SUNRISE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 23: Caleb Jones #82 of the Pittsburg Penguins skates for position against the Florida Panthers at the Amerant Bank Arena on October 23, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Penguins have loaded up on players this offseason, losing a few but gaining even more via trades and free agency. That’s even before getting to their young crop of players from the AHL that have NHL aspirations. That leaves a level of players lost in the shuffle that not too many are penciling into their expected starting lineups right now.
Some or most of this group might hit waivers coming out of training camp but even that won’t close the door on playing in the NHL again. The Penguins dressed 40 different skaters last season for at least one game and the prospects of going deep down the organizational depth chart in the upcoming season remains high. So let’s check in on where some somewhat forgotten players may come in.
Caleb Jones
Jones had a season out of some kind of twisted game of Mad Libs last season. He started out with the Pens, dressing for seven of the first eight games of the season, before he broke an ankle in October to cost him a significant amount of time. When he was rehabbing that issue in the AHL in January, Jones suffered a shoulder injury in the minor leagues. Then he got popped with a performance enhancing violation and suspended for 20 games, which he cited from being involved in his shoulder rehab. In April, once that suspension ended, it was announced Jones would have to undergo a shoulder surgery to address that issue after all. Thus ended one of the more wild and unexpected journeys of a season.
So where does that leave Jones now? The Pens aren’t strong at left defense but they have plenty of options. Jones was said to have a 4-6 month recovery from the April surgery, so he might not even be available for training camp or coming off a normal offseason of training, which surely won’t be helping his cause to win a spot on the roster.
Looking at last season, Jones played seven NHL games and had one assist. That seems like a good over/under for the future. Is he a player that can get healthy and get a stint of games in during the midseason? Sounds like a possibility. Then again, coming off the bum shoulder, he might fade away into being an NHL non-factor. Put this one under ‘might play 0 games, might just play 15-20’ with a reasonable chance of either outcome.
Filip Hallander
Much like Jones, Hallander was a fringe free agent signing last season that found a way onto the opening night lineup, only to miss the majority of last season due to medical reasons. Hallander came out of camp on the Sidney Crosby line, though he performed poorly enough to get demoted after only two games. Hallander still managed to find a spot on a lower line for much of the beginning of the season before a puck striking his leg caused a clot in November. Hallander went through his treatments and even played some AHL rehab games before being shutdown and iced away for the rest of the year without much fanfare or notice about the reasoning behind the decision.
Usually by now, you would think a Swedish media outlet would have a story about Hallander’s current status and outlook for the future, but not much has been said about his current situation. Last year’s stat line of 13 games, one goal and four points presents an interesting setting with an over/under. Could Hallander exceed any of those numbers in 2026-27? At this point it doesn’t look very likely, but those aren’t too high of hurdles to clear. Ideally for Hallander’s sake, his health condition is good and worries are in the rear view mirror so that he can play somewhere. Not sure that will be too much in Pittsburgh and the NHL, but just having a full season of play would be an improvement from last year.
Ryan Graves
Graves is going into season four with the Penguins and at this point there’s no illusions or reasons to dream about a bounce back. There’s no new coach or other situation to help offer any hope that Graves will re-find the form he last had in 2022-23 with the Devils. To make matters worse, 2025-26 was the worst season in Graves’ ignominious stint in Pittsburgh. Graves was waived on two separate occasions last year and only appeared in 22 games – only three of which after December 15th (aside from two of the games at the end of the season when the playoff berth was clinched). Prior to last year he was struggling but at least a fairly regular member of the team before taking a turn far away from that status.
That makes Graves in 2026-27 into an interesting footnote. Will Graves remain on the NHL roster? Will he get waived again? He still has three seasons left on his contract, and it doesn’t look like the team is going to find a way to part with him. It could make for another awkward season of sending an NHL-sized salary down to the minor leagues. At this point it’s hard to see Graves matching the 22 NHL games he played last season, though stranger things have happened than to imagine a situation where due to injuries to others that he might find himself playing for the Penguins at times once again this year.
Joel Blomqvist
Last year’s third string goalie in the organization played five NHL games. Would you go over or under 5.5 games this upcoming year for Blomqvist, who most figure will be in that spot as the third goalie this year? It’s an interesting question. From coaches to management and fans, all are certainly hoping and expecting big things from Sergei Murashov next year. He’s also a 22-year old goalie who still needs to prove he is an NHL goalie. From Devon Levi to Spencer Knight and Yaroslav Askarov, there are certainly plenty of examples for top young goalies not always making nice steady, smooth incremental steps in their developments. Blomqvist and Murashov both can be assigned to the AHL without needing waivers in 2026-27, the Penguins won’t want to yo-yo goalies back and forth from Wilkes if they can help it, but circumstances might dictate that Murashov needs more AHL time. There could also be an injury to an NHL goalie that opens the door for Blomqvist to get an opportunity for NHL appearances, it would be rare for two goalies to both remain healthy over a long season.
There’s a chance and scenario where Blomqvist plays as much in the NHL in 2026-27 as he did in 2025-26 (which is to say, no games). He himself has been the injured goalie at times in recent years, so injury fate would have to break in his favor. Seeing Blomqvist in the NHL isn’t a pleasant thought due to the underlying cause likely being that Murashov or Arturs Silovs is either hurt or not playing well, though it isn’t outside of the range of possibilities that Blomqvist could have the chance for some sort of role in the Pens’ season this year.
On Thursday afternoon, the NHL announced schedules for all 32 teams, giving Calgary Flames fans a chance to look ahead to the 2026-27 season, which will feature 84 games and, of course, the final year of professional hockey at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Earlier on Wednesday, the NHL announced that the Seattle Kraken would be the opponent for the final home opener. With the latest schedule revelation, barring a playoff run, the Vancouver Canucks will be the last visiting team to skate on Saddledome ice.
Of course, those are just two of many games the Flames will battle through between October and April, so today we wanted to give fans a handful of games to circle on their calendars in the coming weeks and months.
5 Biggest Games on the Flames' 2026-27 Schedule
5. October 22, 2026 vs Minnesota Wild
Former Flames forward and alternate captain Blake Coleman will not have long to wait before returning to the Saddledome, as his new team, the Minnesota Wild, visits on October 22. During his five seasons in red, Coleman, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, scored 99 goals and 199 points, serving as a veteran voice for the young prospects now in the lineup. At just 34, he's got another year left on his current deal and will be part of a contender in Minnesota.
4. December 5, 2026 vs Washington Capitals
At first glance, no one would notice or care much that the Washington Capitals were visiting the Saddledome. But with the NHL's all-time goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin, playing another season, his 22nd, this could be one last hurrah for fans to see one of the game's greatest. Surprisingly, only nine of Ovechkin's 929 career goals have come in The Dome, with his first occurring in 2010 and his latest on January 23, 2026.
