Browsing: prospect

In what is shaping up to be a race to the bottom in the battle for a roster spot on defense, injured Philadelphia Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk is, unfortunately, missing out on a big opportunity.

Players like Helge Grans and Noah Juulsen, two favorites for a roster spot due to their right-handedness, have largely flattered to deceive or played poorly outright in training camp and the preseason thus far.

Egor Zamula appears to have plateaued, and Emil Andrae has only appeared in one preseason game to this point; he’ll play against Boston on Monday night.

An underwhelming roster battle has left the Flyers in a precarious position with only a few preseason games left on the schedule, and you have to wonder what a healthy Bonk could have done for himself going against this group.

Bonk, 20, was deemed day-to-day by the Flyers with an upper-body injury on Thursday, along with forwards Lane Pederson and Karsen Dorwart, and has technically been day-to-day since the Flyers’ first announcement on Sept. 18.

Flyers Roster Battles Leaving Much to Be Desired Early in NHL Preseason
Through three NHL preseason games, several Philadelphia Flyers roster battles look far from being decided any time soon.

The 2023 first-round pick was meant to play in the rookie series games against the New York Rangers, too, only to be held out of those before training camp started.

Considering Bonk was also left off the ice during development camp in July to recover from a long season, he’s quietly missed a decent amount of on-ice development with NHL coaches and NHL-caliber players this year.

The timing of it all has been awful, frankly, as Rasmus Ristolainen is expected to miss time well into the start of the season (potentially as late as November as of now)

Given that Ristolainen will inevitably return at some point, this would have been an easy opportunity to see Bonk play a month or so’s worth of NHL games and how he holds up doing so.

The same premise applied to Grans, in a way, where the 23-year-old is no longer waivers-exempt. If the Flyers want to get a real good look at Grans, there was no better time to do so than while Ristolainen can’t play.

By all accounts, it would seem that Bonk is destined to start his 2025-26 campaign – his first as a professional player – in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Most likely, he would’ve spent most of the season there anyway, but you can’t help but feel a healthy Bonk makes this Flyers team out of training camp to glean some valuable experience while Ristolainen is on the shelf.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have many young players looking to make the NHL roster out of training camp. Oliver Moore is undoubtedly one of them, and the 20-year-old forward certainly has the potential to.

After signing his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks back in March, Moore played in his first nine NHL games and showed promise. During them, he recorded four assists and six hits. Overall, the 2023 first-round pick did not look out of place and produced decent offense. Now, he will be looking to earn a full-time role with the Blackhawks from here.

Moore certainly made a real case for himself for a spot on Chicago’s roster with his preseason performance agianst the St. Louis Blues on Sep. 27. The young forward stepped up in a huge way for the Blackhawks, as he scored the club’s game-winner at the 16:57 mark of the third period.

Moore showed off his excellent skill with this goal, too. After getting control of the puck in the neutral zone, Moore used his speed before beating Blues goaltender Will Cranley top shelf with a nice wrister.

While it was a nice goal, Moore’s teammates on the ice did not notice at first, as they were in a scrum with the Blues players.

With Moore looking to make the NHL roster, scoring a goal like this certainly came at a good time for him. He will now look to build off it from here.

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ST. LOUIS — Justin Carbonneau is heading back to junior hockey.

The St. Louis Blues first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft (No. 19) overall, played in his third straight preseason game on Saturday, a 4-2 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks, in which he didn’t factor in the scoring while playing on a line with Dalibor Dvorsky and Juraj Pekarcik, playing 13:38 in the game.

Carbonneau, who scored in the preseason opener, a 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars, then had an assist in a 4-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, was seen hugging teammates after the game on Saturday and he will be heading back to Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL where the 18-year-old has played for the past three seasons. He had 89 points (46 goals, 43 assists) in 62 regular-season games there last season.

There was no disappointment, just encouragement from the likes of Mathieu Joseph and a big hug from Colton Parayko, who offered up quite the compliments for the forward.

“He’s a good player, obviously a great player, a lot of skill, works hard,” Parayko said. “I think you’ve just got to keep working and keep building. It’s hard to make this league and I think he’s going to be a great player. Just go back, enjoy his year. He’s going to have a great year. Just keep getting better and stronger and faster, all the things that make you a better hockey player. Just keep getting better.”

The Blues haven’t made the roster move official, but cuts are likely to occur on Sunday, with Springfield of the American Hockey League beginning its training camp starting on Monday. But with three preseason games remaining, rosters will be getting reduced on Sunday for a more polished NHL version.

(UPDATED): St. Louis Blues, Cam Fowler Agree To Terms On Three-Year Extension

ST.
LOUIS – Cam
Fowler is staying put.

