All NHL 25 HUT Fantasy Hockey Updates Through May. 24

Vancouver Canucks 2025 NHL Draft Target: Aidan Park
The Vancouver Canucks enter the 2025 NHL Entry Draft with a pick in each round. Leading up to the draft day, we at The Hockey News will be profiling a different prospect who the Canucks could take with each of their picks. Today's prospect is Green Bay Gamblers center Aidan Park, who Vancouver could select 117th overall.
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Fox Sports

an hour ago

• Fox Sports

Top NHL draft prospect Schaefer honors late-mother in not letting personal tragedies define him

Associated Press When the time comes for defenseman Matthew Schaefer to take the stage at the NHL draft inside the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles this week, the top-ranked prospect won't be climbing the stairs alone. There's no doubt in Schaefer's mind his late mother Jennifer will be accompanying him in spirit. It will stand as a joyous moment for the 17-year-old Erie Otters player celebrating the person who's been at his side for every step even after she died of cancer some 16 months ago. 'I love talking about my mom, because I talk about the happy memories instead of the sad memories,' Schaefer said. He recalled the times Jennifer suited up in goalie equipment to face shots from him and his older brother. Even when sick, she'd muster the energy to play mini-sticks in the family basement. 'She's always with me in spirit. I know she has a front-row seat to every game,' Schaefer added. 'I just want to carry on her legacy and character and the person she was.' His mother's poise and strength are reflected in shaping Schaefer's-upbeat perspective in the face of other losses and setbacks. Some two months before Schaefer's mother died, the mother of his billet family was struck and killed by a train in what was ruled a death by suicide. In December, he was in Ottawa representing Canada at the world junior championships when Otters owner and Schaefer's mentor, Jim Waters, died of a heart attack. Schaefer broke his collarbone at the tournament, forcing him to miss the final three months of the season. Through it all, Schaefer refuses to be defined by pain and tragedy. 'My mindset has changed a lot with everything. Just seeing what my mom went through, having a smile on her face with cancer kind of trying to bring her down, but she wouldn't let it,' he said. 'She's the strongest person I've ever known.' No. 1 in Central Scouting rankings A testament to Schaefer's perseverance: The 6-foot-2, 183-pound player from Hamilton, Ontario, has remained atop NHL Central Scouting's rankings among North American skaters with the two-day draft opening on Friday. Though the debate between ranking Schaefer over high-scoring OHL Saginaw Spirit center Michael Misa was close, scouting director Dan Marr said Schaefer earned the nod because of the development he showed when healthy. Marr referred to Schaefer as 'stealing the show' at Canada's Under-18 summer camp before scoring six points (two goals, four assists) in captaining Canada to win the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in August. After missing the start of the OHL season with mononucleosis, he posted 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 17 games with Erie before being sidelined at the world juniors. 'He's one of the guys I think teams can safely interpret what you see is what you get,' Marr said of a two-way, fluid-skating defenseman who is responsible defensively, a play-maker offensively, and labeled 'a special talent' by Central Scouting. What's unmeasurable is Schaefer's character. 'He's just a breath of fresh air,' Marr said. It's a quality Otters forward Malcolm Spence saw in Schaefer every day as a roommate. 'He's a guy that you wouldn't even know what he's gone through,' Spence said. 'He wakes up every day with a smile on his face.' Engaging personality Schaefer's engaging personality was on display throughout the pre-draft combine in Buffalo, New York, followed by him joining top prospects in attending Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final in Florida. In skipping the combine's bench-press and pullup testing portions, he urged his fellow prospects to succeed. In Florida, Schaefer recalled how his hotel room wasn't ready upon arrival, so he took advantage of a sunny day. 'We got a little tan going on, a couple of us,' he said. 'I'm happy with that. I'm pretty light as it is. I have a hockey rink tan, as I'd say.' The only thing fazing him was being awestruck in meeting several NHL players, including Florida's Brad Marchand and Edmonton's Connor McDavid, a former Otters player who went No. 1 in the 2015 draft. Schaefer elicited a laugh when saying he was rooting for the Oilers, before noting he failed to mention that in meeting Marchand. Sharing his story There is a serious side to Schaefer, evident during the combine. He made a point to visit a Buffalo-area outreach group for grieving youths. Gwen Mysiak, co-founder of Western New York Compassion Connection, was impressed by how Schaefer engaged an audience that included about 15 youths, ranging in ages 7 to 17. 'When he walked through these doors, you sensed the genuine nature he has, and how passionate he is to make a difference with all his pain,' she said. 'To have peer support coming from a young man like that on the precipice of his NHL career was a gift,' added Mysiak, whose husband died two years ago. 'I will be watching the NHL draft for the first time in my life because he really captured our hearts.' Schaefer said the visit was the least he could do, noting he skipped his high school graduation ceremony to be there. 'There's young kids that are going through tough times. A lot of people love to keep it in, and I want to try to put their minds at ease in any way,' Schaefer said, before reflecting on his experiences. 'You know, if love could have saved them, they would have lived forever. That's a good saying I go by,' he said. 'But everything happens for a reason in life. Makes me super stronger. And I want to help people.' ___ AP NHL: recommended in this topic

