Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

With more talent in the system than Pittsburgh has had in years - and 13 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft - top prospects lists are becoming more competitive and more difficult to discern. Since the prospect pool is deepening, The Hockey News - Pittsburgh Penguins takes a look at the top-20 prospects in the organization. 

We go back-to-back with goaltenders for No. 8, as prospect Joel Blomqvist came in at No. 9. This next young netminder may be new to the Penguins' organization, but Arturs Silovs certainly has some upside.

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#8: G Arturs Silovs

It's definitely fair to question whether or not Silovs - acquired in July from the Vancouver Canucks - should still be considered a prospect by certain standards. Technically, he has not met the 25-game NHL rookie requirement, as he has appeared in only 19 regular season games and has been up and down between the NHL and AHL for the past three seasons.

But Silovs is still young and unproven enough at 24 to be held to the same standards as Blomqvist, who has appeared in 15 NHL games and is just one year his junior. And he definitely has upside.

Silovs's defining NHL moment was a 10-game playoff run in 2023-24 that helped lead the Canucks past the Nashville Predators in the first round and brought them to seven games in the second round against the Edmonton Oilers, who eventually went on to the Stanley Cup Final and lost to the Florida Panthers. In those playoffs, Silovs went 5-5 with an .898 save percentage.

Penguins Facing Uncertain Goalie Split Entering 2025-26 SeasonOnce again, the Pittsburgh Penguins face goaltending questions heading into a season. 

Even though those numbers don't jump out by any means, he did put together some solid performances, including a shutout. He was also only 23 years old with only nine regular season games under his belt at the time, which made it all the more impressive that he was able to step in and give the Canucks a chance.

The 6-foot-4, 203-pound Latvian netminder has a lot of untapped potential. And that really showed itself during the Abbotsford Canucks' Calder Cup run last season - which was, certainly, the best run of Silovs's professional career to date.

En route to an AHL championship last season, Silovs was remarkable. He posted a 16-7 record to go along with an astounding .931 save percentage and five playoff shutouts, and those five shutouts put him just one shy of the AHL record for a singular playoff run by a goaltender.

BREAKING: Abbotsford Canucks Win 2025 Calder Cup After a magical playoff run filled with standout performances, the Abbotsford Canucks have officially won the 2025 Calder Cup. This is Abbotsford’s first Calder Cup win in franchise history and their first time making it out of the second round since their inaugural season in 2021. They clinched the Calder Cup after a 3–2 Game 6 win against the Charlotte Checkers in the Calder Cup Finals. The last time the Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate made it to the Calder Cup Finals was when the Utica Comets did so in 2015. 

He showed off his athleticism, quickness, range, and potential in that run, and it almost solidified his standing as Latvia's top goaltender for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan Cortina.

To put it plainly, the Penguins may have landed on a gold mine here. Silovs very much has the chance to supplant Tristan Jarry as the go-to guy in Pittsburgh this season, so - given the Penguins' goaltending depth behind him in Blomqvist and Sergei Murashov - this season will be critical in terms of his future in Pittsburgh and in the NHL.

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The list so far:

- No. 9: G Joel Blomqvist
- No. 10: F Tristan Broz
- No. 11: F Will Horcoff
- No. 12: F Mikhail Ilyin
- No. 13 F Filip Hallander
- No. 14: F Bill Zonnon
- No. 15: F Melvin Fernstrom
- No. 16: D Emil Pieniniemi
- No. 17: F Avery Hayes
- No. 18: F Cruz Lucius
- No. 19: D Finn Harding
- No. 20: D Peyton Kettles

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: Goaltender Entering 'Make-It-Or-Break-It' SeasonHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

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On Tuesday, the NHL released its transition schedule for the new rules under the Collective Bargaining Agreement that is set to take full effect during the 2026-27 season. 

But some of those changes will be occurring sooner. 

