The New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin set a high standard when he signed an eye-catching contract earlier this season – but his results afterward haven’t met it yet.

Shesterkin’s pending UFA status and impending extension were among the NHL’s top storylines early in the season. Often regarded as one of the best goalies in the league, there were reports before his extension that he looked to reset the market for top-tier backstops. 

He did just that with an eight-year deal worth $11.5-million annually that kicks in next season.

But there’s immense pressure and expectations of being a highly paid starter, where great isn’t good enough. Shesterkin will be the highest-paid goalie in 2025-26, and his play has to justify that investment. It's questionable at the moment.

He’s now amid one of his most challenging seasons since debuting with the New York Rangers in 2019. His 2.84 goals-against average and .906 save percentage are respectable but not elite, especially considering the record-setting cap hit. They're both career worsts for him.

While few will ever reach the numbers that will justify an $11.5-million cap hit, the Rangers' eventual willingness to commit to him as a franchise cornerstone sent a message. They believed in him.

It’s way too early to declare the massive investment a mistake or a success.

It should also be noted the Rangers have been abysmal defensively in front of Shesterkin. He still has 22.2 goals saved above expected, which ranks third in the NHL, according to moneypuck.com. In a season that didn't go to plan for the Rangers, Shesterkin has had to bail out his teammates, and The Hockey News' Remy Mastey wrote that Shesterkin is proving his worth.

But his drop in goals-against average and save percentage does raise the question about how consistently strong goalies like him need to play to justify eight-digit cap hits.

Can Igor Shesterkin Save The New York Rangers This Season?The New York Rangers made goaltender Igor Shesterkin the highest-paid goalie in NHL history in December, but he hasn't played like it.

His current stats echo what happened to Sergei Bobrovsky when he signed a monster contract with the Florida Panthers.

Bobrovsky left the Columbus Blue Jackets for a lucrative $10-million cap hit in Florida after already winning the Vezina Trophy twice and recording a 2.58 GAA and .913 in 2019-19. His numbers with the Panthers worsened, and he recorded a 3.23 GAA and .900 SP in the first season of his new contract. It took him multiple seasons to rediscover his elite form. While he eventually led the Panthers to a Stanley Cup in 2024, the journey to justifying his contract was a long one. 

Now, with nearly 50 career shutouts – including five this season and six last year – he’s proving his worth. But for years, there were questions about whether his deal was one of the worst in the league and how big a mistake the Panthers might have made.

While elite goaltenders can be game-changers, big-money deals come with significant risk. Shesterkin now has the pressure to prove they are worth the investment. Similar questions about Bobrovsky could surround Shesterkin if his numbers don’t rebound when the new contract begins.

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If we’re going to talk about new NHL coaches doing good things this season, we probably shouldn’t look past our newest candidate. 

Brad Shaw is a perfect 3-0-0 with the Philadelphia Flyers since taking over for John Tortorella last Thursday, so it doesn’t get any better than that.

But sample size is important. The candidates for this list of the NHL’s most effective first-year coaches all have at least 50 games with their new teams this year. 

Craig Berube hit that mark, but he missed the cut because he’ll be measured by his playoff results with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With all that in mind, here are the five NHL bench bosses who have had the most impressive impacts on their new teams this season.

Travis Green, Ottawa Senators

Hired: May 7, 2024 – Record 39-28-6 – .575 points percentage

The Ottawa Senators have become a shining example of how strong ownership can lead to team success. It took Michael Andlauer a minute to get all his ducks in a row, but the organization is now headed in a positive direction after committing to Steve Staios as GM and to Travis Green as coach.

The Sens have deployed a dangerous power play, received decent goaltending and pumped up their offense since the trade deadline, going 8-3-1 and all-but-locking-in their first playoff berth since 2017. 

The team has also brought out the best in Green: Ottawa’s .575 points percentage this season is a career high, better than his parts of five seasons coaching the Vancouver Canucks and 21 games as interim coach of the New Jersey Devils last season.

