EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally published on September 4.

EA Sports’ latest installment in their hockey franchise, NHL 27, is predicting the Utah Mammoth will win the Stanley Cup in 2026-27.

According to an in-game season simulation conducted by The Hockey News, Utah will defeat the New York Islanders in a seven-game series to capture the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

This means Pete DeBoer would be handed another heartbreaking loss on the biggest stage. In real life, DeBoer previously reached the Stanley Cup Final as head coach of the New Jersey Devils in 2012, only to fall to the Los Angeles Kings.

This time, he would come up short with the Islanders.

Clayton Keller led the way for Utah and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy after recording 14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points in 26 postseason games.

Dylan Guenther was right behind him, finishing the simulated playoff run with 10 goals and 10 assists in 26 games. Vincent Trocheck, who was acquired by the Mammoth during the off-season, also made a significant impact, tallying seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points in 26 games.

Karel Vejmelka could have easily taken home the Conn Smythe himself.

The Utah goaltender posted a spectacular 15-4-4 record during the post-season, along with a 2.23 goals-against average, .932 save percentage and two shutouts.

The Utah Mammoth ranks fifth in TheHockeyNews.com’s NHL off-season ranking. Here’s why we rated Utah’s off-season as the NHL’s fifth-best.

NHL Off-Season Rankings: No. 5, Utah Mammoth

While the Mammoth ultimately lifted the Stanley Cup, the Islanders received a huge contribution from an unexpected source.

Mikael Granlund, who was traded by the Anaheim Ducks to New York in the simulation, led the Islanders offensively with six goals and 16 assists for 22 points in 23 playoff games.

Avalanche Superstars Predicted To Lead Individual Awards

As for the individual awards, Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon continued his reign atop the NHL’s scoring hierarchy.

MacKinnon captured his second consecutive Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy after scoring 55 goals during the regular season. He added 61 assists for 116 points in 83 games. The 116-point campaign was also enough for MacKinnon to claim his second consecutive Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer.

Colorado wasn’t done collecting awards, either.

Cale Makar finished his final season before his new eight-year, $163.2-million extension kicks in with his third Norris Trophy. Makar recorded 12 goals and 84 assists for 96 points, narrowly missing out on a 100-point season.

EA Sports’ upcoming release of NHL 27 will be bringing back a new online experience with its Connected Franchise game mode. What new features can players expect to see?

EA Sports Deep Dive Reveals New Features For NHL 27 Connected Franchise

Connor McDavid was a good sport as he picked up the Lady Byng Trophy. The Edmonton Oilers superstar had a down year by his standards, but plenty of players would love to have his version of a slump.

McDavid finished the regular season with 40 goals and 64 assists for 104 points. He also added eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points in 14 playoff games, although the Oilers came up short once again.

Philadelphia Flyers youngster Porter Martone won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie, while 37-year-old Jacob Markstrom kicked off his tenure with the Florida Panthers by winning the Vezina Trophy.

For the second straight season, there were two winners of the William M. Jennings Trophy, and both came from the Tampa Bay Lightning: Andrei Vasilevskiy and Dennis Hildeby.

Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov won the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHL’s most outstanding player, earning the honor for the second time in the last three seasons.

Nashville Predators defenseman Brady Skjei was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for exemplifying the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Lane Lambert won the Jack Adams Award as the head coach judged to have contributed the most to his team’s success, leading the Seattle Kraken back to the playoffs in this simulation.

At 39 years old, Sidney Crosby proved he can still play elite two-way hockey, winning the Frank J. Selke Trophy. Crosby posted a 40-goal campaign with 56 assists for 96 points.

While the individual awards are impressive, none would be more surprising than the one Utah ultimately took home.

If NHL 27’s simulation is any indication, the 2026-27 season could be one for the history books — with the Utah Mammoth sitting at the center of the biggest surprise of them all.

P.S. This game was horrific.

Not since Dominik Simon has there been a more polarizing figure in a Pittsburgh Penguins sweater than Ville Koivunen.

He’s always been an analytics MVP, and when he has been on the ice, good things have generally happened. It has just never really turned into individual results for him, and the eye-test has not always been passed.

While he has struggled to produce for himself at the NHL level, his AHL play has always been really, really solid, while he has always looked like a confident, engaged player. Getting that to translate to the big leagues has been the problem.

Then the Penguins went and did something completely unexpected this offseason and signed him to an eight-year, $32 million contract that instantly shocked everybody. Given some of the other deals that were signed around the NHL this offseason with comparably unproven players, it became obvious that teams were willing to take bets on potential in the hopes that they get a long-term steal under the salary cap. They struck before the eight-year term limit went away, and they struck while there is a more reasonable buyout for players under the age of 25 in the event the gamble does not pay off.

I get it.

I see the logic.

It’s the type of move a lot of Major League Baseball teams make with unproven young talent.

There is also the reality that, given where the salary cap is going, Koivunen does not need to reach that high of a level for the contract to pay for itself and be a steal.

He still has to get there, and he still has to prove he can be an NHL player.

Over the past few games, you are really starting to see some signs that maybe, just maybe, he is figuring it out and everything that he was doing at the AHL is starting to translate over to the NHL.

