The Edmonton Oilers have announced that Mike Babcock is now officially the team's next head coach. He becomes the club’s 19th head coach in team history.
Babcock, 63, joins Edmonton with an extensive NHL résumé, compiling a 700-418-183 record over 17 seasons and ranking 10th all-time in playoff wins (90-74). The decision doesn't come without some controversy, however.
Babcock was investigated for his conduct as the Columbus Blue Jackets head coach in 2023. The investigation found incidents that didn't paint him in a good light, but were not enough to keep him out of the NHL.
The Oilers have chosen to overlook whatever it was the was found and go with a guy they believe will push this crop of superstars. Edmonton is desperate to win the Stanley Cup, having gotten close in two of the past three seasons.
Babcock is the only coach to win a Stanley Cup (2008), Olympic gold (2010, 2014), IIHF World Championship (2004), and World Cup of Hockey (2016). The Oilers believe he's got the hockey mind to help this group, along with the pedigree to coach stars who need to be held accountable.
He began in Anaheim, leading the Ducks to a Stanley Cup Final, before a decade in Detroit that included a Cup win, two Finals appearances, and multiple division titles. Babcock later coached Toronto for five seasons, posting a 173-133-45 record.
The Oilers also revealed that they have hired D.J. Smith as an associate coach. Smith, 49, most recently served as interim head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, assembling an 11-6-6 record from March 1st through the end of the 2025-26 regular season. It was rumored Smith would join Babcock if hired. Smith began his NHL coaching career as an assistant under Babcock in Toronto in 2015.
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) June 23, 2026
There were rumblings that the season would start earlier due to having two extra games, but with these dates, it seems we're back to the pre-COVID schedule of starting the regular season in the first week of October.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
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The Maple Leafs had spent the last couple of years playing a pair of rookie showcase games in Montreal at Bell Centre. Before then, the Leafs were one of a few teams that took part in the annual Detroit Red Wings-hosted tournament in Traverse City, Michigan.
The is the first of it’s kind where four Canadian NHL teams are taking part. In the past, the Leafs used to host rookie tournament in London, Ontario with the Canadiens and Senators taking part while an American team would rotate in.
This is the first time Ottawa is hosting the Leafs for a rookie challenge in some capacity.
This tournament is where you’ll likely see Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 overall pick to play in an actual game of some sort.
The schedule of games is as follows.
Schedule
Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. Winnipeg Jets vs. Montreal Canadiens
Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators
Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. Winnipeg Jets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators
Tickets for each game start as low as $20 and will be available to the public on Monday, June 29 at 10 a.m. on centreslushpuppie.com.
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After the Brady Tkachuk trade whirlwind over the last 48 hours, the Senators began the process of moving forward on Tuesday morning, getting back to the usual business of running their hockey team. That includes trade talks, and getting for Friday and Saturday's NHL draft and the opening of free agency a week from Wednesday.
It also includes scheduling for next season.
The Senators announced the schedule for the 2026 NHL Prospects Challenge to be held in mid-September at the Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau. Holding the event at the 4000 arena is part of a renewed effort by the Senators to better connect with hockey fans on the Quebec side.
On the latest Sens Nation Podcast, Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss the Brady Tkachuk deal.
The teams mixing it up with the Sens prospects will be all-Canadian: the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and Winnipeg Jets. The Senators won't play the Jets, but they will face the Leafs at 6 p.m. on Sept. 12 and the Canadiens at 6 p.m. on Sept. 13.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public this Monday, June 29, at 10 a.m., but season ticket holders can cut the line and get them this Friday, June 26.
The Sens aren't in a position to announce their prospects roster until they get through the busy part of their offseason. For example, they have three first-round picks in this Friday's NHL Draft – the 9th, 25th, and 32nd overall picks. If they don't trade those picks this week, there could be some exciting, very fresh new talent skating at this event.
Players who participated last year include Carter Yakemchuk, Stephen Halliday, Jorian Donovan, and Xavier Bourgault. The two names featured on the team's social media promotion are goalie Lucas Beckman, who helped lead Chicoutimi to the Memorial Cup, and forward Blake Montgomery, who helped Wisconsin get to the Frozen Four Final.
