What more does Mark Scheifele have to do to crack the NHL's top 10 centres? Apparently, putting together the first 100-plus point season of his career isn't quite enough.
The NHL Network unveiled its annual ranking of the league's top 20 centres this week, with the Winnipeg Jets star checking in at No. 11 heading into the 2026-27 season.
The ranking is, in fact an improvement from his No. 14 placing from just one year ago, but after the season Scheifele put together in 2025-26, there is certainly an argument that the longtime Jet remains underrated.
Photo by James Carey Lauder/USA Today
Scheifele recorded 36 goals and a career-high 67 assists for 103 points last season, reaching triple digits for the first time in his 15-year NHL career. That wasn't simply just a career year by Scheifele's standards. His 103 points actually ranked fifth among all NHL players - regardless of position. Yet when the NHL Network ranked the game's best players at his position, Scheifele couldn't crack the top 10.
And no, he did not make the Canadian national team that played in the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games. Having 10 centres ranked higher than him just adds to what has already been a challenging offseason.
Jack Hughes landed immediately ahead of Scheifele at No. 10, while Nick Suzuki, Auston Matthews, Sidney Crosby and Jack Eichel occupied spots six through nine.
There's obviously no shortage of elite talent in that group, and ranking players is certainly subjective. But Scheifele's continued placement outside the league's upper tier is becoming increasingly difficult to justify based on production alone.
He has scored at least 20 goals in 11 consecutive seasons and has reached the 30-goal mark seven times. Last season, at 32 years old, he took his offensive game to another level. Scheifele also continued rewriting Winnipeg's record book along the way, further cementing himself as one of the greatest players in franchise history.
Perhaps some of the perception surrounding Scheifele stems from playing his entire career in Winnipeg, away from many of the NHL's largest markets. Perhaps it's the abundance of superstar centres around the league.
Whatever the reason, Scheifele has quietly continued producing at a level that stacks up against virtually anyone at his position. Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Leon Draisaitl occupying spots near the top of a list like this is hardly debatable. But once the conversation moves beyond that group, Scheifele deserves to be firmly involved.
Instead, even after a 103-point season, he's still looking in from the outside.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 11: Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rutger McGroarty (2) looks on during the first period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals on April 11, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Rutger McGroarty, last season’s top prospect in the Pensburgh rankings, slips back to No. 4 in the 2026 rankings after playing 24 games with the Penguins last season.
McGroarty is still looking to find solid footing in the NHL despite an extended call-up with the Penguins last winter.
He missed training camp due to an upper-body injury and began the season rehabbing before starting out the campaign with Wilkes/Barre-Scranton.
The winger was called up to the NHL from Dec. 1 to Jan. 3, a span over which he posted three points (two goals, one assist) in 16 games while averaging 12:13 per game with minimal time on special teams.
This first stint in the NHL ended with a concussion diagnosis, after which McGroarty was reassigned to Wilkes/Barre.
McGroarty played four AHL games after recovering from his concussion. He was called back up to the NHL on Jan. 29 and played another four games with the Penguins before the NHL split for the Olympic break.
He got his third recall of the season once the Penguins had already clinched a playoff spot in late March, scoring his third goal of the season in a regular season finale loss to the St. Louis Blues.
In part due to his usage, McGroarty wasn’t always an impact player in the NHL.
The same couldn’t be said for his work in the AHL last season. McGroarty celebrated his return to the WBS lineup at the beginning of the season by racking up four goals in his first four games back from injury in November.
McGroarty put together a point-per-game AHL campaign before playing a key role in helping Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a run to the Eastern Conference Final.
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) June 4, 2026
McGroarty told Inside AHL Hockey’s Tony Androckitis after the season he saw the 2025-26 campaign as “a year of learning.”
“I think that, being between two teams, kind of having a few different roles helped me a lot mentally… going through those growing pains of going up and down, playing well here, maybe playing well there and not producing,” McGroarty said in June.
McGroarty is currently signed through next season before he is set to hit restricted free agency ahead of his age-23 campaign in 2027.
Especially in the wake of Ville Koivunen’s eight-year extension earlier this offseason, will McGroarty be able to earn himself the increased NHL playing time that could give him a better shot at making an impact with the Penguins?
