Category: Sports News

With  Brock Nelson re-signing and numerous unrestricted free agents the Colorado Avalanche can re-sign, how high does Jonathan Drouin rank in terms of importance to the Avalanche?

Initially joining the team for the 2023-24 season, just above the NHL league minimum at $825,000, his first season was a success. In 79 games played, he finished with 19 goals and 37 assists for 56 points, totals not reached since his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens early in his career.

The following offseason, he initially accepted a one-year “prove it” deal, which led him to turn down numerous long-term offers to stay with the Avalanche and his good friend, Nathan MacKinnon, and remain with a competitive Avalanche team in a beneficial top-six role.

Unfortunately, after a season filled with disappointing performances and injuries that kept him off the ice, he finished with 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points in 43 games. Although that isn’t a “bad” statline to finish with, barring injuries and all, it's just not enough for many teams to offer long-term value on any pending contracts, including the Avalanche.

For Drouin, injuries have been a significant factor over the past couple of seasons. He has only played over 60 games once since the 2018-19 season, when he last played 81 games with the Montreal Canadiens. He turns 31 next season, and given the team's current construction, his play may no longer align with the team's needs.

Outside of another cheap deal, and Gabriel Landeskog back, he doesn't fit into the top six anymore. Martin Necas, Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, and Landeskog are your locks for top-six wingers, and Drouin's play doesn't mesh well with the bottom-six. 

The Avalanche had $1.2 million in cap space available for use. He could have taken another low-cost deal and hoped that next season he would stay healthy and produce well, allowing him to secure a larger contract the following offseason. However, could that cap space be better utilized elsewhere in the lineup? If you are going to pay $1-2 million for a winger, it could be better spent on someone who can play on the penalty kill and be more defensively responsible. 

Even now, with the Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets, which freed over $7 million in cap space, is a return still on the table? Does this move reopen the door for MacFarland and Sakic to return to talks and see if they can get him back for another year or two while still having more cap space to re-sign other pending UFAs? The Avalanche has some work to do now with their bottom-six after Coyle and Woods' departure, adding on top of Logan O’Connor going to miss the start of the season, rehabbing from hip surgery. 

Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood Traded to Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche Get Picks and Prospect Gavin Brindley in ReturnDenver, Colo. - With just $1.2 million in cap space, the Colorado Avalanche were slated to head into this year's free agency period with a bit of a handicap.

As it stands now, the Avalanche are looking to deploy forwards Parker Kelly, Ross Colton, and Jack Drury in their bottom-six. Barring any signings, you now start looking at Colorado Eagles players to fill out the rest of the lineup, such as Nikita Prishchepov, Taylor Makar, and Ivan Ivan. Or even Zhakar Bardakov, who signed a one-year ELC with the team this past April, and someone MacFarland spoke about being an option for the bottom-six.

When talking about rounding out the #GoAvsGo bottom-six, MacFarland did name 2024 trade acquisition Zhakar Bardakov as a potential option.

Says he’s excited to see what he can do in a training camp setting.

— Bailey Curtis (@baileyycurtis) June 28, 2025

When players like Nichushkin, Landeskog, and Lehkonen were sidelined, Drouin performed well next to MacKinnon in the top six. He effectively used his playmaking skills and a surprisingly good shot. However, with the top six now healthy heading into the next season, is Drouin even necessary for the team? MacFarland could benefit more from building a strong, defensively sound bottom six.

If Drouin returns, he could provide insurance for the top six forward spots. However, his struggles to perform on the third line during the postseason raised many concerns. It’s not wise to invest in top-six insurance if that player is ineffective when placed in the bottom six. 

Colorado Avalanche Announce Dates for 2025 Rookie Showcase and Prospect Development CampColorado Avalanche PR announced on Monday afternoon that the organization will be hosting the 2025 Rookie Showcase. This is a showcase that cycles around the league, giving the prospects in participating organizations a chance to shine.

The new decentralized format for the 2025 NHL Draft didn't quite go as planned on Friday night. And that's putting it mildly.

