The back-to-back Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers got some unfortunate news on the injury front with the revelation that star left winger Matthew Tkachuk will be sidelined for approximately the next six months with an adductor injury. Tkachuk is an integral component of Florida’s well-oiled machine, and while the Panthers have the type of depth other teams strive to match, Florida clearly will be a lesser team without him.

In addition, what happens if Tkachuk’s absence leads to a significant drop in the Panthers’ performance next year? We all know teams can’t win a playoff spot in November or December, but they sure can lose a playoff spot with terrible showings in the early months. That brings up an intriguing angle to this discussion: namely, forget about clearing cap space right now – should the Panthers add a rental player with the cap space Tkachuk’s injury frees up? And what could happen if they don’t do that and Florida stumbles out of the gate?

According to David Pagnotta, Tkachuk is sidelined until January, so that’s basically half the season that Florida will be without him. But seeing that Panthers GM Bill Zito has shown repeatedly he’s willing to double down on his players, why not help the players out and get back into the trade market to make the team better right away? Even if the player you acquire is a rental under contract for only the 2025-26 year, you’ve protected your long-term picture while still managing to add talent. Thus, it makes sense for the Panthers to bring in another proven commodity, and worry about the cap situation that will come to a head when Tkachuk is ready to play.

Florida is currently $4.5 million over the salary cap, according to PuckPedia. If the Panthers were to place Tkachuk on the long-term injured reserve list, they'd have $5 million in cap space to work with.

When Tkachuk does become healthy, Zito is going to have to move out some bodies. But that shouldn’t scare away Zito from making moves like the one he made last season with the mid-season addition of star defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Since Jones' arrival from the Blackhawks, he recorded two goals and nine points, while averaging 24:55 of ice time in 21 regular-season appearances for the Panthers. Jones played a huge role when D-man Aaron Ekblad faced a 20-game suspension for violating the NHL's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Remember, the addition of Jones caused some to speculate that Ekblad wouldn’t get a decent new contract from Florida and wind up playing elsewhere next season. But lo and behold, Zito found a way to not only re-sign Ekblad, as well as fellow UFAs Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett.

They found a way to make it work with everyone they wanted to, and as a result, the Panthers are once again the odds-on favorite to win their third straight Cup. Sportsbook BetMGM has the Panthers at 7.00 odds (+600), the highest odds in the NHL. 

This is why the Panthers should be adding talent with their soon-to-be-freed-up cap space when they likely place Tkachuk on LTIR. Because if they slip down the Atlantic Division ranks and wind up fighting for a wild-card spot all season long, they may have other injuries and/or sub-par play that could combine to result in them finishing ninth or worse in the Eastern Conference next year.

That's not a far-fetched potential situation. As we saw with the New York Rangers' disastrous season last year, a once-productive team can go from winning the Presidents’ Trophy and a conference final appearance one year to falling out of the playoffs completely the next year. Even the best teams can be in trouble if they're not firing on all pistons, and while it may be a long shot that Florida misses the playoffs, they wouldn’t be the first team to fall so far so fast. 

We’re not suggesting the Panthers are definitely going to falter significantly next season. But there’s every reason to capitalize on the cap space freed up by Tkachuk’s absence. Florida already has an embarrassment of riches that can still be made better by bringing in another proven veteran, and though Tkachuk will be a key player once again when he returns next year, Zito can figure out how to get out of cap trouble once the 27-year-old is ready to play again.

Really, anything can happen between the start of the season and the midpoint of the year. Some Panthers players might get injured, and other Panthers players may make themselves expendable. Zito has got a lot of time to figure that part out, but right now is the time for him to take advantage of an opportunity and acquire someone else the team can lean on.

Stars And Slugs: How NHL Teams Copied The Florida Panthers This SummerFielding questions from the media in the aftermath of his second consecutive Stanley Cup, Florida coach Paul Maurice had praise for all of his Panthers in their six-game victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

The Panthers are fallible like every other team, so Zito has every reason to strengthen his roster as soon as he can. When you’re a GM who takes big swings, you instill confidence in your group. And the misfortune of Tkachuk’s injury can be converted into more talent in the room. Indeed, no Panthers player will be complaining about having another skilled player on board.

