The Buffalo Sabres are in the middle of the pack in the Atlantic Division nearly one month into the 2026-27 regular season, but we throughout the year will keep tabs on former Sabres around the NHL.
Here are how some former Sabres are doing with their division rivals:
JJ Peterka - Boston
Peterka is one of five former Sabres on the Boston roster. The former Buffalo second-rounder was dealt to Utah for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan in June 2025 and acquired by the Bruins exactly one year later for a pair of first-round picks after scoring 25 goals. In 10 games, he has started with six points (3 goals, 3 assists).
Sam Reinhart - Florida
The 2014 second overall pick has been remarkably consistent since being acquired from Buffalo in 2021 for Devon Levi and a 2022 first-round pick (Jiri Kulich), scoring 30 or more goals in four of his five seasons with Florida. Reinhart scored twice in the Panthers loss to the Sabres last week, and in nine games, he has eight points (5 goals, 3 assists).
Dylan Cozens/Linus Ullmark - Ottawa
Cozens was swapped for Josh Norris in March 2025 and in his first full season with the Senators, had his second-best offensive season (28 goals, 31 assists), but the 25-year-old has struggled mightily this season, posting only two assists in nine games. Conversely, former Sabre Ullmark has built on an excellent playoff performance in a loss to Carolina, and is tied for the NHL lead with six victories, with a microscopic 1.33 GAA, and .945 save %.
Is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen part of the Sabres future?
Zemgus Girgensons - Tampa Bay
Some do not consider Brandon Hagel an ex-Sabre because he never played a game for them, but the former Buffalo draft pick currently leads the Lightning with seven goals and is second behind Nikita Kucherov with 12 points. Girgensons signed with Tampa in the summer of 2024 after a decade in Buffalo and had his best offensive season since 2015 with 20 points last season. This year, the 32-year-old has two points (1 goal, 1 assist) in nine games.
Jake McCabe - Toronto
The former Sabres blueliner has been part of Toronto’s shutdown pairing with Chris Tanev, but after Tanev was injured earlier this month, began partnering on the top pairing with Darren Raddysh. In the Leafs 6-2 win over Columbus, McCabe received a high stick under his visor from Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson and did not return to the game. Leafs head coach Jim Hiller indicated after the game that he was kept out for precautionary reasons, but it appears that a serious injury was avoided.
The Hockey News recently released its "Goalie Issue 2026". This issue covers one of the most fascinating positions in professional sports: a goaltender in the National Hockey League. If you would like to grab this edition, you can find it here.
The Chicago Blackhawks have Spencer Knight as their number one goaltender. They received him in the blockbuster trade that they made with the Florida Panthers a couple of years ago, headlined by Seth Jones.
As of right now, Arvid Soderblom is the backup goalie in Chicago, but many assume that this will be his last year in that role. He only has one year left on his contract.
Not only does Soderblom's deal expire, but Drew Commesso's contract goes from being a two-way deal to a one-way deal at the same time that Soderblom's expires. That indicates that the plan is for Commesso to take the reins behind Knight in 2027-28.
Commesso was featured in the Goalie Issue of The Hockey News as part of the "Goalie of the Future" section, where each team has one goalie prospect written about. For Commesso, author Jared Clinton wrote:
"It’s no longer a matter of if, so much as when, for DREW COMMESSO. While his AHL numbers are strong but not spectacular, the 2020 second-round pick looked comfortable and calm in the Blackhawks’ crease over his three NHL appearances last season. Right now, there’s a Spencer Knight-shaped roadblock in Commesso’s way if he has his sights set on the top job. Overtaking Arvid Soderblom for the backup gig, though? It’s not out of the question Commesso sees regular second-string duty by season’s end."
The Blackhawks selected Commesso in the second round (46th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, and he has been developing ever since. Before assuming the role of starting goalie for the Rockford IceHogs, Commesso went to Boston University, where he was outstanding. Now, his time in Rockford is serving as further development before he starts to get some good playing time in the NHL.
Sometimes, teams rush goalies they think are going to magically save their franchise. The Blackhawks have not done that with Commesso. They traded for Knight, which helps, but they have only let Commesso play in the NHL during injury emergencies.
In his 5 NHL appearances, Commesso has a record of 2-2-0 with 1 shutout, 2.61 goals against, and a .901 save percentage. There have been flashes of NHL-caliber goaltending, and it won't be long before he realizes that lifelong dream of sticking in the NHL. Whether it's at the end of this year or the start of next year, he'll get his shot.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 20: Nikita Kucherov #86 and Emil Lilleberg #78 of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrate Kucherov’s third-period goal against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on October 20, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Lightning defeated the Golden Knights 6-2. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Anthony Cirelli scored twice, Nikita Kucherov had three points to tie Tampa Bay’s career scoring record, and the Lightning extended their strong start by beating the Vegas Golden Knights 6-2 on Tuesday night.
