To no real surprise, the Flyers and Jamie Drysdale did not need an arbitration hearing to nail down a new deal.
The two sides got it done Friday, agreeing to a four-year, $26 million contract. The deal has a $6.5 million average annual value. It has a modified no-trade clause in Years 3 and 4, according to PuckPedia.com.
The skilled and shifty defenseman was a restricted free agent with a player-elected arbitration hearing set for this upcoming Monday, per PuckPedia.com. But general manager Danny Briere avoided it. He did the same with Trevor Zegras two days ago.
Drysdale will be an unrestricted free agent when his new contract expires after the 2029-30 season. He now makes the most money among defensemen on the Flyers.
“We’re excited to have Jamie remain a key part of our organization for years to come,” Briere said in a statement released by the team. “Since we acquired him, Jamie has worked extremely hard and taken big steps in his development, and has established himself as a reliable piece on our back end with the ability to impact the game in all situations. We believe his best hockey is still ahead of him, and he’s going to play an important role in strengthening our blue line as we continue to build.”
The 24-year-old set career highs last season with eight goals and 21:33 minutes per game. He also matched his career high in points with 32. He added two goals, two assists, 16 shots and 16 blocked shots over 10 games in his first NHL playoffs.
“I think the biggest step was just confidence level,” Drysdale said in May at his end-of-the-season press conference. … “I think just coming to the rink and believing I was a good player and could make an impact, that was probably the biggest shift for me. I guess that kind of carries all over the ice.”
At just 21 years old, Drysdale arrived to the Flyers with a ton of pressure on his shoulders. He was the player the Flyers received in the stunning Cutter Gauthier trade, so expectations were inevitably high.
His overall game has come a long way in parts of three seasons with the Flyers. In 2025-26, he had his best defensive season as an NHLer, recording a plus-1 mark at 5-on-5. The previous season, he was a minus-15.
Now the Flyers are looking for Drysdale to build on it. The next step would be his effectiveness at the point on the power play. The Flyers’ league-worst man advantage is desperate for answers.
Last season, Drysdale led Flyers defensemen in power play ice time with 2:19 minutes per game. But he had nine points (one goal, eight assists) on the power play, which was tied for 35th among NHL defensemen.
“I think there are a lot of things that I want to work on,” Drysdale said, “and I think I can bring a lot more to the table, as well, in certain areas.”
Nikita Grebenkin and Hunter McDonald are the Flyers’ remaining restricted free agents that need new deals this offseason.
The start of the regular season is still over two months away, until we officially kick off the 2026-27 season. However, the full schedule for the Los Angeles Kings has been revealed, and we now know who LA will face on the first day of the campaign.
Their season opener will be against a familiar opponent, the Colorado Avalanche, a team they met in last year's first-round playoff series, which they lost 4-0.
Not only that, but LA also hosted the Avs for last season's opener and came up short, losing 4-1 at home. This time, the Kings will have a chance to redeem themselves on the road.
Los Angeles will travel on the road for its first two games of the season, beginning with their opener against the Avs on Sept. 29 at 7:00 PM PT and Oct. 3 against the San Jose Sharks at 7:00 PM PT.
The Kings won't host their home opener until a week after their season opener, which will be on October 6 at 7:30 PM PT against the Florida Panthers.
A little history as well: this will be the first time since 2007-08 that the NHL regular season will kick off in September because of the 84-game format schedule making a comeback for this season, which hasn't happened since 1993-94.
In their last five openers, the Kings have a 2-3-0 record, with two losses to the Avalanche and one to their divisional rival, the Vegas Golden Knights.
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The Colorado Avalanche's Stanley Cup window isn't closing tomorrow.
But make no mistake—it isn't getting any wider.
This season may represent Colorado's best opportunity to win another championship with its current core. The problem? The Avalanche have run out of easy answers. Their trade assets are limited, their prospect pipeline has been depleted by years of win-now moves, and another blockbuster deadline acquisition could come at the expense of the very players they're counting on to extend their championship window.
At some point, every contender reaches a crossroads.
The Avalanche may have arrived there.
Colorado's roster, as it's currently constructed, might be as good as it's going to get.
If Chris MacFarland wants to make another splash at the trade deadline, he'll have to get creative. The Avalanche simply don't have the collection of draft picks and top prospects they once did. To land a meaningful piece, the conversation likely starts with players such as Fedor Svechkov or Zach L'Heureux.
That creates a problem.
Why spend the offseason getting younger, tougher, and more difficult to play against if you're just going to ship those players out a few months later? At that point, what was the point of making those trades in the first place?
The Avalanche didn't bring in Svechkov and L'Heureux just to flip them for another rental. They brought them in because this team needed a different identity.
For years, Colorado has leaned almost exclusively on skill. It worked well enough to win a Stanley Cup, but recent playoff exits have exposed a different issue. When the game slows down, the ice shrinks, and every inch has to be earned, the Avalanche haven't always had enough players willing to make life miserable for the opposition.
L'Heureux changes that.