According to PuckPedia, there are several new provisions that will take effect in 2025-26, which include a new playoff salary cap, changes to long-term injured reserve (LTIR), no deferred compensation, restrictions on paper loans, restrictions on second retention with traded contracts, and a “four recall” rule post-trade deadline. But there is one new provision that - although not finalized - could take effect this season and have a potentially large impact on the Pittsburgh Penguins and other NHL organizations.

The NHL and NHLPA are pushing to negotiate with the CHL for a new rule this season that would allow 19-year-old players to play in the AHL. Each organization would be limited to one 19-year-old junior player to be on loan to the AHL per season, and the rule will take effect in 2026-27 if not implemented this season. 

As of now - according to PuckPedia - the negotiations have not yet started, but the NHL and NHLPA hopes to have the change take effect this season.

And if it does take effect, there is one Penguins’ prospect who could very much benefit. 

What Is The Best Developmental Path For Top Prospect Harrison Brunicke In 2025-26?For 19-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins' defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke, it is only a matter of time. 

19-year-old defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke impressed Penguins’ brass last year during training camp, as the 44th overall pick in 2024 nearly broke the NHL roster. Despite an injury setback last season - Brunicke missed two months of action after breaking his wrist in November, which also caused him to miss out on the World Junior Championship for Team Canada - he picked up right where his training camp left off with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL), registering five goals and 30 points in 41 games. 

His performance during his junior season - in addition to his performance during camp - led to an assignment to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) at the conclusion of Kamloops’ season. Although there were some growing pains in his first several AHL games, Brunicke showed he belonged, putting up two points in 10 games and a goal and two points in two playoff games for WBS.

Not only did Brunicke play in the AHL playoffs, he supplanted some veterans that had been with WBS the entire season - and he played in the top-four, too. It was enough to catch the eye of WBS head coach Kirk MacDonald, who had a lot to say about Brunicke’s growth in that short period of time.

“Huge,” MacDonald said. “Honestly, it was. Credit to him, he figured it out quick. Came in initially, and - you know, he had junior habits where you can just skate by people and hold on to the puck for a long time - I thought he did a really good job with the last couple of regular season games and the playoff stint. He was moving pucks quick, jumping into the rush… that goal he scored in the playoffs was outstanding. I thought his ability to kill plays, again… the less he does in certain areas, the more he accomplishes just by making a really good first pass, activating and jumping in the rush. 

“We want our D to be aggressive in trying to create offense, but it doesn’t mean necessarily having to skate through everybody. And, I think, once he kind of recognized that, he was a little bit more patient with his game, and the offense came to him. He did a great job.”

MacDonald wasn’t the only one who noticed the 6-foot-3, 202-pound blueliner’s growth last season. When asked after development camp in early July about whether or not the NHL and CHL should consider a rule change for junior players to be AHL-eligible, Director of Player Development Tom Kostopoulos confirmed that such a rule would benefit a player like Brunicke.

“I think that’s something that the league should look at,” Kostopoulos said. “Because he’s probably played his way out of junior hockey and might be ready for a step up. I’m not in charge of those rules, but you’re probably right.”

Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) on X#LetsGoPens Director of Player Development Tom Kostopoulos on whether the AHL ineligibility rule presents any challenges on the developmental side for players like Harrison Brunicke: @TheHockeyNews #NHL #AHL

Two months later, that rule may become a reality for the 2025-26 season, and it would certainly benefit Brunicke, who - barring a disaster of a training camp - is certainly the frontrunner to earn that distinction out of the 19-year-olds in the Penguins’ organization. This is especially the case with Brunicke because he is the best player on a struggling Kamloops team and often tries to overcompensate, and his only other option if the rule doesn’t take effect this season would be cracking the NHL roster.

And that might not be so easy to do. The Penguins already have a logjam on the right side with Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Matt Dumba, and Connor Clifton, making Brunicke’s path to making the NHL roster out of camp far more difficult. Being AHL-eligible next season is also probably best for Brunicke’s development because he may not be quite ready for the NHL jump, anyway.

Of course, the rule would benefit the Penguins in the future regardless. Someone like Ben Kindel could see the AHL next season, too, if the provision takes effect next season.

