Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving is in peak-summer form.
The 55-year-old had a busy start to summer, signing a plethora of new players and dealing Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nicolas Roy. He also made trades to acquire Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua, each of whom will fit into Toronto's depth quite nicely.
As we enter the unofficial middle of the summer, it appears the Maple Leafs' GM is getting in some much-needed time with his family. He made a cameo in his daughter, Reese's, TikTok on Friday evening.
Treliving, dressed casually with a pair of sunglasses in the TikTok, apologized, saying, "sorry we're late the girls we're throwing a fit," before his daughter and her friend stepped through the door wearing their outfits.
TikTok · Reese1175 likes, 63 comments. “#dinner 💗🥰✌️🥂@Paulina”Even the Maple Leafs' social team commented on the TikTok: "Oh he does tik toks 👀," the team wrote.
Not only did the Maple Leafs trade for players like Roy, Maccelli, and Joshua this summer, but they also added several depth players, including Michael Pezzetta. Toronto got a majority of its work done before free agency, signing John Tavares, Matthew Knies, and Steven Lorentz to extensions.
They also traded Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Henry Thrun.
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Tavares' contract came in at four years, $17.5 million, Knies' deal was a six-year, $46.5 million contract, and Lorentz's was a three-year, $4.05 million extension. Each of the deals got done after Toronto was eliminated from the playoffs in seven games by the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers.
Before the deals got done, the Maple Leafs selected six players in the 2025 NHL Draft, including Tinus Luc Koblar, Tyler Hopkins, William Belle, Harry Nansi, Rylan Fellinger, and Matthew Hlacar. Each of the six players participated in Toronto's development camp in early July.
Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, Chris Tanev, Tavares, and Pezzetta are spending most of their summer in Toronto. The rest of the Maple Leafs' players will filter back into the city at some point in August before training camp begins.
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Toronto's first preseason game is against the Ottawa Senators on September 21 at 3:00 p.m. ET. The Maple Leafs will play six games before their regular season gets underway at home on October 8 against the Montreal Canadiens.
This article originally appeared on The Hockey News: Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Cameos In Daughter’s TikTok While Juggling Offseason Duties
(Top photo of Treliving: @reese.treliving / TikTok
Last week, THN Florida began a series that will examine current members of the Florida Panthers who could someday have their number retired by the team.
The first player we discussed was probably the one most likely to have his jersey hanging in the rafters someday, and that was Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov.
This time, we’re going to take a look at the man who has been arguably Florida’s most important playoff performer.
The past six seasons in South Florida have been quite a roller coaster for Sergei Bobrovsky.
It was all the way back in 2019 when the veteran goaltender signed a massive 7-year, $70 million contract with the Florida Panthers.
He was viewed as a steadying force between the pipes that would backstop the team to the kind of success that the franchise had not seen, really, ever.
The kind of core piece that would eventually have his number hanging in the rafters.
Well, as it turns out, that’s exactly what has happened with Bobrovsky, but the path taken to arrive where we are now was more than a little rocky at the start.
Bob’s first few years with the Panthers were not his best, though the team in front of him was far from the defensive juggernaut that Florida can now be considered.
His incredible athleticism and propensity for flashy saves were not being utilized properly until Paul Maurice showed up in Sunrise.
When Maurice installed his physical, aggressive defensive systems, they came with a renewed vigor for the team to take away opportunities between the circles and clean up any second chance pucks before they can be whacked home on a rebound.
Florida’s ability to execute Maurice’s systems extremely well combined with Bobrovsky taking his game to another level during the Stanley Cup Playoffs have yielded some truly amazing results.
Now here we are, entering the final year of Bob’s deal, and he’s going to be remembered as one of the best players this franchise ever acquired.
Back-to-back Stanley Cup victories. A Vezina consideration. Conn Smythe votes. An All-Star appearance.
On the Panthers all-time goaltending rankings, Bobrovsky is second to only Roberto Luongo in games played, wins and saves.
