Former Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato kept his hand in the game in May, as he coached Team USA at the IIHF World Championships in Switzerland, and two years after being fired in favor of Lindy Ruff, he has rejoined the NHL as an assistant coach under Rick Bowness with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 58-year-old took over for Ralph Krueger in March 2021 and in 274 games over 3 ½ seasons, led the Sabres to a 122-125-27 record, including a 42-33-7 record in 2022-23, where Buffalo missed the playoffs by a point. Granato was given a contract extension in 2022 that extended through the 2025-26 season, but he was fired in April 2024 before the extension kicked in.
Will the Sabres add some offense before the start of training camp?
Over the last two seasons, he has served as an analyst for NHL Network and NHL Network Radio.
In other news, the Sabres announced the schedule for the 2026 Prospects Showcase against the Boston Bruins. The club last season hosted the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Columbus Blue Jackets over five days, but this season they will host their Atlantic Division rival in a pair of games on Sunday, Sept. 13 (5pm) and on Monday, Sept. 14 at Noon. The head-to-head matchup against last season’s first-round opponents is part of a two-year agreement where the club’s prospects will play in Boston in September 2027.
Former Montreal Canadiens forward Colin White has found a new home.
The New Jersey Devils have announced that they have signed White to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season. The former Habs forward will have a $900,000 cap hit at the NHL level with his new deal.
White was briefly a member of the Canadiens, as he spent part of the 2023-24 season with the Original Six club. In 17 games with the Habs that season, he recorded zero points, 11 hits, and a minus-3 rating. His time with the Canadiens would end during the 2024 NHL off-season when he signed an AHL deal with the San Jose Sharks organization.
White last played at the NHL level during the 2024-25 season with the Sharks, where he had zero points in three games. During this past season with the San Jose Barracuda, he recorded 21 goals, 27 assists, and 48 points in 46 games.
White will now be looking to impress at training camp in hopes of making the Devils' roster. However, if he does not, he should be a key veteran forward for their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, next season.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
Will the Sabres add any scoring before training camp?
37 Noah Laaouan – Defense (Rochester - AHL)
The Sabres have not been really active in adding undrafted college and CHL prospects, since they a pipeline filled with draftees, but the club has found contributors like Zach Metsa, who played a significant chunk of last season in the NHL after joining Rochester on an AHL deal in 2023. Another player brought in on an AHL deal was blueliner Noah Laaouan.
The 25-year-old went undrafted through five seasons in the QMJHL with Cape Breton and Charlottetown, and signed a minor-league deal with Arizona in 2022, where he played most of the season in the ECHL. In 2023, after playing the majority of the season with Trois-Rivieres, he finished the year splitting time between the Jacksonville Icemen and the Amerks.
Laaouan took a step in 2024-25 with the Icemen, scoring 44 points (8 goals, 36 assists) in 67 games. Last season, he played exclusively with Rochester, posting nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) in 40 games. With the Amerks slated to ice an inexperienced blueline corps next season, the Halifax, NS native could see his role grow.
Former Senators first-round pick Colin White is getting another chance to work his way back to the NHL.
The 29-year-old has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the New Jersey Devils worth $900,000 at the NHL level and $400,000 in the American Hockey League.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss which players, barring another summer trade, should fill out the Senators' top six this fall.
It's an intriguing opportunity for White, who, points-wise, is coming off the best offensive season of his professional career. Skating with the AHL's San Jose Barracuda last season, White recorded a career-high 48 points in just 46 games, the first point-per-game campaign of his pro career.
The last time White produced at that rate was nearly a decade ago during his days at Boston College where he had 36 goals and 76 points in 72 career games.
White spent substantial time this year with Kasper Haltunnen on his line, a good young prospect who was traded to the Senators in the William Eklund deal last month. White also played some right wing, alongside Filip Bystedt, the Sharks' 2022 first rounder.
White's resurgence obviously caught the eye of new Devils' GM and analytics guru Sunny Mehta and should earn him a long look at training camp. If he doesn't crack the Devils' roster, he'll provide veteran leadership and scoring depth for the AHL's Utica Comets.
White brings plenty of NHL experience to the table. Over parts of eight seasons with Ottawa, Florida, Pittsburgh and Montreal, he's appeared in 323 NHL games.
For Devils fans of a certain vintage, White's arrival may also stir up a little nostalgia. Defenceman Colin White spent 11 seasons with the Devils from 1998 to 2009, helping New Jersey win Stanley Cups in 2000 and 2003.
