Welcome to The Hockey News Vancouver Canucks site's 2026–27 player preview article series. This series will outline the expectations for every player projected to play for Vancouver during the 2026–27 season. Today's player is Canucks forward Braeden Cootes.
Cootes' 2025-2026 Season
After a strong training camp and pre-season, Cootes was named to Vancouver's opening night roster. The 2025 first-round pick played in three games before being assigned back to the WHL. Cootes was not only noticeable on the ice, but his maturity left a mark with both the fan base and his teammates.
As for the WHL, Cootes split the year between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Prince Albert Raiders. During the regular season, he scored 28 goals while recording 64 points in 45 games. Cootes was also named the WHL's Most Sportsmanlike Player and played on Team Canada's 2026 World Juniors team.
After the regular season was complete, Cootes was virtually unstoppable during the playoffs. He recorded 23 points in 20 games and helped the Raiders qualify for the WHL Final. During the post-season, Cootes also won 52.3% of his 277 faceoffs while ranking tied for the league lead with 11 power play points.
Cootes' 2025-26 Letter Grade
For his efforts in the 2025–26 season, The Hockey News' Canucks site gave Cootes an A- grade. He not only impressed in the WHL but also stood out during his short time with the NHL team. Cootes' experience last year should help him adjust to becoming a full-time pro in 2026-27.
Cootes' 2026-27 Predictions
How Vancouver manages Cootes this season will be intriguing. While he can return to the WHL, the most likely option is that he spends the campaign being shuttled between the AHL and the NHL. There is even a chance that Cootes could be called up just to practice for a few days if the Abbotsford Canucks schedule allows it.
Overall, Cootes should get some NHL games this year. He could even earn a full-time spot late in the season if the Canucks make some moves and have open spots after the trade deadline. At this stage of his development, Cootes needs regular minutes against tougher competition to show that he is ready for the jump to the NHL.
Bold Prediction: Cootes finishes the year with a faceoff win percentage over 50% at the NHL level.
Oct 9, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Braeden Cootes (80) skates against the Calgary Flames in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 6: Zachary L'Heureux #68 of the Nashville Predators prepares to take the ice against the Philadelphia Flyers during an NHL game at Bridgestone Arena on November 6, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Colorado Avalanche News
Zach L’Heureux brings the Colorado Avalanche something they desperately needed — an edge — and at just $875,000 per season, he could prove to be one of the NHL’s sneakiest offseason steals. [The Hockey News]
Why Nikita Kucherov’s upcoming extension is complicated. [Sportsnet]
Avalanche prospect pool ranked NHL’s worst, but does it really matter? [Sports Illustrated]
The questions facing the Colorado Avalanche: will the goalie tandem hold up? [NHL]
News Around the League
NHL could see expansion team awarded to Houston or Austin before the end of the year. [TSN]
NHL wants to stage European outdoor game in near future. [The Score]
A summer of change for the Ottawa Sentaors, the Sens face a high-stakes season. [Ottawa Citizen]
Victoire’s PWHL championship Walter Cup trophy missing after not arriving in Alberta, AP source says. [CBC]
Referee Josef Kompalla was dubbed the villain of hockey’s 1972 Summit Series. [The Globe and Mail]
Sportsnet ends ‘Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi’ broadcasts after 18 years on air. [Toronto Star]
It's officially another season, another prospects ranking for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In years past, this has been a bit easier of an exercise, as there used to be a more clear-cut line between prospects with NHL upside and longshots. However, because of the work that general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and his staff have put in during the last several years, the line is blurring a whole lot more - and there is a substantially higher volume of talent in the system.
This time around, making a top-20 list was challenging. So, a few criteria were put into place: To make our list, prospects must be under the age of 26 and have played less than 50 NHL games. This excludes names such as Ben Kindel, Filip Hallander, Oliver Okuliar, and Alexander Alexeyev.
At No. 5, we sang the praises of right wing Mikhail Ilyin, whose high-level smarts, vision, and playmaking ability are perfect complements in a future top-six role. For No. 4, we give some love to a prospect who many are down on but who still has more to give.
No. 4: RW Rutger McGroarty
GOALL. Rutger McGroarty steals it and goes five-hole on Artur Akhtyamov to put #WBSPens back in front with 2:59 left in the 3rd period.
As mentioned, some are down on the 22-year-old McGroarty, which is a bit understandable to an extent. After a nice NHL showing at the end of the 2024-25 season before injury ended his campaign prematurely, he registered just three goals and six points in 24 NHL games this season and couldn't contribute with enough consistency.
It is worth considering that an injury over the summer last year caused McGroarty to miss the entirety of training camp as well as the first month and a half of the season, which almost certainly set him back a bit. He came out of the gate after his injury and earned an NHL call-up after just five games, but his right-away performance didn't take away from the fact that he did miss that time.
