Evander Kane is taking his talents to Russia, and if this is the end of his NHL career, well, it's been quite a ride around the National Hockey League.

The 35-year-old forward is expected to sign with a KHL team in the coming days, according to his agent, Dan Milstein, after spending the offseason without an NHL contract.

“We had a couple of things here in North America, but in the end, Evander decided to take his talents to Russia,” Milstein said. “We're very close to signing a deal with a KHL team. So, over the next couple of days or so, we'll make an announcement.”

Kane played 1,001 NHL games that included 339 goals and 648 points with Atlanta, Winnipeg, Buffalo, San Jose, Edmonton, and Vancouver. He scored 30 goals twice, reached two Stanley Cup Finals with the Oilers, and was one of the league's more physical forwards there for a time.

Kane was selected fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009 and made his NHL debut at 18. He scored 30 goals with Winnipeg in 2011-12, although his time with the Jets ended in 2015 after a series of disagreements, including a widely reported incident involving Dustin Byfuglien throwing Kane's tracksuit into a shower.

He was traded to Buffalo shortly afterward, spending parts of four seasons with the Sabres before joining the San Jose Sharks in 2018.

Kane was a productive player during those years, although his disciplinary record and problems away from hockey were becoming an increasingly significant part of his reputation.

Nugent-Hopkins Career After Most Games As An OilerThere aren't many people who would have stuck around for all of it.

In 2021, he filed for personal bankruptcy, listing millions of dollars in debts. He was also suspended 21 games by the NHL for violating the league's COVID-19 protocols by submitting a falsified vaccination card.

The Sharks eventually terminated his contract in January of 2022, citing a breach of his standard player contract. The NHLPA filed a grievance challenging that decision, and the matter was subsequently settled.

Kane also faced serious allegations concerning his personal life, some of which he denied. Those allegations shouldn't be treated as established facts, although the public disputes and investigations contributed to the attention surrounding his career.

By the time Edmonton signed him in January of 2022, Kane was one of the most controversial players in the NHL.

Oilers Goaltending Holds Strong Despite Injuries To Andersen And LeviIn their last three games, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers">Edmonton Oilers</a> have allowed one goal with Tristan Jarry and Matt Tomkins in net during the team's road trip through New York.

Kane scored 22 goals in 43 regular-season games during his first year with the Oilers, then led the NHL playoffs with 13 goals in just 15 games.

Edmonton signed him to a four-year, $20.5-million contract that summer, and Kane became an important part of the team's attempts to win a Stanley Cup.

Kane suffered a serious wrist injury in November of 2022 and later dealt with several other health issues, missing the entire 2024-25 regular season before returning for the playoffs.

He was part of Edmonton's consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final, although his production had declined considerably by the time the Oilers traded him to Vancouver in June of 2025.

Odds of Kucherov to the Oilers: If You Can't Be Them, Join ThemFrustrated by a lack of respect in Tampa Bay, Nikita Kucherov might be open to a move to Canada. Could a partnership with Connor McDavid propel him further into hockey’s elite?

Kane finished his final NHL season with 13 goals and 31 points in 71 games for the Canucks, who didn't bring him back when his contract expired.

By 35, his offensive production had been declining, and he'd accumulated a lengthy injury history, on top of a deeply questionable personal life. Though, Kane also helped establish the Hockey Diversity Alliance in 2020 to address racism and discrimination in hockey.

Kane will likely never return to the NHL, and his legacy across the league is one of considerable debate for his performance on and off the ice.

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Michael Amadio scored on a wrist shot with 3:09 left to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.

Fabian Zetterlund and Tim Stutzle assisted on the go-ahead goal as Ottawa and Amadio capitalized on a 3-on-2 break.

Shane Pinto also scored for the Senators, tying the game at 1 at 11:33 of the second period.

Peyton Krebs scored at the 14-minute mark of the first to give the Sabres the lead. Tage Thompson and Zach Benson assisted on Krebs’ first goal of the season.

Samuel Ersson made 24 saves in the win for the Senators, who entered the game having lost three of their last four games, including a 6-3 setback against Anaheim on Sunday.

Colten Ellis had 28 saves for the Sabres, who had their three-game win streak halted.

PANTHERS 5, BLACKHAWKS 3

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sandis Vilmanis had the first two-goal game of his career, Sam Reinhart provided a goal and two assists, and Florida beat Chicago to wrap up a three-game homestand.

Seth Jones scored against his former team and Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who are 4-1-0 in their last five games and 7-3-0 in their past 10. Vilmanis added two assists to finish with four points.

Florida improved to 9-0-1 when allowing three goals or fewer this season. Reinhart’s goal was an empty-netter to seal the win with 1:27 left.

Frank Nazar had two third-period goals and Roman Kantserov also scored for Chicago. Ethan Del Mastro got two assists — his first points of the season, and the first multi-point game of his career. Connor Bedard had two assists.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Michael Amadio scored on a wrist shot with 3:09 left to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.

