On Monday night at Honda Center, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the San Jose Sharks for the first time this exhibition season and in their fifth of seven overall preseason games.

The Ducks iced a squad nearly full of NHL-caliber players that will likely closely resemble their opening night roster.

The Sharks, on the other hand, sent a team mostly consisting of AHL players, not one of which was over 30 years old. It was a tale of two rosters, and the Ducks were expected to control play from puck drop.

Ville Husso got the start for the Ducks and stopped 22 of 24 shots, not allowing many second-chance opportunities and working to find pucks through traffic.

Opposite Husso, Jakub Skarek got the start for the Sharks and stopped 13 of 16 shots before he was pulled in a scheduled goalie switch halfway through the second period. Gabriel Carriere entered the game in relief and saved all 14 shots he saw off Ducks sticks.

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Once again, it is preseason, but for this game especially, any statement surrounding it should be taken with a grain of salt.

That said, here are my takeaways from this game:

Chris Kreider-The Ducks have been starved for a true netfront difference-maker, especially on the power play, and that’s where Kreider earns his money. He instinctively knows how goalies move when tracking pucks throughout the offensive zone and reacts accordingly to always remain in their field of vision.

His battling ability was on display in this game, as he consistently won pucks back that were shot and deflected below the goal line to extend zone time substantially, an underrated but impactful quality.

Cycle-Since the start of camp, coaches have implemented a cycle system in the offensive zone built on constant player and puck movement from all five skaters on the ice. Rather than continuous efforts to move pucks from low to high, followed by a shot, and an attempt to win an ensuing board battle, forwards run give-and-gos up the wall to defensemen, who jump to the middle or switch with their d-partner to create one-timer looks.

There are elongated sequences where forwards remain high at the blueline, weaving while defenseman remain low after shifting in efforts to draw defenders well out of position.

“Just kept it simple,” Nikita Nesterenko said after the game. “Got the puck in, trying to create energy for the other lines, tie their D up. I think every like was rolling. Leo’s line played incredible. It’s fun to watch those guys.”

Leo Carlsson-This was a game that Carlsson was expected to dominate while implementing some of the aspects of his game that needed refining in the past. He didn’t disappoint. He displayed vision, patience, and anticipation skills with the puck on his stick he’d only shown flashes of to this point in his career. This game may have solidified Kreider a spot on his left wing for the foreseeable future with the way they consistently found each other in dangerous areas of the ice.

Beckett Sennecke-Sennecke was one of the few players for the Ducks in this game who could stand to gain a lot. This was the most dynamic he’d been all preseason and displayed true game-breaking potential with the kind of quick strike offense that teams crave. Whether it’s a pure strength factor or if he needs to tweak his approach, the next step in his progression will be to enter battles more efficiently and come away from them with the puck with greater frequency.

“I thought he didn't play a lot, but every time he was out there, he was a threat & he was dangerous,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “He was fun to watch, and on every given night, it could be a different situation. He gives you a lot of versatility as a wild card player.”

The Ducks will head to San Jose to take on the Sharks again on Wednesday night for their sixth of seven preseason games.

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Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp is beginning to draw to a close, and there is sure to be a lot of drama in the next several days. 

So, it's a perfect time for a Mailbox Monday, as I'm sure many fans have burning questions on their mind regarding camp, the final roster, impressions of young players, and more.

You asked, and I did my best to answer. 

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If you were GM how would you balance the seemingly conflicting aims of making Pens long term contenders and reaching the playoffs with the core 3? Given the lack of trades, it seems Dubas has been pressured into competing sooner, but I don't see a long window with no new core.
- @liam_rhea
I actually love questions like this because they are a reminder of why I am not an NHL GM. There is a lot that goes into this, so I'll do my best.

There are a few things to consider here. First, Evgeni Malkin is in the final year of his contract. Given the roster situation, an entirely new coaching staff, and youth just beginning to push for the NHL, it's hard to imagine the Penguins being contenders this season in any capacity unless they go young, and the prospects all perform immediately. 

So - if I'm the GM - with Malkin, I'd have the expectation that if he wanted to contend one more time with this team, he'd probably have to sign another contract. That would be a pretty clear message.

As far as trades, at this point, I'm holding out for the right deal - especially for Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. The best window to trade Rakell may have already passed, and Rust is worth keeping around the young guys. I would, however, trade Erik Karlsson if presented with the opportunity to accrue more leverage in draft capital.

Penguins' Mid-Camp Prospect Tiers: Who Is Most Likely To Make NHL Roster?We're officially 10 days into Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp, and if one thing is for certain, there has been a ton of competition. 

But the other part of this is a bit more complicated because I think it all depends on how the organization views the current crop of young players who already are or are very close to NHL-ready. You mentioned a "new core." Well, even if they don't yet have a franchise center or a star defensemen, I would argue that a few members of that "new core" have already arrived.