Blues Place Pair Of Forwards On Waivers
The St. Louis Blues have placed center Nikita Alexandrov and winger Hugh McGing on waivers.

Toropchenko, Blues Feel There’s More Offense To Big Russian’s game
MARYLAND
HEIGHTS, Mo. — Alexey Toropchenko
returned to St. Louis this summer feeling like a new man.

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With three games left in the regular season and a spot in the postseason on the line, the Mets are looking to bolster their bullpen.

According to The Athletic’s Will Sammon, the Mets will call up relief prospect Dylan Ross from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday before their game against the Miami Marlins.

SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino reported the move wouldn’t be made ahead of the series opener, but likely at some point this weekend. It seems that the time is Saturday.

The 25-year-old right-hander had a 2.17 ERA, and 1.15 WHIP over 49 appearances across three minor league levels this season. Ross saw most of his action in Triple-A, pitching to a 1.69 ERA with 39 strikeouts over 28 games (32.0 IP).

Martino reported on Sept. 17 that Ross was “a real possibility to get a tryout this month” as the team works to fill their righty reliever need.

Ross was a 13th-round pick by the Mets out of the University of Georgia in the 2022 MLB Draft, but underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2022 season and a revision procedure in 2023, causing him to miss all of the 2023 season.

He pitched one inning for St. Lucie in 2024 before throwing 54.0 innings during the 2025 season, recording an impressive 80 strikeouts to just 33 walks.

The reliever is listed at 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds and features a fastball that sits at an average of 96.8 mph, with the ability to hit triple-digits. He also throws a splitter, cutter, slider, and occasional curveball.

Ross is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter due to being a college draftee with three seasons of professional baseball under his belt.

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Ryan Greene is one of the many Chicago Blackhawks prospects who have the potential to blossom into impactful NHL players in the near future. Because of this, there is no question that the 21-year-old forward is a Blackhawks prospect to watch with the 2025-26 season almost here.

Greene got his first taste of NHL action this past season after signing his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks in April. In two games with the Blackhawks following this, he recorded one shot and three blocks. Overall, while the 2022 second-round pick did not get on the board offensively, he showed promise with his two-way play.

When looking at Greene’s play at Boston University, there is no question that he has good potential. In 118 games over three seasons with the school, he recorded 34 goals, 71 assists, and 105 points. He also ended his collegiate career by having his best season, setting career highs with 13 goals, 25 assists, and 38 points in 40 games. With this, he has certainly been trending in the right direction with his development.

Now, Greene is gearing up for his first full professional season in 2025-26. Whether he starts the year with the Blackhawks or in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs, he is undoubtedly a player to keep a very close eye on this campaign.

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Image credit:
Roch Cholowsky (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)

On this week’s episode of the Baseball America Draft Podcast, Carlos Collazo and Peter Flaherty spend the entire podcast getting into the weeds on UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky.

Heâ€s the No. 1 player in the class—check out our scouting deep dive on Cholowsky’s draft profile—and both Peter and college writer Jacob Rudner picked him as their “way too early†favorite to be BA’s College Player of the Year next season.

How does Cholowsky stack up with recent college prospects? Is he in a tier of his own for college shortstops? And are there any real holes in his game?

Time Stamps

• (0:00) Intro
• (3:30) Roch Cholowsky as the POY favorite
• (5:00) Is Cholowsky the best college SS prospect since Dansby Swanson?
• (10:00) Cholowsky as a defender
• (15:00) Comparing him to other top 10 4YR SS
• (19:00) What are the concerns?
• (24:00) What tool grades would we put on him?
• (32:00) His improvements as a sophomore
• (35:00) Roch Cholowsky vs. Marek Houston as defenders

Want more podcasts like this one? Subscribe below!

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Player FM

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The Montreal Canadiens have multiple young players to keep an eye on as the preseason continues. Among the most intriguing is forward Joshua Roy, as the 22-year-old forward is looking to prove that he deserves a spot on the Canadiens’ opening night roster.

Roy played in 12 games this past season with the Canadiens, where he scored two goals. He also played in 23 games for the Canadiens during the 2023-24 campaign, where he posted four goals and nine points. Overall, the 2021 fifth-round pick has shown signs of promise when given the chance to play for Montreal, but now he will be looking to have a breakout season in 2025-26 for them.

Where Are The Canadiens In The Power Rankings?

Canadiens: Florian Xhekaj Deserves A Big Audition

Canadiens: Demidov Shuts Down Michkov Comparisons

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Ben Danford is getting more and more confident as Toronto Maple Leafs training camp rolls on.

