The New York Islanders will have something of a salary war chest this summer, based on the upcoming salary cap increase to a projected $113.5 million.

New York's current cap hit is a shade above $102 million. 

The team has just over $27 million in expiring deals, with Ondrej Palat and Kyle Palmieri representing over $10 million of that alone.

If you do the math, it gives the Islanders a near-$40 million war chest for this summer to add major pieces throughout the lineup.

The question has and still remains what Islanders' General Manager Mathieu Darche will look to do with that money.

That's also only the minimum they'll have in space. Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield's contracts shift from full no-trade protection to each having a 16-team list.

The entire conversation changed at the end of last week.

Tampa Bay Lightning superstar forward, two-time Hart Trophy winner, two-time Stanley Cup Champion, and the Lightning's all-time leading scorer Nikita Kucherov requested a trade and announced he won't be extending with the Lightning.

It's a total earthquake for the entirety of the NHL, one that changes how the majority of teams may brace for the summer.

The Lightning released a statement publicly declaring they have zero intent to trade Kucherov, but the rumors are now there.

Immediately, it's easy to see the connection to the Islanders. Darche worked for the Lightning for six years and both of their Stanley Cups with Kucherov.

Kucherov, per reports, wants to play with another superstar. The Islanders have that in Matthew Schaefer.

Then, on Monday, Pierre LeBrun released his latest NHL Rumblings article for The Athletic.

LeBrun became the first major insider to link the Islanders directly to Kucherov.

"GM Mathieu Darche has a relationship with Kucherov from his Tampa days. I fully expect they will try to be a player from a July 1 perspective."

The Islanders were mentioned on a list with nine other teams, but as LeBrun noted, if Kucherov's available, there's 31 teams that want to be involved.

It's very important to note that LeBrun specifically states the Islanders will try, and a player be a player from a free agency perspective.

That's pretty specific wording, and it makes one think the Islanders won't be involved in any trade dialogue for the Russian star.

With how Darche has operated, keeping top prospects off limits in deals, along with the roster pieces and future draft capital, that would make sense.

If it gets to free agency, the Islanders can and likely will offer something of a blank check, while trying to convince Kucherov to join a team with Schaefer, superstar Russian goaltender Ilya Sorokin, and stars Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal.

Exactly one week after the Vancouver Canucks (3–12–1) ended their 10-game losing streak with a 6–5 overtime win, they’ll be facing the very team they smashed the streak against — the Anaheim Ducks (6–7–1). Vancouver’s last matchup saw them take a 4–2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, while the Ducks put together a 6–3 win against the Ottawa Senators. 

One of the things the Canucks will want to watch out for in their rematch against the Ducks is Anaheim’s special teams. The Ducks’ power play currently sits at second in the NHL with a success rate of 34%, also having scored once in two opportunities against Vancouver. Their penalty kill, which is notably in the bottom-half of the league at 76.4%, was effective against a stagnant Canucks power play last week. 

Faceoffs have been a slight issue for the Canucks as of late. Against the Maple Leafs on Saturday, Vancouver won only 39% of their draws, resulting in their current season winning rate of 46.5% — ranking 28th in the NHL. Against Anaheim last week, Vancouver also recorded a sub-40% faceoff win rate, winning only 36.8% of their faceoffs. They’ve posted a faceoff winning percentage of 40% or lower six different times this season, also doingso against the Tampa Bay Lightning (37.7%), New York Islanders (40%), New York Rangers (38%), and Edmonton Oilers (40%). 

Players To Watch: 

Forward Elias Pettersson 

Elias Pettersson was one of a few Canucks that found fair offensive success against the Ducks in their matchup one week ago, logging two assists and nearly 25 minutes worth of ice time. While his six-game point-streak did come to an end on Saturday, Pettersson is still averaging a point per game to start the 2026–27 season. He has also performed well statistically against the Ducks throughout his career, putting up seven goals and 18 assists in 25 games.  

Jackson LaCombe

In Vancouver’s last matchup against the Ducks, defenceman Jackson LaCombe put together a three-assist effort, helping out on both of A.J. Greer’s goals as well as one scored by Jeff Malott. The defenceman currently sits at second in scoring on Anaheim with a total of 15 points in 14 games and is their outright leader in TOI with an average of 26:45 minutes played per game — nearly six minutes more than the next player, Tristan Luneau.    

