DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 24: Ryan Johnson #33 of the Buffalo Sabres plays against the Detroit Red Wings during a pre season game at Little Caesars Arena on September 24, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
An ol’ 2-for-1 trade. The Penguins have sent a pair of minor league defensemen to Buffalo for a former first round pick.
The Penguins have acquired defenseman Ryan Johnson from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch.
Johnson, 25, was taken with the 31st pick back in the 2019 draft. He’s got 47 career NHL games under his belt, though the majority of that was in 2023-24 and he’s been mostly in the AHL ever since, playing only three NHL games in both 2024-25 and 2025-26. So far this season, it’s been all AHL time for Johnson. The 6’1”, 195 left shot defender spent four seasons at the University of Minnesota prior to that. Johnson has a contract through the 2027-28 season.
In exchange, Pittsburgh does a little house cleaning to drop two players and get down to 48 contracts of the 50 they are allotted per year. The Pens traded Caleb Jones, who cleared waivers weeks ago. Jones has played four games with AHL Wilkes-Barre, recording all three of his assists on the season in the same game. The 29-year old played seven NHL games with the Pens last season before a pair of long-term injuries and the rare suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program ended his season last year.
Laatsch was a seventh round draft pick in 2021, the lanky defender spent four seasons in Wisconsin then spent most of his rookie season in 2025-26 with ECHL Wheeling, with 10 games played in the AHL. He’s yet to play this season and was only going to be a swing ECHL/AHL type of depth option in the organization.
Overall, this deal helps right size the numbers for the Pens at the minor league level. The team had all of Ilya Solovyov, Jones, Owen Pickering, Jake Livanavage, Laatsch and AHL contracted Maleek McGowan as left shots fighting for time in Wilkes-Barre. Paring down the numbers should help ease the block in the future for that spot.
Beyond that, time will tell if this deal has any NHL impact. Johnson might draw some intrigue as a former first round pick and member of the US National Development team but his career track has been spinning its wheels for a while. Even if he’s nothing more than deep depth, that’s the only place what Pittsburgh gave up would be this season anyways. Mostly a minor deal, helps restock the numbers a bit but does give the Pens a chance to take a look at a former first round pick to see what might come of playing in a new organization.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild (3-1-1) returns to Grand Casino Arena on Monday night for a 7 p.m. matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights (5-1-0), looking to build on Saturday's 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers.
Minnesota enters the matchup having won three consecutive regular-season games against Vegas, including all three meetings during the 2025-26 season.
The Wild have also enjoyed considerable success against the Golden Knights since Vegas entered the NHL, holding a 16-11-4 all-time record against them.
However, Monday's matchup presents an early-season test against a Golden Knights team that has won five of its first six games.
Vegas has been led offensively by Jack Eichel, who has recorded three goals and nine assists for 12 points in six games. Mark Stone has added seven points, while Tomas Hertl has contributed five.
For Minnesota, Kirill Kaprizov has been the driving force offensively.
The 29-year-old winger has recorded six goals and two assists for eight points through five games, including a hat trick and four-point performance against Florida on Saturday.
Kaprizov enters Monday tied for the NHL lead in goals and has scored in five consecutive games to begin the season. He has also enjoyed success against Vegas throughout his career, recording 11 goals and six assists for 17 points in 19 games.
Defenseman Quinn Hughes has been equally productive from the blue line, recording two goals and five assists for seven points while collecting at least one point in each of Minnesota's first five games.
One of the biggest reasons for Minnesota's early success has been its special teams.
The Wild enter Monday tied for second in the NHL with a 37.5 percent power play, converting on six of their first 16 opportunities. Minnesota has scored a power-play goal in each of its first five games, marking just the third time in franchise history the team has opened a season with a power-play goal in five consecutive contests.
The penalty kill has been just as impressive, successfully killing 16 of 17 opposing power plays for a 94.1 percent success rate, also tied for second in the league.
Vegas, meanwhile, enters the contest with a 30.4 percent power play and an 81.3 percent penalty kill.
Minnesota will once again turn to Jesper Wallstedt in goal.
Wallstedt has started all five games this season, posting a 3-1-1 record with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. He stopped 29 shots in Saturday's victory over Florida and enters Monday ranked fourth in the NHL in save percentage.
The Wild will remain without Brock Faber, who continues to recover from a skull fracture suffered during the preseason. Marcus Foligno is day-to-day with a mid-body injury, while Nick Foligno is expected to miss additional time with an upper-body injury.
Zach Bogosian, who missed Saturday's game with a lower-body injury, is expected to return to Minnesota's lineup.
With both teams off to strong starts, Monday's matchup should provide an interesting test for a Wild team looking to establish consistency early in the season.
