UFA still on the market: Vladimir Tarasenko.
Now that Kane has been signed, it would not be surprising if Tarasenko's market heats up. The 34-year-old forward showed last season with Minnesota that he can still be a solid middle-six forward, evidenced by his 23 goals and 47 points in 75 games.
Teams looking for more offensive production should consider taking a flier on Tarasenko because of it. Even if he is no longer the star he was during his prime, he could still be a good pickup for a team needing more secondary scoring.
Tarasenko is also a two-time Stanley Cup winner, which undoubtedly adds to his appeal. This could help him grab the attention of some contenders, especially if he is willing to take a bit of a paycut at this point in the off-season.
It will be interesting to see where Tarasenko ends up signing this summer. Teams looking for more scoring and experience should have the veteran forward on their radar now that he is the NHL's top UFA.
In 906 career NHL games over 14 seasons split between the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, and Wild, Tarasenko has posted 327 goals, 382 assists, and 709 points.
Apr 28, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) looks on during the third period against the Minnesota Wild in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Jerome Miron/Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
FRISCO, Texas — Jason Robertson is happy to be with the Dallas Stars for another season, and not too concerned about the process that led to a $12 million contract to avoid a salary arbitration hearing only weeks after the team had a deal to trade him.
“What happened from then to now is, kind of doesn’t matter anymore,” Robertson said on his 27th birthday and a day after signing the one-year deal. “Just want to focus on having a great summer this year and coming into camp ready to go and trying to win a (Stanley) Cup.”
Robertson has averaged more than a point a game in his six full NHL seasons, all with the Stars — 490 points (213 goals and 277 assists) in 456 regular-season games.
He was their leading scorer with 96 points (45 goals and 51 assists) last season, and had five goals with three assists in six playoff games. His third 40-goal season wrapped up a four-year, $31 million deal before going into this offseason as a restricted free agent.
Without a contract extension, Robertson next summer could become an unrestricted free agent for the first time.
“At the end of the day, it’s a business for them, for me, everything. I don’t know their future plans, they don’t know our future plans either,” Robertson said on a Zoom call after skating in Michigan. “I’m sure we’re just both content to getting it done, having now the time to re-evaluate both of our futures.”
General manager Jim Nill said the Stars hope to reach a long-term extension, though the earliest they could sign such a deal would be Jan. 1. He said they would start working on it before then with a player he has called a franchise cornerstone.
“That’s our plan,” Nill said earlier in the day during an availability at team headquarters. “We’re happy he wants to be a Dallas Star. We want him to be a Dallas Star, and have those discussions. ... We want to make this work.”
Nill said different scenarios were discussed during these negotiations, including long- and short-term deals. He said Robertson’s representatives made it clear throughout the process that the forward wanted to be with the Stars.
“This was probably the best fit for this time,“ Nill said of the one-year contract.
Nill and Robertson both acknowledged their desire to get a deal done and avoid having to go through an arbitration hearing.
Robertson, the 39th overall pick in the second round of the 2017 NHL draft, has played in all 328 regular-season games the past four seasons. He has scored 365 points (155 goals and 210 assists) in that span.
His $12 million salary for 2026-27 will match forward Mikko Rantanen for the highest on the Stars. Rantanen just completed the first season of the eight-year, $96 million extension he signed to facilitate the deadline trade that brought him to Dallas from Carolina in March 2025.
The Stars had a sign-and-trade deal in place during the draft to send Robertson to Seattle for the seventh overall pick. While Robertson couldn’t veto that trade, he didn’t agree to a long-term deal with the Kraken — a reported $120 million over eight years ($15 million a season).
With veteran Tyler Seguin going into the final season of his contract that pays $9.85 million annually, and the NHL salary cap also increasing by almost that much next offseason, the Stars would be in a much better position to extend Robertson than they were now.
“I’m happy to happy to be playing with them starting in September,” Robertson said, “and see where it goes.”
Patrick Kane will officially not be joining the Buffalo Sabres.
The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they have signed Kane to a two-year contract with an $8 million average annual value.
The Sabres were heavily linked to Kane this off-season. However, instead of playing for his hometown team in Buffalo, Kane will instead be returning to the Blackhawks.
This is certainly tough news for the Sabres, as Kane would have had the potential to be a strong addition to their top six. Furthermore, with the Sabres moving on from Alex Tuch this off-season, Kane would have had the potential to be a nice replacement for him.
