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 Ilya Safonov.
Safonov's 2025-2026 Season
After attending development camp, Safonov headed back to the KHL to play for Ak Bars Kazan. The 25-year-old had an impressive campaign, recording 33 points in 68 games. Safonov also competed in two games for Russia at the U25 level.
As for the playoffs, Safonov was once again impactful. He recorded nine points in 20 games and helped Ak Bars Kazan qualify for the Gagarin Cup. Unfortunately, Safonov and his teammates fell just short of a championship, as Ak Bars Kazan lost to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in six games.
Once his season was complete, Safonov signed with Vancouver. His deal was a one-year, two-way contract worth $950,000. At the end of the 2026-27 campaign, Safonov will be a restricted free agent.
Safonov's 2026-27 Predictions
Safonov will be a candidate for the Canucks' fourth line and extra forward slot. He has good size at 6'4", 205 pounds, and can play both center and on the wing. Overall, Safonov's defensive play and physicality could earn him a spot on the opening-night roster.
As for the entire season, Safonov may be shuttled between the NHL and the AHL. For example, he could spend two or three weeks practicing and serving as an extra forward for Vancouver before being sent down to the Abbotsford Canucks to get some game action. Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how Safonov's game translates both to the AHL and the NHL.
Ilya Safonov at Vancouver Canucks Development Camp (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)
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PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 20: Erik Karlsson #65 of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks on before Game Two of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 20, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
As they do every summer, NHL.com had their day for Pittsburgh Penguins season preview information in setting the early stage for the upcoming hockey year. They had some questions, let’s discuss.
Production from their veterans and an emergence of a number one goalie among the questions facing the @penguins heading into this season. 🤔
1. Can Malkin shine in his potential final season?
Evgeni Malkin was resurgent last season, his 20th in the NHL. The forward had 61 points (19 goals, 42 assists) in 56 games to average more than a point per game after falling short of that mark each of the previous two seasons.
Some of that was aided by a shift from second-line center, where Malkin has played the majority of his storied career, to right wing on the same line. He also missed 26 games because of injury or suspension, which general manager Kyle Dubas said was a blessing in disguise.
“‘Geno’ is built differently, and I thought the different times off during the year really served him well,” Dubas said. “I think we were fortunate in that regard, and I don’t think you ever feel that during the year at the time. You think, ‘Jeez, he’s out. That stinks.’ But every time he came back from being out, he played his best hockey.”
Evgeni Malkin had to play to keep his Penguin career alive last year, almost literally campaigning to return. In the end, he got his wish – earned from a very productive 2025-26 coming off the prior year that was incredibly down by his standards (16 goals and 50 points in 68 games during 2024-25).
Malkin has never said yet that 2026-27 definitively will be his last season. He did just turn 40 this summer, and clearly there’s only so many more left for him to go. Whether or not that becomes a focal point – and maybe towards the end of the season if will be – remains to be seen.
For now, the Pens have Malkin in a good spot. His faceoff numbers were dropping off before his injury when he shifted to wing more permanently. Seeing how that second line will be built will be worth watching. The first starting point is where the placement of Egor Chinakhov will be. Likely at points, Chinakhov will be back with Sidney Crosby, which makes a lot of sense to have the best goal-scoring winger playing on the line with the best playmaking center.
If Chinakhov opens camp on the top line, Tommy Novak will be a player to watch. Malkin’s long enjoyed Novak’s style, and Novak does so much of the heavy lifting with puck touches in the defensive and neutral zones that stylistically makes it a good fit. Does the Novak-Malkin pair pick up a Rickard Rakell? Andrey Kuzmenko? Ben Kindel? Nick Robertson? There’s a lot of pieces in play and a long season to explore which combinations click the best.
2. Who is the true No. 1 goalie?
Arturs Silovs is likely to start the season as the primary starter after signing a one-year, $2.8 million contract to stay with the Penguins on July 5. Stuart Skinner, acquired in a trade that sent goalie Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 12, signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets on July 1.
