Category: Ice Hockey

Red Wings could pursue defenceman Cal Foote pending court judgement on criminal case. 

The Detroit Red Wings are in still in need of one more addition to their top six as well as depth on the blueline. There's not many options left available but there may be more options joining the board. 

In 2024, five players from Team Canada’s 2018 World Junior hockey team—Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, and Alex Formenton—were charged with sexual assault related to an alleged incident in London, Ontario. The five players have all pled not guilty and a verdict will come out sometime within the afternoon or evening on Thursday. 

Insider reports have come out that NHL are mildly looking at adding the involved players only if they are proven to be innocent of all crimes. One of the most highly-talked about names is Hart, as he's a quality starting goaltender that is talented enough to take over a starting job with one mentioned contender being the Edmonton Oilers. One name out of the five that could be looked at in Detroit is Cal Foote. 

Could Carter Hart Be Added As Detroit's Backup Goalie?Insider reports indicate NHL teams are looking into former starting goaltender Carter Hart pending the results of a criminal case. 

He could be worth an extended look as other teams are reportedly looking at Foote as a depth option but this is all dependent on the result of the criminal case. From early reports and quotes coming out of the courtroom are that the players will be found not guilty but no verdict has been announced yet. 

The 6-foot-4 defenseman was once considered a top prospect, selected 14th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft, before his career was impacted by the criminal case. Still just 26 years old, Foote has shown he can contribute effectively, even if not through flashy point totals. He holds a career +24 rating in the NHL and made the most of his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2020 to 2023, appearing in 117 games while averaging just over 13 minutes per night in a bottom-pairing role. 

Despite limited ice time, he made a noticeable impact, ranking third among Tampa defensemen (with at least 60 games played) in hits per 60 minutes (6.24) and fourth in blocked shots per 60 (4.08) during that span. 

He was eventually moved to Nashville and then signed with New Jersey ahead of the 2023-24 season before leaving the team to go through the legal system with the criminal case. He still put up solid numbers with the Devils with a points and a +3 rating through four games. He could be looked at as a lottery ticket option for the Red Wings similar to recent signing Jacob Benard-Docker as Foote is a rare right-shot defenceman and could be valuable on the team's third pairing. 

NHL Insider Says Red Wings Leading Race to Land Penguins' RustInsider reports indicate the Red Wings being the top contender to land Penguins winger Bryan Rust.

The 2022 NHL Draft has produced some great players who are just starting their careers. A few of them are still working on turning pro and realizing their dreams. 

There is still a lot to be determined when evaluating the results of this draft, but Scott Wheeler of The Athletic did a re-draft just three years later. The results make Kyle Davidson look great, which is becoming a theme for his drafting. 2022 was his first draft fully in charge with his staff behind him.

Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) on X2022 NHL Draft re-draft: 1. MTL: Logan Cooley 2. NJD: Lane Hutson 3. ARI: Juraj Slafkovsky 4-32 (plus honourable mentions, updated projections, a full review of my ranking, and more at @TheAthletic): https://t.co/RS1uL5LsKx

In the 2022 NHL Draft, Chicago selected Kevin Korchinski 7th overall, Frank Nazar 13th overall, and Sam Rinzel 25th overall. All three players have had stints of different lengths in the NHL so far. 

In Wheeler's re-draft, things go much differently for the Chicago selections. Out of their first three selections in real life, Korchinski ended up being the third pick of the three. 

Nazar goes 6th to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Rinzel goes 9th to the Buffalo Sabres, and Korchinski goes 20th to the Washington Capitals. Although Korchinski falls well below the top ten, where he was originally picked, both Nazar and Rinzel move up into the top ten. Overall, if this proves to be correct over time, that would be a win for Davidson's first draft class. 

This exercise only goes over the first round. Ryan Greene, who was selected in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft by Chicago, was an honorable mention by Scott Wheeler in his re-draft. 

With their original picks of 7, 13, and 25, the Blackhawks selected Simon Nemec (New Jersey, 2nd overall), Pavel Mintyujov (Anaheim, 10th overall), and Conor Geekie (Arizona, 11th overall). That would still be a good haul for Chicago, but not quite the same as what they ended up with on the actual night of the draft three off-seasons ago. 

Korchinski is an offensive talent who has a lot of work to do to round out his game. Some of the defensemen in the organization, including Rinzel, have passed him on the depth chart. There is still time for Korchinski to become an everyday contributor, but he has to get going soon. He could also be used as trade bait in the coming months. 