One skill that’s gotten in the way of McGroarty making a full-time NHL jump before now is his skating, an area in which Kyle Dubas said in May he has seen improvement.
“He’s put in a lot of work. I think it’s evident when watching the games, for me, anyway,” Dubas said about McGroarty in May. “Especially without the puck on the forecheck, able to generate much more speed, pressure the opponents. I think that’s the type of game he’s going to have to play.”
Dubas continued, “I think, with Rutger, he’s proven to be an excellent penalty killer, excellent netfront power-play guy with Wilkes/Barre. The skating has always been the thing with him, and he’s put in the work, and improved on it.
“So we expect next year that he’ll have every opportunity to earn a spot here. How high in the lineup that is will be up to him, and earning a spot at large will be up to him.”
The Penguins’ forward depth and McGroarty’s contract could make this close to a make-or-break year for the 22-year-old winger.
He’ll be looking to earn a roster spot, and potentially some special teams playing time, out of training camp this fall. That will start with him staying in good health that allows him to stay with the team for the entirety of training camp next month.
Jakub Dobes started last season as the Montreal Canadiens’ backup goaltender, and by the time the playoffs started, he had wrestled for the starting job away from Samuel Montembeault and outdueled Jacob Fowler to get the nod for the postseason. It was an eventful rookie season, to say the least; there were ups, there were downs, there was a crisis of confidence. At one point, the young netminder showed he was incredibly emotional, which earned him a break from the media, but at the end of the day, Dobes pocketed 29 regular-season wins and nine more in the playoffs.
In the offseason, he signed a three-year contract extension with a $5.6M AAV with the Canadiens, even though he still had a year left on his existing deal. That was a great confidence builder for the netminder, who might have felt last year like the organization didn’t trust him when the Habs kept going back to Montembeault even though Dobes was winning his games. Later that summer, NHL Network named him the league’s 10th-best goaltender, which can be seen as another confidence builder.
What can we expect from Dobes this season? A more focused goaltender who doesn’t have to worry about an expiring contract or a battle for the top job in net. Of course, Martin St-Louis would say that anything can happen at training camp, but realistically, as things stand, the job is Dobes’ to lose.
In The Hockey News 2026-27 Yearbook, THN predicts Dobes will improve his win total to 31. That makes sense, as the Habs are expected to keep improving organically, and it’s highly unlikely that he finds himself stuck in a three-goalie carousel. Montembeault is still around, and since Fowler can be sent down to Laval without clearing waivers, that’s likely where he will be unless the Bécancour native is traded until then. Fowler needs a lot of action to keep developing, and the last thing he needs is a three-way battle.
While the Canadiens will likely want to give Montembeault a chance to both bounce back and improve his trade value as he enters the last year of his contract, expect Dobes to get the lion’s share of the work, perhaps between 40 and 50 games. The 25-year-old has already established himself as a fan favorite, and he should keep building on that with a strong season to show he wasn’t just a flash in the pan. By signing him to an early extension, Kent Hughes has put him in the best environment to succeed, which was a wise move, especially with Montembeault’s contract expiring at the end of this season and the future looking like a Dobes-Fowler duo.
Visite spéciale à l'École de hockey des Canadiens, alors que Jakub Dobes est venu passer du temps avec la prochaine génération de hockeyeurs 🏒
A special visit at Canadiens Hockey School, as Jakub Dobes dropped by to spend time with the next generation of hockey players… pic.twitter.com/n4QTx0TFaU
At No. 4 in this ranking of Toronto Maple Leafs prospects is Miroslav Holinka.
The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all under 23. Therefore, players such as William Villeneuve, Artur Akhtyamov and Easton Cowan, among others, won't feature in this ranking for either or both of those particular reasons.
In terms of where these players fall in the rankings, it is a mix of their ceiling and potential, as well as how they've performed in the past year with their respective clubs.
The Maple Leafs drafted Holinka in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL draft with the 151st overall pick. Ever since Toronto made that pick, the 6-foot-2 center has turned into a star at the Jr. level.
