Insider reports suggest New York has narrowed down Noah Dobson sweepstakes to Montreal and Columbus

We expected some fireworks on draft day this year and it looks like we're about to get a massive move with the New York Islanders reportedly down to two suitors in a potential deal for defenceman Noah Dobson. 

Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) on XNew, for @TheAthletic: Sources say the Noah Dobson sweepstakes is down to two teams ... Montreal and Columbus ... with a deal expected to come together soon 🔗⬇️ https://t.co/zPjwPPv4GR https://t.co/zPjwPPv4GR

We had been hearing lots of rumors over the past few days as to who would land the 25-year-old Summerside native with the final two teams being the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets.

David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) on XColumbus and Montreal have been discussing their first rounders with teams. Habs have picks 16+17, Blue Jackets have picks 14+20. If a team trades one or both, a roster player may join the package. Voronkov may be in play from CBJ end.

The deal could be huge for betting markets as one of the two teams will land a former 70-point producer at one point and could elevate a squad into playoff contention. This also opens the door for the Islanders to potentially trade up and draft their hometown kid James Hagens out of Boston College.

Montreal made the postseason this past year and with the addition of a player like Dobson, we could easily pencil them in to be playoff contenders once again. Columbus appeared to be a playoff team early in the season with a late season slide taking them out of the running. 

The Blue Jackets with Dobson would certainly be in the playoff picture and could make them a great value bet to make the playoffs. 

More NHL: 2026 Stanley Cup Odds: Oilers, Panthers Lead Early Contenders But One Unexpected Favourite Emerges

While the Nashville Predators aren't the oldest franchise in the NHL, they have a lot of history of picking in the first round of the NHL Draft.

In its 27-year history, the Predators have selected 25 times in the first round. Amongst those first-round selections, some have had massive success in Nashville, others have found it elsewhere, and a few have been busts.

With the Predators picking fifth, 23rd and 26th overall in this year's draft, we take a look back at every first-round pick by Nashville. 

MORE: Analyzing every Nashville Predators first round NHL Draft pick: 1998-2002

MORE: Analyzing every Nashville Predators first round NHL Draft Pick: 2003-2008 

MORE: Analyzing every Nashville Predators first round NHL Draft Pick: 2009-2016

MORE: Analyzing every Nashville Predators first round NHL Draft pick: 2017-2021 

2022: Joakim Kemell (forward, 17th overall) 

With the 17th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Predators selected the second-best European skater in the class, Finnish forward Joakim Kemell. 

He played for JYP Jyväskylä in the Finnish Elite League during his draft year, scoring 23 points in 39 games. Kemell also played for Finland at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring 12 points in seven games and winning a Silver Medal. 

After being drafted, Kemell returned to JYP Jyväskylä, where he recorded 15 points in 43 games. He'd later join the Admirals toward the tail end of the season, scoring 14 points in 13 games. 

Since arriving in North America, Kemell has made significant progress and has become one of the Admirals' top producers. This past season, he had 40 points in 65 games and eight points in 10 playoff games. 

It was the second straight season in which Kemell registered 40+ points in Milwaukee. He also made his debut with the Predators last season, appearing in two games. 

Based on Kemell's progress, this could really be a breakout year for the forward and he could possibly earn a full-time spot in Nashville. 

2023: Matthew Wood (forward, 15th overall) 

Matthew Wood was greeted by an ovation from fans as he was selected by the 2023 NHL Draft host, the Nashville Predators, when he was selected 15th overall. 

At 6-foot-5-inches and 205 pounds from the University of Connecticut, which sounds more like an NBA lineup announcement, Wood scored 34 points in 35 games in his first collegiate season.

He'd spend two more years in the NCAA, playing with the Huskies for the 2023-24 season and scoring 28 points in 35 games. He transferred to the University of Minnesota for the 2024-25 season, recording 39 points in 39 games. 

Wood also made his Predators debut last season, recording one point in six games. 

Wood has been putting up consistent, strong numbers over the last three years in the NCAA. It'll be interesting to see if he can translate that play in a longer professional campaign next year, whether that be with Nashville or Milwaukee. 

