Hockey talk, thoughts, and opinions.

After writing about Ohio State University thinking they should, I have more ideas. But I am one to watch and follow the CHL, but what made them decide to change the rule was based on players such as Adam Fantilli, Macklin Celebrini, Owen Power, Kent Johnson, all decide to go the NCAA route when they had good routes planned in the CHL which would've likely had a lot more spotlight on them going into the draft. Ten years before players would always go the WHL route over NCAA given they were focusing more on hockey rather than studying. I mean if I was a player I would've done the WHL route as it felt more like you were playing professionally rather than breaks in between while improving every season. The NCAA is more for players who want to play against mature players rather than players that are once bigger and suddenly much smaller.  One thing I question is if the CIS gets involved given Canada is more into hockey than the US if they decide to join into NCAA programs. Because C...

This is based solely off which teams I see giving great support. But this isn't including Winnipeg who doesn't have a WHL team anymore but I think they could get another minus their issue being without a small arena. I want a place like Nelson to get a team, but the town is too small and think maybe in the future it is do-able.  HM: Flin Flon, Manitoba - This one raises eyebrows, but they have the most dedicated fans in the CJHL. So dedicated that they even have their street names coloured in crimson for their team. I think it could also help their economy as the entire community supports that team. The downside is their arena is outdated, but I think The Whitney is a jewel. The reason I don't see it happening is because they are a ways up north and if they did join the closest team for them would be the Prince Albert Raiders. But I think they could support a WHL team. They also have some of the richest hockey history in Canada.  5. Campbell River, British Columbia - Campbe...

So, the Chicago Wolves had previous troubles with affiliates since the Thrashers left. Now it's pretty much set in stone they'll never join forces with the Chicago Blackhawks, which opens the door for various NHL teams. Except you'd think teams would want to have them as their affiliate with the good fans, competitive nature, and an airport right by their home rink. Well, teams have a system to develop players and the Chicago Wolves are a team to always be competitive more than develop. But prior to the Thrashers, the Blackhawks rivals were the next two teams, which were the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues. St. Louis decided to join forces with the San Antonio Rampage after Colorado decided to get their own affiliate, where Vegas decided to join forces with the Chicago Wolves. I personally think present day the Wolves and Golden Knights were the perfect affiliate for one another, except the demand for hockey grew in Las Vegas where the relationship came to an end afte...

I think Elias Pettersson is still a good player who can return to his full form one day and still has potential to be an offensive threat in the NHL. Based on what I've seen he does work hard, but there's parts he needs to learn to improve his game. He was well on track once upon a time, but I think locker room issues soured things for him last season. It may take one or two seasons, but I think he has a similar comeback Marcus Naslund did.  Pettersson had an outstanding season before they brought JT Miller in. In Miller's defense, he was not one for a young core but needed to be on a team he could do a lot more on. But if the Canucks never traded for Miller I think Pettersson would've been the producer every single season. In 2019-20 he finished second in scoring after JT Miller; in the playoffs that year in the bubble, he and JT Miller both tied the lead in team scoring with eighteen points. In 2020-21 he missed most of the season but had twenty-one points in twenty-s...

Canucks fans all have a strong distaste for Mark Messier, but in this 'What if' we're going to talk about what could've been rather than disaster that it turned into. But there are lots of interesting outcomes from this. And just because, I'm going to remove Mike Keenan ever being the coach of the Vancouver Canucks given he came when Messier came along.  Mark Messier joined the Canucks in 1997-98 season immediately given the captaincy from then-Canucks Captain and arguably the best in franchise history Trevor Linden. Fans didn't think much of it at the time because he brought two cups as a captain to Edmonton and New York. Now, I think Messier is one of the most overrated players given he's played a majority of his career with Gretzky and other big name stars. But Vancouver was desperate for a cup, where they decided to find the biggest fish in the pond where they lost out on Wayne Gretzky -- which would make for another good: 'What if.' And they fou...

So, Jason Robertson has been trade talk around the NHL. I still believe he is a star in this league, but wants more money. I personally believe Dallas should keep him, but it looks as he's the number one player in all the trade rumours. Now, the Stars wanted a defenseman in return in their top-four. But the one team I see being the best fit for a trade is the Los Angeles Kings because they have Brandt Clarke, who can be held under the salary cap. The reason some fans may disagree is because they need to sign Adrian Kempe to a big extension in order to keep him, and potentially Alex Laferriere too. Roberton's contract is seven million a year, and say Laferriere does sign a contract I think it's going to be a one-year deal worth $3.5M. So, the Kings may need to make another trade or have that player go to Dallas as part of the Roberton trade.  The Kings could likely trade a 1st 2026, Brandt Clarke, and Alex Turcotte for Jason Robertson. But Dallas gets a first-rounder, they g...

