Category: NHL

Barkey, Bump have plenty of motivation after playoff run with Flyers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

John Snowden was happy Denver Barkey and Alex Bump never returned to him in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

When Barkey was summoned to the Flyers last season in December, he ended up sticking all the way through the playoffs. When Bump got the call after the March trade deadline, he also stayed into the postseason.

The AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley head coach said the promotions were earned.

“They did all the right things when they were with us,” Snowden said in June at Flyers development camp. “They asked the right questions, they practiced the right way, they trained the right way, they played the games the right way. And when they got up and got their chance and they got to come in the door, they did a really good job at taking advantage of it and not coming back.”

Now Barkey and Bump are tasked with doing it again. Despite both making an impact on a team that went to the second round of the playoffs, they know the competition picks up when training camp arrives this fall.

“Nothing’s guaranteed,” Bump said in June. “You have to come into camp ready to make the team. You have to push someone out of their spot almost. That’s just the reality of being a young guy coming in, you have to take someone’s job.”

Bump scored a goal in his NHL debut last season and finished with nine points (five goals, four assists) over 17 games. The Flyers went 6-0-1 when he recorded at least a point. The 22-year-old winger then had two goals in six postseason games, including one in his debut.

Last fall, Bump was staring down his first training camp. Understandably, there were “some nerves,” he said. Now having gone through it, Bump will feel more seasoned for his second camp.

“I think this coming year, it’s just on me now,” he said. “Put on some good weight, I’ve got a little taste of NHL games and the playoffs, so I know what to do and know what to expect. I’m looking forward to it.”

Alex Bump with a slick finish after stick-handling through a few guys. pic.twitter.com/OEyAfyuJ1x

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) July 3, 2026

Barkey played over half of last season with the Flyers. Initially, the plan for his call-up was just a handful of games. But he opened eyes with his smarts and effort, playing 43 regular-season games and all 10 in the playoffs.

The forward put up 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) before adding a goal and an assist in the postseason. During the playoffs, he also showed he could play some center.

At development camp, Barkey mentioned wanting to work on “everything” this offseason.

“Just having all that experience, knowing what it takes, day in and day out,” the 21-year-old said in June. “With the schedule of playing 82 games and the tax it has on your body, I think the biggest thing for me this summer is putting on a couple of extra pounds and working on my first three steps, getting in and out of corners.

“Having the weight and the strength to win battles and then also having that first three steps to get away from the bigger guys and have a little bit of space to make plays. I think that’ll be my bread and butter. It takes time, but definitely working toward that.”

Think Denver Barkey likes to compete? He had back-to-back goals within maybe 15 to 20 seconds to win his team the 3-on-3 tourney. pic.twitter.com/3CQZZpR9TU

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) July 3, 2026

Barkey and Bump will be battling for lineup spots with Carl Grundstrom, Nikita Grebenkin, Jett Luchanko and Zach Aston-Reese, among others.

Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong enjoyed seeing Barkey, Bump and Porter Martone lead the organization’s prospects at development camp. Barkey captained the 2024-25 London team that won the Memorial Cup, Bump was an alternate captain for the 2024-25 Western Michigan team that won the national championship and Martone has been a captain in the OHL and at world juniors.

“It’s really cool to see them take a step,” Armstrong said in June. “Hopefully in three or four years from now, they’re leaders on the Flyers and potentially wearing letters, as well. They all did it at different levels and we’re hoping it carries over.”

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

It's been nearly three weeks since the Detroit Red Wings announced a major leadership transition in their front office. 

On the morning of July 15, the Red Wings announced that Steve Yzerman would step away from his role and move into a senior advisor position to Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch.

The organization also confirmed that Yzerman would continue overseeing day-to-day hockey operations during the transition. Although the Red Wings stated that both internal and external candidates would be considered for the position, the team has yet to publicly reveal any specific names in the search process.

In the meantime, one candidate that was thought of as a potential successor to Yzerman is no longer available. 

Evan Gold, who had spent the last 12 years with the Boston Bruins, has been hired by the New York Islanders as their new Assistant General Manager; he'll also serve as General Manager of the American Hockey League affiliate Hamilton Hammers.

#Isles News: The New York Islanders announced today that the club has hired Evan Gold as Assistant General Manager and General Manager of the Hamilton Hammers. He joins Mathieu Darche’s Hockey Operations staff and will be involved in all facets of the club’s hockey operations.

