The Carolina Hurricanes are going to have their work cut out for them Sunday night as they prepare to face the Florida Panthers in their preseason opener.
The Hurricanes will primarily be icing a roster comprised of prospects and AHL players while the Panthers meanwhile will be playing almost their entire NHL roster.
"It'll be a huge challenge for us, obviously," said Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour. "But it's also an opportunity for guys because if they can show in a game like that, they can show in any type of game."
The game will take place at Amerant Bank Arena in Florida, with puck drop set for 7 p.m.
The game will be streamed on the team's website.
Here's how the Hurricanes lined up at the morning skate on Sunday:
Bradly Nadeau - Charlie Cerrato - Felix Unger Sorum Juha Jaaska - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Viktor Neuchev Josiah Slavin - Skyler Brind'Amour - Justin Robidas Gleb Trikozov - Ivan Ryabkin - Zach Lansard
Mike Reilly - Joel Nystrom Juuso Valimaki - Dominik Badinka Noel Fransen - Charles Alexis Legault
1. One of the keys for me will be seeing how some of the younger guys handle themselves in what's going to be a very difficult environment. There's a lot of very young and inexperienced players on the Hurricanes' roster, but will any of them be able to shine a little bit?
2. It'll also be notable to see which defensemen can separate themselves from the rest of the pack. With five guys competing for one roster spot (four of whom will be playing in the game), this is going to be a golden opportunity for guys to try and standout.
3. The final thing I'm looking for is how does Pyotr Kochetkov look. It's been a long time without NHL action for the Russian goalie and so I'm curious to see how he looks. Obviously he's not gonna have a lot of help, but I'm more so curious to see how he looks physically and if he is making good reads.
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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Rieger Lorenz wanted to make sure the jump to professional hockey didn't catch him by surprise.
So far, it hasn't.
Lorenz was one of the Minnesota Wild's most noticeable young players in their preseason action Saturday, scoring a goal and earning praise from both head coach John Hynes and veteran center Nico Sturm.
“I thought Lorenz was impressive tonight,” Hynes said. “You kind of notice him in camp. Really good energy, highly competitive.”
The goal certainly helped Lorenz stand out, but it wasn't what impressed Hynes most.
“Obviously he scored the goal, but I just think his overall game,” Hynes said. “He had a big blocked shot, and he was a player that I think over the course of the game, he kind of caught your eye quite a bit.”
That's exactly what Lorenz is trying to accomplish during his first training camp with the Wild.
The 22-year-old forward spent the summer training in Calgary alongside professional players and made a concerted effort to increase the pace of his game before arriving in Minnesota.
“I'm really comfortable,” Lorenz said. “My group in the summer back in Calgary, we got a lot of pro guys out there. I really pushed myself this summer to try and pick up the pace in my game. I think those guys pushed me, so it's been a pretty seamless jump into camp so far.”
Lorenz also had an opportunity to get an early taste of professional hockey last season.
After finishing his college career, he joined the Iowa Wild and got a firsthand look at what would be required of him at the next level. Instead of entering the offseason wondering how his game would translate to professional hockey, Lorenz had a blueprint for what needed to improve.
“I think that was a big emphasis on going to Iowa and seeing what the pro game entails,” Lorenz said. “I think doing that allowed me to kind of see where my game needs to grow in the offseason. Not kind of going in blind and just wondering what it's like.”
Now he's putting those lessons to use.
Lorenz has also been paying close attention to the NHL players around him during camp. While watching stars such as Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Brock Faber has given him a glimpse at the skill and pace required at the top of an NHL lineup, Lorenz understands his path to the league will likely require something different.
“The bottom depth guys, they're super reliable,” Lorenz said. “That's kind of going to be my role as I move up the ranks. So kind of learning as much as I can from those guys, which Foligno and Sturm have been great for that.”
Sturm has apparently been impressed with his young teammate, too.
“Oh yeah, Reegs was great,” Sturm said. “He's really shifty, but most importantly, he's got a little bit of a bite to him.”
That bite has shown up in more ways than one.
According to Sturm, Lorenz hasn't acted like a young player afraid to make his presence known while surrounded by NHL veterans.
“He is chirping out there and stuff, which is, you know, a lot of guys that play their first game or NHL preseason games, they shy away from some stuff,” Sturm said. “But he was out there, just full of confidence.”
Then Sturm offered perhaps the strongest endorsement of Lorenz's night.
“Also a guy that I think is going to be a good NHL player.”
One preseason performance won't determine Lorenz's future, but Saturday provided another encouraging glimpse.
He scored. He blocked shots. He competed. He picked up an assist. And, maybe most importantly for a prospect trying to establish himself during training camp, he made people notice him. Including the Wild's head coach.
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Florida will open their abbreviated preseason slate when they host the Carolina Hurricanes at Amerant Bank Arena.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has said that his plan during the shortened training camp and preseason would be to play his veterans early and then give them time to rest ahead of Opening Night.
For those who may have forgotten, Florida’s regular season opener is just nine days away.
