Former 2023–24 Canucks Regular Season Review

Dec 23, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) and center Elias Lindholm (28) celebrate a goal by center Charlie Coyle (13) during the third period against the Washington Capitals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

From the end of the 2023–24 regular season to now, nine Vancouver Canucks have departed the team’s lineup whether by trade, free agency, or otherwise. With the 2024–25 regular season now wrapped up, let’s take a look at how some of these ex-Canucks from last season performed with their new clubs. 

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Carson Soucy

New York Rangers

1G, 2A in 16GP 

The most recent Canucks departure compared to the rest of this list, Soucy was moved the day before the 2025 Trade Deadline. Notably, he scored goals in both his last game with the Canucks on March 5 and his first game with the Rangers on March 8. In his first 16 games with the Rangers, Soucy notably gave the puck away 13 times. He faced the same issue of being able to hold onto the puck in Vancouver as well, as he had 65 giveaways in the 59 games he played with the Canucks this season as well. Soucy will enter the final year of his three-year contract in 2025–26 — whether he remains with the Rangers for the rest of it or not is yet to be determined. 

Casey DeSmith

Dallas Stars

2.59 GAA, .915 SV%

14–8–2 

As a member of De Stars, DeSmith has done well as a reliable backup to Jake Oettinger. He nabbed two shutouts during the regular season and even had an assist in the team’s 4–2 win against the Buffalo Sabres on December 31. Interestingly, in the 10 losses he started in both in regulation and in overtime, the lowest amount of shots he faced was 24. In his last three losses of the regular season, he stopped 34, 32, and 39 shots against, giving up five, six, and four goals respectively. One of these losses was Vancouver’s 6–5 overtime comeback win on April 8. DeSmith has two more years left on his contract and will be 35 when it expires. 

Elias Lindholm

Boston Bruins

17G, 30A in 82GP 

Many fans were upset when two of the team’s biggest free agents from 2023–24 walked for nothing. Elias Lindholm, who was brought into the Canucks organization at the end of January 2024, ultimately signed a seven-year, $7.75M AAV deal with the Bruins during the 2024 free agency period. The start of his first season with Boston got off to a rocky start, as he had seven goals and 13 assists in the first half of 2024–25. While he experienced a couple of slow stretches after this point, Lindholm managed to slightly pick up his pace offensively speaking, adding another 10 goals and 17 assists to his season total. He finished the final 10 games of the season with four goals and six assists. 

Ian Cole

Utah Hockey Club

1G, 16A in 82GP 

While Vancouver seemed to have found their replacement for Cole in Derek Forbort, the current Utah defender had the kind of season that would make a team regret letting him go. A shot-blocking machine, Cole led the NHL in blocked shots this season with 211. The Canuck with the closest amount to this was Tyler Myers with 125. One caveat on Cole’s season was that, like Soucy, he was prone to giveaways. He surrendered the puck to the opposition 118 times this season, which ties him with David Pastrnak and Thomas Harley at 11th in the league. On March 5, he signed a one-year contract extension with Utah that will pay him $2.8M.     

Ilya Mikheyev 

Chicago Blackhawks 

20G, 14A in 80GP 

Vancouver let Mikheyev go via trade after a disappointing 2023–24 season that saw him go goalless for 34 games. It was fitting, of course, that he scored a goal in his first visit back to Rogers Arena after being traded. Mikheyev registered his first point with the Blackhawks in his 10th game with the team. He had 10 rush attempts on the season with Chicago, which would have tied him with Brock Boeser for third on the Canucks. His four-year, $4.75M AAV contract expires after the 2025–26 season. 

J.T. Miller 

New York Rangers

13G, 22A in 32GP 

Miller’s time with the Canucks officially ended on January 31 when he was traded to the Rangers in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a 2025 1st Round Pick. As many Vancouver fans heard, Miller’s first game back with New York resulted in the forward scoring two goals. After competing for Team USA at the 4 Nations Faceoff, Miller returned to the Rangers and put up five goals and five assists in six games. In his final six games of 2024–25, he registered three goals and six assists. While some have pointed out that the defensive woes in Miller’s game seem to have surfaced in New York, offensively speaking, it looks as though the ex-Canuck has continued to perform at the level many know he is capable of. Miller’s current deal expires in 2030, during which he’ll be 37.  

