The Vancouver Canucks snapped their 10-game winless streak in dramatic fashion on Tuesday as they defeated the Anaheim Ducks 6-5 in overtime. It looked like Vancouver was headed for an 11th-straight loss, but a dramatic third-period comeback helped the Canucks pick up their first victory since October 3. With the win, Vancouver is now 3-10-1 with a -22 goal differential. 

When looking back on the first three victories of the season, all have featured a similar trend. That is the Canuck' ability to score at least three goals in the third period. Vancouver has also not held a lead heading into the third period in each of the wins, as they have trailed twice and been tied once after 40 minutes. 

What makes this trend interesting is that the Canucks have struggled to generate offence during the third period in almost every other game this year. In the three victories, Vancouver has scored 11 goals in the third period, compared to nine goals total in the other 11 games. As for total goals this year, the Canucks have scored 26 times in their wins compared to just 17 in their 11 losses. 

While these third-period performances like the one against the Ducks have been exciting, Vancouver needs to find ways to win games in conventional ways. There have been way too many nights where the Canucks don't show up in the third period, which is why their losing streak hit double digits. Ultimately, if Vancouver wants to become a more consistent team, they need to distribute their scoring more evenly and stop relying on chaotic third periods. 

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

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During the first few weeks of the NHL season, the Florida Panthers struggled in one particular, crucial area.

They weren’t scoring early in games.

It’s extremely difficult to win in the best hockey league in the world when you are constantly having to come from behind, and that’s the situation that Florida found themselves in during the majority of their opening schedule.

Entering Tuesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, Florida had scored just eight first period goals through their first 12 games.

As jarring as that stat sounds, it still doesn’t really tell the full story.

Of those eight goals scored during the first period this season, six had come over the Panthers previous four games.

That means Florida scored only one first period goal through their first five games.

It gets worse from there.

In terms of scoring the first goal of the game, after winning 1-0 in overtime on opening night in Carolina, it wasn’t until game number nine that Florida held a 1-0 lead again.

That’s right, they went seven straight games allowing the first goal, though escaping with a respectable 3-2-2 record in those outings.

“Everybody plays slightly different when you’re chasing the game,” said Panthers head coach Paul Maurice. “You’re trying to win, so if you’re down by one or down by two, your game has to open up a little bit. I think we’ve been pretty strong at not having that happen.”

Needless to say, early scoring was not something that came easy for the Panthers during the early stages of this season.

But perhaps the tide has turned.

Last Saturday, the Cats scored three goals during the opening period against the Seattle Kraken.

They went on to score another first period goal the following game in Ottawa, and added two more opening frame tallies on Sunday in Chicago.

Now, after putting up a 3-spot during the opening 20 minutes against Winnipeg on Tuesday, it might be safe to say that Florida has moved past their slow start issues.

“It is very nice,” Panthers defenseman Seth Jones said of playing with an early lead. “We played coming from behind quite a bit to start the season, so any time we get that first goal, it just plays into the game that we want. We want them to take chances, we want to be solid defensively and to capitalize on their mistakes.”

It also helps that Florida’s power play has finally gotten going after a slow start to the season.

Since the Seattle game, the Panthers have scored nine first period goals over a five-game span.

Five of those nine goals have come on the power play, including two of the three first period goals they scored in Winnipeg.

“I think right out of the gate, we came out moving the puck well, putting pucks in deep and drew a couple power plays, and that helped getting the first one and getting a little lead there,” said Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe. “We just took off from there.”

Now the Panthers will return to South Florida for a three-game homestand that will keep them local for over a week.

They’ll face the two teams they’ve most recently defeated, Winnipeg and Chicago, along with a divisional matchup against the Detroit Red Wings.

While the Blackhawks have allowed the third-most goals per game so far this season (3.67), the Jets and Red Wings are both in the lower third of the league in that department, with Winnipeg giving up an even three goals per game and Detroit allowing 2.92.

We’ll see if Florida can keep their offense humming along when they resume their schedule on Friday when they host a rematch with the Jets.

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Photo caption: Oct 25, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA;FloridaPanthersleft wing Sandis Vilmanis (95) celebrates his goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at United Center. (David Banks-Imagn Images)

Following an unsuccessful road trip to the East Coast in which the Anaheim Ducks only managed to notch two of a possible eight standings points, they returned to Southern California to host the basement-dwelling Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday at Honda Center. 

The Ducks, below .500, entered the game three points out of a wild card spot, while the Canucks had only tallied five points in 13 games to start the season and were the last-place team in the entire NHL, having failed to register a point in their previous ten games. 

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The Ducks elected to ice a near-identical lineup to the one that snapped a five-game losing streak of their own on Saturday, with the only change being shifting defenseman Tristan Luneau onto a pair with Tyson Hinds and inserting Drew Helleson next to Travis Mitchell on the third pair. 

Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start this game:

Gauthier-Carlsson-Caulfield

Malott-Granlund-Sennecke

Nesterenko-McQueen-Killorn

Greer-Washe-Colangelo

LaCombe-Warren

Hinds-Luneau

MItchell-Helleson

Lukas Dostal got his ninth start of the season for the Ducks and stopped 27 of 33 shots. He was opposed by Leevi Meriläinen in the Vancouver crease, who saved 18 of the 23 shots he faced in this game.

“That was a terrible loss,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “5-2 and we were in a pretty good spot. (We) should have sealed the win. I think we do some things that come back to haunt us after a night like tonight.”

Game Notes

At 5v5, the game flow was somewhat even, and the Ducks showed encouraging and discouraging signs at both ends of the ice. Lack of discipline forced the Ducks to kill seven penalties as opposed to only drawing two, and overall team defense was lacking at critical moments of a game in which the Ducks needed to notch two points. 

Cycle: One of the encouraging signs from the game was the Ducks’ ability to drive and manufacture chances deep in the offensive zone, a problem area for them over the past handful of seasons. In this game, they were sending their high F3 to the blueline, between the point defensemen, which allowed those blueliners to involve themselves more offensively by activating down the half-wall and to the tops of the circles. 

It also cleared up space in the middle of the slot, as the opposing low defending forward was caught in no-man’s land, naturally drawn toward the top of the zone. This allowed the Ducks low forwards an easier path to the net to set up tips and screens, as well as win races to ensuing loose pucks. 

Breakouts: Forwards grew careless as the game progressed during breakout sequences. Early in the game, they made efficient decisions to keep pucks moving up ice and remained low in the zone to provide better outlet angles. They recognized when their young defensemen were in trouble against a Canucks forecheck, and they retreated in support rather than flying the defensive zone. 

As the Ducks built a lead, the forwards drifted further up toward neutral ice, allowing opposing defensemen to jump outlets and pinch successfully. They were also careless in their attempts to clear the defensive blueline, often leading to battles and even turnovers. 

Team Defense: Much has been made over the lack of experience among the Ducks’ young defensemen this season. They’ve had their ups and downs when it comes to the details of defending at the NHL level in elevated roles. However, much as has been a theme for the majority of the early part of the season, their forwards aren’t aiding them in any meaningful way on the defensive side of the puck. 

In this game, only one goal (Vancouver’s second) can be pinned on the blueline. For the remainder, backchecking errors and man-advantage coverage hiccups, in which poor puck-watching habits were prevalent, were the primary faults. 

6v5: Vancouver scored two goals with Merilainen pulled late for an extra attacker. The Canucks were able to spread the Ducks’ wingers wide on the perimeter, which allowed them to outnumber the center and defensemen in front of Dostal 4 to 3. With multiple responsibilities, defensemen were unable to commit to tying up a net-front forward, and when they failed to block shots, Dostal was left with no field of vision in which to make a save. 

Wingers either need to restrain themselves from pressing too high in the defensive zone and collapse toward the hashmarks to aid their defensemen and goaltender, or those defensemen have to put forth a riskier, vigilant effort to block those outside shots while limiting the ability of the net-front attacker to get a tip on said shots. 

The Ducks will look to return to .500 on Thursday, when they’ll host the incoming Buffalo Sabres, who are hoping to remain above that .500 mark on the young season.

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Remember when it felt like Semyon Varlamov might never play in the NHL again?

For nearly two years, that looked like a real possibility. Multiple knee surgeries and a long recovery kept the former Colorado Avalanche goaltender away from the game, and with every month that passed, a return seemed a little less likely.

Well, Varlamov is back.

The 38-year-old returned to regular-season action Tuesday night, helping the New York Islanders beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in a shootout. After everything he’s gone through just to get back in the net, picking up a win in his first game back makes the night even sweeter.

Look at the emotion of this team as they celebrate with Semyon Varlamov.

Truly a family, special stuff. #Islespic.twitter.com/chDgcDVSP8

— Isles Rumor (@IslesRumor) October 28, 2026

And if you watched Varlamov during his eight seasons in Colorado, you know this is pretty cool to see.

Varlamov hadn’t played an NHL game since Nov. 29, 2024. Heading into training camp, Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche called his progress “almost a miracle,” although he was quick to point out how much work the veteran had put in to get to this point.

Now, he has another NHL win to his name.

The Islanders made things interesting Tuesday, to say the least. They built a 3-0 lead against Nashville before the Predators battled back to tie the game and force overtime. Varlamov stopped both shots he faced in the extra period, and New York eventually got the job done in the shootout, with Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat scoring.

Not exactly the stress-free return you might draw up, but a win is a win.

The victory was the 290th of Varlamov’s NHL career. It’s a pretty remarkable number considering how uncertain his future looked not that long ago.