The Lightning (7-2) are off to their best start since opening 7-1-1 in 2020-21, when they repeated as Stanley Cup champions.
Vegas had won seven of eight.
Kucherov has at least one point in all 15 games he’s played against the Golden Knights. That ranks behind only Mario Lemieux (26 games against Calgary) and Tomas Sandstrom (17 games against Tampa Bay) among players who scored in every game against an opponent. Connor McDavid had a 17-game streak against New Jersey that ended in January.
With a goal and two assists, Kucherov increased his total to 1,137 career points, pulling even with former teammate Steven Stamkos for the club record.
Brandon Hagel, John Carlson and Victor Hedman also scored for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 32 shots.
Ivan Barbashev scored his first goal of the season for the Golden Knights, and Mark Stone got his fifth in three games. Carter Hart made 15 saves on 21 shots.
Cirelli gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead 6:44 into the second period off a pass from Kucherov, then scored unassisted to make it 4-2 at 10:09.
Both teams played a wide-open game. Each side scored twice in the first period before the Lightning broke it open with three goals in the second for a 5-2 lead. Those five goals came on 14 shots, the last from the left point by Hedman that somehow got by Hart late in the second.
Kucherov’s breakaway goal early in the third made it 6-2.
Golden Knights forward Brett Howden, drafted 27th overall by the Lightning in 2016, played in his 500th career game. It was his 322nd for Vegas.
Up next
Lightning: Visit the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.
Golden Knights: Visit the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
VANCOUVER, CANADA - OCTOBER 20: Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes breaks away from Jamie Oleksiak #4 and Filip Hronek #17 of the Vancouver Canucks before scoring in the third period at Rogers Arena on October 20, 2026 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Verity Griffin/Getty Images)
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VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Logan Stankoven and Nikolaj Ehlers each scored twice and had an assist and the Carolina Hurricanes beat Vancouver 6-3 on Tuesday night to take the NHL points lead and hand the Canucks their eighth straight loss.
Nicolas Deslauriers also had two goals for the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes (8-2-1). Jackson Blake added three assists, and Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 14 shots, They rebounded from a 3-2 loss at Calgary on Sunday night.
Linus Karlsson, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Max Sasson scored for the Canucks (2-8-1).
Leevi Merilainen provided a bright spot for Vancouver with 38 saves. He stopped Sebastian Aho on a penalty shot in the second period after Canucks center Elias Pettersson was caught throwing his stick.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 20: Alex Laferriere #14 of the Los Angeles Kings skates against the Washington Capitals during the third period at Capital One Arena on October 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Through their first six games, the Los Angeles Kings had scored a league-worst 12 goals. As a result, they were the NHL’s sole winless team entering Tuesday night.
But the Kings’ offense made a late push at the end of the first period against Washington, and that propelled Los Angeles to a 5-2 win over the Capitals.
“Obviously it was a tough start, and the longer it goes, the more you feel that pressure to get one,” said goalie Darcy Kuemper, who made 30 saves. “But I think going into the third in the tie game, we just talked amongst ourselves and said, ‘Everyone’s going to dig down, we’re going to get this job done.’ So it was a big win for us.”
Los Angeles (1-6-2) was down 2-0 in the first period but tied it in a span of 31 seconds with goals by Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin.
“Obviously it’s hard to play with a lot of confidence when you haven’t won a game,” Kempe said. “Seeing the pucks go in, I think helped everybody a lot.”
The Kings had scored just four goals over their past four games. They exceeded that total against Washington and had their highest-scoring game of the season thanks to Scott Laughton’s late empty-netter.
Erik Gustafsson made it 3-2 in the third period, and Kempe gave LA a two-goal advantage with his second of the game.
Los Angeles lost center Quinton Byfield in the first to an upper-body injury that coach Peter Laviolette said would be evaluated Wednesday.
“To be down 2-0, it would’ve been easy for us to kind of put our heads down and say, ‘Here we go again. Another one getting away from us,’” Kuemper said. “But instead we got huge response by those guys. What a shift to get two goals to finish the period. And then you feel like you’re right back in the game and feel like you have a chance. And like I said, we wanted to get that monkey off our back and you could see everyone bear down and get the job done.”
It was Laviolette’s first win of his seventh stint as an NHL head coach.
“Everybody’s happy,” he said. “I mean the guys have been working hard.”
Now that the pressure is off, the Kings hope they can settle into the season.
“I don’t think it’s unusual for teams to go on losing streaks throughout the year, but when it’s at the start of the year, it gets magnified and it feels a lot worse for us,” Kuemper said. “It looks a lot worse. So nice to get a win and now we just got to get rolling.”