The Sabres will now need to explore their options elsewhere if they want to improve their forward group before the start of the season.
In 67 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings, Kane posted 16 goals, 41 assists, and 57 points. With numbers like these, the Blackhawks should benefit from having him back in their lineup. It will be interesting to see what he can do on a line with young star Connor Bedard.
Over the last couple of weeks, the report was that Patrick Kane was deciding between the Buffalo Sabres and the Chicago Blackhawks. Each market has significance to Kane for different reasons.
On Thursday, the Blackhawks announced that Kane had chose them. He is coming back to Chicago, where he became a hockey legend, on a two-year deal with an average annual value of $8 million.
During the 2022-23 season, the Blackhawks traded Kane to the New York Rangers for a playoff run. Every year since has been spent with the Detroit Red Wings, and now he's back with Chicago, where he spent the first 16 years of his NHL career.
With Kane comes a lot of experience that few players ever have. He has won the Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff MVP, the Hart Trophy as League MVP, and a scoring title (Art Ross Trophy). With that experience comes wisdom, which can help all of the younger players on the team.
The Blackhawks will be without Connor Bedard for the first month of the season, but he is sure to get some ice time with Kane at even strength and on the power play when he returns. Until then, it will be Anton Frondell and Frank Nazar's chance to play with the Chicago legend.
Kane was a productive playmaker in 2025-26 with 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points in 67 games played. That's not his career point-per-game pace, but it is a solid total for a player of his age. In 1369 games played, Kane has 508 goals, 892 points, and 1400 points. Now, at 37, he hopes to continue finding the fountain of youth with his new (and old) team.
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PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 24: Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel (81) skates during the second period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Colorado Avalanche on March 24, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We might still be a couple of months away from the start of the 2026-27 NHL season, but it is not too early to start taking a look at some projected performances for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season. So let’s start our yearly look at some over/unders.
We start today with Ben Kindel and some of the potential young players that could make an impact or see significant playing time for the Penguins this season.
Ben Kindel: Over/under 18.5 goals
The play of Ben Kindel was one of the biggest (and most surprising) developments for the 2025-26 Penguins. After being initially viewed as a potential reach and overdraft at no. 11 overall, Kindel arrived in Pittsburgh in training camp and kept checking every box along the way to eventually earn a spot on the opening night roster.
Then he stuck around beyond the opening nine games.
Then he ended up becoming one of their best all-around players at only 18 years old and scored 17 goals in 77 games.
His ceiling remains a bit of an unknown, but there is no reason why he can not be an outstanding No. 2 center for the next decade. And potentially more.
So what is a reasonable expectation for him going into year two?
Let’s just look at some comparable seasons and performances.
Since the start of the 2005-06 season there have been 11 players, outside of Kindel, that scored between 10 and 20 goals in their age 18 season in the NHL. Enough goals to be a full-time player, but not quite enough to look like an immediate superstar.
It’s a list that includes Andrei Svechnikov, Sam Gagner, Valeri Nichushkin, Evander Kane, Zach Benson, Kaapo Kakko, Aaron Ekblad, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Cole Sillinger, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and David Pastrnak.
There are a lot of REALLY good players on that list. Pastrnak and Svechnikov are the best-case scenarios. Nugent-Hopkins, Benson, or Nichushkin would be outstanding.
There are also some that kind of stalled out and disappointed.
But the one thing that stands out about almost all of their year two performance is that there was not always a huge immediate progression, and sometimes there was even a little bit of a regression.
Nugent-Hopkins, for example, scored only four goals in year two. Pastrnak scored just 15. Svechnikov was the only one that topped 20 in his second season. As a group, they averaged a 17-goal pace over 82 games in year two of their careers. Sometimes the sophomore slump and a regression is a real thing. It doesn’t mean the career doesn’t pan out. It just means progress and development is not always steady and consistent, and does not always work the same way for people. It is not always a steady, consistent line.
It’s also entirely possible that the goal-scoring numbers do not take a big increase, but that the player becomes a better all-around player.
So with all of that in mind, I am saying over/under goals for Kindel in 2026-27 is 18.5. That might seem underwhelming given his rookie total, but I think it’s right in line with what should probably be reasonably expected.