Fabian Zetterlund and Tim Stutzle assisted on the go-ahead goal as Ottawa and Amadio capitalized on a 3-on-2 break.

Shane Pinto also scored for the Senators, tying the game at 1 at 11:33 of the second period.

Peyton Krebs scored at the 14-minute mark of the first to give the Sabres the lead. Tage Thompson and Zach Benson assisted on Krebs' first goal of the season.

Samuel Ersson made 24 saves in the win for the Senators, who entered the game having lost three of their last four games, including a 6-3 setback against Anaheim on Sunday.

Colten Ellis had 28 saves for the Sabres, who had their three-game win streak halted.

Up next

Senators: Host the Utah Mammoth on Saturday in the opener of a three-game homestand.

Sabres: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday in the second game of a four-game homestand.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Florida, on Wednesday night. This was their fourth straight loss, and they are now 4-11-1 through 16 games this season. They are also still winless on the road following this loss. 

Like every other game this season, the Blackhawks were thoroughly outplayed in almost every area of the game. Before the opening period was 5 minutes old, the Panthers had a 1-0 lead, and they took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. 

In the second period, the Hawks started to find their legs a little more, and the shot counter started to even out. They weren't all quality shots compared to those of the Panthers, but it was an undoubted improvement over the first period. 

Despite their better play, it was Florida that scored the first goal of the period. Seth Jones threw one on Spencer Knight, and it beat him to make it 3-0. It's a tough goal for Knight, who was traded for Jones, to give up.

The Blackhawks did respond before the period was over, however. Roman Kantserov scored his 7th goal of the season to get the Blackhawks on the board. This ended a stretch of 8 unanswered goals given up by the Blackhawks, going back to their previous game against the Colorado Avalanche. 

Kantserov, who leads the Blackhawks in goals, also leads all NHL rookies. This marker passed James Hagens of the Boston Bruins and Trevor Connelly of the Vegas Golden Knights for sole possession of the lead. 

Entering the 3rd period down 3-1, the Blackhawks had a near-impossible hill to climb. They had a hard time scoring as it was, and they needed two just to have a chance at winning the game. 

Shockingly, the Blackhawks did briefly get within one thanks to a short-handed goal by Frank Nazar. Cole Smith sprung him for a breakaway, and a nifty move allowed him to beat Jacob Markstrom on the backhand. 

That didn't last for as long as Chicago would have liked, however, as Sandis Vilmanis scored his second goal of the game to make it 4-2 for Florida. His line with Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe was magnificent in this game, as they scored all of their even-strength goals on a goalie. 

Frank Nazar didn't hear a bell, however, as he scored his second of the period to get the Blackhawks within one for the second time. While the Blackhawks were trying to complete the comeback with Spencer Knight on the bench, Sam Reinhart threw one into the empty net and sealed the 5-3 victory for Florida. 

Some of the younger players on the Blackhawks were clearly giving it their all until the very end, but it was not enough to overcome what was a mostly sloppy game for Chicago. This win completes a season sweep of the Blackhawks for the Panthers. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

NHL rookie goal leader Roman Kantserov 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/iv4mMeIUF5

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 5, 2026

BANG 💥 pic.twitter.com/FsZgpLNJZy

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 5, 2026

#GETFRANKEDpic.twitter.com/OSQWdMTpUg

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 5, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks will continue their road trip with a Thursday night game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa, Florida. This is the first time that the Blackhawks will be playing in a back-to-back situation. 

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Evander Kane is taking the his talents to the KHL. Agent Dan Milstein has confirmed that Kane received a couple of offers to play in the North America, but has ultimately decided to head to Russia where he will play the 2026-27 season. 

An unrestricted free agent, Kane was unable to secure a contract with an NHL teams. He spent last season with the Vancouver Canucks after being acquired in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers. 

His last five seasons have mixed solid production with injury trouble. He scored 22 goals in 43 games after joining Edmonton midseason in 2021-22, then managed 16 goals in 41 games in 2022-23. He bounced back with 24 goals and 44 points in 77 games in 2023-24. A long layoff limited him to 21 games and 12 points in 2024-25, and he was dealt to Vancouver that summer. In 2025-26 he finished with 13 goals and 31 points in 70 games for the Canucks.

This will likely signal the end of Kane's playing career in the NHL. A solid winger, he was one of the premier power forwards in the NHL for several seasons. Off-ice drama played a significant role in his career and in many ways, it will unfortunately be what he's most remembered for. 

"Evander Kane decided to take his talents to Russia"

Dan Milstein breaks that his client, Evander Kane will play this season in the KHL.@JeffMarek | @TheFourthPeriod

Presented by @bet365ca#bet365

📺: https://t.co/jkiYPNw5xM
🎧: https://t.co/oZos5evr8hpic.twitter.com/Af0YAR6VqA

— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) November 5, 2026

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Star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck says “very challenging circumstances” involving his family were among the reasons he requested a trade out of Winnipeg.

In a letter to Jets fans posted Wednesday on Instagram, Hellebuyck acknowledged his trade request disappointed those who had supported him throughout his career in Winnipeg.