Rinzel has looked like someone who could be a top-pair guy in short order. His development at Minnesota was incredible, and his short stint in the NHL didn't look out of place even once. 

As for Nazar, the Blackhawks could have a core forward. It is unclear if he will be a center or a winger in the long term, but his speed, tenacity, and creativity will keep him in the top six for a long time. 

Davidson has not been shy about landing multiple first-round picks in each draft. This first draft of his had three, and there have been 11 total over the four years that he's done this. Only time will tell if Scott Wheeler's re-draft series continues to make him look this smart as a GM. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

Former Seattle Kraken forward Daniel Sprong has signed a contract with KHL club CSKA Moscow.

Sprong's tenure with the Kraken was split into two, the first being a success where he set a career-high in goals (21) and points (46) in just 66 games. He leveraged his successful stint with the Kraken into a contract with the Detroit Red Wings, where he once again excelled. Upon conclusion of his one-year deal, he moved on, signing with the Vancouver Canucks, but he was unable to find the same success. 

After just nine games with the Canucks, he was traded back to the Kraken, but failed to regain his form, scoring a goal and an assist in 10 games. He was placed on waivers and spent the next 19 games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds before he was dealt again at the deadline, this time to the New Jersey Devils.

The shortcomings continued, and he found himself in the press box during the playoffs for all but one game, signalling that it might be in his best interest to move away from the NHL.

The move to join CSKA Moscow is exactly that, signing his first European contract. 

Sprong is joining a CSKA Moscow team that is looking to revamp its roster after what it considers a disappointing season. The historic Russian club finished fifth in the Western Conference and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Looking to bolster their roster, CSKA Moscow has signed Sprong, Nikolai Kovalenko, Rhett Gardiner, Denis Zerov and goaltender Spencer Martin this month, with Egor Sokolov being signed and traded away in the process. Additionally, the team has ex-NHLers Denis Guryanov, Nikita Nesterov, Nikita Okhotyuk, and Vladislav Kamenev under contract for the 2025-26 season.

A once-promising young, skilled winger has watched his NHL career slip away from him in the last year, but a successful stint in the KHL could earn his way back into the NHL, like many have done before him. 

Flashback Friday: Where Are They Now? Alexander WennbergDrafted in the first round (14th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Alexander Wennberg joined the Seattle Kraken as an unrestricted free agent on July 28th, 2021 after six seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets and a single season with the Florida Panthers. 

The New York Islanders are separating their dynamic duo of Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat, per head coach Patrick Roy. 

That's the plan, at least. 

With Brock Nelson gone and Jean-Gabriel Pageau not being a true No. 2 center, moving Barzal back to his natural position seems more like a necessity. However, Barzal's game -- he likes to possess the puck and skate through the neutral zone -- fits the center mold.

However, former Islanders defenseman and MSG analyst Thomas Hickey thinks that Barzal should remain on the wing.

"Honestly, I like him as a winger more," Hickey said on Hockey Night in New York. "I think he likes playing center. I think he's a better player on the wing, I really do. Do I have a problem moving him to the middle like Patrick [Roy] is doing? No, and I understand why, right? Because now you can have two guys... I mean, Barzal was so dynamic, and Bo is just a really solid 1B center."

Sunday during “On the Line” brought to you by @tovihockeyy, @Thomas_Hickey14 gave his thoughts on the #Isles plan for Mat Barzal to move back to center.
Where do you think Barzal should play? Catch the full interview & show at https://t.co/EgKW82XlXJ#NHLpic.twitter.com/StP5avXUjI

— Hockey Night NY (@hockeynightny) July 24, 2025

The biggest takeaway is what Hickey said about Barzal's defensive game.

"I'm just wondering if that's going to translate if he's going back to center full time," Hickey said. "Are we going to see all those great plays that I saw of him stripping pucks and just being a smart forechecker and having a lot more detail in his own zone?"

As a center, Barzal was not the best away from the puck. However, when he was moved to Horvat's wing upon Bo's arrival in late January of 2023, Barzal seemed to learn a lot. 

Over the last two seasons, Barzal hasn't just cleaned things up; he has admitted to us in the media that he's actually having fun doing the little things, like backchecking and stripping opponents. 

In 2023-24, Barzal set a new career-high in takeaways, with 84. He recorded 70 back in 2019-20.

Now, one would think that Barzal has matured as a player, so there shouldn't be much deviation in his game. If anything, he may be a smarter center than ever before because of his time on the wing.

But for those that play center or just know the position, there's a lot more focus that Barzal has to have when it comes to all facets of the game. Yes, he'll be carrying the puck up a lot more rather than trying to get open. 