Avalanche Fans Know This Feeling

If Varlamov’s comeback sounds familiar, there’s a good reason.

Avalanche fans watched Gabriel Landeskog go through his own incredibly difficult journey back to the ice after missing nearly three full seasons with a serious knee injury. Plenty of people wondered whether Colorado’s captain would ever play again. Then he finally made his return during the 2025-26 season.

Varlamov’s situation isn’t identical, but the uncertainty surrounding both players was hard to ignore. At some point, you start wondering whether the next update will be the one that confirms a career is over.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case for either of them.

Varlamov spent eight seasons with Colorado from 2011-12 through 2018-19, playing 389 games and posting a .913 save percentage with a 2.79 goals-against average. He later moved on to the Islanders, but plenty of Avalanche fans will remember the years he spent holding down the crease in Denver.

He’s now played 621 NHL games in his career, with a .916 save percentage and 41 shutouts.

Tuesday also gave Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer a place in the history books. He became the first player in NHL history to play the entire five-minute overtime period.

That’s quite a night for New York, but Varlamov’s return is what really stands out here.

At 38, after multiple knee surgeries and almost two years away from an NHL game, he could have called it a career. Instead, he kept working until he got another chance.

And now he’s back in the win column.

For those of us who remember watching Varlamov in an Avalanche uniform, it’s hard not to be happy for him.

The Buffalo Sabres have struggled for most of the month of October, whether it has been falling behind early in contests, to struggling on special teams, to inconsistent scoring and goaltending, the club held a .500 record prior to their 2-0 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. 

GM Jarmo Kekalainen was unable or unwilling to meet the Winnipeg Jets price for goalie Connor Hellebuyck prior to his trade to New Jersey last week, but there have been some hints that the Sabres GM is still big-game hunting. The first to suggest a pivot after Hellebuyck to another big name was Expected Buffalo’s Chad DeDominicis, who stated that the Sabres should and have approached the Detroit Red Wings about disgruntled center Dylan Larkin.  

Larkin, who was a teammate of Tage Thompson on Team USA’s gold medal winning Olympic squad, requested a trade from the Wings after the season and provided them a very narrow three-team trade list, which has recently been broadened to 10 teams. 

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Clubs that are in desperate need of a first or second line center, such as the Montreal Canadiens, are not on Larkin’s list, and the Sabres are also not on it. The 10 teams seem to be exclusively perennial playoff clubs and top contenders for the Stanley Cup (Carolina, Colorado, Dallas, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Utah, Vegas, and Washington).

Montreal has made the playoffs two years in a row, but there appears to be little chance that Larkin would approve a deal to a Canadian club. Buffalo may have a better chance, but their slow start after snapping their 15-year playoff drought may be pouring cold water on their chances, since the whole purpose of leaving Detroit is to improve his chances of winning a Stanley Cup. The Wings have not made the postseason since 2016. 

The Sabres appear to have the right ingredients for a Larkin trade, as the Wings reportedly are looking for young centers, and Buffalo has them in abundance in Noah Ostlund, Konsta Helenius, and Jiri Kulich. The question is whether Kekalainen is willing to trade one of them instead of names like Josh Norris or Ryan McLeod, and whether Larkin is willing to expand his list. 

It is thought that the Devils, with the addition of Hellebuyck, and the growing possibility of Quinn Hughes joining his brothers in Newark next summer, could be the dark horse in the race for the 30-year-old.    

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo 

The Minnesota Wild remain persistent in their pursuit of a top-six center, and in order to find one, they're going to have to be comfortable selling the necessary assets.

The Athletic’s Chris Johnson believes the player is Danila Yurov; in his most recent NHL trade board, Yurov appeared at No. 17.

The 22-year-old is skating in his sophomore season and has posted four goals and five points in 14 games so far. He's seen ice time on various lines, at times skating with Kirill Kaprizov, but mostly with Yakov Trenin and Maxim Shabanov. 

While no reports indicate the Wild are shopping Yurov, it makes sense that he would be considered a trade candidate if the Wild want to move for a player like Dylan Larkin. Beyond Yurov, the Wild’s under-23 tradeable assets include Charlie Stramel, David Spacek, Adam Benak, Riley Heidt, and Ryder Ritchie. None of those players have Yurov’s value.

The Wild would likely hope to keep Yurov and still acquire a top-six center, but it seems they have to come to the understanding that there are limited paths to do so without trading him.

"The Wild have dangled Yurov as part of packages aimed at landing bigger fish," said Johnston. "He’s in his sophomore NHL season and has demonstrated deft stickhandling skills and strong instincts while lining up as a third-line center in Minnesota. Yurov is a shifty player with upside who is cost-controlled, with an entry-level contract covering this season and next. It’s an attractive set of attributes."

