Sweden will once again host NHL regular-season hockey in November – and Sidney Crosby could be part of the action.

The NHL announced the 2025 Global Series is scheduled to feature the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins facing off at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on Nov. 14 and 16. This is the first time the Penguins will play in Europe since 2008. The Predators played in Czechia in 2022 and Japan in 2000, but this will be their first time playing in Sweden.

Stockholm last hosted four games in November 2023 featuring the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild. The city’s hosted the most NHL regular-season contests of any city outside of North America with 16 games – next season’s Global Series will increase that total to 18.

As the rosters stand, there’s some high-profile Swedish talent on both teams. The Predators’ top scorer, Filip Forsberg, is from Ostervala, Sweden, and the team also has defensemen Andreas Englund (Stockholm) and Adam Wilsby (Stockholm).

“Every time we are selected to participate in one of the NHL’s marquee events, it’s a testament to Smashville’s passion for our team and our sport both at home and abroad,” Predators CEO Sean Henry said in a news release. “This event will be particularly special for Filip Forsberg, who adores his home country, and the other Sweden natives on our team and in our organization.”

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has defenseman Erik Karlsson (Landsbro) and right winger Rickard Rakell (Sundbyberg) who played on Sweden’s 4 Nations Face-Off squad. Center Emil Bemstrom (Nykoping) has played for Pittsburgh and the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season. And while Sidney Crosby isn’t Swedish, Canada’s captain at the 4 Nations Face-Off could play in just his second and third NHL games overseas in the fall, months before the 2026 Olympics in Milan, Italy.

In total, 9.7 percent of NHL players this season were born in Sweden, the highest representation of players of any country outside North America. Rakell and Forsberg are tied for the fourth-most points of any Swede in the NHL this season, with 59. New Jersey Devils left winger Jesper Bratt leads the way with 80 points, while Maple Leafs right winger William Nylander (71) and Red Wings right winger Lucas Raymond (69) follow suit.

Raymond was at the last Global Series games at Avicii Arena before its renovation in 2024. The modernization project was meant to improve sightlines and bring seating closer to the action, according to the arena’s website. They also maintained the arena’s architecture, which includes the well-known dome that stands out in the city’s skyline.

The first opportunity for fans to buy tickets is at the first-ever Hockey Day In Sweden on March 21 and 22 in Linkoping. After that, ticket presales open on March 25 at 6 a.m. ET, and general sale begins on March 26 at 5 a.m. ET.

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While the NHL teams at the bottom of their divisions won’t have a playoff spot to compete for this season, they do have something to battle for.

These final games are important for the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers to set the stage for taking a big step next season. Ending this season with promise should bring a lot of promise into the summer and next campaign.

With that in mind, let’s rank these teams to see who’s most likely to take the biggest step ahead in 2025-26. In order of the most competitive to the least:

1. Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres were supposed to do big things this season, but they failed miserably. 

GM Kevyn Adams traded up-and-coming center Dylan Cozens for pivot Josh Norris from the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline. But otherwise, Adams has re-invested in his lineup, and they’ve got a whopping $23 million in cap space next year.

That said, Buffalo’s youngsters must continue developing for the rest of this season so that the Sabres know they can count on them as they alter their roster this summer. That goes for up-and-comers Bowen Byram, J.J. Peterka, Jack Quinn and Peyton Krebs, but No. 1 draft picks Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin must also produce positive results. 

The Sabres already moved Cozens, so any other youngsters could become trade bait in exchange for more proven players with experience who can lead the team for years to come. So there’s a lot on the line for the Sabres and their players in their final stretch of games, and that will give fans something to be invested in.

Buffalo Sabres Show Something They Lacked For Most Of The SeasonThe Buffalo Sabres haven’t had many signs of hope this season – but the way they won Saturday is one of them.

2. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers lost six of their last seven games to sink to the Metropolitan Division’s basement. However, they’re just two points behind the seventh-place Pittsburgh Penguins, four points behind the sixth-place New York Islanders and six points behind the fifth-place Columbus Blue Jackets. So they’ve got a golden opportunity to take a sizeable step forward the rest of this season and next year.

Like the Sabres, the Flyers need significant internal improvement next year, so Philly GM Daniel Briere will be keeping a close eye on his assets – most notably, veterans like defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who could be a trade candidate this off-season.

But the biggest thing to keep an eye on is Philly’s goaltending. Neither Samuel Ersson nor Ivan Fedotov stepped up to make the starter’s job their own for the future, and Briere could spend a good deal of his plentiful cap space on an experienced hand in net in 2025-26. But if Ersson or Fedotov has a good showing in the Flyers’ final games this spring, they could make a convincing case to get another chance again next season.

