On Wednesday, Detroit Red Wings interim general manager Shawn Horcoff made his stance clear on the standoff with restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson.
That is good news for Red Wings fans, as the GM appears adamant about bringing back the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. The report builds on comments from several other insiders who have said Detroit's preference all along has been to retain the Swedish blueliner.
Red Wings GM Shawn Horcoff says he has "zero interest" in trading Simon Edvisson. "Not something I'm entertaining. We want to sign him."
The organization has already checked one major contract off its list, with star winger Alex DeBrincat signing a seven-year extension carrying a $13 million cap hit. With that deal done, Edvinsson can become the franchise's focus, and the Red Wings can work toward getting him back into game action.
Detroit could certainly use the help as Edvinsson offers a rare blend of defensive skill and the occasional dose of offense, and the Red Wings are struggling at both ends of the ice.
They sit near the bottom of the league defensively, allowing 3.17 goals per game, while their offense is even worse, averaging 2.33 goals per game, which ranks in the bottom five of the NHL.
With the Red Wings having dropped five of their first six games, they need all the help they can get, and 30-point defenseman like Edvinsson would provide a subtle boost.
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The Buffalo Sabres, after going 3-2 on a five-game homestand, finish out the month of October with seven of the next eight games on the road, including an odd bit of scheduling that has them playing the archrival Montreal Canadiens twice in the span of five days.
The first match at the Bell Centre on Tuesday was a one-sided affair, where Les Habitants peppered Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with 38 shots, and Buffalo scored three times on 16 shots (including Olen Zellweger’s first two in a Sabres uniform) on Montreal rookie Jacob Fowler in regulation and overtime, but the Canadiens finally solved UPL in the shootout, as Cole Caufield, Alexandre Texier, and Zach Bolduc each scored in a 4-3 victory.
“We lacked a lot of play making and a lot of energy. Our goalie got us a point.” Ruff said after the game. “It was a night we didn’t make a lot of plays. That second period may have been one of our worst periods in a long time……we didn’t generate any chances, we handed them two goals.”
Owen Power has had a strong start for the Sabres this season
Buffalo is 0-1-1 on the road heading to Toronto for their first meeting with the Maple Leafs on Thursday. Head coach Lindy Ruff was interviewed on WGR 550 on Wednesday morning and indicated that it was doubtful that team captain Rasmus Dahlin will join the club after staying back in Buffalo after suffering a lower-body injury in Monday’s win over the Panthers. Dahlin is considered day-to-day, and Ruff did not say that definitively rule him out for the contest on Thursday.
Ruff also indicated that forward Tyson Kozak is dealing with an upper-body injury and is back in Buffalo, and that goalie Alex Lyon had a setback in his rehab of a shoulder injury and will be off the ice for a few days.
RALEIGH, NC - OCTOBER 13: Left Wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) of the Carolina Hurricanes fist bumps teammates on the bench to celebrate scoring during the NHL game between the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes on October 13, 2026 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We’re just over two weeks into the NHL season, and it’s already been wild. There’s a lot of hockey left to play, but some trends are emerging that look very, very good for some of the Stanley Cup hopefuls, while fans of other teams might be hovering their fist over the panic button, ready to smash it at a moment’s notice.
Two of the most stunning teams to watch are the Winnipeg Jets and New York Rangers, two teams who figured to be far removed from the playoffs are experiencing an incredible surge to start the season, though it remains to be seen if it can be sustained. Both teams crack the Top 10 after ranking 29th and 23rd, respectively, in our preseason rankings.
Here are the full rankings right now, then we’ll dive into this a little bit.
Rank
Team
Record
1
Carolina Hurricanes
6-1-1
2
Edmonton Oilers
5-0-1
3
Vegas Golden Knights
6-2-0
4
Winnipeg Jets
4-1-1
5
New York Rangers
6-2-0
6
Utah Mammoth
5-2-0
7
Boston Bruins
5-2-0
8
Seattle Kraken
5-2-0
9
Ottawa Senators
5-2-0
10
Colorado Avalanche
4-2-0
11
Tampa Bay Lightning
4-2-0
12
Minnesota Wild
4-2-1
13
Anaheim Ducks
4-2-0
14
Montreal Canadiens
3-2-1
15
St. Louis Blues
3-2-1
16
Washington Capitals
3-3-0
17
Pittsburgh Penguins
3-3-1
18
Toronto Maple Leafs
3-3-1
19
Buffalo Sabres
3-3-1
20
Florida Panthers
3-2-2
21
San Jose Sharks
3-3-0
22
New York Islanders
3-3-0
23
Nashville Predators
2-2-2
24
New Jersey Devils
3-3-0
25
Dallas Stars
2-3-1
26
Columbus Blue Jackers
2-3-0
27
Detroit Red Wings
1-3-2
28
Vancouver Canucks
2-6-0
29
Chicago Blackhawks
2-5-0
30
Los Angeles Kings
0-3-2
31
Calgary Flames
1-5-0
32
Philadelphia Flyers
0-5-3
The Carolina Hurricanes are even better, somehow
Logic typically dictates that the Stanley Cup Champion should take a step back, but there’s something in the water in Raleigh right now. The Hurricanes opened the season with a rusty two games, but have been a powerhouse ever since — winning six in a row, and beating some good teams along the way.