But in the present, Brunicke’s development would greatly benefit from the rule being implemented in 2025-26. He is the exact kind of special case who should serve as an example for the NHL and CHL to show why allowing 19-year-old junior players in the AHL could be of benefit to player development across the league.

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects: Goaltender Entering 'Make-It-Or-Break-It' SeasonHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

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Devils' Jack Hughes and Oilers' Connor McDavid both have serious value on player prop markets and begs the question of who the better value is?

More NHL: Why A Healthy Jack Hughes Could Be the NHL's Best Betting Value

More NHL: McDavid to Lead Oilers Offense And Score More Amid Injuries, Rookie Lineup Changes

The NHL season is nearly here, and we're back targeting player props after a big year, including hitting Connor McDavid’s under 51.5 goals and nailing picks like Hellebuyck’s Vezina-winning campaign. This year, we’re flipping the script and backing McDavid to go over 34.5 goals (-115 at BetMGM), expecting him to take on more scoring with Zach Hyman out and a rookie on his wing plus, it’s his contract year. We're also eyeing Jack Hughes to go over 32.5 goals and 83.5 points, assuming he stays healthy, with past production showing he can clear both lines in just 70–75 games. Which bet do you like more? McDavid or Hughes? Let us know in the comments 👇🏼

Edmonton's Connor McDavid is expected to take lead on offence and score more goals with Zach Hyman out and a rookie left winger. 

The NHL season will be here in no time as we look ahead to some regular season player props that we look to take advantage of just like we did last off-season. We were very successful at finding great values in these player props with some sportsbooks not fully looking into the background or history of some players besides the stats of the prior season. 

We took advantage of the sportsbooks not knowing anything about Connor McDavid and that he's not a goal scorer and easily hit the under for his goal total last season, which was at a shocking 51.5 when he scored more than 44 goals just once in his nine prior NHL season. We also hit on nearly all of our other player prop picks like Mitch Marner, Mark Scheifele, Wyatt Johnston, Rasmus Dahlin, Teuvo Teravainen and Connor Hellebuyck to hit his over in wins plus take home the Vezina trophy.

It was a very successful season for us on that front and we hope to continue the good times heading into this next season. With our first pick being one that we feel very confident in, we look to take the opposite of what we took last summer and instead ride with Oilers captain Connor McDavid to score over 34.5 goals (-115 on BetMGM). 

All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. 

Sign up with BetMGM, make a deposit, and place your first wager on any game using your First Bet Offer token. If that bet with the token applied loses, you’ll get your original stake paid back in Bonus Bets, up to $1,500! Get in the game today with BetMGM. 

More NHL: Growing Case for Backing Golden Knights' Pavel Dorofeyev

Although we don’t think he will score 50 or more goals, McDavid should be in a role this season where he will be forced to produce a lot of the offense like he already does. The biggest change for him to start the season is he will be without his partner-in-crime and the finisher to all of McDavid’s passes in Zach Hyman. He will be sidelined with a wrist injury that required surgery in the off-season. We still don’t know when Hyman will return or who will fill at right wing spot for the start of the season but we do know his left winger will be a rookie in Isaac Howard. 

The production out of the young 21-year-old Howard will likely be top end compared to the other rookies in the league but he will still be a rookie and could take some time to adjust to the NHL. Betters should expect McDavid to take on a bigger role because of these circumstances and could make his season long numbers look like they did during the 2022-23 season when he scored 64 goals.

Unless they slot Leon Draisaitl on the top line with him, McDavid will have no one to pass the puck to and will likely have to do the bulk of the work himself. It should lead to him shooting more than his normal passing tendencies. 

In terms of this marker being doable, McDavid has scored 35 or more goals in just four of his 11 NHL seasons. However, the upcoming season could push him over the top, as it marks a contract year for the Richmond Hill native. Following Mitch Marner’s career-best performance during his own contract year, it’s reasonable to expect McDavid will be similarly driven to showcase his value. With several other stars like Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov also heading into contract negotiations, McDavid will likely aim to set himself apart, as he so often does.