“I understand those feelings, and I want everyone to know it was an extremely difficult decision,” he said. “After a lot of thought and discussion, we ultimately felt that making a change was the best thing for our family.

“We’ve chosen to keep those personal circumstances private, and I hope people can respect that.”

Hellebuyck was traded Oct. 23 to the New Jersey Devils for forwards Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command and Nick Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, a 2027 seventh-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick.

The trade came a month after Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goaltender and the 2024-25 MVP, publicly demanded a move. The Jets later suspended him for failing to report to training camp.

While the relationship between the Jets and the one-time face of their franchise ended on a sour note, Hellebuyck stuck a conciliatory tone in his letter.

“I’m sincerely grateful to (co-owner) Mark Chipman, (GM) Kevin Cheveldayoff and the entire Jets organization for the opportunity they gave me and the trust they showed in me over the years,” he said.

“To my teammates, coaches, trainers, equipment staff and everyone behind the scenes, thank you for your friendships, support and memories that I will always carry with me.”

He saved some of his kindest words for Winnipeg’s fans, noting how he felt a connection to the city through his love of the outdoors.

“To the great Jets fans who supported me and my family, thank you,” he said. “I’ll never forget the pride I felt representing Winnipeg, and I wish the Jets and the entire community nothing but the best.”

It remains to be seen if Jets fans will reciprocate his feelings when the Devils visit Winnipeg on Tuesday.

Hellebuyck is among several prominent American NHL players who have pushed for moves from Canadian teams to clubs south of the border.

Two of Hellebuyck’s U.S. Olympic gold-medal teammates have faced hostile receptions in their former NHL cities. Brady Tkachuk, the longtime Senators captain, was heavily jeered when his Florida Panthers recently visited Ottawa. Former Canucks captain and current Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes also heard boos upon his return to Vancouver.

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

In the 2026 offseason, the Philadelphia Flyers sought to upgrade their defense, but the one transaction they completed just left things worse for wear. Fortunately, the NHL waiver wire has again presented management with an opportunity to fix things.

In the only real move the Flyers made this summer, goalie Sam Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a third-round pick were traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit.

Benoit, 28, has struggled to establish himself for the Flyers as a rotational veteran, temporarily falling behind Hunter McDonald on the depth chart while also ceding reps to prospect David Jiricek early in the season.

A historically limited player offensively, Benoit has no points in 12 games for the Flyers this season, and has just six goals and 30 assists in 364 career regular season games.

The Flyers, who already produced little offense as it is, are going to need much more from their blue line in order to make something of this season.

Fortunately for them, the good news is that Andrae, still just 24 years old, is available for free on the NHL waiver wire.

Flyers Heavy Contingent Watches Canadiens Game as NHL Trade Season ApproachesAt an important crossroads, the Philadelphia Flyers continue their scouting around the NHL, with an apparent focus on the Montreal Canadiens as NHL trade season approaches.

The 5-foot-9 Swede has struggled to find his footing this season, having featured as a depth piece for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who picked him up as an auxiliary asset in the Kirill Marchenko trade that sent the star Russian winger to Toronto.

Despite that, though, Andrae has produced two points in five games, assisting on Matthew Knies's first Blue Jackets goal on Oct. 1, and picking up another helper against the Maple Leafs in his most recent appearance for Columbus on Oct. 20.

The unfortunate reality for Andrae is that he's not going to surpass Ivan Provorov, Zach Werenski, or Denton Mateychuk on the depth chart to earn playing time on the left side of the defense, leaving him to play a seventh or eighth defenseman role as a 24-year-old.

If the Flyers were to claim Andrae from waivers for a reunion, though, the undersized defenseman could presumably slide right back into his bottom-four role on defense, and it undoubtedly helps that Andrae already knows Rick Tocchet's system and the majority of the players on the team.

While things weren't perfect at times under Tocchet, Andrae still enjoyed a breakout campaign last year with the Flyers, playing in a career-high 61 games and scoring two goals, 11 assists, and 13 points with a +15 rating, which was the second-best mark on the team.

He doesn't contribute much on special teams, but Andrae is undeniably an upgrade over Benoit and Jiricek, and probably an aging Nick Seeler, too.

His puck-moving skills would help ease the Flyers' overreliance on players like Travis Sanheim, Jamie Drysdale, and Oliver Bonk, who have been working overtime in offensive situations with the Flyers frequently in need of a goal or two... or three.

As things stand, the Flyers are the fourth-worst team in the NHL with their 4-9-4 record and 12 points, which makes them, by extension, the fourth team in the waiver order.

If they want to reunite with Andrae and upgrade the defense for free, only the Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, and Vancouver Canucks have higher waiver priority.

Originally trading Andrae to the Maple Leafs in the Woll deal was the cost of doing business for the Flyers, who had been counting on having the defenseman in their plans until that deal came along.

In fact, they even had Hometown Remix gear made for Andrae that went unused!

