Getting ready for one more farewell. | Getty Images
The NHL’s annual summer team-by-team look has now rolled around to the Islanders. I’m not linking the fantasy outlook, but here are their posts about the non-fantasy team and prospects:
The “inside look” includes quotes from Bo Horvat like, “I think Pete [DeBeor]’s going to be very good for us structure-wise and kind of laying the foundation. The buy-in from everybody’s just got to be there.” [NHL]
Their “three questions” bit addresses the captaincy, Semyon Varlamov’s health and DeBoer’s impact. [NHL]
Some “EDGE” stats: Matthew Schaefer is fast and dangerous, Ilya Sorokin is good at mitigating the dangerous, and Bo Horvat and Emil Heineman have been successful shooting from areas of less danger. [NHL]
And the Islanders’ top prospect listing now includes single Malte, of course. [NHL]
Sooo…we’ve got a navy lighthouse and a navy arched “ISLANDERS” in the finals for the third-jersey vote. Voting begins Tuesday, Aug. 18. I think in the interest of self-promotion I’m supposed to vote for the former, but even aside from that…arched letters within a straight horizontal bar is jarring. [Isles]
More on the semifinals vote, with a booster clip from Barzal. [Isles]
Islanders legend and former Senator and Bruin Zdeno Chara will hold a charity farewell game back home in Slovakia, in Pavol Demitra Arena. Ziggy Palffy and Jaroslav Halak will be there. [NHL]
Elsewhere
Brad Marchand won’t be able to play in that testimonial (shame, shame) due to offseason surgery that may delay the start of his season. [TSN]
Brandon Bussi, the first Suffolk County-born Cup champ, brings the Cup back home. [Post]
Five teams facing intriguing salary cap decisions in the near future. [Sportsnet]
Zach Werenski reiterates that Columbus is where he wants to be, making him a welcome outlier. [Sportsnet | NHL]
Drake Batherson would still like an eight-year extension to remain in Ottawa, but the CBA deadline for that length is under a month away. [TSN]
Most of this year's top unrestricted free agents have been signed at this point of the summer. While this is the case, there are still some pretty notable UFAs left looking for new homes.
Among the top UFA forwards left at this stage of the off-season just so happens to be a former Penguins winger: Reilly Smith.
Smith remaining unsigned comes after he posted 16 goals, 10 assists, and 26 points in 69 games with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. Overall, while he scored his most goals since the 2022-23 season, his point production was noticeably lower than in recent years. This is because from 2022-23 to 2024-25, he recorded at least 40 points.
Although Smith's offense was lower than usual this past season, it is certainly possible that he could land a contract from an NHL team before the season is here. A team could consider taking a gamble on him if they feel that he can bounce back. Yet, at a minimum, he could be a solid addition for a team needing more offense in their bottom six.
Smith spent the 2023-24 season with the Penguins, where he posted 13 goals, 27 assists, and 40 points in 76 games. This would be his only season in Pittsburgh, as he was traded to the New York Rangers during the 2024 NHL off-season.
At some point, overlooking Scott Wedgewood stops being an oversight and starts becoming a pattern.
The NHL Network’s latest ranking of the league’s top 10 goaltenders somehow managed to leave the Colorado Avalanche netminder off the list entirely, despite Wedgewood putting together one of the best seasons of his career and finishing fifth in Vezina Trophy voting.
And honestly, what more does the man have to do?
There is a legitimate argument for leaving Mackenzie Blackwood off the list.
Blackwood was still good for Colorado during what was an up-and-down season by his standards, finishing 23-10-2 with a .904 save percentage. He remained an important part of one of the NHL’s best goaltending tandems, but if someone wants to argue that Blackwood isn’t among the league’s 10 best goaltenders, that’s defensible — for now.
Wedgewood is different.
There is an argument about whether he should be No. 4, No. 5 or No. 8.
There is no legitimate argument that he shouldn’t be in the top 10.
And there is a very strong argument that he should be in the top five.
