Former Avalanche "prospect" Danil Gushchin is leaving North America and the NHL to head back to the KHL. He was one of the few who did not receive a qualifying offer from the Colorado Avalanche and has signed a two-year deal with the Avtomoblist Yekaterinburg, his hometown team, in the Kontinental Hockey League.
Originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the third round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Gushchin spent time bouncing between the Sharks and the AHL San Jose Barracuda.
In the summer of 2025, the Colorado Avalanche made a deal with the Sharks that saw them flip Gushchin, a prospect who just couldn't break through, for Oskar Olausson, the Avalanche's own prospect who dealt with injuries and couldn't break through in the AHL and find a roster spot.
With the Colorado Eagles, Gushchin finished with 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points in 49 games, lower totals than what he was used to putting up with the Barracuda. Given how deep the Eagles were, he often wasn't in the lineup, so he only played in three Calder Cup Playoff games and didn't record a point.
The New Jersey Devils made a handful of small moves that come off as AHL transactions when you look at them from a bird’s-eye view. However, one of those moves could be a hidden gem for Sunny Mehta and his staff in year one of their operation.
Before the 2026 NHL Draft, New Jersey sent a 4th-round pick (108th overall) to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for forward Amadeus Lombardi. This is a player who could turn out to be an AHL-lifer, or he could make Mehta look like a genius right away.
At 23 years old, Lombardi is only scratching the surface of his potential in pro hockey. His first year with the Grand Rapids Griffins saw him learn how to play at the AHL level. He wasn’t an outstanding rookie point producer as he had 26 points in 70 games to open his career, but there were developing tools at work.
Over the next two seasons, Lombardi took a big step. He had 82 points in 91 games during that stretch. A little bit of bad injury luck plagued him at times, but he is ready for a fresh start in a new organization.
Scouts love Lombardi's game, and they always have. He's a bit undersized, but there is no denying the offensive output he is capable of displaying if he is on the ice healthy.
The Utica Comets need to have a competitive AHL team. Sunny Mehta proved his belief in that with all of the transactions that have been made for them so far this summer.
At worst, Lombardi can be a contributor there, but the expectation is that his chance at the NHL level will come too. It's up to him to take advantage of it.
Lombardi is a versatile forward when it comes to his position, but he likely won't ever play center at the NHL level with the New Jersey Devils. They are too deep to ever think of giving him a spot there, but eight wing spots could be had with the right progression in his game.
Is it possible that Lombardi sticks to being a top-of-the-line AHL player? It sure is. The Devils didn't give up much to get him, so the risk is outweighed by the potential reward.
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Former San Jose Sharks prospect Danil Gushchin is heading back to his native Russia. After not receiving a qualifying offer from the Colorado Avalanche, he has signed a two-year deal with his hometown team, Avtomoblist Yekaterinburg, in the Kontinental Hockey League.
Gushchin moved to North America nearly a decade ago, joining the United States Hockey League’s Muskegon Lumberjacks ahead of the 2018-19 season. While with Muskegon, he was drafted by the Sharks with the 76th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Gushchin made his professional debut at the end of the 2021-22 season, appearing in a few games for the San Jose Barracuda after his junior season ended. The following season, he finished his first fully professional campaign and even made his NHL debut, playing a pair of games for the Sharks.
From there, Gushchin was a regular for the Barracuda and occasionally earned NHL opportunities until he departed the Sharks organization following the 2024-25 season.
While a member of the Colorado Avalanche organization, Gushchin played exclusively at the AHL level before being allowed to hit the free agent market this summer.
During his time in San Jose, Gushchin scored 70 goals and a total of 150 points in 182 games at the AHL level. During his limited opportunities with the Sharks, he scored two goals and five points in 18 career NHL games.
Once upon a time, the Montreal Canadiens had a tendency to select many players from the USHL or the NCAA, but in recent years, we’ve seen a new trend emerge: drafting Russian players. The Habs made Ivan Demidov the fifth overall pick at the 2024 draft; they opted for Alexander Zharovsky with their first pick of the 2025 draft in the second round, and just last month they moved up to grab Gleb Pugachyov with the 26th overall selection.
Earlier this week, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board announced that it had provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee. They also added that recommendations to International Federations regarding Russian athletes’ participation are no longer applicable.
While this might not have any immediate repercussions for the Canadiens, it will more than likely have some down the line. Following Russia’s suspension from international events after it invaded Ukraine in 2023, Russian hockey players missed the Olympic Games, the IIHF World Championships, and the World Junior Championships; the NHL also decided to exclude Russia from its own international competition, which explains how the 4 Nations Face-Off came to be.