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sandis Vilamanis
Cole Reinhardt – Cole Schwindt – Jack Devine
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Dmitry Kulikov – Radko Gudas
Matvei Shuravin (seventh defenseman)
The goaltenders are Jacob Markstrom and Cooper Black. Markstrom is expected to play at least some of the game, but its not yet known if he will play all sixty minutes.
Maurice said that Panthers goalie coach Robb Tallas would be handling how the goaltenders are used during the preseason, but did indicate the expectation was that Markstrom would play Sunday.
Photo caption: May 20, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; FloridaPantherscenter AleksanderBarkov(16) celebrates his goal against CarolinaHurricanesgoaltender Antti Raanta (32) in the second period of game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena. (James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports)
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues have made their first eight cuts of training camp.
The club announced Sunday morning that forwards Juraj Pekarcik, Simon Robertsson, and Jakub Stancl, defensemen Michael Buchinger and Lukas Fischer, and goalie Parker Gahagen have been assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League. Also, forward Maddox Dagenais, the 16th pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, returns to Quebec of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and goalie Vladimir Proskurin, a fourth-round pick in 2026, returns to Victoria of the Ontario Hockey League.
With Sunday's cuts, the Blues reduced their camp roster down to 40, although forwards Felix Trudeau and Nikita Susuev and defenseman Marc-Andre Gaudet, who was placed on waivers Saturday, were not on the ice on Sunday.
The Blues practices Sunday with 37 players.
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It won't be long now before the Detroit Red Wings begin play in the 2026-27 NHL season, and for forward Andrew Copp, it's a contract year.
Copp, an Ann Arbor native and former Michigan Wolverines forward whom former Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman signed to a five-year contract in 2022, has centered Detroit's top line through the early stages of Training Camp in place of the injured Dylan Larkin.
During Training Camp last year, Copp said in no uncertain terms that the Red Wings "had" to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While Detroit put itself in a good position to do so, the team experienced yet another unraveling in March and ultimately missed the playoffs for the 10th consecutive year.
Has Copp's mindset regarding the expectations for 2026-27 changed? Not at all.
"We can't accept anything less," Copp said of making the playoffs.
"I don't think there's any other way to look at it - what more growth can we do without making the playoffs? We've done all that the last three or four years since I've been here," he continued. "So there's only really one way to go."
As far as his own contract status goes, he said that there are more pressing matters that have his attention at the moment.
"I have enough to concentrate on my game this year, that's kind of where my mind's at right now," he said.
"Copper is a very cerebral player, a very deep thinker about the game," McLellan said.
"(He'll) be a coach one day, if he wants to be," McLellan continued. "He's got that type of mindset. He probably didn't have a great year as far as goals go, offense, and five-on-five, but he produced with the other two (power-play and shorthanded) in other ways. A lot of helpers, a lot of net-front stuff."
Last season, Copp appeared in 79 games, scoring nine goals with 34 assists.
Since joining the Red Wings in 2022, Copp has tallied 41 goals with 100 assists in 296 games.
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 11 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #11.
Let's take a look.
Kevin Dineen - 2001-2003 - Drafted by Hartford in 1982.
A CBJ Original, Dineen played 129 games for the Jackets and had 29 points in the early days of the franchise. He appeared in only four games in the 2002–03 season with Columbus, and on November 5, 2002, he retired from playing. In 1188 career games, Dineen recorded 355 goals and 760 points while registering 2229 penalty minutes.
After retiring, he joined the Blue Jackets front office as a Pro Scout and later as an assistant. General Manager. He was the head coach of the AHL's Portland Pirates for six seasons before being hired as the head coach of the Florida Panthers. After two and a half seasons in Florida, he was fired and hired as an assistant by the Chicago Blackhawks.
He has since coached the San Diego Gulls and the Utica Comets in the AHL. He's been with the Utica Comets since 2021.
Craig MacDonald - 2009 - Drafted by Hartford in 1996.
MacDonald played eight games as a Jacket in 08-09 and had two points. He never played another NHL game after his time in Columbus.
He left for Germany in 2009 and retired in 2013.
Chris Clark - 2010 - Drafted by Calgary in 1994.
Clark played 89 games for Columbus and had 20 points. He never played another NHL game after Columbus.
After retiring from the NHL, he was hired by the Blue Jackets as a Scout. He later moved into the position of Development Coach and did that for 8 years. In 2019, he was promoted to the positions of Director of Player Personnel for Columbus and General Manager of the Cleveland Monsters, and he still holds those positions today. In 2023, he was also named General Manager of Team USA for the World Championships.
Matt Calvert - 2011-2018 - Drafted by Columbus in 2008.
Calvert played 416 games as a Jacket and had 149 points. Known as a player who was not afraid to step in front of a puck or lay a huge hit, Calvert personified what it meant to be a Columbus Blue Jacket. Calvert was loved by all fans for his toughness and for being a great person.
Forced to retire in 2021 due to medical issues, he co-founded CAL Sports Management, where he is the Director of Recruitment and Development.
Kevin Stenlund - 2019-2022 - Drafted by Columbus in 2015.