The Numbers Are Impossible To Ignore
Wedgewood wasn’t merely a reliable veteran who benefited from playing behind an excellent Avalanche roster.
He was one of the best goaltenders in hockey.
Wedgewood finished the regular season tops in nearly every category with a 31-6-6 record, a .921 save percentage, a 2.02 goals-against average and four shutouts.
Those are elite numbers.
More importantly, the people who actually voted on the Vezina Trophy recognized it.
Wedgewood finished fifth in the voting and received two first-place votes, three second-place votes, and two third-place votes finishing ahead of several established goaltenders who routinely receive far more recognition than he does.
So when NHL Network releases a top-10 list and Wedgewood isn’t even on it, the obvious question becomes:
What exactly are we missing here?
The Vezina Argument Doesn’t Cut It
There was a legitimate debate surrounding Wedgewood and the Vezina Trophy finalists.
He wasn’t one of the three finalists, and there was a reasonable argument that his overall workload worked against him. He didn’t play as many games as some of the other elite goaltenders in the league.
That’s fine.
But NHL Network isn’t announcing the Vezina finalists.
It’s ranking the top 10 goaltenders in the NHL.
Those are two very different things.
If Wedgewood finishing fifth in Vezina voting doesn’t guarantee him a spot in the top five, fine.
But how does it result in him being outside the top 10?
That’s the part that doesn’t make sense.
Then There Was The Olympic Snub
Wedgewood was also left off Canada’s Olympic roster.
Again, there were reasons to understand the decision. International hockey is different, experience matters and roster construction isn’t simply about picking the three goaltenders who had the best NHL seasons.
But his Olympic omission was another reminder that Wedgewood’s performance wasn’t receiving the recognition it probably deserved.
Now NHL Network has done it again.
This time, there isn’t a tournament roster to construct. There isn’t a three-goaltender limit.
It’s simply a list of the 10 best goaltenders in the NHL.
And Wedgewood isn’t there.
What’s the excuse this time?
Disrespect
Scott Wedgewood was one of the best goaltenders in the NHL last season. And you could legitimately argue that he has been outstanding for much of his two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche.
After arriving in Colorado via trade with the Nashville Predators in exchange for Justus Annunen on Dec. 1, 2024, Wedgewood went 13-4-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in 19 games.
If you’re looking at that season alone, sure, you can make the sample-size argument. Maybe we needed to see more before declaring Wedgewood an elite goaltender.
But if you’re still clinging to the sample-size argument at this point, you’re running out of excuses.
Maybe Wedgewood isn’t better than Andrei Vasilevskiy. Maybe Connor Hellebuyck, Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin and Jeremy Swayman deserve to be ranked ahead of him.
That’s a legitimate debate.
But ranking Dan Vladar and Jesper Wallstedt ahead of Wedgewood is a different story.
Wallstedt allowed 16 goals against the Avalanche in Colorado’s second-round Stanley Cup Playoff series, which ended in a five-game defeat for the Minnesota Wild.
If we’re talking about the best goaltenders in the NHL, leaving Wedgewood out of the top 10 is difficult enough to defend.
According to Monarrez, interim assistant GM Shawn Horcoff had the framework of the deal ready on the very day Steve Yzerman's removal as general manager was announced. NHL Rumor Report since indicated Detroit's offer was in the range of one year at $5 million.
Instead, fresh off a 33-goal breakout season, Mantha signed with the New Jersey Devils on a two-year, $9.5 million contract carrying a $4.75 million annual cap hit. The move raised some eyebrows given the season Mantha was coming off. Playing on a prove-it deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the winger set new career highs with 33 goals and 31 assists for 64 points in 81 games.
Mantha, originally selected 20th overall by Detroit in the 2013 NHL Draft, spent six seasons with the organization, totaling 95 goals and 99 assists for 194 points in 302 games and stringing together four straight seasons of at least 36 points before the Red Wings moved on. Detroit sent him to the Washington Capitals in April 2021 in a trade that returned a 2021 first-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick, and forwards Jakub Vrana and Richard Panik.
