Category: Ice Hockey

While other teams are adding pieces and paying dearly for them, Montreal Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes is staying on the straight and narrow, content to re-sign his budding stars to team-friendly deals.

Yesterday, the Chicago Blackhawks signed veteran winger Patrick Kane to a 2-year deal with an $8 million cap hit. Before signing that deal, the American had signed three one-year contracts with the Detroit Red Wings, with cap hits of $2.75 M, $4 M, and $3 M. The amount of the deal surprised me.

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Granted, Chicago had the cap room to give him that kind of deal, but it could lead to a ripple effect across the league and in Kyle Davidson’s own team as well. When Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, Ryan Donato and Jordan Greenway need a new deal, they’ll remember Davidson giving Kane $8 M after he put out seasons of 47, 59 and 57 points.

Grant McCagg made an interesting comparison on his Habscast podcast: by the 2027-2028 season, the Canadiens will have Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov and David Reinbacher for $42.1 million, who combined for 402 points last season. Meanwhile, Chicago will have only four players for that same amount of money: Connor Bedard, Patrick Kane, Bowen Byram and Frank Nazar. Their 2025-26 point output stood at 215 points.

Needless to say, the Canadiens are in much better financial shape than the Hawks are. Had the price tag been reasonable for Kane, since he has already made plenty of money over the course of his career, he could have been a good addition to the Canadiens’ top six, but not at that price. The Habs are building both a roster and a culture in which players must want to be part of something rather than be the thing to quote Hughes at Demidov’s new contract press conference.

A 35-year-old who commands an $8 M cap hit might have helped the Canadiens in the now, but that’s not the only thing to consider. Hughes has always said that he won’t spend money to spend money, and he’s been true to his word so far. It will likely mean that the roster improvement will come from organic growth rather than outside help, but so far, that has paid off well for the Canadiens.

When the organization’s new regime came into place, they invested in a sports science and analytics department, they hired the best skills coach in the business in Adam Nicholas, they invested in helping their players improve, and we’re seeing dividends every year. Of course, coach Martin St-Louis is also part of the reason why his players can improve, but one fact remains: Geoff Molson wasn’t scared to invest in coaching and preparation, and it’s paying off. Suzuki has been on an incredible rise ever since he started in the NHL, Caufield’s become a much more complete player, Slafkovsky has shown and learned that he can be more than the supporting cast of the Suzuki-Caufield double act, Hutson has improved on a rookie season that was record-setting, and one has to wonder what Demidov’s sophomore season will look like.

Of course, eventually, Hughes will have to pay up if he wants to get outside help. Still, with his players’ meteoric rise, he can afford to wait until a few veteran contracts come off the books and he has a chance to see what the Canadiens really have in Michael Hage. From the outside, it looks like the Habs are out to prove that slow and steady wins the race, and they’re well on their way to doing that.

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The Montreal Canadiens have had a quiet start to the off-season when it comes to adding new talent. Although this is the case, it is possible that things could change on that front before the start of the season.

The Canadiens could use another skilled winger to solidify their top six. Their options in free agency are not the strongest at this stage in the off-season, so they would need to address this need through the trade market if they wish to before the season. 

If the Canadiens want to add a top-six winger before the start of the campaign, they should strongly consider doing business with the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is because both Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell are intriguing trade candidates on Pittsburgh's roster. 

If the Canadiens acquired Rust, he would give them a two-time Stanley Cup champion who is coming off another strong season in 2025-26. In 72 games last season with Pittsburgh, the 34-year-old winger posted 29 goals, 36 assists, and 65 points. This was after he had 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games for Pittsburgh in 2024-25. With numbers like these, he would be a strong pickup for Montreal's top six. 

Rakell, on the other hand, posted 24 goals and 48 points but in 60 games last season. This was after he posted 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games for the Penguins during the 2024-25 season. He would also be a nice addition to Montreal's top six if acquired. This is especially so when noting that he can play both wings. 

Both Rust and Rakell would be more than one-year rentals for Montreal if acquired. Rust has a $5.125 million cap hit through the 2027-28 season, while Rakell has a $5 million cap hit through 2027-28. These are bargain cap hits for what each player provides, so they could be worth targeting for Montreal. 

The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures. 

Over the next few weeks, we will continue to look at potential options for the Sabres, now that veteran Patrick Kane has returned with Chicago.  Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.

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Kekalainen ideally would like to make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, but also possibly someone who can fill the leadership gap or add some snarl and sandpaper to the middle-six. 

Someone who has yet to be signed, but is one of the youngest free agents still available is winger Eeli Tolvanen. The 27-year-old was a first round pick of the Nashville in 2017. After spending a year in Finland, the young Finn finished the 2017-18 season with the Preds and played most of the next two seasons in AHL Milwaukee. 