The big Swede played 71 games as a Blue Jacket and had 20 points. He is currently playing for the Utah Hockey Club, but won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers alongside former CBJ goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
Elite prospects described Stenlund as "An intelligent, big-bodied center with superb puck-handling ability. His greatest asset is his mature mindset: he thinks the game at a high level. Plays a simplified, complete game and doesn't make low-percentage plays. Uses his edges well at a level that suits his style of play - physical and hard to play against; that being said, there is still room for improvement in his skating and first three strides. Protects the puck well."
Unfortunately, it didn't work out for Stenlund in Columbus, which is a shame.
Adam Fantilli - 2024 - Drafted by Columbus in 2023.
After suffering a brutal skate cut in 2024, he was forced to miss the rest of the season. He scored 12 goals and totaled 27 points.
Two seasons ago, Fantilli got off to a bit of a slow start but really turned it around as the season went on. He finished the season tied for the team lead with 31 goals. He also chipped in 23 assists and totaled 54 points.
Last season, he set career highs in assists and points, and looks to continue that this season, but only if he's signed soon.
Luke Kunin - 2025 - Drafted by Minnesota in 2016.
Kunin played 12 games for Columbus after being traded from the San Jose Sharks at the 2025 NHL trade deadline. He failed to register a point in those 12 games.
As a free agent, Kunin signed with the Florida Panthers in August on a one-year deal. He remains unsigned today for 26-27.
NEWARK, NJ - SEPTEMBER 13: New Jersey Devils Ethan Edwards #73 skates with the puck during a game between the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils at RWJ Barnabas Health Hockey House at Prudential Center on September 13, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey.(Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils versus the New York Islanders
The Time: 1:00 PM ET
The Broadcast: Local TV — MSGSN/MSG and DAZN Streaming, NHLN; Radio — Devils Hockey Radio
Shaking Out the Lines and Roles
Yesterday, I did a bit of an overview of the trends going on at Devils training camp. In addition to those lines, the third day of camp featured the first look at special teams units.
And here comes the first look at #NJDevils power play unit thinking:
PP1: Jack, Bratt, Nico, Evangelista and Luke
PP2: Timo, Rodrigues, Mantha, Gritsyuk and Dougie
Mercer looks like he's getting ready to sub in on PP2. But isn't going out with the first run.
Hischier — Rodrigues — Pesce —Hughes Glass — Brown — Siegenthaler — Hamilton Boqvist — Noesen — Dillon — Chisholm
Of course, these players will not all play today. Since it is preseason, the Devils only need to play a limited number of veterans, while the rest of players involved will be from Utica. Most of those players will not necessarily be fighting for an immediate NHL job, but for the right to be called up from Utica at some point during the season in case of injuries. Given the looks in camp so far, the true “battles” seem to be:
Amadeus Lombardi vs. Stefan Noesen vs. Jesper Boqvist for the 12th and 13th forward spots
Anton Silaev vs. Vladislav Kolyachonok vs. Seamus Casey vs. Ethan Edwards for the 7th defensive spot
Nico Daws vs. David Rittich for the 2nd goalie spot
Unless someone else really plays out of their mind during pre-season, this is more or less the spread of possibilities for the Devils in camp. They do not have a ton to worry about, but with the injuries to Bjugstad (long-term) and Kovacevic (short-term?), things are a tad more open than they were a few weeks ago.
The Islanders
Today will be our first look at the Islanders for this season. Per Andrew Gross, the Islanders have been using the following forward lines in practice:
Gross also shared the non-NHL lines and pairings, some of which will be featured in today’s game. But the big stories for the Islanders include Matthew Schaefer being tried out on the right side, largely due to the arrivals of Kashawn Aitcheson and Isaiah George, per Peter DeBoer. But they will also be watching Kyle Palmieri, who is returning from injury after missing most of last season after an ACL repair. Palmieri will turn 36 this season, so his rehabilitation will be something to keep an eye on.
Among the forwards, the Islanders have few newcomers. Matias Maccelli and Victor Eklund are the two to watch. Maccelli had 39 points for the Maple Leafs last season, while Eklund will be playing his first full NHL season this year. Last season, Eklund had 24 points in 43 games for Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League before scoring 10 points in nine AHL games along with an assist in his NHL debut. Eklund was New York’s first-round draft pick in 2025.
This policy is being met with widespread contempt, especially given the short notice. For people taking bags off of public transit into Newark, they will be forced into using the lockers at the Prudential Center. Hopefully that does not turn into an absolute disaster.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of today’s game? Will you be watching? Who do you want to see on the ice? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at the Bell Centre, and while the Habs had their top six in the lineup, the visitors showed up with a much weaker side, leaving their big guns at home to face the other half of the Canadiens. Habs fans got an entertaining game with a little bit of everything: nice attacking play, big hits, and fights; the crowd liked every minute, including Cole Caufield's overtime game-winner.
