Last month, the 4 Nations Face-Off delivered the kind of edge-of-your-seat action that got hearts pounding for both hockey fans and NHL players — whether they were suiting up in the tournament or watching from a sunny beach vacation.

As regular-season action resumed, a bit of an early lull in intensity was understandable. But three weeks have now passed, and some players still haven’t found their ‘A’ games. 

With plenty left to be settled in terms of both playoff qualification and seeding, here are five players whose team would love to see them get back on track as soon as possible. 

Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild

At the 4 Nations, Brock Faber and Jaccob Slavin formed a tremendous top pair on the U.S. blue line. But after playing so well in his rookie season that he mounted a challenge for the Calder Trophy, Faber has had a tough time finding his form since returning to NHL play.

Before the break, Faber sat 10th in the NHL in ice time, averaging 24:55 a game. He had 22 points in 52 games and was a healthy plus-10. And while plus-minus is not a perfect stat, it shows us what we need to know when we see that Faber is minus-11 in 11 games since the break as his ice time has spiked to 27:07 a game. And he has just one goal and one assist in those 11 games.

#mnwild defenseman Brock Faber posted a game-high 29:42 time-on-ice total in tonight's game, his fifth-highest total of the season.

He now ranks fourth in the NHL with a 25:18 TOI/G average. pic.twitter.com/VFr3ZqP1mi

— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) March 14, 2025

With a record of 4-6-1 since the break, the Wild have now fallen into a wild-card spot. They should still make the playoffs, but Faber seems to be wilting under his enormous workload with his undermanned squad.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, Edmonton Oilers

After a quiet start to the season, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was heating up before the break. In his first 18 games of 2025, he logged eight assists and seven goals, including a pair of game-winners.

In 11 games since the Oilers’ return to action, Nugent-Hopkins has just one goal and three assists, and is a minus-5. But he’s certainly not alone on his team. A long list of Oilers’ honorable mentions contains nearly everyone except Leon Draisaitl, including Zach Hyman (5 points), Corey Perry (2 points), Vasily Podkolzin (1 point) and Stuart Skinner (2-5-0, 3.54 GAA, .875 save percentage).

Brock Boeser, RW, Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks’ impending free agent headed into the 4 Nations break after scoring the game-winner in Vancouver’s 2-1 home-ice win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 8, giving him 18 goals and 35 points in 48 games this year. But he hasn’t scored since, and has chipped in just three assists as Rick Tocchet has tried to find the right chemistry among his forwards in the wake of the J.T. Miller trade.

"You have to earn your ice time."

Rick Tocchet on Jake DeBrusk, Brock Boeser, and Elias Pettersson receiving less ice time in the Canucks' loss to the Stars. pic.twitter.com/6qYPQYVWJO

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 10, 2025

Even the Canucks’ 6-goal outburst against the Chicago Blackhawks didn’t help Boeser get back on track. His pointless streak is now at four games and counting.

Stefan Noesen, RW, New Jersey Devils

Two months into this season, Stefan Noesen was named a ‘New Guy On Fire’ thanks to 13 goals and 22 points in his first 28 games back with the New Jersey Devils. 

But Noesen started to cool off in December and the trend has continued. In 11 games since the 4 Nations break, he has tallied just one power-play goal and a couple of even-strength assists, despite being gifted quality minutes on the banged-up Devils. On Saturday, he lined up with Nico Hischier and Timo Meier, but went pointless for the seventh time in nine games in New Jersey’s 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Cam Talbot, G, Detroit Red Wings

One big reason why the Red Wings had climbed into a wild-card spot at the break was the strong play of Cam Talbot. He stabilized the team’s goaltending with a .906 save percentage and a record of 16-11-2. But when play resumed, Talbot allowed 21 goals over six starts, 3.53 per game. 

That led Steve Yzerman to bring in Petr Mrazek at the trade deadline, in an attempt to keep the Wings’ playoff hopes alive.

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The NHL’s tightly-compressed schedule has been a bone of contention for quite some time. And on Saturday, a Sportsnet report posited that the league may be willing to start the regular-season at least a few weeks earlier – perhaps as early as the start of September – to ease the considerable toll the current schedule takes on players and teams.

The Sportsnet report – which followed up on an Athletic report earlier this month – also threw out the possibility of an 84-game regular-season schedule and a shortened pre-season schedule. And in this writer’s opinion, those plans all sound like terrific improvements on what the NHL has right now.

Yes, it’s true that, by moving the start of the regular-season back to September, the NHL would be going up against the start of the NFL season and the end of Major League Baseball’s schedule, but the NHL needs to have confidence in its product, as hockey fans will find time in their plans to attend NHL games and watch them on TV no matter when the season begins. 

