Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

With more talent in the system than Pittsburgh has had in years - and 13 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft - top prospects lists are becoming more competitive and more difficult to discern. Since the prospect pool is deepening, The Hockey News - Pittsburgh Penguins takes a look at the top-20 prospects in the organization. 

This may be subjective, but it does seem like the Penguins have a pretty clear-cut top-three at this point in time. Really, any one of them could be Nos. 1, 2, or 3, and that is reflected on a lot of Penguins' prospect rankings.

For THN - Pittsburgh's No. 3, we have Rutger McGroarty, who has made significant strides since his acquisition last summer - and who figures to be a key part of the Penguins' future plans.

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#3 F Rutger McGroarty

About those other Penguins' prospect rankings? To be honest, many of them still have McGroarty at No. 1, and for good reason. 

The 21-year-old forward was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in August of 2024, and it cost the Penguins their top prospect at the time in Brayden Yager. The price was high for McGroarty - even if he wanted out of Winnipeg - and many were a little bit wary of how that trade would pan out for the Penguins.

Of course, it's still early, and both McGroarty and Yager will, hopefully, have long NHL careers ahead. But the Penguins probably got the better prospect out of the deal, and he's the kind of player that every contending team would want to have in their top-six.

What Are Realistic Expectations For McGroarty And Koivunen This Year?The Pittsburgh Penguins have a pretty decent forward group entering the 2025-26 season, especially if they don’t make any trades between now and October 7, when they open the regular season against the New York Rangers. 

McGroarty actually broke the NHL roster out of training camp last season due to a strong showing and some circumstantial factors with injuries. He played in only three games before being re-assigned to the AHL, and in those three games, he looked a step behind in his skating and in his reads.

Then, he wasn't NHL-ready. He also had a relatively slow start to his AHL career, and things didn't pick up for him down in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) until the second half. Although it was building up to something all season long, it was in his final stretch of AHL games - when he recored eight goals and 18 points in his last 19 games - that McGroarty earned another look at the NHL level. 

And it was brief, but he did not disappoint.

Playing alongside Sidney Crosby before a lower-body injury - resulting from a blocked shot - ended his season, McGroarty put up a goal and three points and displayed natural chemistry with the Penguins' captain. His skating and first step was much-improved, he made some ridiculous and instinctual passes, and he was counted upon late in games when the Penguins had it all on the line.

Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) on XSidney Crosby has TEN goals and 18 points over his 12-game point streak 🔥

He passed with flying colors the second time around, and his performance in those last five games should - barring a disastrous training camp - earn him a permanent spot on the NHL roster next season. McGroarty seems to have so many details and intangibles already interwoven in his game, and he has a hockey sense that one simply can't teach. He's also a natural leader and locker room presence, which isn't something often said about a young guy just breaking into the league.

It's hard to say exactly how high McGroarty's ceiling is. The Jets' 14th overall pick in 2022 certainly has offensive upside, and it may take a few seasons for him to really hit his full potential. That said, his 200-foot game is already well-rounded. He doesn't shy away from contact, he excels in transition with his vision, and he anticipates on both ends of the ice. 

At the very least, he should be a very effective third-line winger for the Penguins going forward, but it's completely justifiable to expect him to exceed that. The fact that he meshed so well so instantly with one of the smartest - if not the smartest - players in hockey history says a lot, and if he continues to get top-six deployment with either Crosby or Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh, the sky is the limit. 

McGroarty may not be a franchise cornerstone piece, but he figures to be a very important complementary piece of the puzzle going forward for the Penguins. Hopefully, he only continues to build on what has already been an impressive start to his professional career. 

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: First-Round Pick Has Star PotentialHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

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The list so far:

- No. 5: G Sergei Murashov
- No. 6: D Owen Pickering
- No. 7: F Tanner Howe
- No. 8: G Arturs Silovs
- No. 9: G Joel Blomqvist
- No. 10: F Tristan Broz
- No. 11: F Will Horcoff
- No. 12: F Mikhail Ilyin
- No. 13 F Filip Hallander
- No. 14: F Bill Zonnon
- No. 15: F Melvin Fernstrom
- No. 16: D Emil Pieniniemi
- No. 17: F Avery Hayes
- No. 18: F Cruz Lucius
- No. 19: D Finn Harding
- No. 20: D Peyton Kettles

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It’s no secret that the expectations for the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t exactly sky-high this season. The team is somewhere in the midst of a rebuild, and there is uncertainty regarding the futures of several players on the roster.

