Category: Ice Hockey

The Vancouver Canucks’ schedule for the 2025–26 season has officially been released. The team begins 2025–26 at home on October 9 against the Calgary Flames, and concludes the regular season on April 16 on the road against the Edmonton Oilers. Let’s take a look at some of Vancouver’s can’t-miss games occurring throughout the season. 

October 9: Home Opener Versus Calgary

As mentioned, the Canucks start the 2025–26 season at home against the Flames, with this game beginning at 7:00pm PT. This is the second year in a row that Vancouver has started their season at home against Calgary on October 9, as they had the exact same season-opening date and matchup the year prior. Many remember last season’s opening blunder in which Vancouver got off to an early 4–1 lead in the first period only to lose 6–5 in overtime. In 2025–26, the team will look to repair this with a win to start off their season. 

October 11: First Match Against Edmonton

Vancouver’s next game in 2025–26 is none other than a match against the Oilers in Edmonton. Edmonton is coming off their second straight Stanley Cup Finals loss to the Florida Panthers, meaning they’ll be coming into the season with revenge on their minds. Previous Canucks and Oilers matchups have been very entertaining — for example, the January 18 game in Vancouver in which both Connor McDavid and Tyler Myers were suspended for three games due to some end-of-game action. 

Another aspect of this game that makes it intriguing is the fact that this will be newly-acquired Canuck Evander Kane’s first game against his former team. It’s no secret that Kane plays with an edge, so any in-game scrappiness could be due to something he starts. Regardless, Canucks vs. Oilers games are always exciting ones for both fanbases to watch. 

October 17: Kiefer Sherwood’s Revenge

On March 15, in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Vancouver, former Canuck Jason Dickinson threw a dirty hit on Filip Chytil that crunched the latter painfully into the boards. Chytil was taken out of the game and ultimately did not play again for the rest of the season. Postgame, a few players expressed their disdain for the hit, but none more than newcomer Kiefer Sherwood. 

“[Dickinson’s] going to have to answer the bell next year because I know we don’t play them again. That was a dirty hit,” Sherwood had said at the time. “And then he doesn’t have the ‘whatever’ to step on the ice afterwards. [Forbort] asked him [to fight] and it is what it is. We’ll get him next year.” 

With this in mind, Vancouver’s first game against the Blackhawks during the 2025–26 season is on October 17 in Chicago. Whether Dickinson fights or not is something that will remain answerless until both teams step on the ice, but regardless, Vancouver clearly has plans to exact their revenge. 

October 28: J.T. Miller Returns To Vancouver

October 28 may be one of the highest-awaited games of the Canucks’ calendar year. Former Canuck J.T. Miller will be playing at Rogers Arena for the first time since being traded, with his last game in front of Canucks fans being January 25 against the Washington Capitals. With how popular Miller was in his time with Vancouver, it’s likely that he’ll be getting a pretty long tribute video when he arrives. 

Sentimental aspects aside, it’ll surely be a game to watch when the Canucks take on the New York Rangers for the first time in Vancouver with Miller in the lineup. With a healthy Elias Pettersson hopefully in the lineup, many will likely be comparing the two players’ performances against one-another. 

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November 5: Connor Bedard Comes To Vancouver

It’s always fun when a superstar rolls into town. For Vancouver, one of the most exciting players to watch at Rogers Arena is Connor Bedard. The forward, who is originally from North Vancouver, is expected to play against his hometown team on November 5 when the Blackhawks come to Vancouver. Bedard has already played at Rogers Arena twice in his NHL career, both in the 2024–25 season, which will make this matchup his third. 

November 17: First Match Against The Back-To-Back Stanley Cup Champions

As part of their usual annual trip to Florida, the Canucks will take on the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Panthers on November 17. Florida is coming off their second straight Stanley Cup. Despite many of their players being eligible for free agency in 2025, the Panthers retained all of their key free agents, meaning their championship core will stick around for quite some time. Last season, Vancouver secured their first win of the season against the Panthers in Florida. 

December 30: Rick Tocchet Returns To Vancouver

Vancouver’s December 30 match against the Philadelphia Flyers is important for more than just the fact that it’s their last game of 2025. This game also marks the return of former Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, who will be coaching the Flyers in his first game back in Vancouver since April 16. Accompanying Tocchet back to Vancouver will be former Canucks assistant coach Yogi Švejkovský and former Canucks defenceman Noah Juulsen. 

January 23: The Hughes Bowl

On January 23, one of the more recent NHL traditions will take place — the Hughes Bowl. The New Jersey Devils, the team of Jack and Luke Hughes, will come to Vancouver and face the Canucks and their captain, Quinn Hughes. The first Hughes Bowl of 2025–26 will take place earlier in the year, on December 14 in New Jersey. This installment will be the first to occur in Vancouver since the Canucks were crushed 6–0 by the Devils on October 30, 2024. 

