From Ex-players to current players and everything in between, we've got you covered. 

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37 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #37The Columbus Blue Jackets have 37 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #37. 

Sean Collins - 2015 - Collins was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets 7th round of the 2008 NHL Draft. 

After Collins left Cornell University, he would spend the next three seasons playing for the AHL's Springfield Falcons. He got called up by Columbus a few times, totaling 19 games and three points. 

On July 1, 2015, Collins left the Blue Jackets as a free agent and signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals. 

In 2016, Collins left for Europe, where he's played ever since. He's played in the KHL, DEL, LIIGA, Switzerland, and the last three seasons in Austria. He is signed on to play his third season for Black Wings Linz in the ICEHL in Austria. 

Former Blue Jackets Forward Signs PTO With HurricanesAccording to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kevin Labanc has signed a professional tryout (PTO) with the Carolina Hurricanes.

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kevin Labanc has signed a professional tryout (PTO) with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Labanc, 29, didn’t have the strongest season with the Blue Jackets last year. In 34 games, he recorded two goals and 10 assists. In February, he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery but is expected to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season.

36 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #36The Columbus Blue Jackets have 36 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #36. 

Jonathan Marchessault - 2013 - Marchessault was undrafted out of Cap-Rouge, Quebec.  

Marchessault signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets just before the 2012-13 season, where he played just two games. He spent the rest of his time playing for the Springfield Falcons of the AHL, where he had 67 points in 74 games. 

On March 5, 2014, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, ending his time with Columbus. He would finally get his shot when he signed with the Florida Panthers in 2016. But after just one season, they chose to expose him in the 2017 expansion draft, where the newly formed Vegas Golden Knights would scoop him. He played the next seven seasons for Vegas, scoring 192 goals and totaling 417 points. 

He left for the Nashville Predators in 2024, signing a five-year, $27.5 million contract. 

35 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #35The Columbus Blue Jackets have 35 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #35. 

Martin Prusek - 2006 - Prusek was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 6th round of the 1999 NHL Draft.

Prusek played in 9 games for Columbus during the 05-06 season and had a record of 3-3. He also played 23 games for the Syracuse Crunch that year.

He returned to Europe after his time with Columbus, where he would play in Russia and Czechia until he retired in 2011. He moved directly into coaching, where he has been a goaltending coach in Czechia with various age levels ever since. 

Blue Jackets Prospect To Miss Time Due To Shoulder SurgeryThe Athletic's Aaron Portzline has reported that CBJ defensive prospect Luca Marrelli, will miss the first two months of the season. Marrelli apparently had shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum suffered last season. 

The Athletic's Aaron Portzline has reported that CBJ defensive prospect Luca Marrelli will miss the first two months of the season. Marrelli apparently had shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum suffered last season. 

Marrelli had the surgery in the offseason. 

From The Archive: Buckeye State BreakoutThe Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.

“I knew that for myself, I was not just a throw-in, at least for Columbus,” Roslovic said. “And I knew they were going to give me the opportunity that Winnipeg never gave me. And that was to play center and a legitimate chance to play center. No one had ever seen me at what I call (my) natural position.”

FROM THE THN YEARBOOK: Blue Jackets Predicted To Finish 6th In The Metropolitan DivisionThe hockey season is around the corner, and that means The Hockey News has put out one of its most special and most coveted issues of the year. It's THN Yearbook season.

The hockey season is around the corner, and that means The Hockey News has put out one of its most special and most coveted issues of the year. It's THN Yearbook season.

This year, the THN Staff predicts that the Blue Jackets will finish sixth in the Metro Division. If the CBJ were to finish 6th, that would be a massive step backwards after the season they just had. The Blue Jackets made a push towards the playoffs and finished 4th on the Metro, just two points behind the New Jersey Devils. That would definitely be a huge falloff from the 2024-25 campaign. 

34 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #34The Columbus Blue Jackets have 34 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #34. 

Dana Tyrell - 2015 - Drafted in the second round of the 2007 NHL Draft by Tampa Bay.

