On the Tuesday night edition of The Sick Podcast, Tony Marinaro and guest Jimmy Murphy discussed a number of topics, but one of them particularly stood out. Last weekend, Marinaro attended a hockey event at Hockey Etcetera and spent time with Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kristopher Letang.
As the Montreal native was taking part in a box break with the Card Chaser staff, he mentioned that Pavel Datsyuk is one of the best players he has ever faced and then proceeded to say that Montreal Canadiens’ now-sophomore winger Ivan Demidov’s creativity and unpredictability reminded him of the Magic Man. At which point Marinaro asked Letang just how great he believed Demidov could be, and the39-year-old veteran replied:
I told my son, because we talk about this stuff, I said give it 3 years, and I think he’s going to be close to the top 5 in the league. I mean, assuming that he stays healthy and has good development and everything, that’s where I see him.
That’s high praise indeed from a player who's spent 20 years in the NHL and played with some of the best players of his era. Letang has teamed up with great players over the years, playing alongside Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and Marc-Andre Fleury, to name a few, and against the likes of Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. Game recognizes game, as they say, and it looks like Demidov has made quite an impression on the veteran defenseman.
In three games against the Pens so far, Demidov has scored one goal and picked up two assists for a total of three points, including two points in a 4-3 shootout loss back in December. Letang should get to face Demidov another three games this season, and he won’t have to wait long either since the Canadiens are taking on the Penguins twice in October.
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 30: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores past Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 30, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
On Wednesday, The Athletic released its annual NHL player tiers list, taking the top-150 players in the league and putting them into separate tiers to indicate what level they are on. The tiers include MVP level, franchise player, All-Star, star, and support players.
The list is compiled by taking into account player net ratings, the writer rankings, and a panel of 20 people within the NHL.
From a Pittsburgh Penguins perspective, this year’s list re-confirms what is the biggest concern for the team in the long-term future.
They just do not have enough young elite talent. Or any at the moment.
While this Penguins team has a lot of organizational depth at certain positions, specifically at forward and in goal, and while the prospect pool is dramatically better than it was even one or two years ago, a lot of the players that make up that depth have a limited ceiling. They might have high floors. But they have low ceilings.
There are a lot of potential NHL players and NHL regulars there. There are some good players and potentially really good players. There are a lot of potential wild-cards that could go in a lot of different directions. But there are simply not enough proven impact players or high-ceiling prospects that they can consider a focal point for a serious Stanley Cup contending team in the future.
At least not right now.
The Penguins have three players on the list, but they are all deep into their 30s.
The players on the list are…
Center, and captain, Sidney Crosby who fits into Tier 2 as a franchise-level player.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson who is listed in Tier 3 as an All-Star level player.
Forward Evgeni Malkin who is listed in Tier 5 as a support player.
In the short-term, having two players within the top-three tiers is fine, and could be a good foundation, especially when you take into account the position each plays (center and defense) and how they can be cornerstone players down the middle where championship-level teams are built.
But again, these guys are in their late 30s. You might be able to count on them in the short-term, but you can not count on them for the long-term.
Crosby is going to be 39 this season, and while he is coming off another big year, the assessment of his play and ranking is more about his status as an NHL legend, and not really the player he currently is.
Our approach to Crosby’s placement, as he’s continued to strengthen his case for Hockey Rushmore through his late 30s, has been to start conservatively and wait for the panel to argue him up the list. For the first time, that’s not how it went down.
That’s not meant as any sort of knock on the legend, either. “He willed that team into the playoffs,” an exec said. “They had no business being there.” The expectation is that, even at 39, he will continue to produce like an in-his-prime franchise player — a necessity for the Penguins if they’re to make another shocking postseason push.
Are age-related cracks are starting to come through? Sure. Pittsburgh was break-even in expected goals in Crosby’s minutes in 2025-26, which doesn’t bode well for his defensive play, and offensively, his dip in effectiveness on the rush continued. The bigger picture, though, cannot be lost. This is a once-in-a-generation player showcasing once-in-a-lifetime longevity.
Honestly, I don’t think there is anything unfair there. I will quibble with the assessment the he “willed” them into the playoffs on his own, mostly because they did one hell of a job staying in the fight when he was sidelined for a significant portion of the season. A lot of players contributed to that playoff appearance.
He can still score and produce points. But he is not the consistent game-changing force he was at his peak and in his prime. Sometimes that extra level of dominance is there. Sometimes it is not. There are legitimate concerns and cracks in the defensive game. He’s still Sidney Crosby, but he’s no longer SIDNEY CROSBY.
The assessment on Karlsson is actually a little more encouraging even though he is two-tiers below Crosby.
“Had an unreal year,” a scout said. “Drives me nuts.”
Welcome to the Erik Karlsson Experience, now starting its 18th season and headed for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Karlsson bounced back to an almost incredible degree for Pittsburgh in 2025-26, helping to fuel an unexpected run to the postseason and finding his way back on to a handful of Norris Trophy ballots. Karlsson was 10th among defensemen in points per 60 and, even more crucially, Pittsburgh won his minutes 73-53 after outright losing them in 2024-25.
