The NHL Network has been slowly releasing its annual positional rankings ahead of the 2026-27 season. Thus far, through the defense and right wing rankings, the Calgary Flames have come away empty-handed. However, a couple of former players made the list, with Dan Vladar joining the group on Sunday.
The NHL Network tapped him as the 8th-best goalie in the NHL right now, just below Jake Oettinger and ahead of Jesper Wallstedt and Jakub Dobes.
Initially drafted in the third round (75th overall) by the Boston Bruins at the 2015 NHL Draft, Vladar came to Calgary in 2021 and earned a full-time backup role under Jacob Markström and Dustin Wolf. As an unrestricted free agent in July 2025, he signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers, where he became the team's top goalie with a 29-14-7 record in 52 games, helping the club earn a playoff spot.
Despite not posting any shutouts, Vladar produced a .906 SV% and 2.42 GAA, both personal bests, and played all 10 playoff games for the Flyers, who eventually lost to the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in the second round. Philadelphia fans took notice, and so did NHL award voters, as he finished sixth in Vezina Trophy voting and 18th in the Hart Trophy race.
For his efforts, Philadelphia extended him for another five seasons at $5.5 million, his biggest payday in professional hockey.
Over six years in the NHL, the 28-year-old from Prague has a 78-48-23 record, a .898 SV%, and a 2.80 GAA.
New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin was at it again in 2025-26, finishing as a Vezina finalst for the second time in his NHL career.
Sorokin, 31, posted a 2.68 GAA and a .906 SV% with a league-leading seven shutouts in 55 games, with a 29-24-2 record. His GSAE sat at 25.3, which was the best in the NHL behind Boston Bruins' netminder Jeremy Swayman (28.8) and Washington captains netminder Logan Thompson (29.3).
He comes in at No. 4 on NHL Network's Top 10 Goalies Right Now list:
Another year, another spot on NHL Network's Top 10 Goalies Right Now list for Ilya Sorokin (@NYIslanders), coming in at #⃣4⃣!
The three goalies ahead of him are New York Islanders netminder Igor Shesterkin at No. 3, Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck at No. 2 and coming in at No. 1 is the goaltender who beat Sorokin out for the Vezina, Tampa Bay Lightning's starter Andrei Vasilevskiy:
Introducing NHL Network's Top 10 Goalies Right Now!
It's a debatable list and had Sorokin willed the Islanders into the playoffs -- he did all he could behind a questionable defense -- he likely finishes higher on the list, especially ahead of his Russian pal Shesterkin.
On the heels of an improbably good breakout campaign, Philadelphia Flyers goalie Dan Vladar has earned himself a nice slice of national recognition from NHL pundits around the league.
Vladar, 28, was Mr. Right for the Flyers last season, always showing up when the stakes were the highest.
The longtime Calgary Flames backup emerged as the Flyers' starting goalie in his first year in Philadelphia, going 29-14-7 in 52 appearances and 51 starts to the tune of a 2.42 GAA and .906 save percentage.
While the raw stats aren't all that impressive on their own, Vladar also finished 10th in the NHL in goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck, with 13.8.
In the playoffs, Vladar was even better, stopping 8.5 goals above expected in just 10 games. Only Montreal's Jakub Dobes (13.3) was better, and he played in nine more games for the Eastern Conference semifinalist Canadiens.
All in all, Vladar was able to parlay his stunning season into some deserved national recognition, impressively ranking as the eighth-best goalie in the entire NHL in the eyes of NHL Network producers and analysts on the heels of coming in sixth place in Vezina Trophy voting earlier in the summer.
The 6-foot-5 Czech netminder ranked ahead of Minnesota's Jesper Wallstedt and Dobes, but behind all the names you would come to expect to see on a list like this one: Jake Oettinger, Logan Thompson, Jeremy Swayman, Ilya Sorokin, Igor Shesterkin, Connor Hellebuyck, and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The question for Vladar and the Flyers going forward is whether or not the breakout star can repeat his performance next season and in the years beyond.
Before signing with the Flyers, Vladar had recorded a save percentage greater than .898 in a season just once, and had never started in 30 or more games in a single campaign.
