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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Wild training camp is almost here. With day one starting on Thursday, we have some questions.

The Wild announced a 48-player training camp roster that will report to TRIA Rink beginning Sept. 17, officially beginning preparations for the 2026-27 season.

Minnesota enters camp with Stanley Cup expectations, but that doesn't mean there aren't questions surrounding the roster.

From the middle of the ice to the crease, there will be plenty to watch over the next few weeks. Here are six of the biggest questions facing the Wild as training camp gets underway.

Who Will Emerge As The Wild's No. 1 Center?

This might be the biggest on-ice question facing Minnesota.

Joel Eriksson Ek, Ryan Hartman and Danila Yurov all provide coach John Hynes with options down the middle, but who will ultimately center the Wild's first line?

Eriksson Ek is probably the most natural answer. He has already shown chemistry with Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, and putting those three together would give Minnesota a legitimate loaded top line.

But doing so could also create questions farther down the lineup. We will get to the depth topic later.

Hartman has spent significant time alongside Kaprizov in recent seasons and could once again get an opportunity there. Yurov is perhaps the most intriguing option.

The 22-year-old recorded 27 points during his rookie season and spent stretches playing between Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. A significant step forward from Yurov could completely change the construction of Minnesota's lineup.

And then there is another possibility: What if the answer isn't currently on the roster?

General manager Bill Guerin has repeatedly shown a willingness to make significant trades when he believes they improve his team. The Wild don't necessarily have to solve their No. 1 center question during training camp, but camp should give us the first indication of how they plan to approach it.

Quinn Hughes Says Wild Could Make ‘Massive Trade’ As Dylan Larkin Situation LoomsMinnesota’s superstar defenseman fuels speculation that Bill Guerin may strike again, as Dylan Larkin’s trade request from Detroit creates a potential opening for another blockbuster roster addition.

What Will Quinn Hughes Say About His Future?

Get ready for this one.

When Quinn Hughes speaks to the Minnesota media during training camp, there is little doubt where the questions will begin.

Hughes is entering the final season of his contract and recently made it clear at the NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour that he doesn't feel pressured into getting an extension done before camp.

"This is going to be done whenever I feel like it needs to be done," Hughes said in Las Vegas. "I don't feel backed up against a wall."

Hughes added that conversations with the Wild hadn't been extensive over the summer because he wanted an opportunity to reset, but said he expects things to "heat up" as the season gets closer.

'I'm Excited To Get Going': Quinn Hughes Says Wild Have Nothing Left To Prove To HimThe star defenseman praises Minnesota’s roster and coaching staff while delaying contract talks, insisting his long-term future hinges on personal timing rather than the team's championship potential.

Now he arrives in Minnesota.

Hughes may not reveal anything more than he did in Vegas, but every answer will be dissected. Does he sound like someone who sees Minnesota as his long-term home? Have negotiations progressed? Is there any timetable?

Until Hughes signs an extension, his contract situation will hover over everything the Wild do.

Training camp will give Minnesota reporters their first opportunity to ask him about it on home soil.

Is Jesper Wallstedt Ready To Take Over The Crease?

For Jesper Wallstedt, this isn't just another training camp.

Filip Gustavsson is expected to begin the season on injured reserve as he continues recovering from offseason hip surgery, leaving Wallstedt and offseason addition Calvin Pickard as Minnesota's NHL goaltenders entering camp.

That puts Wallstedt in position to carry a significant workload to begin the season.

The good news for Minnesota is that he has already shown he can handle NHL competition.

Wallstedt, 23, went 18-9-6 with a .915 save percentage during the 2025-26 regular season before eventually taking over the crease during the playoffs. He started 10 postseason games and helped Minnesota defeat the Dallas Stars in the opening round.

Now comes another step.

Instead of being the young goalie pushing Gustavsson for playing time, Wallstedt enters camp knowing Minnesota could need him to be its No. 1 goaltender for an extended stretch.

How he looks during camp and the preseason will be one of the biggest storylines to follow.

How Will The Wild Replace All Of The Offense They Lost?

Minnesota's forward group will look considerably different this season.

Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson and Vladimir Tarasenko are all gone, leaving the Wild without three forwards who played significant offensive roles last season.

That is 53 goals and 150 points between the three of them.

Replacing that production won't fall on one player.

The Wild added Blake Coleman and Maxim Shabanov during the offseason, while Yurov and Bobby Brink could be asked to take on larger roles. Minnesota will also need continued high-end production from Kaprizov and Boldy.

Coleman brings four 20-goal seasons to Minnesota, while Shabanov is one of the most interesting wild cards on the roster after recording 18 points in 44 games with the New York Islanders last season.