On March 5, 2014, Tyrell was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a deal that sent Jonathan Marchessault to the Lightning. Yes, that Marchessault, the one who got away.

Tyrell played a total of 3 games in his Columbus career before suddenly taking a hiatus and not playing for two years. In 2017, he would retire officially after playing four games in the ECHL. 

Blue Jackets Will Participate In 2025 Prospect ChallengeThe Columbus Blue Jackets have announced they will participate in the 2025-26 Prospect Challenge in Buffalo, taking place from September 11-15.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced they will participate in the 2025-26 Prospect Challenge in Buffalo, taking place from September 11-15.

The Blue Jackets will join the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, and of course the host Buffalo Sabres.

Former Cleveland Monster Signs PTO With PredatorsFormer Cleveland Monster Dylan Gambrell has signed a professional tryout (PTO) with the Nashville Predators, according to Anthony Di Marco.

Former Cleveland Monster Dylan Gambrell has signed a professional tryout (PTO) with the Nashville Predators, according to Anthony Di Marco.

Gambrell, 29, spent the 2024-25 season with the Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 54 games, he recorded 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points, along with 32 penalty minutes.

33 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #33The Columbus Blue Jackets have 33 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #33. 

Petteri Nummelin - 2001 - Nummelin was drafted by Columbus in the 5th round of the 2000 NHL Draft.

After playing just 61 games for Columbus during its inaugural season, Nummelin bolted back to Europe to play for HC Lugano of the Swiss National League. He would return to the NHL in 2006 to play for the Minnesota Wild for two seasons but would again leave for Europe. 

During his career, he played in Switzerland, Finland, Norway, and even Japan before retiring in 2019. Nummelin was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2024 and is currently an assistant coach for HC Ajoie of the Swiss National League.

Blue Jackets' GM Provides Update On Fantilli's ExtensionThe Columbus Blue Jackets' general manager Don Waddell has provided an update on their young star forward Adam Fantilli and his potential contract extension.

“It won’t get done before the season.”

He also revealed that there have not been any real talks yet.

"We’ve had no negotiations at all. I spoke with [Fantilli’s agent Pat] Brisson last week, and they’re in no hurry from their end."

32 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #32The Columbus Blue Jackets have 32 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #32.  Blue Jackets Prospects To Play New Jersey Today In BuffaloColumbus Blue Jackets hockey is back! Well, sort of.  31 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #31The Columbus Blue Jackets have 31 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #31.  Blue Jackets' Don Waddell Shares Latest On Yegor Chinakhov In a recent article for The Athletic, Aaron Portzline had the chance to interview Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell. In the interview, he asked about the status of Yegor Chinakhov after the reported trade request from earlier this off-season. On This Date In 2023: The Mike Babcock Allegations SurfaceOn this date in 2023, a little over two months after the Columbus Blue Jackets hired Mike Babcock, some bombshell allegations were brought to light by the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast that completely derailed the beginning of the CBJ's upcoming season.  30 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #30The Columbus Blue Jackets have 30 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #30.  Blue Jackets To Face Marc-Andre Fleury In Pre-Season Game Against PenguinsYesterday, it was revealed that the Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury to a professional tryout (PTO), and he will suit up against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sept. 27 in a pre-season game.

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Last season, several teams surprised the league and played significantly better than anyone had thought going into 2024-25. Some teams that fall into that classification include the Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals and even the Montreal Canadiens.

However, there is a new upcoming season that will provide a fresh batch of surprise teams. Here are three teams that could surprise everyone next season – in a good way.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins were one of the worst teams in the NHL last season, and no one expected a drop-off that bad. They struggled to stick to a playoff position in the regular season, and once the trade deadline came around, GM Don Sweeney decided that it was time to become a seller.

However, despite a disappointing end to last year, the Bruins could still surprise the NHL and improve from their 28th-place finish. As much as they could be considered as excuses, there are a few factors that held Boston back last season. 

First, they missed defenseman Hampus Lindholm for the majority of the campaign due to a kneecap injury. He played 17 games last season, with his last of the year coming on Nov. 12.

