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Media days have kicked off for the Vegas Golden Knights, and while the main focus is what’s to come on the ice this season, that doesn’t mean that the Knights can’t have a little fun. 

The series The Summer I Turned Pretty has taken the world by storm, and the ongoing question all summer has been: “Are you team Jeremiah or Conrad?” Based on Jenny Han’s bestselling trilogy, the show follows Belly Conklin as she returns to Cousins Beach stirring up many emotions, and forces her to choose between two brothers. 

While it may not be so obvious, a few unexpected fans of the show are some of the Golden Knights themselves. The video includes fan favorites, defenseman Noah Hanifin, center Cole Schwindt, right-winger Mitch Marner, and center William Karlsson. 

Turns out, even pro hockey players couldn’t avoid the appeal of the show. All episodes are now streaming on Prime Video. 

Personally, I’m happy to hear that the Knights and I are on the same page. 

We’re almost at the start of the NHL’s 2025-26 regular season, and on THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’re nearing the conclusion of our exclusive player-by-player series in which we break down the expectations for each Sabres player this coming season.

We’ve already made our way through Buffalo’s goaltenders, blueliners, and the grand majority of the Sabres’ top-four lines of forwards. And in today’s file, we’re analyzing the expectations for right winger Beck Malenstyn, a player who is firmly entrenched on Buffalo’s fourth line. Malenstyn may even be in danger of losing his job as an everyday NHL player.

But let’s get down to all the notable information about Malenstyn, then harbor an educated guess about what’s most likely to be ahead for the 27-year-old in ‘25-26:

Player Name: Beck Malenstyn

Position: Left Winger

Age: 27

2024-25 Key Statistics: 76 games, four goals, 10 points, 10:32 average time on ice

2025-26 Salary:$1.35 million

2025-26 Expectations: As you can see by Malenstyn’s individual numbers, he’s not a threat to go on a point-producing spree anytime soon. Malenstyn is almost the dictionary definition of what NHL management members want out of a fourth-line forward: he’s physical – he led all Sabres forwards with 191 hits last year – and he’s big at 6-foot-3 and can give you some decent minutes on defense. Other than that, you’re likely to come away disappointed with Malenstyn, who barely got to double-digits in points in his first year as a Sabre.

We’re not saying Malenstyn isn’t an NHLer, but in an era when every salary cap dollar saved is a dollar you can spend on a difference-maker, you can probably find young players on entry-level contracts making about a half-million less than Malenstyn makes to do the same job. Remember, this is a player who averaged 10-and-a-half minutes per game. We're obviously not talking about someone who is out there in crucial situations.

And given that this is Year 2 of Malenstyn’s two-year contract, we wouldn’t expect an announcement of a contract extension for him anytime soon. Indeed, with younger Sabres pushing up against him in Buffalo’s depth chart – players like first-year Sabres winger Josh Doan, and any one of Buffalo’s small army of young players -- seeking an opportunity to show what they’re made of.

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Newcomer Winger Danforth A Role Player At Best For Buffalo In '25-26The NHL’s 2025-26 season is about to begin, and on THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’re approaching the end of our player-by-player series in which we analyze every Sabres player’s expectations for the coming season.

For better or worse, we know what Malenstyn is made of. He’s an honest player, and one who can drop down, block shots and kill penalties for you. But he’s being relatively well-compensated as a fourth-liner, so he’s going to start the year on a line with right winger Justin Danforth and center Peyton Krebs.

Krebs still has some ceiling as an NHLer, and if he can come out of the gate thriving, Malenstyn’s individual numbers could get a boost. But otherwise, we can’t expect Malenstyn to be the catalyst for a surge in the offense generated by Buffalo’s fourth line.

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Buffalo Hoping Center Krebs Will Emerge As Key CogThe NHL’s 2025-26 season is just about upon is, and here on THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’re near the end of our player-by-player series in which we break down each Buffalo player’s expectations for the coming year.

Malenstyn may depart the Sabres at the end of this season, or sooner. He could be used as salary cap ballast to make an in-season trade work under Buffalo’s financial picture. But it’s difficult to envision Malenstyn as a long-term piece of the puzzle in Western New York.

