The Chicago Blackhawks have made a few additions this off-season in what has been a pretty quiet summer for them. One of their moves was bringing back old friend Sam Lafferty, as they acquired him from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick back in July. This marked the third time that the Blackhawks have traded for Lafferty. 

Lafferty is coming off a tough 2024-25 season with the Buffalo Sabres, as he had just four goals, three assists, and a minus-15 rating in 60 games. Overall, the 2014 fourth-round pick simply struggled to find his fit with the Sabres, so it was not particularly surprising to see Buffalo trade him this off-season.

While Lafferty had a rough year with the Sabres in 2024-25, he still has the potential to be a solid addition to the Blackhawks' roster. He played some of the best hockey of his career during his first stint with the Blackhawks and cemented himself as an NHL player in the process. He had his most success in Chicago during the 2022-23 season, as he recorded 10 goals and 21 points in 51 games before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2023 NHL trade deadline. 

This was not the only solid season Lafferty has put together during his NHL career, though. Just back during the 2023-24 season with the Vancouver Canucks, the gritty forward scored a career-high 13 goals and recorded 24 points and 191 hits in 79 games. If he can get his offense back to these levels for the Blackhawks while maintaining his heavy style of play, he will end up being a very solid addition to the Blackhawks' bottom six.

Nevertheless, it is going to be very interesting to see what kind of season Lafferty can put together for the Blackhawks in 2025-26. Bringing him back was a low-risk move for Chicago.

Blackhawks Still Have Important Move To MakeThe Chicago Blackhawks have not had as busy of an off-season as they did last summer, but they still have made some moves. They improved their overall depth, as they brought in players like Andre Burakovsky, Sam Lafferty, and Dominic Toninato. They also made a significant move when they signed Ryan Donato to a four-year, $16 million contract extension back in June. 

Since being traded by the St. Louis Blues to the Montreal Canadiens, Zachary Bolduc has been looking forward to playing for the team he cheered for as a kid. He’s been to Brossard to check out the CN Sports Complex and has spoken to his new coach a couple times. La Presse’s Simon Olivier Lorange caught up with Bolduc and new Habs signing Samuel Blais at the first edition of the QMJHL Foundation tournament in Terrebonne.

According to Lorange, he jokingly asked Bolduc if he was ready to kill penalties and the forward replied that when training camp comes around, he’ll be ready for any kind of opportunity. The youngster was dead serious even though he’s only played a grand total of 21 seconds on the PK in his young career.

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The forward acquired in return for Logan Mailloux added that he wants to help the Canadiens in any way possible, be it at even strength, on the power play or even when down a man. While he’s never had the opportunity to be a penalty killer, he told Lorange that he’s smart and sees the game well, playing on the PK is something he would like to had to his toolbox.

The 22-year-old has a single season of experience in the big league, but he is seen as a player who has a legitimate chance at a top-six spot. In 72 games, he racked up 36 points, 12 of which came on the power play. It will be interesting to see who Martin St. Louis elects to use with the man advantage now that Bolduc, Ivan Demidov and Noah Dobson can make reasonable first-unit cases.

Last season, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson and Patrik Laine all joined forces on the top unit, but now that there have been significant new additions to the lineup, who should be on the first line unit and who should lose their spot? That’s going to be an interesting story to follow when training camp rolls around.

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For the past two decades, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been lucky enough to ice a living NHL legend in Sidney Crosby, who already has a one-way ticket to the Hall of Fame.

But - as has been the case for those two decades - another living NHL legend has been thriving in Crosby's shadow, and his GM made quite the statement on Tuesday.

On Tuesday's episode of the Cam & Strick Podcast, Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas - who was brought onboard with the Penguins during the summer of 2023 - used some of his airwaves to throw praise at veteran forward Evgeni Malkin, who is entering the final season of his current four-year contract at age 39.

And Dubas made quite the statement.

"He's probably the most underrated player, maybe, to ever play," Dubas said. "I think [it's] just because of the fact that he has always kind of been a little bit in the shadow of Sid, but - at his best - one of, if not the best, player in the league. He's won everything you can win, and he's way more competitive even at his age than I think most people would ever give him credit for, especially in those games when he gets a little heated... you see that kind of vintage form."

Malkin has helped Pittsburgh to three Stanley Cup Championships (2009, 2016, 2017) and has registered 514 goals and 1,346 points in 1,213 career games played. He won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 2006-07, is a two-time Art Ross Trophy winner for the league scoring title (2009, 2012), and took home both the Ted Lindsay Award and the Hart Trophy for the 2011-12 season, when he put up 50 goals and 109 points. 

Where Does Evgeni Malkin Sit In All-Time Russian-Born NHL Ranks?On Jul. 31, Pittsburgh Penguins' veteran forward Evgeni Malkin turned the ripe age of 39.

