Two-time Stanley Cup champion Tyler Johnson announced his retirement from the NHL at 34. 

The center played a combined 863 regular-season and playoff games in 13 NHL seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins. He was part of the Lightning’s back-to-back Cup wins in 2020 and 2021.

“I’m filled with gratitude as I reflect on a journey that began as a kid in Spokane, Wash., dreaming of hockey,” Johnson said in a statement posted to his social media. “I can feel the crisp air of Eagles Ice Arena, where my mom, Debbie, taught me how to skate, and the countless hours my dad and grandpa spent coaching me, urging me to push harder.

“A short kid from a small town, I saw my chances of playing in the NHL were very slim. But my family – my parents, Ken and Debbie, and my grandparents – believed in me when doubt clouded my mind. Their unwavering faith turned that dream into reality.”

In fact, Johnson has won championships in the WHL, world juniors, AHL and NHL during his hockey career. He won the WHL’s Ed Chynoweth Cup, playoff MVP honors and the Memorial Cup in 2007-08, his first year in major junior hockey. The season afterward, he won gold with Team USA at the world juniors and was named a top-three player on the squad.

“From ages 17 to 20, playing for my community, surrounded by friends and family, was an honor I’ll cherish forever,” Johnson said.

After four seasons with the Spokane Chiefs, Johnson went undrafted and played two seasons in the AHL before entering the NHL. He won the Calder Cup with the Norfolk Admirals in 2012. 

Following that season, he played 62 games for the Syracuse Crunch before the Lightning called him up for 14 games to end the 2012-13 season.

Johnson’s best years were with the Bolts, including a career year in 2014-15. In 77 appearances, he recorded 29 goals and 43 assists for 72 points. He finished eighth in Selke Trophy voting that season, the highest he’s ranked for any award in his career.

“In the Lightning organization, I found my place,” Johnson said. He said Tampa was also where he met his wife, Megan.

His career ended with a short stint in Boston. He played nine games for the Bruins, recording two assists while averaging 13:05 of ice time. His tenure in Boston didn’t last, as his contract was mutually terminated after he made the roster through a PTO.

Johnson signs off with a total of 193 goals and 433 points with an average of 16:24 of ice time and a plus-19 rating. In the playoffs, he scored 32 goals and 65 points in 116 appearances, averaging 15:49 of ice time and a plus-seven rating.

“Now, after a lifetime devoted to hockey, I’m ready for what’s next,” Johnson said. “I’m thrilled to focus on starting a family and exploring new paths. This moment is bittersweet, but I leave the game with no regrets – only gratitude for the rinks, the teammates, the fans and a sport that will always ignite my soul. Thank you all for being part of my journey.”

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Welcome back to The Wraparound, where we discuss topics across the NHL in rapid-fire segments.

Should The Lightning's Quiet Free Agency Be A Concern? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan, Diandra Loux and Michael Augello discussed in today's episode:

0:00: Which player who elected for salary arbitration is due for the biggest payday?

4:35: Breaking down the Buffalo Sabres’ decision to elect for arbitration with Bowen Byram

9:50: Was Cam York’s extension a good deal for the Philadelphia Flyers?

15:25: Should the Toronto Maple Leafs pursue Jack Roslovic?

22:20: Are the Dallas Stars still considered Stanley Cup contenders?

25:45: Why Jakub Dobes’ extension was a smart move for the Montreal Canadiens

28:48: Will Jake O’Brien suit up for the Seattle Kraken this season?

31:50: Is a quiet free agency a cause for concern for the Tampa Bay Lightning?

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

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Promo image credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The 2024-25 NHL season began with the hockey world reeling from the tragic deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.

Teammates carried the brothers’ spirits with them throughout the year, underpinning several major moments and paying fitting tribute to the two young men.

On the ice, the reign of one Central Division star came to a conclusion, while another had an unexpected re-beginning. Franchise players changed area codes (one even did it twice!).

International best-on-best men’s hockey returned with a bang. Florida tasted glory again. And Alex Ovechkin did what once seemed impossible.

Here are the top moments of the 2024-25 NHL season.

1. Alex Ovechkin Breaks All-Time NHL Goals Record

Wayne Gretzky holds many NHL records, but he has one fewer now that Alex Ovechkin achieved something once thought impossible: breaking Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894.

On April 6, 2025, Ovechkin sent a wrist shot past New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin for the Washington superstar’s 895th career goal, setting off a jubilant celebration with his Capitals teammates.

Ovechkin dove across the ice on his belly to mark his record-breaking tally, which happened to occur 21 years to the day after Washington won the 2004 draft lottery. With that pick, the Caps selected Ovechkin first overall.

In the wake of the big goal, the game was stopped for a 15-minute ceremony featuring commissioner Gary Bettman and Gretzky himself, who had been supportive of Ovechkin’s run in the lead-up to 895.

2. Panthers Win Back-To-Back Cups

It was a rematch of the previous final, and once again, the Florida Panthers came out on top against the Edmonton Oilers.

This time, it only took six games, and the Cats were dominant when they had to be. Sure, three of the first four games in the series went into overtime, and the final was tied at two games apiece, but for Games 5 and 6, the Panthers brought down the hammer.

Sam Reinhart had four goals in the clinching 5-1 victory, while Sam Bennett earned the Conn Smythe Trophy on the strength of a league-best 15 post-season goals. Like the complete team they are, the Panthers got contributions from everyone, whether it was the suffocating defense of captain and center Aleksander Barkov, the clutch goal-scoring of new addition Brad Marchand or the 18 goals scored by defensemen. And when Florida needed a save, Sergei Bobrovsky was there as usual.

For the second straight year, the fans in Sunrise got to see their franchise win it all on home ice. And with back-to-back Stanley Cups and three straight appearances in the final, the dynasty discussion has begun in earnest.

3. Canada Wins 4 Nations

What started as atournament few people were enthused about turned into a white-hot geopolitical showdown between North American neighbors – or is “neighbours” more accurate?

The mid-season 4 Nations Face-Off kicked off in Montreal, and with all due respect to Finland and Sweden, it was all about Canada-USA.

The two rivals literally battled in Montreal after a booed Star-Spangled Banner, with three fights in the first nine seconds, turning the 4 Nations into one of the most buzzed-about hockey stories in years and drawing in loads of non-hockey fans. Team USA won that match, but Canada got revenge in Boston days later, winning the tournament on a Connor McDavid overtime goal.

The players had always said they wanted a best-on-best international tournament, and the skeptics who wanted more teams participating quickly quieted down when the event turned into a barnburner.

4. Columbus Honors Gaudreau Brothers

It was a tragedy thatshook the entire hockey world.

Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, taking a bike ride on the eve of their sister’s summer wedding, were struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver in New Jersey.

While everyone mourned the loss of the brothers, the epicenter of grieving was in Columbus, where ‘Johnny Hockey’ was a star with the Blue Jackets. The franchise honored the gifted winger before their home-opener against Florida, raising a banner in Gaudreau’s memory as part of a moving ceremony.

The tributes would not end there, however. The Blue Jackets and Flames (the team Gaudreau began his NHL career with) got together to remember him when they played in December, while his legacy was also stitched into the festivities of Columbus’ outdoor game against Detroit. Gaudreau Team USA jerseys were also kept in the dressing room of the gold-medal winning American WJC team and by the U.S. squad at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

5. Marc-Andre Fleury Plays Final NHL Game

While the celebrations came at the end of the regular season, let the record show that Marc-Andre Fleury’s final NHL appearance came on April 29, 2025, against the Vegas Golden Knights.

‘Flower’ came in to replace starter Filip Gustavsson, who fell ill during the game. Before that, however, a Hall of Fame career concluded in earnest two weeks prior when Fleury was inserted into the crease for OT against Anaheim. His Wild won in the extra frame, and the opposing Ducks congratulated Fleury after the game.

Fleury also suited up for Canada at the World Championship in the spring, hooking up with former Pittsburgh buddy Sidney Crosby one more time.

But it’s in the NHL where he made his mark. A legendary teammate and prankster, Fleury retires after 21 seasons. That run included three Stanley Cup rings with the Pittsburgh Penguins and a Vezina Trophy with Vegas. Fittingly, the French-Canadian Fleury also posted a shutout against the Canadiens in his last appearance in Montreal.

6. Mikko Rantanen Gets Traded... Twice

It was shocking enough when it happened the first time, but the second? That nearly broke the hockey internet.

Colorado traded lifelong Avalanche star Mikko Rantanen to Carolina on Jan. 24 in a blockbuster three-way deal that also saw Taylor Hall join the Hurricanes, with Martin Necas, Jack Drury and a couple of picks heading to the Avs. Chicago served as the intermediary on Rantanen’s cap hit, and the Hawks received a third-rounder for their troubles.

But Rantanen never felt comfortable in Carolina – he didn’t want to leave Colorado in the first place, but the Avs were worried about his upcoming contract extension – and soon, the rumors crept in that he would be traded again.

Sure enough, right at the deadline, Dallas swooped in and grabbed the Finnish power forward in a deal that sent promising young Logan Stankoven the other way, plus four draft picks, including two conditional firsts.

Rantanen repaid the Stars by helping them eliminate his old mates from Colorado in the first round of the playoffs, then going wild against Winnipeg in the second round. Unfortunately, a Cup final against Carolina was not meant to be, as the Canes and Stars were both eliminated in the conference final.

7. Gabriel Landeskog Plays Again After Three Full Seasons Away

No one would have guessed that the last time we would see Gabriel Landeskog was when the Colorado Avalanche captain was hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head back in 2022. But it had started looking like a possibility after a debilitating knee injury kept him off NHL ice for three whole seasons.

Still, Landeskog kept working, and after more than 1,000 days, he finally put a Colorado sweater back on for Game 3 of the Avalanche’s first-round playoff series against Dallas. Before that, the only competitive action Landeskog had seen was two games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles as he prepared for his NHL return. The Avalanche ended up losing to Dallas in that series, but it sure was good to see the captain back on the ice.

8. Brad Marchand Goes From Boston Bruins To Florida Panthers

When you think of Brad Marchand, you think of the Bruins. But a shocking trade at the deadline turned the career Boston left winger into a key member of the Panthers as they went on another Stanley Cup run.

Yes, ‘The Rat’ became a Cat.

Marchand fit in seamlessly, joining a team that already had top agitators Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett in the lineup. Marchand’s exit from Boston was controversial, as it became public that negotiations on a potential contract extension had gone poorly. Marchand was the Bruins’ captain, after all, and didn’t have a burning desire to leave. But Florida got him for a conditional first-round pick, an absolute steal. He also started a new tradition, as players began shooting the plastic rats tossed on the ice after playoff wins directly at Marchand.

9. Winnipeg Jets Win First Presidents' Trophy

In a top-heavy Central Division featuring Dallas and Colorado, Winnipeg managed to thrive in the regular season.

The Jets earned 116 points to lead the NHL and earn the franchise’s first Presidents’ Trophy. They won seven of their final 10 games, helping them take the crown over second-place Washington. The Jets had a lot of help, too.

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was a monster all year and won the Hart and Vezina, while Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele put up career highs to lead the offense. Perhaps most impressively, however, is that the Jets got it done under first-year coach Scott Arniel, who headed an NHL bench for the first time since being fired by Columbus in January 2012.

Unfortunately for Winnipeg, the Presidents’ Trophy curse hit once again, as the No. 1 seed in the playoffs fell to Dallas in the second round.

10. J.T. Miller Traded To New York Rangers And Drama In Vancouver

Who needs soap operaswhen you have the Vancouver Canucks?

The animosity between star players Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller leaked out into the public sphere, and the rift reached an untenable point as the team struggled. On Jan. 31, the Canucks finally dealt Miller to the New York Rangers in a blockbuster deal that saw Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini and a 2025 first-round draft pick come back to Vancouver.

Miller felt right at home on Broadway, as he began his career with the Rangers, and Vincent Trocheck is one of his best friends. And while he averaged better than a point per game for New York in the second half, the Rangers still missed the playoffs, as did the Canucks.

This article 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 Calgary Flames are today's focus in an NHL off-season series examining each team’s prospect pool.

Tony Ferrari digs into the Flames' 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 Flames are dangerously close to being the definition of a mushy-middle club.

They were poised to start a rebuild a couple of seasons ago, and then they were closer to the playoffs than anyone expected, which made them hesitant to trade some of their prime candidates. This kept them close enough to the playoff picture, but it also kept them from being a true lottery team.

One of the Flames' most exciting prospects is left winger Andrew Basha. He dealt with injuries for most of this past season, but the highly skilled speedster is a wickedly smooth playmaker. His vision and passing make him a lethal offensive threat anytime he is on the ice. Basha is a good shooter as well, which keeps goalies honest. He will head to the AHL this upcoming season, which will put his dynamism and creativity to the test. 

Samuel Honzek had a solid first full season in the AHL and even earned a few NHL games, but he looked a step behind in Calgary.