But even if much isn’t looking up for the Penguins this season, there could be a few players who could exceed expectations.

Here are four Penguins’ players who could surprise in 2025-26. 

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Tommy Novak

Novak, 28, was acquired from the Nashville Predators prior to the 2025 trade deadline as part of the deal that sent forward Michael Bunting the other way. Unfortunately, Novak only played in two games post-deadline for the Penguins until a lower-body injury ended his season.

Now, he has the chance to carve out a pretty important role in the lineup. 

Novak has amassed 49 goals and 117 points in 203 career NHL games, and he is a reliable two-way presence. The Penguins have long-needed a third-line center, and Novak could fit that bill. He could even skate alongside Evgeni Malkin and bring some defensive conscientiousness to that line as well as some playmaking ability.

Either way, there is some potential for Novak to break out offensively in a bigger way this season. His best NHL season was 2023-24 with Nashville, when he recorded 18 goals and 45 points in 71 games. Don’t be too surprised to see Novak hit career-highs in production, especially if he skates alongside Malkin.

Under-The-Radar Penguins To Watch In 2025-26The Pittsburgh Penguins enter the 2025-26 season having gone three straight seasons without qualifying for the playoffs, and it appears likely to become four unless they exceed expectations. 

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Parker Wotherspoon

Wotherspoon was signed to a two-year, $2 million free agent contract this summer. Previously with the Boston Bruins, the 28-year-old blueliner has done a fairly good job in a bottom pairing role through parts of three NHL seasons, routinely shutting down the opposition and occasionally throwing punches.

Yes, that has been in mostly bottom-pair, sheltered minutes. But Wotherspoon will have a real chance at fitting into a bigger role in Pittsburgh, which could help or hurt him.

Although it’s fair to wonder whether playing minutes that he’s not accustomed to or built for will minimize his effectiveness and expose flaws in his game, it’s just as fair to wonder whether he can take full advantage of icing those minutes and unlocking more from his game - especially if he is going to be playing alongside the likes of high-risk defensemen in Erik Karlsson or Kris Letang.

The 2025-26 season is a big test for Wotherspoon, so it will be interesting to see if he can take the reins and become a reliable top-four shutdown presence for the Penguins.

Penguins New Defenseman Is Intriguing AdditionThe Pittsburgh Penguins have had themselves a busy 2025 NHL off-season. They have brought in several new players to their roster this summer as they continue their retool. 

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Arturs Silovs

Perhaps no battle in training camp - or during the regular season - will be quite as interesting as the one between the pipes.

With Alex Nedeljkovic traded to the San Jose Sharks this summer, it looked for a minute as if Tristan Jarry and rookie Joel Blomqvist would jockey for the NHL starting position. But then, the Penguins went out and acquired Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks, and all of that changed.

Up to this point, his NHL career has been a bit rocky. Silovs, 24, has appeared in 19 NHL games and has posted a 3.13 goals-against average and an .880 save percentage. He did have a gutsy run in the playoffs for the Canucks in 2023-24, though, but his 2025 Calder Cup run in the AHL is really what got people talking.

The 6-foot-4, 203-pound Latvian netminder went 16-7 with five shutouts, a 2.01 goals-against average, and a .931 save percentage to lead the Abbotsford Canucks to their first-ever Calder Cup this season. Silovs was dominant, and it continued the narrative of him being able to come up big when the games matter most.

And, boy, do the Penguins ever need that guy in net. Silovs may just be the starting goaltender by season’s end, and he has a chance to separate himself from everyone else for now - including some talent between the pipes in the Penguins’ farm system. 

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: New Penguins' Goaltender On Verge Of BreakoutHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

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Connor Dewar

Let's not stretch the truth too much here. But Dewar could, potentially, be a really solid bottom-six player for the Penguins.