For Senators fans, the name just stirs up memories of unrealized expectations.
Selected 21st overall by Ottawa in the 2015 NHL Draft, White scored 14 goals and 41 points in his first full season, frequently playing on a line with Mark Stone and rookie Brady Tkachuk.
Believing they had found their long-term second-line centre, the Senators went all-in on White, handing him a six-year contract carrying a $4.75 million annual cap hit.
Unfortunately, he was never able to build on that one season.
Injuries, inconsistent production, and the emergence of younger centres like Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris quickly shoved White down the depth chart. By the summer of 2022, with three years still left on his contract, the Senators reached for the Whiteout, deleting him from the roster in a buyout.
White caught on with the Florida Panthers that fall, recording 15 points in 68 games before becoming an NHL part-timer, bouncing around between Pittsburgh, Montreal and San Jose over the next three seasons, spending most of that time in the American Hockey League.
After buying him out four years ago, the Senators are still paying for that contract. White's severance package remains on Ottawa's cap for two more seasons at an annual charge of $875,000.
But today is a good news day for White, who was always a well-liked Senators teammate.
The Way We Were: Colin White on Instagram (cwhitey27) in a 2018 photo with (left to right) fellow Sens' young guns, Thomas Chabot, Brady Tkachuk, and Max Lajoie.
After rediscovering his offensive mojo in the AHL, White will try to spin it into one more shot at becoming an NHL regular.
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:
A former Pittsburgh Penguins forward is heading to one of their division rivals.
The New Jersey Devils have announced that they have signed forward Colin White to a one-year, two-way contract. At the NHL level, the former Penguins forward will have a $900,000 cap hit with the Devils.
White signing this two-way deal with the Devils comes after he spent all of last season in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda. In 46 games with the AHL club in 2025-26, he posted 21 goals, 27 assists, and 48 points.
White most recently played at the NHL level during the 2024-25 season, where he had zero points in three games with the San Jose Sharks. Now, he will be looking to make New Jersey's roster after signing this new deal.
White appeared in 11 games for Pittsburgh during the 2023-24 season, where he had zero points, eight shots, and 11 hits. He also posted five goals and 10 points in 21 AHL games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during that campaign.
In 323 career NHL games over nine seasons split between the Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, and Sharks, White has posted 44 goals, 69 assists, and 113 points.
Something about Colin White and Jersey just feels right.
NEWARK, NJ - JULY 02: New Jersey Devils Mikhail Yegorov (40) tends the net during the New Jersey Devils 2025 Development Camp at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House at Prudential Center on July 2, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There is still much to be decided and determined before the New Jersey Devils take the ice to open the 2026-27 season. While GM Sunny Mehta has seemingly settled on a three goalie system at the NHL level for the year, it leaves questions regarding the team’s AHL affiliate and beyond. With about six weeks until players start reporting for training camp, there’s still a lot of variables at play; Coach Sheldon Keefe might only want to keep two of said goalies on his roster for example. But until the team actually comes together, as of right now Jake Allen, Nico Daws and David Rittich are all on the NHL roster.
Looking over at Puckpedia, this leaves only Jakub Malek in Utica on a contract where he could be brought to New Jersey if needed. However, Tyler Brennan and Jeremy Brodeur are both still with Utica on AHL deals. While both of those players can be loaned to Adirondack of the ECHL (which is where they both spent most of the 2025-26 season) they are technically available to Utica. If the Devils stand pat and don’t add anyone to the roster, and additionally they do not demote one of the three NHL level goalies, they still have enough tenders to fill out at least the NHL and AHL rosters. While I’m not entirely familiar with Adirondack at the ECHL level, I would be willing to bet they have another goalie to fill out their ranks if one of Brodeur/Brennan stay in Utica.
If Devils management is trying to better the team at every level though, they might want to consider inking one of the unsigned goalies also listed on that Puckpedia page to a deal. Jeremy Brodeur is already 29, and hasn’t progressed beyond being an ECHL regular; he’s unlikely to be anything more than a minor league player at this point. While Tyler Brennan is only on the cusp of turning 23, he doesn’t seem to be making much progress either. While Jakub Malek could wind up eventually making the jump to the NHL level, the Devils could use to get another prospect under contract to take reps and play within the Devils’ system. Mikhail Yegorov, Veeti Louhivaara, Trenten Bennett and Daniil Rusakovich all have their rights held by New Jersey and perhaps one could join the organization soon.
