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Hello hockey fans, Max Bultman here, filling in as the 2026 offseason reaches its final days. We know the season is close because we’re finally hearing from the game’s biggest stars, as the NHL’s European Player Media Tour took place over the weekend. That offered a chance for some insight into the summer’s biggest topics. Let’s go.

Let’s Hear It

Draisaitl backs Babcock

The Edmonton Oilers are set to be even more under the microscope than usual this season — quite a statement for a team that’s been to two of the last three Stanley Cup finals, and quite a season to welcome in The Athletic’s newest NHL beat writer, Janson Duench.

That’s mostly because of the ticking Connor McDavid clock. The game’s best player is chasing a championship while the franchise that drafted him 11 years ago works to prove it can surround him with enough help to win it. In pursuit of that goal, the Oilers made one of the most eye-raising moves of a very busy summer, hiring Mike Babcock as head coach, three years after he flamed out of an attempted NHL return in Columbus less than 90 days after being hired, and before his first season with the Blue Jackets even began.

Add in Babcock’s history with Mitch Marner and Johan Franzen, and the sight of him getting another shot, this time trying to get two of the league’s biggest stars over the hump, is a massive story to follow.

But speaking with The Athletic’s Chris Johnston in Munich, one of those stars, Leon Draisaitl, explained how Babcock won over the team’s leadership group with an honest meeting.

“It was pretty clear pretty quick that he could be our guy,” Draisaitl told Johnston. “Just in what he sees, and his attitude towards us — you know, the leaders on the team that want to be coached and that want to be held accountable. I think it’s just what was needed. We had some great meetings with him and then, yeah, it just kind of took off from there.”

In some ways, the sentiment from Draisaitl and the Oilers’ stars of wanting to be pushed harder and be held more accountable is impressive, perhaps admirable. But Babcock’s history makes him a lightning rod, and it’s fair to wonder if the Oilers are fully ready for everything that will come with the hire. A whole lot is riding on it.

Tim Stützle. (James Guillory / Imagn Images)

Stützle, Seider speak

Speaking of German stars and their teams’ newsy summers, young Atlantic Division foes Tim Stützle and Moritz Seider spoke to Johnston about the Senators’ and Red Wings’ biggest offseason topics.

Ottawa, of course, saw its captain, Brady Tkachuk, traded to Florida — a hit to the Senators’ physical presence and scoring ability. But while Stützle is obviously aware of that, he wisely focused on turning the page and the new players Ottawa brought in, headlined by talented young winger William Eklund.

It looks as though the Senators could be in for a major identity shift from the punishing, pugnacious brand of hockey Tkachuk was so central to, to perhaps a faster brand led by Stützle and Eklund. But even after dealing their captain, the Sens still have an elite team defense, excellent young centers and a path to remaining an upstart young team in the East. Fascinating franchise.

Meanwhile, Seider also tried not to dwell on a chaotic summer for his franchise — keyword tried, considering so much of the Red Wings’ uncertainty remains unresolved. They still don’t have a general manager — they’re the only team without one — and Dylan Larkin’s trade request twists in the wind in the interim.

The 25-year-old Seider turned his focus inward, talking about how he can keep improving after a top-five finish for the Norris Trophy last season: “There are a lot of question marks. The great thing about that is you can only control yourself.” Here are his full answers.

Because of all the moving parts, Detroit’s outlook is cloudier than the Senators’ right now. But Seider is one thing the next general manager won’t have to worry about at all in their first year.

• More from Munich: NHL players’ union boss Marty Walsh is bullish on the 2030 Olympics, and league deputy commissioner Bill Daly says the NHL is on track to award its 33rd franchise to Texas — either Houston or Austin — as soon as the end of the year. Giddy up.

