Slovak defenseman Branislav Mezei, 44, has signed a one-year contract
extension with his hometown club, HK Nitra, to play what will be his
26th season of professional hockey, the Slovak Extraliga club
announced on Saturday.
“Throughout (last)
season, I had in my mind that it
wasn’t the last season,” said
Mezei. “So
it wasn’t a decision that was made at the end, but throughout the
season, depending on how I felt and how much fun I had with my
teammates. I was more or less determined during the season to
continue.
“I haven’t even had
the thought of ending my career yet, but
of course,
it also depends on the club whether they are still interested in
bringing me
back,” he
continued.
“Management
said yes, so that also made the decision easier for me.”
Nitra, a city
of about 80,000 people located approximately 100 km northeast of
Bratislava, is where Mezei was born and raised until age 16, when he
went overseas to play junior hockey for the OHL’s
Belleville Bulls, who no longer exist.
His junior
career included an OHL championship and an appearance in the 1999
Memorial Cup, which also included Roberto Luongo, Francois
Beauchemin, Brad Stuart, Nick Boynton, Brian Campbell and
teammate Jonathan Cheecho.
He
also played in that year’s World Junior Championship, where
Slovakia won its first-ever IIHF medal – a bronze. His teammates
included Ladislav Nagy and Marián
Gáborik. Other players in the tournament included Luongo, Brian
Gionta, Simon Gagné, Nikolai Antropov and Daniel and Henrik Sedin.
Between 2000
and 2008, Mezei played 527 NHL games for the Islanders and Florida
Panthers, recording 24 points and 311 penalty minutes.
Mezei split
the 2004-05 lockout season between Oceláři
Třinec in the Czech Extraliga and Dukla Trenčín in Slovakia, where
his teammates included Radek Bonk, Pavol Demitra, Marián
Hossa
and
Gáborik.
Between
2008 and 2014, he played for eight different clubs in the KHL,
Czechia and Finland
before
returning to Nitra in October 2014. He’s remained there ever since.
Highlights since
his return to Nitra over a decade ago include national titles in 2016
and 2024.
Along the way he mentored young defenseman Šimon
Nemec, who now plays
for the New Jersey
Devils.
“I’m
home, I’m playing for my hometown, that’s always extra
motivation,” said
Mezei.
“My son also plays hockey, so I’m glad that I can still be there
and I can be a role model for him, so it all came together somehow.”
NHL teams are engaging in contract extensions with free agents about to hit the market. The scouting staff is finalizing their draft lists. And to top it all off, the Florida Panthers are in the heart of their Stanley Cup celebrations.
One of the ways that teams can improve their team is via signing free agents. These conversations and discussions will be the topic of rumors for the next 12 days.
Yesterday, The Fourth Period published their list of the Top 40 UFAs for this offseason. Here are the two free agents that the Oilers are connected to, who didn’t play for the team in 2024-25.
Jake Allen
Previous Contract: $3.85 million
Number 14 on the list of the top 40 UFAs is New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen. Allen is a 34-year-old veteran who has played for three teams throughout his 13-year NHL career. He has also played for the St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens.
Number 18 on the list is defenseman Ryan Lindgren. The left-handed defender split his 2024-25 season between the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche. He plays a more rugged style and is only 27 years old.
There is plenty of time between now and the start of next year’s preseason. But the next couple of weeks will be busy, with both of these free agents likely signing with a new team.
Time will tell if either of them signs with the Oilers.
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The Ottawa Senators are set to pick 21st overall in the first round of the NHL Draft this Friday in Los Angeles. After a 2024 draft class where they leaned into size and physicality, many expect them to stick with that approach, especially with the Florida Panthers winning back-to-back Stanley Cups the way they just did. The Panthers have a skilled roster, uniquely bolstered by size and toughness.
It's literally a copy cats league right now.
But true skill is a lot harder to find than size, and one player who might be available when the Senators step up to the podium is Cullen Potter, a skilled forward who’s one of the best skaters available in the draft.
After putting up 46 points in 54 games with the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U17 squad, he jumped to the NCAA a year early last season. Playing as a 17-year-old freshman, Potter scored 13 goals in 35 games, which is almost unheard of for a player his age.
Potter has serious wheels with and without the puck. He has the kind of speed that tends to get opposing defensemen on their heels, backing up faster and deeper than they’d like so they don’t get burned wide. That often gives Potter the room he needs to claim the blue line and make them pay with his puck skill and quick release.
However, at 5-foot-10, 172 pounds, Potter isn’t the biggest guy, which can affect his ability to win or engage in puck battles. So the league’s be-more-like-the-Florida-Panthers trend may be working against him in the rankings, as it may with Calgary Hitmen forward Ben Kindel, whom we profiled earlier.
Scouts have also suggested that Potter’s two-way game needs some work, but that’s true of most 18-year-olds. What you got away with in your draft year won’t fly in the NHL. But adding a little more emphasis on defence is a hell of a lot more teachable than speed and skill.
So TSN’s Craig Button has him ranked at #50, though his opinion on the player is a major outlier. Almost everyone has him going in the top 30. The Hockey News’ Tony Ferrari even has him going as high as #10.