The numbers are still painting a strong picture from a team perspective. When he is on the ice, good things are still happening for the Penguins. They are outscoring teams, out-chancing teams, and the play is generally in the correct end of the ice. He is getting some soft deployments and a lot of help in that regard, but they are still taking advantage of it.

He is also starting to be more noticeable in making contributions to that success.

With his overtime goal on Saturday, he is up to five points in 10 games this season, with three points in his past five games. While that may not seem like anything special, that’s still a 40-point pace, and it’s still useful production for a player on that cap hit, in this cap environment. Especially when combined with the positive underlying numbers.

He and Hendrix Lapierre have also seemed to develop a nice chemistry, and their numbers together have been outstanding in a very limited sampling. Outscoring teams 5-0 in 45 minutes of 5-on-5 ice-time, controlling over 80 percent of the expected goals share, and generally looking dangerous offensively. That goal against Florida on Thursday night was a thing of beauty. They were everywhere that night, and again on Saturday.

What really stands out about Koivunen so far is that he just looks like a more confident, engaged player.

He kept getting chances during the 2025-26 season, and when they would not go in he always seemed like he was on the verge of snapping a stick in half mid-shift. He had the world’s worst poker face and would obviously get down on himself. When he would get the puck in prime scoring areas, there always seemed to be a slight hesitation that would give defenders an opportunity to close on him and either take away the shot opportunity, or block it, or just get a stick on it to harmlessly deflect it away. There always seemed to be more thinking than reacting.

Right now? He simply looks more confident. He is more engaged with the action and not afraid to mix things up a little bit. He doe not look as consistently frustrated. Maybe finding the back of the net a couple of times early in the season is helping with that. He is also demonstrating the vision and playmaking that should be the focal point of his game.

The latter skill has always been there. Teammates always talk about how smart of a player he is and the way he can see the ice. We know he can play at a reasonably high level in the AHL, and they just needed him to figure out a way to make it work in the NHL. He might be taking steps toward doing that. It is still early, and there is still a lot of hockey to be played this season, but he had to start somewhere. Right now he is at least looking like a player that belongs in the NHL on his own merits and not just because the team made a reasonably large investment in him. There are a lot of positive signs. He needs to keep building on them.

The New Jersey Devils have had a core in question for years. Are the right pieces in place, and can they win with the stars leading them? With only two playoff appearances in five years and three in the past eight, the team's top-end talent was second-guessed. 

With the Connor Hellebuyck acquisition, the core is different. Now, the Devils have three forwards (Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt), plus defenseman Luke Hughes and elite goaltender Hellebuyck to build around. 

This gives the Devils a core that can go up against any team in the NHL. This road trip against the Dallas Stars (Oct. 27), Colorado Avalanche (Oct. 28), and Vegas Golden Knights (Oct. 30) will test how good it is, especially if Hellebuyck is geared up and ready. 

The Stars, Like The Devils, Have An Underrated Core

The Stars are a well-built team and have been for years. Their general manager, Jim Nill, provided them with depth, but elite talent leads the way, even among some of the overlooked players in the league. 

5 Lessons From The Connor Hellebuyck TradeThe following is an excerpt from this week's Devils Notebook. For more on the Hellebuyck trade and all things Devils from the past week, make sure to check it out on Devils team site at The Hockey News!

Wyatt Johnston often goes unnoticed as a young center in a non-traditional hockey market. However, he’s not only one of the best scorers in the NHL, but he’s also scoring at a surprising pace to start his career. Johnston is off to a slow start with only two goals this season, but he has 136 games and is only 23 years old. 

At this rate, Johnston can hit 400 goals by the time he’s 30. Moreover, the way he finds the back of the net is tough to stop as he gets to the net and the slot and powers the puck in or scores with his quick shot. It’s a skill set that ages well and will make him a consistent threat on the power play. 

The Stars also have their version of an elite defenseman in Miro Heiskanen. He hasn’t won the Norris Trophy and doesn’t stand out on the offensive end, but he is one of the best shutdown defensemen in the game, with 36.9 defensive point shares in his nine seasons in the league. If the NHL had an award for the best defensive defenseman, he would be a perennial finalist for it. 

Mikko Rantanen is the power forward who is tough to play against. Likewise, Jason Robertson has been in the news in recent years because of his point production, yet he was left off the USA Olympic team and has struggled to sign a long-term deal. However, the Stars' core goes beyond the core and is tough to handle.

Devils Notebook: Hellebuyck Trade Lessons, Larkin, Upcoming Road Trip & MoreEvery Sunday of the NHL season, Mike Fink empties the notebook with some thoughts, quick hits, and anything in between on the New Jersey Devils.

It’s similar to the Devils core, which has its stars who garner the headlines, notably Hughes and Bratt, who are highlight-reel players. However, whenever the Devils are competitive, fans start noticing Nico Hischier and what he brings to the lineup. 

Devils Have Another Look At The Avalanche Core

The Oct. 20 game at home against the Avalanche was a test that the Devils handled. They saw firsthand how skilled Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are, yet held them in check for a 4-3 win. 

The Avalanche are looking to even up the score and, more importantly, rebound from a slow start. The Presidents’ Trophy winner last season is 6-5-1 and sits in fourth place in the Central Division.

