Overseas, the KHL regular season has finally begun, and while the Philadelphia Flyers will be monitoring the progress of Egor Zavragin, they'll be seeing what an old friend is up to as well.

In addition to Zavragin, who will be playing for his third KHL team in his young career this year, the Flyers have recent NHL burnout Kevin Hayes representing them in the KHL ranks after going un-signed through the offseason.

Quietly, former Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov, drafted by the franchise way back in 2015, has returned home to Russia, too, signing a two-year deal with Spartak Moskva, joining forces with former Flyers draft bust German Rubtsov, following a two-year jaunt in North America.

Fedotov, 29, was wholly unimpressive and inconsistent during his time in the NHL with the Flyers, amassing a 6-14-5 record to the tune of a 3.29 GAA and .874 save percentage.

Fedotov did improve in his first full season with the Flyers in 2024-25, at times looking dominant, but would often swing too far to the other side of the spectrum and concede several weak goals.

That culminated in the Flyers trading the 6-foot-8 netminder to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who had him spend the entire year in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters. There, Fedotov went 23-16-9 in 47 games, recording a 2.89 GAA, .887 save percentage, and two shutouts.

Under-the-Radar Flyers Prospect Could Surprise at Training CampUnderrated Philadelphia Flyers prospect Ty Murchison could end up being the surprise of training camp.

It's clear that Fedotov never fully acclimated to and comfortable with the style of play here, but back home in Russia, the former Flyers goalie's dominance is unquestioned.

A former Olympic Silver Medalist, KHL Goalie of the Year, KHL All-Star, and Gagarin Cup champion, Fedotov accomplished quite a bit in his four full seasons as a regular in Russia.

Now back home, he's picking up where he left off.

Through his first two games of the KHL season, Fedotov is only 1-1-0, but that isn't for a lack of effort on his part.

In Spartak's opening match against Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, Fedotov rebuffed 18 of 19 shots (.947%) in a low-octane 1-0 loss.

Then, Fedotov followed that effort up with a 29-save effort in a 3-2 win (.935%) over  former Flyers teammate Egor Zamula, top 2027 NHL Draft prospect Nazar Privalov, and CSKA Moscow.

Former NHLers Christian Jaros and Max Comtois, as well as Ilya Kotlyarov, scored for Fedotov's side, while Zamula picked up an assist at the other end.

So far, Fedotov has stopped 37 of 40 shots for his new team, jumping out to a hot 1.51 GAA and .940 save percentage.

When Joe Sakic tells Avalanche fans not to worry, history suggests they should probably listen.

Sakic delivered that message again Monday while discussing head coach Jared Bednar on Altitude Sports Radio. With Bednar entering the final year of his three-year contract, questions about his future in Colorado are beginning to surface.

Sakic, however, doesn't appear concerned.

“No, we’re continuing. We’re gonna talk about it and see if we can get to an agreement here. ... We’ll try and get to an extension, and hopefully we can work something out, but there’s no urgency either.”

It’s a similar message to the one Sakic gave regarding Cale Makar earlier this summer. While there was plenty of speculation about whether the Avalanche would be able to reach a long-term agreement with their star defenseman, Sakic remained confident.

That confidence proved justified when Makar signed an eight-year, $163.2 million extension, keeping him in Colorado through the 2034-35 season.

Now, the focus shifts to Bednar.

Bednar has been behind Colorado's bench since 2016 and has accomplished just about everything possible during his tenure. He has won championships at the ECHL, AHL and NHL levels, including the 2022 Stanley Cup with the Avalanche. He is also the winningest coach in franchise history.

With that résumé, it makes sense that Colorado would want to keep him around.

Still, Sakic made it clear Monday that there is no rush to get a deal done.

The Avalanche will continue negotiating with Bednar and see if the two sides can reach an agreement. For now, though, both Sakic and Bednar appear comfortable letting the process play out.

And if Sakic's track record is any indication, Avalanche fans may want to take him at his word once again.

Bednar has taken plenty of heat over the past couple of seasons because of the team's playoff shortcomings, but the bottom line is that the organization wanted him back. Perhaps even more importantly, the players gave him their vote of confidence.

Now, we'll see if next season brings that magic spark back.

With it now being September, NHL training camps are right around the corner. 

Due to this, teams around the NHL have started signing players to professional tryouts (PTOs). The Montreal Canadiens have yet to invite any free agents to their training camp on a PTO, but there is still time for them to change that if they wish to. 

When looking at the remaining UFAs, one player who could make sense for the Canadiens to sign to a PTO is Michael Bunting. 

Bunting would be a very interesting player for the Canadiens to have at their training camp. With the Canadiens arguably needing more depth on the wing, there would be no harm in giving a PTO to a veteran winger like Bunting.

Bunting spent last season with the Nashville Predators and then Dallas Stars, where he recorded 14 goals and 33 points in 74 games. This was after he had 19 goals and 38 points in 76 games during the 2024-25 and 19 goals and 55 points in 81 games back in 2023-24. With numbers like these, he would not be a bad player for Montreal to have at their training camp on a PTO.

