• Juraj Slafkovský has been named the first-ever Honorary Citizen of the village of Budimir. [Montreal Canadiens]
• Slafkovský has also won Slovakian Hockey Player of the Year for the fourth time. [Dennik Sport (Slovak)]
• Three Habs facing a make-or-break training camp. [The Hockey Writers]
• Phillip Danault and Zachary Bolduc have no issues with the lack of major moves by management this off-season. [Journal de Montreal]
• Noah Dobson still has something to prove after a strong first season with Canadiens. [A Winning Habit]
• What might Josh Anderson’s contract extension look like? [The Hockey Writers]
• David Urquhart has left McGill University to join the Laval Rocket as an assistant coach. [La Presse | Montreal Gazette]
• The Trois-Rivières Lions announced that they have signed forward Robert Orr. [Trois-Rivières Lions]

Around the league and elsewhere

• The NHL unveils its 2026-27 pre-season schedule. [Daily Faceoff | NHL.com]
• The five best bargain options available in NHL free agency. [Daily Faceoff]
• 12 under-the-radar NHL acquisitions who could surprise next season. [Sportsnet]
• Former Calgary Flames radio broadcaster Peter Maher has passed away. [Daily Faceoff | The Athletic | Sportsnet]
• Why the board game Settlers of Catan is popping up across sports. [The Athletic]
• Zach Werenski doubles down on his desire to stay in Columbus. [Sportsnet]
• Josh Morrissey talks about fatherhood, a new perspective, and a pivotal Winnipeg Jets season. [The Athletic]

Pastujov was acquired by the Canadiens from the Anaheim Ducks on July 27. Pastujov played 71 games with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL in 2025-26, tallying 57 points (21G, 36A). The 6-foot, 186-pound forward led his team in assists and points in addition to ranking second in goals. Pastujov has scored 48 goals and 77 assists in 160 AHL games since making his debut in 2023-24.

The 23-year-old forward participated in the 2022 World Junior Championship where he recorded four points (1G, 3A) in five contests with Team USA.

He will be expected to play a top-six role for the Laval Rocket this season, a similar role that Farrell has, with a change of scenery potentially beneficial to both players.

The only remaining restricted free agents on the Canadiens roster are forward Zachary Bolduc and defender Arber Xhekaj.

Coming in at number 22 is Hayden Paupanekis, a hulking 6’5″ centre from the WHL. The Montreal Canadiens have struck a solid balance of adding size and skill with their picks at the NHL draft, and the former was what they had in mind when they traded up to get Paupanekis in the third round in 2025.

A prototypical power forward, he spent his 2025-26 season with the Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets, his first full season with that club. Marginal improvement was achieved, but going from 0.6 points per game in 2024-25 to 0.64 wasn’t enough to see him make a big jump on our list.

He put together a decent playoffs for the Rockets with five points through nine games, but followed that up with a disappointing goose egg in three Memorial Cup games. That said, the Rockets were largely overmatched at that tournament, failing to win any of their matches, with just five players on their roster managing to put up a single point each.

He is now moving on from the WHL to join St. Cloud State in the NCAA. How he fares in the collegiate theatre should be very telling for his NHL hopes; a strong performance could see him shoot up our list around this time next year, while any regression could see him fall out of the Top 25 altogether.

Voting

With a high of 14 and a low of 40, we have anything but a consensus amongst our panellists as to where he belongs. Last year, his range spanned from 16 to 30, so he appears to be growing increasingly difficult to place.

Top 25 Under 25 History

Paupanekis maintains his debut position at 22nd he had as a freshly drafted 18-year-old.

History of #22

Strengths

We know from the last two years of the Habs in the playoffs that they need some bigger players who can play a Josh Anderson-esque role. Paupanekis has that ability, as he is very aggressive on the forecheck to force opposing defenders to make mistakes as they concern themselves with the possibility of being hit.

With the puck, his size and wingspan allow strong puck protection, making him a troublesome cycle player to deal with in the offensive zone. Skating and shooting are both plus tools for him, and he shows some flashes of sniper abilities at times with a heavy wrister that boasts a quicker release than you might expect.

Overall, he has the tools you want to see in a bottom-six centre that runs on a line with a heavy cycle game. He has also improved his defensive consistency over the last two seasons, a trend that would improve his likelihood of playing bottom-six minutes in the NHL if it continues.