I think Rusakovich is the least likely to join right now for a couple of reasons. Not only was he just selected in the most recent draft, making him the youngest (and perhaps least polished) unsigned goalie, but the Devils hold his rights indefinitely due to the lack of a transfer agreement with the KHL and their affiliates. The Devils can afford to be patient with him. The other three goalies are all 20 (all born within a few months of each other to boot), however Bennett has an extra year for the Devils to sign him by due to him being drafted a year later. Again, with the earliest date the Devils would have to make a decision on him on being in 2029, I think he’s another case where the team can be patient.
If the Devils sign another undrafted prospect, it comes down to Louhivaara and Yegorov. Both Louhivaara and Yegorov had similar stats this season, but Yegorov played 13 more NCAA games this season than Louhivarra did USHL games. While I cannot speak to Veeti’s game beyond his stats, I had the benefit of being able to watch Mikhail live at a BU/UConn game this season. While he unfortunately got absolutely lit up that night, he was playing behind a rebuilding (read: awful) BU defense that gave up numerous odd-man rushes and breakaways. The plays where he was set, he looked composed and in control of the action, even when (again) his defense faltered in front of him.
With the hype around him, as well as from what I have personally viewed, I think Yegorov is the stronger contender to be signed by the Devils, At the same time, I think things may really depend on how the organization views Jakub Malek; if they rank him higher than Yegorov (and really all of the unsigned goalies) than the team may want him to play the larger share of AHL games. In that case, it wouldn’t matter if it was one o the ECHL guys from last year backing him up. If the plan is for the team to see what they have with as many goalies as possible to try and find an internal option for starting goalie, than signing Yegorov, Louhivaara or even Bennett to start narrowing down their options.
It may take until training camp gets underway and the Devils see which of the three 20 year olds performs the best, but I do think the Devils add another goalie for the AHL level this season. I also do not see them demoting one of the NHL goalies; depth continues to become more and more important for NHL teams, and I don’t think the Devils chance losing any of their depth in net on waivers, at least not this season. With that as part of the reason, I predict we are going to see two young Devils in Utica this season playing to see which one could be an NHL goalie in possibly the not too distant future.
What are your thoughts on the Devils potentially signing one of their unsigned goalie prospects to round out the AHL roster; do you have a preferred player you want to see under contract? Do you think the team waits to see how things shake out in training camp? Is it more likely the parent club demotes one of the three signed goalies? Do you see Utica calling up one of the ECHL goalies to complete their tandem? Leave any and all comments down below and thanks as always for reading!
Montreal Canadiens fans will be happy to hear that Arber Xhekaj loves Montreal; that’s not exactly news, but it’s still something his agent, Brian Bartlett, made abundantly clear in an interview on TSN 690.
Speaking to Matthew Ross and Dave Trentadue on the Game Plan, Bartlett discussed a number of his clients. Still, since TSN 690 is mostly about the Habs, he had to talk about Xhekaj, who remains an RFA at this stage and is one of only two Canadiens who still need a contract alongside Zach Bolduc.
Asked how Xhekaj deals with the rumors about there being interest in him on the trade market, Bartlett explained:
Arber loves Montreal; he loves playing in Montreal, loves the fans, the city, the atmosphere, the coaching staff, the development staff, Marty, Adam Nicolas, everybody. He’s become a better hockey player there, and it’s an amazing place to play. Our hope, I think, kind of collectively, Arber’s and ours is that we can find a way to make it work with Montreal here.
-
He also added, however:
The flip side of that coin is that Montreal has a lot of very good players, a lot of good players at defense, and it’s trying to work out how that logjam works itself out. What’s the best way to have the most productive team. I think we’ve all been through this enough that we understand the Montreal Canadiens are going to do what’s best for the Montreal Canadiens and Arber Xhekaj is going to do what’s best for Arber Xhekaj. There’s a very large world where those diagrams overlap, and we’re optimistic we end up in kind of that overlap where it’s good for Montreal and good for Arber, but we’ve still got a lot of time until training camp; there’s no panic.
-
Clearly, the agent is not worried about the fact that the negotiations are taking some time to come to fruition; he explained that the market had been kind of on hold with the Leo Carlsson offer sheet, the Zach Werenski trade rumours, and the Jason Robertson stalemate; everyone was watching as the market was slowly being set.
