Category: NHL

Honda Center isn’t an unfamiliar sight for Sabres defenseman Olen Zellweger, who was drafted by the Ducks in 2021 and made his NHL debut (coincidentally against the Sabres) at Honda Center in 2024.

“No, I didn’t,” Zellweger said with a laugh when asked if he went to the wrong dressing room when he arrived. “I haven't really been over to the away side, so it's a bit unusual being over here, but exciting at the same time.”

Despite the somewhat unceremonious end to his tenure there, Zellweger was very appreciative of his time in Anaheim when asked about it.

“It was always a dream of mine to play in the NHL and that's where it came true for me. So that's what's really special about it. There was some ups and downs. It’s kind of like anything, you gotta work through adversity. I was really thankful for my time there. The fans are unbelievable and teammates and stuff like that were awesome. 
Overall, it was great.”

Zellweger played in 164 games for the Ducks. Most of that time was spent trying to carve out a regular spot in the lineup as he faced lineup logjams and defensive inconsistencies. After spending most of the 2025-26 season as a regular in the lineup, he was healthy scratched for the final six games of the regular season in favor of AHL call-up Tyson Hinds. Hinds performed well enough to hold a spot in the lineup for the playoffs, with Zellweger relegated to the press box.

Injuries in the Ducks’ conference semifinal matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights led to Zellweger’s reintroduction. He responded with points in back-to-back games, an assist on Ian Moore’s game-winning goal in Game 4 and the tying goal in Game 5 late in the third period. The Ducks would eventually fall to the Golden Knights in six games after losing Game 5 in overtime and getting blown out in Game 6.

Despite being removed from the lineup during the home stretch of the regular season and his re-insertion into the lineup only being necessitated due to injuries, Zellweger never concerned himself with where his long-term future would be, whether in Anaheim or elsewhere. He was a pending RFA this past summer and signed a three-year, $9.3 million contract extension with the Sabres several days after they acquired him from the Ducks.

“I don't think I was thinking that far ahead,” Zellweger said. “Played a couple games in the playoffs there, so I was trying to play my best. I think I came back and I played well and felt good. It would have been good to try to win that Game 5 in Vegas. But overall, I just kind of took it throughout the process, didn't really think that that was the end or anything. I was just going day-by-day, week-by-week kind of thing, seeing how things played out. They played out this way, so that's where I was at with that.”

In September, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek revealed that he was in discussions with Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Pavel Mintyukov’s representatives ahead of the 2025-26 season. Agreements never came to fruition and all three players eventually hit restricted free agency. Carlsson, Gauthier and Mintyukov now account for $38.7 million of the Ducks’ cap.

Zellweger said that his representation did not engage of discussions of that kind, or at least one that he had heard of.

“I don't think nothing really got there after last season (2025-26) as well.”

The change of scenery has seemed to do Zellweger well, who has five points in 11 games thus far as part of the Sabres’ second defensive pair alongside Owen Power. He scored the game-winning goal on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks.

“Every game counts as a new one,” he said. “It's not really what you've done, it’s more like what you're gonna provide for the team going forward. So I don’t think I look at it in that sense., more just kind of bringing my best effort every game and knowing that I'm gonna go there and play well.”

Every team in the NHL strives for organizational depth, but the waiver wire makes it hard to hang on to it.

The Senators just lost another player on waivers, their second in just over a month.

On Thursday, the Minnesota Wild claimed defenceman Cameron Crotty, who had been placed on waivers earlier this week as the Senators prepared for the return of Thomas Chabot in LA.

With Chabot coming back rom injury, the Senators needed to clear a roster spot and were hoping to sneak Crotty through waivers and assign him to Belleville.

Unfortunately for the Senators, one of the NHL teams in need was the Minnesota Wild. He played in that organization in 2024-25, so they knew him well, and they wanted him back.

Crotty, an Ottawa native, had provided the Senators with some additional defensive depth while the club dealt with injuries on its blue line. Although he wasn't a regular in the lineup, he gave the team another option during a stretch when several defencemen were unavailable.

With Chabot getting healthy and Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub already back in the lineup, Crotty fell to the number 8 position on Ottawa's blue line.

It's the second time this month that the Senators have tried to send a player to Belleville, only to lose him to another NHL team.

Earlier in October, the Vancouver Canucks claimed goaltender Leevi Meriläinen after the Senators placed him on waivers.