If Vladar can put on an encore and more in Philadelphia, though, the Flyers will have a top-10 goalie in the NHL locked down for the foreseeable future.
The Flyers tied down their newfound starting shot-stopper to a five-year, $27.5 million ($5.5 million AAV) contract extension back on July 1.
That kind of investment tells us that the Flyers certainly believe Vladar can do it again, and the national analysts and producers over at NHL Network seem to agree.
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 selected Nansi at the 2025 NHL draft with the 153rd overall pick in the fifth round. He is coming off his third season with the OHL's Owen Sound Attack, and his second straight campaign of featuring in all but one regular-season outing.
This past year, the 6-foot-4 right winger scored 13 goals and 56 points in 67 appearances for Owen Sound. His playmaking in 2025-26 notably excelled from the 2024-25 campaign. All he provided was 16 assists - along with seven goals for 23 points - compared to the 43 helpers he registered this past year.
It's likely that Nansi does have more in his locker than he's been able to display to this point in his junior hockey career. A lot of that has to do with the Attack, and how they haven't been one of the stronger teams in the OHL for the past little while. In fact, since Nansi debuted for the team in 2023-24 as a 16-year-old, Owen Sound have finished each year with a losing record, but made the playoffs.
This past year, the Attack finished with a 27-32-9 record, winding up sixth in the Western Conference. They ended the campaign with 63 points, which is 21 points fewer than the fifth-place team in the Western Conference, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
In each of the three playoff campaigns that Nansi featured in, Owen Sound have been swept in the first round. Nansi played in all four games of the 2024 and 2026 series, finishing without a point in those contests. In 2025 against Easton Cowan's London Knights, Nansi was able to record one assist in the two games he played.
Regardless of the team he has around him or the circumstances of the team through the years, what's important is Nansi's growth and progression, particularly the 33-point increase from 2024-25 to 2025-26, which should please the Maple Leafs' front office.
In that regard, one area that Nansi has clearly improved in is his skating. At the Maple Leafs development camp in early July, he said that was something he had worked on for quite some time.
"Especially down low, I think my skating has evolved," Nansi said. Forward, backward, it helped me a lot, being stable on the ice and being able to make plays out there."
He said that he worked all summer with Paul Matheson, who is a part of the Maple Leafs' development team as a skating coach.
This coming season will be a big one for Nansi.
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MONTREAL, CANADA - APRIL 05: Timo Meier #28 of the New Jersey Devils skates during the third period against the Montréal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on April 5, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The New Jersey Devils defeated the Montréal Canadiens 3-0. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“It wouldn’t be a stretch to say the Devils need more from Meier, though. The underlying metrics remain excellent, but he finished with 24 goals and 44 points last season, which doesn’t cut it for someone making $8.8 million per year. If the Devils are to rebound and make the playoffs next season, Meier will have to be a key part of it. What should fans expect from him?” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
“The New Jersey Devils have restocked their cupboard a fair amount this off-season, enjoying a well-regarded draft, accumulating future assets, and trading for the likes of Amadeus Lombardi. With that, let’s talk about the cream of the crop – the top three prospects in the system – entering the 2026-27 season.” [Infernal Access ($)]
“The New Jersey Devils come in at No. 19 on TheHockeyNews.com’s NHL off-season ranking. The Devils have a new GM and a new No. 1 goalie, but are they a Stanley Cup playoff lock?” [The Hockey News]
FWIW:
Joe Lorincz is no longer listed on the NJD website.
He was the team's Strength and Conditioning Coach since 2015-16.
