Category: NHL

Dmitri Simashev always has a smile every time he’s on the ice. Whether he was down in Tucson last season in the AHL or in Salt Lake City with the Utah Mammoth, the defenseman was always in a positive mood and always willing to chat with anyone who came his way.

This season, you could maybe catch him grinning ear to ear. He’s finally accomplished his dream of being a full-time NHLer, as he’s carved out a permanent spot in the Mammoth’s bottom pair alongside Andrew Peeke. Simashev couldn’t help but show his happiness when asked how he’s doing with a full-time job in Utah.

“There are no bad days in the NHL,” Simashev said.

Simashev didn’t get that NHL spot just because of his status as a first-round pick or a highly touted prospect. The defenseman earned that spot through his hard work and his growth over the past year, grinding in the NHL and the AHL.

The defenseman started the season in the NHL last year, and while it wasn’t a horrible start to his North American pro career, it wasn’t one that met his expectations. Simashev found himself playing under 15 minutes a night. He was making errors that needed correcting. Towards December, he found himself being healthy-scratched.

That’s when the Mammoth did the right thing and sent Simashev to the Tucson Roadrunners. It was never a permanent demotion. It was a chance to improve what needed to be improved in top defensive pairing minutes. Given those minutes, it was a big chance to gain more confidence, something that was clearly missing from his game.

“When you play like 26, 27 minutes in a night, and you play on the power play and PK, you see the situations like tough minutes,” Simashev said. “When you play power play, and in the last minutes when you play PK, you're just learning every game. You have confidence. You have the confidence to do something special on the ice, and it helps you in the future because every hockey mistake, you're doing this every game. It happens every day, and when you play a lot, you know what you can do in these situations in the future.”

The move to the AHL worked. Simashev played upwards of 23 minutes per night. He was making plays that no one had ever seen from him before. The defenseman was jumping forward and getting shots on net. He was scoring goals, including an overtime winner against the Bakersfield Condors in his fourth game with the Roadrunners.

Dmitri Simashev SCORES THE GAME WINNING GOAL IN OT pic.twitter.com/wGk7lXgPPg

— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) December 13, 2025

At the end of the day, Simashev produced 35 points in 40 games. That was second among all Roadrunners defensemen and rookies. The defenseman also had the longest point streak among all Roadrunners. He ended up being named an AHL All-Star and was named to the AHL All-Rookie team.

“I just tried to help the guys to win the games, and we had a really good group of guys in AHL,” Simashev said. “When I start thinking about the AHL, I enjoyed my time there. It's a nice city. There are nice guys, and the AHL is a really good league.”

Keep in mind that before the 2025-26 season, Simashev had never played full-time in a North American-sized rink. He was also never relied on as an offensive player before, as that’s not a role defensemen typically play in the KHL.

Going into this season, it was obvious the Mammoth expected Simashev to make the roster full-time. They elected to trade Sean Durzi and let Ian Cole walk in order to make room for the young Russian.

Yet, that didn’t prompt Simashev to keep working hard. After being named captain of the Mammoth’s rookie camp team, the defenseman finished the rookie faceoff tournament with an assist in two games and was a key part of quarterbacking the power play and penalty kill.

Dmitri Simashev is wearing the C today for Utah against the Golden Knights. #TusksUppic.twitter.com/7bYpu3jXyc

— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) September 12, 2026

So far with the Mammoth in the regular season, he’s got two assists across 10 games after only producing one in 28 games the prior season. Simashev’s been more willing to jump into the play and get to the front of the net. Part of the reason is that he knows what to expect after a year within the Mammoth organization. He knows how to handle the everyday life of an NHLer.

That, in turn, has also fed into the other part of the improvement behind Simashev’s game: the big growth in his confidence.

“I feel way more confident, way more,” Simashev said. “I already know what to expect in the games. Whenever you play against Edmonton or Pittsburgh, I know the players, the teams. I’m getting better every day. I'm a young guy. For every young player, you have to get better 1% minimum every day. I just try to play my game. Maybe spend more time with the puck, and coaches will trust me more this year.”

Head coach André Tourigny has seen the difference. It hasn’t been in just one area either. To him, Simashev has improved in a lot of key areas where he did well last season.

“I think Sima, for me, showed a really good thing last year in terms of speed, his ability to close and puck carry, his ability to skate with the puck, his ability to jump into plays,” Tourigny said. “It's the same thing this year. Just everything better, more mature, more in control.”

What a play from Simashev! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/xuJ2VIchpF

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) October 5, 2026

It’s been a great start for Simashev this season. He’s looked strong defensively, and you can tell the offense will come, especially if he keeps making the confident plays to move the puck up the ice and to the net.

For the defenseman, he’s happy to be with the Mammoth. As he said, there are no bad days in the NHL. This is what he’s always wanted to do, and being able to do it is unfathomable for him.

“I'm living my life and my dream,” Simashev said. “It's actually unbelievable to be around these players, to play against the best players in the world. Play against McDavid, Draisaitl, and Geno. He was my favorite player when I was a kid.”

Every day is a new day of growth for Simashev. He wants to find a way to improve in every game, every day of practice, every day of the NHL. Because while his dream might be accomplished, his goal isn’t. Simashev has his mind set on one thing, and that’s trying to be one of the best players in the league.

“For me, the game for me is slowing down every day, and I think every game I'm getting better because I want to be one of the best players in this league,” Simashev said. “I just want to be a good player here.”

If Simashev can continue working as hard as he’s been over the past couple of months, there’s no telling what his ceiling could end up being. As time goes on, he will climb up the blueline and more than likely be a top-three defenseman at some point. 

However, no matter how far he gets, if you ever wonder how he’s doing, he’ll give you the same answer that he gave at the very beginning of his career with a smile; there are no bad days in the NHL.

