It has now been a month and half since the start of NHL free agency. While this is the case, there are still multiple players who remain unsigned.
Among the top defensemen who are still free agents at this point in the summer is former Chicago Blackhawks blueliner Matt Grzelcyk.
With Grzelcyk being a well-respected veteran defenseman, it seems possible that he could land a professional tryout (PTO) or a one-year contract from an NHL team before the start of training camp. NHL clubs are always on the hunt for defensive depth, so the 32-year-old could very well generate some interest.
Grzelcyk spent last season with the Blackhawks and served well as a veteran mentor for their younger players. In 69 games with Chicago in 2025-26, he posted zero goals and 12 points. This was after he had a career year with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2024-25, as he posted a career-high 40 points in 82 games.
Given Grzelcyk's solid resume, it would not be shocking if he gets another opportunity in the NHL. However, with the Blackhawks signing veteran defenseman Ian Cole this off-season, a return to Chicago seems unlikely.
It looks like former Carolina Hurricanes first-round pick and 2010 Calder Trophy winner Jeff Skinner's NHL career may be over.
Skinner, 34, signed a one-year deal with EHC Biel-Bienne of the Swiss Elite League on Friday.
The 2010 first-round pick spent eight seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, leading them in goals three times, and eventually moved on to play for the Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks.
Across 16 seasons, the scoring winger registered 379 goals and 712 points in 1,110 career games.
The talented skater also holds the record for the most games played before an NHL playoff appearance (1,078 games). He finally made his playoff debut in 2025 with the Oilers.
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It was a turbulent end to the centennial season for the Detroit Red Wings, one that was supposed to be a celebration of the franchise's history.
Instead, the team collapsed over the final stretch and missed the playoffs for a tenth straight season, leaving a fan base growing weary of the disappointment. Now, heading into the franchise's 101st season, fans are left wondering how the roster losses from this past season will impact the club, and whether Detroit is already headed for another difficult year.
The most notable of those losses is, without question, veteran winger Patrick Kane. Detroit was fortunate to have three seasons with the future Hall of Famer, who gave several of the team's younger players valuable time alongside a living legend, offering advice and guidance to help them elevate their own games.
His departure will be felt as a player who came close to a 60-point season, though with Kane approaching 38 years old this November, letting him walk may ultimately prove to be the right call. Injuries have crept into his game in recent years, and Kane hasn't played more than 80 games in a season since 2018-19.
To help fill that void, Detroit brought in Viktor Arvidsson, who also came close to reaching 60 points this past season before injuries got in the way, much like Kane. Arvidsson is expected to slot directly into Kane's old spot on the second line alongside Alex DeBrincat, where the hope is he can provide a similar offensive jolt.
Further down the lineup, another significant name not returning is James van Riemsdyk. At 37, the longtime NHLer built his reputation on staying relevant, consistently producing 35 to 40 points a season while providing a net-front presence that's difficult to quantify statistically.
This past season, though, his production dipped to just 31 points in 72 games, his lowest output since 2022-23, when he missed 21 games and finished with 29 points. Van Riemsdyk's value went beyond the scoresheet, offering veteran mentorship much like Kane, along with pointers on playing an effective net-front game, but that role will likely be filled by others on the rise.
Mason Appleton and Michael Rasmussen serve similar functions, albeit without matching van Riemsdyk's offensive output, while 24-year-old Carter Mazur could get a real opportunity to prove he belongs at this level.
Describing his own game as being in the mold of a Tkachuk brother, Mazur brings the kind of grit and heart expected of a lifelong Red Wings fan now wearing the Winged Wheel. If the Jackson, Michigan, native can finally stay healthy, there's genuine curiosity around what he can bring after establishing himself as a point-per-game player in the AHL.
If anyone on the roster has the 30-point upside to replicate van Riemsdyk's old role, it's Mazur. Detroit also has several other bottom-of-the-lineup forwards, including J.T. Compher and Marco Kasper, both coming off disappointing seasons and capable of taking steps forward to help fill the offensive gap.
