Nate Duffett Articles - Page 4

Every team’s dreams of signing Jack Eichel in next summer’s free agency are now over as the forward signed a contract extension to stay with the Vegas Golden Knights. The recent contract extension for Connor McDavid began a domino effect of deals, as Kyle Connor and Eichel also avoided free agency by signing early. Eichel’s […]

Sergei Bobrovsky is already well on his way to becoming an NHL Hall of Famer, regardless of any more NHL records he sets with the Florida Panthers. The Russian netminder has already led his team to back-to-back Stanley Cups and has won two Vezina Trophies. There is also an argument that he should’ve won at […]

It would be the thrill of a lifetime for a rookie to play on the Pittsburgh Penguins alongside legends Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. For Penguins’ head coach Dan Muse, getting the opportunity to start the game with two of his rookies, Ben Kindel and Harrison Brunicke, alongside the 20-year legends was too […]

It wasn’t all bad news for Jeff Blashill in his first game behind the bench for the Chicago Blackhawks in their season opener against the Florida Panthers. Some parts of the game looked good, notably the emergence of Frank Nazar as a play-driver and a visibly faster Connor Bedard, along with some stellar play from […]

The Edmonton Oilers’  nightmare is over: Connor McDavid is signing a contract extension to remain with the club. While it looked like McDavid could start the regular season without a contract extension, talks began to move quickly on Monday, according to Elliotte Friedman, and the captain will be staying with the team past the 2025-26 […]

The Minnesota Wild continue to solidify their roster after already giving Kirill Kaprizov the richest contract in the league earlier this week. The Wild also agreed to a contract extension with starting goaltender Filip Gustavsson on Saturday morning, via Michael Russo. Gustavsson will receive $6.8 million annually over five years, with the deal commencing in […]

Don’t fret, New Jersey Devils fans, Luke Hughes will be with the team to start the regular season after finally agreeing to a long-term contract extension. Hughes and the Devils agreed to a seven-year, $63 million deal, six days before the NHL’s opening night. While the team hasn’t confirmed, it likely gives Hughes enough time […]

The one thing the Edmonton Oilers were missing over their last two Stanley Cup Finals losses was a capable goalie, and the Utah Mammoth might’ve just done them a massive favor. With Stuart Skinner failing to impress in the preseason, the Oilers acquired Connor Ingram in a trade with the Mammoth for future considerations on […]

It’s better late than never, as the New Jersey Devils and Luke Hughes finally agreed to a contract extension on Wednesday morning. The team announced the deal, which will span seven years and total $63 million, averaging out to $9 million annually. It is $1 million more annually than his brother Jack makes with the […]

As one good thing happened for Minnesota Wild fans, the hockey gods hit them with a discouraging update about veteran winger Mats Zuccarello. It’s hard to get down from the high of signing franchise superstar Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year contract extension, but losing Zuccarello for 7-8 weeks with a lower-body injury is one way […]

College hockey isn’t the worst place to embark on a new career, as the sport has never been bigger. Max Pacioretty had some offers to continue playing in the NHL, but instead chose to retire to take a job as the special assistant to the head coach of the University of Michigan hockey team. Michigan’s […]

Minnesota Wild fans can stop sweating since Kirill Kaprizov finally signed his record-breaking contract extension. It looked like the franchise’s cornerstone was going to leave town at season’s end after Kaprizov rejected a record-breaking deal earlier in the preseason. However, Bill Guerin was finally able to get him to sign on the dotted line for […]

The Winnipeg Jets will be without a key piece of their defense in front of Connor Hellebuyck after an unfortunate injury in the preseason. Head coach Scott Arniel announced that Dylan Samberg will miss 6-8 weeks after a hit in the Jets’ recent preseason game broke his wrist, via Elliotte Friedman. Samberg is the latest […]

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s chances in the 2025-26 season directly correlate with the injury status of starting goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Lightning are a scary group when the “Big Cat” is the last line of defense. However, his absence from training camp has been a frightening thought for Tampa Bay fans. Jon Cooper confirmed that […]

What are the Toronto Blue Jays’ chances of actually winning the World Series after being the first American League team to clinch a spot in the postseason? The Blue Jays have been the most surprising team in the majors this season, but things haven’t been looking as positive over the past two weeks. The concerns […]

It was a return that no one saw coming. After missing three of the past five seasons due to complications from long COVID, Jonathan Toews signed with his hometown Winnipeg Jets to embark on a return story that everyone is rooting for. Toews dressed for the first time since 2023 in the Jets’ preseason game […]

The St. Louis Blues didn’t have many spots up for grabs at the start of 2025 training camp. That was good news for head coach Jim Montgomery, as it meant the culture he was building last season would have most of the same players returning. Montgomery led the Blues on a miraculous run to the […]

No one is expecting the San Jose Sharks to contend for a Stanley Cup this season. The organization has been accumulating prospects and draft capital, and it’s only a matter of time before some of those assets start bringing the Sharks back to relevance. The question for the Sharks as they entered this 2025 training […]

No one is teetering on the brink of contention more than the Calgary Flames heading into the 2025-26 NHL season. With long-term deals signed for some of their brightest young players, like Dustin Wolf, and a solid group of veterans leading the way, Calgary should be nearing the chance to contend for a playoff spot. […]