Wild Projected Lineup
Kirill Kaprizov - Joel Eriksson Ek - Matt Boldy
Blake Coleman - Ryan Hartman - Maxim Shabanov
Rieger Lorentz - Danila Yurov - Bobby Brink
Nico Sturm - Michael McCarron - Yakov Trenin
Defense:
Quinn Hughes - Jared Spurgeon
Olli Maatta - Jonas Brodin
Daemon Hunt - Zach Bogosian
Starting Goaltender: Jesper Wallstedt
Scratched: David Spacek, Matt Kiersted
Injured: Marcus Foligno (Mid-Body), Brock Faber (Upper-Body, Indefinitely), Filip Gustavsson (Lower-Body, LTIR), Nick Foligno (Upper-Body, Day-To-Day).
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
Defense:
Shea Theodore - Brayden McNabb
Parker Wotherspoon - Rasmus Andersson
Jeremy Lauzon - Noah Hanifin
Starting Goaltender: Carter Hart (projected)
Scratched: Dylan Coghlan, Ville Heinola
Injured: Victor Olofsson (Lower-Body).
Wild vs. Golden Knights — October 12, 2026
Game Information
Puck drop: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Grand Casino Arena — St. Paul, Minnesota
Minnesota Wild: 3-1-1 (7 points)
Vegas Golden Knights: 5-1-0 (10 points)
Wild starting goalie: Jesper Wallstedt
Golden Knights starting goalie: TBD (Carter Hart projected)
How to Watch
TV: Wild+
Play-by-play: Anthony LaPanta
Color analyst: Ryan Carter
Reporter: Kevin Gorg
How to Listen
Radio: KFAN FM 100.3
Play-by-play: Joe O'Donnell
Color analyst: Tom Reid
Studio host: Kevin Falness
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Offense has been hard to come by so far in the early goings of the 2026-27 NHL season for the Detroit Red Wings, who are off to a 1-3-1 start following their second shutout setback on Saturday evening.
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler turned aside all 30 shots that he faced from the Red Wings in regulation and overtime, and also denied all six Detroit players he faced in the subsequent shootout.
The final save that he made that capped the victory for the Canadiens was on forward Nate Danielson, who made the roster out of Training Camp and the preseason.
But through his first five games, Danielson has a single assist; he appeared in 28 NHL games last season, scoring twice and adding five assists before being returned to the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins.
During the 2026 Prospects Tournament, Griffins head coach Dan Watson said he'd like to see Danielson be more selfish with the puck and shoot more, something Danielson acknowledged he could improve upon.
"I think I could probably shoot a bit more," Danielson said after practice on Monday. "I think probably, depending on who I'm playing with, I could definitely create some more O-zone time and get in front of the net a little more and create some more opportunities that way."
According to head coach Todd McLellan, Danielson's presence on the roster is something they came into Training Camp expecting - and now that he's achieved that goal, it's time for him to start finding his name more consistently on the scoresheet.
"Danny has come in, and he's done what we thought he'd do; he made the team. We expected him to make the team," McLellan said. "And now, he's gotta take it up a notch, I'd say. He's got to perform at a higher level, or else we're expecting too much from him."
While playing on the fourth line, Danielson has skated with a revolving door of linemates so far this season, including Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, Mason Appleton, Carter Mazur, and Sheldon Dries.
According to McLellan, this has made it difficult to develop the consistency and rhythm that come from playing alongside the same forwards. Still, ultimately, Danielson needs to start meeting the offensive expectations that come with being selected ninth overall in the NHL Draft.
"He's had to deal with some tough things that aren't his fault, but overall, we'd like to see him pick it up and contribute a little more offensively," McLellan said. "It's what he's been able to do in the past; we expect that here."
Before suffering a season-ending injury in mid-February of last season, Danielson appeared in 18 games with the Griffins in 2025-26, scoring three goals and 12 assists. The previous season, in his first full AHL campaign, he played 71 games and scored 12 goals while adding 27 assists.
While Danielson is known as a defensively responsible center, it's clear the Red Wings want him to make a greater offensive impact.
Danielson and the Red Wings next face the New Jersey Devils at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday evening beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET.
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The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to have Connor Bedard in the lineup on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This will be his season debut for 2026-27 following shoulder surgery that he had over the summer.
Bedard's first game will also mark the first time that he wears the "C" on his chest as Chicago Blackhawks captain. He was given this honor right before the season started, and now he will serve in this role on the ice for the first time.
On the other side of the bench will be one of the best captains in NHL history, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby. Crosby is one of Bedard's childhood idols, so it's a perfect time for him to debut as captain in his 4th NHL season.
Another one of Bedard's childhood idols is his newest teammate, Patrick Kane. This will also be Bedard's first-ever game alongside Kane. The two will skate on Chicago's top line together.
"I've been watching Kane since I was 5 years old," Bedard said. "[It's] pretty cool to play with him and see him up close. The way he can think the game - the way he makes little passes. Honestly, for me, I just want to get him the puck and get open as much as I can."
