May 10, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Buffalo Sabres goalie Alex Lyon (34) stops Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki (14) during the first period in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
MONTREAL — Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the playoffs and added an assist as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 in a dominant Game 3 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series.
Alex Newhook had two goals, including an empty-netter, and Zachary Bolduc, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach also scored for Montreal.
Lane Hutson and Jake Evans each had two assists, and Jakub Dobes made 26 saves as the Canadiens won consecutive games for the first time in this season’s playoffs.
Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had a goal and an assist for Buffalo, which dropped its first road game of the postseason. Alex Lyon stopped 31 shots in his second straight loss.
The teams split the first two games in Buffalo. The Sabres handed the Canadiens a 4-2 loss in Game 1 before Montreal responded with a 5-1 victory in Game 2.
MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the playoffs and added an assist as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 in a dominant Game 3 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series.
Alex Newhook had two goals, including an empty-netter, and Zachary Bolduc, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach also scored for Montreal.
Lane Hutson and Jake Evans each had two assists, and Jakub Dobes made 26 saves as the Canadiens won consecutive games for the first time in this season's playoffs.
The Montreal crowd broke into chants of “Do-by! Do-by!” — one of several ovations the rookie goalie received Sunday night — as Dobes burst into laughter from his crease.
“It warms your heart, and I’m really proud to be a Canadien and play for this franchise,” Dobes said. “After the Tampa series, I couldn’t believe some of the things that happened in the city, but it’s so much fun. I’m just happy that the fans are having fun with this as much as we do.”
It is quickly becoming the spring of Dobes in Montreal, though the candid netminder insists he’s still his same old self.
“I’m not a hero, I’m just me. I’m just a goofy goalie who tries to stop pucks,” Dobes said. “I will pretty much go home, eat, watch Game of Thrones and go to bed. I don’t think that’s anything heroic.
“And when it’s time to do my job I will do anything to win and make this franchise happy, make these fans happy.”
Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had a goal and an assist for Buffalo, which dropped its first road game of the postseason. Alex Lyon stopped 31 shots in his second straight loss.
The teams split the first two games in Buffalo. The Sabres handed the Canadiens a 4-2 loss in Game 1 before Montreal responded with a 5-1 victory in Game 2.
Game 4 is Tuesday night in Montreal.
“Everyone in the room has better. We still haven’t gotten to what I think is our best game,” Thompson said. “It starts with me, it starts with Dahlin, (Alex) Tuch. There’s more in the tank.”
Minutes after missing an open net, Caufield scored on the power play for his first goal in six games to give the Canadiens a 2-1 lead 6:05 into the second and kick off a wild, four-goal period.
Hutson deked around a stick-less Jordan Greenway and dropped a pass to Caufield, who scored into the gaping net as the crowd erupted.
The Canadiens appeared to gain a 3-1 lead one minute later when Josh Anderson’s backhand trickled through Lyon as Phillip Danault crashed the crease. The officials, however, ruled no goal.
Bolduc ultimately gave the Canadiens a two-goal advantage at 10:43 in the second after Joe Veleno chased down a puck behind Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley and set him up.
Chaos ensued two minutes later when Beck Malenstyn ran over Dobes, setting off a massive scrum and sending the Canadiens on a power play. Slafkovsky made it 4-1 with a deflection on Hutson’s point shot as Montreal went 2 for 5 with the man advantage.
Dahlin cut into the deficit with 5:14 left in the second period, sending a shot off the far post.
But Dach restored the three-goal lead at 8:46 in the third when he pulled a loose puck out from under Lyon and fired a shot into the open net.
The goal followed multiple key saves from Dobes, twice denying Zach Benson, as the Canadiens fended off a Sabres pushback that included a nervy penalty kill early in the period.
Newhook, who also scored twice in Game 2, added his second when he was hooked with a clear path to the empty net with 4:46 left in the third.
Large crowds packed the surrounding streets hours ahead of the game. Kirk Muller carried the ceremonial torch before puck drop of the Canadiens’ first second-round playoff game before a full Bell Centre since 2015.
Thompson wasted little time to — temporarily — quiet the crowd, opening the scoring 53 seconds in after Dahlin’s point shot deflected off the end boards and onto his stick. He ended a seven-game drought after going minus-4 with a costly turnover in Game 2.
“We started off really good,” Thompson said. “There were spurts throughout the game where I thought we got to our game and played to our standard, but just not consistent enough, and we gave them life.
“The building is pretty rocking, so it’s a little deflating.”
Newhook sparked a run of four unanswered goals by the Canadiens.
