The Columbus Blue Jackets are the latest focus in our NHL prospect pool overview series.

Tony Ferrari digs into the Blue Jackets’ 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.

Initial Thoughts

The Blue Jackets are on the rise. They are starting to see the youngest members of the squad make a major impact as they look to return to the post-season for the first time since the 2020 COVID-19 playoffs. Although a few players remain from that team, this is a new generation of Blue Jackets hockey, and Adam Fantilli leads it. 

Fantilli reached the 30-goal plateau as a 20-year-old center last year, finishing fifth on the team in scoring. His value as a two-way center has also begun to show itself. As Fantilli enters his third NHL season, there could be a significant step in production this year, bringing him closer to point-per-game production. 

The Jackets found their franchise center in Fantilli. Now, it’s just about surrounding him with talent. 

Kent Johnson helps bring that talent. This past year seemed like the first time an NHL coach embraced that Johnson is one of the most purely skilled players in the NHL. Johnson blossomed because of it with 57 points in 68 games. Johnson is capable of things most players could only dream of. He’s a video game in real life. He and Fantilli showed some amazing chemistry at times. Going into his age-23 season, Johnson is primed for a true breakout. 

Fantilli and Johnson don’t qualify as prospects, but the Blue Jackets do have quite a few very solid prospects. 

Headlining the group is Cayden Lindstrom, the fourth overall pick from the 2024 NHL draft. The big, physical forward has a fantastic blend of power and skill to his game. He will crush a player along the boards as they look to break out of their defensive zone, steal the puck and power his way to the net and get a shot off with a defender on his back. After missing most of this past season recovering from his back injury, Lindstrom is headed to Michigan State University, where he will get to test his skill against bigger, faster competition.

James Malatesta and Luca Del Bel Belluz got into a few NHL games but spent most of this past season in the AHL. Malatesta had a slightly more challenging season than his rookie campaign, but his intelligence and tactical play remained. Del Bel Belluz, meanwhile, took a major step up at the AHL level, which earned him an extended call up, getting into 15 NHL games. He put up eight points in his NHL stint, which is probably good enough to keep him in a roster spot going into next season.

Luca Pinelli finished his OHL career with a solid season in Ottawa despite the team missing the playoffs. Pinelli plays with his heart on his sleeve. He was a two-year captain for the 67’s and gave his all on every shift. Pinelli has a great shot, some wicked vision and tenacity that helps mute the concerns about his 5-foot-9 size. He must prove he can handle the physical nature of pro hockey. He had a brief stint in the AHL at the end of this past season and played well. 

After an incredibly high-scoring QMJHL career, Jordan Dumais was injured for the first half of the year before jumping into the AHL. He had 11 points in 21 games, but he never really got up to speed. The 21-year-old will aim to return to his high-end offensive production. Dumais’ most effective play has always been in the offensive zone, using his passing and vision to open up chances for teammates.

On the back end, the Blue Jackets have a few notable players, highlighted by Charlie Elick. He is a big, mobile defensive blueliner who shows some flashes of puck-moving ability, but he’s not ever going to be mistaken for a high-end producer. His value comes from shutting play down and getting involved physically.

Stanislav Svozil is a two-way defender who has been solid in each of his two years with the Cleveland Monsters. He skates well and uses that to his advantage at both ends of the ice. He mirrors attackers, closes out at one end of the ice, evades pressure and makes crisp passes at the other. He doesn’t have much high-end skill, but he should be able to play a decent depth role with solid breakout passing and good defensive play at the NHL one day.

Corson Ceulemans has had an interesting development path. He has all the physical tools, including skating, size, strength, puckhandling and passing, but he hasn’t put it all together just yet. He went from the BCHL to the NCAA to the AHL, and each level put him to the test. This will be a big season for the 22-year-old, as he will look to finally start building and providing steady value in the AHL in hopes of earning an NHL call-up.

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

Adam Fantilli (C), Denton Mateychuk (D), Cole Sillinger (C/W), Kent Johnson (LW/C), Luca Del Bel Belluz (C)

2025 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 14th overall - Jackson Smith, D, Tri-City (WHL)

Round 1, 20th overall - Pyotr Andreyanov, G, Krasnaya Armiya Moscow Jr. (Rus)

Round 3, 76th overall - Malte Vass, D, Farjestad Jr. (Swe.)

Round 5, 160th overall - Owen Griffin, C, Oshawa (OHL)

Round 6, 173rd overall - Victor Raftheim Hedin, D, Brynas Jr. (Swe.)

Round 7, 198th overall - Jeremy Loranger, C, Sherwood Park (BCHL)

The Blue Jackets hope the 2025 NHL draft is the last where they pick in a non-playoff position for a while. 

Big right-shot defender Jackson Smith is arguably the second-best defender in the class. He is incredibly mobile and has some of the most enticing physical tools. He’s shown flashes of puck-rushing ability and offensive creation. His most valuable trait is his transition defense, where he mirrors opposing players, steps up and either takes the puck off their stick or finishes with the body. Smith must find some consistency, but he has the tools to become a very solid No. 2 or No. 3 defenseman. 

