Believe it or not, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust is going into his 13th NHL season this year.
He made his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season before playing in 41 games during the 2015-16 regular season. Everyone quickly found out that he was NHL-ready that year, especially when he scored some massive goals for the Penguins in their run to the 2016 Stanley Cup.
Rust got his start as a depth forward before working his way up to the top line. He's now one of Sidney Crosby's preferred linemates since he reads the latter so well.
Hard work, dedication, and tenacity are the three pillars of Rust's game, and fans see it on a nightly basis. He works his absolute butt off and embodies what it means to be a Penguin. He may not have a letter on his jersey, but there's no question he's one of the top leaders on the team.
Rust set a career-high in goals (31) and points (65) during the 2024-25 season before equaling that point total during the 2025-26 season. He was also three goals away from setting a new career-high in goals after finishing this year with 29.
Rust has scored at least 20 goals in seven consecutive seasons, and logic dictates that he will make it eight in a row during the 2026-27 season. Yes, he's 34, but he's been an incredibly consistent player these last several seasons, and I don't expect that to change this year.
Like Rakell, I expect Rust to score between 20 and 30 goals and compile 50 to 60 points. Some of his goals will come from his patented move: he takes defenders on and goes backhand-to-forehand in front of the net. He has done it countless times over the course of his career and isn't about to stop now.
He'll ride shotgun with Crosby on the top line at 5v5, but his power play deployment will be the more interesting one. He's usually on the top PP unit, but that could change this year with the continued emergence of Egor Chinakhov. Chinakhov has arguably the best shot on the Penguins, and their top PP unit could use more of it this year. He feels like the natural replacement for Rust, who can easily slide to PP2.
Time will tell if head coach Dan Muse and assistant coach Todd Nelson go down that path, but it makes a ton of sense.
Rust will still be a stalwart on the Penguins' penalty kill, which finished sixth in the NHL last season. He played 114:46 on that unit and was great at getting to loose pucks and blocking shots. His 114 minutes were the most he spent on the PK since the 2022-23 season, when he was on that unit for 129 minutes.
He has still been involved in trade rumors these last couple of offseasons, but Penguins general manager/president Kyle Dubas hasn't felt compelled to move him. Going off that, I think Rust will remain a Penguin unless Dubas gets an offer he truly can't refuse.
Rust has played a lot of meaningful hockey for the Penguins and that's expected to continue this year, assuming they stay in the race for the full season. He's also only 30 assists away from 300 for his career and is expected to hit that milestone by the end of this upcoming season, assuming he stays healthy.
He'll suit up for his 711th NHL game when the Penguins open the season against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sept. 30.
The Colorado Avalanche could have a major decision waiting for them in net — and the answer may already be developing within their own organization.
Scott Wedgewood is coming off another outstanding season, Mackenzie Blackwood is locked into Colorado's long-term plans, and Ilya Nabokov is about to begin the most important chapter of his development. Somewhere between those three goaltenders could be the answer to one of the Avalanche's biggest questions for 2027 and beyond.
Nabokov isn't simply another prospect trying to work his way through the system. The 23-year-old has already won a Gagarin Cup, been named a KHL playoff MVP and established himself as one of Russia's most promising young goaltenders. But his path to the NHL has never been completely straightforward.
His size and unorthodox style have raised questions about how his game will translate against the NHL's best shooters. His statistics also took a noticeable step backward during his final season in Russia.
There is, however, more to that decline than the numbers suggest.
Nabokov was already beginning to reshape his game for North American hockey, making his upcoming season with the Colorado Eagles far more consequential than a typical AHL campaign.
If those adjustments work, Colorado could have its next NHL goaltender waiting in the wings.
If they don't, the Avalanche may have a very different decision to make when Wedgewood reaches free agency.
And that makes Nabokov one of the most intriguing players in Colorado's organization heading into the 2026-27 season.
The Avalanche selected Nabokov 38th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, making him the first goaltender taken that year and the highest goalie selected by the franchise since Philippe Sauvé went 38th overall in 1998.
At the time, Colorado was betting on a goaltender who had already begun carving out an impressive professional résumé in Russia.
Nabokov had spent the previous three seasons with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, establishing himself as one of the KHL's more promising young netminders.
During the 2023-24 regular season, he posted a 23-16-6 record with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. He followed that with another productive campaign, going 23-17-6 while recording a 2.22 GAA and a .923 save percentage.
Then came the postseason that put Nabokov firmly on the radar.
During Metallurg's run to the 2024 Gagarin Cup, Nabokov was spectacular. He went 16-6 with a remarkable 1.82 GAA and .942 save percentage, helping lead his club to a championship while earning playoff MVP honors.
Nabokov also became the youngest goaltender in KHL history to win the award. He was subsequently recognized as a KHL All-Star and Rookie of the Year, adding even more credibility to Colorado's decision to invest such a high draft selection in him.
But there was always one obvious question surrounding Nabokov's NHL potential.
At 6-foot-1, he is smaller than the prototypical modern NHL goaltender. His low stance can accentuate that disadvantage, particularly against shooters who can elevate the puck into the upper portion of the net.
In the KHL, however, Nabokov's unconventional style has largely worked in his favor.