Not every offseason move represents a loss, however, as Detroit added a significant plus in Stanley Cup champion Keegan Kolesar, acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights. The 29-year-old isn't the most offensively gifted player, projecting as a 15-to-30-point contributor, but he's one of the better role players in the league.
Kolesar spent his entire seven-season NHL career in Vegas, helping the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023 and reach the Final again last season. He racked up 270 hits a season ago, seventh-most in the NHL, and has piled up 1,416 hits since the start of 2020-21, fourth-most in the league over that span. His physical, hard-forechecking style gives Detroit exactly the kind of bottom-six impact it had been missing.
Between the pipes, John Gibson enters the season at 33 years old still looking to prove he's worth a new contract. As an expiring free agent, and with Detroit's goaltending pipeline featuring AHL prospects Michal Postava and Trey Augustine both nearing NHL-readiness, Gibson appears to be playing this season with an eye toward earning his next deal elsewhere.
Backing him up will be a different look in net, with veteran Cam Talbot likely making his final NHL stops, while Detroit brought in former Florida Panthers backup Daniil Tarasov, a reliable option who figures to fill Talbot's old role admirably while the organization's young goaltenders continue to develop.
It will be a very different-looking Red Wings roster this season, and while some of the losses appear significant on the surface, they may not be as damaging as some fans fear. With the right development and a bit of health luck, Detroit still looks capable of returning to the form that fueled its strong start a season ago, with hopes this time that the run lasts considerably longer.
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We all know Igor Shesterkin will be the New York Rangers’ starting goaltender, but who will take on the backup position?
For the past three seasons, Jonathan Quick served as Shesterkin's backup, but his retirement at the end of the 2025-26 season left a vacancy in the Rangers’ goaltending room.
At the end of last season, Dylan Garand got an audition with the Blueshirts, playing in three games and recording a .948 save percentage and a 1.62 goals against average.
“It was great, such a good experience,” Garand said of his time with the Rangers to close out the season. “Obviously, waited my whole life for an opportunity like this, and yeah, it was everything I dreamed of.”
With Quick retiring, the tides seemed to be shifting in Garand’s direction to secure the backup goaltending role for the 2026-27 campaign.
The Rangers gave Garand a two-year contract extension late in June, which seemed to prove further that he would be on the NHL roster once training camp rolled around.
“As far as Dylan, I couldn’t be happier for him, coming up and playing as solid as he did,” Rangers’ president and general manager Chris Drury said during his exit interview. “I was excited about what we saw, and we're certainly looking at him and among other options as to see who could be backup.”
Despite all of the positive signs leaning toward Garand, the Rangers acquired veteran goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins on July 1 in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round pick.
Korpisalo comes in with a $3 million cap hit for the Rangers over the next two years, with the Bruins reportedly retaining $1 million per season from his current contract, which expires after the 2027-28 season.
Between Garand and Korpisalo, who will serve as the Rangers’ backup goaltender?
While the Rangers are viewing the backup position as up for grabs and a competition between Korpisalo and Garand, it’s hard to imagine the Blueshirts not handing the job to Korpisalo.
Drury specifically sought out Korpisalo and used draft compensation to acquire him.
The 32-year-old goalie’s $3 million cap hit and 334 games of NHL experience make it more likely for the Rangers to give him the job over Garand, who’s on a league-minimum contract and has only 3 games of NHL experience.
If there were to be an early favorite to secure the backup goaltending role behind Shesterkin going into training camp, it would be Korpisalo.
Oliver Kapanen had a surprising rookie season with the Montreal Canadiens last year. After Martin St-Louis put him on the third line with Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook to start the season, the coach realized the youngsters were ready for a bigger workload, and shortly after the start of November, they moved up to the second line.
The 64th overall pick at the 2021 draft put up 37 points in 82 games, including a whopping 22 goals. Nobody expected that kind of output from the then-22-year-old Finn, but playing with a player as talented as Demidov sure has its advantages. However, Kapanen hit a proverbial wall midway through the season, and after returning from the Olympics, he was only able to put up six points in 25 games.
