The Buffalo Sabres seemed quite enthused with the acquisition of Conor Timmins from the Pittsburgh Penguins on NHL Draft weekend, as the 26-year-old appears to be a better fit from a size and salary perspective than Connor Clifton. GM Kevyn Adams indicated after the trade that the 30-year-old former Bruin would have likely not returned to the Sabres after next season, while Timmins has a year to decide on his future.  

The St. Catharines, ON native is an arbitration-eligible RFA and one year away from unrestricted free agency. He will have a hearing at some point over the next two weeks, unless the Sabres and agent Paul Capizzano agree on a deal beforehand. Timmins is coming off a 15-point season with Toronto and the Penguins, and it is expected that he will earn a slight raise from his $1.1 million salary with the cap going up.

That price point fits better with Timmins expected role as a bottom-pairing defender over Clifton, who was slated to earn $3.33 million next season.

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Free agent signings have ground to a halt as the NHL has reached their summer vacation phase. Former Sabre Jeff Skinner found a home, signing a one-year, $3 million contract with the San Jose Sharks, but at this point the two most attractive scoring forwards left unsigned are former Carolina Hurricane Jack Roslovic and former Sabre Victor Oloffson.  

Olofsson scored 20 or more goals three times with the Sabres and had a solid injury-shortened season with the Vegas Golden Knights last season, but will not be brought back by the Golden Knights, who added winger Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade with Toronto. The 29-year-old is likely to still be in the mix for a guaranteed one-year contract with some NHL club, but if he goes unsigned through August, he may get a look on a professional tryout contract. 

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The Chicago Blackhawks have one of the strongest prospect pools in the NHL. It is not difficult to understand why, as they have been rebuilding for multiple years now. As a result, they have brought in several exciting youngsters who have the potential to become long-term parts of their future. 

One specific Blackhawks prospect who fans should be excited about is forward Oliver Moore. The 2023 first-round pick has the potential to become a good NHL player, and the prospect of him having a breakout season for the Blackhawks in 2025-26 is certainly there.

After signing his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks in late March, Moore left a solid first impression with the Original Six club. In nine games with the Blackhawks in 2024-25, the Minnesota native recorded four assists. Overall, the young forward had a nice start to his NHL career and did not look out of place in the slightest. 

Moore's play at the collegiate level also shows that he possesses good upside. In 38 games during the 2024-25 season with the University of Minnesota, he posted 12 goals, 21 assists, 33 points, and a plus-13 rating. This was after he had nine goals and 24 assists in 39 games with the school during his freshman year. 

With the Blackhawks not making too many additions to their forward group this off-season, Moore should have a real shot at making their NHL roster out of training camp. If he does, it would not be surprising if we see him take a nice step forward in his development in 2025-26. When looking at Chicago's roster, he could become a real answer for their top nine in the near future, and it will be fascinating to see if he breaks out next season because of it. 

Ex-Blackhawks Defender Still Looking For New HomeDuring this past off-season, the

Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Dallas Stars traded defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2028 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok. 

Dumba, 30, recorded 79 goals, 157 assists, 236 points, and 816 hits in 598 games across ten seasons in his Wild career after he was the seventh overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft.

Last season with the Stars, Dumba recorded one goal and ten points in 63 games. He will now be on his fourth team in the last two seasons since playing his first ten seasons with the Wild. 

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The Colorado Avalanche's 2025 free agency has been relatively quiet. Outside of re-signing some pending unrestricted and restricted free agents, the only actual free agent signing was Brent Burns. The Avalanche still has over $4 million in cap space to use. If the Avalanche wants to make another big splash this summer, then look no further than Columbus Blue Jackets Yegor Chinakhov.

Last week, his agent tweeted that his client would like a fresh start somewhere else. Stating that the 21st pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft has had some misunderstandings with the coach and staff. Even doubling down in an interview, stating how his clients' best intentions are to be moved.

Columbus’ GM, Don Waddell, told Portzline that he wasn’t surprised by the request, and that Chinakhov didn’t take well to being healthy scratched after not playing well following a back injury. Chinakhov has dealt with injuries throughout his short NHL career; however, he exhibits many qualities that could help the Avalanche as an “overager” prospect who has yet to truly break out.