Despite making the NHL roster out of training camp, the St. Louis Blues have placed Zach Dean on waivers for the purpose of being assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Dean had an impressive pre-season and training camp. He flashed his speed and skill on multiple occasions, earning a roster spot to start the season. He started the season as an extra forward, but due to injuries, found his way into the lineup.

Dean dressed in three NHL games but recorded no points. The 23-year-old averaged 9:58 of ice time, recorded no shots on goal, and won 41.7 percent of his faceoffs. 

Dean will return to the Thunderbirds if he clears waivers. The former 2021 first-round pick has played 96 AHL games, scoring 14 goals and 32 points in his career. 

Ultimately, Dean wasn't a factor in his limited appearances to warrant staying on the NHL roster. The Blues also likely felt Dean was better off playing in the AHL and continuing to develop, rather than watching games from the press box.

This week, the Blues recalled Aleksanteri Kaskimaki and Otto Stenberg, who are set to play their second consecutive game. 

Alexey Torophchenko Begins Skating Again; Blues Assign Dylan Peterson To The AHLThe St. Louis Blues could see Alexey Toropchenko rejoin the lineup sooner than expected, as he has practiced with the team in non-contact over the past few days. The Blues also made a roster move, assigning Dylan Peterson to the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Currently, the Blues have six players on the injured reserve, but Alexey Toropchenko appears close to returning, as he's been skating with the Blues in non-contact. If Toropchenko is near a return, there is no need for Dean to be on the NHL roster.

Placing Dean on waivers carries some risk, but with most NHL rosters either at full capacity or at the salary cap limit, teams are less likely to claim players off waivers at this point in the season. 

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As the clock ticks on the Detroit Red Wings and Simon Edvinsson, the trade chatter is only getting louder. 

The latest report adds the San Jose Sharks and the Boston Bruins among the 10 teams interested in the 23-year-old defenseman. The St. Louis Blues are also reportedly among those teams interested, as they are believed to be keen on adding a defenseman like Edvinsson or Alexander Nikishin.

The Red Wings on the other hand have stated they will re-sign Edvinsson, although, the player is said to "prefer" a trade away from Detroit.

According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, who also had the report that Sharks and Bruins have entered the Edvinsson sweepstakes, he suggested trades like Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Mammoth, Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens, Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks, and Simon Nemec to the Calgary Flames as comparables for what the Red Wings would want in return.

The Mammoth gave up J.J. Moser, Conor Geekie, and two draft picks to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Sergachev. For Dobson, the Canadiens sent forward Emil Heinenman and two first-round picks to the New York Islanders.

The Buffalo Sabres received blueliner Louis Crevier, a first- and a second-round pick, from the Blackhawks, while the Flames parted with two conditional first-round picks, a second-round pick, and blueliner prospect Etienne Morin.

St. Louis Blues Reportedly Interested In Red Wings' Simon Edvinsson; Would They Be Willing To Part Ways With The Necessary Assets?The St. Louis Blues are reportedly among several teams interested in acquiring 23-year-old defenseman Simon Edvinsson from the Detroit Red Wings. Would he be worth the price tag and the assets required to land him?

With this in mind, the Blues could formulate a deal around Dalibor Dvorsky, like Sportsnet's Ryan Dixon suggested earlier this month. If they chose a different route, they could send a package of prospects like Theo Lindstein and Otto Stenberg, or draft picks. 

Whichever way they choose to go, they'll still need to sign Edvinsson to a contract, who is believed to be seeking about $10 to $11 million annually. 

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ST. LOUIS – The challenges will continue to get stiffer for the St. Louis Blues (4-4-1) when they play the second of a five-game homestand Thursday by hosting the Vegas Golden Knights (8-3-0) at 7 p.m. and can be seen on First Alert ABC 32-1 over the air television for the first time this season along with (Blue Note+, ESPN 101.10FM).

It’s the first of consecutive visits over the next two games when the Blues, coming off a 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, host the past two Stanley Cup finalists at Enterprise Center.

Vegas lost to the Carolina Hurricanes, who come to town Saturday, in six games last season.

“This stretch, the five games at home, is really good hockey teams in the NHL that are all doing well already,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “We’re just focused on tonight and we’re really focused on ourselves. We want to be a consistent team that knows who we are and we want to get to that, and we’ve been talking about it a lot. We know Vegas is good, we know what they do really well, but we have to play our brand of game to be able to have a chance against a really good hockey team.”

The Blues will not make any lineup changes from Tuesday, meaning that Zach Dean and Theo Lindstein will be tonight’s healthy scratches, and Joel Hofer, who is coming off a 32-save performance Tuesday, will start for the seventh time in 10 games this season.

Hofer is 3-2-1 on the season with a 2.19 goals-against average and .919 save percentage, and there’s an opportunity for the Blues to ride the 25-year-old for a stretch of games, or is there?

“I understand the question, but Jordan Binnington’s a huge part of our team,” Montgomery said, “and we think our tandem is what makes us special as a team. It’s a huge advantage, we think, against the rest of the league. It’s going to be the two of them working together. Joel’s going to play more games, but at what level, it just depends on how the season progresses.”

- - -

It was another day on the ice for forward Alexey Toropchenko, who continues to rehab from an upper-body injury suffered Oct. 2 in a 4-0 win against the Dallas Stars.

Toropchenko began skating with the team on Monday and has been on the ice each day since, including an optional morning skate on Thursday.

“Good,” Montgomery said on the progress. “Took a little bit of bumping yesterday, take some more bumping tomorrow and he might be close.”

- - -

Blues Projected Lineup:

Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud

Connor McMichael-Mason McTavish-Jonatan Berggren

Jake Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Pavel Buchnevich

Aleksanteri Kaskimaki-Pius Suter-Otto Stenberg

Philip Broberg-Justin Barron

Adam Jiricek-Colton Parayko

Cam Fowler-Brandon Carlo

Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Theo Lindstein and Zach Dean. Logan Mailloux (hand), Tyler Tucker (knee), Alexey Toropchenko (upper body), Dillon Dube (neck) and Ross Johnston (lower body) are out.

