Lenny Talks Sports

Tag: NHL

The Incredible Journey of Alex Mogilny to the Hall of Fame

The wait is finally over. After sixteen seasons on the ballot, Alex Mogilny will officially be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 10, 2025, as a member of the Class of 2025.

Entering the league in 1989-90 as the first Soviet defect to the United States, the Khabarovsk native joined the Buffalo Sabres after being drafted in the 5th round of the 1988 Entry Draft. As a rookie, Mogilny would put up a solid 43 points in 65 games; he would only continue to improve, recording over a point per game in the next two seasons and becoming an All-Star in the 1991-92 season.

Mogilny’s fourth season in the league would be his best, as he tied for the league lead with 76 goals, while also recording 51 assists for a total of 127 points in 77 games. Mogilny had elevated his game to the level of the elites in the NHL; as he had cemented himself as a star in the league. The Sabres would name Mogilny the first Russian captain in NHL history, and Mogilny would follow this up by recording 79 points in 66 games to earn himself his third straight All-Star appearance. The shortened 1994-95 season would be Mogilny’s last season with the Sabres before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks before the following season.

In his first year in Vancouver, Mogilny would once again have another fantastic season putting up a 50-50 season, with 55 goals and 52 assists totaling 107 points. This would be the first season that Mogilny would receive Hart trophy votes and make his fourth All-Star game appearance of his career. The 1995-96 season would be Mogilny’s best season in Vancouver and he would eventually be moved to the New Jersey Devils at the 2000 trade deadline.

Mogilny would join the Devils amid a playoff push, playing 12 games to end the regular season. Mogilny would then proceed to play 23 games in the postseason, winning his first Stanley Cup as New Jersey defeated the Dallas Stars in six games. With the win, Mogilny entered the prestigious IIHF Gold Club as a winner of the Stanley Cup, Olympics, and IIHF World Championship.

The 2000-2001 season would be Mogilny’s best season as Devil recording 43 goals and 40 assists totaling 83 points in 75 games. Mogilny showed that he still had that same scoring flair during his age-31 season. He would follow the regular season up with his best postseason performance recording 16 points in 25 games as the Devils reached the Stanley Cup before ultimately falling to the Colorado Avalanche.

Mogilny would leave the Devils in the offseason joining the Toronto Maple Leafs where his tenure would be highlighted by his Lady Byng Award win in 2002-03. The 2005-06 season would be Mogilny’s last season in the NHL as he retired in the place where he won his only Stanley Cup, New Jersey.

Mogilny would retire after sixteen seasons recording 473 goals and 559 assists for a total of 1032 points in 990 career games. A consistent player, playing at an All-Star level for the better part of sixteen seasons, never getting the recognition he deserved until June 24th, 2025, being named to the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

June 24, 2025
Jonathan Kuminga: A Fresh Start with the Nets?

After a rocky season with inconsistent playing time in Golden State, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga will not be returning to the team next season. One of the potential teams that has emerged as a candidate for Kuminga is the Brooklyn Nets, a rebuilding team looking to build its franchise around a young star, and Kuminga could be that player.

At just 22 years old, Kuminga is entering free agency for the first time as a restricted free agent, meaning that any offer accepted by Kuminga from another team has the opportunity to be matched by the Warriors if they want to keep Kuminga. This is where Brooklyn comes into the mix; the Nets have upwards of $50 million in cap space and can offer Kuminga a contract in the $30 million range if they want. Golden State most likely wouldn’t match this deal, allowing the Nets to sign Kuminga without having to give up any assets in a trade. But how does Kuminga fit into the Nets’ lineup?

The Nets need a young star to build their roster around and will look to this year’s draft and free agency to acquire that piece; with four first-round picks and well as Cam Johnson to use as a trade piece, expect the Nets to make some big moves on draft night. This could mean acquiring another top-ten pick in a trade package including Johnson and a couple of picks. With Johnson’s departure, a hole at the starting small forward spot would open, and Jonathan Kuminga could fill that role.

