After years of fighting for a consistent NHL opportunity, Zac Jones finally delivered the type of season that made teams take notice — and earned himself a fresh chance with the Utah Mammoth.
The 25-year-old defenseman turned the 2025-26 season into a statement year, emerging as one of the most productive blue-liners in the American Hockey League and proving that his offensive upside was still very much intact. That performance ultimately led to Utah signing Jones to a two-year, two-way contract worth $875,000 annually at the NHL level.
Jones’ breakout campaign came with the Rochester Americans, where he became a driving force from the back end. In 60 games, he recorded 10 goals and 52 assists for 62 points, earning First Team AHL All-Star honors and representing the North Division at his first AHL All-Star Classic.
What stood out most was Jones’ ability to create offense. He led all AHL players in assists while also pacing the league in power-play assists with 36 and power-play points with 38. Among defensemen, he finished first in scoring and led all blueliners with 168 shots on goal, showcasing his willingness to attack and generate opportunities.
The season represented a major step forward for Jones, who had previously never reached those offensive heights at any level. His 10 goals were the most of his junior, collegiate, or professional career, while his 52 assists more than doubled his previous AHL single-season best of 26, set during the 2021-22 season.
Utah is also adding a player with valuable NHL experience. Jones spent parts of five seasons with the New York Rangers, appearing in 115 games and collecting four goals and 24 assists. He reached a career-high 46 NHL games in 2024-25, finishing seventh among Rangers defensemen in scoring with 11 points.
Before turning pro, Jones built a strong résumé at both the collegiate and international levels. He helped the University of Massachusetts win its first national championship in 2020-21, earning Second Team All-American honors while also being named to the Hockey East and NCAA All-Tournament Teams. He was also recognized as the USHL Rookie of the Year in 2018-19 after leading all league defensemen with 45 assists.
For the Mammoth, the signing represents a low-risk opportunity to add a skilled puck-moving defenseman who has already shown he can dominate at the AHL level. The next challenge for Jones will be turning that success into a permanent NHL role — something he has been chasing since the Rangers selected him 68th overall in 2019.
Scott Laughton did not start the 2025-26 season with the Los Angeles Kings; rather, he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs and played the majority of his games there last season. Then, on March 6th, on trade deadline day, the Kings traded for Laughton in exchange for a conditional third-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft. Before being traded to the Kings, Laughton had registered 8 goals, 4 assists for 12 points in 43 games.
Scott Laughton's Kings Season
After the trade deadline, Scott Laughton, in the regular season, would play in 21 games for the Kings, registering 5 goals and 3 assists for 8 points. While the biggest move for the Kings was getting Panarin, Scott Laughton improved the Kings' depth and penalty kill. The Kings organization highly valued Laughton, and one of their primary goals was to ensure he could stay in Los Angeles. Laughton would sign a 3-year, $3.5 million AAV contract with the Kings.
So while the Kings were able to keep a player they valued, it also helped their center depth, which is one of the weakest points on their entire roster, especially after the retirement of Anze Kopitar. Scott Laughton's defensive ability helps the Kings both at even strength and on the penalty kill, as they trust that he can be a strong defender against some of the best offensive players in the NHL.
Overall, the Laughton trade was a positive for the Kings, as they did not have to give up much to acquire him, but his extension with Los Angeles allows them to continue focusing on adding more centermen to the roster. While Laughton is likely not going to play top-line minutes, he still shows his leadership and strong play with depth, and if the Kings can add more to the center depth, Laughton's value could get even higher for the Kings if he continues to play his strong game.
Andrew Mangiapane’s name has always carried a little irony. A player known for battling through everything on the ice is now dealing with some actual “pain” away from it.
The former Calgary Flames forward is currently sidelined with a lower-body injury, according to TSN, but the setback is not expected to threaten his availability for training camp with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 30-year-old enters the final season of his contract looking to rediscover the form that once made him one of Calgary’s most trusted forwards — and prove there is still plenty left to give at the NHL level.
Selected in the sixth round of the 2012 NHL Draft, the Bolton, Ontario native went from long-shot prospect to a key piece of the Flames’ lineup. Over seven seasons in Calgary, he became one of the team’s most reliable competitors, earning a reputation as a player who could be counted on in difficult moments.
In 417 games with the Flames, Mangiapane recorded 109 goals and 106 assists for 215 points. He added another 12 points in 27 playoff games, including his breakout 2021-22 campaign when he exploded for a career-high 35 goals.
At that point, Mangiapane looked like a player who had firmly established himself as part of Calgary’s long-term plans.
But hockey careers rarely follow a straight line.
Since leaving the Flames, Mangiapane has bounced between three organizations while searching for the consistency that once defined his game. After being traded to the Washington Capitals, he posted 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in 81 games during the 2024-25 season.
That production convinced the Edmonton Oilers to take a chance in free agency, signing him to a two-year, $7.2 million contract. The hope was that a change of scenery could help unlock the player Calgary fans knew so well.
Instead, the move quickly became a difficult chapter.
