Over the years, a number of players have worn the number 32 for the San Jose Sharks. This summer though, it seems like a disservice to his legendary career to discuss any player other than the late Claude Lemieux, who tragically passed away in May.
Lemieux was drafted in the 1983 NHL Draft with the 26th overall pick by the Montreal Canadiens. A native of Buckingham, Quebec, Lemieux had to move just two hours away from his hometown to join his new team. He made his NHL debut during the 1984-85 season, appearing in just a single game that year. The following season, he got another short stint in the NHL as he appeared in 10 games but earned his first Stanley Cup at the end of the postseason.
Lemieux truly established himself as an NHL regular during the 1986-87 season, playing in 76 games. That season, he scored 27 goals and had 56 points, but also notably registered 156 penalty minutes as well.
At the end of the decade, Lemieux was traded to the New Jersey Devils after six seasons with the Canadiens. Lemieux spent five seasons with the Devils, winning his second Stanley Cup and his only Conn Smythe Trophy during the 1994-95 season.
Following the Stanley Cup victory, Lemieux was on the move again, this time to Colorado. He joined the Avalanche right after they relocated from Quebec City and lifted the Stanley Cup for the third time in his first season in Denver. After five partial seasons with Colorado, he returned to New Jersey for the second half of the 1999-00 season and won his fourth Stanley Cup.
After his final Stanley Cup, Lemieux spent some time with the Phoenix Coyotes and had a short stint with the Dallas Stars. He then retired from the NHL following the 2002-03 season, notably without playing for the Sharks. So, dear reader, if you're a newer fan, you may be asking how he relates to the Sharks.
After a considerable amount of time away from the NHL, Lemieux made a shocking return to join the Sharks during the 2008-09 season. He only played 18 games at the NHL level, spending the most of his time in the organization in the AHL, but he officially ended his NHL career in San Jose.
Lemieux is remembered as one of the NHL's best agitators, as he loved to get under the skin of his opponents, but he also wasn't afraid to stand up for himself or a teammate, although it was usually the result of his own antics.
The Buffalo Sabres took great steps ahead this past season, finishing in first place in the highly-competitive Atlantic Division, then winning their first-round Stanley Cup playoffs series against the Boston Bruins before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in Round 2.
That success means that the TheHockeyNews.com’s 2025-26 grades for Sabres players will be largely positive. And in this “Sabres Grades” file, we’re focused on goaltender Colten Ellis.
Ellis didn’t get a ton of playing time playing behind veterans Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, but one of the reasons Buffalo traded young netminder Devon Levi is that Ellis had leaped over Levi in Buffalo’s goaltending depth chart. Ellis is now looking like Buffalo’s goalie-of-the-future, but the beginning of his NHL career has been much to the Sabres’ liking.
Colten Ellis
Position: Goaltender
Grade: B+
The Skinny: Ellis put forth a terrific rookie NHL season, appearing in 16 games and posting an 8-4-2 record, a 2.90 GAA, a .903 save percentage and one shutout. Those numbers weren’t going to get Ellis a Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie, but the 25-year-old showed enough last year to push himself up the Sabres’ organizational depth chart.
Ellis has established himself as a strong netminder at the American League level with the Springfield Thunderbirds, posting strong years in 2023-24 and 2024-25. He needs more opportunity, but given that Luukkonen and Lyon both are under contract next season, more playing time may be hard to come by – at least, so long as the injury bug doesn’t sideline one or both of that goalie tandem.
Ellis is entering the final season of his current two-year contract, so he’s got all the motivation in the world to play more and play well this coming season. Lyon is also in the final year of his contract, and that means Ellis could push Lyon out the door. And if that’s what happens and Buffalo benefits from a step-up season from Ellis, Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen has the option to trade Lyon or Luukkonen and make Buffalo’s goaltending tandem into a 50/50 games split.
That’s a column for another day. This file is about last season, and while Ellis didn’t finish off the 2025-26 season particularly well, he had enough strong stretches to convince Buffalo to retain him.