Connor Hellebuyck Addition Puts The New Jersey Devils In Win-Now Mode The acquisition of the three-time Vezina Trophy winner makes the Devils one of the teams to beat in the Metropolitan Division and the NHL.

The Devils will get MacKinnon and Makar playing with an edge. “These points are going to be points you wish you had at the end of the year, and you don’t want to give them up,” Makar stated after the 4-3 loss to the Devils. 

Both Makar and MacKinnon know the Avalanche must snap out of this slow start that’s weighing them down. It’s why they will give the Devils, who will play the second game of a back-to-back, a tough game on Wednesday night

Where The Devils Have The Edge

The Devils, thanks to the moves GM Sunny Mehta made this summer, enter these matchups with more depth. They have the advantage outside of their core and particularly on their third and fourth line, with forwards who can check, defend, and score. 

The Avalanche and Stars are also starting to show their age and lose a step. They aren’t the juggernauts in the Western Conference that they were in previous seasons. The Devils, meanwhile, are a younger team, and it’s reflected in their play. 

Plus, if Hellebuyck is playing at a high level, the Devils can beat anyone. It’s unlikely that happens right away, as the goaltender has yet to see NHL action and will need time to prepare for the season ahead. However, the expectation is that Hellebuyck will return to that elite form at some point, and it gives the Devils an edge regardless of who they play. 

What is on your mind as the Devils begin this road trip? Comment below!

Last Friday, when the Chicago Blackhawks had the Montreal Canadiens in town, there were a couple of people in the press box acting as “scouts”. One of them was Keith Jones, who is the current President of Hockey Operations for the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Currently, the Flyers are 3-7-3 through 13 games played. That is good for the worst points percentage in the Eastern Conference and 4th-worst in the entire NHL. This comes one year after not only making the playoffs, but also winning a series.

Is Keith Jones out scouting? Are any of his other scouts or executives flying around to take a look at certain players across different leagues? We’ll see how quickly they become aggressive sellers if the losing continues. 

Was Jones there to see the Hawks or the Habs? Well, the Montreal Canadiens are a lot closer to contending. The Flyers have a few pieces that may be worth acquiring for future assets if you’re Montreal and looking to win now. 

With that said, the Flyers may also be a great trade partner for the Blackhawks at this stage. When it comes to executives in Philadelphia, there is no true hot seat right now. However, they may be feeling some heat in Chicago after their 3-8-0 start.

Some teams make changes to the coaching staff whenever these things happen, but would they really fire Jeff Blashill right now? It doesn’t make a ton of sense. Instead, a big trade could help them get back on track. The Flyers have veterans who could help this young Blackhawks group. 

The most notable of the bunch is Travis Konecny. He is a veteran forward who has had 7 seasons in which he scored 20+ goals. In 2 of them, he eclipsed 30. In most of those 20-goal seasons, Konecny has had 50+ points as well. There is also an edge that he plays with, which can be extremely difficult to go up against. If there is any sort of issue going on between the Flyers and this player, he could be moved sooner rather than later. 

Owen Tippett, Cam York, and Rasmus Ristolainen are a few other names that could find themselves in trade rumors down the line as well. As long as those guys get healthy, they make sense for a Blackhawks team looking for a spark. 

Whether it's getting Connor Bedard another linemate at even strength or on the power play, or adding a veteran who can help calm the waters, nothing should be off the table. 

The Hawks are not in a position to be considered a buyer, or even close, but they need something to spark change within their group. They can’t keep getting blown out whenever they play a good team. If one of these guys can help, it’s worth considering. 

What might the Flyers want from the Blackhawks? Well, young players that the Blackhawks don't feel will be part of the long-term future could be in play. Is Kevin Korchinski going to stay in the press box forever? All of the forwards they like on the NHL and AHL roster can't play for Chicago at once. There are plenty of moves that could be made. 

Matvei Michkov Makes Perfect Sense For Blackhawks To ConsiderThe Chicago Blackhawks could consider Matvei Michkov if he is available for trade.

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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The New York Islanders acquired forward and then-captain of the St. Louis Blues, Brayden Schenn, at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline.

However, the Islanders almost never got the chance to land the veteran forward.

Elliotte Friedman revealed back in January on the 32 Thoughts Podcast that the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Blues reached a deal for Schenn.

The Leafs would've sent their-then top-two prospects, Easton Cowan & Ben Danford, along with a first-round pick in exchange for Schenn.

The story recirculated social media in the last 24 hours, as Easton Cowan has lit the NHL: aflame with six goals and 13 points in 14 games to start the season with Toronto.

Danford, meanwhile, continues to impress in the AHL

The trade the Leafs and Blues discussed would've gone done at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, with Toronto then in place to contend.

One year later, the Islanders acquired Schenn in exchange for a first-round pick (Colorado's), goaltender prospect Marcus Gidlof, Jonathan Drouin, and a 2026 third-round pick (New Jersey's).

The Blues bought out Drouin over the summer.

That package is significantly lighter than what the Leafs would've sent. The Leafs essentially sent a Brock Nelson-level package. A top prospect, first-round pick, and more.

Schenn, 35, has posted three goals and eight points through the season's first 11 games.

