Category: NHL

Detroit's Patrick Kane Eyes Final Olympic Run with Team USA in 2026

With the 2026 Winter Olympics on the horizon, Patrick Kane is making it clear: he’s not chasing a farewell tour but a gold medal.

The 36-year-old NHL veteran has his sights set on cracking the U.S. Olympic roster one final time, understanding this may be his last opportunity to compete at the sport’s highest international level. Kane was among the players invited to Team USA's orientation camp this week, a preliminary step in assembling the squad for the upcoming Games in Milan-Cortina.

“Winning gold in a best-on-best tournament is something that’s missing from my career,” Kane told NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika. “It would be fun to have that opportunity.”

Red Wings’ 2025 Draft Steal Turning Heads in Junior League ActionRed Wings recent 2025 5th-round pick Nikita Tyurin Talks Development, KHL Debut, and Championship Mindset.

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

Kane’s international résumé includes appearances in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, but the only medal to show for it is silver from Vancouver. Despite a decorated career that includes three Stanley Cups and multiple individual awards, Kane remains motivated to add international gold to his trophy case.

Notably, he was left off the U.S. roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off last February but remains an impact player with nearly 60 points last season, including a season-ending hot streak in which he posted 45 points over the final 43 games. 

“I don’t want to be picked because of what I’ve done in the past,” Kane explained as he wants to make the team based on performance “You want to be selected because of what you bring now.”

Detroit recently brought back Kane on a one-year, $3 million deal, where he’ll continue his pursuit of several major milestones like scoring his 500th career goal and surpassing Mike Modano as the highest-scoring American player in NHL history as he needs just eight goals and 32 points, respectively, to reach those marks.

“If I play well and someone else gets the nod, that’s part of it,” he said. “But I’ll know I did everything I could.”

Red Wings Prospect Emerging as Top Talent After Impressive KHL Pre-SeasonRussian prospect for the Red Wings dazzles with three goals through KHL pre-season. 

From the sounds of it, Kane is motivated more than ever and could lead to another stellar season from the Buffalo native as he enters his 19th NHL season. 

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EA SPORTS NHL has revealed the top 10 left wingers in NHL 26, led by Kirill Kaprizov at 94 overall. 

NHL 26 cover star Matthew Tkachuk comes in as the second highest rated left winger at 93 overall, with Artemi Panarin and Kyle Connor narrowly behind at 92 overall. 

The top 10 left wingers in NHL 26 are:

1. Kirill Kaprizov - 94 overall
2. Matthew Tkachuk - 93 overall
3. Artemi Panarin - 92 overall
4. Kyle Connor - 92 overall
5. Jesper Bratt - 91 overall
6. Alex Ovechkin - 90 overall
7. Brandon Hagel - 90 overall
8. Matthew Boldy - 89 overall
9. Brad Marchand - 89 overall
10. Jake Guentzel - 89 overall

Kaprizov's 96 offensive awareness and 94 puck control contribute to his high rating he has Quick Release and Wheels X-Factors. Tkachuk also has 96 offensive awareness to go along with the Big Tipper, Born Leader, and Spark Plug X-Factors.

Ovechkin remains a deadly sniper with 95 overall slapshot power and 93 wrist shot. 

Keep an eye on the ratings database for an in-depth look at each players stats. 

NHL 26 is set to release Sept. 12, those who pre-order the deluxe edition get access Sept. 5. 

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.  

Former Rockford IceHogs forward Zach Sanford has signed a one-year contract with HC Lugano of the Swiss NL for the 2025-26 season.

Sanford recorded 19 goals and 43 points in 70 games with Rockford last season.

The 30-year-old racked up 49 goals and 104 points in 334 career NHL games with the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks. 

He notched 20 points in 60 regular season games and four points in eight playoff games with the Blues in 2018-19 on the way to a Stanley Cup win. 

The Salem, Mass., native has 54 goals and 110 points in 196 career AHL games with the IceHogs, Hershey Bears, Chicago Wolves, San Antonio Rampage, Milwaukee Admirals, and Tucson Roadrunners.

✍ L’Hockey Club Lugano comunica di aver siglato un contratto valido per la stagione 2025/26 con l’attaccante statunitense Zach Sanford.

Benvenuto a Lvgano, Zach! ⚪🟡⚫https://t.co/T20j16bzQv

— Hockey Club Lugano (@OfficialHCL) August 25, 2025

Sanford, Mike Sgarbossa, and Connor Carrick all spent last year in the AHL and will suit up for Lugano in 2025-26. 

