The NHL debut of Alberts Šmits went as most do for any rookie.

Throughout training camp and the preseason, Šmits was consistent and reliable, playing a steady game while not looking to be overwhelmed, which ultimately helped him earn a spot on the New York Rangers’ opening-night roster. 

In the first period of Tuesday night’s game against the Boston Bruins, the 18-year-old went through the typical rookie experience, with the game moving quickly and him being forced to adapt to the pace of NHL play on the fly.

At first, Šmits struggled specifically in his own zone, as he was critical of himself when speaking with the media after the game.

"I just gotta make better decisions at some points,” Šmits said. “I made a couple plays that weren't there, and I would like to take those back. But I think the best thing I can do right now is just think about it, learn from it, and move on and try to not make the same mistakes in the future."

Over the course of the night, Šmits settled into the game and looked much more comfortable with the speed of play. 

Mike Sullivan wasn’t overly concerned with Šmits’ shaky start to his NHL debut, and he was impressed with the way he responded as the night progressed.

“I’m sure there were some anxious moments for him,” Sullivan said of Šmits. “I thought when the game started, it was happening fast out there for him, but I thought as the game went on, he settled down. I think his size, his reach, the way he leans on people, his ability to defend, his mobility, I think all of that is evident. 

“I think when he gets himself in trouble is when he tries to do a little bit too much and try to make a soft play to the middle. That’s when you need to make a simple play. I think as a young player, you are going to make those types of mistakes and you’ll learn through those experiences, and our job is to try and help him do that.”

Šmits ended the game playing 16:54 minutes, while recording one block, two hits, and two giveaways.

One of the Original Misfits is sticking around.

William Karlsson has been a fixture throughout all 10 years of Vegas Golden Knights hockey, from the franchise’s unforgettable expansion-draft beginnings to a Stanley Cup championship and everything that followed. On Wednesday, the Golden Knights made sure that chapter will continue.

Vegas signed Karlsson to a two-year contract extension worth $6.75 million annually, keeping the veteran center under contract through the 2028-29 season.

Karlsson, 33, was entering the final season of the eight-year, $47.2 million contract he signed with the Golden Knights in 2019. Instead of allowing one of the most recognizable players from the franchise’s inaugural roster to hit free agency, Vegas opted to keep him around for two more seasons.

The extension also takes care of one of the most important pieces of business remaining on the Golden Knights’ offseason agenda.

Vegas extended captain Mark Stone to a two-year deal on Sept. 12, and Karlsson was among the team’s most notable remaining contract situations. The Golden Knights now have four pending unrestricted free agents: forwards Victor Olofsson and Nic Dowd, defenseman Parker Wotherspoon and goaltender Carter Hart.

Few players are more closely tied to the Golden Knights’ history than Karlsson.

Selected from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2017 expansion draft, Karlsson quickly became one of the faces of a franchise that shocked the hockey world during its inaugural season. He has remained a key part of Vegas ever since, helping the Golden Knights go from an expansion team to Stanley Cup champions in just six seasons.

Karlsson has appeared in 570 regular-season games with Vegas, scoring 191 goals and 238 assists for 429 points.

Now, with a new contract in place and a surgically repaired wrist, Karlsson gets two more seasons to add to a Vegas legacy that began on Day 1.

The wait is finally over: Kings hockey is back. The NHL season officially started yesterday. The Kings are looking to start their 2026-27 NHL season on the right path as they take on the team that eliminated them in the playoffs last season, the Colorado Avalanche. The Kings will face the Avalanche at 10:00 PM EST. 