Nikita Zadorov

Boston Bruins 

4G, 18A in 81GP

For Canucks fans, Zadorov’s departure may have been one of the most upsetting of players who left Vancouver during the 2024 free agency period. The hulking defenseman endeared himself to Canucks fans with his on-ice toughness and off-ice humour. While not known for his offensive prowess, Zadorov still had 22 points with the Bruins this season, finishing third on his team in points by a defenseman behind Charlie McAvoy and Mason Lohrei. Unsurprisingly, Zadorov led the NHL in penalty minutes with 145. After this season, Zadorov has five years left on his contract with Boston. 

Sam Lafferty

Buffalo Sabres

4G, 3A in 60GP 

Lafferty had a career year with the Canucks last season, setting new personal records in goals (13) and points (24). He tied his season assist record with 11 in 79 games played. The speedy forward was due to hit free agency in July 2024, but was dealt to the Blackhawks by the Canucks as part of the Mikheyev trade. He went on to sign a two-year contract with Buffalo, where he missed a month of play in the fall due to a lower body injury. He also sustained a groin injury in March that kept him out of the lineup for four games. Lafferty faced a bit of offensive regression with the Sabres, as he didn’t score his first point of the season until November 7. After the 2025–26 season, Lafferty will be a free agent. 

Vasily Podkolzin 

Edmonton Oilers

8G, 16A in 82GP 

When Podkolzin was picked 10th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, some Canucks fans were confused. His KHL contract made it so he wouldn’t be able to join Vancouver until two years after he was drafted. The forward joined the Canucks in the 2021–22 season, putting up 14 goals and 12 assists in 79 games played. After a couple of disappointing seasons that ultimately resulted in him being sent down to the Abbotsford Canucks, Podkolzin was traded to the Oilers for a fourth-round pick. Since joining Edmonton, Podkolzin has earned himself a roster spot by putting his hard work on display. As well, he has provided Edmonton with more of a physical presence in their bottom six, as he quietly led his team with 210 hits during the regular season. Podkolzin, who is still an RFA, will need to sign a new deal with the Oilers after the 2025–26 season. 

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The Hockey News

Ten-man Ipswich relegated after Isak and Burn fire Newcastle up to third

Kieran McKenna and his Ipswich players arrived in the Premier League pledging to stay true to their purist principles but had an ignominious return to the Championship rubber stamped amid acrimony, indiscipline and refereeing controversy.

In mitigation Ipswich started quite well at Newcastle, their low block frustrating Eddie Howe’s side and the striker Alexander Isak in particular. Then they imploded in a manner that perhaps reflected the frustrations of a long, hard season when, all too often, a team who were League One residents two years ago proved not quite good enough to bridge the growing chasm between the top and second tiers.

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Fuham’s last-gasp winner keeps Southampton sweating over points record

A stoppage-time winner from Ryan Sessegnon revitalised Fulham’s European qualification prospects and denied Southampton the chance to move past the record-low Premier League points total set by Derby.

Jack Stephens’ 14th-minute opener had already-relegated Saints on course for a first home league victory since November, but Emile Smith Rowe levelled for Fulham after 72 minutes to set up a nervy finale at St Mary’s.

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What we learned as Giants walk off Rangers on Bailey's clutch single

What we learned as Giants walk off Rangers on Bailey's clutch single originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — A sellout crowd showed up Saturday to honor Brandon Crawford. Patrick Bailey made sure they went home happy. 

The catcher pinch-hit in the bottom of the ninth and dropped Jacob Latz’s first pitch onto the right field grass, giving the Giants a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers at Oracle Park. With the victory, the Giants are guaranteed of having a winning record during this stretch of 17 games in 17 days.

The lineup got shut out Friday, and for most of their next game things weren’t looking much better. They gave off some 2024 vibes until Willy Adames broke through in the fifth with a two-run single up the middle that tied the game.