While Martin St-Louis’ decision to put Juraj Slafkovsky on the second line to start the preseason might have surprised a few people, the move made the coach look very good in the first game. The three youngsters looked like they'd never stopped playing together and linked up with ease. There’s a predictability there that's hard to deny; they know where they are on the ice. Shots came in from every direction, and without numerous posts, their shot total would have been even higher than seven. Overall, they were the Canadiens’ most visible line.
Speaking about playing with Ivan Demidov, the big Slovak explained:
I know the way he plays; I know what he’s going to do. I feel that’s why it’s working between him and me, because I anticipate what he’s going to do. I think we know where we are; even if sometimes we throw a blind pass or something, we know what moments, which areas, where we are on the ice…I think it’s pretty good, but I feel like there’s so much room to improve; I feel we’re only going to get better.
With Kaiden Guhle being injured to start the season, there’s a job to be won on the blueline, and Arber Xhekaj would love to grab that spot. The hulking blueliner had an interesting game, throwing his body around a lot and logging eight hits. However, at times, that meant he got himself out of the play and was beaten to the net, giving the opponent scoring opportunities.
On the Leafs’ first power-play goal, he finished a check in the corner but let his man beat him to the net. Dobes made that save, but seconds later, Xhekaj pushed his man into the goalie, causing him to lose his stick. He didn’t recover it before Toronto scored. Then, on the Leafs’ go-ahead goal in the second frame, his man got free to set it up from behind the net. This is only the preseason, though, and the coach wasn’t going to hold it against him; he still gave him 21:31 of action, made him kill penalties, even the one in overtime. Commenting on his game, the bench boss explained:
He played to his identity; he played a physical game; he got some reps on the PK; he was good in puck possession. It was a good game for him; he played to his DNA. He’s still a young player. Even though he’s got a lot of NHL experience for his age, the game may have slowed down for him too; it may be easier to make the right reads. Stress normally diminishes for a young player as they gain experience.
On the Jayden Struble – Xhekaj pairing, St-Louis said:
I don’t mind Xhako on the right side; they’re two guys that play a physical game. If Guhles can’t start the season, it’s a scenario that maybe those two play together; some familiarity there, they’ve done it last year. We’ll keep evaluating, but I liked what I saw.
The blueliner seems to have made a conscious decision to shoot more; he tried his luck five times tonight, with two attempts reaching the net. It can only help his case to use that big shot. Yes, he can bring grit and physicality, but he has other attributes he should use as well. Clearly, he’s come to the same conclusion, telling the media post-game that he has to shoot more and can’t always be looking for a pass.
Of course, he was also asked about his brother’s game in Toronto and looked like a proud teacher when he said: it was sick. I was fired up after watching it and texted him right away; it was a sick fight!
As for the top line, it wasn’t as visible as the Slafkovsky-Kapanen-Demidov unit, but it did have its moments. Having just been brought into the fold, it’s not surprising that Chris Kreider needs to adapt to the Canadiens’ style of play; but we’ve already seen some positive signs. His best play of the night might have been a great cross-zone feed to Caufield, who one-timed it right on the post; a little bit of rust is perfectly normal.
Preseason games mean very little, but if this 4-3 overtime win is anything to go by, the Canadiens’ fans are in for another fun season watching their favourites. Montreal’s next game is Monday, when they’ll face the Ottawa Senators in Trois-Rivières.
The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped both pre-season split-squad games against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. In Montreal, the Canadiens won in overtime with a Cole Caufield game-winning goal. At Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the Habs took the contest 4-1.
With several players debuting for the Maple Leafs and a new style under a new coach, here are the main takeaways from Saturday night.
1. Gavin McKenna Learning, But Not Afraid
In Gavin McKenna's first pre-season game in the NHL, he logged 20:27 of ice time, three shots on goal, two blocks, a minus-one rating and a minor penalty.
"It was good," McKenna said about how he felt. "Obviously, not the result we wanted, but I think it was a good start. There's lots to work on. It's the first game of the year. A little bit scrambly, but I think as we build, it'll get a lot easier.
"I felt pretty good. I thought I created a bit, but also had a couple turnovers, which I think kind of just happens with nerves. But I think it was a good start, and a lot to build on," he added.
He didn't get on the scoresheet, but he wasn't away from the action and had a handful of chances throughout the contest.
"I thought it was good," head coach Jim Hiller assessed McKenna's performance. "In a game where I didn't think there was a lot of offense from either team, you know, he was in on three or four chances, so you'll take that every day. So, yeah, I thought he was good. Good start for him."
At some points in the game, McKenna was distant from the play. But there is no mistake to be made that he is a confident player who knows how skilled he is. And most importantly, he wasn't afraid to make a pass that would thread the needle, or a rink-wide connector in transition. That's proof of a confident individual, especially in his first game wearing NHL colors.
"If I say one thing to him, just to be a little bit closer to the puck, a little bit closer," Hiller said. "We want him to have the puck. And sometimes in the NHL, you've got to just get right there and surround it and then make plays out of that rather than, you know, waiting and seeing if somebody can get it to you. So he'll figure that part of the game out for either side."