Ellis is shaping up to be a long-term fixture in Western New York, and if he continues progressing, Ellis could be a significant part of a Sabres team capable of winning a championship.
With the 26th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, the Montreal Canadiens selected forward Filip Mesar. So far, the former first-round pick has struggled to take much of a step forward in his development.
Mesar appeared in 71 games during this past season with the Laval Rocket, where he recorded nine goals, 18 assists, and 27 points. This was after he had four goals and 18 points in 42 games for Laval during the 2024-25 season.
With numbers like these, Mesar has yet to have that big breakout year in the AHL. He has also still not made his NHL debut for Montreal. With that, things have been rocky with the first-round pick's development.
As a result of this, it is clear that the 2026-27 season is a big year for Mesar. The Canadiens prospect forward needs to take a serious step in the right direction with his development. This is especially so when noting that he is entering the final season of his entry-level contract.
With Mesar being 22 years old, there is still time for him to improve. However, if he continues to struggle in the AHL, it will only create more questions about his future with the Habs organization.
History was made over the weekend, as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar became the first NHL player to be signed to a contract that pays him a yearly salary of over $20 million.
Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner and former Conn Smythe Trophy winner, inked a eight-year, $163.2 million contract extension that will pay him $20.4 million a season when the deal takes effect in 2027.
That being said, Makar’s massive new extension only underscores just how much of a bargain Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider’s contract is shaping up to be.
Seider, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2021-22, is coming off his best season yet. He set career highs in goals, assists, points and ice time while continuing his ironman streak of never missing a game.
He also finished fifth overall in balloting for the Norris Trophy while finishing 11th overall in balloting for the Hart Trophy, given annually to the NHL's Most Valuable Player in regular season play.
While Seider will never be as offensively flashy as Makar, he has firmly established himself as one of the NHL’s best and most effective defensemen, and is doing so while earning less than half of what Makar will make once his new extension takes effect.
Seider, who was former GM Steve Yzerman's first Draft selection in 2019, was re-signed to a seven-year, $59.85 million contract in September 2024. Seider's salary cap hit is $8.55 million.
There are 21 NHL defensemen who will have a higher salary cap hit than Seider this season, including Makar, Rasmus Dahlin, Evan Bouchard, Thomas Harley, Darnell Nurse, Roman Josi, and Drew Doughty.
While it was time for the Red Wings to move on from Yzerman as GM after seven straight seasons without making the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there’s no denying that the extension he negotiated with Seider is proving to be one of the NHL’s best bargains given the value the defenseman brings to Detroit.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Filip Hronek is committed to seeing things out with the Vancouver Canucks.
The 28-year-old defenceman is one of a crop of players that don’t quite fit in the Canucks’ age timeline heading into their oncoming rebuild, the likes of which have been kicked-off with budding prospects Braeden Cootes, Caleb Malhotra, and Zeev Buium.
Still, despite how things have shook out for the Canucks through the past two seasons, it’s reasonable to say that no current player has made more of a positive impact on their team than Hronek. The defenceman was even named his team’s MVP at the end of the 2025–26 season after grabbing the metaphorical reins post-Quinn Hughes trade in December.
Acquired by Vancouver in 2023 in exchange for a first and second-round pick in that year’s draft, Hronek found success on a pairing with Hughes in his first full season with the Canucks. After Vancouver’s magical 2023–24 season, the defenceman signed an eight-year contract extension with the team currently set to expire after 2031–32.
Evidently, things have changed since this point in time. No longer are the Canucks a game away from heading to the Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. No longer are they considered bona-fide contenders.
The moves that have occurred since Vancouver’s Game 7 loss to the Edmonton Oilers have set the team on a very different path from where they seemed to have been going back then. Hughes, J.T. Miller, Tyler Myers, Conor Garland, and many others have since been dealt in favour of younger, budding pieces with a long-term contention goal in mind.
It’s these types of moves that have led many to lean towards trading Hronek in order to accumulate more future assets.
The defenceman sees things differently.
