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Poll: Who Will Win The Central Division In 2024-25?

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The top of the Central Division has been among the league’s toughest gauntlets over the past few seasons, and there’s little reason to expect that to change this year. There could be some new faces atop the list, however.

The Stars line up for this season with much of the same forward group that’s taken them to back-to-back Western Conference Finals. Yes, veteran top-line fixture Joe Pavelski announced his retirement, but his role alongside Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson is set to be filled by 21-year-old Wyatt Johnston, who’s coming off a 32-goal, 65-point sophomore season. 2024 AHL MVP Mavrik Bourque is projected to replace Johnston’s vacant middle-six spot, so there are no worries there.

Some will raise their eyebrows at Dallas’ defensive depth after losing Jani Hakanpää, Ryan Suter, and Chris Tanev, though. And rightfully so – their right defense depth chart is now headed off by free-agent signings Mathew Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin, both of whom are likely safe bets for bottom-pairing roles on a lot of other contending teams. They’re hoping a three-headed monster of Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, and Esa Lindell on the left side is enough to keep them atop the Central Division’s regular season pecking order.

The Jets were a solid possession team last year, but make no mistake – the franchise’s second-ever 110-point season can be attributed almost entirely to goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who posted a .921 SV% in 60 games en route to his second Vezina Trophy win. Aside from losing mid-season pickup Sean Monahan to the Blue Jackets in free agency, their forward corps remains identical and will likely finish near the middle of the pack again after finishing 15th in goals last season.

Like Dallas, defensive depth is where Winnipeg’s alarm bells begin to sound. They managed to keep Dylan DeMelo off the free agent market, signing him to a four-year, $19.6MM extension to keep one of the league’s better top pairings last season with Josh Morrissey intact. However, they bought out Nate Schmidt, who, while overpaid, was one of their best even-strength possession players last year. Losing top-four fixture Brenden Dillon on the open market also stings and leaves a struggling Neal Pionk, arguably the Jets’ worst defensive player last season, with more responsibility than they’d like.

The Avalanche will again begin the season with a notable list of absences. Captain Gabriel Landeskog won’t be in the opening night lineup for the third season in a row as he continues to recover from multiple knee surgeries, but unlike in the past two years, they’re expecting him back at some point. That’ll be a huge boon to an offense that still managed to lead the league in goals last season despite pre-deadline depth concerns, as will be the return of Valeri Nichushkin from a six-month suspension and stint in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in November. Their wing depth looks dicey to start, but last year’s acquisition of Casey Mittelstadt at the deadline gives them the best center depth they’ve had since winning it all in 2022.

Their defense is also improved with a new-look third-pairing of low-cost free agent pickups Erik Brännström and Oliver Kylington, both of whom should thrive in an up-tempo Colorado system. Goaltending remains a concern, with Alexandar Georgiev coming off a subpar season, but backup Justus Annunen is pushing for more responsibility after logging a spectacular .928 SV% in 14 games. All indications point to the Avs replicating last year’s 107-point performance, if not improving on it.

The Predators’ offseason needs no introduction. They enter 2024-25 with their most star-studded forward corps since the mid-2000s (remember Peter Forsberg and Paul Kariya’s days in Tennessee?) after adding 2023 Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault and future Hall of Famer Steven Stamkos to their ranks. They’ll give much-needed depth to an offense that miraculously managed to finish 10th in scoring last season thanks to resurgences from Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist, the latter of whom erupted for a career-high 75 points at age 34 in top-line minutes.

Their defense lost Ryan McDonagh after he was traded to the Lightning but gained one of the better left-shot options on the UFA market in Brady Skjei. With those moves largely canceling each other out and Juuse Saros still manning the pipes, Nashville’s team defense should still finish above average but doesn’t look like it’ll be among the league’s best, with players like Jeremy Lauzon and Luke Schenn still projected to be a bit over-taxed. Still, there’s an opening for them to climb back into a divisional playoff spot and potentially win their first Central title since 2019.

For last year’s playoff misses in the Central, this season’s aspirations are conservative. That’s especially true for the Blues, who missed out on a playoff spot by six points and proceeded to have one of the league’s most eventful offseasons. Their offer sheets of Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway completed a summer that saw St. Louis have some of the largest roster turnover league-wide. Their bottom six has more new faces than returnees – only prospect Zach Dean and Alexey Toropchenko were on the team’s roster last season among their current projected opening-night third and fourth lines. They’re hoping some more offensively-inclined talent like Holloway, Mathieu Joseph, and Alexandre Texier can add a little bit of juice to last year’s 24th-ranked offense.

