The NHL off-season gives us the perfect opportunity to examine each team’s prospect pools, continuing now with the Boston Bruins.

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

A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer a prospect for these exercises.

Initial Thoughts

After over a decade of being one of the NHL’s most dangerous contenders, the Boston Bruins are beginning to look toward the future. Whether you call it a retool or a rebuild, the Bruins sent key players out the door at the trade deadline, and they seem to have their eyes on the draft and the world of prospects. They acquired Marat Khusnutdinov, Will Zellers and Fraser Minten at the deadline, which started stocking up their cupboard. 

Khusnutdinov is an incredibly smart, tactical forward who can play both center and on the wing. His speed and transition ability are quite impressive, and although he wasn’t able to break through offensively in a limited role both pre and post-trade, he has some really intriguing dual-threat ability. He will stay in the lineup because of his 200-foot game, but his skill and transition game will help him find a nice role in the middle six. 

Zellers is an incredibly skilled puck handler who could have one of the most entertaining highlight reels of any prospect. His offensive tools allow him to get into excellent scoring position, and his shot has come a long way over the last couple of years. His scoring comes from dangling a defender and getting his shot off quickly and accurately. He’s not really a typical Bruins-style player, but there is a lot to like in terms of betting on upside and skill. 

Minten is much more of a Bruins pick, being an intense, intelligent player who can play with some jam. His shot is good, and he plays a simple, north-south game that won’t wow anyone. Minten’s entire game is based around his ability to read the ice and make the right play. He isn’t flashy, but he’s effective. 

Fabian Lysell played a dozen NHL games last season, and despite not really finding the scoresheet too often, the impact he had on the Bruins after the trade deadline was impressive. His speed and transition ability were immediately evident. Lysell will have to win a spot on the roster in training camp, but the pure talent is as high as almost anyone in the pipeline outside of James Hagens, who was just drafted seventh overall. Lysell has had some growing pains because when you figuratively go 110 miles per hour every time you’re on the ice, you can have some issues. If Lysell can slow down a bit at times and play a bit more tactically, he could be a stud for the Bruins. 

The blueline is a bit bare for the Bruins. Jackson Edwards brings a really interesting physical edge, and maybe there is something there as a bottom-pair guy. 

Loke Johansson is a big, defensive-minded blueliner who is mobile, but he’s not really much of a difference-maker. Kristian Kostadinski could be an interesting defender if he can refine his defensive game at Boston College with his physical edge.

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

Fraser Minten (C), Matthew Poitras (RW), Marat Khusnutdinov (C/LW), Fabian Lysell (RW/LW)

2025 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 7th overall - James Hagens, C, Boston College (NCAA)

Round 2, 51st overall - Will Moore, C, U.S. NTDP (USHL)

Round 2, 61st overall - Liam Pettersson, D, Vaxjo Jr. (Swe.)

Round 3, 79th overall - Cooper Simpson, L, Shakopee (Minn. H.S.)

Round 4, 100th overall - Vashek Blanar, D, Troja-Ljungby Jr. (Swe)

Round 5, 133rd overall - Cole Chandler, C, Shawinigan (QMJHL)

Round 6, 165th overall - Kirill Yemelyanov, C, Loko Yaroslavl Jr. (Rus.)

When the Bruins decided to trade key pieces at the trade deadline, it signalled that the 2025 NHL draft would be the beginning of a new era for the Bruins. Although they didn’t quite reach the bottom of the standings, they were selecting in the top 10 with their own pick for the first time in a long time.

Despite the best efforts from teams like the New York Islanders to trade up and try to get ahead of the Bruins, it didn’t happen, and they chose the center from Boston College, James Hagens. 

The fit is about as perfect as it could be. The Bruins need a new centerpiece for the future, and Hagens has the potential to be that. Coming into the year, Hagens was the top prospect for this year’s draft class, but strong seasons from a few others and a year that wasn’t quite on par with recent college draft eligibles Adam Fantilli and Macklin Celebrini resulted in Hagens dropping down the board.

Hagens is a supremely skilled playmaker with incredible creativity. His skating is agile and swift. He moves with a shiftiness that can give defenders fits. It’s given him the ability to open up passing lanes and create small advantages for himself all over the ice. Hagens is no slouch as a goal-scorer either, using his speed to attack the slot, and he has a wicked snap shot that can pick corners. He even seemed to add some level of physicality to his game despite his undersized frame. Hagens has a real chance of being the face of the Bruins one day. 

In the second round, the Bruins selected a future teammate of Hagens at Boston College, Will Moore. The NTDP center is a play connector who always looks to move the puck in a positive direction. He’s a strong passer who works give-and-gos at a high level and shows excellent touch on passes all over the ice. Moore brings a physical edge as well. He lacks the top-end gear of a high-end producer, but he brings a steadiness you need in the middle six. 

Swedish defender Liam Pettersson’s game is raw, but the upside is incredibly intriguing. His skating and passing in transition allow him to get the play moving up ice. Pettersson is a shifty puck handler who can evade pressure and fire off passes to outlets. His defensive game will need lots of improvement, but with the tools and a bit of physical maturity, he could be really intriguing. 

Cooper Simpson was one of the most intriguing high school players in the draft because of his wicked shot, high-end skating and versatile puckhandling. As with most high schoolers, there are some concerns with how he will translate at the pro level, as he doesn’t bring much in the way of a physical game and can falter under physical pressure. Simpson excels in space and loves to attack downhill, which should bode well for him as he advances to higher pace environments. He needs to work on his defensive game, but Simpson is a scorer, so that’s what the Bruins hope to have found. 

