On Sunday, August 23, the Galeries Saint-Hyacinthe will host the Hockey Fest. The day should be a delight for Montreal Canadiens fans, as Lane Hutson, Arber Xhekaj, and former Hab Chris Nilan will be on hand to meet fans. The event will run from 10:00 to 17:00, and attendees can register to take part in a skills challenge with the players. Spots are limited, and the only way to book yours is to attend.
The players will be present from 11:30 to 15:00, and fans who register for the skills challenge can get personalized souvenir cards. Every 30 minutes from 11:30 to 15:00, there will be an official Habs jersey to be won. Gift cards from the shopping center will also be drawn at random. Winners have to be on site to claim their prize. Canadiens’ mascot Youppi! will also be in attendance, and there will be some fun games in the animated zone to test attendees’ reflexes. The event is free to attend, and it’s a great activity to take the kids to before the dreaded back-to-school week.
While there is still over a month to go before the start of the season, defenseman Xhekaj remains an RFA and in need of a new contract. One has to wonder whether the Canadiens will manage to ink the fan favorite before training camp starts, or if something else is in the works given the congestion on the Canadiens’ blueline.
With Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Hutson, Alexandre Carrier and Kaiden Guhle having established themselves as regulars, there is little space remaining for Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, and rookies Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher, who are now knocking on the NHL’s door. Something will have to give, and while fans are unlikely to want to see Xhekaj go, he remains one of the top candidates for a move given how little ice time Martin St-Louis seems willing to give him.
George McPhee knows exactly what people see when they look at some of the players the Vegas Golden Knights have brought into their organization.
They see baggage.
They see uncomfortable headlines, questionable decisions and, in some cases, behavior that caused other teams to stay away. They see players whose pasts did not simply disappear because they eventually put on a Golden Knights jersey.
McPhee sees something else.
He sees young people who made mistakes, and he believes those mistakes should not necessarily become a life sentence.
Speaking recently on the Cam and Strick Podcast, the Golden Knights’ president of hockey operations offered his clearest explanation yet for why Vegas has repeatedly been willing to take chances on players whose backgrounds might make other organizations hesitate.
“You can’t stop young people from being young, right? They’re going to make mistakes,” McPhee said.
That philosophy is hardly revolutionary. People make mistakes. Young people, in particular, can make spectacularly poor decisions before they fully understand the consequences of their actions. A teenager who does something reckless at 14 or 16 should not automatically be judged as though they are the same person at 25.
But there is an uncomfortable question on the other side of McPhee’s argument:
Where does giving someone a second chance end, and where does accountability begin?
That question has become increasingly relevant in Vegas.
Carter Hart arrived in the organization after being charged in connection with an alleged 2018 sexual assault involving members of Canada’s World Junior team. Hart and the four other players charged in the case were acquitted by an Ontario judge in July 2025. That legal outcome matters, and it should not be ignored. But the controversy surrounding the case did not simply vanish with the verdict. Hockey Canada has continued to impose suspensions on several of the players, including Hart, who is banned from representing Canada through 2027.
Then there is Trevor Connelly, whose history includes incidents from his teenage years. The most widely documented involved a 14-year-old Connelly being suspended from school after allegedly urinating on another player’s equipment. At 16, he also posted a photograph depicting a swastika made from children’s blocks, later apologized and underwent diversity training and community service. He was also suspended after being accused of using racial slurs, although that suspension was overturned after the league found no evidence supporting the allegation.
Kai Uchacz’s past includes another troubling incident. He and a teammate were removed from the Seattle Thunderbirds roster after bullying their lone Black teammate in a racist incident.
These are not identical situations. They should not be lumped together as though they carry the same weight, and the available evidence surrounding them is not equally strong.
That distinction is important.
So is McPhee’s larger point.
“If we start cancelling good people who made a mistake, it’s not the right thing to do,” he said. “Just imagine some of these good kids who made a mistake and people forgave them for it and they turn out to be really good adults.”
