The Penguins will try to bounce back after losing 5-3 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. They rallied to tie the game in the third period before goaltender Sergei Murashov allowed a backbreaking goal with just over four minutes left. The Blackhawks added an empty-net goal at the end of the game to seal it.
The Penguins will face an Avalanche team coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. It was the second game of a home-and-home series between the two teams.
As expected, the Avalanche have already lit up the scoreboard this season, scoring 31 goals in only seven games. They've scored at least six goals in three of those seven games.
It all starts with star forward Nathan MacKinnon, who is one of the best players on the planet. Once he gets a step on you, it's game over. He already has five goals and 12 points in seven games.
Star defenseman Cale Makar is also off to a great start, racking up three goals and seven points in six games. He's elite in all three zones and does a great job against the toughest competition night after night.
Don't forget about Martin Necas, Artturi Lehkonen, Devon Toews, Gabriel Landeskog, Brock Nelson, and Jaden Schwartz, either. They've all been great to start the season for the Avs.
As for the Penguins, head coach Dan Muse is tweaking the lineup for this game. Elmer Soderblom is set to come into the lineup, and Nick Robertson has moved into the top nine.
Here are the expected lines and pairs, based on Thursday's practice:
Forwards
Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin
Kuzmenko-Kindel-Robertson
Dewar-Lizotte-Soderblom
Defensive pairs
Carlile-Karlsson
Girard-Korczak
Stastney-Letang
Arturs Silovs will start in goal for the Penguins after having the night off against the Blackhawks.
Puck drop is set for 9 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
The Vancouver Canucks have officially parted ways with the final piece in the team’s Bo Horvat trade from January 2023. The full trade saw the former Canucks captain head to the New York Islanders in exchange for three pieces: a 2023 first-round pick, Anthony Beauvillier, and Aatu Räty.
On October 15, Vancouver dealt the final piece, Räty, to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forwards Jacob Quillan and Brandon Buhr. All three of Vancouver’s acquisitions from this trade are now with other teams; here’s a look at where they are, and what the Canucks received in return.
The 2023 First-Round Pick
The first piece of the Horvat trade to depart from the Canucks organization was the 2023 first-round pick. Vancouver used this selection, as well as a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, to acquire Filip Hronek and a 2023 fourth-round pick from the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit used the first-round selection to draft defenceman Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Vancouver’s fourth-round selection went towards picking centre Ty Mueller, who remains with the organization as a key piece of the Abbotsford Canucks’ forward core.
While Sandin-Pellikka remains with the Red Wings, having recorded a 21-point season in his rookie year in 2025–26, the 2023 second-round pick the team acquired from Vancouver was traded to the Nashville Predators on the second day of the draft. Detroit acquired two picks back in exchange — a second-rounder and fifth-rounder in that year’s draft — using them to select defenceman Brady Cleveland and forward Kevin Bicker. Nashville used the second-round pick to draft forward Felix Nilsson. All three players have yet to skate in their first NHL games.
Anthony Beauvillier
A few months after they traded the first piece of the Horvat trade, Vancouver flipped their second piece. At the end of November in 2023, the Canucks traded forward Anthony Beauvillier to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Beauvillier scored 11 goals and 17 assists in 55 games for Vancouver before being dealt.
The fifth-round pick that Vancouver received in return took a bit of a journey before it was ultimately used to select forward Joel Svensson. Only a couple of days after flipping Beauvillier, Vancouver sent the fifth-round pick, as well as a 2026 third-round pick, to the Calgary Flames for defenceman Nikita Zadorov. Calgary later sent the pick to the San Jose Sharks for defenceman Nikita Okhotyuk at the 2024 trade deadline. Due to previous trade agreements with the Blackhakws and Maple Leafs, the pick made its way back to Chicago and was ultimately used by the very team Vancouver acquired it from.
Beauvillier also jumped around a little bit after departing from Vancouver before finding a home with the Washington Capitals. The same year he was acquired by Chicago, the forward was dealt to Nashville at the trade deadline, playing in 15 games and scoring a goal and two assists. That off-season, he signed a one-year, $1.25M deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but was ultimately traded to the Capitals for a 2025 second-round pick by that year’s trade deadline.
Aatu Räty
The final piece of the Horvat trade was Räty, who Vancouver held onto for over three years before ultimately trading the forward to Toronto on Thursday. Known best for his skills in the faceoff dot, Räty spent the entire 2025–26 season with Vancouver but occasionally found himself healthy-scratched. He put together four goals and 10 assists in 66 games.
Joining Vancouver in return are forwards Jacob Quillan and Brandon Buhr. Quillan signed an entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs in April of 2024 and has played in 24 NHL games and 111 AHL games since. Buhr signed a one-year deal with Toronto in March of 2026 after spending the past four seasons in the NCAA. Both are expected to fill depth roles for the Canucks organization, with Quillan expected to join the Abbotsford Canucks and Buhr likely joining the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL.
Apr 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vancouver Canucks center Aatu Raty (54) wins a face-off in the third period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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Forward David Perron is signing up for a 20th NHL season after reaching a one-year contract with the Dallas Stars.
Perron, 38, didn't get signed during the offseason but now is joining his eighth NHL team on a one-year, $850,000 contract.