Honzek has had some ups and downs in his development since being drafted due to injuries and inconsistency, but he brings a nice package of size and playmaking. He uses his frame to protect pucks and imposes himself in battles. He needs to find another level of aggression to ascend to the next level, but positionally and tactically, Honzek has potential. He could sneak into the NHL lineup more consistently this upcoming year. 

When the Flames drafted Aydar Suniev in 2023, they bet on his game rounding out and refining during a couple of years in college. He did just that, becoming a reliable scorer who averaged over a point per game for UMass this past year before signing his entry-level contract and appearing in the Flames’ season finale. 

Suniev is a nifty playmaker who’s creative offensively. His board play is impressive, as he rotates his hips into opposing players to cut the puck off from them. He will need a year or two in the AHL to get his skating up to par, but he has the potential to be a solid middle-six forward. 

Luke Misa is a speedy, shifty playmaker who often drives his line. He was fantastic alongside Porter Martone, Philadelphia’s sixth overall pick in this past draft, taking much of the transition game off his plate and allowing him to play to his game. Misa makes life easy on his linemates, especially when he plays down the middle and has open ice and options to both sides. 

In two seasons in the United States League and a year in the QMJHL, Matvei Gridin showed a blend of offenisve tools with a quick release and some nice playmaking. He often plays a complementary role, and he should generate more scoring chances for himself, but the young Russian has been a nice addition to a Flames prospect pool that desperately needs some scoring punch. 

The Flames added offensive punch to their back end at last year’s draft by picking Zayne Parekh ninth overall. His skills as a playmaker and shooter are wildly impressive. He has some of the most impressive highlights we’ve seen from a defender in a while, and he’s put up over 200 points in the past two OHL seasons. This kid is a lethal offensive player on the blueline. 

Balancing out some of Parekh's all-out offense approach is a trade acquisition, Artem Grushnikov. He’s mobile and physical, understands his role on the team and doesn’t try to play above his head. He won’t offer much up offensively beyond getting the puck to a teammate, but Grushnikov was a nice bet and looks decent in the AHL so far.

Etienne Morin was one of the best two-way defenders in the QMJHL this past season. He showcased his defensive game and physicality alongside his offensive activations and playmaking. He still has some footwork issues at times, which he must clean up as he heads to the AHL, but there are plenty of good traits for Morin to build on.

Aside from Parekh, the Flames have also picked up other solid offensive-minded blueliners.

Hunter Brzustewicz had a solid AHL rookie season with 32 points in 70 games and made his NHL debut. Henry Mews exploded in the OHL this past season, with 82 points in 68 games. Both defenders are excellent breakout passers who love to jump into the rush. Both also have some holes in their defensive play. Brzustewicz will return to the AHL and hone his craft there while Mews is headed to the University of Michigan, where he can train and get stronger against tougher competition.

2025 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 18th overall - Cole Reschny, C, Victoria (WHL)

Round 1, 32nd overall - Cullen Potter, C, Arizona State University (NCAA)

Round 2, 54th overall - Theo Stockselius, C, Djurgarden Jr. (Swe.)

Round 3, 80th overall - Mace’o Phillips, D, U.S. NTDP (USHL)

Round 5, 144th overall - Ethan Wyttenbach, LW, Sioux Falls (USHL)

Round 6, 176th overall - Aidan Lane, RW, St. Andrews College (Ont. H.S.)

Round 7, 208th overall - Jakob Leander, D, HV71 Jr. (Swe.)

Round 7, 211th overall - Yan Matveiko, LW, Krasnaya Armiya Moscow Jr. (Rus.)

The Flames had one of the best drafts of any team this year, and the strength of their first three picks really carries the bulk of their success.

Although they didn’t have their first-round pick, which they sent to Montreal when they offloaded Sean Monahan’s contract, they wound up with two first-rounders and made some excellent picks. 

Cole Reschny is a highly skilled, incredibly smart playmaking center with all the offensive creativity you’d want. His skating is the biggest concern in his game, but he’s always been able to overcome it thanks to an impressive work rate and a willingness to get into the battle down low or along the wall. He fishes pucks out and finds his linemates with incredible, crafty passes. When he’s in open ice, he shows off slick puckhandling to open more lanes. Reschny is a wildly talented player, and getting him at 18th overall could be a steal. 

With the final pick in the first round, the Flames grabbed Cullen Potter, a center who played for Arizona State as one of the youngest players in college hockey. Potter is one of the most dynamic skaters and clever playmakers in the draft. He is undersized, which is likely what made teams hesitant to draft him, but his offensive mind is among the best in the class.

Potter produced respectable numbers in the NCAA, but his ability to drive play, create chances and generate excellent underlying numbers led many to believe there is more in his game than meets the eye. His teammates often didn’t capitalize on the chances he generated, or they mishandled good passes. Potter could be the biggest steal of the first round. 

At 6-foot-3, second-round pick Theo Stockselius brings some size to the trio of centers atop the Flames’ draft selections. He plays with hard skill in physical situations, creative passing and a high-end motor. Stockselius isn’t the most fleet of foot, but some of the harping on his skating was a bit overblown. Stockselius has shown excellent puck protection and the ability to focus on finding a passing lane, even with a man on his hip. Stockselius will play through contact, which helps mitigate the middling mobility.

Mace’o Phillips is a throwback defender. He loves to engage physically, throwing hits and cross-checks as soon as attacking players enter the defensive zone. Phillips isn’t much of an offensive player, opting to defer to teammates when he gets the puck. His punishing game can get him into some penalty trouble at times, and he can make some mistakes as he chases a hit, but if he can rein in some of his overeager play, he could be a solid defensive stopper. 

Fifth-round pick Ethan Wyttenbach must improve his skating and deal with physicality a bit better. He has decent passing, shooting and puckhandling, and he seems to identify his teammates in open positions quite well. The issue is that sometimes, he falls behind the play a bit and can get pushed around along the boards. For a pick in the second half of the draft, that’s an excellent package to bet on.

Aidan Lane had an interesting path this past year. He played a couple of games in the USHL early in the year, played prep hockey at St. Andrew’s College and then finished in the OHL. As the NCAA eligibility rules changed, he got the opportunity to showcase himself in a few leagues. His game is built on power and his raw offensive tools as a shooter and passer. If Lane can develop a bit more speed, he could be a really interesting depth scoring winger. 

Jakob Leander is a lesser-known prospect, unranked by NHL Central Scouting or any public outlet. He is a big defender who moves fairly well, but he can struggle in moments where lateral agility is needed. He leans a bit, but his game is centered around using his length to disturb the puck carrier’s momentum. He’s a project, but in the seventh round, a 6-foot-4 defender is a decent bet. 

