Right when he was hired, Montreal Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes explained that he wouldn’t be the kind of GM who buys high and sells low. He explained that he was a firm believer that players, once in the NHL, aren’t finished products and can keep improving. We’ve seen it with the likes of Cole Caufield, who has improved by leaps and bounds since graduating to the NHL and working under Martin St-Louis; the same can be said for Nick Suzuki, whose point production has skyrocketed without sacrificing his defensive game, which has improved as well.

One player who hasn’t improved, though, and that may mainly be down to injuries, is Kirby Dach. When Hughes sacrificed Alexander Romanov at the 2022 draft to get the first-round pick he flipped to the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire Dach, he was hoping that the Habs’ coaching staff could make him reach his full potential and become a big-bodied second-line center. That hasn’t happened; far from it.

Dates Canadiens Fans Should Mark On Their Calendar
Canadiens and Dach Avoid Arbitration - Explaining The Cap Hit
The Answer To A Couple Of The Canadiens’ Big Issues Could Be Internal

Dach had a tough start to the playoffs; he was responsible for the Canadiens failing to take a 2-0 lead in the series and faced serious online backlash after that icing. With fans and media alike suggesting that he should be scratched from the lineup, St-Louis came out and stood by him, saying he would never give up on a player that hadn’t given up on himself. Dach had a great bounce-back game, but by the end of the playoffs, he was on the wing of the fourth line.

With his injury history and his struggles on the ice at the end of the playoffs, Dach’s value is at an all-time low. Not only has he failed to show he’s a center in the NHL, but at times he looks nonchalant on the ice. He’s not playing a hard game; he doesn’t come into the corners with speed to finish his checks and get the puck back. Even if he was a third-overall pick full of potential once upon a time, the last four years have taken the shine off him. While there’s a belief that there’s always a GM out there who thinks they can turn things around for a player, after all, Alex Galchenyuk had a second chance with six other teams after the Canadiens (he even had two kicks at the can with the Arizona Coyotes), it doesn’t seem to be the case for Dach, not right now. It must be said that Galchenyuk didn’t have Dach’s injury history, however.

At this stage, the forward is not only a player who has failed to reach his potential but also one who is injury-prone. He needs to prove that he can stay healthy and be a good player on the ice. Those are not great selling points. Right now, Dach is a throw-in for a larger deal; he cannot be the main piece to land a needle-moving player.

Given the fact that Hughes has been unable to strike a big deal to improve his roster, it’s not surprising that Dach is still a member of the Canadiens, but he has been given a stern warning. The fact that he was presented with a qualifying offer for a two-way contract speaks volumes about where he is in the organization right now, and so does the fact that he signed only a one-year contract.

While it’s not clear which of the two camps wanted a one-year deal, it doesn’t smell good. If the Canadiens only wanted to give him a one-year pact, it suggests they are getting ready to cut their losses on the player. They’re willing to pay him this year when his rights are still under team control, but unless things change dramatically, they don’t see him as a part of the team long-term. If Dach was the one who pushed for the one-year term, it suggests that he might have had his feathers ruffled by the two-way contract offer and will want to move on from the Canadiens once he becomes a UFA.

At the end of the 2024-25 season, in his exit interview, he was told that the organization wasn’t pleased with the physical form he showed up in at the start of camp and that he needed to do better. The qualifying offer he received means that the team wasn’t pleased with him this past season either, but it wasn’t ready to just let him walk away after investing assets to acquire him.

If he’s still with the Canadiens when the puck drops on the season, the Habs’ brass will simply be hoping that he can stay healthy and play in a way that will see him regain some value on the trade market. If the fact that he’ll be playing for a new contract and attempting to prove to the NHL that he belongs doesn’t motivate Dach to play well on both sides of the puck, I don’t know what will.

---

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

New York Islanders goaltender prospect Henrik Tikkanen did not sign his one-year qualifying offer by Wednesday's 5 PM deadline.

However, he has signed a different one-year, two-way deal, which the club officially announced on Friday afternoon. 

#Isles News: The New York Islanders announced today that the club has signed goaltender Henrik Tikkanen to a one-year, two-way (NHL/AHL) contract.

Read more: https://t.co/u125wIf16ppic.twitter.com/ML5ieAlIQb

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) July 17, 2026

Per industry sources, while this new one-year contract carries the same NHL salary that his qualifying offer would have, at $850,000, his minor league salary would only have been $82,500. 

