Author: NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

While much has been written about the Montreal Canadiens’ new arrivals this summer, we haven’t heard quite as much about how former Habs are faring elsewhere. Two players were sacrificed (and some draft picks) to obtain Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders and Zack Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues. How have they done so far?

In Long Island, Emil Heineman seems to have found a spot on one of the Islanders’ top lines alongside Jonathan Drouin and Bo Horvat, and plays on the second power play unit. If this proves to be a long-term position, this trade will have been brilliant for Heineman, who had a more depth role in Montreal. Just like with the Canadiens, it’s his physicality on the forecheck that has caught the attention of the coaching staff.

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Meanwhile, in St. Louis, Mailloux has been told to find himself a place to live in town, which bodes well for the young defenseman. Unlike in Montreal, the Blues’ AHL affiliate isn’t next door; the Springfield Thunderbirds are an hour and a half away from their parent club.

In other words, for now at least, Mailloux has done what he couldn’t do in Montreal: he’s made the team. With four points in as many games, Mailloux appears to have landed a third pairing spot and a role on the second power play unit.

It will be interesting to see what Bolduc and Dobson can do with their new team this season. So far, both have dealt with minor injuries, but nothing that will prevent them from playing in the first game of the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. The blueliner will be paired up with Mike Matheson and have first pairing duty, while Bolduc appears destined to play alongside Kirby Dach and Brendan Gallagher, bringing some much-needed speed to that line.

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Sammy Blais is back playing with head coach Craig Berube.

The 29-year-old and goaltender Cayden Primeau were the waiver claims made by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday afternoon. Both players arrived in Toronto on Monday evening and got into their first practice with the team on Tuesday morning.

"I was happy," Blais said about being claimed by the Maple Leafs, after the Montreal Canadiens put him on waivers Sunday. "I think it's a good opportunity for me to be here and knowing some people here too for sure helps."

Blais signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Canadiens on the opening day of free agency in July. He was one of Montreal's final roster cuts ahead of Monday's 5 p.m. opening day roster deadline.

Once Toronto received word that their claim of Blais was accepted, they made adjustments accordingly, which included keeping Easton Cowan off the roster and calling up Jacob Quillan from the AHL's Toronto Marlies (salary cap shenanigans).

Explained: Why Easton Cowan Was Temporarily Left Off Maple Leafs Season-Opening RosterThere was some chaos around 5 p.m. ET when the Toronto Maple Leafs announced their opening night roster. Jacob Quillan was on it rather than Easton Cowan, who many expected to be.

Blais was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the sixth round (176th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft. He spent four seasons in the Blues' organization before joining the New York Rangers, with whom he tore his ACL in November 2021.

He appeared in 40 games with the Rangers in 2022-23 prior to returning to the Blues via trade. He then inked a one-year, $1 million contract in March 2023 and played one more season in St. Louis, where he scored one goal and seven points in 53 games.

"Sammy's had a history with (Berube) going back to St. Louis. He won a cup in St. Louis. If you look back, he was a real good player in St. Louis. Went to New York, went through a major injury with his knee and sort of had to rebuild himself, right?" Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said on Tuesday.

"He's a player that had spent last year in the American League and was a big part of that team's success, winning the Calder Cup. We'd had good reports. Our staff had seen him a lot over his career, but specifically last year. Had a good camp in Montreal. Gives us some depth and a history with the coach for a player we need."

Maple Leafs Believe ‘Things Are Progressing Well’ With Joseph Woll And An Updated Look At Toronto's Goaltending Situation One day before the Toronto Maple Leafs' regular season opener, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving provided an update on goaltender Joseph Woll, who has been absent for most of training camp to tend to a personal matter.

Blais spent the entirety of last season with the Abbotsford Canucks on an AHL contract. After a strong regular season, scoring 14 goals and 40 points in 51 games, Blais put up six goals and 19 points en route to a Calder Cup Championship.

"I think even going back in AHL last year, I thought I found my game back a little bit, like not just physically, but offensively, too," Blais said. "So I had a lot of fun last year. And I think my confidence went up a lot last year. So I'm just trying to be here and have fun and do the job."

Coming to Toronto, he has some familiarity. As previously mentioned, Blais won the Stanley Cup with the Berube-coached Blues in 2019. The forward had one goal and two assists, plus 70 hits (fourth-most on the Blues), in 15 games with St. Louis during that playoff run.

"I really like the person, the player. He's physical, and he's got good puck skills. I had him in the minors, he scored 30 goals. I mean, he's got good skills," Berube said. "I'm happy to have him back. Looking forward to working with him again here."

Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid On Track for 2028 Free Agency Together — What It Means For The Maple Leafs StarIt was a bit of a surprise when Connor McDavid put pen to paper on a new two-year contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers. While the $12.5 million average annual value matched his previous eight-year deal, he could have commanded any dollar he wanted —as seen by Kirill Kaprizov’s eight-year, $17 million contract. It’s clear McDavid wants to win, and this short-term deal allows the Oilers to continue building a Stanley Cup contender.

This reunion could work quite well for Toronto. Blais plays the style that Berube wants from his players, which, in theory, should translate into on-ice success. 

"He knows what I expect out of him, and I know what I'm getting out of him," added Berube. "I think more than anything, I know what type of player he is and what he brings to our team. And he knows what I want. So I think it's good that way."