Brady Tkachuk, left, and his brother, Matthew. (Geoff Burke / Imagn Images)

Trivia Time

NHL captains aren’t traded very often, especially if you exclude in-season deals like the Florida Panthers’ 2025 deadline acquisition of Brad Marchand. But the Panthers will be hoping their Tkachuk deal goes just like another offseason trade from semi-recent history (think this millennium), in which a re-homed captain immediately won the Stanley Cup in his first year with his new team.

Who was that player?

Hint: He was the same age (26) as Tkachuk is now.

Answer at the bottom.

Young Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini. (David Gonzales / Imagn Images)

Crystal Ball

Who will rule in 2031?

After Corey Pronman rolled out his pipeline rankings last week, he added a new wrinkle: a projection of what the NHL standings could look like five years from now, when all those farm systems and young players are finally in the NHL.

That, of course, adds some weight back to the league’s current heavyweights that may not have star-studded farm systems: Florida, Carolina, Tampa and Minnesota all still make the top 10 on this list, despite being in the bottom 10 of Pronman’s pipeline rankings.

Still, the No. 1 team on both lists was the same: 2031 is shaping up to be a good time in San Jose.

A quick peek at the top five in the 2030-31 rankings:

1. San Jose Sharks
2. Montreal Canadiens
3. Utah Mammoth
4. Buffalo Sabres
5. Toronto Maple Leafs

Check out the full list to see where your team slots in.

Coast to Coast

💰 Even more coverage from Munich! Lukáš Dostál on Leo Carlsson’s megadeal and its impact on the Ducks: “Money has to go somewhere … I’m just so happy for Leo.”

🤪 Missing Sean McIndoe? Get your fix here, where he digs into your wackiest ideas at the height of slow-news summer. I like the word/letter game.

📋 While the Red Wings’ GM search continues, the list of semi-urgent tasks for the eventual hire isn’t getting any shorter.

🏒 Scary news out West, as Arizona State University is investigating the circumstances surrounding an outdoor workout that led to a men’s hockey player collapsing. Katie Strang and Jeremy Rutherford have more here.

🏅 Murat Ates and Jesse Granger dive into Connor Hellebuyck’s strangely human NHL season in 2025-26, and what to expect from him going forward.

🎙️ “The Athletic Hockey Show” Prospect Series spent the week exploring Corey Pronman’s redrafts of 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Watch or listen here.

Mike Richards in 2012. (Louis Lopez / Associated Press)

Trivia Answer

Who was the captain who was traded by his former team in the summer and then won the Cup in Year 1 in his new home?

That would be Mike Richards, who did it with the Los Angeles Kings after being acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in June 2011.

Questions, comments, corrections? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at redlight@theathletic.com.

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The Toronto Blue Jays host the Kansas City Royals at 7:07 p.m. ET on Thursday, with both teams hoping to win the series. Spencer Arrighetti (7-6, 4.73 ERA) will start for the Blue Jays, who are 65-69 this season and fifth in the AL East. Noah Cameron (8-8, 4.02 ERA) is the expected starter for the Royals, who are 59-75 and fifth in the AL Central.

How to watch Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Royals vs. Blue Jays odds

• Favorite Moneyline: Blue Jays -110
• Underdog Moneyline: Royals -110
• Total: 8.5
• Total Over Odds: +100
• Total Under Odds: -120

Injury reports

Blue Jays

Josh Smith: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), Luis Urias: 10 Day IL (Quadricep), Jonatan Clase: 10 Day IL (Foot), Shane Bieber: 15 Day IL (Back), Jameson Taillon: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Trey Yesavage: 15 Day IL (Knee), Cody Ponce: 60 Day IL (Knee), Anthony Santander: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Jake Bloss: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Bowden Francis: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Joe Mantiply: 60 Day IL (Knee), Addison Barger: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Yimi Garcia: 60 Day IL (Elbow), José Berrios: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Patrick Corbin: 60 Day IL (Shoulder)

