Poll: Who Had The Best Deadline In The Atlantic Division?
While it was a slower day than normal, the trade deadline is now behind us. There were still a good number of impactful swings made on deadline day and in the week leading up to it. Over the next week, PHR will be running a series of polls asking which team had the best deadline in each division. Today, we’re starting out with the Atlantic. Here’s a synopsis of all eight teams, sorted by best to worst points percentage in 2025-26:
Tampa Bay Lightning
It was a relatively quiet deadline season for the Bolts. Despite dealing with several injuries this season, the only trade the team made was acquiring Corey Perry from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2028 second-round pick.
Perry has already registered two goals and one fight since returning to Tampa Bay, adding to his 13-goal, 30-point campaign this season. He’s appeared in five of the last six Stanley Cup Finals, losing them all, giving the Lightning a familiar, hungry, and experienced veteran winger in the bottom-six.
Buffalo Sabres
Although they were unable to acquire defenseman Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues, the red-hot Sabres were still one of the most active teams on deadline day. In three separate deals, the Sabres acquired Sam Carrick, Tanner Pearson, Luke Schenn, and Logan Stanley for Jacob Bryson, Isak Rosen, a 2026 third-round pick, a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick, Chicago’s 2026 sixth-round pick, a 2026 seventh-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick.
Outside of Carrick, the other three acquisitions will become unrestricted free agents this summer, unless Buffalo extends them before July 1st. Additionally, even though they parted with five draft selections in the next two drafts, the Sabres still have 10 picks available, with plenty of time to replenish their cupboard. It was a shift from the big-game hunting the Sabres were expected to pursue, but it was a wise strategy to enhance their depth for the upcoming playoff run.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens were arguably the most surprising team on deadline day. Montreal was active on several fronts leading up to the deadline, yet it was one of the few teams that did not make a single trade.
Although it’s defensible that the team didn’t pull the trigger on acquiring a second-line center, given the asking price for many of them, it was surprising that the Canadiens couldn’t find a way to move on from Patrik Laine. During the Olympics, it was reported that Montreal wasn’t expecting Laine back with the team this season, even if he became healthy. The Kings were one of the few teams interested, but the Canadiens will hold onto him until the summer.
Boston Bruins
Like the Canadiens, the Bruins were another quiet team on deadline day. Although they made a few trades, they were only made to build up their AHL squad, the Providence Bruins.
Unlike Montreal, there were very few expectations around Boston to make a move. A few reports linked them to some of the higher-level names available, though the Bruins are only one year removed from being one of the most active sellers at the deadline. Boston likely could have made some additions to reward the team’s performance this year, but they weren’t in a position to give up significant assets.
Detroit Red Wings
Of all the teams in the Atlantic Division, the Red Wings likely had the highest expectations leading up to the deadline. Over the past two years, despite being in a wild-card spot, Detroit effectively stood pat at the trade deadline, leading many to question the team’s commitment to getting back to the postseason.
Connected to most of the market’s top names, the Red Wings arguably landed the best player of any of their divisional opponents. Just before the deadline, Detroit acquired top-four defenseman Justin Faulk from the Blues for prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, Justin Holl, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2026 third-round pick. Earlier in the day, the Red Wings traded Elmer Söderblom to the Penguins for the third-round pick that was eventually sent to St. Louis, and acquired veteran winger David Perron from the Senators for a fourth-round pick.
Ottawa Senators
If only the Senators had gotten league-average goaltending for the first part of the regular season. Because of the lackluster play between the pipes, the Senators are on the outside of the playoff conversation, though they do have plenty of time to make up the ground. Still, it made for a complicated deadline strategy.
By the end of the deadline, the only move of consequence Ottawa made was sending Buffalo’s 2026 second-round pick and a 2026 conditional third-round pick to the Los Angeles Kings for Warren Foegele and a Dallas’ conditional 2026 third-round pick. Effectively, Foegele replaces Perron in the lineup after a difficult start to the year with the Kings. Foegele is only one year removed from back-to-back 20-goal campaigns.