A few picks later, Columbus selected the first goalie of the draft, Pyotr Andreyanov. The highly touted Russian is one of the most athletic goalies in the class. His skating is surgical, rarely wasting a movement and consistently finding ways to stay square with the puck. Andreyanov instantly shoots to the top of the Jackets' goalie depth chart, and he could be the goalie of the future for the franchise. In the meantime, he signed a five-year contract extension with CSKA Moscow as he continues to develop.

Malte Vass is a strong defensive player, using intelligent reads and strong skating to ensure he is in a good position to kill plays. The Swede’s play on the puck is best when he keeps things simple and doesn’t try to do too much. Vass is a simple passer who finds the first outlet and hits it quickly. He’s not fun to watch from a skill perspective, but he’s effective, and his physicality gets people out of their seats. 

Owen Griffin epitomizes a player who excels in many aspects of the game but doesn’t have a standout trait. Griffin shows some skill, a steady 200-foot game and a predictability in his play that coaches will love. If he were a bit bigger, teams would likely have seen him as a bottom-six option more easily, but at 5-foot-10, he must prove his worth in the bottom six to get to the NHL level one day. 

In the sixth round, Columbus swung on a toolsy, raw defender with some size, Victor Raftheim Hedin. The 6-foot-4 blueliner tries to get involved in plays, whether that's jumping up to join the rush, creeping down off the point in the offensive zone or cheating over to help in the defensive zone. Raftheim Hedin must play a more structured game and learn to refine the little things, but his mobility, tools and athleticism are all interesting traits to build on. 

The Blue Jackets’ last pick was a massive swing on a scoring forward from the BCHL, Jeremy Loranger. His 105 points led the league with an 18-point margin over the second-place scorer. Loranger is small, and he plays accordingly, avoiding physical play whenever possible. This was a major concern for teams, as you need some sort of ability to handle physical play. Loranger is a creative passer who weaves through traffic with the puck and fires off passes. In the seventh round, this is exactly the kind of swing you want to take.  

Strengths

For a team that struggled for so long down the middle, center has become a bit of a strength in its pipeline. 

Fantilli and Cole Sillinger are U-22 players already on the roster and playing center. You can add Del Bel Belluz to that list this year, in all likelihood. 

Their top prospect, Lindstrom, could be the center the Jackets pair with Fantilli to form a dangerous one-two punch on the top two lines. Griffin was a nice addition in the draft. Pinelli and William Whitelaw are potential wingers at the next level, but they still have a chance to play down the middle. That’s an impressive group. 

Weaknesses

The Jackets have a pretty solid prospect pool all around, but the left wing lacks some talent. Malatesta is a solid prospect, but he wouldn’t be considered a high-end player. Oiva Keskinen is a fine prospect who could be a depth scoring option, and he’ll play his first AHL season this upcoming year after a couple of solid campaigns in the Liiga. Beyond that, Columbus could use a forward or two on the left side.

Hidden Gem: Luca Marrelli, D

The activation in Marrelli’s game has always been there, but in his final OHL season, he took full advantage of it. The Oshawa defender consistently joined the rush or jumped into the fray off the blueline. It allowed him to take advantage of his ever-improving shot and continue to impact the game as a facilitator. Marelli was second in playoff scoring as he helped lead his team to the final, where they lost for a second straight year to the London Knights. He will take his talents to Cleveland in the AHL next season.

Next Man Up: Luca Del Bel Belluz, C/W

For all the high-quality prospects the Jackets have, many of them are already in the NHL, or they are a year or two away. Del Bel Belluz is next up, and although he’s less exciting than some of their other youngsters, he’s still a solid prospect. He’s a tactical scorer who finds ways to connect plays with effective passing and intelligent positioning. He’s not a star, but he will be a solid contributor.

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: James Malatesta, Oiva Keksinen

C: Cayden Lindstrom, Luca Del Bel Belluz, Luca Pinelli, William Whitelaw, Owen Griffin 

RW: Jordan Dumais, Kirill Dolzhenkov, James Fisher

LD: Jackson Smith, Stanislav Svozil, Malte Vass, Andrew Strathmann, Aidan Hreschuk, Daemon Hunt

RD: Charlie Elick, Corson Ceulemans, Luca Marrelli

G: Pyotr Andreyonov, Sergei Ivanov, Evan Gardner, Melvin Strahl, Nolan Lalonde

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.

Welcome back to another episode of rapid-fire NHL and hockey topics on The Wraparound.

Will The Canadiens End Up Paying Hutson More Than Dobson? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Willie Ramirez discussed in today's episode:

0:00: Breaking down Jack Eichel’s 1-on-1 interview with Willie Ramirez

6:10: What to make of the San Jose Sharks acquiring Ryan Reaves from the Toronto Maple Leafs

10:40: Was it a smart move for the Pittsburgh Penguins to trade for Matt Dumba?

15:10: Will the Dallas Stars continue to shop Jason Robertson throughout the summer?

20:57: How much will player development improve with one 19-year-old reportedly being eligible to play on AHL rosters when the next CBA starts?