Their defense will feature Broberg starring in the role of veteran Torey Krug, who’ll miss the entire season after undergoing left ankle surgery. If they have any hope of closing the gap for a postseason berth, they’ll also need more of the same from Jordan Binnington between the pipes. His .913 SV% in 55 showings last year was his best since guiding the Blues to a Cup in his rookie season in 2019.

The Wild’s biggest offseason addition comes from inside the house. Captain Jared Spurgeon’s presence on the blue line will be their biggest X factor after back and hip surgeries ended his 2023-24 season in January. The rest of the roster is mostly familiar faces, but they are projected to carry three goalies, with top netminding prospect Jesper Wallstedt showing he’s ready for full-time NHL minutes. He could churn out numbers that exceed those of Marc-André Fleury and Filip Gustavsson, who are back for a third season in Minnesota as a tandem after struggling to a combined .897 SV% last year.

Then there’s perhaps the conference’s biggest dark horse in its new garb – the Utah Hockey Club. The continuation of the defunct Arizona Coyotes franchise picked up right where they left off at the end of the dark days of their rebuild. With greater financial resources, general manager Bill Armstrong showed extreme confidence that Utah is ready to contend for a postseason spot, reshaping their blue line by acquiring John Marino and Mikhail Sergachev in a pair of trades around the draft. A full season of emerging youngsters Josh Doan and Dylan Guenther, the latter of whom scored at a 64-point pace in last season’s 45-game call-up, will help boost a promising offense squarely into the league’s upper half. But whether the pickup of Marino and Sergachev (who’s not necessarily known for his stay-at-home presence) can help get the league’s eighth-worst defense up where it needs to be for playoff contention remains to be seen.

The Blackhawks, meanwhile, are just looking to be relevant once again. After four straight seasons below 70 points, that demarcation is likely the goal for Chicago, with Connor Bedard beginning his sophomore season. They have a decent shot at doing so after being one of the league’s bigger players in free agency, reshaping their top-six forward group with the pickups of Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teräväinen. The additions of veterans T.J. Brodie and Alec Martinez on defense won’t likely have a ton of impact on their record but should give their younger defenders more runway for growth, and they shored up their goaltending by adding one of the league’s premier backups in Laurent Brossoit.

So, we ask you, PHR readers: after an offseason of significant changes, who do you think is best primed to take home the Central Division title? Tell us by voting in the poll below:

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Poll: Who Will Win The Metropolitan Division In 2024-25?

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A three-headed monster for much of the past few years, the Metropolitan Division only had two serious contenders last season. The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers and second-place Hurricanes ran away with things, creating a 17-point gap between them and the third-place Islanders.

There are question marks around whether the Metro will return to its former level of competitiveness in 2024-25. What does seem relatively certain, however, are the Rangers’ chances of staying at the top of the division.

Little has changed for the Blueshirts. Their top-six forward group sees only one new name, veteran Reilly Smith, who’ll likely be part of a revolving door of wingers alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, like how things transpired last year. Their forward depth returns are largely intact, too, with a full season of a healthy Filip Chytil as their third-line center, hopefully giving them some more punch. The defense remained as it was, aside from the loss of Erik Gustafsson. All in all, there’s little reason to suspect significant, if any, regression from the Rags.

Last year’s runner-up, Carolina, is where things start to get interesting. The Canes lost multiple key pieces to the free-agent market, including Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teräväinen, Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, and Stefan Noesen. They replaced their back-end departures, signing Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker, but didn’t do nearly as well to replace their departing forwards. That leaves the Hurricanes, whose offense has been their biggest weakness since returning to championship contention a few years ago, with considerable question marks, especially after news that Jesper Fast will miss the entire season after undergoing neck surgery. They’ll be counting on UFA signings like William Carrier and Jack Roslovic to play larger roles than they’re accustomed to and could trot out 2023 first-rounder Bradly Nadeau in NHL minutes in his first professional season.

The Islanders return with plenty of familiar faces after squeaking into a divisional playoff spot with 94 points – a total that would have made them the second Wild Card in the Atlantic Division and kept them out of the playoffs entirely in the Western Conference. They’ll likely need an improvement to return to the dance for a third straight year, let alone capture a divisional title. Their X factor will be Anthony Duclair, set to take on top-line duties alongside Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat after signing a four-year deal in free agency. The four-time 20-goal scorer will be relied upon heavily to help lift the Isles’ offense out of the league’s bottom half for the first time since 2018. A rebound from Ilya Sorokin, who regressed to a rather pedestrian .908 SV% after two years of .920+ play, should help too.