Carolina’s brand of hockey has always put a premium on team play over star power, comfortably settling to exist in a zone where five or six guys finish the season with 60+ points, rather than a couple registering over a point a game. Thus far in 2026-27 they’re doing both, with Sebastian Aho sitting at 13 points in 8 games, with Andrei Svechnikov at 11 points. Both players have been criticized over their careers for underachieving, but it’s as if the cup transformed them into top-tier superstars over night, and they’re not only playing the best hockey of their careers — but some of the best in the NHL, period.
The Hurricanes currently have six players on pace to finish with over 60 points, with Aho, and Svechnikov trending towards having over 100 points on the season. It’s another gear this team has reached, and they look terrifying.
The Oilers are playing like a team on a mission
Everyone in Edmonton is well aware that there’s a very narrow window for them to truly make a run. Connor McDavid gave the team two years notice when he signed a new contract designed to send a message that the Oilers need to make a run now, or lose him in 2027-28. Time is running out, and Edmonton is doing its best to convince him it can be a contender for the rest of his career.
The undefeated Oilers are the best team in the west right now, and the emergence of Vasily Podkolzin as a goal scorer has added a dimension to the top lines that the Oilers have lacked in the past. A mixture of their stellar top talent in McDavid, Leon Draitsaitl, and Evan Bouchard — paired with young players making the jump makes Edmonton a team to watch.
The Stars are in trouble
Dallas is an excellent team defensively, but for whatever reason this team can’t score a goal to save its life. Getting just two goals apiece from Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson simply isn’t good enough considering how much they’re being paid while being defensive liabilities. Goal scoring is the one thing they are supposed to bring to the table, and it’s not happening.
Jake Oettinger is bailing this team out in goal, but despite having a .944 SV% and a 1.20 GAA, he’s still 2-2 on the season because nobody can find the back of the net. This needs to change, and soon — or it’s going to be a long season in Dallas.
Philadelphia is in hell
I really bought in to the idea that the Flyers would take a step forward in 2026-27 following their playoff run, with both Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov seeming poised to break out. Not only has that not happened, but Philadelphia is ATROCIOUS.
Nobody can’t score, their passing is mediocre, the defense is bad, and Daniel Vladar has taken a step back in goal. The Flyers are winless, sitting at a -21, while being 32nd in goals for, and 31st in goals against. There’s nothing left to say.
Throughout the off-season and now as the 2026-27 NHL season is in full swing, the St. Louis Blues have been interested in adding a young, NHL-proven defenseman.
They've long been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes' 25-year-old blueliner Alexander Nikishin, but nothing has materialized. Many insiders believe the Blues are the frontrunners to land Nikishin, but progress has stalled for quite some time.
But a new young stud defenseman has hit the trade market: Detroit Red Wings' Simon Edvinsson.
Like Nikishin, Edvinsson is a restricted free agent without a contract, and he, too, prefers a trade away from the team that holds his rights. The 23-year-old is a do-it-all defender with a very intriguing skill set.
Standing 6-foot-6, Edvinsson is a two-way defender who most believe has more to offer offensively. Through two full seasons, Edvinsson's career high is nine goals and 31 points. Despite owning a large frame, Edvinsson still ranks highly in many of NHL EDGE's skating speed stats.
He uses his footwork efficiently to defend against the rush and on puck retrievals. His reach helps him maintain effective gaps and recover defensively. He plays in all situations and is on a really strong path to becoming a top-pairing defenseman, if he isn't already considered one.
Whatever team lands Edvinsson is gaining a high-end defenseman, but it will definitely come at a cost.
His contract projection keeps rising as the salary cap grows and big contracts are handed out across the NHL. But the price to acquire him might be greater. The Red Wings are in an interesting spot. They have several skilled players like Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin (another player who has requested a trade), Alex DeBrincat, Moritz Seider, and John Gibson, as well as several young, enticing prospects.
With that, they hope to land an NHL-proven player among picks and prospects. Sportsnet's Ryan Dixon believes the Red Wings would prefer a promising young NHL center in return, suggesting Dalibor Dvorsky as an option.
