The flood of NCAA players signing their entry-level NHL contracts has begun. 

The Frozen Four begins on April 10, so we should see a couple more players signing after then, but a handful of prospects are jumping from the NCAA to the NHL right now after being eliminated.

Some of the most promising and exciting prospects in hockey have come through the NCAA pipeline in recent years. This year’s crop of signees will be effective on teams that are either securely in the playoffs, pushing for a wild-card spot or sitting near the bottom of the league and looking forward to the future.

Let’s look at some of the most promising entry-level signings from the NCAA in recent days.

Ryan Leonard, LW, Washington Capitals

The bull in a china shop that is Ryan Leonard has been one of the most physically dominant players in the NCAA over the past couple of years.

His speed, strength, and legitimate skill make him a player who can play up and down the lineup at the NHL level. He was the engine of Boston College's top line alongside 2025 top NHL draft prospect James Hagens and Gabe Perreault, who's expected to sign with the New York Rangers.

Leonard should slot into the Capitals' middle six forwards and provide some energy and scoring punch down the lineup for their playoff run. Even if his offensive game takes a minute to get going, his speed and tenacity should make him a valuable part of the lineup.

Gabe Perreault, RW, New York Rangers

The Rangers announced they officially signed Perreault at 5 p.m. ET on Monday.

Perreault is one of the premier play connectors who came through the NHL draft in recent years. He’ll be playing with new linemates for the first time in three years – he won’t have either Leonard or Will Smith alongside him as he did going back to his days in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

Perreault isn’t the fastest, most skilled or strongest player, but his value comes from his intellect and cerebral playmaking ability.

Perreault is highly effective as an off-puck attacker who can make a quick pass or get himself into a scoring area with ease. Whether he makes a one-touch pass or waits the extra half-second to allow a lane to develop on a zone entry, Perreault is such a smart player who allows his teammates to play to their strengths.

Top 25 NHL Prospects In Future Watch 2025Some players make the NHL as teenagers, but many prospects take three, four or even five years to break through.

Oliver Moore, C/W, Chicago Blackhawks

Already getting into one NHL game with Chicago, Moore is a speed demon who plays hard at both ends of the ice. 

He’s consistently played a steady middle-six game whenever he’s been asked, but he’s skilled enough offensively to drive results when asked to play up the lineup. Moore is a fantastic fit for this Blackhawks team, which is looking for some added team speed. 

The rest of the Hawks’ season means little in the standings, but Moore could make a strong case for a roster spot next year with a good run of play. 

His versatility could see him stick on the wing for now, but Moore’s two-way game and pace make him more of a fit at center. Either way, Moore should be a fixture in the middle six for Chicago for years. 

Matthew Wood, C/W, Nashville Predators

Although Wood didn’t become a dominant player during his two-year college run, he joins the Predators as they play out the stretch of a lost season. 

Wood is a big-bodied forward who is an excellent off-puck finisher. He’s grown as a playmaker in the NCAA. His last month of the season with the University of Minnesota was as good as he’s been in college, and it should give him confidence heading into the NHL.

While he shouldn’t be expected to hit the ground running, especially on a Preds team where nothing has gone right this year, Wood should be a nice addition that provides a glimpse into the future. The 6-foot-4 Albertan could play down the lineup as a center or a left winger. 

Wood has the skill and shooting talent to score some goals. He just needs someone to help him get the puck in good positions. 

Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, St. Louis Blues

After setting career highs in goals and points in the NCAA, Snuggerud joins the Blues in the thick of a playoff race. 

He doesn’t necessarily drive play, but he is an excellent Robin to someone’s Batman. He plays with speed and energy, finds open space in the offensive zone and helps make life easier on his linemates by doing a little bit of everything. 

Snuggerud is slated to line up on the third line for the Blues, which could give them the depth scoring they need to pull away in the playoff race. 

Snuggerud has always found a way to elevate his game as the stakes get higher, whether it's the World Junior Championship or the NCAA tournament.

Sam Rinzel, D, Chicago Blackhawks

Like Moore, Rinzel got into his first NHL game already, and he looked quite solid. He has size, skating ability and some skill, which immediately makes him one of the Hawks' more intriguing blueliners. 

