Category: NHL

Nearly everyone wrote Aleksei Kolosov off after a season that was disastrous for all Philadelphia Flyers goalies, but he's just firmly put himself back on the prospect radar.

Kolosov, 23, was never going to make the Flyers' NHL roster outright this season after Philadelphia went out and signed veteran Dan Vladar to a two-year deal this summer, but the fact that Kolosov returned to the organization at all shows a renewed commitment to the goal of becoming a full-time NHLer.

That said, through two AHL games, the Belarusian has backed it up with his play.

On Friday night, playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms against Ivan Fedotov and the Cleveland Monsters, Kolosov posted a remarkable 35-save shutout - his first as a member of the Flyers organization and first on North American soil.

For those curious, this was Kolosov's first professional shutout since Feb. 4, 2024, when the 23-year-old made 23 saves for Dinamo Minsk in a 4-0 win over Admiral Vladivostok in the KHL.

Aleksei Kolosov Must Change Attitude Towards NHL, Legendary Coach SaysThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> haven't fully given up on Aleksei Kolosov yet, but has Aleksei Kolosov given up on the Flyers?

Last weekend, on Oct. 11, Kolosov earned his first win of the season for the Baby Flyers, stopping 27 of 29 (.931%) in a 5-2 thrashing of the Belleville Senators.

Overall, the forgotten Flyers goalie prospect is quietly 2-0-0 on the year with a 1.00 GAA and .969 save percentage after the shutout over Fedotov and Co., stopping 62 of the first 64 shots he's faced this year.

Again, the Flyers still have Vladar and Sam Ersson, but Kolosov, like Ersson, is in a contract year.

If, for example, Ersson can't take the next step, and Kolosov even remotely maintains this level of play throughout the season, what do the Flyers do then?

Flyers Brass Not Giving Up On Aleksei KolosovThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> may appear set at the goalie position at the NHL level this year, but anything can happen, and the book isn't closed on prospect Aleksei Kolosov yet.

As it always has been, the talent is there with Kolosov, and the next step is a matter of consistency.

Clearly, he's the Phantoms' starter over first-year pro Carson Bjarnason, and the Flyers won't be seeing Egor Zavragin for a little while longer yet.

Don't count Kolosov out just yet.

The early goings of the 2025-26 NHL season were going to be a challenge for the Detroit Red Wings, who had to play five straight games against strong divisional opponents.

And after their dismal setback on Opening Night against the Montreal Canadiens, they've since completely reversed course with four straight victories, the latest of which was a 2-1 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday evening. 

With the win, the Red Wings secured eight of a possible ten points against their Atlantic Division competition, who earned a total of four. 

Dylan Larkin scored on a breakaway in the extra session for the Red Wings, who improved to 4-1 through their first five games. It was Larkin's third goal of the season. 

BIG TIME D-BOSS! #LGRWpic.twitter.com/39xMSz4Um8

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 18, 2025

Friday evening was also a milestone night, as rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka scored the game's opening goal, his first tally in the National Hockey League. 

The real story of the contest was how goaltender John Gibson rebounded from being pulled in the aforementioned game against the Canadiens.

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After not facing a single Lightning shot in the opening 10 minutes of play, he ultimately finished by stopping 31 of the 32 shots fired his way, allowing only J.J. Moser's screened shot late in regulation that knotted the score at 1-1. 

Among Gibson's saves were robbing sniper Jake Guentzel from in tight twice in as many seconds, along with a sprawling glove save during a furious goal-mouth scramble while flat on his chest. 

The Lightning, who got 29 saves from goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, were without former Hart Trophy-winning forward Nikita Kucherov, who was unavailable due to an illness.

Milestone: Red Wings' Axel Sandin-Pellikka Scores First NHL Goal Detroit Red Wings rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka has picked up his first goal in the NHL!

Meanwhile, the Red Wings played their second straight game without Lucas Raymond, who remains day-to-day according to head coach Todd McLellan. 

The Red Wings will now prepare to face the Edmonton Oilers, the Western Conference Finalist from each of the past two seasons, at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday afternoon. Edmonton is also Detroit's first non-divisional opponent this campaign. 

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The Buffalo Sabres practiced at Key Bank Center on Friday in preparation for the final game of their three-game homestand against the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon. Injured defenseman Mattias Samuelsson was a full participant and indicated that he will play against the Panthers. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen took part, and winger Jordan Greenway participated, wearing a yellow non-contact jersey, but winger Justin Danforth was not on the ice.

The 32-year-old was injured in the second period of the Sabres 8-4 win over Ottawa on Wednesday and head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that his injury will keep him out for some time. 

"He's going to be out a significant amount of time," Ruff said. "More than a month."

Danforth was signed as an unrestricted free agent in July after spending four seasons with Columbus to provide veteran depth to the Sabres up front. In four games, he has averaged just under 12 minutes per game and has no points. With the injury, it is expected that either Josh Dunne or Mason Geersten will play on the fourth line against Florida.  