Chinakhov is listed at 6-foot-1, 201 lbs. He had seven goals and 15 points in 30 games this past season, but that came after a 16-goal, 29-point 2023-24 season in just 53 games. At 24 years old, this can help the Avalanche as a player who can contribute now, rather than trading for a 20-year-old prospect who is unhappy with his playing time and needs more time to develop. If there was a team that the Columbus Blue Jackets could feel “comfy” enough to deal with, look no further than the Avalanche and their recent trade that saw Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle be moved.

What Chinakhov Can Bring To The Lineup

 Using the 2023-24 season as a dataset, since it provided a larger sample than the previous season, let's examine Chinakhov's strengths. Most notably, Chinakhov is a high-end skater, as his top skating speed ranked in the 94th percentile. This is an already fast team up and down the lineup, and it showed this past season, especially with the addition of Martin Necas

Last season the Avalanche were in the 99th percentile of 18-20, 20-22, 22+ bursts and Top Speed (Mph).

Per NHL Edge:  Nathan MacKinnon led all forwards with the most 20 (547) and 22 (83) mph+ bursts. Necas finished second in 22 mph+ bursts (47) and fifth in 20 mph+ bursts (370). Cale Makar led all defenseman in 20 mph+ bursts (206) and 22 mph+ bursts (27).

Chinakhov possesses one of the most underrated shots in the game, as his top shot speed ranked in the 97th percentile during the 2023-24 season (per NHL Edge). His goal-scoring rates over the past two seasons indicate significant breakout potential. If he can maintain his health, and if paired with the proper playmaker, it could set him up for the best position in his career so far.

Where Would Chinakhov Fit In The Lineup?

This is the biggest question if the Avalanche were to acquire him, and a significant one to say the least if they are considering doing so. The top six is currently the best it has been since the 2021-22 season, so moving someone out of that lineup would be a significant move.

In the event of an injury, he could take on the position for the time being, and, unfortunately, injuries can happen, allowing him to make the most of an unfortunate situation. However, this team currently faces some significant questions that must be addressed soon, especially for the upcoming seasons. Though they could be addressed by considering Chinakhov’s play if they do acquire him.

Martin Necas remains unsigned, a situation that has been a significant talking point throughout the summer. Artturi Lehkonen has two years remaining on his contract and will be 32 years old when it expires. Gabriel Landeskog, despite appearing strong in last season's playoffs, will be returning for his first full season after injury. It's uncertain how this will impact his physical condition, given his age of 32 and the three more seasons remaining on his contract after this upcoming season. Valeri Nichushkin is 30 and has four more years remaining on his contract as well.

If the Avalanche did acquire him, he could be that next key piece in the coming seasons, being the next man up in the top-six as current players slowly fill out a middle/bottom-six role. Getting young, fresh legs up in the top-six to lead the offense while taking pressure off the aging veterans.

What Could The Price Be To Get Chinakhov?

With a cap hit of $2.1 million and being an arbitration-eligible RFA next summer, what might the Blue Jackets ask for Chinakhov? More prospects? Picks? Depth NHLers? Depending on what it is, the Avalanche could penny up the asking price.

The Avalanche don’t have a first, second, or third-round pick this upcoming season, but they do have an extra fourth-round pick, two extra fifth-round picks, and two extra seventh-round picks. They don’t have a 2026 third-round pick, but they do have all of their original picks, plus an additional second-round pick from the Charlie Coyle trade and an extra fifth-round pick from the Mackenzie Blackwood trade.

At the end of the day, if the Avalanche do end up making a deal, it all comes down to what the cost looks like. He might or might not be a success story at the end of the day, just another trade that just didn’t pan out well for the team. Although he could also be a key piece that helps push the team into a better position, maybe not now, but down the road. A key young player who helps take a larger step each season to pivot the team's path as this team's core begins to age and take a step back.

Insider Lists Three Avalanche Players as Top Trade TargetsWith the Colorado Avalanche only having $1.2 million in cap space left after re-signing Brock Nelson, they will need to make some moves to free up cap space if they want to re-sign their pending unrestricted free agents or sign other players heading into free agency.

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