The Capitals’ season will be dominated by more Alex Ovechkin headlines. After all, the captain is just 41 goals away from tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. But there’s a clear directive to remain competitive while he’s still around, as evidenced by their pickup of key names like Jakob Chychrun, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, and Logan Thompson on the trade market and Matt Roy in free agency. All of a sudden, the Caps have one of the more well-rounded defense corps in the conference and are in a much better position to repeat last year’s 40-win, 91-point campaign without the concerningly low -37 goal differential.

The Penguins, fresh off signing Sidney Crosby to a two-year extension, also have dreams of just sneaking back into the playoffs rather than competing for a division title. They’re hoping some added speed on the back end in the form of Sebastian Aho and Matt Grzelcyk, as well as depth forward pickups like Anthony Beauvillier and Cody Glass, can help aid a still-skilled but aging core. Whether 2022 first-round pick Rutger McGroarty is ready to make an NHL impact after being acquired from the Jets this offseason is also a big question that will receive an answer over the next few weeks.

The Flyers seem set to remain in the mushy middle. It’s not a bad thing – they’re past the dark days of their rebuild with brighter days ahead – but no one is expecting them to be a top contender this season. A strong rookie season from 2023 seventh overall selection Matvei Michkov could go a long way toward firing up expectations for the future, though, and rightfully so. Early signs indicate it’ll be a two-horse race between him and Sharks first-overall selection Macklin Celebrini for this season’s Calder Trophy. He likely won’t be enough to lift an otherwise largely untouched roster from last season that finished with 87 points back into the playoff picture, though.

After an injury-plagued season plummeted the Devils to a seventh-place finish in the Metro, there’s no team with a better potential for a rebound campaign in the league. Whether New Jersey will reach the heights of their 112-point 2022-23 campaign remains to be seen, but it’s a safe bet that they’ll be knocking on the door of a playoff spot – if not working their way into the division title conversation. Their goaltending tandem is reworked with a duo of proven veterans in Jacob Markström and Jake Allen, their defense is again among the league’s elite with a healthy Dougie Hamilton and the additions of Brenden Dillon and Pesce, and the guts of the offense that finished fourth in the league two years ago are still intact.

Then there’s the Blue Jackets, who are set for another development season with new head coach Dean Evason at the helm. They’ll be looking for 2023 third-overall pick Adam Fantilli to stay healthy after a calf laceration truncated his rookie season, and they’ll also look for 2022 top-10 pick David Jiricek to take a step forward with increased responsibilities on the back end. They’re running back one of the league’s worst starters over the past two seasons in goal in Elvis Merzļikins, though, and while there are some breakout candidates elsewhere in the lineup, a third straight last-place finish in the division seems likely.

So, we ask you, PHR readers, who will finish atop the Metropolitan Division at the end of the 2024-25 season? Vote in the poll below:

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Poll: Who Will Win The Atlantic Division In 2024-25?

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The NHL’s Atlantic Division had been a clear-cut case of the have-and-have-nots for the past few seasons. That’s begun to change, though, with the Sabres finishing one point out of a playoff spot in 2022-23 and the Red Wings losing out on a playoff spot thanks to a tiebreaker in 2023-24.

The basement is rising, and the ceiling is falling. The Panthers, Maple Leafs, Bruins and Lightning have all made the playoffs for multiple years in a row, but at least one of those streaks could end with most of the division’s other half expecting to challenge to end their postseason droughts.

In most eyes, the safest spot belongs to that of the defending Stanley Cup champion. Only two teams in the salary cap era, the 2006-07 Hurricanes and the 2014-15 Kings, missed the playoffs after winning it all the previous season.

There’s little reason to suggest the Panthers will join that list. They have lost key names on the back end in Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson and haven’t landed surefire replacements. But Adam Boqvist and Nate Schmidt are now in the mix and will work with returnees Dmitry Kulikov and Niko Mikkola to help replace the losses by committee.

But up front and in goal, they’re still one of the league’s scariest teams. Little has changed from the top end of Florida’s championship-caliber forward core aside from the departure of trade deadline pickup Vladimir Tarasenko. Sergei Bobrovsky is back between the pipes with a high-ceiling option at backup in 2019 first-rounder Spencer Knight.

