EDMONTON – When it’s time, it’s time.

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

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. 

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

Patrick Thoresen has announced his retirement from professional hockey.

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

— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) August 14, 2025

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

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

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

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Is it October yet? 

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

Today's player profile is defenseman Justin Barron. 

24 Nashville Predators in 24 days series 

Adam Wilsby

Jordan Oesterle

Andreas Engulund

Cole Smith

Michael McCarron 

As an NHL prospect 

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

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

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

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

Professional career 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What role will he play this season? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 13, 2025

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games. 

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

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

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

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

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Look at his skate size."

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

"Look at the mom."

"Brothers."

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

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

"It's all guesswork."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What makes sports, and hockey specifically, unique and intriguing are storylines. In the NHL, it's the off-ice drama, milestone-chasing and pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

NHL players enter each season thinking it could be their best one yet. Sometimes, it is, but for others, it's a real struggle.

The struggles or shortcomings of these players put pressure on them to bounce back and prove to critics they are better than what they previously showed. 

Here are five NHL centers who have the most to prove in the 2025-26 season. 

Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

The 2024-25 campaign was one to forget for the Canucks' Swedish star.

Pettersson finished the season with just 15 goals and 45 points in 64 games, and the 26-year-old looked lost offensively at times, looking unsure with what to do with the puck and lacking confidence when given the puck in advantageous situations. His shot rate dropped 1.7 per game from 2.52 in 2023-24 and 3.21 in 2022-23, and his shooting percentage also fell to 13.8 percent from 16.4 the year prior.

Pettersson dealt with a lot of off-ice issues, primarily coming from J.T. Miller, who is now with the New York Rangers. Pettersson received somewhat of a pass for his poor performance last year due to those issues and a couple of injuries, but he undoubtedly still faced a lot of heat.

If he can't bounce back this season, serious questions will need to be asked about his future in Vancouver, even though the full no-move clause on his contract kicked in this summer and runs through 2031-32 with an $11.6-million cap hit. 

Pettersson possesses a deep offensive toolkit, as well as great defensive instincts, which give him all the makings of a No. 1 center. He's shown he could do it before, but he must prove it once again.

Elias Pettersson's Revenge Year Is Nigh With Vancouver CanucksVancouver Canucks star center Elias Pettersson is hungry for a season to be happy about.

Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders

First things first: Barzal needs to stay healthy.

He's missed a large chunk of games in three of his first eight seasons in the NHL, which makes it incredibly difficult to remain consistently productive. In 2024-25, Barzal played in only 30 games and notched just six goals and 20 points.

The previous season, the 28-year-old netted 23 goals and 80 points in 80 games, scoring at a point-per-game pace for the first time since his stunning 85-point rookie season.

Barzal's speed and playmaking make him a threat each time he steps on the ice. Forming a duo with Bo Horvat as the Islanders' top two centers should allow Barzal to take advantage of easier matchups while Horvat takes on the opponent's top line. 

Barzal has seemingly been written off of Canada's Olympic roster, but a strong start to the season could put him back in contention.

Matty Beniers, Seattle Kraken

Like Barzal, Beniers has struggled to regain the form he had in his rookie season.

Beniers took home the Calder Trophy just three seasons ago, scoring 24 goals and 57 points in 80 games. Since then, Beniers has notched 37 and 43 points.

The 22-year-old has steadily improved on the defensive side of the puck, becoming one of the better two-way centers in the NHL. Playing under coach Lane Lambert should only enhance that aspect of his game.

What Beniers needs to do is start scoring again. The Kraken depend on him and Shane Wright to produce like top six centers, and if they are both scoring at just over 0.5 points per game, the Kraken's rebuild will be at a standstill for a long time. 

Beniers signed a seven-year contract worth $7,142,857 annually that he needs to live up to, and the 2025-26 season is a prove-it year for the 2021 second overall pick. 

Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks

For anyone who considers Bedard's first two seasons in the NHL as poor, they might want to take another look.