2023: Tanner Molendyk (defenseman, 24th overall) 

A trade with the Edmonton Oilers in February 2023, sending Mattias Ekholm and a sixth-round pick to the Oilers for a first-round pick, a fourth-round pick, Tyson Barrie and Reid Schaefer, gave Nashville Tanner Molendyk at 24th overall. 

Molendyk sold himself as an offensively minded defenseman, scoring 37 points in 67 games with the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League. He'd return to the Blades for the 2023-24 season, netting an impressive 56 points in 50 games.

This past season, he was traded from Saskatoon to the Medicine Hat Tigers. His production didn't fall off as he scored a combined 47 points in 49 games in the regular season. In the playoffs, he scored 20 points in 18 games, won the WHL Championship, and advanced all the way to the Memorial Cup Final. 

Exhausting his junior eligibility, this is going to be a big year for Molendyk, arriving in the Predators system. He's proven to be a force in juniors, and if he can translate his game to the professional level, the sky is the limit for Molendyk. 

2024: Yegor Surin (center, 22nd overall) 

The future is slowly falling into place for the Predators after four strong first-round picks, capped off by Russian center Yegor Surin in 2024. 

Selected 22nd overall, Surin spent the majority of his draft year with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv's junior team, scoring 52 points in 42 games and logging 108 penalty minutes.

With a 6-foot-2-inch, 198-pound build, he could be the center the Predators have been looking for. 

He returned to Russia this season and played for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv's KHL team, achieving tremendous success. Surin scored 14 points in 41 regular season games, seven points in 19 games and won the Gagarin Cup at just 18 years old. 

Surin still has one year left on his contract with Lokomotiv, which is set to expire on May 31, 2026. 

The 2025 NHL Draft is just hours away, and Don Waddell holds two first-round picks. He prefers not to use them and to instead trade them to improve his team, so what will he do? 

Another day, another rumor, and they won't stop until this is over. 

RG.org's Marco D'Amico reports that the CBJ are not only interested in Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, but have "been in on him for a while now," and that "it goes back to the trade deadline. He’s one of a few guys I know Don is following up on.”

D’Amico also says that Waddell is pushing hard for Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson, but Elliotte Friedman says the Jackets won't be players for Dobson. 

Waddell told the media yesterday that he's had trade talks with a few teams and could move up 8th or higher range. He said yesterday, “We’ll make our hockey club better for today, but we’ve also got to guard the future. So, if we end up keeping both (first-round) picks and picking them, then we’ll get players for the future. I’m still pretty confident there’s something that’s going to break here before the draft, and if it happens, great. If it doesn’t, we’ll move forward."

One of D'Amico's sources also told him, “It’s no secret that Don wants to improve his goaltending. I know they’ve talked to the Canucks about [Thatcher] Demko before, but it seems like the Canucks may sign him to an extension. So what about [Arturs] Šilovs?"

The Canucks have a goalie problem of their own in that they have too many, so why not use one as trade bait? I suspect Šilovs is off the table, so would Waddel pursue Thatcher Demko? The American goaltender has had some injury concerns, but could still be a really good goalie. 

Kevin Lankinen probably isn't going anywhere either. 

With all this goalie talk, Waddell still has one problem - What to do with Elvis Merzļikins? That's the $5.4 million question. 

If you follow the Columbus Blue Jackets, get ready for the next two days as the moves could make your head spin. 

Let us know what you think below.

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Blue Jackets Acquire Brendan Gaunce From WildThe Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that they have acquired Brendan Gaunce from the Minnesota Wild today in exchange for forward Cameron Butler.  Daniil Tarasov Traded To Florida PanthersPierre LeBrun has reported that goalie Daniil Tarasov has been traded to the Florida Panthers today.  REPORT: NHL, NHLPA Set To Announce New CBA On FridayIf you're an old NHL fan like me, when CBA's are brought up, it immediately gives me anxiety. In 2004, an NHL lockout resulted in the cancellation of the entire season, which revolved around a salary cap. That lockout is the reason the Blue Jackets are celebrating their 25th anniversary in 25-26, instead of last season.  Columbus Blue Jackets 2025 NHL Mock DraftWelcome to the Columbus Blue Jackets 2025 Mock Draft.

