The online countdown of the top 100 hockey players aged 21-and-under comes to an end with the top 20.

The Hockey News' Prospects Unlimited issue's annual ranking of hockey's youngest talent is compiled by Ryan Kennedy, and while he uses our Future Watch rankings as a resource, this is a completely independent compilation.

Future Watch is based on a survey of NHL scouts, while the PU Top 100 is cobbled together by Kennedy based on his projections of what the players will be once they hit their primes.

Since different positions have different prime years, take that to mean we are projecting how good these forwards will be when they are 23 or 24 years old, the defensemen when they are 24 or 25 and the goalies when they are 25 or 26.

The birth year cutoff for this year’s list is 2004. Ages noted are as of Oct. 1.

As we share the top 100 list on TheHockeyNews.com, you can see the full list with player bios and draft information for each of them right now by being a subscriber to The Hockey News and accessing the Archive or by opening the magazine if you've already received it in your mailbox.

Catch up on the players ranked 21st to 40th, 41st to 60th, 61st to 80th and 81st to 100th.   

20. Keaton Verhoeff, D, 17 years old, North Dakota Fighting Saints
NHL Draft: 2026

19. Porter Martone, RW, 18, Philadelphia Flyers
Michigan State (Big Ten)

18. Tij Iginla, C, 19, Utah Mammoth
Kelowna (WHL)

17. Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, 21, Montreal Canadiens
Montreal (NHL)

16. Zayne Parekh, D, 19, Calgary Flames
Calgary (NHL)

15. Artyom Levshunov, D, 19, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago (NHL)

14. Landon DuPont, D, 16, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
NHL Draft: 2027

13. Anton Frondell, C, 18, Chicago Blackhawks
Djurgarden (Swe.)

12. Michael Misa, C, 18, San Jose Sharks
San Jose

11. Zeev Buium, D, 19, Minnesota Wild
Minnesota (NHL)

The super-skilled blueliner may have only just finished his college career, but he's already seen some big-game NHL action.  Go to the full feature on Buium by clicking here.   

10. Beckett Sennecke, RW, 19, Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim (NHL)

9. Matthew Schaefer, D, 18, New York Islanders
NY Islanders (NHL)

8. Matvei Michkov, RW, 20, Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia (NHL)

7. Ivan Demidov, RW, 19, Montreal Canadiens
Montreal (NHL)

6. Leo Carlsson, C, 20, Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim (NHL)

5. Lane Hutson, D, 21, Montreal Canadiens
Montreal (NHL)

4. Gavin McKenna, LW, 17, Penn State Nittany Lions (Big Ten)
NHL Draft: 2026

3. Adam Fantilli, C, 21, Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus (NHL)

2. Connor Bedard, C, 20, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago (NHL)

Although the Blackhawks have struggled the past two years, they have one of the game's premier young stars in Connor Bedard. If they can continue to get better and add help, other teams better watch out.  Go to the full feature on Bedard by clicking here.   

1. Macklin Celebrini, C, 19, San Jose Sharks
San Jose

There's no denying the fact it's been a tough cruise for the Sharks the past few years. But with Macklin Celebrini leading the way, San Jose is posed to get back on track.  Go to the full feature on Celebrini by clicking here.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Everything is going horribly for the Nashville Predators this season. They currently have an 8-12-4 record and are at the very bottom of the NHL standings.

With the Predators having another nightmare season, they are emerging as likely sellers. One player who has been generating a lot of chatter in the rumor mill due to this is veteran forward Ryan O'Reilly. 

O'Reilly is certainly a player that playoff clubs would love to get their hands on. Mainly because the 34-year-old forward is still an impactful two-way center with a Stanley Cup on his resume. His contract also adds to his appeal, as he has a very reasonable $4.5 million cap hit until the end of the 2026-27 season.

With all of this, let's take a look at three teams that could be great fits for O'Reilly if the Predators officially move him. 

Montreal Canadiens

In a recent episode of TSN Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun reported that the Canadiens are one of the teams interested in O'Reilly. With the Habs needing help at the center position, it would be excellent for the franchise if they won the O'Reilly sweepstakes.