From there, Mantha's career took him from Washington to Vegas to Calgary before he landed in Pittsburgh last summer on a modest, incentive-laden contract. He cashed in on that bet in a big way, delivering the best offensive season of his career and helping fuel a resurgent Penguins team down the stretch.
Had the reunion gone through, Mantha could have slotted into Detroit's middle six, served as a contingency plan if Patrick Kane doesn't return, or simply added scoring depth to a top nine that could use it.
Whether the front-office turmoil played any role in how things unfolded is unclear, but the timing stands out. Detroit announced Yzerman's transition out of the GM role the same morning Mantha's signing with New Jersey became official.
Whatever the reason behind it, for the price the Devils ultimately paid to land a forward coming off a career year and carrying a proven 40-point floor, it's a missed opportunity that could sting for the Red Wings as the season unfolds.
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On Monday, exciting news dropped ahead of the release of the newest entry in the EA Sports NHL series, with NHL 27 set to arrive in early September.
The new game brings back several fan-favorite elements, including the return of GM Connected franchise mode, along with more detailed, customized arena presentations across all 32 NHL teams, meaning Little Caesars Arena will finally look and feel more like the true home of the Detroit Red Wings.
The bigger headline, though, is that the NHL series is borrowing a concept from other EA Sports franchises like Madden and EA FC. NHL 27 is introducing a 99 Club, reserved for the handful of players considered the very best in the sport, distinguished by a perfect 99 overall rating.
EA announced the first member of that club on Monday with Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who becomes the first player in the history of the NHL video game series to carry a 99 overall.
The news kicked off plenty of speculation, including who might become the first player in Red Wings history to crack the 99 Club. The most obvious candidates are two players expected to be pillars of the franchise for years to come with defenseman Moritz Seider and winger Lucas Raymond.
Both have drawn increasing attention from fans this offseason, with Seider earning wide praise for his continued development and Raymond, still just 24, producing at a near point-per-game pace.
Seider looks like the more obvious pick of the two as he was recently ranked the ninth-best defenseman in the league by NHL Network, and if his trajectory continues, the German blueliner could eventually take over the Red Wings' captaincy and become the face of the franchise, both in Detroit and potentially as the club's first-ever 99 Club member in the game.
Detroit won't be short on honorable mentions down the line, either. Prospects like Emmitt Finnie, Trey Augustine, Nate Danielson, Max Plante and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard could all develop into future candidates as the organization builds around its next wave of talent.
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Despite the New York Rangers’ struggles over the past two seasons, Igor Shesterkin is still widely considered to be one of the premier goaltenders in the NHL.
The only two goaltenders to be ranked ahead of Shesterkin are Andrei Vasilevskiy and Connor Hellebuyck.
The other goaltenders on this list include Ilya Sorokin, Jeremy Swayman, Logan Thompson, Jake Oettinger, Dan Vldar, Jesper Wallstedt, and Jakub Dobeš.
This past season, the 31-year-old goaltender recorded a 25-19-6 record, a .912 save percentage, and a 2.50 goals against average.
“I could play way better, for sure,” Shesterkin said of his 2025-26 performance. “I was a little bit shocked when I checked my numbers. I was a little bit upset about it, but still it was top-four, top-five (in save percentage). I cannot say that’s pretty good, but still.”
During the 2024-25 season, Shesterkin signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension with the Rangers, making him the highest paid goalie in the NHL, which still stands today.
The Montreal Canadiens have many promising young players. Among them is forward Zachary Bolduc, as the 23-year-old has had a nice start to his NHL career.
Bolduc has shown promise early on during his NHL career. During the 2024-25 season with the St. Louis Blues, he recorded 19 goals, 17 assists, and 36 points in 72 games. He followed that up by posting 12 goals and 30 points in 78 games during his first season with Montreal in 2025-26.
Overall, in his first two full NHL seasons, Bolduc has shown that he can provide solid secondary offensive production and grit. Yet, it would not be surprising if he takes another step forward this campaign.
