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Well, for some of the well-established teams, it mostly is. For the New York Rangers, it may not be. For the Philadelphia Flyers, who were eliminated on the last day of the season, it isn’t. This league is changing, and you have to have certain bases covered before you become that team. 

There’s no way I can say I am comfortable with the Montreal Canadiens goalie tandem if they want to battle for the playoffs next year. It’s not good enough and Jacob Fowler is too young to throw into the NHL no matter how good he looks.

Sam Montembeault has been up and down this year. He’s NHL mediocre. He’s no longer developing and asking him to be better than NHL average for a full season doesn’t seem possible. He is a good 1B. That’s what I think he is. 

Jakub Dobes is 23. He is still developing. Is it possible for him to be a 1A starter? Maybe, but I haven’t seen that in him aside from his hot start when he was promoted to the NHL. He’s a good AHL goalie, but not at the top of the league, so in the NHL, he has some steps to take but I don’t see the Canadiens being better next year with the same tandem. 

There will be changes on defense next year. Kaiden Guhle being healthy will be a big bonus and maybe they will go out and get another established defenseman to replace David Savard. I wouldn’t re-sign him under any circumstances. His game has dropped off to the point where the team can’t play as fast as they want to when he is in the game. In a reduced role, he can help another team. 

The center depth has to improve as well and I don’t have a quick fix there. Kirby Dach may not be the answer any longer. He never really got to that next level and maybe he will but that’s an if and you can’t build an offseason with maybe’s.

Corner Stones Event Week 2 is live now in NHL 25 Hockey Ultimate Team. 

The new master set players are 92 overall Mats Sundin, Brian Leetch, Patrick Marleau, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, and Shea Weber.

These 92 overall master set players can be acquired for any three 89+ Corner Stones cards and any two 89+ players. 

89 overall Corner Stones can be acquired for any three 87+ Corner Stones cards, while 87s can be had for any three 85+ players. There are also Collectible Sets available. 

All new cards can be seen in the video above. 

Any two 92 overall MSPs can be traded in for a 93 overall Corner Stones choice pack which contains 93 overall versions of the master set players. 

A 93 overall Sidney Crosby and 92 overall Wayne Gretzky Milestones cards were added to celebrate Crosby reaching 20 point per game seasons. 

For more NHL 25 news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed. For gaming discussion check out our forum.  

NHL star left winger Brad Marchand made his debut with the Florida Panthers Friday night, but his contract status – that makes him a UFA at the end of this season – has already started speculation as to where he could wind up playing next year and beyond.

Here are five teams we could see Marchand playing for after this season:

1. Boston Bruins

Let’s get this out of the way first: Marchand OK’d a move out of Boston, but there was no sense he or the Bruins had burned bridges with each other. So, if he doesn’t find an option that’s to his liking, Marchand could elect to return to Beantown.

He’ll be 37 years old by the time he signs a new contract, so his next deal could be his last NHL deal. But if Boston can get the money right – somewhere in the area of his current annual salary of $6.125 million – it wouldn’t be out of the question to see him return to the Bruins.

Marchand served Boston well as their leader on the ice and off of it, and although he probably would’ve wanted to spend his entire career with the same team, he could, in theory, win a Stanley Cup with the Panthers, then find a way to come back to his first NHL home.

Stranger things have happened than a return to Boston for Marchand, and he might decide that a few months away from the Bruins was too long and return to the Bs at the first chance he gets.

2. Colorado Avalanche

The Avs are one of the odds-on favorites to win the Cup this season, but if the Panthers repeat as Cup champions, Marchand could choose to play with fellow East-Coast Canadian Nathan MacKinnon on a Colorado team that will have the cap space to sign him for at least a couple of seasons.

Like all the teams on this list, the Avalanche could use Marchand’s grit and playoff experience, and playing in the relative calm of Denver may be exactly what Marchand wants at this stage of his career.

Marchand would help out the Avs’ second line, and Colorado has enough cap space to get a deal done that will satisfy Marchand’s pride. Closing out his career with the Avs would allow Marchand to satisfy his competitive drive, and the Avalanche would be thrilled to land someone with the pedigree Marchand can boast of.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

This one is admittedly more of a long shot, as the Penguins are still going to be a fringe playoff team next season. But the opportunity to play alongside another East-Coast Canadian legend in Sidney Crosby would no doubt appeal to Marchand, and the Pens would welcome Marchand as they try to win another Cup in the Crosby Era.