The Wild may have replaced some of the departed players stylistically, but replacing their combined offensive production is another matter.

Camp will provide the first look at how Hynes plans to redistribute those minutes and opportunities.

Who Plays With Kirill Kaprizov?

For years, this question barely needed to be asked.

If Kaprizov was healthy, there was a pretty good chance Zuccarello would be next to him.

Not anymore.

Zuccarello's departure creates an opening alongside Minnesota's superstar, and there are several ways Hynes could approach it.

The easiest solution would be loading up Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek and Boldy. That trio has been dominant when used together, but separating Boldy from Kaprizov gives Minnesota another elite offensive threat capable of driving his own line.

Shabanov could also get a look alongside Kaprizov. So could Yurov. Hartman remains an option, and Hynes could spend much of camp experimenting with different combinations.

Whoever gets the opportunity will be stepping into one of the most important roles on the roster.

Finding Kaprizov's next running mate begins in camp.

Is Maxim Shabanov A Legitimate Top-Six Forward?

Perhaps no newcomer will be more interesting to watch than Shabanov.

Minnesota signed the 25-year-old forward to a one-year contract after his first NHL season with the Islanders, where he recorded five goals and 18 points in 44 games.

Those numbers don't scream top-six forward.

But the skill that made Shabanov an intriguing player coming out of the KHL hasn't disappeared, and Minnesota may provide him with a much different opportunity.

Bill Guerin told us that he identifies Shabanov as a player who could see time in the Wild's top six.

"We see him in that top-six role, but we have to see who he's going to have the best chemistry with."

Could that include playing alongside Kaprizov?

That's what makes camp so interesting.

Before making the jump to North America, the 5-foot-8 winger starred in the KHL with Traktor Chelyabinsk, posting 23 goals and 44 assists for 67 points in 65 games during the 2024-25 season, establishing himself as one of the league's most dynamic offensive players.

If Shabanov proves capable of producing in a top-six role, the Wild's forward group suddenly looks considerably deeper. If he doesn't, Minnesota may still have a hole to address.

The preseason won't answer every question about Shabanov, but we should quickly learn how the Wild view him.

And if he's skating next to No. 97 when camp begins, we'll have our first clue.

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Colorado Avalanche fans can stop wondering who will be running the front office.

Joe Sakic is staying.

After returning to the general manager position following Chris MacFarland's departure for the Nashville Predators, Sakic has decided to remain in the role, meaning the Avalanche will no longer need to begin the search for his eventual replacement.

Sakic stepped away from the GM position after Colorado's Stanley Cup championship in 2022, moving into the role of president of hockey operations. But MacFarland's departure forced the Avalanche to turn back to the man who helped build the team into a champion.

What initially appeared to be a temporary arrangement now looks much more permanent.

According to team sources who spoke exclusively to The Denver Gazette's Evan Rawal, Sakic felt “reinvigorated” by the opportunity to return to the GM chair. The Avalanche's four-game sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final also reportedly brought his competitive fire back.

For an organization that had expected to eventually begin looking for a new general manager, the decision removes one major question heading into the 2026-27 season.

Sakic, after all, knows this team better than almost anyone.

He was the architect of the roster that eventually lifted the Stanley Cup in 2022, and while his responsibilities changed after that championship, his influence throughout the organization never really disappeared.

Now, he gets another opportunity to shape the roster himself.

The timing is particularly interesting with training camp set to open Thursday at Family Sports Center.

The Avalanche enter the season with plenty to prove after their disappointing postseason exit, but there will also be plenty of attention on what Sakic does with the roster now that he has officially decided to stay in the GM role.

There could be some changes coming behind the scenes as well.

The Hockey News has heard that the Fix-It rink inside Family Sports Center, which underwent significant upgrades over the past several months, including new ice and boards, could eventually become the Avalanche's primary practice rink.

For now, though, the biggest development is much more straightforward.

Sakic isn't going anywhere.

And after a brutal playoff loss that apparently reignited his competitive fire, the Avalanche’s Hall of Fame executive has another opportunity to lead the team he helped build back to the top of the hockey world and capture another Stanley Cup championship.

Not every talented Philadelphia Flyers prospect has been able to enjoy a straightforward, linear development path. In some cases, that is due to their environment, and in others, unavoidable and untimely injuries.

