In case you haven't heard by now, Pittsburgh Penguins' top wingers Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust are two of the hottest topics of discussion in NHL trade rumors this summer.

And that's all because of the impressive campaigns they put together last season.

For both wingers - each on the wrong side of 30, with Rakell, 32, one year Rust's junior - the 2024-25 season marked a career-best one. Rakell finished the season second only to captain Sidney Crosby in team scoring with 35 goals and 70 points, while Rust was just a tick behind him with 31 goals and 65 points. Both players are capable of putting the puck in the net, and they have each shown immense chemistry with Crosby.

Regardless of the uniform each will be wearing once the puck drops on the season - and, given that training camp is one month out, it's becoming more and more likely that both might still be donning Penguins' sweaters - it's fair to wonder whether or not each player is capable of replicating last season's production. While each would clearly be an asset to the Penguins if they don't wish to tank this season, they could prove just as valuable - if not more valuable - to a contending team if they can sustain the level of play they put together in 2024-25.

So, how realistic is that for each player?

---

Rust has been consistent... but he's also aging

If one thing rings true about Rust - aside from, arguably, being one of the most underrated and least talked about players in hockey - he, like Crosby, has set a standard of consistency in Pittsburgh for a while. 

Rust wasn't always a top-six winger. In fact, Rust began the first several seasons of his NHL career as a bottom-six player who killed penalties and did a lot of the "thankless jobs," as former Penguins' head coach Mike Sullivan would so often put it. 

But he has sure blossomed into a top-of-the-lineup player. Even if Rust can be streaky at times in the midst of any given season, he has still managed to produce six consecutive seasons of 20 or more goals and at least 42 points. And those lower point totals have mostly coincided with injury-riddled seasons in which he missed chunks of time. Otherwise, he has sat right around or a tick below point-per-game. 

Can The Penguins Still Rebuild With One Of Rakell Or Rust Around?It seems like Pittsburgh Penguins' forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust are the subject of Pittsburgh hockey news just about every other day at this point.

But that's part of the catch: Rust's injury history is quite a bit concerning, as - aside from 2022-23, when he played in 8`1 games - he has not appeared in more than 72 games in a season. Some of those seasons were shortened due to the Covid-19 lockdown and fallout from 2020-22, but he still missed a few games in those seasons as well. 

In addition, Rust is no longer a spring chicken. He's 33 years old, and the type of hardline, hybrid power forward game he likes to play hasn't exactly proven sustainable with age in the past. The reality is that Rust's production could fall off a cliff at any given moment, and he has three years left on his deal that pays him $5.1 million annually.

There are some factors like those to consider here - as well as whether or not Rust can sustain this level of play away from Crosby - but it's probably still a safer-than-not gamble to assume that he should be able to put together at least a few more solid campaigns, Crosby or not.

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Rakell's goal-scoring ability is serious... but so is his history

Here's something to consider about Rakell: Realistically, he should never be separated from Crosby while playing for the Penguins. He and the Penguins' legend are magical together, and Rakell potted 35 last year despite not even being deployed on Crosby's line in the latter part of the season.

In fact, that's how it's been for him since he arrived in Pittsburgh at the 2022 trade deadline. When he plays with Crosby, he can score goals. When he's away from Crosby, he can still score goals, but not quite with the frequency that 87's elite playmaking ability sets him up for.

But folks can go back even further than Rakell's Pittsburgh days to see that same pattern.

His best seasons with the Anaheim Ducks from 2016-18 were largely spent alongside another elite playmaking center in Ryan Getzlaf. And then - post-Getzlaf - his production dipped a bit for a few seasons, as some injury and nutrition issues weren't doing him any favors.

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.

But he was also void of a playmaking center who could set him up to finish, and he didn't really have that again until he was dealt to Pittsburgh. This isn't to suggest that Rakell isn't capable of creating on his own, as he definitely is. But he's capable of elite goal-scoring ability if he's paired with the right centerman.