But again, now that Andrae is on waivers, the Flyers have a golden opportunity to reunite with a player they never necessarily wanted to lose to begin with, and it couldn't come at a better time in the season than now.

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The Detroit Red Wings already caught a glimpse of what goaltender Michal Postava can do at the NHL level.

Now, he could soon get another crack at it. 

On Wednesday afternoon, the Red Wings announced that Postava had been called back up from the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins following an injury to John Gibson during Tuesday's 4-2 setback against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

UPDATE: The #RedWings have recalled Michal Postava from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions and placed Albert Johansson on IR retroactive to October 24. pic.twitter.com/eWWsi1hFDR

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 4, 2026

In a corresponding move, defenseman Albert Johansson was placed on Injured Reserve retroactive to Oct. 24. 

Gibson, who made 11 saves on the 13 shots he faced in the first period, did not return for the final 40 minutes of play; he was replaced by Daniil Tarasov. 

Postava is just over a week removed from having picked up his first career NHL victory, a 4-3 shootout triumph over the high-powered offensive attack of the Edmonton Oilers. 

Not only did he stop 25 of 28 shots during regulation and overtime, but he denied two of the NHL's most dangerous players in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the subsequent shootout, before capping the night with a save on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to secure the victory. 

Michal Postava in his first NHL start gets the win! pic.twitter.com/g3Nu83DGSp

— Detroit SportsNet (@WatchDSN) October 27, 2026

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Postava was called up late last month to the Red Wings under emergency conditions after Tarasov was injured during practice; he was then returned to the Griffins after Tarasov's return. 

So far this season in Grand Rapids, Postava is a perfect 5-0 with a sparkling 1.20 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage. 

The Red Wings signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2025 to a two-year pact with a salary cap hit of $975,000. 

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When the Florida Panthers take the ice tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks, Lars Eller will skate in his 1,200th regular-season game. 

Eller was originally the 13th overall pick in the 2007 NHL draft, selected by the St. Louis Blues. Eller played just seven games for the Blues before moving on to the Montreal Canadiens.

He had some strong seasons with the Canadiens, but Eller shone brightest with the Washington Capitals. With the Capitals, Eller posted his career-high in goals and points and won the Stanley Cup in 2017-18. Eller was outstanding in that run, scoring seven goals and 18 points in 24 games. 

Following his successful tenure with the Capitals, Eller had stops with the Colorado Avalanche, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators and now the Panthers.

Eller has been solid for the Panthers, even if the offense isn't great. In 15 games, he's notched one goal and eight points while averaging 15:39 of ice time. Surprisingly, Eller hasn't been very successful in the faceoff dot, winning just 40.8 percent of his draws. 

Florida Panthers Make Lineup Change Ahead Of Home Matchup Against Chicago Blackhawks Uvis Balinskis returns to the blue line as the Panthers sport fresh threads and aim to neutralize Connor Bedard following a streak-snapping loss to Detroit.

Although Eller is approaching a major milestone that just 141 other players in the NHL have achieved, Eller is still focused on earning the two points and not underestimating a weaker opponent.

“You underestimate that team, and they can beat us if we're not on top of our game,” said Eller. “We barely got by them in Chicago. I think they're going to be competitive. If we think it's going to be easy, we'll probably lose.”

The 37-year-old is slated to skate on the right wing of the third line with Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell. In the eight games they've spent time together, the Panthers’ third line has posted an expected goals percentage of 72.2 percent, according to moneypuck.com.

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The Chicago Blackhawks (4-9-1) are 0-5-1 on the road, so they begin this road swing looking for their first victory away from the United Center. So far this season, the Blackhawks have been one of the worst teams in the NHL, but they have full belief that they can come out of this funk. 

It won't be easy on this trip, as they are playing three of the Eastern Conference's best teams. It starts with the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night, followed by visits to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Scouting Florida

The Florida Panthers (8-5-2) were just at the United Center last week. Florida mostly controlled play in that game, but the Blackhawks kept it close on the scoreboard. The game entered the 3rd period tied at 2, but Lars Eller's late goal gave the Panthers a regulation win. 

Florida has a belief that they will lose if they don't play hard, regardless of who is on the other side. They are absolutely right, which is part of the reason they have been so successful during the 2020s. It's not easy to be the "Team of the Decade", and Florida may very well be that, depending on how it finishes for them. 

Tkachuk – Bennett – Tkachuk

Verhaeghe – Reinhart – Vilmanis

Luostarinen – Lundell – Eller

Imama – Schwindt – Hathaway

Forsling – Ekblad

Mikkola – Jones

Kulikov – Balinskis

Markstrom

This is one of the best defensive teams in the league in terms of personnel on the back end. Gustav Forsling, Seth Jones, and Aaron Ekblad are all-star players because of what they do at such a high level, but Niko Mikkola and Dmitry Kulikov are also very good depth pieces for them who would have much larger roles on different teams. 

Jacob Markstrom has been up and down over the last couple of years, but this team in front of him gives him a chance to win, which is improving his confidence. 