Mangiapane managed only 14 points in 52 games with Edmonton, recording seven goals and seven assists before the Oilers made a deadline decision to move on.
In March, Edmonton traded Mangiapane and a 2027 first-round pick to Chicago in exchange for forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach. However, his arrival with the Blackhawks did not immediately spark a turnaround, as he finished the season with just two points in 10 games — one goal and one assist.
Now, Chicago represents another opportunity.
The injury may be an unwanted obstacle, but Mangiapane has time to recover before training camp begins. Entering a contract year, the veteran forward has a chance to rewrite the recent narrative surrounding his career and remind teams why he was once viewed as one of Calgary’s most valuable forwards.
For a player who built his reputation on resilience, the next chapter could be the most important one yet.
Cal Ritchie’s time with the Colorado Avalanche did not unfold exactly how he imagined.
Selected 27th overall by Colorado in the 2023 NHL Draft, Ritchie entered the organization as one of the franchise’s most promising young forwards. His first taste of NHL action arrived sooner than expected, as he earned a spot on the Avalanche’s opening-night roster for the 2024-25 season and scored his first career NHL goal in just his third game — ironically coming against the New York Islanders in a 6-2 loss.
But Ritchie’s path to establishing himself at the NHL level was not without obstacles.
After appearing in seven games with Colorado, he was reassigned to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, where he continued refining his game and reminded everyone why he was viewed as one of the Avalanche’s top prospects. Ritchie dominated offensively, recording 70 points in 55 games with 15 goals and 55 assists before adding another 25 points in 21 playoff contests, including nine goals and 16 assists.
Then came another unexpected chapter.
On March 6, 2025, the Avalanche traded Ritchie, along with two draft picks and defenseman Oliver Kylington, to the New York Islanders in exchange for veteran forward Brock Nelson and prospect William Dufour.
For any young player, being traded by the organization that drafted you can be a difficult moment. However, when Ritchie spoke with The Hockey News in November, he made it clear that his focus was not on what happened behind him — but on the opportunity in front of him.
“I’m just trying to focus on myself and stay present,” Ritchie said. “I mean, I’m with the Islanders and not focusing on the past and what happened there. I’m just really excited to be a part of the Islanders, like I said, and staying present.”
But the trade was not the first time Ritchie had to overcome adversity during his young career.
After beginning the previous season with Colorado, Ritchie entered Islanders training camp hoping to earn a full-time NHL role. Instead, he found himself starting the year in the American Hockey League with the Bridgeport Islanders.
Rather than viewing the assignment as a setback, Ritchie used it as another opportunity to improve. After recording three points, including a goal and an assist, through his first three AHL games, he earned a recall and remained with New York for the remainder of the season.
Despite limited ice time and the challenges that come with adjusting to the NHL level, Ritchie made an impact. He finished the season with 30 points in 65 games, recording 13 goals and 17 assists.
At the end of the season, Ritchie reflected on the disappointment of starting the year in the minors. For many young players, that type of setback can become a source of frustration. For Ritchie, it became another stepping stone.
“Coming to camp, you want to make the team, and then getting sent down is obviously a bit of a disappointment,” Ritchie said. “So I went to Bridgeport, worked on my game, learned a lot, and then I got the call-up and just tried to grow my game over the season and prove to them that I can be here and have an impact and help the team. I was pretty happy with my development over the season. I thought they did a great job with me, showing me video and all that stuff. I can’t thank them enough.”
That mindset has become a defining characteristic of Ritchie’s development. Every obstacle has presented another opportunity to grow, and the 21-year-old understands that his next step will require continued improvement.
When asked what areas of his game he wanted to focus on, Ritchie had a clear list of priorities.
“Going back, getting stronger this summer — obviously you realize how much of a grind an NHL season is. Just being able to put my body through that and get stronger, improve my skating, improve my shot, everything. This summer is going to be a big summer for me. I don’t want to shut down.”
One of the biggest areas of focus moving forward will be his development at center.
Ritchie revealed that Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer, who took over for the final four games of the regular season following the firing of Patrick Roy, sees him as a center moving forward — a position Ritchie has played throughout much of his career.
While New York utilized him primarily on the wing last season, despite his limited professional experience at the position, Ritchie embraced the opportunity and used it to become a more versatile player.
“I talked to Pete when he first came in, and he said he sees me as a center going forward. I’m excited for that opportunity, but obviously planning on meeting with those guys. It was awesome and a good learning experience for me. I’ve never really played wing a ton in my career, so to be able to round out my game and know that I can play wing at this level was really big for me and really important.”
While Ritchie has his own goals for development, he also understands that versatility is what allows players to earn trust at the NHL level.
Whether it is playing center, taking faceoffs, contributing on the power play, or doing the little things away from the puck, Ritchie is willing to embrace whatever role helps his team succeed.
“It’s something that’s a work in progress. These guys are going against each other on faceoffs and have been doing it for 10, 15 years at the NHL level, so I’m just continuing to learn — whether it’s faceoffs, net front, on the power play, all that stuff.”