Rinzel has the kind of reach and mobility that it takes to play a solid defensive game and the passing and skill to play well enough in the offensive end. 

Rinzel will make some mistakes, but the experience he gains in this season's final days could spur him on to being a regular in the lineup in the fall. His raw tools have always been incredibly intriguing, and his development in college has been encouraging. Getting a glimpse of pro hockey will be integral as he heads into a summer training to be a full-time pro. 

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It’s been 70 years since Stan Fischler got his first paying job covering the NHL – and he’s still at it on his 93rd birthday.

‘The Maven,’ who turns 93 on March 31, got started writing about the New York Rangers in 1954-55. He began writing for The Hockey News not long after when co-founder Ken McKenzie reached out to him.

Since then, his career has earned him a place in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame, as well as the NHL’s Lester Patrick Trophy in 2007 for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. He also won seven Emmy Awards during his television broadcasting career of more than 40 years, covering the Hartford Whalers, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.

The Islanders, in particular, named its press level at new UBS Arena after Fischler in October 2022, featuring a collection of his articles, equipment and photographs. Fischler has also gifted the Islanders his hockey library, featuring more than 90 books.

“Perhaps the most astonishing – at least to me – aspect of this personal saga is that I've never tired of talking or writing hockey,” Fischler wrote in his birthday column on The Hockey News’ Rangers site on Monday.

Fischler continues to cover the Rangers for The Hockey News, often writing multiple articles daily.

“This man is a phenomenon, plain and simple,” longtime New York Mets radio play-by-play commentator Howie Rose wrote on X. “However controversial and acerbic he might have been during his career (might have?) his love for hockey always shone through. Proud to call him a longtime friend who is worthy of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Elmer Ferguson award.”

Fischler thanked everyone for their birthday wishes as well.

“A million thanks to all for the happy birthday wishes,” he posted to X. “It’s on to 94, but gotta enjoy 93 for a dozen months.”

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NHL Player Safety handed the Florida Panthers’ Niko Mikkola a $5,000 fine after the brouhaha that ended Sunday’s matinee against the Montreal Canadiens.

With two seconds left in the Panthers’ 4-2 loss to the Canadiens, and with the Montreal players turning around to skate toward their goaltender, Mikkola unloaded a slapshot from the defensive zone.

The puck rose high, prompting Canadiens defenseman David Savard to duck to avoid it.

Niko Mikkola has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for unsportsmanlike conduct during the Panthers' loss to the Canadienspic.twitter.com/b3X7OinWRC

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 31, 2025

The Habs players skated over to confront Mikkola, leading to a skirmish after time expired. Jayden Struble, Christian Dvorak, Brendan Gallagher and Savard all tried to get at Mikkola as Panthers players and officials tried to separate them.

After linesman Julien Fournier brought Mikkola to the Panthers bench, the defenseman and Struble continued to shout at each other before heading to the dressing room.

Mikkola received a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct and a 10-minute misconduct. The $5,000 fine, which is the highest the collective bargaining allows without a hearing, goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Are The Florida Panthers In Danger Of A Playoff Upset?The Florida Panthers have earned their reputation as one of the NHL’s best teams, getting to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of the past three seasons, making it to the Cup final in each of the past two seasons, and of course, winning their first Cup in franchise history last season. And for much of this year, the Panthers have been at or near the top of the Atlantic Division. Obviously, there’s a whole lot to like about this Florida team.

Both teams face each other again in Montreal on Tuesday. They’ve played each other three times already this season, with the lower-ranked Canadiens winning in regulation every time and outscoring Florida by a combined total of 11-3.

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By Anthony Carbone, The Hockey News intern

Home ice isn’t just an advantage in the NHL – it’s a weapon. 

Some arenas become electric when their team powers past the visitors.

Five NHL teams have the most dominant home-ice advantage, with elite winning percentages and a passionate home crowd.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings are the NHL’s most dominant team on home ice this season. With a franchise-best home record of 27-4-4, L.A. has been a virtual lock at Crypto.com Arena.