His athleticism and explosive lateral movement allow him to cover the crease quickly, recover from difficult positions and make saves from sharp angles. Rather than relying solely on size to take away portions of the net, Nabokov compensates with movement, positioning and an ability to react quickly when a play breaks down.
The challenge is that what works in the KHL does not necessarily translate directly to the NHL.
The NHL features an abundance of elite shooters who can punish even the smallest openings, particularly in the upper portions of the net. Nabokov therefore began adapting his game during his final season in Russia, preparing himself for the demands of North American hockey.
That is an important piece of context when examining his 2025-26 statistics.
Nabokov finished his final season with Metallurg with a 22-7-5 record, but his 2.74 GAA and .901 save percentage represented a significant statistical decline from the numbers he had produced during his previous two seasons.
At first glance, those numbers represent a noticeable step backward.
But they don't tell the entire story.
Styles Make Tendies
Nabokov was beginning to adjust elements of his style with North American hockey in mind. His final season in the KHL was not simply about reproducing the statistical dominance he had displayed during his championship run. He was also preparing himself for the challenges that awaited him across the Atlantic.
His low stance, which has been an effective tool in the KHL, will face a much different test against NHL-caliber shooters. Rather than abandoning the athleticism that made him successful, Nabokov has been tasked with finding the right balance between his natural style and the technical adjustments necessary to succeed on smaller North American ice.
That process may have contributed to the statistical regression, but it could ultimately prove to be one of the more important stages of Nabokov's development rather than a sign that his progress has stalled.
Nabokov went 2-4 in the playoffs during his final KHL season before joining the Colorado Eagles for the remainder of the campaign. He spent time with Colorado's AHL group but did not appear in a game, meaning his first true professional test in North America remains ahead of him.
That makes the 2026-27 season particularly intriguing.
Nabokov signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Colorado on May 30, 2025, keeping him under contract through the upcoming season. He is expected to compete with Trent Miner for playing time with the Eagles as the organization begins to determine just how close he is to becoming an NHL option.
And there is plenty riding on that evaluation.
The Avalanche enter the season with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood projected to form their NHL tandem. Blackwood provides Colorado with some long-term certainty, as he has four years remaining on his contract.
Wedgewood's situation is much less certain.
The veteran goaltender is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, meaning Colorado will eventually have to determine whether it has a reason to retain him or whether the organization is ready to turn the crease over to the next generation.
That is where Nabokov suddenly becomes much more than a promising prospect.
If he adjusts quickly, performs well with the Eagles and demonstrates that his KHL success can translate to North American hockey, Colorado could have an internal candidate capable of eventually stepping into Wedgewood's role alongside Blackwood.
But if Nabokov struggles, the situation becomes considerably more complicated.
Wedgewood has given the Avalanche plenty of reasons to consider bringing him back. His play over the past two seasons has been outstanding, and his performance this past season helped Colorado's tandem capture the William M. Jennings Trophy.
There was even an argument that Wedgewood could have been in the Vezina Trophy conversation with a larger workload.
If he produces another season at an elite level, Colorado could face a difficult decision. The Avalanche could potentially have a proven veteran who wants a longer-term opportunity on the open market while simultaneously having a highly touted prospect who may not yet be ready to assume NHL responsibilities.
Then there is another piece of the equation that cannot be ignored.
Trent Miner has been part of the Eagles' goaltending picture for years and has continued working toward his own opportunity within the organization. If Nabokov arrives and quickly establishes himself as the preferred option in the AHL, Miner's future could become considerably less certain.
Miner could remain and battle for playing time, but he could also look elsewhere for a clearer path to an NHL opportunity. If that happens, it could give Nabokov even more room to take on a larger workload and accelerate his development.
Those questions won't be answered until the season gets underway.
For now, Colorado has a fascinating situation developing behind Blackwood and Wedgewood.
The organization has a veteran goaltender approaching free agency, a long-term starter already under contract, a young Russian netminder with a championship and playoff MVP on his résumé, and an established AHL goaltender competing for his own opportunity.
Nabokov sits at the center of it all.
His statistics may not have been as dazzling during his final season in Russia, but the circumstances surrounding them matter. He was not simply trying to replicate what had already worked. He was beginning the process of reshaping his game for the level he ultimately hopes to reach.
Now, he gets the chance to find out whether those adjustments were enough.
The 2026-27 season will be about much more than wins, losses, goals-against average or save percentage for Nabokov. It will be his first opportunity to establish himself in North American hockey and show Colorado that the goaltender who dominated the KHL can eventually handle the demands of the NHL.
If he does, the Avalanche may already have their answer for what comes after Wedgewood.
If he doesn't, Colorado may have to decide that its best option is keeping the veteran around a little longer.
Either way, Nabokov's development could quietly become one of the most consequential storylines surrounding the Avalanche's future in net.
It's officially another season, another prospects ranking for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In years past, this has been a bit easier of an exercise, as there used to be a more clear-cut line between prospects with NHL upside and longshots. However, because of the work that general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and his staff have put in during the last several years, the line is blurring a whole lot more - and there is a substantially higher volume of talent in the system.
This time around, making a top-20 list was challenging. So, a few criteria were put into place: To make our list, prospects must be under the age of 26 and have played less than 50 NHL games. This excludes names such as Ben Kindel, Filip Hallander, Oliver Okuliar, and Alexander Alexeyev.
