The Hockey News released the top 20 players for their Top 100 Players 21-And-Under list, and without much surprise, Chicago Blackhawks youngsters Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, and Artyom Levshunov all made the cut.
Bedard was given the No. 2 spot on this list, with San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini being the only player ranked ahead of him. Seeing Bedard make the top two is understandable, as the 20-year-old center is already a legitimate star in the NHL. He is also taking a massive step forward this season, as he has already recorded 14 goals and 33 points in 24 games.
Frondell was given the No. 13 spot on THN's list. The 2025 third-overall pick has all the tools to become an impactful NHL player, so it makes sense that he is being ranked as one of the best young players in hockey. The 6-foot-1 forward is having a solid start to the 2025-26 season with Djurgardens IF, recording nine goals and 14 points in 23 games thus far.
As for Levshunov, he has picked up the No. 15 spot on THN's rankings. The 20-year-old defenseman has been breaking out for the Blackhawks this season, as he has recorded one goal and 12 points in 23 games.
The Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks faced off for the first time this season on Friday. They see each other for a total of four times in the regular season.
However, that may not be the last of the Freeway Face-Off as there is potential to see a first-round playoff matchup between the two Californian teams.
After Anaheim’s 5-4 overtime win against Los Angeles, the Ducks lead the Pacific Division, with the Kings right behind them with a two-point difference.
As of right now, the standings wouldn’t set up a first-round matchup, but with how close each team is to each other in the division, and the rest of the league for that matter, it wouldn’t take much to see teams get moved around after a few outings.
The circumstances that would allow the Ducks and Kings to face off in the first round of this year’s post-season aren’t all that complicated, nor far-fetched.
To match up in the playoffs’ preliminary stages, Anaheim and Los Angeles must control the second and third spots in their division, or one team finishes first in the division and the opposing team in either the first or second wild-card spot, depending on the makeup of the other division in the Western Conference, the Central Division.
As mentioned, it wouldn’t be surprising if the stars aligned for a Freeway Face-Off first-round series since the difference between the Pacific’s leaders and fifth place is just four points.
In terms of meeting in the first round, that has never happened in the history of these two franchises’ existence. Specifically for the Ducks, they haven't seen playoff hockey since 2018, when they were swept by the San Jose Sharks.
The Freeway Face-Off rivalry would reach heights never before seen.
Not to mention, there’s a great dynamic in terms of the contrast between the two organizations. While the Kings have some youngsters like Brandt Clarke and Quinton Byfield, the roster is filled with veterans, including captain Anze Kopitar and defenseman Drew Doughty.
For the Ducks, they’re scattered with veterans like Alex Killorn, Chris Kreider, Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba. But the main driving factor with this Ducks team is their youth, including Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Beckett Sennecke, and more.
It would make for a great playoff series, and fans may not have to wait many more seasons to witness it.
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Matheson’s extension solidifies Montreal’s defense corps for the foreseeable future, as their top-four blueliners – Matheson, Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle are all under contract at least through the 2030-31 season, at a total combined annual cost of $29.9 million. With the rising salary cap ceiling, this quartet could be one of the better-bargain groups of D-men in the league.
But what is equally compelling is the potential to add more pieces to the competitive puzzle for the Habs. As it stands, Montreal currently has $3.61 million in cap space – a number that rises to $11.97 million by this season’s March 6 trade deadline. As of next season, the Canadiens project to have $20.1 million in space. Some of that will have to go to RFAs Zack Bolduc, Kirby Dach and Arber Xhekaj, but that still leaves more than enough space to bring some veteran help aboard.
And with Matheson now locked up, there’s only one place Montreal needs help with: at forward. It’s unlikely the Canadiens re-sign often-injured winger Patrik Laine – at least, if he doesn’t take a major hometown discount to stay a Hab. So Montreal is going to need a bona fide point-producing forward – most likely, a second-line center to take some of the heat off of top-line center Nick Suzuki.
Those types of players don’t grow on trees, but the great thing about where the Canadiens are in their competitive cycle is that above-average free-agent centers will be encouraged by the team’s ascent in the Atlantic standings and happily sign up to play in Montreal. Or if they are already a part of another team, they could waive any no-trade or no-move clause to be a Canadien.