The Kings boast a league-leading points percentage of .829 at home. The Kings' 83-percent penalty-kill rate and 1.94 goals against per game at home are huge factors in their success. If the Kings remain second in the Pacific Division, they can carry their home momentum into the first round of the playoffs, likely against the Edmonton Oilers.

Winnipeg Jets

As the top team in the Western Conference, much of the Jets' success this season is due to their play at home. Through 38 home games, the Jets hold a record of 28-6-4, which translates to an impressive .789 points percentage. The Jets boast the best home-ice power-play percentage, at 32.7 percent, and their 1.95 goals-against average is right up there with the Kings. It's safe to say you do not want to walk into Winnipeg's barn, as it's one of the toughest places to play.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have the most home-ice wins this season, with a record of 29-8-1. That’s good for a points percentage of .776, which ranks fourth in the NHL. Key factors in Carolina’s home success is the 85.2-percent penalty-kill rate and 3.74 goals-for per game, which ranks second in the league.

Dallas Stars

With a home record of 27-7-2, the Stars’ .778 points percentage trails only Los Angeles and Winnipeg. The Stars also have the best home-ice penalty kill, at 88.4 percent. Everything is bigger in Texas, including the team's ability to win on home ice. They’re trending toward holding home-ice advantage in the first round, leading the Colorado Avalanche by seven points.

Vegas Golden Knights

T-Mobile Arena has become one of the hardest places to play in the NHL. The Golden Knights have been stellar in their building over the past few seasons, and this one is no different. With a record of 27-7-3, the Golden Knights’ .770 points percentage ranks fifth in the NHL. Their 3.73 goals-for per game at home ranks third, while their 2.38 goals-against average ranks fifth.

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It's been an up-and-down season for Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry.

The 29-year-old played in the AHL after struggling through the first half of the schedule. Recalled in early March, he rattled off four straight wins. On Sunday, he got his first shutout of the season in a 1-0 win over the Ottawa Senators.

Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Reviewrecently wondered if Jarry had done enough to save his career with the Penguins. He doubted his recent performance would improve his value in this summer's trade market.

Madden believes the Penguins can't afford to keep Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic, who has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $2.5 million. Jarry is signed through 2027-28 with an average annual value of $5.375 million.

Buying out Jarry would only count as $1.747 million against the Penguins' salary cap for next season. However, that cap hit rises to just over $5 million in 2026-27 and $4.5 million in 2027-28, dropping to just $797,000 annually for the remaining three years of the buyout.

Turning to the New York Islanders, RG.Org's Marco D'Amico cited sources claiming the Edmonton Oilers looked into acquiring Jean-Gabriel Pageau before the March 7 trade deadline.

D'Amico indicated Oilers GM Stan Bowman sought to bolster his depth at center with someone who'd be more than a playoff rental. Pageau, 32, is signed through next season with a cap hit of $5 million. He also has a 16-team no-trade list.

The Islanders reportedly spurned the offers because they didn't want to retain salary and weren't interested in a return of draft picks. That could remain their position with Pageau if the Oilers or other clubs make trade inquiries this summer.

Speaking of the trade deadline, Scott Powers of The Athletic thinks some teams might be kicking themselves for not offering the Chicago Blackhawks a first-round pick for Ryan Donato.

The 28-year-old center is enjoying a career-best performance with 29 goals and 59 points in 72 games. He's reportedly sitting on a three-year contract offer worth $4 million annually.

Powers believes Donato could be interested in returning to the Boston Bruins if he goes to market. He's a Boston native who began his career with the Bruins. The Blackhawks hope he'll recognize that the top-six minutes and power-play time he's getting in Chicago won't be available to him on better clubs.

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The Florida Panthers have earned their reputation as one of the NHL’s best teams, getting to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of the past three seasons, making it to the Cup final in each of the past two seasons, and of course, winning their first Cup in franchise history last season. And for much of this year, the Panthers have been at or near the top of the Atlantic Division. Obviously, there’s a whole lot to like about this Florida team.

That said, there are some worrisome aspects of the Panthers this year. On Sunday, we saw one of them, as they lost to the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 to fall to third place in the Atlantic. Florida is now 0-3-0 against the Habs this year – and this is a Montreal team that the Panthers could wind up facing in the first round of the playoffs this year if Florida wins the Atlantic and the Canadiens remain in a wild-card spot.