This raises an interesting question for the Blues. They think highly of Dvorsky, who has now locked down a middle-six center role for the Blues. But is he truly untouchable?
The Blues are committed to Robert Thomas as captain, made a big move to land Mason McTavish, and drafted two centers, Tynan Lawrence and Maddox Dagenais, in the first round of the last NHL draft.
A position that was once a need is now a strength for the Blues, which could help them acquire a player like Edvinsson or Nikishin to address another need.
Losing Dvorsky would be a tough pill to swallow. He's proven to be a reliable defensive center with strong offensive traits, highlighted by a heavy, accurate shot. If there were one downside to Dvorsky's game, it's his skating speed. The question is whether it's enough for the Blues to feel comfortable moving on.
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 13: Sergei Murashov #1 of the Pittsburgh Penguins deflects a shot on goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at United Center on October 13, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I am not going to say the Pittsburgh Penguins played a perfectly clean, crisp game on Tuesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Because they didn’t.
They were sloppy at times, some of their puck management and puck support was bad, and they did not capitalize on enough opportunities against a Blackhawks team that was, to be fair, probably even worse.
And that last part really is the main point here. The Penguins weren’t great. But neither was the team that beat them. The Penguins have reason to be disappointed and frustrated with the way they played (and they should be), but they controlled enough of that game at 5-on-5 that it was probably a passable enough performance to walk out of their with two points.
One of the main reasons they didn’t is the simple reality they just didn’t get enough saves.
For as good as Sergei Murashov was in Columbus on Friday, basically stealing them a point against the Blue Jackets, he was that bad on Tuesday in Chicago, probably costing them at least one point.
As sloppy as the Penguins were, I’m not sure they were four goals against (excluding the fifth goal, an empty net goal) bad. Chicago didn’t have THAT many chances, and every publicly available piece of data suggests the same thing.
The fourth goal was an absolute crusher, not only by how bad it was, but because it came in the final five minutes after the Penguins had fought back from a two-goal deficit. It’s simply a shot that can’t go in, from that spot, from that angle in that moment. Or any moment. It can’t. Historically, it doesn’t (MoneyPuck had that shot at 0.01 expected goals).
But here’s the other thing about this game — I keep seeing that you can’t really fault him for the other three goals because they weren’t necessarily his fault. Maybe they weren’t entirely his fault. But “not entirely his fault,” and “no chance to be stopped,” are two very different things.
Sometimes your goalie does have to make a stop they are not fully expected to make.
The first goal? That’s just bad hockey by the Penguins.
The third goal is a tough cross-ice pass that you’d like to see not get through.
But I don’t think the second goal is unstoppable. The fourth goal certainly isn’t. Beyond that, I’m not sure there were *that* many shots that he was asked to make overly challenging saves on. He didn’t even have to face 20 shots. Even when the team in front of him was guilty of bad puck management or puck support, they rebounded and did not always allow a shot or chance. The scoring chance numbers were heavily tilted in the Penguins’ favor.
Again: they weren’t great. But probably weren’t all that good. But they should have been good enough given what the opponent was also doing.
This isn’t meant to sound overly critical of Murashov from a big picture perspective. I like him a lot. You should, too. None of this means you stop playing him, or send him down, or that he’s bad and going to be bad. He might be the highest ceiling young player the Penguins have, at a position that can significantly change a team’s timeline to contend and its chances to contend (both short-term and long-term). But as I’ve said in the past here, while all of that is very true, the reality is that all of the upside and potential is coming from the most volatile position on the ice in terms of performance and projected performance.
That’s especially true for young players at the position.
You’re going to get games like Friday in Columbus from him.
You’re also going to get games and moments like Tuesday in Chicago.
It’s just something you have to be ready for.
It’s seven games, and that’s far too early to really know what type of team you have or what it is capable of. That is true across the league. But I said at the start of the season that goaltending will be the biggest determining factor in whether or not this is a playoff team or a lottery team. I am sticking with that.
More quick Penguins thoughts
1. As frustrating as I found Murashov’s performance on Tuesday to be, there was another big factor in the Penguins losing that game.
Their power play.
They have now gone five consecutive games without scoring a goal, and have not found the back of the net since the second game of the season against the Montreal Canadiens. That’s not good enough. What’s even worse than the lack of goals is that the unit is back in one of those ruts where it’s not even close to scoring.
The last two attempts on Tuesday were better in terms of puck movement, and they at least seemed to adjust to the pressure teams have been applying to them, but special teams was the other big factor on Tuesday.
An 0-for-4 night on the power play and only 1-for-2 on the penalty kill is a good way to lose a winnable game to a bad team. Or any team, for that matter.
