It's been almost three months since the Pittsburgh Penguins selected Benjamin Kindel with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. 

Kindel was one of the top players in the entire CHL last year, finishing with 35 goals and 99 points in 64 games with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen. He's a really underrated goal scorer and has great vision in the offensive zone, but the best aspect of his game is his hockey IQ. He's always out-thinking the opposition while he's on the ice and is always in the right position. 

He got to play in the Penguins' first two preseason games and was noticeable in both. He showcased his skating during Monday's game against the Montreal Canadiens and got a few good chances against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, including a breakaway, but couldn't find the back of the net. 

Even though Kindel is expected to play for the Hitmen again this season, he may have earned himself another preseason game after his efforts on Wednesday. He's also really enjoying training camp thus far and found the first skate last Thursday to be "very competitive."

"Yeah, first day, I think it's a great environment," Kindel said. "A lot of great leaders and older guys showing the young guys how to work, and I think it was a very competitive first skate, and it was a lot of fun."

Kindel isn't the only player to describe this year's camp as competitive. Just ask Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

"I thought the pace of practice was really good, and a lot of competition within that, so that's what you expect from training camp," Crosby said after the September 18 practice. 

Kindel is also super impressed with Muse and the rest of the Penguins' coaching staff. 

Training Camp Proves Penguins Have More Talent Than You RealizeWhen Kyle Dubas took over as president of hockey operations - and, eventually, general manager - of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the summer of 2023, the prospect pool looked quite different than it does now. 

"I'm really excited to continue working with them. They seem like great coaches and great people. They want to see all of us do our best, and try and get the best out of all of us, so I'm really excited to keep working with them," Kindel said. 

Kindel will be at Penguins' training camp for another practice on Friday as they get set for back-to-back preseason games. He won't be in the lineup against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, which could be a sign that he will play on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

It would be pretty big for Kindel to play in that game since it's expected that a lot of the Penguins' top players will play due to Marc-Andre Fleury's return. Kindel may not be ready for the NHL yet, but his time is coming. 

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When Kyle Dubas took over as president of hockey operations - and, eventually, general manager - of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the summer of 2023, the prospect pool looked quite different than it does now. 

In 2022-23, the organization's top prospects consisted of names such as Owen Pickering, Joel Blomqvist, Sam Poulin, Valtteri Puustinen, and Filip Hallander. Fast forward two years, and all of thise names remain - but, arguably, not one of them is a top-five prospect in the pipeline.

The truth is that - in two short years - Dubas has done quite a lot of work to rebuild that pipeline. And that much is certainly evident if you've been taking in any of the 2025 pre-season action.

Through two pre-season games and four full practice days, there are several guys beginning to separate themselves from the rest of the pack - and most of them aren't among the group of aforementioned players. In fact, Pickering and Hallander are the only ones with, presumably, a likely shot at the NHL roster come puck drop on Oct. 7 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

The others with a good shot at the roster? That would include guys like Ville Koivunen, acquired by Dubas prior to the 2024 trade deadline from the Carolina Hurricanes as part of the package for Jake Guentzel. Guys like Harrison Brunicke - also part of the package in the form of the conditional first-round pick that turned out to be a second - who was selected 44th overall by the Penguins in 2024. And Rutger McGroarty - currently out indefinitely with an upper-body injury - who was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets for then-top prospect Brayden Yager.

There's also Avery Hayes, who - undrafted - was brought into the organization on an AHL contract prior to the 2023-24 season and has done nothing but raise his stock ever since. Even 2025 11th overall pick Ben Kindel has made a strong impression in camp up to this point, and he just turned 18 in April. 

For Penguins' Prospect, Training Camp Is A Family Reunion - And An OpportunityOn Jun. 28, something pretty special happened for Pittsburgh Penguins' forward prospect Avery Hayes. 

There are some pre-Dubas remnants in the mix, too. Forward Tristan Broz - selected 58th overall in 2022 - is making a strong case for himself, as his two-way play and ability to put the puck in the net are earning him more and more opportunities within camp. And goaltender Sergei Murashov, 21 - also drafted in 2022 (118th overall) dominated the ECHL and the AHL last season and continues to put up strong performances in the pre-season. 

Even in that case, though, it's not just about the drafting side of things. It's also about the development side of things. It's been widely chronicled how much the Penguins' scouting and development staff has expanded both under Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and under Dubas. The Penguins' organization has broadened its reach by sheer numbers from increased investment, and it has allowed them to become more individualized in their approach to prospect development. 

And it has certainly paid off, because even if the Penguins still lack that superstar, franchise-altering center or bona fide No. 1 defenseman in their organization, they seem to have a lot of potential in terms of the complementary pieces. 