Jonathan Lekkerimäki has had an impressive start to the 2026-27 campaign. The 22-year-old has already set a new career-high for points with seven, while his three goals rank tied for second on the team. While it is still very early, Lekkerimäki's overall play has been a positive for the Vancouver Canucks through their first 11 games.
While the lines have changed around game-to-game, one of Lekkerimäki's most common linemates this year has been Jake DeBrusk. The duo have played over 70 minutes together at even strength, and both recently featured on the first power play unit. When asked about his teammate's development, DeBrusk explained what he has seen from Lekkerimäki so far this year.
"I think he's just more confident overall," said DeBrusk. "Obviously, when he holds pucks, and kind of fends off a couple guys, he's gotten some points. Always gives you confidence as a young guy. He's obviously got a wicked shot. He's confident in that. But I just think overall, he came into camp ready to go. He obviously had some injuries, took some time, and he's really handled it pretty well for a younger guy. It's been fun to watch. I like playing with him for sure."
DeBrusk has had the chance to watch Lekkerimäki develop over the past few years. The two have been teammates since 2024, but have not spent a ton of time on the same line, as the Swedish winger has been shuttled back and forth between the NHL and the AHL. According to DeBrusk, while Lekkerimäki's shot has always been an asset, the way he has rounded out his game has been impressive to watch.
"I think overall growth. It's interesting with certain young guys. Usually, you kind of could tell at the beginning of camp or the beginning of the season. Guys obviously get stronger and faster. I think just overall, I think every year he's gotten better. Obviously, his shot's NHL-ready already. You can score 30-40 with that release. I think the first ever training camp I was here, I said he reminded me of (David Pastrnak's) shot because it's that lethal. I think he's got really good hockey sense. He plays the game smart. When I'm forechecking and he's with me, we do some good things out there. I think for him, he just got to keep building. I remember being young. You get judged; everyone's talking about your point numbers and how you got them and everything. But you can have a pretty good game and not score in this league, or you can do nothing and score. I've liked his actual game. Just watching him as a linemate. Obviously, I want to help him more. I don't think we have enough speed right now for the kind of game that would really help him out. When we do, we will do well."
While their situations are different, DeBrusk and Lekkerimäki share a similarity in that they were both first-round draft picks. DeBrusk was selected 14th overall in 2015, while Lekkerimäki went 15th overall in 2022. When asked if there was any advice he could pass on to Lekkerimäki, DeBrusk mentioned the importance of getting as many pucks on net as possible.
"I think for him, my only advice is just shoot. Like, if I give it to you, shoot. Obviously, we're struggling to shoot as a team right now, and he's our best shooter. So it's on the guys that he's playing with to get him the puck. Also, the way he plays, he finds the right areas. He's smart, but in terms of advice, I mean, I think he's in a pretty good spot. I don't think I need to give him any right now."
Lekkerimäki has the potential to play a significant role for this team after the rebuild is complete. It has taken him a few years to develop, but his current play shows he can be a constant threat in the offensive zone. If Lekkerimäki keeps playing at this level, DeBrusk's prediction that he'll become a 30+ goal scorer could come true sooner rather than later.
Oct 4, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki (88) skates against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Oct 20, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves (73) makes a save on the shot from Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) during the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist in his 700th NHL game and the Toronto Maple Leafs scored four straight goals in the second period to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 on Tuesday for their second road victory of the season.
Easton Cowan and Jack Roslovic each had a goal and two assists, William Nylander had a goal and an assist, and Morgan Rielly added three assists. Kirill Marchenko and Marshall Rifai also scored, and Anthony Stolarz stopped 33 shots for the Maple Leafs.
Jake Christiansen and Charlie Coyle scored for the Blue Jackets. They have been outscored 15-3 in the second period through eight games and lost for the fourth time in five games.
Jet Greaves stopped 14 shots before being pulled in the second period after allowing his fifth goal. Cam Talbot stopped two of the three shots he faced in relief.
Christiansen’s first goal of the season at 2:38 of the first period gave Columbus the early lead. Marchenko, who faced unrelenting boos in his first visit since being traded by Columbus, pulled Toronto even with a power-play goal at 8:16.
Kent Johnson appeared to put Columbus ahead with a one-timer, but the goal was waved off because time had expired.
The second period was all Toronto, starting with goals 46 seconds apart from Nylander and Matthews, who has 16 goals and 27 points in 21 career games against the Blue Jackets. Colton Sissons’ assist on Nylander’s goal extended his points streak to four games.
Cowan’s short-handed goal gave the Maple Leafs a three-goal lead at 6:48 before Roslovic made it 5-1 and chased Greaves from the net at 12:03.
Coyle scored his first goal of the season off the backhand at 4:13 of the third period to make it 5-2 before Rifai extended Toronto’s lead with 3:02 to go.
