ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov broke a second-period tie with his NHL-leading 10th goal, Jesper Wallstedt stopped 13 shots and the Minnesota Wild beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Sunday night.
Danila Yurov also scored to help the Central Division-leading Wild improve to 6-2-1.
Adam Fantilli scored for Columbus. Cam Talbot made 32 saves.
Kaprizov broke a 1-1 tie with a power-play goal at 3:06 of the second, beating Talbot over the shoulder from the bottom of the left faceoff circle.
Both goalies stood tall early in the first period. Wallstedt denied Connor Garland on a breakaway two minutes into the game. Then Talbot made three saves as the Blue Jackets killed off a 5-on-3 power play that lasted 1:52.
Minnesota got on the board late in the first period. Yakov Trenin scooped up a turnover at the Columbus blue line, beat a defender on the way to the net, then feathered a pass across the slot where Yurov was waiting to tap it in.
FLAMES 3, HURRICANES 2
CALGARY. Alberta (AP) — Yegor Sharangovich scored the go-ahead goal with 4:28 left and Calgary ended Carolina’s seven-game winning streak, beating the defending champions for their second victory of the season.
Morgan Frost set up the winning goal after scoring on a power play in the second period. Matvei Gridin also scored, and Devin Cooley made 34 saves to help Calgary improve to 2-6-0.
On the deciding play, Frost sent a saucer pass across the slot to Sharangovich, who one-timed it as soon as the puck landed on his stick and picked the top corner, sending goalie Brandon Bussi’s water bottle flying.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jalen Chatfield scored for Carolina, and Bussi made 31 saves. The Hurricanes dropped do 7-2-1.
CALGARY. Alberta (AP) — Yegor Sharangovich scored the go-ahead goal with 4:28 left and the Calgary Flames ended Carolina's seven-game winning streak, beating the defending champion Hurricanes 3-2 on Saturday night for their second victory of the season.
Morgan Frost set up the winning goal after scoring on a power play in the second period. Matvei Gridin also scored, and Devin Cooley made 34 saves to help Calgary improve to 2-6-0.
On the deciding play, Frost sent a saucer pass across the slot to Sharangovich, who one-timed it as soon as the puck landed on his stick and picked the top corner, sending goalie Brandon Bussi’s water bottle flying.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jalen Chatfield scored for Carolina, and Bussi made 31 saves. The Hurricanes dropped do 7-2-1.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Wild center Danila Yurov is beginning to find his offensive game, and head coach John Hynes believes the 22-year-old has the potential to become an important piece of the organization’s future.
Yurov scored his third goal in his last four games during Minnesota’s 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, continuing an impressive offensive stretch for the former first-round pick.
But following the victory, Hynes made it clear that Yurov’s contributions extend well beyond his recent scoring success.
In fact, the Wild coach believes Yurov has the potential to become a first- or second-line center in the NHL.
“The puck pressure, the reads, the hockey sense with Yurov are, even last year, they’re, like I keep talking to him, he’s going to be a top-two line center the way that he thinks the game, sees the game,” Hynes said.
“Now, we’re starting to see his skating, his confidence, his offensive instincts, on top of his hockey smarts and acumen without the puck, which is excellent.”
It’s a significant endorsement from Hynes, particularly considering the attention surrounding Yurov’s future in Minnesota.
The 24th overall selection from the 2022 NHL Draft has been mentioned in trade speculation involving Detroit Red Wings former captain Dylan Larkin, an established NHL center who could immediately strengthen Minnesota’s lineup.
While there’s no indication a trade involving Yurov is imminent, his recent emergence presents an interesting situation for the Wild.
Minnesota has been looking for additional help down the middle, but one of its youngest centers is beginning to show why the organization invested a first-round selection in him.
And according to Hynes, the development taking place goes much deeper than the scoresheet.
Yurov’s Development Goes Beyond Scoring
WILD SCORE FIRST! 💥
Yakov Trenin makes a nice move to find a wide open Danila Yurov for the finish.
One of the biggest challenges for young centers transitioning to the NHL is learning how to handle the responsibilities that come with the position.
It’s not simply about generating offense. Centers are expected to support their defensemen, win puck battles, make responsible decisions through the neutral zone and contribute in all three zones.
For Yurov, those details have been among the strongest parts of his game.
Hynes has repeatedly praised the young Russian’s hockey intelligence and ability to read plays, qualities that have helped him earn additional responsibilities despite his limited NHL experience.
That includes time on the penalty kill, where Hynes believes Yurov has already established himself as a reliable option.
“He’s been excellent on the penalty kill,” Hynes said.
It’s an encouraging sign for a player whose offensive abilities were a major part of his appeal when Minnesota selected him in the first round.
While Yurov’s recent goals have attracted attention, his ability to contribute without the puck could ultimately determine how quickly he develops into the top-six center Hynes envisions.
And another important part of that development is taking place in the faceoff circle.
Former NHL Center Derek Stepan Helping Yurov
Yurov has been working with former NHL center Derek Stepan to improve his faceoff ability, something Hynes specifically highlighted following Sunday’s victory.
