Macklin Celebrini's sophomore season to remember with the San Jose Sharks continues to bring him a considerable amount of accolades. On Sunday, he was named the third best center in the NHL by NHL Network, improving from 19th place last summer.
After his record-breaking 115-point season, Celebrini trails just the Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid and the Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon in the rankings. As a result, Celebrini jumped players like Aleksander Barkov, Sidney Crosby, and Auston Matthews in NHL Network's annual list.
Introducing NHL Network's Top 20 Centers Right Now!
Moving up any further will be difficult for Celebrini, to say the least. McDavid and MacKinnon have Harts, Rocket Richard and Art Ross Trophies under their belt, while Celebrini is still looking for first his piece of major hardware in the NHL. Regardless, Celebrini is quickly establishing himself as a face of the new generation alongside Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders and potentially Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks, who moved to 16th place in the same list.
As expected, Celebrini was the only member of the San Jose Sharks to crack the top-20 center list.
On Sunday night, as they have with every other position for the last few weeks, the NHL revealed its list for the top-20 active centers.
Although Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, and others are projected to be great players one day, the only real candidate for this list is Connor Bedard.
Bedard's slow sophomore season caused him to miss the list ahead of 2025-26, but he came out and had a 30-goal season and was a point-per-game player. This success earned him a spot, coming in at #16.
This is right below New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier and right ahead of Tampa Bay Lightning star Brayden Point. There is another level for Bedard to reach, but this is some elite company.
Other young players comparable to Bedard who made the list are Leo Carlsson (#14) and Macklin Celebrini (#3). The top spot was obviously given to Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, followed by Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.
Connor Bedard's idol, Sidney Crosby, and Pittsburgh Penguins captain, is still high on the list at 39 years old, coming in at #7.
Introducing NHL Network's Top 20 Centers Right Now!
Connor Bedard is going to miss the first month of the season unless he beats the early projected timeline. Even with that, he has a chance to score 40 goals and 100 points if everything else goes right for him.
With upgrades around him, including Patrick Kane and Roman Kantserov to potentially play on his wing, he should have the help he needs to take another step.
Although every hockey observer knows the level that Connor Bedard is aiming to reach, which would firmly get him in the top ten of this list, it is good for him to be recognized amongst the greatest players in the game.
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While the Detroit Red Wings continue to face more questions than answers regarding their on-ice and front-office leadership as Training Camp quickly approaches, one of their acquisitions from earlier this summer could ultimately pay off in a big way.
On the opening day of free agency, now-former Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman acquired hard-nosed forward Keegan Kolesar from the Vegas Golden Knights in return for a 2027 seventh-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.
Kolesar, a veteran of 439 regular-season games with the Golden Knights, arrives in Detroit with Stanley Cup-winning experience. He was part of Vegas’ championship-winning squad in 2022-23 and also helped the team reach the Stanley Cup Final earlier this spring, though the Golden Knights fell short against the Carolina Hurricanes.
While he isn't relied upon to provide much scoring, Kolesar will instead help the Red Wings in an area where they've been sorely lacking: providing a physical presence and making them a more difficult team for opponents to play against.
The Red Wings were ranked dead last in a recent NHL aggressiveness index for last season, something that Kolesar will be looking to change.
"Just talking to guys now, they felt that there was a missing piece, maybe an identity of just having that - not the fighting aspect, but more of the toughness and being hard to play against, being a veteran presence on the front end, bringing guys into the fight," Kolesar explained during his introductory Zoom media session in July. "I think that’s something I can provide.”
“You try to bring guys into the fight every night," he continued. "If I can be one of those older guys that comes in and shows guys that we’re going to go in there to the trenches tonight and see who wants to follow me, and maybe it uplifts the guys a little bit more.”
Having a physical presence willing to battle in the dirty areas of the ice and immediately stand up for his teammates is something the Red Wings have lacked in recent years.
While Kolesar's addition isn't the second coming of such former players like Bob Probert, Brendan Shanahan, Darren McCarty, and Martin Lapointe, it should only help address that deficiency and help them shed the reputation of being too easy to play against.
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Oliver Kapanen took a big step forward with his development last season with the Montreal Canadiens. In 82 games last season with the Original Six club, he posted 22 goals, 15 assists, and 37 points
When noting that this was Kapanen's first full NHL season, there is no question that he had a solid year for the Habs. Yet, it would not be surprising if he ends up having an even better year for Montreal in 2026-27.