His first one-touch pass in the defensive zone to initiate a breakout, or his first few strides to create time and space, have to be sharp. But, defensively, he also needs to get back to being deeper in the defensive zone, below the dots rather than hovering the blue line waiting for a breakout pass. 

It's just a different game and a different mindst going from center to winger. 

While Barzal has been so sound defensively the last season and a half -- obviously, he missed significant time last season -- he did have Horvat to bail him out when need be, given his strong two-way game. 

As of now, we do not know who Barzal's linemates will be. In theory, if Calum Ritchie makes the team out of training camp as the third-line center, the Islanders could put Pageau on Barzal's wing.

The two can alternate face-offs, but also, Pageau can be that defensive mind that would allow Barzal to continue to have the offensive focus.

The one thing the Islanders don't want to see happen is, well, kinda what happened to Pageau when he came over from the Ottawa Senators at the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline. 

Pageau had 24 goals in 60 games before the trade, a 32.8 goal pace over 82 games. However, when he joined the Islanders, then head coach Barry Trotz had Pageau playing a defensive-minded role, a role he played almost to perfection. 

However, Pageau's offensive game was stifled as a result, only recently showcasing that he still has some offensive ability left.

Now, Barzal is a much more gifted offensive player than Pageau, and we didn't see his offensive game diminish as his defensive game grew. So, this shouldn't be a problem. 

However, as Hickey said, it's worth considering, since the Islanders will need to play a responsible brand of hockey if they want to make the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

PHOTO: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

On July 24th, 2021, there was a trade that absolutely no one saw coming: Cam Atkinson was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Jake Voráček .

Cam Atkinson, the 6th-round pick out of Connecticut, was a fan favorite and a CBJ legend so far in his Columbus Career. After the 20-21 season, he had played 10 years and 627 games as a Blue Jacket. In those 10 seasons, he would go on to score 213 goals, which puts him second all-time behind Rick Nash. His 189 assists have him 4th on the all-time CBJ list, and he had 402 points, which is also second all-time. He scored 42 power-play goals and chipped in 16 short-handed goals. His 16 shorties sit him atop the CBJ record books. 

Jake Voráček was originally drafted by the Blue Jackets in 2007, going 7th overall. After being drafted, Voráček would go back to Junior for one more season before making his NHL debut in 2008. In his first stint with Columbus, he played three full seasons, only missing 5 games over those three seasons. He scored 39 goals and had 134 points. And then June 23rd happened, a day that almost all Columbus fans will remember. GM Scott Howson, in an attempt to try to keep Rick Nash in Columbus, traded Jake Voráček and two draft picks to the Flyers for Jeff Carter. That was arguably the worst trade in team history. Carter didn’t want to come to Columbus, and Rick Nash would be traded about a year later. Jake Voráček would go on to play 727 games as a Flyer, scoring 177 goals and totaling 604 points.

When Voráček was traded back to Columbus, Atkinson fans were livid. How could they trade a franchise icon? People were left wondering why? Voráček made around $3 million more per year than Atkinson, too. Fans were puzzled. This was a pure hockey 1-for-1 trade. The Jackets needed a more versatile player who could be a playmaker, which is Voráček. And the Flyers got a pure scorer. Jake Voráček embraced the move, came to Columbus, and had a great year. He would play in 79 games, score 6 goals, and have 56 assists. His 56 assists were three off the single-season record of 59, set by Artemi Panarin in 2018-19. He would only play in 11 games in 2022-23 due to concussion issues. November 4th, 2022, would be the last game he would play in Union Blue. He would suffer a concussion against the Avalanche while playing at the NHL Global Series in Finland. On March 2nd of 2023. The Jackets traded Voráček and a pick to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for goalie Jon Gilles. The Jake Voráček era in Columbus had come to an end for the second time.

In April of 2024, Voráček would announce his retirement from professional hockey. He would score 806 points in 1058 career games. 

Cam Atkinson, played last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played in 39 games and had 9 points. He currently does not have a contract in place, and it's unknown what his future plans are. Atkinson has 489 points in 809 career games. 402 of those points came as a Blue Jacket. 

I do believe this trade worked out well for both teams.

This trade shook the fanbase when it happened, but they cooled off once they saw Voráček having a good year. It was a good hockey trade at the time.

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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Ukrainian-born Swedish winger Dmytro Timashov, 28, has signed a two-year contract with Admiral Vladivostok, several Swedish media outlets have reported.

