The NHL regular season is almost in the books, and every team had an MVP performance worth highlighting. But on the other side of the spectrum, some players have failed to impress. Before we turn the page to the playoffs for some teams and the offseason for others at the end of next week, The…
The NHL regular season is almost in the books, and every team from the top to the bottom of the standings had individual performances worth highlighting. Before we get set to turn the page to the playoffs for some teams and the offseason for others at the end of next week, The Athletic asked its…
It was a small moment in the Toronto Maple Leafs season, a late-January footnote that most of the NHL hardly noticed. But when the team captain remarked how he was disappointed in the home crowd for showing so little enthusiasm for an early-game fight, it set off plenty of commentary in the center of the…
When it comes to stopping a scorer in a one-on-one situation, NHL goalies are better than they’ve ever been. The league-wide save percentage has dipped in recent years — steadily declining from .910 in 2019-20 to .900 this season — as offensive strategies improve and shooters find ways to beat goalies with screens, deflections and…
We can admit it. We were wrong. Well, mostly wrong. When The Athletic first asked its NHL staff for their bold predictions, it was a different time. One week into the season, we heard about everything from breakout players to trades to offer sheets to 40-goal scorers. Two months later when we revisited our preseason…
The trade deadline is behind us and there are only 26 days until the end of the 2024-25 NHL regular season. With each team having 15 or fewer games left, attention has shifted to the final stretch of the season. Whether a team is vying for a division title, in a tight playoff chase or…
Editor’s note: This article is part of our Rankings & Tiers series, an evaluation across sport about the key players, front offices, teams, franchises and much more. They’re not always talked about as much as star players, head coaches and general managers. And, in many cases, they’re not in the limelight. But one thing I’ve seen repeatedly covering…
What the 2025 NHL trade deadline lacked in quantity, it made up for in quality. After all, it’s not often we have a prolonged drama like the Mikko Rantanen saga, which took several twists and turns before ending deep in the heart of Texas. And the Panthers’ stunning acquisition of Brad Marchand is one of…
The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NHL trade deadline. Could Bruins captain Brad Marchand be headed to Colorado to add some veteran leadership to the Avalanche? Will we see a surprise Lightning reunion in Tampa Bay? This week, The Athletic asked its NHL staff for their bold predictions ahead of the March 7…
Who are the best and toughest front offices to deal with in the NHL? Which owners are known for giving players what they need? What does the league need to do to improve? Asking players these questions can yield some pretty good results, but there are limits to that approach. Players have relatively limited exposure…