Instead his camp got his minor league salary bumped up to $130,000. 

Tikkanen went 17-9-1, with a 2.65 GAA and an .897 SV% in 29 games for Bridgeport in 2025-26. 

The Winnipeg Jets won't receive too many built-in scheduling advantages during the 2026-27 season, but they also won't be faced with a heavier travel/rest calendar either.

According to data compiled by Sports 1440/Daily Faceoff's Jason Gregor, the Jets are scheduled to play in just nine back-to-back sets this season, which is tied for the seventh-fewest in the NHL.

Only the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights have fewer such situations (eight back-to-backs), while the Pittsburgh Penguins lead the league with a whopping 15 back-to-backs. The Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals will each play 14 back-to-backs. (Jason Gregor on X – Back-to-back totals)

The lighter workload also compares favourably within the Central Division. Dallas will navigate 13 back-to-back sets, St. Louis 12, Nashville 11, and both Colorado and Minnesota 10, leaving Winnipeg with fewer consecutive-game situations than every division rival except Utah, which is also scheduled for 10.

The flip side, however, is that the Jets also won't have as many opportunities to capitalize on tired opponents.

Gregor's stats also show Winnipeg will face an opponent playing the second half of a back-to-back just five times this year, which is tied with Toronto for the fewest in the NHL. By comparison, the Montreal Canadiens will enjoy that advantage 19 times, while Anaheim will do so 18 times. 

Number of games NHL teams have when they face an opponent on the second half of a back-to-back. Quite the difference from MTL to TOR and WPG. pic.twitter.com/yxoKwDaTrE

— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) July 16, 2026

Although that means the Jets won't receive many built-in rest advantages, the overall picture still points towards a rather balanced schedule, overall. Winnipeg has a few back-to-backs of its own, while also avoiding many games where amount of rest is a major factor.

Last season, the Jets had no serious issue with games on back-to-back dates. Despite its overall record, Winnipeg went a decent 6-3 in the second test of a back-to-back, earning wins in 67 percent of its nine tests.

Although the sample size is relatively small, it ranked among the league's stronger performances and indicates the club has generally handled those situations well. 

Here are team's records in the second half of BTB games last season. https://t.co/VV3IJhDNvNpic.twitter.com/MwB7yEgR72

— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) July 17, 2026

The Jets' schedule overall will boast a relatively favourable balance. Sure they will get some tired opponents, but will not need to play on back-to-back nights very often. That, combined with their success in back-to-backs last year, consecutive games should not be a major hurdle for what most are expecting to be a stronger regular season performance this season. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins have added multiple players to their roster this off-season. Among their newcomers is Declan Carlile, as the Penguins signed him to a two-year, $3 million contract earlier this month.

Carlile appeared in a career-high 42 games last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he posted one goal, three points, 51 hits, and a plus-5 rating. This was after he played in just four games with the Lightning over the two previous seasons. 

Overall, Carlile took a nice step forward with his development last season, and it helped him land a multi-year deal with the Penguins. Now, he will be looking to take his game to a new level after signing in Pittsburgh. 

When looking at the Penguins' current defensive group, it is certainly possible that Carlile will get more chances to succeed in Pittsburgh. The Penguins do not have the strongest depth on the left side of their defensive group, and this could lead to Carlile having a more significant role than he did in Tampa Bay. This could benefit the 6-foot-3 defenseman tremendously. 

Furthermore, with Carlile having more experience at the NHL level, it is fair to wonder if he could improve his game next season now that he is more adjusted. It will be interesting to see what happens on that front, but there is no harm in Pittsburgh signing him to his affordable two-year deal. 

Last month, on June 26th, new Vancouver Canucks coach Manny Malhotra lived out many fathers’ dreams: he saw his son drafted by an NHL team, and to make things even better, his son Caleb was drafted by his own team. Not every dad, even if they played in the NHL and made it to the Hall of Fame, gets to live that special moment. Montreal Canadiens’ coach Martin St-Louis hasn’t had the joy of experiencing it yet, as his son Ryan once again went undrafted.

However, on Wednesday, it was announced that the 23-year-old had signed an AHL contract with the Abbotsford Canucks. The 5-foot-10 and 181-pound winger is a product of the US National Team program who has spent one season with Northeastern in the NCAA before heading to the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL for a year in which he was an alternate captain and picked up 72 points in just 58 games. From there, he headed back to the NCAA with the Bown University Bears. In 83 games with them, he scored 68 points.

