Tristin McKinstry Articles - Page 35

The New Jersey Devils have a new head coach heading into the 2024-25 season. Sheldon Keefe left the Toronto Maple Leafs after failing to take them on a deep playoff run. However, he oversaw the ascension of stars such as Auston Matthews and William Nylander. The Devils are hoping Keefe can have a similar effect […]

The Pittsburgh Penguins failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. Pittsburgh made massive NHL Free Agency moves this time last summer to be more competitive. However, things didn’t work out, and the Penguins were sellers at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. The Penguins traded Jake Guentzel among other moves at the deadline. This […]

The Toronto Maple Leafs fell short of the Stanley Cup once again in 2024. Their loss to the Boston Bruins marked another season in which Toronto failed to make a deep playoff run. This summer, the Maple Leafs hired a new head coach to try and change the culture. However, they have made another massive […]

The Colorado Avalanche fell short of the Stanley Cup in 2024. Colorado is only two years removed from winning the Stanley Cup over the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, it feels as if the Avalanche are struggling to keep themselves in the conversation as legitimate contenders for the Cup. The Avalanche have some of the best […]

The Pittsburgh Penguins are keeping Sidney Crosby contract talks close to the vest. Crosby became eligible for a new contract back on July 1, and the two sides reportedly came close to a new contract. However, the negotiation process between Pittsburgh and Crosby is starting to have effects on the roster. One player affected by […]

The Buffalo Sabres have a lot of young talent that has already made an impact at the NHL level. The Sabres missed the playoffs once again in 2023-24 despite a lot of hype around them in the preseason. With Lindy Ruff back in town as head coach, Buffalo hopes the veteran bench boss can get […]

The Washington Capitals struggled to score goals in 2023-24, but it didn’t matter. The Capitals still made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024, an achievement of historic proportions, though that history is dubious in nature. Washington had the lowest goal differential of any playoff team since 1991. The Capitals did eventually receive a good performance […]

The Detroit Lions are preparing to make a run at the Super Bowl in 2024. Training camp began earlier this month, and the Lions played their first preseason game on Thursday. On Sunday, though, Jared Goff and the Lions received a visit from the Detroit Red Wings and captain Dylan Larkin. Larkin spoke about NHL […]

Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings came within a hair’s breadth of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. This summer has seen Detroit attempt to fortify their roster for another run at the postseason. The Red Wings extended Patrick Kane before NHL Free Agency while also signing veteran winger Vladimir Tarasenko to a […]

The Dallas Stars are hungry for success heading into the 2024-25 season. They came within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year. And they have the talent to finally take that next step. One important piece for their success, Thomas Harley, remains unsigned heading into training camp. However, Stars general […]

The Ottawa Senators fell short of expectations during the 2023-24 season. They were out of the playoff race by the time the NHL Trade Deadline rolled around. And they even did a bit of selling as the Senators traded Vladimir Tarasenko to the Florida Panthers. Tarasenko went on to win the second Stanley Cup of […]

The San Jose Sharks drafted Macklin Celebrini with the first overall pick in late June. Accordingly, San Jose is now hoping to start improving on the ice. On the one hand, it won’t take much to achieve that aim. The Sharks finished dead last in the NHL in 2023-24 with just 47 points. However, San […]

The Nashville Predators certainly believe they can contend for a Stanley Cup sometime soon. The Predators had a huge NHL Free Agency Period that saw them sign the three best names on the market. Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei are all wearing Nashville sweaters for the foreseeable future. The Predators certainly have roster […]

The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup for the very first time back in June. Florida’s loss in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final fueled them toward redemption on hockey’s biggest stage. However, Florida will soon face the toughest task in all of sports: defending their championship crown. In the NHL, successfully defending a Stanley Cup […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers have dealt with a lot injuries this season. However, they are preparing to welcome Mookie Betts back next week. Betts was slated to play shortstop upon his return to the diamond. A recent change from manager Dave Roberts has Betts playing elsewhere, though. Roberts revealed that Betts will go back to […]

The Montreal Canadiens signed Juraj Slafkovsky at the advent of NHL Free Agency this summer. Montreal had been impressed by Slafkovsky given how his season turned out. The Canadiens star struggled early in the season. But by the end, the former first-overall pick was one of the team’s best players. Expectations for Slafkovsky are going […]

The Columbus Blue Jackets splashed the cash in NHL Free Agency. The Blue Jackets spent big on Sean Monahan, signing the former Winnipeg Jets center to a five-year contract. They hope that the added veteran talent can help them make some strides this upcoming season. It wasn’t too long ago that the Blue Jackets competed […]

The Vancouver Canucks experienced heartbreak in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Before that, though, they made a rather interesting decision. The Canucks signed forward Vasily Podkolzin to a two-year contract worth $2 million total. Signing Podkolzin made sense as the young forward had reached the end of his entry-level contract. However, the terms of the deal […]

The Tampa Bay Lightning made a trade for Ryan McDonagh this offseason. The deal with the Nashville Predators brought the veteran defenseman back to Central Florida after two seasons away. Nashville received a second-round pick and a seventh-round pick in return. McDonagh played a major role on the Predators’ blueline in 2023-24. In Tampa, the […]