The latter is true for prospect defenseman Spencer Gill, who has played in only 67 regular season games, including just 16 last season, since being drafted 59th overall by the Flyers in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

Still, despite the compounded lost development time from a season-ending ankle break to end the 2024-25 season and a significant upper-body injury late in 2025, the 20-year-old is blazing the comeback trail, starting with two strong performances in the Rookie Series against the New York Rangers over the weekend.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach John Snowden, who will get to know Gill extra well as his coach in his first pro season, had nothing but good things to say about the 6-foot-4 defender so far.

"It's been a tough couple of years for him with injuries. He's an awesome kid. He just wants to learn, he wants to work. He's got great energy about him. I thought he was really good this weekend. I thought he showed some really good, high-quality things you're going to want out of a defenseman," Snowden said of Gill on Monday.

"He's big, he's long, he's poised when the puck hits his stick. One of the biggest things we talked about after the game was just his ability to get guys on his back under pressure and just drop his heart rate and make a really positive play. There was one, I think it was in the second period, where he was under pressure from our offensive blue line all the way back to almost the crease, and he kept a guy on his back the whole way and shook him and skated and we were going the other way quick.

Flyers Handle Rangers in Chippy Rookie Series Opener; Who Stood Out?Alex Bump, Cole Knuble, and Carson Bjarnason were the stars of the show for the Philadelphia Flyers against the New York Rangers on Saturday night.

"And those are some pretty good moments, when you see a guy at his size and his ability, a right-shot defenseman that can hold onto the puck and suck guys in and make a positive play coming out of it."

Where Spencer Gill currently fits and will fit with the Flyers

Snowden and the Flyers had Gill feature in a variety of roles over the weekend to test his mettle, including the second power play unit and penalty kill. Transporting and moving the puck, as Snowden highlighted above, is one of the young defender's more underrated skills.

Ty Murchison, who wore the 'C' for the Flyers in Game 1 against the Rangers, was Gill's defense partner for that matchup, and camp invitee Riley Steen filled in for the next.

For the young Gill, playing in both matchups was important as a means to get extra reps; as Snowden and the Flyers are calling it now, camp has already started for the young players.

While it's all but a certainty Gill will start his pro career in the AHL with Snowden and the Phantoms, making a positive impression on the coaching staff after all the injuries will only boost his stocks going foward.

The right side of the Flyers' blue line is suddenly crowded with Jamie Drysdale, Oliver Bonk, David Jiricek, Gill, Brek Liske, and Carter Amico among the former first- and second-round picks gunning for long-term NHL roster spots in Philadelphia.

Despite perpetuated trade rumors, veteran Rasmus Ristolainen remains on the NHL roster, too.

This Flyers regime's modus operandi has always been to allow the players to decide their own fate, which means Gill will have to beat out other players and prove that he belongs above the rest.

After a challenging two seasons, he's back to charting the course towards doing just that.

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The Detroit Red Wings indicated that veteran goaltender Cam Talbot would not return for a third season when his contract expired, signing Daniil Tarasov to a one-year deal after he became available from the Florida Panthers.

And while the prevailing thought was that the 39-year-old Talbot would hang up the pads, he's not ready to do so yet.

According to NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun, Talbot will be joining the Columbus Blue Jackets on a one-year contract. 

Hearing the Blue Jackets will be signing UFA veteran goalie Cam Talbot, 39, to a one-year deal ($950k) later today. Colleague @Aportzline speculated in his piece today that this might possibly happen.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 14, 2026

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Talbot, who was coming off a two-year contract with the Red Wings that he signed in 2024, went 12-9-6 with a 3.19 goals-against average and an .833 save percentage during the 2025-26 season.

Never drafted into the NHL, he signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers in 2010, and worked his way up through their system before eventually being called up to the Rangers in 2013. 

Since then, he's suited up for the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild, Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, and Los Angeles Kings. 

Talbot has a career record of 278-204-53 with a 2.69 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage, and 33 shutouts. 

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Matt Boldy has blossomed into everything the Minnesota Wild hoped he would be and more after drafting him 12th overall in the 2019 NHL draft.

He's become a true top-line winger, capable of playing in offensive and defensive scenarios, on the top power-play and penalty-kill unit, and, as he's developed and matured, a leader. 

He's an Olympic gold medalist, a world junior gold medalist, and just an overall big-time performer when the lights are brightest. 

Boldy's ascent to superstardom has been a treat to watch, and it would shock no one if the 25-year-old took another step forward, because that's all he's done in the NHL.

Boldy has played five seasons in the NHL, and each year has set a new career-high in points. In his rookie season, Boldy notched 39 points in 47 games, which was outdone by his 63 points in 81 games in his sophomore season. In year four, he posted 69 points in 73 games, and then exploded for 85 points in 76 games last season. 