Florida Panthers pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) Aaron Ekblad remains without a contract extension, with July 1 rapidly approaching. If this does not change by then, he will become a UFA and would be an incredibly popular target around the league. 

In a recent episode of TSN Insider Trading, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun said that he believes Aaron Ekblad is the Panthers' pending UFA most likely to test the market on July 1. In addition, he named the Utah Mammoth and Dallas Stars as two teams who could sign him if he becomes available. 

"Aaron Ekblad, I think, is the pending UFA that ends up going to market," LeBrun said. "I'm not saying that 100%, but that's where signs are right now. Terms has been an issue there. Potential landing spots in Utah and Dallas, depending on what those teams do on the trade market."

 

INSIDER TRADING…

- Isles listening on Dobson
- Panthers make offers to top 3 UFAs
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- Leafs inching towards Tavares extension
- VGK aggressively looking to add
- Latest on Stars
- Boeser player of interest to Jets

WATCH: https://t.co/2SsBM6zxY3pic.twitter.com/cOdvYFEzgq

— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) June 26, 2025

The Mammoth pursuing Ekblad would certainly make a lot of sense. They are a club on the rise, looking to get into the playoffs, and they recently traded right-shot defenseman Michael Kesselring to the Buffalo Sabres in the JJ Peterka trade. Thus, they could use another top-four, right-shot defenseman. If Ekblad signed in Utah, he would instantly become their top right-shot blueliner. 

The Stars being interested in Ekblad would also be understandable, as it is no secret that the right side of their defense is their biggest weakness right now. However, they also have very little cap space, so they would need to move out some salary to have any chance of bringing in a star blueliner like Ekblad. 

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Photo Credit: © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Sabres pulled off the first of what is expected to be a series of trades early Thursday morning, swapping restricted free agent winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Michael Kesselring and winger Josh Doan, but going into NHL Draft day on Friday, GM Kevyn Adams is focused on fielding offers for RFA defenseman Bowen Byram

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, the Vegas Golden Knights have interest in Byram, who have questions on the blueline due to the injury status of Alex Pietrangelo and RFA blueliner Nicolas Hague, but the Golden Knights may have to do some cap cutting by trading players if they want to add Byram and be in the bidding war for Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner.  

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Friedman indicated that the market for Byram had been not as brisk as the Sabres would have liked. The 23-year-old is a top pairing caliber defenseman who can rush the puck. That could be because as an RFA, a club trading for Byram would not only have to trade NHL players to acquire him (which is what Buffalo is looking for in return), and would have to sign him to a long-term extension for significant dollars. 

Sabres winger Alex Tuch’s name has been speculated on, but Friedman said that Buffalo is looking to extend the veteran forward when he becomes eligible on July 1. He also mentioned that Buffalo may have inquired about two-time Stanley Cup winner Bryan Rust, who reportedly is being shopped by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 33-year-old scored a career-high 31 goals last season for the Pens, does not have any no-trade protection, and is signed for three more years at $5.125 million per season.  

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The Chicago Blackhawks have some talented young players. A lot of them, however, are defensemen. Although they have some high-end talent, the forward depth in the organization isn't as strong.

Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar have the highest ceiling, but they are both undersized offensive players. The Blackhawks would like to add a little more skill to join those guys, and they would like it even more if it came from a bigger player. 

One option, if that is the route they want to go, is to select Brampton Steelheads forward Porter Martone. He is a hard-hitting power forward who comes with a tremendous amount of offensive talent. 

In 57 games played with Brampton during the 2024-25 season, Martone scored 37 goals and added 61 assists for 98 points. For being a big guy that is hard to play against in all three zones, Martone's offensive production is noteworthy. 

NHL (@NHL) on XPorter Martone’s got quite the highlight reel. 🔥 #NHLDraft (📽️: @OHLHockey & @OHLSteelheads)

Kyle Davidson has doubled down on his belief that Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar are centers. His selection at the 2025 NHL Draft could help drive that point home. Martone is the best winger in the draft (unless one of the top centers turns out to be a wing long-term), and he'd be a great fit with one of Bedard or Nazar on an even-strength all-purpose line. 