The core of the Kings over the last 2 years has included Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Kevin Fiala, Adrian Kempe, and Mikey Andersen. Over the last 2 years, the Kings have made trades that saw players traded away or sign elsewhere in free agency, and now, looking back, understanding whether the Kings are better with or without those players.
2025-26 Departures
While the biggest trade of the 2025-26 season for the Kings was the Artemi Panarin deal, there were a couple of players traded away this season. The first being Phillip Danault, who was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in December, and the Kings received a 2026 Second-round pick. Danault played for the Canadiens from 2015-16 to 2020-21.
This season, Danault played 30 games for the Kings before being traded, during which he recorded 5 assists and 5 points. While he is a defensive-minded player, Danault requested a trade, which the Kings granted. Phillip Danault played 45 games for the Canadiens in the regular season, recording 6 goals and 6 assists for 12 points. The Canadiens are also currently in the 2nd round of the playoffs, and Danault has played 9 games and has 2 assists.
While the Danault trade was the first departure for the Kings, they would wait until the night of the trade deadline to make their next move. That move was trading away Warren Foegele to the Ottawa Senators, in return for a 2026 2nd-round pick and a conditional 2026 3rd-round pick.
Warren Foegele played in 47 games for the Kings this past season, registering 7 goals and 2 assists for 9 points. After being traded to the Senators, Foegele played in 21 regular-season games, recording 6 goals and 2 assists for 8 points, and in all 4 playoff games with the Senators, but did not register any points.
The last departure from the 2025-26 season occurred at the NHL Trade Deadline, when the Kings traded Corey Perry to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2028 2nd-round pick. While on the Kings, Perry played in 50 games, scoring 11 goals and having 17 assists for 28 points. Then, after being traded to Tampa, Perry would play in 22 regular-season games, scoring 6 goals and recording 3 assists for 9 points. Perry would play in all 7 games between the Canadiens and the Lightning but would not register any points.
While the Kings traded away 3 roster players in the 2025-26 season, it is too early to tell whether those trades will benefit the Kings or come back to haunt them later.
2024-25 Departures
Now, going back to the 2024-25 season, which was one of the most successful recent seasons for the Kings. With that season now complete, we can see whether the trades/transactions the Kings made either did or did not pan out in the 2025-26 season.
The first player to depart from the Kings was Jordan Spence. The 24-year-old defenseman was traded to the Ottawa Senators on June 28th, 2025, and in return, the Kings received the 67th overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft and a 2026 6th-round pick. In the 2024-25 season, Spence played in 79 games with the Kings, recording 4 goals, 24 assists for 28 points, and 1 goal in 5 playoff games.
Since being traded, Jordan Spence played in 73 games with Ottawa, scoring 7 goals and tallying 24 assists for 31 points. Spence, now 25, took a major step forward for the Senators and has become a reliable starting defenseman. In Game 2 between Ottawa and Carolina, Spence clocked 39:01 total minutes on ice, showing that his game is only going to get better.
The other 2 players who left the Kings did so during free agency. Vladislav Gavrikov signed a 7 Year $7 Million AAV Dollar deal with the Rangers, and Tanner Jeannot signed a 5-year $3.4 Million AAV deal with the Bruins.
Gavrikov registered 5 goals, 25 assists, for 30 points in 82 games, and he added 2 assists in the postseason for the Kings. In his first season with the Rangers, he played 82 games, scoring 14 goals and tallying 21 assists for 35 points. While the Rangers missed the postseason, Gavrikov showed his true value, scoring a career-high 12 goals in his first season.
Tanner Jeannot, in his one season with the Kings, played in 67 games, scoring 7 goals and registering 6 assists for 13 points. He would not play for the Kings in the postseason. During the 2025-26 season with the Bruins, Jeannot played 77 games, scoring 6 goals, recording 16 assists for 22 points, and adding a postseason goal.
While the Kings had their best season in 2024-25, the loss of Jordan Spence may prove critical, as he is only 25 and playing serious minutes for the Senators. While Gavrikov had a career-high in goals, the Kings during the 2025 free agency period were not able to afford him. The Kings during the 2025-26 season would replace Spence and Gavrikov with Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin.
2023-24 Departures
The 2023-24 season saw quite a few Kings players traded or sign with another team in the offseason, and with 2 seasons played since then, the stats can show whether the Kings are better with or without them.
The first player is Viktor Arvidsson, who left the Kings and signed a 2-year, $4 million AAV deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Arvidsson's last season with the Kings was cut short by injuries, as he played only 18 games and recorded 6 goals and 9 assists for 15 points.
