It will go down as one of the most memorable nights in Ottawa Senators history.

Former captain Brady Tkachuk returned to Ottawa for the first time in enemy colours on Wednesday night and was jeered relentlessly, from the opening warm-up right through to the end.

And the Senators made sure their fans went home happy, rolling to a convincing 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers in an atmosphere that felt more like a Game 7 than a regular-season game in October.

Tim Stützle and Stephen Halliday each had a goal and an assist in the victory. Jake Sanderson, playing his first game since suffering a lower-body injury on opening night, picked up two assists.

Claude Giroux, Shane Pinto and Warren Foegele scored the other Ottawa goals as the Senators improved to 7-3-0.

The bad news on the night was the loss of goaltender Linus Ullmark to a lower body injury as he tried to make a routine save. Ullmark has been the club's MVP of the young season with a 7-1 record, a .945 save percentage and a 1.33 goals against average.

But the night will be remembered for the loud, fierce message the Senators and their fans sent to their former captain.

It was as if Senators fans had all been handed a program containing the various chants they had planned for the evening.

The playlist included "We Don't Need You," "Traitor," "You're a Sellout," "Brady Sucks," "Timmy's Better," "Who's Your Daddy?", "You Can't Read," "You Eat Crayons," "Brady's Balding," "Overrated," and "F--- You, Brady."

And perhaps the most amusing chant of all: "F--- Your Podcast."

Tkachuk wasn't just booed every time he touched the puck. He was booed every time he stepped onto the ice. He was booed during warm-ups, during stoppages in play and pretty much any time the crowd felt like it.

And when it came time for his welcome-back tribute video in the first stoppage, the fans didn't let up for that either.

The Senators had put together a video that focused entirely on Tkachuk's off-ice charity work during his eight seasons in Ottawa. But even that wasn't enough to sweeten the reception.

The boos continued.

When the video wrapped up, Tkachuk took a brief skate around centre ice, waving to the crowd with an awkward smile as the jeering continued.

Perhaps the funniest contrast of the evening came when the Senators acknowledged another former player, Lars Eller, who also ended up with the Panthers. Despite playing just one season in Ottawa, Eller received a full standing ovation from the same crowd that had just mercilessly booed its former captain.

The message was unmistakable. Once a Senator, always a Senator. Unless you quit on us.

After eight seasons in Ottawa, including five as captain, Tkachuk requested a trade in May with two years still remaining on his contract.

That request came just a couple of weeks after the Senators were eliminated from the playoffs, when Tkachuk had publicly insisted he was fully committed to the team and city. At the time, he also expressed frustration with the ongoing speculation about his future, describing it as an unnecessary distraction.

Sens fans clearly haven't forgotten that sequence of events. And they certainly weren't about to let Tkachuk forget it on Wednesday.

Ironically, the game couldn't have started much worse for the home crowd. Of all people, it was Tkachuk who opened the scoring, beating Ullmark with a relatively weak shot on a Florida power play.

For a brief moment, it looked as though the former captain might write the kind of story that Senators fans had spent months dreading. But that was the last thing that went right for the Panthers on Wednesday.

The Senators took over from there, playing arguably their best all-around game of the young season.

They were aggressive, physical, solid in all areas of the game, and determined to make life miserable for the visitors. Especially for the guy wearing the unfamiliar No. 8.

There was plenty of nastiness, too. Hayden Hodgson squared off with Florida tough guy Boko Imama in one of the night's fights. 

Ridly Greig, meanwhile, seemed to be in the middle of everything. Greig was a constant irritant to the Panthers, getting in their faces and throwing around his weight, such as it is. After delivering a massive hit on Dmitry Kulikov, Greig found himself answering to Sam Bennett.

On paper, that looked like a mismatch, but Greig handled himself extremely well in the scrap, adding another memorable moment to a night filled with them.

There was also plenty to like beyond the emotion and physical play.

Sanderson's return provided an immediate boost to a blue line that's been battered by injuries and just lost Thomas Chabot for at least a couple of weeks. Sanderson's two assists were a welcome reminder of just how important he is to the Senators at both ends of the ice. The power play suddenly looked a million times better.