He made his first appearance in the WHL for the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2024-25 and had a solid rookie campaign. Holinka posted 19 goals and 26 assists for 45 points in 47 games. He finished sixth in team scoring and announced himself as a top prospect within the Maple Leafs' organization.
His following WHL campaign was even more impressive as he nearly doubled his scoring totals for the Oil Kings. Holinka notched 37 goals and 43 assists for 80 points in the regular season. He led Edmonton in goals and was second in scoring.
With that regular-season performance, he was named to the WHL's Eastern Conference second all-star team.
His impressive scoring rate carried through to the post-season when he recorded seven goals and 11 points in seven contests, leading the team in both categories. Holinka's ability to score goals seriously heightened in 2025-26.
Going back to 2024-25, he represented Czechia at the World Junior Championship. In seven appearances for the national team in this competition, Holinka registered a goal and four points. He and the team went on to win the bronze medal.
In a professional hockey sense, Holinka featured for the AHL's Toronto Marlies for one outing this past year. He was in the lineup on April 12 to take on the Syracuse Crunch and posted a secondary assist in that game.
He'll have a spot on the Marlies' roster this coming season and will take his first step to play a full year at the professional level in North America. Without a doubt, he's one of the best young prospects in the Maple Leafs' system, and next season will be a big measuring year for the 20-year-old.
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In their 34-year history, the modern-day Ottawa Senators have employed 475 different hockey players from around the world. But there haven't been that many from Ottawa, and even fewer who made a real impact on the team.
We did some digging to determine which of those local players accomplished the most in a Senators uniform.
To make the list, you had to be born and raised in the amalgamated City of Ottawa and play at least 82 games for the Sens, the equivalent of one full season.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss the Sens now keeping a type lid on team information when they want to .
Here, in no particular order, are the best five Senators who were born and raised in Ottawa.
Todd White
Born in Kanata, White joined the Senators for part of the 2000-01 season, playing most of that year with the club's IHL team in Grand Rapids. The next two seasons, White became an important offensive player during one of the most successful periods in franchise history. He had 144 points in 230 regular-season games for the Sens.
His best season came in 2002–03, when he produced 25 goals and 60 points as the Senators won the Presidents’ Trophy with 113 points. White added five goals during that spring’s playoff run, helping the Sens advance to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final.
His 0.63 points per game remain the highest rate among the retired players on this list.
Marc Methot
Marc Methot was acquired from Columbus for Nick Foligno in 2012 and became the ideal defensive partner for Erik Karlsson. Methot’s physicality, positioning and willingness to handle difficult assignments gave Karlsson the freedom to become the league’s most dynamic defenceman.
Methot appeared in 304 regular-season games for his hometown team and was a key part of the club that came within one overtime goal of reaching the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.
His Sens career ended abruptly when the Vegas Golden Knights selected him in the 2017 expansion draft. His departure left a hole on the Senators’ blue line that proved extremely difficult to fill. But injuries kicked in after that. He ended up in Dallas and played just 45 more NHL games.
Jason York
Born in Nepean, Jason York joined the Senators in a 1996 trade with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and became a steady presence during the franchise’s transformation from expansion team to perennial playoff club.
York played 383 regular-season games for Ottawa across five seasons. The Senators qualified for the playoffs in each of those years, including their first postseason appearance in 1997 and their first playoff-series victory in 1998.
His strongest offensive season came in 1998–99, when he had 35 points and led all Sens defencemen in scoring. He still shares the record for most shots in a Senators game with 12.
Cody Ceci
Cody Ceci is the only active player on this list and will likely hit 1000 career games this season.
Ceci should probably be regarded as Ottawa hockey royalty. No other modern-day Senator was born here, played his minor hockey here, played almost four seasons with the OHL's Ottawa 67’s, and then was drafted in the first round by the Senators.
Ceci appeared in 440 regular-season games for the Sens which is more than any other player on this list. He could never put up the kind of offence he did in junior, but he was a top-four D during the Senators’ run to the 2017 Eastern Conference final.
Mark Borowiecki
Few Senators have represented Ottawa with more enthusiasm and class than Mark Borowiecki.
