There has only been one player to appear in a regular season game with the number 67 for the San Jose Sharks. Right after departing the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League, Jacob Middleton brought the number 67 to the Bay Area.
Middleton was a quality depth defenseman for the Sharks after making his NHL debut during the 2018-19 season, but it wasn't until his final season in teal, the 2021-22 campaign, that he finally got a shot to play a substantial role at the NHL level. That season, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild, where he remained for four and a half seasons.
Then, earlier this summer, his time in the State of Hockey came to an end as he was traded north of the border to the Calgary Flames. At this point, Middleton has appeared in 381 career NHL games, but only 59 of which were with the Sharks.
Middleton will be looking to play a big role in Calgary, as he's entering the second season of a four-year contract worth $4.35 million per season.
If you were to assemble a list of the Top 10 Ottawa Senators who got away, Zdeno Chara would rank pretty high on that list.
Chara was traded to the Senators at the 2001 NHL Draft as part of a deal to acquire perennially disgruntled star forward Alexei Yashin. He spent four seasons in Ottawa before leaving in free agency in 2006 and signing with the Boston Bruins.
Not to torture Sens fans, but after leaving Ottawa, Chara did it all. He won the Stanley Cup as captain of the Bruins, was nominated for six Norris Trophies, winning once, and last year, he entered the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Next month, on August 21st, Chara will be honoured at an event in Trenčín, Slovakia, called "Zee's Final Shift." Organizers describe it as a farewell and "a definitive and natural end to his great career."
The farewell game will be held at the Winter Stadium in Trenčín, which is named after former Senator Pavol Demitra, who perished in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl KHL team plane crash in 2011.
Chara is inviting mainly NHL players to his farewell, and that includes three other former Senators.
Naturally, one is Marian Hossa, his Sens teammate for three seasons. It's often been speculated that Chara might have pushed harder to stay in Ottawa if Hossa, one of his best friends, hadn't been traded a year earlier. The deal that sent Hossa to Atlanta for Dany Heatley happened just hours after Hossa had signed a three-year contract with Ottawa.
Also at the event will be Chris Kelly, who was Chara's teammate in Ottawa before they went on to win a Stanley Cup together in Boston.
And hockey trivia buffs might also remember former Sens defenceman Radek Hamr, who played 11 games with the Sens in their expansion years. Hamr never played with Chara but works for the European arm of the player agency Chara belongs to.
Other confirmed guests include Thomas Vanek, whose son Blake was a Senators third-round pick last year, and Michael Ryder, the former Bruin and Hull Olympique.
The rest of the guest list is loaded with NHL stars, mostly from the past: Patrice Bergeron, Johnny Boychuk, Ray Bourque, Andrew Ference, Michal Handzuš, Jaromír Jágr, Tomáš Kaberle, Duncan Keith, Anže Kopitar, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Adam McQuaid, Daniel Paille, Žigmund Pálffy, David Pastrňák, Mark Recchi, Robert Reichel, Andrej Sekera, Dennis Seidenberg, Miroslav Šatan, Marco Sturm, Aaron Ward, and Jakub Voráček.
It's an impressive lineup for a special night honouring one of the most unique players in NHL history.
And a player that Senators fans wish they'd been able to hang on to.
The NHL announced that it will be exploring the idea of an expansion to add a 33rd team to the league, likely based in Texas, either in Austin or Houston. The arrival of a new franchise may throw a bit of a spanner in the works for existing teams, including the Montreal Canadiens. The expansion draft rules that were used for the Seattle Kraken worked out well for the league and should be expected to be the same when the next franchise arrives.
What would the Habs protection list look like if the draft was held next offseason? Well, firstly, it wouldn’t feature Ivan Demidov or Jacob Fowler since players with only one or two seasons of professional experience (AHL/NHL) are exempt from the expansion process. Montreal could choose one of two paths: protecting seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender, or seven skaters and one goaltender.
While the first option allows a team to protect more players, it’s not a great option for a team that has a lot of talent on the blueline, or that has no choice but to protect one of its blueliners because he has a full no-movement clause. The Canadiens actually fit both categories; they’ve got a lot of talent on the blueline, and Mike Matheson’s full NMC means that they have to protect him.
If the Habs were to go down the seven forwards and three defensemen route, they would therefore be able to add Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson to their protection list, which would already include Matheson, but they would have to leave Kaiden Guhle, David Reinbacher, Adam Engstrom, Alexandre Carrier (assuming he signs a new contract with the team) and depth defensemen Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj exposed. That would meet the likely exposure requirement for blueliners: expose one defenceman who is a) under contract in 2027-28 and b) played in 40 or more NHL games the prior season OR played in 70 or more NHL games in the prior two seasons.
