Over the years playing for both the New York Rangers and Hartford Wolf Pack, Matt Rempe and Adam Edström built a strong friendship.
For a large part of the past two seasons, Rempe and Edström have played a fourth-line role together, as the two spent a lot of time playing on the same line.
However, the Rangers traded Edström to the Nashville Predators this offseason in exchange for Massimo Rizzo and a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Last week at the Shoulder Check Showcase, Rempe expressed his emotions regarding Edström being traded from the Rangers.
"Obviously, he's my brother. I was over in Sweden with him for a week,” Rempe said. “Always sad to see him go because we've kind of grown up together and stuff, but it's a business and things happen.
“I know he's gonna kill it in Nashville, and I'm gonna miss him lots. I know he'll do great. He'll do great.”
Rempe, meanwhile, has one year remaining on his two-year, $1.95 million contract with the Rangers, and he’s set to compete for an opening-night roster spot at training camp.
Ducks sign Pavel Mintyukov to five-year contract extension
The 2026 offseason for the Anaheim Ducks hasn’t gone as expected, to say the least. The team was seemingly on a meteoric rise, putting their long rebuild in the rearview and primed to make several significant additions to take them over the top and into true Stanley Cup contention.
In actuality, they parted with two young roster pieces at the Draft (Olen Zellweger, Mason McTavish), signed some depth roster players (Nick Jensen, AJ Greer, Jeff Malott, Laurent Brossoit), and saw their cap sheet monumentally dented by an offer sheet signed by their franchise center, Leo Carlsson.
Looking forward, the Ducks will be banking on their current young core continuing their progressions toward stardom, veterans to fend off Father Time for another season, and a slew of rookies and/or relatively inexperienced youth to seamlessly fill gaps on the depth chart.
Roster players Tim Washe (24), Ian Moore (24), and Tyson Hinds (23) have all “graduated” and will presumably assume everyday roles in the NHL, based on their experience, roles in high-leverage playoff games, and current depth chart makeup.
Fortunately for the Ducks, their pipeline is filled to the brim with young, NHL-ready (or near-NHL-ready) talent who, if afforded the opportunity, could find themselves elevated in the lineup and potentially move needles for the organization in yet another important transition year.
Here’s a preview of some of those players looking to carve out a consistent role and provide an impact at the NHL level.
Nikita Nesterenko (24), W
Nesterenko will be entering his fifth season (fourth full season) with the Ducks organization after he was acquired at the 2022 trade deadline. The long, skilled, playmaking winger split his time between the AHL and NHL in 2025-26, playing 29 games with the Ducks and 35 with the Gulls.
He’s put in work to develop a “B game” and was rewarded with 0:50 TOI on the penalty kill per game with Anaheim when called upon early in the season. He’s shown flashes of offensive impact, highlighted by a four-assist game in Oct. 2025, but if he’s given a role high in the lineup again, those flashes will need to become more consistent if he’s to stick. He has the makings of a useful bottom-six player for the Ducks who could fill in and provide an impact in the middle six.
He’s no longer waiver-exempt, and the Ducks would risk losing him should they attempt to reassign him to the Gulls.
Sam Colangelo (24), W
Colangelo has been one of the Gulls’ top point-producers for the last two seasons, but took a slight step back in 2025-26 as the organization switched their systems to one less conducive to Colangelo’s game. He’s still capable of scoring at the NHL level, as suggested by his ten goals in 32 games in 2024-25.
A prototypical power forward with a quick release, Colangelo requires a scoring role to fulfill his true potential. When given an elevated role, he can provide needed goalscoring, but his lack of pace and two-way habits have kept him in the AHL, as he struggles to influence on a forecheck or disrupt without possession.
Luckily for him, the Ducks’ top nine projects to be chock-full of opportunity, especially early in 2026-27. Like Nesterenko, he’s no longer waiver-exempt, and the Ducks would risk losing the former second-round pick should they attempt to send him to the AHL.
Tristan Luneau (22), RHD
Luneau is far and away the Ducks’ biggest “X-factor” on this list. He’s “paid his dues” with two healthy and productive seasons with the Gulls, scoring 93 points in 129 games and working to refine his two-way abilities.
Anaheim’s blueline will be far younger this year than its predecessor and thus rife with opportunity. Luneau is the Ducks’ lone remaining prospect with true No. 1 potential. He’s an explosive, creative puck-mover with a desirable combination of physical and mobile defending in every zone.
