The St. Louis Blues selected forward Dalibor Dvorsky with the 10th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. With the way that Dvorsky has been developing since then, it is fair to say that the Blues must be happy about this decision.
Following being drafted, Dvorsky demonstrated his high offensive potential with the Sudbury Wolves during the 2023-24 season. In 52 games with the Ontario Hockey League club, he posted an impressive 45 goals and 88 points. He also had three goals and 10 points in nine playoff contests with the Wolves this year.
After an excellent 2023-24 season with the Wolves, Dvorsky began his North American professional career this season. He spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds, where he had 21 goals and 45 points in 61 games. He was also named to the AHL All-Star Classic because of his impressive play.
Dvorsky also played in his first two NHL games with the Blues, where he recorded zero points and two shots. Overall, the 19-year-old forward did not look too out of place in his first NHL action with the Blues, and the expectation is that he should get more chances on St. Louis' roster next season.
With Dvorsky being a very skilled player and demonstrating great potential this season, it is hard not to feel optimistic about him hitting a new level next campaign. The youngster has the tools to blossom into a legitimate top-six NHL forward, and it is going to be fascinating to see what kind of season he puts together in 2025-26 from here.
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It’s well-documented that Kent Hughes would like to address the Montreal Canadiens’ problems down the middle this Summer. With Ivan Demidov now in North America and Patrik Laine unable to produce at even-strength last season, the Habs need a real top-six center who will have the skills to get the best out of the two talented wingers. The Minnesota Wild could help.
The Wild has tried to shop Marco Rossi in the past, and he’s now a restricted free agent in need of a new contract. The 23-year-old center has consistently improved during his ELC and scored 60 points in 82 games this past season, representing a 20-point improvement over his previous season.
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Yet, as The Athletic’s Chris Johnston points out in his NHL offseason trade board, Rossi only got 11 minutes of ice time per game in the playoffs and pivoted the fourth line as the Wild fell in six games against the Vegas Golden Knights.
There hasn’t been a leadership change in Minnesota, unlike with the New York Islanders, meaning the people who were looking to move Rossi are still in charge and would therefore likely be amenable to discussing a sign-and-trade deal.
Rossi’s downside is his size; at 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds, he’s not very imposing, and that might be why the Wild are hesitant to commit, according to Johnston. The Canadiens have shown in the past that they do not necessarily put a premium on size; they didn’t hesitate to draft Lane Hutson, who is roughly the same size.
Unlike when Hughes traded for Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, who had both only scored 26 points in their previous year with the Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche, respectively, Rossi is not coming off a down year. The price tag would likely be relatively high.
The Wild doesn’t have a first-round pick at the upcoming draft and only have a total of four picks while the Canadiens have two first-rounders and a total of 12 picks, meaning this could be a good starting point for any discussion. If Johnston’s NHL trade board article is to be believed, Montreal could entertain moving one of its two first-round selections.
The article also reports the Habs are willing to move Logan Mailloux, and the Wild have got a few aging defensemen on the right side of their blueline, with Jared Spurgeon being 35 and Zach Bogosian being 34. They also have David Jiricek in their system. Still, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ sixth overall selection at the 2022 draft has failed to impress since being acquired for Daemon Hunt and a truckload of draft picks, including Minnesota’s first-rounder this year.
If the Wild is after size, could Kirby Dach somehow pique their interest? He wouldn’t be the central piece of the deal, but could be an interesting throw-in if the Wild can see some potential there.
As the draft nears, we will undoubtedly see increased speculation about who could end up where, especially since Kent Hughes has been active in his three draft weekends so far. He couldn’t pull a trade for a roster player at the last draft, but he did trade three picks to the Los Angeles Kings to move up and grab Michael Hage with the 21st overall pick.
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The 2025 Stanley Cup final is now set, and that means it’s time for one last playoff prediction. In the third round, we went 0-2 with our picks, but overall this post-season, we’ve gone 8-6. Could be better, could be worse.
With that out of the way, here’s this writer’s educated guess on the showdown between the NHL’s two best teams:
Season series: 2-0 Florida
Why Florida will win: The Panthers haven’t always looked like the defending champions, particularly against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who extended their second-round series to the full seven games. But against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1, and against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final, Florida looked like world-beaters, winning both those series in five games. And they did it with overwhelming offense, as they scored five or more goals in all four of their wins against the ‘Canes.
Meanwhile, against the Bolts, Florida scored six goals in two of their wins and another four goals in one of their other two victories. No defence corps has been able to contain the Panthers’ waves of pushes into the offensive zone, and Florida has spread out the scoring, with 10 Panthers players generating at least 11 points, and eight players posting at least four goals.
When you have that type of depth, it’s no wonder you can poke holes in your opponent’s back end. And given that Edmonton isn’t renowned for their stifling defense, it’s safe to say that Florida will get plenty of opportunities to continue that trend.