- - -

Golden Knights Projected Lineup:

Ivan Barbashev-Jack Eichel-Mark Stone

Brett Howden-William Karlsson-Mitch Marner

Trevor Connelly-Tomas Hertl-Raphael Lavoie

Marc Gatcomb-Nic Dowd-Braeden Bowman

Shea Theodore-Brayden McNabb

Jeremy Lauzon-Rasmus Andersson

Dylan Coghlan-Noah Hanifin

Adin Hill will start in goal; Carter Hart will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Ville Heinola and Alexander Holtz. Victor Olofsson (lower body) and Parker Wotherspoon (upper body) are out.

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Jake McCabe was a full participant at the Toronto Maple Leafs’ morning skate on Thursday and is expected to play against the New York Rangers despite absorbing a high stick that forced him from Tuesday’s game in Columbus.

The 33-year-old defenceman was struck near the eye by Kent Johnson’s stick in the first period of the Leafs’ 6-2 win over the Blue Jackets. He went to the locker room and did not return, held out as a precaution once the lead grew comfortable. McCabe skated with regular defensive partner Darren Raddysh on the top pairing. 

“He really got himself a break,” Hiller said of McCabe’s injury. “Anytime the stick gets up underneath the eye, you never know what it’s going to look like. So he was fortunate. He’s doing well.”

McCabe described a brief moment of panic before he opened his eye and confirmed he could still see. Swelling set in quickly, but he said it felt better by Thursday. He credited the training staff, including Paul Ayotte, for handling the situation. Asked about any frustration with the play, McCabe was direct.

“A little bit, yeah. I’ll be honest,” McCabe said. “I think guys can take better care of their sticks for sure. But obviously, it’s an accident. I’m not going to fault him for that. But just a general consensus. I’ve gotten a couple high sticks the last three, four games, and they seem to be from younger players. So keep your stick down.”

McCabe said he does not need a different visor for Thursday’s game. His availability is significant with Chris Tanev still sidelined by an upper-body injury. McCabe and Troy Stecher have been hopping over the boards first on the penalty kill, and the Leafs have continued to generate pressure and chances late in kills even without Tanev.

What a dangerous play. McCabe takes a stick to the face but he’s okay pic.twitter.com/M36FuKrr6H

— Leafs Papi (@LeafsPapi_) October 20, 2026

Marshall Rifai’s status is less clear. The defenceman left the morning skate early after starting the session paired with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Hiller said Rifai is dealing with something and that the Leafs would have to wait and see. 

Rifai scored his first NHL goal on Tuesday in Columbus, finishing a play in the Leafs’ six-goal outburst. McCabe noted that the call-up received regular shifts and close to 20 minutes that night, which he viewed as positive for Rifai’s confidence. The 28-year-old had been recalled to provide depth on a blue line already missing Tanev.

Leafs lines at morning skate Oct. 22/26

Cowan-Matthews-Roslovic
Marchenko-Paul-Nylander
McKenna-Sissons-Lettieri
Duhaime-Blueger-MacEwen
Groulx

McCabe-Raddysh
Rielly-Stecher
Rifai-OEL
Blankenburg

Bobrovsky
Stolarz@Ozoon_CApic.twitter.com/0XGS0oHpE1

— David Alter (@davidalter) October 22, 2026

Matthews of Old?

Auston Matthews has been scoring on a torrid pace, with six in his last six games. Through 11 games, Matthews leads the Leafs in scoring. Hiller said the production is a matter of time given the talent level once the skating and habits stay in place.

“He’s just been so consistent,” Hiller said of Matthews. “He’s skated from the first day of camp. That’s what I’ve noticed. Now to start the season, he played really well. Didn’t score a lot of goals, and it didn’t change. He just kept skating and skating. So now, you know, he’s going to score. We know that he’s a world-class goal scorer.”

McCabe described Matthews as leading the way on and off the ice. Darren Raddysh called the current version “vintage Auston,” referencing the games from Matthews’ 70-goal chase. Nylander, who has seen the full arc of Matthews’ career in Toronto, said the present level may even exceed that earlier peak.

PAPI 🗣️

Auston Matthews has a goal and an assist in his 700th career game! pic.twitter.com/iNiAfxuCmh

— NHL (@NHL) October 21, 2026

“Probably maybe even better than that at that point,” Nylander said. “I mean, we’ll see. I think 70 goals is crazy, but I mean just the way he’s playing is about the same probably.”

Nylander’s own game has drawn positive reviews from the coaching staff for reasons beyond the scoresheet. Hiller said conversations about play without the puck that once required regular attention are largely finished. Nylander now shows a clearer grasp of both sides of the puck and how he fits into the structure when the Leafs are playing well. He has found chemistry with Marchenko and Paul. Nylander likes Marchenko’s size, right-handedness and similar approach to the game, and he noted that the line has been clicking. 

Special Teams Fuel Leafs

The Leafs’ special teams have been a quiet strength through the early schedule. On the penalty kill, McCabe pointed to increased up-ice pressure from Sissons and others that disrupts opposing breakouts, plus late-kill contributions from Nylander and Cowan. Nylander mentioned a strong pass from Rielly that set up Cowan’s first NHL shorthanded goal in Columbus. On the power play, Nylander said the unit is moving the puck well and getting pucks to the net, producing goals in different ways. Raddysh attributed the success to options, reading pressure and players buying into the system the coaches want.

Younger players continue to receive opportunities and show comfort with the pace. Hiller said a pre-season conversation with Easton Cowan stood out because Cowan laid out higher expectations for himself than the staff had outlined. Consistency night after night remains the challenge for any young player, but Hiller said Cowan has largely met that standard. Nylander, asked about the confidence level of the next wave, recalled his own early desire to have the puck and score. He said the current group is doing a good job of wanting to be difference-makers.

