With the end of August fast approaching, more Montreal Canadiens players are coming back to town in readiness for training camp. Yesterday, Austrian defenseman David Reinbacher was filmed skating in Brossard alongside Patrik Laine, Alex Newhook, and Joe Veleno under the watchful eye of Adam Nicholas.

The 20-year-old right-shot defenseman will no doubt be hoping to stay healthy during training camp after being injured in a preseason game last year. With Noah Dobson’s arrival to replace David Savard on the blueline, the team can afford to send the youngster to the AHL with the Laval Rocket if they feel that he needs more seasoning, but chances are he would rather make the jump to the NHL this season.

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Dobson’s arrival has also meant that Logan Mailloux was dealt to the St. Louis Blues, leaving a pretty big hole in the Rocket’s defence corps. If the Canadiens were to send Reinbacher down to Laval, he would enjoy a lot of ice time in a setting that could potentially be more suited to his level of development.

The knee injury suffered in the preseason last year kept him out of action until the third week of February. When he did come back, the organization took a prudent approach with one of its most prized prospects since he was still experiencing some swelling in his knee. In 10 regular-season games with the Rocket, Reinbacher picked up five points and added another six in 13 postseason contests.

While the Canadiens do have some right-shot defensemen in the prospects pipeline, Mailloux’s trade leaves them with few NHL-ready options. However, one could argue Mailloux wasn’t even ready himself, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Whichever decision the Canadiens make on Reinbacher, the most important thing for his development will be to get plenty of ice time, and that starts with staying healthy. Hopefully, the injury ninja is ready to move on to another victim and allow the rearguard to work on his game.

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The date is Aug. 21, and the Pittsburgh Penguins still have not traded Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, or Erik Karlsson.

Given the discourse surrounding the Penguins in pretty much all circles - fan circles, media circles, and team circles alike - this is a bit surprising. Even if general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas is known for big splashes in the month of August during his tenure with the Penguins, it certainly seems a bit too quiet.

Dubas himself - as well as new Penguins’ head coach Dan Muse - have re-emphasized the fact that the team is in a period of transition. In these periods of transition, teams typically sell high-value, aging assets in an effort to rebuild a core that is younger and provides some promise for the franchise going forward. 

This line of thought seems logical enough, and it led many to believe that selling off at least one of Rakell, Rust, or Karlsson this summer for valuable assets in return was going to be one of the top priorities of the offseason. After all, there is a generational talent waiting in the wings for the 2026 NHL Draft in Gavin McKenna, and there are several other potential franchise-altering talents near the top of that class, too. 

But the fact of the matter is that the Penguins - for better or for worse - haven’t gotten quite rotten enough up to this point to seriously put themselves into the 2026 draft lottery conversation. It’s not even clear if that is their goal for next season, as Dubas did say during his end-of-season press conference that he felt like the Penguins were headed in a better direction.

So, where is the urgency-o-meter in terms of the Penguins trading one of these players prior to training camp? And what are some of the factors feeding that urgency meter?

Do The Penguins Have A Legitimate Shot At McKenna In 2026?WIth the 2025-26 NHL season just around the corner, teams are looking ahead to their respective training camps beginning in mid-September.

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Urgency: 7/10

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The Penguins already have a roster logjam

Throughout the offseason and going back into last season, Dubas and the Penguins have discussed the fact that the organization will be putting a major focus on development. 

But - as any hockey mind knows - the process of “development” doesn’t just entail what happens before a player reaches the NHL level. Development doesn’t just stop when a player takes NHL ice. In fact, there are often still a handful of years left for players needing to develop themselves at the NHL level.

Several Penguins’ prospects - most notably forwards Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, goaltender Joel Blomqvist, and defenseman Owen Pickering, but also including roster hopefuls like forwards Filip Hallander and Tristan Broz as well as defenseman Harrison Brunicke - have already proven to some degree that they belong at the NHL level and that they’re ready to take the next step in their development by being there full-time.

3 Forwards Not Named Rust Or Rakell That The Penguins Should Shop This SummerThe Pittsburgh Penguins have been the subject of a plethora of trade speculation this summer, as big-name veterans like Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust have been in the rumor mill for quite some time.

Right now? According to Puckpedia, the Penguins have 13 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders on their active NHL roster, and none of those spots include any of the above names. Of course, competition is good for these prospects. But with that crowded a roster, the Penguins also run the risk of a roster logjam potentially stunting the development of some of their best prospects. 

As such, making a trade prior to training camp to, at least, vacate one of those roster spots is probably not a bad idea.

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Maybe the plan isn’t what people think it is

The youth movement aside, there is, perhaps, another explanation as to why Dubas hasn’t pulled the trigger on one of those three guys yet.