Viktor Arvidsson has played for the Oilers over the last 2 seasons and is now with the Bruins. During his time with the Oilers, he played 67 games, scoring 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 points. He would also have 7 points in 15 postseason games with the Oilers. Arvidsson was then traded from the Oilers to the Bruins, and in his first season with the Bruins, he registered 25 goals, 29 assists for 54 points in 69 games, and 2 goals in the playoffs.
The next player to leave the Kings in 2023-24 is Pierre-Luc Dubois, who, in the 2023-24 season with the Kings, scored 16 goals, tallied 24 assists for 40 points, and added 1 goal in the playoffs. Dubois was then traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for current goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Since the trade, Dubois has played in 111 games, scoring 25 goals, 60 assists, and 85 points in the last 2 seasons with the Capitals.
A player who left the Kings during the offseason of the 2023-24 season and joined Dubois in Washington. That player is Matt Roy. Roy was a Kings draft pick and was there from 2018 to 2023. In his final season with the Kings, Roy had 5 goals, 20 assists for 25 points. Roy would sign a 6-year, $5.7 Million AAV deal with the Capitals, and in the last 2 seasons, Roy has played 148 games, scoring 5 goals and tallying 28 assists for 43 points.
Another player who left the Kings in the 2024 offseason was Blake Lizotte, who played on the Kings' bottom 6. Lizotte left the Kings and signed a 2-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and earlier in the 2025-26 season, he signed a 3-year extension with the Penguins. While Lizotte was not a goalscorer for the Kings, he played a meaningful role on the penalty kill and in other defensive situations.
The remaining players are Cam Talbot, who left the Kings in free agency to join the Detroit Red Wings; Arthur Kaliyev, who was claimed off waivers by the New York Rangers; and Carl Grundstrom, who was in the deal that saw the Kings receive Kyle Burroughs from the San Jose Sharks.
Who Do The Kings Miss The Most?
While all of these former players made an impact on the Kings during their time, some of the moves that were made benefited the Kings and their future. The Dubois trade was crucial for the team today, as Kuemper is still with the Kings. But there are a couple of players the Kings may already regret trading or losing in free agency.
The first is Jordan Spence, a young defenseman who is slowly gaining more minutes and who the Kings would benefit from having on the team today. The Kings may also regret losing Vladislav Gavrikov. While he put up career-best numbers for the Rangers, if the Kings had kept and signed both defensemen, they would be in the lineup instead of Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci.
Another player the Kings may regret losing is Blake Lizotte, and his penalty-killing ability, especially after the 2025-26 season, when the Kings' penalty kill ranked 30th and the Penguins' penalty kill, on which Lizotte started, ranked 6th.
Overall, none of these moves or trades could have been predicted, and in the future, more of these free agency losses and trades will likely result in some regret for the Kings, but they also prompt the question of what the Kings would look like today had they not lost these players.
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OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Ottawa Charge are returning to the Walter Cup Final for a second straight season.
Michela Cava scored at 1:12 of the second overtime to lead Ottawa to a 4-3 win over the Boston Fleet, winning the best-of-five semifinal series in four games.
Ottawa lost last year’s final to the Minnesota Frost.
The Charge will meet the winner of the Montreal Victoire-Frost series, which will be decided with Monday’s Game 5.
Sarah Wozniewicz, Rebecca Leslie and Brooke Hobson also scored for Ottawa. Goaltender Gwyneth Philips made 43 saves.
Shay Maloney, Megan Keller and Sophie Shirley scored for the Fleet. Aerin Frankel made 29 saves.
After losing the first game, Ottawa went on to win the next three. Boston had not lost three straight games all season.
Cava redirected a Katerina Mrazova shot for the winning goal.
The two teams combined for five goals in the second to tie the game 3-3 after 40 minutes.
Ottawa took a 2-0 lead early in the period. Jenner fired a sharp-angle shot from below the goal-line that deflected off Leslie’s skate as she battled to the crease. The play was reviewed, but the goal stood.
The Fleet then scored three straight in a span of 1:33 to take a 3-2 lead.
On Sunday, the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Anaheim Ducks for Game 4 of their Second Round series. They will look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead over their postseason opponent.
Puck drop is scheduled for 6:50 p.m. PST.
The teams last clashed on Friday for Game 3. The Golden Knights came out fast, scored just 66 seconds into the first period, and didn’t let the Ducks off the mat until the game was out of reach. Anaheim pushed in the third, but it was too little too late, and the Golden Knights won 6-2.
Carter Hart starts in goal for the Golden Knights. Hart has a record of 6-3 and an average save percentage of .915 in nine games this postseason.