"It's not easy," captain Auston Matthews admitted. "You jump into your first game after a very short two practices and then right into a pre-season game in the NHL. But (McKenna's) going to continue to get better as camp goes on, as he gets more comfortable and adjusts to this pace of play. But, you know, obviously he had moments out there where you can tell just how skilled and how talented he is and what he can do."
Matthews played his first NHL game in a long time. His last appearance was against the Anaheim Ducks on March 12.
With an extended summer of rehabbing and recovering from his major knee injury and surgery, he looks to be much faster on the ice than all of last season.
"I think the first, maybe first half of the first period, definitely felt pretty rusty, but as the game went on, it felt better and better," Matthews said after the game. "As we continue to skate and practice and play one more game, I think just the conditioning of the legs kind of get going a little bit more and transition into game shape a little bit.
"But all in all, I mean, it was a good first game. I thought I had some good moments, good opportunities, and take that and go from there and keep building."
Hiller remembers one notable moment from Saturday's game that stood out to him.
"I thought he was really skating," the bench boss said. "I thought he had the puck, and he looked dangerous. I think if I think of one moment in the game was when he rounded the net, came through, kind of sliced through a couple guys end-to-end. You know, I hadn't seen that a lot out of him last year, and so that was a really positive thing to see. He was moving, carrying the puck. It was dangerous, and the goalie and made a couple really good saves on him."
Matthews recorded one assist, played 22:19 of ice time, a minus-two rating and a game-high of six shots on goal.
Despite all that bodily distress over the past year, the shutdown defenseman looked the part and like his usual self on the back end.
Tanev had three blocks in this game, and also notched 18:23 of ice time. It's also worth noting that he and his D-partner, Jake McCabe, were the only skaters for the Maple Leafs to not finish the game with a minus plus-minus rating.
"To me, being out as much as he did, I would have never guessed," Hiller said of Tanev's first performance since his long-term injury. "Played quite a bit of minutes. You see him penalty kill, he's breaking up plays, he's doing what he does. So, yeah, it's just a really important player for us. It's great to have him back out there."
4. Fight Night In Montreal And Nick Blankenburg Paying The Price
While eyes were on McKenna and the rest of the stars that featured in Toronto, there was a feisty game at the Bell Centre, particularly in the early stages of the contest.
Maple Leafs' Michael Pezzetta and Teddy Blueger dropped the gloves with Canadiens' Lucas Condotta and Ethan Samson, with both tilts coming in the first period of the game. Pezzetta accumulated 17 penalty minutes, including a 10-minute misconduct, with his short night complete with 4:50 of ice time.
Beyond the fisticuffs, Nick Blankenburg, who is on a PTO with the Maple Leafs this pre-season, registered eight blocks against the Canadiens and logged 24:47 of ice time, which was three seconds shy of matching Lane Hutson's game-high 24:50.
The 5-foot-9 defenseman certainly found a way to stand out for the side that Daniel Alfredsson watched over in Quebec.
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WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 02: Riley Duran #62 of the Boston Bruins skates with the puck against the Washington Capitals in the first period during a preseason game at Capital One Arena on October 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just the Facts
The Time: 5pm EST
The Place: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Place to Watch: NHLN, NESN Plus
Place to Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub
Game Preview
ITS PRESEASON! ITS TIME TO GET SUPER HYPERBOLIC ABOUT PROSPECT PERFORMANCE BETWEEN GAMES
LETS GET READY TO GET SUPER F#!KING STUPID ABOUT PROVIDENCE THIRD LINERS LETS GOOOO-
Preseason’s new format is enormously truncated; consisting of only two opponents stretched out over a week’s time thanks to the NHL adding two extra games to the regular season schedule. For Boston this year that means playing the Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers. For tonight’s game, it would probably be more accurate to call what slouches into the TD Garden away locker room as the unholy amalgam of the Hershey Bears and Washington Capitals’ depth.
That’s going to be a harder fight than you might expect, as the H-Bears are perennial AHL Eastern Conference monsters. The Caps have been pretty good at getting promising depth pieces from their central Pennsylvanian club and have only continued to improve with young guns like Lyndon Lakovic and the other Protas, as well as Cole Hutson; Lane’s brother. There’s a lot of “jesus there’s MORE of them!?” on the Capitals depth chart at the moment.
Boston will more than likely be putting a pretty prospect heavy roster out on the ice tonight, and so it will be a major test for many of these young kids and in-betweeners to get consideration for potential call-ups in the future; as the NHL roster, at least from my perspective, seems entirely set in stone at the moment; with only defense being a potential place of ingress for a young hopeful.
If nothing else, it’ll be a good test after five days of camp, and maybe a good preview of what the P-B’s are gonna be like down in Rhode Island. And hey! It might be mostly minor league Bruins hockey, but it is Bruins hockey coming back!
So let’s see how all that offseason training did them! Let’s go B’s!
Drew Fortescue’s path to ice time with the Rangers has become complicated.
As a left-handed defenseman for an organization suddenly filled with them, it’ll be difficult for the top prospect — who received a nine-game taste of the NHL at the end of last season to burn the first year of his entry-level deal — to make the roster out of training camp.