Silovs was 19-12-8 with a 3.07 goals-against average, .887 save percentage and two shutouts in 39 games (38 starts) last season. In his NHL career, the 25-year-old has a 3.09 GAA and .885 save percentage.
It might only be a matter of time before Sergei Murashov, a highly touted prospect, takes over. The 22-year-old has been dominant with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League and was 1-1-2 with a 2.56 GAA, .897 save percentage and one shutout in his first five games (four starts) with Pittsburgh last season.
Fellow prospect Joel Blomqvist, who is 4-9-1 with a 3.81 GAA and .885 save percentage in the NHL, will also push for a spot with the Penguins.
“It’s an area of good strength and depth for us, but the guys have earned that. It hasn’t been given,” Dubas said. “Obviously, both (Murashov and Blomqvist) have gotten NHL time. … For us, it’s just ‘Continue to watch them, give them the opportunity.'”
Dan Muse’s goalie decisions were on point from the very beginning last season. The Pens started Silovs on opening night, he won via a 3-0 shutout and then didn’t play the next game to set the tone for the whole season where Pittsburgh almost exclusively rotated their starting goalie every-other-game throughout the season. A condensed schedule made that planning smart – and the Pens do indeed have an NHL-high 15 instances of back-to-back games so it would make sense that something close to a regular rotation will be in effect this year.
What won’t be around is a veteran. Silovs, who was officially considered a rookie last season, is 25-years old and has 58 NHL regular season games under his belt and he’s by far the most experienced player.
Murashov, as we noted, would be very young at 22 by goalie standards, considering only two 23-year olds (Jesper Wallstedt and Yarsoslav Askarov) played 25+ games last season. Sky is the limit but that’s a position with often unsteady progression paths and a lot of growing pains to transform from ‘top prospect’ into ‘established NHLer’.
Then there’s Joel Blomqvist, 24, who has 15 career NHL games, but none since March of 2025.
Silovs’ great playoff performance showed briefly that he could be something approaching ‘the guy’, but it certainly wouldn’t or shouldn’t be shocking to see both Murashov and Blomqvist get the opportunity to take the net and get substantial opportunities.
3. Can Karlsson have a repeat performance?
Last season, Erik Karlsson looked like every bit of the defenseman Pittsburgh felt it was acquiring from the San Jose Sharks in a three-team trade that also involved the Montreal Canadiens on Aug. 3, 2023.
After being relatively quiet in his first two seasons with the Penguins, the 36-year-old had 66 points (15 goals, 51 assists) in 75 games, second on Pittsburgh behind center Sidney Crosby (74 points; 29 goals, 45 assists in 68 games). Karlsson was also more responsible defensively, which was helped by his chemistry with defenseman Parker Wotherspoon on the top pair.
Wotherspoon is gone, however, traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for defenseman Kaedan Korczak on June 30.
Karlsson, who has been voted the winner of the Norris Trophy three times as the League’s top defenseman (2012, 2015, 2023), will need to put up the same numbers, if not better, with a new partner in the final season of an eight-year, $92 million contract ($11.5 million average annual value).
Erik Karlsson was so, so good in crunch time last season, his 24 points in the month of March was second in the NHL to only Nikita Kucherov’s 26. Repeating that would be a tall task, and perhaps an impossible one.
Still, the team’s MVP from last year is going to have to put on the Superman cape again given the state of the blueline. Kris Letang’s ability to impact the game has vanished rapidly, and the Pens lost arguably their two steadiest defensive players from the group with Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea departing.
The better question to ask might be which team is Karlsson on by mid-March? Is he even a Penguin? Does he have an extension? Whether it’s 60 or 70 points, the play driving and offensive brilliance is going to be there. How much longer that is going to be in Pittsburgh is a different but perhaps more intriguing outlook given that the player has a full no movement clause and is in the final season of his contract.
Former Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula has yet to begin his first season in the KHL since flaming out in the NHL, but he's already certain the fans and environment are better back home in Russia than here in North America.