Florida Panthers
Nothing stops a juggernaut like injuries. Although they aren’t mathematically eliminated, it’s highly unlikely that the Panthers will have the opportunity to defend their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships this spring.
According to most reports, the Panthers were thought to have been looking to deal some of their pending unrestricted free agents, but only parted ways with defenseman Jeff Petry with the Minnesota Wild. It appears that Florida is more interested in keeping the group together and hopes for better health during the 2026-27 campaign.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Like every other team, the Maple Leafs aren’t mathematically eliminated from the postseason yet, but it is highly unlikely they’ll continue their postseason streak. Given that, Toronto was thought to be listening to nearly every player on the roster to maximize their potential return.
By the end of deadline day, the Maple Leafs had traded Nicolas Roy, Scott Laughton, and Bobby McMann for Colorado’s 2027 first-round pick, Colorado’s 2026 fifth-round pick, Ottawa’s 2026 third-round pick, Columbus’s 2027 second-round pick, and Anaheim’s 2026 fourth-round pick. Toronto still lacks its top two selections this season, unless they finish fifth overall or higher. However, they managed to re-stock some of their draft capital over the next two years.
Of all the teams in the Atlantic Division, which do you think had the best deadline season? Vote below!
Who Had The Best Deadline In The Atlantic Division?
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Buffalo Sabres 54% (282)
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Detroit Red Wings 18% (93)
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Tampa Bay Lightning 11% (60)
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Montreal Canadiens 6% (30)
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Toronto Maple Leafs 5% (28)
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Boston Bruins 3% (14)
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Ottawa Senators 2% (10)
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Florida Panthers 2% (10)
Total votes: 527
Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.
Poll: Which Team Should Make The Biggest Push For Shane Wright?
A weak Western Conference has the hot-and-cold Kraken still squarely in contention for a playoff spot. Seattle had won six of eight entering the break, moving them into third in the Pacific Division and tied with the Ducks for the second wild-card slot (although the Kraken have three more regulation wins).
Despite teetering on the edge of a berth all season, general manager Jason Botterill’s overall deadline strategy appears to be as aggressive as possible. 2022 fourth overall pick Shane Wright is one name that could very well be on the move after reports last month indicated they were open to dangling him as the big fish to land a major upgrade for their top-six forward group.
While it would normally be surprising to see a team so uncertain of its short-term outlook being willing to dangle such a high-value young asset, Seattle has assembled a deep prospect pool over the last few years that can easily handle the loss of Wright. Even just considering centers, they’ve supplemented him with two more top-10 picks in Berkly Catton in 2024 and Jake O’Brien last year.
The desire to give Wright a fresh start elsewhere appears to come from both player and team. That makes sense considering Wright has had his ice time reduced from last season under first-year head coach Lane Lambert, despite coming off a strong 19-goal, 44-point effort in 79 games in his first extended look in NHL minutes in 2024-25.
As a result, this year his production has dipped to 11 goals and 22 points in 56 games. That’s a points-per-game decrease from 0.56 to 0.39, accompanied by a 10-second drop in ice time per game.
The Ontario native has also struggled in the two most important secondary areas for a center – faceoffs and possession control. He’s winning just 37.9% of his draws this year after hitting 44.4% last season while controlling 46.3% of shot attempts at even strength. The latter number is particularly disappointing considering he’s been given sheltered usage, starting over two-thirds of his shifts in the offensive zone.
Nonetheless, there are a few teams looking to move out a top-six piece that wouldn’t benefit from a 22-year-old center with the pedigree of being a top-five pick. Which sellers should be the most aggressive in trying to ensure they strike a deal with Kraken and recoup Wright?
Calgary Flames
Even among sellers, you’d be hard-pressed to find a team with two tangible top-six forwards – with term – to use as trade chips. If Seattle wants to make a push for either Blake Coleman or Nazem Kadri, the Flames are asking for Wright as the starting piece of the return, especially for the latter.
They’ve done well to build out their prospect pool on defense (particularly the right side) and on the wings, but they’re missing a clear-cut top-six piece down the middle long-term, especially with Samuel Honzek appearing to shift to the wing full-time and Cole Reschny‘s slighter frame likely making him a better fit at left wing than center at the NHL level. They’re not currently icing a center under the age of 25 in the NHL, either, at least not with John Beecher injured.