Koivunen and Kindel have point-per-game potential at the NHL level, and they - along with McGroarty - certainly project to be top-six forwards. Broz, Hayes, and Filip Hallander could have ceilings as middle-six forwards and are probably, at worst, effective bottom-six players. Pickering should be a top-four defenseman in the NHL, and Brunicke certainly has the talent and potential to be a top-pairing blueliner. There are also other promising defensive prospects - Emil Pieniniemi, in particular, comes to mind - who should be NHL regulars. 

And Murashov, with all of his quickness, athleticism, cool confidence, and calm demeanor, seems to be the real deal and certainly has the best potential out of their pool of goaltenders to be a franchise guy for the Penguins in the future, however volatile the goaltending position can be at times. Dubas and the Penguins still very much believe in Blomqvist's potential, too.

Pre-season Offers Sneak Peek At Potential Future Defensive PairingWhen in the early stages of NHL training camp, it's not often wise to read into too much.

Perhaps the most intriguing part is that the pipeline doesn't end there. It still has guys like Poulin and Puustinen, and there are some players - such as 2025 picks Bill Zonnon (22nd overall), Will Horcoff (24th overall), and Quinn Beachesne - who are farther away from making an impact but certainly have the potential to. 

The Penguins' organization is proving that effective drafting and development matters. Of course, all of these players need to play regularly at the NHL level before any kind of final say can be had on what the future could look like. But, at the very least, the Penguins have a whole lot more "potential" impact players than they did two years ago.

This group of players - all near-NHL-ready - are giving fans in Pittsburgh some hope for the future, and for good reason. If the Penguins can draft or acquire that franchise-altering center in the summer of 2026, maybe the "hopeful future" isn't as far away as it seems.

And Dubas and his staff deserve a little bit of credit for that even becoming a possibility in the first place.

Penguins Send Promising Defensive Prospect Back To OHLThe Pittsburgh Penguins made another cut on Thursday, assigning defensive prospect Quinn Beauchesne to the OHL's Guelph Storm.

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Now that we are in late September, the 2025-26 NHL regular season is almost here. While this is the case, there are still some players who hit the free-agent market this summer who have yet to be signed. One of them is former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman T.J. Brodie.

Brodie became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) this off-season after the Blackhawks decided to buy him out of the final year of his two-year, $7.5 million contract. Now, nearly four months after officially becoming a UFA, Brodie has yet to find a home for the season. He also has not signed a professional tryout (PTO) with the preseason going on. 

Brodie appeared in 54 games this past season with the Blackhawks, where he recorded two goals, eight assists, 10 points, 58 blocks, and a minus-18 rating. This was after he posted one goal, 26 points, 159 blocks, and a plus-17 rating in 78 games duirng the 2023-24 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Teams looking for more experience on their blueline could consider taking a chance on Brodie as a depth defenseman, but time will tell what happens on that front. In 962 career NHL games over 15 seasons split between the Calgary Flames, Maple Leafs, and Blackhawks, Brodie has recorded 58 goals, 300 assists, 358 points, and a plus-66 rating. 

The Buffalo Sabres are going to have a tough time contending for a Stanley Cup wild card position this year. But when this writer submitted his pre-season predictions for the Atlantic Division, he had the Sabres in…sixth place in the Atlantic, ahead of only the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings. And while it pains us to predict more misery ahead for long-suffering Sabres fans, we wouldn’t be telling it like it is if we told you Buffalo wasn’t going to be picked as a playoff team by most pundits. They won’t be.

In many ways, this is only fair. When you as an organization that’s enduring a 14-year drought without playoff hockey, you’re not going to get the benefit of the doubt in predictions. You’re going to have to prove you’re worthy of the expectations of you. You’re going to have to earn praise, not expect it.

While there is the possibility that Sabres GM Kevyn Adams’ blueprint for success is going to pan out in Buffalo’s favor, you have to ask yourself – which team in the Atlantic will the Sabres unseat as a playoff team?

Will it be the Toronto Maple Leafs? Highly unlikely. Same goes for the defending Cup-champion Florida Panthers, or the Tampa Bay Lightning? Can’t see it happening. The upstart Montreal Canadiens or Ottawa Senators? More likely than the other three teams we’ve talked about in this paragraph, but still, the odds are in those teams’ favor. 

So it will not only take the Sabres making a dramatic improvement, but an unexpected step back from a team more proven than Buffalo is, for the Sabres to make the playoffs this season. That’s not an anti-Sabres message. That’s a realistic approximation of the situation. The odds will be against Buffalo, and that’s just something the Sabres will have to deal with all season long.