Scott Arniel, Winnipeg Jets

Hired: May 24, 2024 – Record 51-19-4 – .716 points percentage

When Rick Bowness retired last spring after guiding the Jets to their second-best season in franchise history, Scott Arniel’s main task was to avoid letting the team slide backward after being elevated from an associate role.

Instead, he took them to new heights, starting the season with an eight-game winning streak and maintaining the pace to sit in pole position for their first-ever Presidents’ Trophy. 

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is a luxury to build from, but he’s not a one-man show. Top scorers Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers are all headed toward career years, Cole Perfetti has taken the next step, and the power play is one of the most dangerous in the NHL.

For Arniel to deliver a season this dominant is a win in itself for the Jets. If he can help erase the memory of last year’s playoffs with a meaningful post-season run, all the better.

Top Five NHL Teams At Home In 2024-25: Kings, Jets And MoreBy Anthony Carbone, The Hockey News intern

Ryan Warsofsky, San Jose Sharks

Hired: June 13, 2024 – Record 20-44-9 – .336 points percentage

You may be surprised to see the coach of a last-place team on this list. But Warsofsky deserves credit for delivering some positives in a tough environment, especially as a first-time NHL bench boss. 

It’s never easy to make the transition from assistant coach into a head job. Warsofsky has swept away the memories of his two years working under David Quinn and approached his task at hand with vigor and positivity — and it doesn’t hurt that good-natured alumni and franchise legends Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are both lending a hand behind the scenes.

Even after a trade-deadline sell-off, Warsofsky has maintained buy-in from veterans like Tyler Toffoli and can build off the infectious enthusiasm of future stars Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. Add in another top lottery pick this summer, and the future is getting brighter in the Bay Area.

Dean Evason, Columbus Blue Jackets

Hired: July 22, 2024 – Record 33-30-9 – .521 points percentage

Evason hasn’t matched the .639 points percentage he put up during his 251 games coaching the Minnesota Wild. but he’s being measured by a different standard this season.

He hasn’t just moved the Blue Jackets from the Eastern Conference basement into potential playoff contention. He’s done it under the dark cloud of tragedy after Johnny Gaudreau’s passing in August.

On Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman declared that Evason would be his man if he had a Jack Adams vote. Evason started his new job by giving the players the space they all needed to grieve in their own ways, then offered a clean sheet for everyone to show what they could bring to the table.

That environment has brought the very best out of established players like Zach Werenski, allowed role players like Mathieu Olivier to thrive and helped youngsters like Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko all take steps forward. 

It’ll be tough to root against them if they can sneak into a playoff spot.

Jim Montgomery, St. Louis Blues

Hired: Nov. 24, 2024 – Record 31-16-6 – .642 points percentage

The only coach on this list who already has a Jack Adams, Montgomery is riding high now in St. Louis, barely four months after the Boston Bruins fired him.

He was the architect of Boston’s record-breaking regular season in 2022-23. Now, he’s doing special things in the Gateway City, as the Blues’ refusal to lose is starting to draw comparisons to their storybook run of 2019.

Montgomery is making GM Doug Armstrong look like a genius for acting fast and presenting an irresistible five-year contract offer just days after he became available last fall. If he can keep doing what he’s doing, he might be one of the few coaches to break through and enjoy a multi-year tenure in one market.

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It’s time for The Hockey News Big Show, where we explore some of the biggest NHL and hockey topics 

Debating Who Wins A Senators And Leafs Playoff Series - Ft. Steve Warne by The Big Showundefined

Here’s what Katie Gaus, Michael Traikos and guest co-host Steve Warne discussed in this episode:

1:07: The Ottawa Senators hold a decent lead on the Eastern wild-card standings. What has allowed this group to nearly seal a spot in the post-season? 

4:08: Are there any similarities between this year's Senators and the 2017 team that made it to the Eastern Conference final?  