Ben Kindel has the talent and the smarts to be a top-six center, so I would consider him a potential part of a new core. Harrison Brunicke should be a top-four defenseman and, at his ceiling, a top-pairing blueliner, so he could also be part of that. And then there's Sergei Murashov, whose camp and track record prove that he could be the real deal - and that he has potential as a star NHL goaltender.

If I'm GM, I'm feeling pretty confident about three of my current prospects - plus, perhaps, at least one of Rutger McGroarty or Ville Koivunen - and think part of that core is already here. So, perhaps I don't push super hard to compete in a strong draft year, bank on drafting that franchise talent, and go from there, depending on who that is.

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Hypothetically, if the Penguins do draft a franchise center or defenseman in 2026 who can help immediately - and those other three have another year of development at that point - I'm looking at that $50 million-plus of cap space and boatload of draft capital I have next summer, and I'm going to get aggressive in trying to acquire whichever that other "missing" core piece is. 

And that is the best shot I have at competing in the final year of Crosby's contract while also managing not to mortgage the long-term future of the franchise. And, hey, maybe that also means 87 sticks around for a few more years before hanging them up, which is never a bad thing.

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Why couldn't Kindel make the roster? Other than being a little small, he didn't look out of place to me. 
- @ThePuckMike

I'm going to be honest, Mike: I'm not sure that he shouldn't.

I hear a lot of arguments about "rushing" Kindel onto a non-playoff NHL team. While I understand that side of the coin, I'm also of the belief that no two players are alike. No two players have the same timeline for NHL readiness. And no two players are predictable.

Kindel has thoroughly impressed me in this camp, and the thing that impresses me most is how he's gotten better each game as the competition has gotten better. His reads are up to NHL speed, his skating is fine, and his smarts are off the charts for someone his age. 

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If a player is legitimately ready for the next level, there's no such thing as "rushing" them. If they're not behind, why not reward them for showing that they're ahead?

I'm not even saying that Kindel needs to stay beyond a nine-game trial. But, if Kyle Dubas meant it when he said "the young guys are coming," Kindel has earned those nine games through his performance. Him cracking the NHL roster wasn't on my training camp bingo card, but he should certainly be in the conversation at this point. 

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If the Pens keep a younger player or two who has earned a spot (Broz, Brunicke), can you explain how that would work logistically/financially? Is it as simple as waiving/sending Dumba or whoever down to the AHL? It has to be more complicated, right? Thanks for all your reporting!
- @jeffrose810.bsky.social

Thanks, Jeff. I appreciate you reading along.

And, in this case, no, I don't think it's more complicated than that. 

Again, if Dubas meant what he said about young guys earning spots, he won't hesitate to move the veterans they beat out for roster spots however he has to. Ideally, he would execute a trade - but trading players during training camp is difficult because teams are well-aware of the waiver wire and that they can probably get that same player for free on waivers rather than giving up an asset for them.

So, I do not think waivers will be an issue. The Penguins have more than $11.75 million in cap space, so they can afford to bury a few contracts if that's what it comes down to.

'The Young Guys Are Coming': 3 Observations From Dubas's Pre-Season Press ConferenceOn Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins opened their 2025 training camp with a few words from general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas. 

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The Athletic writers have the Pens dead last. I get the blue line may have issues, but the forward group looks too good to finish there. What do you think? 
- @WadeWorkman3

Quite frankly, I disgree with that assessment. And I feel especially confident in saying that after watching five Penguins' pre-season games and seeing some of the newfound structure that Dan Muse and his coaching staff are implementing. 

It doesn't look like this team is playing nearly as high-risk. They aren't bleeding odd-man rushes, and they're playing a much cleaner game in the neutral zone. They also aren't afraid to use center drive, which is something Muse has talked about. 

In addition, the Penguins have some legitimate young talent pushing for the roster. If even a few of those guys make the team, I think it, by default, makes the Penguins a better team. The forward group is better on paper than it was last season - even without the young guys in the mix - and the defense corps isn't much changed, especially since Marcus Pettersson wasn't at his best for much of the season last year before the trade. 

And, at the end of the day, I still think there are at least a handful of other teams that are simply way better-positioned to tank than the Penguins are, especially since they have not moved any of their higher-value veterans. As long as those guys are still on the roster, teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, Buffalo Sabres, and Anaheim Ducks are likely to finish behind them.

Penguins Make Five More Roster Cuts On MondayThe Pittsburgh Penguins trimmed their training camp roster again on Monday. 

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What's ur 23 man roster prediction
- @DrakeBarrett8

Well, isn't this the million-dollar question? It's also the hardest question on here. My answer changes by the day.