In net, there is no question: Jakub Dobes would be protected since Fowler is exempt, but up front, it’s not that easy to pick which seven players Montreal would protect. Of course, the first line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky would be automatic. But who would be the other four? Alex Newhook, Jake Evans, Oliver Kapanen and Zachary Bolduc? If that’s the case, you leave players such as Alexandre Texier, Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj exposed, but that doesn’t miss the exposure requirements, which would likely provide that teams must have two forwards available for selection who are a) under contract in 2027-28 and b) played in 40 or more NHL games the prior season OR played in 70 or more NHL games in the prior two seasons. If Montreal signed Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson to new contracts, they could be left unprotected and meet the requirements that way.
If Hughes elected to use the eight skaters and one goalie option, Montreal would protect Dobes in net and have more leeway on the blueline. They would still have to protect Matheson, but they could also add Hutson, Dobson, and Guhle at the very least, perhaps even David Reinbacher. That would already give them five skaters, leaving three spots for Suzuki, Caufield and Slafkovsky. They would also meet the exposure requirements with Xhekaj, Struble and Engstrom exposed on the back end and Kapanen, Newhook, Evans, Texier, Xhekaj (Florian), and Beck all exposed up front.
It all comes down to who Hughes would be more willing to expose; it’s essentially about picking one’s poison. At this stage, it feels highly unlikely that Hughes would be willing to leave so many blueliners exposed, because there are some core pieces he couldn’t protect. Up front, the first line and Demidov are the four core pieces that have been identified with certainty, and they would all be protected if Montreal used the eight skaters and one goaltender avenue.
Of course, that situation could change if, for instance, the Canadiens were able to acquire another real top six piece through a trade, but we’d have to revisit the situation then. Whatever happens, however, this is not a simple exercise, and it must be a gut-wrenching experience for the GMs who have spent years carefully building their lineup to see someone pluck an asset just like that.
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.
The Sabres were looking for veteran depth players for the Rochester Americans and could not have been disappointed with the results with the signing of Buffalo native Trevor Kuntar. The son of former Amerk and brief NHL goalie Les Kuntar, the 25-year-old played for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres for two years and for USHL Youngstown before being selected by the Boston Bruins 89th overall pick in the COVID-delayed 2020 NHL Draft.
Buffalo native Patrick Kane signs with the Chicago Blackhawks
The 6’0”, 205 lb. center played three seasons at Boston College, and trailed only NHLers Cutter Gauthier and Nikita Nesterenko in club scoring as a junior, which led the Bruins to sign Kuntar to a two-year ELC. After a promising first season AHL Providence, scoring 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 70 games and 113 penalty minutes, he declined to just three goals in 2024-25 and was not given a qualifying offer by the Bruins last summer.
Kuntar signed a one-year AHL deal with Rochester, and after nine goals in his first 24 games, he was upgraded to an NHL deal for the remainder of the 2025-26 season and finished last season with 21 goals and 37 points in 70 games, as well as making his NHL debut against Vancouver on December 11. After the season, he signed a two-year, two-way contract extension for the NHL minimum $875,000.
Drake Batherson was asked after the season if he'd like to get an extension done this summer (Sens Nation Podcast).
The Montreal Canadiens aren't trying to climb back into the playoff picture. As a team that made the Conference Final after taking down the Atlantic's top two teams in the playoffs, they are by definition, a Stanley Cup contender.
Montreal finished with 106 points last season, seven more than Ottawa, and then went all the way to the Eastern Final before losing to Carolina, the eventual Cup winner.
So while the Senators were forced into some roster changes this summer, the Canadiens decided not to pick at theirs.
Senators Offseason Summary
This just in: the Senators' offseason turned on a dime when Brady Tkachuk requested a trade and was eventually sent to Florida for the ninth and 25th picks in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-rounder, and a 2029 first-round pick.
GM Steve Staios then flipped the ninth pick to San Jose for William Eklund and prospects Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda.
Ottawa also acquired veteran winger Andre Burakovsky from Chicago and RFA goalie Samuel Ersson from Toronto.
In free agency, the Senators mostly took care of their own, re-signing Claude Giroux, Nick Cousins, Jordan Spence, Leevi Merilainen, and the newly acquired Ersson.
Lars Eller, Nick Jensen, Dennis Gilbert, Lassi Thomson, Arthur Kaliyev, Olle Lycksell, James Reimer and Mads Sogaard were among those who departed.
The two big questions for most fans: Can Eklund and Burakovsky supply the offence lost with Tkachuk's exit? Can Ersson start and thrive in 35-40 games to provide Linus Ullmark with the major support he needs to be effective?