The Stars were in need of scoring depth at forward after losing Matt Duchene for three months because of core muscle surgery. Plus, forward Oskar Back (upper body) was hurt on Wednesday, Oct. 14 and was placed on the injured list.
"He brings a competitive mindset and a proven ability to perform in big moments," Stars general manager Jim Nill said of Perron. "We believe his veteran leadership and skill set will be a valuable addition to our group as we continue to build toward our goal of winning a Stanley Cup."
David Perron stats
Perron won a Stanley Cup in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues and went to the 2018 Final with the Vegas Golden Knights. He has 332 goals, 480 assists and 812 points in 1,239 career regular season games. He also has 64 points in 110 playoff games.
He has had three stints with the Blues and two with the Detroit Red Wings. He also played for Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Anaheim and Ottawa.
Remaining unsigned free agents
Perron joins forward Michael Bunting (Philadelphia) and defenseman Carson Soucy (Columbus) as players who have signed since the opening day of the season.
Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrik Laine are among the prominent free agents who have yet to land a 2026-27 contract.
In Thursday night’s win over the Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane reached another remarkable milestone in his NHL career. With his assist on Connor Bedard’s opening goal, Kane earned his 895th career assist.
This surpassed Phil Housley's record for an American-born player. Kane is already the all-time leading scorer among Americans in the NHL, and now he stands alone in terms of assists.
Kane currently sits 4th in goals with 509. He trails Mike Modano (561), Keith Tkachuk (538), and Jeremy Roenick (513). He will jump into third by passing Roenick this season, and it will be interesting to see how far he can climb.
Brett Hull is Canadian-born but represented Team USA nationally, so that adds confusion to the record book. He had 741 goals, which is out of reach for Kane at this point. The league recognized Kane as the all-time leading scorer when he passed Modano in points, not Hull, so you’d think they'd do the same if he passed Modano in goals.
After the game was over, head coach Jeff Blashill was asked about this milestone for Kane. He answered in a way that may be unexpected: he sounded like a fan more than a coach.
"I’m a huge Patrick Kane fan for what he’s done for the sport and the US - how much it’s meant to so many Americans,” Blashill said. “He’s been a special, special player in this sport and deserves every accolade he gets because of what he’s done, but also who he is."
Both on and off the ice, Kane has impressed his new head coach in a short amount of time. It’s not hard for Kane, who is one of the best players of his generation. Blashill also has ties to USA Hockey, just like Kane.
Later in the game, Kane added career assist 896 with a helper on Artyom Levshunov’s game-winning goal in overtime. Combine that with his 509 goals for 1405 points. The numbers almost don’t feel real, but he has been so great for so long. When you select a player first overall, you think they should become a franchise player, but Kane was so much more than that.
Kane received some high praise from his head coach, who went out of his way to compliment him outside of coach speak. That doesn’t happen often, but the 37-year-old certainly deserves it.
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Oct 9, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) is helped off the ice after being injured against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Geoff Burke/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
NEWARK, N.J. — Following an opening night blip, the first week-plus of the New York Rangers was a party at Madison Square Garden and beyond.
The home woes from a year ago felt like a distant memory, franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin scored into an empty net and it was a dream start. It became a nightmare at Washington when Shesterkin went down with a season-ending injury.
Losing that night and getting blown out 7-1 on the road by New Jersey were speed bumps along the way for a team that has won six of its first nine games. Life after Igor will not be easy, though coach Mike Sullivan, captain J.T. Miller and the Rangers believe they have come up with a recipe to succeed even after losing their most important player at hockey’s most important position.
“We’re trying to build a certain identity in how we’re going to play, a style of play,” Sullivan said. “And then, inside of that, every player has a role, making a contribution to that identity to build what we would consider Rangers hockey and what it looks like when we’re at our best.”
The Devils game certainly was not that. As good as Miller was for the first 19 minutes of the first period, his turnover before intermission was the start of a snowball effect that led to Shesterkin’s unlikely successor, Dylan Garand, getting pulled for allowing four goals on 13 shots.
Garand ended training camp third on the organizational depth chart, and the 24-year-old is only still around because none of the NHL’s other 31 teams claimed him off waivers prior to opening night. In his first three appearances before New Jersey, Garand had a league-best 1.15 goals-against average and .951 save percentage and is expected to remain the choice in net until he shows he cannot handle it.
“G knows we’re going to need him here a lot, and he’s a pretty mentally tough guy,” No. 1 defenseman Adam Fox said. “I know he can bounce back. Just kind of said to him forget about it. He knows how important he is to us as a team and what we’re trying to do.”
What the Rangers are trying to do is get back to the playoffs after missing the past two years since a trip to the 2024 Eastern Conference final. Shesterkin’s absence made that a much steeper hill to climb.
“That’s a tough blow for our group,” Sullivan said. “But it doesn’t change what the goal is every day, and I think our guys have done a real good job at just keeping the focus where it needs to be and controlling what we can.”
Sullivan credited the team’s leadership group for not letting the morale dip last too long. Even New York’s youngest player didn’t dwell too long over Shesterkin getting sidelined.
“Injuries are going to happen,” said Alberts Smits, the 18-year-old from Latvia who was the fifth pick in the draft. “I wish all the best for him and for him to recover as fast as he can. But that’s just sports. There’s going to be injuries. We’ve just got to go through them, and we can’t stop right now when something like that happens.”