If Bunting did well during a PTO and earned a contract for the season from Montreal, he would give them another forward to consider for their bottom six. Due to this, the Canadiens should not be afraid to take a gamble on Bunting with a PTO. Let's see if they do just that. 

Barring Devon Levi completely falling apart to start the season, the Edmonton Oilers' plan for Tristan Jarry should go as follows.

Play him as the backup until Frederik Anderson return, and then send him to Bakersfield.

Andersen is expected to miss the start of the season due to an injury during offseason training, leaving Jarry and Levi as Edmonton's lone goaltenders. 

Jarry played 19 games for Edmonton after getting traded from Pittsburgh in December. He went 9-6-2 with a 3.86 GAA and an .858 save percentage. Connor Ingram eventually became Edmonton's starter, and Jarry started once during Edmonton's six-game first-round loss to Anaheim.

Jarry also carries a $5.375 million cap hit through the end of next season, money that could arguably be spent elsewhere

Per NHL rules, a team can only bury a portion of a player's contract in the AHL, leaving Edmonton responsible for the remaining cap hit. The Oilers would still create some room and open an NHL roster spot in the process.

Levi was acquired from Buffalo this summer because Edmonton believes there is an NHL goaltender there. He spent much of the last two seasons in the American Hockey League and now has a golden opportunity to prove he can be an NHL goaltender.

Edmonton can spend the opening weeks evaluating both goaltenders without allowing the situation to drag deep into the season.

Grading Every Forward's Contract On The Oilers This SeasonAs ballooning NHL salaries redefine market value, we evaluate how Edmonton’s front office managed the books, from Draisaitl’s elite extension to Hyman’s steal of a deal.

And again, Levi doesn't need to prove he's better than Andersson; he just has to prove he's better than Jarry by being dependable and earning the organization's trust. A solid opening month should be enough to keep him in Edmonton.

An awful opening month would mean that Levi could struggle even as the backup, give Edmonton unreliable goaltending and force the team to kepe Jarry around. That said, anything resembling competent NHL goaltending would keep Levi around.

The Oilers gave Jarry an opportunity after acquiring him from Pittsburgh, and his .858 save percentage became part of a larger goaltending problem that followed the team throughout the year. There is no need to spend another several months searching for an answer that may already be sitting in front of them.

Jarry's $5.375-million cap hit is already committed. Keeping him in Edmonton only keeps an expensive goaltender on the NHL roster after the organization has added Andersen and Levi.

Who Wins The Art Ross Next Year?Connor McDavid played all 82 games during his second NHL season and scored 100 points. Macklin Celebrini just finished his second season with 115.

The Oilers need to think about what else that money could eventually become.

Cap space can be accumulated and used during the season. Edmonton can identify weaknesses in its lineup once Mike Babcock has a few months to work with the roster and fix them. Edmonton needs as much flexibility as it can create.

A top-six winger would have a direct role on this roster, as would a middle-six winger, when the injuries stack up, as they already have. Defensive depth could become necessary during the season, and the Oilers should be looking for ways to create room for those additions instead of protecting Jarry's roster spot because of the money attached to his contract.

Andersson was signed so that he could play in the NHL for the Oilers, not sit in the press box, and his return will force Edmonton to make a decision unless another injury settles it for them. Why not decide now and set the expectations for the rest of the season?

Former Oiler Shown Off In New Swiss League JerseyJeff Skinner hits the ice with EHC Biel-Bienne, swapping NHL colors for Swiss threads as he eyes a potential scoring resurgence and a future return to North America.

Three goaltenders only delay the issue. Carrying Jarry, Andersen and Levi takes another roster spot and keeps Edmonton from committing to the tandem it wants for the remainder of the season. Sending Levi back to the AHL after a strong start would also waste the opportunity created by Andersen's injury.

The Oilers are trying to win a Stanley Cup right now, which means every roster spot needs a purpose, and every available cap dollar needs to be treated seriously. Spending months trying to make an expensive goaltending arrangement work would accomplish very little.

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If there was any doubt about Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck's intentions heading into next season, the Hart and Vezina Trophy winner made it clear when he confirmed through his agent that he has requested a trade. The 33-year-old had knee surgery, and a career-worst .895 save % with the Jets last season, but still played 57 games (23-23-11) and was the key to Team USA’s gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. 

The Buffalo Sabres were connected to Hellebuyck around the NHL Draft in late June, but Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could not find common ground on a deal. The conventional wisdom is that now that Hellebuyck has made his trade request public, that Cheveldayoff is not in as strong a negotiating position to get the best deal for the netminder, but he reportedly is open to going to a wide swath of teams. 

Unless Hellebuyck is prepared to hold out, Winnipeg could wait into the season for the right return for such a valuable commodity.

The Sabres could be in the mix for Hellebuyck, but deals that had previously been offered that  included goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen might be off the table, since he has a five-team no-trade clause that could block a trade to Winnipeg. It is expected that any deal involving Buffalo would include one of their young centers (Noah Ostlund or Konsta Helenius), one of their top prospect defenseman (Daxon Rudolph or Radim Mrtka) and/or an established NHL forward (Jack Quinn or Ryan McLeod).