Yes, McGroarty's injury history is also a slight concern at this point. But, if he can remain healthy this season, there's a good chance he could make the jump - and, perhaps, actually stick this time.
Like Ville Koivunen - who is at a similar point in his development - McGroarty has shown flashes at the NHL level while dominating the AHL up to now. He had 10 goals and 34 points in 30 AHL games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins in 2025-26, and he also tied for second in team scoring during the Calder Cup Playoffs with four goals and nine points in 15 games.
The one thing with McGroarty that seems pretty certain is that he is going to be an NHL player. He has a translatable toolset, and he has worked very hard to improve a major area of weakness in the form of skating over the last two years. He still needs to improve in that department, but he's putting in the work.
Other than that, though, he has an intriguing and impressive all-around toolset. McGroarty is someone who can put the puck in the back of the net, and he also has translatable NHL playmaking skills and keen awareness in all three zones. He's an excellent penalty-killer, he's effective in a distribution role on the power play, he makes the right reads off the rush and when creating and executing in the offensive zone, and he is also willing to go to work in the battle areas along the wall and at the net-front, areas in which he thrives.
And, let's not forget that he can snipe the puck, too. McGroarty's shot is a dangerous weapon when he has the time and space to set himself up in the scoring areas of the ice. Sniping aside, he has a nice set of hands down low and can stickhandle in some pretty tight spaces.
He is also a notoriously physical, pain-in-your-behind kind of player, as you'll find him creating a chance one second and hitting the daylight out of someone the next. And his leadership and locker room intangibles hold a lot of water. He's very self-aware and willing to put in the work to improve on the margins, and that shows in how his game has evolved at the AHL level over the last two seasons with the organization.
“Especially without the puck and on the forecheck, he's able to generate much more speed and pressure opponents,” Dubas said during his end-of-season press conference. “That’s the game he’s going to have to play [at the NHL level].”
A 14th overall pick in 2022, the Penguins knew who they were trading for in August of 2024. They still very much believe that McGroarty, like Koivunen, can be a key piece of their future and that they both still have more to show.
And the organization is challenging them both to show more next season.
"I think [their seasons were] good overall," WBS assistant general manager Amanda Kessel said. "I think that they both have more in them, but at the same time, they were in big roles in the AHL, which isn't an easy league playing against older, bigger, stronger men. So, I think it was a good year for them. I believe in both of them a lot as players and think they have more to give."
It's hard to say what McGroarty's 2026-27 season will look like, as the Penguins - as we have said time and time again - have loaded up on the forward front, making McGroarty's path to full-time NHL minutes a bit more complicated. But the momentum he gained during the AHL season last year - momentum that carried over into the playoffs - should be a good springboard for McGroarty to reach even greater heights this season.
At the end of the day, if he can't earn a spot out of camp, he's going to be one of the team's first call-ups. McGroarty still has a ceiling as a top-six winger, even if his more realistic projection is somewhere in the middle-six.
But, make no mistake: This guy is going to be an NHL player, and he's going to be effective in whatever role he eventually finds himself in. Few players in the system have a higher floor than McGroarty does, and if he can build on what he accomplished last season and, most importantly, stay healthy, expect him to take pretty significant steps this season.
Given that we are in the dog days of August, there is a whole lot of discussion regarding prospects and the best up-and-coming players in the NHL, as there is not much else to talk about right now.
Last week, The Athletic's Corey Pronman released both prospect pool rankings and a ranking of the best players under the age of 23. The highest-ranked Pittsburgh Penguins' young player was winger Rutger McGroarty at 80, but one of the biggest surprises on the list was center Ben Kindel being ranked 92nd on the list in Tier 6, which he deems a "middle of the lineup player."
On this list, 46 players above Kindel have not yet played an NHL game. Meanwhile, Kindel spent the vast majority of the season as an 18-year-old - he didn't turn 19 until Apr. 19 - holding down the third-line center position, playing solid two-way hockey, contributing on the power play, recording 17 goals and 35 points in 77 games, and showing off his hockey IQ and higher-ceiling puck distribution and playmaking skills. He also showed off a pretty nasty shot on several occasions, too.
Holy SNIPE by Ben Kindel to get the scoring started 🔥🚨
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Kindel has been overlooked. When the Penguins selected him 11th overall in 2025, many thought it was a reach. He was not designated by most as a legitimate candidate to make the NHL team out of training camp as a young 18-year-old, either, but he did. He was not expected to last beyond his nine-game NHL trial run, but he did because his body of work in those nine games was impressive and transcended his age.
