The Edmonton Oilers have added to an already crowded crease situation in Bakersfield, signing goaltender Eemil Vinni to a one-year, two-way American Hockey League contract for the 2026-27 season.
The @Condors have signed goaltender Eemil Vinni to a one-year, two-way American Hockey League contract for the 2026-27 season. https://t.co/7UHGvkIIIK
Vinni was selected 64th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 NHL Draft after being ranked the top European goalie by NHL Central Scouting. The 6-foot-3 netminder missed much of 2024-25 with an injury but returned last season, splitting time between JoKP and Ketterä in Finland’s Mestis league. He posted an 8-5-4 record with a .884 save percentage for JoKP before being loaned to Ketterä, where he excelled with a .951 save percentage and 1.23 GAA in four regular-season games. He also went 4-2 with a .943 save percentage and 1.52 GAA in six playoff appearances.
The question now becomes, what happens with the rest of the netminders in Bakersfield?
The Oilers already have Matt Tomkins, Connor Ungar, Samuel Jonsson, Nathaniel Day in their system. Tomkins and Ungar were likely the next in line to get an NHL shot.
Like they intend to do at the NHL level this season, the Oilers farm team must be planning on three goalies. Alternatively, the organization might be thinking about including one of the goalies in a future trade.
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.
It appeared at the beginning of last season that Reimer’s long career had come to an end. He was brought in late in the preseason by the Toronto Maple Leafs, the club that drafted him in 2006, as a possible stop-gap backup to Anthony Stolarz with Joseph Woll on a leave of absence from the club. That possibility lasted one period in the exhibition finale against Detroit, after which he was let go.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
The 38-year-old has played for eight NHL clubs (Toronto, San Jose twice, Florida, Detroit, Carolina, Anaheim, Ottawa, and Buffalo). He was signed by the Sabres in 2024 as a third goalie behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi, but when the Sabres tried to sneak him down to the AHL, he was claimed by the Ducks to fill in while John Gibson was injured.
Buffalo reclaimed Reimer when Gibson returned and sent Levi to Rochester. He was dependable as a backup to UPL, playing 22 games for the Sabres, most of his work at the end of the season when Lindy Ruff was not pleased with Luukkonen’s consistency. Last season, he was signed by the Sens in January to backup Linus Ullmark with youngster Leevi Merilainen struggling.
The Sens went 7-4-2 in his 13 starts, which helped Ottawa get into the playoffs.
Outlook: Reimer has not announced his retirement, and like last season, he may be waiting until training camps open to get signed to a PTO in hopes of latching on for one more campaign. There are enough clubs out there looking for an adequate #2 or #3 between the pipes, so there is a chance that we could see Reimer again.
A former Pittsburgh Penguins prospect is heading to the KHL.
The Shanghai Dragons have signed former Penguins prospect defenseman Calen Addison to a one-year contract.
Addison was selected by the Penguins in the second round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, 53rd overall. He was once considered one of the Penguins' top prospects, but he never ended up playing a game for Pittsburgh. This is because the Penguins traded Addison to the Minnesota Wild in February 2020 as part of the the trade that brought forward Jason Zucker to Pittsburgh.
Addison played in three games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2018-19, however, where he posted two assists.
After being traded by the Penguins, Addison played four NHL seasons from 2020-21 to 2023-24. In 152 career NHL games over that span, he posted six goals, 44 assists, 50 points, and 96 penalty minutes. His best season in the NHL was in 2022-23, as he set career highs with three goals, 26 assists, and 29 points in 62 games.
Before signing this new deal with Shanghai, Addison spent each of the last two seasons exclusively at the AHL level. In 65 games last season with the Utica Comets, he recorded six goals and 31 points.
The Coachella Firebirds, the American Hockey League (AHL) Seattle Kraken affiliate, announced on July 29th that the team had signed defenseman Gustav Olofsson.
Olofsson appeared in 48 games last season for the Firebirds, recording four goals and 28 assists.
The defenseman was drafted 46th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild. he has appeared in 63 NHL Games with three teams: the Minnesota Wild, the Montreal Canadiens, and the Seattle Kraken.
Firebirds General Manager Troy Bodie spoke about the signing.