In addition, scratch the surface a bit, and you’ll find other data that suggests the Panthers might be ripe for an early-round upset. For one thing, Florida has got five standings points via shootout wins this season. If you acknowledge that shootout wins can easily be shootout losses half the time, the Panthers’ current point total could be at or near 88 points, which is very close to the fourth-place Ottawa Senators.

To be sure, we’re not here to tell you the Panthers are a lock to be sent packing in the first or second round. They’ve made some great additions via trade this season, and they were a deep and skilled group before those trades were made. But with only a couple weeks left in the regular season, there’s an increasing sense that Florida has squandered its chance to win the Atlantic. And that may be what sinks their season well in advance of the Eastern final.

Indeed, the Panthers have got another game against the desperate Canadiens Tuesday, and they’ll also take on Ottawa (who they’re 1-1-0 against this season), the Detroit Red Wings twice (who they’re 0-1-0 aganst), the Buffalo Sabres (who they’re 2-1-0 against) and the Lightning (who they’re 2-1-0).

This is to say that it’s entirely possible the Panthers do not win the division and slide down as low as third place in the Atlantic. And given that Florida’s road record of 20-15-1 is worse than their home mark of 24-11-2, losing out on home-ice advantage could be the factor that ends their season well before they when they hope.

Can the Panthers win the Cup for the second straight season? Stranger things have happened. But this regular season has been far from perfect for Florida, and the way things shake out in the next two weeks could set the table for them being eliminated before they can get out of the second round. And if they do get sent packing prematurely, nobody should say it’s a full-on shocker.

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The NHL’s coaching carousel continues to spin, with the Philadelphia Flyers firing coach John Tortorella this week. Tortorella was replaced on an interim basis by associate coach Brad Shaw, increasing the number of interim coaches to three. 

Let’s look at each interim coach’s situation and offer a guesstimate of which ones are likely to stay with their current team.

In alphabetical order of teams:

1. Boston Bruins

After replacing the fired Jim Montgomery in mid-November, veteran coach Joe Sacco was given the interim reins of the Bruins. But Sacco was unable to turn Boston’s season around, as he’s posted a 22-25-6 record since taking over, and Bruins GM Don Sweeney dismantled much of the roster at the NHL trade deadline.

For that reason, Sacco probably won’t be the choice to coach the Bruins beyond this season. But despite some rumors, Tortorella isn’t the solution. Tortorella has a very short shelf life behind the bench, and the Bruins don’t require a whip-cracker like him.

Rather, we see current Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan as the likely coach of the Bs. Sullivan is expected in many circles to part ways with the Pens at the end of the year, and picking Sullivan – who has already worked as Boston’s coach in 2003-04 and 2005-06 – makes much more sense for the Bruins. 

In any case, don’t expect Sacco to stick around Beantown much longer. He’s a placeholder coach, and Boston hasn't changed for the better under his guidance. Sweeney will almost assuredly want a more proven bench boss, and that isn’t Sacco at this stage.

2. Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks moved in a different coaching direction in the first week of December when they fired coach Luke Richardson and made Anders Sorensen their interim bench boss. Since Dec. 7, Sorensen has generated a 13-27-7 record as the Blackhawks have sunk to the bottom of the Central Division and second-last place in the NHL. 

But really, what coach could’ve done any better with the dog’s breakfast of a lineup created by Chicago GM Kyle Davidson? This organization is still in the early stages of a full rebuild, and they are going to continue to be a non-playoff team for the foreseeable future. So, our bet is that Sorensen has the interim tag removed from his job title, and he becomes the permanent coach in the Windy City. 

Sorensen’s ability to be a teacher is exactly what the Blackhawks need right now, and continuing to change coaches won’t help Chicago in the short or long term.

The Hawks can keep Sorensen around as the roster continues to be tweaked, and maybe a couple of years down the line, they can go with an experienced coach to take the organization to a higher level. For now, though, Sorensen is the right choice for the Blackhawks’ current predicament.

3. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers gave Shaw the reins after dismissing Tortorella, and Shaw is only going to get another seven games to prove he’s the right man for the job. Philadelphia indeed looked energized in the first two games after the Tortorella Era ended, but let’s be realistic – there’s just not enough of a sample size for Shaw to demonstrate he should be Philly’s coach beyond this season.

