The Buffalo Sabres snapped their 15-year postseason drought, winning the Atlantic Division and advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but after an offseason that saw Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch being dealt, the task of repeating as division champion or finishing in the top three of the Atlantic could be significantly more difficult. 

We will finish up looking at the seven other teams in the Atlantic to see where they stand in comparison to where they were at the end of last season and see where they potentially stack up as competition with the Sabres.

The Toronto Maple Leafs followed up their Atlantic Division championship in 2025 with a disastrous campaign, that was littered with incompetence at the managerial and coaching levels, and injuries and underachievement on the ice. Their 32-36-14 record found them at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, and led to wholesale changes, with GM Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube being let go and replaced by John Chayka and Jim Hiller.  

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

Additions

Sergei Bobrovsky - signed a three-year, $21 million deal as a free agent

Emil Andrae - acquired in a trade with Philadelphia

Darren Raddysh - acquired in a sign-and-trade with Tampa Bay

Nick Paul - acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay

Colton Sissons - signed a two-year, $8.5 million deal as a free agent

Jack Roslovic - signed to a two-year, $8 million deal as a free agent

Brandon Duhaime - signed a three-year, $7.8 million deal as a free agent

Zach MacEwen -  signed a two-year, $1.75 million deal as a free agent

Subtractions 

Dennis Hildeby - traded to Tampa Bay

Joseph Woll - traded to Philadelphia

Matias Maccelli - signed with the NY Islanders as a free agent

Nick Robertson - traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins

Brandon Carlo - traded to the St. Louis Blues

Outlook

Chayka benefited from a lucky rabbit’s foot in winning the draft lottery, enabling the Leafs to keep their first round pick instead of losing it to Boston and selecting Gavin McKenna first overall. McKenna is expected to play a significant role as a rookie, but Toronto has the luxury of a veteran core group that can take some of the heat off of the prized rookie at the start.   

Hiller was part of the Leafs staff during Mike Babcock’s tenure in Toronto and has familiarity with the club’s core players, which should ease the transition somewhat, but the changes implemented this summer will likely result in nearly a 50% from last year’s roster.

Toronto is gambling on a 38-year-old Bobrovsky reuniting with Anthony Stolarz as a tandem that won a Stanley Cup in 2024. On defense, the addition of Andrae is expected to help their mobility on the back end, while Raddysh (coming off a 70-point season in Tampa) will add a big shot from the point on the Toronto power play. 

With the exception of Roslovic, who may play the right side with Auston Matthews, the bulk of the Leafs forward additions will be bottom-six depth players, which were a necessity since they dealt players like Bobby McMann, Nicolas Roy, and Scott Laughton at the deadline. The most important factor for Toronto may be the health of Matthews, who suffered a season-ending knee injury at the hands of Radko Gudas. 

With the loss of Alex Tuch and the Sabres current state at forward, the Leafs depth additions, the return of Matthews, William Nylander, and Matthews Knies to full health, and the selection of McKenna could make them a potent offensive force.  Defensively, the departure of Bowen Byram and replacing him with Louis Crevier and Olen Zellweger has Buffalo’s defense taking a step back, but they are still superior to Toronto’s blueliner, with Raddysh potentially a flash in the pan, Chris Tanev’s uncertain health status, and the fact that they have not had a legitimate #1 defenseman since Borje Salming. 

Bobrovsky is a big question mark, but it is unknown how much his bad numbers were because of the Panthers being poor in front of him. The trio of Buffalo netminders performed above expectations and there is a question whether they can do it again. The Leafs could be a top three club in the Atlantic if everything goes right, but they should be in the wildcard mix in the East, which is where the Sabres will likely be unless they pull off a trade for Connor Hellebuyck. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

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. 

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

 24. Matteo Costantini –Center (Jacksonville- ECHL, Rochester - AHL)

Costantini was the Sabres fifth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, held in October because of the COVID pandemic. Former GM Kevyn Adams had only five picks in his first year as Sabres GM, but hit the jackpot with his first two picks: first-rounder Jack Quinn and second-rounder J.J. Peterka. 

Costantini is a local product from nearby St. Catharines, ON, and scored 68 points (36 goals, 32 assists) in 50 games for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. He played one season in the USHL with Sioux City before two years at the University of North Dakota. After a successful freshman season (21 points in 35 games), his sophomore year was a disaster, with three points (2 goals, 1 assist) in 25 games. 

After being sat out frequently during the regular season and playoffs, he used the NCAA transfer portal and shifted to Western Michigan. The change resulted in more opportunities to play up the middle, which was beneficial, as Costantini scored 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) and an excellent +20 plus/minus in 38 games. His senior season was not as productive personally, with 23 points (8 goals, 15 assists) in 40 games, but the 23-year-old was part of the Broncos NCAA Championship run. 

The Sabres signed Costantini to a two-year AHL deal, giving him an opportunity to earn himself an NHL entry-level contract. In his first pro season, he split time almost equally between ECHL Jacksonville and AHL Rochester. With the Icemen, he scored at nearly a point per game pace (27 points in 31 games), while with the Amerks he posted nine points (6 goals, 3 assists) in 33 games. 

With the roster changeover and promotions expected from their AHL roster next season, players like Costantini could get more opportunity next season.

Follow Michael on X, and Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 47 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #47. 

Let's take a look.

Aaron Johnson - 2003-07/2011-12 - Johnson was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Johnson played 172 games for the Jackets over two stints. Scouts said of Johnson was "A puck-moving defenseman, Johnson is a very good skater. Has good offensive instincts and can quarterback the power play. Can play a tough and physical game. Needs to improve his play in his own end."

During his time with Columbus, he also spent three years with the AHL Syracuse Crunch, where he had 73 points in those three seasons. 

In 2016, he left North America and signed on with Adler Mannheim of the DEL in Germany. He then left for England, where he played for the Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL. In 2021, he became a Player-Asst. Coach for a season.