During the season, he was rarely talked about in national circles despite being one of three newly drafted players to stick in the NHL beyond nine games - the others being New York Islanders star defenseman Matthew Schaefer and San Jose Sharks rising star center Michael Misa. After the season concluded, most still weren't talking about Kindel even though he ended up with a few Calder Trophy votes.
Pronman wrote that Kindel profiles more as "a long-term third-liner, but he could be a top-six winger."
But anyone with eyes who watched Kindel all season - and, particularly, kept tabs on his work at the center position - would probably come out with a different outlook.
For starters, Kindel won 43.6 percent of his draws last season, which isn't a bad number for a rookie. For perspective, Penguins' captain and NHL legend Sidney Crosby had a 45.5 win percentage in the dot during his rookie season. He also, almost immediately, flashed keen two-way awareness and used the middle of the ice comfortably, something that doesn't happen right away for most rookie centers.
He was trusted enough by the coaching staff to man the third-line center position for the entire 2025-26 season - aside from a few games as second-line center and a handful on Crosby's wing - even though the Penguins had different options for that role at different times throughout the season. Kindel showed on many occasions his offensive upside, showcasing shootout prowess, being a one-time weapon on the power play, acting as an effective playmaker down low, and exposing the soft areas of the ice. He also won a fair amount of puck battles and added on size throughout the season.
11th overall pick Ben Kindel proved the doubters wrong... and the birthday boy is just getting started. pic.twitter.com/cF8HW12Elh
In other words, it seems many are underestimating and underscoring Kindel's NHL ceiling as a center and as a player in general. He may not ever be a first-line center, but to suggest his ceiling was, essentially, already met during his rookie season at age 18 borders on preposterous.
Kindel will continue to progress and grow, and so will his two-way game. Maybe he could have a higher ceiling on the wing, but his maturity as a center at this stage already suggests that being a career third-liner is a low bar to set for him.
In fact, there is a good chance that Kindel may just be the most underrated young player in the NHL. While others in his class - and many in this year's class - are already being showered with praise and projected as crucial parts of their respective organization's future, Kindel remains in the background, just as he had in his draft year, just as he had during last year's training camp, and just as he had over the course of the season.
Even if he's not a superstar, Kindel very well could be an All-Star caliber player in a few years, and he's the most untouchable young player in a Penguins' organization that has seen a nice pool of young players and prospects come into the fold over the last three years. His body of work speaks for itself so far, and the way he consistently outperforms expectations should almost, in turn, be an expectation until the day that he doesn't.
And, maybe a few years from now, Kindel's name won't be neglected and forgotten when the league's best young players are recognized.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the San Jose Sharks were in no man's land with regard to defenseman Sam Dickinson. He wasn't quite ready for the NHL, but he had accomplished everything he could in the Ontario Hockey League, and he wouldn't develop any further at that level. As a 19-year-old, he was ineligible for the American Hockey League due to the rules at the time, which are set to change a season too late in this regard.
Given a lack of legitimate options to help Dickinson develop properly, the Sharks were forced to play him at the NHL level, even though he wasn't quite ready. While he wasn't bad at the NHL level, he did struggle quite a bit early on, and his offensive contribution, which is a key aspect of his game, wasn't up to par.
Per MoneyPuck, Dickinson had the second-most defensive zone giveaways, 65, by a Sharks defenseman, trailing just Dmitry Orlov. He had 3.5 goals below expected and an abysmal shooting percentage of 1.4%. With that being said, he played as well as can be expected for a 19-year-old defenseman at the NHL level. With the exception of Matthew Schaefer with the New York Islanders, defensemen are known to develop much slower than forwards and take longer to reach their prime. As a result, it's commendable that Dickinson was able to even hang at the NHL level given his age.
Now, Dickinson is heading into a key season for his development, one that could potentially affect the rest of his career. There's a very recent example that highlights exactly what the Sharks shouldn't do if they want to keep Dickinson on the right path.
The Chicago Blackhawks selected Kevin Korchinski with the seventh-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, just two years before Dickinson was taken 11th overall. Like Dickinson, Korchinski spent one more year in the Canadian Hockey League after being drafted and seemingly reached a point where his development would stall if he remained in the junior ranks. At 19 years of age, Korchinski was ineligible for the AHL and jumped into the NHL right away.
Looking at the two players' rookie seasons statistically, they're very similar. Korchinski played 76 games for the Blackhawks, scoring five goals and adding 10 assists for a total of 15 points. Dickinson on the other hand, appeared in 72 games for the Sharks, scoring a single goal and finishing with 14 total points. Korchinski did play a slightly bigger role for the Blackhawks, though, as he averaged 19:37 of ice time while Dickinson had just 16:45.