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But that doesn’t mean the 21-year-old former Boston College star has dwelled on his complicated reality with the Rangers after the additions of veteran Marcus Pettersson via trade and rookie Alberts Smits via the first round of the draft. Nor has his belief about returning to the NHL wavered.
“That’s nothing that’s in my control,” Fortescue said after the Blueshirts’ training camp sessions Saturday, when asked about their additions. “All I can do is just work the hardest that I can and whoever’s here or whatnot, I think that I know that I’m good enough — and someday, if it’s not now or in the future, that I’ll be able to play here.”
Even while skating with Group B during the first three sessions, Fortescue reiterated that he’s here — at his first NHL training camp — to “show that I can be on this team.” He collected a pair of assists across his nine-game cameo at the end of 2025-26, capitalizing on the lost Blueshirts season to become one of the young pieces auditioning for future roles.
“You want to play at the highest level,” said Fortescue, who has been going back and forth between the hotel and his home in Pearl River during training camp. “It’s your dream as a kid, and kinda getting that little glimpse last year, that month I was there, it was pretty special.”
Drew Fortescue is looking to find a spot on the Rangers’ blue line. Jason Szenes for New York Post
The offseason arrived, and while Fortescue said he made strides in every area throughout the summer, the Rangers added pieces around him. AHL Hartford emerged as a likely destination to start the season. Injuries could expedite his return to the NHL at any point, but for now, it might take time for Fortescue to claw his way back to the Rangers.
Tye Kartye, the fourth-liner whom the Rangers claimed off waivers last season, scored two more goals during the intrasquad scrimmage Saturday, giving him three through the first three scrimmages.
Team Blue — the group that Kartye skated for — defeated Team White 4-1.
“He loves hockey,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of Kartye, adding that he’s an “easy guy to root for.” “Brings great energy to the rink. Just, he’s an enthusiastic learner. I think all those things are important. I think that stuff’s contagious inside the confines, and so, for me, you can’t have enough of those guys that love hockey, that love to be here, that want to play, that want to get better — and Tye’s all of those things.”
While the Rangers lines mostly remained unchanged, Matt Rempe got the first reps with the fourth line. … Matthew Robertson left the ice early in the Group A practice after getting hit in the face and returned with teeth seemingly knocked out. … Cole Beaudoin, who entered training camp day to day, wore a blue jersey and was a full participant in the scrimmage.
If the Rangers needed a reminder of what Sean Durzi can provide and how one of their newest defensemen can add needed offense, they only have to look back to a Jan. 5 game against the Mammoth.
Early in overtime, Durzi veered toward the right post after his pass was deflected, received the puck from Nick Schmaltz and deposited the puck past Jonathan Quick.
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He found the pocket of space during the 3-on-3 session, crashed toward the net and found a way to convert.
It marked one of Durzi’s five goals and 27 points last year — below his career-best seasons of 41 and 38 in 2023-24 and 2022-23, respectively, but still emblematic of his high floor — and captured some of the instincts he’ll bring to the Rangers after arriving as part of the return package in the Vincent Trocheck trade July 1.
He’s “gonna be able to eat minutes,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of the former second-round pick in 2018 who has averaged at least 19 minutes of ice time in all five of his seasons.
He’ll get a “long look” as one of the options to quarterback the second power-play unit, too, Sullivan said.
And after a summer that featured the Rangers overhauling their blue line, Durzi has embraced the expectations that accompany his expected top four responsibilities — likely on a pairing with Marcus Pettersson.
“I’ve played top four for the majority of my career,” Durzi told The Post after the Rangers training camp sessions and scrimmage in Tarrytown. “You want that pressure. You put it on yourself to perform, but most importantly, you gotta believe you can do it.”
Durzi is essentially the Rangers insurance policy with Fox.
Sean Durzi, who is now with the Rangers, skates up the ice during the Mammoth’s loss to the Hurricanes on April 11, 2026 in Salt Lake City. NHLI via Getty Images
With Fox limited to 55 games last year, the Blueshirts struggled to replace him on the top pairing alongside Vladislav Gavrikov.
New Ranger Sean Durzi NHLI via Getty Images
Braden Schneider, who received plenty of opportunities as the Fox replacement, was on the ice for a team-worst 63 goals at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick, and has skated on the third pairing of the Rangers’ NHL group in training camp.
Durzi, 27, could help with the transition if Fox misses time this season. Entering the first preseason game Monday night against the Devils, Durzi has skated exclusively with Pettersson — who the Blueshirts acquired from the Canucks and who played with Sullivan in Pittsburgh — and leaned on Pettersson while adjusting to Sullivan.
The Rangers coach, Durzi said, operates with “a lot of honesty.” He knows that Durzi wants to be pushed and feels like he has “more to give” in every area.
“I think he has good offensive instincts,” Sullivan said. “He can pass the puck. We knew that when we got him, and I think that was one of the things that attracted us to him. … I can tell in the first three days he’s a guy that’s gonna be able to eat minutes, and when you have defensemen that are capable of eating minutes, those are good guys to have.”