2. Rickard Rakell is playing more minutes per game than he ever has in his career. Almost 20 per game. More than two minutes more per game than he has averaged over his career.
He has zero goals and two assists.
Prior to Sidney Crosby’s two goals on Tuesday, the top line has consistently been one of the Penguins biggest problems this season. Bryan Rust has shown some flashes and at least scored a couple of goals. Maybe Tuesday was the jumpstart Crosby needed. Still waiting on Rakell.
3. I love what the Nicholas Robertson-Blake Lizotte-Connor Dewar line is doing. It’s steamrolling teams in tough minutes, and that’s good. But how much longer can you keep Robertson on the fourth line? Especially when the first line has at least one guy at the moment that’s not doing anything? Robertson has, in my opinion, been one of their best players over the past two games, and he keeps scoring goals. On a per-60-minute basis, he’s been one of the best goal-scorers in the league the past few years. He is showing why. When do you move him back up and give him a little bit of a longer leash?
4. Egor Chinakhov has not scored a goal since the season-opener, but I do not think he has been as invisible as some have suggested. I think he’s close.
The win snapped the Canucks' perfect 5-0-0 record inside UBS Arena, making them the final team to lose for the first time in New York's new home.
One big story from last night quickly became the debut of Islanders' defenseman Matthew Kessel.
Kessel, 26, signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Islanders on July 1. The Islanders signed Kessel, a righty, to fill the gaps in their depth and give Head Coach Peter DeBoer another option for the lineup.
Kessel came into camp on the outskirts of the roster, with the expectation he'd be the team's 8th defenseman, behind Isaiah George and Scott Mayfield for the final spots.
Instead, George did not make the team, while Kessel played so well the Islanders kept him. Still, New York signed Logan Stanley, seemingly blocking his path.
The Islanders instead kept all 8 defensemen, minus George, and thus the season began.
Alexander Romanov tore his ACL in the third game of the season. Scott Mayfield played the next two games, but did not solidify his role.
Insert Kessel for his 100th career game, a solid milestone to start off his Islanders' career.
Kessel did not disappoint. He played 13:31 in the win Tuesday night, with one assist.
Islanders' Head Coach Pete DeBoer praised him postgame.
Pete DeBoer on Matthew Kessel making his #Isles debut:
“Based on his camp, probably deserved to have been in there even earlier than that.”
With Romanov injured, DeBoer expects to use all seven defensemen and rotate players throughout the year.
The Montreal Canadiens are giving one of their top prospects another chance on their NHL roster.
The Canadiens announced on Wednesday morning that they have called up defenseman David Reinbacher from the AHL's Laval Rocket.
Reinbacher being called up to Montreal's roster comes with defenseman Mike Matheson is out. In addition, it is rumored that Matheson has sought a second opinion about his injury. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis is also expected to provide an update on Matheson on Wednesday.
With Reinbacher being one of the Canadiens' top prospects, it is certainly notable that he is joining Montreal's roster. The 2023 fifth-overall pick will be looking to make an impact with Montreal from here.
Reinbacher has played in four games this season with Laval, where he has recorded two assists, 14 penalty minutes, and a plus-3 rating. This is after he had five goals, 24 points, and a plus-18 rating in 57 games for the Rocket in 2025-26.
Reinbacher also appeared in his first two career NHL games last season for the Canadiens, where he recorded one assist.
Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks “3 Standouts From The Game.” In this recurring series, The Hockey News’ Canucks team will do a deep dive into three standouts from Vancouver’s last game. This article will focus on the Canucks’ most recent 3–2 loss to the New York Islanders.
Leevi Meriläinen
Leevi Meriläinen has been one of the most consistent Canucks since the start of the season. His effort in yesterday’s game was no exception. The goaltender made a handful of sharp saves against some of the Islanders’ top players, such as defenceman Matthew Schaefer, and only surrendered three goals on 38 shots faced from New York.
Had it not been for the play of their goaltender, last night’s score could have looked very different from how it did. Meriläinen had to remain sharp early on while also keeping the crease calm during a frantic string of chances for the Islanders during the third period. After last night’s effort, Meriläinen is now up to 2.40 GAA and .926 SV%.
Max Sasson
With his speed, Max Sasson is often a very noticeable player for the Canucks. The forward used his speed to score the Canucks’ opening goal of the game on Tuesday night, tearing into the Islanders’ zone and shooting right after a line change. After this, Vancouver was able to gather momentum and attempt to mount a comeback.
On top of his goal, Sasson also drew a key penalty near the end of the second period to put Vancouver on the power-play at the start of the third period. He finished the game with a total of 11:40 minutes played as well as a block.
