Michael Pezzetta is living his childhood dream.

Several hours after signing a two-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs carrying a $812,500 annual average value, the 27-year-old Toronto, Ontario native sat in his childhood room at his parents' house thinking, "How crazy is this?"

"I got a big picture of Mats Sundin on my wall and a couple of pictures of CuJo (Curtis Joseph) and some other guys," Pezzetta smiled as his dream had come full circle. "I get to fight for the opportunity to put this sweater on, and it's just something that I've dreamed of my whole life, and I'm just, it feels amazing."

A sixth-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2016 NHL Draft, Pezzetta didn't have it easy. Usually, selections that late become career AHL players, but throughout the years, the forward fought tooth and nail—quite literally—to earn his spot on an NHL roster.

"I think it was just always believing in myself and just putting the work in. I mean, especially in the summers and during the seasons, I'm just in love with getting better and in love with that grind, and it's what drives me every day," Pezzetta said over Zoom on Wednesday afternoon.

"It's what I wake up and I love to do."

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After five seasons of OHL hockey with the Sudbury Wolves and Sarnia Sting, Pezzetta turned pro, playing his first year with the AHL's Laval Rocket, along with a cup of coffee down in the ECHL with the Maine Mariners.

Following two more seasons with the Rocket, Pezzetta finally got his first taste of NHL action, making his debut with the Canadiens on Nov. 2, 2021. Nearly a lifetime of hard work paid off with the forward playing on one of the most coveted franchises in the league.

"It took me, I think, five or six years to get my first exhibition game with Montreal and the organization from when I got drafted," Pezzetta said. "But when I did [get that game], I was ready for it because I put all those hours in."

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Pezzetta prides himself on being a hard-working forward, always ready to stand up for his teammates while playing strong at both ends of the rink. Over his time in the NHL, the forward's defensive game has improved, and that'll be an area of his game which'll make or break his spot in the lineup with Toronto.

"It gives us some more depth and he's got a skill set in terms of his physicality, good foot speed, able to get in on a forecheck," Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said on Tuesday after signing Pezzetta. "Certainly, excellent teammate. Those are the sort of boxes he checks, and happy to have him with us."

In three seasons with the Canadiens, Pezzetta has scored 15 goals and 23 assists in 200 games. He played 25 games last season and didn't register a point, but said on Wednesday that's not what his game is.

"I know in the years prior, pretty steady player, kind of always getting my 10-15 points in the 50 or so games that I played, and I'm pretty confident I can continue to do that in terms of a points perspective," he said.

"But I think a lot of my game is just being hard to play against, being someone that is defensively responsible a coach can trust, and then you're gonna go out there and you can change the shift of a game with a big hit or just good forecheck, make a good play, and really change the energy and the energy in the room on the bench."

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After signing with his hometown team, Pezzetta says plenty of people in his circle are happy for him, especially his close family members.

"Yeah, like I'm insanely fired up. They might be even more over the top," he laughed.

"I know my mom's super excited that I get to stay home, it's been a while. And then even all my friends and everybody's like all Leafs fans, just through and through, and they're so excited. So many people messaged me the last day-and-a-half now, and it's just surreal. Like, to think that it's a possibility I get to put this sweater on, so I'm just really grateful for the opportunity."

If there's one moment that sticks out to Pezzetta when reminiscing on the Montreal/Toronto rivalry, it's his first point against his hometown team. It was a primary assist on Rafael Harvey-Pinard's second-period goal on Jan. 21, 2023, a game the Canadiens won in overtime.

"I got a nice assist one time against them," Pezzetta said, "and my family was there, and some of my friends were at the game in Montreal, so that was pretty cool. Then we've just had some good battles, where especially when I started in Montreal, we weren't the best team in the standings, and we had beat the Leafs, and it was always a good feeling."

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Pezzetta will be on the other side of the rivalry now, and he'll wear the jersey once worn by his favorite player, Mats Sundin, but with the name "Pezzetta" on the back of it.

"It's hard not to cheer for the Leafs being from Toronto. I can't even explain how stoked I am right now," Pezzetta said.

"It was just like kind of a whirlwind of emotion. I almost, like, couldn't believe it. Came into free agency, and just first time being an unrestricted free agent, and you're wondering how things are going to go. I had some options to go to different places, but to have the opportunity to sign in Toronto, like, I just couldn't pass up on that."

(Top photo of Pezzetta: David Kirouac / Imagn Images)

The Philadelphia Flyers may have lost out on Maxim Shabanov, but they have plenty of in-house replacements who are just as good, if not better options.

Shabanov, 23, is wildly skilled indeed, but he's also a 5-foot-8 forward who can play either center or inverted right wing.