While the agent is right that there’s still ample time for a deal to be reached, I still find it interesting that Xhekaj didn’t file for arbitration and effectively left himself open to receiving an offer sheet. The Xhekaj camp is well aware that there’s a logjam in Montreal and is interested to know how that will resolve itself, which is understandable. At the end of the day, even if the player loves everything about Montreal, he must be craving an opportunity to establish himself as a full-time NHL player.
Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin is going to meet with Quinn Hughes about a potential contract extension this week. If they come to the conclusion that he is going to stick with his original plan of joining his brothers on the New Jersey Devils, a trade could happen.
A roster player or two, along with high-end draft picks, could go the other way in a deal for the eldest Hughes, but prospects are likely to be a part of the package as well.
If the Devils were to get Quinn a year ahead of schedule by making a trade with the Wild, one or more of these 3 prospects are likely to be on the move:
Mikhail Yegorov
The New Jersey Devils do not have a long-term plan in goal outside of Mikhail Yegorov. Trading him must land them an elite player, like Quinn Hughes. Otherwise, they should keep him in the system.
The Minnesota Wild are pretty set in the goal crease with Jesper Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson. With that said, Gustavsson had surgery and will miss the start of the season, but the Wild plan to have this tandem in place for a while.
If they were to acquire Yegorov, however, they may change things up. They could use one of their two mainstays as trade bait for assets in other areas. Yegorov has the talent to be a starting goalie in the NHL; he just has further development to accomplish.
Anton Silayev
Anton Silayev is a good prospect. However, it was a strange pick when the Devils made it in 2024 with the 10th overall pick. They should have selected Zeev Buium, but the Wild traded up to get him and then used him to acquire Quinn Hughes from the Canucks.
Buium may or may not have been used in the same trade if the Devils drafted him instead of Silayev, but it was a bad drafting decision.
Still, Silayev has value as a young prospect trying to make it in the NHL. For the Wild, trying to recoup a high-ceiling defenseman out of another trade involving Quinn Hughes makes perfect sense from an organizational perspective.
Alexander Command
The New Jersey Devils selected Alexander Command in the first round (12th overall) of the 2026 NHL Draft, and they are high on him. His ceiling as a great two-way forward in the NHL makes him an intriguing prospect, but you have to give good players to get good players in a trade.
For the Wild, they are not very deep down the middle of the ice within their organization. If Alexander reached his potential as a center, the Wild would love to add him. Giving up on a high-end prospect so early in his development is never easy, but it's the price of doing business.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
It has been just about one month since NHL free agency started, so most of this year's top UFAs have signed their new contracts.
Although this is the case, a former Buffalo Sabres defenseman is surprisingly still unsigned at this juncture of the off-season: Logan Stanley.
When noting that Stanley had a career year in 2025-26, it is certainly surprising that he has not landed his next contract yet. Even if he cooled off after being traded to the Sabres from the Winnipeg Jets, he still had a successful year and would have the potential to be a good pickup for a team needing more size and grit on their blueline.
In 76 games last season split between the Jets and the Sabres, Stanley posted nine goals, 17 assists, 26 points, 110 hits, and 128 penalty minutes. With this, he provided a bit of everything last season, so he should be able to land his next contract soon.
Stanley could be a solid addition to an NHL club that is looking to improve its bottom pairing and penalty kill. It will be interesting to see where the former Sabres defenseman ends up getting signed from here.
The penalty box is no stranger to the Nashville Predators.
Over the last 10 years, the Predators have racked up the fifth-most penalty minutes in the NHL with 8,534, including this season. The trend has held that Nashville plays some of its best hockey with an aggressive touch.
However, this season was different. The 2025-26 campaign was the Predators' best, going 38-34-8, but they nearly made the playoffs, falling four points short of the Los Angeles Kings for the final Wild Card spot.
In that 82-game stretch, Nashville posted 719 penalty minutes, its lowest PIM total in an 82-game season since the 2018-19 season.
The Hockey News Nashville Predators has spent the entire season tracking the Predators' individual penalties taken from the opening night to the final buzzer in April. In total, the Predators committed 308 infractions for 713 PIM and allowed 42 short-handed goals.
Nashville penalty kill executed at an 85% efficiency, its fourth-best effort over the last 11 seasons. On average, the Predators were in the box nearly four times per game.
Here are the most surprising trends we found.