For the Avalanche, Ritchie’s story is a reminder that development rarely follows a straight line. The former first-round pick has already experienced being sent down, being traded, and having to fight for his opportunity.
Each time, he has responded the same way — by getting better.
Jan Jeník’s path back to an NHL contract has taken longer than expected.
When the Arizona Coyotes selected him 65th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, Jeník was viewed as a player with legitimate offensive upside. He had the skill, creativity, and confidence with the puck that made him one of the more interesting prospects in Arizona’s system.
The difficult part was turning those tools into a consistent NHL role.
Over the past several seasons, Jeník has experienced the challenges that come with trying to establish himself at the highest level. He has moved through different organizations, spent significant time in the American Hockey League, and had to continue proving himself year after year.
But he never stopped producing.
Every time Jeník returned to the AHL, he found ways to make an impact and remind teams why he was once such a highly regarded prospect.
The Los Angeles Kings are the latest team willing to give him that chance.
Los Angeles signed Jeník to a one-year, two-way contract worth $850,000, adding a forward who has quietly built a strong professional resume and continues to search for a permanent NHL role.
Jeník has always been at his best when he is allowed to create.
Jeník’s game has always been built around his ability to create with the puck. He has quick hands, sees the ice well, and is willing to take chances to make something happen. Whether it is beating a defender or finding a teammate in a tight spot, he has the skill to create offense.
That offensive ability has been the biggest reason teams have continued to keep an eye on him.
Jeník spent most of the 2025-26 season with the Belleville Senators, where he scored nine goals and recorded 17 points in 40 games before joining the Kings organization after a March trade. Although he has only appeared in 24 NHL games, his production in the AHL has shown why teams still believe there is more to his game.
Through 260 career AHL games, Jeník has put together 166 points. His best season came in 2021-22 with the Tucson Roadrunners, when he tallied 17 goals, 30 assists, and 47 points in 51 games.
That year showed the type of impact Jeník can have when he's confident. He drove the offense, created chances, and looked like a player who wasn't giving up on another chance to play at the top level.
Before turning pro, Jeník was already showing those same offensive traits with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League. He recorded 86 points in 54 games between 2018 and 2020, establishing himself as one of Czechia’s better young players and earning opportunities to represent his country internationally.
Now 25 years old, Jeník enters Los Angeles at an important stage of his career.
He has experienced the highs and lows of professional hockey and understands how difficult it can be to earn a permanent NHL role. Reminiscent of Fabian Lysell's ongoing reclamation project with the Colorado Avalanche, this is Jeník's chance to erase the demons.
The talent has never been the question. The challenge has been consistency and that's what makes this signing worth it for the Kings.
That is what makes this signing worth watching for the Kings. Jeník has already shown he can produce. The question is whether he can bring that same level of confidence and creativity into an NHL lineup on a regular basis.
For Jeník, this contract is another chance to show that the skill that made him a third-round pick seven years ago is still there.
For the Kings, it is an opportunity to find out if a player who has spent years fighting for his spot can finally put everything together at the NHL level.
For Yegor Yegorov, the next step toward the NHL isn't just about changing leagues. It's about finally chasing the dream he's been working toward from the same side of the Atlantic as the team that drafted him.
After spending the past several seasons developing in Russia, the Calgary Flames goaltending prospect will make the move to North America for the 2026-27 season, joining Miami University in what could prove to be one of the most important chapters of his development.
For Calgary, the transition carries obvious benefits. The organization will be able to watch him far more regularly, and communication with the Flames' development staff becomes much easier. For Yegorov, it's the opportunity he's envisioned for years.
“I always dreamt to play in North America,” Yegorov recently said at Flames Development Camp speaking to NHL.com's Chris Wahl. “Obviously the NHL has always been my dream, and now, when I finally took this little step forward to coming over here, it inspires me a lot and gives me motivation and power to move forward and follow my dreams.
“It’s a step forward, and I'm super excited to make it.”
The 20-year-old netminder arrives with a solid foundation already in place. Calgary selected the 6-foot-3 goaltender in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, and he has spent the past four seasons sharpening his game in Russia. Last season marked his strongest campaign yet, as he posted 13 victories and a .918 save percentage with Spartak-MAX after previously making his professional debut with HK Tambov in Russia's second division.
Just as important as the numbers has been the relationship he's built with Calgary's development staff despite the distance separating them.
Yegorov has remained in regular contact with Flames director of goaltending Jordan Sigalet and development coach Mackenzie Skapski, reviewing games and receiving video breakdowns designed to refine different areas of his game. While that process has been productive from overseas, he believes being in North America will allow those relationships to become even more valuable.
“We've been in touch with Jordan Sigalet and Mackenzie Skapski after almost every game,” Yegorov explained. “I had a chat with Jordan, and sometimes with Mackenzie as well. He sent me video presentations of his vision, how goalies should play, what should I improve.
“It’s been a huge help, actually, and I'm looking forward to coming over to North American and playing here, because it will be way easier to stay in touch with the Calgary coaches.”