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) August 3, 2026

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Gold had served as Assistant General Manager of the Bruins since 2019, and also oversaw the Providence Bruins, who posted the best record in the AHL in 2025-26. 

With Tarik Skubal Traded, Is Dylan Larkin The Next Detroit Athlete To Be Moved? Now that Tarik Skubal has been traded from the Detroit Tigers, is Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin the next high-profile Motor City athlete to be moved?

Additionally, he contributed to areas such as cap management, contract discussions, roster strategy, arbitration preparation, CBA matters, and professional scouting.

For the Red Wings, the two most obvious internal candidates are Assistant GM Shawn Horcoff and Assistant GM/Director of Amateur Scouting Kris Draper. 

Other potential external candidates likely include Dallas Stars Assistant GM Scott White, along with New York Rangers Associate GM Ryan Martin. 

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.

The Buffalo Sabres snapped their 15-year postseason drought, winning the Atlantic Division and advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but after an offseason that saw Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch being dealt, the task of repeating as division champion or finishing in the top three of the Atlantic could be significantly more difficult. 

This week we will finish up looking at the seven other teams in the Atlantic to see where they stand in comparison to where they were at the end of last season and see where they potentially stack up as competition with the Sabres.

The Tampa Bay Lightning who have been a consistent high-level regular season performer, but have had issues in the playoffs. After winning consecutive Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, and reaching the Cup Final for the third year in a row in 2022, the Lightning have lost in the first round of the playoffs for four straight seasons. 

Last season, under Jack Adams winning head coach Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay encountered a slew of injuries to key players, including defenseman Victor Hedman and center Brayden Point, but still managed to piece together a lineup that finished only three points behind the Sabres for top spot in the Atlantic, but in the first round they could not play at the same level against the Montreal Canadiens, who surprisingly eliminated them in seven games. 

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

Additions

Ilya Mikheyev - signed a four-year, $15.4 million deal as a free agent

Jeffrey Viel - signed a five-year, $12.5 million deal as a free agent

Dennis Hildeby - acquired in a trade with Toronto

John Carlson - signed a two-year, $17 million deal as a free agent

Subtractions 

Darren Raddysh - traded to Toronto in a sign-and-trade deal

Oliver Bjorkstrand - signed by NY Rangers as a free agent

Nick Paul - traded to Toronto for a third-and-fourth round pick and Hildeby

Corey Perry - signed by Los Angeles as a free agent

Outlook

GM Julien Brisebois has had to jump through hoops over recent seasons to create or manipulate the salary cap, but has also had the advantage of being in a no-tax state and in a destination where players want to play. The main issue with the Lightning is that the core pieces of the club that won the Cup earlier this decade are in the latter half of their prime. 

Both Andrei Vasilevskiy and Nikita Kucherov were phenomenal, winning the Vezina and Hart Trophies respectively, but performed well under expectations in the postseason. Victor Hedman played only 33 games and missed the playoffs, calling into question how much longer does the future Hall-of-Famer have, but the Lightning got productive seasons out of Jake Guentzel (88 points), Brandon Hagel (36 goals), and Raddysh (70 points) taking over the PP quarterback role.

The loss of Raddysh should be diminished by the addition of Carlson, who likely will take over as the QB of the Lightning power-play unit if Hedman cannot, but most of their additions and subtractions were cosmetic. Mikheyev is an excellent penalty killer and speedy winger, Viel will provide a level of toughness needed in the Atlantic, and Hildeby should be an upgrade on backup Jonas Johansson, but the fortunes of Tampa Bay will rest on if Hedman can still be effective, and if veterans like Point, Ryan McDonagh, Erik Cernak and Anthony Cirelli can stay healthy. 

With the loss of Alex Tuch and the Sabres current state at forward, the Lightning would appear to have more firepower and less question marks than the Sabres up front. Defensively, the departure of Bowen Byram and replacing him with Louis Crevier and Olen Zellweger has Buffalo’s defense taking a step back, but age and durability questions with Tampa’s blueline gives Buffalo a slight advantage. Vasilevskiy is in the top five of NHL goalies, while the trio of Buffalo netminders performed above expectations and there is a question whether they can do it again. The Lightning should be a top three club in the Atlantic, but health will be the biggest factor.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have signed defenseman Maksymilian Szuber to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season. 

Szuber was acquired by the Canadiens earlier this off-season from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for forward Joshua Roy. Now, with this new deal, Szuber is officially ready to get his tenure with the Canadiens organization started. 