In 19 games after the trade deadline last season, Schenn notched six goals and 11 points. 

Schenn has been a great add for the team's offense, producing at a solid top-six rate, while also serving as a leader. He is one of the Islanders' rotating alternate captains for the 2026-27 season.

That he then waived his no-trade clause for the Islanders after refusing to for the Maple Leafs?

It says a lot about the Islanders as an organization, a true destination, thanks to Matthew Schaefer.

Cycling back through some old stuff, thought this would be a fun little look on an off day. The Penguins played a game a year ago to the day last October 27th. Let’s look at the lineup, and some of the details of that season and see how things have either stayed the same or changed since this point last year.

Pittsburgh downed St. Louis 6-3 last October 27th, to improve their record on the season to 7-2-1. Here was the lineup on the night.

Then, now and as ever, there were some injury absences. Rickard Rakell’s name isn’t seen above, he was out injured. Kevin Hayes, Rutger McGroarty, Caleb Jones and Jack St. Ivany were others unavailable due to injury. Connor Clifton and Philip Tomasino were healthy scratches for the game one year ago today.

What’s changed in a year? Certainly the blueline. Four of the six defensemen who dressed one year ago today for the Pens aren’t currently on the NHL roster, three of them are out of the organization completely. That’s more than the three forwards who have departed the team.

That brings up a common theme with the Penguins: what in the world are they doing with the plan for their defense? That question is only going to grow now that Erik Karlsson is in the final year of his contract. It’s nice the team has added some pieces like Declan Carlile and Kaeden Korczak, but they have a lot of heavy lifting and building to do in terms of adding big-time talent to this spot. That’s been the case for a while, still remains the same today. It’s going to be interesting to see in the next 1-2-3 years what the Pens do to replace Karlsson and Kris Letang for players to take key roles. Presumably, the answer to that question has not been found yet.

Some pieces and faces have changed with the forwards, but it’s easy to see how that group is more or less the same in theory as it was 12 months ago. You’ve got Crosby leading a line, Malkin doing the same, Kindel on a third line and then Dewar+Lizotte as the core of a fourth line. That’s exactly how things have remained this year when everyone has been healthy at the same time, though Malkin has now shifted over to a wing position as his role evolves with age to add a slightly new twist to the mix.

This lineup shows some of the non-linear progression of young players, Koivunen played (as he would in many more NHL games this season) but didn’t have a lot of success at carving out a niche or much production. Fast forward a year and it looks like the pieces are slowly starting to come together for him now. Brunicke was getting his first taste of NHL action and has journeyed from the WHL to AHL in the last 12 months, slow progress but progress nonetheless for a young defenseman. McGroarty, hurt at the start of last season, has experienced similar stops and starts that have so far defined his young career. Ben Kindel, after the Oct 27th game last year, had two goals and no assists in the first eight games of his career – it very much wasn’t known at this point he would go onto be a key player as an 18-year old for a full season but he’s been on the steadiest path of all the young players in the organization.

Overall, it was a team led by veterans last year, as it remains this season. One commonality is a red hot start for Evgeni Malkin. At this time last year, Malkin had 16 points (3G+13A) in the first 10 games. Those numbers are down a bit this season, but Malkin (6G+3A) is the highest scoring forward on the team again on October 27th. Sidney Crosby was off to a better start last year (7G+7A), though it may be worth pointing out that Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell had 15 points in 19 combined games between the two of them last October 27th. Those two veteran wingers only have 10 combined points in 19 games to start this season. Erik Karlsson has been similarly productive, last October 27th he had 9 points (all assists), this year Karlsson has a goal and 11 assists in the first 12 games of the season.

In other news, Crosby scored his 1,700th NHL point a year ago today. He’s up to 1,768 now. This was also the game where a fan fell from the upper concourse of the arena (hope things are well there!) in a story that seems like it happened both just the other day and also 5+ years ago simultaneously.

Last year the Pens were 7-2-1 on October 27th, out to a surprising start. This year the results have lagged with a 5-6-1 record that gives them a lot of work to do following an 0-4 road trip. You can’t really take that trip away and hold the rest up as similar, it counts just the same, but it does show perhaps some hope for the present day that this team can find a way to keep moving through the year in a positive manner like they did last season.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home to face the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at 7:00 PM.     

Philadelphia Flyers - 3-7-3 - 16 Points - Lost 1 - 7th in the Metro

Columbus Blue Jackets - 4-5-0 - 8 Points - Won 1 - 8th in the Metro

Team Notes Per CBJ PR

• The CBJ have earned points in eight of the last nine meetings of the series overall (7-1-1) as well as the past five straight at Philadelphia (4-0-1). 
• The road team has earned points in 14 of the last 19 in the series since Feb. 20, 2020 (10-5-4).  
• The clubs have combined for seven or more goals in four of the past eight games at Xfinity Mobile Arena  

Player Notes Per CBJ PR

• Charlie Coyle has posted 11-11-22 in 36 career games against the Flyers, including 5-3-8 in his last 10 contests.   
• Adam Fantilli Has posted 1-6-7 in 10 career GP vs. the Flyers with points in five- straight meetings (1-4-5).   
• Kent Johnson has 3-4-7 in 11 career GP, points in two of his past four games (1-1-2), and 2-3-5 in his last seven contests against the Flyers.
• Matthew Knies has 3-4-7 in nine career GP and has points in five of his past six games against Philadelphia (2-4-6).  
• Sean Monahan has 14-7-21 in 25 career GP, with 4-4-8 in his last 11 overall, and has totaled 6-4-10 in 14 career games at Philadelphia.  
• Damon Severson has 10-15-25 in 48 career GP, including assists in three-straight (0-4-4) and 3-5-8 in his past eight overall.
• Zach Werenski has 9-14-23 in 28 career GP with four multi-point efforts in his last five games (3-5-8).
• Jet Greaves has gone 4-0-0 with a .956 SV% and 1.23 GAA in four appearances vs. the club. 