This decision from the IOC could very well result in Team Russia being reintegrated in all international hockey events. Since the NHL normally follows the IOC and the IIHF’s lead, this could also mean that the Russians are allowed to take part in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, scheduled for February 2028 in both Canada and Czechia.
If it were the case, it would likely mean that Canadiens’ playmaker Demidov would finally be able to participate in a best-on-best competition, which is a great experience for any player. Nick Suzuki has raved about his participation in the 4 Nations and the Olympics, and it has definitely helped other markets to become aware of just how complete a player the Canadiens’ captain is.
Assuming no changes, by February 2028, Zharovsky should have joined the Canadiens, but it’s much too early to say whether he would be under consideration for Team Russia. After all, there are many talented Russian players in the NHL and beyond. Last season, Nikita Kucherov put up 130 points, Kirill Kaprizov racked up 89 points and pocketed a contract with a $17M cap hit, while Artemi Panarin took his production to the Los Angeles Kings. And that’s just up front; Team Russia could also have some of the top goalies in the league, including Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin, and Sergei Bobrovsky, to name a few. On the blueline, the names of Mikhail Sergachev, Dimitry Orlov, Alexander Nikishin, and Pavel Mintyukov come to mind.
New York Islanders veteran center Bo Horvat was seen training with one of the team's top prospects, defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson, as the two prepare for the coming 2026-27 season:
Early July:
Bo Horvat and Kashawn Aitcheson already getting ready for next season 👀 #Isles
Aitcheson, who recently attended the team's development camp from June 29 through July 2, was selected by the Islanders with the 17th pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
The 19-year-old earned placement on the CHL and OHL First All-Star Teams after leading the OHL in goals (28) and points (70) as captain of the Barrie Colts last season.
Seeing NHL ice in the coming season is not necessarily out of the question, but the extensive depth on the left side of the organization’s blue line and Aitcheson's lack of professional experience make 2027-28 a more realistic timeline for him to push for an NHL roster spot.
Instead, he is expected to start 2026-27 with the Hamilton Hammers of the American Hockey League.
Horvat, who led the Islanders with 31 goals in 2025-26, is once again reflecting his leadership as he remains a candidate to replace Anders Lee as the 16th captain in franchise history.
In a deeply ironic twist, Cutter Gauthier could be the wildcard who makes or breaks the Philadelphia Flyers in their pursuit of a successful Leo Carlsson offer sheet.
Gauthier, 22, is a restricted free agent in need of a new contract, much like teammate Carlsson. And, like Carlsson, it is going to be an expensive one, beyond a shadow of a doubt.
The former top Flyers prospect scored 20 goals and 44 points last season, before exploding for 41 goals and 69 points in his sophomore NHL season this year. We can reasonably assume that the next big milestone for Gauthier is going to be 50 goals, and players who can score that many don't come around too often.
And while that undoubtedly stings for the Flyers and Flyers fans, it may work out to their benefit yet.
We already know that Carlsson and his $18 million cap hit, thanks to the Flyers' offer sheet, is going to put the Anaheim Ducks in a major salary cap bind, and the structure of the contract will require the Ducks and their ownership to pay over $38 million in signing bonuses in the first 12 months of the contract.
What happens, then, when the Ducks dole out another big-money contract from Gauthier--which should come in well over $10 million, and potentially in the $15 million range now--especially if that contract is also laden in signing bonuses?
That would mean Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek going to (a very wealthy) ownership and asking for their blessing to spend nearly $100 million in up-front cash in signing bonuses in a 12-month period, between the signing of the contract and this time next year.
Are the Ducks going to be allowed to do that, knowing that, by spending all that money, they won't have any left to allocate to actually build a good team that can win games, bring in revenue, and keep a fanbase engaged?
Rich people get rich for a reason, and they typically don't like to invest money into something that isn't going to make them more money, or at least take a very long time to do so.
And that's without even mentioning that the Ducks would have to gut their roster and somehow find suitors for some combination of Chris Kreider (Carlsson's left wing), Alex Killorn, and Frank Vatrano to make the hockey aspect work.
While he may not do so intentionally, Cutter Gauthier is very much in a position to land the team that drafted him into the NHL a No. 1 center of the future.