But this night will always be remembered as the night Tkachuk returned to Ottawa, and it wasn't just the fans who pushed back with boos, chants and ex-captain jerseys thrown on the ice.

Some of Tkachuk's former teammates obviously had a problem with him as well.

After the morning skate, Stützle was asked if he had gone to dinner with Tkachuk on Tuesday night.

"I have a chef at home, so I didn't go for dinner," Stützle said.

The Senators were physical with Tkachuk at every opportunity, causing multiple scrums with him. Artem Zub knocked him down on the first shift. Greig was in his face all night. Dylan Cozens, who had his best game of the year, got into it with Tkachuk as well. And there was a full evening of yapping between Tkachuk and the Sens bench.

After the game, the Senators celebrated the statement win by playing Tkachuk's personal theme song, "Mr. Brightside," on a loop in the dressing room.

For months, October 21 had been circled on calendars across Ottawa. There was so much hype leading up to this game, it had the potential to disappoint.

And yet it somehow surpassed all expectations by a mile.

A night in Ottawa that won't be forgotten #GoSensGopic.twitter.com/19abOn6Gq4

— Steve Warne (@SteveWarneMedia) October 22, 2026

The healing begins, but there's no rest for the Senators, who are right back at it on Thursday night when they welcome Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks to Canadian Tire Centre.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Rookie forward Cole Knuble scored twice to help the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Knuble, playing his second career game, scored his first two goals in front of his father, former NHL forward Mike Knuble, who played 1,068 games with five teams.

Trevor Zegras also scored and Dan Vladar made 27 saves to give the Flyers their third straight win after starting 0-6-3.

Jason Zucker made his season debut following sports hernia surgery and scored for Buffalo. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 23 shots for the Sabres, who are 1-1-2 in their last four games.

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin returned to the lineup after missing four games with an upper-body injury.

The Flyers grabbed a 2-0 lead late in the first period after Knuble’s first career goal at 14:49 and a power-play goal from Zegras at 19:17 when he batted a rebound of Matvei Michkov’s shot out of the air past Luukkonen.

Zucker’s power-play goal at 19:25 of the second cut it to 2-1.

Knuble’s second of the game 3:03 into the third made it 3-1 after he banked in the puck off Luukkonen’s skate.

Flyers forward Tyson Foerster returned to the lineup after a one-game absence because of an undisclosed injury.

SENATORS 5, PANTHERS 1

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — With fans chanting “We don’t need you!,” Ottawa defeated Brady Tkachuk and Florida.

Tkachuk, who spent eight seasons in Ottawa, including five as captain, was given a hostile reception in his return. He was booed regularly and the crowd aimed chants at him throughout the evening.

A number of fans even threw Tkachuk jerseys on the ice.

The Senators (7-3-0) lost goaltender Linus Ullmark to an apparent injury early in the third period. Ullmark, who allowed one goal on 18 shots, made a pad save on Tkachuk and then needed assistance getting off the ice.

Sam Ersson faced one shot in relief.

Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Shane Pinto, Warren Foegele and Stephen Halliday scored for Ottawa.

Tkachuk scored the lone goal for the Panthers (5-3-2), who had won three straight. Akira Schmid made 25 saves

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — With fans chanting “We don’t need you!,” the Ottawa Senators defeated Brady Tkachuk and his Florida Panthers 5-1 on Wednesday night.

Tkachuk, who spent eight seasons in Ottawa, including five as captain, was given a hostile reception in his return. He was booed regularly and the crowd aimed derisive chants at him throughout the evening.

A number of fans even threw Tkachuk jerseys on the ice.

The Senators (7-3-0) lost goaltender Linus Ullmark to an apparent injury early in the third period. Ullmark, who allowed one goal on 18 shots, made a pad save on Tkachuk and then needed assistance getting off the ice.

Sam Ersson faced one shot in relief.

Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Shane Pinto, Warren Foegele and Stephen Halliday scored for Ottawa.

Tkachuk scored the lone goal for the Panthers (5-3-2), who had won three straight. Akira Schmid made 25 saves.