Vancouver Canucks (3–12–1): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 4–12–16

Jonathan Lekkerimäki: 6–7–13

Brock Boeser: 5–8–13

Filip Hronek: 1–11–12

Linus Karlsson: 3–6–9

Goaltenders: 

Leevi Meriläinen: 2–5–1

Kevin Lankinen: 1–7–0

Anaheim Ducks (6–7–1): 

Points: 

Leo Carlsson: 4–17–21

Jackson LaCombe: 1–14–15

Beckett Sennecke: 8–4–12

Cutter Gauthier: 7–5–12

Mikael Granlund: 3–7–10 

Goaltenders: 

Lukáš Dostál: 4–4–1

Laurent Broissoit: 1–0–0

Ville Husso: 1–3–0

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PCT

Venue: Rogers Arena

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: KiSS West Coast 

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

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Canucks Head Coach Manny Malhotra Explains The Reason Behind Marco Rossi’s Lack Of Production This Year

Vancouver Canucks Reveal 2026 Hometown Remix Jersey, Will Debut On November 13

Plenty Of Ex-Canucks Expected To Visit Rogers Arena This November

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to face the Colorado Avalanche tonight at 7:00 PM.    

Colorado Avalanche - 9-5-1 - 19 Points - Won 3 - 2nd in the Central

Columbus Blue Jackets - 5-7-0 - 10 Points - Lost 2 - 7th in the Metro

Player Notes Per CBJ PR

• Zach Werenski has 3-5-8 in 18 career GP, including 1-3-4 in nine career home games against the club.
• Dmitri Voronkov has 0-2-2 in five career GP, tallying assists in both contests of 2024-25.
• Ryan Lomberg has 1-2-3 in 8 career GP, with a goal and an assist in his most recent game played against Colorado (1-1-2).
• Charlie Coyle has 12-15-27 with six multi-point efforts in 42 career GP and has points in eight of his past 10 contests against the club (3-7-10).
• Emil Andrae has 0-2-2 in three career GP, notching an assist in each of his past two games played against the Avalanche.

Blue Jackets Stats 

• Power Play - 12.9% - 29th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 73.0 - 22nd in the NHL
• Goals For - 28 - 32nd in the NHL
• Goals Against - 39 - 7th in the NHL   

Avalanche Stats 

• Power Play - 20.0% - 18th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 93.5% - 1st in the NHL
• Goals For - 63 - 4th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 45 - 14th in the NHL

Series History vs.Avalanche           

• The Blue Jackets are 24-41-1-5 overall, and 12-19-1-3 at home vs. Colorado.  
• Columbus went 0-2-0 in 2025-26. 
• Columbus has earned points in 11 of the last 20 games of the series overall (10-9-1).
• The Blue Jackets have posted wins in five of the last 10 games played against Colorado at Nationwide Arena (5-4-1).
• Columbus has gone 13-of-14 on the penalty kill in its last six games in the series at Nationwide Arena (92.8 pct.).
• The winning team has recorded four-plus goals in 10-straight meetings and in 14 of the past 15 overall.
• Each of the past nine outings have been determined by multiple goals with seven decided by three or more.
• Both teams have earned five wins when playing past regulation in the all- time series.

Who To Watch For TheAvalanche        

• Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avs with 25 points. 
• Artturi Lehkonen leads the team with 12 goals. 
• Scott Wedgewood is 1-2-1 and his last start was on 10-25.

Injured Reserve & Other Injuries

• Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 12 Games Missed

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 36

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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Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen is reportedly still big-game hunting, in hopes of adding some scoring depth, and according to many of the NHL insiders, have approached the Detroit Red Wings about Dylan Larkin, but according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, it is not likely that the disgruntled center will include the Sabres on his list of preferred destinations.    

Larkin, who was a teammate of the Sabres leading scorer, Tage Thompson, on Team USA’s gold medal-winning Olympic squad, requested a trade from the Wings after the season and provided them a very narrow three-team trade list, which has recently been broadened to 10 teams. The Sabres, according to both Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, have expressed interest in Larkin, along with another Atlantic Division rival, the Montreal Canadiens.

Friedman indicated on Saturday that Larkin and agent Pat Brisson may alter the 10-team list (Carolina, Colorado, Dallas, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Utah, Vegas, and Washington), to take teams like the Panthers, Golden Knights, and Avalanche off, who cannot offer the Wings an acceptable deal, and possibly add others to the list. 

Other Sabres Stories

Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL 

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Larkin, in spite of reports of some flexibility, is not willing to add some teams that he does not want to play for, who might be willing to offer an acceptable package to Detroit. 

“All indications are that Buffalo is a no-go,” Dreger said.  

The Sabres appear to have the right ingredients for a Larkin trade, as the Wings reportedly are looking for young centers, and Buffalo has them in abundance in Noah Ostlund, Konsta Helenius, and Jiri Kulich, but there are still some roadblocks from players with no-trade protection, in spite of the Sabres snapping their 15-year playoff drought and making it to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo 

Who: Vegas Golden Knights (9-5-2, 20 points, 2nd place Pacific Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (5-7-2, 12 points, 6th place Metropolitan Division)

When: 7:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Broadcast locally on Scripps and Sportsnet Pittsburgh, in Canada on TVAS and streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins are back at PPG Paints for a Thursday home game against the Boston Bruins before flying out to the West Coast for a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back against the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.