If you would have asked me 24 hours ago whether or not Ben Kindel would be making a legitimate case for the NHL roster, I would have said "no." But, his performance against the Detroit Red Wings in a 2-1 win on Monday changed my tune a bit, and I believe he has earned his way into the conversation. Same with Filip Hallander. 

That said, I still think Kindel ends up back in juniors. There are simply too many young forwards vying for few spots, and I do think others have earned it, too. I'm not saying it won't happen. I just think it's a longshot.

"I Wasn't Impressed": Todd McLellan Speaks Bluntly After Red Wings Play Flat In 2-1 Loss To Penguins The good news for the Detroit Red Wings is that their 2-1 setback at Little Caesars Arena against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins is that it won't count against them in the standings, as it was the fifth pre-season game of their schedule.

But... here goes. I'll probably change my answer immediately after writing this:

Forwards (13)
Sidney Crosby
Evgeni Malkin
Bryan Rust
Rickard Rakell
Ville Koivunen
Anthony Mantha
Filip Hallander
Philip Tomasino
Tristan Broz
Justin Brazeau
Blake Lizotte
Connor Dewar
Tommy Novak

Defensemen (8)
Erik Karlsson
Kris Letang
Parker Wotherspoon
Connor Clifton
Harrison Brunicke
Owen Pickering
Matt Dumba
Ryan Shea

Goaltenders (2)
Tristan Jarry
Arturs Silovs

Injured Reserve:
Kevin Hayes
Rutger McGroarty

Marc-Andre Fleury Steals Show For Penguins On Saturday It was Marc-Andre Fleury's night in Pittsburgh on Saturday as the Pittsburgh Penguins picked up their second preseason win. They beat the Columbus Blue Jackets by three, 4-1, thanks to two goals from Rickard Rakell, one from Sidney Crosby, and one from Ville Koivunen. 

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Can't wait to see what I think at this time tomorrow. But that's where my head is at right now.

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On Monday, former Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Derrick Pouliot was placed on waivers by the New York Rangers.

Pouliot, 31, was drafted eighth overall by the Penguins in the 2012 NHL Draft after a standout campaign with the Portland Winterhawks, where he put up 11 goals and 59 points in 72 games. Pittsburgh drafted him in hopes that he would become an elite, two-way, play-driving defenseman.

Unfortunately, things never translated for Pouliot at the NHL level. In his first three NHL seasons with the Penguins from 2014-17, Pouliot played a combined 67 games and put up a total of two goals and 14 points. He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in the summer of 2017, where he spent two seasons before signing as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues.

He has spent the past four seasons with four different teams, and he signed a two-year contract with the Rangers this summer. Pouliot has played in only 26 NHL games since signing with St. Louis, and he has eight goals and 54 points - as well as a minus-31 rating - in 226 career NHL games.

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The good news for the Detroit Red Wings is that their 2-1 setback at Little Caesars Arena against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins is that it won't count against them in the standings, as it was the fifth pre-season game of their schedule.

The bad news is that they looked sluggish and uncrisp against a Penguins roster mostly comprised of minor league players. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's passes were sharper all game long and they enjoyed more quality scoring opportunities.

The Penguins scored on their first shot of the contest against goaltender John Gibson thanks to a blown defensive coverage on Ben Kindel, which was followed by a second period goal from Tommy Novak.

While Grand Rapids Griffins forward Dominik Shine halved Pittsburgh's lead with 3:40 left in the contest, the Red Wings were unable to secure the equalizing goal with Gibson pulled for a sixth attacker and instead fell to 2-3 in pre-season play. 

The @DetroitRedWings press late, but can’t get the equalizer in what was an overall choppy game. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/VxX9Z3pVwa

— Michael Whitaker (@mwhitaker_89) September 30, 2025

Gibson stopped 18 of 20 shots, while his Penguins counterpart Tristan Jarry made 21 saves. 

Following the game, the frustration with how his team played was evident for head coach Todd McLellan. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

"I wasn't really impressed with our team, to be quite honest," McLellan said. "I thought we looked slow and sloppy. I don't know which caused what."

Among the roster regulars that the Red Wings skated included Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, Marco Kasper, Moritz Seider, J.T. Compher, and Erik Gustafsson. Justin Holl and Jonatan Berggren also suited up for Detroit. 

Without listing any names, McLellan made it clear that complacency among Detroit's more veteran players isn't an option, even if these games don't count in the standings. 

"Some of the older players have to get their games going quickly. Almost a week from today or tomorrow we're playing against really, really good teams," he said. "Some guys, in my opinion after watching them tonight, some have only played a couple of games and aren't ready to play yet."

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Just as he has done throughout training camp, Noah Laba stole the show in the New York Rangers’ 3-2 preseason win over the New York Islanders on Monday night, capping the game off with an overtime-winning goal. 