Up next
Maple Leafs: Host the New York Rangers on Thursday night.
On Wednesday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman appeared on the Fan Hockey Show and addressed the latest on Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin, whose trade list has reportedly grown to ten teams. Friedman said the Red Wings don't appear to be any closer to a deal than they were before, but the expanded list gives them more options.
The previous version of the list drew heavy scrutiny, with holes poked in many of the destinations. The new group of teams offers more promise that something could get done.
Many of the clubs still lack the cap space, prospects or other assets to land the 30-year-old Michigan native, including the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights. The four remaining teams on the list, however, have some path towards a potential deal.
Carolina Hurricanes
The defending Stanley Cup champions have a surprising $8.67 million in cap space and what they lack in prospects, they could make up for in NHL-ready talent. Carolina likely has little incentive to make this move, since they already have a stable second-line center in Logan Stankoven and may not want to break up a group that has proven it can win.
If the Hurricanes did take a shot at Larkin, they have some options with restricted free agent defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who could be part of a package, though Detroit would have to see whether he would sign an extension or not. The best prospects they could offer are new NHLers Felix Unger Sörum and Bradly Nadeau.
Anything more meaningful would likely cost a young forward Carolina considers too valuable, like Seth Jarvis, Jackson Blake or Stankoven. Larkin would fit under the cap, but a deal would likely force the Hurricanes to dismantle their roster elsewhere or offer a futures-heavy package built around draft picks, Unger Sörum and Nadeau.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning are looking to get back into the top tier of the league, and a move for Larkin makes sense. They have $3.082 million in cap space and a blue-chip prospect in Sam O'Reilly to offer.
Tampa doesn't need a second-line center with Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli, but the team could always use depth. One of its centers could move to the wing, as has happened before in their careers, forming an even more dominant top-six.
They could part with a current roster piece like Ilya Mikheyev or Pontus Holmberg to give Detroit a top-nine player, and they hold first-round picks in two of the next three years. Sending Larkin within the Atlantic Division is something the Red Wings likely don't love, but a compelling enough offer could make it happen.
Utah has started the season red-hot, with seven wins in its first ten games as the Mammoth have a strong mix of young talent and veterans that have them inline for a second straight playoff berth.
Their top six of Clayton Keller, Vincent Trocheck, Nick Schmaltz, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther has quietly established itself as one of the league's best, and adding a player of Larkin's caliber would make it better.
Utah could move Schmaltz from center, back to the wing and send Detroit a top-nine option in Lawson Crouse, along with one of their many blue-chip prospects in Tij Iginla, Caleb Desnoyers and Ethan Belchetz. Any of them would likely entice the Red Wings to part with their former captain.
The Mammoth also have the cap space and four first-round picks over the next three seasons, making them a serious contender to land the two-way center.
Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin enters the final season of his legendary career, and the goal-scoring legend would love to ride off into the sunset with a second Stanley Cup. General manager Chris Patrick has moved quickly to make Washington a Cup contender once again.
He acquired St. Louis Blues winger Jordan Kyrou in exchange for middle-six forward Connor McMichael and made an aggressive free-agent addition in sharpshooting winger Alex Tuch. The Capitals' offense is elite again, and the they still have $3.12 million in cap space.
Washington has NHL players it could part with, as well as marquee prospects like Cole Hutson, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Ryan Leonard and Ilya Protas, some already at the NHL level. It also holds all of its first-round picks for the next three seasons. If the Capitals decide the move is right as they push for one more Cup under Ovechkin's leadership, they could get a Larkin deal done.
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On Sunday, the Montreal Canadiens will visit the Winnipeg Jets at Princess Auto Stadium for their fifth outdoor game. To date, the Habs are 2-2-0 outdoors, and while some fans and media have grown somewhat jaded because these events have become so frequent, the players haven’t. Speaking ahead of the Canadiens tilt with the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, Kaiden Guhle explained:
When I first moved to Edmonton, we lived in a house with a little lake behind it. My brother, myself and a couple of his buddies on his team when they were bantam, we’d just all go out there and mess around. We brought out a couple of nets; it was fun. It was always good to get outside and mess around at the outdoor rink. There’s one year we forgot to bring the net out, and the ice melted, and we lost the net in the water, so…[…] I’m excited. I’ve never played an outdoor game; I’ve always wanted to, and I’ve always thought we should have gotten one as an original six team, but it will be fun to get out there in Winnipeg. Hopefully it’s not too cold, but it will be fun. It will be a lot of atmosphere, a lot of family. I think the guys will have fun; I know my parents are coming, and they’re nice and close, so that will be fun.
Veteran Chris Kreider took a different approach when asked how enjoyable outdoor games are: "They’re only enjoyable if you win. I mean, it’s like a dog-and-pony show, and if you lose, it's an even bigger letdown."