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

Other teams could be in the mix for the veteran netminder, either to get them into the playoff mix, or to elevate them from a consistent postseason entrant to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Florida Panthers

Team Status: The Panthers fell victim to numerous injuries and the hangover of three consecutive deep runs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, losing in the 2023 Final to the Vegas Golden Knights and defeating Edmonton to win consecutive Cups in 2024 and 2025. The loss of team captain Aleksander Barkov in training camp was a fatal wound, but a myriad of other injuries weighed down Florida to the point that making the playoffs became an impossibility. GM Bill Zito pulled off potentially the coup of the summer, obtaining winger Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa for a package of high draft picks, as well as adding veteran support players like Garnet Hathaway, and Radko Gudas.

Current Goalie Situation: Zirto appears to have charted his course for the immediate future between the pipes, opting not to bring back two-time Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky, obtaining Akira Schmid for a draft pick from Vegas, and dealing with New Jersey for veteran Jacob Markstrom. Markstrom had a subpar year with the Devils, while Schmid made the bulk of the starts (34) for Vegas. 

Assets To Trade: Cap space and assets are what make a Hellebuyck deal to Florida unlikely, but Zito seems to defy the odds because of how attractive playing in no-state-tax Florida is. Schmid at 26, without any trade protection, would likely be part of any deal, since Markstrom has a 20-team no-trade list, but the Panthers are right up against the cap and would likely need to clear Markstrom’s $6 million cap hit. 

Cheveldayoff would undoubtedly ask for young center Anton Lundell as part of any trade, but that seems to be where Zito hangs up the phone, since the 24-year-old is under contract for three years after next season at a $5 million AAV. 28-year-old Eetu Luostarinen has a no-movement clause that kicks in next July and just signed an eight-year, $40 million extension.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

Former members of the Vancouver Canucks will take the spotlight in this off-season article series. From those skating with new NHL teams heading into the 2026–27 season to those who are now playing for international clubs, these featured players have skated in at least one game at the NHL level as a member of the Canucks. 

Today’s segment will take a look at the former Canucks that are expected to play in the KHL during the 2026–27 season. 

*Vitali Kravtsov, Traktor Chelyabinsk: First acquired by Vancouver in 2023, played in 16 games, and went to the KHL that off-season. Spent two seasons with Traktor Chelyabinsk before making his return to North America in 2025–26, where he played in 10 games with the Abbotsford Canucks. Terminated NHL contract to return to the KHL for 2025–26. Currently listed as injured heading into the 2026–27 season. 

Sheldon Rempal, Salavat Yulaev Ufa: Played in one game for the Canucks in 2021–22 after signing with the team in free-agency in 2021. Scored 33 goals and 36 assists in 55 games with Abbotsford during that season. Signed with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022 before heading to the KHL in 2024–25. Signed with the Washington Capitals in 2025–26 but returned to the KHL during the year. 

*Tyler Graovac, HC Lada Togliatti: Played for the Canucks from 2019–20 to 2020–21, skating in a total of 22 games. Went to the KHL in 2021 and has since played for Dinamo Minsk (2021–22), Vityaz Moscow Region (2022–23), Admiral Vladivostok (2023–24), Kunlun Red Star (2023–24 to 2024–25), and Lada Togliatti. Has yet to sign a contract for the 2026–27 season. 

Josh Leivo, Avangard Omsk: Traded to Vancouver in December of 2018. Put together a career-high season with the Canucks in 2019–20, scoring seven goals and 12 assists in 36 games. Played for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues before heading to the KHL. 

Nikolay Goldobin, SKA St. Petersburg: Sent to Vancouver in exchange for Jannik Hansen in March of 2017. Played in 114 games with the Canucks, putting up a career-high of seven goals and 20 assists in 63 games in 2018–19, before returning to the KHL in 2020–21. 

Justin Bailey, Barys Astana: Spent 19 games with the Canucks throughout the 2019–20 to 2021–22 seasons, predominantly playing for then Vancouver AHL-affiliate the Utica Comets. Skated with the Bakersfield Condors, San Jose Sharks and Barracuda, and San Diego Gulls after. Signed with Barys Astana during the 2026 off-season. 

Nikita Tryamkin, Avtomobilist Yekaterinberg: Played in his lone two NHL seasons with the Canucks in 2015–16 and 2016–17. Skated in a total of 79 games during that span of time. Now heading into his 10th-consecutive season with Avtomobilist Yekaterinberg and the 14th of his career. 

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The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.  

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games. 

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

4. Radim Mrtka - D (Seattle - WHL, Rochester - AHL)

The Buffalo Sabres once again had a top 10 pick at the 2025 NHL Draft, and after lengthy speculation that they might trade the pick for immediate help with former GM Kevyn Adams entering a do or die season, the Sabres kept the ninth overall pick and selected Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman Radim Mrtka.

Mrtka offers an intriguing physical package at 6’6”, 218 lb. with excellent skating ability. After getting limited playing time in various levels in Czechia last season and playing for his country in the Under-18s, the big right hander came to North America to play in the WHL and posted 35 points (3 goals, 32 assists) in 43 games with the Thunderbirds, where he was teammates with current Sabres prospect Scott Ratzlaff.  