Kuminga came out of G-League Ignite as a top prospect in the 2021 draft where the Warriors drafted him with the 7th overall pick; his 6-7 frame, as well as his freakish athleticism, made Kuminga a can’t miss prospect. But inconsistent playing time, injuries, and a potential rift with head coach Steve Kerr led to a disappointing start to his career. With a cross-country move to Brooklyn, a fresh start is provided for Kuminga who played great in the minutes he was given when he was given them. Kuminga’s stats won’t jump off the page from this past season averaging 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game in 24.3 minutes a night.

But where we saw Kuminga show his potential was in the Western Conference Semifinals following Stephen Curry’s injury in Game One. While the rest of the team struggled, Kuminga took advantage of his opportunity and averaged 20.8 points, 3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on 54% field goal percentage from the field and 42% from three in just 27 minutes a night. The scoring potential that Kuminga had shown in flashes this year with multiple 30-point games, had finally been shown in a consistent stretch filling in for the Warrior’s best player. Kuminga scored in a variety of ways with monstrous dunks, tough drives to the basket, and knockdown three-point shooting; while he’s not the best playmaker, he doesn’t have to be if put in the right system.

If Brooklyn can draft a point guard such as Jeremiah Fears or Dylan Harper, Kuminga would not have to be the catalyst of the offense and can instead work off of Fears/Harper and Cam Thomas to create for Brooklyn’s offense. The addition of Kuminga would also generate some buzz for Nets fans after a season of disappointing basketball with one of the league’s worst rosters.

Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, who did a fantastic job in his first season with such limited talent, has continuously talked about wanting to establish a culture and identity in Brooklyn; and with the additions they could make in the draft as well as adding a player like Kuminga the Nets could be on their way to doing just that.

May 27, 2025
From Rookie to Record Breaker: Ovechkin’s Incredible Journey

As Tom Wilson’s cross-ice pass traveled towards the top of the circle, Alex Ovechkin’s eyes lit up. In his favorite spot on the ice, open on the power play, Ovechkin slung a rocket towards the net to beat New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin, history had been made. The Washington Capitals superstar had scored his 895th career NHL regular season goal breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals set in 1999. A record just a mere six years old that seemed otherworldly, a record that was almost untouchable until Ovechkin entered the league in 2005.

Ovechkin entered the league with a bang, scoring 52 goals and totaling 106 points in his rookie year with the Capitals; he would win the Calder Trophy as the Rookie of the Year and finish sixth in the Hart Trophy voting for Most Valuable Player. A superstar in the making, Ovechkin seemed destined for greatness; but Gretzky’s record still seemed untouchable. Ovechkin would have to maintain a 50-goal-per-season pace over the next 17 seasons to eclipse Gretzky’s record. There were many stars before him that appeared on track to break the 894-goal mark, but the biggest problem that would arise was injuries. Mike Bossy totaled 573 goals following his age-30 season, but injuries forced him to retire, and Mario Lemieux tallied 613 goals at the age of 31 but back problems forced him into early retirement. For Ovechkin to break Gretzky’s record he would have to be a machine and that he was.

The Russian Machine would win his first of nine Rocket Richard trophies as the league’s leader in goals in the 2007-08 season where he tallied 65 goals, while also winning his first of three Hart Trophies. Ovechkin would stay healthy and keep the machine rolling as he continued to rack up the goals and slowly creep up on Gretzky’s record. Following his age-30 season, Ovechkin has racked up 525 goals in 839 games, but with all the statistics he had put up, he still hadn’t found any team success. Not until 2018 when the Capitals finally broke through winning the Stanley Cup in five games over the Vegas Golden Knights. Ovechkin scored 15 goals in the Capitals playoff run and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason’s most valuable player.

The reality of Ovechkin breaking Gretzky’s record started to come to life when Ovechkin scored his 700th career goal in 2020, where he became the second player outside of Gretzky to score 700 goals before their 35th birthday. During that season he would earn his ninth Rocket Richard trophy and age didn’t look like it was slowing him down. Then in the 2021-22 season, Ovechkin would record his ninth 50-goal season of his career raising his total to 780 goals, which put him third all-time.
The following season, Ovechkin would record his 802nd goal of his career passing Gordie Howe for second all-time. Now only one man stood in front of Ovechkin in this chase to be the greatest goal scorer in NHL history, Wayne Gretzky. Over the next two seasons, Ovechkin would keep on scoring and inch closer and closer to the Great One’s record.

