The Buffalo Sabres' off-season has many priorities, includng getting the team's seven RFAs signed to contract extensions. But the overarching change for the franchise is clear: there has to be an extensive culture change, one that charts a new course for an organization that has flailed often as it tries to end what is now a 14-year stretch without any Stanley Cup playoff action. 

Without a change of culture, you can expect the Sabres to once again be on the outside of the playoff picture looking in at this time next year. Without an altered approach that creates a fundamentally-different prism for the franchise to operate wth, Buffalo is almost assuredly going to be at or near the bottom of the Atlantic Division -- a place that has been home for them for nearly a decade-and-a-half.

This is why so many people are calling for Kevyn Adams and Lindy Ruff to be dismissed from their respective roles as Sabres GM and coach this summer. We're not suggesting either Adams or Ruff are solely responsible for Buffalo's struggles, but there's a reason why teams just as bad or worse than the Sabres have fired their coach and/or GM already this off-season-- it's because the players and fan bases of losing teams often revolt in the wake of constant letdowns, and teams have to move quickly to try and make them happy.

To that end, what do you suppose will happen if Buffalo comes out of the gate next fall and suffers a slew of losses? You have to know Sabres players and fans will be irate, and demand change at that time. But by then, Sabres ownership will no longer have a large pool of replacements for Ruff and Adams. Most, if not all of the best of the best will have been hired by other organizations. And once again, the Sabres will be seen as a consolation prize franchise.

With that said, it should be obvious why Buffalo ownershp needs to get out in front of this potential problem, and be bold in their efforts to hire people with a better track record than that of Adams and Ruff.  Because every day that passes represents another potential brick in the wall that separates the Sabres from getting back into the playoff mix. And anyone running the team has to look seriously at trading just about anyone. There can be few, if any sacred cows for this team. Drastic change is absolutley necessary.

The Sabres have to be honest -- as in, what do they believe is going to happen next season in the Atlantic standings? You know the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers are basic locks to be playoff teams. The Ottawa Senators aren't going to take a step back, either. The Boston Bruins are aiming for a retool that assures them of a playoff spot. And the Detroit Red Wings will be pushing to get back into the post-season for the first time in a decade.

Kraken's Dismissal Of Coach Bylsma Is Another Reason Sabres Should Be Firing Bench Boss Lindy RuffThe NHL's coaching carousel continued spinning like crazy Monday, with the Seattle Kraken firing bench boss Dan Bylsma after only one year on the job. The Kraken/Bylsma news followed the news this past weekend that the New York Rangers dismissed Peter Laviolette, and that the Anaheim Ducks are moving on from Greg Cronin after only two years.

With all those teams jostling for a post-season berth, how realistic is it for Buffalo to presume they'll be a playoff team? Not very realistic, in our opinion. And if the Sabres can't be a playoff team, they need to be focused on adding generational talent through the NHL draft.

Of course, some will say the Sabres have been through multiple rebuilds, and those people are accurate. However, this current group of talent simply hasn't been able to get the job done, and that's why a radical change is so crucial for Buffalo. The longer the team waits to do it, the longer meaningful improvement will be delayed.

If this all sounds pessimistic, it should be understandable why. Sabres fans have seen and heard it all in a decade-and-a-half of dismay, and current Sabres brass haven't given people reason to be optimistic. Thus, foundational change is the only way to get the team back on the path to relevance and the satisfaction of the fans who pay the freight.

Buffalo ownership can gamble once again that Adams and Ruff can get the job done, but if that gamble fails, Sabres supporters will be incensed at another lost year. And Buffalo ownership will have no one to blame but itself.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of great young defensemen in the organization. Some of them have higher ceilings than others, but the depth is there at the position. Lots of draft capital has been used on the blue line in recent years. 

One player that has a lot of mixed reviews is Kevin Korchinski. He was the 7th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft with the profile of being an offensive defenseman. 

Since turning pro, he has shown flashes of brilliance in the offensive zone, although his defending needs work. It usually does with young defensemen, but his offense hasn't outweighed his deficiencies yet. 

