Category: Sports News

There were a lot of new faces at the Montreal Canadiens’ development camp last week, starting with the prospect drafted at the end of June, but there was also one Russian prospect who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 draft: Bogdan Konyushkov.

The 22-year-old right-shot defenseman is not overly large, standing at six feet and weighing 171 pounds, but he has already played three full seasons in the KHL and has plenty of experience under his belt.

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In the season following his selection by the Canadiens, he was named captain of Torpedo Nizhny by former NHL player and coach Igor Larionov and put up 28 points in 65 games. That offensive production diminished in the most recent season to 17 points in 67 games. Asked how come at camp, Konyushkov replied through prospect Arseni Radkov, who acted as his interpreter, that when his team doesn’t play as well and scores less, players produce less as well.

He showed a lot of poise and leadership throughout the development camp, which prompted Rob Ramage to say:

He speaks a little bit of English, so it was impressive when he was speaking to the other Russians on the ice and he was helping to explain what the drills were. […] So he’s a very mature young man. He was a captain two years ago, the youngest captain in the KHL, so he carries himself like a pro. I believe he’s going back this year, and we’ll see what happens next year. It would be nice to get him over.

- Rob Ramage on Bogdan Konyushkov

The youngster has one year left on his contract with Torpedo and will be playing under a new coach, Alexei Isakov, since Larionov was dismissed after his team’s first-round exit. Konyushkov doesn’t know what the future holds after that; he wants to focus on the next season, and after that, he will figure it out. The organization would like to see him come over.

He didn’t stand out to me during development camp, but that’s not a bad thing; he’s not a flashy defenseman, and he plays an efficient game that doesn’t necessarily catch the eye. Still, in the scrimmage, he joined the rush whenever possible, and he showed he was a mobile defenseman.

I don’t see him becoming a top-pairing defenseman in the NHL, but the Canadiens could use a real right-shot defenseman on their bottom pairing, which would finally give them balanced pairings. For now, Noah Dobson and Alexandre Carrier are the two right-shot pairings, and eventually, David Reinbacher will be joining them, leaving Carrier with a lesser role. At 28 years old, he has two years left on his three-year contract with a $3.75 million cap hit before becoming a UFA. While the salary cap is increasing, Kent Hughes might eventually want to spend less on his bottom pairing. If Carrier’s salary demands are too high, it would be ideal to be able to slot Konyushkov in. By then, he would have four years of KHL experience and, providing he signs with the Canadiens after that, one year of pro North American hockey under his belt. If he’s ready, he will be a much cheaper option for the Habs.

It will be worth keeping an eye on him during the upcoming season, if only to see if the Canadiens do offer him a contract. Currently, the Habs' depth chart on the right includes the above-mentioned Dobson, Carrier, and Reinbacher, in addition to the two recent AHL signings, Nate Clurman and Wyatte Wylie. When it comes to unsigned prospects, I believe Konyushkov comes first, in front of Bryce Pickford, Carlos Handel, Dimitri Kostenko, Daniil Sobolev, and Andrew MacNiel.

Photo credit: Ariane Bergeron/Club de Hockey Canadiens Inc. 

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Jake Allen wanted to remain a New Jersey Devil. 

Entering NHL Free Agency, the 34-year-old was a pending unrestricted free agent who was considered the best available goaltender. As it turned out, he wasn't available as the Devils re-signed him ahead of the official start of free agency. 

"It is exciting to have Jake back and his family back in New Jersey, where they wanted to be and where we wanted them," Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. "I give Jake and Shannon a lot of credit for helping us through this process, cap-wise. It just shows you that we are building something here where people want to stay. It says a lot about Jake and his family, and we are just so excited to bring him back."

With Jacob Markstrom under contract for one more year, New Jersey will run it back with its veteran tandem, which was one of the best in the league in the 2024-25 season. 
Of course, after signing Allen to a five-year, $9 million contract with an average annual value of $1.8 million, one question remains: What is the long-term plan for  Nico Daws? 