Now that Kapanen is heading into next season more adjusted to the NHL level, the possibility of him improving his all-around game should not be ruled out.
Kapanen has already shown that he can produce solid secondary offensive production in the NHL, and it would be big for the Canadiens if he improved upon it further in 2026-27. If he can produce more offense while also strengthening his two-way game, he would undoubtedly make Montreal's forward group better.
At just 23 years old and 100 NHL games into his career, Kapanen has very likely not reached his ceiling yet. It will be interesting to see what kind of season he puts together for the Canadiens in 2026-27 from here, but it is hard not to feel optimistic about his future with the team.
The Buffalo Sabres did some very-impressive things in the 2025-26 season, earning first place in the highly-competitive Atlantic Division, then winning their opening-round Stanley Cup playoffs series against the Boston Bruins before losing to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round.
That strong season means TheHockeyNews.com’s annual grades for Sabres players will be mostly in the ‘A’ and ‘B’ area. And in this particular “Sabres Grades” file, we’re turning our attention to forward Peyton Krebs.
Krebs was an RFA this summer, but Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen signed him to a four-year contact extension worth $4.5-million per-season. That certainly raises the stakes and expectations for Krebs, but he’s still only 25 years old and has room to grow his game. But let’s look at his contributions from this past season to understand why we gave him the grade we did.
Peyton Krebs
Position: Center
Grade: B+
The Skinny: Last season, Krebs posted career-highs in goals (12), assists (27) and points (39) in 82 games. They’re modest jumps from his previous career-highs of 10 goals, 18 assists and 28 points, but Krebs has made slow-but-steady improvement. And his 2025-26 ice-time average of 13:46 is just seven seconds higher than his career-average ice-time of 13:39.
Krebs is never going to be the dynamic difference-maker the Vegas Golden Knights hoped he’d be when they drafted him 17th-overall in 2019. But as a cornerstone bottom-six forward, he’s a smart choice – and one who could look like even more of a financial bargain as the cap ceiling continues to rise exponentially.
One of the intriguing elements of Krebs’ new contract is that he doesn’t have any no-trade or no-move protection in the first two years of the contract – and in the final two years, he has a modified no-trade clause allowing him to veto a trade to seven teams of his choosing. So if Kekalainen doesn’t see enough out of Krebs in the next two years, Kekalainen doesn’t have to deal with any no-trade issues with him.
That’s an article for another day, but the truth is that Krebs had a terrific season – maybe not one that bowls you over because of his sheer force of willpower, but he was an above-average soldier for coach Lindy Ruff, and in the post-season, Krebs generated an impressive four assists and six points in 13 playoff games. For his 2025-26 salary of $1.45-million, that’s great work. And Krebs figures to be an important component as Buffalo tries to ratchet up their game and get to the Eastern Conference final and beyond.
Krebs can be part of the solution in Sabres Land, but it’s important not to saddle him with the weight of expectation you’d have for a more natural scorer at the NHL level. And if Buffalo fans give him breathing room. Krebs could reward their patience by being a fixture for the Sabres for quite some time to come.
Buffalo isn’t a destination spot for NHLers seeking a new home, but by retaining competent players like Krebs, they can cross certain things off their list and focus more of their attention and cap space on higher-end players. He makes the Sabres harder to play against, and if Krebs comes into the 2026-27 campaign and finds a way to get to the 50-point plateau – something that shouldn’t be impossible for him – he’ll earn an ‘A’ or an ‘A+’ grade this time next summer.
Did you miss anything from the past week at The Hockey News - San Jose? If you did, we have you covered with the Sunday Recap. Click on each card below to read the stories from the past week.
According to Jeremy Garrett of Hockey News Hub, San Jose Sharks prospect Yaroslav Korostelyov is terminating his contract with SKA St. Petersburg and will make the jump to North America this coming season. The report was seemingly confirmed by Sharks President Jonathan Becher in a quote tweet, although the team has yet to officially confirm the signing.
Heading into the 2026-27 San Jose Sharks season, a number of players will be chasing various milestones. Some of those milestones will be major, career-defining ones, while others will mark an important stepping stone for future accomplishments.