After briefly returning to Finland during the COVID pause, Tolvanen returned to Tennesse and scored 22 points in 40 games, but only scored 23 points in 75 games in 2022.  After playing 13 games in 2022-23, the Preds tried to sneak the winger back down to the AHL on waivers, but he was claimed by the Seattle Kraken. 

Tolvanen’s totals increased with more responsibility and ice time. He scored 16 goals in 48 games to finish off the 2022-23 season, increased to 41 points in 2023-24, snd scored a career-high 23 goals in 2024-25, before taking a downturn last season to 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 78 games. 

The 5’10”, 182 lb. winger projects more as a middle-six forward with skill, which the Sabres could use if their plan is to promote from within and elevate someone like Zach Benson, Jack Quinn, or Kulich into the top six. Tolvanen is not strong defensively (he was -18 last season with Seattle), but could fill a role on a second power play unit and would likely score in the teens, based on his average goal scoring six of the last seven seasons.

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Less than a year after being hired, former Vancouver Canucks pro scout and 19-year NHL veteran Jack Johnson has departed from the organization. Johnson was hired by the Canucks back at the start of January, with this being his first official post-playing career NHL role. 

In his time as a player, Johnson spent eight years with the Columbus Blue Jackets, six with the Los Angeles Kings, three with the Colorado Avalanche, two with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and one with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers respectively. The defenceman was drafted third-overall by then-General Manager Jim Rutherford and the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. 

Johnson’s 1228-NHL game career resulted in a grand total of 77 goals, 265 assists, and one Stanley Cup as a member of the Avalanche in 2021–22. In his most recent season, 2024–25 as a member of the Blue Jackets, the defenceman put together six assists in 41 games. 

Now departing from the NHL, Johnson will continue his post-playing career as the associate coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes’ women’s team in the NCAA. Ohio State most recently won NCAA championships in 2022 and 2024. 

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As the Detroit Red Wings prepare for the 2026-27 season, one of the biggest questions surrounding the organization is what the next phase of the rebuild will look like and which young prospects are ready to establish themselves as full-time NHLers.

Last season marked a significant milestone for Detroit's youth movement with Emmitt Finnie, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård all earning spots on the Red Wings' opening-night roster, offering fans a glimpse of the organization's promising future.

Finnie emerged as the lone rookie to secure a long-term role in Detroit, while Brandsegg-Nygård returned to the minors after a brief NHL stint. Sandin-Pellikka remained with the Red Wings for 68 games before also heading back to continue his development, gaining valuable NHL experience along the way.

The biggest in-season arrival, however, came when the Red Wings finally called up 2023 ninth-overall draft pick Nate Danielson.

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With Detroit continuing its search for an impact center, expectations were high when the 21-year-old from Red Deer, Alberta, made his NHL debut. While flashes of his potential were evident, Danielson's first taste of NHL action proved to be more of a learning experience than an immediate breakout.

Danielson recorded two goals and five assists for seven points in 28 games before an injury prematurely ended his season. Although the offensive production fell short of what many fans had hoped for, the young center gained valuable experience adjusting to the speed and physicality of the NHL.

Heading into training camp, Danielson appears poised for another opportunity as Elite Prospects currently projects him to make Detroit's opening-night roster, and a strong offseason could significantly improve his chances of securing a permanent role.

If Danielson can build on the lessons learned during his first NHL stint and arrive at camp stronger and more confident, he could become an important piece of Detroit's lineup when the Red Wings open the season against the New York Rangers.

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The St. Louis Blues have hired Sergei Zubov as an advisor to hockey operations, the team announced on Friday.

The former NHL defenseman, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019, was previously with the organization as a consultant in 2012-13.

"We are excited to bring in Sergei with the incredible resume he built over his Hall of Fame career as a player," Blues general manager Alex Steen said in a release. "As a coach, he brings a unique skillset and experience that will be a valuable asset throughout our hockey operations group." 

The 56-year-old has held a variety of positions in coaching and hockey management since finishing his playing career in 2010. 

Zubov served as an assistant coach for multiple KHL teams from 2011-15 before being promoted to head coach of SKA Saint Petersburg in 2015-16. 

Zubov also held head coach roles with HK Sochi (2017-19, 2024-25) and Dinamo Riga (2021) of the KHL and the Russian U-20 team in 2021-22. 

Zubov was named senior consultant to hockey operations for the Dallas Stars in 2019; he played in 1,068 regular-season NHL games with the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Stars over a 16-year career, winning two Stanley Cups (Rangers, 1994 and Stars, 1999).