McCarron, Haula, Stamkos Visited Box The Most
It should come as no surprise that former Predators center Michael McCarron, despite being traded in March, led Nashville in penalty minutes with 73. He led the Predators in interference (four), roughing (six), and fighting (five) infractions.
McCarron tacked on two more fights for a total of seven this season, which is his lowest total since 2022-23, when he had two fights. McCarron was the only player to drop the gloves more than three times, ahead of Nic Hague (three fights) and Ozzy Wiesblatt (two fights).
Despite the most penalty minutes, only one McCarron penalty cost the Predators a goal.
While McCarron had the most box time, center Erik Haula led in the most penalties called with 26. Steven Stamkos and McCarron followed closely with 25 each. Haula tied for the Predators in slashing (five), tripping (six) and high-sticking (five) calls.
Stamkos also had five slashing calls and followed Haula closely with four tripping penalties, four high-sticking penalties and five hooking penalties. Ryan O'Reilly also tied with Stamkos for the most high-sticking calls on the roster.
Hague, Josi Penalties Were Most Detrimental
Apr 17, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA; A Dallas Stars fan holds up a sign as Nashville Predators defenseman RomanJosi(59) sits in the penalty box during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Nic Hague was one of four players to eclipse 20 or more penalties this season, while Roman Josi fell five short of that margin. However, when both were in the box, the Predators struggled the most.
Of the 15 total penalties taken by Josi, six resulted in goals, which leads the roster. For Hague, in his 20 total penalties taken, five have resulted in goals. Stamkos and Wiesblatt are third on that list with four goals allowed each on penalties taken.
Josi's holding call against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 10 allowed Chicago to score the game-winning goal in a 3-0 loss. Hague's delay-of-game penalty against the Dallas Stars on Oct. 26 paved the way for Dallas to score the game-winning goal in a 3-2 loss.
When it comes to the severity of the penalty taken, Matthew Wood's tripping infraction against the New Jersey Devils on March 26 may have been the most costly of the season.
The call led to the Devils scoring with 5:53 left in the game to break a 2-2 tie. New Jersey added an empty-net goal in the final minute. The loss snapped Nashville's longest winning streak of the season (five games) and led to a three-game losing streak in the final month of the season.
Penalty Kill Stayed (Mostly) Rock Solid
The PK has been a staple of the Predators for a very long time and their 85% efficiency was the sixth best in the NHL.
That ability to play so well with a man down peaked during a five-game stretch in which they committed 30 penalties but allowed just four goals. Against the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 29, the PK went 6-of-6 and the following game against the Calgary Flames, the unit was 6-of-7.
Nashville's PK thrived against the Flames this past season, killing off 7-of-7 infractions in a 4-3 win on Jan, 3. In three meetings against Calgary, the Predators were 3-0-0 and killed an impressive 16-of-17 penalties.
From March 28 to April 7, a six-game stretch, the Predators' PK unit was a perfect 24-of-24, which included their second 7-of-7 performance in a 6-3 win over San Jose and a 6-of-6 performance in a 5-0 win over Anaheim, which was Nashville's only shutout win of the season.
Offensively, Nashville had the fifth most goals in the league playing short-handed, with seven. Ryan O'Reilly led in that category with two shorthanded goals. He was also part of a unique situation in a 4-1 win over the Golden Knights on March 21, where his high-sticking infraction saw Tyson Jost score a shorthanded goal and Vegas net a power-play goal.
However, the unit did have its low points. A 3-2 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 4 saw the Predators' special teams unit kill off just 1 of 3 penalties, proving that infractions had cost them the game.
Its worst statistical performance came in a 3-2 loss to the Sharks on April 13, when Nashville posted its only 0% performance of the season, failing to kill its lone penalty of the game.
Nashville Had 12 "Unique" Penalty Calls
Oct 26, 2024;Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators fans make the “fang fingers” sign in celebration of a penalty on Columbus Blue Jackets in the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Casey Gower-Imagn Images
Nearly half of Nashville's total penalties were slashing, tripping, hooking or roughing calls, which is usually the norm around the league. Interference, high sticking and holding were not far behind, making up 25% of the overall total.
However, the Predators were called for seven different penalties a combined 11 times, all of which qualified as unique and made up about 3% of the overall total.
Luke Evangelista sat for three of those infractions, twice for too many men and once for goalie interference. Wiesblatt had the only other goaltender interference penalty.