“We like the city, and obviously the fans are great in Vancouver. They were supporting us even though we didn’t have a good year last year, and they still are showing up to the games, and it was sold out,” Hronek told David Alter of The Hockey News at the NHL’s European Player Media Tour. “Just like it overall in Vancouver, and that’s why I signed there for eight years.”
Is it about the desire to be part of change in Vancouver, or is it the prospect of helping mentor the next generation, kind of like what Luke Schenn brings in his third stint with the Canucks?
Partially both, Hronek says.
“I think it’s part of it, but it’s more about the commitment to the deal.”
Now entering year three of said deal, Hronek has emerged as one of the team’s leaders — a role especially important after the departure of veterans Teddy Blueger and Marcus Pettersson in free agency and trade respectively. Joining the team are veterans Schenn, Brendan Gallagher, and Jamie Oleksiak. These three, along with Paul Cotter, are the main additions the Canucks have made to their lineup heading into 2026–27.
“There’s been a lot of changes over the summer, and I hope we’re going the right direction, and we’re gonna be way better than last year.”
It’s these players, as well as longtime Canucks Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, and Thatcher Demko who will be relied on most to help usher in the new generation consisting of players like Zeev Buium.
“He’s listening and he wants to get better every day, and it’s the same for [Tom Willander] and [defenceman Elias Pettersson]. It’s easy to deal with them or mentor them because they’re listening and you know they’re trying to get better and want to be better players.”
Mar 26, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) makes a pass against the Los Angeles Kings in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Off-ice changes are a different story. Shortly after the season’s end, Vancouver made significant changes to their front-office and coaching staff, firing General Manager Patrik Allvin and Head Coach Adam Foote, and shifting President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford to an advising role. Into the NHL club’s ranks came Abbotsford Canucks GM Ryan Johnson and Head Coach Manny Malhotra, with Daniel and Henrik Sedin moving from player development roles to Co-Presidents.
Hronek’s experience with Malhotra in particular, while limited, has given him a glimpse at what Vancouver could be getting in the coming seasons.
“I don’t know much, I’m not gonna lie,” he said of working with his new Head Coach. “I met him at a couple training camps, and I’d been skating in Abby for like a week when I was injured, so it was fun practices there, and I think it’s really detailed.”
The defenceman also echoed praise of the Sedins, affirming his belief that role changes won’t impact the way they go about their duties.
“They’re great people, and they’re always trying to help with anything, and so I think they will stay the same.”
Changes have come for the Canucks in the past few seasons, and more change is still likely to come along the way. More draft picks will be accumulated, more players will come and go, and more progress will be made towards a long-term contending solution.
When it comes to Hronek’s future with the team, if he has things his way, his commitment will outweigh the prospect of change.
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.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
When the Philadelphia Flyers drafted defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii 27th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft back in June, the expectation was that the goliath teenager would peak as a high-end bruiser. At the peak of his powers, though, Sokolovskii could be much more than that.
The 18-year-old Russian defenseman showed little offensive upside in his draft year with the OHL London Knights, scoring just two goals, six assists, and eight points in 44 regular season games, and going scoreless in five playoff games as London's coaching staff directed him to focus on the defensive side of the puck.
But, that's also not to say that Sokolovskii lacks the ability entirely, either.
For instance, in the 2024-25 season with the 16U AAA Atlantic Coast Academy, Sokolovskii scored 34 goals, 50 assists, and 84 points in just 65 games, which was second on the Academy in scoring (forward Nikita Shcherbakov had 87 in 64) and paced all 16U AAA defensemen in scoring.
This isn't a great litmus test in terms of competition, but Sokolovskii has shown he can do it.
In a less competitive setting, Sokolovskii set the Flyers' development camp on fire earlier this summer, frequently showcasing his anomalous skating relative to his size, as well as some creativity on the puck and some stickhandling, too.
More recently, in some viral new highlights, the hulking 6-foot-8 Flyers prospect flexes what very well could be his full potential as a hockey player.
