It's been reported for quite some time now that the St. Louis Blues have serious interest in acquiring Carolina Hurricanes defenseman and current RFA Alexander Nikishin.
The 24-year-old completed his rookie season, helping the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup. With the stacked Hurricanes blueline, the organization is pondering the idea of trading Nikishin rather than signing him to a contract. While the Blues' interest is notable, with pre-season beginning in just nine days, the likelihood of a deal progressing before the season starts continues to shrink.
But if the Blues are keen on adding a left-handed defenseman, they could turn their attention toward Mason Lohrei of the Boston Bruins.
Lohrei would be cheaper to acquire and more affordable under the salary cap ($3.2 million AAV), but he is a slightly lesser player. Despite that, Lohrei has played 191 games in the NHL, boasts a 6-foot-5 frame, and has strong two-way defenseman traits.
Last year, Lohrei posted seven goals and 26 points in 73 games, and in 2024-25, he notched five goals and 33 points in 77 games. But the 25-year-old began to lose his spot in the pecking order as the season wore on. His ice time dropped to 16:54 from the 19:32 he averaged the year prior.
The Blues, on the other hand, are looking to beef up their left side. Currently, their left-handed defensemen feature Philip Broberg, Cam Fowler, Tyler Tucker, and Theo Lindstein. Broberg is the team's No. 1 defenseman, but after that, there are some question marks. Fowler struggled during the 2025-26 season and looked more comfortable in a third-pairing role. Tucker hasn't really emerged as anything more than a bottom-pairing defenseman. Lindstein is also still just 21 years old, and the organization could feel that additional time in the AHL is needed.
With those question marks, it's clear why GM Alexander Steen is monitoring the defense market, specifically NHL-established defensemen around 25 years old.
Lohrei, like Nikishin, would be an excellent fit behind Broberg now and in the future. His size is enticing; add that he is a capable puck mover and offensive threat, and he fits the Blues system perfectly. He showed strong skating results in 2025-26, landing in the 66th percentile in max skating speed, according to NHL EDGE.
Marginal rumors have linked the Blues and Lohrei at this time, but if the need for a defenseman grows, Lohrei fits the bill.
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.
The 2026-27 NHL season continues to approach, with the New York Islanders' regular season opener in just 20 days, less than three full weeks.
Right now, the biggest story entering camp surrounds Victor Eklund and whether or not he's going to make the team, and how big of an impact he's going to have if and when he does break through with the NHL squad.
However, with just days until training camps open, Elliotte Friedman dropped something of a bombshell with the Islanders, reporting that New York is "around that," referring to Kirill Marchenko's reported availability as a trade chip with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Friedman says #Isles have been “around that” referring to #CBJ Marchenko.
Marchenko, 26, posted 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games across the 2025-26 season as Columbus' top forward.
Marchenko's broken out in the last two seasons and has become something of a star in the NHL. In 2024-25, Marchenko scored 31 goals and 74 points in 79 games.
This past summer at the 2026 NHL Draft, reports emerged that Marchenko informed Columbus he would not sign an extension following the 2026-27 season, with Marchenko set to be a restricted free agent just one year away from becoming an unrestricted free agent.
So while Columbus doesn't have immediate pressure to trade him away, if they don't, Marchenko could sign his qualifying offer and then simply walk to unrestricted free agency the following summer.
That's where the Islanders come into play. This past summer, fans have clamored for the Islanders to get involved with available players such as Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch, both of whom landed with the Washington Capitals.
There's a difference between those two and Marchenko.
First, Tuch is older than Marchenko, sitting at age 30, and soon to be past his prime. The Islanders are viewing this year as a transition year, and the contention window with Matthew Schaefer hasn't fully opened yet.
Optimistically, that window could open in one-to-two years. If Kyrou or Tuch were here, they'd both be 30 or older, with Kyrou currently 28 and showing signs of inconsistency.
Marchenko, however, at 26, is much younger. He's also played less NHL games than both, meaning less wear-and-tear. And, if the true window of contention opens in two years, well all of a sudden, Marchenko is 28 and at the height of powers.
It's a perfect fit for balancing wanting to compete this year, but keeping one eye on the future.
The cost of acquisition for Marchenko will be high, but the closer it gets to July 1 next year, that price will drop.
Nobody thinks a deal is imminent, which also helps the Islanders. They've been transparently against trading any of their top prospects.
This season represents their first full year with the vast majority of all their top guys playing in the organization, allowing for further thorough evaluation, and thus making it easier to trade one away if it comes to it.
Columbus also likely won't want to rebuild, and will be looking for guys to win-now. So it could cost guys on the NHL roster, too.
For now, the most notable thing is that the Islanders are actively involved in Marchenko.
The big takeaway is showing what type of player will fit into the Schaefer window, and who won't.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have released their 2026 NHL Prospect Tournament roster and a complete tournament schedule for the event, held from Saturday, Sept. 12 to Tuesday, Sept.15 at BELFOR Training Center inside Little Caesars Arena.