 

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Here is a quick update on the prospects the Sabres selected in 2021 who are not currently in the NHL:

Olivier Nadeau – RW – 97th overall

A scoring winger in the QMJHL, Nadeau had 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 41 games for Jacksonville of the ECHL and scored a goal in a brief five-game stint in Rochester in his first pro season. The 22-year-old was sent to the ECHL again to get playing time last season,  and doubled his point total (28 goals, 22 assists in 48 games). The Amerks are playing their third game on Friday and Nadeau has not played in any of them. 

Nikita Novikov – D – 188th overall

The 6’4”, 205 lb. blueliner came to North America after playing two years with Dynamo Moscow and settled in nicely as a regular with Rochester, with 23 points (3 goals, 20 assists) in 65 games. The 22-year-old logs plenty of ice time with the Amerks and last season put up nearly the exact same numbers (6 goals, 14 assists in 68 games) this season. The question for the Big Russian is whether he will get the opportunity to be called up this season, as Ryan Johnson and Zach Metsa have been. .  

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After romping over the Ottawa Senators for their first win of the season, the Buffalo Sabres have a 1-3-0 record. But the schedule-maker hasn’t been particularly kind to the Sabres, who in the next seven days have a whopping five games in store. 

Making matters worse, each of the Sabres’ next five opponents are all their Atlantic Division rivals. And if Buffalo suffers a string of losses this week, it could prove to be the difference between making and missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the 15th-straight season.

The week from Atlantic Division Hell for the Sabres begins Saturday, when Buffalo hosts the back-to-back defending Cup-champion Florida Panthers. Then, two days later, the Sabres head out on the road to take on the white-hot Canadiens in Montreal. Two days after that, Buffalo hosts the Detroit Red Wings. Any or every one of these three teams could hand the Sabres a loss.

Finally, the Sabres cap off the week next Friday and Saturday when they host the Maple Leafs in Game 1, then travel to Toronto in Game 2. The Leafs dominated the Sabres last season, so it’s entirely possible Buffalo comes up empty in their showdowns against the Buds. 

You see what we’re getting at here, right? The Sabres don’t have an easy game this week. The opposite is true. They have five teams that can steal their lunch, and they already can ill afford another sub-par stretch if they’re to be a playoff team this season.

Sabres' First Win Of Season Shouldn't Cause Buffalo Fans To Think Sabres Are Out Of The WoodsA hard-fought victory offers a glimmer of hope, but alarmingly porous defense and a daunting path mean Sabres' anxiety is far from over.

We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: you can’t earn a playoff berth in the first month of the season, but you definitely can go a long way toward burying your playoff aspirations with one bad month. By this time next week, Buffalo could be staring disaster in the face.

There’s a very real possibility the Sabres will come out of their first nine games with exactly one win to show for it. You can’t get off to much of a worse start than that. That’s about as calamitous a start as it gets. 

More Misery For Sabres As Buffalo Loses Third Straight Game To Start New SeasonAny way you want to frame it, losing three straight games to start the season is a disaster for the Buffalo Sabres. <a href="http://thn.com/buffalo">The Sabres</a>' third straight defeat came Monday at the hands of the <a href="http://thn.com/colorado">Colorado Avalanche</a> -- a legitimate Stanley Cup frontrunner -- and once again, offense was a problem for Buffalo.

Buffalo can only control their fate from this point on. But if the present looks anything like the most recent past, there’s going to be big trouble on the horizon. And it may turn out to be what brings more long-term agony to a Sabres franchise that has had far more than its share. 

Friday evening's game will forever be known as a career milestone for one of the most highly-regarded young players in recent Detroit Red Wings memory.

Defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who earned a roster spot thanks to his strong showing in Training Camp and the pre-season, scored his first goal in the National Hockey League during the first period against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. 

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

Sandin-Pellikka's wrist shot from near the top of the slot beat Lightning goaltender Andre Vasilevskiy on his blocker side: 

First NHL point. First NHL goal.

Congrats, Axel! pic.twitter.com/7XaJ5ayKmi

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 17, 2025

Not only was it his first NHL goal, but also his first point. 

He gave an exuberant fist pump in celebration and leapt into the glass in the same way that Alexander Ovechkin has done numerous times throughout his career, and was mobbed in a massive hug by his teammates.

Among those on the ice for his goal was fellow rookie Emmitt Finnie, who picked up his first NHL point himself last week against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Dylan Larkin and Mason Appleton picked up the assists for Sandin-Pellikka, who could very well go on to be an instraumental part of Detroit's blue line for years to come. 

The goal gave the Red Wings the 1-0 lead over the Lightning, who are the fourth straight divisional opponent Detroit has faced to begin the 2025-26 campaign. 

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Despite being benched just a handful of games into the new season, one struggling Philadelphia Flyers defenseman has at least one admirer out in the Western Conference.

On Friday afternoon, Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff reported that the Calgary Flames, who did business with the Flyers as recently as January with the Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee trade, are looking for a young defenseman. They also reportedly want to move some defenders out.

 "Sounds like the Flames are looking for a young, left shot defenseman with size. They have too many bodies on 1-way deals on defense and want to move some out; Bean and Miromanov being two, I'm told," Di Marco wrote on his X account.

"PHI's Zamula, who played JR in CGY, I've heard CGY likes."

If the Flames indeed like Zamula enough to make an offer to the Flyers for his services, there could be mutual motivation to get a deal over the line.