When Blais could get into Toronto's lineup remains a mystery, though. He was the extra forward during the team's practice on Tuesday. There's also the Easton Cowan situation playing out, so who knows when he'll get into the lineup.

Nevertheless, the fit made sense, and that's what matters most to the Maple Leafs, and to Blais.

"I know what (Berube) expects from me, so I think it makes it a little easier to know someone. But I'm just excited to show that I can still play in this league."

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Both the Kings and the Avalanche entered this game with high expectations. Colorado built its team around its core players, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, while Los Angeles added a few veteran pieces and is leaning towards their up-and-coming young talent and veterans. 

It was shaping up to be a great game, but it was the exact opposite. 

In a season opener that’s already shaping to be a statement game for the Avalanche, they surged out to a 3-0 lead through the first two periods, scoring three goals in the second period alone. 

What looked like a tight, close, cautious first period of action blew open as Colorado’s offense began to attack the Kings and found a groove, while Los Angeles struggled to find answers on both sides of the ice. 

Final from LA. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/yquOPADMBw

— LA Kings (@LAKings) October 8, 2025

First Period: Tight Defense, No Goals

In the first period, both teams appeared sluggish and deficient, with both goaltenders standing strong and protecting their nets. Neither team could break the tie and score the team's first goal of the season, making it interesting to see if the entire game would go this way.

The ice was played with discipline and toughness, with a few penalties and hard hits. 

Speaking of a few hits, the biggest hit was the one Josh Manson delivered to Warren Foegele, which sparked a fistfight between Jeff Mallot and Manson, resulting in an extra 2-minute unsportsmanlike penalty. Many argue that this was the breaking point for Los Angeles.   

WHAT A HIT, WHAT A FIGHT 💥

Josh Manson lays a massive hit on Warren Foegele and then follows it up with a fight with Jeff Malott 🥊 pic.twitter.com/nag285X1Qh

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 8, 2025

Second Period: Avalanche Takes Over

Colorado came out with a statement once the second period began, putting Los Angeles on its heels. 

Avs opened the scoring 48 seconds into the middle frame, setting up forward Martin Necas for a snipe to score Colorado’s first goal of the season, assisted by MacKinnon. 

The next play that sparked a 2-0 lead came just a few minutes later when Sam Malinski scored from the left side of the ice through a maze of traffic in front of him that was a very tough shot, one that Kings goaltender Kuemper never even saw go through. 

Suddenly, what had looked like a defensive battle became a runway. As left-wing Artturi Lehkonen dived down on the ice and scored a goal off the assist from Makar to take a commanding 3-0 lead. 

Third Period: Avalanche Hold Off Kings 

The Kings managed to score in the final period with Kevin Fiala cashing in on the fast break to avoid the shutout, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback. 

Overall, it wasn’t a pretty night for the Kings, as it looked like mentally they weren’t in the game after the first period. Give credit to Scott Wedgewood, who came up big for his squad and spoiled Anze Kopitar’s final home opener. 

It’s just one game; there's no need to panic for the Kings. However, mentally, they let the Avs get in their heads, and they can’t allow that to happen again against superior teams in the Western Conference if they’re going to be contenders. 

 

 

It was a very “Game 1” feeling to this first period, mainly for the Avalanche. The Kings came out strong early in the period, generating a lot of chances in the Avalanche zone, but Scott Wedgewood was impressive to start. Keeping track of the puck well and making sure any loose rebounds were either batted away quickly or gloved for a whistle. 

A major standout of the Avalanche was the Landeskog-Nelson-Nichushkin second line. They were super impressive in the playoffs against the Dallas Stars, and they're keeping that chemistry to start the season. Big moment when Josh Manson lays a massive hit on Warren Foegele, and Jeff Malott steps up for his teammate. It is called for instigating, and the Avalanche gets a power play out of it, but they fail to capitalize on it.

Heck of a hit from Josh Manson 😳 pic.twitter.com/bZHoeqhhT0

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 8, 2025

It was an outburst in the second period as the Avalanche scored three goals in the period. It starts when MacKinnon wraps around the net and finds Martin Necas to open the scoring. His assist sets a new franchise record for most points by a Colorado Avalanche since moving from the Quebec Nordiques to the Colorado Avalanche, passing Joe Sakic.

Nathan MacKinnon Becomes Avalanche's All-Time Leading ScorerWith his assist on Martin Necas' goal, Nathan MacKinnon now passes Joe Sakic for most points in Colorado Avalanche history since relocating to Denver, Colorado.

Sam Malinski was able to scoop the puck off the boards and send a shot on the blue line through a crowd of players and beat Darcy Kuemper. The Avalanche get a power play opportunity when Joel Edmundson is called for slashing, but don't capitalize on it. Cale Makar makes a highlight play by dashing through the Kings' defenders, but his shot is blocked, though it's Artturi Lehkonen on the doorstep to bang it in. With 30 seconds left in the period, Edmundson takes a delay of the game penalty.

The third period was eventful to say the least, with four penalties called in the first 12 minutes. Brent Burns called for hooking, Makar called for hooking, and Foegele called for holding, all teams failing to capitalize on the power play. It won't be until Kevin Fiala is called for roughing and Necas makes it 4-0 after beating Kuemper far side right as the power play begins.