Rutger McGroarty: Over/under 10.5 goals
I still believe in McGroarty, and I still think he has a chance to have a good NHL career and be a player that can make it. It might not be a first-line star, but I could still see him being a very good second-line or middle-six winger. You still need players like that. It can be beneficial if they come from within the organization.
The 2025-26 season was a struggle for him as injuries limited his start to the season, and he never really got going at the NHL level. Or got much of an opportunity given how deep the roster turned out to be. At the moment, there is still a big-time log-jam at forward, but I still have to think (or want to think) he can force his way into the lineup at some point and produce.
I liked what I saw from him this past season, even if it didn’t always translate into offense at the NHL level. But he was still a point-per-game player in the AHL, and still showed some goal-scoring touch. Let’s set the over/under here at 10.5 goals.
Harrison Brunicke: 40.5 NHL games
I am not even looking at goals or total points here. Just NHL games. Brunicke’s development is going to be enormous for the Penguins for a couple of reasons.
For one, he is one of the prospects in the organization that might actually have top-line (or top-pairing) potential. He also showed enormous improvement as the 2025-26 season went on as he played in multiple different levels of the sport. By the time the season ended, he was playing a big-time role in the AHL as a 19-year-old, and was one of Wilkes-Barre’s most trusted and best all-around defensemen.
All of that is encouraging.
But it is also important to keep in mind he is still only going to be 20 years old and has still only played 20 games of pro hockey. The Penguins have a lot of options on defense right now, and especially on the right side, and his proper development still has to take priority over everything else. He is too important long-term to mess this up.
I do not necessarily think it would be a bad thing or hurt him to get some time in the AHL. It’s where he should have been this past season if he were eligible for it. But will he force the Penguins’ hand and play well enough to be an NHL regular? Or will the Penguins try to push him no matter what?
Ville Koivunen: 5.5 goals
This is not really a question of Koivunen’s ability or potential, but perhaps more of a question of whether or not the Penguins still believe in him.
I am not sure of the latter.
He was perhaps the most underwhelming of the Penguins young players in 2025-26, scoring just two goals in 39 regular season games.
For his career, he is only at two goals in 47 games.
There are still some things to like in his game. His possession metrics are consistently strong. He seems to be a good playmaker. He has been outstanding in the AHL. But something is missing when he gets to the top level, especially when it comes to his ability to get pucks on net and score goals.
The Penguins reportedly told him this was a big offseason for him, and the pressure seems to be on. He is going to be 23 years old this season, and while that is not old in hockey player years, it is starting to get into danger territory for prospects.
Bill Zonnon: 10.5 points
I do not expect Zonnon to start the season in the NHL, but I do think there is a real chance we see him at some point. Either as a temporary call-up in an injury situation, to replace somebody that is traded, or because he simply forces the issue and plays his way into a spot. At the time of the 2025 NHL Draft, it almost felt like he was the one guy among the three first-rounders that was the best bet to be an NHL-ready player. The way he arrived in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton late in the season did not really do anything to hurt that reputation. He was outstanding from the moment he arrived.
The most likely outcome for this season is that he gets a full season in Wilkes-Barre and becomes a bigger factor in 2027-28, but I am not going to eliminate the possibility of him exceeding that expectation. Will he get enough games, and play well enough, to top 10.5 points?
Sergei Murashov: .900 save percentage
If there is a prospect in the organization that has “franchise player” upside, it is most definitely Murashov.
The talent is there.
The ceiling is high.
His time in North America so far has been highlighted by dominant play and dominant numbers.
It is all very, very encouraging.
But he is a goalie, and still a young goalie with almost no NHL resume at this point. There is not a more volatile, more random, and more unpredictable type of player in the NHL than this. The ceiling is high. The floor is low. The Penguins seem ready to commit to him and Arturs Silovs as their goaltending duo for the season, and it will be the biggest X-factor in how their season goes.
Murashov might eventually end up reaching his ceiling at some point in the future. I do not expect it right away as a rookie. I would be happy with anything that is league average or above, and a .900 save percentage would be decently above the league average. Can he get there this season? It would be a nice step and a nice debut as a full-time NHL goalie if he can.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 03: Yegor Chinakhov #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores a goal between the legs of John Gibson #36 of the Detroit Red Wings during the first period at Little Caesars Arena on January 3, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.Pittsburgh defeated Detroit 4-1. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
A friend of mine offered an interesting question, mostly just to chat about for a little and move on but it’s been sticking in my mind for a while now. The question was who will be in last place in the Eastern Conference next season?
