As the anticipation for the 2026-27 NHL season grows, TheHockeyNews.com will be taking a look at the top 10 prospects in the St. Louis Blues' system, with Swedish defenseman Theo Lindstein coming in at the sixth spot.

The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all 23 and under. Therefore, players like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Logan Mailloux, among others, won't feature in this ranking for those reasons.

The order of these rankings reflects a mix of their ceilings and potential, as well as how they've performed over the past year with their respective clubs. 

Although his offensive production in the AHL was low, when he was called up to the NHL late in the 2025-26 season, he fit like a glove.

Playing alongside veteran Colton Parayko, Lindstein looked very comfortable as a puck mover, defending the rush and in his own zone. In 17 games, Lindstein posted two goals and four points. According to naturalstattrick.com, the Blues outscored their opponents 11-6 with the 21-year-old on the ice at 5-on-5. In the same scenario, the Blues owned 57.24 percent of the expected goals and a Corsi For percentage of 52.54 percent. 

He then returned to the Springfield Thunderbirds, where he recorded three assists in nine playoff games.

Five Blues Prospects Who Will Be Competing For An NHL Roster Spot In Training CampWith the prospect pool depth the St. Louis Blues possess, they have five youngsters who can compete for an NHL roster spot during training camp and pre-season.

The 29th overall pick of the 2023 NHL draft doesn't have any singular traits that stand out, but he plays a solid all-around game. At six-foot, 197 pounds, Lindstein is about average size for a defenseman. He isn't overly physical, but he doesn't shy away from it either. He has the frame to defend the hard areas of the ice.

On the offensive side, Lindstein isn't an elite skater, but it's not a weak point either. He is confident enough in his speed to pick and choose when to step up into the rush and get back into position if need be. 

Lindstein likely won't ever become a top-pairing defenseman, but that is fine for St. Louis. With Philip Broberg locked in long-term as the team's No. 1 left-handed defenseman, Lindstein can serve on the second pairing, where he should thrive. 

At the time of the selection, Lindstein was deemed a safe, projectable NHLer, and now, three years later, he is still just that. 

St. Louis Blues Prospect Rankings:

7. Milton Gastrin

8. Dmitri Buchelnikov

9. Colin Ralph

10. Aleksanteri Kaskimaki

Honorable Mentions: Love Harenstam, Marcus Gidlof, Juraj Pekarcik, Zach Dean, and Lukas Fischer

---

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 35 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #35. 

Let's take a look.

Jean-François Labbé - 2003 - Labbé was undrafted out of Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Jean-François Labbé played in 14 games with the Blue Jackets over the course of two seasons. He went 3-5 with an .890 SV%. He spent the bulk of his time playing in the AHL for the Syracuse Crunch. 

He left North America in 2003 for Russia. He then played in Germany and Poland before returning to Canada in 2009. After playing a season for Sherbrooke Saint-François in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey, he retired. 

Labbé was primarily an AHL goalie, playing 261 games. He had a record of 131-97-25 and had 13 shutouts. He has won numerous awards in the AHL, including Best Goaltender and Most Valuable Player. For his efforts, Labbé was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2016. 

After retiring, he moved into coaching, where he was either a head coach or a goaltending coach at different stops. 

Martin Prusek - 2006 - Prusek was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 6th round of the 1999 NHL Draft.

Prusek played in 9 games for Columbus during the 05-06 season and had a record of 3-3. He also played 23 games for the Syracuse Crunch that year.

He returned to Europe after his time with Columbus, where he would play in Russia and Czechia until he retired in 2011. He moved directly into coaching, where he has been a goaltending coach in Czechia with various age levels ever since. 

Brian Boucher - 2007 - Boucher was drafted in 1995 with the 22nd overall pick by the Philadelphia Flyers

On February 27, 2007, he was acquired on waivers by the Blue Jackets from the Chicago Blackhawks. He played in three games for Columbus and went 1-1. That would be the only games he would play for Columbus, as he would sign elsewhere the following season.

He played in the NHL until 2013, and then left for Switzerland, where he played one season before retiring. 

Nowadays, you can find Boucher doing Flyers games on NBC Sports Philadelphia and doing between-the-bench work for TNT during National games. Boucher has turned into a very respected member of the hockey media. 

Ty Conklin - 2007 - Conklin was undrafted out of Phoenix, Arizona.