All he has to do is up the ask on his next contract a bit higher, and the Ducks will inevitably be forced to keep one or the other, but not both.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 31: Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) turns up ice during the second 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
Expectations for the 2026-27 Pittsburgh Penguins are not quite as low as they were going into the 2025-26 season, when it was generally expected that they would not only be one of the worst teams in the NHL, but that they were the only team in the NHL that was not actually trying to win.
The expectations, however, are also not particularly high, even coming off a 98-point season with strong underlying numbers and a playoff berth.
This was, by almost every objective measure that we have to evaluate hockey teams, a very good hockey team.
The belief in that happening again is not really carrying over. Especially with the odds makers.
BetMGM has their Stanley Cup odds right now at +10000, which is 22nd in the entire NHL.
Their odds to win the Eastern Conference are +4000, which is 13th in the conference and below the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils … all teams that missed the playoffs entirely a year ago, and outside of Toronto, all teams that have done very little to their rosters this offseason.
They are +210 to make the playoffs, -275 to miss the playoffs.
Their point total is between 88.5 and 91.5 depending on the sportsbook you are looking at right now.
That is an expectation for a step back.
From a more subjective standpoint, the general feel around just seems to be that a step back is likely, and that not everything will go as well as it did a year ago. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson are all a year older. Some of them showed some signs of slowing down and running out of steam in the playoffs. At some point the decline for some of these guys will get a little steeper than it has been. I would argue it has already started for Letang. Will this be the year for some more of them? It is certainly possible.
Going into the 2025-26 season I thought there was at least a chance the Penguins were going to be better than everybody expected, especially given the makeup of the forward unit. And that was before we knew that Ben Kindel was going to be an NHL player — and a very good one! — right away.
So let’s take that same mindset into this season and if there is a pathway for them to better than most people expect.
The first factor here is the reality the Penguins still have $16.9 million in salary cap space at their disposal and a couple of months to still add to the roster. I don’t know if that is Jason Robertson or somebody else, but there is definitely still the path for a big move of some kind should they find the right match. I feel like the Robertson hope is dwindling more and more each day, but there is a definite opportunity to do something.
But even if there isn’t another big move, the most obvious pathway for another “better than expected” season rests with the forwards. Again.
Even with Anthony Mantha and Noel Accairi leaving, this should still be a very deep group that will be capable of rolling four lines every night and scoring a lot of goals. Going down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton I feel like there are legitimately 17 or 18 forwards that can play meaningful NHL minutes this season, and play them well enough to compete.
That includes, obviously, Sidney Crosby who is still a top-line player whose presence alone is going to give the Penguins a chance on most nights over an 82-game season.
But there are also the wild-card factors with the forwards and the potential improvement that could come from the younger-ish players in the lineup.
How much better is a 19-year-old Ben Kindel with a full year of NHL experience under his belt? Is there a potential for a big breakout here? That changes the math for a lot of things.
What does Egor Chinakhov look like in Pittsburgh in a full season? With a three-year, $18 million contract there is at least some belief from the front office. The talent is certainly there. That would also change the math.
Does somebody like a Nicholas Robertson or Elmer Soderblom breakout the way Chinakhov did? The underlying numbers suggest at least some chance for it.
I would even expand that a little to the defense and Kaedan Korczak, who spent the past few years excelling in a smaller role with the Vegas Golden Knights and could have a chance for a bigger role here.
There are some potentially high ceilings there.
As it relates to the latter point and Korczak, half of the defense has been turned over with Korczak, Declan Carlile and Trevor van Riemsdyk all joining the roster, along with a full season of Sam Girard. I am still a little bullish on Girard and want to see what a fresh start to the season does for him (especially if they can get him away from Letang), and I at least like the profile of the new additions. van Riemsdyk is rock solid defender, and has been for some time. The fact he was the first guy they signed in free agency, right after the signing period opened, is a good indication they had their eyes on him as a primary target.
The biggest weakness for the 2025-26 Penguins was their defensive play, and they did spend a lot of resources in overhauling that unit.
They finished the regular season 20th in expected goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play, 23rd in scoring chances against and 22nd in high-danger scoring chances against.
There are a lot of new faces on that unit now, and it does not include the possibility of somebody like a Harrison Brunicke (who seemed to get better across the board as the season progressed) or Owen Pickering getting a chance.
The bigger X-factor, however, is going to be with the goalies, and there is arguably nothing that will impact the floor and ceiling of this team more than that. And it is something that was not particularly good over the full season a year ago.
They finished 24th in the league in all-situations save percentage, but were a little better in goals saved above expected (plus 10 saved above expected).