These two have the brainpower to feed off each other when it comes to making plays. Kane isn't the 100-point player that he once was, but his offensive instincts are poised to work well with a young star like Bedard. The younger of the two isn't the only one excited about this opportunity, either.
"It's definitely a boost to the whole team," Kane said about Bedard coming back. "Just seeing what he's capable of doing out there, just in practice, it's high-level skill- the way he attacks, the way he can make plays off attacking. He's a special player, and he's a big part of our team, so it's nice to see him back."
Whether it is at even strength or on the power play, the offense should come quickly when these two are on the ice together. It will also slot every other player into spots that are better suited to their ability.
It might feel like an early-season Tuesday night match against an Eastern Conference opponent, but in a lot of ways, it's a new beginning for the Blackhawks and their franchise player.
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The Florida Panthers opened their brief two-game road trip on Monday afternoon in Buffalo, but the game did not go particularly well for the Cats.
Florida fell behind four different times en route to a frustrating 5-3 defeat at KeyBank Center in Downtown Buffalo.
It took less than six minutes for the Sabres to pick up the opening goal, as Josh Doan blocked a Gustav Forsling attempted dump in from the point and quickly transitioned it into a rush chance.
Doan’s wrist shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle beat Jacob Markstrom, who had been brilliant to that point, over the blocker to put the Sabres in front 1-0 at the 5:58 mark.
Florida’s first goal of the game came just over five minutes later and it was the result of some hard work by a pair of Panthers forward lines.
A shift that started with the Cats’ fourth line pinning the Sabres deep in their zone was kept going by the Lundell line, as Florida was able to make a change while still keeping the puck in Buffalo’s end.
Eventually, a point shot by Aaron Ekblad hit Sabres’ goalie Colton Ellis up high, and the rebound bounced to Anton Lundell at the side of the crease. Lundell swept the puck through Ellis’ five-hole, tying the game at one.
A holding penalty called on Dmitry Kulikov allowed Buffalo to re-take the lead, coming off a blast by Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres had been just 1-for-17 on the power play previously.
Not that the Panthers have been any better.
Coming into the game Florida was just 1-for-28 when on the man advantage, but that changed after Owen Zellweger was called for tripping Sam Reinhart early in period number two.
Reinhart proved to be Johnny-on-the-spot, standing next to the goal crease and tapping home Seth Jones’ point shot that had just trickled through Ellis’ pads, tying the game at two.
Panthers tie it up on this Reinhart goal and Brady finally has his first point as a Panther 🔥🚨 pic.twitter.com/PDhPzv6pmi
A few minutes after Ryan McLeod put Buffalo back in front 3-2 on a breakaway, Reinhart picked up his second PPG of the night, this time benefiting off a great, between-the-legs pass by Brady Tkachuk and knotting the score for a third time.
By this point of the game, both teams had replaced their starting goaltenders.
Akira Schmid came out to start the second period for Florida after Markstrom stopped nine of 11 shots during the opening frame, and Buffalo replaced Ellis with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen after Reinhart’s first power play goal.
The third period did not go well for the visitors, as Buffalo picked up another power play goal at the 7:15 mark and then an insurance goal by Tage Thompson 6:05 later.
That 5-3 score is how the game ended, with Florida dropping its second straight game in regulation after picking up points in their first four games of the season.
Now holding a 2-2-2 record, the Panthers won’t have much time to dwell on the defeats.
They’re right back in action on Tuesday night when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Puck drop is set for 6:15 p.m. as the NHL will be holding its annual Frozen Frenzy in which all 32 games play on a staggered schedule.
Photo caption: Oct 12, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Ryan McLeod (71) scores a goal onFloridaPanthersgoaltender Akira Schmid (40) during the second period at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres ruled out captain Rasmus Dahlin returning after he sustained an upper-body injury in the second period against the Florida Panthers on Monday.
The Sabres did not provide any further details in making the announcement. Dahlin's final shift lasted 18 seconds and ended 3:44 into the second period during a Sabres power play.
Dahlin left the ice after going down to one knee upon taking a shot from the slot off a faceoff in the Panthers zone. He collected the rebound along the side board before turning it over, and then headed immediately to the bench.
Dahlin scored his second goal of the season on the power play 15:55 into the first period.
Meantime, Panthers starting goalie Jacob Markstrom did not return for the start of the second period. He allowed two goals on nine shots in the opening 20 minutes and was replaced by Akira Schmid. The Panthers did not have an immediate update on Markstrom's status.
Florida acquired the 36-year-old Markstrom in a trade with New Jersey to be the starter after failing to re-sign Sergei Bobrovsky, who left Florida to sign with Toronto in free agency.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – Dylan
Peterson was stoked to get his best opportunity to try and make the
St. Louis Blues roster out of training camp last month.
So
when the Blues sent the 24-year-old back to Springfield of the
American Hockey League to begin his third season there and not in the
NHL, there was certainly some disappointment but nothing he couldn’t
overcome.