The Chicago Blackhawks have an intriguing training camp battle in 2025, but it might not be for the same reason as other teams. While the contending teams are the ones whose battles depend on which players get their team closer to a Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks know they are still a few years away. However, […]

It’s hard for a list of the greatest Boston Bruins players to have many from the modern era considering they just celebrated 100 years. However, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand’s run through the 2010s earned them a spot on this list. The Bruins have an extensive history, as shown this past season with […]

The Hughes brothers have been at the forefront of the NHL media cycle, with training camps set to begin this week. With Quinn Hughes’ struggles last season, some wonder whether the New Jersey Devils would ever consider uniting him with his brothers, Jack and Luke. However, before that happens down the road, the Devils need […]

It isn’t the first time that Jack Eichel’s contract extension talks will be front and center, which is why he and the Vegas Golden Knights shouldn’t worry about it getting done. After everything Eichel has been through with the organization, the only question now, according to Pierre Lebrun via The Athletic, is how much the […]

There are specific jobs in the National Hockey League that players covet. These opportunities can be the golden ticket for a player’s future, which is why everyone in the Colorado Avalanche’s 2025 training camp will be itching for the chance to be Nathan MacKinnon’s linemate. Those particular jobs aren’t plentiful in the league, with the […]

Kyle Davidson took care of some business early for the Chicago Blackhawks when he re-signed Spencer Knight to a three-year contract extension on Saturday morning. The pact will carry an annual cap hit of $5.83 million. It’s the second significant extension for the Blackhawks this summer, as they also locked in Frank Nazar earlier in […]

No team may have ever been under as much pressure as the Edmonton Oilers are right now. They have a short amount of time to prove to Connor McDavid that the best choice for his future is with their organization. If they aren’t able to do that, then McDavid could be out the door when […]

The “Core Four” jokes ended this offseason when Mitch Marner took his talents to the Vegas Golden Knights. Only Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares remain to get the Toronto Maple Leafs over the hump. The question people could ask is how they’ll do it without their regular season points leader from last season. […]

It could be a challenging year for Pittsburgh Penguins fans. Rumors are running rampant that Sidney Crosby might eventually leave the team, and Evgeni Malkin could also be in his final year. The Penguins’ 2025-26 training camp will reveal a lot about where this team is heading, if it isn’t already clear enough. The Penguins, […]

Rick Tocchet will have no small task in bringing the Philadelphia Flyers back from the depths of John Tortorella’s disaster. Things went south quickly for Torts last season, which led to him and the organization mutually parting ways. The Flyers delved into their history to hire one of their former players, Tocchet, who hopes to […]

Kirill Kaprizov could’ve been the highest-paid NHL player if he had accepted the Minnesota Wild’s rumored contract offer. However, the Russian superstar had no interest at this time in committing long-term to the organization. “Sources say #mnwild superstar Kirill Kaprizov’s camp turned down an extension offer,” Frank Seravalli reported on social media. “Believed to be […]

Connor Bedard doesn’t seem too concerned about his contract extension talks with the Chicago Blackhawks. It shouldn’t be surprising that the stoic budding superstar is taking a calm approach to the talks. The media surrounding the Blackhawks will make it seem like the lack of an extension is a concern. However, Connor Bedard knows that […]

The Montreal Canadiens jumped way ahead of schedule in 2024-25 when they surprisingly made the playoffs. It was a season full of highs and lows, but they caught fire and snuck into the last spot in the East. It was a quick exit at the hands of the Washington Capitals, but the experience their young […]

It’s hard to imagine Sidney Crosby in anything other than a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey, but it doesn’t stop people from imagining possible trade scenarios. Crosby has always disregarded it when his name came up in rumors, but it’s hard to block out the noise with the Penguins heading for a rebuild. The legend discussed the […]

The San Jose Sharks are still a couple of years away from competing for the Stanley Cup. They have one of the most exciting young rosters in the league, complete with budding superstars like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, stud prospect defensemen like Sam Dickinson, and a solid goaltender in Yaroslav Askarov. The future is […]

Dustin Wolf answered all questions about his future as the Calgary Flames’ goaltender last season by starring in his rookie year, and the team rewarded that success by signing him to a long-term contract extension on Tuesday morning. Calgary agreed to a seven-year, $52.5 million extension with Wolf, solidifying him as their starting goaltender for […]

No one is wishing for Connor McDavid to leave the Edmonton Oilers more than the Los Angeles Kings. It has been four consecutive years that the world’s best player has beaten the Kings in the first round, and the team is slowly running out of answers. As their core gets older, the mountain has never […]

General Manager Craig Conroy and the Calgary Flames took care of an essential piece of business on Friday afternoon. The Flames confirmed rumors from Thursday, signing forward Connor Zary to a three-year contract. Zary was still a restricted free agent for the Flames heading into training camp. Calgary is low on scoring talent up front, […]

It’d be a safe prediction to make that the Edmonton Oilers will be competitive again this season. The Pacific Division hasn’t shown significant improvement over the past three years. However, Stan Bowman hasn’t done much to improve his team either, and some off-ice storylines around captain Connor McDavid might steal the headlines. The Oilers lost […]

The NHL and the Players Association quietly agreed to a new deal during last year’s playoffs, easing concerns among those worried about a labor stoppage. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh have a good relationship, which helped move the deal along. The two sides even agreed to accelerate some of the […]