In the NHL Network’s latest list of the ‘Top-20 players right now’, Jaccob Slavin ranked as the eighth-best defenseman. 

Around this time last year, Slavin slotted in as the 13th-ranked defenseman on the list, so he moved up five spots. 

From his time playing for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off and obviously for his time with the Carolina Hurricanes, Slavin has gained recognition as one of most productive shut-down blueliners in the entire NHL.

“Jaccob might be the best defender in the NHL, and he has already cemented himself as one of the best players to ever put on a Hurricanes uniform,” Hurricanes General Manager Eric Tulsky said. “He is a crucial leader for our team, both on and off the ice, and keeping him in Carolina long term was a top priority.”

This past season, the 31-year-old defenseman recorded six goals, 21 assists, and 27 points in 80 games while averaging 21:34 minutes.

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The defensemen who ranked ahead of Slavin on this list include Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, Miro Heiskanen, Victor Hedman, Josh Morrissey, and Rasmus Dahlin.

With the new youth movement the Seattle Kraken are embracing, Ville Ottavainen could be a quiet contender to play several games in the NHL.

The 23-year-old completed his second season in the AHL with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and although his point totals were lower this past season, his all-around game improved, earning a call-up to the NHL when the season was concluding. In his NHL debut, he recorded an assist in 14:24 of ice time. 

Ottavainen finished the 2024-25 AHL season with three goals and 15 points in 68 games, a step down from his eight goals and 34 points in his 70-game rookie campaign. 

The 2021 fourth-round pick (99th overall) possesses a massive 6-foot-5, 210-pound frame that assists him in keeping the front of the net clear. His long reach breaks up plays in transition and when his opponents are cycling the pucks. 

His breakout abilities prior to the draft were what scouts said were holding him back. Since then, he's made improvements to that aspect of his game and has at the very least become a capable puck mover. His strengths could complement Ryker Evans' game, and Evans' strengths could complement Ottavainen's if the two were paired in the NHL. 

Currently, Ottavainen is on the outside looking in, but a strong training camp and pre-season could put him on coach Lane Lambert's radar. Lambert loves players who can kill plays, and Ottavainen does it better than most. 

On the depth chart, Vince Dunn, Adam Larsson, Brandon Montour, Ryan Lindgren and Evans are without a doubt ahead of him. Jamie Oleksiak and Josh Mahura likely are too, but plenty of rumors have circulated about Oleksiak's availability on the trade market, and Mahura was signed to serve as the seventh defenseman. 

Ottavainen may have to start the season in the AHL, but he could find himself up on the NHL roster very quickly if he continues to impress as he's done previously. 

This has been the most transformative offseason in recent memory for the Anaheim Ducks. With general manager Pat Verbeek’s contract nearing an end and a green light from ownership to do whatever it takes to end the organization’s seven-year playoff drought, the third-longest in the NHL, major surgery has been done to the makeup of team personnel. All of it in the name of making the playoffs in 2025-26.

“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.”

Since that date, the roster has undergone a significant facelift, with the departures of long-time Ducks John Gibson, Isac Lundestrom, and Trevor Zegras, along with the additions of Chris Kreider, Ryan Poehling, Mikael Granlund, and Petr Mrazek.

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A brand new coaching staff will also be behind the Ducks’ bench in the upcoming season, with the newly appointed head coach, Joel Quenneville, being flanked by Jay Woodcroft and Ryan McGill and accompanied by Tim Army and Andrew Brewer.

“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 Quenneville’s introductory press conference. “It really is, and it’s time to take the step to becoming a perennial playoff contender and eventually (a) Stanley Cup contender.”

After the two worst seasons (by points percentage) in franchise history in 2022-23 and 2023-24, in which they totaled 58 and 59 standings points, the Ducks made a significant jump in 2024-25, improving by 21 points, escaping the basement of the standings, but still finishing 25th in the NHL and 16 points out of a wild card spot.

Most metrics suggest that a significant portion of that jump can be attributed to Anaheim's goaltending last season, indicating potential unsustainability.

Nonetheless, the goal is set and well-known. In most years, second wild-card teams average roughly 95 points, which would require another colossal jump in the standings. So that leaves those who follow the Ducks to ask their biggest question of the 2025 offseason: How can the Ducks improve by 35 standings points in two seasons?

The Ducks will be relying on four factors to accomplish their lofty goal: coaching, internal improvement from their youngest/most talented players, a repeatable output from the goaltending, and their veteran leaders staving off Father Time.

Coaching

The true impact of an NHL coach and coaching staff will be on full display in Anaheim in 2025-26. In Cronin’s two seasons behind the bench, the Ducks had the 25th and 32nd-ranked power play, the 31st and 29th-ranked penalty kill, and were 28th and 30th in terms of 5v5 expected goals for percentage.

Quenneville is the second-winningest coach in NHL history with three Stanley Cup rings on his fingers. Jay Woodcroft ran very successful power plays as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks from 2008 to 2018, and McGill led some quality penalty kill units for the Vegas Golden Knights and New Jersey Devils from 2017 to 2025.

