The NHL’s off-season continues to unfold, and by mid-July, most teams made their key roster moves. That brings us to the question of what teams are best at each position – forward, defense and goal. 

We began the process by breaking down the five best teams on defense. Now, we’re switching focus to analyze the five best teams at forward. The criteria for this list include top-level primary scoring, impressive secondary scoring, a dose of defense-minded and role forwards, and overall cohesion.

With that said, here are our choices with new roster additions in italics.

1. Florida Panthers

Forwards: Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues, Anton Lundell, Brad Marchand, Eetu Luostarinen, A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek, Jonah Gadjovich

When you’re back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, and you manage to retain all your important forwards, you deserve to be at the top of this list. The Panthers did exactly that, re-signing veteran center Sam Bennett and left winger Brad Marchand to team-friendly deals this summer.

The Panthers have elite two-way skill in the form of Barkov and Reinhart, grit and clutch play from Tkachuk, Bennett and Marchand, and speed and tenacity with the rest of their group of forwards. Florida has repeatedly demonstrated that, when the games matter most, their forwards will be hard on the forecheck, determined in front of their opponent’s net and successful at undermining the other team’s defense. Nine of their forwards had at least 15 points in the 23 games it took them to win the Cup. For reference, the Oilers had three with at least 15 and seven with at least 10 in 22 games.

They’ve won two straight Cups for good reason, and they’re the cream of the crop when it comes to the league’s best collection of forwards.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning

Forwards: Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Yanni Gourde, Nick Paul, Zemgus Girgensons, Cage Goncalves, Pontus Holmberg, Conor Geekie

The Lightning were dumped by the Panthers in the first round of last year’s playoffs, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have an embarrassment of riches up front. To the contrary, they led the NHL in scoring, scored the most goals by a forward, had the sixth-best penalty-kill percentage, had four forwards average at least a point per game and have Kucherov as a bona fide superstar.

The Bolts had depth issues last season before they brought back (and re-signed) Gourde and acquired Bjorkstrand from the Seattle Kraken at the trade deadline. Those additions really put Tampa Bay over the top. 

It’s easy to see why Lightning GM Julien BriseBois doubled down on his forwards, and Tampa Bay will once again be dominant in their opponent’s zone because they have so much skill and balance up front.

3. Colorado Avalanche

Forwards: Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, Brock Nelson, Martin Necas, Ross Colton, Jack Drury, Parker Kelly, Ivan Ivan, T.J. Tynan, Nikita Prishchepov

Like the Lightning, the Avalanche have a legitimate top-five player in the world in MacKinnon, a top-six group of forwards that’s as skilled and proven as any team in the NHL and a swift and resolute bottom six. It’s a measure of their depth that Colorado lost veterans Jonathan Drouin and Charlie Coyle, and they’re still tremendously talented up front.

Getting Nelson to sign a contract extension was huge for the Avs, as it firmed up their second-line center position. Like Tampa Bay, Colorado lost in the opening round last year, but if we had to choose between the Avalanche’s forwards and Dallas’ forwards, we’d pick the Avs in a narrow decision. Colorado GM Chris MacFarland has constructed an elite group, and the Avs are going to excel once again next year.

4. Dallas Stars

Forwards: Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Wyatt Johnston, Mavrik Bourque, Oskar Back, Radek Faksa, Sam Steel, Colin Blackwell

The Stars have consistently been a terrific team, in no small part due to their incredible depth on offense. Despite Dallas losing in the Western Conference final for the third straight season, Stars GM Jim Nill brought just about everyone back, and he re-acquired longtime Stars center Faksa for a second tour of duty with the organization. Losing Mikael Granlund hurts a bit, but it won’t be devastating.

With fantastic two-way forwards Hintz and Rantanen setting the tone for the rest of the group, the Stars have demonstrated they can be successful at both ends of the ice. And although the future of Robertson, who is entering the final year of his contract, is somewhat in doubt, what isn’t in doubt is that Dallas’ balance of youth (Robertson, Bourque, Johnston) and experience (Benn, Seguin, Duchene) gives them an elite collection of forwards. 

The Stars can run-and-gun with the best of them or play a hard-nosed defensive game. That’s why they had the most points by a forward, the third-most goals-for, the sixth-fewest goals against and the fourth-best penalty-kill rate this past season. More often than not, they’re going to be on the winning side of the ledger in large part due to their forward depth.

5. Vegas Golden Knights

Forwards: Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, Pavel Dorofeyev, Reilly Smith, Brett Howden, Brandon Saad, Colton Sissons, Keegan Kolesar

Adding former Toronto Maple Leafs superstar winger Marner made an already-dynamic Golden Knights group of forwards all the more impressive. Trading for former Nashville Predators center Sissons firmed up Vegas’ fourth line. Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon has been ruthless in pursuit of the franchise’s second Cup, and once again, he’s done his utmost to create a lineup that can create offense with the best of them, while giving up little in their own zone.