More NHL: Division Odds Breakdown: Panthers, Canes, Golden Knights Lead Pack

It would appear that the Ottawa Senators will begin the 2025-26 season with a legitimate NHL Rookie of the Year candidate. That candidate is goaltender Leevi Meriläinen, who just turned 23 last month.

While most goalies that young are generally just happy to make the NHL, Merilainen isn't 'most goalies'. And, by the way, for those of you ready to flood the comments with, 'There goes the media again, heaping unnecessary extra pressure on the kids,' remember that the young Finn has already had his NHL baptism-by-fire and came through it without a single burn.

With Anton Forsberg allowed to walk into free agency this summer—eventually signing with the Los Angeles Kings—it left a vacancy in Ottawa behind starter Linus Ullmark. If you had asked the Senators a year ago who would fill that role, they would have confidently said Mads Søgaard, their 6-foot-7 goaltender drafted in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft. That's why they agreed to a one-way NHL contract for this season. They were pretty sure that Søgaard was the next man up.

But as often happens in the NHL, things can change quickly.

Søgaard’s development has been slowed by injuries, while Meriläinen was unexpectedly thrust into NHL duty at just 22 last season. And in the heart of a playoff chase, Meriläinen played completely out of his mind for the Senators.

In 12 appearances, Meriläinen allowed only 22 goals, posting three shutouts, a 1.90 goals-against average, and a .925 save percentage. Small sample size? Yes. But those numbers were significantly better than those of either Ullmark or Forsberg.

When Forsberg returned to health, GM Steve Staios was clear about wanting to protect his goaltending depth. So Staios farmed out Meriläinen because he was waiver-exempt and could be sent down without incident. If the decision had been based strictly on merit, Meriläinen wouldn’t have gone anywhere. In fact, after putting up a record of 8-3-1, it would have been fascinating, in hindsight, to see how the kid might have fared in the postseason.

Ottawa Senators Sign Goaltender Leevi Meriläinen To New One-Way ContractThe Ottawa Senators have signed goaltender Leevi Meriläinen to a one-year, one-way contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.05 million.

Now, with Forsberg gone to Los Angeles, Meriläinen will be Ottawa’s full-time backup. And if he comes anywhere close to last season’s level, his name will undoubtedly enter the Calder Trophy conversation. First-year goalies don’t often get enough starts to generate Rookie of the Year buzz. In fact, it's been 16 years since a goalie won it (Columbus' Steve Mason in 2009).

But Ullmark’s career history leaves that door open.

Even in his Vezina Trophy-winning season with Boston in 2023, Ullmark’s career high is 49 games, thanks to injuries and platoon usage, so there should be plenty of starts available for Meriläinen. There's a chance he plays half the schedule, plus any games where Ullmark gets an early hook.

Among NHL goalies who played at least 10 games last year, Meriläinen was the youngest. A glance at the stats of his peers in their early 20s shows why most clubs hesitate to lean on goalies that young. It’s not a position where players are expected to thrive early.

But again, there’s something different about Meriläinen.

It isn’t just his poise, fundamentals and uber-quiet movement in the crease. It isn't exclusively his excellent run last season—one that arguably saved Ottawa’s playoff hopes. It’s also his mindset. Ask him one of those standard media questions—“How are you doing this at such a young age?”—and he’ll probably respond matter-of-factly, with a shrug, without even a hint of nerves or arrogance, and say something like:

I don’t know, I guess because it’s my job?

Maybe, as a policy, he doesn’t want to engage in armchair psychology or overthink it, or maybe he genuinely doesn’t see the big deal. Maybe he sees it as the children's game it's supposed to be. Either way, as Senators fans will come to learn, he's just a calm, steady person who's here to do his job.

That's part of why he may emerge this season as more than a kid who's just happy to be here.

Meanwhile, it Meriläinen truly breaks into the Calder Trophy discussion, it could get expensive for the Senators. He’ll not only be a restricted free agent again next summer but also arbitration-eligible. And as the team is well aware, arbitrators tend to notice that stuff, those little things like winning major individual awards.