The adjustment to college hockey should be smoother thanks to some familiar faces. Miami's roster already includes fellow Russians Ilia Morozov and Vladislav Lukashevich, giving Yegorov built-in support as he settles into both a new team and a new country.
His move also reunites him, in a way, with a coaching staff that understands how to help European prospects adapt. Head coach Anthony Noreen previously coached Flames forward Adam Klapka during his time with the USHL's Tri-City Storm, helping prepare the towering Czech forward for his own North American journey.
Yegorov has already experienced a taste of Calgary through multiple development camps, and each visit has only reinforced where he hopes his career is headed. Every summer has brought more familiar faces, stronger relationships and another reminder of the opportunity waiting in front of him.
Now, instead of returning overseas, he'll be taking the biggest step yet toward making that opportunity a reality.
The days of the NHL's traditional "goon" serving as the team's on-ice enforcer are long gone, but the league still features plenty of players willing to drop the gloves.
During the heyday of the postseason streak for the Detroit Red Wings, fans at Joe Louis Arena regularly watched players like Darren McCarty, Joe Kocur, Brendan Shanahan, and Martin Lapointe settle scores with their fists.
Older fans also fondly remember the legendary fights involving the late Bob Probert, one of the most feared enforcers of his era.
Today's NHL, however, is built far more on speed and skill than intimidation, with fighting down nearly 70 percent compared to just 20 years ago.
In 2025-26, not only did the Red Wings miss the playoffs for the 10th straight campaign, but they were also revealed as the least aggressive team in the NHL according to a study commissioned and collected by Casino Guru.
The rankings were based on a custom aggression rating that measured several aspects of physical play. Weighted values were assigned to categories including penalty minutes, fighting majors, total hits, major penalties, and any league-issued fines or suspensions, with each player's final score calculated on a 100-point scale.
In Casino Guru's Aggression Index for 2025-26, Detroit finished 32nd overall with a 6.80 ranking, behind the 31st-place Colorado Avalanche (10.71) and 30th-place Seattle Kraken (10.87).
As a team, Detroit registered 1,480 hits, ranking 29th in the NHL. Only the Chicago Blackhawks (1,346), New Jersey Devils (1,514), and Seattle Kraken (1,517) finished with fewer hits.
The Red Wings also recorded just 11 fighting majors, the second-fewest total in the league, just ahead of Colorado's 10.
Newly acquired Red Wings forward Keegan Kolesar, who arrived from the Vegas Golden Knights, dropped the gloves five times alone last season - more than double the combined totals of Ben Chiarot and Travis Hamonic, who had two fights each.
Meanwhile, Alex DeBrincat, Moritz Seider, Marco Kasper, Simon Edvinsson, J.T. Compher, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Dominik Shine each recorded one fighting major during the season.
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Once again, the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens find themselves linked to each other in a trade rumor, but the latest report on a potential target just doesn't pass the sniff test this time.
It has been rumored many times in the past that the Flyers had interest in rugged Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj, a heavy bruiser with a tendency to drop the gloves with even the toughest customers the NHL has to offer.
That, of course, included the likes of former Flyers tough guy Nick Deslauriers, who has fought Xhekaj while on the Flyers in the past.
According to NHL Network and The Fourth Period NHL insider David Pagnotta, the Flyers are still interested in unsigned restricted free agent, as they have been over the past several years, with potential competition from other clubs.
"There are other teams that have expressed, over the last few weeks, interest in trading for Arber Xhekaj," Pagnotta said on Wednesday's episode of DFO Rundown. "Philadelphia has been one. They had interest in him for the last couple of years, and still the case now. But nothing imminent on that front just yet."
Now, it has been public knowledge, as well, that the Flyers had a desire to make upgrades on their defense this offseason, and nothing has truly come to fruition just yet.
The Flyers had traded Emil Andrae, Sam Ersson, and a third-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit, but outside of Benoit, no further additions have been made to the NHL roster at the position.
But that's why this rumor simply doesn't make sense anymore.
Flyers not a fit for Xhekaj
Looking at the Flyers' roster as things currently stand, they could certainly use another enforcer, having lost Nick Deslauriers at the NHL trade deadline and shipping Garnet Hathaway off to Florida earlier this offseason.
The key here is that those two players were forwards, and Xhekaj is a defenseman.
On defense, the Flyers already have two stand-up guys in Benoit and veteran Nick Seeler who can bring the sandpaper and fight if and when called upon.
Adding an eighth defenseman to the mix, when the Flyers are already hoping to integrate youngsters like Oliver Bonk and David Jiricek, would be counterproductive.
It works in Xhekaj's favor that he is only 25 years old and younger than Benoit (27) and Seeler (33), but again, the Flyers would have to pay assets to trade with the Canadiens, and then re-sign the Hamilton, Ontario, native to a new contract.
Seeler has a cap hit of $2.7 million for the next two seasons, while Benoit has only one year on his deal at a $1.35 million cap hit. That leaves the Flyers future financial flexibility for a more substantial upgrade at the position down the road (remember Zach Werenski and John Carlson?), and Xhekaj just isn't that.