The 26-year-old left wing was brought over from the Toronto Maple Leafs - along with defenseman Conor Timmins, who was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres on draft day this summer - and did far more in 17 games with the Penguins last season than he did in 31 games with the Leafs.  He registered four goals and seven points after recording just three assists with the Leafs, and he found himself in different spots in the Penguins' lineup.

Dewar isn't going to be an overly productive player. That's just not who he is. But Penguins' fans were already a bit enamored with Dewar in a short sample size last season, and even if he doesn't score at that same pace, he does a lot of other things away from the puck that make him valuable. And that's why GM and POHO Kyle Dubas brought Dewar back after non-tendering him as an RFA. 

He's speedy, he's tenacious, he's relentless, and he drives the net. The Penguins need this kind of energy guy in their lineup, and he could very well attach a bit more offense to his already-strong defense this season depending on where he's deployed.

What Will The Penguins' Bottom-Six Look Like This Season?If one thing is for certain when the Pittsburgh Penguins open training camp a month from now, it’s that they have a whole lot of players in the mix for precious few spots on the roster.

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As thoroughly detailed in Part 1 of this piece, we have taken many twists and turns to get where we are today in the Evgenii Dadonov case, with the Ottawa Senators on the verge of surrendering their 2026 first-round pick. The question Sens fans are eager to pose is, can there still be an exit off this highway and a reasonable justification to have the penalty reduced?

While some may believe the team has been simply delaying the inevitable by deferring the punishment as long as they are able to, owner Michael Andlauer does not appear to have shifted his stance since the time of the initial ruling in November 2023. That stance is: the penalty is too harsh, no one involved is a part of the organization anymore, and there is precedent for the NHL reducing a first round pick penalty to a team.

Let’s look at each of these elements individually:

A first-round pick is too harsh a penalty for this particular offence

While the NHL is within its rights to levy any kind of penalty it wishes in disciplinary matters, this particular ruling does appear to be fairly arbitrary. Docking a team a first-round pick is not something the NHL does lightly and in fact, we have to go back 15 years to find the last time they did it (we’ll be revisiting that case shortly). Especially considering the league did conduct an initial investigation which determined zero punishment was warranted, it seems they went from 0 to 100 in the subsequent re-opening of the case.

Andlauer would be certain to point out that in previous cases with a first round pick penalty, the league determined that there was active malicious intent in attempting to skirt league rules (ie for cap circumvention purposes etc).

What would have had to be determined as part of this investigation is whether the Senators (represented by Dorion) knew of the presence of this list and outright misled Vegas as to its existence, or whether their messaging was a result of internal miscommunication.

In other words, was this a result of malicious intent or simple incompetence?

While we don’t know the answer publicly, we do know that the full trade details had been worked out at the time of the trade call. Vegas was aware the 10-team clause was in the original contract and only wanted clarification on if they were on it or not and a confirmation they would be getting it.

At that point, there was zero benefit in Dorion misleading them; if he had truly known the list had been submitted, the trade had already been worked out. Vegas almost certainly was not anticipating at that time that they would be trading Dadonov later that same season. That is not an easily movable contract, so the presence of a fairly pedestrian 10-team no-trade clause would not have been disqualifying for them.

So, it would be fairly safe to assume that this was all caused by the Senators' front office being incompetent in their internal record keeping and communication, not them actively misleading another team as part of a transaction. We can all agree both are bad but the latter is certainly worse.

Furthermore, in the time since this ruling, the league has reportedly re-evaluated their policy on how no-trade lists are stored and there is now a lever where the league is involved in the receipt of these annual lists. This would appear to be a tacit acknowledgment that this was perhaps not the best system and could lead to these types of problems.

No one involved in the incident is with the Senators’ organization anymore

The Sens owner at the time of the trade is deceased. The assistant GM left the organization during the investigation and the GM is no longer here with the new owner stating this incident was the primary reason why. The man directly accountable for the entire debacle (Pierre Dorion) has already received the most severe consequences for his part in it. As Andlauer would surely note, the previous case where a first-round pick was involved (I swear we’re getting to this momentarily) was re-evaluated in part because new ownership had taken over the team being punished.

Andlauer has an especially strong case here because of the due diligence period of his purchase period mentioned in the Part 1 timeline where Senators representatives indicated that they considered the investigation a “non-issue”. As he stated afterwards, “I don’t know if a first-rounder is a non-issue to you guys, but it is (an issue) to me”.