Blue Jackets Stats 

• Power Play - 11.5% - 30th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 71.0% - 24th in the NHL
• Goals For - 21 - 32nd in the NHL
• Goals Against - 30 - 4th in the NHL   

Flyers Stats 

• Power Play - 16.3% - 25th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 82.6% - 11th in the NHL
• Goals For - 24 - 28th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 41 - 28th in the NHL

Series History vs. TheFlyers       

• The Blue Jackets are  2-19-3-4 overall, and 14-13-1-2 on the road in Philadelphia. 
• Columbus went 3-0-0 in 2025-26. 
• Columbus has won five straight games against Philadelphia and the last three on the road against the club.  

Who To Watch For TheFlyers     

• Matvei Michkov leads the Flyers with 8 goals and 10 points. 
• Trevor Zegras leads Philly with 7 assists and 10 points. 
• Goalie Dan Vladař is 2-3-1 with a SV% of .900. His last start was on 10-21. 
• Joseph Woll is 1-4-2 with a SV% of .904. His last start was on 10-24.

Injured Reserve & Other Injuries

• Dante Fabbro - Broken Hand - IR - 9 Games Missed - Skating and could return tonight
• Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 9 Games Missed
• Ivan Provorov - Lower Body - IR - 9 Games Missed - Lightly skating.

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 31

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

TV: CBJHN - Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo. DirecTV Ch. 660 (streaming), 660-1 (satellite). U-Verse (1735/735)

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Once upon a time, many thought playing under the magnifying glass of the Montreal Canadiens’ market might be too much pressure for many players. Nowadays, it seems to be quite the opposite. Habs sniper Cole Caufield recently appeared on NHL First Shift on NHL Network, and he spoke about the Habs’ fanbase:

“It’s really a feeling like no other. I tell everybody to try to experience it once, if they can, and to be a part of that city during that time; it makes you really want to get back to that moment and definitely pushes our group a lot to get back there. There’s no better feeling than seeing the fans so passionate, and they deserve to see a winning team.”

The Canadiens Kept Their Focus Despite The Fanfare
Fowler Steals The Show As Habs Fly Away With Two Points
Canadiens Alumni Best Jets Alumni Ahead Of Heritage Classic

If Kent Hughes ever needs to sell the Montreal market to another player, Caufield could be his best option. Clearly, the diminutive winger relished the frenzy that took Montreal by storm in the last playoffs and soaked up every minute of it. He was also glad to reach the 50-goal milestone in front of the dedicated fans:

It was for sure stressful a little bit, but I think just playing in Montreal, you get that kind of pressure. It’s a good thing because they know kind of more things than I guess most fans do. But you know, I just wanted to get it done for them and kind of for my teammates to stop worrying about it or stop passing me the puck. It was obviously a cool feeling, and it was really special to do it at the Bell Centre and at home in front of the fans; that was a pretty surreal moment. And you know, I got to have my dad there too, which was cool.

More than just the fans and the market, though, Caufield is also grateful for the Canadiens’ current core:

It’s pretty special times in Montreal right now. With the guys that we have locked up for the next couple of years, it’s pretty special, and you can just tell those guys want to be there and really push each other every day to be better, and it’s just a really contagious feeling in Montreal right now.”

Hearing that part of the interview about the players really wanting to be there right now, it’s hard not to think about the fact that the Detroit Red Wings are often scouting the Canadiens (assistant GM Kris Draper has taken in a lot of Habs hockey lately) in the hope that Dylan Larkin changes his mind and puts Montreal on his list of approved teams. If he did, though, would that change the vibe? After all, he'd be almost forced to go there to get out of Detroit; it’s doubtful he could look his new teammates in the eye and say he really wanted to come and win in Montreal. For Caufield, though, it’s not just about the electric ambiance in Montreal; wherever the Canadiens go, the fans seem to follow. On Sunday in his post-game interview after the Heritage Classic, he made an interesting claim that did create some controversy:

Best fans in the league, I think; they obviously travel well. You know, we might be Canada’s favourite team.

Fans of other Canadian teams would probably disagree, but there’s no denying that wherever the Canadiens play in Canada, or even in the USA, they always have a lot of support. Plenty of red jerseys fill the stands, and “Go Habs Go!” chants echo through the arena. At a time when so many American players want to head back home, the Canadiens’ 15th overall pick at the 2019 draft is happy to stay right where he is.