Marchand has been a thorn in the side of just about every opponent, so the chance to make him a Penguin would be a no-brainer for Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas. But the Pens would almost assuredly have to make more notable moves to assure Marchand that he’s not going to be the only new face with the Penguins.

Marchand might want to change out his Black-and-Gold Bruins colors for a similar set of colors in Pittsburgh, and the Penguins could offer him the chance of a lifetime when it comes to playing on the same side as clear-cut Hockey Hall-of-Famers in Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

Okay, before you get snippy, hear us out: let’s assume the Maple Leafs falter early in the playoffs once again this spring. In the wake of that disappointment, there will likely be a massive change in Toronto – and what better way to effect significant culture change than to sign a proven winner and Leafs-haunter in Marchand?

He’d have to acclimate to playing in the huge hockey fishbowl that is Toronto, but it’s not as if Marchand isn’t used to that in Boston.

The Leafs might be a bigger long-shot than Pittsburgh on this list, but if Marchand values playing in another Original Six market where hockey is everything, he could spend his remaining few seasons in Toronto and be an integral part of what could be something special. The Leafs would be motivated buyers for him, and he’d fill an obvious need for grit and spunk.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Panthers were clearly Marchand’s choice to play for this season, but if Florida can’t find a way to re-sign him, perhaps the other Sunshine State team can make him a member of the Lightning.

Like the Panthers, the Bolts will be tight to the salary cap ceiling, but Lightning GM Julien BriseBois always seems to find a way to land big fish, the way he did last summer when he signed star left winger Jake Guentzel. So, Marchand could be one of the final pieces of the puzzle in Tampa next year.

The Lightning can sell Marchand on the no-tax state of Florida and the opportunity to stay on the East Coast. We don’t see Marchand agreeing to take a huge pay cut to play in any market, but in Tampa Bay, his dollars would go further, and he’d have the luxury of great weather all year long. Thus, his current experiment with the Panthers could keep him in Florida but in another market. 

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The end of March and the flipping of calendars to April indicate one thing in the hockey world: playoffs. CHL playoffs are underway as are playoffs in the European hockey leagues, soon to be followed by the AHL and, eventually, the NHL.

Anaheim Ducks Prospect Spotlight: Lucas Pettersson's Impressive Start to 2025

Anaheim Ducks forward prospect Lucas Pettersson (35th overall in 2024) recently saw his 2024-25 SHL season come to an end at the hands of fellow Ducks forward prospect Herman Traff (91st overall in 2024) in a relegation battle between Pettersson’s MoDo Hockey and Traff’s HV71.

As a result of the best-of-seven series in which HV71 won 4-2, MoDo will be relegated to the HockeyAllsvenskan for the 2025-26 season, Sweden’s second-tier professional division.

Pettersson (18) had his 2024-25 season split between playing for MoDo, the SHL club that owns his rights, and on loan for Ostersunds IK in HockeyAllsvenskan. He tallied just one point for MoDo at the SHL level (0-1=1) in 29 games while rarely playing more than six minutes per game.

Early in the season, he had played eight games at the J20 level for MoDo and scored eight points (4-4=8). The majority of the second half of his season was spent with Ostersunds IK of HockeyAllsvenskan, where he found his footing in an increased role against grown men and scored 19 points (9-10=19) in 26 games.

Remain in Sweden

The confluence of his performance at the HockeyAllsvenskan level and his club’s relegation from the SHL leaves questions about where he could play next season in 2025-26.

He could remain in Sweden and play another year in HockeyAllsvenskan for MoDo, a division he might be outgrowing.

Play in the Ducks Organization

He could make the transition to North America and have two (or even three) options in front of him. The unlikeliest is that he signs his ELC and performs well enough in Ducks training camp to earn a spot on the NHL roster. If the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks AHL affiliate, need center depth, he could play the 2025-26 season in close proximity and about 90 miles south of Honda Center.

Head to the CHL

If the Ducks organization doesn’t deem him ready for professional hockey in North America, he could play in the CHL next season. He was drafted by the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL in the second round of the 2024 CHL Import Draft (116th overall).

As opposed to the professional levels, the CHL would allow Pettersson to explore the limits of his offensive game. He is already well-lauded for his detail and two-way prowess, often compared to Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson. He possesses enough offensive tools like above-average mobility, puck skills, and change-of-pace vision to provide true offensive impact at the NHL level.