Coming into training camp, nobody expected Laba to crack the Rangers’ opening-night roster, but here he is, making it extremely difficult for the Rangers to deny him a spot. 

Laba has continued to impress Mike Sullivan, and as a result, Sullivan is putting the Laba in positions to thrive and showcase his skills. 

It’s safe to say that he hasn’t disappointed. 

Laba’s hard-nosed style of play helps transform him into a reliable two-way forward, which has set him apart from the rest of the young prospects. 

Monday night’s preseason game was a big test for Laba, who was going up against some of the Islanders’ top veteran players. 

The 22-year-old forward showed that he belongs in this NHL environment, as he thrived in this competitive environment. 

Laba had no fear when scoring his overtime goal, going straight to the net, a valuable attribute in an impactful NHL forward.

Over the course of training camp and the preseason, Sullivan has grown more and more fond of Laba’s offensive game. 

“I think Noah has a 200-foot game. I think his offense is evolving,” Sullivan said. “With each game that he plays, you could see more of the playmaking and just his vision, whether it be with the puck or without the puck on the offensive side, just his instincts.”

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The Rangers have thrown more challenges onto Laba’s shoulders throughout the past few weeks, and that has only helped him grow his confidence. 

“From the first game till now, just slowly kind of gaining more and more confidence,” Laba said. “Obviously, that was the first time I kind of played an all-NHL lineup, so definitely a bit nerve-wracking there, but felt like as the game went on, I gained a little more confidence.”

That third-line center role is up for grabs, and Laba continues to gain momentum in his pursuit of securing the role. 

Whether Laba ultimately makes the Rangers’ opening-night roster or not, he’s put the entire organization on notice, and he’ll eventually make his way to The Big Apple.

The Carolina Hurricanes made their second round of cuts just before their penultimate preseason game.

The Hurricanes reassigned a trio of defensemen — Dominik Badinka, Domenick Fensore and Aleksi Heimosalmi — to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

The team also reassigned center Skyler Brind'Amour and defenseman Ronan Seeley to Chicago as well, but the two will need to pass through waivers first before they can officially reassigned.

The team had already sent goaltenders Amir Miftakhov and Ruslan Khazheyev to the Wolves a day prior and there will be a whole litany of players right behind these seven as well now that the Hurricanes have just one preseason game remaining.

Rod Brind'Amour had been pretty upfront about wanting to keep his main NHL guys off the ice throughout the preseason to avoid injuries, but he did say that he'd like to have most of them play the final preseason game.

"We'll decide when we get a little bit closer, but yeah, I'd like to see more of our guys play that have only played one game," Brind'Amour said.

More cuts are coming, but it'll also be interesting to see if anyone has earned the chance to stick around a little bit longer.

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The Florida Panthers returned home to Sunrise for the first time since hoisting the Stanley Cup back on June 17th. It was the debut of their new scoreboard, and a lineup with a mix of veterans and young guys, the Panthers fought off the Hurricanes comeback as they won it in overtime by a final of 4-3.

It did not take long for the first goal to be scored. After battling for the puck at the end boards, Mackie Samoskevich set up Jack Studnicka, who beat Frederick Andersen with a backhand shot through the legs to make it 1-0 Florida.

Each team got a power play in the first period, but neither team lit the lamp on special teams.

Florida added on to their lead in the second period. Their active sticks in the neutral zone paid off. Nolan Foote created the turnover and a quick entry into the Carolina’s zone, was able to hit the trailer Sandis Vilmanis who got the puck through the short side with a back hand at 9:48 of the second.

Shortly after the second television timeout, 6’8” goaltender Cooper Black stepped into the crease to play the remainder of the game.

Carolina’s Bradly Nadeau looked to have scored to make it 2-1, but a challenge for offside by the Panthers was successful to keep it at a two-goal lead.

Minutes later, Carolina did find the back of the net off the draw. Former Panther Givani Smith got behind the Panthers defense and beat Cooper Black past the blocker at 14:40 of the second frame.

Carolina had two shots through most of the second, yet were opportunistic a second time in the period. Defenseman Alexander Nikishin’s shot from the right circle and a screen made it past Black to tie it at two at 17:02.

After 40 minutes, Anderson was taken out for 2021 6th round German goaltender Nikita Quapp to play the remaining 20 minutes.

The Panthers continued to tilt the ice in their direction, and it paid off.

Catching the Hurricanes on a line change, Brett Chorskie was able to skate in a straight line after Ben Harpur’s chipped it to him off the boards in the neutral zone, and then got the puck past the glove of Quapp as the Panthers retook the lead at 8:36 of the third.

The back-and-forth continued as Cooper Black was once again beat on the blocker side, this time it was Justin Robidas less than 4 minutes later to tie it at three.