I think the Chicago Blackhawks should try and get Mason McTavish because he and Bedard were a dynamic duo in the World Juniors and good friends. I think getting Bedard McTavish increases the chances of Chicago making the playoffs again. Except, I think Chicago should trade for him before sending him an offer sheet. I think this solves the issue of Bedard not changing linemates all the time, which I find is valuable about him is he is willing to play with anybody no matter the skill.  As for Chicago, an offer sheet could cost them picks, and I think them offering 3-years $7.5 Million Annual Average. I think this is reasonable because this gets them McTavish and high pay for three years to prove himself. Also, I was going to raise it higher, except I think it'd be smart for Chicago given they'll need to extend Bedard in the near future as he's the player they're building around. That, or they could trade for him. 

The 2005 NHL Draft was interesting due to no season being played.  But let's start with Montreal. With that pick let's pretend they take someone else instead, let's say they take Gilbert Brule fifth overall. Where Chicago decides to take Carey Price seventh overall.  So, Montreal had drafted a player known as Jaroslav Halak in the late round in the 2003 draft. Someone they didn't know would be a star. Also, they had a starting goaltender named Cristobal Huet. So, I think Huet likely remains the Canadiens goaltender for a long time and signs an extension instead of getting traded to Washington. I think by the 2008-09 season Halak is shown promise to be the Montreal Canadiens new starter raising controversy on who remains the Habs goaltender. But I think Montreal rides both where they stay a consistent team, and decide long-term Halak is their starting goaltender. Halak holds the starting position until he retires with Montreal. But as for Brule, I think he gets traded fo...

This blog is only for speaking about the future of hockey and what may happen. We don't go into details on controversial topics depending on the circumstances.  Anyway, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Alex Formenton, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote have been found not guilty. Them being not guilty means a second shot at the professional level.  It has been reported that Carter Hart gained interest with the Oilers which is where I see Carter Hart signing probably one-year one million. But there is a possibility that Carter Hart returns to the Flyers or plays on an American team given he wanted to move there during the scandal, but if he wants the right shot with the right team in the States I think the Los Angeles Kings would be the best fit for him if not Philadelphia or Edmonton. He still has potential to be a star goaltender but I think he should go to a team in need of a goaltender. Buffalo might also be a good fit for him. I'd say Toronto but the media isn't good for him and I t...

So, the Florida Panthers had two first overall picks in the 2002 and 2003 draft both which they traded down from. In 2002, they traded down with the Columbus Blue Jackets where they selected Rick Nash, and Florida took Jay Bouwmeester. In 2003 the Panthers traded down with the Pittsburgh Penguins which they selected Marc-Andre Fleury and Florida took Nathan Horton.  We're going to start with the two teams Columbus... and Pittsburgh. I think Atlanta still takes Kari Lehtonen, who I believe should've been a star goalie in the NHL but was always overlooked because he played on bad teams. In fact, he's going to be another topic for another day. I think Columbus still drafts Bouwmeester who becomes their face of the franchise, but I think Columbus is bad but also good going into the following season. I think they draft in the second overall position the following year as I think Pittsburgh would still be at three. With the second pick I think Columbus takes Nathan Horton given t...

I like the contract for Kakko as it gives him the rightful amount of money that's good for both sides that don't disappoint either way. But I think Kakko will have a lot of points for the Seattle Kraken next season and has shown to be a good fit. I think the Rangers drafting Kakko, but solely based on that fact I believe the Rangers to be a team to draft players that need more time given they're a franchise to have been known to succeed by having players develop longer or sign there after proving what they can do in the NHL.  It has been reported Marco Rossi turned down 5 years at $5M AAV. I think he truly wants to be on the right team to prove himself considering Minnesota isn't likely giving him that chance. I do think he has that potential, except he needs the right team and coach. I do think he is a good player, and I think what he wants is a 2 or 3-year deal at $5-7M AAV which I think is quite reasonable. I had a think about it, and remember thinking Minnesota was ...

I was looking into this given I think more teams from the CJHL could look to join the CHL considering some cities may be the size of Swift Current or Baie-Comeau. I think this would be a great way of expanding the game, but it's going to be so many teams that I could see the WHL splitting into two.  The reason I focus solely on the WHL in this article is because they're a big league and growing, so much that they almost may need to split the league in half.  Steinbach, Manitoba, just built a brand new arena which is sustainable for WHL. They also are growing rapidly and have a population of nearly twenty-thousand. I think it'd make sense given Winnipeg just lost their WHL team, and I think they'll get one again, but in the meantime Steinbach getting one would make more sense than Winnipeg getting WHL right now considering they don't have an arena suited for junior hockey. Other places in Manitoba that I could also see joining are Selkirk, Winkler, and Portage la Pra...