"Mrtka (offers a) very unique package to be able to move the way he does at 6'6", (is) almost more agile with the puck, if that's possible," Sabres Asst GM Jerry Forton said before the draft in June 2025. "A smart player at both ends. I was over in Czechia early in the year when he wasn't getting a lot of playing time in the men's league over there to see what he was willing to do to move to North America. He comes from a background where he has very little in the way of resources for hockey or anything outside hockey. He uprooted, high character kid, a huge ceiling."

The 19-year-old played five games for Czechia at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships, and played a four-game stint with AHL Rochester after Sabres training camp before being sent back to the WHL. His production was virtually the same last season with the Thunderbirds (1 goal, 33 assists) in 43 games, and after their year was over, Mrtka finished the season with the Amerks and played all three playoff games against the Toronto Marlies. 

It is expected that Mrtka will play full time with Rochester, and based on how the Sabres blueline fares and how the youngster plays in the AHL, a call up to the NHL is not out of the question.  

Follow Michael on X, and Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

It’s finally the year your team makes it to the Stanley Cup Final and is etched into hockey history till the end of time. For some, it hasn’t happened in a long time, but this year is different. This year they will actually hoist. Right?

Wrong.

For a few, the taste of champagne lingers on the palate, which should mean ordering another round. Right?

Wrong.

Your team won’t win the Stanley Cup. You know how I know?

1. Boston Bruins

Last year I said the Bruins lacked identity, and boy was that a bullseye. These guys can’t even decide who their next captain is after Bergeron and Marchand left town. Should it be McCavoy or Pastrnak? All I know is neither will be skating out to retrieve any hardware this season, because they don’t have a single elite center and lack center depth in general. And they still employ Casey Mittelstadt, nuff said.

2. Buffalo Sabres

Goalie problems in Buffalo? I know, crazy, right? Buffalo won’t hoist that unless they somehow land Connor Hellebuyck, who requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets. That feels pretty much impossible since they traded so much talent this offseason. Not to mention it’s Buffalo who have only been to the finals twice since 1970. I will say that Hull’s foot was in the crease, though.

I have no allegiance to either team tonight. But I’ll tell you what my eyes and brain tell me. They tell me Buffalo’s time has come to end. I will not be wearing the Goat Head jersey. I will not aid the Sabres into battle. I’m putting down my sword. Some times it’s about knowing… pic.twitter.com/DOQwR4jyD2

— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) May 16, 2026

3. Carolina Hurricanes

Congrats, Hurricanes, you have won the Stanley Cup, but now you should take the time to apologize for what happens next. You won’t win a cup because this league is quick to make adjustments based on recent success. Even on nights where clear adjustments look obvious, you’ll stick to your guns, and it will cost you. Stubborn Canes.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets won’t win the Stanley Cup because they don’t know what team defense is and have tried to trade their Norris Trophy-winning defender to the Dallas Stars. We keep being told that living in Columbus isn’t the issue and that the Jackets are going to find the spark they showed way back when they swept the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Lightning. That was seven years ago.

5. Detroit Red Wings

Detroit’s own captain doesn’t think the Wings can make the playoffs or win the Stanley Cup, so why should I? Dylan Larkin’s holdout for the perfect fit could land him a move to absolutely nowhere, and we could see a captain get booed in his own barn on a nightly basis. I’m almost certain he will inevitably end up in Vegas.

LET'S WATCH: Dylan Larkin

Larkin's trade request (and short trade list) have been the story of the offseason. Here's a game of his from December: pic.twitter.com/YphQZzMpij

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 10, 2026

6. Florida Panthers

Team Tkachuk brothers is finally formed, as players from Team USA have fully weaponized the group chat and appear to be vacating Canadian franchises left and right. Too bad their average age is over 30, and the brothers can’t stage a line brawl every night. It will be entertaining to watch this Panthers team, but they aren’t headed to the promised land because this isn’t the WWE.

Nikita Zadorov mic’d up chirping Brady Tkachuk for an entire game is as entertaining as it sounds 🍿

(via @NHLBruins) pic.twitter.com/998s7Ia4SM

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 12, 2025

7. Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens started the curse by trading Stanley Cup Champion & Conn Smythe winner Patrick Roy to the Colorado Avalanche. Imagine Mario Tremblay and overexpecting Canadian fans (yeah, Bronx cheering your HOF goalie, ain’t it) have led to the longest Canadian-Cupless Drought ever, and the clock keeps ticking. The Habs won’t win the Cup because Lane Hutson is good, but not what Habs fans think he is. There are levels.

Editor’s Note: Yeah, I know Edmonton traded Gretzky around the same time, but that was stupid, too.

8. New Jersey Devils

Do I even have to write this one? Your best player can’t even last the dinner service without getting injured. You haven’t fully engaged Team Hughes, so there’s still not enough hype for the locals to care. Gonna throw Jake Allen between the pipes as a starter again this season? Yeah, don’t plan the parade.

9.New York Islanders

The Islanders have some of the most loyal and die-hard fans in the league. Too bad their team hasn’t rewarded them. Nothing gets the people going like first-round exits. Remember what I said about Canadiens fans and Lane Hutson? I repeat my sentiments regarding Matthew Scheffers and the Islanders who won’t win a cup because they have no business doing so.