Marner’s impact in terms of offense creation as well as strong defensive play gives Vegas a balance that compares well to any NHL team, and proven veterans including Stone, Eichel, Karlsson and Hertl give the Golden Knights the kind of depth any team would kill for. Vegas is well out of cap space, but does anyone really believe McCrimmon is done improving his team? We sure don’t. As the season unfolds, we fully expect the Golden Knights to continue getting better, and by the time the next post-season rolls around, Vegas could be even higher on this list.

Honorable Mentions: Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets

The Maple Leafs, Oilers and Jets all have high-level forward groups, even if they’re not in the top five.

The Leafs have Grade-A top-six forwards in Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies. The departure of Marner has a trickle-down effect that ultimately hurts Toronto’s case. 

Similarly, the Oilers have two world-class superstars in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, as well as elite forwards in Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. They are a massive part of why the Oilers got to two straight Stanley Cup finals, and in the playoffs, they got some nice secondary scoring at times. However, trading away Evander Kane and Viktor Arvidsson while losing Connor Brown and Corey Perry put a dent in Edmonton’s forward group. It’s up to Andrew Mangiapane, Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie to make the Oilers better than they were.

Finally, the Jets still have top talents in center Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Cole Perfetti, as well as above-average forwards in Gabriel Vilardi and newcomer Jonathan Toews. But the loss of winger Nikolaj Ehlers affects their bottom line, and their fourth line isn’t as solid now that last season’s trade acquisition Brandon Tanev has moved on to the Utah Mammoth. If Toews excels this upcoming season, it would be worth re-evaluating their spot on this list.

The Oilers, Jets and Leafs still have lots to like. They could prove to have a top-five forward group during the season, but at the moment, they just missed the cut.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Yeah, you know things are lean when a two-year bridge deal for a young defenseman is something to celebrate. But that's where we are with the Buffalo Sabres these days.

Apparently, nobody wants to play there. The taxes suck. The team sucks, for sure for sure. Haven't made the playoffs in 14 seasons and, let's be realistic, probably won't for 15 seasons.

But when they signed defenseman Bowen Byram to a two-year extension worth $6.25 million per season this week, it represented some progress for them. For once in, like forever, they managed to remove the drama from a situation and get a deal done.

And it's a deal that's good for both sides as they try to build up some trust with each other.

Watch today's video column for the full take, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

When Paul Maurice and Kris Knoblauch met in the Stanley Cup final for the second straight year, they did so at an incredibly volatile time for coaches in the NHL.

The pair probably had the safest jobs in the league – but only because neither one had missed a final during their current tenures. Pity Peter DeBoer then, as the Dallas Stars sent their former bench boss packing after he and his team fell in the conference final once again – oh, and after he’d buried his starting goaltender in the press right before he got the ax.

But it is wild how short the lifespan of an NHL coach has become.

Sure, you can be recycled to another franchise, but sticking in one place for more than a couple of years? That’s a rarity these days.

Consider this: the Panthers hired Maurice on June 22, 2022. The only peers who have been with their current NHL teams longer are Jon Cooper, Jared Bednar, Rod Brind’Amour, Martin St-Louis and Bruce Cassidy.

In fact, Cooper is the only coach in the NHL who’s been with his team for more than a decade, and given the success Tampa Bay has enjoyed recently, that’s understandable.

But what if, in an alternate dimension, the Lightning had fired Cooper after Tampa Bay was swept in the first round by Columbus back in 2019? Tampa had just won the Presidents’ Trophy, and the loss was one of the most shocking in NHL history. Even just six years later, it seems GMs have much itchier trigger fingers. Cooper, of course, retained his job and immediately helmed the Bolts to three straight Cup finals, winning two. So, ya know, patience is a virtue.

This was no ordinary Stanley Cup run, this was a Rat Race! 🐀

Introducing the brand new 2025 CHAMPIONS Issue @FlaPanthers

Now available at: https://t.co/smKk3NQdgQpic.twitter.com/xHu9pde38l

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) June 27, 2025

As I ponder the constantly spinning coaching carousel – there will be nine teams with new coaches to begin 2025-26 at this point – my thoughts drift closer to Jonathan Swift than Jonathan Toews.

Why would you want to be an NHL coach these days? Employment lifespan is right up there with Spinal Tap drummers and anyone in a red shirt on a Star Trek mission.

If and when you do get fired, it means moving to another city, buying or renting another place, perhaps selling your old place and uprooting your family. It’s the same thing NHL players go through when they’re traded or move via free agency, but it’s in a shorter time frame.

Want to have your mind blown? Former Oilers right winger Corey Perry has been famously nomadic in recent seasons, but only 12 NHL coaches have been in their current position before Perry signed in Edmonton on Jan. 22, 2024.

With that in mind, I think the hottest NHL coaching candidate out there has it right. That would be David Carle, who recently signed a contract extension with the University of Denver.