As discussed before, Pittsburgh is in a period of transition. While many equate that to a full rebuild, it’s possible that a “full rebuild” simply isn’t what is happening here.

What if Dubas and the Penguins believe that contention is closer than folks seem to think? He has expressed some hesitancy in dealing a player like Rust, 33, who has three years remaining on his contract at just $5.1 million average annual value and who has been a part of the equation for a long time. Even after the 2025 trade deadline came and went without a Rakell trade - he also has three years remaining on his deal that pays him $5 million annually - Dubas expressed that they thought it was “in the best interest of the team to have him remain.”

What Will The Penguins' Bottom-Six Look Like This Season?If one thing is for certain when the Pittsburgh Penguins open training camp a month from now, it’s that they have a whole lot of players in the mix for precious few spots on the roster.

Of course, this can all be GM-speak, as we’ve heard many times before. But it should be considered that Dubas might simply see a path to the Penguins competing with Rakell and Rust still on the roster, or, at least, one of them. Same goes for Karlsson, who generates nearly all of the Penguins’ offense from the blue line and has two years remaining on his lucrative deal.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to tell what the aim is for Dubas and the Penguins. Maybe - just like him with the trade market - we might just have to play the waiting game a bit longer.

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Once again, the Pittsburgh Penguins face goaltending questions heading into a season. 

They still have Tristan Jarry on the roster even though he was sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton twice last season. It seemed the Penguins had given up on him after placing him on waivers during the season, when he was struggling, but due to Joel Blomqvist's struggles in the second half, the Penguins called Jarry back up for most of March and all of April. 

To Jarry's credit, he played well in his final 14 appearances, despite the Penguins being out of the playoff race. He finished March with a .907 save percentage and April with an .898 save percentage. He had a save percentage of .900 or better in nine of his 14 games down the stretch. Yes, the games had low stakes, but he still played well. 

He's going to be the starter to open the season, but that won't inspire a lot of confidence in the fanbase since he's had countless chances to be the number one guy and has failed. The Penguins are rebuilding, so they're not in a rush to get rid of him. Now, if a team expressed interest in Jarry, the Penguins would have no problem moving on from him due to his inconsistencies and because he makes $5.375 million per season. 

While Jarry will be the starter to open the year, he may have a quick leash if Arturs Silovs or Joel Blomqvist push him. Silovs is a slight favorite to get the backup job right now after how great he was during the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs. He was the MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs and helped the Abbotsford Canucks win the AHL title, finishing with a 16-7 record, 2.01 goals-against average, and a .931 save percentage. 

The Penguins traded for him on July 13 for forward Chase Stillman and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. Silovs didn't have a path to the NHL for the 2025-26 season due to Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen being locked up long-term by the Vancouver Canucks, so the Penguins pounced on that opportunity. They also wanted to get deeper at the position after trading Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks. Nedeljkovic had been Jarry's backup for the previous two seasons before getting moved.

The Penguins appreciate how Silovs elevates his game in big moments, as seen when he helped the Canucks get within a game of the Western Conference Final in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He played in 10 games, finishing with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. Some may scoff at those numbers, but seven of those came against the Edmonton Oilers, who eventually got to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Florida Panthers.

Silovs has also played extremely well for Team Latvia on the international stage. In 2023, he helped Latvia win its first-ever Bronze Medal at the IIHF World Championships. He finished the tournament with seven wins and a .921 save percentage before he was named the tournament MVP.

He has the ability to make this a 1A-1B or a complete starter situation if he's playing well and if Jarry falters. However, if Jarry is at least average, he could get around 60% of the starts while Silovs or Blomqvist would get the other 40% of the starts. 

Do The Penguins Need To Make A Trade Before Training Camp?The date is Aug. 21, and the Pittsburgh Penguins still have not traded Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, or Erik Karlsson.

Speaking of Blomqvist, he's still going to get the chance to win the backup job during training camp after struggling from mid-January until early-March last season. He was below .900 in terms of save percentage during those six weeks and was giving up too many goals to his blocker side. NHL shooters were consistently targeting that area whenever he was in the net, which quickly became an issue. 

The jury is still out on whether he can be a consistent NHL goaltender. He has the talent and is young, but needs to string together some solid stretches in the league. 

Say what you want about the Penguins heading into this year, but they're not running the same goalie tandem back. No veteran is blocking either of these two young goalies for the backup job, and it's going to make for a fun competition during camp. 

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Welcome back to this thing I've committed to doing! 

If you missed the first article, I am currently playing a season as the 2009-10 Nashville Predators via EA NHL Slapshot on my Nintendo Wii. 

We started the season off on a high note, winning the opener in Dallas in overtime. That was followed by a 4-1 victory at home against Colorado, a 3-1 win over Buffalo and a 4-2 win in Edmonton to cap off the first five games. 