Lukáš Dostál starts in goal for the Ducks. Dostál has a record of 5-4 and an average save percentage of .876 in nine games this postseason.
Mark Stone exited Game 3 with a lower-body injury after playing just 4:24, and has been officially ruled OUT ahead of Sunday’s game against the Ducks. Brandon Saad, who last played on April 11th against the Colorado Avalanche, will draw in and make his 2026 postseason debut.
Golden Knights Lines
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad — Tomáš Hertl — Keegan Kolesar
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Colton Sissons
Defense
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton — Dylan Coghlan
Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill
Ducks Lines
Chris Kreider — Leo Carlsson — Troy Terry
Alex Killorn — Mikael Granlund — Beckett Sennecke
Mason McTavish — Ryan Poehling — Cutter Gauthier
Ross Johnston — Tim Washe — Jeffrey Viel
Defense
Jackson LaCombe — Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov — John CarlsonTyson Hinds — Radko Gudas
Goaltenders: Lukáš Dostál / Ville Husso
Special Teams
VGK power play: 20.7%, 5th
VGK penalty kill: 96.3%, 1st
Ducks power play: 29.6%, 2nd
Ducks penalty kill: 73.9%, 14th
Game Notes
The Golden Knights are 11-8 in Game 2s in their franchise history.
Historically, teams that take a 3-1 series lead go on to win 91.1% of the time.
Mitch Marner is on an absolute tear right now. He has six goals and nine points in his last four games, and registered his first postseason hat trick in Game 3. When asked what he’s doing differently, he said he’s just ‘trying to bring the passion.’
Jack Eichel is tied for the league lead in postseason assists with 10.
The Golden Knights’ penalty kill has allowed just one goal on their last 27 kills.
Daniil Miromanov’s NHL chapter appears to be closing not with a dramatic farewell, but with the quiet reality so many fringe players eventually face — the dream never fully becoming permanent.
After bouncing between the NHL and AHL for much of the last five seasons, the Calgary Flames defenseman is heading back to familiar territory. According to Sport-Express reporter Fyodor Nosov, Miromanov has agreed to a deal with SKA St. Petersburg for the 2026-27 KHL season, officially leaving North America behind for now.
For a player once viewed as an intriguing late bloomer with offensive upside and size on the blue line, the move feels less like a surprise and more like the inevitable conclusion to a difficult year.
A Career That Never Fully Took Hold
The 28-year-old spent the overwhelming majority of the 2025-26 campaign with the Calgary Wranglers, where he quietly pieced together one of the better offensive seasons among AHL defensemen. Miromanov produced 11 goals and 38 points across 66 games, showcasing the puck-moving instincts that once made him an intriguing project for NHL organizations.
But opportunity at the highest level never truly materialized.
Miromanov appeared in just one game for the Flames this season after skating in 44 contests the year prior, where he managed nine points while rotating in and out of Calgary’s lineup. Despite flashes of mobility and offensive touch, he struggled to cement himself as a reliable everyday option on a team beginning to pivot toward a younger core.
His path to the NHL was unconventional from the beginning.
Undrafted and overlooked for years, Miromanov worked his way through the KHL before eventually earning an opportunity with the Vegas Golden Knights organization. He debuted during the 2021-22 season and spent the next several years shuttling between the NHL and AHL, unable to fully secure a long-term role at either stop.
The talent was always visible in stretches. So were the limitations.
At 6-foot-4 with a right-handed shot, Miromanov likely still could have generated interest on the open market as a depth defenseman or seventh option. But timing, roster construction and salary all work against players fighting for the margins of NHL rosters. After clearing waivers earlier in the year carrying a $1.25 million cap hit, the market around him never appeared particularly strong.
Back in Russia, the equation changes entirely.
With SKA St. Petersburg, Miromanov will have a legitimate chance to play meaningful minutes again instead of waiting for injuries or roster openings. He returns closer to home, to a league where his offensive instincts and puck-moving ability may be better suited for a larger role.
For Calgary, the departure also reflects the organization’s evolving direction. The Flames continue leaning heavily into youth movement and long-term development, leaving little room for veterans caught between prospect status and established NHL certainty.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Miromanov’s North American career is over forever.
A strong season in the KHL has revived NHL opportunities for plenty of players before him. But for now, this move feels like something more human than transactional — a player choosing stability, opportunity and a fresh start after years spent trying to carve out permanence in the toughest league in the world.
May 6, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) skates against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone will miss Game 4 of their second-round playoff series against Anaheim on Sunday night with an undisclosed injury.