Another three penalties would be called after that, with MacKinnon penalized for interference and Manson penalized again for cross-checking, to make it a 5-on-3. The Kings capitalize on the opportunity as Fiala blasts one past Wedgewood to make it 4-1. Clarke is called for cross-checking, the seventh penalty in the period. That would end the game, with the Avalanche winning 4-1

The Avalanche play again on Oct. 9 against the newly introduced Utah Mammoths in their home opener.

For Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar, Tuesday’s NHL season-opener was the beginning of the end while for Ken Holland, the team’s first-year general manager, it was the end of the beginning.

For both it was also a night to forget, with the Colorado Avalanche skating through, over and around the Kings in a dominant 4-1 victory built on second-period goals from Martin Necas, Sam Malinski, Artturi Lehkonen and a second Necas score midway through the third.

Kevin Fiala got the Kings only score on the team’s third power play of the final period, though the goal, coming with less than five minutes to play, was little more than a murmur of protest. Kopitar picked up his 839^th career assist on the play, padding his franchise record and extending his point streak on opening day to eight games.

“That's a pretty good team,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said afterward. “They did a good job. They out-checked us, they caught us, they disrupted plays, they didn't let us forecheck.

Read more:Anze Kopitar reflects upon his decision to retire as Kings enter season at a crossroads

“That was not a good game for us. I don't want to take away from how well Colorado played. [But] we need to play better than we did.”

Kopitar, the Kings’ all-time leader in several other categories including games, announced last month that this season, his 20^th in the NHL, would be his last. And while those numbers will eventually take him to the Hall of Fame, first there will be a farewell tour around the league, one that got off to an uneven start with the sellout crowd at Crypto.com Arena saluting him with a standing ovation pregame. Kopitar wasn’t much of a factor after that, however, taking just one shot in 18 minutes.

Meanwhile for Holland, hired last May to get the Kings beyond the opening round of the playoffs for the first time since 2014, the game marked the end of his summer restructuring with his new team. And the first impression of what he built wasn’t a good one, with the Kings losing their opener for the third time in four seasons.

Both teams played cautiously in a first period that ended with the Kings skating shorthanded after Colorado’s Josh Manson took down Warren Foegele with an elbow, a hit Jeff Malott acknowledged by chasing Manson down the ice and dropping the gloves. Both players drew five-minute fighting penalties but Malott was also given two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“I like the response to the hit on Foegele,” Hiller said. “We thought it was a high hit so Malott went in. We’ve got no problems with that. I thought that was really important moment for him and for our team; that we're not going to take that.”

The Kings killed the penalty — the first of 12 on the night for both teams — but seconds after the two sides were back at full strength Necas gave the Avalanche the lead for good with a wrister from the right circle.

Malinski, a defenseman, doubled the advantage less than seven minutes later, blasting a shot from just inside the blue line through traffic and by goalie Darcy Kuemper. Lehkonen gave Colorado its third goal of the second period on a rebound with 5:18 left.

“Second period wasn't good enough,” defenseman Drew Doughty said. “We were on our heels, we were turning the puck over too much. They were getting a lot of speed up turnovers, 3 on 2s and stuff. And that hurt us.

“Definitely not even close to good enough.”

Read more:Kings' Corey Perry to miss six to eight weeks after knee surgery

Necas then made it 4-0 on a power-play goal halfway through the final period. Fiala matched that with the Kings’ first goal of the year less than five minutes later.

The Kings rarely challenged Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood in the first two periods, playing tentatively and creating little offense, putting just nine shots on goal through the first 36 minutes. Helped by four Colorado penalties the Kings came alive in a chippy third period, putting 14 shots on goal.

“Good response in the third,” Doughty said. “But too little, too late.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

There were a lot of storylines heading into the Pittsburgh Penguins' season opener against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

For one, the respective head coaches of each squad - Dan Muse for Pittsburgh and Mike Sullivan for New York - swapped places and organizations this offseason. Two teenagers in Harrison Brunicke and Ben Kindel were debuting on the same day for the Penguins - the first time that's happened since Kris Letang and Jordan Staal on Oct. 5, 2006. Also, the "Big Three" - Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang - kicked off their record-shattering 20th season together.

But, despite all the noise, Pittsburgh played a smooth, sound road game - and it paid off for them.

The Penguins shut out the Rangers, 3-0, to begin their 2025-26 season, and they did it in clinical fashion. They limited high-danger chances against, and goaltender Arturs Silovs - who got the nod over veteran Tristan Jarry - stopped all 25 shots he faced. 

No one could have predicted that forwards Justin Brazeau and Blake Lizotte would carry the scoring for the Penguins, even with two of those goals being empty-netters. But perhaps the most impressive thing was that the Penguins took a 1-0 lead into the third period, and it didn't once feel like that lead was in danger of being taken from them.

They outshot the Rangers, 12-5, in the third period, locking down and playing structurally sound hockey - something that's been largely lacking over the past several seasons in Pittsburgh.

"I thought they, to a man, did a great job," Muse said. "I thought for the first game of the season, I just like the fact that you walk out of there, you get the job done. But you can look around the locker room and really feel like, to a man, everybody did something there to contribute tonight. If we start that way, and that's going to be the base that we're going to build off of, that's what I learned tonight. I'm excited about building with these guys."

2025-26 Season Predictions: THN Penguins' EditionIt’s a new NHL season, and that means it’s time for a new THN - Pittsburgh Penguins season prediction piece!

Here are some thoughts and observations from the Penguins' impressive season-opening win:

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- Let's start with the kids.

