The Canadiens have reason to feel good about their young core, but one ranking has rubbed plenty of fans the wrong way. Lane Hutson came in 11th among under-23 players, and he was placed in the “top-of-the-lineup” tier instead of being slotted with future stars. That’s the kind of placement that tends to spark instant pushback in Montreal, especially with Hutson coming off a season where he was one of the NHL’s best offensive defensemen and finished with a plus-36 rating.
What makes the reaction even louder is that the Canadiens had three players in the top 11. On paper, that sounds like a win. In practice, a lot of fans still believe Hutson should be ranked ahead of both Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov.
In Toronto, the Morgan Rielly situation is less about rankings and more about whether the veteran can quiet the doubts that have built up around him. Rielly said he’s heading into the season feeling nervous, excited, and motivated, and he also made it clear that Toronto remains home. After months of trade rumours, that part of the story seems settled for now.
The bigger question is what comes next. The Leafs still need Rielly to shoulder big minutes, but there’s skepticism about whether he can match his contract.
Rielly said he had a strong offseason and is ready to prove people wrong. If the season goes sideways, the trade talk could always return by the deadline.
Edmonton’s front office, meanwhile, still has work to do to win over its own fan base. Oilers management took a hit in the eyes of many supporters, with the ranking dropping from 21st to 27th despite a better offseason. The scars from previous mistakes are still there, including losing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, trading for Tristan Jarry, and handing Trent Frederic a big extension.
There are at least a few reasons for optimism. Fans are beginning to feel better about new coach Mike Babcock, and Stan Bowman did help improve the goalies, the blue line, and the salary-cap situation.
But Edmonton’s brass still hasn’t fully earned trust, and after last season’s early playoff exit, the pressure is simple: win. A deep playoff run, or even a Stanley Cup, would do a lot to change the conversation.
In Other News...
Oilers Front Office Still Has One Trust Problem Fans Havent Dropped
Even after a summer that brought some cautious optimism around Mike Babcock and a few moves aimed at tightening things up, Oilers fans still do not seem ready to hand the front office a clean slate. The latest read from The Athletic points to a base that remains wary of management, with concerns about the blue line and depth scoring still hanging over the conversation as Edmonton tries to convince people it is headed in the right direction.
Stan Bowmans group now has the usual burden of any hockey operation trying to reshape public perception: winning has to do the talking. The noise around the front office has not gone away, and until the Oilers show real on-ice progress, that trust problem figures to stay part of the backdrop in Edmonton. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Front Office Doubts Are Growing Around Connor McDavid's Window
The Oilers spent the offseason making major changes behind the bench, part of a broader effort to reset after a season that left plenty of questions about where the roster is headed. Firing Kris Knoblauch and bringing in Mike Babcock were the most visible moves, but they also fed a larger conversation around how Edmonton is managing the window around Connor McDavid and whether the organization is steering with urgency or just reacting to the latest setback.
That backdrop helps explain why the front-office conversation has turned so sharp. In a recent Athletic fan-based ranking, Edmonton slid further down the list as doubts continued to build around the way the team is being run, and the reaction has had less to do with one single move than with a growing feeling that the plan has been hard to pin down. For a franchise trying to keep pace with its superstar's timeline, that kind of skepticism is starting to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers May Be Eyeing A Veteran Move That Reshapes The Bottom Six
The Oilers search for a little more certainty in the bottom six may be turning toward a familiar kind of veteran fix. Edmonton has been linked to a possible addition who could help stabilize the fourth line, bring some reliability at the dot, and give the coaching staff another trusted option when the game tightens up in the defensive zone.
A move like that would not just be about one player, either. It could ripple through the rest of the roster, forcing the Oilers to make a choice on younger depth pieces while they sort out how they want their checking lines to look heading into the next stretch of the season. More Oilers talk is expected soon on Sports 1440 and YouTube, where this kind of roster wrinkle should get plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]