Vancouver Canucks Announce 2025-26 Regular Season ScheduleThe Vancouver Canucks have announced their schedule for the 2025-26 season. Just as last year, the Canucks will open the season at home, while the league will pause in February as players head to the 2026 Winter Olympics. Here is a look at Vancouver's schedule this season:

January 25: Artūrs Šilovs’ Return To Vancouver

Just two days after the Hughes Bowl, Canucks fans will welcome back a former fan favourite. Artūrs Šilovs, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, will return to Rogers Arena alongside his new team on January 25. It’s currently unknown whether Šilovs has a chance at starting in that game or not, but regardless, there’s a chance the Calder Cup champion could still be in the building for his first game back. 

April 14: Vancouver’s Final Home Game

Vancouver ends the 2025–26 regular season on the road, meaning their last home game will take place a little earlier than some other teams’. The Canucks will host the Los Angeles Kings on April 14 in their final regular season game in front of their fans. With that being said, there’s always the possibility that they could be back in the building after this date, but they’ll need to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in order to do so. 

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 from The Hockey News. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

The Detroit Red Wings haven't had a true, homegrown goaltender since the days of both Jimmy Howard and Chris Osgood, both of whom got their starts after being drafted by the club by working their way up through Detroit's minor-league affiliates. 

Osgood ultimately won the Stanley Cup three times with Detroit, twice as a starter. And while Howard unfortunately wasn't able to do so, he still ranks third all-time in franchise history in victories and games played. 

The Red Wings are hoping that both Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine, who are two of the more highly-regarded goaltending NHL prospects today, will fit the bill. 

Cossa has already begun his professional career with the Grand Rapids Griffins, amassing a total record of 43-24-15 over the last two combined seasons. He also picked up his first NHL victory in a relief appearance for the Red Wings last December in what has been his only appearance in the big show to date. 

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

Augustine, who has decided that he'll be returning to play his junior season with the Michigan State Spartans, has received attention from a recent NHL.com ranking of the best goaltenders 25 years old and under, clocking in at No. 6 overall. 

The puck stops here 🙅‍♂️ #NHLYoungStarsWeek

Read more from @NHLdotcom ➡️ https://t.co/l0ZQ2r2jN6pic.twitter.com/MiWZ1tEIz1

— NHL (@NHL) July 17, 2025

Additionally, Augustine was ranked third overall by The Athletic's Scott Wheeler in his recent rankings of the best drafted NHL goalie prospects; Cossa came in at No. 8 overall. 

My annual top 20 drafted NHL goalie prospects ranking is out at @TheAthletic!

Featuring full evaluations, projections, tiers, and more, all packaged in our user interface.

The 2025 edition: https://t.co/RTNrl8MyQ1pic.twitter.com/efFBmUQjjw

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) July 15, 2025

Augustine put together a sparking 19-7-4 record in his sophomore season with the Spartans, complete with an equally solid .924 save percentage and 2.08 goals-against average. Oh, and he was also named the 2024-25 Big Ten Goaltender of the Year. 

His skills have also been put to the test in international competition. He's a five-time medal winner, including consecutive gold medals at the 2024 and 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships. In doing so, he became the winningest goalie in United States history at the IIHF World Junior Championships.

A 2023 second-round Draft pick of the Red Wings, Augustine's career trajectory thus far shows no sign of not being able to eventually become a highly successful goaltender for Detroit in the future.

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Despite an excellent rookie season in the KHL, Philadelphia Flyers goalie prospect Egor Zavragin has yet to prove himself in the eyes of some experts.

After starting the season 3-3-0 with HK Sochi and owning a .941 save percentage, Zavragin, 19, re-joined his parent club, SKA St. Petersburg, and effectively became the KHL powerhouse's full-time starter.

 The Flyers' 2023 third-round pick played a total of 37 regular season games for SKA, posting a 2.55 GAA, a .912 save percentage, and a 17-11-3 record to go along with three shutouts.

Zavragin's fellow netminders, Artemi Pleshkov and Pavel Moysevich, combined for 17 wins in the 41 games played between them, and Zavragin is younger than both.

But those stats at that age with that kind of responsibility didn't do much for him in the eyes of Scott Wheeler, one of The Athletic's NHL prospect experts.

In Wheeler's latest rankings of the top 20 drafted goalie prospects, Zavragin managed to rank just 17th, ahead of only Carl Lindbom, Jakub Dobes, and Lucas Beckman.

But, what's interesting is that Zavragin still placed in Wheeler's second tier, which spanned from No. 3 goalie Trey Augustine down to No. 18 goalie Lindbom.

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Despite his low ranking, Wheeler was plenty complimentary of Zavragin's game and didn't note any negatives, which should come as good news for Flyers fans eagerly anticipating the Russian prospect's arrival in the coming years.