Zito can seize the moment and take control of the opportunity birthed by Tkachuk’s injury by landing another above-average player between now and the point Tkachuk returns. Given their druthers, the Panthers would want Tkachuk in the lineup from opening night through the last game of the year. But they have no choice in that matter, and Zito would do well to turn the issue in his favor by swinging for the fences on the trade front.

It’s easy for Florida to panic because of cap concerns and start trading players they’d otherwise want to retain, but Panthers management isn’t going to be that knee-jerk about it. Better to breathe, exhale, and see how things develop in the time between now and the time they’d be forced to make a decision.

If you do that, you just might make your team a championship-calibre squad once again.

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The NHL Network recently ranked the top 25 players born during the 2000s. Without any surprise, Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard made the cut.

Bedard landed the No. 8 spot on the NHL Network's list, where he ranked ahead of other notable young stars like Adam Fantilli, Matt Boldy, Lucas Raymond, and Cole Caufield. A few players who were ranked higher than Bedard on the NHL Network's list were Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley, Macklin Celebrini, and Jake Sanderson.

With Bedard being one of the NHL's most exciting young stars, it is certainly understandable that he has made the NHL Network's list. The 20-year-old center has played very well early on in his career, recording 45 goals, 83 assists, and 128 points in 150 games over his first two seasons. This includes setting new career highs with 23 goals, 44 assists, and 67 points in 82 games this past season.

Overall, Bedard has shown plenty of promise early on his career, and there is no question that he should only continue to get better as he gains more experience. It is going to be very fascinating to see what kind of season he can put together in 2025-26, but it would not be surprising in the slightest if he puts together a big breakout year for Chicago.

Blackhawks Keep or Trade: Dickinson, Mikheyev, Murphy, Foligno, MoreThe Chicago Blackhawks should still be considered rebuilders as they haven't proven otherwise yet. They are going to come out of the rebuild, but just not yet. Their core is either very young and inexperienced or pieces haven't even arrived in the NHL.

Undoubtedly, the person who will have the greatest impact on the 2025-26 Philadelphia Flyers will be new head coach Rick Tocchet.

Tocchet, 61, is heading into his 10th season as an NHL head coach having only made the playoffs twice, and that's the level the Flyers are aspiring to reach.

But the Flyers are aspiring to reach that level as a step, not the endgame or ultimate goal. That's winning the Stanley Cup, which Tocchet has done twice as an assistant coach and once as a player.

The former Flyers forward returns to Philadelphia on the heels of a successful but volatile and tumultuous tenure with the Vancouver Canucks, which was, at the end, marred by injuries, locker room issues between star players, and an overarching failure to meet greater expectations.

For better or for worse, right or wrong, it was under Tocchet's guise that the feud between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller blew up, which led to the former suffering a career-worst 45-point season.

Franchise defenseman and Canucks captain Quinn Hughes is now on the verge of leaving if the team doesn't start winning soon, too.

Again, fairly or unfairly, the team reached this condition under Tocchet, even after an exhilarating 50-win, 100-point campaign only a year ago in 2023-24.

Rick Tocchet's Reaction to Matvei Michkov Only Means Good Things for Flyers' FutureBudding Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov hates the dump and chase, and new head coach Rick Tocchet loves the talented forward's confidence and approach to making plays.

In his official return to Philadelphia with the Flyers, the affable bench boss will be tasked with developing players and winning games, of which Tocchet's history is questionable.

In Vancouver, players like Pettersson, Hughes, and Miller flourished, but the two forwards later crashed and burned at the hands of each other.

Ex-Flyers forward Andrei Kuzmenko was amazing at first, but flamed out under Tocchet. Top prospects like Vasily Podkolzin and Vitali Kravtsov didn't experience much success under Tocchet, either, and ended up leaving the Canucks.

Tocchet's time with the Arizona Coyotes might be his greatest success story in terms of winning and developing simultaneously, but how you take that depends on your own view.

Flyers' Next Rebuild Step Hinges on Jamie Drysdale's DevelopmentHow Jamie Drysdale plays in the 2025-26 season will, for better or worse, alter the path of this rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers team.