They seem fully on board with the Sergei Murashov and Arturs Silovs duo, and it is without question the biggest mystery and unknown on the roster. The upside is significant. The floor is low. You just never know how young goalies are going to play, and you just never know what that is going to look like over a full season and behind a questionable defense. I could see these guys being the reason they make the playoffs again and potentially go further. I could see them being the reason they unintentionally end up high on the lottery odds.
The Calgary Flames have reached a point where their biggest challenge is no longer finding defensive talent — it is figuring out how to fit everyone into the picture.
After an aggressive offseason reshaping the blue line, Calgary suddenly has a crowded group filled with NHL experience, young talent, and high-end upside. Unfortunately for Hunter Brzustewicz, that growth creates a difficult reality: barring unforeseen circumstances, he may be the odd man out.
General manager Craig Conroy has been one of the busiest executives in the NHL over the past four months, and the Flames’ offseason activity has only accelerated that trend.
Calgary landed 22-year-old right-shot defenseman Simon Nemec from the New Jersey Devils in a trade that sent three draft picks and Etienne Morin to New Jersey, adding a young defenseman who already possesses significant NHL experience and top-four potential.
The Flames continued building for the future at the NHL Draft, selecting defenseman Carson Carels sixth overall. The highly regarded prospect is projected by many to develop into a top-pairing NHL blueliner down the road.
Then, Calgary added more stability to its current roster by acquiring Jake Middleton from the Minnesota Wild as part of the Blake Coleman trade, bringing another reliable veteran presence to the back end.
The result is a defense corps that now features a rare combination of proven NHL players, emerging prospects, and legitimate upside.
That depth is a positive development for the organization — but it also creates a difficult situation for Brzustewicz.
The 20-year-old defenseman has shown plenty of promise, but the reality of professional hockey is that talent alone does not guarantee opportunity. Sometimes, circumstances dictate that a player has to wait, take another path, or become part of a larger transaction.
Conroy has several options available.
The most aggressive route would be exploring a trade and using Brzustewicz as a potential piece to acquire help elsewhere, particularly down the middle. It would be a ruthless decision, but that's the nature of building a competitive team. Organizations constantly have to make difficult choices between developing young players and adding pieces that can accelerate their path toward playoff contention.
The Flames could also look to move him for additional draft capital. Calgary has been stockpiling picks like they’re preparing for a nuclear war. And if that day ever came, Calgary would probably be one of the better-prepared organizations in the NHL.
All jokes aside, the draft-pick surplus gives Conroy another avenue to explore if he decides Brzustewicz is no longer part of the long-term plan.
However, the best decision may simply be allowing Brzustewicz to continue developing in the AHL.
Rather than forcing him into an NHL role where his minutes could be limited, giving him the opportunity to play major minutes, refine his game, and gain confidence could be the most beneficial path forward.
At this stage of his career, ice time matters more than simply being around an NHL roster.
For Brzustewicz, the challenge is not proving he belongs in the organization. It is finding the environment where he can continue becoming the player Calgary believes he can be.
The Rangers have been awfully busy this offseason, making numerous moves in free agency and the trade market as they look to turn things around next year.
Chris Drury likely isn’t done yet, but here’s how he’s graded out thus far…
Sent to Vegas: Pick No. 26, 2026 third-round pick, 2028 first-round pick
Drury found the Blueshirts a much-needed reliable scorer in a draft day stunner, bringing in Dorofeyev from the Knights for a trio of picks. He also wasted no time locking him up on a big money seven-year contract extension.
At just 25, Dorofeyev seemingly just keeps getting better. He’s topped the 35-goal mark in each of the past two seasons and added a dozen points to his career-best total last season with the high-powered Golden Knights.
Drury bringing him in without parting with the No. 5 pick was a massive win.
Sent to Boston: 2028 fourth-round pick, LW Kalle Vaisanen
This move was a bit of a shock as the Blueshirts elected to part with a fourth-rounder for a veteran backup goaltender, despite having youngster Dylan Garand on the roster -- him and Korpisalo will now compete for the spot behind Igor Shesterkin.
Korpisalo has finished with a save percentage under .900 the past three seasons in Boston, and he’s under team control with a $4 million cap hit for the next two years.
Even if the team wanted a more experienced backup than Garand, there were cheaper options out there.
Acquired from Utah: D Sean Durzi, C Cole Beaudoin, 2027 third-round pick
Drury elected to keep Trocheck at last year’s deadline hoping for a better return in the summer, and he certainly received that from Utah here.