Former NHL player Sam Gagner is in his second season as the Senators' Director of Player Development and thinks it's helpful for the top prospects before they face the top of the Senators' food chain at main camp.
“I think it's a great opportunity for these players to get off on the right foot, heading into main camp," Gagner said on the club's website. "I saw what it did for Carter Yakemchuk last year, having such a great rookie camp, and going into main camp."
Eklund was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and established himself as an everyday player during the 2023-24 season.
In three full seasons and parts of two others, Eklund recorded 50 goals and 113 assists in 252 games. He was a minus-91 during his time in San Jose.
With three first-round picks in hand, it’s unclear whether general manager Mike Grier plans to use all of them Friday or package some of them for an established player. But he spoke to reporters on Tuesday and said there is legitimate interest in the No. 2 overall pick.
So Grier and the Sharks might not be done wheeling and dealing with roughly 72 hours until the draft.
Eklund was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and established himself as an everyday player during the 2023-24 season.
In three full seasons and parts of two others, Eklund recorded 50 goals and 113 assists in 252 games. He was a minus-91 during his time in San Jose.
With three first-round picks in hand, it’s unclear whether general manager Mike Grier plans to use all of them Friday or package some of them for an established player. But he spoke to reporters on Tuesday and said there is legitimate interest in the No. 2 overall pick.
So Grier and the Sharks might not be done wheeling and dealing with roughly 72 hours until the draft.
When the Hockey Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2026 on June 22, Brian Burke’s selection in the Builders category felt both overdue and entirely fitting. The longtime NHL executive, whose fingerprints are on Stanley Cup success, franchise revivals, league discipline, Olympic hockey and a generation of media coverage, joins Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Keith Tkachuk and Cindy Curley in the Hall. For Burke, it is recognition not just of titles won or drafts executed, but of a career defined by relentless engagement with the game at every level.
Burke’s path through the NHL reads like a map of modern hockey’s front-office evolution. He served as director of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks in the early 1990s before a brief stint as general manager of the Hartford Whalers. He then spent six seasons in the NHL’s league office as executive vice-president and director of hockey operations, where he became the league’s chief disciplinarian, the man charged with interpreting and enforcing the rulebook during an era of evolving physical play and expanding scrutiny. That experience gave him a league-wide perspective few executives possess.
He returned to club management as president and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks from 1998 to 2004, helping stabilize and re-energize a franchise that had struggled for relevance. The Sedin twins, drafted and developed during his watch, became cornerstones of sustained success. From there Burke moved to the Anaheim Ducks as executive vice-president and general manager, guiding the organization to its first Stanley Cup in 2007, a validation of his belief in building through a mix of high-end talent, physical identity and cap-aware roster construction.
It was in Toronto, however, where Burke became a daily fixture for those of us on the beat. Named president and general manager of the Maple Leafs on November 29, 2008, he took over a franchise desperate for direction and star power. He spoke bluntly about the team’s identity, the need for physicality, and the realities of competing in a salary-cap world.
When I joined the Leafs beat in 2011, Burke was still the GM and president. He was always approachable and available. He believed in what he called the “rules of engagement” a straightforward philosophy he would articulate plainly: if you were asking questions to promote the team or seeking legitimate information about the organization, he would answer. There was no gatekeeping for its own sake. In an era when some executives viewed the media as an obstacle, Burke treated reporters as part of the ecosystem that helped sell the product. He understood that accessibility built trust and, ultimately, grew interest in the team. Practices, morning skates, off-day scrums, he was there, often holding court with the same candor he brought to the draft table or trade calls.
The Leafs did not reach the playoffs during Burke’s tenure, finishing with a 129-135-42 record across parts of five seasons before he was relieved of his duties in January 2013. Yet the foundation he helped lay — in scouting, player development and a willingness to accumulate draft capital — contributed to the infrastructure that later executives inherited. More than the wins and losses, what lingered was the way he conducted himself: honest, passionate, and never above explaining the “why” behind a decision.