The problem is that Shabanov wasn't likely to play center for the Flyers, meaning that he would have been pigeonholed into the right winger position.

Many skilled Russians play and have played inverted in the past. Names like Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Nikita Kucherov, Matvei Michkov, might come to mind.

But is Shabanov that? Maybe, maybe not. But he certainly isn't proven, just like the Flyers' top options to replace him in a hypothetical lineup.

The Flyers love reigning NCAA champ Alex Bump, for example, and he's got quite the goal-scoring pedigree. It helps that he's a natural left wing to boot.

Bump, 21, is perhaps the favorite to crack the Flyers' opening night roster, especially in the wake of the offseason injury to Tyson Foerster. Bump's unrelenting will to prove himself while doing things the right way has quickly endeared him to Flyers management and will do the same with fans in short order.

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Aside from Bump, another contender for a roster spot will be Nikita Grebenkin, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Scott Laughton trade.

The 22-year-old already has seven games of NHL experience and has dabbled in pro hockey since the 2021-22 season despite his relatively young age.

Between the KHL, AHL, and NHL, Grebenkin has already played 177 pro games, and that experience should serve him well as he competes with his fellow Flyers prospects.

Astute fans might recall that the Flyers actually brought Grebenkin up on an emergency basis once, only to send him back to the AHL 30 minutes later with the emergency conditions no longer present.

That's about as close to the NHL as someone can get without stepping on the ice.

Plus, the Flyers and Porter Martone himself have told us to never say never on the unusual but very plausible possibility that the teenaged draft pick makes the NHL come opening night.

And, if worst comes to worst - and fans will hate this - the Flyers will decide these prospects are best suited playing significant minutes in the AHL or elsewhere to start the season, they have some capable veterans at their disposal, too.

Rodrigo Abols is capable of flexing out to the flank if needed, and last year's preseason darling, Anthony Richard, is still under contract for one more year.

It's possible the oft-injured Samu Tuomaala, who has played two full seasons with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, makes a case for an opportunity with his speed and heavy shot.

The Flyers will be disappointed not to have landed Shabanov, to be sure, but they have no reason to dwell on it or pivot to a Plan B.

This year should be about believing in and developing the guys they already have.

The Florida Panthers will wrap up their 2025 Development Camp on Thursday.

Over the past three days, 31 Panthers prospects have participated in on-ice work and off-ice training, getting a small taste of how the big club does it while being hosted at their practice facility in Fort Lauderdale.

On Thursday, the hard work put in all week will culminate with a scrimmage.

Every player at D-camp will be on the ice, showing off what they’ve learned and trying to make one last strong impression before heading back to their respective summer homes.

Some of these players will be invited back for the Panthers official training camp in September, which will present a good opportunity to show they absorbed what was taught and put it to good use.

One cool note about the scrimmage is that the goaltenders will be wearing some very special jerseys.

Each of the jerseys worn by Florida’s goalies during the scrimmage were specially decorated by patients at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Fort Lauderdale during a visit with the Panthers prospects on Wednesday afternoon.

For fans who would like to check out the scrimmage, the pucks drops at 11 a.m. and it will be open to the public and free to attend.

Seats are available at a first come, first served basis inside the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale.

A full camp roster can be found below:

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Photo caption: Florida Panthers prospects take part in a Development Camp practice at the Baptist Health IcePlex on July 2, 2025. (Florida Panthers)

As Day Two of unrestricted free agency draws to a close, there aren’t too many bigger names left on the market.

The biggest name - and only impact name left, really - is forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who registered 24 goals and 63 points in 69 games last season with the Winnipeg Jets. If the latest updates on Ehlers’s situation are to be believed, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals are the frontrunners to land him.

And - as discussed Tuesday with forward Bryan Rust’s situation - Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ phone lines will get a whole lot busier once Ehlers is signed.

Rust is one of Pittsburgh’s primary trade targets for other teams, as the 33-year-old veteran put together a career season with 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games in 2024-25. He is highly coveted, but Dubas said that the price to acquire Rust will be very high given his production, the term on his contract, and his tenure with and meaning to the organization.

But, there may be a very intriguing second option for teams if they can’t land Rust. And that is forward Rickard Rakell.

There has been interest in Rakell going back to the trade deadline, and - like Rust - he enjoyed the best year of his career last season. He put together a 35-goal, 70-point campaign - both career-high marks - and it is the third time in Rakell’s career that he hit the 30-goal mark. 

30-goal scorers don’t grow on trees in the NHL, and that’s especially true for guys who manage to do it on a pretty consistent basis. And it’s even rarer for 30-goal scorers - especially with the cap skyrocketing - to be locked in for three more years at just $5 million average annual value.

