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.

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.

— Carter Brooks (@CBrooksie84) September 27, 2026

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. 

Brady Tkachuk Expected To Resume Skating; Panthers Coach Paul Maurice Not Worried About Season Opening AvailabilityBrady Tkachuk hasn't skated since exiting a pre-season game on Sept. 22, but coach Paul Maurice remains unconcerned about his availability for the NHL season opener on Tuesday.

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:

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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

Brandon Bussi
Pyotr Kochetkov

Extras: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Mike Reilly, Cayden Primeau, Seth Jarvis (IR; shoulder)

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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.

Is Felix Unger Sorum NHL Ready?Felix Unger Sorum has shattered expectations and his elite vision and poise could be the leverage he needs to challenge for a roster spot on the title-contending Carolina Hurricanes.

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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Dealing with a rash of preseason injuries, the Philadelphia Flyers have made a move to give themselves some forward depth as the regular season quickly approaches.

On Sunday afternoon, the Flyers announced that they had signed veteran enforcer Garrett Wilson, who featured on the fourth line alongside captain Sean Couturier and Noel Acciari in Saturday's preseason finale against Washington, to a one-year, two-way contract worth $850k.

Wilson, 35, was previously on an AHL contract with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but by signing an NHL contract, Wilson can now appear in NHL games for the Flyers if and when needed.

Currently, forwards Denver Barkey (lower-body) and Nikita Grebenkin (undisclosed) are banged up, leaving the Flyers with Wilson and Carl Grundstrom as the spare healthy forwards on the roster.

Grundstrom, who played in 47 regular season games and three playoff games for the Flyers last season, is likely the first man up to fill an every-night role for the Flyers, but the veteran Wilson will stand in behind him for depth.

Top forward prospects like Jett Luchanko and Cole Knuble will only be called up for the Flyers if they are required to play regular, nightly roles in the top-nine. 

Until an injury necessitates their presence, the Flyers will prefer to have Luchanko and Knuble playing large quantities of minutes as top-line players in the AHL.

Barkey and Grebenkin are questionable for the Flyers' season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:30 p.m. at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Wednesday night.

The Rangers have just about set up their roster ahead of NHL Opening Night, and it appears that rookie Alberts Smits will remain in the mix. 

Smits, of course, landed in New York as the fifth overall pick this year. 

He was viewed by many as one of the most NHL-ready prospects in the entire class, but it was uncertain if the Rangers would carry him heading into the year. 

Head coach Mike Sullivan made it clear at the beginning of training camp, though, that the youngster would have every opportunity to play his way onto the roster.

Smits did just that, fitting right in throughout the rookie scrimmages and pro camp before more than holding his own in game action during preseason play. 

Now, he’s officially set to begin his career with the Blueshirts. 

The 18-year-old will start the season with Braden Schneider on the third pair, as he’s done throughout camp.   

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have claimed defenseman Justin Barron off waivers from the Nashville Predators on Sunday, and defenseman Adam Jiricek was recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League.

Barron, 24, spent the past two seasons with the Nashville Predators and has one year remaining on a contract with a cap hit/average annual value of $1.575 million before he can become a restricted free agent at the end of the current season.

Claiming Barron on waivers could very well coincide with the upper-body injury to on Saturday to defenseman Logan Mailloux, who did not return to the game after getting into a scrap in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday with Cole Smith at the 13:42 mark of the first period.

The Blues are already down a defenseman, with Tyler Tucker (tweaked right knee) sidelined a week to this point and potentially could miss more time; they have 32-year-old Calle Rosen up as insurance as the seventh defenseman on the 23-man roster, which needs to be submitted to the league by 4 p.m. (CT) on Monday. 

Rosen and goalie Georgii Romanov were placed on waivers by the Blues on Sunday.

Barron is 6-foot-2, 198 pounds and is a first-round pick (No. 25) in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche who had nine assists in 52 games with the Predators last season; he also spent two-plus seasons with the Montreal Canadiens from 2022-25.

Barron has 52 points (18 goals, 34 assists) in 208 career regular-season NHL games and is expected to be on the 23-man roster that must be submitted by Monday and presumably will be on the practice ice on Monday as well ahead of the Blues departing on a team bonding trip for a few days to Austin, Texas ahead of their season-opener Friday against the Dallas Stars.

The Blues, depending on Mailloux's injury, have decided to opt for experience but have also brought up Jiricek, a 2024 first-round pick who had a really solid camp before being sent down to the Thunderbirds on Friday.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Sunday that they signed defenseman Nick Blankenburg to a one-year contract. According to PuckPedia, the deal is worth $1.4 million, converting the 28-year-old’s professional tryout into a roster contract two days before opening night.