Not only has Bobrovsky cemented himself as a future Hockey Hall of Famer, but it’s probably also safe to say that Bob will someday have his No. 72 hanging in the rafters in Sunrise.
Do you agree? Let us know in the comment section below.
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Photo caption: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Nikita Grebenkin is gearing up for his push to make the Philadelphia Flyers out of training camp this fall, and he's gotten some advice from Washington Capitals star and NHL legend Alexander Ovechkin on how to do it.
Grebenkin, 22, told MatchTV that he recently met Ovechkin in Turkey, had a normal conversation with the Russian sharpshooter, and learned some things that will help him in the NHL this year.
"Alexander Ovechkin gave me advice. But I won't tell you what it was. It will help me next season," Grebenkin told MatchTV slyly.
"I'm not the kind of guy who always wants to talk to someone and say: 'Please, please take me.' I recently met Alexander in Turkey, of course, it's great to talk to such guys. Everything was simple. I didn't feel any barrier, everything was fine. Because I overcome all barriers."
Suffice to say, Grebenkin wasn't feeling the pressure of speaking to a legend of his nation and a legend of his profession.
It helps, too, that Flyers teammate Matvei Michkov also recently posted a photo with Ovechkin; check out the community post to see that one.
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Grebenkin's comments bode well for his NHL future with the Flyers, honestly.
He already played seven games for former Flyers head coach Craig Berube and the Toronto Maple Leafs last season and was close to making his Flyers debut, only for the emergency conditions he was re-called from the AHL under to expire minutes prior to the game.
The 22-year-old has a rather clear path to NHL playing time with Tyson Foerster's status unclear for opening night and the aging Nick Deslauriers seemingly no longer an every-night NHL player.
Grebenkin's skillset is tailor-made for playing the role of a playmaking bottom-six grinder, and maybe even a complementary power forward at the highest end of his NHL projection.
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Maybe Ovechkin was telling Grebenkin about some of the things Capitals tough guy Tom Wilson does well?
But, yeah, a solid summer of training and preparing should have Grebenkin knocking on the door for the Flyers, and learning a few tricks of the trade from a guy like The Great 8 never hurts, either.
Time will tell if Grebenkin walks the walk and cracks the Flyers, but he's certainly endeared himself to an anxious Philadelphia fanbase hoping some of its young players finally take a meaningful step forward.
The Utica Comets have announced a free hockey school for young players in Oneida County, set to take place from August 19 to August 22 at the Utica University Nexus Center.
The four-day event, officially known as the Rob Esche Free Hockey School, is open to players of all skill levels and offers a unique opportunity to learn from top-tier coaches and former professional hockey players. The camp is named after Robert Esche, former NHL goaltender and current president of the Utica Comets.
Esche, who played in the NHL from 1998 to 2012 with the Phoenix Coyotes and Philadelphia Flyers, now leads initiatives to grow the game in Oneida County. Utica, the county seat, is also home to the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils.
Announced on July 22, 2025, the free camp is already accepting registrations from Oneida County residents.
“Oneida County youth will not only receive elite coaching and mentorship—they’ll get role models who prove that big dreams can start right here in our own backyard,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “I’m proud to support opportunities like this that strengthen our community and invest in our future.”
The camp will be open to three divisions: Mites, Squirts, and Peewees. The coaching lineup features a wide range of talent, including NHL alumni, college coaches, and local hockey leaders:
“This hockey school represents everything that’s possible in Oneida County because of the Nexus Center,” said Esche. “We have one of the best ice facilities in the country right here, and now our kids can learn the game we all love from people who walked in their same shoes and made it to the next level. This is about giving every young athlete a chance to grow, learn, and dream big.”
The event promises to be an inspiring experience for young athletes and a celebration of the region’s growing hockey community.
Photo Credit: © Daniel DeLoach/Utica Observer-Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
No matter where a team selects in the annual NHL Draft, it’s always something of a crapshoot.