Since the CHL decided to make their players eligible for the NCAA, I think we'll see more talented players join the NCAA in the many years. I get why OSU didn't have much of a hockey program that people looked at, but the question here is this: why am I not bringing up more universities? Well, first I can do that in other articles, and secondly, they're the most valuable NCAA school in the United States. I think they need to put it towards more sports, but I think they should focus on hockey given they already have one of the best rivalries with University of Michigan who I believe to have a better sports program than OSU believe it or not, but what I believe is OSU could be much better if they decide to have the sports compete against all their top-tier programs, and I believe they can do it. I'm not saying Duke should as they're strictly basketball, not saying Texas A&M, but given Ohio State University is also good for Basketball and Football, I think investin...

Based on how the teams look present day, this is how I envision the next five Stanley Cup Champions and Finalists. This is based off extensive research, but I also expect drastic changes to happen over the next few years. But this one is based on the teams long-term plans as of today. 2026 Stanley Cup Champion - Dallas Stars - They have a lot of fire power and strength, I think this is the year they really hit the gas, they have all the bases loaded Stanley Cup Finalist - Florida Panthers - Florida is still the best team in the league as we speak, but I think in this road to the finals they'll be a lot more banged up and washed up.   2027 Stanley Cup Champion - Carolina Hurricanes - I think they have what it takes to win a cup now, but based on how the team is built going forward they're set to be unstoppable and I think they destroy the NHL in 2027.  Stanley Cup Finalist - Dallas Stars - I think Dallas has a good post-season and a smoother ride to the finals, but this wo...

For starters, I love this signing because it's win-win for both Vilardi and the Winnipeg Jets. Cheveldayoff gets lots of heat, but love how he doesn't hand out dumb contracts that shoot teams in the foot and makes sure all players get their fair share. This is a bit cheaper than Ehlers's contract with Carolina so this is team friendly, good amount of years and paid what is well deserved. Kevin Cheveldayoff also understands Winnipeg needs to be competitive every single year given they're the biggest ticket in Winnipeg and it's not easy bringing players there because of how cold the winters can get.  Vilardi also had issues with injury, and I hope at some point he recovers because if he manages to comeback from injuries I think he could be an offensive threat in the NHL also valuable considering he can be a centre and a right-wing. But once he was moved to right-wing, the Connor-Scheifele-Vilradi line became one of the best in the entire NHL.  This signing is instant ...

There are lots of really good hockey players, some that are too good for the AHL but not enough for the NHL who ended up paving great careers in Europe. Sometimes in the AHL you have a guy like Corey Locke only managing to play seven NHL games who had one of the best careers in the AHL winning two Calder Cups and winning awards. Or sometimes you have a Martin St. Louis or Jonathan Marchessault who I would mostly be focusing on in this piece. But this will be based on the players present day going into the 2025-26 season. And players who I'd sign or trade for to make the teams in both the NHL and AHL better. This only applies to players who played in the AHL last season and aren't on an entry-level deal.  1. Alex Steeves - Toronto Marlies - If he was given the opportunity to play in the NHL I think he could be placed anywhere and would be shown to many hockey fans how valuable he can be. Big forward and can produce as that's his strong set, but if a bad team noticed him I th...

Where do I begin... maybe that I wrote how he was one of the underrated players in the NHL. Except the thing is it's no longer Vancouver. Now, for all I know maybe Dakota Joshua wanted out, but this return is beyond brutal and unacceptable by the Canucks. With Toronto, I think we'll see Dakota Joshua's true potential as he truly is an underrated player who can do a lot more than your average hockey fan thinks. Vancouver getting a forth for Joshua, this is just like the Silovs trade but maybe worse given they were key players for the Canucks. If I'm trading Dakota Joshua away I'm expecting something as high as a second-round pick and a player with a good contract.  As for Toronto, this is an excellent pick-up for the Leafs and this is going to improve their penalty kill a lot which in my opinion is something that could use work this off-season. Toronto is the clear winner of the trade.