At forward, they are without their captain and best player, Aleksander Barkov, due to injury, but he will be back this season. Without him, they still have plenty of other players who have been stars in the league for a long time. 

Their top line, Sam Bennett centering the Tkachuk brothers, is no fun to play against. They are all high-end scorers who are mean and play on the edge. There is no post-whistle moment when they aren't mixing it up and looking for trouble. 

Sam Reinhart is centering the second line, and he has incredible chemistry with Carter Verhaeghe, who has been a top goal scorer in the NHL. Their third line, centered by Anton Lundell, is definitely their checking line, but all three of these players can and will put the puck in the net. With the game being in Florida, Connor Bedard figures to see them a whole lot with the defensive pair of Aaron Ekblad and Gus Forsling out there. 

When Barkov comes back, everyone shifts down a spot, which makes the team even deeper. The Blackhawks won't have to deal with him, but it's still incredibly hard to create a forecheck against them, and they can score as well as the best teams in the league. 

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Blackhawks were very similar to the modern-day Panthers in the 2010s. Everyone on the team could score, and they defended extremely well in front of an above-average goaltender. 

These days, not so much. The 2026-27 Blackhawks allow a lot of goals, mostly never control play, and can't score. It's been a struggle, but all they can do is keep working on their game as the schedule continues to come at them in waves. 

Kantserov - Bedard - Bertuzzi

Moore - Nazar - Donato

Smith - Frondell - Teravainen

Boucher - Greene - Greenway

Vlasic - Cole

Kaiser - Levshunov

Del Mastro - Rinzel

Knight

With Patrick Kane out due to an upper-body injury, things had to be switched up again. Both Jordan Greenway and Teuvo Teravainen are in, while Andrew Mangiapane is out. 

The Blackhawks are also going to allow Dillon Boucher to play. At 29 years old, he will make his NHL debut against the Panthers. Boucher is not going to help the Blackhawks' scoring woes, but he is going to bring some physicality and toughness to the group. Against the Panthers, that may be needed. 

The top line is loaded with Tyler Bertuzzi, Connor Bedard, and Roman Kantserov. This is a line that has the potential to do some damage. 

On defense, there is still no Bowen Byram, who was placed on IR to make room for Boucher. Kevin Korchinski will remain the scratch, as Ethan Del Mastro will play on the third pair with Sam Rinzel. In goal, Spencer Knight will make his 2nd straight start, and 13th out of 16 games. 

How To Watch

The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. On television, it's a national broadcast on TNT, TruTV, and HBO Max. The puck will drop shortly after 6:30 PM CT. 

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With just over two and a half minutes left in regulation and the game seemingly decided, the Winnipeg Jets pulled off the latest four-goal comeback in NHL history Tuesday night, erasing a 4-0 deficit to tie the Montreal Canadiens, before then winning in overtime. The loss was also a sour one for Montreal, who were playing their first game in the club's new Hometown Remix jersey.

The moment beat the previous record for the latest start to a four-goal comeback, set by the Los Angeles Kings in November of 2007 when they began their comeback at 52:46, according to multiple sources. Sportsnet Stats also reported it was the fastest four goals against in Montreal Canadiens history.

It was a moment that stunned the hockey world with many interesting statistics and numbers coming out afterwards the further outlined how truly special the moment was. 

According to Action Network, Montreal at one point held a 99 percent win probability, when up 4-0 with 2:31 remaining and around this time, Winnipeg's moneyline odds were as high as +7500, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. This means a $10 bet on the Jets to pull of the seemingly impossible would've netted betters $750 profit.

How Will Connor Hellebuyck’s Letter to Winnipeg Shape Fans Reaction Ahead Tuesday's Homecoming?The veteran netminder breaks his silence on a bittersweet exit, citing family challenges and deep gratitude for Manitoba as he prepares for an emotional return to Canada Life Centre.

When looking at exceptionally rare the moment was, in 3,257 instances of an NHL team being scoreless and trailing by four or more goals with under three minutes remaining, the Jets were the only team to ever managed to do better than cut the deficit in half, according to OptaStats. 

Also, the NHL posted, teams losing by four or more goals entering the final three minutes of regulation, regular season and playoff combined, are now 1-10,300 with the Jets victory on Tuesday. 

The rally began when Tyrel Bauer scored the first goal of his NHL career. The 24-year-old former sixth round pick spent the last four seasons with the AHL's Manitoba Moose and finally made the jump to the pros this season. 

It was a big night for the Cochrane, Alberta native, who added his first career assist on Winnipeg's second goal to further provoke a comeback. In 214 AHL games, Bauer posted 21 points and 401 penalty minutes.

Winnipeg scored five goals in total, with the final one coming in overtime. According to the NHL, it is only the fourth time a goaltender has allowed five goals after the 50-minute mark, and the first time it has happened in the final five minutes of a game.

The collapse marked the second straight game in which Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler allowed four or more goals. He has now done so just six times in 26 career NHL starts, having done it only four times before this week.