This game wouldn’t be set in regulation, but the Cats would start overtime on the power play as Carolina was called for delay of game with 23 seconds left in regulation.

Studnicka already had one goal on the night, and he added another in overtime with a chance off the rebound while parked at the net front on the man advantage.

Florida wins both games of the home-and-home against Carolina, and take their record to 2-2 for the preseason.

No time to waste as the Panthers will travel 250 miles to Central Florida to play a game in less than 24 hours. Florida will play a neutral site game from the Kia Center against state rival Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, where the Panthers are expected to dress a younger lineup.

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The Buffalo Sabres need solid years from everybody to even come close to being in the mix for a Stanley Cup playoff appearance for the first time in a decade. But (and at the risk of just pointing out one of those players when it will take big efforts from most Sabres players to make Buffalo a playoff team) we're going to focus on a player this writer believes has to have a big year to get the Sabres back in the post-season.

And that player is a key player for Buffalo: team captain and star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.

First of all, let's be clear: we all need some empathy for Dahlin. His fiancee had a major health scare, and Dahlin and his fiancee need our understanding as they walk the road of recovery. Nothing that happens on the ice is more important than that. 

But there's also no denying Dahlin needs a high-impact season to improve Buffalo's play in its own zone and getting into a playoff spot. The Sabres were tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins as the third-worst defensive team last season, giving up an average of 3.50 goals-against per game. Only Chicago (3.56) and San Jose (3.78) were worse -- and both of those teams, as well as the Sabres and Penguins, all were well out of a playoff position in 2024-25.

Thus, while the Sabres definitely needs a banner year on offense from Dahlin, it's the team's play in the defensive end that has to show the most growth. And as he enters his prime at 25 years old, Dahlin has to lead the charge and be better all-around this season. 

Dahlin had a rebound season on offense last season; although his goal total fell from 20 in 2023-24 to 17 in 2024-25, Dahlin's assist total went from 39 in '23-24 to 51 in '24-25. Dahlin had nine more points last season than he did the year prior, so imagining he's going to surge by 20 points is unfair to him. If he can get back to his career highs of goals (20) assists (58) and points (73), the Sabres will be elated.

Value In Former Sabres Shows Buffalo Has Talent -- But So Far, The Mix Has Always Been WrongBelieve it or not, the Buffalo Sabres and their players are not inherently terrible. Sure, there are Buffalo players you may believe to be flawed, and sure, the Sabres have been consistently sub-par for the past 14 seasons -- none of which have ended with Stanley Cup playoff games being played in Western New York.  But if you look at some of Buffalo's former players, you see that they have some value across the league, even though they have a stint with the Sabres on their resume.

But though Dahlin is a savvy defender who is Buffalo's primary saving grace on 'D', he needs to create a defense-minded tide that raises all Sabres boats -- by which, we mean Dahlin has to find ways to make his teammates better. Dahlin can't work miracles if the talent Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has assembled around him aren't true difference-makers. But when you wear the 'C', you're primarily responsible for ensuring the mentality you expect in a playoff team to have taken root in your dressing room. You have to be what you're being asked to be -- a leader.

Absent an all-around improvement in their own end, the Sabres are going to miss the playoffs for the 15th-straight season. That's inevitable unless Dahlin and his teammates change the narrative in Buffalo. 

This Season Could Be Final Kick At Can For Sabres Coach Ruff, GM AdamsThe Buffalo Sabres' 2025-26 season is about as high-stakes as it gets. The Sabres will be aiming to end the organization's 14-year drought on the Stanley Cup playoff front. And while certain players will not be long for Buffalo if the Sabres fail to make it into the post-season this year, the reality is the Sabres' most prominent coaching and management members -- coach Lindy Ruff and GM Kevyn Adams -- could be getting their final kick at the can in their jobs -- at least, at the NHL level.

The Sabres are going to need contributions from each of their players this season in order to get back into the post-season. But if Dahlin can't coax better play out of the rest of the Sabres, Buffalo will indeed be in trouble once again.

The defense is the thing in Sabres Land, and that's what Buffalo has to address. What their captain has to address. Nobody's asking Dahlin to coach the team, but when you're the leader, you're responsbile. And the defense is going to hang on Dahlin's shoulders this year. When you're making $11-million every year until 2032, it's ultimately on you. And that's where Dahlin is in NHL Season No. 8. 

Abols at it again, Foerster makes preseason debut and Flyers notch shootout win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For the second time in preseason action, the Flyers went to a shootout.

And for the second time, they won it.

The Flyers picked up a 3-2 victory Monday night over the Bruins at TD Garden in Boston.

Bobby Brink was the lone scorer in the skills competition. Dan Vladar denied all three of the Bruins’ attempts.