He came back home to Columbus in 2021 and joined the Jackets as a Team Consultant. He's been the Team Relations Specialist for the Jackets for a few seasons now. 

Geoff Platt - 2005-07 - Platt was undrafted out of Mississauga, Ontario.

Platt made his NHL Debut in December 2005 as a 20-year-old undrafted rookie. He played in 41 games for his CBJ career and had 14 points. 

He left North America in 2008 and headed for Finland. He then left for the KHL and played five years with Dynamo Minsk. In 2012, he became a citizen of Belarus. He remained in Europe and played in the KHL, Sweden, and Finland until his retirement in 2023. 

Platt also began playing international hockey for Belarus after gaining citizenship, appearing in the IIHF World Championships and Olympic Games Qualifiers. He's worked for Tappara U20 as a skills and development coach for the past few seasons. 

Dalton Prout - 2011-17 - Prout was drafted by Columbus in the 6th round of the 2010 NHL Draft. 

Prout made his NHL debut on March 30, 2012, against the Florida Panthers. From there, he would go on to play in 224 games for the Jackets. He would also play in four seasons with the Springfield Falcons and Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. 

Prout was a big, rugged defenseman known for his physicality and toughness. In the 2015-16 season, he finished the year with 102 penalty minutes. 

Prout was known for his fights and wasn't afraid of anyone. Over the years, he fought Tom Wilson, Chris Neil, and Pat Maroon. But his fights with Boston's Milan Lucic were probably his most memorable, including a fight where Prout dropped Lucic with one punch. You can re-live that magic moment below. 

Prout was traded to New Jersey by Columbus for Kyle Quincey on March 1, 2017, and that's where the story would end for Prout's Columbus career. He would go on to play for Calgary and San Jose before retiring during the 2019-20 season. 

He was hired by GM Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers in 2021 as a Pro Scout and can be seen in the press box of Nationwide Arena fairly routinely. 

Marcus Björk - 2022-23 - Marcus Björk is an undrafted defenseman out of Umea, Sweden.

Björk was signed by the Blue Jackets as a free agent on May 24, 2022. From there, he would be called up from Cleveland on November 12, 2022, to make his NHL debut. 

In what would turn out to be a very bad season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Björk would have a terrific season in what would turn out to be his only NHL game played. 

He played in 33 games for the Jackets that season. He scored 3 goals and totaled 11 points and averaged just over 18 minutes a game on the ice. Not bad for a rookie fresh out of Europe. But, unfortunately for Björk, that would be the end of his NHL season to this point. 

Björk also played in 44 games for Cleveland that season and had 15 points. It seemed that Björk was going places. But when the following season rolled around, Björk was sent to Cleveland, where he would play in 51 games in the 2023-24 season and total 25 points. 

At the end of the 23-24 season, Björk was not offered a contract and was left as an unrestricted free agent. He headed back to Europe and signed with Kärpät of LIIGA in Finland. He scored 21 points in 32 games. 

In 2026, he left for Sweden and plays for IF Björklöven of the SHL. 

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The Senators have plenty of intriguing storylines as training camp approaches.

In this episode of Sens Nation, we discuss why Carter Yakemchuk may have his best opportunity yet to earn a full-time NHL job, after being one of Ottawa’s final training-camp cuts in each of the past two seasons.

The guys also look at some interesting revelations from the Senators’ latest Breakaway documentary, including the draft-night trade offers Steve Staios turned down from Vancouver and Pittsburgh, where Ottawa had Jonas Lagerberg Hoen ranked internally, and why the Senators selected him before Jaxon Cover.

Plus, who was actually Ottawa’s most improved offensive player last season? You may not want to know.

Which Senators could provide a surprise at training camp?

The Senators arena site remains empty, one year after they struck a deal with the NCC for 11 acres of land at LeBreton Flats. What's the timeline for a new rink now?

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode of the Sens Nation Podcast, the official Sens podcast of The Hockey News.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

While the Philadelphia Flyers have failed to address their need for talented young centers to this point in the offseason, they still have plenty of options available to them if they choose to try again.

The Leo Carlsson offer sheet was a strong indicator of what the Flyers are looking for and ultimately want to do at the position. Carlsson, 21, is already virtually a point-per-game player, and would have easily scored more than 30 goals and 70 points had he played in more than 70 regular season games for Anaheim last year.

It goes almost without saying, though, that those kinds of players don't grow on trees, and the Flyers clearly aren't as convinced that Columbus's Adam Fantilli is in the same tier, because he's eligible to sign and receive an offer sheet, too.

No dice in free agency, no dice in the draft, and no dice with the offer sheet leaves the Flyers with one avenue left worth exploring, and that's the trade market.

Out in the West, the Flyers have a trade target to consider on the San Jose Sharks.

3 Things Flyers Need to Return to NHL Playoffs Again in 2027Including Matvei Michkov, the Philadelphia Flyers are going to need some things to break their way to make the Stanley Cup playoffs again in 2027.

By now, we all know of the Macklin Celebrinis, Will Smiths, and Michael Misas of the world, and the Sharks still have a capable veteran at the position in Alex Wennberg as well.

With their top three centers, and top-nine in general, more or less set, it's becoming harder and harder to envision a future for Filip Bystedt, a 22-year-old center who was the 27th overall pick back in 2022.

The 6-foot-4 Swede broke out in a major way last season, erupting for 22 goals, 38 assists, and 60 points in 65 games for the AHL San Jose Barracuda, 

Despite the breakout, Bystedt is heading into a contract year, and in that timeframe, it would be difficult to imagine a world where he is able to supplant someone like Wennberg, given his inexperience and defensive weaknesses, and wrest a top-nine role away; he doesn't have the skillset required of a fourth-line player.