He's never been projected as a top-line scorer, and that's okay. His value comes from making opponents uncomfortable. He finishes checks, gets under people's skin, and has no problem being the player everyone on the other bench loves to hate.
The Avalanche desperately needed someone like that.
Svechkov is just as important, albeit in a different way.
Colorado's track record of developing young players over the past several years hasn't exactly inspired confidence. Too often, prospects have either been traded before they had a real chance or struggled to carve out meaningful roles once they arrived.
This time, the Avalanche don't really have a choice.
Svechkov has an opportunity to become the fourth-line center this team has been searching for. There will almost certainly be growing pains, but that's part of the process. If Colorado wants inexpensive, reliable depth, it has to stop expecting it to magically appear from somewhere else.
The irony is that last season's success probably hid some of the team's biggest flaws.
The Avalanche led the NHL in goals scored. They allowed the fewest goals in the league. They finished with the best regular-season record in franchise history.
Those accomplishments were remarkable.
They also made it easy to overlook the lack of bite in the bottom six and how little secondary depth the team truly had once the playoffs became a war of attrition.
That depth looks even thinner now.
Jack Drury is gone. Ross Colton is gone. Valeri Nichushkin was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Suddenly, Colorado is asking a lot from players who have yet to establish themselves at the NHL level.
Can Svechkov handle an everyday role? Can L'Heureux become the type of energy player every contender seems to have? Can Jaden Schwartz stay healthy long enough to provide the secondary scoring this lineup will need?
Those aren't minor questions.
They could determine whether the Avalanche are playing into June or watching someone else compete for the Stanley Cup.
That's also why Colorado has to resist the urge to chase another rental if things aren't perfect by February.
Every season, contenders convince themselves they're one player away. Sometimes they're right.
More often, they pay a premium for a player who leaves a few months later, while the young talent they gave up develops somewhere else.
The Avalanche have lived that reality before.
At some point, the organization has to trust what it's building instead of constantly looking for the next shortcut.
Nathan MacKinnon once said, "I really don't think you can win the Stanley Cup with young players."
History says otherwise.
Every year, young players become Stanley Cup champions. The difference isn't their age. It's whether they're ready, whether they fit, and whether their coaches are willing to trust them when the games matter most.
That's where the Avalanche are now.
Not at the end of their Stanley Cup window.
But perhaps at the beginning of its most important chapter.
If you ask the average Senators fan what's still missing on their roster, the most common reply you'll hear is the need for another top-six forward.
In fact, most fans felt that way at the start of the summer, before Brady Tkachuk was traded.
Shane Pinto is asked about the exits of Brady Tkachuk and Daniel Alfredsson (Senators YouTube)
Tkachuk's spot in the top six was ultimately refilled by the acquisition of William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks. Eklund is a very nice player, but to be brutally honest, he's a downgrade on Tkachuk in every way, including offence.
Over the past five years, Tkachuk has averaged 73 points per season, while Eklund has averaged 56.
As a result, any season-end desire for another elite player in the top six has only increased.
For now, it would appear that newcomer Andre Burakovsky will get the first shot at bolstering the top six. At this point, it's not clear yet if Burakovsky will be an upgrade on some of the Senators' bottom six options, let alone the top six. The Senators are praying they get the player he was in the first half of last season, not the last half.
In truth, it may be overly ambitious to expect either player to show major improvements in Ottawa because they won't have the likes of Macklin Celebrini or Connor Bedard so frequently at their sides.
So it's not unreasonable to suggest that, on paper, the Sens' top six group could use a boost. Of course, finding that boost is far easier said than done.
Good teams tend to hang on to those types of players. If they are willing, they'll want you to sacrifice something from your existing roster.
Poor teams will want top picks and prospects, but with the draft behind us, the pressure is off. Their best returns may come by waiting until the trade deadline, when teams feel the pressure of being a legit contender.
And what about free agency? Sure, it would have been nice for Steve Staios to go shopping on July 1 to find an obvious upgrade, but at that point, you were dealing with players who had, or believed they had, a lot of options. Unless you're from here, Ottawa is rarely at the top of free agent destination lists.
Today, as NHL free agency enters its third week, it will soon be time for lowered expectations, and remaining UFAs will expand their list of potential destinations while lowering their contract demands.
As of Wednesday, the five most intriguing UFA forwards were:
- Patrick Kane - Anthony Mantha - Vladimir Tarasenko - Michael Bunting - Patrik Laine
Are there any clear solutions there?
Mantha came off the board on Wednesday, signing a two-year contract worth $9.5 million ($4.75 million in average annual value) with the New Jersey Devils. At that price, some fans wondered whether the Sens had missed the boat on a 33-goal scorer last season. But always beware of the veteran player who has a career year in a contract year.
It was around this time in 2023 that the Senators signed Tarasenko. He's a UFA again and still available, but he wouldn't be a clear upgrade at this point, so why take on the cap hit?
According to Chris Chelios, who spoke with the player, Patrick Kane is down to two teams: Buffalo and Chicago, his hometown and his longtime NHL home.
Michael Bunting is intriguing because he could help deliver some of the edge that was lost when Tkachuk left and he has been productive in the recent past.