Bolduc has the tools to emerge as a top-six winger, and the Canadiens have a spot to fight for on their second line. With that, it would be huge if the 2021 first-round pick sees an increase in offensive production this campaign.
It is going to be very interesting to see what kind of season Bolduc can have for the Habs in 2026-27. There is a lot to like about his game, and it would be great for Montreal if he breaks out and becomes a true top-six forward.
With how controversial their drafting has been, and with how little they have added externally this offseason, the Philadelphia Flyers are relying almost solely on internal development to take the next step in their rebuild.
That, in turn, places a lot of pressure on the young players the Flyers already have. Matvei Michkov, for example, is heading into a contract year, and expectations for Tyson Foerster will be greater after signing an eight-year contract extension earlier this offseason that will carry a $7.1 million cap hit once it kicks in.
Elsewhere in the system, though, the Flyers will hope for (and need) development from their less-established prospects.
Recent trade acquisition David Jiricek is now playing for this third organization since being drafted by Columbus in 2022, and while he is the favorite to secure an NHL job with the Flyers this season, that could change with even a minor slip-up in preseason or training camp.
Kareem Elshafey of EliteProspects put together his list of 10 former first-round picks who are under the most pressure to perform next season, and Jiricek made the cut as the only defenseman of the group.
"There’s a reason why he was drafted so high – he’s a right-handed defender with size, offensive ability, and can defend in tight spaces well. However, the shortfalls in his game have been such a hindrance that it has caused those features to become irrelevant for the most part. His much-discussed skating deficiencies aren’t exaggerated and are the source of lots of issues Jiricek has," Elshafey said of Jiricek.
"In space, he’s vulnerable to getting beat by opposing skaters because of the concerns regarding his acceleration, lateral quickness, and transitions in and out of pivots. It shrinks the margin of error dramatically, as one wrong step or decision isn’t something he can easily recover from. Similarly, his defensive sense and decision-making have only compounded the problems in his own zone."
Now, Elshafey did note that Jiricek, despite being only 22 years old, can't keep bouncing around teams hoping for an opportunity based on his talent forever, but the Flyers have done well with this kind of thing before.
Ryan Poehling was a directionless former first-round pick before becoming a legitimately good bottom-six center in Philadelphia, and the Flyers were able to flip him and a draft pick for Trevor Zegras, who scored a career-high 67 points last season after becoming an outcast in Anaheim.
Jamie Drysdale was hurtling towards bust territory even after the Flyers traded for him, but steady, large gains year over year have made him one of the better two-way defenders in the NHL.
Sean Walker was a throw-in in the Ivan Provorov trade, but the Flyers turned him into a machine before eventually flipping him for a first-round pick at the 2024 NHL trade deadline.
Dan Vladar was an unproven, injury=prone backup before last year, and now he is considered a top-10 goalie in the NHL by national media. Travis Sanheim would be a St. Louis Blue if it weren't for Torey Krug. The list goes on.
Another Flyer on Elshafey's list is center prospect Jett Luchanko, who finds his way here under very different circumstances.
The 2024 first-round pick was widely considered a reach when he was drafted 13th overall two years ago due to his perceived lack of offensive ability and the availability of other options, namely Konsta Helenius and Zeev Buium, on the draft board.
Luchanko is likely to be a full-time NHLer at some point, but the arrow is pointing more towards bottom-six forward than top-six forward, and the young speedster is running out of time to show that this trend will shift.
"There are flashes of playmaking, and to a much lesser extent goal-scoring, but those plays are largely built on his skating, meaning there’s not a whole bunch of variety in how he creates plays or space. Though Luchanko made the Flyers roster out of camp just a few months after being selected, it was clear that he wasn’t quite ready for that. The same thing happened the following season, and since then, he’s been just fine in the OHL and in a depth role at the World Juniors," Elshafey said of Luchanko.