The Bruins' selection of Vashek Blanar was a bit unexpected, but after watching some additional tape on him, it looks like the Bruins are betting on size and potential. He shows flashes of play creation from the back end and is very close to pulling plays off at the offensive blueline, even if he comes up a bit short at times. Defensively, he uses his length well and closes quickly most of the time. There are times you’d like to see him get a bit more intense, but there is a solid foundation of tools and size to work with. 

Cole Chandler is a typical Bruins-style, underappreciated player. He does a lot of the little things well and plays a high-energy, detail-oriented game. Chandler looks to initiate contact in puck races and tries to gain the little advantages. He isn’t the most skilled, the fastest, or even the strongest player, but he does so many of the right things. He could end up being a player who finds a nice role in the bottom-six down the road. 

A late-round swing on Kirill Yemelyanov might be a sneaky good pick for the Bruins as they add a center who plays a sound 200-foot game. He isn’t the most skilled or fleetest of foot, but he has enough there to be a legitimate prospect. Yemelyanov shows some really smart passing and seems to understand how to move the puck with short, simple passes to get it into excellent positions up ice. 

Strengths

Despite a number of weak points, the Bruins have done a good job of finding players who fill their depth chart down the middle. Players like Letourneau and Gasseau have been centers quite often in their careers to this point, but likely project as wingers at the next level. Even with that, they added Hagens and Moore to a group that already features Locmelis and Minten, both of whom could play NHL games this season. 

Weaknesses

The Bruins have been a very good team for a very long time, and although they’ve committed to at least a retool, they lack prospects in a major way. 

The pipeline has quite a few weaknesses, including a complete lack of U-23 talent in net. That’s somewhat excusable, though, considering that Boston has its goalie of the future in Jeremy Swayman already on the big club. 

What is increasingly concerning is their lack of defense prospects, specifically on the right side. Wanner is the only notable right-handed defender in the system. Their left side is almost as bad. The Bruins need to infuse their prospect pool with some defense prospects because they have no one who projects as more than a depth player.

Hidden Gem: Dans Locmelis, C/W

One of the best examples of a player with a bunch of average to slightly above average tools with the ability to become more than the sum of his parts, Locmelis is going to be an interesting player for the Bruins in the beginning years of their rebuild. 

After a solid season at UMass in the NCAA, Locmelis jumped into the AHL and put up 12 points in just six games. His playoff didn’t go quite as well with just one point across four contests, but there is a ton of promise as a depth scorer. Locmelis has been one of the most impactful performers for the Latvian national team at all levels, from U-18 to the men’s squad. He is continuously improving on that stage, so finding a role in the Bruins system looks like a decent bet. 

Next Man Up: Fraser Minten, C

The Bruins added Minten at the deadline last season, getting him in the deal that sent Brandon Carlo to Toronto. Minten is an intelligent, steady center who has a very good shot and a stout 200-foot game. He lacks the dynamism and upside of a true top-six center, but he brings everything you could want in a third-line center. His motor never quits, he takes excellent routes around the ice, and he isn’t a guy who is going to chase for offense. Minten was a very solid get for the Bruins, and he’s a player that they were able to almost immediately put into their lineup, signifying the beginning of a new era of Boston hockey. 

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Cooper Simpson, Will Zellers, Cole Spicer, Brett Harrison, Andre Gasseau, Christopher Pelosi

C: James Hagens, Fraser Minten, Dans Locmelis, Will Moore, Cole Chandler, Kirill Yemelyanov

RW: Fabian Lysell, Dean Letourneau, Ryan Walsh

LD: Jackson Edward, Loke Johansson, Kristian Kostadinski, Frederic Brunet, Elliott Groenewold

RD: Max Wanner

G: Philip Svedeback

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.

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The offseason is in full swing, free agency has started to slow down, and Ottawa Senators fans are turning their attention to what next season’s roster might look like. But Sens fans will always have a soft spot for players who once battled for Ottawa, or at least some curiosity about how they're making out these days.

In that spirit, here's a list of 11 ex-Senators who found new NHL homes this past week and where they’re headed next. Remarkably, the list includes no less than five players the Sens chose in the first round of the NHL Draft.

Shane Bowers

Shane Bowers never actually played for the Senators, but was drafted in the first round in 2017. That fall, Brady Tkachuk joined Bowers at Boston University. But during that season, five months after he was drafted, Bowers was sent to Colorado in the Matt Duchene deal. Bowers has played in 13 NHL games and was traded by the New Jersey Devils this week to the San Jose Sharks for forward Thomas Bordeleau.

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Connor Brown

Connor Brown played three seasons for the Ottawa Senators before being traded to the Washington Capitals in 2022. After suffering a major knee injury that sidelined him for much of that season, his offense dipped, and he managed just four goals and 12 points in 71 games with the Edmonton Oilers the following year. However, Brown bounced back last season with a 30-point campaign, enough to earn a four-year, $12 million contract with the New Jersey Devils.

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Logan Brown

Ottawa’s 2016 first-round draft pick, Logan Brown has struggled to find a consistent role in the NHL. Plagued by injuries since he was drafted, Brown has played only 35 games in the league. Despite this, after he parted ways with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, the LA Kings took a chance on the talented but injury-prone center, signing him to a one-year, two-way contract.