The Maple Leafs didn’t embark on a full retool after yet another first-round heartbreaker. But they’re arguably in a much better position to contend for the division title – and a Stanley Cup – after a free-agency shopping spree landed them Ekman-Larsson, Chris Tanev, and Jani Hakanpää on the back end. Their forward corps largely remains intact, although they will be counting on some depth names to step up and replace the loss of top-six winger Tyler Bertuzzi. Their goaltending is improved as well with Anthony Stolarz, the league’s best backup with the Panthers last year, in to replace the hot-and-cold Ilya Samsonov.

Over the past couple of seasons, the Bruins’ fate has hinged on the back of spectacular goaltending by Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. The latter is out the door to a division rival, and the former remains unsigned amid a contract stalemate that doesn’t appear to be ending soon. That could cause serious issues early on for Boston, which did well in replacing its departing UFAs with new faces but still has concerns about depth scoring. Their No. 1 option between the pipes for now is Joonas Korpisalo, who posted a .890 SV% in 55 games for the Sens last year and is a historically below-average netminder over his 276-game NHL career.

The Lightning may have lost Steven Stamkos but replaced him with the younger Jake Guentzel, who’s produced at the same level as the former captain over the past two seasons. Outside of Guentzel, Nikita Kucherov, and Brandon Hagel, their wing depth is concerningly thin. But they still have a solid one-two-three punch down the middle, have an all-world netminder in Andrei Vasilevskiy, and did well to rebalance their defense this summer by reacquiring Ryan McDonagh from the Predators.

After the Ullmark acquisition, the Senators may be the Atlantic rebuilder best positioned to reclaim a playoff spot in 2025. They addressed their biggest weakness, added some solid top-nine scoring depth in Michael Amadio and David Perron, and improved their depth at right defense by recouping solid stay-at-home presence Nick Jensen while parting ways with Jakob Chychrun.

The Red Wings will undoubtedly be in the conversation, too, after finishing tantalizingly close to a playoff spot in 2024. But they did little to address a porous defense that made them one of the league’s worst possession teams last season and paid to unload arguably their best shutdown defender, Jake Walman, on the Sharks. Their scoring depth is in good shape after signing Tarasenko, and their goaltending has some decent veteran tandem options, but whether a defense that took a step back on paper can be salvaged by top-10 picks Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson remains to be seen.

The Sabres are also chomping at the bit to return to playoff action for the first time in 13 years. Injuries decimated them last season, and they’re hoping an overhauled bottom-six forward group now oozing with two-way responsibility can give them the roster makeup they need. Familiar face Lindy Ruff is back behind the bench, too.

The Canadiens, while seemingly on track in their rebuild, are likely to be the only non-factor in the Atlantic in a welcome change of pace. Their next wave is still a year or two out, although a potential full season of 20-year-old Lane Hutson on the blue line will be a story to watch. Some added scoring after picking up Patrik Laine in a trade with Columbus should boost their record, too, but not much above their 76-point finish last season.

So, we ask you, PHR readers, who do you think will have locked down the No. 1 spot in the Atlantic at the end of the regular season? Let us know by voting in the poll below:

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Poll: Which Trade Was The Most Impactful Since The Start Of Free Agency?

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Heading into the offseason, the NHL trade market was expected to be full of activity. However, as things played out, the trade market took much longer to develop than anticipated, with many of the major trades taking place within the last few weeks. With most of the notable players on the trade market now having changed hands shortly before the start of the 2024-25 NHL season, we’ll look back at some of the bigger trades since the start of free agency.

The biggest trade from the start of free agency happened in the middle of the frenzy, with the Washington Capitals acquiring defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Nick Jensen and a third-round pick in 2026. Chychrun is coming off of one of the better statistical performances throughout his career on a middling Senators’ defense, with 13 goals and 41 points in 82 games. He finished the year with a -30 rating, but that had largely to do with his deployment with Ottawa, as Hockey Reference pegged his expected rating at +0.4 over the year. He will no longer be responsible for leading a defensive core with John Carlson holding that crown, but he should still receive big minutes in Washington.

Fast forward to mid-August, when the Montreal Canadiens acquired one of the better forwards available on the trade market. The Canadiens acquired Patrik Laine and a second-round pick in 2026 from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris. Laine carries a bloated salary of $8.7MM for the next two years and is coming off a disappointing due to injuries and a stint with the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, limiting him to only 18 games with Columbus. However, he is only two years removed from being a point-per-game player with the Blue Jackets, as he scored 48 goals and 108 points in 111 games. Montreal recently finished 26th in the league in goals per game, as they arguably only had one line for opposing defenses to worry about. With Laine now in the fold, if he can rebound with his new team, the Canadiens will be able to spread the wealth and give more for opponents to worry about.