In a recent interview he gave for his KHL club CSKA Moscow, the 26-year-old formerly undrafted Flyers prospect reflected on his most memorable game here in North America, as well as having to adapt to a new lifestyle.
"My most memorable game in America was against New Jersey in an outdoor stadium. The stands were packed, about 80-90 thousand people. But the atmosphere wasn't there like in Russia; there's no support section with drums and chants. I think we have the best fans," Zamula said.
The Flyers lost to the New Jersey Devils, 6-3, at MetLife Stadium back on Feb. 17, 2024, with Devils goalie Nico Daws making a record 45 saves in an outdoor game.
Zamula recorded one assist in 11:57 of ice time in the Flyers' loss, picking up a secondary helper on Owen Tippett's second-period goal to make the score 2-1 and get Philadelphia on the board.
That was arguably the biggest game of Zamula's NHL career, as the 6-foot-3 Russian defender was traded to Pittsburgh on Dec. 31, then ended up with Columbus on Jan. 6 after having his contract terminated.
The 26-year-old was on two playoff teams last season, but was cut loose by both, missed out with Columbus, and will now continue his playing career on a three-year contract with CSKA.
"I learned a lot about life in North America. I was there alone, without my family. I learned to cook, learned English, and got used to the culture," said Zamula.
"I also learned from the coaching staff how to make quick decisions and adjusted my approach to a more defensive game."
With his NHL career currently on pause, Zamula scored eight goals, 33 assists, and 41 points in 168 games with the Flyers with a -12 rating, and added two assists in a 20-game cameo with Columbus to finish last season, recording a +2 rating.
There’s not
much the Montreal Canadiens and their fans would like to remember about their
game against the Colorado Avalanche on November 29, 2025. On that day, Martin
St-Louis’ Habs were obliterated 7-2 by Nathan MacKinnon and co. But when the
Canadiens were down 4-0, the second line, formed by Juraj Slafkovsky, Oliver
Kapanen, and Ivan Demidov, conjured up some magic.
That beauty
of a play allowed Slafkovsky to land in 13th place in the top 15
assists of the last season. Demidov skated into the zone, made a drop pass to the big Slovak before skating around the net, while the big Slovak bought himself some time with a spin Orama, then headed to the net and fed Demidov, who had time to get to the other side, in his office.
That
fantastic play also reminds you how well the two can link up on the same line.
It’s no wonder the Canadiens would like to find another big power forward to
play on their top six. That mystery player could either skate with Demidov or
maybe even on Suzuki’s line if the Canadiens would rather re-create the
Slafkovsky-Demidov magic.
That play
was without a doubt the only redeeming part of that massacre against Colorado,
but the Canadiens would have the last laugh with a 7-3 win against the Avs at
the Bell Centre in January. On that day, the line scored the seventh and final
goal of a great passing play between Kapanen and Slafkovsky.
It will be
interesting to see what St-Louis will do with his top six this season. Clearly,
there’s some chemistry between Slafkovsky and Demidov, but one has to wonder
what would happen if the Russian sophomore were given an opportunity to play
alongside Suzuki and Caufield. It could be easier to mix-and-match if Kent
Hughes were able to land another top-six player.
MONTREAL, CANADA - APRIL 05: Head coach Sheldon Keefe of the New Jersey Devils handles bench duties during the third period against the Montréal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on April 5, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The New Jersey Devils defeated the Montréal Canadiens 3-0. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“The New Jersey Devils have their core in place, but you always need role players to complement your stars. More often than not, those complementary pieces end up being a team’s most underrated players. The Devils have a few of those entering 2026-27.” [Devils on the Rush]
“This is a make-or-break season for Sheldon Keefe as head coach of the New Jersey Devils. Year three behind the bench arrives with no remaining excuses and a coaching staff that finally looks like his. The first two seasons came with a built-in buffer that no longer applies.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]
Hockey Links
“How confident are you in your team’s front office? That’s the question we ask every summer, a necessary heat check on each team’s management group and how their decisions are perceived by not only their own fan base, but the public at large.” [The Athletic ($)]
The Blue Jackets will be without Elvis Merzlikins:
Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins underwent successful shoulder surgery on Monday. No timetable has been set for his return at this time.