First of all, it was a really cool thing to see Brunicke and Kindel take the ice in the opening lineup, along with three scrubs in Crosby, Malkin, and Letang (just kidding, of course). They actually had a pretty good opening shift and were pressuring in the offensive zone until the puck leaked out to the neutral zone and Brunicke took a penalty within the first minute.

To start the game, it was clear that Brunicke took some time to adjust to the speed and rigors of playing in a regular season NHL game. But after the first period, the 19-year-old blueliner - only the second South African-born player to play in an NHL game - settled in. His reads progressively got better, he got more confident in joining the rush and in playing the offensive blue line, and his defensive zone presence improved.

First game ✔️ pic.twitter.com/5gsEF78KGe

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 8, 2025

ROOKIE LAP TIME ‼️ pic.twitter.com/b3qT6dlNdG

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 7, 2025

Brunicke was good in this game. But Kindel was outright impressive.

The 18-year-old center was 80 percent in the faceoff circle, and he looked like an NHL regular from puck drop. He made a few passes and plays that were remniscent of a 10-year veteran. He was calm, composed, and confident with no panic in his game. He even generated a few chances for his line with Philip Tomasino and Tommy Novak, and he easily could have finished the evening with a few points on the board.

There are very few young players in this league that I've seen debut - and I've seen many over the years - who looked like they belonged from the very start. It's so difficult to just jump into a game against an NHL lineup for the first time as a teenager and look the way Kindel did on Tuesday.

I continue to be impressed by this kid. If he can keep this up for nine games, I'm not sure how he doesn't stick around. But, that's just it: We'll see how he looks over a nine-game sample. 

- Another player who was impressive and committed to structure tonight was Erik Karlsson.

"Karlsson" and "structure" don't typically go together in the same sentence. But, alas, he made very few mistakes - a missed outlet pass in the second period was one of them - and he looked akin to the 2022-23 version of Erik Karlsson that the Penguins thought they were acquiring from the start.

I think he and Parker Wotherspoon could, potentially, be a really solid pairing for the Penguins this season. It's obviously very, very early, but based on Tuesday's game and some camp observations, Wotherspoon plays a very stay-at-home, structurally sound, low-risk, and low-event game. A very low-event and positionally sound defenseman is an ideal partner for one of the most high-event players in the league. 

We'll see how things shake out with them. But if Wotherspoon's "unnoticeability" makes Karlsson more noticeable in a good way - and allows him to do what he does best - that's all you can really ask for. 

- Malkin was very, very good in this game. He had his gallop. And his linemate, Brazeau, seemed to be in the right place at the right time with frequency. 

'It's Super Rare': Looking Back On Two Decades Of The 'Big Three'On Oct. 5, 2006, a young, 19-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman named Kris Letang suited up for his NHL debut against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Anthony Mantha looked a bit rusty, but that's probably because he is. He'll need time to get back up to game speed after missing nearly the entire 2024-25 season with a torn ACL, so it's nothing to be concerned about at this point. 

I'm not yet sure what to make of this line, which has a minimum height requirement of 6-foot-5. But it seemed like they were using that size advantageously, and the fact that they were mostly deployed in offensive zone starts allowed them to play to their size and their strengths.

I don't think this line sticks once Bryan Rust returns, and it certainly won't if Rutger McGroarty returns to the NHL roster. But, for now, it might just work. And Malkin deserves to have some consistency on his wings in what could be his final NHL season.

- Silovs was not tested to the extreme on Tuesday, and he was a bit shaky with his rebound control earlier on in this game. 

But, he locked in and made the saves he needed to. It was nothing flashy and nothing spectacular, but he got the job done. And he was calm and composed in the process. 

Honestly? This might just be what the Penguins need between the pipes this season. He won't be perfect, but he could very well be good enough - and he still has potential to rise above that. Muse said Jarry will get his early-season opportunities, too, but this was a really good way to start the season for Silovs.

3 Big Penguins' Storylines To Watch in 2025-26With final NHL rosters submitted and the pre-season officially coming to a close, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be an interesting team to watch for a plethora of reasons in 2025-26. 

- Many hockey people are projecting the Rangers to be a playoff team. 

To be honest, I just don't see it.

Yes, they have, arguably, the best goaltender on the planet. Their top defensive pairing is quite good, and their top-six is formidable. 

But, beyond that? Things get less than ideal. 

The bottom-six leaves a lot to be desired, even with rookie Noah Laba in the picture. The bottom-four in their defense corps isn't all that great, either, and they also don't have a whole lot to look forward to in their prospect pipeline. 

On top of all of that, their team is aging, and its best player in Artemi Panarin is on an expiring contract.

I'm not saying the Rangers won't make the playoffs. It's early, they have the goaltending, and Sullivan is a very, very good coach. But I just don't think they have the talent or the depth to really make any kind of statement this season. 

I, for one, think this team needs a whole lot of tinkering in order to make the playoffs this season. If it stays the same - and they don't end up making the playoffs - I can't say I'd be surprised.

Mike Sullivan Understands The Magnitude Of What It Means To Represent The Rangers Mike Sullivan makes his way to The Big Apple in a unique season for the New York Rangers. 

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Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!      

