Crafting a fantasy hockey draft tier starts with your own comfort and control. A quick, flexible tiering approach can turn a simple list into a powerful draft tool in minutes, letting you adapt as picks unfold. The top blueliners anchor the early tiers, with Makar leading a cohort that includes Weegar, Werenski and Dahlin; Harley and Seider shape the next block, while solid veterans fill the middle. The method keeps you confident and ahead without overloading projections.

Detroit’s 2025-26 plan centers on Gibson in net and veteran depth with van Riemsdyk, Appleton, and Hamonic, but scoring depth remains thin and goaltending unsettled. Bold chatter has the Wings potentially trading an important piece at the deadline and possibly finishing bottom-10, testing Yzerman’s rebuild as Lucas Raymond eyes a 100-point ceiling. Seider and Edvinsson anchor the blue line, while Raymond, Van Riemsdyk, and Appleton must lift the offense and PP usage to keep playoff hopes alive.

Gibson’s arrival changes the goaltending narrative, but the roster-wide gaps—especially on the right side and in depth scoring—keep fantasy upside murky. If Detroit succumbs to pressure and lottery luck tilts away, the draft class and depth moves will define the rebuild’s pace more than immediate wins. The Wings’ path blends risk with upside as youth meets veteran steadiness.

NHL and NHLPA’s Milan stop launches a first-of-its-kind cross-sport activation with Serie A clubs Inter and Milan, spotlighting a shared global fan pulse for hockey and soccer. In a week of events in Milan, 26 NHL stars will mingle with European soccer icons, with a focus on Olympic visibility ahead of Milano Cortina 2026. Seven players named to preliminary Olympic rosters—Aho, Heiskanen, Seider, Raymond, Hischier, Nylander, and Zibanejad—anchor the roster as Inter hosts a training session and Milan’s opener vs Cremonese. The journey includes jersey exchanges with Serie A legends and a broadcaster summit to amplify cross-border storytelling.

The alliance aims to translate on-field star power into digital and live experiences for fantasy audiences and global fans, leveraging both leagues’ brands and broadcast ecosystems. A historic jersey swap at MSG from a March 2025 moment between Mika Zibanejad and Pirlo/Materazzi underscored the ambition to fuse hockey and soccer narratives. As Milan pivots toward 2025–26, the collaboration is framed as a blueprint for cross-sport engagement, talent mobility, and a broader, more immersive fan experience that transcends traditional league boundaries.

Rumors surfaced that the White House considered banning Russian players from the NHL in 2024, a claim the White House and league officials publicly denied. The same chatter frames a separate, much more concrete hockey note: Mason McTavish of Anaheim is drawing monster interest as an offer-sheet candidate, with teams like Montreal and Carolina observing and Detroit reportedly pushing hardest to land him. Ducks cap space (over $20 million) makes a high-stakes move plausible, though any package would have to be massive to pry McTavish loose.

Among the targets tied to a McTavish-era swing, Detroit is discussed as a primary suitor, with Moritz Seider and Axel Sandin-Pellikka flagged as centerpiece pieces that could catalyze a deal. The Canadiens and Hurricanes are watching closely as well. If Detroit goes all-in, the fallout would reshape the Wings’ middle-core and shift McTavish’s fantasy value depending on where he lands and who supports him on the lineup. The Ducks, meanwhile, would have to recalibrate their rebuilding plan around cap math and asset returns.

In fantasy terms, McTavish’s stock would hinge on the destination’s supporting cast and ice time. Seider and Sandin-Pellikka’s involvement signals a dramatic shift in the risk/reward calculus for a potential McTavish deal, while Montreal and Carolina watching quietly underscores the broader market for a young, high-ceiling center with term remaining on his ELC/rookie control window.