Adding Wright gives them more hope down the middle long-term with greater offensive upside than a name like Honzek has been able to show in the pros thus far.
New York Rangers
Seattle made a big contract offer to Artemi Panarin but struck out with the winger deciding it was L.A. or bust. With the two clubs already having engaged in trade talks on the star winger, the Kraken might opt to put themselves in the conversation for Rangers middleman Vincent Trocheck as well.
For a team still in the earlier stages of a retool like the Rangers, they wouldn’t be too concerned with position when getting as high-value an asset as Wright back in a deal. Nonetheless, recouping a young, higher-ceiling center by March 6 would be a dream scenario for Blueshirts GM Chris Drury.
The Rangers’ arsenal of U23 potential top-six contributors at forward – Gabriel Perreault, Liam Greentree, and Malcolm Spence – are all wingers. Their best center prospect, 22-year-old Noah Laba, has operated as their third-line center for most of the year and, while he’s clearly made the jump to full-time NHLer status, has never been touted as anything more than a long-term 3C option.
With such a pressing positional need down the middle, especially if they’re intent on flipping Trocheck with several years left on his deal, Wright is a perfect addition.
St. Louis Blues
The Blues aren’t actively shopping Robert Thomas, but they are listening to offers. It will still take a gargantuan price tag – reported to be four first-round picks or equivalent assets – to land a deal, but the Kraken are well-positioned to do so with Wright ready to fill one of those four slots and four first-round picks available in the next two drafts.
Unlike for Calgary and New York, though, adding Wright down the middle would more signal a completion of the long-term puzzle down the middle than a much-needed jumpstart. Dalibor Dvorsky, still just 20 years old, has arrived this season as he looks to be a high-end second-line piece for St. Louis throughout his prime. Another recent first-rounder, Otto Stenberg, hasn’t looked out of place in NHL action this year, either.
Wright’s sluggish development so far wouldn’t solve the need for finding a bona fide first-line piece to serve as a direct replacement for Thomas, but he would give the Blues ample top-nine depth for their next playoff contention window.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are headed straight toward the best odds at the first overall pick in this year’s draft, in large part due to a lack of production from the middle of the ice. Their middle-six pivots for much of the year, David Kämpf and Aatu Räty, have combined for all of five goals.
They already picked up Marco Rossi from the Wild in the Quinn Hughes deal, but he’s battled through a broken foot this season and only had a goal and an assist in eight appearances for Vancouver before the break. There’s also the matter of star first-liner Elias Pettersson, who’s still struggled to get anywhere close to the heights of his 102-point breakout three years ago. He’s scoring at a 57-point pace this season, the worst of his career.
If Seattle wants to buy low on the high-priced pivot, Wright won’t have more opportunity at premier minutes anywhere else than in Vancouver.
If the Kraken do leverage Wright into a top-six upgrade, which team would stand to reap the most rewards? Have your say in the poll below:
Which Team Would Benefit Most From Landing Shane Wright?
Poll: The Red Wings’ Biggest Need At The Deadline
The Red Wings weren’t exactly sluggish heading into the Olympic break. They still mustered a 5-3-2 record in their last 10. But after holding the Atlantic Division lead for a good chunk of the season, that recent pace wasn’t enough to keep them from getting leapfrogged by the red-hot Lightning and Canadiens. Now, they sit in third place in the division with a six-point gap between them and first place, while both Tampa and Montreal have games in hand on them.
The question is whether their recent run of wild-card level play is more representative of their roster than their 18-5-2 run between December and mid-January that vaulted them into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. A look at most underlying numbers says the former is true. They’re the only team in playoff position in the East with a negative goal differential (-1) and are 11th in the conference in that regard. Their possession numbers, while improved from a years-long stretch of being in the basement, are still below average. At 5-on-5, they’re 17th in the league in Corsi for percentage (49.9%), 23rd in scoring chance percentage (48.0%), and 20th in high-danger chance percentage (48.8%).
