The recent signings of Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel and Kyle Connor thinned out the top talent in next summer's NHL free-agent market.

Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word on Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out.

The NHL suspended a player for the first time this season on Friday, handing him a one-game ban for cross-checking an opponent.

Justin Brazeau scored the go-ahead goal with 5:39 remaining in the third period, helping the host Pittsburgh Penguins spoil the debut of top overall draft pick Matthew Schaefer with a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday.

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.

NEW YORK — Jonathan Toews reached another milestone in his NHL comeback on Monday, recording his first point in nearly 2 1/2 years. “I guess when you put it that way it’s nice to get the monkey off your back,” Toews said after he and the Winnipeg Jets beat the New York Islanders 5-2.

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar made it clear Friday that he’s long past thinking about Mikko Rantanen ahead of the team’s first meeting with the Dallas Stars since last year’s playoff elimination.

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky has reached agreement on a multi-year contract extension to remain as an NHL analyst with Turner Sports.

EA Sports has conducted a full season sim for the 2025-2026 NHL Season using NHL 26, and it seems the Vegas Golden Knights will be hoisting the Stanley Cup in June.