It is difficult to argue with the basic premise. A person’s worst decision as a teenager should not automatically determine the rest of their life. There has to be room for remorse, rehabilitation and genuine change. Otherwise, what exactly does a second chance mean?
But second chances also require something from the person receiving them.
They require accountability.
Forgiveness does not mean forgetting. Rehabilitation does not erase what happened. And being young at the time of an incident can provide important context without making the incident meaningless.
That is the line Vegas appears increasingly comfortable walking.
The Golden Knights are willing to bet that a person’s future can matter more than their past. McPhee is essentially saying that the organization would rather evaluate who these players can become than permanently define them by who they were when they were younger.
“We’re willing to give young people who make mistakes a second chance,” McPhee said. “And God help us if we ever stop doing that.”
It is a defensible philosophy. It is also one that comes with considerable responsibility.
Because when an organization decides to give someone another opportunity, it is not asking everyone else to forget what happened. It is asking them to believe that the person standing in front of them today is capable of being better than the person who made the mistake yesterday.
The Golden Knights seem more willing than most to make that bet. Morals be damned, winning a Stanley Cup is what matters most. At least, that’s the message Vegas continues to send.
And, judging by McPhee’s comments, they have no intention of stopping anytime soon.
EA Sports has revealed its 10 highest-rated players in NHL 27, and Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes made the cut.
Hughes received a 95 overall rating and was ranked as the No. 10 player in the game. He is tied at 95 overall with Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar, Macklin Celebrini, David Pastrnak, Zach Werenski and Sidney Crosby.
Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid once again sits atop the ratings with a 99 overall. Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov follow at 97, while Leon Draisaitl received a 96.
Hughes' inclusion gives the Wild one of the game's elite players and one of just three defensemen to crack the overall top 10, joining Makar and Werenski.
The 95 rating also puts Hughes in a tie for the second-highest-rated defenseman in NHL 27, behind only Makar.
Minnesota acquired Hughes to give the organization an elite puck-moving defenseman capable of driving offense from the blue line, and EA Sports clearly views him among the very best players in hockey.
The Wild now boasts one of NHL 27's top-rated players at the top of their defense corps, with Hughes earning the same overall rating as some of the biggest stars in the league.
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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.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
Normally, a player of Boeser’s talent and consistency would not be readily available, but the Vancouver Canucks are on a rebuild path, and their timeline may not be a match with the veteran sniper. The 29-year-old was a 2015 first-rounder of the Canucks and has scored 20 or more goals seven times in his nine-year career, including a career-high 40 goals in 2023-24.
It was expected that Boeser would be heading elsewhere last summer as an unrestricted free agent, but he instead re-upped with the Canucks on a seven-year, $50.75 million deal ($7.25 million AAV), with a no-movement clause in the first four years of the deal. The departure of Quinn Hughes, Conor Garland, and Vancouver finishing at the bottom of the NHL standings has led to the firing of GM Patrik Allvin, head coach Adam Foote, and a complete revamping of the organization.
Boeser has complete control of where he wants to play for another three seasons, but with Vancouver rebuilding, playing for an up-and-coming club like Buffalo would be an interesting proposition. The Sabres would likely be interested in a player younger than Tuch, with six more years of cost certainty at a cap hit very close to what Tage Thompson is making. Kekalainen also possesses the assets that Vancouver is likely looking for, in young prospects like Helenius/Ostlund and Mrtka/Rudolph.
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 have drafted predominantly right-handed defensemen (Radim Mrtka, Daxon Rudolph, Adam Kleber, Simon-Pier Brunet, Maxim Strbak, Gavin McCarthy, and Vsevolod Komarov) in the last five drafts, with the top half of their NHL blueline all left-handers.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
The club continued that practice at the 2025 NHL Draft, selecting Mrtka ninth overall, and after trading their second-round pick to clear Connor Clifton’s contract and acquire righty Conor Timmins, Buffalo selected another righty in David Bedkowski in the third round.