Celebrini, 20, is going to be tied for the fifth-highest rated player in this year's iteration of the EA Sports NHL series, NHL 27, while also being featured on the cover. When the game releases early next month, Celebrini will have a 95 overall rating, which ties him with players like Sidney Crosby, Cale Makar, David Pastrnak, Aleksander Barkov, and others. Celebrini is tied for the fourth-highest rating for a center, behind Connor McDavid (99), Nathan MacKinnon (97), and Leon Draisaitl (96).
On Thursday, the University of Wisconsin Badgers' head coach, Mike Hastings, announced that San Jose Sharks great Joe Pavelski will be joining their coaching staff for the coming season.
Ahead of the 2026-27 season, The Hockey News released their annual Yearbook and projected where each team in the NHL will finish in the standings. The San Jose Sharks are one of the teams expected to take major steps forward, as they were picked to finish fourth in the Pacific Division.
Former San Jose Sharks defenseman Vincent Iorio will be staying in the Big Apple for at least one more season, as he’s signed a new one-year contract with the New York Rangers.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the San Jose Sharks were in no man's land with regard to defenseman Sam Dickinson. He wasn't quite ready for the NHL, but he had accomplished everything he could in the Ontario Hockey League, and he wouldn't develop any further at that level. As a 19-year-old, he was ineligible for the American Hockey League due to the rules at the time, which are set to change a season too late in this regard.
With reports suggesting the NHL could add a 33rd team ahead of the 2029-30 season, the idea of an expansion draft is certainly going to start dominating headlines and will take up a considerable amount of general managers’ brainpower for the foreseeable future. As the San Jose Sharks are expected to be done with their rebuild at that point, they’ll likely lose a reliable player during the summer of 2029. While there’s plenty of time for things to change, let’s take a look at what the Sharks’ protection list might look like by that point.
A month ago, we discussed the possibility of the Montreal Canadiensacquiring Zach Withecloud from the Calgary Flames to shore up the right side of their blueline. There’s a hole there, and it needs addressing sooner rather than later. In an ideal world, Lane Hutson wouldn’t have to play on his off side, nor would Kaiden Guhle. On his Habscast podcast on Saturday night, Grant McCagg made an interesting suggestion.
He also believes Whitecloud would be an interesting target for the Canadiens. But he speculates the Habs should approach the Flames with an offer that includes Adam Engstrom and Alexander Zharovsky. While the idea is likely to ruffle some feathers, it’s not without logic.
Many believe that Engstrom is ready to make the jump to the NHL, including former Laval Rocket coach Pascal Vincent, but he’s not the type of defenseman the Canadiens need. Yes, he can play on his off side, but he’s not a robust defensive defenseman. He’s a good skater and has a good first pass to launch the attack, but that’s not something the Habs are missing. That’s why McCagg believes he could be a good bargaining chip.
As for Zharovsky, his point is similar: the Russian winger can score spectacular goals and make great highlight-reel-worthy passes, but that’s not necessarily what the Canadiens need. Montreal has got plenty of skill and talent, and that’s not the kind of top-six player Kent Hughes is looking for. The Canadiens have reportedly tried to acquire Matthew Knies from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Habs want productive forwards, yes, but they’re also looking for size and physicality from their next top-six forward. Zharovsky may be 6-foot-2, but he doesn’t play that type of game.
McCagg isn’t proposing to use both prospects to land Whitecloud alone, though; he adds the Flames could add a prospect like Samuel Honzek. A first-round pick in the 2023 draft, Honzek is a 6-foot-4, 185-pound left winger who was on track to have a breakout season with Calgary last year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in a freak collision with a teammate.
Would the Flames be willing to do that trade? It’s a good question. They’ve been reported to have interest in Canadiens’ RFA Arber Xhekaj in the past, and while Xhekaj has attributes the Habs need, he’s not being used enough to have an impact. In that sense, he may be worth more to the Habs as a trade chip than as a seventh defenseman. It likely would have to be a sign-and-trade kind of deal, though.
If they won’t play him, it could be wise for the Habs to dangle Xhekaj in front of the Flames. That way, they could keep hold of Engstrom. While some believe it’s not time for the Habs to start overpaying for assets, it’s important to remember that if and when they start doing that, there’s no guarantee that it will work right away. Even established NHL players need time to adapt to a new team and a new system, like Noah Dobson did this past season. Nick Suzuki is now halfway through his eight-year contract, and when it runs out at the end of the 2029-30 season, there’s no telling how much it will cost to re-sign him. Suzuki is in his prime now; it’s time for Hughes to add some of those big missing pieces so that there is time for it all to come together.