25:45: Are the Colorado Avalanche still top Stanley Cup contenders?

29:10: Should the Edmonton Oilers look to upgrade their top six after Zach Hyman’s recent injury update?

32:30: Will the Montreal Canadiens end up paying Lane Hutson more than Noah Dobson?

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

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Promo image credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

On the surface, the decentralized NHL draft seems to defy logic.

One year after holding the glitziest and most spectacular NHL draft ever at The Sphere in Vegas, it turned in a tedious, clunky, awkward and loooooong affair with its decentralized draft in 2025.

And after watching what transpired in Los Angeles, the NHL will likely do it again?

Well, not the league, exactly. As was the case this year, the GMs wanted this because it was a less expensive and more efficient way to do business.

That's the crux of the matter here. The NHL draft is not for us. It's not to entertain the fans or keep members of the media happy.

It's the most important day of the year for a hockey operations department. They are procuring young talent that will dictate the future direction of their franchises. That's the purpose of the draft. Everything else is just window dressing.

If the NHL can clean up the process, then there's no reason why a decentralized draft can't work.

Watch today's video column, and share your thoughts.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a quiet off-season in terms of acquisitions thus far. 

Their biggest additions were acquiring Nicolas Roy from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Mitch Marner and bringing in playmaking winger Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth. 

On Thursday, they sent little-used enforcer Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks for depth defenseman Henry Thrun.

Sportsnet's Sonny Sachdeva included the Maple Leafs among his five teams that he believes could make moves during a quiet free-agency period. While Roy and Maccelli are good players, Sachdeva believes the Leafs must do more to replace Marner's offense. 

The Leafs' need for another scoring forward prompted Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun to suggest a reunion with Nazem Kadri. That's unlikely to happen given Kadri's importance to the Calgary Flames as they attempt to contend for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. 

Sachdeva suggested Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust as possible trade options. Rakell is coming off a career-best 35-goal season and has three years left on his contract with an average annual value of $5 million. Rust also has three years remaining on his deal ($5.125 million AAV) and reached career highs of 31 goals and 65 points this past season.

PuckPedia indicates the Leafs have $5.33 million in cap space for this season with 23 active roster players under contract. Sachdeva cited colleague Elliotte Friedman reporting that forwards Calle Jarnkrok ($2.1 million AAV) and David Kampf ($2.4 million) are candidates to be traded out of Toronto, which would free up $4.5 million in cap space.

Rust lacks no-trade protection, and Rakell has an eight-team no-trade list. Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported on July 7 there is considerable interest around the league in both players, but Penguins GM Kyle Dubas isn't under pressure to move either guy. Dubas could be uninterested in Jarnkrok or Kampf unless a high pick is included in the deal.  

Meanwhile, RG.Org's James Murphy reported the Maple Leafs are among multiple teams interested in Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson. He cited an NHL source claiming the Leafs seek another puck-moving defenseman, noting they were also linked to Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils. 

Murphy claimed there's a widespread belief that the Penguins would have to retain a portion of their share ($10 million) of Karlsson's $11.5 million AAV to facilitate a trade. He also said the Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, Mammoth and Dallas Stars were interested in the three-time Norris Trophy winner. 

Karlsson has a full no-movement clause but could waive it to join a contender. That rules out all but the Stars, which have less than $2 million in cap space. 

The Penguins' asking price for Karlsson could include a first-round pick, a top prospect or a good young NHL player, assets that the Leafs have little to part with.

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Not every trade, signing, hiring or firing an NHL team makes will be a no-brainer in the public’s eyes.

Just about every NHL team has made at least a couple of moves – free-agent signings, trades, staff changes or all of the above during the off-season. Some of those moves have us scratching our heads – and then trying to envision how they will ultimately look like great decisions. 

Here are three confusing off-season decisions and why they can turn out well. (For transparency, we had the Toronto Maple Leafs keeping Ryan Reaves on the list before they traded him to the San Jose Sharks Thursday night.)

Seattle Kraken Firing Dan Bylsma

Why It’s Confusing: You give Bylsma one year – one year, for a Stanley Cup-winning coach – before cashing in his chips on him? 

Granted, he didn’t steer the Kraken into a playoff position.  Seattle finished seventh in the relatively weak Pacific Division. That said, we don’t know of a coach who could’ve succeeded with the Kraken’s subpar lineup. Bylsma’s resume should’ve given him at least another year on the job, but that didn’t happen.

Why It Can Turn Out Well: Maybe dismissing Bylsma was the right move, especially considering Jason Botterill has moved in as Seattle’s GM. Every GM usually sticks with his coach, so Botterill choosing Lane Lambert over Bylsma could spark the Kraken. They need to be better defensively, which was Lambert’s specialty as associate coach of the Maple Leafs. In other words, he could be exactly the coach Seattle needs right now.

The Minnesota Wild’s Contractual Saga With Rossi

Why It’s Confusing:The Wild’s buyout costs for former stars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter are a combined $1,666,666 now instead of nearly $15 million. You’d think Minnesota GM Bill Guerin would happily throw money at center Marco Rossi, who scored 24 goals and 60 points in his second full NHL season. 