He was infamously omitted from the NHL's Top-100 players list in 2017, and he generally has not received the league-wide recognition that he has deserved throughout his career.

And even though he all-time great Russian forward may not be what he once was, but Dubas believes there's still a lot left in the tank.

"He just turned 39 a week ago, but he's still capable of some very special moments and still a very good player. He gets talked about the least - and he probably prefers it that way - but it's been special to be around him." 

Dubas said prior to free agency that the Penguins plan to revisit Malkin's contract situation - and plans for the 2026-26 season - around the Olympic break in February.

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Red Hot Wings - December 7, 2001 - Vol. 55, Issue 14 - Mike Brophy

You could say the Calgary Flames are the story of the first quarter of the season and nobody would bat an eye.

The Flames, who have been inspired by Jarome Iginla’s scoring heroics and goalie Roman Turek’s nightly clinics, are challenging for top spot in the Western Conference and would easily be the biggest news of the first quarter, if not for…

The Chicago Blackhawks. They sign a No. 4 defenseman (Jon Klemm), an over-the-hill winger (Steve Thomas), one of last year’s big busts (Igor Korolev) and a coach who spent last winter at home on the farm (Brian Sutter). But all the moves have paid dividends. Going undefeated in their first 11 home games surely would make them the hot topic of the first quarter, except for…

The New York Islanders. GM Mike Milbury pulled the team out of the abyss he helped create by bringing in veterans Alexei Yashin, Michael Peca, Chris Osgood and Adrian Aucoin. A franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since Wayne Gretzky captured his last scoring title is thriving again…finally.

And yet, even the Islanders aren’t the story of the first quarter.

No, the real story is the Detroit Red Wings. In the last 12 years, the Wings have won eight division titles and finished second four times. In two of the years they finished second, they won the Stanley Cup.

But Detroit is coming off a disappointing 2000-01 campaign. After winning the Central Division last season, the Wings were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the upstart Los Angeles Kings. So what did the aging team do? Dump their veterans in favor of a youth movement? Uh, no. Rather, they imported three oldies-but-goodies in 36-year-old netminder Dominik Hasek and veteran snipers Brett Hull, 37, and Luc Robitaille, 35.

But that’s not all. Dissatisfied with their production while playing 5-on-5, the Red Wings have loosened the reins on their left wingers, who had been confined to a defensive role even when they were in the offensive zone. The result? Through the first quarter, Detroit ranked first in scoring, averaging 3.52 goals per game, and at 19-3-0-1 was on pace to set NHL single-season records for wins and points. The Wings already hold the mark for victories (62 in 1995-96), while the Montreal Canadiens amassed the highest number of points-132-in 1976-77.

The Red Wings’ goals-against average (2.28) was in the top 10 in the league. When you score as often as they do-and when you have Hasek in net-the wins pile up quickly. It also helps that Detroit is willing to open up its defensive strategy.

“We still do it at times,” said left winger Brendan Shanahan of the left-wing lock,”but we used to do it all the time, in all three zones. We still play a disciplined system, but it’s not always down to the left winger to be responsible defensively.

Now if you get the step on a guy, you go. You can be active in the offensive zone instead of always being back on your heels.”

There’s no denying the Red Wings have the horses.

Captain Steve Yzerman remains one of the best two-way forces in the league; Nicklas Lidstrom is on track for a second straight Norris Trophy; Sergei Fedorov is a dominant offensive threat again; Shanahan is challenging for the league lead in goals; and Chris Chelios is rejuvenated and injury-free. Twelve different Red Wings scored a game-winning goal in the first quarter. No other team could come close to that claim.

If Hasek hasn’t been Superman this year, it’s only because he hasn’t had to be.

“I have friends in the league who tell me that they can’t believe how much talent we have,” said Wings’ left winger Kirk Maltby. “All I know is, the expectations are very high in our dressing room. The expectations of management are high. Same with the fans.”

Not to mention Scotty Bowman. He’d love nothing more than to add a ninth Stanley Cup ring-as a head coach-to his collection, which would break the record he shares with legendary Montreal bench boss Toe Blake. Bowman knows he’s close, but he’s a realist.

“It’s early,” said Bowman, who points to a tough stretch in the second half of Detroit’s schedule in which the Wings play 21 of their final 34 games on the road.

“We’ve played very well, but I’m not sure our defense is as strong as it needs to be. We had a good young defenseman (Jesse Wallin) who had a good camp, but he had abdominal surgery and hasn’t played. I think we need to add to our blueline.”

Other teams, with far greater problems, can only shake their collective heads in wonder.

