Victor Olofsson is headed to Colorado on a one-year deal, adding a proven middle-six scoring threat to the Avalanche as the 2025-26 season approaches. The 30-year-old has 20-goal seasons on his resume and posted 15 goals and 29 points in 56 games with Vegas last year after a lengthy run with Buffalo that included a career-best 28 goals in 2022-23. Across 2019-23, he produced at a 25-goal, 52-point pace per 82 games with 32 power-play goals, underscoring his offensive punch and special-teams value. Now, in the thin early stretch of Colorado’s depth, Olofsson could provide another reliable winger for the middle six and contribute on the power play. His defensive numbers showed improvement after joining Vegas, a factor that could influence Bednar’s deployment if he carries the trend into the Avalanche system. In the playoffs, he logged two goals and two assists in nine games, mostly with the man advantage, signaling a potential postseason-role ceiling if he stays productive. Colorado opens the year without Logan O’Connor due to hip surgery, and the bottom six has at least one more vacancy beyond that, even after re-signing Joel Kiviranta. The top two lines look set with MacKinnon and Brock Nelson centering flanked by a mix of Necas, Lehkonen, Landeskog and Nichushkin, but Olofsson adds depth behind them. With Kiviranta back and Olofsson in the mix, Ross Colton, Jack Drury and Parker Kelly face competition for third-line minutes, improving Colorado’s flexibility and threat level in the middle frame.

Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger were named to USA Hockey’s Olympic Orientation Camp in Plymouth, Michigan (Aug. 26-27), joining 42 other invitees from 24 NHL teams as Team USA gears up for 2026 Milano Cortina. The two-day camp is administrative and team-building, with no on-ice sessions. The selection marks an early step toward finalizing the Olympic roster, which already included six players announced in June: Eichel, Matthews, Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk, Hughes and McAvoy.

The U.S. sits atop the IIHF rankings and is chasing its first Olympic gold since 1980, after a 4 Nations final loss to Canada earlier in 2025 and a World Championship gold in May. A full invitee list was released by USA Hockey, underscoring the depth and ambition of this roster-building phase.

Florida Panthers dominate the NHL with back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2024 and 2025, led by Paul Maurice and Sergei Bobrovsky’s late-season brilliance. They loom as the legitimate favorite in 2026 markets, but the trophy chase remains wide open as multiple teams eye a reset in the Sunshine State’s wake.

Edmonton, Carolina, Vegas and a handful of challengers are framed as the primary threats. Edmonton’s talent and near-misses in finals keep them in the conversation, while Carolina’s regular-season dominance clashes with playoff heartbreak. Vegas, the 2023 champion, is positioned to disrupt again, and the sport’s history-laden Islanders provide a reminder of how hard it is to win three straight. Fantasy managers should lean into Panthers’ core, with Bobrovsky as a potential anchor, while staying alert to league-wide value across contenders.

Cody Laskosky signed with the Tahoe Knight Monsters for the 2025-26 season, starting his professional chapter after concluding his college career at Wisconsin where he logged 11 points in 21 games last year. The Alberta-born forward previously spent four seasons at Rochester Institute of Technology, posting 84 points with a career-best 41-point season in 2023-24, and his junior hockey roots stretch across the Alberta Junior Hockey League with four different schools. The Knight Monsters sit in the Vegas Golden Knights ecosystem as an ECHL affiliate, linked to Henderson’s AHL setup, and this addition signals a measured push toward adding scoring depth and North American experience to the Knights’ development funnel.

The move underscores a familiar path: Alberta junior hockey, NCAA play, then a pro leap into the Knights’ farm system. Laskosky’s production history—especially the 41-point mark at RIT—suggests he can contribute secondary scoring and versatility as he adapts to the professional game. Vegas’ pipeline through Henderson provides a structured bridge to higher levels should he accelerate his progression, making this signing a noteworthy development for fantasy depth in leagues tracking prospect paths.