Projected Kings Lines

Here are the projected lines for the Kings:

Artemi Panarin - Quinton Byfield - Adrian Kempe

Mats Zuccarello - Alex Turcotte - Alex Laferriere

Trevor Moore - Erik Haula - Scott Laughton

Andre Lee - Samuel Helenius - Joel Armia 

Brian Dumoulin - Drew Doughty

Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke

Mikey Anderson - Cody Ceci

Darcy Kuemper

Anton Forsberg

Projected Avalanche Lines

Here are the projected lines for the Avalanche: 

Artturi Lehkonen - Nathan MacKinnon - Martin Necas

Gabriel Landeskog - Brock Nelson - Nazem Kadri

Jaden Schwartz - Fedor Svechkov - T.J. Hughes

Parker Kelly - Nicolas Roy

Devon Toews - Cale Makar

Brett Kulak - Sam Malinski

Josh Manson - Brent Burns

Noah Juulsen

Mackenzie Blackwood

Scott Wedgewood

Game Notes

The Kings will be without Kevin Fiala due to his leg surgery. The Kings have also scratched Corey Perry and Erik Gustafsson in tonight's matchup. The Avalanche will dress 11 forwards and 7 defensemen tonight. The Avalanche will also be without Logan O’Connor (lower body) and Zachary L’Heureux (lower body). 

The projected starting goaltenders tonight are Darcy Kuemper for the Kings and Mackenzie Blackwood for the Avalanche. This will also be the first regular-season game with Peter Laviolette as their head coach. This is game 1 of 84, so the Kings are looking to start the 2026-27 NHL season with a win. 

The Kings' defence will need to be cautious against this Avalanche team, which averaged 3.63 goals per game and allowed the fewest goals in the NHL at 2.40 per game. While the Kings' defence ranked 7th in the NHL last season, their offence needed a big spark. 

In Game 1, expect the Kings to play better on offence and run a new scheme under new head coach Peter Laviolette. 

Happy new season! Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

The Buffalo Sabres are set to start the 2026-27 season, but it will be difficult to improve on their 2025-26 campaign – one in which they finished first in the Atlantic Division in the regular-season before beating the Boston Bruins in the first round of their Stanley Cup playoff series.

Here at TheHockeyNews.com, in an off-season series, we’re analyzing the Sabres’ Eastern Conference opponents in a series titled “Know Your Enemy”. In this series, we’re breaking down how Buffalo fared against each East team last year, and how they’re likely to fare against those teams this year. And in this final file in the series, we’re focusing on the Washington Capitals. 

The Capitals had an excellent off-season, adding a slew of veterans to reload for a playoff push. Here’s this columnist’s perspective on how the Sabres will fare against Washington in 2026-27:

BUFFALO SABRES VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS

NEW CAPITALS PLAYERS: Alex Tuch (RW), Jordan Kyrou (RW), Boone Jenner (C), Vincent Desharnais (D)

2025-26 SERIES: Sabres 1-2-0, Capitals 2-0-1

2026-27 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER: October 24 at Washington; November 19 at Washington; March 18 at Buffalo

CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM? The Sabres didn’t have much success against the Capitals last season, and there’s good news and bad news in that regard: the good news is that Buffalo won’t see the same Washington roster this season. But the bad news is that the new-look Caps are going to be even more of a problem for the Sabres.

Remember, even though Washington missed the playoffs last season, they only were a few points out of a wild card spot. So when you take the core of the Capitals – Alexander Ovechkin, Logan Thompson, Jakob Chychrun, Tom Wilson – and you add to it four very capable newcomers in trades and free-agency, you’re going to have a Capitals team capable of doing a lot of damage.

The first of those four Caps newcomers is extremely familiar to Sabres fans – power forward Tuch, who left Buffalo behind for a lucrative payday in D.C.. But Sabres fans won’t be able to let Tuch know how they feel about him until close to the end of the regular season. Buffalo will take on the Capitals twice earlier in the year, but both of those games will be in Washington. 

By that point, the Sabres will have bigger fish to fry than to worry about sticking it to Tuch. And in that third and final game, one or both of the Capitals and Sabres could be fighting it out for a wild card berth. 

The Capitals will be bolstered by Tuch, Jenner, Kyrou and Desharnais, so Buffalo will have its hands full in each game they play against Washington. But the Sabres can send a message to Tuch — that he made a major mistake by leaving Buffalo – by defeating the Caps and proving to Sabres fans that they can take on above-average teams and humble them. 