In addition to getting a chance to audition for the power-play role, Durzi could also help the Blueshirts penalty-kill unit, Sullivan said. He could help them with breakouts — something the Blueshirts struggled with last season. With his skating, Durzi could join the Blueshirts on the rush, too, Sullivan added.
The extent of Durzi’s role with the Rangers will settle into place across the upcoming days and weeks.
They haven’t worked on special teams yet through three sessions of training camp, but they’ll open their exhibition slate Monday night against the Devils.
Then, they’ll open the regular season Sept. 29 against the Bruins. Those nights will serve as hints of Durzi’s role in the present.
His offensive abilities, at least initially, have impressed Sullivan. With two years left on his contract, Durzi will have a chance to carve out a role into the future, too. Given his placement behind Fox on the depth chart and the relatively thin options behind him, his role for the Rangers could become even more vital.
Ontario, C.A.– On Saturday, the Vegas Golden Knights kicked off the preseason with a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in the Empire Classic.
Before I make any observations, I’d like to state the obvious: this is a preseason game, and the first preseason game at that. It was evident— the Golden Knights didn’t make any egregious errors, but there was some “sloppy hockey” that’s typical of a preseason game. Passes didn’t connect, pucks were fumbled, and the overall flow of the game was choppy at times.
Still, the Golden Knights played a structured game. Their penalty kill was excellent, and they stood strong in the defensive zone to prevent the Kings from getting any real sustained offensive pressure. Preseason or not, these are things you want to see.
Without further ado, here are my three takeaways from the Golden Knights’ 4-2 victory over the Kings.
1. The Good
I’d like to preface this by saying that when it comes to positions in hockey, goaltender is by far the one I know the least about. So I try to avoid making grand observations about goaltenders unless someone who knows a lot more about the position than I do shares my opinion.
That being said, I liked what I saw out of Adin Hill tonight.
I wasn’t sure what to expect out of Hill in his first start since April 9th. It was probably a bit of a weird night for him— it took the Kings 15 minutes to record their third shot of the game.
But I liked his game. He looked as cool and calm as ever, and he backed it up. Hill made a few really flashy saves, and you can argue that neither of LA’s goals were on him.
Per head coach Ryan Craig, Hill will get another start this preseason. But so far, so good for the netminder.
2. The Bad
The Kings iced only three veteran NHL players tonight: forwards Trevor Moore and Scott Laughton, and goaltender Anton Forsberg. The rest of their roster was made up of younger guys fighting for a roster spot.
This was a game where you really wanted to see a player like Braeden Bowman shine. He didn’t.
He wasn’t awful, and there’s not a lot of reason to read into this. He’s looked great during drills for the first two days of camp, and one mediocre game is no cause for concern.
But the team didn’t give up much defensively tonight. Really, there were very few negatives to take away from the game.
I just wanted to see more from the guy that made a name for himself at last year’s training camp.
3. The Intriguing
I made the drive out to Ontario tonight because I wanted to see Trevor Connelly’s first preseason game. This is a very talented kid, one that everyone in the organization thinks very highly of. And he quietly had a strong game— he generated a couple great looks, created offense at will, and drew a penalty.
But the forward that really stood out tonight was Jackson Hallum.
Hallum’s speed has made him extremely noticeable all camp, but there’s always a difference between commanding attention in a drill and commanding attention in a game or scrimmage. Well, tonight, he stole the spotlight once again. He used his speed to create offense, which led to the game-winning goal in the third period.
“I just try to play the best I can with whatever opportunity I’m given,” said Hallum postgame. “I can’t look at the future; I’ve just got to be where my feet are and make the most of what I’m given.”
The Chicago Blackhawks took a trip up to St. Paul to take on the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night. This was each team's first tilt in the 2026 NHL Preseason. Each squad has very specific goals for the 2026-27 season, but this game was each organization kicking things off in a low-key manner.
Both the Blackhawks and Wild took a mostly AHL-caliber group to the ice. There were a handful of veterans in each lineup, but it was mostly a non-NHL group overall. Despite this, each team played a well-played game that ended in overtime, 3-2 in favor of the Wild.
Arvid Soderblom made the start for the Blackhawks, while Calvin Pickard started for Minnesota. Each guy played the whole game, and each played well enough for their team to have a chance at winning.
Jeff Blashill said he was going to give Arvid Soderblom and Spencer Knight all of the preseason reps so that they are fully prepared for the NHL regular season. For Soderblom, this was a decent performance, abliet being against a lower-level lineup. With the extra time, he made 23 saves on 26 shots.
Kevin Korchinski appeared to score Chicago's first goal of the game, but it was later credited to Dominic Toninato on a redirect. It was the type of play where Korchinski was a late man in on the rush before receiving a pass and shooting it.
This assist was only one small part of his game against the Wild. In 25:15 of ice time, which was the most of any player on either team, he made good passes, defended well, and showed poise in his in-game skating.