This was Boldy's first season scoring above a point per game, and he set a career-high in goals with 42. His outstanding season saw him receive Selke Trophy votes (finished 32nd) and finish sixth in All-Star votes among left wingers in the NHL.

Although his 42 goals and 85 points were outstanding, there's a path for him to outdo those numbers again. At 25 years of age, he's now truly entering the prime years of his NHL career. His understanding of the game, his skill set, and how his opponents want to defend him are as clear as they've ever been. He's also at a great spot physically, standing 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds.

Quinn Hughes Says Wild Could Make ‘Massive Trade’ As Dylan Larkin Situation LoomsMinnesota’s superstar defenseman fuels speculation that Bill Guerin may strike again, as Dylan Larkin’s trade request from Detroit creates a potential opening for another blockbuster roster addition.

Everything in Boldy's game is coming together, and his all-around approach is beginning to become borderline dominant. In the 2025-26 season, Boldy ranked in the 94th percentile in hardest shot and the 85th percentile in average shot speed, according to NHL EDGE. His skating speed numbers slightly decreased from the prior season, but they were still above average.

Only 14 players threw more shots on goal than Boldy, only eight players scored more goals, only 18 players recorded more points, only 13 players recorded more power-play points, and only eight players recorded more shorthanded points, while just one player recorded more shorthanded goals.

Everything Boldy has shown through the first five seasons of his career demonstrates that he will continue to add elements to his game, improve in areas that are already strengths, and take on more responsibility.

With some of the departures this off-season, Boldy will be called upon to elevate his game, and all his tools suggest he is equipped to answer those calls. 

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The Florida Panthers are going to be a team that is watched closely this season.

Coming off an injury plagued campaign a year ago, the Panthers are once again healthy and ready to resume their role as one of the league’s top teams.

But they are also on the cusp of becoming something the NHL has not seen in over a decade and rarely has seen over the past half century.

A dynasty.

Generally, a team can be considered a dynasty when they win three of more championships during the same era of dominance.

Most recently, the Chicago Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups in a six-year span (2010, 2013 and 2015). Prior to that, the Detroit Red Wins won Cups in 1997, 1998 and 2002.

Those count as dynasties.

Before that, the New York Islanders winning four straight titles from 1980 to 1983 and the Edmonton Oilers winning five titles between in seven years between 1984 and 1990 dominated the 80s, and the Montreal Canadiens basically running the 70s with six Stanley Cup wins in nine years were absolutely dynasties.

Now what about the Panthers?

Florida won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025 after reaching the Stanley Cup Final in three straight seasons, starting in 2023.

Another championship (or two, or three) over the next several seasons will absolutely qualify the Panthers as a dynasty.

Looking forward, the team’s window of opportunity to continue finding that kind of success seems wide open.

They have an incredibly formidable core group of players who are all signed through at least the end of the decade and are entering or currently residing in the prime years of their respective careers.

It’s a list that includes Sasha Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones, Brad Marchand, Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola.

Additionally, Florida General Manager Bill Zito and his staff will have more money to spend in the coming years as the league’s salary cap continues to rise.

Some of that will go toward an extension for Brady Tkahcuk, whose contract has two years remaining and is eligible to sign a new deal next summer, and the team’s future goaltenders, as both Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid are under contract through the end of the 2027-28 season.

Based off his track record, Panthers fans can feel confident that Zito will continue to build and maintain Florida’s elite, championship contending roster.

Under head coach Paul Maurice, the team will continue to play a brand of physically imposing and aggressively defensive hockey that thrives once the playoffs arrive.

Will all that be enough for the Panthers to reach the mountaintop at least one more time over the next several seasons?

Time will tell, but there’s an argument to be made that Florida will be as prepared and capable of any team vying to make that climb.

Their next bite at the championship apple will begin later this week in Fort Lauderdale.

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Photo caption: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; The FloridaPanthershoist theStanleyCupafter winning game six of the 2025StanleyCupFinal against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

On Monday, more and more contract extensions appear to be coming through across the NHL, while fans of the Detroit Red Wings anxiously await word on a Simon Edvinsson deal. If it doesn't happen by Tuesday night, the Red Wings will be operating under an entirely new set of standards when it comes to contracts.

That's because Tuesday marks the moment the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement officially kicks in, bringing with it several significant changes to how contracts can be structured. If you've noticed a flurry of eight-year deals getting done across the league over the past few days, that's because under the new CBA eight-year contracts will be replaced with seven years as the new maximum for a player re-signing with his own team, and six years for a player signing with a new organization. 