Calgary’s final pick was lanky Russian forward Yan Matveiko. He shows some decent playmaking habits, trying to get the puck to the middle with mixed results. He tries to engage physically, but he often works hard without achieving a positive outcome in puck battles. Much like Leander, Matveiko wasn’t widely scouted, and as a forward who averaged just over half a point per game at the Russian junior level, it’s a swing in the seventh for a low-upside player.

The Calgary Flames And The League Among The Winners And Losers From The 2025 NHL DraftIt almost feels impossible to designate winners and losers on the day that the NHL draft goes down. The whole point of the NHL draft is to build for the future, and with the inexact science that is the NHL draft, no one really knows who won and lost the day the picks are made. 

Strengths

While it could have been considered a weakness a year ago, the Flames did an outstanding job of adding centers with potential to the pipeline. Reschny, Potter, Stockselius and Misa can all potentially make an impact at the next level. They still need to develop, but even if two of the four are centers and the others move to the wing, the Flames must be stoked with how they are looking down the middle moving forward. They already have relatively young players in the NHL, such as Connor Zary and Morgan Frost, who are also potential fits in the middle. 

Weaknesses

The Flames’ prospect pipeline doesn’t have any immediate weaknesses. They have some quality wingers and intriguing blueliners, while, they bolstered the center depth in the draft. 

Although no one stands out in net, Dustin Wolf was just a finalist for the Calder Trophy.

The Flames’ weakness is they don’t have anyone who projects to be “The Guy” at the NHL level. Parekh is close, but his defensive flaws may hold him back from being a true 25-minute-a-night defender in the playoffs, the way the elite of the elite are. That’s the danger of being in the mushy middle, though. It’s very difficult to get that game-breaking talent. 

Hidden Gem: Luke Misa, C/W

Heading to Penn State University after a very successful four-year run in the OHL, Misa is taking advantage of the fantastic opportunity the new CHL-NCAA rules presented him. 

Misa is the exact player who comes to mind when people used to say, “If only Player X could go to college for a couple of years in between junior and pro.” Misa is a bit undersized, but he plays fast, intelligent hockey, which allows him to pick apart opposing teams as a playmaker. His shot has also become a legitimate weapon. Misa was ranked all over the place last year, and teams ultimately passed on him because of his 5-foot-10 frame, but the Flames put their faith into him with a fifth-round pick, and it might be the best pick of the second half of the 2024 NHL draft.

Next Man Up: Zayne Parekh, D

Parekh was one of the most productive blueliners in the last 30 years of major junior hockey. He is a cerebral-minded defenseman who wants to tear apart the other team's defensive structure. He has excellent passing and a great shot. 

Parekh should get every opportunity to make the team in training camp. They could certainly use his high-octane offense. His defense is a work in progress, but if the Flames can take a page out of Montreal’s book from this past year, when they integrated Lane Hutson, the Flames could also have a legitimate Calder Trophy candidate in Parekh. 

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Andrew Basha, Aydar Suniev, Samuel Honzek, William Stromgren

C: Cole Reschny, Cullen Potter, Theo Stockselius, Luke Misa

RW: Matvei Gridin, Jacob Battaglia, Aidan Lane, Hunter Liang, Jaden Lipinski

LD: Etienne Morin, Artem Grushnikov, Axel Hurtig, Mace’o Phillips 

RD: Zayne Parekh, Henry Mews, Henry Brzustewicz

G: Aresnii Sergeev, Yegor Yegorov, Kirill Zarubin

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

The Philadelphia Flyers re-signed RFA defenseman Cam York to a five-year contract on Monday.

York's new deal is worth an average annual value of $5.15 million, which is $50,000 more per year than Flyers teammate Rasmus Ristolainen's $5.1 million but less than Travis Sanheim's $6.25 million.

The 24-year-old from Anaheim had four goals and 13 assists for 17 points in 66 games this past season, missing time with a shoulder injury and being benched twice in March. His career-high 10 goals, 20 assists and 30 points in 82 games came in 2023-24.

With York now under contract through the 2029-30 season, there are 11 RFA defensemen left in the NHL without a new deal.

The highest-scoring of that bunch is 21-year-old Luke Hughes, who had 37 assists and 44 points in 71 games with the New Jersey Devils in 2024-25. Hughes completed his entry-level contract and was not eligible to file for arbitration. He's played two full NHL seasons and averaged just over 21 minutes in ice time in each. He has 93 points in 155 career games and another two points in four playoff contests. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald told reporters on July 2 that re-signing Hughes is their No. 1 priority.

The Buffalo Sabres elected for salary arbitration with Bowen Byram, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. When an RFA or team elects for arbitration, that player can no longer sign an offer sheet with another franchise. Byram could still be traded, however.

Byram, 24, had 38 points in 82 games this past season. He completed a two-year contract with a $3.85-million cap hit.

The Winnipeg Jets' Dylan Samberg, Sabres' Conor Timmins, Montreal Canadiens' Jayden Struble and Anaheim Ducks' Drew Helleson filed for player-elected arbitration, the NHLPA announced Saturday.

Samberg, 26, had 20 points and a team-leading 120 blocked shots this past season. His last contract was two years long at a $1.4-million cap hit.

Timmins, 26, started this past season on the Toronto Maple Leafs but was moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline. At the NHL draft, the Penguins traded him to the Sabres. He had 15 points and 90 blocked shots in 68 games in the final season of a two-year deal with a $1.1-million cap hit.

Struble, 23, had 13 points and 124 hits in 56 NHL games. He's also played a combined 15 games for AHL Laval over the past two seasons. His entry-level contract lasted two seasons, but since he signed that deal before his age-22 campaign, he only needed to play two professional seasons to be eligible for arbitration.

Helleson, 24, signed his three-year entry-level contract before his age-21 campaign, meaning he needed three pro seasons for arbitration eligibility. He had 13 points in 56 games while playing 12 matches for AHL San Diego in 2024-25.

As for one of the five other RFA blueliners, the Seattle Kraken's Ryker Evans had 25 points in 73 games while playing for Team Canada at the 2025 World Championship. The four remaining players split this past season between the NHL and AHL: Wyatt Kaiser and Louis Crevier of the Chicago Blackhawks, Jack Thompson of the San Jose Sharks and Donovan Sebrango of the Ottawa Senators.

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The pickings are slim in this summer's free-agent market, particularly for top four defensemen. That has NHL teams seeking blueline depth returning to the trade market.

Bowen Byram remains the hot topic in recent media rumor chatter. Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams told reporters last week he'd match any offer sheet from a rival club. With the Sabres taking the 24-year-old RFA to arbitration, he's ineligible to sign an offer sheet.