Thus, asking hockey fans to tune in a month earlier than they currently are is not too big of a request by the NHL. However, the biggest reason the NHL needs to go to September to start its season is that it would cause notably less grind from the current highly-condensed schedule. 

Unfortunately, we’re not going to see the NHL playoffs end sooner than it currently does, as league commitments to mid-season, high-profile events like the Olympics or 4 Nations Face-Off tournaments virtually guarantee the Stanley Cup playoffs will always end in late June. However, if the NHL schedule began in September, we just might see fewer injuries with fewer back-to-back games and less plugged-up schedules. 

This is how the proposed 84 game schedule would be structured. Makes sense, tbh. Really like less preseason games. pic.twitter.com/dAaTCL9gNk

— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) December 18, 2022

Moreover, the idea of going to 84 regular-season games is also a great one, as it would mean fewer useless pre-season games, and no more pretending that NHLers need pre-season games to get into shape. As well, the two additional regular-season games could help add to the rivalries the league always says it wants to build. Eighty-four games isn’t a huge increase, and anything that curbs the number of NHL pre-season games is an idea that should be welcomed with open arms.

All things considered, a less-condensed schedule has far more benefits than drawbacks. We might not see a less-condensed schedule and an 84-game schedule happen until a new collective bargaining agreement is ratified in 2026, but certainly, momentum among team owners and the NHL Players’ Association could build in the next year regarding these concepts. 

We don’t need as many back-to-back games, as it ultimately hurts the product, and we definitely don’t need to tell hockey fans they need to pay for as many pre-season games that have no impact on the NHL’s standings. The evolution of the NHL schedule is pointing in one direction, and that direction is all about less-condensed schedules and slightly more regular-season games. In the opinion of many, the league and players’ association needs to make those concepts a reality sooner than later.

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The Buffalo Sabres haven’t had many signs of hope this season – but the way they won Saturday is one of them.

In their remaining 17 games, the Sabres still have the chance to salvage something from this season, which is about to be their 14th-straight playoff miss. In their win over the heavily favored Vegas Golden Knights, Buffalo found a way to not only come back multiple times but be a spoiler – which is what they need to be for the rest of this season.

For most of the afternoon tilt, the Sabres looked like they would lose their 40th game of the season. The Golden Knights jumped out to a 1-0 lead by the first intermission, and they made it 2-0 at the 12-minute mark of the second frame.

In most cases this season, the Sabres would not have closed the deficit.

Before Saturday, Buffalo’s record when trailing after one period this season is 2-15-1 – an abysmal showing. Their 4-23-1 record when trailing after two periods was a bit better in relation to the rest of the league but not exceptional.

Despite trailing after the first and second periods, and watching former captain Jack Eichel give the Golden Knights a 3-2 lead with only 2:33 left in regulation, the Sabres tied the game with 14 seconds left in the third. That came after Tomas Hertl passed up an empty-net goal for Vegas to try to give Eichel a second goal, making that equalizer even sweeter for Sabres fans.

Buffalo then pulled out a 4-3 shootout win to give them their second win in their last three games. That improves their record to 3-15-1 when trailing after one period and 5-23-1 when trailing after two.

Dahlin’s Meeting With Adams Was About Club Direction, Not An UltimatumThe kerfuffle raised by TNT panelist and Spittin Chiclets co-host Paul Bissonette earlier this week regarding a meeting between Buffalo Sabres team captain Rasmus Dahlin and GM Kevyn Adams received some clarity courtesy of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast on Friday, as he indicated that the meeting was not to provide an ultimatum, but to inquire about the plan for the direction of the club. 

Buffalo’s gutsy play Saturday has to be encouraging to Sabres fans. They outshot Vegas 37-19, and they ultimately deserved to win the game. The resilience against the Golden Knights has come too late to get Buffalo into the post-season, but this type of win is exactly what’s needed to build momentum into the off-season instead of wilting away for another year. Perhaps it gives Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams something positive to point to as evidence that he can continue building this Sabres team – and for Lindy Ruff to continue to coach it despite being last in the Eastern Conference.

Sabres' Ryan McLeod Accomplishes Rare Stat In Big PerformanceThe Buffalo Sabres picked up an impressive 4-3 shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights on March 15. The Sabres made the Golden Knights surrender 2-0 and 3-2 leads before winning this matchup, so it was a hard-fought victory for the Atlantic Division club. 

Buffalo has the second-toughest remaining schedule this season, according to tankathon.com. So it’s unlikely the Sabres will go on a lengthy run of success the rest of the year. That said, the spoiler’s role is there for the taking, and they can do significant damage to other teams’ position in the standings.

