The Hockey NewsThe Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Minnesota Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov have quite a bit in common. Both men are currently 28 years old, both were selected in the 2015 NHL draft, they both play in the Western Conference, and they are both headed into the final season of their current contracts with no extension having been signed as of yet.
Despite playing in limited time this past season due to injuried, with Kaprizov appearing in 41 regular-season games and McDavid playing in 67, both men still had solid seasons, with Kaprizov putting up 25 goals and 56 points, and McDavid contributing 74 assists and 100 points.
Make no mistake, McDavid has the more decorated NHL resume, but he has also played in 10 NHL seasons compared to Kaprizov's five. But with both of these players being so vital to their team's recent successes, it makes one wonder what the hold up is on getting them signed to new deals. but with that in mind, which of the two will sign a new deal with their team first?
Let us know what you think. And remember, The Hockey News Community is a hockey forum where you can not only join the conversation but start your own.11mo The Hockey News Having a solid young goaltender on a fresh new team can do a great job of setting a franchise off on the right foot. In Toronto, the Leafs' goalie tandem, which took huge strides in 2024-25, included 27-year-old netminder Joesph Woll, who, despite injuries, put up a solid .909 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against average.
Over in Calgary, 24-year-old rookie netminder Dustin Wolf had an equally impressive season, posting a .910 SP and a 2.64 GAA, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting.
Now, imagine you were the GM of a new NHL franchise. Which of these two goalies would you want between the pipes to build your franchise around, Woll or Wolf?
Let us know what you think. And remember, The Hockey News Community is a hockey forum where you can not only join the conversation but start your own.1y The Hockey News The Hockey News The Detroit Red Wings were once playoff regulars in the NHL, making the post-season for 25-straight seasons between 1990-91 and 2015-16, and winning four Stanley Cups during that span. Since then, the team has been unable to advance to the post-season, currently amassing a nine year playoff drought. They've come close in recent seasons, but just haven't been able to squeeze their way in.
With the potential of a decade without post-season hockey on the horizon, the Red Wings have made some significant off-season moves, including trading for netminder John Gibson to give them legitimate No. 1 option in net, and trading for forward Mason Appleton among other moves.
The Red Wings have come close in recent seasons, but have they done enough this off-season to push them selves into a wild-card berth in 2025-26?
Let us know what you think. And remember, The Hockey News Community is a hockey forum where you can not only join the conversation but start your own.1y The Hockey News The Buffalo Sabres are a team in need of hope. With 14-straight seasons without a playoff appearance, the Sabres sit tied with the New York Jets for the longest playoff drought in North American pro sports.
While the Sabres' prolonged rebuild has been a bit of a mixed bag, one guy that many thought would grow into a star-caliber netminder for Buffalo was Quebec native Devon Levi. The now 23-year-old goalie was drafted by the Sabres in the seventh round of the 2020 draft and seemed like a steal with impressive play in the NCAA and at the 2021 World Junior Championship.
At the 2021 world juniors, Levi put up an impressive .964 save percentage and a 0.75 goals-against average in seven games, and during his 2021-22 campaign at Northeastern University, Levi looked incredible while posting an elite .952 SP and a 1.54 GAA in 32 games.
However, Levi's play at the NHL level thus far has been a tad lackluster, leading to him consistently bouncing between the NHL and AHL. This past season, Levi posted a .872 SP and a 4.12 GAA in nine games with the Sabres. Those numbers are nowhere close to the totals he had in the NCAA or at the world juniors.
With these numbers in mind, do you think Devon Levi will be able to turn things around and live up to expectations in Buffalo?
Let us know what you think. And remember, The Hockey News Community is a hockey forum where you can not only join the conversation but start your own.1y The Hockey News The Hockey News Veteran winger Max Pacioretty, who spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Montreal Canadiens, flipped the script for the 2024-25 NHL season, signing a one-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His regular season was rather uneventful as he missed all but 37 games, mostly due to injury. However, when the playoffs rolled around, the 36-year-old was arguably one of the Leafs' top performers, putting up three goals and eight points in 11 games.
While it initially appeared that Pacioretty might choose to retire from the NHL after the playoffs wrapped up, that may not be the case, as it was reported back in June that the Leafs and Pacioretty have mutual interest in teaming up for another season.
But what do you think? Will Pacioretty return to Toronto, head to another team or will he ultimately choose to retire? 1y The Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News 