“Saturday will mark one month until the maximum term for NHL contracts will drop from eight years when re-signing with a team to seven. It’s possible that the last-ever eight-year deal has already been inked, with the most recent max-term deal surprisingly going to Pittsburgh Penguins winger Ville Koivunen, who signed for a cap hit of $4 million.” [TSN]
“Which teams are heading into a cap crunch next summer? Who’s sitting pretty and under budget? How much will the game’s next big stars command on their next deals, and what might that mean for teams’ second-best scorers? With all that in mind, we’re looking at a handful of intriguing franchises — each facing different questions and approaches to salary cap management — in the year ahead, and beyond.” [Sportsnet]
“There are blockbuster trades, massive free-agent contracts and acquisitions that immediately become central to a team’s Stanley Cup aspirations. But for every major move, there are several quieter additions that could ultimately prove just as important. Some teams found value in players coming off down seasons. Others targeted specific areas of need, while a few took chances on players who could have considerably more responsibility in their new surroundings. Here are 12 under-the-radar acquisitions who could make a bigger impact than the attention they’ve received this summer:” [Sportsnet]
“What hockey game had you sitting in complete silence for 30 minutes after the fact?” [r/hockey]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
Alexandar Georgiev revived his career in Russia, but the NHL still isn't buying it.
Nearly two months after returning to North America, Georgiev remains unsigned. Training camps are getting closer, rosters are taking shape and the number of places for a goaltender looking for a fresh start is getting smaller by the day.
Not long ago, he was Colorado's starting goaltender, an All-Star and one of the NHL's winningest netminders. Now, he's trying to convince a team that the goaltender it saw struggle so badly in North America isn't the one it would be getting this time around.
And that's probably the biggest problem Georgiev faces.
From 38 Wins To Searching For A Job
Georgiev's fall happened quickly.
As a member of the Avalanche, he tied for the NHL lead with 40 wins during the 2022-23 season before leading the league outright with 38 victories in 2023-24. He was selected to the All-Star Game in 2024, putting him alongside the league's biggest names and giving him the kind of recognition that suggested he had arrived.
There was even a memorable moment at All-Star Weekend when Georgiev faced Connor McDavid in the one-on-one goalie challenge. He stopped nine of 12 attempts from the best player in the world, earned $100,000 and had McDavid joking afterward that Georgiev "had my number."
At the time, it was easy to see Georgiev as a goaltender who had figured things out.
Then the numbers started going the other way.
His .897 save percentage in 2023-24 was hardly reflective of a 38-win season, and things became much worse the following year. Georgiev finished his final stretch in Colorado with an 8-7-0 record, a 3.38 goals-against average and a .874 save percentage.
A trade to San Jose didn't fix anything.
With the Sharks, Georgiev went 7-19-4 with a 3.88 GAA and a .875 save percentage across 31 appearances.
Suddenly, the goaltender who had been trusted to carry a Stanley Cup contender was looking for a way to stay in the top league in the world.
Russia Was Exactly What Georgiev Needed
Georgiev eventually found that reset in Russia.
After his NHL struggles continued in San Jose and Buffalo, he returned to the KHL and joined Spartak Moskva. For the first time in years, his numbers started looking like those of the goaltender Colorado thought it was getting when it made him its starter.
In 24 regular-season appearances, Georgiev posted a 2.37 GAA and a .918 save percentage.
That .918 is particularly noteworthy.
It marked the first time since the 2022-23 season with Colorado that Georgiev finished a season with a save percentage above .900.
That doesn't erase what happened in the NHL. But it does give Georgiev something he didn't have when he left North America: evidence that his game could still be rebuilt.
He wasn't finished.
The playoffs were a little more complicated.
Georgiev went 1-4 in five postseason appearances with Spartak, but his individual numbers remained solid. He recorded a 2.65 GAA and a .918 save percentage.
Not bad.
The problem is that NHL teams aren't simply asking whether Georgiev can play well in Russia.
They're asking whether they can trust him to do it here. And due to that lack of trust, Georgiev has found himself in a pickle.
Most NHL teams have already figured out their goaltending situations. The obvious starting jobs are gone, most backup positions have been filled and teams are increasingly looking toward younger options to provide depth.
He's too accomplished to be viewed as just another organizational goaltender, but his recent NHL performance makes it difficult to view him as a reliable starter.
A team considering Georgiev has to balance two very different versions of the same player.
There's the goaltender who won 78 games over two seasons in Colorado and earned an All-Star selection.
Then there's the goaltender who posted a .875 save percentage in 2024-25 and eventually found himself out of the NHL altogether.