Weaknesses

While he skates and handles the puck better than most players with his size, where he struggles is with putting these things together on the ice. He doesn’t seem to be able to consistently process the game in front of him fast enough to combine his skills and create offensive opportunities, significantly limiting his point totals. There are flashes of a more complete offensive player, but he has yet to decipher how to be that player more often.

That same lack of consistency also applies to his defensive engagement. While improving, there are still some questions about how he defends, particularly when things start to break down or he doesn’t have the opportunity to simply overpower his opponents.

These consistency issues cast some doubt on his ability to remain a centre. On the wing, a player can somewhat hide their inconsistencies, but in the middle, they’re exposed. His physical tools should afford him an opportunity to play professional hockey, but his position demands more development of his skills, and his consistency with them.

Projection

The earlier allusion to Josh Anderson is likely what we can call Paupanekis’s ceiling. His best shot at having a long NHL career is to become the kind of disruptive forward that teams hate to see in the opposing bottom six, and who can elevate that game in the spring when the games really start to count. The Habs have clearly been looking for players like this in the draft, and with the right development, that type of role is within his reach.

Continuing to improve his defensive game will be crucial to that goal. Being able to play a heavy cycle game is fantastic, but unless he has plans to transition to the wing, the defensive requirements of the centre position have to be met in order for him to get the opportunity. His focus should be twofold in the NCAA; increase his defensive efficiency, while figuring out some more ways to combine his offensive skills and add to the attack.

Frankly, the NCAA route is likely the smartest choice for him. His ability to fight was clear in the WHL, and another year of frequent fisticuffs would prove nothing for him. He can probably already hang with some of the bigger punchers at the professional level, and what will set him apart in the quest for roster spot in the NHL will be the finer aspects of his game. Getting a step up in competition to flesh out those aspects is objectively better than staying where he is.

It will be a big year in projecting his NHL future, and we’ll know a lot more about where he could stand in the prospect pecking order.

• We could see a trade this September or October as long as Kent Hughes can find the right “dance partner”. [Montreal Gazette]
• If no trades are made this offseason, Hughes can look back with no regrets given how his team is shaping up. [The Hockey Writers]
• Habs players reveal why they should stick to hockey instead of handyman tasks. [Canadiens]
• Looking back at Nick Suzuki’s recent achievements as he enters his 27th year. [Journal de Montreal]
• The Canadiens find themselves in an interesting position in an Atlantic Division that has changed significantly heading into the 2026-27 season. [The Sick Podcast]
• Why Patrik Laine could be a gamble worth taking for the Toronto Maple Leafs. [The Leafs Nation]
• On the flip side, reasons why Laine is not a fit for the Maple Leafs system. [Editor In Leaf]

Around the league and elsewhere

• Under-the-radar acquisitions who could make a bigger impact than expected. [Sportsnet]
• Questions facing the Florida Panthers as they head into the new season with the Tkachuk brothers and no Sergei Bobrovsky. [NHL]
• Behind the scenes of how the Winnipeg Jets’ are building this season’s giveaways, community and culture. [NHL]
• When the time comes to choose a new captain, should the C go to the young superstar or a veteran? [Sask Today]
• Which NHL stars would dominate an all-time Stanley Cup roster battle? [The Athletic]
• Hockey Canada extended suspensions of four 2018 world junior players after breaching its code of conduct. [TSN]

The Montreal Canadiens have given their AHL affiliate a considerable makeover this off-season. A number of players, including a few fixtures of this series, have been shipped out in one-for-trades. One of the departures was Sean Farrell, traded on July 27 to the Anaheim Ducks. In his place comes Sasha Pastujov, one draft class younger than Farrell. Anaheim’s scouts has witnessed an impressive season with the U.S. National Team Development Program in which Pastujov finished with the most goals and assists, clearing his next closest teammate by 16 points, and selected him among the first picks of the third round in 2021.

Rather than go the NCAA route like most of the players who graduate through the NTDP, he moved to the Ontario Hockey League the next season, once more topping both statistical categories with 76 points in 65 games for the Guelph Storm. The next season he was traded to the Sarnia Sting, posted a team best 1.72 points per game over the rest of the season, then led the club in scoring in the playoffs with 19 points in 16 games.

His first season of pro hockey in the AHL proved a bit more of a challenge and as a result he began the 2024-25 campaign in the ECHL. The third tier of North American hockey was clearly a level below his ability and he rejoined the San Diego Gulls to score over a point per game over the remainder of the season. Last year he returned to the familiar situation of pacing his team in offence with 57 points in 71 games. That was true in the playoffs as well as his deflected goal from the slot was the only one San Diego managed in its best-of-three series versus the eventual Western Conference finalist Colorado Eagles.

