About NHL

Everything about NHL and Canadian hockey

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Counting down to September 29th for opening night of the 2026-27 season.

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@grantmccagg Can’t argue with that

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Jacksonville drawing 9,200 fans a game easily puts them in AHL territory, but attendance hasn't been the issue holding Florida back. It's really about travel geography and how NHL teams manage recalls.
Right now, Charlotte is as far south as the AHL goes on the East Coast, so putting a team in Jacksonville creates a total travel island. On top of that, Tampa and Florida are comfortable with their current affiliate setups in Syracuse and Charlotte, so there hasn't been a big push from top management to change things. Moving up also brings higher operating costs and travel budgets, which can actually eat into the profits Jacksonville makes under the ECHL business model.
That said, if the NHL goes to 36 teams and forces four new AHL franchises, the math changes. If the AHL uses expansion to build a proper Southeastern division alongside places like Orlando, Savannah, or Atlanta, Jacksonville becomes a no-brainer. But until a full regional cluster gets built out to share those travel costs, they'll likely stay the biggest draw in the ECHL.

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@NHL_Rosters 17 has had a pretty solid run in Boston. Borgen should fit the number well.

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It definitely makes the most sense for his long-term growth. Staying in Sweden gives him guaranteed top nine ice time in a tough pro league like the SHL, which beats getting buried on a fourth line or dealing with the constant AHL shuffle. He gets another full year to work on his foot speed and build out his 200 foot game without the added pressure of adjusting to North America just yet. Fans always want to see prospects over here as soon as possible, but letting him cook for one more season over there usually pays off way better in the long run.

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Transaction Alert: The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned forward Jack Berglund to Färjestad BK of the SHL for the duration of the 2026-27 season.
He will spend the upcoming campaign back in Sweden! 🏒🇸🇪

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Love that comparison from Price, he'd know better than anyone what it takes between the pipes for that franchise. Dobeš having that competitive edge and Fowler playing the calm technical game gives Montreal two totally different goalie identities to develop, not just organizational depth stacked with clones of each other. If both pan out that's a nice problem to have long term.

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Liam Pue’s from Langley, BC, born Feb 2010, so he’s not even NHL draft eligible until 2028. Came up through the Junior Prospects Hockey League where he obliterated the record book, led the U15 division in PPG two years running and set the JPHL scoring record outright.

Regina traded up to grab him third overall in the 2025 WHL Draft after Kelowna held the pick, and he landed alongside his buddy Maddox Schultz, who went first overall to the Pats. Those two had already built a relationship before the draft and Pue said Schultz was the first person he called once Regina picked him. Turned down exceptional status too, both of them did, which says something about not needing to rush the timeline even with the talent to justify it.

Sixteen years old, new city, still just a kid who lit up saying fans might wear his jersey someday. That mix of dominant on-ice production and pretty grounded, team-first personality off it is exactly why Regina’s building around him and Schultz long term.

#WHL #ReginaPats #HlinkaGretzkyCup

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84-game season starting this year. First time since 1993-94, over three decades. Nobody’s talking about it enough considering what it actually changes.

More cracks at milestones and points records, but also more wear on legs during a calendar that already has best-on-best in the mix this cycle. Guys who play a full slate are logging almost 6 more games than they’ve ever played in a season. That’s a real number when you’re talking injury risk and back-half fatigue for guys already pushing 30.

Feels like the kind of change that gets buried until October and then everyone’s suddenly asking why the standings look weird in March.

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Going McKenna. Situation’s just too loaded, top line minutes next to Matthews, real power play time, and a Leafs team that went out and got Bobrovsky in net so they’re not relying on him to be a two-way stopgap. Betting markets actually have Martone slightly ahead right now off that strong nine-game cup of coffee last spring, but McKenna’s ceiling and offensive zone usage in Toronto should separate him once he’s playing full seasons against NHL competition.
Stenberg’s the sleeper for me if San Jose leans into him getting real minutes instead of playing him behind Eklund. Hutson’s legit too given what he flashed in his 14-game look with Washington.

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Vladař's the one I'd put the most pressure on, honestly. He went from journeyman to Philly's guy with a career year, and now he's got to prove that wasn't just a contract year fluke while carrying a team that's suddenly a real playoff expectation instead of a surprise. Following up a career year is way harder than having one.