The last two sizeable trades from the offseason are centered around prospects, with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Winnipeg Jets getting together on a swap of prospects Rutger McGroarty and Brayden Yager, and the San Jose Sharks acquired their goalie of the future in Yaroslav Askarov from the Nashville Predators.

McGroarty gives the Penguins a young, cost-effective, and hard-nosed NHL-caliber winger to place next to Sidney Crosby for the foreseeable future while the Jets acquired a right-handed centerman further down the road that should challenge for the second-line role longer-term. Similarly, Askarov represents one of the brighter goalie prospects in recent years after dominating the American Hockey League over the last two years. The Sharks rounded out an already solid prospect pool with Askarov and did not need to part with any of their top prospects in return.

There were several smaller trades throughout the summer that could be more impactful than the above-mentioned group. Now that the offseason is only a few weeks away from officially being in the rearview mirror — which trade from the summer do you think will be the most impactful moving forward?

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Poll: Who Will Be The Top Free Agent Option Next Summer?

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As things currently stand, the 2025 free agent class is set to be headlined by Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers, Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche, and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Like most years and particularly at the top of the free agent market, all three players are expected to reach extensions with their current clubs in the coming weeks with other potential candidates taking the same approach.

However, even outside of the three-headed monster at the forward position, there will still be quality names available next summer. Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs has seen his name pop up numerous times in trade rumors this summer without anything coming to fruition. The Maple Leafs are expecting head coach Craig Berube to get the most out of Marner (particularly in the playoffs) and may look to extend him during next year’s campaign.

Toronto could also give in to the pressure and allow Marner to walk next offseason especially if the team fails to make waves in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Marner would quickly become one of the premier playmakers to have entered the open market and would certainly get a lucrative offer. Being nearly unstoppable during the regular season over the last six years, Marner has accrued 417 games for the Maple Leafs in that span while scoring 356 assists and 509 points. He is not limited to his offensive prowess either as Marner has earned Selke Trophy votes as the league’s best defensive forward every year since 2018-19.

Dissimilar to Marner, it is almost entirely out of the question that Nikolaj Ehlers will sign an extension with the Winnipeg Jets. Ehlers has been a part of the Jets organization since being drafted by the club with the ninth overall pick of the 2014 NHL Draft and has put up 201 goals and 457 points in 605 games in Winnipeg’s uniform. There have been rather public reports out of Winnipeg that Ehlers won’t be re-upping with the organization and immediately became one of the top trade options available this offseason. The native of Aalborg, Denmark excels in passing the puck but also regularly puts up some of the best possession numbers in the game.

Lastly, Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks could be the top goal scorer to enter the free-agent market next summer. His market and projected contract will be more difficult to ascertain however as he averaged between 28-29 goals through the first seven years of his career before rifling off 40 markers this past season. Boeser’s shooting percentage was also up 7.1% last year compared to his career average which may be a sign of regression next year. If he can get anywhere near 40 goals again this season with the Canucks, he may cement himself as one of the top-five options next summer.

The proposed list is not constrained to these three players as the likes of Carter Verhaeghe, Brock Nelson, John Tavares, and Jamie Benn could all be available as well as the three players initially listed. The list will thin considerably over the next calendar year but who do you think will be the top option available once the season turns over to July 1st, 2025?

Poll: Who Is The Early Favorite For The 2025 Calder Trophy?

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The hockey world is in for a treat with the 2024-25 rookie class. A long list of top prospects seem destined for NHL roles, including former high-end draft picks and controversial prospects. Their pursuit of meaningful NHL ice time will be undercut by what’s sure to be an exciting race for the 2025 Calder Trophy. The NHL’s ’Rookie of the Year’ award stands as perhaps the most coveted and exclusive award in the league, having previously gone to franchise-defining talents like Connor Bedard this year, Kirill Kaprizov in 2021, and Cale Makar in 2020. With such a star-studded cast of contenders this year, the winner may have to reach the heights of that trio to win over voters.