Coach John Tortorella said veteran Brandon Saad will draw in for Stone, who got hurt in the first period of Game 3 on Friday.
Stone attempted to return to the game, but couldn’t do it after apparently injuring some part of his lower body while chasing down a puck in the first period of the Knights’ 6-2 victory. Vegas leads the series 2-1.
Stone had picked up a first-period assist on Shea Theodore’s opening goal in the rout, giving him three goals and four assists in nine playoff games this season.
The 33-year-old Stone scored 73 points in 60 games for Vegas during the regular season. The two-way forward has been a mainstay for the Golden Knights since late in the 2018-19 season, becoming the first captain in club history before leading Vegas to the 2023 Stanley Cup championship with a hat trick in the clinching victory.
Saad scored nine points in 49 games for Vegas during the regular season. Game 4 will be his first appearance in this postseason, but the well-traveled forward played in eight postseason games for the Golden Knights last spring.
“Playoff hockey is the best time of the year, so I’m excited to get in and help the team win,” Saad told reporters at the pregame skate.
Tortorella chose Saad over Reilly Smith, who played all six games of Vegas’ first-round series victory over Utah before being scratched for every game against Anaheim.
The Montreal Canadiens are set to face off against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 3 of the second round. The Canadiens will be looking to build on their momentum after defeating the Sabres by a 5-1 final score in Game 2.
It is no secret that the Canadiens have a big opportunity in front of them in Game 3. A victory in Game 3 would give the Canadiens a 2-1 series lead over the Sabres. A loss, on the other hand, would make the Habs be down 2-1 in the series, which would be far less than ideal.
The Canadiens are also playing Games 3 and 4 at home, so this is a major opportunity for them. Home-ice advantage during the playoffs is big, and it will be intriguing to see if the Canadiens can seize the opportunity in front of them.
It will now be interesting to see if the Canadiens can pick up a victory in Game 3. If they do, it would put them in an excellent spot for Game 4 at home. However, after how Game 2 went, there is no question that the Sabres will be looking for revenge in Game 3.
The Pittsburgh Penguins took a nice step in the right direction during the 2025-26 season by making the playoffs. A big reason for it was general manager Kyle Dubas' smart roster moves.
Many of the players that Dubas has taken chances on lately have benefited in Pittsburgh big time. Among them this season were Egor Chinakhov, Justin Brazeau, Parker Wotherspoon, and Anthony Mantha.
With this, it would not be surprising if Dubas looks to add to the Penguins' roster again this off-season. When looking at the NHL's trade candidates heading into the summer, Winnipeg Jets prospect Brad Lambert stands out as an interesting potential option for the Penguins to consider.
Lambert was given permission to seek a trade from the Jets during this season. While a trade did not come to fruition during the season, it would not be surprising if he is available again this summer. If he is, the Penguins should strongly consider taking a chance on him.
Lambert is a former first-round pick who has yet to break out in the NHL. Yet, with Lambert being just 22 years old, he is still plenty young enough to change that. Perhaps a fresh start with the Penguins could help him hit a new level.
Lambert appeared in 25 games this season with the Jets, where he had three goals and six points. He also had six goals and 13 points in 34 games in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose this season. While these numbers do not necessarily stand out, he also had 21 goals and 55 points in 64 games with the Moose during the 2023-24 campaign. With this, he has shown offensive promise at the AHL level in the past.
Overall, Lambert is a young player who desperately needs a change of scenery. With the Penguins being a team focused on the future, they should consider taking a flier on him in a low-risk move.
2026 Top 100 Prospects - Feb. 27 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 8 - Brian Costello
IT’S ONLY THROUGH THE assistance of NHL head scouts, directors of player personnel and GMs that The Hockey News is able to provide readers a comprehensive list of the top 10 prospects within each organization and a ranking of the top 100 from that large collection of 320 prospects.
Team scouts offer us guidance on NHL-affiliated prospects who have the highest forecasted ceilings five to 10 years out. We then ask a panel of these scouts to rank the top 60 from a list of the 32 top 10s. The scouts’ rankings are added up to form the overall top 100, and, in some cases, a team’s top-10 list is adjusted based on the data from the top 100.
As you would expect, rebuilding teams often have far more than the average 3.13 prospects per team within the top 100, and current contenders typically only have one or two – or even none.