Rick Tocchet Issues Blunt Warning to Struggling Flyers DefensemanThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> may have lost to the New York Islanders in Thursday night's preseason game, but their continued struggles on defense are of much greater concern.

Zamula, 25, has been on the ice for 11 high-danger chances against at 5-on-5 in his two games this season - having been benched for the Flyers' last two - and has been on the ice for only three high-danger chances for, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The formerly undrafted Russian's 27.27% on-ice share of high-danger attempts is the lowest amongst Flyers defensemen by a large margin; Nick Seeler is the next closest at 48.15%.

In addition to Zamula's performances on the ice, agent Shumi Babaev had some recent viral comments on his client's perceived lack of opportunity to succeed and reach his full potential, so it's just another unwanted fire the Flyers may have to put out.

As for Jake Bean and Daniil Miromanov, it's not likely the Flyers would have much interest in either, though Bean, 27, has 263 games of NHL experience and can move the puck at a high level.

Flyers Reportedly 'Open' to Trading Emil AndraeAfter Emil Andrae failed to make the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> roster out of training camp, the team is reportedly open to moving on from the undersized defenseman.

Bean has one year left on his contract at a $1.75 million cap hit, so if Rick Tocchet and the Flyers want more finesse from the back, that could be an option for them; Bean is 6-foot-1, while Emil Andrae, for example, is 5-foot-9.

Miromanov, 28, is mostly a reclamation at this point, especially given his age. The formerly undrafted Russian has one year left on his deal at a $1.25 million cap hit and finally broke though as an NHLer last season, scoring two goals, seven assists, and nine points in 44 games for the Flames to go with a respectable +2 rating.

The upside lies in his being 6-foot-4 as a right-shot defenseman, but, again, he's already 28.

As far as defensemen go, the Flames and the Flyers would be making lateral moves unless they find other teams to be takers for these players.

It is, however, interesting that the Flames have interest in Zamula, given that the two teams made a rather large trade with each other earlier in the calendar year.

That line of communication is open, so there certainly could be something there down the road.

The Vancouver Canucks will be making a lineup change ahead of their matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks. As per Sportsnet's Dan Murphy, center Teddy Blueger will make his season debut, replacing Aatu Räty. As for the starting goaltender, that will be Kevin Lankinen, who started his NHL career with the Blackhawks. 

Blueger has been out of the lineup with a suspected knee injury that he suffered during the pre-season. The 31-year-old center didn't miss a game last season, recording 26 points in 82 games. While the exact line combinations are not yet known, Blueger will most likely play on the third line with Kiefer Sherwood and Drew O'Connor, as well as on the penalty kill. 

Vancouver continues its five-game road trip on Friday against Chicago. The Canucks have had plenty of success against the Blackhawks over the last few years, as they have not lost since the 2021-22 season. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 pm PT and will be broadcast on Sportsnet. 

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.

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Oct 11, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) celebrates goal with center Brady Martin (44) against the Utah Mammoth during the first period at Bridgestone Arena. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Nashville Predators have completed the first week of the 2025-26 season.

Through five games, the Preds have a 2-1-2 record for six points, good for second in the Central Division. They have lost just once in regulation: a 7-4 road defeat against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 14. The other two losses came in overtime to Utah and Montreal.

The sample size may be small, but there are numerous positive and negative aspects to the Predators’ first week of action. Here are three takeaways from the week.

The Predators Are Ahead Of Last Season’s Pace

Things couldn’t have started off much worse for Nashville in 2024-25. The club began 0-5 in the season’s first week before winning its next two.

Filip Forsberg, who ended up leading the Preds in scoring, was averaging a point per game through the first five. The offense was averaging 2.00 goals per game while opponents were averaging 4.60.

Juuse Saros sported an 0-4 mark with a 3.64 goals-against average and .875 save percentage.

After six games this season, Erik Haula (2-2-4), Jonathan Marchessault (2-2-4) and Roman Josi (1-3-4) each have four points. Haula, Marchessault and Nick Perbix are in a three-way tie for the team lead in goals with two.

The Preds are averaging 2.80 goals per game while giving up a 3.00 average to the opposition.

Saros has been lights-out with a 2-0-2 record, 1.94 goals-against average and .935 save percentage. Backup Justus Annunen suffered the only other OT loss, allowing four goals in Toronto.

To say the Predators look like a team who could contend for the playoffs is unrealistic, as the overtime loss against the Canadiens Thursday in Montreal proved.

The Preds held a 2-1 lead until Cole Caufield scored with just 19 seconds left in regulation to require overtime, then tallied the golden goal to give the Habs a come-from-behind win.

“(It) sucks when you're 19 seconds away from pulling out of the win and you only get one point,” Preds forward Steven Stamkos, who scored his first goal of the season, told reporters following the loss.

The goal-scoring hasn’t come in bunches, and the defense, while showing some flashes, has had costly breakdowns. Nevertheless, the Predators will take what progress they can get.

Special Teams Have Had Mixed Reviews

Last season, the Predators finished 18th in the NHL on the power play at 21.9%. Through six games in 2025-26, it has been abysmal.