It’s not just advanced possession numbers. Nearly every metric points to the Wings as a middle-of-the-road club. Their team shooting percentage is down to 22nd (10.5%), and their team save percentage is 17th at .893. The only real stat in which Detroit is a top-10 team is power-play percentage, where their ninth-place unit is clicking at 23.1%.
Nonetheless, their 33-19-6 record at the break is good for a .621 points percentage, eighth in the NHL and fifth in the East. With a chance to end a nine-year playoff drought on the line, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has no choice but to buy. It’s nonetheless clear that the Wings are more than just a rental piece away from being a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, though.
The Bolts, with their underlying numbers backing up their weeks-long hot streak, have more than a 90% chance to run away with the division title. Detroit has a higher chance of falling back into a wild-card spot – or missing the playoffs entirely – than they do to reclaim first place, per MoneyPuck. Most likely, they’ll tread water and end up roughly where they are now with a divisional date against the Canadiens, Sabres, or whoever else falls into the 2/3 matchup with them.
The road to a Conference Final is arduous. The road to their first series win since 2013, though, is traversable. They’re due to run into a similarly flawed roster in the first round if they can hold onto a divisional berth. That leaves Yzerman with a clear directive to start cleaning up around the edges – not necessarily making a big splash for short-term gain – in order to help get them into Round Two.
Their goaltending is set. John Gibson is the clear No. 1 over veteran pending UFA Cam Talbot and has recovered nicely after stumbling out of the gate. If the Wings want to try to flip Talbot for an upgrade in the No. 2 slot, though, that wouldn’t be the worst idea. Gibson’s injury history is a lengthy one, and trusting Talbot, who’s posting a .892 SV% and -5.7 goals saved above expected in his age-38 season, to handle playoff starts is unwise. Giving up a mid-round pick to pursue a UFA-for-UFA flip/upgrade – potentially a reunion with San Jose’s Alex Nedeljkovic – could quietly pay dividends.
Defensive depth has long been the Wings’ Achilles heel as they try to exit their rebuild. Thanks to the arrivals of Simon Edvinsson and Axel Sandin Pellikka over the last two years, that’s no longer as much of a concern. Being one injury away from having to play struggling veteran Travis Hamonic in a playoff game, though, isn’t a comfortable place to be in. When operating at full health, the Wings have been able to deploy Albert Johansson and Jacob Bernard-Docker as an effective third pairing, controlling 52.5% of expected goals. When a top-four name gets hurt, though, Bernard-Docker gets elevated and Hamonic steps in with Johansson. That duo has been shelled for a 42.4 xGF% at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck.
Regardless of handedness, landing a blue-liner to bump Hamonic down the depth chart – even if the pickup doesn’t take regular playing time away from Bernard-Docker or Johansson – is a wise choice that won’t cost a pretty penny.
For those who haven’t kept in tune with Detroit’s forward group this season, the extremes of where players are producing can be jarring. It’s hard to fathom where the Wings would be this season without Alex DeBrincat‘s torrid stretch, with his conference-leading 205 shots on goal giving him 30 tallies in 58 games. Behind him, though, only three other Wings have hit 10 goals on the year – one of them being bottom-six piece James van Riemsdyk, and nearly half of his production has come on the power play.
More goal-scoring is needed, plain and simple. Detroit’s offense ranks 20th in the league with 2.97 goals per game. Patrick Kane‘s had a rough go of things with only eight tallies in 43 games. Reducing his ice time and responsibility, especially given his defensive shortcomings, should be a priority. That means adding a second-line target to complement DeBrincat, either down the middle or on the wing, who can bump a name like Kane or Andrew Copp down to a more sheltered role at even strength.
Some of them won’t break the bank. Pending UFA Michael Bunting out of Nashville wouldn’t command a huge price but could slot in either opposite DeBrincat on the second line or flank Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on the top unit while adding an appreciated element of pest-like behavior. With 12 goals on the year and a career finishing rate of 13.1%, he fits the mold they need.
With all that in mind, which of the Red Wings’ needs is the most pressing for Yzerman to address in the few weeks before the trade deadline? Have your say in the poll below:
What Should Be The Red Wings' Top Deadline Priority?