The bottom line -- there are many players on Malenstyn’s level, and even if the Sabres appreciate what he does, that means constant change is likely in the cards for him, and a new employer for him at this time next year. But he still has time to ensure he stays in Buffalo beyond this coming year.

The Montreal Canadiens had a game-changing off-season.

You don’t win top spot in THN.com’s Summer Splash series if you’re not the cream of the crop in terms of off-seasons. Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has done great work in improving the overall quality of the team with the trade acquisitions of star defenseman Noah Dobson and Zack Bolduc, and Montreal now has a terrific shot at improving on its solid 2024-25 season.

Still, when you’re rebuilding from the basement to the ceiling the way the Habs are, you’re still going to have some problem areas to deal with. And as the 2025-26 season appeared close on the horizon, the Canadiens’ chief problem area is their second-line center.

While Montreal has more than enough cap space to go out and trade for an experienced hand to fill the role, Habs brass are giving the first shot at the job to youngster Kirby Dach again. Canadiens fans no doubt are hoping the 24-year-old Dach can rise to the occasion, but some will point to his bad luck on the health front as a reason to be skeptical he can thrive as Montreal’s No. 2 pivot.

In six NHL seasons, Dach has played more than 58 games in a single season just one time – when he appeared in 70 games for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021-22. Even in the two seasons shortened by COVID-19, he missed at least part of the season.

All in all, Dach has appeared in only 269 career regular-season games, the 10th-most among the 2019 NHL draft class despite making the league right away. So it’s understandable why some observers would rather Hughes acquire a more experienced hand to be their second-line center.  You want the proven commodity, and Dach is certainly not that.

From this writer’s perspective, there’s simply not enough sample size for Dach to be adequately judged. And the truth is, Dach's scoring rate dropped significantly last season, from putting up 14 goals and 38 points in 58 games in 2022-23 to generating just 10 goals and 22 points in 57 games in 2025-26. Those numbers certainly aren’t going to cut it as the Canadiens’ second-line center. 

This coming year, Dach is about to have what is probably his last best shot at flourishing with the Habs and realizing the potential that came with being the third-overall draft pick in 2019. He’s in the final season of a contract that pays him $3.36 million, but he’s not going to get a significant raise unless he improves significantly. 

That’s just the law of the pro sports jungle, and if Dach doesn’t realize his potential, he'll be quickly replaced, either internally or via a trade or free agent-signing next summer or sooner. The rubber is about to hit the road for Dach in a major way, and he needs a seriously solid start to the season – and throughout the season, for that matter – for him to solidify his status as a Canadiens fixture moving forward. The stakes are sky-high for him, and in that regard, he’s no different than the Canadiens as a whole.

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Less than 24 hours ahead of the start of training camp, the Nashville Predators have made five additions to their roster. 

Defenseman Scott Harrington and forward Isaac Ratcliffe have been invited to training camp via a professional tryout. Defenseman Hayden Barch and forward Alex Kostov will be at training camp via an amateur tryout. 

Forward Viktor Norringer, who played in Sweden last season and will be with the Muskegon Lumberjacks this fall, will also be at training camp. He was drafted by the Predators in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft. 

Norringer was also in attendance during Predators rookie camp in July. 

Harrington was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the 2011 NHL Draft and has since bounced around the league. He's played with the Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks.

His best NHL season came in 2018-19, where he scored 17 points in 73 games with the Blue Jackets and four points in 10 playoff games. During the 2023-24 season, he played in Switzerland with Zurich SC and GCK Lions. 

Harrington returned to North America this year, playing 49 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds, the St. Louis Blues AHL affiliate. He scored five points in 49 games. 

The Philadelphia Flyers drafted Ratcliffe in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft, but he has only played 10 NHL games since then.

He spent three and a half seasons with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms from 2019 to 2023. Ratcliff was called up to Philadelphia for 10 games, scoring four points. In 2023, he was traded to the Nashville Predators and played 13 games with the Milwaukee Admirals. 

As a free agent, he'd sign with the Chicago Wolves for the 2023-24 season, scoring 10 points before returning to Milwaukee for the 2024-25 season, where he played 13 games. Radcliffe has also attended the Blues' training camp on a professional tryout back in 2023. 