As we said earlier this week, there’s no shortage of candidates for Flyers GM Daniel Briere to consider, whether it’s an in-house candidate like AHL coach Ian Laperriere or an outside candidate like NCAA coach David Carle.

Some have suggested current Vancouver Canucks coach and former Flyers star player Rick Tocchet might be the right man for the gig in Philadelphia, but if we’re being honest, we don’t see Tocchet choosing to come in and have the pressure of leading the Flyers to the playoffs when they aren’t close to being at that level, and who's to say Tocchet won't just be back in Vancouver next season.

It’s a shame for Shaw to have so little time to prove himself in Philly, but the coaching business is far from fair. Thus, we don’t think Shaw is going to be the Flyers’ coach after this year is over.

It’s not the right situation to go with someone with relatively little time running his own NHL team, although Carle is in the same boat in that regard. However, Carle’s success at the collegiate level is what is making him an odds-on favorite to land the job in Philadelphia (or another market). The Flyers are probably going to go in a different direction at season’s end, and Shaw will likely latch on to another team as an assistant coach.

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NHL star left winger Brad Marchand made his debut with the Florida Panthers Friday night, but his contract status – that makes him a UFA at the end of this season – has already started speculation as to where he could wind up playing next year and beyond.

Here are five teams we could see Marchand playing for after this season:

1. Boston Bruins

Let’s get this out of the way first: Marchand OK’d a move out of Boston, but there was no sense he or the Bruins had burned bridges with each other. So, if he doesn’t find an option that’s to his liking, Marchand could elect to return to Beantown.

He’ll be 37 years old by the time he signs a new contract, so his next deal could be his last NHL deal. But if Boston can get the money right – somewhere in the area of his current annual salary of $6.125 million – it wouldn’t be out of the question to see him return to the Bruins.

Marchand served Boston well as their leader on the ice and off of it, and although he probably would’ve wanted to spend his entire career with the same team, he could, in theory, win a Stanley Cup with the Panthers, then find a way to come back to his first NHL home.

Stranger things have happened than a return to Boston for Marchand, and he might decide that a few months away from the Bruins was too long and return to the Bs at the first chance he gets.

2. Colorado Avalanche

The Avs are one of the odds-on favorites to win the Cup this season, but if the Panthers repeat as Cup champions, Marchand could choose to play with fellow East-Coast Canadian Nathan MacKinnon on a Colorado team that will have the cap space to sign him for at least a couple of seasons.

Like all the teams on this list, the Avalanche could use Marchand’s grit and playoff experience, and playing in the relative calm of Denver may be exactly what Marchand wants at this stage of his career.

Marchand would help out the Avs’ second line, and Colorado has enough cap space to get a deal done that will satisfy Marchand’s pride. Closing out his career with the Avs would allow Marchand to satisfy his competitive drive, and the Avalanche would be thrilled to land someone with the pedigree Marchand can boast of.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

This one is admittedly more of a long shot, as the Penguins are still going to be a fringe playoff team next season. But the opportunity to play alongside another East-Coast Canadian legend in Sidney Crosby would no doubt appeal to Marchand, and the Pens would welcome Marchand as they try to win another Cup in the Crosby Era.

Marchand has been a thorn in the side of just about every opponent, so the chance to make him a Penguin would be a no-brainer for Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas. But the Pens would almost assuredly have to make more notable moves to assure Marchand that he’s not going to be the only new face with the Penguins.

Marchand might want to change out his Black-and-Gold Bruins colors for a similar set of colors in Pittsburgh, and the Penguins could offer him the chance of a lifetime when it comes to playing on the same side as clear-cut Hockey Hall-of-Famers in Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

Okay, before you get snippy, hear us out: let’s assume the Maple Leafs falter early in the playoffs once again this spring. In the wake of that disappointment, there will likely be a massive change in Toronto – and what better way to effect significant culture change than to sign a proven winner and Leafs-haunter in Marchand?

He’d have to acclimate to playing in the huge hockey fishbowl that is Toronto, but it’s not as if Marchand isn’t used to that in Boston.

