When Nicolas Roy puts on a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, he'll be wearing a number he has never worn in the NHL before. The player will wear No. 55, a number he last used while playing in Junior with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the QMJHL.

Roy was a guest on Leafs Morning Take with hosts Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill. When asked about the number's significance, Roy explained that when he played junior hockey as a 14-year-old, he was the youngest player and the last one picked.

“I ended up with 55 and was kind of surprised a little bit and didn't really like it at first," Roy said. "But by the time I played two years with it and then got to juniors, I picked it for four years. Then when I got to Vegas, obviously 55 was already picked, so I picked 10 and obviously couldn't get 10 in Toronto, so I went back with 55".

Roy's No. 10, which he wore with the Vegas Golden Knights, was retired by the Maple Leafs in 2016 during a ceremony where all honored numbers became retired. The number was honored for George Armstrong and his tenure with Toronto.

Since the 2019-20 season, Vegas right-winger Keegan Kolesar has worn No. 55. Roy joined Vegas in the same season after previously playing in the Carolina Hurricanes organization.

Maple Leafs Reveal Jersey Numbers For Newly Acquired PlayersMost of the Toronto Maple Leafs' summer additions officially have numbers with their new club.

While defenseman Mark Giordano wore No. 55 with Toronto from 2022-2024, Roy is the first forward to wear the number since Jason Blake, who played three seasons with the team from 2007-2010. Prior to Roy, Blake was the only Toronto forward to have ever worn No. 55.

Nicolas Roy Ready for Top-Six Role With Maple Leafs Whenever Called UponWhile the Toronto Maple Leafs continue their search for a top-six forward ahead of the 2025–26 NHL season, newly acquired center Nicolas Roy could help fill the gap in the meantime. 'My Favorite Player Growing Up Was Mats Sundin' Nicolas Roy Reacts To Be Traded To Maple Leafs In Mitch Marner DealNic Roy was on a trip with family and friends when he found out that he was being traded from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Former Maple Leaf Mitch Marner Spotted Skating In Golden Knights Gear In MuskokaFormer Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner has been seen skating in Vegas Golden Knights gear for the first time since signing with the club.

Overall, the 2024-25 season was a good one for the young Montreal Canadiens. Not only were they in the mix, but they even managed to make the Stanley Cup season after a fantastic second half of the season. Thankfully for the Pittsburgh Penguins, though, they only took on the Habs in the first half of the season.

Montreal took some time to get into gear this year, and Sidney Crosby and co. took advantage. They won all three meetings and obliterated the Canadiens on the scoreboard, winning the season series 18-6.

Canadiens May Have A New Rivalry
A Canadiens Player On Team Finland At The Olympics?
Canadiens Had Trouble With The Rangers

The first meeting between the two teams took place on October 14 at the Bell Centre, and the fans in attendance didn’t get an excellent performance from their favorites. While the Penguins committed 23 giveaways, the Habs were unable to take advantage. Although they held their own in the first half of the game, they led 3-2 with less than five minutes left in the second frame. The Pens then scored four unanswered goals to skate away with a 6-3 win.

Two and a half weeks later, in Pittsburgh, the host posted a 3-1 win on the back of a great performance by captain Sidney Crosby, who scored a pair of goals early on. Christian Dvorak got the Habs back within one, but it was too little too late, and Blake Lizotte sealed the win with an empty netter with less than a minute left in the game.

Finally, in December, the Pens destroyed the Canadiens 9-2, in front of their fans, at the Bell Centre. It would turn out to be the last blowout loss Montreal would suffer on the season. Montreal only took 23 shots on net while Pittsburgh had 33. The Habs were unable to score on the man-advantage, despite having four opportunities, while Pittsburgh converted on two of their three opportunities. After that game, something clicked, and the Canadiens never looked back.

Over the three duels, Rikard Rakell had six points, Crosby five, and Kris Letang four. The Penguins’ experienced core had no trouble evading the Habs' coverage and hitting the team on the scoreboard. The question is, will they be around to continue their dominance over the Canadiens next season?

Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas has already said that he’s willing to listen to offers on his veteran as a rebuild is looming in Pittsburgh, but so far, none of the big names have moved. Bryan Rust, Rakell, and Erik Karlsson are all still in Pittsburgh. The fact that Dubas is looking for young NHL-ready talent for the two aforementioned forwards cuts down the number of potential suitors for the aging players.

Still, the Penguins managed to land Anthony Mantha and Matt Dumba to bolster their lineup and brought in a new coach in Dan Muse. Meanwhile, Matt Nieto, Matt Grzelcyk, P.O. Joseph, and Alex Nedeljkovic have all left town.