At No. 19, we highlighted Kale Dach, a seventh-round center who could end up looking like a steal when all is said and done. With the next prospect on our list at 18, the situation is somewhat similar. But this is a guy who is garnering increased attention within the organization and is someone who could be ready sooner than folks think.
No. 18: LW/C Ryan Miller
Like Dach, it's not as if Miller was selected in the top-three rounds of the draft. In fact, they were actually taken in the same 2025 draft class, with Miller going in the fifth round (130th overall). He was one of three fifth-round selections by the Penguins in 2025, the others being defenseman Quinn Beauchesne and forward Jordan Charron.
On the surface, Miller's growth has been relatively quiet. He had a breakout offensive season with the Portland Winterhawks in 2025-26, registering 30 goals and 75 points in 65 games, but he still didn't garner all that much attention from fans and media.
However, his growth was about more than just offensive production. In fact, he grew in pretty much every facet of the game - and he affects the game in several different ways.
Of course, the offensive production stands out, and it came to a head during a 20-game point streak - which included eight goals and 27 points - in the first half of the WHL season last year. But what stood out more was his playmaking smarts, ability to read plays in all three zones, and him being in the driver's seat in terms of dictating play.
As the team's captain, the left winger (he also plays center but is mostly deployed on the wing) drives play offensively while also being committed to the defensive details. He is a tenacious forechecker, his skating is a big strength, and he doesn't shy away from physicality, either, making him a very tough guy to play against.
The Penguins were extremely impressed with the steps that Miller took last season, and they believe they have something in the young forward, who is committed to one of NCAA hockey's most prestigious programs in the University of Denver next season. Miller's play last season actually earned him an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) at the end of the year.
"I thought he really stood out in the two games (in WBS)," said Penguins' director of player development Tom Kostopoulos. "I thought his skating looked really powerful. His puck skills look good. He's a competitor. He might stand out in our organization among prospects of guys that want the puck, that play with hunger and a desperation to win puck battles. If [people] watched him last year in Portland, he would rip your head off to win a puck battle, and it's contagious. It moves around the lineup and everyone, it gets his linemates and teammates to buy in.
"So, he knows he's got some things to work on, but I thought he looked really good [during development camp] and looked really good in the gym and on the ice. We're really excited about the year he had... really excited about him. He's a great kid, and he's determined and hungry."
Miller pointed to his confidence as something that allowed him to take big strides last season.
"I think just being more confident as a player," Miller said. "Obviously, my teammates helped a lot, too. I have a good line. But, yeah, I think just taking a step that way, believing in myself throughout the year, and having the coaching staff behind me... they all helped me take a step this year. That was probably the biggest thing."
There is still a long way to go in order for Miller to reach the pros, but his game appears as if it will translate well to the AHL when the 19-year-old becomes eligible. Should he pan out, he should be a really solid third-line player, which will help the Penguins' depth down the line.
Keep an eye on this guy. The talent and the will is there, and it won't be surprising if he finds himself much higher on next year's list.
The Chicago Blackhawks took care of Connor Bedard already, which was their biggest to-do list item of the summer. He was one of four restricted free agents in the organization heading into the summer. Bedard’s contract was complicated due to injury and offer-sheet drama from around the league, but they settled on a five-year deal with an average annual value of $15 million.
Another one of Chicago’s free agents, Drew Commesso, signed his extension to avoid arbitration. Commesso’s deal is a bit more complicated. The first year of this two-year extension is a two-way contract. The salary is $800K in the NHL and $200K in the AHL. The second year is a one-way deal with a salary of $900K. His cap hit is $875K. When this deal expires, Commesso will be an RFA again with arbitration rights.
This deal sets it up so that the Blackhawks could make Commesso the full-time backup for Spencer Knight after the 2026-27 season ends, which lines up with Arvid Soderblom’s expiring contract.
The other two RFA’s that the Blackhawks entered the summer with are Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro. They are both defensemen with up-and-down NHL experience.
In 2023-24, Korchinski played his entire age-19 season in the NHL, which accounted for 76 games. In those games, he had 5 goals and 10 assists for 15 points, while dealing with the development curve that comes with being a teenager playing defense in the NHL.
Having him play in the NHL at that time was a mistake made by the Blackhawks. Since then, they’ve tried to correct that mistake by mostly using him in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs. Korchinski has only played in 29 NHL games over the two seasons since.
In the AHL, he has been mostly great, including an All-Star Game MVP. Due to the interesting start that he has had to his career, Korchinski is a hard player to place a financial value on. There will likely be a two-way deal coming for this 22-year-old, but for how much and how long remains to be seen.
As for Del Mastro, he was a 4th-round pick (105th overall), which lowers the pressure on him compared to a first-round pick like Korchinski. It shouldn’t matter, but it’s natural. He has been a slightly better defender at the NHL level, but his skating and puck skills don’t match those of Korchinski.
Del Mastro has a higher floor in the NHL, which makes him a valuable young defenseman at the age of 23, but other young players at the position have passed him by in recent years, similarly to Korchinski.
Neither player is going to command a ton of money over a long period of time. There is no leverage there because of their slower development path. There is plenty of money to be made down the road; they just have a lot of work to do.