Per the CBJ PR release:
"The Blue Jackets will be coached in Detroit by Nick Bootland, head coach of the Cleveland Monsters, the club's American Hockey League affiliate. The rookie camp roster features 23 players, including 11 that were selected by the team via the NHL Draft. Competing for the first time as Blue Jackets are three picks from the 2026 NHL Draft – center Alessandro Di Iorio (94th overall), goaltender Parker Snell (142nd overall) and left wing Filip Novak (206th overall). Other drafted players scheduled to participate in the tournament include: 2025 – C Owen Griffin; 2024 – D Charlie Elick, G Evan Gardner, D Luca Marrelli; 2023 – C Luca Pinelli, C Oiva Keskinen; 2022 – RW Jordan Dumais; 2021 – D Guillaume Richard."
"The roster also features six players who signed entry level contracts with the club: F Josh Eernisse and D Boston Buckberger in 2026, D Caleb MacDonald and RW Jack Williams in 2025, LW Max McCue in 2024, and G Nolan Lalonde in 2022."
2026 NHL PROSPECT TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 12th - 3:00 p.m. - Columbus vs. Pittsburgh - BELFOR Training Center
Sunday, September 13th - 3:30 p.m. - Dallas vs. Columbus - BELFOR Training Center
Monday, September 14th - TBD
Tuesday, September 15th - 2:00 p.m. - Detroit vs. Columbus - BELFOR Training Center
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
Let us know what you think below.
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. Share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
On Thursday, new reports came out from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on a new episode of his podcast, 32 Thoughts. The NHL insider touched on many topics around the league, including the Detroit Red Wings and their contract situation with restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson.
Friedman started off by explaining that the situation is certainly unique, with Detroit currently without a general manager. But he noted that when it comes to new deals shaping the market for defensemen, it isn't just Cale Makar's massive eight-year, $163.2 million extension making waves.
The eight-year, $75.04 million extension recently signed by 20-year-old Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium, carrying a $9.38 million annual cap hit, is also worth watching closely.
Friedman explained that Buium's contract could play a role in shaping negotiations for young defensemen like Edvinsson, and could see the former sixth-overall pick land a bigger deal than expected at the start of the summer.
Buium has just 76 career NHL games and 26 points on his resume, numbers that stack up closely against Edvinsson's 25 points in 72 games last season, giving Edvinsson's camp a fresh comparison point to lean on in negotiations, even with Detroit still searching for its next GM.
Reports have suggested that Edvinsson has remained committed to the Red Wings and has been waiting for the club's GM search to play out, with no interest in creating any drama. He's expected to join the Red Wings at training camp regardless of where those talks stand.
Edvinsson is coming off his second straight 25-plus point season and took on a bigger role a year ago, playing over 22 minutes a night and finishing at plus-12 on the season, matching his rating from his rookie campaign.
Missing ten games due to injury likely cost him a shot at reaching the 30-point mark for a second straight season, but there's no denying Edvinsson has flashed real upside at a young age, and the Red Wings would love to get a new deal worked out.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
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 below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Hockey is back, at long last, and the Anaheim Ducks will be holding their very brief 2026 rookie camp at the end of this week, followed by their participation in the 2026 Rookie Faceoff. The Rookie Faceoff will be hosted by the San Jose Sharks and feature six teams who will play a total of seven games. The Sharks and Ducks will be joined by rookies from the Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Utah Mammoth, and Vegas Golden Knights organizations.
The Ducks rookies will only be on the ice together on Friday at 10 am (open to the public, free of charge) before they’ll head to Northern California. They’ll play two games against rookies from the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday at 1 pm PST and the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday at 3 pm PST.
Rookie camp, along with training camp and preseason, will be compressed in 2026-27 and beyond, as the NHL shifts to an 84-game regular season schedule. Still, plenty of storylines remain as one evaluates the 13 forwards, 7 defensemen, and two goaltenders invited to the weekend-long rookie event ahead of a crucial 2026 training camp for the Anaheim Ducks.
Here are the three storylines that most stand out:
Top Picks: Ready or Rushing?
With the way the 2026 offseason played out for the Ducks (and will continue to play out), the Ducks will likely have to navigate a top-heavy depth chart and payroll as they attempt to advance into their true contending window. That means they’re going to have to rely on general manager Pat Verbeek signing useful veterans to bargain deals and young players to have significant impacts quickly.
Addressing the latter, the Ducks are going to have to enter the 2026-27 season with top-six forward Troy Terry on LTIR and having moved on from veteran forward Chris Kreider to fit in star forward Cutter Gauthier’s incoming AAV, leaving depth scoring a monumental question mark.
Anaheim’s top two prospects are Roger McQueen (10th overall in 2025) and Nikita Klepov (15th in ’26), and these camps could be an opportunity for either or both to make the Ducks’ opening night roster and begin contributing immediately.
McQueen’s ELC will kick in this season regardless of whether he plays with the San Diego Gulls or in Anaheim. He has an NHL-ready frame as well as NHL-ready skill and has developed pro habits while playing in the NCAA with Providence College in 2025-26. However, he hasn’t played much hockey (63 games between the WHL, NCAA, and AHL) in the last two calendar years, and despite a need at his position, inserting him into the NHL right away may ultimately hinder his offensive development, an area where his true potential lies and where he hasn’t had the freedom to explore of late.