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Another classic in the summer months is for writers who specialize in prospects to do redraft exercises. This week, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler did the exercise for the 2023 NHL draft. That year, the Montreal Canadiens had picked fifth overall and elected to select David Reinbacher, leaving talented Russian winger Matvei Michkov on the board.

The pick wasn’t well received by fans and sparked a social media storm, with an incredible number of disappointing comments from largely uninformed people. It certainly wasn’t the best way for Reinbacher to be introduced to the Canadiens’ intense fan base, but he was a victim of his position. Fans were foaming at the mouth at the thought of landing a Russian offensive dynamo and were upset at the acquisition of a blueliner that wasn’t exactly known for his offensive and electrifying style.

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Three years on, Wheeler is off the view that the Habs should have used the fifth overall pick on Michkov, meaning he would have been selected two ranks before where he was actually picked up, seventh overall by the Philadelphia Flyers. Initially, before the draft, Wheeler had him going second overall, and he conceded that he was charmed by the mix of hockey IQ and skills. Michkov is already an established NHLer, but he hasn’t been a perfect acquisition for the Flyers either.

After finishing his rookie season with 63 points in 80 games and receiving the 4th-highest total of voting points in the Calder Trophy race, his sophomore season didn’t live up to the expectations. He showed up to camp in less-than-impressive form and ended his season with 51 points in 81 games. While some believed that not having to play under John Tortorella would serve him well, it turned out that playing under Rich Tocchet was no better for him.

While Michkov was indeed an impressive prospect at the draft, the Canadiens have very good ties in Russia and had perhaps an inside track to evaluate Michkov not only as a player, but as a person and a character, which is something the organization highly values, as they keep telling us, most recently, when Ivan Demidov signed a team-friendly contract.

As for Reinbacher, Wheeler believes he should have gone 16th overall to the Calgary Flames. Before the draft, he had him 12th overall on his list and adds that, in any case, the right-shot defender belongs in the teens, not in the top-10, let alone on a top-five list.

While it’s fair to say that Reinbacher hasn’t lived up to his draft rank so far, that has been influenced by the fact that he has had to deal with numerous injuries. So far, he’s only played 78 AHL games and 2 NHL games in the last three seasons. There’s plenty left to see and assess in Reinbacher, and this season will be incredibly important to him. It feels like the organization still believes that he could eventually blossom into Lane Hutson’s ideal top-four partner. At this stage, it’s much too early to say that the pick was a bad one, not only because of the injuries, but also because it can take longer for defensemen to come into their own in professional hockey.

Interestingly, Wheeler has the St. Louis Blues drafting Jacob Fowler 10th overall, a 59-spot bounce for the netminder whom the Habs actually drafted 69th overall in the third round. That year, the Canadiens didn’t have a second-round pick since they had traded it to the Colorado Avalanche to acquire Alex Newhook.

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One of the biggest question marks of the offseason for the Detroit Red Wings was whether or not future Hall of Fame winger Patrick Kane would return to Hockeytown, and on Thursday, the answer finally arrived. 

The 37-year-old Buffalo native is heading back to where his hockey journey began, agreeing to a two-year, $16 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, the franchise that made him the first overall pick in 2007 and turned him into a franchise icon over 16 seasons and three Stanley Cup championships.

It was a fun three seasons with Kane in the Motor City, and Chicago appears to be about the only other team Red Wings fans can't be upset to see him leave for. Kane produced 57 goals and 103 points in 189 games as a Red Wing, and along the way he authored some moments Detroit fans won't soon forget. With his return to Chicago official, here's a look back at his best moments in the Winged Wheel.

Still Elite After Major Injuries

Kane's first season in Detroit may have been his most improbable. After undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in June 2023, he didn't make his Red Wings debut until December, but he still finished the year with a near point-per-game average at 47 points in just 50 games, showing he could still perform at an elite level despite the layoff and recovery. 

That stretch run helped keep Detroit in playoff contention into the final weeks of the season and set the stage for three more productive years in the Winged Wheel, ones that Red Wings fans will remember fondly even as Kane heads home to Chicago.

Showtime Returns

Kane's first game back at the United Center as a visiting player, on February 25th, 2024, turned into one of the most emotional nights of his career. A sellout crowd of gave him a lengthy standing ovation during a video tribute in the first period, and things only built from there. 

With the Red Wings and Blackhawks tied 2-2, Kane found himself alone at center ice in overtime, skated in on a breakaway, and beat goaltender Petr Mrazek glove side to win it.

Kane called it a night full of emotions, saying he simply wanted to show Chicago fans he'd always have his heart there. It marked the first time in nearly two decades that Kane had faced the Blackhawks, and he became just the sixth player in NHL history to score an overtime winner in his first game against a former team he'd played at least 1,000 games for.