3. October 1, 2026 vs Seattle Kraken
Obviously, the Flames organization will go out of its way to ensure the ceremonies surrounding the team's final home opener at the Saddledome are special. Although many on social media disagree that the Seattle Kraken will be the visiting team on opening night, the NHL's newest team gets to be a part of history as Calgary ushers in the final season of its 43-year-old building. Surprisingly, Seattle boasts a 5-3-1 record at the Saddledome.
2. March 23, 2027 vs Edmonton Oilers
Of course, any Flames matchup against their provincial rival, the Edmonton Oilers, will be special in 2026-27. Despite each franchise going in opposite directions in the standings, these two have hosted legendary battles on Saddledome ice over the decades. This year, the Oilers, along with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, will make their final appearances at The Dome on March 3 and March 23, 2027, marking the end of an era in the Battle of Alberta until the teams relocate to Scotia Place across the street.
1. April 10, 2027 vs Vancouver Canucks
Besides the longtime rivalry with the Oilers, there's one other Western Canadian team that the Flames have gone to war with for decades, the Canucks. Whether in the regular season or the playoffs, the rivalry runs deep, making Vancouver a fitting opponent for the Saddledome's final game. Historically, the Canucks have struggled in Calgary, posting a 44-68-10-2 record in 124 games. The Flames welcome Vancouver to town for a Boxing Day matchup before the season finale on April 10, 2027.
Which Flames games are you most looking forward to this season, let us know in the comments.
While the Penguins acquired him at the beginning of the month as an RFA, he signed a new contract with Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The 24-year-old inked a two-year contract at $3.25 million per season. This is the longest contract Robertson has had in his NHL career since his entry-level deal.
As a guest on TSN's OverDrive, Robertson revealed how important it was for him to get some term on this latest deal.
"For my full time playing in the NHL, I've yet to have another season under contract," he said. "That was a really big focus for me, was to get some term and to settle in and give me time to get some runway in Pittsburgh. I'm happy the way it turned out. I'm really excited."
Across 234 appearances for Toronto, he averaged 11:52 of ice time during his tenure and logged a career-high average of 12:40 this past year. Despite his limited ice time, he's shown great promise, particularly in the department of scoring goals, including 16 tallies and 32 points in 2025-26.
Even with the lack of playing time and a true opportunity to play in the team's top six, Robertson took away a positive learning experience from his time with the Leafs.
"Always be ready," Robertson said of what he learned. "Toronto had such a talented team… and I had to be on my game all the time, whether that was with (Craig Berube) or (Sheldon Keefe).
"But I think it's always a blessing in disguise because you can't get complacent. Whether you're up and down the lineup, you got to work your way to either get up in the lineup or to stay there," he added.
Of course, with signing his new deal recently and avoiding arbitration, he's met with Penguins GM Kyle Dubas, whom he knew from his days with the Leafs, and drafted him with the 53rd pick in the 2019 draft.
Robertson shared what his first interactions were like with Dubas, meeting his new coach, Dan Muse, and the message they portrayed to him about joining the team.
"I had a great conversation with Muse and Kyle, and basically the message was, it's a new opportunity, a change of scenery," he said.
He also pointed out that recently there have been other players who have made a stop in Pittsburgh in a move that was a change of scenery and were able to have some success.
A recent example of that would be Anthony Mantha. Mantha signed a one-year contract with the Penguins ahead of this past season, and he went from a player who missed plenty of time the year prior with injury but also didn't produce strong production.
But after his one season in Pittsburgh, he marked the best campaign of his 11-year NHL career. Mantha scored 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games in 2025-26. That campaign earned the veteran right winger a two-year contract with the New Jersey Devilsat $4.75 million per year.
Ultimately, Robertson is looking to replicate that type of success with his new team.
"My job is to go in and be ready, so I look forward to that," he said.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Chicago Blackhawks have many young forwards who they will be hoping can hit a new level for them next season. Ryan Greene is among them, as the 22-year-old forward has the potential to become a big part of the Blackhawks' roster.
Greene just completed his rookie season in 2025-26 and showed good promise during it. In 81 games on the year, he posted 12 goals, 17 assists, and 29 points. Overall, it was a solid start to his NHL career, and the 2022 second-round pick will now be looking to reach new heights for the Blackhawks during the 2026-27 season.
If Greene can hit the 20-goal and 40-point marks next season, it would be good news for a Blackhawks club that is looking to take that next step and compete for a playoff spot. It would also be significant for the Blackhawks if Greene continues to take steps forward with his solid two-way play.
Ultimately, there is a lot to like about Greene's game. It is going to be interesting to see what kind of season he can put together for the Original Six club in 2026-27 from here.
Goaltending is arguably the most important position in hockey, and every successful team likely has a goaltender or two who performs well.
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, they've made some changes in the crease this off-season, across a few different transactions by GM John Chayka.
It's not just the NHL tandem that has seen a shift going into the 2026-27 season, but the team's goaltending youth and depth have seen some change as well. After these adjustments in Chayka's first summer as the Leafs' GM, where does Toronto's goalie blueprint stand against the others in the Atlantic Division?
Off-Season Subtractions And Additions
With Chayka's first trade as the GM of the Maple Leafs, he made a deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. That trade saw defenseman Simon Benoit and goaltender Joseph Woll sent away in exchange for goaltender Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae and a 2026 third-round pick.
They did get Ersson in return to fill the void of Woll, but Ersson hasn't performed well in the NHL so far, posting an .870 save percentage and a 3.12 goals-against average this past year. In the end, Ersson was traded to the Ottawa Senators for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 draft.
Toronto wasn't done making moves in the crease there, as later that day, the Leafs traded Dennis Hildeby to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Hildeby, 24, was showing great promise with the Maple Leafs and with the AHL's Toronto Marlies. In 20 NHL appearances, the Swede registered a 2.86 GAA, a .914 SP, and earned his first career shutout against the Lightning in December of the past season.
Moving the young 6-foot-7 goaltender was a sacrifice to continue to improve the team's forward group, as they acquired Nick Paul from Tampa in that trade.
There are some superstar goaltenders in the Atlantic Division that the Leafs will need to face. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jeremy Swayman of the Lightning and Boston Bruins, respectively, were finalists for the Vezina Trophy this past season, with the Bolts netminder taking home the trophy.
Nonetheless, Toronto's tandem isn't anything to be dismissive of, with a total of three Stanley Cups between Bobrovsky and Stolarz. Not to mention, Bobrovsky has two Vezina Trophies himself, and while Stolarz has an injury-plagued history, he's also shown signs of being an excellent goaltender, with the 2024-25 campaign being a prime example of that.
A few teams that the Leafs certainly have the goaltending edge over are the Senators, the Detroit Red Wings and the Buffalo Sabres.