Conklin's time in Columbus was short but somewhat eventful. He was signed by Columbus on July 1, 2006. He was expected to be the starter for the Jackets, but head coach Gerard Gallant went with Frederik Norrena instead. So, Conklin was put on waivers and sent to the AHL. 

He was recalled by Columbus in December of that year when Pascal LeClaire went down with an injury. He played in 11 games and went 2-3-2 during his time with the CBJ. On February 27, 2007, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres and immediately had a 42-save win. His last season in the NHL would be the 2011-12 season. 

He moved into coaching, where he worked for the Blues and the University of New Hampshire for several years. 

Jan Hejda - 2011 - Hejda was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 4th round of the 2003 NHL Draft.

Hejda signed with Columbus in 2007 after playing one year with the Edmonton Oilers. In all, he played with Columbus for four seasons and totaled 302 games. He scored 11 goals and 67 points playing on the Columbus blue line. 

He left for the Colorado Avalanche in 2011 when free agency opened. He would play there until 2015. He signed a PTO with the Lake Erie Monsters in December of 2015, was released in January of 2016, and retired.

Veini Vehviläinen - 2021 - Vehviläinen was drafted by Columbus in the 6th round of the 2018 NHL Draft. 

Vehviläinen was supposed to be the goalie of the future in Columbus, or at least that's what many people thought. It turns out he was a forgotten goalie. 

Due to COVID and the Blue Jackets having Elvis Merzlikins, Joonas Korpisalo, and Daniil Tarasov waiting in the wings, he never really had a chance. After appearing in just one relief appearance, he would never sniff the NHL again. 

In March of 2021, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He would play in a few games for the Marlies, picking up a single win, but that was it. 

He left to play in Sweden in 2021 and now plays in his home country of Finland. After spending a season in Finland's second tier league, he's back in LIIGA for 26-27, playing for Jokerit. 

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We’re getting close to the end of this year’s list of the top young players in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ organization. Today, at No. 2, we see the organization’s prized young defensemen who turns full time this season and looks ready to take the next step in his journey.

Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Graduates and Departed players in 2025
Top 25 Under 25: The best of the rest
#25: Chase Pietila, D
#24: Ryan Miller, F
#23: Finn Harding, D
#22: Peyton Kettles, D
#21: Zam Plante, F
#21: Brady Peddle, D
#20: Melvin Fernstrom
#19: Tanner Howe
#18: Tomas Galvas
#17: Pierce Mbuyi
#16: Jake Livanavage
#15: Owen Pickering
#14: Tristan Broz
#13: Avery Hayes
#12: Ville Koivunen
#11: Hendrix Lapierre
#10: Markus Ruck
#9: Mikhail Ilyin
#8: Joel Blomqvist
#7: Liam Ruck
#6:Will Horcoff
#5: Bill Zonnon
#4: Rutger McGroarty
#3: Sergei Mursahov

#2: Harrison Brunicke, D

2024 Ranking: No. 3

Age: 20 (May 8, 2006)

Acquired Via: 2024 NHL Draft, 2nd Round, 44th Overall

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 201 pounds

Elite Prospects resume:

The 2025-26 season was a wild one for Harrison Brunicke. He forced his way onto the NHL roster out of training camp – a rare feat for a teenaged defenseman. After nine games in the Show, next was a period of being a healthy scratch long enough to qualify for a loophole of an “AHL conditioning stint” for a 19-year old that by rule wasn’t allowed to play full-time in the top professional minor league due to his age. Following that, the Penguins assigned Brunicke to Team Canada for the World Junior Championships.

Out of sync, it wasn’t a good event that saw his ice time and role slashed drastically. A disappointing personal performance matched by a disappointing third place finish for the Canadians.

After that, the junior route was the only option that made sense. Brunicke was sent back to the WHL for the remainder of the season and told to focus on the areas that Pittsburgh wanted to see him improve on.

“It was unique,” Brunicke told The Athletic in June. “It was different. I bounced around a little bit. But going back to juniors, I was given things to work on by Kyle and Spez. Defending the rush, closing quicker, better gaps, stuff like that. Playing more minutes in juniors really helped me with that stuff. I just kept working on what the Penguins told me they wanted me to work on. And the communication was good and consistent the whole time. Early on, there was a ton of communication. They gave me stuff to work on and, honestly, that’s all I really have been focusing on.”