The Wild have nearly $10.2 million in cap space to play with, so it should be easy for Guerin to re-sign Rossi, even if he isn’t completely enthralled with his game. Judging by Rossi’s usage in the playoffs – averaging 11:08 of ice time – Wild coach John Hynes isn’t crazy about Rossi’s game, either. He still got three points in six post-season games, though.

Why It Can Turn Out Well: By waiting this long into the off-season, Guerin is essentially telling Rossi and his representative, “Find me a team that will pay you big money, and I’ll think about matching the deal.” The truth is, if Rossi can’t find greener pastures, he’ll have to eventually accept what the Wild are offering him. At that point, Minnesota’s payroll flexibility situation will be better for it. So daring Rossi to sign an offer sheet is the savvy move by Guerin.

Christian Dvorak’s New Contract With Flyers

Why It’s Confusing: Seemingly out of nowhere, the Flyers swooped in and signed Dvorak to a one-year, $5.4 million contract. We understand that the market for centers is thin, but what teams out there were offering the 29-year-old Dvorak – who hasn’t scored more than 12 goals and 33 points in a season since 2019-20 – a big-bucks, short-term deal? 

And why was that team the Flyers? The newly acquired Trevor Zegras can play center, and they also have Sean Couturier and Noah Cates as options down the middle.

Why It Can Turn Out Well: Dvorak has had trouble staying healthy in his nine-year NHL career, but when healthy, he’s able to be a contributor on an up-and-coming team like Philadelphia. 

At his healthiest, he’s a 15-goal, 35-point player, and it could be that the Flyers need some veteran know-how to push them into a fight for a wild-card playoff berth, or at the very least, make life easier for their younger players.

Dvorak also doesn’t have any no-trade or no-move protection, so if he does play well and Philly is out of the playoff picture, they can deal Dvorak on retained salary for younger players or draft picks.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs traded veteran Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Henry Thrun on Thursday night.

Reaves, 38, has one season remaining on a three-year contract worth $1.35 million annually. He recorded two assists, 28 penalty minutes and 103 hits in 35 games for the Maple Leafs this past season.

He's one of the NHL's heavyweight fighters, taking 93 major penalties in his career and logging a total of 1,100 penalty minutes, the sixth-most by an active player. This past year, he fought once in the regular season against the Columbus Blue Jackets' Mathieu Olivier and once in the pre-season against the Ottawa Senators' Donovan Sebrango.

Reaves cleared waivers in March and played three games for the AHL's Toronto Marlies.

On the Cam & Strick Podcastthis week, Reaves discussed his time after being assigned to the AHL and more. He said he was skating with a skills coach for a couple of weeks instead of practising with the Marlies before he called to join the team and play some home games.

Reaves also defended Mitch Marner for not re-signing in Toronto and joining the Vegas Golden Knights.

" 'Mitchy' earned the right to go wherever he wants, and he's dedicated his whole career to Toronto, a hometown guy, and he's poured everything he had into it, and sometimes it's just time to move on," Reaves said, adding that Leafs fans can be a little ruthless to Marner.

As for Reaves' time with the Leafs, he said he likes Toronto but didn't go downtown often, except for games. But he praised Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies and William Nylander.

Although Reaves' contract expires after next season, he said he'd like to hang on for another two years in the NHL so that he can reach 1,000 games and go for the Stanley Cup. He's currently 88 games away from 1,000.

Thrun, 24, enters the second campaign of a two-year contract with a $1-million cap hit. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound blueliner played 60 games for the Sharks this past season, putting up two goals and 10 assists for 12 points. He averaged 17:31 in ice time and blocked 66 shots.

In 119 career NHL games, Thrun has five goals and 20 assists for 25 points with a minus-48 rating. Before his pro career began, he played at Harvard, captaining the squad in 2022-23. He had 31 points in 33 games that year and was named to the NCAA's first all-American team in the East, the first all-star team in the ECAC, the NCAA's all-Ivy league first team and more.

This past January, Thrun said he felt stronger on pucks and better defensively, and he had a good relationship with coach Ryan Warsofsky as he tried to improve.

Toronto gains $350,000 in cap space, now having about $5.33 million overall, according to PuckPedia. The Sharks have about $23.5 million in cap space, about $1.3 million over the cap floor.  

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Isaac Howard bet on himself by forcing a trade to the Edmonton Oilers, but it comes with a catch.

The Tampa Bay Lightning first-rounder may have landed a dream job on Connor McDavid’s or Leon Draisaitl’s wing next season with the Oilers. But if Howard, who won the Hobey Baker Award as the top men’s college hockey player, didn’t already have a bullseye on his back, he certainly does now. 

Chances are, like Rutger McGroarty and Cutter Gauthier, he’s probably OK with that. 

When you’re a young, elite hockey player, the world can be your oyster. You have the power of top-level performance to build your brand. You have people who’ve scouted you from an early age, telling you how great you are. And more often than not, you wind up believing in the hype about yourself.