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Jacob Bernard-Docker

Jacob Bernard-Docker, 25, never fully found his footing in Ottawa and was traded along with Josh Norris to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Dylan Cozens and Dennis Gilbert. After playing 15 games for Buffalo, he was not offered a qualifying contract and became a free agent. He signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings worth $875,000.

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Cody Ceci

Cody Ceci, another former Sens first-rounder, played six seasons with Ottawa from 2013 to 2019, and seems to get no shortage of flak from fans wherever he goes. But since leaving the Sens, he's been to the playoffs every year, so there's that. Ceci is now with his seventh NHL team after the LA Kings signed him to a four-year contract worth $18 million. He's been remarkably resilient, missing only 10 games in four years. Ceci even put in some overtime last season, appearing in 85 NHL games.

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Evgenii Dadonov

Evgenii Dadonov played for the Senators in the 2020–21 season before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. That trade later led to controversy, as the details of Dadonov’s contract were not properly communicated, ultimately costing the Senators their 2026 first-round pick. Or at leats it's scheduled to. Dadonov went on to play two and a half seasons with the Dallas Stars, reaching the playoffs each year. He was a solid contributor with 20 goals and 20 assists this past season. He’s now signed a one-year contract with the New Jersey Devils worth $1 million plus performance bonuses.

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Parker Kelly

Parker Kelly signed with the Colorado Avalanche last summer and posted nearly identical numbers to his previous season in Ottawa. For the Senators, he had 8 goals and 10 assists and didn't even get a qualifying offer; in Colorado, he notched 8 goals and 11 assists and got a four-year contract worth $1.4 million (AAV). Go figure...

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Curtis Lazar

The fifth Ottawa first-rounder on this list, Curtis Lazar played two and a half seasons with the Senators before being traded in 2017. Though he never lived up to his draft billing, Lazar has carved out a steady NHL career. After two seasons with the New Jersey Devils, he's now joined the Edmonton Oilers on a one-year contract worth $750,000.

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Matt Murray

Goalie Matt Murray signed a four-year contract with Ottawa in 2020, a deal that ended up being one of the worst in franchise history. After playing just two games last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Murray was signed by the Seattle Kraken to a one-year, $1 million contract. He’ll look to revive his career in the Pacific Northwest.

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Mike Reilly

Now 31, Mike Reilly played 70 games over two seasons with the Senators between 2019 and 2021. He recently signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. Reilly appeared in just 18 games last season with the New York Islanders. We're just glad to see him able to carry on his career after undergoing a heart procedure in November of last year.

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Vladimir Tarasenko

Tarasenko, who had 33 points in 80 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings, has joined his third NHL team since leaving the Senators at the 2024 trasde deadline. With one year remaining on his contract, Detroit traded him to the Minnesota Wild for future considerations. Tarasenko acknowledged the need for change, and now looks to revitalize his game in Minnesota.

And there you have it — 10 former Senators who’ve found new homes this summer. Looking up and down the list, there honestly aren’t many names that would make Sens fans feel much regret.

Maybe that's another sign the team has indeed turned a corner and is heading into better days.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa
Image Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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A few weeks after being drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tinus Luc Koblar is soaking up his time in the city.

The 17-year-old forward was one of 48 players at Toronto's development camp this week, skating as the team's highest selection (second-round, 64th overall) in this year's draft. Almost immediately after stepping onto the ice, Koblar's size and skating appeared comparable to that of former Maple Leaf Pierre Engvall.

Koblar calls himself a two-way center and playmaker, who is effective at both ends of the rink. Despite this being a development camp with many larger players this year, Koblar's 6-foot-3 frame appears evident against others at the camp.

"Tinus is a strong player with good size," said Leksands IF  junior manager Jesper Ollas. "He is strong on the puck and can create situations based on that, both for himself and for others... He reads the game well and has developed his defensive qualities very well during the past year when he started playing center."

One of the knocks about Koblar's game is his speed within smaller areas of the rink. He's a physically imposing player, but when the forward needs to beat his opponent to the puck, he's often a bit behind.

A first-look at Maple Leafs 2025 second-round pick Tinus Luc Koblar at development camp. pic.twitter.com/lbR3QQS7e5

— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) July 3, 2025

Koblar understands that that part of his game needs to improve, though. He revealed on Thursday that he plans to work on getting stronger and more explosive this summer ahead of another season with Leksands IF in Sweden.

"He picks up good speed on longer distances," Ollas added, "but his challenges are to be faster and quicker in small areas."

Aside from the physical attributes that Koblar possesses, you can immediately see how much of a competitor he is. Never does he quit on a drill, nor does the forward not give 100 percent, even when it comes to his off-ice work, too.

"His absolute strength is his mindset," Ollas said. "He competes in every situation and always wants to be the best, whether it is on or off the ice."

'What's This Horse About?': Maple Leafs Prospects React To Having Wild Colt At Development CampThe Toronto Maple Leafs prospects didn't know what they were getting themselves into when they rolled into Exhibition Place on Friday morning.

Victor Johansson, a teammate of Koblar's in Sweden, who was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, was ecstatic when he watched Koblar's name pop up on the TV when Torotno was picking.