Poll: Which Team Will Win The Gold Medal At The Olympics?
The long wait is over. For the first time since 2014, NHL players will represent their respective countries at the Olympic Games.
In the last two meetings with NHL representatives, Team Canada has been dominant. They beat Team USA in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics on the back of an overtime winner by Sidney Crosby. During the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Canada shutout Team Sweden in the Gold Medal game. Team Finland won the Bronze Medal in both of those years.
There will be a group of 12 countries in this year’s tournament, represented by Canada, Czechia, Switzerland, and France in Group A, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, and Italy in Group B, and the United States, Germany, Latvia, and Denmark in Group C. The action formally kicks off on Wednesday, February 11th, and will conclude with the Gold Medal contest on Sunday, February 22nd.
Barring injuries, Canada understandably remains the favorite to win. Still, the United States is a much closer second thanin years past, followed by Sweden, Finland, and Czechia. The rosters for Canada, USA, Finland, and Sweden are similar to last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, whereas the other high-performing countries will have much different iterations.
Regardless of outcome in the Round Robin, every nation will earn a tournament bid, seeded one through 12. The top four teams will earn an automatic bye into the quarterfinals, and the remaining eight teams will battle in a ‘playoff round’.
Unfortunately, since they are in different groups, there are no guarantees of a border matchup between Canada and the United States. Nonetheless, there will still be notable matchups in the round between Finland and Sweden, Canada and Czechia, and the United States and Germany.
Now the crystal ball passes to you — in a few weeks, which team will be donning the gold medal around their necks?
Which Team Will Win The Gold Medal At The Olympics?
Mobile users click here to vote.
Poll: Which Team Won The Quinn Hughes Trade?
Last night, the Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks got together on the biggest trade of the season and of recent memory. Rivaled only by the three-way trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes and Martin Necas to the Colorado Avalanche, the Canucks moved former Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Quinn Hughes to the ‘State of Hockey’.
It’s easy to assess what the Wild gained in this trade. They’ve landed arguably one of the top three defensemen in the NHL, rivaled only by Avalanche Cale Makar and Blue Jacket Zach Werenski.
Outside of some mild injury concerns, Hughes has been dominant on a largely non-competitive team. Despite putting up some solid production through his first three seasons, he’s been dominant for the last five, scoring 50 goals and 335 points in 330 games while averaging 25:59 of ice time per night.
Unfortunately, and likely one of the motivating factors for moving on in Hughes’ eyes — the Canucks have only qualified for the playoffs twice throughout his career, with things again looking bleak this season. Although they aren’t considered in the same echelon as the Avalanche or Dallas Stars, potentially not even after this trade, the Wild have only missed the playoffs twice throughout Hughes’ career.
Still, as mentioned, Minnesota is lining up to play one of Colorado or Dallas in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs if they don’t fall to a wild-card spot, which may be more advantageous to them. Even though they’ve made the postseason more often than not over the last decade, the Wild haven’t reached the second round since the 2015 postseason. Time will tell if adding a player of Hughes’ caliber will be the answer to getting them over the hump.
For Vancouver, the Canucks effectively added four first-round picks for their franchise player. Marco Rossi, 24, is the oldest of the group, having been selected with the 9th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Liam Ohgren, 21, and Zeev Buium, 20, were drafted in the first round of the 2022 and 2024 NHL Drafts, respectively.
Rossi will immediately become the Canucks second-line center and will likely push Filip Chytil to a third-line role once he returns from injury. Over the last two years, Rossi has scored 28 goals and 73 points in 99 games while averaging a 47.1% success rate in the dot.
Still, Rossi isn’t far removed from a more-than-disappointing playoff performance last season. Scoring two goals and three points in six games, the Wild infamously demoted Rossi to the team’s fourth line as early as Game 2 in the team’s matchup last spring against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Meanwhile, Buium, the former National Champion with the University of Denver Pioneers, is enjoying a solid rookie campaign. Before the trade to Vancouver, Buium had scored three goals and 14 points in 31 games, averaging 18:28 of ice time per night. Despite starting 51.5% of his shifts in the offensive zone, he had averaged a 91.5% on-ice save percentage at even strength. He doesn’t project to have a similar offensive ceiling as Hughes, though he may end up being somewhat better defensively.