The Senators do have a Vezina-Trophy-winning netminder in Linus Ullmark, but since he won that award in Boston, he hasn't been the same since arriving in Ottawa.
This past year was Ullmark's worst campaign yet of his NHL career. He recorded a 2.73 GAA and an .891 SP.
To Ullmark's credit, he had an excellent post-season in Ottawa's first-round matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, putting up a .932 SP and a 2.03 GAA. However, he wasn't able to earn a victory.
Now, going into the new campaign, his supporting tandem member is going to be Ersson, or Leevi Merilainen, who also struggled in 2025-26 with a .860 SP and a 3.51 GAA in 20 games.
Detroit will be rolling with John Gibson and Daniil Tarasov next season.
Gibson was a star goaltender earlier in his career, but lately he's fallen into the category of an average starter.
He's still a solid netminder, but isn't so much a game-changer for his team, putting up a .901 SP this past year. The Red Wings also show no signs of improving the roster, particularly the back end to support their goaltenders.
Tarasov spent the past year as a backup to Bobrovsky with the Panthers, earning an .895 SP. It's hard to see this tandem thrive in this division and with the roster in front of them.
For Buffalo, their goaltending has been slightly chaotic to a certain degree lately. The big name in the Sabres' crease is 27-year-old Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who was great in the regular season with a .910 SP. However, that was only across 35 appearances.
Then, there's Alex Lyon, who played 36 games and recorded a .907 SP. And to finish the trio, Colten Ellis, who debuted in the NHL this past year, put up a .903 SP in his first 16 appearances of his NHL career.
A three-goalie tandem isn't typically the greatest method, nor do any of these three names scare an opponent on the scouting report.
Luukkonen is the best goaltender on Buffalo's list, given the fact that he has posted a pair of campaigns with a .910 SP. But he does lack the consistency of being a true star or elite No. 1 goaltender.
Moving on to the other clubs in the Atlantic, Toronto has a case to make against any goalie tandem in the division.
The next team that the Maple Leafs could hang around with in the crease is the Montreal Canadiens and their duo of Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler. Although Samuel Montembeault is on the roster, he sits behind the other two goalies on the depth chart and wasn't particularly impressive in 2025-26.
There's no doubt that Dobes had some heroic and unforgettable moments for the Habs in their most recent playoff run. But the truth is, the Czech goaltender isn't all that consistent between the pipes.
Even with him being the highlight for multiple Montreal victories in the 2026 post-season, he posted a .908 SP, with half of his appearances in the playoffs finishing under a .900 SP.
Not much can be said about Fowler, as he made his NHL debut just this past year. He performed well, posting a .908 SP in 17 NHL contests, but that's not enough to change the overall perspective on where the Canadiens' tandem stands in the Atlantic.
With the experience and proven numbers from recent seasons, Toronto's netminders can be trusted more going into 2026-27.
It's hard to compete with the Panthers in any category, but when it comes to their new-look tandem, the Maple Leafs could have the edge over them, too.
They lost Bobrovsky and replaced him with Jacob Markstrom in a trade with the New Jersey Devils. Lately, Markstrom hasn't been great as a starting goaltender, with his past four seasons finishing with a .905 SP or worse.
Indeed, Bobrovsky is at an age where a dip in performance would be expected, and that happened in 2025-26, but replacing him with Markstrom doesn't guarantee improvement in goal.
Next to Markstrom will be Akira Schmid as the backup goaltender, and he is exactly that and nothing more. Schmid played 34 games for the Vegas Golden Knights this past year and posted an .893 SP. The 26-year-old also has just 82 games played in his NHL career.
It doesn't take much of an argument to understand that the Leafs should have the edge over the Cats when it comes to goaltending.
For the final two teams remaining, Boston and Tampa Bay, it's tough to say Toronto has better goaltending than they do, simply because of the No. 1s they both possess. Swayman and Vasilevskiy are two of the best goalies in the NHL.
But where the Maple Leafs can make an argument is about the depth they have in the crease between those two franchises.
With the Bruins, behind Swayman is Michael DiPietro, with Joonas Korpisalo being shipped to the New York Rangers this summer.
It's been a long time coming for DiPietro, as a 27-year-old, and he is finally projected to have a regular NHL role next season. In four separate campaigns, he's made a total of four appearances, and only in two did he feature for the whole contest.
He's spent most of his time in the AHL, and to his credit, he has dominated at that level. This past year, he recorded a .930 SP and a 1.91 GAA in 45 contests. So his jump to the NHL is deserved, but there isn't much sample size to base how he'll perform at this next level.
Similar can be said about Tampa and Hildeby. Though Hildeby has stepped up for Toronto in the NHL before, he's in a different and unfamiliar environment, with just 26 games played at this level.
So while the Leafs don't have a Swayman or Vasilevskiy, at least, going off of how the past season went, the depth is what really gives them a boost among their divisional peers.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Now that the NHL schedule has been released, fans can start planning which games they’d like to attend and find out when interesting foes are dropping by. Here are five occasions Montreal Canadiens’ fans should consider putting on their calendar.
Home Opener
It’s always a treat to be amongst the first 21,000 people to see the Canadiens’ new opening montage and the light effects. This year, as a bonus, fans will also get an Eastern Conference Final rematch since Rod Brind’Amour and his Carolina Hurricanes will be in town to kick off the Bell Center’s season on October 6.
The Big Return
I’ll admit it, as soon as I saw the schedule I looked for one game: Brendan Gallagher’s homecoming. Fans will have to be patient for that one. The Habs will face the Vancouver Canucks on February 1, but that will be in British Columbia. Gallagher’s new team will only come to Montreal on March 6. Fingers crossed that the veteran hasn’t been traded to a contender by then; it would be a shame if fans didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. The trade deadline is on March 8, 2027; hopefully Gallagher will be fit as a fiddle and still play for Canucks.
Un coéquipier sans pareil et notre éternel guerrier. Merci à Brendan Gallagher pour tout ce qu’il a fait pour la ville de Montréal, tant sur la glace qu’à l’extérieur, et on lui souhaite le meilleur à Vancouver ❤️
Normally around Christmas and the New Year, it’s impossible to catch a game at the Bell Centre because the Canadiens are always on the road. Not this year. Forget about Disney on Ice; this time around, the Habs will be hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs on Boxing Day and the Dallas Stars on December 27- talk about a great present idea.
Ringing In The New Year
In recent years, the Canadiens have played on New Year's Eve either at 5:00 PM or 7:00 PM; this year, you won’t have to fight with your family for the remote if they want to watch the end-of-year TV specials. The Habs will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at 2:00 PM on December 31st in Florida.