It stayed tied into the ninth, when manager Bob Melvin turned to struggling closer Ryan Walker. He gave up a pair of singles, but Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka did him a favor by popping up a bunt. After striking out Josh Smith, Walker stayed in to face pinch-hitter Joc Pederson, despite the fact that lefty Erik Miller was warmed up in the pen. Pederson hit a long foul ball and then swung through 97 mph to end the inning as Walker pumped his fist and screamed.

Heliot Ramos ignited the winning rally with a leadoff single in the ninth. After a walk by LaMonte Wade Jr., Christian Koss advanced both runners with a bunt. Bailey hit for Sam Huff and ended it quickly. 

Ray Day

Robbie Ray said after his last start that it was the closest he has felt to his 2021 Cy Young form in years, and he certainly looked like a top-of-the-rotation arm on Saturday. The lefty went a season-high seven innings and struck out eight. It was his first time recording at least 21 outs since Aug. 28, 2022, which was before his Tommy John surgery. 

The Rangers had plenty of traffic early, but Ray limited the damage to a pair of sacrifice flies. With the two earned runs, he lowered his ERA from 4.07 to 3.73. 

Ray was extremely fastball-heavy in his last start, but he showed a four-pitch mix Saturday. He threw each of his pitches at least a dozen times and tossed his new changeup a career-high 20 times. Ray got 23 swinging strikes (a season-high for the Giants) including five on his changeup. 

Revenge Game

Bruce Bochy isn’t the only familiar face in the other dugout in this series. The Rangers’ hitting coaches are Donnie Ecker and Justin Viele, and their roster includes Joc Pederson, Nick Ahmed, Kevin Pillar and Luke Jackson. 

The biggest blow against former teammates came from Huff, though. The former Rangers catcher ignited the game-tying rally with a long double to Triples Alley. It would have brought Koss home, but the infielder slipped going around third. Both players scored on Adames’ single a few minutes later. 

Huff’s double went 375 feet and would have been a homer in six ballparks. Throw in a homer in Anaheim last weekend, and the Giants finally are starting to see the power they expected when they acquired Huff on a waiver claim this offseason. 

The Usual

It’s been a wild week at the back end of Melvin’s bullpen, but he has absolutely no question marks in the eighth. Tyler Rogers is off to a dominant start, and he kept it going Saturday by throwing a scoreless inning. 

Rogers lowered his ERA to 0.63, which is sixth in the NL among relievers with double-digit appearances. Last year’s appearances leader is tied for first in the league in that category, too, and he has thrown up a zero in 14 of his 15 outings. Rogers has allowed just eight hits in 14 1/3 innings. He’s making Melvin’s life very easy when games reach the eighth inning. 

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The Canadiens Should Employ This Drafting Strategy

Image

If I were the Montreal Canadiens I would not go with the best player available. It’s a generic term that sounds good in the NFL but has no real practical application in hockey. You have a draft board for a reason. You have team needs for a reason. Not today’s needs, organizational needs and that’s for 3-5 years down the road. 

According to Puck Pedia, the Canadiens have two picks at 16 and 17. I’ll go with that but we know that can change. The #17 picks are from Calgary and that has conditions. They are explained here

I think the odds of getting a potential second line player is better than a second-pairing defenseman. This isn’t a very deep draft. There will be a fair amount of players that play in the NHL for a period of time. But sticking for 200 games or more is a smaller field than usual in my estimation. That could change after the U18s but right now, that’s how I feel.

I think they should target a forward with some size. If nothing else, just don’t take a smaller forward here. Size and speed is something they need to get. There will be time to get defenseman in this draft and certainly another goalie is always something to think about in every draft. 

The Canadiens have a lot of picks. 12 in total. I normally say get two every draft. In this draft, I still think you might be able to get three. That would be my goal. Anything more than that is gravy.

Toronto Maple Leafs And Los Angeles Kings Showing Just How Effective A Five-Forward Power-Play Unit Can Be

The Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate a goal scored by Auston Matthews in Game 3 of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Ottawa Senators. (Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Los Angeles Kings are two of the best power-play teams in the playoffs, so far. 