When Klepov was drafted, Verbeek stated he may be on a “fast track” to the NHL. He was set to transition to the NCAA for the 2026-27 season, but the Ducks, instead, signed him to his ELC. He’ll now either play in the NHL or OHL this season. He led the OHL in scoring a year ago, so one may be inclined to believe he doesn’t have much to gain at that level anymore. However skilled, smart, and tenacious he is (and he is those things), he has some work to do to add to his 6-foot, 186-pound frame and learn how to translate what makes him a successful forward to the NHL level.
Swedish Forwards Make the Jump to North America
In the tier below McQueen and Klepov on the Ducks prospect rankings sits a trio of recently drafted Swedish forwards who are making the transition from the Swedish pro/junior hockey circuit to North America. Two are projected to play their first full seasons in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls, and one is expected to play in the OHL.
Lucas Pettersson (35th in ’24) and Herman Traff (91st in ’24) will play their D+3 seasons in the AHL after ending their 2025-26 campaigns by getting a taste of the level with the Gulls. They’ve each competed against men for the past two seasons and have developed pro-ready habits. Their next challenge will be to adjust to the size of the North American rinks and the stride-to-stride speed it produces.
As the Ducks transition to the next phase of their build, they’ll soon see the departures of another layer of veterans (Frank Vatrano, Mikael Granlund, Alex Killorn). Players like Pettersson and Traff will be counted on to hit the ground running in the next couple of years to stabilize the depth of the Ducks’ future forward group.
Marcus Nordmark (28th in ’26) is a supremely talented project winger the Ducks selected with their second first-round pick acquired from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Mason McTavish on draft night. His areas of improvement include effort and consistency, both aspects he can address in the OHL while getting acclimated to a new culture and play style.
Nordmark wasn’t able to participate on the ice during Ducks development camp in July due to injury, so it will be the first opportunity for many in the Ducks’ coaching staff, development staff, and front office to see him play in person.
Future in Net
The Ducks rookie camp will feature two of the organization’s six goaltenders currently in North America and the two projected to receive the majority of the starts for the San Diego Gulls in the AHL: Tomas Suchanek and Damian Clara.
Clara (21) has the higher upside of the two and is the goaltender the Ducks have invested the most in since drafting John Gibson in 2011. This will be his first full season in North America since the Ducks drafted him in the second round three years ago (60th in ’23). He spent the three seasons since playing in the SHL, Liiga, and HockeyAllsvenskan.
Clara made a name for himself representing his native Italy at the 2026 Olympic Games, and despite his squad failing to win a game, he kept the team in front of him within striking distance against some of the best hockey countries in the world.
His athleticism is off the charts, but he will need to refine the intricacies of angling and managing a fast game from within the blue paint.
Suchanek (23) had a strong rookie season in the AHL in 2023-24, but missed the entire 2024-25 season with an injury and struggled mightily in 2025-26, splitting the year between the AHL and ECHL.
Both Ville Husso and Laurent Brosssoit will see their contracts expire after the upcoming season, and it seems that thereafter, the backup role behind Lukas Dostal will be up for grabs. A good rookie camp, followed by a good training camp, can give either Clara or Suchanek the early edge in that particular position battle.
The Sharks will begin preparing for the 2026-27 NHL season shortly, hoping this is the year they return to the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. And when training camp begins, they can go into it knowing they have rising star Macklin Celebrini locked in for the long haul.
Agreeing to a five-year, $94 million contract extension in July and earning over $18 million per season, Celebrini will become the NHL’s highest-paid player when the new contract kicks in next season. But despite receiving the recognition he deserves, coming off a 100-point campaign last season, the new contract still feels weird for the 20-year-old face of the franchise.
“I kind of still feels weird because that’s not really why I’m playing or anything like that,” Celebrini told The Hollywood Reporter’s Belmont Cameli. “It was a long negotiation and trying to just figure out what worked best for our young core and how special our group is and making sure everyone gets paid and where the cap is going. So kind of figuring out what makes the most sense and we landed on that.”
Celebrini was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and immediately became the Sharks’ star player. Scoring 25 goals and 38 assists in 70 games in his debut campaign, finishing with 65 points, Celebrini was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.
Celebrini broke out last season, highlighted by a dominant run for Team Canada at the 2026 Summer Olympics. Guiding Canada to the silver medal, he finished the tournament with five goals and five assists (10 points) through six games and was the leading scorer. For his efforts, he was named to the Olympic All-Star team.
The Sharks boast one of the NHL’s youngest rosters and to have their core player in Celebrini here for a long time is a major step in the right direction for a franchise that used to be a perennial playoff contender. The playoffs are the main goal for the franchise this season and as long as Celebrini is healthy and playing at a high level, the Sharks should be a team to watch all season long.
The Sharks open training camp on Sept. 17 before their first preseason game against the Anaheim Ducks on Sept. 20. From then on, it will be all about preparing for their regular season opener against two-time NHL champions Florida Panthers at home on Oct. 1.
Tyson Jost is getting another chance to keep his NHL career going, and it comes with a return to an organization he knows well.
The former Colorado Avalanche first-round pick has signed a Professional Tryout Agreement (PTO) with the Nashville Predators, putting himself in position to compete for a contract when Nashville opens training camp.
The move also reunites Jost with Chris MacFarland, who served as an assistant general manager with the Avalanche during Jost’s time in Colorado and now holds the title of general manager and president of hockey operations in Nashville.