That ended up really growing his game, when Kamloops’ season was over there was one more change of leagues back to the AHL for Wilkes-Barre for the balance of the season. Brunicke emerged over three rounds of their playoff run as a legit top defender in the AHL.

“He was great for us,” WBS head coach Kirk MacDonald told the Tribune-Review. “He defended really hard. His skating ability really stands out, but I think just how he competes. His puck decisions really improved since the previous year, and even when he was with us for a conditioning stint in November. He’s a horse for us. He was playing huge minutes in every situation. Top power-play unit. Killing penalties. Every situation late in games. It was just really cool to see the process. I’ve gotten to know him as a player, and what he brought to the table on a long playoff run was great to see.”

Count his teammates as true believers.

“No one in the league can skate the way he can,” Wilkes-Barre forward Avery Hayes said. “And no one in the league can do the things from the blue line that he can do. I’m just having fun watching this guy play right now. Unreal hockey player.”

Coaches being coaches, MacDonald cut through the hype with what impressed him the most.

“Everyone talks about his skating ability,” MacDonald said. “And how he can move pucks. But did you see how many shots he blocked (in Game 4)? That, to me, is what separates him. The way he competes in the D-zone. He makes great players offensively for us at this level. But he’s great on the penalty kill. He’s great down low. Great stuff.”

Developing a consistent stopping game and refining his decision making is the final piece to the puzzle for Brunicke. It’s one of those things that only time and experience can fully unlock, by year’s end he was showing real payoff in strengthening his weak areas.

The question now is what comes next. Brunicke could take heart in the career path of Kris Letang — a defenseman who also forced his way onto an NHL roster as a teenaged for a brief debut at 19. Letang was reassigned to the AHL at age-20 in his first pro year but only stayed for 10 AHL games before getting called up and never seeing that league again.

In Brunicke’s case, more patience could be in store. The Pens are deep enough on the right side to where they could allow Brunicke more development time to settle in and keep growing in the AHL. It’s been a while since Brunicke had a full season to stay on one team at one level, without bouncing around up and down and all over the place. A little stability could go a long way to helping Brunicke’s progression.

That said, Brunicke had a great September last year, playing so well the Pens had basically no choice but to keep him. He is better now than he was 12 months ago. Numbers and veterans be dammed, there’s a case that Brunicke could show he’s among the top seven defenseman and work his way right back into the NHL group once again.

Regardless of the short-term placement, the Pens have to be thrilled about Brunicke’s performance in the AHL playoffs – where he looked like he could be a future big deal in the NHL one day. Between his size, skating, game control and now burgeoning defensive work, Brunicke has every single tool needed to become a top-pair defenseman. Now he just needs a little more time to keep putting it together as he seemingly finally transfers full-time into his pro career.

Drafting has long been a point of contention for the Philadelphia Flyers and their fans, and another one of their recently selected prospects has already flamed out and signed overseas.

Several former Flyers players who recently played for the organization have signed with clubs in different countries to continue their playing careers.

Most notably, veteran forward Kevin Hayes, who emerged as a controversial figure at the end of his Flyers tenure and again during the Cutter Gauthier saga, signed with the KHL's Ak Bars Kazan.

Defenseman Egor Zamula bounced around this season before winding up back home in Russia with CSKA Moscow, and winger Anthony Richard signed in Switzerland with his NHL opportunities with the Flyers greatly decreased.

Now, a former Flyers second-round pick is joining that group of castaways, heading over to Sweden's SHL for at least two seasons.

Earlier this month, once-promising Flyers prospect Samu Tuomaala signed a two-year deal with Linkoping HC, flaming out of North American hockey just five years after being drafted.

Tuomaala never made NHL debut, must fight to save his career

Tuomaala, 23, is still fairly young, though injuries have stalled his development and decimated his chances of cracking an NHL roster in the past few seasons.

Drafted 46th overall by the Flyers in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft, Tuomaala was picked ahead of the likes of Logan Stankoven, Aatu Raty, Matthew Knies, J.J. Moser, Oliver Kapanen, and Jackson Blake, and only 10 players drafted ahead of him (excluding Chaz Lucius, who medically retired) have also yet to appear in an NHL game.

Winger Danila Klimovich is one of those 10, and the Flyers just picked up the Vancouver prospect in free agency.