There’s also been talk and rumblings about Crosby’s availability, but Elliotte Friedman put an end to speculation, saying the captain would be starting the season in Pittsburgh. As things stand, the Pens will be a tougher outfit to take on this season than they were last year, but the same can be said for the Canadiens with the additions of Noah Dobson and Zach Bolduc, to name a few.

While it will take some time before the Habs can try their hand at beating the Penguins again, fans will be treated to three duels between the two sides in December. On the 11th in Pittsburgh, the 20th in Montreal, and the 21st in Pittsburgh again. Suppose the Canadiens hope to beat Crosby and co. They’ll need Samuel Montembeault to step up. The starter was in the net for all three defeats last season, with a 4.75 goals-against average and a .833 save percentage. He needs to improve these numbers if the Canadiens are to have a chance.

---

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

If the New York Islanders are going to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, starting netminder Ilya Sorokin is going to have to lead the way.

He's arguably the club's only superstar, and after back-to-back subpar statistical seasons — he posted a 3.01 GAA and a .908 SV% in 2023-24, followed by a 2.71 GAA with a .907 SV% in 2024-25 — the Islanders need him to be ready when the puck drops on Oct. 9 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Steel City. 

When the 2024-25 season began, Sorokin wasn't game-ready as he was still working his way back from offseason back surgery. Head coach Patrick Roy, fortunately, had the stable Semyon Varlamov to turn to for the start of the season.

Now, a year later, Sorokin is putting in the work to be ready, while Varlamov is working his way back from lower-body surgery after his season came to an end in late November.

Islanders Ilya Sorokin's Summer Training Tape A year ago, New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin was rehabbing after undergoing offseason back surgery. 

The goal for the Islanders is not to play Sorokin into the ground, as it's clear that he isn't an Andrei Vasilevskiy type, someone who can play 60-plus games at an elite level.

That's not a knock on Sorokin, who is still among the elite netminders in the game when he's on his game. Very few goaltenders are capable of doing what Vasilevskiy can do, and it does help that he's on a team with tremendous talent, even if that talent has changed throughout the course of his 11-year career.

Sorokin is a fascinating topic among the Islanders fan base, with one side focusing solely on the stat line and the other just watching.

While the stat line, as mentioned, was not pretty in 2024-25, looking at the game situation matters.

Out of 29 goalies at 5-on-5 who played 2,000-plus minutes, Sorokin ranked 11th with a .919 SV% and 12th with a 2.21 GAA. He ranked seventh in high-danger SV% with a .839 SV%.

Those aren't amazing numbers but much better than his overall stat line, eh?

However, Sorokin’s downfall came on the penalty kill, where the Islanders were second-to-last with a 72.2 PK percentage.

Of 34 goalies to play in 160-plus minutes on the penalty kill, Sorokin ranked 24th with an .847 SV% and 26th with an 8.65 GAA.

All statistics are courtesy of Natural Statrick. 

While the play in front of Sorokin down a man, or two, was subpar, Sorokin wasn't good enough — something he for sure knows.

With Bob Boughner now tasked with managing the penalty kill, the hope is that his system allows for Sorokin to have more success. It truly just comes down to decision-making, as the Islanders often got caught debating what to do, which led to more chaos and easier finishes for the opponent. 

Sorokin's job is to stop the shots he can see, but his struggles with screens was his Achilles heel.

For a goaltender, being aggressive on the PK is key to counteracting the screens and in-tight deflections. But, there's a lot of goalies that like to play deeper, to see around the screens -- it's just a style. 

It isn't a style that has worked well for Sorokin, that much is true, and one would think goaltender coach Piero Greco has pointed it out. 

The good news for Sorokin and the Islandeers is that if they can figure out the PK, they should be in solid shape since they were on the penalty kill only 5:43 minutes per game, which ranked second-best in the NHL.

That's the sad part of the Islanders penalty-kill struggles in 2024-25. 

In all situations, Sorokin faced the third-most shots in the NHL in 2024-25 (1,696) and the third-most high-danger shots (444).

The Islanders need to get those numbers down if they want Sorokin fresh, especially until Varlamov is ready to go. Yes, the Islanders brought in David Rittich on a one-year, $1 million deal, but in a season where the Los Angeles Kings were dominant and Darcy Kuemper was a Vezina finalist with a 2.02 GAA and a .921 SV%, Rittich struggled mightily, posting a 2.84 GAA with an .886 SV% in 34 appearances.

It's the Sorokin show until it's not.

Sorokin is two seasons removed from his 2022-23 Vezina finalist season, where he posted a 2.34 GAA with a .924 SV% in 56 games. He's looking to bounce back and lead the way as he ramps up for his sixth NHL season, entering the second season of an eight-year deal worth $8.25 million annually.

A year ago, New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin was rehabbing after undergoing offseason back surgery. 

He was unable to have a normal summer and wasn't game-ready for the start of the 2024-25 season. 