Now, some elite young players wind up doing what most young players do – they accept hockey’s draft system, go wherever they’re told to go and build a career from there. 

But over the years, there have been some top youngsters who defied the system and negotiated their way to a team and a town where they felt they were a better fit than the club that drafted them.

Of course, some famous examples in modern history are Eric Lindros, who refused to play in Quebec City, orchestrating a trade to the Philadelphia Flyers. More recently, star defenseman Adam Fox first told the Calgary Flames he wouldn’t sign with them after they drafted him. After the Flames dealt him to the Carolina Hurricanes, Fox didn’t sign there, either. Before his draft rights expired, the Hurricanes moved him to where he wanted to be, the New York Rangers, where he’s played ever since.

In the past couple of years, top forward prospects Gauthier and McGroarty leveraged their way out of Philadelphia and Winnipeg, respectively. Gauthier forced a trade to the Anaheim Ducks, while McGroarty got moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

With all that in mind, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that another young up-and-comer has forced his way away from the team that drafted him. Howard didn’t come to terms with the Lightning, which selected him 31st overall pick in 2022. The Lightning traded him to the Oilers in exchange for OHL prospect Sam O’Reilly.

In his introductory press availability, Howard said the usual boilerplate things about being happy with his new team. But make no mistake – he will now face scrutiny as he tries to make the jump from the NCAA to the NHL without needing to play in the AHL. Like it or not, when you use the system to your advantage in a way most players do not, the spotlight on you will be prolonged and intense. 

So far in their careers, McGroarty and Gauthier haven’t exactly set the league on fire. McGroarty spent most of his first professional season in the AHL, posting 14 goals and 39 points in 60 games this past season. In a brief stint with the NHL’s Penguins, McGroarty generated only one goal and three points in eight games. His adaptation to hockey’s top league will still take some time, but he’s got a promising future.

Gauthier has been more successful thus far, playing a full 82 games with the Ducks in his initial NHL season and generating 20 goals and 44 points. Gauthier has had more opportunity than some of his peers, but he’s taken some of the heat off himself by being so productive as a rookie.

Now, the same spotlight will hang hard on Howard. 

The belief in Edmonton is that the 21-year-old is NHL-ready and will be in the lineup when the 2025-26 season begins. Playing alongside McDavid and Draisaitl will no doubt help Howard’s acclimation to the NHL, but playing on a team that wants a Stanley Cup championship means there’s little room for error.

It may not be fair in that regard, but by orchestrating a trade to a place he wants to play, Howard has opened himself up for criticism, not only from Lightning fans who may feel cheated but from hockey gatekeepers who always bristle when a young player dictates where they want to play.

If Howard can thrive as an Oiler, Edmonton management will be more than happy to make him a cornerstone part of the organization. While Howard will likely face a lifetime of jeering from Tampa fans – the same way McGroarty and Gauthier will always hear it from Jets and Flyers fans, respectively – this won’t be the last time we see a player break up the hockey food chain and make it clear they’re not going to be swayed when it comes to playing where they want to play.

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The video of ex-NHL enforcer Nick Tarnasky getting into a fight at a golf course in Alberta has taken over the hockey community by storm.

Former NHL player Drew Shore, alongside Ryan Kennedy and Michael Traikos, discussed the viral clip in the July 9 episode of The Big Show.

“I don’t think (Tarnasky) is the guy you want to get drunk and start lipping off to on the golf course,” Shore said.

Video footage captured Tarnasky, 40, and an unidentified golfer at the Alberta Springs Golf Resort near Red Deer, Alta., having an argument that escalated into a physical altercation. There was reportedly some frustration coming from Tarnasky’s group with how long the group in front of him was taking to tee their shot.

A golfer from the other group eventually confronted the former enforcer. Tarnasky threw him into the pond and punched him five times, yelling “bang” with every punch.

“Imagine that guy walking into the clubhouse at the end of his round,” Shore said. “You’re just playing golf, people are coming in, and the guy comes in, clothes are soaking wet, black eye, bruised cheek. That’s a very tough one to explain to someone.”

Tarnasky played 245 NHL games and accumulated 297 penalty minutes in his career. He played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers between 2005 and 2010. He played for the Montreal Canadiens in the 2013 pre-season and New York Rangers in the 2014 pre-season.

In addition, he recorded over 800 more penalty minutes across nine seasons in the AHL and one in the KHL.

"If anyone has an old Nick Tarnasky jersey lying around, this would be a great week to dust it off and wear it again," EA Sports NHL 25 play-by-play voice James Cybulski posted on X.

Painter Travis Chapman painted the altercation and shared it to social media on Wednesday, getting nearly 1-million views and and 12,000 likes on X.

Added former NHL defenseman Marc Methot: "People don’t realize how dangerous some of these guys are. They can throw, but more importantly, they can eat punches when they have to. Tarnasky wasn’t even trying."

Before the video went viral on social media, another former NHL D-man, Mike Commodore, mentioned Tarnasky on X.

"Alberta Springs, I heard you guys have the greatest Member/Marshall In Western Canada…Nick Tarnasky…runs a tight ship. Very hands on," he wrote.