That's where I decided to put some stipulations in place for this next part. 

I'm still playing three-minute periods, however, I am now playing on the hardest mode in the game: Superstar. In addition, I'll be simulating five games and playing three or four. If I play all 82 games, I will go insane. 

Again, to restate, I'm not amazing at this game, so please don't judge me too harshly. I'm also going to record one of the games I play, and I'm guessing you will all enjoy the throttling of the Chicago Blackhawks I recorded before I changed the game difficulty. 

Full NHL Slapshot Nashville Predators series 

Column: I play NHL Slapshot as 2009-10 Nashville Predators - Season opener

Roster

*Numbers included are players EA rating 

Shea Weber, D, 84

Jason Arnott, C, 84 

JP Dumont, RW, 83 

David Legwand, C, 82 

Steve Sullivan, LW, 82 

Ryan Suter, D, 82 

Pekka Rinne, G, 82 

Dan Ellis, G, 81 

Dan Hamhuis, D, 81

Martin Erat, RW, 81 

Patric Hornqvist, RW, 80

Denis Grebeshkov, D, 79 

Joel Ward, RW, 78

Colin Wilson, C, 78 

Jordan Tootoo, RW, 77 

Cody Franson, D, 77 

Marcel Goc, C, 77 

Jerred Smithson, C, 76 

Francis Bouillon, D, 76

Dustin Boyd, C, 76 

Kevin Klein, D, 75 

Nick Spaling, C, 74 

Wade Belak, RW, 74 

Simulated games 

Also, EA doesn't provide final scores in simulated games, so it's just if I won or lost. 

Gm. 5 at Dallas L 

Gm. 7 at Washington L

Gm. 8 at Boston W 

Gm. 9 at Ottawa W 

Gm. 12 vs. Chicago L 

Gm. 6: Nashville 5, Chicago 0 

This where I realized that I need to change the difficulty on the game. 

No scoring in the first period, but in the second period, Dan Hamhuis backhanded a shot into the net from the left point to get Nashville on the board first, 1-0. 

Late in the second period, Patric Hornqvist found his way to the high slot and beat goalie Cristobal Huet blocker side to put Nashville up 2-0 at the break.

In the third period, the Predators found the back of the net three more times. JP Dumont found enough space to go on a breakaway and beat Huet glove side to open up the lead to 3-0.

In the final minute, Shea Weber let a long backhanded shot go that went in to make it 4-0. Marcel Goc caught his own rebound to cap the game with a 5-0 win. 

It was another dominant victory, meaning that we needed to up the difficulty. 

Gm. 10: Nashville 2, Chicago 1 

Now we're on "Superstar" mode and these games are getting closer. 

In the second period, I lost control of the slot area and doing that in this game is costly. Patrick Kane snuck in a shot through traffic to give Chicago the first goal of the game, 1-0. 

Things were still bleak in the third period as Cody Franson was called for cross-checking. Thankfully, the Predators were able to kill it off. Going into the final minute of the game, the Predators were still looking for a goal. 

With 45 seconds left, Jason Arnott backhanded a shot high into the net to get Nashville on the board and tie up the game. 20 seconds later, Ryan Suter's shot from the point trickles in to give Nashville the go-ahead goal and a thrilling 2-1 win. 

Gm. 11: Nashville 2, Minnesota 1 OT 

Pekka Rinne bailed me out in this one. Remember, it's only three minute periods, so shots are lower, but Rinne, made 13 saves on 14 shots. I was embarrassingly outshot in this game. 

This is also where we started learning just how bad my power play unit is. In the first period, Brent Burns was called for tripping and I didn't convert. Then, Nick Schultz was called for tripping and I didn't convert. 

I left the door too wide open in the third period, and Owen Nolan capitalized on an in-zone turnover and scored on Rinne to give the Wild the lead. However, the Predators responded quickly as JP Dumont's shot went in the five-hole to tie the game in the third. 

This game needed extra time and the Predators wasted no time. Dan Hamhuis let a shot go from the point, and Patric Hornqvist was there to put the rebound home for the game-winning goal. 

Gm. 13: Nashville 3, Dallas 0

After a simulated loss to the Stars, the Predators blanked Dallas at home. Also, a side note, I've played Dallas three times in the first 13 games and Chicago three times too. 

Anyway, the Predators converted in the first period as Hornqvist caught a long pass from Denis Grebeshkov on the right side. Hornqvist skated down the right side before letting a shot go that beat Marty Turco for a 1-0 Nashville lead. 

Remember how I said the power play was bad? Welp, here's the beginning of the power play mess. Mike Madano was called for a cross-check, which was a game glitch because the replay showed him doing the motion, but not hitting anyone. I didn't convert. 