“He can go either way, but what he did last season was special,” a veteran executive said. “There’s just not a lot of defenders on your list that can put together the sort of season that he managed.”
There is a strong and convincing argument to be made that Karlsson was the Penguins’ best and most important player in 2025-26, and you do not have to look much further than the fact he took home the team’s MVP honors. It would not surprise me if he came back this season and played at that level again, and was again the team’s best player. He is going to be 36 years old, but I still saw a player that has a lot of gas in the tank this past season.
The biggest problem, aside from the age, is that he is in the final year of his contract and is not guaranteed to finish the season as a member of the Penguins, let alone be a member of the team next season.
He can still give you a great player right now, but for how much longer?
Malkin, in Tier 5, probably has the least optimistic outlook.
Which forward born in the mid-1980s led Pittsburgh in all-situations points per 60 last season? That would be Malkin (3.72), who was rejuvenated by a move to the wing at 39.
The future Hall of Famer might no longer be a dominant down-the-middle force, but he’s still producing plenty of offense, period, let alone for an old guy. Is a repeat performance a dodgy proposition? Sure — but slotting him in as a highly productive second-line wing seems reasonable and fair.
Again, I think that is fair. Also, like Karlsson, he is playing out one more year on his current contract and could also be out of the picture by next season due to retirement.
So where are the Penguins going to get some players that fit into the higher tiers?
Goalie prospect Sergei Murashov might be the prospect in the system that has the highest ceiling, and the one that could eventually play his way into something like a Tier 3 level if (very big if) everything goes right for him. But I also feel like he is the top prospect in the organization that is least likely to reach their ceiling just based on the nature of the position he plays and the unpredictably that comes with goalies, and especially young goalies.
He is one of those wild-cards.
I could see Ben Kindel being a Tier 5 guy, and maybe even a Tier 4 guy, at some point in his career. Maybe not this season or next season, but eventually. A two-way center with great hockey sense and a good shot can be an important part of a contending team.
Maybe if Egor Chinakhov shows his second-half performance in Pittsburgh after the trade was not a fluke, he can play his way into Tier 5, or perhaps even Tier 4, with another big season or two. He scored at a 35-goal pace after the trade, and could potentially be a Pavel Dorofeyev type player if he can build on that and consistently show it over a full season and beyond (Dorofeyev, for the record, is Tier 5 this season).
Those are a lot of ifs and maybes. Ifs and maybes do not always go perfectly.
If you are looking at potential outside additions, everybody has been dreaming about Jason Robertson, and given the salary cap space the Penguins will have at their disposal this offseason you can continue to dream about that if you want. It might not be likely. But it is something you can hope for. He is in the Tier 2 level, though the anonymous quotes from scouts and coaches are kind of baffling. Even so, he would change the math for them if they could somehow get him.
Elias Pettersson as a potential trade option still makes the list in Tier 5, even if everybody seems to agree he has not done anything to earn that status in two years. The potential for a bounce-back given what he has shown he is capable of is what keeps him on there.
Then there is simply the potential for draft picks. The Penguins have a ton of draft pick capital over the next three years, and the chance to add more, and while none of them are truly elite picks at the moment, sometimes one of the best ways to give yourself a chance at finding a cornerstone player is to just give yourself as many picks as possible. Or maybe you can move up in a year. Or maybe this season represents a step backwards and draft lottery luck smiles upon you.
Whatever the case may be, and whether it is internal improvement, a free agent signing, a blockbuster trade, or some draft luck, it is pretty clear what the Penguins biggest need is and the one thing that is going to limit their ceiling in the near future until they find a way to fix it.
The New Jersey Devils dynasty years provide throwbacks for fans with great moments from those Stanley Cup-winning years. The Scott Stevens hit on Eric Lindros in the 2000 Eastern Conference Final. The Patrik Elias Game 7 game-winning goal in that series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
While the Devils didn’t win the Cup in 2012, the Adam Henrique Game 6 overtime winner against the New York Rangers is a highlight worth replaying over and over again (which you will probably do below before scrolling).
The only thing better than the Devils winning is when they defeat their rivals in the process. It’s those great matchups between two juggernauts throughout the regular season and then in the playoffs that stand out. Frankly, that hasn’t happened in a while, mainly because the Devils have struggled in recent years, making the playoffs only three times in the past decade.
That said, this season can see some of those reinvigorated rivalries. The Devils, for one, are poised to bounce back. Plus, with the way the Metropolitan Division is shaping up, a handful of teams can put together great seasons and face the Devils in games that matter.
Devils-Penguins
The early 1990s were when the Devils started turning a corner and looking like a Cup contender, except they kept running into Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins. It made the 1995 Eastern Conference Semi-Final victory significant, not just because the Devils got their revenge but also because it was a changing of the guard.
The Devils defeated the Penguins in 1995 and went on to win the Cup. The game shifted from high-flying offenses to the trap and defenses dominating play. The early 1990s were a clash in styles, and when the Devils finally beat the Penguins, they became the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.
The parallels from a roster standpoint are there to some extent. The Sidney Crosby-led Penguins are in the final seasons of their contention window, while the Devils are hopeful this season is the start of something special. However, these games will be centered around how the Devils handle the Penguins and their offense because if they are good, it’s because of all the skill with Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson turning back the clock again.