Flyers Vs. Penguins: Who Will Be Cup Contenders Sooner?Remember when the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins rivalry was arguably the best in the NHL, matching hated cross-state rivals who were usually among the league’s elite?

3. Chicago Blackhawks

Some believed the Blackhawks were set to jump higher in the Central Division ranks this season after acquiring veterans last summer, but reality put that notion to rest very quickly. Only the hapless San Jose Sharks have been worse than the Hawks – and to be frank, we don’t see Chicago moving higher in the ultra-competitive Central in 2025-26.

This isn’t to say the Blackhawks won’t show a bit of improvement. With star center Connor Bedard on board and Chicago’s younger players evolving into important NHLers, the Hawks almost assuredly won’t be as bad next season. They have one of the best chances of getting the No. 1-overall pick in this summer’s draft, and that likely won’t change, even if they go on a hot streak. That’s a nice spot for a rebuilding club to be in.

Ultimately, the Hawks’ youngsters are still at least another year away from being needle-movers in hockey’s top league. There will still be a lot of pain ahead for this Original Six franchise.

4. San Jose Sharks

As the NHL’s worst team, the Sharks have the furthest climb back to respectability. After trading many veterans, Sharks GM Mike Grier was open about being a buyer in free agency and trades this off-season. But the Sharks still on the roster have the rest of the season to persuade Grier to retain them.

A Sharks veteran whose future is unclear is star center Logan Couture, who’s missed all of this season – and all but six games last year – with a brutal groin injury. Couture is signed for two more seasons with a three-team trade list. 

Defenseman Mario Ferraro could have also been traded this season, but that didn’t materialize. A strong remainder of the year could boost Ferraro’s trade stock – or it could convince Grier to retain him for the long term. In any case, the Sharks will struggle again in 2025-26, and the playoffs will still be a pipe dream. But internal improvement for the rest of this season would be encouraging.

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The Carolina Hurricanes might have only had Mikko Rantanen for just over a month, but without him and Martin Necas, they’re firing on all pistons.

Drama enveloped the Hurricanes at the March 7 NHL trade deadline regarding their failure in re-signing Rantanen after trading Necas in a package for him in late January. Despite that, the team went 8-2-0 in their last 10 games and won its last seven, which helps its Stanley Cup hopes.

If Carolina can maintain its dynamic play for the next month, the team will head into the playoffs as a threat with home-ice advantage, likely against the third seed in the Metropolitan Division – either the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers or Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Hurricanes look like they could still be a Stanley Cup contender. But there are still some areas of potential concern when the playoffs arrive. Their 18.1-percent power-play efficiency, which ranks 26th in the NHL, is one of them, but the bigger question mark is goaltending.

First thing’s first: the Hurricanes’ goaltending is nowhere near abysmal. Veteran netminder Frederik Andersen has a 2.16 goals-against average and .912 save percentage this season, while youngster Pyotr Kochetkov has a 2.37 GAA and a .908 SP this year. Those are solid numbers for the platoon.

Last season, Andersen had a 1.84 GAA and a .932 SP in 16 games, and Kochetkov had a .911 SP and a 2.33 GAA in 40 games – slightly better than this year. But those strong numbers did not translate into reliable goaltending in the post-season. Last playoffs, Andersen’s numbers dropped to a .895 SP and a 2.62 GAA in 10 starts. Kochetkov had a .880 SP after allowing three goals on 25 shots against the Rangers in last year’s second round. In six career playoff appearances, he’s put up a subpar .863 SP and a 4.01 GAA.

Andersen’s injury history is a bigger question mark. He already missed a sizable chunk of time this season due to knee surgery, appearing in only 14 games. He made 16 appearances last year after missing most of that campaign due to a deep-vein thrombosis diagnosis, which was unlucky. But he also had multiple injuries in 2022-23 that limited him to 34 games, and he missed the 2022 playoffs with a torn MCL.

There’s a clear cause for concern that Andersen might not be available to be counted on when the Hurricanes need him the most. When Kochetkov was injured at the same time as Andersen this season, Carolina had to turn to journeymen Dustin Tokarski and Spencer Martin. If a similar situation happens in the post-season, then a lack of reliability in net could sink the squad.

Things can always change for the better, of course. Both Carolina goalies are thriving this month: Andersen has a .932 SP and a 1.76 GAA in four games, while Kochetkov has a 0.99 GAA and a .960 SP in four appearances. Clearly, Carolina’s goalies are riding high with the rest of their teammates.

