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Following a season of turmoil for the Vancouver Canucks, this off-season has been relatively quiet.

The Canucks' biggest deal was re-signing Brock Boeser on the eve of his UFA eligibility. They also signed goaltender Thatcher Demko and right winger Conor Garland to contract extensions.

The Canucks made some moves in the trade market. In June, they acquired right winger (and Vancouver native) Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers. Last month, they shipped goaltender Arturs Silovs to the Pittsburgh Penguins and sent popular left winger Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Since then, the Canucks have attempted to bolster their depth at center, particularly on their second line. Their current in-house options are the oft-injured Filip Chytil and the inexperienced Aatu Raty.

They were linked to Jack Roslovic for weeks. The versatile 28-year-old forward can play center or wing and is considered the best player remaining in the depleted free-agent market.

However, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reported last week that the Canucks interest in Roslovic had cooled. One reason could be his inconsistency, which has seen him bounce from the Winnipeg Jets, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.

Drance believes the Canucks could enter the season pinning their hopes on a healthy Chytil and Raty's promising performance late in the 2024-25 campaign to help them manage their situation in the short term. If they're still in need of a center as the season goes along, he believes they'll turn to the trade market.

However, Patrick Johnston of The Provinceindicated that making trades for a center has been difficult this summer. He doesn't expect they'll have much success before the start of the season.

NHL Rumor Roundup: Are The Devils Interested In Jared McCann? Could The Kings Trade Brandt Clarke?Seattle Kraken left winger Jared McCann was the subject of trade conjecture last month. It was reported that the Kraken were open to the possibility of moving the 29-year-old McCann.  

The Canucks could have Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish on their radar. The 22-year-old restricted free agent has frequently surfaced in trade rumors this summer. However, Johnston observed that several other clubs are also keeping tabs on McTavish.

Johnston's colleague Steve Ewen pointed out that the Canucks had an interest in Marco Rossi before he signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Wild. Ewen also noted they might be following McTavish's situation, but believed the Ducks would re-sign him.

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The popular sporting video game series by EA Sports, NHL 26, is set for a September 12 release for Playstation and XBOX. 

Over the past week, the software developer has begun unveiling its rankings for each different playing position in the game. 

Among those listed within the Top-10 at each position will be a handful of Winnipeg Jets players. 

The first position ranking provided by EA Sports was that of defencemen. Not only did the game provide its Top-10 defencemen overall, it further broke down the blueliners based on which side of the ice they suit up on.

Cracking the Top-10 left defencemen list was Winnipeg Jets alternate captain Josh Morrissey. After earning sixth-place on the NHL Network's annual list of defenders, the 30-year-old Calgary product came in at No. 8 on EA Sports' list. 

His overall rating was up one percentage point from NHL 25 to a 90 overall, ranking him in line with Jaccob Slavin and Adam Fox, only trailing Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, Roman Josi, Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin and Miro Heiskanen on the charts.

Morrissey had 14 goals, 62 points, 22 penalty minutes and a +17 rating in 80 games last season for the Presidents' Trophy winning Jets. 

The NHL and broadcast partners in the United States (ESPN and TNT networks) have released their schedule of exclusive broadcasts for the 2025-26 season.

The Anaheim Ducks are scheduled to feature in just five games between these two corporations:

Nov. 11 at Colorado Avalanche (TNT)


Dec. 3 vs Utah Mammoth (TNT)

Jan. 13 vs Dallas Stars (TNT)

Feb. 1 vs Vegas Golden Knights (ESPN)


Feb. 3 vs Seattle Kraken (TNT)

All of Anaheim’s opponents in these contests are Western Conference foes, as the team looks to take another sizable leap in the standings after a 21-point improvement in 2024-25 and make the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

A new coaching staff, two high-profile departures, and four key acquisitions highlight the Ducks’ 2025 offseason, but those storylines weren’t enough to entice ESPN or TNT into broadcasting more than five of the franchise’s games.

The Ducks' pivotal 2025-26 season commences on Oct. 9 in Seattle to take on division rival, Seattle Kraken.

Anaheim Ducks Fan Survey Series Results: Lofty Expectations Amid Skepticism of Pat Verbeek

Ducks’ Young Blue Line Could Be Their X-Factor in 2025-26

The New York Islanders will play 10 nationally televised games during the 2025-26 NHL season. Three of those games will be broadcast on ESPN+/Hulu, two on ESPN, and the other five on TNT. 

Thu, Oct. 16 – vs. Edmonton Oilers | 7:30 PM ET | ESPN+/Hulu

Thu, Oct. 30 – vs. Carolina Hurricanes | 7:30 PM ET | ESPN+/Hulu

Tue, Dec. 9 – vs. Vegas Golden Knights | 7:00 PM ET | TNT

Tue, Jan. 6 – vs. New Jersey Devils | 7:30 PM ET | ESPN+/Hulu

Wed, Jan. 21 – vs. Seattle Kraken | 9:30 PM ET | TNT

Wed, Jan. 28 – vs. New York Rangers | 7:30 PM ET | TNT

Tue, Feb. 3 – vs. Pittsburgh Penguins | 7:30 PM ET | TNT

Sun, Mar. 1 – vs. Florida Panthers | 6:30 PM ET | ESPN

Thu, Mar. 5 – vs. Los Angeles Kings | 9:30 PM ET | ESPN

Tue, Mar. 10 – vs. St. Louis Blues | 7:30 PM ET | TNT

That means the Islanders will play 72 games on MSGSN, the same total they had last season. 

There has also been some start time changes as well to six games. 