10. New York Rangers

The New York Rangers = The New York Jets.

Obviously the New York Rangers have been terrible all season and they’ve consistently lived at the bottom of the standings, but, the last game of the season always makes me feel pretty sad. #NYR

— Snark Messier (@SnarkMessier) April 15, 2026

11. Ottawa Senators

Well, Senators fans got their wish: Brady Tkachuk left town, and now it’s about to go down. Well, not really, because despite what Sens fans said about Brady, he was among their more talented and capable forwards. Now you have a top-line vacuum stronger than a top-dollar Dyson. Not to mention the PK unit in Ottawa couldn’t stop Sweden’s U20 team.

12. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers won’t win the Cup because Daniel Briere accelerated the inflation of the NHL salary cap by offer-sheeting Leo Carlsson. Now he makes $18M AAV to play for the Ducks, and the Flyers still lack any semblance of real talent. Jett Lunchenko may turn out to be what the Flyers hope he’ll be, but it won’t be enough to overcome the lack of center depth. No Lord Stanley in The City of Brotherly Love.

13. Pittsburgh Penguins

This is finally the year that Sidney Crosby does it. Finally, the year he gets back to the playoffs. The only thing is, it will be with a team not named the Pittsburgh Penguins. Say hi to Sammy G for us, though!

14. Tampa Bay Lightning

Kucherov is still humming along, and Jon Cooper is regarded as the best coach in the business after having one of his least impressive campaigns. It’s actually comical that the Lightning last season is the group that finally earned Cooper the Jack Adams. Tampa won’t hoist because Vassy isn’t the same, and neither are the Lightning.

15. Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs fans chased Mitch Marner out of town and immediately turned their attention to Auston Matthews as their next target. There’s the group-chat side of the American players leaving Canadian franchises. Still, there’s also the toxic-fandom side that won’t sleep until talented players veto the hockey capital of the world altogether. The Maple Leafs won’t win a cup because why would they?

16. Washington Capitals

The Alex Ovechkin victory lap seems like it won’t ever end, and although the greatest goal scorer in the world still has that wicked one-timer from the dot, his team is a flash in the pan after a flash in the pan. The Capitals are a one-step-forward, two-steps-back sort of squad, so I guess maybe this will be a step forward, but I doubt it. Either way, I’m more confident in humans living on Mars one day than I am in the Capitals winning the Cup.

ALEXANDER OVECHKIN pic.twitter.com/Qup7ZjdvXa

— tom wilson glazer (@tomwilsonglazer) September 6, 2026

* Disclaimer – this article is satirical in nature. *

The NHL Network is currently counting down the top 50 players across the entire NHL prior to the puck dropping on the 2026-27 season in just a few weeks.

The New York Islanders' superstar goaltender Ilya Sorokin made the list, checking in at #35.

From unranked to #⃣3⃣5⃣ - Ilya Sorokin (@NYIslanders) balled out and earned himself a spot on NHL Network's Top 50 Players Right Now list!

📺: #NHLTopPlayers on NHL Network pic.twitter.com/GpOWTlAiXk

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) September 6, 2026

The list is not fully finished, as last night's focus revealed players #31 through 40, which included the likes of Cole Caufield, Kyle Connor, Sebastian Aho, and Evan Bouchard.

NHL Network's Top 50 Players Right Now list keeps rolling with 40-31!

📺: #NHLTopPlayers on NHL Network pic.twitter.com/weHw79z313

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) September 7, 2026

Sorokin, 31, posted a 2.68 GAA and a .906 SV% with a league-leading seven shutouts in 55 games, with a 29-24-2 record. His GSAE sat at 25.3, which was the best in the NHL behind Boston Bruins' netminder Jeremy Swayman (28.8) and Washington captains netminder Logan Thompson (29.3).  

Other analytic sites and analyses had Sorokin as the very best in the entire NHL, including Data Driven Hockey.

The 2026 Vezina runner-up can only hope to carry over the elite play into another season, as he continues to be an absolute anchor for the Islanders in net.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 24 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #24. 

Let's take a look.

Mike Gaul - 2001 - Drafted by Los Angeles in 1991. 

Played two games for Columbus during the franchise's first season in 2000. He didn't score a point and never played another NHL game.

He left for Europe in 2001 and played in Switzerland until 2004. After retiring from professional hockey in 2004, Mike took a position as a senior partner at an Investment Bank, Vires Capital VII, where he is currently developing and overseeing a portfolio of infrastructure projects totaling over $80B.

Hannes Hyvönen - 2003 - Drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 1999. 

He played 36 games for the Jackets in 02-03, totaling 9 points, after the CBJ claimed him off waivers. He never played another NHL game after Columbus loaned him to Färjestads BK in 2003. 

He would go on to play in Finland, Switzerland, Russia, and Norway. He retired in 2016 and went into coaching in 2019.  Hyvönen is currently the head coach of TPS U20 in Finland. 

Todd Rohloff - 2004 - Undrafted out of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Played 24 games for the Jackets in 03-04, getting two points. The defenseman also played four years at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, before turning pro. 

Rohloff retired after the 2005–06 season after never playing another NHL game. 