“Gustav has been a part of this organization since day one, and that says a lot about the person and player he is,” said Bodie. “His leadership, professionalism, and consistency have helped establish the culture we’ve built in Coachella Valley. Gustav brings valuable NHL experience and continues to set an outstanding example for our younger players. We’re excited to have him back for another season.”
Olofsson joined the Firebirds in the 2022-23 season and is entering his fifth season with the team. He has appeared in 414 AHL regular-season games and 69 Calder Cup Playoff games.
The Firebirds signed Olofsson to a one-year AHL contract. The 2026-27 season will kick off on October 2.
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Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman Jayden Struble now has four years of professional hockey under his belt, but he has yet to establish himself as a full-time NHLer. For the last three seasons, he’s been in a duel with teammate Arber Xhekaj for the sixth defenseman role. Thanks to the injury bug, though, they’ve both seen a fair bit of action. Last year, Struble skated in 59 games with an average of 14:01 of ice time, while Xhekaj saw action in 65 games but only averaged 11:25 of ice time. However, in the playoffs, Struble played in 12 games and averaged 11:40 of ice time, while Xhekaj played in 13 games but averaged only 8:06.
What the last playoffs made very evident is that coach Martin St-Louis doesn’t trust the rugged Xhekaj to play a complete and reliable game. The bench boss is not keen on players taking themselves out of the play to land a big hit, and while Xhekaj has all but eradicated that from his game, it seems like St-Louis believes that a leopard doesn’t change its spots. Now is the time for Struble to step in and claim that 6th defenseman, whether Xhekaj is still with the Canadiens or not.
The duel is about to become a three-way battle at best since Adam Engstrom appears all but ready to make the jump to the NHL and the team seems keen on giving David Reinbacher a shot at making the team out of training camp. Struble is entering the final year of his contract, which carries a $1, 412,500 cap hit, and he finds himself in an “It’s now or never” situation.
Thankfully for him, he forms a good tandem with Lane Hutson when he’s called upon to play with the young star, and that might just be what gave him the edge over Xhekaj in the playoffs. Before talking about season expectations for Struble, we should really be talking about training camp expectations, because that’s where he’ll put his NHL job on the line.
If Xhekaj remains a Canadiens player and signs a new contract, Struble will have to beat him, Engstrom and Reinbacher at training camp to earn a spot in the lineup. A strong start is always a good way to catch the coach’s eye, and the Northeastern University alumni should be riding high after earning St-Louis’ trust in the playoffs. Struble needs to make a statement that he deserves the sixth spot on the blueline and that it’s not time to move on from him to give Engstrom or Reinbacher NHL minutes.
He’s never been a big point producer, and that’s not about to change; what he needs to do is play a smart game, one that is based on solid decision-making and a heavy physical game without going overboard. You can fully expect Struble to come out strong because one way or another, he’ll be playing to earn a new contract with the Habs, and he needs to fend off the competition. At the end of the season, he’ll be an RFA with arbitration rights if he convinces Kent Hughes to give him a qualifying offer. That shouldn’t be too hard, since the GM is not one to lose assets without getting anything in return. Sooner or later, though, the Canadiens will have to do something about the logjam on their blueline; as things stand, Struble is not the one who’s rumored to be on the move, but rumors tend to be just that and don’t always come to fruition.
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.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
27. Stiven Sardarian – Right Wing (Michigan Tech – NCAA)
The Sabres selected Sardarian in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft with the pick obtained from the Florida Panthers for Brandon Montour. The St. Petersburg native played his youth hockey in the Moscow Dynamo system but chose to come to North America in 2021 and play in the NCAA. After a season with Youngstown in the USHL.
Sardarian has built himself up from 157 lbs at the start of his NCAA career to 180 lbs, which may be part of the reason for why he broke out offensively in his junior season. As a freshman at UNH, he had only seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) in 29 games. His sophomore campaign showed some progress, as he doubled his offensive totals to 14 points and scored seven times in 32 games, but he availed himself of the NCAA’s transfer portal and moved on to Michigan Tech.
The 23-year-old has led MT in scoring the last two seasons, with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 35 games as a junior and 44 points (12 goals, 32 assists) in 37 games as a senior.The Sabres have not signed Sardarian to an entry-level contract and he will become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday if they do not.