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Former members of the Vancouver Canucks will take the spotlight in this off-season article series. From those skating with new NHL teams heading into the 2026–27 season to those who are now playing for international clubs, these featured players have skated in at least one game at the NHL level as a member of the Canucks.
Today’s segment will take a look at the seven former Canucks that are set to compete for teams in the NHL’s Pacific Division during the 2026–27 season.
A former fifth-round pick by Vancouver in the 2015 NHL Draft, Gaudette spent four years with the club that drafted him, skating in 153 NHL games and scoring 21 goals and 31 assists for Vancouver. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Matthew Highmore in April of 2021.
The 2025–26 season was Gaudette’s first season with the Sharks, during which the forward scored 17 goals and eight assists in 66 games played. While he provided good offensive depth during this season, with the players ptoentially coming into the Sharks organization in 2026–27, Gaudette may find himself battling for a full-time roster spot come training camp.
Kiefer Sherwood, San Jose Sharks
In a couple of seasons filled with controversy and disappointment, Sherwood was one of the few bright spots that came to Vancouver when he signed with the team during the 2024 off-season. He posted a then career-high of 19 goals and 21 assists in 78 games during the 2024–25 season with the Canucks while breaking an NHL record for hits made in a single season with 460.
Back in January, Sherwood was traded to the Sharks for two second-round picks and defenceman Cole Clayton. At the time, he’d registered 17 goals and six assists in 44 games with Vancouver, adding six goals and seven assists in 28 games with San Jose after that. After a little over a month with the Sharks, Sherwood signed a five-year contract worth $5.75M annually.
Tyler Toffoli, San Jose Sharks
Toffoli only played in a grand total of 17 regular and post-season games for the Canucks before he signed with the Montréal Canadiens during the 2020 free-agency period. That said, he made quite the offensive impact in his time with Vancouver, scoring six goals and four assists in his 10 regular season games and two goals and two assists in seven playoff games.
After a lot of hopping around, it appears Toffoli has managed to find himself a home in San Jose. He’ll enter his third season with the Sharks come the 2026–27 season, having served as an assistant captain during the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons. In 79 games during the past season, he scored 19 goals and 30 assists. While the youth movement in San Jose is surging, it appears Toffoli has cemented himself as one of the team’s veteran leaders.
Once upon a time, the Canucks traded a third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft for Dickinson, who only ended up spending one season with Vancouver. The forward scored five goals and six assists in 62 games with the Canucks during that year, 2021–22, and didn’t quite fit with the team the way he was expected to. As a result, the Canucks ended up paying out a second-round pick in 2024 to the Blackhawks to flip Dickinson.
Moving on from Vancouver seemed to be the best thing for Dickinson, as the forward posted back-to-back 30-point seasons with Chicago after being dealt. He was traded to the Oilers earlier in the year alongside Colton Dach for Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional first-round draft pick in 2027 or 2028. He finished the 2025–26 season with an overall total of seven goals and 10 assists in 64 regular season games, also scoring twice and logging one assist in four playoff games.
Apr 20, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson (16) celebrates a goal on the Anaheim Ducks in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
Vasily Podkolzin, Edmonton Oilers
Vancouver’s first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Podkolzin, notably found the most personal success upon heading to the Oilers via trade in 2024. While he put up fair rookie numbers in 2021–22 with 14 goals and 12 assists in 76 games, he wasn’t quite able to replicate that in the following two seasons with Vancouver, ultimately ending up in the AHL as a result.
While his first season with the Oilers was impressive, 2025–26 put Podkolzin in an even better position than the year before. He played his way into a strong top to middle-six role while also getting some minutes on Edmonton’s special teams. In 82 games played this past season, Podkolzin set new career-highs in goals (19), assists (18), and overall points (37).
Dowd’s stint with the Canucks lasted a grand total of 40 games during the 2017–18 season. His time in Vancouver began when he was acquired in a trade for Jordan Subban in December of 2017 and ended when he signed with the Washington Capitals in free-agency in 2018. He scored three goals throughout his tenure with Vancouver.
Dowd’s long stint with the Capitals recently came to an end when he was traded to the Golden Knights at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. At the time, he’d registered four goals and 12 assists in 55 games with Washington. After 20 regular season games with Vegas, during which he collected a goal and four assists, Dowd joined the Golden Knights for a Stanley Cup Final run that saw his team lose to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.
The most recent Canucks departure who is set to play in the Pacific Division during the 2026–27 season, Douglas was claimed off waivers by Vancouver during the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, ending his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Prior to his time with the Canucks, he played in 29 games with Tampa Bay, logging two assists.
Douglas skated in a total of 14 games with Vancouver during the 2025–26 season. During this span, he made his presence known as a physical player who wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves in defence of his teammates whenever necessary. He scored his first career NHL goal on April 12 against the Anaheim Ducks and added an assist in Vancouver’s final game of the year against the Oilers.
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In a feature article, The Athletic’s staff wrote a piece focusing on one jersey each NHL team should bring back, but there were two exceptions. The writers explained that the Utah Mammoth hadn’t had time to wear that many jerseys and the only one they had worn aside from their current one was the “painfully generic” one that had Utah written on the front. They looked just like the PWHL initial jerseys, and it’s quite understandable that nobody wants to bring that back. The other exception? The league’s most storied franchise, the Montreal Canadiens.