The 19-year-old played his first two OHL seasons with Oshawa and was traded in his draft year early in the season to the Owen Sound Attack. The 6’5”, 215 lb. defenseman’s skill set is purely physical, as he had only seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in 35 games, but compiled 73 penalty minutes. Last season, Bedkowski played the first half as team captain of the Attack, but was traded to the Ottawa 67’s. In 68 games between the two clubs, he posted 29 points (5 goals, 24 assists) and 118 penalty minutes.
Elite Prospects Draft Guide said that it would be an understatement to say Bedkowski has a mean streak. “He punishes. He hurts, retaliates, beats down, knocks, and crushes opponents with open-ice hits and bone-rattling contact along the boards.”
That mean streak is something that most of Buffalo’s blueline have been missing for years, but it will be at least a few years before the Toronto native can bring that physicality to the NHL roster. He has one more year before the Sabres have to make a decision on whether to sign him or not, unless he decides like many CHL products to go the NCAA route.
DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 26: Reverse Retro jerseys of the Colorado Avalanche hang in the locker room prior to the game against the Dallas Stars. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
In the biggest Colorado Avalanche news of the summer, our beloved LG Red is back at Altitude for the upcoming season! Lauren Gardner won’t be exclusive to just Avalanche broadcasts but she is back in Colorado and will be on our TV screens. Welcome home, LG!
The NHL announced they are committing to regular season games in Germany for three years starting with the 2026-27 season as the league continues to increase their global reach.
NHL fans in Germany will be treated to regular-season games in their country for at least the next three seasons following the announcement of the @NHL and @FCBayern's strategic partnership.
There will be a new specialty jersey coming this fall for every team, dubbed the Hometown Remix. Word on the street is that just like their two versions of the Reverse Retro, the Avalanche will have a white sweater in this upcoming collection as well.
Something new is coming to all 32 NHL cities this season. 👀
The countdown is on for the first-of-its-kind Hometown Remix program by the @NHL and @Fanatics. More details to come after the puck drops on the 2026-27 season next month. pic.twitter.com/zX1uBNLNZn
Preseason isn’t just for the Avalanche as the Colorado Eagles are expected to participate in what’s been dubbed the Southwest Showdown. The Tucson Roadrunners will serve as host while the Eagles will play the Texas Stars on September 26th and the Henderson Silver Knights on September 27th. Giddy up!
Zach L’Heureux could either become exactly what the Colorado Avalanche have been missing or give Jared Bednar one more headache to solve.
That is what makes bringing the 23-year-old forward to Colorado so intriguing. L’Heureux may not be the most naturally gifted player on the roster, but he brings something the Avalanche badly lacked when their season ended: physicality, nastiness and an unmistakable edge.
Colorado was swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final last season, and Vegas repeatedly imposed its more punishing, hard-nosed style on the Avalanche. L’Heureux gives Colorado another player capable of pushing back.
But there is a fine line between providing an edge and becoming a liability, and L’Heureux has spent much of his career walking it. He has been suspended at every level of hockey he has played, including nine times in the QMJHL — one resulting in a 10-game ban after he jabbed a fan with his stick. He was also suspended three times during his AHL career before receiving a three-game NHL suspension for slew-footing Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon.
For Colorado, the challenge will be harnessing L’Heureux’s aggression without allowing it to become more trouble than it is worth.
Colton Dach has been placed in Concussion Protocol by the #IceHogs
His NHL numbers tell an equally interesting story.
L’Heureux’s 63 penalty minutes in 62 games during his first full NHL season with the Nashville Predators in 2024-25 further illustrate the double-edged nature of his game. He averaged just 12:03 of ice time per night, meaning he was racking up more than a penalty minute per game despite playing limited minutes. That physical edge can be valuable for an Avalanche team that needs more pushback, but it also comes with a caveat: Colorado needs L’Heureux making an impact on the ice, not watching from the penalty box.
