For the first time since relocating to Manitoba, the Winnipeg Jets will participate in the annual Prospect Showdown.
The 2025 Prospect Showdown will take place in Montreal and feature the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, the hometown Canadiens and the Jets.
Winnipeg, however, will not see the Leafs' prospects, but face each of the Senators and Canadiens during the two-day event.
The teams will converge on the Bell Centre for the September 13-14 event, to which the Jets will play Montreal on Saturday at 5:00 PM central, before regrouping for another 5:00 PM tilt against Ottawa the following evening.
Suiting up for the Jets at the Prospect Showdown will be Nikita Chibrikov and Elias Salmonsson, first round picks Brayden Yager and Colby Barlow, as well as a handful of Winnipeg's 2025 NHL Draft picks (Owen Martin, Edison Engle and Jacob Cloutier.
Both games will be available for fans to view live on the official website of the Winnipeg Jets.
The full roster of players attending the Prospect Showdown is listed below:
Calendar year 2026 is not a leap year, but the Boston Celtics sure hope it is.
For the first time in Joe Mazzulla’s brief tenure as head coach, there is a real chance to lean heavily into the development of Boston’s youngest players through NBA game reps. The departure of core members from Boston’s title team, combined with Jayson Tatum’s rehab from Achilles surgery, could open the door to increased opportunity for players that haven’t yet gotten a chance to fully show what they can do at the NBA level.
To kick off Week 2 of our Ramp to Camp series, we asked our panel to pick which of Boston’s youngest players is most likely to make a leap this season.
Panelists were encouraged to focus on the roster players currently aged 25 or under — a group that features Hugo Gonzalez (19), Jordan Walsh (21), Josh Minott (22), and Baylor Scheierman (24). We loosened the criteria a bit to include 26-year-old trio of Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, and Xavier Tillman, and it should be noted that Anfernee Simons is still only 26, too.
Given Queta’s strong performance at EuroBasket, culminating with him basically keeping Portugal competitive for three quarters against tournament favorite Germany, we thought our panel might tilt in the big man’s direction. Our behind-the-scenes experts actually leaned heavily in a different direction.
Still, everything is lined up for Queta to thrive this season. After giving the Celtics small doses of key minutes, including as a two-way player early in the 2023-24 title season, Queta is going to see his playing time spike, especially after the rest of Boston’s center stable basically departed this offseason in Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet and (eventually) Al Horford.
Queta should be oozing confidence after his EuroBasket showing. He averaged 15.5 points, 8 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.0 steals over 24 minutes per game in six appearances. He jousted with Porzingis, Alperen Sengun, old friend Daniel Theis and (in a very small dose) three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic.
The Celtics have thrown Queta to the wolves at various times over his two seasons in Boston. Now, he must show the sort of progress that would give the team confidence to heap starter minutes his way.
We’re intrigued to see if a couple of former Wolves can push him, too. Garza needs to show he can hold up defensively in big minutes, while we’ve already noted in this series how high we are on Minott blossoming here, potentially as a small-ball big.
We’ll also make a brief pitch here for Jordan Walsh, who felt like he might be ready to kick down the playing-time door coming out of camp last year, but never quite harnessed that momentum. We liked Walsh’s mindset during his recent appearance on the Celtics Talk Podcast, and we think that if he plays with the sort of confidence and fire we saw in his most recent Summer League stint, then he’s got a real chance to make a leap.
Our panel sure seems to think another recent Boston draftee is going to push him for minutes at that wing position.
Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor
Baylor Scheierman.
Increased minutes are a great cure for streaky shooting, and I can definitely see Scheierman finding his groove with a more consistent role. But I’m most intrigued by Scheierman’s passing ability after watching him drop some impressive dimes in Summer League. Let Baylor cook on the second unit.
Michael Hurley, Web Producer
First of all, this forced me to realize that Payton Pritchard is 27 years old. That feels wrong. I demand a recount! But I think the answer has to be Neemias Queta by necessity.
He’s going to be playing a lot more than 14 minutes per night, and while the Celtics may not need a double-double out of him every night, they’re going to need him to take a massive step forward in just about every area. I don’t know how he’ll do, but he definitely has the greatest opportunity on the team.
Sean McGuire, Web Producer
Baylor Scheierman.
The 2024 first-round pick should carve out a bigger role if he can play hard and limit lapses on defense. Because while Scheierman’s 3-point shot has been streaky, his playmaking is a legitimate strength.
That would be a welcome addition to the second unit with Pritchard likely to elevate with the starters.
Josh Canu, Media Editor
Baylor Scheierman.
I expect big opportunities and minutes for the sophomore out of Creighton in his second NBA season. He will have a chance to grab one of the biggest bench roles on this team.
His defense is my biggest concern as he fights for minutes, but if he continues to improve on that end of the floor he will have a chance to showcase his play-making and shooting potential.