Dan Hamhuis scored in the second from the high right circle in the second period for a 2-0 lead. Brandon Morrow was called for tripping, and I couldn't convert. To add salt to the wound, Jason Arnott was called for trippin.

Despite our poor power play, we managed to get one back on the penalty kill when Jerred Smithson went on a breakaway and scored, giving us a 3-0 lead. 

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The Wing Dynasty - July 3, 1998 - Vol. 51, Issue 38 - Cynthia Lambert

The Detroit Red Wings’ mantra all season long was, ’Believe.’

Believe that both defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov would recover enough from last year’s limousine crash to enjoy a reasonable quality of life.

Believe that all the tragedy that hit the team six days after they won the Stanley Cup last season would be replaced by happier memories this season.

But when 1.2 million Detroit hockey fans showed up for the Stanley Cup parade June 18 in downtown Mo-town-200,000 more than last summer-the scene bordered on unbelievable.

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As the parade wound through the streets, fans chanted players’ nicknames and ogled the Cup. Then, at the Hart Plaza rally, fans saw Konstantinov, with the assistance of defenseman Slava Fetisov and trainer John Wharton, walk across the stage.

One year ago, doctors questioned whether Konstantinov would survive, let alone walk or talk. But he partook in the Detroit celebration, beginning with attending Game 4 at the MCI Center, celebrating in the dressing room afterward and then attending the parade. Mnatsakanov, paralyzed from the waist down, also attended the parade and rally-

After Konstantinov walked across the stage, Wharton, stepped up to the microphone. “Next year,” he said, “Vlady will walk across this stage by himself.”

NOTEBOOK: Within minutes of winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup, Wings’ players were already talking about plans for the future.

“We were talking on the ice after, saying, ’Let’s go for three now,’ “said defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. Captain Steve Yzerman seconded that at the parade.

“Somehow, I don’t think anyone is going to be satisfied with two,” he told the mass of fans.

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The Chicago Blackhawks made a significant move on Aug. 21, signing Frank Nazar to a seven-year contract extension with an average annual value of $6.6 million. With this, the Blackhawks have locked up a big part of their future long-term. 

With the Blackhawks signing Nazar to a contract extension, let's look at three players who they could extend next. 

Connor Bedard 

Connor Bedard is easily the Blackhawks' most notable extension candidate, as he is the young star player who they are building around. The 20-year-old forward is entering the final season of his entry-level deal, so he is undoubtedly a big-time extension candidate to watch. 

Getting Bedard locked up on a long-term contract extension like Nazar would be massive for the Blackhawks, as they are Chicago's top two young centers. In 150 games over two seasons with Chicago, Bedard has recorded 45 goals, 83 assists, and 128 points.

Spencer Knight

Spencer Knight is another notable contract extension candidate on the Blackhawks. After acquiring Knight from the Florida Panthers at the 2025 NHL trade deadline in the Seth Jones trade, the Blackhawks are hoping that he will be a long-term answer for them between the pipes. 

Knight is entering this upcoming season as a pending restricted free agent (RFA), so he is eligible for an extension. If the 2019 first-round pick takes a step forward as the Blackhawks' No. 1 starter, it would not be surprising if he lands an extension during the season. 

Nick Foligno 

Could the Blackhawks look to keep their captain, Nick Foligno, around beyond next season? It certainly should not be ruled out, as Foligno has been an excellent leader for Chicago as they continue their rebuild.

Foligno can become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1, 2026, but given his importance to the club, it would be understandable if they extended him. This is especially so when noting that he is still a solid part of their roster on the ice, as he recorded 15 goals, 35 points, and 200 hits in 78 games this past season for Chicago. 

Frank Nazar's Contract Extension With Blackhawks Made NHL History The Chicago Blackhawks have one of their core forwards locked in for a long time now that Frank Nazar has agreed to terms on a seven-year extension. 

The Buffalo Sabres know when they'll be playing their opponents next season, and we're examiniong each of their 31 opponents in THN.com's "Know Your Enemy" series.

In today's file, we're wrapping up the series with a look at the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas is one of the strongest teams in the NHL, and they're going to be a handful for every opponent, including the Sabres.

You fan find our opinion on which team will win their series next year by clicking on this link. But we want to know your thoughts. So leave them in the comment section below, and feel free t register to be part of the Sabres community on THN.com. Your voice matters, and we want to hear it.

The Buffalo Sabres know when and where every game they'll play in the 2025-26 season will take place. And as part of THN.com's Sabres site's "Know Your Enemy" series, we've been focusing on every one of Buffalo's 31 opponents next year.