Dobeš is right there too, first full year with real expectations after a strong rookie run in Montreal, and that team's no longer rebuilding, so any regression gets magnified fast. Vejmelka's volume masked some ugly underlying numbers (.897 SV%) so people will be watching if that's sustainable with a real cap number now attached to him. Dostál's situation is the scariest structurally though, since he's not just being asked to be good, he's being asked to be good with a defense that got worse around him.

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Mark Scheifele at 5th is the one that jumps out. 103 points, best season of his career at 32, and he's basically never part of the "best player" conversation the way Celebrini or Necas are as breakout stories. He just quietly does it every year in Winnipeg and gets buried under bigger market names.

Necas is right there too, 100 points in his first year with Colorado after the Carolina trade barely got talked about relative to what Celebrini's rookie breakout got.

If you mean awards snub specifically though, Scheifele didn't even sniff Hart finalist buzz despite outscoring Draisaitl, Pastrnak, and Robertson.

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Yeah you’re allowed to be mad, this isn’t even a new phenomenon. That’s actually the NHL Network Top 20 list (via https://t.co/A8gaUcLULq) that just dropped, 53 points in only 55 games, elite underlying numbers, and he still gets buried behind guys like Sanderson and Schaefer. Fox has been getting disrespected on these lists for two years running now, it’s basically become a genre of hockey media.

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Calce's the headliner for good reason, top German prospect and the only guy in DEL history with multiple goals in his draft minus-one year. Didn't know about the name change from Penkin to his mom's name, interesting detail.

DuPont makes sense as the guy to watch, and Wysick fits since Landon DuPont's dad Nick played pro in Germany (as u mentioned). Whole German pipeline thing has been building for a few years now with guys like Seider and Stützle before it, feels like it's only getting deeper.

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For me Messier's not necessarily underrated, he's just underrated relative to Gretzky and Orr. Hart, Conn Smythe, captained two different Cup winners, drags the Rangers to '94 alone. Everybody knows.

Lemieux take is the real one though. 1.88 PPG through back surgery and cancer, and that '90 Oilers Cup without Gretzky still doesn't get brought up enough. Six rings across two dynasties is wild.

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Wild little footnote considering how his career actually turned out. Never really made it as an NHL regular but obviously carved out a Hall of Fame-caliber coaching career after, Cup with Carolina, runs with Nashville and Philly, now with the Rangers of all teams. Funny how it comes full circle.

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Tulsky's not exactly shutting it down there. That's pretty standard GM speak but combined with the contract/role friction NHLRR is describing, it does feel like something's brewing. If Nikishin's camp wants term and money that doesn't match how Carolina sees his role, that's the kind of gap that actually gets bridged by a trade instead of a new deal. Wouldn't be shocked if this picks up again closer to camp.

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It’s time to draw some parallels between #hotd and #NHL

Rhaenyra gives me massive Jack Eichel in Buffalo vibes, inherited the "savior" tag with top-tier skill, but surrounded by pure organizational dysfunction while the room slowly slipped away from her until everyone questioned if she could actually drive a line.
Daemon is spot on Evander Kane, a game changer who wins you matches on sheer talent but you’re always one shift away from a 10 game suspension.
Otto looks like a Lou Lamoriello because he’s the ultimate front-office shadow manager, strictly system-based, total control freak, and will banish a guy to minor leagues for stepping out of line.
Corlys feels like Jim Rutherford, built an empire off old-school grit only to watch young political hires tear it down, while Aemond is prime Tom Wilson with one eye, zero fear, and hated by 31 fanbases until he’s on your top line.
For Alicent, McDavid brought his team to the Finals so it doesn't quite fit, she’s late-era Carey Price, visibly drained and breaking her back trying to keep a completely collapsed franchise afloat, and if you want to throw in Criston Cole, he’s pure Corey Perry for turning into the ultimate villain that everyone hates but can’t stop talking about.
#targaryens #hockey

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@SleeperNHL Gotta go with Trevor Zegras honestly. Feel like he's been kind of buried in Anaheim's rebuild and I just want to see him get back to making people miss on the ice like he used to