The Kings are sitting atop the league in power-play percentage (58.3 percent), and they are also first in the NHL in power-play goals with seven.

Toronto sits just behind the Kings in power-play percentage at 55.6 percent over three games. They are also third in total power-play goals with five, narrowly behind the St. Louis Blues, who scored three in their 7-2 win in Game 3, bringing their total to six.

Other than having similar success and statistics with the extra man, Toronto and L.A. have one more thing in common with their top power-play units – they are made up of five forwards and no defenseman.

The majority of teams in the NHL use four forwards, with their most offensive defenseman quarterbacking the power play. That’s not the case for the Leafs and Kings.

For the most part, Los Angeles uses Adrian Kempe at the point with Anze Kopitar occasionally coming short to receive the puck. The Kings do have the choice to put a D-man on the top unit with Drew Doughty and Brandt Clarke on the roster, but coach Jim Hiller has decided to put them on the second unit.

Toronto has Mitch Marner at the blueline dictating the play with his elite playmaking and ability to walk the line. In seasons past, Morgan Rielly would be the quarterback, but coach Craig Berube has found success with the five-man unit.

Former NHL coach Bruce Boudreau spoke about the Maple Leafs’ five-forward power-play unit in the latest episode of The Hockey News’ Big Show.

“The Leaf five, I find amazing. All five of them are so good,” Boudreau said. He further complimented Toronto’s top unit and highlighted how important Marner is to the formation.

“Marner, I think, is the best distributor this side of Connor McDavid of the puck, and he can defend when needed.”

While the five-man forward unit is a relatively new concept and not many teams use it, the NHL is a copycat league. Maybe next season, teams that don’t have an offensive defenseman will put this idea into consideration.

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After Crawford day, what's next for Giants jersey numbers, ceremonies?

After Crawford day, what's next for Giants jersey numbers, ceremonies? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon Crawford was in a checkered suit Saturday, but No. 35 was still represented at Oracle Park, and not just with the thousands who came to watch the best shortstop in franchise history get honored. Justin Verlander, Friday night’s starter, is wearing the number this season after an offseason conversation with Crawford. 

It wasn’t hard for Crawford to sign off on giving the number to a future Hall of Famer, but Saturday’s ceremony was a reminder that the organization has some difficult decisions to make down the line. 

The front row of guests for the ceremony included president of baseball operations Buster Posey, former manager Bruce Bochy and longtime Giants ace Matt Cain. The Giants have no intention of ever letting anyone wear No. 28 or No. 15 again, but Cain’s No. 18 has been worn by eight players since he retired, including Curt Casali and Donovan Walton last year. So, what are the Giants going to do with No. 35 when Verlander is done in orange and black?

“We haven’t gotten there. Today is a thank you for Brandon, the soonest we could thank him and show gratitude for his career as a Giant,” team president and CEO Larry Baer said. “That [number decision] can be considered later.”

The best shortstop in franchise history is part of a group of teammates who are franchise legends, but also unlikely to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, which traditionally has been the standard for the Giants to retire a number. The Giants changed their thinking to honor Barry Bonds, who was left out of Cooperstown by the Baseball Writers Association of America, and that opened the door to also retire Will Clark’s No. 22. 

Brad Grems, who is in charge of the clubhouse, has followed Mike Murphy’s lead in not giving out No. 55 (Tim Lincecum) or No. 40 (Madison Bumgarner). But at some point the Giants will have to decide where they draw the lines for longtime Giants who will go on their Wall of Fame but also could be in consideration to have their numbers retired. 

“We’ll try to honor that group. We haven’t only [retired numbers for] Hall of Famers, but it has primarily been Hall of Famers,” Baer said. “We’ll have to come up with a philosophy. There are other guys in his era whose jerseys have not been retired, too. We have to think it through.”

The Giants already have retired 11 numbers, plus No. 42, which is retired across the game for Jackie Robinson. Bochy and Posey will be inducted into Cooperstown in the next few years and join that list.