In his last season with the Bears, he was the team captain and picked up 15 points in 30 games, and he was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award nominee, although he didn’t finish in the top-10 finalist lists. Though it would be understandable if the young man was disappointed about not being drafted, his father is the living proof that it doesn’t matter if you are willing to work your own way to the NHL.

The Canadiens’ coach was also undrafted before playing 1,134 NHL games and totaling 1,033 points. When the Habs hosted the NHL draft in 2022, he came to the stage to give a speech to the crowd’s applause, and he couldn’t help but say, “So that’s what that feels like”, a quick wink at the fact that he had never been on the draft podium. Now, when he attends the Canadiens’ development camp in the summer, he gives the players a speech about how hard it is to make it to the NHL and that being drafted is just one way to get there. From there, you have to make the right choices to make it to the promised land. Guest coach Caroline Ouellette was particularly impressed by his speech and just how fascinated the players were, hanging on his every word. That speech can come in handy now at the family home.

---

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

There are few names synonymous with the Calgary Flames that resonate quite like 'Iginla.' While players like Lanny, Kipper, and Theo have left their mark, Jarome Iginla is the true embodiment of the Flames' identity over the last two decades.

Jarome spent 16 of his 20 seasons in Calgary, serving as captain for a decade. He remains the franchise leader in goals (525), points (1,095), and games played (1,219). His resume is decorated with twelve 30-goal seasons, 11 years leading the team in scoring, two Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophies, an Art Ross Trophy in 2001-02, and a historic run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2004. Beyond his stats - scoring, hitting, and fighting - he was a leader both on and off the ice.

Those are massive skates to fill.

So when the Flames drafted his son, Joe, in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the excitement was immediate, as were the questions about whether Joe could replicate his father's legacy in Calgary. While it is unfair to place such pressure on any young player, it is an inevitable reality for the son of a Hall of Famer.

“It’s exciting for sure, obviously I grew up watching the Flames and rooting for them, so it’s cool,” Iginla told the media at the Flames recent development camp. “It’s been nice, I like to think I’m well received so I’m grateful and I’m happy to get going.” 

Like father, like son 👀

Full Highlights: https://t.co/UE7wfN74Fppic.twitter.com/bC5dqJHKSv

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) July 3, 2026

With his older brother, Tij, poised to be a full-time NHLer for the Utah Mammoth, and his sister recently drafted 18th overall to the new PWHL Hamilton team, hockey is clearly in the Iginla DNA. Joe is already benefiting from that family pedigree, noting the value of learning from his older brother’s experiences.

“I was actually sleeping when I got picked… and my brother came in and tackled me,” said Iginla.” I learned tons from him. Obviously I get to learn from my dad, but my brother, he’s in it now, he goes through it. He’s a role model for sure and I learned a lot from him.”

"Grew up watching the Flames, rooting for them. It's really cool."

Joe Iginla checks in to talk about being drafted to Calgary and the influence Jarome and Tij have had on him during his hockey journey. pic.twitter.com/FEJCr6BWN5

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) July 1, 2026

The Flames selected Joe 65th overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He split the previous season in the WHL between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Vancouver Giants, recording 15 goals and 31 points.

Whatever the future holds for Joe, Calgary fans can certainly enjoy this moment of nostalgia, hoping that one day soon, the 'Iggy, Iggy, Iggy' chants will return to the rafters of Scotiabank Place.

The NHL has released the full schedule for the 2026-27 season and, for the first time since 1994, each team will play 84 games.

The Carolina Hurricanes will also be kicking off the new year with their championship banner raising ceremony set for the first scheduled game of the season.

Here's a look at some of the highlights from the 2026-27 calendar:

---

2026-2027 Season

Opening Night

• Sept. 29 @ 5 p.m. vs. Florida Panthers

NHL Global Series

• Nov. 12 @ 7 p.m. vs. Seattle Kraken
• Nov. 14 @ 8 p.m. vs. Seattle Kraken

Home Stands

• Oct. 27 - Nov. 1 (3 games)
• Dec. 3-13 (5 games)
• Jan. 2-7 (3 games)
• Jan. 28 - Feb. 13 (5 games)

Road Trips

• Oct. 17-24 (5 games)
• Dec. 15-21 (4 games)
• Jan. 9-14 (3 games)
• March 16-23 (4 games)
• March 27 - April 2 (4 games)

Return Games

• Frederik Andersen - Nov. 21 @ 1 p.m. vs. Edmonton Oilers

Holiday Games

• Post Christmas - Dec. 26 @ 7 p.m. vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Additional Highlights

• Carolina will play, 12 sets of back-to-backs. Last year the team went 16-9-5 in their back-to-back games.
• All-Star Weekend will be Feb. 5-6.
• Last game of season: April 10 @ 6 p.m. @ Florida Panthers
• The Stanley Cup Final rematch will be Dec. 21 in Vegas.