Unlike the Mammoth, the Canadiens have worn a lot of different jerseys, but none has come close to their now-regular jersey, which has a classic look and is a sign of respect to the oldest franchise in the league. During their centennial year, the Habs wore six different jerseys: a blue one featuring a simple C, a red and green one which had a C in a maple leaf, the barbershop one, which had red, white and blue stripes, a maple leaf and a C, a red, white and blue one with a C that contained an A, and two more which are closer to the current look.
There were also a few Winter and Heritage classic jerseys; the ones they wore in 2003 against the Edmonton Oilers and in 2011 against the Calgary Flames weren’t special, but their 2016 one against the Boston Bruins was a slick one. It was white with a big blue stripe between two small red stripes, featured a white C with an H inside in a vintage font, and had the planet on the sleeve stripes. Their first game wearing it was a 5-1 domination of the Bruins in Foxboro and will always bring nice memories back to Canadiens’ fans.
Then there was the one the Habs wore for the NHL 100th anniversary and in which they lost 3-0 against the Ottawa Senators. The performance was atrocious, but the jersey was slick, with an added silver stripe on the sleeves featuring the years in which the Habs won the Stanley Cup.
Of course, Montreal took part in the NHL’s retro reverse trend, putting out a bright blue jersey for the first year, which was actually quite pleasing to the eye, but didn’t bring them much joy. As nice as the jerseys were, they had to wait for their fifth game wearing them to finally get a 5-4 shootout win over the Vancouver Canucks, and then their last game with the blue jersey had to be postponed because of the COVID protocol.
Finally, last AND least, the famous baby blue jerseys the Canadiens wore in the second year of the retro reverse trend. Those were a tribute to Montreal’s defunct MLB team, the Montreal Expos, but the Habs really struggled to find success wearing them, with Martin St-Louis even saying:
I think the hockey gods- I mean, this is an historical franchise (and) the guys who wore those jerseys 50 years ago, red and white, are looking down and saying: 'What are you guys doing? We probably get what we deserve, based on how historical this franchise is. I don’t know what next year will bring, but I hope it’s not those jerseys.
The coach’s dislike came from the fact that in their first seven games wearing the alternate jersey, the Habs had a 0-6-1 record. They finally managed to break the curse with a 4-3 overtime win over the New York Islanders in their eighth game wearing the powder blue jersey, but nobody in their right mind would want to bring them back; it’s bad enough that second mascot Metal wears one.
Personally, I wouldn’t be against bringing back the 2016 Winter Classic jersey, and the first retro reverse might have been a close second had it not been for all the losses it led the Canadiens to.
As the National Hockey League enters the second month of free agency, a number of former Buffalo Sabres still remain unsigned. At this point of the offseason, players who have not latched on with an NHL club might consider playing in Europe, or taking a short-term deal or professional tryout to earn a one-year deal.
One of the most surprising players to still be on the market is big blueliner Logan Stanley. The former Winnipeg first rounder played nearly six seasons with the Jets before being traded at the deadline along with Luke Schenn to the Sabres for Isak Rosen, Jacob Bryson, and two draft picks. With Buffalo, the 6’7”, 231 lb. defenseman played mostly in a third pairing role and posted five assists in 17 regular season games, and eight of Buffalo’s 13 playoff games.
Will the Sabres add more scoring help before training camp?
There had been speculation that coming off a career-high 26 points last season, and with a very thin crop of free agents on the market, that the 28-year-old was in a prime position to get overpaid and get some term on a deal. Veterans like Jacob Trouba got that kind of offer, but Stanley, with some glaring holes in his game, is still out there.
Outlook: With it being the first week of August, most of the money out there has already been spent. It is likely that Stanley is looking for a one-year deal in a good landing spot, where he can get plenty of ice time, have a good season and hit the open market again next July.
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 any scoring help before training camp?
33. Ryan Rucinski - Center (Youngstown - USHL)
It often occurs that when clubs are watching over their own prospects, they see another player that intrigues them. The Sabres prospect Luke Osburn made Team USA at the 2026 World Junior and had an excellent freshman season at Wisconsin. Prior to that, he played for the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, where he won the USHL Defenseman of the Year. On that same club that was center Ryan Rucinski, who the Sabres selected with their final pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
The 5’10”, 176 lb. forward is from Broadview Heights, OH (south of Cleveland) and has hockey bloodlines through his father, Jeff, and maternal uncle Steve Duke, who both played NCAA hockey at Western Michigan and had long minor league careers.
Ryan Rucinski (#LetsGoBuffalo) finds Cooper Simpson (#NHLBruins) to start the scoring at the American Cup
The 19-year-old scored 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 49 games with the Phantoms in 2024-25, and last season finished second on the club with 62 points (27 goals, 35 assists) in 59 games and was named to the second USHL All-Star team. Rucinski is headed to Ohio State this fall.
Elite Prospects Draft Guide describes Rucinski as “A detailed, versatile forward with an edge, who creates through puck protection, net-front skill, and winning battles. His preferred scoring tools: An instant inside leg wrister off the rush and quick hands in tight on the power play. And when neither of those is an option, he crashes the net and whacks away until he finds an opening.”
There has been a rather interesting development regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs and a former prospect of the franchise, who has spent the past three years playing in the KHL.