Washington could challenge the Carolina Hurricanes for top spot in the Metropolitan Division. So the Sabres know they’re going to face a serious challenge from the Capitals. And the way Buffalo responds to that challenge will help shape the way their 2026-27 season unfolds.

A piece of good news came out of the Florida Panthers practice on Wednesday in San Jose.

One day after picking up a victory in their first game of the season, the Panthers were back on the ice for practice at Sharks Ice, the San Jose Sharks training facility, ahead of their game on Thursday.

On the ice for a portion of Florida’s time at Sharks Ice was forward Brad Marchand.

Marchand has been out since having a procedure last month, one that was expected to keep him out until sometime in November.

At least that was the initial diagnosis, which Panthers head coach Paul Maurice and general manager Bill Zito shared with the media several weeks ago.

In the time since, Marchand has been spotted on the ice several times.

Mostly he’s been working with coaches and forward Jonah Gadjovich, who is also on Injured Reserve and out indefinitely.

Marchand is on the road trip with his Panthers teammates, though, and after skating on Wednesday, his head coach provided an update on how the veteran forward is recovering from the injury.

“He’s probably further ahead than we thought,” Maurice said. “The window is still there, but he survived a Patric Hornqvist skate the other day and not too many healthy people can do that, so I don’t know where he’s at, but I think he’s closer to the end of the month.”

Video of Marchand at Wednesday's practice can be seen below:

Adding Marchand to Florida’s lineup will only boost what some consider the deepest forward group in the NHL.

Last season, Marchand’s first full campaign with the Panthers, he led the team offensively in goals and points until injuries began catching up to him in February and March. He finished with 27 goals and 54 points in 52 games.

When he returns, it’s expected that Marchand re-joins a forward line with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen, but that’s assuming there are no other changes to the lineup between now and then.

We’ll see how things play out, but Florida’s embarrassment of riches that is their depth will only grow stronger when Marchand gets back in the band.

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Season-opening cheers turn into boos as Flyers get blown out by Penguins originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Rick Tocchet felt the Flyers were humbled in their preseason finale.

Four days later, they were served a much bigger slice of humble pie. It came on opening night, in a game that counted, in front of a packed crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The Flyers commenced the 2026-27 season with an embarrassing, 7-0 loss Wednesday night to the Penguins.

“That was about as ugly as it could have gotten,” Travis Sanheim said. “The fortunate thing is it’s Game 1 and we’ve got 83 more of these and we’re playing again tomorrow night.”

In this same building not even five months ago, the Flyers received a standing ovation after their promising run to the second round of the playoffs came to an end. On Wednesday night, they were booed. Heavily.

And it was warranted.

“At some point, we’ve got to learn here, we’ve got to wake up,” Sean Couturier said. “The last exhibition game we played, it was the same way. Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, it’s training camp, we’re going to ease our way into the season.’ But we’ve got to wake up here.

“I mean, there’s no panic, nothing, but obviously we’ve got to realize that we’re not that good, what happened last year is last year and we’ve got to move on. It’s a fresh year and we’ve got to get back to outworking teams and trying to get points.”

Pittsburgh finished off the eye-sore with a power play goal.

“There were alarming things out there,” Tocchet said. “We honestly didn’t win a battle.”

The Flyers dropped to 0-2-0 in season openers under Tocchet.

“They outcoached us tonight, they outplayed us,” Tocchet said. “They did everything better than us tonight.”

The Penguins got some early revenge on the Flyers. The opener was a rematch of last season’s first-round playoff matchup. The Flyers won the physical and feisty series in six games.

The Flyers face Pittsburgh three more times this season.

• Dan Vladar did not look like himself. Perhaps there was some rust.

The 29-year-old goaltender saw only one abbreviated period of preseason action because of an upper-body injury. Ideally, he would have played five periods before the real thing.

“He hasn’t had a preseason,” Tocchet said. “He wants to battle and stay in there. That’s what I thought.”

Pittsburgh’s sixth goal was salt in the wound. It came on the Flyers’ power play in the third period when Nick Robertson had a shot go off the boards and then Vladar’s skate.