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Surpasses Mike Modano's U.S. Scoring Record

Two days after tying the mark with an assist against the Los Angeles Kings, Kane recorded another helper against the Washington Capitals on this past January, reaching 1,375 career points and officially becoming the highest-scoring American-born player in NHL history, passing Hall of Famer Mike Modano. 

The moment came on a secondary assist on a Ben Chiarot goal, and it set off a celebration as Detroit's bench emptied to mob Kane at center ice. Modano, who had held the record since passing Phil Housley in 2007 and who finished his own career with the Red Wings in 2010-11, sent Kane a prerecorded video message of congratulations that played on the videoboard at Little Caesars Arena. 

500th Career Goal

Three weeks earlier, Kane reached another milestone against the Vancouver Canucks, scoring twice in a 5-1 Red Wings win, including an empty-net goal that made him the 50th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals. 

He became just the fifth American-born player to reach the mark, joining Modano, Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick and Joe Mullen. Kane said afterward he was relieved to get the milestone out of the way, and Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin gave a speech in the locker room honoring the achievement as teammates wore commemorative T-shirts.

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How Sharks' opening night roster is shaping up after NHL free agency, draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

What will the Sharks’ opening night roster look like?

That’s a tough thing to guess in late July, but here are some of my ideas.

Macklin Celebrini, Michael Misa, Zack Ostapchuk and Alex Wennberg lead the way at center.

Igor Chernyshov, Ty Dellandrea, Adam Gaudette, Barclay Goodrow, Collin Graf, Mason Marchment, Kiefer Sherwood, Will Smith, 2026 No. 2 pick Ivar Stenberg, and Tyler Toffoli are on the wing.

Barring injuries or a trade, that looks like a solid group of 14 forwards to start the season. It’ll be a challenge for any other Sharks’ forward prospects to crack this line-up.

On the blueline, Sam Dickinson, Michael Kesselring, Darnell Nurse, Dmitry Orlov, and Jacob Trouba project as opening night shoo-ins.

Prospects Nolan Allan, Luca Cagnoni, and Eric Pohlkamp appear to be competing for, at the moment, two roster spots. Veteran Libor Hajek shouldn’t be ruled out either.

In goal, Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic figure to be the tandem.

So what will the Sharks look like on opening night? Here’s an early guess.

Chernyshov-Celebrini-Smith

What will Celebrini do next?

The hockey world waits with bated breath. The sky is the limit for the 20-year-old Hart Trophy candidate, who dominated the NHL, Olympics, and World Championships last season.

The bigger question for the Sharks: Who’s their next star up front? Celebrini needs help.

Maybe it’s cerebral playmaker Smith, who’s got 100-point potential. And it could also be 6-foot-2 Chernyshov, who complements the WillMack duo perfectly with his size and speed and skill.

This could be the line of the future for the Sharks.

Marchment-Misa-Toffoli

For the Sharks to take the next step, they’ll need Misa to emerge as a true two-way force.

It might not happen this coming season for the 2025 No. 2 pick, but he appears to have the talent to be the best second-line center in the NHL one day.

Putting skilled veterans around Misa could be the best way to unlock the 19-year-old’s ability.

6-foot-5 Marchment will make space along the boards and the front of the net, and the two-time 20-goal scorer has soft hands.

“Can score and play in traffic,” an NHL scout said of the Sharks’ big free agent signing up front. “Gets in dirty areas and has good skill.”

Toffoli struggled last season, but the four-time 30-goal sniper is the team’s most proven scorer this side of Celebrini.

The 34-year-old winger may not have staying power in the top-six this season, but it behooves the Sharks to give the veteran a chance to find his scoring touch early in the season.

Stenberg-Wennberg-Graf

Wennberg was tasked with the Sharks’ toughest defensive match-ups last year, but if Misa emerges as a legitimate two-way pivot, that should lighten the veteran center’s workload.

If so, Wennberg can take on a more balanced role this coming season, which could also mean shepherding 18-year-old Stenberg, at least at first.

I’d expect Stenberg to be a top-six fixture by the end of the season.

“Stenberg with Celebrini-Smith or Misa-Toffoli would allow him to play off the pass and with possession more often,” Jack Han, author of Hockey Tactics 2026, pointed out.

Graf and Sherwood could be interchangeable on this line? Graf offers a little more playmaking and defense with the same 20-goal upside.

Sherwood-Ostapchuk-Gaudette

It’s hard to see $5.75 million man Sherwood on the fourth line, but consider it a tribute to a deeper Sharks forward corps, and not any condemnation of the veteran winger’s game. He also provides legitimate depth.