That, however, is a bridge Ottawa will happily cross if it means they’ve found another gem between the pipes.

By Steve Warne
This article was first published at The Hockey News-Ottawa

More Sens Headlines at THN:
Four Major Storylines This Month At Ottawa Senators Training Camp
Senators Still Own Formenton's NHL Rights – What's Next?
Our One-On-One With Drake Batherson
Senators Confirm Extension For Pinto Won't Happen Until After Season Starts
Staios: 'We're Not Dismissing That Yakemchuk Makes Our Team Out of Camp'
Ottawa Senators: Ranking The Six Best At Each Position

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, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 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 40 NHL games. 

Other Sabres Stories

Projecting Sabres Trade Cost - Lawson Crouse 

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

#11 - Nikita Novikov - Defense (Rochester - AHL)

Novikov was the Sabres sixth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft after playing in the junior level MHL in the Moscow Dynamo system and an impressive performance for Russia at the 2021 IIHF Under-18s. The 6’4″, 218 lb. blueliner is physical and plays well positionally, which enabled him to play 94 KHL games over two seasons as a teenager. 

After signing his entry-level deal with the Sabres, the 21-year-old came to North America and adjusted to the AHL game fairly quickly, putting up 23 points (3 goals, 20 assists) in 65 games as a rookie. In his second season, the 22-year-old put up nearly identical stats (20 points in 68 games) but doubled his goal-scoring output to six. 

Former Amerks head coach Seth Appert said that Novikov’s offensive instincts are underrated, but that he will have to build on his large frame and get stronger to make the NHL down the road. The hurdle he will have to jump is that he is likely fifth or sixth on the Sabres depth chart in terms of left-handed defenseman, behind Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Bowen Byram, Mattias Samuelsson and Ryan Johnson, which could mean that his path to the NHL may require a trade out of Buffalo. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

Chicago Blackhawks legend Jonathan Toews has been out of the NHL for a couple of years now, but he is set to return with his hometown Winnipeg Jets in 2025-26. He signed a one-year deal with them early in the off-season. 

Now, hockey is slowly starting back up as players are starting to publicly take the ice in preparation for the 2025-26 season. Toews was one of the players to hit the ice with his new team's colors in Manitoba on Tuesday.

You can see Toews wearing Jets gear for the first time, which is also the first NHL gear he’s worn as a professional since the Chicago Blackhawks took him 3rd overall in 2006. 

Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) on X📣 WE PLAY HOCKEY THIS MONTH 🤩Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) on X📣 WE PLAY HOCKEY THIS MONTH 🤩

Although seeing Toews in other NHL colors can bring somber feelings to Chicago sports fans, it is great that he’s healthy enough to come back and play in the best league in the world. His health was always of the utmost concern, and he seems to be doing well. 

Toews and the Jets will come to the United Center on January 19th. This will be his first career appearance in Chicago as a road player. That promises to be an incredibly emotional day for hockey fans in town. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

With the Chicago Blackhawks now being a few years into their rebuild, they have a very strong prospect pool. They have plenty of exciting youngsters in their system, and a good chunk of them have the potential to be regulars in their lineup in 2025-26. 

Among the Blackhawks' most exciting prospects heading into the new season is defenseman Sam Rinzel. The youngster left a solid first impression with the Blackhawks this past season after signing his entry-level deal in March, as he recorded five assists and a plus-1 rating in nine games. 

Now, Rinzel's strong start has garnered him some praise, as The Hockey News' Eric Cruikshank listed the Blackhawks prospect among the NHL's top under-the-radar Calder Trophy candidates for this upcoming season. 

Given how well Rinzel played immediately after joining the Blackhawks' roster, it is understandable that Cruikshank sees him as a Calder Trophy candidate to watch. The potential for the 2022 first-round pick to become a very good NHL defenseman is there, and it would not be surprising if he broke out in a big way next season because of it. 