---

Recent Articles

A Sum Greater Than The Parts: Carolina's Championship Was Built On Underrated Talent, Unity and Determination

Seth Jarvis Undergoes Shoulder Surgery; Will Miss Start Of 2026-27 Season

Hurricanes AGM Darren Yorke Breaks Down Carolina's 2026 Draft Class

Stanley Cup Engraved With Names Of 2026 Carolina Hurricanes Championship Squad

---

Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

---

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum. 

Coming off career highs, Drysdale agrees to new 4-year contract with Flyers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

To no real surprise, the Flyers and Jamie Drysdale did not need an arbitration hearing to nail down a new deal.

The two sides got it done Friday, agreeing to a four-year, $26 million contract. The deal has a $6.5 million average annual value. It has a modified no-trade clause in Years 3 and 4, according to PuckPedia.com.

The skilled and shifty defenseman was a restricted free agent with a player-elected arbitration hearing set for this upcoming Monday, per PuckPedia.com. But general manager Danny Briere avoided it. He did the same with Trevor Zegras two days ago.

Drysdale will be an unrestricted free agent when his new contract expires after the 2029-30 season. He now makes the most money among defensemen on the Flyers.

“We’re excited to have Jamie remain a key part of our organization for years to come,” Briere said in a statement released by the team. “Since we acquired him, Jamie has worked extremely hard and taken big steps in his development, and has established himself as a reliable piece on our back end with the ability to impact the game in all situations. We believe his best hockey is still ahead of him, and he’s going to play an important role in strengthening our blue line as we continue to build.”

The 24-year-old set career highs last season with eight goals and 21:33 minutes per game. He also matched his career high in points with 32. He added two goals, two assists, 16 shots and 16 blocked shots over 10 games in his first NHL playoffs.

“I think the biggest step was just confidence level,” Drysdale said in May at his end-of-the-season press conference. … “I think just coming to the rink and believing I was a good player and could make an impact, that was probably the biggest shift for me. I guess that kind of carries all over the ice.”

At just 21 years old, Drysdale arrived to the Flyers with a ton of pressure on his shoulders. He was the player the Flyers received in the stunning Cutter Gauthier trade, so expectations were inevitably high.

His overall game has come a long way in parts of three seasons with the Flyers. In 2025-26, he had his best defensive season as an NHLer, recording a plus-1 mark at 5-on-5. The previous season, he was a minus-15.

Now the Flyers are looking for Drysdale to build on it. The next step would be his effectiveness at the point on the power play. The Flyers’ league-worst man advantage is desperate for answers.

Last season, Drysdale led Flyers defensemen in power play ice time with 2:19 minutes per game. But he had nine points (one goal, eight assists) on the power play, which was tied for 35th among NHL defensemen.

“I think there are a lot of things that I want to work on,” Drysdale said, “and I think I can bring a lot more to the table, as well, in certain areas.”

Nikita Grebenkin and Hunter McDonald are the Flyers’ remaining restricted free agents that need new deals this offseason.

The start of the regular season is still over two months away, until we officially kick off the 2026-27 season. However, the full schedule for the Los Angeles Kings has been revealed, and we now know who LA will face on the first day of the campaign. 

Their season opener will be against a familiar opponent, the Colorado Avalanche, a team they met in last year's first-round playoff series, which they lost 4-0. 

Not only that, but LA also hosted the Avs for last season's opener and came up short, losing 4-1 at home. This time, the Kings will have a chance to redeem themselves on the road. 

LA Kings 2026-27 schedule pic.twitter.com/JjAToMQd1T

— Russell Morgan (@NHLRussell) July 16, 2026

Los Angeles will travel on the road for its first two games of the season, beginning with their opener against the Avs on Sept. 29 at 7:00 PM PT and Oct. 3 against the San Jose Sharks at 7:00 PM PT. 

The Kings won't host their home opener until a week after their season opener, which will be on October 6 at 7:30 PM PT against the Florida Panthers.  