In the playoffs, he struggled with the game’s speed and intensity and soon found himself on the outside looking in. He was only dressed for seven games, four against the Tampa Bay Lightning, one against the Buffalo Sabres and one against the Carolina Hurricanes. Obviously, that wasn’t a great confidence builder for the youngster, and if he wants to bounce back, he’ll have to get over the disappointment of his playoff usage and performance. This is where a player needs to show that he has a short-term memory to be in the best possible mental frame to bounce back.
If St-Louis elects to use Kapanen with Demidov once again this season, the young centerman may be able to avoid the sophomore slump. Still, if he decides to give yet another chance to Kirby Dach as a top-six center, things may get more complicated for Kapanen. There’s a possibility that St-Louis will be asked to showcase Dach if he’s still a member of the Canadiens to give him some value on the trade market, since Kent Hughes is not one to sell low, but one had to think that Dach would be on a short leash, so to speak. In fact, given the opportunities he’s had in the past and the fact that he’s unlikely to be part of the long-term picture in Montreal, it would make more sense to give Kapanen the better opportunities.
If Kapanen spends much of the season with Demidov, we can expect some growth in his offensive production; if not, he may become a candidate for regression this season. In the long term, it would be surprising if Kapanen hung on to a top six spot. On a contending team, he’d be best suited to a third-line center role, but right now, as a placeholder for Michael Hage until he not only joins the Habs, but proves he’s able to take on a top six role, Kapanen appears to be the most viable option.
Jeff Skinner's hockey career in the NHL might be over. At least, for the 2026-27 season, he'll be playing overseas and not on one of the 32 NHL franchises.
The unrestricted free-agent winger signed a one-year contract with EHC Biel-Bienne in the Swiss league, the team announced Friday.
Der EHC Biel freut sich, die Verpflichtung des kanadischen Stürmers Jeff Skinner bekanntzugeben. Jeff unterschreibt beim EHCB einen Vertrag bis Ende April 2027. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QBOaplYgMX
Oiler fans will know Skinner from his brief stint with the team during the 2024-25 season. He scored 16 goals and 29 points in 72 games. Given how little ice time he was offered under then-head coach Kris Knoblauch, it wasn't a bad season. He also saw the only playoff action of his 16-season NHL career in Edmonton, playing in five games.
A six-time 30-goal scorer, Skinner was limited to 13 points in 32 games with the San Jose Sharks last season, averaging a career-low 12:21 per contest.
If this is the end of his NHL run, he finishes with 379 goals and 712 points in 1,110 games.
Former Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner surprisingly did not find a home after having his contract terminated last February by San Jose. This summer, the former 40-goal scorer did not latch on with an NHL club and he has opted for a sure thing instead of a professional tryout at training camp.
On Friday, the 16-year NHL veteran signed a one-year deal with HC Biel-Bienne in Switzerland.
Skinner signed an eight-year, $72 million contract in 2019 after scoring 40 goals in the final year of his contract. The club’s coaching change to Ralph Krueger was not a good fit for the offensive winger, who was relegated to a bottom-six role and scored only 21 goals in 112 games the next two years, but his goal scoring returned under Don Granato, with 33 and 35-goal campaigns in 2022 and 2023.
Der EHC Biel freut sich, die Verpflichtung des kanadischen Stürmers Jeff Skinner bekanntzugeben. Jeff unterschreibt beim EHCB einen Vertrag bis Ende April 2027. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QBOaplYgMX
Who had the best and worst offseasons in the Atlantic Division?
After dropping to 24 goals in 2023-24, the Sabres bought out the final three years of his contract; something that has resulted in over $6 million in dead cap space this season. The 34-year-old hooked up with Edmonton in 2025, and played in his first postseason games during the Oilers run to a Cup Final loss.
In other news, the Sabres announced the hiring of five to their management and scouting staff: David Warsofsky as Defense Development Coach, Chris Knieste as Data Engineer, Eric Weissman as Director of College Recruiting and Reserve List Scouting, Jack McNaughton as Goalie Scout and Emergency Replacement Goaltender, and Ariel Amaral as Data Scientist.