For example, Clayton Keller had a 65-point age-19 season under Tocchet, but failed to crack 50 points in the three following seasons. Then, under Andre Tourigny, Keller has had no fewer than 63 points in each of the last four seasons, including a stellar 30-goal, 90-point campaign with the Utah Hockey Club last season.

Keller developed under Tocchet, but he didn't become a star under Tocchet. There's a difference. Just like how Matvei Michkov developed under John Tortorella, but won't become a star under the now-fired Tortorella.

And we can extrapolate this example for many such cases under Tocchet, for names like Jakob Chychrun, Dylan Strome, Lawson Crouse, and Nick Schmaltz.

With the Flyers, Tocchet is tasked with proving he's the guy who can get young players like Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Cam York, and more over the hump, rather than just showing them where the hump is.

Philadelphia Flyers Have a Top 5 NHL Prospect Once AgainNot long after the graduation of Matvei Michkov, the Philadelphia Flyers once again have a top five NHL prospect in their system.

On top of that is the general expectation of winning games and being better than the fourth-worst team in the NHL, which the Flyers were last season.

The bar starts very low, yes, but to which height is the extent of which the bar can be raised?

Viewed as a long-term solution behind the bench by GM Danny Briere and the Flyers, Tocchet must show that he can win, even though extended success historically been far and few between for the 61-year-old when leading the coaching staff himself.

Even with his age, experience, and playing pedigree, Rick Tocchet is effectively starting over and needing to prove himself all over again as the new Flyers head coach.

The NHL Network recently ranked the top 25 NHL players who were born in the 2000s, and two New Jersey Devils stars have understandably made the cut. 

Devils defenseman Luke Hughes picked up the No. 18 spot on the NHL Network's list. When noting that he is an impactful young defenseman who is continuing to improve, it is not surprising to see him make the cut. In 71 games this past season for the Devils, Hughes recorded seven goals, 37 assists, and 44 points. 

The other Devil who made the NHL Network's list was, unsurprisingly, Jack Hughes. Hughes picked up the No. 2 spot on their list, with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin being the only player ranked ahead of him. Hughes ranking so highly on the NHL Network's list is completely understandable, as he is one of the game's top young stars. In 62 games this past season, he recorded 27 goals and 70 points. This was the fourth straight season where he recorded over a point per game. 

The Devils certainly have something special with the Hughes brothers, and it will be fascinating to see how the pair performs for the Metropolitan Division club in 2025-26 from here. 

Report: Devils Tried To Acquire Kraken StarThe New Jersey Devils have had a solid off-season so far, but it is clear that they still could use another top-six winger before the 2025-26 campaign is here. According to a recent report, they had an intriguing one on their radar earlier this off-season. 

Welcome to this edition of "From The Archive". In this recurring series, we open The Hockey News' vault and display some of the top Vancouver Canucks related articles from the past. Today's article comes from Volume 60, Issue 22, where Mike Brophy wrote about Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo. 

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My Time Has Come, Volume 60, Issue 22, February 20, 2007

Roberto Luongo generally lets his actions do his speaking for him.

But when he’s reminded – for about the millionth time, much to his annoyance – about the fact he has yet to appear in a playoff game after six NHL seasons, the 27-year-old Luongo makes a Messieresque prediction: “I will be in the playoffs this year. Nothing will stop me!”

That’s a pretty bold statement from a guy who, it could be argued, tends goal for a team that is not significantly better than either the Islanders or Panthers were when he played for them. Not only that, the Canucks play in the tightest division in the NHL, the Northwest, where very few points separate first place from last and the conference’s No. 3 seed is in danger of falling out of the playoffs completely. Although Vancouver has been hot of late, there is still a lot of hockey to be played and the season will end in heartache for at least two, if not more Northwest teams.

Of the eight Western Conference teams sitting in playoff spots as of Feb. 7, Vancouver was tied with Dallas for the fewest goals scored (144) and were tied for fourth in goals-allowed (138). The team’s top scorer, Daniel Sedin, used a five-point explosion against Edmonton Feb. 6 to climb above the point-per-game pace with 55 in 53 outings, which left him trailing the NHL’s leading scorer, Sidney Crosby, by 31 points. Markus Naslund, once a Hart Trophy contender and top-five forward in the NHL, had just 17 goals in 54 games, though he was coming to life playing with the Sedin twins.

