We’re officially just 67 days away from the San Jose Sharks taking the ice at SAP Center and hosting the Vegas Golden Knights on opening night.

Only one player has ever worn the number 67 for the Sharks, Jacob Middleton. Middleton started his career with the number, making his NHL debut against the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 5, 2019.

Middleton would only play three games for the Sharks that season, also getting opportunities against the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers that April. He’d record his first career point, an assist, in that final game against the Oilers.

During the 2019-20 season, he’d make ten more appearances for the Sharks while wearing the number 67, recording two points in the process. He’d change his number ahead of the 2020-21 season, though, taking the number 22 for the remainder of his time in San Jose.

He’d play another full season in the Bay Area, then halfway through the 2021-22 season he was traded to his current team, the Minnesota Wild, for a fifth round pick and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen.

Since then, Middleton has established himself as a regular on the Wild’s blue line and has carved out a respectable NHL career for himself.

Photo Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

It is no secret that the Montreal Canadiens have a strong defensive group. They only improved upon this off-season, too, as they acquired star blueliner Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders last month.

Now, the Canadiens' strong blueline has received some praise. 

NHL Network's Thomas Hickey recently ranked the top five defensive groups in the NHL, and the Canadiens grabbed the No. 5 spot. The other teams on Hickey's list are the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, and Washington Capitals, in that order. 

What are your thoughts on @Thomas_Hickey14's defensive rankings? pic.twitter.com/ULV3stJyYU

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 3, 2025

While the Canadiens were at the bottom of the list, it is still notable that they are being viewed as having the fifth-best defense in the league by a former NHL blueliner like Hickey. Yet, when looking at their group, it is also easy to understand why they made the cut. 

The Canadiens are entering next season with Dobson, Lane Huston, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson, Jayden Struble, Alexandre Carrier, and Arber Xhekaj. They also have a fascinating prospect in David Reinbacher, who has the potential to become something special. Thus, there is no question that the Canadiens' blueline is impressive. 

Canadiens Prospect Dominating At Summer ShowcaseMontreal Canadiens prospect Aatos Koivu has been impressing with Team Finland at the World Junior Summer Showcase, and he is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, he is only getting better as the tournament rolls on. 

Photo Credit:  © David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Sabres know their schedule for the 2025-26 campaign, and if Buffalo hopes to end their Stanley Cup playoff drought after 14 years, they're going to need to make the most of every rivalry they have in the league. And that includes the Pittsburgh Penguins -- the team that is the latest Metropolitan Division rival for the Sabres in THN.com's Sabres site rankings of all Buffalo's Eastern Conference's rivals.

The Penguins continue the impossible balancing act of trying to stay competitive for elder stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson with the need to build and prepare for a new generation of Pens players.

As such, most pundits don't see Pittsburgh as a legitimate playoff contender next year, but that doesn't mean the Sabres still don't need to beat when they do square off next season. So let's explore the Sabres/Penguins rivalry, and see who should be the favorite to beat the other team and go further next season.

BUFFALO SABRES VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

NEW PENGUINS PLAYERS: Anthony Mantha, LW; Justin Brazeau, RW; Matt Dumba, D; Connor Clifton, D; Parker Wotherspoon, D; Alexander Alexeyev, D

2024-25 SERIES: Sabres 1-2-0, Penguins 2-1-0

2025-26 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER:  December 3 at Philadelphia; December 18 at Buffalo; January 14 at Buffalo 

CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM?  The Penguins have shuffled around their roster to a significant degreee this summer, but the players Pens GM Kyle Dubas brought in hardly can be considered difference-makers. You've got players with faded offensive skills (Mantha), pluggers who aren't really offensive forces at all (Brazeau, Clifton, Wotherspoon) and veterans sent packing in a pure salary dump (Dumba). If that sounds enthralling to you, you may be a member of Penguins management.

Otherwise, you're probably in the majority of NHL observers who see the Pens brand continue to take a beating this coming season. Yes, even with an all-world competitor in Crosby, you can still fail to make the playoffs, as was true for the Penguins in 2024-25 when they missed out on playoff action for the third straight season. And for the seventh straight year, Pittsburgh has failed to win a playoff round. That is just abysmal. That is indefensible. But that's the reality for Pens fans.

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Metropolitan Edition: Do Young Flyers Pose A Threat To Buffalo Next Year?The Buffalo Sabres desperately need to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs next season. And while the Philadelphia Flyers aren't quite as desperate as the Sabres are to do so, Philadelphia GM Daniel Briere wouldn't object at all if the Flyers surprised people and got into the post-season this coming year.

So, should the Sabres be beating this Penguins team next season? We'd say that, yes, the Sabres should be winning at least two of three games against Pittsburgh. Why? For one thing, Buffalo's goaltending picture is far superior to that of the Penguins. Dubas acquired youngster Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks this summer, but while it's possible Silovs will thrive, he's playing behind a Penguins defense corps that hardly can be considered an above-average defensive unit. And if Silovs doesn't steal the starter's job in net, the next best option is Tristan Jarry, who was an absolute disaster last season and may be playing in the American League for the second straight year.