It has been a while since the Blackhawks last had a power forward who was considered to be elite. Sometimes, a winger with offensive capabilities who can also be big and strong is needed in the NHL. That fact is especially true, knowing the stature of both Bedard and Nazar. Giving them more room on the ice to make plays is something that Martone could excel at. 

Martone has the ceiling to be one of those guys whose attitude and strength drive him to be an elite player. Is he going to be like the Tkachuk brothers once he reaches the big leagues? Maybe. If he models his game after them, at a minimum, he will give whichever team that selects him an honest effort every night. 

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

The Philadelphia Flyers are one of a few teams picking at the top of the 2025 NHL Draft that are tough to get a read on, but the big picture is starting to narrow in down to a few prospects.

Meeting up with media in Los Angeles ahead of the first round of the draft Friday night, top winger prospect Porter Martone said he's had last-minute meetings with the Flyers and Boston Bruins, who pick right after Philadelphia at 7.

But Martone isn't the only one.

James Hagens, one of the top center prospects in the 2025 draft, echoed the same, revealing (and confirming reports) that he also met with the Flyers after the NHL scouting combine.

At the time of this writing, there seems to be a lot of variance in the public sphere as to where Martone and Hagens fall in the draft.

Both are widely considered to be top-5 talents, and yet both could make it by the Flyers at No. 6 and end up in places like Boston, Seattle, Anaheim, or even Pittsburgh.

It's possible the recent addition of Trevor Zegras changes the Flyers' minds a little bit, given Martone is 6-foot-3 and Hagens is 5-foot-11. And even then, there's the caveat that Martone is a right winger, which the Flyers already have an overabundance of as is.

It may come off as doing due diligence more than anything, but the Flyers could have always done extra private meetings with players other than Hagens or Martone.

Flyers Have New Trade-Up Possibility in NHL DraftIf the Philadelphia Flyers wish to move up in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Los Angeles Kings have presented them a golden opportunity to do so.

Then again, the Flyers have been scouting them and monitoring their progress since the 2024 IIHF Men's U18 World Championships last May.

Notably, top Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko played for Canada in that tournament, and he was drafted 13th overall by Philadelphia just over a month later.

Hagens was there, too, casually putting up nine goals and 22 points in seven games for the Americans, leading the tournament in scoring and breaking Nikita Kucherov's record for points in a single tournament.

Martone was no slouch either, putting up five goals and 17 points in his seven games for Canada. For comparison, Matvei Michkov, albeit a year younger than Hagens and Martone, had 12 goals - a tournament record for Russia - and 16 points.

The Flyers have surprised us before - as recently as this time last year - but it would be difficult to imagine passing on either Martone or Hagens, let alone both.

Hagens might get preferential treatment as a natural center, but who can say? What can be said is the Flyers are highly likely to land one of the two best offensive talents in the entire 2025 NHL Draft class.

As multiple outlets reported yesterday, including RG.org’s Marco D’Amico and Journal de Quebec’s Kevin Dube, the Montreal Canadiens are very interested in right-shot blueliner Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders, and they’ve even made an offer. Furthermore, according to TVA Sports’ Anthony Martineau, the 25-year-old defenseman would have Montreal at the top of his list of destinations, although he has no leverage to choose where he will land.

The Islanders’ first-round pick and 12th overall at the 2018 draft has already proven he can be successful in the NHL. In the 2023-24 season, he even put up 70 points in 79 games, but this last season, his production was way down with just 29 points in 71 games, and perhaps that’s where the issue is for the Isles. The Canadiens' interest in Dobson should come as no surprise since he had previously been identified as a potential target.

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Dobson is set to become an RFA on July 1, and according to Andy Strickland, a journalist covering the St. Louis Blues, the rearguard wants a contract that would pay him over $10 million per season. Why is a St. Louis-based journalist reporting this? Simply because the Canadiens are not the only team interested in adding Dobson to their roster, the Blues and the Columbus Blue Jacketsare also deep in talks with Mathieu Darche to try to land the blueliner.

Whichever way you look at it, acquiring Dobson will not be cheap; this is not a Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers kind of deal, nor will it be a Ryan Poehling and two picks type of return. Dobson’s stock on the market is much higher than that of the former Anaheim Ducks forward who had been on the trade block for a long time. In addition to the acquisition cost, the contract cost will also be a factor, given the reported asking price.