Sabres Set To Play One Of Most Pressure-Packed Seasons In Team History -- Can They Finally End Playoff Drought?The NHL’s 2025-26 season is nearly here, and the Buffalo Sabres are being cautiously optimistic about their chances of ending a 14-year Stanley Cup playoff drought. You don’t see Sabres GM Kevyn Adams, coach Lindy Ruff or Buffalo’s players making grand pronouncements guaranteeing the Sabres will make the playoffs. Nobody under the Sabres’ umbrella will be handing out dressing room white-board material to their opponents in the highly-competitive Atlantic Division.

In fact, good teams that have changed their narrative have used their status as an underdog as motivation. And if that’s what it takes to stimulate the Sabres into making it into the playoffs this year, then, you’re welcome for the motivation.

The Sabres are under no illusions about the high degree of difficulty of the task ahead of them this year. They know most people aren’t picking them to end their playoff drought. But optimists will say Buffalo has a clean slate with a new experiment in dressing room chemistry, and stranger things have happened than the Sabres being a playoff team this season. 

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Will We See A Major Improvement In Play From New First-Line Winger Benson?We’ve nearly made it to the start of the NHL’s 2025-26 regular season, and here on THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’ve worked our way through our player-by-player series in which we analyze expectations for each Buffalo player this coming year.

You never know for sure until you play the games, right? That has to be a key message for this Buffalo team. They can play free and loose knowing people are expecting very little of them. They can be a little indignant about it, as a matter of fact. Whatever attitude gets them into the playoffs will be fine by Sabres fans, and low external expectations could turn into a positive. 

The Philadelphia Flyers had a pretty busy off-season, as the Metropolitan Division club brought in multiple new players. Among their newcomers is Christian Dvorak, as the Flyers signed the 29-year-old forward to a one-year, $5.4 million contract in free agency.

While Dvorak may not be the flashiest of players, the potential for him to be a strong addition to the Flyers' roster is certainly there.

By signing Dvorak, the Flyers have brought in a veteran two-way forward who should improve their top nine. His versatility also makes him an interesting addition, as he is able to play on both the power play and penalty kill if needed. Thus, he will be a player who comes in handy for the Flyers, as he can work in multiple situations.

Dvorak spent this past season with the Montreal Canadiens, where he put together a bounce-back year. In 82 games with the Canadiens during the 2024-25 season, he recorded 12 goals, 21 assists, and 33 points. He has also recorded at least 30 points in six out of his nine NHL seasons, so he undoubtedly has the potential to give the Flyers decent secondary offensive production.

Overall, there is no real harm in the Flyers signing Dvorak for the season. It is going to be very interesting to see what kind of season he puts together for Philly in 2025-26 from here.

When the Ottawa Senators signed Lars Eller this summer, GM Steve Staios knew he'd landed another well-regarded, steady NHL veteran for his collection. Eller has long been respected around the league as a reliable, detail-oriented forward capable of playing in the bottom-six forward group, bringing veteran poise and Stanley Cup-winning experience.

But when training camp opened earlier this month, Eller wasn’t available, still recovering from off-season abdominal surgery. The absence was frustrating for a player who was, no doubt, anxious to show his new team that there are plenty of miles left on that 36-year-old body of his.

Now, on day eight of camp on Thursday, Eller was finally skating with his new teammates at 100 percent and participated fully in all drills for the first time as a Senator.

“It felt great,” Eller said after his first full session with the team. “I’ve been missing getting some contact and getting up to speed, so I’ve been slowly ramping up to this point today, and it was good to be out there with the guys and actually participating 100 percent. It’s never fun watching on the sidelines, so a good step forward today, and I feel good about where I’m at at this stage.”

Eller is generally seen as the Sens' probable replacement for Adam Gaudette, who mainly played at fourth-line center last season and posted a career-high 19 goals. After Gaudette signed with the San Jose Sharks over the summer, Eller isn't likely to come in now and replicate that number of goals, but in fairness, if Gaudette had stayed, he probably wouldn't have either. Meanwhile, Eller is bigger and faster and will probably produce just as many points.

Oh, yes. And Eller also brings the tasty intangible of another Cup ring into the room.

Now that he's feeling better, the next challenge for Eller is not just getting his fitness up, but also mastering Ottawa’s systems and tactics, and the finer details of how the team wants to play.

“Yeah, the last couple of days we’ve been going over some video, watching, but the best thing is going out there and learning the systems by doing it and maybe making some adjustments along the way,” Eller said. “So now we’re getting up to that point where I can participate in the drills and learn by doing. They’ve been good at communicating with me and taking the time I need to get up to speed with things. I’m sure we’re going to be doing more of that the next week or so.”

As for when Sens fans might see him in a game, Eller says there’s no firm date circled.

“I think this step right now is you want to be fully participating in practice, which was the first day today, and you probably need a little more of that before you play in a game.

"We haven’t put a timetable on that, but it’s probably not too far away.”

While the timing remains uncertain, what is clear is Eller’s impression of his new teammates — and his role in helping them take the next step.