“Everyone keeps saying they’re old and that the wheels will fall off,” said one team’s pro scout, who has watched the Wings play.

“But they’re getting better. They have flow and the support they give each other is getting better. I don’t know who’s going to come along and beat them. They are so smart, so composed and so responsible in their own end.

And they work hard every game.” OK, so maybe everybody isn’t talking about the Red Wings. Maybe they’re not as sexy a story as the Flames, Hawks or Isles. Shanahan doesn’t care.

“A history has been established here,” Shanahan said. “There is a certain level of play that is expected. It doesn’t guarantee wins, but it’s a pretty good recipe for wins.” ■

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager and president Kyle Dubas repeatedly stated how much he wanted to revamp the left side of the defense heading into free agency. 

He wasn’t lying when he said that and added multiple players when free agency opened, including Alexander Alexeyev, Caleb Jones, and Parker Wotherspoon. Wotherspoon has the best chance of being an every-night player out of those three free-agent signings, and it's due to the season he had last year. He scored his first NHL goal and compiled six assists for seven points in 55 games. It’s the most games he has played in a season since breaking into the league in 2022. The New York Islanders originally picked him in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft. 

Besides a little bit of offense, Wotherspoon has demonstrated his ability to shut down opponents in the defensive zone and on the penalty kill. His combined 155:20 on the PK over the last two seasons attests to his defensive acumen, and he is eager to bring this momentum to his first season with the Penguins. 

“Obviously, was building pretty good last year. It was kinda a tough season. Obviously, we didn’t make the playoffs or where we wanted to be, but with the extra playing time, I felt like I was growing every game, playing more and more, especially when I got the bigger roles with the PK (penalty kill) and stuff,” Wotherspoon said to Penguins team reporter Michelle Crechiolo on Monday.

73 of those 155 combined PK minutes over the last two seasons were last season, and the PK is an area where the Penguins want to be better for the 2025-26 season. They finished last season with a 77.8% PK rate, good for 18th in the league. It was a step down from the 2023-24 season when the Penguins finished with the No. 11 PK in the league. 

Mike Vellucci was running the show on the PK for the last few seasons before taking an assistant coaching gig with the Chicago Blackhawks. It came about a month after the Penguins parted ways with former head coach Mike Sullivan after 10 seasons. There’s now a new coaching staff in place, led by Dan Muse, and one of their tasks will be to bring fresh and innovative ideas to the PK to improve it. 

Wotherspoon also brings a physical element to his game and isn’t afraid to stand up for his teammates. He’ll lay the boom and also step in if another player tries to take a run at someone. A fair amount of Penguins fans haven’t been happy with how “soft” the team has looked, and Wotherspoon will undoubtedly try to help change that.

In a perfect world, he’s a third-pairing defenseman on a Stanley Cup contender, but that is not this Penguins team. They're a team in transition, and due to that, there’s a good chance he will find himself playing top-four minutes with Kris Letang or Erik Karlsson (if he doesn’t get traded) this year. The Penguins are trying to return to contention as urgently as possible but want to do it right.

He might be a good fit for either Letang or Karlsson since he's responsible in his own end and can cover if one of them makes a mistake. Wotherspoon ranked in the 86th percentile for 5v5 defense last season and was an overall analytics darling. 

Both Letang and Karlsson love pushing the play and driving offense, but they need someone to do some of the defensive work in the Penguins’ zone. Brian Dumoulin was that player for the Penguins on the left side with Letang when he was in his prime before his game went downhill. He left the Penguins following the 2022-23 season and is about to be on his fourth team in the last three seasons. 

Former Penguins Defenseman Announces Retirement From NHLFormer Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel has announced his retirement from the NHL.

The Penguins thought they were getting Dumoulin’s replacement in Ryan Graves when they signed him in 2023, but it hasn’t worked out the way they envisioned. He’s endured two brutal seasons but will still be competing for a spot in the everyday lineup this upcoming season. 

Wotherspoon won’t be trying to replace Dumoulin per se, but he will try to give the Penguins some hard-fought minutes during the next two seasons. If he can bring even a little bit of stability to part of the left side of the Penguins’ defense, it will be considered a win after how rough it was the previous two years. 

There’s more work to be done for the Penguins' defensive core as a whole, but Wotherspoon is ready to hit the ground running. Fortunately for him, he won’t have to wait too much longer since training camp is coming up in a little over a month. Wotherspoon will then make his Penguins’ regular-season debut on October 7 against the New York Rangers. 

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Featured Image Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Everything has to be put into perspective, especially when it comes to the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Through the majority of the 2010s, the Hurricanes were a losing franchise as the playoffs were just a pipe dream. Carolina missed the postseason from 2010 to 2018. 

However, after the head coaching hire of Rod Brind'Amour in 2018, everything changed for the Hurricanes. 

