Steven Ellis

2 weeks ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Steven Ellis

Credit: Victor Eklund and Anton Frondell (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)BUFFALO – Victor Eklund and Anton Frondell go a long way back. The pair grew up playing against each other in their native Sweden before eventually linking up in Djurgårdens as teenagers. Frondell, in particular, made quite the impression on Eklund. “I remember playing him (as kids) and he made a move on me,” Eklund told reporters Friday at the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo. “It was between my legs and I just can’t forget that.

2 weeks ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Steven Ellis

When the NCAA announced that CHL players would be able to participate moving forward, most wondered when the first big domino would fall. A bunch of names immediately started swirling – Gavin McKenna, Michael Misa, Porter Martone, you name it. Then, Calgary Flames prospect Henry Mews committed to one of the biggest college hockey programs, the University of Michigan Wolverines. But in terms of the top 2025 NHL Draft prospects, we were still missing the first notable star.

2 weeks ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Steven Ellis

The Edmonton Oilers have started off the 2025 Stanley Cup Final in style, erasing a two-goal deficit to win the game 4-3 in overtime. Edmonton’s win marks the second time the team has opened a series with a victory this year, with Florida losing the first game for the second time. The Oilers wasted no time waking up the home fans. Leon Draisaitl took a feed from Kasperi Kapanen and fired a wrister past goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Edmonton wasn’t able to capitalize on the momentum, though.

2 weeks ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Steven Ellis

Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn ImagesNHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the NHL and the league’s player union, the NHLPA, are in “really good shape” in terms of negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement. The current deal, which was extended during the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to expire on Sept. 15, 2026. Bettman spoke with media ahead of Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, saying his chats with NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh are “no comparison” to previous CBA discussions.

2 weeks ago | yardbarker.com | Steven Ellis

The NHL Draft season is a long one. It essentially starts at the World Junior Summer Showcase in late July for some players and ends with the Draft Combine in Buffalo. A lot can change during that time, for better and for worse. What makes a draft riser? Most of it is subjective. A player moving themselves into the top 64 conversation will get more love than someone who went from a projected seventh-rounder to, say, a late third.