Former Florida Panthers defenseman Markus Nutivaara is coming out of retirement and joining Karpat, a Finnish team in Liiga.

The 31-year-old's last professional hockey game came with the Panthers during the 2021-22 season, where he recorded one assist in one game. He signed with the San Jose Sharks the following year, but did not play in any games. He remained unsigned for the next two seasons but has decided to return to hockey, joining Karpat, a team with which he has played at several levels.

Nutivaara worked his way through the Finnish ranks playing with Karpat at the U-16, U-18 and U-20 level before joining their professional team, winning a championship.

The Oulu, FIN. native was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the seventh round (189th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season, scoring two goals and seven points in 66 games. 

In 2018, Nutivaara signed a four-year, $10.8 million ($2.7 million annually) contract with the Blue Jackets but was acquired by the Panthers less than two years later. He played in 30 games during the 2020-21 season, notching 10 assists. The final year of his contract saw him receive just one game of NHL action before signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Sharks, but he did not play any NHL or AHL games with the franchise. 

Now, Nutivaara will join a Karpat side, which features several NHL prospects and former NHL players. 

Niko Mikkola Put The NHL On Notice During The Playoffs, But His Value To The Panthers Remains UnderratedNiko Mikkola has played a crucial role in the Florida Panthers' recent success, putting the league on notice during the playoffs, yet his value to the organization can still be considered underrated. 

Sportsbooks release betting odds for NHL divisional races for 2025-26 season. 

As the new NHL season approaches, we get fresh betting odds from the sportsbooks on who will finish a top each of the divisions next season. While perennial contenders still hold the edge in most divisions, there are a few surprises that could make for some intriguing bets. We see some interesting values on rising teams and some steals for likely contenders.  Here’s a breakdown of the current odds across all four divisions.

Atlantic Division

• Florida Panthers (+135)
• Tampa Bay Lightning (+350)
• Toronto Maple Leafs (+390)
• Ottawa Senators (+750)
• Montreal Canadiens (+1500)
• Detroit Red Wings (+3100)
• Boston Bruins (+3500)
• Buffalo Sabres (+5000)

Without question, the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions lead the way with two division titles of the last four years. It's always a tightly contested battle as there is always one team having a breakout season like last season's winners in the Maple Leafs. Toronto likely won't win again as there has not been a repeat champion in six seasons but the Bolts will be in the picture once again plus the Senators, Habs and Red Wings have all been on the rise in recent years. Will it be enough to catch up to the Panthers or will they take control over the league once again? Florida has the fifth-hardest schedule next season but it likely still won't slow down this moving train that hasn't stopped for anyone in two years.

Pick: Florida Panthers (+135)

Former Teammates, New Rivals: Marner vs. Matthews Prop Bet Heats Up DebateSportsbooks reveal head-to-head prop bet between former teammates in Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

Metropolitan Division

• Carolina Hurricanes (+120)
• New Jersey Devils (+370)
• New York Rangers (+550)
• Washington Capitals (+650)
• New York Islanders (+1800)
• Columbus Blue Jackets (+2100)
• Philadelphia Flyers (+2200)
• Pittsburgh Penguins (+8000)

The Hurricanes are the clear frontrunners in the Metropolitan, powered by even more blockbuster adds in Nikolaj Ehlers and K'Andre Miller plus will see another year of development for their elite young talent in Jackson Blake and Alexander Nikishin among others.

This division feels the most like a one horse race as the Devils are coming off a season where they missed the playoffs due to an injured roster, the Rangers made little changes despite their troubling season last year and the Capitals are expected to fall back to normalcy following a near-President's trophy winning season. The Canes will look to win their division for the third time in the last five years. 

Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (+120)

Pacific Division

• Edmonton Oilers (+155)
• Vegas Golden Knights (+155)
• Los Angeles Kings (+470)
• Vancouver Canucks (+1500)
• Calgary Flames (+2900)
• Anaheim Ducks (+5500)
• Seattle Kraken (+6000)
• San Jose Sharks (+21000)

The battle between the Oilers and Golden Knights will be an elite one as the back-to-back conference champions have still never won the divisional crown. They will be attempting to do so against a Golden Knights team that has only gotten stronger with the addition of a 100-point player in Mitch Marner. 

The two clubs will also be looking to stave off threats like the Kings or the rising Ducks that could put together a solid push. The most likely outcome is another Golden Knights division title, marking fifth over the last nine years as the Oilers have made more horizontal moves to stay competitive rather than propelling moves like the Golden Knights have seemingly made. 

Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (+155)

Oilers' Howard, Blues' Snuggerud Present Closest Competition to Demidov For CalderRookies Isaac Howard and Jimmy Snuggerud appear to be best cases behind Montreal's Ivan Demidov for 2026 Calder trophy

Central Division

• Dallas Stars (+200)
• Colorado Avalanche (+200)
• Winnipeg Jets (+600)
• Minnesota Wild (+900)
• Utah Mammoth (+1000)
• St. Louis Blues (+1300)
• Nashville Predators (+2600)
• Chicago Blackhawks (+23000)

The tightest division in the league is the Central as they routinely produce contenders out of the West and will make for another hard-fought war to win the divisional crown. This is the only division with co-favorites in Dallas and Colorado, both sitting at +200 as two of the most complete teams in the conference. The reigning President's trophy winners in Winnipeg will look to repeat as divisional champs while the Blues look to build off a solid campaign last season and the Mammoth look to finally make some noise thanks to their aggressive management and ownership group. 

It'll be hard to overcome the Jets once again as they've kept all of their same defence core that has helped give them the best defence in the league for two straight seasons plus replaced the loss of a key player in Nikolaj Ehlers with another former 70-point scorer in Gustav Nyquist. 