 "Just that he gets drafted to the same place as me was just hilarious. I love it. I started to scream when he got drafted here because I got so happy," Johansson said, with a smile so large you couldn't wipe it off his face.

Johansson and Koblar had just finished an on-ice session. After the entire group finished up on the ice, the two Leksands teammates stayed on, feeding pucks back and forth before slamming them into a net.

"Do you want us to get off?" Koblar asked with a smile to one of the arena staff who was standing behind the glass, waiting to zamboni the ice.

'I Saw My Name And I Was Going Crazy': Maple Leafs Prospect Rylan Fellinger Describes Getting Drafted Into The NHL While Attending PromRylan Fellinger, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ sixth-round selection (185th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft, had a quite unique draft experience: he wasn't at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles when his name was called. Instead, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound defenseman was in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, attending his high school prom.

The two are great teammates and get along quite well off the ice too.

"I thought I was going to be the only Swede here, couldn't talk Swedish, so I was like, 'Yeah, you guys (the Leafs) want to draft Tinus, yeah?'" Johansson grinned. "And then it happened, so really happy and how he is as a teammate is, great guy overall, very competitive, and a really good hockey player."

When Johansson watches Koblar on the ice or battles him in practices in Sweden, what immediately catches his eye is his smoothness as a skater. "To be that tall and to go around guys like he does, you can't find that in everyone."

There's a lot to like about the Maple Leafs drafting someone like Koblar. If he develops, the towering forward could be the perfect player Toronto took a chance on in the second round of the 2025 Draft.

It will take time, though.

'Time Will Tell': Is Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan Ready For The NHL Next Season?One year ago, it was only the NHL or OHL for Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan. However, now, it'll be NHL or AHL for the 20-year-old.

Koblar is going to return to Sweden and play another season there rather than coming over to North America, where his CHL rights belong to the OHL's Brampton Steelheads. There's no sense of rushing the player into anything, especially when he's still not even 18 (his birthday is on July 21).

"It's a great community and the levels, like J-18, J-20, and the A team, it's really super close, so it's not that hard to go between them," Koblar said of his choice to remain in Sweden. "The trainers and the staff is always helping you to develop and they just want you to be at your best."

With two Olympian parents—his mom a biathlete and his dad an alpine skier—there's a lot of competitiveness in his genes. Koblar doesn't like losing as much as anyone, adding that his parents have taught him a lot about being a high-competition athlete.

That could turn into a massive positive for Toronto in the long run.

"[They taught me] just the importance of putting in the work and don't take any chances for granted, and do 100 percent every time."

(Top photo: Nick Barden / The Hockey News Toronto)

Over the 116 years that the Montreal Canadiens have been in operation, several American players have worn the bleu, blanc, rouge. Since the USA celebrated Independence Day earlier this week, let’s take a closer look at the Americans who left their mark in Canadiens history.

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Chris Nilan

While some would list the highest-scoring Americans as the best players, offensive production shouldn’t be the only criterion. To me, one particular player who certainly wasn’t a top scorer played an essential part in the Canadiens’ history: Chris Nilan. The Boston native was a 19th-round pick at the 1979 draft, the 231st selection overall, and nobody could have known back then that he would go on to play 688 games in the NHL. His career spanned over 13 years in the league, 10 of which were spent with the Canadiens.

While he could play hockey (he picked up 225 points), Knuckles, as he was aptly nicknamed, racked up 3043 penalty minutes in the NHL, including 2248 with the Canadiens. Nilan was always there to protect his teammates and never backed down from a fight. Still, the 175 points he picked up in his 523 games with the Habs make him the team’s 95th top scorer of all time with 88 goals and 87 assists.

There’s no denying that he was more than an agitator. Nilan could also score and was a wonderful blend of grit, dedication, and skills. In 1985-86, when the Habs won their 23rd Stanley Cup, Nilan scored 19 goals. The tough guy liked Montreal so much that he stayed in town after retiring and lives there years later.

Max Pacioretty

His stay in Montreal didn’t end well, as there were rumours that he requested a trade, but he remains the highest-scoring American in team history. With 226 goals and 222 assists, he sits 30th in team history with 448 points.

In a bleak offensive era, Pacioretty often was a ray of sunshine, and he put up five seasons of 30-plus goals. I have a lot of respect for the left winger. When he was just a youngster and getting very little ice time in the NHL, he asked to be sent down to the AHL because he felt he needed more ice time to develop correctly.

Of course, you can’t talk about Pacioretty without talking about Zdeno Chara and the hit that sent the former Hab down on the ice motionless, in one of the most worrying moments in franchise history. Thankfully, the injury wasn’t as bad as feared, but that moment took the Canadiens-Boston Bruins rivalry up a notch. More of a quiet leader, it felt like the captain’s C ended up being a burden for the player; he was suited to score goals, but not to speak to journalists on a daily basis.

Chris Chelios

The one that got away. The defenseman won a Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1985-86 and the James Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman once with the Sainte-Flanelle. His 64 points as a rookie defenseman in 1984-85 stood as a record mark until last season, when Lane Hutson finally broke it, scoring 66 points.

When he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Denis Savard on June 29, 1990, it was because GM Serge Savard was advised that he had weak knees and probably wouldn’t have a very long career. That was a very poor assessment, considering he spent 26 years in the NHL, not just seven in Montreal.