2021-22 TOR 63 pts 2022-23 TOR 49 pts 2023-24 CAR/PIT 55 pts 2024-25 PIT/NAS 38 pts 2025-25 NAS/DAL 33 pts
But those point totals have drifted noticeably in the last couple of seasons, and while I think he'd look good in a third-line role, the last thing the Sens need is more forwards who'd look good in a third-line role. He's also about to bounce to his sixth team in three years.
Laine is a one-dimensional player, but it's the very best dimension: goal scoring. Despite his injuries, he's probably still looking for a standard big-money contract. But if he ever gets to a stage where he'll accept a lower salary drenched with goal-scoring bonuses, he's someone you might consider. Maybe.
Right now, it looks like Steve Staios wants to see if the areas for improvement can come from within.
"We have a lot of new faces coming in, but they're good players," Shane Pinto told Sportsnet as he prepared for a golf tournament this week. "Another year in the NHL, we have more experience, and hopefully we can take another step and make the playoffs and continue to go further and further."
With so many key players at 25 and under, taking another step is more than possible. It's to be expected.
That includes Pinto (25), Jake Sanderson (24), Tim Stutzle (24), Dylan Cozens (25), William Eklund (23), Ridly Greig (23), Stephen Halliday (24), Jordan Spence (25), Tyler Kleven (24), and (maybe) Carter Yakemchuk (20).
Is it really so far-fetched to think that if Pinto or Greig, for example, moved up and became everyday top-six players, they might be capable of that next step and produce those standard top-six offensive numbers?
The locker room will also be quite different with the exit of a huge personality in Brady Tkachuk. Sometimes, when a star player leaves, other players find a new level while also providing fresh new leadership that can energize a group, not unlike the new coach bump.
That's why patience may be the right play right now.
The Senators have enough talent to prove they're ready to contend, and if they are, they'll have opportunities to add a top-six forward once the NHL's sellers are identified in the back half of the season.
Until then, the biggest improvements will have to come from the players already wearing the centurion crest. And if they improve enough, maybe they won't need to add at all.
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 Sens headlines below:
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The fans in Toronto demand to see a star. | Getty Images
The NHL has released its regular season schedule for 2026-27, a key step for arguing with friends and ticket-sharers over who gets what game and which ones will be season-ending losses.
The Islanders open in Toronto, a meeting of the two most recent first-overall picks. The home opener follows on Saturday, Oct. 3, vs. the Devils.
Islanders News
The full Islanders schedule can be found and picked apart here. Primarily 7:00 home starts, with some 7:30s mixed in here and there. [Isles]
As part of that announcement, enjoy a sequel to The Intern, with Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin. [Isles video]
What are the key games? The ones they don’t win, probably. [Newsday]
The third-jersey design contest is up to 66,000 submissions. [Newsday]
Top pick Malte Gustafsson has signed his entry level deal. [Isles | Newsday]
Henrik Tikkanen didn’t sign his qualifying offer but that’s part of anticipating a different contract. [THN]
Elsewhere
The Yzerplan comes to an end without a single playoff appearance. Here are the…highs, sure, and lows of Steve Yzerman’s tenure. [Sportsnet]
Cole Parfetti and the Jets avoided an arbitration hearing with a five-year, $30 million deal. [Sportsnet] The Blues also avoided arbitration with new acquisition Connor McMichael with a six-year, $40.5 million deal. [Sportsnet]
The 2025-26 season was another tough year for the Chicago Blackhawks. The Original Six club finished the season at the bottom of the Central Division standings with a 29-39-14 record. They also finished the campaign with the second-fewest points in the NHL.
While the Blackhawks struggled last season, they did have some bright spots. Among them was forward Tyler Bertuzzi, as he had an excellent 2026-27 campaign.
In 79 games last season with the Blackhawks, Bertuzzi scored a career-high 32 goals and posted 58 points. With numbers like these, the 31-year-old was an incredibly important part of the Blackhawks' forward group.
With how well Bertuzzi performed last season, it is clear that the Blackhawks' decision to sign him during the 2024 NHL off-season is paying off. He has been an impactful veteran forward in the Blackhawks' lineup since joining the team, as evidenced by his 55 goals and 104 points in 161 games since joining Chicago.
The Blackhawks will now be hoping that Bertuzzi can put together another season like this for them in 2026-27. If he posts another 30-goal season and multiple of Chicago's young players take step forwards with their development, the Blackhawks could end up being a far more competitive team next season.
SUNRISE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 23: Caleb Jones #82 of the Pittsburg Penguins skates for position against the Florida Panthers at the Amerant Bank Arena on October 23, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Penguins have loaded up on players this offseason, losing a few but gaining even more via trades and free agency. That’s even before getting to their young crop of players from the AHL that have NHL aspirations. That leaves a level of players lost in the shuffle that not too many are penciling into their expected starting lineups right now.
Some or most of this group might hit waivers coming out of training camp but even that won’t close the door on playing in the NHL again. The Penguins dressed 40 different skaters last season for at least one game and the prospects of going deep down the organizational depth chart in the upcoming season remains high. So let’s check in on where some somewhat forgotten players may come in.