Flyers' Sokolovskii looking like the total package
Here is another view of Maksim Solokovskii’s 1st Assist Yesterday against Erie. What a skater he is. @Flyers_Clips
In this first clip of Sokolovskii playing against the Erie Otters in OHL preseason, the recent first-round pick uses his impressive skating to knife his way into the offensive zone while, importantly, keeping his head up to scan for options.
Knowing he had teammates behind him streaking in support, Sokolovskii lowered his shoulder, blew by an Erie defender, and cut towards the net, peeling the puck back into open space for Kane Barch to deposit into the net.
And, transition wasn't the only area where Sokolovskii shined against Erie.
Later in the game, the top Flyers prospect also saw some power play minutes, picking up an assist on his long-range shot from the point.
Second Assist of the Night for Maksim Solokovskii (Flyers 2026 1st Round Pick) on the Luca Santala (2027 Draft Eligible) slot tip.
Here, you'll see Sokolovskii walk the line and try not to defer the puck back to the left wall, from where he received it.
Instead, Sokolovskii goes to his right, getting the Erie defense to shift slightly before getting the puck in return. From there, Sokolovskii takes advantage of the lack of pressure in his face, manipulating the shooting lane and observing a teammate uncontested in the bumper, which is putting a triple screen on the opposing goalie.
One deflection later, Sokolovskii had two assists on the night just like that.
The London Knights rearguard still has plenty of work to do, particularly in terms of his passing, decision-making, and puck-handling/retrievals, but it's also obvious how swimmingly things can go when Sokolovskii is on his game and making the right reads and plays.
After the draft, the Flyers noted Sokolovskii's upward trajectory that continued throughout his draft year, and if that continues, there's no telling where the young prospect could eventually end up.
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.
Richard was the Sabres sixth-round pick at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal who has opened eyes every year at the club's development camp. A native of Jacksonville, FL, the 6'1", 194 lb. winger played his youth hockey in Florida and a year with the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks, where he scored 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) before being selected 170th overall.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
The following season, Richard split time between the Lumberjacks and Tri-City and increased his goal total to 31 and compiled 62 points in 57 games. As a freshman at Connecticut, he finished fourth on the club with 18 points (7 goals, 11 assists). As a sophomore, he finished second in team scoring, averaging over a point per game (15 goals, 28 assists) in 34 games.
Richard’s totals dropped in his junior season with the Huskies (10 goals, 17 assists in 38 games), but that did not dissuade the Sabres from signing him to an entry-level deal in May. With a number of forward prospects expected to be playing in Buffalo instead of Rochester, it is expected that Richard will get an opportunity to play in a scoring role in his first pro season with the Amerks.
EA Sports' latest entry for the NHL video game franchise is almost here, and with it has come their latest rankings and ratings for every player throughout the entirety of the NHL.
The New York Islanders have a roster full of burgeoning youngsters along with highly-respected veterans.
One of those veterans is right-shot defenseman Ryan Pulock.
Pulock, 31, posted 3 goals and 27 points. His 24 assists were the most he's had in a season since the 2019-20 season.
Call it the Matthew Schaefer effect, as the pairing played a huge portion of the season as a defensive pairing for New York.
But where did that leave Pulock when it came time for him to be ranked amongst his peers for NHL 27?
Pulock's rating for NHL27 is an 88 overall, after his elite season with the Islanders. He's tied with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal for the third-highest rating on the team.
Ilya Sorokin (93) is first, and Schaefer (91) is second.
The full game releases on Friday, September 11, with preorders granting 7 days of early access on Friday, September 4.
EA Sports' latest entry for the NHL video game franchise is almost here, and with it has come their latest rankings and ratings for every player throughout the entirety of the NHL.
The New York Islanders have plenty of intriguing players throughout their lineup, but the one superstar everyone wants to know about is Matthew Schaefer.
Schaefer, 18, lit the NHL on fire in his rookie season, posting 23 goals and 59 points, shattering all records for 18-year-old rookie defensemen, as he won the Calder Trophy and became the Islanders' present and future.
As a rookie, Schaefer saw his ranking start low, as all rookies have. Not the case this season. Schaefer is the Islanders highest ranked skater, and second on the team only to Ilya Sorokin.