The Sabres can still trade Byram before his arbitration hearing. Some observers feel the blueliner could be peddled for a top-six winger.

On Thursday, The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford reported a league source claimed the St. Louis Blues were “trying hard” to get Byram. His colleague, Matthew Fairburn, reiterated that if Byram hits the trade block, the Sabres would want a return that immediately helps their roster.

Fairburn speculated that such a deal could contain multiple players, like the return they received from the Utah Mammoth for JJ Peterka last month. Fairburn also suggested the Sabres could package Byram with a pick or prospect to get a better player.

Rutherford and Fairburn also looked at what the Blues might have to give up to the Sabres to land Byram. They felt he could slot in on the right side of their second defense pairing to replace Justin Faulk if he were part of the return to the Sabres.

Faulk, 33, has two years left on his contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million and a 15-team no-trade list. If the Sabres are on his list, the Blues would have to find another trade partner to take him off their hands.

Both writers felt the Sabres would want a good young player (like Jake Neighbours) included in the deal.

Turning to the New York Rangers, Larry Brooks of the New York Postwondered why there hasn't been any news about a contract extension for Artemi Panarin. The 33-year-old left winger is in the final season of his contract and is UFA-eligible next July.

Brooks believes the Rangers can't let Panarin go. Since coming to New York in 2019, he's been the fourth-highest-scoring player in the NHL. Having him on the roster could also make the Blueshirts an enticing destination for future free agents. Brooks thinks Panarin might agree to a four-year extension.

Panarin could be keen to remain with the Rangers after this season. However, much will depend on their performance in the wake of GM Chris Drury's roster retooling efforts since December. Another disappointing season could prompt Panarin to take his talents elsewhere.

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Not all that long ago, the Detroit Red Wings were the gold standard of NHL teams. For an incredible 25 years, the Red Wings were in the Stanley Cup playoffs – and on four occasions from 1997-2008, the Wings won the Cup. In the modern era, you couldn’t ask for more from a franchise.

And all that success makes it especially painful for Red Wings fans to struggle through what they’re currently struggling through – a whopping nine straight years without a post-season appearance. 

In those nine years, the Wings have finished in seventh or eighth place in their division five times. And this past year, they finished sixth in the Atlantic Division. For the most part, the Red Wings’ efforts have been nowhere close to good enough, and the increasing degree of fan frustration has never been more evident than it is right now. 

Of course, things would be different if Detroit GM Steve Yzerman came away from the NHL’s recent ffree-agent frenzy with at least a couple of veteran talents to carry them across the finish line and make the playoffs next year. 

Instead, Yzerman added a goalie in former Anaheim Ducks starter John Gibson – admittedly, an upgrade on what the Wings had in goal – and after that…well, he traded non-factor winger Vladimir Tarasenko to the Minnesota Wild, and signed third-line winger Mason Appleton, journeyman winger James van Riemsdyk, and third-pair defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker. 

Are you impressed by those changes? If you are, you’re in the minority. And if you’re a Wings fan, you can’t help but be pessimistic about this Detroit team’s chances of getting back into the post-season next year. 

There are definitely some NHL GMs out there who are feeling the pressure to have their team produce positive results in 2025-26, but Yzerman is probably right at the top of the list of the GMs facing the most pressure. He’s been on the job running things in the Motor City since April of 2019, and he has nothing tangible to show for it. 

Yzerman’s incredible playing career has given him a long runway to try and stick the landing as Wings GM, but even hockey icons only get so much time to turn things around before they are added to the list of people who couldn’t get the job done as managers. And that’s where Yzerman is now in Detroit.

Yzerman can point to youngsters in the organization who he believes will step up and help the Red Wings make it to the playoffs next year, but here’s a better metric of sorts – which Detroit youngster is truly a generational talent? Defenseman Moritz Seider qualifies in the minds of some observers, so let’s be generous and say Seider makes the cut. After that, what current Wings talent is top-10 in the league in any regard? Detroit doesn’t have those truly elite, high-end players. And when you miss the playoffs for that many years, you should’ve been able to draft and develop a couple of top talents.

That may be Yzerman’s biggest sin as Wings GM – not tanking for top players, which is the most proven way to land the foundational talent needed to compete for Cups over the long haul. Yzerman might’ve drafted Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard if he’d done that. He may have wound up with San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini if he’d done that. He might’ve landed New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer if he’d done that. Instead, it’s been nothing but mediocrity for the Red Wings, 

From this writer’s perspective, if you’re not good enough to be a playoff team, you should be doing everything in your power to land a top draft spot. And it has never felt like Yzerman and Co. have been willing to do that. There have been excuses left and right, and as things have unfolded not in Detroit’s favor, Yzerman has grown testy with the media and unable to lay out a specific plan Wings fans can look to for comfort. And he also can’t point to season-after-season improvement in the win column.

And now, the Red Wings are entering a season in which no one will be projecting them to make the playoffs. The defending Cup champion Florida Panthers will be a playoff team next year. The regular-season Atlantic champion Toronto Maple Leafs will also be a playoff team, as will the Tampa Bay Lightning. And after that, the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins will be in a ferocious battle for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. You can lump the Wings into that latter group, but the reality remains – making the playoffs will be an extremely tall order for Detroit.

And if things pan out the way we think they’ll pan out and the Red Wings fail to make the playoffs once again, Yzerman will almost assuredly be out of a job, and the process of rebuilding will start over in earnest. That’s why this coming season already looks and feels like a wasted year. Detroit ownership has entrusted Yzerman with another season to try and accomplish something positive, but unless he pulls off a minor miracle, Yzerman is going to come away with his hands stuck out and nothing in them.

Maybe Yzerman will prove the doubters wrong, and the Wings will sneak into a playoff spot. Even then, does anyone feel like Detroit will be anything other than first-round roadkill? This Red Wings team simply doesn’t have the horses to run with the legitimate Cup frontrunners, and just getting into the playoffs can’t be the sole goal for Wings management. 

All in all, it feels like it’s going to be another long season for the Red Wings, and another year of excuses and frustration is in store for Detroit. And this could be Yzerman’s final kick at the can.

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As the hype from the NHL’s free-agent frenzy dies down, it’s as good a time as any to take stock of the league’s seven Canadian teams. 

We’re going to break down the teams alphabetically, so let’s get to it:

1. Calgary Flames

Contender, Pretender Or Somewhere In The Middle? Pretender

Why? The Flames narrowly missed out on a playoff berth this past season, but that was when basically everything went right for them. The injury bug avoided them, they picked up long-term pieces in a trade with Philadelphia, and this summer, Flames GM Craig Conroy held onto his salary cap flexibility, as Calgary now has $15.4 million in cap space. He might have spent more of it to acquire some veteran help, but the fact that he didn’t speaks volumes about where they are in their competitive trajectory.