7:24: We could see the Battle of Ontario in the first round if the Toronto Maple Leafs earn the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Who wins it?

10:32: Are the Montreal Canadiens running out of steam? Which team looks likeliest to get the second wild-card spot?

13:38: Leon Draisaitl is up to 51 goals this season. There are now just two active players with four or more 50-plus-goal seasons. Could Draisaitl be a better goal-scorer than Auston Matthews?

16:43: Where do we think Brad Marchand could end up next season?

19:44: Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog was seen this week working on special teams with one of the power-play units. Will he return for the playoffs? If so, what kind of impact would his comeback have on the Avalanche? 

23:50: Which team has the most pressure to win in the first round of the playoffs?

27:19: The Seattle Kraken and the Nashville Predators are the newest teams to be "officially eliminated" from the playoffs. What moves would you like each team to make this off-season? 

30:08: Only four players from the Senators’ last playoff appearance are still active in the NHL. Can you name them?

31:19: College hockey studs Jimmy Snuggerud (STL) and Ryan Leonard (WSH) are both expected to make their NHL debut Tuesday night. Who do we think will make a bigger impact as an NHL player?

32:59: The New York Rangers' bus reportedly hit San Jose rookie Macklin Celebrini's car. What is a bigger bummer: losing in a blowout to the Rangers or having your car hit?

35:01: The NCAA Hockey Frozen Four is officially set. Denver is back to defend its title and will face Western Michigan. Penn State continues its Cinderella run and will take on Boston University. Who are your picks to win it?

37:10: Gavin McKenna has nine points in just two playoff games. If he was draft-eligible this year, would he go first overall?

Watch the full episode here.   

Subscribe to The Hockey News Big Show on your preferred platform

As if the Washington Capitals aren't good enough, they're getting one of the top prospects outside of the NHL for the stretch run and the playoffs.

The No. 2 NHL prospect in The Hockey News' annual Future Watch edition signed an entry-level deal with the Capitals after his Boston College Eagles were eliminated from the NCAA playoffs Sunday night.

Leonard has the complete package - skill, size, competitiveness, toughness. He has the opportunity to make an immediate impact with a Stanley Cup contender.

Can he do what Cale Makar did in 2019? That might be a bit of stretch, considering he'll be eased into the Capitals' lineup on the bottom six, but don't be surprised if he proves very quickly that he can make a tangible contribution.

Today's video column has more.

Capitals' Leonard, Rangers' Perreault Lead The Most Promising NCAA Talents Signing NHL DealsThe flood of NCAA players signing their entry-level NHL contracts has begun. 

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The NHL and Rogers agreed to a new Canadian television broadcasting deal worth $7.7 billion, according to multiple reports.

With one season remaining on Rogers’ current rights deal, the media giant negotiated another 12-year deal with the NHL, Sportico first reported Monday. The Associated Press and Globe and Mail also reported the agreement, which hasn’t been officially announced. Rogers hasn’t commented on the reports.

Sportico reported owners would vote on the agreement this week.

NHL and Rogers agreed on the current 12-year deal in 2013 for $5.2 billion Cdn. It lasts through the 2025-26 campaign before the new deal – roughly $11 billion Cdn – kicks in for 2026-27 through 2037-38.

This deal is expected to keep most, if not all, national hockey broadcasts on Rogers’ Sportsnet network. The telecommunications company and the NHL agreed on a two-year deal with Prime Video to broadcast a game online every Monday, but that expires with Rogers’ current rights deal.

Rogers has a large imprint on sports in Canada. In September, it announced it’s acquiring Bell Media’s 37.5-percent stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, MLS’ Toronto FC and CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.

The company has also owned the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays since 2004.

The Graeme Roustan Show: Edward Rogers And Tony StaffieriEdward Rogers, the executive chairman of Rogers Communications, and Tony Staffieri, the president-CEO of Rogers Communications, discuss their backgrounds in hockey, why the Rogers company wanted to invest in the Maple Leafs and when a Stanley Cup is coming to Toronto.