The Leafs might be a bigger long-shot than Pittsburgh on this list, but if Marchand values playing in another Original Six market where hockey is everything, he could spend his remaining few seasons in Toronto and be an integral part of what could be something special. The Leafs would be motivated buyers for him, and he’d fill an obvious need for grit and spunk.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Panthers were clearly Marchand’s choice to play for this season, but if Florida can’t find a way to re-sign him, perhaps the other Sunshine State team can make him a member of the Lightning.

Like the Panthers, the Bolts will be tight to the salary cap ceiling, but Lightning GM Julien BriseBois always seems to find a way to land big fish, the way he did last summer when he signed star left winger Jake Guentzel. So, Marchand could be one of the final pieces of the puzzle in Tampa next year.

The Lightning can sell Marchand on the no-tax state of Florida and the opportunity to stay on the East Coast. We don’t see Marchand agreeing to take a huge pay cut to play in any market, but in Tampa Bay, his dollars would go further, and he’d have the luxury of great weather all year long. Thus, his current experiment with the Panthers could keep him in Florida but in another market. 

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As the NHL regular season nears an end, we’ve got a good idea of the Stanley Cup front-runners once the playoffs arrive.

On Friday, we looked at moneypuck.com odds to break down which teams were battling for a wild card post-season spot. This time around, we’re analyzing the teams that look the most likely to win it all.

In the Eastern Conference, it starts with five teams who have a 100 percent shot at making the playoffs – the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs. After that, the Metropolitan Division seems to be the easier path to the Cup final, as the Hurricanes have the best Cup odds – 13.4 percent – in the NHL. The Capitals have the next-best Cup odds at 10.2 percent.

We know going in that the Atlantic Division will be a tougher road, and that’s reflected in the Cup odds for the Lightning (9.6 percent) and the defending-champion Panthers (8.6 percent). But the Maple Leafs – the current second best team in the Atlantic – are relatively disrespected, with only a 3.9 percent chance to win it all.

There’s a similar preference going on in the Western Conference, where MoneyPuck believes the easier road to the Cup goes through the Pacific Division. The current Pacific leader – the Vegas Golden Knights – have the West’s best odds to win the Cup at 11.4 percent. 

However, the powerhouse teams in the ultra-competitive Central Division have the next-best odds, with the Dallas Stars at 10.8 percent, the Central-leading Winnipeg Jets at 10.5 percent, and the Colorado Avalanche at 5.7 percent.

MoneyPuck doesn’t give much stock to other Pacific teams, as the Edmonton Oilers come in at only a two percent chance to win it all. And the Los Angeles Kings are given a 6.2 percent chance to win the Cup.

But before we get to the playoffs, we need to see which teams will jockey for top spots in their respective divisions. To that end, the Tankathon site ranks the difficulty of teams’ remaining schedules, and the Capitals have the second-easiest schedule in the league, followed by the Stars with the third-easiest and the Oilers with the eighth-easiest.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have the 10th-hardest schedule, followed by the Jets with the 12th hardest, the Hurricanes with the 13th hardest, the Golden Knights with the 16th hardest and the Kings with the 17th hardest.

So, in sum, the teams in the Atlantic and Central divisions will have the most difficult road to the Cup, and the Metro and Pacific teams will have the easiest road to winning it all.

But don’t kid yourself – there’s a good reason why the best team still has only less than a 14 percent chance to win the Cup. It’s going to be a brutal path forward for any and every playoff team, and even the front-runners will need good health, good fortune and timely great play if they’re going to outlast the rest of the field and emerge as this year’s champs.

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The development path for an NHL defensemen can be quite long, having to add multiple elements to their game. For some, the transition happens almost seamlessly, like Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes or Miro Heiskanen, but for others, a season or two before it all clicks in is expected. Recently, defensemen like Thomas Harley, Brock Faber and Rasmus Sandin have taken advantage of developing in other leagues before becoming impact players in the NHL. 

It’s quite rare for a defenseman to burst onto the scene and dominate, but these five defensemen are doing just that.