It is another opportunity for a player whose NHL career has taken him through several organizations since the Avalanche called his name with the 10th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Jost spent more than five seasons in Colorado and established himself as a regular contributor during a significant period in franchise history. He suited up for 321 games with the Avalanche, collecting 45 goals and 58 assists for 103 points before the organization moved him at the 2021-22 trade deadline.
That trade created a connection between Jost and the Avalanche’s eventual championship that remains somewhat unusual.
Colorado dealt Jost to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Nico Sturm, leaving behind a team that was beginning to look like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. A few months later, the Avalanche were lifting the Cup—and Sturm was right there with them.
Sturm became a useful part of Colorado’s bottom six during the postseason, appearing in 13 playoff games and recording four points. He provided the type of reliable depth that can become invaluable over a long playoff run, making the trade one that ultimately worked out well for the Avalanche.
Jost, meanwhile, continued his career elsewhere.
After his stint in Minnesota, he eventually moved on to the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes before landing back with Nashville. The Predators claimed him off waivers in October, giving the veteran forward another opportunity to establish himself in an NHL lineup.
He made the most of that opportunity last season, appearing in 69 games for Nashville and finishing with eight goals and eight assists.
Now, the Predators are giving him another shot to earn his way onto the roster.
Jost enters camp with considerable NHL experience on his résumé. He has played 564 regular-season games, recording 74 goals and 177 points. While his offensive production has never reached the level Colorado hoped for when it drafted him in the first round, he has carved out a career through his versatility, work ethic and willingness to play a supporting role.
Those qualities are now being put to the test once again.
A PTO does not guarantee Jost a place on Nashville’s opening-night roster. Instead, it gives him a platform to make an impression during camp and preseason action and potentially earn a contract before the regular season begins.
For a player who has already experienced the highs and uncertainty that come with an NHL career, it is another opportunity to control what happens next.
Jost’s connection to Colorado will always be tied to the 2016 draft and the years he spent developing into an NHL player. But his most interesting link to the Avalanche may be the trade that sent him away just months before the franchise won its third Stanley Cup.
Colorado ultimately got a championship contributor in return.
Jost got a fresh start.
Nearly five years later, he’s chasing another one.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are mourning one of their own, while joining the rest of rhe hockey world in remembering Barry Melrose.
The former defenceman from Kelvington, Sask., who later became the most recognizable hockey voice in the United States, died Wednesday at 70 after a three-year fight with Parkinson’s disease.
The club issued a statement late Wednesday night calling him a “hard-nosed defenceman” who played 173 of his 300 NHL games in Toronto and later “informed and entertained hockey fans all over the world.”
Melrose arrived in Toronto mid-season in 1980-81 after a stop with the Winnipeg Jets. Over three seasons he piled up 420 penalty minutes in a Leafs sweater, skating alongside Börje Salming and Darryl Sittler early on and later under Punch Imlach
A decade later he came back to Maple Leaf Gardens as the enemy.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Barry Melrose.
A hard-nosed defenceman from Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Barry played in 173 of his 300 NHL games with the Maple Leafs and amassed 420 penalty minutes in that time with the club. Following his… pic.twitter.com/Yreu1mIUa1
In his first season as an NHL head coach, the 36-year-old Melrose took Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille and the Los Angeles Kings all the way to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final. First they had to get past Toronto. The Campbell Conference Final went seven games and remains one of the most crushing playoff defeats of the Leafs’ 1990s. After the teams split the first six, Gretzky scored the winner in Game 7 at the Gardens. An all-Canadian Final against Montreal vanished in a night. The series was defined by Marty McSorley’s hit on Doug Gilmour and the brawl that followed, a moment Melrose later said “won us the series.” For a generation of Leafs fans, that night still sits in the same drawer as 1993 itself. Los Angeles then fell to Patrick Roy and the Canadiens in five games.
That was the last great chapter of Melrose the coach. The next one made him bigger than any team he ever ran.
From 1996 until his 2023 retirement, Melrose was ESPN’s hockey guy. He became the face of the sport for millions of American viewers who otherwise might never have found hockey. He worked All-Star Games, playoffs and Stanley Cup Finals. When ESPN did not hold NHL rights, he still showed up on SportsCenter and sold the game anyway.
Colleagues called him a hockey original. Gretzky said he was “bigger than any team.” Commissioner Gary Bettman noted that Melrose “cut an unmistakable figure” and spent decades making the sport bigger in the United States
We at the The Hockey News pass along our condolences to the Melrose family.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
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 below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
There has been plenty of change with the roster, management, and everything in between over the past couple of years. One of the most impactful changes to the franchise has been the departure of Mitch Marner in July 2025, after playing his first NHL season away from Toronto this past year with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Marner was a representative for the Golden Knights at the NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas and was asked about his former team. With the summer that the Maple Leafs had, the topic of their off-season came up.
With such a strong history with the Leafs, playing nine seasons with the club and 657 regular-season games, as well as growing up in the Greater Toronto Area, it's easy to follow what his former team has been up to.
Nonetheless, the right winger has his sights set on the coming campaign with his team, and doesn't hold much weight with what his former team is up to.