We got fight night in San Jose! 3 fights in 4 seconds
Luke Kunin vs Cole Smith Barclay Goodrow vs Michael McCarron Ty Dellandrea vs Zach L’Heureux pic.twitter.com/ybFFMS1SEz
That is the balancing act Bednar will have to solve.
The Avalanche have lacked some bite in their lineup at times, particularly when games become nasty and opponents try to drag them into the kind of physical battle that can disrupt Colorado’s speed game. L’Heureux has never needed an invitation to make things uncomfortable.
The question is whether Bednar will trust him to do it.
There is a significant difference between playing with an edge and becoming a nuisance, and L’Heureux’s career suggests he has occasionally crossed that line. Colorado’s coaching staff will have to find a way to preserve the aggression that makes him valuable without allowing it to become the very thing that keeps him out of the lineup.
It is an interesting problem to have.
As the old hockey saying goes, it is easier to rein in a player with too much passion than it is to manufacture passion in a player who does not have it.
L’Heureux certainly does not need anyone to teach him how to play with emotion.
What remains to be determined is whether he can turn that emotion into consistent NHL production.
The pedigree is there.
L’Heureux was a first-round pick for a reason, and his production in the AHL has only reinforced the offensive potential that made him a coveted prospect. He erupted for 19 goals and 48 points in 66 games with the Milwaukee Admirals during the 2023-24 season before taking another step forward last year, recording 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in just 30 games.
That is a jump from 0.73 points per game to 0.93, an indication that L’Heureux was becoming increasingly productive at the AHL level. The question now is whether he can finally translate that offensive consistency to the NHL.
And perhaps just as intriguing for Colorado is the cost of finding out. L’Heureux is signed for the next two seasons at just a $875,000 annual cap hit, giving the Avalanche a former first-round pick with legitimate offensive upside and a physical edge without requiring a significant financial commitment. If he breaks out, the value of that contract could become enormous.
If he can put everything together, Colorado may have landed one of the sneakiest steals of the offseason.
Two decades after he played his final game for the Senators, Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara took his final shift on Friday.
Chara was the star of “Zee’s Final Shift," a final exhibition game to honour Chara's career. The game featured several former Senators and a lot of ex-Boston Bruins, the team he truly made his name with.
While he spent four good years with the Sens, it was 20 years ago this summer that he left Ottawa to sign with Boston, where he'd spend the next 14 years.
Friday's game was held at a rink named after former Senator Pavol Demitra in Chara’s hometown of Trencin, Slovakia. The evening closed with a lovely moment as Chara removed his skates at centre ice, left them on the faceoff dot, and walked off with his two twin sons, Zack and Ben.
The act was special for two reasons.
The biggest was the nod to his father, Zdenek, a Greco-Roman wrestler who competed for Czechoslovakia in the Olympics. When a wrestler removes their shoes and leaves them in the center of the mat or ring, it's a powerful symbol that their time in competitive wrestling is at an end.
Also, as every hockey fan knows, Chara literally leaves the game with some very big skates to fill.
His former Bruins teammates know that better than most. They lined up in tribute with an ad hoc tunnel for the Charas to walk through as they left the ice. Even without skates on, as he walked off in his socks, he was still taller than most of his friends.
The former Senators' content included Marian Hossa, Chris Kelly, Peter Bondra, and Radek Hamr.
Former and current Bruins taking part in the game included Patrice Bergeron, Ray Bourque, Johnny Boychuk, Andrew Ference, Jaroslav Halak, Chris Kelly, Milan Lucic, Adam McQuaid, David Pastrnak, Mark Recchi, Michael Ryder, Dennis Seidenberg, Josef Stumpel, and Marco Sturm.
Other players involved the game were Peter Bondra, Petr Cech, Marian Gaborik, Radek Hamr, Michal Handzus, Marian Hossa, Jaromir Jagr, Tomas Kaberle, Anze Kopitar, Ziggy Palffy, Robert Reichel, Miroslav Satan, Andrej Sekera, Tomas Vanek, Jakub Voracek, and Aaron Ward.