In addition to losing Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy also suffered a season-ending injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off. That forced the Bruins to finish the second half of the season without their top D-pairing.

Finally, goaltender Jeremy Swayman and the team had a lengthy holdout in terms of agreeing to a contract extension. Because of that, the 26-year-old missed training camp, and that set him up for a poor season. 

Nonetheless, all these instances could be flipped in this upcoming campaign. McAvoy told 32 Thoughts that he’s confident in his group.

“We’re a playoff team every day of the week,” he told Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas at the player media tour. “We have everything we need on this roster to be that.”

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks are looking to end several years of rebuilding with a push to make the post-season. With every passing season for the last three years, the Ducks have shown growth and improvement.

Anaheim made a big hire in a new head coach, Joel Quenneville, in the off-season. Quenneville is a three-time Stanley Cup champion as a coach for the Chicago Blackhawks between 2008-09 and 2018-19. 

He’s also the second-most winningest coach in NHL history with 969 wins under his belt. His veteraness behind the bench can help the Ducks’ young core reach new heights.

Speaking of the young core, if Anaheim want to seek the potential success of sniffing around a playoff spot, GM Pat Verbeek and company will have to find a way to secure center Mason McTavish.

McTavish is a key member of the Ducks, but remains an RFA seeking a contract extension. If the Ducks can lock him up to a number that is team and player-friendly, then look out for Anaheim.

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild were one of the league’s best teams last season, up until superstar Kirill Kaprizov received a massive blow that kept him sidelined for over two months. 

From the start of last season to Jan. 1, the Wild were a top-five team in the NHL. In addition, when December hit, Minnesota were the league’s No. 1 team.

With Kaprizov coming into next season healthy, who’s to say that the Wild can’t recreate this hot start, and even carry it into the later months of 2025-26? Not to mention their young stars in Brock Faber, Zeev Buium, Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi, who have another year of experience and growth under their belts.

However, Minnesota’s season will be overshadowed by Kaprizov’s expiring contract status, unless he inks an extension soon.

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The top of New Jersey’s prospect pool has made a strong impression this past week in Buffalo, New York, during the Devils Prospect Challenge. With two decisive wins under their belt and the final game today, the Devils have plenty to be optimistic about heading into training camp.

While New Jersey has had a talented prospect pool for several years, many of its top players have already advanced to the NHL rather than spending additional development time in the minors. While that’s a positive sign for the organization, it raised questions about the depth of the next tier of prospects, especially after Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec moved up to the big leagues. This weekend, however, has shown that there is no reason to doubt the upcoming talent.

Several players have stood out during the tournament, and two have performed so well that they will sit out the final game: Seamus Casey and Shane Lachance. Both have been key contributors in the first two matchups, but one player, in particular, has caught attention: two-way defenseman Seamus Casey.

Casey impressed the coaching staff last preseason, earning a spot on the Devils’ roster. He made his NHL debut in Prague, scoring his first NHL goal in just his second game. The 2022 second-round pick appeared in 14 games with New Jersey last season, recording four goals and four assists for a total of eight points.

The majority of Casey’s season was spent in the AHL with New Jersey’s affiliate, the Utica Comets, where he played 30 games and tallied 18 points, three goals and 15 assists, a strong output for a defenseman. He also appeared in one NHL playoff game last season and entered the Prospect Challenge determined to solidify a more permanent spot on the Devils’ roster.

At 21 years old, Casey served as an alternate captain during the Prospect Challenge and left a strong impression on the ice. Heading into both full-team training camp and the NHL season, he looks ready to make an impact.

Another key point: Casey did not meet the NHL games-played requirement to lose rookie status last season, meaning he remains eligible for the Calder Trophy race this year. He will sit out today’s game against the Boston Bruins to rest before training camp officially begins on September 17.

It was an eventful handful of months for new Montreal Canadiens forward Joe Veleno.

At the 2025 NHL trade deadline, the Detroit Red Wings traded Veleno to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith. He was then traded by the Blackhawks in June to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Andre Burakovsky. Yet, just one week later, the Kraken bought out Veleno, making him an unrestricted free agent (UFA). From there, he signed a one-year deal with the Canadiens. 