It’s been an interesting point to ponder on in the dead of summer. Not all the teams are particularly good, but no one is currently trying to be bad by punting the season through a long-term rebuilding strategy these days that has made themselves a poor team either. There are no Chicago’s or Calgary’s in the East these days that will drop far behind the pack and await what they hope will be a brighter future. All 16 teams in the East, to varying degrees, have the goal, desire and something of an expectation to make the playoffs next season.
That shapes up to mean chaos and fun. Take a look at last season – the three worst teams in the Eastern Conference ended up being Florida (the 2x defending Stanley Cup champions), Toronto (the team that finished second in points for the conference the year prior in 2024-25) and the New York Rangers (who were first in the East as recently as 2023-24).
That’s probably three teams that this time 12 months ago almost no one would have guessed would be at the bottom of the conference, although there were some warning signs with NYR and Aleksander Barkov’s preseason injury did impact the Panthers in a predictable way before the year started. If anything in the modern NHL, you might as well throw out the results of the prior year when attempting to forecast the future. The base of what has happened isn’t going to be a roadmap for what is to come, by and large for many teams.
Going off my preseason predictions, I would have had Philadelphia, Boston and Pittsburgh as the bottom-three teams in 2025-26, all of which you might notice made the playoffs. That’s pretty humbling to undertake the projection of who could be the worst in 2026-27.
So who is going to end up 16th out of 16 teams? Let’s see how it could happen with some candidates, in no specific order.
Detroit Red Wings – There are a lot of pieces of strife here: the captain wants a trade, the franchise legend GM got kicked upstairs, one of their best players in Alex Debrincat is an impending free agent with an uncertain future, their defense is mostly a collection of trash besides one great player and their goaltending is borderline shaky. Maybe the Red Wings pull the nose up on this thing, but isn’t a challenge to imagine that things get worse before they get better.
New York Rangers – We liked their offseason in terms of immediate upgrades to the team, but last year’s last place team still has a lot consternation hanging over it like a black fog. This team looks like they’re one Igor Shesterkin injury away from disaster. Of course, that could be said of many if their best player was out, but I think the Rangers this year have a low ceiling and an even lower floor that puts them in the conversation of being a low-end team.
Pittsburgh Penguins – The top five returning scorers range in age of 33-40, eventually the core that was strong enough to power the Pens to the playoffs last season is going to lose strength. Several supporting players all had career seasons last year and could be difficult to duplicate. The top-three goaltenders in the organization have combined for 78 career NHL games entering the season, the defensive numbers were among the worst in the league without much in the way of upgrades.
New York Islanders – The Islanders strategy seems to be ‘let’s hope Peter DeBoer can make some magic’, because they’ve done almost nothing this off-season to improve. They’ve lost multiple captain-type of players recently (first Brock Nelson in 2025, then Anders Lee this summer). Matthew Schaefer and Ilya Sorokin (plus Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal) might given them enough talent to escape last place, but this also looks like a situation where a new GM needs some burdensome contracts to tick away while replenishing the system with young talent, a process that sometimes means enduring pain along the way.
Columbus Blue Jackets – Their top six players from last season: Zach Werenski (might not sign with them again, was almost traded before situation smoothed out), Kirill Marchenko (reportedly doesn’t want to re-sign), Adam Fantilli (RFA, still unsigned), Charlie Coyle (re-signed as an overpayment), Boone Jenner and Mason Marchment (both left as free agents). Looks very unsettled right now for an organization known to take one step forward followed by shuffling towards the back.
Buffalo Sabres – They lost their second-highest scoring forward (Alex Tuch) and second-highest scoring defenseman (Bowen Byram) with no replacement, save Olen Zellweger. The highest paid forward (Josh Norris) has missed more time with injury than he’s played in the last four seasons. Their current goalies (Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen) don’t inspire a lot of confidence, though rumors of a Connor Hellebuyck trade would surely elevate Buffalo into a strong position – if it materializes. It would be shocking if the Sabres ended up all the way at the bottom, and they showed they have a very high ceiling if their young core takes another step, but I don’t know, can’t shake the feeling that they have elements of coming back to the pack after a tremendous season.