Oct. 16 vs. Oilers → 7:30 PM (was 7:00 PM)

Oct. 30 vs. Hurricanes → 7:30 PM (was 7:00 PM)

Jan. 6 vs. Devils → 7:30 PM (was 7:00 PM)

Jan. 21 vs. Kraken → 6:30 PM (was 7:00 PM)

Feb. 3 vs. Penguins → 7:30 PM (was 7:00 PM)

Mar. 1 vs. Panthers → 6:30 PM (was 4:00 PM)

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Islanders Outlook: Jonathan Drouin Profile & ProjectionMathieu Darche’s first offseason as general manager of the New York Islanders has been action-packed, led by a first overall selection, three total first-round selections, a blockbuster Noah Dobson trade, and more. Islanders Matthew Schaefer, Marc Gatcomb To Take Part In 2025 NHLPA Rooke ShowcaseOn Sept. 3, the NHLPA, in partnership with Upper Deck, will host the 15th annual NHLPA Rookie Showcase on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at Medstar Capitals Iceplex Arena, the practice facility of the Washington Capitals.  A Decade Of Giving Back: Matt Martin’s Hockey Academy Hits 10-Year MilestoneEAST MEADOW, NY -- After a 16-year NHL career, Matt Martin is hanging up his skates and stepping into a new role as special assistant to general manager Mathieu Darche for the 2025-26 season.

The National Hockey League and its broadcast partners announced their schedule for the 2025-26 season on Wednesday. Between Turner (TNT) and the ESPN networks, the Chicago Blackhawks have 15 scheduled national games. 

That kicks off with Opening Night against the Florida Panthers. Florida will raise their second straight banner on October 7th, followed by a game against the Blackhawks, which will be seen on ESPN’s main channel. 

Highlights include a handful of TNT showdowns against the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, and St. Louis Blues, as well as ESPN+ matchups against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, and Vegas Golden Knights. 

The full national schedule for Chicago can be seen here: 

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xour national broadcast schedule is here!📺 📰 ➡︎ https://t.co/kG8BUIp1td

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

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 47 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today we look at the history of jersey #47. 

Let's take a look.

Aaron Johnson - 2003-07/2011-12 - Johnson was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Johnson played 172 games for the Jackets over two stints. Scouts said of Johnson was "A puck-moving defenseman, Johnson is a very good skater. Has good offensive instincts and can quarterback the powerplay. Can play a tough and physical game. Needs to improve his play in his own end."

During his time with Columbus, he also spent three years with the AHL Syracuse Crunch, where he had 73 points in those three seasons. 

In 2016, he left North America and signed on with Adler Mannheim of the DEL in Germany. He then left for England, where he played for the Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL. In 2021, he became a Player-Asst. Coach for a season. He came back home to Columbus in 2021 and joined the Jackets as a Team Consultant. Last season, he was the Team Relations Specialist for the Jackets 

Geoff Platt - 2005-07 - Platt was undrafted out of Mississauga, Ontario.

Platt made his NHL Debut in December of 2005 as a 20-year-old undrafted rookie. He played in 41 games for his CBJ career and had 14 points. 

He left North America in 2008 and headed for Finland. He then left for the KHL and played five years with the Dynamo Minsk of the KHL. In 2012, he became a citizen of Belarus. He stayed in Europe and played in the KHL, Sweden, and Finland until he retired in 2023. 

Platt also began playing international hockey for Belarus once he gained citizenship, playing in the IIHF World Championships and Olympic Game Qualifiers. He's worked for Tappara U20 as a skills and development coach for the last three seasons. 

Dalton Prout - 2011-17 - Prout was drafted by Columbus in the 6th round of the 2010 NHL Draft. 

Prout made his NHL debut on March 30, 2012, against the Florida Panthers. From there he would go on to play in 224 games for the Jackets. He would also play in four seasons with the Springfield Falcons and Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. 

Prout was a big, rugged defenseman known for his physicality and toughness. In the 2015-16 season, he finished the year with 102 penalty minutes. 

Prout was known for his fights and wasn't afraid of anyone. Over the years, he fought Tom Wilson, Chris Neil, and Pat Maroon. But his fights with Boston's Milan Lucic were probably his most memorable, including a fight where Prout dropped Lucic with one punch. You can re-live that magic moment below. 

Prout was traded to New Jersey by Columbus for Kyle Quincey, March 1, 2017, and that's where the story would end for Prout's Columbus career. He would go on to play for Calgary and San Jose before retiring during the 2019-20 season. 

He was hired by GM Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers in 2021 as a Pro Scout and can be seen in the press box of Nationwide Arena fairly routinely. 

Marcus Björk - 2022-23 - Marcus Björk is an undrafted defenseman out of Umea, Sweden.

Björk was signed by the Blue Jackets as a free agent on May 24, 2022. From there, he would be called from Cleveland on November 12, 2022, to make his NHL debut. 

In what would turn out to be a very bad season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Björk would have a terrific season in what would turn out to be his only NHL games played. 

He played in 33 games for the Jackets that season. He scored 3 goals and totaled 11 points and averaged just over 18 minutes a game on the ice. Not bad for a rookie fresh out of Europe. But, unfortunately for Björk, that would be the end of his NHL season to this point. 

Björk also played in 44 games for Cleveland that season and had 15 points. It seemed that Björk was going places. But when the following season rolled around, Björk was sent to Cleveland, where he would play in 51 games in the 2023-24 season and total 25 points. 

At the end of the 23-24 season, Björk was not offered a contract and was left as an unrestricted free agent. He headed back to Europe and signed with Kärpät of LIIGA in Finland. He scored 21 points in 32 games. 

With 47 days left until opening night at NWA, fans are starting to get a tad restless. There's been very little news the last month or so besides small signings here and there. The RFAs are signed, there are no UFAs, so it's almost time to get down to business. 

Let us know what you think below.

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