Toronto’s penalty kill is the best in the NHL through games played on Oct. 21 at 97.4 percent. They also have the fifth-best power play at 27.5 percent.

Brother vs Brother

Darren Raddysh will face his brother Taylor of the Rangers on Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena. Raddysh led the stretching group at the morning skate and called the matchup special. Taylor was supportive of the decision to join the Leafs, and the brothers have talked for years about the possibility of playing together. They shared three seasons in junior and appeared in two games as teammates in Tampa. Raddysh said the family has long discussed the idea, though he expects a competitive night.

“It’ll be special,” Raddysh said. “He’s been supportive of my decision to come here and what it means to our family. We’ve talked about it for a long time, and both being on the ice here will be special.”

Taylor and Darren Raddysh taking a photo together at center ice in their first game against each other in the NHL.

And it just so happens to be the Moms trip for Chicago. #Blackhawkspic.twitter.com/OJvxMtpUl7

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) November 9, 2023

He noted that Taylor may hold the overall bragging rights in their NHL meetings, but pointed to a previous game in which he recorded three points and the Leafs won. Childhood game trips usually involved their father taking one of the brothers, often the one who was a Devils fan. On the ice, Raddysh said there are no friends, though he joked he might not deliver his hardest check if they meet in a corner.

The Rangers enter the game with a 7-3-1 record and have looked more solid on the blue line after summer additions. McCabe described Alexis Lafrenière as a player who brings pace, a quick release and offensive vision, and he expects a difficult test against a Rangers group that has been playing with confidence.

Tavares and Tanev status for upcoming road trip unclear

John Tavares remains out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Hiller said he did not yet have a definitive update on either Tavares or Tanev regarding the road trip that follows Thursday’s game. The Leafs are looking for a third consecutive win after taking both ends of a back-to-back against the Sharks and Blue Jackets. With McCabe available, the blue line has its most experienced option back in the mix, even as Rifai’s availability stays unresolved after his early departure from the skate and his first career goal two nights earlier.

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Goaltending was once the position that defined the New Jersey Devils as a franchise. For roughly the past decade now, the position has been a revolving door of inconsistency for a team that was spoiled by having the great Martin Brodeur between the pipes. General Manager Sunny Mehta hasn’t made any rash decisions to try and fix the issues since taking over in his role this past summer, but that doesn’t mean he’s been idle either. He moved on from an underachieving Jacob Markstrom in favor of giving Jake Allen more starts and allowing Nico Daws to have a true path to be an NHL net minder. He also brought in veteran David Rittich to provide depth and claimed Remi Poirier off of waivers from Dallas when he became available.

All of this of course is leading us to having a tough conversation about Nico Daws.

Now 25 years old (and turning 26 before the end of the calendar year), Daws isn’t really a prospect any longer. At the same time, as alluded to above, he’s not really an established NHLer either. Across five NHL seasons, Daws has only appeared in 58 games, and 46 of those came in his first two seasons in the league. He has only started 10 games over the past three seasons; some of the blame there, however, may lie with the last regime, as they wanted to run with two veteran goalies. At the same time though Daws did not do much of anything to push either of the two incumbents out or for a different team to pick him up off of waivers. One would have to think that if Daws had at least shown enough potential to be an NHL asset, some team would have taken a chance on him at least one of the times that he was on waivers.

Daws hasn’t inspired much confidence to start off his 2026-27. While Mehta has implied that Daws could seize the starting role, he’s been too inconsistent to do so and Jake Allen has started six of the Devils’ first nine games as a result. Now, I’m not saying Allen has been great with his .883 save percentage, but Daws has somehow been worse with only an .857. One good game doesn’t offset the two poorer outings, especially when you look at the number of shots on goal versus the number of them that went in. While the team left Daws out to dry in terms of goals in his first game, he still let in some softies that can’t get past a good tender. His next outing saw him face just 19 shots, but only 16 of them would get stopped. Yes, the offense was not good again in that game, but NHL teams don’t win games when three goals go in on 19 shots either.

For Daws, this isn’t anything new; he’s been inconsistent his entire time in the NHL, and even at the AHL level to the point where the Devils claimed another goalie who has had consistent stats at least at the AHL level. Yet with Remi Poirier seemingly waiting in the wings, the Devils have continued to roll Allen/Daws. At what point does the team pull the plug on the Daws experiment? When do they decide that enough inconsistency is enough and give a shot to Poirier or even Rittich?

The Devils are a team that are supposed to be at the very least competing, and while you can win with an average goalie in today’s NHL, you cannot win with a below average one. I think we’re at, or at least very, very quickly approaching the point where we can label Daws as “below average” at the NHL level. He hasn’t shown consistency, he hasn’t shown anything to make himself stand out, and aside from a few glimmers of hope in his first couple of seasons, he hasn’t strung together any amount of success that would indicate an NHL future. Maybe you argue 58 games isn’t a large enough sample size for a goalie to see if they can amount to anything. I would counter that by saying that if he had shown himself to be skilled enough, he would have pushed Allen or Jacob Markstrom out; and no, Markstrom being traded this past summer was not because they had Daws.

If the Devils had no other options in the system at this time, I wouldn’t be pushing for the Devils to end the Daws experiment. But with Poirier waiting for an opportunity and Rittich putting up strong AHL numbers, why keep rolling out Daws? He’s not going to magically transform into a consistent NHL starter, and he seemingly isn’t any better than he was in his prior stints, even with a new goaltending coach. Jake Allen isn’t a long-term answer, but at least when he starts, there’s a feeling he can keep the Devils above water. I don’t get that same feeling with Daws and again, with how inconsistent he’s been, why not try someone else who maybe can be an answer for a team that is craving playoff success? Those answers lie somewhere beyond this article, but hopefully something is solved soon that leads to sustained success for our New Jersey Devils.