Pick: Winnipeg Jets (+600)

Will There Be a First-Time Stanley Cup Champion in 2026?Breaking down the chances of a team to win the Stanley Cup for the first time during the 2025-26 season.

Becoming an NHL franchise’s active leader in goal-scoring often takes a ton of talent, consistency, loyalty and longevity.

Of course, the bar isn’t as high for rebuilding or recently rebuilt squads. We’re seeing young talent forge a new path toward Stanley Cup contention. The same low bar goes for the newest NHL franchises, although enough time has passed for some of them that their all-time goals leader doesn’t play for the team anymore – or hasn’t been active for years.

In fact, only six NHL franchises have one of their active players leading their all-time goals list.

Here are the active goals leaders for all 32 NHL teams, ranked from the most to the fewest goals. If a player is active in the NHL but doesn’t play for that team, they don’t count. It’s no surprise who sits in first.

1. Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin, 897

The Capitals’ captain broke the NHL’s all-time regular-season goals record in April and scored twice more to inch closer to the 900-goal mark. Ovechkin’s just 43 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record for the most in the regular season and playoffs combined, but he has one year left on his contract.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby, 625

Crosby’s two-year contract extension kicks in this upcoming season. The captain’s 66 goals away from the Penguins’ all-time goals record set by No. 66, Mario Lemieux. It can be done.

3. Los Angeles Kings

Anze Kopitar, 440

Kopitar is the Kings’ all-time games played leader by a long shot, with 1,454 in the regular season. He’s 110 goals behind Marcel Dionne for second place on the franchise’s goal-scoring list and 117 behind Luc Robitaille.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews, 401

Matthews averages 0.64 goals per game, which is the seventh highest in NHL history among players who scored at least 100 times in their career. Ovechkin’s rate is 0.60, but he’s also played more than double the number of seasons. Nevertheless, the chase is on for the Maple Leafs’ captain.

T5. Dallas Stars

Jamie Benn, 399

One of the NHL’s final four players who don’t wear a visor could become the 111th player in NHL history to score 400 goals in the regular season. Take away the 123 goals Mike Modano scored with the Minnesota North Stars, and Benn is only 36 goals away from passing him for the most in Dallas Stars history.

T5. Edmonton Oilers

Leon Draisaitl, 399

Draisaitl and McDavid both average 0.51 goals per game, but the former has played 78 more games. Draisaitl won the ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy for the most goals in 2024-25, and he also scored the most important goals in the NHL during the regular season, according to Ken Campbell’s Situational Scoring model. 

7. Boston Bruins

David Pastrnak, 391

The Bruins have been around for more than 100 years, and Pastrnak is only 155 goals away from passing Johnny Bucyk and leading the franchise in goal-scoring. I say “only,” because he’s just 29, and he’s scored 151 goals in the past three seasons.

8. Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon, 367

MacKinnon can reach second place on the Nordiques-Avalanche’s all-time assists and points lists in 2025-26. He’s fifth in goal-scoring, and he trails Joe Sakic by 258. In just Avalanche history, MacKinnon is tied with Sakic for first in points with 1,015, sits first in assists 648 and trails Sakic by 24 in goals.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning

Nikita Kucherov, 357

Kucherov leads the Lightning in all-time assists, with 637, but he’s fourth in goals and needs 199 to pass Steven Stamkos for first place. At 32 years old and with a career high of 44 goals, Kucherov could have to play the rest of his NHL career in Tampa Bay to break that record.

10. Winnipeg Jets

Mark Scheifele, 336

Scheifele has the most goals in Atlanta Thrashers and Jets 2.0 history. Jets 1.0 history belongs to the inactive Arizona Coyotes, but if we were to include it here, Dale Hawerchuk would have the most goals, with 379.

11. San Jose Sharks

Logan Couture, 323

The Sharks’ captain hasn’t played since January 2024 and announced this past April that he’s stepping away from professional hockey due to injury, but he has two more years left on his contract. Aside from Couture, the next-highest all-time active scorer on the rebuilding Sharks is William Eklund, who has 35.

12. Nashville Predators

Filip Forsberg, 318

Forsberg already has 118 more goals than the man in second place on the Predators’ franchise goal-scoring list, David Legwand, who scored 210. Nashville acquired Forsberg from the Capitals in exchange for Martin Erat and Michael Latta in 2013.

13. New York Islanders

Anders Lee, 289

After the Islanders traded their longtime center, Brock Nelson, at the 2025 trade deadline, Lee became the team’s active goals leader. If the Islanders’ captain doubled his goals total, he’d have five more than the franchise’s all-time leader, Mike Bossy, and his 573.

14. Florida Panthers

Aleksander Barkov, 286

Barkov is the Panthers’ all-time leader in games played (804), goals, assists (496), points (782), power-play points (243), shorthanded points (23), game-winning goals (52) and shots (2,097). But the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion is only second in plus-minus, with Gustav Forsling’s plus-166 rating leading his plus-124.

15. Carolina Hurricanes

Sebastian Aho, 283

Aho is 100 goals away from passing Ron Francis for the most in Hartford Whalers and Hurricanes history. He’s only 28 years old. It may take three or four seasons to break the record, but expect it to happen eventually.

16. New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad, 250

Zibanejad has many regular-season goals with the Rangers as Mark Messier. Chris Kreider scored 326 times for the Blueshirts but was traded to the Anaheim Ducks this off-season.

17. Detroit Red Wings

Dylan Larkin, 242

If Larkin tripled his goal total, he’d still trail Gordie Howe’s 786 for the most in the near-century of Red Wings history. But the Red Wings’ captain has nearly two-and-a-half times the number of goals of the player in second place on their active list, Lucas Raymond (98).

18. Montreal Canadiens

Brendan Gallagher, 239

Gallagher is tied with Bob Gainey for 15th place on the Canadiens’ all-time list. He has 101 more goals than captain Nick Suzuki.