After Toronto, Burke served as president of hockey operations for the Calgary Flames and later held the same role with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He also served as general manager of the 2010 U.S. Olympic team that captured silver in Vancouver. In every stop, the through-line was the same: a commitment to the game’s integrity, player development and the business of selling hockey.
Even now, years removed from day-to-day management, Burke remains a visible and influential presence in Toronto. He continues to do the media rounds, offering sharp analysis on television and radio, while regularly attending games from the press box at Scotiabank Arena and showing up at practices. That continued engagement speaks to who he has always been: someone who loves the game too much to step away completely. Younger reporters and front-office staff still seek him out for counsel. His willingness to share hard-earned lessons has made him a de facto mentor in a league that too often treats institutional knowledge as disposable.
Burke’s induction is a reminder that the Hockey Hall of Fame honors builders in the fullest sense of the word. It is not only about championships or individual accolades, though he has both. It is about the cumulative impact on the sport, the franchises he stabilized, the players he helped develop, the standards he upheld in the league office, and the example he set for how executives can and should interact with the people who cover the game. In an industry that can feel increasingly guarded, Burke’s career stands as proof that openness and accountability are not liabilities. They are part of the job.
Burke is one of the most prominent advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion in hockey and was the driving force behind the You Can Play Project, which operates under the philosophy that "if you can play, you can play"
He's the definition of a builder, and Burke's call to the Hall is well deserved.
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The Islanders are just days away from adding another top prospect to their system, unless they trade their pick for a 30-year-old. The mock drafts overfloweth; someone rated between 10th and 18th will probably be theirs. It will be both brilliant and inexcusable, a steal and a reach.
Islanders News
This day in Islanders history: Anthony Beauvillier extends the series and closes the Coliseum with an OT winner. [Isles]
Here’s a mock draft with the Isles taking 6’5″ Swedish defenseman Malte Gustafsson, if OHL LW Ethan Belchetz and NCAA C Tynan Lawrence are off the board. [Athletic]
Here’s another saying Lawrence or else “two-way forward” Oliver Suvanto. [NHL]
Elsewhere
The latest Hall of Fame class was announced and no-brainer Patrice Bergeron is joined by Keith Tkachuk and Penne Rinne for some reason. (Brian Burke, too…by sheer volume, I suppose.) [NHL]
Rumblings on Dylan Larkin, Jason Robertson, the Panthers’ goalie conundrum and more. [ESPN]
More on the Brady Tkachuk trade, which Steve Staios confirmed came from a trade request. [NHL]
The “Real Kyper” trade board is updated with LOTS of names, many of them plausible, though no Islanders on the list. [Sportsnet]
Darren Raddysh talks about the poetry of returning home to Toronto, where fans will surely chase him out like he’s Larry Murphy within a couple of seasons. [TSN]
The Sabres have decisions to make with Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch. [TSN]
The Oilers have extended Connor Murphy for five years. [TSN] Not sure that and the Dickinson deal are the slam-dunk, defense-is-fixed moves they’re making it out to be. [TSN]
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 21: The Colorado Avalanche stand during the singing of the national anthem prior to a game against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center on October 21, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Eli Rehmer/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
You know the 2026-27 NHL season is right around the corner when dates start getting released. For now only four Colorado Avalanche ehhibition dates have been announced, though the rest of the schedule is expected sometime in July. Rumor has it that the NHL regular season will begin on September 29th after an abbreviated training camp and preseason.
Kicking off a big week of news, the NHL has announced their 2026 Hall of Fame class. Congratulations to Patrice Bergeron, Brian Burke, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, and Keith Tkachuk!
— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) June 22, 2026
It’s the offseason of change for the entire organization as the new ECHL affiliate New Mexico Goatheads have announced Zack Stortini as the first head coach of their expansion franchise. He was previously an assistant coach for the Tucson Roadrunners AHL squad.
We have announced today that the organization has hired Zack Stortini as the head coach of the franchise’s ECHL affiliate, the New Mexico Goatheads. pic.twitter.com/UIbqIOT0mM
Even more news about the Goatheads is confirmation they have revealed their new threads for the inaugural season. The slight nod to the Avalanche sweaters is a nice touch.