What are your thoughts on the Devils/Nico Daws situation; do you think it’s time to pull the plug on the experiment? Are you willing to give him a few more games after his most recent performance? Would you rather see the Devils team Remi Poirier or David Rittich with Jake Allen? Does your concern lie more with the personnel around the goalies rather than the goalies themselves? Leave any and all comments down below and thanks as always for reading!

The Pittsburgh Penguins are back home for a three-game home stand after going 0-4 on their recent Western swing. 

They got 0/8 points on that trip and now find themselves in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division with a 3-6-1 record. They'll now face a Florida Panthers team that is likely very upset after getting thumped 5-1 by the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night. 

Panthers forward Brady Tkachuk returned to Ottawa for the first time since being traded and got heckled all game by Senators fans. They were relentless with their chants and saw a dominant win.

This is still a winnable game for the Penguins, especially since the Panthers will be on the second half of a back-to-back with travel. The Panthers are also without star forward Aleksander Barkov and don't have the services of Brad Marchand or goaltender Jacob Markstrom. 

Matthew Tkachuk has started the year strong, posting three goals and 15 points in 10 games. Seth Jones is right behind him with one goal and 11 points in 10 games, followed by Brady Tkachuk with seven goals and 11 points in 10 games. 

Don't forget about Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, or Carter Verhaeghe. They can fill the net at any time. 

The Penguins debuted some new lines and pairs during Thursday's morning skate. Forwards Ben Kindel and Bryan Rust won't play in this game, and neither will defenseman Sam Girard. 

Here's what the lines and pairs looked like:

Forwards

Novak-Crosby-Rakell

Koivunen-Lapierre-Malkin

Kuzmenko-Lizotte-Chinakhov

Soderblom-Dewar-Robertson

Defense

Stastney-Karlsson

Solovyov-Letang

Carlile-Korczak

Arturs Silovs will start in goal for the Penguins in this game. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X."

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Ron Duguay, a flashy NHL forward who was known for his off-the-ice life as well as his skill on the ice, died Oct. 22 after a battle with colon cancer. He was 69. 

Duguay spent 12 seasons in the NHL, including six with the Rangers, helping lead them to the 1979 Stanley Cup Final, where New York lost in five games to the Montreal Canadiens.

Duguay had 164 goals and 176 assists for 340 points in 499 games with the Rangers, where he was selected with the 13th pick in the 1977 NHL Draft.

“The New York Rangers organization mourns the loss of Ron Duguay, one of the most popular players in franchise history,” the Rangers said in a statement. “Ron’s signature skating style – with his hair flowing as he moved down the ice – captivated The Garden Faithful, and his skill, tenacity, and charisma earned him the admiration of all New Yorkers. We join the hockey community in sending our condolences to Ron’s friends, family, and loved ones during this difficult time."

The New York Rangers organization mourns the loss of Ron Duguay, one of the most popular players in franchise history. Ron's signature skating style - with his hair flowing as he moved down the ice - captivated The Garden Faithful, and his skill, tenacity, and charisma earned him… pic.twitter.com/q1FzskSdN5

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 22, 2026

Duguay also played for the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings, and later returned to the Rangers. He recorded 673 points in the NHL regular season and playoffs, retired from hockey in 2008-09 and was an in-studio analyst for MSG Network for 12 years.

Duguay was divorced twice and had two children. At the time of his death, he was dating former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ron Duguay, popular ex-New York Rangers player, dies at 69

For better or worse, the spotlight was on Brady Tkachuk for much of the night on Wednesday at Canadian Tire Centre.

It was Brady’s first game back in Ottawa since he was traded by the Senators to the Florida Panthers over the summer.

As many expected, there were plenty of fireworks both on and off the ice.

Much of the ambiance was set by the Senators fans in the stands, who pelted Tkachuk with a barrage of chants throughout the evening.

Those chants included “Brady sucks,” “F—k you, Brady,” “You eat crayons,” and “You can’t read,” among others.

To his credit, Tkachuk took it all in stride.

He smiled at the crowd as they chanted at him before the game, during his tribute video and much of the time he was on the ice.

“Were they ruthless?” Tkachuk said with a smile when asked about the crowd after the game. “It was good. It shows the passion they have.”

As for the game itself, the early stages were dominated by Ottawa, much to the delight of their fans.

The Panthers first shot on goal didn’t come until the ten-minute mark of the opening period, but it was a big one.

With Florida on their first power play of the night, Matthew Tkachuk found his brother to the right of Ottawa’s net, and Brady quickly spun around with the puck and fired a shot that went off Sens goalie Linus Ullmark and into the net.

That would basically be the end of any positivity toward Florida’s night.

Five unanswered goals later, Tkachuk and the Panthers skated off with their tails between their legs following the 5-1 onslaught by the Senators.

“It was just nice to be back,” Brady said. “Of course, it’s not the outcome we wanted, but it’s the start of a road trip. Just have to bounce back and move on to tomorrow.”

The game featured a total of 84 penalty minutes, two fights and 67 hits, though the verbal assault by the Sens fans certainly seemed more blatant and profound than anything that happened on the ice.

“It wasn’t out best game,” said Tkachuk.

Fortunately for the Cats, it won’t be long before they have a chance to make up for the rough night.

Florida will be right back in action on Thursday when they wrap up the road back-to-back with a matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“It’s a really big test tomorrow, really challenging,” Tkachuk said. “We’ve got one of the greatest to ever do it stepping on the ice tomorrow, so that’ll just get you really excited for that.”

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Photo caption: Oct 21, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers left wingBradyTkachuk(8) salutes the crowd as he is welcomed back to the Canadian Tire Centre to play against the Ottawa Senators for the first time. (Marc DesRosiers-Imagn)

Over the summer, the Ottawa Senators traded their captain, Brady Tkachuk, to the Florida Panthers following a trade request. Of course, Brady joined his brother Matthew, who had already been with Florida for a couple of years. 