19. Calgary Flames

Mikael Backlund, 215

Backlund has played the most seasons in Atlanta and Calgary Flames history, with 17 so far. Jarome Iginla played 16 seasons in Calgary but played 153 more games and scored 310 more goals – the Flames’ current captain played 24 NHL games across his first two seasons before making the roster full-time in his third.

20. Philadelphia Flyers

Sean Couturier, 206

The chase is on. That is, Couturier’s chase of new Flyers coach Rick Tocchet’s 232 goals for 13th place on the franchise list.

21. Vancouver Canucks

Brock Boeser, 204

When it looked like Boeser could have headed elsewhere in free agency, he signed a seven-year contract to stay with the Canucks. If he continues his career average of 0.37 goals per game, stays healthy and plays out his contract with the Canucks, he’ll pass Daniel Sedin for the most lamplighters in franchise history.

22. Columbus Blue Jackets

Boone Jenner, 199

Jenner, 32, needs 91 goals to pass Rick Nash for the most in Blue Jackets history. He has the most tipped-in (36) and backhand (19) goals in franchise history since tracking began in 2009-10.

23. Ottawa Senators

Brady Tkachuk, 191

Tkachuk turns 26 in September and is fourth in Senators all-time scoring, trailing Daniel Alfredsson by 227. Shoutout to Cy Denneny, who had 246 goals in 306 games for the original Ottawa Senators franchise that ran from the NHL’s first season in 1917-18 to 1934-35 when it folded after one year as the St. Louis Eagles.

The Countdown: Each NHL Franchise's Best Offensive Playoff PerformancesBy Jared Clinton, features writer

24. Minnesota Wild

Kirill Kaprizov, 185

Among players who scored at least 100 times, Wild left winger Kaprizov ranks 13th in NHL history in goals per game, with 0.58. That’s tied with Brett Hull. Expect a big raise on his $9-million cap hit when his contract expires after this upcoming season.

25. Buffalo Sabres

Tage Thompson, 173

Thompson recorded a league-high 106 mph shot this past season. His Sabres teammate appeared to have blocked the one-timer in front of the net. Ouch.

26. New Jersey Devils

Nico Hischier, 171

Hischier is 14 goals behind the Canucks’ Elias Pettersson for the most in the 2017 NHL draft class, but the Devils’ captain scored 20 more goals than Pettersson in 2024-25.

27. St. Louis Blues

Brayden Schenn, 169

Schenn only needs 15 points to become one of the Blues’ top 10 all-time point scorers. But he needs 26 goals to make the franchise’s top 10 goal-scorers list, and he hasn’t scored that many in a season since 2017-18. 

28. Vegas Golden Knights

William Karlsson, 161

One of the ‘Original Misfits’ became the active leader after the Golden Knights didn’t re-sign Jonathan Marchessault in the summer of 2024. Marchessault put up 192 goals with Vegas. As for Karlsson, he scored six goals the season before he joined the Golden Knights and scored 43 the year afterward.

29. Seattle Kraken

Jared McCann, 118

McCann is the all-time leading scorer for the Kraken, which enter their fifth season in 2025-26. Time flies.

30. Anaheim Ducks

Troy Terry, 116

Corey Perry, Rickard Rakell and Adam Henrique are still active NHLers and scored more goals for the Ducks than Terry, but of course, they’re no longer on the squad. Terry scored a career-high 37 goals in 2021-22 and surpassed 20 in the three seasons afterward.

31. Chicago Blackhawks

Connor Bedard, 45

Trust the process. Seven former Blackhawks players who remain active NHLers scored more goals in Chicago than Bedard, but the 20-year-old has plenty of time to climb the rankings and lead his rebuilding team toward success.

32. Utah Mammoth

Clayton Keller, 30

Keller led the way in Utah’s first year. Instead of a traditional relocation, the Coyotes transferred their hockey assets to Utah’s new franchise.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

There wasn't a lot of winning to be had for the Nashville Predators last season. 

Thirty wins during the 2024-25 season was the Predators' lowest 82-game total since the 2002-03 season, where they won just 27 games in their fifth season of existence. 

However, believe it or not, the Predators did win six regular-season series, three of which they went undefeated. Here's which teams Nashville had no issue handling during its infamous 2024-25 campaign. 

Vancouver Canucks 

Record: 2-1

Things fell apart for the Canucks toward the end of the regular season. They were a constant Wild Card contender throughout the year, but finished the season six points outside of a playoff spot. 

The Predators picked up a pair of wins over Vancouver in November and January, which included a 3-0 shutout to start the new year. Juuse Saros made 27 saves in the effort for his fourth shutout of the season. 

Steven Stamkos had three goals in two matchups against the Canucks, which included two goals in the 5-3 win on Nov. 17. 

Their final matchup of the season on Jan. 29 in Nashville ended in a 3-1 loss. 

Utah (Mammoth) Hockey Club 

Record: 2-1 

Scoring was tight between the Predators and the former Utah Hockey Club, now the Mammoth, as Nashville had 11 goals for to its 10 goals against. 

At the team's first-ever meeting on Nov. 9, Saros made 27 saves in a 4-0 victory. Filip Forsberg lit the lamp twice while Roman Josi had two assists. 

The next two meetings between Nashville and Utah came within four games of each other in the final four games of the regular season. 

On April 10, the Predators eeked out a 4-3 shootout win on the road. Despite allowing three goals, Saros made 39 saves on 42 shots and stonewalled Utah in the shootout. Forsberg scored his 31st goal of the season and the shootout winner. 

At this point, going into the final game on April 14, the Predators had an 8-3 scoring advantage on Utah. However, all of that nearly shifted in a 7-3 loss in Nashville. 

The Predators trailed by a goal going into the third period before they were outscored, 3-0, in the final 20 minutes of the game. 