Royals

Maikel Garcia: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), Tony Gonsolin: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Beck Way: 15 Day IL (Back), Jonathan India: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Cole Ragans: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Luinder Avila: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Alec Marsh: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Carlos Estévez: 60 Day IL (Foot), Nick Mears: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Stephen Kolek: 60 Day IL (Flexor), Connor Seabold: 60 Day IL (Lat), James McArthur: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Michael Massey: day-to-day (Head)

Stats to know

• Toronto’s Ernie Clement is slashing .282/.307/.398 this season with nine home runs, 43 RBIs and an OPS of .705. He has a 9.8% strikeout rate and a 3.4% walk rate in 522 plate appearances, and he has scored 54 total runs.
• In 503 plate appearances, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hitting .262/.334/.353 with a .687 OPS and seven steals on 10 attempts. He has hit seven long balls, driven in 46 runs and scored 62 times.
• Bobby Witt Jr. has hit 16 home runs this season. He has also tallied 48 RBIs and has scored 72 runs. In 508 plate appearances, he has recorded a .288 BA, .366 OBP and .458 SLG with a 10.8% walk rate and a 17.7% strikeout rate. He has been effective on the base paths, recording 35 steals on 42 attempts.
• In 473 plate appearances, Jac Caglianone has hit 22 long balls, tallied 60 RBIs and scored 59 runs. He is batting .274/.326/.486 and has posted a 26.2% strikeout rate and a 6.1% walk rate.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

The Atlanta Braves host the Los Angeles Dodgers at 7:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, a game featuring two of MLB’s most consistent batters. Michael Harris II has an average of .291 (10th in league) for the Braves, and Freddie Freeman is seventh at .301 for the Dodgers. Chris Sale (12-9, 2.20 ERA) will start for the Braves, who are 78-55 this season and first in the NL East. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-7, 2.61 ERA) is expected to start for the Dodgers, who are 80-53 and first in the NL West.

How to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves

Dodgers vs. Braves odds

• Favorite Moneyline: Braves -128
• Underdog Moneyline: Dodgers +105
• Total: 6.5
• Total Over Odds: -110
• Total Under Odds: -110

Injury reports

Braves

Reynaldo López: 15 Day IL (Knee), Robert Suarez: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Spencer Strider: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Spencer Schwellenbach: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Joey Wentz: 60 Day IL (Knee), Joe Jimenez: 60 Day IL (Knee)

Dodgers

Dalton Rushing: 10 Day IL (Arm), Andy Pages: 10 Day IL (Hand), Edwin Díaz: 15 Day IL (Neck), Will Klein: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Justin Wrobleski: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Bobby Miller: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Gavin Stone: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Jake Cousins: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Blake Treinen: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Will Smith: 60 Day IL (Neck), Brusdar Graterol: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Kris Bubic: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ben Casparius: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Roki Sasaki: day-to-day (Hand)

Stats to know

• Atlanta’s Matt Olson has hit 37 home runs this season, which ranks 2nd in MLB. He has also tallied 78 RBIs (19th in MLB) and has scored 92 runs. In 579 plate appearances, he has recorded a .260 BA, .337 OBP and .538 SLG with a 10% walk rate and a 25.2% strikeout rate.
• In 568 plate appearances, Ozzie Albies has hit 20 long balls, tallied 67 RBIs and scored 74 runs. He is batting .255/.310/.418 and has posted a 14.1% strikeout rate and a 7% walk rate.
• Shohei Ohtani is hitting for a .288 BA, .388 OBP and .546 SLG with a 23.2% strikeout rate and a 13.5% walk rate. His OPS is .934, which ranks 2nd in MLB, and he has scored 86 runs. In 564 plate appearances, he has hit 30 home runs (9th in MLB) and driven in 80 runs (13th in MLB). Ohtani has recorded 10 steals on 13 attempts.
• In 555 plate appearances, Freeman has posted a 16.4% strikeout rate and a 10.3% walk rate while slashing .301/.373/.460 with 15 home runs, 61 RBIs and 65 runs scored.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images