On Wednesday, Brady returned to Ottawa as a road player for the first time in his career. He was met with an incredibly negative reception, which he was expecting. Whether it was passive-aggressive comments by both sides pregame, boos during his tribute video, R-rated chants during play, booing him every time he touched the puck, or extra physical play against him, there is noticeable resentment between Tkachuk and his old team and fans. 

At 10:00 of the first period, Brady Tkachuk continued his showman routine by scoring the first goal of the game. From there, it was all Ottawa. They scored 5 unanswered goals and sent Brady home with a whimper. 

The Chicago Blackhawks organization hasn’t dealt with a situation like that recently, as most of the returning star players received loud ovations from a crowd that adores them. Examples include Jonathan Toews with Winnipeg and Patrick Kane with Detroit. 

However, there was one notable instance where a returning player received a similar negative reception as Tkachuk did on Wednesday. That came on April 17th, 1999, when Chris Chelios returned to Chicago as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. 

Earlier that season, the Blackhawks traded Chelios to their bitter rival, and the fans let him have it in his return. Chelios wasn’t a Blackhawks lifer, as he was a Montreal Canadiens draft pick before playing there for 7 seasons. However, he is the Chicago-raised, Mt. Carmel native son who did play for the Blackhawks for parts of 9 years, so the fans felt a connection to him before he left. 

In that game where Chelios returned to Chicago with Detroit, Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman took him out of the game and sent him to sit with Michael Jordan in the press box. He finished the game with just 3:19 of ice time. Bowman felt that Chelios being involved kept the Chicago crowd in the game. 

He may have been right, because the Blackhawks hung on to win 3-2 thanks to Tony Amante’s 44th goal of the season during the third period. JP Dumont and Ed Olczyk were Chicago's other two goal scorers in the win. 

Although fans didn't love Chris Chelios that night or for many years after, those hard feelings have since melted. Not only did the Blackhawks retire his number, but he is also an official Team Ambassador here in 2026.

Is Brady Tkachuk’s departure for a division rival going to end the same way that Chris Chelios’ did? Probably not, but he had a good run as a star player in that market. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Ron Duguay, a 12-year NHL veteran most famous for his paparazzi-and-celebrity-filled time as a Ranger, died on Thursday after a battle with colon cancer, according to his girlfriend Sarah Palin. He was 69. 

Drafted 13th overall by the Blueshirts in 1977, Duguay was a speedy and skillful offensive-minded forward whose feathered curls made him easily identifiable on the ice. 

His six seasons in New York were highlighted by a run to the 1979 Stanley Cup Final, where the Rangers lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games. Over 499 games with the Rangers, Duguay finished with 164 goals and 176 assists for 340 points. 

“The New York Rangers organization mourns the loss of Ron Duguay, one of the most popular players in franchise history,” the team said in a statement on X. “Ron’s signature skating style — with his hair flowing as he moved down the ice — captivated The Garden Faithful, and his skill, tenacity, and charisma earned him the admiration of all New Yorkers. We join the hockey community in sending our condolences to Ron’s friends, family, and loved ones during this difficult time.

To this day, Duguay is still tied for the franchise record for the fastest goal scored from the start of the game, having netted one just nine seconds into a matchup against the Flyers on April, 6, 1980. 

Madison Square Garden brought the best out of Duguay, whose widespread appeal made him a New York sensation.

“As soon as I stepped on the ice, I could feel the energy. You then become more than a hockey player,” he told TVA Sports in 2023. “You become an artist, because you entertain and you have an opportunity to make spectators jump out of their seats every time you make a check.”

Duguay was so much more than a hockey player during his time in the NHL. The boy from Sudbury, Ontario redefined the possibilities for professional hockey players and, in turn, boosted the league’s popularity. 

The Sasson jeans commercial – in which Duguay and his Rangers teammates Phil Esposito, Anders Hedberg and Dave Maloney modeled the brand and memorably jingled “ooh la la” – is a notable intersection of sports and pop culture. Now, it’s just a fun piece of Rangers lore. 

Duguay’s Hollywood look, Studio-54 lifestyle and fervor for life opened doors no other NHL player had walked through at the time. 

In 1980, Rod Gilbert introduced Duguay to famous artist Andy Warhol, who went on to put No. 10 on the cover of his magazine, “Interview“, and featured his portrait in his “Athletes” series alongside the likes of Muhammad Ali, Mets great Tom Seaver, NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more. 

The introduction to Warhol led to a meeting with filmmaking royalty Steven Spielberg, who considered Duguay for the lead role in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” He didn’t get the part, but actress and model Farrah Fawcett reportedly came over to introduce herself at another event some time after. 

Eventually, his romantic streak — which included a run-in with Cher in the late ’70s — led Duguay to California model Robin Bobo, whom he married in 1983 and later divorced.

He got remarried in January 1993 to Kim Alexis, spending two decades with the fashion model before divorcing in 2016. 

Duguay, a pillar of the Studio 54 legacy (to the ire of former Rangers coach Herb Brooks), transcended his status as an NHL player. 

“Ron is the type of player who hustles a lot out there and turns on the fans,” current Blue Jackets president and general manager Don Waddell said in 1991 when he was at the helm of the San Diego Gulls of the International Hockey League, per the Los Angeles Times. 

“Doogie” began his hockey legacy playing for his hometown team, the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, from 1973 to 1977. 

Posting 134 points in 61 games during the 1975-76 campaign, Duguay helped the Wolves win the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the best team in the regular season. The club ultimately lost in the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals to the Hamilton Fincups. 

The Wolves retired Duguay’s jersey as part of the team’s 35th-anniversary celebration in September 2006. 

Duguay represented Canada on the international stage twice. In addition to competing in the 1977 World Junior Championship, Duguay also donned the Maple Leaf at the 1981 Canada Cup. 

Making stops in New York, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, Duguay racked up 864 games in the NHL. His final season in the league came with the Kings in 1988-89, which wrapped up his NHL career at 274 goals and 346 assists for 620 points. 