Lastly, Ohgren has yet to break out in any meaningful way with the Wild and may benefit from more ice time in Vancouver. Largely limited to a bottom-six role, the Swede has tallied two goals and five points in 42 games over the past two years, averaging 10:26 of ice time. However, if his AHL performance is any indication of things to come, the young center has tallied 22 goals and 42 points in his last 50 games with the struggling Iowa Wild.
Many of the grades of this trade will hinge on a few things. If Hughes signs a long-term extension with Minnesota this summer, or helps the team win its first Stanley Cup in franchise history, it will make the return haul a far easier pill to swallow. For Vancouver, if Hughes was unwilling to resign and doesn’t with Minnesota either, the trade will make a ton of sense in the long term, especially if each player reaches their respective ceiling.
Now it’s time for you to vote — who do you think came out on top?
Which Team Won The Quinn Hughes Trade?
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Minnesota Wild 52% (1,080)
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Vancouver Canucks 48% (987)
Total votes: 2,067
Mobile users click here to vote.
Poll: Who Will Be The Next Pending UFA To Sign An Extension?
As expected, the upcoming unrestricted free agent class has been thinned out over the last couple of months. From Connor McDavid to Adrian Kempe, there are very few top-level pending UFAs left on the board. Still, there’s some belief that the list could get even shorter relatively soon.
Of the highest-scoring pending UFAs in the league right now, Evgeni Malkin, Nick Schmaltz, Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson, Alex Tuch, and Artemi Panarin lead the way. However, in the cases of Malkin, Ovechkin, and Carlson, they are all 35 years or older, and there’s no guarantee they’ll continue playing beyond the 2025-26 campaign. That leaves Schmaltz, Tuch, and Panarin as the three likeliest options to sign an in-season extension.
Much has been made of Schmaltz’s situation with the Utah Mammoth this season. Despite getting off to an excellent start with 10 goals and 22 points in 23 games, there is some indication that the relationship between Schmaltz and Utah has soured.
According to a report from late October by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Mammoth apparently attempted to trade Schmaltz to the Carolina Hurricanes during the past offseason when the first round of extension negotiations proved unfruitful. Schmaltz was involved with the trade talks at the time, as he provided Utah with a list of teams with which he would sign an extension. Since then, there have been no updates as to any further negotiations between the two sides.
Meanwhile, Tuch has gotten off to a similarly good start to his contract year with the Buffalo Sabres. A native of Syracuse, NY, Tuch’s love for the Buffalo area is well known, leading many to believe that he’ll sign an extension with the team this season. However, given that the Sabres are headed for a 15th consecutive year without reaching the playoffs, few people would blame Tuch if he were to depart for a more competitive situation.
Lastly, there have been a few updates between Panarin and the New York Rangers, though it doesn’t appear anything is close between the two sides. Reports from earlier in the year indicated that the Rangers would only extend Panarin if he were amenable to a much lower salary, which is something Panarin has not appeared enthusiastic about. The 34-year-old Russian has scored six goals and 20 points in 24 games.
Despite all three potentially leading the pack of prospective UFAs next summer, and additionally being quality trade assets, there’s plenty of time remaining in the regular season to get a deal done. Which of these three, if any, do you think will be the next to sign?
Who Will Be The Next Pending UFA To Sign An Extension?
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Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres 32% (178)
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Nick Schmaltz, Utah Mammoth 30% (165)
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All three will reach free agency 29% (162)
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Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers 9% (47)
Total votes: 552
Mobile users click here to vote.
Poll: Who Will Win The 2025-26 Calder Trophy?
A month into the 2025-26 season, some rookies have already begun to separate themselves from the pack. Notably, recent first overall pick Matthew Schaefer and former fifth overall pick Ivan Demidov continue to make waves around the league.
There’s no questioning why the two are neck-and-neck in early Calder Trophy odds. Demidov is leading the way in rookie scoring with four goals and 12 points in 13 games with the Montreal Canadiens, while Schaefer is close behind with five goals and 11 points in 13 games with the New York Islanders.