The big picture for the Flames shows a team that is still in transition into being a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Calgary doesn’t have the generational talent to go head-to-head with archrivals like the Edmonton Oilers or Vancouver Canucks. And many hockey observers expect Conroy to trade top-pair defenseman Rasmus Andersson, and perhaps, veteran center Nazem Kadri. For those reasons, we see the Flames still in the early stages of a rebuild, and that means they’re currently a pretender. 

2. Edmonton Oilers

Contender, Pretender Or Somewhere In The Middle? Contender

Why? Don’t get it twisted – we believe the Oilers took a step backward thus far this summer, losing key veterans, including wingers Corey Perry and Connor Brown in free agency. But that doesn’t mean Edmonton is now a pretender, or worse. They still employ two of the top-five players on the planet in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and they just re-signed star defenseman Evan Bouchard to a long-term contract extension. There’s a lot to like here.

By the time the next regular season has concluded, we expect the Oilers to be up there with the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings as one of the top teams in the Pacific Division. But Edmonton GM Stan Bowman needs to make good use of the trade market to keep up with the Joneses. 

The Oilers have next to nothing in cap space, so Bowman will have to be creative to improve his roster. Because at a time when every team in the Western Conference will be targeting Edmonton as a true test of their playoff readiness, the Oilers have to keep getting better. And thus far, they haven’t been able to do that.

3. Montreal Canadiens

Contender, Pretender Or Somewhere In The Middle? Somewhere In The Middle

Why? We’re not here to tell you the Canadiens are pretenders. They’ve made genuinely legitimate strides as a team, and Montreal GM Kent Hughes made one of the biggest splashes of the off-season by acquiring star defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. But while we definitely see the Canadiens battling for a playoff spot all season long, the truth is improvement isn’t always linear, and in a highly competitive Atlantic Division, the Habs aren’t a lock to make the playoffs next year.

As Montreal’s young core continues to develop, the Canadiens are likely to be a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference. But there’s also a possibility they take a lateral step or a slight step backward in 2025-26. The Habs are essentially capped out, so Hughes will have to be crafty in attempting to improve his team. 

We like Hughes’ work a lot, but making notable improvements isn’t always a cakewalk, and that’s why we see the Habs having the potential to struggle a bit more this year than they did last year.

4. Ottawa Senators

Contender, Pretender Or Somewhere In The Middle? Contender

Why? The Sens made major strides last season, getting into the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Once they got to the post-season, though, they were quickly disposed of by the Maple Leafs. Still, just getting into the playoffs was a terrific accomplishment, and a harbinger of better days ahead.

In free agency and trades this summer, the Sens have been relatively quiet, re-signing veteran center Claude Giroux and adding experienced pivot Lars Eller to help fill out the bottom-six group of forwards. But the fact is that Senators GM Steve Staios doesn’t need to do much at the moment, as he has $4.29 million in cap space to use to improve during the season. Ultimately, we like what we see in the Sens as a whole, and we expect their internal improvement will push them even further this coming season.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs

Contender, Pretender Or Somewhere In The Middle? Contender

Why? The Maple Leafs won the Atlantic last season, and although their offense will take a sizeable hit with the departure of Mitch Marner, what remains in Toronto is still very much a playoff team. 

Adding grinders like former Golden Knight Nicolas Roy and former Canadien Michael Pezzetta will make the Leafs harder to play against, and the continuing development of youngster Matthew Knies and the trade addition of former Utah Mammoth winger Matias Maccelli will help replace some of the offense Marner took with him. And the Leafs still have $4.98 million in cap space to spend on a top-six forward.

What’s also true of this Leafs team is that their defense is the envy of most NHL organizations. Even if veteran Morgan Rielly is traded, Toronto has a top-six set of blueliners who can get the job done and make life easier on goalies Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll.

 It would take some catastrophic injuries and spectacular underachievement for the Buds to miss the playoffs, and we don’t see either of those two things happening. The post-Marner Era may not have as many highlight-reel plays, but Leafs GM Brad Treliving has crafted a lineup that will fight for home-ice advantage in the 2026 playoffs.

6. Vancouver Canucks

Contender, Pretender Or Somewhere In The Middle? Contender

Why? Virtually everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Vancouver last season, including in-house drama between star forwards Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, as well as injuries to star goalie Thatcher Demko and superstar blueliner Quinn Hughes. However, everything has cleared up in Vancouver’s favor, including the re-signing of star winger Brock Boeser and the addition of rugged winger Evander Kane.

With everyone healthy and ready to go, there’s no reason why Vancouver can’t quickly put last year behind them and once again be a top team in the Pacific. They’ll need Pettersson to be significantly better, and they’ll need their goaltending tandem of Demko and Kevin Lankinen to hold up their end of the bargain, but there’s too much talent in B.C. for the Canucks to falter for the second-straight season. 

7. Winnipeg Jets

Contender, Pretender Or Somewhere In The Middle? Contender

Why? The Jets lost star winger Nikolaj Ehlers to the Carolina Hurricanes in free agency, but Winnipeg has the best goalie in the league – at least, in the regular season – in Connor Hellebuyck, a deep collection of fast and skilled forwards, and a defense corps that may be underrated. 

The Jets were the NHL’s top regular-season team last season, and the additions of star center Jonathan Toews and veteran winger Tanner Pearson make an already-dangerous squad all the more imposing.

The Jets play in the toughest division in the league in the Central, but with Hellebuyck, center Mark Scheifele and winger Kyle Connor leading the way, Winnipeg once again will be right up there as one of the NHL’s top teams, and a genuine threat to go deep in the post-season. And with a good deal of cap space still available, the Jets have the potential to be even better next year.

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The NHL free agent frenzy began less than a week ago, and as is usually the case, several clubs spent money irresponsibly. That is normally the case when July 1 comes around, but in a year where the free agent class was thin and two of the prime targets (Mitch Marner and Brock Boeser) did not get to the open market, clubs got into a bidding war and signed contracts with useful middle-of-the-lineup players that will not age well. 

Here are five contract signings that teams will likely regret:    

Tanner Jeannot: Boston Bruins (Five Years, $3.4 Million AAV) 

The bruising winger is not the player who scored 24 goals with Nashville four years ago, but after a failed stint in Tampa Bay, Jeannot became a useful crash-and-bang forward with the Los Angeles Kings, leading the club in hits until an injury ended his season in late March.

Jeannot benefited from teams looking to emulate the Florida Panthers model and parlayed that into a five-year deal, but Boston GM Don Sweeney’s desperation to make the Bruins relevant again led him to make a big mistake.