François Beauchemin - 2006 - Drafted by Montréal in 1998.

Beauchemin only played 11 games as a Jacket before being traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the Sergei Fedorov trade of 2005. Had he stayed a Jacket, he could've easily been listed as the best player to have worn #24, and possibly one of the best defensemen to ever wear a CBJ uniform.

He went on to play 903 NHL games, score 288 points, and win a Stanley Cup in 2007. He returned to Anaheim in 2017, where he played his last NHL season before retiring. 

Beauchemin was an asst. coach for Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL last season. 

Cam Severson - 2006 - Drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 1997. 

After his trade from Calgary to Columbus, Severson played four games in 05-06 and had 0 points. 

He left for Europe in 2006 to play in Germany, Poland, and Romania, and would never play another NHL Game. He retired in 2010. 

Kris Beech - 2008 - Drafted by Washington in 1999. 

After being claimed off waivers, Beech played 16 games for Columbus in 07-08. He had 9 points in those 16 games. He left for Europe in 2009, where he would play until 2016. 

After playing for Columbus, Vancouver, and Pittsburgh in 07-08, he left for Europe and played in Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Czechia, Germany, Austria, and England. He retired in 2016. 

He is now an assistant coach for HV71 of the Swedish Elite League. 

Aaron Rome - 2009 Drafted by LA in 2002. 

Rome played 25 games for Columbus and had three points over two seasons, after being traded from the Anaheim Ducks. 

After playing for a few different teams, he would retire in 2015. He is now an asst. coach foe the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. 

Derek MacKenzie - 2010-2014 - 2008-2009 - Drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999.

MacKenzie played 279 games over the course of seven seasons for Columbus. He signed with Columbus in 2007 and made his debut in December of that year. 

He left for the Florida Panthers in 2014 and would play there until he retired in 2019. Later that year, he was named an asst. coach for Florida. He's spent the last three seasons as an asst. coach for the Nashville Predators.

Nathan Gerbe - 2018-2021

If this were a popularity contest, Gerbe wins by a landslide. He only played 41 games over three seasons, but it felt like he played a decade. Gerbe spent much of his five seasons with the organization in Cleveland, where he was the Captain for two seasons.

He retired in 2022 and joined the Nashville Predators as a development coach. 

Mathieu Olivier - 2023-2025  

Olivier is entering his fifth season in Columbus and is a fan favorite. He has played 263 games and has 85 points. He also has 391 PIMs and is considered the team's enforcer and authoritarian.

Trading for Mathieu Olivier is considered one of the most underrated trades ever by former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen. Re-signing him to his current deal is also considered one of the best moves by current GM Don Waddell. 

There are 24 days until opening night at NWA. 

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Last season, the Pittsburgh Penguins finished third overall in the NHL with 293 goals for as a team, trailing second place Carolina Hurricanes by just three and first place Colorado Avalanche by nine. While the Avalanche had Nathan MacKinnon posting a league leading 53 goals along with Martin Necas and Brock Nelson topping the 30 goal mark, the Penguins relied on a much more balanced attack to rack up their total.

Anthony Mantha may have been one-and-done with the Penguins, but his lone season in Pittsburgh was a memorable one, leading the team with 33 goals, making him the only Penguins player to reach the mark during the 2025-26 season.

Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust both potted 29 goals respectively last season, but together they missed a combined 24 games, meaning they were both on pace for over 30 goals but injuries kept them just short and gave Mantha a clear path to be the team leader.

Now the 2026-27 is on the horizon and the Penguins will be hoping to repeat that scoring prowess that helped them back to the playoffs last go around, but to do so, they will need to find a way to replace those departed goals from Mantha, along with needing other players still on the roster to repeat or exceed what they did last season.

Here now are a few of the names who could sit atop the Penguins goal scoring race when the 2026-27 season comes to a close.

Sidney Crosby

As mentioned above, Crosby fell just shy of the 30 goal mark in 2025-26, netting 29 while missing 14 games. If Crosby even misses just a fraction of those games instead of all 14, he likely eclipses 30 goals and possibly even finishes above Mantha’s mark of 33 to lead the team.

Although Crosby is now 39 years old and entering his 22nd NHL season, he will be one of the clear favorites to lead the Penguins in goals this season. In his NHL career thus far, Crosby has only failed to reach 30 goals seven times, with three of those seasons either being lock out shortened or COVID shortened.

If Crosby stays healthy in 2026-27 and keeps scoring at his normal pace, it’s not hard to envision him being back above 30 goals again and leading the charge for the Penguins offense as he has done basically his entire career to this point.

Bryan Rust

After coming agonizingly close to hitting the 30 goal mark several times, Rust finally broke that barrier in 2024-25, hitting 31 goals for the first 30 goals season of his career. Rust nearly repeated the feat last season, but fell just short at 29 goals, while like Crosby, missing a double digit amount of games that suppressed his overall total.

Now Rust is back for his 13th NHL season looking to get back to that magic 30 goal mark. He’ll be featuring on the top line alongside Crosby as he has been doing for years now, so the scoring opportunities will be there for Rust and it will be up to him to capitalize on those chances.