Zellweger’s departure and Pavel Mintyukov’s offensive inconsistency may lead to Luneau seeing ice time with a man-advantage. If he’s afforded extended power play time, it’s not far-fetched to predict Luneau’s placement among the NHL’s top rookie defensemen in 2026-27.
Nathan Gaucher (22), C
Gaucher never projected as a top-of-the-lineup point-producer, but his difficulty translating what offense he did have to the AHL level has been disappointing thus far. Toward the end of the 2025-26 season, his third full season with the Gulls, he began to accumulate more puck touches and manufacture more offense, finishing the regular season with nine points (7-2=9) in his final ten regular season AHL games and even made his NHL debut in early April.
Gaucher has the capability of providing the Ducks with much-needed forechecking prowess, an aspect absent during their playoff run in the Spring of 2026. He’ll likely top out as a third-line center, but his speed, physicality, defensive impact, and tenacity could provide the Ducks with a needed complement to their dynamic core at the top of the lineup.
He’ll likely be battling Nesterenko and Colangelo for NHL ice time. Still, his versatility will likely give him an advantage over the former two and afford the coaching staff more lineup options.
Stian Solberg (20), LHD
With more years of professional experience and experience against grown men than anyone on this list, Solberg wrapped up his first full year in North America in 2025-26, playing all 71 games on the Gulls’ schedule and representing Norway for the third consecutive spring at the IIHF World Championships.
The first season on a smaller ice sheet was a success for the former first-round pick (23rd overall in 2024), as he tallied 24 points (12-12=24) and translated his trademark physicality, piling up 102 PIMs. If the Ducks feel the NHL roster is lacking, Solberg can restore some of the sandpaper they lost during the 2026 offseason with the departures of Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas.
He still has some details to add to his game like angling, gap control, and puck retrieval success rate, but with the only LHDs ahead of him on the Ducks organizational depth chart being Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, and Tyson Hinds, it’s more likely than not he makes his NHL debut in 2026-27. Two years removed from playing in Norway’s top professional league indicates he’s already come a long way in his development in a short amount of time. Will the NHL be a leap too far? We’ll soon find out.
Roger McQueen (19), C
McQueen finally put together a complete, healthy season in 2025-26 and signed his ELC after a freshman year at Providence College that saw him tally 27 points (11-16=27) in 36 games. The production isn’t entirely telling, as he was third on his team in scoring, trailing their leading scorer (John Mustard) by just two points. Providence plays pro-style defensive systems and relies on depth and details to win games at the NCAA level.
He finished his season with the Gulls, scoring three points (1-2=3) in seven games, utilizing the habits he learned at Providence to ease his transition to the AHL. He could benefit from more manufactured puck touches to gain acumen and confidence on the offensive side of the puck to realize his NHL potential fully.
McQueen is long, skilled, powerful, and can cover a lot of ice with his stride. He has all the tools to become a dynamic complement to Leo Carlsson down the middle and one half of a lethal 1-2 punch. The Ducks could certainly utilize his skillset in their middle six, and he would fill a need, but rushing him to the NHL could limit his overall offensive upside if he’s not fully ready. His development at this stage will be a delicate balancing act for the Ducks’ front office and coaching staff.
Nikita Klepov (18), W
Klepov joins the likes of Carlsson and Beckett Sennecke as a player that Ducks GM Pat Verbeek and the scouting staff identified and pursued as “their guy” in the first round of the NHL Draft. Klepov was the key piece in a trade that sent McTavish to the St. Louis Blues, and Verbeek stated that had Klepov not been available to the Ducks at 15th overall, the trade would not have happened.
Klepov led the entire OHL in scoring in 2025-26 with 97 points (37-60=97) in 67 games and was slated to begin his NCAA career in 2026-27 at Michigan State University before the Ducks signed him to his ELC in July. Verbeek mentioned after his draft that he was a player who could be on a “fast track to the NHL.” However, a full 2026-27 season in the NHL seems like a tremendously fast track.
He is an offensive dynamo with the IQ, handling, and deception skills to quarterback minute-long cycle sequences singlehandedly, as well as create and finish endless dangerous chances. Though tenacious and talented, he’ll likely aim to add to his 6-foot, 186-pound frame. It remains a possibility Klepov plays NHL games this season, but a reliance on him to make a nightly positive impact may not be advisable if the Ducks are to remain competitive in 2026-27.
July is officially over, and the Montreal Canadiens still have two RFAs that have yet to be signed: Arber Xhekaj and Zachary Bolduc. Much has already been written and said about both, but in the last few days, there was one contract signing that may be an interesting comparable for Kent Hughes’ negotiations with Bolduc’s people.