“The faceoffs, he was over 50% on the faceoff circle. He’s been working with [Derek Stepan]. He puts time and effort into it,” Hynes said.
Stepan, a native of Hastings, Minnesota, brings extensive NHL experience to the process. The former center played 890 regular-season games across 13 NHL seasons, recording 182 goals, 333 assists and 515 points.
He also appeared in 120 Stanley Cup playoff games, contributing 20 goals, 35 assists and 55 points.
Throughout his career, Stepan established himself as a dependable NHL center who understood the responsibilities of playing in the middle of the ice.
That experience provides Yurov with an opportunity to learn from someone who spent more than a decade competing against some of the league’s best players.
Faceoffs are particularly important for a young center looking to earn more ice time and responsibility. Winning draws can help a team establish possession, relieve pressure in the defensive zone and create offensive opportunities immediately following a faceoff.
For a player like Yurov, improving in that area could make him a more complete option for Minnesota’s coaching staff. His work with Stepan also demonstrates the commitment Hynes has noticed throughout his development.
Yurov isn’t simply relying on his natural offensive talent. He’s putting in additional work to improve the details necessary to become an everyday NHL center.
So far, it has paid off. He had the lowest faceoff percentage in the NHL last season for centermen who took at least 742 draws (39.2 percent). He's at 56.6 percent this season.
An Interesting Decision Could Be Ahead For Minnesota
Yurov’s recent emergence comes at an interesting time for the Wild.
Minnesota has been linked to Detroit's Dylan Larkin in trade speculation as the organization continues looking for ways to strengthen its center depth.
Larkin would provide the Wild with an established top-six center capable of making an immediate impact. However, acquiring a player of his caliber could require Minnesota to part with valuable young assets, potentially including Yurov.
And that’s where Hynes’ comments become particularly interesting.
The Wild are reportedly exploring the possibility of acquiring an established center, yet their own head coach believes one of their young players has the potential to develop into a first- or second-line center himself.
At 22 years old, Yurov is still in the early stages of his NHL career. There will undoubtedly be growing pains, and a four-game scoring stretch doesn’t guarantee he’ll reach the ceiling Hynes envisions.
But his recent production, defensive awareness, penalty-killing contributions and continued improvement in the faceoff circle suggest his development is moving in the right direction.
“So, it’s nice to see, particularly early in the season to see him get on the scoresheet, get some confidence that way because there’s so many things that are trending in the right direction with him, and that’s certainly one of them,” Hynes said.
For Minnesota, the challenge is balancing the desire to improve immediately with the potential of its young players.
Larkin could provide an immediate solution down the middle, but Yurov is beginning to demonstrate why he could eventually become part of that solution himself.
And when a head coach publicly projects a 22-year-old as a future top-two-line center, it raises an important question about how much the organization should be willing to sacrifice to acquire an established one.
For now, Yurov continues to make his case on the ice.
With three goals in his last four games and increasing trust from Minnesota’s coaching staff, the young Russian is giving the Wild plenty to consider as they evaluate both their present needs and their future down the middle.
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With some injuries piling up on the left side of the blue line, the Pittsburgh Penguins made a roster move Sunday to give them another body for the last leg of their current Western road swing.
These moves come a day after defenseman Sam Girard was injured during the second period of the Penguins' 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, when Girard was tripped by Vegas forward Brett Howden and flew awkwardly into the bottom of the wall shoulder-first.
In addition, Trevor van Riemsdyk is still working out in Pittsburgh and rehabbing from a lower-body injury. He is currently on injured reserve.
Solovyov, 26, began the season on the Penguins' NHL roster. After failing to appear in a game, the Penguins waived him on Oct. 9 in hopes that he would pass through waivers and join WBS to have an opportunity to be in the lineup every night. In three games for WBS, Solovyov had one assist and was a plus-6, largely playing top-pairing minutes with right defenseman Harrison Brunicke.
The 6-foot-3, 229-pound defenseman was traded to Pittsburgh during the second half last season and appeared in 14 games, registering five points to go along with a plus-1.
Johnson, 25, is a former first-round pick (31st overall in 2019) who was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 12. He has yet to appear in an NHL game this season, and he has seven assists in 47 games across three season, all of which were accrued in 41 games during his rookie season in 2023-24.
The Buffalo Sabres had a tough test Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens, but they ultimately fell to the Habs in a 4-3 overtime win for Montreal. The ‘loser’ point was beneficial to the Sabres, but against arguably the Atlantic Division’s top team, Buffalo had an opportunity to send a shot across the bow to the Canadiens, and they failed to do so.
The Sabres are by no means a perfect team, but they are very much a work-in-progress. You might say the same about every team, but Buffalo’s pressure is different in that their15-year Stanley Cup playoff drought ended last season, and they now have to take the next step forward – and that’s getting beyond the second round next spring.
But what the Sabres really need to do – something they owe their loyal, long-suffering fans – is pull off a blockbuster trade involving one player or another.
