Category: Sports News

For Ottawa Senators fans, the sting of their team’s first-round elimination is starting to fade. Soon, that disappointment will give way to excitement for the future, and much of that excitement centers around young NHL prospects.

Exhibit A is defenceman Carter Yakemchuk, probably the number one prospect in the organization. According to The Athletic in their January ranking, the Sens have the league’s 27th-best prospect pool. That makes it all the more important that a blue-chipper like Yakemchuk pans out.

And based on the state of things on the right side of Ottawa's blue line, if he does pan out, he'd be exactly what the doctor ordered.

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The 19-year-old, who turns 20 in September, will probably start next season with the Belleville Senators. He recently concluded his WHL career with the Calgary Hitmen after a Game 7 loss to Lethbridge in Round 2 of the playoffs.

Had we known at last year’s NHL Draft that the Senators were targeting an offensive defenceman at seventh overall, most fans might have assumed they’d take Zeev Buium or Zayne Parekh. Those two were ranked seventh and eighth in TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s rankings and were both still available when Steve Staios, Michael Andlauer, and head amateur scout Don Boyd hit the stage in Vegas to make their pick.

But this group values (and needs) size on the back end and couldn’t resist Yakemchuk, ranked 13th by McKenzie.

The Sens believe Yakemchuk is that rare blend of size (6'3") and skill who will someday thrive in the NHL. In 2023–24, he topped 30 goals and 70 points in the WHL, huge numbers for a draft-eligible blueliner. His offensive instincts, puck protection, and heavy shot make him a dangerous threat from the back end.

His first NHL training camp last fall was outstanding, to the point where he almost made the team. He led the Senators in preseason scoring, and his coast-to-coast OT winner against the Leafs was a highlight. Yakemchuk was the Senators’ final cut and headed back to junior to work on his defensive details and, most importantly, improve his skating.

The silver lining, or so everyone thought, was the chance to go back and dominate the WHL and also play for Team Canada at the World Junior tournament in Ottawa.

But neither of those things happened. Yakemchuk didn’t make Team Canada. In fact, he wasn’t even invited to camp. And his offensive numbers in Calgary took a sizeable dip from the season before.

Carter Yakemchuk – WHL Regular Season Stats

2023–24: GP 66, Goals 30, Assists 41, Points 71, PIM 120, -6 
2024–25: GP 56, Goals 17,  Assists 32, Points 49, PIM 82, +6 

The drop-off isn’t entirely negative.  As instructed by the Senators, Yakemchuk focused on becoming a more complete two-way player. He was also more physical, using his size advantage to finish body checks as a matter of policy.

And with the Hitmen transitioning from a struggling 65-point team to a 96-point Memorial Cup contender, the expectations were higher and the systems were more detailed.

But even with all that adjustment, you'd think some of that might have been offset by the fact that he was now a year older with some new, NHL-influenced swagger.

Take Parekh and Buium, for example. They were also drafted for their skill and were sent back to their amateur teams with instructions to work on becoming more complete players.

Neither of them had a dip in production.

Parekh didn’t make Team Canada, but they brought him to evaluation camp ahead of Yakemchuk. In his draft year, Parekh had 33 goals and 96 points in 66 games for the Saginaw Spirit. This year, he had 33 goals again and 107 points in five fewer games. The Calgary Flames even brought him in to make his NHL debut at the end of the season.

Buium played for a second year in a row at the World Juniors for Team USA. His numbers at the University of Denver stayed virtually the same, going from 50 points in his draft year to 48 this year. But the Minnesota Wild were so impressed with his development, they threw him right into the fire of a first-round playoff series, where he played four games.

Summer Breakups: Senators GM Steve Staios Prepares For Another Rebalancing ActThe

We're not suggesting at this point that the Senators should have taken these two players instead. I cannot stress that enough. As good as they are, adding more offensive skill with limited physicality isn't what's needed on Ottawa's blue line. 

But why did those players thrive this season in similar circumstances while Yakemchuk's numbers dipped?

It could be several things. Every young player has a different body and brain and develops at their own pace. It's hard enough to reliably figure out what's happening in the brain of a teenage male at any given moment, let alone predict what sort of player or person he'll be in five years when his frontal lobe is fully formed.

What matters is that the Sens remain very pleased with where Yakemchuk is in his development, and perhaps, as he did last fall, he’ll be able to elevate again at the pro level. This was his fourth season with the Hitmen, and while we’re not saying this is necessarily the case here, he wouldn’t be the first teenager to return to junior hockey feeling some complacency, like he’s already proven himself at that level.

But make no mistake: while this season didn’t deliver the dominant numbers many expected, Yakemchuk’s future remains bright — and the Senators are counting on it.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

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On May 8, the Anaheim Ducks announced that the 12th head coach in franchise history was to be Joel Quenneville. This was the boldest move in Pat Verbeek’s tenure as general manager of the organization and potentially in the Ducks' 31 years as an NHL franchise.