In other words, for him it’s a lot of fanfare around what they normally do, which is compete for two points.
As for Cole Caufield, he’s looking forward to the game, especially since he hasn't scored against the Jets yet. Something he put forward himself, and when he was asked if he kept track of that, he chuckled and said, " Of course! The sniper should be pumped on the day; then, as for what he’s going to do on Saturday night, since there won’t be a game, the Wisconsin native replied that the Milwaukee Brewers are playing in the World Series, so he may just go and watch that, before realizing that would be somewhat unrealistic with the travel time. Still, the baseball fan in Caufield looked very happy to follow his boyhood team on the biggest stage of them all.
After sending David Reinbacher and Owen Beck back to the Laval Rocket, one might wonder if that means Mike Matheson and Florian Xhekaj are nearing a return. Still, it could also be to let them suit up for the AHL outfit tonight and be called up again afterward. Time will tell, but the Canadiens won't take off on their road trip until Thursday afternoon, so they could still recall them after seeing a game of action. It will likely depend on what we see at practice tomorrow.
One thing’s for certain, though: Martin St-Louis will have a tough decision to make. Who to give the start to in net? Had Jakub Dobes played lights out on Tuesday night, I think he would have had it in the bag, but given how the game ended, the coach may reconsider. Expect to see Jacob Fowler in net on Friday night, and if the young netminder stands out, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get the Heritage Classic start. Interestingly, when the Habs had Carey Price in net for outdoor games, they lost both meetings. They dropped the first 4-0 to the Calgary Flames, and the second, in 2017, to the Ottawa Senators 3-0. Whoever is in net should have better offensive support than Price did.
After several swings and misses over the summer and a start to the season that saw them lose nine straight, the pressure is on the Philadelphia Flyers to right the ship and improve the roster in line with the franchise's heightened expectations.
Since their season-opening nine-game skid, the Flyers have surprisingly won two straight, facing two tough opponents in the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche.
For a good chunk of the season thus far, the Flyers have been forced to play without one or multiple key veterans, a group of injured players that includes Rasmus Ristolainen, Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny, Cam York, and Tyson Foerster.
In the wake of the absences of Ristolainen, Tippett, Konecny, and Foerster, in particular, the Flyers have gotten strong early returns from prospects like Oliver Bonk, Alex Bump, Cole Knuble, while Matvei Michkov has continued to show that he's willing and capable of driving the bus for the team offensively.
The bottom line is that the above injured players haven't been badly missed, with the Flyers escaping their nightmarish slump without them and instead relying on greatly inexperienced youth to get the job done.
There are inherent risks to moving on from more experienced players, of course, but if the right deal presents itself, the Flyers could jettison some of their wingers in order to upgrade the roster elsewhere.
Flyers linked to Seattle's Matty Beniers
In a recent report for Daily Faceoff, NHL insider Anthony Di Marco reports that the Flyers are now pondering roster changes after flipping the switch these last two games, with the winger position, in particular, in need of some clearing out.
"According to a team source, something is eventually going to “have to give” with the Flyers’ crowd of wingers. It could very well lead to the team exploring trade avenues for more than one winger to try and find a top-six center," Di Marco wrote.
Di Marco noted that players like Konecny (NMC) and Tippett (10-team no-trade) have drawn a consistent level of trade interest, but their respective layers of trade protection make a deal more complicated.
Foerster, however, does not have trade protection, and according to Di Marco, might have to be the primary lure if the Flyers were to negotiate for one of their trade targets, Matty Beniers of the Seattle Kraken.
"One name DFO has heard the Flyers like is Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers, though there is no indication at this time that GM Jason Botterill wants to move the 2021-second-overall pick. Speaking with a Kraken source last week, DFO was told that the Kraken do like Foerster; though that isn’t a player the Flyers want to give up, it would be a 'conversation starter,' according to a team source," Di Marco said.
"Tippett along with a center prospect like Jett Luchanko, would be more of an appetizing package for a player like Beniers from a Flyers’ perspective, DFO was told."
It's long been no secret how much the Flyers covet Foerster, a soon-to-be-25-year-old winger who has scored 20 goals in each of the two full NHL seasons he's played, in addition to scoring 13 times in just 29 regular season games last year.
The Flyers rewarded the 2020 first-round pick with an eight-year, $56.8 million ($7.1 million AAV) extension in the offseason, but dating back to the start of the playoffs, Foerster has just two goals, his only two points, in his last 20 games.
Given his struggles, it would only make sense that the Flyers would consider flipping him for an upgrade down the middle in the form of Beniers.