On July 31, San Jose Sharks GM Mike Greer put pen to paper with 23-year-old undrafted winger Collin Graf. Last season, he put up 46 points in 81 games and found his way into the team’s top six. In 121 career games, he has put up 59 points for a point-per-game average of 0.48. Greer signed him to a one-way three-year bridge deal with a $4.25 million cap hit.
Meanwhile, Bolduc, who is also 23 but was drafted 17th overall by the St. Louis Blues at the 2021 draft, had 30 points in 78 games in his second full NHL campaign, his first with the Canadiens. In 175 career games, the Trois-Rivieres native has put up 75 points for a 0.43 PPG average.
When he was given opportunities on the top six with the Habs (he played 16 games alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield), he put up six points in seven games from November 17 against the Columbus Blue Jackets to December 2 against the Ottawa Senators. And in his second stint on the top line, from December 11 against the Pittsburgh Penguins to December 28 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he added four points in nine games. That works out to 11 points in 16 games, but that wasn’t enough for coach Martin St-Louis, who gave auditions to Alexandre Texier and Kirby Dach on the top line before going back to Juraj Slafkovsky.
Bolduc was a first-round pick who has plenty of potential, but he has yet to truly show what he can do, making it rather hard to put a number on what his next contract should be worth or even to sign him to a long-term deal that isn’t too risky, as there are still a lot of unknowns there. A three-year pact like the one signed by Graf could be a good compromise for both parties. It would give the Habs more time to evaluate what they have on their hands with Bolduc, and it would give him more time to show what he can do. I previously wrote that a three-year bridge deal worth between $4 million and $4.5 million would make sense, and that’s exactly where Graf’s deal landed. Given how good Hughes has been at making his players sign team-friendly deals, I believe this is the most likely outcome for Bolduc.
Former New York Rangers star Ron Duguay is out of the hospital after last week's collapse and working to regain strength for his newest cancer treatment, his daughter announced.
Shay Thomas said last week on Instagram that the 12-year NHL veteran, who has been dealing with Grade 4 colon cancer that has spread to his liver, was taken to the hospital after fainting at his house, suffering facial injuries. She said doctors determined he had severe dehydration because he had been feeling sick and was having trouble eating.
"He still isn’t feeling his best or eating much, but he is taking it day by day, trying to get down some soup and slowly regain his strength," she wrote.
"Our main focus is getting him strong enough to travel back to Orange County and return to City of Hope. His next treatment will be Bizengri, also known as zenocutuzumab-zbco, a targeted therapy that works by blocking certain signals that can help cancer cells grow. We are praying this will be the treatment his body responds to."
The AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley head coach said the promotions were earned.
“They did all the right things when they were with us,” Snowden said in June at Flyers development camp. “They asked the right questions, they practiced the right way, they trained the right way, they played the games the right way. And when they got up and got their chance and they got to come in the door, they did a really good job at taking advantage of it and not coming back.”
Now Barkey and Bump are tasked with doing it again. Despite both making an impact on a team that went to the second round of the playoffs, they know the competition picks up when training camp arrives this fall.
“Nothing’s guaranteed,” Bump said in June. “You have to come into camp ready to make the team. You have to push someone out of their spot almost. That’s just the reality of being a young guy coming in, you have to take someone’s job.”
Bump scored a goal in his NHL debut last season and finished with nine points (five goals, four assists) over 17 games. The Flyers went 6-0-1 when he recorded at least a point. The 22-year-old winger then had two goals in six postseason games, including one in his debut.
Last fall, Bump was staring down his first training camp. Understandably, there were “some nerves,” he said. Now having gone through it, Bump will feel more seasoned for his second camp.
“I think this coming year, it’s just on me now,” he said. “Put on some good weight, I’ve got a little taste of NHL games and the playoffs, so I know what to do and know what to expect. I’m looking forward to it.”
Barkey played over half of last season with the Flyers. Initially, the plan for his call-up was just a handful of games. But he opened eyes with his smarts and effort, playing 43 regular-season games and all 10 in the playoffs.
The forward put up 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) before adding a goal and an assist in the postseason. During the playoffs, he also showed he could play some center.
At development camp, Barkey mentioned wanting to work on “everything” this offseason.
“Just having all that experience, knowing what it takes, day in and day out,” the 21-year-old said in June. “With the schedule of playing 82 games and the tax it has on your body, I think the biggest thing for me this summer is putting on a couple of extra pounds and working on my first three steps, getting in and out of corners.