Now, being on his fourth team in a calendar year, Veleno will be looking to put together a bounce-back season with the Canadiens in 2025-26. If he does, it could help his chances of landing another contract with the Habs after this one. 

Recent Canadiens News 

Canadiens’ Demidov Steals The Show Despite Loss

Canadiens: Suzuki On New Arrivals

Canadiens: Pair Of Rookies Ready To Fill The Void In Montreal

During the 2024-25 season with the Red Wings and then Blackhawks, Veleno recorded eight goals, nine assists, and 139 hits in 74 games. Overall, it was a bit of a down year for the 2018 first-round pick, but there is reason to believe that he can make more of an impact for the Habs this upcoming campaign.

Just back during the 2023-24 season with the Red Wings, Veleno set career highs with 12 goals, 16 assists, 28 points, and 108 hits in 80 games. If he can get his offense back up to these totals while being solid defensively, he could end up being a strong pickup for the Canadiens' bottom six. 

It will now be interesting to see what kind of season Veleno can put together for the Canadiens. There is very little risk in the Canadiens giving him this great opportunity. 

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2025 Off-Season Winners & Losers - Sept. 5 2025 - Vol. 79 Issue 2 - Ryan Kennedy

WHILE JULY 1 IS always a holiday north of the border, it has become a dual celebration over the past two decades or so thanks to NHL free agency, which happens to fall on Canada Day. It’s a whirlwind of activity if you happen to work in the industry, but when the dust settled on that first day of action, it became quite apparent that the ground really hadn’t shifted that much around the NHL landscape. There was definitely a feeling of “Did anything really happen today?”

Sure, there were signings, but a lot of them were re-signings, with teams choosing to extend the talent they already knew instead of venturing out into the unknown. There was a blockbuster trade in the lead-up to July 1, when the Toronto Maple Leafs sent Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade – but that was all done before free agency officially opened.

The obvious answer for this development is the salary cap. The NHL had announced in January that the cap was going up by $7.5 million – to $95.5 million – and would continue to go up in the coming years, giving teams more room to keep their own assets. And if you were a pending free agent, the pull of big dollars elsewhere was now mitigated by the fact you could get a fat cheque from the team you already played for, thus staying in a city you’re familiar with in a dressing room you’re already comfortable in.

This made the free-agency board a lot less star-powered than first thought. Obviously, Marner was off the market, while Brock Boeser followed when he re-signed in Vancouver. Nikolaj Ehlers was the biggest name to change addresses, going from Winnipeg to Carolina, but he didn’t have a lot of company behind him. Heck, the Stanley Cup champions didn’t even get raided. No one thought the Panthers could keep Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand, yet Florida GM Bill Zito got it done. Success and sunshine will do that.

Even so, some teams did better than others. We’ve already mentioned Florida, but who were some of the other winners of the off-season? We picked four teams that understood their assignments and put themselves in positive positions. On the other hand, we also had to pick on four franchises that didn’t do enough (or did the wrong things) and could be in for painful campaigns. Here’s a look at our annual summer winners and losers.

NIKOLAJ EHLERS

CAROLINA

HURRICANES (+825 to Win Stanley Cup, +400 to Win East, +120 to Win Division)

THE HURRICANES WERE REPORTEDLY IN THE hunt for Mitch Marner, but they still ended up with the second-biggest name available, so, of course, they land in the win column. The Hurricanes were already one of the best teams in the East, and now they’ve added some more scoring punch in erstwhile Jets left winger Nikolaj Ehlers. While not every player can adjust to Carolina’s systems under coach Rod Brind’Amour, Ehlers has the advantage of coming from another systems team in Winnipeg, so he will have a leg up. Elsewhere, the Canes replaced defenseman Brent Burns (who signed in Colorado) with K’Andre Miller – acquired via trade with the Rangers. Miller is substantially younger than Burns, and while they’re not the same type of blueliner, Miller is a fine replacement at this point in his career.