If the Canadiens acquired O'Reilly, he would give them a prime upgrade for their second-line center spot. He would also be a great mentor for the Canadiens' young players to have around as the Original Six club looks to continue to trend in the right direction. 

New Jersey Devils 

The Devils also stand out as a potential suitor for O'Reilly. It's also worth noting that the Devils were reportedly interested in him leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline.

If the Devils landed O'Reilly, their center depth would be among the NHL's best once Jack Hughes returns from injury, as they would have a trio of Hughes, Nico Hischier, and O'Reilly, which would be simply lethal. 

Detroit Red Wings

O'Reilly and the Red Wings could also be a wonderful match. When looking at the Red Wings' current forward group, it is fair to argue that they could use another impactful center. Bringing in a player like O'Reilly would provide them with just that, and he could slot perfectly as their second-line center.

Furthermore, with the Red Wings being a team on the rise, looking to make the playoffs, adding a veteran who has had plenty of success, like O'Reilly, could help improve their chances.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

When the Boston Bruins set the NHL record for most points in a season with 135 in 2022-23, it was tough to believe any team could break it.

But lo and behold, three seasons later, the Colorado Avalanche are going to give the Bruins a run for their money.

While Boston’s 65–12-5 record in '22-23 was absolutely stunning, the Avalanche are off to an even more impressive start this season with their 17-1-6 record out of the gate.

After picking up a loser point in Friday's shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild, the Avalanche are now on pace for 136 points – one more than the record.

While a lot of things have to line up perfectly for the Avs to tie the Bruins’ mark – or improve on it – you only have to look at how dominant Colorado has been thus far this year to believe the Avalanche can pull off an amazing feat and set a new standard for the rest of the NHL to try living up to.

For instance: the Avs’ 4.00 goals-for per game is nearly half a goal more than the next best team the Anaheim Ducks at 3.63. That same dominance is there on defense, as Colorado’s goals-against average of 2.08 leads the league. Those are simply astonishing numbers that illustrate how deep, talented and balanced the Avalanche are.

Another metric that shows you how dominant the Avs are at the moment is the fact that 11 of Colorado’s 17 wins have come by three goals or more. And if you include games where the Avalanche have won by two goals or more, that number rises to 13. Of course, the Avs can also beat opponents in nailbiter games this season, such as the Utah Mammoth, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks in games decided by a single goal. But when the grand majority of your victories come in games where you had a terrific goal cushion, that says everything about how strong you are as a group.

But the most impressive part of Colorado’s season could be their 10-game win streak that ended on Friday. The Avalanche have won 12 of their past 14 games, and they show no sign of slowing down. In fact, if you remove the Avs’ four-game losing skid from the third week of October, their record would be 17-0-3. This is just jaw-dropping efficiency.

In a nice nod to fate, the only team that’s beaten the Avalanche in regulation this season is…the Bruins, who beat Colorado 3-2 on Oct. 25. But even then, that was a one-goal win. And that tells you the Avs have yet to be blown out in even a single game this year. 

Colorado’s upcoming schedule is a chance to pad the record, facing the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Nashville Predators (twice). They will have tougher tests against the Montreal Canadiens and the upstart Philadelphia Flyers, but the Avs will still be favored to win every game they play until further notice.

Colorado is nearly one-third of the way through the regular season, and while injuries and/or slumps could ratchet up their number of regulation-time losses in a hurry, we don’t see that happening. The Avalanche have too many excellent competitors, two solid goaltenders and too much skill to envision a prolonged stretch of subpar hockey for them. 

If the hockey gods smile upon them in terms of their team health, there could be literally no stopping this Colorado team. They’ve got superstars in Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. They’ve got great coaching. And they’ve generated a whole heap of confidence in this start to their year. 

So yes, this writer sees the Avalanche steaming straight toward the Bruins’ record season. Everything is going Colorado’s way – and with a little luck mixed in, the Avs could put up 135 points or more.