The 20-year-old has eclipsed the 20-goal and 60-point mark in each season, playing with players who are far below his talent level. 

While there are some valid concerns about skating speed and underlying numbers that took a dip in Year 2, Bedard's talent is always apparent, and as he matures, the chances he creates will become goals.

With that being said, it is time for those chances to start becoming goals. It's not uncommon for highly drafted players like Bedard to break out in their third season in the NHL, as Jack Hughes, Aleksander Barkov, David Pastrnak and many others have. If Bedard shows out in the first half of the season, he could very likely find himself on Canada's Olympic roster.

Connor Bedard Is Ready To Become An NHL Superstar In His 20sEveryone in the hockey community will be wishing Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard a happy birthday on Thursday. 

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

Besides playoff success, there isn't much for Matthews to prove. He's won three Rocket Richard Trophies, a Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay and a Calder Trophy. Matthews has also finished as a finalist for the Selke Trophy. Besides the Art Ross, Matthews has won it all in the regular season.

What's different this year is that he's expected to come into the season healthy and prepared to play without Mitch Marner. While the Maple Leafs' superstar has proven to be a play driver in short stints without Marner, he'll need to do it throughout an 82-game season.

The 27-year-old will also need to step up in the playoffs. He's done so before, but far too often, he hasn't taken a series by the reins and dominated, especially later in each round. If he can do both of those things this season, he'll have proven that he truly is among the greats. 

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EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers know the importance of goaltending.

Despite reaching the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back years, the hunger is stronger than ever to win the ultimate prize. This past year’s run in particular could have had better goaltending.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. 

That’s why there is speculation of the Oilers being interested in Carter Hart, despite his standing with the league. The Oilers have also been connected to others, such as Michael DiPietro of the Boston Bruins and Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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With Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard guarding the twine in the big leagues, the organization has elected to shake things up elsewhere. Primarily, they brought in Matt Tomkins to be the veteran presence with the Bakersfield Condors. 

The other goalie with the Condors has yet to be determined, because the Oilers did not offer an extension to Olivier Rodrigue. Now, he has agreed to terms with a KHL team.

«Барыс» заключил односторонний контракт с Оливье Родригом, соглашение рассчитано на один сезон до 31 мая 2026 года. pic.twitter.com/3BcYCj8aqV

— ХК «Барыс» (@AstanaBarys) August 14, 2025

Rodrigue and Barys Astana have agreed to a one-year contract.

Rodrigue spent the last three seasons grinding in the AHL full-time. Last year, he had an 18-16-6 record, a 3.12 goals against average (GAA), an .897 save percentage (SV%), and one shutout.

The 25-year-old netminder was drafted 62nd overall by the Oilers in 2018. The 6-foot-1 Rodrigue played in two NHL games, collected a 3.10 GAA and a .862 SV%.

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Oilers Goalie Signs In Kazakhstan Canadian goaltender Olivier Rodrigue, 25, has signed a one-year contract with Barys Astana, the Kazakhstan-based KHL club announced on Thursday.

The New Jersey Devils have racked up 1,125 wins in franchise history, placing them 17th in the NHL’s all-time wins list. For a team established in 1982, that’s not a bad spot.

Earlier this month, the NHL shared a chart ranking all 32 teams by total franchise wins. On the surface, it’s fun to see where the Devils land, right in the middle of the pack, but the list doesn’t tell the whole story.

The top spots are dominated by the Original Six: the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks. Naturally, they tower over newer franchises in total wins; they’ve had decades more games to play. That’s why total wins alone are a flawed metric for comparing franchises.

While the Devils may appear “average” on this list, the reality is they’re anything but. Despite recent struggles, making the playoffs just nine times in the past 10 seasons, they remain one of the NHL’s most successful franchises since joining the league.