Given his performance at the NHL level as a 19-year-old, it seemed Korchinski was in the fast lane to success. Instead, things rapidly fell apart. He was reassigned to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs to start the 2024-25 season, and he's never been the same since. He's played 109 games at the AHL level now, and appeared in just 29 NHL games over the last two seasons.
While there are, of course, differences between Korchinski and Dickinson, as the former has been essentially a purely offensive defenseman at the NHL level while Dickinson has been somewhat serviceable in his own end, Korchinski's fall off shows why the Sharks need to handle this season perfectly if they want to get Dickinson to reach his true potential. It's possible that the Blackhawks are able to save Korchinski's development, but at this stage, it seems that if he ever reaches his ceiling, it won't be with Chicago.
Given their desire for a true number one defenseman, the Sharks need to handle Dickinson's second professional season properly; otherwise, it could set the organization back massively. Given how Korchinski's game fell off after being sent to the AHL, the Sharks would be wise to double down on their decision last fall and keep Dickinson in the NHL to prevent a similar outcome.
The Senators may not have an obvious Hart Trophy candidate in their midst for the coming season, but they do have several players capable of working their way into various NHL awards conversations.
Some are already closer than people may realize. Shane Pinto and Travis Green both finished sixth in voting for big awards last season, while Jake Sanderson received Norris Trophy votes for the second consecutive year.
Here are the six Senators most capable of taking home some hardware soon, maybe as early as next summer.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss Jake Sanderson's ranking among top NHL defensemen.
Sanderson is good enough to win a Norris right now, but his primary obstacle is the league's extreme depth of star defensemen,
Cale Makar, Zach Werenski, Rasmus Dahlin and Quinn Hughes are among those who've consistently produced superior offensive numbers, and all of them have a million miles of racetrack left in their careers.
For Sanderson to have a chance to win, he’ll need to stay healthy, flirt with a point per game, and help the Senators take another step forward.
Shane Pinto: Selke Trophy
Pinto finished sixth in Selke voting last year, receiving eight first-place votes. Only Nick Suzuki, Anthony Cirelli, Brock Nelson, Mitch Marner and Jordan Staal finished ahead of him for the NHL’s best defensive forward.
That means his defensive game is no longer flying beneath anyone's radar.
Like Sanderson, his next step will be to create enough offence to attract more voters for what's supposed to be a defensive award. Pinto scored 23 goals and 47 points last season, but most modern Selke winners are also prominent offensive players.
As the team thinks about their chessboard alignment for next month, GM Steve Staios has admitted that moving Pinto into the top six and sliding Dylan Cozens to the wing is something that's been talked about.
If Pinto pushes toward 60 or 70 points while continuing to succeed in his shutdown role, kill penalties and win faceoffs, he could become Ottawa’s first serious Selke finalist since Mark Stone.
Linus Ullmark: Vezina Trophy
Ullmark still has three years left on his four-year contract, so the Sens are praying that he can still be the man who ends Ottawa's reputation for being a goalie graveyard.
He finished last year with 28 wins, a 2.73 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage. Those are clearly not Vezina numbers. However, Ullmark has already demonstrated that he can reach that level, winning the award with Boston just three years ago.
He hasn't been anywhere near that level in his two years with the Sens, except in this year's playoffs. Maybe he can carry that into next season. Regardless, he’s on the list because he’s the only Ottawa player who has already proven he can be the best in the league at his position.
Carter Yakemchuk: Calder Trophy
Yakemchuk needs to put all his focus on just making the team and shouldn't even be thinking about trophies right now.
But we're not Yakemchuk, so we're free to proceed.
Yakemchuk's offensive ability makes him a Calder possibility, albeit a long shot. He led Belleville’s defencemen with 40 points during his first professional season. If he makes the Sens and hits that number again in the NHL, he'll get some votes.
He made an immediate NHL impression, recording two points in his regular-season debut and another two in his first Stanley Cup playoff game.
If Yakemchuk wins a full-time spot, it will probably come with some looks on the power play, which could further assist him in putting up some decent numbers. Offence from the blue line tends to attract most, if not all, of the Calder attention, and Yakemchuk has never been shy about joining the rush or creating something with the puck.
Everyone remembers his solo overtime rush up ice against the Leafs two years ago, but how about this one (0:35 second mark) against the Leafs in the rookie showdown in Montreal last year?
Yakemchuk may not receive enough minutes to compete with the Gavin McKennas, Porter Martones or Cole Hutsons of the world, but he's far and away Ottawa’s best Calder possibility for the coming season.
Claude Giroux: Masterton Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. But unofficially, many nominees have either overcome a major injury or personal crisis, or they're still going strong as they approach the sunset of long, excellent careers.
Now 38, Giroux remains an important player and one of the most respected voices in Ottawa’s dressing room. His willingness to return and continue helping a relatively young team grow only adds to that story.