The evening even included a hardest shot contest where Chara exactly matched his 2012 NHL All-Star record with a 108.8 mph slap shot, a super specific radar reading that would usually raise an eyebrow or two, but not on a night like this.
The building was filled with too much love to do anything but cheer.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 40 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #40. No active players currently wear the #40.
Let's take a look.
Bill Bowler - 2000-01 - Bowler was undrafted out of Toronto, CA.
Bowler played a total of 9 games for the Jackets during their inaugural season and had two points. He spent most of that year with the Syracuse Crunch and totaled 79 points in 72 games. In 2002, he spent one season in Germany before retiring.
Bowler has worked for the Windsor Spitfires as the VP of Hockey Operations and General Manager since 2019.
Brad Moran - 2001-04 - Moran was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 7th round of the 1998 NHL Draft.
The Jackets signed Moran as a free agent in 2000. He only played in 5 games as a Blue Jacket and had 2 points. He spent most of his time playing for the AHL Syracuse Crunch. In his final year with the Crunch in 2004-05, he played in 80 games and had 72 points.
Moran left for a second stint in Europe in 2011 and played the last six years of his career there. He would retire after playing two seasons in the EIHL in 2017.
Moran would be the GM and HC of the Calgary Canucks in the Alberta Junior Hockey League from 2018 to 2025. For the 25-26 season, Moran is signed on to be the Asst. Coach of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen.
Duvie Westcott - 2001-08 - Westcott was undrafted and signed by the CBJ in 2001.
Wescott played in 201 games for the Blue Jackets from 2001 to 2008. He scored 11 goals and totaled 56 points. Wescott was described as "a gritty defenseman with a solid all-around game. Has good passing ability and power play skills."
After playing for Columbus, Wescott went to Europe and played the next seven seasons in the KHL, DEL, and Swiss National League. He retired in 2015.
Fred Brathwaite - 2003-04 - Brathwaite was undrafted out of Ottawa, Canada.
Brathwaite played in 21 games for the Jackets in the 2003-04 season. He went 4-11-1 with an .897 SV %. After his year in Columbus, he bounced back and forth between North America and Europe. He didn't play from 2012 to 2020. He was hired by the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights as their goaltending coach in 2020, where he remains. At age 48, he dressed as a backup for Henderson when Logan Thompson was unavailable.
Jaroslav Balaštík - 2005-07 - Balaštík was drafted in the 6th round of the 2002 NHL Draft by Columbus.
Jaroslav Balaštík played in 74 career games for the CBJ. He scored 13 goals and totaled 24 points during his tenure. After his time with Columbus, he returned to his home country of Czechia, where he would play until 2015.
Jared Boll - 2007-16 - Boll was drafted in the 4th round of the 2005 NHL Draft.
Boll played in 518 games for the CBJ and totaled 62 points. He is #1 all-time in CBJ history with 1,195 PIMs and has 154 fights to his name.
Jared Boll was a big man in his playing days. Standing 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, there weren’t too many who would willingly step up to Boll. He was an old-school enforcer who would not hesitate to stand up for his teammates and take one on the chin if necessary. In his career, he fought the St Louis Blues more than any other team. He had four seasons where he had fight totals over 20, and there were a few seasons that were 15+. His most common opponent was Krys Bach (5), and he fought the likes of Paul Bissonnette (4), George Parros (4), and Clayton Stoner. Boll is the best enforcer the CBJ has ever had.
After retiring from the Anaheim Ducks, Boll returned to Columbus, where he is now an assistant coach.
Daniil Tarasov - 2021-25 - Tarasov was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2017 NHL Draft.
Tarasov started 61 games for Columbus during his tenure, going 19-34-6 with a SV% of .898. Used primarily as a backup, Tarasov's time in Columbus was generally looked at as a failure, but it was mainly due to injuries.