Ferrari: “Potter is a superb transition presence, moving the puck up ice with excellent crossovers and puck handling as he weaves through traffic. His processing of what is happening on the ice when the puck is on his stick is ahead of most players at his age, and he can exploit passing and shooting lanes with precision. There may not be a player in this draft class who has been more snake-bitten by his teammates than Cullen Potter. From pucks bouncing off their sticks or being shot wide when they have an awning cage, these kinds of things won’t happen forever, and Potter will be the beneficiary.”
-
His linemates didn't finish enough? Now that’s the kind of info that can turn a player into a fine sleeper pick. From a consensus standpoint, there’s a good chance he’s still on the board when Steve Staios announces Ottawa’s pick.
Speed and skill are the rarest of commodities and will always be intriguing, no matter what the frame looks like. Ask the Montreal Canadiens if they’re interested in trading Cole Caufield or Lane Hutson right now. Even with all the bigs around him, five-foot-nine Brad Marchand was unreal for the Panthers in the playoffs. Those players are all smaller than Potter.
Potter had 8 points in 7 games at the World-U18 Championships. He had 8 points in 9 games for the US-NTDP U18s and then 13 goals and 22 points in 35 games for Arizona State.
He also has excellent hockey bloodlines. His mom is Jenny Schmidgall-Potter, former Team USA captain who played in 10 World Championships and four Olympic Games over her international career.
If Cullen is still on the board when the Senators make their pick at 21, he could give Ottawa something they’re missing in their prospect pipeline: a fast, creative forward who can make plays at high speed. Big players are nice, but if their skill isn’t elite at the amateur level, it’s not likely to improve in the NHL. If they are highly skilled, then they’re a unicorn and almost always taken before the 21st selection.
There’s always an element of hope and luck at 21, but if you play your cards right, skill and speed are always worth betting on. It may run contrary to the Senators' draft philosophy, but sometimes good things do come in smaller packages.
Steve Warne The Hockey News Ottawa (Banner image credit: Michael Augello, The Hockey News)
In his latest mailbag article for The Athletic, Corey Pronman was asked to rank the top five prospects of the last three drafts, and he answered: Macklin Celebrini, Conor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, Adam Fantilli, and Matvei Michkov.
For some, this is an inexplicable snub of Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Ivan Demidov, but those five players have one thing in common: they’ve had much more time to show what they can do at the NHL level.
With the San Jose Sharks, Celebrini has played 70 games and picked up 63 points, earning himself a Calder Trophy nomination, finishing third in voting with 1,104 points, behind Canadiens’ standout rookie Lane Hutson and Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf.
With the Chicago Blackhawks, first overall pick at the 2023 draft, Bedard has played 150 games and has gathered 128 points. He won the Calder Trophy by an overwhelming majority with 152 first-place votes and a total of 1,808 voting points (just short of Hutson’s 165 first-place votes and 1,832 voting points).
With the Anaheim Ducks, Carlsson has played 131 games and put up 74 points. He didn’t pierce the top five in Calder Trophy voting for the 2023-24 season, but the fact that he only played 55 games in his rookie year probably didn’t help matters.
With the Columbus Blue Jackets, Fantili has skated in 131 games and put up 81 points, not entering the Calder Trophy conversation in 2023-24 either. However, like Carlsson, he only played part of the season, specifically 49 games. Furthermore, this past season wasn’t easy for the Jackets players who had to face the season without the All-Star contribution of Johnny Gaudreau, who tragically died last Summer. In his rookie season, he skated alongside Gaudreau in his most productive quarter, scoring 15 points in those 20 games.
Finally, with the Philadelphia Flyers, Matvei Michkov completed his rookie season with 63 points in 80 games, finishing fourth in voting for the Calder Trophy with 645 points. The Russian finished strong with multiple multi-point games towards the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Demidov spent the season in the KHL, meaning most people didn’t see him play. I don’t count sporadic highlights on social media as watching him play; it’s not enough to get a real feel of what a player can and can’t do. He joined the Canadiens at the end of the season and played in two games, scoring two points in the process, but that’s not a substantial sample.
There are still many unknowns about Demidov; how will he cope with an 82-game grind of a season? What will happen once the other teams have had a chance to study his game in detail and watch a lot of video? If the opponents adapt to him, how will he react?
I’m not saying it won't go well for him, but what I'm saying is that there is no certainty yet, and I can understand Pronman not having him in his top five. Give it time. If Demidov has a rookie season that’s on par with Hutson’s one, I’d be willing to bet good money that he would be on Pronman’s list come next season.
The Canadiens’ rookie is doing everything he can this Summer to ensure he’ll have a smooth transition to the NHL. He chose to spend his offseason in Montreal, working under the close supervision of the Canadiens’ staff, hitting the ice with skills coach Adam Nicholas and also signing up to play three-on-three hockey with the LSHL. He has even committed to taking part in a skills showdown on July 12, where he’ll perform in a shootout contest in Boisbriand on the north shore.