Obviously, the earlier the pick, the better the odds of finding a future star – but there are never any guarantees. Senators fans know this all too well, as even the coveted number one overall selection has a chance to blow up in your face.
Still, when given a shot near the top, Ottawa has done pretty well, especially in this millennium. For your offseason enjoyment, here’s our ranking of the nine times the Senators have picked in the top five overall.
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The current captain and emotional engine of the team, Tkachuk has become exactly the type of player Ottawa had hoped for. With 404 points in 512 games and a wrecking-ball style of play, he’s both productive and endlessly entertaining. He’s also the kind of player you win with, on and off the ice. As a rabid consumer of hockey talk, I also have to inform you that it is now apparently against the law to describe Tkachuk's excellence without mentioning that he "drags his teammates into the fight."
Verdict: Already beloved at an Alfie level and still just entering his prime. A foundational piece.
Still just 23, Stützle is already one of the most electric young players in the NHL and arguably the best player from his draft class. Drafted out of Germany's DEL, he’s piled up 326 points in just 367 games, and earlier this month, he was named NHL.com’s top forward under 25. The fact that Ottawa landed him third overall after Alexis Lafrenière and Quinton Byfield is starting to look like a franchise-altering stroke of luck.
Verdict: A superstar in the making.
Drafted just two picks after Stützle in Ottawa’s legendary 2020 first round, Sanderson has quickly blossomed into one of the league’s most complete young defensemen. His 57-point breakout in 2024-25 shows the offense is coming to match his elite two-way game. The future Norris chatter is real.
Verdict: An elite defender who’s just scratching the surface.
Few players in Senators history were as skilled and productive as Spezza. He recorded 995 points in 1,248 NHL games, with the bulk of those coming during a dominant run in Ottawa. Spezza was a key part of the team's 2007 Stanley Cup Final appearance and briefly wore the "C" after Alfredsson’s departure. A Ring of Honour induction feels inevitable.
Verdict: An elite playmaker and one of the faces of the franchise’s golden era.
He didn’t rack up big numbers, but Phillips was a steady, loyal presence on the Ottawa blue line for nearly two decades. His 1,179 games remain a franchise record, and his number 4 now hangs from the rafters at Canadian Tire Centre. He wasn't a superstar per se, but his consistency and leadership, while going wire to wire as a Senator, are the biggest chapters in his tale of excellence.
Verdict: The ultimate stay-at-home defender and a Sens icon.
Yashin was Ottawa’s first real star, still the only Senator nominated for the Hart Trophy. He had elite offensive talent, racking up 781 points in 850 games, but his Ottawa legacy is, well, complicated. Contract disputes and holdouts marred his tenure here, and he was eventually traded to the Islanders in a deal that brought back Zdeno Chara and the draft pick used to select Spezza.
It was a deal the Sens won handily, but ironically, both Chara and Spezza, just like Yashin, wanted out of Ottawa by the end. All part of the previous ownership's legacy that someone will probably write a book about someday.
Verdict: Great talent, but an even better trade return.
A solid NHLer who carved out a long, respectable career, Bonk was a dependable two-way center for much of his time in Ottawa. But because of his early draft selection and the way he'd ripped up the IHL, expectations were mile high. He even added 208 IHL penalty minutes in his draft year while playing against men. Bonk had four straight years of 50-70 points in the early 2000s
Verdict: A steady contributor. Just not quite as impactful as the Sens were hoping for.
Berard never played a game for the Senators. After refusing to return to junior, he was dealt in a trade to the New York Islanders that brought back Wade Redden, who went on to have a great career in Ottawa. Berard had flashes of brilliance, but his career was stunted by a devastating eye injury.
Verdict: The Redden trade made it worthwhile.
Daigle came into the league with sky-high expectations but could never translate his junior dominance to the pros. He still had a good pro career, and it should always be remembered that he didn't pick himself first overall or create the 'generational' player hype.
