Category: NHL

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. 

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#9 - Luke Osburn  - Defense (Youngstown - USHL)

Osburn was the Sabres fourth-round pick at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. The Plymouth, MI native is a product of the Compuware youth hockey system and played for Youngstown of the USHL in his draft year. After scoring 23 points for the Phantoms as a 17-year-old, the offensive-minded blueliner broke out last season,  scoring 41 points (10 goals, 31 assists) in 55 games and was named the USHL’s Defenseman of the Year.

Elite Prospects says that Osburn’s “activation looks instinctive; he instantly joins the play at the right moments and stays inside passing lanes. From the point, he uses stop-starts and heel-to-heel skating to pull in defenders before slipping down the boards. In the rush, he manipulates defenders with crossovers, weight shifts, and fakes, then walks inside for a scoring chance.”

The 18-year-old impressed at the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase for Team USA and is considered in the mix for a spot for the 2026 IIHF WJC in Minneapolis this December, but that will depend on how he performs as a freshman for the University of Wisconsin this fall. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

The Seattle Kraken have acquired forward Jon-Randall Avon from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Tucker Robertson.

Avon is a 22-year-old center/winger who has spent the past two seasons playing in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In 125 games, Avon has scored 16 goals and 35 points. 

Listed at six feet, 174 pounds, Avon was an undrafted prospect who signed with the Flyers in September of 2021.

Heading to the Flyers is Robertson, a 22-year-old center who the Kraken drafted in the fourth round (123rd overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft. Robertson has also spent the previous two seasons in the AHL, racking up 10 goals and 19 points in 77 games. 

Listed at 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, Robertson's game revolves around his defensive work. He anticipates the game very well and uses sound positioning to win the puck back for his team. 

The move at the moment is currently an AHL-based deal, as neither of these players shows much NHL potential, but with a change of scenery, anything can happen.

Dennis Hildeby is excited for the upcoming season after signing a rather unique three-year, $2.53 million extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The reason it’s an interesting deal? The first two years are a two-way contract, with Hildeby earning $841,667 in the NHL and $350,000 in the AHL in the first year (and $450,000 the next season), before it shifts into a one-way deal in the third year.

“I’m aware it’s a rare deal for a guy in my position,” Hildeby told reporters on Thursday afternoon. “I got notice that it was on the table and I liked it instantly. I thought it gave me three more years, as I said. I like it here, so I was very pleased with that.”

The 24-year-old goaltender is entering his third season with the Maple Leafs since coming over from Sweden in the spring of 2023. Hildeby finished his first year in Toronto with a .913 save percentage in 41 AHL games before putting up a .908 in 30 games with the Marlies last season.

He also hit a massive milestone early in the year, making his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs on Oct. 22 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He allowed six goals on 38 shots, with Toronto losing 6-2.

Hildeby played five more games with the Maple Leafs, winning three and returning to the Marlies with an .878 save percentage through six NHL appearances.

“It was kind of a rollercoaster of a season. A little bit up and down,” Hildeby said.

“There was a lot of new stuff I tried to implement into my game that maybe didn’t work out at first. I tried a lot of new stuff and kind of figured out my game more. This season is more about back to trying to take all this new stuff and make it come together into a way it works for me.”

Hildeby will enter this next season as the Maple Leafs’ third goaltender, behind Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll. He’ll likely spend a lot of this year with the Marlies again, unless Toronto needs someone up in the NHL.

The Jarfalla, Sweden-born netminder had a down year last year, in terms of statistics (though he was an AHL All-Star), but as he said, he’s looking forward to a new season where he’ll again try to show the Maple Leafs what the future could look like with him in net.

“I’m super excited about camp to get going here and try and prove myself and see where it goes from there.”

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Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Marco Scandella announced his retirement from professional hockey. The St. Louis Blues, another one of Scandella's previous teams, announced the news through a post on X. 

Scandella last played in the NHL during the 2023-24 season with the Blues, where he had two goals, eight points, 70 hits, and a plus-2 rating in 65 games.

A steady presence on and off the ice, who always repped the 'Note with pride.

Congrats on a great career and enjoy retirement Scandy 👏 pic.twitter.com/gTPwiMo1xJ

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) September 4, 2025

After being acquired by the Canadiens from the Buffalo Sabres in 2019-20, Scandella recorded one goal, three points, 25 hits, and a plus-1 rating in 20 games with Montreal.