We start this project in mid-January after the World Junior Championship while NHL teams are in the midst of their winter scouting meetings. At that point, we draw a line in the sand about who’s a prospect and who’s an NHLer. In some cases, those scenarios change. That’s why names such as Sam Rinzel, Isaac Howard, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Gabe Perreault, Nick Lardis and Hunter Brzustewicz are listed as prospects, even though they’ve broken through as NHLers over the past month or two. Meanwhile, Michael Misa (San Jose) and Zayne Parekh (Calgary) haven’t played in the junior ranks all season (other than the WJC), but we decided early on that they should be listed as prospects since injuries kept them from establishing themselves as NHLers the first few months of the season.
Each player’s top-100 rank from last year is in parentheses, while unranked players are denoted as “NR.” Prospects drafted in 2025 are denoted as “NEW.”
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 Countdown - Apr. 17 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 10 - Jared Clinton
JUST AS TIME MAKES fools of us all, so, too, has Macklin Celebrini.
When the now-San Jose Sharks star was in his pre-draft season, the skinny on the then-Boston University center was that he was a talented player with an exceptional, but not elite, ceiling. Comparisons were drawn to top-line, team-leading pivots rather than true superstars. No one, truly, was using the ‘G’ word – generational – when it came to Celebrini. In The Hockey News’ 2024 Draft Preview, for instance, the comparison used was Elias Pettersson.
Yes, yes. Yuck it up. But the fact of the matter is, there is perhaps no player who has flipped any perceived notion of his upside on its head quite as quickly as Celebrini, who has gone from being mentioned as a franchise centerpiece to an MVP-caliber talent. That his name is floating around the Hart Trophy debate this very season is proof positive of his impact.
What makes Celebrini’s surge to stardom all the more incredible, though, is that he’s done it before he’s even old enough to order an adult beverage. In fact, his 19-year-old season ranks up there with the best ever.
Where does Celebrini’s output rank among the NHL’s greatest baby-faced sensations? In this edition of Countdown, we flip through the history books to find the greatest teen scorers in each NHL franchise’s history.
*All ages are as of Jan. 31 in the corresponding season, as per Hockey-Reference.
1 EDMONTON OILERS
WAYNE GRETZKY, 19 – 137 PTS (1979-80)
Who else? Gretzky’s output is double that of the closest Oilers teen, Jason Arnott, who had 68 points in 1993-94.
2 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
SIDNEY CROSBY, 19 – 120 PTS (2006-07)
Shockingly, both of Crosby’s teen seasons exceed Mario Lemieux’s 100-point best. At 19, ‘Sid the Kid’ won the Hart.
3 LOS ANGELES KINGS
JIMMY CARSON, 19 – 107 PTS (1987-88)
Carson’s great year made him the centerpiece of the infamous Gretzky trade. Sadly, he was out of the NHL by 27.
4 SAN JOSE SHARKS
MACKLIN CELEBRINI, 19 – 115 PTS (2025-26)
Celebrini is smashing a record that he already held. He surpassed Pat Falloon’s 59-point teen total as a rookie.
5 NEW YORK ISLANDERS
BRYAN TROTTIER, 19 – 95 PTS (1975-76)
OK, Trottier has the team record. But Matthew Schaefer is the fifth-highest-scoring teenage blueliner in NHL history.
6 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
STEVEN STAMKOS, 19 – 95 PTS (2009-10)
In 2008, then-Bolts coach Barry Melrose said rookie Stamkos wasn’t ready. The next year, ‘Stammer’ potted 51 goals.
7 CAROLINA HURRICANES
RON FRANCIS, 19 – 90 PTS (1982-83)
Francis has the team’s teen point record, but Sylvain Turgeon set the standard for young-gun goals (40) the following year.
8 DETROIT RED WINGS
STEVE YZERMAN, 19 – 89 PTS (1984-85)
After debuting with a 39-goal, 87-point campaign, ‘Stevie Y’ staked claim as the Wings’ future with sophomore year.
9 BUFFALO SABRES
PIERRE TURGEON, 19 – 88 PTS (1988-89)
Sure, Turgeon takes the cake, but 19-year-old Phil Housley’s 77-point 1983-84 campaign was an all-timer.
10 DALLAS STARS
BRIAN BELLOWS, 19 – 83 PTS (1983-84)
Bellows’ 41 goals are the same as Wyatt Johnston’s rookie point total, which was most by a Stars teenager since 1990.
11 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
EDDIE OLCZYK, 19 – 79 PTS (1985-86)
A dream for hometown hero ‘Eddie O,’ surpassing both 28-goal and 75-point bests by Denis Savard in 1980-81.
12 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
ERIC LINDROS, 19 – 75 PTS (1992-93)
Since Lindros’ 41-goal season as a 19-year-old, only four other teens have managed to reach the 40-goal plateau.