Sharks Hockey Digest beat reporter Max Miller did not have Bystedt in his top-10 Sharks prospects heading into training camp, with Cam Lund, another prospect on the bubble, ranking ahead of the honorable mention.

With the Flyers, though, Bystedt would have more than enough runway to establish himself as an NHL player and have the time he needs to improve his offensive and defensive reads.

For his size, Bystedt is a good enough skater, and he's equally skilled as a passer and shooter.

Flyers Must Follow NHL Blueprint for High-Value ContractsMany NHL teams are signing their young stars to big contracts early, but the Philadelphia Flyers have shown a preference to wait for certainty and guarantees before paying up.

In the AHL, the former first-round pick was able to play a more complementary role as a facilitator for skilled wingers such as Quentin Musty and Igor Chernyshov, and the Flyers have more than enough pieces on the flanks in their cupboard to recreate that environment for Bystedt at the NHL level.

As for potential trade compensation, it's harder to say, since the Sharks already added Michael Kesselring, Jacob Trouba, and Darnell Nurse to address a weak defense that lacked NHL-caliber players.

One trade comparable worth considering, however, is the Amadeus Lombardi trade from the end of June. The 23-year-old restricted free agent was traded by the Detroit Red Wings to the New Jersey Devils for a fourth-round pick (108th overall).

Lombardi has scored 82 points in his last 91 AHL games and is in need of an NHL opportunity, similarly to Bystedt, who just enjoyed a breakout of his own.

Of course, a trade would have to be suitable for both sides, but there is at least a fit on paper, especially from the Flyers' side of things.

Coming in at No. 9 of TheHockeyNews.com's top 10 ranking of Toronto Maple Leafs prospects is Tyler Hopkins.

The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all under 23. Therefore, players such as William Villeneuve, Artur Akhtyamov and Easton Cowan, among others, won't feature in this ranking for either or both of those particular reasons.

In terms of where these players fall in the rankings, it is a mix of their ceiling and potential, as well as how they've performed in the past year with their respective clubs. 

Hopkins was selected by the Maple Leafs in the third round of the 2025 NHL draft with pick No. 86. He is an OHL veteran to this point in his young career, featuring in 182 regular-season games, all before turning 20 years old. His time in the Ontario League is made up of parts of three years with the Kingston Frontenacs and about half of a season with the Guelph Storm, which took him to the end of the 2025-26 campaign following a trade from Kingston to Guelph.

The 2007-born center has proven to be rather consistent over the past two seasons. With Kingston in 2024-25, Hopkins scored 20 goals and 51 points in 67 games. 

Maple Leafs NHL Prospect Ranking: No. 10, Victor JohanssonKicking off our Toronto Maple Leafs prospects ranking is Victor Johansson at No. 10.

This past year, he stepped up in the goals department, recording 25 markers and 50 points in far fewer games, making 56 regular-season appearances. Hopkins scored an additional two goals in Guelph's four post-season games before getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Windsor Spitfires. He was also an alternate captain for both of the teams he represented in 2025-26.

Though his campaign in the OHL ended on a very sour note, Hopkins is a winner with the national team. The Campbellville, Ont.-born player hasn't represented Team Canada in any major tournaments this past year, but was a part of two championships in 2024-25.

NHL Prospect Pool Overview '26-27: Toronto Maple Leafs First-Overall Pick Gavin McKenna Key To Present and FutureThe Toronto Maple Leafs took major strides to improve its pipeline of prospects this summer. Beyond Gavin McKenna, which players are close to making the jump to the NHL? Tony Ferrari takes a deep dive.

Canada won gold at the 2024 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, with Hopkins registering one assist in five games at that tournament. They also won the IIHF 2025 U-18 World Championship that season, dismantling Sweden in the gold medal game 7-0. Hopkins notched one assist in six games, which game in the final.

Speaking of Hopkins' contributions to Hockey Canada, he was invited to the team's World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor, Ont., which took place from late July to early August.

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If it weren’t for Kirby Dach, much more would have been written about Alex Newhook being prone to injury. The speedy winger has now played three seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and was dressed for 179 games out of a possible 246, meaning he featured in only 73% of the Habs’ games; that’s more than Dach’s 47%, but that’s not ideal. In his 179 games, he scored 85 points, a 0.47 point-per-game average. In the playoffs, he put up two points in five games in 2025, but this past season, he managed to score 10 points in 19 games, for a .53 PPG average. Furthermore, he scored both the Canadiens’ series-clinching goals in games 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres.

Those playoffs were an excellent springboard for Newhook, who’s now entering the last year of the four-year deal he signed with the Habs when he was acquired in a deal with the Colorado Avalanche. As things stand, it looks highly likely that he will be able to resume his role on the Canadiens’ second line alongside Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. In an ideal world, Kent Hughes would have liked to get some reinforcements for his top six, either via trade or in the person of Michael Hage, but at this stage, all signs point to the Canadiens running it back with the same squad, minus Brendan Gallagher.

The Dobson’s Daughter Is Already Ready To Rock Some Canadiens Gear
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Of course, nothing is decided until training camp. If someone outperforms Newhook, he could find himself down in the bottom six, but his performance last season before suffering a fractured ankle, coupled with his playoff production, certainly gives him a head start over a player like Dach, who had to settle for a one-year, $3.6 M contract after being offered a two-way qualifying offer.

Dach might have been a third overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks, but so far, Newhook has had a much bigger impact on the Canadiens. The speed he brings to the table definitely makes him a good candidate to play alongside Demidov; he can get where the Russian winger will send the puck in a hurry, and he has more of a scoring touch than Jake Evans, for instance, who skated on the second line during the playoffs while Kapanen was a healthy scratch.