Since Brind'Amour took over, the Hurricanes have made the playoffs every season and are now perennial Stanley Cup contenders. 

However, the expectations have risen from what they once were, and after multiple playoff losses, the pressure is very much prevalent. 

Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky still feels, despite it all, that his team remains in a good position.

Andrei Svechnikov Details Heartbreaking Playoff Loss And Gives Opinions About Hurricanes' Offseason Moves The Carolina Hurricanes failed to face their demons in the 2025 NHL Playoffs as they lost to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. 

"We have raised the bar year after year after year, and it is a really good thing to be in a place where being one of the final four teams can be viewed as a disappointment," said Tulsky. "Obviously, I'd rather get past that, but I'd much rather be here than in a place where it's viewed as exciting if we make the playoffs and go out in round one."

Now, with the additions of Nikolaj Ehlers and K’Andre Miller, expectations have risen to even higher heights.

According to multiple reports, the months-long legal battle between forward Ryan Johansen and the Philadelphia Flyers is now over.

On Tuesday, it was initially reported by NHL insider Darren Dreger that an arbitrator had ruled in favor of the Flyers in the grievance filed by Johansen in Aug. 2024.

Previously, on Aug. 20, 2024, the Flyers had terminated Johansen's contract, which had one year remaining at a $4 million cap hit, citing a "material breach."

Johansen, 33, played in all 63 regular season games for the Colorado Avalanche last season, scoring 13 goals, 10 assists, and 23 points before being dealt to the Flyers in the Sean Walker trade ahead of the NHL trade deadline on March 6, 2024.

Johansen had played against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 4, just two days prior.

However, the 6-foot-3 forward presented with an injury upon arriving in Philadelphia, which prevented him from being assigned by the Flyers to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, as per league rules.

Sources say an arbitrator has ruled in favour of the Philadelphia Flyers in a grievance filed by the NHLPA following the termination of Ryan Johansen’s contract in August, 2024. The Flyers cited a “material breach” as grounds for termination.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) August 12, 2025

Johansen's injury was a surprise to the Flyers, and the player insisted he wasn't able to perform and fulfill his duties on the ice.

On Aug. 20, 2024, in response to the Flyers terminating Johansen's contract the same day, agent Kurt Overhardt issued a statement on his client's behalf, claiming that Johansen had suffered "a severe hockey injury that requires extensive surgery, which has been scheduled."

Whatever transpired since then clearly did not work in the veteran forward's favor, as evidenced by the latest reports.

One Flyers Prospect Nobody Is Talking About Ahead of 2025-26 SeasonThe Philadelphia Flyers have quite a few roster spots ready to be filled by up-and-coming prospects next season, but there's one prospect who should be talked about much more.

With the saga apparently ending with a Flyers victory, don't expect any cap charges to be lodged against Philadelphia in the 2025-26 season or beyond.

The Minnesota Wild announced on Monday the signing of defenseman Jack Johnson to a professional try out (PTO).

Johnson, 38, has played 19 seasons in the NHL and if he signs a contract with the Wild it will be his 20th season.

The 6-foot-1 defenseman brings loads of experience and has won the Stanley Cup before. He is a left-shot defender as well.

Minnesota traded left-shot defender Declan Chisholm to the Washington Capitals at the NHL Draft and let Jon Merrill leave for free agency.

Zeev Buium is expected to replace one of them and be an NHL regular this year. We also know that Jonas Brodin had off-season surgery and could miss the start of the season. 

In the AHL they have, Carson Lambos, Stevie Leskovar, Matt Kiersted, Ben Gleason and Jack Peart under contract as left-shot defenders.

Lambos, 22, was drafted in the first round of the 2021 draft and has been in the AHL the last two seasons. He recorded five goals and 19 points in 68 games for the Iowa Wild last year and was even called up to the Wild during the regular season.

He did not debut but is considered almost ready to be an NHLer. Wild General Manager Bill Guerin said they need some of their younger guys to step up and make impacts this season and Lambos is one of those guys.

No spot is guaranteed.

On the right-side, the Wild have Jared Spurgeon, Brock Faber, Zach Bogosian and David Jiricek. One of either Bogosian or Jiricek could play their off-sides to start the season but the Wild elected not to do that during the regular season when they had injuries.

Guerin has always talked about healthy competition and younger guys pushing for spots that older guys have. Johnson is 16 years older than Lambos and has played in 1,228 NHL games in his career.

The Wild also signed Kiersted who has played in 39 career NHL games over the last four seasons.

So, there will be some competition during training camp and there is nothing wrong with that. If Johnson is good and fits well with the Wild, then they can sign him to a contract. If not, there is no harm with the PTO.

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