Chicago Blackhawks 

Record: 3-1

The Predators won only one series in the Central Division this past season, and it came against the only other team ranked below them: the Chicago Blackhawks.

Nashville took three out of four games in the regular season, walking away with six out of eight possible points. 

After going down 2-0 in their first meeting on Oct. 25 in Chicago, the Predators rattled off three straight goals in the successful comeback effort. Gustav Nyquist had a goal and an assist in the second period. 

Jan. 16 was another 3-2 victory, but it came in a shootout in Nashville. Stamkos opened the game with a power-play goal and ended it with the winning goal in the shootout. 

Chicago would get its lick-back right before the 4 Nations Face-Off break on Feb. 7 in a dominating 6-2 win. Ryan Donato had four points (2 goals, 2 assists), and Nashville was outscored 5-0 from the end of the first period to midway through the third period. It was the Predators' sixth straight loss. 

However, the Predators ended the series on a high note. They walked away with a third 3-2 victory, this time in overtime on March 8 in Nashville. Stamkos scored all three goals, recording his 14th career hat trick. 

Carolina Hurricanes 

Record: 2-0 

The Predators extinguished one of the hottest teams in the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes, this past season. 

Carolina, who made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, struggled against Nashville. In their first meeting on Dec. 23, the Predators opened up a 4-0 lead and the Hurricanes couldn't catch up. Jonathan Marchessault had two goals and an assist in the 5-2 win. 

The final meeting, which took place on March 25 in Raleigh, had fewer scoring points. Nashville built up a 2-0 lead before Carolina cut it in half in the second period. It was a third-period goal by Luke Evangelista that gave Nashville insurance in a 3-1 win. 

Boston Bruins 

Record: 2-0 

Nashville outscored the Bruins by a whopping 10-3 margin in two games, with the first meeting coming in shutout fashion.

On Oct. 22, Juuse Saros made 33 saves to snap the Predators' five-game losing streak in a 4-0 victory. Ryan O'Reilly had a goal and an assist in the win.

The next meeting on March 4 in Boston, the Predators put up another big number on the Bruins in a 6-3 win. O'Reilly had two goals and an assist, bumping his season point total against the Bruins to five in two games, and Stamkos had a goal and two assists. 

It was a tight game going into the third period before the Predators outscored the Bruins, 3-1. 

San Jose Sharks 

Record: 3-0

It was goals galore between the Predators and Sharks this season as both teams combined for 28 goals in three games. 23 of those goals came within three days of each other. 

The Jan. 21 meeting in Nashville saw the Sharks build up a wide 5-1 lead before choking it away. Nashville scored six unanswered goals, led by a goal and two assists from Marchessault, for a 7-5 win. 

The next game on Jan. 24 in San Jose had more fireworks. There were 53 combined penalty minutes and 11 combined goals. The Predators had a 5-2 lead before the Sharks came back to tie the game.

It was a power-play goal from Fedor Svechkov that allowed the Predators to escape with a 6-5 win. Forsberg had two goals in the win. 

There were still many penalties but fewer goals in the final meeting of the season on March 11 in San Jose. The Predators logged 14 penalty minutes to the Sharks' 20 in a narrow 3-2 win to close out the season series.

Kieffer Bellows cracked a 2-2 tie in the third period to give Nashville the green light to victory. 

 

Canadian winger Jake Virtanen, 28, has signed a one-year contract with Dukla Michalovce, the Slovak Extraliga club announced on Wednesday.

Virtanen, who played in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks from 2015 to 2021, spent last season playing for the DEL’s Iserlohn Roosters, where he recorded 19 points in 46 games.

Born in the Vancouver suburb of New Westerminster, BC, Virtanen played junior hockey for the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.

Picked sixth overall by hometown Vancouver in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Virtanen’s career never met its expectations. He recorded exactly 100 points in 317 NHL games spread over six seasons before his contract was bought out by the Canucks in May 2021 after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against him. He was cleared of all charges in 2022.

Since then, Virtanen has played in Russia with Spartak Moscow, in Switzerland with EHC Visp and in Germany with the Fischtown Pinguins and Iserlohn. 

Dutch Winger Leaves NHL, Signs In KHLDutch-Canadian winger Daniel Sprong, 28, has signed a one-year contract with CSKA Moscow, the KHL club announced on Wednesday.

Internationally, Virtanen represented Canada at one IIHF U-18 World Championships and at two World Junior Championships, winning a gold medal at the 2015 World Juniors.

During his time in Vancouver, Virtanen became somewhat infamous for the “Shotgun Jake” campaign. Whenever Virtanen scored a goal, fans would post a picture or video of themselves on social media “shotgunning” a beer – puncturing the side of the can and quickly drinking its contents – using the hashtag #ShotgunJake. 

Since being promoted to the top Slovak league in 2019, Michalovce has finished second in the regular season twice and made the semifinals three times. Last season, the team finished ninth and lost in the play-in round before the quarterfinals.

Photo © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images.

Interview: Filip Chytil 100% Healthy ‘Knock On Wood’; Canucks Have ‘Great Potential For The Future’Last season was an eventful one for Filip Chytil that saw him get traded for the first time in his NHL career, but it ended prematurely due to a concussion on March 15. Back home in Czechia for the summer, his summer training is in full swing.

NHL.TV is a popular streaming service available in over 200 countries for watching NHL games, a nice luxury for Toronto Maple Leafs fans who live overseas. That, however, is set to change.

The league announced Wednesday that NHL.TV will be moving to the streaming service platform DAZN for all nations outside of Canada, the United States, and the Nordic nations, beginning with the 2025-26 season. According to the press release, NHL.TV will be available on DAZN as a standalone subscription or as an add-on to existing DAZN packages. This service will cover nearly 200 countries worldwide, excluding the U.S., Canada, and the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden).