"Don't think very much," he said. "I'm just thinking about our team and what we've got to do to be the best we can be."
Marner, born in Markham, Ont. and growing up in Toronto, has become familiar with the local talent. Of that bunch is Toronto-born defenseman Darren Raddysh, whom the Maple Leafs acquired in a sign-and-trade in June.
Marner said he was pumped to see Raddysh get an opportunity for his hometown team after a career-high 22 goals and 70 points last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"I know Raddy quite well, I'm very happy for him," Marner said of Raddysh. "He's worked his butt."
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
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 below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
DALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 7: Ryan Graves #27 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on December 7, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Conventional wisdom states that a player with a big salary and years of NHL experience usually sticks with the NHL roster. The Penguins have been bucking that trend lately, starting with waiving goalie Tristan Jarry and sending him to the minors in the 2024-25 season. That continued in a major way last season in 2025-26 when Danton Heinen and Ryan Graves didn’t make the NHL club out of training camp and were waived then sent to the AHL. It wasn’t that long into the season before Matt Dumba and Phil Tomasino were sent in that direction as well.
Some of these players popped back up with the NHL teams at times last year (most notably Graves), some did not. The future is uncertain and getting cut from the team doesn’t have to mean the end of the road for good, but there are clear signals that the Pens value performance and ability over strictly just the contract and statuses of players involved. Being an NHL player in the past hasn’t locked in a spot for the future.
That’s a curious concept to consider when looking at the sheer volume of players that will be in the mix during the quick 13-day training camp. Barring future injuries, some tough decisions will need to be made on a number of cases. Let’s get into some of them.
Ryan Graves – Graves enters year four of a six-year contract on as shaky footing as ever. In the past, one could squint or offer hopeful reasons for improvement like “he’ll be better in year two now that he’s acclimated to the team” or “this year could be different with a new coach and fresh start”. Few reasons for optimism remain given the caliber of play when Graves has been in the NHL lineup lately. Graves would likely have to beat out many or all of Declan Carlile, Ilya Solovyov, Caleb Jones and Owen Pickering for a spot in the lineup. The odds look long to do that based off all evidence to this point. The onus is now on Graves to change the narrative and show he’s worth keeping, as evidenced last year when he was a training camp cut, the team has no reason not to jettison him if he’s not bringing a high enough level of play to be on the roster.
Hendrix Lapierre – The Penguins gave up a third round pick to acquire Lapierre, yet it seems like he’s got some work to do to turn some heads and earn a spot with the club this fall. Lapierre’s career has been in neutral or worse for a couple of seasons now. He might not have the chops defensively to fit into the heavy lift the Pens ask of their fourth liners in terms of d-zone starts and penalty killing. A natural center, Lapierre has floundered in the middle and become more of a wing option. Does he get a look at center? Is there a way to stand out and starting finding a niche somewhere in the lineup? These are unanswerable questions at the moment but loom large in the near future.
Justin Brazeau – Brazeau scored 17 goals last season, yet only five of them over his last 40 games. At the beginning of the year he was playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Anthony Mantha, by the end of the season Brazeau was a healthy scratch that was essentially surpassed in the lineup by newcomer Elmer Soderblom. Brazeau could be an important depth piece to have, his issue seems to be that the team keeps adding around him. Andrei Kuzmenko stands in for Mantha this year but the team has brought in wingers Soderblom, Egor Chinakhov and Nick Robertson within the last year. Not to mention younger options like Lapierre, Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes and the next guy on the list below. In totality, Brazeau had a career-year and would seem to be a shoo-in for a roster spot. Yet today, that doesn’t sound like a certain proposition. Of course players can’t think in this way, but overall for Brazeau, he might be the biggest beneficiary if an NHL forward gets injured in training camp the way Bryan Rust did last year. At that point, the math could change significantly for finding room to keep Brazeau around.
Ville Koivunen – What to do with the $4 million dollar man? That will be one of the most intriguing situations to watch unfold in Pittsburgh this September. The team clearly has high hopes for what Koivunen might become, the thing is the recent past doesn’t suggest that he is very close to getting there right now. This is where the advanced cap hit offers some benefit – Koivunen could have been a candidate for a top team to pluck off waivers if he had a ‘normal’ young unestablished player cap hit. Most of those teams are completely off the board for that idea now, since they don’t have an extra $4 million in cap space to play around with. Then again, the Pens might not intend to waive Koivunen at all, given his mastery of the American league. Is he bound to be a fill-in player as a scratch? Find a spot in the opening night lineup? Get placed on waivers? Each outcome sounds about as likely as any other at this point.
–
What could solve a lot of this is a great camp. Many times people think about that as a young player like Harrison Brunicke or Ben Kindel bursting on the scene and forcing their way into the team’s plans. Such situations are not just reserved for the up-and-comers trying to get on the radar. All four of highlighted players above make a decent salary and all to different degrees have been factoring into NHL lineups in the recent past. They too could be in-line to show out and grab a role at the start of the year.
The big unknown will be the opportunities at hand. Will someone like Brazeau get the chance to start training camp, say on a line with Kindel and Robertson? Or will Brazeau be placed with players more likely with immediate AHL futures? Placement could tell a lot about how the team is leaning, and a brief camp won’t allow for too many chances to explore a tremendous number of possibilities. That’s not to say fates will be sealed at all based on first glimpses – lines and roles are bound to have some amount of fluidity in the early going – but the clock on camp will be moving quickly with only so many practices and exhibition games to force the issue and make an impact.