Caleb Jones
Jones had a season out of some kind of twisted game of Mad Libs last season. He started out with the Pens, dressing for seven of the first eight games of the season, before he broke an ankle in October to cost him a significant amount of time. When he was rehabbing that issue in the AHL in January, Jones suffered a shoulder injury in the minor leagues. Then he got popped with a performance enhancing violation and suspended for 20 games, which he cited from being involved in his shoulder rehab. In April, once that suspension ended, it was announced Jones would have to undergo a shoulder surgery to address that issue after all. Thus ended one of the more wild and unexpected journeys of a season.
So where does that leave Jones now? The Pens aren’t strong at left defense but they have plenty of options. Jones was said to have a 4-6 month recovery from the April surgery, so he might not even be available for training camp or coming off a normal offseason of training, which surely won’t be helping his cause to win a spot on the roster.
Looking at last season, Jones played seven NHL games and had one assist. That seems like a good over/under for the future. Is he a player that can get healthy and get a stint of games in during the midseason? Sounds like a possibility. Then again, coming off the bum shoulder, he might fade away into being an NHL non-factor. Put this one under ‘might play 0 games, might just play 15-20’ with a reasonable chance of either outcome.
Filip Hallander
Much like Jones, Hallander was a fringe free agent signing last season that found a way onto the opening night lineup, only to miss the majority of last season due to medical reasons. Hallander came out of camp on the Sidney Crosby line, though he performed poorly enough to get demoted after only two games. Hallander still managed to find a spot on a lower line for much of the beginning of the season before a puck striking his leg caused a clot in November. Hallander went through his treatments and even played some AHL rehab games before being shutdown and iced away for the rest of the year without much fanfare or notice about the reasoning behind the decision.
Usually by now, you would think a Swedish media outlet would have a story about Hallander’s current status and outlook for the future, but not much has been said about his current situation. Last year’s stat line of 13 games, one goal and four points presents an interesting setting with an over/under. Could Hallander exceed any of those numbers in 2026-27? At this point it doesn’t look very likely, but those aren’t too high of hurdles to clear. Ideally for Hallander’s sake, his health condition is good and worries are in the rear view mirror so that he can play somewhere. Not sure that will be too much in Pittsburgh and the NHL, but just having a full season of play would be an improvement from last year.
Ryan Graves
Graves is going into season four with the Penguins and at this point there’s no illusions or reasons to dream about a bounce back. There’s no new coach or other situation to help offer any hope that Graves will re-find the form he last had in 2022-23 with the Devils. To make matters worse, 2025-26 was the worst season in Graves’ ignominious stint in Pittsburgh. Graves was waived on two separate occasions last year and only appeared in 22 games – only three of which after December 15th (aside from two of the games at the end of the season when the playoff berth was clinched). Prior to last year he was struggling but at least a fairly regular member of the team before taking a turn far away from that status.
That makes Graves in 2026-27 into an interesting footnote. Will Graves remain on the NHL roster? Will he get waived again? He still has three seasons left on his contract, and it doesn’t look like the team is going to find a way to part with him. It could make for another awkward season of sending an NHL-sized salary down to the minor leagues. At this point it’s hard to see Graves matching the 22 NHL games he played last season, though stranger things have happened than to imagine a situation where due to injuries to others that he might find himself playing for the Penguins at times once again this year.
Joel Blomqvist
Last year’s third string goalie in the organization played five NHL games. Would you go over or under 5.5 games this upcoming year for Blomqvist, who most figure will be in that spot as the third goalie this year? It’s an interesting question. From coaches to management and fans, all are certainly hoping and expecting big things from Sergei Murashov next year. He’s also a 22-year old goalie who still needs to prove he is an NHL goalie. From Devon Levi to Spencer Knight and Yaroslav Askarov, there are certainly plenty of examples for top young goalies not always making nice steady, smooth incremental steps in their developments. Blomqvist and Murashov both can be assigned to the AHL without needing waivers in 2026-27, the Penguins won’t want to yo-yo goalies back and forth from Wilkes if they can help it, but circumstances might dictate that Murashov needs more AHL time. There could also be an injury to an NHL goalie that opens the door for Blomqvist to get an opportunity for NHL appearances, it would be rare for two goalies to both remain healthy over a long season.
There’s a chance and scenario where Blomqvist plays as much in the NHL in 2026-27 as he did in 2025-26 (which is to say, no games). He himself has been the injured goalie at times in recent years, so injury fate would have to break in his favor. Seeing Blomqvist in the NHL isn’t a pleasant thought due to the underlying cause likely being that Murashov or Arturs Silovs is either hurt or not playing well, though it isn’t outside of the range of possibilities that Blomqvist could have the chance for some sort of role in the Pens’ season this year.