Therefore, a repeat of last season - or even a near-repeat - largely depends on who Rakell is deployed with alongside with in the lineup. If it's another season alongside Crosby, there's no discernible evidence that Rakell will just forget how to score. And he would more than likely need to be flanking a playmaking center wherever he lands.

There may be a slight hint of co-dependence from Rakell, but he's still a very capable goal-scorer. Banking on his 2024-25 production again, though, might be a bit of a stretch.

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St. Nicklas: A Goalie's Best Friend - August 1, 1997 - Volume 51, Issue 42 - Chuck Carlton 

Before he turned three, Kevin Lidstrom had a good idea about how father Nicklas earns a living. Not that he’s terribly impressed, though.

“He knows that I play hockey,” the elder Lidstrom said. “He sees me on TV, but that’s no big deal. He knows that it’s Daddy and then he’ll go play with his stuff again. Like, whatever. Maybe in a few years, he’ll realize it more.”

In that regard, Kevin is no different than most of the NHL.

They watch Lidstrom log close to 30 minutes a night on defense, launch ferocious one-timers from the point, almost always win the 1-on-1 battles and they shrug. Whatever. Maybe it’s because he’s from Sweden, with the same blend-into–the-wallpaper personality seemingly indigenous to that Nordic country. Maybe it’s because he makes everything seem effortless on cue. Detroit Red Wings’ scout and former teammate Mark Howe opts for the former.

“It’s because of his personality,” Howe said. “He goes out and does a great job, but the media and everybody want to read about the players who are flashy and have the controversial quotes. He goes in, takes a shower, ices down and goes home.”

Lidstrom is the perfect poster boy for anonymous excellence. Red Wing teammate Darren McCarty was baffled by Lidstrom’s exclusion from a Norris Trophy finalist spot last season. “He’s always getting lost in the shuffle,” McCarty said.

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Well, almost. Coach Scotty Bowman, not one to gush about players, salutes Lidstrom. “He’s one of the more underrated defensemen in the league,” Bowman said. “He’s a much better defensive defenseman than people give him credit for. When you compare him to other defensemen in the league, he’s right there.”

That was the case this season. Although Lidstrom wasn’t a Norris Trophy finalist or first- or second-team all star, he might have been both if the voting had been done after the playoffs. Wings' captain Steve Yzerman listed Lidstrom and Conn Smythe winner Mike Vernon as the team’s post-season MVPs.

Wings’ associate coach Dave Lewis, himself an NHL defenseman for 18 seasons, points to the Red Wings’ near-constant use of Lidstrom. “He’s one of the top five or six defensemen in the NHL,” Lewis said. “He’s the first guy we think of to play in a situation. He plays the left side, the right side, he kills penalties. He’s on the ice at the end of the game and he’s on the power play. There’s no time when he doesn’t play.”

The Red Wings’ dependence on Lidstrom, already high, will certainly increase this season. The limousine accident and subsequent head injury to Vladimir Konstantinov has friends, fans and teammates focused on his recovery to a normal life with his family, not hockey. His return for this season, at the least, is highly unlikely.

Aggressiveness, which Konstantinov brought to the table every shift, is the one area critics fault in Lidstrom’s game. Teammates say the only time they’ve seen Lidstrom visibly angry is when he lost a game of Helicopter, a card game brought to the team by its Russian contingent. Even Lidstrom acknowledges his restraint can be mistaken for passivity.

“It’s a tough question,” Lidstrom said. “I think it gets back to the desire to win. Some guys really show it with their aggressiveness, fighting or big hitting. I’m not a big hitter. I don’t fight. I feel I have that inside. I can bear down in those situations and get it out. I think I would be a better hockey player if I could get it out more, be more aggressive and show it in different situations. It’s hard to explain how to get it out.”

