Articles for author: EdgeHockey Staff

August 18, 2025

Thatcher Demko Kevin Lankinen Vancouver Canucks

Canucks Goaltending: Confidence Between the Pipes

In the relentless arms race of the NHL, where championship windows can slam shut as quickly as they open, the Vancouver Canucks have quietly built a bastion of strength in the most critical position on the ice. While other franchises scramble for stability between the pipes, the Canucks have assembled a goaltending depth chart that is the envy of the league. Despite a significant offseason trade, a combination of elite NHL talent, reliable support, and a pipeline brimming with potential ensures that the crease in Vancouver is a source of confidence, not concern, heading into the 2025-26 season and beyond.

August 18, 2025

EdgeHockey Staff

Anaheim Ducks

The McTavish Standoff: Why the Ducks Might Trade Their Young Star

Another summer in the NHL, another contract dispute threatening to reshape a franchise. This time, the drama is unfolding in sunny Anaheim, where 22-year-old center Mason McTavish, a restricted free agent, remains unsigned. This isn’t just a simple negotiation; it’s a philosophical clash between a player who knows his worth and a general manager with a well-documented, rigid approach to second contracts. As training camps loom, the question is no longer if Mason McTavish will sign, but which jersey he’ll be wearing when he does. A Bridge Too Far: Verbeek’s Philosophy vs. McTavish’s Value At the heart of this impasse

August 18, 2025

EdgeHockey Staff

Toronto Maple Leafs

Goalie Tandem Brings Sense of Stability to the Maple Leafs Crease

Of all the questions swirling around the Toronto Maple Leafs heading into the 2025-26 season, the one with the most confident answer might just be the one between the pipes. After a franchise-altering offseason that saw the departure of team president Brendan Shanahan and the blockbuster trade of Mitch Marner, a new era of “calmness” is expected to settle over the dressing room. And nowhere is that sense of stability more apparent than in the team’s goaltending. While other areas of the roster have been reshaped, the crease remains a bastion of strength. The Leafs are returning the tandem that

August 18, 2025

EdgeHockey Staff

Montreal Canadiens

The Quiet Fortress: Why Goaltending is No Longer the Canadiens’ Biggest Question Mark

For what feels like an eternity, the conversation surrounding the Montreal Canadiens has invariably circled back to the crease. Since the twilight of Carey Price’s legendary career, the six-foot-three space between the pipes has been a source of anxiety, debate, and perpetual uncertainty. Who is the guy? Who can handle the pressure cooker of the Bell Centre? Who can steal a game, a series, a season? Also on the EDGE – 3 Cracks in the Foundation That Could Derail the Canadiens’ 2025-26 Season For years, the answer was a shrug. Today, as we look ahead to the 2025-26 NHL season,

August 18, 2025

EdgeHockey Staff

New York Rangers

Between the Pipes: Shesterkin’s Historic Gamble and the Rangers’ Narrowing Window

The ink is barely dry on the most lucrative contract ever handed to a goaltender, and already the weight of a franchise, a city, and a rapidly closing Stanley Cup window rests squarely on the shoulders of one man: Igor Shesterkin. As the New York Rangers gear up for the 2025-26 season, their entire strategy, their every hope, is anchored to the performance of their $92 million man. It’s a high-stakes gamble that could either cement a championship legacy on Broadway or become a cautionary tale of a front-loaded contract crippling a contender. With a new, demanding coach behind the

August 17, 2025

EdgeHockey Staff

New York Rangers

Boom or Bust on Broadway: Are the 2025-26 Rangers Rebuilt or Just Rearranged?

After a dream run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2023-24, the New York Rangers fell off a cliff. A nightmarish 2024-25 season, marked by a stunning second-half collapse that saw them miss the playoffs entirely, has led to a summer of soul-searching and significant change on Broadway. General Manager Chris Drury has been busy, jettisoning familiar faces, bringing in new blood, and making the single biggest splash of the offseason by hiring a new bench boss. But has it been enough? The air around Madison Square Garden is thick with uncertainty. Depending on who you talk to, the Rangers

August 17, 2025

EdgeHockey Staff

Edmonton Oilers

Oilers’ Goalie Hunt: Time for a Daring Trade?

The Edmonton Oilers, fresh off another heartbreaking Stanley Cup Final loss, are facing a familiar demon: the question mark in the crease. While Stuart Skinner showed flashes of brilliance, his inconsistency in the playoffs has once again ignited the debate in Oil Country. General Manager Stan Bowman, never one to sit on his hands, is reportedly scouring the league for a long-term solution. The initial target, the Detroit Red Wings’ top prospect Trey Augustine, was quickly declared a “non-starter,” forcing the Oilers to cast a wider net. The market is thin, but there are intriguing names bubbling just beneath the

August 17, 2025

EdgeHockey Staff

Toronto Maple Leafs

Dubas Unfiltered: Regrets, Mentors, and the Weight of the Maple Leaf

In the high-stakes world of NHL management, true candor is a rare commodity. General managers, both active and former, often speak in carefully crafted platitudes, avoiding any statement that could be misconstrued or used as bulletin board material. But every so often, the veil is lifted. Recently, Kyle Dubas, the former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and current President of Hockey Operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins, sat down for a revealing interview on the Cam and Strick podcast, offering a fascinating glimpse into his tumultuous tenure in the center of the hockey universe. For Leafs fans, it was

August 17, 2025

EdgeHockey Staff

Edmonton Oilers

The $16 Million Question: Can Connor McDavid’s Next Contract Buy a Stanley Cup?

The dust has barely settled on a heartbreaking Stanley Cup Final, and already the air in Edmonton is thick with a different kind of tension. The sting of defeat is slowly giving way to the cold, hard reality of the NHL’s business cycle. For the Oilers, that business revolves around one man: Connor McDavid. The best player on the planet is heading into the final year of his contract, and the negotiation that looms isn’t just about securing a generational talent; it’s a decision that will fundamentally define the franchise’s championship window for the foreseeable future. The central question isn’t

August 17, 2025

EdgeHockey Staff

Calgary Flames NHL News

Cold Shoulder in August: Kadri’s Olympic Omission Sparks Debate

The dog days of summer usually bring a lull in the hockey world, a chance for us to catch our breath before the ice chips start flying again. But this past August, Nazem Kadri was in the headlines after being conspicuously absent from the 42-player orientation camp roster for Canada’s men’s Olympic team heading to Milan-Cortina in 2026. Now, these orientation camp invites aren’t final roster spots etched in stone. They’re more like an initial gathering of potential contenders, a chance for Hockey Canada brass to get a closer look at the talent pool. But let’s be honest, getting the