Islanders Goalie Ilya Sorokin Unveils Best Russian Chirper He's Faced In NHLChirping is an art. Some NHL players have mastered the art, while others should probably just let their game do the talking. Most chirps are directed from one skater to another, but chirping a goalie does happen.

Now, he's able to put in the work and preapre accordingly for the 2025-26 season and that's exactly what he's doing. 

Ilya Sorokin putting in some offseason work!

Remember he wasn’t healthy last offseason so this is great to see. Hopefully Semyon Varlamov is progressing as well.#Isles will need excellent goaltending from their tandem next season. pic.twitter.com/5bNv3FVTv1

— Isles Den (@IslesDen) August 11, 2025

Sorokin posted a 30-24-6 record in 61 games, 60 starts, with a 2.71 GAA (second highest of career) and a .907 SV% (lowest of his career). 

Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Philip Tomasino is heading into another contract year for the 2025-26 season. He had a year left on his contract going into the 2024-25 season before he was dealt to the Penguins by the Nashville Predators last November for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. 

Tomasino only had one assist in 11 games for the Predators before compiling 11 goals and 23 points in 50 games for the Penguins. He played up and down the lineup during the season and would have some good stretches mixed with some bad ones. 

He burst onto the scene right away with four points in his first five games, three of which were goals, before going pointless for his next six games. This inconsistency would continue for the rest of the season despite Tomasino getting a lot of minutes with second-line center Evgeni Malkin. The two played 250:33 of 5v5 minutes this year, and the numbers were a mixed bag. When they were on the ice together, they had a 48.2% CF%, 48.2% of the expected goals, 50.8% of the scoring chances, and 50.4% of the high-danger chances. 

Tomasino enjoys playing with Malkin, as evidenced by their good moments early in his first season with the Penguins. 

"I think we just complement each other really well," Tomasino said

Head coach Dan Muse may look to give them more minutes together, but Tomasino will have to earn those minutes since the top six looks really strong on paper right now. The Penguins still haven't dealt forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, and there's no guarantee that they will before the season. 

With them still in the fold, they will take up two of the top-six spots, as will Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The other two spots will be up for grabs and will have a lot of players jockeying for them, including Tomasino, Anthony Mantha, Tommy Novak, Rutger McGroarty, and Ville Koivunen. McGroarty and Koivunen looked great in their short stints to end the 2024-25 season after being called up from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. They got to spend time with Crosby and Malkin and looked ready to be full-time NHLers. 

If Tomasino loses out on a top-six spot to start the season, he could still secure a third-line role with Novak if Muse and Co. are successful. Novak and Tomasino are familiar with each other from their time in Nashville, and they looked solid when they were on the same line together, albeit for a small sample. They only played 67:50 at 5v5 during the 2023-24 season, but they made those minutes count, compiling 54.7% of the expected goals, 62.6% of the scoring chances, 64% of the high-danger chances, and a 55.7% CF% rate. 

Three of Tomasino's goals came on the power play last year, and he'll be a solid contender to be on the second PP unit again next season. His release is good enough to be utilized anywhere in the offensive zone, and he has a knack for scoring goals in big situations. For example, he had six game-winning goals last year, which was good for second on the Penguins. Only Crosby was ahead of Tomasino with 10 game-winning goals, which made sense because Crosby was the Penguins' best player last year. He finished the season with 33 goals and 91 points in 80 games. It was his third-straight 90+-point season despite being well into his 30s. 

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: Oft-Forgotten Part Of Jake Guentzel Trade Has IntrigueHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

The 2025-26 season will be another contract year for Tomasino after the Penguins re-signed him to a one-year, $1.75 million contract on July 1. He was originally a restricted free agent before the Penguins didn't give him a qualifying offer, allowing him to test free agency. Despite becoming an unrestricted free agent, he still decided to return to the Penguins, along with fellow forward Connor Dewar, who also wasn't given a qualifying offer by the Penguins. He signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Penguins on the same day as Tomasino. 

Tomasino is slated to be a restricted free agent again after this upcoming season, so the Penguins will control his rights into next summer unless they don't qualify him again. If he's more consistent this year, the Penguins may try to sign him for longer than a year since he's still only 24. The Penguins want young players like him to take the next step at the NHL level. He'll cost a bit more, but that won't be a problem for the Penguins since they will have over $40 million of cap space next summer. They won't spend all of it since they are still rebuilding, but they'll spend enough. It won't be a situation where the Penguins have to worry about barely getting above the cap floor.

With all of that in mind, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas will be keeping a close eye on Tomasino this year. 

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!        

Featured Image Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.

Subscribe now to view the full THN Archives here

Also, go to thn.com/free to subscribe.