The staff Verbeek has assembled unquestionably has the potential to be one of the NHL’s elite, a vast improvement from the one behind the bench a year ago.

Internal Improvement

The Ducks project to start the season with at least seven U25 skaters playing in impactful roles on the nightly depth chart: Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Drew Helleson. More could be added to that list in the form of Sam Colangelo, Nikita Nesterenko, and Tristan Luneau, with the outside possibility of Beckett Sennecke and Stian Solberg.

Focusing just on the first seven mentioned, the Ducks will be relying on all of them to take substantial leaps in their development. LaCombe had a breakout season ago, establishing himself as the team’s top blueliner, while Gauthier, Carlsson, and McTavish all displayed glimpses of how dominant they can be on a shift-to-shift basis. They will have to turn those flashes into elongated, consistent performances if the team is to realize its potential in the upcoming season.

Goaltending

Lukas Dostal has established himself as one of the best young goaltenders in the NHL, posting league-average traditional stats and above-average underlying numbers behind some of the poorer defensive teams in the NHL.

Dostal now has the reins as the Ducks' starter for the foreseeable future and the one who projects to start the team’s first playoff game, whenever that goal has been reached.

He will likely play more than he ever has and in as condensed a schedule as he’s ever experienced in his young career. The challenge will be maintaining his effort while avoiding fatigue as the season grows longer toward the latter portion of the 82-game slate.

He has the composure, skill, and drive to do so, and he will now have the opportunity. If the Ducks indeed make the playoffs, don’t be surprised to see Dostal’s name on some Vezina ballots.

Aging Veterans

The Ducks have one of the most talented young cores in the NHL. That core will be surrounded and insulated by an abundance of veterans on the opposite side of 30 years old.

Alex Killorn, Frank Vatrano, Ryan Strome, Chris Kreider, Mikael Granlund, Jacob Trouba, and Radko Gudas will all play key roles in the upcoming season and will have to elevate the platform that the young players are set to launch off.

All of those veterans have shown signs of declining games at different points in their careers, but have also shown the ability to evolve and remain impactful players as well.

Gudas had such a profound impact in his first season as a Duck in 2023-24, it earned him the captaincy in 2024-25. Kreider is just one year removed from back-to-back-to-back 35-plus goal campaigns. Granlund has eclipsed the 60-point mark in three of the last four seasons, including 61 points in 2024-25, playing for a bottom-dwelling Sharks team before he was traded to the Dallas Stars. These players are more than capable of continuing or returning to these levels despite approaching the final laps of their careers.

Father Time is undefeated, but the Ducks veterans will have to keep him at bay for one more season if this is the year the playoff drought is to end.

The team is counting on a lot to go right in the upcoming season, but if it does, another 15-point jump in the standings isn’t out of the question. However, the “ifs” are plentiful and will carry a heavy load.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced the signing of Daemon Hunt, the final RFA the Blue Jackets had to sign. 

The deal is a 1-year, 2-way deal and is worth $775K at the NHL level, and $80K at the AHL. 

“Daemon Hunt is a good, young two-way defenseman that plays a smart and controlled game,” said Waddell in a press release.  “His signing provides us important additional organizational depth on our blue line.”

Hunt was brought over in the deal that sent David Jiříček to the Minnesota Wild last season. He spent the entire year in Cleveland playing 48 games for the Monsters. He scored 2 goals and totaled 14 points. He also played 9 games for the Iowa Wild and had 4 points. He did play in one NHL game last season for the Wild as well.

This is a player Don Waddell won’t easily give up since he traded Jiříček for him. Still young at 23, the left-shot defenseman has a ton of upside and could take a huge step this year. Look for Hunt to be one of the first guys called this season if they’re in need. 

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59 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The Yegor Chinakhov SagaThe Columbus Blue Jackets have 59 days until the home opener at Nationwide Arena. Today, we talk about Yegor Chinakhov and the drama that surrounds him.  Blue Jackets’ Last Remaining RFA: Daemon HuntWith the Columbus Blue Jackets reaching an agreement with Mikael Pyyhtiä on a one-year, two-way contract yesterday, there is just one remaining restricted free agent (RFA) they need to re-sign, and that is Daemon Hunt. Blue Jackets Sign Mikael Pyyhtia To An ExtensionColumbus has announced the signing of forward Mikael Pyyhtiä to a one-year, two-way contract today. The contract is for $775,000 on the NHL side, and $100,000 on the AHL level. 

Going into the 2025-26 season, Adam Fox’s stock is not as high as it once was. 

In the NHL Network’s latest list of the ‘Top-20 players right now’, Fox ranked as the 16th best defenseman.

In 2023, Fox was listed as the No. 2-ranked defenseman, while last season, he dropped down to the eighth slot. 

Fox’s fall from grace comes after an injury-riddled 2023-24 season and a regression in which both the New York Rangers’ play and his own individual play regressed during the 2024-25 campaign. 

This past season, the 27-year-old defenseman recorded 10 goals, 51 assists, and 61 points in 74 games while averaging 23:15 minutes. 