I would even add that “the snub” isn’t a bad thing; there’s enough pressure to perform on the youngster in the giant magnifying glass that is the Montreal market. I get a feeling Demidov is just fine with proving people who don’t necessarily believe in him wrong.
Much will also depend on who the young Russian gets to play for. To start with, it seems evident that the Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky line is not going anywhere, but who does that leave Demidov to play with? Patrik Laine? He’s an elite sniper, but his defensive deficiencies have resulted in reduced ice time towards the end of the season, and that’s not what Demidov will need. Could he ride shotgun with Kirby Dach? The big center had a bad season last year, and he will be playing with the added pressure of proving what he can do in a contract year.
Kent Hughes is reportedly trying to improve his top-six, which could benefit Demidov, but the Canadiens’ GM is far from being the only GM who’s in the market for that kind of help. Wanting to do something doesn’t mean you’ll be able to pull it off.
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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From stars to busts, a look at how Detroit’s last 11 first-round picks have shaped the rebuild.
The NHL Draft is just around the corner, taking place next Friday, and the Detroit Red Wings are once again in a pivotal position as they prepare to make their next first-round selection. Holding the 13th overall pick, the Red Wings have been linked to several intriguing prospects, including Carter Bear, Lynden Lakovic, and Radim Mrtka.
Not long ago, during their run as perennial Stanley Cup contenders, the Detroit Red Wings approached the draft with a win-now mindset. Rather than using their first-round picks to build for the future, they frequently traded them away in exchange for proven veterans who could immediately contribute to their championship pursuits.
This strategy helped extend their reign as one of the league's most consistent powerhouses but came at the cost of long-term prospect development. Over the past decade, however, the Red Wings have undergone a major philosophical shift with the team mired in a nine-year playoff drought, the draft has become the cornerstone of their rebuild.
Every first-round pick now represents a potential turning point for the franchise’s future. Some of Detroit’s recent selections have shown promise as foundational pieces, while others have fallen short of expectations, struggling to break into the lineup or make a meaningful impact.
As the team gears up to make another crucial selection in this year’s draft, it is the perfect time to look back at their last 11 first-round picks from the past decade and evaluate which players have helped advance the rebuild and which have fallen short of expectations.
2015 - Evgeny Svechnikov (19th overall)
Drafted with the expectation of developing into a power forward and top-line winger like his brother Andrei, Evgeny Svechnikov was unable to secure a lasting role. He appeared in only 41 games for Detroit, as injuries and inconsistency stalled his development and led to his exit from the team.
Svechnikov went on to spend two more seasons in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks before continuing his career in the minors and European leagues. Once a high-upside junior star, Svechnikov unfortunately fits the label as a bust.
2016 - Dennis Cholowski (20th overall)
Cholowski entered Detroit as a one of the most promising offensive defenceman in junior play but while he showed some potential in his rookie NHL season with 40 points over a 50-game season in the BCHL, yet that promise began to fade.
He never secured a full-time role, was left unprotected in the 2021 expansion draft and was picked up by the Seattle Kraken but struggled at the NHL level and has bounced between AHL squads since. Cholowski played for the Islanders and Devils last season but enters this summer as a free agent.
2017 - Michael Rasmussen (9th overall)
At six-foot-six and hard-hitting, Rasmussen evolved into a reliable two-way forward rather than the dominant scorer experts expected. He consistently finds a way to record 15-20 points while also killing penalties and still has plenty of room to grow and mature his game as a 26-year-old. He's entering his second year of a four-year, $12.8 million deal with an annual cap hit of $3.2 million per season.
Zadina was highly regarded as a dynamic winger that would be a future superstar and staple of Detroit’s lineup. However, teams took notice when he dropped in the draft from a projected top three pick to the Red Wings at sixth overall.
Things started to trend downwards from there with his production never meeting expectations. After two lacklustre seasons, he was eventually shipped off to the Sharks. Despite flashes of skill, inconsistency defined his tenure, and the Wings greatly regreted passing on defensemen like Quinn Hughes or Cale Makar in that draft.
2019 - Moritz Seider (6th overall)
The Red Wings first draft pick made with new GM Steve Yzerman and it was their first home run in years by landing the German defenceman, that has quickly become a cornerstone on their blue line for the future.
As the 2019 pick, he quickly became Detroit’s top-pair defenceman, earning SHL Rookie of the Year and finding immediate NHL success with 50 points in his debut season. He's not missed a game for the Red Wings since with appearances in 328 straight games.
2020 - Lucas Raymond (4th overall)
Another swing and another hit for the organization as Raymond has transformed into Detroit’s offensive engine as a top-end NHL talent.
He finished with a career-best 80 points this past season and has lead the Red Wings in points in each of the last two seasons. Through 320 career games, he’s amassed 254 points firmly positioning himself as a budding star and one of the most impactful recent first-round selections.
2021 - Simon Edvinsson (6th overall)
Tagged as one of Europe’s top blueliners, Edvinsson impressed in the SHL with 19 points in 44 games and earned a call-up to Detroit in March 2023. After logging 31 points and significant minutes alongside Seider through 78 games this past season, he is expected to take on a regular role in the Red Wings' top defensive pairing moving forward.
