5 Most Underrated NHL General Managers for 2025-26
Last week, there was a ranking of the top five overrated general managers (GMs) in the NHL. With the help of multiple writers here at The Hockey Writers, an opinion-based…
All posts by Mike Fink
What Retooling Teams Can Learn From the Capitals, Islanders & Senators
Every team prefers to retool over rebuild, if they must decide between the two, that is. It’s why every general manager (GM) prefers to avoid the word rebuild and mention…
Islanders’ Bounce Back Candidates for 2025-26
Anthony Duclair is the obvious choice as a New York Islanders bounce-back candidate; any 2025-26 preview will have him leading the list. It makes sense since he was brought in…
5 Most Overrated NHL General Managers for 2025-26
Building a Stanley Cup contender starts at the top. Ownership might not build the roster, but a general manager (GM) does. Bill Zito’s work with the Florida Panthers turned a…
Islanders’ High Floor Leaves Darche With Limited Options
The New York Islanders began the Mathieu Darche era with a few options. The new general manager (GM) could have started the rebuild, and it would be an understandable path…
Draisaitl, Hughes & Tkachuk Are the NHL’s Overlooked Stars
This week’s episode of Ice Time had the second annual Nucleus Draft. The goal of the draft is to build a Stanley Cup-winning team with active players where every roster…
Islanders’ Best-Case Scenarios for the Youth Movement
The New York Islanders have prospects for the first time in a long time. It’s what happens when former general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello drafts Cole Eiserman and trades Brock…
Lehigh Valley Phantoms Are Trying to Shake Off Past Ghosts With Snowden Hire
It’s been over a month since the Lehigh Valley Phantoms hired John Snowden as their head coach. It’s been a few weeks since the Hershey Bears hired Derek King. The…
Will the Islanders’ Pivot to a Younger Defense Work?
The New York Islanders, for years, were led by a great defense. The same group, with Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock on the top pair, fueled their success earlier in…
NHL Rebuild Rankings: Which Teams Are Closest to Contention – 2025-26 Preseason Edition
When the Rebuild Rankings first began, a project following the 2023 Trade Deadline that has become one of the biggest pieces here at The Hockey Writers, there were two burning…