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Former Sabres Star Having Strong Start With New Team

Casey Mittelstadt (© Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)

Before the 2025 NHL trade deadline, the Colorado Avalanche traded former Buffalo Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt to the Boston Bruins. This was just one year after the Sabres dealt Mittelstadt to the Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram. 

Mittelstadt had trouble fitting into the Avalanche's system and had been the subject of trade rumors throughout this season. Thus, it was not necessarily surprising that the 26-year-old found a new home by the deadline. Early on, the change of scenery has benefitted Mittelstadt.

Mittelstadt has been off to a strong offensive start with the Bruins. In four games with the Original Six club since the trade, the 2017 first-round pick has one goal and two assists.

When playing at his best, Mittelstadt has the ability to be an impactful offensive contributor. He undoubtedly demonstrated this during his time with the Sabres, as he had 62 goals and 186 points in 339 games with Buffalo. This included a 59-point season in 2022-23 and Mittelstadt posting 47 points in 62 games with Buffalo before being dealt to Colorado last season. 

The Sabres will now look to slow down Mittelstadt when they face off against the Bruins at TD Garden on March 17. It will be interesting to see if they can do just that from here. 

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Sabres Ownership Ranked Worst In NHL By Survey In The Athletic

Sabres owner Terry Pegula ranked last in the NHL in a fan survey in the Athletic

The Buffalo Sabres season began with the hope of ending their long playoff drought and will end on April 17th with a 14th consecutive year outside of the postseason. There are a number of contributing factors to the club’s struggles, but according to an article in the Athletic that surveyed fans from every NHL club, Sabres owner Terry Pegula is ranked last among the 32 owners.

Almost 4,000 fans and internal evaluations from the Athletic ranked ownership on their willingness to spend, organizational stability, treatment of the fan base, and franchise vision, and in all those categories, Sabres owner Terry Pegula finished at the bottom of the league, which is where his club has finished more times than they would prefer.

Sabres Disastrous Defensively In Defeat To Detroit 

Rosen Sent Down Again Without Getting An Opportunity

Dahlin Refutes Assertion Of Wanting Out Of Buffalo

The most alarming aspect is the confidence in ownership and being able to turn things around. Only 4% of those surveyed have a higher level of confidence that things will change for the better, while 61% have less confidence that things will change. According to the article, the Buffalo fanbase was heavily represented and their input was filled with “vitriol”, including calls for Pegula to sell the club, which has been heard from an audible throng of fans at Key Bank Center since the 13-game winless skid in November and December.

The level of frustration is understandable based on the lengthy struggles that Sabres fans have endured. After initial failures with the Buffalo Bills, the hiring of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane has provided stability for the last eight seasons. However, with the NHL franchise, there has been continual turnover in the front office and behind the bench, and Pegula seems to have no interest in hiring a team president or replacing GM Kevyn Adams after five years of failure.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

Is The Golden Knights' Road Record A Cause For Concern?

The Vegas Golden Knights wrapped up a road trip, losing three of the four games and, on the season, are posting just a 15-13-5 record away from T-Mobile Arena. 

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (7) talk on the ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Golden Knights have been a dominant team in their home arena since their inaugural season and are doing so once again this year, posting a 24-7-3 record. Similar to the 2023-24 campaign, the Golden Knights have struggled to consistently pick up wins on the road. 

The season they won the Stanley Cup was their best road season, recording 26 wins, and just seven regulation losses and eight overtime losses. 

The Golden Knights recently concluded a four-game road trip, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets but losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime, the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout and were shut out by the Detroit Red Wings

The Golden Knights were outplayed by the Sabres and Red Wings, outshot 37-19 and 27-18. A common theme this season has been a lack of offence on the road. The Golden Knights lost the first five of their six-game road games to start the season, scoring three or fewer goals in each of them. 

Their current road struggles signify the importance of winning the Pacific Division and ensuring they have home-ice advantage in the first two rounds. Chasing down the Winnipeg Jets for first in the Western Conference is becoming nearly impossible, trailing by 12 points with 15 games remaining. At the moment the Golden Knights sit in third place in the conference, trailing the Dallas Stars by a point. 

With eight road games on the schedule, the Golden Knights have limited time to fix their struggles, but finding a solution will go a long way when the playoffs begin.

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

The Wraparound: What's Most Concerning About The Maple Leafs Right Now?

Auston Matthews (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)

Kick off a new week with rapid-fire NHL and hockey discussions on The Hockey News Wraparound Show.