Warsofsky, 36, is a former NHL defenseman who played for four clubs (Boston, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Colorado) and served as head coach and Director of Hockey Operations of the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays last season. McNaughton, 24, played four WHL seasons with the Calgary Hitmen, and another four years in Canadian college hockey at Western Ontario.
For what very well could be the last time, a group of former Philadelphia Flyers standouts will return to the ice in honor of one of the NHL's greatest, most impactful defensemen in the history of the game.
On Friday, Aug. 21, a large handful of legends and former stars will reconvene in Trencin, Slovakia, to play in Zdeno Chara's farewell game in a matchup of Team Boston vs. Team World.
Team Boston will feature all the star names you'd expect: Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, and Ray Bourque, as well as current Boston Bruins head coach Marco Sturm.
Also joining the fray, however, are Flyers Hall of Famer Mark Recchi, as well as former Flyers defenseman Dennis Seidenberg.
The Flyers will be equally represented on Chara's Team World, which boasts a group of ex-Flyers forwards in Michal Handzus, Jaromir Jagr, and Jakub Voracek.
As a fun Easter egg, legendary soccer goalkeeper Petr Cech will be between the pipes for Team World; Cech, 44, is a four-time Premier League champion, a Champions League winner, and an ice hockey goalie with 40 games of experience playing in the English leagues.
Zdeno Chara’s farewell game set for August 21st, in Trenčín, Slovakia is STACKED with legends on both teams 😮💨
What team do you think is winning this matchup in their primes?
Team Boston: Patrice Bergeron, Chris Kelly, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Daniel Paille, David Pastrnak, Mark Recchi, Michael Ryder, Marco Sturm, Ray Bourque, Johnny Boychuk, Andrew Ference, Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid, Dennis Seidenberg, and Jaroslav Halak, coached by Matt Keator and Tim Thomas.
Team World: Michal Handzus, Marian Hossa, Jaromir Jagr, Anze Kopitar, Ziggy Palffy, Robert Reichel, Miroslav Satan, Thomas Vanek, Jakub Voracek, Radek Hamr, Duncan Keith, Andrej Sekera, Aaron Ward, and Petr Cech, coached by Jergus Baca, Peter Bondra, and Marian Gaborik.
Chara, 49, last played in the NHL in the 2021-22 season, returning to the New York Islanders team that drafted him 56th overall in the 1996 NHL Draft.
The 6-foot-9 Hockey Hall of Famer scored 17 goals, 29 assists, and 46 points in 84 career games against the Flyers, per Statmuse.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
The Sabres selected three defensemen in the 2025 Draft class, including their top two picks in first-rounder Radim Mrtka, and hulking third-rounder David Bedkowski in the third round. With their pick in the fifth round, Buffalo selected blueliner Noah Laberge from the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL. The 19-year-old tripled his goal total from four to 12 in his draft year and scored 35 points for the Titan, who moved to St. John's, Newfoundland last season.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
In his third and final QMJHL season, Laberge set a career-high with 56 points (7 goals, 49 assists) and also posted 13 points in 12 playoff games.
Elite Prospects describes the 6’1”. 187 lb. defenseman as “an intelligent and mobile blueliner who specializes in suppressing opposing rushes. He plays a patient defensive game based mostly on his stick work. He funnels puck carriers to the outside, anticipates their movement and matches them, and cuts passes as they’re fired, limiting the opposition’s ability to orchestrate chances. When he regains possession, he immediately looks to the inside for an outlet, connecting with teammates as they rush up the ice, before following their movement.”
Normally, the Sabres would be on the clock to decide to sign the youngster with the two-year window for players drafted out of the CHL, but the option now open to head to the NCAA gives NHL clubs a longer development window. Laberge is heading to Northeastern University this fall.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 48 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #48.
Let's take a look.
Marc Methot - 2006-12 - Methot was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the 6th round of the 2003 NHL Draft.
Methot played six years and 275 games for the CBJ, totaling 51 points on the Columbus blue line. He was the definition of a defensive defenseman.