“Young and hungry, determined, they’re passionate and they’re willing to learn and put in the work so there’s a good energy in the room, I would say,” Eller said. “I just look forward to being a part of that, helping where I can, and trying to get the best out of our young players, make the next step, and I try to set the bar for all of those things as a veteran player. I pull everybody in the same direction.”

For the Senators, having Eller healthy and fully up to speed will be a welcome addition. The guy is a proven commodity who knows how to win and how to lead. Those are nice assets for a team with bigger goals now than just making the playoffs.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers have a plan for how he wants to utilize Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. 

Over the past two seasons, Quick has provided a steady backup presence for Shesterkin, helping revive his NHL career. 

Since Quick’s arrival, Shesterkin started 55 games during the 2023-24 season and 61 games during the 2024-25 season. 

Meanwhile, Quick started 27 games during the 2023-24 campaign and 24 games during the 2024-25 campaign.  

With Sullivan entering New York, will he balance out these two goalies’ workload in the same manner that Peter Laviolette did?

Sullivan emphasized the importance of utilizing both goalies in order to get the most out of them. 

He also understands that the NHL is changing in terms of balancing out workloads between two goalies, and Sullivan is prepared to adapt to that new mantra. 

“We have an idea of what the workload should be in order to set up both guys for success,” Sullivan said. “Here's what I'll tell you, in today's game, it's hard to go wire-to-wire with one goaltender. The second goalie is required. 

Mike Sullivan Intends To Build Similar Relationship With J.T. Miller As He Built With Sidney Crosby For ten years, Mike Sullivan had Sidney Crosby as his captain with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“We think in Shesty and Quickie, we’ve got two really solid guys. I think they can be complementary with one another. We're going to try to set both guys up for success, because ultimately that sets the Rangers up for success… I think for those reasons, it makes sense to make sure we have an eye on the workload and we manage it appropriately.”

For years, Sullivan had to deal with faulty goaltending play with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but with Shesterkin and Quick by his side, he shouldn’t have to worry about that issue any longer.

ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild (1-0-1) is back in action tonight for its first preseason game at home and the first unofficial game in the new Grand Casino Arena. They play host to the Dallas Stars (2-0-0).

Minnesota is bring a pretty heavy NHL lineup with some normal line combinations that we could see to start the season so it will be interesting to follow as preseason continues.

Jesper Wallstedt will get the start tonight and play in two periods for Minnesota. Samuel Hlavaj will get the third period. Casey DeSmith is projected to start for the Stars as they aren't bringing any of their big guns to town.

Wild Projected Lines

Kirill Kaprizov - Marco Rossi - Matt Boldy

Liam Ohgren - Danila Yurov - Vladimir Tarasenko

Ben Jones - Hunter Haight - Vinnie Hinostroza

Riley Heidt - Bradley Marek - Brett Leason

Defense:

Zeev Buium - Brock Faber

Jake Middleton - David Jiricek

Jack Johnson - Ben Gleason

Starting Goaltender: Jesper Wallstedt

Scratched: Elliot Desnoyers, Mike Koster

Stars Projected Lines

Adam Erne - Wyatt Johnston - Mavrik Bourque

Oscar Bäck - Radek Faksa - Colin Blackwell

Antonio Stranges - Justin Hryckowian - Nathan Bastian

Angus MacDonnell - Arttu Hyry - Jack Becker

Defense:

Lian Bichsel - Ilya Lyubushkin

Vladislav Kolyachonok - Alex Petrovic

Tristian Bertucci - Christian Kyrou

Starting Goaltender: Casey DeSmith

Scratched: None

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Recent Minnesota Wild Stories

'You Guys Know I Like Minny' Kirill Kaprizov Gives His Stance On Contract SituationST. PAUL, Minn - On Thursday Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov was given the chance to talk about the recent reports that came out about him rejecting an 8-year, $128 million contract extension.

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As the Detroit Red Wings celebrate their centennial season in the National Hockey League, their goal remains the same - it's time to bring the Stanley Cup Playoffs to Little Caesars Arena for the first time. 

Dylan Larkin, who is entering his 11th season in the NHL, was only a rookie in 2015-16 when the Red Wings last earned a postseason berth in what was the second-to-last campaign played at historic Joe Louis Arena. 

A new wave of Red Wings talent has emerged in recent years led by Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, two of the most impactful Draft selections of general manager Steve Yzerman's tenure. 

Earlier in the week, forward Andrew Copp said that he feels the time is now for the Red Wings to make the playoffs, a sentiment echoed by Seider.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

"Obviously, we have to come out ready with a good start and do everything that's in our power to get there," Seider said following Thursday's practice. "Other than that, eventually you have to put it out there to hopefully achieve it. It should be our goal to get into the playoffs for the first time in a very long time." 