Former Minnesota Wild forward prospect Graeme Clarke is taking his career overseas.
Frölunda HC announced Tuesday that it has signed Clarke to a one-year contract that runs through the 2026-27 season. The 25-year-old will join one of the top organizations in the Swedish Hockey League.
Clarke spent the 2024-25 season in the Wild organization after Minnesota acquired him from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Adam Beckman in June 2024.
The right-shot forward never appeared in an NHL game for Minnesota, but played 64 games for the Iowa Wild, recording 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points.
Minnesota moved on from Clarke following that season, and he signed with the Washington Capitals organization. He began the 2025-26 campaign with the Hershey Bears, recording 15 goals and nine assists in 50 games before eventually landing with the Belleville Senators.
Clarke finished the season particularly well in Belleville, producing five goals and 14 assists for 19 points in just 15 games. Despite that strong finish, his next opportunity will come overseas.
Frölunda sporting director Fredrik Sjöström described Clarke as an offensively gifted forward with strong hands and a good shot. While Clarke has primarily played on the wing, the club also noted that he has experience at center.
Clarke said he was pursued by multiple teams in different leagues before choosing Frölunda, which will compete in the SHL, Champions Hockey League and Spengler Cup this season.
Originally selected by New Jersey with the 80th overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft, Clarke developed into a productive AHL scorer. His best season came in 2022-23 when he registered 25 goals and 58 points in 68 games with Utica.
He eventually earned his first NHL opportunity with the Devils during the 2023-24 season, appearing in three games. Those remain the only NHL games of his career.
Clarke now heads to Sweden with an opportunity to establish himself in the SHL after parts of six seasons in the AHL.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
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 below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
On Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Anaheim Ducks and Chris Kreider had agreed to terminate the big forward’s contract and that he would be placed on unconditional waivers for contract termination. A couple of hours later, the 6-foot-3, 232-pound 35-year-old was indeed put on waivers, and once he clears, which he will, he will be free as a bird to sign with a new team.
While Kreider is no spring chicken, he still has a lot to give to a team. Last season, he put up 50 points in 75 games, and if not for the gigantic contract the Ducks were forced to give Leo Carlsson and its ripple effect, he would still be on the team. Last season, it wasn’t rare to see him play alongside top talent like Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier.
The plan now is for Kreider, a Massachusetts native, to head back to the East Coast to play on a contending team. This is where the Montreal Canadiens come in. Back in early July, we suggested that Kreider could be an interesting target for the Canadiens in the fallout of the Carlsson contract, and now that Kreider can be had for nothing more than money, he becomes an even better target.
Of course, if Kent Hughes still believes he has a shot at landing one of his “plan A” targets, such as Kirill Marchenko or Matthew Knies, he doesn’t need to pursue Kreider. Still, if those avenues or equivalent ones are shut, the veteran becomes an interesting option. While it’s clear that the Canadiens could use a second-line center, it appears they’ve decided to wait and see what they have in Michael Hage. However, they still want to acquire top-six talent to play alongside Ivan Demidov, and Kreider is, in many ways, similar to the aforementioned Marchenko and Knies. He’s big, he’s got speed, and he’s not afraid to get to the dirty areas. Last year he landed 69 hits in 73 games.
Most importantly, though, he shows up and delivers in the playoffs. Kreider is the kind of player who is made for playoff hockey and relishes playing when the stakes are high. In 135 playoff games, he has put up 83 points (0.61 PPG) and 84 penalty minutes. In the New York Rangers' run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, he put up 13 points in 15 games. Yes, that was 12 years ago, but in his last three playoff years, he averaged 0.80 PPG over 35 games (28 points).
Granted, there is some history between Kreider and the Canadiens, namely that incident in the 2014 playoffs when he ran into Carey Price and caused the goaltender’s first serious knee injury. Many fans still see him as the cause of Price’s early retirement, but the fact of the matter is that Price isn’t on the team anymore, nor is anyone else who played for the Habs in 2014; Brendan Gallagher was the last survivor. This isn't like bringing Mark Scheifele in to play with Jake Evans.
If Kreider really wants to win a Stanley Cup, he should be willing to sign at a reasonable cap hit, and given his age, he shouldn’t ask for that much term either. Of course, you don’t want him to block the development of your young players, but there’s a balance to be struck. In the last playoffs, it was obvious that Oliver Kapanen lacked experience and still has plenty to learn to play that kind of hockey efficiently.
Having Kreider around for the next two years could be great for the Canadiens. He could have an important role this season and, if the young players improve enough, slide into a lesser role next season. His last contract had a $6.5 million cap hit, but by agreeing to have it terminated by the Ducks, he has proven that it’s not about the money for him anymore, and if there’s someone who can get players to sign reasonable deals, it’s the Canadiens’ GM.
This is an opportunity Hughes at least has to entertain, given that he couldn't find a trading partner this summer. Furthermore, both Jeff Gorton and Martin St-Louis know Kreider well and could speak to his character and potential fit with the team.