With the signing of Samuel Ersson as the NHL backup, Meriläinen had slipped on the depth chart, but the Senators were hoping to keep him in the system as insurance in case of injuries.

The 24-year-old got off to an encouraging start with Vancouver, but Meriläinen has been shelled in his last three outings, surrendering a combined 15 goals.

While the Senators would have loved to keep both players in the organization, the players union long ago negotiated rules to help keep NHL-level players from being buried in the minors.

Crotty's exit means that Hoyt Stanley would probably be Ottawa's next man up, if needed.

The Senators now move forward with one fewer depth option in their organization, although the return of Chabot should provide an immediate boost.

Meanwhile, the Wild obviously took a shine to last year's Belleville Senators. They also signed Arthur Kaliyev to a PTO with AHL Iowa.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

Former Senator Arthur Kaliyev Finally Signs A New DealAfter six months of searching for a new deal, the AHL’s reigning goal-scoring king heads to Iowa on a professional tryout.

On Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings announced several roster moves, headlined by the news that center Dylan Larkin is expected to remain out of the lineup until a trade involving the 30-year-old materializes. 

The team also reassigned goaltender Michal Postava to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL despite his impressive NHL debut, where he stopped 24 of 27 shots in a win over the red hot Edmonton Oilers.

With John Gibson expected to return to action Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks, the veteran netminder is set to make his first start since last Saturday. It's been a slow start for the 33-year-old, who has so far maintained a 3-4-1 record with a 3.44 goals against average and a .867 save percentage while playing in the final year of his current deal. 

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Meanwhile, the Red Wings recalled forward Sheldon Dries from Grand Rapids to slot into the fourth line. The 32-year-old has appeared in six games with Detroit this season, recording no points and a minus-three rating. However, Dries has been highly productive at the AHL level, tallying five goals and three assists for eight points in just four games. 

He will look to carry that offensive momentum into his return to the NHL lineup and provide a scoring boost for Detroit. The Red Wings will aim to keep things rolling Thursday night against Chicago, having won six of their last seven meetings with the Blackhawks.

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The Buffalo Sabres are moving forward with goalie Connor Hellebuyck now with the New Jersey Devils, but details continue to filter out as to what the club offered to acquire the 33-year-old Hart and Vezina Trophy winner before the NHL Draft last June. 

According to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, the trade package that Buffalo was prepared to give up included goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen,winger Jack Quinn, another piece that may have been 2025 first rounder Radim Mrtka, and a swap of the fourth overall pick obtained in the Bowen Byram deal for Winnipeg’s first rounder (8th overall), but the Jets wanted to retain the pick to select Viggo Bjorck, which they did after the deal fell apart. 

Other Sabres Stories

Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL  

Based on the return the Jets got from the Devils (center Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, 2026 first rounder Alexander Command, forward Nick Bjugstad, and a pair of draft picks), the deal with the Sabres appears to be superior, as Luukkonen would have taken the place of Stuart Skinner, who Winnipeg signed after July 1. Quinn currently leads Buffalo with 11 points. 

Pagnotta also believes that Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen is looking to add some scoring help with Buffalo 25th in the NHL averaging 2.75 goals per game, as a replacement for the offense that left when Alex Tuch went to Washington. The Sabres have the benefit of a group of young centers that may be attractive to clubs looking to upgrade up the middle, and also a bevy of big righty defensive prospects, including Mrtka, 2026 first rounder Daxon Rudolph, and Minnesota-Duluth’s Adam Kleber.   

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Another game couldn't come soon enough for the Ducks, who blew 5-2 and 4-1 leads to the 32nd-overall Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, eventually falling 6-5 in overtime. What started out as a bright performance gradually morphed into a horror show fit for Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights.

“It was a terrible loss,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said. “5-2 and we’re in a pretty good spot—not a pretty good spot, should have had to seal the win. I think we do some things that come back to haunt us after a night like tonight.”

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Joel Quenneville | Ducks Postgame vs. VAN | Oct. 27, 2026Anaheim Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville speaks to the media after their 6-5 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

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“Didn’t feel good about ourselves last night,” Alex Killorn said after Wednesday’s practice. “Tough sleep and waking up even today, it's tough for us to deal with that, knowing what position we were in. But today's a new day. We’re optimistic. I think we had a really good practice, and things like this happen. 
You’ve just gotta learn from them, make sure they don't happen again.”