Canadiens Trades: Additions
Compared to Ottawa, Montreal's offseason has been quiet.
GM Kent Hughes made a handful of very small depth trades, acquiring forward Brett Berard, centre Hunter McKown and Polish defenseman Maksymilian Szuber, who all mostly played in the AHL last season.
Canadiens Trades: Subtractions
The most recognizable player Montreal traded away was Brendan Gallagher.
After 14 seasons with the Canadiens, Gallagher was sent to Vancouver for future considerations, with Montreal retaining half his salary. There were no tears shed about that in Ottawa, where fans still chuckle about Gallagher's sanctimonious public rant about Tim Stutzle.
Gallagher was once an important player for the Canadiens, but now they're paying him big money to play for someone else.
The Habs also traded Roy, which was a big headline 30 years ago, but shipping out Joshua Roy didn't quite move the needle the same way this summer. Along with Roy, they also traded William Trudeau and Luke Tuch in the deals that brought in Berard, Szuber and McKown.
Canadiens Free Agent Signings
If you were waiting for Hughes to make a major splash on July 1, you're still waiting.
Like their trades, Montreal's external free-agent additions were mostly depth guys, including forward Samuel Poulin, goalie Kaapo Kahkonen and defenseman Reilly Walsh and Ethan Samson. Walsh was 3rd in KHL scoring among defensemen last season.
Just like the Sens, their more important business was taking care of some in-house signings.
The Canadiens signed Ivan Demidov to an eight-year extension, re-signed goalie Jakub Dobes for three years and brought back Kirby Dach on a one-year deal.
Demidov's extension is Montreal's most important transaction of the summer. At 20, he's one of the brightest emerging offensive talents in hockey and is now locked up at an AAV of $9.125 million.
He's a big part of a young core that already includes Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson.
Canadiens Free Agent Losses
After 5 points in 61 games with Montreal last season, forward Joe Veleno was allowed to walk into free agency where he signed with the New York Rangers.
Despite his frequent injury absence, the most notable free agent departure is the talented by oft-injured Patrik Laine, who remains an unrestricted free agent.
Sammy Blais also left the Canadiens organization and, interestingly enough, signed with the Sens. He should be one of Ottawa's first calls if they run into injury trouble up front.
There isn't anything here that changes the Canadiens.
Montreal's Biggest Addition May Come From Within
Like the Senators, the Canadiens have a lot of excellent young players who haven't hit their prime yet.
Caufield is 25. Slafkovsky is 22. Hutson is 22. Demidov is 20. Suzuki is 26.
Montreal is betting that another year of development from that group will provide an upgrade all by itself.
Suzuki broke the 100-point barrier last season, while the Canadiens finished seventh in the NHL in goals. And after winning two seven-game playoff series, they now have serious postseason experience.
There are still question marks, and every team has them. The biggest is this: Can Dobes repeat last season's performance in goal? He has just 59 career NHL games under his belt, so despite his new three-year contract, the jury is still out on whether he's ready to handle the workload and expectations of being a number one over a full season.
Verdict 1: Who Had The Better Offseason?
The Senators were busier, and handled the Tkachuk thing about as well as they could, but you can't deal away Tkachuk and say it's been a great offseason.
Steve Staios did well, turning the situation into Eklund, first-rounder Jonas Lagerberg-Hoen, a 2029 first-rounder, two prospects, and a second-rounder. Adding Burakovsky gives Ottawa another potential top-six option as well.
Internally, both teams re-signed the players they wanted to keep.
But Montreal wins because, for the sake of this comparison, they didn't have to trade Nick Suzuki and then scramble to try and replace him.
Verdict 2: Who Will Be The Better Team This Season?
These two teams are so close. The Sens actually had a better goal differential and more regulation wins than the Canadiens last season. Internal growth, fewer injuries, better goaltending, and a little less drama could make a massive difference next season.
But it's still tracking to be Montreal again.
The Habs finished seven points ahead of the Sens and then backed it up with a trip to the Eastern Final.
There's no denying both young cores are impressive.
Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Demidov and Hutson versus Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto and Jake Sanderson makes for an interesting comparison. It should continue to be a fantastic rivalry, although with antagonists like Tkachuk and Gallagher both gone, things may be a little less feisty.
While anything can happen, right now Montreal gets the edge.
Neither team vastly improved this offseason so we have no choice but to defer to last year's results, which were clear.
Since then, Ottawa had to trade its young captain and Montreal didn't. The Senators are a really good young team that did a solid job of damage control this summer, but that's not the same thing as closing the gap and surpassing a 106-point conference finalist.
The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures.