13 COLORADO AVALANCHE
OWEN NOLAN, 19 – 73 PTS (1991-92)
The 1990 draft’s No. 1 pick had just three goals and 13 points as a rookie before exploding for 42 goals as a sophomore.
14 WINNIPEG JETS
PATRIK LAINE, 19 – 70 PTS (2017-18)
Laine’s 44 goals are fifth most by a teen. Coincidentally, Jets 1.0 icon Dale Hawerchuk netted 45 at 18 in 1981-82.
15 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
AUSTON MATTHEWS, 19 – 69 PTS (2016-17)
Prior to Matthews’ brilliant season, Ted Kennedy’s 49-game Original Six Era 54-point mark had stood for 72 years.
An asterisk for Carpenter? The lockout delayed Alex Ovechkin’s NHL debut. At 20, he posted 106 points as a rookie.
17 MINNESOTA WILD
MARIAN GABORIK, 19 – 67 PTS (2001-02)
Gaborik set the benchmark at 18 and surpassed it the next campaign. No teen has scored for Wild since 2013.
18 NEW JERSEY DEVILS
KIRK MULLER, 19 – 66 PTS (1985-86)
Muller was a star upon his NHL arrival. He spent seven years as a Devil but remains franchise’s fourth-highest scorer.
19 BOSTON BRUINS
RAY BOURQUE, 19 – 65 PTS (1979-80)
Bourque won Calder and finished fourth in Norris voting after brilliant debut. He’d go on to win the Norris five times.
20 NEW YORK RANGERS
MIKE ALLISON, 19 – 64 PTS (1980-81)
Only teens to score 30 points for Rangers since Allison: Alex Kovalev (1992-93) and Michael Del Zotto (2009-10).
21 ST. LOUIS BLUES
ROD BRIND’AMOUR, 19 – 61 PTS (1989-90)
Best known as a Cane, Brind’Amour has high-water mark in St. Louis and third-best Blues rookie year ever.
22 VANCOUVER CANUCKS
TREVOR LINDEN, 18 – 59 PTS (1988-89)
Ultimately, Linden’s 30-goal, 59-point rookie year wound up as the sixth-highest-scoring season of his NHL career.
23 CALGARY FLAMES
DAN QUINN, 19 – 58 PTS (1984-85)
Thanks to Quinn and Sean Monahan, Flames legend Jarome Iginla has neither the team’s teen goal nor point record.
24 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
RICK NASH, 19 – 57 PTS (2003-04)
Most lopsided production ever? Nash was first player since 1918 with more than 40 goals and fewer than 20 assists.
25 OTTAWA SENATORS
ALEXANDRE DAIGLE, 18 – 51 PTS (1993-94)
Make your jokes, but Daigle was a threat for Ottawa. He was second in Sens scoring behind Alexei Yashin in 1993-94.
26 MONTREAL CANADIENS
JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY, 19 – 50 PTS (2023-24)
When he netted point No. 41 in 2023-24, Slafkovsky surpassed a total set by Henri Richard nearly 70 years earlier.
27 NASHVILLE PREDATORS
SCOTT HARTNELL, 19 – 41 PTS (2001-02)
Forget chasing Hartnell. The Preds have had just one teenager with a double-digit point total in the 23 seasons since.
28 ANAHEIM DUCKS
CAM FOWLER, 19 – 40 PTS (2010-11)
Of the five best seasons by Ducks teens, three have been by defensemen: Fowler, Jamie Drysdale and Oleg Tverdovsky.
29 FLORIDA PANTHERS
RADEK DVORAK, 19 – 39 PTS (1996-97)
Dvorak gets the nod on points per game and goals, but an 18-year-old Aaron Ekblad also posted 39 points in 2014-15.
30 SEATTLE KRAKEN
MATTY BENIERS, 19 – 9 PTS (2021-22)
Post-college, Beniers burst onto the scene. But his offense has peaked with Calder-winning 57 points in 2022-23.
31 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
N/A – 0 PTS
The youngest Golden Knight to collect a point is Peyton Krebs – 20 years, three months and seven days. Just missed it.
32 UTAH MAMMOTH
N/A – 0 PTS
Logan Cooley’s 44-point season at 19 is in purgatory after the NHL quarantined Arizona’s statistical history.
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The Philadelphia Flyers are entering the off-season with some roster needs to address. One specific area that the Flyers could look to improve is their backup goaltender position.
If the Flyers end up wanting to bring in a new upgrade over Samuel Ersson for their backup spot, Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz stands out as an interesting potential option.
With the Maple Leafs having Joseph Woll as their starter and prospect Dennis Hildeby looking ready for the NHL, questions about Stolarz's future in Toronto have come up. If the Maple Leafs do end up making the 6-foot-6 netminder available, the Flyers should consider reuniting with him.