A
strong start earned Peterson, a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL
Draft, a recall on Sunday, and the forward is poised to make his NHL
debut on Tuesday when the Blues (2-2-1) begin a three-game road trip
against the Ottawa Senators (4-1-0).
“So
surreal,” Peterson
said Monday after practice.
“It hadn’t set in until I got here and put the jersey on and went
out there for practice. I’ve wanted to wear the ‘Note’ for six
years since I got picked. It’s a long time to wait, to work, to get
here. I’m full of emotion and I’m so excited.”
Peterson
skated Monday on a fourth line on right wing alongside Pius Suter in
the middle and Ross Johnston on the left wing and judging by all
accounts, he will be in the lineup against the Senators.
“He’s
been playing well down there,” Blues
coach Jim Montgomery said of Peterson.
“He is your prototypical fourth line player. We’re going on the
road here for three game and we think he’s going to add an edge to
our game and more of a fourth-line presence for us.
“He’s
got great speed, he takes puck to the net on the outside, he’s got
a good release. That’s his skill. It’s not going to be in
play-making type areas.”
Peterson
has 25 goals, 22 assists in 115 regular-season games with the
Thunderbirds, a mix of speed and physicality in his tool shed. But no
offense to some of the players that have been put on the fourth line,
but Peterson brings more of what’s needed there, which includes
more of a chip-and-chase game, something Montgomery wants to see.
“That’s
just understanding your role,” Montgomery
said.
“It’s not an easy game to always chip-and-chase, but it’s
always needed.
“If
you look at the good fourth lines in the history of this game that
give a team an identity, we had one two years ago where (Alexey)
Toropchenko,
(Radek)
Faksa
and (Nathan)
Walker
knew exactly what they were and they played north and it just brought
momentum to us every shift.”
Peterson,
who played four years at the prestigious Boston University from
2020-24, has
put in a lot of work and waited an awfully long time to get his
moment, which it looks like is here.
“Worth
it. It’s been worth it, every second,” Peterson
said.
“Playing in the American (Hockey) League the last two years, it’s
not an easy league to play in, but I’ve learned a lot, grown a lot.
I put a lot of work in. To see it come together like this has been
very rewarding.
“As
a player and person, I’ve developed a lot. On the ice I’ve
learned how to manage the game, stand up for my teammates, stick up
for myself. So with all those things, they said go back down there,
put your head down and go to work and that’s what I did and it
didn’t take too long (to get back to the NHL). I’m very grateful
and I’m very blessed.”
A
Roseville, Calif. native, Peterson will be represented by a number of
family and friends, including his parents Vlaine and Angela along
with sisters Justine, Cassandra and Tessa.
“We
just played Laval (Saturday
night) and
a couple minutes after the game, ‘Otter’ came and grabbed me,
pulled me in his office and told me. It was a really special moment,” said Peterson, who also fought in the game Saturday.
“… I’ve got a lot of family. I played in Ottawa quite a bit
growing up. It’s a lot of family and friends and it’s just going
to be really special to share that with them.”
And
should Peterson need some teammate guidance, there are plenty to keep
him guarded.
“He
looked good at camp. He earned the call-up,” Johnston
said of Peterson.
“He did everything he could. He fought, he finished checks. He’s
deserving everything he gets here and hopefully he gets a crack at it
tomorrow. He plays straightforward, physical and if we’re together,
it should be a fun night.
“At
the end of the day, it’s your first NHL game. No matter what I say,
you’re still going to be nervous, and you’re still going to live
off all the adrenaline. You’ve kind of just got to let him figure
it out, let him ride the wave and enjoy the experience. There’s no
sense in filling him with a whole bunch of information and so on. It
only happens once and it only happens once for him and his family.
I’m here if he needs anything; I already told him that, but enjoy
the whole process. It goes by fast.”
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The Senators will look to continue their strong start to the 2026-27 NHL season when they visit the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Monday night.
The Senators (4-1-0) have collected eight of a possible 10 points through their first five games, despite dealing with key injuries to Jake Sanderson, William Eklund, and Artem Zub.
New Jersey (2-2-0), meanwhile, is coming off a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.
Steve Warne talks about the Sens commitment to defensive structure in the first five games.
Monday's game is scheduled for 7 p.m., and much to the chagrin of a lot of Sens fans who don't have the channel, the game will only be available in English on Sportsnet+.
Compounding the frustration for some fans was the fact that Thursday's broadcast of the Sens' home opener was blacked out for them. As they turned on the game against the Flyers, some were greeted by the "not available in your region" message despite the fact they live in Ottawa.
The Sens' most recent outing wasn't a textbook performance, but they still found a way to nab two more points in Saturday's 3-2 shootout victory over the Nashville Predators.