Taking the time and putting forth the effort into developing and translating those skills to the North American pro-style game could elevate Pettersson’s ultimate potential and even mold him into a significant piece of the Ducks' core moving forward.

The “win at all costs” ideals of professional hockey aren’t always conducive or ideal for growing and refining the offensive talents of teenage players. Pettersson is at a critical point in his ultimate progression, and it will be curious to monitor how the Ducks organization manages the young centerman.

Report: Ducks, Verbeek 'Good With Cronin Coming Back Next Season'

Ducks Continue to Shuffle Penalty Kill Personnel

The Maven's urging the Rangers to immediately hire John Tortorella did not win immediate approval from my studious audience.

Nor will I hide the dissent from you.

"Torts is the Rex Ryan of the NHL," says avid fan and critic Steve Viuker of Brooklyn. "He may be great for an NHL Network TV gig but – as a coach – he wears thin on a team in a short period of time."

Viuker singles out a couple of reasons why Torts got canned in the NHL's homestretch.

"In his last eleven games, the Flyers won one and lost ten. Plus, they didn't have a power play goal for all of March. Torts is the baseball version of Billy Martin of the George Steinbrenner years."

By contrast, Harvey Cohen of New Jersey fires this broadside at Viuker.

"The Rangers need Torts because they need a jolt right now. They are a direct reflection of their coach," Cohen explains. "They make no in-game adjustments. Laviolette is too passive, stagnant, predictable and statuesque."

Others point to GM Chris Drury as the prime culprit for allowing a soft offensive core to remain intact while paying no attention to team defense. "Kris Knoblauch would have suffered the same result as Lavy because he would be coaching the same soft core."

A sizeable number of fans would love to see John Davidson return – this time as general manager – "because he knows the qualities that a good coach would have to have to coach in New York."

Hey! Let's not kid ourselves; the bottom line is simply that any decision will be made – or not made at all – by MSG majordomo Jim Dolan.

Until we hear differently from him, Peter Laviolette still has a job. Whether The Maven likes it or not!

The Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 on Friday night. It was a night that had some pros and cons but they ultimately fell short. There is a lot of work to be done but there are glimpses of what’s to come. 

One of the pros is the play of Ryan Donato. He scored all three of Chicago’s goals in the loss for his first career hat-trick. It was one of the best games he’s had as an NHL player. 

Donato's second and third goals of the game came on consecutive shifts, 15 seconds of game clock apart. 

"I didn't even really have time to think about it, to be honest with you," Donato said on scoring two goals quickly.

He went on to speak about how, usually when he gets a second goal in a game, he has time to think about that third, and it never comes. This time, he went right back out there and completed the hat trick quickly. 

Before this season, Donato’s career high in goals was 16. These three goals were his 26th, 27th, and 28th of the year. He needs two more to reach the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career. That would be remarkable at 28 years old. 

“I'm a guy that sometimes has too much anxiety around the rink because I think about the negative things, and that's something I've worked on,” Donato said after his big night. “[Scoring 28 goals] definitely feels surreal a little bit, but it'd be a lot more surreal if we won."

Donato is a humble man who doesn’t like to make it all about himself. That is usually what makes hockey players special compared to other athletes. He knows that his milestone is special, but it would have been better for him if they had won the hockey game. 

Donato is in line for a massive pay upgrade this off-season. Reaching 30 goals is potential for even more, as teams would love to add a guy like that to their middle six. 

What gave Donato the ability to make this sort of jump in production? Well, he worked hard on his goal scoring during the summer. He wanted to come in this year and be a key contributor to this rebuilding Blackhawks team. 

He's not under 23 like half of the roster, but he isn't over 30 yet either. There is a lot of good hockey left for Ryan Donato beyond this year. When you play the right way in all situations, you have years like this if you are as talented as he is. 

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

Barkov very much enjoyed Marchand's Panthers debut: ‘It was awesome' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Brad Marchand played in the 1,091st game of his NHL career on Friday night. That’s not a milestone number, but it’s noteworthy because it was the first time he took the ice for a team not named the Boston Bruins.

The 36-year-old left wing was traded from the Bruins to the Florida Panthers not long before the March 7 NHL trade deadline. He was injured at the time of the trade and missed several weeks, but he made his debut for the defending Stanley Cup champions Friday and helped lead them to a 2-1 overtime victory against the Utah Hockey Club at home.