“Having the weight and the strength to win battles and then also having that first three steps to get away from the bigger guys and have a little bit of space to make plays. I think that’ll be my bread and butter. It takes time, but definitely working toward that.”
Think Denver Barkey likes to compete? He had back-to-back goals within maybe 15 to 20 seconds to win his team the 3-on-3 tourney. pic.twitter.com/3CQZZpR9TU
Barkey and Bump will be battling for lineup spots with Carl Grundstrom, Nikita Grebenkin, Jett Luchanko and Zach Aston-Reese, among others.
Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong enjoyed seeing Barkey, Bump and Porter Martone lead the organization’s prospects at development camp. Barkey captained the 2024-25 London team that won the Memorial Cup, Bump was an alternate captain for the 2024-25 Western Michigan team that won the national championship and Martone has been a captain in the OHL and at world juniors.
“It’s really cool to see them take a step,” Armstrong said in June. “Hopefully in three or four years from now, they’re leaders on the Flyers and potentially wearing letters, as well. They all did it at different levels and we’re hoping it carries over.”
It's been nearly three weeks since the Detroit Red Wings announced a major leadership transition in their front office.
On the morning of July 15, the Red Wings announced that Steve Yzerman would step away from his role and move into a senior advisor position to Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch.
The organization also confirmed that Yzerman would continue overseeing day-to-day hockey operations during the transition. Although the Red Wings stated that both internal and external candidates would be considered for the position, the team has yet to publicly reveal any specific names in the search process.
In the meantime, one candidate that was thought of as a potential successor to Yzerman is no longer available.
Evan Gold, who had spent the last 12 years with the Boston Bruins, has been hired by the New York Islanders as their new Assistant General Manager; he'll also serve as General Manager of the American Hockey League affiliate Hamilton Hammers.
#Isles News: The New York Islanders announced today that the club has hired Evan Gold as Assistant General Manager and General Manager of the Hamilton Hammers. He joins Mathieu Darche’s Hockey Operations staff and will be involved in all facets of the club’s hockey operations.
Gold had served as Assistant General Manager of the Bruins since 2019, and also oversaw the Providence Bruins, who posted the best record in the AHL in 2025-26.
Additionally, he contributed to areas such as cap management, contract discussions, roster strategy, arbitration preparation, CBA matters, and professional scouting.
For the Red Wings, the two most obvious internal candidates are Assistant GM Shawn Horcoff and Assistant GM/Director of Amateur Scouting Kris Draper.
Other potential external candidates likely include Dallas Stars Assistant GM Scott White, along with New York Rangers Associate GM Ryan Martin.
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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.
This week 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 Tampa Bay Lightning who have been a consistent high-level regular season performer, but have had issues in the playoffs. After winning consecutive Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, and reaching the Cup Final for the third year in a row in 2022, the Lightning have lost in the first round of the playoffs for four straight seasons.
Last season, under Jack Adams winning head coach Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay encountered a slew of injuries to key players, including defenseman Victor Hedman and center Brayden Point, but still managed to piece together a lineup that finished only three points behind the Sabres for top spot in the Atlantic, but in the first round they could not play at the same level against the Montreal Canadiens, who surprisingly eliminated them in seven games.
Will the Sabres add some scoring punch before training camp?
Additions
Ilya Mikheyev - signed a four-year, $15.4 million deal as a free agent
Jeffrey Viel - signed a five-year, $12.5 million deal as a free agent
Dennis Hildeby - acquired in a trade with Toronto
John Carlson - signed a two-year, $17 million deal as a free agent
Subtractions
Darren Raddysh - traded to Toronto in a sign-and-trade deal
Oliver Bjorkstrand - signed by NY Rangers as a free agent
Nick Paul - traded to Toronto for a third-and-fourth round pick and Hildeby
Corey Perry - signed by Los Angeles as a free agent
Outlook
GM Julien Brisebois has had to jump through hoops over recent seasons to create or manipulate the salary cap, but has also had the advantage of being in a no-tax state and in a destination where players want to play. The main issue with the Lightning is that the core pieces of the club that won the Cup earlier this decade are in the latter half of their prime.
Both Andrei Vasilevskiy and Nikita Kucherov were phenomenal, winning the Vezina and Hart Trophies respectively, but performed well under expectations in the postseason. Victor Hedman played only 33 games and missed the playoffs, calling into question how much longer does the future Hall-of-Famer have, but the Lightning got productive seasons out of Jake Guentzel (88 points), Brandon Hagel (36 goals), and Raddysh (70 points) taking over the PP quarterback role.