A little history as well: this will be the first time since 2007-08 that the NHL regular season will kick off in September because of the 84-game format schedule making a comeback for this season, which hasn't happened since 1993-94. 

In their last five openers, the Kings have a 2-3-0 record, with two losses to the Avalanche and one to their divisional rival, the Vegas Golden Knights. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Colorado Avalanche's Stanley Cup window isn't closing tomorrow.

But make no mistake—it isn't getting any wider.

This season may represent Colorado's best opportunity to win another championship with its current core. The problem? The Avalanche have run out of easy answers. Their trade assets are limited, their prospect pipeline has been depleted by years of win-now moves, and another blockbuster deadline acquisition could come at the expense of the very players they're counting on to extend their championship window.

At some point, every contender reaches a crossroads.

The Avalanche may have arrived there.

Colorado's roster, as it's currently constructed, might be as good as it's going to get.

If Chris MacFarland wants to make another splash at the trade deadline, he'll have to get creative. The Avalanche simply don't have the collection of draft picks and top prospects they once did. To land a meaningful piece, the conversation likely starts with players such as Fedor Svechkov or Zach L'Heureux.

That creates a problem.

Why spend the offseason getting younger, tougher, and more difficult to play against if you're just going to ship those players out a few months later? At that point, what was the point of making those trades in the first place?

The Avalanche didn't bring in Svechkov and L'Heureux just to flip them for another rental. They brought them in because this team needed a different identity.

For years, Colorado has leaned almost exclusively on skill. It worked well enough to win a Stanley Cup, but recent playoff exits have exposed a different issue. When the game slows down, the ice shrinks, and every inch has to be earned, the Avalanche haven't always had enough players willing to make life miserable for the opposition.

L'Heureux changes that.

He's never been projected as a top-line scorer, and that's okay. His value comes from making opponents uncomfortable. He finishes checks, gets under people's skin, and has no problem being the player everyone on the other bench loves to hate.

The Avalanche desperately needed someone like that.

Svechkov is just as important, albeit in a different way.

Colorado's track record of developing young players over the past several years hasn't exactly inspired confidence. Too often, prospects have either been traded before they had a real chance or struggled to carve out meaningful roles once they arrived.

This time, the Avalanche don't really have a choice.

Svechkov has an opportunity to become the fourth-line center this team has been searching for. There will almost certainly be growing pains, but that's part of the process. If Colorado wants inexpensive, reliable depth, it has to stop expecting it to magically appear from somewhere else.

The irony is that last season's success probably hid some of the team's biggest flaws.

The Avalanche led the NHL in goals scored. They allowed the fewest goals in the league. They finished with the best regular-season record in franchise history.

Those accomplishments were remarkable.

They also made it easy to overlook the lack of bite in the bottom six and how little secondary depth the team truly had once the playoffs became a war of attrition.

That depth looks even thinner now.

Jack Drury is gone. Ross Colton is gone. Valeri Nichushkin was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Suddenly, Colorado is asking a lot from players who have yet to establish themselves at the NHL level.

Can Svechkov handle an everyday role? Can L'Heureux become the type of energy player every contender seems to have? Can Jaden Schwartz stay healthy long enough to provide the secondary scoring this lineup will need?

Those aren't minor questions.

They could determine whether the Avalanche are playing into June or watching someone else compete for the Stanley Cup.

That's also why Colorado has to resist the urge to chase another rental if things aren't perfect by February.

Every season, contenders convince themselves they're one player away. Sometimes they're right.

More often, they pay a premium for a player who leaves a few months later, while the young talent they gave up develops somewhere else.

The Avalanche have lived that reality before.

At some point, the organization has to trust what it's building instead of constantly looking for the next shortcut.

Nathan MacKinnon once said, "I really don't think you can win the Stanley Cup with young players."

History says otherwise.

Every year, young players become Stanley Cup champions. The difference isn't their age. It's whether they're ready, whether they fit, and whether their coaches are willing to trust them when the games matter most.

That's where the Avalanche are now.

Not at the end of their Stanley Cup window.

But perhaps at the beginning of its most important chapter.

If you ask the average Senators fan what's still missing on their roster, the most common reply you'll hear is the need for another top-six forward. 

In fact, most fans felt that way at the start of the summer, before Brady Tkachuk was traded.

Tkachuk's spot in the top six was ultimately refilled by the acquisition of William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks. Eklund is a very nice player, but to be brutally honest, he's a downgrade on Tkachuk in every way, including offence.