Unfortunately for Tarasov, he was stuck behind Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzļikins for a few years. While Merzļikins was struggling, he had every opportunity to grab the bull by the horns and take off, but he did not do that.
Last season, everything kind of came unglued for the young Russian. He was benched in favor of Jet Greaves on several occasions and even had to be sent to Cleveland on a conditioning assignment. Things were not going well. He ended last season with a SV% of .881.
On 26 June 2025, Tarasov was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft. The book on Daniil Tarasov in Columbus was finally over.
In 2026, Tarasov signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings.
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Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber has landed among the best right-shot defensemen in NHL 27.
EA Sports gave Faber an 88 overall rating, placing him seventh on its list of the game's 10 highest-rated right defensemen.
Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar leads the group with a 95 overall rating. Edmonton's Evan Bouchard follows at 91, while Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, Moritz Seider and Noah Dobson were each given an 89.
Faber comes in directly behind that group at 88 overall and is tied with Erik Karlsson and Ryan Pulock. New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce rounds out the top 10 at 87.
The rating continues Faber's rapid rise into the upper echelon of NHL defensemen.
Since entering the league with Minnesota, Faber has established himself as a major piece of the Wild's blue line and has been trusted with significant minutes and difficult matchups.
Now, Minnesota's defense features two players EA Sports considers among the best at their respective positions. Faber is seventh among right defensemen, while Quinn Hughes received a 95 overall rating and ranks second among left defensemen.
That gives the Wild one of the more impressive top-end defensive combinations in NHL 27.
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While Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has yet to strike a deal that could be “needle-moving” for the Habs this offseason, he did acquire an interesting player in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks. After three seasons with the Laval Rocket, it was obvious that 124th overall pick in the 2020 draft Sean Farrell wouldn’t be able to go any higher in the Habs’ organization, and Hughes elected to give him a new start in the Ducks’ organization, acquiring Sasha Pastujov in return.
The 23-year-old left-shot winger was the Ducks’ 66th overall pick in the 2021 draft, and like Farrell, he has not managed to make his way to the NHL. In his second season with the Californian organization, he even made a detour through the ECHL, but last season, he had a career-high 57 points in 71 games, while Farrell had 53 points in 72 games. After landing in Montreal, he was signed to a one-year, two-way deal with an $850,000 NHL salary.
Pastujov’s such a great player,” Luneau said. “He plays with so much talent, and he makes his plays look so easy. He’s an incredible person and a fantastic playmaker on the ice. We spent a lot of time together; we were even roommates for a season. He’s been great for me.
As things stand, Pastujov will likely spend the season in Laval with Daniel Jacobs’ men, but he looks like an interesting project and one of the players worth watching at rookie camp, if only to evaluate what he has to offer.
Last season, the Canadiens’ rookie camp kicked off on September 11th, while the regular season started on October 8, which was just under four weeks before puck drop. With this season scheduled to start on September 29th, we should soon get a rookie camp invite list and a schedule. So far, we know that the Canadiens have invited Alexey Vlasov, but there’s bound to be more invites. Anyone excited for the new season?
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.
The No. 6 spot is occupied by scoring forward Will Horcoff, whose impressive first full season in the NCAA really put him on the map. Venturing into our top-five, we kick it off with a name many didn't really start paying due attention to until his impressive 2025-26 season.
If one seeks out Mikhail Ilyin highlights, mixtapes, and film, there is, of course, plenty of footage showing off his craftiness as a shooter. Ilyin has a sneaky deceptive release, can dangle defenders, and has enough zip on his shot to sneak it past professional-level goaltenders.
But if you're looking for the bread and butter of Ilyin's game and what defines him as a player, you'll probably notice that most of the film involves his playmaking and hockey sense. And, if you were able to catch any of Ilyin's short but impressive stint with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins this season, it's easy to see why we have him so high on this list.