Regardless of the future standard, Crawford has at least one more big day coming at Oracle Park. He’ll soon be back to go on the organization’s Wall of Fame, which honors former Giants who played at least nine seasons, five seasons with at least one MLB All-Star selection, or won three rings. Brandon Belt would clear the bar, along with Lincecum, Bumgarner, Pablo Sandoval and Joe Panik, who flew in from New York to attend the Crawford ceremony.

Panik soon will visit Double-A Richmond as an instructor and plans to work with players at one affiliate every month. With Posey now in charge, others from the championship era are expected to return to the organization in some capacity, but Crawford reiterated on Saturday that he plans to take this full year off. That was always the plan in retirement, and it’s not like he has much free time anyway.

The Crawfords have five children, four of whom are very active in school and youth sports and a fifth who is only a year and a half old. After giving his speech, Crawford said he’ll potentially join the Giants down the road in an official capacity, but for now he has his hands full. 

“It’s been busy,” he said, smiling. “Even busier than baseball seasons, to be honest. But it’s been a lot of fun.”

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Well-liked Kody Clemens traded to Twins: ‘It was just the fit'

Well-liked Kody Clemens traded to Twins: ‘It was just the fit' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CHICAGO — Rob Thomson texted Kody Clemens early Saturday morning to wish him the best. After three years in the Phillies organization, Clemens is moving on to Minnesota. The Phils traded him to the Twins late Friday night for cash.

Clemens had been designated for assignment on Wednesday when the Phillies activated right-handed-hitting Weston Wilson. Clemens saw very little playing time through three weeks, going 0-for-6 with a walk and just six innings on defense — four in left field, two at second base. His left-handed bat wasn’t an ideal fit on the Phils’ bench because the primary positions he’d back up are also occupied by left-handed hitters.

“It’s too bad we couldn’t have given him more of an opportunity here,” Thomson said before the Phillies’ middle game at Wrigley Field. “It was just the fit because he’s a good player, he’s a big-league player and I’ve said that all along. He’s a great teammate, he’s a great human being. I texted him this morning and wished him all the best because I really like him a lot. They like him a lot.”

Clemens was acquired by the Phillies with reliever Gregory Soto in January 2023 from the Detroit Tigers for outfielder Matt Vierling and utilityman Nick Maton. Clemens appeared in 97 games as a Phillie, hitting .220/.265/.394 with 16 doubles and nine home runs in 275 plate appearances. He was 2-for-5 with a double in last year’s NLDS.

The Phillies’ bench currently consists of Edmundo Sosa, Wilson, Cal Stevenson and Rafael Marchan. Brandon Marsh (hamstring strain) is two games into a rehab assignment with Triple A Lehigh Valley and will likely take Stevenson’s place on the roster once he’s ready to return.

Marsh played seven innings in center field on Friday and is scheduled to DH Saturday. He is eligible to be activated on Sunday but the Phillies might keep him at Triple A for another few days.

“I want him to make sure that his swing’s back and that he’s ready to go,” Thomson said Saturday.

It’s not the worst thing in the world for Marsh to be able to find his timing in the minors right now, away from all the attention. Negativity is justifiably swirling in the Delaware Valley over the Phillies’ 13-13 start.

“I think it’s good for him, sure, because you could see the sawdust coming out of his hands as he was up at the plate,” Thomson said. “He was just trying to do too much. It’s a process and it takes time.”

3 Standouts in the Blackhawks' Pipeline Have Already Debuted This Season

Sam Rinzel (Talia Sprague-Imagn Images)

Near the end of January of this year, general manager Kyle Davidson mentioned six prospects playing outside of the NHL/AHL that caught his eye and stood out. This list of talented young players in the Chicago Blackhawks' organization included Nick Lardis, Sacha Boisvert, Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel, Roman Kantserov, and Ryan Greene.

Three of these players made the jump right to the NHL at the end of the season in order for the Blackhawks to see what they can do. Davidson had said, That's where we are building this thing and they are showing up. Their play and development are showing us we're on the right track."