Opponent Track: The Golden Knights are coming into the matchup on the latter end of a back-to-back after losing in Monday night shootout to the Boston Bruins. Vegas is still sitting second in the division, but the Knights have now lost five of their last six games (1-3-2 over that stretch).

Season Series: The Penguins are looking to split the season series after conceding a 6-2 loss in Las Vegas earlier this month.

Hidden Stat: Sidney Crosby only needs one more point to move past Marcel Dionne for sole possession of sixth place on the NHL’s all-time points leaderboard.

Getting to know the Golden Knights

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone

Trevor Connelly – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner

Brett Howden – Tomas Hertl – Braeden Bowman

Jonas Rondbjerg – Nic Dowd – Marc Gatcomb

DEFENSEMEN

Brayden McNabb / Shea Theodore

Jeremy Lauzon / Noah Hanifin

Dylan Coghlan / Rasmus Andersson

Goaltenders: Carter Hart, Adin Hill

Potential scratches: Raphael Lavoie, Viliam Kmec

Injured Reserve: Parker Wotherspoon (upper body), Victor Olofsson (lower body)

• Braeden Bowman was ejected from Monday’s game for an elbow to the face of the Bruins’ Matthew Poitras.
• Victor Olofsson was still on IR as of Monday night but has joined the Knights for this week’s road trip. Should Olofsson return Tuesday, he would likely slot in alongside Tomas Hertl on the third line and bump Jonas Rondbjerg from the lineup, per Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
• Former Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon is week-to-week with an upper-body injury that has allowed Dylan Coghlan to slot into the lineup.
• Carter Hart returned from a lower-body injury to start Monday night against the Bruins, so the Penguins might be facing Adin Hill in net tonight. Hill has a .891 save percentage and 5-2 record in seven starts this season, and a career .912 save percentage and 3-2-2 record in seven starts against the Penguins.

Season stats (does not include Monday night’s game)
via hockeydb

• Mitch Marner is heading into tonight’s matchup having scored points in 10 straight games (1-14—15).

Mitch Marner assisted on the @GoldenKnights' first goal and became the fourth different Vegas skater to record a point in 10 straight appearances.#NHLStats: https://t.co/zvX9L7zXAhpic.twitter.com/yZFuB48CQ6

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) November 3, 2026

Tracking the Knights

The Golden Knights have seen mixed results in their first 16 games under first-time NHL head coach Ryan Craig. After starting the season on an 8-2 run capped by their Oct. 17 win over the Penguins, the Knights have gone 1-3-2 in their last six games.

Since that six-game stretch started Oct. 20 Golden Knights have ranked 30th in the NHL with 2.17 goals per game (2.17).

The Golden Knights could be looking to take some hope from their pushback in Monday night’s loss. Facing a two-goal deficit midway through the second period, the Knights scored two unanswered goals to tie the Bruins before eventually losing in a shootout.

The Penguins, on the other hand, will hope the Knights’ slump and their busy schedule can help the home team get back on track. Pittsburgh’s last regulation win, a 4-0 shutout of the Florida Panthers back on Oct. 22, also took place with a rested Penguins roster facing a team on the wrong end of a back-to-back.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Tommy Novak – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell

Andrei Kuzmenko – Ben Kindel – Egor Chinakhov

Ville Koivunen – Hendrix Lapierre – Justin Brazeau

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Nick Robertson

DEFENSEMEN

Spencer Stastney / Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard / Ilya Solovyov

Declan Carlile / Kris Letang

Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov

Potential Scratches: Ilya Solovyov, Evgeni Malkin (?), Kaeden Korczak (?)

IR: Ryan Graves, Elmer Soderblom

• Evgeni Malkin and Kaeden Korczak missed Monday’s practice with lower-body injuries. The Penguins described both players as day-to-day.

• Justin Brazeau could be making his season debut after he was recalled Monday from his conditioning stint with Wilkes/Barre Scranton. He recorded one secondary assist in two games with the AHL team.
• These defensive pairings could be in flux as players were rotating during Monday’s practice.
• Rutger McGroarty has been re-assigned to the AHL. Elmer Soderblom is now considered week-to-week rather than his original day-to-day designation.
• Sergei Murashov allowed five goals on 19 shots from the Golden Knights in the Penguins’ last game in Vegas, and he started Saturday’s matchup at the Montreal Canadiens, so Arturs Silovs would be a good bet to start in net tonight.

After much teasing, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally revealed their much anticipated ‘Hometown Remix’ jerseys on Monday and they will make their debut this evening when the Penguins play host the Vegas Golden Knights. The Penguins will be hoping the fresh threads and a fresh month will give them a clean slate to right some wrong from October and get back in the win column starting now.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.