So far, Newhook has suffered two serious injuries, a high-ankle sprain in November 2023 and the above-mentioned ankle fracture in November 2025. When he did stay healthy in the 2024-25 season, he put up 26 points in 82 games; he nearly tied that production last season with 25 points, but in just 42 games. Fresh off a confidence-building performance in the playoffs and playing for a new contract, the odds are that Newhook will have the best season of his career, especially if he enjoys some stability when it comes to his linemates.

A full season riding shotgun with Demidov could really unlock Newhook’s potential to the fullest. If he stays healthy and remains in the top six, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Newfoundland native reach the 45- or even the 50-point mark, just at the right time to prove to the Habs that he deserves a new contract. On a young and inexperienced Canadiens’ team, Newhook brings a lot of playoff experience; after all, he did win the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in his rookie season.

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Last year’s most curious list featured some positive surprises (Arturs Silovs, Tommy Novak) and some running in place (Owen Pickering, Ville Koivunen, Tristan Broz) and a little of both (Avery Hayes). That didn’t even include some of the most curious seasons in store for people like Justin Brazeau, Ryan Shea, Parker Wotherspoon and Anthony Mantha, among many others.

There’s no shortage of new faces and fresh angles to tackle. There could be as many as 10 players on the roster at the start of 2026-27 that weren’t in the opening night lineup last season. The Penguins have an incredibly stable core at the top with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang starting their 21st season together as NHL teammates (it’s Crosby’s 22nd year individually), but a layer below that there is always a flurry of movement.

From those numbers, it’s a challenge to whittle down to just five players, even before getting to returning veterans and the hope for ascending youngsters. There should be no shortage of curiosity, especially given how in recent years that the Pens have had bad seasons when they mostly expected to be good and then finished second place in their division when almost no one would have seen that coming. The overarching curiosity on just how this mix will gel as a team is naturally the biggest and most interesting angle to watch how it unfolds over the fall and winter, here’s some individuals.

Nick Robertson

Robertson has scored 45 total goals in the last three seasons and will only turn 25 just before training camp. By contrast, Egor Chinakhov scored 37 career goals in about 2.5 season’s worth of games before joining the Pens. Can Pittsburgh get a Chinakhov-esque glow up out of Robertson to truly establish himself as a core player? He never quite got there in Toronto, averaging between 11-12 minutes per game in his three full seasons with the Maple Leafs. The finishing talent is there, this could be another big win in Pittsburgh’s strategy of targeting young players who need a change of scenery and new start to reach their potential.

Declan Carlile

Carlile is in that mold of a young player looking for opportunity too. The undrafted free agent spent three seasons mostly in the AHL from 2022-25 with Tampa. Due mostly to other players suffering injuries, Carlile got 42 games in the NHL last season and has 46 in his career. He just turned 26 years old but has the profile the Pens like for his size (6’3”, 190) and puck-moving ability that should make him a nice, younger, cheaper replacement to Ryan Shea. Considering the mess on the left side of the defense, if Carlile turns out to be an instant hit then suddenly things look a lot better on the depth chart. If he doesn’t, well, then the situation grows even more dire. With such little experience it’s anyone’s guess on just how this is going to play out.

Ville Koivunen

Koivunen’s massive eight year contract and $4 million cap hit instantly made him one of the most intriguing storylines for training camp. Last year’s camp ended with Koivunen briefly being on Crosby’s line at the start of the season. This year, who knows what could happen with a very crowded field of forwards competing for a seemingly limited amount of spots. Is Koivunen going to earn a spot in the opening night lineup? Hit waivers? Be stuck as a healthy scratch? Any outcome at this point is as likely as any other which makes Koivunen a central figure to be curious about seeing what happens.

Andrey Kuzmenko

In general, Kuzmenko is a curious player. He stuck around in Russia until age 26, joining up with Vancouver to a tremendous first NHL season in 2022-23 (39 goals and 74 points in 81 games). What looked like the possible next Artemi Panarin as a late-blooming import hasn’t stayed on track, shuttling between three teams since 2024 and seeing his spot in the lineup and point total on a consistent downward slope from 74 to 46 to 37 to 25 last season (albeit in just 52 games). The talent might still be there, Kuzmenko did record six points in six playoff games in 2025, but the ability to get there consistently remains in question. Kuzmenko hangs out in the offseason in the same orbit socially as players like Evgeni Malkin and Ilya Kovalchuk, the familiarity angle with Malkin could be something the Pens are hoping can provide a boost and get Kuzmenko back on track to his more productive and effective days. Just how far he goes will be one of the biggest curiosities this year.

Sergei Murashov

Last on the list, but certainly not least, is a player that could have the biggest influence on the season. Tristan Jarry didn’t work out following his 2023 contract and the Pens have taken the step to clear Jarry out and open up the runway for Murashov to take off as potentially the next No. 1 goalie for the franchise. Murashov at 22 is still incredibly young for an NHL goalie. Of the 59 goalies to appear in 25+ games last year, only two (Jesper Wallstedt and Yarsoslav Askarov, both in age-23 seasons) were under 24 years old and Murashov is nearly a year younger now than those two were last year. Despite that, it looks like Murashov is ready for the next step after a tremendous year in the AHL in 2025-26. Goalie trajectory can be notoriously finicky, even for top prospects like Askarov who had some stops and starts before fully growing into handling the world’s toughest hockey league. The curiosity for Murashov will be seeing just how ready for prime time he is at this point and how he can hold up in net. It’s a tough spot for a team defense that doesn’t usually do their goalies a lot of favors in keeping shots and chances down, yet the talent and upside are undeniable. It’s just a matter of seeing if the future is now or just how much growing pains will be involved.

In this clip from Pucks N'at Podcast, THN - Pittsburgh Penguins editors Kelsey Surmacz and Hunter Hodies discuss the merits of take-a-chance contracts like the Koivunen one given the rising cap and whether or not other players should receive them.