Moore and Rinzel played nine games to end the season with the Blackhawks while Greene joined later and played two. Lardis is in his fourth and final year in the OHL, Kantserov is still in the KHL, and Boisvert is switching schools and is remaining in the NCAA for at least another season.

I think Rinzel has the best shot at not playing an AHL game in his career as he fits right in on the top pairing in the NHL. Moore might spend a little time at the start of the season in the minors like Frank Nazar did and then force the hand of the Blackhawks, but Greene will benefit from a full season in the AHL. Lardis can score as he put up 71 goals in 65 games, but the room might not be available on Chicago just yet.

If the Blackhawks can bring Kantserov over in a couple of years, that would be ideal. Allow him to play the minutes against top KHL talent to see him grow before entering right into the NHL. As for Boisvert, he is tracking well and will make a stop in the AHL before becoming a full-time NHLer.

There is great reason to be excited and next season will bring more talent to watch for in the Blackhawks' organization.

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game day coverage, player features, and more.

Championship roundup: Cardiff relegated while Luton stun Coventry

  • Cardiff’s 0-0 draw with West Brom seals Welsh club’s fate
  • Baptiste’s late Luton winner hurts Sky Blues’ playoff hopes

Cardiff have been relegated on a dramatic day at the bottom of the Championship, with Plymouth left on the brink and Hull pulled into the bottom three. Cardiff were held 0-0 at home by West Brom and are now bottom after Plymouth won 2-1 at Preston. However, Argyle’s poor goal difference means they stand no real chance of survival.

Cardiff returned to the third tier after 22 years, six years after they had been playing in the Premier League. They had Aaron Ramsey in interim charge, while Albion had James Morrison in temporary control after Tony Mowbray was sacked on Monday. Both sides had chances with Albion’s Isaac Price making a goalline clearance from Calum Chambers and having a first-half effort that bounced back off a post. The result ended West Brom’s playoff hopes.

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Five Potential Destinations For Canucks' Brock Boeser

Brock Boeser (Danny Wild-Imagn Images)

Brock Boeser has been quoted saying "it's unlikely at this point" that he will be returning to the Vancouver Canucks next season, and the free-agent market for the 28-year-old will be large and competitive.

Boeser recorded 25 goals and 50 points this season in 75 games, following a 2023-24 season where he set a career-high of 40 goals and 73 points. The former 2015 first-round pick is one of the more efficient scorers in the NHL, owning a 17.2 shooting percentage this season – the 41st highest percentage in the league among players with 70 or more games played 

With his impending exit from Vancouver, here are five possible free-agency destinations for Boeser.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs could be entering an offseason where major change is needed if they fall short of their playoff goals. Mitch Marner and John Tavares are pending UFAs, and the team needs to re-sign pending RFA Matthew Knies. If they decide to let Marner walk in free agency or he elects to seek a new opportunity, rumours have already swirled about the possibility of the Maple Leafs using Boeser and the Jets' Nikolaj Ehlers as replacements. 

Boeser is quite different in terms of play style compared to Marner. Marner is a pure playmaker, looking to pass as his first option, while Boeser is known as a shooter. The styles might be different, but the skill the Maple Leafs currently have should allow everyone to gel quite quickly.

Minnesota Wild

The Wild are an obvious choice for the Burnsville, Minn. native. They’ll have over $20 million in cap space this off-season and will be looking to add another scoring winger to complement the likes of Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Marco Rossi.

With prospects such as Liam Ohgren, Danila Yurov, Zeev Buium, David Jiricek and Jesper Wallstedt all expected to be key contributors sometime soon, Boeser would fit nicely in the Wild's lineup. 

When Boeser is at his best, he’s one of the league's most efficient scorers. Pairing him with a playmaker who generates chances at an extremely high rate, as Kaprizov does, it’s not far-fetched to envision Boeser possibly recording multiple 40-goal seasons. 

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings have been attempting to put the final touches on their rebuild for quite some time. In the Atlantic Division, they’ve been compared to the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres. Missing the playoffs this season and watching the Senators and Canadiens make it has upset some of the players.