Cole Caufield just called the Habs "Canada's Favourite Team" 😳

2 apples for #13 in the #HeritageClassic 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Z4wvLrn8al

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) October 26, 2026

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It’s still a few days before we see the Pittsburgh Penguins back in action, but after looking at the injury list, no one will be complaining about the team getting an extra few days off to rest and recover. Bodies have been dropping all over for the Penguins as of late, and the less games they have to play while some of these guys heal up then it’s all for the better. In the meantime, fans will have to sit tight and hope once the Penguins do return to action on Thursday, some help arrives in the form of fresh bodies.

Pens Points…

Coming off a few tough weeks of hockey to begin the season, the Penguins are granted some much needed rest this week, getting four days off with only a pair of contests on the schedule later in the week. Adding to that, when action does resume, reinforcements could be coming as well. [Pensburgh]

It’s been a difficult start to the season for Rickard Rakell with only two goals to his name through the first 12 games. Saturday against Nashville was easily Rakell’s best game of the season to date and the kind of game the Penguins will need more out of their top line winger. [Pensburgh]

An array of injuries up and down the Penguins roster has opened opportunities for players being called up to make an impression. Although he’s waiting for his NHL debut, defenseman Chase Pietila is hoping to make the most of his time with the big club. [Trib Live]

NHL News and Notes…

An Edmonton Oiler not named Connor McDavid is the NHL’s First Star of the Week for the latest edition of the weekly honors. Leon Draisaitl went 6-3-9 for the Oilers this week to take home the top spot. Joining Draisaitl among the honorees were goaltenders Devin Cooley and Jacob Fowler. [NHL]

Connor Hellebuyck was granted his wish and has been traded away by the Winnipeg Jets. Now with his new team in New Jersey, Hellebuyck is back on the ice and ready to debut for the Devils, but the exact date for his big moment remains up in the air. [NHL]

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The Detroit Red Wings wrapped up their four-game road trip Monday night against the Edmonton Oilers by giving Michal Postava the start in net after calling him up from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins due to an injury to Daniil Tarasov.

It was proven to be the correct choice. 

Making his first NHL start, Postava turned aside 25 shots in both regulation and overtime before staring down Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the shootout, denying all three and securing a 4-3 comeback victory for his club. 

Michal. Postava.@MichelobULTRA | #ULTRAmomentspic.twitter.com/OAYxqQcgrn

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 27, 2026

In doing so, he became the third goaltender over the last 25 years of Red Wings history to win his first NHL start, joining Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek. 

Following the game, it felt as though he was a youngster again. 

"It's amazing, I feel like a kid," Postava said afterward. "I just watch all the NHL games when I was young. I just, I don't expect that one day, I'd be one day in the net and win the game. I'm just so happy."

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Speaking in a heavy Czech accent reminiscent of former Red Wings goaltender and fellow Czech native Dominik Hasek, Postava said his main goal was to enjoy the experience and help his teammates.

"Just go to enjoy the game and help the guys, make some saves," he said. 

Former Oilers head coach Todd McLellan, who gave Postava the starting responsibilities against the high-powered Edmonton offense, said that the performance of the young goaltender was indicitive of how he's played with the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins. 

"We had a pretty good idea that Postava was what we saw tonight, and he was outstanding last year; the start to the season was really good," he said. 

Of course, the preseason schedule for 2026-27 shrunk to just four games, meaning that a young player like Postava wouldn't have as much of a chance to show what he could do at the NHL level. 

Dylan Larkin Scores Late, Michal Postava Backstops Red Wings To Comeback S/O Win Over Oilers In his first NHL start, Detroit Red Wings goaltender Michal Postava turned in an impressive performance, stopping all three Edmonton Oilers shootout attempts and helping his club secure a 4-3 shootout win.

But that hasn't stopped the Red Wings from expressing confidence in his abiliites, which he's already put on full display in Grand Rapids and now has done so in the NHL. 

"Unfortunately, the way the exhibition schedule is set up now, these goaltenders don't get a lot of runway, which I think sucks for them - but yeah, we've liked him all along, and he's continued to work," McLellan continued. "The goaltending coaches are very confident in him. So are the players."

The Red Wings got goals in regulation from Viktor Arvidsson, Emmitt Finnie, and the game-tying marker from Dylan Larkin with 1:17 left while Postava was pulled for an extra attacker. 

They'll return home to face the visiting Chicago Blackhawks, who now have former Red Wings forward Patrick Kane back in the fold, at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday evening. 

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Los Angeles Kings (3-5-2, in the Pacific Division) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (3-8, in the Central Division)

Chicago; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EDT

LINE: Kings -123, Blackhawks +101; over/under is 6

BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Blackhawks take on the Los Angeles Kings after losing three in a row.

Chicago is 3-4-0 at home and 3-8 overall. The Blackhawks have gone 1-3-0 in games they have more penalties than their opponent.

Los Angeles has a 2-2-2 record in road games and a 3-5-2 record overall. The Kings have gone 1-1-2 in one-goal games.

The teams meet Tuesday for the first time this season.

INJURIES: Blackhawks: Ryan Ellis: out for season (back), Bowen Byram: day to day (upper-body).