As the saying goes, you're only as good as your last outing. And his last stint in the NHL was as dismal as you can get.
Georgiev Doesn't Need To Be A Starter
The good news for Georgiev is that he doesn't necessarily need someone to hand him the starting job.
He just needs someone to give him a chance.
A low-cost, one-year deal could make sense for a team looking for an experienced backup. A PTO could give him an opportunity to earn a roster spot during training camp. And, as every NHL season inevitably proves, injuries can create openings that simply don't exist in August.
That may ultimately be how Georgiev gets back to the NHL. But so far, nobody has been willing to make that bet — and it's hard to blame them. Teams aren't exactly lining up to gamble on a goaltender whose recent NHL struggles earned him the unfortunate nickname "Fourgiev."
Until then, he'll remain one of the more intriguing unsigned goaltenders on the market — and one of the biggest question marks.
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.
To kick off the top-10, we selected center Tristan Broz, whose health this season will probably determine whether or not he ends up sticking in the NHL. Shifting to the wing for No. 9, we discuss the Penguins' 2026 first-round pick who seems to have a dangerous and translatable offensive toolset.
No. 9: RW Liam Ruck
One of the best plays I have seen out of Liam Ruck comes on the Penalty Kill in the WHL Playoffs. Big time players make big time plays in the big moments.
Much has been made about the development of the brothers together, which we covered when we highlighted Markus on this list at No. 15. And it's for good reason, as they were first and second in WHL scoring last season, with Markus leading the way at 21 goals and 108 points and Liam right behind him at 45 goals and 104 points for the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Obviously, the two teaming up to dominate the league is no small thing, and the Penguins have both in their clutches. But the one thing that makes Liam stand out a bit from his brother is that 45.
This guy is a pure goal-scorer with a nasty release. And, regardless of whether he and his brother develop at the same pace or at different paces, that's something that should translate no matter who he ends up on a line with.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?? THE TWINS ARE COOKING AGAIN!! 😤🎯
Liam, 18, experienced a breakout WHL campaign last season, but it wasn't only the result of flanking Markus. The young scoring winger's hockey IQ was on display all season long, as he is able to outsmart defenders and will his way to scoring areas undetected. He has enough footspeed to win races to loose pucks, his shot has legitimate pop, and he is also an excellent distributor who rarely forces plays and instead finds the right one. All that was on display during the playoffs, too, when he put up eight goals and 12 points in 14 games.
But Liam's bread and butter is around the net front. He anticipates well, puts himself in open positions to score and create, consistently wins puck battles, and can finish off plays with a quick, deceptive release. He's also a good forechecker, and his stick seems to be a magnet for the puck.
"It's neat to see how he can get to open space and wants the puck in the shooting areas," director of player development Tom Kostopoulos said following development camp. "Some guys want the puck all the time, and it seems to me he wants the puck in the areas that he can score from."
Offensively, Ruck has so much raw talent that is hard to ignore or dismiss, but the instincts are what separates him. If he can build out his two-way game a bit more, he should be an intriguing piece for the Penguins going forward, as he is one of the few forwards in their system with legitimate top-six upside.
“It's not just the talent,” Dubas said following the selection of Ruck. “It’s the talent plus the enthusiasm and the intelligence and how much he loves playing and contributing to a contending team and playing well in the playoffs for them. So, it was a number of different things that just made him what we felt was a great fit as a Pittsburgh Penguin.”
Next up for Liam - and Markus - is one more year with Medicine Hat before heading off to the University of North Dakota for the 2027-28 season. He may be several years away from sniffing the NHL, but if he continues to grow his game, he will quickly become one of the organization's very best prospects.
The Colorado Avalanche spent months positioning themselves for another deep Stanley Cup run.
Then, when the moment arrived, everything unraveled at once.
A Presidents’ Trophy-winning regular season ended with a Western Conference Final sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights, leaving Colorado with an offseason to figure out how a team that looked so dominant for much of the year suddenly ran out of answers.
For Cale Makar, the explanation isn’t complicated.
But that doesn’t make it any easier to accept.