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We just blurbed on six teams, not far off from half the conference. The options added up quickly, even though the cases for all could be stretches and dependent on worst case scenarios happening. Maybe one of these teams finish last, but then again it wouldn’t be a shocker if several of them end up making the playoffs next season either. That’s the NHL these days, filled with parity and unexpected outcomes. About all we can know for sure is that some team out there is going to finish at the bottom, and much like last season’s lower-end teams, they probably will be wondering just how it ended up that way.
Despite saying that there was interest in coming back for what would have been a third full year with the Detroit Red Wings, future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane is heading back to where it all began.
Kane has signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, returning to the club that he helped lead to the Stanley Cup three times in his career.
According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, it's a two-year pact worth $8 million per season.
The circle is complete.
Patrick Kane is re-joining the Blackhawks on a two-year deal.
In mid-April, Kane expressed interest in running it back in Detroit.
“I think there is mutual interest for me to come back and continue my career here. It’s been a great spot for me, my family, and my son, and I’ve definitely enjoyed my time here," Kane said in April during Detroit's season-ending media availability. "But there’s no rush. I’ll talk things over with my agent and my family, and we’ll see how everything plays out.
Last season, Kane finished fifth overall in Red Wings scoring, registering 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points. While with Detroit, Kane scored his 500th career goal and also became the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history.
He originally joined the team as an unrestricted free agent in December 2023.
This is yet another considerable setback for Detroit, who is already considered a longshot to make the postseason next spring.
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Welcome to the 2025–26 installment of The Hockey News - Vancouver Canucks’ Player Report Card Series. Throughout the off-season, THN will conduct a deep dive into how each member of the Canucks performed throughout the 2025–26 season. Today’s article will focus on defenceman Victor Mancini.
Mancini's 2025–26 Season Review
Mancini spent the 2025-26 campaign split between the AHL and NHL. He played 33 games with the Abbotsford Canucks, producing four goals and 12 points. As for the NHL, Mancini recorded three assists in 24 games while averaging 13:44 of ice time.
Overall, it was clear that Adam Foote and his staff were unwilling to give Mancini opportunities at the NHL level. He played over 16 minutes on seven occasions and played under 12 minutes eight times. Mancini was also a healthy scratch throughout the season, which included the final three games of the campaign.
As for his other stats, Mancini blocked 26 shots and threw 28 hits. He also registered 14 shots on net and had 32 shot attempts. Finally, Mancini got into his first career NHL fight, which he arguably won against Brandon Duhaime.
Overall, Mancini looked more confident in the AHL than the NHL. It is clear that Manny Malhotra trusts the 24-year-old, as he was a significant part of Abbotsford's Calder Cup championship. With Malhotra now behind the bench in Vancouver, Mancini could see more opportunities than he did during the 2025-26 season.
Mancini's 2025–26 Letter Grade
The 2025-26 campaign was not kind to Mancini. He didn't develop as planned, partly because of how he was deployed game to game. That being said, it is clear that the organization still has faith in him, as Mancini signed a two-year extension at the end of March.
Ultimately, Mancini receives an C grade for the 2025-26 season.
Mar 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Victor Mancini (90) puts his helmet back on after a scrum against the Florida Panthers in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Much has been made of the fact that the Montreal Canadiens signed Kirby Dach to a new contract and that he will have yet another chance to prove himself. Some are convinced that if it weren’t for his dreadful luck with injuries, he could be a prominent top-six player for the Habs and that he deserves another opportunity to prove it.
However, he won’t be the only forward who’ll be playing in a contract year and eager to prove himself. Furthermore, I think there are players more deserving of a chance on the top six than he is. Whichever way you look at it, injuries have indeed been a grave issue for Dach, but even when he is healthy, the consistency is lacking.
He shone brightly in the playoffs when he was annoyed at being heavily criticized by fans and media after game two of the Canadiens’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Still, after that he vanished, and he finished the playoffs on the wing of the fourth line. In the Eastern Conference Final, he didn’t have a single point and finished with a minus-four rating in five games. Granted, Nick Suzuki was minus-five, but he had much harder matchups and a lot more ice time.
Alex Newhook will also be playing in a contract year this season, and he’s coming off the best season of his career, despite being limited to just 42 games because of injuries. He put up 25 points, after putting up 26 the previous season, but in 82 games. When he came back from his injury, he hit the ground running, and he’s developed good chemistry with Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen.
In the playoffs, he was the one who scored both game-winning goals in Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres. The one against the Sabres came in overtime, and the one against the Bolts in the third frame. The Newfoundlander really showed up in the playoffs and answered the bell big time. He finished the third round with a minus-two rating and never looked like he had given up.