Timashov, who has a Ukrainian mother and Russian father, created quite a sensation in Sweden – where he was raised – last summer when he signed with KHL club HC Sochi. After recording four points in 22 games, he was released in December and then in January signed with Swiss club Genève-Servette, where he put up nine points over 22 games during the rest of the season.

Now he’s headed back to the KHL.

“I want to play in the KHL to get closer to my family who lives there,” he told Swedish website HockeySverige.se.

Depending on exactly where in Russia his family is located, Vladivostok is an interesting choice. The city lies in the far east of Russia on the Pacific coast – approximately 9,000 km from Moscow.

Timashov was born in Kropyvnytskyi in central Ukraine but left the country with his mother at age seven and grew up in suburban Stockholm, Sweden, which is where he started playing hockey. He played for Djurgården in Stockholm and then went overseas at age 17 to play junior hockey for the Quebec Remparts, where he won the QMJHL rookie-of-the-year award and he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Dmytro Timashov Leaves KHL, Signs In SwitzerlandUkrainian-born Swedish winger Dmytro Timashov, 28, has signed a short-term contract in Switzerland with Genève-Servette, the National League club announced on Friday. His contract runs until Feb. 2 with an option to extend it until the end of the season.

He played 45 NHL games with the Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders, scoring four goals and adding five assists, but spent most of his time between 2016 and 2021 in the AHL. Since then, Timashov has played two seasons in the SHL with Brynäs IF and then one season with HC Ajoie in Switzerland’s National League.

Internationally, Timashov represented Sweden at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Vladivostok finished eighth in the KHL’s Eastern Conference last season and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The team also has under contract for 2025-26 Slovak goaltender Adam Húska, Czech defenseman Lukáš Šulák and Slovak national team defenseman Mário Grman.

Photo © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

Slovak Ex-Rangers Goalie Returns To KHL Slovak goalie Adam Húska, 28, has signed a one-year contract with Admiral Vladivostok, the KHL club recently announced on social media.

Matthew Knies won't go as far as saying the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights will be rivals after Mitch Marner joined their organization.

The 22-year-old appeared on the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast with Jonny Lazarus on Wednesday, sharing his thoughts on the upcoming season, his time with the Maple Leafs, and what it'll be like to face Marner when Toronto rolls into Vegas on January 15.

Marner was dealt to the Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade on June 30. He inked an eight-year, $96 million contract with Toronto before being shipped to Vegas for center Nicolas Roy.

"I don't know if it's going to be a rivalry," Knies said.

"I love the guy. He did a lot for me in his two years here. He made me so comfortable, made me a better player, better person. I don't think it's a rivalry. You know, obviously, I want to beat him, but I think it's just business as usual."

Report: Nick Robertson's Arbitration Hearing Date With Maple Leafs RevealedThere's a date for restricted free agent Nick Robertson's arbitration hearing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Knies is coming off a career year where 58 points (29 goals and 29 assists) in 78 games, plus seven points in 13 playoff games. He scored five goals through two rounds, tied for the second-most alongside John Tavares.

The Phoenix, Arizona-born forward signed a massive six-year, $46.5 million contract on July 1 with the Maple Leafs. The deal, which carries an annual average value of $7.75 million, is the third-highest AAV on the team, only behind William Nylander and Auston Matthews.

Maple Leafs Honor Rock Legend Ozzy Osbourne, The NHL’s Most Unexpected Hockey FanOn Tuesday, the world mourned as Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic frontman of Black Sabbath, passed away at age 76. Osbourne, who had been dealing with several health issues in recent years, including Parkinson’s disease, had performed in Birmingham, England, where he reunited with Black Sabbath in a performance dubbed his “final show”.

Knies has spent the majority of his time in Toronto playing alongside Matthews and Marner on Toronto's top line. The young forward added that he'll be excited to see Marner again and be able to talk with him when the two teams face off in January.

"I think maybe off the ice it'll be nice to chat with him and get to say hi. I haven't seen him in quite a bit with the summer now, and obviously we're not going to be on the same team during the year. Just getting to chat with him a little bit would be cool."

After playing in Vegas on January 15, the two teams will face each other again in Toronto on January 23. It'll be the only time Marner will play in his hometown next season. Expect that matchup to be circled on a lot of people's calendars.

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Marner has spent all nine NHL seasons with the Maple Leafs, scoring 741 points (221 goals and 520 assists) in 657 games. The 28-year-old is fifth all-time on the franchise's points list, fourth in assists, and fifth in Toronto's all-time playoff points (63 points in 70 postseason games).