Josi had the only holding-the-stick penalty of the season; Wiesblatt was the only player to get called for kneeing; and Michael Bunting sat for the Predators' only elbowing penalty of the season. Bunting also had one of the Predators' two embellishment penalties, with the other committed by Fedor Svechkov.
Lastly, Nashville had three boarding calls the entire season.
Predators Penalties By The Numbers
Tripping: 56 (Haula and Skjei - 6)
Hooking: 39 (Skjei - 6)
Slashing: 38 (Stamkos and Haula - 5)
Roughing: 32 (McCarron - 6)
High Stick: 31 (Haula and O'Reilly - 5)
Holding: 27 (Wilsby - 4)
Interference: 22 (McCarron - 4)
Fighting: 15 (McCarron - 5)
Delay of Game: 13 (Hague - 2)
Cross Check: 13 (Perbix - 3)
Misconduct: 6
Unsportsmanlike Misconduct: 4
Boarding: 3
Goaltender Interference - 2 (Evangelista and Wiesblatt - 1)
The Buffalo Sabres should be open to the idea of bringing in a forward on a professional tryout (PTO) agreement ahead of training camp.
When looking at the remaining UFAs still available, Reilly Smith stands out as a solid potential PTO option for the Sabres to consider.
Smith spent last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he posted 16 goals, 10 assists, and 26 points in 69 games. This was after he recorded at least 40 points from 2022-23 to 2024-25. With numbers like these, he would have the potential to be a decent addition to the Sabres' bottom six if he earned a contract for the season from a PTO.
Smith would also give the Sabres a veteran forward who has won the Stanley Cup in the past. This would not be a bad thing for a Sabres club that is looking to emerge as true contenders.
While Smith may not be the same top-six forward he was during his prime, he is still a solid winger who could provide the Sabres with some decent secondary offensive production if signed. With that, he could be worth taking a chance on with a PTO.
The St. Louis Blues made a surprise one-for-one trade last off-season, acquiring defenseman Logan Mailloux from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Zachary Bolduc.
Bolduc was coming off a strong first full season in the NHL, notching 19 goals and 36 points in a bottom-six role. He also showed he could be a physical presence, throwing 108 hits.
Despite that, the Blues felt they needed another young defenseman, taking the risk of trading Bolduc for Mailloux.
Mailloux had played just eight NHL games with the Canadiens, so moving a now solidified NHL winger for a defenseman still playing in the AHL was a head-scratcher for some. But the Blues felt that what they'd seen from Mailloux in the AHL was enough to earn an opportunity in the NHL, and moving Bolduc, a position they have an abundance of prospects and NHL-ready players in, was worth the risk.
It didn't start on a positive note. Mailloux struggled greatly, looking out of place, while Bolduc started his Canadiens tenure on fire.
But as the season went along, Bolduc cooled off, and Mailloux acclimated to the NHL.
In the end, Bolduc finished his first season with 12 goals and 30 points in 78 games, while Mailloux recorded five goals and 13 points in 67 games.
But the point totals weren’t important to the Blues; it was how he defended. Mailloux slowly improved, and after a stint in the AHL, his confidence grew. His play improved to the point where coach Jim Montgomery placed Mailloux alongside Philip Broberg on the top pair.
Following the Olympic break, Mailloux averaged 21:41 of ice time, the second most on the team. He was a plus-12 and recorded four goals and 10 points in 24 games.
Like most of the Blues roster last season, it was a tale of two halves. The first half was dreadful, at times hard to watch, while the second half was a pleasure, as the game looked natural.
Heading into the 2026-27 campaign, Mailloux's goal is to play consistently and perform as he did in the final third of the season. Most roster projections have Mailloux penciled in as Broberg's partner, and that role is Mailloux's to lock down.
The Blues gave Mailloux a one-year contract, asking him to prove that he is capable of handling top-pairing or top-four minutes. It might not be make-or-break time for Mailloux just yet, but that time could be approaching if Mailloux falters under the pressure.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source.Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
It may only be a matter of time before Jonathan Toews is back where his NHL legacy was built.
Just over a month after announcing his retirement following one season with his hometown Winnipeg Jets, the former Chicago Blackhawks captain appears to be on course for one final reunion with the franchise where he won three Stanley Cups.
While nothing has been made official, comments from both Patrick Kane Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson over the past week have only added fuel to the growing belief that Toews will eventually sign a ceremonial one-day contract to officially retire as a member of the organization.