Watch the full episode here:

Read about the potential effect of the Koivunen contract on other deals across the league here:

Five NHL Players Who Could Sign Eight-Year Extensions Before Time Runs OutAfter Ville Koivunen's eight-year extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the NHL's incoming change to maximum contract lengths has quickly come into focus. Who are some players that could sign for eight years before these changes come into effect?

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It's officially another season, another prospects ranking for the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

In years past, this has been a bit easier of an exercise, as there used to be a more clear-cut line between prospects with NHL upside and longshots. However, because of the work that general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and his staff have put in during the last several years, the line is blurring a whole lot more - and there is a substantially higher volume of talent in the system. 

This time around, making a top-20 list was challenging. So, a few criteria were put into place: To make our list, prospects must be under the age of 26 and have played less than 50 NHL games. This excludes names such as Ben Kindel, Filip Hallander, Oliver Okuliar, and Alexander Alexeyev.

Forward Avery Hayes made our list at No. 12, and he's a wildcard-type player who, perhaps more than anyone else in the Penguins' system, has the ability to climb up an NHL lineup ladder with his style of play and skillset. For No. 13, we're taking a dive into the skillset of a blueliner drafted this year who has some pretty intriguing upside potential. 

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No. 11: D Tomas Galvas

Does anyone else think Czechia's Tomas
Galvas 🇨🇿 looks like Lane Hutson out there? 🤔🔥#WorldJuniorspic.twitter.com/9t9D5C9tMs

— BarDown (@BarDown) January 6, 2026

If you continue to follow along with our list, you'll probably notice that there aren't a ton of defensemen on it. The Penguins have built out a nice prospect pool of forwards and of goaltenders, but they still have their work cut out for them to acquire higher-upside talent on the blue line.

And one of their 2026 draft selections could, potentially, be one of those higher-upside players.

Galvas, 20, was selected in the second round (54th overall) of this year's draft, which was his third go-round in the draft process. He was passed on the first two times largely because of his size and due the the lack of growth in some key areas of his game. 

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2026, No. 12: Wildcard Forward Has Potential To Keep Climbing NHL LadderNext up on THN's Top-20 Penguins' Prospects list at No. 12 is a player whose unconventional path resembles that of a longtime Penguins' veteran - and who looks like he could be a really solid piece of the team's forward unit as soon as this season.

Well, that all changed in his third season with Liberec Bili Tygri HC of the Czech League, when he seemed to put it all together and recorded eight goals and 24 points alongside a plus-16 in 32 games. He also put on a show for Czechia U20 at the World Junior Championship, making himself stand out among overall tournament leaders with three goals and nine points in seven games. 

And, when you watch him skate and play with the puck, it's easy to see why he's so intriguing as a blueliner. 

Some have compared Galvas's skillset to that of Lane Hutson, which is a pretty high compliment. Even if Galvas's ceiling isn't Hudson-esque, there are some similarities.

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2026, No. 13: Defenseman's Growth A Revelation For PittsburghNext up on THN's Top-20 Penguins' Prospects list is a defenseman who continues to raise his own stock despite his late draft selection - and who is beginning to look more and more like an NHL-wired blueliner.

His mobility is beautiful to watch, as he skates effortlessly with his edgework, speed, and acceleration. Galvas is excellent in transition, as he isn't afraid to skate with the puck on his stick, excels at puck distribution, and has the puck skills to evade defenders. He works the offensive blue line well on the power play, he has some pop to his shot, and he can also break the puck out of his own zone with relative ease.

But, even if the offensive upside is noticeable, his defensive game is where he was experienced a lot of growth over the past year and where the Hutson comparisons end a bit. He's still risk-prone, but his stick work and ability to clog passing and shooting lanes is a strength, and he is much more engaged defensively in a general sense than in previous years. His size doesn't help matters for him defensively, but he largely accounts for that deficit with his reads and his ability to disrupt plays.

In some ways, his skillset is not too dissimilar to that of Harrison Brunicke, with the biggest difference between them being size. Otherwise, Galvas plays a similarly high-risk game, but like Brunicke, has the talent to keep developing a better defensive game. 

Tomáš Galvas, jak ho známe.

Trenéry v těchto situacích jímá hrůza (že jo @LadiSmid 😅), ale já jsem rád, že máme někoho, kdo se nebojí hrát a zkouší vymyslet neotřelé řešení.

Bez nervů ten kluk 😀

🇨🇿🦁👀 pic.twitter.com/L1nsliOdZh

— Jan Eichler (@Sigi_JE) May 15, 2026

Overall, Galvas is one of few Penguins' defensive prospects with legitimate offensive upside who could have a ceiling as a top-four defender. He needs to build out his 5-foot-10, 168-pound frame a bit more and continue to build on his defensive game in Czechia this season, but given the organization's general lack of higher-upside depth on the left side - especially those with the all-around toolset to complement a more elevated offensive ceiling - his lack of size was something worth taking a chance on.

If Galvas and his mobility on the blue line can give the Penguins a boost offensively and he can reach his potential, he could end up grading as a first-rounder.

The list so far:

- Honorable mentions

- No. 20: D Chase Pietila

- No. 19: C Kale Dach

- No. 18: LW/C Ryan Miller

- No. 17: C Zam Plante

- No. 16: G Joel Blomqvist

- No. 15:C Markus Ruck

- No. 14:LW Tanner Howe

- No. 13:D Finn Harding

- No. 12:RW Avery Hayes

- No. 11: D Tomas Galvas

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2026, No. 14: Feisty Forward Showing Why He Belongs In ProsNext up at No. 14 on THN's Top-20 Penguins' Prospects list is a tenacious, relentless, skilled forward with a mean streak who could work his way onto the NHL roster sooner rather than later.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of forwards, which is good for them in their quest to be a better team in 2026-27. However, that doesn't mean that they must be satisfied. There are improvements that they made, but they must not overvalue players in their organization either. If there is help out there, they should take swings. 