That could prove an easy feat for the pair of Macklin Celebrini and Matvei Michkov – likely the leading favorites as things currently stand. Celebrini was the first overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft and is coming off a dazzling junior hockey career. After winning both the USHL’s ’Rookie of the Year’ and ’Most Valuable Player’ awards as a 16-year-old in 2022-23, Celebrini became the youngest player to ever win the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player this season. His prowess is undeniable. He’s a defiantly special playmaker, with all of the tools needed to match top speeds. Celebrini is set for a top-line role with the San Jose Sharks, while Michkov will fight for the same recognition from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Michkov is making the jump to the NHL a year earlier than expected, after being released from his contract with the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg this summer. He makes the move to North America after proudly leading HK Sochi. Despite playing on a farm club to SKA, Michkov has still managed 61 points in 77 KHL games over the last two seasons. His 41 points in 47 games this year marked the most of any U20 KHL skater since Kaprizov, the record holder, potted 42 points in 49 games in 2017. Where Celebrini is a quick-thinking and quicker-moving playmaker, Michkov is an all-skill scorer, capable of using a mix of incredibly agile skating, great stickhandling, and a knockout shot to embarrass opponents in the offensive end. The sky is the limit for the Russian phenom, who should finally receive proper support after spending the last two seasons on muddling rosters.

Celebrini and Michkov will be challenged for their spot by a long list of high-end forwards, including Will Smith – who could find himself playing second-fiddle to Celebrini in San Jose. Anaheim Ducks center Cutter Gauthier could also break into the conversation – undermining yet another boost to the Flyers’ prospect pool. But of the many contenders, it’s the dynamic duo of Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque who seem most overlooked in early Calder talks.

Stankoven was a lightning bolt in his first taste of the NHL. The first-year pro fought his way to an NHL call-up with a then-league-leading 57 points in his first 47 AHL games. The scoring didn’t stop in Dallas, as Stankoven proceeded to score 14 points in 24 games – the highest scoring pace (0.58) of any first-year Star since Jason Robertson in 2021 (0.88) and John Klingberg in 2015 (0.58). Stankoven was just one game shy of losing rookie eligibility when Dallas’ season ended, though he was quickly slotted back into the lineup during the playoffs – which don’t count against Calder Trophy eligibility. He continued to hone his game in the race for the Stanley Cup, netting eight points in 19 games and earning a routine role in Dallas’ middle-six.

If not Stankoven, then it’ll be his electric centerman Bourque who wins the title for Dallas. The two forwards were unstoppable with the AHL’s Texas Stars last season, playing with a pace and chemistry that opponents simply couldn’t keep up with. Bourque stayed red-hot even after Stankoven’s call-up, ultimately leading the AHL in scoring with 77 points in 71 games and earning the Les Cunningham Award as the league’s MVP. That was despite last season being just the second pro year of Bourque’s career. He was impressive, and found a way to score consistently despite his oft-criticized frame.

Even with all of the acclaim of the aforementioned forwards, the award could still find its way to other hands. Shakir Mukhamadullin in San Jose, Lane Hutson in Montreal, and Olen Zellweger in Anaheim are all prime candidates from the blue-line, while Dustin Wolf in Calgary and Yaroslav Askarov in Nashville stand as favorites in net – though the latter will have to fight his way above Juuse Saros. It seems the Calder Trophy debate could go in one of countless directions when the first puck is finally dropped – but who do you think will win out? Will it be dazzling star prospects Celebrini or Michkov? Will defensive supports overtake the top scorers? Or will a player like Brad Lambert subvert everyone’s expectations? Let us know by voting in the poll below and discussing in the comments!

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Poll: What Will Crosby’s Next Contract Look Like?

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Although the Pittsburgh Penguins have experienced major disappointment over the last two years by failing to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, nobody is blaming Sidney Crosby. He has arguably been one of the more underrated players over the last couple of seasons by securing back-to-back 90+ point totals without having much of a supporting cast.

By nearly willing his team to the playoffs and being the organization’s lifeblood, one of the major talking points surrounding the Penguins is Crosby’s upcoming extension. There was some speculation that Crosby would sign yesterday on his birthday but ultimately that never came to fruition.

He’s surely set to increase his $8.7MM salary from the last 11 years but how much higher will he go? Will he look to get the money he has earned or take a hometown discount so that Pittsburgh has the flexibility to upgrade the players around him?

Evolving Hockey currently projects Crosby to land a three-year extension worth an AAV of $10.8MM. Given his inherent value to the organization, Crosby should easily be able to land a similar salary if not more. Given that his longevity in the league is becoming more and more apparent with each passing year, Crosby could reasonably ask for a five-year, $60MM contract from the only team he’s ever played for.