The power-play unit is 2-for-19 through five games. It snapped a string of 13 consecutive chances without a goal when Stamkos scored on a power play at the 11:36 mark of the third period in Montreal.

The Preds were 0-for-6 with the man advantage in their 4-1 victory in Ottawa against the Senators Oct. 13. It didn’t affect the outcome in that game, but through the course of an 82-game season, that won't be the case.

the Preds had the chance to put the game against the Senators out of reach with a 1-0 lead in the third period after David Perron went off for tripping, but failed to convert.

"We've got to put teams away in those situations, especially when you get a power play in the third period," forward Jonathan Marchessault said after the Ottawa win.

Such paltry numbers are sure to turn around to some degree. With Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Ryan O'Reilly making up the first unit, the Preds have to get better production.

Meanwhile, Nashville’s penalty-kill unit has been near-perfect. Entering the Montreal game, the Preds successfully killed off 11 of 12 penalties (91.7%), good for sixth in the league. They were a perfect 3-for-3 against the Habs. The only chance they failed to kill was a 6-on-4 against Ottawa.

The stellar play of the PK has thus far rolled over from last season, when the Preds finished seventh in the NHL at 81.5%.

Juuse Saros Has Been Money

Some eyebrows may have been raised when the Predators inked goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year, $61.92 million contract in July 2024. After posting a 2.98 GAA and .896 SP in 2024-25, the doubters got louder.

Saros has been spectacular in the four games he has started. Even in the heart-breaking 3-2 overtime loss to the Canadiens, he made a number of crucial saves amid a barrage of shots during sequences when the Preds’ defense failed to protect him.

The Finnish netminder has answered the bell in the early going, but even a great goaltender can’t do everything by himself. The back end has failed to protect both Saros and Annunen in key situations.

Such was the case in Toronto, when at least four of the Maple Leafs’ goals were scored when Annunen had little help.

"We probably weren't all that sharp around the front of the net," Preds head coach Andrew Brunette said after the 7-4 loss. "Those stick battles weren't quite to our standard. A little bit slow early."

If Saros continues to be great, the Preds will be in most games. At some point, however, the defense must be stronger around the net, especially when closing out an opponent.

Rookie defensemen Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders and Alexander Nikishin of the Carolina Hurricanes are off to a dream start in the NHL.

Schaefer and Nikishin are on a four-game scoring streak to begin their NHL regular-season careers, with a goal and three assists each. 

On Thursday night, Nikishin scored his first career NHL goal against the Anaheim Ducks in a 4-1 victory, as the Hurricanes remain the only undefeated team this season. Nikishin has averaged 16:33 of ice time to start this season.

On the same day, the Islanders defeated the Edmonton Oilers for their first win of the season. Schaefer’s assist on the game-winning goal by center Bo Horvat made him the youngest player in NHL history to record a four-game point streak to begin their NHL career.

Islanders Rookie Matthew Schaefer Becomes Youngest In NHL History To Open Career With Four-Game Point StreakSchaefer broke another NHL record, becoming the youngest ever to record a point in four consecutive games to start his career. His impressive debut lights up the league.

Schaefer has also averaged 21:53 of ice time under Isles coach Patrick Roy.

While that’s an impressive feat for the 18-year-old blueliner, who missed most of his draft year with a broken collarbone, he’s still chasing a greater point-streak record.

Although Nikishin played four playoff games for Carolina last season and is 24 years old, the rulebook still considers this regular season the first games of his career, meaning the Russian D-man is also eligible to chase a bigger record.

Former defenseman Marek Zidlicky holds the record for a blueliner with the longest point streak to begin an NHL career.

Zidlicky accomplished this with the Nashville Predators during the 2003-04 season, scoring in six straight games to begin his career. He scored two goals and five assists in that span, and he went on to record 53 points in 82 games that year, the most he would score in his career.

Schaefer and the Islanders play the Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks in the next two games, while Nikishin and the Hurricanes face the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights.

Both players are tied for seventh on the list. If they extend the streak to five games, they'll be tied for second. Only Zidlicky reached six games.

Alexander Nikishin Scores First Career NHL GoalRookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin nets his first NHL goal, a thrilling moment in his young career.

As for other active NHL defensemen who appear on the list, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski had two goals and three assists for five points in his career-opening four-game point streak in 2016. Colorado Avalanche D-man Cale Makar is tied for second, with six assists in five regular-season games in 2019 after he first appeared in the previous campaign's playoffs.

The longest point streak to start a career for any player belongs to two players: the Montreal Canadiens' Joe Malone, who scored in 14 straight games to start the NHL's first-ever season in 1917-18, and Boston Bruins left winger Dimitri Kvartalnov, who had 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points in 14 games to kick of the 1992-93 season. Malone is a Hockey Hall of Famer, while Kvartalnov put up 91 points in 112 games before returning to Europe.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Welcome back to Screen Shots, an ongoing THN.com series in which we break down a number of hockey topics into shorter sequences.

Let’s get right to it.

When hockey players finish up with their daily on-ice routines – be they in games or practices – there are certain things they do to wind down.

After a recent Toronto Maple Leafs practice, THN.com spoke to a couple of Maple Leafs players about how they decompress and maintain a healthy life away from the game.