Looking too far ahead in one's season can ultimately prove to be a distraction from the immediate task at hand for the Red Wings, which is getting off to a better star this season than they did last season.

"We have to take it step by step and not look too far ahead, just focus on the pre-season games and get off to a good start with Todd (McLellan) here," Seider said. "We'll see how the season goes."

Seider, who will be playing in his fifth NHL campaign, believes that his first Training Camp under McLellan was more detail oriented. 

"It's Time": Dylan Larkin Lays Out Clear Goal For Red WingsThe city of Detroit hasn't hosted a Stanley Cup Playoff game since April 2016 against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Joe Louis Arena, who at that time were overseen by general manager Steve Yzerman.

"I think that we've always had good camps, we were always really prepared," he said of his previous Training Camps from 2021 through 2024. "Maybe it was a bit more demanding and a bit louder. Todd takes his time to really detail it out there, and I think he does a really good job with it. I think we're really prepared." 

Unlike many NHL players who stay engaged by watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs even though their team isn't participating, Seider isn't one of them. 

"I'm not a huge fan of it -  the anger and bitterness sits a little bit, I don't really want to watch anything," he said of watching the playoffs from home. "It's kind of my way to go about it." 

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Flyers evaluate plenty of bubble players in preseason loss to Capitals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

HERSHEY, Pa. — The Flyers’ roster evaluation picked up Thursday night as the team suffered a 5-1 preseason loss to the Capitals at Giant Center, the home of Washington’s AHL affiliate.

Jacob Gaucher provided the Flyers’ lone goal, which whittled the Capitals’ lead to 3-1 in the second period.

But Washington countered with a goal just 1:07 minutes into the third period and later added one more for good measure.

“I don’t know if there are any guys that played well,” Rick Tocchet said. “That’s OK, though. Third game, two-, three-hour bus ride. There are some factors to it. I’ll probably have to give these guys off the ice tomorrow, to give them some rest. It was just a tough night for a lot of guys. That’s going to happen.”

Tocchet’s club is 1-2-0 in the preseason with four games to go.

“You hit the wall,” Tocchet said. “It’s my job to help the team out a little bit, so I think I’ll have to keep them off the ice tomorrow.”

Nice crowd in Hershey for Flyers-Capitals preseason game. pic.twitter.com/zH4ct0eVBf

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) September 25, 2025

• Rodrigo Abols knows that stringing together consistent performances will be his ticket to staying with the Flyers.

Tocchet and management decided to make Abols the only skater to play in all three preseason games so far. The head coach definitely wanted to see if the big forward could sustain his effectiveness from a strong opener.

“There’s some good stuff there,” Tocchet said. “I think there are things to work with going forward.”

The 29-year-old continued to make his case for the season-opening roster. In the second period, Abols and Nicolas Deslauriers had a hard-working shift pay off on Gaucher’s goal.

“You could feel it, I’m not going to lie, you could feel it was the third game in five nights,” Abols said. “But I think that’s where I’ve got to learn to pick my spots and put myself in good positions — not cheat for offense, not get stuck out there. But I think I managed that pretty well.”

Derek Souders/NBC Sports Philadelphia

• The Flyers dressed Alex Bump, Nikita Grebenkin and Jett Luchanko, three of their top young roster hopefuls.

Bump saw a showcase with Travis Konecny and Noah Cates. He nearly made the Capitals pay for a turnover in the first period when he rung iron on a blast.

But the 21-year-old winger was unable to crack the scoresheet. Grebenkin and Luchanko couldn’t get much going offensively on the Flyers’ second line.

“It’s hard to evaluate, I think the overall team looked really tired,” Tocchet said. “We looked tired tonight, you could tell. Even, like, a six-foot pass was tough for us tonight. We’ve got to just stick with it and we’ve got to refresh it a little bit.”

• Dan Vladar, the club’s goaltending addition this offseason, saw his first preseason action with the Flyers.

The 28-year-old played the first period and converted eight saves on nine shots. He did a nice job tracking pucks through traffic.

The goal he allowed was on a Washington power play after Noah Juulsen, who’s trying to win a job on defense, was whistled for kneeing. The shot was a laser from the circle by Andrew Cristall.

Aleksei Kolosov, who has played in all three exhibition games, stopped 16 of 20 shots over the final two periods. The Capitals’ third goal was a leaky one for Kolosov as a loose puck snuck through his legs.

Washington’s fourth marker came at shorthanded. Jack Nesbitt had a turnover near the Flyers’ offensive blue line that led directly to Connor McMichael’s breakaway tally.

The 23-year-old Kolosov entered with 27 saves on 30 shots through his first two preseason outings.

• A lot of bubble defensemen suited up for the Flyers.