According to Puckpedia, next offseason, when the contracts of Josh Anderson, Phillip Danault, Kirby Dach, and Alexandre Carrier expire, Montreal will have nearly $39.5 million in cap space. The GM will be in an excellent position to chase big-time players to complete the puzzle up front. If Montreal were to acquire a reliable right-shot defenseman like Whitecloud now, they could give Reinbacher one more year of seasoning in the AHL, and next season, when Carrier comes off the books, the Habs could have Dobson, Whitecloud, and Reinbacher on the right and Matheson, Hutson, and Guhle on the left.
By then, with Michael Hage joining the fold at the end of the current season, hopefully with a Frozen Four title in his back pocket, the Habs would need to add a top-six player and some size and grit to their bottom six. Next offseason, Marchenko will be an RFA and could sign an offer sheet. Given how much interest the Canadiens reportedly have, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them go down that route if they cannot reach a deal for a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets by then.
So far this offseason, it looks like Hughes has tried to find a top-six forward, to no avail. If he’s able to pry a reliable veteran right-shot defenseman from a trade partner, it would be worth doing it. It might not be as exciting an acquisition as a top-of-the-lineup forward, but it’s still a need that has to be addressed if the Canadiens want to be top contenders. It was painfully obvious in last year’s playoffs that Martin St-Louis didn’t have six defensemen he could trust, and that’s just as important as having a feared top six.
The Minnesota Wild have two of the four highest-rated left wings in NHL 27.
EA Sports revealed its top 10 left wingers for the upcoming game, with Kirill Kaprizov taking the No. 1 spot with a 94 overall rating.
Kaprizov finished ahead of Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson and Winnipeg Jets star Kyle Connor, who were each given a 92 overall rating.
Then comes another Wild star.
Matt Boldy received a 91 overall rating and ranks fourth among left wingers, giving Minnesota two players inside the top four at the position.
Los Angeles Kings winger Artemi Panarin also received a 91, while Matthew Tkachuk, Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel were rated 90. Jesper Bratt and Filip Forsberg round out the top 10 at 89.
Kaprizov's placement at No. 1 isn't much of a surprise. He has established himself as one of hockey's premier offensive players and remains the centerpiece of Minnesota's attack.
Boldy's continued ascent makes the rankings considerably more interesting for the Wild.
Having one elite winger is difficult enough for opposing teams to handle. According to EA Sports' ratings, Minnesota now possesses two of the four best left wings in hockey.
Kaprizov and Boldy give the Wild high-end scoring talent capable of driving separate lines or creating a dangerous combination when Minnesota puts its stars together.
NHL 27's ratings certainly aren't shy about Minnesota's talent on the wing: nobody at the position ranks higher than Kaprizov, and only three players rank ahead of Boldy.
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The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures.
We are continuing to look at potential options for the Sabres, now that veteran Patrick Kane has returned with Chicago. Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.
Kekalainen ideally is looking for someone who could make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, or someone who can fill the leadership gap and/or add some snarl and sandpaper to the middle-six, with the trade of Jordan Greenway to Chicago.
The Sabres appear to be set at center next season, with Tage Thompson, Josh Norris, Ryan McLeod, and Sam Carrick, and youngsters Kulich, Ostlund, and Helenius capable of shifting to the middle in case of injury. A player like Frost has played center during his seven-year career with Philadelphia and Calgary, but is also capable of being effective on the wing.
Who will make up for the goal scoring deficit created by the departure of Alex Tuch?
The 27-year-old was a 2017 first-rounder of the Flyers, and was dealt to the Flames in 2025. Frost has been a consistent 40+ point forward since becoming a full-time NHLer in 2022, and last season, in his first full year with Calgary, he scored a career-high 22 goals.
Unlike Brock Boeser, who has six years of term remaining, Frost will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026-27 season. While Boeser would likely cost a couple of the Sabres top prospects, the cost for a quality rental would be significantly less. One factor that could drive the price up on Frost is the normally inflated cost of centers before the trade deadline.