At this point, if both players unexpectedly maintain a point-per-game scoring average, the voters will likely lean toward Schaefer, given that he’s a defenseman. Still, given the status of their respective clubs, Demidov has a far greater chance of pulling away from the pack. If Schaefer wins, it’ll be the first time that defensemen have won the award in consecutive years since Kent Douglas and Jacques Laperriere in 1962-63 and 1963-64.
Meanwhile, Schaefer and Demidov aren’t the only rookies making some noise this season. Although there are some questions regarding his play on the defensive side of the puck, blueliner Zeev Buium of the Minnesota Wild is scoring at a relatively high rate with three goals and nine points in 14 games.
Additionally, there are a pair of forwards looking to toss their hats in the ring. University of Minnesota alumnus Jimmy Snuggerud sits tied for second on the St. Louis Blues in scoring with four goals and eight points in 14 games. At the same time, recent seventh-round pick Emmitt Finnie has matched that level of scoring with the Detroit Red Wings.
Moving back to Montreal, Demidov’s performance so far hasn’t completely overshadowed the performance of his teammate, Jakub Dobes. Technically a rookie despite debuting last season, Dobes has managed a 6-0-0 record this season with a .930 SV% through the early part of the 2025-26 campaign. Unfortunately, he’s had to split the crease with Sam Montembeault, which would negatively affect his chances should that trend continue.
For most rookies, there’s about 80% of the regular season remaining, meaning there’s plenty of time for someone to pull away from the pack. Who do you think it will be?
Who Will Win The 2025-26 Calder Trophy?
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Matthew Schaefer (NYI) 50% (464)
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Ivan Demidov (MTL) 33% (306)
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Emmitt Finnie (DET) 7% (66)
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Jimmy Snuggerud (STL) 4% (35)
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Zeev Buium (MIN) 4% (33)
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Jakub Dobes (MTL) 3% (28)
Total votes: 932
Mobile users click here to vote.
What New Features Would You Like To See At PHR?
As the new regular season approaches and we add to our staff at Pro Hockey Rumors, we’re looking to expand our slate of features, originals, and trackers in 2025-26.
In doing so, we’d love to get some reader input. Were tools like our Active Roster Tracker from the 2024-25 season useful? What other features do you wish PHR had to make it a more immersive home for everything related to hockey transactions?
If there are certain features you find valuable or there are things you’d like us to implement, let us know in the comment section below, use the Contact Us page on our website, or email us directly at prohockeyrumorshelp@gmail.com.
Poll: Which Non-Playoff Team Last Season Will Make It This Year?
In both conferences, the 2024-25 Stanley Cup playoff race came down to the wire, with the Columbus Blue Jackets missing the cut by two points, and the Calgary Flames tying but losing out via the tiebreaker. Outside of those two, there are a handful of teams that have a legitimate chance to return to the postseason this upcoming season, but the uphill climb isn’t expected to get any easier.
While not entirely impossible (looking at you, 2024-25 Flames), there are a handful of teams we can rule out of the conversation. The Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Boston Bruins are by no means ruled out of the playoff conversation already, but their odds are nearly insurmountable.
Two of the most popular choices for returning postseason squads come from the Metropolitan Division. Given that it’s hard to expect the Washington Capitals to replicate last season’s unprecedented performance, and the fact that the New Jersey Devils’ competitiveness lies on the shoulders of the health status of Jack Hughes, the Blue Jackets, and the New York Rangers could return to the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2025-26.
Columbus has a major question mark between the pipes, and doesn’t have a true star forward, though they do have a star defenseman in Zach Werenski. Despite a disappointing 2024-25 season, the Rangers are only one year removed from reaching the Eastern Conference Final. They have retooled their roster and hired a new head coach during the offseason.
Although the Flames only missed by a tiebreaker last season, the Utah Mammoth have one of the strongest claims in the West this season. Unfortunately, they play in a difficult Central Division. It’s difficult to pencil in the Mammoth for a top-three spot in the division for 2025-26, but a Wild Card spot shouldn’t be out of the question.