That said, he didn't help himself by declaring to the media that no one ever remembers who comes second in the draft. That would be Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, who might have come in handy in Ottawa for the two decades that followed.
Verdict: An unfortunate miss but 100 percent of GMs, scouts, media, and fans would have taken Daigle. He was everybody's number one that year.
The Senators' track record in the top five of the draft has generally been pretty solid. And if they win a Stanley Cup this decade, the home runs they hit with their early picks in 2018 and 2020 will be a huge reason why.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
This article orginally appeared at The Hockey News Ottawa, where you'll find all the latest Senators news:
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Despite the prolonged dissatisfaction with the state of the goaltending, the Philadelphia Flyers have positioned incumbent starter Sam Ersson for success in the 2025-26 season.
Ersson, 25, was undone by a lack of experience, preparation, and help when the Flyers fell flat on their faces late in the 2023-24 season.
The departure of Carter Hart left the Flyers with Ersson, Cal Petersen, Felix Sandstrom, and, later on, Ivan Fedotov, as their only options.
Ultimately, in his first full season in the NHL, Ersson played 51 games, going 23-19-7 with a 2.82 GAA, a .890 save percentage, and four shutouts.
Last season, the situation remained the same, with Fedotov and rookie Aleksei Kolosov filling in behind Ersson at different points.
The latter struggled with injuries, and, as they say, the best ability is availability.
Ersson finished the season with a 22-17-5 record, a 3.14 GAA, a .883 save percentage, two shutouts, and a lot less believers than he started the season with.
The Swede may never be a full-time starter or No. 1 goalie at the NHL level, and that's okay. But to believe that Ersson is one of the NHL's worst goalies is laughable.
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Ersson played his best hockey in 2023-24 when Hart was still around, even if he was beginning to earn more starts with Hart not playing up to standard.
Through Jan. 20, 2024, Hart's last game with the Flyers, Ersson was 12-5-3 with a 2.28 GAA, a .911 save percentage, and three shutouts, according to StatMuse.
Ersson had played 21 games up to that point, while Hart had played 26.
Comparatively, Hart was statistically lagging, going 12-9-3 to the tune of a 2.80 GAA, a .906 save percentage, and only one shutout.
It makes little sense that, after a season in which Ersson was again left stranded with no capable understudies and below-average offense, Flyers fans are taking to social media clamoring for the return of Hart, who hasn't played a competitive game in 18 months.
The Flyers already have a goalie who went a year without playing, and his name is Ivan Fedotov. How's that working out so far?
And, that's not to blame Fedotov, but it's a year lost of training, preparing, and improving. That's the reality.
This summer, the Flyers went out and added goalie Dan Vladar, who is poised to start north of 30 games for the first time in his NHL career at the age of 27 (soon to be 28).
So, not only do the Flyers not have room for Hart, but they've also done what they believe is needed to set Ersson up for success.
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The Flyers signed a goalie in Vladar who they feel can lighten the burden on Ersson and allow him to stay fresh and healthy throughout the course of a full season.
Whether this goaltending arrangement is a 50-50 split or a 60-40 split in favor of Ersson remains to be seen, but the Flyers have shown time and time again that they're committed to the 2018 fifth-round pick.
That can change quickly if Ersson comes up short again this season, but there's less reason than ever before to believe the 25-year-old can't return to form for the Orange and Black.
The Nashville Predators have big expectations for newly acquired defenseman Nicolas Hague.
Picked up in a three-player trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on June 29, sending Jeremy Lauzon and center Colton Sissons to Vegas, while retaining 50% of Sissons' salary.
Hague was signed to a 4-year, $22 million contract, showing the Predators really want to invest in the 6-foot-6-inch defenseman. In addition, general manager Barry Trotz said that he wants Hague playing on the first pairing and the NHL projects that's where he'll be.
Statistically, Hague hasn't been a top-four defenseman in his professional career. In his six seasons in Vegas, he played on the bottom pairing and hasn't scored more than 17 points in a season.