On Thursday afternoon, the NHL announced schedules for all 32 teams, giving Calgary Flames fans a chance to look ahead to the 2026-27 season, which will feature 84 games and, of course, the final year of professional hockey at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Earlier on Wednesday, the NHL announced that the Seattle Kraken would be the opponent for the final home opener. With the latest schedule revelation, barring a playoff run, the Vancouver Canucks will be the last visiting team to skate on Saddledome ice.
Of course, those are just two of many games the Flames will battle through between October and April, so today we wanted to give fans a handful of games to circle on their calendars in the coming weeks and months.
5 Biggest Games on the Flames' 2026-27 Schedule
5. October 22, 2026 vs Minnesota Wild
Former Flames forward and alternate captain Blake Coleman will not have long to wait before returning to the Saddledome, as his new team, the Minnesota Wild, visits on October 22. During his five seasons in red, Coleman, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, scored 99 goals and 199 points, serving as a veteran voice for the young prospects now in the lineup. At just 34, he's got another year left on his current deal and will be part of a contender in Minnesota.
4. December 5, 2026 vs Washington Capitals
At first glance, no one would notice or care much that the Washington Capitals were visiting the Saddledome. But with the NHL's all-time goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin, playing another season, his 22nd, this could be one last hurrah for fans to see one of the game's greatest. Surprisingly, only nine of Ovechkin's 929 career goals have come in The Dome, with his first occurring in 2010 and his latest on January 23, 2026.
3. October 1, 2026 vs Seattle Kraken
Obviously, the Flames organization will go out of its way to ensure the ceremonies surrounding the team's final home opener at the Saddledome are special. Although many on social media disagree that the Seattle Kraken will be the visiting team on opening night, the NHL's newest team gets to be a part of history as Calgary ushers in the final season of its 43-year-old building. Surprisingly, Seattle boasts a 5-3-1 record at the Saddledome.
2. March 23, 2027 vs Edmonton Oilers
Of course, any Flames matchup against their provincial rival, the Edmonton Oilers, will be special in 2026-27. Despite each franchise going in opposite directions in the standings, these two have hosted legendary battles on Saddledome ice over the decades. This year, the Oilers, along with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, will make their final appearances at The Dome on March 3 and March 23, 2027, marking the end of an era in the Battle of Alberta until the teams relocate to Scotia Place across the street.
1. April 10, 2027 vs Vancouver Canucks
Besides the longtime rivalry with the Oilers, there's one other Western Canadian team that the Flames have gone to war with for decades, the Canucks. Whether in the regular season or the playoffs, the rivalry runs deep, making Vancouver a fitting opponent for the Saddledome's final game. Historically, the Canucks have struggled in Calgary, posting a 44-68-10-2 record in 124 games. The Flames welcome Vancouver to town for a Boxing Day matchup before the season finale on April 10, 2027.
Which Flames games are you most looking forward to this season, let us know in the comments.
While the Penguins acquired him at the beginning of the month as an RFA, he signed a new contract with Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The 24-year-old inked a two-year contract at $3.25 million per season. This is the longest contract Robertson has had in his NHL career since his entry-level deal.
As a guest on TSN's OverDrive, Robertson revealed how important it was for him to get some term on this latest deal.
"For my full time playing in the NHL, I've yet to have another season under contract," he said. "That was a really big focus for me, was to get some term and to settle in and give me time to get some runway in Pittsburgh. I'm happy the way it turned out. I'm really excited."
Across 234 appearances for Toronto, he averaged 11:52 of ice time during his tenure and logged a career-high average of 12:40 this past year. Despite his limited ice time, he's shown great promise, particularly in the department of scoring goals, including 16 tallies and 32 points in 2025-26.
Even with the lack of playing time and a true opportunity to play in the team's top six, Robertson took away a positive learning experience from his time with the Leafs.
"Always be ready," Robertson said of what he learned. "Toronto had such a talented team… and I had to be on my game all the time, whether that was with (Craig Berube) or (Sheldon Keefe).
"But I think it's always a blessing in disguise because you can't get complacent. Whether you're up and down the lineup, you got to work your way to either get up in the lineup or to stay there," he added.
Of course, with signing his new deal recently and avoiding arbitration, he's met with Penguins GM Kyle Dubas, whom he knew from his days with the Leafs, and drafted him with the 53rd pick in the 2019 draft.
Robertson shared what his first interactions were like with Dubas, meeting his new coach, Dan Muse, and the message they portrayed to him about joining the team.
"I had a great conversation with Muse and Kyle, and basically the message was, it's a new opportunity, a change of scenery," he said.
He also pointed out that recently there have been other players who have made a stop in Pittsburgh in a move that was a change of scenery and were able to have some success.
A recent example of that would be Anthony Mantha. Mantha signed a one-year contract with the Penguins ahead of this past season, and he went from a player who missed plenty of time the year prior with injury but also didn't produce strong production.
But after his one season in Pittsburgh, he marked the best campaign of his 11-year NHL career. Mantha scored 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games in 2025-26. That campaign earned the veteran right winger a two-year contract with the New Jersey Devilsat $4.75 million per year.
Ultimately, Robertson is looking to replicate that type of success with his new team.
"My job is to go in and be ready, so I look forward to that," he said.