Over the next few weeks, we will continue to look at potential options for the Sabres, now that veteran Patrick Kane has returned with Chicago. Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.
Kekalainen ideally would like to make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, or someone who can fill the leadership gap and/or add some snarl and sandpaper to the middle-six.
Someone who has yet to be signed, and could provide some secondary scoring and additional agitation is veteran Michael Bunting. The 30-year-old began his career as an Arizona Coyotes draft pick in 2014 and spent five seasons in the American Hockey League before getting a brief look in the NHL during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.
Patrick Kane signs with the Chicago Blackhawks instead of joining the Sabres
The Scarborough, ON native scored 10 goals in 21 games and due to his lengthy service time in the minors, qualified for unrestricted free agency at age 25. The feisty winger was signed by former Soo Greyhounds GM Kyel Dubas in Toronto, and turned into an incredible bargain at a sub-$1 million salary, scoring 23 goals each of his two seasons playing on the wing with Auston Matthews and being nominated for the Calder Trophy in 2022.
He became a free agent again in 2023 and signed a three-year, $13.5 million deal with Carolina, but became a victim of his high cap hit, as in each of his three seasons, he has been traded at the deadline. From Carolina to Pittsburgh in 2024, Pittsburgh to Nashville in 2025, and Nashville to Dallas last season. His production has not appreciably declined over that time (19, 19, and 14 goals), which means he could be a great value at a lower salary.
Bunting is not particualrly strong defensively, which means he is likely not a candidate for special teams usage, but is a decent passer who could be utilized in a second power play/middle-six forward role five-on-five. Still being unsigned at the end of July could mean that Bunting is open to a lesser amount, which could be a better fit for the Sabres in their current cap situation.
If James Malatesta can put it all together, he can be a force in the NHL.
Malatesta turned pro in 2023 after spending four outstanding years with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. After amassing 187 points in junior and winning the QMJHL playoff MVP, he was off to the pros. He would total 56 goals if you take into account all the games he played in the Q, Q playoffs, and Memorial Cup.
James Malatesta played in 56 games for the Cleveland Monsters in his rookie season. He would score 12 goals and total 22 points. He has a motor that never quits and can skate really well, and it showed. Malatesta finished 11th on the team in scoring and 10th in games played. He did have a team-high 79 PIMs, though, which is how he plays his game.
Late in the season, in a surprising move, Malatesta was called up to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Due to the injury situation, Malatesta and several other Monsters got an opportunity to play some real NHL minutes.
He would make his NHL debut on March 26th against the Arizona Coyotes. He didn't get on the score sheet, but he did make his presence known. He would get 11:43 of ice time and get into a fight. Not a bad night.
Malatesta would get his first NHL point against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 6th, an assist. He played 10:58.
On April 13th in Smashville, after playing 9 games, he would have a career game. He played 12:55, had 3 shots, and scored his first goal. He also added an assist in the loss to the Predators. He was flying around the ice all night; he was fun to watch.
In the next game, the season finale at home against the Carolina Hurricanes, he would again have a good game. Malatesta scored his 2nd NHL goal while playing 13:01 on the ice. He is making himself highly visible.
He was returned to the Monsters after the CBJ season to help them win their division and the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Malatesta only played 9 games throughout the playoffs, scoring only a single goal and adding one assist.
The 2024-25 season saw Malatesta play a pair of games for Columbus in December. He averaged around 10:30 of ice time and was held off the score sheet. But he needed to play.
For Cleveland, he played in only 41 games and scored 14 points. Unfortunately for Malatesta and the Monsters, he suffered an upper-body injury that held him out of the lineup until March. In a combo of injuries and a sophomore slump, Malatesta did not have the year he wanted.
Last season, Malatesta set a career-high in games played at 57. He scored 10 goals and totaled 18 points, while setting a career-high with 87 PIMs. He was signed to a one-year extension by Columbus last month and will be an RFA once again at the end of 2027.
With the Jackets having Mathieu Olivier and Ryan Lomberg on the roster, I'm not sure Malatesta will get another shot in Columbus.
James Malatesta isn't expected to put in 25 goals or collect 50 points, but he is expected to contribute. He has a scoring touch and brings physicality to the ice.
James Malatesta Scouting Report
Strengths:
Skating: Malatesta's skating is an asset, with excellent acceleration, speed, and the ability to drive the puck through the neutral zone.
Energy and Intensity: He plays with a high motor, is not afraid to throw hits, and engages physically to win puck battles and create turnovers.
Shooting: He possesses a quick and accurate wrist shot, often firing on the fly, and is a threat on odd-man rushes.
Offensive Instincts: Malatesta is good at finding open ice, jumping on opportunities, and making quick plays to generate scoring chances.