On November 18, 2024, Ovechkin suffered a broken fibula against the Utah Hockey Club and would miss sixteen games as he sat just 26 goals away from breaking Gretzky’s record. But that injury wouldn’t derail Ovechkin’s season, instead, he went on a run recording 25 goals in 41 games to tie Gretzky at 894 goals. That leads us to this afternoon where Ovechkin’s power play strike with 12:34 remaining in the second period broke Gretzky’s 36-year record and solidified Ovechkin as the greatest goal scorer in NHL history.

In 20 NHL seasons, Ovechkin had rewrote the history books winning nine Rocket Richard’s, three Hart trophies, recording nine 50-goal seasons, scoring the most power-play goals of all time, the most empty net goals of all time, the most goals with one franchise, and 895 career goals. A legendary run by a generational player, and something that we may never see again, cementing himself as the greatest goal-scorer of all time and a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer.

April 6, 2025
Game-Changers to Watch in NCAA Hockey Tournament

While the madness on the hardwood reaches its second weekend, the madness of the ice is just getting underway when the puck drops on Thursday. Sixteen of the nation’s best teams will battle it out on the ice for a spot in this year’s Frozen Four. All over the ice in every game, there will be future NHL stars and players trying to cement their name in their program’s history books. These four players are game-changers who will be key to their team’s success in their hopes to win a national championship.

James Hagens, Center, Boston College

A projected top-five pick in the upcoming NHL draft, Hagens hasn’t lit up the college level like many of the other top picks before him, but the NCAA Tournament might be time for Hagens to have his coming out party. Hagens has still averaged a point per game with 35 points in 35 games playing on the Eagles top line alongside Ryan Leonard (Capitals Draft Pick) and Gabe Perrault (Rangers Draft Pick), as well as putting up nine points in seven games in the World Junior Championship for the United States. Hagens’ smooth skating is what sets him apart from the rest of the players of this tournament, his ability to blow by defenders and set up his playmaking abilities from there is a reason why he will be a top pick in this year’s draft. Standing 5’11” and weighing 176 lbs Hagens does a great job of not getting pushed around and is strong on the puck. He has all the tools of a future NHL superstar, and hopefully, this tournament will allow him to show his potential as the top-seeded Eagles look to win a national championship.

Trey Augustine, Goalie, Michigan State

The backstopper for the number two seed and the Big Ten Champions, Augustine is a proven winner. A two-time gold medalist with the United States at the World Juniors, Augustine’s sophomore campaign has been spectacular. Putting up a .927 save percentage, with a 2.01 GAA, Augustine finished the season with a 19-6-4 record; this was good enough to have Augustine named as a finalist for the Richter Award given to the nation’s top goalie. Drafted in the second round of 2023 by the Detroit Red Wings, Augustine is not the biggest goalie but what he lacks in height he makes up with great fundamentals and technical ability. Being in the right positioning on almost every shot, it takes as close to a perfect shot, tip, or screen to get the puck past the Spartans netminder. Augustine will look to continue this magical season as the second-seeded Spartans take on Cornell on Thursday night in Toldeo.

Zeev Buium, Defenseman, Denver

The twelfth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild has been the best offensive-defenseman in college hockey over the past two years and looks to continue his dominance in what will probably be his last season in college hockey. The sophomore out of southern California has been electrifying since he stepped on the ice for the Pioneers; his great skating ability allows him to lead the rush up the ice and allows him to control the game in both the offensive and defensive zone. Buium’s skating ability allows him to skate with any forwards, and his quick change of direction allows him to stay positioned well creating turnovers and creating rush opportunities for the Pioneers. His puck-handling abilities are on another level as he calmly controls the puck and can set up his teammates which he has done many times this season. Buium has the ceiling of being a Quinn Hughes type of player in the future, but for now, he is focused on one last ride with the Pioneers as they look to win back-to-back national championships.