This article originally appeared on The Hockey News: Maple Leafs’ Matthew Knies Grateful For Mitch Marner’s Guidance, Won’t Call Games Against Golden Knights ‘A Rivalry’

(Top photo of Knies and Marner: John E. Sokolowski / Imagn Images)

The NHL free agent market is significantly smaller than it was when it opened on July 1. This is understandable, as teams often make their moves during the early part of the month when it comes to free agency.

Yet, even with this being the case, there are still some veterans who remain unrestricted free agents (UFAs) at this point in the summer. Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Tyler Motte is one of them.

Motte, 30, spent this past season with the Detroit Red Wings. In 55 games with the Red Wings, the Michigan native recorded four goals, five assists, nine points, and 72 hits. Overall, it was a bit of a quiet year from the former Blackhawk, so it is understandable that it is taking him a bit more time to land his next contract.

While Motte has yet to be signed, that certainly has the potential to change before the season is here. The 30-year-old forward has shown throughout his career that he can be a solid bottom-six player to have, as he can play multiple positions and kill penalties. He is also not afraid of the physical side of the game, so he could be a solid pickup for a team looking for more bite.

Ultimately, Motte is the kind of depth player that teams like to have around. On an affordable one-year deal, he could be a good pickup for a team that needs help in their bottom six. 

Motte was selected by the Blackhawks with the 121st overall pick of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. In 33 games with Chicago during the 2016-17 season, he recorded four goals, seven points, and a plus-2 rating. His time with the Blackhawks ended when he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets with Artemi Panarin during the 2017 NHL off-season.

Blackhawks Forward Is Bounce-Back Candidate To WatchDuring the 2023-24 season, Chicago Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson thrived. In 82 games, he set new career highs with 22 goals and 35 points in 82 games. This was after he scored nine goals and set a previous career-high with 30 points in 78 games with Chicago in 2022-23. 

Photo Credit:  © Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins had the 30th-ranked power play during the 2023-24 season, clicking at just 15.3%. Only the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers had worse power plays (15.1% and 12.2% respectively). Like the Penguins, both of those teams missed the playoffs. 

The 15.3% was shocking, given the immense talent the Penguins deployed on their first unit and how they have usually had at least an average power play, often well above average, throughout Sidney Crosby’s career. It was one of the main reasons why the Penguins missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season, before missing for a third straight year in the 2024-25 season. 

The dreadful unit cost assistant coach Todd Reirden his job, paving the way for the Penguins to hire David Quinn to coach the PP and the defense. His work with the defensemen wasn’t great, but he helped simplify the Penguins’ PP and took a unit that finished 30th in 23-24 and got it up to sixth in 24-25. The Penguins’ PP clicked at 25.8% this season, just .1% off from the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 25.9%. 

Last season’s PP looked a lot crisper, especially with the puck movement. The players were zipping the puck around with authority and also had a lot more of a shoot-first mentality compared to the 23-24 season, when they were playing hot potato at the blue line. They were also a lot better in front of the net and caused havoc, which led to some garbage goals. 

Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk wasn’t good at 5v5, but he was the Penguins’ best power play quarterback during the regular season. He ran the show at the point, finishing with 15 power-play assists. He won’t be the quarterback again in 25-26, meaning that the Penguins will likely have to rely on one of Erik Karlsson (if he doesn’t get traded) or Kris Letang to quarterback the top unit. Letang has done it for most of his career, but his game has slowed down over the last couple of seasons. On the other hand, Karlsson can still drive 5v5 offense, but isn’t as effective as a power-play quarterback. 

It will be up to Todd Nelson to determine who the best quarterback is for that unit, as he will be in charge of it this season. Nelson was brought in as an assistant coach for head coach Dan Muse’s staff after serving as the head coach of the Hershey Bears for the previous three seasons. Before that, he served as an assistant coach for the Dallas Stars for four seasons and has worked with various other teams throughout his long coaching career. 

It will also be his job to ensure that each PP group has a high level of cohesion, along with minimal confusion. It’s something he highlighted when he spoke to reporters during development camp in early July. 

“You don’t have to overthink the power play,” Nelson told reporters. “I think the biggest thing is working together, getting pucks to the net, attacking the net. Make sure that when you shoot the puck, you have to retrieve those loose puck battles, come with speed off the breakout, and just everybody working together. That’s the biggest thing, is trying to find the personnel that work well with each other because you are dealing with high-end skill.”

Everyone should know their exact role when participating in every PP opportunity. Players are going to make mistakes, but it’s about limiting them as much as possible so the team doesn’t get burned with countless shorthanded opportunities or goals. The Penguins only gave up five shorthanded goals last year, a stark improvement from the 12 they allowed during the 2023-2024 season, which tied for the league lead with the Montreal Canadiens. 