However, Scandella's time with the Canadiens was very brief, as the Habs traded him later on in the 2019-20 season to the Blues. From there, Scandella would play each of his final five NHL seasons with St. Louis. 

In 784 games over 14 NHL seasons split between the Minnesota Wild, Sabres, Canadiens, and Blues, Scandella recorded 51 goals, 119 assists, 170 points, and a plus-11 rating. 

Canadiens' Goalie Tandem Receives New RankingIn a recent article for Bleacher Report, Joe Yerdon ranked each NHL team's goalie tandem. The Montreal Canadiens' tandem of Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes at the No. 20 spot. 

The Philadelphia Flyers have traded forward prospect J.R. Avon to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for forward prospect Tucker Robertson, the team announced Thursday.

Robertson, 22, was drafted 123rd overall by the Kraken in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, but has yet to see his pro career achieve liftoff.

The Toronto, Ont., native scored four goals, five assists, and nine points in 38 AHL games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds last season, and went scoreless in three postseason contests.

In parts of three seasons, Robertson has 10 goals, nine assists, and 19 points in 77 AHL games.

Notably, he and Avon were teammates at the OHL, spending parts of four seasons with the Peterborough Petes.

Avon, 22, went undrafted, but signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers during the Chuck Fletcher era on Sept. 21, 2021.

The skilled 6-foot winger has been slightly more productive in the AHL than his old teammate, scoring 16 goals and 35 points in 125 AHL regular season games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms over the last two seasons.

Avon, like Robertson, has yet to progress much beyond that, though, making this trade one that sees two young players finding a change of scenery and hoping it helps their careers and development path.

Neither player appeared in an NHL game for their respective clubs prior to the trade.

According to a report, former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Anthony Stolarz has begun contract extension negotiations with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

On Tuesday, NHL Network and The Fourth Period NHL insider David Pagnotta reported, "In Toronto, after going the summer without negotiating, sources tell me the Maple Leafs have now started contract extension discussions with goaltender Anthony Stolarz."

Stolarz, 31, has one year remaining on his current contract with the Maple Leafs at a $2.5 million cap hit, and also carries an eight-team no-trade list.

The former Flyers draft pick would have made an ideal free agent target for the 2026 offseason, provided that players like Sam Ersson, Ivan Fedotov, and Aleksei Kolosov can't establish themselves alongside or behind newcomer Dan Vladar.

As it stands, Vladar is the only goalie the Flyers have under contract for the 2026-27 season aside from prospect Carson Bjarnason.

Flyers Should Eventually Reunite This Canucks Forward with Rick TocchetThe Philadelphia Flyers are poised for a big free agency period in 2026, and if the last season means anything, they should have one potential signing circled already.

Pagnotta also reported that Carter Hart was of interest to the Flyers, which, if proven to be true, further displays Philadelphia's dissatisfaction with the goaltending situation.

Stolarz played 34 games for ex-Flyers coach Craig Berube and the Maple Leafs last season, starting 33 games, posting a 21-8-3 record, a 2.14 GAA, a league-leading .926 save percentage, and four shutouts, establishing himself as one of the NHL's best '1B' goalies.

Should the 6-foot-6 netminder reach an agreement with the Maple Leafs, another top free agent target for 2026 will be off the board for the Flyers.

Stars winger Mikko Rantanen is poised for a solid season with his new team but don’t count on his goal scoring to lead the way.

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 seasons. 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 his over in wins plus take home the Vezina trophy.

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Up next for our deep dive on player breakdowns is someone who ended last season red hot with Mikko Rantanen of the Dallas Stars. The Finnish winger completely took over the Stars' series against his former team in the Colorado Avalanche with five goals including a game seven hat trick. He continued his hot streak with four more goals over the next three games versus the Winnipeg Jets in the second round. After this hot streak however, he went eight straight games without a goal and this reminded fans of the eight game scoring drought he had entering the season. 

Going that long without scoring is quite typical for any player but since joining the Stars, Rantanen ended off his regular season with just five goals over 20 games. The sportsbooks are buying a lot into his playoff scoring frenzy and have his over/under for goals at a very high 36.5 (-115 on BetMGM) for the upcoming season. 