Depending on how the Sens leadership decision goes, the Messier Award might be on his radar as well, particularly if the Sens can take a big step forward and G's influence gets more national attention as a result.
Travis Green: Jack Adams Award
Green finished sixth in Jack Adams voting last season, receiving four first-place votes after guiding Ottawa to its second consecutive playoff appearance.
The award often goes to the coach of a team that significantly exceeds preseason expectations. That can work against coaches whose teams are already considered contenders, but the Sens are still in the ideal territory. They're respected, but not quite viewed yet as a Stanley Cup favourite.
If the Senators can improve again this season after a summer of significant roster turnover, Green will receive much of the credit.
None of the above would be considered a favourite this season by any stretch. But for Sens fans, it's nice to at least have some possibilities. Three or four years ago, during the darkest days of the rebuild, this would have been a very short article, if it got written at all.
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 latest headlines below:
Officially announced by Fanatics on Wednesday, all 32 NHL teams are getting a "Hometown Remix" alternate jersey this season, and there's a chance we already know what the Philadelphia Flyers have up their sleeves for it.
According to Fanatics, these new "Hometown Remix" alternates are "Inspired by the fans, cities and culture that make each team feel like home," and the potential Flyers logo for the new threads appears to check that box.
Back on June 26, ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Flyers posted a photo of their draft war room to social media, with a black and orange Liberty Bell fixed to the floor at the center of the photo.
The never-before-seen bell seems a bit too, well, prominent to be a one-off thing just thrown out there, never to be used or seen again.
Many fans on social media are expecting the Flyers' "Hometown Remix" jersey to be either dark grey or black, and it's worth noting that the Flyers had black uniforms in the holster just two seasons ago before going with straight orange for home and white for away last season.
Previously, it was leaked on Reddit that the Flyers would have a black jersey, which would match the color of the bell, with the slick orange outline, in the social media post.
Flyers going with a new logo?
Adding a little bit more fuel to the speculation here, other NHL teams who have had their "Hometown Remix" jerseys revealed already are not using their default logo.
The Florida Panthers, for example, are set to have a hot pink, navy, and yellow jersey, with a hockey stick overlapping a palm tree over a sunset as their logo.
We won't know more until the 2026-27 season officially gets underway on Sept. 29, but it's entirely possible more leaks surface before then; in that case, you'll know about it here.
And, in addition to the jerseys, all 32 NHL teams, including the Flyers, will have "Hometown Remix" apparel and headwear, so we can expect this to be a pretty broad release once everything gets going in another month.
On Sunday, August 23, the Galeries Saint-Hyacinthe will host the Hockey Fest. The day should be a delight for Montreal Canadiens fans, as Lane Hutson, Arber Xhekaj, and former Hab Chris Nilan will be on hand to meet fans. The event will run from 10:00 to 17:00, and attendees can register to take part in a skills challenge with the players. Spots are limited, and the only way to book yours is to attend.
The players will be present from 11:30 to 15:00, and fans who register for the skills challenge can get personalized souvenir cards. Every 30 minutes from 11:30 to 15:00, there will be an official Habs jersey to be won. Gift cards from the shopping center will also be drawn at random. Winners have to be on site to claim their prize. Canadiens’ mascot Youppi! will also be in attendance, and there will be some fun games in the animated zone to test attendees’ reflexes. The event is free to attend, and it’s a great activity to take the kids to before the dreaded back-to-school week.
While there is still over a month to go before the start of the season, defenseman Xhekaj remains an RFA and in need of a new contract. One has to wonder whether the Canadiens will manage to ink the fan favorite before training camp starts, or if something else is in the works given the congestion on the Canadiens’ blueline.
With Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Hutson, Alexandre Carrier and Kaiden Guhle having established themselves as regulars, there is little space remaining for Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, and rookies Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher, who are now knocking on the NHL’s door. Something will have to give, and while fans are unlikely to want to see Xhekaj go, he remains one of the top candidates for a move given how little ice time Martin St-Louis seems willing to give him.
George McPhee knows exactly what people see when they look at some of the players the Vegas Golden Knights have brought into their organization.
They see baggage.
They see uncomfortable headlines, questionable decisions and, in some cases, behavior that caused other teams to stay away. They see players whose pasts did not simply disappear because they eventually put on a Golden Knights jersey.
McPhee sees something else.
He sees young people who made mistakes, and he believes those mistakes should not necessarily become a life sentence.
Speaking recently on the Cam and Strick Podcast, the Golden Knights’ president of hockey operations offered his clearest explanation yet for why Vegas has repeatedly been willing to take chances on players whose backgrounds might make other organizations hesitate.
“You can’t stop young people from being young, right? They’re going to make mistakes,” McPhee said.