Over the past five years, Tkachuk has averaged 73 points per season, while Eklund has averaged 56.

As a result, any season-end desire for another elite player in the top six has only increased.

For now, it would appear that newcomer Andre Burakovsky will get the first shot at bolstering the top six. At this point, it's not clear yet if Burakovsky will be an upgrade on some of the Senators' bottom six options, let alone the top six. The Senators are praying they get the player he was in the first half of last season, not the last half.

In truth, it may be overly ambitious to expect either player to show major improvements in Ottawa because they won't have the likes of Macklin Celebrini or Connor Bedard so frequently at their sides.

So it's not unreasonable to suggest that, on paper, the Sens' top six group could use a boost. Of course, finding that boost is far easier said than done.

Good teams tend to hang on to those types of players. If they are willing, they'll want you to sacrifice something from your existing roster.

Poor teams will want top picks and prospects, but with the draft behind us, the pressure is off. Their best returns may come by waiting until the trade deadline, when teams feel the pressure of being a legit contender.

And what about free agency? Sure, it would have been nice for Steve Staios to go shopping on July 1 to find an obvious upgrade, but at that point, you were dealing with players who had, or believed they had, a lot of options. Unless you're from here, Ottawa is rarely at the top of free agent destination lists.

Today, as NHL free agency enters its third week, it will soon be time for lowered expectations, and remaining UFAs will expand their list of potential destinations while lowering their contract demands.

As of Wednesday, the five most intriguing UFA forwards were:

- Patrick Kane
- Anthony Mantha
- Vladimir Tarasenko
- Michael Bunting
- Patrik Laine

Are there any clear solutions there?

Mantha came off the board on Wednesday, signing a two-year contract worth $9.5 million ($4.75 million in average annual value) with the New Jersey Devils. At that price, some fans wondered whether the Sens had missed the boat on a 33-goal scorer last season. But always beware of the veteran player who has a career year in a contract year.

It was around this time in 2023 that the Senators signed Tarasenko. He's a UFA again and still available, but he wouldn't be a clear upgrade at this point, so why take on the cap hit? 

According to Chris Chelios, who spoke with the player, Patrick Kane is down to two teams: Buffalo and Chicago, his hometown and his longtime NHL home.

Michael Bunting is intriguing because he could help deliver some of the edge that was lost when Tkachuk left and he has been productive in the recent past.

2021-22 TOR 63 pts
2022-23 TOR 49 pts
2023-24 CAR/PIT 55 pts
2024-25 PIT/NAS 38 pts
2025-25 NAS/DAL 33 pts

But those point totals have drifted noticeably in the last couple of seasons, and while I think he'd look good in a third-line role, the last thing the Sens need is more forwards who'd look good in a third-line role. He's also about to bounce to his sixth team in three years.

Laine is a one-dimensional player, but it's the very best dimension: goal scoring. Despite his injuries, he's probably still looking for a standard big-money contract. But if he ever gets to a stage where he'll accept a lower salary drenched with goal-scoring bonuses, he's someone you might consider. Maybe.

Right now, it looks like Steve Staios wants to see if the areas for improvement can come from within.

"We have a lot of new faces coming in, but they're good players," Shane Pinto told Sportsnet as he prepared for a golf tournament this week. "Another year in the NHL, we have more experience, and hopefully we can take another step and make the playoffs and continue to go further and further."

With so many key players at 25 and under, taking another step is more than possible. It's to be expected.

That includes Pinto (25), Jake Sanderson (24), Tim Stutzle (24), Dylan Cozens (25), William Eklund (23), Ridly Greig (23), Stephen Halliday (24), Jordan Spence (25), Tyler Kleven (24), and (maybe) Carter Yakemchuk (20).

Is it really so far-fetched to think that if Pinto or Greig, for example, moved up and became everyday top-six players, they might be capable of that next step and produce those standard top-six offensive numbers?

The locker room will also be quite different with the exit of a huge personality in Brady Tkachuk. Sometimes, when a star player leaves, other players find a new level while also providing fresh new leadership that can energize a group, not unlike the new coach bump.

That's why patience may be the right play right now.

The Senators have enough talent to prove they're ready to contend, and if they are, they'll have opportunities to add a top-six forward once the NHL's sellers are identified in the back half of the season.