Who could that be? It’s difficult to pinpoint one single NHLer who would be ideal for the Habs, but a player similar to Nashville Predators pivot Ryan O’Reilly would be the kind of player Montreal GM Kent Hughes is looking for. Of course, O’Reilly probably wouldn’t want to play in the high-pressure environment of Montreal, as a short stretch as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs a couple of seasons ago didn’t end with O’Reilly choosing to stay in Toronto when he became a UFA.
That said, a player like O’Reilly – someone with Stanley Cup-winning experience, and someone who can play hard-nosed defense while chipping in with some secondary scoring, would fit the bill rather well in Habs Land. Montreal’s strong start to the current season gives Habs management the leverage to not overpay on the trade or free-agent front to acquire that kind of veteran.
Regardless of what the Canadiens do with their cap space, it’s clear with every passing game that Montreal is turning a corner in their development. Keeping Matheson is an endorsement of the Habs’ current core, and as the Canadiens grow as a group, it will become much easier to be a destination for veterans seeking a legitimate shot at winning a championship. So while things look great right now, even better days are ahead for this organization.
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Winnipeg Jets rookie goaltender Thomas Milic experienced a true mixed bag in his NHL debut on Saturday, turning aside 30 of 34 shots in a 4–1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The 21-year-old delivered several impressive moments and helped stabilize the Jets during extended stretches of pressure, but also showed areas that will need sharpening at the NHL level.
Milic was tested immediately as Carolina controlled the early pace and outshot Winnipeg heavily in the opening minutes. The rookie responded with eight saves in the first 11 minutes, including key stops on two Hurricanes power plays that prevented the game from slipping away. Winnipeg briefly gained momentum, but Carolina struck first when defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere carried the puck deep before feeding Winnipeg-born forward Seth Jarvis in the high slot. Jarvis released a low wrist shot that slipped just past Milic for the opening goal.
Milic continued to impress in the second period with ten more saves while helping kill off three additional Hurricanes power plays. One of those penalties came from a rookie mistake when Milic played the puck outside the crease behind the net. After discussing the call with the officials, he returned to the crease and delivered several calm, composed stops to erase the mistake.
Despite Milic’s efforts, defensive breakdowns around the crease created ongoing challenges. Winnipeg struggled to clear traffic from the front of the net and Milic was often forced to make stops through heavy screens. Midway through the second, Carolina capitalized when Logan Stanley and William Carrier battled for position in front and Jordan Martinook snapped a shot through the crowd that beat Milic for the Hurricanes’ second goal.
The defensive issues resurfaced minutes later. Jarvis found space in the high slot and fired another quick shot over Milic’s glove for his second of the night against his hometown team. Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey drifted across Milic’s line of sight, making the save even more difficult. All three goals to that point beat Milic on the glove side, a weakness Carolina appeared to identify early as they repeatedly targeted that area.
Milic’s most concerning moment came in the final seconds of the game when Alexander Nikishin launched a point shot from the boards that beat him clean on the blocker side. It was a stoppable shot from distance and marked the lone goal of the night that did not involve traffic or a defensive lapse.
Milic’s debut showcased both promise and growing pains. He was composed, competitive and strong on the penalty kill, yet the Hurricanes exposed technical areas that will need refinement. With 30 saves behind a defense that struggled throughout the night, the young netminder showed he may have the tools to build on this first NHL appearance as he gains more experience.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored twice and Jonas Johansson made 11 saves as the Tampa Bay Lighting beat the New York Rangers 4-1 Saturday to extend their winning streak to seven games.
Nick Paul and Jake Guentzel also scored and Nikita Kucherov had three assists as the Lightning ended New York’s three-game winning streak. Tampa Bay is 7-0-0 since Nov. 18 and has outscored opponents 30-10 in that span.
The Rangers heard boos from the Madison Square Garden crowd as they fell to 2-8-1 at home where they have been shut out five times and scored once on three other occasions. New York is 11-4-1 on the road.