But thinking that any one player does the same thing day in and day out between playing is a mistake. Some hockey players are creatures of habit, but having a good variety of activities makes it easier for NHLers to decompress.

Leafs left winger Steven Lorentz is one such player.

“There’s nothing I really do that’s set in stone,” Lorentz said. “I’m pretty high-strung, so I don’t really decompress. It’s kind of more of a slow, kind of gradual thing over the course of the day. Once I get back home, I usually go with my wife for a walk. We like to stay active. So it’s just kind of winding things down, and after dinner, it’s probably watching a movie.”

Asked what his favorite movie is, Lorentz counts himself as a major fan of war movies and shows.

“Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The Pacific – anything like that is something I’ll watch,” Lorentz said. “I like all the (war) shows and documentaries. I even watch them in other languages and turn the subtitles on.”

For his part, Lorentz’s teammate Bobby McMann does a number of different things to decompress. 

“I try and read – probably should try a little more,” McMann said. “But I’m more of a show guy, shows and movies. And I like thrillers, thriller movies.”

The recent release of a new thriller on Netflix also caught McMann’s attention, but he leans on a tried-and-true TV staple as a regular show to tune into.

“The Girlfriend is a new thriller show I watched lately,” McMann said, referring to the Robin Wright thriller series. “But it’s not the easiest thing to decompress. Usually I’ll throw on Friends or something after a game to try and settle down. But when I’m home, after dinner, I’ll probably usually watch a thriller movie.”

---

The Utah Mammothunveiled their new mascot this week – Tusky, a 6-foot-5 Mammoth character that looks like it has emerged right out of the snowy tundra. 

Tusky is going to be challenged to be as successful as Philadelphia Flyers icon mascot Gritty – but given how popular the Mammoth organization has been since relocating from Phoenix in 2024, the team needed to quickly move on a mascot that was family friendly and true to the team name.

In fact, they might have created a new mascot rivalry that would be fun for the league to buy into.

"A baby blue prehistoric animal... how orignal," Nashville Predators mascot Gnash posted on X Wednesday. 

Gritty became a cultural phenomenon, and that’s a hard bar for every other mascot to clear. Nobody is reinventing the wheel here with Tusky, but it’s nice that Salt Lake City and the Utah hockey community get the full NHL experience – and that includes having your own mascot. 

---

Finally, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke out in the strongest terms yet regarding growing the league beyond North America. 

"We're focused on what we can be doing more outside of North America to continue to grow the game on a worldwide basis," Bettman told NHL.com following the league's board of governors meeting on Wednesday. "That's becoming an increasing focus and priority for us because we believe we're the most international, certainly with our player composition, of the four major sports in North America, and we think there's a great opportunity. But even more than the opportunity, we'd like to see the game continue to grow."

If You Ever Get A Chance To See A Hockey Game In Prague, Take ItWhen you walk into the O2 Arena in Prague to cover a hockey game, one of the first things they give you is a ticket, which allows you to redeem it for a sausage and a beer.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly had previously given a strong indication the NHL is aiming to expand its footprint deeper into Europe and beyond and grow its product in a slew of big-city, big-money markets overseas. The latest announcement in that regard is a media deal that will broadcast 21 NHL games in Australia.

That said, Europe is the more significant area the league can extend its product into. While we won’t see NHL European teams anytime soon, you will see more games being staged there and more progress in growing the game where there’s a promising hunger for it.

"We're not talking about starting a league," Bettman said. "It's more about playing games, media, grassroots programs, providing content – the things we do in North America on a regular basis and we've been doing to some extent in Europe. But this is about investing more of ourselves in building."

That makes a lot of sense for the league. We’ve been a longtime proponent of any movement that grows hockey in Scandinavia and beyond – places where there are established markets for the sport – and these moves mark the first step toward eventually growing the NHL game to previously unthinkable heights.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The first two weeks of the NHL season have been quite different for the Florida Panthers.

After picking up three wins in their first three games, all on home ice, the Panthers hit the road this week and the results have not been great.

Playing three games in four nights, Florida scored a total of four goals while dropping all three by a combined score of 12-4.

To the Panthers’ credit, the games were all much closer than the final scores would indicate, as Florida was either tied or within one goal of each until the late stages of the third period.

We also learned that defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, who was injured during the second game of the season, would be out for around five months after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder.

It wasn’t all bad for the Cats though, as several players stood out for some good reasons, including youngster Mackie Samoskevich and new goaltender Daniil Tarasov.

Every week, The Hockey Show co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork pay a visit to the Panthers Den, where they discuss the week that was and go over all the Panthers news and happenings that occurred.

This week’s edition of the Panthers Den can be seen below. Let us know in the comments what you think!

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Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie are generating buzz in Edmonton, and with good reason. The Oilers need them to contribute this season. But let's be realistic about what "contribute" actually means for two 21-year-olds making the jump to full-time NHL duty.

The hype around both players is understandable. Howard won the Hobey Baker Award last season with 52 points in 37 games at Michigan State. Savoie had 54 points in 66 AHL games with Bakersfield and appeared in four games with Edmonton. Those are impressive numbers at their respective levels. But there's a massive difference between dominating college hockey or the AHL and being a consistent contributor in the NHL.