Until then, the biggest improvements will have to come from the players already wearing the centurion crest. And if they improve enough, maybe they won't need to add at all.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the Sens headlines below:

Shane Pinto Reveals How Senators Teammates Reacted To Tkachuk Trade
What The Senators See In Andre Burakovsky
Senators Keep The Faith, Re-Signing Former First-Round Draft Pick Tyler Boucher
Ranking The Top Five Options To Replace Brady Tkachuk As Senators Captain

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Viktor Neuchev to a one-year, two-way contract.

The deal will pay the Russian winger $850,000 at the NHL level and $90,000 at the AHL level.

The 22-year-old forward was acquired by the Hurricanes last season from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Gavin Bayreuther.

In 160 career AHL games, Neuchev has 28 goals and 75 points and added two goals and six points in 21 postseason games last season.

---

Recent Articles

A Sum Greater Than The Parts: Carolina's Championship Was Built On Underrated Talent, Unity and Determination

Seth Jarvis Undergoes Shoulder Surgery; Will Miss Start Of 2026-27 Season

Hurricanes AGM Darren Yorke Breaks Down Carolina's 2026 Draft Class

Stanley Cup Engraved With Names Of 2026 Carolina Hurricanes Championship Squad

---

Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

---

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum. 

The NHL has released its regular season schedule for 2026-27, a key step for arguing with friends and ticket-sharers over who gets what game and which ones will be season-ending losses.

The Islanders open in Toronto, a meeting of the two most recent first-overall picks. The home opener follows on Saturday, Oct. 3, vs. the Devils.

Islanders News

• The full Islanders schedule can be found and picked apart here. Primarily 7:00 home starts, with some 7:30s mixed in here and there. [Isles]
• As part of that announcement, enjoy a sequel to The Intern, with Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin. [Isles video]
• What are the key games? The ones they don’t win, probably. [Newsday]
• The third-jersey design contest is up to 66,000 submissions. [Newsday]
• Top pick Malte Gustafsson has signed his entry level deal. [Isles | Newsday]
• Henrik Tikkanen didn’t sign his qualifying offer but that’s part of anticipating a different contract. [THN]

Elsewhere

• The Yzerplan comes to an end without a single playoff appearance. Here are the…highs, sure, and lows of Steve Yzerman’s tenure. [Sportsnet]
• Cole Parfetti and the Jets avoided an arbitration hearing with a five-year, $30 million deal. [Sportsnet] The Blues also avoided arbitration with new acquisition Connor McMichael with a six-year, $40.5 million deal. [Sportsnet]

The 2025-26 season was another tough year for the Chicago Blackhawks. The Original Six club finished the season at the bottom of the Central Division standings with a 29-39-14 record. They also finished the campaign with the second-fewest points in the NHL. 

While the Blackhawks struggled last season, they did have some bright spots. Among them was forward Tyler Bertuzzi, as he had an excellent 2026-27 campaign. 

In 79 games last season with the Blackhawks, Bertuzzi scored a career-high 32 goals and posted 58 points. With numbers like these, the 31-year-old was an incredibly important part of the Blackhawks' forward group. 

With how well Bertuzzi performed last season, it is clear that the Blackhawks' decision to sign him during the 2024 NHL off-season is paying off. He has been an impactful veteran forward in the Blackhawks' lineup since joining the team, as evidenced by his 55 goals and 104 points in 161 games since joining Chicago. 

The Blackhawks will now be hoping that Bertuzzi can put together another season like this for them in 2026-27. If he posts another 30-goal season and multiple of Chicago's young players take step forwards with their development, the Blackhawks could end up being a far more competitive team next season. 

The Penguins have loaded up on players this offseason, losing a few but gaining even more via trades and free agency. That’s even before getting to their young crop of players from the AHL that have NHL aspirations. That leaves a level of players lost in the shuffle that not too many are penciling into their expected starting lineups right now.

Some or most of this group might hit waivers coming out of training camp but even that won’t close the door on playing in the NHL again. The Penguins dressed 40 different skaters last season for at least one game and the prospects of going deep down the organizational depth chart in the upcoming season remains high. So let’s check in on where some somewhat forgotten players may come in.

Caleb Jones

Jones had a season out of some kind of twisted game of Mad Libs last season. He started out with the Pens, dressing for seven of the first eight games of the season, before he broke an ankle in October to cost him a significant amount of time. When he was rehabbing that issue in the AHL in January, Jones suffered a shoulder injury in the minor leagues. Then he got popped with a performance enhancing violation and suspended for 20 games, which he cited from being involved in his shoulder rehab. In April, once that suspension ended, it was announced Jones would have to undergo a shoulder surgery to address that issue after all. Thus ended one of the more wild and unexpected journeys of a season.