'He’s Going To Be A Top-Two Line Center’: John Hynes Praises Young Center Danila YurovWild head coach John Hynes believes Danila Yurov will be a top-six center in the NHL. With three goals in four games and trade rumors swirling, his emergence presents Minnesota with an interesting decision.

Yurov wasn't the only Wild player on this list, as defenseman Quinn Hughes landed at No. 10.

The Wild hope to reach a contract agreement with Hughes instead of trading him. Still, the longer this stalemate goes on and the closer the trade deadline gets, the louder the noise will be.

It would be catastrophic for the Wild to lose Hughes in free agency after sending three NHL-ready prospects to the Vancouver Canucks just a year ago. Trading Hughes would be a last-resort move, but it warrants consideration. 

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Many thought that once Steve Yzerman was cast aside, the Detroit Red Wings could trade their former captain more quickly. However, the former GM isn't the only one who doesn’t like being backed into a corner, and the Wings aren't the Ottawa Senators. Dylan Larkin’s initial trade list included just four teams: the Florida Panthers, the Minnesota Wild, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Las Vegas Golden Knights. But those teams didn’t have what Detroit wanted, so he added more options: the Colorado Avalanche and the Washington Capitals. He added more options not long after: the New Jersey Devils, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Utah Mammoth. With a 10-team acceptable team, Larkin remains stuck in Motor City because the Wings are not getting the kind of offer they want from those teams.

Lots of scouts tonight #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/srIqtaVPxe

— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) October 20, 2026

Although the Montreal Canadiens aren't on that list, assistant general manager Kris Draper has attended three of the Habs’ last four games, scouting them relentlessly. Visibly, there are players there who could form an interesting package for the Atlantic Division rival. In Tuesday’s game, Adam Engstrom took Arber Xhekaj’s spot, which could indicate that he’s one of the players Detroit wanted to watch. I also think Oliver Kapanen, who has been catapulted to first-line center duty since captain Nick Suzuki was injured, may be another. What better window than a first-line role? If Detroit trades its second-line center, it only makes sense that they’d want a pivot included in the return.

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Why scout the Habs if Larkin hasn’t agreed to go there, though? Perhaps because the Wings hope the player will be desperate enough to leave Detroit and agree to a move to Montreal. Of course, that would be a reluctant move for the 30-year-old, and it would likely raise concerns that he wouldn’t be in it for the long haul. After this season, his $8.7 million cap-hit deal remains valid for four more campaigns, and one can wonder whether he won’t ask for another trade soon, especially if his family wasn’t keen on a move to La Belle Province in the first place.

Kris Draper scouting the Habs again… #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/4BoEXNzdpP

— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) October 23, 2026

But if he did that, asking for another trade so soon, what team would be willing to roll the dice on him? Asking out of Detroit after 11 years of struggle and seeing the playoffs only once may be understandable. Asking out from a team seen as a contender with a great young core committed long-term would be quite another. That would earn him the label of “player who gives up on his team”. It would ruin his reputation and make it clear his word is worth little, because if Kent Hughes makes a sizeable offer to acquire the top-six center, you can be sure he will have done his due diligence and asked for assurances.

If Larkin agrees to a move, his family will see just how well the organization treats their member, and they won’t have to look far to see it. Just at the Heritage Classic recently, no matter how many guests, friends, or family members a player asked to bring, the Canadiens agreed and brought them out, covering the expenses. All wives, girlfriends, and kids got custom-made gear to keep them warm and had a great time at the post-practice family skate on Saturday night.

It goes beyond the organization; just like the Habs, their significant others are a tight-knit bunch, judging by all their social media posts. It’s not rare to see them gather for a watch party when the guys are out of town, and their Bell Centre attendance always comes with plenty of pictures of them having a whale of a time.

The truth is, it’s been four months since Larkin asked to be traded, and he hasn’t gone anywhere. Detroit won’t be forced to make a deal they don’t like, and ultimately, if he really wants out, it seems it’ll be on the team’s terms, not his, as it really should be. That’s why Draper is piling up frequent-flyer miles to watch Montreal. Make no mistake, though; that doesn’t mean the Habs are the only ones with a good offer. Draper has also been scouting at least one other team: the St. Louis Blues. They do say there’s no smoke without fire…Interestingly, Larkin is not on the ice at practice this morning...

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Anton Forsberg stopped 25 of 27 shots on Tuesday night, a performance that should have been enough to give the Los Angeles Kings a good chance at coming away with a win. Unfortunately for Forsberg, his teammates couldn’t do enough at the other end of the ice.

The Kings fell 2-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center, dropping to 3-6-2 on the season after another frustrating night in which their goaltender didn’t get much help when it mattered most.

Los Angeles was coming off a 6-3 win over the New York Rangers on Monday, but playing on back-to-back nights appeared to catch up with the team as the game wore on. The Kings started well enough, only to see their momentum fade in the second and third periods.