That philosophy is hardly revolutionary. People make mistakes. Young people, in particular, can make spectacularly poor decisions before they fully understand the consequences of their actions. A teenager who does something reckless at 14 or 16 should not automatically be judged as though they are the same person at 25.
But there is an uncomfortable question on the other side of McPhee’s argument:
Where does giving someone a second chance end, and where does accountability begin?
That question has become increasingly relevant in Vegas.
Carter Hart arrived in the organization after being charged in connection with an alleged 2018 sexual assault involving members of Canada’s World Junior team. Hart and the four other players charged in the case were acquitted by an Ontario judge in July 2025. That legal outcome matters, and it should not be ignored. But the controversy surrounding the case did not simply vanish with the verdict. Hockey Canada has continued to impose suspensions on several of the players, including Hart, who is banned from representing Canada through 2027.
Then there is Trevor Connelly, whose history includes incidents from his teenage years. The most widely documented involved a 14-year-old Connelly being suspended from school after allegedly urinating on another player’s equipment. At 16, he also posted a photograph depicting a swastika made from children’s blocks, later apologized and underwent diversity training and community service. He was also suspended after being accused of using racial slurs, although that suspension was overturned after the league found no evidence supporting the allegation.
Kai Uchacz’s past includes another troubling incident. He and a teammate were removed from the Seattle Thunderbirds roster after bullying their lone Black teammate in a racist incident.
These are not identical situations. They should not be lumped together as though they carry the same weight, and the available evidence surrounding them is not equally strong.
That distinction is important.
So is McPhee’s larger point.
“If we start cancelling good people who made a mistake, it’s not the right thing to do,” he said. “Just imagine some of these good kids who made a mistake and people forgave them for it and they turn out to be really good adults.”
It is difficult to argue with the basic premise. A person’s worst decision as a teenager should not automatically determine the rest of their life. There has to be room for remorse, rehabilitation and genuine change. Otherwise, what exactly does a second chance mean?
But second chances also require something from the person receiving them.
They require accountability.
Forgiveness does not mean forgetting. Rehabilitation does not erase what happened. And being young at the time of an incident can provide important context without making the incident meaningless.
That is the line Vegas appears increasingly comfortable walking.
The Golden Knights are willing to bet that a person’s future can matter more than their past. McPhee is essentially saying that the organization would rather evaluate who these players can become than permanently define them by who they were when they were younger.
“We’re willing to give young people who make mistakes a second chance,” McPhee said. “And God help us if we ever stop doing that.”
It is a defensible philosophy. It is also one that comes with considerable responsibility.
Because when an organization decides to give someone another opportunity, it is not asking everyone else to forget what happened. It is asking them to believe that the person standing in front of them today is capable of being better than the person who made the mistake yesterday.
The Golden Knights seem more willing than most to make that bet. Morals be damned, winning a Stanley Cup is what matters most. At least, that’s the message Vegas continues to send.
And, judging by McPhee’s comments, they have no intention of stopping anytime soon.
EA Sports has revealed its 10 highest-rated players in NHL 27, and Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes made the cut.
Hughes received a 95 overall rating and was ranked as the No. 10 player in the game. He is tied at 95 overall with Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar, Macklin Celebrini, David Pastrnak, Zach Werenski and Sidney Crosby.
Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid once again sits atop the ratings with a 99 overall. Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov follow at 97, while Leon Draisaitl received a 96.
Hughes' inclusion gives the Wild one of the game's elite players and one of just three defensemen to crack the overall top 10, joining Makar and Werenski.
The 95 rating also puts Hughes in a tie for the second-highest-rated defenseman in NHL 27, behind only Makar.
Minnesota acquired Hughes to give the organization an elite puck-moving defenseman capable of driving offense from the blue line, and EA Sports clearly views him among the very best players in hockey.
The Wild now boasts one of NHL 27's top-rated players at the top of their defense corps, with Hughes earning the same overall rating as some of the biggest stars in the league.
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The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures.
We are continuing to look at potential options for the Sabres, now that veteran Patrick Kane has returned with Chicago. Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.
Kekalainen ideally is looking for someone who could make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, or someone who can fill the leadership gap and/or add some snarl and sandpaper to the middle-six, with the trade of Jordan Greenway to Chicago.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
Normally, a player of Boeser’s talent and consistency would not be readily available, but the Vancouver Canucks are on a rebuild path, and their timeline may not be a match with the veteran sniper. The 29-year-old was a 2015 first-rounder of the Canucks and has scored 20 or more goals seven times in his nine-year career, including a career-high 40 goals in 2023-24.