EA Sports revealed Schaefer's overall for his sophomore season will be a 91, a massive leap forward, while also tying him for the fifth-best left-shot defenseman in the game.
He's the 35th overall player in the game.
The full game releases on Friday, September 11, with preorders granting 7 days of early access on Friday, September 4.
EA Sports' latest entry for the NHL video game franchise is almost here, and with it has come their latest rankings and ratings for every player throughout the entirety of the NHL.
Last season, Ilya Sorokin was the top-rated player for the New York Islanders, and that's a mantle he'll once again uphold.
EA Sports revealed Sorokin is a 93 overall, the second-best goalie, trailing only Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Sorokin, 31, went 29-24-2 in the 2025-26 season, and finished runner-up to Vaslievskiy for the 2026 Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league's best goaltender annually.
The full game releases on Friday, September 11, with preorders granting 7 days of early access on Friday, September 4.
‘Worth every penny’: Hockey fans react to Cale Makar’s mega-deal. [Sportsnet]
Avalanche have too much talent for this problem to continue: The Colorado Avalanche have a plethera of talent on their team, yet they rank near the bottom of the NHL in one area. [Sports Illustrated]
News Around the League
Hellebuyck open to a variety of teams as he becomes the latest Team USA Olympic gold-medallist to request trade. [TSN]
Cutter Gauthier turns down contract from Ducks [Video] [NHL]
Habs goalie rotation in flux as Samuel Montembeault remains in mix. [Montreal Gazette]
Canucks’ JT Miller admits that he went to rehab: Almost two years after the Vancouver Canucks’ dressing room fell apart, their former star admits he sought some kind of treatment. [Edmonton Journal]
Brady Tkachuk mistakenly thinks Seattle is in Canada and says that Leafs fans boo the loudest. Ex-Ottawa Senators captain ranked jeers from Canadian fans on Wingmen podcast with brother, Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk. [Toronto Sun]
Junior hockey players in OHL, WHL can seek compensation for alleged abuse. [CBC]
Hockey Canada is now jumping aboard a program started by the Canucks to give young journalists experience, in memory of the late Jason Botchford. [The Province]
Welcome to The Hockey News Vancouver Canucks site's 2026–27 player preview article series. This series will outline the expectations for every player projected to play for Vancouver during the 2026–27 season. Today's player is Canucks forward Trey Fix-Wolansky.
Fix-Wolansky's 2025-26 Season
Fix-Wolansky spent the 2025-26 campaign with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. He scored 31 goals while recording 55 points in 72 games. Fix-Wolansky also picked up 121 penalty minutes, which ranked 17th in the AHL.
Overall, Fix-Wolansky brings toughness and experience to the Abbotsford Canucks. The 27-year-old has played 361 AHL games and recorded 314 points. In addition to his time in the AHL, Fix-Wolansky has also played 26 NHL games, with the most recent coming during the 2023-24 season.
This year will be Fix-Wolansky's return to Canada. Before starting his pro career, he played three seasons in the WHL with the Edmonton Oil Kings. Fix-Wolansky's final WHL campaign was in 2018-19, when he recorded 102 points as the Oil Kings' captain.
Fix-Wolansky's 2026-27 Predictions
This off-season, Fix-Wolansky signed a two-way contract with Vancouver. While the winger has a chance to make the NHL roster, he is projected to spend the majority of the season in the AHL. Fix-Wolansky should help the younger players adjust to life in the AHL while also playing a key role in the top six.
Last year was a good reminder of how important depth is in the AHL. Because of all the injuries, Abbotsford often played with a very inexperienced lineup that featured a significant number of ECHL players. Adding a player like Fix-Wolansky adds an extra level of depth to the organization in case injuries hit again.
Bold Prediction: Fix-Wolansky finishes the season at a point-per-game in the AHL.
Mar 12, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Trey Fix-Wolansky (64) looks on against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-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.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 18: A general view of the betting odds on the video board at the Westgate SuperBook sports book on November 18, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Sunday, why not take a look at some NHL team lines and chop it up?