Born in Kanata, Borowiecki played junior hockey with the Smiths Falls Bears before attending Clarkson University. The Senators drafted him in the fifth round in 2008, and he went on to play 375 regular-season games for the Senators, putting up 51 points and 643 penalty minutes.
Affectionately known as “Borocop,” he scrapped his way to the NHL through physical play, shot blocking and a willingness to defend his teammates.
He was also amazing in the community. Borowiecki built a strong connection with fans that continues today.
Getting to the NHL is a huge accomplishment. But doing it in your hometown with the team you grew up watching makes it even more special.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest headlines below:
It's officially another season, another prospects ranking for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In years past, this has been a bit easier of an exercise, as there used to be a more clear-cut line between prospects with NHL upside and longshots. However, because of the work that general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and his staff have put in during the last several years, the line is blurring a whole lot more - and there is a substantially higher volume of talent in the system.
This time around, making a top-20 list was challenging. So, a few criteria were put into place: To make our list, prospects must be under the age of 26 and have played less than 50 NHL games. This excludes names such as Ben Kindel, Filip Hallander, Oliver Okuliar, and Alexander Alexeyev.
We placed forward Bill Zonnon at No. 3, as he has, arguably, the highest floor of any prospect in the Penguins' organization. To be honest, the first and second spots on our list were almost a complete toss-up, but there was a very tiny degree of separation between the two.
So, at No. 2, we chose the potential franchise netminder.
No. 2: G Sergei Murashov
SERGEI. MURASHOV.
You've got to be kidding me.
Calmly to the bench after a ridiculous glove save late in the 3rd period to keep game tied at 1-1.
Many folks who cover the Penguins have the 22-year-old Murashov ranked No. 1 on their Penguins' prospects lists, which is understandable. Given that this is, according to many, a two-horse race between two organizational unicorns, he very well could have been placed first here, too.
And, well, that speaks to how dominant Murashov has been up to this point in his professional career.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound netminder went from dominating the MHL to dominating the KHL to dominating the ECHL to dominating the AHL. In fact, prior to reaching the AHL level, Murashov had never posted a save percentage below .922, at least not since he was 16 years old and in his rookie MHL season.
At the AHL level, he put up back-to-back campaigns with .912 and .919 save percentages, respectively, earning him AHL All-Rookie Honors as voted by players, coaches, and media at season's end. He even saw a brief five-game stint at the NHL level early last season.
The NHL sample was too small to really draw much conclusion from. But one of the unique, key qualities that Murashov possesses is that he's able to come up big in big moments, much like NHL probable tandem partner Arturs Silovs. And he showed that big-game dominance in the Calder Cup Playoffs last season.
in 15 games - he started all 15 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins during their playoff run to the Eastern Conference Final - he posted a 2.11 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage, which was a pretty impressive showing for a goalie who had only four previous professional playoff appearances. He kept WBS in nearly every game, even when they weren't at their best, and gave his team the best chance he could.
And so much of Murashov's game revolves around his maturity and his confidence. He is poised in net, anticipates well, is quick post-to-post, and plays the puck well, too. Most of the time, his reads are so quick that he puts himself in position to make a big save look easy that wouldn't look as such for others.
So, there is a lot to look forward to with regards to Murashov. There are some areas of weakness that still need to be ironed out, though, for him to find sustained success at the NHL level. He did improve his rebound control by quite a large margin last season, which was one of the biggest knocks on him prior. However, he still gives up a few too many soft goals, and he still sometimes gets himself in trouble when playing the puck.
The main thing for Murashov to iron out is to know when to pick his spots. He can get a bit too aggressive at times and overcommit, and that's something he's going to have to adjust to at NHL speed. He'll also need to remain wary of NHLers who can shoot top-shelf with far more accuracy than the shooters he has faced up to this point, but he already has a nice glove hand and a solid blocker side, too.
Of all the prospects on this list, Murashov is the most sure bet to be on the NHL roster next season, as Silovs re-signed but veteran Stuart Skinner walked, leaving one open NHL roster spot for him, Joel Blomqvist, Taylor Gauthier, and Gabriel D'Aigle to battle for. He also has the highest ceiling of any goaltender in their system up to this point, and unless D'Aigle takes significant strides this season, that will remain the case.