Emotions boiled over in the third. Tkachuk, his brother Matthew and their Panthers teammate Sam Bennett got into it with Senators players in front of Ottawa’s bench. Brady Tkachuk got into a heated exchange with Senators center Dylan Cozens.

Earlier in the period, Bennett fought Ottawa forward Ridly Greig.

Foegele gave the Senators a 4-1 lead by finishing off a great feed from Cozens at the eight-minute mark of the third. Halliday made it 5-1 when he scored off Stutzle's drop pass.

The Senators scored twice in the second. Giroux scored his second goal of the season through traffic from the top of the slot midway through the period.

Pinto made it 3-1 at 17:18.

Despite the hostile environment, Tkachuk seemed unfazed and opened the scoring with a power-play goal midway through the first period on a feed from his brother.

Stutzle tied the game just more than four minutes later with a one-timer off a pass from Jake Sanderson.

Up next

Panthers: Play at Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Senators: Host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The American Hockey League affiliate of the New Jersey Devils, the Utica Comets, have been a pleasant surprise early on this season. They were expected to be an improved team, with a new front office led by Sunny Mehta at the NHL level and Braden Birch at the AHL level, but they’ve exceeded expectations. 

The Comets have won four of their first five games and have looked like one of the best teams in a competitive North Division. Great coaching has played a role, with Ryan Parent getting the most out of the team in his second full season behind the bench. Likewise, great defense and better goaltending have played a major role, as the Comets have allowed only 11 goals in their first five games. 

However, the big difference between the Comets this season and in the past is their veteran presence. Specifically, their veterans are buying in and playing pivotal roles every night. 

The Veterans Have Embraced Their Roles 

Stefan Noesen is a lifetime NHLer. The 33-year-old forward has played 487 games in his NHL career and has been a valued depth player throughout the NHL, including two stops with the Devils. A veteran like Noesen can often view a move to the AHL, even to create space on the NHL roster, as a slap in the face and join the team feeling bitter and eager to leave. 

That hasn’t been the case with Noesen. In his two games with the Comets, he’s been a pivotal forward who has helped in all three zones. He’s playing with a mission to make it back to the NHL, but he’s also made the players around him better.

 

Devils Growing Confidence Is Noticeable & Ideally Translates All SeasonThe Devils defeated the Avalanche 4-3 in a game that showed the swagger that the team needs for a successful season. Now, the hope is that it translates to the marathon ahead.

Noesen isn’t the only veteran leading into a leadership role either. The Comets brought in players like Riley Tufte and Zach Gallant to provide a strong veteran presence. While both skaters haven’t made an impact on the scoresheet yet, they’ve played a complete game that’s helped the Comets start strong. 

The Comets are 4-1 to begin the season, and they haven’t overwhelmed teams offensively, aside from their latest 5-3 win over the Rochester Americans. However, they’ve played suffocating defense and wear teams down. It comes in part from the veterans setting the tone and proving to the young players what it takes to make it to the NHL. 

First In His Klass: Gabe Klassen’s Play Has Impressed

Gabe Klassen is one of many “tweeners” in the AHL, or players who are no longer considered prospects but are still young and developing. The 23-year-old came off a career-best season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, with 36 points in 59 games, yet the team moved on from him in the offseason, with younger players on the way. 

In a league that is quick to give up on these players, the teams that bet on them benefit the most. The Comets pounced on Klassen and saw the benefits from day one, quite literally, as he scored the team’s first goal of the season. 

Devils Hope Their Depth Can Compete Against Top Teams Like The AvalancheThe Devils face the Avalanche, and it’s a game where their depth must deliver. It will prove whether they have enough depth to compete against the top teams in the NHL.

Klassen was the high-impact player in the recent 5-3 win over the Amerks, with a goal and an assist. Every season, a handful of teams lean on the “tweeners” or young NHLers to lead them. Last season, the Toronto Marlies got a big bump from Benoit-Olivier Groulx, who was on the Toronto Maple Leafs by the end of the season as a depth center but also led the AHL team to the Calder Cup title.