The Final Countdown
If there’s a tight race to the finish, whether it’s for the playoffs or for the right spot in the standings, the end of the season could be very exciting for the Canadiens, who will play their last three games against divisional rivals and on the road. They’ll take on the Florida Panthers on April 6, the Lightning on April 8, and the Ottawa Senators on April 10.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 27: Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins prepares to take the ice against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Five of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 27, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
“Mantha is coming off a career season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, totaling 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games. He is due to regress from those numbers, but he should still be a productive winger for the Devils. Let’s look at what he offers and why the Devils should be a better team with him, even though regression is likely next season.” [Devils on the Rush]
“The New Jersey Devils today announced that the club has named Leo Luongo Director of Goaltending while adding Ted Donato and AJ MacLean as assistant coaches and Dan Stewart as a goaltending coach to complete Sheldon Keefe’s coaching staff.” [Devils NHL]
In a major development, the Red Wings announce Steve Yzerman is stepping down as the team’s head of Hockey Operations and becoming an advisor to Chris Ilitch.
“While there are still some interesting names out there, we’ve reached the point of the offseason where player movement slows to a crawl. Some things can still change, but a majority of teams are what they are at this point — for better or worse. That makes it a good time to check in on which teams improved (or declined) the most this summer.” [The Athletic ($)]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
Apr 4, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Connor McMichael (24) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Connor McMichael has signed a six-year, $40.5 million contract with the St. Louis Blues.
General manager Alex Steen, who took over the job from Doug Armstrong on July 1, announced the deal Thursday. McMichael will count $6.75 million against the salary cap through the 2031-32 NHL season.
McMichael joined the team as part of the return from the Washington Capitals in the Jordan Kyrou trade last month. St. Louis also got a first-round pick and prospect Milton Gastrin.
This long-term contract more than triples McMichael’s salary after he made $2.1 million each of the past two seasons.
The 25-year-old forward is coming off setting a career high with 32 assists and also scoring 14 goals in 78 games with the Capitals. He has 162 points in 333 regular season and playoff games since making his debut in the league in 2021 after getting taken with the 25th pick in the 2019 draft.
Even if the news doesn't come as a surprise, the Pittsburgh Penguins officially terminated the longest-standing ECHL affiliation in the NHL.
On Thursday, the Penguins announced that they ended their 29-year affiliation with the Wheeling Nailers and subsequently named the Florida Everblades as their new ECHL squad. The news comes a few weeks after the Penguins sale to the Hoffmann Family of Companies became official, when they publicly shared their intention to switch the affiliation to their already-owned franchise in the Everblades.
The Nailers are now without an NHL parent club, while the Everblades were not affiliated with an NHL team at the time of the switch.
The Pittsburgh Penguins announce end to long and successful ECHL affiliation agreement with the Wheeling Nailers. pic.twitter.com/i4QigXbJWO
Wheeling first became the affiliate of the Penguins in 1996, and since then, it helped develop multiple NHL players as well as several top prospects, including goaltender Sergei Murashov, defenseman Finn Harding, and forwards Avery Hayes and Atley Calvert currently. Pittsburgh has long-considered its ECHL affiliate to be a developmental league, and that has only become more true under the current front office regime under president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas.
But, despite the developmental angle, Wheeling's proximity to Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (the organization's AHL affiliate), and the relatively small but cult following Wheeling has, the Hoffmann family made it clear from the jump that Florida was always the endgame.
The Everblades have been a highly successful ECHL franchise in recent years, as they have won four of the past five Kelly Cup championships, including the 2026 title over the Kansas City Mavericks. They have won more Kelly Cup Championships than any team in ECHL history with five.
Any player in the Penguins' organization signed to an NHL or an AHL contract can now be assigned to the ECHL affiliate in Florida, if eligible as far as contract terms. Any player signed to ECHL agreements will remain with their current club, meaning any ECHL-signed Penguins' prospect will remain in Wheeling.
Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) and New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) battle for the puck.
Trevor Zegras is getting rewarded for a career season.
Zegras inked a four-year deal to stay in Philadelphia, the team announced Wednesday.
The 25-year-old center, who spent the first five years of his career with the Ducks before getting traded to the Philadelphia last offseason, will earn $36.5 million ($9.125 million average annual value) to become the Flyers’ highest-paid player.
The center was a restricted free agent who had filed for arbitration, which can now be avoided.
Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras looks on. AP Photo/Chris Szagola
“We’re thrilled to have Trevor committed to our organization for the next four years,” Flyers general manager Danny Briere said in a statement. “The growth he showed this past season, proving that he is the skilled player he entered the league as, reinforced our belief that he will be an impact player for the Flyers for the years to come. He’s the type of player who can help take our team to the next level, and we’re excited to continue building alongside him.”
Zegras, the ninth pick in the 2019 draft, scored 67 goals and tallied 119 assists in five years with the Ducks before joining the Flyers.
In his first season with Philly, he scored a career-high 26 goals while adding 41 assists, which was one shy of his career best set in 2022-23.
In eight playoff games, Zegras notched two goals with four assists.
In addition to locking up their core after an overachieving season, Briere has focused on retaining veterans, as he’s signed goalie Dan Vladar and right wing Tyson Foerster to extensions this offseason.
Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) and New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) battle for the puck. Noah K. Murray for NY Post
But Anaheim matched it and made him the league’s highest-paid center at $18 million AAV.
The Flyers are coming off a resurgent 2025-26 season in which they made the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and won a first-round series against the rival Penguins.
On Thursday, the Vegas Golden Knights released the schedule for the 2026-27 regular season, which will have 84 games after a shortened preseason. The regular season begins on September 29th at home against the Chicago Blackhawks and ends on April 10th at home against the Los Angeles Kings.
Every game is important in its own right, but certain ones certainly stand out for their narratives and entertainment value. So, without further ado, here are the five biggest matchups for the Golden Knights during the 2026-27 regular season.
December 21st @ Carolina Hurricanes
Every year, as soon as the NHL releases the regular season schedule, neutral fans scramble to circle the rematch of the most recent Stanley Cup Final. After a truly dominant run to the Stanley Cup Final, the Golden Knights exited the postseason with a whimper on the back of a 22-save shutout from Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi. They’re desperate to get the taste of defeat out of their mouths, and this is the first chance to do so.
While winning the rematch won’t fully erase the sting of defeat, it might be critical to do so to set the tone for the new season. There’s no question that the Golden Knights will give this game everything they’ve got, and the Hurricanes will as well.
January 2nd vs Colorado Avalanche
While the Stanley Cup Final rematch promises emotional fireworks, it’s possible that the Western Conference Final rematch could threaten to steal the spotlight in terms of entertainment. And how could it not, after what the Golden Knights did to the Avalanche during those six days in late May? Make no mistake, the Golden Knights thoroughly embarrassed the Avalanche, and their opponent will likely be out for blood.