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Regarding personnel, the Penguins experimented with separate units for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at times last season. They worked at times, but this has historically been a top PP unit that works with the two-headed monster on the ice together. When opposing teams have those two to worry about, plus other players like Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, or even Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, it quickly gets daunting. 

Koivunen, in particular, got 21:21 of PP time in eight games to end the regular season last year and never looked out of place. Three of his seven total points came on the PP, and he was using his vision and playmaking ability each time he was out there. He may get more of a look on the top unit or at least on the second unit, assuming he makes the team out of training camp and the preseason.

If the Penguins can get some fresh, innovative ideas from a new staff to build upon what worked last year on the PP, they could have an even deadlier man-advantage for the upcoming season. 

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Featured Image Credit: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

It has now been almost once month since free agency opened, so the majority of this year's notable unrestricted free agents (UFAs) have been signed. Although this is true, there are also a few interesting players who still have not found their new homes. 

Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is among the top UFAs remaining, and it is pretty surprising, given the season he just had.

While the Penguins in 2024-25, Grzelcyk had the best offensive season of his career thus far. In 82 games with the Metropolitan Division club, he scored one goal and set new career highs with 39 assists and 40 points. With numbers like these, he would have the potential to be a nice addition for a team needing more offense from the point and help on the power play. 

Grzelcyk should eventually find his new team, even if it is taking him longer than most expected. Besides being able to provide solid offense from the point, his high amount of experience also adds to his appeal. 

When looking at teams around the league that could use some help on the left side of their blueline, the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, and New York Rangers are three clubs that stand out. Perhaps one of them could end up being a fit for Grzelcyk.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what happens with Grzelcyk this summer. Although he has yet to be signed, that should change before the season begins. 

Ex-Penguins Goalie Signs With Overseas ClubThe Graz 99ers of the ICEHL in Austria have announced that they have signed former Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Maxime Lagace. 

Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Each year, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler kills time in the off-season by writing a re-draft of the previous NHL draft. This year, he takes on the 2022 class, which was, incidentally, the last time the draft was held in Montreal. That year, talking heads and pundits alike agreed that there were no generational talents available. However, it was still the year the Montreal Canadiens won the lottery and secured the first-overall pick.

It was the first time since 1980 that they got the first pick. Back then, they had grabbed Doug Wickenheiser, who played only 556 games in his NHL career, spending four seasons with the Canadiens. As you know, they selected Juraj Slafkovsky with that pick as plenty of fans attended the draft wearing pre-made Shane Wright jerseys. Let’s see if Wheeler agrees with their pick.

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Canadiens: Trouble for Struble?

Unsurprisingly, in hindsight, The Athletic’s journalist believes Logan Cooley should have been the first overall pick. He uses mainly his offensive stats to back his decision, mentioning that the Utah Mammoth pivot is the only one from that draft to be his team’s first-line center and leads his draft class in goals (45), goals-per-game (0.29), assists per game (0.41), and points per game (0.69).

You can’t argue with numbers. Cooley is more productive than Slafkovsky, who currently has 111 points in 200 games for a 0.56 point-per-game average. However, the Canadiens’ power forward sample size is bigger since Cooley has featured in only 157 games. Furthermore, according to last season’s numbers, Cooley tends to score in bunches. He has had four three-point games this past season, compared to two for Slafkovsky. Cooley has the most extended dry spell with a six-game pointless streak compared to the Habs’ player, five.

Cooley has got a 30-second edge in average time-on-ice, which goes to show just how important he is for his team, to his credit. Most of Wheeler’s argument is based on statistics, though; there’s more to the game than points. As Kent Hughes said not so long ago, Slafkovsky wasn’t drafted to score in bunches; he was drafted to do more than that.

Still, if you think about it, had the Canadiens picked Cooley, they may not be trying to acquire a second top-six center this offseason; they would have Nick Suzuki and Cooley. With Ivan Demidov’s arrival, he would slot in on the first line alongside Suzuki and Cole Caufield. There would still be a hole on the wing, but one could argue that wingers are easier to find than centers.

Cooley’s selection would undoubtedly have been a good one, but Slafkovsky’s wasn’t a bad one, and we’ve yet to see the big Slovak’s ceiling. When he comes to camp this season, it will be interesting to see if he’ll be able to get things going right away, instead of being on the slow burn for the start of the season.