One of those swings could be free-agent forward Patrik Laine, who is still on the market looking for his next hockey home. Of course, Laine was the second overall pick by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL Draft. Since then, Laine has had tenures with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens. 

Early in his career, Laine was one of the best young snipers in the NHL. In his rookie year, a second place Calder Trophy finish to Auston Matthews, he had 36 goals. He followed that up with 44 one year after, and 30 in year three. In his fourth year, he scored 28 in 68 games before the league was shut down by COVID-19. 

139 goals in the first 305 games of an NHL career is elite production. However, when the league resumed for the 2020-21 season, things slowed down a little bit for him. He was traded, the goals didn't come in bunches like they were before the pause, and his reputation as a top-five scorer quickly faded. 

The thing is, however, that Laine still has 3 20-goal seasons since then, including as recently as 2024-25. In his last 186 games played, he has 74 goals, which is more than solid. 

During the 2025-26 season, Laine only played in 5 games, so he was not able to get his game going the way he is capable of. 

However, there are reasons to believe he can still score a ton of goals if he comes into camp healthy and motivated. He is only 28 years old and has a lot of good hockey left if he wants it.

His shot is what made him so lethal, and that is not something that has gone away from his game. Even if his skating were to slow down, he'll almost always have that booming wrist and slap shot. 

There is room for a sniper of Laine's caliber in Chicago's top six. With playmakers like Connor Bedard, Patrick Kane, and Frank Nazar around, he might find himself with a lot of high-danger scoring chances at even strength. 

On the power play, they could use him as a sniper on either unit. Separating him from Anton Frondell with the man advantage would give them two big one-time shots to work with. Overall, Laine would make them a much deeper team. 

Don't mistake Laine's sniping prowess for lack of solid playmaking ability, either. He has 198 assists in his NHL career, which do not grow on trees. Other goal scores on Chicago's roster could also benefit from an addition like him to the group. 

Teuvo Teravainen is a fellow Finnish-born forward who could be there to help Laine get acclimated too, which we've seen be important in the NHL before. There are some stars aligned that make a transaction like this look feasible for Chicago. 

Laine likely won't command a ton of money, either, which would make it a low-risk, high-reward type of move. They could get a lot of goals for cheap. Even if they give him a PTO with a chance to earn a spot out of camp, which he likely would if healthy, they give themselves a chance to add a high-end sniper. 

There are plenty of examples of players having a career resurgence down the road, and Laine is only 28, which is not old in hockey years at all. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Valeri Nichushkin knows better than most what the Colorado Avalanche looked like at their peak.

He was there when they won the Stanley Cup in 2022. He played through a broken foot to help finish the job. Seven years later, he is leaving Denver — and his comments about the Avalanche's aging core are impossible to ignore.

Speaking with RB Sport, Nichushkin admitted he hasn't had much time to process the trade to Columbus.

“Honestly, I haven’t had time to think about it yet,” Nichushkin said. “I stayed in America because of family circumstances, and then when I came to Russia, I was getting settled.”

Leaving Denver will be an adjustment for Nichushkin after seven years in the city.

“I knew every street,” he said. “Now everything will be new. I’ll have to find a new place to live. But there’s nothing terrible about it. I’ll adapt.”

The hockey side of the move, however, doesn't concern him nearly as much.

Some have viewed Nichushkin going from Colorado to Columbus as a clear step backward, considering the Avalanche remain a Stanley Cup contender while the Blue Jackets are still trying to establish themselves as a consistent playoff team.

Nichushkin doesn't necessarily see it that way.

“At first glance, perhaps it looks that way,” he said. “But on the other hand, Colorado is now already one of the oldest teams in the league.”

Then came the comparison that really puts Colorado's evolution into perspective.

“When we won the Cup, we were in the top five youngest teams,” Nichushkin said.

That is a significant observation coming from someone who was right in the middle of that championship run.

The Avalanche's core has aged considerably since 2022. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and the veteran foundation that helped Colorado dominate the NHL are still among the league's best, but the roster is no longer the young group that Nichushkin remembers from the Stanley Cup run.

And Nichushkin doesn't believe that automatically means Colorado is headed in the wrong direction.

“There are very good players in Columbus, a good balance,” he said, pointing specifically to Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko. “And that's how it happens in the NHL: a couple of trades — and everything can change very quickly.”

Nichushkin knows what he's talking about when it comes to Colorado's championship window.

He was instrumental in the Avalanche's 2022 title run, scoring nine goals and six assists in 20 playoff games as Colorado went 16-4 and captured the Stanley Cup. He also played through a broken foot late in the postseason, showcasing the toughness that made him such a valuable part of the team.

Nichushkin finished his Colorado playoff career with 27 goals and 13 assists for 40 points in 74 games.

He finished his final regular season with the Avalanche with 49 points, scoring 17 goals and adding 32 assists in 72 games. He then recorded four points in 12 playoff games.

Colorado officially traded Nichushkin to Columbus on June 25, receiving a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a third-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round pick in 2028. That 2026 second-round selection ultimately became Egor Shilov.

For Nichushkin, the trade offers the chance to take on a larger role.

“There is an opportunity to get a more interesting playing role there,” he said.

For Colorado, meanwhile, his comments offer an interesting reminder of how quickly a championship roster can change.

The Avalanche are still built around elite players and still expect to compete for the Stanley Cup. But according to one of the players who helped deliver their last championship, the team has entered a very different stage.

The young Avalanche that Nichushkin helped lead to the top of the NHL are gone.

But can Colorado rebound from last year's disappointment of getting swept?

Time will tell. 

The New Jersey Devils are a couple of weeks away from having training camp to prepare for what they hope is a bounce-back season. 

Part of that will be making sure the young players feel good about themselves as they look to take the next step in their careers. 

Not every prospect is going to play pro hockey in 2026-27. Some of them will be in college, some of them will play major junior, and a handful will be in pro leagues across North America and Europe. 