New Jersey has won three Stanley Cups (1995, 2000, 2003), tying them for 11th in Cup wins alongside the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning. That’s ahead of older franchises like the Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres, both of whom entered the league in 1970–71 and have never hoisted the Cup. Five other franchises, the San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Minnesota Wild, are still chasing their first.

This paints a far more accurate picture of the Devils’ place in NHL history. They may not crack the top tier in total franchise wins, but when measuring by championships, resilience, and impact, New Jersey stands tall among the league’s elite.

Detroit AHL coach Brian Lashoff believes Red Wings have tools to fix defensive woes from last season.

The Red Wings enter next season with multiple areas of their game that they would like to improve upon with one of them being their defence. Detroit finished bottom 12 in goals against average last season with no improvement since bringing on a defensive minded coach like Todd McLellan in late December. During that span, the Red Wings were still bottom 13 in goals against average and signaled that a change needed to be made. 

The Hockey News recently caught up with Brian Lashoff, Assistant Head Coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s AHL affiliate, who shared compelling insights into the system and scheme adjustments being introduced ahead of next season by the Red Wings coaching staff. According to Lashoff, it's important for a team that struggled in a particular area the previous year to reset and establish a new “standard” for their style of play moving forward.

“You see the structure they're putting in place, the details that they're focusing on, and I think those types of things are going to give them success in the long run,” Lashoff explained “I think the start of the season is going to be the biggest thing and I think that's a great thing about their staff, and is setting a standard right away, and then holding the team to that standard.”

Red Wings Fantasy Hockey Outlook: Kasper and Gibson Potential League WinnersJohn Gibson, Marco Kasper among several Detroit Red Wings poised to outperform their early undervalued Fantasy Hockey rankings.

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

Lashoff is no stranger to the Red Wings organization, having played 136 NHL games over seven seasons with Detroit, including a notable NHL debut in which he scored his first career goal from the blueline. However, the bulk of his career was spent in the AHL, where he logged 629 games over 14 seasons with the Griffins, serving as team captain in his final years. In 2023, he transitioned from player to coach, joining the Griffins’ coaching staff. While the shift came with its challenges, Lashoff credited the strong support from the staff around him for making the adjustment much smoother.

“From the start, I've felt like things have gone well, I've been given responsibility right off the bat, I think that's been huge for me to kind of learn and learn from Dan Watson and Steph Julian, two guys that I really respect who have had success as coaches,” Lashoff claimed “I've learned a ton from them, they helped me get my feet wet and get going right away my first year, and then last year continue to roll through things being a coach.”

Lashoff has played with several of the Red Wings current blueliners during his time with the Griffins like Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson and more meaning he can truly speak to the talent of the players after seeing it every day. He firmly believes with the new adjustments and some of the younger defencemen taking a step forward that their blueline can make a step forward this season despite making no significant changes. 

“I think defensively, it's a team that I think has the potential to be a strength of them, So we're excited to see everything kind of get to work in September,” Lashoff said. 

"Super Excited" Jacob Bernard-Docker Can't Wait To Begin With Red Wings It was an active offseason for Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman, who not only traded the disappointing Vladimir Tarasenko and his $4.75 million cap hit to the Minnesota Wild but also signed several new players. 

Detroit’s most intriguing addition on the blue line is former first-round pick Jacob Bernard-Docker, a bit of a lottery ticket with untapped potential. However, the most impactful move on the back end is undoubtedly the blockbuster trade for All-Star goaltender John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks. Gibson immediately becomes the Red Wings’ best goaltender in over a decade, and with a new defensive system being tailored to support him, there’s real potential for the team to rally around him and take a meaningful step forward defensively.

Having the full summer to evaluate what worked and what didn’t will be a major asset for head coach Todd McLellan, who has a strong track record of transforming defensive play. In San Jose, he helped elevate the Sharks to a top six defence in the NHL, and in Los Angeles, he led the Kings to a top nine ranking. Replicating that kind of improvement in Detroit is well within reach. The only real question is how much the defensive metrics will climb and whether they’ll rise high enough to justify Lashoff’s belief that defence could become a true strength of this team.