Start with the reality: these are rookies or near-rookies on a team trying to win a Stanley Cup. The pressure's real, the competition's better, and the margin for error is thin. Expecting either one to come in and immediately produce like established NHL players is setting them up for unfair scrutiny when they hit inevitable rookie walls.

A reasonable expectation for both Howard and Savoie is somewhere in the 15-goal, 35-40 point range. That's solid production for rookies playing bottom-six or middle-six minutes. If either one exceeds that, great. But penciling them in for 20 goals and 60 points because they dominated at lower levels is asking for disappointment.

Savoie developed into an effective penalty killer with Bakersfield, which matters more than people realize. The Oilers need depth that can contribute in all situations, not just guys who rack up points when playing with McDavid or Draisaitl. If Savoie can be a reliable penalty killer who chips in offensively, that's valuable. That's the kind of contribution that helps teams win games in April, even if it doesn't make highlight reels in October.

Howard's situation is trickier. He's never played professional hockey before. The jump from college to the NHL is massive—longer season, better competition, faster pace, more physical play. Early observations suggest Howard looked "a little behind the play" in his first NHL game, which isn't surprising for someone making that transition. That doesn't mean he won't figure it out, but it does mean patience is required.

Bouchard’s Brutal Night Amplifies Oilers’ Self-Inflicted 4-2 Loss to IslandersEvan Bouchard had what will likely be the worst game of his 2025-26 season as the Oilers lost to the New York Islanders.

The concern with Howard isn't talent—it's readiness. College hockey doesn't prepare you for an 82-game grind against NHL competition. There will be stretches where he looks overwhelmed. There will be games where he's a healthy scratch. That's normal for rookies, especially ones jumping straight from college. If Howard ends up spending time in the AHL getting professional seasoning, that's not a failure. That's smart development.

Savoie has the advantage of professional experience. He knows what the AHL grind feels like. He's had a taste of the NHL. He's already shown he can make "nice moves and nice plays" at the NHL level. The question is whether he can do it consistently over a full season while handling increased responsibilities.

The realistic expectation for both players is inconsistency. There will be games where they look like they belong. There will be games where they look overmatched. There will be stretches where the puck goes in, and stretches where nothing seems to work. That's rookie hockey. The key is whether they can contribute enough during the good stretches to help the team while not hurting them too badly during the rough patches.

Did The Oilers Dodge A Bullet With Carter Hart?Carter Hart signed a professional tryout with the Vegas Golden Knights today, and the timing couldn't be more telling. He won't be eligible to suit up until December 1st due to disciplinary measures from the league. And yet, Vegas is betting on a goaltender who hasn't played meaningful hockey in nearly two years to potentially solve their crease issues.

Here's what reasonable success looks like: Savoie plays 70+ games, kills penalties effectively, chips in 15-20 goals and 35-40 points while playing responsible defensive hockey. Howard plays 50-60 games between the NHL and AHL, shows flashes of his college scoring ability, and ends the season looking more comfortable than he did at the start. Both players finish the year having proven they belong in the organization's plans moving forward.

What's not reasonable is expecting either one to be impact players right away. The Oilers have Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and other veterans to carry the load. Howard and Savoie should be complementary pieces, not foundational ones. If they exceed expectations and become more than that, fantastic. But the baseline should be "solid depth contributors who show promise," not "immediate top-six impact players."

The other reality is roster competition. With Zach Hyman eventually returning from injury and the Oilers carrying experienced depth, there might not be consistent top-six minutes available for rookies. Both Howard and Savoie might find themselves playing 12-14 minutes a night on the third line rather than 18 minutes with prime offensive opportunities. That affects production expectations significantly.

Did Oilers Get An Official Trade Offer For Connor McDavid?Before Connor McDavid signed his extension in Edmonton, teams were eager to see what he'd do. Did the Oilers ever get an official trade offer?

The temptation in Edmonton is always to rush prospects because the championship window is urgent. McDavid's two-year extension creates pressure to win now. But forcing Howard and Savoie into roles they're not ready for doesn't help anyone. Better to bring them along properly, even if that means some growing pains and inconsistent ice time, than to ruin their development by expecting too much too soon.

Reasonable expectations: 15 goals, 35-40 points, reliable penalty killing from Savoie. Inconsistent but promising play from Howard with potential AHL time. Both players showing they belong in the organization's future plans without being asked to carry significant responsibility on a championship-contending team.

That's not exciting. That's not what fans want to hear when they're hyped about top prospects finally getting their shot. But it's realistic. And if Howard and Savoie can meet those reasonable expectations while helping the Oilers win games in smaller ways, that's a successful rookie season. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

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The Los Angeles Kings announced on Friday that captain Anze Kopitar will be out week-to-week with a foot injury.

Kopitar suffered this injury during the team's contest against the Minnesota Wild on Monday, as he took a puck to the foot.

On Thursday night, the Kings played against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Kopitar was a game-time decision for that contest. However, he didn’t come out for warmups and decided not to suit up for LA.

The @LAKings have announced Anze Kopitar is listed as week-to-week with a foot injury.

— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) October 17, 2025

Los Angeles went on to lose that game 4-2 in disappointing fashion as they had a 2-0 lead earlier in the outing, and the Penguins scored a shorthanded goal, which turned out to be the game-winning marker.

After the game, head coach Jim Hiller provided a brief update on Kopitar.

Kings Coach Hiller Points To Penguins' Goaltending And Special Teams As The Difference In 4-2 LossLos Angeles Kings head coach Jim Hiller points to what he thinks went wrong against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The opposition's goaltending is at the top of the list for him.

“We’re going to take a closer look at it still probably in the morning and then maybe we might have a better update for you tomorrow,” Hiller told reporters after their 4-2 defeat. “We’re still kind of evaluating where it’s at.”

Kopitar hasn’t missed many games recently for the Kings. In the last eight seasons ahead of this 2025-26 campaign, LA’s captain has only missed four games across the regular season and post-season.

Not to mention, this is Kopitar’s final NHL season before retirement, as he mentioned going into this campaign.

The Kings have five games in the next nine days, and with Kopitar listed as week-to-week, chances are he could miss all those contests.

Two big matchups include LA’s tilt against the undefeated Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, and the Dallas Stars next Thursday, who have visited the Western Conference final three times in a row.

This will be a big loss for the Kings, both on the ice and in the dressing room, as the team’s leader.

Nonetheless, it opens up an opportunity down the middle of the ice for players such as Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte to grow and mature into consistent centermen in the NHL.

Turcotte and Byfield. It’s time to shine.

Put all those underlying numbers (especially with Turcotte) to good use with better line mates.

— Connor Doyle (@LordsOfTheRinks) October 17, 2025

The Kings have lost four out of the first five games of this season and are dropping down the standings early. A loss like this could only drag the team further down unless Hiller’s team can find solutions from within.

They’ve spent years embracing their "Golden Misfits" moniker by skirting the salary cap and poaching big-name talent all in the name of winning. But if you didn’t dislike the Vegas Golden Knights before, you probably do now after the team signed Carter Hart to a professional tryout on Thursday.

Hart, who was one of five players acquitted of sexual assault allegations stemming from a 2018 Hockey Canada gala, was cleared by the league to resume his NHL career as early as Dec. 1. The presiding judge found nothing criminal in the allegations, but the NHL called the overall events disturbing.

Of course, so far he’s the only player who has actually signed.

That it was Vegas that reached out when others wouldn’t — Philadelphia, Carolina and Edmonton were just some of the teams that reportedly passed on the former No. 1 goalie — was hardly surprising.

This is, after all, a team that drafted Trevor Connelly in the first round in 2024. He underwent diversity training and volunteer work after posting an image on Snapchat depicting a friend posing in front of building blocks in the shape of a swastika. They also signed Kai Uchacz after he was passed up in the draft for racist actions directed toward a teammate in junior hockey, requiring education and training on anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

In other words, they don’t call Vegas “Sin City” for nothing — a label that Golden Knights fans are certainly embracing with the Hart signing.

Golden Knights Season Ticket Holders, Both Mothers Of Daughters, Scoff At Online Vitriol For Signing Of Carter Hart"He was acquitted, so he should be able to live his life without all the noise," Golden Knights season-ticket holder and mother of three daughters, Ronnie H.

"We are a second-chance team," one season-ticket holder told The Hockey News’ W.G. Ramirez. "We started with throwaway players that no one thought would go far, and yet here we are … Everyone hates Vegas, so it’s one more thing to hate, I guess."

Expect more hate, now that Hart has signed.

A petition urging the Golden Knights not to sign Hart received 2,181 signatures (a similar petition may have prevented the Hurricanes from signing him). On social media, the reaction was mostly negative, with @chefbrier tweeting: "feels like a real slap in the face to women." 

Chances are, the Golden Knights knew this was coming. Based on their history, they probably aren't paying too much attention.

Even before this controversial move, Vegas was a team that was unafraid of public perception.

Are Online Petitions Really Preventing NHL Teams From Signing Carter Hart?The earliest NHL teams can sign one of the five players acquitted in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial is Oct. 15. But that hasn’t stopped fans from organizing online petitions and threatening to cancel their season tickets in hopes of pressuring ownership to pass on them.

In three seasons, the Golden Knights placed Mark Stone on LTIR until the playoffs — a move that allowed the team to exceed the salary cap and pick up big-name reinforcements at the trade deadline. While he was injured, the cap-circumventing moves won't happen as much now that the playoffs will have a salary cap system. But in some ways, this signing is another example of Vegas doing whatever it takes to gain an advantage.

"What I love about the Knights is they don’t care about the scandal as much as they care about building a competitive roster," another season-ticket holder told The Hockey News' Ramirez.

Indeed, the decision to sign Hart was based on winning: nothing more, nothing less.

"I'm beyond grateful, excited and honored to be part of the Golden Knights," Hart told reporters. "It's been a long road to get back to this point, getting back to playing the game of hockey, the game that I love. I've been out of the game for a year and a half now. I've learned a lot. I've grown a lot. Just excited to move forward."

Like trading for Mitch Marner in the summer, this should help the Golden Knights win a championship. Say what you want about Hart, who has not played in almost two years. But he makes Vegas better.