We've made our way through the Atlantic, Metropolitan and Central division's teams, and more recently, we've been looking at the Pacific Division's teams. In this file, we're wrapping up the series with an analysis of a team many consider to be a frontrunner to win the Stanley Cup next season -- the Vegas Golden Knights. 

The Golden Knights added the most wanted free-agent this summer with the trade for former Toronto Maple Leafs star right winger Mitch Marner, once again proving that this Vegas franchise is always intent on being a mover-and-shaker when it comes to acquiring top talent, But does that automatically mean we should expect the Sabres to fold like a tent when they go up against the Golden Knights? Read below, and you'll see our answer to that question.

BUFFALO SABRES VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

NEW GOLDEN KNIGHTS PLAYERS: Mitch Marner, RW; Colton Sissons, RW, Jeremy Lauzon, D; 

2024-25 SERIES: Sabres 1-1-0, Golden Knights 1-0-1

2025-26 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER:  March 3 at Buffalo; March 17 at Vegas 

CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM?  The Sabres split their series against the Golden Knights last season, with Buffalo winning one game in the shootout, and losing the other game in regulation time to Vegas. And that was against a Golden Knights team that now has dramatically improved their offensive firepower with the addition of Marner -- a star who also will help Vegas' defensive efforts as well.

So, the Sabres will clearly have their work cut out for them against the Golden Knights this season -- and the truly frightening thing for Buffalo is that the NHL's schedule-maker has the Sabres playing Vegas in and around next season's trade deadline. 

Indeed, with both games against the Golden Knights coming in a two-week windown beginning in early March of 2026, Buffalo could well be squaring off against an even more impressive Vegas lineup. And while some will point to the Golden Knights' current salary cap situation and argue that Vegas won't have any cap space with which to improve their roster, those people clearly haven't paid attention to Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon in recent years.

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Pacific Edition: Are Rebounding Canucks Too Much For Buffalo To Handle?The Buffalo Sabres are going to face significant difficulty next season trying to end their Stanley Cup playoff drought at 14 years. To be sure, the Sabres will need every standings point they can get, and that means playing well against even the NHL's top teams.

To put it mildly, McCrimmon has always found ways to acquire difference-makers just about every season he's been on the job in Vegas. Whether it's acquiring center Tomas Hertl from San Jose, picking up defenseman Noah Hanifin from Calgary, or adding star center Jack Eichel from the Sabres, McCrimmon has hit home run after home run and always gave his team more weapons with which to succeed.

Thus, no one should be shocked when -- and it's really a matter of "when", not "if" -- the Golden Knights figure out how to manage the salary cap to their benefit and deepen their squad. And that's why it's such a good test of Buffalo's place in the competitive pecking order to see how they fare against Vegas this season.

Really, the Golden Knights have become the gold standard for NHL organizations, and the Sabres -- well, let's just say Buffalo is about as far from the gold standard as it gets these days. And while the Sabres should put up more of a fight against Vegas this season, there's absolutely a road ahead in which Buffalo gets swept by the Golden Knights -- and in which the Sabres get swept in regulation time.

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Pacific Edition: Kraken Swept Buffalo Last Year -- Will This Season Be A Different Story?The Buffalo Sabres' 2025-26 schedule has been out for some time now, and in this ongoing THN.com Sabres site series, we're breaking down Buffalo's chances against every team in the league.

That would be a disastrous result for the Sabres, but Vegas has been cold-blooded in its efficiency against just about every team in the league. The Golden Knights won't be doing any favors for any opponent, and that means Buffalo has to do everything in its power to beat Vegas at least once, and get a "loser" point in the second game against the Golden Knights.

Time will tell how the Sabres ultimately play against Vegas, but the bar has been set sky-high for Buffalo against the Golden Knights, and the Sabres need to clear it by showing Vegas they can hang with any team.

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Adam Gretz ranked each NHL team's best defenseman heading into the 2025-26 season. For the Montreal Canadiens, Gretz picked newcomer Noah Dobson as the club's best defender. 

Dobson ended up being near the middle of the pack in Gretz's rankings, as he secured the No. 18 spot in it. With this, he ranked ahead of other teams' top blueliners like Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings), Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild), Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh Penguins), and Morgan Rielly (Toronto Maple Leafs).

Dobson appeared in 71 games this past season with the New York Islanders, where he recorded 10 goals and 39 points. However, he has shown in the past that he is capable of providing much more when playing at his best. Just back in 2023-24 with the Islanders, he scored 10 goals and set career highs with 60 assists and 70 points in 79 games. He also scored 13 goals in his two previous seasons before 2023-24, so he certainly can provide nice offense from the point. Thus, it makes sense that he appeared on Gretz's list.

It will now be fascinating to see what kind of season Dobson can put together for the Canadiens in 2025-26 from here. He should be a massive part of their blueline moving forward, and he could thrive playing on a Habs team that has more offensive skill than the Islanders. 