Liam Öhgren
Liam Öhgren may not have made it on Vancouver’s scoresheet in Tuesday’s 3–2 loss, but with the hustle he exhibited, he very well could have. The forward made himself noticeable against the Islanders, putting up a flurry of chances off-the-rush on New York goaltender Ilya Sorokin. He finished the game with the most scoring chances-for of Canucks that produced more than they allowed (10–8).
Adding to his strong chance production is the fact that Öhgren drew the penalty that led to Brock Boeser scoring Vancouver’s game-tying goal. Öhgren also ended up on the receiving end of a cross-check from Ondřej Palát that went uncalled.
Oct 13, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Vancouver Canucks left wing Liam Ohgren (92) and New York Islanders defenseman Tony DeAngelo (77) battle for control of the puck in the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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The WBS Penguins started out the gates slowly with a 0-1-1 first week, they got things on track this past week by recording their first two wins of the season in blowout fashion. The Pens went on the road and took down Hartford 7-1 on Saturday and then followed up with a 6-2 victory over Providence on Sunday.
As you could imagine with an aggregate score of 13-3 on the weekend, there were plenty of starring performances. Rutger McGroarty led the way with a total of three goals and two assists over the weekend. Rookie Bill Zonnon wasn’t far behind with a 3G+1A in the two games. Avery Hayes chipped in a goal and three assists, Mikhail Ilyin and Atley Calvert each added a goal and two assists. Jake Livanavage recorded two assists on Saturday and then didn’t even play on Sunday with the team flush with left side defenseman after the AHL addition of Ilya Solovyov.
Saturday, Oct. 10 – PENGUINS 7 at Hartford 1 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton picked up its first win of the season in style, spoiling Hartford’s home opener with seven unanswered goals. The onslaught started early in the second period and never relented, as the Black and Gold notched their seven tallies in 21:18 of game time. The Penguins swept the three stars with a trio of three-point performers: Bill Zonnon (2G-1A), Caleb Jones (3A) and Avery Hayes (1G-2A).
Saturday, Oct. 11 – PENGUINS 6 at Providence 2 The Penguins continued their torrid pace from fewer than 24 hours prior, burying two goals in all three periods. Rutger McGroarty had a career day by posting four points (2G-2A). Taylor Gauthier also set an AHL-career-best mark with 39 saves. The captain, Phil Kemp, started the scoring just 1:57 into the contest. Oliver Okuliar rounded out the Penguins’ offense with his first goal in a Penguins uniform midway through the third period. Both defenseman Ilya Solovyov and (forward) Lucas Ciona appeared in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton debuts.
Both goalies got in on the action, Joel Blomqvist stopped 24/25 shots on Saturday and Taylor Gauthier got 39 out of 41 shots on Sunday.
Here was Sunday’s lineup.
Lucas Ciona makes his Pens debut, and Ilya Solovyov joins us from Pittsburgh!
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) October 11, 2026
The other big news of the week from the WBS perspective was the trade of Caleb Jones (and Daniel Laatsch, though he’s been more of an ECHL player) for Ryan Johnson. Johnson has been called up to Pittsburgh to help the depth while Trevor van Riemsdyk is on injured reserve. WBS remains well-positioned to absorb the loss of Jones, especially now that Solovyov is in the AHL.
As seen above, Owen Pickering went back to playing with team captain Phil Kemp – a common defensive pairing for WBS last season. Solovyov slotted in with Harrison Brunicke. The rookie Jake Livanavage sat in favor of Jones, now Livanavage figures to get back in the lineup. AHL contracted Maleek McGowan remains on hand for deeper depth. Plus, presumably the AHL club will be getting Johnson back once van Riemsdyk (listed as a day-to-day injury) comes back from the IR, so all is well on that front.
Up front, Hayes is up to six AHL points this season over the four games. McGroarty is just behind him with five. Considering AHL scoring lags behind NHL scoring, those are impressive numbers. These guys surely want to show they are NHL ready and deserving of a look up in the big league, and so far they are holding up their end of the bargain. The NHL Penguins don’t have any room for these players just quite yet right now, but once a few injuries strike there will be no shortage of AHL options to call-up for NHL opportunities.
Up next this weekend for WBS is a trip to Cleveland and two games Friday and Saturday both against the Monsters. Cleveland is 3-1-0 the young season season so it should be a good challenge. Especially for the goalies, in those four Cleveland games a whopping 32 total goals have been scored. There’s the chance for some fireworks out there in Ohio this weekend, and the Penguins are in good shape for that considering the way they piled up the scoring this past weekend.
It certainly didn’t take long for Fraser Minten’s recent contract extension (seven years, $50.4 million) to look like an absolute bargain for the Boston Bruins.
The 22-year-old center, who was acquired as part of the Brandon Carlo trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs in March of 2025, had a strong 2025-26 season and has already started the current campaign in excellent form.
Minten scored two goals in Tuesday night’s 6-3 road win over the San Jose Sharks. The victory improved Boston’s record to 5-2-0 and moved the Original Six club into first place in the Atlantic Division.
Minten opened the scoring almost 13 minutes into the first period.
After the Sharks pulled to within one goal in the third period after capitalizing on the power play, Minten was rewarded for his hard net drive and capped off a pretty passing sequence by the B’s.
Minten has scored three goals in the last two games. He has seven points (four goals, three assists) in seven games played overall. It took him 25 games last season to reach seven points. So, he’s producing offense at more than twice the production he did last year when he had 35 points (17 goals, 18 assists) in 82 games.
Sure, it’s still very early in the season. The chances of Minten finishing the year as a point-per-game player are not super high. But it’s not like Minten is just getting lucky bounces or taking advantage of awful turnovers by the opposition.
He’s skating with much more confidence when on the attack this season. You could see it in the preseason, too, and it’s carried over into the regular season. Minten also is being more aggressive in looking for his own offense. He has 19 shots on net in seven games, compared to nine through seven games last year. The Bruins are outscoring opponents 8-3 at even strength during Minten’s 5-on-5 minutes this season.
Minten’s floor, based on his smart, responsible two-way skill set, is a very good third-line center. And that’s a valuable role. Charlie Coyle filled that spot for the Bruins for many years. But there’s no doubt that Minten’s ceiling is much higher. He definitely has the ability to be a very good No. 2 center (maybe No. 1) some time in the near future.
Performances like the one we saw against the Sharks prove he has that ability.
“He’s definitely on his way,” Bruins head coach Marco Sturm told reporters postgame. “The way he plays and thinks the game is very impressive at his age. We try to push him every day, not just being a (No. 2) or No. 1. Just try to be the best he can. Right now, he’s pretty fun to watch.”
In addition to his offensive production, Minten is also giving the Bruins strong defense, penalty killing and a little more toughness than expected. He was willing to mix it up with Sharks defenseman Jacob Trouba in the second period Tuesday. Minten was fighting for a loose puck in the crease, Trouba came over to shove him out, and Minten wasn’t having any of it. You can bet his teammates appreciated that.
Minten is also becoming a bigger part of the team’s leadership group, and that says a lot about his character for such a young player.
“He was already amazing last year. We saw glimpses of what he could be in the future. I think the biggest thing is, No. 1, him finding his voice, which is amazing,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said postgame.
“We wanted to bring him into the leadership group and see him flourish because he has that personality, but I think the way he plays is just so mature. That’s a way in which he can lead. In the third period when it’s a little hectic early and we take a penalty, and we weren’t handling the puck the way that we needed to, he’s a guy you can grab and you know he’ll do the next right thing when he gets it and we can try to tip (the game) back in our favor.”
We can debate all day long whether Minten will be a No. 2 center, but the fact of the matter is for this Bruins team, right now, he is the No. 2 center. And it’s hard to imagine him playing below that spot in the lineup anytime soon.
Minten is the kind of all-situations player that coaches adore. His performance will go a long way in determining how far this team can go. It’s a big responsibility for a 22-year-old, but Minten has the maturity to handle it.
“We’re going to lean on him a lot,” McAvoy said. “He’s a great two-way player and he’s a big part of what we’re trying to build here.”
It was La Soirée Québécoise at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night, as the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Buffalo Sabres, the first time the two teams met since Montreal eliminated them in the second round of the playoffs. For a third straight game, Jacob Fowler started for the Habs and, interestingly, the New York Rangers goaltending scout was in attendance.
He may not have known whether Fowler or Dobes would be in net that night, but his presence after Igor Shesterkin was ruled out for the rest of the season is still interesting. However, with their number one goaltender still having six years left on his contract, Samuel Montembeault would be the best fit for the Rangers, but he’s still injured.
The Canadiens' penalty kill was very impressive on four power-play opportunities; the Sabres couldn’t get a single shot on net. Granted, their man advantage is hardly menacing, with a 13.6% success rate before Tuesday night’s game, but the Canadiens still played well on the kill.
Jake Evans had an active stick to break up plays; Arber Xhekaj timed his dive perfectly at one point, taking away a passing opportunity in the second frame, while Noah Dobson’s long reach came in handy on the PK in the first frame. Asked how he felt about the PK’s work on the night and the fact that it didn’t allow a single shot, Evans said: "I didn’t even know that. Yeah, you know, we feel confident. Everyone’s been working their tail off and blocking shots if they need to. We get the saves when we need to. You know, when the PK’s going well, it’s not one guy; it’s not just the goalie. It’s everyone chipping in and helping out."
As for Josh Anderson, he added: "We’re starting to get a little bit comfortable and used to the new kill this year; we’re trying to dial it in each and every day, just watching clips of what we need to work on and obviously things went our way tonight with the kill."
The PK’s efficiency didn’t go unnoticed by Martin St-Louis; we played a good game. The two goals in the third hurt, but we’ll look at it and try to correct things. […] The PK was excellent; we went out and got a goal on the PP. We were organized, played a good second frame, and did a lot of things well, but nothing was perfect. Perfection is impossible, so it’s about correcting errors and trying to be perfect, knowing full well it’s impossible.
Hecatomb On The Blue Line
Days after GM Kent Hughes traded Jayden Struble, Mike Matheson was labelled day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, and sources say his absence could be lengthy. As if that wasn't worrying enough for the Habs, Dobson took a puck to the face in the second frame and headed straight down the tunnel once he regained his senses.
Thankfully, he returned at the start of the third, looking no worse for wear; in fact, he finished the evening with 5 hits, doubling his season total. Despite missing a good chunk of the middle stanza, he still spent nearly 19 minutes on the ice.
In the dying seconds of the game, Alexandre Carrier threw caution to the wind and threw himself off a Tage Thompson cannon shot to push the game to overtime. While the coach said every player knows how much that hurts, the blueliner didn’t agree: "It wasn’t that bad, honestly. The opportunity was there, so I just tried to block it."
Playing With Fire
The Canadiens seemed in full control, leading 3-1 at the start of the third frame and having given Buffalo only nine shots, but at 4:24 the Sabres got a goal back, tying the game just over a minute later. Those goals felt like déjà vu, with Fowler unable to see the puck through heavy traffic. Two of the visitors' goals came off deflections, which makes the netminder’s job really hard. The coach explained:
We got to block the shots from up high, and you need to box out and take the sticks away down low. It’s really simple.
Still, the Canadiens managed to get away with the two points thanks to another Zachary Bolduc shootout goal, but they nearly lost that extra point in overtime when Juraj Slafkovsky made a couple of mistakes.
After the game, the Habs headed to Washington, where they’ll take on the Capitals tomorrow at 7:30 PM. Both teams will be on the tail end of a back-to-back, and since the Caps were playing away, they both will have travelled post-game.
Despite starting the season on what has now devolved into an eight-game losing streak (0-5-3), the Philadelphia Flyers are still generating plenty of trade interest around the NHL.
Which teams are inquiring, you may ask? Or would even want to inquire? That's less clear, though any team calling Flyers general manager Danny Briere's phone is looking to buy low on one of many struggling players.
In TSN's latest "Insider Trading" segment, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported that Briere is indeed getting tons of calls from around the league, and that's not necessarily a good thing amid the team's 0-5-3 start that has seen them allow the most shots per game, generate the fewest shots per game, and score the fewest goals per game.
"Danny Briere, the GM of the Flyers, my understanding is his phone is getting all kinds of love from other GMs around the league, but not the kind of attention you wanna get," said LeBrun.
"There is no easy fix here. There is no blockbuster trade that the Flyers are gonna pull off to get themselves out of this brutal start. I know some fans are chanting, 'Fire Rick Tocchet.' That’s not even a thought for Flyers management right now. The answer lies within.
"This is a collective letdown from the start of the year. There’s a belief inside that management group that this is a group of young players who, after getting a taste of success last year, maybe took a lot for granted here entering this year. It’s a wake-up call. They gotta fix it themselves."
The pressure on Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet continues to build as Philadelphia extends its worst season-opening slide in franchise history, but LeBrun insists, further to previous reporting from Anthony Di Marco, a coaching change is not something that's in Briere and Co.'s playbook at this moment in time.
As for a potential trade, the Flyers have been linked to Detroit's Simon Edvinsson and Dylan Larkin, though Larkin doesn't want to come to Philly, and Detroit is hellbent on keeping and re-signing Edvinsson, an RFA still without a contract well into the start of the season.
Maybe Flyers president Keith Jones did some scouting at Monday night's Devils-Senators game in Newark, but the Flyers would have to present a viable deal to make the playoff hopefuls even consider striking a trade.
With the amount of big contracts and trade protection the Flyers have given out recently, it is hard to even pinpoint the players they could sell off to inquiring teams, though it is safe to assume that players like Rasmus Ristolainen, Noah Cates, Owen Tippett, Cam York, and even Matvei Michkov would generate interest from prospective contenders.