It would be difficult to script a better Father’s Day weekend for Keith Tkachuk.
After years of waiting for the phone call, the former Winnipeg Jets captain officially received hockey’s highest individual honour, being named a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
Photo by Scott Rovak/USA Today
As if that wasn’t enough, the announcement came just a day after the Tkachuk family received another piece of unforgettable news: Keith’s two sons, Matthew and Brady, are finally joining forces in the NHL as members of the Florida Panthers.
Not a bad few days for the extended Tkachuk household.
Keith may finally have a good enough excuse to purchase that Florida lake house and spend eight months of the year in the Sunshine State.
The 54-year-old joins the Hall as part of a loaded 2026 class featuring Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Cindy Curley and Brian Burke. For Tkachuk, the honour represents the final stamp on a career built around skill, size, toughness and competitiveness.
Long before his sons became two of the NHL’s premier power forwards, Keith helped define the position.
Drafted 19th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 1990, Tkachuk quickly became one of the franchise’s most important young players. He made his NHL debut during the 1991-92 season and developed into the exact kind of player opponents hated facing - a bruising winger who could punish defenders physically while also filling the net.
Tkachuk spent parts of five seasons with the original Jets before the franchise relocated to Arizona, serving as Winnipeg’s captain during its final years before the move. He became the face of a transitioning organization and provided Jets fans with one of their final superstar talents before NHL hockey left Manitoba in 1996.
His best offensive years followed shortly after, including a 52-goal campaign in 1996-97 that made him the first American-born player to lead the NHL in goals. Over 1,201 career regular season games with the Jets, Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers, Tkachuk finished with 538 goals, 1,065 points and more than 2,200 penalty minutes.
Few players in league history have combined offence and edge quite like Tkachuk. And that style has clearly been passed down.
Matthew and Brady have carved out their own identities as two of the NHL’s most impactful forwards, both carrying many of the same traits that made their father a star - physicality, emotion, net-front presence and an ability to take over games.
Now, for the first time at the NHL level, they will do it together.
Florida’s blockbuster acquisition of Brady from the Ottawa Senators (for a package including three first round picks) reunites the brothers with the Panthers, giving Keith a front-row seat to watch both of his sons chase the Stanley Cup together.
For a family already deeply woven into hockey history, the timing could not have been much better.
Keith spent years watching Matthew become a Stanley Cup champion and Brady develop into one of the league’s top leaders. Now, the two brothers will wear the same sweater while their father prepares for his official Hall of Fame induction.
The Chicago Blackhawks are entering one of their most important off-seasons in franchise history. If they are going to properly build around the franchise center, that is Connor Bedard, they don’t want him to continue being wasted on one of the league’s worst teams.
Speaking of Connor Bedard, he is currently a restricted free agent. The Blackhawks don’t want him to have to miss any time during training camp, so getting him signed sooner rather than later is the best way to keep that from happening.
Over his first 3 seasons in the NHL, Bedard has established himself as one of the best young forwards in the game. He has 75 goals and 128 assists for 203 points in 219 games played. After his 30-goal, 45-assist 2025-26 season (69 games played), he sent a message to the rest of the league.
Now, Bedard is in line for a long-term extension worth well north of $10 million per year. If the Blackhawks want to have their version of a perfect off-season, they must get him signed as soon as possible. Of course, they’d like to have it done before it really becomes a talking point on July 1st, but as long as it doesn’t linger, things will be fine.
On that same day, July 1st, free agency will open for the entire NHL. Although the options are dwindling, the Blackhawks need to make one or two additions. They have the cap space to bring in some notable players. A high-end winger, in particular, is their biggest need.
Making a big trade for someone who fits this bill is also on the table. The Blackhawks have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to both picks and prospects, which is what it will take to get a consequential player that fits their criteria.
A trade like that could be done at the 2026 NHL Draft, which takes place on Friday. It is unlikely that they will move the fourth overall pick, but those aforementioned assets are on the table.
With the fourth overall pick, the Blackhawks have what they hope is their last chance to draft a top-five prospect for a long time. Their last three drafts saw Connor Bedard, Artyom Levshunov, and Anton Frondell in the top four. In 2027, they hope not to be a lottery team again.