Canadiens Defenseman Appears On New Trade BoardLyle Richardson of Bleacher Report has released his latest NHL Trade Block Big Board for the month of August. Among the 15 players who made Richardson's trade board is Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson. 

Recently, the NHL's official Facebook account shared what they think will end up being the St. Louis' Blues top six for this upcoming season. When looking at it, there is no question that it looks very good.

For the Blues' first line, the NHL's account sees Robert Thomas centering Pavel Buchnevich and rookie Jimmy Snuggerud. This trio would certainly make sense, as all three of them are skilled offensive players. Furthermore, Snuggerud playing with a star like Thomas could help him break out in a big way for the Central Division club in 2025-26. 

As for the Blues' second line, NHL's projection has Brayden Schenn down the middle, with Dylan Holloway and Jordan Kyrou as his wingers. This line would also have the potential to be successful, as Schenn would get the opportunity to play with two impactful offensive contributors in Holloway and Kyrou. Holloway and Schenn on the same line would also make things challenging for opponents, as they each finished last season with over 160 hits. 

However, the Blues also have other options to consider for their top six in newcomer Pius Suter and winger Jake Neighbours. With this, there is no question that the Blues have a strong forward group, and it will be interesting to see what their top six ends up looking like in 2025-26 because of it. 

Blues: Where Robert Thomas Ranks Among NHL's Top CentersSt. Louis Blues top forward Robert Thomas was a major reason why the Central Division club got back into the playoffs this spring. The 2017 first-round pick thrived for the Blues, as he recorded 21 goals, 60 assists, 81 points, and a plus-20 rating in 70 regular-season games. He then followed that up by posting two goals and eight points in seven playoff games with the Blues this spring.

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The Kingston Frontenacs have officially recruited both of their first-round draft picks from the 2025 OHL Priority Selection, even though one of them took a little longer to get over the finish line. 

The Frontenacs organization announced the signing of forward Aleks Kulemin to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. 

We've signed our 2025 9th overall pick Aleks Kulemin to an OHL Scholarship & Development Agreement.

Welcome to the Fronts Family, Aleks!⚫️🟡

📰 | https://t.co/n5l3U5lFdRpic.twitter.com/nbTpZh2VPU

— Kingston Frontenacs (@KingstonFronts) August 21, 2025

“Aleks has the size and skill to impact the game in all situations,” said Kingston Frontenacs GM Kory Cooper. “We see him as a modern-day, two-way forward with a high ceiling. With his size and high hockey IQ, he has the framework to be a pro in the future.”

Kingston selected the towering 6-foot-3 centerman with the ninth overall pick back in April. Due to their 2024 first-rounder, Caleb Malhotra, not reporting to training camp last season (later had his rights traded to Brantford), the organization received the ninth overall pick as compensatory. Frontenacs' 17th overall pick from 2025, Matthew Henderson, signed back in late June. 

If you’re a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs and recognize the last name Kulemin, yes, Aleks is the son of former Maple Leafs forward Nikolai Kulemin, who played six seasons in Toronto before signing with the New York Islanders in 2014. 

His son Aleks played for the Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA team in the GTHL last season. The Flyers won the U16 AAA GTHL Championship and were runner-ups in the OHL Cup to North Bay’s Camryn Warren’s Toronto Jr. Canadiens. Despite not taking the crown at the OHL Cup, Kulemin, along with his Don Mills squad, won the Toronto Titans Early Bird tournament, the Toronto Marlboros Holiday Classic, and the Oakville Rangers Winter Classic. 

With all games combined, regular season, playoffs, and tournaments, the Flyers finished with a record of 67-9-2. Kulemin recorded 67 points (24 goals, 43 assists) in 69 games last year. 

Kulemin not signing his OHL contract until now probably has to do with a similar situation the Peterborough Petes experienced with their first-overall pick, Kaden McGregor, who didn’t sign his SPA until today as well. 

2025 First Overall Pick Kaden McGregor Finally Signs With PeterboroughBetter late than never. The Peterborough Petes have finally put pen to paper with the 2025 first overall pick. 

Both McGregor and Kulemin are represented by Newport Sports Management. Newport wasn’t happy about the OHL’s modification of their standard player contracts, which we assume is why the two took so long to sign. 

Kingston’s training camp opens up next week at Slushi Puppie Place, where Kulemin will be in attendance. 