The win snapped a nine-game winless streak for the Jets, their longest drought since an 11-game losing streak stretched from mid-December to early January last season.

It was a truly historic moment and brought fans back to Winnipeg's memorable two-goal comeback in Game 7 of the first round in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs when under two minutes left in the game, the Jets scored twice with Cole Perfetti scoring the tying goal with 1.6 seconds left in the game before captain Adam Lowry won the game in overtime. 

It was another stellar effort by a Jets group that never says die and will look to keep momentum going Thursday when hosting the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vegas Golden Knights may have found the formula to turn a frustrating stretch into something far more promising.

And it starts with special teams.

Two games into their four-game road trip, the Golden Knights have collected three of a possible four points, showing renewed resilience after a difficult stretch in which victories had become increasingly elusive.

Tuesday's 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguinswas particularly revealing. Vegas didn't dominate offensively, didn't overwhelm Pittsburgh with scoring chances and certainly didn't make things easy on itself.

But when the game demanded execution, its power play and penalty kill delivered.

Tomas Hertl scored twice with the man advantage, including the winner with 35 seconds remaining, as Vegas converted two of four power-play opportunities. The Golden Knights have now scored at least one power-play goal in four consecutive games, helping a unit that ranks sixth in the NHL at 29.4 percent, converting 15 of 51 opportunities.

HERTL POWER! 🐢

A late goal from Tomas Hertl secured the win for the @GoldenKnights! pic.twitter.com/iaDRjHbBEy

— NHL (@NHL) November 4, 2026

The bigger development, however, may be happening at the opposite end of special teams.

After struggling to prevent power-play goals earlier this season, Vegas successfully killed all six Pittsburgh opportunities, including a critical 1:22 two-man disadvantage late in the third period.

The sequence changed everything.

Rather than surrendering a potentially devastating goal, the Golden Knights survived the two-man disadvantage without allowing a shot on goal. Pittsburgh's Tommy Novak was subsequently penalized for tripping, and Hertl delivered the winner.

The performance was particularly encouraging considering Vegas entered the road trip with one of the NHL's least effective penalty kills.

Tuesday's perfect effort lifted that figure to 73.9 percent, with the Golden Knights having successfully killed 34 of 46 opposing power plays. That leaves Vegas tied for 21st in the league, hardly an elite ranking but a meaningful step toward establishing greater defensive reliability.

There is still work ahead. Vegas has surrendered too many quality opportunities and continues searching for the defensive consistency that defined its better stretches.

But the Golden Knights are beginning to demonstrate something equally important: the ability to survive difficult moments without allowing them to dictate the outcome.

With Detroit awaiting Thursday, the special teams may be providing the foundation for a much-needed turnaround.

Connelly delivering in big moments

Trevor Connelly is rapidly establishing himself as more than an exciting young prospect.

The 20-year-old has scored game-tying goals in consecutive games, including a breakaway finish midway through the third period on Tuesday after Pittsburgh took a 2-1 lead.

Trevor Connelly is speed 💨 pic.twitter.com/OTCG4mGYG3

— NHL (@NHL) November 4, 2026

His sixth goal of the season moved him into a tie for the NHL rookie lead, but the timing of his contributions may be even more impressive.

Connelly also scored the equalizer in Monday's shootout loss at Boston, demonstrating a growing comfort level in pressure situations.

For a Vegas team searching for secondary scoring and offensive consistency, his emergence could prove increasingly valuable.

Marner's consistency fueling the offense

While the Golden Knights have experienced their share of offensive inconsistencies, Mitch Marner continues to produce.

Fun Fact: This is the first power-play goal allowed by the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena this season 😏 pic.twitter.com/b86evCgbWI

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 4, 2026

His assist on Hertl's first-period power-play goal Tuesday extended his personal point streak to 11 games, giving him 16 points during that stretch.

Marner's vision and ability to create shooting opportunities have been especially valuable on the man advantage, where his chemistry with Hertl and Mark Stone continues to develop.

With Jack Eichel also collecting two assists against Pittsburgh, Vegas has the offensive foundation necessary to sustain its production.

The challenge now is translating that creativity into more consistent five-on-five scoring.

Three points earned, more work ahead

The Golden Knights enter Thursday's game at Detroit with a 10-5-2 record and three points from the first two games of their four-game trip.

Perhaps more important than the results has been their response to adversity.

Vegas rallied to force overtime in Boston before surviving Pittsburgh's third-period comeback attempt the following night.

Adin Hill stopped 23 shots Tuesday, while the Golden Knights demonstrated the defensive determination necessary to survive a late two-man disadvantage.

After losing five of six games, Vegas has an opportunity to build momentum rather than simply stop the bleeding.

Thursday's matchup with Detroit offers another chance to demonstrate that the improved execution and resilience are becoming sustainable.

PHOTO CAPTION:

Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) celebrates with teammates on the bench after scoring the game-winning power-play goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at PPG Paints Arena.