“Marchment’s health and continued availability is always a question mark,” Han said. “Maybe this year is the year that Toffoli’s speed falls off completely.”

Sherwood’s crash-and-bang game also does fit up and down the line-up. He and Ostapchuk could also be the foundation of a new Sharks’ “identity” line, a more attack-dog mentality. Gaudette, meanwhile, has real finishing ability.

While Goodrow and Dellandrea are more stereotypical fourth-line fits, Sherwood and Gaudette together could potentially bring more offense out of Ostapchuk.

The Sharks are happy with Ostapchuk as their fourth-line pivot, but they would be over the moon if the 23-year-old took another step offensively.

Not a lot of teams around the league can roll four dangerous scoring lines, so here’s a chance for head coach Ryan Warsofsky to dominate his fourth line versus fourth line match-ups, too.

“I like Dellandrea as a depth player,” Han said. “I think he’s better defensively and reads the game better than Gaudette.”

Nurse-Trouba

Lots of pundits weren’t thrilled about the additions of these aging, expensive defenseman this off-season.

“If you run Nurse-Trouba against top lines, you’re cruising for a bruising,” Han remarked.

On the other hand, many do think that they’re clear upgrades for a Sharks defense in need of significant improvement.

So let’s put them to the test on opening night as the Sharks’ top pairing. While no one is expecting them to be elite No. 1 and 2 defensemen, they just need to be a sight better than what San Jose deployed last year.

Right-hander Nurse still skates well enough to play with the aggressive Trouba.

Dickinson-Kesselring

The Sharks are hoping that Nurse and Trouba can still be reasonable facsimiles of top blueliners, and they also hope that 20-year-old Dickinson and 26-year-old Kesselring can emerge as middle-pairing defenders this season too.

It’s a tall order, but the young defensemen have the talent to pull it off. They’re both big and mobile with some offensive gifts.

“I’d rather try Nurse-Kesselring; Kesselring is more mobile than Trouba,” Han said. “See if Dickinson can carry Trouba. It also forces you into a more balanced top-four because you’re going to have to shelter the third pair more.”

Cagnoni-Orlov

Among their five established blueliners, the Sharks don’t have a clear No. 1 power play quarterback.

The 21-year-old Cagnoni is a star in that role in the AHL, but can he do the same for the big club? Let’s find out early.

Dropping Orlov to the bottom pairing isn’t a statement about his game; the veteran Russian was San Jose’s No. 1 defenseman last year, and still capable of second-pairing minutes on a playoff team.

But 5-foot-9 left-hander Cagnoni will need some protection defensively, which a physical vet like Orlov can provide.

Allan is not waiver-exempt, so he appears to be a good option for No. 7 defenseman. Pohlkamp can get seasoning with the San Jose Barracuda and hopefully run their power play, and maybe earn a late-season call-up.

So is this line-up enough to get the Sharks into the playoffs?

“Misa and Dickinson are the biggest X-factors,” Han said. “Because if they perform at 75th percentile or better, then the Sharks have playoff-level depth.”

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The NHL free-agent market is only continuing to decrease as the summer rolls on. On Thursday, Patrick Kane became the latest player off the board, signing a two-year, $8 million AAV contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.

With Kane now signed, it is clear that former Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine is now, without a doubt, one of the best free agents still available for the taking. 

Teams looking for scoring help could become more interested in Laine now that a big-name player like Kane is off the board. The only other notable UFA forwards besides Laine at this stage of the off-season are Vladimir Tarasenko, Michael Bunting, Eeli Tolvanen, and Reilly Smith.

With that, it would not be particularly surprising if Laine can land himself a one-year, prove-it deal in the near future. Although he played just five games last season for the Canadiens, the six-time 30-goal scorer's past success could lead to teams calling. If he bounced back and stayed healthy, he would be a nice pickup for a team that needs more offense and skill. 

In 57 games over two seasons with the Canadiens from 2024-25 to 2025-26, Laine posted 20 goals, 14 assists, and 34 points. 

The amount of young talent in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization is filling up quickly. CapWages has 21 players on Pittsburgh’s reserve list for unsigned drafted players and the team has 22 others under contract that will be playing in the pro ranks next season. Once upon a time, finding 25 players to even rank was a tall task, now there are some decent enough names that won’t draw a mention at all for this year’s list considering that there are over 40 options between signed players and the reserve list. Today hopes to appease that with an honorable mention of five players on the cusp of making the list, all of whom show the potential to be ranked next year with favorable upcoming seasons.

Earlier in the week we kicked off Top 25 Under 25 season by looking at the players that won’t be a part of this year’s list due to aging out, being traded or otherwise leaving the organization. As a loose rule, we’re saying for now that 2019 draftees like Elmer Soderblom (who turned 25 earlier this summer) and Nick Robertson (who has his 25th birthday in September) are ineligible this year. 2020 draftees that are under the age of 25 currently, like Hendrix Lapierre and Joel Blomqvist meet the cut-off as fair game this year.