Weaknesses:
Decision-Making: Needs to improve his passing and off-puck play, as he can sometimes prioritize intensity over making the best play. He takes bad penalties sometimes due to his physicality.
Offensive Creativity: While he can finish plays, he doesn't possess the vision or playmaking skills of a top-tier offensive player.
Consistency: His production can be inconsistent, and he needs to find a way to translate his energy and physical play into more consistent offensive contributions.
Overall:
Malatesta is a prospect with a high floor, likely to become a reliable bottom-six forward in the NHL. He brings a lot of energy, a strong work ethic, and the ability to contribute in various ways, making him a player who can impact the game even without elite offensive skills. If he can put it together, expect him to be pushing for a roster spot in Columbus soon. But first, he has to prove it in 26-27.
Does he have a chance to make the team? Many say no, but I wouldn't count him out if I were you.
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The Buffalo Sabres delivered Stanley Cup playoff hockey to their long-suffering fans this year, ending a decade-and-a-half playoff drought. But while the Sabres didn’t make the Eastern Conference final – losing to the Montreal Canadiens in Round 2 – Buffalo beat the Boston Bruins in Round 1, gaining valuable experience in the process.
But in our annual grading of the Sabres, TheHockeyNews.com’s 2025-26 grades will mostly be positive, as there was plenty for Sabres fans to appreciate. Whether it was young players evolving into Grade-A talent, or veterans delivering big-time performances, Buffalo got important contributions from many, if not most players. And that’s reflected in their grades.
The Sabres have a ways to go before they’re a legitimate Cup front-runner like last year’s eventual-champion Carolina Hurricanes. However, for the first time in many years, everything meshed positively for Buffalo, and the Sabres elevated their playoff game to beat Boston.
And in this “Sabres Grades” file, we’re grading Buffalo’s best defenseman – superstar D-man and team captain Rasmus Dahlin:
Rasmus Dahlin
Position: Defenseman
Grade: A+
The Skinny: It’s hard to imagine how Dahlin could’ve been better for Buffalo last season. Dahlin posted 55 assists and a career-best 74 points in 77 games in 2025-26, and he averaged 24:10 of ice time. Those numbers are almost identical to Dahlin’s performance in 2024-25, when he generated 51 assists and 68 points in 73 games while averaging 24:14 of ice time. The consistency there is to marvel at.
However, Dahlin also set a career-high in shooting percentage this past season, averaging 9.8 percent to beat his previous career-high of 8.5 percent. At 26 years old, the Swedish blueliner is entering his prime, and he’s doing so while earning $11-million for the next six seasons.
A salary that high carries with it sky-high expectations, but nobody in Buffalo is begrudging Dahlin his money. In fact, as the salary cap goes up and we see defensemen earn into the $16-to-$18-million-per-year range, Dahlin’s contract is going to be seen as a massive bargain for the Sabres.
There are precious few legitimate No. 1 defensemen in the league, but Dahlin certainly is one of them. Dahlin got his first taste of playoff hockey last season, and with 10 assists and 14 points – including six power-play points – in 13 games, Dahlin was a point-per-game post-season player. That’s exactly the type of performance Buffalo needed to get from him.
As Dahlin's game continues maturing, his playoff experience last year is only going to help him and the Sabres. If Buffalo had’ve careened through the Atlantic Division rankings and missed the 2025-26 playoffs, we'd be having a very different conversation about Dahlin’s future in Western New York. But winning cures a lot of ailments, and it now looks like the best road ahead for Dahlin is remaining in Buffalo and serving as the Sabres’ bedrock for this generation of the team.
Dahlin’s poise and patience are two of the things that led him to earning a nomination this past year for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman. Columbus Blue Jackets superstar blueliner Zach Werenski wound up winning this year’s Norris, but Dahlin deserved his nomination for the honor. And it now feels like, sooner or later, Dahlin is going to be claiming his first of what could be multiple Norris Trophies.
Although there may be room for Dahlin to grow his game, we’re of the opinion he's already firing on all pistons. Dahlin’s vision, two-way game and overall impact on the Sabres is hard to measure strictly in data sets. When he’s on the ice, good things happen, and Dahlin’s challenge now is to raise his game when games matter most.
He can’t get a higher grade than the grade we’re giving him this year, but multiple A+ grades certainly aren’t out of the question for Dahlin. He’s a no-brainer foundational talent for Buffalo, and the Sabres are likely only going as far in the next decade as Dahlin and the rest of Buffalo’s core carries them.