The Buffalo Sabres come into town off the back of a 2-0 win over the San Jose Sharks. Backup goaltender Colten Ellis stopped all 23 shots and former Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger provided the game-winning goal. This will be Zellweger's first time playing at Honda Center since being traded to the Sabres on the morning of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

“It's pretty fun to be back here,” Zellweger said. “Just looking forward to playing the game here tonight.”

“(He’s) defending well, really skating well, doing a lot with the puck,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said of Zellweger. “Offensively, we knew what he could do. I think he feels pretty comfortable with the way we’re trying to play and he’s making a lot of good decisions right now.”

Despite losing six of their last seven games after a 4-1-0 start to the season, the Ducks are still within arm's reach of a Wild Card spot. The Pacific Division is also shaping up to be a dogfight behind the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights, so a return to form could even see the Ducks slip into the third divisional seed.

The Sabres are currently three points back of both a Wild Card spot and a divisional playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. Jack Quinn, Owen Power and Tage Thompson have led the way offensively, with all three of them already at the double-digit points mark. Goaltending has been a bit of a question mark as Ukka-Pekka Luukonen has struggled out of the gate. Ellis will retain the net for Thursday’s game.

“We’ve got a team (in Anaheim) that’s 1-5-1 in their last seven,” Ruff said. “Has a 5-2 lead, gave up a couple 6-on-5 goals. I’m pretty sure we’ll see a group that’s pretty determined to make amends for what happened.”

Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville wasn't afraid to throw his lines in a blender as he attempted to find some synergy during their poor road trip, where they lost three out of four games. The lines went through alterations again at Wednesday's practice following their loss to the Canucks.

The expectation is that Frank Vatrano and Nick Jensen will draw in for Nikita Nesterenko and Drew Helleson respectively. Rookie Roger McQueen had two shifts in the second period of Tuesday's game and just one shift in the entire third period, but will remain in the lineup for Thursday's game. He'll center a line with Vatrano and Sam Colangelo.

Pavel Mintyukov, who has missed the last three games due to a lower-body injury and is currently on injured reserve, is not expected to be activated for this game. He skated alongside Helleson at Wednesday's practice.

Sabres forward Konsta Helenius will miss the rest of their road trip after suffering an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s game against the Sharks.

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Ducks Projected Lines

Alex Killorn - Leo Carlsson - Judd Caulfield
Jeff Malott - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke
Cutter Gauthier - Tim Washe - A.J. Greer
Frank Vatrano - Roger McQueen - Sam Colangelo

Jackson LaCombe - Noah Warren
Tyson Hinds - Tristan Luneau
Travis Mitchell - Nick Jensen

Lukáš Dostál (projected)

Sabres Projected Lines

Peyton Krebs - Tage Thompson - Zach Benson
Josh Doan  - Noah Östlund - Jack Quinn
Jason Zucker - Ryan McLeod - Josh Norris
Tyson Kozak - Sam Carrick - Beck Malenstyn

Rasmus Dahlin - Mattias Samuelsson
Olen Zellweger - Owen Power
Dennis Gilbert - Louis Crevier

Colten Ellis (confirmed)

For the first 12 games of the season, the Detroit Red Wings and Dylan Larkin had decided to continue to live together despite effectively being broken up.

It appears that arrangement is coming to a close.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that Larkin won't play until he's traded, with Pierre LeBrun reporting he will be out for the "foreseeable future."

REQUIRED READING: Red Wings' Dylan Larkin won't play amid trade request: What we know

"All I can say is that Dylan’s had enough of the situation," Larkin's agent, Pat Brisson, told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, on the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 29.

The news comes just after the Red Wings had a northwestern road trip that culminated in a 4-3 shootout win against the Edmonton Oilers. The Wings were only in that position because of a Larkin goal with 17 seconds left that forced overtime, which ultimately might prove to be his last moment with the winged wheel on his chest.

Thursday's development comes a little less than a week after Connor Hellebuyck was traded to the New Jersey Devils, ending his suspension for not reporting to the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets got a hefty haul in that trade, netting forward Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, forward Nick Bjugstad, the rights to forward Alexander Command, New Jersey’s own second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft and New Jersey’s own seventh-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Larkin has amended his initial list of trade partners, which originally was made up of the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers. He has since added the New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, Utah Mammoth, Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes.

Here's a look at how realistic each of those destinations are.