Still, during his short stay, he played 402 games with the Tricolore and scored 309 points, including 14 game-winning goals, while also accumulating 783 penalty minutes. He is currently the 47th highest-scoring Canadiens of all time, and he comes in eighth place when it comes to defensemen. At 6 feet and 190 pounds, the rugged defenseman feared nothing and no one.

With the Hawks, he would go on to win two more Norris Trophies before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline in March 1999. With the Wings, he would go on to win two more Stanley Cups, and he eventually retired as a member of the defunct Atlanta Thrashers. In the end, he put up 948 points, making him the top-scoring Canadiens’ defenseman of all time, with Larry Robinson holding 883 points. However, Robinson achieved this in 1202 games, which raises the question of how many points Chelios could have had if he hadn’t been traded.

Mathieu Schneider

Uncle Sam’s country has been a good producer of defensemen for the Canadiens, as it also gave us Schneider. Just like Chelios, he had a very long and prolific career skating in the NHL for 21 years, eight of which were spent with the Canadiens. Montreal drafted him 44th overall at the 1987 draft, in the third round. While he was born in New York, Schneider’s mother was French-Canadian from Thetford Mines, Quebec, who must have been over the moon when he was drafted by one of the two Quebec teams (the Quebec Nordiques still explained back then).

In his 383 games with the Montreal Canadiens, he accumulated 216 points and won the Stanley Cup in 1992-93, the team’s 24th and last victory to date. He is 78th in all-time scoring with the Canadiens and was recently overtaken by sniper Cole Caufield, who now has 219 points. When he was traded to the New York Islanders along with Kirk Muller and Craig Darby, the Canadiens were able to acquire Pierre Turgeon and defenseman Vladimir Malakhov.

Craig Ludwig

The left-shot defenseman was a Canadiens’ third-round pick at the 1980 draft. Ludwig wasn’t an offensive defenseman, and he wasn’t a flashy pick, but he turned out to be a very reliable blueliner with a mean streak.

He spent eight years in Montreal, skating in 597 games and accumulating 137 points, along with 619 penalty minutes. While he only put up one point in the 1985-86 playoffs that culminated in the Canadiens’ 23rd Stanley Cup Championship, he played an integral part in the conquest.

Many other names could have made the list, including Brian Gionta, John Leclair, and Francis Bouillon, but I felt those five were solid picks. Interestingly, Alexander Galchenyuk is 59th in points in Canadiens’ history with 255, while former defenseman Jeff Petry is 63rd with 248. Cole Caufield should overtake them both before the end of the 2025-26 season, as he already has 219 points, surpassing Lane Hutson, who is currently in the top 200 scorers with 66 points. Caufield should soon rocket up those standings. If someone does this exercise in a few years, they should all easily make the list.

Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

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By Ryan Kennedy, Editor in Chief

No matter what Maddox Schultz does, big hockey names tend to be connected.

The Regina Pats took Schultz with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WHL draft; the last time the Pats picked first, they took Connor Bedard in 2020. When Schultz ripped the U-18 Telus Cup for 20 points in seven games this spring, he tallied the second-most points ever in the tournament by an underager; Sidney Crosby is the only underage player to have scored more. When Schultz watches the NHL, he cheers for the Edmonton Oilers, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. And when the 15-year-old center is studying players to emulate, he leans on two of the best 200-foot pivots ever. “Two guys that really stood out for me were Jonathan Toews and Patrice Bergeron,” he said. “They were really good on faceoffs. Even Brayden Point and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins now. They can play an all-around good game and also produce at the highest level.”

So yes, there’s plenty to get excited about when it comes to Schultz, who will be eligible to play up to 34 games in the WHL next season while spending the rest of the year with the U-18 Regina Pat Canadians, the same squad with whom he won the Telus Cup. Oh, and he scored the tournament-winning goal in OT at that event, too.

It hasn’t been that long since Bedard was the big ticket in Regina, but what’s cool about Schultz landing with the Pats is that he’s from the city and got to watch Bedard weave his magic for the club. “I was probably 12 years old and playing on the Regina Pat Blues,” Schultz said. “Our team went all the time. Seeing what he did made me try harder. It was pretty cool to grow up watching him, and, obviously, he’s an unbelievable player doing his thing in the NHL now.”

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Getting drafted by his hometown team also affords Schultz the opportunity to live at home with his family, a luxury rarely afforded in high-level hockey. “To be drafted by the Pats was a dream come true,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier. My parents are really excited. And I am, too, being able to stay at home with them and my sister and my dog. I’m playing in the rink I grew up watching hockey in.”

Regina will gladly welcome a player of Schultz’s talent, even if he’s only eligible to play half the season next year. The Pat with the most points in 2024-25 was Julien Maze, who managed just 44 points in 64 games overall – and only 25 points in 43 games after coming over from Everett. Meanwhile, Schultz had 43 goals and 93 points in 44 games for the Pat Canadians despite being the youngest player on the team – three years younger than some of his mates.

Schultz knows the WHL will offer stronger and tougher competition, so he’s working on being harder in the faceoff circle. Otherwise, he’s happy to contribute any way he can to win games for his new team. “I’m a 200-foot player with offense, but I can also be relied on in the defensive zone,” he said. “I can put the puck in the back of the net and be a leader. I like to stand up for my teammates and be there for them.”

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This article appeared in our 2025 Draft Preview issue. Our cover story focuses on the Erie Otters' star defenseman and top draft prospect Matthew Schaefer, who has excelled despite the personal losses of his past. We also include features on other top prospects, including Michael Misa and more. In addition, we give our list of the top-100 prospects heading into the 2025 NHL draft.