According to RG.org, Daria Tuboltseva, the Montreal Canadiens' reported trade target, Kirill Marchenko, from the Columbus Blue Jackets, is likely to move soon. The reporter mentions that a source close to the player has said that the Jackets and another team are currently finalizing the terms of a trade and that he is therefore between teams as of now. The Ohio outfit’s offseason got off to a disastrous start when it leaked out that Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Zach Werenski and power forward Kirill Marchenko were both unlikely to re-up with the team once their current contract runs out.
It became very public that the Jackets had started taking trade calls on the defenseman before GM Don Waddell released a statement, saying that he would remain with the team for the foreseeable future. Werenski did the same on his end. Waddell didn’t stop there; he also told reporters that Marchenko would be going nowhere this summer and would start the season in Columbus, despite entering the last year of his contract.
Tuboltseva’s report contradicts the GM’s stance, but it’s hardly surprising if Waddell and co. know that they won’t be able to sign the power forward to a new contract; moving him makes sense. Marchenko, a Dan Milstein client, is embarking on the third year of a three-year deal with a very team-friendly $3.85 million cap hit. However, the player is not in full control of his situation: unlike players like Jason Robertson or Dylan Larkin, he doesn’t have a no-movement clause, meaning Waddell can trade him to whichever team he wants, and he doesn’t get a say in the matter.
However, to maximize the return he can get, Waddell would do well to make a sign-and-trade deal, as he’s unlikely to get very much value by trading Marchenko on an expiring deal, even if he will be an RFA at the end of the season and the team will therefore still hold his rights.
According to the article, the Canadiens remain very much interested in Marchenko, which is hardly surprising given he’s exactly what Montreal needs to dynamize its second line and help Ivan Demidov unlock his full potential. He’s 6-foot-3 and 201 pounds and has the size and the speed to retrieve pucks in the corners to keep the play going. He’s just turned 26, and he’s never scored less than 21 goals in his four NHL seasons, even breaking the 30-goal mark once when he gathered 31 lamplighters in 2024-25. He finished the last campaign with 27 goals, 40 assists and 67 points, 23 of which came on the power play. He has a lethal shot, with a 13.6% shooting rate over the course of his career, including a 12.4% success rate last season.
If the Canadiens are the team that’s finalizing the terms of the trade with the Jackets, fans should brace themselves for a high cost. Waddell isn’t handcuffed by an NMC here, and the Jackets are not a rebuilding side, which means that at least part of the package would have to be players that can land in their lineup now. Offering Kirby Dach and Jayden Struble certainly won’t be enough; that’s not to say that they couldn’t be included in a package, but they’d be add-ons rather than main pieces.
If Kent Hughes does a good selling job, perhaps he could interest Waddell in a player like Zachary Bolduc, who’s a former first-round pick with potential yet to be fully reached. If the Jackets know that Werenski won’t sign a new deal, they could also be after some help on the blueline, but you don’t replace your number one defenseman with a sixth or seventh blueliner. Kaiden Guhle is a left-shot defenseman, and while he’s not the same style as Werenski, he’s got a good pedigree and brings an interesting blend of skills to the table.
The Jackets could also ask for some futures to complete the deal; a first-round pick and a top prospect wouldn’t be an outlandish idea. Hughes is unlikely to include Michael Hage in a trade that doesn’t land him a center, but it wouldn’t be shocking if Columbus were after someone like Alexander Zharovsky, who may not have been a first-round pick but is still seen as an elite prospect. Someone like Adam Engstrom, who’s an NHL-ready blueliner who can play on both sides, could also be of interest for a team that’s not looking to rebuild.
The Canadiens are no longer at the stage where they just acquire talented assets to see if they work out; they now have very specific needs for which they will be willing to pay a hefty price tag. They'll have to, as their trading partner will be well aware of how keen they are to get those specific missing pieces.
Granted, that might be seen as a hefty price tag, but Hughes wouldn’t be trading from a position of force there. Waddell has something the Canadiens are very keen to acquire, and he’s entitled to set the price here. You’ve got to give something to get something, especially when you’re the initiating party.
DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 22: Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche looks for an opening against the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the second period at Ball Arena on February 22, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While waiting to sign his mega contract extension with the Colorado Avalanche, superstar defenseman Cale Makar is keeping busy along with PWHL star Hilary Knight as they took the time to try out some hockey gear from Bauer. One of the tidbits revealed in the video is that Cale changes out his skates to new ones every four to five games.
Time to circle the calendars as word on the street is hinting that the NHL trade deadline will fall on Monday, March 1st next year. This is due to the regular season beginning and ending earlier starting next season.
NEWS: The 2027 NHL trade deadline has been set for Monday, March 1 per @RussoHockey
More former Avalanche players are getting new jobs this summer. Now Stanley Cup champion Jack Johnson is leaving the Vancouver Canucks organization to help the women’s hockey program at Ohio State.