Could that be current Winnipeg Jets malcontent goalie Connor Hellebuyck? It could be. Could it be Detroit Red Wings star center Dylan Larkin? Highly unlikely, but stranger things have happened. Or could there be a star player who suddenly appears on the trade block? That’s the most-likely development for Buffalo.
The Sabres have $1.8-million in salary cap space, so if they are going to acquire a name-brand player with a high salary, they’re going to have to move out money, either in the blockbuster trade, or in a subsequent move. But the other thing Buffalo GM Jarmo Kekalainen could use in a blockbuster swap is his first-round draft picks. The Sabres have all of their first-rounders in the next three drafts, so peeling off one of them wouldn’t hurt a win-now team like Buffalo.
The Sabres don’t need any high-end talent on ‘D, but their current goaltending setup doesn’t inspire much confidence. Veterans Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis have sub-.900 save percentages, and that’s why Buffalo has been linked to Hellebuyck. But the other area Buffalo could target is their top-six group of forwards. If the Toronto Maple Leafs had the assets to acquire star winger Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Sabres have enough trade capital to pick up a similar type of player.
Kekalainen has yet to orchestrate a blockbuster move of any sort in his one year (approximately) running the team. The truth is, Buffalo played so well that Kekalainen didn’t have an acute problem to deal with. But now that the Sabres have settled in a little bit, they could significantly shift the balance of power by bringing in a Grade-A talent.
You can give a player like Ryan McLeod his due for being an above-average NHL talent, but is he a star? No. And that’s what Buffalo needs – star power. That’s what Buffalo fans deserve – a player who can impose their will on games and electrify long-suffering Sabres fans. Some of Buffalo’s youngsters could evolve into superstars some day down the line. But in this moment in the Sabres’ competitive cycle, they need to be swinging for the fences on the trade market.
Sometimes, you never know what players come available. And if Kekalainen shakes the trees in the coming weeks and months, a high-end player could fall into Buffalo’s lap. The Sabres have every reason to bring in a star-caliber player, and if Kekalainen can acquire a top forward or goalie, that could prove to be the final piece of Buffalo’s championship puzzle.
Even though the Philadelphia Flyers are badly hurting due to injuries, especially at forward, they just created some intrigue by cutting loose more healthy bodies than they replace them with.
On Sunday, shortly after the conclusion of the Flyers' practice session, head coach Rick Tocchet revealed that forwards Tyson Foerster and Sean Couturier are game-time decisions ahead of Monday night's game against the Colorado Avalanche.
They join a growing list of Flyers players ailing and out of the lineup, with Travis Konecny, Cam York, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Owen Tippett all injured at the moment as well.
Later Sunday, the Flyers placed York on injured reserve, creating a free roster space, while sending forward Jack Studnicka and defenseman Helge Grans to the AHL.
The only corresponding move the Flyers made was calling up defenseman Hunter McDonald, a 6-foot-4, 240 pound defenseman who made his NHL debut last season against Montreal, recording an assist, a +3 rating, and four penalty minutes.
With the 24-year-old McDonald now on the roster, the Flyers still have two free roster spots available for use, though it's curious that they haven't made use of them just yet.
For instance, in Studnicka's case, the journeyman had recently overtaken the fourth-line center position with Couturier moving up higher in the lineup, as the Flyers preferred Studnicka at center over the versatile Noel Acciari.
Including Tippett, Foerster, and Couturier, the Flyers have 12 forwards on their roster, and they would assuredly need to call up at least one forward to help close the gap.
What are the Flyers' options?
Travis Konecny is eligible to return from injured reserve for the Flyers. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
Perhaps Travis Konecny, who is now eligible to return from injured reserve after missing seven days of action, is ready to hit the ice, though he wasn't spotted at practice on Sunday.
If needed, players like Jett Luchanko and Alex Bump are candidates to be called up by the Flyers, though, again, it's interesting they haven't already done so.
Bump, 22, would be especially interesting given that he has seven goals in five AHL games this season, including an overtime winner on Saturday night.
It's no secret the Flyers are starved for offense, and Bump would easily be the most deserving candidate for a call-up amongst the forwards.
Luchanko, with six points in six games, has been no slouch either, but the Flyers may prefer their top center prospect to have more development time in the AHL rather than serve as a band-aid solution for a rash of injuries for a game or two.
As for someone like Carl Grundstrom, the Swede was unavailable for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms due to personal reasons on Saturday night, so he might not be an option for the Flyers at the moment.
Other veterans in the AHL, like Nolan Foote and Danila Klimovich, are banged up and likely unavailable, too.
Also of note, the NHL no longer allows paper transactions, so Studnicka must return to the AHL and report for at least one game before he returns to the NHL; the Flyers can't assess Tippett, Foerster, and Couturier and then decide that they need Studnicka back for the Avalanche game.
This latest roster move from the Flyers is clearly a precursor to something more, though it is just unclear what that is at this time.
New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits, right, jumps in front of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Charlie Coyle during the first period of a NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026.
It didn’t take long for Alberts Smits to provide a glimpse of what Mike Sullivan had hinted at.