But from our standpoint, the Hurricanes’ netminding will be a nagging concern until their goalies prove otherwise. Andersen hasn’t guided his team beyond the second round of the playoffs since the 2014-15 campaign as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. And Kochetkov simply doesn’t have enough post-season experience to say with certainty how he will perform when games matter most. There’s room for reasonable doubt here.

We knew going into the season that Carolina had the overall depth to be one of the NHL’s best squads. But like all teams, the Hurricanes aren’t perfect. And if they do get flushed out of the first or second round of this year’s playoffs due to their goaltending, no one can say they didn’t see it coming.

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Kick off a new week with rapid-fire NHL and hockey discussions on The Hockey News Wraparound Show.

What's Most Concerning About The Maple Leafs Right Now? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan and Michael Augello discussed in this episode:

0:00 What to make of Connor Bedard’s 10-minute misconducts in back-to-back games

3:41: Is Sam Bennett more likely to stay with the Florida Panthers or hit free agency?

5:41: Will the Panthers keep Brad Marchand or Aaron Ekblad this off-season?

7:42: What has been the most concerning part of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ recent slump?

10:10: Which goaltender in the 2025 free agent class will be the most sought-after?

12:48: What are the biggest changes NHL GMs will advocate for at the GM meetings?

15:41: Which NHL prospect traded at the deadline will fit best with their new organization?

18:12: How much money could Nikolaj Ehlers get on the open market this summer?

20:33: Even without Mikko Rantanen or Martin Necas, should the Carolina Hurricanes still be considered a Stanley Cup contender?

23:24: Could Jonathan Huberdeau’s resurgence signify great things to come for the Calgary Flames?

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

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iHeartRadio

Amazon

NHL players moved at the trade deadline have now had more than a week to get accustomed to their new squads. Some players already dealt with switching teams not long ago, while other veterans underwent the big shift for the first time.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jake Walman, Dallas Stars right winger Mikko Rantanen and Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson are three examples. Each player’s had a different storyline that caught the hockey world’s attention.

Walman, 29, was traded to the San Jose Sharks in June 2024 with a second-round draft pick from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations. He recorded a career-high 32 points and provided offensive upside with smart defensive play with the Sharks, which received a 2026 first-rounder to trade him to Edmonton less than a year later. Walman’s endeared himself to his new teammates in five games.

"Nice addition for our team. Adds a lot of speed," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said on Sunday. "He's a great guy to get the puck and get it out of pressure. His mobility is as good as anyone for a defenseman."

Nelson, 33, spent more than a decade with the New York Islanders but was the subject of trade rumors for most of the season as the team struggled. He now has to adjust to a new team in a new conference during an intense playoff push.

It’s also closing in on a decade since the Avalanche drafted Rantanen. But the 28-year-old was shocked when Colorado traded the pending UFA to the Carolina Hurricanes in January. Without a contract extension, Rantanen went on the move again at the trade deadline to Dallas. He joined a contender that already has Jason Robertson, Matt Duchene, Wyatt Johnston and one of the best netminders in the NHL, Jake Oettinger, who is one of three goalies with 30 wins this season.

Avry Lewis-McDougall looks beyond the stats of each player since the trades and examines how they’ve fit in with their new clubs in a short time in his video column.

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Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Birthday Backcheck features San Jose Sharks rookie Will Smith, who turns 20 years old on March 17.

Smith became the youngest player in Sharks history since Patrick Marleau to score multiple goals in a game when he netted his first two NHL markers.

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.    

Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Birthday Backcheck features San Jose Sharks rookie Will Smith, who turns 20 years old on March 17.

Smith became the youngest player in Sharks history since Patrick Marleau to score multiple goals in a game when he netted his first two NHL markers.

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.    

Very quietly, on Saturday night, the Los Angeles Kings pulled out another impressive win, beating the Nashville Predators 1-0 in overtime for their fifth straight victory. And with the win, the Kings moved ahead of the Edmonton Oilers for second place in the Pacific Division – and L.A. is now five standings points behind the first-place Golden Knights, with the Kings holding two games in hand on Vegas.

Suddenly, there’s a legitimate chance Los Angeles will be able to avoid another first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Oilers. That would end three straight seasons in which the Kings and Edmonton squared off in Round One – and as we’ll explore below, that would almost certainly be a better road for L.A. in the post-season.

If the Kings are able to leapfrog over the Golden Knights and win the Pacfic, they could be looking at a first-round series against the Minnesota Wild, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks or St. Louis Blues. And any of those teams could be a better opponent for Los Angeles in the opening round.

The Kings are 2-0-0 against the Wild this season, with their final regular-season showdown set for Monday. Meanwhile, the Kings are 0-2-0 against the Flames, but both of their losses were close games, and they still have one more game against Calgary in their final game of the season. As far as the Canucks go, L.A. is 1-1-1 against Vancouver this year. And against the Blues, the Kings are 1-1-1. So any of those teams would likely be preferable competition for the Kings.