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, drafted by Toronto 76th overall in the 2018 NHL draft, has expressed interest in rejoining the Maple Leafs and playing in the NHL.
The latest on Der-Arguchintsev is that he was traded in the KHL from Dynamo Moscow to Vladivostok, but doesn't plan on playing for the team that has acquired him, according to his agent, Shumi Babaev, who spoke to RB Sport. This highlights Der-Arguchintsev's intentions to return to North America.
Der-Arguchintsev's trade and his decision to decline to play for Vladivostok came after his representative's initial comments to R.org on April 28. In this instance, before Toronto hired John Chayka as the GM, Babaev revealed that he had been in contact with former Leafs GM Brad Treliving.
"Semyon is considering the option of returning to Toronto," Babaev told R.org. "We contacted former general manager Brad Treliving and expressed our desire to return to the club’s system. Now we are waiting for the appointment of a new general manager and to understand his position," Babaev said.
Most recently, last documented on Sunday, Babaev commented to RB Sport that there has been a certain process that has been underway with the Maple Leafs.
"I can't comment on it," Der-Arguchintsev's agent said.
It's clear, based on what Babaev has been revealing, that Der-Arguchintsev wants to return to playing hockey in North America, and preferably for the Maple Leafs. But just how realistic is that?
Babaev truly sees an NHL future for Der-Arguchintsev, but knows the path won't be linear.
"I believe Semyon is ready for the NHL," he said. "Of course, he has to be ready for the possibility of playing in the AHL, but there is no point in going there just for that. We are talking about a one-way contract with a salary closer to the league minimum."
Even on a flexible contract like the one-year, league-minimum deal that he suggested, it would be fairly challenging for Der-Arguchintsev to crack the Maple Leafs' NHL roster.
The right-handed center hasn't played in North America since the 2022-23 campaign. He featured in 50 contests with the AHL's Toronto Marlies and scored a solid 12 goals and 40 points. He also made one appearance for the Maple Leafs on Dec. 6 against the Dallas Stars.
In a perfect world, for the player and the team, Der-Arguchintsev would get a look in the bottom six with Toronto. That would allow management and the coaching staff to truly evaluate him at the NHL level and decipher if he could contribute as a roster player.
The issue with that scenario is that there already isn't much space on the NHL roster. On July 1, Chayka added forwards Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime, most of whom could have a role in the bottom six.
If the Maple Leafs and Der-Arguchintsev agreed on some sort of contract and plan, it would likely involve him seeing a lot of time in the AHL. That would allow Toronto to have frequent tabs on him and call him up at any point, including the purpose of filling in for injuries.
However, despite Babaev understanding that AHL time for Der-Arguchintsev is very likely and expected, he's not interested in his client spending an extended period of his stint in the minors.
At the end of the day, there is value in bringing Der-Arguchintsev aboard. After all, he'll still be 26 years old going into this coming season and is a talented offensive player known for his playmaking.
This past season, in 59 regular-season games split between Dynamo Moscow and Vladivostok, Der-Arguchintsev scored six goals and 36 points.
His best season in the KHL was in 2023-24 when he recorded 17 goals and 34 points in 57 regular-season contests, as well as 10 points in 13 playoff games.
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Because the Detroit Red Wings lost the 57 points scored by Patrick Kane last season when the future Hall of Famer departed to return to the Chicago Blackhawks, they're going to need other players to elevate their respective performances.
One of those players they'll be looking toward is Lucas Raymond, who experienced a dip in production in 2025-26 compared to the previous campaign.
That being said, Raymond still made it onto the NHL's 20 Best Wingers list released earlier in the week.
Lucas Raymond (@DetroitRedWings) kicks off NHL Network's Top 20 Wings Right Now list!
Although Raymond looked limited late last season, often passing up shooting opportunities and finishing without a goal over his final seven games, he dismissed the idea that he was dealing with a specific injury when speaking to the media after the campaign came to a close.
In 80 games during the 2025-26 season, Raymond scored 25 goals and added 51 assists, finishing with four fewer points than he recorded the year before. His shot total also fell from 192 to 173, a decline that did not go unnoticed by head coach Todd McLellan.
“He's 92nd in shots on goal....he shouldn't be in there," McLellan said of Raymond in mid-March. "He should be in the top 50 at least, top 40 in my opinion, with the amount of ice time and opportunities, the looks at the net."
For the Red Wings to maximize their chances for success in 2026-27, they'll need Raymond to deliver - not only to help ease the burden of Kane's departure, but especially if Dylan Larkin's trade request is granted by whoever succeeds Steve Yzerman as GM.
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ST. PAUL, Minn. - Former Minnesota Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski is taking on a larger role within the organization's hockey operations department.
The Wild announced Monday that Goligoski has been promoted to Player Development Coach after serving as Player Development Advisor during the 2025-26 season.
Goligoski retired following the 2023-24 season after spending the final three years of his 17-year NHL career with Minnesota. Rather than stepping away from the game, he remained with the organization last season, working with the Wild's player development staff to help mentor young prospects.
In his new role, Goligoski will continue working closely with the organization's defensemen as they progress through Minnesota's development system.