Helge Grans was one of them and had a tough moment in rush coverage during the second period. Ivan Miroshnichenko beat Grans to the outside on his way to the net for the Capitals’ 2-0 goal.

Dennis Gilbert had a painful blocked shot in the second period. He has played the part when it comes to a reliable sixth or seventh defenseman.

Adam Ginning committed a first-period penalty but also made a heads-up defensive play not long after to help prevent a goal. He picked up an assist on Gaucher’s goal.

• The Flyers trimmed their roster to 42 players with 10 cuts Thursday afternoon.

Oscar Eklind was placed on waivers for the purpose of reporting to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

Samu Tuomaala, Massimo Rizzo, Tucker Roberston, Cooper Marody, Garrett Wilson, Zayde Wisdom, Sawyer Boulton, Keith Petruzzelli and Yaniv Perets were sent to the Phantoms.

• The Flyers are back in preseason action Saturday when they host the Bruins at 5 p.m. ET.

The Seattle Kraken defeated an Edmonton Oilers roster that featured Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and starting goaltender Stuart Skinner 4-1 in their third pre-season game. 

The Kraken got the scoring started in the first period despite minimal efforts on goal, but they never felt like the game was ever getting away from them.

Jagger Firkus tapped in a power play goal on a rebound, and Logan Morrison scored his first of the pre-season, before Ben Meyers and Jani Nyman scored insurance markers in the third period. Joey Daccord and Nikke Kokko turned away 24 of the 25 shots they faced.

Here are three standout performers from last night's win:

Tyson Jugnauth

The 21-year-old blueliner took part in his first pre-season game of the season and fit in perfectly. He recorded 18:13 of ice time, and despite not recording any points, Jugnauth looked comfortable with the puck on his stick and in the defensive zone.

His defensive skills were put to the test on several occasions, including defending consecutive 2-on-1s that featured McDavid, the world's best hockey player. Jugnauth stayed calm and composed, deflecting a pass by Draisaitl intended for McDavid and then later forcing Ekholm into a weak shot and negating any passing lane to send the puck to McDavid. 

In the third period, Jugnauth defended a 3-on-1, once again deflecting a pass before the Oilers could get off a Grade A chance. 

Jugnauth, AGAIN! This time, it's a 3-on-1, and he breaks it up! #SeaKrakenhttps://t.co/mzZ8UXnAAZpic.twitter.com/VDDW4bKSsQ

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) September 25, 2025

Jagger Firkus

Firkus is a point producer, and he has been throughout his entire junior career and in the early stages of his pro career. Last night, we got a glimpse of how Firkus can leave his imprint on hockey games. 

The power play goal capped off the strong performance, but the 21-year-old was making nifty passes and was eager to get the puck into high-danger scoring areas. He finished the game with a goal and three shots on target in 14:39 of ice time. 

Ben Meyers and Logan Morrison

Meyers and Morrison each finished with a goal and an assist in last night's game, and the duo looked like they fit in at the NHL level. They each filled the score sheet and were effective offensive chance creators throughout the game. 

Meyers finished with two shots on goal, four hits and two blocks in 17:10 of ice time, while Morrison put up three shots on goal, one hit and one block in 13:21 of ice time. Meyers and Morrison are likely on the outside looking in for an NHL roster spot, but with the injuries the Kraken are facing, the pair have moved up the depth chart and could be one of the first names called up from the AHL to start the season. 

Honorable mention to Oscar Fisker Molgaard, who has come as advertised in his first two pre-season games. The 20-year-old has two assists, but his attention to detail and defensive acumen have been noticeable.  If he can carry the momentum into the start of the AHL season, Fisker Molgaard could see some NHL action towards the tail end of the season. 

Several Kraken Prospects Shine In Pre-Season Opener Against CanucksThe Seattle Kraken kicked off the beginning of pre-season with a 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks, dressing several NHL players and top prospects. 

Despite the comments he made at the end of his tenure, John Tortorella insists he never quit on the Philadelphia Flyers... or anything else, for that matter.

Tortorella, 67, was fired by the Flyers on March 27, just two days after a 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs that prompted the veteran coach to say, "I'm not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we're at right now."

But, Tortorella wanted to set the record straight on why he said what he said. In his eyes, he didn't want to become the guy who lets everyone off easy at the end of the year because they're miles off a playoff position.

“It was kind of weird for me, getting fired with nine games left. It really surprised me. [General manager Danny Briere] and I did have some disagreements on discipline of a player, had some disagreements the last few weeks of that season," Tortorella told Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com. "I loved coaching them."

One such incident of discipline handed down by Tortorella was the benching of Cam York during that game against the Maple Leafs, when the 24-year-old's night ended after just eight shifts and 3:50 of ice time.

Matvei Michkov Says He Was 'Very Upset' When Flyers Fired John TortorellaThe relationship between star Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov and fired head coach John Tortorella was much better than many have made it out to be.