While the current Vancouver Canucks prepare for their season-opener on October 9, some former Canucks started their 2025–26 season off with a matchup against former teammates. In the second game of the NHL’s opening night, former Canuck Artūrs Šilovs and the Pittsburgh Penguins shut out J.T. Miller, Carson Soucy, and the New York Rangers by a score of 3–0. All three players started the 2024–25 season on Vancouver’s opening night roster and all ended up on different teams via trade. 

Šilovs, the 2025 Calder Cup MVP in the Abbotsford Canucks’ first championship in franchise history, had been named the Penguins’ opening-night starter earlier in the day. He was traded back in July in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick and forward Chase Stillman. In his Pittsburgh debut, Šilovs stopped all 25 shots faced and earned his first regular-season NHL shutout. 

On the other side of this game was Miller, who spent six seasons with the Canucks before being traded for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a 2025 first-round pick back in January. The scrappy forward was named captain of the Rangers back in September and will likely be a big piece in New York’s successes in 2025–26. He was joined by Soucy in March when the Canucks traded the veteran defenceman a day before the trade deadline. 

The next former 2024–25 Canuck who is expected to start their season is Dakota Joshua, who was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in mid-July. Joshua and the Maple Leafs will face the Montréal Canadiens tomorrow, October 8, at 4:00 pm PT. Another former Canuck, Pius Suter, will make his debut with his new team, the St. Louis Blues, on October 9 at 5:00 pm PT. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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On Oct. 5, 2006, a young, 19-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman named Kris Letang suited up for his NHL debut against the Philadelphia Flyers.

By then, 19-year-old phenom teammate Sidney Crosby already had an entire NHL season under his belt, which was a marvelous 39-goal, 102-point rookie campaign. And, less than two weeks later - on Oct. 18 - a 20-year-old Evgeni Malkin suited up for an NHL game for the first time. 

Little did those three players know that, 20 years later, they'd still be donning the same sweater and taking to the ice together. 

The trio of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang is the longest-tenured trio in North American professional sports history, and, to some, it might stand to reason that they always knew there was something special between the three of them - a bond and a partnership that could stand the test of time.

But, in reality, it's not something that was ever guaranteed - which makes it all the more unique and special.

“Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt that secure with it, to be honest," Crosby said. "I mean, [in] hockey… there’s so much turnover. I think, just in general, like all sports, you see more and more turnover. It’s pretty rare that you see guys be with one team for long periods of time, and because of that, I probably didn’t allow my hopes to get up too much. But, I think that’s what makes it even more special.

"I think that, in the back of our mind - you’d have to ask [Malkin and Letang] - but there’s no guarantees, and that’s what makes it what it is. It’s super rare, and I think it makes us appreciate knowing that [change] could have happened so many different times.”

8 Bold Penguins' Predictions For The 2025-26 SeasonIn case you haven't heard, the Pittsburgh Penguins play hockey Tuesday night against the New York Rangers. 

But, change never happened. And given the long run of success that the Crosby-era Penguins had, the thought of them spending two decades together - from an outside perspective, at least  doesn't feel unnatural in the slightest.

The trio's run of success started almost immediately, as the Penguins made the playoffs in that first season. Letang was not part of the picture - as he was sent back to juniors after just six NHL games and remained there for the rest of the season - and they did get ousted by the Ottawa Senators in five games. But it built the foundation for what was to come next with a roster one year older and more experienced. Malkin and Crosby enjoyed successful seasons individually as well, as Malkin recorded 33 goals and 85 points in 78 games and Crosby registered 120 points - and won the Art Ross Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, and Hart Trophy. 

But it all started to peak in 2007-08 with all three of them in Pittsburgh for almost the entire season. The young Penguins peaked early, going all the way to the Stanley Cup Final against the veteran powerhouse Detroit Red Wings but ultimately falling short. 

The stats, information and history throughout The Big Three's 20 seasons is endless 🧵 pic.twitter.com/tJ4KUkqdsF

— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) October 7, 2025

It was almost deja vu in 2009, but this time, the Penguins came out on top, and the young core were already Stanley Cup champions at 22, 22, and 21 years old. Playoff success may have eluded them for a while after that, but after back-to-back championships in 2016-17, it seemed that - no matter what - the legacy of the "big three" was already pretty solid.

Fast forward to the dawn of the 2025-26 season, and the Penguins have missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. The team finds itself in the midst of a rebuild with an unclear timeline, and even with youth beginning to populate the roster, the three Penguins' legends still remain. 

It's hard to tell what's next with these Penguins and their three longest-tenured players. Malkin is entering the final season of his current contract and - at 39 years old - is contemplating retirement at the end of it. Letang, 38, still has three years remaining on his deal, and he will likely continue to settle into a lighter workload as the season progresses. At 38 years old, Crosby is still going very strong, and he is entering the first year of a two-year contract.

2025-26 Season Predictions: THN Penguins' EditionIt’s a new NHL season, and that means it’s time for a new THN - Pittsburgh Penguins season prediction piece!

The 3,705 points between them is the most by a trio on a single team in NHL history. Even if the future is a bit uncertain, they're still writing history, and they're still writing their story.

It would be easy for each of them to sit back and soak in the moments. Take it all in and enjoy everything they've built together. But that's just not how they're wired. 

They still want to win, and they want to win in Pittsburgh. As a new generation is ushered in, they're still focused on the season in front of them - and they're enjoying the ride.

And, even if his captain is pleasantly surprised that the three of them are still doing all of it together, Letang is not.