Szuber spent this past season in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners. In 65 games with the AHL club in 2025-26, he posted 11 goals, 16 assists, and 27 points. This was after the 6-foot-3 blueliner recorded seven goals, 25 assists, and 32 points in 65 games for Tucson during the 2024-25 season. 

Szuber also has one game of NHL experience, which he played during the 2023-24 season with the Arizona Coyotes. Now, the 23-year-old defenseman will be hoping to get into more NHL action after landing his new one-year deal with the Canadiens. However, he is more likely to be a key part of the Laval Rocket's blueline in 2026-27.

The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first-rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.  

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games. 

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

 

36 Dylan Dumont - Right Wing (Drummondville - QMJHL)

The Sabres late in the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo selected one of the youngest players eligible in QMJHL winger Dylan Dumont with their final pick at 188th overall. The 17-year-old made the jump from the Under-18 Quebec AAA league in 2024-25, after finishing second in the league with 31 goals in 42 games to the QMJHL. 

Et il trouve une autre façon d'impressionner les recruteurs! 💥

Dylan Dumont complète son tour du chapeau, en prolongation, et @VoltigeursDRU s'imposent 4-3 pour réduire l'écart à 2-1 dans la série! #TourDuChapeau | #Vidéotron#SeriesLHJMQ | #Proxi | #EspoirLNHpic.twitter.com/1NBFsgfnKk

— LHJMQ (@LHJMQ) April 1, 2026

With Drummondville, the 6’ 0”, 168 lb. winger began to score regularly as he became acclimated to the Q, and finished the season with a club-leading 28 goals. According to Elite Prospects, Dumont was successful at “executing whatever the play demanded, pushing back defenders off the rush, rushed the net, and made passing

plays under pressure. Knowing when and how to move, he consistently delivered the puck to teammates, pushing the play up the ice and creating scoring chances near the net.”

Normally, selecting a CHL player set a two-year clock on signing a draftee, but with the new rules of the collective bargaining agreement, players like Dumont can play those two years and commit to an NCAA club, which would allow the Sabres to maintain their exclusive rights. 

 

Follow Michael on X, and Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

 

On Sunday, NHL Network released its list of Top 20 Wingers Right Now, and one Montreal Canadiens winger made the list: Cole Caufield. The 15th overall pick at the 2019 draft landed in ninth place, despite finishing sixth in points amongst wingers last season and first in goals.

Who finished ahead of him? Nikita Kucherov took first place, followed by David Pastrnak. Given the fact they were the only wingers to get to 100 points last season, it’s hard to argue with their ranking. Kirill Kaprizov comes in third place, followed by Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen and Matt Boldy in sixth place. Finally, Jason Robertson and Matthew Tkachuk land in seventh and eighth place, respectively.

Dobes Serenated By Quebec Comedian
The Five Biggest Grudges In Canadiens History
Big-Hearted Dobes Made One Lucky Kid’s Day

According to this ranking, Caufield is the third-best American winger in the league. Kaprizov and Robertson, just like Kucherov and Pastrnak, had more points in the regular season than the Canadiens’ sniper last season, so seeing them ahead of him is not all that surprising. As for Marner, he might have only gotten 80 points in 81 games in the regular season, but his playoff performance certainly allowed him to jump a few rankings. He put up 29 points in just 22 playoff games, and if the Vegas Golden Knights had won the Stanley Cup, he would have been the Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

Rantanen’s fifth place feels like it’s mainly down to past deeds; at 29, he’s had time to establish himself as a regular on that list. Last year, he was fourth in those rankings, and this past season, he finished the year with 77 points and gathered seven points in the Dallas Stars’ six playoff games as the Texas outfit crashed out in the first round against the Minnesota Wild.

Matt Boldy in sixth place is not a shock either. The Wild forward recorded 85 points in just 76 games, which would have worked out to a 92-point pace on a full 82-game season. In the playoffs, he also put up 13 points in 11 games while Caufield had the same total but in 19 games.

We’ve discussed Robertson earlier, but seeing the eldest Tkachuk in eighth place surprises me. He was limited to just 34 points in 31 games last season by an injury, and since the Panthers didn’t make the playoffs, he couldn’t have added to that total. Like Rantanen, Tkachuk is riding high thanks to past realization; at 28 years, he has two 100-point or more seasons. Of course, the pest also brings an agitator quality that Caufield doesn’t have, but I feel the Canadiens’ sniper’s ability to score important goals has been undervalued in those rankings.