On Wednesday, The Hockey News posed that exact question to Fitzgerald. 
"You see how often goalies are going down," he explained. "Having depth in the net is crucial. Nico is a guy, he played what, five, six games last year? Definitely played too early in his career, but out of necessity. We really like Nico, but we feel like having this depth makes us a better team." 

Daws is in his final year of a two-year contract he signed in July 2024. For the 2025-26 season, he is on a one-way deal at $850,000 at the NHL level. This past season, the 24-year-old started four games, earning a 3-1-0 record with a .939 save percentage and a 1.60 goals-against average. 
There is one important caveat associated with Daws this upcoming season. He will require waivers to be assigned to the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL). If the Devils need Daws' services at any point during the 2025-26 season, there is a risk that another NHL team could claim him and take on his contract. 
With so many teams interested in adding a goaltender this summer, it is not hard to imagine Daws getting claimed by another franchise with that reasonable one-year price tag. If it comes to that, could the Devils make a trade this summer to ensure they get a return for their goaltender? 

Days ago, New Jersey parted ways with Daws' friend and Comets goaltending partner Isaac Poulter. The organization did not extend a qualifying offer to the 23-year-old, and as an unrestricted free agent, he signed a contract with the Winnipeg Jets. 
Daws' new partner is expected to be Jakub Malek, who will be transitioning his game to North America this fall. Fitzgerald confirmed that Malek would begin this chapter of his career in Utica and said he could even compete for the starting position, which most would expect to be held by Daws. 
"I am very excited, because it will be something new for me," Malek told The Hockey News earlier this week. "It will be something that I have been waiting for for three years. I can't wait to play here."

Daws has been around long enough to see plenty of goaltenders arrive and depart from Newark, including Vitek Vanecek, Akira Schmid, and Kaapo Kahkonen. His philosophy has always been to keep his head down and keep working until he is told otherwise, and it appears that will continue when training camp opens in mid-September. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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There are several new faces that have joined the Detroit Red Wings for the upcoming 2025-26 NHL season, both via free agency and trade. 

While the additions have provided Detroit with solid depth, they aren't considered to be major difference makers in the vein of a Mitch Marner or Nikolaj Ehlers, both of whom the Red Wings were reportedly interested in.

If the Red Wings are to make a major splash this offseason, it will likely come through a trade. 

As far as Detroit not landing a major name in free agency, the chances of Ehlers choosing the Red Wings were slim, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

"As Yzerman said, I don't think Ehlers was a realistic option, I don't think that was ever going to happen," Friedman explained during Sunday's edition of '32 Thoughts: The Podcast'. 

Marner is now with the Vegas Golden Knights after a sign-and-trade deal from the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Ehlers signed a six-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. 

HERE WE GO 🤩

Nikolaj Ehlers has signed with the @Canes for six years! 🌀 #NHLFreeAgencypic.twitter.com/wEWbkOapPm

— NHL (@NHL) July 3, 2025

Friedman then went on to explain that the Red Wings allegedly had interest in Viktor Arvidsson, who had previously played for coach Todd McLellan with the Los Angeles Kings, along with Mason Marchment; both players ultimately landed elsewhere. 

"I think he had some interest in (Viktor) Arvidsson, because Arvidsson had some success with Todd Todd McLellan in LA, but he ended up in Boston," Friedman said. "I heard that the Red Wings like Mason Marchment, but he ended up in Seattle. There were some things he wanted to do that he wasn't able to do."

Arvidsson was traded by the Edmonton Oilers to the Boston Bruins, while Marchment was traded by the Dallas Stars to the Seattle Kraken. 

Yzerman has given term to unrestricted free agents in recent years, signing both Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher to five-year contracts in the 2022 and 2023 offseasons, respectively. He also signed defenseman Ben Chiarot to a four-year contract in 2022. 

Friedman concluded by saying he doesn't see Yzerman offering long-term contracts to outside free agents unless it would be a "big home run".

"Unless he can hit a big home run, and this year it would have been a guy like Ehlers, he's going going to do that anymore with four or five-year terms," Friedman said. 

So far, Detroit's signings in free agency have all been short term commitments. James van Riemsdyk was signed to a one-year, $1 million deal, while Mason Appleton signed a two-year, $5.8 million deal.