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The Chicago Blackhawks have many young forwards who they will be hoping can hit a new level for them next season. Ryan Greene is among them, as the 22-year-old forward has the potential to become a big part of the Blackhawks' roster.
Greene just completed his rookie season in 2025-26 and showed good promise during it. In 81 games on the year, he posted 12 goals, 17 assists, and 29 points. Overall, it was a solid start to his NHL career, and the 2022 second-round pick will now be looking to reach new heights for the Blackhawks during the 2026-27 season.
If Greene can hit the 20-goal and 40-point marks next season, it would be good news for a Blackhawks club that is looking to take that next step and compete for a playoff spot. It would also be significant for the Blackhawks if Greene continues to take steps forward with his solid two-way play.
Ultimately, there is a lot to like about Greene's game. It is going to be interesting to see what kind of season he can put together for the Original Six club in 2026-27 from here.
Goaltending is arguably the most important position in hockey, and every successful team likely has a goaltender or two who performs well.
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, they've made some changes in the crease this off-season, across a few different transactions by GM John Chayka.
It's not just the NHL tandem that has seen a shift going into the 2026-27 season, but the team's goaltending youth and depth have seen some change as well. After these adjustments in Chayka's first summer as the Leafs' GM, where does Toronto's goalie blueprint stand against the others in the Atlantic Division?
Off-Season Subtractions And Additions
With Chayka's first trade as the GM of the Maple Leafs, he made a deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. That trade saw defenseman Simon Benoit and goaltender Joseph Woll sent away in exchange for goaltender Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae and a 2026 third-round pick.
They did get Ersson in return to fill the void of Woll, but Ersson hasn't performed well in the NHL so far, posting an .870 save percentage and a 3.12 goals-against average this past year. In the end, Ersson was traded to the Ottawa Senators for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 draft.
Toronto wasn't done making moves in the crease there, as later that day, the Leafs traded Dennis Hildeby to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Hildeby, 24, was showing great promise with the Maple Leafs and with the AHL's Toronto Marlies. In 20 NHL appearances, the Swede registered a 2.86 GAA, a .914 SP, and earned his first career shutout against the Lightning in December of the past season.
Moving the young 6-foot-7 goaltender was a sacrifice to continue to improve the team's forward group, as they acquired Nick Paul from Tampa in that trade.
There are some superstar goaltenders in the Atlantic Division that the Leafs will need to face. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jeremy Swayman of the Lightning and Boston Bruins, respectively, were finalists for the Vezina Trophy this past season, with the Bolts netminder taking home the trophy.
Nonetheless, Toronto's tandem isn't anything to be dismissive of, with a total of three Stanley Cups between Bobrovsky and Stolarz. Not to mention, Bobrovsky has two Vezina Trophies himself, and while Stolarz has an injury-plagued history, he's also shown signs of being an excellent goaltender, with the 2024-25 campaign being a prime example of that.
A few teams that the Leafs certainly have the goaltending edge over are the Senators, the Detroit Red Wings and the Buffalo Sabres.
The Senators do have a Vezina-Trophy-winning netminder in Linus Ullmark, but since he won that award in Boston, he hasn't been the same since arriving in Ottawa.
This past year was Ullmark's worst campaign yet of his NHL career. He recorded a 2.73 GAA and an .891 SP.
To Ullmark's credit, he had an excellent post-season in Ottawa's first-round matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, putting up a .932 SP and a 2.03 GAA. However, he wasn't able to earn a victory.
Now, going into the new campaign, his supporting tandem member is going to be Ersson, or Leevi Merilainen, who also struggled in 2025-26 with a .860 SP and a 3.51 GAA in 20 games.
Detroit will be rolling with John Gibson and Daniil Tarasov next season.
Gibson was a star goaltender earlier in his career, but lately he's fallen into the category of an average starter.
He's still a solid netminder, but isn't so much a game-changer for his team, putting up a .901 SP this past year. The Red Wings also show no signs of improving the roster, particularly the back end to support their goaltenders.
Tarasov spent the past year as a backup to Bobrovsky with the Panthers, earning an .895 SP. It's hard to see this tandem thrive in this division and with the roster in front of them.
For Buffalo, their goaltending has been slightly chaotic to a certain degree lately. The big name in the Sabres' crease is 27-year-old Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who was great in the regular season with a .910 SP. However, that was only across 35 appearances.
Then, there's Alex Lyon, who played 36 games and recorded a .907 SP. And to finish the trio, Colten Ellis, who debuted in the NHL this past year, put up a .903 SP in his first 16 appearances of his NHL career.
A three-goalie tandem isn't typically the greatest method, nor do any of these three names scare an opponent on the scouting report.
Luukkonen is the best goaltender on Buffalo's list, given the fact that he has posted a pair of campaigns with a .910 SP. But he does lack the consistency of being a true star or elite No. 1 goaltender.
Moving on to the other clubs in the Atlantic, Toronto has a case to make against any goalie tandem in the division.