This list is not exhaustive; the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, Nashville Predators, and Vancouver Canucks have all expressed their desire to return to the postseason in 2025-26. Still, there are only so many postseason spots to earn, and none of last year’s participants are eager to give up their postseason positioning from this past season. Now it’s your time to choose: which non-playoff team from last season, if any, has the strongest chance for a playoff spot for the upcoming season?
Which Non-Playoff Team Last Season Will Make It This Year?
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New York Rangers 16% (336)
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Utah Mammoth 15% (314)
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Detroit Red Wings 11% (224)
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Columbus Blue Jackets 10% (195)
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Vancouver Canucks 8% (158)
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Anaheim Ducks 5% (100)
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Pittsburgh Penguins 5% (99)
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Philadelphia Flyers 5% (97)
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Boston Bruins 5% (93)
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Calgary Flames 5% (93)
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Buffalo Sabres 4% (89)
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New York Islanders 4% (86)
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Nashville Predators 3% (55)
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Chicago Blackhawks 2% (41)
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Seattle Kraken 2% (36)
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San Jose Sharks 1% (28)
Total votes: 2,044
Mobile users click here to vote.
Poll: Will Jack Roslovic Or Matt Grzelcyk Sign First?
We’re closing in on a month before the start of informal rookie camps around the league. Of PHR’s Top 50 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents, 45 have already found new homes for the upcoming campaign – including 23 of the top 25 names.
The two missing from that group are three-position forward Jack Roslovic and left-shot defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. While Roslovic has had strong interest from multiple teams all summer long and appears to be playing the long game to drive up desperation as teams miss out on other forward options, Grzelcyk’s market hasn’t been as fervent.
In fact, there’s been essentially no firmly documented interest in Grzelcyk since July 1. That’s despite the 31-year-old entering the signing window with the most points among UFA defensemen last year, notching a career-best 1-39–40 scoring line with the Penguins.
There are some clear reasons for his smaller-than-expected market. He’s on the small side for a rearguard at 5’10” and 180 lbs, doesn’t play much of a physical game at all, and has something of an injury history. He played all 82 games last season for the first time, eclipsing the 70-game mark for the third time in nine years.
That being said, he has strong results in a complementary top-four role next to a more all-around dominant righty. The vast majority of his 527-game NHL career was spent with the Bruins alongside Charlie McAvoy, where he consistently put up 20 to 30 points per season and never had a negative rating.
Last year’s -6 mark on his one-year deal with the Pens isn’t much of a blemish, either. That came with more taxing minutes than he’s used to – averaging a career-high 20:37 per game – and he had better per-60 defensive results at even strength than Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang while also generating more offense than them on the power play.
Few teams would give Grzelcyk the top-unit PP deployment he had throughout the year in Pittsburgh, making another 40-point year unlikely. Still, there’s been an eerie silence around the market for someone who checks out as a highly serviceable No. 4/5 option on most teams who’s comfortable playing on any pairing.
Roslovic’s free agency has been covered more at length as a result of his more widespread interest. Last month, we published free agent profiles on both Grzelcyk and Roslovic.
He’s been connected most firmly to the Canucks and Maple Leafs over the past several weeks, but any team with at least $3MM to $4MM in cap space to accommodate him should be viewed as a legitimate contender for his services. Roslovic’s selling point is his versatility – he may not have the scoring consistency required of a bona fide top-six option. Still, few players could legitimately slot into any spot on any line and find a way to make things work like he can.
Like Grzelcyk, Roslovic is coming off something of a career year in his platform season, although his age advantage by three years strengthens his case for a multi-year deal. While he fell short of his career-high in points in 2024-25, he tied his mark in goals (22) in quite limited deployment with the Hurricanes, averaging under 14 minutes per game for the first time since 2018-19. He’s comfortably averaged 43 points per 82 games over the past three seasons and should be a solid bet to hit that mark again in 2025-26, especially if he sees a bump in minutes.
All that being said, who do you think will come off the UFA list first? Tell us what you think in the poll below and expand on your thoughts in the comments:
Who will sign first?
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Jack Roslovic 75% (308)
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Matt Grzelcyk 25% (105)
Total votes: 413