We always talk about superstars, but there are hidden gems in the NHL as well. Some people have different answers, but I have ones that will be off the grid a little bit. Some fans should be paying attention to more when the stars aren't on the ice. But I won't be mentioning players who recently got a lot of points, some would say an answer would be Mark Scheifele, Roope Hintz, but this is more of some players some don't talk about enough who I think would make a William Karlsson-like impact if an NHL team did give them a chance. But if I was an NHL GM and was doing an expansion draft these would be players I would try and get my hands on.  1. Cole Perfetti - Winnipeg Jets - Hasn't cracked more than fifty points yet, but towards the end of the year he showed people what kind of player he can be and showed if Ehlers left he was able to replace him. Some remember the goal that saved the Jets season in game seven, tying it up and sending it to overtime. But if he was given...

In the 2009-10 season the Maple Leafs started it with a bang, trading their first-round pick in 2010 and 2011 and a second in 2010 to their rivals the Boston Bruins for Phil Kessel. This was probably one of the riskiest trades ever given they didn't have high expectations to make the playoffs; except back in those days TSN would always hype the Leafs.  Lots of fans were infuriated by the trade, maybe Brian Burke didn't want to do the trade for all we know, but it's also the owners to also play a big factor in trades happening. The Leafs ended up finishing second-last in the NHL and bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. I base this off info on the season, but I think without Kessel a lot is different. I don't think the Leafs trade for Dion Phaneuf considering Brian Burke was under a lot of pressure or JS Giguere. I think he lays low and waits patiently. But in this case, we say Kessel signs a long-term extension with the Bruins.  The Bruins are a much better team w...

We all remember the Buffalo Sabres infamous 2014-15 season where they played to lose, hoping to land Connor McDavid first overall but ended up with Jack Eichel. It was so overhyped that Buffalo that the Erie Otters play a game in Buffalo to cheer on what was believed to be their future star. And currently, I wonder this because McDavid made Edmonton a place players wanted to play. Buffalo was also gearing up that year for McDavid. They went and got Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian, Ryan O'Reilly, Robin Lehner, but I don't think Buffalo ends up with players like Dahlin and the rest. Except I don't think Dan Bylsma ends up coaching there, in fact I see Todd McLellan potentially taking over, not just that attracting really good players. This is all based on how I could see things going based on what happens present day or what could potentially happen in the long-run.  Now, let's start with the 2015 NHL Draft Lottery. Now, Buffalo wins, Arizona picks second, and Edmonton picks ...

Today, Arturs Silovs, who Canucks fans will remember from not just the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs but also the one who carried the Abbotsford Canucks to the Calder Cup Championship the following year. Silovs had high expectations going into the 2024-25 season after a great season, but last season didn't really go the way the Vancouver Canucks expected and reminded me a lot of the Ottawa Senators 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons where they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals and after that turned into a trainwreck that took seven years to recover from. But, understandably so, the Canucks signed Lankinen to an extension and unexpectedly signed Demko to an extension too.  What does Vancouver do? They trade Arturs Silovs to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Chase Stillman and a fourth-round pick in 2017.  On a Canucks standpoint, this trade almost describes the disappointing history of the Vancouver Canucks and believe they should've gotten something in the margin of a fourth-line NHL fo...

I can understand why some players choose to do this. The biggest and most recent ones were Issac Howard and Cutter Gauthier. Now, Issac Howard wanted an actual chance in the NHL and Tampa is a stacked team with guys like Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel which basically is obvious he won't be in the top-six. He was traded to Edmonton recently and left Michigan State to join the Oilers, which I can't blame him for considering he's thinking about his career. As for Cutter Gauthier, he was taken fifth overall by Philadelphia. The only thing I get out of this kind of thing is players can be competitive to which they don't understand it's where they're taken. Some want to go first overall thinking it's competition and winning. But honestly, it doesn't matter where you end up in the NHL draft. But I think Cutter wanted to see how high he could go, and I also thought he was a good fit for the Flyers. I mean, in defense to Cutter he may have thought in the pre-dra...

I am only leaving 2021-2025 off the table because it's in the stage of too early to tell. This is based off pre-trades unless they traded the player away or how much it helped them in the future. I know some players it's about getting their chance, but it's not entirely on the players, but also on coaching and management who didn't do well. But I think some players could've shown their best potential if given a rightful chance, but in this case it's about the work the team did to help the future of the organization.  2020 Winner - Ottawa Senators - The Senators acquired the third overall pick via a trade from San Jose, which involved star defenseman Erik Karlsson. The Senators took Tim Stutzle, and they also had their own pick which was the fifth overall where they ended up taking Jake Sanderson, and with their final first pick they took Ridly Greig. But not just that, Ottawa had ten picks and eight of them managed to crack the line-up.  Loser - Arizona Coyotes ...