The Red Deer Minor Hockey Association said it’s conducting an internal investigation, despite the RCMP having concluded its investigation into the altercation. 

Tarnasky is a coach for the Red Deer Minor Hockey U-17 AAA team. On May 7, the organization announced he’d be returning behind the bench for the 2025-26 season. 

"We are aware of a video circulating on social media involving a coach with Red Deer Minor Hockey," RDMHA said in a statement.

"At this time, given that we understand the matter is being reviewed by local policing authorities and we are conducting our own internal investigation into the alleged incident, we will have no further comments."

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The Chicago Blackhawks are next up in Tony Ferrari's NHL prospect pool overview series.

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

Initial Thoughts

The Blackhawks had a season from hell.

They were expected to take a step forward, but they failed. Not only that, but the fun of the game that was promised when they drafted Connor Bedard was largely gone in the first half of the season. Management did a poor job of bringing in talent to support their young players, but once they committed to having their youngest players on the roster, they were much more exciting.

Although Bedard is entering his third NHL season, he only turns 20 this off-season, and his shot is as good as it gets. The Hawks’ franchise centerpiece has had some ups and downs in his first couple of NHL seasons, but the potential is limitless. He remains one of the best young players in hockey, and he should finally have enough around him to take that step we’ve all been waiting for. 

Frank Nazar and Kevin Korchinski don’t fit the criteria here for this series, either, but they are both 21 heading into the year. Nazar is a lightning-quick forward who gives opponents fits with his speed, skill and creativity. The flashes he showed this past year were incredibly impressive, and he should be a breakout candidate this upcoming season. 

Korchinski played in the NHL a couple of years ago because Chicago felt like he was too good for the WHL, but that meant there were a ton of ups and downs. He looks great at times, using his skating and puck-moving ability to impact the game, but he wasn’t quite ready, so he spent this past year in the AHL for the most part. That said, his limited NHL action did look better. Nazar and Korchinski will be key players for the Hawks moving forward. 

Now, we get to the players who actually qualify as prospects. 

Oliver Moore got into nine games at the end of this past season after his college season ended, and he looked quite well. His speed and puckhandling allowed him to excel in transition. Moore is a legitimate center who should find his way to playing down the middle at some point this year. He plays a responsible two-way game, always looking to drive play up the ice. Moore could be a sneaky Calder candidate if he gets top six minutes. 

Speaking of speed, John Mustard had a decent freshman season at Providence College, but he ran into the same problems he’s always had. He plays a mile a minute, always looking to generate offense by forcing his way to the net. The issue is that he often doesn’t have a plan B. When his north-south speed game doesn’t work, he doesn’t adjust. While he can carve out an NHL career with his raw tools, he could be so much more if he learns to regulate his speed and space a bit more.

Chicago had another freshman in college, Sacha Boisvert. His 32 points in 37 games were impressive, and he adapted to college hockey as a power forward who gets involved around the boards. Boisvert’s best weapon offensively is a strong wrister that he gets off in motion effortlessly. A big sophomore season could lead to him signing an entry-level contract and playing a few pro games at the end of the year. 

A couple of near-point-per-game OHLers – Martin Misiak and Marek Vanacker – are depth prospects. 

Misiak is a bottom-six forward who forechecks hard and creates havoc with his motor. His passing is solid, and he has a good shot, but his hockey sense fails him at times. When he keeps things simple, he achieves a great deal of success. 

Vanacker plays more of a tactical game with well-timed passing and excellent habits on the forecheck. Misiak and Vanacher could be nice bottom six options.

Artyom Levshunov, the second overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft, played primarily in the AHL in his first professional season. He did get into 18 NHL games, mostly toward the end of the season. 

Levshunov is a big defender who loves to jump into the play and get involved offensively. His defensive game is a work in progress as he works on getting a bit quicker in pivots and small-area movement. Chicago seemed enthused by his progression this past year, which has him slotted into a top-four role heading into training camp. Levshunov is the pillar the Blackhawks look to build around on the back end. 

After two years in the NCAA with the University of Minnesota, Sam Rinzel turned pro at the end of this past season, with some encouraging play. He has all the physical traits you want from a defender. He’s fluid on his feet, physical along the boards and a more-than-capable puckhandler. He gets involved offensively as a shooter and playmaker, skating along the blueline to open up lanes. Rinzel will enter training camp with a job on the NHL roster, in all likelihood, but where he will play in the lineup remains to be determined. 

Ethan Del Mastro just barely held onto his rookie eligibility, and Nolan Allan played a bit too much this past year to qualify. Still, both are 22-year-old, defensive-minded, physical defenders who should factor into the lineup this year. Neither of them will be large offensive contributors, but they have the length and size to be excellent complements to their offensive blueliners coming up through the system.

The Blackhawks also have an impressive goalie pipeline. They acquired 24-year-old Spencer Knight this past season, which gives them a solid NHL netminder. He’s likely the starter of the future, but they also have Drew Commesso and Adam Gajan on their way. 