After the 19-year-old missed the entirety of last yearâ€s camp with a concussion, which he suffered during Torontoâ€s rookie camp, heâ€s entered this season with the belief that his game has taken a step forward.

Danford has played four games thus far, dating back to the Prospect Showdown in Montreal. And after every game, the coach (Marlies bench boss John Gruden or Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube) has spoken glowingly about his play.

“I thought Danford played a good, solid hockey game,†Berube said after Torontoâ€s opening pre-season win against the Senators on Sunday. “Itâ€s not a flashy game by any means, but itâ€s just, first-pass, defending well, plays a hard game. Pretty much mistake-free. It was impressive.â€

Danfordâ€s last appearance came in Torontoâ€s 3-2 overtime loss to the Senators on Tuesday night. The defenseman had 15:55 of ice time, the lowest among players on the teamâ€s back-end. However, he was playing with the Maple Leafs†regulars, including Morgan Rielly and Chris Tanev, whom Danford got to train with this summer.

“He just had a good attitude. He worked hard, and heâ€s a great skater. He was just doing everything that I was doing, and it was a good skate,†Rielly told The Hockey News of skating with Danford.

“I think itâ€s nice when you’ve got a guy like that thatâ€s motivated and has something on his mind that he wants to go out and prove. And I mean, he looks great, so I think heâ€s doing an outstanding job.â€

Maple Leafs See Big Growth In Easton Cowan As Craig Berube Praises His Simplified Game
Has Easton Cowan done enough through two preseason games to warrant serious consideration for the clubâ€s opening lineup? While it may be too early to judge, Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect is making a strong case by doing all the right things.

Danford hasnâ€t been shy to voice that Rielly and Tanev are players he admires. “Iâ€ve looked up to (Tanev) for quite a few years now. I feel like thatâ€s someone I can really learn off of,” the young defenseman said.

To skate with those players during a summer training is one thing. To get into game action with them during the pre-season is another. Itâ€s a huge step for Danford, and he understands that.

“Last year, I didnâ€t get the full experience, so to get into a game with all those guys was really cool,†Danford said on Wednesday. “Last year, I didnâ€t really get to be around them that much, just having the injury. So to get to know them, play in a game with them, be on the ice with them in practice, theyâ€re all great guys.â€

‘We’re All Here For Him’: Maple Leafs React To Joseph Woll Taking A Personal Leave of Absence, Lend Support
The Toronto Maple Leafs revealed some unexpected news on Tuesday when they announced that goaltender Joseph Woll had stepped away to deal with a personal family issue.

Thereâ€ll be plenty of memories from Danfordâ€s first game inside Scotiabank Arena. The fans and the atmosphere will surely be the number one thing. Heâ€ll also remember returning to the bench and hearing the positive feedback from the Maple Leafs†top defenders as well.

“All the guys I played with on the back-end (Rielly, Tanev, Brandon Carlo, Jake McCabe, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson), you come off for a shift and you had a good one, and theyâ€ll make sure to let you know,†Danford said.

“Theyâ€re really good at being positive. That definitely helped last night. They were really positive when I made a good pass. That definitely helped my confidence throughout the game. They did a great job, and I look up to them.â€

On Wednesday, Rielly reflected on when he was a young defenseman trying to make a name for himself in the league. He earned a full-time role with the Maple Leafs in the fall of 2013, following a season which was split between the WHLâ€s Moose Jaw Warriors and the AHLâ€s Toronto Marlies.

“Itâ€s a strange feeling. You come in here and youâ€re trying to make the team. Youâ€re essentially trying to take someoneâ€s job and trying to prove yourself and start your career,†the 31-year-old said.

“It can be a little bit strange. You donâ€t have a ton of communication with the coaching staff, just because thereâ€s lots happening. And so you just try to come in every day and work hard and perform and execute and do whatâ€s asked of you. And I think all our young guys are doing that, so itâ€s been good to see.â€

‘My Goal Was To Leave No Stone Unturned’: How Morgan Rielly’s Summer Could Set Him Up For Success With Maple Leafs
Shortly after the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in May, Morgan Rielly and general manager Brad Treliving sat down to review the year.

As Rielly watches Danford, he sees a younger version of himself: a prospect with plenty of upside, whoâ€s just trying to navigate the early goings of his hockey career. And even when Rielly is preparing for a massive season ahead personally, he sees the importance of guiding Danford along.

“I think you just want to support your teammates. But also for a young guy, you want him to build confidence, and you also want to make him feel good about himself. Itâ€s not easy being in that position. Iâ€ve been there,†Rielly said.