Ranking possible Dylan Larkin trade destinations

1. Utah Mammoth

The Mammoth might have started in the "just happy to be here" club on Larkin's list, but this is legitimately a compelling destination. A team that made the playoffs last season, has an enthusiastic fanbase, and is absolutely dripping with farm system talent that might better suit the Wings' timeline, Utah actually makes a ton of sense. For Larkin.

The question is more "does Utah want this?" The team has a 1-2 center punch of Nick Schmaltz and the newly acquired Vincent Trocheck, the latter of whom Larkin would be an improvement upon but it's negligible enough it might not be worth what it takes to land him.

All-in-all, this is the team Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff should have on the horn. But Utah GM Bill Armstrong might be screening his calls.

2. Washington Capitals

The Capitals finally seem to be finding some solid ground here in Alex Ovechkin's swan song. The team has tinkered with its roster year after year, hoping to get Ovi one more out the door. But its center depth leaves a lot to be desired.

The question: Will the Capitals be willing to move Ilya Protas? The 20 year old has star potential, and he fits the Wings' timeline better. However, there's a chance the Caps view that as a losing deal, so they might hunker down and ride out the season. Ovechkin is the x-factor. Do the Capitals want to risk the future for one last ride, even in a competitive Metropolitan Division?

3. Minnesota Wild

The Wild must be the clear frontrunners here, but there are obstacles.

Bill Guerin LOVES the USA team that brought home gold at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics, and the Wild have a Quinn Hughes problem. Hughes seems to want out of Minnesota, and getting Larkin could be a lure to get him to stay.

The problem, of course, is the Wild burned most of their trade capital to get Hughes in the first place. The Wild's offer to get Larkin, which reportedly most notably has Danila Yurov and Charlie Stramel in play, can't really escalate if the trade offers get more competitive, and it hasn't been accepted yet.

4. Carolina Hurricanes

The thing about being the defending champion is that, if you don't get better, you're going to get left behind.

The Canes are by no means floundering. They're still the class of the league, leading the NHL with 22 points here in the early going. But the question is if they can keep that up over a season. Carolina being on Larkin's list is notable, in the sense the Hurricanes would be shoring up an already strong center position.

The question if you're the Wings is: How much do you like lotteries? The Hurricanes are trying to repeat, which means you're looking at American Hockey Leaguers and back-of-the-round draft picks. This is going to be a tough one for an interim GM to swing, which hurts the realism of it. But it is the kind of deal that looks decent on paper.

5. Dallas Stars

This is another team living in the "if they wanted to do it, they would've done it" bucket. But the Stars might be able to put together a package of players who are a little closer than Carolina's.

While at this point we probably shouldn't expect to see a name like Jason Robertson in a Larkin deal, the Stars need a bit of extra oomph. They're 25th in goals this season and generating offense has been an issue. While you're not getting a 40-goal player in Larkin, he could slot in well alongside Robertson.

There are a lot of obstacles to this deal getting done, specifically the fact the Stars' less than impressive farm system might not coincide with the Wings' timeline. But we can't rule anything out at this point.

6. Everyone else

The Lightning, Avalanche, Devils, Panthers and Golden Knights round out this list. It just isn't happening.

The Devils and Panthers have completely tied up their future assets to get Hellebuyck and Brady Tkachuk, respectively, so while those avenues may have at some point worked, they are now blocked off. The Avalanche are a non-starter, with no picks or prospects to speak of and Stanley Cup aspirations.

The Lightning and Golden Knights you could argue have paths, but the Golden Knights have done some wheeling and dealing in recent years that has them in a position to not need another center while the Lightning have a lot of draft capital but not in the immediate future.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dylan Larkin, Red Wings admit relationship over. Ranking possible trade destinations

On Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings will look to maintain their recent momentum, having won four of their last six games, as they face a Chicago Blackhawks team that has also shown signs of improvement with three victories over its last six contests.

Detroit enters the matchup as the favorite, while Chicago continues to navigate a rebuilding process that has produced a league-worst 159-262-57 record since the start of the 2020-21 season. The Blackhawks have struggled again this year, posting a 4-8-0 record while averaging just 2.17 goals per game, the second-lowest mark in the NHL. 

Detroit has experienced offensive challenges of its own, averaging 2.58 goals per game, which ranks as the league's sixth-worst total. Nevertheless, Thursday's matchup presents an opportunity for the Red Wings to take care of business with six wins in their last seven meetings with the Blackhawks.