In the second place of the draft, Wheeler doesn’t have blueliner Simon Nemec, whom the New Jersey Devils originally picked (he had him going seventh to the Chicago Blackhawks) in that spot. Still, he does have another defender, Lane Hutson. The Calder Trophy winner makes the most significant jump of the exercise, going from pick 62 to pick number two.

Wheeler not only calls Hutson an elite defenseman but also confesses to having debated putting him number one overall ahead of Logan Cooley, weighing the value of a good but not superstar first-line center versus an all-star blueliner. He ultimately adds that he could change his mind if he were to redo the exercise at the decade mark.

It’s also worth noting that in his pre-draft rankings, the writer had him going 17th overall, way higher than he was picked, and he feels vindicated in that sense. All teams passed on him and even Montreal did, picking Owen Beck and Filip Mesar ahead of him. He then goes on to mention excerpts of the aforementioned pre-draft ranking. Further showing how write he was… It’s impossible to blame him there, given how tremendously well Hutson’s first season with the Canadiens went.

No other Canadiens make the first round, with Filip Mesar falling completely off the board. It’s impossible to argue that, since he has yet to make any significant impact so far. He couldn’t dominate in junior hockey, scoring 51 and 52 points in his two seasons with the Kitchener Rangers before being brought up to the AHL last season, where he put up 18 points in 42 games. During the Laval Rocket’s playoff run, he only got to suit up in one of the 13 games.

However, Owen Beck gets an honourable mention, meaning that he very nearly snuck in the first round. As you’ll recall, he was selected 33rd overall by the Canadiens, the first pick of the second round.

Photo credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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New Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Connor Clifton is thrilled for his opportunity in a new place and on a new team this season.

And - as it turns out - he has some familiarity with a few people in the Penguins' organization.

On Tuesday, Clifton spoke about his connection to new head coach Dan Muse from his collegiate years. But he also has a prior connection to Penguins' assistant general manager Jason Spezza.

Spezza, 42, played 18 NHL seasons, amassing 363 goals and 995 points in in 1,248 career games. Not particularly known as a fighter - he had 604 total penalty minutes in his career - Spezza didn't drop the gloves very often at all. 

However, he did drop the gloves with Clifton during the young defenseman's NHL debut with the Boston Bruins on Nov. 16, 2018. 

 “Yeah, I’ve got to talk to him about that, too, actually," Clifton remarked. "I was just trying to survive my NHL debut - just trying to survive out there - and ended up getting a fight with him. I know he doesn’t fight often. It was quick, and we served our time in the box.

He continued: "But, yeah, it was funny… he was looking for it more than me, I was just trying to survive out there for game one. I had a little laugh with him - I think it must have been a year or two after when he was in Toronto - and I hear, ‘Round Two?’ And I was like, ‘No man, we already got ours.’"

Clifton, 30, has spent parts of seven seasons in the NHL between the Bruins and Buffalo Sabres, and he has registered 15 goals, 77 points, and 290 penalty minutes in 384 games.

New Penguins' Defenseman Looks Forward To 'Fresh Start'New Pittsburgh Penguins’ defenseman Connor Clifton missed a few important calls back on Jun. 28 while the 2025 NHL Draft was happening. 

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Even if the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t making a huge push to be Stanley Cup contenders in 2025-26, they have had a relatively active summer up to this point. 

Many are still waiting on what feels like inevitable trade news regarding at least one of Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, or Bryan Rust, but GM and POHO Kyle Dubas has already made a lot of small moves - some, seemingly, placeholder moves to fill the roster flip at the deadline, and others upside moves for younger players in need of a change.

As it stands now, the Penguins have 13 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders on their active roster. And two players who are not listed on the roster?

That would be young forward prospects Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty. 

Koivunen, 22, and McGroarty, 21, both made strong impressions in a small sample size to close out the 2024-25 season. Koivunen was nearly point-per-game playing alongside both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby in the top-six, registering seven points in eight games. And McGroarty wasn’t far behind, either, before a lower-body injury ended his season, as he put up a goal and three points in five games with Crosby.

The Penguins are at a point in their rebuild where they need to start getting a feel for which of their near-NHL-ready prospects will be part of their future plans. Koivunen and McGroarty both showed a lot of promise in their season-ending NHL stints, and they certainly showed that they are NHL-ready.

The problem is that - given those moves the Penguins have made so far to fill up their roster space - it’s far from a guarantee that they’ll even make the opening night roster.

Will Owen Pickering Make The Opening Night Roster?The Pittsburgh Penguins will have a lot of decisions to make regarding some of their young players before the puck drops on the regular season Oct. 7 against the New York Rangers.

