The Hockey Writers' Matthew Zator and Jacob Billington get together to discuss their top five free agent signings and what impact they could have in the 2025-26 season.Check out THW's 2025 Free Agency Tracker - https://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-free-agency-tracker-2025/To celebrate NHL Free Agency Frenzy get a 50% discount on all premium Substack su…

Host Matthew Zator gets together with Zach Martin and Mike Fink to react to the opening day of NHL Free Agency. They discuss the biggest trades, signings, and extensions, winners and losers, and more.Check out THW's 2025 Free Agency Tracker - https://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-free-agency-tracker-2025/To celebrate NHL Free Agency Frenzy get a 50% dis…

The Stanley Cup Final ended a week ago, and the dust has settled on the season. So, what are the lingering thoughts and takeaways from the Final, the Playoffs, and the season? Justin Giampietro joins Mike Fink for the final episode of Ice Time this season to look back at it all and look ahead to what is an intriguing draft. Follow The Hockey Writer…

The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup title last night, and it's all sunshine in Sunrise. This team was dominant and is shaping up to be a modern dynasty. Harrison Smajovits joins Mike Fink to discuss why the Panthers are a juggernaut that can't be stopped, if they are a dynasty yet, and what type of team can eventually beat them. Follow The Hoc…

The Stanley Cup Final is a fun one with three overtime games so far and plenty of action. The Florida Panthers are one win away from winning the Cup? How did they get there? Can the Edmonton Oilers adjust? What is it about Brad Marchand that makes him so tough to stop? Harrison Smajovits and Matthew Zator join Mike Fink to dive into it all as we lo…

Game 3 was about as lopsided as they get for a Stanley Cup Final game, as the Panthers won 6-1. It's one of those games that can be seen as an outlier. How will Game 4 be different? How will the Oilers adjust? What is it about the Panthers that makes them special? Jim Bay joins Mike Fink to dive into it all! Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twi…

The first two games were toss-ups and fast-paced scoring sprees. Will that continue with the series heading to Florida for Games 3 & 4? Which team looks better in this tight series? Who must step up in the upcoming games? All that and more is discussed this week as Sylvie McCarthy joins Mike Fink to look back and the first two games and look ahead …

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final was a thriller and proved that this series will live up to the hype. How are the Oilers different? How can the Panthers adjust? Alex Chauvancy joins Mike Fink to break down all things Final. Plus, we talk the awards and how the NHL got it right with how they are presenting them. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠T…

It all comes down to this! The Edmonton Oilers against the Florida Panthers, a rematch years in the making (the first rematch in the Final since 2008 & 2009). There are plenty of stars, matchups, and keys to this series so Justin Giampietro and Matthew Zator join Mike Fink for a longer episode to dive into it all. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ …

The Eastern Conference Final wrapped up, and the Western Conference Final looks like it will tonight. So, Marc Sautter joins Mike Fink to discuss what makes the Panthers special, what happens next for the Hurricanes, and why the Oilers are different this time around. It's a long one, but a fun one, so enjoy! Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twi…

There are only four teams left in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the rest of the league can learn from those teams. Justin Giampietro joins Mike Fink to dive into the Hurricanes, Oilers, Panthers, and Stars with the lessons they provide. Plus, there's some Eastern & Western Conference Final talk thrown in. Conference Finals Hub - https://thehockeywr…

The Eastern Conference Final is here! The Florida Panthers are the team to beat and look to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the third year in a row but if any team can beat them, it's the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Chauvancy and Mike Fink dive into the series and also take a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs after their Game 7 defeat and how this migh…

The Western Conference Final is here! The Dallas Stars face the Edmonton Oilers, and there are matchups on top of storylines for this series. How will the Stars win this series? Can the Oilers big guns take over? Who wins and why? Brian Swane joins Mike Fink to dive into it all!! Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com…

The second round is starting to wrap up and the Oilers already took care of the Golden Knights. So, Sylvia McCarthy joins Mike Fink for a second-round whip-around talking Oilers, Golden Knights, Leafs, Stars & more! Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/TheHockeyWriter ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.instagram…

We're three or four games into every series, so there's plenty that stands out from the games so far. Harrison Smajovits joins Mike Fink to discuss the takeaways, are the Maple Leafs in trouble, is the Oilers Game 3 loss a series-defining one, and a whip-around of the second round. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.c…

The second round is heating up like Mikko Rantanen in recent games. His run has every fan in awe but also wondering about him in the big picture of the league (do the Avalanche regret the trade, or will they still be fine?). Plus, a look at Hellebuyck finding his footing, the Oilers once again proving why they can go on a playoff run, and the Maple…

There's so much to talk about in so little time. The Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets win dramatic Game 7s, the first round had plenty of excitement and the second round is around the corner. Justin Giampietro joins Mike Fink to dive into it all! Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/TheHockeyWriter ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