While Fox has seen a dip in production over the past year, he still leads all Rangers players in average ice time and serves a prominent role both from a defensive and offensive standpoint. 

The responsibility that Fox holds is invaluable to the Blueshirts, and it should not go unnoticed within the NHL community. 

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This offseason, the Rangers signed Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract, which should help take some of the load off of Fox.

The defensemen that ranked ahead of Fox on this list from NHL Network include Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, Miro Heiskanen, Victor Hedman, Josh Morrissey, Rasmus Dahlin, Jaccob Slavin, Roma Josi, Evan Bouchard, Gustav Forsling, Jake Sanderson, Thomas Harley, and Shea Theodore. 

Is it October yet? 

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

Today's player profile is forward Zachary L’Heureux. 

24 Nashville Predators in 24 days series 

Adam Wilsby

Jordan Oesterle

Andreas Engulund

Cole Smith

Michael McCarron

Justin Barron

As an NHL prospect 

 L’Heureux billed himself as a physical forward that can score.

In his first season in the QMJHL with the Moncton Wildcats, he scored 53 points in 55 games and logged 70 penalty minutes. That trend followed into his draft year, but with a different team.

With the Halifax Mooseheads, L’Heureux had 39 points in 33 games and 47 penalty minutes. That led to the Nashville Predators selecting him at 27th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. 

He'd return to Halifax for two more seasons, recording 98 points and penalty minutes in 99 games over those two seasons. During the 2022-23 post-season, L’Heureux scored 26 points in 20 games, helping the Mooseheads to the QMJHL Finals.  

While in the QMJHL, L’Heureux began to build a long list of suspensions. He tallied nine suspensions over the course of four seasons, missing 36 games total. 10 of those games were for a fan altercation where he poked a fan with a stick. 

Professional career 

L’Heureux started his professional career with the Milwaukee Admirals in the 2023-24 and struggled to stay out of the penalty box.

While he had 48 points in 66 games, he had a whopping 197 penalty minutes, complemented by two suspensions for sucker punching and a fight. In the postseason, he had 15 points in 15 games, 62 penalty minutes. 

During the 2024-25 season, L’Heureux played just four games with the Admirals, scoring five points, before he was promoted to the Predators roster. In his first season in Nashville, L’Heureux scored 15 points in 62 games and had 63 penalty minutes. 

He was also handed a three game suspension for slew footing. 

L’Heureux is in the final year of a 3-year, $2.59 million contract. 

What role will he play this season? 

L'Heureux absolutely, 100 percent needs to start playing cleaner. It's seemingly improved, but having at least one suspension in every league is an issue. 

The jump down from 197 penalty minutes to 63 is a strong improvement, but it needs to continue. At the same time, L’Heureux's production declined. That is likely because of the transition from the NHL to the AHL, but this is going to be a big season.

If L'Heureux can prove that his game isn't reliant on being undisciplined, then that's going to be huge.

He earned his promotion to the Predators roster, showing that he can score and be physical, and the Predators likely don't want to remove that element from his game. L’Heureux has a ton of potential, but just needs to find a way to find a balance between being offensively successful and having a physical presence. 

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has already signed defensemen Jacob Bernard-Docker and Ian Mitchell so far this offseason, but another new name has been added to Detroit's blue line. 

The Red Wings announced they have signed defenseman Travis Hamonic, a veteran of 900 NHL games, to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

UPDATE: The #RedWings have signed defenseman Travis Hamonic to a one-year contract with an AAV of $1,000,000. pic.twitter.com/fw1qWJwEM2

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) August 15, 2025

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

It's another short-term, low-risk move for Yzerman, who also inked Bernard-Docker, Mitchell, and forward James van Riemsdyk to similar short-term deals. 

A native of St. Malo, Manitoba, Hamonic arrives in Detroit having played the last three and a half seasons with the Ottawa Senators.

TRAVIS HAMONIC'S FIRST GOAL SINCE 2023 GIVES OTTAWA THE LEAD 😱 pic.twitter.com/ChfOeYs2Wr

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 19, 2025

He was originally selected 53rd overall in the 2008 NHL Draft by the New York Islanders while playing for the WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors. 

Hamonic made his NHL debut with the Islanders in November 2010, and would later sign a seven-year, $27 million extension to remain with the club. However, he would eventually request a trade owing to a personal family situation.

Despite rescinding the request, he would ultimately be traded to the Calgary Flames in June 2017. Following his first season in Calgary, they chose him as their nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

Following three seasons with the Flames, Hamonic accepted a professional tryout with the Vancouver Canucks in 2021, which culminated in a one-year contract. Eventually, he would be re-signed to a two-year contract. 

After spending time with the Canucks along with their American Hockey League affiliate Abbotsford Canucks, Hamonic was traded to the Ottawa Senators in March 2022. After scoring six goals and 15 assists the following season, the Senators re-signed him to a two-year contract. 

Hamonic has scored 53 goals with 189 assists in 900 career regular season games, while adding a goal and three assists in 22 career playoff games. 

He'll likely be competing for a spot on Detroit's bottom-six pairing. 

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