This year, they opted for several new angles, including NHL executives and scouts staying at home, while letting special guests announce their selections for them at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Presumably, it was a move designed to save money, and whether it accomplished that or not, there are a lot of reasons Friday night's first-round format presentation should never be repeated.

Like, ever.

Credit where credit is due. The venue and the set looked beautiful on TV with an amazing backdrop.

Now here comes the, um, constructive criticism.

Awkward,  uninteresting video conference calls

The NHL relied on team executives and a nervous, excited 18-year-old kid to effectively carry half the broadcast, to be broadcasters or hosts, able to carry on a compelling conversation that’s worthy of being televised.

Fans may have wondered in the past what is said in a player's first meeting with his team. After half a dozen picks, the answer was clear: there is nothing interesting being said. It was like a boy meeting his girlfriend's dad for the first time. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

Sometimes the conversation got so awkward, the reporter would ask the special guest what they thought, which was good news for The Goo Goo Dolls, who were called in from the bullpen during the Buffalo Sabres chat.

Check One, Check, Check. Hey, Can You Guys Hear Me?

I'm not sure what setup they were using to facilitate the video conference calls, but there was one technical glitch after another. Even when the feed was working and everyone could hear each other, there was an echo throughout.

The audio didn't work at all for some teams, including the Senators. When the camera cut to the Senators' feed with no audio, Senators owner Michael Andlauer didn't appear very happy. Hopefully, the glitch doesn’t cost him a draft pick.

You've Been Blocked

The other big technical glitch was fixed when they finally moved the camera. For the first few selections, the player was standing where he completely blocked our view of the NHL executives on the big screen.

Not-So-Special Guests

We live in a celebrity culture, so it's easy to understand why the league thought this might spice things up. For three reasons, it did not.

First of all, many of them couldn't be there and did a Zoom call to make the pick. Not a huge deal, if it's still done well, like the late Alex Trebek in 2020.

Secondly, many of the guests were less famous than the NHL general managers or owners they were representing.

Finally, very few of the special guests put any thought or preparation into it, certainly very few did anything that would be considered an upgrade on what the GM could have done from his home city.

Some of them slaughtered pronunciations—like Tony Finau with his mention of the "Monk-toon" Wildcats. Charles Barkley is always entertaining, but he seemed to think he was Zooming into Gary Bettman's podcast or something, to the point where Bettman had to remind him it's time to make the pick.

Some of them did okay. Adam Sandler Zoomed in with his Happy Gilmore routine, which was sort of fun. Raunchy comedian Nikki Glaser told a funny joke about Brett Hull and his beer-fueled "We Went Blues" chant at the 2019 Cup celebration. 

But most viewers might have preferred an extra 60 seconds of draft analysis from the panel.

At the very least, the league needs to do a better job of vetting who the special guests are and what they're planning. If it's not interesting in some way, just let the GMs make a straightforward pick.

Gary’s Walk-a-thon

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman got a great workout. For every pick, we had to watch him make the 80-foot expedition to the center-stage microphone just to bring on the special guest, even though he could have done so from the podium and second microphone to the left of the stage. Once the pick was made, everyone could make the walk to centre stage  then. We're waiting on the player to arrive from the stands anyway.

I'm not here to bury innovation or new ideas simply because they're different. These just didn't work.

The Sens aren’t scheduled to have a first-round pick next year, so fans may not care that much, but here’s hoping we get back to the standard draft format in 2026.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa
Banner image credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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The Buffalo Sabres were willing to trade their first-round pick at the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday for immediate help, but in the end did what many mock drafts projected them to do, going with the second-highest ranked defenseman after top pick Matthew Schaefer with Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman Radim Mrtka with the ninth overall pick. 

The 18-year-old Czech blueliner offers an intriguing physical package at 6’6”, 218 lb. with excellent skating ability. After getting limited playing time in various levels in Czechia last season and playing for his country in the Under-18s, Mrtka came to North America to play in the WHL and posted 35 points (3 goals, 32 assists) in 43 games with the Thunderbirds.  