Though it wasn’t the end of his hockey career. Duguay bounced around the minor leagues for a bit before retiring at the age of 41 in 1999. But hockey continued to call to Duguay into the early 2000s. 

Arriving in Jacksonville to compete in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League in 2002, Duguay joined an injured Barracudas team. He appeared in six games as a player before the Barracudas fired their head coach Kurt Wickenheiser, which led to Duguay taking over behind the bench. 

For four seasons, until 2006, Duguay served as the team’s head coach. He led the Barracudas to a championship during his first full season as bench boss in 2003-04.  It was Jacksonville’s first hockey championship team. 

“If it wasn’t for Ron, the Barracudas would not be here today,” Barracudas majority owner Steve Croskrey said when Duguay moved into an advisory role in 2006, per OurSports Central. 

Duguay simply couldn’t stay off the ice. 

In March 2009, nearly six years after playing his final professional game, a 51-year-old Duguay signed a two-day, two-game contract with the Brooklyn Aces and the Jersey Rockhoppers in the Eastern Professional Hockey League. He pledged his earnings to the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit organization associated with Madison Square Garden. 

That same year, Duguay competed in the inaugural season of CBC’s Battle of the Blades skating competition. He was partnered with Barbara Underhill and skated for World Vision Canada, a Christian relief, development, and advocacy charity organization.

It was his eight years in New York, however, that made Duguay one of the most well-known hockey players of all time. His love of Manhattan was obvious. The lifestyle. The culture. Everything about it.  

He relished playing inside MSG. He relished being a Ranger. 

“I’d rather have Duguay the way he plays than [Mike] Bossy the way he plays,” former Rangers head coach Fred Shero once said.

From 2007 to 2018, Duguay was also an analyst for MSG Network’s broadcast coverage of Rangers games. 

Duguay is survived by his daughters Shay Thomas and Amber Stavros, and son Noah Duguay, as well as his grandchildren Aiden, Jayden, Cole, Nora and Ranger. 

Patrik Laine hit the free agent market almost four months ago. However, at the time of this writing, the former Montreal Canadiens forward remains unsigned.

Now, an update has been provided on Laine.

According to ESPN's Emily Kaplan, Laine is not interested in signing overseas despite still being a free agent, and his goal is to still play in the NHL. 

"As Patrik Laine remains unsigned, I’m told he has zero intention of signing in Europe. The longer this goes on, the more he says he’s motivated to prove people wrong," Kaplan posted on X.

With November almost here, it seemed possible that Laine could head overseas. However, with this update from Kaplan, it is clear that the former Canadiens forward still only wants to play in the NHL. 

The possibility of Laine landing a contract from another NHL club this season should not be ruled out. Injuries arise throughout the season, and that very well could help the 28-year-old get signed at some point. 

Laine played in just five games last season for the Canadiens, where he posted one assist. This was after he had 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games with the Canadiens during the 2024-25 season. 

In 537 career NHL games over 10 seasons split between the Winnipeg Jets, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Canadiens, Laine has posted 224 goals, 198 assists, and 422 points. 

The Vancouver Canucks (2–8–1) enter their 12th game of the 2026–27 season on an eight-game losing streak. They’ll take on the Detroit Red Wings (3–3–3) tonight in hopes of registering their first win since October 3. Vancouver dropped their last game by a score of 6–3 against the Carolina Hurricanes, while Detroit is coming off a 4–3 shootout loss to the Seattle Kraken. 

While Vancouver’s losing streak looks rough on paper, on a game-by-game basis, the Canucks have also dealt with one of the tougher schedules in the NHL through the start of the season. Of their 11 games, seven have taken place on the road, while six were part of a near two-week road trip against some of the league’s best teams on the east coast. All things considered, Vancouver has produced some fair attempts at comeback efforts, though certain lapses — particularly during third periods as of late — have resulted in them throwing away their leads or ties. 

One of the biggest issues Vancouver has had as of late is generating shots on net. This was a glaring struggle on Tuesday night, as the Canucks produced a total of only 17 shots compared to Carolina’s 44. While the Hurricanes may be a heavy shot-suppression team, Vancouver’s shooting struggles extend past Tuesday night. They currently sit at the bottom of the league in shots per game with an average of 20.7. To generate more offence, Vancouver will want to get the puck to the net much more often.  

Players To Watch: 

Marco Rossi

After spending the past two games out of the lineup due to illness, Canucks centre Marco Rossi is expected to make his return to play. During Vancouver’s practice on Wednesday, Rossi skated between Paul Cotter and Brock Boeser on the team’s second line. This season, he’s skated with these two on two other occasions — October 8th’s 7–2 loss to the Hurricanes and October 11th’s 6–2 loss to the New York Rangers. Rossi’s last point came on October 1 against the Edmonton Oilers, during which he scored two goals and one assist.   

Dylan Larkin

The NHL as a whole has an undoubted interest in former Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin given his status as one of a couple stars that could find themselves playing for a new team in the next couple of weeks. Reportedly, the forward recently extended his trade list to 10 teams — the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Washington Capitals, Utah Mammoth, Carolina Hurricanes, and New Jersey Devils. In seven games this season, Larkin has a goal and four assists.  

Vancouver Canucks (2–8–1): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 3–8–11

Brock Boeser: 2–6–8

Linus Karlsson: 3–5–8

Jake DeBrusk: 3–4–7 

Paul Cotter: 4–3–7

Goaltenders: 

Leevi Meriläinen: 1–2–1

Kevin Lankinen: 1–6–0

Detroit Red Wings (3–3–3): 

Points: 

Alex DeBrincat: 6–5–11

Viktor Arvidsson: 4–2–6

Emmitt Finnie: 3–3–6

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård: 2–4–6

Lucas Raymond: 1–5–6

Goaltenders: 

John Gibson: 2–3–1

Daniil Tarasov: 1–0–2

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT 

Venue: Rogers Arena 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: KiSS West Coast

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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If you can believe it's been that long, John Tavares left the New York Islanders via free agency eight years ago via free agency to return home to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In those eight years, things have worked out quite well for the Islanders, while things did not go anywhere near how people envisioned for Toronto.