During the 2024-25 campaign, he had 12 points in 68 games and had a plus/minus of -2, which was the lowest among the Golden Knights' defensemen.
While the Predators aim to become bigger and younger, they need to improve their scoring in all areas of the ice. Even Trotz said that wingers and defensemen will need to step up in order to fill the lack of depth at center.
Despite playing in a very offensively active defense system last season, Hague really wasn't scoring.
On the other hand, his projected defensive partner has been that offensive push from the blue line throughout his entire career. Roman Josi has averaged around 52 points over 14 seasons and a plus/minus of four.
Even last season, which was one of the worst in franchise history and saw Josi miss the latter end of the year due to a POTS diagnosis, he still scored 38 points in 53 games. Josi is expected to return in time for training camp and be a leading force in upping the offense from the defenseman.
So, how is Hague, a player who has not proven to be an offensive threat from the blue line, going to complement Josi, the Predators' biggest scoring threat from the top of the circles?
Josi started the season playing with Brady Skeji, but moved around with partners throughout the season, not really settling in one place. A significant part of that was due to injuries, which prevented any defensive pairings from really solidifying.
Part of this could be spreading out the scoring in the lineup, putting Josi and Skeji on different lines to activate the scoring depth instead of relying too heavily on the first pairing.
Having Hague paired with Josi could open up the ice more for Josi. With Hague being a bigger body and a more traditional defenseman, having a more physical player paired with him could allow Josi to eclipse 60 points for the first time since the 2023-24 season.
On the flip side, this could also crash and burn quickly.
It may be a "two to tango" situation where Josi needs that similar push from the other side of the ice and Hague can't meet it. This is the first time in his career that Hague has been tasked with a top-four role.
He does have experience playing for good teams and winning the Stanley Cup in 2023, but if Hague is called upon to score, it may not be there immediately.
Predator fans need to be aware of what they're getting with Hague. Trotz likes these big and physical players, but most of the time they don't meet the team's need to score. Hague hasn't been an offensive threat since playing in juniors almost a decade ago.
If Nashville expects Hague to meet Josi's pace come Oct. 9, statically, it'll likely not be there.
Former Seattle Kraken and Coachella Valley Firebirds defenseman Maxime Lajoie has signed with KHL team Avangard Omsk.
The 27-year-old spent just one season with the Kraken organization, skating in 70 games with the Firebirds, scoring four goals and 38 points. Prior to joining the Kraken, Lajoie was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round (133rd overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Lajoie went on to play 62 NHL games with the Senators before spending the next three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. He then signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs before joining the Kraken.
He played 77 career NHL games, notching seven goals and 16 points. In his eight seasons, he played 378 AHL games, scoring 34 goals and 194 points.
Lajoie will be joining an Omsk team that features several NHL prospects, including Colorado Avalanche's Mikhail Gulyayev, Nashville Predators' Semyon Chistyakov, Pittsburgh Penguins' Vasili Ponomaryov and Winnipeg Jets' Dmitri Rashevsky. The team also features former NHLers Nail Yakupov, Vyacheslav Voynov, Alexander Volkov, and Nikolai Prokhorin. Lajoie will also play under coach Guy Boucher, whom he previously played for in Ottawa and Toronto.
“Many teams have wanted to sign Maxim for several seasons, and we’re glad that he’s chosen Avangard,” said Omsk GM Alexei Sopin. “He is a versatile defenseman with excellent skating and a great shot, he’s mobile, and works equally well defensively and offensively. He also successfully connects partners and makes reliable decisions. We believe that Maxim will help achieve the serious goals set for Avangard.”
Former Sen, Cane, Leaf Signs In KHLCanadian
defenseman Maxime Lajoie, 27, has signed a one-year contract with
Avangard
Omsk, the KHL club announced on Tuesday.
Two-Time Former Kraken Forward Signs With KHL TeamFormer Seattle Kraken forward Daniel Sprong has signed a contract with KHL club CSKA Moscow.