But this loss wasn’t squarely on Vladar’s shoulders. The Flyers didn’t help him whatsoever. And they knew he barely had a preseason. They gave up 38 shots.

The Penguins flipped the game upside down in the second period by ripping off three goals over a span of 4:40 minutes.

Evgeni Malkin padded the lead to 3-0 with a power play blast. Hendrix Lapierre made it 4-0 on a wide-open look after Jamie Drysdale lost a puck battle in the neutral zone. The boos really came down after Filip Hallander batted home a loose puck, making it 5-0 with about half of the game still left to be played.

“When we were down 4-0, even some plays we were making, just disturbing plays,” Tocchet said. “Obviously we’ve got to figure this out quickly. Since I’ve been here, it’s the worst D-zone I’ve ever seen.”

The Flyers were not sharp at all in the first period. They couldn’t connect on passes and their last shot came with 12:25 minutes left in the period.

They had a poor line change, which resulted in Pittsburgh’s second goal. Rasmus Ristolainen, Porter Martone and Owen Tippett all came off. Trevor Zegras was in the process of changing, but had to circle back. Ville Koivunen capitalized, taking a pass and going down broadway to beat Vladar on a nifty move.

The Penguins’ onslaught started 7:26 minutes into the action. Ristolainen elicited a roar from the crowd when he leveled Sidney Crosby in the defensive zone, but Pittsburgh kept possession and scored 15 seconds later. Crosby picked up a secondary assist on the play as Robertson snuck one past Vladar with a deflection.

Penguins netminder Arturs Silovs stopped all 19 of the Flyers’ shots.

• The Flyers were not a high-end scoring team last season and their offense dried up badly later in the playoffs.

They couldn’t generate much at all Wednesday night.

“That’s a team that didn’t want to be engaged tonight, as much as defensively and offensively,” Tocchet said. “Like, hold onto a puck. We just kept throwing pucks and giving it away.”

The Flyers’ power play went 0 for 3. The club entered the opener with the NHL’s worst power play percentage over the past five seasons combined.

• The Flyers are right back at it Thursday when they visit the Devils (7 p.m. ET/ESPN+, Hulu).

The Chicago Blackhawks went with Andrew Mangiapane over Teuvo Teravainen in the first game of the regular season after the two battled for playing time during training camp. It came somewhat as a surprise that Teravainen was in that position based on the career he's had, but Jeff Blashill is committed to playing the lineup that he thinks has the best chance to win. 

The Blackhawks had a tough loss to open their season against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, but they didn't lose just the game. They also lost Mangiapane, who played one shift in the second period before leaving the game due to injury. 

After the game was over, Jeff Blashill told reporters that Mangiapane was going to miss the rest of the road trip (Thursday vs Utah, Saturday vs Buffalo). His status beyond that is unclear. 

On Wednesday, Mangiapane returned to Chicago, where he would be evaluated further. Whether he is able to play in Chicago's home opener on October 6th still remains to be seen, but he won't be with the team for the next handful of days. 

During their practice on Wednesday in Salt Lake City, ahead of their game against the Utah Mammoth, Teravainen was inserted into the line rushes with nobody rotating in for him. He skated on the second line's left wing with Roman Kantserov in the middle and Nick Lardis on the right. 

Teravainen was unable to lock himself into the opening-night lineup with his play during camp and the preseason, but he has been gifted another golden opportunity. It's on him to run with it. 

The lines were probably going in the blender anyway, but the addition of Teravainen is part of a very interesting shakeup. The top line will feature Patrick Kane and Tyler Bertuzzi on the wings, with Anton Frondell in the middle. 

Kane played much better once placed with Tyler Bertuzzi in Tuesday night's loss, and Blashill is keeping them together for now. For Anton Frondell, this is a great opportunity early in the year to get going. 

With another injury or illness for the rest of the road trip, the Blackhawks would likely just dress 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. They have 8 blue-liners on the roster, which is why there isn't an extra forward besides Teravainen, with Mangiapane leaving. 