Blankenburg arrived at camp unsigned after a quiet free-agency period and has spent the last two weeks trying to prove he belongs. He has been a consistent pairing with newly acquired defenceman Emil Andrae, a look the Leafs kept together through the Arizona trip and Saturday’s practice at Mullett Arena. 

Last season was the best offensive year of Blankenburg’s career. He recorded eight goals and 24 points in 61 games between the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche, averaging 16:48 per night. He had 21 points in 49 games with Nashville before a March deadline trade to Colorado, then added three points in 12 regular-season games and a goal in five playoff appearances. For his NHL career, the undrafted University of Michigan product has 18 goals and 58 points in 176 games with Columbus, Nashville and Colorado. He is 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds, a right shot who has never been defined by size.

Head coach Jim Hiller, seemingly impressed with the player's camp, stated that Blankenburg is an NHL defenseman. The Leafs were fortunate he was available on a tryout. The $1.4 million number, negotiated with agent Pat Brisson of CAA Hockey, is more than the league minimum some fans wanted, but it is still a depth price for a player coming off career-high production.

The signing does not come without cap work. PuckPedia projects Toronto $3.808 million over the $104 million upper limit once Blankenburg’s hit is on the books. The club has to be compliant when it files an opening roster by 5 p.m. ET on Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s season opener.

🖊️  We’ve signed defenceman Nick Blankenburg to a one-year contract

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) September 27, 2026

The most direct path is long-term injured reserve. Max Domi, who has not been on the ice in camp while recovering from complications stemming from offseason surgery, carries a $3.75 million cap hit. PuckPedia’s model has the Leafs submitting an opening roster with Domi and William Villeneuve ($68,000 season-opening IR charge) on LTIR and coming within about $10,000 of an optimal LTIR capture.

With Blankenburg signed for 1.4M, #Leafsforever are 3.808M projected over the cap. They can submit an opening roster with Domi (3.75M) and Villeneuve (68K SOIR) on LTIR and come within $10K of an optimal LTIR capture. https://t.co/gG2oRpjZ3A

Read more:… https://t.co/pmCarqtbGypic.twitter.com/3q7ouZRHuN

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) September 27, 2026

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The New York Islanders demoted defenseman Isaiah George to the Hamilton Hammers on Sunday morning, making George one of the final cuts for the NHL team. 

Additionally, the team signed veteran defenseman Logan Stanley to a one-year deal to take George's place.

Entering camp, there was a roster spot built in for George, with the only true competition coming from Matthew Kessel for a roster spot.

As it turns out, the Islanders appear set to carry 13 forwards and 8 defensemen to start the year, as Kessel has not been announced for waivers Sunday afternoon, ensuring he makes Monday's roster submission.

Elsewhere on Long Island, George's camp left almost everyone disappointed. The Islanders went out and added Stanley on the eve of the season, while George missed out on the roster entirely.

Couple that with Stanley's signing, along with Kashawn Aitcheson's breakout camp, some could see this as a potential closing of the NHL door for George.

Do not count Islanders' Head Coach Peter DeBoer in that camp. 

DeBoer launched a passionate defense of George after practice on Sunday.

"I think disappointment's the wrong word," DeBoer said. "I ran the defense at the Olympics this year for Canada. We had Devon Toews, who everyone here is familiar with. Devon played three years of college hockey and 125 American League games [before breaking out]. Isaiah George is younger and has played 70 American League games.

"This isn't a disappointment," DeBoer continued. "It's a journey to become an NHL defenseman, and he took a step. I'm sure he learned a lot in training camp. We sat down and asked what's best for his development: giving him the opportunity to continue growing, or having him sit in the stands or play limited minutes?"

It's very easy for anyone involved in hockey to be staring directly at the puzzle, and not take a look back from 1,000 feet. 

If the Islanders were not committed to playing George consistently, it makes no sense to carry him on the NHL roster to sit in the press box.

It's also not beneficial to force things on a defender, like the Islanders sometimes did with Samuel Bolduc.

Bolduc found his way on the roster, spent long stretches as the team's seventh defenseman and by the time he got into the game, lost confidence and struggled mightily.

The Islanders can't afford to have that happen again.

"You can't rush those things, particularly with defensemen," DeBoer said. "There's zero disappointment. It's an opportunity for more growth. Hopefully, the next time he comes up, he's a little bit better, and eventually he's a regular."

If DeBoer has it his way, this is not the end of the story for George. Just a speed bump.