Commesso has steadily improved in the AHL over the last two seasons. Gajan had a decent freshman season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Both have potential as NHL netminders, but they’ll have a hard time unseating Knight as the starter.

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

Anton Frondell (C/W), Artyom Levshunov (D), Connor Bedard (C), Oliver Moore (C/W), Sam Rinzel (D), Kevin Korchinski (D), Frank Nazar (RW/C), Nolan Allan (D), Colton Dach (C/W), Ethan Del Mastro (D)

2025 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 3rd overall - Anton Frondell, C, Djurgarden (Swe.2)

Round 1, 25th overall - Vaclav Nestrasil, RW, Muskegon (USHL)

Round 1, 29th overall - Mason West, C/W, Edina (Minn. H.S.)

Round 3, 66th overall - Nathan Behm, RW, Kamloops (WHL)

Round 4, 98th overall - Julius Sumpf, C, Moncton (QMJHL)

Round 4, 107th overall - Parker Holmes, LW, Brantford (OHL)

Round 6, 162nd overall - Ashton Cumby, D, Seattle (WHL)

Round 7, 194th overall - Ilya Kanarsky, G, AKM Tula Jr. (Rus.)

The Blackhawks had one of the most impressive draft hauls of the year. They nabbed their guy in Anton Frondell at third overall and then drafted two big, raw, high-upside forwards at the tail end of the first round before adding some impressive swings on Day 2. 

Frondell’s draft stock went up and down throughout the year, but he hung around the top five for most of it. His power game, details along the boards and impressive shooting talent are all traits NHL teams love. Having a legitimate chance to play center only helped his stock. 

Frondell has dealt with some injuries over the last couple of years, but he’s always come back stronger and faster. With Bedard likely being the first-line center of the future, Frondell’s versatility could make him Bedard’s linemate or the second-line center, which would be a one-two punch other teams envy. Whatever their eventual fits together are, Frondell becomes a building block for the Hawks.

The 6-foot-6 Czech forward, Vaclav Nestrasil, had one of the most intriguing packages of raw tools in the draft. He loves to engage physically, looking for big hits along the boards and down low. With the puck, Nestrasil can use his full wingspan to deke and dangle. He’s an excellent passer in motion with some excellent vision. Nestrasil is a bit clumsy, and he must get more co-ordinated as a skater. If he can do that, Chicago may have one of the best value picks of the first round.

Chicago traded back near the end of the first round to select Mason West, a dual-threat athlete who chose to play hockey despite being a fairly well-recruited high-school quarterback in Minnesota. He will play hockey in high school next season, so that he can finish his high school football career and try to win a state title. He’s committed to playing hockey at Michigan State the following year. His development will take a bit longer as a result, but the upside is incredibly high. 

West has plenty of raw physical tools. Like Nestrasil, he stands 6-foot-6 and imposes his will physically on opposing players along the boards and in battles. He is an excellent shooter who can use his size to fire bombs on net. While West is a bit less refined as a puckhandler than Nestrasil, he is a much more fluid skater, and he generates speed at a high level. West has the agility and edge work of a much smaller player, so if he can continue to refine the small details in his game, West could be a big, fast, productive top-six forward at the NHL level in time. 

After trading their second-round picks to get West, the Hawks' next pick came in the third round when they got Nathan Behm. He’s a good shooter who excels when playing confident hockey, attacking defenders head-on with skill. He always seemed to create something, whether he was making a crisp pass after getting hit by a defender, forechecking hard or cycling the puck up the wall before heading to the net. Behm must get more fluid on his feet if he wants to play in the NHL, but there’s a solid base to work on. 

In the fourth round, Chicago took a swing at one of the most productive players on the QMJHL-champion Moncton Wildcats, Julius Sumpf. Often playing on the top line, Sumpf set the table for Caleb Desnoyers, the fourth overall pick who went to the Utah Mammoth. 

Sumpf consistently scans the ice and reads defenders to ensure he can make the best pass when he gets the puck. He puts his linemates in excellent positions to create offense. He was one of the better overage players in the draft.

While Chicago had a solid draft overall, Parker Holmes was an odd pick. He is a physical player who can throw down in a fight. There isn’t much offensive upside, and his tools don’t translate particularly well to the NHL. This was among the more perplexing picks of the draft, particularly at 107th overall.

Ashton Cumby is a big defender, but he wasn’t much of an impact player. He has some nice defensive moments, thanks to his reach and physical play, but he’s far too inconsistent. Chicago must hope he can develop into a solid defensive stopper. 

Their final pick of the draft was a swing on a 20-year-old Russian netminder who had stellar numbers. He hasn’t really been hyped up much, but swinging on a goalie, particularly a Russian goaltender, this late in the draft is a worthwhile investment. 

Strengths

The Blackhawks’ prospect pipeline is absolutely loaded. They already have high-end youngsters at the NHL level, with more on the way at every position. They have at least B-plus prospects at every position. 

Between the trio of powerful forwards they drafted this year in the first round and Moore, they have plenty of help coming up front. Korchinski has played quite a bit at the NHL level, including a full rookie season two years ago, but he’s far from the only defender on the way. Even in goal, the Hawks have two solid young netminders, along with Knight. It’s a good time to be a Chicago fan as they usher in the next wave. 