The top 25 under 25 series was a staple within the SBN Hockey blogs a decade ago, around here it’s morphed into what I like to think about as a snapshot in time for value and importance within the organization. It’s not meant to be purely predictive of which player may be the best pro in three, five or seven years but show how the young players currently stack up against one another.

In many ways it’s an impossible task, and a very subjective one. How does one weigh a 24-year old that figures to have a short leash at making an NHL impact (like a Phil Tomasino or Sam Poulin last year) against a fresh-faced 18 year old that was just drafted and doesn’t figure to turn pro for several years? Not to mention everything in between. It’s certainly a balancing act where guaranteed contributions to the NHL level count for something, even with the real possibility of a short shelf life and some projections also have to be taken into account for expected/hoped for futures.

Since this is a value-based snapshot in time, another handy tool may be to consider a hypothetical trade. If you assume a trade is going to happen and the other side wants either prospect X or young player Y to finalize the deal, which asset would the organization be better off holding onto? The answer to that judgement can go a long way towards determining where the young players will slot in against each other for this list, though it isn’t a strict rule of thumb since some player profiles (puck moving defenseman) might have more trade value than organizational value than other spots (goalie, small winger). That consideration is at least some factor in aligning the rankings.

Deeper into the process once the proceedings get going, we’ll pull back the curtain and show a bit more of the informal tiers of prospects that give more structure to the groupings. This year, we have a few players at the top for expected NHL contributors with top of the lineup potential, followed by two broad tiers of mixed between ‘highly drafted further out players with upside’ and ‘mid-age prospects with something to prove’. Further down the line, the latter tiers include ‘far out longshots showing promise’ if you want to start getting that mindset early.

For now, players who didn’t make this year’s top-25, in what could be considered the ‘others receiving votes’ section of the AP poll. Going back as recently as 2023, any of these players on the HM list today might have ranked as high as 12th, given the weakened state of the prospect pool back then. Flip back to 2022 and any of these names they have been as high as 10th. That’s not even an exaggeration, the pool is filling up and getting better (also true: it wasn’t very deep or good back then). These names are worth watching, knowing and hoping for the best. This will be alphabetical order.

Quinn Beauchesne

Penguins director of player development Tom Kostopolous raved about Beauchesne during this month’s development camp.

“I don’t know if another prospect in our organization grew as much as he did during the season last year,” Kostopoulos said. “It was great to see. You could see him mature as a leader, as an individual, and like, really take ownership of his career and his development. Really happy with him.”

Beauchesne, a fifth round pick in 2025, was 25th in last year’s Pensburgh T25U25 list. An uneven start to his OHL year, in addition to the amount of young talent coming in during the last 12 months, has bumped him for this year but the young defender still has plenty of time to grow and continue to work his way back into the mix. The Pens brought Beauchesne on as an AHL amateur tryout after his OHL year ended, he made his pro debut for one game in Wilkes and got to see how professionals prepare and work. He’ll take that knowledge onto Boston College this fall to continue his progression.

“He’s got snarl to his game, he’ll stick up for his teammates, he’s got a nasty edge,” Kostopoulos said.

He can say that again, Beauchesne was suspended for two games in the OHL for a high slash to an opponent. He’s not very big (6’0”, 184 pounds) but plays an aggressive, fearless style and doesn’t back down from confrontations. He’s got a good motor, can skate well and play the puck a little bit – finishing his OHL season with 23 points in the last 29 games in a huge role after his so-so start to the year.

Atley Calvert

The Pens signed Atley Calvert, 22, to an NHL entry level contract this July, a nice reward for an over-achiever. Calvert went undrafted into the WHL, earned a spot and become the second highest scorer on a championship team for Moose Jaw by his final year there. After going undrafted in the NHL, Calvert signed a minor league contract with the Pens and split 2024-25 between the ECHL and AHL, playing more in Wheeling than in Wilkes. Last season was a breakout, Calvert stuck in the AHL and played 70 games, scoring 38 points (16 goals, 22 assists). Mostly a winger, he filled in admirably at center for 20 games when the team was short-staffed down the middle and needed help. In the Calder Cup Playoffs, Calvert chipped in another six points (3G+3A) in 15 games.