Devils-Hurricanes
The Devils don’t have much of a rivalry history with the Carolina Hurricanes because, in fairness, the Hurricanes weren’t that good for a while. They were worse when they were the Hartford Whalers.
The best rivalry games were recent, although they haven’t been fun matchups for the Devils. The two teams met in the 2025 First Round and the 2023 Second Round, with the Hurricanes winning both matchups in five games. Plus, there was that 2006 series that the Hurricanes won on their way to their first Cup title.
This season, the Devils will use the Hurricanes as a measuring stick. The Hurricanes have become the team to beat in the Metropolitan Division in recent years, and now, they are the defending champs. So, how the Devils play against them will be telling. How far have they come, and how big is the gap between the two teams?
Devils-Capitals
This rivalry was at its peak before both teams were. In the late 1980s and early 90s, the Devils and Washington Capitals had some nasty games, the kind where line brawls and all-out mayhem were a common occurrence. Game 3 of the 1988 Patrick Division Finals saw the two teams combine for 231 penalties in minutes, which doesn’t seem mathematically possible (it was the 80s; it was a different time).
This season, the rivalry can be restored, although not with the same animosity and certainly not the same fights. The Capitals are shaping up to be a Cup contender after an impressive offseason where they acquired Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, and Boone Jenner. Likewise, the Devils overhauled their forward unit and expect to turn things around.
If there was any team that crossed paths with the Devils when they were winning the Cup, it was the Flyers. The 1990s teams went up against Eric Lindros, Ron Hextall, and well-built Flyers teams capable of winning the Cup. The 1995 Eastern Conference Final, which went six games, was a tougher test for the Devils than the Final, where they swept a young Detroit Red Wings team on the rise. Then there was the 2000 Eastern Conference Final, which had plenty of iconic moments and went the distance.
There’s a good chance that both teams are great this season and will provide great matchups. The Flyers have young, elite talent on the wings, while the Devils are led by great play up the middle.
Whether it’s Porter Martone, Matvei Michkov, or Trevor Zegras for the Flyers, or Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier for the Devils, any shift is a highlight waiting to happen. Plus, both teams feature coaching staffs that will adjust and pivot all season to keep their teams in the playoff picture. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if one of these teams barely edges out the other for a playoff spot and a game or two between these teams decides who gets in.
Will The Other Matchups Have The Same Spark?
The New York Islanders never had their dynasty overlap. When the Islanders had their dynasty in the 1980s, the Devils were known as a “Mickey Mouse organization,” as Wayne Gretzky put it. Then the teams traded places, and the Devils were winning while the Isles were a bottom-feeder.
It sets up the next few seasons to be the best of the rivalry years. The Islanders are a team on the rise, while the Devils are anticipating a bounce-back and more stability under a new general manager.
The Devils and Rangers have plenty of history and have one of the best rivalries in hockey. This season specifically, the rivalry isn’t expected to have the same intensity since the Rangers are rebuilding and unlikely to be in the mix with the rest of the division.
The same might be the case with the Columbus Blue Jackets. They have all of the pressure to make the playoffs, but there’s the looming tension surrounding Zach Werenski, and Adam Fantilli remains a restricted free agent at the time of this typing. Plus, the Devils and Jackets don’t have much of a rivalry history to begin with.
Which matchup are you most looking forward to this season? Comment below!
With 30 days remaining until the Detroit Red Wings open the 2026-27 season, we take a look at the top player to have worn jersey No. 30.
The Top No. 30 In Red Wings History: Chris Osgood
This was about as easy a choice as one could have - there is no better player in Detroit Red Wings history to have worn No. 30 than goaltender Chris Osgood.
Selected by Detroit with the 54th pick in the 1991 NHL Draft, Osgood began his NHL seeing regular staring time in both the regular season and the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs before Detroit acquired future Hall of Fame goaltender Mike Vernon from the Calgary Flames.
Osgood took over as Detroit's postseason starter in 1996 and carried a heavy workload the following year, but Scotty Bowman turned to Vernon for the 1997 playoffs, and he helped end Detroit's 42-year Stanley Cup drought,
But Osgood was once again thrust into the starting role after Vernon's departure that August and led the Red Wings to another Stanley Cup win in 1998.
Osgood became expendable following the summer 2001 acquisition of Dominik Hasek, and while he was with the club for Training Camp, he was placed on waivers before the start of the season and claimed by the New York Islanders. He'd eventually help them reach Game 7 of their 2002 first-round series against Toronto.
The following season, Osgood was dealt to the St. Louis Blues, where he would play until returning to Detroit before the 2005-06 campaign.
He initially shared the crease with Manny Legace and later served as Dominik Hasek’s backup before taking over as the Red Wings’ starter during the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs, leading Detroit to its 11th Stanley Cup 10 years after doing so for the first time in 1998.
While Osgood struggled in the 2008-09 regular season, he returned as the team’s playoff starter that spring, and helped them to within a single win of repeating as Cup champions; he was a likely candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy had Detroit repeated.
In 2009-10, eventually ceded the starting job to Jimmy Howard but reached another milestone in December 2010, earning his 400th NHL victory.