He has won two NCAA titles and two World Junior Championship gold medals (with Team USA) as a head coach, and with Carle only being 35, he still has decades to go in his career if he should so choose. Numerous NHL teams have kicked the tires on Carle, but he has been clear that because he has a young family in Denver and is already in a great spot with the NCAA’s Pioneers, the situation would have to be impossible to turn down. And I get it.

Sure, the NHL is at the top of the pyramid, but coaches can build incredible legacies elsewhere. Red Berenson will always be a legend at the University of Michigan thanks to his 33 years with the Wolverines, while Jack Parker and Jerry York had their own iconic runs at Boston University and Boston College. In the OHL, you had Brian Kilrea in Ottawa and now Dale Hunter in London. I ran into Berenson at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal, and it’s still fun to talk Michigan hockey with him, even though he’s not behind the bench anymore.

Carle could be that legend in the making. He’s clearly a gifted coach, and given how consistently good Denver is, you can probably telegraph at least a couple more national titles for the Pios in the coming years. So, what would you rather do: work a fulfilling job in the same place for 20 years or take a riskier – albeit more glamorous – one that may only last two or three seasons?

Coaches are just like players; they’re competitive. So, it makes sense they want that NHL job. But perhaps Carle will prove there’s another career path that is just as rewarding – with a more loyal employer.

This article, lightly edited for updates, appeared in our 2025 Champions Collector's Edition, where we commemorate the Florida Panthers' back-to-back Stanley Cups. Also, we feature the champs from leagues across the hockey world, count down the season's top 10 moments and look at breakout players to watch for 2025-26.

You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.

When Paul Maurice and Kris Knoblauch met in the Stanley Cup final for the second straight year, they did so at an incredibly volatile time for coaches in the NHL.

The pair probably had the safest jobs in the league – but only because neither one had missed a final during their current tenures. Pity Peter DeBoer then, as the Dallas Stars sent their former bench boss packing after he and his team fell in the conference final once again – oh, and after he’d buried his starting goaltender in the press right before he got the ax.

But it is wild how short the lifespan of an NHL coach has become.

Sure, you can be recycled to another franchise, but sticking in one place for more than a couple of years? That’s a rarity these days.

Consider this: the Panthers hired Maurice on June 22, 2022. The only peers who have been with their current NHL teams longer are Jon Cooper, Jared Bednar, Rod Brind’Amour, Martin St-Louis and Bruce Cassidy.

In fact, Cooper is the only coach in the NHL who’s been with his team for more than a decade, and given the success Tampa Bay has enjoyed recently, that’s understandable.

But what if, in an alternate dimension, the Lightning had fired Cooper after Tampa Bay was swept in the first round by Columbus back in 2019? Tampa had just won the Presidents’ Trophy, and the loss was one of the most shocking in NHL history. Even just six years later, it seems GMs have much itchier trigger fingers. Cooper, of course, retained his job and immediately helmed the Bolts to three straight Cup finals, winning two. So, ya know, patience is a virtue.

This was no ordinary Stanley Cup run, this was a Rat Race! 🐀

Introducing the brand new 2025 CHAMPIONS Issue @FlaPanthers

Now available at: https://t.co/smKk3NQdgQpic.twitter.com/xHu9pde38l

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) June 27, 2025

As I ponder the constantly spinning coaching carousel – there will be nine teams with new coaches to begin 2025-26 at this point – my thoughts drift closer to Jonathan Swift than Jonathan Toews.

Why would you want to be an NHL coach these days? Employment lifespan is right up there with Spinal Tap drummers and anyone in a red shirt on a Star Trek mission.

If and when you do get fired, it means moving to another city, buying or renting another place, perhaps selling your old place and uprooting your family. It’s the same thing NHL players go through when they’re traded or move via free agency, but it’s in a shorter time frame.

Want to have your mind blown? Former Oilers right winger Corey Perry has been famously nomadic in recent seasons, but only 12 NHL coaches have been in their current position before Perry signed in Edmonton on Jan. 22, 2024.

With that in mind, I think the hottest NHL coaching candidate out there has it right. That would be David Carle, who recently signed a contract extension with the University of Denver.

He has won two NCAA titles and two World Junior Championship gold medals (with Team USA) as a head coach, and with Carle only being 35, he still has decades to go in his career if he should so choose. Numerous NHL teams have kicked the tires on Carle, but he has been clear that because he has a young family in Denver and is already in a great spot with the NCAA’s Pioneers, the situation would have to be impossible to turn down. And I get it.

Sure, the NHL is at the top of the pyramid, but coaches can build incredible legacies elsewhere. Red Berenson will always be a legend at the University of Michigan thanks to his 33 years with the Wolverines, while Jack Parker and Jerry York had their own iconic runs at Boston University and Boston College. In the OHL, you had Brian Kilrea in Ottawa and now Dale Hunter in London. I ran into Berenson at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal, and it’s still fun to talk Michigan hockey with him, even though he’s not behind the bench anymore.

Carle could be that legend in the making. He’s clearly a gifted coach, and given how consistently good Denver is, you can probably telegraph at least a couple more national titles for the Pios in the coming years. So, what would you rather do: work a fulfilling job in the same place for 20 years or take a riskier – albeit more glamorous – one that may only last two or three seasons?