Essentially, the NHL.TV service as it was previously known will no longer be available directly through the league in any of the remaining countries. This move mirrors similar transitions in North America, where NHL.TV previously shifted to streaming partners. In Canada, NHL.TV’s offerings are now under the Sportsnet+ Premium banner, while in the United States, NHL.TV is exclusively available through ESPN+.

It is currently unclear if any functionality will change under DAZN’s management of the package. Previously, under NHL.TV, every game was available and archived for over a decade, including home, away, and national broadcasts. DAZN holds international NFL rights, was the broadcast home of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, and streams over 90,000 live events annually.

(Top image credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

You’ll Need Prime Video To Watch These 6 Key Maple Leafs Games in 2025-26Amazon’s streaming service, Prime Video, has released its upcoming schedule of games for the 2025-26 season, which will exclusively feature six Toronto Maple Leafs games for the second consecutive year. Prime Video's Mark Shopiro Previews What NHL And Maple Leafs Fans Can Expect From Season 2 of Amazon's CoverageAmazon has just completed its first season streaming NHL games in Canada when the digital giant wasted no time in unveiling plans for 2025-26 at their annual upfronts in Toronto. Entering the final year of a two-year deal with Rogers Sports & Media, to broadcast games on Monday night, a weekly live look-in show called 'Coast-To-Coast' on Thursday and a docuseries titled 'FACEOFF: Inside The NHL', the digital giant appears poised to build off their opening year. Auston Matthews to be Mic’d Up for US TV Broadcast of Toronto Maple Leafs Game Against New York RangersMatthews was also mic’d up for a games last season against the Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes.

It's no secret that the New York Islanders have struggled to land top-flight free agents. While success on the ice plays a massive role in accomplishing that, Long Island isn't a place that many players really know much about. 

When players think of New York, especially if those players are from across the Atlantic Ocean, their first thought is New York City, because that's all they know -- completely understandable. 

The New York Rangers, as an original six franchise that frequently appears on national television, play a significant role in this, which means the Islanders must work even harder to market their franchise.

Once players get to Long Island, whether they knew about it or not, they very rarely leave.

Josh Bailey, Cal Clutterbuck, and Thomas Hickey are just a few recent players who, after their playing days came to a close, remain. But, going back to the glory days for the franchise, the likes of John Tonelli, Butch Goring, and Bobby Nystrom still reside on Long Island. 

So, how do the Islanders do a better job marketing their franchise as a true hot-spot destination?

The easy answer is you just give Islanders star forward Mathew Barzal a microphone and ask him what he loves about being on Long Island.

On Tuesday, Barzal did his first-ever podcast interview, outside of 32 Thoughts, when he jumped on the ForePlay Pod with his bud, Isanders' super fan Frankie Borrelli.

When the conversation about the Islanders' future started, Borrelli paused before thanking Barzal for committing to Long Island, as he's currently about to enter the second season of an eight-year extension worth $9.15 million.

Borrelli asked Barzal why he ultiamtely decided that this is where he wanted to be long term.

"And another thing too, is like, it's underrated on the island," Barzal said. "Like, people don't, and I think we've said it so much, but it really is. I mean, the other day, we go play on one of the nicest golf courses in the world, and then Chris Stapleton is 10 minutes away, and all the boys stick around. But even aside from that, UBS Arena is incredible. Our practice facility is wicked. It's tight. You're 30 minutes, 40 minutes from the city, the best city in the world."

Just listen to the way Mat Barzal speaks about Long Island. The impact that Barzy has had on hockey on the Island is second to none. Ever since the day we drafted him he embraced us and remained loyal to an area that he knew nothing about. #Isles

That's my next Captain. pic.twitter.com/TPlM5HizTh

— Isles Rumor (@IslesRumor) July 29, 2025

Barzal bragging about Long Island is nothing new. When he signed his contract, he spoke about the fans and the beaches and the city, all that good stuff. 

But now, with Lou Lamoriello out, having the ability to go on podcasts and promote the Islanders franchise and the way of life here could play a part in landing free agents. 

As mentioned previously, especially in hockey, the chance to win is the biggest advertisement. And while the Islanders may not be a Stanley Cup contender yet, Barzal's high praise for the prospect pool and his excitement about the team's potential in the next three years is an advertisement that might attract some free agents to consider the Islanders. 

No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer, by just the way he talks and carries himself, on top of the on-ice talent that he is, should help in marketing the Islanders as a premier destination.

Having Mathieu Darche at the helm now, someone who understands the importance of transparency, the importance of marketing, and the importance of fan engagement, is vital in everything we've just discussed. 

Until the Islanders do land a coveted free agent, talk is cheap. 

However, unlike years past where the Islanders are salary-cap strapped, Darche's decisions this past offseason actually have the Islanders in a good spot come next summer, especially if he trades a player or two on expiring deals by the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline or makes some cap-clearing moves at the 2026 NHL Draft.

Islanders Will Have Money To Spend Next Summer But How Much Is The Question?The New York Islanders’ contracts are all but finalized.

Under Lamoriello, the Islanders never truly had the money to be competitiors in the free agent market. The Hockey Hall of Fame executive did his damage around the trade deadline, landing the likes of Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau over the years. 

But, especially with salary caps rising and more teams having money, getting pending free agents to agree to premature extensions is only going to get harder. 

Branding matters and Barzal is doing the best he can to make sure people know that Long Island is a slept-on spot. 

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PHOTO: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Welcome back to another Vancouver Canucks 2024–25 report card. In this series, The Hockey News - Canucks site discusses the 2024–25 seasons of active Canucks who played at least 10 games with Vancouver. Today, we’ll be taking a look at how Victor Mancini performed in the 2024–25 season. 