Also changing under the new deal, teams will no longer be able to defer salary on new contracts, and front-loading deals will be significantly more restricted, closing off two mechanisms clubs have used to artificially lower cap hits.

So if Detroit wants to use the current rules to its advantage in getting an Edvinsson extension done, whether that means tacking on an eighth year or structuring the deal with deferred or front-loaded money, the window is closing fast, and the price tag isn't getting any cheaper while they wait. 

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The market for young defensemen shifted dramatically when the Vancouver Canucks signed 20-year-old Zeev Buium to an eight-year, $75.04 million extension carrying a $9.38 million annual cap hit. With Edvinsson holding a stronger NHL track record than Buium at a similar stage of his career, it's fair to expect Detroit's young blueliner could command a deal in a similar range, and possibly a cap hit well into eight figures.

Beyond the contract-length changes, the new CBA brings several other notable shifts that will shape the league going forward. Players further down NHL lineups stand to benefit as well, with the league minimum salary climbing from $775,000 to $850,000 in 2026-27, with further bumps to $900,000, then $950,000, and eventually $1 million by the final year of the deal.

The regular season is also expanding from 82 to 84 games, while teams must now ice a cap-compliant roster for playoff games, closing a loophole where clubs used long-term injured reserve during the regular season to build rosters that would've otherwise exceeded the cap. 

Other changes include a new AHL recall rule requiring a player to play at least one minor-league game before being recalled, closing a "loan" loophole, and a provision allowing teams to assign one 19-year-old CHL graduate per season directly to their AHL affiliate instead of back to junior, though 18-year-olds remain ineligible.

Rounding out the changes, any player making his NHL debut in 2026-27 or later will be required to wear cut-resistant neck protection, and teams can no longer mandate a specific dress code like suits and ties. 

The Red Wings have a rare, closing window to lock up a promising young defenseman on terms that simply won't exist once the calendar flips and once the new CBA takes hold, Detroit will be negotiating under a new set of rules.

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The Montreal Canadiens were fairly quiet this off-season, with their lone notable move being the contract extension of Ivan Demidov.

They signed several players to two-way contracts, but otherwise stayed quiet. That all changed over the weekend, as the Habs signed Chris Kreider to a one-year, $2.15 million contract, and then signed RFA and former St. Louis Blues 2021 first-round pick Zachary Bolduc to a four-year, $4.2 million AAV contract.

Bolduc appeared to be an important part of the Habs' core, but as the off-season progressed, trade rumors began to sprout, and uncertainty around his future with the organization grew. The public may have felt that way, but internally, the organization seemed to expect to complete a contract sooner or later. 

Now, the Canadiens have signed their 23-year-old left-handed winger to the 2030 season, when he'll become a UFA at 27. 

Bolduc has played two full seasons in the NHL, one with the Canadiens and one with the Blues, as well as a short 25-game stint with the Blues in 2023-24.

With the Blues, Bolduc scored 24 goals and 45 points in 97 games, finishing eighth in Calder Trophy voting during the 2024-25 season. After his impressive rookie season, he was dealt to Montreal in exchange for defenseman Logan Mailloux.

The trade filled needs for both teams, as the Habs needed middle-six depth and the Blues needed to add younger pieces to their defense core.

Is Blues' Logan Mailloux Entering Make-Or-Break Territory?Logan Mailloux was among the best players on the St. Louis Blues during the final third of the 2025-26 NHL regular season, but he must show he can do it for a full campaign, or he risks entering make-or-break territory.

Bolduc has received a mid-term contract, just a bit longer than a standard bridge deal that would keep him an RFA, but shorter than a long-term deal. Mailloux, on the other hand, received a one-year contract, asking him to prove his late-year resurgence is sustainable. 

As the years go by, it will be interesting to see how the deal shakes out.

For now, Bolduc will continue to be a physical middle-six winger with the potential to score 20 goals and be a depth producer on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. 

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The Buffalo Sabres have been proactive with a number of their own players in getting them signed to long-term extensions prior to them getting close to becoming eligible for an offer sheet or unrestricted free agency. Previously, the club under former GM Kevyn Adams signed core players Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Matias Samuelsson locked up long-term. New GM Jarmo Kekalainen has followed suit with Zach Benson, Josh Doan and Beck Malenstyn.

With the expiration of the previous collective bargaining contract structure on September 15, Kekalainen was able to get another of his promising young forwards to commit to a multi-year deal. The Sabres announced on Monday they signing of center Noah Ostlund to an eight-year, $52.8 million deal ($6.6 million AAV).

The 22-year-old posted 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 60 games as a rookie, and was dependable at both ends of the ice, which made him a favorite of Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff in the second half of last season.