The Senators went more than 22 minutes without registering a shot on goal and trailed 2-0 before Tim Stützle got them on the board with a power-play goal. Drake Batherson then tied the game with just 1:23 remaining in regulation, scoring with Linus Ullmark on the bench for an extra attacker.
Stützle assisted on the equalizer and scored in the shootout, while Shane Pinto supplied the deciding shootout goal. He's been the Sens' most productive player so far, putting up four goals and eight points through five games.
Ullmark has been a major factor in the Sens' defensive success. He has won all four of his decisions and enters Monday with a league-leading .942 save percentage.
The Devils You Know
Unlike the Senators, who are 3 for 24 on the power play, the Devils got their going with three power play goals in Saturday's 4-1 win over Vancouver. Nico Hischier scored twice with the man advantage, including the 200th goal of his NHL career.
Jesper Bratt and Jesper Boqvist also scored for New Jersey, while goaltender Jake Allen stopped 20 of 21 shots in his 500th NHL game.
The Devils had lost their previous two games, 6-0 to the New York Islanders and a 5-3 loss to Utah.
Injury Updates
Defenceman Jake Sanderson missed much of preseason with a nagging injury, and has been shut down completely since suffering a lower body injury nine days ago in the season opener in Toronto. The previous Saturday, Sanderson was also pulled from the preseason finale, so the club is going to be extra cautious this time.
William Eklund is expected to miss an extended period after suffering an ankle injury against Philadelphia on Thursday.
Andre Burakovsky returned to the lineup against Nashville after missing the first four games of the season.
The Senators have also been playing without defenceman Artem Zub, who has yet to make his season debut. Zub is skating in a regular jersey, but since he also suffered a setback in preseason, there will be an abundance of caution there as well.
For the Devils, former Senator Connor Brown has an injury that's listed as a day-to-day thing. Nick Bjugstad has been placed n LTIR with a pectoral injury. And Seamus Casey just had knee surgery and will be out 6-8 weeks.
Lineups
Sens head coach Travis Green has given Fabian Zetterlund a long, early season look at top six duty, but with 0 goals and 2 assists in 5 games, he's going to suit up on the fourth line on Monday night.
Warren Foegele takes his spot on the top two lines on Monday, skating with Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle. Andre Burakovsky, who made his season debut on Saturday, will play with Dylan Cozens and Ridly Greig.
The team has Giroux-Pinto-Amadio listed as the third line, probably out of force of habit, but it's clearly ahead of the Cozens line by a long shot, whether you're measuring by offensive production or two-way play.
Senators on X
With Cam Crotty moving to injured reserve following what the club described as an illness, Hoyt Stanley remains in the lineup. Jorian Donovan was called up on Saturday to act as the seventh D.
Linus Ullmark, riding a perfect 4-0 start, is expected to start in goal against Nico Daws for Jersey. That means Sam Ersson will likely start on Tuesday back in Ottawa.
Past And Present
New Jersey won two of the three meetings between the clubs (2-1-0) during the 2025-26 regular season. Monday's game will be the first of three again this season. They will meet again on December 3 in Ottawa and March 2 in New Jersey.
Both teams will play two games in he next two nights with travel in between.
The Senators will return home to face the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., while the Devils travel to Detroit to face the Red Wings.
The Sens' challenge is to maintain their winning ways and keep banking points, while dealing with injuries and being swamped with a busy early-season schedule.
Game Info
Teams: Ottawa Senators (4-1-0) at New Jersey Devils (2-2-0)
Bedard has yet to play this season because he had shoulder surgery after being injured during offseason training. He was scheduled to be out until early November, but took part in a full-contact practice on Sunday.
Bedard led the Blackhawks with 75 points in 69 games last season, despite missing time with another shoulder injury. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick has topped 200 points over his three NHL seasons and in July signed a five-year, $75 million contract to make him one of the league's highest-paid players.
Without Bedard, the Blackhawks are averaging 2.0 goals per game and are clicking at only 7.1% on the power play. Both rank in the bottom five in the league.
Connor Bedard injury update
Bedard, the Blackhawks' top player, has resumed full-contact practice. He's trending toward returning on Tuesday, Blashill said.
"I feel really good," Bedard told reporters. "I'm excited to keep building and get going here."
Blashill said Bedard should be in a better position than when he returned from last season's shoulder injury.
"He came back last year and had still restrictions on him, with no faceoffs and things like that," the coach said. "I think there's some mental hurdles involved with that. With this one being surgically repaired, it's in a great spot."
Rasmus Dahlin injury update
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin left Monday's game with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day.
Dahlin appeared to be in some discomfort after taking a shot on net. He had scored earlier in the game, giving the Sabres captain two goals and two assists in six games. He's probably ruled out for Tuesday's game, coach Lindy Ruff said.
Florida Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom didn't come out for the second period of the same game. Coach Paul Maurice said the goalie just experienced some tightness.