This match was an example of how good Korchinski can be. It appears right off the bat that he has improved over the summer. You can't help but wonder if he earned himself a shot at playing an exhibition game with the NHL club. He's in a position where a great preseason could earn him a roster spot, but an average (or worse) one will get him sent to Rockford.
Dillon Boucher scored Chicago's second goal, which eventually stood as the goal they needed to get the game pushed to overtime.
AJ Spellacy is one player who deserves some additional praise, despite not being on the scoresheet. Later in his career, he may be a goal-scoring middle-six forward regularly, but if he plays in the NHL this year, he will be on the penalty kill and in the bottom six with a certain role to fulfill.
In this game against the Wild, Spellacy did all of that. He was hard to play against at even strength and was one of their better penalty-killing forwards in the game. The Wild found it difficult to generate offense on the man-advantage when he was out there.
Now that this road game was completed with a mostly AHL-caliber lineup for both sides, you can expect to see some of their stars when they meet next.
The Chicago Blackhawks are officially underway in the preseason. They will match up with the Minnesota Wild again on Monday, but this time it will be at the United Center in Chicago.
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After the 2025-26 season ended, both Mike Sullivan and Chris Drury emphasized the New York Rangers’ need to add a puck-moving defenseman.
They did so by acquiring Sean Durzi from the Utah Mammoth on July 1 in a trade centered on Vincent Trocheck.
Between his time with the Los Angeles Kings and the Arizona Coyotes/Utah Mammoth, Durzi has been known for his puck-moving abilities and takes pride in that part of his game.
“I take pride in giving a flat pass, on the tape, on time,” Durzi emphasised. “I know when that is. The forward knows when that is, and that's something that comes with getting used to the guys… It’s about utilizing my puck-moving ability within our system, and that’s the important thing.”
A key factor in the Rangers going out and acquiring Durzi had to do with his skating skills and high offensive instincts for a blueliner.
Because of Durzi’s mobility, Sullivan expects to utilize him in a multitude of different ways, and envisions him playing a lot of minutes.
“I think he has good offensive instincts, he can pass the puck, we knew that when we got him,” Sullivan said of Durzi. “I think that was one of the things that attracted us to him. He’s a real competitive guy as well. I’ve learned that in the short time that we’ve been together. I think he’s going to help us five-on-five offensively, he’s going to help us with breakouts, getting out of our endzone clearer. I think he’s going to help us with his skating ability, joining the rush. He’s in great shape. I can tell in the first three days, he’s a guy that can eat minutes.”
“As far as how we use him on special teams, he’s a guy who is very capable on a power play. And I think with his competitiveness, he’s got a good stick and mobility, I can see him being a big part of the penalty kill as well.”
Durzi averaged the most time on ice of his career during the 2023-24 season with the Coyotes when he played 22:43 minutes per game, leading all Coyotes players.
During that season, Durzi served as the team’s No. 1 defenseman on the power play, so while Fox will preside over that spot with the Rangers, Durzi is in a prime position to earn a role on the second power-play unit.
The 27-year-old defenseman emphasized that he feels comfortable playing on both phases of special teams.
“I played it (the power play) my whole career in the NHL,” Durzi said. “I take pride in special teams, power play and PK. If I'm needed there, blocking shots has been a strong suit of mine. Whatever the situation is, if I'm playing power play, if I'm playing PK, I'm here to you know do it to the best of my ability.”
Over the first three days of training camp, Durzi has been paired with Marcus Pettersson, who was also acquired by the Rangers over the summer.
Durzi and Pettersson will likely make up the Rangers’ second defensive pairing to kick off the season, as Sullivan has taken an extensive look at them playing alongside each other at training camp.
“I think they’ve been one of the better pairs that we’ve had together out there,” Sullivan said. “They seem to complement each other really well. They defend well, they made some plays, they made some outlet plays. They are not just out the glass and out guys I think just their ability to move the puck has been evident and on display for the first few days here.
“We were going to explore it and see what it looked like, and so far we’ve liked what we’ve seen. I would anticipate them getting some looks in these exhibition games and then we’ll make decisions.”
Last season, the Rangers were lacking a reliable second pairing behind Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov, but the duo of Durzi and Pettersson provides an option to take pressure off of the team’s top pairing.
Durzi is pleased with the chemistry he’s been able to build with Pettersson so far in a short sample size.
“It’s been awesome,” Durzi said of playing with Pettersson. “I think the most important thing is, after every shift out here and every rep in practice, we're talking about it. ‘What do you think about that play? I should be here. I like the puck to be in that area.’ Just questions about the D-zone and the neutral zone, things like that. It's been great to have him. He's made the transition that much easier.”
Since being drafted in 2018, Durzi has been traded three separate times, so he’s grown accustomed to the business side of hockey.
After being able to decompress in the couple of months since being traded to New York, Durzi expressed his excitement to embark on this next chapter with the Rangers.
“Hockey-wise, I’m excited. There’s not much more you can ask for: original six team, a lot of history,” Durzi said. “Guys play with their hearts on their sleeves when you play for the Rangers, and that’s what I love to do. I’m pumped to be here. I’m focused and ready to go.”