Lidstrom finished last season third in scoring among defensemen with 15 goals and 57 points in 79 games. In the playoffs, despite needing 47 shots to record his first goal, he finished with two goals and eight points in 20 games. He and partner Larry Murphy saw the most even-strength shifts against Eric Lindros and the Legion of Doom in the Stanley Cup final. Lindros and power winger John LeClair were a combined minus-10 in the final.

“I try to think of teams in the league that wouldn’t want to have him,” Howe said, “and I can’t think of any. From all the games I saw, I thought Brian Leetch was very deserving of the Norris Trophy. But I thought Nick had a great season, especially in the playoffs when we needed him to play between 25 and 30 minutes and against all of the top lines.”

Growing up in Vasteras, south of Stockholm, Lidstrom played hockey in the winter and soccer in summer and studied to be an engineer. Like most Swedish players, he idolized Borje Salming, Sweden’s first quality contribution to the NHL. “He was my hero, my idol. He was the big guy back then,” Lidstrom said. “I had the opportunity to play with him in the (1991) Canada Cup. He was my partner. It was a big thrill with him being the legend he is, especially back in Sweden.”

Lidstrom was still available in the third round of the 1989 entry draft, part of the Red Wings’ heist of Europeans with later-round picks. Sergei Fedorov, Slava Kozlov and Konstantinov all were taken no earlier than the third round. Lidstrom came to Detroit in 1991, well versed in hockey and English, but still trying to learn North American culture. Countryman Johan Garpenlov, then a Red Wing, helped Lidstrom make the jump.

“There was a little bit of an adjustment, not as much as what our Russians went through,” Lidstrom said. “Sweden is getting more and more like America over here with fast food and everything. It’s real similar. Still, everybody has to make an adjustment. There’s the language. Even though I spoke English and understood everything, there are a lot of things there are different and words I don’t know. There are things maybe you guys take for granted that I had to learn over again.”

The hockey was second nature, despite adjusting to the smaller NHL rinks. He finished his rookie season of 1991-92 with 11 goals and 60 points and was runner-up to Pavel Bure of the Vancouver Canucks for the Calder Trophy. When Howe came to Detroit as a free agent, friend Brad McCrimmon had a scouting report. “He told me, ‘We’ve got a guy who's going to be one of the best defensemen in the league in a couple years,’” Howe recalled.

The second year was less successful for Lidstrom. He never got going and then had to adjust in mid-season to playing with Paul Coffey, acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in a trade. Partnered with Coffey, the highest-scoring and arguably the best-skating defenseman in NHL history, taught Lidstrom much and also forced him to be more disciplined. “Having Paul developed my game even more,” he said.

He bounced back with solid seasons and played in the All-Star Game in 1996 when he posted career highs in goals (17) and points (67). Along the way, he developed one of the best one-timers in the NHL.

“I think I started to work on it more and more after I came over here,” Lidstrom said. “1 don’t think I was shooting the puck as much when I played in Sweden. I was more setting other guys up for shots or down-low plays. Over here, my shots got better and better. We’ve been using it a little more, too. I’ve been kind of the guy, the puck gets to me and I shoot it. That developed after I got over here.

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The Detroit Red Wings were among the more active teams in free agency during the offseason, bringing aboard multiple new players including James van Riemsdyk, Mason Appleton, Ian Mitchell, and Jacob Bernard-Docker. 

However, the Red Wings weren't able to land any of the more notable names which included Mitch Marner, Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand. 

It was a tough reality that Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman acknowledged while addressing the early goings of their offseason on July 3.

"We didn’t even get a chance to talk to those guys (the top free agents)," he said. "They all signed with their clubs or were traded before free agency. Not much we can do about that."

Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights by the Toronto Maple Leafs immediately after signing an eight-year, $96 million contract. Additionally, the Florida Panthers managed to re-sign Ekblad, Bennett, and Marchand to new multi-year contracts. 

Continuing with the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions was a difficult offer for Ekblad to turn down, especially given that he has been with the franchise since being selected first overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. 