As the National Hockey League opens the regular season on Tuesday, the Buffalo Sabres added some defensive depth with the signing of veteran Matt Grzelcyk, but did not go down the road of bringing back big blueliner Logan Stanley. The 28-year-old former Winnipeg first-rounder was acquired from the Jets along with Luke Schenn by the Sabres for Isak Rosen, Jacob Bryson, and two draft picks at the trade deadline, and played mostly in a third-pairing role, posting five assists in 17 regular-season games, and was in the lineup for eight of Buffalo’s 13 playoff games. 

Coming off a career-high 26 points last season, and with a very thin crop of defensive free agents on the market, Stanley was in a prime position to get overpaid and get some term on a deal, but clearly he and his representatives overplayed their hand. On Sunday, the New York Islanders signed the veteran blueliner to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, giving him a landing spot for the year and an opportunity to prove last season was not a fluke. 

In other former Sabres news, 2016 first rounder Alex Nylander was placed on waivers by the Calgary Flames. The 28-year-old played all of last season for the Toronto Marlies and won a Calder Cup on an AHL contract. Nylander signed a PTO with the Flames and earned an NHL deal, but has to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL Wranglers. 

Other Sabres Stories

Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL 

Another former Sabre, defenseman Casey Fitzgersld, was placed on waivers by the Florida Panthers. Earlier in the week, as NHL clubs were cutting down to 23 players, other ex-Buffalo products Riley Stillman (Edmonton), Eric Comrie (San Jose), Zac Jones (Utah), and Viktor Neuchev (Carolina) all cleared waivers and were sent down to the AHL. 

The Tampa Bay Lightning dealt another former Sabre, goalie Jonas Johansson to the Ottawa Senators for future considerations. Johansson, 31, went 11-10-2, with a 3.29 GAA and .884 save % last season, but lost the backup battle with Dennis Hildeby. He now replaces youngster Leevi Merilainen, who was claimed by the Vancouver Canucks. 

  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

Looking to bolster their blueline, the Islanders have signed Logan Stanley to a one-year deal. 

New York had a need for another left-handed defenseman on their NHL roster after sending young Isaiah George and Kashawn Aitcheson down to AHL Hamilton to begin the season. 

Stanley fills that hole and brings them some much-needed size on the backend. 

The 6-foot-8 defenseman skated in 76 regular season games with the Jets and Sabres last season, then appeared in eight more during the playoffs with Buffalo. 

His game his built around his size, but he did chip in more offensively last year. 

Stanley started the year on a career-best pace, producing 21 of his 26 points over 59 games with Winnipeg. 

He'll likely be a step or two behind to start the season having signed so close to Opening Night, but could slide right into their defensive rotation once he gets fully up to speed.  

New York opens their season Wednesday night against the Leafs. 

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. (AP) — The New York Islanders signed defenseman Logan Stanley to a contract for this season, and he joined them for practice on Sunday.

They added the 28-year-old left-handed shooter late in training camp after sending young Kashawn Aitcheson and Isaiah George to their American Hockey League affiliate in Hamilton. George was considered a possibility to win a full-time roster spot at 22 after playing four games last season and 33 in 2024-25.

Stanley skated in 76 games last regular season for Winnipeg and Buffalo, then eight more in the playoffs with the Sabres. He has played in more than 300 NHL games since making his debut with the Jets in 2021.

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The NHL's shortened preseason is over. Now the longer-than-usual regular season will get underway.

The 2026-27 NHL season was increased from 82 games to 84 in the collective-bargaining agreement so teams could play an even number of games against divisional opponents.

As a result, the season will open in September instead of its usual October starting date.

The first game will feature the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes raising their Stanley Cup banner before they play the Florida Panthers, who won back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025. The runner-up Vegas Golden Knights will also be in action on opening night, facing the Chicago Blackhawks.

Here's a look at opening night and key dates for the 2026-27 NHL season:

When does the NHL season open?

The 2026-27 NHL season opens on Tuesday, Sept. 29 with five games, including an ESPN tripleheader.

Here's the full opening schedule, plus every team's home opener (all times Eastern):

• Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes, 5, ESPN
• Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7
• New York Rangers at Boston Bruins, 8, ESPN
• Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers, 10
• Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights, 10:30, ESPN

The @NHL announced today the 2026-27 regular season, expanded to 84 games with the addition of two more divisional contests per team, will open on Tuesday, Sept. 29. In addition, the League announced each team’s home opener.

Details: https://t.co/jMxZCwXZU6pic.twitter.com/wfrDekHQs1

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) July 15, 2026

When is the NHL's roster deadline?

