ATNHL: Matthews to miss remainder of Maple Leafs season, NHL heading to Germany

Sunday mornings are for coffee, checking the standings, and catching up on everything we might have missed while focusing on the Sabres’ push for the playoffs. Around the NHL is our new weekly tradition here at SabresHub, where we step outside the 716 to bring you the best hockey writing and breaking news from around the league. From trade rumors out West to highlight-reel goals in the Metropolitan, we’ve curated the top stories of the week so you can get caught up in one quick stop.

TSN: Iginla No. 1, Habs among NHL leaders in Button’s Top 50 prospects ranking– Sabres have two prospects in the top 25, forward Konsta Helenius and defensemen Radim Mrtka. Having both Konsta Helenius and Radim Mrtka ranked in the league’s top 25 is a massive win for Buffalo’s future. Helenius, a highly intelligent center, is already lighting it up in Rochester and knocking on the door of the NHL, while the 6’6″ Mrtka is being hailed as a “high-ceiling” defenseman who could eventually partner with Rasmus Dahlin. With Helenius’s elite playmaking and Mrtka’s rare combination of size and skating, the Sabres have secured two foundational pieces that are expected to be full-time impact players as early as next season.

TSN: Matthews to miss remainder of Maple Leafs season with Grade 3 MCL tear, quad contusion – It’s a massive blow to the league to see a superstar like Auston Matthews sidelined for the rest of the season with a Grade 3 MCL tear, especially after such a reckless knee-on-knee hit. While Radko Gudas was suspended for five games—the maximum allowed for a phone hearing—the decision has sparked major controversy, with Matthews’ agent calling the ruling “laughable and preposterous.” From a Sabres fan’s perspective, while you never want to see an injury like that, it’s hard not to notice the contrast: Toronto is currently sitting last in the division and facing a grim end to their season, while Buffalo is thriving at the top of the Atlantic with high-end prospects like Helenius and Mrtka ready to lead the next generation.

Oh man, that is brutal pic.twitter.com/IUxvo9a98s

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) March 13, 2026

Sportsnet: Dahlin rejects ‘pest’ label while driving Sabres’ turnaround – Rasmus Dahlin is transforming into the ultimate leader for the first-place Sabres, combining elite production with a newfound “pest” reputation that has already baited stars like Evgeni Malkin and Brandon Hagel into costly suspensions and fines. While Dahlin playfully denies trying to get under opponents’ skin, Coach Lindy Ruff notes that his feistiness is simply a product of his desperate drive to end Buffalo’s 14-season playoff drought.

ESPN: NHL Power Rankings: New 1-32 poll, fantasy playoff pickups – In the latest ESPN Power Rankings, the Sabres are currently ranked 5th in the league, a position that reflects their dominance as the leaders of the Atlantic Division. The ranking underscores how elite the team has become during their current surge, with analysts noting that their 86 points and recent 8-2-0 run make them a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. While teams like Colorado and Dallas hold the very top spots, Buffalo’s position at 5th cements them as the “team to beat” in the East

NHL.com: NHL returning to Germany next season as part of campaign to grow game in country – The NHL is headed to Dusseldorf next season, where German star Tim Stutzle and the Ottawa Senators will face off against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks on December 18 and 20, 2026.

NHL.com: Kopitar on cusp of ‘surreal’ accomplishment as Kings’ all-time leading scorer – Anze Kopitar is on the verge of making history, sitting just one point away from breaking Marcel Dionne’s 45-year-old record of 1,307 points to become the Los Angeles Kings’ all-time leading scorer.