That said, let’s say the Kings stay where they are, and Edmonton remains in third place in the Pacific. Is it reasonable to argue that this year might be the first year Los Angeles is able to send the Oilers home early for the summer? We believe the answer to that question is "yes".

For instance, in their first game against Edmonton this season, the Kings beat the Oilers 4-3 in overtime. Then, in their most recent game, L.A. lost to Edmonton by a 1-0 score. But the two teams still have two games left against each other before the playoffs roll around – an April 5th game in Los Angeles, and an April 14th game in Edmonton. Those games could decide who gets home-ice advantage in a Round One series, and that's crucial, as L.A.’s home record is an imposing 23-3-4, while their road mark is a sub-par 13-17-5. 

But the more convincing argument to be made when it comes to the Kings beating the Oilers this year is to look at the way the Kings have won their games, as they’re one of the NHL’s best defensive machines. Indeed, Los Angeles has the second-best goals-against average in the league, with a stellar 2.55 GAA. The Oilers, on the other hand, are 14th in the league at a 2.91 GAA. And as we all ought to know by now, defense is what wins you games in the post-season.

To be sure, the Kings are significantly different than the L.A. teams that have lost to Edmonton in their past three playoff series. For one thing, goaltender Darcy Kuemper has delivered as advertised in his first season as the Kings’ No. 1 netminder, posting a 22-8-7 record, a 2.16 GAA, and a .919 save percentage in 38 appearances. Kuemper’s pedigree as a Cup winner is exactly what this Kings team needs, and so long as he stays healthy, Kuemper holds the edge over Oilers counterpart Stuart Skinner.

That’s NHL win No. 200 for Darcy Kuemper – congratulations to the @LAKings netminder! pic.twitter.com/H2vdWNAeiX

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) March 16, 2025

And while the Kings don’t have an elite talent at forward comparable to Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, L.A. does have seven forwards in double-digits in goals, and eight players who’ve produced between 30-54 points. 

On defense, the Kings have at least as good of a group of blueliners as they had last season, with the addition of veteran Joel Edmundson and the development of youngsters Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence. And L.A. would have the best D-man in the series in veteran star Drew Doughty, who has looked terrific since returning from an injury that’s limited him to only 17 games this season. But that prolonged absence may mean Doughty has a lot left in his competitive tank for the rest of the regular season and playoffs.

In any case, the Oilers’ defense is their Achilles Heel, and that could well prove to be the difference between the Kings winning the series this time around. Los Angeles is proving time and again they can clamp down on opponents’ offense this season, and if they are able to restrict the Oilers’ superstars, Edmonton’s complementary players may not be able to produce enough goals to put the Oilers over the top.

All of this is to say we like the Kings to do great things in this year’s playoffs. Whether they square off against Edmonton or another team, L.A. has the defensive acumen to suffocate their opponent’s offense. And they’ve still got a foundation in Doughty and captain Anze Kopitar who can rely on their Cup-winning experience to lead their teammates to playoff victories. 

The Kings didn’t make any trade-deadline moves because they didn’t need to in order to win games. L.A.’s current hot streak should put the rest of the league on notice – this Kings team should be one that no other team wants to face in Round One, or any round.

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By Rory Arthur, The Hockey News Intern

Every year there are a handful of breakout players who take a step up in their production and take on a bigger role for their respective NHL teams. Some of these players blossom into superstars and get their plaudits for it. But some fly beneath the radar, growing into key roles without receiving a ton of mainstream attention. Here’s a look at five such players in 2024-25.

1. Aliaksei Protas, RW, Washington Capitals

The hulking 6-foot-6 Belarusian winger has blasted past his career highs this season. Protas had 13 goals in 169 NHL games across his first three seasons for Washington. This year, he already has 29 goals through 67 games, as well as 30 assists. And when you take into account that 54 of his 59 points thus far have come at even strength – ranking him eighth in the NHL, which is just two points behind Connor McDavid – you get a player who’s gone from being a bottom-six forward to a top producer for the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals. 

Aliaksei Protas keeps on rolling 🔥⁰
Already building on career-best marks in points and goals this season, the @Capitals forward picked up his first NHL career hat trick and three short-handed points to lead the league in goals and overall scoring as NHLPA Player of the Week! pic.twitter.com/wOFp8HpkDj

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) March 14, 2025

2. Jackson LaCombe, D, Anaheim Ducks

The 2019 second-round pick has really taken off for the Ducks this season, especially since the calendar flipped to January. Since the start of the new year, LaCombe has 21 points in 30 games and is regularly playing 24-plus minutes a night. The 24-year-old has become a top-pair defenseman as the Ducks have turned in a winning record in the 2025 portion of the schedule. LaCombe’s best game came in Edmonton on March 4, when he put up three assists and was a plus-5 in the Ducks’ 6-2 win.