Osgood retired that summer with 401 wins, including 317 with Detroit, second-most in franchise history behind Terry Sawchuk.
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The Buffalo Sabres enjoyed a terrific 2025-26 season, winning the Atlantic Division, then beating the Boston Bruins in the first-round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Sabres lost to the Montreal Canadiens in Round 2, but Buffalo sent a message – namely, that the days of the Sabres being a laughingstock are over.
With that out of the way, here at TheHockeyNews.com, we're breaking down Buffalo’s Eastern Conference opponents for the second season in an ongoing series we call “Know Your Enemy”. And in this particular file, we’re focusing on the team that won a championship last season – the Carolina Hurricanes.
BUFFALO SABRES VS. CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEW HURRICANES PLAYERS: None
2025-26 SERIES: Sabres 1-2-0, Hurricanes 2-1-0
2026-27 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER: January 9, at Buffalo; February 13 at Carolina; February 18 at Buffalo
CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM? GIven that the Hurricanes handed the Sabres fairly easily this past season, and given that the Canes are the defending Cup champions, we don’t see Buffalo having more success against them in 2026-27. The Canes lost a few players including goalie Frederik Andersen, but they don't need to prove anything to anyone.
The interesting wrinkle in this year’s Sabres schedule is that the Sabres and Carolina will square off three times in the span of about five weeks from January to mid-February. That’s going to give the Sabres a good barometer of what they’ll need to do to acquire pieces at next year’s trade deadline with a focus on beating the Hurricanes.
To be sure, Carolina is a swift-and-skilled squad, and to be sure, the Sabres are also swift and skilled. But Buffalo lost major pieces this summer, and the Hurricanes are probably going to improve at one point or another this season. This is why we’re skeptical that the Sabres will be able to last longer in next year’s post-season than the Hurricanes will.
The Hurricanes clearly subscribe to the school of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, and their youngsters are going to keep them competitive for years to come. So while we’ll have to wait until the new calendar season until we see the Sabres against Carolina, the wait is going to be worth it. And Buffalo will be able to use the Canes as a measuring stick by which to compare themselves. So we’re going to get high-quality hockey when these two teams go head-to-head.
With NHL training camps starting to get closer, the Montreal Canadiens have been beginning to skate together.
However, one defenseman who recently skated on his own without his teammates was Canadiens blueliner Kaiden Guhle.
Guhle was the only player who skated on his own in track suit on the Canadiens' second rink while the rest of Montreal's players who practiced on Tuesday skated on their first rink.
The Canadiens have not provided an injury update regarding Guhle, but it is fair to wonder if something could be bothering the left-shot defenseman. Him skating on his own, not dressed in full gear, is interesting.
With Guhle being a key part of the Canadiens' blueline, they are certainly hoping that he will be good to go for the start of the season. This is an important season for the 2020 first-round pick, as he will be looking to have a big breakout year for the Habs.
Guhle has also dealt with injury trouble over the last few seasons, so it would be unfortunate if he injured again with training camp getting closer. He was limited to just 39 games last season for Montreal, where he posted two goals, 11 points, 86 hits, and a plus-5 rating.
We will now need to wait and see if the Canadiens end up announcing that Guhle is dealing with something. Here's to hoping that the 24-year-old defenseman is healthy.
Earlier in the week, the Chicago Blackhawks announced their roster for the 2026 Prospect Showcase. This event will take place at Blackhawks Ice Arena in Chicago, and it will feature three practices, two morning skates, and two games against the St. Louis Blues prospects.
Once again, the Blackhawks are bringing an above-average amount of talent to an event like this. Not every one of Chicago's top prospects is attending, but there is enough to consider it a highly competitive group.
Of the players showing up to this showcase, these five are the ones who will have extra attention on them for different reasons:
Sacha Boisvert - FWD
Sacha Boisvert was a first-round pick (18th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft. Naturally, that will place excitement on him because there is a certain expectation that comes with selections like that during a rebuilding phase.
Boisvert, after finishing his NCAA career, signed with the Blackhawks at the end of last season for a handful of games. He didn't play every game after signing, but there is clear upside in his game. There is a lot more development ahead of him, but he is a player to watch out for above most at this Prospect Challenge.
Marek Vanacker - FWD
Marek Vanacker was also a first-round pick in the same draft as Boisvert. The Blackhawks made him the 27th overall pick that year. This is another forward that the Blackhawks are hoping will play a role on one of their four lines in the future, if not used in a trade. In the upcoming games against the Blues, Vanacker will make an impact on one of the top two lines.
Ryan Roobroeck - FWD
Ryan Roobroeck is the only player on this list who isn't signed. Unless he is uncuttable in camp and the preseason, he will return to Major Junior hockey in 2026-27 to play for the Guelph Storm of the OHL.
Roobroeck, a second-round pick (35th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft, has a fresh feel to him as a prospect. Of all the players drafted by Chicago in 2026, Roobroeck will get the most attention at this event. It will be interesting to see how he is used compared to some of the older forwards in attendance.
AJ Spellacy - FWD
AJ Spellacy may not be the most skilled or flashy player of the bunch, but he has an argument for being the most "NHL-ready". Spellacy plays a hard-nosed game and is always going full steam ahead.