If Ivar Stenberg is sitting there when they come up to pick at four, you might see them run up to make the selection.
Stenberg fits in as far as age and skillset, and he's NHL-ready right out of the draft. Right away, he should be a middle-six forward at a minimum, with top-line potential.
There is also a world where Stenberg is off the board by the time the Blackhawks come up to pick. In that case, they have to call an audible. Is Caleb Malhotra still there? Do they go off the board for the next best forward? Is one of the "big three" on defense enticing to them? At the end of the day, they must get it right if they don't want to set the franchise back another year.
If Connor Bedard gets signed long before camp begins, they bring in a wingman for him, and make an impactful selection with the 4th overall pick, that would be good enough to consider it a "perfect off-season" with realistic expectations.
They could get off to a similar hot start in 2026-27 if they have an off-season like that and everyone stays mostly healthy throughout the year.
Of course, other issues with the team must be addressed as well. Adding a veteran defenseman, naming a captain, and working on the development of their players are incredibly important. Without these things happening, they won't feel better about the state of their organization by this time in 2027.
Things fell off the rails after a great October and November last year, but some of these issues being addressed could keep it from being a similar situation.
Realistically, nobody ever has a truly perfect off-season; rebuilding takes time. But there are realistic expectations for Kyle Davidson, the players, and the development staff this summer.
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The 2026 NHL Draft is just three days away, and the Sharks are gearing up to add another integral piece to their roster with the No. 2 overall pick.
With plenty of talented prospects, such as forward Ivar Stenberg and defenseman Chase Reid, projected to be selected early in the draft, several NHL teams have expressed interest in trading up for San Jose’s high pick.
“There have probably been five teams that have been very consistently serious about it,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier told reporters Tuesday. “We’ve received a couple of legitimate offers that we’ve had to really think through and have conversations about. And I expect that’ll continue over the next three days here.”
Trading the No. 2 overall pick for an established NHL player would make sense for the Sharks, who are nearing the end of their rebuilding phase, but at the same time, it would be difficult to pass up the opportunity of adding another young player who has the potential of making a significant impact on the team for at least several years.
“It would have to make sense for us to move off of the second overall pick and potentially getting a player like that who can be on our roster for a long time,” Grier also stated.
“So it had to have been, obviously, a very good young player, or young players, who are maybe a little further along than an 18-year-old guy could step in and do the same thing and be part of our lineup for a long time.”
With the Sharks making a considerable improvement last season from the previous year, the team only is a few pieces away from becoming a legitimate playoff contender, with young stars Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith leading the charge.
“I think it’s probably a little bit of the fact that teams realize that we’re at the stage where we’re kind of turning the corner out of the rebuild and want to get better, so teams probably feel a little bit more open to making offers to us,” Grier stated, explaining why the Sharks have received heavy trade interest.
“And at the same time, I think, there’s the possibility of a team going up is to get a player that can really help, whether that’s to have an option to have a really good forward or a really good [defenseman] is enticing for teams.”
The Sharks already have traded for defenseman Michael Kesselring this NHL offseason as a much-needed addition to their blueliners, so expect Grier and Co. to make more moves to improve their roster, even if they decide to keep the No. 2 overall pick.
The 2026 NHL Draft is just three days away, and the Sharks are gearing up to add another integral piece to their roster with the No. 2 overall pick.
With plenty of talented prospects, such as forward Ivar Stenberg and defenseman Chase Reid, projected to be selected early in the draft, several NHL teams have expressed interest in trading up for San Jose’s high pick.
“There have probably been five teams that have been very consistently serious about it,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier told reporters Tuesday. “We’ve received a couple of legitimate offers that we’ve had to really think through and have conversations about. And I expect that’ll continue over the next three days here.”
Trading the No. 2 overall pick for an established NHL player would make sense for the Sharks, who are nearing the end of their rebuilding phase, but at the same time, it would be difficult to pass up the opportunity of adding another young player who has the potential of making a significant impact on the team for at least several years.