He's the one player in the Penguins' system who could end up a franchise player at his respective position, and that definitely counts for something. However, fans shouldn't necessarily expect to see that franchise-level goaltending right away.
Goaltenders are volatile. A lot can change. Some peak in the AHL, even the best ones. Some take longer to get up to NHL speed, which could happen in this case. Some need a little bit of time to work through struggles and come out the other end. The uncertain nature of his position is one of the reasons why he sits at two on this list and not one.
Things might not be perfect right away for Murashov as he adjusts to the NHL level, and he may even see 1B duties behind Silovs at first as he makes that adjustment. However, this guy has a ton of raw talent, and his quickness, athleticism, maturity, and wisdom beyond his years should serve him well in that transition.
Quite frankly, Murashov missing the NHL roster out of camp would come as a shock, and that's not a knock on the other guys. It just speaks to how high his potential is and where he's at in his development.
Franchise goaltender or not, Murashov will be one of the most exciting Penguins' prospects to watch in the next few years. The sky is the limit for him, and the future of the Penguins might rest on him finding his place somewhere among the stars.
Heading into his second year in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks would undoubtedly love to see Michael Misa take a massive step forward in his development.
Misa, 19, had the disadvantage of great expectations heading into his rookie season. As the second-overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, it's easy to get caught by a whirlwind of expectations which can lead to disappointing performances. Luckily for Misa, the Sharks were no stranger to top prospects as they had Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith break into the NHL during the prior season.
Misa followed a similar plan to Smith's rookie season, as the Sharks allowed him to adjust to life in the NHL without wearing him out with the insane schedule that comes as a part of it. They'd sit him as needed, which allowed him to rest and learn by watching his teammates.
The Sharks likely would've preferred to see Misa on the ice more than 45 times last season, but injury, the World Junior Championships and some early contractual issues on the organization's side of things led to him being limited even more than expected.
Assuming Misa is able to stay healthy during his sophomore season, it seems safe to assume that the Sharks are going to aim to play him in all 84 games this time around. So, assuming he's able to do that, what would a successful season look like for the young centerman?
While offensive production is a key part of Misa's game, and it will be his biggest asset in the long run, the Sharks need to get him to a point where he can match up against other teams' top players if necessary. Misa will likely slot in as the Sharks' second-line center of the future, behind Celebrini of course. In the event that Celebrini suffers an injury at some point down the line, which the Sharks will need to be able to rely on Misa to cover all of his duties, which will include playing against the NHL's elite centers.
Misa will likely never be a candidate for the Selke Trophy, but they'll want him to be solid in his own zone and that side of his game needs a considerable amount of work at the NHL level. He was a reliable two-way player in the Ontario Hockey League, now he needs it to translate to the NHL.
On the offensive side of things, it's unrealistic to expect him to have a season like Celebrini did in his sophomore campaign. For Misa, a realistic target would likely be between 50-60 points in an 84 game season. Given his natural goal-scoring ability as well, roughly 20 of those should be goals.
All-in-all, the most important thing Misa needs to do for a successful season is to establish himself as the Sharks' second-line center as soon as possible. With the team aiming to push for a playoff spot this time around, Ryan Warsofsky and company will need Misa to surpass Alexander Wennberg for that spot. Even though Wennberg is a fantastic third-line center, he shouldn't be on the second line of a playoff team.
Expectations are undoubtedly going to be high for Michael Misa heading into his second NHL season, but that's nothing new for him. While there's always the possibility of a sophomore slump, he has all the tools to be a key player for the Sharks this season if he's able to put things together.
In an unexpected turn of events, San Jose Sharks goaltending development coach and scout Ryan Miller participated in the Colorado Avalanche's alumni game on Sunday, despite never playing for the Avalanche.
The Avalanche touted Miller as a "special guest" on social media, however the story behind how he ended up participating has not been confirmed:
Miller, 46, had a playing career that spanned across 18 seasons at the NHL level. The majority of his 796 career games were spent with the Buffalo Sabres, the organization that drafted him 138th overall in 1999. He also had stints with the St. Louis Blues, the Vancouver Canucks, and one of the Sharks' in-state rivals, the Anaheim Ducks.