While we’re focused on the short term here, it’s important to note how GM Eric Tulsky has set Carolina up for the future as well. Thanks to several recent contract extensions (including an eight-year pact with Jackson Blake), the entire Canes core is locked up through 2026-27, with no one making more than Sebastian Aho’s $9.7 million per year.

COLE CAUFIELD & NOAH DOBSON

MONTREAL

CANADIENS (+2200 to Win East, O/U 90.5 Regular Season Pts)

BY PARLAYING A SIZZLING SECOND HALF into a playoff spot, the Canadiens pushed their timeline forward, and GM Kent Hughes rewarded his charges by swinging a blockbuster deal at the draft, acquiring a top-pair defenseman from the Islanders in Noah Dobson. Though the price was two first-rounders, Montreal is in no need of youth. The Habs’ pipeline is already full and has borne significant fruit in the form of Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov, to name just a couple of the burgeoning stars. Speaking of Hutson, he’ll get a boost from the presence of Dobson, who can also move the puck with aplomb, providing cover for the youngster as he continues to acclimate in his second NHL season.

Hughes also strengthened his forward corps with the acquisition of Zack Bolduc from St. Louis, who took a big step as a two-way threat with the Blues last season. The price for the 22-year-old was Logan Mailloux – well worth it given the glut of defensemen already in Montreal.

While Montreal’s underlying numbers were poor last season, Nick Suzuki’s post-4 Nations Face-Off revenge tour and Sam Montembeault’s solid goaltending helped propel the team into the post-season. Now, they’ll look to build on that success – with an even better lineup.

MITCH MARNER

VEGAS

GOLDEN KNIGHTS (+800 to Win Stanley Cup, +375 to Win West)

BIG-GAME HUNTING IS WHAT THEY DO IN VEGAS, and GM Kelly McCrimmon bagged another buck with the sign-and-trade for Mitch Marner. Marner, a 100-point two-way threat who kills penalties, comes over from Toronto, where a lack of playoff success had fans at full boil. But in Vegas, Marner joins a cast that already has many champions on the roster. Sure, there will be pressure to live up to his new $12-million cap hit, but with Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Tomas Hertl also on the roster, Marner doesn’t have to be everything all at once for the Golden Knights.

The Knights bolstered the bottom six, too, with versatile center Colton Sissons, who came over with shot-blocking defenseman Jeremy Lauzon in a trade with Nashville that sent blueliner Nic Hague the other way.

The bad news for Vegas is that star 35-year-old D-man Alex Pietrangelo is pegged to miss the entire campaign due to injury, which is a significant blow to the back end. But with all the great two-way forwards Vegas employs – particularly with Marner now in the fold – there’s no reason to discount the Golden Knights as one of the NHL’s best teams and a Stanley Cup threat.

MAMMOTH ADDITION

Peterka brings another element to a Utah attack that looks less wooly and more bully.

UTAH

MAMMOTH (O/U 92.5 Regular Season Pts, Mammoth Make Playoffs -117)

HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR KEY INJURIES on the blueline last year (Sean Durzi and John Marino being the most prominent), perhaps Utah would have made the playoffs in its first year in Salt Lake City. Now officially known as the Mammoth, Utah’s team is in a better position to make that post-season charge. In acquiring right winger JJ Peterka from Buffalo, the Mammoth added a young weapon just entering his prime. Peterka had 68 points for the Sabres last year, a total that would have ranked him second on Utah behind only captain Clayton Keller. With Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley making big offensive leaps, the Mammoth’s attack is looking a lot more potent. The addition of Brandon Tanev up front will also help defensively. Simply put, the forward corps has a lot more definition now.

And bringing in Nate Schmidt and Vitek Vanecek from Florida adds two more Stanley Cup winners to the lineup while strengthening the back end and goalie depth.

MICHAEL KESSELRING

BUFFALO

SABRES (O/U 84.5 Regular Season Pts, Sabres Miss Playoffs -370)

WE TAKE NO PLEASURE IN THIS, BUT IT LOOKS like it will be another rough season for Sabres fans. Buffalo was one of the worst teams in the East last year and did not improve over the summer. Trading right winger JJ Peterka to Utah leaves a hole in the top six that young Josh Doan (who came over in the deal from the Mammoth) cannot be expected to fill right away. Big defenseman Michael Kesselring, the other part of the Peterka deal, will help the blueline, but will that be enough to help a franchise that finished bottom three in goals against last season? The Sabres signed Alex Lyon as their second goaltender to complement Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, but, again, is that enough to move the dial?