Going through another slew of losses to end the season will only create more doubt and cynicism in the minds of Buffalo fans, ownership and management. The Sabres can’t battle for a playoff spot anymore, but they can still become a team that’s ready to turn the corner competitively and set the table for a strong performance next season. Their win over the Golden Knights is one step toward doing that.

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It’s been a week since the NHL’s trade deadline has passed, and in most cases of traded players, we’ve seen a decent sample size to judge how well or poorly they might be doing with their new team.

Let’s focus on eight traded players and examine their performance after the deadline:

Mikko Rantanen, RW, Dallas Stars

As the biggest name moved at the deadline, Rantanen had major pressure right off the hop in his time as a Star. And in his first three games with Dallas, Rantanen has looked comfortable and productive, posting two goals and three points while averaging 19:50 of ice time – nearly the exact same amount of minutes (19:49) he had with Carolina. 

STARS DEBUT GOAL FOR MIKKO RANTANEN!!!! pic.twitter.com/GkZEfYho3S

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) March 9, 2025

Rantanen is going to be crucial to the Stars’ Stanley Cup playoff hopes, so it’s encouraging to see him hit the ground running with Dallas and contributing right away. He’s going to be the Stars’ highest-paid player next season, and at the moment, he’s showing why Dallas GM Jim Nill made a long-term commitment to him.

Dylan Cozens, C, Ottawa Senators

As the centerpiece of Ottawa’s trade that sent center Josh Norris to Buffalo, Cozens has been in the spotlight immediately – and he’s delivered exactly as Sens management had hoped, generating one point in each of his first four games with the Senators. And most impressively, Cozens has produced that offense while averaging just 15:34 per-game. 

That total is nearly two minutes less per game than the 17:13 Cozens was averaging as a Sabre, so Ottawa fans have to be impressed with him thus far. If the Sens are going to make the playoffs, Cozens will have to have a major impact – and he’s under contract for another five seasons after this year – so it’s a huge relief for Senators fans to see him doing so well immediately after the trade.

Brock Nelson, C, Colorado Avalanche

Nelson was one of the highest-profile players on the trade block, and the Avalanche gave up quite a bit of talent and draft capital to the New York Islanders to get him. But after four games in a Colorado uniform, Nelson is still looking for his first goal, and he has just one assist in that span. Clearly, the Avs are looking for more out of Nelson. 

However, on an Avalanche team that is far deeper than Nelson’s former Isles team, Nelson is averaging just 17:15 of ice time – more than two minutes fewer than the 19:21 he was averaging on Long Island. Colorado coach Jared Bednar is going to be patient with Nelson, but as the Avs battle to continue climbing up the Central Division, Bednar is going to go with the hot hand when he’s handing out minutes. Thus, Nelson has to make the most of his opportunities, or continue being utilized less than he was with the Islanders.

Seth Jones, D, Florida Panthers

Jones was the most notable defenseman available before the deadline, and he happily joined the defending Stanley Cup-champion Panthers. But in five games, he’s put up only one assist, which is far less productive than the 20 assists and 27 points he had in 42 games with Chicago this season.

Jones’ minutes are down slightly with Florida, as he’s averaging 23:57 of ice time, a reduction of 33 seconds-per-game from the 24:30 he was averaging with the Blackhawks. But Jones has otherwise been solid with the Panthers – and a godsend of sorts with Florida blueliner Aaron Ekblad serving a 20-game suspension. Jones can continue to be a big minute-muncher, and when Ekblad returns in the playoffs, Jones will give the Panthers even more-impressive blueline depth.

Brandon Carlo, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Carlo wasn’t acquired by the Maple Leafs from Boston to post all kinds of points, so his point total of zero as a Leaf isn’t a surprise or disappointment. But Carlo has struggled a bit from a positional-defense standpoint in Toronto, and Leafs coach Craig Berube has cut down Carlo’s minutes. For example, in his first game as a Leaf, Carlo had 22:04 of ice time, in his second game, he had 19:58 of ice time and in his most recent game, Carlo had 17:34 of ice time.

That reduction in minutes isn’t a punishment from Berube. Rather, it has to do with the return to action of veteran Leafs blueliner Chris Tanev. And now, Carlo – who is being paired with D-man Morgan Rielly – can settle in with the knowledge he doesn’t have to be on the ice nearly as much as he was in Tanev’s absence. For that reason, we’re expecting Carlo’s performance to be better from this point on.

Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning

When the Lightning landed Bjorkstrand along with center Yanni Gourde from Seattle, the Bolts weren’t relying on Bjorkstrand to be a difference-maker. Rather, Bjorkstrand was brought in as veteran depth. And at this early point in his Lightning career, Bjorkstrand is still trying to hit his stride, as he has produced only one goal and one point in four games. 

Some of that lack of production can be attributed to Bjorkstrand’s considerable reduction in minutes. In Seattle, he was averaging 15:28, but in Tampa Bay, he’s averaging only 14:17. But if the Bolts encounter injuries or slumps from their top-six forwards group, Bjorkstrand’s opportunities could increase. And if he contributes a clutch goal or two in the post-season, the assets the Lightning gave up for him will be worth it.

Brandon Tanev, LW, Winnipeg Jets

Tanev wasn’t acquired by the Jets from Seattle to be anything more than a complementary component, so Winnipeg fans shouldn’t be alarmed to see him averaging only 10:42 of ice time in his first four games with the Jets post-deadline. Winnipeg has one of the deepest collections of forwards in the league, so Tanev will probably get more games like the one he had March 11, when he was on the ice for only 9:44.

Tanev’s role as a fourth-line depth forward is only going to change if the Jets have injuries. Otherwise, he’s going to be asked to play sound defense and occasionally contribute a goal or an assist here or there on the fourth line. It took him four games to register a point in his second go-around with the Jets, and that average of .25 points-per-game is probably going to remain the same for Tanev the rest of the way this season.

Cody Glass, C, New Jersey Devils

The injury-ravaged Devils need help on offense wherever they can get it, and picking up Glass from the Pittsburgh Penguins is looking like a savvy move from New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald. Glass has posted a goal and three points in three games as a Devil, and he’s doing it while averaging just 14:25 of ice time.

CODY GLASS IS A BEAST! GOAL! #NJDevils | #LetsGoPens | #NHLpic.twitter.com/3jj45uEBMc

— Devils Joint (@DevilsJointX) March 15, 2025

In 51 games as a Penguin this year, Glass had only four goals and 15 points, so he’s off to a far better start in New Jersey. And Devils coach Sheldon Keefe is utilizing Glass a full minute more per game – 14:25, which is an improvement on the 13:25 he averaged in Pittsburgh. Glass doesn’t have to be anything other than a bottom-six contributor – and even then, if he does nothing other than play on the fourth line, Glass will be a success if he continues to chip in a decent amount of offense.

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By Anthony Carbone, The Hockey News Intern

The NHL playoffs are where rivalries ignite, underdogs rise up and legends are made. Every post-season delivers its unforgettable battles, but some matchups have the potential to steal the spotlight before the puck even drops. Imagine high-octane superstars clashing, old foes revisiting past grudges or an upstart team trying to topple a dynasty. As the regular season winds down, the standings hint at some electrifying possibilities.

From classic showdowns to fresh new storylines, here are five potential first-round NHL playoff matchups that could set the hockey world ablaze and keep fans on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer.

Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars

The first matchup to consider would be between two Western Conference juggernauts, the Avalanche and the Stars. Superstars across both lineups would see Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas take on the likes of Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz, leading to an entertaining matchup.

The Avs are looking to win another Stanley Cup this decade – having hoisted the NHL’s championship trophy in 2022 – as they attempt to get back to the final. Not to mention, this series would pit former Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen against his former team as the newest member of the Stars.

Dallas has made it to the Western Conference final two years in a row, but his year, they want to take another step and compete for Lord Stanley’s Cup. This series will most likely happen if these two teams remain in second and third place in the Central Division, and with the way the standings look, a series between these two teams seems almost inevitable. With the amount of star power on both sides and their Stanley Cup windows open, these two teams are looking to do anything to win, and seeing them go against each other in Round 1 would make for a must-see series. 

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. New York Rangers 

Here's an Original Six matchup for the list, as a battle between the Leafs and Rangers would make for a great first-round series. With the NHL’s current playoff format, Toronto hasn’t played a Metropolitan Division opponent in a long time – and the last time the Leafs faced the Rangers in the playoffs was way back in 1962. If the Leafs can win the Atlantic Division and the Rangers line up in a wild-card spot, this matchup could spark a lot of interest. The ‘Core Four’ in Toronto going up against Rangers newcomer J.T. Miller and standout goaltender Igor Shesterkin? Yes, please.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators

The Battle of Ontario would be a compelling matchup in the first round of the playoffs. The Senators, looking to make the post-season for the first time since 2017, would love a shot at playing their division rival in the first round. The Leafs, looking to progress from the second round and go on a Cup run, would entertain a Battle of Ontario matchup.