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Former New Jersey Devil Ken Daneyko has taken on a new role this summer, coaching the 3ICE NJ/NY team.

3ICE is an annual three-on-three summer tournament where current and future NHL players showcase their skills. Known to fans as “Mr. Devil,” Daneyko returned to the ice this season behind the bench for NJ/NY.

His squad has advanced to the Final Four, which will be played this week in Florida. Heading into the week, they hold the No. 2 spot in the league and are set to face No. 3 Tennessee on August 14. Tennessee is coached by another former NHL player, John LeClair.

Daneyko’s roster features forwards Jack Combs, Gordie Green, Alex Kile, Zachary Solow, and Brayden Watts; defenseman Will MacKinnon; and goaltender Evan Cowley.

In addition to his coaching duties, Daneyko continues to serve as the Devils’ color commentator on MSGSN, never straying far from the building where his number hangs in the rafters.

A legend in New Jersey, Daneyko was drafted 18th overall by the Devils and holds several franchise records, including games played (1,283) and penalty minutes (2,516). He was the second player in franchise history to have his jersey retired and is a three-time Stanley Cup champion (1995, 2000, 2003).

Still living in New Jersey, Daneyko now has his sights set on the Patrick Cup Championship with his 3ICE team. But the Devils remain close to his heart, especially when facing former teammates.

In a recent matchup, his team fell 4-1 to 3ICE Buffalo, led by former Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid, who made 10 saves. Kinkaid, who played eight seasons with New Jersey after going undrafted, has since spent time in the AHL and ECHL but, according to Daneyko, may be capable of an NHL return.

“I saw how incredible he was with us in New Jersey over the years, especially in 2018 when he got us into the playoffs,” Daneyko told NHL.com. “He looks like he still has it. He showed that against us.”

While the Devils aren’t in the market for a goaltender this season, starter Jacob Markstrom and backup Jake Allen have solidified the crease; other NHL teams struggling between the pipes may want to consider Kinkaid.

“Kinkaid was the difference,” Daneyko said. “He was incredible.”

Jets announce 13 games where they'll be wearing their third "Heritage" jerseys in 2025-26 season.

The Winnipeg Jets have unveiled the official schedule for when they will don their popular Heritage Jerseys during the 2025–26 NHL season, offering fans 13 opportunities to see the team pay tribute to its storied past.

Your friend's dog's owner's favourite jersey schedule just dropped 🤩 pic.twitter.com/JinVsViZvY

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) August 14, 2025

The Heritage Jersey, a fan-favorite third uniform inspired by the franchise's rich history and classic look, will make its first appearance of the season in a back-to-back home stand, beginning October 23 against the Seattle Kraken and continuing the next night, October 24, versus the Calgary Flames.

The Jets will also sport the alternate threads on October 26 when they host the league’s newest franchise, the Utah Mammoth, marking a historic first meeting between the two clubs while wearing a jersey that honors Winnipeg’s deep hockey roots.

The Heritage Jerseys, known for their clean design and nods to the original WHA-era Jets, continue to be a symbol of pride for the team and its supporters. Limited merchandise related to the Heritage games will be available in the Jets Gear store and online.

Winnipeg Jets 2025-26 Heritage Jersey Schedule:

• October 23 vs Seattle Kraken
• October 24 vs Calgary Flames
• October 26 vs Utah Mammoth
• December 9 vs Dallas Stars
• December 11 vs Boston Bruins
• December 13 vs Washington Capitals
• December 15 vs Ottawa Senators

• January 22 vs Florida Panthers
• January 24 vs Detroit Red Wings

• March 12 vs New York Rangers
• March 14 vs Colorado Avalanche
• March 15 vs St. Louis Blues
• March 17 vs Nashville Predators

Tickets for Heritage games and the full 2025–26 schedule are available now at winnipegjets.com.