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"Mrtka (offers a) very unique package to be able to move the way he does at 6'6", (is) almost more agile with the puck, if that's possible," Sabres Asst GM Jerry Forton said on Tuesday. "A smart player at both ends. I was over in Czechia early in the year when he wasn't getting a lot of playing time in the men's league over there to see what he was willing to do to move to North America. He comes from a background where he has very little in the way of resources for hockey or anything outside hockey. He uprooted, high character kid, a huge ceiling."

The Sabres were also intrigued by the big defenseman being a right-handed complement to Rasmus Dahlin or Owen Power down the line, but that will likely not be for a few years, since most draft analysts consider him a raw talent that will need at some time to hone his skills. 

 "With these young players, they take time. You don't want to rush them," Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said after the first round. Philosophically, I always feel like they'll tell us when they're ready, and then you make room. If that means right away, it's great. If it means a year, two years, three years, you just don't know, but there's a, there's a good player there and we project him as a top four right-shot defenseman whenever that time comes, we'll see."

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

Finnish winger who made impressive second-half climb goes to Flyers in fifth round originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The Flyers used one of their two fifth-round picks in the 2025 NHL draft on Max Westergard.

The Finnish winger went to the Flyers at 132nd overall Saturday afternoon.

Westergard was the 30th-ranked international skater by NHL Central Scouting, climbing 36 spots from his midterm mark of 66th. At the Swedish under-20 level, Westergard had 19 goals and 31 assists over 41 games in 2024-25 for Frolunda.

(More coming…)

More Flyers draft coverage

• Flyers take Martone at No. 6 to kick off their NHL draft 2025

• Flyers trade up in first round, grab rising center at No. 12

• Flyers open second round of NHL draft 2025 with 6-foot-6 defenseman

• Flyers add a U.S. forward with some positional versatility in second round

• Busy second round continues with a teammate of a Flyers prospect

• Flyers grab another big center to wrap up four picks in second round

If the first round of the draft seemed never-ending for you in the comfort of your house, for Kent Hughes, the last three weeks have been a marathon. The Montreal Canadiens’ GM arrived at the press conference desk the previous night shortly before midnight and looked like he was ready to go; he confessed that he had been on the phone for all his waking hours for the last three weeks.

Hughes found out Noah Dobson could be available earlier this week and gave New York Islanders’ GM Mathieu Darche a call, and things went from there. For the Habs’ GM, a player in his prime at 25 years old and as accomplished as the blueliner rarely becomes available on the market, this is precisely the kind of opportunity for which Montreal had been accumulating assets, to be able to get that kind of player.

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Canadiens Land Number One Target On Trade Board: Noah Dobson

Even though the Canadiens now have nine potential NHLers on their roster, Hughes said the Habs will have the luxury of leaving those who need more time in the AHL, and once they are ready, he will reevaluate the situation.

On his new acquisition’s defensive game, Hughes explained that the key part of the defenseman’s game was his ability to retrieve the puck and then quickly spring the offense. The price was right for acquiring him as well. Hughes didn’t have to sacrifice the team’s future to land him, and that’s the kind of deal Montreal is after right now. They’re not going to go out on the market and overspend because they feel they can win it all in a night; perhaps in a few years, they will, but right now, they're content with sticking to making sensible deals.

Hughes refused to speculate about who Dobson might be playing with, adding that it would be up to Martin St-Louis. Now that he has checked off the right-shot defenseman box, the GM says he will continue to try to improve his team up front.

Regarding the defenseman's willingness to accept a bit more money to be in a situation where he feels he can win, the former agent said that once players get a taste of winning, they chase it, wanting to experience victory again. He added that some players wish they had realized that chasing the wins was more important than chasing the big bucks sooner in their careers. That’s not Dobson’s case, who has just accepted to sign for less money at barely 25 years old and the start of his prime.