Additionally, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Ian Mitchell, and John Leonard were signed to one-year contracts, all with a cap hit of less than $1 million. 

LAS VEGAS -- While "Marner Magic" is headed to the ice in Vegas, his song selection on karaoke nights could come into question during those team bonding trips to Montana.

When Vegas entered the conversation as a destination for the next phase of Mitch Marner's career, the 28-year-old began vetting the organization.

Who better to ask than former Golden Knights he was now playing with in Toronto?

"From talking to (Max) Pacioretty and Reavo (Ryan Reaves just over the last couple of weeks, it seemed like everything was a pretty good fit for my wife, our new son, and me," Marner said during his introductory press conference.

Pacioretty, who arrived in Toronto last season, was also in Vegas for four seasons, arriving in the team's second year before being traded to Carolina after the 2021-22 season.

Reaves, who has been with the Maple Leafs the past two seasons, spent four years (2017-21) of his 15-year career in Vegas, including the second half of the franchise's inaugural campaign when the team went to the Stanley Cup Final.

"Mitchy is someone who cares lot about winning," Reaves told The Hockey News. "He’s very passionate. One of the most skilled players out there."

Which is why the Knights ponied up an eight-year $96 million contract.

Marner, who will return to uniform No. 93, leaves the Maple Leafs as their fifth-highest scorer in franchise history, with 741 regular-season points on 221 goals (14th) and 520 assists (fourth).

Marner's 521 assists since his rookie season (2016-17) ranks fifth in the NHL, while he ranks eighth with 741 points.

Vegas now has arguably two of the top 10 forwards in the NHL, with Marner joining Jack Eichel, both with similar styles in puck handling, vision on the ice and an overall offensive prowess.

"He has the ability to hold on to pucks and draw two or three defenders to him, and then has the vision to find the open guy," Reaves added.

Never short of jokes and one-liners, Reaves also discussed his former younger teammate off the ice.

"He’s one of the guys always leading the charge, life of the party," Reaves said. "Not bad at karaoke, although the song choices are suspect."

The NHL free agent frenzy began less than a week ago, and as is usually the case, several clubs spent money irresponsibly. That is normally the case when July 1 comes around, but in a year where the free agent class was thin and two of the prime targets (Mitch Marner and Brock Boeser) did not get to the open market, clubs got into a bidding war and signed contracts with useful middle-of-the-lineup players that will not age well. 

Here are five contract signings that teams will likely regret:    

Tanner Jeannot: Boston Bruins (Five Years, $3.4 Million AAV) 

The bruising winger is not the player who scored 24 goals with Nashville four years ago, but after a failed stint in Tampa Bay, Jeannot became a useful crash-and-bang forward with the Los Angeles Kings, leading the club in hits until an injury ended his season in late March.

Jeannot benefited from teams looking to emulate the Florida Panthers model and parlayed that into a five-year deal, but Boston GM Don Sweeney’s desperation to make the Bruins relevant again led him to make a big mistake.

Connor Brown: New Jersey Devils (Four Years, $3 Million AAV) 

After some early success in Toronto and Ottawa, Brown’s career was derailed by a serious knee injury with Washington. His first year back with Edmonton was as a fourth-line role player, and last season he was more useful (13 goals, 17 assists in the regular season, five goals in the playoffs), but the term and salary given by the Devils for a bottom-six forward were excessive.  

Cody Ceci: Los Angeles Kings (Four Years, $4.5 Million AAV) 

Possibly the worst deal signed on July 1, as Kings GM Ken Holland went hog wild on a spending spree (Joel Armia, Brian Dumoulin, Anton Forsberg, Corey Perry) but did not address his new club’s crying need for offense. 

Ceci is, at best, a middle-pairing blueliner and better suited to bottom-pairing duty, but benefited from a dearth of right-handed defensemen in free agency. A one or two-year deal would have been understandable, but a four-year contract for someone who will play behind Drew Doughty and Brandt Clarke on the right side is absurd.  