That being said, Caufield is only 25; give him a couple more years of big production to pad his resume, and he may well shoot up those rankings, especially if he remains clutch in his scoring and manages to do that in the postseason as well.

The list is completed by William Nylander, Kyle Connor, Artemi Panarin, Brandon Hagel, Sam Reinhart, Martin Necas, Jake Guentzel, Clayton Keller, Brady Tkachuk, Cutter Gauthier and Lucas Raymond. Interestingly, the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning each have three of the top 20 wingers in the league, while the Dallas Stars have two. Somewhere down the line, it’s quite conceivable that the Habs could have two as well, with Ivan Demidov having shown some tremendous skills in his rookie season. Given that Brady Tkachuk also made the list, there might be a possibility for Juraj Slafkovsky to get there as well one day, if his development keeps going the right way.

---

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

Over the weekend, NHL Network released its new rankings of the league’s top 20 wingers.

It should come as no surprise that there were several Florida Panthers players on the list.

Three, to be exact.

They are Sam Reinhart and the Tkachuk brothers, Matthew and Brady.

The first Panthers player to show up on the list was Brady Tkachuk, coming in at No. 18, ahead of Cutter Gauthier of the Anaheim Ducks and Lucas Raymond of the Detroit Red Wings.

Florida acquired the younger Tkachuk brother over the summer in a blockbuster trade with the Ottawa Senators that cost the Panthers a trio of first-round picks.

Brady Tkachuk continues to evolve as one of the NHL's elite power forwards and should be an impactful compliment to Florida's gritty, physically aggressive defensive systems. 

Next up for the Panthers as we move up the list is Reinhart at No. 14.

He was just ahead of fellow stars Jack Guentzel of Tampa Bay and Marty Necas from Colorado, while coming up behind Tampa’s Brandon Hagel and the Kings’ Artemi Panarin.

Reinhart has proven to be one of the best scoring wingers in the league since arriving in Florida while still providing high-end defensive play. 

Whether its on special teams or driving play at even strength, Reinhart has become a crucial cog in Florida's championship machine. 

Moving into the list’s top 10 is where you’ll find Matthew Tkachuk, squarely locked in at No. 8.

That put the elder Tkachuk ahead of Toronto’s William Nylander and Montreal’s Cole Caufield while still behind fellow American wingers Jason Robertson from the Dallas Stars and Matt Boldy from the Minnesota Wild.

There is no denying the impact Tkachuk has had on the franchise since arriving in his own blockbuster trade during the summer of 2022. 

He's played a integral role in Florida becoming a back-to-back Stanley Cup winner and should continue to thrive with the Panthers thanks to his combination of All-Star skills and old-time grit. 

If you’re wondering who came in at the top of the list, it’s unsurprisingly the league’s reigning Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov, followed by Boston’s David Pastrnak and Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov.

What do you think of Florida receiving three of the top 20 winger spots in the NHL? Let us know in the comments below.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Florida Panthers Team Consultant, Sidney Crosby's Trainer Join Maple Leafs Organization

Why Panthers Still Must Prove 2025-26 Was A One-Off Before Stanley Cup Expectations

Panthers' Paul Maurice Lands Third Overall In NHL Coach Rankings

Florida Panthers' Sasha Barkov, Sam Bennett Ranked Among Best 1-2 Center Combos In NHL

Panthers 2026 Draft Pick With A Standout Performance At World Junior Summer Showcase

Prosecutors Drop Criminal Charges Against Florida Panthers Equipment Manager Teddy Richards

Bryan McCabe Parts Ways With Florida Panthers Following Successful Stint As Director Of Player Personnel

Photo caption: Jan 27, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing MatthewTkachuk(19) speaks to center SamReinhart(13) against the Utah Mammoth during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Montreal Canadiens have plenty of promising prospects in their system.

Among them is Owen Beck, as he has the potential to become a solid two-way center in the NHL. 

Beck spent most of last season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket, where he recorded 13 goals, 20 assists, 33 points, and a plus-6 rating in 58 games. He also played in a career-high 15 NHL games last season for the Habs, where he posted one goal, 24 hits, and a plus-4 rating. 

During the 2024-25 season with Laval, Beck posted 15 goals and 44 points in 64 games. He also recorded an assist in 12 games for Montreal that campaign. Overall, the 2022 second-round pick has shown promise, but he is still looking to take that next step. 