What's Most Concerning About The Maple Leafs Right Now? by The WraparoundWhat's Most Concerning About The Maple Leafs Right Now? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan and Michael Augello discussed in this episode:

0:00 What to make of Connor Bedard’s 10-minute misconducts in back-to-back games

3:41: Is Sam Bennett more likely to stay with the Florida Panthers or hit free agency?

5:41: Will the Panthers keep Brad Marchand or Aaron Ekblad this off-season?

7:42: What has been the most concerning part of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ recent slump?

10:10: Which goaltender in the 2025 free agent class will be the most sought-after?

12:48: What are the biggest changes NHL GMs will advocate for at the GM meetings?

15:41: Which NHL prospect traded at the deadline will fit best with their new organization?

18:12: How much money could Nikolaj Ehlers get on the open market this summer?

20:33: Even without Mikko Rantanen or Martin Necas, should the Carolina Hurricanes still be considered a Stanley Cup contender?

23:24: Could Jonathan Huberdeau’s resurgence signify great things to come for the Calgary Flames?

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

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Ottawa Senators Prospect Ties Assists Record and Earns AHL Player of the Week Honours

Ottawa Senators prospect Jan Jenik just had himself a uniquely excellent weekend.

Feb 26, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators center Jan Jenik (14) skates with the puck in the third period against the Winnipeg Jets at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

On Friday night, Jenik tied the Belleville Senators' franchise record for most assists in a single game, recording five against the Bridgeport Islanders, and matching the B-Sens record set by Ottawa’s Drake Batherson.

On Saturday, he tormented the Islanders again in another 6-1 Belleville win, scoring the game-winner and adding two assists. And finally, on Monday, as good things often happen in threes, Jenik became the fifth Belleville Senator to be named the American Hockey League Player of the Week.

The others are Ottawa assistant coach Ben Sexton (Dec. 29/18), two-timer Drake Batherson (Nov. 11/18, Feb. 10/19), Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nick Paul (Feb. 24/19), and CSKA Moscow winger Vitaly Abramov (Dec. 29/19).

Like their NHL parent club, the Belleville Senators are on a hot streak as they fight for a playoff spot. Belleville has been untouchable at home lately, posting an 8-0-1 record in their last nine games.

This is Jenik’s first season with the Ottawa organization, but he has long-standing ties to Sens GM Steve Staios and team owner Michael Andlauer. Jenik played for them with the Hamilton Bulldogs during the 2019-2020 season, racking up 56 points in just 27 games. That led Staios to call him the best player in the OHL at the time.

Drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the third round, Jenik has had solid success in the past with their AHL affiliate in Tucson, though he has yet to make a significant impact in his 24 NHL games. The Senators acquired him in a trade last summer, sending Egor Sokolov to Arizona in exchange for Jenik. Sokolov was a key player for Belleville and, after four years there, holds most of the team’s career scoring records.

Jenik has missed 21 games this season due to injury but has still posted nine goals and 23 points in 38 games. Standing at 6'2" and 199 pounds, the Senators are hoping the 24-year-old forward can build on this and further regain his scoring touch.

After a weekend like that, anything's possible.

By Steve Warne
Site Editor at The Hockey News Ottawa

Stay updated with the most interesting Ottawa Senators stories, analysis, breaking news and more at The Hockey News OttawaTap the star here on Google News to add us to your favourites and never miss a thing.

LA Kings' Kuemper Named NHL 1st Star of the Week

© Jessica Alcheh

Goalie Darcy Kuemper has been named NHL 1st Star of the Week for his outstanding play during the week of March 10-16.

The 34 year-old native of Saskatoon went 3-0, including back-to-back shutouts against the Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators.  Kuemper stopped 78 of 79 shots during the week, good for an almost invisible to the naked eye GAA of 0.33.

In addition to helping the Kings gain ground on Pacific Division rivals Edmonton and Vegas, Kuemper also etched a place in LA Kings' history. 

Kuemper now has a home point streak of 13 games dating back to December 7th, which is the longest such streak since Kelly Hrudey's 12 game run in 1991.

A Stanley Cup winner in 2022 with the Colorado Avalanche, Kuemper's consistent excellent play for Los Angeles has the Kings within striking distance of Vegas for a Pacific Division banner. 

Although not really mentioned as a serious Vezina Trophy candidate, one wonders if he should be. Kuemper currently ranks second in goals-against average at 2.16 and is third in save percentage at .919.

Given backup goalie Dave Rittich's lackluster play in his last dozen starts, LA is counting on Kuemper to maintain this stellar level of goaltending well into the playoffs. 