The Avalanche are a high-flying offensive team, and after getting shut down for four straight games, they’ll be chomping at the bit to prove it. And, hey, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are always worth the price of admission. This has the potential to be one of the best matchups of the season.
February 15th vs Detroit Red Wings
The Golden Knights will host several return games during the 2026-27 regular season, but two will stand out from the rest in terms of emotional impact. The first return game will be for Keegan Kolesar, a fan favorite known for his physicality, who was traded to the Red Wings at the start of the offseason.
Kolesar embraced the Las Vegas community, and they embraced him right back. He’s sure to get a warm welcome from the fans in T-Mobile Arena ahead of what will be an emotional game.
February 19th @ Dallas Stars
Few things are more compelling than an outdoor hockey game. The actual hockey itself is often quite sloppy because of the weather conditions, but we love these outdoor games anyway because of the spectacle they offer. The two teams walk out in themed outfits, there’s usually a musical entertainer, and nothing makes athletes happier than an opportunity to take the game back to the way they played it as kids.
On February 19th, the Golden Knights will play their second outdoor game— and first Stadium Series game— in franchise history against the Dallas Stars at AT&T Stadium. They already used the Elvis outfit back at the 2024 Winter Classic against the Seattle Kraken, so it’s anybody’s guess what they’ll walk out in this year.
March 13th vs New York Rangers
The second and final return game of the season features a rare home-grown talent: Pavel Dorofeyev. Vegas selected Dorofeyev in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, and he developed into a dangerous scoring winger. But all good things come to an end– because they couldn’t afford his looming payday, the Golden Knights traded the pending Restricted Free Agent to the New York Rangers during the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Because they prioritize staying in win-now mode, the Golden Knights haven’t made many draft picks and have hit on very few of them. Dorofeyev was perhaps their greatest success story, as he led the team in goals for the past two seasons. Hockey is a business, and there are no hard feelings between the two parties, but the two-time 35-goal scorer’s return game is sure to include some fireworks.
There's no midseason international tournament, but the All-Star Game will return and have an international theme.
There will be 84 games, not 82, to create a balanced division schedule, and the season will start on Sept. 29 instead of early October. There will be fewer preseason games, always a plus.
The opening game will be a good one with the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes raising the banner before playing the 2024 and 2025 champion Florida Panthers.
Here are some of the winners and losers of the NHL's 2026-27 schedule release:
WINNERS
Washington Capitals fans
The NHL has a nice sense of symmetry this year. The Capitals play their home opener against the rival Pittsburgh Penguins and their home finale against the same team. That's two more times to watch the Alex Ovechkin-Sidney Crosby matchup if Ovechkin doesn't play beyond this season. This is also the final year of Crosby's contract.
The season finale
All 32 teams will play on the season finale on April 10 − the second 16-game day in 2026-27. It's heavily division-oriented, so final playoff spots could be determined during the busy schedule.
European NHL fans
The NHL is increasing the number of Monday afternoon games so they can be watched in prime time in Europe and build the audience there. There will be two games in Finland (Hurricanes vs. Kraken) and Germany (Senators vs. Blackhawks). Finnish fans get to see countrymen Sebastian Aho and Kaapo Kakko, and German fans get to see Tim Stutzle.
Brady Tkachuk
The Florida Panthers offseason acquisition gets a great first test against the Hurricanes on opening night. Does he fight playoff MVP Jordan Staal as he did with the Ottawa Senators at the start of the playoffs? Plus, Tkachuk gets his return to Ottawa out of the way early with an Oct. 21 game.
LOSERS
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks weren't going to be a playoff team and even less so with Connor Bedard out for all of October and into November after shoulder surgery. But the schedule makers did them no favors. They face 12 playoff teams through the first week of November, including two meetings with the Hurricanes. Among the non-playoffs teams are two meetings with the recent champion Panthers.
Winter Classic timing
The Colorado Avalanche visiting the Utah Mammoth, good. Beautiful setting, good. New Year's Eve, meh. At least the game starts at 4 p.m. local time, so the Wasatch mountains will be visible before the 5:09 p.m. sunset.
Calgary Flames fans
Remember the symmetry for Capitals fans? NHL schedule makers didn't do that in Calgary. This is the final season for the Saddledome. The final regular season opponent is the Vancouver Canucks, not the archrival Edmonton Oilers.
NHL shares the spotlight
There wasn't much time to digest the NHL schedule before Major League Baseball said its 2027 season would start on March 24. That assuming, of course, that they get a collective bargaining agreement done in time.
When he coached the Pittsburgh Penguins, Dan Bylsma regularly referred to Evgeni Malkin as the smartest guy in the room. On this night, he was probably also the happiest. And that’s saying something because it was a very big room. There was Yevgeni Vladimirovich Malkin, son of a steelworker from working-class Magnitogorsk, standing at center ice of Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, basking in the glow of winning his third career Stanley Cup and the Penguins’ second straight, cementing the team’s and the player’s places in the annals of the game.
He had a cut across the bridge of his nose that was leaking slowly, not a battle scar but an accidental nick from a teammate’s visor that hit him during the celebration, a touch ironic considering Malkin was the postseason leader in penalty minutes. He didn’t have it moments before when he was jumping around like a little kid on the bench with Phil Kessel to celebrate Carl Hagelin’s empty-net goal. “It’s like, it’s crazy, you know,” Malkin said. “It’s not a penalty for sure.”
Then, like Adrian did in the first Rocky movie, Anna Kasterova made her way through the mass of humanity and jumped into her husband’s arms. He twirled her around on his skates and they kissed. But this wasn’t one of those ‘we-did-itand- look-how-happy-we-are’ pecks for public consumption. No, Kasterova took her husband’s sweaty, bearded face in her hands and the two of them went all Bogie and Bacall. It was the kind of kiss that makes people start looking down at their shoes after a while, the type of PDA (Public Display of Affection) that makes someone want to wisecrack, “Hey, get a room!”
The record shows Malkin received only three first-place votes for the 2017 Conn Smythe Trophy, despite being the playoff scoring leader, once again usurped by the omnipresent Sidney Crosby, who unseated Malkin by putting the Penguins on his back in the last two games of the Stanley Cup final. Until then, it looked as though Malkin was going to win his second Conn Smythe and become only the second player in history to go at least seven years between being named playoff MVP, joining Patrick Roy. After the game, the Penguins were talking about Crosby earning his place as one of the greatest NHL players of all-time (more on that on page 66). Malkin, meanwhile, couldn’t even get his name on the league’s list of the top 100 players of all-time earlier this season.
We’re going to assume he was No. 101. We’re also going to assume it doesn’t bother him in the least. As teammate Ian Cole said, “Do I think he’s broken up over it? No. I don’t think he’s constantly going home and crying himself to sleep that he wasn’t part of the top 100.”