The Comets hope they have something similar in Klassen, a center who plays anywhere in the lineup. Likewise, there’s optimism that Ben Steeves can be that high-impact AHLer, someone the Devils acquired this summer who is a constant threat on the offensive end.

The Culture Is Allowing The Prospects To Develop

The Devils don’t have a deep prospect pool, something Mehta hopes to change over time with better drafting and development. However, the handful of players in Utica have impressed and look poised to make an impact in the NHL at some point down the road. 

Anton Silaev is the big name everyone has their eyes on. He’s the powerful defenseman who cleans up pucks and forces turnovers. He won’t stand out on the offensive end but he’s developing into a shutdown defenseman, which helps when he’s playing alongside Vladislav Kolyachonok, a 25-year-old defenseman who is playing in his sixth AHL season. 

This Is The Best Time For The Devils To Have A “West Coast Swing”The Devils' next eight opponents are out of the conference. With the team still searching for an identity, this is a good time to face opponents they won’t see often.

Likewise, young forwards like Lenni Hämeenaho have made significant strides so far, with five points in five games and flashes on the wing. He’s in his second AHL season and, at 22, is hoping to make a case to join the NHL roster. 

The Comets have only played five games so far in a 72-game season. There’s a lot of hockey left ahead of them. That said, there’s plenty of optimism for what the season holds based on their strong start. 

All Times EDT

Thursday, Oct. 22

NFL

New England at Chicago, 8:15 p.m.

NBA

Cleveland at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Denver at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m.

NHL

Anaheim at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Florida at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

N.Y. Rangers at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Nashville at Boston, 7 p.m.

San Jose at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Los Angeles at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.

Vegas at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Winnipeg at Dallas, 8 p.m.

Carolina at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Minnesota at Calgary, 9 p.m.

Detroit at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

Utah at Seattle, 10 p.m.

_____

Brady Tkachuk made his much-anticipated return to Ottawa, and it went as expected as Senators fans greeted their former captain with loud boos.

Apparently unable to read the room, the Senators played a video tribute to Tkachuk as he took the ice for his new team – the Florida Panthers. It was greeted with boos from the fans in attendance at Canadian Tire Centre. Tkachuk, who seems to enjoy playing the villain role, reveled in the reaction.

Tkachuk was a first-round pick by Ottawa in the 2018 NHL Draft and spent his first eight seasons with the Senators. He asked for a trade after last season, hoping to play with his older brother Matthew Tkachuk in Florida. On June 21, Brady Tkachuk was sent to Florida in a blockbuster trade.

With their former captain playing in his first game in Ottawa since the trade, the local fans had thoughts.

Lots of boos to welcome Tkachuk and the Panthers. #Senspic.twitter.com/wFtSNaqeQR

— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) October 21, 2026

Senators fans also got creative with placards and personalized jerseys.

These signs are incredible pic.twitter.com/7n1ylOX8Af

— Kevin Lee (@BringBackLee) October 21, 2026

Ottawa Senator fans arrive for Wednesday’s game with changed #Brady#Tkachuk jerseys at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa. Thomas Pace brought a pin the tail on the trade game with him to the game Wednesday. @OttawaCitizen@SunGarrioch@Senators#NHL#Sens@FlaPantherspic.twitter.com/4KeQ4W2HA2

— Tony Caldwell (@tonysunphoto) October 21, 2026

Ottawa Senator fans arrive for Wednesday’s game with changed #Brady#Tkachuk jerseys at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa. Thomas Pace brought a pin the tail on the trade game with him to the game Wednesday. @OttawaCitizen@SunGarrioch@Senators#NHL#Sens@FlaPantherspic.twitter.com/ZlTNeBNeNy

— Tony Caldwell (@tonysunphoto) October 21, 2026

Fans also made a punching bag in Tkachuk's likeness.

A Brady Tkachuk punching bag has popped up outside the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa 🥊 pic.twitter.com/cPYWWiZEoz

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) October 21, 2026

Brady Tkachuk seemed to enjoy the Senators fans' reaction to his presence.

Brady Tkachuk scored the game's opening goal, but it was the Senators who got the last laugh in a 5-1 rout of the visiting Panthers.