Pens Points…

Hope you like late night hockey because it’s returning for the Penguins at the end of this week when they head back west for their annual California swing starting in Los Angeles on Saturday. Before that, a pair of perennial contenders with Vegas and Boston coming to Pittsburgh. [Pensburgh]

It will be a new look for the Penguins when they take on the Vegas Golden Knights this evening with the team’s new ‘Hometown Remix’ uniforms set to debut after being revealed on Monday. [Pensburgh]

Injuries keep piling up for the Penguins with Kaeden Korczak and Evgeni Malkin the latest victims. Both players are listed as day-to-day but neither practiced on Monday in preparation for the Golden Knights. [Trib Live]

Defense has been a glaring issue for the Penguins through the first month of the season, with lapses occurring on a nightly basis leading to chances against. This is a problem the Penguins must fix and seem intent on doing so if practice is any indication. [Trib Live]

Justin Brazeau completed a conditioning assignment with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins over the weekend and was recalled to the NHL on Monday to rejoin the Penguins. [Trib Live]

NHL News and Notes…

All 32 teams unveiled their new ‘Hometown Remix’ jerseys on Monday, and all will be making their on-ice debut in the coming days. I’m sure everyone will be in agreement that the jerseys are good across the board and there will be no complaints about how they look on the ice. [NHL]

Old friend Tristan Jarry put together a solid week in goal for the Edmonton Oilers and took home Second Star of the Week honors. Flanking Jarry on the podium is First Star Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres and Third Star Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks. [NHL]

Vegas Golden Knights (9-5-2, in the Pacific Division) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (5-7-2, in the Metropolitan Division)

Pittsburgh; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST

LINE: Penguins -110, Golden Knights -112; over/under is 6.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights travel to the Pittsburgh Penguins looking to stop a three-game road slide.

Pittsburgh has a 4-1-1 record at home and a 5-7-2 record overall. The Penguins are 1-1-1 in games their opponents serve fewer penalty minutes.

Vegas has a 9-5-2 record overall and a 3-2-1 record in road games. The Golden Knights are 5-3-0 in games they have fewer penalties than their opponent.

Tuesday's game is the second time these teams meet this season. The Golden Knights won 6-2 in the previous matchup.

TOP PERFORMERS: Evgeni Malkin has six goals and five assists for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games.

Mark Stone has 10 goals and eight assists for the Golden Knights. Jack Eichel has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 3-5-2, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.8 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

Golden Knights: 4-4-2, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.3 assists, 3.1 penalties and 8.7 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game.

INJURIES: Penguins: Bryan Rust: out (lower-body), Kaedan Korczak: day to day (lower-body), Trevor van Riemsdyk: out (lower body), Ryan Graves: out (lower-body), Elmer Soderblom: out (upper-body), Evgeni Malkin: day to day (lower-body).

Golden Knights: Parker Wotherspoon: out (upper body), Victor Olofsson: out (undisclosed), Kai Uchacz: out (undisclosed).

___

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

Chicago Blackhawks (4-10-1, in the Central Division) vs. Florida Panthers (8-5-2, in the Atlantic Division)

Sunrise, Florida; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Blackhawks head into the matchup against the Florida Panthers after losing three straight games.

Florida has an 8-5-2 record overall and a 3-1-0 record in home games. The Panthers are 5-2-1 in games they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponents.

Chicago has a 4-10-1 record overall and a 0-5-1 record on the road. The Blackhawks have given up 58 goals while scoring 33 for a -25 scoring differential.

Wednesday's game is the second meeting between these teams this season. The Panthers won 3-2 in the last matchup.

TOP PERFORMERS: Matthew Tkachuk has scored four goals with 17 assists for the Panthers. Seth Jones has one goal and 16 assists over the last 10 games.

Roman Kantserov has six goals and two assists for the Blackhawks. Connor Bedard has scored four goals and added six assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Panthers: 6-4-0, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.7 assists, 5.2 penalties and 12.3 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game.

Blackhawks: 3-6-1, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.8 assists, 4.2 penalties and 8.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.

INJURIES: Panthers: Jonah Gadjovich: out (upper-body), Brad Marchand: out (leg), Aleksander Barkov: out (lower body).

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

___

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

The Calgary Flames continued their road trip in San Jose on Monday night, picking up a 2-1 win over the Sharks.

It was a fast-paced, back-and-forth start, with Calgary applying pressure early and eventually opening the scoring off a Sharks turnover at the blueline. Adam Klapka picked up the loose puck, walked in and fired a wrist shot past Yaroslav Askarov's glove to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.

The second period went without a goal, but Calgary added some insurance early in the third. Klapka drove the puck deep into the Sharks' zone before throwing it out front to William Stromgren, who buried his second attempt for his first career NHL goal and a 2-0 Flames lead.

San Jose answered moments later when Sam Dickinson found a loose puck in front and chipped it past Dustin Wolf to cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Flames held on from there, shutting down the Sharks' attack the rest of the way to secure the win. Wolf finished with 26 saves, earning his second consecutive victory.

Three Takeaways

1. Dustin Wolf delivers another solid performance

Wolf was composed throughout the night, playing positionally sound and doing a good job limiting rebounds and second opportunities. He gave Calgary the saves they needed, particularly after the Sharks cut the lead to one.