Meanwhile, the Sabres have more depth when it comes to elite talent. Scratch beneath Crosby and Malkin, and you have a collection of forwards that are third-liners and fourth-liners. Similarly, scratch beneath Letang and Karlsson, and you have a group of D-men that are third-pair defensemen at best.

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Metropolitan Edition: Will Buffalo Shock Re-Arranged Rangers Next Year?THN.com's ongoing series on the Buffalo Sabres and their opponents next season continues with this look at the New York Rangers and the considerable changes the Rangers have made thus far this off-season, as well as their record against the Sabres and their schedule head-to-head this coming season.

Simply put, there's not nearly enough depth in Pittsburgh to have them considered a strong possibility to make the playoffs. Dubas is going to increasingly feel the heat if the Penguins don't show some type of progress, but the truth is he needs to add more youth to this team for its best long-term interests, and that flies in the face of Crosby and the other veteran Penguins needing to win and win now.

The Sabres have more urgency to their game than the seemingly lifeless Penguins do. The Pens may have a new coach in rookie Dan Muse, and Muse has a roster that's a dog's breakfast of Grade-A, Hockey Hall-of-Fame talents and worker bees who can't create much offense on their own. Asking him to get this team into the playoffs next year is a huge ask. And we aren't sure Muse can deliver on that front.

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Metropolitan Edition: Are Retooling Islanders A Better Team Than Buffalo?Welcome back to  THN.com's Buffalo Sabres site. In recent days and weeks, we've been focusing on the teams the Sabres will square off against next season. And in today's file, we're turning our attention to a team Buffalo will be taking on in the latest battl(es) of New York (state) -- the New York Islanders.

For those reasons, we see the Penguins as an opponent the Sabres absolutely have to beat at least twice, if not thrice in their three games this year. Crosby can't do it all for his team, and Buffalo needs to pounce on a weak rival to strengthen their push into a post-season position. 

The Pens are major underachievers, and nothing we've seen from them this off-season convinces us that will change anytime soon. They're going to struggle, and the Sabres need to take advantage of them.

The Detroit Red Wings feel that they have two of the best goaltending prospects in the National Hockey League today in Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine. 

Cossa has already gained valuable experience playing professional hockey with the Grand Rapids Griffins, though he did struggle at times during the Calder Cup postseason.

Meanwhile, Augustine has played a starring role in the success for the United States in international play, earning the distinction of the winningest American-born goaltender in IIHF World Junior Championship history. 

He backstopped the United States to consecutive gold medal victories in 2024 and 2025, and saw his stock rise by having his name included in a recent NHL ranking of the best goaltenders aged 25 or younger. 

The puck stops here 🙅‍♂️ #NHLYoungStarsWeek

Read more from @NHLdotcom ➡️ https://t.co/l0ZQ2r2jN6pic.twitter.com/MiWZ1tEIz1

— NHL (@NHL) July 17, 2025

Red Wings fans are going to have to wait a bit longer to see him don the Winged Wheel, as he informed the organization months ago that he intended to return to East Lansing and suit up for the Michigan State Spartans for his junior season. 

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

Augustine, the 41st overall selection by the Red Wings in the 2023 NHL Draft, recently explained that he feels he has unfinished business yet to accomplish with the Spartans in the form of a national championship.

"There’s still something to prove there and I want to go back and win a national championship," Augustine said via Helene St. James of The Detroit Free Press. "But it was a lot of good things that happened throughout the year. I got better as a hockey player and as a person and am looking to do that again next year."

As far as when he feels he'll start playing professional hockey within the Red Wings' system, Augustine said that's a decision that's yet to be made.

"I still have to go out there and prove it," he said. "I’ll make that decision at the end of next season."

Augustine's accomplishments not only in international play but with the Spartans, which include him taking home first-team All-Big Ten and All-America honors, are nothing to overlook. 

While Cossa may have gotten the bulk of attention from Red Wings fans excited about the future, Augustine has already made a strong case for himself to eventually be Detroit's starter. 

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The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of events to look forward to during their 2025-26 campaign. With it being their centennial season in the NHL, a lot of celebrations are going to take place. 

There is one night, however, that has nothing to do with their centennial celebration and should have the United Center crowd excited to the max. That is the night that Jonathan Toews returns to Chicago as a member of another team. On January 19th, 2026, Toews will be there with his Winnipeg Jets. 

Toews was a member of the Blackhawks for his entire 15-season NHL career. Most of it was spent as the team captain. They made him the 3rd overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, and he became one of their all-time greatest players. Now, it will be interesting to see how he looks late in his career on another team. 

Up to this point, Toews has 372 goals, 511 assists, and 883 points to go with three Stanley Cups, a Selke Trophy, and a Conn Smythe Trophy. A trip to the Hall of Fame is more than likely for the former captain. 

When Toews announced his return with the Jets, the Blackhawks had this to say:

"The entire Blackhawks organization would like to congratulate Jonathan and welcome him back to the NHL. The work he's done over the past two years to make his return is a testament to his resiliency and determination - the same qualities that our fans fell in love with and continue to define him as a player."