The problem for the Sabres is that they can’t just be as good or even a little better than they were last season. They need to be a lot better in order to snag a playoff spot for the first time in more than a decade. And with Detroit and Montreal improving, Buffalo’s chances in the Atlantic are daunting. Jeff Skinner’s buyout number would make him the sixth-highest-paid forward on the team right now, and that number goes up next season.

STILL WORK TO DO

Bedard’s Hawks are an underpowered bunch among the Central Division’s elite squads.

CHICAGO

BLACKHAWKS (Worst Record +200)

IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE CONNOR Bedard era in Chicago, GM Kyle Davidson had busy off-seasons, bringing in veterans to help his phenom get used to the NHL. It didn’t particularly work either time, though Nick Foligno is the captain and a great voice to have in the room. This summer, Davidson was quiet – and despite the change in strategy, it still feels like a loss. Chicago is nowhere near as strong as most of its Central Division rivals, and the only hope for a shock is internal growth from the likes of Bedard, Frank Nazar, Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel.

Chicago traded Seth Jones to Florida at the deadline, so the Hawks enter the season weaker on the blueline than last year – a stunning and scary proposition. And while Jonathan Toews’ return is one of the best stories in years, it has to hurt a little that he chose his hometown Winnipeg Jets (which totally makes sense, given that connection and the fact the Jets are Stanley Cup contenders) over the only NHL team he had ever suited up for. Imagine what kind of role model he would have been for Bedard.

STEVEN STAMKOS

NASHVILLE

PREDATORS (O/U 86.5 Regular Season Pts, Predators Make Playoffs +200)

THE PREDATORS ARE IN A SIMILAR situation as Chicago, lagging behind in the buzzsaw that is the Central Division. This time last year, we thought Nashville was a winner thanks to the splashy additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. Unfortunately, GM Barry Trotz had his gambit fail, as the Preds cratered in the standings and, shockingly, couldn’t score to save their lives. Nashville finished second last in the league in offense, besting only the Sharks. Stamkos and Marchessault both went from 40-plus goals with their previous teams to settling in the 20s with the Predators.

This off-season brought a lot less change, with the major headline being the trade that sent center Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to Vegas in exchange for towering blueliner Nic Hague. Does the 2-for-1 swap make Nashville better? It’s hard to find an argument that it does, unless the conditional draft pick (a third-rounder that could become a second) in 2027 that Nashville also procured in the swap turns out to be a home run. But that doesn’t help this year’s edition of the Preds, does it?

IS KANE ABLE?

Kane could bring secondary scoring to the Canucks, but there are big red flags.

VANCOUVER

CANUCKS (O/U 90.5 Regular Season Pts, Canucks Make Playoffs +115)

ON THE SURFACE, THE CANUCKS TOOK CARE OF business during the free-agent season. They re-signed Conor Garland and Brock Boeser – which was a little surprising given the organization’s sometimes rocky relationship with the scoring winger – while also inking starting netminder Thatcher Demko to a contract extension that runs until the summer of 2029. But they also lost key penalty-killer Pius Suter on the open market, not to mention bang-and-crasher Dakota Joshua and goalie Arturs Silovs to trades. Silovs was expendable thanks to the presence of Demko and Kevin Lankinen, but the loss of those two forwards will hurt Vancouver’s overall effectiveness.

The biggest wild card is Evander Kane, the hometown kid acquired from Edmonton for a fourth-round pick. Kane has those desirable power-forward traits, but he found himself on the wrong side of the line too often in the Stanley Cup final. If things go right, Kane will give the Canucks a much-needed scoring threat besides Boeser. But if they go wrong, he could also prove to be a distraction in a city that has seen a lot of drama lately.