With a terribly difficult slate of games coming up for the Flyers - one that includes games against Ottawa, Colorado, Buffalo, Anaheim, and Washington - this situation could be one to monitor closely, especially if the Flyers are unable to begin making up some serious ground in the standings.
The Toronto Maple Leafs ended their three-game road trip with a 5-4 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday, and multiple players have taken the blame for certain moments in the game.
The Maple Leafs did come close to evening up the contest late with a six-on-four opportunity. However, along the way to nearly completing a comeback from being 4-1 down, there were plenty of areas that can be cleaned up, and the players realize that.
Defenseman Morgan Rielly was asked about Utah's first goal of the game. Left winger Daniil But made a move on Rielly, leaving him in the dust, before netting his fifth-career NHL goal.
"Yeah, he made a good play," Rielly admitted, who finished with a minus-two rating and 16:09 of average ice time. "Obviously, that's on me. But I thought we did a good job getting back in the game. But there's plenty of areas to clean up."
Rielly wasn't the only player to take responsibility for part of Toronto's defeat, bringing the team to a 3-3-1 record after seven games.
Goaltender Anthony Stolarz, making his third start of the season, allowed five goals on 28 shots on goal from the Mammoth. He finished the outing with an .827 save percentage and endured his first loss of the year. He now holds an .875 SP from his three appearances this season.
There were a few goals that slipped past him, and the 32-year-old confessed that he could've been sharper in those moments on Tuesday.
"I put us in a tough situation," Stolarz said post-game. "You know, probably want two or three of those goals back. And not the way you want to go and end the road trip."
Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller defended Stolarz and didn't let him take the entire blame for the bleeding, conceding four goals in the second period specifically.
"He was alright, " Hiller said of Stolarz's performance. "He gave us a chance at the end for a period of a couple of saves. You know, they scored five rush goals. So that's not just Anthony. That's different people making mistakes prior to getting to him. There's probably a couple he wants back, but that happens."
As mentioned, Toronto's first road trip is complete. Their next opponent will be the Buffalo Sabres at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday.
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 13: Roman Kantserov #80 of the Chicago Blackhawks scores a goal past Sergei Murashov #1 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at United Center on October 13, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins fell 5-3 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday despite two goals from Sidney Crosby, including his first of the season. Pittsburgh’s power play went 0-for-4 and has failed to score in its last 16 opportunities over five games. [Recap]
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is embracing a reduced role on Pittsburgh’s third defensive pairing as the 39-year-old adjusts to fewer minutes on the ice. The Penguins are looking to manage his workload while continuing to rely on his experience and offensive contributions. [Trib Live]
Franchise icon Mario Lemieux was inducted into the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame on Tuesday during a ceremony at the Strip District’s Terminal building. Lemieux was honored alongside nine other Pittsburgh-area figures, including former Steelers running back Franco Harris and broadcaster Myron Cope. [CBS Pittsburgh]
News and notes from around the NHL…
Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal is expected to miss one to two months with a torn calf muscle, head coach Rod Brind’Amour announced Tuesday. The 38-year-old was injured during warmups before Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia Flyers. [ESPN]
The Detroit Red Wings and star winger Alex DeBrincat have agreed on a seven-year, $91 million contract extension, according to TSN insider Chris Johnston. [TSN]
Columbus Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness criticized his team after a 7-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, saying players should be embarrassed by their performance. Columbus led after the first period but surrendered four goals in the second, including a natural hat trick by Brady Tkachuk. [Sportsnet]
Montreal Canadiens (3-2-1, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Washington Capitals (3-3, in the Metropolitan Division)
Washington; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Capitals -135, Canadiens +111; over/under is 6.5
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens visit the Washington Capitals after the Canadiens knocked off the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in a shootout.
Washington is 3-3 overall and 2-1-0 in home games. The Capitals rank 10th in NHL play with 31 total penalties (averaging 5.2 per game).
Montreal is 1-0-1 in road games and 3-2-1 overall. The Canadiens have committed 33 total penalties (5.5 per game) to rank seventh in NHL play.
Wednesday's game is the first time these teams meet this season.
INJURIES: Capitals: Rasmus Sandin: out (knee), Patrick Thomas: out (upper-body), Pierre-Luc Dubois: day to day (illness), Matt Roy: out (lower body), Alex Tuch: day to day (undisclosed).
Canadiens: Florian Xhekaj: day to day (undisclosed), Oliver Kapanen: out (lower-body), Ivan Demidov: out (lower-body), Mike Matheson: day to day (lower-body), Lucas Condotta: out (undisclosed), Bryce Pickford: out (undisclosed), Samuel Montembeault: out (lower-body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