Late in the first period Thursday, less than a minute before the Devils goal that began the Rangers’ unraveling at Prudential Center, Smits slammed his stick on the ice four times from the left circle. As play cycled behind the net, Smits knew he had an open shooting lane. Alexis Lafrenière slid the puck over. And Smits, the No. 5 pick in June’s draft, sent a shot toward the net around traffic that Nico Daws turned aside.
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So much of Smits’ acclimation to the NHL, as a rookie who skated on the third pair from the first day of training camp and never looked back, has revolved around the defensive layers. But the Rangers also think he has “an offensive dimension to his game that might be untapped,” Sullivan said.
There have been flashes through 10 games, even as Smits has yet to log a point — and, entering Monday’s game against the Ducks, remains the last Blueshirts regular without one. But the Rangers, who remain impressed with how he has performed with inevitable growing pains and mistakes mixed in, think that part of his game will eventually emerge too.
“I think the offense is gonna come,” Smits said Thursday. “Just gotta take care of the defense first. So that’s what I’m focusing on right now.”
Smits, who recorded a pair of assists with Latvia across four games at the Winter Olympics while stringing together six goals and 13 points in 38 games with Finland’s Jukurit last year, picked up his first unofficial point in the preseason — sending a nifty pass toward the slot that Taylor Raddysh deflected into the net. Sullivan has continually raved about Smits’ passing and physical poise, about how he doesn’t look like an 18-year-old on the ice, and that served as a tangible example in a game setting.
New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits, right, jumps in front of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Charlie Coyle during the first period of a NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. AP Photo/Paul Vernon
The Rangers have waited for the first instance of that in the regular season. They entered play Sunday with 20 points — two goals and 18 assists — from defensemen this season, tied for the eighth most in the NHL, according to StatMuse, but have gotten 19 of those from their top four and the 20th via an assist from Braden Schneider. There hasn’t necessarily been a drop-off with Smits, though. Smits rank second on the Blueshirts in expected goals per 60 minutes (0.22) behind just Adam Fox this season, per MoneyPuck, and when Smits was on the ice Saturday, the Rangers carried an expected goals for percentage of 82.94, which marked the highest rate on the team, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Blueshirts also had a team-best expected goals against number (0.25) during Smits’ shifts in the team’s 1-0 overtime loss in Columbus too.
Smits was on the ice for the Blue Jackets’ winning goal at 4-on-4 in overtime — unable to disrupt a pass fully in the neutral zone and unable to get his stick on two others in the Blueshirts end before Kent Johnson’s winner — and only logged five shifts after the second period.
Part of the ice time issue, Sullivan said, stemmed from the Rangers being on the power play three times in the final frame. He has yet to carve out a role on either special teams unit, limiting his availability, and Smits skated just 14:46 — the lowest number among Rangers defenseman by over four minutes — in Columbus.
New York Rangers’ Alberts Smits (12) and Columbus Blue Jackets’ Sean Monahan (23) battle for control of the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
“That’s [assistant coach David Quinn’s] call back there,” Sullivan said of Smits’ limited shifts in the third. “He’s running the defense.”
The sentiment echoed by the Rangers since the start of training camp hasn’t strayed from Smits looking like he belongs. Sullivan reiterated that again Thursday, labeling miscues as “mistakes of enthusiasm.”
Smits, when asked about evaluating his game so far, said Thursday that he has continued to try and get better each game, to stay on the right development track. The Rangers have given him the runway for that, opting for Smits’ upside over more experienced left-handed defensemen such as Matthew Robertson or Urho Vaakanainen. They embraced the potential for growing pains and learning curves that’d inevitably follow.
“The biggest challenge [for young defensemen] is the reads,” Sullivan said. “When to be aggressive. When to cut your losses, stay inside the dots, manage the dots, let the play come to you a little bit. That’s the hardest part, I think, of playing defense in this league, and that’s, I think, Smitty’s challenge moving forward. But we love his aggression.”
The defensive play, for the most part, has transferred to the regular season. The offense, for now at least, remains a work in progress from a production standpoint, with Sullivan believing that the Rangers — over time — could unlock more.
New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan looks on during the first period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in Elmont, NY.
Marcus Pettersson knows Mike Sullivan’s structure and philosophy better than most with the Rangers, since the defenseman spent parts of seven seasons with the Penguins from December 2018 through February 2025 after Sullivan had already arrived and won a pair of Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh.
And in the early portion of this season, Pettersson has noticed this iteration of the Rangers starting to adopt a similar identity to what those Penguins teams had with Sullivan as head coach, he told The Post before a 1-0 loss to the Blue Jackets in overtime where the Blueshirts largely flashed the same principles of checking and forechecking while earning their 13th point of the young season.
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“[Identity is] always the word on people’s mouths, I feel like, early in the year where it’s — some teams find it early, some teams are searching for that identity,” Pettersson, who was acquired in exchange for a top-10 protected first-round pick in the 2030 draft, said Saturday. “I think when you look throughout our lineup, our system and everything, I think everybody’s really bought in so far this season. … We’re a really good checking team. I feel like, and if we can do that well, it’s gonna be tough to beat us every night.”