A look at the best old guy seasons in NHL history: [Sportsnet]
“Kucherov is now eligible to ink a contract extension with only one year remaining on his current deal at $9.5 million for the upcoming campaign. He’s almost certainly headed for a massive raise, but the question is, how big will it be? The NHL’s financial landscape is vastly different from what it was just a couple of months ago.” [Sportsnet]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
The 2027-28 third jersey design as released by the Islanders
It wasn’t Mat Barzal’s top choice, but he’ll have to wear it anyway because we said so.
The Islanders’ attempt to fill the quiet summer month of August with something succeeded with the announcement that the navy blue design with the old lighthouse shoulder patch logo is their third jersey for the season after next. (That’s 2027-28. Even though the number on the mockup is 26, do not be confused.)
Islanders News
The Islanders official announcement. The designer will be honored when the jersey debuts, but you have to figure there’s more than one who arrived at that one, no? [Islanders]
Alan Hahn approves, so we can all breathe easy. [Newsday] “The Islanders finally have their lighthouse project,” tee hee. [Post]
Meanwhile, in more ice-ish news, Matthew Schaefer on his prep for his sophomore season. [Isles]
And Tony DeAngelo on coming back for more, regrouping with the late-summer skaters. [Isles]
Matt Martin tried to beat up his babysitter. [THN]
Elsewhere
Expansion in Texas is no longer a matter of if, but merely when (as soon as 2029-30) and where (Austin or Houston). Bill Daly also threw a bit of shade at the other pro sports franchises in/bound for Las Vegas, which is both funny and merited. [TSN]
Daly also talked about an outdoor game likely being held in Europe. [NHL]
Nikita Kucherov’s next extension will be complicated, with him coming off a massive Hart-winning season. Drink every time you read “no income taxes.” [Sportsnet]
In a big blow with poor timing, Elvis Merzlikins has shoulder surgery, timeline for return unknown. [TSN]
Leon Draisaitl says Mike Babcock will hold him and Connor McDavid…might not even access to their phones to do it! [NHL]
It wasn’t Kevin Keegan flying off in a helicopter, but Zdeno Chara ceremoniously took off his skates and walked off the ice in his socks to complete his tribute game and fundraiser back home in Trencin. [NHL]
The 32 in 32 series has caught up with the Sharks, who used a lot of cap on guys like Jacob Trouba and Darnell Nurse. [NHL]
The New Jersey Devils, according to the National Hockey League, have two top-20 centers in the game right now.
Jack Hughes came in as the 10th-best center in the league, while Nico Hischier checked in at #15. The Edmonton Oilers, with Connor McDavid (#1) and Leon Draisaitl (#4), are the only other team with two on this list.
Each of them had a different path to finding their way on the list. For Hughes, it's all about speed, skill, and offensive production. In addition to winning the Gold Medal with Team USA by scoring the Golden Goal in the NHL, he is a sure-fire point-per-game player. If he stays healthy going forward, there will be Devils records for him to surpass in the future.
As for Nico Hischier, he is a top two-way player in the game. His name, although he has only finished second, is often in the Selke Trophy conversations.
While being as responsible as you can be in the defensive zone, Hischier makes things happen in the offensive zone as well. He isn't as flashy as some other players on the list, but he is good for 28-35 goals in any given year, and he will always be right around a point per game.
Others on the list include Macklin Celebrini (#3), Jack Eichel (#6), Sidney Crosby (#7), and Connor Bedard (#16). The rest can be seen below:
Introducing NHL Network's Top 20 Centers Right Now!
Having two elite centers is a large key to winning big in the playoffs. New Jersey has that, as long as they stay healthy. If they can get what they need from the rest of the roster, these two should be leaders on a great team in 2026-27.