Still The Best After All These Years - November 16, 2009 - Volume 63, Issue 09 - KC 

BEST NOT TELL THE BIG BOSS about this. After all, it might affect Nicklas Lidstrom’s future with the Red Wings.

Sure, Lidstrom has been a standout for 18 seasons now, was an integral contributor to four Stanley Cups and has become one of the greatest defensemen in NHL history.

Little known fact, though: Lidstrom is a rebel. For example, two of his four boys, Adam and Samuel, play minor hockey in the Detroit Compuware AAA organization. In case you weren’t aware, Compuware is owned by Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos and is a huge rival of Wings owner Mike Illitch’s Little Caesars AAA organization.

Just so you know, Illitch and Karmanos aren’t exactly a modern-day version of Amos ’n Andy.

“I don’t even know if (Illitch) knows about it,” said Lidstrom, justifying his insubordination by explaining Compuware’s rink is about 10 minutes from his house.

Chances are, Illitch would probably be willing to overlook Lidstrom’s miscreance in return for a couple more seasons of work. Despite the fact Lidstrom turns 40 in April, there has been almost no drop-off in his performance level, as evidenced by the fact our panel identified him as having the best point shot, best first pass and being the top shut-down defenseman in the NHL, not to mention the best mentor.

There have been precious few players who have played at the elite level Lidstrom has at such an advanced age. Gordie Howe scored 103 points when he was 41 and Jean Beliveau was a point-per-game player while leading the league in playoff assists when he was 40. Doug Harvey won his last Norris Trophy at 37 and Chris Chelios was a runner-up for the Norris when he was 40.

Red Wings GM Ken Holland thinks Lidstrom could play another five seasons and chances are he’ll play at least a couple more in Detroit before hanging them up.

“I don’t think we’re going to wake up one day and say, ‘Holy cripes, what happened to this guy?’ ” Holland said.

Do a YouTube search of “Nicklas Lidstrom’s 1,000th point,” and you’ll see precisely why he’s considered the NHL’s best point man. He takes a half slapshot through a maze of skates, which hits Henrik Zetterberg’s stick and deflects to the top corner.

“THERE IS NO PRESSURE POINT WITH NICKLAS LIDSTROM”

“That really nails it,” Lidstrom said. “I kept my head up and I couldn’t get it on net, so I’m looking for Zetterberg’s stick. That’s the typical play I try to make.”

Lidstrom’s shot from the point isn’t about to blow by anybody. More than anything, it sneaks its way to where it wants to go.

The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the best deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games. 

Other Sabres Stories

Projecting Sabres Trade Cost - Bryan Rust

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

#33 - Melvin Novotny - LW (Leksands IF Jr. - Sweden)

The Sabres had a trio of seventh-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, and with the first pick (195th overall) they selected left winger Melvin Novotny. The 18-year-old had a breakout season in the SHL junior system, scoring 38 points (12 goals, 26 assists) in 41 games for Leksands IF, and also played for Sweden at the World Junior under-18s. 

According to the Elite Prospects Draft Guide, the 6’1”. 187 lb. forward is considered a smart player, who is “a chess player that uses his teammates as his pawns, throwing them pucks to retrieve while himself moving into favourable positions in the offensive zone…..He’s not the most physical player overall, but has a knack of spinning away from checks and using contact as an advantage.”

Instead of following the usual path toward playing in the SHL, Novotny is heading to North America to play with Muskegon in the USHL and is committed to playing for U.Mass (Amherst) in 2026. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

The Carolina Hurricanes made two substantial moves this offseason to bolster their roster in pursuit of a Stanley Cup. 

The most highly coveted unrestricted free agent this offseason was arguably Nikolaj Ehlers. 

After most of the top free agents had already signed with their new respective teams, Ehlers was still pondering his next move. 

Ultimately, the Hurricanes won the sweepstakes for Ehlers as he signed a six-year, $51 million contract.

Carolina also took a big swing at defenseman K’Andre Miller, who has the potential to be a reliable blueliner for years to come, but he’s just yet to fully put all of the tools together. 

The Hurricanes acquired Miller in a sign-and-trade from the New York Rangers, and quickly signed him to an eight-year, $60 million contract.

Rod Brind'Amour feels that these two moves put the Hurricanes over the top. 

“If there's something out there that can make us better, we're going to try to figure out how to get it,” Brind'Amour said. “The additions were the best we could do. We just want to have a chance. I feel like we do.”

There Are Reportedly Over Five Teams Interested In Signing Jack Roslovic, Including The Maple LeafsTraining camps around the NHL are set to begin in just over a month, and Carolina Hurricanes forward Jack Roslovic remains unsigned. 

The Hurricanes have been a top contender in the Eastern Conference for years, but have never seemed to be able to get over the hump. 

We’ll have to see if Ehlers and Miller are able to change that.