The amount sought by Dobson makes his availability at least more logical. Lou Lamoriello had reportedly been interested in trading him for some time, and when Darche took over, we wondered if the defenseman would still be available. The Islanders’ new GM has not publicly stated that he is entertaining offers for himself. Still, neither has he come out to say he isn’t going anywhere, unlike he did in Bob Horvat and Matthew Barzal’s cases, which leads me to believe that he is indeed seriously considering a deal.

The Islanders may be on the clock here as well, because while they will retain Dobson’s rights come July 1, he would be a prime candidate for an offer sheet given how much of a hot commodity he is. New York currently has just under $21 million in cap space, but only has 17 of 23 contracts signed, with Dobson, Alexander Romanov, Simon Holmstrom, and Maxim Tsyplakov all needing new deals. All of these players are arbitration-eligible, but that process is never good for a team’s relationship with an athlete. Sitting in a room telling an arbitrator why the player isn’t as good or worth as much as he thinks he is for hours is hardly a pleasant experience, and it should be avoided whenever possible.

If Darche were to trade Dobson, he would get himself some breathing room to sign the remaining members of his team. He could receive players who are likely to help sooner rather than later, and it could be at a reasonable cost, especially if they are still in their ELC contract.

Which brings me to the Canadiens’ likely offer, but to land Dobson, Montreal would probably need to trade one or even two of its first-round picks at the upcoming draft. Given that Dobson is a right-shot defenseman, one of the top prospects at the position. Which could mean either Logan Mailloux or David Reinbacher. I get the sense that Montreal would be more open to sacrificing Mailloux, who’s the most NHL-ready of the two, but Reinbacher’s ceiling is likely higher than his teammate’s with the Laval Rocket.

Logan Mailloux scores on the powerplay with a rocket of a shot. Tie game. #LavalRocketpic.twitter.com/nHFToSc59H

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) May 14, 2025

Given the fact that there are plenty of suitors to acquire Dobson, the price would more than likely involve another one of the organization’s top prospects, and Owen Beck would seem like a good candidate. I don’t see Montreal even entertaining the idea of offering Michael Hage at this stage, considering his offensive ceiling is likely higher than Beck’s. Could the Islanders ask for Arber Xhekaj in the deal as well? I wouldn't exclude that possibility since they lost some grit and physicality with Matt Martin's retirement. 

If the Canadiens were to be the winning bidder, however, what would signing Dobson mean financially? If they pull the trigger on the trade, it will be because they know they’ll be able to sign the player long-term, and with his asking price, he would instantly become the Habs’ highest-paid player.

For those saying he shouldn’t be earning more than Nick Suzuki, it’s time to let go of that concept. The captain’s contract was signed back in 2021 in a post-COVID flat cap world. It’s already impressive that Kent Hughes managed to keep Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky under that number.

Last year, the salary cap stood at $88 M. This upcoming season, it will be at $95.5M, the year after that at $104 M and finally, in 2027-28 it will be set at $113.5 M. What that means it that there will be bigger salaries and more players earning more money. Suppose the Canadiens believe that Dobson is the right fit both on and off the ice and are comfortable offering him a contract exceeding $10M. In that case, it will necessarily mean that Lane Hutson will be seeking a similar, if not even higher, deal. Given the fact that Kaiden Guhle is locked in for five years at $5.55 M, it wouldn’t necessarily be unreasonable to entertain the thought of having your two top-pairing defenseman earn 10-plus million in this new financial context.

We are getting ahead of ourselves here, as Dobson hasn’t been traded to Montreal yet, but I fully expect that we’ll know sooner rather than later who the Dobson-derby winner is.

Photo credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images

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Coming out of the NHL Scouting Combine earlier this month, the Buffalo Sabres got the lowdown on a number of prospects that could be their with the ninth selection at the 2025 Draft in Los Angeles this week, but barring a trade up they will have to rely on the player they want slipping through the cracks.  

The NY Islanders are likely to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the top overall pick, but there is no accurate read on how the remaining seven picks will break. That seems to be reflected in various mock drafts that have emerged since the combine. After Schaefer, names like Michael Misa, Caleb Desnoyers, and rising star Anton Frondell are likely to go in the top five, but at that point, any of a number of players could be there for the Sabres at #9.  