With five years remaining on his contract, Pettersson, 30, will likely be part of shaping the Rangers blue line into the future, and outside of a pair of giveaways in Saturday’s game, he’s mostly been impressive with Sean Durzi on a revamped second pairing. Pettersson has collected a pair of assists offensively too while settling into a critical role on the Blueshirts penalty-kill unit.
Marcus Pettersson (26) skates during warm up prior to the game against the New Jersey Devils on October 15, 2026 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. NHLI via Getty Images
His current group of Rangers teammates, who are now 6-3-1 through their opening 10 games, and his former Penguins teams contained different types of players, he said, but there are still some similarities in how they play. They both had centers who could read the game. They both had speed. They both paired that with checking that in turn has allowed the Blueshirts to create opportunities for their most dynamic players.
They’ve learned how Sullivan wants to play away from the puck, Pettersson said, and have witnessed how that ultimately creates offense. Defensively, he added, both teams understood what puck movement means too.
“It doesn’t mean that you’re highlight reel, doing spin-o-rama, wheeling outside the zone every shift,” Pettersson said. “It’s effective puck moving where you get the pucks to our game-breakers up there.”
New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan looks on during the first period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in Elmont, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The power play was supposed to be a definitive strength of the Rangers this season, but instead, through their opening 10 games, their other special teams unit has emerged as one of the league’s best — and that, given their reliance on 24-year-old goaltender Dylan Garand with Igor Shesterkin out for the season, has been crucial.
In their 1-0 loss to the Blue Jackets on Saturday, the Rangers killed all three of their penalties, including one by Will Cuylle at the end of regulation that forced them to operate at 4-on-3 for the first 1:27 of overtime.
They entered play Sunday with a unit that has killed all but two of their 31 penalties, hasn’t allowed a goal on the road and sat in a tie for the second-best success rate in the NHL at 93.5 percent — which is even with the Hurricanes and trails just the Maple Leafs’ 96.4 percent.
“They’ve been aggressive,” Sullivan said. “There’s been a lot of collective effort when they are aggressive. It’s cooperative pressure. … They’re doing a lot of the little things, the thankless jobs. They’re winning faceoffs, they’re getting clears, they’re blocking shots, but they’re making good reads.”
Last week, the Buffalo Sabres traded defenseman Ryan Johnson to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for blueliners Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch.
Now, after one week on Pittsburgh's NHL roster, he is heading back to the AHL. This is because the Penguins have announced that they have assigned Johnson to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
While Johnson was on the Penguins' NHL roster before this demotion, he has not made his debut for Pittsburgh. Instead, he was scratched while on Pittsburgh's roster. Now, with him being sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he will get back into game action.
Johnson appeared in four AHL games with the Rochester Americans this season before being traded to the Penguins. This was after he had five goals and 19 points in 56 games with Rochester this past season.
Johnson was selected by the Sabres in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, 31st overall. In 47 games over three seasons with Buffalo from 2023-24 to 2025-26, he posted seven assists and a plus-1 rating.
The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres in overtime by a 5-4 final score in their most recent game on Saturday.
Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc contributed in Montreal's win, as he scored a power-play goal at the 11:45 mark of the first period to tie the game up at 1-1.
With this goal, Bolduc now has four goals to go along with six points in eight games so far this season with the Canadiens. He is also on a hot streak right now, as he has recorded a point in each of his last three games.
With the way Bolduc is playing right now, he is showing clear signs of being ready to break out for the Canadiens. The young forward putting up strong offensive numbers like this at the start of the season is very encouraging. Now, he will be aiming to keep it from here for Montreal.
If Bolduc can continue to chip in offensively while making an impact with his physicality, it would be huge for the Canadiens. At just 23 years old, there is reason to believe that he has not hit his full ceiling yet. Due to this, he will be a very interesting player to keep watching as the season carries on.
Ondrej Palat #81 of the New York Islanders handles the puck against Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026.
It’s not breaking news that Ondrej Palat struggled when he got to Long Island last season. And it was understandable to assume, at age 35, that this season wouldn’t be much different for a player who had taken a step back during his tenure as a New Jersey Devil.
Ondrej Palat #81 of the New York Islanders handles the puck against Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
Palat had arguably his best game as an Islander in the 4-1 victory, despite not making it onto the scoresheet. The Islanders were up ice on nearly every one of his shifts. He won battles and played nearly perfectly on breakouts and in his own end. In his 13:01 of ice time, the Islanders out-attempted Toronto by an absurd 19-1 margin, per Natural Stat Trick’s count.
“He’s been great all year,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think he’s come back with something to prove. I think from training camp, he’s been engaged and ready. He wants more. If anything it’s on me to give him a little bit more than what he’s even got so far. He’s been that good.”
Of course, the opportunity for more minutes may become something like a necessity. Palat has been on the Islanders fourth line for six of eight games, but would be an obvious candidate to move up in the lineup should Calum Ritchie or Matias Maccelli miss time with lower-body injuries sustained Saturday night.