2021 - Sebastian Cossa (15th overall)
Cossa made history when making his NHL debut in early December 2024 when he made 12 saves to snap a Red Wings five-game losing skid, and he became the first NHL goalie to earn a shootout win in relief.
The 22-year-old Hamilton native is one of the most elite prospects at the position and should make an impact when making the eventual jump to the main roster. His AHL numbers have fans anxiously waiting his arrival after securing a 21-15-6 record with a 2.45 goals against average this past season.
Drafted as an intelligent two-way centerman, Kasper spent time in Sweden's SHL before transitioning to North America. He debuted in April 2023 and quickly stood out, highlighted by a clutch performance against Tampa Bay where he scored the game-tying and overtime goals to keep Detroit’s playoff hopes alive.
One of the most desired positions in hockey is a second-line centre and Kasper looks like he'll fulfil the role for years to come with the Red Wings.
2023 - Nate Danielson (9th overall)
A WHL standout (150 points in 145 games), Danielson signed an entry-level deal July 2023 and quickly joined the AHL Griffins by May 2024, becoming one of the few to debut in the playoffs within a year of being drafted, just like Dylan Larkin. His road-mapping suggests NHL readiness in 1–2 years, and his leadership profile hints at a strong future.
2024 - Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (15th overall)
Detroit selected Brandsegg-Nygård as the best player available, but did make history with the pick as he was the first Norwegian ever taken in the first round.
A strong, two-way winger with a heavy shot and physical edge, who impressed Steve Yzerman and company with Sweden’s Allsvenskan, totalling 18 points through 41 games. Brandsegg-Nygård added to his success at this year's IIHF World Championships when he recorded four points in five games against some countries with top tier NHL talent.
The Flyers are reportedly interested in acquiring a starting goaltender with Vancouver Thatcher Demko being a potential lead option
The Philadelphia Flyers are making noise ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft as reports swirl that the team is aggressively pursuing a starting goaltender. After a rocky season in net, Philadelphia is looking for more stability at the position with some mentioning a blockbuster trade could happen with the Vancouver Canucks centered around All-Star goaltender Thatcher Demko.
According to league insiders, Vancouver is willing to listen to offers on Demko, who remains under contract through the 2025–26 season at a $5 million cap hit. The 29-year-old is coming off an injury-plagued season, where he posted a 10-8-3 record with a 2.90 goals against average. Prior to that, Demko proved to be one of the most elite players at the position after finishing with a 35-14-2 record and a 2.45 goals against average during the 2023-24 season and earning himself a finalist spot for the Vezina trophy.
Demko appeared to be a solid franchise goaltender that Vancouver would be able to keep for a decade or more and never have to worry about the position but injuries have started to pile up and a pair of goaltenders have taken advantage.
Canucks starter last season, Kevin Lankinen was dominant with a 25-15-10 record and a 2.62 goals against average that secured himself a spot on Finland's Four Nations team last February. He signed a five-year extension with a full no-move clause that firmly places him in the driver seat for the starting job moving forward.
Top prospect Artūrs Šilovs is also waiting in the wings and when given the chance to play, he's made the most of his time, including a run with the Canucks where Šilovs had to take over for an injuried Demko during the 2023-24 postseason and almost helped his team past the eventual Conference champion Edmonton Oilers. Šilovs has throughly dominated the AHL with a 56-28-13 record over the last three seasons and should be ready to take the leap to the main roster.
Canucks winger Brock Boeser is reportedly heading for free agency, meaning Vancouver will need to replace a key top-six forward that played a lot of minutes, including the most power play minutes for a forward on the team.
Philadelphia, who went 33-39-10 and finished last in the Metropolitan division this past season with goaltending being their achilles heel. The Flyers' forward group is loaded with talent and could see a top end winger like Travis Konecny get dealt in a move for Demko, as his point production is similar to Boeser's. A deal could give the Canucks the scoring depth they’ll need with Boeser’s departure imminent while allowing Lankinen and Šilovs to transition into the starter role.
Vancouver finished the regular season with a 38-30-14 record and narrowly missed the playoffs. While losing Demko would be a gamble, the Canucks appear confident in their goaltending depth and are looking to retool their offence and stay competitive quickly.
Betting Impact
From a futures betting standpoint, a trade of this magnitude could shake up both teams’ outlooks. Philadelphia’s current Stanley Cup odds sit around +8000 on FanDuel sportsbook, but acquiring Demko could cause that line to shorten dramatically, possibly into the +4000 to +4500 range, depending on the return package. His stability in net could immediately elevate Philly to a wild-card contender in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, the Canucks, who are currently listed at +5000 to win the Cup could see a slight dip if they lose Demko, unless Silovs proves capable of handling a full-time role. However, if they secure a top-tier scoring forward in the deal, bettors may find value in their odds holding or even improving if the offense becomes more dynamic.
We will have to stay tuned as both teams weigh a franchise-altering decision that could swing the balance of power in both conferences and the betting markets with it.