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Top NHL Draft Prospect Beckham Edwards Commits to NCAA Notre Dame Another promising young player from the OHL has announced his commitment to play Division 1 hockey in the NCAA following the end of his OHL tenure.  Anaheim Ducks Prospect Taking His Talents To OHL's Flint FirebirdsJust like the London Knights, the Flint Firebirds are another team who have been active in revamping their defense for the upcoming season. However, arguably their biggest acquisition came just over a week ago.  Colorado Avalanche Prospect Signs With London KnightsThe retooling of the London Knights roster has been in full throttle throughout August. GM Mark Hunter has been actively signing free agents with valuable junior-level experience. Additionally, through the import draft, the team has acquired a large right-shot defenseman who was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in this past June's draft.

Frank Nazar is set to become the highest-paid active member of the Chicago Blackhawks – but their budding face of the franchise could change that.

Nazar signed a seven-year contract extension worth $6.59 million per season, the team announced Thursday.

The 21-year-old center’s new contract will kick in for the 2026-27 season as he finishes his entry-level contract. He will overtake Andre Burakovsky and Tyler Bertuzzi on the payroll list, as they both earn an average annual value of $5.5 million.

Defenseman Shea Weber, who has been inactive since 2021, technically has Chicago's highest cap hit at $7.857 million, but among those playing games for the Hawks, Nazar's is currently the highest in 2026-27.

The value of Nazar's contract extension is remarkable after only playing 56 NHL games and scoring 13 goals and 27 points. That contract and cap hit could factor into what leading scorer Connor Bedard gets next.

Like Bedard, who won gold at the world juniors twice, Nazar has drawn plenty of attention to himself outside of club hockey.

He was a key contributor to Team USA claiming the gold medal at the 2025 men's World Championship. In 10 games, Nazar recorded six goals and six helpers for 12 points, which where tied with Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley for the most on the squad.

Nazar’s also attending Team USA’s orientation camp for the 2026 Olympic Games. 

“Frank elevated his game last season and has proven himself to be one of the top young talents in the league,” Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said in a press release.

“He drives play using his elite speed and playmaking abilities, creating problems for opponents and opportunities for teammates every night. Frank is an integral piece of our team, and we’re thrilled to have him with us for the next eight seasons.”

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman noted the total value of Nazar's deal will exceed the $45 million Kirill Kaprizov agreed on when he signed a five-year contract after playing just 55 NHL games. That's a big commitment for a promising player.

What About Connor Bedard's Extension?

Nazar and Connor Bedard enter the final year of their entry-level contracts, but Nazar received a contract extension before the 2023 first overall pick.

Bedard has played 150 games in the NHL across two seasons, recording 45 goals and 128 points. He was the 2023-24 Calder Trophy winner for being the NHL's rookie of the year, and he's led Chicago in scoring in both seasons.

Davidson told reporters on July 1 discussions were underway.

"We are talking," he said. "I think that's an indicator of an openness to discuss. He made his thoughts very clear at the end of the season and then subsequently in interviews about (how) he's committed to Chicago and wants to be here long-term. We obviously want him long term, so there is mutual agreement there."

How Will Bedard And Other Budding NHL Stars Navigate The Rocketing Salary Caps?The NHL's projected salary cap jumps could change how Connor Bedard and other young NHL stars look at their second contracts. Who will take the lead?

The 20-year-old center has been eligible for a contract extension since July 1. Nonetheless, it doesn’t seem a deal is imminent, insider Frank Seravalli reported in late July. 

The increase in the NHL's salary cap from $88 million to $95.5 million this season and potentially to $113.5 million by 2027-28 likely plays a role in Bedard’s contract negotiations.

"If we're able to get something done, that would be fantastic," Chicago’s GM said on July 1.

 "If we don't, I think it's probably more so out of the uncertainty around how the league and the system is going to be growing or impacted moving forward than anything player/team related."

Bedard will almost certainly earn a higher cap hit than Nazar. Leading the team in scoring in back-to-back seasons gives more leverage than playing part of one season, like Nazar did.

In February, The Hockey News' Tony Ferrari examined three different contract paths Bedard could take: one max-term contract, two deals over eight years or even three short-term contracts. 

Ferrari predicted that if Bedard signed a max-term deal off his entry-level contract, he could negotiate for a larger cap hit than what he could get on a short-term deal, but it could look like a bargain for the team later on. If he signs a bridge deal right now, he could negotiate a much higher cap hit on the following contract and earn more money overall.

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Detroit native Frank Nazar inks landmark deal with the Chicago Blackhawks after a solid rookie campaign. 

Frank Nazar has always carried the grit and determination instilled in him as a native of Mount Clemens. Now, the dynamic forward has signed a landmark seven-year contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks, with an annual cap hit of $6.59 million.

The new deal is the largest ever given to an NHL forward with so little professional experience at 56 career games. The previous benchmark was set by Kirill Kaprizov’s five-year, $45 million deal after 55 games in 2021.

Bring Back Fabbri? Red Wings Weigh Options for Top Line LW SpotAs training camp nears, the Detroit Red Wings face a crucial decision of who will fill in as the first-line left wing.

