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...
4 Veteran PTO Names Leafs Fans Will Definitely Debate
The Maple Leafs have already done plenty of roster tinkering this offseason, but there is still room for another forward or two if the right veteran shows up on a professional tryout. That is where the conversation gets interesting for a team that is clearly looking for depth without losing flexibility, especially with a few recognizable names still floating around as possible camp invites.
Reilly Smith brings the kind of steady recent production clubs can talk themselves into, Evgenii Dadonov has the sort of track record that keeps him on the radar despite a rough year in New Jersey, and Michael Bunting remains an easy fit for anyone remembering how well he clicked in Toronto before. Patrik Laine is the wild card in the group, a player whose upside is obvious but whose availability and interest will shape whether this stays a debate or turns into something more concrete. [Read more 🡒]
Mats Sundin Could Change Everything For The Leafs Next Wave
Mats Sundins return to the Maple Leafs is already carrying more weight than a typical front-office hire. Brought in as a senior advisor to GM John Chayka, the franchise icon is expected to work directly with the organizations prospects while also helping shape the kind of culture Toronto has been trying to build around its next wave of players. For a team that has spent years trying to bridge the gap between promise and real contention, having someone with Sundins stature involved in player development is no small thing.
The impact is starting to show in the way he is being used with the clubs young talent, including top prospect Gavin McKenna. Sundin is offering more than a welcome-back presence from the alumni suite, and his guidance is aimed at the everyday habits that matter once a player arrives in the NHL. He is also in a position to speak from experience about the pressures that come with being a highly touted young player in Toronto, which gives this hire a layer of credibility the Leafs have rarely been able to manufacture. [Read more 🡒]
Gavin McKenna Is Training With A Former Leaf And Fans Noticed
Gavin McKennas offseason work has been easy for hockey fans to track, with the 2026 first-overall NHL draft pick posting highlights from his training with the Kavio Hockey group in British Columbia. For Maple Leafs followers, one familiar face in those clips stood out right away: a former Toronto forward who spent time with the club before moving on to the Arizona Coyotes and later Utah Mammoth.
Now with the Nashville Predators, Alex Kerfoot has become part of the same summer training environment as McKenna, which naturally caught the attention of Leafs fans still used to seeing his name in Toronto circles. The connection is a small one on paper, but it is the kind of offseason overlap that gets noticed quickly when a future top pick is working alongside a player who once wore blue and white. [Read more 🡒]