"It was hard that we didn't do anything, and I felt the group kinda — we didn't gain any momentum from the trade deadline, and guys were kinda down about it," said captain Dylan Larkin during the team's exit interviews.  "So it'd be nice to add something and bring a little bit of a spark on the ice and maybe a morale boost as well."

Although adding Boeser to the fold wouldn’t solve every problem they have or instantly make them into a playoff team, it would be a good start. They’ll also need to sure up their goaltending and continue to integrate more of their top-end prospects to compete with the other wild-card teams. 

Carolina Hurricanes

GM Eric Tulsky showed the NHL world that he’s not afraid to make a big move after he traded for and then traded away Mikko Rantanen. Moving Rantanen and Martin Necas has opened up a lot of cap space for the Hurricanes, and it’s expected that they’ll be pursuing many of the top free agents this summer. 

The Hurricanes will likely prioritize a second-line center before looking for additional help on the wing, but if they do, Boeser could be a great fit. 

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks are in a different position than the other four teams mentioned. They are at the peak of their rebuild, beginning to incorporate many of the players they hope to be key contributors in the future.

Making the playoffs seems quite unlikely for Chicago, but they'll be hoping to be in the race by the time the post-season rolls around in 2026. Pairing Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar and possibly a top-two pick with a proven scorer such as Boeser would help them accomplish that, similar to what Tyler Toffoli did for Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund and the San Jose Sharks.

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.

Mets at Nationals: How to watch on SNY on April 26, 2025

The Mets continue their four-game series with the Nationals in Washington, D.C. on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...


Mets Notes

  • The Mets fell to 6-7 on the road with Friday's loss, but still own the best record in the majors at 18-8 (.692 win percentage)
  • Clay Holmes has allowed only two runs with 14 strikeouts over his last two starts (11.0 IP)
  • Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez both went 1-for-4 in their season debuts
  • McNeil gets the start in CF -- he's played the position three times in his big league career (all in 2023)
  • Mark Vientos has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, including just the second triple of his career on Friday night

METS
NATIONALS

Francisco Lindor, SS

CJ Abrams, SS

Juan Soto, RF

James Wood, LF

Pete Alonso, 1B

Nathaniel Lowe, 1B

Brandon Nimmo, LF

Josh Bell, DH

Mark Vientos, 3B

Luis Garcia Jr., 2B

Jesse Winker, DH

Keibert Ruiz, C

Francisco Alvarez, C

Dylan Crews, RF

Jeff McNeil, CF

Jose Tena, 3B

Luisangel Acuña, 2B

Jacob Young, CF


What channel is SNY?

Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.

How can I stream the game?

The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.

In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone. 

How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB? 

To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps: 

  • Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider. 
  • Link your provider credentials with a new or existing MLB.com account. 
  • Log in using your MLB.com credentials to watch Mets games on SNY. 

How can I watch the game on the MLB App? 

MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.  

  • Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices. 
  • Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”  
  • To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.  

For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here

Florida Panthers Assign Jesse Puljujarvi To Charlotte

David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The Florida Panthers have assigned forward Jesse Puljujarvi to the Charlotte Checkers, it was announced Friday. 

Puljujarvi, who joined the Panthers organization midway through the season, has seen time in both the NHL and AHL this year. In 31 NHL games with the Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins, he scored four goals and added six assists for 10 points. Across 26 AHL games with Charlotte and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he put up six goals and 16 points. 

Drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Puljujarvi has played in a total of 387 career NHL regular season games with the Panthers, Penguins, Oilers and the Carolina Hurricanes. In that span, he has collected 58 goals and 70 assists for 128 points. 

With Puljujarvi being assigned to the AHL, he will have an opportunity to play a big role for the Checkers as they look to make a run to the Calder Cup. Still a capable depth player on an NHL roster, Puljujarvi has not been able to secure a full-time role over the last couple of seasons but could see another team take a swing at him during the offseason. 

ICYMI in Mets Land: Francisco Alvarez and Jeff McNeil return, plus Brooks Raley agrees to deal

Here's what happened in Mets land on Friday, in case you missed it...