Alexis Lafrenière has seven goals, Fox nine assists and Mika Zibanejad eight points. But the biggest reason why players believe they can keep this going is defending and keeping the puck out of their own net.
“It’s winning hockey, so if you want to win games, you’re going to give yourself a better chance most nights if you don’t give the other team easy offense,” Miller said. “We get better as the games go on. There’s a commitment 200 feet. It’s a contagious feeling around here coming together as a team, so it’s a nice feeling.”
Rangers right wing Taylor Raddysh (14) takes a shot against the Blackhawks.
The Rangers continued shaking up their roster Friday, recalling veteran Taylor Raddysh from AHL Hartford and assigning Jaroslav Chmelar one day after Chmelar skated just 8:35 in their 7-1 loss to the Devils at Prudential Center.
Raddysh, who skated in 68 games with the Rangers last year and has logged 373 NHL games across his five-year career, has recorded five points — including a team-best three goals — in five games to start the Wolf Pack’s season after clearing waivers.
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He finished with nine goals and 19 points in 2025-26 for the Blueshirts, even getting time in the top six and with the power play.
In this stint, he could add a veteran presence to a fourth line that has struggled to earn ice time under head coach Mike Sullivan, with the potential to bounce around the lineup as well.
The Rangers have relied mostly on three lines in the aftermath of Joe Veleno’s lower-body injury, which will keep him out for about another three months. Cole Beaudoin, a 20-year-old prospect acquired in the Vincent Trocheck trade, got the first chance and skated in four games as the fourth-line center, but he averaged just 8:47 of ice time and ended up going back to Hartford for more ice time. Justin Dowling was recalled Wednesday and got the next chance during the Rangers’ game against the Devils, but he was on the ice for just 7:41. Veleno, before his injury, had averaged 11:37 of ice time and was part of their penalty-kill unit.
Rangers right wing Taylor Raddysh (14) takes a shot against the Blackhawks. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The disappearance of the fourth line has forced Sullivan to get creative in trying to find shifts for Oliver Bjorkstrand, who opened the season in the top six but was demoted to the fourth line in favor of Tye Kartye. Bjorkstrand, though, has demonstrated that he can contribute on offense as he scored a pair of goals against the Islanders while adding an assist in the home opener on Pavel Dorofeyev’s goal and carving out a role on the second power-play unit.
“It’s gonna play itself out,” Sullivan said pregame Thursday of finding shifts for Bjorkstrand. “It’s a long season, and that’s a conversation that I’ve had with him. He’s a great kid. I think he understands it. I’m trying to communicate with him what my intentions are as the coach and how to try to best utilize him within the group of 12 forwards that we have in the lineup.
“We acknowledge what [Bjorkstrand’s] strengths are and how he can help us. He has good offensive instincts. He’s shown mobility to score in this league.”
Chmelar, 23, impressed Sullivan in his 28-game cameo last season, earned a roster spot out of training camp over the veteran Raddysh and has rotated with Matt Rempe on the right side of the fourth line to start the 2026-27 campaign. Though Rempe would’ve needed to clear waivers before getting assigned to Hartford, Chmelar is waiver-exempt.
Rangers defensemen have recorded 18 assists this season after Adam Fox picked up the primary assist on Dorofeyev’s goal Thursday, which ranks third in the NHL.
Bjorkstrand and Vladislav Gavrikov were drafted by the Blue Jackets in 2013 and 2015, respectively, and they overlapped for three years in Columbus from 2019-22.
Carson Soucy, who was traded from the Rangers to the Islanders last season, is minus-3 with an assist through five games for the Blue Jackets.
NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 15: Will Cuylle #50 of the New York Rangers and Johnathan Kovacevic #8 of the New Jersey Devils drop the gloves during a game between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on October 15, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Nico Hischier responds to becoming the third all-time goal scorer in Devils franchise history:
Nico Hischier on becoming No. 3 in franchise goal scoring:
“These things obviously make me a little proud, but I’d rather get a fourth Stanley Cup for this franchise.”
JP Gambatese responded to some early-season knocks on analytics after the Devils started the season without any finish to their game. [Devils Advocates]
Last night was historic on a few levels:
Devils beat the Rangers by 6 goals or more for the first time since March 25th 1987 #NJDevils#NYR
Greg Wyshynski interviewed Sunny Mehta for ESPN, and Mehta took him to task before diving into a mix of fan nostalgia and current team-building philosophy. [ESPN]
The Red Wings scored late in the third period to drop the Flyers to a whopping 0-6-3. The usual from Rick Tocchet: “I liked our start, but they came on a little bit. There are moments in a game when you have to come through, and we’ve been having a tough time of that.” [NHL.com]
Prior to the Red Wings—Flyers matchup, Detroit celebrated the life of Jenny Baumann, the wife of Red Wings trainer Russ Baumann, who passed away after a battle with cancer last weekend:
After Dave Hakstol left the Colorado bench to take the reigns of the Arizona State hockey program, the Avalanche hired Brett McLean as an assistant coach. [NHL.com]
Patrick Kane makes history:
and with that assist, Patrick Kane takes the top spot for 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻-𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 in the NHL ‼️ pic.twitter.com/Y8LyB8OJ9Q
While he was just an outcast from Vancouver a few seasons ago, Vasily Podkolzin has turned into a top-line goal scorer for the Edmonton Oilers this season. [The Hockey Writers]
The NHL has been discussing the future of Frozen Frenzy, as they consider it a success in the United States with room to improve and grow. Cam Neely: “It’s a great concept to have all teams play the same day, although tough for an East Coast team’s fanbase to have an 11:15 p.m. Eastern puck drop. I heard plenty of complaints, for example, from our fans in New England. Maybe think of doing it all day on a Saturday after college football?” [NYT/The Athletic]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
LAS VEGAS - Mark Stone collected the hats. Jack Eichel continued collecting points.