The only way such a trade between the Canadiens and Flyers works is if Seeler goes to Montreal in return; Benoit, as the newcomer, isn't going to be on the move again so soon.
Seeler's full no-trade clause expired on July 1 and can now be traded to any team at any time, but the Canadiens would have to consider that Seeler is a 33-year-old shot-blocker starting to hit his decline.
Then, the Flyers would have to bridge the gap with other assets, considering the Canadiens are getting older and slower at the position.
For the Flyers, it is hard to see the value in trading for yet another bottom-pair defenseman with the young players they already have; Hunter McDonald and Ty Murchison are deserving of that chance and those minutes and would cost nothing.
The Canadiens, according to Pagnotta, want to keep Xhekaj anyway, so what would they get from the Flyers in return that makes a trade worth it to them in their eyes?
We can safely nip this rumor in the bud until something changes.
There has only been one player to appear in a regular season game with the number 67 for the San Jose Sharks. Right after departing the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League, Jacob Middleton brought the number 67 to the Bay Area.
Middleton was a quality depth defenseman for the Sharks after making his NHL debut during the 2018-19 season, but it wasn't until his final season in teal, the 2021-22 campaign, that he finally got a shot to play a substantial role at the NHL level. That season, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild, where he remained for four and a half seasons.
Then, earlier this summer, his time in the State of Hockey came to an end as he was traded north of the border to the Calgary Flames. At this point, Middleton has appeared in 381 career NHL games, but only 59 of which were with the Sharks.
Middleton will be looking to play a big role in Calgary, as he's entering the second season of a four-year contract worth $4.35 million per season.
If you were to assemble a list of the Top 10 Ottawa Senators who got away, Zdeno Chara would rank pretty high on that list.
Chara was traded to the Senators at the 2001 NHL Draft as part of a deal to acquire perennially disgruntled star forward Alexei Yashin. He spent four seasons in Ottawa before leaving in free agency in 2006 and signing with the Boston Bruins.
Not to torture Sens fans, but after leaving Ottawa, Chara did it all. He won the Stanley Cup as captain of the Bruins, was nominated for six Norris Trophies, winning once, and last year, he entered the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Next month, on August 21st, Chara will be honoured at an event in Trenčín, Slovakia, called "Zee's Final Shift." Organizers describe it as a farewell and "a definitive and natural end to his great career."
The farewell game will be held at the Winter Stadium in Trenčín, which is named after former Senator Pavol Demitra, who perished in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl KHL team plane crash in 2011.
Chara is inviting mainly NHL players to his farewell, and that includes three other former Senators.
Naturally, one is Marian Hossa, his Sens teammate for three seasons. It's often been speculated that Chara might have pushed harder to stay in Ottawa if Hossa, one of his best friends, hadn't been traded a year earlier. The deal that sent Hossa to Atlanta for Dany Heatley happened just hours after Hossa had signed a three-year contract with Ottawa.
Also at the event will be Chris Kelly, who was Chara's teammate in Ottawa before they went on to win a Stanley Cup together in Boston.
And hockey trivia buffs might also remember former Sens defenceman Radek Hamr, who played 11 games with the Sens in their expansion years. Hamr never played with Chara but works for the European arm of the player agency Chara belongs to.
Other confirmed guests include Thomas Vanek, whose son Blake was a Senators third-round pick last year, and Michael Ryder, the former Bruin and Hull Olympique.
The rest of the guest list is loaded with NHL stars, mostly from the past: Patrice Bergeron, Johnny Boychuk, Ray Bourque, Andrew Ference, Michal Handzuš, Jaromír Jágr, Tomáš Kaberle, Duncan Keith, Anže Kopitar, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Adam McQuaid, Daniel Paille, Žigmund Pálffy, David Pastrňák, Mark Recchi, Robert Reichel, Andrej Sekera, Dennis Seidenberg, Miroslav Šatan, Marco Sturm, Aaron Ward, and Jakub Voráček.
It's an impressive lineup for a special night honouring one of the most unique players in NHL history.
And a player that Senators fans wish they'd been able to hang on to.
The NHL announced that it will be exploring the idea of an expansion to add a 33rd team to the league, likely based in Texas, either in Austin or Houston. The arrival of a new franchise may throw a bit of a spanner in the works for existing teams, including the Montreal Canadiens. The expansion draft rules that were used for the Seattle Kraken worked out well for the league and should be expected to be the same when the next franchise arrives.
What would the Habs protection list look like if the draft was held next offseason? Well, firstly, it wouldn’t feature Ivan Demidov or Jacob Fowler since players with only one or two seasons of professional experience (AHL/NHL) are exempt from the expansion process. Montreal could choose one of two paths: protecting seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender, or seven skaters and one goaltender.
While the first option allows a team to protect more players, it’s not a great option for a team that has a lot of talent on the blueline, or that has no choice but to protect one of its blueliners because he has a full no-movement clause. The Canadiens actually fit both categories; they’ve got a lot of talent on the blueline, and Mike Matheson’s full NMC means that they have to protect him.