Looking at Malkin that night in Nashville, beaming with his beautiful wife, you’d have to think the lack of recognition was the furthest thing from his mind. Nobody looked happier than he did. A lot of people in Pittsburgh were upset he wasn’t on the NHL’s top 100 list, but he wasn’t one of them. As he said on Media Day before the Stanley Cup final, in what was probably the longest interview of his career, “No, I don’t care. My record is Cups.”
And now he has three of ’em, the third as part of the first team to win two in a row in the salary cap era. Add that to his Calder Trophy – something Crosby never won – a Hart Trophy, two Art Ross Trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy, and you have a player who has managed to carve out his legacy while skating in the shadow of one of the greatest players ever. Perhaps that’s why Malkin was so happy standing there at center ice in Nashville. But maybe it was because the 30-year-old was looking at his life and realizing things may never be better than they were at that precise moment. Since May of last year, he has won two Stanley Cups, become a father for the first time and married the woman he fell in love with after seeing her on TV. “He’s a very romantic man,” said Kasterova with the help of an interpreter, “and he loves me very much.”
It was five years ago that Malkin was watching television in Moscow during the off-season and was instantly smitten by the woman doing sports. He frantically began his quest to find her, including getting in touch with every Russian journalist he knew in an effort to get her phone number. “He see me on television and, ‘Wow!’ ” Kasterova said. “He text me and say, ‘I’m Malkin, can I text you maybe sometimes because you’re very nice.’ For two years we text as friends, and after two years we are together.”
They went on their first date to a sushi restaurant in Moscow and fell in love almost instantly. And now with Nikita, they are three. When he talks about his son, you can see the pride on Malkin’s face, and Kasterova lauds him for being a loving and caring father. For all he’s done in the game, Malkin wants to make sure he does right by his children. Fatherhood has been a life-changing experience for him. He kisses his boy every day before he goes to the rink and takes an immense amount of joy in his son’s milestones, proudly declaring Nikita recently learned to walk.
“This year I go out zero times,” Malkin said. “I stay home and when we have an extra day in New York, I tell coach, ‘Let’s go home.’ I was so excited when my wife was pregnant. I can’t wait to see my son and now I want more. He’s not my last for sure. I try to be good dad, not just good hockey dad. Hockey life is short, like 20 years, but after it’s, like, be a good dad.”
Until then, though, Malkin will try to be a good NHL player, too. He has at least five more years to do so before his current contract expires. By that time he’ll be 35, and he’ll have made slightly more than $131 million. The Hall of Fame will wait three more years for him if that’s when he decides to retire. He’ll have more babies by then, and maybe one or two more Cups, as well as a few more individual honors. Who knows? He may even have made his way into the top 100 players of alltime by then. But even if none of that happens, Malkin has built a legacy in Pittsburgh behind Crosby, forming a 1-2 punch at center that rivals Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.
“I really believe in just my time here with both guys, they’ve grown to be appreciative for one another and how they help each other have success and this team,” said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. “And so when there are nights when maybe Sid might not have his ‘A’ game, that Geno steps up and helps this team win, and vice versa. There are other nights where Geno might not have his ‘A’ game and Sid steps up and makes a big play to help this team win. They’re two players of a very select few in the league that singlehandedly have an ability to change the outcomes of games. That’s how good they are. I think I termed it a 1-2 punch maybe, but it’s really a 1 and 1A. These guys, they’re elite players. They’re great people, and I don’t know that you could find two better people to build a team around than these two guys.”
Like those other great tandems, Malkin and Crosby are two entirely different players, but they complement each other perfectly. If Malkin harbors any resentment from the lack of recognition he gets because of Crosby, there’s no indication of it. In fact, you could argue that as Crosby sits at his stall after every practice and game and handles the crush of questions with aplomb and patience, he’s actually helping Malkin, who gets to go about his business quietly and without distraction. He can go out to the back and work on his sticks with a smile on his face and not a care in the world. If Malkin were the alpha dog somewhere else, that wouldn’t be the case.
“I don’t want to be like No. 1 in Carolina or something,” Malkin said. “I feel like the guy here, too. I come to a restaurant and people want to shake hands and it’s fun for me. I sign a big deal here because I feel we can win every year here. I want to play with Sid a long time. It’s good competition between me and Sid. Sid score, I want to score, too. Sid score one more, I want to score one more, too. Sid score a hat trick, I stop.”
Everyone got a good laugh out of that one. Malkin is a funny, engaging guy, as he proved on Media Day, taking questions for nearly half an hour and discussing everything from hockey to fatherhood to dealing with people throwing octopi and catfish on the ice. Sitting over at the next pod, Crosby took notice, saying it was nice to see Malkin under the spotlight for a change.
“He does a pretty good job of staying away,” Crosby said. “He and Phil (Kessel) usually throw it on me and on my stall and head out of there. You guys probably fired him up with some good questions, and I’m sure he loved it.”
When Bylsma was coaching in Pittsburgh, he got to see that dynamic closer than anyone. He’d watch as he gave instructions, and it’d look as though Malkin wasn’t paying attention. Bylsma would then test him, asking what should be done in a specific situation, and Malkin would answer perfectly every time. He’d watch Malkin play cards with Sergei Gonchar on the plane and beat him nine out of 10 times. He saw him read complex books that were written in both Russian and English and saw a player who was reclusive for public consumption but one who spoke freely and wisely among his teammates.
“I almost felt like he was ahead of everyone else in the room,” Bylsma said.
Jim Rutherford scanned up and down the list the first time and frowned. Picture him with an index finger on his chin, the other hand lifting his glasses to his forehead and back down to his eyes a couple times, lurching ahead to get a closer look at the screen. He looked again, this time a little more closely, and couldn’t believe what he wasn’t seeing. He realized the players were listed in alphabetical order and zoned in on the M’s. Now imagine Rutherford taking off his glasses and breathing on both lenses before wiping them clean with the cuff of his shirt. As the reality dawned on him that Malkin wasn’t on the NHL’s list of the top 100 players of all-time, Rutherford tried to put aside his biases as Penguins GM. He considered the body of work and came to the only logical conclusion he could.
“I looked at the list,” Rutherford recalled, “and I’m thinking to myself, ‘This can’t be right.’ ”
Rutherford did come to accept the reality, but it stung. And it was made all the more awkward by the fact Rutherford was part of the “blue-ribbon” panel that had input into the final list. Hall of Fame defenseman Pierre Pilote would also have been on his list, but it was Malkin’s omission that had him feeling so conflicted. As his GM, Rutherford would have loved to come out swinging and defend his player. Yet as a part of the group that chose the players, he had to tread softly.
“Yeah, I had to be careful because I was part of the panel, and I didn’t want to say a whole lot at the time because I was upset for Geno and I didn’t want to go against the panel,” he said. “But yeah, I was upset.”