Meanwhile, Kapanen, who hit a wall in the second part of the season after the Olympics, may have finished his playoffs as a healthy scratch, but given how well he linked up with Demidov in the first part of the season, he should still be in the top six. Granted, long-term, he won’t be in the top six, but if the Canadiens fail to add a top-six center before the start of the season, he’s a suitable placeholder. Seeing a rookie hit a wall in the second half of a campaign is not a rare phenomenon; he deserves another chance, especially since this will also be a contract year for him.
If and when Michael Hage pans out as an NHL center, Kapanen will be pushed down to the third line, which is a more realistic role for him, but for now, it can only benefit his development to play him on the second line with tough matchups.
I’m not completely ruling out Dach as a top-six player this season, but the way I see it, he should have to earn another opportunity, and there are players ahead of him. I would even suggest that Zach Bolduc, who’s currently an unsigned RFA, would be more deserving of a shot on the second line right now. He finished the playoffs on the fourth line just like Dach, but he played with much more energy and dedication, taking a leaf out of Josh Anderson’s book, something that Dach never committed to.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been a pretty busy this off-season. However, when looking at their current blueline, it is fair to argue that they could use another left-shot defenseman. They lost Ryan Shea to the Edmonton Oilers in free agency and traded Parker Wotherspoon to the Vegas Golden Knights.
With it now being over three weeks since the start of free agency, most of this year's top UFAs have signed their contracts. While this is the case, there is still an interesting veteran defenseman unsigned at this point of the off-season: Ben Hutton.
With the Penguins needing more defensive depth, Hutton could be a solid player for them to bring in on a cheap one-year deal. He could compete for a spot on their bottom pairing or work well as an extra defenseman for the Metropolitan Division club.
Hutton spent last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he scored a career-high six goals and posted 15 points in 55 games. He also played in seven playoff games for Vegas this past spring, recording one assist and a plus-1 rating.
Overall, while Hutton would not the flashiest of additions for the Penguins, he would give their blueline more much-needed depth. With this, he could be a solid pickup for Pittsburgh.
In 575 career NHL games, Hutton has posted 30 goals, 109 assists, and 139 points. He also won the Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023.
A former Philadelphia Flyers forward is heading to the KHL, as Justin Bailey has signed a one-year contract with Barys Astana. The KHL announced the news.
Bailey spent each of the last two seasons in the AHL exclusively, so it is understandable that he wants to take on a new challenge in the KHL. He will now be looking to make an impact with Barys Astana after landing his new deal.
Bailey spent most of his North American career in the AHL. In 509 games over 10 AHL seasons, the 2013 second-round pick posted 180 goals, 139 assists, and 319 points. He played in 17 games during the 2018-19 season with the Flyers' AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he recorded six goals and eight points.
Bailey also played in 11 games with the Flyers during the 2018-19 season, where he recorded one assist, five blocks, and nine hits. His time in Philadelphia ended when the Flyers let him walk into free agency, and he signed a one-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2019 NHL off-season.
In 141 career NHL games over eight seasons split between the Buffalo Sabres, Flyers, Canucks, and San Jose Sharks, Bailey posted 10 goals, 13 assists, 23 points, and 157 hits.
With August just around the corner, the onset of NHL training camps is drawing nearer and nearer, which means time is beginning to dwindle for any kind of roster reshuffling prior to the 2026-27 season.
And, if general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins elect not to change anything up in the meantime, things will be quite interesting once the season gets underway.
The Penguins have been a relatively active team since the end of the 2025-26 season, as they have added a few players via trade and free agency. But through that addition, a bit of a logjam has been created both in the forward unit and on the blue line, even if it gives the team a whole lot of options as far as lineups.
There is particular intrigue in the forward unit. There are a handful of prospects who should be pushing for NHL roster spots next season and a few more seasoned players like David Gustafsson and - depending on health - Filip Hallander, but there are also 14 more established NHL players in front of them to beat out.
For these purposes, we can't assume that any trades will be made, however likely it may seem. So, barring there is no roster movement prior to training camp and the beginning of the season, what will the Penguins' forward lineup look like?
Ultimately, the decision was made to place Rakell back on the first line with Crosby and Rust. Simply put, it's a line that has mostly worked for the Penguins in the last several years, and it's hard to remove Rust or Rakell from that line when they're hovering around 30 goals every season.