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Macklin Celebrini's sophomore season to remember with the San Jose Sharks continues to bring him a considerable amount of accolades. On Sunday, he was named the third best center in the NHL by NHL Network, improving from 19th place last summer.
After his record-breaking 115-point season, Celebrini trails just the Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid and the Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon in the rankings. As a result, Celebrini jumped players like Aleksander Barkov, Sidney Crosby, and Auston Matthews in NHL Network's annual list.
Introducing NHL Network's Top 20 Centers Right Now!
Moving up any further will be difficult for Celebrini, to say the least. McDavid and MacKinnon have Harts, Rocket Richard and Art Ross Trophies under their belt, while Celebrini is still looking for first his piece of major hardware in the NHL. Regardless, Celebrini is quickly establishing himself as a face of the new generation alongside Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders and potentially Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks, who moved to 16th place in the same list.
As expected, Celebrini was the only member of the San Jose Sharks to crack the top-20 center list.
On Sunday night, as they have with every other position for the last few weeks, the NHL revealed its list for the top-20 active centers.
Although Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, and others are projected to be great players one day, the only real candidate for this list is Connor Bedard.
Bedard's slow sophomore season caused him to miss the list ahead of 2025-26, but he came out and had a 30-goal season and was a point-per-game player. This success earned him a spot, coming in at #16.
This is right below New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier and right ahead of Tampa Bay Lightning star Brayden Point. There is another level for Bedard to reach, but this is some elite company.
Other young players comparable to Bedard who made the list are Leo Carlsson (#14) and Macklin Celebrini (#3). The top spot was obviously given to Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, followed by Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.
Connor Bedard's idol, Sidney Crosby, and Pittsburgh Penguins captain, is still high on the list at 39 years old, coming in at #7.
Introducing NHL Network's Top 20 Centers Right Now!
Connor Bedard is going to miss the first month of the season unless he beats the early projected timeline. Even with that, he has a chance to score 40 goals and 100 points if everything else goes right for him.
With upgrades around him, including Patrick Kane and Roman Kantserov to potentially play on his wing, he should have the help he needs to take another step.
Although every hockey observer knows the level that Connor Bedard is aiming to reach, which would firmly get him in the top ten of this list, it is good for him to be recognized amongst the greatest players in the game.
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While the Detroit Red Wings continue to face more questions than answers regarding their on-ice and front-office leadership as Training Camp quickly approaches, one of their acquisitions from earlier this summer could ultimately pay off in a big way.
On the opening day of free agency, now-former Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman acquired hard-nosed forward Keegan Kolesar from the Vegas Golden Knights in return for a 2027 seventh-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.
Kolesar, a veteran of 439 regular-season games with the Golden Knights, arrives in Detroit with Stanley Cup-winning experience. He was part of Vegas’ championship-winning squad in 2022-23 and also helped the team reach the Stanley Cup Final earlier this spring, though the Golden Knights fell short against the Carolina Hurricanes.
While he isn't relied upon to provide much scoring, Kolesar will instead help the Red Wings in an area where they've been sorely lacking: providing a physical presence and making them a more difficult team for opponents to play against.
The Red Wings were ranked dead last in a recent NHL aggressiveness index for last season, something that Kolesar will be looking to change.
"Just talking to guys now, they felt that there was a missing piece, maybe an identity of just having that - not the fighting aspect, but more of the toughness and being hard to play against, being a veteran presence on the front end, bringing guys into the fight," Kolesar explained during his introductory Zoom media session in July. "I think that’s something I can provide.”
“You try to bring guys into the fight every night," he continued. "If I can be one of those older guys that comes in and shows guys that we’re going to go in there to the trenches tonight and see who wants to follow me, and maybe it uplifts the guys a little bit more.”
Having a physical presence willing to battle in the dirty areas of the ice and immediately stand up for his teammates is something the Red Wings have lacked in recent years.
While Kolesar's addition isn't the second coming of such former players like Bob Probert, Brendan Shanahan, Darren McCarty, and Martin Lapointe, it should only help address that deficiency and help them shed the reputation of being too easy to play against.