“He’s a coach’s dream, because those are the type of players you don’t really have to coach,” Ruff said. “He pretty well knows where he’s going almost every time. Very few times in the D zone does he get out of position.”

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As with most of their long-term deals, Buffalo could get paid off if their projections on Ostlund are correct. With the salary cap exploding, other clubs are rolling the dice on young forwards with potential who have not made their mark in the NHL yet. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins did so with winger Ville Koivunen, who they signed to an eight-year, $32 million contract extension ($4 million AAV) after only 47 games of NHL experience and just 14 career points. Boston did so last week with center Fraser Minten, locking up the 22-year-old to a seven-year, $50.4 million deal ($7.2 million AAV).  

Buffalo has both Jiri Kulich and Jack Quinn entering the final year of their contracts before becoming restricted free agents, but with Kulich’s health concerns, it is likely the Sabres want further evidence before committing to him as well. 

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LAVAL, Quebec (AP) — The Montreal Canadiens have signed head coach Martin St. Louis to a multiyear extension.

The team announced the deal Monday without revealing how long St. Louis is now under contract.

St. Louis, 51, has guided the upstart Canadiens to consecutive playoff berths, including a trip last year’s Eastern Conference final, after beginning his tenure during a full-scale rebuild.

Montreal hired St. Louis in on an interim basis following Dominique Ducharme’s dismissal in February 2022, taking on his first-ever role behind an NHL bench after previously coaching at the youth hockey level.

A Hall of Fame winger as a player, he had the interim tag removed at the end of that season.

St. Louis has a 163-155-47 record entering his sixth season as Canadiens coach. He was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2025, after leading the Canadiens to the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season. Montreal, at the time the youngest team in the league, was eliminated in the first round by the Washington Capitals.

“Marty has done a terrific job leading our young team,” Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said in a statement. “He is a great communicator and teacher. We look forward to his continued efforts to mold this group into a championship-caliber team.”

Inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018, St. Louis totaled 1,033 points before retiring in 2015.

His most decorated season was in 2003-04, when he won the Hart Trophy as league MVP, the Art Ross trophy as leading scorer with 94 points and helped the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

As National Hockey League clubs open training camps this week, a few former Buffalo Sabres have still not found a home. In recent days, veteran blueliners Carson Soucy and Nick Blankenburg have agreed to professional tryouts with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs respectively, but players with extensive NHL experience may be running out of time to land a job or may be waiting for a club to need an injury replacement early in the year.

Last season, veteran goalie James Reimer’s pro career looked to be nearing its end, as he failed to latch on with the Toronto Maple Leafs after being brought in on a PTO late in the preseason, but Ottawa came calling in January for a dependable backup for Linus Ullmark, with youngster Leevi Merilainen struggling, and his addition helped the Senators get into the playoffs.  The 38-year-old is still unsigned. 

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Evander Kane also has not found a landing spot, but after a subpar season in Vancouver, being 35, and a chaos agent in many of the locker rooms throughout his career, only a desperate club would go down that road. 

A player that surprisingly has not found a home is big defenseman Logan Stanley. The former Winnipeg first rounder played nearly six seasons with the Jets before being traded at the deadline along with Luke Schenn to the Sabres for Isak Rosen, Jacob Bryson, and two draft picks. With Buffalo, the 6’7”, 231 lb. defenseman played mostly in a third pairing role and posted five assists in 17 regular season games, and eight of Buffalo’s 13 playoff games. 

There had been speculation that coming off a career-high 26 points last season, and with a very thin crop of defensive free agents on the market, that the 28-year-old was in a prime position to get overpaid and get some term on a deal, but clearly Stanley and his representatives miscalculated.

Another alumnus - D Logan Stanley - at Kitchener Rangers practice today. pic.twitter.com/jhLTNa3pjj

— Josh Brown (@BrownRecord) September 11, 2026

The veteran is currently skating with his former junior club, the Kitchener Rangers, and may be holding out for a one-year deal in a good landing spot, where he can get plenty of ice time, have a good year and hit the open market again next July, but that may not come until the regular season. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

James Hagens scores four goals as Bruins beat Sabres in Prospects Showcase originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Bruins training camp starts Wednesday, and one player to keep a close eye on is top prospect James Hagens.

The former Boston College star, who the B’s selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, dominated the Buffalo Sabres in the 2026 Prospects Showcase at LECOM Harborcenter over the last two days.

Hagens scored twice in the first game Sunday to propel the Bruins to a 6-2 win.