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In the final projection before the Draft on Friday, we look at Braedan Cootes of the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. The 18-year-old center is teammates with Sabres goalie prospect Scott Ratzlaff and 2025 first round prospect Radim Mrtka, who Buffalo has been projected to select with their pick. Cootes is from the suburbs of Edmonton, and after a 35-point rookie WHL campaign where he went -22, the 18-year-old scored over a point-per-game and was +5. 

According to the Hockey News Draft Preview, Cootes ran roughshod over the competition at the Under-18 worlds with Team Canada (with 12 points in seven games) and has a chance to go pretty high, as there aren’t many flaws to his game. He is considered a high motor player, but his one drawback is that he is 5’11”, 183 lb. in a size-conscious draft, A right-handed center, he is strong in all aspects of the game, skating, playmaking, and hockey IQ.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

The 2025 NHL entry draft is upon us.

This year, the league went with a decentralized draft, meaning the management from each NHL team is back at their respective facilities.

All the draft picks, however, will be at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, California, where they’ll hear their name called and walk across the stage with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Your Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers are not expected to be one of the busier teams at the draft, at least in terms of selecting players.

As of Thursday night, Florida held only five selections at this year’s draft.

That number was a six on Thursday morning, but Florida flipped a fifth-round pick, 160th overall, to the Columbus Blue Jackets for goaltender Daniil Tarasov.

None of Florida’s picks are in the first three rounds, as the team has flipped many of its future assets to build the Stanley Cup Champions they’ve become over the past few seasons.

Here is where Florida will be picking on Saturday, barring any additional trades.

Round 4: 112th Overall

Round 4: 128th Overall

Round 5: 129th Overall

Round 6: 192nd Overall

Round 7: 224th Overall

For those wondering where the rest of Florida’s selections from this year’s draft have gone, here’s a quick refresher.

Round 1: 32nd Overall – to Calgary in the Matthew Tkachuk trade.

Round 2: 64th Overall – to Toronto, via Boston in trade that sent the Bruins’ 2024 second-round pick to Florida. The Panthers used the selection, No. 58 overall, on Linus Eriksson.

Round 3: 96th Overall – to Ottawa as part of the Vladimir Tarasenko trade.

Considering both players acquired in those trades went on to help Florida win Stanley Cups, it's probably safe to say they're considered as wins in Pantherland. 

Round 1 of the 2025 NHL Draft is set to begin Friday at 7 p.m. ET and air nationally on ESPN.

On Saturday, NHL Network will air Rounds 2-7, which begin at 12 p.m. ET.

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Over the current Chicago Blackhawks rebuild, they have drafted and developed a lot of great young defensemen. This is an important position to have depth, and Kyle Davidson has hammered that point home with his decision-making. 

Whether it’s Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov, Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, Louis Crevier, or Wyatt Kaiser, amongst others, there are plenty of bright spots at this position within the organization. 

For this reason, the Blackhawks aren’t in a bad spot because the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery didn’t go their way. The number one pick is likely going to be Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman from the Erie Otters. 

Schaefer is an incredibly skilled player, but he only played in less than half of Erie’s season this past year due to injury. In 17 games, he had 7 goals and 15 assists for 22 points. It’s great production, it’s just unfortunate that he wasn’t able to play for his entire draft year. The sample size isn't enough to consider him a flawless prospect. 

Will the New York Islanders look past that and still take him with the first overall pick? Likely. If they don’t, he surely won’t get past the San Jose Sharks, who need a high-end defensive prospect as bad as any team in the league. 

One of the young forwards available is much better suited for the Blackhawks, who are lacking organizational depth up front. Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar could be stars, Oliver Moore is a great player, and more are coming. However, another star-level prospect like the first two forwards mentioned makes more sense for Chicago than another skilled defenseman. 

Even if one of Michael Misa, Anton Frondell, James Hagens, Porter Martone, or Caleb Desnoyers is selected by Chicago, but they aren't as impactful as Schaefer, it could still be a win for the Blackhawks, who desperately need more scoring in the long term. 