That point total would have ranked third on the Laval Rocket, four points up on Farrell’s total, with the difference being four additional goals. The quality of the teams was very different, with the Rocket finishing at 90 points to win the North Division title and San Diego requiring the regulation-wins tiebreaker to squeak into the post-season as the seventh seed in the Pacific. If Laval is at the same level it was the past two seasons, it will be a stronger team Pastujov plays on this year, and Rocket general manager John Sedgwick will hope his moves have improved it a step further.

Voting

Four of the individual panellists had Pastujov inside the Top 25, and four placed him outside. Even with those different opinions, he has a much smaller range, 14, than the two players profiled so far in the official countdown.

Pastujov was acquired after the ballots had been collected. The list of 55 players we all ranked included Sean Farrell instead. Farrell finished with an average ranking of 27.610 among community respondents, placing him 26th in the EOTP order, and his nine-panellist average was 26.667, a fraction more than Pastujov’s average of 26.375. Their placements would have been the same at the 23rd spot in the rankings. In that sense, this is, overall, regarded as a direct swap of players of equal value.

History of #23

Strengths

Leading up to his draft, his shot was his main asset. His stat line with the USNTDP in 2020-21, with 30 goals and five more assists, was evidence of him being more of a finisher than a playmaker, and the ratio was about the same in the OHL the next season. He used to focus solely on slipping into some open ice unnoticed to get into a shooting position, just like Cole Caufield did in his time with the development program, and then his quick hands could end the play with an accurate shot. That remains the way he scores the majority of his goals even at the AHL level.

As the years have gone on, he’s become more of a playmaker to bring his teammates into the offence more. He has expanded his vision beyond just looking for a piece of uncovered net to shoot at, and is better at finding a friendly stick in better position to score.

His hand skills have been better than most opponents he’s faced to this point, and he has been good at gaining the offensive zone as a result. He needs very little space to pull the puck from one side of his body to the other, and has proven difficult to defend. He uses those same skills to make quick dekes when he gets the puck near the net, fooling goaltenders to get them down and out for an easy goal.

Weaknesses

His skating is merely passable, which is always a tough obstacle for an offensive player to overcome. Once he’s up to his top speed, his hands can take over and make up for the overall lack of pace, but he doesn’t have the separation gear to create the space he thrives in on his own.

San Diego’s strategy to create this space was to play with a style heavily reliant on stretch passes. That was great for Pastujov’s offence when it worked, but not so good for the team in general considering its seventh-place finish and a -4 goal differential in the regular season, and quick playoff exit after getting shellacked by an aggregate score of 9-1 in the playoffs. That style allowed him to maintain the bad habit of flying up the ice at any expected change in possession rather than sticking around to aid in a more controlled transition up the ice. Those tactics can work occasionally — we saw both 2026 Stanley Cup finalists use a lob pass to centre ice to great effect — but aren’t ideal as the main transition strategy.

The biggest issue with that in Pastujov’s case is that he hasn’t had to learn how to shield off a defender to move the puck, battling through contact to keep the play going. He is taller than Farrell, listed at 6’0″ versus Farrell’s 5’10”, but though Pastujov is listed at 183 pounds, his build looks very slight when compared to his on-ice teammates.

Projection

If he wants to take the final step and advance from the AHL to the NHL, he will need to get bigger to play a game with closer contact. There aren’t many defencemen at the top level who get danced by a quick deke, and almost all of them will be faster than he is. He will need to improve his lower-body strength to get himself out of physical situations, at least enough to free his stick to make another play, and that’s something the player he was traded for wasn’t able to develop in his time in the organization.

There is plenty of room for him to add mass to his frame, but it’s something he should have been working on for several years now. It’s too late to do that ahead of the 2026-27 season, so that would have to be something the development staff encourages him to do next summer.

It would be great to see how far his offensive talents could take him if he does work on increasing his strength and maybe adding a bit more skating ability as well in the Canadiens organization. To have a chance to benefit from any such improvements the staff is able to inspire, they will have to wait until next season. For that reason, a multi-year contract might be the best option for the current restricted free agent rather than the one-year option Farrell agreed to in Anaheim the day after being traded.