Barch is just 18 years old and is coming off his first junior season with the Saginaw Spirit. In 27 games, he scored five points and logged 29 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, he played in five games, recording a point and four penalty minutes. 

Barch also competed for the Predators in the NHL Prospect Tournament this past weekend in Tampa. 

The 19-year-old Kostov is entering his fourth junior season with the Flint Firebirds. He's coming off a strong campaign with Flint during the 2024-25 season, scoring 45 points in 68 games. He Kostov also had three points in five playoff games. 

At 6-feet-4-inches, this is a player that could really jump out at camp for the Predators. He played for the Predators in the NHL Prospect Tournament this past weekend in Tampa. 

On top of these five additions, Daniel Carr, Kyle Marino, Oasiz Wiesblatt, Zack Hayes, Chad Nychuk and T.J. Semptimphelter are all attending training camp on a tryout agreement. 

Mar 27, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Jonathan Marchessault (81) goals is waved off after review from the NHL against the St. Louis Blues 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 St. Louis Blues.

2024-25 Season By The Numbers

RECORD

44-30-8 (.585)

OVERTIME

8-6

SHOOTOUT

4-2

OVERALL

14th

OFFENSE

3.05 GPG (13th)

DEFENSE

2.82 GAA (11th)

POWER PLAY

22.1% (16th)

PENALTY KILL

74.2% (28th)

EXPECTED GF/60

2.24 (30th)

EXPECTED GA/60

2.31 (5th)

Season Analysis

After the Blues brought in Jim Montgomery to replace Drew Bannister as head coach last November, things began to look up.

The team went 35-18-7 the rest of the way, and grabbed the second wild card spot in the Western Conference, getting back to the post-season for the first time since 2022.

Their reward: Matching up with the Winnipeg Jets, winners of the President’s Trophy for posting the best regular-season record.

The Blues gave it everything they had, falling in double overtime in Game 7 of the first round.

As he begins his first full year with St. Louis, Montgomery will now have the expectations of getting back to the playoffs again. His other challenge will be to balance a mixture of seasoned veterans with youth.

Offense

After putting up 19 goals and 36 points in 72 games for the Blues last season, Zack Bolduc was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Logan Mailloux. Fourth-line center Radek Faksa, after one season with the Blues, returned to his former team, the Dallas Stars, in free agency.

Otherwise, the Blues’ main offensive core is intact. Robert Thomas, who led the club with 81 points in 2024-25, will once again be the top center. Jordan Kyrou, who led the Blues in goals with 36, dodged off-season trade rumors and is also back.

The Blues are hoping for another great season from Dylan Holloway, who tallied 26 goals and 63 points in his first season. If he hadn’t missed the playoff series against the Jets with a hip injury, who knows what might have been?

Pius Suter (25 goals, 46 points) signed a two-year contract with St. Louis in free agency, and should also give the offense a boost.

Defense

The Blues succeeded in getting younger on the blue line by waiving 34-year-old Nick Leddy and acquiring the 22-year-old Mailloux. Ryan Suter, 40, became a UFA.

After being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks last December, Cam Fowler (40 points in 68 games between the Blues and Ducks), will be counted on for veteran leadership. So willColton Parayko and Justin Faulk.

Philip Broberg showed why the Blues made a smart choice signing him to an offer sheet prior to last season, recording 29 points in 68 games.

Goaltending

Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer made a nice tandem in net last season. Binnington’s 2.69 goals-against average was his best since 2020-21.

Hofer went 16-8-3 with a 2.65 GAA and .904 SP. He’s 25, and signed a two-year, 6.8-million contract in June.

Special Teams

Overall, the Blues’ power play ranked 16th in 2024-25. But they got significantly better after Jan. 1, scoring at a 26.7% clip the remainder of the season, ranking fifth during that span.

Things were not so great with the penalty-kill unit, finishing 28th &74.2%). Adding Pius Suter should be a big help, after he guided the Vancouver Canucks to a third-place ranking in the NHL in that department. Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich will also be back on the top PP and PK units.