On July 1, 2012, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators for future CBJ Captain Nick Foligno. After the trade to Ottawa, he would play another 349 NHL games.
He retired during the 2018-19 season after playing 9 games.
Cody Goloubef - 2011-18 - Goloubef was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2008 NHL Draft.
Goloubef played 5-plus years in Columbus and totaled 96 games. The defenseman totaled 18 points in those 96 games. He spent most of his time playing in the AHL for the Springfield Falcons and Cleveland Monsters. He totaled 77 points playing for the Columbus AHL organizations.
Columbus traded him to Colorado for Ryan Stanton on November 28, 2016. From there, he would bounce around the NHL until leaving for Europe in 2022. He signed to play for the Dundas Real McCoys of the Allan Cup Hockey League, a league that plays in Ontario in 24-25, but hasn't played since.
Calvin Thürkauf - 2019-20 - Thürkauf was a fourth round pick in 2016.
Calvin Thürkauf played a total of three NHL games in 2020 and had zero points. He played 514 games for the Monsters across three seasons.
He left for Europe in 2020 after COVID and never returned. He spent the last three years as the Captain of HC Lugano. He also represented Switzerland in the World Championships and the 2026 Olympic Games, where he totaled 14 points in 28 international games.
Who was your favorite #48?
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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 03: Hendrix Lapierre #29 of the Washington Capitals looks on during the second period of a game against the Utah Mammoth at Capital One Arena on March 03, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
PensBurgh’s 2026 edition of the Top 25 Under 25 countdown rolls on with Hendrix Lapierre, a 24-year-old forward who gets a fresh start with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the hopes he can blossom the way a few other young players have in recent seasons.
The Penguins offseason began with the trade for Lapierre, bringing him over from the Washington Capitals for third-and fifth-round draft picks.
After being a first-round pick by the Capitals (No. 22 overall in 2020), Lapierre spent the first six years of his career in the Capitals organization and produced some mixed results. He made his initial NHL debut late in the 2021-22 season by appearing in six games, and then spent the next few years split between the Capitals and the American Hockey League.
The 2025-26 season was his first full year in the NHL, appearing in 74 games and scoring just four goals with 12 assists. He did not score his first goal of the season until Jan. 23, ending what had been a shocking 90-game regular season goal-scoring drought that stretched all the way back to March 18, 2024. It’s really difficult to be an NHL player and go 90 consecutive games without scoring a single game, and it is a frustrating combination of bad luck and some overall struggles.
But while the offense has not always been there at the NHL level for Lapierre in the form of actual goal-production, he has still managed to make himself useful, especially when it comes to his defensive play. That was especially the case during the 2025-26 season when he had some of the best defensive metrics on the entire Capitals roster among the team’s forwards.
Of the 12 Capitals forwards that logged at least 500 minutes of 5-on-5 ice-time, Lapierre had the following ranks defensively:
Expected goals against per 60: 2.43 (first)
Scoring chances against per 60: 23.8 (first)
High-danger scoring chances against per 60: 9.31 (first)
He did have some of the more favorable offensive zone start numbers on the roster (51 percent, which was the fourth-highest on the roster), but the play generally went in the right direction when he was on the ice. The Capitals out-chanced, out-shot and out-scored their opponents with him on the ice. And while the offensive zone start numbers were somewhat favorable, it’s not like he was playing alongside the Capitals’ best offensive players.
His most common linemates throughout the course of the season were the likes of Brandon Duhaime, Ethan Frank and Sonny Milano. That is very much a depth role, and he mostly played it well despite the lack of offense.
It creates an interesting situation for him as it relates to the Penguins going in to the 2026-27 season.
On one hand, the Penguins are already overloaded at the forward position, to the point where a player like Justin Brazeau, who scored 17 goals a year ago, is going to have a hard time finding a spot in the lineup, let alone returning young players like Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty.