But beneath the star power driving the Vegas Golden Knights’ early success is something coach Ryan Craig considers essential: four lines capable of keeping the game moving in the same direction.
Through nine games, Vegas has received goals from 13 different players, with nine scoring at least twice. Thursday’s 6-2 victory over Calgary lifted its total to 35 goals, an average of 3.89 per game, after entering the night seventh in the NHL at 3.63.
Stone leads Vegas with six goals after his third-period hat trick, while Eichel has five goals and 16 points. Yet the supporting cast has helped the Golden Knights reach 7-2-0 and top the NHL standings.
“When we’re at our best, we’re rolling four lines,” Braeden Bowman said. “We have everybody contributing and doing their thing, and you know when the full team’s going, we’re a pretty tough team to beat.”
Bowman supplied a timely example Thursday.
After Calgary scored shorthanded to cut Vegas’ lead to 2-1, the fourth-line winger converted on the second power-play unit, restoring the two-goal cushion.
“We talk about those kinds of reset shifts all the time,” Craig said. “That was one from the second unit going out there and getting the job done.”
That contribution followed Tuesday’s victory at Nashville, when five different Golden Knights scored. Beyond the leading duo, Tomas Hertl and injured Victor Olofsson have four goals apiece, while rookie Trevor Connelly and Brett Howden have three each. William Karlsson, Mitch Marner and Bowman have two each.
Ivan Barbashev added three assists against Calgary, illustrating that the contributions extend beyond finishing chances.
“Everybody’s stepping up in our team,” Barbashev said. “It’s fun to play right now.”
More Than The Headliners
For Craig, the depth begins with what happens before a scoring opportunity develops. Forwards working back, defensemen moving the puck quickly and connected support allow different combinations to turn defensive stops into attacks.
“The depth of our lineup maybe allows us to do that with whatever line is on the ice,” Craig said.
Bowman embodies that flexibility. Alongside Marc Gatcomb and Nic Dowd, he brings forechecking pressure and dependable defense. His special-teams opportunities expand the ways he can contribute.
“He can play up and down our lineup. He can play on the special teams,” Craig said. “Braeden’s a very responsible, detail-oriented player.”
Stone sees a benefit that reaches well beyond October. Sharing the workload now can help preserve the players Vegas will need most when the season reaches its decisive stretch.
“If you can have your top guys playing 16 to 18 minutes a night and rolling over lines, it’s the formula for us going into that time of year,” Stone said.
“It’s a good thing to have four lines that are ticking.”
The stars remain the headliners, sure, but Vegas’ encouraging development is seeing many teammates help carry the show.
PHOTO CAPTION
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Nashville Predators during the first period at Bridgestone Arena.
The New York Islanders continued their inconsistency on Thursday in Canada's capital, as the Ottawa Senators knocked off the Islanders 2-1 in a shootout.
Matias Maccelli scored with 12 seconds left in the first period, giving the Islanders a 1-0 lead.
However, Ridley Greig, who was picked using the Islanders' 2020 first-round pick dealt to Ottawa for Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored with under five minutes to go in the second period.
Long Island native Shane Pinto scored the shootout winner, knocking off the Islanders
Semyon Varlamov, in his second start of the season, made 18 saves and played a terrific game.
“He looked like the old Varly, which is great to see, and it’s great for us because we’re going to need him.”
Pete DeBoer on Semyon Varlamov's bounce-back performance against Ottawa.
Cal Ritchie and Anthony Duclair can only look to use it as a learning moment.
It's very easy to forget that Ritchie is still just 21 years old and has only played 79 NHL games in his career. He's still learning the ropes, as much as anyone could, and has had three head coaches in those games (Jared Bednar in COL, Patrick Roy, DeBoer).
"I thought he had an excellent camp," DeBoer said after the Chicago game. "I thought he was great the first two games. I thought he took a step back in the Ranger game, and I talked to him this morning and said, 'I need you to get back to what you were doing because he was becoming a really important part of our group,' and he responded tonight.
"He did a great job, and I'm glad he got rewarded because that's a little while coming. He could have had a couple in the first couple of games."
The easy thing to do is jump to conclusions about what it may or may not mean for Duclair long-term when Mathew Barzal returns.
This isn't that. This is a player DeBoer believes in, and wants to get the very best out of. Sometimes, that means taking a hardline approach in a tight situation.
As for Matthew Kessel, it might even be less about him and his play and more about wanting to maximize Matthew Schaefer's minutes.
Schaefer played over 29 minutes in the shootout loss Thursday, and that meant Kessel's late ice time got sacrificed.