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Ekblad had been linked to the Red Wings in the days and weeks leading up to free agency, and he could have earned even more in Detroit than the $6.1 million cap hit he ultimately re-signed for in Florida.

NHL Insider James Mirtle, a senior writer for The Athletic, disclosed that the Red Wings were “pushing” to land a big-name free agent and could have offered Ekblad a more lucrative contract.

"I know Detroit was pushing for some of the top potential UFAs this summer, but as mentioned above, a lot of them didn’t end up even getting to market," he wrote in a recent column. "Aaron Ekblad, in particular, could have signed for a much thicker average annual value in Michigan than the $6.1 million he took with Florida." 

Ekblad clearly felt that the appeal of playing for a Stanley Cup contender, combined with the familiarity of the only team he has ever played for, were important factors in his decision. 

The Red Wings had ample salary cap space entering free agency, which was aided by the trade of Vladimir Tarasenko and his entire $4.75 million cap hit to the Minnesota Wild. 

Currently, they still have approximately $12 million with which to work. 

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Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor has been named to the NHL Network's annual Top-20 list. 

Each offseason, amid the dog days of summer's slowest period through mid-August, the NHL Network slowly releases its list of the league's Top-20 players at each position. 

Released systemically and over a lengthy period of time, NHL Network compiles 20 wingers, 20 centres, 20 defencemen and 20 goaltenders in advance of training camp, sparking debate amongst NHL fans throughout North America. 

This time around, Winnipeg's top winger, Kyle Connor earned the honour of NHL Networks' No. 9 winger in the league. 

Entering last season as NHL Network's No. 45 player in the league, Connor blew up for a career-high 97 points in 82 games, while also scoring 41 times. He was ranked seventh in the league in goals scored and led Winnipeg with 56 helpers on the year. 2024-25 marked Connor's fourth-straight season of 30-plus goals. 

Connor, 28, has 284 goals, 582 points and 139 penalty minutes in 613 games for Winnipeg over his nine-year NHL career. 

NHL Network's full Top-20 Wingers list:

• Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings
• Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild
• Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators
• Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
• Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
• Clayton Keller, Utah Mammoth
• Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
• Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils
• Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
• Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
• Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers
• Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
• William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights
• Mikko Rantanen, Dallas Stars
• Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
• David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
• Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

Back in December, the Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman Justin Barron to the Nashville Predators in exchange for veteran blueliner Alexandre Carrier. With this move, the Canadiens gave their blueline a bit of a makeover, and it's a move that undoubtedly benefited them. 

After posting one goal, six assists, and a minus-14 rating in 28 games with the Predators before the trade, Carrier bounced back in a big way with the Canadiens. In 51 games with the Habs following the move, the right-shot defenseman posted two goals, 16 assists, 18 points, 120 blocks, and a plus-4 rating. With numbers like these, Carrier emerged as a solid part of the Canadiens' defensive group. 

Carrier's dependable defensive play undoubtedly gave the Canadiens' blueline a significant boost that it needed. Furthermore, because of his steady play, he also cemented himself a spot on the Canadiens' penalty kill.

Overall, the decision to acquire Carrier was certainly a good one for the Canadiens, and he should now build off his strong 2024-25 season with Montreal from here. It is clear that the change of scenery benefited him, and it is going to be very fascinating to see what kind of year he can put together in 2025-26. There is no question that he will be a defenseman that the Canadiens will continue to rely on as they look to continue to head in the right direction. 

Canadiens Have Interesting Potential Target In Kraken ForwardIt is fair to say that the Montreal Canadiens have had a strong off-season so far. They notably boosted their blueline by acquiring Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. They also acquired a young forward in Zack Bolduc, who has the potential to emerge as a top-six winger for them. 

Marc-Andre Fleury, a beloved figure from the Golden Knights’ inaugural season, officially celebrated his retirement from the NHL this past weekend. 