If the Habs were to go down the seven forwards and three defensemen route, they would therefore be able to add Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson to their protection list, which would already include Matheson, but they would have to leave Kaiden Guhle, David Reinbacher, Adam Engstrom, Alexandre Carrier (assuming he signs a new contract with the team) and depth defensemen Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj exposed. That would meet the likely exposure requirement for blueliners: expose one defenceman who is a) under contract in 2027-28 and b) played in 40 or more NHL games the prior season OR played in 70 or more NHL games in the prior two seasons.
In net, there is no question: Jakub Dobes would be protected since Fowler is exempt, but up front, it’s not that easy to pick which seven players Montreal would protect. Of course, the first line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky would be automatic. But who would be the other four? Alex Newhook, Jake Evans, Oliver Kapanen and Zachary Bolduc? If that’s the case, you leave players such as Alexandre Texier, Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj exposed, but that doesn’t miss the exposure requirements, which would likely provide that teams must have two forwards available for selection who are a) under contract in 2027-28 and b) played in 40 or more NHL games the prior season OR played in 70 or more NHL games in the prior two seasons. If Montreal signed Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson to new contracts, they could be left unprotected and meet the requirements that way.
If Hughes elected to use the eight skaters and one goalie option, Montreal would protect Dobes in net and have more leeway on the blueline. They would still have to protect Matheson, but they could also add Hutson, Dobson, and Guhle at the very least, perhaps even David Reinbacher. That would already give them five skaters, leaving three spots for Suzuki, Caufield and Slafkovsky. They would also meet the exposure requirements with Xhekaj, Struble and Engstrom exposed on the back end and Kapanen, Newhook, Evans, Texier, Xhekaj (Florian), and Beck all exposed up front.
It all comes down to who Hughes would be more willing to expose; it’s essentially about picking one’s poison. At this stage, it feels highly unlikely that Hughes would be willing to leave so many blueliners exposed, because there are some core pieces he couldn’t protect. Up front, the first line and Demidov are the four core pieces that have been identified with certainty, and they would all be protected if Montreal used the eight skaters and one goaltender avenue.
Of course, that situation could change if, for instance, the Canadiens were able to acquire another real top six piece through a trade, but we’d have to revisit the situation then. Whatever happens, however, this is not a simple exercise, and it must be a gut-wrenching experience for the GMs who have spent years carefully building their lineup to see someone pluck an asset just like that.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
The Sabres were looking for veteran depth players for the Rochester Americans and could not have been disappointed with the results with the signing of Buffalo native Trevor Kuntar. The son of former Amerk and brief NHL goalie Les Kuntar, the 25-year-old played for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres for two years and for USHL Youngstown before being selected by the Boston Bruins 89th overall pick in the COVID-delayed 2020 NHL Draft.
Buffalo native Patrick Kane signs with the Chicago Blackhawks
The 6’0”, 205 lb. center played three seasons at Boston College, and trailed only NHLers Cutter Gauthier and Nikita Nesterenko in club scoring as a junior, which led the Bruins to sign Kuntar to a two-year ELC. After a promising first season AHL Providence, scoring 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 70 games and 113 penalty minutes, he declined to just three goals in 2024-25 and was not given a qualifying offer by the Bruins last summer.
Kuntar signed a one-year AHL deal with Rochester, and after nine goals in his first 24 games, he was upgraded to an NHL deal for the remainder of the 2025-26 season and finished last season with 21 goals and 37 points in 70 games, as well as making his NHL debut against Vancouver on December 11. After the season, he signed a two-year, two-way contract extension for the NHL minimum $875,000.
Drake Batherson was asked after the season if he'd like to get an extension done this summer (Sens Nation Podcast).
The Montreal Canadiens aren't trying to climb back into the playoff picture. As a team that made the Conference Final after taking down the Atlantic's top two teams in the playoffs, they are by definition, a Stanley Cup contender.
Montreal finished with 106 points last season, seven more than Ottawa, and then went all the way to the Eastern Final before losing to Carolina, the eventual Cup winner.
So while the Senators were forced into some roster changes this summer, the Canadiens decided not to pick at theirs.
Senators Offseason Summary
This just in: the Senators' offseason turned on a dime when Brady Tkachuk requested a trade and was eventually sent to Florida for the ninth and 25th picks in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-rounder, and a 2029 first-round pick.
GM Steve Staios then flipped the ninth pick to San Jose for William Eklund and prospects Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda.
Ottawa also acquired veteran winger Andre Burakovsky from Chicago and RFA goalie Samuel Ersson from Toronto.
In free agency, the Senators mostly took care of their own, re-signing Claude Giroux, Nick Cousins, Jordan Spence, Leevi Merilainen, and the newly acquired Ersson.
Lars Eller, Nick Jensen, Dennis Gilbert, Lassi Thomson, Arthur Kaliyev, Olle Lycksell, James Reimer and Mads Sogaard were among those who departed.
The two big questions for most fans: Can Eklund and Burakovsky supply the offence lost with Tkachuk's exit? Can Ersson start and thrive in 35-40 games to provide Linus Ullmark with the major support he needs to be effective?