For all three players the takeaway should be simple: Take care of the puck, and don't take unnecessary penalties on the road. In other words, don't put the team in a bad spot.
The Islanders are next in action Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, whom they lost to begin this season. We'll see if there's any major lineup changes then.
On Thursday, the Winnipeg Jets came close to engineering an epic comeback, but the Chicago Blackhawks held on for their third win of the season, a 4-3 overtime victory.
It was a hard-fought night for the Jets, who were left chasing a Chicago team that has been energized by the recent return of captain Connor Bedard. The boost was already evident Tuesday, when the Blackhawks surprised the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-3 win.
Winnipeg was stunned by Chicago's start as Bedard broke the ice with a power-play goal eight minutes into the game, and Frank Nazar, back in the lineup after serving a two-game suspension, added a goal later on.
The Jets may have found their interim Josh Morrissey replacement in Neal Pionk, who was fresh off a multi-assist game in Winnipeg's 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, he stayed hot with his first goal of the season, a blast from the point. The Blackhawks did not back down, though, scoring their third goal of the period when Ryan Donato netted his second of the season.
Winnipeg was slow to get back into it, but they gradually chipped away, outshooting Chicago 25-12 over the final two periods. Kyle Connor scored Winnipeg's second goal of the game in the second period, and early in the third, Alex Iafallo tied the game at three with his second goal of the season.
Jets fans may remember one of the last times Winnipeg visited Chicago and lost in overtime, when Bedard beat Connor Hellebuyck for the game-winner. Fate repeated itself Thursday. Patrick Kane and Bedard passed the puck back and forth before Bedard dropped it to Artyom Levshunov, and the former second overall pick ripped a shot from the high slot for the winner, repeating history for the Jets in the Windy City.
It was a standout night for Pionk, who recorded his second straight multi-point game and assisted on the two other Jets goals he did not score. Mark Scheifele, Morgan Barron, Isak Rosen and Brad Lambert also recorded assists.
It was the first tough outing of the season for Stuart Skinner, who has been steady for Winnipeg so far. On Thursday, he allowed four goals while stopping 24 of 28 shots in a close game.
The Jets return home Saturday for one of their biggest matchups of the season, an afternoon matinee against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
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The Senators' 2026-27 NHL season is barely underway, but they've already used more defencemen than any other team in the league.
The Senators have dressed 10 different D-men this season, and as of Oct. 16, that's the highest total in the league. The Philadelphia Flyers, who are 0-6-3 and host the Sens on Saturday, are next with nine.
For the Sens, it's a crazy amount of turnover, especially for a team that's in first place in the tough Atlantic Division with a 6-2 record.
The list of defencemen used by the Senators so far includes Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, Jordan Spence, Tyler Kleven, Carter Yakemchuk, Nikolas Matinpalo, Cameron Crotty, Hoyt Stanley, Jorian Donovan and Artem Zub.
The Senators began the season without Zub, who was still recovering from an injury suffered last season. Then, in the season opener against Toronto on Oct. 3, they lost Sanderson, their best all-around defenceman and probably their most important player. He'd already been dealing with a nagging lower body injury all through camp.
Losing two of their top three defensemen was a major blow, but the injury problems didn't stop there.
Matinpalo was injured on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils after being hit from behind by Anthony Mantha. It appeared to be a concussion, leaving the Senators without three regular defencemen.
For rookies like Yakemchuk, Stanley and Donovan, the situation has created great opportunities. For Yakemchuk, it's been more ice time and responsibility. For Stanley and Donovan, it's a chance to show they can play in the NHL.
The blue line turnstile has also put extra pressure on Chabot, who's had more than his share of injuries in the past. He's not only returned to the heavy time-on-ice totals of the past, his current 26:59 average is higher than any season in his career.
Zub's welcome return on Thursday shaved two and a half minutes off Chabot's workload against the Islanders, and as Zub played well and got through the game without tweaking anything, the Sens hope this marks the beginning of a healthier stretch.
After all, it's only mid-October, and the Sens have already gone through enough defencemen to fill up nearly two NHL blue lines.
Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks “3 Standouts From The Game.” In this recurring series, The Hockey News’ Canucks team will do a deep dive into three standouts from Vancouver’s last game. This article will focus on the Canucks’ most recent 3–2 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers.
Leevi Meriläinen
Another game, another strong performance from Leevi Meriläinen. Thursday’s game marks the third consecutive matchup he’s played in that saw him face 30+ shots. He’s also, impressively, stopped 30+ shots in each of these three games. In Thursday’s effort, Meriläinen faced a total of 39 shots and stopped 36.
While Vancouver did help him out during the second period, Meriläinen had to be sharp in the first period to help the Canucks build and keep their lead. He stopped all 15 shots faced from Florida during the opening frame, also turning away 10 high-danger chances for the Panthers.
Defenceman Elias Pettersson
Elias Pettersson has been the Canucks’ best defenceman to start the 2026–27 season. On Thursday, he continued to assert that idea. The defenceman scored his third goal of the season, tying himself with Jake DeBrusk and Marco Rossi for the second-most on the team.