It was also another opportunity to perform against his hometown team. Wolf entered the game with a 10-2-0 career record against San Jose and added another win to that mark.

2. Flames keep Celebrini in check

Calgary did a good job limiting Macklin Celebrini's time and space throughout the night. The Sharks' young star entered the game with eight points in eight career games against the Flames, but Calgary kept him from taking over offensively.

The Flames have also had San Jose's number for quite some time. With the win, Calgary improved to 15-2-0 in its last 17 games against the Sharks.

3. William Stromgren gets his first NHL goal

It was a memorable night for Stromgren, who scored his first career NHL goal (the game-winner) in his fourth career game and first appearance since being recalled from the Calgary Wranglers.

The 23-year-old has been productive at the AHL level this season, recording 11 points in 11 games with the Wranglers. He has carried that offensive production into his latest NHL opportunity, making an immediate impact with his first goal.

Ben Hutton is still looking for a place in the NHL, and the former Kings defenseman will have a chance to make that happen with the New York Islanders.

The Islanders announced Monday that they've signed the 33-year-old to a professional tryout (PTO). It's another opportunity for a player who's spent the better part of the last decade moving around the league and finding ways to stay in the lineup.

Hutton's time in Los Angeles came during the 2019-20 season. He played 65 games for the Kings, scoring four goals and adding 12 assists. Los Angeles finished that season out of the playoffs, and there wasn't much to celebrate for a team still trying to get back on track. Hutton was one of the regulars on the blue line, though, and chipped in 16 points along the way.

He didn't stay in Los Angeles for long. Hutton moved on to Anaheim and Toronto before finding a home in Vegas in 2021. His five seasons with the Golden Knights turned out to be the longest stop of his career, and he was there when the franchise finally got its hands on the Stanley Cup in 2023.

Hutton had a career year in the goal department last season, scoring six times in 55 games. He added nine assists for 15 points and also appeared in seven playoff games as Vegas reached the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. He picked up an assist during that run.

There's something to be said for a player who's managed to stick around this long without being a big-name defenseman. Hutton has never been known for putting up huge numbers, but teams have continued to find a use for him.

He made his NHL debut with Vancouver in 2015 and has since played 575 games between the Canucks, Kings, Ducks, Maple Leafs and Golden Knights. He's recorded 30 goals and 109 assists in that time. He also won gold with Canada at the 2016 IIHF World Championship.

Getting another NHL contract won't be automatic. A PTO gives Hutton a chance to show the Islanders he can still help them, but he'll have to earn that opportunity during training camp.

It's been quite a career for a defenseman who spent just one season in Los Angeles. Kings fans saw him during a forgettable year for the franchise, while Vegas fans got to watch him lift the Stanley Cup a few years later.

Now Hutton is hoping there's still another chapter left to write.

CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated by the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night at the United Center. It was a 5-2 loss to an Avalanche team that is deeper than the Blackhawks in every way. 

The problem for the Blackhawks is that they lost more than just the hockey game. They also lost Patrick Kane due to injury. At the end of the second period, he left the ice for the locker room and did not return for the third period. 

After the game was over, head coach Jeff Blashill provided a negative update. Kane will not make the team's upcoming road trip, which will include stops against the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes. 

Going up against three teams that have Stanley Cup aspirations without Kane will make it even more difficult to come out with any points. Beyond that stretch of games, only time will tell when Kane is able to return. 

In 15 games so far this season, Kane is second on the team in scoring with 8 points and leads them with 8 assists. He isn't the Patrick Kane who won Hart Trophies and Stanley Cups, but he is still one of their best players. Without him in their top-nine forward group, a dangerous player is missing. 

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 NHL regular season is long, and one game isn’t a large enough sample size to draw a reliable conclusion. Even the best teams fall into a rut, so if you want to know what a team is really made of, then it’s better to look at a stretch of games. The Vegas Golden Knights are in one of those ruts right now, but slowly but surely, they’re climbing out of the hole they dug.

After going 8-2-0 in their first 10 games, the Golden Knights have won just one of their last six. Tonight, they fell 3-2 in a shootout; however, despite the loss, their display against the Boston Bruins on Monday was the best they’ve played in weeks.

When you’re going through that kind of a rough patch, taking a step in the right direction doesn’t necessarily translate directly to the win column. But tonight, the Golden Knights finally felt like they got to their game, and that makes all the difference.

“All in all, definitely a step in the right direction for the way we’ve been playing,” Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said following the 3-2 shootout loss. “Two [points] is better than one, but you take the good with the bad.”

“We got a point,” said Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig. “Now we move on to Pittsburgh, and we build on it. That’s our job— just kind of build on it and get two tomorrow.”

1. Outran the Bear

The Golden Knights got themselves into trouble very early in the second period. They were already down 1-0 when forward Braeden Bowman took an elbowing penalty, which sent the Bruins to a five-minute power play.