Stolarz had a tough year for his standards in 2025-26 with Toronto, posting a 10-10-3 record, an .893 save percentage, and a 3.28 goals-against average in 26 appearances. Yet, when noting that he had the best save percentages in the NHL in 2023-24 (.925) and 2024-25 (.926), the possibility of him bouncing back in 2026-27 is certainly there. Therefore, he could be a good goalie for the Flyers to take a chance on.
If the Flyers brought back Stolarz, he would give them a new 1B goalie, and he could thrive in a tandem with Dan Vladar. This would have the potential to benefit a Flyers team that is looking to build off their successful 2025-26 season.
Stolarz was selected by the Flyers with the 45th overall pick of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. In 19 games with Philadelphia over two seasons, he had a 6-4-4 record, a .911 save percentage, and a 2.86 goals-against average.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone will miss Game 4 of their second-round playoff series against Anaheim on Sunday night with an undisclosed injury.
Coach John Tortorella said veteran Brandon Saad will draw in for Stone, who got hurt in the first period of Game 3 on Friday.
Stone attempted to return to the game, but couldn't do it after apparently injuring some part of his lower body while chasing down a puck in the first period of the Knights' 6-2 victory. Vegas leads the series 2-1.
Stone had picked up a first-period assist on Shea Theodore's opening goal in the rout, giving him three goals and four assists in nine playoff games this season.
The 33-year-old Stone scored 73 points in 60 games for Vegas during the regular season. The two-way forward has been a mainstay for the Golden Knights since late in the 2018-19 season, becoming the first captain in club history before leading Vegas to the 2023 Stanley Cup championship with a hat trick in the clinching victory.
Saad scored nine points in 49 games for Vegas during the regular season. Game 4 will be his first appearance in this postseason, but the well-traveled forward played in eight postseason games for the Golden Knights last spring.
“Playoff hockey is the best time of the year, so I'm excited to get in and help the team win,” Saad told reporters at the pregame skate.
Tortorella chose Saad over Reilly Smith, who played all six games of Vegas' first-round series victory over Utah before being scratched for every game against Anaheim.
It was certainly a season to remember for San Jose Sharks prospect Filip Bystedt.
As a member of the Sharks' American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, Bystedt took a major step forward during his second season in North America. The 22-year-old forward improved in every offensive statistic and showed that he is almost ready to fight for a spot in the NHL.
The Swedish forward nearly doubled his goal total from his first season with the Barracuda, scoring 22 goals in 65 games compared to the 12 that he scored during the 2024-25 season. He actually did double his assist total, going from 19 assists to 38. Given his strong play, the Barracuda named him their Most Valuable Player as a part of their team awards earlier this week:
"The offensive gameplay is that of an NHL player, but there were some issues in the defensive zone," Elite Prospects scout Austin Broad wrote about Bystedt back in January. "On multiple occasions, Bystedt allowed a player to get behind him and open for prime scoring chances. If he wants to be a full-time NHL player he will need to improve his two-way play, especially as a center."
The other issue that Bystedt will run into as he looks to earn an NHL roster spot is simply a lack of opportunity. The San Jose Sharks have an abundance of bottom-six forwards competing for very few spots. Unless Bystedt forces General Manager Mike Grier to make a move, it's unlikely that Bystedt gets the opportunity to start this upcoming season on the Sharks roster. A chance to make an impact in the NHL will likely come sooner than later, but it'll be up to him to take advantage.
Fake trade proposals have become the norm on social media. Fans around the NHL create graphics proposing trades that often spark plenty of debate online. One recent trade graphic has even sparked an opinion from Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand, who commented his feelings about a Vancouver Canucks/Toronto Maple Leafs proposal.
The trade graphic was created by an account called lane.memeson. The proposed trade would send center Elias Pettersson and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Maple Leafs for the first overall pick in 2026, a 2027 second-round pick and forward Matthew Knies. As of writing, the post has over 4,700 likes and over 500 comments.
Marchand kept his thoughts short and too the points. He wrote, "Hahahahahhshashahhsh …..terrible trade for Toronto". Marchand's comment has generated over 700 likes and over 25 comments.
Pettersson is a player who always seems to find his way into trade rumours. While not on the same scale, the same can be said about Knies, who is signed until 2031 with a cap hit of $7.75 million. All that is known for sure is that if Marchand were in charge of Toronto, he would not be interested in making this trade.
Mar 3, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) reacts to a penalty call against the New Jersey Devils during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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