Connor Brown: New Jersey Devils (Four Years, $3 Million AAV) 

After some early success in Toronto and Ottawa, Brown’s career was derailed by a serious knee injury with Washington. His first year back with Edmonton was as a fourth-line role player, and last season he was more useful (13 goals, 17 assists in the regular season, five goals in the playoffs), but the term and salary given by the Devils for a bottom-six forward were excessive.  

Cody Ceci: Los Angeles Kings (Four Years, $4.5 Million AAV) 

Possibly the worst deal signed on July 1, as Kings GM Ken Holland went hog wild on a spending spree (Joel Armia, Brian Dumoulin, Anton Forsberg, Corey Perry) but did not address his new club’s crying need for offense. 

Ceci is, at best, a middle-pairing blueliner and better suited to bottom-pairing duty, but benefited from a dearth of right-handed defensemen in free agency. A one or two-year deal would have been understandable, but a four-year contract for someone who will play behind Drew Doughty and Brandt Clarke on the right side is absurd.  

Ryan Lindgren: Seattle Kraken (Four Years, $4.5 Million AAV) 

The same term and AAV as Ceci, the issue with Lindgren is not his quality as a player, but the fact that he may be the oldest 27-year-old in the NHL. After absorbing a ton of punishment as a shutdown defenseman with the Rangers playing alongside Adam Fox for five seasons, New York was fearful of signing him to a long-term deal and traded the blueliner to Colorado as a rental. 

The concern over Lindgren’s durability is valid, and the deal for a defenseman who has never scored more than 20 points in a season, even with the cap going up, was a risky proposition. 

Ivan Provorov: Columbus Blue Jackets (Seven Years, $8.5 Million AAV) 

Provorov benefited from the Noah Dobson contract (eight years at $9.5 million), making him and former Blue Jacket Vladislav Gavrikov the most sought-after defensemen on the market. The 28-year-old is a solid top-four blueliner who normally scores in the 30-35 point range and logs major minutes, but while the Rangers got Gavrikov at a $7-million cap hit, GM Don Waddell clearly paid a “Columbus tax” for Provorov. 

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The NHL off-season is in full swing, giving us the perfect opportunity to look at each team’s prospect pools, continuing now with the Buffalo Sabres. 

It is worth noting that a player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer considered a prospect for the purposes of these exercises.  

In this series, Tony Ferrari will dig into each team’s strengths and weaknesses, a quick overview of their latest draft class, where each team's positional depth chart stands and who could be next in line for an NHL chance! 

Initial Thoughts

The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs since the 2010-11 season, which is tied with the New York Jets for the longest drought in North American pro sports at the moment. They haven’t really even been close, having finished in the bottom half of their division every year during their drought. They haven’t been able to find the right mix, but it’s given them a very promising prospect pool. 

Konsta Helenius had a very solid first season in the AHL last year, showcasing his two-way game while growing into an offensive contributor throughout the season. His game has always been one of little flash and flair, built more on substance and intelligent habits. Helenius might not be a top-line center, but he has the potential to be a very good matchup center who can win his minutes. Amping up his pace will be the biggest growth opportunity heading into next season. 

Speaking of pace, Noah Ostlund is a center who brings plenty of pace and speed to the game. He can play on the wing if needed as well, which gives him some versatility, but it’s his intelligence and playmaking that make him a dangerous offensive player. He has the highest upside of the forward prospects in the system because of his combination of intelligence, speed, and puck skill, but he needs to show that he can handle the physicality of North American pro hockey, something he began to show with a great first full AHL season. 

Anton Wahlberg continued to prove his worth as a prospect with a 30-point rookie year in the AHL and an excellent performance at the World Junior Championship for Sweden. He has size and speed, which are tough to handle because he works his tail off, especially around the net and along the boards. Wahlberg might end up as a winger at the NHL level, but he’s the kind of high-work-rate player that finds himself playing with better players than he probably should because he finds a way to help make their life easy. 

Seemingly right on the cusp of breaking onto the NHL roster, Isak Rosen has a whippy shot that comes off a quick, deceptive release. He is an excellent offensive creator in space and thrives when he is able to create separation with subtle changes in speed or quick cuts. Rosen could be one of the first players called up this season when they need some top-nine help. 

With a huge step up in his age-21 season in the KHL, Prokhor Poltapov put himself back on the map for the Sabres. His dynamic dangles and slick offensive tools are what have allowed him to become an impact player for CSKA. His skating is the biggest thing holding him back, but he’s made strides in that department, no pun intended. 

The blueline is an area that has been a strength for the Sabres as well. They have Owen Power, 22, already on the roster, and Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson are still just 25, so the core of the defense group is young. They have Bowen Byram on the trading block at the moment because they feel like they lean too far offensively, which makes the presence of a couple of solid defensive blueliners in the system a blessing. 

Maxim Strbak has been a steadying defensive presence for the Michigan State Spartans the last couple of seasons in the NCAA as the school has become one of the best hockey programs in the country. Strbak isn’t often the first player named when the Spartans' success is brought up, but he’s always a player that coaches and teammates rave about. His attention to detail and defensive acumen are both excellent, understated qualities. 

Another excellent defensive blueliner in the system is University of Minnesota-Duluth defender, Adam Kleber. His reach and mobility allow him to track and shadow opposing attackers with ease, surfing back until the moment is right to strike with a well-timed poke check or a quick close out along the wall. Kleber isn’t dynamic or flashy, but he’s very effective. 

Although Devon Levi isn’t eligible for the Calder Trophy anymore, he remains the Sabres' top goaltending prospect. The 23-year-old has been fantastic at the AHL level, but he’s struggled to solidify himself at the NHL level. His agility and athleticism have always been impressive, but his 6-foot frame is going to be an obstacle for him to get over. 

The Sabres' pipeline has impressive depth in goal. Topias Leinonen, Scott Ratzlaff and Ryerson Leenders would all be the top netminder in nearly half of the systems across the league. It will be interesting to see which of them emerges as the alpha in the system as each of them brings excellent qualities in their own right.