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Oliver Kapanen took a big step forward with his development last season with the Montreal Canadiens. In 82 games last season with the Original Six club, he posted 22 goals, 15 assists, and 37 points
When noting that this was Kapanen's first full NHL season, there is no question that he had a solid year for the Habs. Yet, it would not be surprising if he ends up having an even better year for Montreal in 2026-27.
Now that Kapanen is heading into next season more adjusted to the NHL level, the possibility of him improving his all-around game should not be ruled out.
Kapanen has already shown that he can produce solid secondary offensive production in the NHL, and it would be big for the Canadiens if he improved upon it further in 2026-27. If he can produce more offense while also strengthening his two-way game, he would undoubtedly make Montreal's forward group better.
At just 23 years old and 100 NHL games into his career, Kapanen has very likely not reached his ceiling yet. It will be interesting to see what kind of season he puts together for the Canadiens in 2026-27 from here, but it is hard not to feel optimistic about his future with the team.
The Buffalo Sabres did some very-impressive things in the 2025-26 season, earning first place in the highly-competitive Atlantic Division, then winning their opening-round Stanley Cup playoffs series against the Boston Bruins before losing to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round.
That strong season means TheHockeyNews.com’s annual grades for Sabres players will be mostly in the ‘A’ and ‘B’ area. And in this particular “Sabres Grades” file, we’re turning our attention to forward Peyton Krebs.
Krebs was an RFA this summer, but Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen signed him to a four-year contact extension worth $4.5-million per-season. That certainly raises the stakes and expectations for Krebs, but he’s still only 25 years old and has room to grow his game. But let’s look at his contributions from this past season to understand why we gave him the grade we did.
Peyton Krebs
Position: Center
Grade: B+
The Skinny: Last season, Krebs posted career-highs in goals (12), assists (27) and points (39) in 82 games. They’re modest jumps from his previous career-highs of 10 goals, 18 assists and 28 points, but Krebs has made slow-but-steady improvement. And his 2025-26 ice-time average of 13:46 is just seven seconds higher than his career-average ice-time of 13:39.
Krebs is never going to be the dynamic difference-maker the Vegas Golden Knights hoped he’d be when they drafted him 17th-overall in 2019. But as a cornerstone bottom-six forward, he’s a smart choice – and one who could look like even more of a financial bargain as the cap ceiling continues to rise exponentially.
One of the intriguing elements of Krebs’ new contract is that he doesn’t have any no-trade or no-move protection in the first two years of the contract – and in the final two years, he has a modified no-trade clause allowing him to veto a trade to seven teams of his choosing. So if Kekalainen doesn’t see enough out of Krebs in the next two years, Kekalainen doesn’t have to deal with any no-trade issues with him.
That’s an article for another day, but the truth is that Krebs had a terrific season – maybe not one that bowls you over because of his sheer force of willpower, but he was an above-average soldier for coach Lindy Ruff, and in the post-season, Krebs generated an impressive four assists and six points in 13 playoff games. For his 2025-26 salary of $1.45-million, that’s great work. And Krebs figures to be an important component as Buffalo tries to ratchet up their game and get to the Eastern Conference final and beyond.
Krebs can be part of the solution in Sabres Land, but it’s important not to saddle him with the weight of expectation you’d have for a more natural scorer at the NHL level. And if Buffalo fans give him breathing room. Krebs could reward their patience by being a fixture for the Sabres for quite some time to come.
Buffalo isn’t a destination spot for NHLers seeking a new home, but by retaining competent players like Krebs, they can cross certain things off their list and focus more of their attention and cap space on higher-end players. He makes the Sabres harder to play against, and if Krebs comes into the 2026-27 campaign and finds a way to get to the 50-point plateau – something that shouldn’t be impossible for him – he’ll earn an ‘A’ or an ‘A+’ grade this time next summer.