Parting with a veteran piece in Trocheck is tough but Durzi should slide in on the second pairing of New York’s revamped d-core and Beaudoin gives them a legit top-tier center prospect coming off an 88-point campaign in the OHL.
GRADE: B+
Apr 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (16) shoots the puck past Montréal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson (8) in the first period at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Acquired Marcus Pettersson in trade with Canucks
Sent to Vancouver: Conditional 2030 first-round pick (top-10 protected)
Giving up a first-round pick for a 30-year-old blueliner is a bit risky, but Pettersson should help this club right out of the gate. He’s a puck-moving d-man coming off a season in which he recorded 18 points over 82 games with Vancouver.
Petterson is also solid defensively and should help on the penalty-kill. He’s plenty familiar with head coach Mike Sullivan’s system from their time together in Pittsburgh, and is under club control for the next four seasons at a $5.5 million cap hit.
GRADE: B
Traded Will Borgen to Bruins
Acquired from Boston: 2027 second-round pick, conditional 2028 third-round pick
Borgen lost his spot on the Rangers’ second pairing with Petterson and Durzi brought in. Even with his up-and-down time as a Blueshirt, Drury was able to flip him for a pair of early-round picks which is a huge win.
Borgen was due to earn $4.1 million each of the next four years.
Bjorkstrand’s coming off a down season in which he recorded just 32 points in 80 games, but the Rangers are hoping a change of scenery can help him return to form.
The 31-year-old has multiple 20-plus goal seasons under his belt.
Even if the production still isn’t quite there, Bjorkstrand is a reliable righty-shooting middle-six depth option for the Rangers’ forward group on a cheap one-year pact.
Veleno isn’t much of a threat offensively but he fills a big-time need for the Blueshirts, bringing a speedy defensive-minded center for the fourth line.
He won 51.6 percent of his faceoffs last season with the Canadiens.
The Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Seattle Kraken’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, announced on Wednesday that the team had re-signed forward Mitchell Stephens to a two-year contract, keeping him with the club through the 2027-28 season.
The 29-year-old was drafted 33rd overall in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. In five NHL seasons, Stephens has played 123 games across four teams.
He made his debut on Dec. 9, 2019, with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and in two seasons and 45 games, Stephens recorded seven points.
On July 30, 2021, he was traded by Tampa Bay to Detroit for a 6th-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Stephens recorded six points in 27 games with the Detroit Red Wings before signing as a free agent on July 13, 2022, with the Montreal Canadiens, where he recorded three points in 23 games in the 2023-24 season.
On July 1, 2024, Stephens signed with the Kraken as a free agent. He appeared in 28 games with the Kraken during the 2024-25 season, tallying three points.
He also appeared in 35 games with the AHL Coachella Firebirds that same year, recording 13 points.
Last season, the five-foot-11, 190-pound forward played 69 games with the Firebirds and recorded 12 goals and 15 assists.
The new deal locks Stephens in with the Firebirds through the 2027-28 season.
Firebirds General Manager Troy Bodie shared his excitement about keeping Stephens on the roster.
“We’re thrilled to have Mitchell back with the Firebirds. He brings invaluable NHL and championship experience, but just as importantly, he’s a leader our players look up to”, said Bodie. “His professionalism, character, and commitment to winning help set the standard for our group every day.”
The Firebirds will kick off their season on October 2.
Visit The Hockey News Seattle Kraken team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
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The Leo Carlsson hype in Philadelphia ended with a thud Thursday.
The Flyers’ five-year, $90 million offer sheet to the restricted free agent was matched by the Ducks. So Carlsson will stay in Anaheim as the NHL’s highest-paid player with an $18 million average annual value.
Danny Briere, who took a serious swing for Carlsson last Friday, will keep his four first-round picks. That is what the Flyers would have given up had the Ducks not matched their loaded offer for the 21-year-old center.
The Flyers’ general manager went the bold and aggressive route in an attempt to net his club much-needed talent down the middle of the ice. He put Anaheim in a bind with its salary cap, but Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek refused to lose his franchise piece.
“We are very happy to have Leo under contract for five years,” Verbeek said in a statement released by the team. “We have viewed Leo as a franchise player since the moment we met him prior to the 2023 draft. He’s a character person on and off the ice. Leo is viewed as a top player in this league, and it was always our intention to match any offer sheet.”