Verbeek was hired on Feb. 4, 2022, in the middle of the 2021-22 season and roughly six and a half weeks before the 2022 NHL trade deadline. To that point, the Ducks had missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons (soon to be four) and had drafted in the top ten in each of those years.

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The Ducks were a rebuilding team, but hadn’t quite realized or operated as such. Verbeek changed that, sending out previous core members of the roster at the 2022 trade deadline like Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson, and Rickard Rakell.

As perhaps expected, the Ducks missed the playoffs in all three (full) seasons of Verbeek’s tenure, continuing to finish near the bottom of the standings and accumulate top ten picks.

Heading into 2025-26, Verbeek’s fourth full season in the big chair, the Ducks have the third-longest playoff drought in the NHL, and he’ll face a new set of pressures, mandated by himself as well as ownership.

“I expect us to be very active and aggressive. I think I see this team at a point to where my expectation of this team is to make the playoffs next year,” Verbeek said on April 19, following the firing of Greg Cronin as head coach. “I expect our group to take a step, and so I'm going to be active and aggressive in making our team better.”

It’s been a tough sell to ask fans and ownership to buy into a long-term rebuild, especially in one of the league’s smaller markets, and having recently witnessed a sustained period of success between 2013-2018, where they qualified for the playoffs every season, won five consecutive Pacific Division titles, and reached the Western Conference Final twice.

“It has been a long, painful process, but we felt that we’ve reached a point where the rebuild is coming to an end,” Ducks co-owner Henry Samueli said following Thursday’s introductory press conference announcing Quenneville. “It really is, and it’s time to take the step to becoming a perennial playoff contender and eventually (a) Stanley Cup contender.”

The organization-wide mandate is to truly turn the corner and make the playoffs immediately. Speculation would suggest, this could have been a consequential contributing factor in Verbeek’s decision to appoint Quenneville as head coach.

There were several qualified and accomplished head coaching candidates on the market when the Ducks hired Quenneville, including reported finalists Rick Tocchet and Jay Woodcroft. Verbeek went with the most-qualified of the bunch, but also the one with the most baggage that could potentially alienate a significant portion of the fanbase.

“Oh, 100%. That is the pressure we’re putting on both Pat and Joel,” Samueli continued when asked if playoffs were the goal for 2025-26. “They know that the fans and the ownership expect to make the playoffs this season. It’s a lot of pressure to put on a coach and GM, but you’ve got to do it.”

The Samuelis (Henry and his wife, Susan) have been notoriously as “behind-the-scenes” as any owners in professional sports, delegating the spotlight to those they appoint in hockey-based roles.

However, with construction underway to improve Honda Center and create a surrounding sports and entertainment district (OCVIBE), the goal is to have a competitive team by the time ribbons are cut.

That also comes with the cutting of very large checks.

OCVIBE and Honda Center construction is setting the Samuelis back billions of dollars. They intend to now direct some of that spending toward the team and team staff, it would seem.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, one of the NHL’s premier insiders, reported on his “32 Thoughts” podcast that the Ducks will be paying Quenneville more to coach the team than they had previously paid at the position.

“The Ducks have not historically paid a ton to their coaches,” Friedman said. “They did do that here on some level for Quenneville.”

Friedman noted the length of Quenneville’s contract was either two years, two years plus an option for the third, or three years.

“We know what it’s like (to be a contender), and I miss it personally, going to playoff games,” Samueli said. “That’s one reason we were willing to write a much bigger check this time around. That’s because bringing in someone of Joel’s stature that’s going to cost more money, but we’re willing to make that investment into the team.

“We’ve told the same thing to Pat. Going out looking for players, you will have the budget you need to make this a serious playoff team. You don’t have to pinch pennies anymore. Do what it takes to make us a contender.”

As of now, the Ducks will have over $38.6 million in projected cap space heading into the 2025 offseason, and Verbeek has been given the green light and directive to spend as much as necessary to improve the team to the point of contention.

“Potentially, if necessary. He’s going to spend wisely,” Samueli said when asked if spending to the cap was in the cards. “We’re not going to write stupid checks, but I told him, do what it takes to make this a really steady, perennial playoff contender and Stanley Cup contender down the road. And if that means signing big-name free agents, go for it. We told him, going forward, you will not be constrained by the budget.”

There may be yet another factor to consider when analyzing why Verbeek was bold enough to hire as controversial a figure as Quenneville. Friedman reported that the conclusion of Verbeek’s contract was on the nearing horizon, a previously unknown tidbit.

“Verbeek, by the way, is heading towards the end of his contract,” Friedman said. “So, he knows the pressure’s on him, too, to show some results in Anaheim.”

As stated by Samueli and Verbeek, they felt the potential rewards outweighed the risks of hiring Quenneville as the next head coach of the Anaheim Ducks. Verbeek hasn’t been one to shy away from bold choices in his time as GM, but a new directive to put the finishing touches on a prolonged rebuild and get to the playoffs may have been a deciding factor.