How Beniers fits the Flyers
Oct 13, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers (10) controls the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Beniers, 23, is the highest-paid player on the Kraken roster, with a $7.142 million cap hit through 2031, but the 2021 No. 2 overall pick hasn't quite reached his full potential at the NHL level just yet.
In four full NHL seasons, Beniers has scored 20 goals three times, but reached the 50-point threshold only twice, including his career-high 24 goals and 57 points as a rookie in 2022-23.
With players like Berkly Catton, prospect Jake O'Brien, and Shane Wright all in line for bigger opportunities, the Kraken have no real reason to hold onto Beniers if they are presented with a suitable offer.
Adding a stud winger entering or in their prime would be a nice boost for the Kraken, who will soon need to replace pending free agent Jared McCann, who is now 30 years old, and captain Jordan Eberle, who will be 38 years old when his contract expires in 2028.
With Trevor Zegras shifting to the wing yet again, Beniers would arrive in Philadelphia as the de facto No. 1 center, and his offensive responsibilities wouldn't be as great with the Flyers as they are with the Kraken with the amount of talent the Flyers have up front.
Beniers, a strong two-way center, owns a career 13.8% shooting percentage and is a smooth skater, but creating his own offense has been a challenge at this level.
Paired with someone like Michkov, the Michigan product can leverage his defensively responsible play and efficient scoring effectively.
This wouldn't be the first time the Flyers have been connected to Beniers, and if the circumstances surrounding the team persist, it certainly won't be the last.
At least on paper, a deal like this makes perfect sense for both teams.
The Minnesota Wild and the Edmonton Oilers met in a highly anticipated matchup between two heavyweights clicking on all cylinders.
On one side, Kirill Kaprizov has been unstoppable, leading the NHL in goals and scoring at a rate better than one goal per game. On the other side, Connor McDavid is setting NHL records left, right, and center, and arguably playing the best hockey of his career.
Tuesday's affair saw the Wild jump out to a 1-0 lead with a goal from Joel Eriksson Ek. The Oilers responded with three unanswered goals, two of which came from Leon Draisaitl on the power play.
Down by two goals in the third period, Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman scored to tie the game at 3-3 and send it to overtime. A costly penalty in the overtime stanza allowed the Oilers to win the game, with McDavid posting three primary assists on the power play.
It was a hard loss to swallow, but the Wild played a strong game. Without the Oilers' power-play efficiency, the game likely would have gone very differently. According to MoneyPuck.com, the expected goals at 5-on-5 were 3.44 to 2.69 in favor of the Wild, but in all situations the Oilers had the advantage, 4.47 to 4.31.
Among the strong performers were Quinn Hughes and the Wild's top line of Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Boldy. Kaprizov had an expected goals percentage of 81.61 percent, Hughes 79.21 percent, Eriksson Ek 72.67 percent, and Boldy 72.6 percent at 5-on-5.
Meanwhile, the Oilers' top line hovered below 30 percent.
This sort of play-controlling dominance from the Wild's top line has become the expectation night in and night out, no matter the opponent. Kaprizov has scored in seven of the 10 games, Boldy has five goals and nine points in 10 games, and Eriksson Ek has seven points while playing lockdown defense.
MoneyPuck.com ranks the Wild's top line 8th in expected goals percentage at 72.2 percent, among lines that have played at least 25 minutes together.
The Oilers may have won, but last night's effort was another piece of evidence that the Wild have the big guns to compete with any team in the NHL.
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Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said that while there’s still no set timeline for Mat Barzal to return from the left knee issues that have held up his start to the season, doctors “would be comfortable” for him to move to the next stage of his recovery.
Though Darche never directly said the ball is in Barzal’s court regarding when that will happen, he did make clear that the inflammation that originally caused the Islanders to hold Barzal out of training camp has subsided.
“Initially, there was some inflammation. We feel it’s controlled now. Now it’s getting him to feel comfortable to take the next step,” Darche said. “There’s no setbacks. Nothing happened, no procedure. Since training camp, nothing has come [up]. We feel we’re controlling the inflammation. It’s just how comfortable he feels.”
Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) reacts after getting into a scuffle with Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Samuel Girard (49) during the first period of an NHL hockey game at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Monday, March 30, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Barzal has been skating on his own for a couple of weeks now and walked by a group of reporters at UBS Arena on Wednesday, briefly saying hello. Since he hasn’t practiced with the team, the Islanders are under no obligation to make him available to speak about his injury.
Given the ongoing questions about the situation, though, they did have Darche speak on it Wednesday.
“After two weeks [of skating], we feel the inflammation is down, but we’re still working on getting his strength back and how comfortable he feels,” Darche said. “He’s skating. Progress every day. Can I give you a definite timeline? No. We hope it’s sooner, but every day he’s starting to skate a little bit more, and we’re hoping to, at some point, get him with the team, and we’ll go from there.”