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) July 23, 2026
Andrew Agozzino recently announced his retirement from hockey and also already has a new gig with the Utah Mammoth. The former Avalanche forward joins the Tucson Roadrunners staff.
Excited to keep Agozzino in the organization!
Recently retired forward Andrew Agozzino will remain in the organization as an assistant coach for the Tucson Roadrunners.
Welcome to the 2025–26 installment of The Hockey News - Vancouver Canucks’ Player Report Card Series. Throughout the off-season, THN will conduct a deep dive into how each member of the Canucks performed throughout the 2025–26 season. Today’s article will focus on forward Arshdeep Bains.
Bains’s 2025–26 Season Review
Bains entered the 2025–26 season as one of a few players looking to push for a roster spot with a strong pre-season effort. Coming off 13 NHL games in 2024–25, as well as a Calder Cup win with the Abbotsford Canucks, Bains looked primed to try and fill a depth role at the NHL level.
Despite strong efforts from a variety of forwards including Braeden Cootes, Linus Karlsson, and Max Sasson, Bains ended up being one of the depth forwards that made the Canucks’ opening-night roster. He collected one assist in the team’s opening-night effort and followed that up with another helper two games after.
While he did begin the season with Vancouver, Bains didn’t quite find an even amount of playing time by the time mid-November came around. By mid-December, the forward was placed on waivers and sent back down to Abbotsford, with Bains not getting another call-up until the beginning of January. His final NHL game of the season was played on January 17 against the Edmonton Oilers.
Upon returning to the AHL in December, Bains provided Abbotsford with a solid two-way presence that the team had sorely missed with their lineup absences from injuries and NHL call-ups. He scored a goal and an assist in his first game back with the AHL Canucks, racking up three goals and three assists in his first five games with the team.
Throughout the remainder of the 2025–26 season, Bains stuck with Abbotsford. He finished the year with 11 goals and 13 assists in 34 games played, coming seventh on his team in points and tying Chase Wouters for fifth in goals scored.
Bains also managed to set some new franchise records for Abbotsford during the 2025–26 season. He scored a short-handed goal against the Henderson Silver Knights on February 20 to set Abbotsford’s new record for total points scored by an AHL Canuck with 149. As it stands, Bains’ record is now 160, which he can build on if he returns to Abbotsford next season. The forward has also tied former defenceman Christian Wolanin for the team’s franchise high in total assists collected with 109.
Bains’s 2025–26 Letter Grade
Bains managed to build on his 2024–25 season campaign in 2025–26, playing in 28 games and scoring a goal and four assists. He also continued to make his mark at the AHL-level, setting new records for Abbotsford while contributing consistent offence. That said, the forward still requires a bit of work regarding effectiveness when it comes to making a full-time jump to the NHL. Given the route Vancouver is expected to go in through the next few seasons, a strong pre-season and training camp effort in 2026 could help Bains get the opportunity he’s looking for.
Bains gets a C+ for his performance in 2025–26.
Dec 11, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Arshdeep Bains (13) handles the puck against the Buffalo Sabres in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Earlier this off-season, the Buffalo Sabres signed forward Beck Malenstyn to a six-year, $17.5 million contract extension. The 28-year-old was a pending unrestricted free agent but ended up re-signing in Buffalo instead of testing the market.
While this is a long contract for a bottom-six forward, the Sabres made the right call bringing back Malenstyn.
Malenstyn's hard-nosed style of play, speed, and strong defensive play make him a very important part of the Sabres' forward group. Playoff teams need heart-and-soul players like Malenstyn, so it is certainly good news that he will be staying in Buffalo as the Sabres look to build off their great 2025-26 season.
Furthermore, with the salary cap continuing to go up, Malenstyn's $2.92 million cap hit is not too high for what he provides. The 28-year-old will continue to be a key part of the Sabres' bottom six and make them a difficult team to go up against when he is on the ice.
In 81 games during this past season with the Sabres, Malenstyn posted seven goals, seven assists, 14 points, and a career-high 282 hits. If he can continue to play a solid defensive game and provide a lot of grit, it would be significant for a Sabres club that is looking to continue to get better.
News came out yesterday from RG.org's Daria Tuboltseva that there is still smoke surrounding the CBJ's Kirill Marchenko, saying that he will be traded soon and that two teams are aiming to land the winger. Montreal has apparently been trying to land Marchenko for weeks and is still in the mix. Utah might be the other team interested in Marchenko as well, from what we're hearing.