The shootout wasn’t nearly as long as the Flyers’ first one, which was eight days ago and went 11 rounds against the Islanders. Rick Tocchet’s club finished with a 3-2 victory in that one, as well.

On Monday night, Noah Cates broke a scoreless tie with a goal in the second period. After Boston responded a little over three minutes later, Rodrigo Abols struck with 24 seconds left in the middle stanza.

The Bruins tied things up again with 8:39 minutes left in the third period to force overtime.

The Flyers didn’t dress four of their top five scorers from last season and four of their top defensemen.

Tocchet’s club improved to 2-3-0 in the preseason with two games to go.

• Not sure how you can keep Abols off the Flyers’ season-opening roster.

He’s the team’s only skater to have played in all five preseason games so far. And he has more than answered the challenge.

His goal was his second of the preseason and third point. It came on a beautiful shot.

Tocchet and the Flyers have liked Abols’ positional versatility. The 29-year-old can play center or winger and he moves very well for a 6-foot-4 guy.

If merit matters in camp, Abols has earned a spot. He can help the Flyers in their bottom six right now.

• Tyson Foerster made his preseason debut after recovering from offseason surgery to address an infection in the area of his elbow.

“I think he worked extremely hard on his rehab, give him a lot of credit,” Tocchet said Monday morning. “Doesn’t surprise me, he’s a character kid.”

The 23-year-old winger picked up an assist on Cates’ goal and played just under 21 minutes. It would be surprising if the line of Foerster, Cates and Brink isn’t together on opening night.

• Vladar has been a real positive through his four periods of preseason action.

The free-agent addition played the full game Monday night and converted 13 saves on 15 shots. He has stopped 21 of 24 shots in exhibition play.

The 6-foot-5 netminder has the ability to make an athletic save and has done a nice job tracking pucks through traffic.

So far, so good from Vladar.

• The Flyers’ entire defensive group Monday night featured players on the bubble.

Adam Ginning didn’t hurt his push for a job by recording four blocked shots and a plus-1 mark in 22:58 minutes. His size and defensive-minded game could be welcomed by the Flyers with Rasmus Ristolainen out to start the season.

It’s possible Egor Zamula didn’t help himself. On Boston’s game-tying 1-1 goal, it looked like Zamula was unable to pick up the stick of Sean Kuraly, who tipped one home in front.

During another part of the second period, Zamula was a bit too methodical in the slot of the Flyers’ defensive zone. As he tried to clear the puck, he was stripped and it led to a scoring chance.

• Helge Grans was placed on waivers Monday, according to PuckPedia.com. If the 23-year-old defenseman clears, he’s expected to report to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

• The Flyers have a couple of days before they’re back into preseason action Thursday when they host the Islanders (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

The St. Louis Blues have assigned winger Matt Luff and defenseman Corey Schueneman to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, after they cleared waivers.

Luff, 28, is entering his second season with the Thunderbirds after pouring in 18 goals and 45 points in 50 games last year. 

The 6-foot-3, right-handed shooter started his professional career with the Los Angeles Kings franchise, before playing with the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings and the Florida Panthers AHL affiliate.

Luff has played 276 games in the AHL, scoring 87 goals and 212 points. In the NHL, Luff has scored 15 goals and 27 points in 106 games. Luff hasn't played any games in the NHL with the Blues.

Schueneman, 30, is a left-handed defenseman also playing in his second season with the Thunderbirds. In 63 games, Schueneman scored four goals and 20 points. In his AHL career, Schueneman has recorded 25 goals and 110 points in 307 games.

Schueneman skated in four games with the Blues last year, but did not record any points. In his career, Schueneman has played in 35 games, scoring two goals and seven points. 

News And Notes From Day 12 Of St. Louis Blues Training Camp MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Milan Lucic was back on the ice for the St. Louis Blues on Monday, nearly a week after leaving practice early with a groin strain.

The Detroit Red Wings are understandably hoping for big things in the career of goaltender Sebastian Cossa, whom they selected in 2021 (15th overall). 

As is the case with many goaltenders, Cossa's development has included both ups and downs so far in his tenures with the Toledo Walleye and the Grand Rapids Griffins. 

Cossa faltered down the stretch last season for the Griffins, and didn't perform much better in the Calder Cup Playoffs when he was pulled during what was a three-game series loss. 

He's already made two starts in pre-season play, making 15 saves on 17 shots in a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sept. 23, but his start against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday wasn't as successful. 

Cossa surrendered four goals on the 16 shots he faced as part of a 5-2 loss, which included a tally from Tage Thompson in the final frame in which he was scrambling to get back into position, albeit too late. 