NHL teams have until 5 p.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 28 to submit their opening-day rosters. They must be compliant with the $104 million salary cap.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are among the teams that were over on Saturday, but they should be OK after placing 11-year veteran Miles Wood on waivers. More players will go on waivers on Sunday.

The New York Islanders signed defenseman Logan Stanley to a one-year contract on Sunday.

Key dates during 2026-27 NHL season

Sept. 29: Opening night

Oct. 25: The Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens will play in the outdoor Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.

Nov. 9: Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Cindy Curley, Keith Tkachuk and Brian Burke will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Nov 12 and 14: The Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken will play in Helsinki, Finland.

Dec. 18 and 20: The Ottawa Senators and Blackhawks will play in Dusseldorf, Germany

Dec. 31: The Winter Classic will be held at University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The Utah Mammoth will host the Colorado Avalanche.

Feb. 5-6: The NHL All-Star weekend will held at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The skills competition is on the 5th and the All-Star Game will be on the 6th. There are new formats this season.

March 1: NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET

April 10: The regular season ends with all 32 teams in action.

.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When does NHL season start? What to know about 2026-27 season

On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Penguins moved a handful of players to injured reserve ahead of Monday's 5:00 p.m. final roster deadline.

Forward Blake Lizotte (upper-body, day-to-day), forward Justin Brazeau (lower-body, week-to-week), forward Ben Kindel (lower-body, week-to-week), and defenseman Ryan Graves (lower-body, indefinitely) were placed on injured reserve, clearing up four roster spots for the Penguins ahead of opening night on Sept. 30 against the Philadelphia Flyers.

In addition, the team announced that forwards Bryan Rust (upper-body) and Tristan Broz (lower-body) - presumably, both injured during Saturday's 3-1 pre-season finale win over the Buffalo Sabres - would not practice with the team Sunday are being evaluated.

Lizotte practiced with the team Sunday.

The news came after three more players were re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), which were forward Bill Zonnon, defenseman Harrison Brunicke, and goaltender Joel Blomqvist. Taking out the players placed on IR, the Penguins are down to 25 players on their active training camp roster. 

If Rust and Broz are added to injured reserve, that would trim the NHL active roster down to the set maximum of 23.

Pre-season: Penguins Defeat Sabres, 3-1, To Close Out Pre-season With SplitPittsburgh defeated Buffalo for the second time this pre-season to close out their schedule prior to the regular season

Of note, forwards Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, and Filip Hallander all remain part of the active camp roster, as does defenseman Ilya Solovyov, who figures to occupy the seventh and final defensive slot to start the season. With Brunicke sent back, it appears the Penguins will elect to keep 14 forwards as opposed to eight defensemen if they decide to max out their roster. 

The Penguins will have a day off Monday, which is when the final NHL roster will likely be submitted to the NHL's Central Registry.

Penguins Make 3 More Cuts Before Monday’s DeadlineThe Pittsburgh Penguins sent three more players to the AHL on Sunday.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 4 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Jersey #4 is one of the more popular numbers to be worn.

Let's take a look at who wore 4, and where they are now

Lyle Odelein - 2001-2002 - Drafted by Montreal in 1986. 

The first-ever Captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Odelein played 146 games and had 33 points. He retired in 2006 as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Bryan Berard - 2006-2007 - Drafted by Ottawa in 1995. 

Berard played 55 games as a Blue Jacket and had 35 points. The former #1 overall pick in 1995 had an up-and-down career and retired in 2009 after playing a year in the KHL.

Clay Wilson - 2008-2009 - Undrafted out of Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota.

Wilson played 7 games in Columbus and had three points. He retired in 2020 after playing one season in Ukraine. 

Nathan Paetsch - 2010 - Drafted by Washington in 2001 and then drafted by Buffalo in 2003. (re-entry)

He played 10 games as a Jacket and had zero points. He never played another NHL game after Columbus and retired in 2019 after spending several seasons in the AHL. 

Sami Lepistö - 2011 - Drafted by Washington in 2004. 

Lepistö played 19 games and had 5 points. He left for Europe in 2012 and played there until he retired in 2023. 

John Moore - 2012-2013 - Drafted by Columbus in 2009.

Moore played only 86 games in Columbus and scored 8 points. On April 3, 2013, the New York Rangers included Moore in the deal that brought Marián Gáborík to Columbus. 

He last played for the Anaheim Ducks.