At his current ability, Pastujov will be a top offensive performer for the Laval Rocket this season, possibly even maintaining his career trend of leading his team in scoring. A hot streak could put him on the radar for an NHL recall if the Canadiens have need of an offensive player at any point. This season, that would probably only be a temporary stint with the big club, but still a step beyond what he was able to achieve with the Ducks. Ideally new Rocket head coach Daniel Jacob will put him in more challenging situations to work on things Anaheim didn’t force him to, and at this time a year from now, assuming he’s still in the organization, we have a more rounded prospect to discuss as a potential bottom-six scoring option for Montreal.

• Extensions to Ivan Demidov and Jakub Dobes highlight a quiet Canadiens off-season. [TSN]
• Stéphane Richer says Cole Caufield is born to score goals. [La Presse | RDS]
• Members of the 1986 Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens got together for a round of golf, minus one pivotal player. [CTV (Video) | La Presse | RDS | Radio-Canada]
• The 11th edition of the Classique KR raised $67,000 for the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation, with Alexandre Carrier, Dobes, and Jayden Struble joining the festivities. [Montreal Canadiens]
• Can Owen Beck earn a job out of training camp? [The Sick Podcast]
• Who might replace Brendan Gallagher as alternate captain? [A Winning Habit]
• Should the Habs give Zachary Bolduc another shot on the top line? [A Winning Habit]

Around the league and elsewhere

• The New York Islanders are opening up their future third jersey look to the fans, announcing that the community can vote on eight potential new looks in a bracket-style format. [Daily Faceoff]
• The top five remaining NHL restricted free agents. [Daily Faceoff]
• Would Patrik Laine be a fit in Toronto? [TSN (Video)]
• Finnish official Onni Hautamäki has signed a contract to referee in the NHL. [Jatkoaika (Finnish)]
• Her mom’s multiple sclerosis journey serves as an inspiration for Vancouver Goldeneyes goalie Kristen Campbell. [CBC]

Standing 6’5″ and weighing in at 220 pounds, Thorpe is a massive obstacle on the ice, able to use his reach and frame to win board battles while closing space quickly with his skating. With that size he was able to generate a heavy shot during his WHL tenure, making him a strong scoring option. The offence didn’t make the professional leap with Thorpe this year, as he started the year on a 25-game goalless streak, during which he tallied just five assists.

When he was at his most effective, he was taking away space in front of the net, creating deflections or generating secondary chances for his linemates. However, part of where he struggled was creating things as part of a cycle, or frequently off the rush. He is able to generate incredible power behind his shots on the fly, the problem for him was handling the pass or identifying clean space to attack.

It is also easy to look at his penalty minutes and think that he might be falling into the Xhekaj Vortex of ill-timed infractions, but a good chunk of his minutes can be chalked up to fighting majors, and also an ejection during a line brawl with Toronto. He isn’t going to win any Lady Byng Trophies, but given his style of play and role on the team, he does fairly well in toeing the line.

The hope is, with a year of experience under his belt, that the 2026-27 AHL season sees Thorpe take the next step forward offensively, while continuing his menacing physical style of play.

Voting

Tyler Thorpe was a bit divisive on our panel, with Justin being the low vote at 43, and myself clocking him at 38th. Beyond that almost everyone else had him locked in the mid to high 20s.

Top 25 Under 25 History

Debuting at 42nd in 2024 after getting drafted as an over-ager, Thorpe finished just outside the Top 25 last year, but makes his way into the official countdown this summer. He has three more years of eligibility in the project.

History of #24

Strengths

Thorpe was a large lad playing on a line with other large lads in his rookie year, but he was the largest of the lads, which says a lot when Florian Xhekaj and Luke Tuch were his linemates. It’s hard to contain him when he’s moving or establishing himself inside the offensive zone. He throws his frame fully into clean, devastating hits that leave opponents scrambling and often draw the ire of other players on the ice.

He’s a bully when he’s on his game, able to throw those hits, goad an opponent into dropping their gloves with an extra shove, and then using his reach to pummel them into the ground.

I was in the crowd for the game in which the above fight took place, and it was everything I’d want to see from Thorpe: a massive hit in open ice to change possession, then handling the guy who challenged him to a fight. Given his slot in the lineup, it’s Thorpe playing his role to perfection.

It doesn’t mean that’s all he needs to bring to the ice. In fact it’s easy for me to point out there should be much more offence in his game than what is currently shown. When he collects the puck in stride, he is able to load up and use a heavy wristshot to beat goalies. It is the key to unlocking that next level for him, if he can routinely operate on the rush as a heavy shooter, he should see his point production increase.