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

Zach Benson (LW), Jiri Kulich (C/W), Owen Power (D)

2025 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 9th overall - Radim Mrtka, D, Seattle (WHL)

Round 3, 71st overall - David Bedkowski, D, Owen Sound (OHL)

Round 4, 103rd overall - Matous Kucharcik, C, Slavia Jr. (Czech)

Round 4, 116th overall - Samuel Meloche, G, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)

Round 5, 135th overall - Noah Laberge, D, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)

Round 6, 167th overall - Ashton Schultz, C, Chicago (USHL)

Round 7, 195th overall - Melvin Novotny, L, Leksands IF Jr. (Swe)

Round 7, 199th overall - Evgeny Prokhorov, G, Babruysk Dinamo-Shinnik Jr. (Rus)

Round 7, 219th overall - Ryan Rucinski, C, Youngstown (USHL)

The Sabres’ draft was one that came with some questions from fans and analysts alike, but it wasn’t because they took bad players, it was because they played it fairly safe throughout the draft. Radim Mrtka is a big, rangy blueliner who is at his best when he plays a simple, controlled game with a focus on his own zone. He has some really intriguing flashes of offensive skill thanks to his creativity and mobility, but his offensive game may stagnate as he advances toward the NHL. 

Their next pick came in the third round, where they drafted defensive D-man David Bedkowski, one of the most physical players in the draft. He looks to punish opponents with big hits both in open ice and along the boards, bullying attackers and deterring them from coming his way. Bedkowski has a tendency to chase hits at times, but if he can rein that in, there is a solid, defensive-minded player here. 

The first of two fourth-rounders, Matous Kucharcik is a 6-foot-4 defensive forward who isn’t the most offensively inclined. His game is based around intelligent back tracking, solid defensive positioning and getting the puck to his wingers and allowing them to create. He can be an asset around the net. He’s not the most awe-inspiring player, but he could be a solid depth piece. 

Samuel Meloche played 51 games as a 17-year-old last year in the regular season in the QMJHL, and he more than held his own for Rouyn-Noranda. He was athletic enough to bail his team out when the defense broke down and technically sound enough to handle in-zone set attacks. He is one of the youngest goalies in the class, and having already proven he can handle nearly 65 total games between the regular season and playoffs, Meloche is a solid bet in the fourth round. 

The Sabres stuck with safe, defensive-minded players in the fifth round when they selected Noah Laberge. While he’s not the biggest defender at 6-foot-1, he plays a stout defensive game with good instincts. His quick stick gets on pucks right away as they enter his space, and he creates battles all over the ice rather than allowing the attacker to dictate play. Laberge can make a solid first pass, but don’t expect him to make dynamic plays offensively. 

Ashton Schultz was the Sabres' sixth-rounder. He is a support winger who can play a higher energy game at times and disrupt play on the backcheck. He’s not the kind of player who is going to put up crazy points or drive play offensively. He is more of a complementary support player who provides outlets or comes into a battle to create a numbers advantage for his team. 

The Sabres deviated from their plan of going safe and defensive in the seventh with their first pick of the round, Melvin Novotny. The Swedish winger is a crafty player who thinks the game tactically. His timing and play-reading ability are what make him dangerous in the offensive zone, waiting an extra second for a passing lane to open up or quickly taking advantage of a defender's feet turned the wrong way. Novotny might have the highest upside of any forward that they drafted, and it’s not particularly close. The reason he fell is that he’s not much of a physical player, and his skating is average at best. 

With their second-to-last pick, the Sabres selected netminder Yevgeni Prokhorov. The 6-foot-3 tendy had a solid season, but his six-game playoff stint, where he posted a .943 save percentage, is what really drew the attention of teams in the NHL. It’s a late swing on a goalie, and the Sabres have done a good job of identifying netminders in the later rounds. 

They capped off the 2025 NHL draft by taking Ryan Rucinski from the Youngstown Phantoms. He brings some physicality and a good shot along with some solid habits in his own end. He doesn’t have any truly high-end tools, but he works hard and crashes the net in the offensive zone to try and clean up the garbage around the crease. 

Strengths

The Sabres have been a team that has been building up their pipeline for quite some time now. Understandably, that means they have some really solid talent. They have a number of solid blueliners and more than a few quality netminders, but the position of true strength is down the middle. Helenius and Ostlund should compete for roles in the top six, and Anton Wahlberg is a potential third-line center of the future. 

Even players like Kucharcik and Schultz could be potential centers at the pro level. The depth of centers is what is really impressive, especially since they have Kulich, 21, and Peyton Krebs, 24, who will likely be in the lineup full time this season. Young, solid center depth could be what gets the Sabres out of the futility that they’ve lived in for a decade and a half. 

Weaknesses

The Sabres don’t have many weaknesses in their pipeline, but if you want to nitpick, you could say that it’s the skill on the wings. Rosen is the most skilled player on either wing, and he could wind up being a top-nine winger. They have players like Poltapov, Novotny and Ziemer who could fill depth roles, but none of them look like potential top-six players. There is always a chance that some of their centers move to the wing, so the issue may not be quite all that integral, especially since they have Benson, 20, Jack Quinn, 23, and Josh Doan, 23, who can play important roles on the wing as young players. 

Hidden Gem: Luke Osburn, D

Heading into last year’s draft, Osburn was one of my favorite sleepers, so when Buffalo took him in the fourth round, it was instantly a prospect that I was keeping my eye on. His step-up with Youngstown in the USHL this year was impressive, becoming a true difference maker on the ice in transition and in the offensive zone. 

Osburn is a very fluid skater who can get moving quickly to open passing lanes. His ability to activate compromises opposing defenders as they have to commit to tracking him, which gives him an open man to pass to. Osburn could be a sneaky good defenseman at the next level, but first, he’s headed to the University of Wisconsin. 

Next Man Up: Isak Rosen, RW

There is no obvious answer to who will be the next man up because the Sabres have so many young players already on the roster or players who have already used up their Calder eligibility, which makes it hard to choose from the group below on the depth chart. Devon Levi is set to play a bigger role in the NHL, assuming he can take hold of a spot in camp, as the team is hoping. Kulich and Benson are both going to play major roles on the NHL roster in what could be a breakout year for both of them. Owen Power is just 22 years old and still just scratching the surface of what the Sabres hoped for when they drafted him. 

If there is a player from the AHL squad who could move up and take a spot in the NHL lineup, it very well could be Rosen. The young Swede has a quick release, and he’s an intelligent passer as well. With fluidity on his feet also a major strength, Rosen has the tools to be an impactful dual-threat attacker at the next level. 

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Prokhor Poltapov, Melvin Novotny, Viktor Neuchev

C: Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund, Anton Wahlberg, Matous Kucharcik

RW: Isak Rosen, Brodie Ziemer, Ashton Schultz

LD: Luke Osburn, Nikita Novikov, Noah Laberge, Norwin Panocha

RD: Radim Mrtka, Maxim Strbak, Adam Kleber, David Bedkowski, Vsevolod Komarov, Gavin McCarthy

G: Topias Leinonen, Scott Ratzlaff, Ryerson Leenders, Yevgeni Prokhorov

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

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