Samuel Helenius gave Los Angeles an early lead just 2:31 into the game, finding the puck in a scramble around the crease and forcing it past Spencer Knight for his first goal of the season.

It was a promising start, but the Kings couldn’t keep their foot on the gas. 

Chicago gradually found its footing, and Roman Kantserov tied the game late in the second period. The rookie forward finished a power-play opportunity by getting to the slot and redirecting Connor Bedard’s setup while dropping to one knee.

That left the Kings needing a response in the third, but instead, they gave up the deciding goal.

Wyatt Kaiser broke the tie at 7:17 of the final period, sneaking down from the blue line before taking a pass from Frank Nazar and beating Forsberg with a wrist shot. Patrick Kane also picked up an assist on the play, moving to 899 career NHL assists.

Forsberg didn’t have much of a chance on the winner, and Chicago held on from there to snap its three-game losing streak.

After the game, Kings forward Adrian Kempe pointed to the team’s inability to maintain its early form as a major problem.

“First period, I think, was probably our best. Kind of got away from us a little bit in the second and third. Wasn’t connecting on the breakouts. Everything felt a little bit off tonight,” Kempe told NHL.com reporter Bruce Miles.

That’s pretty much the story of the night for Los Angeles. The Kings showed they could compete early, but they struggled to sustain that level of play once Chicago started pushing back.

The loss wrapped up a five-game road trip in which Los Angeles went 3-2-0. That’s not a disastrous result, but letting a winnable game slip away certainly stings, especially with the team still trying to climb out of its early-season hole.

Forsberg gave the Kings a chance. They just couldn’t do enough with it.

A.J. Greer has come a long way since his days with the Colorado Avalanche.

The former Avs forward scored twice Tuesday night, although it wasn’t enough to keep his team from falling 6-5 in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks. Still, it was another nice night for a guy who has turned himself into a much more productive NHL forward over the last couple of seasons.

It’s a pretty big change from what Avalanche fans saw in Denver.

Greer spent three seasons with Colorado but never really found his scoring touch, finishing his time there with just one goal and five assists. He was more of a physical depth forward, and the offensive production simply wasn’t there.

Things started to change after he moved on.

Greer bounced around a bit, spending time with the New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, and Calgary Flames before landing with the Florida Panthers. He joined Florida during the second half of its back-to-back Stanley Cup run and was part of the group that won it all in 2025.

His numbers weren’t eye-popping that first season with the Panthers. Greer put up six goals and 11 assists in 81 regular-season games during the 2024-25 campaign, then chipped in two goals and an assist during Florida’s playoff run.

But the following season was a different story.

Greer finished with 17 goals and 15 assists in 78 games, giving him 32 points and easily the best offensive season of his NHL career. For someone who had managed just six points across three seasons in Colorado, that was quite a jump.

Florida rewarded him with a four-year, $17 million contract, and he’s now continuing to show that his breakout wasn’t just a one-season thing.

Tuesday’s two-goal performance was the latest example. Even though his team came up short in overtime, Greer found the net twice and added another multi-goal game to his career totals.

He’s now done that four times in the NHL.

The first came on October 15, 2022, when Greer was playing for Boston. He recorded three points in a 6-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes.

He pulled off the three-point feat twice more during the 2025-26 season with Florida, recording three points in an 8-3 win over Nashville on November 24 and doing it again in a 4-3 victory over Buffalo in January.

It’s a pretty interesting career turn for a player who didn’t do much damage on the scoresheet in Colorado. Greer has always had the physical side of the game, but now he’s adding offense at a rate we didn’t really see during his time with the Avalanche.

Sometimes it takes a few stops before a player finds the right fit. Greer seems to have found his, and Tuesday’s performance was another reminder of how far he’s come.

Jordan Binnington has long been the subject of NHL trade rumors, and as he approaches the end of his contract, the discussions will only grow louder.

The Athletic's Chris Johnston released his trade board, expanding the list to 20 players. The second version of his trade board features St. Louis Blues goaltender Binnington, who landed in the eighth spot.

Things have changed quite considerably for Binnington and the Blues. Joel Hofer has emerged as the No. 1 netminder and is excelling in his role. He's played in all but four games this season, posting a .917 save percentage and winning four of his eight starts.

As for Binnington, he's won one of his four appearances and has posted a .845 SP and a 4.11 goals-against average. 

Several factors now suggest the Blues should be eager to move on from him.

To begin, his play does not warrant a role with the Blues, whether it's as a starter, tandem, or backup. His contract is expiring, and the Blues should have no interest in bringing him back unless his play improves significantly; based on the last two seasons, he may be far gone from that level. 

Another reason is the change in the goaltender trade market. Connor Hellebuyck was the big fish, and now that he is off to the New Jersey Devils, it leaves several teams inclined to improve their goaltending position with limited options.