The first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs is starting to wrap up, and it's easy to look at every series as an optimist or a pessimist. So, Alex Chauvancy joins Mike Fink to first look at the positives, the teams who are stepping up in the first round, and then look at the teams (the Toronto Maple Leafs) who are collapsing. Plus, a look at th…

An action-packed episode of Ice Time as Stefano Rubino joins Mike Fink to talk about the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the injuries and panic button for some teams, plus Evan Bouchard and the Edmonton Oilers thoughts. Just as things were wrapping up, the Pittsburgh Penguins parted ways with Mike Sullivan, so some quick thoughts were…

It's still early in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and every team has only played a handful of games. That said, there are some storylines, players, and teams standing out from the First Round. Marc Sautter joins Mike Fink to discuss all the action so far. Let us know what you think in the comment section below!!Follow Mike Fink's writing - https:/…

The 2025 NHL Playoffs are underway and only five games are in the rearview mirror. It's usually a perfect Monday to have some overreactions but here, cooler heads (for the most part) prevailed. Justin Giampietro and Matthew Buhrmann join Mike Fink to discuss what some Game 1 overreactions are and what might not be an overreaction. Plus, we take a l…

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are around the corner, and the excitement is palpable. It's why this week's episode is a double one, as Mike Fink is joined by Brian Swane and Zach Martin to talk all about the playoffs, from the burning questions to overlooked stars to fun predictions. Make sure to like, share, and review Ice Time wherever you get your pod…

In this episode of The Hockey Writers Ice Time, Mike Fink gets together with Matthew Zator and Jacob Billington to predict who will win the NHL Awards this season. They also discuss Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record and who might break the mark in the future. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitt…

The season has entered the home stretch. It's a good time to look back at the 2024-25 season and think about what lessons and takeaways it's provided. Justin Giampietro joins Mike Fink to take a look at some takeaways from the season, as well as the John Tortorella firing and the Norris Trophy race. It's a longer episode but one with plenty to disc…

It's a tight three-person race for the Norris Trophy and it's too close to tell whether Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, or Zach Werenski should win the award. So we debate it! Mark Scheig who covers the Columbus Blue Jackets makes the case for Werenski, Matthew Zator who covers the Vancouver Canucks makes the argument for Hughes, and Stefano Rubino who c…

The rebuilding teams are often overlooked but there are a lot of them in the NHL at the moment. Which ones are successful? Which are concerning? What makes a rebuild successful? Jacob Strozyk joins Mike Fink to dive into the rebuilding teams and which are intriguing in one way or another. Check out the latest rebuild rankings - https://thehockeywri…

The NHL has gone through a lot of changes over the years. What's hit, and what do we miss about the game from the past? Alex Chauvancy joins Mike Fink to discuss some of the hits and misses, plus, some quick takeaways from the trade deadline. If you like this episode, make sure to rate and review! Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ - h…

The trade deadline is around the corner, and all the focus is on the teams that will make the moves to set themselves up for a Cup run. What about the sellers? Which teams can set themselves up for success in the long run by making a few big moves? Mike Fink is joined by Jess Amato and Sylvie McCarthy to dive into the seller's side of the trade dea…

With the 4 Nations Face-Off in the rearview mirror and the dust settled from the big event, it's time to look at what the NHL can and should take from the games. Jim Bay joins Mike Fink to dive into everything from how the league must broadcast the nations, the star players, and how to navigate the obstacles in the future. It's a longer one but a f…

In this episode of The Hockey Writers Roundtable, Matthew Zator and Jacob Billington get together to discuss their takeaways from the 4 Nations Face-Off so far, whether the NHL should extend 3-on-3 overtime to 10 minutes, change the standings to the 3-2-1 points system, and more. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com…

The NHL season has reached a lull with the 4 Nations Face-Off break so we take a look back and ask the simple question. What If? What if the Canucks didn't have a rift derail their season? What if the injury bug didn't decimate half the league's rosters? What if Leon Draisaitl didn't sign his extension in the summer!?!? Matthew Zator and Harrison S…

This week's episode starts with another big trade with J.T. Miller going from the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Rangers. What are the big-picture implications of this deal? Then it's looking ahead to the Final. It's early but what are some Stanley Cup matchups that would be fun to watch and how can they happen? Is a rematch in the works? What a…

The Mikko Rantanen blockbuster trade deserves a deep dive and we give it that. Zach Martin, who covers the Carolina Hurricanes, and Justin Giampietro, who covers the NHL at large join Mike Fink to talk about the trade for both sides before diving into the big topic this week. With the trade deadline approaching, we look at what the contenders will …