Friends from all over came together to celebrate Marc-Andre Fleury’s career & we already know it was a legendary one 🌸🐐
 
📸: reavo7five / vlaroseefleury (IG) pic.twitter.com/5yROtUloC5

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) August 11, 2025

“Flower” as he is more affectionately known, spent 21 seasons in the league, and is the second-winningest goalie in NHL history, with 575 career wins. He won three Stanley Cup Championships along the way with his first team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Following that, he became a key component in taking the Knights to their first Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, forever placing himself in the hearts of fans across the desert. Fleury earned himself the Vezina trophy in his 2020-21 season with the Knights having a 26-10-0 record, .928 save percentage, 1.98 goals-against average, and 6 shutouts. Over those four seasons in Las Vegas he played in 192 games and came out victorious in 117 of them. 

Though Fleury was eventually traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, his connection to Las Vegas never wavered. “Fleury 29” jerseys remained a staple among fans at T-Mobile Arena, a testament to the legacy he left. Fleury’s 500th career win, a 27-save shutout in his hometown of Montreal, came while wearing a Blackhawks jersey, making him just the third goalie in NHL history to reach that milestone. 

He closed out his career with the Minnesota Wild, mentoring younger players and still delivering his signature acrobatic performances. His final game fittingly was against Vegas during last season's playoff run. 

Fleury’s wife, Véronique, hosted a retirement gala bringing together NHL stars past and present to celebrate her husband's impressive career that spans four franchises. With Fleury hanging up his pads for good, the anticipated future Hockey Hall of Famer leaves behind a history of a great game—and an even greater heart behind it.

EDMONTON – When it’s time, it’s time.

The Edmonton Oilers know that timing is everything. They were on the wrong side of it when the dual offer sheets to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway struck last summer. They were on the right side of it with the acquisitions of Jake Walman, Mattias Ekholm, and Zach Hyman.

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Not everyone who plays in the NHL stays in the NHL—one former Oilers player who knows that all too well is Patrick Thoresen.

Patrick Thoresen has announced his retirement from professional hockey.

Patrick signed with the @EdmontonOilers ahead of the 2006-07 season, making his @NHL debut on October 5, 2006. One week later, on October 12, Patrick scored his first career goal and would play 68 games in… pic.twitter.com/A2YChzclUa

— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) August 14, 2025

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Thoresen was an undrafted NHL player who spent time with the Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers. After collecting 24 points in 106 games, he would ultimately take his talents overseas to several different leagues and teams before calling it a career.

The former Oilers forward spent time in the Swiss League, KHL, SHL, and HockeyAllsvenskan. This last season was spent with Djurgardens IF of the HockeyAllsvenskan in 2024-25.

He was the leading scorer on a team that featured Marcus Kruger and recently drafted prospects Viktor Eklund and Anton Frondell. Thoresen recorded 41 points in 48 games.

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Is it October yet? 

Unfortunately, no, but we're here to help pass the time. From Aug. 8 to Sept. 1, The Hockey News Nashville Predators will be counting down 24 players in 24 days, profiling every current or potentially rostered player. 

Today's player profile is defenseman Justin Barron. 

24 Nashville Predators in 24 days series 

Adam Wilsby

Jordan Oesterle

Andreas Engulund

Cole Smith

Michael McCarron 

As an NHL prospect 

Barron entered the 2020 NHL Draft as one of the top defensemen in his class. 

He had spent three seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL, tallying 81 points in 153 games and helping the Mooseheads to an appearance in the 2019 Memorial Cup, which was hosted in Halifax. 

Barron was played in the CHL's Canada/Russia series and the top NHL prospects game and was named to the QMJHL All-Rookie team in 2018. In the NHL draft, he was selected 25th overall by the Colorado Avalanche.

He'd return to Halifax for the 2020-21 season, scoring 31 points in 33 games and competing for Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship, finishing as runner-up. 

Professional career 

Barron joined the Colorado Eagles for their final seven games of the regular season in 2021, scoring four points in seven games. He also had three points in two playoff games.

The next season, he played the majority of games with the Eagles, tallying 20 points in 43 games. He made his NHL debut that year, playing in two games. 