Max Lederman, Content Producer
Despite minimal minutes as a rookie last season, Baylor Scheierman’s feel for the game was on display every time he was on the court.
There should be plenty of opportunity to play this season, so look for him to shine.
Kevin Miller, VP, Content
I would take Josh Minott for this one.
He seems like a guy where production will follow with increased minutes. He’ll likely need to earn trust early in the season, but he could be a factor if he does.
Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy
The science is clear: It won’t be Hugo Gonzalez because Joe Mazzulla doesn’t like rookies (according to Baylor Scheierman). So it’s Scheierman as leap-season candidate.
He’s deceptively quick, gliding around the floor. He shoots lefty, which gives him an advantage. Most importantly: He’s competitive. That’ll play.
England head coach hails ‘box office’ Jofra Archer
Stokes and Wood ‘progressing well’ after injuries
Brendon McCullum has ramped up the Ashes hype ahead of this winter’s trip to Australia, describing England’s pursuit of the urn they last won a decade ago – and have brought back from the Antipodes just once since 1986-87 – as “the biggest series of all of our lives”.
England returned to international action last week for the first time since a thrilling five-Test series against India concluded in early August, and though they lost to South Africa over three one-day internationals that run ended with a historic, one-sided victory in Southampton on Sunday. A spellbinding performance in that game from Jofra Archer, who took four wickets for 18 runs – “There was an ‘ooh’ or an ‘aah’ every single over,” he said afterwards – set imaginations racing with thoughts of what the injury-prone seamer might achieve in more high-profile assignments to come. The first Ashes Test starts in Perth on 21 November.
If 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.
Aside from the surprise Trevor Zegras, the Flyers simply did very little to inspire confidence in their increasingly impatient fanbase for the new year.
Goalie Dan Vladar should at least partially stabilize a league-worst goaltending group, but players like Christian Dvorak and Noah Juulsen are little more than temporary, short-term replacements for outgoing players like Scott Laughton and Erik Johnson.
The rest of that mission, however, is left up to the prospects, and especially the ones who need to prove themselves and secure an NHL future. Those players will go a long way for the Flyers if they can achieve the necessary result.
No. 3: Helge Grans
Defenseman Helge Grans finally made his NHL breakthrough for the Flyers last season, picking up an assist and appearing in his first six games in the big leagues.
Logically, the next step would be for the smooth-skating 6-foot-3 Swede to build on that and make the Flyers outright in 2025-26, even if he doesn't play every single night.
Grans, 23, just re-upped with the Flyers for two years at a $787.5k cap hit, so there's time for him, but the opportunity may never be greater.
Rasmus Ristolainen continues to struggle to stay healthy, and Jamie Drysdale has not shown much improvement on the right side, either.
With Oliver Bonk and Spencer Gill coming up the pipeline, the pressure is back on Grans to build on his 2024-25 campaign and establish himself.
A thin right side for the Flyers gets even thinner if he can't make it.
No. 2: Samu Tuomaala
The Flyers have had some nice drafts in recent seasons, adding wingers like Denver Barkey, Shane Vansaghi, and Jack Murtagh to the cupboard.
Samu Tuomaala, who was once thought to be a big piece for the future, has stalled in his development, thanks in large part to nagging injuries.
The undersized 22-year-old Finn has yet to to make his NHL debut or score 20 goals in an AHL season. Tuomaala did have 11 goals and 32 points in 46 games this season, but his season was ended by injury for the second year in a row and his -19 rating was the worst on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The Flyers do have an opening for a winger, but that, by all accounts, is expected to be filled by either Alex Bump or Nikita Grebenkin.
If Tuomaala can't at least insert himself into the conversation by the end of training camp this fall, the last year of his entry-level deal will come and go without much fanfare.
No. 1: Emil Andrae
Emil Andrae quickly became a fan-favorite in a dismal season for the Flyers thanks to his heady play and poise with the puck, though a hot start ultimately flamed out due to an injury, inconsistent play, and re-assignments to and from the AHL.
This season, the 23-year-old will have a new NHL head coach in Rick Tocchet, and he's on the last year of his entry-level deal. A fellow undersized, similarly-skilled defenseman in Erik Brannstrom couldn't establish himself under Tocchet in Vancouver last year, and Andrae will face the same challenge.
Andrae will have to ward off Juulsen, one of Tocchet's favorites from Vancouver, Egor Zamula and Dennis Gilbert for a roster spot; only two can reasonably make it.
The Flyers have all the time in the world to wait for their younger prospects, but for the three mentioned above, it might be now or never.
While the Carey Price era officially came to a close on Friday when the Montreal Canadiens traded their former all-star goaltender’s contract to the San Jose Sharks, the netminder marked the Habs' history in more ways than one. In a recent Instagram post, the goalie made NHLhistory’s list of best masks of the decade with one spectacular mask.