Coaches are just like players; they’re competitive. So, it makes sense they want that NHL job. But perhaps Carle will prove there’s another career path that is just as rewarding – with a more loyal employer.

This article, lightly edited for updates, appeared in our 2025 Champions Collector's Edition, where we commemorate the Florida Panthers' back-to-back Stanley Cups. Also, we feature the champs from leagues across the hockey world, count down the season's top 10 moments and look at breakout players to watch for 2025-26.

You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.

The Detroit Red Wings are the latest focus in our NHL prospect pool overview series.

Tony Ferrari digs into the Red Wings’ strengths and weaknesses, latest draft class, positional depth chart, next player in line for an NHL opportunity and more. A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer a prospect for these exercises, with some exceptions.

Initial Thoughts

The Red Wings are stuck in the mushy middle. They’ve been good enough to be in the playoff race for a few years now. By the time the races near the end, they’ve fallen off. Even a couple of seasons back, when they missed the post-season in their final game, they had a chance to take a stranglehold on the final playoff spot but toiled away.

The constant middling results, as well as arguably the worst luck in NHL draft lottery history, landed the Wings with a prospect pool that’s full of good but not great players. 

These prospects will build out the middle six of their roster, but they don’t have many potential elite impact players right now. 

Carter Bear, their most recent first-round pick, might have the highest realistic upside of any forward in the system, and he seems destined to be a very capable second-line winger who can score, hit and do just about everything a coach wants from a player. 

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard has the most realistic shot of challenging Bear for the highest upside in the group. He plays a similar brand of hockey with a sound two-way game, physical maturity, excellent board play and a great shot. 

Brandsegg-Nygard just does it all with a more refined package of tools. He doesn’t have as high a motor as Bear, but it’s still high-end, and he plays such a tactical brand of hockey. Brandsegg-Nygard might be the best hope to fill the Wings’ hole on the top line alongside Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin, but that’s a lot to ask of a player coming to North America for the first time this upcoming season.

Carter Mazur can play up and down the lineup. He likely fits better in the bottom six, but he could be a serviceable fill-in higher in the lineup. He had a rough season riddled with injuries, including an upper-body injury that ended his year just two shifts into his NHL debut. That said, Mazur has a sneaky possibility of playing in the NHL this year. He brings a high motor, a very good shot and some interesting hard skills.. 

Detroit would love it if Nate Danielson could take a step and arrive in the NHL. His first AHL season was solid with 39 points in 71 games, but he didn’t blow the doors off. Danielson isn’t the flashiest player, and he has more functional skill than elite creativity, but that’s how the Wings are building their roster. They want players who outwork and outskate their opponents, and Danielson could be a key part of that. Whether he makes the NHL roster out of camp or not, Danielson could be a quick call-up if performance or injuries become a concern. 

One of the most intriguing and high-upside prospects in the Wings’ system is Russian left winger Dmitri Buchelnikov. His skill and puckhandling can be dazzling at times. He has incredible vision and some of the slickest passing in the KHL. Buchelnikov skates like the wind and uses that to his advantage in the offensive zone to pull away and create space for himself. 

Buchelnikov is a boom-or-bust prospect who could be a major addition to the Wings' roster in a year or two. His 54 points in the KHL this past year were among the league’s top 20 scorers and second among U-22 players. His KHL deal expires after next season, so he could be making the trek over as soon as the end of this season. 

Some of Detroit’s best prospects who graduated in the NHL in recent years come from the back end, such as Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson. 

The next potential high-impact blueliner is Axel Sandin-Pellikka. 

The shifty, skilled Swedish blueliner has been nothing but phenomenal, showcasing just how talented he is in the Swedish League. He won the Salming Trophy as defender of the year in 2023-24 and was the best defenseman at the 2025 world juniors. He was recognized as the best junior-aged Swedish player, and he’s won an SHL championship. He’ll be in the AHL this season, but don’t be surprised if he finds his way into NHL games as well. 

Shai Buium had a great AHL season as a rookie blueliner. He has a bit of an offensive lean to his game, which may be a bit redundant with some of the young talent the Wings have on the roster and in the pipeline. He’s also shown to be an adaptable player who can really help move the puck in transition. He may not get much power-play time in the NHL, but he can be a solid third-pairing puck-mover. 

William Wallinder is a sneaky potential call-up this season. After two seasons in the AHL with some steady improvement, the big, mobile defender could be in line for a chance in the NHL this year. He is a toolsy defender who likely won’t play much higher than a third-pair role, but he could be a very interesting addition. 

The Red Wings have prioritized filling their goalie pipeline, and as a result, they have a couple of top-tier goalie prospects: Sebastian Cossa (15th overall in 2021) and Trey Augustine (41st overall in 2023).