A source close to Kirill Marchenko tells @TheRGMedia he's "essentially between two teams right now" — and Montreal hasn't given up. Here's where the trade talks stand 👇https://t.co/XNoJmZPf4l
With Montreal seemingly the frontrunner to land Marchenko, fans and some people in the media have begun speculating on a return. We even did one here at THN-Columbus a few weeks ago, which you can read below.
Most of the trades that people have brought up involve guys like David Reinbacher and/or Michael Hage. But the player people seem always to bring up is forward Kirby Dach.
If Kirby Dach's name is brought up, GM Don Waddell should immediately hang up and move on to the next team. There shouldn't be any arguments either.
Dach is a former 3rd overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019. After playing 152 games for the Blackhawks, he was traded to Montreal by Chicago for a 1st-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and a 3rd-round pick in 2022 July 7, 2022.
He totaled 19 goals and 59 points in 152 games.
Since his trade to Montreal, he's played in 154 games. He's scored 32 goals and totaled 77 points. His best year as a pro was the 22-23 season, which was his first in Montreal, in which he scored 14 goals and totaled 38 points.
He hasn't had the best career for someone drafted third overall, and it sounds like the Canadiens fans may be hoping that Montreal GM Kent Hughes will try to get rid of his $3,600,000 per season salary, which is set to expire after next season.
Don Waddell should not accept salary dumps in any Kirill Marchenko trade. He has said he wants NHL players who can step in and fill the role that would be vacated by the player leaving. In this case, it would be a top-line winger.
Obviously, we're not naive enough to think the Canadiens would trade any of their top-line players for Kirill Marchenko, but players that they don't have room for on the NHL roster, such as David Reinbacher, or a soon-to-be NHLer like Michael Hage, would be a perfect return.
But Kirby Dach should not be in any return for Kirill Marchenko.
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The Pittsburgh Penguins have added multiple new forwards to their roster this off-season, including Andrei Kuzmenko, Nick Robertson, Hendrix Lapierre, and David Gustafsson.
But could the Penguins look to add one more forward before the start of the season?
When looking at Pittsburgh's current forward group, it is fair to argue that they could use another winger with skill. Because of this, one remaining free agent that could make sense for the Penguins to take a chance on is Patrik Laine. This is especially so if the sniper ends up being open to the idea of signing a professional tryout (PTO) agreement.
If the Penguins invited Laine to training camp on a PTO, he would give them another scoring forward to consider. While the 28-year-old winger has suffered multiple injuries over the years, he has shown that he can make a real impact when healthy. Keep in mind, he has hit the 30-goal mark three times in his career and easily would have more if he stayed healthier in past seasons.
Laine was limited to only five games last season with the Canadiens due to injury trouble. Yet, during the 2024-25 season, he posted 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games with Montreal. With this, he showed in a recent season that he can still put the puck in the net, and he could be worth taking a flier on for Pittsburgh because of it.
It will be interesting to see if the Penguins bringing in Laine on a PTO or even a one-year contract from here.
The Chicago Blackhawks have made some major moves this off-season, and none have been bigger than adding Bowen Byram via a trade that they made with the Buffalo Sabres.
Byram was the 4th overall pick by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 NHL Draft, one spot after the Blackhawks selected Kirby Dach 3rd overall.
After parts of four seasons and one Stanley Cup with the Avalanche, Byram was traded to the Sabres before making his way to Chicago in 2026.
Upon his arrival, the Hawks gave him a six-year extension with an average annual value of $12.5 million. As of now, when it kicks in after the 2026-27 season ends, Byram is set to become the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL with this deal that runs through 2032-33.
Now, Byram has his chance to become a number-one defenseman in the NHL. Not only did he earn the opportunity with his play, but he is now on a roster where he won't be living in someone else's shadow.
Byram played behind Cale Makar in Colorado and Rasmus Dahlin in Buffalo. There were other good defensemen around him as well, but they were the catalysts offensively, eating those big minutes at even strength and on the power play.
In Chicago, Byram will lead a blue line with support from guys like Alex Vlasic and Wyatt Kaiser, while other young players like Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel continue their development.
"He is going to be one of the best defensemen in the league," Connor Bedard said of Byram. "He's always shown that. When you play behind Cale [Makar] and [Rasmus] Dahlin, it's not easy to take their spot. Just for him to get the opportunity to be that [number] one and prove himself in that way, he's one of the most skilled players in the league. His motivation to prove that is unbelievable. His excitement to be with us is great for the team."
Byram's most important teammate sees a desire to be great as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, so you'd think that it rubs off on everyone around him.
After years of being great despite limited opportunity playing behind some of the greats in the game, the door is open for him to show what he can do as the top guy in the lineup at that position.
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