Rantanen finished with 32 goals last season after shuffling around and playing for three different teams but this season he'll have a full training camp with the Stars and will likely be featured on a lethal line with star players like Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. The only problem with this is that neither of them are as lethal as a 70-90 assist player like Rantanen's former linemate in Nathan MacKinnon.

Rantanen will likely see a dip in production, similar to the decline he experienced at the end of last season. While he remains a capable goal scorer, reaching 37 goals is a high benchmark that he’s only hit twice in his nine NHL seasons.

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Not to mention, he won't be the only goal scorer on his line as Jason Robertson is also an elite shooter with two 40-goal seasons and a single 35-goal season. Hintz can also score a lot of goals with 30 goals in three of the last four seasons. 

It will almost certainly limit Rantanen's scoring chances and will likely see him play more of a playmaker role as he's recorded four straight 50-assist seasons. His point totals could look similar to his numbers on Colorado as his linemates will still be elite although I wouldn't count on as many goals as we've seen that be the case on multiple occasions. 

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. 

The days of a “flat” salary cap are in the rearview, as the NHL and NHLPA announced exactly how much the cap is projected to increase over the next three seasons. The salary cap ceiling is set at $95.5 million for the 2025-26 season, $104 million for the 2026-27 season, and $113.5 million for the 2027-28 season.

Though the current CBA won’t expire until the end of the 2025-26 season and details have yet to be completely ironed out, reports from Tuesday suggest some aspects of the next CBA will be implemented in the 2025-26 season.

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Most notably, a salary cap will now be in effect during the playoffs, and there will be a limit to the benefits teams can receive from placing injured players on LTIR.

Other CBA changes set for 2025-26 implementation:

-No Deferred Salaries (in effect Oct. 7, 2025)

-Player Dress Code Relaxation

-Restriction on Double Retention

-Restriction on Paper Transactions

Although the Anaheim Ducks remain $20.5 million under the salary cap ceiling (the most in the NHL), these new implications could still impact their outlook for 2025-26 and beyond.

During his tenure as general manager of the Ducks (Feb 2022-Present), Pat Verbeek has made minor moves to weaponize the team’s ample cap space, as they’ve been a far cry from the ceiling for the duration of their rebuild. Examples include acquiring a fourth-round pick along with Robby Fabbri in 2024 in exchange for Gage Alexander, acquiring Dmitri Kulikov in 2022 for nothing more than “future considerations,” and infamously attempting to acquire Evgenii Dadonov with a second-round pick attached at the 2022 trade deadline.

Teams often surrounding the Ducks in the standings and in their own rebuilds (San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens, Utah Mammoth, Chicago Blackhawks) were all able to acquire considerable assets (first and second-round picks) attached to albatross contracts from cap-strapped contending teams.

The Ducks will be attempting to, at long last, rise from the fog of their rebuild and contend for the 2026 playoffs. However, if injuries occur or things don’t go completely according to plan, they could find themselves in a situation where they would benefit in the long term from acquiring more draft capital and utilizing their cap space in a meaningful way.

Three teams are currently projected to open the season over the salary cap: Vegas Golden Knights, Canadiens, and Florida Panthers. Cap space will not accrue the same way it had in the past, and teams cannot use LTIR relief to accrue space.

The Canadiens have already been in search of a landing spot for the last year of Carey Price’s $10.5 million contract. The Ducks have not been linked in these talks like the Sharks, Hawks, and Pittsburgh Penguins have, but it’s merely an example of a route Verbeek could take should he desire.

Ducks owner Henry Samueli stated at Joel Quenneville’s introductory press conference that Verbeek was no longer going to be “constrained by the budget” and had the green light to spend to the cap ceiling to get the team back into the playoffs.

We’ll see if that manifests in some way between now and the trade deadline, but the Ducks could be in a rare position to benefit from these immediate CBA implementations, perhaps in unforeseen and creative ways.

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EA SPORTS NHL has revealed the soundtrack for NHL 26. 

The soundtrack contains 36 songs for bands across multiple genres. This is six songs less than NHL 25.

Notable artists who will be in NHL 26 include Disturbed, Silverstein, New Found Glory, The Band Camino, PUP, and Spiritbox. 