Ryan Lindgren: Seattle Kraken (Four Years, $4.5 Million AAV) 

The same term and AAV as Ceci, the issue with Lindgren is not his quality as a player, but the fact that he may be the oldest 27-year-old in the NHL. After absorbing a ton of punishment as a shutdown defenseman with the Rangers playing alongside Adam Fox for five seasons, New York was fearful of signing him to a long-term deal and traded the blueliner to Colorado as a rental. 

The concern over Lindgren’s durability is valid, and the deal for a defenseman who has never scored more than 20 points in a season, even with the cap going up, was a risky proposition. 

Ivan Provorov: Columbus Blue Jackets (Seven Years, $8.5 Million AAV) 

Provorov benefited from the Noah Dobson contract (eight years at $9.5 million), making him and former Blue Jacket Vladislav Gavrikov the most sought-after defensemen on the market. The 28-year-old is a solid top-four blueliner who normally scores in the 30-35 point range and logs major minutes, but while the Rangers got Gavrikov at a $7-million cap hit, GM Don Waddell clearly paid a “Columbus tax” for Provorov. 

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The NHL off-season is in full swing, giving us the perfect opportunity to look at each team’s prospect pools, continuing now with the Buffalo Sabres. 

It is worth noting that a player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer considered a prospect for the purposes of these exercises.  

In this series, Tony Ferrari will dig into each team’s strengths and weaknesses, a quick overview of their latest draft class, where each team's positional depth chart stands and who could be next in line for an NHL chance! 

Initial Thoughts

The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs since the 2010-11 season, which is tied with the New York Jets for the longest drought in North American pro sports at the moment. They haven’t really even been close, having finished in the bottom half of their division every year during their drought. They haven’t been able to find the right mix, but it’s given them a very promising prospect pool. 

Konsta Helenius had a very solid first season in the AHL last year, showcasing his two-way game while growing into an offensive contributor throughout the season. His game has always been one of little flash and flair, built more on substance and intelligent habits. Helenius might not be a top-line center, but he has the potential to be a very good matchup center who can win his minutes. Amping up his pace will be the biggest growth opportunity heading into next season. 

Speaking of pace, Noah Ostlund is a center who brings plenty of pace and speed to the game. He can play on the wing if needed as well, which gives him some versatility, but it’s his intelligence and playmaking that make him a dangerous offensive player. He has the highest upside of the forward prospects in the system because of his combination of intelligence, speed, and puck skill, but he needs to show that he can handle the physicality of North American pro hockey, something he began to show with a great first full AHL season. 

Anton Wahlberg continued to prove his worth as a prospect with a 30-point rookie year in the AHL and an excellent performance at the World Junior Championship for Sweden. He has size and speed, which are tough to handle because he works his tail off, especially around the net and along the boards. Wahlberg might end up as a winger at the NHL level, but he’s the kind of high-work-rate player that finds himself playing with better players than he probably should because he finds a way to help make their life easy. 

Seemingly right on the cusp of breaking onto the NHL roster, Isak Rosen has a whippy shot that comes off a quick, deceptive release. He is an excellent offensive creator in space and thrives when he is able to create separation with subtle changes in speed or quick cuts. Rosen could be one of the first players called up this season when they need some top-nine help. 

With a huge step up in his age-21 season in the KHL, Prokhor Poltapov put himself back on the map for the Sabres. His dynamic dangles and slick offensive tools are what have allowed him to become an impact player for CSKA. His skating is the biggest thing holding him back, but he’s made strides in that department, no pun intended. 

The blueline is an area that has been a strength for the Sabres as well. They have Owen Power, 22, already on the roster, and Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson are still just 25, so the core of the defense group is young. They have Bowen Byram on the trading block at the moment because they feel like they lean too far offensively, which makes the presence of a couple of solid defensive blueliners in the system a blessing. 

Maxim Strbak has been a steadying defensive presence for the Michigan State Spartans the last couple of seasons in the NCAA as the school has become one of the best hockey programs in the country. Strbak isn’t often the first player named when the Spartans' success is brought up, but he’s always a player that coaches and teammates rave about. His attention to detail and defensive acumen are both excellent, understated qualities. 