Kings: Jakub Dvorak: out (upper-body), Quinton Byfield: day to day (upper body), Mats Zuccarello: out (upper-body), Kevin Fiala: out (leg), Jan Jenik: out (undisclosed), Alex Turcotte: out (undisclosed).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Lucas Raymond scored the only goal of the shootout and had a pair of assists in regulation as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Monday night.

Viktor Arvidsson, Emmitt Finnie and Dylan Larkin scored in regulation for the Red Wings, who went 2-1-1 on a four-game road trip.

Michal Postava made 25 stops in regulation and three more in the shootout to earn the win in his first career start. The 24-year-old undrafted netminder from Czechia was appearing in his second career game, after replacing John Gibson in the third period of a 5-2 win against Vancouver last Thursday.

Vasily Podkolzin, Isaac Howard and Colton Dach scored for the Oilers, who have lost two straight as well as forward Zach Hyman to what looked to be a concussion.

Tristan Jarry made 26 saves for Edmonton.

Connor McDavid had an assist to extend his season-starting points streak to 12 games, now with an NHL-best 34 points. He set a team record for most points before Nov. 1, and also matched the longest season-opening assist streak in NHL history, matching Sebastian Aho, Ken Linseman and Wayne Gretzky.

Detroit fell behind three times and tied the game for a third time with 1:17 remaining in the third and their goalie pulled as a bouncing puck came to Larkin in front and he shoveled in his second of the season.

Up next

Red Wings: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

Oilers: Host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The Rangers got off to such strong starts at the beginning of the season that the team didn’t give up a single first-period goal until their seventh game.

Over their past seven contests, however, the Blueshirts have allowed a combined nine first-period goals while scoring only five. The high level of energy they had at puck drop earlier this season has steadily slipped, most recently resulting in a two-goal deficit by the first intermission on the way to a 6-3 loss to the Kings on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

“The biggest thing for me was I didn’t love the start,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after the loss. “I just didn’t think, from a mindset standpoint, I don’t think we had enough guys that were ready to play from the drop of the puck. So we’ve got to fix that fast. The onus is on each individual to get himself ready for when the puck drops. It wasn’t everybody, but we just didn’t have enough.”

After giving up two goals on the first two shots he faced, veteran goalie James Reimer heard sarcastic applause from the MSG crowd for making his first save in a red, white and blue sweater.

The very first Kings goal came off a Drew Doughty leading feed to Taylor Ward, who split Rangers defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson for a breakaway goal.

Sullivan ended up splitting Durzi and Pettersson later in the game after they were on for the Kings second goal as well.

Durzi took some shifts next to Alberts Smits, while Pettersson skated alongside Braden Schneider.

“It was an accumulation of events over time,” Sullivan said of what led to the decision. “We felt as a coaching staff, for the first probably seven or eight games, Marcus and Durz were a pretty solid pair for us. They get hard minutes, they get a lot of D-zone starts against top players. That pair has been pretty solid for us. I think the last five or six it’s been a little bit of a struggle for them, for whatever reason. Durz is battling through some stuff physically and I’m sure that might be part of it.

“But we just felt to affect a little bit of change, maybe we’ll split the pairs and see what we get. It wasn’t a reaction to the game tonight, it was an accumulation of events over the course of the last probably four or five games.”

Ex-Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette returned to MSG on Monday for the first time since his April 2025 firing.

“I really enjoyed being here,” said Laviolette, who is now head coach of the Kings. “I love being at Madison Square Garden. I mean, the New York fans were just awesome. I can’t tell you how many times I was around the country and somebody would come up to me and say, ‘I’m the biggest Rangers fan ever.’ And I’m like, ‘They’re all the biggest Rangers fans ever.’ And I think they are. They talk about the history of how their grandfather took them to a game like 50 years ago, and they’re 60 years old and now they’re taking their grandkids. Because it’s been around for 100 years, you get stories like that. “You can feel the passion from the people and the fans, and it’s pretty cool to be in a city like this. It’s one of the greatest cities in the country. It’s a huge sports market. It’s Madison Square Garden. It’s the New York Rangers. There was a lot of things that I loved about being here and part of New York.”

Adam Fox skated in his 500th NHL game and extended his home point streak to seven straight games (one goal, eight assists).

The reality without Igor Shesterkin is beginning to dawn on the New York Rangers. That harsh reality was made even more apparent after their 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.

In the wake of Shesterkin’s season-ending injury, Garand had started in seven consecutive games, and while he began without a hitch, the cracks in his game were becoming increasingly evident, as he gave up a total of 10 goals through the Rangers’ most recent two-game road trip.

Sullivan noted that he was mindful of Garand’s workload, as Garand had only started in three NHL games prior to this season, but was the team’s best option in net with both Shesterkin and Joonas Korpisalo injured.

Korpisalo resumed skating on Sunday, but it’s still unclear when he’ll be able to return from a lower-body injury that has kept him out for multiple weeks.

In an attempt to give Garand a rest, the Rangers signed veteran goaltender James Reimer to a one-year, $850,000 contract and started him on Monday night against the Kings.

The gamble on Reimer did not go as planned. The 38-year-old goaltender gave up three goals on just eight shots and was pulled for Garand after the first period.

Mike Sullivan took accountability for throwing Reimer into a situation that he wasn't necessarily prepared for.