While he’s unlikely to fill the Islanders’ scoring gaps, Palat’s two-way play and forechecking make him a positive force.
“We all knew he had game left in him,” Kyle Palmieri told The Post. “I think he just came into camp with a clear mind and was ready to go. It’s awesome to see.”
Andre Burakovsky (95) of the Ottawa Senators falls to the ice as he battles for position against Ondrej Palat (81) of the New York Islanders during the third period of an NHL hockey game at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
Palmieri, who was rehabbing an injury when Palat was dealt to the Islanders last season, noticed at the start of camp that he was in “great shape” — something Palat has credited to changes in his offseason routine, while declining to get into specifics.
“I know what kind of an impact play he can make. I watched firsthand what he was like in Tampa. Saw his years in Jersey. I thought he’s a guy you always see on the ice, you always notice,” Palmieri said. “I think the impact he’s making this year is a really positive thing for our group. Hopefully he continues to be that.”
Throughout their history, the Vegas Golden Knights have earned a reputation as a team willing to do whatever it takes in pursuit of the Stanley Cup. The organization prioritizes winning above all, and they’re unafraid to sacrifice futures to accomplish their goals.
In nine years, the Golden Knights have won one Stanley Cup and reached two additional Stanley Cup Finals. However, that perpetual excellence came with a cost; they sacrificed almost all of their futures to remain in win-now mode.
Only one notable prospect remained in the organization as the Golden Knights mortgaged their future: Trevor Connelly, the 24th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Very few players in the league are truly untouchable, but the organization never hid how highly they valued Connelly, a California-born playmaking winger with talent for days. They saw something special in him, and their belief never wavered.
“Trevor is different from any player in our organization,” said Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon at the start of training camp. “Elite hockey sense, elite talent. What he did last year in the American Hockey League as a 19-year-old… his ceiling is tremendously high.”
Now, their belief is paying off. The 20-year-old rookie scored just 15:22 into his NHL debut— a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks— and never looked back.
After 10 games, Connelly is emerging as a potential dark horse for the Calder Trophy. He leads all rookies in goals (4) and points (7), all while averaging just 13 minutes and 45 seconds of ice time a night. Connelly is a regular on the third line with Tomáš Hertl and Raphael Lavoie, and was recently elevated to the top power play unit.
It’s still early in the season, and Connelly could come back down to earth. He is a first-year player, and the NHL’s grueling schedule and constant physicality have worn rookies down in the past.
However, nothing about Connelly’s game suggests that his hot start is unsustainable. His defensive game improves every game, and he’s not cheating for offense. He has a great shot, and he’s shown he can drive play. He can even score against some of the greatest players in the game– on Saturday, he read and intercepted Sidney Crosby’s pass, went back the other way, and scored an unassisted goal.
Penguins have a rush, but Trevor Connelly reads Sidney Crosby like a book, picks him off, takes it back the other way, and goes top-shelf with Kaedan Korczak draped all over him.
Connelly is a rare talent, and everyone can see it. His teammates have nothing but great things to say about the talented young rookie.
“I have such confidence in him,” said Mitch Marner. “He’s such a good player. You see it daily, just the plays he makes, those little three-foot plays… You see his hockey sense out there. He just reads the plays so well. He makes so many great offensive plays, and he’s really building his defensive game as well.”
“I think he’s got incredible edge work and high-end skill,” said Golden Knights captain Mark Stone. “He’s done a really good job adapting to the game. He’s a competitive little guy. He’s only gonna get bigger as time moves on as well, so he’s just gonna be more and more effective.”
While the Montreal Canadiens ultimately got the two points out of their tilt with the Buffalo Sabres, they still gave up a point, and that point means the Sabres are in eighth place in the Eastern Conference while the Canadiens are ninth. Yes, it’s early, but the Habs are falling in the same pattern that cost them home-ice advantage in the playoffs last season. They had 106 points, like the Tampa Bay Lightning, but regulation wins are the tiebreaker: Jon Cooper’s men had 40, while the Canadiens had 34.
The problem is the Canadiens can't stay focused for a full 60 minutes to close out a regulation game. Saturday night’s game against the Sabres was a good example. When Montreal led 3-1 and was on the power play, Jack Quinn cleared the puck deep into the Habs zone. Zach Benson beat Dobson to the puck and moved it before the Canadiens’ defenseman could do anything. The puck made its way to the front of the net, and it was the same Quinn who was first to the puck in front of Jacob Fowler, a step ahead of Lane Hutson, who could only watch. Those are the kind of small mental errors the coach talked about in his post-game media availability:
It has to be better than this from that angle: how we behave on the ice. We play good games, but small mental errors creep in at times and hurt us. I’m generally proud of how we play as a team and all that, but those small mental errors…you lead by two; it should be over.
Then, on Buffalo’s third goal, three Habs were between Josh Doan and Tage Thompson, and none could cut the cross-zone pass Doan sent to Thompson on the doorstep. The puck even crossed the crease on that play. After the game, Fowler also explained:
I feel like we played pretty good, kind of like it was awesome, a lot of big blocks tonight. We’ve been playing a lot of these games where the other goalie makes some big saves, and it comes down to textual hockey there. I feel I could have got a couple of sticks on a couple of those passes there not to give up some of those goals, but you know, Cole doing what he does on Saturday.