The loss of Raddysh should be diminished by the addition of Carlson, who likely will take over as the QB of the Lightning power-play unit if Hedman cannot, but most of their additions and subtractions were cosmetic. Mikheyev is an excellent penalty killer and speedy winger, Viel will provide a level of toughness needed in the Atlantic, and Hildeby should be an upgrade on backup Jonas Johansson, but the fortunes of Tampa Bay will rest on if Hedman can still be effective, and if veterans like Point, Ryan McDonagh, Erik Cernak and Anthony Cirelli can stay healthy.
With the loss of Alex Tuch and the Sabres current state at forward, the Lightning would appear to have more firepower and less question marks than the Sabres up front. Defensively, the departure of Bowen Byram and replacing him with Louis Crevier and Olen Zellweger has Buffalo’s defense taking a step back, but age and durability questions with Tampa’s blueline gives Buffalo a slight advantage. Vasilevskiy is in the top five of NHL goalies, while the trio of Buffalo netminders performed above expectations and there is a question whether they can do it again. The Lightning should be a top three club in the Atlantic, but health will be the biggest factor.
The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have signed defenseman Maksymilian Szuber to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season.
Szuber was acquired by the Canadiens earlier this off-season from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for forward Joshua Roy. Now, with this new deal, Szuber is officially ready to get his tenure with the Canadiens organization started.
Szuber spent this past season in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners. In 65 games with the AHL club in 2025-26, he posted 11 goals, 16 assists, and 27 points. This was after the 6-foot-3 blueliner recorded seven goals, 25 assists, and 32 points in 65 games for Tucson during the 2024-25 season.
Szuber also has one game of NHL experience, which he played during the 2023-24 season with the Arizona Coyotes. Now, the 23-year-old defenseman will be hoping to get into more NHL action after landing his new one-year deal with the Canadiens. However, he is more likely to be a key part of the Laval Rocket's blueline in 2026-27.
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.
Will the Sabres add some scoring help before the start of training camp?
36 Dylan Dumont - Right Wing (Drummondville - QMJHL)
The Sabres late in the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo selected one of the youngest players eligible in QMJHL winger Dylan Dumont with their final pick at 188th overall. The 17-year-old made the jump from the Under-18 Quebec AAA league in 2024-25, after finishing second in the league with 31 goals in 42 games to the QMJHL.
Et il trouve une autre façon d'impressionner les recruteurs! 💥
With Drummondville, the 6’ 0”, 168 lb. winger began to score regularly as he became acclimated to the Q, and finished the season with a club-leading 28 goals. According to Elite Prospects, Dumont was successful at “executing whatever the play demanded, pushing back defenders off the rush, rushed the net, and made passing
plays under pressure. Knowing when and how to move, he consistently delivered the puck to teammates, pushing the play up the ice and creating scoring chances near the net.”
Normally, selecting a CHL player set a two-year clock on signing a draftee, but with the new rules of the collective bargaining agreement, players like Dumont can play those two years and commit to an NCAA club, which would allow the Sabres to maintain their exclusive rights.
On Sunday, NHL Network released its list of Top 20 Wingers Right Now, and one Montreal Canadiens winger made the list: Cole Caufield. The 15th overall pick at the 2019 draft landed in ninth place, despite finishing sixth in points amongst wingers last season and first in goals.
Who finished ahead of him? Nikita Kucherov took first place, followed by David Pastrnak. Given the fact they were the only wingers to get to 100 points last season, it’s hard to argue with their ranking. Kirill Kaprizov comes in third place, followed by Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen and Matt Boldy in sixth place. Finally, Jason Robertson and Matthew Tkachuk land in seventh and eighth place, respectively.
According to this ranking, Caufield is the third-best American winger in the league. Kaprizov and Robertson, just like Kucherov and Pastrnak, had more points in the regular season than the Canadiens’ sniper last season, so seeing them ahead of him is not all that surprising. As for Marner, he might have only gotten 80 points in 81 games in the regular season, but his playoff performance certainly allowed him to jump a few rankings. He put up 29 points in just 22 playoff games, and if the Vegas Golden Knights had won the Stanley Cup, he would have been the Conn Smythe Trophy winner.
Rantanen’s fifth place feels like it’s mainly down to past deeds; at 29, he’s had time to establish himself as a regular on that list. Last year, he was fourth in those rankings, and this past season, he finished the year with 77 points and gathered seven points in the Dallas Stars’ six playoff games as the Texas outfit crashed out in the first round against the Minnesota Wild.
