Teenager Jakob Chychrun is playing on Arizona's blueline and is contributing after the Ducks drafted him 16th overall this year. More than a month ago, I examined the early progress of the first 15 picks of the 2016 NHL entry draft. Today, it’s time to update the progress (or lack thereof) of the [...]
Still looking for his first NHL start, Chris Driedger has been sent down to the AHL even though Ottawa is without injured goaltender Andrew Hammond and sometimes misses Craig Anderson when he's with his cancer-stricken wife. November is a time in the NHL season when prospects like Patrik Laine, Auston Matthews and William Nylander [...]
Outstanding blueline prospect Shea Theodore is back in the AHL after Anaheim managed to fit Hampus Lindholm under the salary cap. The fortunes of NHL prospects rise or fall during any NHL week, and this past week was no exception. Signings Anaheim GM Bob Murray finally found a way to lock [...]
Besides the can't-miss impact of Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine in the young NHL season, RW William Nylander of the Maple Leafs is among other rookies off to a good start in what promises to be another hotly contested Calder Trophy competition. As demonstrated by Team North America in the World Cup, NHL fans [...]
Former L.A. draft pick Jeff Zatkoff is the Kings' No. 1 goaltending option after an injury to workorse Jonathan Quick. News about Jonathan Quick’s injury keeps worsening, which could potentially mean one of the Los Angeles Kings’ former prospects returns to the West Coast. After Quick went down without getting through even one period [...]
Drafted third overall by Columbus, power forward Pierre-Luc Dubois has struggled at the Columbus main training camp and will likely return for another dominant junior season before making his inevitable NHL debut down the road. By the final weekend of the pre-season, the bulk of NHL training camp rosters have been returned to junior, [...]
After suffering a broken hand during the World Cup, Pittsburgh goalie Matt Murray is missing three to six weeks of hockey action. Some players don’t wait for the NHL season to begin before being hurt, which creates opportunities for others. Injuries: Pittsburgh’s outstanding young netminder Matt Murray won’t need surgery, but will be out [...]
Jesse Puljujärvi must have been smiling after he had two goals and an assist to lead Edmonton to a 4-1 victory over Vancouver on the first day of the YoungStars Classic tournament. Fellow Finnish high 2016 draft picks Markus Niemeläinen and Olli Juolevi also helped the Oilers and Canucks, respectively. The Columbus Blue Jackets’ [...]
Things have gone downhill for Griffin Reinhart since he hoisted the Memorial Cup in 2014. A new season looms, and in fact has already begun for players competing in the World Cup. Aging veterans will face a growing challenge to maintain their level of play and remain in the NHL. Prospects will get a [...]
The Penguins needed, and got, significant contributions from prospects en route to a Stanley Cup championship. A case could be made that netminder Matt Murray was Pittsburgh’s playoff MVP. Forwards Conor Sheary, Tom Kühnhackl and Bryan Rust also contributed significantly to the team’s post-season success, while forwards Oskar Sundqvist and Scott Wilson as well as [...]