The rich history between the two teams could result in a great series with great matchups between Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander going up against the likes of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and goalie Linus Ullmark. The last time these two teams met in the playoffs was 2004, with the Leafs winning in seven games. 

Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames

From the Battle of Ontario to the Battle of Alberta. The rich legacy between Alberta’s two teams began in 1980 when the Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary, and the rest is history. Most recently, in the 2022 playoffs, the Oilers faced off against the Flames in a highly anticipated second-round matchup. The Oilers took that series in five games, and Connor McDavid was the hero in overtime of Game 5 in Calgary.

⏪🗓 May 26, 2022

The #Oilers clinched the second-round series over the Flames as Connor McDavid ended the #BattleofAlberta with an unforgettable 5-4 OT winner. pic.twitter.com/WXeYAloR7I

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 26, 2023

With the Oilers looking to make it back to the Cup final, a feisty Flames roster is looking to make the post-season for the first time since 2022. The Flames are leaning on rookie goalie Dustin Wolf to lead them into the playoffs. This series will likely happen if Edmonton can capture the top spot in the Pacific from Vegas and if Calgary remains in a wild-card position. If it does happen, it will certainly be electric.

Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Battle of the Sunshine State is the Florida showdown that NHL fans need. This rivalry has intensified over the past few seasons as these clubs have battled in the playoffs three times in the past four years. In 2021, the Lightning won the series 4-2. In 2022, they swept the Panthers 4-0. And last post-season, the Panthers won 4-1.

Every regular-season meeting between these two teams is always intense – in a game in December, Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov hit Panthers pot-stirrer Matthew Tkachuk knee-on-knee, which did not sit well with Florida’s bench. The Panthers are looking to go back-to-back and win their second Stanley Cup in a row, while the Lightning are pushing for another Cup with their core players, after going back-to-back in 2020 and 2021.

This series will most likely happen if these two teams finish in the second and third spots in the Atlantic Division, which could happen if Toronto overtakes Florida again. Two Eastern Conference favorites that could potentially meet in the first round would make for must-watch playoff hockey.

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By Nicholas Rego, The Hockey News Intern

In recent years, one of the best teams in the NHL has been the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have been dominant throughout the regular season and, more importantly, in the playoffs. The Lightning won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 and then made it back to the Cup final in 2022, losing to the Colorado Avalanche in six games.  

Entering this season, there was some doubt that the Lightning were going to continue being a dominant team. And losing former captain Steven Stamkos to the Nashville Predators via free agency left some questions about the direction the team was going in. But those questions were quickly answered when the Lightning signed UFA winger Jake Guentzel to a seven-year, $63-million contract on July 1. 

One of the main reasons why the Bolts are considered one of the best teams in recent history is goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. During the Lightning’s three straight Stanley Cup-final runs, Vasilevskiy stood on his head. During those three playoff campaigns, he averaged a .928 save percentage, 2.10 goals-against average and posted seven shutouts. This year, Vasilevskiy is still performing at a high level, giving the Lightning a chance in the highly competitive Atlantic Division. He currently sits at a 2.01 GAA, .926 SP and has four shutouts on the season.

Another big reason for the Lightning’s success is two-time NHL scoring champion Nikita Kucherov. During Tampa Bay’s three-year run to the Cup final from 2020 to 2022, Kucherov scored 23 goals and 93 points in 71 playoff games – nearly 30 points more than the second-highest playoff scorer during that span. This season, Kucherov is still Kucherov, with 28 goals and 92 points in 61 games. When the games count the most, having someone like Kucherov leading the way on the scoring front and someone like Vasilevskiy in the crease can only lead to success deep into the playoffs. 

The supporting cast of players are contributing in so many ways that they are helping the Lightning continue their regular-season success. Players such as Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli have the ability to take over a game on any given night. And having veteran defensemen such as Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh to steady the blueline helps the rest of the roster breathe when the puck is on their sticks. 

Three-quarters of the regular season is in the books and the Lightning are holding their own in the Atlantic Division, chasing the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers for first place. The Bolts have a shot at securing the top spot and becoming a Stanley Cup threat once again as they pursue their fourth NHL championship in franchise history.

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One hundred and ten years ago, Lt.-Col. John McCrae wrote In Flanders Fields after the funeral of a close friend who had died in battle in the First World War. More than 30 years later, Montreal Canadiens GM Frank Selke absconded the famous line, “To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high.” And for almost 75 years, that line has greeted Canadiens players as they’ve entered the team’s dressing room, either in the Forum or the Bell Centre. It’s there to remind them of the greatness that has preceded them and their responsibility to uphold the standard that was established by the franchise’s icons.