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.        

The expectations on every one of the Buffalo Sabres' players are all about getting this team into the Stanley Cup playoffs. But other than that, the expectations change from player-to-player. And to that end, THN.com's Sabres site is breaking down the expectations on each and every Buffalo player this coming season.

We started this player-by-player series with a look at the Sabres' goaltenders. More recently, we've been focusing on Buffalo's blueline with breakdowns of the expectations on D-men Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. And in this file, we're turning our attention to a player who was in the headlines to a great degree this summer -- defenseman Bowen Byram.

The 24-year-old Byram was an RFA this summer, but late in the signing period, he agreed to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $6.25-million. Now, Byram has to deliver on his end of the bargain with a strong 2025-26 campaign. And below, we're going to break down the expectations for Byram this year.

Player Name: Bowen Byram

Position: Defenseman

Age: 24

2024-25 Key Statistics: 82 games, 31 assists, 38 points, 22:42 average time-on-ice

2025-26 Salary: $6.25-million

2025-26 Expectations: Byram was Buffalo's second-most-utilized player last season, averaging nearly one more minute of ice time per-game for a new career-best in that department, However, Byram's career-best total of 38 points has to be understood in the big picture -- and the big picture indicates that this past season was Byram's first full 82-game campaign, which was nine games more than his previous career-high.

Meanwhile, Byram's new salary is a raise of nearly $3-million-per-year from his 2024-25 salary of $3.85 million. With that in mind, it's understandable that expectations on Byram are going to be considerably higher this coming year. Only Dahlin was on the ice more than Byram last season, so Byram needs to set a higher bar for himself, and clear that bar.

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Blueliner Power Needs To Elevate His GameThe NHL’s 2025-26 season is only a handful of weeks away, and here at THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’ve started a player-by-player series that analyzes each Sabre this past season and their probable contributions next year. 

Byram has the next two seasons to prove himself as a truly elite NHL blueliner. Because at the end of that period, he's going to be a UFA -- and if he does succeed at improving to a Grade-A level, he could price himself outside of Buffalo's salary cap structure and strike it rich when next he's a free-agent.

Indeed, with Dahlin and Power getting more money than Byram for the foreseeable future, Byram may have to go elsewhere to find greener financial pastures than what is likely to be available to him in Buffalo. He could have to choose between staying a Sabre and making a choice as a businessman, and the choice he makes may not be in Buffalo's best interest.

Byram doesn't need to win a Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman to justify his salary increase. That said, he does need to continue putting up more points in each of the next two seasons. If he fails to do so, the Sabres may look to trade him before his current contract ends.

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Captain Dahlin Facing Intense Pressure To Lead Buffalo To PlayoffsThe NHL’s 2025-26 season is almost here, and here at THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’ve just kicked off a series that analyzes each Sabres player and the expectations they’ll be facing next season. All of them as a group have one singular goal – ending Buffalo’s Stanley Cup playoff drought at 14 years – but as individuals, there are different things they’ll need to deal with. 

Byram doesn't have any no-trade or no-move protection in his new deal, and if the Sabres did put him on the trade block, there would be no shortage of teams lining up to acquire him. After all, he's still well in advance of his peak years, and there's always going to be a team or two (or three) that believes a change in scenery can lead to better performances from any particular player.

Byram wouldn't be the first NHL defenseman to encounter a bump or two in his road of development, and he wouldn't be the last in that regard, either. Buffalo has to show some patience with him, but at his current pay grade, that sense of patience won't be there for him forever.

Byram has got to be part of a winning picture in Western New York, or face an uncertain future and a potential new start with a different team. It's that straightforward a situation for him, and as it stands, he can dictate his future with a strong 2025-26 showing.

From year to year, there’s been a regular discussion on which NHL division is strongest.

A straightforward look at how many points each of the NHL’s four divisions generated last season goes a long way toward illustrating the most competitive divisions.

It’s no surprise that the Atlantic Division had the most standings points (737) of any division. The Central Division (735) was second, followed by the Metropolitan (713) and the Pacific (710).

Within divisions, tiers separate the best each division has to offer from the least competitive squads. In the Atlantic, there are three distinct tiers.

Tier 1

The first tier consists of the top three teams in the Atlantic standings last season – the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning and the back-to-back Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers.

Although there are never complete guarantees, all three of the Maple Leafs, Lightning and Panthers are virtual locks to get back into the post-season in 2025-26. 