At one point, Miller was the winningest American goaltender in NHL history with 391 career victories, but he has since been passed by long-time Los Angeles Kings netminder Jonathan Quick who retired with 410 wins.
Since retiring as a player at the end of the 2020-21, Miller took a few seasons off before spending the last three seasons with the Sharks organization acting as both the goaltending development coach and as a goaltending scout.
Simon Nemec hasn't forgotten what happened in New Jersey.
The former second-overall pick spent years waiting for the opportunity to prove he could become the star defenseman the Devils envisioned when they drafted him. Instead, he found himself on the outside of a crowded blue line, fighting for ice time and ultimately being shipped out of town before he ever received the role he believed he deserved.
Now, Nemec has a new team, a new contract and a chance to turn the Calgary Flames into the vehicle for his revenge.
"I just want to prove to everyone that New Jersey wasn't right," Nemec told The Hockey News' David Alter.
For Nemec, this is no longer simply about a fresh start.
It's about making the Devils regret the day they decided they could live without him.
The 22-year-old arrives in Calgary carrying the weight of enormous expectations, but also with a rare opportunity to finally establish himself as the type of defenseman many believed he could become when New Jersey selected him second overall in the 2022 NHL Draft.
The Flames are betting heavily that opportunity was exactly what Nemec needed.
Calgary acquired Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov from the Devils in June in exchange for two conditional first-round picks, a second-round selection and defense prospect Etienne Morin. The Flames then doubled down on their belief in the young defenseman, signing him to a five-year contract worth $7.25 million annually.
That is a significant investment in a player who has yet to fully establish himself at the NHL level.
But Calgary isn't paying for what Nemec has already accomplished. The Flames are paying for what they believe he is about to become.
Nemec showed flashes of that potential last season, setting career highs with 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games. Yet his development in New Jersey was complicated by a crowded defense corps and limited opportunities to take on the offensive responsibilities typically afforded to a player with his pedigree.
For a former No. 2 overall pick, being asked to wait his turn can be frustrating. For Nemec, it eventually became impossible to ignore.
"I think I couldn't play my best hockey," Nemec said. "I wasn't given the opportunity that I want, and at the end of the day, they decided it's best for me - and for them - to get traded. And I'm happy with that."
The move may ultimately prove beneficial for everyone involved.
But Nemec clearly has no intention of quietly moving on from New Jersey.
He believes there is more to his game than the Devils ever had the chance—or willingness—to see.
In Calgary, he could finally get the opportunity to prove it.
The Flames offer a considerably different landscape for Nemec. Instead of competing for offensive responsibilities behind established names, he enters an organization that has made a substantial long-term commitment to him and appears prepared to give him every opportunity to become a central piece of its future.
That could include a larger role on the power play, more responsibility at even strength and the type of consistent minutes Nemec believes were missing during his time with the Devils.
The opportunity is there.
Now comes the part Nemec has been waiting for: making New Jersey regret letting him go.
"I feel like they need a player like me," Nemec said. "I can play a lot of minutes there. I can be part of the future there and be one of the leaders of the team."
Those are ambitious words from a 22-year-old still looking to establish himself.
But Nemec is entering Calgary with something more dangerous than confidence.
He has a score to settle.
The Devils made their decision. They determined that moving the former second-overall pick was in their best interest.
Nemec now has five years in Calgary to convince them they were wrong.
The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all 23 and under. Therefore, players like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Logan Mailloux, among others, won't feature in this ranking for those reasons.
The order of these rankings reflects a mix of their ceilings and potential, as well as how they've performed over the past year with their respective clubs.
Gastrin and Buchelnikov, two prospects acquired in trades, could have easily been swapped, but Gastrin is just 19 years old and brings a more well-rounded game than Buchelnikov does.
Gastrin was originally a second-round pick (37th overall) of the Washington Capitals in the 2025 NHL draft. The Blues acquired him, alongside Connor McMichael and a first-round pick, in a deal that sent Jordan Kyrou to the Capitals.
While McMichael and the first-round pick, which was used to select Maddox Dagenais, feel like the best part of the return, there is a real possibility that Gastrin turns out to be just as important an acquisition as any player in this deal.