Cossa’s had an up-and-down development so far, but his size and athletic ability make him such an intriguing prospect. He carried the load in the AHL and looked quite good. It would be ideal for him to play one more year in the AHL and potentially dominate, with a cup of coffee or two in the NHL being a possibility.

Augustine has begun to make a big impression. He’s been dominant for Michigan State, helping revitalize that program and show it’s a force in the NCAA. He’s been dominant for Team USA at the World Junior Championship and even played wonderfully a couple of seasons ago at the men’s worlds. Augustine doesn’t have the size Cossa has, but this athletic ability is unreal, and his puck-tracking is elite. Augustine is the more technically sound of the two netminders as well. The hope is they form a rock-solid tandem one day, with one of them establishing themselves as the bona fide No. 1.

Key U-23 Players Likely To Play NHL Games This Season

Marco Kasper (C/W), Simon Edvinsson (D), Lucas Raymond (RW), Carter Mazur (LW), Nate Danielson (C)

2025 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 13th overall - Carter Bear, LW, Everett (WHL)

Round 2, 44th overall - Eddie Genborg, RW, Linkoping (Swe.)

Round 3, 75th overall - Michal Pradel, G, Tri-City (USHL)

Round 4, 109th overall - Brent Solomon, RW, Champlin Park (Minn. H.S.)

Round 4, 119th overall - Michal Svrcek, LW, Brynas Jr. (Swe.)

Round 5, 140th overall - Nikita Tyurin, D, Spartak Moscow Jr. (Rus.)

Round 6, 172nd overall - Will Murphy, D, Cape Breton (QMJHL)

Round 7, 204th overall - Grayden Robertson-Palmer, C, Phillips-Andover (Mass. H.S.)

The Detroit Red Wings clearly have a type in the draft, which includes players with a high motor and physicality.

This year, they at least picked a high-upside version of that type in the first round with Bear. His stock took a hit when his season ended due to an Achilles' tear, but all signs pointed to a full recovery when he returned to the ice prior to the draft.

Bear is a high-octane forward who never stops moving his feet and looks to get involved at both ends of the ice. His work ethic was nearly unmatched in this draft class, using his endless motor to throw hits on the forecheck or drive the puck to the net front. He has an excellent shot and makes some really nice passes out of trouble when he goes into those battles down low and along the boards. Bear has the potential to be a top-six scoring winger with some really impressive two-way utility. 

In Round 2, the Red Wings took Swedish right winger Eddie Genborg. He’s a safe, steady prospect who brings a physical edge and a sound defensive game. He doesn’t present a ton of upside, but he does have a good shot and establishes position around the net quite well. His bottom-six utility will be an asset at the next level as the Wings look to fill their third and fourth lines with functional NHLers. 

Every year, the Wings bolster their pipeline in the crease. This year, Michal Pradel was their pick. The Slovak netminder was fantastic at the World Men’s Under-18s, leading the underdog squad to the bronze medal game against the Americans. Pradel helped push the game to overtime with some massive saves before falling in extra time. Pradel has great size, and he moves fluidly around his crease. He isn’t always the most technical goalie, but he makes the first save and gives his team a chance to clear and get out of trouble.

Brent Solomon was an interesting pick as a high schooler from Minnesota. His one standout trait is his shot, which is a weapon all over the ice. He must take a significant step in other areas to take advantage of that weapon. A year in the United States League and then a couple of college campaigns could do wonders for Soloman.

In what might be one of the steals of the draft, Detroit took Michal Svrcek at 119th overall. While a little undersized at 5-foot-11, Svrcek plays with the vigor and pace teams want from a productive middle-six scorer. His speed and playmaking put defenders on their heels. Svrcek sets the table for his linemates. He does so many of the little things to drive play up ice and put them in an excellent position. He was a bit snakebitten at the U-18 level for Slovakia, but he consistently generated good results.

Fifth-round pick Nikita Tyurin is an interesting prospect because he hasn’t figured out how to leverage his skating and passing from the back end to be a truly effective defender. He’s already a solid transitional player, but his play at both ends of the ice must become more consistent. He has the tools and play-reading ability, and he flashes those skills often, but he also has some misreads and underwhelming execution at times. 

In the sixth round, the Wings picked Will Murphy. The big, strong defender loves to get involved physically, and he can kill plays along the boards. His habits when defending the cycle are simple and effective, as he aims to stall all momentum. Murphy hasn’t had much success offensively, and he’s not much of a puck-mover. He generally opts to go D-to-D or find the easiest outlet. He’s not much of a fun pick, but he’s a defensively focused, physical player.  

Detroit’s final pick was a dart throw, selecting high school athlete Grayden Robertson-Palmer. He’s a downhill attacker who has a bit of an unrefined game, but he loves to amp up the pace, get defenders thinking and force them to move on the rush. He’s a very incomplete player, but with some patience and growth over the next few years, Robertson-Palmer could be a very interesting NCAA player and NHL prospect. 

Strengths

How can you not talk about the goalies here? 