Asked about his team’s power play and the fact that the Habs had once again surrendered the lead, the bench boss added:
It was okay, but we’re better than this. […] It would be fun to put the final nail in the coffin. Buffalo is not an easy team to play with a lead; they play a wide-open game, and you have to be calculated in your actions. Even in the offensive zone, you can’t make a risky incomplete play; they thrive on that. They’re just waiting for you to try a play and fail, and then they take it the other way. You have to be patient and manage the puck in the offensive zone. It’s not necessarily about manufacturing a scoring chance, but it’s about managing the puck and forcing them to defend. When you can extend your time in the offensive zone and force them to defend, even if you make a risky play that ends up incomplete, they’re too tired to take advantage of it. But if you do that early, they pounce on the attack, and it’s not three guys attacking; it’s all hands on deck.
- St-Louis on putting games away
The coach explained how hard it is to balance killer instinct with patience and calculation. Of course, padding your goal total is always the aim of a team that’s playing with the lead, but you need to pick your moment to attack without leaving yourself vulnerable. In a boxing match, if you try to land a big uppercut and take too much of a wind-up, you leave yourself open to a quick jab, which you must avoid. There’s no magic recipe for avoiding that; it comes from experience, and while the Canadiens’ core has been together for a few seasons, they remain one of the league's youngest and least experienced teams. St-Louis knows they shouldn’t be dropping points like that, especially not to division rivals, but that’s part of the team’s growing pains.
It’s eight games into the 2026-27 NHL season. So, how do we feel about the New Jersey Devils? No, really, how does everyone feel about this team? Honestly, it’s hard to read much into this team one way or another.
It’s where this week’s Devils Notebook starts. The Devils look like an average team. It’s not good or bad, but it’s hard to make sense of this team. They look different from a roster perspective, with new players in key roles, yet they look like a similar team to the ones from the past: not good enough to compete for the Stanley Cup and not bad enough to be in a lottery spot.
Eight Games In & The Devils Are Average: What Does That Mean In The Big Picture?
No matter how you dice or slice it, the Devils are, as the kids say, “mid” (if the kids are still saying that). It’s only eight games in, which is a small sample size. However, it’s enough to get a sense of how this team looks and where they might stack up by the end of the season.
The Devils are 4-4 overall. They are 2-2 against their division, split the two games against their Western Conference opponents (the Utah Mammoth and Vancouver Canucks), and are 3-3 against the Eastern Conference. It doesn’t get more average than that.
And it’s hard to deny that the Devils fit right into the middle of the NHL. Are they a top team in the league, one that can beat the best in a playoff series? No. Are they a bottom feeder, a team fighting with the Canucks, Calgary Flames, and Philadelphia Flyers for lottery position? Also, no.
The Devils have an exciting forward group led by Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier that can take over games and carry them all season. Conversely, the defense has been a weakness, while the goaltending has disappointed. Add it all up, and the plusses cancel out the minuses, leaving the Devils in the middle of the pack.
Based on how the season plays out, it will be fascinating to see where an average Devils team stacks up in the division, the conference, and the NHL. They aren’t better than the Carolina Hurricanes or the Washington Capitals (Saturday’s 4-2 drubbing was a case in point). That said, they’ll be in a fight with their New York rivals and the Pittsburgh Penguins for that third spot in the division, which someone might back their way into.
The good news is that the Devils are only eight games into the season. It’s still early, and a lot will change. An average team is only a short-term issue for the Devils. If this trend continues, of course, then the big-picture questions must be asked about this roster, and the core specifically.
Gritsyuk, Meier & A Handful Of Devils Are Heating Up At The Right Time
The line change at the start of the week changed everything for the Devils, specifically their offense. It’s not a coincidence that the Devils scored 19 goals in their last five games (3.80 per game) and have won games because of their forwards.
Arseny Gritsyuk moved to the Hughes line and started to find his footing. It makes sense since he’s a fast-skating winger who keeps up with Hughes and Bratt while feeding into their rush game. Gritsyuk has three goals in the last four games and has made the most of the open looks that come from playing alongside two skilled forwards.
At the end of the recent game against the Capitals, Timo Meier found the back of the net for his first goal of the season. It’s viewed as a garbage-time goal or meaningless in a 4-2 defeat, but goals like those go a long way for a player like Meier. Like Gritsyuk, he’s building up his confidence, and as a scorer, goals come in bunches. A few more might be around the corner, and it will make a difference for the Devils' top six.
It’s also fascinating to see whether the depth scoring remains or drops off. Anthony Mantha, who started the season on the Hughes line, was moved to the Evan Rodrigues line, and it gave the Devils a viable third line. Luke Evangelista, who was a pivotal part of the top six before he was sidelined with an illness, hopes to pick up where he left off as he looks to return to action this week.
Ideally, the Devils have scoring depth that can step up when the star players aren’t delivering. This season, it looks like they have it.