Hughes is confident that there will be plenty of ice time to go around, saying that Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson were probably among the highest in the league in ice time, and it won’t be a bad thing to give them a bit more rest.

As for why the trade wasn’t announced for so long on Friday, he explained that it had been leaked on social media before it was finalized. It took time for the new contract to be signed, as the Islanders had to be the signing team to secure the maximum term. In the end, the deal was only finalized around 5:30 PM. In the future, the Canadiens will strive to continue adding experience while allowing their young players to develop further. However, when a player as young and accomplished as Dobson becomes available, you must seize the opportunity and worry later about the complementary pieces needed to surround them.

On Dobson now becoming the highest earner on the team, Hughes says it doesn’t change anything on the team’s pecking order. This is not a contract signed with a player who is just coming off his ELC; there were different parameters. He’s confident that the size of the contract won’t put more pressure on his new star defenseman.

BIENVENUE À MONTRÉAL, NOAH DOBSON 🔥

WELCOME TO MONTREAL, NOAH DOBSON#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/ZuFCJGLs0C

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 28, 2025

Overall, that trade will be significant for the Canadiens, not only because you can never have too many puck-moving defensemen, but also because it will make Montreal a more attractive place to play for potential forwards. Being able to have more than one pairing that can launch the attack means that more than one line will get to play with offensive-minded defensemen.

Whichever way you look at it, the Canadiens won the day yesterday. To go from picking in the “muddy middle” of the first round after making the playoffs to acquiring a first-pairing defenseman is as good a result as anyone could have hoped. Generally speaking, you can only get that much of an impactful player in the draft when you are selecting relatively high and even then, you do not know what you’re going to get, life is not the only thing that’s like a box of chocolate as Forrest Gump would say, so is the NHL draft. In that sense, yesterday, Hughes put all of his chips on a horse that has already won many races, and he was right to be beaming with pride and excitement.

Photo credit:  Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

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The Buffalo Sabres got people thinking Thursday when they sent JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth.

In return for the up-and-coming left winger, Buffalo received right winger Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring. The deal didn’t come as much of a surprise, given that Peterka – an RFA heading into the off-season – had yet to sign a contract extension with Buffalo. But the return the Sabres got for Peterka had us asking one question – that can’t be it, right? 

While Doan and Kesselring may eventually evolve into important pieces of the puzzle for the Sabres, this lineup hasn’t changed nearly enough for a franchise that hasn’t made the Stanley Cup playoffs for the past 14 years. 

Although the 23-year-old Doan has some promise as a power forward, he won’t replace the offense Peterka brought to the table for the past two seasons, when he had a combined 55 goals and 118 points. Not yet, anyway.

So yes, we must ask whether the Sabres have more moves coming besides that trade and re-signing Jack Quinn to a two-year contract with a $3.375-million cap hit on Friday. 

All eyes in Buffalo are now trained on RFA defenseman Bowen Byram, who seems less likely to sign an extension with each passing day. 

Adding Kesselring helps deepen Buffalo’s defense on the right side, but only intermittently until Byram is dealt, or if he’s dealt. Drafting right-handed blueliner Radim Mrtka ninth overall at the NHL draft is great, but if he’s not playing in the NHL in October, there must be additional moves for the Sabres to ensure they’re building playoff-caliber depth.

Peterka’s immediate signing with the Mammoth tells you one of a few things: either he wasn’t willing to sign a long-term deal at $7.7 million per season with the Sabres, vice versa or both. None of those possibilities paint Sabres GM Kevyn Adams or team ownership in a positive light. 

There are too many instances of players wanting out of Buffalo in their playoff drought, and that means Adams must be cold-blooded and doggedly determined to put together a roster that can legitimately compete for a playoff spot.

With that in mind, Sabres fans should absolutely be expecting more moves to come for this franchise. Dealing Byram almost seems like an inevitability at this point, but even beyond that, there must be some fundamental changes for the organization. 