Carlsson, who was the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, racked up 29 goals and 67 points in 70 games last season. He added 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 12 playoff games.
The 6-foot-3, 208-pounder is one of the top young centers in the NHL. The Flyers were ready to severely overpay for a player who hasn’t hit 30 goals or 70 points in a season yet because that’s the gist of an offer sheet. The Flyers had to be audacious enough to make Anaheim think twice.
Coming up empty on Carlsson is a disappointment for the Flyers. He’s an all-situation player who would have given them the upside of a first-line center, something they’ve desperately needed in their rebuild.
So how will the Flyers pivot? It might not come before this season. With no Carlsson, the Flyers have plenty of cap space to re-sign their four restricted free agents. Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale are the most notable ones.
The Flyers could hold onto that extra cap space and use it next offseason, when perhaps they’re in a better position to strike. They could also use it at some point this season if they want to have room for a trade addition.
“It’s about making the right moves,” Briere said a little under two weeks ago. “But also, you’ve got to be patient. I’m not going to make a move just to make a move. I know there are some people out there complaining that we’re not making the big move yet. But it has got to be the right thing to do.”
The Flyers have a young team, and they wouldn’t mind giving it more opportunity. Briere addressed the backup goaltending position by acquiring Joseph Woll in a trade with the Maple Leafs. In the deal, the Flyers added a physical, 6-foot-4 defenseman with Simon Benoit. On Day 1 of free agency, Briere signed bottom-six forward Noel Acciari, a hard-to-play-against type who can win faceoffs.
“It’s a fine line,” the Flyers’ GM said last Wednesday. “We’ve preached patience from the start of this, like three years ago. And that’s the fine line that we’re trying to stay on where we’re giving our young guys the chance to get better. It paid off last year. But we want to try to help them. That’s where Woll, Benoit, Acciari, that’s where they come into play, you try to help with small steps here and there. If we have the chance to take a big leap, we will jump on it.”
Welcome to the 2025–26 installment ofThe Hockey News - Vancouver Canucks’ Player Report Card Series. Throughout the off-season, THN will conduct a deep dive into how each member of the Canucks performed throughout the 2025–26 season. Today’s article will focus on defenceman Zeev Buium.
Buium's 2025–26 Season Review
Buium was arguably the main piece coming back to Vancouver in the Quinn Hughes trade. The 20-year-old is considered one of the NHL's top up-and-coming defenders and has a long track record of winning at every level. Before joining the Canucks, Buium recorded 13 points in 41 games for the Minnesota Wild while averaging 18:28 of ice time.
As for the second half of his rookie season, Buium recorded 12 points in 45 games with the Canucks. He saw a slight bump in ice time to 20:21 per night and recorded his first career game-winning goal. Buium also received votes for the NHL's All-Rookie team, finishing third among defencemen.
Buium's season in Vancouver had its ups and downs. He scored in his debut with the team on December 14, but was a healthy scratch for a game a month later. Buium also suffered a facial injury at the end of January, which caused him to miss five games.
The good news for Buium is that he appeared to find his game once the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline passed. He looked more confident on the ice and developed some chemistry with Filip Hronek. While there were still some learning moments in the defensive zone, Buium's offensive skill set was on full display as he offered a glimpse into why he is still considered a top defensive prospect in the league.
The big question regarding Buium is how much Adam Foote's system affected him. It was clear that last year's defensive system was a mess, with players constantly out of position. If the Canucks can fix their defensive structural flaws next year, it should help Buium continue to develop into a strong two-way defender.
Getting traded at 20 years old is never easy, especially for a player like Buium. As mentioned, it took him some time to adjust after the trade, but he had a strong showing to end the campaign. While he has some room to grow before becoming a bona fide number one defenceman, Buium showed this year that he has a bright future in the NHL.
Ultimately, Buium receives an B grade for the 2025-26 season.
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium (24) handles the puck against the Los Angeles Kings in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Cale Makar is going to get paid. The only question is how much.
Now eligible for a contract extension, the Colorado Avalanche are preparing for one of the most important negotiations in franchise history. Makar has earned a massive raise, but putting a number on that deal is far more complicated than simply looking at the latest superstar contract around the NHL.
The salary cap is rising. Elite players are pushing the boundaries of what contracts can look like. And every new blockbuster deal creates another talking point in Makar’s negotiation.
But Colorado cannot approach this extension by chasing the market. It has to approach it by protecting its future.
The biggest argument surrounding Makar’s next contract is that every major deal signed around the league only makes him more expensive. The longer the Avalanche wait, the more leverage Makar gains, and the higher the price climbs.