Rinzel's play at the collegiate level only creates more excitement about his future. During his freshman year with the University of Minnesota, he recorded two goals and 28 points in 39 games. He then followed that up by taking a big step forward this past campaign, posting 10 goals and 332 points in 40 games.

Now, it will be interesting to see what Rinzel can do during his first full season with the Blackhawks in 2025-26 from here. 

Blackhawks Forward Named Potential Target For CanadiensIt is not exactly a secret that the Montreal Canadiens want to improve at the center position. Due to this, during a recent episode of The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro, TSN's Travis Yost discussed a few potential center targets for the Canadiens. One name brought up by Yost was Chicago Blackhawks center Jason Dickinson.

The Montreal Canadiens are one of the most-talked-about teams in the rumor mill right now. This is especially the case when it comes to the possibility of the Canadiens trading away Carey Price's contract. 

During a recent episode of NHL Insider Notebook for Bleacher Report, Frank Seravalli provided the latest on the Price trade rumors. 

"I think there is a door open to the Montreal Canadiens to move it (Price's contract)," Seravalli said. "There are only so few teams that actually want to acquire it. The benefit would be if you're a team that is already operating in LTIR space, you can continue to work that around."

However, Seravalli then shared a different take by adding that he believes the Canadiens successfully being able to trade Price's contract is a "long shot."

"We'll see if anyone steps up and trades for it, but it's probably a bit of a long shot, but I know that the Canadiens are open to do it."

The Canadiens are open to trading the remainder of Carey Price's contract, but they may have a hard time finding a trade partner (w/ @frank_seravalli) pic.twitter.com/5tJqIYW8uo

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) September 2, 2025

This is certainly an interesting update from Seravalli on the Price trade rumors. Time will tell if the Canadiens will find a way to move out his contract, but it is certainly a storyline to pay attention to from here. If they do move out of his contract, it would certainly open the door for the Canadiens to make potential moves elsewhere. 

Canadiens: New and Improved Joshua Roy Is An Intriguing Breakout CandidateWhen St-Georges native Joshua Roy turned up at the CN Sports Complexe in Brossard for training camp last season, he was pencilled in to make the Montreal Canadiens’ roster. But when the players hit the ice, it became apparent that the likes of Emil Heineman and Oliver Kapanen were outperforming him. A couple of weeks later, he landed in the AHL with the Laval Rocket, where he spent much of the last season, putting up 35 points in 47 games. In the 12 games he played in the NHL, he added two goals and failed to make much of an impact.

According to a report, the Philadelphia Flyers are one of several teams interested in free agent goalie Carter Hart.

On Tuesday, David Pagnotta, an NHL insider for NHL Network and The Fourth Period, reported that "There are several teams, including the Philadelphia Flyers, interested in goaltender Carter Hart, but they continue to wait on the NHL’s decision to determine when he is eligible to play."

Hart, 27, was found not guilty of the sexual assault charge levied against him, stemming from the 2018 Hockey Canada case, on July 24, though his reinstatement into the NHL is pending the league's decision.

The Flyers' former second-round pick hasn't played competitive hockey since his last appearance for the Flyers, which saw him cede five goals on 15 shots in a 7-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 20, 2024.

Ex-Flyers Goalie Carter Hart Not Expected to Join OilersAccording to a new report, the goalie-needy Edmonton Oilers are not expected to target former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart at this time.

Hart and Alex Formenton were the only players in the Hockey Canada case to have not played competitive hockey since being charged; Michael McLeod and Dillon Dube each played in the KHL last season, while Cal Foote played in Slovakia.

A potential Hart return makes for an interesting situation for the Flyers, given that they went out and signed Dan Vladar to a roster that already features Sam Ersson and Ivan Fedotov.

Plus, Carson Bjarnason is turning pro this year, and Aleksei Kolosov is expected to be back in the fold as well.

It could make for a crowded goalie room, but if the Flyers' reported interest is true, they must have some kind of contingent plan of action.

Perhaps the wisest move for Hart is to attempt return to game form playing in the AHL without any significant contractual commitments from the Flyers.