In March 2022, Barron was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Artturi Lehkonen. He played five games with the Canadiens, scoring two points. For the 2022-23 season, Baron split time between Montreal and Laval, with the large sum of games being played with the Canadiens. 

He scored 15 points in 39 games with Montreal and 16 points in 25 games with the Rocket. Barron also returned to the international stage, playing for Canada at the IIHF World Championship. 

Barron split time again during the 2023-24 season, scoring 13 points in 48 games with Montreal and 11 points in 32 games with Laval. 

In December 2024, Montreal traded Barron to Nashville for defenseman Alexandre Carrier. Barron played 17 games with the Canadiens that season, scoring one point. 

In Barron's first year in Nashville, he had 12 points in 45 games. He is currently second year of a 2-year, $2.3 million contract. 

What role will he play this season? 

Barron already has an edge coming into this season: he's a righty shot.

The Predators have a lot of lefties but very few righties. While this doesn't have a huge impact on what the Predators can do on defense, it does help to have players on their preferred sides of the ice. 

Barron has yet to really break out. His best season was with the Canadiens in 2022-23, where he had 15 points in 39 games. He's also not taking a ton of penalty minutes, meaning that this could be a player the Predators look to amplify. 

Barron has done a lot of shifting back and forth over his career, so having him in one place for an entire season may allow him to find a rhythm he hasn't been able to establish during his career so far. 

If he can really find his game, the Predators could use him in some big spots. However, for now, he will likely be sitting in the bottom pairing between himself and Nick Blankenburg. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins added several new players to their roster this off-season. Perhaps the most intriguing of the bunch is goaltender Arturs Silovs.

The Penguins acquired Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks this past month. The Penguins needed more depth between the pipes, so seeing them take a shot on a young goalie like Silovs is entirely understandable. Meanwhile, the Canucks parting ways with Silovs was also easy to understand, as they have both Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen locked up long-term now.

The Penguins should now offer Silovs the opportunity to receive more chances at the NHL level, as he is projected to be their backup during the 2025-26 season. More consistent playing time at the NHL level should benefit Silovs, and it is a big reason why he is a clear breakout candidate heading into next season.

Silovs' excellent play during the playoffs this year with the Abbotsford Canucks should also create more hype surrounding him. The 2019 sixth-round pick was a huge reason why Abbotsford won the Calder Cup, as he had a 16-7 record, a 2.01 goals-against average, a .931 save percentage, and five shutouts. With his awesome play, he was also named AHL playoff MVP. 

With all of this, it is hard not to feel optimistic about Silovs heading into the 2025-26 season. If he continues to trend in the right direction with his development, he could end up being a solid piece of the Penguins' roster moving forward.

Former Penguins Forward Signs OverseasFormer Pittsburgh Penguins forward Joseph Blandisi is heading overseas, as he has signed a two-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. 

Five years ago today, the Vancouver Canucks took a commanding 2–0 series lead against the St. Louis Blues in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This came after the Canucks defeated the Minnesota Wild in four games of their qualifying series in order to officially advance to the playoffs. 

Vancouver had a tough task ahead of them in their first official playoff run since 2015. They were tasked with defeating the defending Stanley Cup Champions, a Blues team who had previously clawed their way back from being dead-last in the standings mid-season to defeating the Boston Bruins in seven games to clinch their first championship in franchise history. For Vancouver, winning this series would prove to those around them that their successes from the regular season weren’t just based on luck. 

Game 1 was a pleasant surprise for Canucks fans. Up until the third period, Vancouver and St. Louis kept their audience on the edge of their seats. Canucks captain Bo Horvat opened the series scoring with a power play tally less than five minutes into the game. Around 10 minutes after, David Perron tied things up while also on the man-advantage, settling the score at 1–1 by the end of the first. Elias Pettersson gave Vancouver the lead on the power play once again, though his goal was quickly neutralized by one from Jaden Schwartz. 