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

It appears that the NHL and NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) have managed to avoid a major labor dispute starting in the 2026-27 season. 

According to a report by Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) extension has been agreed upon in principle by both parties, although nothing official has been signed yet. And with that extension comes some big changes for the NHL.

And these changes could also affect the Pittsburgh Penguins - as well as many other teams - in a pretty significant way. 

Here are some of the changes and how each could be consequential for Pittsburgh looking ahead.

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Longer season, shorter pre-season

With this change, the NHL regular season will expand to 84 games, and the pre-season will  be reduced to four games.

Because of these changes, the regular season will begin at the end of September, teams will play all divisional opponents four times and all other conference opponents three times (with the home-and-away split with the opposing conference still intact), and players will play in less meaningless "warmup" hockey. 

How does this affect the Penguins? For one, NHL veterans with 100-plus games will not be able to play in more than two pre-season games, meaning guys like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin won't be seen much prior to the start of the regular season.

Also, the Penguins haven't fared all that well against the Metropolitan Division in recent years, posting a pedestrian 32-31-15 record against divisional opponents over the last three non-playoff seasons. That figure only looks to be worse next season, as Pittsburgh isn't exactly a buyer right now.

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Maximum contracts capped even more

Back in 2013, the maximum term for NHL contracts was reduced to eight years. Now, it has been reduced even further. Contract extensions for players with their current teams will be capped at seven years, while free agent contracts will max out at six.

While this is clearly a move - as a whole - designed to prevent NHL GMs from going nuts with dollars and term, it will also help prevent buyouts and give star players more opportunities on the open market to cash in.

This could be a good thing for a team like Pittsburgh since they are in the midst of a rebuild. If they were to make a splash in free agency in 2026 - as many think is the plan - it would help them in the sense that if they committed long-term to a bigger name, it wouldn't hurt them as much in the long run if things don't go as planned.

Free agency should be more exciting, which should bode well for a team like the Penguins, who will not be obligated to long-term extensions for anyone on their current roster for the next several seasons and will have plenty of free cap to spend starting in 2026.

84-Game NHL Season? No Dress Code? Reacting To Five Intriguing Elements Of Reported CBA TalksThe NHL and Players’ Association seem to be figuring out a new collective bargaining agreement long before a lockout is even in question. 

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No more playoff LTIR loophole 

This is, potentially, a big deal for a team like Pittsburgh, who is in sell mode.

As it is now, teams with a bigger contract on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) prior to the trade deadline can load up on talent - so long as the player on LTIR doesn't play for the remainder of the regular season - to use in a non-capped playoff run. 

Well, that's, reportedly, no longer the case. With the new CBA, a team's lineup must be cap-compliant for every game during the playoffs. This means that even if teams stockpile talent before the trade deadline and their roster isn't cap-compliant heading into the playoffs, the lineup they put on the ice has to be. 

As a result, there may be more teams looking to dump salary by deadline day - which is a good thing for the Penguins. Pittsburgh will be able to take on some of those salary dumps for more picks and assets, which is only a good thing for a team trying to rebuild its prospect pool.

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Rotating EBUGS a thing of the past

A fun NHL tradition appears to be coming to an end. 

Teams will no longer be able to have a random emergency backup goaltender (EBUG) for any given game. Now, they will have to house a full-time EBUG, officially ending the tradition of seeing whether not Arnold Slick from Turtle "Crick" would get to go from beer league on Friday night to an NHL rink on Saturday. 

The reason this could affect the Penguins? Well, they are likely to keep Mike Chiasson around to fill that role, as he has for Penguins' home games for years. However, it also opens the door for a team to, essentially, carry a thir goaltender - and the Penguins have a lot of goaltending in their system.

It's unclear at this point whether or not different people can rotate in and out of the EBUG slot and if there are limits in relation to the NHL roster. Nonethless, it should make goaltending battles more interesting going forward.

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For a more comprehensive breakdown of the reported new CBA, click here.

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Penguins Getting Rangers' Pick Is Win-Win For Both SidesOn Tuesday, the New York Rangers announced that they would give the Pittsburgh Penguins their 12th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft instead of sending them their 2026 pick.

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Feature image credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images