'Joel Hofer Is Canada's Next Goaltender,' NHL Analyst Has High Praise For St. Louis Blues' NetminderJoel Hofer has picked up where he left off, looking dominant for the St. Louis Blues. His performances are gaining national recognition; notably, former NHL goaltender and current TSN analyst Jamie McLennan said, "Joel Hofer is Canada's next goaltender."

Binnington is one of those options. In fact, Binnington is the only goaltender to appear in Johnston's top 20. 

"With Hellebuyck off the market, Binnington is the most intriguing name for teams looking to add an experienced goaltender," said Johnston. "There are some warning signs with his play over the past year or two, but his long-term track record remains a source of comfort. Binnington has often delivered his best performances in circumstances where the lights are brightest. Just getting playing time has become a challenge for him with the Blues, where Joel Hofer has taken control of the No. 1 job. Binnington is a pending UFA with a 10-team no-trade list."

The Blues hope to compete for a playoff spot, and as it stands, they are four points behind the third playoff spot in the Central Division and two points behind the second wild-card spot. 

Binnington is unlikely to factor into their playoff chances, and the Blues would likely be better off shedding an expiring contract by acquiring assets. With a $6 million salary, the Blues could retain salary in a deal if needed. 

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Adin Hill gave the Vegas Golden Knights the kind of performance they needed on Tuesday night, stepping into the starting role and helping the team get back in the win column with a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators at T-Mobile Arena.

Hill made 25 saves in a solid outing after Carter Hart suffered an apparent injury during the morning skate. Hart was reportedly seen limping, raising concerns about a possible lower-body issue. With Hart unable to go, Vegas brought up goaltender Cameron Whitehead from Henderson to serve as Hill’s backup.

Ottawa had its chances throughout the night, yet Vegas got the saves it needed when the game was still close. That proved especially important in the third period, when the Senators were looking to build on an early power play strike. 

The win also snapped a three-game skid for Vegas, which had been searching for a way to get things back on track.

Things started slowly for both teams before Braeden Bowman finally broke through late in the second period. He cleaned up a loose puck near the crease after Ivan Barbashev’s attempt created an opportunity, giving the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead.

Ottawa fired right back. Shane Pinto tied the game just 34 seconds into the third period, taking advantage of a power play to beat Hill on a rush down the middle.

That set the stage for Raphael Lavoie to become the hero of the game. 

The forward, who was originally not expected to play, made the most of his unexpected opportunity, putting Vegas ahead at 8:01 of the third period by collecting the rebound of Ville Heinola’s shot during a 3-on-2 rush. It was Lavoie’s first NHL goal in his 27th career game, making the moment even sweeter.

Vegas protected the lead from there, with William Karlsson scoring into an empty net at the 18-minute mark. Jack Eichel added another empty-netter with seven seconds remaining to finish off the 4-1 win.

It wasn’t a dominant performance from start to finish, but the Golden Knights got the job done. Hill delivered when called upon, Lavoie came through with a memorable first NHL goal, and Vegas finally had something positive to build on after a rough stretch.

It’s nothing new for veteran Penguins players to find their names being brought up on national panels and media outlets when it comes to potential trades. Lately, Rickard Rakell has been a popular name to share among the likes of Frank Seravalli, Nick Kypreos and Chris Johnston for early season chatter about potential names to keep an eye on for a possible trade.

The trade talk is starting to pick up as the NHL regular season rolls into its fifth week.

We’ve expanded our early Big Board to 20 names, starting with Dylan Larkin.

Read more, from @reporterchris (unlocked 🔓)https://t.co/wnuhva47w2

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 27, 2026

7. Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh Penguins

Age: 33
Position: RW
Contract term: 2028 UFA
Cap hit: $5 million

No stranger to the Big Board in the past few years, Rakell may finally be in his final months with a Penguins team slowly transitioning to a younger group. He’s delivered an outsized amount of production on a reasonable contract, but it’s been a slow start for both player and team. Still, Rakell is an above-average finisher who has a history of holding his own when playing alongside highly skilled linemates. He’s scored at a 29-goal-per-82-game pace across the last four seasons.

Frank Seravalli – Oilers NOW – Penguins | Rakell up for grabs. Bryan Rust will be up for grabs. That whole core outside of the big guns are all going to be in play and in talks and look for the Penguins to take Flyers on younger players around the league that have fallen out of… pic.twitter.com/GZfZ0h0AyV

— R i N K Y (@RinkyReport) October 27, 2026

The last one from over the weekend might be the spiciest since it contains some specific information.