Goaltending is going to be a key in this Cup final series, and the edge in net has to be given to Panthers star Sergei Bobrovsky, if only because he’s got the pedigree that comes with making big saves in high-stakes situations. Unless Bobrovsky’s counterpart, Stuart Skinner, can stifle Florida’s point producers, the Panthers are going to be a handful for Edmonton. And we could well see Year 2 of a modern-day dynasty in Florida.
Why Edmonton will win: Like the Panthers, the Oilers have bent without breaking in this post-season, losing two games to the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round before steamrolling two very good teams in the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars in the second and third round respectively, with both of those series wins coming in just five games.
The Oilers have the top two players remaining in the current post-season in superstar centers Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, but Edmonton’s supporting cast has also been excellent, as nine Oilers players have at least four goals, and their top seven players have combined to post an astounding 118 points. The Oilers won’t have one of those players available in the final, with star right winger Zach Hyman out for the season. But with McDavid and Draisaitl combining for 51 points, they don’t need their secondary scorers to carry the bulk of the load.
Skinner has gotten better as the playoffs have unfolded, allowing one goal or less in three of Edmonton’s five games against the Stars. We’re still not sure about the Oilers’ defense corps compared to the Panthers’ group of blueliners, but now that rugged veteran D-man Mattias Ekholm is back in the lineup, Edmonton is going to put up a seriously fierce battle against Florida’s high-octane offense. And that could well mean this year’s Cup final will have a very different result from last year’s.
We’ve got to own it – we haven’t been high on the Oilers for the bulk of the playoffs, but we’ve seen enough now, and Edmonton deserves its due. When you have arguably the two best players on planet Earth in Draisaitl and McDavid, and you’re getting clutch contributions from forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor Brown and Corey Perry, plus blueliner Evan Bouchard, you’re going to be about as close to unbeatable as it gets.
That doesn’t mean we see the Panthers getting demolished. But Florida hasn’t had to come up against an opponent with as much depth, drive and desire as the Oilers have this spring. Do we see the Panthers winning at least a couple games? Absolutely. But given how Edmonton disposed of the Stars – our pre-season pick to win it all – the Oilers should have enough left in the tank to outlast Florida and bring the Cup to Canada for the first time since 1993.
It feels like Edmonton is a team of destiny, and like most all-time greats, McDavid and Draisaitl have learned from past defeats and appear fully ready, willing and able to win the first championship of what could be many. The Panthers are going to be a worthy opponent for them, but the Oilers have the juice and jam to carve out their names on sport’s toughest trophy to win.
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Ready or not, here I come.
This phrase used in hide-and-seek accurately reflects the status of a few Detroit Red Wings prospects.
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The team needs to push its young players to take on more responsibility. Look for these three youngsters to force their way onto the NHL roster. Not because the Red Wings have to put them there, but because they will push the issue and force the organization to keep them in the NHL.
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The 20-year-old Axel Sandin Pellikka is ready for the big leagues. He displayed tremendous ability during the 2024-25 season. As a right-handed defender, he’s also a hot commodity.
In 46 SHL games, he recorded 29 points while averaging north of 20 minutes a game. That’s impressive for any defender in the SHL, let alone one as young as Sandin-Pellikka.
There are only two defenders signed to NHL deals next season who are right-handed: Moritz Seider and Justin Holl. With Jeff Petry’s contract expiring, there is a place for him to come in and seize an opportunity.
Armed with one of the greatest names in the history of hockey and a penchant for clutch goals, Amadeus Lombardi is primed and ready to be launched on the Red Wings' opening night roster.
Despite missing a decent chunk of the 2024-25 season, Lombardi still managed to collect 40 points in 44 games. He’s a big-time player, scoring four game-winning goals for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL.
Stick taps for Sebastian Cossa's first NHL win! 🥇 pic.twitter.com/QmPo7g1tII
— NHL (@NHL) December 10, 2024
This may seem controversial, but Sebastian Cossa is absolutely ready to be in the NHL. This prospect might seem the least likely, but hear me out.
For starters, his AHL record this past season was impeccable. In 41 games, he recorded a 21-15-5 record, a 2.45 goals against average (GAA), a .911 save percentage (SV%), and one shutout.
Secondly, there is a good likelihood that Petr Mrazek will end up demoted to the AHL or placed on injured reserve. Alex Lyon has not been extended (we’ll see if that happens at all), so that leaves Cam Talbot as the remaining goalie ready for regular duty.
If that’s the case, a tandem of Talbot and Cossa would make sense. Talbot is an impeccable professional who could mentor Cossa on what it takes to play in the NHL. Talbot has gone through a lot during his NHL career and all of those experiences would be a great influence on the young netminder.
Each of these prospects offers something that isn’t already on the Red Wings roster. If I had to put my money where my mouth is, I’d say that Sandin-Pellikka and Lombardi make the Red Wings out of camp, while Cossa starts the year in the AHL until Mrazek gets hurt, and then he gets called up.
The future is bright for the Red Wings, and the future is now.
Ready or not, here they come.
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*Please vote in the poll to let us know who you think will make the Red Wings next season. If there is a prospect that you think has a chance, but isn't listed above, leave a comment with their name. Let us know what you think!