"It would be a surprise if Luchanko didn’t become an everyday NHLer in some role due to his skating and never-ending motor, but whether he can produce enough offence to become a top-six forward is an entirely different question. Realizing that upside hinges on how much he can expand his offensive arsenal, and he’ll have to take steps in that direction this season."
The Flyers do not expect to have Luchanko back in the NHL again unless, or until, he proves that he is one of their 12 best forwards. Meaning, he isn't going to stick on the roster as an extra who will rotate in on occasion.
The 19-year-old is turning pro this season and is more than likely going to spend the year with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
In 2025, Luchanko managed three assists in nine regular season games with the Phantoms, then added six assists in seven Calder Cup playoff games.
But, between those 16 AHL games, eight NHL regular season games, and an NHL playoff game, Luchanko has yet to score a goal, and that is the de facto biggest weakness in his game right now.
If he couldn't do it against players his age or younger at the junior level, it's unlikely Luchanko will flip a switch and do it against bigger, stronger, better, and more experienced players in the NHL, but time will have the final say.
Both Jiricek and Luchanko have clear paths to making a massive impact for the Flyers in the long run, but what happens next will ultimately be decided by them.
Heading into the 2026-27 San Jose Sharks season, a number of players will be chasing various milestones. Some of those milestones will be major, career-defining ones, while others will mark an important stepping stone for future accomplishments.
The first player we're going to spotlight for a potential milestone is veteran forward Tyler Toffoli. Toffoli, 34, has been around the NHL for a decade and a half at this stage, and he's nearing a milestone that not many players are able to hit. Assuming he stays healthy and in the lineup on a nightly basis, he should play his 1,000th career NHL game in the Sharks' 31st game of the season against the New York Rangers on December 3.
A second round pick of the Los Angeles Kings during the 2010 NHL Draft, Toffoli spent the formative years of his career with the Sharks' rival. He spent eight seasons, and 515 games, representing Los Angeles to start his career before he became somewhat of a journeyman. He's gone on to play 119 games for the Calgary Flames, 89 for the Montreal Canadiens, 61 for the New Jersey Devils, 18 for the Winnipeg Jets, 10 for the Vancouver Canucks, and he's currently at 157 games with the Sharks.
So far, there have been just 421 players in NHL history to record 1,000 career games played. A few active NHLers, namely Ian Cole of the Chicago Blackhawks, Taylor Hall of the Carolina Hurricanes, and unrestricted free agent Reilly Smith, have the possibility of hitting the 1,000 game threshold before Toffoli does though, as they're very close to the milestone themselves.
Toffoli's role with the Sharks heading into the season is a bit up in the air. Although he'll likely be taking a bottom-six spot this time around, he should have no issues being in the lineup enough to play his 1,000th career game.
The Calgary Flames enter the 2026-27 season with plenty of uncertainty, but also plenty of opportunity. This is a young team still searching for its identity, with several players facing important seasons as the organization continues to build toward the future.
There are no shortage of storylines heading into training camp. Some are obvious, while others could ultimately shape the direction of the season. From a veteran looking to get back to his best, to young players trying to establish themselves as part of the Flames’ long-term plans, these are three questions to watch closely as the season gets underway.
Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Can Jonathan Huberdeau Find His Game Again?
For the Calgary Flames, few questions carry more weight heading into the season than Jonathan Huberdeau.
The 33-year-old is coming off a frustrating 2025-26 campaign that was limited to just 50 games. He began the season dealing with the effects of a concussion suffered in a preseason collision before eventually returning to the lineup. Huberdeau finished the year with 25 points (10g, 15a), but managed four points (2g, 2a) over his final five games before the Flames shut him down for season-ending hip resurfacing surgery.
It was another difficult chapter for a player whose Calgary tenure has been a far cry from the 115-point season he put together with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22.
Over his four seasons with the Flames, Huberdeau has averaged 48.5 points and 72.75 games per season. Calgary needs more from him offensively, but his impact won’t be measured solely by points.