As for NHL coverage in the U.S., ESPN and TNT hold the media rights through the 2027-28 season after reaching an agreement in 2021. That deal is worth a reported $4.5 billion.

According to the NHL, the 2024 calendar year was the best the league has seen in terms of revenue and business. This season, the NHL said it’s projected to surpass $6.6 billion in revenues.

After stagnated salary caps due to COVID-19, the NHL and NHLPA announced earlier in the season that there will be a $7.5-million increase from the current $88-million cap in 2025-26. In three years, the league projected a $113.5-million salary cap upper limit, $25.5 million more than the current cap.

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Welcome back to Screen Shots, a regular THN.com feature in which your humble correspondent breaks down a few hockey topics and analyzes them in a handful of brief paragraphs.

On to it, we go:

Relatively quietly, Vegas Golden Knights star center Jack Eichel has been having a career season and demolishing his previous bests on offense. 

The 28-year-old center has 66 assists – 12 more helpers than his previous career high – and 93 points, 11 points more than his previous career high, set in 2018-19. 

In his last 15 games, Eichel has 16 assists and 24 points, putting up at least a point in 14 of those outings.

Eichel is far and away Vegas’ top point-producer, with 27 more points than Golden Knights captain Mark Stone in second place. But this isn’t the first time Eichel has had to do all the heavy lifting for his team. For example, when Eichel posted 82 points for the Buffalo Sabres in 2018-19, he had 17 more points than second-place Sam Reinhart. 

The difference for Eichel between ‘18-19 and now is that, in Vegas, Eichel has a far better supporting cast – and he’s playing for an organization that has shown it knows how to win. Now, Eichel is thriving and has a chance to win the second Stanley Cup of his career.

Who’s Surging In The NHL Since The 4 Nations Face-Off?There’s always a risk of peaking too early. But if all goes well, NHL players and teams hope that the positive momentum that’s built down the home stretch of the regular season will carry into playoffs and boost them when it matters most.

The Anaheim Ducks aren’t going to make the playoffs this season, but since Jan. 21, they’ve gone 14-11-2 – something to build on when they begin next season. 

In the relatively weak Pacific Division, the Ducks have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18 – and given that Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek will have about $39.56 million in salary cap space this summer, you have to think the Ducks will be a major player in free agency and trades.

Anaheim’s biggest area of need is on offense, as they’re currently 26th overall in goals-for per game, with 2.71. Their defense isn’t great, either, as they’re 21st overall with 3.12 goals against per game. But bringing in veterans who can produce points is an easier fix than landing defensive specialists, so that’s the direction we expect the Ducks to take next year.

Regardless, it’s clear Anaheim is taking steps forward. They won’t be a legitimate Cup front-runner for a while longer, but for Ducks fans who’ve watched their team stumble time and again for the past seven seasons, seeing Anaheim produce positive results is a very welcome harbinger of what’s ahead for them.

Finally, on Canada's East Coast, two separate incidents of fighting at hockey games have triggered league investigations.

The incidents – one of which came in a senior league in Miramichi, N.B., while the other came in a U-18 tournament game in North Rustico, P.E.I. – saw fights breaking out on the ice. In the senior league game, the fights continued in the hallway, and fans of opposing squads fought in the stands as well. 

In both cases, the response from the leagues is another indication of the increasing lack of tolerance there is for this over-the-top behavior.

“The worst thing about it is it was a great hockey series, and everybody’s focused on a fight that took place at the end of the game and the fights in the crowd,” Doug White, co-owner of the Miramichi Northmen in the New Brunswick-based Beausejour Senior Hockey League, told CTV News. “It kind of took away (from the game) a bit.”

Hockey P.E.I. called the U-18 melee a “disgraceful representation of our game and completely contrary to the values of good sportsmanship, respect, and safety that Hockey PEI upholds at every level of play” in a statement.