3. Kent Johnson, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets

Johnson’s biggest moment of fame occurred at the 2022 World Junior Championship when he scored the golden goal for Canada. Now in the NHL, the 22-year-old fifth-overall draft pick from 2021 is having a breakout season in Columbus. Despite missing a handful of games with a shoulder injury in the fall, he’s already surpassed his career highs in goals and points in just 50 games.

Kent Johnson with one of the cleanest goals of the year.

Effortless 360, no look, perfect placement on the backhand. What a goal. pic.twitter.com/qQirHXaF9h

— Nasher (@TheNasher61) February 5, 2025

One big part of Johnson’s success has been a full-time move to the wing, as evidenced by him not taking a single faceoff this season after spending time at center in past seasons. This has allowed the highly skilled forward to showcase his scoring ability without having to stress over the two-way responsibilities of a center.

4. Simon Edvinsson, D, Detroit Red Wings

Edvinsson may not have the flashy point totals of others on this list, but the Swedish defenseman has quietly emerged as a solid top-four D-man in Detroit. The Red Wings love to slowly integrate their prospects into the NHL club by giving them plenty of time with AHL Grand Rapids, and that was the case for the 6-foot-6 blueliner’s first two seasons. But in 2024-25, the mobile Edvinsson has solidified his spot, playing almost 21 minutes a game for a team fighting for a wild-card playoff berth, and he’ll be a key player if Detroit can get over the line and make it into the post-season. 

5. Pavel Dorofeyev, LW/RW, Vegas Golden Knights

Dorofeyev has broken out as a goal-scoring machine in Vegas this season, especially on the power play. The Russian winger is second on the team in goals with 27, including 11 on the man advantage, using his big one-timer from the right wall as a weapon to beat opposing goalies. He’s also shooting more accurately this season, as he’s registering three shots-on-goal per game in 2024-25, up from around two shots per game last year. Dorofeyev has embraced his role at the top of Vegas’ lineup.

Pavel Dorofeyev's got goals in three straight games! ⚔️#NHLStats: https://t.co/vYezETy2Iw

📺: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVKjdpic.twitter.com/LC3FCthWbo

— NHL (@NHL) March 15, 2025

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With a month remaining in the NHL regular season, clubs are jockeying for position inside their respective divisions and for wild-card spots in the Eastern and Western Conferences. The league switched from a conference-based to a division-centric format in 2013-14 mostly to take advantage of rivalries and cut down on travel in the post-season, but going into the 10th season of this format (the 2020 and 2021 playoffs were altered due to COVID), the same matchups have become stale and in certain instances unfair.   

Based on the current standings with 20 percent of the schedule remaining, the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings are likely to meet for the fourth consecutive year in the Pacific Division semi-final, while the Toronto Maple Leafs could face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division for the third time in four years next month after losing to the Boston Bruins for the third time since 2018 last post-season. 

The main problem with the current intradivision structure is the “2nd - 3rd corridor of hell”. With the conference-based format that was in place from 1993 to 2013, the division winners occupied the top spots, with the remaining six spots being ranked in order of best record. This allowed for the division winners to play the two bottom playoff qualifiers and allowed for the possibility of intradivision matchups, but did not exclude a crossover.  

If a conference based playoff structure were currently in place, the current matchups for the Eastern Conference would be the same as with the current format. The top-seeded Washington Capitals would face the Rangers, the reigning Cup Champion Florida Panthers would take on Atlantic Division rival Ottawa, the Maple Leafs would matchup with the Lightning, and the Carolina Hurricanes would meet New Jersey.  

However, the Western Conference would be dramatically different. The Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets in either structure would face Vancouver in the first round and the Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights would take on Minnesota, but instead of facing Colorado in the opening round, the Dallas Stars would matchup with the Oilers, and the Avs would meet the Kings. 

There could be changes with a new collective bargaining agreement on the horizon. Expansion could lead to an increase from 16 to 18 or even 20 playoff teams. And rumors of a possible increase in the amount of games from 82 to 84 (four games against the other seven teams inside each division, three games against each team in the other division in the conference and two games against each team in the other conference) would make the divisional structure less meaningful. Even if those changes do not come to pass, changing from the divisional to a conference playoff format would allow for more unique playoff matchups, especially in the opening round.

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