Even if we regard Vancouver’s summer moves as neutral, keep in mind this was not a playoff team last season. And with other teams in the West improving, the Canucks will have to hope Kane is a net positive over Suter and Joshua combined.

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Apr 16, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators celebrate the win against the Dallas Stars during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

As the 2025-26 season approaches, we’re previewing each of the Nashville Predators’ Central Division opponents.

This series will feature each team in chronological order and not their predicted order of finish in the division.

Today’s preview focuses on the Dallas Stars.

2024-25 Season By The Numbers

RECORD

50-26-6 (.646)

OVERTIME

7-4

SHOOTOUT

2-2

OVERALL

5th

OFFENSE

3.35 GPG (3rd)

DEFENSE

2.71 GAA (6th)

POWER PLAY

22.0% (17th)

PENALTY KILL

82.0% (4th)

EXPECTED GF/60

2.68 (5th)

EXPECTED GA/60

2.67 (26th)

Season Analysis

Despite a third straight trip to the Western Conference Finals, the results ended up the same for the Dallas Stars: no trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Things unraveled for Dallas in the WCF, losing to the Edmonton Oilers in five games despite looking like the best team on paper heading into the playoffs.

Acquiring Mikko Rantanen and Mikael Granlund before the trade deadline still didn’t bring a Stanley Cup to Big D, and the Stars replaced Peter DeBoer with Glen Gulutzan behind the bench for his second stint as Stars’ head man.

General manager Jim Nill obviously saw something in Gulutzan that wasn’t present 12 years earlier, when Nill fired him in one of his first moves as GM. With captain Jamie Benn coming back on a one-year contract, Rantanen beginning his first full season in Dallas, and Jake Oettinger the obvious No. 1 netminder despite a shaky Game 5 against the Oilers, hopes are still high in Dallas.

The Stars know how to get to the post-season; they’ve treaditionally had one of the top records in the NHL during the regular season and finished fifth overall in 2024-25 with a 50-26-6 record.

It’s finishing in the playoffs that’s been the team’s Achilles heel. They simply ran out of gas against Connor McDavid and the Oilers the past two seasons.

Offense

Rantanen is clearly the top dog for the Stars when it comes to scoring. He was on fire during the playoffs, notching 22 points (9-13-22) in 18 post-season contests.

But shuttling between the Avalanche, Hurricanes and Stars clearly had an effect on his scoring last season. His 88 regular-season points were 16 less than his output the year before.

Perhaps the eight-year deal he signed with the Stars will give him the peace of mind he didn’t have in 2024-25.

Dallas lost some of their scoring punch during the off-season with the departures of Granlund, Mason Marchment and Evgenii Dadonov.

This will put more pressure on former 109-point producer Jason Robertson, who had 80 points last season and is entering his contract year. Matt Duchene (82 points) will also be counted on to keep the scoring machine running. The biggest question offensively is can the Stars keep that machine from glitching deep into the post-season.

Defense

The Stars decided not to make any big splashes defensively. While Cody Ceci left in free agency, Nils Lundkvist hopes to be back following a late-season injury.

Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley and Esa Lindell are the clear top three on Dallas’s back end, but there are question marks beyond them.

Ilya Lyubushkin, Alexander Petrovic and Lian Bichsel are younger, but need to provide some relief to the top three.

Goaltending

One position that will not be a heated competition in training camp is in net. Oettinger will be the clear No. 1 for the foreseeable future. ‘Otter’ went 36-18-4 in 2024-25 with a 2.59 goals-against average and .909 save percentage.

However, his post-season was up and down (9-8-0, 2.82 GAA and .905 SP.

Like the Stars’ offense, Oettinger needs to have some gas left in the tank for a deep playoff run. Casey DeSmith is a solid backup who is entering the second year of a three-year contract.

Special Teams

As power-play coach for the Oilers prior to his arrival in Dallas, Gulutzan had one of the NHL’s best teams with the man advantage. Neil Graham, who coached the Stars’ AHL affiliate Texas Stars, was hired to head the power-play unit in Dallas, but Gulutzan will certainly have input in that department. Dallas finished 17th on the power play last season.