Away from the scoresheet, Pettersson has continued to make a positive impact on both sides of the ice. He’s become a staple on Vancouver’s main penalty-killing unit alongside Filip Hronek, also showing that he has developed a better sense for jumping up into the play when needed. It’s clear he has gained Canucks Head Coach Manny Malhotra’s trust, as he finished last night’s game with the second-highest minutes played for Vancouver with 22:35.
Filip Chytil
Regardless of how he played last night, all eyes were bound to be on Filip Chytil heading into his first matchup of the season. For a player that hasn’t seen a regular-season game situation since the beginning of February, he made a fair impact. Chytil flashed the speed he’s best known for to help his team try and generate some offence, utilizing this to battle for the puck along the boards and feed Pettersson for Vancouver’s second goal of the game.
While there were some moments that saw Chytil cough the puck up or overcomplicate a play, as a whole, he had a strong season debut for Vancouver. His effort saw him log the third-most minutes of Vancouver’s forwards with 18:30, behind only Brock Boeser (22:18) and Elias Pettersson (21:36).
Oct 15, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Meriläinen (31) makes a save against Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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Kirill Marchenko delivered the kind of night the Maple Leafs envisioned when they acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets just before the season. The 26-year-old scored three times, including a highlight-reel between-the-legs power-play goal, in his 300th NHL game. It was not enough.
The Buffalo Sabres erased a 4-2 deficit with two third-period goals and Owen Power finished it 3:14 into overtime, beating Sergei Bobrovsky for a 5-4 Toronto Maple Leafs loss at Scotiabank Arena. Jack Quinn added two goals and two assists. The Leafs (3-3-2) outshot Buffalo 15-8 in the first period and held a two-goal lead late in the second, yet managed only four shots in the third while the Sabres generated 11. Final shot totals were 34-30 in Buffalo’s favour. Bobrovsky stopped 29 of 34; Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves on 30.
The result left familiar questions about defensive structure, third-period execution, and how the coaching staff can bungle the usage of their No. 1 overall draft pick from the 2026 Draft.
Marchenko’s arrival finally looks the part
Marchenko’s first goal came 13:10 into the opening period on the power play. John Tavares worked the puck from the slot; Marchenko slid it between his own legs and lifted it past Luukkonen. He added a second at 11:13 of the second on a feed from Tavares and completed the hat trick at 16:51 with a one-timer set up by Colton Sissons and Easton Cowan. It was Marchenko’s fifth career hat trick and his first multi-goal game in a Leafs jersey after scoring once in his first seven games following the trade that sent Matthew Knies the other way.
Coach Jim Hiller called the goals “big time” and noted the “dynamism” the Leafs had been waiting on.
“You can’t be that talented and not score,” Hiller said. “So it’s going to come like we saw tonight.”
Marchenko himself described the goals as pure skill and pointed to his long reach. He framed the night as a lesson rather than a celebration.
“You either win, or you have a lesson to learn and get better,” he said. “I think it was a good lesson for us. I think we give up lots of chances, 5-on-5… We still give up a little too much in the third.”
The between-the-legs finish generated the most immediate reaction of the night. As replays of the goal were shown at Scotiabank Arena, the crowd gasped in amazement each time they saw Marchenko put his stick between the legs to score. The sequence also underscored why the organization prioritized him over Knies in the pre-season deal. Early-season shot metrics with Marchenko on the ice had already looked stronger than those without him in several accounts; Thursday provided the finishing touch that had been missing.
Third-period passiveness and the missing shutdown presence
The Leafs led 4-2 with less than four minutes remaining in the second. From roughly the 11-minute mark of the third onward, Hiller said, Buffalo simply started coming and Toronto had no answer.
“We made some mistakes. In those moments, I know it’s hard when you’re on your heels. You just have to be able to have a little poise and somebody to make a play… We just couldn’t make two plays in a row.”
Hiller added that the team has looked more passive in its own zone over the last three or four games than it did earlier in the season. Auston Matthews offered a slightly different view of the process. He thought the Leafs took care of the puck for the most part in the third and that the goals against stemmed from a point shot with traffic and a miscommunication on a three-on-two or three-on-three.
He’s literally in the locker room too, so it’s a big loss for us, definitely,” Marchenko said.
The Leafs dominated the shot share through 40 minutes, including a 66 percent dominance over Buffalo in th second period. The Sabres dominated in the third period with a 78 percent shot share according to NaturalStatTrick.com. Toronto controlled the early share of shots and scoring chances; the third period reversed it. Face-off percentage favoured the Leafs (roughly 56 percent), and they went 1-for-3 on the power play while Buffalo was 0-for-2. Those edges were not enough once Buffalo pushed.
Matthews said the team has to keep playing and that lines will be shuffled, but the concern is obvious. Tavares has been a stabilizing presence and, at times this season, a mentor figure for the younger forwards. His early exit coincided with the period in which Toronto lost its structure.
Tavares started the game on the left wing, a role he had not been slotted in since the 2022-2023 regular season.
McKenna’s limited minutes and the long-term view
Gavin McKenna, the 2026 first-overall pick, played 6:36 and did not see the ice after the midway point of the second period. Hiller said it was his decision. McKenna sat through penalties, the coach did not get him back out before the intermission, and by the third Hiller was unwilling to insert an 18-year-old after such a long layoff.
“I’ll talk to him for sure… I haven’t talked to him yet.”
"That was my decision... I probably should have gotten him out there early in the third."