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Dylan Larkin Won’t Play Thursday For Red Wings As Trade Chatter Grows Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin will not play on Thursday evening as trade talk surrounding the former captain intensifies; an update from interim GM Shawn Horcoff is forthcoming.

Detroit Red Wings’ Expected Line Combinations vs Chicago (Thursday)

*subject to change*

DeBrincant - Finnie - Arvidsson

Brandsegg-Nygard - Copp - Raymond

Rasmussen - Compher - Danielson

Mazur - Dries - Kolesar

Chiarot - Seider

Wallinder - Faulk

Englund - An. Johansson

Gibson

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The Montreal Canadiens posted a social media update Thursday morning featuring Zach Bolduc zooming in on a date: November 2nd. While the short clip doesn’t confirm what it’s about, the team also revealed which games they’ll wear their Hometown Remix jersey for, so it’s easy to deduce.

Bientôt 👀 Soon#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/xZgznCcRUG

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 29, 2026

They'll wear the alternate jersey 10 times total: twice on the road and eight at home: on November 3 against the Winnipeg Jets, November 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, November 12 against the Boston Bruins, November 14 against the Colorado Avalanche, November 23 against the Los Angeles Kings, December 8 against the Vegas Golden Knights, December 27 against the Dallas Stars, January 6 against the Bruins, January 23 against the Calgary Flames and March 28 against the Detroit Red Wings.

Game 13 – Canadiens vs. Stars: Dobes’ Redemption
Canadiens: The Man Behind The Big Pick
Canadiens Must Fix Their Power Play

The organization better hope these don't end up being “cursed,” like the two Reverse Retro jerseys they wore in 2020-21 (dark blue edition) and 2022-23 (the baby blue edition).

#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/Pewf4VwhNd

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 29, 2026

Coach Martin St-Louis wasn’t a fan of those jerseys; back in 2023, he said:

I think the hockey gods, you know, this is a historical franchise, you probably have some guys who wore that jersey 50 years ago, red and white, right? They’re probably looking down on us: “What are you guys doing in blue?” So, we probably get what we deserve with the blue jerseys, given how historic this franchise is. […] I don’t know what next year brings, but I hope it’s not those jerseys.

- St-Louis on the blue Reverse Retro jerseys.

That made reporters chuckle at the time, but three years later, if the leaked jersey image is accurate, someone thought they had to listen to the hockey gods, because that new jersey has no blue in sight. We’ll see for sure on November 2.

Même si ça fait 1001 «mock-up» du hometown remix du CH que je vois, que celui-ci est en haut définition et qu'il n'y a pas de raison de douter que ça s'enligne pour ça... je continue d'espérer que ce sera pas cette horreur 😭 https://t.co/UU61zdRAVHpic.twitter.com/kZAlkgZLDf

— Maxime Van Houtte (@maxvanhoutte) October 27, 2026

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On Thursday morning, Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan confirmed that Dylan Larkin would not be in the lineup for their game later that evening against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks.

He then said interim general manager Shawn Horcoff would be addressing the matter.

That immediately led to understandable speculation that Larkin was either being held out of the lineup as asset protection ahead of a potential trade or had chosen to sit out of frustration over the lack of progress regarding the trade request he made months ago.

Now, it appears the latter is the more likely scenario.

According to Larkin's agent, Pat Brisson, in a statement released to NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun, his client "has had enough". 

“Dylan’s had enough of the situation. We believe he’s been very professional and cooperative through this process.”

Statement from Pat Brisson, agent for Dylan Larkin, regarding his client deciding not to play while awaiting a trade:
“Dylan’s had enough of the situation. We believe he’s been very professional and cooperative through this process.”

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) October 29, 2026

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Larkin requested a trade from now-former Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman shortly after the 2025-26 season concluded, with Detroit missing the playoffs for a 10th consecutive year.

The trade request became public in early June, and Yzerman confirmed it following the NHL Draft later that month. However, he made it clear there was no guarantee the request would be granted, emphasizing that Larkin still had five years remaining on his contract.

Shortly before Training Camp began, the Red Wings announced they would move forward without a captain, a role Larkin had held since the start of the 2020-21 season.

Larkin also missed all of Training Camp and the preseason, as well as the first two regular-season games, due to an off-ice training injury.

Dylan Larkin Won’t Play Thursday For Red Wings As Trade Chatter Grows Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin will not play on Thursday evening as trade talk surrounding the former captain intensifies; an update from interim GM Shawn Horcoff is forthcoming.