Toronto has made significant changes to what was already a strong lineup. Although they lost Mitch Marner, they added more depth and toughness to the forward group, and they re-signed John Tavares and Matthew Knies for some high production. While finishing first in the division could be tougher without Marner, they're still in a good position.

Tampa Bay largely retained its roster, with some depth pieces coming and going. They still have one of the best forward groups in the NHL, starring Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel. Victor Hedman leads the way on defense, and Andrei Vasilevskiy remains a top-level netminder.

Florida might even have the best forward group in the league after managing to re-sign Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. Losing Matthew Tkachuk for at least the start of the season will hurt, but the Panthers still have Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and four solid forward lines, with Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones and Gustav Forsling leading a strong defense corps and Sergei Bobrovsky standing tall in net when it matters most.

It would be a major shock if any of the three teams falls far down the Atlantic standings next year and fails to qualify for the playoffs, because on paper, the Panthers, Lightning and Leafs have more than enough talent and depth to outlast their other Atlantic rivals.

Top Five NHL Forward Groups Entering 2025-26The NHL’s off-season continues to unfold, and by mid-July, most teams made their key roster moves. That brings us to the question of what teams are best at each position – forward, defense and goal. 

Tier 2

The mid-tier of the Atlantic features the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens.

The Senators and Canadiens had breakthrough seasons in 2024-25, and both have realistic aspirations to return to the playoffs next season.

Ottawa became more consistent by the end of last season, and after strengthening its defense group and re-signing Claude Giroux on offense, the expectation is to keep moving upward.

The Canadiens, meanwhile, arguably improved the most this off-season by acquiring Noah Dobson and Zack Bolduc, while Ivan Demidov gears up for his first full NHL season.

It will be difficult for Ottawa and Montreal to leapfrog over the Panthers, Bolts and Leafs to secure home-ice advantage in the post-season, but their youngsters may be able to get the job done and outshine teams that finished ahead of them in 2024-25.

In other words, the Habs and Sens could move into the top tier and push one of the Maple Leafs, Lightning or Panthers into the mid-tier.

NHL Summer Splash Rankings: No. 1, Montreal CanadiensThe Hockey News’ summer splash rankings – which rank the off-seasons of every NHL team – have been posted for the past 31 days. And today, we’ve arrived at the team that was No. 1 in our list – the Montreal Canadiens.

Tier 3

Finally, the third tier in the Atlantic is comprised of the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins. These teams will be in a ferocious fight to claw their way out of the division’s basement and surprise cynics by earning a wild-card berth.

The Sabres and Red Wings will be in dire straits if they fail to make the playoffs next season. In fact, Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams and Detroit counterpart Steve Yzerman may lose their jobs if they don’t make notable strides next year. So, this third tier may have the most pressure on it to do something of positive consequence next season.

The Bruins are more or less in a class of their own right now. Boston has enough veteran know-how to make a push into the lower end of the playoff picture, but they also could wind up stuck in the bottom tier as they figure out a new course to take with their mix of young talent and experienced hands.

Boston GM Don Sweeney began the process of retooling by dealing away veterans Marchand, Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle last season, and he may have little choice but to do more of that if the Bruins can’t climb higher in the Atlantic. 

Who knows, perhaps Boston stays at the very bottom of the Atlantic for the second straight time next year – something its fans are certainly not accustomed to. But the Bruins are currently a dog’s breakfast of young and old talent, and given how competitive the rest of the Atlantic promises to be next season, a last-place finish for the Bruins certainly isn’t out of the question.

It may not be the end of the world if Boston finishes near the bottom of the league this upcoming season, either, especially considering it would mean a better chance of drafting Gavin McKenna to develop an incredible future with him and 2025 draft pick James Hagens.

In any case, the Atlantic will be a tough division to play in next season. No Atlantic teams are pushovers, and that’s almost assuredly going to result in a highly competitive playoff race.

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The 2025-26 NHL regular-season is almost at hand, and here on THN.com's Buffalo Sabres site, we're breaking down the expectations for every Sabres player. 

Earlier this past week, we focused on Buffalo's goaltending, and on Monday, we turned our attention to the Sabres' defense corps with a look at Buffalo captain Rasmus Dahlin. And in this file, we're focused on young blueliner Owen Power. 

What are your expectations for Power this coming year? He's still just a kid at 22 years old, but as a No. 1-overall draft pick, the bar for him is higher than it is for most players. But we want to hear from you -- and you can make your opinion known by commenting below.