Spellacy's play style makes him a perfect third forward on a line to complement skill guys. He wins puck battles, hits hard, and isn't afraid to go to the front of the net. His tenacity will allow him to score goals at every level he reaches in hockey.
This is also a player with a clutch gene. When things matter the most, you can expect Spellacy to make a difference.
Adam Gajan -G
Spencer Knight is the organization's number one goalie; Arvid Soderblom is going to be the backup for another year, and Drew Commesso is waiting in the wings. Still, you can never have too much goaltending depth. Adam Gajan is going to be a part of that moving forward.
Gajan was one of the NCAA's best goaltenders last year, and he even found a way onto Team Slovakia's roster at the Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina. He was the third stringer in the end, but he may be the future of the position for that country.
It will be an AHL start for Gajan in his pro career, which is the case for most goaltenders in NHL history. If he gets a look in a Blackhawks uniform this year, it would only be because of multiple injuries, but that is likely not something he will experience until next year or beyond.
As far as the showcase, he is the best non-skater attending for Chicago. Jason Schaubel, the other goalie on the roster, will likely split the net with Gajan when it comes to the games. Schaubel was with the Kitchener Rangers en route to a Memorial Cup victory earlier this year.
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The Tkachuk brothers have arrived in South Florida.
Recently, members of the Florida Panthers have been making their way back to Broward County ahead of the team’s annual training camp, which is set to begin in just over two weeks.
A screenshot of the video, which was posted as an Instrgram story that will disappear after 24 hours, can be seen below.
Among the group were Panthers captain Sasha Barkov, defenseman Dmitry Kulikov and forwards Matthew and Brady Tkachuk.
It’s the first time we’re getting a look at the younger Tkachuk brother on the ice wearing his brand new Panthers gear.
He and his teammates were all sporting the same traditional Panthers practice uniforms that we'll see them wearing throughout the season.
That meant Brady was skating in a white Florida practice sweater to go with a new white helmet and navy blue gloves and pants.
Florida acquired Brady in a blockbuster trade with the Ottawa Senators, giving up a trio of first-round picks and a second-round selection in exchange for the young star forward.
The Panthers’ first preseason game is set for Sunday, Sept. 20 against the Carolina Hurricanes at Amerant Bank Arena.
They’ll open the season nine days later when head to Raleigh to face the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL’s first official game of 2026-27.
Former Seattle Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen announced he had signed with the New York Rangers on Wednesday.
Tolvanen and the Rangers agreed to a one-year contract worth $1.15 million.
Last season, with the Seattle Kraken, Tolvanen appeared in 78 games. The 27-year-old recorded 12 goals and 24 assists for a total of 36 points in the 2025-26 season.
Since being drafted30th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Nashville Predators, the forward has appeared in 423 NHL games with two teams [Predators and Kraken].
In his career, he has recorded 92 goals and 98 assists.
After four seasons with the Kraken, New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury confirmed that the Rangers signed Tolvanen.
Visit The Hockey News Seattle Kraken team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
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Evander Kane has been a lightning rod for controversy throughout his lengthy NHL career, from the infamous “track suit” incident with Winnipeg that resulted in him being dealt to the Buffalo Sabres in 2015, to financial and marital issues that occurred while a member of the San Jose Sharks. Kane had his contract terminated by the Sharks in 2022 for breaching the NHL’s COVID protocols, and this week former teammate Kurtis Gabriel revealed on social media details of the controversial forward’s reputation.
“Every meeting, Evander Kane shows up late,” Gabriel, who played 11 games for the Sharks in 2021, said on the SJHN podcast. “A team meeting in a hotel in the morning; there’s breakfast, you have to be at the meeting. You are always 15 minutes early... we start the meeting, the door clicks open, here comes Evander, in his flip-flops, in his tracksuit, when we are in a suit and tie.”
The revelation drew responses from Kane and Christina Marleau, the wife of teammate Patrick Marleau, who texted to Gabriel that they would not let their sons in the locker room when Kane was around.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
The 35-year-old winger had his share of incidents during his time with the Sabres, being suspended by the club for one game for oversleeping after going to the NBA All-Star Game in Toronto and missing practice the following day, to being arrested for an incident in a Buffalo nightclub on NHL Draft night in 2016, in which the charges were later dropped.
Kane, who is currently an unsigned unrestricted free agent, spent four seasons with the Edmonton Oilers before being dealt to his hometown Vancouver Canucks last summer, where he finished with 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 71 games.
Juraj Slafkovsky said something that stopped a lot of people, of many different fan bases, in their tracks.
“It’s not really about the money for anyone in Montreal,” Slafkovsky said. “We’d rather just focus on collecting those rings.”
The Montreal Canadiens have spent the last few years building their contracts around that mentality. Nick Suzuki is signed for $7.875 million per season. Cole Caufield makes $7.85 million. Slafkovsky is at $7.6 million. Lane Hutson signed for $8.85 million, Noah Dobson is at $9.5 million, and Ivan Demidov signed an eight-year extension worth $9.15 million per season.
Montreal's highest-paid player, Dobson, didn't even sign his contract with the team; he was traded to them from the New York Islanders.