Originally, the plan was for Barzal to resume skating around when the season started. That was pushed back by about a week, and since then things have stayed in place, with the Islanders declining to commit to a timeline for any next steps.
When Barzal does come back, he will need to manage his left kneecap, which was broken two years ago and required surgery to repair. That’s nothing new — even while playing 81 games last year, he managed his knee throughout the season. Darche said the Islanders don’t believe anything about the way the injury was managed caused it to flare up again.
He also said that, as of now, there are no conversations about an additional procedure.
“If it doesn’t get better, you’re always looking at where we think he can be,” Darche said. “We don’t believe [that’s necessary] right now. But we’re progressing. I think it’s going in the right direction.”
The next big question is whether Barzal will join the team on next week’s road trip in Dallas, Nashville and Minnesota, potentially allowing him to start practicing with the group. Practicing in a noncontact jersey would presumably be the next step before Barzal participates fully and, eventually, returns to games.
The Islanders, currently without Calum Ritchie and Matias Maccelli in addition to Barzal, could sorely use his offensive ability, though they’ve withstood his absence quite well. Going into Thursday’s match at home against the Kings, they are 5-3-1 and playing stout defensive hockey under Pete DeBoer.
Still, Barzal’s situation will hang over the club until it is resolved.
New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) skates up ice during the first period against the Washington Capitals at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“We both work together,” Darche said. “The doctors would be comfortable for him to ramp up whenever he’s ready. It’s not necessarily, ‘Oh it’s all him,’ or it’s all us [making the decision]. We’re trying to work together on this.
“But, of course, he has a big say. It’s his body. He knows how he feels.”
New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche speaks with the media during training camp at the Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, N.Y., Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Darche shot down a rumor originating from The Fourth Period that Scott Mayfield could soon ask for a trade if he continues to sit as the extra defensemen.
“I can tell you right now, there’s no truth to any of those rumors,” Darche said. “I saw them this morning. His agent [Matt Keator] was here the last two days ’cause he had a player on the other team, he has a few players on our team. There’s none of that.”
Ben Jones is ready to make his season debut with the Calgary Flames, and he couldn’t have picked a much better time to get rolling.
The 27-year-old forward earned his call-up after a scorching start with the Calgary Wranglers, recording seven goals and nine points in seven games to open the American Hockey League season.
Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
“For myself it was obviously nice to put some points up,” Jones told the media. “The team is off to a great start so that always helps.”
He’s looking forward to the reunion, although there might be a few adjustments to make once the puck drops.
“It’ll be great to see a lot of those guys. It’s kind of funny to flip the switch, I gotta make sure I pass to the team in red, not the team in green,” he joked.
The opportunity comes with Flames captain Mikael Backlund currently sidelined with an upper-body injury, potentially opening the door for Jones to show what he can bring to Calgary’s lineup.
Jones finished that season with 54 points and a plus-28 rating, helping Calgary capture the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL’s regular-season champions, along with the Pacific Division title.
Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports<br />
Now in his 10th professional season, Jones brings a mix of AHL production and NHL experience to the Flames. He’s appeared in 56 career NHL games between the Vegas Golden Knights and Wild, giving him valuable experience at the level he’s looking to stick at.
His early-season production with the Wranglers has certainly helped his case. Seven goals in seven games is difficult to ignore, even if translating that scoring touch to the NHL comes with a different set of challenges.
For Jones, the immediate task is making the most of the opportunity in front of him. With Backlund unavailable, there’s a chance to earn the coaching staff’s trust, provide some depth down the middle and show that his strong start in the AHL can carry over.
The Flames have been looking for consistency early in the season, and a player arriving with confidence and a hot stick could provide a timely boost.
First, he’ll have to get used to seeing some familiar faces on the other side of the ice.
At least Jones has already identified the most important adjustment: making sure those passes go to the guys wearing red.
DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 16: Gabriel Landeskog #92 splashed T.J. Hughes #13 of the Colorado Avalanche in celebration after Hughes scored his first NHL goal in the second period of the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Ball Arena on October 16, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ashley Potts/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Colorado’s latest rookie and college free-agent signing showed up on the scoresheet over the weekend and again on Monday night, which has me thinking about T.J. Hughes’ near future with the Colorado Avalanche. Hughes’ first NHL goal came from Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon, scored just after a power play ended.
Usually, guys on the first power-play unit aren’t worried about being reassigned to the AHL, but in this case, Logan O’Connor’s inevitable return to the lineup and the ne-way contract structure for others in the bottom six likely mean T.J. will be the odd man out when the forward group is fully intact.
However, as we saw with LOC’s necessary absence and Zachary L’Heureux’s late injury status this weekend, Hughes could get enough NHL time to make himself indispensable. Add a more straightforward path to power-play success, and I see a recipe for T.J. to become an NHL mainstay right now. Let me elaborate.