The Flames are a rebuilding club, and have a ton of cap space available, and with Frost in his mid-20’s, he is young enough to be in his prime when they are ready to contend. The question is whether GM Craig Conroy is willing to commit long-term and pay the going rate for a second-line center or top-six/top-nine winger instead of dealing him for a package of draft picks and/or prospects.
An eight-team no-trade list became a factor in the final year of his deal, but Frost being from Aurora, ON (north of Toronto) might make that a non-factor. With the Sabres likely entering the season hoping that their youngsters will pick up the scoring slack, they may choose to wait until the middle of the season before addressing any scoring deficiencies, and that timetable may be a perfect fit for the Flames, considering trading their expiring contracts.
Before the 2004-05 lockout, there was no salary cap. The league's financial structure was changing, competitive balance had become an increasing concern and the NHL ultimately lost an entire season while the owners and players fought over a new collective bargaining agreement.
When hockey returned, the sport looked different.
The introduction of a salary cap created a new reality for NHL teams. You could still build a powerhouse. You could still keep a championship window open for years. But eventually, difficult decisions would come. Good players would become too expensive. Veterans would age. Draft picks and prospects would become currency.
In other words, success could only last for so long before something had to give.
That is the nature of the modern NHL.
There are ebbs and flows. Some organizations spend years near the bottom, accumulating draft picks and young talent before finally emerging as contenders. Others reach the top and do everything possible to stay there, often sacrificing pieces of their future for a better chance to win in the present.
The San Jose Sharks are a perfect example of the first path.
After several difficult seasons, San Jose has begun building one of the NHL's most exciting young cores through the draft. Macklin Celebrini has already emerged as one of the league's brightest young stars, while Will Smith and Michael Misa give the organization even more elite talent to build around.
The Colorado Avalanche are on the opposite end of that cycle.
They haven't had the luxury — or perhaps more accurately, the need — to think like a rebuilding team.
When you have Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar in their prime, the future can wait.
The only thing that really matters is whether the roster in front of you is good enough to win the Stanley Cup.
And sometimes, that means paying for today with tomorrow.
That brings us to the Avalanche being ranked last in the NHL by The Athletic's Corey Pronman in his recent evaluation of each organization's under-23 talent.
On the surface, 32nd out of 32 teams sounds alarming.
For Colorado, though, the ranking is both understandable — and not necessarily something that should keep anyone up at night right now.
The Avalanche have spent years operating in win-now mode. They have moved first-round picks. They have traded promising prospects. They have prioritized players capable of helping them compete for a Stanley Cup today rather than simply stockpiling talent that might be ready three or four years from now.
That's what happens when your championship window is open.
And while I don't necessarily agree that Colorado's prospect situation is truly the worst in hockey, it's also difficult to argue that the Avalanche possess one of the league's stronger pipelines.
They don't.
The question is whether that actually matters right now.
And for the Avalanche, the answer is probably no.
The concern isn't necessarily that Colorado is ranked 32nd today. The concern is what happens when the championship window finally closes.
For now, though, the Avalanche still have an opportunity to win.
And when you're staring at a Stanley Cup window that may only remain wide open for another year or two, worrying about the prospects who might help you five years from now probably shouldn't be at the top of the priority list.
Tomorrow will eventually come.
The Avalanche can worry about rebuilding when it does.
Jesper Wallstedt's emergence has apparently caught the attention of EA Sports.
The Minnesota Wild goaltender received an 87 overall rating in NHL 27 and was ranked as the eighth-best goalie in the game.
Tampa Bay Lightning star Andrei Vasilevskiy leads the position with a 94 overall rating, followed by Ilya Sorokin at 93 and Connor Hellebuyck at 92.
Igor Shesterkin received a 91 overall rating, Logan Thompson is at 90 and Jeremy Swayman sits at 89. Jake Oettinger is seventh at 88 before Wallstedt checks in at No. 8.
Wallstedt is tied at 87 overall with Anaheim's Lukas Dostal and Calgary's Dustin Wolf.
For Minnesota, Wallstedt's placement is particularly noteworthy considering the company now views him in the same group as some of the NHL's established starting goaltenders.
The Wild drafted Wallstedt 20th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft with the expectation that he could eventually develop into their long-term answer in net.
EA Sports appears convinced that development has arrived.