Aiden Fink, Winger, Penn State

Fink has been one of the most underrated superstars in the entire nation, leading the Nittany Lions to the NCAA tournament after a disappointing year for the program last year. As a freshman, Fink averaged a point per game, but as a sophomore, Fink has taken off scoring 52 points in 37 games to lead the Nittany Lions and third in all of the NCAA. A seventh-round pick by the Nashville Predators in 2023, Fink has proven all of the teams that passed up on him wrong as he has dominated college hockey putting up over 20 goals and assists showing a balance of scoring and passing. Although not being the biggest guy at 5’10”, 161 lbs., he can do almost anything on the ice. It seems as if he is always making the right play even if they are not the plays showing up on the scoresheet, he can carry the puck on the rush, receive the pass on the rush, or get in the puck in deep and chase. Fink is the key to the success of the Nittany Lions and look for him to light up the scoreboard Friday night in the Allentown Regional.

March 25, 2025
Is Jesper Bratt the most underrated player in the NHL?

Photo by Len Redkoles/NHL via Getty Images

When New Jersey Devils superstar Jack Hughes slid shoulder first into the end boards against the Vegas Golden Knights, many Devils fans were holding their breath in fear of what happened. Hughes exited the game as the Devils lost the game 2-0 dropping their season record to 33-23-6 and a lowly 8-10-3 since the start of 2025.

As the team awaited Hughes’s testing results the Devils would face one of the league’s top teams in the Dallas Stars where the Devils entered the third period trailing 3-1; this is when Jesper Bratt and the Devils offense came to life tallying two goals in 3:34 to tie the game at three. The Devils seemed content to go to overtime until a Johnny Kovacevic icing with under twenty seconds left in regulation set up a Dallas offensive faceoff. Off the faceoff, the Devils failed to clear the puck and Stars defenseman Thomas Harley ripped home a dagger with under five seconds to play giving Dallas the two points.

Late Thursday night the news would drop of Jack Hughes undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery; the news was heartbreaking to Devils fans as going into Friday’s trade deadline the season’s outlook looked bleak. New Jersey made minor moves acquiring defenseman Brian Dumoulin, center Cody Glass, winger Daniel Sprong, and defenseman Dennis Cholowski; the Devils fans were not convinced this would help the playoff push after losing a superstar like Hughes. New Jersey played the top team in the Western Conference the Winnipeg Jets and got run out of the building losing 6-1. The Devils were now 33-25-6 and only led the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers by four points in the Metropolitan Division standings.

Since that day New Jersey has won four out of their last five games and Jesper Bratt has recorded three goals and seven assists for ten points being named the second star in the NHL last week. Bratt hasn’t been paired with the top line with Timo Meier and Nico Hischier, instead, he has been on a line with Erik Haula and the newly acquired Cody Glass on the Devils third line. To show how impressive Bratt’s performance has been, Haula has not recorded a point since November 25th (he has three points over his last four games) and Glass had 15 points in 51 games before being traded to New Jersey (he has five points in his first five games as a Devil). Many fans outside of New Jersey had seen the stats of Bratt with Hughes early in the season where he recorded 68 points in 62 games while playing together, and thought he was the Robin to Hughes being Batman. But after his strong performance in the 4 Nations Faceoff with Sweden and his play without Hughes, Bratt has cemented himself as a star in this league.

The smooth-skating Swede will be at the forefront of the Devils push to the playoffs as they enter the last thirteen games of the season. He currently sits at 80 points in 69 games, while also tying the Devils franchise record for assists in a season with 60 assists tying Scott Stevens’ record set in the 1993-94 season. Last year Bratt set his career high in points with 83 and is on pace to shatter that number with a projected 95 points. But at the rate he’s scoring since Hughes’ injury don’t be surprised if Bratt continues his tear and finishes with over 100 points and leads the Devils to their second playoff appearance in the last seven seasons.

March 18, 2025