New York Rangers center Matt Rempe (73) is separated from New Jersey Devils defenseman Topias Vilen (38) during the first period of a game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026.
After entering training camp on the bubble, Matt Rempe — the 6-foot-9 forward known for his crushing hits and fights — found a way to stick on the Rangers’ opening night roster.
That became clear Sunday when the Rangers placed Taylor Raddysh on waivers, clearing the way for Rempe (who isn’t waiver-exempt) and Jaroslav Chmelar (who is) to make the initial 23-man group that’ll break training camp and head to Boston for Tuesday’s opener.
Rempe, who was limited to just 26 games last season after undergoing a pair of procedures on his left thumb, knew he entered training camp with a lot to prove to the coaching staff. And he seemingly did just that, carving out a space with the Blueshirts to start the year.
New York Rangers center Matt Rempe (73) is separated from New Jersey Devils defenseman Topias Vilen (38) during the first period of a game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
At the Rangers’ first preseason sessions, though, Rempe was just a forward rotating in. He didn’t log the first reps with the fourth line initially. He strung together 14 hits, a pair of assists and two blocked shots during his three preseason appearances.
Friday against the Islanders, when the Rangers treated it like a dress rehearsal, Rempe — who has logged 96 games across the regular season and playoffs, picking up 12 points and 10 fights — skated alongside Tye Kartye and Joe Veleno on the fourth line.
It all marked a return of the healthy version of Rempe, who struggled with shooting and handling pucks in 17 games after the first thumb procedure last season. Before the Rangers’ first exhibition, he last skated in an NHL game Feb. 5.
New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe skates on the ice against the New Jersey Devils in the first period at Madison Square Garden in New York, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR NEW YORK POST
“You have to acknowledge that he’s missed a lot of hockey, so he’s — to a certain extent, he’s trying to recapture all of those things that help players have success,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of Rempe on Friday. “Speed, timing, conditioning, all of those things. … It’s hard to simulate NHL game intensity in a practice, so he played in three games, three out of the four, and that was by design because he’s missed so much.
“Remps has been a big part of this team, and I think the guys really appreciate what he does for the group.”
The NHL dreams of 27 hockey players at Senators camp will have to wait for another day.
The team released five players outright on Sunday, including defenseman Scott Harrington. Harrington played 68 games for Belleville last season and he's a veteran of 255 NHL games. He was on a professional tryout with the Sens, as were the other releases: Landen Hookey, Luke Mistelbacher, Cal Uens and goalie Vadim Zherenko.
Zherenko seemed to be the plan B in case the Senators lost Leevi Merilainen on waivers. They did lose Merilainen, thanks to a Vancouver Canucks' claim, but the Sens brought in outside help instead, trading for Jonas Johansson. They picked Johansson up for future considerations from Tampa after they sent him to Syracuse.
So Zherenko obviously didn't quite do enough at camp to win the Senators over.
Ten players were loaned to Belleville and everyone on this list is waivers-exempt: Djibril Toure, Oskar Pettersson, Kasper Halttunen, Tomas Hamara, Eskild Bakke Olsen, Matthew Andonovski, Gabriel Eliasson, Lucas Ellinas, Jackson Parsons and Kevin Reidler.
The other Belleville-bound players will have to clear waivers first, including Tyler Boucher, their 10th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. Others include Samuel Blais and Philip Tomasino, who had excellent camps, along with Samuel Bolduc, Xavier Bourgault, Philippe Daoust, Ryan Suzuki and Christian Kyrou.
Four players will be headed back to junior for another season. That includes Jaxon Cover (London, OHL), their first round draft pick in June. Other junior players heading back are Louis-Félix Bourque (Drummondville, QMJHL), Adam Nemec (Sudbury, OHL) and Blake Vanek (Calgary, WHL).
So there are now still 29 players remaining on the roster, and the deadline for getting down to the max roster of 23 is 5 pm Monday. So assuming the Sens carry the max, a combination of six players, depending on their situations, will have to be released, placed on waivers, sent directly to Belleville, or placed on injured reserve.
The goaltending is locked in with Linus Ullmark and Samuel Ersson. Things get good and muddy after that.
The Senators' list walking wounded includes Artem Zub, Jake Sanderson, Shane Pinto, Warren Foegele, Andre Burakovsky, and Kurtis MacDermid. Sanderson and Burakovsky both left Saturday's action due to injury.
We also know that Ridly Greig will miss the first two games after being suspended for a sucker punch he threw in last spring's playoffs.
Zub is the only injured player who's officially not expected to be available to start the season. Donovan is still here because injured players can't be sent down.
Beyond that, the list below has the probable NHL roster in bold, if/once everyone gets healthy. Players in regular font are likely still here to fill in.
The only real debate in our projection is whether Carter Yakemchuk did enough to be in the top six. If he didn't, Nikolas Matinpalo would likely be the Sens' sixth D, and because you want Yakemchuk to keep playing, Ben Hutton might be a better option as the seventh defenseman.