“Let's just acknowledge we're in a difficult circumstance when our top two goalies are injured. We're trying to find a way to shore this thing up as best we can,” Sullivan said. “I think Dylan has given us some really good games. His workload is mounting. For Reims, to come in the way he has in short order and come into a game like this, it's not an easy challenge. It's a tough challenge and I just felt like the way the game was going, I just felt like maybe Reims needs a little bit more preparation before we put him in that circumstance. I put him in a tough spot. That's on me.”

In relief of Reimer, Garand was forced to jump into action and made 15 saves on 17 shots, but was unable to change the momentum of the game.

Due to the Rangers’ lack of goaltending depth behind Garand at the moment, he’s been put into a difficult spot, not only presiding over the starting goaltending position but also taking on a heavy workload that is both physically and mentally taxing for any goalie, let alone one with very minimal NHL experience.

New York’s most recent skid, in which they’ve lost three consecutive games, cannot entirely be blamed on their goaltending play, though.

To start the season, the Rangers played a highly structured defensive brand of hockey that helped translate to an impressive 7-3 start to the season.

Recently, the Blueshirts have strayed away from the identity that they prided themselves on, giving up more high-danger scoring chances and struggling to play a tight defensive game over the course of their past few games.

“The last little stretch here has been trending the wrong way,” J.T. Miller said. “We need to go back to playing to our identity. We're playing the opposite of that right now. We're making it too easy. We're lacking physicality.”

The Rangers are not an overly dynamic offensive team, which is why they are not built to win in the high-scoring affairs they’ve found themselves in recently or come back from multi-goal deficits.

A key to the Rangers’ success to start the season was the way they were able to capture an early lead and protect it by effectively playing a strong shutdown defensive style.

However, they’ve recently put themselves in deficits, largely due to their faulty defensive play, and have had to chase the game, losing their identity in the process.

“I think our guys have played really well with the lead throughout the course of this early part of the season,” Sullivan said. “There's no doubt that that has been in fact the case. If you get down multiple goals in the game, it's hard because then you're chasing it… I think we've given up multiple goals and that's a challenge because now you're digging out of the hole, and that's tough.”

All of these issues go back to the root problem of Shesterkin’s absence.

The Rangers’ entire identity and style of play center around Shesterkin, whom Sullivan described as “arguably our best player.”

“When you look at the makeup of our group, we have an elite goalie in Shesty, and if we build a good team, solid team game in front of him, defend hard, we are going to be in a lot of hockey games,” Sullivan said after the Rangers’ Oct. 4 win over the Utah Mammoth.

Over the years, many of the Blueshirts’ flaws have been covered up by Shesterkin, but without him, the team’s weaknesses are only magnified.

These recent struggles have been a combination of the Rangers failing to put together a consistent defensive effort and their goaltending problems without Shesterkin catching up to them.

The Rangers won’t play again until Sunday, giving the team a much-needed rest and reset as they look to overcome this skid and get back on track.

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The way Detroit Red Wings goaltender Michal Postava stared down two of the NHL's best forwards, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, made you think he'd done this more than a few times already. 

Postava, in his first NHL start, helped backstop the Red Wings in a 4-3 shootout comeback win over the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place, earning his first NHL victory. 

ENDED THE ROAD TRIP WITH A W‼️ pic.twitter.com/DYoapyR2ZD

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 27, 2026

After making 25 saves in regulation and overtime, including a game-saving stop in the waning seconds of OT on defenseman Evan Bouchard, Postava denied McDavid, Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the shootout, capping the final save with an emphatic fist pump in celebration as he was surrounded by his teammates. 

Michal Postava in his first NHL start gets the win! pic.twitter.com/g3Nu83DGSp

— Detroit SportsNet (@WatchDSN) October 27, 2026

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The Oilers struck first thanks to a fortunate bounce off the skate of Vasily Podkolzin, who was credited with his eighth goal of the season in the game's opening period. 

Former Oilers forward Viktor Arvidsson, who played one season in Edmonton in 2024-25, knotted the score at 1-1 with his fifth goal of the campaign, converting on the power play with a one-timed shot past goaltender Tristan Jarry off a feed from Lucas Raymond.

The Oilers and Red Wings traded goals 30 seconds apart in the early goings of the third period, as Emmitt Finnie responded a half minute after former Michigan State Spartan Isaac Howard gave Edmonton the lead. 

It appeared as though Edmonton had scored the game-winning goal late in the frame after Colton Dach deflected a shot from Ryan Shea past Postava, who was soon pulled for an extra attacker.

Instead, it was Dylan Larkin who buried a loose puck past Jarry from the top of the crease with 1:17 left in regulation, knotting the score at 3-3. 

Michal Postava To Start 1st Career Regular Season Game For Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings announced on Monday that Michal Postava will get his first NHL start against the Edmonton Oilers.

Following a scoreless overtime, Lucas Raymond was the only shootout goal scorer, ensuring Detroit got the extra point in the standings. 

While Postava made 25 saves for his first NHL win, Jarry stopped 26 Detroit shots. 

The Red Wings, who finished their four-game road swing with a 2-1-1 record, return home to face former teammate Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday evening at Little Caesars Arena. 

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