New York Times

2 hours ago

• New York Times

Five Edmonton Oilers trade targets ahead of 2025 NHL Draft

The Edmonton Oilers enter the 2o25 NHL Draft in an unusual situation. By the time general manager Stan Bowman announces the team's first scheduled draft pick, all of the remaining names will be years away from helping Edmonton try to win a championship. There's very little chance the club's top selection (currently landing in the third round) will have any impact on the Oilers' fortunes before the end of the decade. There's even a chance none of the picks Edmonton makes at the 2025 draft will ever make an impact in the NHL. Advertisement On the other hand, draft picks are currency, and the Oilers could turn draft weekend into an asset that might help the team immediately. Or, the club could spend picks on young NHL-ready or close players, stockpiling prospects for a pool of talent that is miserably thin. The Oilers are in possession of three selections at the 2025 draft. They are Nos. 83, 191 and 223. Corey Pronman's mock of the entire 2025 draft at The Athletic offers some interesting names. There will be NHL talent available at pick No. 83, but that talent will have more value to a rebuilding team. Bowman would be wise to send that selection away, in a package, for immediate help. There are 'perfect fit' solutions reportedly available, like JJ Peterka of the Buffalo Sabres. Bowman doesn't have the assets available, or the cap room on hand, in order to wheel in a trade conversation with a player of Peterka's calibre. Here are some realistic targets. The Oilers need an infusion of youth and a player who can play with skill. Peyton Krebs is such a player, and the Sabres are in the mood to deal. Krebs can play successfully against elites (via Puck IQ), brings enough offence for a middle-six role (via Natural Stat Trick) and is on a value deal (via PuckPedia). Krebs, 24, is a centre in Buffalo, but could easily work on the wing. If the Oilers started next season with Krebs, Trent Frederic, Vasily Podolzin and Matt Savoie as options on the wings, it would represent an upgrade in skilled youth among the forwards. Krebs brings an abundance of energy and fearlessness, and has more skill than his boxcar numbers imply. The cost for Krebs might be Evander Kane, plus a pick might be in play if Buffalo balks at the sizeable cap difference. Kane will earn $5.125 million, Krebs just $1.45 million next season. Advertisement The rumours surrounding the Oilers' possible acquisition of Anaheim's John Gibson go back at least two seasons. Now, with the Oilers actively searching, as per Bowman's media avail this week, and much of Gibson's contract burned off, the time might be right. Gibson's health is a worry, but his performance last season (he delivered a .926 five-on-five save percentage in 29 games) may be too attractive to pass up for Bowman. The cost might be veteran centre Adam Henrique and a significant draft pick. Henrique's cap ($3 million) hit is far less than Gibson's ($6.4 million), so retention may be required by the Ducks. On the other hand, injury risk and an inconsistent performance history are part of Gibson's resume, so the deal may be closer to one-for-one. This is a trade that has a reasonable chance of happening. Georgii Merkulov is one of several young forwards attached to NHL teams who have enjoyed AHL success. In the case of Merkulov, his skill set has range (plus passer, excellent shot) along with some worries (foot speed, willingness to go to tough areas). The acquisition cost for Merkulov shouldn't be dear; the Bruins have played him in just 10 NHL games despite his being NHL-ready for the past three seasons. A draft pick should suffice. Blumel is an even more successful AHL scorer (70 goals in the last two seasons) who brings terrific speed and skill to the game. He's a Group 6 free agent, meaning he'll be available to any NHL team on July 1. The Oilers might be wise to trade for him in June, sign him and increase the number of speedy wingers with plus shots in the pool of young talent available this fall. Merkulov and Blumel are lower-end roster options. The Oilers acquiring either man wouldn't be necessary should Bowman successfully sign Oilers prospect Maxim Berezkin out of the KHL this summer. Advertisement The idea of Thatcher Demko being traded within the division borders on farce. The Canucks doing the Oilers a favour is pure fiction. And yet. Acquiring Demko holds water for an Edmonton team badly in need of a goalie with the ability to steal games and play at an elite level on the way to a championship. Demko has that ability, but has never played for a team that is his equal. From the Canucks side, Thomas Drance at The Athletic is reading the tea leaves and reports Vancouver may sign Demko and run him in tandem with Kevin Lankinen. That would leave a very expensive duo in Vancouver, but it is far more likely to happen than the redoubtable Demko heading to Alberta. Artūrs Šilovs, whose star is rising, might be an option for a team looking for unproven help. That doesn't fit the Oilers' needs at this time. In June 2015, Oilers fans were completing a breathless five-year run at the top of the draft. From Taylor Hall in 2010 to Connor McDavid in 2015, the annual selection of amateur talent represented the most exciting moment of the entire year in Edmonton. Ten years later, the 2025 draft will not require a trip to the podium, and may not see the crack of a microphone by an Oilers executive. Those who say the draft doesn't matter are wrong. However, in the case of Bowman's Oilers, the 2025 draft's importance does not involve any draft-eligible player. The picks in 2025 and 2026, and some veteran talent that the organization would like to move, may well be the headlines for Oilers fans over the next few days. (Photo of John Gibson: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

