NHL 2025-2026 Season

[EagerBeaver]

ESPN Preseason preview has NY Rangers #16 and #17 in preseason power ratings:

NHL season preview: Strengths, weaknesses, X factors for all 32 teams

Will Florida win the Cup yet again? Who are the top challengers? Here's key intel on every club.

www.espn.com

Let's hope these 2 teams are better than this.

 

[EagerBeaver]

BR predictions, including that the Chicago Blackhawks will be the worst team in hockey:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25230353-early-bold-predictions-every-nhl-teams-2025-26-season

What happened to this franchise? 2 years ago they drafted Conor Bedard and everyone was saying, "let the good times roll!!!!!" Season tickets sales spiked. And 2 years later they suck even bigger Moose balls? Well at least they had 3 1st round picks in 2025.

 

[EagerBeaver]

McDavid, 2 year $25 mlllion extension

McDavid signs 2-year, $25M extension with Oilers

Star center Connor McDavid will remain with the Edmonton Oilers, signing a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $12.5 million.

www.espn.com

This deal should work out better for Edmonton than their infamous signing of Jack "Soup" Campbell, but it's also a smart play by McDavid. McDavid waited to see what offseason moves the Oilers would make, and then when he saw that the moves had the Oilers #1 in ESPN power rankings and elsewhere, he signed. This might finally be Edmonton's year.

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

The damages for the Bolts:

-$100 000 fine for the team
-$25000 for Cooper
-4 games suspension for Sabourin
-2 games suspension for Moser
And a few fines for other players

 

[EagerBeaver]

Factoring into the fines were that the Lightning called up 6 players from Syracuse for the game, who combined for 77 penalty minutes. Simply put, they churned goons for this game and had to pay for it.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Don't look now but Toronto has signed Montreal Habs castoff Cayden Primeau:

With Woll out, Leafs claim G Primeau off waivers

Two days before the season opener, and with Joseph Woll on an indefinite leave of absence from the team for personal reasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs added veteran goaltender Cayden Primeau off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes, the club announced.

www.espn.com

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

Don't look now but Toronto has signed Montreal Habs castoff Cayden Primeau:

With Woll out, Leafs claim G Primeau off waivers

Two days before the season opener, and with Joseph Woll on an indefinite leave of absence from the team for personal reasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs added veteran goaltender Cayden Primeau off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes, the club announced.

www.espn.com

Thats how much they don’t trust their goaltenders! Lol

 

[EagerBeaver]

Bettman Praises Crosby, Ovechkin Longevity:

Bettman marvels at longevity of Crosby and Ovechkin - ESPN Video

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman talks about how impressive it is that Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are still producing at a high level entering the 21st year of their careers.

www.espn.com

 

[EagerBeaver]

Montreal is at Toronto tonight and the game is being televised on ESPN+!

 

[EagerBeaver]

Eichel: 8 year extension worth $13.5 million annually

Sources: Eichel lands 8-year extension with Vegas

Jack Eichel and the Golden Knights have agreed to an eight-year extension that carries a $13.5 million average annual value, sources told ESPN.

www.espn.com

 

[Doc Holliday]

Brady Tkachuk out for minimum 4 weeks with broken wrist
Not a good start to the season for the Tkachuk brothers with Matthew out until 2026 & now Brady out for at least one month after injuring his wrist in yesterday’s game vs Nashville. Tough news for the Sens!

 

[EagerBeaver]

Anthony Stolarz criticizes poor effort by Nylander, other teammates!

Maple Leafs want to move on from Stolarz’s criticism: ‘Sometimes guys get fiery’

The Leafs are moving on, and moving on to a crucial game against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

Anthony Stolarz criticizes poor effort by Nylander, other teammates!

Maple Leafs want to move on from Stolarz’s criticism: ‘Sometimes guys get fiery’

The Leafs are moving on, and moving on to a crucial game against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.

www.nytimes.com

Even though Berubé tried to minimize it as much as he could, I am wondering what impact, Stolarz words will have in the long term. The guy only been in Toronto for 2 years, going publicly after a star like Nylander might not bring him a lot of friends in the locker room.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Even though Berubé tried to minimize it as much as he could, I am wondering what impact, Stolarz words will have in the long term. The guy only been in Toronto for 2 years, going publicly after a star like Nylander might not bring him a lot of friends in the locker room.

It can go one of 2 ways. It can go as you suggested, or his calling out of lazy play and soft play could light a fire under his teammates. In the history of sports there are many examples of both scenarios playing out. It depends on the locker room.

Let's also be honest that this is not the first example of lazy play by Nylander, which led to a goal.

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

Its cool to see the Avs and Canes wearing the Nordiques and Whalers jersey, its like time travelling!

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

Will Suzuki ever get the praise that he deserves?

Since the 4 nation tournament, he is the most productive player of the league. Since February 22nd, Suzuki has tallied 53 points in 37 games, bringing his total to 117 points over a full 82-game season. He also leads the league in plus/minus with an impressive +25, demonstrating his dominance at both ends of the ice.

It amazes me that, on some hockey chat boards, we still read comments saying he is not even a 1st line center!

 

[EagerBeaver]

No doubt that Suzuki is a very underrated player. I am not sure why that is. If you look at his stats, they have improved every single season he has been in the league. This continual upward trajectory is very rare, but it's a sign that he absorbs his coaching and experience well.

Nick Suzuki Career Stats - NHL - ESPN

Complete career stats for the Montreal Canadiens Center Nick Suzuki on ESPN. Includes goals, assists and points per NHL season.

www.espn.com

Look at the point totals from year to year. Increased every year except the Covid season. He didn't actually become a point per game player until last season. This marks the ascendancy to more than good. So far this season 1.5 ppg, which is superstar level production.

He is a legit MVP contender in my book.

 

[EagerBeaver]

One other thing we can say about Suzuki: DURABLE. 82 games played in each of the last 4 seasons!!!!!!!! Contrast that with Laine. They say that availability is a talent. This is especially true in the sport of hockey. Give me a player who is there for his team every single game. Guys who are scratched or on IR because of one injury or another continually don't help a team very much.

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

At 26, he is nearing his prime years, we’re not done hearing about him. His little "bro" Caufield, is also on a serious ascending curve. These 2 are definately the big Duo for the years to come.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Look at this (1:33 of the video is replay), Tanev of the Leafs collides with Michkov and has to be stretchered off to a hospital:

To me it does not look like there should have been a penalty on Michkov. What it looked like is Tanev negliglently skated backwards into Michkov who was watching the puck and did not see Tanev skating backwards into him until the last second. The announcers were calling it a slewfoot but I am not seeing it, Tanev skating backwards created the contact and Michkov did not see him until the last second. To me its a play on, but unfortunately the contact whipped Tanev's head violently in whiplash fashion.