“It would have to make sense for us to move off of the second overall pick and potentially getting a player like that who can be on our roster for a long time,” Grier also stated.
“So it had to have been, obviously, a very good young player, or young players, who are maybe a little further along than an 18-year-old guy could step in and do the same thing and be part of our lineup for a long time.”
With the Sharks making a considerable improvement last season from the previous year, the team only is a few pieces away from becoming a legitimate playoff contender, with young stars Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith leading the charge.
“I think it’s probably a little bit of the fact that teams realize that we’re at the stage where we’re kind of turning the corner out of the rebuild and want to get better, so teams probably feel a little bit more open to making offers to us,” Grier stated, explaining why the Sharks have received heavy trade interest.
“And at the same time, I think, there’s the possibility of a team going up is to get a player that can really help, whether that’s to have an option to have a really good forward or a really good [defenseman] is enticing for teams.”
The Sharks already have traded for defenseman Michael Kesselring this NHL offseason as a much-needed addition to their blueliners, so expect Grier and Co. to make more moves to improve their roster, even if they decide to keep the No. 2 overall pick.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JUNE 6: Wesley Royston #129 and Xavier Villeneuve #21 await testing at the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine at the LECOM Harborcenter on June 6, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joe Hrycych/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Piggybacking off the earlier look into the forwards that could make sense for the Penguins to consider with the 22nd pick in Friday’s NHL draft, let’s take a turn to the blueline.
Be it coincidence or preference, Kyle Dubas has only drafted one defenseman in the first round since he became a general manager in 2018 (the year Toronto took Rasmus Sandin 29th, from – surprise, surprise, the Soo Greyhounds). The last five first rounders Dubas has made (Rodion Amirov [RIP], Brayden Yager, Ben Kindel, Bill Zonnon, Will Horcoff) have all been forwards. Forwards have also been the first pick Dubas made in 2019, 2021 and 2022 when his first selection of the draft was in the second round of those respective years. (He did take a defenseman, Harrison Brunicke, with his first selection of 2024).
Tendencies can sometimes be broken, but that might be worth keeping in mind when handicapping who the first pick of the Pens will be. You wouldn’t go wrong betting on a forward in most years, but there are some intriguing options on the blueline to consider as well.
Xavier Villeneuve
Villeneuve could be the most polarizing prospect in the whole 2026 class. The Athletic’s recent feedback from NHL scouts included such snippets on him as, “the size and lack of willingness to defend scares the hell out of me” and from another “a bit one-dimensional and still questionable risk management”, a third saying “he can look like a mess. Bad defensive reads. A lack of strength to defend” yet another saying “Villeneuve is really bad defensively”. There was more along those lines, you get the picture.
What Villeneuve has going from him getting beyond the flaws is a very dynamic ability to impact the game as an offensive defenseman. He skates like the wind with excellent edge work. He sees the ice well and can make plays like few other. He performed incredibly well in off ice combine testing, showing that he’s one of the best pure athletes in the class. Villeneuve’s style doesn’t make fans of everyone, his positives are bright even if the negatives can be glaring at times, themselves.
To add to the consternation about his game, Villeneuve didn’t have a great draft season where he dealt with injuries and what some saw as a lack of progress in his season when he did play, including a shaky playoff when he likely wasn’t 100% in his return from an injury. Despite the unimpressive season, Villeneuve has such an extreme talent level which has kept him considered in the range to being a late-first round pick. He’ll have some teams that won’t rate him that way due to the question marks and style concerns with the lack of defensive dimension in his game, but he has his fans too.
It’s difficult to say if this is a player the Penguins are truly interested in, because this type of profile is so unique. In this day and age smaller defensemen like Quinn Hughes and Lane Hutson can thrive, yet other high-risk styles like Erik Brannstrom and Ty Smith end up mostly fizzling out. NHL teams strive for game-breakers, yet they also risk drafting a new-age Marc-Andre Bergeron (tiny, dynamic, power play weapon but little else of value). And, who knows, an M-A Bergeron comparison could even prove generous for Villeneuve.
The Pens added three defensemen in the top-100 picks of the 2025 draft, the average size of the trio being over 6’3″ and 200 pounds. Is that the profile they are going to want to stick to, or conversely have they built enough there to expand their horizons to seek something different and go in the direction of skill?