But the Penguins are also looking to improve their overall defensive play, and that isn’t just going to come from changes on their defense pairings (where half of the lineup has already been overhauled this offseason with Kaedan Korczak, Declan Carlile and Trevor van Riemsdyk all coming in). It also has to come from their forward play, and given what Lapierre showed in his first full season with the Capitals, he can potentially help improve that a lot in a depth role. Especially following the offseason departure of Noel Accairi and his free agent signing with the Philadelphia Flyers.
He also fits the mold of the type of player the Penguins have been targeting over the past year-plus: Early-to-mid-20s, at one time a top prospect, some success at the NHL level, even in a limited role, and probably needing a fresh start and change of scenery somewhere else. They have had some success with those moves.
The question now becomes whether or not Lapierre can win a roster spot in a deep forward competition, and whether or not there is more offensive upside to his game.
At the very least he has a chance to be an effective bottom-six player and defensive forward. If he can add some more offense to that the Penguins will have found themselves another good player.
Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi has incredibly sentimental plans for his day with the Stanley Cup on Wednesday, as the first Suffolk County native ever to win the prestigious trophy is bringing it to where it all began for him as a little boy — The Rinx ice arena in Hauppauge.
“The Rinx is the first place I ever put my goalie gear on,” Bussi told The Post.
“I was on the ice for a clinic. I wish I could tell you what day of the week it was.”
The 27-year-old who first made the NHL in October — and wowed the hockey world with a title-clinching, 3-0 shutout against the Golden Knights in Game 6 of the final — will have the Cup on public display from 10:15-11:45 a.m.
He’s also being recognized as the inaugural Suffolk sports person of the year by the county’s sports hall of fame at the rink.
“It’ll be cool for me to see the next generation of hockey players because winning the Stanley Cup is their dream too,” Bussi said.
Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi is bringing the Stanley Cup to where it all began for him as a little boy — The Rinx ice arena in Hauppauge, LI. Robert Sabo for New York Post
“Hopefully there will be a few people there who have the opportunity that I have now.”
Bussi, a Sound Beach native, also has special plans for the Cup in the evening.
He will honor the first-ever Long Islander to hoist it, defenseman Rob Scuderi of Syosset in Nassau County, by bringing the Stanley Cup to Bracco’s on the Nautical Mile in Freeport — where Scuderi celebrated after winning with the Penguins in 2009 and the Kings in 2014.
“I thought that was a cool little way of tying the whole day together,” Bussi said, “having the opportunity to bring it back there.”
The retired stay-at-home defenseman was overwhelmed by the gesture of tribute.
“He asked me what I did, and I kind of threw it out there,” said Scuderi, who played at St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington in the mid-1990s.
Mark Jankowski and Brandon Bussi of the Carolina Hurricanes hug after winning in Game 6 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images
“It was incredibly generous to him to think of me at a time when really it’s easy to be a little bit selfish … that shows a lot from him,” Scuderi said.
Scuderi, now an assistant with the Predators, originally chose the waterside watering hole in 2009 because the stretch of restaurants and bars along the mile held a special place in his heart as he was raised on the island.
“I think it’s very important to share that cup with the community that you grew up in,” added Scuderi.
Bussi and the Cup will be at the seafood lover’s paradise from 6-9 p.m. — and the champ is ready to party before the preseason.
“I can’t let it all out, right? There’s got to be a little bit of excitement for the day,” he said. “But I’m sure there’ll be certain foods or drinks that end up in the cup.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins should be open to the idea of signing at least one defenseman to a professional tryout (PTO) agreement ahead of training camp.
When looking at the remaining unrestricted free agents, one player who could make sense for the Penguins to take a look at on a PTO is defenseman Ben Hutton.
The Penguins could use more competition on the left side of their blueline after losing Ryan Shea to the Edmonton Oilers in free agency and trading Parker Wotherspoon to the Vegas Golden Knights. Because of this, a player like Hutton could be worth taking a gamble on with a PTO.
Hutton is a solid veteran defenseman who could give the Penguins another option for their bottom pairing if he earned a contract for the season. However, he could also be useful for the Penguins to have around as an extra defenseman as well due to his experience.