Matt Boldy in sixth place is not a shock either. The Wild forward recorded 85 points in just 76 games, which would have worked out to a 92-point pace on a full 82-game season. In the playoffs, he also put up 13 points in 11 games while Caufield had the same total but in 19 games.
We’ve discussed Robertson earlier, but seeing the eldest Tkachuk in eighth place surprises me. He was limited to just 34 points in 31 games last season by an injury, and since the Panthers didn’t make the playoffs, he couldn’t have added to that total. Like Rantanen, Tkachuk is riding high thanks to past realization; at 28 years, he has two 100-point or more seasons. Of course, the pest also brings an agitator quality that Caufield doesn’t have, but I feel the Canadiens’ sniper’s ability to score important goals has been undervalued in those rankings.
That being said, Caufield is only 25; give him a couple more years of big production to pad his resume, and he may well shoot up those rankings, especially if he remains clutch in his scoring and manages to do that in the postseason as well.
The list is completed by William Nylander, Kyle Connor, Artemi Panarin, Brandon Hagel, Sam Reinhart, Martin Necas, Jake Guentzel, Clayton Keller, Brady Tkachuk, Cutter Gauthier and Lucas Raymond. Interestingly, the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning each have three of the top 20 wingers in the league, while the Dallas Stars have two. Somewhere down the line, it’s quite conceivable that the Habs could have two as well, with Ivan Demidov having shown some tremendous skills in his rookie season. Given that Brady Tkachuk also made the list, there might be a possibility for Juraj Slafkovsky to get there as well one day, if his development keeps going the right way.
It should come as no surprise that there were several Florida Panthers players on the list.
Three, to be exact.
They are Sam Reinhart and the Tkachuk brothers, Matthew and Brady.
The first Panthers player to show up on the list was Brady Tkachuk, coming in at No. 18, ahead of Cutter Gauthier of the Anaheim Ducks and Lucas Raymond of the Detroit Red Wings.
Florida acquired the younger Tkachuk brother over the summer in a blockbuster trade with the Ottawa Senators that cost the Panthers a trio of first-round picks.
Brady Tkachuk continues to evolve as one of the NHL's elite power forwards and should be an impactful compliment to Florida's gritty, physically aggressive defensive systems.
Next up for the Panthers as we move up the list is Reinhart at No. 14.
He was just ahead of fellow stars Jack Guentzel of Tampa Bay and Marty Necas from Colorado, while coming up behind Tampa’s Brandon Hagel and the Kings’ Artemi Panarin.
Reinhart has proven to be one of the best scoring wingers in the league since arriving in Florida while still providing high-end defensive play.
Whether its on special teams or driving play at even strength, Reinhart has become a crucial cog in Florida's championship machine.
Moving into the list’s top 10 is where you’ll find Matthew Tkachuk, squarely locked in at No. 8.
That put the elder Tkachuk ahead of Toronto’s William Nylander and Montreal’s Cole Caufield while still behind fellow American wingers Jason Robertson from the Dallas Stars and Matt Boldy from the Minnesota Wild.
There is no denying the impact Tkachuk has had on the franchise since arriving in his own blockbuster trade during the summer of 2022.
He's played a integral role in Florida becoming a back-to-back Stanley Cup winner and should continue to thrive with the Panthers thanks to his combination of All-Star skills and old-time grit.
If you’re wondering who came in at the top of the list, it’s unsurprisingly the league’s reigning Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov, followed by Boston’s David Pastrnak and Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov.
What do you think of Florida receiving three of the top 20 winger spots in the NHL? Let us know in the comments below.
Photo caption: Jan 27, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing MatthewTkachuk(19) speaks to center SamReinhart(13) against the Utah Mammoth during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
The Montreal Canadiens have plenty of promising prospects in their system.
Among them is Owen Beck, as he has the potential to become a solid two-way center in the NHL.
Beck spent most of last season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket, where he recorded 13 goals, 20 assists, 33 points, and a plus-6 rating in 58 games. He also played in a career-high 15 NHL games last season for the Habs, where he posted one goal, 24 hits, and a plus-4 rating.
During the 2024-25 season with Laval, Beck posted 15 goals and 44 points in 64 games. He also recorded an assist in 12 games for Montreal that campaign. Overall, the 2022 second-round pick has shown promise, but he is still looking to take that next step.
With Beck being a smart defensive forward who plays a steady game, there is no question that he is a prospect Canadiens fans should be watching closely next season. The possibility of him taking a step forward with his development is there, and it would be great to see the 22-year-old earn more chances at the NHL level with Montreal in 2026-27.