Weaknesses

While they could use a game-breaker or a true superstar in the prospect pipeline, Bedard is already on the NHL roster. 

The Hawks' biggest weakness may be that they lack right-shot defenders once Levshunov and Rinzel graduate to the NHL full-time, likely this year. That’s incredibly unfair and frankly a bit harsh, though. They have no real weakness.

Hidden Gem: AJ Spellacy, RW

Before taking West in 2025, the Blackhawks took another high-level football player in the 2024 NHL draft with AJ Spellacy. The highly athletic winger didn’t have the offensive impact he was expected to achieve this past year, but he was asked to do a lot in OHL Windsor. His speed and physicality were notable throughout the year. 

Spellacy’s offensive game has another level to it as well. He’s always been a raw prospect, and he might take a year or two in the AHL when his OHL career is done, but he could be well worth the wait.

Next Man Up: Anton Frondell, C

Word out of Chicago seems to be that Frondell will get every opportunity to play for the NHL club this fall. The buzz in Sweden is he is looking to make the move to North America as soon as possible. 

That would be a match made in heaven as the Hawks need some size and offensive punch. Frondell should bring both of those things. 

Playing alongside Bedard would make a ton of sense for Frondell as an 18-year-old, allowing both to share the responsibilities at center if needed. 

The third overall pick will struggle at times because the NHL is the top league in the world. The Allsvenskan is a very good league, and Frondell was good there, but it’s a big step up to the Swedish League and an even bigger one to the NHL. 

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Vaclav Nestrasil, John Mustard, Marek Vanacker, Gavin Hayes, Joel Svensson

C: Anton Frondell, Oliver Moore, Sacha Boisvert, Ryan Greene, Paul Ludwinski

RW: Mason West, AJ Spellacy, Nathan Behm, Martin Misiak, Jack Pridham

LD: Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, Dmitri Kuzmin, Ty Henry

RD: Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, Ryan Mast 

G: Drew Commesso, Adam Gajan, Ilya Kanarsky

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.

Promo image credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The NHL’s coaching carousel was in full effect over the off-season with nine new hires looking to make an immediate impact. 

Some of these bench bosses are making their NHL head coaching debuts, while others have been around for years.

The players make it happen on the ice, but the coaches are a huge part of the success or failure a team has each season. Sometimes, the bench boss can even help a team perform above expectations.

Here are four coaches who will have the biggest effect in their new position.

Mike Sullivan, New York Rangers

It was a rough year for the New York Rangers on and off the ice. After winning the Presidents’ Trophy and advancing to the Eastern Conference final in 2023-24, they had a huge drop-off last season.

The Rangers missed out on the playoffs and finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division. At one point, former coach Peter Laviolette was under fire for saying he didn’t have a message for the team after a 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in April.

Mike Sullivan was the perfect choice to lead the Blueshirts behind the bench. Sullivan won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins and is invested in managing a competitive team. With that, he was appointed the coach of Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off and the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.

Joel Quenneville, Anaheim Ducks

After resigning as coach of the Florida Panthers during the 2021-22 season, Joel Quenneville is returning to the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks. 

He resigned after an investigation into how the Chicago Blackhawks handled sexual assault allegations determined he was one of the people who had an inadequate response.

In July 2024, the NHL reinstated Quenneville, current Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman and former Blackhawks VP of hockey operations Al MacIsaac.

Quenneville is ready to push the Ducks and give them an opportunity to end a seven-year playoff drought. The team improved by 21 points from 2023-24, and the second-winningest coach in NHL history and two-time Jack Adams Award winner can take Anaheim to that next step.

Adam Foote, Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks had a campaign to forget on many levels last year. From the J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson rift to the Quinn Hughes injury and the team underperforming all season long, it wasn’t ideal for GM Patrik Allvin and the rest of the front office.

Despite not executing expectations last season, the Canucks aren’t that different from when they advanced to the Western Conference final in 2023-24. With the right preparation and leadership from new coach Adam Foote, Vancouver could be back in the mix.

Foote was an assistant coach for the Canucks for the last three seasons. He knows the core players of this team and understands what could be done to get the best out of them again.

“I’m really excited about it,” Canucks right winger Conor Garland told The Hockey News' Carol Schram in late May.  “I loved having him as an assistant. It's obviously going to be a little different now. I’m assuming as the head, we won’t be able to talk and hang out as much at the rink. But he was a lot of fun, and he's a very smart guy.”  

Rick Tocchet, Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers get to experience the reincarnation of Rick Tocchet. He played parts of 11 seasons with the Flyers before retiring in 2001-02. Now, he’s back as the bench boss following his time with the Canucks.

It didn’t take long before Tocchet was able to turn around the falling Canucks into a Stanley Cup contender. In his first full season in Vancouver in 2023-24, he ended a four-year playoff drought, advanced to the conference finals and won the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year.

It’s a huge task and a huge ask, but maybe Tocchet has another quick turnaround in him with his Flyers next season.

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