Although there will always be a segment of players and fans who respond with glee over fights, the reality is that hyper-aggressive, violent behavior at hockey games is less acceptable as the years go by. The optics of players and fans gone wild are not ideal – to the contrary, they’re seen more and more as a stain on the image of the sport. 

Fans and players should always feel safe on the ice and in the stands, and this is why these types of incidents should be fewer and farther between. There’s no rationalizing it or promoting it anymore, and when punishments are handed out by the respective governing bodies for these events, no one should be surprised.

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Despite flirting with a Stanley Cup playoff spot, the New York Islanders look more like pretenders right now. 

The Islanders lost seven of their last 10 games, and they’re currently on a five-game winless skid that included a 5-3 defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday and 6-4 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.

They now sit three points out of a playoff spot and are behind four other teams in the battle for the second wild-card place. It’s looking like another wishy-washy campaign for GM Lou Lamoriello’s Islanders, and there are very real questions about the direction of this team and past decisions.

This is to take nothing away from Lamoriello, a deserving Hockey Hall of Famer who doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. And in fairness, Lamoriello got a 2026 first-round draft pick and top prospect center Calum Ritchie in the trade that sent veteran pivot Brock Nelson to Colorado at the trade deadline. The Islanders’ future isn’t all bad news.

That said, the Islanders currently being on the outside of the playoff picture makes some contracts look pretty questionable.

Let’s start with the contract handed out to left winger Pierre Engvall – a $3-million cap hit that runs for another five years and has a 16-team no-trade list. Engvall was already placed on waivers this season, with no takers for him. 

Engvall has eight goals and 13 points in 53 games. Five of those points came in the past eight games, but more often than not, the team looks like it could have benefited more from using that cap hit elsewhere. The team was under no pressure to lock up a depth player in Engvall for so many years with protection, but that mistake can’t be undone.

Defenseman Scott Mayfield has five years left on his contract with a $3.5-million cap hit, and his playing time has dropped. His plus-13 rating leads the team, which is admirable for a defensive defenseman, but he’s averaging 16:50 of ice time, the lowest since 2016-17, and he’s been a healthy scratch. 

The 32-year-old still has a full no-trade clause through 2026-26 and a 16-team no-trade list afterward – a lot of protection for someone the team no longer thinks is a lock in the lineup. You could get a young player to play those minutes for far less money than what Mayfield is getting.

Center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, meanwhile, has another season left at a $5-million cap hit. He has 12 goals and 37 points in 70 games this year, which comes after 33 points in 82 games last year and 40 points in 70 games in 2022-23. He’s good in his role, but whether that’s a $5-million role is the question – we don’t think it is.

Cap space being used this way contributes to mushy-middle results – not good enough for the team to go on a long playoff run and not bad enough to land a top draft pick, which the Isles have needed for quite some time.

NHL Sour Rankings: 2025 Mock Draft For The Bottom 10 TeamsThe NHL’s playoff picture is coming into focus, which means the bottom-end teams are solidifying their spots in the draft lottery – and the NHL sour rankings. 

Most prospect experts see the Islanders’ talent pipeline ranked near the bottom of the NHL, and they have the sixth-oldest roster in the NHL, according to eliteprospects.com. That makes it even tougher for the team to do damage in the foreseeable future.

The Islanders have all their draft picks in 2025 and two first-rounders in 2026. That will help further down the line, but right now, they don’t have many youngsters who can slot into the lineup – Ritchie is their only prospect projected to make the NHL in the next two seasons, according to The Hockey News’ Future Watch issue.

This summer will be crucial as the Islanders have seven RFAs and five UFAs to deal with. What management does this off-season could be a game-changer – one way or another – for their short- and long-term future. The last thing they need is more long-term contracts with trade protection for players that ensure the team remains in the mushy middle.