The timing of when the ruling was rendered was suspicious to Andlauer. The interviews with both front offices were conducted nearly 10 months prior. He could certainly speculate that the league held off on a public issuance of their decision so as not to muddy the waters during the team sale period and then only dropped it on his lap after the deal was done. If Andlauer was serious about pursuing it, this could open up legal avenues to the Senators sale representatives and even the league which is something the NHL would obviously wish to avoid.

There is precedent for the NHL reducing a first-round pick penalty

Now we will talk about Ilya Kovalchuk, but only briefly as this is only to provide the example of the similarities involved that Andlauer could look to leverage. In short, in 2010 the New Jersey Devils signed Kovalchuk to a wild 17-year contract (back before there were contract term limits) that would take him into his mid-40’s.

The league correctly identified this as cap circumvention, voided the contract and punished the Devils with a $3 million fine, loss of a third-round pick, and a future first-round pick which (like the Senators) they could choose to have applied in any of the next four seasons. The Devils (like the Senators) deferred the first-round pick to the final option year, but then in March 2014, prior to the draft, officially asked for an appeal. Their case for appeal was that the Devils were under new ownership, but more importantly, Kovalchuk had retired from the NHL and left for the KHL which changed the circumstances materially of the punishment. The NHL agreed and reduced the punishment by cutting the fine in half and issuing the Devils the last pick in the first round (as opposed to their own).

While there are similarities in both cases, there are differences as well. The Devils leaned on the fact that Kovalchuk’s retirement did impact their cap and financial situation in a way that was unforeseen and this was a case primarily about cap circumvention as opposed to a team misleading other teams as part of a player transaction. But what it does indicate is a willingness for the league to reconsider their initial penalty if they feel something has changed in the interim since their ruling.

It should be said that the last time commissioner Gary Bettman was asked about this case roughly a year ago, he did not seem especially inclined to change his mind. “I haven’t had that discussion in a way I think would be appropriate for me to comment publicly, but my inclination would be no,” was what he said at the time.

The question would be this: how would the NHL feel if Andlauer and the Senators officially asked for an appeal and a chance to make their case the way the Devils did with Kovalchuk? That has not happened to this point and it may never happen, but if we use the Kovalchuk case as a guideline, at any point during this season, this is certainly a request the Senators could make leading up the draft.

In deferring the punishment for as long as they’ve been able, it also makes the wound less fresh for Vegas, who most likely got what they wanted out of the ruling (public exoneration of their role in the incident). It does seem like a compromise could at least be proposed. For example, I'm sure a reduction to the loss of a second-round pick would be acceptable for the Sens.

Time will tell whether this gets pursued any further or if the Senators are resigned to their fate, but until Andlauer says otherwise, there’s still potential for this to be re-evaluated. I’ll be certain to update the article if and when anything develops. In the meantime, the Sens have a Cup to win this season, so we’ll be certain to shift our focus there as the season gets underway.

More Sens Headlines at THN:
Former Ottawa Senators Winger Alex Formenton Returns To Pro Hockey
Ottawa Senators Radio Play-By-Play Team Won't Travel To Road Games This Season
Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk: 'We Want More'
Four Major Storylines This Month At Ottawa Senators Training Camp
Staios: 'We're Not Dismissing That Yakemchuk Makes Our Team Out of Camp'
Ottawa Senators: Ranking The Six Best At Each Position

Dylan Larkin carries the weight of the Detroit Red Wings on his shoulders as team captain, embodying the hopes of a success-starved fan base. There is arguably no one on the ice more determined to bring playoff hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time.

As a 19-year-old rookie on the last Red Wings team to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2015–16, Larkin has since faced difficult questions night after night as the team’s leader and endured several challenging seasons, none of which were more trying on the ice than the 2019–20 campaign.

Through it all, which have included some off-ice challenges, Larkin has persevered and grown into a man in front of our eyes. Not only did he recently marry, but he's now the father of a newborn baby girl, Lennyn Marie Larkin, born in May. 