Simply put, the status quo cannot be an option for Buffalo. So many years of losing have created an odor around this franchise that can’t be easily perfumed. But that doesn’t give Adams a free pass to essentially run it back with more or less the same level of talent.

If these Sabres don’t make upgrades this summer, there should be even greater unrest among the Sabres’ fan base. The message to Adams is clear: get to moving some players of note off this roster, and bring in some better players in a hurry. And no excuse that leads to Adams not doing anything in that respect will keep Sabres fans from lashing out in anger and frustration.

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Day One of the 2025 NHL Draft is officially wrapped, and the Pittsburgh Penguins were certainly one of the more active teams in the first round.

But, maybe just not in the way you might think.

Heading into Friday's first round, GM and POHO Kyle Dubas and his Penguins were slated to select back-to-back at 11th and 12th overall after receiving the New York Rangers' 12th overall pick to satisfy the condition of the Marcus Pettersson and J.T. Miller trades. It gave them a ton of flexibility in terms of direction, and it also guaranteed them two quality players within the top-12.

But Dubas and vice president of player personnel Wes Clark saw a different opportunity. They went ahead and selected center Ben Kindel with their own 11th overall pick, but - with the Philadelphia Flyers wanting to trade up - they saw an opportunity they couldn't pass on.

So, they traded the 12th overall pick to the Flyers in exchange for the 22nd and 31st overall picks, which guaranteed them three first-rounders instead of two. Pittsburgh selected center Bill Zonnon with the 22nd pick, and they traded their 59th overall pick and the 31st pick to the Los Angeles Kings to move back up and draft Will Horcoff at 24th overall. 

And Dubas feels pretty good about the three players they got.

“We’re excited about the results for us," Dubas said. "For us to come out of the first round with the three players that we did – I think they’re all very different player types – we’re extremely excited and look forward to tomorrow.”

It may not have been the popular, consensus path for the Penguins, but Dubas certainly got creative and defied outside expectations a bit.

Here are three takeaways from the Penguins' first day of the NHL Draft.

NHL Draft Live Reaction: Join The Chat For The Round 1 RecapDay 1 of the 2025 NHL draft included some surprises, steals and moving moments. The Hockey News is here to react to it all.

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1. The overall focus on centers was a very serious thing.

If one thing was made abundantly clear in the first round of this year's draft, it's that center depth was certainly being prioritized. 

Of the top-15 picks in the draft, 13 were forwards. And of those forwards, 11 were centers. 

There was a lot of chatter ahead of the draft that some names could fall because of the high volume of centers projected to go in the first round. Even some centers, by most accounts, not being projected as selections until at least the 20s - such as Kindel, Jack Nesbitt, and Cole Reschny - were taken before 20.

The center position was a strength in this draft class, and teams certainly took advantage of it - and, in some cases, moved up to ensure they got their guy. It did push a few really good players back to the 11th overall slot for the Penguins, and it gave them options.

But they decided to take the same road as the others did.

Reaction: Penguins Select Center Ben Kindel 11th Overall In 2025 NHL DraftThe 2025 NHL Draft is finally upon us.

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2. Whether intended or not, the Penguins drafted for positional need.

On a related note: Dubas stressed in his post-first-round press conference with the media that the Penguins didn't exactly go in with the intention of drafting three centers.

But, at some point, it became clear that they were drafting for positional need.

The Penguins have goaltending prospect depth as well as defensive prospect depth. They also have several players who are capable of slotting in on the wing. But Dubas and Clark were aware that their center prospect pool was pretty dry, so they took advantage of the high volume of centers in this draft class.

"It was just a quality-of-player thing and where they came out on our board and how they graded out for us," Dubas said. "We were fortunate we got some 'D' last year that are already signed and ready to come in, plus [Emil] Pieniniemi from the class before, which we’ll develop. Especially with the varying style from all three of them, we were very excited about it.”

Reaction: Penguins Select Forward Bill Zonnon With 22nd Overall PickThe Pittsburgh Penguins have officially made their second of three first-round selections in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. 