Nevertheless, regardless of what he has earned, the main question still stands. Will Crosby look for a high-salary deal to get the payday he has earned for so many years, or take another hometown discount so the Penguins are better set up for success?

Poll: Which Team Will Acquire Patrik Laine?

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It’s been nearly two weeks since Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine exited the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Laine and the Blue Jackets had previously agreed to look for a trade this offseason once he was released from the program, but Laine’s trade market appears to be stagnant. With an $8.7MM salary for the next two years, and with general manager Don Waddell not looking to retain 50% of his salary, only a handful of teams would be able to acquire him this summer.

It was only yesterday that Joe Smith and Michael Russo of The Athletic broached the possibility of the Minnesota Wild acquiring Laine before the start of next season. The Finnish sniper fills a serious need on the wing for Minnesota but their current salary cap table may put too many problems in their way. The Wild organization has approximately $750K in salary according to PuckPedia and may have to part with too much to put Laine into the mix.

One team that has both financial space and a need for Laine is the Montreal Canadiens. The team’s first line should be set in stone after a strong 2023-24 season but Laine could give the team a serious offensive boost on the second line. The Canadiens finished 26th in the league in goals per game with 2.83 during the 2023-24 season and Laine’s 0.425 GF/G average throughout his career would certainly be enticing. However, with Kirby Dach expected to fully bounce back from a lost season after tearing his ACL and MCL last year, Montreal may be content with plugging him back into the team’s second line.

The Anaheim Ducks have already acknowledged they will lean more heavily on their youngsters for offensive production next season. The organization can count Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, and Trevor Zegras in their top six but could still use a consistent goal-scoring threat. After failing to capitalize on Frank Vatrano’s 37-goal season via the trade market last year, the Ducks could move him to the Blue Jackets in a one-for-one swap. There’s plenty of indication that Vatrano will regress to the mean this year and Laine would give them one more year of control.

Other organizations could use Laine and theoretically fit him into the lineup (especially if Columbus retains his salary) but the clock is beginning to run out on a possible deal. The Blue Jackets have about a month and a half before training camp starts to move Laine to an interested party. Do you think it will be one of these teams or another one entirely?

Poll: Who’s The Most Intriguing Available UFA?

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The list of true impact UFAs available is empty nearly a month into free agency. There are only two players left – Tyler Johnson and James van Riemsdyk, both aging veterans – who scored more than 30 points last season. But aside from that established yet declining veteran crowd, there are still a few names with perhaps some untapped upside available for contenders and rebuilders alike.

Some remaining UFAs are getting the chance to switch teams before the usual 27-year-old/seven years of NHL service demarcation because they didn’t receive qualifying offers last month. Like impact veterans, most of them have been snapped up already. Only four remain who were full-time NHLers last year: Calen Addison, Boris Katchouk, Gustav Lindstrom and Kailer Yamamoto. Yamamoto, a first-round pick of the Oilers back in 2017, is the most experienced of the group by far at over 300 career games. He’s coming off a tough year with the Kraken after signing there as a free agent last summer (Edmonton traded him to the Red Wings, who subsequently bought him out, in a salary dump) but isn’t too far removed from a 20-goal, 41-point campaign in 2021-22.

Like Yamamoto, the other three have all changed teams since being drafted. Addison, a 2018 second-round pick of the Penguins, was traded to the Wild for Jason Zucker in 2020 before making his NHL debut. The defenseman did okay as a power-play specialist in Minnesota, posting five goals and 33 assists for 38 points in 92 games with a -24 rating. Early last season, he was traded again to the Sharks, where he finished the campaign with a goal and 11 assists in 60 games with a -35 rating on the league’s worst defensive team. At 24 years old, it’s unlikely he’ll develop the defensive acumen necessary for a top-four role, but he does carry significant upside as a third-pairing, second-power-play option.

Katchouk, 26, is on the hunt for his fourth team this summer. The 2016 second-round pick of the Lightning has also suited up for the Blackhawks and Senators after being traded to Chicago in 2022 in the Brandon Hagel deal and then claimed off waivers by Ottawa this March. The former AHL and OHL All-Star has 36 points (15 G, 21 A) in 176 games over the past three seasons playing on the wing. Lindstrom, who the Red Wings drafted in the second round a year after Katchouk, has a similar offensive profile with 35 points in 174 games from the blue line. He’s suited up exclusively in a bottom-pairing role for Detroit, Montreal and Anaheim, where he ended last season on a high note with six assists and a +12 rating in 32 games after being selected off waivers from the Habs in January.