It is possible that the new administration under Jarmo Kekalainen does not see any pro upside in him, but with the club’s AHL roster seeing a mass exodus either by trade or likely promotion to the Sabres, that they would not extend at least a short-term ELC to Sardarian.
The Minnesota Wild have spent years searching for more high-end offensive talent around Kirill Kaprizov.
They may no longer have to search very far.
Kaprizov and Matt Boldy were both ranked among the six best wings in hockey by NHL Network, giving Minnesota one of the most highly regarded star duos in the league entering the 2026-27 season.
No other NHL team placed two players inside the top six.
The only two wings ranked ahead of Kaprizov were Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov at No. 1 and Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak at No. 2.
Kaprizov finished ahead of some massive names, including Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Matthew Tkachuk, Artemi Panarin and Kyle Connor.
Boldy's placement might be even more noteworthy.
The 25-year-old finished ahead of Jason Robertson, Matthew Tkachuk, Cole Caufield, William Nylander, Connor, Panarin, Sam Reinhart and several other established NHL stars.
NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp had especially high praise for Boldy during the countdown.
“He is an absolute star, can score some goals, and that clutch ability, that clutch gene that he has, is immeasurable,” Rupp said.
Boldy's rise has changed the outlook of Minnesota's offense.
For years, Kaprizov was unquestionably the centerpiece of the Wild's attack. While that hasn't necessarily changed, Boldy has developed into another legitimate game-breaking winger alongside him.
And NHL Network apparently believes the gap between Minnesota's two stars isn't very large.
Kaprizov and Boldy were separated by just three spots in the rankings.
The Wild were also one of only three organizations with multiple players inside the top seven. Dallas had Rantanen at No. 5 and Robertson at No. 7, while Minnesota had Kaprizov and Boldy even higher at Nos. 3 and 6.
That gives Minnesota something few teams can match: two wingers, NHL Network believes, are among the very best players at their position.
The complete top 10 consisted of Kucherov, Pastrnak, Kaprizov, Marner, Rantanen, Boldy, Robertson, Matthew Tkachuk, Caufield and Nylander.
NHL Network said its rankings were based on performance over the past several seasons, with additional emphasis placed on the 2025-26 regular season and 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, while also factoring in future upside.
That last part is particularly interesting for Boldy.
Kaprizov is already firmly established among the NHL's elite. Boldy, meanwhile, is entering what should be the prime years of his career and is now being ranked alongside some of the biggest stars in hockey.
Minnesota doesn't just have one of the NHL's best wings anymore. According to NHL Network, it has two of the six best.
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At first glance, the Senators don't look dramatically different from the team we watched last season.
Yes, the captain abandoned ship, but you still have a ton of the usual suspects. The core guys like Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Dylan Cozens, Drake Batherson, Shane Pinto, Linus Ullmark and others are all still here.
But dig a little deeper, and there's actually been quite a bit of turnover in the past year.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss where Jake Sanderson fell on the list of top NHL defensemen.
In fact, 12 players who appeared in at least one game for the Senators last season are now somewhere else.
#7 Brady Tkachuk – 60 games
As news goes, this one is bigger than all the other 11 exits put together.
After eight seasons in Ottawa, Tkachuk requested a trade and was dealt to the Florida Panthers in June. The former captain leaves the biggest hole of anyone on this list, but many fans think it may be a case of addition by subtraction. Even some teammates aren't convinced his exit will be a major loss at all for this group,
Time will tell.
#89 Lars Eller – 68 games
Tkachuk isn't the only former Senator headed to Florida. Eller played 68 games for Ottawa last season after signing a one-year deal last summer.
He provided veteran depth down the middle but was always going to be a short-term solution. He was solid, but the Senators were ready to try someone else, and that's probably Stephen Halliday.
#3 Nick Jensen – 61 games
Jensen became an important part of the Sens' defence after arriving in the Jakob Chychrun trade in 2024.
He played 61 games last season before another injury ended his year and has since signed a two-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks. It will be interesting to see if Jensen can get back to where he was before he began to break down in 2024-25.
The Sens will now lean more heavily on Artem Zub and Jordan Spence while Nikolas Matinpalo and Carter Yakemchuk battle for the third spot on the right side.
#57 David Perron – 49 games
Perron's two-year stay in Ottawa actually ended before the season did.