Another excellent defensive blueliner in the system is University of Minnesota-Duluth defender, Adam Kleber. His reach and mobility allow him to track and shadow opposing attackers with ease, surfing back until the moment is right to strike with a well-timed poke check or a quick close out along the wall. Kleber isn’t dynamic or flashy, but he’s very effective. 

Although Devon Levi isn’t eligible for the Calder Trophy anymore, he remains the Sabres' top goaltending prospect. The 23-year-old has been fantastic at the AHL level, but he’s struggled to solidify himself at the NHL level. His agility and athleticism have always been impressive, but his 6-foot frame is going to be an obstacle for him to get over. 

The Sabres' pipeline has impressive depth in goal. Topias Leinonen, Scott Ratzlaff and Ryerson Leenders would all be the top netminder in nearly half of the systems across the league. It will be interesting to see which of them emerges as the alpha in the system as each of them brings excellent qualities in their own right.

Key U-23 Players Likely To Play NHL Games This Season

Zach Benson (LW), Jiri Kulich (C/W), Owen Power (D)

2025 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 9th overall - Radim Mrtka, D, Seattle (WHL)

Round 3, 71st overall - David Bedkowski, D, Owen Sound (OHL)

Round 4, 103rd overall - Matous Kucharcik, C, Slavia Jr. (Czech)

Round 4, 116th overall - Samuel Meloche, G, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)

Round 5, 135th overall - Noah Laberge, D, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)

Round 6, 167th overall - Ashton Schultz, C, Chicago (USHL)

Round 7, 195th overall - Melvin Novotny, L, Leksands IF Jr. (Swe)

Round 7, 199th overall - Evgeny Prokhorov, G, Babruysk Dinamo-Shinnik Jr. (Rus)

Round 7, 219th overall - Ryan Rucinski, C, Youngstown (USHL)

The Sabres’ draft was one that came with some questions from fans and analysts alike, but it wasn’t because they took bad players, it was because they played it fairly safe throughout the draft. Radim Mrtka is a big, rangy blueliner who is at his best when he plays a simple, controlled game with a focus on his own zone. He has some really intriguing flashes of offensive skill thanks to his creativity and mobility, but his offensive game may stagnate as he advances toward the NHL. 

Their next pick came in the third round, where they drafted defensive D-man David Bedkowski, one of the most physical players in the draft. He looks to punish opponents with big hits both in open ice and along the boards, bullying attackers and deterring them from coming his way. Bedkowski has a tendency to chase hits at times, but if he can rein that in, there is a solid, defensive-minded player here. 

The first of two fourth-rounders, Matous Kucharcik is a 6-foot-4 defensive forward who isn’t the most offensively inclined. His game is based around intelligent back tracking, solid defensive positioning and getting the puck to his wingers and allowing them to create. He can be an asset around the net. He’s not the most awe-inspiring player, but he could be a solid depth piece. 

Samuel Meloche played 51 games as a 17-year-old last year in the regular season in the QMJHL, and he more than held his own for Rouyn-Noranda. He was athletic enough to bail his team out when the defense broke down and technically sound enough to handle in-zone set attacks. He is one of the youngest goalies in the class, and having already proven he can handle nearly 65 total games between the regular season and playoffs, Meloche is a solid bet in the fourth round. 

The Sabres stuck with safe, defensive-minded players in the fifth round when they selected Noah Laberge. While he’s not the biggest defender at 6-foot-1, he plays a stout defensive game with good instincts. His quick stick gets on pucks right away as they enter his space, and he creates battles all over the ice rather than allowing the attacker to dictate play. Laberge can make a solid first pass, but don’t expect him to make dynamic plays offensively. 

Ashton Schultz was the Sabres' sixth-rounder. He is a support winger who can play a higher energy game at times and disrupt play on the backcheck. He’s not the kind of player who is going to put up crazy points or drive play offensively. He is more of a complementary support player who provides outlets or comes into a battle to create a numbers advantage for his team. 