Suffice to say, whoever lands Rakell is getting their hands on a proven goal-scoring winger for term and for cheap. And - while that’s going to come at a cost - it’s a price worth paying for teams that are either in win-now mode or that are looking to take the next step. 

Here are four potential landing spots for the Penguins’ top goal-scoring winger.

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Carolina Hurricanes/Washington Capitals

We’re going to group them into one here, because - again, if the Ehlers rumors have merit - one of these teams is going to lose out on him.

And when that happens, either team should immediately be giving Dubas a call. 

For Carolina, they have been missing out on a lot of the big names on the market, even if they’ve come their way for a brief time. Jake Guentzel decided to walk after being dealt to Raleigh by Pittsburgh at the 2024 trade deadline. The Canes traded for star forward Mikko Rantanen well in advance of the deadline only to trade him again to the Dallas Stars leading up to this year’s trade deadline.

They desperately need a win, and they desperately need top-line scoring help. The Canes are a great team structurally, but they lack oomph on offense and don’t have the high-end talent to get them over the hump.

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While neither Rakell or Ehlers is cream-of-the-crop like Guentzel and Rantanen, they’re still very good players. Carolina was rumored to be in on Rakell at the deadline, and they will probably be again if they lose out on Ehlers.

As for Washington? The calculus is simple: They have a lot of supporting cast members and even foundational pieces to keep competing beyond the point of Alex Ovechkin’s retirement. But - even with Ovechkin still in the picture - their most glaring weakness is in their top-six.

There was a rotating cast of characters in the top-six for the Capitals in the playoffs that included the likes of Anthony Beauvillier - traded to the Caps by the Penguins at the deadline - as well as Tom Wilson and Connor McMichael. While all of those guys are perfectly serviceable, they could still use a more surefire trigger man in their top-six - especially with Ovechkin’s future uncertain beyond next season.

They need to start preparing for the post-Ovechkin era. And having another high-end goal-scorer for three more years will help them bridge that gap.

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Dallas Stars

In what could be considered cap hell, the Stars are in a bit of a bind because of the Rantanen contract that pays him $12 million annually. They are currently nearly $1.8 million over the cap right now, and they only have 12 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders signed on for next season.

They are going to have to shed salary somewhere, whether that’s by sending one of their defensemen in Matt Dumba or Ilya Lyubushkin packing somewhere else or by shipping out one of their biggest contracts - a la Jason Robertson - and trying to get cheaper talent for similar output.

Rakell matched Robertson’s goal total last season, and he makes $2.75 million less for three more years. Robertson is also a pending-RFA next season and will command a hefty raise. 

If Dallas decides to move out Robertson - and perhaps one of those defensemen - going after Rakell makes a lot of sense. This one will be very situation-dependent, but never say never.

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Los Angeles Kings

It seems like the Kings have been linked to Rakell since, well, forever. And that’s probably because they have been.

It’s no secret that Los Angeles seeks a goal-scorer, even after acquiring Andrei Kuzmenko - who, although is a good add, hasn't been able to replicate his 39-goal rookie campaign. They made some calls on Rakell at the deadline, and nothing came to fruition. The Kings also have some pieces that Pittsburgh may be interested in - defenseman Brandt Clarke, for example - that a package involving Rakell may be able to net. 

With a tick under $6 million left in cap space - and a key RFA in Alex Laferriere - the Kings have some decisions to make. If they want surefire goal-scoring help to bolster their top-six and their power play, Rakell can provide exactly what they need. But they’ll need to do a small bit of maneuvering to get that, but - realistically - that shouldn’t pose much of an issue.

If the Kings want Rakell, they’ll pay up for him. And they could definitely use him.

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Chicago Blackhawks

The one thing that makes a move for Rakell a bit tricky is that he does possess an eight-team no trade list, hence, why the Buffalo Sabres were not included on this list. Sorry, Buffalo.

Another team that may or may not be on that list? The Blackhawks.

However, if the Hawks aren’t on Rakell’s no-trade list, they figure to be a favorite to land him. They have already been linked to Rakell, and they are one example of several teams that are looking to take the next step from rebuild mode to “go for it” mode.

Chicago already has a good young core of forwards such as Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Ilya Mikheyev. But they could use a surefire goal-scoring talent - as well as a seasoned veteran - to help get them to the next level.

Rakell is a fit in a lot of ways, and Chicago has a lot of the assets that Pittsburgh would covet. Keep an eye on them as a potential trade partner for Rakell, as it makes sense in a lot of ways - so long as Rakell is okay with playing there.

Blackhawks Are Wisely Headed For Another Development YearThe Chicago Blackhawks are not very active on the free agent front. They may add another piece or two when it comes to NHL or AHL depth, but they are not interested in acquiring bad contracts as the youngsters start to take over the lineup.

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Feature image credit: John Jones-Imagn Images