Despite the 2–2 score heading into the third period, from then on, Vancouver took things over. A little more than five minutes into the final frame, Troy Stecher found the back of the net to score what would ultimately be the game-winning goal. Horvat got his second goal of the game three minutes after that. Finally, J.T. Miller scored Vancouver’s third power play goal of the game to help the Canucks to a final score of 5–2 in Game 1. 

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Game 2 was a little more nerve-wracking. Horvat opened the scoring while shorthanded, tucking home his fifth goal of the playoffs seven minutes into the first period. Tanner Pearson added to Vancouver’s goal count on the man-advantage, scoring his third of the postseason and extending the Canucks’ lead to two. Ryan O’Reilly cut the Blues’ lead to one while on the power play, sending his team into the third period with only one more goal to score. 

In the third period, Pettersson scored Vancouver’s third power play goal of the game, bringing the Canucks’ lead back up to two goals. With Game 2 on the line, Sammy Blais scored with 10 minutes left to cut his team’s deficit to one, while Schwartz scored the game-tying goal with only seven seconds left in the game to send both teams to overtime. 

Only a couple of days before this game, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets played in five overtime periods before Brayden Point finally scored to end the game. Luckily for Vancouver and St. Louis, neither team had to wait as long for their game to conclude. It was Horvat who was on the receiving end of an up-ice pass from Quinn Hughes, tearing away from the Blues and scoring on Jordan Binnington to end the game at 4–3 for Vancouver. This was Horvat’s sixth goal of the postseason and second of the game. 

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. Also, be sure 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. 

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is among the highest-paid players in the NHL, and is expected to be a central figure in Sweden’s hopes for success at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano - Cortina, Italy next February. In a pre-season ranking of the league’s top blueliners, the Sabres team captain was ranked seventh by NHL Network. 

The 25-year-old was selected first overall in 2018 and in his seventh season with the Sabres finished fourth in the NHL in defensive scoring with 68 points (17 goals, 51 assists) in 73 games, behind Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and the other two Norris finalists, Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets.   

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Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars, fellow Swede Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets were ranked ahead of Dahlin, who scored in double figures for the fourth year in a row last season. Jacob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes, Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators, and Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers filled out the top ten.

Despite Dahlin’s offensive consistency over the last four years, the Sabres are going to need him to play equally as proficiently at the defensive end of the ice for them to challenge for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference next season, along with seeing bigger contributions from fellow top overall pick Owen Power, the recently signed Bowen Byram, and newly acquired Michael Kesselring.  

Our Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list has a total of:
• 19 total All-Star Game appearances
• 9 All-Rookie team honors
• 6 James Norris Memorial Trophies
• 2 Calder Trophies
• 2 Conn Smythe Trophies
• 9 Stanley Cups

What do you think of our list?@NHL | #NHLTopPlayerspic.twitter.com/0MaGYS04de

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 13, 2025

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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, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 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 40 NHL games. 

Other Sabres Stories

Projecting Sabres Trade Cost - Bryan Rust

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

#30 - Samuel Meloche - G (Rouyn-Noranda - QMJHL)

The Sabres continued their practice of selecting goalies, but after taking Topias Leinonen in 2022, Scott Ratzlaff in 2023, and Ryerson Leenders in 2024, the club selected a pair of netminders at the 2025 NHL Draft. With their seventh round pick, they took Belarusian Yevgeni Prokhorov, who has a longer development window in the KHL, but with the second to two fourth-round picks, Buffalo selected QMJHL goalie Samuel Meloche. 

The 18-year-old broke into the Q with Rouyn-Noranda as a 16-year-old, and leading into his draft year played 51 games for the Huskies, posting an excellent 30-14-6 record. In the playoffs, he went 8-3-2, leading Rouyn-Noranda to the QMJHL semi-final, where they lost to Moncton in a four-game sweep. 