Forbes

3 hours ago

• Forbes

Free Agency Nears For McDavid, Oilers May Not Be Able To Stop Him

Connor McDavid is the NHL's best player by a wide margin. (Photo by) Connor McDavid controls the pace of nearly every game he plays with his speed, power and creativity on the ice. He is about to seize control of the way the game is played in the offseason as well. McDavid is about to enter the final season of an eight-year deal that has paid him $12.5 million per season with the Edmonton Oilers. He was the highest paid player in the NHL for the majority of that deal, but teammate Leon Draisaitl signed an extension that pays him $14 million per season. McDavid now has the fifth-most lucrative contract in the league. The Oilers are coming off their second Stanley Cup Finals loss in a row. After pushing the Florida Panthers to seven games in 2024, the Oilers lost to the two-time Stanley Cup champions in six games this time around. Once again, no Canadian team has waltzed around the ice with the Stanley Cup since 1993. That was the last Stanley Cup triumph by the Montral Canadiens and the nation that basically invented and perfected the sport has been shut out for 32 years. Which brings us to McDavid. He has played with the Oilers for 10 seasons and he has not been on the winning side in any year the Stanley Cup has been handed out. As he prepares for the final year of his contract, he is not committed to staying with the Oilers for any more than the upcoming 2025-26 season. This makes the Oilers and their fans uncomfortable. There are many observers who believe it will be just a matter of time before McDavid puts his signature on a new deal with Edmonton and he will stay there throughout his career. Is Stan Bowman capable of building a champion? EDMONTON, CANADA - DECEMBER 5: Stan Bowman presents Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers ... More with a Tiffany Crystal to celebrate his 1000th point prior to the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Rogers Place on December 5, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) t may not be that way. More than anything else, Connor McDavid wants to win a Stanley Cup. He can start talking to Oilers general manager Stan Bowman about a new deal July 1. McDavid is not concerned or overwhelmed by the financial details. He wants to know that there is a plan for Edmonton winning the Stanley Cup -- and do it more than once. He wants to see a viable plan. McDavid is a very serious man. He has not regularly revealed his true nature in press conferences or one-on-ones with media members, but he exploded to his teammates a year ago when they fell behind 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals, losing the opening two games in Sunrise, Florida. Cameras caught him demanding a greater effort from his teammates in explicit fashion. While they lost the next game, they rallied to tie the series at 3-3 before they succumbed in Game 7 a year ago. McDavid may not have overwhelming faith in his team, based on the confidence level he is currently at. 'I think so,' McDavid said. 'We still have a lot of confidence and belief. I don't think people thought we were going to make it this far. We believe and we came up just short again.' If Bowman goes into the upcoming negotiations with an aggressive plan to make McDavid the highest paid player in his sport, he will almost certainly lose McDavid. He wants to see a working plan of a man who has the job of bringing the Edmonton franchise multiple Stanley Cups. McDavid will not be bulldozed into signing a contract extension early. Draisaitl was in the same position last year, and he didn't sign his deal until September 3. Draisaitl is a superb scorer and he may be the No. 2 player in the league behind McDavid. But he is not McDavid's equal on the ice. McDavid wants Bowman to show him a worthwhile and sustainable plan that will allow the Oilers to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals and come out with the victory. Telling the world how good the Panthers are is not where McDavid wants to be next year. He wants the Stanley Cup. Bowman may not be up to the task. Going into the offseason, the Oilers will have $12 million in cap space at this point with 39 players under contract. They also have seven who are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents. Bowman is going to have to get very creative if he is going to bring the Stanley Cup to Edmonton. The son of record-setting Stanley Cup-winning head coach Scotty Bowman does not come across as creative or charismatic. His news conferences with the Oilers – and prior to that with the Chicago Blackhawks – are as ho-hum as they get. He is not going to ask McDavid to 'climb on his back' and drive the team to the Stanley Cup. That is not Bowman's style and it will be very difficult to convince McDavid that the Oilers are ever going to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals and raise Lord Stanley's chalice.