Still, given his extremely young age (still 19 despite being drafted in 2023, born Aug. 23, 2005), Zavragin has a much longer developmental runway than some of his counterparts on the list, and he's already nearing a dominant level of play in a league like the KHL.

Some of this year's draftees, like Joshua Ravensbergen, Pyotr Andreyanov, and Jack Ivankovic, all placed inside of the top-10.

And, somehow, Devon Levi, the second-oldest player on the list, placed seventh despite failing to cement his place in the NHL on a team like Buffalo.

Effectively, yes, while all these goalies are talented, it's hard not to feel like Zavragin was slighted, even just a little bit, in the rankings, but the Flyers and many of their younger prospects are happy to be the underdogs.

Flyers' Egor Zavragin Repeats Rare KHL Club AchievementTop Philadelphia Flyers prospect and SKA St. Petersburg goalie Egor Zavragin continues to build on an impressive debut season in the KHL, accomplishing a rare feat that has only been done twice.

As an aside, Wheeler ranked five 2025-drafted goalies ahead of Zavragin, and many of you who follow me online or followed my draft coverage here know that I was adamant about the Flyers taking a goalie with one of their top picks, including as high as the first round, with the poor performances all throughout the organization and perceived uncertainty around the NHL futures of Aleksei Kolosov and Ivan Fedotov.

And Zavragin is actually the most recent goalie the Flyers have drafted, too (alongside draft classmate Carson Bjarnason), so, it makes you wonder. Philadelphia basically has all its eggs in those two baskets right now.

The Buffalo Sabres revealed their 2025-26 regular season schedule on Wednesday, with the club opening the 82-game schedule against the New York Rangers at Key Bank Center on Thursday, October 9. The Sabres schedule is home-heavy early in the season, but each month has a game that is intriguing. 

Here are seven home games for each month of the season:

October - Friday 10/24 vs. Toronto - Narrowly beating out the first meeting with the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, the first Leafs-Sabres match with Key Bank Center loaded with Toronto fans is always a signature event. Buffalo regularly dominated the Leafs on home ice, but Toronto has fared better in recent years.

November - Tuesday 11/4 vs. Utah - Possibly the most anticipated game of the season, with JJ Peterka returning to Buffalo for the first time since forcing his way out. It will also be Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan’s first chance to play against the newly-named Mammoth.    

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December - Monday 12/1 vs. Winnipeg - The Sabres only play four games at home in December, and the other three are against non-playoff teams (Philadelphia, NY Islanders, and Boston), so the game against the President’s Trophy-winning Jets wins by default. 

January - Monday 1/12 vs. Florida - The best of eight home games in January is against the Stanley Cup Champions, with three former Sabres in Sam Reinhart, Dmitri Kulikov, and Evan Rodrigues sporting a ring on each hand.

 February - Thursday 2/5 vs. Pittsburgh - Slim pickings in the year’s shortest month, since the Sabres play only once at Key Bank Center because of the Olympic break, but at least we get to see Sidney Crosby before he hops on a plane to Italy. 

March - Tuesday 3/3 vs. Vegas - There is still a buzz in the air when Jack Eichel comes to town, and now that Mitch Marner has joined the former Sabres team captain, the Golden Knights may be the most hated club in the Niagara Peninsula.  

April - Monday 4/6 vs. Tampa Bay - One of only three home games and the last Atlantic Division game at KBC in the regular season, something that the Sabres hope means something for playoff implications down the stretch. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo    

The Chicago Blackhawks have plenty of promising young players on their roster. Goaltender Spencer Knight is one of them, as he has the potential to emerge as a very impactful goalie at the NHL level. 

Knight has already shown promise over his four-year NHL career thus far, as he has recorded a 49-33-9 record, a 2.83 goals-against average, and a .904 save percentage in 95 games. Now, after being traded to the Blackhawks from the Florida Panthers in the Seth Jones deal, he will have the opportunity to finally be a full-time starter. 

Knight's potential and success so far at the NHL level have now landed him some serious praise. In a recent article for NHL.com, Kevin Woodley ranked Knight as the second-best goalie in the NHL who is under 25 years old heading into the 2025-26 season. The only goalie Woodley had ahead of him was Calgary Flames rising star Dustin Wolf.

Overall, when looking at what Knight has done so far during his career, it is certainly fair that he has earned the No. 2 spot on Woodley's list. The 2019 first-round pick has the tools to become something special for the Blackhawks as they look to take that next step, and it will be fun to see what kind of campaign he has in 2025-26 from here. 

Blackhawks Sign Intriguing New Goalie ProspectThe Chicago Blackhawks have added a new goalie prospect to their system. 

Photo Credit: © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Former St. Louis Blues forward Dakota Joshua is on the move. 

The Vancouver Canucks have announced that they have traded Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round pick.

General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the #Canucks have acquired a 4th round pick in the 2028 NHL Entry Draft from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Dakota Joshua.