Hockey season is finally upon us, with the Philadelphia Flyers set to kick off their rookie camp and Rookie Series this week, immediately followed by the start of training camp.
On Wednesday, we got the official Flyers training camp roster, which included Andrew Perrott, an AHL signing I didn't know about; and Zayde Wisdom, who is going to get another crack at the NHL, as small as his odds may be.
Of the rest of the inclusions on the roster, I am most excited to see what kind of roster battles take place in the bottom-six.
From last year, the Flyers still have Nikita Grebenkin and Carl Grundstrom, but it will be interesting to see if formerly esteemed prospects like Nolan Foote and Danila Klimovich can outperform them.
Newcomer Zach Aston-Reese has some NHL experience, too, but his role has substantially decreased over the last four years since leaving Pittsburgh, and perhaps there is a reason for that.
Additionally, I think Devin Kaplan has the potential to occupy such a role for the Flyers in the future, but he is more than likely going to need at least one more year of development in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Simply put, the winger room is just too crowded right now, and some cards need to fall before we consider anything further.
In other (brief) prospect news, Egor Zavragin is on the board with his first win in his first start of the KHL season!
Flyers' Quinn Hughes pursuit gets a boost?
Most of you who have followed my Flyers coverage here and on social media know that I have long been of the opinion that a marriage between Quinn Hughes and the New Jersey Devils is inevitable.
Well, if you were hoping the Flyers would have a shot at Hughes, the superstar defenseman left all doors open during his media availability at the NHL Player Media Tour. The door that is open the widest is the one in Newark, but doors are open.
"This is going to be done whenever I feel like it needs to be done," Hughes said. "I don’t feel backed up against a wall. I’m very thoughtful. I want to make sure I’m taking my time on everything and make sure I’m making a decision that is going to be good for everyone. That’s kind of where my head has been at.
"It is my life. I’m not going to do anything to make someone else happy. Obviously, I like to think of myself as a thoughtful person to a point where it’s not good for me and I’m thinking too much about all these different things. I think that everyone’s got to do whatever makes them happy and where the chips fall they fall."
And now we can consider more fuel has been added to the never-ending fire. Know that the longer this drags out, the bigger a distraction it will become during the season for a Minnesota Wild team aspiring to compete for the Stanley Cup.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 31: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) skates with the puck during the first period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings on March 31, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins have gone through a bit of a major awards drought in recent years, with Kris Letang’s Masterton Trophy in 2022-23 being the last individual award won by a member of the Penguins.
Prior to that, you have to go back to the 2016-17 season when Sidney Crosby won the Rocket Richard Award for leading the league in goals, and then took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup Playoff MVP during the team’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championship run.
Head coach Dan Muse was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award this past season, while Kyle Dubas finished in fourth place for the general manager of the year award. Those two are as close as anybody has come over the past couple of seasons. So now that the 2026-27 NHL season is inching closer, let’s take a quick look and see if there are any Penguins that might have a chance to take home an award this season.
The best chances
Dan Muse, head coach: Jack Adams Award (coach of the year)
We might as well start off with the person that was the closest this past season. Muse finished third behind Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Lindy Ruff (Buffalo Sabres), receiving 18 first-place votes, 29 second-place votes and 22 third-place votes. Muse seems like the most logical candidate because the Penguins actually fit the mold for what it usually takes to actually win this thing,
In most cases it’s the coach of a team that will enter the season with low expectations and finds a way to exceed them. It doesn’t matter how the expectations are exceeded. It could be on the back of a stunning goaltending performance. Tactical coaching brilliance. A roster that’s better than anybody anticipated. Or just some plain old good luck.
The Penguins could check a lot of these boxes.
There is a preseason belief they will take a step backwards after last year’s playoff appearance, but it’s still a roster that has enough talent to be pretty good if just a few things go their way. If they are in the playoffs again, do not be surprised if Muse is back in the coach of the year discussion.
Dan Bylsma (2010-11) is the only Penguins coach to have ever won this award so far.
Kyle Dubas, general manager: general manager of the year
This offseason didn’t take on the look most people expected given the lack of a major blockbuster move, but it was still a busy offseason that saw the team overhaul half of its defense and add forwards like Nicholas Robertson and Andrei Kuzmenko. And that does not even take into account the possibility of more in-season moves, which is where Dubas made some of his most significant changes a year ago.
I’m a little higher on the offseason than most people are, because I think there is a good chance the defense is better than last year’s, and I could see a scenario where a player like Robertson puts a lot of his tools together into one tool box and has a breakout year offensively.
The one thing that I could see holding Dubas back here is the fact that a lot of voters and people in hockey just do not really seem to care for him, which is the only reason I can think of for why he did not finish higher than fourth a year ago.
Ray Shero (2012-13) and Jim Rutherford (2015-16) have both won this award for the Penguins.
It’s possible, but a lot needs to go right
Sergei Murashov, goalie: Calder Trophy (rookie of the year)
If he is able to eventually reach his full potential there might not be a prospect in the Penguins farm system that can dramatically raise their ceiling more than Murashov.
But he has to actually become that player, and it is almost impossible to project that for a young goalie.
It might take him a year or two to get there.
He might not ever get to that level.
He might do it right away.
It is a volatile position where it is all anybody’s guess.