With an 87 overall rating, Wallstedt isn't simply being viewed as one of the league's promising young goalies anymore. NHL 27 already has him rated as one of the 10 best goaltenders in hockey.
Wallstedt, 23, is entering the last year of his two-year contract with the Wild and will be a restricted free agent (RFA) after the season.
The 6-foot-3 goaltender went 18-9-6 in 35 games for the Wild with a 2.61 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. In ten playoff games Wallstedt went 5-5-0 with a 2.77 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
With Filip Gustavsson injured and recovering from off-season surgery, Wallstedt is set to play in a bigger role this season. He will be the starter for at least the first two months of the season before Gustavsson comes back in November.
But with Wallstedt in his final year of his contract and a bunch of goaltenders getting big contracts, along with Gustavsson out for two months, this will be a big year for the Swedish goaltender.
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A few days ago, Montreal Canadiens owner, president, and chief executive officer Geoff Molson was interviewed on Radio-Canada Sports and discussed several topics, including the Habs' two remaining RFAs: Arber Xhekaj and Zach Bolduc.
Unsurprisingly, Molson is very pleased with how last season went, and he believes that with another year of experience under their belt, the players will be eager to achieve even more this season and ready to start on the right foot.
The owner doesn’t appear to be overly concerned by the fact that Kent Hughes has yet to manage to sign Bolduc and Xhekaj. When the topic was brought up, he replied:
Those are two important players for us, and we’re working very hard to keep them.
- Molson on Xhekaj and Bolduc
While both fans and the owner agree that Xhekaj is an important part of the organization, his use by coach Martin St-Louis suggests otherwise. The coach has repeatedly said he doesn’t have a problem with the player, but when push comes to shove, he just doesn’t give him enough ice time and won’t let him play on the penalty killing, opting instead to give more ice time to Lane Hutson. At 25 years old, no one would blame the blueliner for wanting to be in an organization that believes in him.
The gritty blueliner has played four NHL seasons, but he’s still battling to find a regular role, and what was a duel with Jayden Struble is starting to look like a Royal Rumble. David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom have now made their way to the ring, and it’s looking like a big battle is set to take place at training camp. It’s a shame because the Canadiens do need more grit, physicality and size, but Xhekaj doesn’t look like a frontrunner right now, especially not after his limited use in the playoffs.
As for Bolduc, the hope is that he will become an important player for the Canadiens, but after just one season in the organization, it’s still early to qualify him as such. He finished the playoffs playing on the wing of the fourth line, which is likely not what Hughes had in mind when he traded Logan Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues for the young winger. Still, we saw some growth there during the postseason as he realized the type of game he needed to play to be useful to the team. However, it’s still early days to value what he brings and commit long-term, which likely explains why he remains unsigned.
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, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 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 82 NHL games.
The Sabres selected Leinonen in the second round after picking three centers (Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund, and Jiri Kulich) in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal. Similar to his countryman and fellow second-rounder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the 6’4″, 214 lb. Leinonen is the physical package that NHL clubs usually look for in a goaltender.
Who will make up the scoring created by the departure of Alex Tuch?
After putting up excellent numbers in Junior (2.28 GAA and .916 save percentage), he played internationally for Finland at the World Junior Under-18’s in 2022, but the next two seasons at the junior, second-level pro Mestis, and pro-level SM-Liiga, Leinonen was plagued by injury and the results have been mixed at best.
Leinonen shifted to Sweden to play for Mora IK in 2024, and the 22-year-old seemed to find his stride with a 2.31 GAA and .910 save percentage in 25 games. After being signed to an ELC in March 2025, the Sabres looked for him to put together a consistent season in North America, but with Devon Levi making over 50 starts in Rochester, he and backup Scott Ratzlaff split the backup duties and also spent time with ECHL Jacksonville.
The Sabres added veteran AHLer Matt Villalta in free agency, but it is expected that Leinonen and Ratzlaff will get the lion’s share of the starts next season.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 39 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #39.
Let's take a look.
Mike Pandolfo - 2003-04 - Pandolfo was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 3rd round of the 1998 NHL Draft.
Pandolfo was traded to the Blue Jackets at the 2002 NHL Draft. He played in three games for Columbus during the 03-04 season and had zero points. He spent most of his time with Columbus playing for the Syracuse Crunch. He retired after the 2007–08 season.