WHO ELSE? 👀

Brady Tkachuk scores the opener in his return to Ottawa 😳

(🎥: NHL on Prime) pic.twitter.com/noCD5eaFgU

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 22, 2026

Brady Tkachuk's return to Ottawa ends in a BIG win for the Senators 👀

Absolute CINEMA 🍿 pic.twitter.com/Jkx96L8dYs

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 22, 2026

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brady Tkachuk booed in Ottawa return, revels in Senators fans' reaction

A notable Pittsburgh Penguins forward is continuing to create chatter as a trade candidate early on this season.

This is because Penguins forward Rickard Rakell was among the players featured on NHL insider Chris Johnston's latest trade board for The Athletic. The Penguins veteran winger was given the No. 8 spot. 

"No stranger to the Big Board in the past year or two, Rakell’s time may finally be winding down with a Penguins team slowly transitioning to a younger group," Johnston wrote.

Seeing Rakell be named a top trade candidate is not too surprising. Questions about his future in Pittsburgh have come up for a while now with the team retooling. Thus, it would be understandable if the Penguins moved him during this season. 

Rakell could be a nice pickup for a playoff team looking for more offensive production in their top nine. The 33-year-old forward is coming off a solid 2025-26 season with Pittsburgh, as he recorded 24 goals and 48 points in 60 games. This was after he had 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games during the 2024-25 season with the Penguins.

Rakell has had a bad start to this campaign, though, posting one goal, four points, and a minus-4 rating in 10 games. However, he also put together a two-point night in his most recent game against the Utah Mammoth. This could end up being an indicator that the 15-year NHL veteran is set to bounce back.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Penguins end up trading Rakell before the trade deadline. With the club having a surplus of NHL-caliber forwards and young players waiting in the wings, now may be the best time for them to move him. This would especially be so if the Penguins continue to struggle as the season rolls on. 

The Buffalo Sabres are in the middle of the pack in the Atlantic Division nearly one month into the 2026-27 regular season, but we throughout the year will keep tabs on former Sabres around the NHL.

Here are how some former Sabres are doing with their division rivals:

JJ Peterka - Boston

Peterka is one of five former Sabres on the Boston roster. The former Buffalo second-rounder was dealt to Utah for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan in June 2025 and acquired by the Bruins exactly one year later for a pair of first-round picks after scoring 25 goals. In 10 games, he has started with six points (3 goals, 3 assists).

Sam Reinhart - Florida

The 2014 second overall pick has been remarkably consistent since being acquired from Buffalo in 2021 for Devon Levi and a 2022 first-round pick (Jiri Kulich), scoring 30 or more goals in four of his five seasons with Florida. Reinhart scored twice in the Panthers loss to the Sabres last week, and in nine games, he has eight points (5 goals, 3 assists).

Dylan Cozens/Linus Ullmark - Ottawa

Cozens was swapped for Josh Norris in March 2025 and in his first full season with the Senators, had his second-best offensive season (28 goals, 31 assists), but the 25-year-old has struggled mightily this season, posting only two assists in nine games. Conversely, former Sabre Ullmark has built on an excellent playoff performance in a loss to Carolina, and is tied for the NHL lead with six victories, with a microscopic 1.33 GAA, and .945 save %. 

Other Sabres Stories

Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL  

Zemgus Girgensons - Tampa Bay

Some do not consider Brandon Hagel an ex-Sabre because he never played a game for them, but the former Buffalo draft pick currently leads the Lightning with seven goals and is second behind Nikita Kucherov with 12 points. Girgensons signed with Tampa in the summer of 2024 after a decade in Buffalo and had his best offensive season since 2015 with 20 points last season. This year, the 32-year-old has two points (1 goal, 1 assist) in nine games. 

Jake McCabe - Toronto 

The former Sabres blueliner has been part of Toronto’s shutdown pairing with Chris Tanev, but after Tanev was injured earlier this month, began partnering on the top pairing with Darren Raddysh. In the Leafs 6-2 win over Columbus, McCabe received a high stick under his visor from Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson and did not return to the game. Leafs head coach Jim Hiller indicated after the game that he was kept out for precautionary reasons, but it appears that a serious injury was avoided. 