Those looking to dive into the soundtrack can check out EA SPORTS' playlist on Spotify. 

Your Official #NHL26 Soundtrack 🎵

Listen now: https://t.co/WMyKCmfDVxpic.twitter.com/Cf1dFqPtJo

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) September 4, 2025

Per Videogame Soundtrack, Worm in the Sun by ALEXSUCKS and B.A.B.E. by Scowl also appear in EA's skate. game, and Perfect Soul by Spiritbox appears in Rocksmith+. 

The full list of the player overalls and their attributes in NHL 26 can be seen here.   

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.    

St. Louis Blues defenseman Marco Scandella has retired from professional hockey after 14 NHL seasons.

The 35-year-old played 784 games in the NHL, scoring 51 goals and 179 points, spending his 14-year career playing with four teams, starting with the Minnesota Wild. The Wild drafted Scandella in the second round (55th overall) in the 2008 NHL Draft. 

After 373 games with the Wild, Scandella joined the Buffalo Sabres, where he played 176 games. He then played a short stint with the Montreal Canadiens before joining and finishing his career with the Blues.

Scandella skated in five seasons with the Blues, recording nine goals and 34 points in 215 games. Scandella was a steady third-pairing defenseman with the Blues, willing to step into a top-four role if needed. 

Scandella didn't play any NHL games in the 2024-25 season, and although there were reports that he was retiring last off-season, no official paperwork was submitted, but now it has been confirmed by the St. Louis Blues. 

Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios got most of his offseason business done early this summer. But with the start of training camp now just days away, one of the items still on his to-do list was re-signing 23-year-old restricted free agent defenseman Donovan Sebrango.

According to PuckPedia, Sebrango agreed on Wednesday to a one-year, two-way deal with the club for $775,000 (NHL) or $140,000 (AHL), and the Senators made it official on Thursday morning. That leaves defenseman Max Guenette as the last man standing among 2025 RFAs the Sens are still likely to re-sign. 

Sebrango played 50 games for the Belleville Senators last season, putting up eight goals and 20 points. He also made his NHL debut in Ottawa, appearing in two games. The Ottawa native was acquired in 2023 as part of a package deal with the Detroit Red Wings for winger Alex DeBrincat, who had made it clear he wasn’t planning to re-sign in Ottawa as he entered the final year of his contract.

Sebrango's early development as a pro may have been affected by the circumstances of COVID.

With the OHL shutdown for 2020-21, Sebrango jumped right into the pros as an 18-year-old playing for Detroit's AHL team in Grand Rapids, where he spent most of the next three seasons until his trade to Ottawa. If a newly drafted 18-year-old doesn't make his NHL team, his development is not only better off (usually) with a return to junior, but the rules of the CHL-NHL Transfer Agreement demand it.

Ottawa Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk: 'We Want More'The Ottawa Senators opened their doors at Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday, inviting local media and Sens content creators for a first look at what’s in store this season. The event highlighted upcoming promotions, ticket information, and even a bit of hockey talk.

That said, Sebrango's re-signing, along with his brief ascension to the NHL last season, suggests he may now be coming into his own at 23. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he certainly brings good size to the table, and Staios has a fondness for big. Sebrango's athletic bloodlines are strong as well. His father is Eduardo Sebrango, a former MLS star with the Montreal Impact.

Donovan was among the best of his peers in junior, representing Team Canada at the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championship and was a third-round pick by the Red Wings in the 2020 NHL Draft. The Senators are set to have five players from that 2020 Draft on their opening night roster: Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson, Ridly Greig, Tyler Kleven, and Leevi Meriläinen.

Perhaps Sebrango will one day emerge as another key NHL piece from that class.

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

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The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 are only months away, and for the first time since 2014, NHL players will participate. Several New Jersey Devils have been named to preliminary rosters, including Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Jonas Siegenthaler, Simon Nemec, and Ondrej Palat. 

The men's tournament will start with preliminary games Feb. 11, with the gold-medal game scheduled for Feb. 22. 

Last season's 4 Nations Face-Off tournament created additional excitement for the upcoming Olympics. It was a massive success as teams representing Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States played each other in a round-robin format. 

For Hischier, 26, this is his first opportunity to represent Switzerland in the Winter Games.