Jackson LaCombe, Anaheim Ducks

LaCombe was the 39th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and would spend four years at the University of Minnesota. The decision to stay for all four years proved to be a wise one, as it allowed him to mature and refine his game before joining the Ducks organization, who were in a massive rebuild. 

His rookie season saw him average 19:23 of ice time, scoring two goals and 17 points. His sophomore campaign has seen him reach new heights, and it likely could get even better. The 24-year-old has scored 13 goals and 41 points, ranking in the top 10 in goals among NHL defensemen. 

The Ducks are among the youngest teams in the NHL, and it’s partially why LaCombe has recorded just 28 assists. As the young Duck forwards get older and gain more experience, they’ll be able to turn LaCombe’s playmaking into goals. The Ducks are building a star-studded defensive core, headline by LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger.

Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators

Sanderson’s route to the NHL was quicker than LaCombe’s, spending just two seasons at the University of North Dakota. The fifth overall pick would make his NHL debut in the 2022-23 season, scoring four goals and 32 points in 77 games. Although the offensive numbers were quite impressive for a 20-year-old rookie defenseman, Sanderson had a plethora of issues in his own end.

His sophomore season saw improvements both offensively and defensively, earning an eight-year, $64.4-million contract extension per Puckpedia. While many argued that the contract was handed out too soon, Sanderson has put those critics to rest, scoring seven goals and 48 points in 70 games, averaging 24:23 of ice time and earning a nod to Team USA’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster, where he scored a goal in the final. 

Thomas Chabot had been the Senators' No. 1 defenseman for quite some time but the play of Sanderson has changed things. The turning of the leaf began in the 2023-24 season and it’s come into full effect this season. The next step for Sanderson’s development is to be more aggressive and seek out his shot, but with the tools Sanderson has at his disposal, there’s no reason why he can’t be a double-digit scorer each year.

Alex Vlasic, Chicago Blackhawks

Vlasic followed a similar route to LaCombe, playing three years at Boston University. He never had his offensive breakout during his NCAA days, and it’s likely why he was never selected to play for Team USA’s world junior team. Despite that, the 43rd overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft was a defensive stalwart, using his 6-foot-6 frame to his advantage.

The 23-year-old spent the 2022-23 season playing with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL, where he tapped into his offensive game for the first time. He replicated that production in his first full season, earning himself a six-year, $27.6-million contract extension, and now, in the 2024-25 campaign, he's flourishing. 

His four goals and 28 points, coupled with his defensive game, have allowed him to average 23:27 minutes of ice time on a Blackhawks blue line that will soon feature Artyom Levshunov, Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro and Sam Rinzel. Korchinski and Levshunov will likely be the offensive contributors on the backend, but if Vlasic can add more offense to his game without sacrificing his defensive game, the Blackhawks will be a difficult team to play against. 

Simon Edvinsson, Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings have been incredibly patient with Edvinsson, first allowing him to develop in the SHL before keeping him in the AHL for an additional two seasons. Heading into his first full campaign, Edvinsson had 25 games of NHL experience and has now revolutionized the Red Wings’ blueline.

Moritz Seider’s following seasons after winning the Calder Trophy were underwhelming. Playing alongside Ben Chiarot, the pair struggled greatly in the consistency department. Although the pair have still spent most of the season together, Seider’s best results are when he plays with Edvinsson. Seider’s expected goals percentage with Chiarot is 41.96 percent, and with Edvinsson, it’s 48.57 percent.

Edvinsson is a tremendous skater and offensive player for a 22-year-old listed at 6-foot-6, and as his ice time grows, the offensive numbers are sure to follow.

Dante Fabbro, Columbus Blue Jackets

Fabbro is the oldest player out of the five – already 26 years old – but since he was claimed off of waivers by the Blue Jackets, he’s revived his career. During his tenure with the Nashville Predators, Fabbro never averaged over 20 minutes of ice time, and in 52 games with the Blue Jackets, Fabbro is averaging nearly 22.

He’s set a career-high in goals, recording six goals and 20 points, proving to be the perfect partner for Zach Werenski, a Norris Trophy candidate this season. 

Gustav Forsling was a surprise breakout candidate for the Florida Panthers, and Fabbro looks to be following the same trajectory as an astute defender with good feet and puck-moving ability. 

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