  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

Knuble, Vladar propel Flyers past Sabres for third straight win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

In just his second career NHL game, Cole Knuble led the Flyers to a 3-1 win Wednesday night over the Sabres at KeyBank Center.

Knuble bookended the scoring with the first two goals of his career. His second gave the Flyers important insurance in the third period. He made a couple of nice moves before banking a shot off the goaltender.

Trevor Zegras provided the Flyers’ other goal. Oliver Bonk collected two assists.

Dan Vladar had another strong effort in net.

The Flyers (3-6-3) have won three straight after opening the season with nine consecutive losses. Rick Tocchet’s club has scored nine goals over these three victories. It had just 11 through that nine-game skid.

The Flyers won in Buffalo, New York, for the first time since Nov. 3, 2023. They had lost in their previous four trips. They face the Sabres (4-4-2) two more times, with both matchups in Philadelphia.

• At development camp in July, Patrick Sharp said the Flyers had “high expectations” for Knuble.

You can see why.

Not only did Knuble score two goals in his second NHL game, but he also had two in the preseason and one in his rookie game before main training camp. So that’s five goals in six games.

Knuble is a constant worker and he showed it on his goal in the first period.

The 22-year-old forward battled between two Sabres to keep the puck alive in the offensive zone. He then made his way to the net and deposited a loose puck from a Bonk shot that was blocked.

Knuble unleashed a big fist pump as the TNT broadcast flashed to his parents celebrating in the stands. His father Mike Knuble played 338 career regular-season games for the Flyers over two stints with the club.

Two nights ago, Knuble made his NHL debut at Xfinity Mobile Arena, where he went to games growing up. This is a special time for him. And he has really impressed, too.

• Vladar was outstanding with 27 saves on 28 shots.

When Buffalo emptied its net, the 29-year-old had a couple of huge stops on Jack Quinn.

In the first period, Vladar denied 16 shots. The only goal he allowed came with 35 seconds left in the second period when the Sabres were on the power play.

Over his last three starts, Vladar has a 1.30 goals-against average and .953 save percentage.

Buffalo netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 23 of the Flyers’ 26 shots.

• The Flyers’ power play has found some momentum with a goal in three consecutive games.

Zegras extended the Flyers’ lead to 2-0 late in the first period when he batted home a puck out of the air.

In the second period, the Flyers failed to capitalize on a 5-on-3 opportunity for 1:13 minutes. But the power play has been better. It has helped spark the Flyers’ offense and some key players, too.

• Tyson Foerster returned to the lineup after missing the Flyers’ 3-2 win Monday night over the Avalanche because of an injury to the area of his right hand.

Michael Bunting was a healthy scratch to make room for Foerster, who played 16:47 minutes.

Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York remained out with their injuries.

• The Flyers are back in action Saturday when they welcome Cutter Gauthier and the Ducks to Xfinity Mobile Arena (1 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

The Hockey News recently released its "Goalie Issue 2026". This issue covers one of the most fascinating positions in professional sports: a goaltender in the National Hockey League. If you would like to grab this edition, you can find it here. 

The Chicago Blackhawks have Spencer Knight as their number one goaltender. They received him in the blockbuster trade that they made with the Florida Panthers a couple of years ago, headlined by Seth Jones. 

As of right now, Arvid Soderblom is the backup goalie in Chicago, but many assume that this will be his last year in that role. He only has one year left on his contract. 

Not only does Soderblom's deal expire, but Drew Commesso's contract goes from being a two-way deal to a one-way deal at the same time that Soderblom's expires. That indicates that the plan is for Commesso to take the reins behind Knight in 2027-28. 

Commesso was featured in the Goalie Issue of The Hockey News as part of the "Goalie of the Future" section, where each team has one goalie prospect written about. For Commesso, author Jared Clinton wrote:

"It’s no longer a matter of if, so much as when, for DREW COMMESSO. While his AHL numbers are strong but not spectacular, the 2020 second-round pick looked comfortable and calm in the Blackhawks’ crease over his three NHL appearances last season. Right now, there’s a Spencer Knight-shaped roadblock in Commesso’s way if he has his sights set on the top job. Overtaking Arvid Soderblom for the backup gig, though? It’s not out of the question Commesso sees regular second-string duty by season’s end."