There are also some under-30 reclamation projects available that reached UFA status outright this summer. Headlining that group is Dominik Kubalik, who was traded by the Red Wings to the Senators in last year’s Alex DeBrincat trade and proceeded to fall off the map entirely, limited to 11 goals and four assists in 74 games while seeing a career-low 12:07 ATOI. But the Czech winger, who turns 29 next month, has a pair of 20-goal seasons under his belt, including a 30-goal campaign with the Blackhawks back in 2019-20.

There’s also ex-Sharks winger Kevin Labanc, who fits a similar profile to Kubalik but has much more NHL experience, with eight seasons and nearly 500 games under his belt. The 2014 sixth-round pick was a solid secondary scoring option in the last few years of San Jose’s years-long window of competitiveness, culminating with a 17-goal, 56-point showing in 2018-19. But it’s been downhill for the New York native since, coming off a career-worst 2023-24 campaign in which he scored just twice and added seven assists with a -27 rating in 46 games. He averaged a career-low 11:37 per game and was a frequent healthy scratch.

On the blue line, the highest-ceiling option available is undoubtedly Oliver Kylington. The former Flames defenseman hit his stride in the 2021-22 campaign, breaking out for 31 points and a +34 rating in 73 games after a few seasons of serving as the seventh or eighth player on the Calgary defensive depth chart. But he spent the entire 2022-23 on personal leave back home in Sweden and played a reduced role upon returning in 2023-24, posting eight points (3 G, 5 A) with a -6 rating in 33 games. He’s still 27 years old and could still have a few seasons of fringe top-four play left in him in the right environment, though.

That brings us to today’s poll question: who do you think is the most intriguing or highest-ceiling player still available on the UFA market? Is it one of the players discussed above or someone else you’d like to see your team pick up on a cheap deal? Let us know by voting in the poll below and discussing in the comments.

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Poll: Which Player Will Be The Next Domino To Fall On The Trade Market?

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The NHL calendar has finally entered the ’dog days’ of the summer as activity around the league has cooled off dramatically. Most, if not all, of the needle-moving free agents are off the board and the trade market has not developed as expected up to this point. Nevertheless, there are still some players rumored to be on the block including Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets, Martin Necas of the Carolina Hurricanes, and Patrik Laine of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

With how things have played out around the league, Ehlers feels like the most high-profile trade candidate to change hands this summer. The smooth-skating Dane is entering the last year of a seven-year, $42MM contract signed with the Jets in 2017 and is not expected to extend his stay in Winnipeg. Ehlers has been a reliable top-six forward for the Jets when healthy and is elite in terms of puck possession as evidenced by his career CorsiFor% of 57.6%. He has been relatively quiet in the postseason throughout his career which could give interested parties some pause. Winnipeg could still extend Ehlers as they took nearly the entire offseason last year to sign Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck to long-term contracts but the trade rumors around Ehlers appear to have more veracity.

Necas entered the summer as one of the top players on the trading block but his market has seemingly cooled over the last few weeks. The Hurricanes reportedly were not interested in signing Necas to a long-term deal but failed to find an offer to their liking during the 2024 NHL Draft. Now that Carolina has lost forwards Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, and Stefan Noesen to free agency, the team may be more willing to retain Necas. The skilled forward has prohibited himself from being given an offer sheet this summer as he elected for salary arbitration but the Hurricanes can still trade him during that window if they find a suitable offer.

Shortly before the 2024 NHL Draft, it was reported that Laine and the Columbus Blue Jackets had mutually agreed to find a suitable trade for the player this summer. However, with Laine still in the NHLPA Player Assistance Program, the likelihood of a deal squarely rests on when he exits the program. Now that most teams have done most of their heavy lifting this summer, it will be difficult to find a trade partner to take on Laine’s $8.7MM salary for the next two years. Between 2021-2023, Laine scored 48 goals and 108 points for Columbus in 111 games but only put up nine points in 18 games for the team last year. The former second-overall pick could surely use a fresh start outside the Blue Jackets organization but his trade market may be slow to develop.

There is no guarantee that any of the listed players will be moved this offseason. Ehlers and Necas could both sign extensions with their respective teams and Laine may have a change of heart now that Columbus is making a change at head coach. Nevertheless, with the trade market being the realm from which the next big offseason move will come, which of these players do you think will get the ball rolling?

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