With Cossa and Augustine both ranking among the best netminders outside of the NHL and the Wings' tendency to draft solid netminders in just about every draft, the Wings should have a goalie of the future. Whether it’s one of the big two, Pradel from the 2025 draft or Rudy Guimond or Landon Miller from recent drafts, the Wings have goalies for days in the system. 

Weaknesses

The Red Wings don’t have a true glaring weakness, but they could use a center or two because most of the pivots they’ve drafted project to be lower in the lineup. 

Even Kasper, who has shown some flashes of potential in the top six, would likely settle into a third-line center role long-term. 

That puts the Wings' true weakness on display. They have plenty of depth in their prospect pool, but they lack high-end, elite impact and skill. Sandin-Pellikka can provide some skill and offensive impact on the back end, and they have goalies galore, but the forward group is missing that stud who could help give Detroit a scary top six when added to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.

Hidden Gem: Jesse Kiiskinen, RW

Since the Red Wings acquired Kiiskinen in exchange for Andrew Gibson in 2024, Detroit fans have been all over how impressive he has been. The 19-year-old was nearly a point-per-game player in the Liiga against men this past season, and he will jump to AHL Grand Rapids this upcoming year. Kiiskinen is shifty more than he’s fast, using his puckhandling and skill to evade pressure. His shot is pro-ready, so that should translate to North America with ease, and his passing his better than it’s given credit for. Kiiskinen has been one of the buzziest names of the development camp cycle for any team, so he’ll be a name to watch in the fall.

Next Man Up: Nate Danielson, C

This could easily be Mazur, but Danielson gets the nod here because he has the upside the Wings need. He can play just about anywhere in the top nine and possibly solidify the center position behind Larkin and Kasper. His arrival would also help push J.T. Compher and Andrew Copp to lesser roles, which they both need at this stage of their careers. Danielson may not be the true ‘Next Man Up,’ but the Red Wings and their fans are certainly hoping a solid camp and impressive pre-season can earn him a shot.

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Carter Bear, Michal Svrcek, Carter Mazur, Max Plante, Emmitt Finnie, Dmitri Buchelnikov

C: Nate Danielson, Ondrej Becher, Noah Dower-Nilsson, Amadeus Lombardi

RW: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Eddie Genborg, Jesse Kiiskinen

LD: Shai Buium, John Whipple, William Wallinder, Brady Cleveland, Eemil Viro

RD: Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Anton Johansson 

G: Trey Augustine, Sebastian Cossa, Rudy Guimond, Landon Miller, Michal Pradel

For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of The Hockey News in print.

The Chicago Blackhawks’ rebuilding squad will get quite the test on the opening night of the NHL regular season.

To kick off the tripleheader on Tuesday, Oct. 7, the Blackhawks are in Sunrise to take on the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. Chicago, meanwhile, finished second-last this past season.

One game won’t tell the whole story, but it will set a first impression of how close these rebuilding Blackhawks are to competing against teams of the Panthers’ caliber with the pieces each squad has. Suffice it to say, Chicago has a ways to go to end the rebuild as it develops its young talent.

The Panthers’ top two defense pairings can compete with that of any team, especially after they acquired Seth Jones from the Blackhawks around the 2025 trade deadline. It’s another story for the Blackhawks.

When their highest-scoring blueliner this past season is youngster Alex Vlasic, whose 30 points were a career high, they can’t expect any sufficient offensive production from the back end. As for Connor Murphy, whose 117 hits and 160 blocked shots led Hawks blueliners, he’s entering the final year of his contract and could be trade bait. Only the Anaheim Ducks allowed more high-danger chances against than Chicago this past season, according to naturalstattrick.com.

That’s not to say there isn’t some talent in the pipeline, as Chicago has youngsters including Kevin Korchinski, Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel who can grow into important NHL roles.

NHL Prospect Pool Overview ’25-26: Chicago Blackhawks Brought In A Stellar Draft HaulThe Chicago Blackhawks are next up in Tony Ferrari's NHL prospect pool overview series.

Similarly, comparing the Hawks’ forwards with the Panthers’ forwards tells you how long their road to respectability truly is. 

Yes, the Blackhawks have cornerstone center Connor Bedard as their most important player and prospects Anton Frondell, Sacha Boisvert and Nick Lardis in the system. Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Donato had 58 and 62 points this past season, while Frank Nazar, 21, established his spot in the NHL full-time.

They’ll need Bedard to continue to grow as a difference-maker with help from his supporting cast, but they’re still over a season away from the wave of prospects taking this team to the next level. Right now, they don’t have enough true needle-movers to be in the same breath as a legitimate Cup contender like the Panthers, which are very deep at every position.

In net, the Hawks have a young goalie in Spencer Knight, who came over from Florida in the Jones trade, as well as veteran Laurent Brossoit. No goalie will be able to bail out the defensively lacking Blackhawks players in front of them. There may come a day when Knight can thrive between the pipes for Chicago, but that day isn’t likely going to come next season.