The Sabres deviated from their plan of going safe and defensive in the seventh with their first pick of the round, Melvin Novotny. The Swedish winger is a crafty player who thinks the game tactically. His timing and play-reading ability are what make him dangerous in the offensive zone, waiting an extra second for a passing lane to open up or quickly taking advantage of a defender's feet turned the wrong way. Novotny might have the highest upside of any forward that they drafted, and it’s not particularly close. The reason he fell is that he’s not much of a physical player, and his skating is average at best. 

With their second-to-last pick, the Sabres selected netminder Yevgeni Prokhorov. The 6-foot-3 tendy had a solid season, but his six-game playoff stint, where he posted a .943 save percentage, is what really drew the attention of teams in the NHL. It’s a late swing on a goalie, and the Sabres have done a good job of identifying netminders in the later rounds. 

They capped off the 2025 NHL draft by taking Ryan Rucinski from the Youngstown Phantoms. He brings some physicality and a good shot along with some solid habits in his own end. He doesn’t have any truly high-end tools, but he works hard and crashes the net in the offensive zone to try and clean up the garbage around the crease. 

Strengths

The Sabres have been a team that has been building up their pipeline for quite some time now. Understandably, that means they have some really solid talent. They have a number of solid blueliners and more than a few quality netminders, but the position of true strength is down the middle. Helenius and Ostlund should compete for roles in the top six, and Anton Wahlberg is a potential third-line center of the future. 

Even players like Kucharcik and Schultz could be potential centers at the pro level. The depth of centers is what is really impressive, especially since they have Kulich, 21, and Peyton Krebs, 24, who will likely be in the lineup full time this season. Young, solid center depth could be what gets the Sabres out of the futility that they’ve lived in for a decade and a half. 

Weaknesses

The Sabres don’t have many weaknesses in their pipeline, but if you want to nitpick, you could say that it’s the skill on the wings. Rosen is the most skilled player on either wing, and he could wind up being a top-nine winger. They have players like Poltapov, Novotny and Ziemer who could fill depth roles, but none of them look like potential top-six players. There is always a chance that some of their centers move to the wing, so the issue may not be quite all that integral, especially since they have Benson, 20, Jack Quinn, 23, and Josh Doan, 23, who can play important roles on the wing as young players. 

Hidden Gem: Luke Osburn, D

Heading into last year’s draft, Osburn was one of my favorite sleepers, so when Buffalo took him in the fourth round, it was instantly a prospect that I was keeping my eye on. His step-up with Youngstown in the USHL this year was impressive, becoming a true difference maker on the ice in transition and in the offensive zone. 

Osburn is a very fluid skater who can get moving quickly to open passing lanes. His ability to activate compromises opposing defenders as they have to commit to tracking him, which gives him an open man to pass to. Osburn could be a sneaky good defenseman at the next level, but first, he’s headed to the University of Wisconsin. 

Next Man Up: Isak Rosen, RW

There is no obvious answer to who will be the next man up because the Sabres have so many young players already on the roster or players who have already used up their Calder eligibility, which makes it hard to choose from the group below on the depth chart. Devon Levi is set to play a bigger role in the NHL, assuming he can take hold of a spot in camp, as the team is hoping. Kulich and Benson are both going to play major roles on the NHL roster in what could be a breakout year for both of them. Owen Power is just 22 years old and still just scratching the surface of what the Sabres hoped for when they drafted him. 

If there is a player from the AHL squad who could move up and take a spot in the NHL lineup, it very well could be Rosen. The young Swede has a quick release, and he’s an intelligent passer as well. With fluidity on his feet also a major strength, Rosen has the tools to be an impactful dual-threat attacker at the next level. 

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Prokhor Poltapov, Melvin Novotny, Viktor Neuchev

C: Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund, Anton Wahlberg, Matous Kucharcik

RW: Isak Rosen, Brodie Ziemer, Ashton Schultz

LD: Luke Osburn, Nikita Novikov, Noah Laberge, Norwin Panocha

RD: Radim Mrtka, Maxim Strbak, Adam Kleber, David Bedkowski, Vsevolod Komarov, Gavin McCarthy

G: Topias Leinonen, Scott Ratzlaff, Ryerson Leenders, Yevgeni Prokhorov

For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of the Hockey News print edition.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.