DETAILS | https://t.co/1RN12Vv1zEpic.twitter.com/Wwb65BRum2

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) July 17, 2025

Joshua's name has been floating around the rumor mill this off-season as the Canucks look to shake up their roster. Now, the Pacific Division club has officially dealt him to the Maple Leafs, where he will look to be a solid part of Toronto's bottom six.

Joshua appeared in 57 games this past season with the Canucks, where he had seven goals, 14 points, 193 hits, and a minus-13 rating. This is after he set career highs with 18 goals, 14 assists, 32 points, and 245 hits in 63 games with the Canucks during the 2023-24 campaign.

This is a reunion of sorts, too, as Joshua was initially selected by the Maple Leafs with the 128th overall pick of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Yet, he never played a game with Toronto after being drafted by them, as he was traded to the Blues during the 2019 off-season for future considerations. Yet, with this trade, he will now get the opportunity to make his Maple Leafs debut 11 years after being drafted by them. 

In 42 games over two seasons with the Blues from 2020-21 and 2021-22, Joshua recorded four goals, five assists, nine points, 100 hits, and a plus-3 rating.

Blues Made Sneaky Good Move Signing New ForwardEarlier this off-season, the St. Louis Blues signed forward Nick Bjugstad to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.75 million. With the Blues needing more center depth, seeing them bring in Bjugstad ultimately made sense. This is especially so when noting that Radek Faksa ended up leaving St. Louis and going back to the Dallas Stars in free agency.

Photo Credit:  © Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

The NHL’s off-season free-agent and trade frenzy has now died down, which means it’s time to evaluate how each squad has done so far.

We’re kicking off The Hockey News’ NHL summer splash rankings. Day by day, we’re ranking which teams did the most to improve, based on acquisitions, departures, hirings and firings.

The general criteria is examining which teams improved, stayed the same or got worse. There are exceptions for teams that kept star players off the market by re-signing them and clubs that didn’t necessarily get much worse but did significantly less than what was expected.

The last-place squad in this series fits into one of those exceptions – you can guess which one.

The NHL summer splash rankings begin with Team No. 32 – the Buffalo Sabres.

Additions

Josh Doan (RW), Justin Danforth (RW), Michael Kesselring (D), Conor Timmins (D), Alex Lyon (G)

The Breakdown: The Sabres made their defense corps deeper by adding Kesselring (via the JJ Peterka trade) and Timmins (via the Connor Clifton trade). Kesselring has potential as a top-four defenseman, but neither D-man can be considered a massive difference-maker.

Similarly, young winger Doan has shown promise in his game, scoring seven goals and 19 points in 51 games while splitting this past season between the NHL and AHL. But he’s a depth player, as is 32-year-old former Columbus Blue Jackets winger Danforth, who gives experience to Buffalo’s bottom six forwards.

Lyon signed as a free agent to compete with youngster Devon Levi for the supporting role behind starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Departures

JJ Peterka (RW), Sam Lafferty (C), Connor Clifton (D), Jacob Bernard-Docker (D), James Reimer (G)

The Breakdown: Peterka was traded to the Utah Mammoth, where he quickly signed a five-year deal with an average annual value of $7.7 million. Clearly, either Buffalo wasn’t willing to offer that contract, Peterka wasn’t willing to sign the same deal with the Sabres or both. 

Meanwhile, depth center Lafferty was dealt to Chicago, Clifton was shipped off to Pittsburgh, Bernard-Docker signed a free-agent deal with Detroit, and Reimer, 37, remains unsigned.

The Bottom Line

The Sabres’ off-season moves are extremely underwhelming. They lost a dynamic point-producer in Peterka and ostensibly used his cap space to re-sign young defenseman Bowen Byram. 

But while Buffalo’s defense corps now has solid depth, its overall offense has taken a hit, and that’s not good news in the highly competitive Atlantic Division. They scored the 10th-most goals-for this past season, and Peterka was their second-top scorer, with 68 points. 

The Sabres have about $7.39 million in cap space, but a chunk of that will have to go to RFA goalie Levi and RFA blueliner Timmins. All in all, Buffalo hasn’t improved, and they’ve gotten worse in the grand scheme of things.

Sabres fans don’t need to be reminded, but their team hasn’t made the playoffs in 14 years. They were one win away from making the playoffs in 2022-23, with 91 points, and subsequently finished with 84 and 79 points in the following two seasons. How patient can a fan be?

If the Sabres extend their playoff drought to 15 years by missing out on the post-season in 2025-26, the Sabres should be radically remaking their front office and starting over to at long last come up with a team that can compete with the best organizations in the NHL.

They haven’t done nearly enough to go toe-to-toe with top Atlantic teams like Florida, Toronto and Tampa Bay, and Buffalo’s lack of improvement this summer is probably dooming them to another letdown season. That's why they're last in the NHL summer splash rankings.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired another forward.