Last Season’s Series

The Blues were a thorn in Nashville’s side in 2024-25, going 4-0-0 over the four-game series. Only the final contest, a 3-2 Preds loss on March 27, was close. St. Louis outscored the Predators 18-8 in the series.

2025-26 Season Series

The two teams won’t meet in the regular season until December, when they’ll square off three times: Dec. 11 in Nashville, Dec. 15 in St. Louis, and Dec. 27 also in St. Louis. The final get-together is Feb. 2 in Nashville.

The Bottom Line

The Central will be a tough division again this season with the likes of Dallas, Winnipeg, Colorado, etc. But if the Blues can be more consistent throughout the season and hang around, they’ll be in the playoff conversation.

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The Ottawa Senators made it official on Wednesday: restricted free agent winger Alex Formenton will not be returning to the NHL club.

Formenton was one of five players from Canada’s 2018 World Junior hockey team who were found not guilty on charges of sexual assault after a team banquet in London, the summer after the team’s gold medal victory. The verdict came down a couple of months ago, and speculation on Formenton's future immediately began to swirl in Ottawa, since his playing rights still belonged to the Senators.

On Wednesday, the opening day of the 2025 Senators training camp, general manager Steve Staios was made available to the media and was asked, among many other things, to comment on Formenton’s status.

"Well, I've engaged in discussions with the agent," Staios said. "And I think both sides agree that it would be best for everybody for a fresh start (with a different team) for Alex."

Staios noted he has not spoken with Formenton directly and will now gauge the market to see if there’s interest in an available trade for the player's rights. Formenton and the four other players are eligible to sign an NHL contract as of October 15th, but they cannot play until December 1st.

Formenton has already signed a 3.5-month deal with his former Swiss team, extending well into December. Still, it’s reasonable to assume contractual accommodations are in place that would allow him to return to the NHL this season, should a team pursue him.

HC Ambrì-Piotta welcomed the fleet-footed Formenton back warmly last week. On social media, the club shared a highlight package, images from his official team shoot, and even an in-house interview—his first hockey-related media appearance in years.

“Yeah, it feels amazing," Formenton said. "To get back on the ice feels really good. Like I’ve said before, it feels like home here. I’m so excited to get started and play in front of these fans.

“It seems like a very tight group. Everyone’s willing to fight for each other, and hopefully it’ll be a very successful season. The fans deserve it, and everyone in that room deserves it.”

Formenton last played for the Senators during the 2021-22 season. He had 18 goals and 31 points in 79 games. But the 26-year-old is also maybe the fastest player to ever don a Sens uniform, and elite speed is always an enticing virtue. It's not enticing enough for the Sens to want to re-sign him, but maybe it's enough to bring back a modest asset in a trade.

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Senators Announce Full Roster for Main Training Camp
Ranking the Senators' 10 Best Prospects
Xavier Bourgault Is "Best Player At Sens Rookie Camp"
Senators GM Steve Staios On Why He Brought Back The Same Group
Can The Senators Still Avoid Losing Their 2026 First Round Pick?
Sens Radio Play-By-Play Team Won't Travel To Road Games This Season

According to Brooks Bratten of NHL.com, the Nashville Predators have signed former Philadelphia Flyers forward Isaac Ratcliffe to a professional tryout (PTO). 

Ratcliffe spent this past season with the Predators' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, recording one goal and two assists in 13 games. This was after the 6-foot-5 winger spent the 2023-24 season with the Chicago Wolves, where he posted seven goals, 10 points, and 60 penalty minutes in 66 AHL games. 

Ratcliffe was selected by the Flyers with the 35th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The 26-year-old forward spent the majority of his time with the Flyers organization with their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In 162 games over five seasons with the Phantoms, he recorded 22 goals and 56 points. 

Ratcliffe also played in 10 NHL games with the Flyers during the 2021-22 campaign, where he posted one goal, four points, 10 penalty minutes, and 18 hits. Since then, the London, Ontario native has not made an appearance at the NHL level and has spent each of the last three seasons exclusively in the AHL.

Ratcliffe's time with the Flyers came to an end during the 2022-23 season when he was traded to the Predators in exchange for future considerations. Now, he will be looking to earn a contract for the 2025-26 season from the Predators after landing this PTO.