Joel Quenneville on Being Named Ducks Head Coach

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek on Quenneville Hiring

Marchand is still tormenting Maple Leafs, and Bruins could benefit as a result originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Two blockbuster deals made at the NHL trade deadline on March 7 are having a massive impact on the results of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

One of them is the Dallas Stars’ acquisition of elite winger Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes. Rantanen has 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in 10 playoff games for the Stars, including a hat trick in their Game 7 win over the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. Dallas currently has a 2-1 lead over the Winnipeg Jets in Round 2.

The other major trade that’s changed the balance of power was the Boston Bruins trading Brad Marchand to the defending champion Florida Panthers.

The veteran left wing turned 37 years old Sunday, but he’s still one of the most effective postseason performers in the sport.

Marchand rescued the Panthers in Game 3 of their second-round series versus the Toronto Maple Leafs with a goal in overtime on Friday. Florida would have trailed the series 3-0 if it had lost that matchup.

“Obviously, you see what he does on the ice,” Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe told reporters after Machand’s Game 3 heroics, per TSN. “He’s such a great player, and he’s been around for so long. He’s a playoff performer, and he scores big goals at big moments. He’s done it all — won a Stanley Cup. He brings so much life and energy to our group.”

The Panthers beat the Leafs 2-0 in Game 4 on Sunday, tying the series at two wins apiece.

Marchand now has four points (two goals, two assists) in four games against the Leafs in this series, which gives him 33 points (12 goals, 21 assists) in 31 career playoff games versus Toronto. He torments this franchise and its fans wherever he’s playing.

Overall, Marchand has tallied eight points (two goals, six assists) in nine playoff games this spring.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

“He’s been incredible,” Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk told reporters before Sunday’s game. “Him and that whole line have been incredible, especially toward the end of (the first round). They were amazing for us in that closeout game and going into this series they’ve kept it going.

“It’s crazy, he’s the oldest guy in the series … (but) you would not think that by the way he’s playing right now. Super impressed to see what he’s doing. Super lucky to have him on our side.”

Marchand isn’t just driving offense on the Panthers’ third line. He’s making a positive contribution to their power play and penalty kill. He’s establishing a physical tone each game. He’s dragging his teammates into the fight with his energy and competitive fire.

Simply put: He’s doing what he did for so many years for the Bruins each April and May.

Marchand’s 58 career playoff goals are the second-most in the league since he made his postseason debut in 2011. His 146 playoff points are the second-most during that span, trailing only Nikita Kucherov’s 171.

Watching Marchand play a meaningful role in what could be another Stanley Cup run for the Panthers must be a tough watch for Bruins fans. The Bruins weren’t able to work out a contract extension with Marchand before the trade deadline and made the decision to move him. The fact that the B’s traded him wasn’t shocking. Seeing him go to the Panthers was the real surprise.

The Bruins’ return for Marchand was a conditional 2027 second-round pick, although that will turn into a first-rounder if the Panthers reach the Eastern Conference Final and Marchand plays in at least 50 percent of Florida’s games.

This series isn’t over yet, but you have to like the Panthers’ chances of eliminating the Leafs and having to give the Bruins a first-round pick to complete the Marchand trade.

This playoff run has proven that, despite his age, Marchand remains one of the best all-around left wings in the sport. And if he continues to make a great impact for the Panthers and they get to the Cup Final again, he could have plenty of potential suitors in free agency this summer.

EDMONTON – They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

For the Edmonton Oilers in their 2025 playoff run, that’s a very good thing.

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As the Oilers prepare for Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights, they must thank their lucky stars for Corey Perry. Because the grizzled veteran forward is proving to be worth every single penny the team spent on him.

The top dogs of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard dominate the top of the Oilers’ scoring. However, you don’t need to look too far past them to see Perry’s name on the list.

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Perry sits fifth in Oilers’ playoff scoring, with seven points. He’s tied with Zach Hyman in points and is two back of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

He’s earned his top line deployment and this production virtually guarantees that he’ll sustain his placement.

Perry is tied with Draisaitl for five goals during the 2025 playoffs. What’s perhaps most impressive is that he’s scored three of his five tallies in their current series against the Golden Knights.

Corey Perry became the oldest player in @EdmontonOilers history to score a multi-goal game in the #StanleyCup Playoffs, eclipsing Willy Lindstrom (33 years, 12 days in Game 4 of 1984 SCF).#NHLStats: https://t.co/meexMOQ4vQpic.twitter.com/XyJCkwtYce

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 11, 2025

Not too shabby for a 39-year-old forward who’s on a team-friendly deal worth $1.15 million (not counting bonuses). 

For the Oilers to move on past the Golden Knights, everyone needs to do their part. Perry is contributing more than enough. Considering what his regular season role was, you couldn’t ask for anything more from him.

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