With some of the graduations the New Jersey Devils have had over the last handful of years, they are no longer seen as a team with a top-10 farm system. However, there are some good players that the organization feels can be impactful down the line. 

With the off-season winding down, this is a quick look at their top-ten prospects:

1. Mikhail Yegorov - G

Unless Nico Daws starts to truly dominate in 2026-27, the New Jersey Devils don't have their future goalie on their NHL roster. In the system, however, they have Mikhail Yegorov, who may end up being a star one day.

Whenever a goalie is a franchise's top prospect, they clearly have a ton of faith that they will one day see him in the crease at the NHL level. 

Yegorov played in the USHL with the Omaha Lancers for a while before landing at Boston University in the middle of the 2024-25 season. He appeared in 18 games for them and lit the NCAA on fire with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. 

The Terriers rode that wave all the way to the Frozen Four. In front of him was a great team, but he really stole the show. 

2025-26 wasn't quite as strong, but still good. The team in front was much weaker, but Yegorov would tell you he'd like to be better than the 2.73 goals against and .904 save percentage that he had. 

When Yegorv eventually turns pro, he is likely to get some run in the AHL before coming to the NHL. By then, the organization would love for his skills to be defined enough to make an impact as a future pillar within the franchise. 

2. Anton Silayev - D

The New Jersey Devils took a risk when they selected Anton Silayev with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. They likely would go in a different direction with the benefit of hindsight, but that doesn't mean that Silayev isn't a noteworthy prospect. 

Silayev will play in the NHL, and it could be as soon as this upcoming season. He is a big, mean defenseman who keeps his opponents away from high-danger scoring areas with regularity.

There isn't much offense in his game, but as a middle-pair defender, he can make an impact by being very difficult to play against while other guys are relied on for breakout passes/offensive contribution. 

3. Alexander Command - C

The New Jersey Devils selected Alexander Command with the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. He is a young prospect within the organization and has a lot of development to do. 

Command is a center who puts heavy emphasis on playing a 200-foot game, which would obviously translate to winning hockey in the NHL if he were to ever bring his game there with his full potential. 

If he ever reaches the heights of being a high-end third line center behind Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, with a lot of similarities to Hischier, the Devils will have gotten the player they wanted when they drafted him. 

He will never have to carry the load offensively or defensively, but he could if needed, which is exactly what the Devils will need out of their long-term 3C. 

4. Lenni Hämeenaho - RW

Lenni Hameenaho just finished his first pro season in North America, split between the NHL and AHL. He is sure to graduate off this list by the start of the 2027-28 season. 

Hameenaho was a key force for Finland in their World Championships win, so he should enter training camp confident and ready for more. 

5. Seamus Casey - D

When Seamus Casey was dominating games at the University of Michigan, there were high hopes for him at the NHL level. Then, he had a strong 14-game stretch to begin his NHL debut in 2024-25, which heightened expectations even more. 

Casey dealt with some injuries and inconsistencies in 2025-26, which has lowered his stock a little bit. He only appeared in 31 games, and 29 of them were in the AHL. Now, he has to work his way back up with good play in 2026-27.

Those key high-end skills are still there, which gives him hope; he just has to put them to good use on the ice early and often.

6. Matias Vanhanen - LW

Matias Vanhanen was incredible for Everett en route to a Memorial Cup runner-up finish. Now, he is going to head to Boston College where he is looking to get bigger, stronger, and faster.

If Vanhanen makes it to the NHL, it will likely be as a play-making forward who adds some offensive depth to a lineup. There is work to be done physically, but his ceiling would find him in the NHL. 

7. Nikita Shcherbakov - D

The New Jersey Devils selected big defenseman Nikita Scherbakov with a second round pick (44th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft. 

This player has a lot of development left to go, as he spent most of 2025-26 in Russia's second-tier league behind the KHL. Still, you can't teach a defenseman to be 6'5", which gives him an advantage when it comes to pushing to become an NHL-caliber defender. 

Some believe that Scherbakov has another level to his game that he could get to offensively, because he doesn't give much at this time, but the Devils should be focused on him becoming a great defensive defenseman with the ceiling of a shutdown third-pair guy. 

8. Conrad Fondrk - C

Conrad Fondrk was a second round pick (50th overall) by the New Jersey Devils in 2025. He was with the United States National Team Development Program in his draft year before spending his D+1 year with Boston University. 

Frondrk has seen his stock fall as his offensive numbers that he was capable of putting up have been declining year over year. It was a disappointing 2025-26 season at BU, and this is his chance to bounce back and show why he was a second-round pick.

Another lackluster year with the Terriers likely gets him bumped out of the top ten by this time next year. 

9. Shane Lachance - LW

The New Jersey Devils landed former BU captain Shane Lachance for bridging a trade between the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins back in 2025. Now, he is in New Jersey's system, trying to climb the ranks. 

Over the course of his pre-NHL career, Lachance has shown the ability to create chances for himself and his teammates. Every team he's been on seems to outshoot their opponents when he is on the ice. That is a tool that could help him become a middle-six forward on a good team. 

Being a captain of a top NCAA program like Boston University is no joke either. That level of leadership capability is sought after in NHL locker rooms. 

Lachance did play in 62 games for the Utica Comets in 2025-26 and scored 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points. He made his NHL debut, as well, but he didn't have any points in his one game. 

Unless Lachance dominates training camp and the preseason, he will likely begin the year in Utica, but don't be surprised if he plays some NHL games in 2026-27. 

10. Étienne Morin - D

Etienne Morin was a part of the package that New Jersey received in the Simon Nemec trade that they made with the Calgary Flames earlier this off-season. Now, he is a hopeful NHL prospect hoping to make his way up the ranks in New Jersey's system. 

Morin was a second round pick by the Flames (48th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft. He is a 21 year old defenseman. 