York was benched by interim head coach Brad Shaw for the entirety of the following game for disciplinary purposes, too, but then things eventually blew over.

“I’ve seen teams be really good playing out a season when it means nothing. You’re relaxed. I’ve seen players play better," added Tortorella. "I don’t want to be that guy. It was out of respect to my team that I was not doing a good job. I wasn’t. Do I think I should have got fired for it? No, but I have too much respect for those players to kick the hell out of them right to the bitter end.

“It was the right thing to do by Danny [to sell at the deadline]. They’re doing it the right way, and I was on board with that. But it’s hard. It’s hard for those guys, and that’s what I was trying to say after Toronto.”

With his team falling out of playoff position two seasons in a row, Tortorella had to cope with the departures of players like Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, Scott Laughton, and Sean Walker ahead of the last two NHL trade deadlines.

The key difference from 2024 to 2025 was that in 2025, the Flyers were never particularly close to the postseason and ultimately finished with the fourth-worst record in the NHL.

How John Tortorella Protected Matvei Michkov in Flyers Debut, Rookie SeasonJohn Tortorella may not be the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers anymore, but in his short time coaching rookies Matvei Michkov and Jett Luchanko, the polarizing bench boss left his mark.

Tortorella also assured Cotsonika he wants to coach again, regardless of what others think of how things ended with the Flyers.

“Do I want to coach again? Yeah. I heard a couple NHL coaches accuse me [of quitting on the team]. Did I quit on the team after those comments I made in Toronto? I haven’t quit on a [bleeping] thing in my life. Those comments were totally taken out of [context]," Tortorella said.

“Listen, I don’t think I explained myself totally correctly, either. But I miss it already. I miss preparing [for] camp. I miss the camaraderie of camp. Yeah, I want to coach, so we’ll see what happens.”

The gruff coach's next opportunity at the NHL level will have to wait, as all of the offseason vacancies have been filled in between his dismissal from the Flyers and now.

In the interim, Tortorella will be coaching the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, where he'll be joined by new New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan, Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes, and Rangers assistant coach David Quinn.

The Montreal Canadiens will be playing their third preseason game tonight, and Martin St-Louis is pulling no punches. For the first time, he’s going to be icing his full projected top six, his top defensive pairing, starter Samuel Montembeault, and Jacob Fowler.

That means that on Thursday night, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kirby Dach is going to see his first real action since sustaining yet another knee injury in February. There were rumours of setbacks this summer, and then, when camp started, he only took part in one of the three scrimmages, which of course prompted questions from the media. The coach said that there was a plan and he was sticking to it, before adding that Dach would see some preseason action.

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Asked what he thought about the big center so far at Camp, the pilot explained:

I think he’s really involved and intense. Now it’s time to play the game tonight, take one shift at a time, and make the plays the game calls for. Please get back into the swing of things, but we’ll continue to evaluate and stick to the plan we have for him. […] I wouldn’t call it a leash. I think Dacher is in a better place. He did things differently this summer, and I think he’s further along. So I think he will be more ready to get going right away.

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Turns out it’s time for that action now. While the bench boss said Dach was penciled in as the second-line center this season, he still needs to see what the Albertan center can offer and if some chemistry can bloom between him, Patrik Laine, and Ivan Demidov. Needless to say, everyone will be keeping an eye on that line when the puck drops on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the Leafs have opted for a lineup that doesn’t include any of their marquee names, such as Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly. However, they are bringing along promising prospects Easton Cowan and Matias Maccelli, who might find their way into a top-six role. Former Hab Max Domi, who’s dealing with a lower-body injury, won’t be part of the roster, but there will be one former Canadien: Micheal Pezzetta. Cedric Pare, who injured Laine last year, will not be in the lineup.

As for the bottom of the Canadiens' lineup, it will include two interesting young lines: Filip Mesar, Vinzenz Rohrer, and Joshua Roy will be skating together, while Florian Xhekaj will center Jared Davidson and Luke Tuch. It will be another opportunity for these young players to showcase their abilities.

On the blueline, David Reinbacher, who had a tough outing Tuesday, will be paired with Kaiden Guhle while Lane Hutson has a day off. Ryan O’Rourke and Nate Clurman will complete the defense corps.

It will be interesting to see if the Cola Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky line can perform as well as they did on Tuesday night. At practice on Thursday morning, Slafkovsky was wearing a full cage following the skate to the face he took in the game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The puck drop is set for 7:00 PM, and this is the second-to-last home exhibition game. On Saturday, the Canadiens will face the Leafs again, this time in Toronto, before taking on the Ottawa Senators on September 30 in Quebec City and playing them again in Montreal on October 4.