How much better will be determined by how quickly he can get back to his earlier form. And whether he can unseat Adin Hill and Akira Schmid as the starting goalie. And, of course, if he can block out the negativity that surrounds his controversial signing or prove that he's grown and learned.

If he can, then Vegas might win another championship.

Until then, they gained another misfit.

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MARYLAND NEIGHTS, Mo. -- When St. Louis Blues practice ended on Friday, there were three guys left on the ice.

And once Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud left, only one remained. At the opposite end of the ice, by himself, head down, working with the puck.

It was defenseman Logan Mailloux.

Last guy on the ice today: Logan Mailloux. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/gdrwUvy7Zj

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) October 17, 2025

The 22-year-old will be a healthy scratch on Saturday when the Blues (2-2-0) host the Dallas Stars (3-1-0) on Saturday.

It’s probably the expected outcome after Mailloux, playing in his fourth game with the Blues this season and just his 12th in the NHL, was a minus-4 playing 15:49 on Wednesday in an 8-3 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks. He is a minus-7 in four games this season with no points.

Matthew Kessel will replace Mailloux and play alongside Tyler Tucker, but the Blues, who were hoping Mailloux would be shot out of a cannon and be an immediate impact, has shown signs of good play, but it’s obvious that the long-term vision has come into focus again and something that has never been cast aside.

“When you think about players’ development in the league, it’s always goaltenders take the longest,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “That’s why they play to the oldest average age. Defensemen are second. Forwards finish the youngest, especially in the modern era. Forwards usually at the age of 32, they’re starting to decline. For a defenseman, it’s more like 34-35 and goaltenders, it’s more like 37. It’s just the way it seems like it’s been.

“And that being said, have you guys heard of Fabian Brunnstrom? A 2008 free agent signing. Everybody wanted to sign him. First game in the league, scored three goals. Everybody was like, ‘Here’s the new Jari Kurri or Mats Sundin in the National Hockey League.’ You guys haven’t heard of him. There’s a reason, right? And then there’s other guys … this is a hard league to break into, especially at that position. We’re thinking the long game with Logan Mailloux. Sometimes you need a reset. You go up in the press box, watch a game, you see how much time you have, you see how to take away time and we’re going to work with him. We have a plan and when he gets back in the lineup, I don’t ever expect him to come back out.”

Fans have already voiced displeasure at the trade that brought Mailloux from the Montreal Canadiens for Zack Bolduc, who scored in his first three games with the Canadiens and had an assist, becoming the seventh Canadiens player in their history to score in his first three games with the club.

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That’s why not only will the club make sure to nurture Mailloux on the ice but off it as well.

“As a coach, you have to look after everybody mentally. It’s part of the job,” Montgomery said. “To be able to support these guys, sometimes you’ve got to kick them in the rear end. You need to build them up so that they understand that you believe in them, but ice time, I love the line from Bobby Knight: there’s nothing that teaches people better than ass meet bench, bench meet ass. That’s the only tool a coach has always had to get a player’s attention when they’re not playing to the team standard, and that’s not the case with Logan Mailloux, but it’s often been the case at times in the past. Not with him, but with other players.”

The Blues won’t allow the outside noise to disrupt their overall vision for Mailloux, who has the backing of his teammates.

“He’s going to be a great player,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. “You watch him skate, you watch him shoot, he’s steady, he’s strong back there. There’s no doubt about that. I’m looking forward to watching that guy grow and become a dominant force back there. I have full faith in him. He’s a great player. We’re just all looking forward to watching him grow, but at the end of the day, it’s a group effort no matter what. That’s the bottom line. We’re all wearing the Bluenote together.

“It’s got to be difficult obviously going to a new team and you want to play well and things like that. He’s a great player. I have full confidence in him. I’m just looking forward to watching him continue to grow and just keep building.”

Captain Brayden Schenn said, “He's played 11 games or 12 games,” Schenn said. “There's a lot of pressure on him coming from outside. I believe in Logan Mailloux, we believe in Logan Mailloux, and the organization does. I think people are always going to look at this one-for-one. It's not a one-for-one. It's a long-term plan, and he's a great player.

“Like I said, he's played four games for us and it's a new organization ... new coaching, new system, there's a lot of stuff that goes into it. Honestly, I think he's getting ... there's no reason to put pressure on the kid. He's young, and he's getting his feet wet, and he's going to be a good player for a long time, and I firmly believe that.”

There will come a time, whether it be the next game on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings or even further along the line when Mailloux returns and has that game where he figures out he belongs in the league. The Blues know it will come tomorrow, the day after, next month, maybe next year, whenever it happens, it will come.

“Everybody’s different when they have that ah-hah moment,” Montgomery said. “His ah-hah moment hasn’t happened yet, and there’s always a moment for every player where it’s like, ‘not only can I survive in this league, but I can thrive in this league,’ and it’s going to happen for him. He’s too talented, he’s too good. When I meet with him, I always leave excited about how future’s going to be.”

Blues Making Changes Throughout Lineup For Game Saturday Against StarsBlues coach Jim Montgomery puts forward lines through blender at practice on Friday.Kessel To Debut For Blues Saturday Against StarsDefenseman has been a healthy scratch for four games, will replace Mailloux