This situation is very fresh and there are still many moving parts, but this report is certainly fascinating with such little time before the start of training camp.

The NHL’s 2025-26 season is almost upon us, and it’s a great time here at THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, as we’re working through a player-by-player series breaking down expectations for each Sabres player in 2025-26.

Each of these files are written with the base knowledge that every Buffalo player has one goal – getting the Sabres into the Stanley Cup playoffs. But as individuals, each Sabre has their own expectations. 

That said, in recent days, we’ve been moving through Buffalo’s goalies and their top defensemen. And in this file, we’re focusing on veteran defenseman Conor Timmins – the blueliner the Sabres picked up in an off-season trade that sent veteran D-man Connor Clifton to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Timmins is well-traveled for good reason – he’s not a top-four defender, at least, not at the NHL level. But he clearly has value for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams. So let’s explore the Timmins acquisition and see what, if anything might be there beneath the surface for him as a Sabre.

Player Name: Conor Timmins

Position: Defenseman

Age: 26

2024-25 Key Statistics: 68 games between Maple Leafs and Penguins, 12 assists, 15 points, 15:46 career average time-on-ice

2025-26 Salary:$2.2 million

2025-26 Expectations: In his five seasons as an NHLer, Timmins has shown flashes that make you want to believe he can be a top-four defenseman. For example, the Toronto Maple Leafs were enamored of him when he put up 12 assists and 14 points in just 25 games in 2022-23.  The love, though, didn't last.

The Leafs eventually moved on from him when they dealt him to the Pittsburgh Penguins. And this summer, he was traded to the Sabres, ostensibly to serve as a third-pair D-man and insurance if Buffalo suffers an injury to a legitimate top-four D-man.

Timmins is never going to make life tough on opponents in a physical sense. He’s also not a shutdown artist. But he can skate, and he can find some seams and chip in an assist now and then. But if he’s playing in your top-four, we’re guessing this would be Plan B or Plan C in your blueprint for success.

The Sabres’ defense corps on the whole is one of the better groups in the league. But they’re not there because Timmins is going to take them to a new level. He’s not going to make highlight-reel plays, and he’s not going to knock his opponent’ block off. He’s a well-paid third pair guy, so he has to deliver solid results.

Timmins is nearly the archetype of the NHL footsoldier player. If he’s on your team, it had better be on the third pair. Otherwise, you’re going to ask too much of Timmins, and you could wind up disappointed. And time will tell whether the Sabres did the right thing in trading for him and signing him to a two-year deal. 

Timmins isn’t just a warm body, but in six NHL seasons including the upcoming season, Timmins will have played for five different teams. There’s a reason why he’s been move so often – he hasn’t made himself indispensable. And until that happens, Timmins will likely continue to bounce around. 

The Ducks have announced their roster for rookie camp and the 2025 Golden State Rookie Faceoff, which takes place from Sept. 12-14 at Great Park Ice and FivePoint Arena in Irvine, Calif.

Anaheim’s 23-player roster is highlighted by 2024 first-round picks Beckett Sennecke and Stian Solberg, who were both unable to participate in last year’s rookie tournament. This year’s roster is a bit smaller than previous years due to the minimal amount of games and many players opting to play in the NCAA this season. Collegiate players rarely, if ever, participate in this event.

Only four of the Ducks’ 10 draft selections (Noah Read, Alexis Mathieu, Émile Guité, Brady Turko) from the 2025 NHL Draft will be participating, as rest of them, including 10th overall pick Roger McQueen, are either playing in the NCAA or in Europe.

Chatting With the Ducks’ 2025 Draft ClassThe Ducks selected 10 players in the 2025 NHL Draft, though only three of them attended the draft. All 10 were at development camp the following week though, going through rigorous drills and testing.

Aside from Sennecke and Solberg, players like Yegor Sidorov and Ian Moore should be expected to play big roles. Sidorov participated in last year’s tournament, holding down a spot in the top-6. His scoring prowess makes him a dangerous offensive player. How he handles physicality and making himself less of a predictable player to defend should be targeted areas of improvement for him.