When the Red Wings do ultimately break their lengthy playoff drought, you can bet that Larkin's spirit will be lifted in ways he didn't think possible. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Following his fourth straight campaign of scoring no less than 30 goals, Larkin landed into the No. 41 slot on NHL.com's recent rankings of the best 50 players in the League today, besting the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Jake Guentzel, and Brady Tkachuk. 

Our Top 50 Players Right Now list kicks off with 50 to 41!@NHL | #NHLTopPlayerspic.twitter.com/MbqrDoS7rT

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) September 8, 2025

While attending a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park last week, Larkin expressed optimism for the upcoming season, citing the steady influx of young talent onto the roster.

"We're going to have some guys who will come up and impress, and hopefully solidify themselves as roster players for a bright future in their careers and for our team," he continued. "I'm really excited for the group and the possibilities of what can happen over the next 82 games for us."

It won't be long before Larkin and the rest of his Red Wings teammates hit the ice in Traverse City for Training Camp, which officially begins on Sept. 18. This will be followed by the beginning of pre-season play against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sept. 23 at Little Caesars Arena. 

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LAS VEGAS – The NHL's annual Players' Tour is on right now in Vegas, where many of the league's stars go through the media car wash as we prep for the upcoming season.

And while it's only been the first of three days, Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark put himself in the running for quote MVP. Ullmark had some very interesting thoughts on a number of issues, beginning with extra overtime and therefore fewer shootouts.

"There should be a change," he said. "We've already changed the offensive game a lot in general, with 3-on-3 and overtime. My two cents, we should add five more minutes of overtime like at the 4 Nations. Because it comes down more to play.

"From the perspective of a goaltender, you can go out and play the best game of your life and have a shutout – and the other goalie can play phenomenal as well – then you go out there and let in three (shootout goals), and you feel like the worst goalie ever. That's just how it is, plain and simple. And I think a lot of other goalies feel the same way.

"At the same time, I always enjoy shootouts. It's a love-and-hate. When you save all three and win, it's such a rush, and you're so happy because it's on the line, you and the shooter. You get that vibe. But when you're the reason you lose, it sucks."

Ullmark also had an interesting suggestion for the NHL war room:

"I would add a specific goal watcher/referee in Toronto who has the perspective of goaltenders to really put it down in black and white what is goaltender interference and what is not," he said.

"A lot of times, you look at a goal from the eyes of a goaltender and say, 'Oh, that shouldn't be a goal,' but through the eyes of a player, they see it as a goal. You have all these reasonings back and forth. That's an issue, where you don't know when to call a video challenge. It's like a gamble. I would like it to be very clear-cut, like it is with offside."

That potential vagueness on a play – or even just how something is perceived – is something the Sens netminder would like to see vanquished, or at least fleshed out more.

"It really comes down to inches and perspective sometimes," Ullmark said. "The goalie is outside of his crease trying to get back, but he gets jumbled up (with an opponent). In the rulebook, it says if you're outside the crease, technically it shouldn't be interference. But he's trying to get back, and he's not able to get there. I'd like it to get away from the grey zone."

Ullmark was fantastically chatty at the Players' Tour, and he has earned the reputation of being a great talker in NHL media circles. As it turns out, his outgoing personality is something he hopes can help those around him – and sometimes himself, as well.

"I've always been a very talkative, open guy," he said. "I realized pretty early that if I contain all that inside of myself, it would take a toll on me. So it's a way for me to stay sane. You play 82 games plus playoffs. I always thought it was more fun to be around people who are more talkative, so I try to be like that.

"It's not just positive things, it can be negative things, too. I try to stay open. Some days I'm grumpier or sad – we all have those days. And if I can show more emotions, hopefully people feel more safe and secure talking to me about things. I want to be a teammate you can go to at any point of the day or always call. It's something I've worked on with my wife, as well. To be more open in good and bad times."

Canadian NHL Team Power Rankings: Who Looks The Strongest Heading Into 2025-26?The NHL’s 2025-26 season is officially a month away for the league's Canadian squads.

In his first season with the Senators, Ullmark helped Ottawa break through and make the playoffs. For Year 2, he wants his team to head into the battle with the confidence that they can do it again, but also the humility that comes in knowing that making the post-season is very difficult.