That logic makes sense on the surface.
But NHL contracts are rarely that simple.
A player's value is not determined by the last contract signed. It is shaped by timing, team circumstances, positional importance, negotiating leverage, and how an organization views its long-term window.
One team’s decision to reset the market does not automatically become another team’s obligation.
Kirill Kaprizov's contract might be the opposite of a "Thrill." Credit: Matt Blewett - Imagn Images
Last September, the Minnesota Wild signed Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year contract carrying a $17 million average annual value, making him the highest-paid player in NHL history at the time. About a month later, the Avalanche signed Martin Necas to an eight-year extension worth $11.5 million annually.
The gap between those two contracts was enormous.
Yet the 2025-26 season showed why contracts cannot be evaluated in isolation.
Both players appeared in 78 games. Kaprizov finished with 45 goals and 44 assists for 89 points, while Necas posted career highs with 38 goals and 62 assists for 100 points — the first 100-point season of his career.
If contracts were based only on the previous season’s production, Colorado would have received the better value.
But that is exactly why comparing contracts one-to-one can be misleading.
Makar’s extension should not be dictated by what another franchise decided to pay its superstar. The Avalanche need to determine what makes sense for their organization, their championship window, and their ability to remain competitive around their franchise defenseman.
There should be no debate about whether Makar deserves to be among the highest-paid players in hockey.
He does.
The two-time Norris Trophy winner has established himself as one of the most dominant defensemen of his generation. His current six-year, $54 million contract — carrying a $9 million annual cap hit — has become one of the best bargains in the NHL.
When Colorado signed Makar to that deal in 2021, the expectation was that he would become the foundation of the franchise’s blue line.
He has become much more than that.
Makar is the type of player every NHL organization hopes to build around. He impacts the game every time he steps onto the ice. He drives offense, controls possession, elevates teammates, and has already played a defining role in bringing a Stanley Cup back to Colorado.
The question is not whether Makar deserves a historic payday.
He does.
The question is how much of Colorado’s salary structure should be committed to one player.
The Kaprizov contract offers an interesting comparison.
Before signing his new deal, Kaprizov carried the same $9 million annual cap hit as Makar currently does. His extension nearly doubled that number, but it also came with a major commitment from Minnesota.
At $17 million per season, Kaprizov’s contract represents roughly 16% of the Wild’s salary cap.
That percentage matters.
The NHL is not won by having the most expensive individual player. It is won by having the strongest team when the games become harder.
The Carolina Hurricanes provided the latest example after winning their second Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. No player on their roster carried a cap hit above $10 million annually, and Sebastian Aho was the only player accounting for more than 10% of the team’s salary cap.
Championship teams require balance.
The reality of the salary cap era is that every dollar committed to one player is a dollar unavailable somewhere else. Injuries happen. Depth gets tested. Playoff opponents expose weaknesses. The teams that survive are usually the ones that have enough quality throughout their lineup to handle those challenges.
Colorado understands that better than most.
The Avalanche’s 2022 championship was not built around one superstar. It was built around elite players at the top of the lineup, reliable depth throughout the roster, and three defensive pairings capable of handling the physical demands of the postseason.
That same formula needs to remain possible after Makar signs his next contract.
This is not an argument that Makar should take less money.
It is not an argument that he has not earned every dollar coming his way.
He has.
Players of Makar’s caliber rarely become available, and the leverage in this negotiation belongs to him. If his priority is maximizing his value, nobody could criticize him for that.
But Makar has also experienced what it takes to win at the highest level.
He knows championships are not won by one player.
They are won by having enough talent around that player.
The Avalanche should not view this extension as simply determining Makar’s next salary. They should view it as determining how many opportunities they have to compete for another Stanley Cup during his prime.
Makar is worth a historic contract.
The challenge is making sure that contract does not limit everything Colorado can build around him.
A deal in the range of $15 million to $16.25 million annually would likely represent the ideal outcome for both sides. Makar would become one of the highest-paid players in NHL history, while Colorado would retain enough flexibility to continue surrounding him with the depth necessary to compete for championships.
Because the biggest question facing the Avalanche is not whether they can afford Cale Makar.
They can.
The question is whether they can afford the roster they need after paying him.
Barely 24 hours after Derek Lalonde was dismissed from his assistant coach role by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reported that the 53-year-old was being hired by the Montreal Canadiens in the same role. He also revealed that Lalonde would replace Trevor Letowski, who has decided to leave the bench to spend more time with his family. While Engels stopped short of saying which role Letowski would play going forward, he added that the organization wants to keep him in the fold.