Jim Hiller addresses Gavin McKenna's ice time in the Maple Leafs' OT loss to the Sabres. pic.twitter.com/sLOJJUeIGx
Hiller described McKenna’s game to that point as “okay” and “fine,” and said he has not seen a pattern of the teenager taking things too personally.
“He’s usually ready to go. There’s been other times I haven’t played him as much… and you know, he’s responded.” Matthews reinforced the message that the group has McKenna’s back and that a night like this can make him hungrier.
The ice-time decision and explantion was puzzling. In the broader context of an 18-year-old getting his first regular NHL minutes, the episode is one data point. Hiller’s stated comfort with McKenna’s maturity and the plan to speak with him directly suggest the organization is treating it as a manageable moment rather than a larger issue.
As a coach, do you talk to him about that?
“Yeah, yeah. I'll talk to him for sure. Yeah, but I haven't talked to him yet.”
This type of mistake so early puts the confidence of the head coach into question. How do you forget about one of your more talented players. When Tavares got hurt, it should have been an easy call. The Leafs looked tired on this night, having just flown home from Utah the day before. Perhaps you could use the young energy.
McKenna, despite being requested, was not made available for comment due to a team decision. His thoughts on this won’t be known until Saturday when the club host the New York Islanders.
What the night revealed
The Leafs have the talent offensively and it’s certainly been their strength. But they have issues on the back end. Outside of Darren Raddysh, the rest of the defense looked tired and slow and couldn’t lock it down when needed. Toronto has offense. Scoring four goals should be enough to win the game. And given McKenna was on the bench to watch most of it, just forgetting about putting the player out there is inexcusable unless he was covering for some other undisclosed reason.
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The Philadelphia Flyers are already off to the worst, and worsening, start in franchise history, stumbling to an 0-6-3 record through their first nine games, and with one more loss to add to the streak, head coach Rick Tocchet will make an unenviable piece of NHL history.
Ten-game losing streaks aren't something Tocchet has never experienced before. Back in the 2017-18 season with the Arizona Coyotes, Tocchet guided the club to an 0-9-1 start through their first 10 games, and they finished the season 29-41-12.
Nine other groups also achieved the feat over the years; Arizona under Andre Tourigny did it again in 2021, and San Jose, under David Quinn, was the most recent team to start a season winless through 10 games, going 0-9-1 back in 2023.
San Jose's reward for a grim 19-54-9 season was Macklin Celebrini in the 2024 draft, but that's besides the point here.
On Saturday night, the Flyers will host the 6-2-0 Ottawa Senators, and with a 10th consecutive loss, Rick Tocchet would become the only coach in NHL history to lose 10 or more games to start a season twice.
The Flyers' previous franchise-long six-game slide to start a season has already been shattered, so the Flyers by extension would be the latest franchise to continue that slide into the double-digits.
Arizona, as mentioned above, has started a season with 10 straight losses twice, as have the Sharks. The only other franchises to have done so in the history of the NHL would be the Atlanta Thrashers, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
You'll notice that several of those franchises no longer exist, a testament to how truly unprecedented the Flyers' losing streak is.
Further to that point, a 10-game losing streak has only happened four times since the start of the 2000s, and only three times since 2002.
Any way we slice it, the Flyers and Tocchet are on the verge of cementing themselves in the historically bad section of NHL history, barring a major turnaround that sees them scrap away a win against a vastly superior opponent on Saturday night.
Multiple reports over the last week have indicated that Tocchet's job with the Flyers is safe, but many coaches, over the years, have been dismissed for less, and it's a situation worth monitoring, especially if things continue to get worse before they get better.
DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 4: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins takes a shot on goal against Scott Wedgewood #41 of the Colorado Avalanche in the third period at Ball Arena on March 4, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (3-3-1, 7 points, 5th place Metropolitan Division) @ Colorado Avalanche (4-2-1, 9 points, 3rd place Central Division)
When: 9 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Locally televised game on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and ALT, KTVD, streaming for out of market at ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The road trip picks up the pace with a game tomorrow night in Vegas, followed by a trip to Utah for Monday night. After that, the Pens return home for the next three games (starting with a visit by Florida to Pittsburgh on Thursday Oct 22).
Opponent Track: This is the third game in four days for the Avs, after a back-to-back with Dallas. Colorado won the first leg of that Tuesday night in Dallas, then fell in a shootout at home. After today comes a two-day break and a trip east to play in Philadelphia on Monday.
Season Series: This is the first of two matchups, the two teams will meet in Pittsburgh on January 12th.
Hidden Stat: Pittsburgh has points in four of its last six trips to Ball Arena (3-2-1), per Pens PR.
Getting to know the Avalanche
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Nazem Kadri
Jaden Schwartz – Fedor Svechkov – T.J Hughes
Parker Kelly – Gavin Brindley
DEFENSEMEN
Devon Toews / Cale Makar
Brett Kulak / Sam Malinski
Josh Manson / Brent Burns
Noah Juulsen
Goalies: Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood
Potential scratches: Nicolas Roy (lower body injury), Zachary L’Hereux (upper body injury)
Injured Reserve: Logan O’Connor
The Avalanche played an 11 forward/7 defense lineup last game due to a pair of injuries up front. They do have the cap and roster space to call-up an AHL forward if they want or need to if those injuries linger.