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3. Three is better than one.

Perhaps the most interesting tidbit to come out of Dubas's presser was his response when asked about whether or not they considered trading up in the draft.

“If we would have moved up, we would have ended up with just having one player tonight as well," Dubas said. "Which, we would have been happy with. But we’re thrilled with the players that we have.”

There was a lot of buzz about the Penguins being interested in moving up, and there was even some trade talk surrounding veteran forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. Dubas and the Penguins obviously thought the price was too hefty to move up, and they pounced on the opportunity to, instead, select three first-rounders by moving down with the New York Rangers' 12th overall pick.

#LetsGoPens select Benjamin Kindel 11th. I ranked him 8th.

Kindel is a bit undersized, but you usually need to make a compromise somewhere to get a player who scored 99 points in the WHL in his draft year outside the top 10. pic.twitter.com/rQd3DZlRWh

— Patrick Bacon (@TopDownHockey) June 28, 2025

Dubas understands the discourse surrounding the "quality v. quantity" approach. But, in this case, he believes they hit on both.

"I think you're trying to find that balance between having a lot and having quality... and we have to deliver," Dubas said.

He continued: "We believe that all three are going to be very high-quality players in the NHL. So, we're excited about that, excited to get to work with them. Obviously, when you're in our position, you're accruing picks and prospects – but you have to make good on them. You have to draft good players. You have to do a great job in developing them. We'll turn them over after today to [director of player development] Tom Kostopoulos, and we'll get to work."

Reaction: Penguins Take Will Horcoff As 24th Overall SelectionAfter a long night of anticipation, the Pittsburgh Penguins made what is presumed to be their final draft selection in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.

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Feature Image Credit: Kelsey Surmacz - The Hockey News

It was the worst kept secret in the Montreal Canadiens’ history that they had traded picks 16 and 17th overall to the New York Islanders, but once the Vancouver Canucks had picked Braeden Cootes, the NHL still put the Habs as “On the clock”. Commissioner Gary Bettman took to the stage with NBA champion and Montreal-Nord native Luguentz Dort, who was initially supposed to make the pick, and finally announced the trade while Dort smashed the button to set off the trade alert.

Given the fact that Carter Bear, Jack Nesbitt, Radim Mrtka, and Roger McQueen were all off the board by that time, the two first-round picks and Emil Heineman to the New York Islanders for the Noah Dobson deal looked even better. Levis native Justin Carbonneau was still on the board, but as Jeff Gorton had said on Thursday, the Canadiens didn’t feel under pressure to select a player from Quebec. Carbonneau landed on his feet in St. Louis, two picks later becoming the second Quebecer drafted after Caleb Desnoyers, who was picked fourth overall by the Utah Mammoth.

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Speaking to the media after his brief appearance on stage, Dortz confirmed that the Canadiens had approached him during the NBA playoffs, but he waited until the Thunder won to prove that he would be doing it. Dortz also explained that he had played hockey briefly as a kid, but that it wasn’t for him. When asked if he could potentially be the Canadiens’ next second-line center, he laughed and dismissed the possibility.

About the Dobson trade, it was widely believed that the Islanders had pulled the trigger to package the Canadiens’ pick to move up in the draft and pick James Hagens, but if that was indeed their end game, they couldn’t pull it off. Hagens, a New York native and Boston College player in the NCAA, landed with the Boston Bruins.

As for Montreal native Bill Zonnon, he was drafted 22nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, becoming the third player from the QMJHL selected. This first remotely held NHL draft isn’t likely to become a regular occurrence. The event dragged on much longer than when held in person, and the hype just wasn’t the same. Earlier in the day, the league had announced that teams had voted overwhelmingly in favor of this option, with 26 clubs supporting the idea and six opposing it. Judging by the reaction on social media, I expect the league to revert to the former formula swiftly.

As for the media members gathered at the Bell Centre, we were rewarded for our patience with a media opportunity with Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes late in the evening.

Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

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