"We don't really take time to think about," Letang said. "From the beginning, we felt like we were pulling in the same direction, and we all wanted the same thing. For some reason, it doesn't surprise me that we're still here. It's just been great. Three different personalities, and it's just been fun.

"So, we're excited for another one."

3 Big Penguins' Storylines To Watch in 2025-26With final NHL rosters submitted and the pre-season officially coming to a close, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be an interesting team to watch for a plethora of reasons in 2025-26. 

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The Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks kicked off a new hockey season on Tuesday night in Sunrise.

Florida, the NHL’s back-to-back defending Stanley Cup Champions, raised their 2025 championship banner before facing off against the young Blackhawks at Amerant Bank Arena.

It’s going to be a challenging campaign for the Panthers.

Before playing a single game, the Cats were already without three of the key players from their most recent championship run: Matthew Tkachuk, Tomas Nosek and team captain Sasha Barkov.

The Panthers were able to get things off on the right foot during Opening Night, defeating Chicago 3-2 in front of a packed house full of excited Cats fans.

After the game, The Hockey Show co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork broke down all the action.

You can check out THS’ postgame coverage in the video below:

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The Buffalo Sabres are facing an uphill battle to make the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, and we’ll be honest – in our pre-season predictions for THN.com, we slotted the Sabres into sixth place in the Atlantic. And we were being generous about Buffalo in comparison to THN magazine\, which ranked the Sabres as the seventh-best team in the Atlantic.

It really comes down to easy math: you just have to ask yourself which teams are locks to make the playoffs, and how many playoff openings that leaves for the teams that aren’t playoff locks. And in the Atlantic, the math isn’t encouraging for the Sabres.

To wit: in this writer’s opinion, the Atlantic playoff locks are the Toronto Maple Leafs (who were the best regular-season team in the division last year), the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the defending-champion Florida Panthers.

The Maple Leafs made major changes, yet they still have a deep, skilled attack that’s going to be desperate to go far this year. They won't be handing Buffalo any free standings points. Neither will the Lightning or Panthers. Thus, the Sabres will be fighting it out for fourth space. And the competition for fourth place is fierce. Not only are the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins also vying for one spot – two spots if they’re good enough to steal an extra spot from the Metropolitan Division. 

It's The Calm Before The Storm For Sabres As Buffalo Aims To End Painful Playoff DroughtFor the Buffalo Sabres, it’s the calm before the storm. The NHL’s 2025-26 regular-season is about to commence, and with the new season comes a new set of expectations for the Sabres. And with this season’s Sabres, the expectation is urgent – this Buffalo team is either going to end the Sabres’ 14-year playoff drought, or there are going to be changes throughout the organization, including the firings of GM Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff.

All of this is to say the odds of the Sabres beating out every other team and sneaking into a wild card berth this year. There are too many things out of Buffalo’s control, too many what-ifs, too many ripple-effects. None of them make the Sabres’ lives easy. Buffalo could play well, and still not have their destiny in their hands down the stretch. That has to be alarming for Sabres hands who want nothing more than to cheer on their own playoff team. 

Buffalo knows they’re not going to be a popular pick to go far this season, and they need to use the underdog label to send a message – this year’s Sabres aren’t the Sabres of the past decade-and-a-half. Buffalo has sufficient talent to be a playoff team this season, and as they prepare for their first game Thursday night against the New York Rangers (another team that could hurt the Sabres landing a wild card spot), Buffalo understands they’re coming to a crossroads with this Sabres team.

Early Injuries To Key Sabres Players Can't Be An Excuse For Buffalo To Fail This SeasonWe said it earlier this summer, on more than one occasion – if the Buffalo Sabres intend on ending their Stanley Cup playoff drought at 14 years, they can’t afford to let the injury bug take a major bite out of their roster. Obviously, that’s something that only the Hockey Gods can control, but the Sabres simply don’t have the organizational depth to withstand the damage if someone meaningful is sidelined for a notable stretch of time.

Buffalo absolutely has to empty the tank to avoid losing out on simply qualifying for the post-season. Because the Sabres are going to be fighting it out with many teams for a wild card berth, and the odds are stacked against them. 

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Brazeau scored twice, Arturs Silovs stopped all 25 shots he faced for his first regular season NHL shutout, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Rangers 3-0 on Tuesday night in each team’s opener.

Dan Muse won his debut as Penguins coach with his predecessor, Mike Sullivan, on the other bench running his first game with the Rangers. Sullivan guided Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and ’17 as part of a nearly decade-long run there before parting ways in April.

Brazeau and Silovs were also playing for the Penguins for the first time. Brazeau signed as a free agent, while Silovs joined in a trade from Vancouver.

Evgeni Malkin led off his 20th season in the league by setting up Brazeau’s goal. Malkin beat Vincent Trocheck on an offensive zone faceoff to get the puck to Brazeau, who was alone in front and roofed a backhander past Igor Shesterkin.

Brazeau’s first goal with 32 seconds remaining in the first came near the end of a period that Pittsburgh controlled the play for much of the time. Silovs blocked away a shot from Alexis Lafrenière in the final seconds of an early Rangers power play but did not have to make too many other spectacular saves to get the win. With Shesterkin pulled for an extra attacker, Brazeau had an empty-netter with 2:12 left, and Blake Lizotte sealed it with another 20 seconds later.