Interesting to see the changes made by Colorado in recent years. They’ve lost a few pieces, most notably Mikko Rantanen. However, as a win-now type of team, they’ve loaded up to grab Nelson and Necas, re-acquire Kadri, fill out the depth with Schwartz, Kulak, Burns and Roy.
Overall, the team only has eight players remaining from their 2022 Cup team (MacKinnon, Kadri, Makar, Toews Landeskog, O’Connor, Lehkonen, Manson). A lot of those players are the foundation to build a contender on, now the question becomes whether they’ve built up enough around it to win again in the primes of MacKinnon+Makar. To draw a Penguin parallel, this period for Colorado now isn’t dissimilar to the 2010-15 era for Crosby and the Penguins where they failed to replicate championship aspirations following the first title. Is there a second championship act still to go for this core?
One potentially sore spot for that: the Pens’ late glow-up was enhanced by a wave of rising young players (Murray, Guentzel, Rust, Dumoulin, Maatta, Sheary). Colorado doesn’t have that in their organization, only three U-25 players have dressed in the NHL so far this season, and none in particularly key roles. The Avs have deviated and gone the other direction by going very veteran and adding older players ala Nelson, Kadri and Burns, and spending big future assets in some of those cases to get them. Doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong but a curious way to hold up this Avalanche team to where Pittsburgh was at a similar time in the contending lifecycle.
MacKinnon has been a force this season to average almost two points per game, while also dropping the gloves for two fights. MacKinnon’s never won an Art Ross scoring championship (such is the curse of the age of McDavid) but did take the Rocket Richard trophy last year with an NHL-high 53 goals.
Makar missed a game earlier in the week due to the birth of his twins. New dad strength hasn’t been instant, he was held without a point in his return on Wednesday against the Stars.
Until watching a game last week, I completely forgot that the Avs added Schwartz over the summer as a free agent. The 34-year old had been mired in Seattle since that franchise’s inception in 2021, the 2019 Cup winner with St. Louis could be an important depth player for Colorado.
Colorado’s power play is 16th this season, hitting at an even 20.0%. The Avalanche only have three 5v4 goals (and two more scored in 5v3 situations), and they’ve already given up three goals to shorthanded teams. That could be an X-factor for the Pens, where they’ve only given up two goals this season while shorthanded and scored one of their own while down a player.
Even strength has been the area where the Avs have done a ton of damage, already scoring 26 5v5 goals in just seven games. (By comparison, the Pens rank eighth in this category with 18).
Key to the game: Fast start
Colorado, as expected, looks very strong early in the season. Their 31 goals scored in seven games is the second highest-scoring team per game behind Edmonton. Their 58.8% expected goal share at 5v5 is among the highest in the NHL. They are a strong team that can be dominant.
The Penguins only need to look back about seven months to see how to handle all that. The Pens beat Colorado 7-2 in Denver on March 16th in their last trip to the Mile High City. A key: Pittsburgh scored four goals in the first 14 minutes of the game. Before the Avs knew what hit them, the game was out of reach.
It might be a little much to ask for history to repeat itself there, but the lesson to take is trying to stay ahead of the game. Falling behind would be a make an uphill climb even steeper. That’s why a lot of attention will be on Pittsburgh’s top two lines tonight, they need to make an impact and set the tone in this game. If they can do that starting early in the game, you’d have to like the Pens’ chances. If not, it could be a long night.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Andrei Kuzmenko – Ben Kindel – Nick Robertson
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Elmer Soderblom
DEFENSEMEN
Declan Carlile / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kaeden Korczak
Spencer Stastney / Kris Letang
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov
Potential Scratches: Hendrix Lapierre, Ville Koivunen and Ryan Johnson
IR: Ryan Graves, Justin Brazeau, Trevor van Riemsdyk
There were some line changes yesterday in practice, Nick Robertson worked his way up to play on Kindel’s line and it looks like Soderblom will be playing for just the third time this season. Koivunen is the odd man out and it could be a second game as a healthy scratch in a row for Lapierre.
The Pens have a goalie decision on their hands with tonight’s game as well as tomorrow night’s tilt in Las Vegas. You’d figure one goalie will play in each night and against a tough team no matter what, the timing of using them has not yet been disclosed.
High-energy practice
The Penguins weren’t pleased after their 5-3 loss to Chicago. They got some work in yesterday to prep for the weekend.
The Penguins did some small-area competition to end a productive practice session.
"Coming off a day off after a game that we're not thrilled with, I fully expected the energy level to be high, and they came in and delivered that," Dan Muse said. pic.twitter.com/DkXPD0lSPX
The Penguins have scored 12 goals in the second period through seven games. Only the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and Utah Mammoth have more goals in the middle frame so far this season:
Second Period Goals
Team GP 2nd PD GF
Colorado 6 16
Carolina 8 14
Utah 7 13
Pittsburgh 7 12
Vegas 8 12
In addition, four of Tommy Novak’s five points and three of Declan Carlile’s four points this season have come in the second period.
Over the last six games, the Pens have only scored three goals in the first period, conceding six. They’ve also had problems in the third period with a 4-10 combined score in the last six games. However, that middle period has been a big boon for them with a 12-5 scoring edge on the season.