The Senators traded the veteran winger to Detroit at the deadline after he appeared in 49 games. It closed the book on a somewhat disappointing free-agent signing, although Perron did provide some useful experience during Ottawa's return to the playoffs.
As the Sens tried to rally from a 0-3 series deficit in their 2025 first round against Toronto, Perron's game-tying goal in the third period of Game 6 will always be a highlight.
Perron remains a UFA, and at 38, he might still be a PTO option for someone.
#47 James Reimer – 14 games
Reimer wasn't even a Senator when last season began. He signed in January after Linus Ullmark took a long leave of absence and goaltending became a concern. A grave concern. Reimer provided some stability, appearing in 14 games.
But with Samuel Ersson brought in this summer, Reimer has moved on and, at 38, he remains a free agent. After historically giving the Sens fits over the years, it was nice for a change that they could benefit from his play.
#6 Dennis Gilbert – 8 games
Gilbert's second go-around with the Senators wasn't much longer than the first. He played in 8 games and then three more in the playoffs after spending much of the year in Belleville. He provided some depth when injuries began piling up on Ottawa's blue line.
He's now back in Buffalo, where the Sens first acquired him, along with Dylan Cozens, in 2025.
#60 Lassi Thomson – 11 games
Thomson's second tour with the Senators organization is over.
The former 19th overall pick returned to Ottawa last season and eventually got into 11 NHL games, recording three assists. He also suited up for one playoff game.
He's since returned to Europe (again), likely closing the book on his time with the organization that drafted him in 2019. Thomson was, by far, the best asset to come from the trading of Matt Duchene to Columbus, which speaks loudly about the quality of that deal.
#15 Olle Lycksell – 7 games
Lycksell actually made Ottawa's opening-night roster after signing as a free agent last summer, but his stay in the NHL didn't last long.
He appeared in seven games for the Senators and spent most of the season in Belleville. He was a depth player who signed in Switzerland for the coming season.
#34 Arthur Kaliyev – 2 games
Kaliyev was an intriguing low-risk signing last summer because of his shot, his goal-scoring ability, and his OHL days when he played for Steve Staios. Nothing really came of the signing, though Belleville fans would disagree. Kaliyev led the B-Sens and the AHL with 40 goals last season.
He appeared in two games for Ottawa in October but never made it back to the NHL club. Kaliyev finished the season as a dominant scorer in Belleville. Despite leading the AHL with 40 goals, he remains a UFA.
#37 Donovan Sebrango – 2 games
Sebrango got another brief taste of the NHL last season, appearing twice for the Senators.
The Ottawa-area product had been part of the organization since coming over from Detroit in the Alex DeBrincat trade in 2023, but he was claimed off waivers by the Panthers in October after the Sens tried to send him down to Belleville.
Sebrango went on to have his best year yet, playing 40 games for Florida and signing a one-way deal with them last month.
#40 Mads Søgaard – 2 games
There was a time when Søgaard was considered a legit candidate to become the Sens' goalie of the future.
That never happened.
Sogaard appeared in just two games for Ottawa last season and has since signed with Tampa Bay. The last 6-foot-7 Sens goalie who left for Tampa was Ben Bishop. If Sogaard can only be half as good, the Lightning will be thrilled.
#31 Hunter Shepard – 1 game
Shepard's Senators career lasted exactly one NHL appearance.
Ottawa signed him as organizational goaltending depth last summer and eventually traded him to Montreal in March in a minor league swap. Shepard will give the KHL a go this season.
Obviously, no two exits carry the same impact on the Sens roster. At the top, it's Tkachuk, while a few of these departures won't move the needle at all.
But it does illustrate just how quickly an NHL roster turns over. 12 players who pulled on a Senators sweater at some point last season have already moved on.
So while the names at the top of the lineup remain highly recognizable, there's actually been quite a bit of change under the hood.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the Sens headlines below:
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 27: Domenick Fensore #89 of the Carolina Hurricanes takes the ice prior to the first period of their game against the Florida Panthers. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by Mile High Hockey staff members. Seven writers have ranked players under the age of 25 in the Colorado Avalanche organization as of September 1, 2026. Now, we’ll count down each of the 25 players ranked.