Generations of players have done their parts, but woo-boy there have been some rough years lately. With a few notable exceptions, young Canadiens players have spent the better part of the past 20 years or so handling the torch like it was a book of matches from a Crescent Street strip club that someone had inadvertently set on fire. There have been some hits, lots of misses and a team that has been among the top 20 in the NHL only once in the past five years. Of course, they finished 18th that year and made it to the Stanley Cup final, so there’s that.

Canadiens GM Kent Hughes remembers the glory days. Larry Robinson’s son played minor hockey with him in Beaconsfield, and Jacques Lemaire’s kid played with Hughes’ younger brother, Ryan. And what the Canadiens are building right now is not the 1970s dynasty that Hughes and his brother idolized, but it’s something. Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle and David Reinbacher will never be confused with Robinson, Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe, but they’re really good. Nick Suzuki probably isn’t Lemaire, but work with us. Cole Caufield could stand in for Steve Shutt and Juraj Slafkovsky or Michael Hage for Pete Mahovlich. Nobody is saying Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen are the next Bob Gainey and Doug Jarvis, but let’s use our imaginations here. Arber Xhekaj as Pierre Bouchard? Sure. (Just keep him away from the modern-day Stan Jonathan.) People are saying great things about Jacob Fowler, the same way they did about Cayden Primeau at the same age, but the kid is putting up Ken Dryden-like numbers at Boston College.

Our annual Future Watch edition is packed with content!

• Prospect pipelines
• Scouting reports
• Top 💯 prospects
• Features on #GoHabsGo Demidov, #FlyTogether Sennecke, #Flames Parekh, #Spartans Augustine, #RaiseUp and more: https://t.co/smKk3NQdgQpic.twitter.com/a869o9ZcIN

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) February 24, 2025

And then there’s Ivan Demidov, star of YouTube and the single-season under-20 scoring leader in KHL history. He plays right wing. So did Guy Lafleur. So, let’s imagine the possibilities. The thing that sports sells better than anything is hope, so let’s give this a go. What if Demidov becomes the dynamic, lift-you-out-of-your-seat scoring star the Canadiens have lacked for decades? And what if the rest of them come together and hit their career peaks simultaneously? Hey, even a poor man’s 1970s dynasty could win the Stanley Cup in today’s parity-ravaged NHL. “I can tell you that if you made those comparisons and you were right,” Hughes said, “you’d be talking to the happiest man in the world.”

"His ability to move laterally suddenly is one of his calling cards."

- Kent Hughes

Which brings us back to Demidov, who fell to the Canadiens when they were picking fifth overall in the 2024 NHL draft and who has since emerged as the world’s No. 1 NHL-affiliated prospect. There’s a video going around in which Canadiens executive VP of hockey operations Jeff Gorton asks Demidov in his draft interview if the team would be crazy to pass on him at their position, and Demidov confirms they would be. Demidov is making them look pretty good, which is probably why the Canadiens allowed the video to surface.

Demidov doesn’t have Lafleur’s shirt-flapping speed – he probably doesn’t spark up a heater between periods, either – but he’s deadly in the scoring areas. His sense of deception is sublime, and he can make a puck find the net while negotiating its way past multiple sets of shin pads. Nobody in KHL history – not Kirill Kaprizov, not Matvei Michkov – has as many points in a teenage season as Demidov has so far in 2024-25. All that is great, but Hughes is most impressed with how Demidov has handled the situation with his KHL team in St. Petersburg, being sat out of the lineup by coach Roman Rotenberg, then playing sparingly early in the season. He has figured it out, which means the Canadiens have been handed a bit of a development gift in the tough love that Rotenberg has shown Demidov.

In December, Hughes accompanied Canadiens head amateur scout Nick Bobrov and special consultant Vincent Lecavalier (along with Demidov’s agent, Dan Milstein) on a multi-pronged mission to assure Demidov that his early-season struggles were not a concern to them and to find out from Rotenberg what Demidov had to improve upon to get more playing time.

“To be honest, some of the stuff they were asking him to do, as much as it made for some frustrating times for him, it’s probably going to help his transition to North America,” Hughes said. “With any young prospect, before you have complete control over their development, you want them in an environment where the things being asked of them are productive in terms of making them better future NHL players. The ice time was not ideal, and he couldn’t do what they were asking of him if he wasn’t playing.”