Mancini only played 16 games with Vancouver, but that was enough for the club to be impressed with his showings early on. The right-shot defender was acquired by Vancouver on January 31 as part of the deal that sent J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers. Before arriving in Vancouver, Mancini played in 15 games for the Rangers, scoring a goal and four assists. He spent most of his time with the Hartford Wolf Pack, New York’s AHL affiliate, tallying three goals and seven assists. 

Due to lineup shuffles that included Quinn Hughes sitting due to injury and Marcus Pettersson coming in via trade, Mancini didn’t get into his first game with Vancouver until after the 4 Nations Faceoff break, on February 23. During this month of non-NHL play, he joined the Abbotsford Canucks, skating in five of their games and tallying one assist. From then on, he stayed with Vancouver until being sent down towards the end of the season so he could be eligible to play in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs. He potted his first point as a Canuck on March 12 against the Calgary Flames and finished the NHL season with a goal and two assists. 

In the NHL, Mancini made a positive impact overall, especially considering the fact that this was his first season. In the AHL, however, Mancini was arguably the team’s best defender. Mancini gained Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra’s trust early on, becoming a reliable defenceman on all sides of the ice as well as in any situations. Despite only being with the team for a few games, it was clear that Mancini had become a big part of the locker room’s character alongside the leadership group. In Abbotsford’s 24-game Calder Cup win, Mancini scored three goals and five assists and put 30 shots on net. 

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Despite the limited NHL sample size, Mancini had a solid season despite moving around both on the NHL and AHL level. He played for a total of four professional teams this year and managed to impress with all of them — all at the age of 23. While he does still have room to grow and improve as a player, Mancini has the time to do so. For this reason, he receives a B+ for the 2024–25 season. 

Mancini will be a player to watch come training camp in September. He is one of a few defencemen who could push for a full-time spot on Vancouver’s roster if he has a good pre-season. As a 23-year-old right-shot defenceman who has shown good potential at the NHL level, Mancini is a valuable asset within the organization who could become an important piece to the team’s puzzle in the future. 

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Jets re-sign key blueliner Dylan Samberg to five-year deal with $5.75 million cap hit

The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed defenseman Dylan Samberg to a five-year contract extension worth $5.75 million per season, securing the 26-year-old through the 2029–30 NHL season. The deal reinforces Samberg's status as a key piece of the Jets' defensive core following a solid 2024–25 campaign.

THREE MORE YEARS OF SAMMY 💥 👍 pic.twitter.com/db9T9gpjUY

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) July 30, 2025

Last season, Samberg played in 60 regular-season games, recording six goals and 14 assists for a career-high 20 points. He posted an impressive plus-minus rating of +34 and averaged heavy minutes at over 21 minutes of ice time per game.

Samberg also led the Jets in blocked shots with 120 and contributed 56 hits, highlighting his steady, physical presence on the back end. In the playoffs, he added three assists over 13 games during before the Jets were eliminated by the Dallas Stars

Originally drafted 43rd overall in 2017, Samberg has developed into a top-four, all-situations defenseman since making his NHL debut in 2021. His partnership with defenceman Neal Pionk has been a difference maker for the franchise. 

Although they typically play on the second defensive pairing, the duo logged 710 minutes together across 48 games. During that time, they were on the ice for 36 goals scored, surpassing more heavily used pairings such as Vegas' Noah Hanifin and Alex Pietrangelo, who had 771 minutes and 34 goals, and Minnesota's Brock Faber and Jake Middleton, who played 945 minutes but were on for just 32 goals.

Samberg is entering his prime with more solid years ahead of him as the Jets look to extend their streak of owning the league's best defence for a third straight season.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have been busy this offseason as they continue their rebuild. They haven’t officially come out and used the word “rebuild” to describe where they are as an organization, but you don’t have to squint too hard to see it. 

They made cheap, low-risk moves to start free agency in early July, just like last year. They brought in defensemen Parker Wotherspoon, Alexander Alexeyev, Phil Kemp, and Caleb Jones, plus forwards Anthony Mantha, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, and Justin Brazeau. The Penguins also opted to re-sign forwards Philip Tomasino and Connor Dewar to one-year contracts after neither received qualifying offers before free agency started. 

Penguins general manager and president Kyle Dubas has been relatively active on the trade market as well, bringing in defensemen Matt Dumba and Connor Clifton. They are two players who badly needed a change of scenery since they didn’t have good seasons last year. If they can play a bit better, the Penguins will try to flip them at the trade deadline, given they only have one year left on their deals. 

Dubas also acquired goaltender Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks after his dominant Calder Cup Playoff run with the Abbotsford Canucks. Silovs helped the baby Canucks win the Calder Cup, finishing the AHL playoffs with a 2.01 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. His efforts led to him being named the MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Right now, he’s the favorite to be Tristan Jarry’s backup heading into the season. 

Despite numerous changes, fans are still waiting for a major blockbuster or two. Forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, and defenseman Erik Karlsson have been heavily mentioned in trade talks, but to this point, none of them have been traded. Some fans see that as a bad thing since the calendar is about to flip to August, but it’s not. There is still about a month and a half until the Penguins report to training camp, and as we have seen from Dubas over the last two offseasons, he’s not afraid of making big splashes in August.

Usually, August is the month when everyone in the hockey world goes on vacation to the beach or the cottage, but not Dubas. Last year, he surprised the entire hockey world when he acquired top prospect Rutger McGroarty from the Winnipeg Jets for Brayden Yager on August 22. The Penguins weren’t one of the reported teams in on him, but they put together the best offer and got the player they wanted. On August 6, 2023, Dubas traded for Erik Karlsson in one of the biggest trades of the summer. 

He’s always looking to make deals, no matter what time of year it is. He holds all of the cards right now with Rust, Rakell, and Karlsson, and while some fans want Dubas to get these deals over with, it’s not that simple. Considering where the Penguins are in their rebuild, they have to get the proper return for these players. They remain good and impactful players, despite all three being over 30. This isn’t a situation where you take what you can get and sell for pennies on the dollar. That wouldn’t help the Penguins in terms of where they want to go as an organization. 