Coming in as one of the new Colorado Avalanche signings of this summer’s free agency class is left shot defenseman Domenick Fensore. Originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third round of the 2019 NHL draft, the 24-year-old defenseman is coming off a solid AHL campaign with the Chicago Wolves. In his third season with Chicago, Fensore posted career highs in goals (10), assists (25) and points (35) in 60 regular season games.
Fensore was a fixture on the Chicago blue line during the Wolves’ playoff run. In 18 playoff games, he recorded four goals and two assists. One of his goals came as a shorthanded tally during Game Three of the Western Conference Final against the Colorado Eagles, where Fensore will likely spend the upcoming season. Fensore’s regular season numbers would have placed him second in goal scoring among Eagles defensemen, just one shy of the now-departed Jack Ahcan, who had eleven (11) goals in 61 regular season games. Fensore should fit right into the role of offensive defenseman with the Eagles.
Fensore’s prospects of breaking into the Avs lineup are pretty slim, provided that the blue line doesn’t get rocked by a rash of multiple injuries at the same time. That said, the 5’8” Ahcan was (somehow) an appealing option to Avs head coach Jared Bednar at various points in the regular season and playoffs, and if a rash of injuries strike at the likes of Sam Malinski, Josh Manson, or Cale Makar, perhaps the 5’9” Fensore may see some limited NHL usage. He does have three games of NHL experience, all with the Carolina Hurricanes, in which he produced zero points.
Fensore’s AHL playoff experience may prove beneficial for the Eagles this season. Colorado had Chicago on the ropes in their Western Conference Final series, but ultimately fell short in their bid for their first-ever Calder Cup Final appearance, losing in a winner-take-all Game Seven. Will Fensore be a difference-maker for the Eagles this season? Tough to say at this point, but it could be a compelling reason to keep an eye on how things play out in Loveland as the season progresses.
Most of us here on staff ranked Fensore in the mid-to-low teens in our rankings, with Ryan being the most skeptical of us at 28. The 24-year-old will be serviceable on the blue line in Loveland, but being tasked to serve in an NHL-level capacity may be beyond his capabilities.
Let us know what you think of this prospect in the comments!
Winnipeg Jets star Kyle Connor has once again earned recognition as one of the NHL's premier offensive talents.
NHL Network unveiled its annual "Top 20 Wings Right Now" ranking this week, placing Connor 11th among the league's best wingers entering the 2026-27 season.
The 29-year-old slipped two spots from his No. 9 ranking a year ago, despite putting together another highly productive campaign for Winnipeg. And he's not the only Jets star to fall in the rankings this offseason either.
Photo by Charles LeClaire/USA Today
Connor finished the 2025-26 season with a team-leading 39 goals and 92 points, adding 53 assists while appearing in all 82 games for a second consecutive year. It marked his fifth consecutive 30-goal season and gave him 323 goals and 674 points through 695 career NHL games.
His 92 points came one year after setting career highs with 41 goals, 56 assists and 97 points in 2024-25.
NHL Network ranked Connor immediately behind Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander, who checked in at No. 10, while new Los Angeles Kings forward Artemi Panarin landed one spot behind Connor at No. 12.
Cole Caufield, Matthew Tkachuk, Jason Robertson, Matt Boldy, Mikko Rantanen, Mitch Marner, Kirill Kaprizov and David Pastrnak occupied spots nine through two, respectively, while Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov retained the No. 1 position.
Connor's placement comes after another significant year in which he represented the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics and continued climbing Winnipeg's franchise record books.
The Michigan product now sits just five goals shy of Ilya Kovalchuk's 328 for second-most in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers franchise history. Only longtime teammate Mark Scheifele, with 372, has scored more.
Connor's future in Winnipeg is also secure.
The Jets signed their longtime winger to an eight-year, $96-million contract extension last October, carrying an average annual value of $12 million. The deal keeps Connor under contract through the 2033-34 season.
Originally selected 17th overall by Winnipeg in the 2015 NHL Draft, Connor has spent his entire NHL career with the organization.
Despite falling two places in NHL Network's rankings this summer, Connor remains the only Jets winger to crack the Top 20 and will enter his 10th full NHL season as one of Winnipeg's most important offensive weapons.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 50 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #50.
Let's take a look.