Canadiens Trades: Additions
Compared to Ottawa, Montreal's offseason has been quiet.
GM Kent Hughes made a handful of very small depth trades, acquiring forward Brett Berard, centre Hunter McKown and Polish defenseman Maksymilian Szuber, who all mostly played in the AHL last season.
Canadiens Trades: Subtractions
The most recognizable player Montreal traded away was Brendan Gallagher.
After 14 seasons with the Canadiens, Gallagher was sent to Vancouver for future considerations, with Montreal retaining half his salary. There were no tears shed about that in Ottawa, where fans still chuckle about Gallagher's sanctimonious public rant about Tim Stutzle.
Gallagher was once an important player for the Canadiens, but now they're paying him big money to play for someone else.
The Habs also traded Roy, which was a big headline 30 years ago, but shipping out Joshua Roy didn't quite move the needle the same way this summer. Along with Roy, they also traded William Trudeau and Luke Tuch in the deals that brought in Berard, Szuber and McKown.
Canadiens Free Agent Signings
If you were waiting for Hughes to make a major splash on July 1, you're still waiting.
Like their trades, Montreal's external free-agent additions were mostly depth guys, including forward Samuel Poulin, goalie Kaapo Kahkonen and defenseman Reilly Walsh and Ethan Samson. Walsh was 3rd in KHL scoring among defensemen last season.
Just like the Sens, their more important business was taking care of some in-house signings.
The Canadiens signed Ivan Demidov to an eight-year extension, re-signed goalie Jakub Dobes for three years and brought back Kirby Dach on a one-year deal.
Demidov's extension is Montreal's most important transaction of the summer. At 20, he's one of the brightest emerging offensive talents in hockey and is now locked up at an AAV of $9.125 million.
He's a big part of a young core that already includes Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson.
Canadiens Free Agent Losses
After 5 points in 61 games with Montreal last season, forward Joe Veleno was allowed to walk into free agency where he signed with the New York Rangers.
Despite his frequent injury absence, the most notable free agent departure is the talented by oft-injured Patrik Laine, who remains an unrestricted free agent.
Sammy Blais also left the Canadiens organization and, interestingly enough, signed with the Sens. He should be one of Ottawa's first calls if they run into injury trouble up front.
There isn't anything here that changes the Canadiens.
Montreal's Biggest Addition May Come From Within
Like the Senators, the Canadiens have a lot of excellent young players who haven't hit their prime yet.
Caufield is 25. Slafkovsky is 22. Hutson is 22. Demidov is 20. Suzuki is 26.
Montreal is betting that another year of development from that group will provide an upgrade all by itself.
Suzuki broke the 100-point barrier last season, while the Canadiens finished seventh in the NHL in goals. And after winning two seven-game playoff series, they now have serious postseason experience.
There are still question marks, and every team has them. The biggest is this: Can Dobes repeat last season's performance in goal? He has just 59 career NHL games under his belt, so despite his new three-year contract, the jury is still out on whether he's ready to handle the workload and expectations of being a number one over a full season.
Verdict 1: Who Had The Better Offseason?
The Senators were busier, and handled the Tkachuk thing about as well as they could, but you can't deal away Tkachuk and say it's been a great offseason.
Steve Staios did well, turning the situation into Eklund, first-rounder Jonas Lagerberg-Hoen, a 2029 first-rounder, two prospects, and a second-rounder. Adding Burakovsky gives Ottawa another potential top-six option as well.
Internally, both teams re-signed the players they wanted to keep.
But Montreal wins because, for the sake of this comparison, they didn't have to trade Nick Suzuki and then scramble to try and replace him.
Verdict 2: Who Will Be The Better Team This Season?
These two teams are so close. The Sens actually had a better goal differential and more regulation wins than the Canadiens last season. Internal growth, fewer injuries, better goaltending, and a little less drama could make a massive difference next season.
But it's still tracking to be Montreal again.
The Habs finished seven points ahead of the Sens and then backed it up with a trip to the Eastern Final.
There's no denying both young cores are impressive.
Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Demidov and Hutson versus Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto and Jake Sanderson makes for an interesting comparison. It should continue to be a fantastic rivalry, although with antagonists like Tkachuk and Gallagher both gone, things may be a little less feisty.
While anything can happen, right now Montreal gets the edge.
Neither team vastly improved this offseason so we have no choice but to defer to last year's results, which were clear.
Since then, Ottawa had to trade its young captain and Montreal didn't. The Senators are a really good young team that did a solid job of damage control this summer, but that's not the same thing as closing the gap and surpassing a 106-point conference finalist.
The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures.
Over the next few weeks, we will continue to look at potential options for the Sabres, now that veteran Patrick Kane has returned with Chicago. Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.
Kekalainen ideally would like to make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, or someone who can fill the leadership gap and/or add some snarl and sandpaper to the middle-six.
Someone who has yet to be signed, and could provide some secondary scoring and additional agitation is veteran Michael Bunting. The 30-year-old began his career as an Arizona Coyotes draft pick in 2014 and spent five seasons in the American Hockey League before getting a brief look in the NHL during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.