Nick Kypreos: The Penguins have been ready to move on from Rickard Rakell since the summer, but couldn’t close a deal – Sportsnet (10/22)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) October 27, 2026

That nugget makes the mind wander back to the behind the scenes video that the Ottawa Senators shared over the summer, where they were considering moving the 25th overall pick on draft night in June in exchange for an unnamed ‘roster player’ from the Penguins. Nothing further came to light regarding who was involved, but it’s not a huge stretch to imagine that could have been an effort to move Rakell in the summer as Kypreos mentioned. It also was unclear from the video if there were more parts involved than just one roster player and Ottawa’s 25th overall pick, which they ultimately elected to hang onto and use themselves, so it’s impossible to judge from the outside just what that exact proposal might have been – if it involved Rakell at all.

As perhaps usual when it comes to Rakell, the value that the team views him considering his on ice contributions still outweigh the amount other NHL clubs are willing to offer. So then, as it is now, comes the lasting period of rumors and whispers with little other tangible information out there.

Rakell’s name isn’t the only one being spoken about. There are various reports about the availability and potential likelihood of Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson also making the rounds. Say enough names for long enough and it’s bound to come true eventually, though it’s very clear that many eyes outside of Pittsburgh are keeping a close eye on how the Penguins do in the standings in the immediate future and what pivots that Kyle Dubas and company might choose to make as they build their team for this season and potentially beyond.

SEATTLE — John Chayka was busy this summer. The Toronto Maple Leafs GM was reshaping a club that had missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Landing some of the bigger names was going to command a ticket with some years attached. But what was a bit surprising was how many depth players were signed to multi-year deals. Outside of Vinnie Lettieri, Bo Groulx and Dakota Mermis, no other Maple Leaf is on an expiring deal who has played a game this season.

This really did not matter until Chayka made one of his biggest swings just before the season began. That’s when he traded Matthew Knies to the Columbus Blue Jackets and acquired Kirill Marchenko. But signing Marcheno and extending him was going to be a challenge.

The Leafs were up against a permitted threshold where you are only allowed to be at 10 percent above the existing salary cap in future years. ‘Tagging’ as it’s known in the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, pertains to the amount of room a club has to add to its future-year commitments. It prevents teams from overloading contracts in future years so that they don’t get stuck in a situation where they are unable to become salary cap compliant in the following year. That number right now is $114.4 million and that includes all of your signed standard player contracts on one-way deals, buyouts, retention and pro-rated two-way deals that extend into the next season.

Getting rid of Knies’ $7.75 million cap hit for Marchenko’s $3.85 million cap hit in 2026-27 had short-term savings, but that $12.5 million AAV extension Marchenko inked that begins in 2027-28 carried a $4.75 million increase on what Knies occupied, complicating the deal from a central registry standpoint. That’s why the Leafs took on the injured Elvis Merzlikins and his $4.428 million cap hit (even though he’s on long-term injured reserve) because it expires this year. It’s also why the Leafs had to part with young defenseman Emil Andrae, who was acquired by Toronto earlier in the summer and signed to a two-year deal with an AAV of $1.55 million (although they absorbed a higher cap hit in Miles Wood based on Columbus’ ask). 

Based on all the calculations, they currently only have approximately $625K in tagging room left, which means any player who is projected to make more than that at the NHL level and isn’t on a one-way deal can’t be squeezed onto the Leafs active roster without some sort of corresponding move to remove the commitment.

That’s where not being able to call up Ben Danford comes into the equation.

Danford can't be called up right now even if the Leafs wanted to do it.

Because Danford is on an entry-level contract (which is two-way), the Leafs can’t call him up right now if they wanted to because his $936,056 AAV in 2027-28 exceeds Toronto’s tagging room of $625k. It doesn’t sound like the Leafs have the desire to call him up right now anyway, but the reality is they can’t.

And if the Leafs do want to make another big swing elsewhere, they’d have to find a way to get rid of players with a financial commitment through 2027-28 to get it done.

The Leafs signed a bunch of depth forwards to two and three-year deals on July 1, eating away at their tagging room. They have the least amount of it off any NHL franchise as a result. It didn’t really become a problem until they acquired Marchenko and now it might be an issue again if the Leafs want to call up a Danford or make another bigger swing with term at the deadline.

Otherwise, they may have to settle on rental players as a means of clearing out the tagging room.

It’s not clear why this happened. But one thing is interesting to point out. This was really the first time NHL GMs had three years’ worth of projections to work with. The NHL never used to give those kinds of numbers out. But they wanted to flex the growth of the business and when you know you have $113.5 million projected for 2027-28  more than one year out, it’s kind of understandable to see how tagging may have been missed. 

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Although the Philadelphia Flyers seemed as though they might have been turning the corner, winning three straight after starting the season winless through nine games, their last six periods of hockey have told a different story.

After leading 2-0 and 3-2 against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, the Flyers blew the game and lost 5-4 in regulation, then followed that up with an awful first period against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Taking full advantage, the Blue Jackets quickly piled on a 3-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes while out-shooting the Flyers 7-2.