On the flip side, the Canucks have an underrated defense and a a rising star in Kevin Bieksa to go with a sixth-year power forward in Taylor Pyatt who is finally showing signs of being a consistent offensive contributor. And their penalty-killing has been utterly superb.

At the end of the day, though, the Canucks will go only as far as Luongo carries them.

“I feel different this year,” Luongo says. “I don’t really know how to explain it, other than to say I just have this feeling this is the year for me. I feel my time has come and that I have elevated my game. Just look at the way our team is playing now. It seems like every year I have been on teams that do OK in the first half, but then fade in the second half. This year, we went on a seven-game winning streak after Christmas and we have continued to play well.”

Indeed, the Canucks won seven straight contests, including five against Northwest rivals and two in Calgary. Not only that, since Dec. 26 Vancouver had 13 wins, three regulation losses, an overtime defeat and two shootout losses. All told, that’s 13-3-3…not bad. And while it appears Calgary is positioning itself to be the power in the Northwest, having scored 26 more goals than the Canucks while allowing three fewer (with a game in hand), we all know what can happen in the Western Conference if a team makes the playoffs and then gets hot.

When the Canucks traded controversial right winger Todd Bertuzzi to Florida last summer, they weren’t just getting rid of a monster migraine. They were, in theory, addressing a problem in the crease that has plagued them since Kirk McLean was the main man back in the late 1980s and early ’90s.

Since then, the likes of Arturs Irbe, Sean Burke, Corey Hirsch, Kevin Weekes, Garth Snow, Bob Essensa, Felix Potvin, Johan Hedberg, Dan Cloutier and Alex Auld stopped the occasional puck, but not the bleeding.

“Having Roberto definitely helps,” says Vancouver GM Dave Nonis. “We’ve seen for a long time that if you don’t have quality goaltending in our league, you don’t have much of a chance to win. We are fortunate now to have somebody we feel we can build around and who can steal games for us.”

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After growing tired of playing deal or no deal in Florida in terms of getting an agreeable contract, Luongo convinced the Canucks he was worth $27 million over four years. Now he has to earn it.

Luongo has enjoyed more than his share of small successes and occasional highs along the way, even if the NHL playoffs have continually eluded him. When the Isles took him fourth overall in 1997, it was the highest a goalie had ever been drafted. He was outstanding for Canada in winning a silver medal at the 1999 World Junior Championship and stopped 37 of 39 shots in the gold medal game to help Canada win the 2003 World Championship. And, in 2004 when Martin Brodeur was unable to play the semifinal of the World Cup because of a sore wrist, Luongo stepped in and played admirably, leading his side to victory.

THE WHOLE REASON YOU PLAY HOCKEY IS TO BE IN THE PLAYOFFS.

Nonis says he had no hesitation handing Luongo the big bucks – as well as four years – on his deal.

“We felt very strongly that he had proven himself at an extremely high level,” says Nonis, alluding to Luongo’s international triumphs.

With the Islanders and Panthers, Luongo was best known for the high number of shots he faced night after night, as much a damnation of the players skating in front of him as a testament to his ability to stop pucks. Consider: In the previous three seasons with Florida, Luongo faced 40 or more shots in a game 45 times. In 50 games with Vancouver, he faced that many just five times.

“That was one of the biggest challenges I faced early in the year, not facing as many shots as I was used to,” Luongo says. “Last year I averaged 35 shots against and suddenly I’m getting 20. The thing is, we were still in tight games, so I really had to learn to stay focused to make sure I was on the ball after going through longer stretches without a shot than I was used to.”

At the start it was tough. He was somewhat inconsistent in the first half. Although, to be fair, the Canucks were a team in transition and it’s often too easy to blame the goalie for losses. The Canucks weren’t exactly a scoring juggernaut. Since the Christmas break, both the Canucks and their savior have been much more consistent.

Luongo has given Vancouver a foundation of dependability that allows them to go out and win. Prior to his arrival, the Canucks were a run-and-gun team that never really had the gunners or goaltending to support that style.

“He has played extremely well since he got used to the new environment,” says Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault. “His play, I think, picked up when he got used to the fact he had a team in front of him that would give him support. I think there is a transition for players when they go to a new team. Now he knows he only has to worry about staying on top of his own game.”

Great goalies steal games for their teams and Luongo has done that this year. The Dallas Stars outshot Vancouver 40-21 Jan. 3, but the Canucks won 2-1 in a shootout. Ottawa dominated Vancouver 35-14 on the shot clock Jan. 18, but Luongo led the Canucks to a 2-1 win. Vancouver was outshot 39-24 by San Jose Jan. 28, but won 3-1.

“Early in the year some fluke goals got past him,” Vigneault says. “In Florida that might not be a big deal, but we are a team that doesn’t score a lot so they are a big deal. Our division is tight so every game, every goal we score and allow counts big. He is a guy who wants to prove he can take a team to the dance.”

Adds an NHL pro scout: “The Canucks now have every confidence they can play in tight games and he has alleviated the pressure on some of his teammates to score.” After 50 games, Luongo was tied for second in the NHL in wins (30), was sixth in save percentage (.920) and ninth in goals-against average (2.36). His value to the Canucks is obvious – he’s 30-18-3 on the season while backup Dany Sabourin is 0-3-1. There even has been talk of his candidacy for the Hart Trophy, although there are fans in New Jersey – there are still fans there, right? – who would argue Brodeur has been the league’s best stopper this season. And the good folks in Detroit are pushing Dominik Hasek for the Vezina Trophy, too.

In South Florida, Luongo could have taken a stroll down Main Street wearing his face mask and a Speedo and nobody would have turned a head, but that’s not the case in hockey-mad Vancouver where he is the face of the Canucks.

“It is definitely different, especially compared to the beginning of the year when I could pretty much walk around town unnoticed,” Luongo says. “Now people are starting to recognize me. You leave your house to run an errand that should take 15 minutes and it ends up taking an hour because people want to stop you to ask for autographs and talk hockey.

“It’s not such a bad thing. You can just feel the passion people in Vancouver have for hockey.”

And now he is on a mission to repay them.

“Last season in Florida we made a push for the playoffs near the end, but it wasn’t enough,” Luongo says. “The whole reason you play hockey is to be in the playoffs. So it has been very frustrating for me. Right now I can tell you there is a whole lot of excitement out there.”

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.  

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is among the highest-paid players in the NHL, and recently was ranked by NHL Network as the seventh-best defenseman in the league, but in another list of the Top 25 players born in the 21st Century, the Sabres team captain was ranked #1. 

The 25-year-old (who was born in April 2000) was selected first overall in 2018 and is in his seventh season with the Sabres.  Dahlin has scored in double figures for four straight seasons and averaged more than 60 points the last four seasons in Buffalo, including last season, where he posted 68 points (17 goals, 51 assists) in 73 games last season.

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Dahlin has made three straight All-Star appearances and was named as one of the first six players named to Team Sweden's roster for the 2026 Olympics. Fellow top overall picks Jack Hughes (2nd), Macklin Celebrini (5th), and Connor Bedard (8th) were also on the list, Hughes, Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle, and Jake Sanderson, and Celebrini round out the top five, but conspicuously absent from the list was Sabres defenseman Owen Power. 

The 2021 first overall pick has scored 30 or more points the last three seasons, but has not broken out offensively to the extent that Dahlin has to this point. The Sabres are depending on Dahlin and Power to take a bigger step forward to increase their chances of snapping the Sabres 14-year playoff drought. 

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Is it October yet? 

Unfortunately, no, but we're here to help pass the time. From Aug. 8 to Sept. 1, The Hockey News Nashville Predators will be counting down 24 players in 24 days, profiling every current or potentially rostered player. 

Today's player profile is defenseman Nicolas Hague. 

24 Nashville Predators in 24 days series 

Adam Wilsby

Jordan Oesterle

Andreas Engulund

Cole Smith

Michael McCarron

Justin Barron

Zachary L’Heureux

Matthew Wood

Nick Blankenburg

Brady Martin

Michael Bunting

Justus Annunen

Nick Perbix

Luke Evangelista

As an NHL prospect

Hague was a double-threat in juniors. He was a big player that could be physical and score. 

