Headlines

  • Flyers Trade Ivan Fedotov To Blue Jackets
  • Blackhawks Sign Spencer Knight To Three-Year Extension
  • Kings’ Corey Perry Undergoes Knee Surgery
  • 2025 NHL Training Camp Rosters
  • Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Marc-Andre Fleury To PTO
  • Carter Hart, Others Found Not Guilty In Hockey Canada Sexual Assault Trial
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

East Notes: Cristall, Blake, Sabres

July 30, 2025 at 11:57 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 6 Comments

Andrew Cristall was one of the biggest fallers of the 2023 draft, slipping to the Capitals in the second round at No. 40 overall despite some tabbing him as a potential top-10 pick. Concerns about his size – the winger checks in at 5’10” and 183 lbs – outweighed the offensive ceiling he displayed with 95 points in 54 games for the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets in his draft year.

In the two seasons since, the 20-year-old left winger has only improved and now, as he turns pro, will be given a legitimate chance to crack the Capitals’ opening night roster, general manager Chris Patrick told NHL.com’s Harvey Valentine. “He’s going to come in, if he has a camp like last camp, it’s going to be hard on the coaching staff to not keep him on their NHL team,” Patrick said.

His strong training camp showing with Washington last year preceeded an absolutely dominant junior campaign from Cristall in 2024-25, and that may be an understatement. He scored 28 goals and 60 points in just 28 games for the Rockets before a trade sent him to the Spokane Chiefs, where he finished the year with 72 points in only 29 games – a rate of 2.48 per game. That was good enough for the WHL scoring title with 132 points despite only playing in 57 of 68 regular-season games.

Cristall capped off his season with 21 goals and 41 points in 19 playoff games, leading the postseason in goals and being named a CHL First Team All-Star at season’s end. Now eligible for an assignment to AHL Hershey if he doesn’t crack the opening night roster, he’ll look to work his name into competition for a middle-six spot in Washington’s group as they deal with some turnover at the forward position.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference today:

  • There was surprise when the Hurricanes recently announced an eight-year extension for winger Jackson Blake coming off his rookie season, but the organization had its eyes set on a long-term deal ever since the campaign began, GM Eric Tulsky said today. “We knew by mid-October that he was on a trajectory we were happy with,” Tulsky told Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal. “I think we knew all along that he was someone who, you know, had the potential to be a long term fit for us and who we were going to try and get something done with, if there was a way to do it.”
  • The Sabres have extended their arena naming rights agreement with KeyBank by 10 years, the team announced today. The KeyBank Center, which was opened as Marine Midland Arena in 1996 and has also been known as HSBC Arena and First Niagara Center, will hold its name through at least the 2035-36 season. The initial naming agreement was signed by Marine Midland and remained in effect up until the coming season, as the name of the banking branch network in question changed hands multiple times over the last three decades.
Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email

Buffalo Sabres| Carolina Hurricanes| Washington Capitals Andrew Cristall| Jackson Blake

International Notes: Pavel, Gettinger, Virtanen
Main
Flames Sign Martin Pospisil To Three-Year Extension
View Comments (6)

Comments

  1. Jaxteller

    2 months ago

    Maybe I’m being a bit dumb but seems a stretch to say you definitely want to sign a guy long term after seeing him in 2 or 3 NHL games. There’s certainly a handful of players where that should be true but I’m not sold that Blake is one of them. Still might turn out ok but I just don’t follow that logic.

    Reply
    • mcdavidlikeamac

      2 months ago

      I do think Blake is going to be a 70 point guy in 2-3 years and that contract will look genius but it was a very odd extension indeed after one season. Blake may regret it eventually too

      Reply
  2. 66TheNumberOfTheBest

    2 months ago

    The pitfalls of banking deregulation illustrated via hockey arena names.

    Reply
  3. YouAreWelcome

    2 months ago

    Tulsky didn’t do his homework before screwing up the Rantanen trade, And now, He gives Jackson Blake an egregious contract based on a very short 81 game sample size. Wow!!

    Reply
  4. YouAreWelcome

    2 months ago

    Eric Tulsky handed out an egregious contract to Jackson Blake, Based on a very short 81 game sample size. Wow!!!!

    1
    Reply
  5. Doghockey

    2 months ago

    Wilf, gotta commend you on making the effort to improve your English skills. Apparently egregious is the newest addition to your vocabulary – well done! You continue to be a treasure.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Flyers Trade Ivan Fedotov To Blue Jackets

    Blackhawks Sign Spencer Knight To Three-Year Extension

    Kings’ Corey Perry Undergoes Knee Surgery

    2025 NHL Training Camp Rosters

    Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Marc-Andre Fleury To PTO

    Carter Hart, Others Found Not Guilty In Hockey Canada Sexual Assault Trial

    Jets’ Adam Lowry Continues To Recover From Hip Surgery

    Blues Sign Justin Carbonneau, Nikita Susuev

    Sharks Sign No. 2 Overall Pick Michael Misa

    Kirill Kaprizov’s Camp Rejects Eight-Year, $16MM AAV Offer

    Recent

    Capitals Coach Mitch Love Placed On Leave

    2025 Summer Synopsis Series

    Transactions Notes: Poolman, Allison, Malmquist

    Flyers Trade Ivan Fedotov To Blue Jackets

    Injury Notes: Power, Molendyk, Walton

    Snapshots: Tuch, Fleming, Walman

    Summer Synopsis: Philadelphia Flyers

    Former NHLPA Executive Director Bob Goodenow Passes Away At Age 72

    Salary Cap Deep Dive: St. Louis Blues

    East Notes: Chinakhov, Peeke, Bear

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Mammoth Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • 2025’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents
    • Rasmus Andersson Rumors
    • Erik Karlsson Rumors
    • Rickard Rakell Rumors
    • Bryan Rust Rumors

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
    • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
    • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
    • Offseason Trade Tracker
    • PTO Tracker 2025
    • Summer Synopsis Series 2025
    • Training Camp Rosters 2025
    • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
    • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls

     

     

     

     

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Commenting Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version