Tommer strikes again on the power play! 🎯#LetsGoBuffalopic.twitter.com/zD4L0IarpF

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) September 27, 2025

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As far as what head coach Todd McLellan believes about Cossa's performance against the Sabres, there were both positives and negatives, but his overall outlook of eventual starting goaltender material remains unchanged. 

"I think that Sebastian has an opportunity to blossom into an outstanding goaltender, and he'll keep working towards that," McLellan said following Monday's practice. "Some of the goals that went in on him were - I don't know if a lot of guys would stop them."

"So Iconic": Cam Talbot Touts Red Wings History In New Mask Design For Centennial Season A steady, veteran leader is what the Detroit Red Wings gained when GM Steve Yzerman inked goaltender Cam Talbot to a two-year contract during the 2024 offseason. 

"But that's okay - it's some of the other clean up stuff around the crease," he continued. "Being alert, he took a penalty when he went out and misplayed the puck below the goal line, those are are need to get cleaned up. And that's just being really sharp and alert all game. Even when the puck is away from you, you got to be thinking about what could happen." 

Cossa spoke plainly during Training Camp about the necessity of having a strong season in 2025-26, which also happens to be a contract year for him. He's eligible for restricted free agency next offseason. 

In the meantime, McLellan believes that if Cossa makes adjustments to certain aspects of his game, he could eventually be Detroit's go-to man in the crease. 

"I think those are areas that he can clean up, but no doubt about it, I think he can be a really good goaltender," McLellan said.

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ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild announced on Monday some cuts to its training camp roster. The roster is now down to 31 players.

The Wild sent forwards Caedan Bankier and Rasmus Kumpulainen, defensemen Carson Lambos and David Spacek and goaltenders Samuel Hlavaj and Riley Mercer to the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Iowa's training camp has begun.

Minnesota also placed forwards Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Ben Jones and defensemen Ben Gleason and Matt Kiersted on waivers for the purpose of assignment to Iowa.

The Wild also released defenseman Wyatt Newpower from his professional tryout. He will report to Iowa training camp.

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Every NHL team needs a goaltender to come through and help propel them into the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, some teams are more needy than others.

No goalie and team need it more than the Detroit Red Wings and starter John Gibson.

Without a doubt, the Wings need a big year out of Gibson. They acquired him from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Detroit’s 2027 second-round pick, 2028 fourth-rounder, and goalie Petr Mrazek.

The Red Wings are now committed to Gibson for this coming season and 2026-27 at an annual salary of $6.4 million. Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has firmly tied his playoff hopes to Gibson, and if it doesn’t work out for the netminder, things could get ugly in Motown.

At 32, Gibson has put up fairly decent individual numbers in his 12 years in the NHL, appearing in 506 regular-season games and posting a .910 save percentage. Last season, Gibson appeared in only 29 games for Anaheim, putting up a .912 SP and 2.77 goals-against average. He had some health concerns to deal with, but it’s presumed Gibson is fully ready to go. Regardless, it’s safe to say the Red Wings will be looking to Gibson to play many more games than he played last year.

Gibson has 26 games of playoff experience, but he hasn’t made it that far since 2018, when he lost four straight and posted a 3.60 GAA and .889 SP against the San Jose Sharks. So while he’s going to have a better-than average backup in Cam Talbot – who posted a .901 SP and 2.93 GAA in 42 appearances last season – Gibson is still going to be relied on the most in Detroit. 

The Ducks allowed the most shots against and the second-most expected goals against last season, according to naturalstattrick.com. That made Gibson's play even more impressive last season, logging 15.3 goals saved above expected, which were the 13th-most among NHL goalies, per moneypuck.com. Talbot, meanwhile, had 12.8 goals saved above expected on the Red Wings, while Mrazek was a minus-14 between Detroit and Chicago.

Having Gibson steal some likely goals will lead to more chances for Detroit to develop some consistency and get enough points here and there to make the playoffs. Keep in mind that Detroit finished just five points out of a playoff spot, and they were 16-8-8 in one-goal games. The Wings' goaltending wasn't necessarily among the worst last season, but they'll take any potential upgrade to turn some of those one-goal losses into more wins or even overtime losses.

Red Wings Need Flawless Season To Avoid Decade-Long Playoff DroughtAfter nine years without Stanley Cup playoff hockey, most fans of the Detroit Red Wings have become realists. That's because, heading into the 2025-26 regular season, it's apparent to many of them that the Red Wings have little chance of securing a playoff berth.

That said, the Red Wings’ defense corps might be as challenging as the one Gibson's leaving in Anaheim. While the Wings were 15th in the league in fewest shots against and 20th in expected goals against, their defense corps doesn't inspire confidence beyond Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson.

With the NHL’s goaltender carousel spinning, a starting job anywhere is the best opportunity you’re going to get when you’re looking for a change of scenery as a goalie nearing his mid-thirties. 