Defensemen
Thomas Chabot Jake Sanderson (injured) Artem Zub (injured) Jordan Spence Tyler Kleven Nikolas Matinpalo Carter Yakemchuk
Cameron Crotty Jorian Donovan (injured) Ben Hutton (PTO) Hoyt Stanley
Forwards
Michael Amadio Drake Batherson Andre Burakovsky (injured) Nick Cousins Dylan Cozens William Eklund Warren Foegele (injured) Claude Giroux Ridly Greig (suspended for first 2 games) Shane Pinto (injured) Tim Stützle Fabian Zetterlund Stephen Halliday Kurtis MacDermid (injured)
Hayden Hodgson Blake Montgomery
The roster deadline is here, but injuries have made the Senators’ final decisions anything but simple.
The NHL Network concluded their annual top-50 NHL player countdown on Sunday evening, and unsurprisingly a member of the San Jose Sharks made it into the top five.
Macklin Celebrini, the Sharks' new captain, was named the fifth-best player in the NHL in the most recent countdown, behind just Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, and Cale Makar. Celebrini is also the youngest player inside of the top 10 by quite a ways, with the next closest being Quinn Hughes who is 26 years old.
Last season, Celebrini's 115 points were the fourth-most in the NHL and set a new Sharks franchise record, surpassing Joe Thornton's total of 114 during the 2006-07 season. Celebrini also finished tied for fourth in the NHL for goals, lighting the lamp 45 times.
It's no surprise that Celebrini has catapulted himself into superstardom after a pheomenal sophomore season with the San Jose Sharks. Now, it's just a matter of seeing how he can build on it in his third season.
Now that we know who will be on the San Jose Sharks' roster to start the 2026-27 season, it's time to look at who will play where when they take the ice on opening night.
The forward lines will likely remain exactly the same as they were in the Sharks' final preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights. While an argument could be made to swap Sherwood and Toffoli, Ryan Warsofsky seemed to really like the top two lines during their time together, so it seems unlikely much will change there. Brett Leason will remain on the Sharks roster until Adam Gaudette is ready to return, then he'll likely be waived for the purpose of reassignment to the Barracuda. Dellandrea will cycle in as needed throughout the season.
Projected Defensive Pairings:
Darnell Nurse - Michael Kesselring
Luca Cagnoni - Jacob Trouba
Sam Dickinson - Dmitry Orlov
Scratches: Nolan Allan
This is where things got a little bit difficult. During preseason, Jacob Trouba played almost exclusively with Nolan Allan and logically, that would continue into the regular season. With that being said, since the Sharks opted to keep Sam Dickinson in the NHL, I'd assume they're not planning on sitting him in the press box when he could be developing in the American Hockey League. If they don't want Dickinson in the lineup, they could've easily kept Libor Hajek in the NHL as the seventh defenseman and allowed their 20-year-old prospect to regain his confidence at the AHL level.
Throughout the preseason, Dmitry Orlov split his time between playing with Dickinson and Luca Cagnoni. As a result, it was difficult to figure out where exactly to put them each in the lineup. Orlov and Cagnoni are both comfortable playing their off-side, which gives them some flexibility as well. Ultimately, I opted to put Cagnoni with Trouba simply so he doesn't have to play his off-hand while adapting to the NHL.
More than likely, the Sharks will scratch Dickinson and play Allan with Trouba and Cagnoni with Orlov. With that being said, given the lack of asset management in that approach, I prefer to see Dickinson in the lineup. If a team is keeping a 20-year-old in the NHL, they need to be on the ice. While sitting and watching can be valuable at times, Dickinson already has a full NHL season under his belt. In the past, I've been critical regarding the idea of sending Dickinson to the AHL based on how it has affected other players' development in recent years, but if it's between that or not playing, the choice is clear in my mind.
Goaltending:
Yaroslav Askarov
Alex Nedeljkovic
Heading into the preseason, I thought that there was a legitimate chance that the season began with Alex Nedeljkovic as the Sharks' starting netminder and Yaroslav Askarov as the backup. Askarov put in quite a bit of work during the summer though and looked like a much more confident goaltender during the preseason. Whether that'll be sustained in the regular season remains to be seen, as consistency has been his biggest issue to this point, but he did enough in my mind to maintain the starting job for the time being.
The Buffalo Sabres are looking to do better this season than their 2025-26 season, but that will take a significant step forward, as they finished first in the Atlantic Division in the regular-season, and beat the Boston Bruins in Round 1 of their Stanley Cup playoff series before losing to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round.
And here at TheHockeyNews.com, as part of an off-season series of articles, we’re focusing on the Sabres’ Eastern Conference opponents in a series called “Know Your Enemy”. In these files, we’re examining how Buffalo fared against every East team last year, and how they’re likely to do against those teams this season. And in this penultimate file in the series, we’re spotlighting the Toronto Maple Leafs.
No team made more changes than the Maple Leafs did this summer, restocking their entire third and fourth lines of forwards, and adding 2026 No. 1 overall draft pick Gavin McKenna and former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh and longtime Florida Panthers star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Here’s this columnist’s personal point of view on how the Sabres will fare against Toronto this season:
BUFFALO SABRES VS. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
NEW MAPLE LEAFS PLAYERS: Gavin McKenna (LW), Sergei Bobrovsky (G), Darren Raddysh (D), John Chayka (GM), Jim Hiller (coach), Jack Roslovic (RW), Colton Sissons (C), Brandon Duhaime (LW), Nick Paul (LW), Teddy Blueger (C), Zach MacEwen (RW), Emil Andrae (D) Nick Blankenburg (D)
2025-26 SERIES: Sabres 3-0-1, Maple Leafs 1-2-1
2026-27 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER: October 15 at Toronto; February 27 at Buffalo; March 25 at Buffalo; April 3 at Toronto
CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM? The Sabres didn’t lose to the Maple Leafs in regulation time last season – nor should they have, as Toronto completely cratered as one of the NHL’s worst teams. And by the time Buffalo took on the Leafs for their final game in mid-March, the Buds were a shell of themselves.
That said, we can’t help but be bullish on the changes Maple Leafs GM John Chayka has made – beginning with the most important position, which is in net. We get it – Bobrovsky had a sub-par season with the Panthers last year, and he’s now 38 years old. So if his game falls off, it could get ugly in Leafs Land. However, if the Leafs’ defense corps gets the anticipated bump from the return of vital blueliner Chris Tanev, Bobrovsky could wind up giving Toronto better netminding than the Sabres have.
Meanwhile, star rookie McKenna has shown flashes of his superior skill in limited pre-season action, and if he gives the Leafs’ second line a jolt – and really, a McKenna/John Tavares/William Nylander second line could be one of the league’s best – the ripple effect on the rest of the roster will make Buds fans very happy. And signing worker bees Sissons, Duhaime, Blueger and Paul give Toronto some significant depth they just didn’t have last season.
Finally, the sign-and-trade for Raddysh gives the Leafs their first true powerhouse offense-producing D-man since Morgan Rielly’s heyday. Of course, there’s a risk Toronto is taking on that Raddysh’s tremendous 2025-26 season was an anomaly. But just about all of Chayka’s moves have a high-risk, high-reward element to them.
All of which is to say the Sabres are going to find the Leafs a considerably-tougher opponent this year than they were last season. And here’s a quirk of the schedule to keep an eye on: after taking on the Leafs in Buffalo’s eighth game of the season, there will be a four-and-a-half waiting period until the next Sabres/Toronto game in mid-February. And from there, Buffalo will square off the Leafs twice in their final eight games.
So, there could be scenarios in which those final two Sabres/Maple Leafs games have a direct impact on many different areas this year. The Maple Leafs could be clinging on to a wild card playoff berth – and so could Buffalo. The Leafs could surprise everyone by pushing past the Sabres in the Atlantic standings. Or Buffalo could put the Buds in their place and help keep them from making the playoffs for a second straight season.
It’s all making for one of the NHL’s feistiest regional rivalries, and the Leafs and Sabres clashes will be appointment viewing. And in the final estimation, Toronto and Buffalo could highly-impact each other’s success levels this season.
So yes, the Maple Leafs will almost assuredly be a much tougher opponent for Buffalo, and if everything goes wrong for the Sabres and everything goes right for the Leafs, Toronto could leapfrog over Buffalo in this year’s Atlantic. But the Sabres should be able to take at least two of four games against the Buds -- and anything more will take a heck of an effort from the Sabres.
Braeden Cootes’ assignment does not erase the progress he showed during the preseason.
The transaction changed Cootes’ developmental path.
The Vancouver Canucks assigned the 19-year-old centre to Abbotsford on Friday after he recorded one goal and two assists in three preseason games. Cootes remained among the final roster candidates, but his development now shifts to the AHL.
The assignment was not the result of an ineffective preseason from Cootes. His pace, competitiveness and two-way awareness translated against older players, while his chemistry with Arshdeep Bains produced offence.
Cootes was quieter during Thursday’s 2–1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers while centring Paul Cotter and Brendan Gallagher. The performance followed two productive games, while that line offered a preview of the role potentially awaiting him in Vancouver.
He likely would have started on the fourth line.
Limited NHL Minutes Can Work
Playing limited minutes is not necessarily harmful, nor is sitting for an occasional game. The question is whether those minutes have a developmental purpose.
Former Canucks captain Bo Horvat shows how a bottom-six role can help a young centre. During the 2014–15 season, Horvat averaged 12:15 minutes played per game and recorded 25 points in 68 games as a rookie. He gradually earned more responsibility before becoming Vancouver’s captain and a top-line centre.
His example shows that a smaller NHL role can contribute to development when responsibilities expand with a player’s performance.
If Cootes received 10 to 12 purposeful minutes, consistent linemates and defensive assignments, a similar beginning could have worked. NHL coaches and experienced teammates could have helped him adjust.
However, Horvat’s path is not a template for every prospect.
Some players learn through limited NHL minutes. Others need regular shifts, the puck and freedom to make mistakes. A young player can become stuck in a small role without receiving opportunities to develop his offensive skills.
That possibility helps explain Vancouver’s assignment of Cootes to Abbotsford.
Abbotsford’s Potential Role
In Abbotsford, Cootes is expected to compete for top-six minutes, centre assignments, special-teams work and opportunities in important situations against professional opponents.
Cootes joins Abbotsford after a productive final junior season. He recorded 63 points in 45 WHL games and added 23 points in 20 playoff games while helping the Prince Albert Raiders reach the WHL Final.
The new rule allowing eligible 19-year-old first-round picks to play in the AHL gave Vancouver a third option. Rather than returning to junior or occupying a limited NHL role, Cootes can continue developing against professional competition.
Canucks forward Linus Karlsson demonstrates the potential value of extended AHL development. Former Canucks general manager Jim Benning once said he preferred prospects to spend two or three years in the AHL until they were “overripe.”
Karlsson followed that route. After three seasons in Abbotsford, he led the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs with 14 goals and 26 points. He then recorded 15 goals and 35 points in 79 games with Vancouver last season.
Cootes may not require the same timeline. Karlsson nevertheless showed how succeeding in a significant AHL role can prepare a player to earn a permanent NHL position.
Johnson’s No-Yo-Yo Philosophy
Filip Chytil’s shoulder issue created uncertainty at centre. Vancouver still assigned Cootes to Abbotsford.
The assignment indicates Vancouver did not use Cootes as a response to its uncertain centre depth.
Oskar Sundqvist, a centre with 545 NHL games and an $850,000 cap hit, was among Friday’s waiver options. Additional players could become available as teams finalize rosters, giving Vancouver other ways to address centre depth without changing Cootes’ development plan.
The decision follows Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson’s stated philosophy.
“I do not believe in the yo-yo, up-and-down American League/NHL of a young player,” Johnson said before training camp. "I feel I’ve said it earlier — when they get in, they step in. If they’re in the American League, I often see it as there’s one call-up. They kick the door down, there’s one call-up, and they never go back.”
The comment describes a preference for young players to earn an NHL promotion and remain there. Assigning Cootes to Abbotsford is consistent with that approach.
What Comes Next
The preseason provided evidence that Cootes could compete for a Canucks position. His projected role remained central to the decision.
Abbotsford can provide greater responsibility, but those opportunities must still be earned. Repeated short-term recalls would appear to conflict with Johnson’s stated preference. A longer-term promotion would more closely align with the development model he described.
Making Vancouver’s opening-night roster would have been an accomplishment. Becoming a long-term impact player remains the goal.
The assignment gives Vancouver a way to prioritize Cootes’ long-term development while keeping him close to the NHL. Its value will ultimately depend on the responsibilities he receives and whether the organization provides the stability outlined in Johnson’s philosophy.
Oct 3, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Braeden Cootes (80) shoots during warm up prior to a game against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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The Vegas Golden Knights haven’t announced their opening night lineup yet, but after a series of roster moves, they don’t really need to.
All around the league, there’s been a flurry of waiver wire activity as preseason comes to a close, and it’s all coming to a head. Cap-compliant opening night rosters are due on Monday, and teams are making their final cuts.
Among the 71 players on waivers for the purpose of AHL reassignment are Golden Knights forwards Alexander Holtz, Tanner Laczynski, and Jonas Røndbjerg, as well as defensemen Ville Heinola and Antti Tuomisto.
Essentially, these transactions mean that rookie winger Trevor Connelly is all but guaranteed a spot on the opening night roster. This is subject to change, but Connelly wouldn’t need to pass through waivers if the Golden Knights reassigned him to AHL Henderson, so it’s telling that they kept him while risking losing players like Holtz and Røndbjerg.
The Golden Knights drafted Connelly in the first round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. However, due to a string of unfortunate injuries, this year marked his first time in attendance at training camp.
Connelly is the most talented prospect that the Golden Knights have had in quite some time, and the organization is very high on him.
“It’s going to be a matter of what the timing is. Does he kick the door down immediately, or does it take a little more time? Those are the things that we’ll watch play out,” said Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon at the start of training camp. “I think he’s going to be an exceptionally good player. It’s just a matter of what the timeline looks like between now and then.”
“Trevor has a skill set that he brings to our group that not a lot of people in our organization have,” agreed head coach Ryan Craig after day one of camp. “He gets the first crack at that spot, and we’ll see where it goes.”
Connelly had a strong camp. He played in three of the four preseason games, including the final two in which the Golden Knights dressed their starters.
“Trevor was really noticeable,” remarked Jack Eichel following Thursday’s preseason victory against the Utah Mammoth. “It was great to see that for him. This is his first crack at it, so I’m really happy for him. I thought he played great, and he’s gonna be a big part of this group.”
The Golden Knights are off on Sunday and will officially release their roster on Monday at 2 p.m. PST.
“He’s had a very good camp,” Craig said of Connelly following the preseason finale. “When we talk about Trevor, he’s checking boxes for the first time, and I think that’s where this day off probably comes at a good time for him.”
Albert Smits had made the Rangers' opening night roster.
In the aftermath of the final Rangers exhibition Friday, Alberts Smits didn’t reveal much about whether he thought he’d done enough to make the roster. He left the final call to the coaches he spent the preseason impressing, though the 18-year-old — and No. 5 overall pick — did hint that “it’d mean a lot” for him to break training camp in the NHL.
The seemingly inevitable ruling on Smits’ future for the start of the 2026-27 season became formal Sunday, with the rookie making the initial 23-man roster, according to The Post’s Mollie Walker.
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The other competitions that defined training camp also came into focus Sunday. Winger Taylor Raddysh and goaltender Dylan Garand were waived. Forwards Matt Rempe and Jaroslav Chmelar, along with defensemen Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow, made the cut. Joonas Korpisalo beat out Garand for the job of backing up Igor Shesterkin.
The Blueshirts still need to either waive injured defenseman Vincent Iorio, who’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury, or put him on injured reserve to officially get to 23. But when that happens, the first iteration of the Rangers’ roster will have some history (Smits), redemption (Rempe), youth (Chmelar and Morrow) and risk (Korpisalo) sprinkled in as they try to avoid reaching the basement of the Eastern Conference again.
Albert Smits had made the Rangers’ opening night roster. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
When the Blueshirts face the Bruins on Tuesday for their season opener, Smits will likely occupy the spot alongside Braden Schneider on the third pairing as he has all preseason. There wouldn’t be a purpose to having Smits on the roster if he didn’t log regular minutes. The left-handed defenseman was drafted as an NHL-ready prospect and then spent the last 10-plus days proving it.
If Smits skates Tuesday, he’ll join Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière in Rangers history as recent 18-year-olds to make their debuts on opening night. Of the defensemen in team history — Dave Maloney (December 1974), Len Wharton (March 1945), Spence Tatchell (February 1943) and Red Garrett (November 1942) — to debut at 18 or younger, Smits would become the first to do so on opening night, according to archived rosters and game logs on Hockey-Reference.
When reflecting on his preseason games Friday, Smits acknowledged ups and downs but said he tried to make an argument that he can jump in. Coach Mike Sullivan, in a telling comment that same night, said Smits tends to perform better alongside the structure of veterans as opposed to the “scrambly” nature of younger players. He collected four hits, two blocked shots and an assist across three preseason games.
New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits (63) controls the puck in the first period against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The hype followed Smits throughout the preseason too. Sullivan raved about Smits’ passes, physicality and stick while defending. Schneider told The Post last week that Smits “definitely earned the chance” to skate in the opening night lineup.
“He doesn’t get outmuscled,” Sullivan said Friday, “and he’s not afraid to make a play. He plays the game out there like he belongs.”
While Smits starting the year with the Rangers seemed likely, other spots weren’t decided until the final cuts Sunday. Raddysh skated in 68 games for the Rangers in 2025-26 and collected 19 points, but he served as an extra forward rotating in throughout training camp. In an ominous sign, Raddysh was one of the players left out of the official game group that traveled to UBS Arena for what essentially served as a dress rehearsal in the preseason finale.
Rempe started the first session of training camp as an extra forward before clawing his way back to the first reps with the fourth line. Two procedures limited the 6-foot-9 forward to just 26 games last year, and he entered training camp knowing that he had plenty to prove. Chmelar drew plenty of positive reviews throughout his 28-game cameo last year but is waiver-exempt, meaning he could’ve been an option to be assigned to AHL Hartford. Robertson, who logged his first full NHL season last year after plenty of time with the Wolf Pack, and Morrow — the return in the K’Andre Miller trade who hasn’t stuck at the NHL level yet — were also on the bubble throughout training camp, while Korpisalo competed with Garand despite the Blueshirts trading for him in July.
Any uncertainty about the construction of the final spots faded Sunday. And the presence of Smits ensured Tuesday became a historic opener for the Rangers.
The St. Louis Blues' opening-night roster is becoming clearer, with the organization placing a pair of players on waivers.
Among those placed on waivers are goaltender Georgii Romanov and defenseman Calle Rosen.
Romanov is a 26-year-old netminder who is entering his second season with the Blues organization. He played 28 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds last season, posting an .898 save percentage and a 3.29 goals-against average.
He'll split starts with Will Cranley, who is expected to be a full-time AHLer this season.
As for Rosen, he's an experienced AHL defenseman entering his fifth year with the Blues organization. He's spent time in the NHL with the Blues, but has mainly been a reliable defenseman for the Springfield Thunderbirds.
The Blues reacquired him from the Washington Capitals, and in his return, the 32-year-old scored eight goals and added 31 points.
In addition to placing Romanov and Rosen on waivers, the Blues have recalled 2024 first-round pick Adam Jiricek and claimed defenseman Justin Barron from the Nashville Predators.
With Barron and Jiricek up in the NHL, the Blues are over the limit, so expect Tyler Tucker to be placed on the injured reserve and one of Barron or Jiricek to be sent to the AHL.
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A couple of standouts emerged at the Montreal Canadiens’ camp. Up front, Florian Xhekaj has raised more than a few eyebrows with his consistent play, intense effort, and forecheck. On the blueline, David Reinbacher turned heads. The fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft may have seen his development slowed by a slew of injuries, but he’s fully healthy now and has shown what he can do in three preseason games.
Kaiden Guhle’s injury couldn’t have come at a better time for Reinbacher. It opened the door for him, and he didn’t just step into the space; he opened it with authority. So much so that he even got an audition to play alongside Lane Hutson in the Kraft Hockeyville game in Trois-Rivières. The Canadiens’ top defenseman was impressed with the youngster's play and had nothing but positive comments about his young partner after the game.
Yet, on Sunday, after putting a first group of players on waivers, the Canadiens reassigned 10 players to the Laval Rocket, including Reinbacher. He was joined by Owen Beck, Jacob Fowler, Dillan Bentley, Laurent Dauphin, Jared Davidson, Filip Mesar, Luke Mittelstadt, Owen Protz, and Tyler Thorpe. In other words, Florian Xhekaj and Adam Engstrom are the only two players who aren't on NHL contracts and are still with the team. Unless Kaiden Guhle is put on injured reserve, the Canadiens would have 24 players on their roster rather than the 23 permitted. Meaning there's still a move to make before Monday at 5:00 PM.
Meanwhile, Alex Belzile and Kaapo Kahkonen highlighted the group placed on waivers, along with Brett Berard, Hunter McKown, Sasha Pastujov, Samuel Poulin, Ethan Samson, Maksymillian Szuber, and Reilly Walsh.
Seeing Xhekaj stay up is surprising, given how many forwards are under contract, and Reinbacher heading to Laval is just as surprising. Throughout camp, he appeared to have the inside lane on Engstrom. Perhaps the organization would rather Engstrom sit as their seventh defenseman than Reinbacher if they decided to play Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj?
Kevin Cheveldayoff has never been afraid to revisit the past.
Throughout his tenure as general manager of the Winnipeg Jets, Cheveldayoff has regularly circled back to players already familiar with the organization. But Winnipeg passed on one such opportunity Saturday when former Jets goaltender Eric Comrie cleared waivers after being placed on the wire by the San Jose Sharks.
One day later, several more familiar names are available.
Former Jets Laurent Brossoit, David Rittich, Dominic Toninato and Ville Heinola were among the players placed on waivers Sunday as teams continued trimming their rosters ahead of Monday's deadline.
Photo by Robert Edwards/USA Today
The Jets made two moves of their own, placing forward Danny Zhilkin and defenceman Henry Thrun on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the Manitoba Moose. Should both clear Monday, Winnipeg would be down to 24 healthy players and require one more move to reach its opening roster.
It comes one day after defenceman Isaak Phillips and forwards Nikita Chibrikov, Noah Gregor and Parker Ford all cleared waivers. The quartet can now be assigned to Manitoba after being placed on the wire Friday, while goaltender Thomas Milic was assigned directly to the Moose.
While the Jets continue sorting through their own roster, Sunday's waiver wire presents some interesting possibilities.
Brossoit is perhaps the most obvious example of Cheveldayoff returning to a familiar player in the past. The goaltender spent three seasons with Winnipeg from 2018-21 before leaving for Vegas, only to return to the Jets two years later.
Rittich spent the 2022-23 season in Winnipeg, while Toninato became a familiar face between the Jets and Moose after originally joining the organization in 2020.
Then there is Heinola.
Winnipeg selected the Finnish defenceman 20th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and spent years waiting for him to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. Heinola's time with the organization finally came to an end this summer when he joined the Vegas Golden Knights, only for the 25-year-old to land on waivers before the regular season.
Whether any of those reunions would actually interest Winnipeg is another question.
The Jets' decision not to claim Comrie is a timely reminder that familiarity alone isn't enough. The 31-year-old netminder had one of the more unusual relationships with the organization, having been drafted by Winnipeg, lost on waivers and eventually returned to the Jets before leaving for San Jose this summer. Despite Winnipeg's current uncertainty in goal behind Stuart Skinner, Comrie went unclaimed and is now eligible to report to the AHL's San Jose Barracuda.
There are plenty of intriguing names beyond the former Jets, too.
Forwards Sammy Blais, Philip Tomasino, Jakob Pelletier and Alexander Holtz were among those exposed Sunday, as were defencemen Henri Jokiharju, Juuso Välimäki and Ilya Lyubushkin.
Former Brandon Wheat Kings forward Cole Reinhardt was placed on waivers by the Florida Panthers, adding another Manitoba connection to the list.
The goaltending market is particularly crowded. Along with Brossoit and Rittich, Ilya Samsonov, Vitek Vanecek, Kaapo Kähkönen and Mads Søgaard were all made available.
For Cheveldayoff, the timing is intriguing.
Winnipeg has spent the weekend moving closer to its final roster, going from 26 healthy players Friday to 24 following Sunday's moves. The Jets have one final decision of their own to make before Monday's deadline.
At the same time, 31 other teams have provided them with plenty more to consider.
Ahead of the start of the 2026 regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers still have major question marks on defense, particularly on the third defense pair.
On Saturday, not long after Flyers general manager Danny Briere announced that former No. 6 overall pick David Jiricek would make the roster, Jiricek made a series of errors that led to goals against the Flyers despite facing against a greatly undermanned Washington Capitals team in the preseason finale.
A faulty anticipation of transition, a backhanded pass directly to a Capitals player, and a silly penalty contributed to three goals for Washington, and the Capitals' fifth goal in the 5-1 beatdown came after Noah Cates failed to handle a pass from Jiricek in the neutral zone,
Once Washington won that puck, Jiricek was too far out of position, and Rasmus Ristolainen was left back to defend by himself, and Aleksei Kolosov was nowhere near good enough to erase any of those mistakes on Saturday night.
This is precisely what the Flyers signed up for when they added the 22-year-old Jiricek via trade, but the problem for them is that they have aspirations of making the playoffs, and Jiricek still needs to develop despite needing to pass through waivers to make it back to the AHL.
Those two things don't mix, and while another NHL team may not necessarily be motivated to become Jiricek's fourth team in as many years since he was drafted in 2022, it is a possibility.
More concerningly, Oliver Bonk and Helge Grans have not done enough to steal a job from Jiricek, and Simon Benoit, a veteran newcomer, is not a right-shot.
If the Flyers want to take their time with Bonk and Jiricek and let the youngsters develop, they will need to turn elsewhere to maintain the integrity of their ultimate goals for the season.
NHL waiver wire flush with options
Nick Perbix could bring the size the Flyers covet on defense. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
The good news for the Flyers is that they have at least two options available to them, entirely for free, on the NHL waiver wire.
On Saturday, the Boston Bruins placed defenseman Henri Jokiharku, a 27-year-old former first-round pick and veteran of 448 regular season games, on waivers.
The Finn was an NHL regular with Buffalo, but since coming to Boston, he's placed in just 59 games, scoring two goals, 17 assists, and 19 points with a +9 rating while filling in on the power play and penalty kill when needed.
The 6-foot Jokiharju has two years remaining on his contract at a $3 million cap hit, and he's undeniably an upgrade on Benoit, Jiricek, Grans, Bonk, and even Noah Juulsen, who the Flyers made the playoffs with as their third-choice right-shot defender last year.
Further south, the Nashville Predators placed former Tampa Bay Lightning standout Nick Perbix on waivers, and the 6-foot-4 Canadian might better align with what the Flyers are trying to do on defense.
Perbix, 28, was an analytics darling in Tampa Bay playing a lesser role, but after just one year in Nashville, he's on waivers.
Perbix scored three goals, 10 assists, and 13 points in 79 games for the Predators last season while averaging a career-high 2:41 a game on the penalty kill, adding some important special teams value for a prospective taker like the Flyers.
Both Jokiharju and Perbix, with their short-term, affordable contracts, make sense as adds for the Flyers as they prioritize the proper development of Jiricek and Bonk.
The Flyers will need to spend a bit of cash to add either player via waivers, but that's no problem for them with their $13.9 million in cap space.
Now, it's more a question of how they want to develop Jiricek and how important he is to their future, compared to making the playoffs and remaining as competitive as possible.
Former Winnipeg Jets defenceman Logan Stanley has finally found a home for the 2026-27 NHL season.
The New York Islanders announced Sunday that they have signed Stanley to a one-year contract. The deal carries a $1.5-million cap hit.
Photo by Marc Desrosiers/USA Today
The signing comes unusually late for the 28-year-old, who remained an unrestricted free agent throughout the summer and nearly the entirety of training camp despite putting together the best offensive season of his NHL career in 2025-26.
Stanley recorded nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 76 games split between Winnipeg and the Buffalo Sabres last season. Twenty-one of those points came in 59 games with the Jets before Winnipeg dealt the six-foot-seven, 231-pound defenceman to Buffalo ahead of the March 6 trade deadline.
Former #NHLJets defenceman Logan Stanley has found a new home on the Island.
He signs a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Islanders - a far cry from the 5x$5 extension some were suggesting mid-season.
Whether he gets into the Isles’ final exhibition game tonight is unclear.
Stanley added five assists in 17 regular-season games with the Sabres before appearing in eight playoff contests. He was held pointless during Buffalo's postseason run and was scratched for the final four games of its second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens.
His move to Long Island brings an end to a lengthy period of uncertainty for the former Jets first-round pick.
Winnipeg selected Stanley 18th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft after trading up to acquire the pick. He eventually developed into a regular on the Jets' blue line and appeared in parts of six seasons with the club before being moved to Buffalo last spring.
Stanley's final season in Winnipeg proved to be his most productive. He established career highs offensively while taking on a larger role, averaging more than 17 minutes of ice time per game during his 59 appearances with the Jets.
Now, he'll attempt to carve out a role on an Islanders blue line that already features the likes of Matthew Schaefer, Alexander Romanov, Ryan Pulock and Tony DeAngelo.
Stanley joined his new teammates for practice Sunday morning, but his late arrival means he won't have the benefit of an exhibition tune-up. New York has already completed its four-game preseason schedule and will open its regular season Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Islanders will therefore have only a few practices to get Stanley acclimated before the games begin to count.
Stanley has appeared in 278 career NHL regular-season games, recording 14 goals and 62 points. He has also suited up for 25 Stanley Cup playoff games.
After spending nearly seven months waiting for his next NHL opportunity, the former Jet will now get it on Long Island.
On Sunday, the Florida Panthers continued their roster cuts, placing eight players on waivers for the purpose of being assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL.
NHL opening night rosters are due at 5 p.m. EST on Monday, Sept. 28.
According to PuckPedia.com, the Panthers have placed eight players on waivers: forwards John Beecher, Sam Lafferty, Cole Reinhardt, Kai Schwindt, Cole Schwindt, and Nathan Bastian, and defensemen Donovan Sebrango and Alexander Petrovic.
Bastian attended the Panthers' training camp on a professional tryout. Prior to being placed on waivers, Bastian signed a one-year, $850,000 contract. His minor league salary will be $525,000, with $575,000 guaranteed.
As for the other forwards, Beecher and Lafferty were brought in during the off-season with NHL experience. They'll likely clear waivers and should be used as call-ups throughout the season.
As for Reinhardt and Cole Schwindt, the Panthers claimed both off waivers last year. Reinhardt and Schwindt's waiver placement comes with serious risk, as they're enticing pieces NHL teams could be interested in claiming.
Reinhardt ended the season strongly with the Panthers last year and picked up where he left off in the pre-season. As for Schwindt, he's proved to be a very reliable defensive center.
Yesterday, the Panthers placed Angus Crookshank, Casey Fitzgertald and Tobias Bjornfot on waivers; all cleared and have reported to the Charlotte Checkers.
An interesting note following all these waiver placements is that Bokondji Imama was not placed on waivers and remains with the NHL club. It appears that he could begin the season as the Panthers' 13th forward, or possibly in the opening-night lineup.
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The Carolina Hurricanes have their opening night roster set, trimming their roster down to the 23-player maximum.
The team announced on Sunday that they have reassigned both Felix Unger Sorum and Bradly Nadeau to the Chicago Wolves and have placed defenseman Juuso Valimaki on waivers for the purpose of reassignment.
In addition, Seth Jarvis has been placed on injured reserve as he continues to recover from his offseason shoulder surgery.
That means that the final roster will look like this:
Andrei Svechnikov - Sebastian Aho - Eric Robinson Taylor Hall - Logan Stankoven - Jackson Blake Nikolaj Ehlers - Jordan Staal - Jordan Martinook Nicolas Deslauriers - Mark Jankowski - William Carrier
Jaccob Slavin - Jalen Chatfield K'Andre Miller - Sean Walker Shayne Gostisbehere - Charles Alexis Legault
So in the end, Charles Alexis Legault and Mike Reilly won out the competition for the team's sixth and seventh defenseman spots over Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Juuso Valimaki and Joel Nystrom.
Reilly had by far the best showing amongst all the prospective blueliners, anchoring the team's top pair through the first two preseason games and while Legault wasn't as impactful, he has the physical traits and playing style that the team wants in that depth role.
In addition, neither Unger Sorum nor Nadeau impressed the organization enough to dethrone any of the team's established forwards, although perhaps we could see one or both at some point in the season.
Both players have dominated the AHL and had really good showings in the preseason to boot, but for whatever reason, the staff isn't yet sold on them.
Lastly, it seems the team is perhaps worried about placed goaltender Cayden Primeau on waivers, hence why they're keeping him up, at least to start the year.
Primeau, 27, has over 50 games of NHL experience and is coming off of a really strong AHL season where he had a 21-11-7 record and a 0.916 save percentage (9-9-0; 0.913 Sv% in the postseason).
Even though he's on a two-year deal, there is a good chance he gets claimed, which did happen last year before the team managed to reclaim him after he spent around a month in Toronto.
But this is the lineup that the team will be sending out against the Florida Panthers for the NHL season opener on Tuesday.
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