In 2025-26, Morin was a bit disappointing in the AHL for the Flames. They gave up on him and let him go to get Nemec, and now he is a project for the Devils. The two first round picks were New Jersey's top acquisition for Nemec, but Morin could turn into something if they work with him. 

It is the offensive upside from the back-end that makes Morin worthy of another look. He has incredible puck skills, but it didn't translate to more than 1 goal and 7 assists during the 2025-26 season. 

Visit The Hockey News New Jersey Devils team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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There is a difference between a prospect hoping to make the NHL and a prospect who believes he belongs there.

Tij Iginla sounds like the latter.

After a season in which he finally stayed healthy and continued to make meaningful strides, Iginla isn't approaching the 2026-27 season wondering whether he's ready for the next step.

He's approaching it with a much simpler objective: make the Utah Mammoth.

“I think I’m ready,” Iginla said during Utah’s development camp. “I’m looking forward to a big summer of training and pushing myself hard in the gym, but I feel ready.”

That confidence isn't coming out of nowhere.

Iginla, Utah's first-ever draft selection, has now spent two years inside the organization's system. More importantly, he finally put together a healthy season and believes the experience helped him add another layer to his game.

He doesn't point to one dramatic adjustment that suddenly transformed him. His improvement has come through the accumulation of smaller details — changes in his skating, movement and decision-making that can eventually turn a promising prospect into an NHL player.

He's even spent part of his offseason skating alongside Gavin McKenna, giving him another opportunity to study the subtle differences that separate elite players from everyone else.

“I'm just trying to keep adding those little details to my game,” Iginla said.

Now comes the biggest test.

Iginla's goal isn't simply to have another impressive development camp or show well during the preseason. He wants to arrive at training camp in September and force Utah to make a difficult decision.

“My goal is definitely to make the team,” he said.

That makes Iginla one of the most logical candidates to crack the opening night lineup.

But there is another prospect who could make the Mammoth's final decisions considerably more complicated.

Don't Forget About Dmitri Simashev

While Iginla may have the clearest path among Utah's prospects, Dmitri Simashev could be the dark horse who forces his way into the conversation.

The 21-year-old defenseman has already had a taste of the NHL, appearing in 28 games for Utah last season. But his most encouraging work came in Tucson, where he emerged as a legitimate offensive contributor and finished with 35 points in 40 AHL games.

That production matters because Simashev isn't simply trying to prove he can survive at the NHL level anymore.

He's trying to prove he belongs there permanently.

With Utah's defensive depth leaving a potential opening on the third pairing, Simashev enters training camp with a legitimate opportunity to claim a full-time job. His size, mobility and ability to contribute offensively give him a different path to the roster than Iginla, but the underlying question is the same:

Who is ready to stop being a prospect and become an NHL player?

That makes Simashev a fascinating wild card.

Still, Iginla has something Simashev doesn't: the chance to directly address an area of the lineup with his offensive skill set and potentially force his way into a forward group that has room for a young player to emerge.

And he isn't waiting for an invitation.

During development camp, Iginla played with the urgency of someone who understood that every opportunity matters. He attacked drills, competed hard and eventually scored a hat trick during the scrimmage.

Of course, nobody earns an NHL roster spot in July.

But that wasn't really the point.

Iginla wanted the organization to see that he's coming for a job.

“No one is making the team out of development camp,” he acknowledged. “But the goal coming in here is to plant that seed.”

That seed has now been planted.

When training camp arrives, Iginla will have a chance to turn it into something much bigger.

Utah is entering another important stage of its development, and the Mammoth need their young players to begin pushing established NHLers for jobs.

Simashev could make the race more intriguing

But if one Utah prospect is most likely to make the opening night roster, Iginla has already made a compelling case that it should be him.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have unveiled several theme nights for the 2026-27 NHL season. There will be the usual St. Pats- and Next Gen-themed outings. The Maple Leafs will wear their St. Pats jerseys on St. Patrick's Day (March 17) against the Tampa Bay Lightning, while their Next Gen game will take place on Dec. 21 against the Washington Capitals.

Aside from those two nights, Toronto will be hosting nine 'Remix Nights,' which is a nod to the Hometown Remix partnership between all 32 NHL franchises and Fanatics. This will be the next Maple Leafs alternate jersey since the 'Drew House' Next Gen jerseys designed by Justin Bieber were unveiled in 2022.

These Remix Nights take place between Nov. 7 and Feb. 16. November alone will see four Remix Nights, with the Montreal Canadiens as the opponents for the first night, the Edmonton Oilers one week later, the Los Angeles Kings on the 19th, and the Philadelphia Flyers on the 30th.

In December, the Anaheim Ducks and Lightning will experience Remix Nights on the 13th and 19th, respectively. The St. Louis Blues will be in town for this theme on Jan. 18. And the final two Remix Nights come on Feb. 8 against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Feb. 16 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

It's been reported that the Leafs, as well as the other franchises in the NHL, will have new jerseys for this remix theme. But what will Toronto's jersey look like?

Icethetics, a source for NHL jersey and logo designs, revealed their knowledge of the base color for each Hometown Remix jersey.

'He Had That Aura': Former Maple Leafs Goaltender Raves About Jim Hiller Hire, Sergei Bobrovsky SigningFormer Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Michael Hutchinson is a big fan of the organization's hiring of Jim Hiller and acquisition of Sergei Bobrovsky.

"The Toronto Maple Leafs are reported to be wearing beige or vintage white, and this would be a first for them," Icethetics said in a YouTube video on May 24. "None of their previous throwback jerseys have gone off-white. Could it be paired with leather brown gloves and pants too, like we've seen with their St. Pats uniforms?"

That would match the color wave of the Maple Leafs' announcement of their theme nights on social media, which had a beige-colored background behind the schedule for the Remix Nights.

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