So, fans of the Canadiens – and there are apparently a few of them – watch the regular postings of Demidov’s most recent exploits in a league where Josh Leivo is the leading scorer and they wonder whether the parade is going to go the usual route down Rue Ste-Catherine. Since Demidov’s contract with SKA expires on May 31, it’s assumed that he’ll be in the Habs’ lineup next season. And there’s a good chance he will be. The Laval Rocket had the best points percentage in the AHL at the all-star break, and, hey, it’s not out of the question that Demidov could sign with the Canadiens and join the Rocket for their playoff run. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Both Hughes and Milstein are loath to talk about when the NHL might see Demidov because, well, Russia. Both will breathe a huge sigh of relief when the young man sets foot in Montreal.

But for now, the Canadiens are thrilled he’s turned his season around, and good things are on the horizon. When Hughes watches Demidov play, both in person and on video, he sees a player with a unique set of skills and the ability to control his edges like few other players. “His ability to move laterally suddenly is one of his calling cards,” Hughes said. “It makes him so elusive. Ivan doesn’t skate at the high speeds Connor McDavid does, but he cuts and moves from right to left, and the amount he covers is significant. He can score, but he also has the ability to see plays and make plays. He has a lot of qualities that we think are going to allow him to be successful in the NHL.”

Hughes waits a second or two, then adds, “And very different. Not the kind of player you see every day.” That makes the Canadiens excited for the time when they can start seeing him every day.

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This article appeared in our 2025 Future Watch issue. Our cover story focuses on Ducks prospect Beckett Sennecke, who is tearing it up with the OHL's Oshawa Generals this season. We also include features on other exceptional NHL prospects, including: Zayne Parekh, Porter Martone, Gavin McKenna and more. In addition, we look at the top-10 prospects in the pipeline for each of the 32 NHL clubs.

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When we talk about NHL teams that almost certainly are going to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, there are two distinct kinds of teams. There are squads that look like they’re going to be dynamic powerhouses – think of Florida, Washington, Winnipeg, Dallas, Vegas and Colorado – but there are also playoff-bound teams trending downward. And in this column, we will identify three squads trending downward – the New Jersey Devils, Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers.

The Devils have been waylaid by major injuries to crucial stars Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, but the truth is, they’ve been a disappointing bunch for months now. For example, since Dec. 27, the Devils have been able to string together three wins in a row just once – in their current three-game win streak. But since Jan. 11, New Jersey has gone 11-10-2. There’s been no extended stretch of excellence to point to with the Devils. Once again, they’re the epitome of mediocrity.

It’s no wonder, then, that Devils fans are worried that New Jersey could fall out of third place in the Metropolitan Division and wind up in a wild-card spot squaring off against elite teams like the Capitals or Panthers in the first round. Would anyone other than Devils diehards bet on New Jersey to make it to the second round of the post-season? We sincerely doubt it. And even when New Jersey was at full strength, they weren’t contending for top spot in the Metro, so it’s hard to envision them doing any damage in the playoffs without Hughes and Hamilton. It’s a bleak picture for the Devils, but it’s an accurate one.

#NJDevils Jack Hughes down the tunnel after crashing into the end wall 😬 pic.twitter.com/9GHvOHDh6s

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) March 3, 2025

Similarly, in the extremely competitive Central Division, the Wild have tumbled out of third place and are now in the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Earlier this season, the Wild were second in the Central, but like the Devils, Minnesota has also had significant injuries to key players, including superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov, center Joel Eriksson Ek, and defensemen Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin. And their downward trend is visible in the results of their recent schedule.

To wit: since Jan. 11, the Wild have gone 11-12-1 – and since Jan. 30, they’ve gone 7-7-1. So we’re not talking about one or two bad weeks with this team. We’re talking about sustained mediocrity, and Minnesota is now in a standings position where they’d be playing against the Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets or Dallas Stars in the first round. And like the Devils, the Wild are going to be underdogs no matter which of those teams they face in the post-season.

Finally, the Oilers are struggling without any major injuries like the Devils and Wild have had to deal with. Instead, it’s Edmonton’s goaltending and recent all-around funk that is cause for concern for them heading into the playoffs. Since Jan. 27, the Oilers have gone 7-9-1, and after challenging for top spot in the Pacific Division earlier in the season, the Oilers sit just one point ahead of the L.A. Kings for second place in the division.

The Oilers may not fall any further than third in the Pacific, as they’re currently nine points ahead of the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks, but you never know – another couple weeks of disappointing hockey could allow the Flames or Canucks to slip by the Oilers and put Edmonton in a wild-card spot. That would’ve been unthinkable early in the year, but the sub-par play of Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner – who had an .867 save percentage in February and an .876 SP thus far in March – has created uncertainty and doubt in the mind of Oilers fans.

Tough play for Stuart Skinner as Tage Thompson could have gone high glove first but uses his pterodactyl reach to go stick side.