Overall, there would be zero risk in the Penguins bringing in Hutton a PTO. If they did and felt like the fit wasn't there, they simply could release him from his PTO without signing him to a contract.
In 55 games last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, Hutton posted six goals, nine assists, 15 points, and a plus-2 rating. He also played in seven playoff games for Vegas this past fall, posting one assist and a plus-1 rating.
The Los Angeles Kings are entering a new era, and Peter Laviolette knows there is no simple way to replace Anze Kopitar.
Kopitar was more than the Kings' captain. For nearly two decades, he was the standard by which the organization measured itself — a franchise player, a leader and the steady presence at the center of everything Los Angeles accomplished.
Now he's gone.
And while the Kings cannot simply replace everything Kopitar brought to the organization with one player, Laviolette believes the answer may come from somewhere else: the players already in the room.
That means the Kings' next step won't simply be about adding talent. It will be about finding the players capable of taking on bigger responsibilities and understanding that their careers still have another level to reach.
"There's always more," Laviolette said recently in a sit-down with LA Kings Insider.
That mindset could become critical for Los Angeles.
With Kopitar's retirement, a massive leadership void has opened inside the Kings' dressing room.
Laviolette understands the challenge.
"This group's got to find a way to move forward," he said. "We've got to find the leadership. We've got to find the success that he helped drive this organization to find."
That doesn't necessarily mean one player has to suddenly become Kopitar.
Instead, Laviolette appears to be looking for leadership to emerge collectively as a group.
And there are plenty of candidates.
Players such as Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere aren't rookies anymore. They've accumulated NHL experience and, in Byfield's case, already have several seasons under their belts.
But Laviolette isn't ready to stop calling them young.
That's important.
Because the Kings' new coach doesn't appear interested in allowing experience to become an excuse for settling into a player's current level.
That's perhaps the most intriguing part of Laviolette's message.
A player can have hundreds of NHL games under his belt and still have another level to reach.
"I think it's important that they realize that, too, that experience doesn't necessarily mean that you've reached the top of what you can do," Laviolette said. "There's always more."
For a Kings team trying to establish itself beyond the Kopitar era, that philosophy could be particularly important.
Byfield, for example, is entering a crucial stage of his development. He has already played enough NHL hockey that the "young player" label can feel somewhat outdated, but he's still only beginning to approach what the Kings believe he can become.
Laferriere is in a similar position.
These aren't players being asked to learn how to survive in the NHL anymore.
They're being asked to figure out how to drive winning.
And with Kopitar no longer there to carry part of that responsibility, the opportunity is sitting directly in front of them.
"As a guy like Anze moves off and into retirement, a door's open for others to try and step up, whoever that might be," Laviolette said.
That last part may be the most revealing.
Whoever that might be.
Laviolette is leaving the door open. If this is any indication on what the future of the team may look like, the captaincy must be earned.
The leadership transition isn't the only thing Laviolette believes can move the Kings forward.
He also wants a different kind of relationship between the coaching staff and the players.
Laviolette described the modern NHL locker room as much more collaborative than the one he entered when he began coaching.
"There used to be a day when I started, where there was just one voice," he said. "Now it is about... back and forth."
That doesn't mean the coach gives up control.
Laviolette was clear that everyone still has a job to do.
But he believes successful teams require communication between the people making decisions and the players living with those decisions every night.
"If there's no belief in it... you're beating your head against the wall trying to get something done," Laviolette said.
That's a significant philosophy for a team entering a transition.
The Kings aren't simply replacing one player. They're trying to establish a new identity.
And Laviolette appears to believe that identity has to be built with the players rather than simply handed down to them.
There will inevitably be questions about what Los Angeles does externally.
But Laviolette's comments suggest that he sees an equally important opportunity internally.
The Kings have players who have been around long enough to understand the league.
Now they have to take the next step.
Kopitar's retirement creates an obvious void, but it also creates an opportunity for Byfield, Laferriere and the rest of Los Angeles' young core to redefine themselves.
The Kings don't need someone to become the next Anze Kopitar.