The Grand Rapids, Minn., native brings plenty of experience to the position after appearing in 1,078 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Dallas Stars, Arizona Coyotes and Wild. He recorded 87 goals, 388 assists and 475 points during his career while adding 21 points in 47 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Goligoski also captured a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009 before returning to his home state in 2021 to finish his playing career with the Wild.
His promotion is part of a series of hockey operations changes announced by Minnesota on Monday, as the organization also added Dan MacKinnon as Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting, Janik Beichler as a European Amateur Scout and Elizabeth Hudson as Executive Assistant to the President/General Manager and Hockey Operations, following three key members leaving to join the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"The Montreal Canadiens were expected to make a significant trade for a second-line center or winger this summer. So far, however, that deal hasn't happened yet. If it does, they could use defenseman Arber Xhekaj as part of a trade package," Richardson wrote.
When noting that Xhekaj has come up in the rumor mill this off-season and remains a restricted free agent, it is not necessarily surprising to see him being highlighted as a trade candidate to watch. There is no question that many teams would love to add his size and toughness to their blueline if he is officially made available by the Canadiens.
Yet, while Xhekaj has been continuing to be the subject of trade speculation, trading him would come with some real for the Canadiens. Big and tough defenseman like Xhekaj are never bad to have around, so it could hurt the Canadiens if they ended up moving him.
Furthermore, at just 25 years old, Xhekaj is still young enough that he could improve his game further. Due to this, there is certainly an argument to be made against the idea of trading Xhekaj.
In 65 games this past season with the Habs, Xhekaj posted one goal, four points, 116 penalty minutes, and 178 hits.
The Chicago Blackhawks spent the entire 2025-26 season celebrating 100 years of hockey in Chicago. It was a transition year on the ice, but many all-time great moments were celebrated throughout the entire campaign.
On Monday, the team announced how they would end the centennial celebration. November 17th will mark the 100th anniversary of their first game in franchise history. It came against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who will be in the building on that night in 2026.
Chicago’s first game 100 years ago was also Toronto’s first game as the Maple Leafs, as they were the Toronto St. Patrick’s before that. It is the perfect matchup to commemorate that anniversary.
The modern-day Blackhawks will be hoping to have Connor Bedard back by the time of this game. It actually lines up right where the timeline of his recovery says he’ll come back, but anyone who knows Bedard understands that he'll try to come back well before then.
On the other side will be his friend and distant relative, Gavin McKenna, whom Toronto just made the number one overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. In addition to being an incredibly special occasion for the franchise, it promises to be an incredible hockey match based on the hype surrounding players on both sides.
Will the Blackhawks don special sweaters for this game? Will the Maple Leafs bust out their “St. Pats” throwbacks? Anything is possible, so expect the unexpected.
Other promotions from the Blackhawks include four bobblehead nights, Friday Night Hockey, and the return of the "Best Day Ever".
The bobbleheads given out will be Spencer Knight (November 29th vs Wild), Frank Nazar (December 12th vs Mammoth), Connor Bedard (February 20th vs Wild), and Alex Vlasic (March 14th vs Ducks). This makes it 10 bobbleheads over two seasons, as six were given away in 2025-26.
Fans can also celebrate Military Appreciation Night on November 12th vs the Buffalo Sabres, Native American Heritage Night on November 19th vs the Columbus Blue Jackets, Hockey Fights Cancer Night on February 17th vs the St. Louis Blues, St. Patrick's Day on March 10th vs the Washington Capitals, and Pride Night on March 16th vs the San Jose Sharks.
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ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Wild continued reshaping their hockey operations department on Monday, announcing three additions to the organization's front office and scouting staff.
President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin announced the hiring of Dan MacKinnon as Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting, Janik Beichler as a European Amateur Scout and Elizabeth Hudson as Executive Assistant to the President/General Manager and Hockey Operations.
Dan MacKinnon Brings Extensive NHL Front Office Experience
MacKinnon arrives in Minnesota after spending the past decade with the New Jersey Devils organization, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations and Assistant General Manager.
Prior to that role, he was the Devils' Senior Director of Player Personnel, helping oversee the organization's scouting efforts during a rebuilding period that produced one of the NHL's top-ranked prospect pools. The Hockey News recognized New Jersey as having the league's deepest under-23 prospect system in 2023.
Before joining the Devils, MacKinnon spent 10 years with the Pittsburgh Penguins in various scouting and player personnel roles. During his tenure, Pittsburgh reached three Stanley Cup Finals and won championships in both 2009 and 2016.
His NHL resume also includes six seasons with the Nashville Predators and a season with the OHL's Mississauga IceDogs before beginning his long front-office career.
Wild Expand European Scouting Department
Minnesota also added another experienced evaluator overseas by hiring Beichler as a European Amateur Scout.
The Germany native most recently served as Director of European Scouting for Elite Prospects during the 2025-26 season. Before that, he spent seven years scouting European talent for the WHL's Spokane Chiefs and previously worked as a European scout for FCHockey.
His addition further strengthens Minnesota's international scouting network ahead of future NHL Drafts.
Hudson Joins Hockey Operations Team
The Wild also hired Hudson as Executive Assistant to the President/General Manager and Hockey Operations.
Hudson arrives after spending the past two seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League, where she worked as an Administrative Coordinator before being promoted to Manager of Team Operations.
In addition to her hockey operations experience, Hudson has worked as a personal figure skating coach and as an Occupational Therapy Coordinator with Twin Cities Orthopedics.