Mika Zibanejad, who Sullivan put on new captain J.T. Miller’s right wing to start the season, was one of the most noticeable players for New York. Zibanejad missed the net on a couple of scoring chances but also had a game-high seven shots on goal.

Defeating the Rangers gave the Penguins something to celebrate on opening night as Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang made some history. They became the first trio in the four major North American men’s professional sports leagues to play 20 seasons together with the same team.

Up next

Penguins: Host the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

Rangers: Visit Buffalo on Thursday night.

On June 27, 2025, the Vancouver Canucks drafted center Braeden Cootes 15th overall. Not even half a year after, Cootes is preparing to make his NHL debut on Thursday night in Vancouver’s season-opener against the Calgary Flames. Having already passed the tests provided by the prospects showcase, training camp, and pre-season, Cootes is taking a low-stress approach to skating in his first NHL game. 

“I’m just trying to tell myself, ‘I’ve been playing this game for how long, it’s just hockey at the end of the day.’ So I’m just trying to do my best with it,” he told the media after practice on Tuesday. 

While there’s no doubt about Cootes’ skills, there weren’t many who thought the young center would make the team straight out of pre-season and training camp. However, a strong showing during his in-game performances as well as his strikingly mature mindset ultimately helped the forward earn his way onto Vancouver’s opening night roster. 

“I think we owe it to Braeden, obviously, that he earned his way to be here today and looking like he’s playing on Thursday, but I think we’ve got to be a little bit careful here and evaluate as we go along,” Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin said while discussing the decision to keep Cootes on the team’s opening-night roster. “No difference from what we have done since he earned his first game in Seattle and continues to earn another day. He’s young, but he’s playing a very, very mature game, so we’ll see here as we move along.”

“He got better. He’s smart, playing with good players,” Canucks head coach Adam Foote said about what he saw from Cootes during the pre-season. “He seems not to get confused, or he doesn’t slow down. Obviously, at times, there might be an adjustment for certain things, but he’s handled it well and wants to take it day to day.”

“Everything feels a bit more normal, so to speak,” Cootes added regarding what he has learned. “When you’re playing with such good players here, honestly, sometimes it feels — not easier, but sometimes you get pucks in better spots and quicker, because they’re so good and they can make such good plays.”

Canucks Have A Natural Leader In 2025 Draft Pick Braeden Cootes12 years after the Vancouver Canucks drafted Bo Horvat, the organization selected two-way center Braeden Cootes 15th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old served as a captain for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL in 2024–25, with this being his third year spent with the club. 

When he was first drafted, many took to comparing the young center as Bo Horvat-esque with his leadership and two-way skillset. Quinn Hughes has only shared the ice with Cootes since the pre-season began, but already, the Canucks captain has been impressed with how the young center approaches the game. 

“He’s reliable, he’s got good reads defensively, he plays a mature game offensively. He’s got skill, good instincts all around the ice, and he’s just going to continue to get better and better,” Hughes said. “He’s a pretty impressive player. It’s hard at 18, even first-overall picks struggle, but I think Footy and the coaching staff have done a good job with him and kept it positive. I’m excited for him, happy for him, and he’s definitely earned to be here.”

Canucks head coach Adam Foote has taken this a step farther by drawing parallels to Ryan O’Reilly’s game.

“With a guy like Cootes, there’s always the next play, the next job, and moving your feet to the next position. We want all our players to be like that, but he’s been good at it, and that helps him with the physical part, because he’s usually in a better body position, so then he’ll let his brain and his body defend. O’Reilly defended like that for a long time.”

Cootes, on the other hand, describes his game a bit more simply. 

“Something that’s reliable that you can put out in the D-zone, that doesn’t cheat the game, so to speak, that I can play defence, I can play a 200-foot game and be reliable.”

Thursday night’s game means a lot for the 18-year-old, who is originally from Edmonton. Cootes noted that “it’s a little extra motivation” playing against the Flames — the provincial rivals of the Edmonton Oilers, who he’d grown up cheering for as a kid. The first NHL game in any player’s career is always one of the most important. It’s a feeling that Hughes remembers from his own first game back in March of 2019. 

“I’m excited for him,” the Canucks captain said. “Rookie lap will be pretty cool, it’s something you always remember. He should just enjoy it, because he’s gonna play for a long time, but you only have one first game.”

Fans can catch Cootes and the Canucks on their season-opening night on October 9. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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The Chicago Blackhawks had a tall hill to climb with their first game of the season being against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. That would be a tough start for a team full of seasoned veterans, let alone a young squad like the Blackhawks. 

The Blackhawks found a way to keep this one close, though, as the Panthers walked away with a 3-2 victory. They won the game thanks to a third-period goal by Jesper Boqvist.

After the first period, the Blackhawks were down in shot attempts (35-10), shots on goal (17-3), and scoring chances (19-4), but they were only down 2-1 on the scoreboard. They took a 1-0 lead on Frank Nazar's breakaway goal, but then allowed goals to AJ Greer and Carter Verhaeghe. 

With a bit over 3 minutes remaining in the opening period, captain Nick Foligno tried to spark the team with a fight. He took on one of Florida's goal scorers, AJ Greer, and the fight can be summed up as a draw. 

There did seem to be a spark for Chicago in the second period, as the Blackhawks did play much better than they did in the first. That included a game-tying goal. Tyler Bertuzzi won a board battle to find Frank Nazar, who once again made a great play to feed Teuvo Teravainen for the goal. 