Montreal has its core under contract for years, until the first extension expires in 2030. Every one of those players could be part of the Canadiens through the rest of the decade if they continue to re-sign at this rate.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers have spent a lot of time trying to build around large contracts at the top of the roster. Leon Draisaitl carries a $ 14 million cap hit. McDavid is at $12.5 million. Evan Bouchard's new contract pays him $10.5 million per season. Those three contracts account for $37 million before Stan Bowman gets to the rest of the lineup.
The players have earned their money. Draisaitl has won multiple Hart Trophies, Art Ross Trophies, and Ted Lindsay Awards while producing at a level few players in the league can reach. McDavid is arguably underpaid for what he does. Bouchard put himself in a position for a major contract through his production from the blue line.
Edmonton has generally paid it's star players what they deserve.
Montreal has created an internal salary structure that its players appear willing to follow. Suzuki signed his eight-year deal in 2021. Caufield followed in 2023. Slafkovsky signed his extension in 2024, Hutson followed, and Demidov joined the group this summer.
Demidov had 62 points as a rookie and signed as soon as he became eligible. Hutson signed after winning the Calder Trophy. Slafkovsky agreed to his contract at 20, with plenty of years still ahead of him. None of them waited until the last possible moment to find out what unrestricted leverage or another season of production could bring.
They wanted the contracts done. They wanted to stay in Montreal. They wanted the organization to have money available to keep building the roster.
An extra million dollars on six contracts is $6 million that can't be spent somewhere else. A few players taking reasonable long-term numbers can create enough room for another forward, defenceman, or goaltender. It can give Kent Hughes money at the trade deadline without offloading someone else first. It can also keep a roster together when younger players begin needing new contracts.
Obviously, the Oilers have some discount contracts. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins signed for eight years at $5.125 million in 2021. Zach Hyman signed for $5.5 million and gave Edmonton one of the best contracts in NHL history. McDavid's current $12.5 million deal was a show-me deal to the Oilers, but a cheap one at that.
There has never been a salary structure throughout the entire roster that everyone seemed determined to maintain. Edmonton negotiated each contract on its own terms and dealt with the cap situation that followed.
That approach is common throughout the NHL. Players spend their careers working toward unrestricted free agency and the opportunity to secure their largest contract. Agents have a responsibility to maximize earnings. Careers can end quickly, and teams regularly trade, waive or buy out players when their contracts stop working for the organization.
Slafkovsky's comments provide some insight into how the players in Montreal see it. He is talking about winning a Stanley Cup. The players appear to view their contracts as part of keeping the group together long enough to do that.
Edmonton has spent years searching for value around McDavid and Draisaitl because every dollar matters once the top of the roster has been paid. Stan Bowman looks for players willing to sign short contracts, veterans whose markets disappeared and young players capable of producing on inexpensive deals. One bad contract can remove much of the remaining flexibility.
The same issue exists throughout the league. Toronto infamously paid the core-4 and then had nothing left. Colorado just signed Cale Makar to a $20.4 million contract. Florida might run out of cap space this year. Tampa Bay has had to let players go after winning their recent Stanley Cups.
Every contender eventually has players who need to get paid.
Montreal's current players seem determined to keep that problem under control before it arrives. Their comments underline that the message has become part of the culture, and every new extension gives the next player another reason to take less so he can win more.
The Oilers should want that.
McDavid and Draisaitl say they want to win a Stanley Cup. The team has made decisions around giving them that opportunity, and both players have already committed significant portions of their careers to Edmonton. Creating an internal expectation around contracts could become another part of keeping a winning roster together.
Why can't more NHL teams convince their stars that leaving money available can help them win? Why can't players decide that keeping another teammate around has value of its own? Why can't a room establish a number and have its core buy into it?
Montreal has managed to get several players thinking that way at the same time. The Canadiens now have years to see what they can build with the room those contracts provide.
On Tuesday, the NHL kept going with its top 15 assists from the 2025-26 season, and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson made the list for the second time with the third-best assist of the season. It’s the third time a Hab player appears on the list, after Juraj Slafkovsky manufactured the 13th-best helper and Hutson appeared for the first time at number eight. So far, Hutson and Connor McDavid are the only players to appear twice on the list.
Hutson’s first appearance came thanks to a stretch pass he made to Cole Caufield after blocking a shot that was heading for the Canadiens’ empty net in a game against the Nashville Predators. It led to the sniper tying the game and, later on, winning it for the Habs in overtime.
Hutson’s second appearance on the list is down to a sequence in which he beat three Florida Panthers in a footrace, mesmerizing them all. So much so that they only had eyes for the blueliner, and once they were all out of position, just like the goaltender, he sent the puck back in front of the net, giving Nick Suzuki one of his easiest goals of the season.
That was yet another game-tying goal, which came with the Habs’ net being empty. It just goes to show that Hutson is the kind of player who wants the puck when the game is on the line. The Canadiens ended up winning that game as well, this time in the shootout, with Caufield and Alexandre Texier finding the back of the net. Clearly, Caufield is not the only clutch player on the Canadiens, and Hutson’s competitive level is nothing short of impressive to see. The defenseman never gives up on a game; whether it’s about defending or attacking, he gives it his all.