They need players to become more than they have been before.
And if Laviolette can get that out of them, Los Angeles may discover that the path forward was sitting in its locker room all along.
We suggested a replacement back in late June, and given his accomplishments, longevity and connection to the organization, it should be an obvious consideration.
Drew Doughty has been with the Kings for his entire career and is entering his 19th professional season. More importantly, he was alongside Anze Kopitar for both of Los Angeles' Stanley Cup championships. If the Kings are looking for someone who understands what it takes to lead this franchise, Doughty has already been there for it all.
The 2026-27 NHL season is approaching and the league took another step in the ramp-up by announcing the preseason schedule on Thursday, Aug. 13.
Because the NHL season has increased from 82 games to 84 this season under the new collective bargaining agreement, the preseason schedule has been reduced.
There will be 65 games over eight days, starting on Sept. 19 and ending on Sept. 27. The regular season will start two days later with five games.
The exhibition schedule features four neutral-site games, including the annual Kraft Hockeyville game.
The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators will face off on Monday, Sept. 21, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. As part of the Kraft Hockeyville program, the nearby town of Saint-Boniface, Quebec, received $250,000 for upgrades to its local arena and $10,000 worth of youth hockey equipment from NHLPA Goals & Dreams.
Here is the 2026 NHL preseason schedule:
NHL preseason schedule
All times Eastern
SATURDAY, SEPT. 19
Dallas at St. Louis, 7 p.m.
Montreal (split-squad) at Toronto (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Toronto (split-squad) at Montreal (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Winnipeg at Edmonton, 8 p.m.
Chicago at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles vs. Vegas, at Ontario, California, 9 p.m.
Vancouver at Seattle, 9 p.m.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 20
NY Islanders at New Jersey, 1 p.m.
San Jose at Anaheim, 4 p.m.
Nashville at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.
Washington at Boston, 5 p.m.
Carolina at Florida, 7 p.m.
Utah at Colorado, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Calgary, 8 p.m.
MONDAY, SEPT. 21
Buffalo at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Columbus, 7 p.m.
NY Rangers at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia vs. Washington, at Hershey, Pennsylvania, 7 p.m.
Montreal vs. Ottawa, at Trois-Rivières, Quebec, 7 p.m.
Colorado at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Minnesota at Chicago, 8 p.m.
St. Louis at Dallas, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22
Columbus at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Florida at Carolina, 7 p.m.
NY Islanders at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at Boston, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Vancouver at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Utah at Los Angeles, 10 p.m.
Vegas at San Jose, 10 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23
Ottawa (split-squad) at Toronto (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Toronto (split-squad) at Ottawa (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Dallas, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 24
Boston at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Buffalo at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Florida at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Carolina vs. Nashville, at Greensboro, North Carolina, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Chicago at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Edmonton at Vancouver, 9 p.m.
Calgary at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.
Anaheim at San Jose, 10 p.m.
Utah at Vegas, 10 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 25
Boston at Washington, 7 p.m.
NY Rangers at NY Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Winnipeg at Colorado, 8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26
Carolina at Nashville, 3 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
Anaheim at Los Angeles, 4 p.m.
Colorado at Utah, 5 p.m.
Washington at Philadelphia, 5 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Florida, 6 p.m.
Seattle at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
St. Louis at Chicago, 7 p.m.
Columbus at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Montreal (split-squad) at Ottawa (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Ottawa (split-squad) at Montreal (split-squad), 7 p.m.
New Jersey at NY Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Vegas, 10 p.m.
When does the 2026-27 NHL regular season begin?
The schedule for the 2026-27 NHL season will begin on Sept. 29 with five games on opening night:
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 10:30
NHL key dates 2026-27
Sept. 19: NHL preseason begins
Sept. 29: Opening night
Nov. 18 and 20: NHL Global Series Finland (Hurricanes vs. Kraken in Helsinki)
Dec. 18 and 20: NHL Global Series Germany (Blackhawks vs. Senators in Dusseldorf)
Feb. 6: NHL All-Star Game at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York
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