You can also register as a member of the Sabres community here at THN.com. Your voice has value, and we want your perspective.

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman surprised many in the 2022 NHL Drat when he chose German defenseman Moritz Seider with the sixth overall selection, but the pick has paid off in multiple ways. 

Not only did Seider win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's best rookie in the 2021-22 NHL Season, but he's become Detroit's top defenseman and routinely plays heavy minutes against the opposition's best players. 

Seider is also set to compete for his native Germany in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The German roster will also be chalk-full of talented players included Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stützle, and Lukas Reichel. 

Earlier this morning, Germany selected its preliminary six players for the #MilanoCortina#Olympics! pic.twitter.com/qVAcCOYg3U

— NHL (@NHL) June 16, 2025

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

He and his countrymen hope to help their homeland make a name for itself in the upcoming tournament. 

"I know we're a small country, but we want to challenge all the big names out there and just try to get better as a team, also as individuals," Seider said via NHL.com. "Honestly, you want to make a name for yourself overseas. Hopefully we have more and more people joining us and making it a little bit of a brand over there."

"I think it would be fun to have us all on one team eventually and show what we're capable of," Seider said. "It's a big credit to them in the first place. Overall, we want to make names for ourselves, be leaders on our own teams, and then if we have a chance to, then come together, and then it's even more fun coming here."

Red Wings Players to Watch in 2025-26: John Gibson Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman pulled off a pair of trades during the offseason, first trading the underperforming veteran Vladimir Tarasenko and his $4.75 million cap hit to the Minnesota Wild. 

Seider already has considerable international experience, having captained Germany at the 2019 World Junior Championship Division IA tournament, and also played in the 2021 and 2023 IIHF World Championships. 

Thanks to his natural leadership, Seider was named Germany's captain during the recent 2025 IIHF World Championship, helping them to a medal round appearance. 

Unser Kapitäns-Team für die WM 🔥

Moritz Seider wird die deutsche Männer-Nationalmannschaft 🇩🇪 bei der bevorstehenden IIHF-Weltmeisterschaft in Dänemark & Schweden anführen. An seiner Seite: Jonas Müller, Marc Michaelis und Dominik Kahun als Assistenten 💪🏻 #debteamspic.twitter.com/YkBBNbZFE8

— Deutscher Eishockey-Bund (@deb_teams) May 4, 2025

During his time in the NHL, Seider has already climbed the list to become fourth in all-time games played by a German-born defenseman with 328. He's also demonstrated incredible durability, having not missed a single game in each of his first four seasons. 

The Red Wings consider Seider a building block for their franchise, and made that clear when he affixed his name to a seven-year, $59.85 million contract extension last September. 

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The NHL’s 2025-26 season is only a handful of weeks away, and here at THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’ve started a player-by-player series that analyzes each Sabre this past season and their probable contributions next year. 

Every Sabres member wants nothing more than a Stanley Cup playoff appearance, but as individual athletes, Buffalo’s players all have at least slightly different goals and expectations for ‘25-26. And with that in mind, after focusing Monday night on Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin, we’re moving to another key young blueliner for Buffalo – defenseman Owen Power. 

Like Dahlin and every Sabres player, Power faces a huge amount of pressure to get this Sabres team into the playoffs. And while Power is a few years younger than Dahlin, Power needs to do his part and step up and help guide Buffalo to a playoff berth. And the good news is he has the skills to do that.

Player Name: Owen Power

Position: Defenseman

Age: 22

2024-25 Key Statistics: 79 games, 33 assists, 40 points, 21:19 average time-on-ice

2025-26 Salary: $8.35-million

2025-26 Expectations: As someone drafted with the first-overall draft pick in 2021, Power has a high bar to clear when it comes to expectations on him. And while it would be unfair to suggest Power suffered a setback this past season, the 22-year-old did not have an ideal performance in many regards.

For one thing, Power’s time-on-ice average was cut by more than 90 seconds per game last season, going from an average of 22:55 in 2023-24 to 21:19 last season. That’s the second consecutive season Power’s average ice time was cut by at least one minute per game. And now, will Sabres coach Lindy Ruff cut Power’s minutes again? That seems counterproductive, but it would be the continuation of a two-year trend, so we’re not counting it out by any means.

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Captain Dahlin Facing Intense Pressure To Lead Buffalo To PlayoffsThe NHL’s 2025-26 season is almost here, and here at THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’ve just kicked off a series that analyzes each Sabres player and the expectations they’ll be facing next season. All of them as a group have one singular goal – ending Buffalo’s Stanley Cup playoff drought at 14 years – but as individuals, there are different things they’ll need to deal with. 