With the additions of MacKinnon, Beichler and Hudson, the Wild continue to reshape their hockey operations department as Bill Guerin prepares the organization for the 2026-27 season.
PITTSBURGH - OCTOBER 15: (L-R) Mario Lemieux #66, head coach Eddie Olczyk, and Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins look on from the bench during a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 15, 2005 at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Lightning defeated the Pens 3-1. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The swirls of player movement of this off-season reminded me about a crucial, unique time for the Penguins back in 2005 with just how extraordinary that summer was as far as pieces shuffling around the board.
The lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season was over. There was a salary cap in place to stop teams like Toronto and the New York Rangers from spending $65+ million on player salaries, a fraction of the budget the Pens could afford. To make matters even better, Pittsburgh won a 30-team lottery to secure the rights to draft Sidney Crosby. Mario Lemieux was in the twilight of his career. Due to the lockout lasting a full year, there was an unbelievable amount of free agents looking for work.
It was such a swirl of activity. The Pens had a lot they needed to build, the 2003-04 version of their team was one of the worst in franchise history. They went 23-47-4 with eight ties, a record that belies just how bad they were. The Pens conceded 303 goals, a country mile ahead of the next highest scored upon team (Chicago at 258), while only scoring 190 of their own. Pittsburgh’s 58 points were last in the NHL, making it completely fitting that they got the 2005 first overall pick – it was surely earned and needed.
The addition of Crosby, plus a young core of players that did well in Wilkes-Barre during the 2004-05 lockout season (including Marc-Andre Fleury, Colby Armstrong, Ryan Whitney, Rob Scuderi, Michel Ouellet, Tomas Surovy, Max Talbot and Erik Christensen) had optimism abounding in Pittsburgh for a quick turnaround. Others like Ryan Malone, Brooks Orpik and Konstantin Koltsov were rejoining that core as well.
With all that young talent, the team needed sought and found some veteran anchors. Sergei Gonchar was given a rich contract in free agency after establishing himself as one of the top offensive defensemen in the game. Mark Recchi was signed up as well to rejoin the Pens. Maybe shockingly enough, a player known for his time with the Flyers and as one of the top power forwards of the 1990’s, John LeClair was also signed to Pittsburgh. The Pens added Zigmund Palffy, a player with then nine-straight point per game seasons. Jocelyn Thibault, a solid goalie from the early 2000’s, was added as a veteran partner for Fleury in the net.
Just like that the once dreadful team that limped off the ice in April 2004 was given a complete make-over by the fall of 2005 with all the individual talent and upgrades made up and down the lineup.
It all looked great in theory and on paper, which made the end result incredibly surprising. Almost everything went wrong.
Because just as dramatic as the flurry of additions, the subtractions started coming on much more than a normal year. Coach Ed Olczyk was fired early on as the train-wreck unfolded. Palffy took a hit so hard that he quit the team on the spot, never to play in the NHL again. An irregular heartbeat led to a hospitalization that ended Lemieux’s storied career. Recchi was traded at the deadline to Carolina, where he would win a Stanley Cup that year. The team by the end of the season was far different than the one that carried so much optimism and hope.
Other vets like Gonchar and LeClair performed in what looks like a decent manner statistically 20 years later but struggled to varying degrees with their new team. Most of the young players other than Crosby had uneven seasons, some had their moments like Armstrong finishing the year with 40 points in 47 NHL games, mostly a product of being propped up from playing with Crosby.
In the end, the 2005-06 Penguins finished with 58 points – amazingly the same exact total as they had in their prior year with a much more bare bones lineup in terms of talent, giving up 316 goals along the way in a more wide-open style of hockey without two line passes getting called and more penalties in the post-lockout world.
At that point, more changes were on the horizon. General manager Craig Patrick was relieved of his duties, the Pens would turn the page and try again. Jordan Staal was drafted and Evgeni Malkin was signed to further lean into a youthful build. From there, the Penguins were on their way to being one of the best teams in the cap era. Crosby would win the scoring title and league MVP at age-19 in his second season in 2006-07. The Pens would make the playoffs in 2007, go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2008 and win the whole thing in ‘09.
None of that was assured in 2005, and looking back it’s wild to see just how disjointed a team could be in the spring of 2006 and eventually put together a championship pedigree in seemingly no time at all. The very first attempt of team-building in the Crosby era, centered around Palffy, LeClair, Gonchar, Recchi and Thibault had more misses than hits, though it ultimately only served to briefly delay and not completely detail the Pens’ ascent.
There could be a bigger lesson about attempting a shortcut to force in marquee players to a team, which sometimes plays out in hockey. Nashville somehow got worse immediately after adding Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei in more recent times. In short, it just didn’t work out. Olczyk never was a head coach again and was arguably out of his depths. The team’s cohesion levels, especially defensively, never matched the ambition shown by adding a handful of top players who didn’t help them where they were already weak. It’s hard to knock the Penguins for being aggressive since that type of player acquisition made them great under Patrick in the ‘90s. It just didn’t work out this time around.
Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2026, No. 18: Center Impressing With Rapid GrowthNext up on THN's Top-20 Penguins' Prospects list is a left winger whose all-around play, tenacity, and sheer will made an impression on the Penguins' front office last season.