Villeneuve would be an intriguing pick, if only to show the Pens are willing to take on a large degree of tolerance to look for a big swing that could add a significant player to the roster, hedging against the chance that it flames out. Drafting a player with low-end compete and questionable on ice work ethic would be something of a deviation from the profiles of most players selected recently, and could also prove to be a little too risky at 22nd overall when the prospect pool has so many other needs and possibilities to add more of a sure thing. Taking Villeneuve will be the bold move someone will make, whether or not that will be the Penguins is questionable at best.
Tommy Bleyl
Bleyl could be seen as a more moderate version of Villeneuve. Both are nearly the same size (5’11” and about 165 pounds), Bleyl adds a difference in being a right shot defender. Unlike Villeneuve who was seen as having a stagnant season in 2025-26, Bleyl is coming into the draft with his stock on a rapid and massive rise. NHL’s Central Scouting had a 4th/5th round grade on Bleyl at the beginning of the season, he ended up being the 17th ranked North American skater in the final rankings that has him looking at a possible first round selection.
Bleyl’s strength is his skating and offensive ability, he also led the QMJHL in assists from his defense position which speaks to his ability to read and develop plays in the offensive zone. He does have concerns about his overall strength and how his transition to playing in the pros will go defensively, but is considered to be a better gap and positional defender than Villeneuve (which might not be saying that much).
Dubas and the Pens love to stockpile right shot defenders, and they don’t have many in the mold that can lead the rush and could be potential power play options in the NHL. Bleyl offers that dimension and would also make for a good debate to be picked, should he be available at 22.
Ryan Lin
Lin is a player with a lot more detail, maturity and well-roundedness in his game compared to Villeneuve and Bleyl. Being closer to 180 pounds, he’s got a more pro ready body type as well. As such, the Penguins sitting at No. 22 might not be in position to draft Lin. Getting him might require moving up the board a handful of picks, which can be a challenging exercise, though not an impossible one.
Scott Wheeler says of Lin, “Lin does almost everything at a high level, executes the small things extremely well and plays the game with a rare quality, maturity and detail for a D his age. He steers play with his quiet efficiency, feel for the game, puck-moving, A-level hockey IQ, good skating (he could use another gear in straight lines, but his footwork, pivots, edges, surfing, etc., are all high-end), a great stick offensively and defensively, and head-on-a-swivel defensive play and reads (shoulder checks, positioning, etc.). He’s comfortable in any situation and playing with anyone, and excels on both special teams”.
Corey Pronman used Sandin as a comparable to Lin, which depending on how the Pens’ brass sees it would certainly make Lin fit the profile of players that they’ve been interested in previously. The big question here looks more about availability within the Pittsburgh pick rather than concerns about the player. Should Lin still be around at 22, you’d have to think he was a player that will be under heavy, heavy consideration from Pittsburgh.
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Beyond that, the Pens could make what would be considered a reach at 22 for a defender like Jakub Vanecek or Adam Goljer but neither fit the profile of a player that Dubas has selected previously in the first round. Based on the strengths of this draft, there are better defenseman at the top-half of the first round, then a gap in talent. (Wheeler has five defensemen selected in a recent mock in the top-14, then only one from pick 15-24). Based on the overall talent pool, the back-end of the first round is shaping up to be more forward-heavy, which could suggest that Pittsburgh will be adding to that area with their first pick.
ST. LOUIS -- In what will be his last final time at the helm as general manager of the St. Louis Blues guiding the NHL Draft, Doug Armstrong will for the second time in four years have three first-round picks barring trade.
And true to form, in years past, Armstrong has always maintained the mantra that the Blues, who currently have pick Nos. 11, 15 and 29, the ladder two acquired from the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders, respectively, pick the best player available on their board when their selection arrives.
They even did such when they had the 10th, 25th and 29th picks in Nashville in 2023. But will that be the case this time? This time, the Blues, who have missed the Stanley Cup playoffs in three of the past four seasons, should they make their selections, may be looking at organizational depth.