The 24th overall pick from the 2020 NHL Draft finished last season with 12 goals and 25 points in 74 games. The production wasn’t what the Flames would have hoped for, but his usage is an important part of the story. Zary spent much of the season in a checking, fourth-line role rather than playing the top-six minutes he’s capable of handling.
Whether Zary remains in Calgary or ultimately becomes part of a trade, there is still plenty of offensive upside there. A strong training camp, a little more confidence and a bigger opportunity could give him the chance to show what he can really bring.
For a young Flames team looking for internal growth, Zary becoming a legitimate offensive contributor would be a significant development.
What’s the Next Step for Zayne Parekh?
There was plenty to like about Zayne Parekh’s rookie season, but there was also an obvious area that needed work.
The 20-year-old, selected ninth overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, occasionally looked physically overwhelmed against the pace and strength of NHL competition. That’s not necessarily surprising for a young defenceman, but it will be one of the biggest areas to watch as he enters his second season.
Parekh needs to find the balance between the offensive instincts that made him a ninth-overall pick and the physical strength and defensive reliability required to become a dependable NHL defenceman.
A full summer of professional-level training should help. If Parekh can make that adjustment, the Flames could have another important piece of their young core ready to take a significant step forward.
The 2026-27 season provides an intriguing opportunity for the Vancouver Canucks. Starting this year, teams can assign one 19-year-old CHL player to the AHL instead of having to send that prospect back to junior. This means that top prospects can be shuttled between the NHL and AHL all season, rather than being stuck in the CHL after being sent down until their campaign comes to a close.
According to two sources, including PuckPedia, a player is only eligible for the new rule if they turn 19 before the season starts. Depending on the exact wording, this could mean before September 16, when the new CBA takes effect, or September 29, when the regular season begins. It also looks like the rule will be limited to first-rounders only, but that detail hasn't been confirmed yet.
For the Canucks, only one player meets the criteria this year. That player is Braeden Cootes, who turned 19 on February 9. Cootes spent last season in the WHL, where he recorded 63 points in 45 games and helped lead the Prince Albert Raiders to the WHL Final.
As for Adam Novotný, he is ineligible for this exemption for the 2026-27 campaign. While the 2026 first-rounder will turn 19 before the end of 2026, his birthday is November 13, meaning he misses the cut. Novotný will return to the OHL and be a candidate for the 2027-28 season if the rule stays the same.
Overall, it will be interesting to see how Vancouver utilizes this exemption. As mentioned, if the Canucks do use the exemption on Cootes, the 2025 first-rounder could be shuttled between Vancouver and Abbotsford in order to get experience at both levels. Ultimately, the new exemption is a smart move by the NHL as it allows younger players more opportunities to get NHL games as 19-year-olds.
Oct 13, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Braeden Cootes (80) skates against the St. Louis Blues in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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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, starting with some honorable mentions for players who just missed the cut.
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 five honorable mentions include Love Harenstam, Marcus Gidlof, Juraj Pekarcik, Zach Dean, and Lukas Fischer.
Love Harenstam, G
Harenstam emerged last season as a potential steal for the Blues, who selected the 19-year-old in the sixth round of the 2025 NHL draft.
Acquired in the trade that sent Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders, Gidlof is a 6-foot-6 Swedish netminder. The 20-year-old wasn't great in his second professional season in the SHL, but with his tools and young age, Gidlof has plenty of room for growth.
Gidlof's Swedish club was relegated to the HockeyAllsvenskan, which should help Gidlof find his confidence against weaker competition.
Gidlof and Harenstam stand as the two most exciting goaltending prospects in the Blues pool.
Lukas Fischer, D
Fischer will join the Springfield Thunderbirds for his rookie season this year after another positive OHL campaign.
Fischer's goals and point totals will never stand out, but at 6-foot-3, Fischer is a lockdown defender who loves to throw his weight around. He's a solid enough puck-mover and skates well for his size, but his defensive acumen is where he receives his praise.
There's plenty for him to tidy up or improve on within his game, but the 19-year-old possesses traits that could land him on the third pairing of an NHL roster.