After signing a three-year entry-level contract prior to the 2025-26 season, many assumed that Ilyin, now 21, would spend the season in North America. Instead, he returned on loan for a fourth season with the Severstal Cherepovets of the KHL, where he's been playing top-line minutes since he was a teenager in a league of men. He recorded 14 goals and 44 points in 68 regular season games as well as three goals and four points in five playoff games for Severstal before joining WBS at the end of the season.
Mikhail Ilyin is DIFFERENT.
Overtime. In tight. Everyone expecting the shot… and he slips a perfect pass across for a tap-in. Ice in his veins.
Mikhail Ilyin (#99) was one of my favorite picks in last year's draft. He's not a human highlight reel, but a guy who you can just tell is smarter than most players on the ice. Picks up a primary assist here after a couple of nice passing plays. #LetsGoPenspic.twitter.com/6fWGs16cdU
And in the five regular season games and 15 playoff games - despite it being his first taste of North American professional hockey - he was one of the team's very best players.
GOAL. Tristan Broz makes it 2-0 #WBSPens 16 seconds into the middle frame.
Mikhail Ilyin continues to impress, forcing a turnover & setting up Broz for a quick snipe to the top shelf over the glove of Georgii Romanov.@InsideAHLHockeypic.twitter.com/cls27jRMey
Heck of a play by Mikhail Ilyin to out-work a Marlies defender & turn a turnover into a dangerous chance in front by Gabe Klassen.
Ilyin has been so dang impressive. Hard to believe he's "adjusting" to smaller ice in North America. Looks like a seasoned pro. @InsideAHLHockeypic.twitter.com/nTot3BwXRf
He registered two assists in the five regular season games, and it's safe to say that was his "adjustment period." Because, come playoff time, he was noticeable just about every night. He ended the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs with two goals and nine points, which tied for second in team scoring. But even when he wasn't putting points on the board, he was affecting the game with his puck distribution skills, his high-IQ playmaking, his quick decision-making, his forechecking, and his ability to both create and expose space.
Ilyin knows what to do with the puck before the puck reaches his stick. His vision is near-unparalleled within the Penguins' system, and he showed it off on several of his assists during the playoffs.
GOAL. Ville Koivunen gives #WBSPens a 3-1 lead 3:33 into the 3rd period.
Koivunen muscles a puck out of the #WBSPens zone to start a counter attack, and Tristan Broz gets it to Mikhail Ilyin who smartly goes back to the middle for Koviunen.@InsideAHLHockeypic.twitter.com/o1JCSbNLgM
Even if Ilyin's skating ability (in terms of footspeed) and goal-scoring ceiling is limited - and, again, it's worth stressing that he does have natural goal-scoring ability that could be expanded on in the North American pro game - his role as a play-driver, distributor, and creator has a pretty high ceiling. It's not unrealistic to envision Ilyin as the perfect complimentary winger in a top-six role, as his intelligence and playmaking ability have high-level potential. Even his defense is better than most people credit him for.
The 6-foot-3, 191-pound forward has the size, the reach, the smarts, and the ability to outsmart the opposition in all three zones. Ilyin's stock keeps rising, too, and his craftiness and talent is frequently acknowledged by his teammates.
There may still be some growing pains for Ilyin, who is probably going to begin next season in the AHL. Communication will be the main hurdle, as he hardly speaks any English, and with goaltender Sergei Murashov likely graduating to the NHL and defenseman Alexander Alexeyev returning to the KHL, he probably won't have too many resources as far as teammates to help ease that communication barrier. Something that simple could affect his on-ice adjustment in terms of playcalling and verbal cues.
However, everything else is already pretty well-adjusted, and it's clear that Ilyin already has the toolset of a seasoned professional. The crowded forward group for the Penguins will render him cracking the NHL roster out of camp unlikely, but it's not out of the question that he makes his debut sometime this year.
Ilyin may have been selected in the fifth round (142nd overall in 2023), but up to this point, he's looking like a late-round steal. If he can continue to progress and fully translate his playmaking ability to the NHL level, he is going to be a very good player for the Penguins in the years to come - and he'll be a name on everyone's radar.