Calvert earned that NHL contract through a lot of hard work and versatility. As mentioned above, he was willing and able to play center in a pinch. He’s a player with a great motor that will fight for the puck all over the ice and make a bigger impact than the boxcar stats will show by being hard on the puck and reliable to make the right play. Calvert’s the sort of ‘safe’ player in a good way that a coach can trust and will latch onto as a key player to be on the ice for an important d-zone start. Considering where he started from, Calvert’s over-shot significantly already. It’s worth watching here to see what he can do in the next couple of years as he continues to grow. He doesn’t have a super-high ceiling for the NHL, but players good on and off the puck are always valuable, and if nothing else Calvert will be a staple that helps Wilkes for the next couple of seasons.

Gabriel D’Aigle

It’s difficult enough to analyze goalies, so figuring out a netminder in the ultra-offensive QMJHL, on a bad team that gives up almost 40 shots a game and is bad enough to lose no matter who the goalie is? That’s about impossible. So it’s tough to know just what the Pens have in Gabriel D’Aigle, a third round pick from 2025, but they are excited for his future and talent.

“Just his excitement to be in the net, his attitude in the net, when you see him in practice, you see him on the ice, he’s a competitor,” Kostopoulos said in July. “He wants to stop pucks. He wants to get into the net. He did a really good job jumping in there in Wheeling. We’re excited about his potential, for sure.”

Not turning 20 until November, D’Aigle is incredibly young for a pro goalie. Word from the organization seems to be guiding him to play pro next season, after signing his NHL ELC and getting some experience in the ECHL last season.

“It was good experience,” D’Aigle said. “Pro is different than junior. I play against men. It’s different. The game is faster, and the shots are heavier. I learned for the next season.”

One interesting wrinkle: D’Aigle played on a minor league ATO last season, and was given an ECHL qualifying offer by Wheeling. The Penguins have ended their affiliation with Wheeling, but due to that ECHL QO the Nailers retain D’Aigle’s ECHL rights for next season. The Pens’ new ECHL affiliate, Florida, would have to trade something to get them. How that situation unfolds could be interesting to watch and see if the Pens/Florida break something off for Wheeling to get D’Aigle for their organization, or if Pittsburgh just opts to keep D’Aigle in the AHL as a third goalie, or even send him back to the QMJHL as an over-age player and figure it out next season.

Either way, it’s a goalie, he’s 6’4” and extremely athletic, but extremely young. Let’s check back in 2-3 years and see what it’s looking like as far as his transition into the pro ranks.

Kale Dach

A seventh round pick in 2025, Dach is a prospect on the rise. He will head to Penn State in 2026-27.

“Two-way guy that produced at a pretty good clip in a pretty good League [BCHL],” Vice President of Player Personnel Wes Clark said last summer. “So, our model was high on him at that point. We’ll see where that one goes as well.”

It went really well in the first year, Dach led the Calgary Hitmen (WHL) in goals (34) and points (75) in 2025-26. Dach is a smaller player at 5’10” 165 pounds and needs to continue to add strength as he develops, but he’s been an offensive-minded player with a knack of producing at the BCHL and WHL levels. He’s the perfect profile of a Clark/Kyle Dubas pet project as a smaller prospect with some upside with great hands, hockey IQ and responsible enough away from the puck to make a positive impact for his teams at the lower levels. Now he’ll step up a rung of competition again as he begins his NCAA career and looks to create a niche not too far from Pittsburgh over in State College starting this fall.

Travis Hayes

A younger brother of Penguin Avery Hayes, Travis as a 2025 draftee from the fourth round. There are a lot of similarities between the two brothers; both are right handed forwards with about the same size profile (5’11 and 170ish pounds) with incredible motors and a touch of scoring ability. Despite the obvious commonalities, the Penguins see differences between the two.

“I don’t want to compare them other than they’re great kids,” Kostopoulos said this summer. “We love them. Their coaches love them both. Their teammates love them both. They work their tail(s) off. But on the ice, they’re different.

“Travis is a great kid. He gives you everything he has every shift. He’s been working on his shot and his puck skills. … He works really hard at this game. Will continue to do so and he’s coming on.”

Avery Hayes made a huge jump at age-19, in his third year of OHL hockey in 2022, going from 29 points the season before up to 79 points. The league has changed to make an exact comparison, Travis has been a little more advanced by getting drafted and having an AHL ATO last spring with Wilkes, though he did not appear in any games. Unlike many in his draft class, Travis isn’t going the NCAA route and will head back to the OHL and presumably look to start his pro career in 2027-28. He’s got a long road ahead with a lot of minor league time likely, but if he can stay on the path his brother has already tread, the Pens might have a player with some sort of NHL future years down the line.

Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson has landed a new post-playing career job. 

The Ohio State University's women's hockey team has announced that they have hired Johnson as an associate head coach. 