Ex-NHLer Tomas Kloucek Dies In Accident At 45

Tomáš Klouček playing for the New York Rangers in 2001. © Lou Capozzola-Imagn Images

Tomáš Klouček, a former pro hockey defenseman who played 141 NHL games, died as the result of a ski accident on Sunday in his native Czechia at age 45, according to multiple Czech media reports.

The news was confirmed in an Instagram post by his wife, according to Hokej.cz.

“We were hit by sad news – Tomáš Klouček died following a tragic accident,” Oceláři Třinec, one of his former teams, tweeted on X. “The tough defenseman played a total of 90 games for us. We wish his family and loved ones a lot of strength. Our sincere condolences.”

According to reports, Klouček skied into a power pole on the edge of the slope and died from his injuries on the spot. The incident occurred in Špindlerův Mlýn, a popular ski resort in the north of the country near the border with Poland.

Klouček was born in Prague and grew up playing for local club Slavia. He was drafted in 1998 in the fifth round, 151st overall, by the New York Rangers, then went overseas to play for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the QMJHL.

Between 2000 and 2006, Klouček played 141 NHL games for the Rangers, Nashville Predators and Atlanta Thrashers, scoring two goals and adding eight assists for 10 points with 250 penalty minutes. He spent the rest of the time playing for those teams AHL affiliates in Hartford, Milwaukee and Chicago.

A large, physical defenseman, Klouček was 6’4” and weighed 245 lbs.

From 2007 until his retirement in 2017, Klouček played in Czechia, in the KHL and in Slovakia, finishing with his last two seasons for Epinal in France.

How Oilers' Walman, Stars' Rantanen And Avalanche's Nelson Quickly Fit Into New Places

Jake Walman (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)

NHL players moved at the trade deadline have now had more than a week to get accustomed to their new squads. Some players already dealt with switching teams not long ago, while other veterans underwent the big shift for the first time.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jake Walman, Dallas Stars right winger Mikko Rantanen and Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson are three examples. Each player’s had a different storyline that caught the hockey world’s attention.

Walman, 29, was traded to the San Jose Sharks in June 2024 with a second-round draft pick from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations. He recorded a career-high 32 points and provided offensive upside with smart defensive play with the Sharks, which received a 2026 first-rounder to trade him to Edmonton less than a year later. Walman’s endeared himself to his new teammates in five games.

"Nice addition for our team. Adds a lot of speed," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said on Sunday. "He's a great guy to get the puck and get it out of pressure. His mobility is as good as anyone for a defenseman."

Nelson, 33, spent more than a decade with the New York Islanders but was the subject of trade rumors for most of the season as the team struggled. He now has to adjust to a new team in a new conference during an intense playoff push.

It’s also closing in on a decade since the Avalanche drafted Rantanen. But the 28-year-old was shocked when Colorado traded the pending UFA to the Carolina Hurricanes in January. Without a contract extension, Rantanen went on the move again at the trade deadline to Dallas. He joined a contender that already has Jason Robertson, Matt Duchene, Wyatt Johnston and one of the best netminders in the NHL, Jake Oettinger, who is one of three goalies with 30 wins this season.

Avry Lewis-McDougall looks beyond the stats of each player since the trades and examines how they’ve fit in with their new clubs in a short time in his video column.

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Kraken Defenseman Named Third Star Of The Week

Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour has been named the NHL's third star of the week.

Caroline Anne / The Hockey News

The 30-year-old recorded three goals and six points in three games, including the fastest goal to start any period in NHL history. His electric offensive week helped him tie his career-high in goals at 16, which he previously set in the 2022-23 season with the Florida Panthers.

Montour's dominance also helped the Kraken finish the week with a 2-0-1 record, moving them within 10 points of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.

In a press release from the NHL, they said this about Montour:

"Montour totaled 3-3—6 across three appearances to lift the Kraken (29-34-5, 63 points) to five out of a possible six standings points. He tallied 2-2—4, highlighted by the winning goal four seconds into overtime (tied for the fastest goal from the start of any period in NHL history), in a 5-4 triumph versus the Montreal Canadiens March 14. Montour then scored once in a 4-2 victory against the Utah Hockey Club March 14 before collecting one assist in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets March 16. The 30-year-old Montour shares fourth place among NHL defensemen with 16 goals through 67 total contests this season (16-22—38), matching a career-high established in 80 games in 2022-23 (16-57—73 w/ FLA)."

Finishing as the first and second stars this week were Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, recording a .987SV%, a 0.33GAA and two shutouts, and New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt, scoring two goals and nine points in three games. 

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