The short-term pain of choosing a direction and prioritizing a replenished prospect pool is worth it if it means acquiring elite players at the top of the draft and setting themselves up to have a terrific core for a decade or longer. Right now, this team isn’t threatening in the playoffs, the regular season or in a draft lottery.

From this writer’s perspective, it will be tough sledding for them for a long time. Lamoriello’s been running the Islanders for seven seasons now, and the team currently has its lowest points percentage since seven seasons ago. There’s legitimate cause for frustration with having next to nothing to show for this group after making the playoff semifinals in 2020 and 2021.

What matters most is whether this tough sledding results in a refreshed core a few years down the line or a similar-looking squad. If it’s not the former, it’s just more pretending.

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There are lots of rapid-fire NHL and hockey topics to discuss on The Hockey News Wraparound Show.

Has Oilers' Leon Draisaitl Ended The NHL's Hart Trophy Race? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan and Michael Augello discussed in this episode:

0:00: Has Leon Draisaitl ended the Hart Trophy race?

4:04: Which of the Chicago Blackhawks’ latest signings has a better chance of staying with the team next season?

7:21: Can Jimmy Snuggerud be an impactful player for the St. Louis Blues this season and potentially in the playoffs?

10:09: Should Jack Eichel be getting more consideration for NHL awards?

12:38: Could Nikita Kucherov go down as the best Russian-born player of all-time?

15:14: Breaking down the players and teams to look out for during the CHL playoffs

18:38: Is Ryan McDonagh one of the most underappreciated defensemen of his era?

23:13: What will Mason McTavish earn on his next contract?

25:28: Will John Tavares be the Toronto Maple Leafs’ X-factor in the playoffs?

28:21: Which playoff team will be most affected by its current injuries?

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

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The flood of NCAA players signing their entry-level NHL contracts has begun. 

The Frozen Four begins on April 10, so we should see a couple more players signing after then, but a handful of prospects are jumping from the NCAA to the NHL right now after being eliminated.

Some of the most promising and exciting prospects in hockey have come through the NCAA pipeline in recent years. This year’s crop of signees will be effective on teams that are either securely in the playoffs, pushing for a wild-card spot or sitting near the bottom of the league and looking forward to the future.

Let’s look at some of the most promising entry-level signings from the NCAA in recent days.

Ryan Leonard, LW, Washington Capitals

The bull in a china shop that is Ryan Leonard has been one of the most physically dominant players in the NCAA over the past couple of years.

His speed, strength, and legitimate skill make him a player who can play up and down the lineup at the NHL level. He was the engine of Boston College's top line alongside 2025 top NHL draft prospect James Hagens and Gabe Perreault, who's expected to sign with the New York Rangers.

Leonard should slot into the Capitals' middle six forwards and provide some energy and scoring punch down the lineup for their playoff run. Even if his offensive game takes a minute to get going, his speed and tenacity should make him a valuable part of the lineup.

Gabe Perreault, RW, New York Rangers

The Rangers announced they officially signed Perreault at 5 p.m. ET on Monday.

Perreault is one of the premier play connectors who came through the NHL draft in recent years. He’ll be playing with new linemates for the first time in three years – he won’t have either Leonard or Will Smith alongside him as he did going back to his days in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

Perreault isn’t the fastest, most skilled or strongest player, but his value comes from his intellect and cerebral playmaking ability.

Perreault is highly effective as an off-puck attacker who can make a quick pass or get himself into a scoring area with ease. Whether he makes a one-touch pass or waits the extra half-second to allow a lane to develop on a zone entry, Perreault is such a smart player who allows his teammates to play to their strengths.

Top 25 NHL Prospects In Future Watch 2025Some players make the NHL as teenagers, but many prospects take three, four or even five years to break through.

Oliver Moore, C/W, Chicago Blackhawks

Already getting into one NHL game with Chicago, Moore is a speed demon who plays hard at both ends of the ice. 