Although Power did set new career-highs in goals (seven), assists (33) and points (40) last year, it wasn’t as if he blew his previous career-bests out of the water. For three years now, Power has put up between 27-33 assists per year, and between 33-40 points – not terrible numbers, but not numbers you’d associate with a No. 1-overall pick.

Also impacting the judgment on Power is the fact he’s the second-highest-paid player on the Sabres’ roster at $8.35-million per-season. Power is in Year 2 of a seven-year contract, and his pay rate means he’s going to be held to a higher standard than most Buffalo players.

To be sure, Power’s offensive numbers should be higher, given his 1:36 of average power-play time last year. He may be the second banana to Dahlin on the back end, but that doesn’t mean Power has to trail Dahlin’s offensive stats by 28 points, the way he did last season. Dahlin is a special player, but Power was drafted also to be a special player, and he needs to deliver more than he’s delivered thus far.

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Young Goalie Levi Must Show He Can Take Next Step, Establish Himself At NHL LevelThe NHL’s 2025-26 season is nearly upon us, and at THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’re examining each Buffalo player and the expectations on them next year. Each Sabres player has the pressure to get this Buffalo team into the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, but every player’s outlook is at least a little bit different. 

Now, Power is nowhere close to his peak years, so that has to be taken into account when grading his performance. But as Buffalo attempts to end its 14-year playoff drought, every Sabres player needs to elevate their game, and that includes Power. 

Arguably Buffalo’s strongest area is its defense corps, and Power is one of the key reasons why that is so. But Power has to do more – and maybe, do more with less – so his challenge is clear. He’s an integral component of the Sabres’ blueprint for success, but the pressure on Power is considerable, and it isn’t likely to subside anytime soon.

The Buffalo Sabres announced details for a single-game ticket presale beginning Tuesday, and that individual game tickets will go on sale to the public next Tuesday, September 3rd. The club also announced 17 theme nights for the 2025-26 regular season, beginning with the home opener against the New York Rangers on Thursday, October 9th. 

More than half the theme nights will feature giveaways, such as a rally towel for the opener, a Sabretooth Beanie Hat for the game against the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Saturday, October 18th, a Sabres butter dish for the Sunday pre-Thanksgiving contest against the Carolina Hurricanes, a Rasmus Dahlin pin for the February 5th game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and a Tage Thompson bobblehead for Fan Appreciation night against Dallas on Wednesday, April 15. The club will also be wearing their red, black, and white “goat’s head” jersey for a significant portion of their 41 home games, which will be announced before the season. 

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Projecting Sabres Trade Cost - Lawson Crouse 

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

The National Hockey League Players’ Association and Upper Deck will host the 15th annual NHLPA Rookie Showcase on Wednesday, Sept. 3 at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia, with over 30 NHL prospects and rookies scheduled to attend, one of which will be Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius. 

The 19-year-old was named to the AHL All-Rookie team after scoring 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) in his first season in North America, after being selected 14th overall at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. Other players attending will be 2025 top overall pick Matthew Schaefer of the NY Islanders, and Team USA World Junior gold medal winners Zeev Buium(MIN), Ryan Leonard (WAS) Gabe Perreault (NYR), and Jimmy Snuggerud (STL).

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Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals’ ageless wonder, seems to set a different scoring record every year.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Capitals captain adds another one to his gaudy list in 2025-26: most goals scored by an NHL player in his age-40 season.

On Sept. 17, the left winger turns 40, an age when most players have already retired and are starting the second phase of their careers.

But Ovechkin is just getting a second wind.

Ovechkin is coming off a season in which he scored 44 goals – tied for third in the NHL – despite missing 16 games because of a fractured left fibula. It was a season in which he passed Wayne Gretzky's 894 goals and became the league’s all-time leading regular-season scorer with 897 career goals.

Now, he has a chance to top the single-season record for a player in his age-40 season. The record is held by Gordie Howe, who at 40 scored 44 goals for the Detroit Red Wings in 1968-69, according to quanthockey.com.

'Defies Logic'

Ovechkin “defies logic and Father Time and everything else,” Washington GM Chris Patrick told NHL.com. “I’ll just be happy to watch it and kind of savoring every time we get to see him go out in a Caps uniform. So we’ll just see what he does this year.”