The Detroit Red Wings had an active NHL Free Agency period. Detroit didn’t spend freely as they did during the summers of 2022 and 2023. But they still made some intriguing moves meant to give them a chance to win this upcoming season. Patrick Kane is back in town after a successful 47-point stint in […]

The Minnesota Wild could not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. They struggled out of the gate, resulting in the firing of Dean Evason as head coach. After that move, John Hynes took over behind the bench. However, he could not steer the Wild into the postseason. The Wild have been strapped against the […]

The Detroit Red Wings made some big moves during NHL Free Agency. The Red Wings added Vladimir Tarasenko to the lineup while giving contract extensions to Patrick Kane and young forward Joe Veleno. However, both Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond remain without a contract. In saying that, head coach Derek Lalonde isn’t panicking. Detroit’s top […]

The Seattle Kraken hoped to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024 after the Kraken made the playoffs the year prior. Seattle made the playoffs thanks to their incredible depth. One would be hard-pressed to find a deeper team in the NHL than the Kraken ahead of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, they could […]

The Anaheim Ducks finished near the bottom of the NHL once again in 2023-24. They held the third overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft as a result. However, Anaheim is hoping to take some steps forward sometime soon. And there are a few Ducks breakout candidates that could help them climb the standings. Anaheim […]

The Philadelphia Flyers missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2023-24. It was a shocking run from Philadelphia in the first place. The fact that the Flyers competed for a playoff spot late in the season is something many didn’t expect. That said, it was a crushing loss for Philadelphia, to say the least. The Flyers […]

The Chicago Blackhawks are looking to take a step forward in 2024-25. The Blackhawks watched Connor Bedard win the Calder Trophy as the best rookie in 2023-24. And they saw promising developments from the likes of Alex Vlasic, Kevin Korchinski, and Philipp Kurashev. The Blackhawks finished near the bottom of the league this past season. […]

Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors reached a fever pitch on Monday. Reports indicated that the San Francisco 49ers receiver was more likely to be traded than sign an extension at this point. Aiyuk trade ideas began being floated soon after. However, those ideas may soon become a reality. The 49ers have reportedly agreed to trade frameworks […]

The San Jose Sharks had a horrific 2023-24 season. San Jose had a historically bad start to the year. And while things did improve, the overall tone for the year had been set. San Jose eventually won the NHL Draft Lottery before drafting Macklin Celebrini first overall. Finishing dead last in the NHL benefitted them […]

The Nashville Predators made the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year after a brutal start. The Predators surged through the second half of the regular season to make the playoffs. And while they lost round one to the Vancouver Canucks, Nashville hoped they could build upon their second half form. Accordingly, they attacked NHL Free Agency […]

The Detroit Red Wings have left some roster spots open for young players. Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider are already locked into the lineup. Joe Veleno signed a two-year contract, which should give him a spot on the roster as well. Other young players such as forwards Jonatan Berggren, Carter Mazur, and defenseman Simon Edvinsson […]

General manager Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars have had a lot of success in the last two seasons. The Stars made the Western Conference Finals in 2023, but it didn’t go too well. Dallas lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. In 2024, they returned to the Western Conference Finals only to […]

Entering the 2022 NHL Draft, Shane Wright was expected to go first overall. However, on draft night, things a wild turn. The Montreal Canadiens picked Juraj Slafkovsky with the top pick in the draft. And Wright fell all the way to the Seattle Kraken at fourth overall. Wright struggled during his first season with the […]

Former San Jose Sharks star Joe Pavelski retired from the game of hockey recently. He was a star with the Sharks for a long time and even helped them make the Stanley Cup Final. In 2019, the Sharks allowed him to hit NHL Free Agency where he signed with the Dallas Stars. This decision is […]

The Florida Panthers knew they would lose a few players in NHL Free Agency. One player they did not want to lose, though, was forward Sam Reinhart. Reinhart played a vital role in helping the Panthers win their first Stanley Cup this year, and he would have been tough to replace. Florida worked on a […]

The New York Islanders hired Patrick Roy as head coach midway through the 2023-24 season. New York struggled to remain the hunt for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And they hoped Roy — coming off a successful stint with the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts — could steer them in the right direction. In the end, it worked. […]

The Minnesota Wild signed one of their best players to a huge contract in NHL Free Agency. Brock Faber inked an eight-year contract extension with the Wild ahead of the 2024-25 season. This new contract kicks in before the start of the 2025-26 campaign. Faber called this new deal a “dream” for him, and it’s […]

The New York Rangers tried to trade Jacob Trouba earlier in the offseason. Their much-publicized effort came around the NHL Draft. The Rangers reportedly had a deal in place with the Detroit Red Wings. However, Trouba had no interest in going home to Michigan. One complication involved his contract. Not necessarily the money involved as […]

The Columbus Blue Jackets received an update on Patrik Laine rather recently. Laine entered the NHL’s player assistance program during the 2023-24 campaign. However, he recently cleared the program, allowing interested teams to contact him ahead of a trade away from the Blue Jackets. But a trade involving Laine doesn’t appear close, according to general […]

The Utah Hockey Club is about to make its debut in the NHL. Following the sale of the Arizona Coyotes, the Utah HC officially entered the NHL following the 2023-24 season. Utah made a big splash at the NHL draft, trading for Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning to announce their arrival. After NHL […]