For Rutherford, it’s not about the here and now. It’s about 50 or 100 years down the road when someone who never saw Malkin play looks at that list and doesn’t see his name on it. “People will look back on history and they’ll look at the top 100 and they won’t find a player who, in my opinion, you could make an argument should be in the top 50, let alone the top 100. And that’s where you get disappointed about it.”
Bylsma watched Malkin play for five years, which were the most productive of his career. Bylsma witnessed greatness. He saw a player who elevated his game when Crosby was out of the lineup. He saw a player who rehabbed three times a day from knee surgery during the first round of the playoffs in 2011, watching while his team lost in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Malkin had been told his season was over, and there was no way he was going to play regardless of how far the Penguins advanced, but he kept working out in the hopes of coming back early. He apologized to then-GM Ray Shero for getting injured at such a crucial time of the year.
“It’s certainly hard to pick the best 100 in the game, and there are people who, without question, should be in the top 100,” Bylsma said. “But Evgeni should be in the top 100.”
Almost everyone who knows Malkin claims that being left off the list doesn’t matter to him. Bylsma often heard Malkin say that he honestly cares about nothing more than winning the Stanley Cup, so we’re going to take them at their word and Malkin at his. But everyone has at least a bit of an ego, no? We all want to be recognized for what we have accomplished. Gonchar, who is now the Penguins’ defensemen development coach, might know Malkin better than anyone else, and he’s not so sure Malkin didn’t care about the snub.
“I think pissed off probably wouldn’t be the right word,” Gonchar said. “He was probably more motivated and that gave him an extra push. He’s a very competitive guy, and people might not notice that about him.”
When the Penguins won their second of two straight Stanley Cups in 1992, they had seven future Hall of Fame players (that includes Jaromir Jagr) and a blueline that featured Paul Coffey, Larry Murphy and Ulf Samuelsson. This year, Crosby and Malkin were the only surefire Hall of Famers, and the back end looked nothing like it did 25 years ago. With Kris Letang out with an injury, Pittsburgh won with six nondescript defensemen, led by Brian Dumoulin, who seemed to be held together with balls of string, wire and duct tape while averaging almost 22 minutes a game. Ron Hainsey, who turned 36 just before the end of the regular season and went into the playoffs with 907 games of NHL experience without a single post-season appearance, combined with Dumoulin to be the team’s shutdown tandem.
The Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cups couldn’t have been more impressive given the adversity and injuries they faced this season. They won games they shouldn’t have – some on sheer talent, others on the strength of their goaltending, guile and grit. They were outshot regularly and confounded the analytics community. They were hardly the perfect champions, but in the end they had a parade in Pittsburgh that, like back in the day in Montreal, followed the usual route.
This was indeed a special group. It was led through the first two rounds by a veteran goalie with a checkered playoff history, a guy who already knew he wouldn’t even be in Pittsburgh next season. In the hours after the Penguins’ victory, it was reported Marc-Andre Fleury had waived his no-trade clause and would be available to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft, giving Pittsburgh the luxury of protecting its goalie of the present and the future, 23-yearold Matt Murray.
The Penguins faced a Columbus Blue Jackets team in the first round that tried to run them out of the rink. They failed. Then came the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals, who executed their annual second-round choke job but not before wearing Pittsburgh down over seven games and dealing a blow to Crosby, a “hockey play” in which he was double-slashed by Alex Ovechkin before being cross-checked in the face and drilled in the knee by Matt Niskanen.
Then came another seven-game series, this time against the Ottawa Senators, who ground their way to double overtime in the deciding game. Before the final, Malkin acknowledged that penetrating the Predators’ vaunted defense corps “is going to be the hardest challenge of my life,” and after it was over, it looked every bit that difficult. By the time the Penguins faced the Predators, many thought they were running on fumes, and in the first four games, it looked as though they were doing just that. But those were powerful fumes, and the extra day off between games energized them.
When Nick Bonino went down in Game 2 with what was later disclosed as a broken leg – though not before returning to finish the game a la Bobby Baun – Pittsburgh was limping its way to the finish line. When the Penguins won their first Cup in 1991, Mario Lemieux had to have the trainers tie his skates for him because his back was in such bad shape that he couldn’t do it himself. The team had to build him a special bed in his hotel room on the road just so he could get some sleep. So, this Penguins group didn’t have the market cornered on overcoming adversity.
Any team that plays 82 games in a season and 25 more in the spring has to navigate any number of obstacles. But what this team did and how it managed to win the war of attrition was something to behold.
“I always use the phrase that I think we’re a scrappy group,” Sullivan said. “It’s not always pretty, but this group is resilient. We’re scrappy, we’re competitive. We just stay with it. There’s a stick-to-it-iveness that this group has, and they believe in one another. This team, I think, has a unique chemistry. They’re a great group of people, and they enjoy playing for one another. These guys are a privilege to coach. We push them so hard because we think so highly of them.”
There were many times the Penguins could have withered. They looked dead in the water after blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Capitals and appeared almost on life support after being blown out in Games 3 and 4 against Nashville. In Game 2 against the Senators, Malkin and Kessel grew frustrated with each other and it boiled over on the bench, forcing Sullivan to come over to Malkin and calm him down.
Kessel later scored the pivotal goal to deliver a victory, and everyone brushed it off afterward. But it also went a long way to proving that Crosby isn’t the only player on the team whose competitive fires burn white hot. It turns out Kessel gets amped up on occasion, and Malkin’s emotional well runs deeply, too. Consider that Malkin has been in a total of seven fights in his career, with more of them coming in the playoffs (four) than the regular season (three).
In 2016-17, Malkin reached another milestone. By winning his third Stanley Cup, he tied Sergei Fedorov and Igor Larionov for the highest total by a Russian player. He sits seventh among Russian players on the NHL’s all-time scoring list, but there’s no reason why he can’t climb to third, perhaps even second, though that will take some doing since he’s more than 300 points behind Fedorov. It depends on how long Malkin plays or if he continues beyond his current contract.
Being No. 1 will be virtually impossible, since he’s 203 points behind Ovechkin as it stands now. In points and recognition, Malkin will always remain second to Ovechkin among Russian players, even though Malkin’s name is on the Stanley Cup three times while Ovechkin may never get his on the bowl. Of all the Russians who have ever played in the NHL, Malkin leads the pack in points per game at 1.18, ahead of Ovechkin, who sits second at 1.12. Malkin needs 193 assists to become the all-time assists leader among Russian players.