“It was just a tough way to end,” Makar told Bailey Curtis of DNVR during a fan meet-and-greet Sunday at the new Dick’s House of Sport in Thornton. “I think a lot of things just went wrong for us at the wrong time.”
Perhaps that is the most telling assessment Makar could offer.
There were no excuses. No finger-pointing. No suggestion that Colorado needs to tear everything down.
Instead, Makar described a team that simply couldn’t get enough things going its way when the margin for error became razor-thin.
“Everything’s got to be going right in order to win,” Makar said. “We just kind of ran into a little bit of a wall and had a little bit of tough circumstances for some guys.”
Colorado knows how unforgiving that wall can be.
After dominating the regular season, sweeping the Los Angeles Kings and getting past the Minnesota Wild, the Avalanche entered the Western Conference Final with legitimate championship expectations.
Vegas ended those expectations in four games.
Now Colorado has to make sure the loss actually means something.
“You regroup and you try and build up,” Makar said.
A Different Avalanche Is Taking Shape
The Avalanche will have plenty to build around, but the team taking the ice in 2026-27 won’t look exactly like the one that lifted the Presidents’ Trophy.
Colorado has already made significant changes to its forward group.
Ross Colton was traded to Nashville on June 16. Eight days later, the Avalanche made another deal with the Predators, sending Jack Drury, Chase Bradley and a 2029 third-round pick to Nashville for Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux.
Colorado also acquired Fabian Lysell from Boston for Ivan Ivan and added veterans Jaden Schwartz, Noah Juulsen and Vinnie Hinostroza in free agency.
For Makar, those departures mean more than simply replacing goals and assists.
“We’re losing some key guys and some guys that were big parts of our team,” Makar said. “Not just on ice, but off ice as well.”
That is where Colorado’s biggest challenge could come.
Talent can be replaced.
Leadership has to develop.
Makar knows the Avalanche are going to look different, but he doesn’t view that as an automatic step backward.
“It’s going to be different, obviously,” Makar said. “It’s new bodies, new faces.”
Makar has stayed in contact with some of Colorado’s newcomers during the offseason, although he has mostly let everyone enjoy their summer before training camp begins.
Once camp opens, however, the expectations return.
And Makar remains confident in what the Avalanche can become.
“I feel confident that we’re in a good spot right now and we’re going to continue to get better as the season progresses, like we always did,” he said.
That confidence matters.
Because despite all the roster movement, Colorado’s standard hasn’t changed.
The Avalanche still expect to contend for the Stanley Cup.
Makar Isn’t Worried About The Power Play
One area that will inevitably receive scrutiny after the disappointing playoff exit is Colorado’s power play.
Makar, however, doesn’t sound like someone who believes the Avalanche need to reinvent themselves.
Instead, he sees a foundation worth building on.
“I felt confident in how we ended the regular season and then playoffs as well,” Makar said. “I felt like we can just build up a little bit of that momentum.”
That mindset may be important for Colorado moving forward.
The Western Conference Final sweep doesn’t erase what the Avalanche accomplished during the regular season. It simply exposed how quickly things can change once the playoffs become a battle of inches.
Colorado doesn’t need to start over.
It needs to find a way to finish.
Makar said he is feeling good heading toward training camp after spending part of his summer back in Calgary and recovering from another demanding NHL season.
That is obviously important.
But Colorado needs more than Makar being Makar.
Lysell will have an opportunity to establish himself in Colorado, while L’Heureux and Svechkov will be expected to grow into larger roles.
L’Heureux, in particular, could bring an element of physicality the Avalanche will need. His willingness to throw big hits and play with an edge would give Colorado a different dimension, especially in a playoff environment where games can become increasingly physical.
The veteran additions, particularly Schwartz, will also have to help stabilize a locker room that lost some important voices.
And for the returning core, the challenge is simple: make sure what happened against Vegas becomes a lesson rather than another missed opportunity.
The Avalanche were good enough to dominate the regular season.
They weren’t good enough when things went wrong in the playoffs.
That is the gap Colorado has to close.
The Vegas sweep is still part of the story.