The Pittsburgh Penguins were mostly quiet on trade deadline day this past season, except for an acquisition of former Detroit Red Wings forward Elmer Soderblom.
The Penguins gave up a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for Soderblom and wanted to see how he'd benefit from a change of scenery. He had spent the last three seasons with the Red Wings after they selected him in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Draft, but he wasn't able to secure a consistent lineup spot.
He played in 86 games for the Red Wings, compiling 11 goals and 22 points. He got an immediate opportunity with the Penguins and used it to his advantage, racking up five goals and 10 points in 20 games.
Soderblom was good around the net and showcased some nice moves with the puck in that area. He protected the puck along the boards extremely well and it was hard for defenders to handle him.
He played in five of the six Penguins playoff games after doing enough to secure a spot in the lineup and scored one goal. He opened the scoring against the Philadelphia Flyers early in Game 5, a game that the Penguins won 3-2 before they were eliminated in Game 6.
He is signed through the 2026-27 season at a cap hit of $1.125 million, so he'll have plenty of time to impress the coaching staff and management. He's the exact type of player that Penguins general manager and president Kyle Dubas has been acquiring for the past couple of years.
Even though it was a small sample size, I want to see him carry that momentum into this season and earn a spot in the lineup. It's going to be a competitive camp, but I think he has what it takes to make the team and be the 12th forward.
I want him to keep using his 6'8 frame, especially behind the net and along the boards when he engages in those puck battles. If he does that and continues to have more of a scoring touch, he'll have the chance to score double-digit goals this year.
It'll be interesting to see if Penguins head coach Dan Muse utilizes his long reach and big frame on the penalty kill. He got a few minutes on that unit after the trade (3:43) after spending a combined 31 seconds on the PK in three seasons with the Red Wings. It's at least a potential option for Muse.
Again, nothing will be given to Soderblom, but he has the potential to be a strong replacement for Noel Acciari on the fourth line this year.
The New Rangers have re-signed defenseman Vincent Iorio to a one-year contract extension.
The contract is reportedly a two-way deal worth $850,000 if he’s in the NHL and $125,000 in the American Hockey League.
The Rangers claimed Iorio off waivers from the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 31.
Iorio stuck around with the Rangers for the remainder of the season, but he was scratched for a handful of games.
The 23-year-old defenseman posted three points in 27 games for New York while averaging 13:05 minutes.
Before being claimed by the Rangers, Iorio played for the Washington Capitals and Sharks.
With the additions of Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, as well as the re-signing of Braden Schneider and the emergence of Matthew Robertson, it will be an uphill battle for Iorio to carve out a roster spot with the Rangers out of training camp.
Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.
The 23-year-old joined the team last season after being claimed off waivers from San Jose on Jan. 31. Iorio skated in six games with the Blueshirts without registering a point.
“I’m just grateful,” he said of joining the Rangers. “My parents, growing up, they really preached the 1 percent better each day and being happy with where you’re at in life. For me, playing this game is such a privilege. Playing in this league is such a privilege. Especially a team like New York.
“I was obviously really excited. This is such a storied franchise.”
Over three NHL seasons, the 2021 second-round pick of the Capitals has four assists in 36 career games. He’s also posted 11 goals and 52 assists over 196 AHL games with the San Jose Barracuda and Hershey Bears, winning back-to-back Calder Cups with the latter in 2023-24.
The Rangers are keeping more than a defenseman in the fold — the 6-foot-4 blueliner put his hockey skills to use as a stuntman for the Prime Video series “Off Campus,” filling in on-ice for the character of Garrett Graham.
Vincent Iorio #6 of the New York Rangers skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Getty Images
“Because I don’t have a face for TV, unfortunately,” the 23-year-old told The Post’s Mollie Walker in March.
Adam Fox, Durzi and Braden Schneider appear to have the right side of the defensive pairs sewn up, though Iorio, Morrow and Urho Vaakanainen will be among those competing for a backup role.