Weaknesses

He has all the physical tools available to be a player in the mould of Josh Anderson, tough, a decent enough skater, and with a shot capable of producing regular goals. The problem for him is that the mental side of the game is lagging, leaving him a step behind the play in many situations.

Often during viewings of games you would find him unaware of a potential scoring opportunity or incoming pass because he was focused on trying to finish a hit away from the play or chasing an opponent in an attempt to agitate him. There are also the moments in which it becomes more apparent that his puck skills are a step behind some of the prospects and players on the Rocket. In many moments he struggles to corral a pass or a puck, instead being forced to just swat it along or turning it over inside the offensive zone.

Honing in on the hockey IQ side is going to be crucial to taking the next step in his development and it will be much needed as the Rocket roster goes through a changeover under a new coach.

Projection

The Laval Rocket have undergone a big change in the off-season this year with several players moving out via trade or free agency including top stars Sean Farrell and Joshua Roy, along with Sammy Blais. While there are new faces in the fold, Thorpe has the shooting talent to become a useful power-play option, and the physicality to open up space for his linemates when he’s on his game.

However, the first development would be for Thorpe to move up off the fourth line, likely still alongside Xhekaj, into a role that offers more offensive opportunities. That role is not guaranteed though, and while Thorpe has the tools to make that step he has to improve in a few different areas. Laval has rarely had a problem producing goals, but with several high-end producers having left the club they’ll need to fill that void and for Thorpe it’s a golden chance to keep himself on the NHL radar.

Long-term, it’s not easy to see where he might fit in the grand scheme of things at the NHL level. Thorpe isn’t alone in trying to carve out a bottom-six role. Even in the current AHL lineup players like Owen Beck and Xhekaj vie for spots, as will Rohrer at the conclusion of his season on loan to EZ Zug. Even a little further down the pipeline are players like L.J. Mooney, Hayden Paupanekis, and the newly drafted Gleb Pugachyov. It’s a crowded group, and it is going to be incredibly easy to get lost if you don’t stand out.

I wouldn’t say that Thorpe is on the NHL radar for this season, and that is okay given the state of the organization. However, this is a big year for the player who turns 21 today as he tries to establish himself as a much more consistent professional player.

The realistic goal for him this season is graduating from being a pure energy forward on the fourth line to a stable middle-six forward who is tapping into his offensive upside. With the Rocket shuffling their lineup in a big way, the door is wide open for Thorpe to seize his opportunity.

• Carey Price is excited about Montreal’s prospects in goal, and in the playoffs. [TSN | TVA Sports | Montreal Gazette]
• In honor of his birthday, seven of Nick Suzuki’s most memorable moments in the last year. [TVA Sports]
• Lane Hutson ranked 6th in the NHL Network’s ranking of the league’s best defensemen. [TVA Sports]
• Reportedly, the Wild are interested in Patrik Laine. [Yahoo Sports]
• Active NHLers who will and might become Hall of Famers. [The Athletic]

Around the League and Elsewhere

• Questions surrounding Frederik Andersen and Sergei Bobrovsky and their new teams. [TSN]
• Possible captains for the teams without them. [Sportsnet]
• Matt Duchene believes that the Stars can still be contenders with Jim Nill at the helm. [TSN]
• The road to a new arena is still a long one for the Senators. [TVA Sports]
• A new hockey league for young adults is coming to Sherbrooke. [Radio-Canada]

To say Yevgeni Volokhin had a great season in the VHL (Russia’s equivalent of the AHL) would be an understatement. In 40 games, he posted a 25-10-5 record with a 1.51 goals-against average and .948 save percentage, along with nine shutouts. His playoff performance was also impressive, with three shutouts in 23 games and .936 mark. His regular-season save percentage was the second-best mark in the entire VHL, and top among those with a regular workload.

He already has one strong season in the KHL, playing 28 games with HK Sochi in 2024-25, and would ideally get more than the four games in the top league than he played last year, though he was in the active lineup for 12.

His path to the NHL won’t be easy, but the changes that we’ve seen within the last three years are encouraging. He has plenty of time as he is under contract in Russia until May 31, 2028, and just turned 21 in April.

Goaltender development is rarely linear, yet Volokhin’s progression over the past year has accelerated faster than anyone anticipated. What once looked like an intriguing late-round selection now appears to be one of Kent Hughes’ best value picks from the 2023 NHL Draft.