In 2003, the NHL had perhaps one of the best drafts in history. The first-round class was just amazing. It was headlined by Marc-Andre Fleury, Eric Staal, and Nathan Horton as the top three, but it also included names like Ryan Suter, Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown, Zach Parise, Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Burns, Mike Richards, and Corey Perry, to name a few.
Picking at 10th overall, the Montreal Canadiens elected to pick Andrei Kostitsyn, while Carter, Brown, Parise, Getzlaf, Burns, Richards, and Perry were still on the board. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20, but just leaving one of those names up there to pick the Belarus native would have been a big mistake.
The elder of the Kostitsyn brothers went on to play for the Habs for seven seasons before being sent to the Nashville Predators in a trade that netted the Canadiens a conditional 2013 fifth-round pick and a 2013 second-round pick. In total, he played 398 NHL games, accumulating 222 points (210 with the Tricolore), and he left for the KHL at the end of the season, during which he was traded.
In comparison, Burns is still playing and going strong at the ripe old age of 40, having played in 1497 NHL contests with three different teams, racking up 910 points. The same goes for Perry, who’s just appeared in a fifth Stanley Cup Final in six years and who has skated in 1392 NHL games, picking up 935 points along the way and a Cup win with the Anaheim Ducks in the second year of his career. Carter and Richard went on to win the Cup twice with the Kings, along with Brown, while Getzlaf also raised one in Anaheim as Perry’s partner in crime.
And the mistakes didn’t stop in the first round either. In the second round, the Tricolore picked Cory Urquhart, who had never played a single NHL game. The Canadiens grabbed him at 40th overall, five picks before the Boston Bruins selected Patrice Bergeron and nine picks before the Predators added Shea Weber. Later in the round, Montreal selected Maxime Lapierre, who went on to play 614 NHL games.
In the third round, the Canadiens added Ryan O’Byrne (308 NHL games), in the fourth, they picked Corey Locke (nine NHL games) and Danny Stewart (no NHL games). In the sixth round, they added Christopher Heino-Lindberg (no NHL games) and Mark Flood (39 NHL games). In the seventh round, they went for Oskari Korpikari (no NHL games). They selected Jimmy Bonneau in the eighth round (no NHL games) while future stud defenseman Dustin Byfuglien (869 NHL games) was still on the board, and made their best selection in the ninth round when they added Jaroslav Halak (556 NHL games).
Given all the talent left on the board, this is perhaps the worst draft in the Canadiens’ history, but it just goes to show how hard scouting is. A player has reached a certain level by that point, but what his ceiling will be is and remains a projection, and no player is ever the same either. It takes guts and a lot of confidence to become a scout; these individuals have one of the most challenging jobs in hockey, in my opinion.
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
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The Philadelphia Flyers need to establish a plan in net this summer, but going after New Jersey Devils goalie Jake Allen just doesn't make sense for either side.
Allen, 34, is widely considered to be the best goalie option on the market this summer and, despite his advanced age, can still fill in nicely as a pseudo-starter for a contender in need.
But the Flyers aren't one of those contenders.
On a more talented Devils team that was decimated by injuries this season, Allen was still only 13-16-1 despite his 2.66 GAA, .908 save percentage, and four shutouts. Basically, Allen posted a shutout in a third of his wins.
What will Allen's performance look like behind a Flyers team that experienced several regressions and injuries this past season, and a forward group that still struggles to score even after the addition of star rookie Matvei Michkov?
Some have floated the former Stanley Cup champion goalie as a potential "cheap" option for the Flyers, but if Allen is going to be cheap, why not stay with the Devils? Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers would love a cheap goalie themselves.
The Flyers, so long as they continue to fail to make any meaningful additions to their roster via trade or free agency, are not fooling anyone into thinking they are ready to contend, let alone make the playoffs.
And, let's be perfectly clear: Allen has one season with a save percentage greater than .908 since 2016-17. It would be deeply unfair to him to make him the savior of a Flyers team that has shuttled goalies in and out of Philadelphia constantly since the departure of Sergei Bobrovsky, and even before then.
The most the Flyers can offer Allen at this stage, at least what many other teams cannot, is a significant amount of money.
But Allen cannot play forever, so signing him to a contract is just a means to spin wheels in hockey purgatory and avoid sliding down the pole for a top draft pick for what would the third year in a row and potentially four.
If the Flyers want to go the route of free agency for goaltending, they would be better suited considering options like Michael DiPietro, an AHL star in need of a chance at the NHL who just turned 26 two weeks ago, or Alex Lyon, a former Flyers goalie and proven backup whose trade value could be rehabbed with a successful stint.
Indeed, the Flyers cannot afford to have as shocking of a performance in goal as they did last year, which is why Ivan Fedotov has apparently been pegged to start the 2025-26 season in the AHL.
At the same time, there's little value to throwing veteran stopgaps in ahead of younger players, like Aleksei Kolosov and, eventually, Carson Bjarnason, when there is no hope of winning the Stanley Cup and little hope of making the playoffs.