Pekarcik has the 6-foot-2 frame and skill to be an effective scorer, and he showed some flashes in his rookie season in the AHL.
Following a QMJHL campaign in which he posted 24 goals and 67 points in 53 games, Pekarcik has continued to emerge as a potential middle-six winger in the NHL.
The 20-year-old Slovakian winger is a constant threat with the puck on his stick, and improvements on his 11-goal, 35-point rookie season will go a long way in earning himself an eventual call-up to the NHL within the next couple of seasons.
Zach Dean, C
It was a challenging 2025-26 season for Dean, who began the season in the NHLPA's Player Assistance Program. Upon returning, Dean scored four goals and 14 points in 36 games. While those numbers aren't much to write home about, especially for a former first-round pick, it was the slight improvement the Blues needed to see.
If Dean is unable to stand out with the Thunderbirds and earn a call-up to the NHL, it could spell the end of his Blues tenure, which would feel like a major disappointment considering he was the piece the Blues acquired in the Ivan Barbashev trade.
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Buffalo Sabres prospect Stiven Sardarian did not sign with the club prior to the August 15th deadline, but was not an unrestricted free agent because he did not file paperwork with NHL Central Registry. On Monday, the Sabres traded Sardarian’s rights to the Carolina Hurricanes for future considerations.
The 23-year-old Russian winger played in the USHL after being selected 88th overall and two years at the University of New Hampshire before using the NCAA transfer portal to go to Michigan Tech, where he led the club with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 35 games as a junior and 44 points (12 goals, 32 assists) in 37 games as a senior.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
According to a press release from the Hurricanes, Sardarian has been assigned to the Chicago Wolves, their AHL franchise, which would indicate that he will be signed to an AHL deal, which would not take up an NHL contract slot.
The Sabres have a history of passing on players that in the end turned out to be NHLers. All-Star and Canadian Olympian Brandon Hagel was a 2016 sixth round pick who was not signed within two years of being drafted, signed with Chicago in 2019, was traded to Tampa Bay in 2022 and has scored 30+ goals in three of the last four seasons.
Another example is 2021 fifth-rounder Viljami Marjala, whom the Sabres passed on signing to an NHL deal and who signed as a free agent with Edmonton in June 2025. The Finnish winger scored 60 points (17 goals, 43 assists) in his first season in North America for AHL Bakersfield.
It is unknown how good Sardarian will be, but clearly the Hurricanes saw something in him that the Sabres did not.
Seeing Wallstedt be named a top-10 goalie in the NHL is entirely understandable. He took a major step in the right direction this past season with the Wild and was certainly a reason for their success.
In 35 games this past season, Wallstedt posted an 18-9-6 record, a 2.61 goals-against average, and a .916 save percentage. He also appeared in 10 playoff games for the Wild this past spring, recording a .909 save percentage and a 2.77 goals-against average.
When noting that this was Wallstedt's first full season in the NHL, there is no question that he had an impressive year. Now, he will be looking to build off it during the 2026-27 season with the Wild from here.
With Wallstedt being only 23 years old, he still very much has the potential to break out even further for the Wild. It will be intriguing to see if he can do just that from here.
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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.
22. Vasili Zelenov – Right Wing (Wisconsin - NCAA)
Zelenov was the first of the Sabres two seventh-round picks at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. The Moscow-born winger played at various lower-level youth leagues in Austria since 2021 and posted an impressive 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in 40 games for the Salzburg RB Hockey Juniors in his draft year.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
The 6’0”, 181 lb. winger was selected by the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers in their Phase II draft in May while Rochester Americans head coach Michael Leone was their GM and instead of staying in Austria, he headed to North America to play for the Gamblers to pursue a US college track. In 54 USHL games, he scored 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists).
Last season, as a freshman at the University of Wisconsin, Zelenov had 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists) in 28 games. He is a teammate of 2024 fourth-round pick Luke Osburn, who played for Team USA at the World Junior Championships last December.