He’s consistently played a steady middle-six game whenever he’s been asked, but he’s skilled enough offensively to drive results when asked to play up the lineup. Moore is a fantastic fit for this Blackhawks team, which is looking for some added team speed. 

The rest of the Hawks’ season means little in the standings, but Moore could make a strong case for a roster spot next year with a good run of play. 

His versatility could see him stick on the wing for now, but Moore’s two-way game and pace make him more of a fit at center. Either way, Moore should be a fixture in the middle six for Chicago for years. 

Matthew Wood, C/W, Nashville Predators

Although Wood didn’t become a dominant player during his two-year college run, he joins the Predators as they play out the stretch of a lost season. 

Wood is a big-bodied forward who is an excellent off-puck finisher. He’s grown as a playmaker in the NCAA. His last month of the season with the University of Minnesota was as good as he’s been in college, and it should give him confidence heading into the NHL.

While he shouldn’t be expected to hit the ground running, especially on a Preds team where nothing has gone right this year, Wood should be a nice addition that provides a glimpse into the future. The 6-foot-4 Albertan could play down the lineup as a center or a left winger. 

Wood has the skill and shooting talent to score some goals. He just needs someone to help him get the puck in good positions. 

Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, St. Louis Blues

After setting career highs in goals and points in the NCAA, Snuggerud joins the Blues in the thick of a playoff race. 

He doesn’t necessarily drive play, but he is an excellent Robin to someone’s Batman. He plays with speed and energy, finds open space in the offensive zone and helps make life easier on his linemates by doing a little bit of everything. 

Snuggerud is slated to line up on the third line for the Blues, which could give them the depth scoring they need to pull away in the playoff race. 

Snuggerud has always found a way to elevate his game as the stakes get higher, whether it's the World Junior Championship or the NCAA tournament.

Sam Rinzel, D, Chicago Blackhawks

Like Moore, Rinzel got into his first NHL game already, and he looked quite solid. He has size, skating ability and some skill, which immediately makes him one of the Hawks' more intriguing blueliners. 

Rinzel has the kind of reach and mobility that it takes to play a solid defensive game and the passing and skill to play well enough in the offensive end. 

Rinzel will make some mistakes, but the experience he gains in this season's final days could spur him on to being a regular in the lineup in the fall. His raw tools have always been incredibly intriguing, and his development in college has been encouraging. Getting a glimpse of pro hockey will be integral as he heads into a summer training to be a full-time pro. 

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It’s been 70 years since Stan Fischler got his first paying job covering the NHL – and he’s still at it on his 93rd birthday.

‘The Maven,’ who turns 93 on March 31, got started writing about the New York Rangers in 1954-55. He began writing for The Hockey News not long after when co-founder Ken McKenzie reached out to him.

Since then, his career has earned him a place in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame, as well as the NHL’s Lester Patrick Trophy in 2007 for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. He also won seven Emmy Awards during his television broadcasting career of more than 40 years, covering the Hartford Whalers, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.

The Islanders, in particular, named its press level at new UBS Arena after Fischler in October 2022, featuring a collection of his articles, equipment and photographs. Fischler has also gifted the Islanders his hockey library, featuring more than 90 books.

“Perhaps the most astonishing – at least to me – aspect of this personal saga is that I've never tired of talking or writing hockey,” Fischler wrote in his birthday column on The Hockey News’ Rangers site on Monday.

Fischler continues to cover the Rangers for The Hockey News, often writing multiple articles daily.

“This man is a phenomenon, plain and simple,” longtime New York Mets radio play-by-play commentator Howie Rose wrote on X. “However controversial and acerbic he might have been during his career (might have?) his love for hockey always shone through. Proud to call him a longtime friend who is worthy of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Elmer Ferguson award.”

Fischler thanked everyone for their birthday wishes as well.

“A million thanks to all for the happy birthday wishes,” he posted to X. “It’s on to 94, but gotta enjoy 93 for a dozen months.”

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