In just a few more weeks, teams around the NHL will open for trade business as they find out who and what their rosters really are, and the Philadelphia Flyers, who will have to make an important decision in that regard themselves, have been busy scouting around the league.

Typically, around Thanksgiving, NHL teams tend to assess if they are playoff-caliber or not, and plan their future business accordingly.

The Flyers, who have won just four of their first 17 games this season, are obvious candidates to become sellers up to and through the NHL trade deadline in March. All signs indicate that general manager Danny Briere and Co. will remain patient with the current Flyers roster until the end of the month before making any big decisions.

In preparation of having to make a tough call on some players, the Flyers have been out and about around the NHL, taking in all kinds of different games.

Previously, we noted that Flyers president Keith Jones had traveled to watch recent games, including Devils-Senators, Rangers-Kings, and Blackhawks-Canadiens.

The latter is especially interesting, given that, on Tuesday night, the Flyers had a heavy contingent in attendance for another Montreal Canadiens game.

NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Interested in Top Blackhawks ForwardAccording to a report, the Philadelphia Flyers are admiring Chicago Blackhawks center Frank Nazar from afar.

According to The Hockey News's own Karine Hains in Montreal, Flyers assistant general manager Alyn McCauley, as well as Lehigh Valley Phantoms coaches John Snowden, Nick Schultz, Terrence Wallin, and Patrick McDonough, were all on-site to watch the Canadiens take on the Winnipeg Jets.

Now, the Phantoms crew isn't terribly unusual, given that the Phantoms will be playing against the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, on Wednesday night.

In McCauley's case, though, this is the second time in recent weeks the Flyers have had an executive - McCauley and Jones - at a Canadiens game.

Despite the Canadiens' epic choke in an eventual 5-4 overtime loss to the Jets, they're still sixth in the NHL with a 9-3-3 record, and second in the Atlantic Division behind the 11-4-1 Boston Bruins.

So, if anything, that loss to the Jets reinforces the fact that the Canadiens are in prime position to be buyers on the trade market throughout the year, something the Flyers could help them with.

Flyers Strong Fit for Former 1st-Round Pick on NHL Waiver WireThe Philadelphia Flyers desperately need to take a chance on talented center Brad Lambert on the NHL waiver wire.

Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj has long been linked to the Flyers in trade rumors; that seems to be the most obvious connection between the two teams.

The Flyers, in need of centers themselves, aren't in a position to offer the Canadiens an important piece behind Nick Suzuki, though Montreal would surely appreciate Philadelphia's breadth of wingers for depth purposes.

Again, we're still at least 2-3 weeks away from trade season officially getting underway around the NHL, but it's notable that, as they continue to flounder, the Flyers are obviously taking notes around the NHL, doing their due dilligence.

And the longer these struggles continue, the more likely the Flyers are to aim for a big change somewhere along the food chain.

Another night, another winnable game flushed down the toilet for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

They played a strong 5-on-5 game against one of the best teams in the league, but went 0-for-6 on the power play, failed to record a shot on goal on an extended 5-on-3 with three minutes to play in regulation, immediately took a penalty after, and then allowed Vegas to score its second power play goal of the game in the closing seconds to turn a 2-1 third period lead into a 3-2 regulation loss.

Honestly, a brutal night, and continues a start that has seen the Penguins win just two of their first 15 games in regulation (and only five games overall) and sit in 15th place (by points percentage) in the Eastern Conference and in 28th place across the NHL.

A few thoughts on all of that.

1. I said this a couple of weeks ago in a similar random thoughts post, but if you were on the train of the Penguins having a down year for draft pick positioning to get the potential future star they need, this might be your year.

We are more than a month into the season.

American Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away.

Teams that start off like the Penguins have do not typically make the playoffs. It is getting very late, very early in that regard.

When the season began there were a lot of variables that were going to make or break the Penguins outlook for the 2026-27 season. There was a reasonably high ceiling if a lot of things went right. There was a reasonably low floor if a lot of those things went in the opposite direction. Right now a lot of them are not going right.

2. High on that list is the play of defenseman Declan Carlile. It seems like every time something bad happens, he is at the center of it. That is especially true late in games, in high-leverage situations. The Penguins coaching staff seems to have complete trust in him, and there is not much at this point to validate that trust. I could see what the Penguins were doing with him when they signed him, and what the hope was. I had some hopes for it and thought he had a chance to be a good player. So far, it’s going poorly and I’m not sure how you keep running him out there.

3. Next on the list is Andrei Kuzmenko, and this one is becoming an especially big problem because you do have other people that can easily step in and replace him.

Look, I want the guy to do well. For a lot of reasons. But right now, no matter what spot they put him in, it’s an empty spot. They are not getting anything out of it. He has one assist and nine shots on goal in 11 games. Avery Hayes can bring some energy. Rutger McGroarty could use another look. Hell, even when Elmer Soderblom is healthy enough to play again he should be an option for something in the lineup.

4. If there is a positive development through all of this, and including Tuesday’s game, it is that the first line seems to have found some life. The past two games from them have been, by far, their two best games of the season, and Sidney Crosby has looked more like Sidney Crosby. And now that they seem to be back, everything else has fallen off. Not ideal.