With the $18 million in cap space they have, the Flyers should be thinking bigger than a free agent, such as a potential offer sheet for a player like Lukas Dostal. Anaheim matches any offer sheet for the 25-year-old Dostal nine times out of 10, but the Flyers need to think permanent solution, not temporary.
Something will have to give, either now or a few years down the road.
The word dynasty is starting to be thrown around when discussing the Florida Panthers.
That’s what will happen when you reach three straight Stanley Cup Finals and win the most recent two.
While there are several key reasons you can point to when discussing how and why the Panthers have become the juggernaut they currently are, a very big reason that would be toward the tippy-top of that list would be goaltending.
No matter what kind of style your hockey team plays, good goaltending is going to be required to achieve any kind of greatness.
It’s just science.
Speaking of science, there is also the fact that professional hockey players generally see their skills peak around age 30, with gradual diminishment of said skills as they inch closer to 40.
Those numbers are usually exacerbated when it comes to goalies.
There is, however, the occasional anomaly. The guy who shows up and defies all logic, pushing back against the general way of things.
That man is Sergei Bobrovsky.
Over the past three seasons, while entering what should be the twilight of a very strong career, Bobrovsky has seen his game, and his legacy, reach previously unmatched heights.
The 36-year-old has enjoyed three of his most successful and consistent seasons over the past three years, taking his game to another level during the playoffs and leading the Panthers to three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances.
His play during Florida’s two Stanley Cup-winning campaigns had Bobrovsky among those receiving votes for the Conn Smythe Trophy.
It’s truly remarkable what Bobrovsky has been able to accomplish, seemingly getting strong with each passing year.
“It's not me, it's God,” Bobrovsky said Saturday. “That age category, it's not many people who can play at that level. It's just been a journey for me. I feel like I’m playing my best hockey right now, the last three years or so, and I feel good.”
Over those three years, the Panthers have done we’ll to limit Bobrovsky’s ice time during the regular season.
He’s played in 50, 58 and 54 games in each of the past three seasons, respectively, before acting as Florida’s primary netminder during their Stanley Cup Final runs.
Combined with his legendary work ethic, the efforts to keep Bobrovsky fresh have paid off quite well for Bob and the Panthers.
It’s also given all parties concerned reason to feel confident that the veteran goaltender can maintain his elite level of play for the foreseeable future.
“I'm excited about next season,” Bobrovsky said. “I feel great physically. I feel great mentally. We have a great, great group of guys, and as I said, I'm excited for what's coming next. I'm excited for new challenges. I'm excited to go through them with my teammates, and again, I'm excited to be with the guys again.”
Looking ahead, Bobrovsky has one year remaining on the seven-year, $70 million deal he signed with Florida back in the summer of 2019.
Considering the advanced state of his career combined with Bob’s ability to defy logic and age like a fine wine, it will be interesting to see how he and the Panthers approach his contract situation.
Like many of his teammates, Bobrovsky has seen his life change in many ways after relocating to South Florida.
In addition to becoming a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, Bobrovsky has also become a two-time father over the past several years.
He and his family have established roots, another element that will likely come into consideration at this time next year.
For now, Bobrovsky is trying to stay in the present.
“It's tough to predict for five years right now, and I don't want that,” he said. “I feel like, when you think too much ahead of yourself, you lose the focus on that moment, and I don't want to lose that. I’ve got so many great things right now, and I value them so much. I live in Florida, in an unbelievable city, unbelievable environment. I have my great family (at home), my second great family is here (at the rink). Everything is great here, and I want to take full advantage of this moment and value that moment.”
Photo caption: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
And they may have struck gold with one of their hires.
Todd Nelson - who was head coach of the AHL's Hershey Bears for the past three seasons - was named as one of the assistants on Muse's new staff on Friday. Nelson coached the Bears to back-to-back Calder Cup championships in 2023 and 2024, and he has a boatload of coaching experience at both the AHL and NHL levels.
Given the phase of their rebuild that the Penguins find themselves in - and their focus on development - Nelson may just be the perfect hire.
Even some former players under Nelson agree. Goaltender Zachary Fucale - who was part of the 2023 Bears' championship team and now plays in the KHL for Chelyabinsk Traktor - gave Nelson a glowing endorsement on socials:
"The best of the best!" Fucale wrote. "Thank you Nelly for everything. Unforgettable moments being part of your team. Absolutely 0 doubts you will have success with @penguins. All the best to you."
The best of the best! Thank you Nelly for everything. Unforgettable moments being part of your team. Absolutely 0 doubts you will have success with @penguins. All the best to you 🙏🏼 https://t.co/SleRD8SdIx
Although Nelson was wildly successful as head coach of the Bears, the AHL accolades don't stop there. He also won a Calder Cup as an assistant coach for the Chicago Wolves in 2008 and as head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2017, which makes him one of only six coaches in AHL history to win three times as a head coach. He is also only one of three people in AHL history to win the Calder Cup as an assistant coach, a head coach, and a player.