With Beck being a smart defensive forward who plays a steady game, there is no question that he is a prospect Canadiens fans should be watching closely next season. The possibility of him taking a step forward with his development is there, and it would be great to see the 22-year-old earn more chances at the NHL level with Montreal in 2026-27.

It is going to be interesting to see what kind of season Beck puts together. It is an important season for the Port Hope, Ontario native. 

There were some great moments for Adam Henrique when he was wearing a New Jersey Devils sweater. He scored some big goals in the playoffs, including one that sent them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, and was later a top player on a team in transition. 

In 2017, the Devils traded Henrique to the Anaheim Ducks to acquire Sami Vatanen. Since then, Henrique went on to have a solid NHL career in the Western Conference. He followed his time in Anaheim with parts of three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers. 

Included in Henrique's tenure with the Oilers included a couple of trips to the Stanley Cup Final. Like his run with the Devils, they fell just short. 

Now, he is still a free agent as we enter the late stages of the NHL off-season. At 36, he still has what it takes to contribute to an NHL team, but someone has to be willing to take a chance on him as a depth center who can also play wing. 

If a team doesn’t sign Henrique to an NHL contract before the end of August, it may be in his best interest to sign a PTO during camp and try to make whatever team gives him one. Then, he can go out and prove why he still belongs in the NHL. 

Henrique isn’t bringing 20+ goals anymore, but he can be a 4th-line forward who wins faceoffs, plays hard, and brings a certain level of experience that would help young players. 

The Devils are not a likely fit for Henrique, but there are teams out there, including in the Eastern Conference, that make sense for Henrique. 

Visit The Hockey News New Jersey Devils team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 59 days until the home opener at Nationwide Arena. Today, we talk about Yegor Chinakhov and the drama that surrounded him. 

Yegor Chinakhov was drafted in October 2020 and selected #21 overall. It was a headscratcher to experts, and the silence was deafening. They had no clue who he was. 

Chinakhov had only played junior hockey in Russia before being drafted, and he would make his KHL debut during the 2020-21 season for Avangard Omsk. In his first pro season in the KHL, he scored 10 goals and had 17 points. Chinakhov played so well that he was elevated to Avangard Omsk's top line. After one season in the KHL, Chinakhov was signed to a three-year NHL ELC in May of 2021.

Chinakhov then came to North America to start his pro career later in 2021. He would play in 62 games for the Blue Jackets in his rookie year, scoring seven goals and totaling 14 points. Under ex-coach John Tortorella, he averaged 12:30 of ice time and chipped in a single power-play goal. He played one game for the Cleveland Monsters, scoring one goal.

A high-ankle sprain derailed Chinakhov's 2022-23 season. He played in 30 NHL games, scored 4 goals, and totaled 13 points. After he came back from injury, he was sent down to Cleveland, where he played seven games and tallied eight points. He was again struck by the injury bug while playing for Cleveland.

In April of 2023, Chinakhov was signed to a one-year contract extension for an AAV of 800k. He was still waiver-exempt, so he spent some time in Cleveland that season, playing in three games and scoring 3 goals while rehabbing an injury.

In the 23-24 season, Yegor Chinakhov broke out. While playing in 53 games, he set career highs in goals, assists, and points. He scored 16 goals and had 29 points while averaging 15:10 of ice time. He also shot 14.5%, which was up by 5% from the previous year.

Unfortunately, he dealt with some injuries last season. He missed the first few weeks of the season, making his CBJ debut on November 4th. He also missed the final month of the season with an upper-body injury.

Later in 2023, there were rumors that he was "unhappy" in Columbus and may want out. His agent, Shumi Babaev, told THN Columbus that "At the moment, there are no conversations about a trade on our part. He likes Columbus, both the team and the city." He went on to tell us that "We are in touch with the General Manager (Jarmo); the only thing Yegor wants is to have more ice time, feel the coach's trust, and help the team win more games. He's very happy after yesterday's game. Felt great on the new line."

When he was drafted, the Jackets needed a shoot-first winger who could score goals. They had two in the form of Kirill Marchenko and Chinakhov. Until they didn't. 

Don Waddell got his new contract taken care of almost right away after coming to Columbus, signing him to a 2-year, $4,200,000 contract on June 21st, 2024. About a week before his re-signing, his agent told THN Columbus that the two sides weren't really close on a new deal. A week later, the deal was made.