Brilliant move can make a goalie look bad pic.twitter.com/SW8rkQBOHk

— David Staples (@dstaples) March 13, 2025

There’s still time for the Oilers, Wild and Devils to turn things around and salvage their season, but there’s not much time – just about one month on the dot. And it’s important to bear in mind that those three teams aren’t playing in a vacuum. Because of their recent struggles, New Jersey, Edmonton and Minnesota essentially have had control of their destiny taken out of their hands. Not only do they now have to improve significantly, but they have to hope the teams ahead of them or just behind them in the standings - in New Jersey’s case, Carolina and Columbus, in Minnesota’s case, Colorado and Dallas, and in Edmonton’s case, the Kings, Flames and Canucks – wind up struggling the rest of the season.

For those reasons, we’re not feeling confident in the Oilers, Devils or Wild this year. Their faults have come to light, and there’s no easy fix for them. And if they do fall easily in the playoffs, no one will be able to say they never saw it coming.

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Just being an NHL player requires pushing through the bumps and bruises that come in an 82-game season. But playing some teams, in particular, takes a physical toll.

As the season unfolds, it’s becoming increasingly clear which division champion will be beaten up the most by the conference finals – and that’s whoever makes it out of the Atlantic Division.

As it stands, the Atlantic-leading Florida Panthers lead the NHL in hitting, with an average of 28.38 hits per 60 minutes. The Ottawa Senators are fourth at 25.57, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are ninth at 23.76. That doesn’t include the third-place Boston Bruins (26.21) and seventh-place Montreal Canadiens (24.23), which are currently out of a playoff spot. Clearly, the Atlantic’s teams will punish each other physically.

What we saw from Thursday night’s clash between the Panthers and Leafs indicated what we’ll likely see in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Florida out-hit Toronto 40-24, and Nate Schmidt and Max Domi decided to fight early in the game as well. That’s no walk in the park.

Maple Leafs And Panthers' Clash Is A Sign Things Are Getting RealFlorida Panthers coach Paul Maurice has noticed something interesting of late ahead of Thursday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Thursday’s tilt looked like a playoff game between the Leafs and Panthers. We’re almost sure to see the emotion amp up by the time the post-season arrives, which could increase the hit totals even more. 

It doesn’t matter which Atlantic teams take on each other in the first and second rounds of this year’s playoffs. The Panthers, Leafs or Tampa Bay Lightning could wind up in the top spot in the Atlantic, which sets up a showdown against one another or the improved Senators. That sets the stage for extremely physical battles.

It’s not the same in the Metropolitan Division. The New York Rangers sit fifth in hits per 60 minutes (24.79), but they’re currently not in a playoff spot, and the 10th-highest hitters, the New Jersey Devils, are already dealing with injuries to important players. The Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals are below average in hits per 60 minutes.

The Vancouver Canucks are the only Pacific Division team among the league’s most frequent bodycheckers, but even they might not make the post-season. The most frequent hitters in the Pacific that are in a playoff spot right now are the 14th-place Calgary Flames.

The Central Division, meanwhile, could have some long series and extremely competitive matchups, even if only the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues – two clubs outside a playoff spot at the moment – are among the NHL’s top 10 hitters.

At least one of the Central-leading Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars or Colorado Avalanche will be sorely disappointed after the opening round. The Jets have led the NHL for most of the season, and the Stars and Avalanche were big buyers at the trade deadline. Don’t expect any of those clubs to go home easily, and do expect some lengthy rounds that test durability to its fullest. But add extra bodychecks, and you’ll likely get what’s expected to happen in the Atlantic.

When you have the defending Cup-champion Panthers in the same division as the most recent back-to-back Cup champs, the Lightning – as well as a massively pressured Leafs team and an up-and-coming Senators squad – you have a division that will take a huge bite out of whoever makes it to the third round. It will be punishing hockey night after night until one team buckles under the strain.

Any Atlantic team that makes it to the Eastern final will pay a huge toll to get there. But their style of game will punish any team that gets in their way.

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In each of the last two New York Rangers' games, Matt Rempe has been the subject of questionable penalties. And the Rangers have every right to be upset about that.

The first came Tuesday night when Rempe was called for goalie interference, despite being pushed into Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck by defenseman Morgan Barron. The second came two nights later when an incidental collision between Rempe and Devin Shore of the Minnesota Wild resulted in an interference call.

What's worse, the Jets and Wild scored on the ensuing power plays in games the Rangers are absolutely desperate to win. Every goal, every point, every play matters at this point in the season.

But to suggest anyone has an axe to grind with Rempe and the Rangers is absurd. Fans in every market love to complain about how the league has it in for them, and it just isn't the case.

Today's video column has more.

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