If he is able to play at a high level right away and help get the Penguins back into playoff contention, that could put him into the Calder Trophy discussion. There is going to be a lot of tough competition between players like Gavin McKenna, Porter Martone, Ivar Stenberg and Cole Hutson, but Murashov’s talent, athleticism and positional value might make him a factor if he plays well. He has excelled at every level of pro hockey, and the Penguins are hoping that all translates over to the NHL.
Mario Lemieux (1984-85) and Evgeni Malkin (2006-07) are the two Penguins players to have previously won this award.
It’s a long shot, but competition will be fierce
Erik Karlsson, defense: Norris Trophy (best defenseman)
Karlsson has won three Norris Trophies in his career, and earned six votes on the ballot a year ago, enough to put him in ninth place.
If there’s a veteran player on the roster capable of winning a major award this season, Karlsson is probably the most logical fit given that he’s won it so many times and played well enough a year ago to earn some top-five votes. The problem is the Norris Trophy race might be one of the deepest in the NHL this season with players like Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Ramus Dahlin likely to be at the top, and players like Adam Fox, Moritz Seider, Lane Hutson, and Jake Sanderson all likely to be in the race.
Karlsson would not only need to repeat his 2025-26 performance, but also build on it and probably get closer to the 90-or 100-point mark again, while also finishing the season with the Penguins without getting traded before the trade deadline. Am I optimistic about all of that? No. But it is not impossible to imagine. You do not have to squint very hard to see him playing at that level.
Randy Carlyle (1980-81) is the only Penguins player to ever win this award.
Just about the only major individual award that Crosby has not won in his NHL career is the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward. Every year he seems to get at least a handful of votes, and there was a brief stretch where there was a campaign growing for him to actually win it.
I don’t think his defensive game is up to that standard anymore, and it is the one area where he has clearly slowed down quite a bit over the years. I also don’t think he has much of a chance to win it. But if it were to happen it would be some sort of an unofficial career achievement award where a bunch of voters just decide “it is time he won it.” I would not bet on that happening, but NHL award voters tend to do weird things for great players, especially toward the end of their careers.
Ron Francis (1994-95) is the only Penguins player that has ever won this award.
Barry Melrose, a former NHL player and coach who went on to become one of hockey’s most popular TV analysts, has died, according to his family. He was 70.
Melrose’s wife, Cindy, informed longtime ESPN partner Steve Levy of Melrose’s passing.
NHL Network analyst Barry Melrose speaks during an NHL Live show at the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Build Out on Dec. 30, 2014, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. NHLI via Getty Images
“Barry was my best friend at ESPN. A big brother figure of rock-solid values. I am shook to my core,” ESPN’s John Buccigross posted on X. “Barry gave his life to hockey and some of his ESPN family, like me, learned of his shocking death today while at a hockey rink in Las Vegas preparing for the upcoming season.
“Chilling and fitting — the rink was Barry’s home. A more beloved ESPN institution there has not been. We love you, Barry. Forever.”
Melrose appeared in 300 NHL games as a defenseman for the Jets, the Maple Leafs and the Red Wings from 1979-86 before leading Wayne Gretzky and the Kings to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season as head coach in 1993.
He posted an overall record of 84-108-29 as a coach, also including a 16-game stint with the Lightning in 2008.
Still, his true calling was in the TV studio, where he became one of hockey’s beloved figures with his flashy suits and ebullient personality.
Barry Melrose of the Maple Leafs skates against the Canucks during an NHL game on March 4, 1981, at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Getty ImagesLightning head coach Barry Melrose talks to his players during a break in play against the Panthers on Nov. 12, 2008, at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. NHLI via Getty Images
“He’s bigger than any team,” Gretzky once said of Melrose. “For decades, he’s been suiting up — and I mean suiting up — for the game, for the sport, for hockey.
“You see, hockey is more than a game, it’s a community — a finely tuned orchestra — and Barry was our conductor.”
ESPN hockey analyst Barry Melrose is pictured on the set of SportsCenter in Studio X on May 18, 2015, in Bristol, Conn. Allen Kee / ESPN Images
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also released a statement about Melrose’s passing, calling him “a hockey original.”
“From the flowing locks of his distinctive mullet to the flared lapels of his trademark long suit coats, Barry Melrose cut an unmistakable figure whenever you were fortunate enough to run into him at a rink or catch him on your television screen,” Bettman said. “You were even more fortunate if you engaged him in conversation or listened to his analysis, because he never failed to boost your love of the game of hockey.
“A rangy and rugged defenseman from Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Barry fashioned an 11-year pro career in the NHL, AHL and WHA. But it was as a coach, who guided the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, and as a broadcaster, who spent 27 years at ESPN, that he truly made his mark upon the game. And during those countless encounters over the years with players, coaches, fans and viewers who couldn’t help but be drawn in by his enthusiasm.”
Blues Remain Interested In Hurricanes' Alexander Nikishin; Plenty Of Complications ExistThe St. Louis Blues remain interested in Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin, but plenty of complications exist in their pursuit. 
Three Intriguing Storylines To Follow During The St. Louis Blues' Training CampTraining camp is just around the corner, and the St. Louis Blues revealed their training camp roster. Here are three intriguing storylines to follow. 
