The Buffalo Sabres should be in the market for an impact top-six forward after dealing winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Michael Kesselring and winger Josh Doan, but the opening weeks of free agency did not provide GM Kevyn Adams with an opportunity to replace Peterka’s production, and with the two-year deal signed earlier this month with defenseman Bowen Byram, Adams will have to try to acquire a scoring forward with younger players, prospects, and/or draft picks. 

Evan Rodrigues is a player who could be on the move, not because of his value to the Florida Panthers, but because they may not be able to be able to get under the salary cap after re-signing center Sam Bennett, winger Brad Marchand, and defenseman Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers are currently nearly $4 million over the cap, but the health status of Matthew Tkachuk to start the season may give GM Bill Zito a bit of a reprieve. 

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The Toronto native was a teammate of Jack Eichel at Boston University when he signed with the Sabres as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He had limited success in Buffalo over four seasons before being traded by GM Jason Botterill to Pittsburgh just before the COVID shutdown. With the Penguins, Colorado, and in two years with Florida, the 32-year-old has averaged over 15 goals a season, and was a key performer for the Panthers in consecutive Cup victories.  

What Would It Cost?

With Zito’s cap issues and the fact that Florida is light on draft capital the next two seasons, the Panthers could be looking for a high draft pick or a prospect on their entry-level deal who could play in the AHL and come up at some point over the next year or two. A youngster like Josh Doan or Noah Ostlund would fit that criteria. 

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There were few members of the Detroit Red Wings who were more disappointed in missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth consecutive season than team captain Dylan Larkin.

After all, Larkin is the only player on the current roster who was a member of Detroit's most recent playoff team. That took place in the 2015-16 campaign, his rookie season. 

Since then, the Red Wings embarked on a difficult rebuilding process which included the trying 2019-20 season in which they posted the NHL's worst record since the 1999-2000 expansion Atlanta Thrashers. 

Since then, the Red Wings have made progress under the tutelage of beloved former captain Steve Yzerman, now serving as the club's general manager. Although they came within a point of securing a playoff spot in 2024, ultimately losing out thanks to a tie-breaker, the 2024–25 season was the first time in the last five years that they failed to improve their point total from the previous campaign. 

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Larkin celebrates his 29th birthday today, and there's nothing that he wants more than to have his first postseason hockey experience by the time he celebrates his 30th birthday one year from now.

 

IT'S OUR CAPTAINS BIRTHDAY 🥳 pic.twitter.com/xDItcJ3FWo

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 30, 2025

71 days from 71's birthday 🤯

See you October 9th! pic.twitter.com/PEn8re3cT1

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 30, 2025

"It’s been difficult," Larkin said on Detroit's locker room clean-out day in late April. "I think about it every day for a long time during days, just bounce back and forth. But that doesn’t do you any good; you have to go out and win hockey games, and we came up about four or five wins short this year."

The month of March has been a difficult one for the Red Wings in the last three seasons, during each of which the team endured a prolonged losing skid that ultimately doomed their postseason chances. 

"It’s frustrating to go through it again and sit here outside the playoffs," Larkin said. "March was definitely not a good month for us and defined our season, unfortunately." 

Larkin has been nothing short of a good soldier for the Red Wings, having continued to proudly don the Winged Wheel and the captain's "C" on his jersey during some of the more challenging seasons for Detroit in recent memory. 

Not only does he want the thrill of playoff hockey action at Little Caesars Arena for what would be the first time in the venue's history, but for the Red Wings to take their place back in the upper echelons of the NHL and become yearly contenders for the Stanley Cup. 

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Spencer Gill is one Philadelphia Flyers prospect who doesn't draw nearly as much fanfare as he should, and that's not his fault.

Gill, 18, is not one to play a flashy game. The 6-foot-4 defenseman is quietly developing into one of the Flyers' best prospects in real time, even if he'll never be the type of player that puts up crazy numbers of points like Quinn Hughes or Cale Makar.

Instead, the 2024 second-round pick has been rounding out his defensive game and overall two-way game, which bodes well for his NHL future.

See, Gill, when he was drafted, was considered more of a project pick due to his large but wiry frame (only 180 pounds) and evident offensive talents. The then-Rimouski Oceanic blueliner was best regarded for his puck skills, mobility, and willingness to activate in the play, but not so much for his defense.