Chinakhov only played in 30 games in 24-25, scoring 7 goals and totaling 15 points. He attempted to come back later in the season, but was benched when he just didn't look right to Dean Evason.

Fast forward to the 25-26 off-season, and Yegor Chinakhov was embroiled in a bit of drama again. Chinakhov said through his agent on X, "I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season. Now I would be glad to have a trade. I would like to move to a different location. Will I return to Russia? As long as I can play in the NHL, I will keep developing here."

He went on to say, "The most interesting thing is that at the end of the year, even at a meeting, everyone was called, but there were no questions for me. I mostly talked to the assistants because the head coach said, 'The assistants will explain everything to you.' But they don’t explain anything."

His agent reiterated a wish for a trade in an interview where he said, "I hope that the club has heard Yegor and will try to find a trade before the championship starts. Let's hope that he will start the season on another team."

Both he and defenseman Jordan Harris raised concerns about a lack of communication between players and the coaching staff.

Don Waddell had since come out and said that he and Chinakhov's agent would talk, and if something came along that satisfied Waddell in terms of a trade, he would consider it. 

Chinkhov started last season in Columbus, but played only 29 games and totaled 6 points. He was finally traded to Pittsburgh by Columbus for Danton Heinen, a 2nd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and a 3rd-round pick in 2027 on December 29, 2025.

Of course, in typical NHL fashion, when a player is traded, they get rejuvenated. After this trade, he played in 43 games, scored 18 goals, and totaled 36 points. 

In the playoffs however, he disappeared, scoring zero points in six games.

Many fans around Columbus wonder if the recent news that Kirill Marchenko wants out of Columbus has anything to do with how the Chinakhov situation went down. We may find out sooner or later, but for now, the "what-ifs" will be asked for years to come, especially if Chinakhov has a second straight career year. 

How did you feel about this situation?

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. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Came across this little note, and since it is August, why not sink into it a little bit? We all know the Penguins are really weak on the left side of their defense, enter a division rival over on Long Island who happen to be stacked at the position to at least make a fun thought for a summer day.

Elliotte Friedman: Re Islanders: Isaiah George, it's gonna be interesting to see what they do there, because that guy's ready to play, but they're really jammed up on the left side of the ice – 32 Thoughts (7/6)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) July 26, 2026

Winning the lottery and getting the first overall pick in 2025 Matthew Schaefer has upended the Islanders’ blueline. Schaefer joins Adam Pelech and Alex Romanov on the left side of their depth chart, NYI has Ryan Pulock, Tony DeAngelo and Scott Mayfield on the right.

That leaves no space for Isaiah George, 22, who is on the last year of his entry level contract and still can be sent to the AHL without waivers. His best use might be hedging against injury and adding to depth but more than ever young players get antsy about opportunity. George played 33 NHL games in 2024-25, down to just four in 2025-26. He’s already spent parts of the last two years in the AHL.

These days, the once nearly dead practice of interdivision trading is back in a big way. Within the last year, the Pens have picked up Hendrix Lapierre from Washington, Egor Chinakhov from Columbus and sent Philip Tomasino to Philadelphia. It hasn’t been too long since the Pens sent Cody Glass to New Jersey, Anthony Beauvillier to the Caps or even Reilly Smith to the Rangers. Some of these trades have been important, others not so much but it stands to give evidence that more than ever teams are willing to work with even their closest opponents if the best deal available comes from a rival. That said, there hasn’t been a Pittsburgh/NYI trade since Bill Guerin was acquired back in 2009, so that’s been an area where the two teams don’t end up completing trades between each other in the recent past.

How to find a way to make a deal satisfying for NYI could be a hurdle. The Islanders have little cap space and haven’t made many moves this off-season. One area that stands out is their levels of 20-24 year old forward talent is pretty much non-existent besides top youngster Calum Ritchie. In a need-for-need area, players like Tristan Broz, Rutger McGroarty or Ville Koivunen would fill some holes within the NYI organization for young talent.

Whether or not they’d be interested in giving up George or see the value in anything that Pittsburgh would give up is obviously a huge assumptive leap in logic, and could be a reason nothing comes to pass going down this path. It’s surely not 10/10 obvious that both sides have a ton of motivation and clear match, though there’s enough around lining up to make a scenario plausible.