It just doesn’t have to be the ending.
Colorado ran into a wall.
Now, with a new-look roster and another championship opportunity ahead, it has to figure out how to break through it.
In exactly 31 days, the Detroit Red Wings will gather for Training Camp at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, marking just the third time since 1997 that they haven't held Camp in Traverse City, located in Northwest Michigan.
And with each passing day, the chances that current captain Dylan Larkin reports to camp despite his controversial trade request, made public in early June, increase.
Right now, the Red Wings remain without a general manager following Steve Yzerman's departure from the role last month, and the club is currently conducting a search for his successor.
If Larkin ultimately remains with the Red Wings at this point next month, one former Stanley Cup winner turned analyst believes he should no longer bear the responsibility of the captaincy.
"You cannot - for a franchise that has been struggling like they have to make the playoffs, and a new regime kind of starting up right now, you’ve got to draw your line in the sand,” he said. "Not with Dylan Larkin, (but) with the team about what we’re doing moving forward, culture-wise. What it’s going to be about getting over the hump.”
"You have to shed that to your language, Jonny. The stink around the franchise. Right now, there's a lot of stink. And it's around your captain."
Rupp, who played 610 NHL games, won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003. He scored the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who had swept the Red Wings in the first round several weeks earlier.
Larkin is coming off his fifth straight season in which he tallied at least 30 goals. But Detroit's offense took a considerable blow when Patrick Kane, who registered 57 points last season, departed for the Chicago Blackhawks.
If Larkin ultimately leaves, that will be another 67 points that departs with him.
Whoever succeeds Yzerman as GM will have to navigate through this awkward situation and decide what is best for the franchise moving forward.
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After receiving public criticism for his physical condition, young Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov has left no doubts about his offseason training heading into Year 3 of his fledgling NHL career.
Michkov, 21, has trained relentlessly this summer, working out with fellow Russian standouts like Artemi Panarin, while also revealing a workout regimen that, at times, consisted of multiple sessions a day with the oversight of a Flyers coach.
The 2023 No. 7 overall pick has clearly taken the way his sophomore season went to heart, and there is some added motivation, we can assume, with Michkov heading into the last year of his entry-level contract.
In a new social media post made by Michkov, we can see the fruits of his labor thus far. Seriously, the kid is looking good!
It should be noted, too, that Michkov led the Flyers in scoring after the Olympic break, dedicating his time off to further training and catching up to his teammates in terms of physical conditioning and game conditioning.
Things came to a screeching halt in the Stanley Cup playoffs with one point in eight games, but without Michkov, there may not have been any playoffs for the Flyers to begin with.
With little in the way of offseason additions, the Flyers are hoping that the 21-year-old phenom, rejuvenated and even more experienced than before, can serve as one, in a way.
The Flyers and Michkov each have a lot riding on this season from their respective sides, and a strong season on the ice will reap mutual rewards.
Fortunately, things seem to be trending in the right direction, with Michkov impressively taking initiative to correct his perceived his lack of fitness.
The Montreal Canadiens should be open to the possibility of bringing in a player on a professional tryout (PTO) agreement for training camp. There are some free agents left who could be interesting players for the Canadiens to take a look at with a PTO.
One specific UFA forward who could make sense for the Canadiens to sign to a PTO is winger Michael Bunting.
When looking at Montreal's current roster, it would not hurt for them to add more depth on the wing. A player like Bunting would be an intriguing player for them to take a chance on, as he has shown during his career that he can provide decent secondary offensive production. He is also known for his pesky style of play, so he could give Montreal's lineup more bite, too.
If Bunting impressed on a PTO with the Canadiens and earned a contract for the season, he could offer them another solid option for their bottom six. He could provide Montreal with more depth scoring, which would not be a bad thing in the slightest for the Original Six club.
Bunting appeared in 74 games during the 2025-26 season, where he recorded 14 goals and 33 points. This was after he posted 19 goals and 38 points in 79 games during the 2024-25 campaign. With numbers like these, he could give Montreal's bottom six a bit of a boost if signed to a short-term deal.