Korchinski spent his first full pro season (2023-24) in the NHL but has spent much of 2024-25 in the AHL outside of a handful of games. When he's down with the Rockford IceHogs, you can see the tools that made him a top-ten draft pick. 

On Wednesday, Korchinski played a big role in the team taking a 1-0 series lead over the Chicago Wolves in their first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. In addition to being a part of a handful of offensive chances, he scored the goal that tied the game up for Rockford. Eventually, they won in overtime. 

Korchinski's goal was a bit of a lucky bounce as he threw one off the backboard, and it went in off of Wolves goaltender Spencer Martin. Sometimes, gifted players make their own luck by playing the right way. 

"A goal is a goal, right?" IceHogs interim head coach Mark Eaton said after the game. "Get pucks to the net at playoff time, it's never a bad recipe. And then his overall game was fantastic, skated well, blocked a big shot in the third, used his skating well, transitioned pucks, everything that makes him a special player."

Korchinski needs to be free while playing his game. He can change the outcome using his skills, but the right pieces need to be around him. With some of the players coming up in the organization at the same time as him, Chicago may be a good place for his future. 

The Blackhawks may want to be careful when it comes to trading a player like this. With the surplus of skilled defensemen that they have, it's easy to bring his name up in trade talks as the organization tries to get better in other areas. 

There is something to be said about a guy who loves playing in the organization, gets along with everyone, and is supremely talented. 

"Me and [Del Mastro], [Allan], all the guys, we go back," Korchinski said after the win over the Wolves when asked about playing with other good young defensemen in the organization. "World Juniors, Thunderbirds, just being able to play with them again, it's really cool. We know each other's games, compliment them, and we all want to keep playing with each other. It helps in the playoffs when you've got guys who want to stick around and keep playing with each other". 

Korchinski isn't alone in this journey through pro hockey as a young guy. He named guys like Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan as he played with them before turning pro, but there are more there.

For one, you have Artyom Levshunov, who scored the overtime winner to defeat the Wolves that night. You've also got guys like Sam Rinzel, Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser, and Louis Crevier, amongst others, ready to make a long-term impact. 

Again, they won't all be able to be full-time contributors, but Korchinski has what he needs to be an impact player. With the right amount of development before too much is put on his shoulders, he could be better than great.

Both he and the organization need to remember that he's just 20 years old. It is way too early to tell if he's one of the guys worth letting go of. His attitude and skills should be very attractive to the executives in charge. 

Korchinski and the IceHogs will play game two against the Wolves on Friday night in Rockford. If they win, they advance to the next round to face the Milwaukee Admirals. 

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

If you told Toronto Maple Leafs fans their sixth- or seventh-best defenseman would be significantly responsible for two straight overtime goals in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, you would’ve been asked to immediately take a sobriety test. 

Lo and behold, Maple Leafs blueliner Simon Benoit – who had played exactly seven playoff games heading into this post-season, producing exactly zero playoff points in that span – was Thursday night’s hero. He scored the overtime-winner to put the Buds up 3-0 in their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators. 

Benoit also set up center Max Domi for the overtime-winner in Game 2, getting the primary assist.

Now – and at the risk of tooting our own horn here – you can’t say everyone didn’t see the potential for Benoit to have a coming-out party. Indeed, in THN.com’s playoff poll, your humble senior digital correspondent picked Benoit as the unlikely playoff hero. 

There was a legitimate reason why Benoit was our choice: as the regular season neared its end, Leafs coach Craig Berube was increasingly confident in Benoit.

Despite averaging only 16:33 of ice time in 78 games this season – slightly less than the 17:14 he averaged under former Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe in 2023-24 – Benoit averaged at least 19:44 in Toronto’s final five games of the regular season. In three of those five games, Berube gave Benoit at least 20:56 of ice time. 

You can’t chalk that up to the Maple Leafs playing in games where they had nothing at stake. Toronto fought for top spot in the Atlantic Division right down to its second-last game of the season, so Berube went with the players he trusted most – and that included Benoit.

Battle Of Ontario Has Turned Into The Battle Of The Big 4 — And So Far, The Senators' Stars Have Gone M.I.A.A bottom-six forward scored the overtime winner in Game 2 and a stay-at-home defenseman matched his season goal total with the OT winner in Game 3. But the reason why the Toronto Maple Leafs have a 3-0 lead in their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators has less to do with depth scoring and unlikely heroes — and more to do with which team’s stars have shone the brightest.