Hagel scored at 10:53 of the opening period as his shot deflected off Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy’s skate. He made it 2-0 with his team-best 15th goal at 8:57 of the second when he slid his own rebound past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.
Defenseman Darren Raddysh and Kucherov assisted on both goals.
Kucherov has a nine-game points streak of four goals and 14 assists. He leads the Lightning with 32 points. Raddysh has 11 points in his last seven games.
J.T. Miller ruined Johansson’s shutout bid with his seventh goal at 17:31 of the second. Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad assisted.
Paul scored at 2:02 of the third to make it 3-1. Rookie defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous also assisted.
Guentzel added an empty-netter at 19:41.
Fox left the game at 7:03 of the third after he was checked hard into the boards by Hagel. Fox’s left arm appeared to absorb the brunt of the hit.
Shesterkin made 31 saves.
The Lightning outshot the Rangers 11-2 in the first. New York didn’t register its first shot on goal until the 9:29 mark.
The Lightning were missing injured defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak, as well as forward Brayden Point, out for a fourth-straight game.
The Tampa Bay Lightning went into Madison Square Garden and picked up their seventh-straight win, this time over the New York Rangers, 4-1. Brandon Hagel, Nikita Kucherov and Darren Raddysh…
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NEWARK, N.J. — The Flyers played a commendable game on the second night of a back-to-back set to beat the Devils, 5-3, Saturday at the Prudential Center.
Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov had multi-goal games for the Flyers. Tippett was awarded his second because of a tripping call when the Devils’ net was emptied and finished with three points on the night.
Trevor Zegras also had a goal and an assist, while Travis Konecny had two helpers.
Dan Vladar made huge saves for the Flyers (14-7-3), who are 8-2-2 in their last 12 games and went 3-1-0 on their road trip, which spanned only six days.
Rick Tocchet’s club was coming off a 4-3 shootout win Friday over the Islanders. Entering this one, the Flyers were just 1-12-2 in the second game of back-to-back sets since last season.
Make that 2-12-2 now.
New Jersey also played Friday, rolling the Sabres on the road, 5-0.
“From my experience, on the back-to-backs, I call it a professional game — good angling, short shifts, don’t put yourself in bad positions, use the bench,” Tocchet said before the game. … “They’re playing a back-to-back, too, so there’s no advantage tonight, there’s no excuse for tired teams. They played in Buffalo last night, so it’s an even game when it comes to energy.”
The Flyers are 2-0-0 in their three-game regular-season series with the Devils (16-8-1). They beat New Jersey a week ago when they scored three goals in 26 seconds en route to a 6-3 decision at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Devils have been without star forward Jack Hughes, who’s recovering from finger surgery.
• Vladar was really good with 29 saves on 32 shots.
The 28-year-old had a brilliant stop with 16 seconds left in the first period to keep the game tied at 1-1. The Flyers were on the penalty kill and Vladar denied Nico Hischier’s backdoor tip-in attempt.
The Flyers rewarded Vladar with a fast start after intermission. Michkov popped out of the penalty box and scored off a 2-on-1 with Konecny just 53 seconds into the second period.
Michkov then cushioned the Flyers’ lead to 3-1 a little under two and a half minutes later. Cam York made a nifty move at the blue line to set up Konecny for a shot, which Michkov got a piece of in front.
Vladar also delivered a big-time save with 2:33 minutes left in the second period when the Flyers were up 4-1 and New Jersey had a 2-on-1 shorthanded chance.
The Devils trimmed the Flyers’ lead to 4-2 with a power play goal in the final minute of the middle stanza. Dawson Mercer then made it very interesting when he dangled around the Flyers’ defense in the third period to draw New Jersey within 4-3.
But Vladar and the Flyers held on.
Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 of the Flyers’ 31 shots.
Tippett opened the scoring against New Jersey just 5:18 minutes into the action with his 100th career goal and 200th career point. He made a nice move at the doorstep off a feed from Christian Dvorak, who finished November with 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 14 games.
Zegras also recorded an assist on the play and then added his goal in the second period to make it 4-1. After Jesper Bratt hit iron on a breakaway, the Flyers immediately countered with a 3-on-1 rush and Zegras capitalized.
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