Matt Duchene injury update
Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene, who has yet to play this season, had core muscle surgery and will miss three months.
The New York Rangers’ offense has looked much improved through the first seven games of the season, but the last thing left to do is unlock Pavel Dorofeyev.
During the offseason, the Rangers went out and acquired Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights and signed him to a seven-year, $77 million contract, with the hopes of adding an elite goalscorer.
Through his two previous seasons in Vegas, Dorofeyev scored 35 and 37 goals, respectively, as he was emerging into one of the more promising young goalscorers in the NHL.
Over his first seven games with the Rangers, the 25-year-old forward has just recorded one goal and three points, not being able to get going despite the team’s recent offensive success.
Dorofeyev may be snake-bitten right now, but he’s certainly generated chances, indicative of his team-leading 21 shots on net.
Throughout training camp and to kick off the season, Dorofeyev played on a line with J.T. Miller and Oliver Bjorkstrand/Tye Kartye.
That line struggled to score goals, but they were matched up against the opposing team’s top lines at certain points, and Mike Sullivan praised the way they were able to generate offense.
“J.T. 's line analytically was strong,” Sullivan said. “They just weren’t scoring goals, but they were generating offense.”
In an effort to try and unlock Dorofeyev’s scoring potential, Mike Sullivan put him on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault, two players who are known for their playmaking abilities.
“Both Mika and Gabe have the ability to see the ice well, and if they get him the puck, potentially he can score goals for us,” Sullivan said.
In his first game playing with Perreault and Zibanejad on Sunday night against the Vancouver Canucks, Dorofeyev took two shots on net, but he failed to record a point.
Dorofeyev also specializes on the power play, with his shot from the flank proving to be one of the most lethal in the NHL, which was directly shown during the 2025-26 season, as he scored 20 power-play goals, ranking him second in the league, only behind Wyatt Johnston.
However, Dorofeyev hasn’t scored a power-play goal for the Rangers, and Sullivan opened the third period of Sunday night’s game with Gabe Perreault on the first power-play unit in place of Dorofeyev.
“I thought Pav was fighting it a little bit, and sometimes players have those nights,” Sullivan said of his decision to take Dorofeyev off the first power-play unit to start the third period against the Canucks. “We thought we'd make a little tweak and see if we could get it going a little bit. Obviously, Gabe was a part of the goal, so we were happy about that. But it was just situationally based on how we thought guys were going throughout the course of the night.”
All elite goalscorers go through hot and cold stretches, and for Dorofeyev, he is just in the midst of a cold stretch.
Sometimes it just takes one puck to go in the net for the floodgates to open, and in Dorofeyev’s case, that might be all he needs to get going.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild (3-1-1) returns home Monday night to face the Vegas Golden Knights (5-1-0), and defenseman Quinn Hughes will look to continue his impressive start to the 2026-27 season.
Hughes has recorded at least one point in each of Minnesota’s first five games, collecting two goals and five assists for seven points. His five-game point streak is tied for the longest active streak among NHL defensemen entering Monday’s action, alongside Wild captain Jared Spurgeon.
The 26-year-old defenseman has been a significant part of Minnesota’s early offensive production, particularly on the power play, where the Wild have converted on 37.5 percent of their opportunities (6-for-16), tied for the second-best mark in the NHL.
Hughes has also taken on an increased workload following Brock Faber’s injury. In Minnesota’s 3-2 overtime loss to Buffalo on Oct. 6, Hughes logged 29:30 of ice time before playing a season-high 32:36 against Tampa Bay two nights later.
Despite the heavy minutes, his offensive production hasn’t slowed down. Hughes recorded a goal and an assist against the Lightning before adding another assist in Minnesota’s 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
Monday’s matchup also presents an opportunity for Hughes to continue his success against Vegas.
In 17 career games against the Golden Knights, Hughes has recorded five goals and 11 assists for 16 points. His 16 points are the third-most among current Wild players against Vegas, trailing Blake Coleman (21) and Joel Eriksson Ek (18).
Beyond his current point streak, Hughes is approaching another significant career milestone.
The former Norris Trophy winner has accumulated 492 points (68 goals, 424 assists) in 512 career NHL games, leaving him just eight points shy of reaching 500.
According to the Wild’s game notes, Hughes could become the second-fastest American-born defenseman in NHL history to reach the milestone, trailing only Brian Leetch, who accomplished the feat in 496 games.
Hughes has already made an impact on Minnesota’s franchise record books. Since making his Wild debut on Dec. 14, 2025, he has collected 53 assists and 60 points in 53 games, ranking second among NHL defensemen in both categories during that span.
His presence has also coincided with an offensive improvement for Minnesota. Since Hughes’ debut, the Wild rank seventh in the NHL in goals per game (3.51) and are tied for second in power-play goals with 47.
With Minnesota looking to extend its three-game winning streak against Vegas, Hughes will once again be counted on to generate offense from the blue line.