In his first two seasons with the Mississauga Steelheads, Hague played in 131 games, scoring 70 points and 191 penalty minutes. 

During the 2015-16 season, Hague represented Canada at the 2016 IIHF U18 World Championship, scoring two points in seven games. The next season, he was selected to play on the OHL All-Stars team. 

That year, he was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round, 34th overall. Hague would return to Mississauga for a third season, scoring 78 points in 68 games and logging 105 penalty minutes. He was also named team captain. 

In that final season in juniors, Hague played for the OHL All-Stars for a second straight season. 

Professional career 

Hague joined the Chicago Wolves at the end of the 2017-18 season, scoring one point in five games and logging seven penalty minutes.

For the 2018-19 season, he played the entirety in Chicago, scoring 32 points in 75 games and 38 penalty minutes. He helped the Wolves to the Calder Cup Finals that season, scoring 11 points in 22 playoff games. 

He got his first call-up during the 2019-20 season, playing 38 games and scoring 11 points in Vegas. That year in Chicago, Hague had 10 points in 21 games. 

In the 2020-21 season, Hague earned a full-time spot on the Golden Knights roster, scoring a career-best 17 points in 52 games and logging 31 penalty minutes. He had two points in 10 playoff games that year. 

From 2021 to 2025, Hague played 274 regular season games with the Golden Knights, scoring 55 points and logging 169 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, since 2021, he's played 34 games, scoring seven points, logging 46 penalty minutes and winning the Stanley Cup in 2023. 

Hague primarily played on the Golden Knights' third pairing and hasn't really shied far from that role. The 2022-23 season is the most game Hague had played in a single season, participating in 81. 

On June 30, Hague was traded to the Nashville Predators for Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons. He signed a 4-year, $22 million contract. 

What role will he play this season? 

Hauge is expected to play a large role on the Predators defense this season. 

Barry Trotz has stated multiple times that he wants Hague to be on the Predators' first pairing with Roman Josi. However, Hague has never been in a top-four role in his entire career. This is going to be new territory for him.

He does fit the Predators' physical expectations with a 6-feet-6-inch, 230-pound build, but Hague has not been a consistent scorer since playing in the AHL. In his NHL career, he hasn't cracked more than 17 points in a season. 

Hague's role with Josi could be more supplementary, allowing Josi to skate the puck up a little more while Hague stays back. However, if the Predators want Hague to score more, that's looking like a big ask. 

Signing Hague to a big contract, in terms of both price and length, is a little risky on Trotz's part. He really hasn't proven himself in this league and Nashville is expecting a lot. 

Hague could be a good piece in this defense, but having him play a top four role doesn't seem very realistic.  

Detroit's trade talks with Anaheim for RFA Mason McTavish likely stalled due to pending first overall pick says NHL Insider. 

The Detroit Red Wings were recently involved in trade talks with the Anaheim Ducks and restricted free agent Mason McTavish. 

The 22-year-old appeared to be a perfect fit for what Detroit's looking for in a top line left winger but the cost seemed to be too much for Steve Yzerman and company to bare. 

In a recent episode of his '32 Thoughts' podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added to the discussion, revealing that teams like Detroit made compelling offers to Anaheim for McTavish. However, others were hesitant to take the bold step of submitting an offer sheet.

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Friedman explained this is because of next year's consensus first overall pick being Canadian forward Gavin McKenna. 

Drawing comparisons to Connor Bedard and Patrick Kane, McKenna’s star power has the hockey world on edge, with teams wary of jeopardizing their shot at landing the first overall pick and selecting the Whitehorse native.

"I really believe the whole thing with Gavin McKenna has terrified teams from doing the offers, like this is a player with a chance to do some great things in the NHL," Friedman stated "I think that really scared teams away, not only with McTavish, but with other players so I'm not surprised that didn't happen."

McTavish is coming off another strong season, setting career highs with 22 goals, 30 assists, and 52 points in 76 games. His rising star status makes him the type of player teams would usually scramble to acquire, but the risk of giving up a potential first overall pick has made some clubs hesitant.