It is going to be interesting to see what kind of season Beck puts together. It is an important season for the Port Hope, Ontario native.
There were some great moments for Adam Henrique when he was wearing a New Jersey Devils sweater. He scored some big goals in the playoffs, including one that sent them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, and was later a top player on a team in transition.
In 2017, the Devils traded Henrique to the Anaheim Ducks to acquire Sami Vatanen. Since then, Henrique went on to have a solid NHL career in the Western Conference. He followed his time in Anaheim with parts of three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers.
Included in Henrique's tenure with the Oilers included a couple of trips to the Stanley Cup Final. Like his run with the Devils, they fell just short.
Now, he is still a free agent as we enter the late stages of the NHL off-season. At 36, he still has what it takes to contribute to an NHL team, but someone has to be willing to take a chance on him as a depth center who can also play wing.
If a team doesn’t sign Henrique to an NHL contract before the end of August, it may be in his best interest to sign a PTO during camp and try to make whatever team gives him one. Then, he can go out and prove why he still belongs in the NHL.
Henrique isn’t bringing 20+ goals anymore, but he can be a 4th-line forward who wins faceoffs, plays hard, and brings a certain level of experience that would help young players.
The Devils are not a likely fit for Henrique, but there are teams out there, including in the Eastern Conference, that make sense for Henrique.
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 59 days until the home opener at Nationwide Arena. Today, we talk about Yegor Chinakhov and the drama that surrounded him.
Yegor Chinakhov was drafted in October 2020 and selected #21 overall. It was a headscratcher to experts, and the silence was deafening. They had no clue who he was.
Chinakhov had only played junior hockey in Russia before being drafted, and he would make his KHL debut during the 2020-21 season for Avangard Omsk. In his first pro season in the KHL, he scored 10 goals and had 17 points. Chinakhov played so well that he was elevated to Avangard Omsk's top line. After one season in the KHL, Chinakhov was signed to a three-year NHL ELC in May of 2021.
Chinakhov then came to North America to start his pro career later in 2021. He would play in 62 games for the Blue Jackets in his rookie year, scoring seven goals and totaling 14 points. Under ex-coach John Tortorella, he averaged 12:30 of ice time and chipped in a single power-play goal. He played one game for the Cleveland Monsters, scoring one goal.
A high-ankle sprain derailed Chinakhov's 2022-23 season. He played in 30 NHL games, scored 4 goals, and totaled 13 points. After he came back from injury, he was sent down to Cleveland, where he played seven games and tallied eight points. He was again struck by the injury bug while playing for Cleveland.
In April of 2023, Chinakhov was signed to a one-year contract extension for an AAV of 800k. He was still waiver-exempt, so he spent some time in Cleveland that season, playing in three games and scoring 3 goals while rehabbing an injury.
In the 23-24 season, Yegor Chinakhov broke out. While playing in 53 games, he set career highs in goals, assists, and points. He scored 16 goals and had 29 points while averaging 15:10 of ice time. He also shot 14.5%, which was up by 5% from the previous year.
Unfortunately, he dealt with some injuries last season. He missed the first few weeks of the season, making his CBJ debut on November 4th. He also missed the final month of the season with an upper-body injury.
Later in 2023, there were rumors that he was "unhappy" in Columbus and may want out. His agent, Shumi Babaev, told THN Columbus that "At the moment, there are no conversations about a trade on our part. He likes Columbus, both the team and the city." He went on to tell us that "We are in touch with the General Manager (Jarmo); the only thing Yegor wants is to have more ice time, feel the coach's trust, and help the team win more games. He's very happy after yesterday's game. Felt great on the new line."
When he was drafted, the Jackets needed a shoot-first winger who could score goals. They had two in the form of Kirill Marchenko and Chinakhov. Until they didn't.
Don Waddell got his new contract taken care of almost right away after coming to Columbus, signing him to a 2-year, $4,200,000 contract on June 21st, 2024. About a week before his re-signing, his agent told THN Columbus that the two sides weren't really close on a new deal. A week later, the deal was made.
Chinakhov only played in 30 games in 24-25, scoring 7 goals and totaling 15 points. He attempted to come back later in the season, but was benched when he just didn't look right to Dean Evason.
Fast forward to the 25-26 off-season, and Yegor Chinakhov was embroiled in a bit of drama again. Chinakhov said through his agent on X, "I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season. Now I would be glad to have a trade. I would like to move to a different location. Will I return to Russia? As long as I can play in the NHL, I will keep developing here."