The Blackhawks selected Commesso in the second round (46th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, and he has been developing ever since. Before assuming the role of starting goalie for the Rockford IceHogs, Commesso went to Boston University, where he was outstanding. Now, his time in Rockford is serving as further development before he starts to get some good playing time in the NHL. 

Sometimes, teams rush goalies they think are going to magically save their franchise. The Blackhawks have not done that with Commesso. They traded for Knight, which helps, but they have only let Commesso play in the NHL during injury emergencies. 

In his 5 NHL appearances, Commesso has a record of 2-2-0 with 1 shutout, 2.61 goals against, and a .901 save percentage. There have been flashes of NHL-caliber goaltending, and it won't be long before he realizes that lifelong dream of sticking in the NHL. Whether it's at the end of this year or the start of next year, he'll get his shot. 

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

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 on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki has had an impressive start to the 2026-27 campaign. The 22-year-old has already set a new career-high for points with seven, while his three goals rank tied for second on the team. While it is still very early, Lekkerimäki's overall play has been a positive for the Vancouver Canucks through their first 11 games. 

While the lines have changed around game-to-game, one of Lekkerimäki's most common linemates this year has been Jake DeBrusk. The duo have played over 70 minutes together at even strength, and both recently featured on the first power play unit. When asked about his teammate's development, DeBrusk explained what he has seen from Lekkerimäki so far this year. 

"I think he's just more confident overall," said DeBrusk. "Obviously, when he holds pucks, and kind of fends off a couple guys, he's gotten some points. Always gives you confidence as a young guy. He's obviously got a wicked shot. He's confident in that. But I just think overall, he came into camp ready to go. He obviously had some injuries, took some time, and he's really handled it pretty well for a younger guy. It's been fun to watch. I like playing with him for sure."

DeBrusk has had the chance to watch Lekkerimäki develop over the past few years. The two have been teammates since 2024, but have not spent a ton of time on the same line, as the Swedish winger has been shuttled back and forth between the NHL and the AHL. According to DeBrusk, while Lekkerimäki's shot has always been an asset, the way he has rounded out his game has been impressive to watch. 

"I think overall growth. It's interesting with certain young guys. Usually, you kind of could tell at the beginning of camp or the beginning of the season. Guys obviously get stronger and faster. I think just overall, I think every year he's gotten better. Obviously, his shot's NHL-ready already. You can score 30-40 with that release. I think the first ever training camp I was here, I said he reminded me of (David Pastrnak's) shot because it's that lethal. I think he's got really good hockey sense. He plays the game smart. When I'm forechecking and he's with me, we do some good things out there. I think for him, he just got to keep building. I remember being young. You get judged; everyone's talking about your point numbers and how you got them and everything. But you can have a pretty good game and not score in this league, or you can do nothing and score. I've liked his actual game. Just watching him as a linemate. Obviously, I want to help him more. I don't think we have enough speed right now for the kind of game that would really help him out. When we do, we will do well."

While their situations are different, DeBrusk and Lekkerimäki share a similarity in that they were both first-round draft picks. DeBrusk was selected 14th overall in 2015, while Lekkerimäki went 15th overall in 2022. When asked if there was any advice he could pass on to Lekkerimäki, DeBrusk mentioned the importance of getting as many pucks on net as possible. 

"I think for him, my only advice is just shoot. Like, if I give it to you, shoot. Obviously, we're struggling to shoot as a team right now, and he's our best shooter. So it's on the guys that he's playing with to get him the puck. Also, the way he plays, he finds the right areas. He's smart, but in terms of advice, I mean, I think he's in a pretty good spot. I don't think I need to give him any right now."

Lekkerimäki has the potential to play a significant role for this team after the rebuild is complete. It has taken him a few years to develop, but his current play shows he can be a constant threat in the offensive zone. If Lekkerimäki keeps playing at this level, DeBrusk's prediction that he'll become a 30+ goal scorer could come true sooner rather than later. 

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