Buffalo Sabres prospect Stiven Sardarian was thought to be headed to unrestricted free agency. The 2021 third rounder did not sign an entry-level deal with the Sabres before August 15, but according to Puckpedia, the 23-year-old has to submit paperwork to NHL Central Registry “indicating that he is no longer an undergraduate college student”, which would allow him to sign with another NHL club.
There are no indications that Sardarian has filed the paperwork with the NHL, and that means the club retains his rights until he does.
The 23-year-old Russian winger played in the USHL after being selected 88th overall and two years at the University of New Hampshire before using the NCAA transfer portal to go to Michigan Tech, where he led the club with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 35 games as a junior and 44 points (12 goals, 32 assists) in 37 games as a senior.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
It is possible that the Sabres could sign Sardarian to an AHL deal, which would not take up an NHL contract slot, as they did with current Amerk forward Matteo Costantini after his senior season at Western Michigan. Clubs are limited to 50 pro contracts, but currently Buffalo has 44 players signed to NHL deals, so taking up a slot would not seem to be a concern.
The Amerks are in need of replenishment in terms of forward prospects since 2021 first rounder Isak Rosen and 2023 second rounder Anton Wahlberg were traded, and both Noah Ostlund, and Konsta Helenius are expected to be playing in the NHL full-time next season, so it is possible that Sardarian could be added before training camp. It is also possible that the former CSKA Moscow product could head back to Russia to play professionally.
Former members of the Vancouver Canucks will take the spotlight in this off-season article series. From those skating with new NHL teams heading into the 2026–27 season to those who are now playing for international clubs, these featured players have skated in at least one game at the NHL level as a member of the Canucks.
Today’s segment will take a look at the former Canucks that are expected to play in the AHL’s Eastern Conference during the 2026–27 season.
As it stands, 20 ex-Canucks are projected to be playing in the AHL for the 2026–27 season. Seven of these 20 will be playing for teams in the Atlantic Division and five will play in the North Division.
Jiří Patera: Spent two seasons as a goaltender for the Abbotsford Canucks and started in one game for Vancouver in 2025–26, facing 40 shots and stopping 33 in a loss to the Florida Panthers. Signed a one-year deal with the Bruins in free-agency.
Brendan Gaunce: The 26th-overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Skated in 117 NHL games for Vancouver from 2015–16 to 2018–19, making his NHL debut on October 29, 2015. Signed with the Bruins in free-agency in 2019–20, also playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild before returning to Boston in 2026.
*Lukas Reichel: Acquired by Vancouver via trade on October 24, 2025. Played in 14 games with the Canucks before being sent down to Abbotsford and eventually traded to the Bruins. Listed on Boston’s roster but also spent time with Providence in 2025–26.
*Michael DiPietro: A third-round pick for Vancouver in the 2017 NHL Draft. Played in three games for the Canucks before being traded to Boston in 2022. Named AHL Regular-Season MVP in 2026. Listed on Boston’s roster for 2026–27 but played predominantly in the AHL in 2025–26.
Jack Studnicka: Joined Vancouver via trade for DiPietro and prospect Jonathan Myrenberg in October of 2022. Skated in 52 games for the Canucks in 2022–23 and 2023–24 before being dealt to the San Jose Sharks. Played for the Ontario Reign, Panthers, and Charlotte Checkers before heading to Philadelphia.
Justin Dowling: Played in 22 games for the Canucks in 2021–22, scoring two goals and two assists. Spent the 2022–23 season with Abbotsford, putting up 46 points in 56 games before heading to the New Jersey Devils the season after. Signed a two-year contract with the New York Rangers during the 2025 free-agency period.
Spencer Martin: Acquired by Vancouver via the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021. Faced 50 shots in his second game for the Canucks on January 25, 2022. Finished the 2021–22 season with a 1.74 GAA and .950 SV% in six games. Claimed off waivers by Columbus in September of 2023. Split 2025–26 with CSKA Moskva, Hartford, and the Rangers.