Health has always been a bit of an issue for Rust, he’s played 75+ games just once in his career, but when he’s on the ice, he’s been as reliable of a goal scorer of just about anyone else on the roster. History says he’ll be hanging around that Penguins goal scorer lead again this season.

Egor Chinakhov

In 41 games with the Penguins in 2025-26, Chinakhov posted 18 goals, good for sixth most on the season. That pace equaled out to roughly 0.44 goals/game, or 36 over an entire 82 game slate. That puts Chinakhov above Mantha for the overall scoring lead if he plays in Pittsburgh and scores at that pace all season.

After the Penguins acquired Chinakhov just before the new year, he burst onto the season and became one of the team’s most prolific goal scorers in the second half of the season. His shot it out of this world and his chemistry with fellow Russia Evgeni Malkin was instantaneous.

The goal scoring dried up for Chinakhov in the playoffs, but the process was still good he was just snake bitten at the absolute worst time. If he produces at the rate we saw with the Penguins again this season, he may be the early favorite to lead the entire team in goals this time around.

Rickard Rakell

Although Rakell’s reputation is of a goal scorer, he’s only topped the 30 goal mark three times in his career, once with the Penguins in 2024-25 when he set a new career high with 35 goals to lead the team. He regressed back to just 24 goals this past season, coming in fourth on the Penguins, but like Crosby and Rust, missed a significant chunk of time which undoubtedly suppressed his total.

There were plenty of trade rumors surrounding Rakell again this summer, but as of now, he’s still on the roster, and as long as he remains a Penguins player, he will be in the running for top goal scorer playing alongside Crosby and Rust on the top line.

It’s hard to believe that Rakell will be embarking on his fifth season with the Penguins in 2026-27 and he’s played some of his best hockey in Pittsburgh. Health will be a concern again, but he’s been a productive player for the Penguins and a full season should produce team leading results like they have in the past.

Ben Kindel

With 17 goals in his rookie season, Kindel posted once of the best goal scoring seasons for an 18 year old in NHL history. What he does for an encore remains to be seen, but he is coming into 2026-27 with a full year of professional experience under his belt, plus a full summer of training to prepare for his second go around.

While it remains to be seen exactly where Kindel settles into the lineup this season, he’ll certinaly be looking to build and improve on his rookie numbers. It may be too big of an ask for him to jump for 17 goals all the way into the 30 goal range, but he’s shown us he does have the ability to get the puck in the net.

Evgeni Malkin

Malkin was the fifth leading goal scorer for the Penguins last season, but he failed to reach the 20 goal mark for the second straight season and has not reached the 30 goal mark since all the way back in 2017-18 when he posted 42 goals. It’s clear as he enters his 21st NHL season that his prime goal scoring days are well behind him, but you cannot just pass over a player like Malkin without a mention.

Andrei Kuzmenko

Could Kuzmenko be the 2026-27 version of Mantha for the Penguins? He scored a whopping 39 goals back in 2022-23, but the goal scoring has mostly dried up since then as he has bounced around to different teams across the past few season. If he does find away to rediscover his scoring touch and turn in a Mantha-esque season, then what a find by Kyle Dubas for a second straight offseason.

During the 1987-88 season, the Calgary Flames won the Smythe Division with 105 points, edging out the Montreal Canadiens for the NHL's top record. However, the team, just two seasons removed from the Stanley Cup Final, was swept in the Division Finals by provincial rival, the Edmonton Oilers. Of course, the Oilers went on to win the Stanley Cup, signaling the end of the Wayne Gretzky era in northern Alberta.

In an attempt to retool an already elite lineup, then General Manager Cliff Fletcher made one of the franchise's most important trades on September 6, 1988, acquiring four players from the St. Louis Blues who would help the franchise win the Stanley Cup in May 1989.

Future Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour Comes to Calgary

On an early September morning, Fletcher was working the phones with the Blues to make a blockbuster trade that altered the Flames' future. He offered Mike Bullard, Tim Corkey, and Craig Coxe to St. Louis in exchange for Steve Bozek, Michael Dark, Mark Hunter, and Doug Gilmour. 

Within hours of the trade, Fletcher would swap Bozek and Paul Reinhart to the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in 1989, which turned into Veli-Pekka Kautonen.

Meanwhile, Dark never skated for the Flames, bouncing between the AHL, IHL, CoHL, and UHL, and ending his professional career in 1999. Hunter, who is not related to franchise penalty leader Tim Hunter, would go on to play three seasons in Calgary before finishing his NHL career with Hartford and Washington.

Looking back at this blockbuster deal, only one player, Gilmour, would have made an immediate impact, helping the Flames win the Clarence Campbell Bowl and the Stanley Cup. As a former 105-point player with the Blues, he tallied 26 goals and 85 points to finish third in team scoring. In the playoffs, the only time the future Hall of Famer would play in the Stanley Cup Final, he scored the second-most goals with 11 and finished third in scoring with 22 points in 22 games.

Gilmour's Flames Impact Goes Deeper Than Statistics

In parts of four seasons, Gilmour would go on to score 81 goals and 295 points in 266 games, which still ranks 27th all-time in franchise history. At the time of his trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 2, 1992, he had recorded the 13th most assists.