There has also been some talk that by not trading these players, the Penguins would be “blocking their NHL-ready prospects” for this season. That is simply not true. McGroarty and Ville Koivunen are NHL-ready and will likely be in the lineup on October 7 against the New York Rangers, assuming they perform well during training camp and the preseason. They looked the part in their trial run at the end of the 2024-25 season. The Penguins also won’t block forward Filip Hallander from securing a spot since they just signed him to a two-year contract on April 29. They love what he did in the SHL these last two seasons. 

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As for Brunicke, if he does enough to earn a nine-game trial to start the 2025-26 season, the Penguins probably won’t hesitate to see what he can do at the NHL level. After those nine games, they’d have to decide whether to keep him up for the entire season or send him back to his junior team. 

Everyone is waiting for a big trade because there haven’t been too many of them this summer yet. Many insiders predicted that a lot of action would happen at the draft and in the summer, but they didn’t anticipate that so many teams would retain players who were once on the market. 

The Penguins are playing their cards close to the vest, but it still seems likely that at least one of Karlsson, Rakell, or Rust will get dealt before the season starts. It just might take longer and require more patience than some fans like. 

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With the Chicago Blackhawks being at the bottom portion of the NHL standings this past season, they traded veteran forward Taylor Hall to the Carolina Hurricanes back in January. Seeing the Blackhawks trade Hall was not surprising in the slightest, as he was a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) on a rebuilding Chicago squad. 

The move to the Hurricanes benefited Hall, as he quickly fit into their system and got the opportunity to play for a contender again. He proved to be a solid addition to the Hurricanes' roster, as he had nine goals, nine assists, and 18 points in 31 games with the Metropolitan Division club following the move. This included recording 16 points in his final 19 regular-season games with the Hurricanes.

Hall will be remaining with the Hurricanes for a good amount of time, too, as he signed a three-year, $9.5 million contract extension with them back in April. Thus, he will now get the opportunity to continue to play on a top team like the Hurricanes for multiple years, which is good news when noting that he is still looking to win his first Stanley Cup.

Overall, while Hall served as a nice veteran mentor for the Blackhawks during their rebuild, getting traded to the Hurricanes was ultimately the best move for him at this stage of his career. It will be fascinating to see how much of an impact he can make for the Hurricanes from here. 

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Photo Credit: © Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

With the 21st overall pick of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins selected forward Sam Poulin. Since then, the 6-foot-2 winger has had trouble cementing himself as a full-time NHL player. Yet, while this is the case, the Blainville, Quebec native still has time to change that. 

When looking at Poulin's 2024-25 season, he should not be given up on just yet. In 57 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2024-25, he recorded new AHL career highs with 19 goals, 24 assists, and 43 points. Seeing Poulin improve his offensive totals in the AHL this past season is encouraging, and it will now be intriguing to see if he can continue to trend in the right direction in 2025-26 because of it. 

Poulin also suited up in a career-high seven games this past season with the Penguins, where he had one assist, 10 hits, and a plus-1 rating. In 13 games over three seasons with Pittsburgh, he has posted two assists and 18 hits. While he has yet to find his scoring touch at the NHL level, it is fair to wonder if this could change next season if he gets more chances on Pittsburgh's roster. 

Overall, Poulin showed promise this past season in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Depending on what moves the Penguins make before the start of the season, the possibility of him landing a spot on their fourth line should not be ruled out. No matter what happens on that front, Poulin is certainly a player to watch in 2025-26.

Former Penguins Defenseman Still A Free AgentWhile most of this year's unrestricted free agents (UFAs) have been signed, there are still some interesting players who are available for the taking. One of them is former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jan Rutta, as the 35-year-old blueliner is still looking for his new home.

Photo Credit:  © Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images

The San Jose Sharks defense is in a very unique situation entering the 2025-26 season.

Only a single defenseman, not including prospects who could earn a spot in training camp, is under contract past the 2025-26 season. That player is free agent addition Dmitry Orlov who is signed through the 2026-27 season. He also has a full no-move clause in the first season of his contract, making him almost guaranteed to return after this upcoming season.

After Orlov though, the entirety of the blue line is up in the air following this coming season. In a way, the Sharks will be essentially holding season long tryouts. Whoever performs up to their standards and will be able to help the team over the long-run can be brought back, while the others will be allowed to walk next summer. With defenders like Sam Dickinson and Luca Cagnoni close to fighting for a spot in the NHL as well, this approach allows general manager Mike Grier to be selective moving forward. Now, let’s see which defensemen are most likely to be Sharks beyond this coming season.

Shakir Mukhamadullin is the most obvious extension option, as at 23 years of age, he has just started showing what he can bring to the table at the NHL level. As a former first-round draft pick, his ceiling is seen as very high, and so far, he’s performed as expected. Out of everyone currently listed on the blue line, he’s essentially a lock to return for the 2026-27 season unless something were to go catastrophically wrong with the Russian defenseman this season.

Jack Thompson, on the other hand, is an interesting one. Like Mukhamadullin, he’ll be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season. However, unlike Mukhamadullin, he doesn’t seem to be a lock to make the roster this fall. He’s no longer waiver-exempt, and with how coveted right-handed defensemen are around the league, there’s a very high chance he’ll be claimed if the Sharks attempt to send him to the San Jose Barracuda. If he’s still with the organization next summer, it’s safe to say he’ll be brought back. Ensuring he’ll still be with the Sharks come next summer will be the hard part for Grier, though.