And with Faber still sidelined, Hughes’ ability to drive play, create scoring opportunities and contribute on the power play will remain especially important as the Wild face one of the Western Conference’s hottest teams.
Wild vs. Golden Knights — October 12, 2026
Game Information
● Puck drop: 7 p.m. CT
● Location: Grand Casino Arena — St. Paul, Minnesota
● Minnesota Wild: 3-1-1 (7 points)
● Vegas Golden Knights: 5-1-0 (10 points)
● Wild starting goalie: Jesper Wallstedt
● Golden Knights starting goalie: TBD
How to Watch
● TV: Wild+
● Play-by-play: Anthony LaPanta
● Color analyst: Ryan Carter
● Reporter: Kevin Gorg
How to Listen
● Radio: KFAN FM 100.3
● Play-by-play: Joe O’Donnell
● Color analyst: Tom Reid
● Studio host: Kevin Falness
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Despite a winless, rudderless 0-5-2 start that is the worst start to a season in franchise history, the Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly not considering making a coaching change just yet.
On Monday, a day after the Flyers' franchise record-setting seventh loss in a row to begin a campaign, Daily Faceoff NHL insider Anthony Di Marco reported that Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet "isn't in trouble."
"Tocchet's job isn't in trouble, I'm told.
Don't expect an imminent coaching change for PHI," Di Marco posted on his X account.
A coaching change would be a jarring move so early in the season, at least given the context that Tocchet, in his first season at the helm of the Flyers, guided the team to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Although a small group of fans began to rally against Tocchet in the dying minutes of Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, chanting for his firing, viable options to replace the 62-year-old bench boss.
For instance, some of the best available external options with meaningful NHL experience would include former Flyers head coach John Tortorella, Bruce Cassidy, Kris Knoblauch, Jay Woodcroft, and Gerard Gallant, who resigned from the KHL's Shangai Dragons on Jan. 12.
Tortorella can't be considered a legitimate candidate for obvious reasons, and Woodcroft is currently an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks, so that could be a slippery slope, too.
Gallant might be done coaching, which leaves Cassidy, who coached very strong Boston and Vegas teams, and Knoblauch, who has just two full seasons of experience as an NHL head coach with the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard at his disposal.
If the Flyers replaced Tocchet, they'd be on their third head coach in three years. Would Cassidy want to sign up for a floundering team like the Flyers, who look incapable of winning a game? Probably not.
Knoblauch might, but for the Flyers, there's a good chance that ends up being a lateral move at best.
Something can also be said for candidates like Pat Ferschweiler and Jay McKee, but at the end of the day, it's all moot.
Tocchet joined the Flyers on a five-year contract that reportedly pays him $5.25 million a year, and that alone makes it nearly impossible to cut ties with him, especially so soon into just his second year.
Additionally, Trevor Zegras, an integral part of the team's future, expressed his outright support of Tocchet after Sunday night's game, saying he and the Flyers are "fully behind Tocc."
So, while Di Marco's report, combined with the comments from players like Zegras, may come as a disappointment for Flyers fans, the reality is that Tocchet is here to stay for the foreseeable future, and that is the path of least resistance moving forward at the moment.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dallas Stars veteran forward Matt Duchene is expected to miss about three months after the team said Monday that he had surgery to repair a core injury.
Duchene hasn't played in a game this season after dealing in training camp with what had been called a lower-body injury. He was placed on long-term injured reserve after a setback before the season opener, a move that meant he would have to miss at least the first 10 games.
The 35-year-old forward, who has played 17 NHL seasons, will now be out much longer than that.
Duchene had 45 points (16 goals and 29 assists) in 57 games for the Stars last season, his third in Dallas. He previously played for Colorado, Nashville, Ottawa and Columbus after being the third overall pick by the Avalanche in the 2009 draft.
The Colorado Avalanche are reportedly set to lose assistant coach Dave Hakstol, who is finalizing a deal to become the interim head coach of Arizona State’s men’s hockey program, according to reports.
The move would bring an end to Hakstol’s brief tenure in Colorado as the Avalanche continue searching for answers on the power play.
Arizona State spokesperson Jay Thorne toldThe Hockey News via text message that the university expected to announce an interim head coach within the week. Thorne declined to confirm or deny Hakstol’s involvement, though he acknowledged that speculation surrounding the hire was “flying.”
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman also confirmed that the Avalanche granted permission for ASU to speak with Hakstol and negotiations were currently ongoing.
Hakstol, however, was present for Avalanche practice Monday at Family Sports Center.
Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed after practice that the team gave ASU, where Hakstol's son Brenden plays, permission to speak with him, and that nothing has been finalized.
Hakstol joined the Avalanche in July 2025 after Colorado parted ways with Ray Bennett following a seven-game first-round playoff exit against the Dallas Stars, a series that saw Colorado convert three of 21 power play opportunities.