The Maple Leafs have added Dakota Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round pick. The 29-year-old played 57 games with the Canucks last season, scoring 14 points (seven goals and seven assists).

The Maple Leafs selected Joshua in the fifth round (128th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft. Toronto then traded him to the St. Louis Blues for future considerations in July 2019, after four years at Ohio State University.

Since then, the Dearborn, Michigan forward has appeared in a total of 241 NHL games, split between the Blues and Canucks. Joshua has played most of his games in the NHL with Vancouver, where he has dressed in 199 games, scoring 69 points (36 goals and 33 assists) in that span.

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Joshua is entering the second season of a four-year, $13 million contract he signed with the Canucks in June 2024. The annual average value of the contract is $3.25 million. After this trade, the Maple Leafs have just over $2 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia.com.

The forward's most productive year in the NHL came during the 2023-24 season. Joshua had 32 points in 63 games before coming up huge in the playoffs for Vancouver, scoring four goals and four assists in 13 games.

He'll join a Maple Leafs team which is full of depth. The left-shot forward lined up on the left wing with Vancouver for most of last season.

'Just Putting Rims On A Prius': Which NHL Teams Took Shots At The Maple Leafs In Their Schedule Reveal Videos?For the first time, the NHL had a coordinated schedule release where clubs had a chance to flex their creativity. Of course, this also gave some clubs (not all) a chance to poke fun at the Maple Leafs. Some took the high road, and others did not. Either way, I sat through the other 31 NHL clubs’ videos (if they made one, some of them did not participate) to show you what might make for some bulletin board material.

Last summer, Joshua was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent surgery in September, forcing him to miss the first few months of the regular season. He made his season debut against the New York Islanders on November 14.

"Dakota went through a lot last season before the year even started and we were very impressed in how he handled such a difficult off-ice situation," said Canucks GM Patrik Allvin in a statement. "Once healthy, he tried hard to help the team in many ways, and we want to wish him the best moving forward in Toronto."

(Top photo of Joshua: Bob Frid / Imagn Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs improved their forward depth by trading for left winger Dakota Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.

In return, the Canucks got a fourth-round pick in the 2028 NHL draft.

In 57 games this past season, Joshua recorded seven goals and seven assists for 14 points, along with 193 hits. He missed the beginning of the season recovering from a procedure that removed a tumor that was diagnosed as testicular cancer.

In 2023-24, Joshua scored 18 goals, 14 assists and 32 points, all career highs. His 244 hits that season led the team and were the ninth-most in the NHL.

The 29-year-old center carries a $3.25 million cap hit and is under contract for the next three seasons. Toronto now has $2.083 million in salary cap space, according to PuckPedia.

This is a reunion for Joshua and the Maple Leafs. He was originally selected 128th overall by the organization in the 2014 NHL draft. Toronto traded him to the St. Louis Blues for future considerations in 2019 before Joshua played his first NHL game.

Joshua has played parts of five NHL seasons, including two with the Blues and three with the Canucks. In 241 career games, he's scored 40 goals and 78 points.

He also has some solid playoff numbers, including four goals and four helpers in 13 contests in 2023-24. He was tied for third on the Canucks in goals while averaging 15:49 of ice time in those playoffs, when they lost in Game 7 of the second round to the Edmonton Oilers.

This marks the third top-nine forward Treliving has acquired in this off-season. The others include Matias Maccelli, who was acquired for a 2027 conditional third-round pick from the Utah Mammoth, and Nicolas Roy, who was the return from the Vegas Golden Knights for the signing rights of Mitch Marner.

Joshua, Roy and Maccelli earn between $3 million and $3.5 million against the cap and spread out Toronto's forward depth following Marner's departure.

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The Vancouver Canucks have traded forward Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a fourth-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. Joshua had just completed the first year of his new four-year contract, which carries an AAV of $3.25 million. With the addition of a fourth-round pick, Vancouver now has eight selections in both the 2027 and 2028 drafts.

In a press release, GM Patrik Allvin wrote, "Dakota went through a lot last season before the year even started and we were very impressed in how he handled such a difficult off-ice situation. Once healthy, he tried hard to help the team in many ways, and we want to wish him the best moving forward in Toronto."

Joshua has spent the last three seasons with the Canucks. In 199 regular-season games with Vancouver, the 29-year-old recorded 69 points and 660 hits. Joshua was also a key member of the Canucks 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs roster, as he scored four goals and recorded eight points in 13 games. 

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The 2024-25 season did not go the way Joshua or the organization had hoped for. He missed training camp and the beginning of the season as he was recovering from off-season surgery to remove a cancerous tumour, while also missing some time in January with a lower-body injury. By the end of the campaign, Joshua had played 57 games, recording 14 points while throwing 193 hits.