Last summer when I did this exercise, it worked pretty well. Can’t do better than 5-0 (went under on Calgary, Utah, Florida; over on Buffalo and Detroit). Not shabby. Shame I didn’t actually make any of the bets but let’s try to take a look at it for this upcoming season. I grabbed this from an online sportsbook as of this week for the totals.
Some interesting numbers on the table, let’s start on the teams that I think can overshoot.
Boston 86.5 – The Bruins had 100 points last year. They’re a team that doesn’t make sense on paper, it doesn’t look like they should be particularly good but usually come through (unless their goalie has a protracted contract holdout and screws up the timing for the year, anyways). Boston is minimally changed from last season, having lost Viktor Arvidsson and Andrew Peake while adding JJ Peterka and Connor Clifton. I don’t even know if they’ll make the playoffs again, but in an 84-game season, I don’t see how they can’t get at least 87 points considering they’re usually strong in net, defensively and score a little more than you might expect (their 268 goals were 10th last season). Going with Swayman, MacAvoy and Pastrnak to coax out at least decent performance from their team seems like a good bet to make.
San Jose 93.5 – The Sharks finished with 86 points last year, so an improvement is already priced in for this year’s over/under. I think they’re ready to get there. It helps that a decent amount of their division (SEA, CGY, VAN) is pretty poor. Anaheim is basically the same, listed at 94.5, I like the Sharks’ goaltending and team better considering that Macklin Celebrini is emerging as such a great player that can elevate others. This is risky to bet on an ascending team that hasn’t done it with this core just yet, but SJ showed enough signs last year to believe they are heading back towards at least playoff contention.
Montreal 98.5 – Big numbers should be scary in over/unders, but this one isn’t big enough. The Habs had 106 points last year, and all of their best players are in the 20-27 age range that should be able to replicate what they did last year or play even better. They also have two young goalies that should be improving. Montreal is in a very competitive division but I don’t see this being a major sweat. Montreal ought to be staying towards the top of the standings for a while, I think they’re an easy 100+ point team this year.
Now, some numbers that aren’t adding up in the summer.
Florida 108.5 – There’s no doubting that Panthers should be back to very good this year. This good? They did have 110 points in 2023-24 and now have Aleksander Barkov healthy and Brady Tkachuk joining up. But 110+ points with Jakob Markstrom and Akira Schmid as the goalies? Can’t say I see that. It’s a tough call than it looks since this could easily be a 105ish point team and it only takes winning a couple extra games to hit the over (and again, with 84 games there’s more opportunities to get there) but gee, this number is a bit too high (only Carolina at 109.5 is higher).
Toronto 95.5 – There’s been so much roster turnover that it’s tough to get behind what to expect. Being a popular team with star power, a high number is understandable for the books to not want to give in too much. Sergei Bobrovsky is 38 and wasn’t that great last year in Florida. The Leafs have some offense but everything is so new from management to coaches to the goalie and as many as 10 new players that they’re tough to get a read on. Sometimes things don’t gel instantly and provide great results, so I guess I’ll lean to thinking an under-performance is on hand.
Vancouver 74.5 – Vancouver has the lowest number on the board, and I still don’t think it’s low enough. Their defense has like one good player left. Elias Pettersson has been in a funk to put it mildly. There’s rumors they might be selling off Brock Boeser next. They have a rookie NHL head coach and new GM. I think they’ll be an outlier on the low-end this year, mired in some pain as they look to the future, of which they don’t even have that much U-22 material expected at the NHL level this season to even give hope for the immediate term. The Canucks had an NHL low 58 points last year, and even if they do better it would have to be a massive improvement to hit the over. Just don’t see that happening based off the minimal changes to the roster of adding Brendan Gallagher (who looks spent and might just replace the 31 points from the departed Evander Kane), Jamie Oleksiak and Luke Schenn while trading Marcus Pettersson for a first round pick four drafts from now.