Out of the unrestricted free agents, Timothy Liljegren seems the most likely to get a new contract in the Bay Area. While the Sharks didn’t give much up to get him, Grier saw something he liked from Liljegren last October, and he performed essentially as advertised. He’s a relatively young right-handed defenseman, and it appears we’ve yet to see his best in the NHL. As a result, he’ll likely earn an extension if he’s willing to stick around with a team that’s still a few years from contending.

The Sharks’ only right-handed defensive addition this summer, John Klingberg, is quite a bit older than the Sharks' main core; however, he could play his way into a new deal. At his introductory press conference, the Swedish defenseman gave the impression that he’ll play the best hockey we’ve seen from him in years. If that does end up being the case, then Grier would be wise to bring him back for at least a couple of more seasons until he can add some assets who can hold down the right side of defense for the long-term future.

The longest-tenured Sharks defenseman, Mario Ferraro, seems almost guaranteed to move on at some point over the next twelve months. He’s been in trade rumors for multiple years, and The Fourth Period is reporting that he’s open to a change of scenery. The main question regarding Ferraro would be whether he’s moved at the trade deadline, or if the Sharks opt to walk him to unrestricted free agency. The former seems like the most logical option for a team that is slowly starting to climb out of a rebuild, especially since Ferraro doesn’t have any trade protection in his current contract.

Nick Leddy, who the Sharks claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Blues this summer, has the advantage of being able to play both sides of defense well, even though he’s left-handed. That flexibility is valuable, but currently, his cap hit is likely even more valuable for the Sharks. He likely won’t be given a big role with the team in teal, and considering he will have a much smaller contract next season, given his recent play, it’s unlikely that he’ll spend more than one season in the Bay Area; however, unlike Ferraro, Leddy will probably finish the season with the Sharks.

Lastly, Vincent Desharnais is a solid depth option for the Sharks; however, it would be surprising if he makes the opening night roster, considering the amount of talent fighting for a spot. I personally left him out of my roster projection, and I think it’s unlikely he gets offered an extension by the Sharks at this point in time.

The Sharks have options, and they’ll have time to sort out all of these decisions. If a player has an incredible 2025-26 season, they can certainly change their future, but it will take quite a turn of events for that to happen. Either way, the defense will be a storyline to watch through training camp up until next summer.

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The Anaheim Ducks have missed the playoffs every year since 2017-18 and in doing so, have drafted in the top ten for seven consecutive seasons and procured one of the NHL’s deepest and most potent prospect pools.

Despite several young players having graduated and become full-time NHLers, such as Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger, the Ducks still have an impressive pipeline of potential impact and depth prospects yet to make the jump.

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For this exercise, only players who haven’t lost rookie status are eligible for a ranking, and to be clear, these are my (Patrick Present) subjective rankings.

Honorable Mentions: Yegor Sidorov, Herman Traff, Tarin Smith, Lasse Boelius, Calle Clang

Top Ten:

10. Nathan Gaucher, 21, C, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

9. Ian Moore, 23, RHD, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

8. Sasha Pastujov, 22, W, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

7. Tomas Suchanek, 22, G, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

6. Eric Nilson, 18, C, Michigan State University (NCAA)

5. Lucas Pettersson, 19, C, Brynas IF (SHL)

4. Stian Solberg, 19, LHD, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

3. Tristan Luneau, 21, RHD, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

The gap between Tristan Luneau, ranked at three, and Stian Solberg at four is minimal, as both have succeeded at the highest levels below the NHL and, at this point in their development, project as impact players for the Ducks in the future.

The aspects that separated Luneau and gave him the slight edge include his offensive ceiling and game-breaking two-way potential.

Since the time of his draft, when the Ducks selected him in the second round (53rd overall in 2022) out of the QMJHL, Luneau’s skating has improved dramatically. His four-way mobility remains a strength, but he has elongated and added considerable power to his straight-line stride.

Luneau is an alert and cerebral defender who rarely makes mistakes in coverage and displays near-flawless gap control and angling against the rush with the ability to kill plays early, often before the blueline is surrendered at all.

What stands out most in his game at this point, and the areas where he’ll have substantial impacts in the NHL, are puck retrievals and breakouts. He shows advanced decision-making after scanning for F1 pressure and, more often than not, makes the proper choice on whether to absorb or evade said pressure, effectively igniting clean exits and transition offense.

He’s shifty and active at the offensive blueline, always looking for opportunities to activate and create from below the tops of the circles.

“Well, he’s really grown. He didn’t play a lot of hockey last year, and we got to the point where we made the decision to leave him in San Diego,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said after the 2025 trade deadline. “We’re going to let him keep going. There are little details that he needs to keep working on in his game, and he’s doing a fabulous job offensively, which is something he did in junior, and he’s continuing to do it.

“There aren’t many kids since the early 80s that have been able to produce the numbers he has as a rookie. So, we’re excited for him, but we’re just going to slow-develop him for the rest of this year, anyway.”

Luneau’s already been through two major injuries to this point in his career. Following his first season in the QMJHL, when he was awarded rookie of the year honors in 2021, he had surgery to treat a nagging non-hockey injury, which led to a slow start to his draft year and caused his draft position to slip. He returned to the QMJHL the year after his draft and won the league’s defenseman of the year award in 2023.

He then had his 2023-24 campaign cut short before the 2024 World Junior Championship began due to an infection in his knee that ended his season in early December. Luneau bounced back to make the 2025 AHL All-Rookie team after a 2024-25 season that saw him produce 52 points (9-43=52) in 59 games.

Luneau can be expected to play NHL minutes in 2025-26, and how much will be determined in camp. He could afford to refine some of his puck management skills, as he is still prone to the odd giveaway, looking for an ambitious play.

Verbeek and the Ducks organization are high on Luneau. On the ice, he’s given them every reason to be, and off, he’s shown tremendous resilience to battle through unusual injuries with lengthy recoveries only to come back stronger.

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