Seated next to interim GM Shawn Horcoff, Larkin held a media availability session on Detroit's first day of Training Camp. While he confirmed that he had requested a trade, he declined to explain why or say whether the request remained active, adding that he may never fully reveal the details behind it.

When he was introduced with the rest of Detroit's scratches on Opening Night on Oct. 2, Larkin was heavily booed by fans at Little Caesars Arena.

Fan reaction for Dylan Larkin, who won’t play tonight or Sunday. pic.twitter.com/IdJHw8JarP

— Michael Whitaker (@mwhitaker_89) October 2, 2026

He returned to the lineup on Oct. 6 against the divisional rival Ottawa Senators and was roundly booed whenever he touched the puck.

However, those boos quickly turned to (mostly) cheers after Larkin scored a power play goal, added an assist, and was named the game's first star as part of the 5-3 win. 

So far this season, Larkin has appeared in 10 games, scoring twice while adding four assists.

His most recent goal came Monday against the Oilers, when he scored the tying marker late in regulation in what may have been his final appearance in a Red Wings uniform.

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Just a few days after losing defenseman Daemon Hunt on waivers to the Nashville Predators, the Minnesota Wild have claimed defenseman Cameron Crotty from the Ottawa Senators.

Crotty is a 27-year-old right-handed defenseman measuring 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds. He's played three NHL games this season, averaging 11:09 of ice time. In his NHL career, Crotty has played 11 games, one of which came with the Wild in 2024-25. 

Crotty spent the majority of his lone season with the Wild in the AHL, where he captained the Iowa Wild. He dressed in 64 games and recorded 10 assists. 

Prior to joining the Wild and then the Senators, Crotty was a third-round pick (82nd overall) by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2017 NHL draft. He played just one game with the Coyotes before leaving the organization as a Group-6 UFA.

In the 2025 off-season, Crotty signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Senators carrying an $812,500 AAV. He's now in the second year of his contract and will become a UFA on July 1. 

While the Wild deal with injuries to Brock Faber and Jared Spurgeon, who is now on the injured reserve, Crotty will be an extra defenseman if the Wild elect to keep him up with the NHL club. The Wild recalled Carson Lambos as tonight’s extra defenseman, but because Lambos cleared waivers earlier this season, they can move him freely between the NHL and the AHL.

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Despite leading the Belleville Senators and the entire American Hockey League in goal scoring last season, free agent forward Arthur Kaliyev had to wait until late October to find a new team.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Kaliyev is signing a 25-game professional tryout agreement with the Iowa Wild, the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.

Kaliyev scored 40 goals in 70 games with the Belleville Senators last season, becoming the first player in franchise history to win the AHL goal-scoring title. He also added 28 assists for 68 points, finishing tied for third in league scoring and earning a spot on the AHL's First All-Star Team.

It was an outstanding season for the 25-year-old winger, but it wasn't enough to earn him another contract with the Senators organization.

Kaliyev signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Senators in July 2025, hoping to revive an NHL career that had stalled during previous stops with the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers.

There was already some familiarity between Kaliyev and the Senators' front office. He played junior hockey for the Hamilton Bulldogs when Michael Andlauer owned the team and Steve Staios ran its hockey operations.

Despite his impressive production in Belleville, Kaliyev barely got a cup of coffee in Ottawa. Maybe an espresso. He appeared in two games and got one assist, before being returned to the minors for the rest of the season.

When the summer arrived, he became a free agent and the Senators let him walk. Not many people in Ottawa complained about that, but no one would have imagined that he'd go six months without getting a deal.

One possible factor was the off-ice controversy that followed him throughout last season.

Kaliyev's former girlfriend, Lauren Mochem, accused him of defrauding her of more than $50,000 during their relationship, alleging that he used the money to support a gambling addiction. The police and the NHL investigated and found no evidence of any violation.

Kaliyev's offensive ability has never been the biggest question about his game. The former second-round pick has a shot that's elite, even by NHL standards. 

His skating and defensive play have been more persistent concerns, helping explain why his success in the AHL hasn't translated into a permanent NHL role.

For now, Kaliyev will attempt to rebuild his career in Iowa, where a 25-game tryout gives him another chance.

It's a weird position for the reigning AHL goal scoring champion to find himself in.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

Former New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz will be inducted into the Nashville Predators' Golden Hall on Thursday night against the Washington Capitals.