Marchand tallied four shots on net and picked up the primary assist on Sam Bennett’s game-winning goal in OT.

It was a weird sight for Bruins fans to see Marchand put on the sweater of a different team after he spent the first 15-plus seasons of his career in Boston.

It had to have been weird for some of the Panthers players, too, many of whom played against Marchand in several intense Stanley Cup Playoff games versus the Bruins over the last two seasons.

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was seen laughing on the bench next to Marchand during a stoppage in play Friday night. He explained the interaction postgame to Panthers rinkside reporter Katie Engelson:

“I realized I heard this many times from one Boston player, but now I hear this from my own teammate,” Barkov said. “…When they announced Marchand in the starting lineup, you’re just sitting there and thinking, is this real? You just battled against him, and now, all of a sudden, you’re his teammate. It’s crazy, but it was awesome.”

The Panthers entered Saturday with a 44-25-3 record (91 points) atop the Atlantic Division.

They have a great chance to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year, and having another former champ like Marchand in the mix can only help.

Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes bumped into Jesper Bratt and his fiancée in his hotel in Boston during the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off in late February. 

It was an opportunity for the New Jersey Devils winger and his former coach to catch up, and when asked about Bratt, Hynes spoke about the 26-year-old's growth.

"Jesper has matured in multiple ways, (including) his game, but I think he's got a confidence about him," Hynes said to The Hockey News during a phone interview.

When Hynes was relieved as head coach of the Devils during the 2019-20 season, Bratt, then 21, earned 32 points. It was before the Swede elevated his game and became one of New Jersey's young stars, earning four consecutive 70-plus point seasons. 

Seeing the success Bratt has amassed does not come as a surprise to Hynes, who immediately recognized the youngster's skill all those years ago. 

"When he came over, he was really impressive," Hynes said. "I think it was his first training camp that he made the team out of camp. He was fast and tenacious, and you could see the hockey sense and skill. At that point in time, we were going through the initial stages of the rebuild, and when he came over, you could tell right away that he was going to be a New Jersey Devil in the NHL."

Bratt recalled that first NHL training camp in an exclusive interview with The Hockey News. 

"I was so happy and proud to be there," he said. "I thought it was awesome. I really felt like I had nothing to lose. I felt I prepared physically and mentally as best as I possibly could. I was extremely honored and happy to be there fighting for a spot and my dream job." 

Over time, Hynes saw Bratt go through the process of realizing and understanding what it takes to become an effective offensive player in the NHL. It aligns with Bratt stating that it took one entire season to understand how the League works and four to figure out his game. 

Hynes has coached against Bratt for the past few seasons but shared he has watched the odd Devils game here and there. In addition to Bratt improving on his speed and skill, there is one area where Hynes has seen the winger develop his game. 

"Where I have really seen him grow is (his play) in the hard areas," Hynes said. "He gets to the net front. He can win puck battles in the offensive zone. He can play one-on-one versus a defenseman down low in the offensive zone. He has really been able to grow his game in those areas."

Hynes is not surprised to see Bratt's game take off because he had a front-row seat to the 5-foot-10 winger's work ethic and dedication for years. For that reason, Hynes envisioned the Stockholm native eventually transitioning into a leadership role. Since a shoulder injury ended Jack Hughes' season, Bratt has been one of New Jersey's alternate captains. 

"Even when he was a young guy, when you had one-on-one conversations with him, they were of substance," Hynes said. "I think he's got a lot of substance as a player and a person. I think you can clearly see he has grown into the role of an assistant captain. The way he handles himself off the ice, his personality, and his work ethic to be able to lead a team." 

Hynes played a significant factor in Bratt's career, and as the young Swede sat in the locker room in Newark, he spoke highly of the coach who gave him his first opportunity. 

"John was my first coach. He was the one who trusted me to put me in this position," Bratt said. "I mean, without him, with another coach, maybe I wouldn't have had the chance to get to this place. Obviously, he has meant a lot to me. To show me the way, show me the ropes, teach me over the years, and even giving me the opportunity and trusting me to be put in this situation."

While there is mutual respect between Bratt and Hynes, once the puck drops Saturday evening at Xcel Energy Center, the focus will be securing two points as the Wild are in the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, and the Devils are looking to punch their ticket to the playoffs after a disappointing 2023-24 season. 

Puck drop is at 6:00 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on MSGSN or listen to it on the Devils Hockey Network

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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