The summer noise around the Canadiens, Oilers and Maple Leafs all points to the same place: each team has a promising piece in net or around the roster, and now the real question is what happens next.
For Montreal, Lane Hutson’s rise has already forced a rethink. Chris Pronger’s earlier “water bug” label came with a clear point: Hutson was fast, lively and constantly in motion, but not always moving with purpose.
That view didn’t hold up once the playoffs arrived. Hutson delivered 16 points in 19 games and became a major offensive driver as Montreal pushed deep into the spring.
The Canadiens have now backed that version of him with an eight-year, $70.8 million deal, a clear bet that the playoff version is the one they’re building around. The only question left is whether he can keep that level going.
Edmonton’s offseason buzz came from a different kind of gathering. Lauren McDavid hosted a summer dinner for a group of Oilers players and their partners, and the guest list included Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, Isaac Howard, Matt Savoie, Colton Dach, Jason Dickinson and Ryan Shea.
The photos quickly turned into a fan exercise in reading the tea leaves. The McDavid-Draisaitl-Bouchard core is no surprise, and Shea being part of the mix suggests he’s already around the team comfortably.
Howard and Dach are the names that stand out most. Howard looks like someone who could be in line for a bigger role next season, while Dach fits the kind of bottom-six energy player Edmonton values.
Still, not every absence means anything. Sometimes it’s just travel, timing or family logistics.
Then there’s Toronto, where Artur Akhtyamov’s Calder Cup run has created a different sort of excitement. His performance made people immediately wonder if he could be the next big Leafs goalie, but that only opens the door to the harder question: what comes after the breakout?
For a team trying to win now, the challenge is giving a young goalie the right kind of runway without putting too much on his shoulders. The ideal path would include dependable starts, mentorship and carefully managed stretches so he can keep developing without the pressure of carrying everything every night.
In Other News...
Oilers May Be Forced To Trust Unexpected Prospects This Season
The Oilers have not exactly made a habit of getting meaningful rookie help from their recent young players, with Ryan McLeod and Matt Savoie standing out as the rare exceptions. Thats part of what makes this coming season interesting in Edmonton, where the path to NHL ice could open for prospects who were not necessarily penciled in as immediate contributors when camp opened.
Positional need and injuries can change a depth chart fast, and that is where some of the organizations less established young players enter the picture. One right-shot defenseman is in the mix because the Oilers are not exactly overflowing with options on that side, while a right-handed center with size and skill could also get a look if the lineup needs a different kind of forward. Neither has proven much at the NHL level yet, but the circumstances around them may end up forcing Edmonton to trust upside sooner than planned. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Suddenly Have A Real Shot At The Winger Fans Want
The trade market around the NHL has started to feel a lot less theoretical, with big names moving and more asking for changes of scenery. For the Oilers, that matters because they have both the cap space and the kind of future assets that can get a serious conversation started if they decide to chase help on the wing. Edmonton has draft capital to work with over the next few years, along with young pieces such as Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard, which gives the front office more flexibility than it has had in past summers.
What makes this especially interesting is the fit. The Oilers have been searching for a winger who can strengthen the top six without forcing them into a cap crunch, and the current market is finally offering a path that looks realistic. With a restricted free agent situation and team control in the mix, Edmonton can at least explore whether the price is manageable, even if the eventual asking cost still has to line up with what the Oilers are willing to move. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Suddenly Face A Tarasenko Decision Fans Will Debate
Vladimir Tarasenko is still sitting in free agency, and that alone has turned him into one of the more interesting names left on the board for teams still looking to add scoring. After a respectable recent season, his market appears to have cooled enough that a player once carrying a much larger cap hit is now being discussed in a far more modest range, which naturally puts clubs like Edmonton into the conversation.
For the Oilers, the appeal is obvious enough: a veteran winger who could slide into a useful spot in the lineup and give the offense another layer without demanding the kind of commitment that would reshape the roster. The question is whether Edmonton wants to make room for a player with some perceived baggage and whether the fit is worth the debate that would follow, especially if the contract comes in at the kind of bargain level that makes the decision even harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]