At the least, Ottawa fans can rest assured that Ullmark will bring his elite skills and excellent dressing room attitude into that battle every game.

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The NHL’s 2025-26 season is officially a month away for the league's Canadian squads.

After six American teams face off on Oct. 7, the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs duel on Oct. 8, followed by the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers later that evening. Talk about a red-hot start to the campaign.

The Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks start their seasons on Oct. 9.

Most Canadian teams made notable changes this summer. It's time to rank them in order from most competitive to least.

1. Winnipeg Jets

Major additions: Jonathan Toews, C; Gustav Nyquist, LW; Tanner Pearson, LW

The Lowdown: The Jets were the NHL's regular-season champions last year. While they lost a valuable piece in left winger Nikolaj Ehlers, their overall offense might not be worse off.

Why? Because of the signing of veteran Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews.

The 37-year-old hasn’t played since April 2023, and though that time off may work against Toews, having him as its second-line center could prove to be one of the best off-season coups of any team if we see some vintage Toews.

The Jets also have the NHL’s best goalie and most valuable player in Connor Hellebuyck and a stacked lineup in front of him, including Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey, Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Perfetti. Even summer acquisition Gustav Nyquist is only two seasons removed from a 75-point campaign before recording 28 points last year. If he bounces back somewhat, he could be a great secondary scorer.

Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff still has $3.9 million in salary cap space. Even if he doesn’t make any other additions, he’s constructed and maintained one of the NHL’s most dangerous squads. They’ll begin the season as Canada’s biggest Stanley Cup threat.

2. Edmonton Oilers

Major additions: Andrew Mangiapane, LW; Isaac Howard, LW

The Lowdown: The Oilers won the Western Conference for the second straight playoffs, but they also lost the Cup final to the Florida Panthers each time.

Change was inevitable for Edmonton, and it was most noticeable in the Oilers’ group of forwards.

Gone are veteran wingers Evander Kane, Viktor Arvidsson, Corey Perry, Connor Brown and Jeff Skinner. In their place are wingers Andrew Mangiapane, Isaac Howard, David Tomasek and center option Curtis Lazar. Matt Savoie could also graduate to the NHL.

So while Edmonton has taken a step back overall in terms of experience, Mangiapane provides steady two-way play, and Howard and Savoie could even give the Oilers more skill in the bottom six. Tomasek, who led the Swedish League in points last year, can demonstrate versatility, whether it's providing depth scoring or using his size to defend.

That said, the Oilers are Canada’s second-highest-rated team on this list because they have two of the top five players on the planet in centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and their defense corps is as strong as it has been in recent memory.

Ultimately, Edmonton’s goaltending is inferior to Winnipeg’s, which is why we put the Jets ahead of the Oilers here. But in the NHL’s weakest division, the Pacific Division, Edmonton should feast on its opponents and easily secure home-ice advantage by season’s end. After that, it’s up to their veterans to make the final competitive step.

As the year begins, the Oilers have an embarrassment of riches, and they deserve to be near the top of any list of Canadian teams.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs

Major additions: Nicolas Roy, C; Matias Maccelli, RW; Dakota Joshua, LW

The Lowdown: The Maple Leafs suffered arguably the biggest roster hit of any NHL team with the departure of superstar Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights.

While there are some Chicken Littles out there moaning about the sky falling on Toronto, the truth is the Leafs finished first in the hyper-competitive Atlantic Division last season. The changes they have made – bringing in rugged winger Dakota Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks, playmaking right winger Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth and acquiring two-way center Nicolas Roy from Vegas – are almost assuredly going to keep the Leafs in the hunt for top spot in the division.

The other areas of the Leafs’ roster haven’t changed, most notably, in terms of their deep defense corps and the excellent goaltending tandem of Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll. So while Toronto may not make as many highlight reels without Marner, this remains a well-above-average group that can do some damage in the regular season and potentially beyond.

4. Vancouver Canucks

Major additions: Evander Kane, LW; Pierre-Olivier Joseph, D; Adam Foote, coach

The Lowdown: Putting the Canucks ahead of two teams that made the playoffs last season isn’t so much a comment on the changes Vancouver has made this summer as much as it is about GM Patrik Allvin re-signing star right winger Brock Boeser to a contract extension.