At the end of the day, skating and shooting were the two hallmarks of Tuomaala's game, but the shooting never quite came as the Finn scored just 26 times in 118 games across three seasons with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Then, after a scoreless three games with the Phantoms this year, the Flyers traded Tuomaala to the Dallas organization for defenseman Christian Kyrou, who tore it up for the Phantoms but was subsequently let go as well.

Former Flyers Flop Resurfaces with Division RivalFormer Philadelphia Flyers goalie Cal Petersen, who failed to live up to his lucrative payday, has resurfaced with a division rival on a tryout basis.

Putting those two players in a Venn diagram, they play different positions, of course, but both Kyrou and Tuomaala played skilled games as undersized players. Their problem was that they did not project to fill those premier roles at the top level, and so there was no fit for them left in the Flyers organization.

"We are very pleased to welcome Samu to LHC on a two-year deal. With Samu, we get another right-handed forward with good speed and a really good shot. He gives us more options in the power play and fits well into the hockey we want to play. We believe his best years are ahead of him and look forward to seeing him continue to develop and become an important player for us over the next two seasons," Linkoping GM Broc Little said in a press release.

In Sweden, Tuomaala will reunite with former Phantoms teammate Cooper Marody, who also left the Flyers organization during the previous season.

It’s August and news may be slow, but that won’t stop us from fretting. We can always fret.

Islanders News

• The Islanders will have 10 games on U.S. “national” coverage (so: ESPN and TNT), whatever that means in today’s disconnected hybrid streaming world. [Isles]
• In a related note, a few of the previously announced start times have changed. [Isles]
• And here’s the schedule for promotional nights, including Schaefer and Sorokin bobblehead nights, and a night for the Salvadorans. [Isles | Newsday]
• Former Isles prospect will subject himself to the KHL. [THN]
• Dan and Mike check in with a mid-summer Islanders Anxiety to cover the third jersey contest(…???) and the Athletic’s front office fan confidence thing. [LHH]

Eslewhere

• Here’s the full U.S. national coverage schedule. [NHL]
• The 10 most impactful moves of the NHL summer. [Sportsnet]
• An interview with Bryan McCabe on his transition from can-opener player to front office executive. [Sportsnet]
• Here’s the Leafs getting the 32 in 32 treatment. [NHL]
• And here are some lingering questions for the Lightning. [NHL]
• One of them, Victor Hedman, says he’s fresh and ready to go though. [TSN]
• The Oilers addressed their goaltending woes by signing oft-injured Frederik Andersen…who will miss training camp while rehabbing an injury. #thatsSoOilers [TSN]

The NHL announced on Wednesday that four St. Louis Blues game times have been changed for the 2026-27 season.

The games include:

* Nov. 7 at Nashville, from 12:30 p.m. to noon

* March 7 at Philadelphia, from noon to 2:30 p.m.

* March 28 vs. Buffalo, from 8 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

* April 6 at Vegas, from 9 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Also, the Blues will have 11 games televised on national TV this season, including seven on the ESPN networks and an additional four more on TNT:

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A little over one month before the start of the NHL regular season, the league announced the games that’ll appear on their US TV partners during the 2026-27 campaign. With that, we know now the games that will be broadcast nationally in some form for the Hurricanes:

In addition to the contests below, the team's game on Nov. 22 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden will now face off at 12:30 p.m., instead of the previously announced 1 p.m. ET. pic.twitter.com/y8Z8yyX7AL

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) August 26, 2026

In case you are having trouble seeing the games, they are:

• Tuesday 9/29 vs. Florida, 5 PM, ESPN
• Tuesday 10/27 vs. Boston, 8 PM, ESPN
• Thursday 11/5, at NY Islanders, 7 PM, ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu
• Wednesday 11/25 at Tampa Bay, 7 PM, TNT
• Thursday 1/28, vs NY Islanders, 6:30 PM, TNT
• Tuesday, 2/9 vs Colorado, 7:30 PM, ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu
• Thursday, 2/11 vs Minnesota, 7:30 PM, TNT
• Sunday, 2/21 vs NY Rangers, 1 PM, TNT
• Tuesday, 2/23 at New Jersey, 7:30 PM, ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu
• Tuesday, 3/9 at Minnesota, 8 PM, ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu
• Tuesday, 3/16 at Anaheim, 10:30 PM, ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu
• Tuesday, 3/30 at NY Islanders, 7:30 PM, ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu

A few thoughts:

• While there is no ABC game for the Hurricanes this year, one could argue this is the biggest showcase of a schedule they’ve had—befitting an American team that won the Stanley Cup. They are on national televsion two more times this season than last, and last year they didn’t appear on the “proper” ESPN or ABC at all until the playoffs. A similar dynamic happened in previous seasons although they did get a Saturday game on ABC. This season, they not only will appear on Opening Night, they’ll fill a Tuesday Night slot against the Bruins before ESPN forgets the NHL exists again with the NBA and NCAA basketball seasons starting up.
• They also are scheduled to appear on TNT one more time this season versus last, three of those games being in Raleigh. Clearly the effect of the NHL on TNT crew spending time in Raleighwood during the Eastern Conference Finals and actually experiencing the atmosphere.
• They will go two months between national appearances as the Pre-Thanksgiving game against Tampa will be in until they are shown against the Islanders. That’s also their only January appearance, but February—despite being the month that starts with their mandated week off—will have the most games broadcast out with four.
• I truly can’t recall the last time their game against a west coast team was on the national broadcast. With the continued issues that the Anaheim Ducks have had with their contracts, that should be an interesting game by the time it comes around in the middle of March. The Pacific Division is probably going to be just as—we’ll say rough—as last season but that’s a “coming down the stretch” game for Carolina, so who knows what we’ll see
• Clearly the national broadcasters love Matthew Schaefer, but it’s odd that of the 12 nationally broadcast games, 25% of them are against the Islanders. In fact, remember that you play each in-division opponent a total of four times in a season—it’s back to that with the move to 84 games—and this means only one Islanders game will be on local broadcast. On the Isles’ side, a full 33% of their national games are against the Hurricanes.

In case you were wondering how the national broadcast choices look for the Hurricanes compared to the rest of the league:

US National TV Games for 2026/27 NHL season, by team:

🏒 72 exclusive games on TNT networks
🏒 100 exclusive games on ESPN networks
– 15 on ABC
– 38 on ESPN
– 47 on ESPN+ / Disney+ / Hulu

📺 TNT: https://t.co/WbyORfTbns
📺 ESPN: https://t.co/xvwpfGWEIjpic.twitter.com/eSkiH6bHJc

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) August 26, 2026

Twelve teams have more national appearances than the Canes, and they are tied with the Devils. The teams ahead of the Canes really aren’t surprising because of their history of drawing eyeballs and the storylines they bring into the season. That still doesn’t excuse the car wreck in Detroit and the, at this point, annual tire fire in Chicago getting that many national broadcasts—but at this point in the national TV contracts we basically know who the networks like showing.

If you’re looking at this and wondering, “Great, what about the other 72 games?” Well, we still don’t know. Logic would dictate that in this age of spacing news out, that very soon the Canes will make the big announcement about their local broadcast plans with the announced Canes Network. They still have over a month before the first local broadcast—remember preseason games are usually just broadcast on the website or using the feed of the home teams’ jumbotron—but with national schedule now set and the Hurricanes knowing exactly which games they are responsible for, we should expect that announcement soon.

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The Detroit Red Wings are less than a month away from opening Training Camp in preparation for the 2026-27 NHL season.

While they'll once again feature the top-ranked local broadcast duo of Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond, the Red Wings will also be showcased numerous times on national broadcasts.

The Red Wings will first be featured in their home opener on Oct. 2 against the visiting New York Rangers on TNT, followed by multiple games on the same network along with ESPN and ABC. 

Detroit's full national broadcast schedule is as follows: 

Oct. 2: vs. New York Rangers — 6:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Oct. 13: vs. New Jersey Devils — 6 p.m. ET, ESPN

Oct. 15: vs. Philadelphia Flyers — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Oct. 29: vs. Chicago Blackhawks — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Nov. 10: at St. Louis Blues — 8 p.m. ET, TNT

Nov. 12: at Florida Panthers — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Nov. 18: vs. Boston Bruins — 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Dec. 9: at New Jersey Devils — 7 p.m. ET, TNT

Dec. 15: vs. Los Angeles Kings — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Jan. 21: at Minnesota Wild — 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

Feb. 21: vs. Buffalo Sabres — 3:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Feb. 27: at Boston Bruins — 12:30 p.m. ET, ABC

March 4: vs. New Jersey Devils — 6 p.m. ET, ESPN

March 14: at Pittsburgh Penguins — 2 p.m. ET, TNT

March 23: at Washington Capitals — 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+

March 24: vs. Washington Capitals — 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT

March 28: at Montreal Canadiens — 6 p.m. ET, ESPN

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Additionally, the Red Wings have announced that the start times for multiple games have been adjusted from their originally scheduled times.

NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman Drops Several Names In Red Wings' GM SearchTop NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman has listed several names that are reportedly on the Detroit Red Wings' radar as they search for their next GM.

Thursday, Oct. 15 vs. Philadelphia will now start at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 29 vs. Chicago will now start at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 12 at Florida will now start at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 9 at New Jersey will now start at 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 15 vs. Los Angeles will now start at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 22 vs. Toronto will now start at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 2 vs. Edmonton will now start at 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 23 vs Tampa Bay will now start at 12:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 4 vs. New Jersey will now start at 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 20 vs. Montréal will now start at 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 28 at Montréal will now start at 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 4 at Ottawa will now start at 3:00 p.m.

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The NHL's national broadcasting schedule was released on Wednesday, and the San Jose Sharks were amongst the teams featured quite heavily. 

The Sharks will have a total of 11 nationally broadcasted games. Four will be exclusive to ESPN+, while they'll have three games on ESPN's flagship station and four games on TNT. Four of the games will be against Pacific Division rivals, namely the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings. The Sharks will also have a two games each against the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks available nationally as well. The remainder of the games will be against Eastern Conference opposition. 

ESPN+

October 8 @ St. Louis Blues

December 1 @ New Jersey Devils

March 9 @ Vegas Golden Knights

March 16 @ Chicago Blackhawks

ESPN

October 13 vs Boston Bruins

October 27 vs Buffalo Sabres

April 4 vs St. Louis Blues

TNT

November 4 @ Los Angeles Kings

December 9 @ Los Angeles Kings

December 16 @ Vegas Golden Knights

February 10 vs Chicago Blackhawks

The number 36 has seen a lot of players come and go over the course of the San Jose Sharks' relatively short history. There have been eight different people to wear it during their time in the Bay Area, but today we'll take a look at one of the most recent: Kaapo Kahkonen.

Kahkonen's professional hockey journey began overseas, as he spent a few seasons in his native Finland's Liiga after being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild. He made the move to North America during the 2018-19 season and joined the Wild's American Hockey League affiliate, the Iowa Wild. The following season, he established himself as a reliable backup behind Cam Talbot, but when the Wild brought in another veteran netminder, Marc-Andre Fleury, toward the end of the 2021-22 season, they traded Kahkonen to San Jose.

Kahkonen had a strong start in the Bay Area, registering a .916 save percentage and 2.86 goals-against average despite a 2-6-1 record in his 11-game stint to close out the 2021-22 season. 

The following season, his numbers took a nosedive as he had a career-worst .883 save percentage and a 3.85 goals-against average. That trend continued the following season, which would become his last in San Jose. Ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, the Sharks sent Kahkonen to the New Jersey Devils, where he finished the season. 

Since departing the Sharks organization, Kahkonen has spent time with the Devils, Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, and Montreal Canadiens organizations, although most of it has been spent in the AHL. He's set to return to the Canadiens' affiliate, the Laval Rocket, this coming season.

Eeli Tolvanen remains without a contract, but the former Seattle Kraken winger apparently isn't short on options.

More than seven weeks into free agency, Tolvanen is still waiting to find his next NHL home. According to Pacific North Hockey's Rob Simpson, Tolvanen's camp has been in contact with multiple teams about a potential deal, although nothing has progressed far enough to put pen to paper.

One team that doesn't appear to be in the mix is Seattle, where he's spent the last three seasons. 

The Kraken moved on this offseason, adding forwards Mackie Samoskevich and Curtis Douglas while also likely expecting more from RFA winger Jacob Melanson. Melanson brings a physical element Seattle could use after Tolvanen averaged 211 hits per season over the past three years.

The Hockey News has also heard some rumblings connecting Tolvanen to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and even the Montreal Canadiens. There appears to be interest, but with training camps only a few weeks away, the fact that Tolvanen remains unsigned isn't exactly an encouraging sign.

The 27-year-old reached the 30-point mark in each of his three seasons with the Kraken, but his production dipped last season, when he finished with 12 goals and 36 points in 78 games. His 24 assists, however, were just one shy of the career high he established the previous season. So perhaps there's something we don't know.