As mentioned, there are often injuries that could make George a very valuable player to retain for the near future from the opposite perspective. There’s not even dots to connect at this point, but the Pens want young talent and they badly need some NHL level players for the blueline. George isn’t a sure thing just yet, though he fits the mold of the type of player that Pittsburgh has brought in recently for players in their mid-20’s that don’t have a clear path to a big role prior to their acquisition. That might not mean he’ll be available for a trade this off-season, but depending on how the situation develops shortly it could present an opportunity to fit a common roster-building strategy deployed in Pittsburgh if anything changes.

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

“The Devils went from having very few borderline NHLers on their AHL roster to having them strewn throughout the lineup. It’s a great problem to have – at some point or another, the Devils will need to call on them. Putrid fourth-line play cost them a few games in 2025-26, but it now seems as though that is an issue of the past.” [Infernal Access]

Brett Pesce on Sunny Mehta: “Yeah, [Sunny] has been awesome. I had a conversation with him at the end of the year, loved what he had to say, what he did this offseason. So far, so good. He’s a really smart guy and looking forward to getting to know him better.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]

Hockey Links

Tommy Novak gets a three-year deal:

Tommy Novak has signed a 3 YR $4.65M AAV extension with the Penguins 🐧💰

The 29 year old had 42P in 82GP this year in his first full season with Pittsburgh 🔥 pic.twitter.com/c9DEkBQvNN

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) July 31, 2026

And Collin Graf does too:

Collin Graf has signed a 3 YR $4.25M AAV deal with the Sharks 💸

The Undrafted 23 year old broke out for 21G-25A-46P in 81GP this season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BLz9h7498T

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) July 31, 2026

Looking ahead, who are some guys who could actually hit free agency next year? [Sportsnet]

NHL Network producers and analysts unveil their list of their top 20 wings in the NHL right now: [NHL.com]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

It's officially another season, another prospects ranking for the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

In years past, this has been a bit easier of an exercise, as there used to be a more clear-cut line between prospects with NHL upside and longshots. However, because of the work that general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and his staff have put in during the last several years, the line is blurring a whole lot more - and there is a substantially higher volume of talent in the system. 

This time around, making a top-20 list was challenging. So, a few criteria were put into place: To make our list, prospects must be under the age of 26 and have played less than 50 NHL games. This excludes names such as Ben Kindel, Filip Hallander, Oliver Okuliar, and Alexander Alexeyev.

We already went through some of the names who just missed the cut, so without further ado, the official list begins. We kick things off with a blueliner who has seen a steady progression within the Penguins' system the last two years and who is helping bolster depth on the right-side prospect pool.

---

No. 20: D Chase Pietila

One year ago, the argument to include Pietila on the Top-20 list would have been met with some understandable doubt. For some, even including him this season might be questionable, given some of the other talent that the Penguins possess in the pipeline. 

However, Pietila's play last season warranted a selection on this list, as he is coming into his own as one of the more reliable blueliners in Pittsburgh's system.

Selected by the Penguins in the fourth round (111th overall) of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Pietila was first a product of the USHL program before moving on to Michigan Tech for two seasons. In the NCAA, he put together two consecutive campaigns with 22 points, with his second season featuring seven goals and the third-highest average time on ice (26:37) among NCAA defensemen.

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects: Honorable MentionsTo kick off the THN - Pittsburgh Penguins annual Top-20 Prospects list, those who barely missed the cutoff are acknowledged.

By that second season, he had already been selected by Pittsburgh. His performance also earned him a brief look in the ECHL and AHL near the end of their respective regular seasons, and in 12 games combined between those levels, he had three points - all from his time with the Wheeling Nailers in the ECHL - and was a plus-4. 

From there, he remained in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins after departing from the NCAA when he signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Penguins prior to the 2025-26 season. 

And, as mentioned, he took some big strides last season.

The two goals and 16 points in 66 AHL regular season games may not stand out in any kind of grand way, but it was Pietila’s work in his own zone, in transition, and in developing consistency that led to his success. Pietila’s ability to read and disrupt plays was on full display last season, and even if plus/minus is a largely arbitrary stat, his plus-27 mark wasn't by accident and was second only to Finn Harding.

He also provided a stabilizing presence on WBS’s blue line throughout the regular season and into the Calder Cup Playoffs. 

NHL Prospect Pool Overview '26-27: Pittsburgh Penguins Trust Youth To Bolster Aging CoreThe Pittsburgh Penguins are still transitioning from one era to the next, but integrating their prospects into the NHL over the next few years will be critical.

General manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas mentioned Pietila as part of a core group of young defensemen the Penguins have in their system and praised his work in the playoffs.

“What I saw in the playoffs down there was Owen Pickering, Harrison Brunicke, Finn Harding, Chase Pietila, I thought they had excellent playoffs. And, really, they used the playoffs to come a long way… I think we’re really happy with how those guys came along.”

Being grouped in with the other three is no small thing, especially since those are arguably the best three blueliners in the Penguins’ system right now. Like Harding, Pietila does have some offensive upside, but the bread and butter of his game is his reliability and steadiness, which is something Pittsburgh will need down the line on its NHL club if higher-risk offensive defenseman like Brunicke are part of the picture. If he can become a steady, reliable bottom-pair defenseman - which is likely his ceiling - that's still a win.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound defenseman still has some developmental steps to take if he is to eventually become a full-time NHL player. But his growth and progress is encouraging for an organization that desperately needs blue line depth, and if he can continue to build out his two-way game even more, he might continue to climb this list.

Decision To Sign Novak Serves As Reminder Of Penguins' Needs At CenterThe Penguins signed forward Tommy Novak to a three-year extension Friday, but it also exposed a glaring organizational need.

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

Believe it or not, it's been a little over four years since former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall acquired Rickard Rakell at the 2022 NHL trade deadline.

He was exactly what the Penguins needed and has been a stalwart in the top six ever since. He's had to go through multiple offseasons of trade rumors, including this one, but he's still with the Penguins and has two seasons left on his contract.

Rakell had a career season in 2024-25, finishing with 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games. His 35 goals and 70 points were career highs. 

He followed that season up with 24 goals and 48 points in 60 games this past season and would've been close to his numbers from the 2024-25 season if he hadn't missed a month and a half in the first half of the season with a broken left hand. 

Rakell spent a good chunk of the season as one of Sidney Crosby's wingers, but also spent time at center, a position he wasn't familiar with before this season. It was a major adjustment for him since he had to become more comfortable taking draws, becoming even more of a 200-foot player, and killing penalties.

He had barely spent any time on the penalty kill over the last five seasons before playing 34:57 on that unit this past season. It was Rakell's most time on the PK since the 2019-20 season, when he spent 45:04 on the Anaheim Ducks' penalty kill. 

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects: Honorable MentionsTo kick off the THN - Pittsburgh Penguins annual Top-20 Prospects list, those who barely missed the cutoff are acknowledged.

While Rakell did improve at center as the season went on, he's still a natural winger, and I expect him to start the 2026-27 season next to Crosby and Bryan Rust. Rakell is super comfortable with Crosby and does a great job reading off him while he's on the ice. If injuries do come up for some of the Penguins centers, Rakell can still shift to that position for a handful of games. 

Some of the deployment on the top power play unit might be different for the 2026-27 season, but I'd still have Rakell up there. He's great in the slot area and has one of the top shots on the team. He also has the ability to move around and keep the opposing penalty killers honest. 

Rakell might be another year older heading into this season (33), but I still expect him to score between 20 and 30 goals and finish with 50 and 60 points. He's been at or above that level in three of the last four seasons, and I don't see it changing right now. I'd be fairly surprised if he had a season similar to his 2023-24 year when he only shot 9.1% and finished with only 15 goals and 37 points. 

He'll be a key component for a Penguins team that's trying to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second season in a row. 

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

Now that we are a month into NHL free agency, we should start to see UFAs sign professional tryout (PTO) agreements.

The Canadiens should not be against the idea of taking a look at a player or two on a PTO at training. When looking at the remaining UFA, one player who could make sense for Montreal to bring in a PTO is forward Reilly Smith. 

Smith remains unsigned after recording 16 goals, 10 assists, and 26 points in 69 games with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. Overall, it was a bit a down year for the veteran forward, but it is fair to wonder if he bounce back if given another opportunity. 

Just back during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, Smith recorded 40 points in each campaign. He also recorded 26 goals and 56 points in 78 games with Vegas in 2022-23. With past numbers like these, the 15-year veteran could be worth taking a shot on with a PTO for the Canadiens. 

If Smith impressed during training camp and earned a contract for the season, he could be a solid addition to the Canadiens' bottom six. While he may not be the same top-six forward he was during his prime, it would not hurt for the Habs to add a veteran forward who can still provide decent secondary scoring to their depth. This is especially so when noting that Smith has won the Stanley Cup in the past.