Adding edgy left winger Kane from the Oilers will help make Vancouver a tougher team. But if they stay healthy, we’re betting the Canucks will get bounce-back seasons from key veterans, including star center Elias Pettersson and goalie Thatcher Demko.

There’s more than enough depth and skill on the Canucks for Vancouver to challenge not only for a playoff spot in 2025-26 but to also battle for home-ice advantage.  

5. Ottawa Senators

Major additions: Jordan Spence, D; Lars Eller, C

The Lowdown: The Senators had a breakthrough last season, finishing fourth in the Atlantic and getting into the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

While their first-round exit at the hands of the arch-rival Maple Leafs was a measurement of how far this Sens team still has to go before they can be considered a front-runner to win the Cup, Ottawa’s core of young players is only getting better. That should keep a playoff berth well within reach in 2025-26.

Ottawa’s additions have changed the periphery of their lineup, but the Senators have the foundation to be a playoff team once again and improve their play once they get there. And although they’re not yet on a level with the Jets, Oilers and Leafs, they're not that far off from that level, either. 

6. Montreal Canadiens

Major additions: Noah Dobson, D; Zack Bolduc, LW; Joe Veleno, C; Sammy Blais, LW

The Lowdown: The Canadiens were ranked No. 1 in THN.com’s Summer Splash rankings of every team’s off-season because they added a No. 1 defenseman in former New York Islanders blueliner Noah Dobson, as well as dynamic young winger Bolduc in a trade with the St. Louis Blues. They didn’t have to create roster holes to bring in either of the two.

The Habs unexpectedly made the playoffs last year, but expectations have now increased for them. It won’t be easy to get back into the playoffs this coming year, but Montreal's competitive bar has been raised, and their fan base should expect to see them get to the next step in their competitive trajectory.

7. Calgary Flames

Major additions: none

The Lowdown: In the eyes of more than a few observers, the Flames overachieved last season – and even then, they failed to make the playoffs. That may be the same fate for them in 2025-26, especially given that Flames GM Craig Conroy made no changes of consequence this summer.

This isn’t to say that Calgary doesn’t have important building blocks for the long-term. Certainly, goalie Dustin Wolf is a star on the rise, and proud veterans, including center Nazem Kadri and left winger Jonathan Huberdeau, will exhibit a professionalism that will serve their youngsters well. But the Flames are very much a work in progress. Until they demonstrate they should be higher on this list, Calgary will be the Canadian team with the furthest to go to be a true Cup threat.

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Welcome to this edition of "From The Archive". In this recurring series, we open The Hockey News' vault and display some of the top WHL-related articles from the past. Today's article comes from May 1, 2007, where Rob Vanstone wrote about Calgary Hitmen defenceman Karl Alzner.

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Crowning King Karl, Draft Preview 2012, May 1, 2012

KARL ALZNER’S OWN NHL DRAFT PREVIEW preceded this publication by a year. The Calgary Hitmen defenseman attended last year’s proceedings in Vancouver, even though he was not draft-eligible until 2007.

“It was at GM Place and that’s 15 or 20 minutes away from my house, so I zipped over there and watched all my buddies walk up there and saw how they went through it,” recalled Alzner, who hails from Burnaby, B.C.

In the process, Alzner got a taste of the butterflies.

“I even felt nervous sitting there.” said Alzner, who was born nine days after the 2006 draft eligibility cutoff of Sept. 15, 1988. “You still get a bit giddy and jumpy and anxious.”

Alzner isn’t likely to experience an extended period of anxiety before being chosen. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder was eighth overall in mid-season rankings of North American-based skaters appraised by NHL Central Scouting. He typically plays 35 to 40 minutes per game

“It’s automatic to put him out there in any situation,” said Hitmen coach-GM Kelly Kisio. “He never says no. He never says he’s too tired. He just keeps going back out.”

Kisio expects Alzner to become a bulwark in the big leagues – but when? Asked if Alzner could crack an NHL lineup at 19, Kisio chuckled and said: “Only if you want to give me a heart attack.” A more likely scenario, as outlined by Kisio, calls for Alzner to spend another year in the WHL before proceeding to the pro minors.