You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.

The NHL Draft is in the books, and we are four days removed from the opening of NHL free agency. Every significant unrestricted free agent is off the board, leaving the trade market as the only option for teams looking to meaningfully improve before the start of the 2025-26 season.

The Anaheim Ducks are among those teams, as their stated goal is to make the playoffs in 2025-26 and end the NHL’s third-longest playoff drought.

Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek had been busy between the end of the regular season and the opening of free agency. He replaced Greg Cronin with Joel Quenneville behind the bench, acquired Chris Kreider from the New York Rangers, traded Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers, and traded John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings.

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Between the end of the draft on June 28 and the opening of free agency on July 1, most of the free agent class had been signed to new contracts, leaving a slim inventory for GMs to choose from.

Heading into the offseason, the Ducks had $38.69 million in cap space (the third-most in the NHL), a mandate to make the playoffs, and the green light to spend as much as it took to achieve that goal.

Around the NHL, two of the most common needs were top-nine centers and goaltenders. With the benefit of hindsight (foresight for most) and the ability to see how the free agent and trade markets have played out to date, it’s more than fair to question Verbeek’s timing and leveraging when it comes to some of the biggest moves and lack of moves he’s made this offseason.

The Trevor Zegras Trade

On June 23, the Ducks traded Zegras to the Flyers in exchange for depth center Ryan Poehling, a second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick.

Trevor Zegras’ name had been featured in every media outlet’s list of potential trade candidates for a year and a half, since Jamie Drysdale was traded in Jan. 2024, with varying reported degrees of actual interest expressed by Verbeek to move on from the talented forward.

Zegras followed up back-to-back 60-plus point seasons to start his NHL career with three major injuries, a difficult contract negotiation, and two seasons of less-than-stellar point-per-game totals, leaving Zegras’ value at its lowest point.

It’s become abundantly clear that Zegras was never in Verbeek’s long-term plans for the Ducks organization. If the goal was to maximize potential value in a return, allowing Zegras to play under a coach like Joel Quenneville for a few months, who had previous success with players of a similar mold (Patrick Kane and Jonathan Huberdeau, specifically), could have fetched Anaheim an impact player at a position of need as part of a hockey trade or a considerable haul of future assets.

If the intention was to remove Zegras from the roster at some point during the summer, simply waiting eight days would have considerably boosted his return, as most marquee free agent centers, such as Sam Bennett, John Tavares, and Brock Nelson, re-signed with their clubs before free agency opened. There wasn’t enough supply to satisfy the market’s demand.

The Flyers, Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, and Minnesota Wild had either been confirmed or rumored to have been in the market for an upgrade down the middle.

Verbeek seemingly failed to leverage the market and create a bidding war. Instead, he accepted an underwhelming return for a player with proven production at the highest level.

The John Gibson Trade

On day two of the NHL Draft, June 28, the Ducks traded goaltender John Gibson to the Red Wings in exchange for goaltender Petr Mrazek, a second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick.

Similarly, but possibly to an even greater extent, Gibson’s name had been in trade rumors, speculations, and discussions for the past several offseasons. There had been confirmation that Gibson desired to play elsewhere, and the Ducks were on the lookout for a deal that made sense for both parties.

The aspects preventing a prior trade of the talented 31-year-old goaltender were five consecutive seasons with poor numbers from 2019 to 2024, a contract that carried a cap hit of $6.4 million, an unwillingness from the Ducks to retain on that cap hit, and uncertainty in regards to Gibson’s health.

The 2025 offseason seemed to paint Gibson in a different light. The salary cap ceiling was set to increase drastically for the first time in five years, his numbers returned to respectability, and the supply of goaltenders available was incredibly thin.

The Flyers, Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes, and Edmonton Oilers were all rumored or reported at one point or another to have been in the market for an upgrade in net.

After years of holding out for a considerable return, drawing a hard line in the sand, and just when Gibson’s value had increased, Verbeek pulled the trigger on a trade, probably a week too soon (again), and accepted an underwhelming return.

Free Agency

On the first day of free agency, Verbeek made a splash, filling a need and acquiring one of the top names on the market when he inked versatile forward Mikael Granlund to a three-year contract that carries an AAV of $7 million. Not a bad way to kick off the NHL free agency period.

However, after day one, the Ducks still could have used an impact forward at the top of the lineup, and the only one remaining on the free agent market was Nikolaj Ehlers, a player whose speed, skill, and tenacity would have nicely complemented the young talent in the Ducks’ top-six.

On July 3, Ehlers inked a six-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes that carries an AAV of $8.5 million. It’s a hefty price for a player with a checkered injury history, but his production rates are through the roof for a player who never got considerable ice time at the top of the Winnipeg Jets lineup.

Following the San Jose Sharks acquisitions of Dmitry Orlov and Nick Leddy on Thursday morning, the Ducks had the most available cap space in the NHL by the time Ehlers signed his contract. The Ducks were reportedly interested in Ehlers, but it’s unclear if they made a competitive offer.

If the goal for the organization is to make the playoffs in 2025-26, there’s one impact player on the market, and the organization has the most cap space in the league, this seemed like the perfect time and the perfect player to “overpay” for to improve the roster. Especially after Verbeek’s history of seemingly overpaying players like Radko Gudas and Alex Killorn enough to get them to join Anaheim.