“This franchise, to me, is everything, really."

A storied career, an unforgettable impact. Celebrating our Golden Hall inductee, Barry Trotz.

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) October 29, 2026

Trotz, who won a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018, joined the Islanders that summer along with former general manager Lou Lamoriello.

In 288 regular season games behind the Islanders' bench, Trotz went 152-102-34, helping the Islanders to back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020 and 2021. 

Following his dismissal from the Islanders after a rough 2021-22 season, Trotz was named general manager of the Predators a year later, a role he held until he announced his retirement this past June 2nd. 

There was shocking NHL news this morning, as Detroit Red Wings coach Todd McLennan announced that Dylan Larkin will not play tonight as the team faces the Chicago Blackhawks.

McLennan said interim GM Shawn Horcoff would address the situation and that the Red Wings would issue a statement. After the announcement, TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun said trade talks surrounding Larkin have escalated. While he noted a deal is not imminent, discussions have certainly escalated.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman added that he believes Detroit's plan is not to play the center until a trade is materialized. He later reiterated that report and added that the Red Wings are expected to provide a statement on the matter.

"There were talks in the last 24 hours between Larkin's camp and the Red Wings, both last night and again this morning, and what was communicated from the agents to Detroit was that Larkin feels he's given the team ample time since his trade request in May to get a deal done," said LeBrun. "Larkin has had enough, so decision was made he won't play tonight nor for foreseable future hoping a trade materializes. Fluid situation still. Red Wings circling back to teams with interest, etc., as talks escalate."

The 30-year-old reportedly expanded his list of teams he’ll accept as trade destinations, despite the no-move clause in his contract. In addition to the Wild, his list includes the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Utah Mammoth, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, and Colorado Avalanche.

The Wild have been heavily linked to Larkin. With connections to Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy, and Brock Faber, Larkin would have plenty of familiarity with the Wild's lineup. When Larkin announced he had requested a trade, the Wild quickly became frontrunners.

Developing: Dylan Larkin Out Of Red Wings' Lineup As Trade Talks EscalateDylan Larkin has been at the forefront of trade rumors this year ever since his trade request out of the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Detroit Red Wings</a> in the off-season. It appears that this file may finally be settled.

The fit makes lots of sense. The Wild want to add a top-six center, and Larkin's style of play fits the Wild's. Larkin could form a strong one-two punch with Joel Eriksson Ek. Larkin is a solid two-way center, but with the Wild, he could be asked to focus more offensively while Eriksson Ek continues his stellar two-way play.

This season, Larkin has scored two goals and six points in 10 games, averaging 21:41 of ice time. Larkin was stripped of the captaincy before the season started and missed the first few games while recovering from an injury.

The cost to trade for Larkin remains unknown, but many presume a deal could involve Danila Yurov and any of the Wild's upcoming first-round picks. There has also been speculation that the Wild's ability to land Larkin in a trade could impact Hughes' decision to re-sign in Minnesota. 

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After several days off, the Pittsburgh Penguins return to game action on Thursday night against the Utah Mammoth. 

This will be the third game of the Penguins three-game home stand before they head to Montreal on Saturday. They are 2-0-0 on the home stand with wins over the Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators.

This will also be the second of two meetings against the Mammoth after the latter won the first game 5-4 in Utah on Oct. 19. The Penguins were so close to tying the game in the dying seconds of the third period, but Sebastian Cossa made an outstanding save to rob Ben Kindel. 

Since then, the Mammoth have lost two of their last three games, but are still 8-5-0 and in second place in the Central Division. They're also seventh in goals per game with 3.62. 

The Penguins will need to defend way better than they did in the first game against the Mammoth if they want to come out on top. They'll get some reinforcements for this game after head coach Dan Muse told reporters after Thursday's morning skate that Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov, and Evgeni Malkin are "looking good" to play. 

Defenseman Sam Girard is a game-time decision, but will also likely return after taking full contact during Wednesday's practice. 

Here are the expected lines and pairs:

Forwards

Novak-Crosby-Rakell

Chinakhov-Kindel-Malkin

Kuzmenko-Lapierre-Koivunen

Dewar-Lizotte-Robertson

Defensive pairs

Stastney-Karlsson

Carlile-Letang

Girard-Korczak

Arturs Silovs will make his fourth consecutive start on Thursday, and it's deserved. He's been very good lately.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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