It was expected that Boeser would be heading elsewhere last summer as an unrestricted free agent, but he instead re-upped with the Canucks on a seven-year, $50.75 million deal ($7.25 million AAV), with a no-movement clause in the first four years of the deal. The departure of Quinn Hughes, Conor Garland, and Vancouver finishing at the bottom of the NHL standings has led to the firing of GM Patrik Allvin, head coach Adam Foote, and a complete revamping of the organization.
Boeser has complete control of where he wants to play for another three seasons, but with Vancouver rebuilding, playing for an up-and-coming club like Buffalo would be an interesting proposition. The Sabres would likely be interested in a player younger than Tuch, with six more years of cost certainty at a cap hit very close to what Tage Thompson is making. Kekalainen also possesses the assets that Vancouver is likely looking for, in young prospects like Helenius/Ostlund and Mrtka/Rudolph.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
The Sabres have drafted predominantly right-handed defensemen (Radim Mrtka, Daxon Rudolph, Adam Kleber, Simon-Pier Brunet, Maxim Strbak, Gavin McCarthy, and Vsevolod Komarov) in the last five drafts, with the top half of their NHL blueline all left-handers.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
The club continued that practice at the 2025 NHL Draft, selecting Mrtka ninth overall, and after trading their second-round pick to clear Connor Clifton’s contract and acquire righty Conor Timmins, Buffalo selected another righty in David Bedkowski in the third round.
The 19-year-old played his first two OHL seasons with Oshawa and was traded in his draft year early in the season to the Owen Sound Attack. The 6’5”, 215 lb. defenseman’s skill set is purely physical, as he had only seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in 35 games, but compiled 73 penalty minutes. Last season, Bedkowski played the first half as team captain of the Attack, but was traded to the Ottawa 67’s. In 68 games between the two clubs, he posted 29 points (5 goals, 24 assists) and 118 penalty minutes.
Elite Prospects Draft Guide said that it would be an understatement to say Bedkowski has a mean streak. “He punishes. He hurts, retaliates, beats down, knocks, and crushes opponents with open-ice hits and bone-rattling contact along the boards.”
That mean streak is something that most of Buffalo’s blueline have been missing for years, but it will be at least a few years before the Toronto native can bring that physicality to the NHL roster. He has one more year before the Sabres have to make a decision on whether to sign him or not, unless he decides like many CHL products to go the NCAA route.
DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 26: Reverse Retro jerseys of the Colorado Avalanche hang in the locker room prior to the game against the Dallas Stars. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
In the biggest Colorado Avalanche news of the summer, our beloved LG Red is back at Altitude for the upcoming season! Lauren Gardner won’t be exclusive to just Avalanche broadcasts but she is back in Colorado and will be on our TV screens. Welcome home, LG!
The NHL announced they are committing to regular season games in Germany for three years starting with the 2026-27 season as the league continues to increase their global reach.
NHL fans in Germany will be treated to regular-season games in their country for at least the next three seasons following the announcement of the @NHL and @FCBayern's strategic partnership.
There will be a new specialty jersey coming this fall for every team, dubbed the Hometown Remix. Word on the street is that just like their two versions of the Reverse Retro, the Avalanche will have a white sweater in this upcoming collection as well.
Something new is coming to all 32 NHL cities this season. 👀
The countdown is on for the first-of-its-kind Hometown Remix program by the @NHL and @Fanatics. More details to come after the puck drops on the 2026-27 season next month. pic.twitter.com/zX1uBNLNZn
Preseason isn’t just for the Avalanche as the Colorado Eagles are expected to participate in what’s been dubbed the Southwest Showdown. The Tucson Roadrunners will serve as host while the Eagles will play the Texas Stars on September 26th and the Henderson Silver Knights on September 27th. Giddy up!
Zach L’Heureux could either become exactly what the Colorado Avalanche have been missing or give Jared Bednar one more headache to solve.
That is what makes bringing the 23-year-old forward to Colorado so intriguing. L’Heureux may not be the most naturally gifted player on the roster, but he brings something the Avalanche badly lacked when their season ended: physicality, nastiness and an unmistakable edge.
Colorado was swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final last season, and Vegas repeatedly imposed its more punishing, hard-nosed style on the Avalanche. L’Heureux gives Colorado another player capable of pushing back.
But there is a fine line between providing an edge and becoming a liability, and L’Heureux has spent much of his career walking it. He has been suspended at every level of hockey he has played, including nine times in the QMJHL — one resulting in a 10-game ban after he jabbed a fan with his stick. He was also suspended three times during his AHL career before receiving a three-game NHL suspension for slew-footing Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon.
For Colorado, the challenge will be harnessing L’Heureux’s aggression without allowing it to become more trouble than it is worth.
Colton Dach has been placed in Concussion Protocol by the #IceHogs
His NHL numbers tell an equally interesting story.