Hakstol was hired to change that. He arrived with considerable NHL experience, including three seasons behind the bench as head coach of the Seattle Kraken, but his time in Colorado has yet to produce the results the organization hoped for.
Before the Olympic break last season, the Colorado Avalanche had the NHL’s worst power play. Although they made significant strides down the stretch of the regular season, their power play faltered again in the playoffs.
Entering this season, head coach Jared Bednar emphasized the need for improvement, pointing to a lack of speed in last year’s power-play units.
The Avalanche offered reason for optimism in their season opener, converting on four power-play opportunities in an explosive 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings. However, that early success has given way to a prolonged drought, as Colorado has gone four consecutive games without a power-play goal, going 0-for-12 over that span.
Hakstol’s potential departure would mark the second coaching shake-up of its kind since Bennett has since joined the New York Islanders, leaving Colorado facing a familiar challenge: finding the right formula to fix a power play that remains a critical piece of its postseason aspirations.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 10: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck in overtime during the game against the Dallas Stars at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 10, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Six games into the season, it’s time to have a conversation about Sidney Crosby and the first line.
The stats are what they are, and they’re not good. Crosby only has two assists on the young season – and no points in the last four games. His play hasn’t been as bad as the lack of stats might look, Crosby was strong in the last game against Dallas where he blocked three shots and also scored a shootout goal. In a positive sign, he has 13 shots on goal at 5v5 on the season and hasn’t yet been rewarded. The numbers haven’t been there lately, and the power play (0-for-12 in the last four games) has also grown cold at an unfortunate time, though Crosby’s lack of elevation on the power play is a contributing cause in that area.
The scene is similar for linemate Rickard Rakell, who like Crosby has no goals and two assists on the season. Rakell only has six 5v5 shots on goal and like Crosby has no points in the last four games and played even quieter at times, quite the departure from the last two seasons when he’s scored 59 total goals and been one of the more consistently dangerous players on the ice. Hasn’t been the case at all this year, Rakell’s been as pedistrian as they come.
The total goals scored with Crosby+Rakell on the ice at full strength is 5-5 right now, and 10-6 without them on it. On one hand, that’s a good sign the rest of the team has been pitching in. On the other hand, the Penguins are bound to struggle when their top line isn’t pulling their weight offensively. That’s been the case for the last five games (2-2-1 record) following the opening night blowout win over the deliciously hapless Philadelphia Flyers. Not much has come easily for the Pens after that, and it doesn’t take any time going down the roster to figure out where that is starting.
For now, the team is not making changes to the top line. It started out with Nick Richardson joining Crosby and Rakell then Bryan Rust took his familiar spot on that line soon after he returned from injury. That trio was in tact at practice on Monday in Pittsburgh, before the team heads out on a challenging road trip out west.
Coach Dan Muse said last week, the placement of wingers for Crosby was more game-to-game based on how the team would be best positioned. Yet the team remains opting for familiarity more than other directions. At the end of last season, Egor Chinakhov spent time on Crosby’s wing. Chinakhov, himself, hasn’t started out hot, with no goals in his last five games and no points in the last four either. Robertson added some energy but also got removed after he lost a puck battle in the defensive zone that directly led to a goal against.
Dan Muse, on the thought process behind reuniting Bryan Rust with Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/zovUmdvXHr
As always, with Sidney Crosby, the takes of overreactions is instant and dramatic. He’s famously scored above a point per game all 21 of his seasons, yet this season has not gotten onto track, so it’s not all without merit. Troublingly, over the first few weeks of the season he’s looked every bit of his 39 years, without a lot of the sharpness, skating and creativity that’s been on display for the last 20+ years.
That presents something to track on this road trip and as the season moves along. What will the best version of the first line look like? Will Crosby get up to speed and find more ways to impact the game? It’d be hard not to, one would think, even though his days in the MVP chase are over. The power play (and Crosby’s performance on it) has to improve and will be another area to watch about Crosby finding ways to make plays and get back on the scoreboard. Is he old and greatly diminished or just starting uncharacteristically slow?
Overall, all this has to be weighed about seeing an all-time great in the winter of their careers. Crosby, after all, entered the season with only 417 games of his career where he didn’t record a point. That pales in comparison to the 517 games he has with multi-point games, so seeing even a couple week stretch or a few games in a row without standing out makes for an uncomfortable adjustment.
For now the Penguins are going back to chemistry and known familiarity (Rakell, Rust) instead of younger options to play with Crosby. Given Crosby’s playing style and the benefits of playing with known quantities, there’s a lot to be said for that approach. The question might become just when and how they decide to mix things up and how much longer it will take to get there.
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In other news: injured defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk was not on the ice for practice Monday. van Riemsdyk is said to be day-to-day, the team only has six defensemen healthy at the start of their trip, barring a move to IR for van Riemsdyk and calling up a defenseman from the AHL.