Hagens played even better in the second game Monday afternoon. He scored all four of his team’s goals, including the winner in overtime for a 4-3 victory.

The 19-year-old forward was playing against Sabres prospects and not a bunch of NHL players, but it was still very encouraging for the Bruins to see how powerful and accurate he was with his shot in this event.

Hagens has a ton of potential as possible top-six forward in the near future. He is a gifted playmaker who has steadily improved his abilities as a goal scorer over the last two years.

He’s also a potential X-factor for the Bruins during the upcoming 2026-27 season. The B’s need a couple young players to take a jump offensively and provide valuable scoring depth. Fraser Minten, a 22-year-old center who recently signed a seven-year extension, is a prime candidate for a breakout. Marat Khusnutdinov scored a career-high 15 goals last season. Can he get to the 20-goal mark in 2026-27?

Hagens was able to get some valuable NHL-level experience last season. He played in two regular season games and three of Boston’s six playoff matchups versus the Sabres in the first round.

The defensive aspect of his game still need some work, and he has to be better on faceoffs. But the offensive talent is special. Four of his six goals in the Prospect Showcase this week came on the power play. That’s one area where he could make a real difference for the Bruins next season.

Hagens will have to earn an Opening Night roster spot in training camp and the preseason. But if he shows the kind of dynamic offensive skill set that was on display in Buffalo the last two days, he shouldn’t have much trouble making the team.

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- When Mason McTavish made the case that he would play with a chip on his shoulder after being traded by the Anaheim Ducks to the St. Louis Blues, the same can’t be said for newly-acquired defenseman Brandon Carlo.

In Carlo’s case, getting traded was a welcomed sight.

In the 29-year-old’s case after being traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Blues on June 27 -- which was the second day of the 2026 NHL Draft -- for a pair of third-round picks in 2026, it’s a welcomed change of scenery.

It simply didn’t work out with the Leafs, who paid a hefty price to acquire the 6-foot-5, 227-pound right-handed shot from the Boston Bruins at the 2025 trade deadline. It cost Toronto forward Fraser Minten, who recently signed a long-term extension with the Bruins, a conditional first-round pick in 2026 and a fourth-round pick in 2025.

In 75 games with the Leafs, including 55 last season, Carlo finished with 10 assists (seven in 2025-26) while playing just under 19.5 minutes per game.

“There's no secret that I wasn't my best (last season) by any means, but overall I am excited for the new opportunity and to be welcomed by a group is always a great compliment,” Carlo said. “So yeah this is a good, fresh start and I hope to come in here and just take my experience and knowledge and help in any way I can. Just continue to do my best each and every day, that's all I can really control. You can't control certain things with getting traded, but overall I definitely was excited to hear that I was going to be a St. Louis Blue.”

So when the news came down, with Carlo driving in his car with his wife and five-year-old daughter and two-year-old son, it came as a welcomed relief.

“I was driving to my niece's birthday party, so my wife and my kids were in the car. I just got a call and it was just one of those trade calls where you can tell right off the bat when they say, 'How are you doing?' 'I'm OK,’” Carlo said. “Overall, it's a good thing. I'm thankful for my time in Toronto. It was a good learning experience overall. I'm thankful to have played with those guys. They have some great guys in that room and, yeah, I think overall you've got to go through some hard times to continue to grow as an individual and this is one of them for me.”

Carlo and his wife understood their lives would be changing, but the kids? Not so much.

“Yeah, my kid was shaking a maraca in the back or something,” Carlo joked. “Yeah, but you know it's a part of my family life, too, and it affects all of us. Kind of good to just rip off the Band-Aid with everybody.

“… I think my daughter is starting to understand a little bit, but it's great just to see it through their eyes. She was super excited to go to school the other day in a new place and had a lot of fun with that. I just try to take that approach and learn from it as well to have that childlike mentality with it all because it is a new experience. It's exciting. It can be nerve-racking as well, but from a child's perspective, as an adult you can lean on that and see that it's a fun opportunity.”

Carlo, who has one year remaining ($4.1 million cap hit, $3.25 million base salary) on a six-year, $24.6 million contract he signed with the Bruins in 2021, gives the Blues stability and size on the blue line; he is a nice security blanket and insurance for 2024 first-round pick Adam Jiricek, who is no guarantee to sew up a spot on the NHL roster this season.

When then-general manager Doug Armstrong made the trade, he mentioned specifically that Carlo’s experience was too good to pass up.