The next team that the Maple Leafs could hang around with in the crease is the Montreal Canadiens and their duo of Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler. Although Samuel Montembeault is on the roster, he sits behind the other two goalies on the depth chart and wasn't particularly impressive in 2025-26.
There's no doubt that Dobes had some heroic and unforgettable moments for the Habs in their most recent playoff run. But the truth is, the Czech goaltender isn't all that consistent between the pipes.
Even with him being the highlight for multiple Montreal victories in the 2026 post-season, he posted a .908 SP, with half of his appearances in the playoffs finishing under a .900 SP.
Not much can be said about Fowler, as he made his NHL debut just this past year. He performed well, posting a .908 SP in 17 NHL contests, but that's not enough to change the overall perspective on where the Canadiens' tandem stands in the Atlantic.
With the experience and proven numbers from recent seasons, Toronto's netminders can be trusted more going into 2026-27.
It's hard to compete with the Panthers in any category, but when it comes to their new-look tandem, the Maple Leafs could have the edge over them, too.
They lost Bobrovsky and replaced him with Jacob Markstrom in a trade with the New Jersey Devils. Lately, Markstrom hasn't been great as a starting goaltender, with his past four seasons finishing with a .905 SP or worse.
Indeed, Bobrovsky is at an age where a dip in performance would be expected, and that happened in 2025-26, but replacing him with Markstrom doesn't guarantee improvement in goal.
Next to Markstrom will be Akira Schmid as the backup goaltender, and he is exactly that and nothing more. Schmid played 34 games for the Vegas Golden Knights this past year and posted an .893 SP. The 26-year-old also has just 82 games played in his NHL career.
It doesn't take much of an argument to understand that the Leafs should have the edge over the Cats when it comes to goaltending.
For the final two teams remaining, Boston and Tampa Bay, it's tough to say Toronto has better goaltending than they do, simply because of the No. 1s they both possess. Swayman and Vasilevskiy are two of the best goalies in the NHL.
But where the Maple Leafs can make an argument is about the depth they have in the crease between those two franchises.
With the Bruins, behind Swayman is Michael DiPietro, with Joonas Korpisalo being shipped to the New York Rangers this summer.
It's been a long time coming for DiPietro, as a 27-year-old, and he is finally projected to have a regular NHL role next season. In four separate campaigns, he's made a total of four appearances, and only in two did he feature for the whole contest.
He's spent most of his time in the AHL, and to his credit, he has dominated at that level. This past year, he recorded a .930 SP and a 1.91 GAA in 45 contests. So his jump to the NHL is deserved, but there isn't much sample size to base how he'll perform at this next level.
Similar can be said about Tampa and Hildeby. Though Hildeby has stepped up for Toronto in the NHL before, he's in a different and unfamiliar environment, with just 26 games played at this level.
So while the Leafs don't have a Swayman or Vasilevskiy, at least, going off of how the past season went, the depth is what really gives them a boost among their divisional peers.
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Now that the NHL schedule has been released, fans can start planning which games they’d like to attend and find out when interesting foes are dropping by. Here are five occasions Montreal Canadiens’ fans should consider putting on their calendar.
Home Opener
It’s always a treat to be amongst the first 21,000 people to see the Canadiens’ new opening montage and the light effects. This year, as a bonus, fans will also get an Eastern Conference Final rematch since Rod Brind’Amour and his Carolina Hurricanes will be in town to kick off the Bell Center’s season on October 6.
The Big Return
I’ll admit it, as soon as I saw the schedule I looked for one game: Brendan Gallagher’s homecoming. Fans will have to be patient for that one. The Habs will face the Vancouver Canucks on February 1, but that will be in British Columbia. Gallagher’s new team will only come to Montreal on March 6. Fingers crossed that the veteran hasn’t been traded to a contender by then; it would be a shame if fans didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. The trade deadline is on March 8, 2027; hopefully Gallagher will be fit as a fiddle and still play for Canucks.
Un coéquipier sans pareil et notre éternel guerrier. Merci à Brendan Gallagher pour tout ce qu’il a fait pour la ville de Montréal, tant sur la glace qu’à l’extérieur, et on lui souhaite le meilleur à Vancouver ❤️
Normally around Christmas and the New Year, it’s impossible to catch a game at the Bell Centre because the Canadiens are always on the road. Not this year. Forget about Disney on Ice; this time around, the Habs will be hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs on Boxing Day and the Dallas Stars on December 27- talk about a great present idea.
Ringing In The New Year
In recent years, the Canadiens have played on New Year's Eve either at 5:00 PM or 7:00 PM; this year, you won’t have to fight with your family for the remote if they want to watch the end-of-year TV specials. The Habs will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at 2:00 PM on December 31st in Florida.