The Red Wings are aiming to compete for a playoff spot this season, but injuries and other unpredictable setbacks could still pull them into the draft lottery for the top draft pick.

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Meanwhile, 17-year-old Gavin McKenna just wrapped up a historic season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, tallying 41 goals and 88 assists for 129 points in just 56 games. With a talent of his caliber on the horizon, teams have been cautious. While Friedman didn’t name Detroit specifically, he noted that those involved in the offer sheet talks were unwilling to part with unprotected picks.

"I think that McTavish representatives looked for an offer sheet, didn't happen" Friedman said "I think teams you can't say protect this pick is top two protected or top 10 protected but can't do that with an offer sheet." 

McTavish remains unsigned, with reports suggesting both sides are still struggling to reach common ground as training camp and the preseason quickly approach. Meanwhile, Yzerman may be looking to capitalize on the situation, with indications that he’s still actively working behind the scenes to improve the roster even as recently as this past week.

Divisional Focus: Red Wings Must Counter Rising Canadiens Almost as tough as it was seeing the Ottawa Senators return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for fans of the Detroit Red Wings was simultaneously seeing the Montreal Canadiens do the same. 

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Recently, the NHL Network ranked the top 25 players born in the 2000s. With the Montreal Canadiens being one of the NHL's most promising young teams, it is not surprising in the slightest that three of their players have made the cut.

New Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson secured the No. 22 spot on this list, ranking ahead of Matvei Michkov, Kirill Marchenko, and Matthew Knies. Given how solid of a career Dobson has had thus far, it is understandable that he has made this list. In 388 career NHL games, he has recorded 50 goals, 180 assists, and 230 points. This includes him scoring 10 goals and recording career highs with 60 assists and 70 points in 2023-24 with the New York Islanders. 

The next Canadien who made the NHL Network's list was defenseman Lane Hutson, who earned the No. 14. Given the rookie season he just put together, it makes sense that he has made this list. In 82 games with the Habs in 2024-25, he recorded six goals, 60 assists, and 66 points. This was good enough for him to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. 

The final Canadiens player to make the NHL Network's list was Cole Caufield, who picked up the No. 12 spot. Caufield has blossomed into a star for the Canadiens and has had plenty of strong seasons, so it makes sense that he has made the cut. In 82 games this past season, he recorded career highs with 37 goals and 70 points. 

Analyst Has Bold Canadiens Prediction For 2025-26 SeasonThe Montreal Canadiens took a big step in the right direction this past season. The Original Six club got back into the playoffs, finishing the year with a 40-30-11 record. They then followed that up by bringing in some new talent this summer, with star defenseman Noah Dobson and young forward Zack Bolduc being their most notable newcomers. 

The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games. 

#20 - Olivier Nadeau – Right Wing (Jacksonville – ECHL, Rochester – AHL)

Nadeau was the Sabres fourth-round pick and one of 11 selections that Buffalo had in the 2021 NHL Draft, including top overall pick Owen Power and first-rounder Isak Rosen. The winger won a Memorial Cup with the Shawinigan Cataractes in 2022 and had an injury-shortened season with Gatineau before turning pro in 2023.

Playing mostly with ECHL Jacksonville, the 6’2”, 204 lb. winger scored 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 41 games for the Icemen, and scored a goal in five games with AHL Rochester in his first professional campaign. Last season, Nadeau more than doubled his point total (50) and goal production (28) with Jacksonville, but only got a cup of coffee in AHL Rochester.  

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A potential power forward candidate down the line, Elite Prospects said Nadeau said at the time he was drafted that “he uses his size, protects the puck, and finds teammates quickly under pressure. He can grab the puck from the yellow of the board, protect it by driving his knee and bottom hand into opponents, and slip passes to shooters in open ice. His offensive planning is among the best in the draft. He anticipates the routes of teammates and defenders and identifies productive plays ahead of time.”

The 22-year-old will likely get more of an opportunity to play with the Amerks this fall, as he enters the final year of his entry-level contract. If he shows some progress and upside potential, it is likely that he will earn a second pro deal.

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