Patrick Kane signs with the Chicago Blackhawks instead of joining the Sabres
The Scarborough, ON native scored 10 goals in 21 games and due to his lengthy service time in the minors, qualified for unrestricted free agency at age 25. The feisty winger was signed by former Soo Greyhounds GM Kyel Dubas in Toronto, and turned into an incredible bargain at a sub-$1 million salary, scoring 23 goals each of his two seasons playing on the wing with Auston Matthews and being nominated for the Calder Trophy in 2022.
He became a free agent again in 2023 and signed a three-year, $13.5 million deal with Carolina, but became a victim of his high cap hit, as in each of his three seasons, he has been traded at the deadline. From Carolina to Pittsburgh in 2024, Pittsburgh to Nashville in 2025, and Nashville to Dallas last season. His production has not appreciably declined over that time (19, 19, and 14 goals), which means he could be a great value at a lower salary.
Bunting is not particualrly strong defensively, which means he is likely not a candidate for special teams usage, but is a decent passer who could be utilized in a second power play/middle-six forward role five-on-five. Still being unsigned at the end of July could mean that Bunting is open to a lesser amount, which could be a better fit for the Sabres in their current cap situation.
If James Malatesta can put it all together, he can be a force in the NHL.
Malatesta turned pro in 2023 after spending four outstanding years with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. After amassing 187 points in junior and winning the QMJHL playoff MVP, he was off to the pros. He would total 56 goals if you take into account all the games he played in the Q, Q playoffs, and Memorial Cup.
James Malatesta played in 56 games for the Cleveland Monsters in his rookie season. He would score 12 goals and total 22 points. He has a motor that never quits and can skate really well, and it showed. Malatesta finished 11th on the team in scoring and 10th in games played. He did have a team-high 79 PIMs, though, which is how he plays his game.
Late in the season, in a surprising move, Malatesta was called up to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Due to the injury situation, Malatesta and several other Monsters got an opportunity to play some real NHL minutes.
He would make his NHL debut on March 26th against the Arizona Coyotes. He didn't get on the score sheet, but he did make his presence known. He would get 11:43 of ice time and get into a fight. Not a bad night.
Malatesta would get his first NHL point against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 6th, an assist. He played 10:58.
On April 13th in Smashville, after playing 9 games, he would have a career game. He played 12:55, had 3 shots, and scored his first goal. He also added an assist in the loss to the Predators. He was flying around the ice all night; he was fun to watch.
In the next game, the season finale at home against the Carolina Hurricanes, he would again have a good game. Malatesta scored his 2nd NHL goal while playing 13:01 on the ice. He is making himself highly visible.
He was returned to the Monsters after the CBJ season to help them win their division and the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Malatesta only played 9 games throughout the playoffs, scoring only a single goal and adding one assist.
The 2024-25 season saw Malatesta play a pair of games for Columbus in December. He averaged around 10:30 of ice time and was held off the score sheet. But he needed to play.
For Cleveland, he played in only 41 games and scored 14 points. Unfortunately for Malatesta and the Monsters, he suffered an upper-body injury that held him out of the lineup until March. In a combo of injuries and a sophomore slump, Malatesta did not have the year he wanted.
Last season, Malatesta set a career-high in games played at 57. He scored 10 goals and totaled 18 points, while setting a career-high with 87 PIMs. He was signed to a one-year extension by Columbus last month and will be an RFA once again at the end of 2027.
With the Jackets having Mathieu Olivier and Ryan Lomberg on the roster, I'm not sure Malatesta will get another shot in Columbus.
James Malatesta isn't expected to put in 25 goals or collect 50 points, but he is expected to contribute. He has a scoring touch and brings physicality to the ice.
James Malatesta Scouting Report
Strengths:
Skating: Malatesta's skating is an asset, with excellent acceleration, speed, and the ability to drive the puck through the neutral zone.
Energy and Intensity: He plays with a high motor, is not afraid to throw hits, and engages physically to win puck battles and create turnovers.
Shooting: He possesses a quick and accurate wrist shot, often firing on the fly, and is a threat on odd-man rushes.
Offensive Instincts: Malatesta is good at finding open ice, jumping on opportunities, and making quick plays to generate scoring chances.
Weaknesses:
Decision-Making: Needs to improve his passing and off-puck play, as he can sometimes prioritize intensity over making the best play. He takes bad penalties sometimes due to his physicality.
Offensive Creativity: While he can finish plays, he doesn't possess the vision or playmaking skills of a top-tier offensive player.
Consistency: His production can be inconsistent, and he needs to find a way to translate his energy and physical play into more consistent offensive contributions.
Overall:
Malatesta is a prospect with a high floor, likely to become a reliable bottom-six forward in the NHL. He brings a lot of energy, a strong work ethic, and the ability to contribute in various ways, making him a player who can impact the game even without elite offensive skills. If he can put it together, expect him to be pushing for a roster spot in Columbus soon. But first, he has to prove it in 26-27.
Does he have a chance to make the team? Many say no, but I wouldn't count him out if I were you.
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