We're already getting to some very exciting NHL players and prospects as the online countdown of The Hockey News' top 100 hockey players aged 21-and-under continues.

The Hockey News' Prospects Unlimited issue's annual ranking of hockey's youngest talent is compiled by Ryan Kennedy, and while he uses our Future Watch rankings as a resource, this is a completely independent compilation.

Future Watch is based on a survey of NHL scouts, while the PU Top 100 is cobbled together by Kennedy based on his projections of what the players will be once they hit their primes.

Since different positions have different prime years, take that to mean we are projecting how good these forwards will be when they are 23 or 24 years old, the defensemen when they are 24 or 25 and the goalies when they are 25 or 26.

The birth year cutoff for this year’s list is 2004. Ages noted are as of Oct. 1.

As we share the top 100 list on TheHockeyNews.com, you can see the full list with player bios and draft information for each of them right now by being a subscriber to The Hockey News and accessing the Archive or by opening the magazine if you've already received it in your mailbox.

Catch up on the players ranked 41st to 60th, 61st to 80th and 81st to 100th. Here are the next 20.  

40. Ryan Lin, D, 17 years old, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
NHL Draft: 2026

39. Cole Hutson, D, 19, Washington Capitals
Boston Univ. (HE)

38. Ryan Roobroeck, LW, 16, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
NHL Draft: 2026

37. Radim Mrtka, D, 18, Buffalo Sabres
Seattle (WHL)

36. Sam Rinzel, D, 21, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago (NHL)

35. Frank Nazar, C, 21, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago (NHL)

34. Cayden Lindstrom, C, 19, Columbus Blue Jackets
Michigan State (Big Ten)

33. Axel Sandin-Pellikka, D, 20, Detroit Red Wings
Detroit (NHL)

32. Jake O'Brien, C, 18, Seattle Kraken
Brantford (WHL)

31. Roger McQueen, C, 18, Anaheim Ducks
Providence College (HE)

30. Cutter Gauthier, LW, 21, Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim (NHL)

29. Caleb Desnoyers, C, 18, Utah Mammoth
Moncton (QMJHL)

28. Michael Hrabal, G, 20, Utah Mammoth
UMass (HE)

27. Ethan Belchetz, LW, 17, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
NHL Draft: 2026

26. Brady Martin, C, 18, Nashville Predators
Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

25. Will Smith, C, 20, San Jose Sharks
San Jose (NHL)

24. Ryan Leonard, RW, 20, Washington Capitals
Washington (NHL)

23. Carter George, G, 19, Los Angeles Kings
Owen Sound (OHL)

22. Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, 21, St. Louis Blues
St. Louis (NHL)

21. Sam Dickinson, D, 19, San Jose Sharks
San Jose (NHL)

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Hockey News Big Show is here to discuss more big topics in the NHL and beyond.

Here’s what Katie Gaus, Michael Traikos and Ryan Kennedy discussed:

0:50: Could this year's Colorado Avalanche become the best regular-season team ever? And what is the key factor making them such a force this season?

5:13: To rebuild or not to rebuild? That's the question surrounding the Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks. Let's answer the question for each of them.

9:34: The Anaheim Ducks are finally starting to see some payoff from their rebuild. Should they take advantage of a strong start to get upgrades in the trade market right now? 

12:49: The Flyers are sitting just outside a wild-card spot right now. Do the Flyers have enough to help push themselves up in the standings? 

17:08: Kevin Weekes reported that Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry is one of the goalies drawing significant interest as an option for the Edmonton Oilers. Is Jarry a good solution to the Oilers' goalie struggles? Who else do we think they could be targeting? 

22:47: The Montreal Canadiens have claimed forward Sammy Blais off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Thoughts on this move by Montreal? 

BetMGM Playbook 

26:19: Odds for the five most likely Stanley Cup finalists. We share the five odds of what teams will play in the Stanley Cup final. Out of these matchups, which one is the most likely to actually happen? 

27:35: Which of the matchups would be the most exciting to watch? 

30:50: What matchup is your personal pick for the Stanley Cup final? 