The Final Countdown
If there’s a tight race to the finish, whether it’s for the playoffs or for the right spot in the standings, the end of the season could be very exciting for the Canadiens, who will play their last three games against divisional rivals and on the road. They’ll take on the Florida Panthers on April 6, the Lightning on April 8, and the Ottawa Senators on April 10.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 27: Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins prepares to take the ice against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Five of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 27, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
“Mantha is coming off a career season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, totaling 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games. He is due to regress from those numbers, but he should still be a productive winger for the Devils. Let’s look at what he offers and why the Devils should be a better team with him, even though regression is likely next season.” [Devils on the Rush]
“The New Jersey Devils today announced that the club has named Leo Luongo Director of Goaltending while adding Ted Donato and AJ MacLean as assistant coaches and Dan Stewart as a goaltending coach to complete Sheldon Keefe’s coaching staff.” [Devils NHL]
In a major development, the Red Wings announce Steve Yzerman is stepping down as the team’s head of Hockey Operations and becoming an advisor to Chris Ilitch.
“While there are still some interesting names out there, we’ve reached the point of the offseason where player movement slows to a crawl. Some things can still change, but a majority of teams are what they are at this point — for better or worse. That makes it a good time to check in on which teams improved (or declined) the most this summer.” [The Athletic ($)]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
The Sharks have remade their defense. But how much better than before is it?
San Jose Hockey Now spoke with four NHL scouts, none with the Sharks, for their assessment.
Do they think the Sharks have a playoff-caliber blueline now?
So far this summer, the Sharks have signed Jacob Trouba to a four-year, $33 million pact. They also traded for Darnell Nurse, sending out defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin and prospect Zack Sharp, and Michael Kesselring (and 2026 draft’s No. 27 pick), sending out the No. 20.
They’re adding this trio to incumbents Dmitry Orlov and Sam Dickinson.
Prospects Luca Cagnoni, Eric Pohlkamp, and Nolan Allan are also waiting in the wings.
Realistically, the Sharks could also add another veteran depth defenseman to this mix.
So how much better is this blueline, considered around the league, for years, to be one of the worst in the NHL?
“It’s a big improvement compared to last year,” Scout No. 1 said. “Closer to average.”
“Significantly improved,” Scout No. 2 said.
Good enough for the playoffs? The Sharks have missed the post-season for seven straight years.
“100 percent in the playoffs discussion,” Scout No. 2 said.
“Borderline playoff corps,” Scout No. 3 said.
There are obvious question marks surrounding Nurse and Trouba, because they’re 30-something’s signed for four more years.
But league-wide, they’re still considered legitimate top-four defensemen, and generally thought to be upgrades over Orlov and the departing Mario Ferraro. Between Nurse and Trouba and Orlov, the Sharks have three consensus top-four defenders for the first time in a long time. Nurse and Trouba should also take on the penalty-killing minutes that Ferraro and Vincent Desharnais vacate.
“Trouba is a defensive defenseman,” Scout No. 1 said. “Puck game is limited but can still shoot the puck. And obviously a big, heavy, and physical defender. Plays to his identity.”
“Nurse isn’t as physical as he should be and is prone to mental errors with the puck,” Scout No. 1 said. “But can rush the puck and add some offense though.”
“Both men are solid citizens and leaders,” Scout No. 2 said. “High-end level of toughness and respect [around] the league.”
Scout No. 1 added, “Orlov played higher in the line-up than he should and was exposed.”
Nurse and Trouba will help with that.
“Hopefully, Dickinson can take a step too,” Scout No. 4 said about the 2024 No. 11 pick.
So while the four-year commitments to 31-year-old Nurse and 32-year-old Trouba aren’t ideal, which top-four blueliners were the Sharks going to add this off-season with shorter contracts? And at a reasonable acquisition cost, in a seller’s market for defensemen?
Kesselring also didn’t cost the Sharks much, and while he’s not proven like Nurse and Trouba, is 6-foot-5 and mobile and just 26.
“Have guys who can do a much better job getting the puck to the forwards or skate it themselves,” Scout No. 1 said of Nurse, Trouba, and Kesselring.
How about the Sharks’ blueline prospects, Allan, Cagnoni, or Pohlkamp — who’s the most NHL-ready?
“They need a top power-play guy,” Scout No. 1 said. “None of [Nurse or Trouba or Kesselring] are close to top PP guys. Gives Cagnoni an edge.”
“Cagnoni can run a power play,” Scout No. 2 said. “I would think he would get a look in that role.”
Of this trio of prospects, 5-foot-9 Cagnoni is the most offensively gifted, Pohlkamp projects to the most well-rounded long-term, and 6-foot-2 Allan is more defensive.
It is worth noting that Cagnoni and Allan have a lot more pro experience than the recently signed Pohlkamp. Speaking of Allan, the 23-year-old is not waiver-exempt, while the younger Cagnoni and Pohlkamp still are.
In the end, the Sharks aren’t likely to be carried into the playoffs by this defense. Macklin Celebrini is already a superstar, but can another young forward or two become a star too?
“Will all depend on how quickly their top-end young guys mature,” Scout No. 2 said. “Not Celebrini, but Smith, Chernyshov, Misa, et cetera.”
If Celebrini gets some help up front, and the Sharks’ defense is at least average, that could be enough to get them into the post-season dance.
“[The defense is] a bit of a mixed bag,” Scout No. 4 said. “Older and some questions. But if everything works, could be decent for next season.”