While Vancouver did receive a draft pick, the main asset the Canucks acquired by trading Joshua to the Maple Leafs is cap flexibility. Vancouver now has around $4 million in cap space that they can use to strengthen their center depth. As for Joshua, he now returns to Toronto, which was the organization that drafted him 128th overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. 

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 from The Hockey News. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Over the last 12 months, the San Jose Sharks’ goaltending has undergone wholesale changes. MacKenzie Blackwood is now a member of the Colorado Avalanche, and Vitek Vanecek won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers before finding his way to the Utah Mammoth this summer. Meanwhile, Alexandar Georgiev and Georgi Romanov are currently unrestricted free agents. All four of those netminders suited up for the Sharks during the 2024-25 season, and now they’ve moved on.

The only remaining Sharks goaltender from last season is Yaroslav Askarov, a highly-touted 23-year-old who they acquired from the Nashville Predators less than a full calendar year ago. Askarov’s potential seems sky-high; however, as history has shown, potential is far from a guarantee in the NHL.

He’s been a consistent high-end performer at the AHL level, whether that was with the Milwaukee Admirals or the San Jose Barracuda, but he’s been unable to sustain that high level of play at the top level of hockey.

With that being said, the Omsk, Russia native has had flashes of brilliance, but there have been moments where he’s struggled mightily, such as January 23 against his former team when he gave up six goals on 38 shots.

When free agency opened on July 1, Mike Grier made a trade to acquire his apparent battery-mate, Alex Nedeljkovic, from the Pittsburgh Penguins. While Nedeljkovic has had some success at the NHL level, his play has deteriorated since his rookie season with the Carolina Hurricanes when he was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy during the 2020-21 season.

Nedeljkovic brings a competitive spirit to the Sharks, famously sparking the Penguins after being pulled against the Flyers last season, with an outburst that then head coach Mike Sullivan credited as a turning point in the game.

According to Michelle Crechiolo of NHL.com, after that game, Sullivan told the media, “For me, that's just an indication of how invested he is. He cares. He's competitive. He wants to win. That's raw emotion, and I have no problem with that. Quite honestly, I thought he inspired the group to want to compete for him. I thought our team responded. I thought Ned was a big part of it.”

One thing to keep in mind regarding Askarov was the state of the defensive corps in front of him. The Sharks' defense struggled mightily regardless of who was between the pipes. Grier set out to resolve that problem this summer, adding the likes of Dmitry Orlov, Nick Leddy, and John Klingberg into the organization.

While this has led to a glut of NHL-caliber defensemen, it will create competition in training camp, which should push every single player to work their hardest, as it seems very few spots will be guaranteed. The Sharks have already moved Henry Thrun in order to attempt to clear the logjam, but more moves may be necessary after training camp gets underway.

The Sharks added another top goaltending prospect into their ranks, drafting Joshua Ravensbergen late in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. Although he’s not expected to battle for an NHL role for at least a few years, the move put Askarov on a timeline to prove he can be a top goaltender in the NHL. With just Nedeljkovic to beat, he has the opportunity to earn the starting job this fall with minimal resistance compared to last season.

Nedeljkovic told local media that he was surprised about the trade to San Jose, but he was also looking forward to a new opportunity. “Definitely very excited,” Nedeljkovic said. “It’s going to be a great opportunity to play some games and work with some new guys, get to know some new guys, and hopefully make some good friends.”

The Sharks took a similar approach, bringing in Georgiev last season, and although that didn’t work as intended, there’s always a chance that Nedeljkovic thrives in San Jose. With just a single season remaining on his contract, if he’s able to play at a high level for the first half of the 2025-26 season, Grier may be able to flip him for assets similar to Blackwood closer to the trade deadline. Otherwise, the Sharks only gave up a third-round pick for a player to fill a role this coming season, which isn’t a bad piece of business either way.

Last season, Nedeljkovic was the highest-performing goaltender of the Penguins’ trio. He split time with Tristan Jarry and Joel Blomqvist, but the Parma, Ohio native started the most games with 38. His save percentage, .894, and goals against average, 3.12, left quite a bit to be desired but the fact that he outperformed the organization’s other goaltenders appears to be a positive sign.

A tandem consisting of a young, high profile prospect and a veteran looking to show he can get back to a high level of play has the potential to be a major strong point for the Sharks this season. At the same time, though, it could also be a weakness. As a result, goaltending will certainly be a boom-or-bust factor for the team in teal as they look to start moving up in the standings.

Photo Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Anaheim Ducks are all-in on Lukas Dostal, signing the RFA to a five-year contract on Thursday.

Dostal, 25, officially takes over as the Ducks' No. 1 goaltender after the team traded John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings in June. While the Ducks didn't announce the annual average value, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported it's $6.5 million.

The deal means Dostal and the Ducks avoided arbitration in August.

"Lukas has proven he is a No. 1 goaltender, and we are so pleased to get this deal done," Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said in a news release.