The wondefully-haired fan behind the winning 3rd-jersey design talks about his moment, and his late dad. [Isles | Newsday]
Ryan Pulock was a guest on the Tri-State Hockey Podcast. He gives a pretty thorough answer at the 36-minute mark about the changes he’s seen in his decade-plus with the organization. They also talk about “the save” vs. Tampa. [YouTube]
The Islanders named people to various strength and conditioning roles. [Isles | THN]
Elsewhere
Cale Makar and the Avalanche agreed to a record, monster deal, $20.4 million per year. [Sportsnet] That raises the bar for top player salaries. [NHL]
Yes the landscape has changed, but players like Macklin Celebrini are still taking “less” to allow cap space for other good players around them. [NHL | TSN]
Connor Hellebucyk’s agent said the quiet part out loud, publicizing a trade request that is a few months old. Here are eight potential landing spots. [Athletic]
Or maybe here are five potential spots. [Sportsnet]
Or hell, maybe here is just one, Buffalo. [Sportsnet]
Victor Hedman was “not [him]self” last season. [NHL]
We're counting down until the Detroit Red Wings begin the 2026-27 season, and with each passing day, we’ll be taking a look back at the best player in franchise history to wear that day’s jersey number.
The Top No. 34 In Red Wings History: Manny Legace
He didn't begin his NHL career with the Red Wings, nor did he finish it in Detroit. But during his time wearing the Winged Wheel, goaltender Manny Legace put together a notable stretch in the Motor City.
He ranks ninth overall in Red Wings history with 112 victories, and has his name on the Stanley Cup as part of the legendary 2001-02 squad.
Originally taken in the 1993 NHL Draft by the Hartford Whalers with the 188th overall pick, Legace would actually begin his career with the Los Angeles Kings in the 1998-99 campaign, appearing in 17 contests.
He'd sign with the Red Wings that summer, only to be exposed to waivers and scooped up by the Vancouver Canucks. But as fate would have it, Legace would once again be waived and subsequently reclaimed by the Red Wings.
It was in the 2000-01 season that Legace's NHL career took off. Because starter Chris Osgood struggled to start the year, Legace began earning trust from head coach Scotty Bowman and impressed with his play on the ice.
While Osgood eventually returned to form and started for Detroit in the 2001 playoffs, Legace's numbers were too good to ignore, going 24-5-5 with a pristine 2.05 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.
Legace spent the next two seasons backing up Dominik Hasek and Curtis Joseph before finding himself caught between the two veterans in 2003-04. Hasek had returned from retirement after helping Detroit win the 2002 Stanley Cup, while Joseph still had two years remaining on his contract.
Legace handled the unusual situation as Detroit's No. 2 option behind both goaltenders, but Hasek's decision to step away again in early 2004 eventually left Joseph as the clear starter.
An injury to Joseph then opened the door for Legace, who took advantage of the opportunity and earned the starting job for Detroit's first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators.
He started the first four games before Joseph reclaimed the crease for the remainder of the postseason.
Legace then beat out Osgood, who returned to Detroit prior to the 2005-06 campaign, for the starter's role to begin that season. He once again posted strong numbers in the regular season, going 37-8-3 and helping the Red Wings to the NHL's best record.
Legace struggled in Detroit's first-round series against the No. 8-seeded Edmonton Oilers, and the Red Wings ultimately suffered a stunning upset series defeat.
Legace had accurately predicted before the playoffs that his time in Detroit could be over if they didn't make a deep playoff run. The Red Wings opted not to re-sign him, and he subsequently joined the division-rival St. Louis Blues.
He'd play two and a half seasons with the Blues before being waived in February 2009 after he struggled in a game against the Red Wings. He'd eventually bounce around the minor leagues while also getting another 28 games of NHL experience with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2009-10.
He would complete his professional playing career with the AHL's Springfield Falcons in 2011-12, and would retire after having compiled an NHL record of 187-99-18 with a 2.41 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage, and 24 shutouts.
He's joined the Red Wings for multiple alumni events since then. After a stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets as goaltending coach, Legace currently works for the New Jersey Devils as their head amateur goaltending scout and development coach.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