A little unusual for a guy that big, isn't it?

But, when I saw Gill play during rookie camp and training camp last year, he was physical, unrelenting, petulant defensively, and efficient using his stick to disrupt plays.

If and when Gill can tap into and hone his physicality and defensive play, he's a surefire top-four defenseman at the NHL level for the Flyers. And if he can bring 30 to 40 points to the table offensively, maybe a complementary top-pair player as well.

Why Flyers' Porter Martone Chose Michigan State, NCAATop Philadelphia Flyers prospect Porter Martone has been praised a ton for his move to the NCAA with Michigan State University, but nobody fully knew why he made that decision. Until now.

Some were surprised when I ranked Gill ahead of Oliver Bonk, the Flyers' second 2023 first-round pick after Matvei Michkov, in my end-of-season Flyers prospect rankings.

For me, the rationale is simple: I feel Gill is better suited for the role the two defenders will play at the NHL level than Bonk. And that's not to say Bonk won't excel, because he has his own unique skillset.

But, part of Bonk's skillset will, presumably, be erased when he no longer plays the bumper position on the power play.

That's a big reason as to why the 20-year-old went from 24 goals 67 points in 60 games last year to 11 goals and 40 points in 52 games this year.

It remains to be seen if the Flyers or Lehigh Valley Phantoms allow Bonk to reprise that role, but if not, he's likely to be a second- or third-pairing defenseman with some offensive upside and the potential to fill in higher in the lineup if and when needed.

Gill, on the other hand, is bigger, more athletic, and has produced at roughly the same level despite not having a featured power play role on one of the best teams in the entire CHL.

Flyers' Nikita Grebenkin Receives Mystery Advice from Alexander Ovechkin Ahead of NHL PushNikita 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.

Now, the 18-year-old will head into what will be his last season in the QMJHL with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, the team to which he was only recently traded to, playing alongside top 2025 draft picks Bill Zonnon, Justin Carbonneau, and Arseni Radkov.

And, after suffering a broken ankle last season, Gill is beginning to create some momentum for himself leading into the new season.

In the Canada Red vs. Canada White intra-squad scrimmage at the World Junior Summer Showcase, Gill scored a nice long-range goal, taking a D-to-D pass, walking the line neatly, and firing a screened shot into the top right corner from the point.

Manipulating shooting lanes and getting shots in through them are skills that will translate to the NHL level, especially with how the Flyers have liked to play in recent years.

Spencer Gill is a way better prospect than you think, and soon, you'll be hearing his name from the Flyers as a candidate to make the NHL roster.

Once upon a time, the Chicago Blackhawks employed goaltender Kevin Lankinen. During those years, Chicago was trying to avoid a rebuild, so the patience to let him develop wasn’t where it needed to be. 

After a couple of years with the Nashville Predators, Lankinen ended up with the Vancouver Canucks in 2024-25. Since landing there, things have been going great for him. 

Lankinen played in 51 games for the Canucks. The season started with their perceived number one, Thatcher Demko, on the shelf. Lankinen took over as the starter and played well. He went 25-15-10 with a 2.62 goals against average, .902 save percentage, and four shutouts. On a team loaded with off-ice drama, he played magnificently.

Demko came back and appeared in 23 games, but he wasn’t the high-end starter that he was used to being before his injury. In the process of it all, Lankinen was rewarded with a five-year $22.5 million contract. His average annual value is $4.5 million per year. 

Behind Lankinen (and Demko) on the depth chart used to be a great young goalie in Arturs Silovs, who has now been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Between this trade and his contract extension, Lankinen can focus on hockey without worrying about his security in the NHL. 

After the success that Demko and Lankinen have had at different points in their career, why would Silovs being there make them uneasy?

Well, he was incredible for the Abbotsford Canucks en route to winning the Calder Cup last spring. Silovs was the MVP of the Playoffs for his efforts. With him out of the mix, the two veteran netminders can go about their business as usual without worrying about losing their jobs. 

Although the goaltending in Chicago has been shaky since Lankinen departed, they now seem to have it under control with three young goalies who they believe in. Spencer Knight is the plan as the long-term starter, while Arvid Soderblom and Drew Commesso battle it out for the backup role.

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