Photo by Simon Fearn/USA Today
The speculation picked up steam after Kane returned to Chicago last week, signing a two-year contract with the Blackhawks, following time with New York and Detroit.
Speaking on the Pardon My Take podcast following his return, Kane revealed he had already discussed the possibility of another comeback with his longtime teammate.
"I said, 'Hey, maybe you come back for a year?'" Kane laughed. "He was like, 'I'm thinking about it.'"
While Kane was jokingly referring to playing another season, the exchange served as another reminder that the bond between two of the most iconic players in franchise history remains strong. It also reinforced the idea that Toews returning to Chicago in some capacity is far from out of the question.
The picture became clearer at Kane's introductory press conference, where Davidson was asked about the possibility of bringing Toews back to officially retire as a member of the organization. The idea was not dismissed.
"We'd love to have Jonathan back and bring him back," Davidson said. "We did it with Marian Hossa. Nothing is set in stone or anything, but I think it is likely we'll go down that path."
Davidson later added that Toews remains synonymous with the organization.
"Jonathan is a Blackhawk for life with everything he's contributed to this city," he said.
Few players have meant more to the franchise, despite his official parting of ways following time off with serious medical issues.
Selected third overall by Chicago in the 2006 NHL Draft, Toews spent 15 seasons with the team, captaining the club to Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He captured the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2010, won the Selke Trophy in 2013 and finished his Blackhawks career with 372 goals and 883 points in 1,067 regular-season games before stepping away following the 2022-23 season.
After taking two years away from the NHL to focus on his health, Toews signed with his hometown Jets for the 2025-26 season. Following the campaign, he announced his retirement during an emotional press conference at the Jonathan Toews Sportsplex inside the Dakota Community Centre in Winnipeg's St. Vital neighbourhood—the very rink where he first learned to play hockey. The facility was renamed in his honour after he captained the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup championship in 49 years in 2010, making it a fitting place to bring his playing career to a close.
Now, another fitting chapter could soon be written.
Should the expected reunion come into fruition, Toews would have the opportunity to officially end his NHL career wearing the very sweater that he first pulled over his head back in 2006 - exactly 20 years ago.
On July 27, the Anaheim Ducks traded AHL forward Sasha Pastujov to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for AHL forward Sean Farrell. The next day, Farrell was signed to a one-year, two-way contract worth an AAV of $850k.
Farrell (24) was selected by the Habs with the 124th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft out of the Chicago Steel of the USHL. The versatile forward had been highly productive at every level he’d played at prior to professional hockey.
He returned to the USHL for the season following his draft and scored 101 points (29-72=101) in 52 games. He played the next two seasons (2021-2023) at Harvard University in the NCAA, where he totaled 81 points (30-51=81) in 58 games. He finished the 2022-23 season in the NHL and scored a goal in six games.
Farrell spent the next three seasons with the Laval Rocket in the AHL, unable to translate his prior production, and scored 125 points (46-79=125) in 186 games, adding 12 points (3-9=12) in 18 playoff games.
He has every skill necessary to play a role as at least a middle-six NHL forward except for size (5-foot-10, 174 pounds). He’s shifty and smart with plus puck skills and creativity to find teammates in dangerous locations in any situation. His lack of a “B game” and need for an offensive role have likely been the primary factors in his inability to break into the NHL.
Farrell has ties within the Ducks organization, dating back to playing alongside forward Sam Colangelo (36th overall in 2020) at the U16 AAA level with the Boston Jr. Bruins in 2015-16. He played alongside Colangelo and defenseman Ian Moore (67th in ’20) with the Steel. He played with forward Judd Caulfield (145th in ’19) and defenseman Drew Helleson (47th in ’19) at the USNTDP U17 division. At Harvard, again, he played two seasons alongside Moore (67th in ’20).
Farrell has represented the United States at the U18 World Championships in 2019 (alongside Helleson), where he notched two assists in seven games, the 2022 Olympic Games (alongside Helleson), where he led the team in scoring with six points (3-3=6) in four games, and at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships (alongside forward Cutter Gauthier), totaling eight points (3-5=8) in 20 games.
Farrell can play either on the wing or in the middle of the ice, and with the Ducks organizational depth chart projecting somewhat thin at center, it’s possible he could have a role as the San Diego Gulls top-line center in the AHL and have a shot for an early call-up, should the Ducks sustain an injury at the position.