There's no All-Star Game this season but it's still worth discussing how to fix something that is unwatchable. How can the All-Star Game become an entertaining game and event? Is the 4 Nations Face-Off a possible fix for the NHL? Jim Bay joins Mike Fink to talk about the ideas the league should consider. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter…

The Trade Deadline is still multiple weeks away and a lot can change from now until then. That said, we're doing an early forecast on some of the teams, players, and storylines to anticipate as the deadline approaches. Jacob Billington joins Mike Fink to dive into it all!! Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/TheHoc…

It's the dog days of the NHL season and some teams are sting to realize it's a lost season. The question is what happens next? Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News joins Mike Fink to talk about the rebuilding teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks and their next steps as well as the Cup or Bust teams like the Nashville Predators and Ne…

A few weeks back, we talked about scoring and goals being up so this week, it's all about the defenses. Donnah Campbell joins Mike Fink to talk all about some of the best defenses in the NHL and how they are combatting the best offenses. What are the defensive units doing that stands out? How are they built differently? How are they dictating games…

The NHL season has reached the holiday break. So we talk about what we know, what we think we know, and what we don't know about the 2024-25 so far. Mike Fink is joined by Edgar Chaput and Spencer Lazary as the three provide insights on the season so far. If you like this episode, make sure to listen to THW Ice Time - Home Ice Edition which can be …

Everyone knows about Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Nathan MacKinnon but what about the elite talents like Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber? Mike Fink is joined by Mariah Stark Holland to talk about the star players that fly under the radar but are elite talents that you must be paying attention to. And yes, a few Wild players are mentioned ea…

Scoring has been up not just this season but for a few seasons. Why have offenses been dominant in the NHL, what have been the primary factors for the goal uptick, and what does the future hold for the evolving NHL? Alex Chauvancy joins Mike Fink to dive into both the data side of things but also the on-ice factors and how both coaches and front of…

The head coaching carousel is already in motion this season with a few teams already replacing their coaches. It makes you wonder what makes a successful head coach and some of the traits of the best ones. Mike Fink is joined by Matthew Zator to discuss all things coaching and some of the tendencies of the best. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠…

The list of injuries seems endless. It's been a theme since the preseason with stars like Drew Doughty going down to recent weeks with Auston Matthews and Alexander Ovechkin suffering long-term injuries. Is this an outlier or not? How will it alter the rest of the season? Raz Devraj joins Mike Fink to discuss all facets of the injury bug that has b…

In this episode of The Hockey Writers Roundtable, Jacob Billington and Raz Devraj get together to discuss several hot topics around the NHL including Jim Montgomery being fired by the Boston Bruins and hired shortly after by the St. Louis Blues, Sidney Crosby hitting 600 goals, whether Alex Ovechkin can still break Wayne Gretzky's goal record this …

The NHL is constantly evolving and goaltending is in a unique spot. Should teams value the position? How should teams build in the net? What will goaltending look like moving forward? Zach Martin joins Mike Fink to talk about the state of position early on this season. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/TheHockeyW…

We're just over a month into the season and we're ready to eat crow and admit we were wrong about some teams. Mike Fink is joined by Justin Giampietro, who was on the preseason episode, to revisit the preseason predictions and look at the ones that look incorrect. Follow The Hockey Writers:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/TheHockeyWriter…

A team can't win the Cup in the first month of the season but they can certainly lose one. That's the discussion this week as some teams already look cooked a month into the season. Mike Fink is joined by Sylvie McCarthy to dive into some of the teams that are already in trouble and the outlook to make the playoffs looks bleak. Follow The Hockey Wr…

In this episode of The Hockey Writers Roundtable, Matthew Zator and Jacob Billington get together to discuss several hot topics around the NHL including the injury to Connor McDavid, the Olli Maatta and Timothy Liljegren trades, the Colorado Avalanche's battle with the injury bug, and the Calgary Flames' struggles since starting the season 4-0-1.Th…

A theme this offseason and early into this season has been the contract extensions some stars have signed. GMs are no longer waiting. The question is who benefits from waiting things out and looking for a deal in the subsequent offseason? Mike Fink is joined by Stefano Rubino to discuss all sides of contract negotiations. Follow The Hockey Writers:…

In this episode of The Hockey Writers Roundtable, Matthew Zator and Jacob Billington get together with Raz Devraj to discuss several hot topics around the NHL including the Vancouver Canucks "toughening up" Elias Pettersson, the trade rumors surrounding the Montreal Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj, and Tristan Jarry's future with the Pittsburgh Penguins.Th…

With every team already playing a handful of games this season, there are some noticeable trends throughout the league. Will scoring stay up? Are injuries going to remain an issue? What are some things we are noticing early on that will become prominent storylines throughout the season. Mike Fink is joined by Zach Martin to discuss the early season…