Rapid Fire 

33:46: Which team has the most to be thankful for right now?

35:36: What do you like more: afternoon games or evening games?

38:47: The next NHL expansion team will cost $2 billion. If you had $2 billion lying around, would you pay that? And where would you want the team to be?

40:38: Yay or nay: a player shouldn't have fun the night after a loss

Should The Flames, Canucks And Predators Rebuild? by The Big Show

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Subscribe to The Hockey News Big Show on your preferred platform.

The Montreal Canadiens locked up defenseman Mike Matheson to a five-year, $30-million contract extension on Friday.

The 31-year-old's new $6-million cap hit kicks in next season and runs through 2030-31.

Matheson, 31, is in the final year of his eight-year contract he signed with the Florida Panthers in October 2017. Across those eight years, he carried a $4.875 million cap hit.

Matheson becomes the fourth Canadiens defenseman to be signed to a contract through at least the 2030-31 campaign. Kaiden Guhle signed a six-year contract extension in July 2024, while Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson signed eight-year deals this year.

In 22 games played this season for the Habs, Matheson has four goals and 10 assists for 14 points. He’s second on the team behind Dobson in scoring among blueliners. 

The Pointe-Claire, Que., native also has a plus-13 rating, which is a team high. It's tied for 13th-best in the NHL, sharing that spot with Colorado Avalanche D-man Josh Manson and Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli.

Matheson also leads the team with 24:50 of average ice time, which is less than he’s averaged in the last two campaigns. He ranks 10th in the NHL in that category.

Speaking of Matheson’s last two seasons, that’s when he struck a career high. In 2023-24, he matched a personal best of 11 goals and beat other bests with 51 assists and 62 points. He finished third on the team in points that season, sitting behind captain Nick Suzuki and right winger Cole Caufield.

Matheson has played parts of 11 seasons in his NHL career since the Panthers drafted him 23rd overall in 2012. His new contract sets him up to play through another five. He’ll be 37 once his new deal expires.

He's played 649 career games in the NHL, registering 78 goals and 279 points.

Correction: Matheson's cap hit is $6 million, not $5 million.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Heading into the American Thanksgiving weekend, the Edmonton Oilers were two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

That's prompting media conjecture that they could pursue a goaltending upgrade in the trade market.

Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos claimed “the strongest speculation” tied the Oilers to Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues. Meanwhile, ESPN's Kevin Weekes stated that Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins was among the goalies “drawing significant interest as a potential option” for the Oilers.

Concerns over the performance of goaltenders Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have kept the Oilers in the rumor mill since the regular season began.

One suggestion was that they should attempt to sign Sergei Bobrovsky when the Florida Panthers starter becomes a UFA next July. Apart from the fact that the Panthers will likely re-sign Bobrovsky, waiting until next summer won't help the Oilers now.

Another proposed that the Oilers pursue Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators. That was assuming Saros would agree to waive his no-movement clause, while ignoring the fact that the Oilers can't afford his $7.74 million average annual value.

Kypreos considers Binnington unlikely to be part of any retooling project by the Blues because he has a year left on his contract. As for Jarry, he has three more seasons remaining on his deal. He shares the Penguins' net with Arturs Silovs, while promising Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist are with their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

As part of the return for Binnington, Kypreos suggested the Oilers send Skinner to St. Louis. He felt they could also try to pry away a defenseman from the Blues. Meanwhile, Weekes pointed out that Jarry played his junior hockey with the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings.

David Staples of the Edmonton Journalobserved that Binnington carries an average annual value of $6 million while Skinner's is $2.6 million. He felt it would take a significant sweetener to convince the Blues to retain part of Binnington's salary to make the dollars work for the cap-strapped Oilers.

Staples cited Oilers insider Bob Stauffer claiming that he felt the Jarry rumor made more sense. However, Stauffer also noted the difficulty the Oilers would face taking on Jarry's $5.375-million cap hit. The Penguins wouldn't have much need for taking on Skinner in return because of their goaltending depth.