Historically, the trade between Calgary and Toronto, which featured Gilmour swapping jerseys, remains the largest in franchise history, as it involved 10 skaters changing teams. On that day, recently hired General Manager Doug Risebrough pulled off a trade still talked about to this day: the Flames acquired future NHL head coach Craig Berube, Alexander Godynyuk, Gary Leeman, Michel Petit, and goalie Jeff Reese. In return, he shipped out Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Kent Manderville, Ric Nattress, and goalie Rick Wamsley to Toronto. 

Although no one from the Maple Leafs had had a significant impact on the Flames out of the gate as Gilmour did, he led Toronto to the Western Conference Final in 1993 and 1994. It was the franchise's first Final Four appearance since 1967, and the loss to Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings in 1993 in Game 7 remains one of the NHL's most talked-about playoff moments. Moreover, those early years with the Maple Leafs are just one of the many career highlights for Gilmour, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.

Gilmour may not have replicated his St. Louis production in Calgary, but his impact extended far beyond the scoresheet. As one of the key contributors to the Flames' only Stanley Cup championship, his acquisition remains one of the smartest trades of Fletcher's own Hall of Fame career.

The New York Islanders' season gets underway in just 24 days, but across Europe, preseasons and regular seasons are well underway as the 2026-27 season begins in earnest.

One league that's gotten itself underway in the preseason is the SHL, which is very notable the Islanders.

2026 first-round pick (13th overall) Malte Gustafsson plays in the SHL for HV71, and made an immediate impact in the preseason.

Malte Gustafsson 🚨
Victor Laz 🍎 #HV71
🎥 TV4 Play pic.twitter.com/Eabyee5ghL

— SwehockeyGIFs (@swehockeygifs) September 5, 2026

The goal showcases his smooth skating and his extremely underrated offensive play, with a wicked wrister placed perfectly.

Gustafsson, 18, will not take part in New York Islanders' Rookie Camp or Training Camp as a result of his play in Sweden.

It's the same route as fellow Swede Victor Eklund, the Islanders' 16th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Both took part in development camp, but returned to Sweden.

Eklund made it over to North America for the end of Bridgeport's season, and made his NHL Debut in the Islanders' final game.

The plan for Gustafsson is to follow that plan roughly.

The Buffalo Sabres’ performance this past season had many positives, as the Sabres earned top spot in the Atlantic Division, as well as winning their first-round Stanley Cup playoffs series against the Boston Bruins. The Sabres lost to the Montreal Canadiens in Round 2, but Buffalo’s breakthrough came as a huge relief for long-suffering Sabres fans.. 

For the second straight year at TheHockeyNews.com, we're breaking down the Sabres’ Eastern Conference opponents in a series titled “Know Your Enemy”. And in this file, we’re focused on a team that’s won two of the past three Cups – the Florida Panthers. The Panthers cratered last season and missed the playoffs altogether, but Florida GM Bill Zito re-stocked his team’s shelves this summer. And that means Buffalo will face a tough test against their Atlantic rivals, the Panthers included.

BUFFALO SABRES VS. FLORIDA PANTHERS

NEW PANTHERS PLAYERS: Brady Tkachuk (LW), Jacob Markstrom (G), Akira Schmid (G), Garnet Hathaway (RW), Radko Gudas (D), Sam Lafferty (C), Lars Eller (C)

2025-26 SERIES: Sabres 3-1-0, Panthers 1-3-0

2026-27 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER: October 12, at Buffalo; November 21 at Florida; December 30 at Florida; March 20 at Buffalo

CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM?The Panthers had one of the best off-seasons in the league this summer, and now that they’ll have captain and star center Aleksander Barkov back from a devastating injury that caused him to miss the entire 2025-26 season, you have to believe Florida will be one of the surest bets to bounce back this coming year.

Adding former Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk absolutely makes the Panthers considerably better up front, while Zito also brought back veteran defenseman Radko Gudas for his second stint with the franchise. So it’s clear that Florida will be one of the most miserable teams to play against in ‘26-27.

However, the Panthers also appear to have their weak points – most notably, in net, where star Sergei Bobrovsky left for greener financial pastures with the Toronto Maple Leafs. And they replaced him with 36-year-old veteran Jacob Markstrom, also coming back on board for his second go-around with Florida. That could prove to be a poor decision – and the Sabres need to jump on Markstrom this year and establish their dominance over the Panthers.

The Sabres will take on Florida three times before the change in the calendar year, including Buffalo’s sixth game of the season. Then, in their final showdown of the year, the Panthers will battle Buffalo in the Sabres’ 73rd game of the season. The trade deadline may drastically change the look of one or both teams, but it behooves the Sabres to make the most of their first three games against Florida. Because these two teams could be battling it out for what could turn out to be one of the final wild card berths in the East this season.

Florida is far from a perfect team. But it’s safe to say the Sabres must go through the Panthers, one way or another, for Buffalo to improve on their playoff performance next season.

The Panthers were the gold standard for a couple of years there, and they may prove to be that again sometime soon. But the challenge is there for the Sabres to punish Florida the same way the Panthers have become famous for punishing teams, and if Buffalo can’t do that, the Sabres could be in for heartbreak.