Chicago has about $22.3 million in salary cap space, and they used that room to acquire Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken for an upgrade on offense. But it’s unlikely they can weaponize much more of their cap space at this point to get the type of players that will make them beat teams like the Panthers more often than not. 

The truth is the Hawks are a dog’s breakfast of assets at this stage, and many of their current players include veterans past their prime, like captain Nick Foligno, and second-tier NHLers, such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Teravainen and Burakovsky. 

It’s clearly easy to see why the Hawks will be a long shot to play meaningful hockey down the stretch in 2025-26. The Panthers are likely to make it clear in Game 1 next year how far the Blackhawks have to go next season. After another year or two, the Blackhawks will be much better built to take the next step.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have been busy in this off-season's trade market. 

Last month, they sent Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights for Nicolas Roy and acquired left winger Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth. 

Last week, they shipped left winger Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks for depth defenseman Henry Thrun.

Meanwhile, speculation persists that Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving could have a bigger move in store to offset some of the offense lost with Marner's departure. 

Last week, Sportsnet's Luke Fox noted the Leafs have the cap space to add another top-six winger but lack tradeable assets, such as first-round picks and desirable prospects. He claimed there has been some talk of Treliving peddling a defenseman, such as Brandon Carlo or Morgan Rielly, provided the latter agrees to waive his no-movement clause.

Rielly might have more value in the trade market, but it's unlikely he'll agree to be moved. Carlo's eight-team no-trade list makes him easier to shop, but he might not fetch a top-six forward. 

Meanwhile, wishful thinking persists among some Leafs fans over a possible reunion with Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri. The Hockey News’ David Alter doesn't completely rule it out but doubts the Flames will give up their first-line center. 

A more realistic option could be found via free agency. Alter recently noted the availability of versatile forward Jack Roslovic, who tallied 22 goals and 39 points last season with the Carolina Hurricanes. Fox indicated that the 28-year-old UFA has been linked to the Leafs.

Turning to Minnesota, the contract impasse between the Wild and Marco Rossi shows no sign of ending. The 23-year-old center completed his entry-level contract and lacked arbitration rights. 

Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribuneindicates Wild GM Bill Guerin holds the leverage in this standoff. She also reported that the two sides have exchanged contract offers, with the Wild making short- and long-term proposals. 

Rossi is eligible to sign an offer sheet with a rival team, but Guerin has indicated his club will match any offer. 

The Wild have just over $10 million in cap room for this season. Rossi is a promising center, but it's doubtful a rival club will attempt to sign him to anything exceeding $10 million. 

A trade is possible, and Rossi has been a frequent fixture in the rumor mill since last summer. However, Guerin maintains his preference is to sign the youngster to a new contract.

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The Buffalo Sabres re-signed defenseman Bowen Byram to a two-year extension worth $6.25 million per season.

This contract will expire at the end of the 2026-27 season, when he will be a pending 26-year-old UFA.

Before re-signing, Byram was an RFA who was scheduled for a team-elected salary arbitration. The 24-year-old D-man was also a topic of trade speculation during the off-season, partially because of the Sabres already having Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power on the left side. After trading right winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in June, some analysts speculated they could move Byram for a top-six forward.

Instead, the Sabres and Byram found common ground to maintain a nice defense corps, which also includes newly acquired Michael Kesselring and Mattias Samuelsson.

Byram is coming off his first full season with the Sabres, recording seven goals and a career-high 38 points in 82 games. He was one of nine Sabres players to finish with a positive plus-minus rating with a plus-11, and he averaged 22:42 of ice time.

Byram is coming off another two-year contract at a $3.85-million cap hit, signed with the Colorado Avalanche in 2023. He played parts of four seasons with the Avalanche, including in 2021-22 when he was part of their Stanley Cup championship. Colorado traded him to Buffalo for Casey Mittelstadt close to the 2024 NHL trade deadline.

Byram is now headed into his sixth NHL season. Across his previous five campaigns, he’s made over 250 regular-season and playoff appearances.

In 246 regular-season games, Byram has 33 goals and 110 points, along with 12 assists in 27 playoff contests.

The Sabres now have about $7.39 million in salary cap space, according to PuckPedia. Only defenseman Conor Timmins, who filed for arbitration, and goaltender Devon Levi remain RFAs on Buffalo.

Byram was also the second-highest-scoring RFA defenseman who remained unsigned. New Jersey Devils youngster Luke Hughes' 44 points are the most, while the Seattle Kraken's Ryker Evans now has the second-most, with 25.

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The NHL’s trade and free-agency period has died down, which gives us the opportunity to weigh in on the top teams in the league by position. We’re kicking things off by examining the NHL’s best defense corps. 

The criteria for narrowing things down to five teams includes identifying the best blend of the limitation of quality scoring chances against and overall offensive production. If they were very strong in one category and above average in another, that helps. Of course, quality depth on ‘D’ plays a factor as well.

With that said, here are this writer’s picks for the top five defense groups in the NHL, with new-addition players in italics:

1. Colorado Avalanche

Defensemen: Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Josh Manson, Samuel Girard, Brent Burns, Sam Malinski

Adding Burns to an already-dynamic collection of blueliners gives the Avalanche as deep a group of D-men as there is. 