Alain Nasreddine is the only assistant holdover from the DeBoer regime, and with good reason. He ran a penalty-kill unit that ranked fourth in the NHL last season.

Last Season’s Series

The Predators didn’t have much to cheer about in 2024-25, but they ended the season on a positive note with a convincing 5-1 win over Dallas in the final game.

Otherwise, the season series with the Stars was split 2-2-0. Only one of the four games was close, a 4-3 Dallas victory on Oct. 10.

2025-26 Season Series

The two clubs will first meet at Bridgestone Arena Oct. 26, followed by another in Nashville on Nov. 8. The final game will take place in Dallas Feb. 28.

The Bottom Line

Dallas may have a new coaching staff, but much of the team’s core is still intact. Therefore, the pressure of lifting Lord Stanley’s Cup for the second time in team history will remain.

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Arniel, Winnipeg A Good Match - Dec. 28 2004 - Vol. 58 Issue 18 - Jon Waldman

While the lockout continues to keep team employees out of NHL arenas, several are taking the opportunity to explore other shinny venues. One such person is Buffalo Sabres assistant coach Scott Arniel.

Arniel has been taking time during the lockout to sit in the pressbox at Winnipeg’s MTS Centre and check out American League talent. While one might expect the Kingston, Ont., native to be around the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, he has instead positioned himself where he can check out more of the players he has yet to see.

“(In the Sabres’) situation - with Rochester being an hour away-1 don’t really need to be there because we have so many staff there right now,” said Arniel, selected 22nd overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1981 NHL entry draft. “We have guys there at almost every practice, we have guys down there for all the games.

“So I’ve been coming to the Moose games, 2% watching some of the teams I haven’t seen in a while, getting familiar with some of the players I’ve never seen—or maybe some of the ones I’ve seen in years past and I check on their growth.”

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GLORY-FILLED JUNIOR CAREER

Arniel’s junior career was glorious, as he won two Memorial Cups with the Ontario League’s Cornwall Royals and was part of Team Canada’s World Junior Championship-winning team in 1982. He started his NHL career with the Jets in 1981-82, but was dealt to the Sabres four years later. After four seasons in Buffalo, where his two-way skills helped the Sabres become one of the league’s premier defensive teams, Arniel was traded back to Winnipeg before the 1990-91 season.

Arniel’s second go-around with the Jets was shorter than his first, as he lasted only one season before being shipped to the Boston Bruins in 1991. He split the next season between Boston and the AHL, then finished off his playing career with a seven-season stint in the International League. While in the IHL, he suited up for San Diego, Houston, Utah - and finally, the Manitoba Moose, who had relocated from Minnesota a few seasons before Arniel’s retirement in 1999.

One year after he hung up his skates for good, Arniel returned to the Moose as an assistant, coach for the 2000-campaign, staying for two seasons before joining the Sabres in 200203 in the same role.

Throughout his time with the Jets and Moose, Arniel liked to call the Winnipeg Arena his office.

When the building closed last ber, Arniel was among several Winnipeg alumni who came to say goodbye to the old barn. He enjoyed the opportunity to come back and see both the Arena and some old friends from his playing days.

“I think they did a good job of going out in style,” said Arniel of the closing celebrations. “For all the players that were there, it was a great thrill for us to be back for the last game, rehash some old stories and hear some stories you haven’t thought of in a few years.”

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NEW WINNIPEG RINK

While the Winnipeg Arena was dear to the hearts of Winnipeggers, the new MTS Centre has impressed many - Arniel included. The new multipurpose facility, which Arniel feels should have been built years ago, has consistently attracted sellout crowds for the Moose since it opened.

Arniel sees the new complex as a big attraction for Winnipeg.

“I love it,” he said. “I think it’s 15 years too late, but they’ve done a tremendous job here and I think that it has really put a buzz on around the city. I think everybody is excited about the rink…(the ownership) group went all-out and they made sure they did this first-class.

“It was sad to see (the Winnipeg Arena) go, but when you come into a building like this, you sort of forget it pretty quick.”

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