L’Heureux’s 63 penalty minutes in 62 games during his first full NHL season with the Nashville Predators in 2024-25 further illustrate the double-edged nature of his game. He averaged just 12:03 of ice time per night, meaning he was racking up more than a penalty minute per game despite playing limited minutes. That physical edge can be valuable for an Avalanche team that needs more pushback, but it also comes with a caveat: Colorado needs L’Heureux making an impact on the ice, not watching from the penalty box.
We got fight night in San Jose! 3 fights in 4 seconds
Luke Kunin vs Cole Smith Barclay Goodrow vs Michael McCarron Ty Dellandrea vs Zach L’Heureux pic.twitter.com/ybFFMS1SEz
That is the balancing act Bednar will have to solve.
The Avalanche have lacked some bite in their lineup at times, particularly when games become nasty and opponents try to drag them into the kind of physical battle that can disrupt Colorado’s speed game. L’Heureux has never needed an invitation to make things uncomfortable.
The question is whether Bednar will trust him to do it.
There is a significant difference between playing with an edge and becoming a nuisance, and L’Heureux’s career suggests he has occasionally crossed that line. Colorado’s coaching staff will have to find a way to preserve the aggression that makes him valuable without allowing it to become the very thing that keeps him out of the lineup.
It is an interesting problem to have.
As the old hockey saying goes, it is easier to rein in a player with too much passion than it is to manufacture passion in a player who does not have it.
L’Heureux certainly does not need anyone to teach him how to play with emotion.
What remains to be determined is whether he can turn that emotion into consistent NHL production.
The pedigree is there.
L’Heureux was a first-round pick for a reason, and his production in the AHL has only reinforced the offensive potential that made him a coveted prospect. He erupted for 19 goals and 48 points in 66 games with the Milwaukee Admirals during the 2023-24 season before taking another step forward last year, recording 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in just 30 games.
That is a jump from 0.73 points per game to 0.93, an indication that L’Heureux was becoming increasingly productive at the AHL level. The question now is whether he can finally translate that offensive consistency to the NHL.
And perhaps just as intriguing for Colorado is the cost of finding out. L’Heureux is signed for the next two seasons at just a $875,000 annual cap hit, giving the Avalanche a former first-round pick with legitimate offensive upside and a physical edge without requiring a significant financial commitment. If he breaks out, the value of that contract could become enormous.
If he can put everything together, Colorado may have landed one of the sneakiest steals of the offseason.
Two decades after he played his final game for the Senators, Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara took his final shift on Friday.
Chara was the star of “Zee’s Final Shift," a final exhibition game to honour Chara's career. The game featured several former Senators and a lot of ex-Boston Bruins, the team he truly made his name with.
While he spent four good years with the Sens, it was 20 years ago this summer that he left Ottawa to sign with Boston, where he'd spend the next 14 years.
Friday's game was held at a rink named after former Senator Pavol Demitra in Chara’s hometown of Trencin, Slovakia. The evening closed with a lovely moment as Chara removed his skates at centre ice, left them on the faceoff dot, and walked off with his two twin sons, Zack and Ben.
The act was special for two reasons.
The biggest was the nod to his father, Zdenek, a Greco-Roman wrestler who competed for Czechoslovakia in the Olympics. When a wrestler removes their shoes and leaves them in the center of the mat or ring, it's a powerful symbol that their time in competitive wrestling is at an end.
Also, as every hockey fan knows, Chara literally leaves the game with some very big skates to fill.
His former Bruins teammates know that better than most. They lined up in tribute with an ad hoc tunnel for the Charas to walk through as they left the ice. Even without skates on, as he walked off in his socks, he was still taller than most of his friends.
The former Senators' content included Marian Hossa, Chris Kelly, Peter Bondra, and Radek Hamr.
Former and current Bruins taking part in the game included Patrice Bergeron, Ray Bourque, Johnny Boychuk, Andrew Ference, Jaroslav Halak, Chris Kelly, Milan Lucic, Adam McQuaid, David Pastrnak, Mark Recchi, Michael Ryder, Dennis Seidenberg, Josef Stumpel, and Marco Sturm.
Other players involved the game were Peter Bondra, Petr Cech, Marian Gaborik, Radek Hamr, Michal Handzus, Marian Hossa, Jaromir Jagr, Tomas Kaberle, Anze Kopitar, Ziggy Palffy, Robert Reichel, Miroslav Satan, Andrej Sekera, Tomas Vanek, Jakub Voracek, and Aaron Ward.
The evening even included a hardest shot contest where Chara exactly matched his 2012 NHL All-Star record with a 108.8 mph slap shot, a super specific radar reading that would usually raise an eyebrow or two, but not on a night like this.
The building was filled with too much love to do anything but cheer.