Joakim Lindström - 2006 - Lindström was drafted by Columbus in the 2nd round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
Lindström made his North American debut in the last game of the 04-05 season for the Syracuse Crunch, the CBJ's AHL team. In the 05-06 season, he would make his Blue Jackets debut and play in three games. In 2008, after playing just 37 games, Lindström was traded to the Anaheim Ducks.
He finished his CBJ career with 8 points, but it was his AHL career that paid his bills. In his four seasons with the Crunch, he played in 176 games and had a total of 159 points.
He returned to Europe in 2009 and bounced back and forth between the NHL and Europe until he retired in 2023.
Antoine Vermette - 2009-12 - Vermette was traded to Columbus by Ottawa for Pascal Leclaire and Columbus' 2nd round pick (Robin Lehner) in the 2009 NHL Draft, March 4, 2009.
He played 241 games in Columbus and totaled 152 points.
Vermette was traded to Phoenix by Columbus for Curtis McElhinney, Ottawa's 2nd round pick (previously acquired, later traded to Philadelphia -- Philadelphia selected Anthony Stolarz) in the 2012 NHL Draft and Phoenix's 4th round pick (later traded to Philadelphia, later traded to Los Angeles -- Los Angeles selected Justin Auger) in the 2013 NHL Draft, February 22, 2012.
Vermette retired on January 31, 2019, after 14 NHL seasons. Vermette retired with a 56.6 career faceoff win percentage, which was the ninth-best among all players since the NHL began tracking the stat in 1997.
Eric Robinson - 2018-24 - Robinson was undrafted out of Bellmawr, New Jersey, and signed with Columbus as a free agent on March 27, 2018.
Robinson, known for his blazing speed, played in 266 games for the Blue Jackets before being traded to Buffalo by Columbus for a conditional pick in the 2025 NHL Draft on December 6, 2023. He totaled 82 points for Columbus.
On July 1, 2024, Robinson signed with the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-year, $6,800,000 contract. In his first season with the Hurricanes, he set career highs in goals, assists, and points with 14, 18, and 32.
In his second season in Carolina, he reached the top of the mountain. After scoring 12 goals and totaling 18 points, he and his Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup by defeating the Vegas Golden Knights. He has 8 points in 19 playoff games.
There are 50 days left until opening night.
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NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 04: Jake Allen #34 of the New Jersey Devils defend his net during the second period of the game against the Montréal Canadiens on April 4, 2026 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“The New Jersey Devils should have plenty of competition in camp as is, but it never hurts to have more. Let’s look at six players that make sense as PTO options.” [Devils on the Rush]
“The Devils have been one of the most-improved teams this off-season, but one area still needs vast improvement: defensive puck-movement.” [Devils’ Advocates]
“Goaltending is an extremely volatile position. Mehta & Co. are betting that volatility works in their favor. That might sound like a risky way to approach one of the most important positions on a hockey team. But I think it’s actually one of the more calculated decisions Mehta has made.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]
Hockey Links
“For the third consecutive year, The Athletic is looking at the top tier of NHL players, examining which of them could someday be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. It’s a fun, illuminating project — one that provides both material for debate and, we hope, information on what it takes for players to get in.” [The Athletic ($)]
“We are one month from the beginning of NHL training camp, and 18 restricted free agents still remain on the market.” [Daily Faceoff]
“For some teams, the honour will go to an up-and-coming superstar ready to become the face of the franchise. For others, it will go to a veteran who will provide stability and share his experience with younger teammates. Before teams return from summer break, let’s pick a new captain for the 10 without one.” [Sportsnet]
A look at three NHL goalies who have the potential to have breakout years: [The Hockey News]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
PensBurgh’s 2026 edition of the Top 25 Under 25 countdown rolls on with Avery Hayes, a young forward who emerged as a legitimate bottom-six option after making his NHL debut last season.
2025 Ranking:No. 18 Age: 23 (Oct. 10, 2002) Acquired Via: Signed with WB/S Penguins as undrafted free agent before 2023-24 season Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 174 pounds
Working his way up from an undrafted forward in the American Hockey League, Hayes was called up for his NHL debut in February 2026, scoring two goals in his debut game against the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 5.
Hayes’ two-goal first period put him in rare company, making him just the seventh player in NHL history to accomplish the feat in his debut.