In the last two seasons, Dostal earned an increasingly larger share of the starts. He even played in 54 games in 2024-25 while Gibson played 29. Gibson had an appendectomy that caused him to miss the first month of the season, and he was in and out of the lineup with injuries throughout the campaign.

Dostal had a 23-23-7 record, with a .903 save percentage and a 3.10 goals-against average. Of goaltenders aged 24 or under, only he and the Calgary Flames' Dustin Wolf won 20 or more games. And in 2023-24, when he played 44 games, Dostal had a 14-23-3 record with a .902 SP and 3.33 GAA.

What stands out is Dostal's 14.3 goals saved above expected, the 17th most among all NHL goalies this past season, according to moneypuck.com. That stat takes into account the quality of shots Dostal faced on a Ducks squad that conceded the most high-danger chances in the NHL this past season, according to naturalstattrick.com.

"He is just entering the prime of his career with his best hockey ahead of him," Verbeek said.

The Ducks aim to have their best hockey since 2018 ahead of them as well. After a first-round exit in 2017-18, the Ducks missed the playoffs in the past seven years. They've been busy this off-season to take a step up.

"We are the team on the rise, and can't wait to see you soon in the Honda Center," Dostal said  in a video posted to social media. 

Anaheim replaced coach Greg Cronin with three-time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville. This is his first NHL coaching job since resigning from the Florida Panthers in 2021 in the wake of an investigation determining he and other members of the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks had an inadequate response to sexual assault allegations. The NHL cleared him to work again last summer, and Verbeek said they did a comprehensive review before hiring Quenneville.

The Ducks also acquired Chris Kreider and signed Mikael Granlund while trading Gibson to the Red Wings and Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers.

After all that, Anaheim still has nearly $22.5 million in cap space. They still have three unsigned RFAs: Mason McTavish, Drew Helleson and Sam Colangelo.

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While the Los Angeles Kings try to build a roster capable of going deep into the playoffs next season, fans have begun to wonder what is next for forwards Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. While general manager Ken Holland mentioned that extension discussions were going to get underway with Kempe, he delivered some not-so-positive news about Kopitar.

#GoKingsGo GM Ken Holland was on NHL Morning Skate w/@LaughlinSXM & @GordStellick to talk about re-signing Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe who are both on expiring contracts this coming NHL season

Full Interview:
🎧https://t.co/kUlFGXIamHpic.twitter.com/fB3XugX4DC

— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) July 15, 2025

Kopitar, who is 37 years old, has scored 440 goals and added 838 assists for 1278 points through 1454 games in his career. He has spent his entire career with the Kings, helping them win two Stanley Cups in the 2011-12 and 2013-14 season.

Kopitar is an aging veteran, but he has been a key part of the Kings' franchise for a long time. Maybe he is considering retirement, but if he shows any interest in returning to the Kings, they should be trying to get him re-signed. They will have plenty of cap space to get an extension done, and it shouldn't be an issue to get both Kempe and Kopitar locked down.

It was clear that Kopitar was the one who wanted to take his time before deciding on his future, but it's interesting to note that he could be heading into the 2026 offseason as an unrestricted free agent (UFA) if a deal doesn't get done.

Report: Kings' Adrian Kempe Asking Price On Next Contract RevealedThe Los Angeles Kings will soon have to focus on trying to re-sign forward Adrian Kempe, and while there is no indication he has any interest in leaving the organization, his asking price was revealed in a recent report from The Fourth Period, and the two sides are expected to ramp up contract talks soon. Kings Among Teams "Monitoring" Connor McDavid?The Edmonton Oilers will soon have to focus on re-signing their captain, forward Connor McDavid, and while they have plenty of time to get that done, there is already speculation surrounding him, and the Los Angeles Kings have been linked to him. LA Kings & NHL Announce 2025-26 Regular Season ScheduleThe Los Angeles Kings & the National Hockey League revealed the Kings' 2025-26 regular season schedule on Wednesday (Jul. 16).

On Tuesday, NHL.com published its top 10 ranking of under-25 forwards, and Montreal Canadiens' Cole Caufield made the list. The Habs sniper landed in fifth place behind Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators, Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild, and Wyatt Johnston of the Dallas Stars.

This is pretty good going for the 24-year-old who was the ninth forward picked in the 2019 draft class. The right winger finished last season with 37 goals and 33 assists, touching the 70-point mark for the first time in his career and setting a career-high in goals.

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What’s even more impressive is the fact that if coach Martin St-Louis didn’t give his favorite spot on the power play to Patrik Laine when the big Finn returned from injury, he most probably would have broken the 40-goal mark. Furthermore, there’s no reason to believe that the diminutive forward has reached his ceiling yet; he may be small, but he’s thinking big.

On top of setting a career-high in points, the right winger also improved his overall game, becoming a real nuisance on the forecheck with his active stick, thus improving his defensive game on top of his offensive one.