The deal, which begins in 2026-27, marks a major commitment from the team to a player who's quickly become a cornerstone of their rebuild. The 21-year-old is heading into the final year of his entry-level contract, but the Blackhawks wasted no time ensuring he’d be part of their long-term plans.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

"Frank elevated his game last season and has proven himself to be one of the top young talents in the league," Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement "Frank is an integral piece of our team, and we're thrilled to have him with us for the next eight seasons."

His journey to this point traces back to Michigan as Nazar starred at the University of Michigan for two seasons. He began with seven points in 13 games through his freshman season, but it was his sophomore year that turned heads across the hockey world. Nazar averaged a point-per-game through 41 apperances as he turned into a must-watch prospect that made the Blackhawks draft him 13th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft

Yzerman, Red Wings Parts Ways with In-State Standout, Signs with Sabres AffiliateThe Detroit Red Wings lose rights to former draft pick and Michigan State captain Red Savage as he signs with Sabres AHL affiliate.

As a rookie in the 2024-25 season, Nazar lived up to the hype, putting up 12 goals and 14 assists across 53 games. His end-to-end speed, relentless motor, and ability to create chaos in the offensive zone made him one of the team's few bright spots after finishing with a 25-46-11 record for second-worst in the NHL. 

Internationally, Nazar’s talent was also evident on the global stage as he helped lead Team USA to gold at both the 2024 World Junior Championship (eight points in seven games) and the 2025 World Championship (12 points in 10 games). 

“Extremely Grateful”: Sergei Fedorov Reacts to Red Wings Retiring No. 91The news that Detroit Red Wings fans had been waiting years for was officially confirmed on Tuesday morning: Sergei Fedorov’s iconic No. 91 will be retired and raised to the rafters at Little Caesars Arena, becoming the ninth number officially retired by the team. 

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Five years ago today, the Vancouver Canucks defeated the St. Louis Blues 6–2 to advance to the Pacific Division Finals for the first time since their fateful 2011 Stanley Cup Finals trip. This 2020 Bubble Playoff run was the current core’s first time playing in the postseason, as Vancouver’s last postseason venture was back in 2015. 

Prior to Game 6 of their first-round series against the Blues, Vancouver had taken down the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 of their playoff qualifier series. The task of taking on St. Louis, the defending Stanley Cup champion, was daunting — especially for a young team in their first official playoff series. However, Vancouver proved that they deserved to be in the postseason by snagging an early 2–0 series lead. 

Despite the jubilation of Vancouver’s early series lead, which included a close 4–3 overtime win capped off by a highlight-reel goal by former Canucks captain Bo Horvat, St. Louis proved why they were the defending champions. The Blues came back with a 3–2 overtime win in Game 3 and a 3–1 win in Game 4 to even the series up. For a young Vancouver team, this adversity was something that would help propel them to wins in a later round — but that’s a topic for another day. 

Game 5 was a big one for both Vancouver and St. Louis. For the Canucks, this was the opportunity to regain their lead, pushing the Blues to the brink of elimination. For St. Louis, this was a defining match that would give them the advantage after a strong comeback. Tyler Motte got the Canucks off to a good start by scoring the game’s opening goal while shorthanded. The Blues forced their way back, scoring three unanswered to carry a 3–1 lead into the halfway mark of the game. 

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With three more goals needed to steal a win away, Vancouver put their heads down and got to work. J.T. Miller scored the Canucks’ second goal of the game a little less than two minutes after the game’s halfway mark. Jake Virtanen tied the score up around five minutes after, sending the Cancuks towards the end of the period with the chance to steal the game in the third period. However, Motte potted his second of the game with less than two minutes in the second frame to give Vancouver a 4–3 lead. In a gutsy effort, the Canucks took Game 5, putting St. Louis on the cusp of elimination. 

Nerves were high heading into Game 6. Fans weren’t sure what to expect from Vancouver in this series-clinching game, as time and time again, the Blues proved themselves as a force capable of stealing a game when they needed it most. Even so, it was Vancouver who impressed the most in this match, with the Canucks scoring four unanswered before St. Louis tallied their first of the game. Motte had yet another two-goal game, while Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, Troy Stetcher, and Brock Boeser also added to Vancouver’s final score of six goals. 

This first-round for the Canucks was meaningful in more ways than one. The young core of Boeser, Quinn Hughes, and Elias Pettersson gained valuable playoff experience. Jacob Markström showcased his skills with a series-saving stop, making fans more comfortable with him in net (more on that in another article). Most importantly, despite it not occurring in front of fans, it gave Vancouver’s fanbase something to cheer about in a particularly isolated time. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more from The Hockey News. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.