Chris Pronger has played alongside some of the greatest defensemen in NHL history.
He knows what an elite blueliner looks like.
So when a Hockey Hall of Famer looks at Cale Makar’s record-breaking contract and sees little reason for concern, it is worth listening.
Makar’s eight-year, $163.2 million extension with the Colorado Avalanche makes him the first player in NHL history to carry an average annual value above $20 million. The number is staggering, and the commitment will shape Colorado’s roster for years to come.
But Pronger does not see the deal as a reckless gamble.
Cale Makar and the Avalanche got it done.
There’s a lot to unpack beyond the headline number.
Team fit. Cap certainty. Contract structure. And what makes Makar so special.
He sees a superstar getting paid like a superstar.
“I think it is a win-win for the player and the team,” Pronger said while breaking down Makar’s contract.
And perhaps more importantly for Colorado, he believes the Avalanche have secured the one player around whom their future should be built.
Makar’s extension does not officially begin until the 2027-28 season, with one year remaining on his current deal. But the agreement effectively gives Colorado long-term certainty surrounding the most important defenseman in franchise history.
Since entering the NHL, Makar has established himself as one of the league’s premier defensemen. He is a two-time Norris Trophy winner and, in 2022, became the first defenseman in Avalanche history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy after helping Colorado capture the Stanley Cup.
Makar has also been a Norris finalist in six of his first seven full NHL seasons, joining Bobby Orr as the only defensemen in league history to accomplish that feat.
That résumé is what separates Makar’s contract from the typical conversation surrounding massive long-term deals.
There is always risk when a team commits hundreds of millions of dollars to one player. Injuries and declining production can eventually turn a franchise-altering investment into a franchise-altering problem.
But Pronger does not believe Makar’s injury history provides much reason for concern.
“There’s not a lot of cons other than the potential issue if there was an injury,” Pronger said.
Makar did deal with an upper-body injury late last season that kept him out of the first two games of Colorado’s Western Conference Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The timing could hardly have been worse.
Makar returned for Game 3, but the Avalanche ultimately saw their season end as Vegas swept Colorado.
Still, those injuries clearly did not change how the Avalanche viewed their franchise defenseman.
Makar has been remarkably durable throughout his Colorado tenure, and Pronger believes his track record gives the Avalanche reason to feel comfortable with the commitment.
“I don’t see a drop in his production to the end of this contract, for sure,” Pronger said.
That confidence is rooted in what Makar has already accomplished.
He became the fourth-fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 500 points, doing so in just 467 games. Only Orr, Paul Coffey and Denis Potvin reached the milestone faster.
Makar also finished the 2025-26 season with 79 points in 75 games and became the first defenseman since Phil Housley and Al MacInnis in 1992 to record three consecutive 20-goal seasons.
The Avalanche are not paying Makar based solely on what he might become.
They are paying him for what he has already proven to be.
“That’s the thing about this particular player,” Pronger said. “He’s proven to be this player.”
And for Colorado, the biggest advantage of the extension may not even be Makar’s production.
It is knowing he will be there.
The Avalanche can now plan around Makar without worrying about his next contract, his price as the salary cap rises or whether another team could eventually pry him away.
“They can begin to plan for the future,” Pronger said.
That becomes particularly important when considering the structure of Makar’s contract.
While the $20.4 million cap hit is eye-popping, much of the money is structured as signing bonuses. Beginning in 2027-28, Makar is scheduled to receive a $4 million base salary and a $16.8 million signing bonus, with similar bonus-heavy structures throughout the extension.
In total, the eight-year extension adds up to $163.2 million.
For Makar, the structure offers an obvious financial benefit. Signing bonuses are generally not subject to a buyout in the same way as base salary.
Pronger admitted the bonus-heavy structure surprised him.
“I was shocked that it’s heavily signing-bonus latent,” he said, suggesting Makar and his agency, Bartlett Hockey, likely placed significant value on receiving so much of the money in bonuses.
But the bigger question for Colorado is whether the record-breaking cap hit will become a problem as the contract progresses.
Pronger does not believe it will.
A $20.4 million cap hit is enormous under today’s salary-cap numbers. But if the league’s cap continues to rise, Makar’s deal should consume a smaller percentage of Colorado’s payroll over time.
Pronger believes that by the middle of the contract, years four, five and six, the deal could look considerably more manageable.
That is where Colorado’s roster construction becomes critical.
The Avalanche already have several core pieces committed long term, including Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. With Makar secured through 2034-35, Colorado knows exactly who its roster will be built around.
Now comes the difficult part: finding enough talent to complement those stars without breaking the bank.
That responsibility falls squarely on Joe Sakic and Colorado’s management team.
“They have to continue to find players to add, whether it be through college free agency, junior, et cetera, to supplement their roster,” Pronger said.
In other words, Makar’s contract does not eliminate the challenge facing Colorado.
It defines it.
The Avalanche have decided that Makar is worth building around. Now they have to find creative ways to build the rest of the roster around him.
Pronger understands that better than most.
He won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and captured Olympic gold with Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. More importantly, he knows how rare it is for a franchise to have a defenseman capable of fundamentally changing the way a team plays.