In the trade, the Ducks parted ways with Pastujov (23), who the Ducks had previously selected in the third round (66th in ’21) of the NHL Draft. He provided two consecutive productive seasons for the Gulls in 2024-25 and 2025-26, leading the team in points per game with 102 (38-64=102) in 114 games, and finishing his Gulls career with 125 points (48-77=125) in 160 games.
Pastujov, like Farrell, needed an offensive role if he were to be awarded a shot at the NHL level and lacked a refined game away from the puck. His skating was always a significant drawback and the likely reason for a lack of development in terms of a forechecking or two-way game.
Ultimately, it’s unlikely a prolonged NHL career is in the cards for either Farrell or Pastujov at this point in their careers. For the Ducks, Farrell offers them more of a stylistic fit as well as versatility in the lineup at whatever level he plays at.
On Wednesday, The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn published his annual article ranking every NHL team by contract efficiency, and, unsurprisingly, the Montreal Canadiens fared very well. A week ago, he released a ranking of the league’s 10 best contracts, and he had Habs defenseman Lane Hutson’s in the top spot, which no doubt went a long way towards Montreal being second in this latest ranking.
The only team that beats the Habs in contract efficiency, according to Luszczyszyn, is the Caroline Hurricanes, since he gave an A grade to seven of their 20 contracts. As for the Habs, they have six grade-A contracts, but five of them are A-plus. Montreal went from number 14 in those rankings last season to second this season, and chances are, it will keep climbing next offseason when some of its worst contracts, according to the model (Phillip Danault, Josh Anderson), come off the books.
Unsurprisingly, those two contracts, which both get a C-minus grade, were not signed by GM Kent Hughes. The architect of this iteration of the Canadiens has done wonderful work on the team's financial structure. Getting both Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky to sign for less than captain Nick Suzuki was a stroke of genius, and so were the deals he signed with Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov. The Russian player’s eight-year, $9.2 million cap-hit deal is looking better by the day. Hours after Luszczyszyn released his rankings, it was announced that Macklin Celebrini had signed a five-year contract extension with the San Jose Sharks with a $18.8 M cap hit, which means that Demidov will be earning less than half of what the Sharks’ prodigy will make.
While Hughes’ fingerprints are all over those contracts, it’s important to remember that he wasn’t alone in making them happen. Much has been made of the fact that Anaheim Ducks’ GM Pat Verbeek hadn’t signed his RFAs in advance, leaving himself vulnerable to offer sheets, but no matter how much a GM wants to sign a player to a new deal, if the player doesn’t want to do that, it won’t happen.
In a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman interviewed Matt and Ryan Keator, who are Leo Carlsson’s agents, and they revealed that Anaheim was very keen on signing a new deal before his ELC ended. Still, the agents convinced the player not to do that. In a nutshell, they didn’t want Carlsson to regret signing a deal before he had all the information about the market and could make an informed decision. For Hughes to be able to sign those deals, the Canadiens players had to be ready to do what Carlsson ultimately didn’t want to do: put pen to paper without knowing what the market would look like a year later down the line. They had to tell their agents they weren’t after the most money possible; they were after an opportunity to win in Montreal, and they were willing to give the Canadiens ample time to do that.
Photo credit: The Athletic
Not only did the Canadiens’ core players sign team-friendly deals, but they signed away years of UFA status. Celebrini, Connor Bedard and Carlsson all only signed five-year deals, meaning that after those five years, they’ll be free as a bird to cash in on the free agency market. If they won’t commit to their team before the expiry of their deal, they may very well be allowed to walk for free. In five years from now, if you are the San Jose Sharks or the Chicago Blackhawks and your team is looking good ahead of the playoffs, you can’t just trade away such important core pieces right before the playoffs. It certainly puts a lot of pressure on their team’s front office to win and win fast.
Meanwhile, in Montreal, most of the core players signed eight-year contracts; it started with Suzuki (under Bergevin), followed by Caufield, Slafkovsky, Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov. That wasn’t all Hughes’ doing either. Players talk to each other, and Demidov was very open with the media, telling us that he and Hutson had long discussed the importance of being in Montreal. Those players all left money on the table and very likely did it against their agents’ advice; that was clear when Hutson’s negotiations dragged on, and he stepped in himself to put an end to the deadlock.
Yes, Hughes has done great work putting this team together, but the players also did a great job building a culture in which the team and winning come first; that’s how the Canadiens landed in second place in Luszczyszyn’s rankings.