Playing in the HockeyAllsvenskan this past season, Gastrin posted 10 goals and 24 points in 39 games with MoDo Hockey. Gastrin signed his entry-level contract with the Capitals last summer and was loaned back to Sweden for the season.
The Blues will do the same, as they have loaned him to Brynas IF, which will be playing in the SHL next year. Gastrin will hopefully be given additional ice time and a bigger role before joining the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL to end the season.
Additionally, Gastrin will almost assuredly make Team Sweden's World Junior Championship roster once again, but this time around he'll play a more prominent role.
Gastrin was part of Sweden's gold medal-winning team but played as a depth forward, skating in six games without recording any points. With players like Anton Frondell, Ivar Stenberg, and Viggo Bjorck all possibly playing in the NHL, Sweden will need players like Gastrin to step into bigger roles.
In all, Gastrin is a two-way center with the versatility to play on the wing. His ability to play center or on the wing will be important as he attempts to crack the Blues' lineup. The Blues aren't short on center prospects, but if Gastrin can play both positions, he'll find time in the lineup eventually.
Offensively, Gastrin is more of a playmaker than a shooter, but with his 6-foot-1 frame, he has shown he can get to dangerous areas of the ice to score as well.
There's real NHL middle six upside within Gastrin, but it's up to the Blues to get him there.
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With September almost here, teams around the NHL will soon start signing to players to professional tryout (PTO) agreements.
When looking at free agents left who the Montreal Canadiens should consider signing to a PTO, forward Eeli Tolvanen stands out.
The Canadiens could use another top-nine winger, and Tolvanen has shown during his career that he can be just that. During this past season with the Seattle Kraken, the 27-year-old winger recorded 12 goals, 36 points, and 187 hits. This was after he scored a career-high 23 goals and recorded 35 points in 81 games with Seattle during the 2024-25 season. He also finished that season with 237 hits.
With numbers like these, Tolvanen would be a very intriguing player for the Canadiens to invite to their training camp on a PTO. In fact, one could argue that it would even make sense for the Canadiens to sign him to a short-term deal without a PTO.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Canadiens make a push for Tolvanen. He could be a nice addition to their roster if they signed him for the season.
In 423 career NHL games over eight seasons, Tolvanen has posted 92 goals, 98 assists, 190 points, and 985 hits.
The 2026-27 season is just a month away and for the first time in four years, the Carolina Hurricanes will don't have a certified starter in net.
With the departure of Frederik Andersen, the Hurricanes now have just two netminders left under contract in Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov, neither of which are a surefire bet to take over the net.
More than likely the Hurricanes will go with a 1A/1B split between their two goalies as has been traditionally seen with the way the team treats goaltending, but the question would then be who will be getting the tougher games and eventually the playoff starts.
Here's a look at the Hurricanes two goaltenders:
Brandon Bussi
2025-26 Stats: 31-6-2; 0.894 Sv%; 2.47 GAA; 2 SO 7.23 Goals Saved Above Average; 0.816 High Danger Save Percentage
One of the NHL's all-time best stories, Bussi is coming off of a storybook season that saw him breaking records and cementing himself as an everyday NHL goaltender en route to eventually helping the Canes win the Stanley Cup.
The 28-year-old netminder took the hockey world by storm after being initially claimed off of waivers right before the start of the season and after injuries gave him an opportunity, he never looked back.
Now the question is can he do it again?
The biggest skill a goaltender can have is consistency and for every hotshot rookie, there's almost always a sophomore slump waiting.
Bussi isn't your everyday rookie though, given his age and maturity, but now everyone in the league knows about him. There's video on his tendencies and teams may be prepared for the unorthodox southpaw.
But can he now prove that he wasn't a flash in the pan? Only time will tell.
Kochetkov has been in the Hurricanes' goaltending rotation for four seasons now, but after back-to-back years playing 40+ games, the Russian netminder played just nine games in 2025 due to a hip injury that eventually required surgery.
Kochetkov never played another game after that December surgery, although he was an option for the team and even dressed for the final four games of the Stanley Cup Final as a backup.