Generally speaking, the best masks in Canadiens history have a classic look to them, be it Ken Dryden’s red, white, and blue bullseye mask or Patrick Roy’s C33 one; the Montreal goalies rarely take the road less travelled, but in 2021, Price did.
Calgary-based airbrush artist Jordon Bourgeault was the mind behind the goalkeeper’s famous biomechanical skull mask. It was so spectacular that the following season, then-Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom ordered one just like it, but in the Flames’ colours.
Price’s most original bucket was a mixture of Canadiens history and modern design. The skull and its cyborg-like quality were obvious. Still, on one side, it featured a control board and wires, indicating that Price was channeling the attributes of Patrick Roy, the late Georges Vezina, Jacques Plante, and Ken Dryden. The dates of the team’s Stanley Cup wins, a reflection of Maurice “Rocket” Richard, and on the black plate, a mention “Made in Canada-Fabrique au Canada” around the Canadiens’ old Maple Leaf logo.
Carey Price marked the history of the Canadiens in more ways than one including with this spectacular mask #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/sDiddUvVU3
The piece of art won the Best Goalie Mask Award in the 2021 NHL Fan Choice Awards, and even though it was Bourgeault’s first NHL mask, it opened the door to plenty more. In a June 2021 interview with CTV News, he mentioned that he would like to do one for local goaltender Markstrom, and his wish came to be the very next season.
Over the years, Price has had plenty of different masks, but none more original than that one. The Jacques Plante Heritage Classic was quite original, but wasn’t as well-received. Most of his other efforts featured the Canadiens’ logo and had a traditional look; of those, the one with a C31 was a nice wink to Roy’s iconic mask.
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Most of the 44 players at USA Hockey's recent Olympic orientation camp hope to make their Olympic debut in 2026, but Seth Jones' journey to Milan would be unique among that group.
Jones, a 30-year-old Florida Panthers defenseman, is the only potential Olympic rookie who both attended the last Olympic orientation camp in 2013 and was actually named to the 2022 Olympic team before the NHL withdrew six weeks before the Games.
"It was a stab in the heart when they said NHL players weren't going, right, because that's kind of like everyone's dream," he said.
It appeared Jones realized that dream in October 2021 when he was one of the first three players named to the 2022 U.S. Olympic team.
He was the lone defenseman picked, joining forwards Patrick Kane (an Olympian in 2010 and 2014) and Auston Matthews (who has already been named to the 2026 Olympic team as one of the first six).
On Dec. 22, 2021, the NHL withdrew from the Beijing Games due to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting its season. Kane, Matthews and Jones — and 22 NHL players yet to be named — were replaced by collegians, minor leaguers and those playing for European clubs.
Jones has since seen the U.S. defenseman landscape change significantly. That was apparent as he watched last February's 4 Nations Face-Off final from home.
Jones, the top defenseman in the eyes of USA Hockey in fall 2021, wasn't one of the seven defensemen picked in fall 2024 for the 4 Nations Face-Off.
"You want to be there playing," he said of watching Canada's 3-2 overtime win over the U.S. "It was that intense. It was that competitive. I think every player that was American or Canadian wants that opportunity to play in that situation."
Four months later, Jones lifted the Stanley Cup for the first time — 24 years after attending Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final won by his hometown Colorado Avalanche.
In an oft-told story, Jones' ice path accelerated when his dad, then-Denver Nuggets forward Popeye Jones, asked Avs Hall of Famer Joe Sakic for hockey tips for his sons.
Sakic stressed skating skills. So Jones was taught to skate by a former figure skater.
In Jones' bonus room in his Dallas area home, he has hockey sticks signed by Avs Cup winners Ray Bourque and Patrick Roy, plus game-worn signed basketball shoes from Dirk Nowitzki, a former teammate of his dad.
"I was trying to beg my dad for a pair of (his) Michael Jordan signed shoes," Jones said, "but he's not going to give it to me."
Jones began making U.S. teams at age 16 for junior-level world championships. In 2013, at age 18, he was drafted fourth overall by the Nashville Predators.
As luck would have it, the Predators' general manager, David Poile, was also the USA Hockey general manager for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Three weeks after the 2013 draft, USA Hockey announced its 48-player orientation camp roster, a group from which the 25-man 2014 Olympic team was expected to be chosen. Jones was the youngest player to make the camp.
Later that fall, Jones was in serious consideration for the last defenseman spot on the 2014 Olympic team. He could have become the first teenager to play on a U.S. Olympic men's team in the NHL participation era (since 1998).