Making Sense Of Some Devils Analytics
One scout noted a few weeks into the season that the Devils are passing the puck and not shooting it on net. From a visual perspective, it looks that way more often than not, as the Devils will pass the puck through the offensive zone and into high-danger areas.
According to NHL Edge, the Devils are tied with the Utah Mammoth for the second-most high-danger shots in the league with 88. That should result in more goals, right? After all, the Mammoth average 3.67 goals per game, the seventh-most in the NHL.
The problem is that the Devils’ shooting percentage in high-danger areas is 13.6%, which is 26th in the NHL. The Devils' shooting percentage is also well below the league average in all areas, as they score on 8.9% of attempts, which is 28th in the NHL. It's why the Devils average 3.13 goals per game despite generating plenty of scoring chances on most nights (that's tied for 14th in the league for those wondering).
In short, the Devils are creating their chances and not finishing them. It ties back to the same issues they’ve had in the past. They have the playmakers but not the finishers. They can pass the puck into high-danger areas, but they won’t shoot there. While Hischier sets the tone, as a center who gets to the net front and powers home goals (all four of his goals this season have come from high-danger areas), the rest of the team follow suit. So far, they haven’t, and it’s a big-picture issue with the Devils.
Quick Hits
After playing half of their first eight games within the division, the Devils have a heavy Western Conference slate ahead. The next eight games are against Western Conference teams, including two meetings against the Colorado Avalanche.
These are the teams that the Devils don’t see often and aren’t familiar with. It’s why this is the best time of the season to play them. They’ll wrap up their season series against the Avalanche while they are still figuring things out on their roster. It’s best for the Devils to face their divisional opponents later in the season, when the games are more consequential.
The Utica Comets have only played four games so far and will only play seven in October. The American Hockey League affiliate for the Devils has a light start to the season, which is fascinating considering the heavy schedule most teams face early on. The contrast is the Hartford Wolf Pack, who already have eight games under their belt.
One conversation at the arena was about how the rest of the NHL is getting better while the Devils have stayed in the same spot. While the offseason moves upgraded this team, there’s some truth to the rest of the league catching up with the Devils. Their strengths, notably their speed and skill, aren’t significant advantages anymore. The rest of the league has speed that can keep up with them. Likewise, teams are built to defend those burners like Bratt and Hughes. The game against the Capitals was another reminder of that.
Hughes scored his second overtime winner of the season in the 5-4 win over the Red Wings. Interestingly, he has yet to score a five-on-five goal, or a goal in regulation, for that matter. Presumably, that will change soon.
What’s on your mind from the past week? What will you keep an eye on in the upcoming matchups? Comment below!
Although they now have the first win of the season under their belts, it will be difficult for the Philadelphia Flyers to build or otherwise sustain momentum with the number of injuries they are dealing with.
Rasmus Ristolainen has been out since Oct. 3 with an upper-body injury, while Cam York and Travis Konecny have each been out of commission since the Oct. 8 game against the Ottawa Senators.
NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jordan Hall reported that Ristolainen and York skated separate from the rest of the team ahead of Sunday's Flyers practice, but the Flyers still don't have an update on Konecny.
Owen Tippett, who sat out Saturday night's 3-1 win against Ottawa with an upper-body injury, wasn't at practice on Sunday, and he wasn't the only one.
Although both players finished Saturday night's game, Sean Couturier and Tyson Foerster weren't on the ice for Sunday's practice, and Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet wouldn't commit to either player being available for Monday night's game against the visiting Colorado Avalanche.
Foerster blocked a shot off his hand in the first period against Ottawa and went down the tunnel immediately, but returned for the second period and toughed the night out.
"We evaluated him after, he couldn't have gone on the ice today. We'll see how he is tomorrow. Another game-time guy," Tocchet said.
The ailment Couturier is dealing with is less apparent, and the Flyers' captain conducted his postgame media availability on Saturday night as normal, something that is highly unusual for injured players or players who need treatment after a game.
"He got banged up, same thing. We're in that stretch right now. We're getting injuries. I don't know if they're playing tomorrow, so it's one of those things," Tocchet added. "We'll see how it goes tomorrow."
Flyers have nightmare matchup on tap
Flyers forward Owen Tippett will be a game-time decision for Monday's game against the Avalanche. (Photo: Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images)
The Flyers were already struggling with and without injuries, and now they've gotten further injuries to add to what is now a CVS receipt.
On Monday, they'll have to face the high-flying Avalanche, the team with the third-most goals in the NHL (36) behind Edmonton (37) and Vegas (42).
The Avalanche, of course, boast star talents like Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and Cale Makar, and the Flyers will have to defend against them without two top-four defensemen in Ristolainen and York.
And, in terms of keeping the game within reach, both Dan Vladar and Joseph Woll have been good for the Flyers this season in goal, but will whoever starts against Colorado be good enough to buoy a team that ranks last in the NHL with 1.4 goals scored per game?
Having just earned their first victory of the season, the Flyers are back in business for now, but much work is still left to be done, starting on Monday night.