Voting

As some of you might know from experience, having a toddler at home and a pregnant wife resulted in me filling up my ballot (I had ranked all 55 prospects!) but forgetting to officially submit it. Thus, my personal voting won’t appear this year. But worry not, I shall mention where I had my profiled prospects ranked. Volokhin was within my 21-23 range, my second goaltender ranked after Jacob Fowler, which would have placed me in the higher end of the voters.

Volokhin finished tied with Luke Mittelstadt at the same average ranking of 27.889 across the nine ballots. The first tiebreaker we use is high votes, and Volokhin had three at or above Mittelstadt’s high of 20th.

Top 25 Under 25 History

Volokhin didn’t start out high when he was drafted in 2023, but jumped the next season and stayed around that level in 2025. This year he makes another big rise, and his total improvement of 21 places is among the highest we’ve ever seen.

History of #25

Strengths

Volokhin’s game is built around efficiency rather than athletic desperation. His greatest strength remains his positional discipline. He consistently arrives on angle, minimizing net exposure without relying on highlight-reel recoveries.

One of the most noticeable improvements over the season was his ability to deaden shots into safe areas. Instead of simply stopping pucks, he actively directed rebounds into low-danger areas or absorbed them cleanly, greatly reducing second-chance opportunities. That calmness became especially noticeable during the VHL playoffs, where opponents struggled to generate sustained offensive pressure against him.

He displays impressive composure in traffic. Rather than overreacting to screens or cross-ice movement, he trusts his positioning and remains patient. His post integration and east-west mobility have improved noticeably, allowing him to seal the lower portion of the net effectively while maintaining balance.

Perhaps his greatest developmental leap has been his consistency. He rarely experiences prolonged slumps and has demonstrated the ability to quickly rebound after allowing goals.

Weaknesses

His results were considerably more modest in KHL duty, posting an .870 save percentage while adapting to the faster pace and increased offensive talent of Russia’s top professional league. Although the statistics were disappointing, they represented valuable developmental experience rather than a cause for concern, considering his age and limited playing time. Spartak Moscow was also a fairly weak team, posting 29 regulation wins, six overtime wins, 24 regulation losses, and nine overtime losses in 68 games played.

His puck-handling also remains average. While he is capable of making routine plays behind the net, he does not yet consistently help his defencemen transition out of the defensive zone. Improving this aspect would further help his overall game.

Building up additional physical strength would help with the rigours of top-level professional hockey. As he faces larger forwards battling for positioning around the crease, continuing to build lower-body strength should improve both his explosiveness and ability to hold his ground during net-front scrambles.

None of these issues appear as major flaws. Rather, they are the typical areas young goaltenders refine as they climb through the developmental leagues.

Projection

As the goalie guy on the staff, I always want each and every one of the goalie prospects to pan out, but the reality is that very few will. Or sometimes even the least probable one will. For every elite Junior goalie who becomes an NHL starter, another plateaus before reaching the highest level. The position simply develops too unpredictably to project with certainty. That said, Volokhin has significantly improved his odds over the past year.

His contract in Russia will see him continue to develop within the Spartak organization before he considers making the transition to North America. The organization appears willing to allow him ample time to mature rather than rushing his development.

Volokhin projects as a potential lower-end NHL starting goaltender if his development continues along its current trajectory. His combination of size, technical foundation, composure, and statistical consistency provides a strong developmental profile. While projecting goaltenders remains inherently difficult, his 2025-26 season increased confidence in his NHL potential.

The next major evaluation point will be whether he can translate his VHL dominance into sustained performance as a full-time KHL starter. Success at that level would firmly establish him among the Canadiens’ top prospects and as one of the more intriguing young goaltenders outside North America.

• Carey Price likes the Canadiens’ odds of challenging for a Stanley Cup, and believes their young goaltenders are a big part of it. [NHL.com]
• Lane Hutson ranks sixth on NHL Network’s list of top defencemen. [NHL.com]

Around the league and elsewhere

• How will the Detroit Red Wings perform in 2026-27 following their captain’s trade request? [NHL.com]
• The Red Wings’ top prospects, led by goalie Trey Augustine. [NHL.com]
• Jordan Staal took the Stanley Cup to the Thunder Bay Pediatric Unit. [NHL.com]
• Patrick O’Sullivan has been promoted to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ director of NHL development. [Sportsnet]
• Teammates rave about Maddox Schultz’s game after the top prospect for the 2028 NHL Draft led the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in scoring. [NHL.com]
• The top performers from the tournament. [Sportsnet]