And it wasn't long ago that Tolvanen looked like a particularly valuable middle-six piece. He scored 23 goals in 2024-25 and has shown he can provide offense while bringing a willingness to play a physical game despite being a little undersized.

That combination should still make him an appealing option for teams looking to round out their lineup.

A one-year deal could make more sense for Tolvanen. He would get another opportunity to prove himself, potentially rebuild his offensive numbers and return to the market next summer with more leverage.

For now, the former Kraken remains unsigned, and his window to land the kind of contract he was hoping for is closing rapidly.

Anze Kopitar spent 20 years carrying the weight of the Los Angeles Kings on his shoulders, but just months into retirement, the franchise legend sounds remarkably comfortable with life away from the NHL.

Kopitar offered that glimpse into his new reality Friday in Trenčín, Slovakia, where he participated in Zdeno Chara’s farewell tribute game at Pavol Demitra Ice Stadium. The event, dubbed “Zee’s Final Shift,” brought together several of Chara’s former teammates and friends, with Kopitar among those taking the ice.

After the game, Kopitar spoke with NHL.com’s Michael Langr about retirement and made it clear that, despite spending most of his adult life playing professional hockey, he has no regrets about walking away.

“I am very happy,” Kopitar said. “It's great. Obviously, I get to spend a lot more time with my family.”

That extra time has quickly become the best part of retirement.

Rather than spending his days preparing for another NHL season, Kopitar can now watch his children compete. His son plays hockey, while his daughter participates in figure skating, meaning ice rinks remain a part of his life — just in a very different capacity.

“So, there is still life in ice arenas, but I'm enjoying it very much,” he said.

That may be the clearest indication yet that Kopitar is fully embracing the next chapter.

He even had to cut his time in Slovakia short because of family commitments back home, missing out on one of the activities Chara had planned for his guests.

“I'm flying (home) tomorrow,” Kopitar said. “I've got to go home, there is some family stuff that we have going on Sunday.”

Kopitar retired this spring after 20 seasons with the Kings, finishing his career as the franchise's all-time leader in games played, assists and points. He won two Stanley Cups, two Selke Trophies and three Lady Byng Trophies while serving as Los Angeles' captain from 2016 until his retirement.

His final game came April 26, when the Kings were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Now, there is no training camp to prepare for, no long road trips and no pressure to be ready for another 82-game season.

Instead, Kopitar gets to enjoy the game from the other side of the boards.

And while he still looked sharp enough to skate alongside the participants in Chara's farewell game, even Kopitar admitted appearances can be deceiving.

“If I look fresh, trust me, I did not feel fresh,” he said. “It's definitely the end.”

There will be plenty of opportunities for Kings fans to celebrate him again. Kopitar will return to Los Angeles on Feb. 24, 2027, when the Kings retire his No. 11 and unveil a bronze statue in his honor at Crypto.com Arena.

Until then, however, Kopitar seems perfectly content with the life he spent 20 years working toward — one where the most important games are his children's, and hockey no longer has to come first.

The Utah Mammoth have a lot of young talent coming, but three prospects in particular could make the biggest jump toward the NHL this season.

Tij Iginla

If there is one Mammoth prospect who enters the season with real momentum, it is Iginla.

The 20-year-old winger put together a monster 2025-26 season with the Kelowna Rockets, scoring 41 goals and 49 assists for 90 points in only 48 games. He was named to the WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team and finished as a finalist for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league’s top player.

That kind of production is hard to overlook, especially after Iginla lost much of the previous season to injury.

Utah selected him sixth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, and his latest season offered a reminder of why the Mammoth invested such a high pick in him. Iginla also showed well internationally, recording eight points in seven games for Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championship.

Now, the next step is obvious.

Iginla has a chance to push for an NHL job, and another strong season could make that decision increasingly difficult for Utah.

Sebastian Cossa

Cossa has already spent years hearing about his potential. Now he gets a fresh chance to show what he can actually do with it.

Utah acquired the 23-year-old goaltender from the Detroit Red Wings during the 2026 NHL Draft, giving the former 15th overall pick a new organization to work with.

There is plenty to like about Cossa's résumé.

Before turning pro, he helped the Edmonton Oil Kings win the 2022 WHL championship and finished his junior career with a 71-16-4-3 record, a 2.12 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage and 14 shutouts.

His AHL career has been strong, too. Cossa owns a 70-33-19 record with a 2.46 GAA and .911 save percentage since turning pro in 2022-23.