Dubas said just prior to free agency that the Penguins are not just going to hand opportunities to even their most promising young prospects and that they’d have to earn their way onto the roster during training camp. And that’s why he intended on - and followed through on - acquiring and signing players to shorter-term deals.

“I think the key thing is that we want these guys to earn it,” Dubas said. “So, if we just start handing the guys spots, we’re going to very quickly lose what I think the Penguins have been about for a very long time and what’s made the Penguins a great team in the league since the early 90s.”

He added: “It’s right there for them. We’re not going to block them, but they’re going to have to go out and prove that they can be here, and they’re going to have to earn their way here… It’s trying to find that balance between not blocking players but making them earn it and also having enough depth to be competitive on a nightly basis.”

So, realistically, who will Koivunen and McGroarty be competing against to make the roster, and do both of them have a realistic shot at cracking the roster from the jump?

To be clear, a lot of this depends on what happens with Rakell and Rust. If both are on the roster to begin the season, it definitely complicates matters for both players. But since - as of now - both are still in Pittsburgh, it’s best to operate on the assumption that they will still be around, at least, for now. 

Right now, here are the 13 forwards on the Penguins’ active roster, according to Puckpedia:

• Crosby
• Malkin
• Rust
• Rakell
• Kevin Hayes
• Tommy Novak
• Anthony Mantha
• Danton Heinen
• Noel Acciari
• Blake Lizotte
• Philip Tomasino
• Justin Brazeau 
• Connor Dewar

Can Connor Dewar Prove Penguins Right This Year?The Pittsburgh Penguins took a chance on forward Connor Dewar before the 2025 NHL trade deadline when they acquired him and defenseman Conor Timmins from the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Assuming that no one else gets moved off the roster, the players already on the roster who figure to be in competition for spots - along with Koivunen and McGroarty - are Heinen, Tomasino, Brazeau, Acciari, Hayes, and Dewar. In addition, there will be a few other prospects competing for those same spots as well, which will include the likes of Tristan Broz, Avery Hayes, Sam Poulin, and Filip Hallander - the reigning Swedish Hockey League (SHL) forward of the year after recording 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games with Timra IK.

In other words, making the roster is certainly an uphill climb for both Koivunen and McGroarty if there are no other moves to alter the current roster prior to puck drop on Oct. 7. But, despite that, the young forwards are two of the best prospects in the Penguins’ system, and their sample size at the end of last season should give them a leg up on pretty much every other prospect who will be vying for a spot as long as they show up ready to compete at camp.

And if only one makes the roster?

Honestly, this is a tough exercise because both showed they are ready in their own right. Koivunen’s age makes it a bit more pertinent for him to be in the NHL mix now, and his AHL season in 2024-25 certainly earned him that opportunity, as he put up 21 goals and 56 points in 63 games and finished third among rookies in scoring.

But McGroarty’s all-around game is hard to ignore, as was his chemistry with Crosby. He heated up in the back half of the AHL season and experienced immense growth from the start of the season - when he made the team out of camp and played three NHL games before being sent to the AHL - to the end of the season. Him starting in the AHL probably wouldn’t be as unpalatable as Koivunen starting there, only because it would give him a chance to prove he can sustain his production and growth from the end of 2024-25.

In all honesty, however, both deserve an NHL roster spot. And, as long as they don’t fail camp, Penguins’ fans should expect to see their names on the final roster following training camp.

Don't Sleep On Filip Hallander This FallThe Pittsburgh Penguins were encouraged by what Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen brought to the table at the end of the 2024-25 season, and rightfully so.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins took a chance on forward Connor Dewar before the 2025 NHL trade deadline when they acquired him and defenseman Conor Timmins from the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

The Penguins were helping the Leafs out since they were busy with other deals on deadline day and only had to give up a 2025 fifth-round pick for both players. They let both play in the lineup down the stretch before ultimately deciding to re-sign Dewar to a one-year contract on July 1.

Timmins was traded to the Buffalo Sabres during the second day of the 2025 NHL Draft on June 28. 

Going back to Dewar, he had no goals and three assists in 31 games for the Maple Leafs before compiling four goals and seven points in 17 games with the Penguins. He was chipping in offensively and was a pain in the butt to deal with in front of the net and the corners. He was forechecking his butt off, making it hard for opposing teams to go from defense to offense. 

The Penguins want to see more of that from Dewar this upcoming season, but he will have to earn it since there is a lot of competition for bottom-six playing time right now.

If he nails down a spot and plays well, there's a chance the Penguins could look to flip him at the trade deadline since he is only signed for this year. 

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