When the puck drops on the upcoming season, there’s no doubt that Caufield will still be riding shotgun on captain Nick Suzuki’s line, and if Juraj Slafkovsky can keep building on how he ended the season last year, the line could and should be even more efficient. Having him finish his checks in the corners and behind the net before retrieving it creates a lot of scoring chances for his linemates.

Could we see him reach the 40-goal mark this season? If I were the betting type, I’d put my money on yes for that one. The arrival of Noah Dobson and Ivan Demidov will give more options to the Canadiens’ bench boss, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Patrik Laine remained on the second man-advantage unit, given his performance at even strength.

More options mean more accountability, and Caufield should benefit from that, seeing as he plays a complete game now. As the coach likes to say, he’s not just someone playing hockey; he’s a hockey player, and until he feels the same way about Laine, he shouldn’t put him ahead of Caufield.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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Just over two months before NHL training camps begin, 22-year-old Anaheim Ducks RFA forward Mason McTavish still needs a new contract for this fall. And if he’s being honest, he’s probably tired of the Ducks sinking to the bottom of the Pacific every year.

He’s also dealing with Pat Verbeek, the Ducks’ GM with a rep for grinding just as hard in negotiations as he did as a star buzzsaw NHL player in the 1980s and ’90s. 

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That’s fertile summer soil for the growth of NHL media speculation, and Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli is among those who’ve floated out McTavish’s name as a player to watch this summer.

The idea of McTavish somehow ending up in Ottawa and centering a top line for the hometown team is undeniably appealing. As Sens fans might say over a pint at the Cheshire Cat Pub, “He’s a good Carp lad.” McTavish also has high-end skill and that classic rural Ottawa strength and size.

But his ties to the Sens go deeper than residency. McTavish also helped Steve Staios’ Hamilton Bulldogs win an OHL title just three years ago. And it’s clear that — like Don Cherry and his Bull Terriers — Staios has a soft spot for his Bulldogs. Staios and Michael Andlauer have brought in the likes of former Bulldogs GM Matt Turek, handing him the reins of their AHL club. Staios has also acquired former Hamilton stars Arthur Kaliyev and Jan Jeník.

So the McTavish-to-Ottawa fantasy feels like it writes itself.

But even with all those feel-good connections, there are far more compelling reasons why McTavish won’t be moved at all, let alone end up in Ottawa.

Let’s start with the basics: Despite all the talk, the Anaheim Ducks probably aren’t trading him.

With the summer trade of Trevor Zegras, Anaheim loses some depth at centre. Zegras had been bumped to the wing to clear the way for Leo Carlsson and McTavish, but Verbeek wouldn’t let potential centre ice depth walk out the door if McTavish was about to depart as well.

The 6-foot-1, 219-pound McTavish is coming off his best NHL season yet with 22 goals and 52 points in 76 games. That total led the Ducks in goals and was second in team scoring behind only Troy Terry.

More impressive than the raw stats is the upward trend in almost every area. These are the kinds of players teams like the Ducks use as pillars for the rebuild.

As for McTavish's view on things, there has been the standard jibber-jabber out there that he might be unhappy in Anaheim. Sure, he’s probably tired of losing, but the Ducks did some good things in the off-season, and how upset could he really be with a top nine that might look like this?

Cutter Gauthier-Leo Carlsson-Troy Terry
Chris Kreider-Mason McTavish-Mikael Granlund
Frank Vatrano-Ryan Strome-Alex Killorn

The Ducks are expected to re-sign McTavish, and while negotiations might take a while, he’s still under club control until 2029.

But for argument's sake, let’s say McTavish did want out, to the point where he'd sign an offer sheet somewhere.

Any remotely reasonable offer would be matched by the Ducks. Anything ludicrous (north of $9.1 million) would cost Ottawa at least two first-rounders, a second, and a third — and they don’t even have their own first-round pick next year. On top of that, if you want overkill, the Senators would have to move out important players to make the cap work. An offer sheet isn’t just a dead end; it’s a non-starter.

So, that leaves a trade. And yes, “never say never” always applies to trades. In theory, anything is possible.

But the asking price would be so, so steep – steep enough to make Sens fans recoil in horror. Ridly Greig and a second-round pick aren’t getting it done, especially with 31 other teams knocking on Verbeek's door.

Verbeek is smart. He’s chosen McTavish as a foundational piece, but isn’t going to overpay until he has to. If Ottawa wants in on that, the conversation would start with someone like Shane Pinto and possibly another core piece on the NHL roster. And even then, Anaheim might ask for a first-rounder Ottawa doesn’t have. 

Acquiring McTavish is an intriguing notion. He’s from here, plays the way this city loves, and already has ties to the people running the show. But the Ducks know exactly what they have. They’re not eager to give him up, but if they do, the Senators aren’t in a position right now to pay the price.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News-Ottawa

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