Elite Prospects said that Meloche had an ”ability to stay composed, even when things broke down in front of him rather frequently, and that his “play reading and composure pair well with his athleticism. He’s able to make up for rare mistakes in save selection with quick, explosive reflexes” and is “one of the better puckhandling goalies in this draft.”

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It may be the dead of summer and a quiet time in the hockey world, but I've still been to the rink once a week thanks to a numberofcamps, either skills-based or for international tournaments.

Because I'm watching teenagers, I know that most of them still have a lot of growing to do – but how much? 

If a kid is already huge, such as 2026 NHL draft prospect Ethan Belchetz of OHL Windsor (he's already 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds), there's no need to worry. But a lot of the kids at Canada's U-17 camp, eligible for the 2027 NHL draft, are harder to forecast. 

A 5-foot-9 defenseman would have to be really special to make the NHL, but that same kid could easily grow three inches in the coming years, and no one would have any questions about his viability.

Famously, Mitch Marner was listed at 5-foot-7.5 and 130 pounds when the London Knights took him 19th overall in the 2013 OHL draft. Marner, now one of the most dangerous forwards in the NHL, grew up to be six-feet tall and 180 pounds, according to NHL.com. On the other hand, some players never shoot up, and it doesn't matter anyway – Johnny Gaudreau and Cole Caufield being prime examples.

But just for funsies, I asked a bunch of scouts and agents (whose job it is to convince scouts their clients are still growing) what their favorite unscientific way is to guess if a teen player is going to get a lot taller in the coming years. Here's a cross-section of responses:

"How big are his feet? A shorter kid with big feet is going to grow."

"Look at his skate size."

"Look at Mom and Dad, or look at the feet and hands."

"Look at the mom."

"Brothers."

"I've tried it enough to see there's no concrete way of predicting it. I usually look at Mom and Dad and try my best to see which parent the kid takes after the most. Grandparents are looked at, too. I know a guy who swears it's Grandpa on the mom's side, but I have counter-examples of that."

"Take the height difference in inches between the dad and mom, divide by three and add to the kid's height at 16 or 17."

"It's all guesswork."

I suppose if there were a tried-and-true answer, it would be a lot easier to predict which players will have both the talent and size to become NHL stars one day. In the meantime, teams will continue to take leaps of faith on kids they like, or simply value safe size – as prospect writer Jerome Berube noted after the 2025 NHL draft, not a single sub-six-foot defenseman was taken this year. But I'll leave the last word to one scout who lives by a very strong axiom:

"If the kid is 5-foot-6 and he shaves every day – he's cooked."

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Despite signing a two-year contract with the Shanghai Dragons to become their next head coach, Gerard Gallant still has his eyes set on the NHL. 

Since getting fired by the Rangers in 2023, Gallant has been unable to secure an NHL coaching job. 

As time has gone on, Gallant admitted that he’s continued to grow frustrated due to a lack of interest from NHL teams.

“I’ve been out for two years … and nothing’s happened yet,” Gallant said. “Am I a little pissed off? Yeah. But that’s the way it goes and you wait for your turn and your opportunities.

“So, I took this job. I’m going to Russia, going to St. Petersburg. I have a two-year contract and I’m going to honor that contract.”

Gallant coached the Rangers for two seasons from 2021 to 2023. 

The 61-year-old coach made these comments after it was reported a few months ago that Gallant was eager to prove he didn’t deserve to be fired by the Rangers. 

Gerard Gallant Named Head Coach Of KHL’s Shanghai DragonsGerard Gallant has been named the head coach of the KHL’s Shanghai Dragons. 

“I don’t know if he’s (Gallant) been in any of these particular interviews this year, I just don’t know,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said. “I have heard he’s eager to prove that when he got let go by the Rangers, It wasn’t only about him, and he wants an opportunity to show people that. We’ll see if he gets an opportunity with teams to talk about that.” 

It looks as if Gallant is looking to salvage his reputation in the KHL with the hopes of landing an NHL head coaching gig in the near future.