It’s hard to carve out a legacy when a personality as large and dominating as Ovechkin takes up most of the space. Unlike Ovechkin, who grew up in cosmopolitan Moscow, a privileged son of a former Olympic athlete, Malkin grew up in a two-bedroom apartment in a working class city, the son of a laborer. Perhaps that’s why he’s so comfortable in Pittsburgh. Both Magnitogorsk and Pittsburgh forged their identities with steel mills and sweat, even though the booming steel days in Pittsburgh are long gone and it has become one of the Rust Belt cities that has figured out how to survive. It’s an almost perfect spot for Malkin, who gets the benefits of winning championships and being a star player without the responsibilities that come with being the face of a franchise.
So, now Malkin has his Cups. He has his wife, his family and all the money he could ever want. After the Penguins won the Cup, Sullivan said the players didn’t want anyone else writing their story for them because they aren’t finished. Murray has two Stanley Cups, and he’s only 23. Rutherford has rediscovered his mojo in Pittsburgh and, though he faces significant challenges, he has two of the most successful, clutch and decorated players in the game. And for Malkin, the people who matter most to him, his family and teammates, they know what he’s all about. Or they will.
“He has no idea I play hockey,” said Malkin of his one-year-old son. “When he grows up, like two or three years old, I hope he will be proud of me.”
The Kings are coming off an up-and-down 2025-26 season in which they fired head coach Jim Hiller on March 1 after a prolonged slump left them out of the playoff picture. They rebounded under interim head coach DJ Smith with an 11-6-6 record to close out the season and qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs in Anze Kopitar's last ride. They were swept in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche.
This year, the Kings and new head coach Peter Laviolette will open the season how the last one ended -- against the Avalanche. They follow that Sept. 30 game in Denver with a trip to Northern California to face the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 3 before returning to LA to host the Florida Panthers on Oct. 6.
With the full slate of Kings games officially set, here's a look at the top five best matchups on their 2026-27 schedule.
84 games, a green screen, and a dream. @JoshSchaeferPxP breaks down our 2026-27 schedule! 📊
What better way to start off this list than with the season opener. The Avs won the Stanley Cup in 2022 and looked to be well on their way to another championship last season as winners of the Presidents' Trophy (best record in the regular season). They made quick work of the Kings in the first round but ultimately suffered the same fate themselves, being swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference finals.
Laviolette will get a chance to start his reign on a strong note if he can lead the Kings to a win in Denver.
Oct. 3 vs. Florida Panthers
The Panthers have been the perennial power in the NHL, winners of back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and '25 though injuries and inconsistent play last season led them to miss the postseason for the first time since 2019. In fact, Florida became the first defending champion to miss the playoffs since ... the 2015 Kings.
Nov. 27-28 vs. Anaheim Ducks
LA has 10 back-to-backs this season in total, though none (at this point in time) carry more weight than their rivalry series against the Ducks in late November. The Kings have had success in the Freeway Face-Off, but that fortune flipped in 2025-26 when the Ducks won three of the four meetings. LA's lone victory was a decisive one -- a 6-1 thrashing on Dec. 27, 2025, in which Alex Laferriere scored his first NHL hat trick.
Kings fans should circle this matchup on their calendars for two reasons: It'll mark fired coach Hiller's return to Los Angeles with the Maple Leafs after he was hired on June 17, and it will be their first chance to get a look at 2026 No. 1 overall draft pick Gavin McKenna.
Jan. 6: vs. Washington Capitals
From first glances at a top prospect to a potential last glance at a legend. Alex Ovechkin signed a one-year contract extension to stay with the Caps for his 22nd season, but his future after that remains up in the air. This could be the last time fans at Crypto.com Arena get to see the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, who enters the season needing 11 goals to break Wayne Gretzky's record for combined regular season and playoff goals.
Now that the Philadelphia Flyers have finally completed their most important piece of offseason business, they have the clearest picture yet of what they can and cannot do going forward in terms of improving the roster.
On Wednesday night, forward Trevor Zegras finally signed his highly anticipated contract extension with the Flyers, agreeing to a four-year, $36.5 million deal worth $9.125 million annually.
The Flyers give Zegras a pretty good chunk of change for a more modest term than many had expected and/or hoped for, but the 25-year-old top-six forward will remain in Philadelphia until 2030 nonetheless.
At the time of this writing, the Flyers still need to re-sign defenseman Jamie Drysdale, forward Nikita Grebenkin, and prospect Hunter McDonald--all of whom are restricted free agents.
Drysdale, who, like Zegras, filed for arbitration, is set to have his case go before an arbitrator on Monday, though the expectation is that a deal with the Flyers will be struck before then.
Accounting for Zegras, now the Flyers' highest-paid player on a per-season basis, the Flyers have $20.44 million in cap space to fit in Drysdale, Grebenkin, and McDonald, according to PuckPedia.
PuckPedia also has top center prospect Jett Luchanko on the Flyers' NHL roster, so, provided he starts the season in the AHL as general manager Danny Briere expects, that will add another $941k to the table.
With Drysdale, reports have indicated that the former Anaheim Ducks rearguard will sign a shorter-term deal, similar to Zegras, with a cap hit expected to be in the range of Travis Sanheim's $6.25 million, which would either tie him with Sanheim, or make him the highest-paid defenseman on the roster outright.
McDonald, 24, figures to sign a one- or two-year deal cheap enough that, when assigned to the AHL, won't count against the NHL salary cap at all.
Grebenkin's situation is a bit trickier to figure out, knowing that he is coming off a season-ending injury and still rehabbing with the Flyers while he awaits a new contract.
The 23-year-old Russian was arguably the team's best fourth-liner last season before the injury and a slew of lineup changes.
Injury or not, once Sean Couturier, Luke Glendening, and Garnet Hathaway found their mojo together, Grebenkin wasn't getting back into the lineup, for better or for worse.
Hathaway is gone now, though, and Glendening's place has been presumably taken by free agent addition Noel Acciari.
An uneven but promising first full season in the NHL should see Grebenkin get another crack at sticking in the big leagues on a one- or two-year deal worth between $1 million and $2 million annually.
Assuming that Grebenkin gets $1.25 million and Drysdale gets $6.25 million, the Flyers will be allocating $7.5 million to those two players, leaving them with $12.94 million in cap space to operate with after the big Zegras deal.
That, of course, would not have been enough to fit the $18 million cap hit they gave to Leo Carlsson, but it's water under the bridge now.
What this does tell us, though, is that the Flyers are not considering another blockbuster offer sheet of the like at this time, if for no reason other than they cannot reasonably afford it.
To create the requisite cap space, they could always trade Rasmus Ristolainen and his $5.1 million cap hit to one of several interested teams, but those teams would also be aware that the Flyers need to shed his cap hit, destroying all leverage from Philadelphia's side.
The 2026 NHL free agency market remains very thin at all three positions, though the Flyers may want to insure themselves going forward with a power play quarterback, such as San Jose's John Klingberg.
In any case, regardless of what they want to do to add to the team, the Flyers still have a large chunk of cap space to work with.