“Iâ€ve had relationships with guys that are very supportive, and Iâ€ve had relationships with guys that are kind of s****y to you. You look back at those, and I donâ€t want to be one of those guys. I want to be someone that can support the young guys, and heâ€s doing a great job for us. I think all of us, between O (Ekman-Larsson), myself, Caber (McCabe) and Tany (Tanev), weâ€re just really impressed with him, so I think itâ€s worthwhile to tell him.â€

Danford added, “Iâ€m just trying every day here at training camp. Trying to put my best foot forward, not overdo things. Just take it day by day. And to hear that, itâ€s obviously great feedback, but I just got to keep rolling, just keep taking it day by day, keep getting better every day.â€

‘The Issue Has Been The Number’: Maple Leafs, Anthony Stolarz’s Camp Reportedly Continue Going Back And Forth In Negotiations
With just over two weeks until the beginning of the regular season, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anthony Stolarzâ€s camp are reportedly still grinding away at getting a deal done.

Itâ€s not often you get a defensive prospect who makes this much of an impression at camp, especially at his first. He has another year of junior under his belt after being picked in the first round (31st overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. But still, it usually takes a defender several years to develop into a meaningful player at the NHL level.

Danford might have another season with the OHLâ€s Oshawa Generals coming up, but he might be a step closer to the NHL than previously thought.

“Hockey IQ and feet,†said Berube, of why Danford has fit so seamlessly into the teamâ€s game. “I watch him play; he just knows what heâ€s doing. He knows where the puckâ€s going. Heâ€s simple. He doesnâ€t overcomplicate it.

“Iâ€m not saying he doesnâ€t ever, but for the most part, he sees the outlet, makes the play, and heâ€s a good defender. He plays with a little bite, too, like heâ€s a physical guy and plays with some edge. But I love his feet, and I love that his headâ€s up all the time seeing the play, and heâ€s a pretty smart player.â€

Maple Leafs’ Nick Robertson Credits John Tavares For Lessons On Recovery
Nick Robertson had a standout performance in the Toronto Maple Leafs†first scrimmage on Saturday, scoring the only two goals of the session. While it may have been just a scrimmage, this kind of success is a welcome boost for the 24-year-old, who is fighting to earn a consistent spot in the lineup.

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Red Wings recent 5th round pick Nikita Tyurin signs four-year extension with Russian club

Detroit Red Wings 2025 fifth-round pick Nikita Tyurin has committed to staying in Russia for the foreseeable future, signing a new four-year contract with his MHL club, HC Spartak Moscow.

The deal, announced on Wednesday by the team, runs through the end of the 2028–29 season and marks a significant step in the young defenseman’s development path.

Finnie, Danielson Shine as Red Wings Slip Past Blackhawks in Preseason Opener
Detroit prospects Emmitt Finnie and Nate Danielson delivered impressive performances in the Red Wings†3-2 preseason-opening win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.

Tyurin, 18, had a breakout debut in Russiaâ€s Junior Hockey League (MHL), playing a key role in JHC Spartak Moscowâ€s run to the Kharlamov Cup championship. Standing 6 feet tall and weighing 187 pounds, the Moscow native reportedly totaled 30 points (6 goals, 24 assists) over 75 games across all competitions, establishing himself as one of Spartakâ€s most promising young defensemen.

Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) on X
Nikita Tyurin(5th roundâ€25) GOAL🚨 he starts the play and finishes it. #LGRW

In 50 regular-season MHL games, Tyurin recorded 20 points (4 goals, 16 assists), finishing as Spartakâ€s second-highest scoring defenseman while averaging 18 minutes of ice time per game. His mature, poised play earned him a spot in the MHL All-Star Game, a gold medal at the Challenge Cup, and a call-up to the KHL, where he made his debut with Spartakâ€s senior team.

We recently highlighted some of his early success this season and broke down a recent interview Tyurin had done with the JHL website, where he mentioned he needs to continue to add muscle and weight as he felt undersized going into puck battles. He added that he added 13 pounds in the off-season after weighing in at 174 pounds last season.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.

“It’s Time”: Dylan Larkin Lays Out Clear Goal For Red Wings
The city of Detroit hasn’t hosted a Stanley Cup Playoff game since April 2016 against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Joe Louis Arena, who at that time were overseen by general manager Steve Yzerman.

While the new deal means Tyurin is likely to remain in Russia for at least the next few seasons, it could benefit both player and NHL team alike. He would turn 22 years old at the end of his deal and could present the option to follow up his development in the Spartak system with a stint in North America with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

For now, Tyurin should receive opportunities in both the MHL and KHL with valuable ice time and experience before making the leap to pro hockey. With a new contract in place and a championship already under his belt, Tyurin now turns his focus to further cementing his place as one of Russiaâ€s top young defensive talents.

Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) on X
Yesterday
Nikita Tyurin(5th roundâ€25):
2 Assists +4 4PIM 2/5 SOG 1 shot block 22:40 TOI in a 7-1 win.
#LGRW

Also signing a four-year extension with Spartak is fellow young blueliner Vsevolod Matveev (17), who played in 47 MHL games last season and has already appeared in four KHL contests this year.

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The Philadelphia Flyers never quite looked ready to play against the Montreal Canadiens in Tuesday night’s preseason game, and the 4-2 final score reflected that. However, the performance wasn’t all bad.

The Canadiens jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on goals from Cole Caufield and Florian Xhekaj, and Xhekaj’s goal was one goalie Sam Ersson will want back for sure.

The Canadiens prospect found an open zone with Nick Deslauriers and Ethan Samson pursuing Tyler Thorpe in the corner, received the puck, and fired a weak shot through Ersson’s glove side.

Prior to that, Caufield converted on a partial 3-on-2 where defensemen Helge Grans and Nick Seeler were the only two players back. Captain Sean Couturier fumbled the puck under pressure on the wall in the offensive zone, allowing Nick Suzuki to break free in the neutral zone.

Seeler was too passive in his defense on the play, as Suzuki gained the Flyers’ offensive zone with his only two pass options still outside the blueline. Grans covered Lane Hutson in the middle and possibly expected winger support on the weak side, but Caufield was all alone to get his one-timer off 53 seconds into the game for a 1-0 lead.

Overall, I liked Grans’s game after this play, but I’ll need to see more from him to say with conviction that he deserves an NHL roster spot. Fortunately, there is still a lot of preseason left to play.

Flyers vs. Canadiens: 3 Hopefuls Will Make Their Case for an NHL Roster Spot
The Philadelphia Flyers will face the Montreal Canadiens for their second preseason game of 2025 with an entirely different roster, with the exception of two players.

As for other roster hopefuls, Dennis Gilbert surprisingly looked effective next to Travis Sanheim on the Flyers’ top defense pairing. The 28-year-old journeyman helped get the Flyers on the board midway through the second period, springing Anthony Richard for a breakaway with a long-range breakout pass and getting Philadelphia within a goal at 2-1.

Aleksei Kolosov took over for Sam Ersson after one period, contrary to what Rick Tocchet said at morning skate earlier in the day, and made 12 saves on 13 shots (.923).

The one goal he did allow was the straw that ultimately broke the camel’s back; Nick Suzuki’s second-period goal stood as the game-winner.

Defensively, the Flyers were again a mess on this play.

Hunter McDonald didn’t play Suzuki with enough urgency after Slafkovsky set up shop, and Oscar Eklind and Ethan Samson actually deflected Suzuki’s shot over Kolosov’s shoulder, with the Belarusian clearly expecting a low shot.

Owen Tippett mercifully delivered the Flyers a power play goal on the evening to make it 3-2, but the power play overall looked poor.

Winger Alex Bump hardly had a kick up until the third period, but finished the night as the Flyers’ most dangerous offensive player.

Bump started on a line with Deslauriers and Jett Luchanko, but eventually swapped places with Richard and joined up with Couturier and Bobby Brink.

That line was too sloppy and ineffective for a preseason game, but once Bump came aboard, things started clicking more.

The 21-year-old probably should have scored on a breakaway opportunity, too, but after deking Kaapo Kahkonen out of his skates, the finishing touch just went off the side of the net. You can guarantee Bump won’t mess up that finish again.

Flyers Stock Up, Stock Down Heading into Training Camp Week 2
Heading into the second week of Philadelphia Flyers training camp, a number of key players have boosted their stocks and chances of making the NHL roster. Others? Not so much.

For me, Bump and Luchanko should be put in more opportunistic positions by head coach Rick Tocchet in the next exhibition game they feature in.

It’s nothing against Deslauriers, but he was drafted as a defenseman and is a career fighter. He’s just not capable of playing a game that suits Bump and Luchanko, and especially not at his age. It wasn’t fair to him or the two youngsters.

At the same time, it’s only preseason and there’s no need to overreact. I just believe that the youngsters should be simulating real game settings as often as possible, but wasting two periods with that combination in a building like the Bell Centre after arriving in Montreal hours earlier isn’t going to work.

Overall, it’s hard to say any players played poorly, because most of the team did, and it’s relative, especially given the circumstances.

Alex Bump was certainly the most impressive and flashy, closely followed by Sanheim, Gilbert, and Kolosov.

Nobody else did much of anything, so we’ll need to see more preseason action before considering jumping to any conclusions.

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