Moore played three games for the Ducks last season after signing his entry-level contract (ELC) in April. He showed poise with the puck and used his skating to escape dangerous areas in his own zone. He even picked up his first NHL point on Troy Terry’s game-tying goal in the final game of the season. With just two right-handed defensemen on the roster, Moore will likely be tasked with top pair minutes alongside Solberg. The duo played together briefly as a pair in the AHL and didn’t look too out of sorts.

With five left-handed defensemen on the roster, ant least one player will have to be utilized on their off-hand. Tarin Smith played his off-side while with Canada at the World Juniors Summer Showcase and could do so again.

Despite a smaller roster than previous years, Anaheim still has three camp invites on their roster this year. Forwards Ryan Lautenbach and Owen Lindmark signed amateur tryouts (ATOs) late last season with the San Diego Gulls and will be looking to make an impact—and possibly earn a contract—with their play. Forward Ruslan Gazizov did just that last year with his strong performances.

This will be the third consecutive camp that goaltender Mike McIvor has been invited to after he was a 2024 rookie camp invite and 2025 development camp invite. A teammate of Ducks draft pick Ethan Procyszyn with the North Bay Battalion, McIvor isn’t the tallest goalie at 6-foot-1. But he uses his athleticism well to get himself into the right position. Catching with his right hand, his unorthodox style may initially throw opposing players off too.

The Ducks rookie faceoff roster will be led by the San Diego Gulls’ coaching staff, with head coach Matt McIlvane being supported by 50/50 new/old coaching staff in Dave Manson, Michael Babcock, Jeff Glass and Lucas Hurtt. This will be McIlvane’s third time coaching the rookie faceoff team.

The Ducks will play the San Jose Sharks on Friday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. PST and play the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. PST. Single-game tickets will be available to the general public at $15 per game.

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What to Expect from the Anaheim Ducks when They're Contending, How They Stack Up to Similar Teams

With the calendar flipping to a new month and the kids trudging back to school, we're officially now in NHL preview season as hockey fans across the nation ravenously get up to speed on what to expect this year.

NHL teams and players, on the other hand, generally have little interest in such things as they begin to gather and focus on informal skates, team fantasy football, and full training camps. But if they're being honest, there's one preview that holds some annual interest for a lot of NHL players, and that's their personal overall rating when the preview for the new EA Sports NHL game comes out.

This year's game is available on September 12, but can be pre-ordered now. In the meantime, the players' ratings – based on several things, including acceleration, speed, deking, passing, slapshot, and wrist shot – have been published, along with the various teasers and trailers. Of the over 300 players whose ratings were revealed, 10 play for the Senators, but no one in the local glory made the league's top 40.

To put things in perspective, when the preview recently came out, the freakishly excellent Connor McDavid checked in at number one with an absurd 97 rating.

By contrast, only one Ottawa Senator hit a rating of 90 in the game, and it isn't Brady Tkachuk, the player who's on the cover of this year's deluxe edition of the game. No, it's Tim Stutzle who leads the way with an overall rating of 90, good for 42nd best in the league. Tkachuk is close behind at 89, along with defenseman Jake Sanderson.

Stutzle leads or co-leads his team in every category on the offensive chart except for the ones that involve shooting, which Sens fans would like to see him do a little more of. In 2022-23, Stutzle had 39 goals, which is roughly his total from the past two years combined (18, 24). Last year, Stutzle took 162 shots, the lowest total since his rookie, COVID-shortened season in 2021.

EA Sports believes Thomas Chabot has the team's best slap shot and wrister on the team, which belies his shooting percentage (5%), which was 20th best on the team last season. Chabot is the only Senator on the chart below with 90s across the board, but his physicality and defensive awareness ratings pull him down a rung or two.

Here's the Senators' full list. You can see more details on each player's strengths and weaknesses here.

By Steve Warne
This article was first published at The Hockey News-Ottawa

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