Did you miss anything from the past week at The Hockey News - San Jose? If you did, we have you covered with the Sunday Recap. Click on each card below to read the stories from the past week.
According to Jeremy Garrett of Hockey News Hub, San Jose Sharks prospect Yaroslav Korostelyov is terminating his contract with SKA St. Petersburg and will make the jump to North America this coming season. The report was seemingly confirmed by Sharks President Jonathan Becher in a quote tweet, although the team has yet to officially confirm the signing.
Heading into the 2026-27 San Jose Sharks season, a number of players will be chasing various milestones. Some of those milestones will be major, career-defining ones, while others will mark an important stepping stone for future accomplishments.
Celebrini, 20, is going to be tied for the fifth-highest rated player in this year's iteration of the EA Sports NHL series, NHL 27, while also being featured on the cover. When the game releases early next month, Celebrini will have a 95 overall rating, which ties him with players like Sidney Crosby, Cale Makar, David Pastrnak, Aleksander Barkov, and others. Celebrini is tied for the fourth-highest rating for a center, behind Connor McDavid (99), Nathan MacKinnon (97), and Leon Draisaitl (96).
On Thursday, the University of Wisconsin Badgers' head coach, Mike Hastings, announced that San Jose Sharks great Joe Pavelski will be joining their coaching staff for the coming season.
Ahead of the 2026-27 season, The Hockey News released their annual Yearbook and projected where each team in the NHL will finish in the standings. The San Jose Sharks are one of the teams expected to take major steps forward, as they were picked to finish fourth in the Pacific Division.
Former San Jose Sharks defenseman Vincent Iorio will be staying in the Big Apple for at least one more season, as he’s signed a new one-year contract with the New York Rangers.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the San Jose Sharks were in no man's land with regard to defenseman Sam Dickinson. He wasn't quite ready for the NHL, but he had accomplished everything he could in the Ontario Hockey League, and he wouldn't develop any further at that level. As a 19-year-old, he was ineligible for the American Hockey League due to the rules at the time, which are set to change a season too late in this regard.
With reports suggesting the NHL could add a 33rd team ahead of the 2029-30 season, the idea of an expansion draft is certainly going to start dominating headlines and will take up a considerable amount of general managers’ brainpower for the foreseeable future. As the San Jose Sharks are expected to be done with their rebuild at that point, they’ll likely lose a reliable player during the summer of 2029. While there’s plenty of time for things to change, let’s take a look at what the Sharks’ protection list might look like by that point.
A month ago, we discussed the possibility of the Montreal Canadiensacquiring Zach Withecloud from the Calgary Flames to shore up the right side of their blueline. There’s a hole there, and it needs addressing sooner rather than later. In an ideal world, Lane Hutson wouldn’t have to play on his off side, nor would Kaiden Guhle. On his Habscast podcast on Saturday night, Grant McCagg made an interesting suggestion.
He also believes Whitecloud would be an interesting target for the Canadiens. But he speculates the Habs should approach the Flames with an offer that includes Adam Engstrom and Alexander Zharovsky. While the idea is likely to ruffle some feathers, it’s not without logic.
Many believe that Engstrom is ready to make the jump to the NHL, including former Laval Rocket coach Pascal Vincent, but he’s not the type of defenseman the Canadiens need. Yes, he can play on his off side, but he’s not a robust defensive defenseman. He’s a good skater and has a good first pass to launch the attack, but that’s not something the Habs are missing. That’s why McCagg believes he could be a good bargaining chip.
As for Zharovsky, his point is similar: the Russian winger can score spectacular goals and make great highlight-reel-worthy passes, but that’s not necessarily what the Canadiens need. Montreal has got plenty of skill and talent, and that’s not the kind of top-six player Kent Hughes is looking for. The Canadiens have reportedly tried to acquire Matthew Knies from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Habs want productive forwards, yes, but they’re also looking for size and physicality from their next top-six forward. Zharovsky may be 6-foot-2, but he doesn’t play that type of game.