Acquiring Binnington or Jarry is a long shot for the Oilers, assuming they're not on their respective no-trade lists. They'll have to convince the Blues or Penguins to retain salary, and that could cost them what few promising youngsters they have in their system, along with their 2027 first-round pick, since they no longer have one in next year's draft.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Birthday Backcheck features Calgary Flames right winger Blake Coleman, who turns 34 on Nov. 28.

Coleman scored his 300th career point in his 649th game against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 23. He's been a valuable secondary scorer who isn't afraid to throw hits when needed.

The player the New Jersey Devils selected 75th overall in 2011 became a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning. But some of the Plano, Texas, native's biggest goals came against his home-state squad, the Dallas Stars. Watch the full video for more in Coleman's Birthday Backcheck.

Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media.  And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.      

It's American Thanksgiving, so any NHL team in a playoff spot by this point should be grateful.

Historically, about three-quarters of NHL teams that are currently in a Stanley Cup playoff spot end up making the post-season. As for the other quarter, they blew their opportunity.

Last American Thanksgiving, the New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks were in a playoff spot. They all fell out, and the Rangers, Flyers and Canucks even changed coaches in the off-season.

Also on the last U.S. Thanksgiving, the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens were the bottom two teams in the Eastern Conference. They made the playoffs. And in the West, the Colorado Avalanche bounced back from an ugly start, while the St. Louis Blues went on a late-season surge to make the first round.

With that said, let's examine teams currently out of a playoff spot that could climb in and who they could replace in the standings.

Edmonton Oilers

Why they're out of a playoff spot right now: Keeping the puck out of the net is the Oilers’ Achilles Heel at the moment. Edmonton ranks 31st with a goals-against average of 3.72. Starter Stuart Skinner has a 3.18 goals-against average and a save percentage of .878, but the defense in front of them hasn't been excellent. 

Why they could climb in: With Skinner and backup Calvin Pickard struggling, the chances of acquiring a new goalie is rising significantly. And with a bump in effectiveness between the pipes, Edmonton’s offense could power them into a post-season berth in the comparatively weak Pacific Division.

Who they could replace: Seattle Kraken

The Kraken have surprised many this season, posting an 11-6-6 record to put them in third place in the Pacific. But there could be some regression for Seattle, as its sub-standard offense (currently ranked 29th in the league at 2.57 goals-for per game) can only be bailed out by the defense for so long.

Winnipeg Jets

Why they're out of a playoff spot right now:The Jets started the year strongly, with a 9-3-0 record out of the gate. But they’ve since gone 3-7-0, and they’ve been outscored 33-25 in that 10-game span, dropping them down to 12th in the Western Conference.

Why they could climb in: As soon as star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck returns from injury – projected to be sometime in January at the soonest – the Jets are going to receive a major boost. So long as the Jets' offense is a top-10 offense in the NHL – and they’re currently ninth-best, averaging 3.14 goals-for per game – the Jets should rise in the Central Division standings and unseat a less-talented, less-experienced rival.

Who they could replace: Utah Mammoth

The Mammoth were this writer’s pick to be a playoff team this season – but their 5-6-2 road record is indicative of their lack of consistency. Utah has to fix its defense (currently ranked 17th in the NHL at 3.00 goals against per game) because the team is playing in the league’s toughest division.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Why they're out of a playoff spot right now: Despite their slew of injuries, the Maple Leafs haven’t had issues with their offense, as they’re ranked seventh in the league at 3.30 goals-for per game. The clear problem is their turnstile defense, which is fourth-worst in the NHL at 3.61 goals against per game – and their 2-6-0 road record is one of the worst in the league.  

Why they could climb in: The Leafs have started to get healthy in recent days, with forwards Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies and Nicolas Roy all returning to action in a 2-1 Leafs win over the Columbus Blue Jackets Wednesday. If goalie Anthony Stolarz and defenseman Chris Tanev get healthy soon, the Buds will look much like the team that won the Atlantic Division last season. 