“I can’t really put it into words,” said the 23-year-old forward after his debut. “I’m just excited to see my family after they were able to make the trip. So, I have no words right now, but it was a ton of fun.”
Hayes would then be re-assigned to the AHL during the Olympic break, where he notched a hat trick in his next AHL game back before recording another three-goal game 11 days later.
Hayes went from scoring twice in his NHL debut to struggling to consistently produce at the NHL level when games resumed after the Olympics, illustrating the challenge of making the jump to the world’s best league.
After that two-goal debut, Hayes went pointless between Feb. 26 and March 14. He would score his third career goal in an 8-3 win over the New York Islanders on March 30 before notching two more goals in the team’s regular-season finale, a 7-5 loss to the St. Louis Blues on April 14.
Hayes played 16 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, deployed primarily as an “energy guy” in a bottom-six role, scoring five goals while averaging 11:10 of ice time per game.
Five goals in 16 NHL games isn’t a huge sample, but it does suggest Hayes has some finishing ability that could make him more than a purely energy-line player if he can maintain it over a larger sample.
Hayes finished the 2025-26 AHL season at a nearly point-per-game clip, registering 39 points over 42 games. He also recorded 48 regular-season penalty minutes. In the Calder Cup playoffs, Hayes added another three goals and 40 penalty minutes in 15 games as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
The AHL production is what makes Hayes particularly intriguing. His 24 goals ranked first among Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forwards, despite Hayes missing time while in the NHL. His 39 points in 42 games also made him one of the team’s most productive offensive players.
Over 131 regular-season AHL games, Hayes has provided plenty of spark for the Baby Penguins, recording 53 goals and 90 points along with 112 penalty minutes.
There are higher-ceiling players elsewhere in the Penguins’ prospect pool, but few can match Hayes’ combination of NHL experience, AHL production and proximity to a regular NHL job.
He could be deployed in a bottom-six role given his speed, tenacity and finishing ability. Still, the challenge now is determining whether that offensive production can consistently translate to the NHL.
Hayes has the makings of a pest-like forward, able to get under an opponent’s skin while creating offense through his forechecking. He offers the coaching staff an always-valued “energizer” as a complementary piece.
His biggest obstacle may ultimately be opportunity. The Penguins’ forward depth chart is currently bursting at the seams, leaving Hayes with little margin for error as he tries to secure a regular NHL job.
At this juncture, Hayes looks less like a guaranteed NHL player and more like one of the Penguins’ most intriguing call-up options when injury or ineffective play from other forwards strikes.
After going undrafted and working his way to the NHL, though, that’s a pretty good place to be at 23 years old.
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. 14, we covered Tanner Howe, whose translatable skillset could just render him a fast-lane ticket to the NHL. At No. 13, we spotlight another seventh-rounder - the other being forward Kale Dach at No. 19 - whose substantial growth may come as a bit of a surprise, but it's a pretty big development for the Penguins and their future on the blue line.
No. 13: D Finn Harding
GOAL. Finn Harding with patience and his point shot through traffic finds the back of the net.
If there is a position of weakness in the Penguins' prospect pool, it is probably on the blue line, as they have a whole lot of unknowns and lower-ceiling prospects in that department but not a whole lot of surefire NHL bets.
But even if Harrison Brunicke is, by far, the most promising defenseman in the system, that doesn't mean he's the only one looking like a future NHL mainstay.
Harding, 21, just completed his first full year of professional hockey within the Penguins' organization, primarily with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins. This was after a 2024-25 OHL season with the Brampton Steelheads when he registered seven goals and 57 points in 67 games to go along with a whopping plus-46.
That plus-46 followed a plus-39 season, and it was succeeded in the pros during the 2025-26 season with a combined plus-39 between the Wheeling Nailers - former ECHL affiliate of the Penguins - and WBS. Even if plus-minus is a largely arbitrary stat nowadays, that's not necessarily the case with Harding in particular.
The number speaks not just to how much he's been contributing on offense - he did have four goals and 26 points in 61 games last season, with all but seven of them played in the AHL - but also to how sound and reliable he has been defensively. Harding is quickly putting himself in the same conversation as NHL-upside defensemen in Brunicke, Owen Pickering, and Tomas Galvas, and it's because of how his two-way game is blossoming.