Letowski’s departure from Martin St-Louis’ staff is not good news for the Habs. After all, he was St-Louis’ second-in-command, and the rare times the bench boss had to leave the team, he was the one left in charge. When Eric Raymond left the coaching staff last season, it seemed to hit the bench boss particularly hard. Hopefully, this one stings less since it’s Letowski’s own decision.
As for the new arrival, Lalonde has spent the last season on Craig Berube’s staff in Toronto with a Leafs side reeling from Mitch Marner’s departure that they just couldn’t shake off, on their way to missing the playoffs. Prior to that, he spent part of three seasons behind the Detroit Red Wings’ bench as head coach, winning 89 of 198 games, missing the playoffs in the two seasons he completed.
While recent results have been far from impressive, he did serve as an assistant coach under Jon Cooper with the Tampa Bay Lightning for four seasons, during which the team won two Stanley Cups. That’s a total of 608 games spent behind an NHL bench, which is more than the Canadiens’ bench boss has had (365 games). Lalonde has also coached in the AHL, the ECHL, the USHL, and in the NCAA. He’s therefore an experienced addition to the coaching staff who's been behind the scenes for three divisional rivals, and it will be interesting to see what role he plays, since he will have some big shoes to fill in Letowski’s.
Kyle Burroughs’ NHL journey started in Colorado. Now, he’s heading to Dallas — a team that has long been one of the Avalanche’s most hated rivals in the Western Conference.
The Dallas Stars announced Thursday that they signed Burroughs to a one-year, two-way contract, adding a physical defenseman with NHL experience and a history that connects him back to the Avalanche organization.
For Colorado fans, Burroughs is not a new name.
The defenseman was part of a 2020 trade that sent forward A.J. Greer to the New York Islanders, with Colorado acquiring Burroughs in hopes of adding depth to its prospect pool. After joining the Avalanche, he impressed coaches enough to make his way through training camp to earn his first NHL opportunity.
Burroughs made his NHL debut on April 5, 2021, against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center, helping Colorado secure a 5-4 victory. Two nights later, he picked up his first career point when he assisted on an André Burakovsky goal.
It was a small sample size — just five games with the Avalanche — but it was a significant step for a player who had spent years trying to earn his way into the league after being selected in the seventh round of the 2013 NHL Draft by the New York Islanders.
After his time in Colorado, Burroughs signed with the Vancouver Canucks in 2021 and continued building an NHL career based around the traits that made him valuable: physicality, toughness and reliability.
That identity has followed him throughout his career.
The 30-year-old defenseman has appeared in 201 NHL games with the Avalanche, Canucks, San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings, collecting 22 points while establishing himself as a player coaches trust in difficult minutes.
His game has always been defined more by what happens away from the scoresheet. Burroughs has recorded 572 hits and 293 blocked shots during his NHL career, including 233 hits during the 2023-24 season with San Jose, which ranked among the league leaders.
Last season, Burroughs spent most of the year with the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the Kings. In 18 games, he recorded seven points (one goal and six assists), setting a career high with 0.39 points per game among AHL seasons.
Now, he joins a Dallas team looking for more depth on the blue line.
"We are happy to welcome Kyle and his family to the Stars organization," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "Kyle is a player that we know can bring a physical element to the ice and will provide our defensive core with some added depth."
The move also adds another interesting wrinkle to the Avalanche-Stars rivalry.
Colorado and Dallas have developed plenty of history over the years, including several postseason battles that have helped define the Western Conference landscape. Burroughs may not be expected to play a major role against his former organization, but he now finds himself on the other side of a rivalry he once watched from Colorado’s locker room.
For Burroughs, it’s another opportunity to prove he belongs at the NHL level.
For Avalanche fans, it’s a reminder of one of the many players who passed through Colorado’s system at one point or another.
Avalanche Swap Prospects with the San Jose Sharks, Acquire Forward Danil GushchinThe Colorado Avalanche announced on Friday that they have acquired forward Danil Gushchin from the San Jose Sharks in return for forward Oskar Olausson.
Cale Makar Is Worth A Record Contract. The Avalanche Have To Get The Number RightCale Makar has earned a historic contract, but the Colorado Avalanche must balance paying their franchise defenseman with maintaining the championship-caliber roster needed to keep chasing Stanley Cups. 