If at any point they have to make a call-up, you'd think that Landon Slaggert is the first option, with Dominic Toninato in the mix as well. There are also AJ Spellacy and Sacha Boisvert down in Rockford waiting for their chance to become NHL regulars. 

Jeff Blashill and Kyle Davidson are likely not thrilled that there is already an injury to keep an eye on, but that is the nature of hockey. Connor Bedard will be back before long, which will add an elite talent to the forward group. When that happens, everyone will slot down into more fitting roles, which will make everyone better. A guy like Teuvo Teravainen has until then to keep himself dressed in the lineup. 

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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A former Montreal Canadiens goalie is officially available for the taking.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Carolina Hurricanes have placed former Canadiens goalie Cayden Primeau on waivers.

With Primeau being placed on waivers, any interested teams can claim him. However, if he clears waivers unclaimed, Carolina will then be able to assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. 

Teams looking for goalie depth could consider taking a chance on Primeau. Yet, it would also be understandable if he clears waivers, as he has struggled to break out at the NHL level. 

Primeau spent most of last season in the AHL with the Wolves. In 39 games with the AHL club, he posted a 21-11-7 record, a .916 save percentage, and a 2.41 goals-against average. He also played in three games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2025-26, posting a 2-1-0 record, an .838 save percentage, and a 4.30 goals-against average. 

Primeau was selected by the Canadiens in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, 199th overall. In 55 games over six seasons with Montreal from 2019-20 to 2024-25, he had a 13-24-7 record, an .884 save percentage, and a 3.69 goals-against average. 

Every year, as we near the end of NHL training camps, being placed on waivers can mean one of two very different things.

For some players, it can create a fresh start with a new NHL team. The Senators saw that first-hand last week when goaltender Leevi Meriläinen was claimed by the Vancouver Canucks. 

But for the vast majority of NHL hopefuls, being placed on waivers means they'll soon be packing their bags for the American Hockey League.

As teams across the league made their final roster cuts over the past seven days, the waiver wire had a long list of player names that popped up who should be very familiar to Senators fans.

For some of them, it was a disappointment, while others almost certainly saw it coming. Either way, everyone on the list cleared and will start the year as American Hockey Leaguers.

Three of them will be reunited in the Florida Panthers organization.

Cole Reinhardt, Angus Crookshank and Donovan Sebrango were all waived by Florida and were assigned to the AHL's Charlotte Checkers.

Colin White, who was once a big part of the Sens rebuilding plans, was waived by the New Jersey Devils and eventually assigned to the Utica Comets.

Mads Søgaard, who once held the title of Sens’ goalie of the future, was waived by the Tampa Bay Lightning and sent to Syracuse.

Dennis Gilbert provided defensive depth for the Sens last season and dressed for three of their four playoff games. He was waived by the Buffalo Sabres and will start the season with the Rochester Americans.

Josh Brown was waived by the Edmonton Oilers and heads to the Bakersfield Condors. The big defenceman, D.J. Smith’s OHL captain, spent parts of two seasons with the Sens from 2020 to 2022.

Noah Gregor was among the Winnipeg Jets' final cuts. He’s been assigned to the Manitoba Moose. Noah's career arc with Ottawa lasted less than a year. He was part of one season before being dealt to San Jose in the 2024 Fabian Zetterlund trade.

Dylan Gambrell also cleared waivers, this time with the Minnesota Wild, and will report to the AHL. Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa. 

Defenceman Maxence Guenette was waived by the Bruins and cleared, sending him to the Providence Bruins. 

And defenseman Christian Wolanin cleared waivers with the Colorado Avalanche so he'll fly with the Eagles in the AHL. 

All in all, it’s a pretty interesting list. You have a former first-round pick like White, longtime prospects like Søgaard and Guenette, and depth guys who spent some serious time in Ottawa.