A five-minute major penalty means that the power play doesn’t end if the opposing team scores. And when Morgan Geekie scored just 34 seconds in, it didn’t look great for the Golden Knights.

“They scored 30 seconds in,” said Mark Stone. “It was a quick one. But we killed the last four and a half.”

“It was big for us,” said Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin following the 3-2 shootout loss. “They have a good power play over there. After you give up that first one early, sometimes momentum can swing in their favor, and you can get on your heels a little bit. 

“I thought we did a good job, just staying aggressive, staying with it, and not giving up too much after that,” Hanifin finished. “I thought we did a good job [killing the rest of the penalty] after they scored that second one, and we started to take the game over a little more after that.”

The Golden Knights ultimately failed to complete the comeback, but holding the Bruins to just one goal on that power play proved a huge difference maker because they clawed their way back and forced overtime. The Golden Knights stole a point, which was due in no small part to their penalty kill.

“I thought our leaders did a great job of leading us,” said Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig following the 3-2 shootout loss. “We get down a forward there when we lose Bones, but we stayed with it. Even going down 1-0 and giving up the power play goal, they get through that kill. There were moments of the game where we were able to tilt the ice, and I thought that did a lot for us to get us going.”

2. Out of the Frying Pan, Onto the Scoresheet

The Golden Knights didn’t win tonight, but they did dodge a massive bullet in the first period. Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy hit Trevor Connelly into the boards, and the young forward went down hard. Connelly was slow to get up, went down the tunnel, and didn’t return for the remainder of the period.

Connelly was on the bench to start the second, and he didn’t miss a shift for the remainder of the night. 

“Give him a ton of credit,” said Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig. “He’s a young kid in this league, and he’s continuing to show why he belongs here.”

Connelly had some real jump to his game after returning, and it ended up paying off in a big way. At 7:23 in the third period, he cut toward the net and banked Noah Hanifin’s pass off Jeremy Swayman and in.

“Trevor took a big hit in the first period, then came back and scored a huge goal for us,” said Golden Knights captain Mark Stone following the 3-2 shootout loss. “He’s a resilient guy, and it was good to see him get rewarded in the third.”

3. A Step in the Right Direction

The Golden Knights have won just one of their last six games, and they’ve only scored 13 goals over that stretch. They’ve had scoring chances, but, much like in tonight’s game, they’ve struggled to finish them off.

The difference between tonight’s game and the five games that came before it is that the Golden Knights looked more like themselves tonight. They played a more complete defensive game and held an offensively talented team to just two goals.

“I think most of it’s just making the next play. I think we had some pretty good chances to score some more goals tonight,” said Mark Stone postgame. “All in all, definitely a step in the right direction for the way we’ve been playing. Two [points] is better than one, but you take the good with the bad.”

“The effort was there, and that’s the important thing in the long run,” Noah Hanifin agreed following the 3-2 shootout loss. “There’s gonna be some good and some bad in every game, but I thought tonight, we competed. The effort was there. We battled, and it’s just about making that next play and putting the puck in the net, and that’ll come for us.”

BOSTON (AP) — David Pastrnak slipped a shot past Carter Hart to break a shootout stalemate and give the Boston Bruins a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night.

Boston’s Jeremy Swayman stopped Vegas’ Trevor Connelly, Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner to set up Pastrnak for the winner in the third round.

James Hagens scored his sixth goal of the season, and Morgan Geekie added a power-play goal to help Boston to its sixth consecutive home victory.

Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Pavel Zacha and Pastrnak had assists for the Bruins, who’ve won two in a row following back-to-back losses. Jeremy Swayman made 21 saves.

Connelly tied it 7:23 into the third period when he gathered a loose puck in front of the net and slipped it past Swayman. Noah Hanifin and Marner assisted. Mark Stone also scored for Vegas.

The Golden Knights have lost five of their last six since starting the season 8-2. They also continue to struggle killing off power plays, having allowed a power-play goal in seven of their last eight games.

Carter Hart had 25 saves for Vegas.

RED WINGS 5, PANTHERS 3

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Justin Faulk and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård scored 45 seconds apart early in the third period, goalie Daniil Tarasov defeated his former team and surging Detroit beat Florida.

Faulk had a power-play tally to put Detroit up 3-2 at 2:08 of the third, and Brandsegg-Nygård lifted one over the glove of Florida goalie Jacob Markstrom from deep in the slot to give the Red Wings a two-goal edge.

Carter Mazur got his first NHL goal for Detroit to open the scoring, Alex DeBrincat got his seventh of the season for the Red Wings and Emmitt Finnie sealed it on an empty-netter for three seconds left. Tarasov, who spent last season backing up Sergei Bobrovsky with the Panthers, stopped 23 shots for Detroit.

Aaron Ekblad scored his first goal of the season — and the third short-handed goal of his 13-year career — for Florida, while Sam Reinhart scored his eighth of the year for the Panthers. Markstrom made 24 saves in his first game since Oct. 17.