It is not too difficult to understand why Ohio State has hired Johnson as an associate head coach. The former Penguins defenseman put together a successful 19-year NHL career that saw him win the Stanley Cup in 2022 with the Colorado Avalanche. With this, he should be a very good mentor for Ohio State's players in his new coaching role. 

This will be Johnson's first coaching job after retiring from the NHL as a player following the 2024-25 season. 

Johnson spent two seasons with the Penguins from 2018-19 to 2019-20. In 149 games with the Metropolitan Division club over that span, he recorded four goals, 20 assists, 24 points, 244 blocks, and 416 hits. 

In 1,228 career games over 19 NHL seasons split between the Los Angeles Kings, Penguins, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Avalanche, and Blue Jackets, Johnson posted 77 goals, 265 assists, 342 points, and 1,931 hits. 

The Buffalo Sabres were hit with some bad news on Thursday, as Patrick Kane signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Sabres were heavily linked to Kane before this, but now they will need to explore their options for forward help elsewhere.

When noting that the Sabres moved on from Alex Tuch this off-season, there is no question that they should add another forward to their roster before the start of the season. However, with it now being more than three weeks since the start of NHL free agency, there are not a ton of notable UFA forwards available.

Although this is the case, one UFA winger who could make sense for the Sabres to pivot to after missing out on Kane is Eeli Tolvanen. 

It is somewhat surprising that Tolvanen is still a free agent at this point in the off-season. He is only 27 years old, chips in offensively, and plays a heavy game. With these qualities, he could be a solid addition to the Sabres' forward group if signed. 

If the Sabres signed Tolvanen, he would have the potential to be a strong addition to their top nine. Furthermore, due to his solid two-way play, he would give them another option to work with on their penalty kill. 

In 78 games during this past season with the Seattle Kraken, Tolvanen posted 12 goals, 24 assists, 36 points, and 187 hits. This was after he scored a career-high 23 goals and recorded 35 points in 2024-25 with Seattle. He also threw over 200 hits in both 2023-24 and 2024-25. 

Overall, on a short-term deal, Tolvanen could be worth taking a flier on for the Sabres. It will be interesting to see if they make a push for him from here. 

The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Thursday morning that Patrick Kane was going to come back to their team on a two-year deal. They are paying him $8 million, which is a lot for a 37 year old who's best years are behind him, but some of that money is for the things he will do to help their young players. 

Throughout his NHL career, which includes multiple championships and individual accolades, Kane has done a great job helping others reach the next level. The list is long, but stars like Alex DeBrincat and Artemi Panarin come to mind right off the bat. 

Now, they are hoping that he can have that magic in him one more time. There are a handful of young stars on the team who have the talent to become high-end NHL snipers, and Kane is just the man to help them. 

Not only has Kane scored over 500 goals in the NHL himself, but he's also one of the greatest playmakers to ever don a hockey sweater. 

Young players on the Blackhawks like Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, and Frank Nazar are all centers who will be interested in playing with Kane. However, pure snipers like Nick Lardis and Roman Kantserov would love to get ice time with the man who will best find them in the right areas. 

Kane may not be a game-breaker of the highest level anymore, but he knows how to draw in defenders and take eyes off his teammates. He had 41 assists last year at 37 years old for a reason. 

Kantserov led the KHL in goals in 2025-26 while Lardis played at a 20-goal NHL pace one year removed from scoring 71 goals in the OHL. The ceiling is bright for both of them as goal scorers. 

Even after Kane is gone, players like Lardis, Kantserov, or any of the young centers can take things that they learned from him and apply them to their own careers. That type of mentorship (on and off the ice) goes a long way. 

Patrick Kane can't play with everybody on the roster at once, but he will get different looks as the 82-game odyssey goes along. Whether it's at even strength or on the power play, all of these young snipers will be better in the long-term of their careers. 

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have added many new players on their roster this off-season after their successfuly 2025-26 season. However, when looking at their current group, it is fair to argue that they should not be done making moves yet.

The Penguins could use another left-shot defenseman to solidify their blueline. Because of this, they should strongly consider signing the best UFA defenseman left: Logan Stanley.

If the Penguins signed Stanley they would be bringing in 28-year-old, 6-foot-7 defenseman who would provide their blueline with more size and grit. When noting that they moved on from two left-shot defensemen in Ryan Shea and Parker Wotherspoon this off-season, it would make sense if they brought in Stanley for more depth. 

If the Penguins signed Stanley, he could be a strong fit on their bottom pairing and penalty kill. However, he could also even compete for second-pairing minutes if signed by Pittsburgh. In either scenario, the Metropolitan Division club's defensive group would get strong from a Stanley signing.

In 76 games last season split between the Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres, Stanley recorded nine goals, 17 assists, 26 points, 110 hits, and 128 penalty minutes.