He has only appeared in one NHL game, but Cossa made the most of it. He stopped 12 shots after entering in relief against Buffalo on Dec. 9, 2024, helping Detroit eventually win in a shootout. Once viewed as a cornerstone of the Red Wings’ goaltending pipeline, Cossa’s unexpected departure brought that chapter to an abrupt end and raised plenty of eyebrows around the league.

Now, Utah gets to find out whether the former first-round pick can turn that untapped potential into something tangible. At 6-foot-6, Cossa certainly looks the part of an NHL goaltender. The next challenge is proving he can play like one consistently.

Max Psenicka

Psenicka is the youngest of the three and probably the biggest long-term project, but there is plenty to work with.

The 19-year-old defenseman stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 194 pounds, giving Utah an imposing presence on the blue line. More importantly, he began showing some offensive upside during his first full season with the Portland Winterhawks.

Psenicka finished 2025-26 with eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points in 53 games. He also represented Czechia at the World Junior Championship, picking up three points in seven games as the country won a silver medal.

The Mammoth selected him 46th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft and signed him to a three-year entry-level contract in July.

Psenicka is expected to return to Portland this season, where another year of development could be valuable. He does not need to rush.

For now, Utah can afford to let him grow into his frame, round out his game and see just how much offense he can eventually bring from the back end.

If he takes another step, Psenicka could become a very interesting piece of the Mammoth blue line. 

The Los Angeles Kings won’t have to wait long to take center stage.

Their 2026-27 season will open on national television, with the Kings traveling to Colorado on Sept. 30 for a TNT matchup against the Avalanche. It’s a rematch of last spring’s playoff meeting, giving the Kings an intriguing opponent right out of the gate.

That game was already known. Now, the rest of the Kings’ national television schedule has been revealed.

Los Angeles will appear in 12 nationally televised games during the 2026-27 regular season, with its schedule spread across TNT, ESPN and ESPN+/Hulu.

Here’s how the full slate breaks down.

TNT

• Sept. 30: Kings at Avalanche
• Nov. 4: Kings vs. Sharks
• Dec. 9: Kings vs. Sharks

The Kings will make three appearances on TNT, with two of them coming against the San Jose Sharks.

That pairing makes plenty of sense. The Kings and Sharks have developed one of the NHL’s more familiar West Coast rivalries, and San Jose now has one of the league’s biggest young stars in Macklin Celebrini.

The two California rivals will meet twice on TNT this season, adding another layer to what should be two highly anticipated matchups.

ESPN

• Oct. 6: Kings vs. Panthers

The Kings will make just one appearance on ESPN’s main network this season, but it comes on an important night.

Los Angeles’ home opener against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 6 will be nationally televised, giving fans their first look at the Kings on home ice with the added spotlight of ESPN.

After that, the Kings’ remaining national appearances will come through ESPN+ and Hulu.

ESPN+ / Hulu

• Oct. 22: Kings at Islanders
• Nov. 10: Kings vs. Predators
• Nov. 12: Kings vs. Islanders
• Dec. 15: Kings at Red Wings
• Dec. 22: Kings at Wild
• Jan. 19: Kings vs. Kraken
• Jan. 28: Kings at Flyers
• March 11: Kings at Kraken

That gives Los Angeles eight games on ESPN+ and Hulu, making up the largest portion of its national schedule.

For Kings fans outside the Los Angeles market who already subscribe to ESPN+ for the NHL’s out-of-market package, these games will be available through that service. Fans inside the Los Angeles market, however, will have to keep the streaming-only nature of these matchups in mind.

In other words, there are going to be a handful of nights this season when the Kings aren’t simply a channel change away.

NHL Announces Six Start-Time Changes

Along with the national broadcast schedule, the NHL also announced several changes to the start times of Kings games throughout the season.

Here are the updated times:

• Dec. 9: Sharks at Kings — moved from 7:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Dec. 15: Kings at Red Wings — moved from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Jan. 28: Kings at Flyers — moved from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• March 7: Avalanche at Kings — moved from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• March 11: Kings at Kraken — moved from 6:40 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• April 6: Kings at Ducks — moved from 7:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

So while the Kings’ national schedule isn’t exactly overflowing with ESPN appearances, Los Angeles will still have a dozen games receiving national exposure throughout the 2026-27 campaign.

And it starts with one of the most compelling matchups possible: a trip back to Colorado for a rematch with the Avalanche on opening night.