5. Going back to the first point here, I have been workshopping a theory that the best path forward for a rebuild (and I will still argue with anyone in a steel cage match that this IS a rebuild, even if it is not what you thought it would look like in terms of gutting everything down to the ground) is having a random bad year with a roster that isn’t completely gutted. I still need to look into this more. I still need to research it more. But the theory is mostly based around the idea that a lot of this is just luck and good timing.

It’s not enough to just intentionally get really bad for a year or two and get a No. 1 overall pick and a few more high picks around that and wait for Stanley Cups to roll in.

You have to get the RIGHT No. 1 overall pick, and it has to be in the right situation.

This is especially true with the new lottery format and the new lottery rules where the worst record could result in you picking as low as third overall.

Or not being quite bad enough to finish with the worst record to even guarantee that. Maybe you’re only the second-or third-worst team in the league and end up picking fifth or sixth.

If you get your team down to the studs in the hopes landing that next franchise player, it has to be a true generational talent like a Crosby, an Ovechkin, or a McDavid.

Even a really good, or potentially “great” player (Connor Bedard? Rasmus Dahlin?) isn’t going to be enough to make up for how far your organization has to come back. I think that’s why you’re seeing so many of these teams that have gone into these full-scale tanking rebuilds over the past 10-15 years that have never been able to claim out of it. Or are still so far away from climbing out of it. Chicago. San Jose. Detroit. These teams still mostly stink. Look at how long it took Buffalo. It’s taken Ottawa eight years just to become a fringe wild-card team. Anaheim has great young forwards, but it’s not close to a contender.

The closest player any of those teams have to a Crosby/Ovechkin/McDavid level player is Macklin Celebrini, and while he is GREAT, he is still a tier below those guys.

The key, I think, is having one of those bad years that isn’t necessarily an “intentional” tank, getting yourself a top pick, and having that pick come into an environment where there are still NHL-caliber players around and there isn’t as much building to be done.

That’s kind of what happened with Colorado and when it landed Nathan MacKinnon.

That’s kind of what happened with Carolina when it ended up with Andrei Svechnikov.

That’s kind of what happened with Tampa Bay and Steven Stamkos.

Even though those teams ended up with really high picks and franchise players, they were not situations where it was a full-scale tear down. They were not coming into situations where it was going to take a decade to build it back up around them. Those teams still had really good NHL players on them, and were reasonably competitive teams within the previous two or three years.

That’s kind of why I am intrigued by the Islanders with Matthew Schaefer and Toronto with Gavin McKenna. They got their superstars, but they didn’t intentionally light their entire organization on fire to do it. It just kind of happened naturally, and there are still good players around them. They might not be contenders right now, but I want to see how the next few years go for them as opposed to, say, Chicago.

I know Penguins fans like to point to how the Penguins landed Mario Lemieux and Crosby, but those are NHL environments that no longer exist, and circumstances that can never be duplicated. The Crosby situation was an insane sequence of events that had a different lottery format than now, and required a completely lost season from the league to give them the lottery odds they needed … and it all happened around the best prospect since Lemieux entering the league. It was a perfect storm you will never, ever duplicate. You can not. You will not.

Lemieux happened before the draft lottery (and even then it took six years to pay off on a team level).

You are never repeating that again.

Teams that try to repeat aren’t succeeding.

Maybe this Penguins team is bad. Maybe it gets a lottery puck. If it does, they are still going to have competent NHL players on the roster around it and a nearly clean salary cap slate in the coming seasons.

Maybe this team being organically bad is the best thing that could possibly happen.

In what was the longest teaser campaign in NHL history including multiple leaks and even an unfortunate one suggesting the Altitude TV logo was getting repurposed, the official Hometown Remix sweater for the Colorado Avalanche is now revealed!

The “fully frosted” concept has been realized with icy blue hue throughout the sweater including a color gradient on the numbers. Aside from those details, this is pretty much the last reverse retro in a new color scheme or a remake of Colorado’s first stadium series look.

Good morning, #Avs fans!

The Hometown Remix jersey launches today!

These jerseys are easy on the eyes, they won't be easy on the pocketbook.

Premium jerseys with a player name are $300.00, while blank jerseys are $260.00. The authentic version is a staggering $550.00. #GoAvsGopic.twitter.com/amAq21n1gx

— Burgundy Review (@burgundyreview) November 2, 2026

After all this hype, the club is only scheduled to wear the threads on six occasions beginning with the upcoming game against Detroit on Saturday, November 7th. Perhaps the Red Wings will bring their Hometown Remix sweater with them on the road, too?

You're going to want to circle 11/2 on your calendar 👀 pic.twitter.com/H4Dadn2uvL

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 29, 2026

As we turn the calendar into November, here’s one last glimpse at the Halloween festivities including newcomers Fedor Svechkov and Zach L’Heureux enjoying a haunted house on Peak Access along with the usual highlights of games in October.