Florida saw its three-game winning streak snapped. The Panthers never led, with Mazur’s goal putting the Wings up 1-0 and DeBrincat making it 2-1 after early in the second after Reinhart tied the game with 5:41 left in the opening period.

Sam Bennett got his fourth of the year for Florida, with Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk assisting in a 6-on-5 opportunity with 3:21 left.

AVALANCHE 5, BLACKHAWKS 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Nazem Kadri and Jaden Schwartz scored two goals apiece, and Colorado beat struggling Chicago for its third consecutive win.

T.J. Hughes had two assists as Colorado improved to 15-4-0 in its last 19 games against Chicago. Devon Toews scored an empty-net goal with 2:22 left, and Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 21 saves.

Chicago dropped to 1-5-1 in its last seven games. Forward Patrick Kane departed in the second period with an upper-body injury, and defenseman Bowen Byram missed his eighth consecutive game with an upper-body injury.

The banged-up Blackhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by defenseman Wyatt Kaiser and rookie Roman Kantserov. Connor Bedard extended his point streak to six games with an assist on Kantserov’s sixth goal on a 2-on-1 rush.

The Avalanche rallied with two goals in 26 seconds. Kadri poked home a loose puck on the goal line at 15:23, and a wide-open Schwartz scored from the left circle at 15:49.

Colorado grabbed its first lead after Bedard was sent off for holding Kadri 13:10 into the second period. Kadri got a piece of Cale Makar’s wrist shot from just inside the blue line.

Kadri has four goals this season — all in the last six games.

FLAMES 2, SHARKS 1

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Fourth-line wingers Adam Klapka and William Stromgren scored, Dustin Wolf made 26 saves and Calgary beat San Jose.

Klapka opened the scoring on a wrist shot with 5:24 left in the first period off a feed from center Jonathan Castagna. William Stromgren batted in his first of the season at 9:14 of the third, with Klapka and Castagna assisting.

Sam Dickinson pulled San Jose within a goal with 8:03 left in the third, beating Wolf with a wrist shot.

Yaroslav Askarov stopped 20 shots for the Sharks.

Calgary improved to 7-8-0, and San Jose fell to 7-8-1.

CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks took the ice on Monday night against a Central Division rival, the Colorado Avalanche. For years, the Avalanche have been one of the NHL’s best teams, and expectations are no lower this season. 

On the day of their reveal, the Blackhawks wore their 2026-27 Hometown Remix uniforms, which feature a green base for the first time in franchise history. The rich St. Patrick’s Day history that exists within Chicagoland is on full display with these. 

Once the puck was dropped, the Chicago Blackhawks looked like a completely different team than we've seen so far this season, especially considering it is against the Colorado Avalanche. Just 57 seconds into the opening frame, Wyatt Kaiser scored to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead. He put an innocent shot on net, and it was deflected in off Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar. 

At 7:05, Roman Kantserov made it 2-0 Blackhawks with his 6th goal of the season. He took a very nice pass from Connor Bedard and blasted it home to double the lead. 

The Blackhawks have had a hard time holding leads throughout games, however, and that was on full display in this one. They couldn't even get out of the first period with a lead.

The Avalanche put three past Spencer Knight, but the first one (a Marty Necas deflection goal) was waved off due to goaltender interference. However, the goals scored by Nazem Kadri and Jaden Schwartz sure counted. The 2-2 tie held through the first intermission. 

There was a lot of action in the second period, but the only goal was scored by Kadri, his second of the game. This was a tip-in goal, assisted by Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. That's a trio known for making life difficult for their opponent. 

Right as the period was about to expire, Colorado scored a 4th goal. Like Kadri, Schwartz scored his second of the game as it squeaked through the paraphernalia of Spencer Knight. 

One of the key stories from the game is the injury status of Patrick Kane. He left in the latter stages of the second period and did not return. Of course, an update will be provided here on The Hockey News when one is available. 

In the third period, the Blackhawks started to find their legs again. They got back to what was working in the first 10 minutes of the game, which was skating hard, controlling the pace of play, and giving themselves chances. 

The Blackhawks were never able to, despite outshooting them 9-4 in the final frame, score another goal, let alone tie it up. After the Avalanche added an empty-net goal, the 5-2 score stood as the final. 

This was another example of the Blackhawks losing a game that they once controlled by multiple goals; they just didn't wait to surrender the lead this time around. Colorado is one of the best teams in the NHL, and they have been for half a decade, but the Blackhawks showed they aren't even close. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

from 98 to 80 ✅ pic.twitter.com/JqLMgVVo7f

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 3, 2026

from 98 to 80 ✅ pic.twitter.com/JqLMgVVo7f

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 3, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks will now hit the road for one of the most difficult road trips the NHL has to offer, which is the southeastern United States trip through North Carolina and Florida. They will face the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes in that order on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. 

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

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The Vegas Golden Knights didn't get the two points they wanted Monday night, but they may have rediscovered something equally important as they continue their road trip.

Their defensive identity.

After falling behind by two goals, the Golden Knights responded with aggressive checking, timely penalty killing and a third-period equalizer from rookie Trevor Connelly before falling 3-2 in a shootout to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.

Can't keep Trev down 🦅 pic.twitter.com/uJwgcn2ilK

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 3, 2026

Captain Mark Stone scored his team-leading 10th goal of the season on the power play, while Connelly delivered his fifth goal to complete the comeback. Mitch Marner contributed two assists, bringing his season total to 17 points and his career total to 51 in 31 games against Boston.

The Vegas Golden Knights have scored a goal. Jeremy Swayman makes the save on Tomáš Hertl but Mark Stone makes a nifty move in front of the net.

2-1, Bruins

pic.twitter.com/FQFFnOHEPh

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) November 3, 2026

James Hagens scored his sixth goal of the season and Morgan Geekie added a power-play goal to give Boston a 2-0 lead in the second period before Stone answered. Connelly tied the game 7:23 into the third period, converting a feed from Noah Hanifin, with Marner collecting his second assist.

After a scoreless overtime, David Pastrnak beat Carter Hart in the third round of the shootout, while Jeremy Swayman denied Connelly, Jack Eichel and Marner.

Hart finished with 25 saves for Vegas, while Swayman stopped 21 shots for Boston, which won its sixth consecutive home game. The Golden Knights have lost five of their last six games after opening the season 8-2.

The Golden Knights (9-5-2) earned a point despite their fourth consecutive game without a victory, while the Bruins (11-4-1) continued their strong start at home.

More importantly for Vegas, the defensive effort represented a noticeable improvement for a team that entered the contest having surrendered 14 goals during its previous three games.

"I thought there was a commitment to it, a heaviness to it, an engagement," Golden Knights coach Ryan Craig said of his team's checking. "When we got going, our checking was the reason for it."

Craig credited his team's leadership for keeping the Golden Knights composed after falling behind and losing a forward during the game.

"I thought our leaders did a great job of leading us," Craig said. "We stayed with it."

Stone echoed that assessment, emphasizing that the Golden Knights were more aggressive defensively while remaining disciplined in their positioning.

"All in all, definitely a step in the right direction for the way we've been playing," Stone said. "So obviously two is better than one, but take the good with the bad."

Key Moment

Vegas faced a potentially devastating situation when Boston capitalized early during a five-minute major penalty against the Golden Knights.

Rather than allowing the Bruins to turn the extended man advantage into a commanding lead, Vegas killed off the remaining penalty time and gradually seized momentum.

The Golden Knights entered the game ranked 26th in the NHL on the penalty kill at 69.4%, including a 64.7% success rate on the road. Their ability to withstand the remaining four-plus minutes of Boston's power play proved pivotal.

"I thought that kill did a lot for us to get us going," Craig said.

The Golden Knights eventually completed their comeback when Hanifin moved down the wall and delivered a pass toward the backdoor, where Connelly found an opening and converted.

The goal forced overtime, where Vegas generated opportunities but couldn't finish before Boston prevailed in the shootout.

"I saw some guys going net and just tried to put it in that area," Hanifin said. "Luckily Trev found that soft spot and put it in."

Key Stat

Boston entered Monday having scored at least five goals in five consecutive home games.

That streak ended against a Golden Knights team that limited the Bruins to two goals through regulation and overtime, an encouraging defensive performance against a physical opponent that entered the game averaging 3.67 goals per contest.

The Bruins had also won five consecutive games at TD Garden, where they entered with a 6-1-0 record.

Vegas' ability to limit Boston's offensive opportunities was especially encouraging after the Golden Knights had allowed 14 goals over their previous three games.

"We were connected, which is limiting the chances against and kept their shot volume down," Hanifin said. "I thought we did a good job just taking care of our net front after that."

What a Knight: Trevor Connelly

The 20-year-old rookie continued making his presence felt with one of the biggest goals of his young NHL career.

Connelly, who now has five goals and five assists for 10 points in 16 games, showed resilience after absorbing a heavy hit in the first period, returning to deliver the third-period equalizer.

"He's a resilient guy," Stone said. "He came back and scores a huge goal for us."

Craig offered similar praise for a player continuing to demonstrate that he belongs at the NHL level.

"A young kid in this league, continuing to show why he belongs here," Craig said.

Connelly's goal highlighted his offensive instincts, particularly his ability to recognize open space and capitalize on Hanifin's developing play.

Up Next

The Golden Knights travel to Pittsburgh for Tuesday's matchup against the Penguins, completing a quick turnaround after Monday's shootout defeat.

"We got a point," Craig said. "Now you move on to Pittsburgh and we build on it. That's our job, is now to build on it and get two tomorrow."

Photo Caption

Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) and Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) go for a loose puck during the second period at TD Garden.