Despite Benoit’s unexpected success on offense against Ottawa, his excellent defensive play has earned him Berube’s trust. 

During the season, Benoit averaged 2:05 of shorthanded time per game  – the fourth-most on the team. While he was on the ice for slightly more chances against the Leafs during the PK, he was not far off the penalty-killing results of Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe. He also led the team in hits and was fourth in blocked shots. It’s not an accident that Benoit has become a key component of Toronto’s defense. He’s absolutely earned it.

Of course, the Leafs’ stingy defensive play is still a product of their top defensemen having sustained success defending their zone. Tanev, McCabe and Brandon Carlo are all doing their jobs in making life tough on Senators attackers. But with every shift he takes, in every game, Benoit is blossoming before our eyes. Given that he’s under contract for two more years at an average annual salary cap hit of $1.35 million, Benoit is turning into a bargain.

NHL Playoffs Are Here: Most To Prove, Cinderella Runs, Early Exits, Traditions And MoreThe NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs are full of storylines and tradition.

In 279 career regular-season NHL games, Benoit generated all of six goals. He may only produce at a similar rate through the rest of his career in hockey’s best league. But the playoffs are all about unlikely players stepping up and chipping in with much-needed offensive performances, and in Toronto’s strong playoff start, it’s Benoit who has emerged as a difference-maker.

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The NHL has officially handed out disciplinary fines following a pre-game incident in Game 3 of the Battle of Ontario first-round playoff series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators.

On Friday, the league fined Senators forward Nick Cousins $2,083.33 – the maximum allowable under the CBA – for “unsportsmanlike conduct” during warmups. The Ottawa Senators were also fined $25,000 for their role in the same incident, as reported by The Athletic's Chris Johnston.

The NHL has also issued a $25,000 fine to the Ottawa Senators for last night's "unsportsmanlike conduct" during warmups.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) April 25, 2025

The fines come from a moment before Thursday’s Game 3 matchup in Ottawa when Cousins and members of the Senators sent pucks directed at Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz and into the Leafs’ side of the ice during warmups.

One of the key players involved, Cousins, previously won the Stanley Cup with Stolarz as members of the 2023-24 Florida Panthers. 

Here’s what NHL is looking at from last night. “Friend of Bieksa” Nick Cousins shoots puck at Stolarz. NHL not crazy about pre-game stuff…also clamped down on funny Scheifele/Hofer standoff in Blues/Jets series pic.twitter.com/ZF08AZwdO4

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 25, 2025

Ottawa head coach Travis Green downplayed the situation to the media on Friday, suggesting Cousins was likely just trying to get in Stolarz’s head to throw the netminder off his game.

"Nick Cousins and Stolarz have played together. I don't know. Yeah, he's probably trying to either laugh at him or make a joke or get him off his game, and it is what it is,” said Green. 

'It's An Active Investigation': How Senators Players Are Reacting to the Maple Leafs Puck Warmup DramaKANATA, Ont. — Ottawa Senators head coach Travis Green had some fun when asked about the NHL's investigation over a pre-game incident involving his club firing pucks at Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz during warmup.

Reports of the NHL investigating the incident began surfacing Friday morning, including a video clip that appeared to show Cousins targeting Stolarz. Defenseman Thomas Chabot and forward David Perron both claimed to be unaware of the footage.

Despite the shenanigans, Stolarz wasn’t rattled. Instead, the 31-year-old earned his 11th consecutive win dating back to the end of the regular season, with a 1.53 goals-against average, a .944 save percentage, and three shutouts over that span.

Report: NHL Investigating Senators Firing Pucks At Maple Leafs' Anthony Stolarz In Game 3 WarmupsThe NHL is reportedly investigating an incident between the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs that occurred before Game 3.

Backstopping the Leafs’ win, the club holds a 3-0 stranglehold on the best-of-seven series with Game 4 set to go on Saturday.

This situation hasn’t been treated with serious regard by the Senators, but the NHL appears to be clamping down on the antics.

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