Makar is already entering that territory, which is why the price may ultimately matter less than the decision itself. Colorado has made the calculation that some players are simply too important to let go, even when paying them requires difficult decisions elsewhere on the roster.
That philosophy carries a little more weight in Colorado after what happened with Mikko Rantanen.
Colorado forward Nazem Kadri, who was playing for the Calgary Flames at the time, made his feelings clear after the Avalanche traded Rantanen in 2025, writing on social media: “Rule number one: You always keep the dawgs ... #96.”
Colorado could not keep Rantanen.
It has made sure it is keeping Makar.
“I think it is a win-win for the player and the team,” Pronger said.
The Detroit Red Wings are set to host the 2026 NHL Prospect Tournament, featuring the top young players in their organization along with the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Red Wings have also released their roster for the tournament, which will include 2023 Draft selection Nate Danielson along with 2025 Draft selection Carter Bear.
Additionally, goaltender Trey Augustine, selected in 2023 and who is expected to compete for a starting role in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins, will take part.
Other notable Red Wings prospects include 2020 Draft selection Kienan Draper, the son of four-time Stanley Cup winner and current Red Wings AGM/Amateur Scouting Director Kris Draper, along with 2022 Draft selection Dylan James.
The tournament will take place at the BELFOR Training Center inside of Little Caesars Arena starting on Sept. 12, and fans can watch the matchups at no charge courtesy of the official Red Wings website.
Two days following the conclusion of the Prospects Tournament, the Red Wings will open Training Camp.
Danielson got his first taste of NHL experience last season with the Red Wings, making his debut on Nov. 9 and later registering his first goal (and assist) against the Seattle Kraken just over a week later.
Upon being returned to the Griffins, he would suffer an injury in mid-February, which prevented him from playing in the final 31 games of the regular season, and all of the Griffins' Calder Cup Playoff games.
He scored three goals with 12 assists for the Griffins in the 18 games he skated in.
Meanwhile, Bear scored 36 goals while adding 41 assists in 53 games for the WHL's Everett Silvertips, and contributed seven goals with 15 assists in 18 postseason games, helping his club advance to the Memorial Cup.
Augustine, now arguably Detroit's top goaltending prospect next to Michal Postava following the offseason trade of Sebastian Cossa, is coming off his final season at Michigan State. He posted a 24-9-1 record with a solid 2.11 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.
He also skated in two games for the Griffins following Michigan State's loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA Regional Final.
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If there was any doubt about Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck's intentions heading into next season, the Hart and Vezina Trophy winner made it clear when he confirmed through his agent that he has requested a trade. The 33-year-old had knee surgery, and a career-worst .895 save % with the Jets last season, but still played 57 games (23-23-11) and was the key to Team USA’s gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
The Buffalo Sabres were connected to Hellebuyck around the NHL Draft in late June, but Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could not find common ground on a deal. The conventional wisdom is that now that Hellebuyck has made his trade request public, that Cheveldayoff is not in as strong a negotiating position to get the best deal for the netminder, but he reportedly is open to going to a wide swath of teams.
Unless Hellebuyck is prepared to hold out, Winnipeg could wait into the season for the right return for such a valuable commodity.
The Sabres could be in the mix for Hellebuyck, but deals that had previously been offered that included goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen might be off the table, since he has a five-team no-trade clause that could block a trade to Winnipeg. It is expected that any deal involving Buffalo would include one of their young centers (Noah Ostlund or Konsta Helenius), one of their top prospect defenseman (Daxon Rudolph or Radim Mrtka) and/or an established NHL forward (Jack Quinn or Ryan McLeod).
Other teams could be in the mix for the veteran netminder, either to get them into the playoff mix, or to elevate them from a consistent postseason entrant to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
Vegas Golden Knights
Team Status: The Golden Knights surprised some by getting past Colorado in the Western Conference Final to advance to the Cup Final against Carolina, but many point to the subpar play of Carter Hart as one of the main reasons they lost to the Hurricanes. Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon has found ways to defy the odds to make his club better, and in spite of a decreasing amount of assets outside their core group, his ability to do so cannot be underestimated.
Current Goalie Situation: Hart played only 18 games after being signed midway through last season, but started all 22 playoff games over Cup winner Adin Hill. Hill is 30 played only 27 games due to lower body injuries, and is entering year two of a six-year contract extension, making $6.25 million AAV. Akira Schmid played the bulk of their starts (34), but he signed with FLorida in the offseason.
Assets To Trade: Hill has a 10-team no trade clause that could prevent being included in a Hellebuyck deal, and after trading winger Pavel Dorofeyev to New York, their best young prospects are not in the NHL; 2024 first rounder Trevor Connelly, and 2026 top pick Juho Piiparipen. Forwards Tomas Hertl ($6.25 million) and Ivan Barbashev ($5 million) are still in their prime, but Hertl has a three-team trade approval list, and Barbashev a 10-team no trade list. The only likely path is for McCrimmon to trade these players to teams they are not blocked by, to gain assets to ship to Winnipeg.
This is a longshot, since there are not many clubs looking to do Vegas many favors, so Buffalo should be able to top any offer they make.