He's the brother of long-time NHLer Jay Pandolfo, who is currently the head coach of Boston University.
Steven Goertzen - 2006-07 - Goertzen was picked in the 7th round of the 2002 NHL Draft by Columbus.
Steven Goertzen played 46 games for the CBJ from 05-07 and had zero points. He left for Europe in 2011 and retired in 2015. He played in Czechia and England and was a player-coach while playing in England.
He returned to North America in 2018 and has been the Director of Player Development for the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds since 2019.
Greg Moore - 2009-10 - Moore was drafted in the 5th round of the 2003 NHL Draft.
Moore played four games for the Jackets during the 09-10 season and had zero points. On March 1, 2010, Moore was traded by the Islanders to the Columbus Blue Jackets. After signing with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010, he was traded back to Columbus on February 28, 2011.
He left for Europe in 2011 and would play in Germany and Czechia until he retired in 2015. He went into coaching immediately after retiring. He has coached at various levels for the United States Development Team and is currently the Head Coach for the U.S. National U-17 Team. He's also been a head coach for the USHL's Chicago Steel and for three seasons for the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
Moore has been brought back as an asst. coach for the Toronto Marlies for next season.
Michael Chaput - 2014-16 - Chaput was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2010 NHL Draft by Philadelphia.
Chaput was traded to the Blue Jackets on April 28, 2012, and signed a three-year entry-level contract. He would play 58 career games for the CBJ and total 8 points. He spent most of his time playing for the Springfield Falcons and Lake Erie Monsters.
In 2016, he was not tendered a contract and left for the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent. He's also played for the Montréal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes. He left for the KHL for a season and then returned to North America. After taking two seasons off, he played for the Québec National of the La Ligue nord-américaine de hockey (LNAH).
Tyler Angle - 2023-24 - Angle was drafted in the 7th round of the 2019 NHL Draft.
After turning pro in 2020, Angle spent most of his time playing for the Monsters. Angle would only play in 4 games for the CBJ and total one point.
After his contract with Columbus was up, Angle left for Germany and played for
Düsseldorfer EG of the DEL last season on a one-year deal. He returned to the AHL last season but has since returned to Europe and will play in Sweden in 26-27.
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Welcome to The Hockey News Vancouver Canucks site's 2026–27 player preview article series. This series will outline the expectations for every player projected to play for Vancouver during the 2026–27 season. Today's player is Canucks forward Braeden Cootes.
Cootes' 2025-2026 Season
After a strong training camp and pre-season, Cootes was named to Vancouver's opening night roster. The 2025 first-round pick played in three games before being assigned back to the WHL. Cootes was not only noticeable on the ice, but his maturity left a mark with both the fan base and his teammates.
As for the WHL, Cootes split the year between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Prince Albert Raiders. During the regular season, he scored 28 goals while recording 64 points in 45 games. Cootes was also named the WHL's Most Sportsmanlike Player and played on Team Canada's 2026 World Juniors team.
After the regular season was complete, Cootes was virtually unstoppable during the playoffs. He recorded 23 points in 20 games and helped the Raiders qualify for the WHL Final. During the post-season, Cootes also won 52.3% of his 277 faceoffs while ranking tied for the league lead with 11 power play points.
Cootes' 2025-26 Letter Grade
For his efforts in the 2025–26 season, The Hockey News' Canucks site gave Cootes an A- grade. He not only impressed in the WHL but also stood out during his short time with the NHL team. Cootes' experience last year should help him adjust to becoming a full-time pro in 2026-27.
Cootes' 2026-27 Predictions
How Vancouver manages Cootes this season will be intriguing. While he can return to the WHL, the most likely option is that he spends the campaign being shuttled between the AHL and the NHL. There is even a chance that Cootes could be called up just to practice for a few days if the Abbotsford Canucks schedule allows it.
Overall, Cootes should get some NHL games this year. He could even earn a full-time spot late in the season if the Canucks make some moves and have open spots after the trade deadline. At this stage of his development, Cootes needs regular minutes against tougher competition to show that he is ready for the jump to the NHL.
Bold Prediction: Cootes finishes the year with a faceoff win percentage over 50% at the NHL level.
Oct 9, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Braeden Cootes (80) skates against the Calgary Flames in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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