"I think (Poile) came to me and said — it was one of the last meetings — it was me or somebody else, and they (the selection committee) went with the older guy," Jones said. "I probably took it difficultly. You want to play with Team USA. You're 19 years old. Maybe if you're even sitting (out) a game or whatever it is, or you're playing a third pair, you're still playing in the Olympics, right? So that was always a goal of mine."
While Jones is still in the mix 12 years later, the other defensemen in the running have changed. Exit Ryan Suter and Brooks Orpik. Enter Adam Fox (a Norris Trophy winner), Jaccob Slavin (a breakout star at 4 Nations) and Zach Werenski (leading points scorer at 4 Nations).
Not to mention Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy, who already made the 2026 team as part of the first six players overall.
About six more defensemen will be chosen. The full team, with selection overseen by a player evaluation committee, is expected to be named in early January.
"I wouldn't want to be in their position," Jones said of the committee.
Ryan Shea has spent the previous two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins and has played 70 combined games, compiling three goals and six points.
He has been mostly used in a depth role as the Penguins' seventh/eighth defenseman, but there have been times when he has needed to play on an every-night basis due to injuries. The Penguins brought him back for the 2025-26 season on a one-year contract, and he is set to compete for that seventh spot again during training camp.
There's a chance he could win the third pairing spot on the left side, but he will have to beat out some of the other players jockeying for that spot, including Alexander Alexeyev, Ryan Graves, and Owen Pickering. Parker Wotherspoon would likely be in that spot if the Penguins were trying to contend this year, but since the team is rebuilding, he'll be in the top four.
Shea played 39 games last year (579 5v5 minutes), and when he was on the ice, he had a 48% expected goals rate, 49% shot attempts rate, and a 48% scoring chances rate. Both of his goals that he scored last season came in the same game against the New York Rangers on February 23.
He needs to be better at defending in his own zone this year since that part of his game regressed last year. If Shea does that, the Penguins will have a reliable seventh defenseman that they can trust to come in for a few games at a time and hold down the fort.
It's the role that Chad Ruhwedel had on the right side for several seasons with the Penguins. He was the perfect seventh defenseman for them and was always steady when he played. That's what the Penguins need in Shea for this season.
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.
At No. 4, we tackle the final of the three 2025 first-round picks by the Penguins in Ben Kindel, who, arguably, has a higher ceiling than any other prospect in the organization.
#4 F Benjamin Kindel
When Ben Kindel's name was called to the podium as the Penguins' 11th overall selection at the 2025 NHL Draft, it came as a bit of a surprise to many. Several draft boards and fan predictions had the Penguins selecting players like Victor Eklund, Kashawn Aitcheson, and Justin Carbonneau, all of whom were ahead of Kindel in most mock drafts.
But after the selection, a little bit more digging by the hockey masses begged the question of why Kindel wasn't rated top-10 to begin with.
One of the first reasons that might stand out is his size. At 5-foot-10, 176-pounds, he is a bit undersized and could stand to add a bit more weight as he develops. There is also the factor of whether or not his game will translate to the NHL level.
But everything else? The talent, skills, smarts, and production are hard to ignore.
Kindel, now 18, finished the 2024-25 his WHL season with the Calgary Hitmen with 35 goals and 99 points in 65 games, which was good enough for seventh in league scoring - just one point behind teammate Oliver Tulk. He also played with fellow Penguins' prospect Tanner Howe, who tore his ACL in April and will be out through the end of the calendar year.
He is most known for his vision and playmaking ability, and he knows how to create offense and drive chance generation. He can feed teammates with perfect seam passes, he can generate from along the walls by winning a ton of puck battles, and he has versatility in terms of his two-way game.
Kindel also knows how to exploit the offensive zone and force defenders into mistakes. His anticipation is at a high level, he creates space, and he has a sneaky good shot that could translate to the NHL level.
But perhaps his best attributes are flaunted in transition and in his pace of play. His skating is an underrated aspect of his game, as he can carry the puck for days and has the hockey sense to find teammates with precision. His ability to play center and wing is also a plus, and whether he can be a center at the NHL level - obviously - remains to be seen.
At the end of the day, however, this guy's ceiling is pretty high, and his floor isn't low, either. Kindel already excels at some of the details and "threads" of the game, and his strong all-around toolset makes it hard to see him failing to fit into at least an effective middle-six NHL player.
And that is what makes him intriguing as a prospect. Sure, the Penguins have two NHL-ready forwards in Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, and they both have the potential to be high-end complementary players as part of the Penguins' future.
But Kindel is, really, the only Penguins' forward prospect with star potential. If he reaches his peak potential, he's someone who could be hovering right around or just below point-per-game, and - paired with an elite player - could perhaps elevate even further.
It is too early to tell exactly what kind of NHL future Kindel will have with Pittsburgh. But, by all accounts, there is a lot to look forward to in terms of his development and his potential to be a core piece of the Penguins' future.