Just three players – Howe, Boston’s Johnny Bucyk (36 goals in 1975-76) and Anaheim’s Teemu Selanne (31 in 2010-11) – reached 30 goals in their age-40 seasons. Three others managed 20 or more goals at that age: Minnesota’s Dean Prentice (26 in 1972-73), Tampa Bay’s Dave Andreychuk (21 in 2003-04) and Gary Roberts (20 in 2006-07, playing for Florida and Pittsburgh).

Only 21 players in NHL history have reached double figures in goals during a season that started when they were 40.

Ovechkin, of course, had lots of motivation last year as he started the season needing 42 goals to surpass Gretzky.

Ovechkin Gifted All Capitals’ Players, Coaches & Staff Custom Watches After Breaking RecordWashington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will be the first to say that scoring goals truly takes a village, and when it comes to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, it’s a feat that he couldn’t reach alone.

New Motivation

Now, he figures to be motivated by the Capitals’ loss to Carolina in the second round of last year’s playoffs. He will be aiming for the second Stanley Cup in his storied career.

There is also the matter of what will happen after Ovechkin’s five-year contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season. Will he sign an extension with Washington and try to reach (gulp) 1,000 goals? Decide to return to Russia and play in the KHL? Hang up his skates and retire?

No one knows at this point. 

While personal milestones are in the back of his mind, Patrick believes Ovechkin’s focus will turn more toward team goals and “What do I need to do to help the team win?”

In Howe’s age-40 season, he not only had 44 goals but contributed 59 assists, 104 points and a plus-45 rating in 76 games. He scored on 15.5 percent of his shots.

No one is expecting Ovechkin to crack 100 points at age 40 – he hasn’t done that since 2009-10 – but scoring 44 goals, as the Great Eight showed last season, is certainly not out of the question.

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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

#17 - Stiven Sardarian  – Right Wing (Michigan Tech - NCAA)

The Sabres selected Sardarian in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft with the pick obtained from the Florida Panthers for Brandon Montour. The St. Petersburg native played his youth hockey in the Moscow Dynamo system but chose to come to North America in 2021 and play in the NCAA. After a season with Youngstown in the USHL.

Sardarian has built himself up from 157 lbs at the start of his NCAA career to 187 lbs, which may be part of the reason for why he broke out offensively in his junior season. As a freshman at UNH, he had only seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) in 29 games. His sophomore campaign showed some progress, as he doubled his offensive totals to 14 points and scored seven times in 32 games, but he availed himself of the NCAA’s transfer portal and moved on to Michigan Tech.

The 22-year-old led MT with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 35 games as a junior and will be completing his college career this fall. The Sabres will then have to sign Sardarian to an entry-level contract before the end of June or he will become an unrestricted free agent in August 2026. 

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Johnathan Kovacevic is one of the key names in the New Jersey Devils organization as the 2025-26 season approaches. On July 2, the team announced that the defenseman would miss part of the regular season due to knee surgery performed on May 8. Team reporter Amanda Stein confirmed that he will also miss training camp.

Two months after the procedure, there is still no timeline for Kovacevic’s return, a significant loss for the Devils’ blue line.

Last season, Kovacevic became a staple in the lineup, appearing in 81 games and setting career highs with 16 assists and 17 points, along with one goal. He was acquired by New Jersey on June 30, 2024, in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick. On March 7, 2025, the Devils committed to him long-term with a five-year, $20 million contract ($4 million AAV).

Before joining the Devils, Kovacevic played with the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens. He was originally drafted 74th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft by Winnipeg.

With his absence to start the season, the Devils will look to younger players to step into the lineup. Two top candidates are Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey.

• Nemec, the 2nd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, played 27 games last season, recording four points. At 24 years old, he could be a strong replacement option on the right side.
• Casey, selected 46th in the same 2022 draft, made his NHL debut last season, appearing in 14 games with four points. At just 21, he is still developing but could be another viable option.

General manager Tom Fitzgerald spoke highly of both players to NHL.com heading into training camp:

“Nemec has to work harder than he’s ever had in training camp. We love where his game ended, and he looked like the player we thought we were drafting. I’m really excited about his growth. Seamus, same thing — he’s still a young player in this league. You look at the experience Nemec has, Seamus will get that experience again. It’s always nice to have depth, especially on the right side.”

While there is no clear update on Kovacevic’s return, his absence creates an opportunity for one of the Devils’ young defensemen to seize a bigger role and potentially have a breakout season.