“That’s exactly it,” Armstrong said. “We think that Jiricek is going to come in and have a great training camp and I know you guys are sick of me saying this, but the NHL fails more people than players fail the NHL, so we don’t want to put someone in a position where they’re surviving. We want to put them in a position where they can potentially thrive. Jiricek is going to have the opportunity to come in here and push, but we’re in for the marathon with this young man. He played a lack of hockey last year, I think 90-plus games, but if you look at the number of games he played the two years before that, it wasn’t a lot. Sort of hope for the best and plan for the worst might be the best way to look at this. It’s a one-year deal (for Carlo) too. We’re not bringing in a contract that’s going to preclude someone mid-season or next season. This is reflective of what I think the NHL should be as great competition, so when he’s ready to take someone’s job, he will.”

In the meantime, Carlo’s 10 years and 692 regular-season games’ worth of experience should suit the Blues well, and whether he plays with Cam Fowler or Tyler Tucker or whoever the Blues put him with, they’ll be getting someone who should help the overall defensive game, particularly the penalty kill, a penalty kill that was not very good (25th, 76.7 percent) last season.

“Yeah, I think overall each year I've learned so much and that goes for everybody,” Carlo said. “Each year you play in the league, you learn more about yourself, you learn more about your game. I think I can understand the role that I play and it's not the sexiest role, but overall I love what I do, I love my job and what I can contribute to a team. I feel confident in that and look to just bring that every day that I can.

“I think just kind of take some of the knowledge that I've learned from some of the great players that I've played with on the penalty kill ... my first year, I was lucky enough to play with Zdeno Chara and learn from him, especially on the penalty-kill. Communication is key. You'll hear me being pretty loud out there, yelling all over the ice, especially on the penalty kill, because as long as we can be each other's eyes and take away the passing lanes, that can be really helpful. And I think with a goalie like ‘Binner’ and ‘Hof’ behind us, there should be a recipe for success there.”

And the Blues hope to get more success from Carlo, who played some of his best hockey when Blues coach Jim Montgomery coached Carlo in Boston, in 2022-23 when he had three goals, 13 assists in 75 games and a career-high plus-44 and in 2023-24 (four goals, 10 assists in 76 games, plus-23).

“Yeah, our team was very good that year and that obviously helps and was fun,” Carlo said of the 2022-23 season, the best in NHL history at 65-12-5. “But I really enjoy playing under ‘Monty.’ I think he's a great coach and sends a great message, so a lot of respect there for him and really happy to be reunited with him.”

Now that the Band-Aid has been ripped off, Carlo, who faced the Blues in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final that the Blues won in an epic seven-game series, is eager to get to work with a blue line that will also feature 6-4, 210-pound Philip Broberg; 6-6, 228-pound Colton Parayko; 6-2, 213-pound Fowler; 6-3, 212-pound Logan Mailloux, and 6-1, 204-pound Tucker with some length and beef.

“It's been awesome (so far),” Carlo said. “I haven't had many experiences with many guys in this room besides ‘Monty’ obviously. It's been great. All the guys have been great. Yeah, it seems like a very good group. Pretty tight-knit from what I can tell, and yeah, I think I can continue to get more comfortable each and every day. It was nice to get all of the introductions out of the way on the first day, and from there just start building relationships with guys.

“Just a bunch of guys who are big and like to compete. You can tell out there, even in practice that everybody just wants to compete hard and I have a lot of respect for that. The goal is to go through camp just working as hard as we can. Yeah, there are some guys that I can continue to learn from, too. Fowler and Parayko as well, they have a lot of experience in this league. I've looked up to (Parayko) for a while, just similar style of play in some aspects, and he's a great player. Yeah, it should be fun to learn and grow with these guys.”

Dillon Dube Understands Opinions Will Vary On His Reinstatement To NHL, Wants To Earn Another Chance To Prove His Worth As Person, Player On IceForward, among five 2018 Canada World Junior Players accused of sexual assault eight years ago before being acquitted, will get chance at return to NHL after signing one year contract with St. Louis Blues

'Yeah, I Think I Have A Chip On My Shoulder, For Sure' -- New Blues Forward Mason McTavish Has Ample Reason For Motivation Entering 2026-27St. Louis acquired third overall pick in 2021 for pair of 2026 first-round picks after subpar season in Anaheim last year

St. Louis Blues Prospect Adam Jecho To Enter Player Assistance Program2024 third-round pick will return to the club when cleared for on-ice competition by program administrators; fellow prospect Zach Dean was in assistance program a year ago

Ross Johnston Midwestern-Type Upbringing Brought Him To St. Louis BluesNew Blues enforcer, who grew up on a family farm in Prince Edward Island, Canada, signed a three-year, $6 million contract that brings toughness, grit to a lineup that has been lacking it

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