Who they could replace: Boston Bruins

Few pegged the Bruins as a playoff team this season. Although they’ve produced a 14-11-0 record, they lack the depth to help them if the injury bug bites them harder than it already has, with Charlie McAvoy, Casey Mittelstadt, Viktor Arvidsson, Jordan Harris and Matej Blumel out of the lineup. The Bruins had a brutal six-game losing streak near the start of the season, and they’ve got a 3-4-0 record in their past seven games.

Florida Panthers

Why they're out of a playoff spot right now: While many predicted there would be a post-Cup-winning hangover for the Panthers, few thought they’d be sixth in the Atlantic and 14th place in the East with a 12-10-1 record. But the absence of star forwards Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk has decimated Florida’s offense and defense.

Why they could climb in: After the resilience Florida has shown in the past two seasons, is anybody prepared to count this team out of the playoff race? This isn’t to say they can flip a switch and turn into a world-beater team, but the Panthers still have enough talent to emerge from this funk and go on a tear. They’ll need to improve their 19th-overall defense first and foremost, but once Tkachuk returns, they’ll be a much tougher team to play against at both ends of the ice.

Who they could replace: Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins stormed out to a 6-2-0 record, but since then, they’ve gone 5-4-5 and have slid down to the second wild-card spot in the East. It's tough to believe their defense – third best at 2.59 goals-against per game – will stay as good as it has been. When they do regress in that department, teams like Florida, Montreal and Toronto will leapfrog them in the East’s standings.

Montreal Canadiens

Why they're out of a playoff spot right now: Few teams began the season as strongly as the Canadiens, which went 9-3-0 out of the gate. Since then, they’ve gone 3-4-3, suffering a five-game winless streak in November, and they now sit ninth in the East. They’ve been outscored 38-17 in their seven losses.

Why they could climb in: The Canadiens' offense has been ferocious this season, ranking third in goals-for per game, with 3.45. If they can corral their defense, which currently ranks 27th at 3.50 goals against per game, the Habs should be able to move up the Atlantic standings and get back into the playoffs for the second straight season.

Who they could replace:New York Islanders 

The Islanders have the league’s 10th-best defense at 2.79 goals against per game, but the reason they could slide out of a playoff berth is their mediocre goals-for average of 2.96 per game. You can’t teach offense, and as the Islanders continue transitioning from one era to a new era centered around youngsters like budding star defenseman Matthew Schaefer, their issues on offense make them likely to falter more frequently and wind up on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Sammy Blais' time with the Toronto Maple Leafs has come to an end.

The Montreal Canadiens claimed Blais off waivers from the Maple Leafs on Thursday.

Seeing the Canadiens claim Blais is not surprising in the slightest, as they lost him through waivers to the Maple Leafs ahead of the 2025-26 season. This was after the Canadiens signed the veteran forward to a one-year, $775,000 contract this summer. 

Since no other teams submitted a claim for Blais, Montreal was able to assign him to AHL Laval. 

Blais will now provide the Canadiens with more forward options after being claimed back. This is undoubtedly a need for the Canadiens right now, as they are currently dealing with injuries to Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook.

Montreal called up forwards Florian Xhekaj and Jared Davidson earlier in November to deal with these injuries. Xhekaj has one assist, five hits and a fighting major in two games, while Davidson has 10 hits in five games.

Blais, meanwhile, played in eight games this season with the Maple Leafs, where he posted one goal, two assists, three points, 28 hits and a minus-2 rating.

The Montmagny, Que., native is back in the AHL for now. He won the Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks last season, recording 40 points in 51 regular-season games and adding 19 points in 23 playoff games.

His next AHL game will be the 200th of his career. He has 145 points in the 'A.' In the NHL, meanwhile, Blais has 265 career games, 28 goals and 46 assists for 74 points. He won the Stanley Cup in 2018-19 with the St. Louis Blues, which drafted him in the sixth round, 176th overall, in 2014.

Now, he will be aiming to make an impact with the Canadiens after being brought back. 

Overall, there is no risk in the Canadiens bringing back Blais with this waiver claim. He has an easily affordable cap hit and will also give the Habs more experience. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.