On March 19, 2022, Moore was involved in a trade that sent him to the Anaheim Ducks along with Urho Vaakanainen in exchange for Hampus Lindholm. The Ducks then attempted to trade both Moore and the rest of Ryan Kesler's contract to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Evgenii Dadonov and a conditional second-round pick at the NHL trade deadline on March 21, 2022. However, the deal was disputed due to a no-trade clause in Dadonov's contract. On March 23, the NHL officially cancelled the trade; therefore, Moore remained in the Ducks' organization.  

Kevin Connauton - 2015-2016 - Drafted by Vancouver in 2009. 

Connauton played 81 games and has 27 points as a CBJ. He currently plays for the Tucson Roadrunners in the AHL.

Scott Harrington - 2018-2022 - Drafted by Pittsburgh in 2011

Harrington played 185 games for the Blue Jackets after being traded to Columbus by Toronto with a conditional pick in the 2017 NHL Draft for Kerby Rychel on June 25, 2016. Those 185 games would be spread out over six seasons, with 2018-19 being the year he played the most games at 73. He scored 7 goals and totaled 37 points in his career with Columbus, with the 18-19 season being his most productive with 17.   

During his time in the Columbus organization, he would also play 52 games for the Cleveland Monsters, scoring 7 total points. 

Harrington signed with San Jose in 2022 and was then traded to New Jersey in February of 2023. New Jersey would then put him on waivers a few days later, where he would be picked up by Anaheim and play 17 games. 

In 2023, Harrington would leave for Europe and play for the ZSC Lions of the Swiss League. After playing just 14 games in 23-24, he would return to North America for the 24-25 season and play for the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. 

Harrington is signed to play with the Belleville Senators of the AHL for this season. 

Vladislav Gavrikov - 2023 - Gavrikov was drafted in the 6th round of the 2015 NHL Draft.

Gavrikov played 256 games for the Jackets over the course of 4 seasons. He totaled 15 goals and 73 points. Gavrikov is widely considered one of the best late-round picks to ever play for the Jackets, despite his short time in Columbus. He played great defense and would always seem to show up on the scoreboard. 

After he signed a three-year, $8.4 million contract extension with the Blue Jackets in November of 2020, former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen decided to trade Gavrikov to the LA Kings in March of 2023. A decision that a lot of CBJ hated and wondered why it happened. Kekäläinen knew Gavrikov was going to want a hefty raise and didn't want to pay him. 

Gavrikov signed a two-year extension with LA just a couple of months after the trade. In the summer of 2025, Gavrikov would get his big contract. He signed a 7-year, $49-million deal with the New York Rangers, which will take him into his mid-30s. 

Cole Sillinger - 2024-2025 -Drafted in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

Silinger wore #34 for two years before switching to #4 before the 23-24 season. It's hard to believe that Cole Sillinger is going into his 6th NHL Season already. 

After scoring 31 points as a rookie, his second season was anything but good. Totaling just 11 points, he only played in 64 games and was demoted to AHL Cleveland. His third season was definitely a bounce-back year for young Sillinger. He would score 13 goals and total 32 points. 

Sillinger has had three career seasons straight after that bad second season. In 25-26, he set a career high with 25 assists and tied his career high in points with 25. He became more of a playmaker last year, playing with Charlie Coyle and Mathieu Olivier. That line was arguably the best line on the team for the majority of the season, and other teams' lines had a really hard time against them. 

In July, the CBJ signed Sillinger to a 3-year, $13,875,000 contract to keep him in Columbus. 

There are four days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Who was your favorite #4?

With the conclusion of training camp and the preseason behind the Chicago Blackhawks, they are starting to inch closer to cutting their roster down to its opening night state. 

On Saturday, they sent Connor Mackey to the Rockford IceHogs on loan. Now, on Sunday, they announced that they have loaned forward Dillon Boucher and goalie Drew Commesso to Rockford as well. 

Their roster stands at 26 players, including 16 forwards, 8 defensemen, and 2 goaltenders. More decisions are set to be made as they prepare for Tuesday's opener versus the Vegas Golden Knights.

Mackey and Boucher were forwards that the Blackhawks had up with the team to fill some spots in preseason lineups and practice. Players with over 100 NHL games played can only play in 2 exhibition games, but the team also wanted to get its most important pro prospects to AHL camp, so Mackey and Boucher got to stay up with the NHL club a little longer. 

As for Drew Commesso, it wasn't as much of a backup battle with Arvid Soderblom as some would have thought. His being on a two-way deal while Soderblom finishes out his one-way deal likely has something to do with it, but Soderblom was also excellent after some off-season adjustments. He will be the backup to Spencer Knight. 

It is unlikely that the Blackhawks carry 8 defenders, and some more forward decisions are inevitable too. More transactions are on the way; stay tuned. 

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