"I feel that as an athlete in general, this is something that you want to experience," he said to David Pagnotta and Dennis Bernstein of SiriusXM NHL Network Radio during the NHL/NHLPA European Player Media Tour. "For me, obviously, (the Olympics) are something I always dreamed of and something I have never been able to experience yet."

With many players set to make their first appearances, The Hockey News recently asked Devils' head coach Sheldon Keefe if the impending tournament will impact his players during the season. 

"I don't know," he said. "I mean, it is going to be a first for me. Obviously, we had the 4-Nations last year, which is somewhat similar in some sense, except there are many more players who are going to be involved this go around. 

"I think there are a couple of things," he continued. "I think you have guys who are going to be competing for spots for (their respective) countries, who are going to be wanting to get off to great starts and do well and be confident going into that evaluation, and ultimately be named to the team. Then you have others who have either already been named or it is somewhat inevitable that they will be named, and those guys are going to want to have their games in order and make sure that they are healthy." 

The Devils will play over 50 of their 82 games before the Olympic break, and Hischier knows that while the Olympics may be on his mind, his focus needs to be on the team that drafted him first overall in 2017.

"I know there is work to do before (the Winter Games), and that it starts with going back to Jersey, having a great training camp, and having a good season start," he told SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. "My focus is working out and skating and preparing myself for the season start in Jersey, and when the time is right to focus on the Olympics, I will."

Once training camp kicks off on Sept. 17, the Devils will look to improve their mediocre 2024-25 season, where the club finished third in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 42-33-7 and 91 points. New Jersey was eliminated in five games in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. 

This season will be different with February's events in mind. It may be new territory for Keefe and his players, but the main objective of a deeper playoff run in New Jersey remains at the top of mind as they navigate these unknown waters. 

"Everyone in the league (players, coaches, managers) is going to have to make sure that our players are primed and ready for (the Olympics)," Keefe said. "At the same time, we are making sure that we are focused on our primary goals with the New Jersey Devils and the NHL."

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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For the second season in a row, former Chicago Blackhawks forward Tanner Kero will be playing overseas. 

The Kolner Haie of Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) have announced that they have signed Kero to a one-year contract. 

Kero spent this past season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with HV71, where he posted nine goals, 13 assists, and 22 points in 52 games. This was after he spent two previous seasons exclusively in the American Hockey League (AHL), first with the Texas Stars and then the Colorado Eagles.

Kero kicked off his NHL career with the Blackhawks during the 2015-16 season. In 72 games with the Blackhawks over three seasons from 2015-16 to 2017-18, he recorded eight goals, 14 assists, and 22 points. This included setting career highs with six goals, 10 assists, and 16 points in 47 games with the Blackhawks in 2016-17.

The last time Kero played at the NHL level was with the Dallas Stars during the 2021-22 season. During that campaign, he recorded three assists, 12 hits, and a minus-5 rating. 

Blackhawks Rookie Named Under-The-Radar Calder CandidateWith 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. 

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Joe Yerdon ranked each NHL team's goalie tandem. The Montreal Canadiens' tandem of Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes at the No. 20 spot. 

By grabbing the No. 20, the Canadiens' goalie tandem was ranked better than teams like the Vancouver Canucks (Thatcher Demko & Kevin Lankinen), Utah Mammoth (Karel Vejmelka, Vitek Vanecek & Connor Ingram), and the Edmonton Oilers (Stuart Skinner & Calvin Pickard). 

Teams that were ranked ahead of the Canadiens were the Boston Bruins (Jeremy Swayman & Joonas Korpisalo), Detroit Red Wings (John Gibson & Cam Talbot), and the Colorado Avalanche (Mackenzie Blackwood & Scott Wedgewood). 

Montembeault is coming off a strong season with the Canadiens, as he posted a 31-24-7 record, a .901 save percentage, a 2.82 goals-against average, and four shutouts. Dobes, on the other hand, had a 7-4-3 record, a 2.74 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage, and one shutout in 16 games for the Habs last season. With numbers like these, he left a strong first impression. 

Overall, while the Canadiens' goalie tandem received the No. 20 spot on Bleacher Report's rankings, there is plenty to be optimistic about with Montembeault and Dobes. Montembeault proved that he can be an impactful starting goalie last season, while Dobes should only improve as he continues to gain more experience. It will be interesting to see what kind of year these two have from here.