Mar 21, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Ethan Bear (74) skates against the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
Ethan Bear: Traded to Vancouver from Carolina in October 2022. Scored three goals and 13 assists in 61 games with the Canucks in 2022–23. Signed with the Washington Capitals in 2023–24 and later the New York Islanders in 2025.
Matthew Highmore: Acquired by Vancouver in exchange for Adam Gaudette in April of 2021. Skated in 64 games for the Canucks through the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons, registering a career-high of 12 points in a single season in 46 games played in 2021–22. Signed by the St. Louis Blues in free-agency in 2022.
Jack Rathbone: Fourth-round pick for Vancouver in 2017. Made his NHL debut on May 4, 2021 against the Edmonton Oilers and scored his first NHL goal the game after on May 6. Averaged over a point-per-game with Abbotsford in 2021–22 (40 points, 39 GP). Traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in October of 2023.
Aidan McDonough: Selected in the seventh-round of the 2019 NHL Draft by Vancouver. Made his NHL debut on March 26, 2023 against the Chicago Blackhawks and played in six games for the Canucks that season. Signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres for 2026–27.
Cole McWard: Free-agent college signing by Vancouver in 2023. Skated in five games for the Canucks during the 2022–23 season but spent the bulk of his time with the organization in Abbotsford. Won the Calder Cup in 2025 before signing with the Islanders organization. Signed a two-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2026 off-season.
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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.
23. Olivers Murnieks - Center (Saint John - QMJHL)
The Sabres top two picks in the 2026 Draft came as a result of trades. The fourth overall pick, used to select Daxon Rudolph, was acquired in the deal that sent Bowen Byram to Chicago. The 20th overall pick, used to select center Ilya Morozov, was part of the deal that sent defenseman Michael Kesselring to San Jose.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
Buffalo did not have a second or third round pick, and in the fourth round, they selected center Olivers Murnieks. The 18-year-old Latvian has extensive international experience leading into his draft year, playing for his home country in the IIHF Wrodl Junior Under-18’s in 2024 and 2025, the Under-20’s in 2025 and 2026, and the World Championships last May in Switzerland.
After playing his youth hockey in Latvia, the 6’1”, 192 lb. forward came to North America in 2024-25 to play in the USHL with Sioux City, posting 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 52 games. Last season, Murnieks shifted to the QMJHL, putting up 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists) in 31 games for the Saint John Sea Dogs. He is committed to Boston College after another year in the Q.
Elite Prospects says that Murnieks has “incredible off-puck awareness and a high-end compete level. He forechecks with intent, throws early hits to separate, gains inside positioning, climbs the wall, and drives the net.”
As players keep signing huge contracts left, right, and center in the NHL, Noah Dobson remains the Montreal Canadiens’ highest-paid player with a $9.5 million cap hit, and some are starting to wonder if the Habs players won’t eventually regret signing those deals. However, when Juraj Slafkovsky was asked about that at the Hockey Player of the Year gala in Slovakia, his answer was pretty clear:
It’s not really about the money for anyone there (in Montreal). We all have the same goal on that team. Nobody really cares about the money at this point. I mean, all those contracts that the guys have, or even I personally have, it’s already made our lives easier enough. Nobody really needs more than that. We’d rather focus on collecting those (Stanley Cup) rings, because that’s a much bigger number, and I don’t think any amount of money can top that.
- Slafkovsky at the Hockey Player of the Year gala
That’s the party line that has been established in Montreal, and there’s no denying that everyone seems to have bought in right now. For now, the Canadiens are in an excellent salary-cap position; we’ll see if they can stay there when their top players start needing new contracts. At the end of the 2029-30 season, in four years, captain Nick Suzuki will be up for a new contract; in five years, it will be Cole Caufield and Kaiden Guhle’s turn; then, in 2033, Slafkovsky and Dobson will be needing new contracts.
That’s the reality of a salary cap league: no matter how well you build a franchise, nothing is eternal, and a GM’s job is never done. As of now, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have assembled a formidable group, but they have yet to make use of the money the players have left on the table to bring in extra reinforcements. If they can’t manage to do that, it may be harder to sell the players on the idea that they are increasing their odds of winning the Stanley Cup by accepting less money.