Nelson also has a bit of experience at the NHL level, too. He was an assistant with now-defunct Atlanta Thrashers before they moved to Winnipeg, he was the interim head coach of the Edmonton Oilers after Dallas Eakins was fired in 2014-15, and he had another assistant gig with the Dallas Stars from 2018-22.
And his playing career? Ironically, he was selected by none other than the Penguins as a defenseman in the fourth round (79th overall) of the 1989 NHL Draft. He only appeared in one NHL game with Pittsburgh on Nov. 23, 1991 in a 2-2 tie against the New York Islanders. He also later appeared in a few games for the Washington Capitals later on.
The history with the Penguins' organization is there. But, more importantly, the developmental angle is there. Nelson has personal experience in the arena of fighting tooth and nail for NHL playing time, and he has spent a great deal of time working with developing young players and maximizing their potential.
And this - in addition to that track record of success - is something that drew him to Muse when he was filling out his staff.
“With over two decades of coaching experience, Todd brings a championship pedigree and a winning history that speaks for itself,” Muse said. “He has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to get the most out of his players, most recently in Hershey, and his leadership qualities and wealth of experience will be a tremendous asset to our team as we continue to build a culture of excellence.”
Brad Marchand is one of the top pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) who can hit the market on July 1. Both the Florida Panthers and Marchand have expressed interest in getting a new contract done. However, with Panthers stars Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad also needing new deals, there is certainly a possibility that No. 63 could end up becoming a UFA at the start of next month.
After the playoff run Marchand just had, he would be a very popular target if he became available on the free-agent market. The 37-year-old winger has proven that he is still a star and that he can still step up big time in games that matter most.
Due to this, in his most recent 32 Thoughts column, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned several potential suitors for Marchand if the Panthers are unable to re-sign him by July 1. These teams include the Utah Mammoth, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, and Washington Capitals.
The Mammoth making a push for Marchand would be understandable, as they could use a star winger like him as they look to take that next step and become a playoff team. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs, Kings, Devils, and Capitals also make sense as possible suitors, as they each are playoff-caliber teams with high expectations for next year. Thus, bringing in a clutch playoff performer like Marchand would be huge for them.
Nevertheless, it is going to be intriguing to see what happens between Marchand and the Panthers this off-season. If Florida is unable to keep him around, it's clear that the future Hall of Famer will have plenty of other options to consider.
Brad Marchand Has Big Message For Panthers GM Bill ZitoBrad Marchand is one of the Florida Panthers' top pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) with the summer here. The star winger has undoubtedly increased his value after his marvelous playoff run, as he recorded 10 goals, 20 points, and a plus-17 rating in 23 games. With this, he was one of the major reasons why the Panthers were able to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
The NHL's 2025 off-season is here, and teams are going to be jockeying for trades and free agents in the coming days and weeks. And in this ongoing THN.com Buffalo Sabres site series, we've been examining potential trade partners for the Sabres.
FREE AGENTS: Matt Nieto, LW; Connor Dewar, C (RFA); Phillip Tomasino, RW (RFA); Vasily Ponomarev, LW (RFA); Matt Grzelcyk, D; Pierre-Oliver Joseph, D (RFA); Conor Timmins, D (RFA)
NEEDS: Help on offense, but especially, on defense; depth at left wing; change in goaltending tandem
SABRES FIT? The Penguins have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL in the past three seasons, failing to make the playoffs in each year despite a veteran-laden lineup that includes icons Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson. Astonishingly, Pittsburgh has gotten progressively worse each year, going from a 40-win season in 2022-23 to 38 wins in 2023-24 to 34 wins this past season. It's inexcusable for a team with this many experienced hands to come up so short, but that's where the Pens are at today.
Consequently, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas has a gigantic problem on his hands -- namely, how to balance the needs of the now with the long-term future of the franchise, Dubas is under extreme pressure to steer the Pens into the post-season in 2025-26, but to do that, he'll have to change Pittsburgh's lineup considerably.
That starts with goaltending, as longtime starter Tristan Jarry was an absolute disaster last year, posting a 3.12 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage. Jarry was waived by the Penguins last season, but with three years left on his contract at $5.375 million per year, nobody will be taking him off the Pens' hands. Jarry is a key candidate to have his contract bought out, but if that doesn't happen, Dubas could bury him in the American League.
If that's the case, would Pittsburgh be intrigued by Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen? The Finnish netminder's play fell off in a big way last season, with his GAA ballooning from 2.57 in 2023-24 to to 3.20 in 2024-25, and his save percentage falling from .910 to .887. Luukkonen is signed through the 2028-29 campgain at a relatively reasonable average annual salary of $4.75 million -- essentially, in the same range as Jarry's pay slot. And Luukkonen doesn't have any no-trade or no-move protection until 2026-27.
What would the Sabres want in return for Luukkonen? Well, let's start by talking about Penguins winger Bryan Rust. The 33-year-old is a proven offense-producer, and last season, he set new career-highs in goals (31) and points (65) in only 71 games. Rust would give a terrific jolt to Buffalo's offense, and Rust doesn't have any no-trade or no-move protection on a contract that pays him $5.125 million to shoot down a deal to the Sabres.