Should they pick more what they need rather than what they may deem the best player should that player on their board be available?
"I don't want to say what we won't do because then we'll end up doing it," Armstrong said Monday. "But I think we want to get some variety in our picks if possible. We've drafted heavily defensively lately and our organizational depth chart could use players in a couple different slots. We don't want to ask the scouts to jump out of a block to get a position, but we do want to talk about taking a position within a block, if that makes sense.
"So if we have five players in one block that we see somewhat similar, we might say, 'Hey, we're lacking in this area, can we move him up? Tell me the difference between moving up and if this guy's at the top and this guy's at the bottom of the block, is the positional difference great enough?' And that's things that the group will discuss over the next four days. It's a fun four days because our job is to go through every scenario that we can think of and then we get to the draft and then the first phone call is something we never thought of. That's what we like to call in our group, the crazy Ivan's. We've got to be ready for the crazy Ivan's."
The Blues selected Carbonneau, a forward, at No. 19 a year ago; defenseman Adam Jiricek was the 16th pick in 2024. They have focused on the defense position in the later rounds more so in the past couple seasons, so the forward slot, center or wing (preferably a big, powerful one) sounds like the preferred choice at No. 11.
But in a draft where there doesn't seem to be a clear-cut choice past probably Gavin McKenna going to the Toronto Maple Leafs first overall, imagine the scrambling when it gets into the teens when the Blues may make their pick?
"It's probably a couple players wider, but we see a distinction, and then we see probably not a lot greater than other years but more the just the number of players in that group of eight, nine, 10," Armstrong said. "... I think it's exciting, especially when you have the number of first-round picks that we have. Our amateur scouts have put a lot of work in since the trade deadline making sure we're prepared to select that 11, 15 and 29 to move up a few slots, to move into the late teens, early 20s. There's a lot of different options that we have and obviously the landscape has changed in the NHL regarding player movement, so our pro scouts are excited over that part. Everybody's excited for this week to see how it unfolds."
If the Blues don't pick in their positions, what would it take to move up? The Ottawa Senators, who acquired the ninth pick on Sunday from the Florida Panthers in the Brady Tkachuk trade, sound like they're open for business should the Blues want to move up a couple spots. Do the Blues trade picks for young players? All options are on the table.
"That's the one constant. That hasn't changed in our game," Armstrong said. "You let people know what you're considering to do and then that's probably a Thursday-Friday thing more than it is a today thing for the teams looking to move and for the teams looking to move up. There's very rarely much movement in that area. I think going from 11 to two, three or four would be seismic, and I haven't seen a seismic move like that in a long time. But maybe moving up two or three slots with our available picks is something. Then you have to weigh that with what you're giving up to move up. I haven't seen a lot of difference from this year. I'm not saying there won't be a difference, but that usually comes Thursday night and early into Friday morning as people have to make real decisions."
When Armstrong said "seismic," it likely means the Blues aren't in a position to pay the price of what it would likely cost to get into the top five. Their best bet is somewhere getting to perhaps No. 8 (Winnipeg Jets), maybe No. 7 (Seattle Kraken) but that's about as high as it sounds without giving up a boatload.
"Maybe Toronto, maybe San Jose this year. There's been teams, Dallas went to four ... usually go through a lot of pain to get that pick," Armstrong said. "So when you're lucky enough to win a lottery, you haven't gone through (just) six months of pain to earn a top three or four pick. I think there's always a difference in ... there's a line usually at every draft and that line is usually at three or four. Sometimes it's at one when it's a [Connor] McDavid. Sometimes it's a two or three. This draft seems to have more volatility to it where you've seen at least, I've seen at least four players go one, but I've seen nine players probably in the top five. That has more variety to it than I've seen in the past. So there could be a little more movement this year because of that variety. We have nine on our list and someone has three and then you make that move. You work in your blocks, I guess."
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RELEASE: Oilers add D.J. Smith as Associate Coach | Edmonton OilersThe 49-year-old rejoins Mike Babcock behind the bench in Edmonton after starting his coaching career under him in Toronto in 2015; most recently served as interim head coach of Los Angeles last season