McCagg isn’t proposing to use both prospects to land Whitecloud alone, though; he adds the Flames could add a prospect like Samuel Honzek. A first-round pick in the 2023 draft, Honzek is a 6-foot-4, 185-pound left winger who was on track to have a breakout season with Calgary last year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in a freak collision with a teammate.
Would the Flames be willing to do that trade? It’s a good question. They’ve been reported to have interest in Canadiens’ RFA Arber Xhekaj in the past, and while Xhekaj has attributes the Habs need, he’s not being used enough to have an impact. In that sense, he may be worth more to the Habs as a trade chip than as a seventh defenseman. It likely would have to be a sign-and-trade kind of deal, though.
If they won’t play him, it could be wise for the Habs to dangle Xhekaj in front of the Flames. That way, they could keep hold of Engstrom. While some believe it’s not time for the Habs to start overpaying for assets, it’s important to remember that if and when they start doing that, there’s no guarantee that it will work right away. Even established NHL players need time to adapt to a new team and a new system, like Noah Dobson did this past season. Nick Suzuki is now halfway through his eight-year contract, and when it runs out at the end of the 2029-30 season, there’s no telling how much it will cost to re-sign him. Suzuki is in his prime now; it’s time for Hughes to add some of those big missing pieces so that there is time for it all to come together.
According to Puckpedia, next offseason, when the contracts of Josh Anderson, Phillip Danault, Kirby Dach, and Alexandre Carrier expire, Montreal will have nearly $39.5 million in cap space. The GM will be in an excellent position to chase big-time players to complete the puzzle up front. If Montreal were to acquire a reliable right-shot defenseman like Whitecloud now, they could give Reinbacher one more year of seasoning in the AHL, and next season, when Carrier comes off the books, the Habs could have Dobson, Whitecloud, and Reinbacher on the right and Matheson, Hutson, and Guhle on the left.
By then, with Michael Hage joining the fold at the end of the current season, hopefully with a Frozen Four title in his back pocket, the Habs would need to add a top-six player and some size and grit to their bottom six. Next offseason, Marchenko will be an RFA and could sign an offer sheet. Given how much interest the Canadiens reportedly have, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them go down that route if they cannot reach a deal for a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets by then.
So far this offseason, it looks like Hughes has tried to find a top-six forward, to no avail. If he’s able to pry a reliable veteran right-shot defenseman from a trade partner, it would be worth doing it. It might not be as exciting an acquisition as a top-of-the-lineup forward, but it’s still a need that has to be addressed if the Canadiens want to be top contenders. It was painfully obvious in last year’s playoffs that Martin St-Louis didn’t have six defensemen he could trust, and that’s just as important as having a feared top six.
The Minnesota Wild have two of the four highest-rated left wings in NHL 27.
EA Sports revealed its top 10 left wingers for the upcoming game, with Kirill Kaprizov taking the No. 1 spot with a 94 overall rating.
Kaprizov finished ahead of Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson and Winnipeg Jets star Kyle Connor, who were each given a 92 overall rating.
Then comes another Wild star.
Matt Boldy received a 91 overall rating and ranks fourth among left wingers, giving Minnesota two players inside the top four at the position.
Los Angeles Kings winger Artemi Panarin also received a 91, while Matthew Tkachuk, Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel were rated 90. Jesper Bratt and Filip Forsberg round out the top 10 at 89.
Kaprizov's placement at No. 1 isn't much of a surprise. He has established himself as one of hockey's premier offensive players and remains the centerpiece of Minnesota's attack.
Boldy's continued ascent makes the rankings considerably more interesting for the Wild.
Having one elite winger is difficult enough for opposing teams to handle. According to EA Sports' ratings, Minnesota now possesses two of the four best left wings in hockey.
Kaprizov and Boldy give the Wild high-end scoring talent capable of driving separate lines or creating a dangerous combination when Minnesota puts its stars together.
NHL 27's ratings certainly aren't shy about Minnesota's talent on the wing: nobody at the position ranks higher than Kaprizov, and only three players rank ahead of Boldy.
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