He went on to say, "The most interesting thing is that at the end of the year, even at a meeting, everyone was called, but there were no questions for me. I mostly talked to the assistants because the head coach said, 'The assistants will explain everything to you.' But they don’t explain anything."
His agent reiterated a wish for a trade in an interview where he said, "I hope that the club has heard Yegor and will try to find a trade before the championship starts. Let's hope that he will start the season on another team."
Both he and defenseman Jordan Harris raised concerns about a lack of communication between players and the coaching staff.
Don Waddell had since come out and said that he and Chinakhov's agent would talk, and if something came along that satisfied Waddell in terms of a trade, he would consider it.
Chinkhov started last season in Columbus, but played only 29 games and totaled 6 points. He was finally traded to Pittsburgh by Columbus for Danton Heinen, a 2nd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and a 3rd-round pick in 2027 on December 29, 2025.
Of course, in typical NHL fashion, when a player is traded, they get rejuvenated. After this trade, he played in 43 games, scored 18 goals, and totaled 36 points.
In the playoffs however, he disappeared, scoring zero points in six games.
Many fans around Columbus wonder if the recent news that Kirill Marchenko wants out of Columbus has anything to do with how the Chinakhov situation went down. We may find out sooner or later, but for now, the "what-ifs" will be asked for years to come, especially if Chinakhov has a second straight career year.
How did you feel about this situation?
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ELMONT, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 28: Blake Lizotte #46 of the Pittsburgh Penguins battles for the puck with Maxim Tsyplakov #7 and Isaiah George #36 of the New York Islanders during the second period at UBS Arena on December 28, 2024 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Came across this little note, and since it is August, why not sink into it a little bit? We all know the Penguins are really weak on the left side of their defense, enter a division rival over on Long Island who happen to be stacked at the position to at least make a fun thought for a summer day.
Elliotte Friedman: Re Islanders: Isaiah George, it's gonna be interesting to see what they do there, because that guy's ready to play, but they're really jammed up on the left side of the ice – 32 Thoughts (7/6)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) July 26, 2026
Winning the lottery and getting the first overall pick in 2025 Matthew Schaefer has upended the Islanders’ blueline. Schaefer joins Adam Pelech and Alex Romanov on the left side of their depth chart, NYI has Ryan Pulock, Tony DeAngelo and Scott Mayfield on the right.
That leaves no space for Isaiah George, 22, who is on the last year of his entry level contract and still can be sent to the AHL without waivers. His best use might be hedging against injury and adding to depth but more than ever young players get antsy about opportunity. George played 33 NHL games in 2024-25, down to just four in 2025-26. He’s already spent parts of the last two years in the AHL.
These days, the once nearly dead practice of interdivision trading is back in a big way. Within the last year, the Pens have picked up Hendrix Lapierre from Washington, Egor Chinakhov from Columbus and sent Philip Tomasino to Philadelphia. It hasn’t been too long since the Pens sent Cody Glass to New Jersey, Anthony Beauvillier to the Caps or even Reilly Smith to the Rangers. Some of these trades have been important, others not so much but it stands to give evidence that more than ever teams are willing to work with even their closest opponents if the best deal available comes from a rival. That said, there hasn’t been a Pittsburgh/NYI trade since Bill Guerin was acquired back in 2009, so that’s been an area where the two teams don’t end up completing trades between each other in the recent past.
How to find a way to make a deal satisfying for NYI could be a hurdle. The Islanders have little cap space and haven’t made many moves this off-season. One area that stands out is their levels of 20-24 year old forward talent is pretty much non-existent besides top youngster Calum Ritchie. In a need-for-need area, players like Tristan Broz, Rutger McGroarty or Ville Koivunen would fill some holes within the NYI organization for young talent.
Whether or not they’d be interested in giving up George or see the value in anything that Pittsburgh would give up is obviously a huge assumptive leap in logic, and could be a reason nothing comes to pass going down this path. It’s surely not 10/10 obvious that both sides have a ton of motivation and clear match, though there’s enough around lining up to make a scenario plausible.
As mentioned, there are often injuries that could make George a very valuable player to retain for the near future from the opposite perspective. There’s not even dots to connect at this point, but the Pens want young talent and they badly need some NHL level players for the blueline. George isn’t a sure thing just yet, though he fits the mold of the type of player that Pittsburgh has brought in recently for players in their mid-20’s that don’t have a clear path to a big role prior to their acquisition. That might not mean he’ll be available for a trade this off-season, but depending on how the situation develops shortly it could present an opportunity to fit a common roster-building strategy deployed in Pittsburgh if anything changes.