The Role Requires Familiarity
Now I’m not saying that the Avalanche don’t have a player who could take over Hughes’ role on the power play. Still, familiarity is paramount to power-play success. Colorado’s decision to put Hughes on the top power play unit from the start of training camp means they see him as a real scoring threat.
His net-front goal is exactly the type of goal we’ve heard players and coaches mention when talking about T.J. on the unit. For me, the big factor is seeing the unit as a whole reintroduce the left-shot threat at the dot opposite Nathan MacKinnon.
We saw the Avalanche move Martin Necas to the second unit after Brett McLean took on the assistant and power play role in Colorado. At first glance, it feels like a brazen move to take someone as skilled as Necas off the ice with a man advantage, but a closer look shows that having Necas and MacKinnon on the ice at the same time undermines the power-play approach due to their shot orientation. It looks like Colorado is getting back to the basics.
With Jaden Schwartz on the opposite flank to MacKinnon’s cross-ice saucer passes, the Avalanche have reestablished balance, as his one-timer is dangerous enough to require more attention positionally. As a result, the slot has more space for both the net-front player and bumper to work on loose pucks and find openings closer to the net.
In my opinion, the lack of a real left shot on that side of the ice has been the catalyst for Colorado’s lack of power-play success.
Meghan Angley quickly reminded me that the power play was struggling just before Mikko Rantanen left Colorado on last week’s Mile High Hockey Lab, but we also know the Moose scored a ton of power-play goals with one-timers or back-door shots. There’s also a difference between struggling as a top 10 unit and struggling as a unit which finished bottom six last season.
You can’t just set and forget a guy to replace what Mikko Rantanen can do on his first touch, but you can get close, and I think that’s the thought process behind Shwartz taking the role. That was also the thought process behind the Viktor Olofsson experiment, but Shwartz has been finishing his chances, and that’s the key.
Now, back to Hughes, we’ve seen guys in the net-front/bumper role on the successful Avalanche power play amass a ton of goals and points. The Avalanche have experimented with guys like Jonathan Drouin, Valeri Nichushkin, and Nic Roy in that spot, and now it’s T.J. Hughes. I think the kid from Michigan has the finishing ability to cash in.
Winning Matters Most
We know Logan O’Connor has a spot on this roster once he’s done dealing with more important matters, plus Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov’s contract structure means sending them down would risk losing either to waivers. That makes it easy to see Hughes getting considerable time with the Colorado Eagles in Loveland unless he shows hard-to-ignore production.
Avs coach Jared Bednar said Logan O'Connor will play against Tampa Bay. Nic Roy is expected to skate back in Denver while the Avs are away, but Zach L'Heureux is "a little further away"
Mackenzie Blackwood is starting tonight. Lineup should be the same as the last game.
For me, it’s any production that successfully extinguishes Colorado’s infamous power-play woes. If T.J. Hughes suddenly becomes a major factor in an otherwise struggling power play, I can’t imagine Jared Bednar turning his back on that, as it would point toward winning a lot of games.
The Avalanche lead the league in xGF% vs. xGA% at five-on-five, so adding a power play that scores rather than gives up goals should help them put games away sooner and protect their superstars’ TOI.
Jared Bednar has shown us time and time again that he wants the lineup that gives him the best chance to win, and if Hughes’ impact on the advantage becomes a major factor, I don’t think he’s gonna move Hughes.
ELMONT, NY -- New York Islanders rookie Victor Eklund has turned heads this season, and not just his teammates or the club's upper management.
"He's done really, really well. Honestly, we've played some teams, and some of the GMs go, 'Oh, you know what? I noticed Eklund," Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said. "He's not the biggest guy, but even in the third yesterday, he's one against three on the forecheck, he comes out from behind the net with the puck. He's relentless. He's got a dog-on-a-bone mentality.
"So he's been great. I was happy he got rewarded yesterday because he could have had a few more goals, and he's going to the net. He almost scored another one in the third."
Darche continued: "And if you go back to that play, it started with him bumping a guy on the wall, and then we kept the puck in. Schenn gave him a great pass, and he went on the breakaway. And every time he cycles the puck, instead of going wide on the outside, he comes right back inside. He plays on the inside. So even if he's not big, when you see him win a bunch of board battles, which is great to see."
Eklund, who after scoring in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, is about to play in his ninth NHL game of the season. If he reaches 10, the Islanders will burn this first year of his entry-level deal.
The Hockey News asked Darche how important Eklund has been to this team's success from the outset.
"He's earned a spot on the team, and we hope he's on the Island for a long time," Darche said. "There's still going to be a lot of improvement. He'll get stronger, he'll get faster."
Eklund now has two goals and one assist in nine games averaging 13:21 minutes per night.