The 27-year-old netminder has shown flashes of potential throughout his career (His career record of 71-38-12 with a 0.904 Sv% and 11 shutouts is nothing to laugh at), but it's a lack of consistency that has held him back over the years.
Kochetkov is a very aggressive netminder who utilizes his athleticism to make saves and surprise opponents and it's a bit similar to the way Bussi plays as well.
Whether or not that's a blessing or a curse for the team and whether or not Kochetkov can take that next step in his NHL career will be one of the Hurricanes' biggest storylines to watch for this upcoming season.
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In North America, the hockey season is almost here, with NHL training camps and preseason schedules set to begin in the coming weeks.
Overseas in Europe, though, some leagues are already underway, and one of them, the Czech Extraliga, features a familiar face to Detroit Red Wings fans in defenseman and Michigan native Luke Witkowski.
In a video that circulated widely online, the now 36-year-old defender and part-time right winger was seen tossing around and physically overpowering an opposing player during a game for his new club, HC Kometa Brno, a moment that showed he hasn't lost a step in the physicality department even at his age. Plenty of fans online noted that his brand of grit would be a welcome sight back in Hockeytown.
Witkowski has spent the past several seasons playing overseas after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He appeared in just 66 games over four seasons with the Bolts, recording seven points and a minus-five rating while spending most of that time in the minors.
In fact, the bulk of Witkowski's North American pro career was spent in the AHL, where he built a reputation as a steady stay-at-home defenseman, posting 61 points and a plus-36 rating across 346 games.
The Holland, Michigan native returned to his home state for the 2017-18 season after serving as captain of Tampa Bay's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. He went on to play 65 games over the next two seasons with his home-state Red Wings, recording six points and a minus-six rating in what stood as the longest NHL stretch of his career, mostly as a seventh defenseman.
He built a reputation as a physical presence who dropped the gloves regularly when he was in the lineup, and the biggest moment of his NHL career came in a brawl with Matthew Tkachuk and the Calgary Flames, one that ultimately landed him a ten-game suspension.
He bounced back to Tampa Bay before returning to Detroit's organization for the 2021-22 season, spending most of that year with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL, where he posted seven points and a plus-six rating in 44 games.
That stint didn't last long, though, as Witkowski moved to the St. Louis Blues' AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, before the 2022-23 season became his last in North America. From there, Witkowski headed overseas, first to Finland, where he won a league championship with Tappara Tampere, before spending the past two seasons in Sweden.
This offseason, he signed with HC Kometa Brno in the Czech Extraliga, bringing his physical, veteran presence to a new league, one where, as the viral clip showed, he's already making his grit known.
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The Carolina Hurricanes have barely finished celebrating their Stanley Cup win before attention shifted to next season, with sportsbooks already posting early odds for 2026-27.
As is always the case with markets this far out, some numbers track with expectations while others are bound to raise eyebrows around the league. This time, it's happening with the Winnipeg Jets. After missing the playoffs for just the second time in the last nine seasons, the sportsbooks are already counting them out, drawing much of the skepticism.
Winnipeg enters the summer with some of the least favorable odds in the entire Western Conference, listed at +15000 to win the Stanley Cup, tied with the Detroit Red Wings for the 25th-best odds in the league, a number that places them firmly outside the group of teams sportsbooks view as legitimate contenders.
The Jets find themselves just inside the top ten for odds to win the West at +5000, behind teams like the LA Kings and San Jose Sharks but ahead of the likes of the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators.
The Central Division is routinely producing Cup contenders, and next season is no different, with the Jets' journey back to reclaiming the division title appearing to be an uphill battle. Winnipeg is listed at +3000 odds, ranking fifth in the division behind the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars, and surprisingly behind the Utah Mammoth as well.
Winnipeg also sits at +17500 to win the Presidents' Trophy, tied for the seventh-worst odds in the entire league, a surprising number given the Jets took home that very award just two seasons ago.
There is at least one line that offers a nod to hockey's homeland, one where Winnipeg benefits collectively rather than individually. The market pricing a Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup sits at +425, making it likely the best way to back the Jets or any of the other Canadian clubs, like the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs or Edmonton Oilers, who could join Winnipeg in the chase to bring the Cup back home.
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