Looking Ahead

The only remaining avenues available to Verbeek when it comes to improving the Ducks roster before the start of the 2025-26 season are through the rare utilization of offer sheets and through trade.

Offer sheets have the potential to become very expensive very quickly, and to land one of the available impact players, teams would have to part with at least one unprotected first-round pick. The player receiving the offer sheet would also have to sign the potential contract, never a certain endeavor.

There are players potentially available on the trade market like Rasmus Andersson, Marco Rossi, and Jason Robertson, but Verbeek has yet to acquire an NHL talent in or approaching their primes who would fit the core of the team when they’re competitive in his three-plus years as the GM of the Ducks.

To this point in the offseason, it’s questionable if the Ducks roster is better than the one that ended the 2024-25 season. If it is, the improvement is marginal and unlikely to add the necessary 15 points in the standings to make the playoffs in 2025-26.

The Ducks currently have a projected $28.99 million in cap space and the potential remains for further moves to be made, but history hasn’t hinted that Verbeek has the capability to thoroughly assess the markets and pull the trigger on a move that can elevate the roster enough to achieve the stated mandate of playing hockey past mid-April.

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Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Toronto Maple Leafs fans breathed a sigh of relief when Anthony Stolarz unexpectedly took the ice as Joseph Woll’s backup goaltender in their Game 7 defeat against the Florida Panthers in May, especially as the goaltender later confirmed he was fully cleared from the concussion he sustained from an incident with Panthers forward Sam Bennett in Game 1 of their second-round series. A further positive sign was seeing the goaltender take the ice in full gear with his off-season goaltending coach George Bosak, a moment shared on the coach’s Instagram account on Friday.

Stolarz has been working with Bosak for a number of years when heading home for the off-season and has credited the coach for getting the most out of the goaltender in recent years. “Over the years, he has worked with me to sharpen my fundamentals and help me grow my game,” Stolarz said as a testimonial on the goalie coach’s website.

Stolarz signed with the Maple Leafs as a free agent last summer to a two-year deal worth $5 million. It’s safe to say he has provided excellent return on investment thus far. The goaltender played in a career-high 34 games where he posted a 21-8-3 record with a .926 save percentage in his first season with Toronto.

There was talk of him getting consideration for the Vezina with the numbers he was putting up until the discovery of a small foreign body in his knee forced the goaltender to miss approximately seven weeks.

Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Explains Why Anthony Stolarz Will Miss Roughly 4-6 Weeks For A Procedure On His KneeAn MRI of Stolarz' knee revealed a "loose body" in his knee.

Stolarz and Woll are expected to share the net next season, but beyond that, it’ll be interesting to see what the Leafs do. Stolarz is eligible to sign a contract extension although it doesn’t appear as though there is anything imminent on that front. From a numbers standpoint, Stolarz could see a big raise; however, his injury history and a lack of a consistent starter's workload may be a stumbling block in figuring out a term that is fair.

Where Was The Concussion Spotter For Maple Leafs Goaltender Anthony Stolarz Injury In Game 1?A collision between Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett and Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz in Game 1 of their second-round playoff clash left Stolarz visibly dazed and slow to get up.

Stolarz’s absence in the playoffs was particularly evident to the Leafs. Although Woll performed well in goal, Stolarz’s puck-moving ability was missed by Toronto’s skaters, and Florida successfully capitalized on that by rimming pucks in Toronto’s zone with high velocity beginning with the latter stages of Game 2 and beyond.

(Photo Credit instagram.com/@coach_bosak)

'What's This Horse About?': Maple Leafs Prospects React To Having Wild Colt At Development CampThe Toronto Maple Leafs prospects didn't know what they were getting themselves into when they rolled into Exhibition Place on Friday morning. 'I Saw My Name And I Was Going Crazy': Maple Leafs Prospect Rylan Fellinger Describes Getting Drafted Into The NHL While Attending PromRylan Fellinger, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ sixth-round selection (185th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft, had a quite unique draft experience: he wasn't at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles when his name was called. Instead, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound defenseman was in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, attending his high school prom. 'Time Will Tell': Is Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan Ready For The NHL Next Season?One year ago, it was only the NHL or OHL for Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan. However, now, it'll be NHL or AHL for the 20-year-old.

In July 2024, Montmagny, PQ native Alex Barre-Boulet signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens. With 68 NHL games under his belt, the 28-year-old left-shot center was hoping to be able to make the team in October. He made the opening night roster, played the first two games, but was kept off the scoreboard and was swiftly waived and assigned to the Laval Rocket when he went unclaimed.

In 64 games with the AHL team, he put up 63 points, leading the team, seven points ahead of veteran Laurent Dauphin and 18 points ahead of Jared Davidson. He was also fourth in goals with 22, just four short of Dauphin’s team-leading 26 lamplighters. The numbers were there, but the recalls never came.

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Owen Beck played 12 games with the Canadiens, just like Joshua Roy and Oliver Kapanen had, before being loaned back to their Swedish Teams. Veteran Lucas Condotta also got two games, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard got one. It made one thing clear: the Canadiens were prioritizing youngsters rather than more mature players, and it was easy to see Barre-Boulet’s departure coming.

He signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Colorado Avalanche that will pay him $775,000 if he remains in the NHL and $475,000 if he is assigned to the minors. His deal with the Canadiens last season was a one-way contract, meaning he received his full NHL salary for the entire year, even though he spent almost all of it in the minors. Interestingly, he chose to sign a two-way contract elsewhere; perhaps he feels like he’ll have better opportunities to get some NHL action in Colorado.

Losing its leading scorer will hurt the Rocket, but at the same time, players like Beck and Kapanen need to step up and move forward. More ice time won’t hurt them, and in the long run, it will be better for their development. Hopefully, Barre-Boulet lands on his feet with the Avs and gets to see some NHL action.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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Canadian defenseman Madison Bowey, 30, has signed a one-year contract with the Augsburger Panther, the DEL club announced on Friday.

"During my scouting trip, Madison was one of the players I focused on, said Panther sports director Larry Mitchell. “(Head coach) Bill Peters and I have been working hard on him over the past few weeks. We see Madison as the missing piece of the puzzle for our defense, which we desperately wanted to add to with a tough, right-shooting, two-way defenseman.

“He's a tall, solid player, yet a good skater who can also contribute offensively,” Mitchell continued. “Madison is in the prime of his career and is excited about his new role with the Panther under Coach Peters in the DEL.”

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Bowey played junior hockey for the Kelowna Rockets, where he was part of the team’s 2014-15 WHL championship team and played in that year’s Memorial Cup.

Bowey was chosen in the second round, 53rd overall, by the Washington Capitals in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2015 and 2022, he played 158 NHL regular-season games with the Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks, recording 40 points and 104 penalty minutes.

Former Stars, Sens D-Man Signs In GermanyCanadian defenseman Dillon Heatherington, 30, has signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Munich, the DEL team announced on Monday. This is the first contract to play in Europe for the 6-foot-4, 216-pound rearguard.

Although he did not play in any playoff games, his name is engraved on the Stanley Cup as part of the 2017-18 Capitals, for whom he played 51 regular-season games that season.

Bowie spent the 2022-23 season in the Montreal Canadiens organization, playing the entire season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket. He then spent the 2023-24 season in the KHL, splitting his time with Dinamo Minsk, Traktor Chelyabinsk and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

Last season, Bowie returned to the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters, the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, recording 18 points in 63 regular-season and playoff games.

Augsburg has never won a DEL title and hasn’t made the playoffs since reaching the semifinals in 2018-19. In the last three seasons, the team has finished last twice and 13th once in the 14-team league.

Photo © Eric Bolte-Imagn Images.

Report: Kölner Haie & DEL Set New European Attendance Records; New Records In Czechia & Britain Too The Alliance of European Hockey Clubs published its annual attendance study on Wednesday, ranking 376 clubs across 29 leagues.

Like many teams around the NHL, the New Jersey Devils have had a busy start to July. They notably brought in Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov through free agency to improve their forward depth. However, they also quietly made a trade.

On July 2, the Devils acquired forward Thomas Bordeleau from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Shane Bowers. While this is a small trade, fans should be keeping an eye on Bordeleau next season.

Not too long ago, Bordeleau was considered one of the Sharks' most promising prospects. While his stock dropped in recent years, a change of scenery could be exactly what helps the 2020 second-round pick get things back on track.

Bordeleau also showed promise at the NHL level with the Sharks during the 2023-24 season. In 27 games with the Pacific Division club, he recorded six goals and 11 points. While these are not jaw-dropping numbers, they do demonstrate that he has the potential to provide decent depth offensive production if given the chance to play at the NHL level. He also had five assists in eight games for the Sharks in 2021-22.

With Bordeleau being just 23 years old, there is still time for him to take another step forward and prove that he can be a full-time NHL player. He has skill, so there is no real harm in the Devils taking a shot on him, especially when noting that they only gave up an AHLer in Bowers to get him. 

It is going to be very interesting to see how much of an impact Bordeleau can make for the Devils. from here. At a minimum, he should be a good addition to the Utica Comets' roster, but the possibility of him making the jump to New Jersey's roster should not be ruled out. 

Devils Made Great Move Signing Former Oilers ForwardOne of the New Jersey Devils' top objectives this off-season was to improve their forward depth. They have done just that early on this summer, as they have brought in a few new forwards. This includes former Edmonton Oilers winger Connor Brown.  

Photo Credit:  © David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Former Red Wings winger Todd Bertuzzi makes return to pro hockey at 50 years old with Cambridge area team. 

The Red Wings haven't seen winger Todd Bertuzzi lace up since 2014 but a report on Friday may shock some fans. At 50 years old, it was announced that Bertuzzi would be joining a senior AAA team called the Cambridge Hornets in the Allan Cup Hockey League. 

After playing 1,159 NHL games and recording 770 points, he now joins a local hockey club close to where he coaches a youth team called the Cambridge Redhawks. 

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Bertuzzi played his entire junior career in the Cambridge area as he played for the Guelph Storm of the OHL for four seasons. He would go on to get drafted 23rd overall by the New York Islanders in the 1993 NHL entry draft. 

Besides playing for the Red Wings and Islanders, Bertuzzi also saw time with the Canucks, Panthers and Flames. 

His most memorable season was back in the 2002-03 season, when the Sudbury native put up 46 goals and 51 points for 97 points through a full 82-game season with the Canucks. He was named an all-star and would continue to produce in the 60-70 point range before maturing to a 30-40 point player in old age. 

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