Toews is one of the most decorated players to have come through the city of Chicago as an athlete. His legendary status in town should make for an incredibly special night when he returns. 

When Patrick Kane, another Chicago sports legend, made his first return a few years ago, it was one of the most entertaining nights in franchise history. It has paved the way for Toews’s return to be just as fun. 

Nights like this should be good for the young players that Chicago currently has, too. It is an insight into what they can become if they help the franchise be a perennial winner. 

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

We’ve passed the halfway point of The Hockey News’ NHL summer splash series – our rankings of the off-season of every NHL team. In these files, we’re examining each team’s lineup additions, departures, hirings and firings, and judging which teams improved, which teams got worse, and which teams stayed the same. And in this particular file, we’re focused on the team that came in 15th overall in our rankings – the Colorado Avalanche.

The Avalanche made a slew of roster changes last season, and while Colorado did lose their first-round series against Dallas, there’s still many things you have to like about where they are as a team today. Of course, there’s superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, there’s also a goalie tandem that was one of the NHL’s better duos, and the Avs have depth throughout the roster.

As you’ll see below, the Avalanche didn’t make a lot of noise this summer. But the reality is that Colorado GM Chris MacFarland made all the moves he needed to last season. When you deal with a salary cap conundrum by trading an elite winger in Mikko Rantanen for an above-average forward in Martin Necas, you’ve set the table for many more solid seasons. 

But before we take a bigger look at the Avs as a team, let’s look at the few additions MacFarland made to his roster.

Additions

Brent Burns (D)

The Breakdown: The Avalanche had one of the deeper defense corps in the league last season, with Makar, Devon Toews, Josh Manson, Samuel Girard and Sam Malinski forming an elite back end. But MacFarland raised the bar for Colorado’s blueliners by signing veteran star and former Carolina Hurricanes D-man Brent Burns to a one-year, $1-million contract.

At 40 years old, Burns is the oldest player in the league. And while his offensive numbers have dropped steadily in recent years, Burns’ snarl and size makes him a valuable, experienced hand. Something tells us Burns had a number of teams vying for him this summer, so getting him at an incredible discount is a huge win for the Avalanche.

So, if you’re saying “that’s it?” to this Avs acquisition, you’re underestimating Burns and the Avs’ all-around depth. But with Burns anchoring Colorado’s third defense pairing, you’re sealing off any real weakness in the Avalanche’s defense. And when you take into account the Avalanche’s depth at forward, it’s clear this is a team that didn’t have to make many additions to still be one of the Western Conference’s very best teams.

Departures

Charlie Coyle (C), Jonathan Drouin (LW), Joel Kiviranta (LW), Ryan Lindgren (D), Erik Johnson (D)

The Breakdown: Yes, the Avs allowed a handful of veteran contributors to leave via free-agency – most notably, center Coyle, who signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, winger Drouin, who signed with the New York Islanders, and defenseman Lindgren, who joined the Seattle Kraken – but you have to look at Colorado’s team through MacFarland’s eyes. And that means looking at a lineup that gets a huge boost with the return to action of captain Gabriel Landeskog, which is like making a major trade with nothing but cap space to pay for it.

Meanwhile, the Avalanche’s few moves have freed up approximately $3.34 million in cap space, and you’d better believe MacFarland is going to use every penny of it as he goes to the trade market at some point this year. If MacFarland’s moves last season are any indication, he’s not a GM afraid to make tough moves and swing for the fences in doing so. If you’re an Avs fan, you have to be happy with his job performance thus far.

The Bottom Line

The Avalanche play in arguably the NHL’s toughest division in the Central Division. With tough teams like the Stars, Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues all around them, the Avs have to be at their best if they hope to secure home-ice advantage as a top-two seed next season. 

That said, we’re still feeling very good about Colorado’s chances to do great things next year. MacKinnon is very much a beast still in his prime, and the same goes for Makar. MacFarland may have a cap problem when Necas’ contract expires at the end of the coming season, but we expect MacFarland will deal with it, either at the trade deadline or well before it. Necas’ contract demands may push him out of Colorado’s cap framework, but even then, we’d expect MacFarland will move Necas and get back important parts in return. 

Otherwise, this Avalanche team is the perfect example of not needing to make a boatload of trades to be ranked above-average in our summer splash ranks. Colorado did what they needed to do last season, and they’ve now been given the opportunity to settle in as a larger group and press forward past some of the league’s best organizations. 

The Avs are slick, speedy and skilled to a depth that’s the envy of many teams. And if and when Colorado does go on another deep playoff run, no one will say they didn’t see it coming.

Summer Splash Rankings

15. Colorado Avalanche

16. Ottawa Senators

17. Boston Bruins

18. Edmonton Oilers

19. Minnesota Wild

20. Seattle Kraken

21. Columbus Blue Jackets

22. Washington Capitals

23. Nashville Predators

24. New York Islanders

25. Tampa Bay Lightning

26. Toronto Maple Leafs

27. Dallas Stars

28. Calgary Flames

29. Los Angeles Kings

30. Winnipeg Jets

31. Chicago Blackhawks

32. Buffalo Sabres

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