That said, if Luukkonen isn't a target for Dubas, there are other options on the Sabres who could be moved in a trade for Rust -- namely, veteran winger Alex Tuch, or young RFA winger J.J. Peterka. Both of those Sabres wingers might benefit from a change in scenery, and getting dealt to the Penguins as they aim for the playoffs once again could turn out to be just what Tuch or Peterka may be looking for.
Another potential fit for Buffalo is Pens winger Rickard Rakell. The 32-year-old does have a modified no-trade clause allowing him to veto a trade to one of five teams of his choosing, but for all we know, the Sabres may not be one of those five teams.
Rakell's salary of $5 million runs for the next three seasons, so Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams could rest assured he had a cost-controlled asset in Rakell for the foreseeable future. Rakell posted career-bests in goals (35) and points (70) last year, and he'd be a welcome addition to a Sabres squad that needs all the firepower it can get.
As you can see, there are multiple avenues Adams and Dubas can go down to consummate a major trade between Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Both teams are desperate to make the playoffs, but both teams can't afford to run it back with the status quo. The pressure is squarely on Adams and Dubas to get something done in terms of changing their respective rosters, and both teams have pieces that aren't essential to their core.
And that means a trade that shakes up the Sabres and Penguins would ultimately be beneficial to each team's competitive bottom line.
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 later this month, 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.
Defenseman Jackson Smith has been ranked in the top 10 of many mock drafts, and based on some of the projections that have the Sabres selecting top blueline prospects Radim Mrtka or Kashawn Aitcheson, the offensively gifted Smith could be in the mix as well. The 18-year-old broke out in his second full season with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, more than doubling his production with 54 points (11 goals, 43 assists). With the rules change allowing players to shift to the NCAA, Smith is one player taking advantage and is heading to Penn State, the alma mater of Sabres owner Terry Pegula.
According to the Hockey News Draft Preview, Smith has shown flashes offense and physicality to get scouts excited about his potential. He has good size and strength and will improve once he adds more consistency to his game and projects as a top-pairing ‘D’ at the NHL level. He logged big minutes in all situations in Tri-City and finished tied for second in ice time among draft-eligible CHL defensemen this season.
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Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov will be testing the free agent market, according to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox.
The 28-year-old went 16-9-4 with a 2.82 GAA and .891 SV% with Vegas in 2024-25.
Before joining the Golden Knights on a one-year, $1.8 million deal last offseason, he spent time with the Washington Capitals (2019-2022) and Toronto Maple Leafs (2022-2024).
While the New York Islanders would prefer not to be in the market for a goaltender, they are likely to add depth, as Semyon Varlamov’s injury status is a question mark after sustaining a lower-body injury in November that kept him off the ice through the remainder of the season.
At Clean Out Day following the 2024-25 regular season, Varlamov provided an update on his rehab progress:
“I expect to be ready for next season. Everything is going well with rehab and physiotherapy.The main focus for me to finish the rehab, hopefully soon, and have a good summer of training, and then ready for September for training camp.”
“I want to make sure I'm ready 100% for the next season,” Varlamov added. “I want to show up for the training camp by feeling good without any issues. That's the main goal.”
While Varlamov is expected to be ready for the season, adding a strong third goaltender would be a smart insurance move.
Marcus Hogberg filled that role in 2024-25 and was serviceable during Varlamov’s absence.
In seven games before the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, he went 2-2 with a 1.45 GAA and a .947 SV%. However, after the tournament, he struggled, going 0-6-3 with a 5.00 GAA and an .821 SV%, putting uncertainty into his 2025-26 outlook.
Adding Ilya Samsonov would also provide value to the Islanders’ AHL affiliate, Bridgeport, which allowed a league-worst 294 goals in 2024-25, 43 more than the next closest team.
With Jakub Skarek heading to IFK Helsinki in Liiga and both Henrik Tikkanen and Tristan Lennox still developing, Bridgeport could benefit from a more stable tandem in Samsonov and Hogberg.
While Samsonov would prefer an NHL role, the 2025 free-agent market is filled with goaltenders of similar caliber, which could make him open to joining the Islanders even without an expected NHL spot.
In addition to consistent AHL ice time, he would be joining a franchise that used five different goaltenders in 2024-25 and would be surrounded by fellow Russians in Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin.
Samsonov’s contract would likely be a one-year deal in the $1 to $1.5 million range.
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Brett Ritchie Moves From Slovakia To Germany – Nitra Club President Blames Slovak RefsCanadian right winger Brett Ritchie, 31, has been released from his contract with Slovak Extraliga club HK Nitra and has signed to play the remainder of the current season with the Schwenninger Wild Wings, the German DEL club announced on Wednesday.
8th-seeded Nitra improbably wins Slovak titleRather improbably, HK Nitra is the champion of the Slovak Extraliga. After finishing eighth out of 12 teams during the regular season, Nitra barely survived a play-in series against Dukla Trenčín, but then eliminated, in succession first-seeded HK Poprad in the quarterfinals, second-seeded Dukla Michalovce in the semifinals, and then swept third-seeded HK Spišská Nová Ves in the finals.