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While the odds of making a loaded championship-caliber lineup are long, Atro Leppänen is making a name for himself early in the preseason with the Edmonton Oilers.

Fresh off a record-setting season in Finland’s SM-Liiga, where he led all defensemen with 63 points, he is turning heads early in Edmonton Oilers training camp, and the Finnish defenseman is embracing the challenge of adapting to the NHL. He chose the Oilers -- a team with a tough lineup to crack -- and despite the hurdles, has aspirations to play in Edmonton.  

Speaking with Leppänen after Wednesday's preseason loss to the Seattle Kraken, the defenseman shared his thoughts on adjusting to the pace of the NHL and his decision to join the Oilers.

“The speed is very fast compared to what I’m used to, but I’ve been able to move the puck well and play pretty solid defensively,” Leppänen said. "It's a little bit faster, but just to get used to a couple of shifts and then it's gone."

Leppänen, 26, signed with the Oilers in the spring after weighing options from multiple teams. “They reached out in the spring, and another team did as well,” he explained. “It was an intuition choice. The Oilers had good players and nice plays, so it was a pretty easy decision.” He also had some familiarity with the organization, having played with Finnish teammates who had connections to Edmonton.

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Adjusting to the smaller North American ice surface hasn’t been a major hurdle. “Honestly, it hasn’t been that bad,” he said. "I think, pretty fast and well, and the forecheck is harder. They check and hit harder, but just move the puck, and guys are good that you play with."

Leppänen's Path to the NHL Has Been An Interesting One

Leppänen's recent strides towards a shot at the NHL seem all the more impressive when you consider where he's come from. He recounted the challenges of balancing hockey with odd jobs during his younger years. “I worked in factories and even in a museum, watching the paintings,” he said with a laugh. "Nobody touched the painting. Yeah, that was my job.“

He said he had no interest in anything beyond hockey. "I mean, I was pretty young and had no really interest in going to school, yet I didn't really have anything that I else that I wanted to do. So why not just play? It wasn't really that hard of a decision, I wasn't thinking about too much about quitting and stuff like that most of the time. So it was just to play and had nothing else to do. So why not?"

His hard work has paid off. The defenseman signed a one-year deal with the Oilers, and while his immediate path might lead him to the AHL, head coach Kris Knoblauch didn't rule out a scenario where Leppänen could get NHL games. 

Defenseman Atro Leppänen Making Things Interesting For The OilersAtro Leppänen is quickly becoming one of the most intriguing storylines of the Edmonton Oilers' training camp and preseason. The 26-year-old Finnish defenceman is set to play in his third straight preseason game tonight, earning more looks after a string of impressive performances.

Knoblauch said when asked where Leppänen might fit on a team that seemingly has no spots, that he is looking for the best player at every position. That message seems to have been passed on to Leppänen, who isn't done fighting for a spot on the roster. When asked if he was used to fighting, he suggested that was a strong choice of words, even hinting that battling might not be the best description. 

Still, he gets the notion he's going to have to stand out to earn a spot.

When asked, "Why did you like some guys would pick a team that's easier to make, it's hard team to make two Stanley Cups in a row... Did you think about that?" He responded, "So I'm kind of used to it, and it's just kind of grind it out." He added, "I mean, it's definitely a tough lineup to crack. I think, I think there's a chance."

Leppänen Seems Appreciative Of The Opportunity

Leppänen credited the coaching staff for their guidance. “They’ve been very positive, telling me to keep moving the puck and playing my style. That’s what I plan to do,” he said.

I specifically brought up how much he's playing thus far in preseason, getting several games in a row and big minutes in those games. Was this something he wanted to keep doing, taking as many opportunities as would be tossed his way? “I mean, sure, the more you play, I think even, it can be a little bit more exhausting, but you get the feel for the game, and you can get a little bit of flow going. So it's, I think it's easier to more you play, kind of easier to go."

"I think just kind of once in a lifetime chance to come, and if you get it, get the opportunity. Just gotta take it."

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The Pittsburgh Penguins made another cut on Thursday, assigning defensive prospect Quinn Beauchesne to the OHL's Guelph Storm.

Beauchesne, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, was at Penguins' training camp for a week before getting cut. Before that, he participated in the Prospects Challenge and was one of the Penguins' best prospects in those three games. He showcased his fluid skating, snarl, and ability to break the puck out of his zone with ease. 

Those traits can definitely translate to the NHL, but he still needs to keep developing, and the Penguins don't want to rush him. He finished last season with six goals and 24 points in 49 games with the Storm, and will be an assistant captain for them this year. 

He's a prospect that a lot of fans should keep an eye on this year. The Penguins may have gotten a steal in the fifth round. 

The Penguins will return to practice on Friday, and it's expected to be a special day, as Marc-Andre Fleury will practice with the team before his sendoff on Saturday night. 

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