In the locker room after the game, the Flyers unanimously agreed that the dismal first period doomed them in what ended up being a 4-3 loss in overtime.

"It just felt like a weird start to the game, energy-wise, and didn't seem like really any guys had jump, which is unusual," Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim said. "Usually, you have a few guys going, and credit to the guys to find our legs and get going after a while, but it's nice to start on time."

The Flyers mounted a furious comeback over the final 40 minutes, out-shooting the Blue Jackets by a whopping 28-6 margin.

Noah Cates hounded down a leaky rebound in the blue paint behind Blue Jackets goalie Cam Talbot to get the Flyers on the board in the second period, and late in the third period, Trevor Zegras banked a shot off Talbot's midsection to pull the Flyers within one amid their late surge.

Tying the game at 3-3 in dramatic fashion, Jamie Drysdale steered in a Tyson Foerster pass with 11 seconds left on the clock and goalie Dan Vladar pulled for the extra attacker.

NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Interested in Top Blackhawks ForwardAccording to a report, the Philadelphia Flyers are admiring Chicago Blackhawks center Frank Nazar from afar.

Momentum certainly seemed to have shifted in the Flyers' favor heading into overtime, until overtime actually happened.

The Flyers ceded a 2-on-0 breakaway early in the overtime period, with Matvei Michkov getting stripped behind when attempting to posture for a shot in the offensive zone.

Vladar made a phenomenal pad save to keep the game going for Philadelphia, and Michkov stayed on the ice in an attempt to remedy his error.

However, the late shift ended up punishing Michkov and the Flyers, as defenseman Cam York, in his first game back from injury, attempted to drive to the net for a scoring chance.

Michkov had been covering up high for York, but decided to crash the net for a rebound.

Unfortunately for him and the Flyers, York's move was stymied and the puck never made it to a dangerous area, instead springing Blue Jackets forwards Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson the other way with nobody back defending.

That time, Vladar wasn't able to play hero, and the Flyers' heroic comeback died where it stood.

A point is a point, but the Flyers lost 4-3, and have lost 11 of their first 14 games this season.

Maturity is still an issue for the Flyers; Michkov didn't need to extend his shift in overtime, and York, who has struggled all year, tried to make a low-percentage play in an overtime period with little margin for error.

"I can't keep coming here to the mic saying 'learning lesson, learning lesson'. I mean, it's a broken record. I'm just disappointed," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said after the loss. "The first, and then this overtime. Some the guys, I don't know what they're doing. We had a meeting about it. We sent a video on it. It's all puck possession. It's being smart. We give up two 2-on-0s. That's unacceptable."

You are what your record says you are, and right now, the 3-7-4 Flyers are the fourth-worst team in the NHL, with the third-worst points percentage.

The nine-game hole they started the season in already looked insurmountable, and foolish mistakes prevented a three-game win streak from becoming a five-game win streak. So, instead, they added two more losses to the record, wasting rare decent offensive performances from the collective group.

On Wednesday night, the Flyers will play their second leg of this back-to-back against the Washington Capitals at 7:30 p.m., and the outcome of that game will complete the picture being painted, one way or another.

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

Connor Hellebuyck gave up just one goal in a strong debut on Tuesday as the Devils took a dominant 5-1 win over the Stars. [Devils NHL]

Connor Hellebuyck talks after the game:

Poor Jack:

Jack Hughes spat out his tooth mid play after taking a high stick 🦷😳 pic.twitter.com/RZzRPVIlFT

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 28, 2026

“The last time Jack Hughes played in front of Connor Hellebuyck, back in February at the Winter Olympics, he had his teeth knocked out by a high stick, returned to score a goal and helped his team win. Eight months later, in Hellebuyck’s debut for the New Jersey Devils, Hughes repeated the feat. Unfortunately for him, every last bit of it.” [The Athletic ($)]

“It’s early, but the team looks different than the past couple of seasons. They’re controlling play at five-on-five and outshooting their opponents by significant margins. It’s not just the Devils’ top players who are excelling, either. Their depth is contributing plenty. With that, let’s look at 10 stats that have stood out from the Devils’ start to the season.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]

Hockey Links

Five minutes!

Matthew Schaefer just became the first player to play ALL FIVE minutes of an overtime per Elliotte Friedman 🤯

Here's him still getting back on defense to stop a breakaway with 40 seconds left ❌ pic.twitter.com/DNxFaF8FC3

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 28, 2026

“Larkin, who has a full no-trade clause, has opened up the list of teams for which he would waive it to include 10 destinations: the Devils, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche. And on its face, that’s a decent number of teams. The issue for the Red Wings: Which of those teams are in a position to make a deal for Larkin? And of those who can, how motivated are they to do so?” [The Athletic ($)]

Which teams around the league have the most interesting goalie situations? [Sportsnet]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.