Burns has lost some of the offensive punch he had in recent years, but Colorado doesn’t need him to lead the team in scoring by a blueliner. That’s because the Avs led the NHL in points from defensemen in 2024-25, with 211. Colorado was also 12th in the league with a 2.82 goals-against average and 11th in fewest expected goals-against per 60 minutes, with 2.87, according to naturalstattrick.com.

Superstar Norris Trophy winner Makar and Toews power the Avalanche’s defense group. Manson and Girard form an excellent second pair. Burns and young puck-mover Malinski comprise the third pair. It doesn’t get better than that.

2. Florida Panthers

Defensemen: Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Seth Jones, Nikko Mikkola, Dmitry Kulikov, Jeff Petry

The back-to-back defending Cup champions had an embarrassment of riches on the back end. Re-signing Ekblad was a massive move, and having him and Jones on the right side is a heckuva one-two punch. Replacing veteran Nate Schmidt with the experienced Petry shouldn’t hurt the depth, either.

Regardless of how their final pair shapes up, Florida’s top four of Ekblad, Jones, Forsling and Mikkola are mobile puck-movers who limit opponent chances to the outside. They averaged the seventh-fewest high-danger chances against, the fourth-fewest expected goals against and the fifth-fewest shots against. While they were only 23rd in the NHL in points by defensemen, they were 13th in goals by defensemen and easily outchanced their opponents.

Their defensive acumen when the games matter most is the reason why they’re one of our top six defense corps.

3. Washington Capitals

Defensemen: John Carlson, Jakob Chychrun, Matt Roy, Rasmus Sandin, Martin Fehervary, Trevor van Riemsdyk

The Capitals made some strategic improvements to their back end in the past couple seasons, acquiring Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators and signing Roy in free agency last summer. They also got Sandin from the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023. But Washington has built a terrific defense corps, which finished fourth place in points by defensemen last year, with 200.

The Capitals’ 2.79 goals-against average also finished ninth in the NHL, while their shots against and high-danger chances against were above average. They’re clearly stronger offensively than defensively as a group, but their main pairings this past season outchanced their opponents when on the ice. And given that four Caps D-men – Chychrun, Roy, Sandin and Fehervary – are signed for at least the next four seasons, Washington’s defense corps will likely stay a top-level force for the foreseeable future.

4. Carolina Hurricanes

Defensemen: Jaccob Slavin, K’Andre Miller, Sean Walker, Shayne Gostisbehere, Jalen Chatfield, Alexander Nikishin

The Hurricanes had one of the best groups of blueliners last season, but they lost veterans Brent Burns to Colorado and Dmitry Orlov to San Jose this summer. Still, this group remains elite because Carolina GM Eric Tulsky acquired Miller via trade with the New York Rangers. 

The Canes were 13th in the NHL in points from defensemen, with 171. But it’s their skill at preventing goals that’s why they’re an elite group of D-men. Jaccob Slavin is among the NHL’s best defensive defensemen, after all. Carolina finished 10th in the league in goals-against average (2.80), and the Hurricanes’ defense made life much easier on their goaltenders by limiting quality scoring chances for the opposition. They allowest the fewest shots per game in the NHL, with 24.9.

Of defense pairs that logged at least 500 minutes this past season, the Gostisbehere and Walker pair had the highest expected goals percentage, at 59.6 percent, according to moneypuck.com. The Slavin-Burns pair was fourth, at 57.4 percent.

5. New Jersey Devils

Defensemen: Luke Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, Jonas Siegenthaler, Simon Nemec, Brenden Dillon

The Devils were snakebit by the injury bug last season, which limited star D-man Hamilton to only 64 games. However, when everyone’s healthy, New Jersey’s defense has the skill at both ends of the ice that’s the envy of many, if not most teams.

The Devils were 20th in the league in points by defensemen (161), but Hamilton led the NHL with 40 points among defensemen who played 65 games or fewer. Youngsters Hughes and Nemec are only 21 and still developing, and Siegenthaler and Pesce are 28 and 30 years old, respectively. Only Hamilton (32 years old) and Dillon (34) are closer to the end of their careers than the beginning, so this group should only improve. The team was also above average in limiting high-danger chances.

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It's time to discuss more NHL and hockey topics on The Wraparound.

Should Kaprizov Test NHL Free Agency In 2026? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Kelsey Surmacz discussed in today's episode:

0:00: Breaking down the NHL's decision to return to the decentralized draft format

6:30: How will the NHL's upcoming changes to emergency backup goalies impact the game?

12:10: Could Arturs Silovs be the goaltender of the future for the Pittsburgh Penguins?

18:00: Will Jeff Skinner be able to have a resurgence with the San Jose Sharks?

23:00: Could Kirill Kaprizov test free agency next summer?

29:40: Which team needs Gavin McKenna the most at the 2026 NHL draft?See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

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