So where does that leave Jones now? The Pens aren’t strong at left defense but they have plenty of options. Jones was said to have a 4-6 month recovery from the April surgery, so he might not even be available for training camp or coming off a normal offseason of training, which surely won’t be helping his cause to win a spot on the roster.

Looking at last season, Jones played seven NHL games and had one assist. That seems like a good over/under for the future. Is he a player that can get healthy and get a stint of games in during the midseason? Sounds like a possibility. Then again, coming off the bum shoulder, he might fade away into being an NHL non-factor. Put this one under ‘might play 0 games, might just play 15-20’ with a reasonable chance of either outcome.

Filip Hallander

Much like Jones, Hallander was a fringe free agent signing last season that found a way onto the opening night lineup, only to miss the majority of last season due to medical reasons. Hallander came out of camp on the Sidney Crosby line, though he performed poorly enough to get demoted after only two games. Hallander still managed to find a spot on a lower line for much of the beginning of the season before a puck striking his leg caused a clot in November. Hallander went through his treatments and even played some AHL rehab games before being shutdown and iced away for the rest of the year without much fanfare or notice about the reasoning behind the decision.

Usually by now, you would think a Swedish media outlet would have a story about Hallander’s current status and outlook for the future, but not much has been said about his current situation. Last year’s stat line of 13 games, one goal and four points presents an interesting setting with an over/under. Could Hallander exceed any of those numbers in 2026-27? At this point it doesn’t look very likely, but those aren’t too high of hurdles to clear. Ideally for Hallander’s sake, his health condition is good and worries are in the rear view mirror so that he can play somewhere. Not sure that will be too much in Pittsburgh and the NHL, but just having a full season of play would be an improvement from last year.

Ryan Graves

Graves is going into season four with the Penguins and at this point there’s no illusions or reasons to dream about a bounce back. There’s no new coach or other situation to help offer any hope that Graves will re-find the form he last had in 2022-23 with the Devils. To make matters worse, 2025-26 was the worst season in Graves’ ignominious stint in Pittsburgh. Graves was waived on two separate occasions last year and only appeared in 22 games – only three of which after December 15th (aside from two of the games at the end of the season when the playoff berth was clinched). Prior to last year he was struggling but at least a fairly regular member of the team before taking a turn far away from that status.

That makes Graves in 2026-27 into an interesting footnote. Will Graves remain on the NHL roster? Will he get waived again? He still has three seasons left on his contract, and it doesn’t look like the team is going to find a way to part with him. It could make for another awkward season of sending an NHL-sized salary down to the minor leagues. At this point it’s hard to see Graves matching the 22 NHL games he played last season, though stranger things have happened than to imagine a situation where due to injuries to others that he might find himself playing for the Penguins at times once again this year.

Joel Blomqvist

Last year’s third string goalie in the organization played five NHL games. Would you go over or under 5.5 games this upcoming year for Blomqvist, who most figure will be in that spot as the third goalie this year? It’s an interesting question. From coaches to management and fans, all are certainly hoping and expecting big things from Sergei Murashov next year. He’s also a 22-year old goalie who still needs to prove he is an NHL goalie. From Devon Levi to Spencer Knight and Yaroslav Askarov, there are certainly plenty of examples for top young goalies not always making nice steady, smooth incremental steps in their developments. Blomqvist and Murashov both can be assigned to the AHL without needing waivers in 2026-27, the Penguins won’t want to yo-yo goalies back and forth from Wilkes if they can help it, but circumstances might dictate that Murashov needs more AHL time. There could also be an injury to an NHL goalie that opens the door for Blomqvist to get an opportunity for NHL appearances, it would be rare for two goalies to both remain healthy over a long season.

There’s a chance and scenario where Blomqvist plays as much in the NHL in 2026-27 as he did in 2025-26 (which is to say, no games). He himself has been the injured goalie at times in recent years, so injury fate would have to break in his favor. Seeing Blomqvist in the NHL isn’t a pleasant thought due to the underlying cause likely being that Murashov or Arturs Silovs is either hurt or not playing well, though it isn’t outside of the range of possibilities that Blomqvist could have the chance for some sort of role in the Pens’ season this year.