“He’s going to be a great pro, just the way he carries himself,” Kisio said. “I don’t see why he won’t be a 15-year pro and put those kind of numbers up as far as ice time in the NHL. He’s a great skater and his capacity for work is huge.”

Now he needs to expand his repertoire.

“A lot of times, he just wants to make the safe play and sit back instead of joining the rush and creating some offense that way,” Kisio said. “If he can put himself out of that comfort zone and get a little crazy once in a while, I think it’ll help him down the road.”

Alzner became more of a factor in his third WHL season, registering eight goals and 47 points in 63 games, but he still espouses a defense-first philosophy.

“It’s the way I’ve grown up,” he said. “I’ve always played hockey really safe.”

It is not safe to assume Alzner is a passive player despite this season’s modest penalty-minute total (32).

“He’s an aggressive player, but he plays within the rules,” one NHL scout said. “He has good positioning so he’s not going to take penalties like hooking and holding. He’s one of those players you don’t want fighting and taking penalties because you want him on the ice. He doesn’t do anything exceptionally well, but he’s good at everything. (Although) he moves the puck out of his end, he’s not flashy and he’s not going to go end-to-end, but at the end of the night he’ll have a couple of assists because he makes good decisions.”

He also makes for a good teammate. He is as quick to interact with both rookies and veterans.

“I think I’m super-easy to approach and talk to,” Alzner said. “I never shun anybody.”

Nor does he get shunned. He even chatted with Joe Sakic, who is also from Burnaby, when the Colorado Avalanche visited Calgary. Such are the perks of playing junior in a big-league facility like the Saddledome.

“You see Iginla, Sakic, Gretzky all these guys, “Alzner marvelled. “You’re really star-struck at first, but it’s kind of cool that they’re one level above where we are right now.”

He’s a great skater and his capacity for work is HUGE

Alzner is about to move one important step closer.

“I’ve been waiting for this for years and years,” Alzner said of the draft. “I’m happy now that I finally get my chance. It couldn’t come quickly enough.” 

Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.    

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The Philadelphia Flyers have a loaded roster for their upcoming rookie camp and rookie series against the rival New York Rangers, which should make the competition a breeze for them.

On Monday, the Flyers announced a rookie camp roster headlined by first-round picks Oliver Bonk, Jett Luchanko, and Jack Nesbitt, as well as a few players who already have NHL experience, like Karsen Dorwart, Jacob Gaucher, Devin Kaplan, and Nikita Grebenkin.

Add in some other top prospects like Alex Bump, Denver Barkey, Hunter McDonald, Spencer Gill, and Carson Bjarnason, and it makes for an exciting watch.

Plus, this will also be our first chance to see recent trade acquisition Tucker Robertson play with his fellow Flyers prospects and future Lehigh Valley Phantoms teammates.

3 Flyers Prospects with the Most to Prove at 2025 Training CampIf the Philadelphia Flyers are to make any noise in the 2025-26 season, some up-and-coming prospects will need to steal the spotlight and show some progress.

As for the Rangers on the other side of things? It's far less impressive and exciting for the Blueshirts.

The Rangers' rookie camp roster is spearheaded by first-round picks Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault, with offseason trade additions Scott Morrow (K'Andre Miller trade) and Carey Terrance (Chris Kreider trade) debuting for New York.

Aside from them, though, the roster is more or less complemented by older players and late-round draft picks, many of whom being 22 years old are older.

This is why the Flyers have such a big advantage heading into the weekend.

Philadelphia is younger, faster, and more talented across the board. The bar isn't very high compared to a Rangers team that's spent the last handful of seasons competing for a Stanley Cup, tossing draft capital aside for roster players, but that also doesn't mean the Flyers haven't done a good job themselves.

Prospects like Luchanko, Bonk, Dorwart, Kaplan, Grebenkin, and Bump should all be in the conversation for an NHL roster spot by the end of training camp, while the Rangers can only really say that about Othmann, Perreault, and, potentially, Morrow.

Not all of these players will stick with the Flyers this season, to be clear, but the internal competition alone should be cause for excitement, even if the fruits don't immediately manifest.

The Flyers are, understandably, giddy about the group they've assembled, and they'll take the ice together soon enough.