And, quite frankly, that's not bad for a guy who was selected 223rd overall in 2024.
Harding's combination of hockey smarts, defensive instincts, reliability, physicality, and offensive upside make him an intriguing option on the right side. He has excellent gap control, his stick work is impressive, and he has the ability to establish positioning and push attacking players to the outside, making him an effective defender against the rush and one-on-one. He has enough offensive ability to be an effective secondary option on the power play and in a lineup, and he is skilled with the puck on his stick in the offensive zone and in transition.
ATLEY CALVERT. 5-0 #WBSPens with 2:39 left in the 2nd period.
Relentless work along the wall by WBS, and Calvert finishes a rebound at the net.
Great play by Finn Harding creeping in from the right point on the primary assist. Aidan McDonough added a secondary assist.… pic.twitter.com/PzIlfU6Gyv
Harding could stand to improve his skating and mobility a bit more, and that's the biggest knock on his game. But he is an astute pupil, and the organization is impressed with his ability to apply what he has learned.
"He's a spectacular kid," director of player development Tom Kostopoulos said during development camp. "He's intelligent, he's open to learning, and he absorbs information and direction maybe better than any kid we have in our organization. Anything you tell him, you can tell he learns it and he works at it.
"So, he had a good year for his rookie year. He defends hard, he's physical, he's got an undercover little snarl and edge to him, which I like. And he brings some offense. He's plus-30-something in Wilkes-Barre. That doesn't happen by accident. Coaches love him, teammates love him, he's a hockey nerd, and he's got a bright future."
It seems Harding is very much dictating the terms of his future, which looks a whole lot bigger and better than it did two years ago, when he was one of the three final selections in the 2024 draft. If he continues to push his ceiling and heighten expectations, the Penguins may very well have themselves a solid, reliable, two-way bottom-four defender in the near future.
Harding has been, perhaps, the shining example of a successful story in development within the system, and things can only go up from here for him and the Penguins.
Forward Andrei Kuzmenko was one of a few players the Pittsburgh Penguins signed when free agency started on Jul. 1.
They signed him to replace Anthony Mantha after the latter had a career 2025-26 season, finishing with 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games. Mantha was on a one-year contract and was coming off a torn ACL before the Penguins gave him a great opportunity.
Mantha ran with that opportunity, and the Penguins are hoping that Kuzmenko will do the same after finishing last season with only 13 goals and 25 points in 52 games.
Kuzmenko burst onto the scene in his debut NHL season with the Vancouver Canucks in 2022-23, racking up 39 goals and 74 points in 81 games. He also shot 27.3% that season.
Since then, he has only compiled one 20+ goal season (2023-24) and has played on three other teams (Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, and Philadelphia Flyers). He will be on his fifth NHL team in five seasons when the 2026-27 season starts in September.
The Penguins will likely give him plenty of minutes in the top nine and an opportunity to hit the 20-goal mark for the third time in his career. I hinted at it a bit in my piece about Ben Kindel on Monday, but Kuzmenko feels like a natural fit for the third line. He can finish off the chances that Kindel sets up and gives the Penguins some added depth for that line.
Kuzmenko can also fill in for someone in the top six if injuries arise or if someone is struggling. Going off that, I'd bet that we at least see some minutes with him and Evgeni Malkin on the ice at the same time. It's something that Penguins head coach Dan Muse may experiment with a little bit, even though Kuzmenko is still a strong fit for the third line.
Another area that Kuzmenko will be a strong fit for is the Penguins' power play. He won't be on the top unit, but he should 100% be utilized on the second unit. He played 155:31 on the PP for the Kings last season and scored eight of his 13 goals on that unit.
The power play comes naturally to him, so it would only be fitting for the Penguins' coaching staff to put him there.
I think there's a real shot for him to bounce back and score 20 goals this year. We've seen the Penguins take on two reclamation projects in Anthony Beauvillier and Anthony Mantha, and both turned out to be great signings.
Besides, if the Penguins are out of it by the trade deadline, Kuzmenko could get flipped to a contender for an asset or two. If they're still in it or in a playoff spot, they'd probably be happy to keep him, as they did with Mantha this past season.
All of the Penguins' top free agency signings from last year hit in a major way. Let's see if Kuzmenko can help history repeat itself this year.