The aforementioned 3rd period goal by Boqvist ended up being the difference in the hockey game, but the Blackhawks stayed in a game that they were mostly outplayed. 

Frank Nazar was as good as expected during the game. He played a huge role in each of the two Chicago goals and was hard to play against for Florida in all three zones. His offensive prowess, special teams work, and tenacity on pucks make him worth his contract alone. It will be a bargain in short order. 

Like Nazar, Spencer Knight also gave the Blackhawks a chance to win the hockey game, despite the losing result. Knight made 34 saves on 37 shots against the team that traded him away. 

A year ago at this time, there were question marks in net for the Blackhawks, but Knight looks like a guy who can be a legit number one. He was sharp against a really good team with an unfavorable amount of help in front of him. 

Connor Bedard looked as fast and dynamic as he did in the preseason. This is a result of the hard work that he put in over the summer. He created a ton of chances for himself, Bobrovsky was just up to the task on every one, except for the one that rang off the pipe. A star-level breakout is on the horizon for Bedard. 

Nazar showed well with Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi, but Bedard didn't get much from Ryan Donato or Andre Burakovsky. The latter specifically looked out of place playing on the top line with Bedard. If he doesn't get better quickly, Jeff Blashill will be making a change. 

Next up for the Blackhawks is a trip to the East Coast to take on the Boston Bruins. Boston, although they have talented players at every position, is not Florida.

The compete level of the Blackhawks in this game will be a lot more telling. They only lost to Florida by one goal, which is something to build on, but they were outplayed in a lot of ways. More games will end in losses than wins if they play like they did in game one. A better effort is to be expected in game two against the Bruins. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

48 hours after the Ottawa Senators' final preseason game, head coach Travis Green held court with the media on Monday, answering some of the key questions facing the team on the doorstep of the NHL regular season. The rehearsal is over, and Green sounded like a coach who's content with his troops on the other side of the always-too-long preseason.

"Yeah, I think I'm happy with camp in general," Green said. "Our guys have worked hard. We haven't had many days when I didn't think the effort was there. Attention to detail. I liked our last game. We looked better, dialled in. We still had a lot of guys who didn't play. But I think everyone's excited that we're through camp and we're getting ready to play for real."

The Sens won 3-1 in Montreal on Saturday in their final dress rehearsal, which was a nice bounce back after being outscored 12-1 in combined in their previous two games. But Green was quick to point out he wasn't that concerned about those performances.

"There are different games that have different elements to them in preseason," Green said. "In the St. Louis game, we were in tough. Obviously, we had played three games in five days and we didn't send our best lineup. But I thought our defensive game has slowly gotten to where we want it to be. There's been a lot of games in the preseason where we've had a lot more looks. We haven't put the puck in the net, but I think our game's trended in the right direction."

The health of Tyler Kleven and Drake Batherson may be as well. They've both been placed on IR, but they're not far off. And when they return, the Sens' 2025-26 lineup will be mostly what people expected it to be. The one surprise is the sudden addition of NHL heavyweight Kurtis MacDermid, acquired from the New Jersey Devils on Friday, three days after the Sens lost a rough, feisty game, 5-0 in Montreal. 

"He brings a lot of toughness to the game," Green said. "I mean, there's no doubt about it. He's one of the tougher customers in the league. He's a very smart player as well. He understands his positioning in the game. He'd be one of the smarter players on the team, knowing the details of where he needs to be to make sure that he's not out there hurting the team. And he's a tremendous teammate. Guys that stick up for their teammates are well respected within the league. And he's got that respect for sure."

With 0 points in 23 games last season, MacDermid isn't here to score, but the Sens need the rest of the lineup to step up in that area. That didn't happen in the preseason with just 12 goals on 189 shots over six games for a pop-gun shooting percentage of just over six percent.  But Green still feels like they're making progress in trying to fix their much-talked-about 5-on-5 scoring woes last season.

"I think we are. At the end of the day, the onus usually comes down to the guys who are supposed to score. But we've tried to structurally look at some different things that we can do to create offense. I've seen some improvements. I haven't seen the puck go in the net (enough). But I think we can score more 5-on-5."

They definitely improved after the trade deadline last season. If you just measure games after the acquisitions of Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund, the Sens' shooting percentage was 11th best in the league during that time. Now they have to do it consistently over a full 82 games.

Final roster decisions got a little easier on the blue line on Monday afternoon after Nick Jensen returned to the lineup Saturday following offseason hip surgery. That paved the way to send down Carter Yakemchuk, the club's 2024 seventh overall pick, for more seasoning in the AHL. Green admits that they've talked about possible load management for Jensen, but he remains thrilled with the veteran's preseason debut.

"I thought his game was excellent," Green said. "I was pleasantly surprised. I think you always wonder how a player's going to look coming off an injury. Also, being his first game, it's a testament to him as far as the work he's put in. And not just off the ice but on the ice. I thought he was good."

Again, preseason performances, good or bad, mean absolutely nothing. The real live fire begins on Thursday night in Tampa Bay. Once the puck drops there, people will forget that there even was a preseason.

"You go 6-0, 0-6, 3-3 in preseason, it doesn't matter. It's all about getting your game in order for game one. The good thing about this year is I think our guys have a strong understanding of our game and what it looks like when we're on top of it.

"And I think we're ready to start the season."

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