However, the Penguins were very impressed with the work Rakell put in at center last season, so it would not be surprising to see him start the season centering the second line. He needs to put in some work in the faceoff dot to be truly effective there, but all other aspects of his game improved pretty substantially playing the position down last season's home stretch without Crosby and Malkin - and he also registered 14 goals and 24 points in a 20-game stretch during that time.
Rakell's versatility gives the Penguins options for their top-nine configuration, and it opens the door for some others like Kuzmenko and Robertson to get looks alongside Crosby. It would also help bolster his trade value if that's a road the Penguins are still interested in.
Well, the obvious answers here are Kindel and Robertson, as both are young players with potentially higher ceilings to reach, especially in Kindel's case.
As an 18-year-old, Kindel put up 17 goals and 35 points in 77 games, and that was with him largely being deployed as the team's third-line center with a rotating cast of characters on either wing. One thing he should benefit from this season right off the bat is the potential for more consistency on his wings, as Robertson brings speed and scoring ability and Kuzmenko - while not the most fleet of foot - can also put the puck in the back of the net and has some creativity to boot.
There is also room for him to work his way up the ladder to second-line center by the end of the season, which should increase his production ceiling even more.
Robertson, 24, had a similar line to Kindel last season with 16 goals and 32 points in 78 games, which were largely played in Toronto's bottom-six. There is certainly a higher goal-scoring ceiling to reach, and if he can develop some chemistry with Kindel or earn a spot in the top-six - depending on how the Penguins decide to deploy Rakell - it stands to reason that he should find some offensive momentum in Pittsburgh.
Kuzmenko could also be considered a bit of a breakout candidate, as the 30-year-old has not been able to replicate his 39-goal, 74-point rookie campaign with the Vancouver Canucks. The talent is there, the execution just needs to show up again - and he needs to stay healthy.
Finally, don't forget about Soderblom: He may not be scoring 20, but he showed legitimate signs of offensive upside with his ability on the forecheck and soft hands last season, and both Dewar and Lizotte have enough offensive upside to help elevate Soderblom's production.
As was well-documented last season, Chinakhov had just three goals and six points in 29 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets prior to his late-December arrival in Pittsburgh. Then, a switch flipped, and he closed out the season with 18 goals and 36 points in 43 games with Pittsburgh.
Was his half-season sample in Pittsburgh a sign of things to come? If so, the Penguins are looking at having another 35-goal, 70-point player on their hands, and there is some belief in the organization that his ceiling is even higher than that, bordering on star potential.
But, if not, it would be a massive blow to their top-six. He also has to stay healthy, too, which has been a challenge throughout his career.
Chinakhov has immense goal-scoring talent. If he can find a way to continue replicating the success he had with the Penguins last season, that will be a huge deal for a team that is looking to take steps toward sustainable contention next season and beyond.
Unfortunately, the Penguins' prospects on the brink of regular NHL minutes - as well as Gustafsson and Hallander - are likely to be the ones to lose out if the team goes into training camp with its roster as constructed.
But that doesn't mean they can't earn a spot.
Take Kindel last season, who was not remotely supposed to be in the conversation for a full-time NHL roster spot prior to camp. His, along with defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke's, camp was so impressive that Pittsburgh had no choice but to keep him around for at least a nine-game trial. Then, when Kindel took that and exceeded expectations even further, he earned a permanent spot.
That's probably what it is going to take for guys like Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes, Tristan Broz, and Ville Koivunen to earn NHL roster spots out of camp, especially since all will be waivers-exempt except Koivunen, who is still an RFA without a contract. They will have to beat out the likes of Lapierre, Brazeau, and Soderblom in order to make the cut, and they probably won't make the cut if they figure to be spending time in the press box.
Realistically, there may be one NHL roster spot for the taking. No one in the projected top-nine will come out of the lineup, and neither will Dewar and Lizotte - and that's likely to be the case regardless of how impressive a camp any of the prospects have.
So, it's an uphilll climb for all of them, but it's not an impossible one. Tanner Howe, Mikhail Ilyin, and Bill Zonnon will probably be part of the mix as well, but given what each player has shown at the AHL level, the other four are probably closer on paper.
But, never say never. At the very least, the forward battle at training camp this season figures to be one of the most competitive in recent memory.