Eight years later, the NHL is a very different place. The fallout from Tavares' departure, coupled with Artemi Panarin's free agency the following year, has become crystal clear.

Teams no longer put themselves in the spot the Islanders did. If a superstar is on an expiring contract, teams are finding out two summers ahead of time if an extension is going to happen or not.

Brady Tkachuk, who becomes a free agent in 2029, told the Ottawa Senators after the 2025-26 season that he would not extend his contract.

The Senators quietly then put together a blockbuster trade with the Florida Panthers, the only team Brady would accept a trade to.

Ottawa acquired three first-round picks and one second-round pick in the trade. They immediately used one of the picks to acquire William Eklund, an established young NHL winger with production to replace Tkachuk.

Still, despite getting a massive haul in return, the Senators and their fans circled Wednesday, October 21 on their calendar. That's the day Tkachuk would return to Ottawa.

That day came Wednesday night, and it's the closest thing to what the Islanders and their fans did to Tavares and the Maple Leafs back in the winter of 2019.

Some of the first period chants that Sens fans had for Brady Tkachuk...

"Brady Sucks"
"You Can't Read"
"F--k You Brady"
"You Eat Crayons" pic.twitter.com/yA1eOxOFbG

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 22, 2026

One more "f--k your podcast" chant for the road from the Sens fans to Brady Tkachuk 😳 pic.twitter.com/4tvgces6vK

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 22, 2026

Just like the Islanders and Maple Leafs' game back in 2019, it started with the road team scoring. 

Unlike Tavares, who did not post a point in his return game, Tkachuk scored the game's opening goal.

BRADY TKACHUK SCORES IN HIS RETURN TO OTTAWA 🤯

WHAT A MOMENT 🍿 pic.twitter.com/swSYCHlhqj

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 22, 2026

Ottawa then began to steam roll the Panthers. Before the night ended, the score read 5-1 Senators.

It was a cathartic night for the Senators and their fans. They reveled in letting Tkachuk, who publicly declared loyalty to Ottawa, hear about what his secret trade request meant to them.

Therein lies the biggest difference between the Senators' situation and the Islanders' back in 2018-19.

Ottawa landed three premium assets and replenished their roster. They've got a strong core on paper anyway, led by Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot.

The Islanders got nothing. Tavares said nothing but that he wanted to be an Islander, only to walk out the door for nothing.

The Islanders had Calder Trophy winner Mathew Barzal, but when the season began, they were the odds-on favorite to finish last in the entire NHL.

Lou Lamoriello, Barry Trotz, and the whole 2018-19 Islanders' squad proved everyone wrong, but at the time, it felt like Tavares' decision to leave doomed the Islanders for a decade.

Ottawa's ability to gain assets for Tkachuk can be traced back to Tavares leaving Long Island.

It changed the game. Teams no longer trust the public word of their players. Teams don't want to be the next Islanders, the team that believed its star would stay. 

That's the biggest difference between the Senators and the Islanders.

Amid a shower of deafening boos, Brady Tkachuk flashed a cheeky smile.

Once an Ottawa fan favorite, the Senators faithful instead greeted Tkachuk as if he was Public Enemy No. 1 in his first game back since requesting a trade before ultimately being shipped to the Panthers in June.

It made for a rather awkward scene Wednesday night, with a tribute video instead turning into an outpouring of angry emotions, capped by Tkachuk seemingly embracing the villain role by smiling from ear to ear while he raised his stick in acknowledgment of the reaction.

Brady Tkachuk is booed after his video tribute and he is loving it

(: NHL on Prime) pic.twitter.com/Qp3DcMBoTE

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 22, 2026

“Were they ruthless?” he joked to a reporter about the reception after scoring Florida’s only goal in a 5-1 road loss. “It was good, shows the passion that they have. One chapter closed and, like I said, just an exciting, new chapter that we’re living in. It was nice be in front of that passionate fan base.”

Tkachuk, 27, had served as one of Ottawa’s stars for eight years after being drafted fourth overall in the 2018 NHL Draft before a series of events changed his standing with the Ottawa fan base.

After the Hurricanes swept the Senators in the first round, Tkachuk, who had signed a seven-year, $57.5 million extension and became team captain, stated publicly his commitment to the franchise.

Behind closed doors, though, he asked to be traded and the opportunity arose to play alongside older brother and fellow NHL star Matthew Tkachuk with the Panthers.

The Senators ultimately traded him in June for four draft picks, including three first-rounders.

He pushed back Wednesday against a notion that he asked for a trade after being urged by his brother and his father Keith, a former NHLer.

“There’s professional, personal reasons why I wasn’t going to re-sign here,” he said before Wednesday’s game. “A lot of those things remain private … Just happened to work out this way.”

He added: “There was some stuff out there that wasn’t true and I guess questioned where my mind has been at for the last little bit. That was probably the hardest part of this process, with how untrue that was … I’m excited for this next chapter and the future memories that will come with that.”

The Senators attempted to do right by their former star with the tribute video, which included his off-the-ice ventures, but the fans wanted nothing to do with it.

His former teammates tapped their sticks while he took the ice, but the crowd’s vitriol only grew louder while he did a skate with a sheepish grin to acknowledge them.

Fans later chanted “F–k you, Brady,” “Brady sucks,” and “Little brother,” at him during the game, according to ESPN.

He scored the game’s first goal in the 10th minute, his seventh of the young season, before Ottawa responded with five straight.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Whatever their emotions there may be, they’re entitled to it,” Tkachuk said pregame. “I know, for me, it’s not going to be taken personally. I know how I feel about this city, about this fan base, and how thankful and appreciative that I am. No matter what the reaction’s going to be, it’s not going to change how I feel about this city and this fan base.”