Gibson will be squarely in the spotlight, night in and night out, to demonstrate Yzerman was right to invest in him and bank on him being a difference-maker. You can’t say for sure how he will respond, but you can say Gibson will get every chance to re-establish himself as a top-tier netminder. The rest is up to him and the team around him.

Let’s not kid ourselves – the Red Wings and Yzerman could part ways if they don’t perform well this season, so the stakes couldn’t really be higher for the team and their new starting goalie.

The way Gibson responds will affect not only the Red Wings’ chances of ending their nine-year playoff drought but their path forward for the long term.

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The Vancouver Canucks have one of the best problems in the NHL — amass surplus in goaltending talent. It was ultimately for this reason that the team parted ways with Calder Cup MVP Artūrs Šilovs, who wouldn’t have been able to get the NHL playing minutes he wanted when lodged behind Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen. The goaltending puzzle in Abbotsford appears to be set already as well, with Nikita Tolopilo and Ty Young taking up the roles as starter and backup or 1A and 1B. 

Vancouver’s stocked cabinets aren’t limited to just those players, however, as there’s another goaltender who was just put on waivers today. Jiří Patera, who looks to fit in somewhere between the Abbotsford Canucks and the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL, is in his second season with the Canucks. Unfortunately, this is also his second season ending up on the waiver wire for Vancouver before the start of the regular season. While no one knows how things could go from here, the hope is that Patera’s second pre-season waivers stint isn’t as tumultuous as his first. 

Last year, the Canucks sent Patera down to Abbotsford during the pre-season, needing to place him on waivers in order to do so. The Boston Bruins, who’d been having difficulties trying to navigate their goaltending situation as they were negotiating the terms of a new deal with starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman, claimed Patera from the Canucks to remedy any potential issues. 

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Only a couple of days later, Boston resolved their issues by signing Swayman to an eight-year, $8.25M AAV contract. This gave them the freedom to send Patera down to their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. But doing so would require putting Patera on waivers. 

With Patera back on waivers, the Canucks made their claim, re-acquiring the goaltender they’d lost only a few days ago and retaining him as a part of their AHL core for that season. Now, Patera is back on waivers, and plenty of NHL teams are in a situation where they should search for more goaltending depth. Only time will tell where Patera ends up this year. 

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

The New Jersey Devils played their fourth preseason game yesterday in a split-squad matchup. Half the team faced the Ottawa Senators on the road, while the other half hosted the Washington Capitals in New Jersey.

The New Jersey group started slowly but battled back to force overtime, ultimately falling 3–2 in a shootout. Despite the loss, there were several key takeaways.

Devils Lineup (vs. Washington)

Gritsyuk – Hughes – Bratt

Palat – Hischier – Meier

Lachance – Melovsky – Hameenaho

MacDermid – Glendening – Halonen

Casey – Pesce

Dillon – Nemec

Vilen – Osipov

Markstrom, Daws

This lineup was the closest to a regular-season look so far this preseason, with Jacob Markstrom starting in goal. The Devils managed two goals in regulation.

The first came 15:10 into the second period, when captain Nico Hischier scored off a wrist shot assisted by Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, cutting the Capitals’ lead to 2–1.

Shane Lachance tied the game midway through the third, finishing a play set up by Hughes and Simon Nemec.

New Jersey was heavily outshot early, 10–2 in the first period, but narrowed the gap to 17–8 in the second and 19–18 in the third.

The game was decided in a shootout, which unfolded as follows:

• Jack Hughes scored
• Pierre-Luc Dubois scored
• Jesper Bratt missed
• Ryan Leonard scored
• Arseny Gritsyuk scored
• Jakob Chychrun missed
• Timo Meier missed
• Aliaksei Protas missed
• Nico Hischier missed
• Andrew Cristall scored, clinching the win for Washington

Meanwhile, the squad in Ottawa fared no better.

Devils Lineup (vs. Ottawa)

Dadonov – Mercer – Brown

Cotter – Glass – Legare

Bordeleau – Rooney – Squires

Crookshank – Lammikko – Parent

Cholowski – Addison

Edwards – Strand

White – Diotte

Romanov, Malek

The Devils were shut out 2–0 by the Senators, with Ottawa scoring twice in the third period. Stephen Halliday and Olle Lycksell provided the goals.

New Jersey took three penalties: Cholowski (holding, 1st period), and Strand and Brown (tripping, 3rd period). The standout for the Devils was goaltender Romanov, who stopped 61 shots for a .968 save percentage and 1.02 goals against average.

Both Devils squads came up short, and the organization has now begun roster cuts ahead of the 2025–26 regular season opener on October 9 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

New Jersey will close out the preseason with two more games: Thursday, October 2 against the New York Rangers, and Saturday, October 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers.