Sabres Have Too Many Options for Their First Line Center
Even thinking about this idea, it can feel a bit outlandish, seeing as the Buffalo Sabres have struggled to find a true number-one center in recent years. Tage Thompson has…
Monthly Archives: July 2025
Oilers 2024-25 Report Cards: Brett Kulak
As the offseason rolls on, so do the Edmonton Oilers’ player grades. The last report card graded Darnell Nurse, and now we move on to another defenceman, Brett Kulak. Kulak…
Confidence in the Crease: A Look at Flames Top Goaltending Trio
Despite the offseason departure of Dan Vladar to the Philadelphia Flyers and a few lingering questions heading into training camp, the Calgary Flames appear confident in their goaltending situation for the 2025-26 season.
That confidence begins — and largely rests — with sophomore sensation Dustin Wolf.
Dustin Wolf: The Reign Begins
Coming off a stellar rookie season, Wolf is poised to take full control of the Flames’ crease.
The 24-year-old from Gilroy, California, delivered an eye-opening debut in 2024-25, going 29-16-8 with a 2.64 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage, and three shutouts. His 29 wins led all NHL rookies and came within one victory of tying Mike Vernon’s Flames franchise record for wins by a rookie netminder.
Wolf’s resume continues to grow at a rapid pace. He finished second in Calder Trophy voting, received consideration for both the Vezina and Hart trophies, and became the first Flames goalie ever named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.
But it’s not just the stats that set Wolf apart. He’s mentally unflappable — cool, calm, and fiercely committed to his craft. A two-time winner of the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Award as the AHL’s top goaltender and the 2023 AHL MVP, Wolf has already proven he thrives under pressure. With another step forward, don’t be surprised if his name enters the Vezina conversation this season.
Ivan Prosvetov: An X-Factor with Upside
Newly signed Ivan Prosvetov brings international experience and intriguing upside to the fold.
The 26-year-old netminder inked a one-year, $950,000 deal with Calgary on July 1 after a strong season with CSKA Moscow in the KHL, where he posted a 20-16-2 record, a 2.32 GAA, a .920 Sv%, and four shutouts.
Originally drafted 144th overall by Arizona in 2018, Prosvetov has bounced between the NHL and AHL, logging eight wins in 24 NHL appearances and most recently spending time in the Colorado Avalanche system.
He’s athletic, aggressive, and now entering his prime. If he can find consistency, Prosvetov could emerge as a reliable backup or even push for starts behind Wolf.
Devin Cooley: Steady, Ready, and Waiting
Devin Cooley (Los Gatos, CA) adds more California flair to the Flames’ crease and could quietly earn an opportunity to contribute this season.
With Vladar gone and Wolf entrenched as the starter, the 6-foot-5, 198-pound Cooley finds himself in position to compete for the backup role. He spent last season with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, appearing in 46 games and posting a 21-17-5 record, 2.94 GAA, .905 Sv%, and three shutouts. His performance earned him his first AHL All-Star selection.
Cooley also appeared in six NHL games for the San Jose Sharks in 2023-24, picking up two wins in limited action. While his NHL experience is brief, he brings poise and reliability, and he could step in capably if called upon.
Between the breakout potential of Wolf, the KHL-tested steadiness of Prosvetov, and the readiness of Cooley, there’s plenty to be optimistic about in Calgary’s crease this season.
© Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Kraken AHL Affiliate Re-Sign Veteran Defenseman
The Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Seattle Kraken's AHL affiliate, have re-signed veteran defenseman Gustav Olofsson to a two-year AHL contract.
The 30-year-old is returning for his fourth season with the franchise, previously skating in 122 games while notching five goals and 35 points.
“We are pleased to bring Gustav back on a two-year contract,” said Troy Bodie, Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Coachella Valley Firebirds. “Gustav is a hard-working player and a leader in our locker room. He has ingrained himself in the community, and we are happy to have him on our backend.”
The 30-year-old has been under contract with the Kraken since he was first brought into the organization, appearing in four NHL games. Now, he's on an AHL contract and would have to sign a two-way deal to play in the NHL.
The 6-foot-3, Swedish defenseman was once a second-round pick (46th overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild, but as his career has moved along, he's transitioned into a solid defenseman in the AHL rather than the NHL.
The 30-year-old has the leadership qualities that will help the young Kraken prospects develop throughout their farm system.
NHL Trade Rumors: Blackhawks Are Team To Watch
Now that we are in the middle of July, things have slowed down significantly in the NHL. This happens every summer, as most of this year's free agents have been signed. While this is the case, trades can start to pick up as teams look to finalize their rosters at this point of the off-season.
When observing potential teams who could make at least one more trade before the season starts, the Chicago Blackhawks certainly stand out. The Central Division club currently has over $22 million of cap space, so they are in a prime position to do some business.
When looking at the Blackhawks' roster, it is certainly fair to say that they could use another impactful forward. Bringing in a scoring winger to help Connor Bedard take that next step would be significant for the Original Six club. However, they could also consider simply improving their depth with some of the money they have available.
With the Blackhawks still building their team up, they are also in a position where they could acquire a player with a bad contract if it means landing a good draft pick or prospect in return for doing so. The Pittsburgh Penguins recently did this when they acquired a 2028 second-round pick from the Dallas Stars for taking on Matt Dumba's $3.75 million cap hit. Perhaps the Blackhawks could be the next team to do something like this.
Overall, with the Blackhawks having a lot of money available, they certainly should be watched this summer. It will be intriguing to see if they end up using their cap space to their advantage before the season begins from here.
Blackhawks Trading Young Forward Would Come With Big RiskChicago Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel has been the subject of trade rumors this off-season. It is not necessarily surprising, as the young forward has had trouble finding his fit with the Original Six club thus far.
Photo Credit: © Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Sabres Sign Top Pick Mrtka To Entry-Level Deal
The Buffalo Sabres were excited when Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman Radim Mrtka was available with the ninth overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft last month, and after seeing the 18-year-old Czech blueliner up close at the club’s development camp earlier this month, GM Kevyn Adams made quick work at getting the big blueliner signed to a three-year entry-level contract on Tuesday.
Mrtka offers an intriguing physical package at 6’6”, 218 lb. with excellent skating ability. After getting limited playing time in various levels in Czechia last season and playing for his country in the Under-18s, the big right hander came to North America to play in the WHL and posted 35 points (3 goals, 32 assists) in 43 games with the Thunderbirds.
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"Mrtka (offers a) very unique package to be able to move the way he does at 6'6", (is) almost more agile with the puck, if that's possible," Sabres Asst GM Jerry Forton said before the draft. "A smart player at both ends. I was over in Czechia early in the year when he wasn't getting a lot of playing time in the men's league over there to see what he was willing to do to move to North America. He comes from a background where he has very little in the way of resources for hockey or anything outside hockey. He uprooted, high character kid, a huge ceiling."
The Sabres will host the 2025 Prospects Challenge in September 11th to 15th and it is expected that Mrtka will be in attendance, but that will only serve as a preview of things to come, as the 18-year-old will likely return to Seattle for another WHL season to hone his skills, as well as being selected to play for Czechia in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships.
It’s official! ⚔️
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 15, 2025
We have signed defenseman Radim Mrtka to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Details → https://t.co/Avzj3JhQTSpic.twitter.com/IDRSd8wVdP
"With these young players, they take time. You don't want to rush them," Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said after the first round. Philosophically, I always feel like they'll tell us when they're ready, and then you make room. If that means right away, it's great. If it means a year, two years, three years, you just don't know, but there's a, there's a good player there and we project him as a top four right-shot defenseman whenever that time comes, we'll see."
Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo
Jets Re-Sign Bauer to 1-Year, 2-Way Contract
The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed defenseman Tyrel Bauer to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal is worth $775,000 in the NHL, $100,000 in the American Hockey League (AHL), and has…
Course Correction from $7M Cap Mistake the Right Play for Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers made a bold but necessary pivot this offseason, moving off of two mistakes they made last summer. First, they chose to trade Viktor Arvidsson to the Boston…
Leading An NHL Bench Isn't The Only Way To Cementing A Coaching Legacy
When Paul Maurice and Kris Knoblauch met in the Stanley Cup final for the second straight year, they did so at an incredibly volatile time for coaches in the NHL.
The pair probably had the safest jobs in the league – but only because neither one had missed a final during their current tenures. Pity Peter DeBoer then, as the Dallas Stars sent their former bench boss packing after he and his team fell in the conference final once again – oh, and after he’d buried his starting goaltender in the press right before he got the ax.
But it is wild how short the lifespan of an NHL coach has become.
Sure, you can be recycled to another franchise, but sticking in one place for more than a couple of years? That’s a rarity these days.
Consider this: the Panthers hired Maurice on June 22, 2022. The only peers who have been with their current NHL teams longer are Jon Cooper, Jared Bednar, Rod Brind’Amour, Martin St-Louis and Bruce Cassidy.
In fact, Cooper is the only coach in the NHL who’s been with his team for more than a decade, and given the success Tampa Bay has enjoyed recently, that’s understandable.
But what if, in an alternate dimension, the Lightning had fired Cooper after Tampa Bay was swept in the first round by Columbus back in 2019? Tampa had just won the Presidents’ Trophy, and the loss was one of the most shocking in NHL history. Even just six years later, it seems GMs have much itchier trigger fingers. Cooper, of course, retained his job and immediately helmed the Bolts to three straight Cup finals, winning two. So, ya know, patience is a virtue.
This was no ordinary Stanley Cup run, this was a Rat Race! 🐀
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) June 27, 2025
Introducing the brand new 2025 CHAMPIONS Issue @FlaPanthers
Now available at: https://t.co/smKk3NQdgQpic.twitter.com/xHu9pde38l
As I ponder the constantly spinning coaching carousel – there will be nine teams with new coaches to begin 2025-26 at this point – my thoughts drift closer to Jonathan Swift than Jonathan Toews.
Why would you want to be an NHL coach these days? Employment lifespan is right up there with Spinal Tap drummers and anyone in a red shirt on a Star Trek mission.
If and when you do get fired, it means moving to another city, buying or renting another place, perhaps selling your old place and uprooting your family. It’s the same thing NHL players go through when they’re traded or move via free agency, but it’s in a shorter time frame.
Want to have your mind blown? Former Oilers right winger Corey Perry has been famously nomadic in recent seasons, but only 12 NHL coaches have been in their current position before Perry signed in Edmonton on Jan. 22, 2024.
With that in mind, I think the hottest NHL coaching candidate out there has it right. That would be David Carle, who recently signed a contract extension with the University of Denver.
He has won two NCAA titles and two World Junior Championship gold medals (with Team USA) as a head coach, and with Carle only being 35, he still has decades to go in his career if he should so choose. Numerous NHL teams have kicked the tires on Carle, but he has been clear that because he has a young family in Denver and is already in a great spot with the NCAA’s Pioneers, the situation would have to be impossible to turn down. And I get it.
Sure, the NHL is at the top of the pyramid, but coaches can build incredible legacies elsewhere. Red Berenson will always be a legend at the University of Michigan thanks to his 33 years with the Wolverines, while Jack Parker and Jerry York had their own iconic runs at Boston University and Boston College. In the OHL, you had Brian Kilrea in Ottawa and now Dale Hunter in London. I ran into Berenson at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal, and it’s still fun to talk Michigan hockey with him, even though he’s not behind the bench anymore.
Carle could be that legend in the making. He’s clearly a gifted coach, and given how consistently good Denver is, you can probably telegraph at least a couple more national titles for the Pios in the coming years. So, what would you rather do: work a fulfilling job in the same place for 20 years or take a riskier – albeit more glamorous – one that may only last two or three seasons?
Coaches are just like players; they’re competitive. So, it makes sense they want that NHL job. But perhaps Carle will prove there’s another career path that is just as rewarding – with a more loyal employer.
This article, lightly edited for updates, appeared in our 2025 Champions Collector's Edition, where we commemorate the Florida Panthers' back-to-back Stanley Cups. Also, we feature the champs from leagues across the hockey world, count down the season's top 10 moments and look at breakout players to watch for 2025-26.
You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.
Leading An NHL Bench Isn't The Only Way To Cementing A Coaching Legacy
When Paul Maurice and Kris Knoblauch met in the Stanley Cup final for the second straight year, they did so at an incredibly volatile time for coaches in the NHL.
The pair probably had the safest jobs in the league – but only because neither one had missed a final during their current tenures. Pity Peter DeBoer then, as the Dallas Stars sent their former bench boss packing after he and his team fell in the conference final once again – oh, and after he’d buried his starting goaltender in the press right before he got the ax.
But it is wild how short the lifespan of an NHL coach has become.
Sure, you can be recycled to another franchise, but sticking in one place for more than a couple of years? That’s a rarity these days.
Consider this: the Panthers hired Maurice on June 22, 2022. The only peers who have been with their current NHL teams longer are Jon Cooper, Jared Bednar, Rod Brind’Amour, Martin St-Louis and Bruce Cassidy.
In fact, Cooper is the only coach in the NHL who’s been with his team for more than a decade, and given the success Tampa Bay has enjoyed recently, that’s understandable.
But what if, in an alternate dimension, the Lightning had fired Cooper after Tampa Bay was swept in the first round by Columbus back in 2019? Tampa had just won the Presidents’ Trophy, and the loss was one of the most shocking in NHL history. Even just six years later, it seems GMs have much itchier trigger fingers. Cooper, of course, retained his job and immediately helmed the Bolts to three straight Cup finals, winning two. So, ya know, patience is a virtue.
This was no ordinary Stanley Cup run, this was a Rat Race! 🐀
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) June 27, 2025
Introducing the brand new 2025 CHAMPIONS Issue @FlaPanthers
Now available at: https://t.co/smKk3NQdgQpic.twitter.com/xHu9pde38l
As I ponder the constantly spinning coaching carousel – there will be nine teams with new coaches to begin 2025-26 at this point – my thoughts drift closer to Jonathan Swift than Jonathan Toews.
Why would you want to be an NHL coach these days? Employment lifespan is right up there with Spinal Tap drummers and anyone in a red shirt on a Star Trek mission.
If and when you do get fired, it means moving to another city, buying or renting another place, perhaps selling your old place and uprooting your family. It’s the same thing NHL players go through when they’re traded or move via free agency, but it’s in a shorter time frame.
Want to have your mind blown? Former Oilers right winger Corey Perry has been famously nomadic in recent seasons, but only 12 NHL coaches have been in their current position before Perry signed in Edmonton on Jan. 22, 2024.
With that in mind, I think the hottest NHL coaching candidate out there has it right. That would be David Carle, who recently signed a contract extension with the University of Denver.
He has won two NCAA titles and two World Junior Championship gold medals (with Team USA) as a head coach, and with Carle only being 35, he still has decades to go in his career if he should so choose. Numerous NHL teams have kicked the tires on Carle, but he has been clear that because he has a young family in Denver and is already in a great spot with the NCAA’s Pioneers, the situation would have to be impossible to turn down. And I get it.
Sure, the NHL is at the top of the pyramid, but coaches can build incredible legacies elsewhere. Red Berenson will always be a legend at the University of Michigan thanks to his 33 years with the Wolverines, while Jack Parker and Jerry York had their own iconic runs at Boston University and Boston College. In the OHL, you had Brian Kilrea in Ottawa and now Dale Hunter in London. I ran into Berenson at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal, and it’s still fun to talk Michigan hockey with him, even though he’s not behind the bench anymore.
Carle could be that legend in the making. He’s clearly a gifted coach, and given how consistently good Denver is, you can probably telegraph at least a couple more national titles for the Pios in the coming years. So, what would you rather do: work a fulfilling job in the same place for 20 years or take a riskier – albeit more glamorous – one that may only last two or three seasons?
Coaches are just like players; they’re competitive. So, it makes sense they want that NHL job. But perhaps Carle will prove there’s another career path that is just as rewarding – with a more loyal employer.
This article, lightly edited for updates, appeared in our 2025 Champions Collector's Edition, where we commemorate the Florida Panthers' back-to-back Stanley Cups. Also, we feature the champs from leagues across the hockey world, count down the season's top 10 moments and look at breakout players to watch for 2025-26.
You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.