Now, with the new AHL season starting up on Friday night in eight cities, all these former Senators have the same goal: try to find their way back to the NHL.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

This story was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For more from THN Ottawa, click one of the headlines below:

Hoyt Stanley's Surprising Selection To Senators' 23 Man Roster
Thomas Chabot Named Captain Of The Ottawa Senators
Steve Staios Provides Latest Injury Updates, Weighs In On Yakemchuk Readiness

TORONTO -- In the summer of 2025, the New York Islanders selected Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick, Victor Eklund at No. 16, and Kashawn Aitcheson at No. 17, adding three strong players to Isaiah George, Cole Eiserman, Danny Nelson, and Co. 

Flash forward to now, and Schaefer is entering year two after winning the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie. 

Eklund, who played one game for the Islanders -- Game No. 82 -- before the 2025-26 season ended, made the team out of training camp. 

George, who didn't make the Islanders out of training camp, is still just 22 years old and is very much seen as part of their future.

Aitcheson and Eiserman were part of the last cuts this training camp, as they are closer than they appear.

But there's another prospect who just adds to the excitement surrounding this club's bright future.

Left-side defenseman Malte Gustafsson, whom the Islanders selected 13th overall this past summer, is playing in the SHL. He is someone who could be playing for the Islanders come season's end, as we saw with Eklund. 

Malte Gustafsson, who the #Isles selected 13th overall this past draft — with Bartner there as a witness — is playing top-pairing minutes in the SHL this season and has looked incredible.

With the way Kashawn Aitcheson played at camp and what Gustafsson is showing, the future… https://t.co/qVMoAF4h25

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) September 30, 2026

Gustafsson recorded three assists in 27 games last season for HV71 Jonkoping.

This season, in four games, the 18-year-old has recorded three assists, matching his season total. He is playing on the top pair, but the 6'4, 200 lb defenseman looks much stronger and that's something Islanders fans should be excited about. 

ST. LOUIS -- Tyler Tucker will miss the foreseeable future for the St. Louis Blues after having a successful arthroscopic procedure performed on his right knee on Wednesday morning. 

The defenseman is scheduled to be re-evaluated in six weeks.

Tucker, 26, was injured in practice on Sept. 20 and has not been on the ice since. Blues general manager Alexander Steen said on Monday that Tucker was in the process of having a second opinion, and it obviously led to this procedure that will keep him shelved until at least mid-November.

The Blues have had to make a series of moves on their blue line in light of recent injuries to Tucker and Logan Mailloux, who had surgery on his right hand Sunday that will keep him out at least eight weeks when he is scheduled to get re-evaluated.

The team recalled Adam Jiricek, a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, from Springfield of the American Hockey League and claimed Justin Barron off waivers from the Nashville Predators to help fill the void.

Jiricek could very well make his NHL debut when the Blues open the season Friday against the Dallas Stars.

"Yeah, we've discussed that, but at the end of the day this is going to be a coaching decision and then we'll continue to have conversations on a daily basis on where he's at," Steen said of Jiricek. "...  "Just him playing his game. What we like about him is he's excited to play hockey. I love the fact that he brings the same excitement to both the offensive side and the play without the puck. He's very eager to learn. It seems like he picks things up quickly. From the start of rookie camp, where he was, every day it felt like he was growing. Not just getting more and more comfortable, but he was almost calming his play and bringing out his strengths consistently. I thought he had a tremendous camp, so we're excited to see what he can do."

Tucker played in 69 regular-season games last season and had 17 points (three goals, 14 assists); he's played in 159 regular-season games in his career and has 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists).

Disappointment Of Being Sent Down Quickly Turned To Elation For St. Louis Blues 2024 First-Round Pick Adam JiricekDefenseman was quickly recalled from Springfield following injuries to Mailloux, Tucker; could make NHL debut in season=opener on Friday

The Hockey NewsThe Hockey News

Logan Mailloux's Injury Comes At A Tough Time After Strong Training Camp For St. Louis BluesDefenseman had surgery on right hand Sunday, will be re-evaluated in eight weeks

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The New York Islanders are set to open the 2026-27 season on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, Sept. 30.

Last season, the Islanders finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a 43-34-5. This season will be the first full season under head coach Peter DeBoer, who was hired in April 2026 for the final four games of the regular season after Patrick Roy was fired.

They’ll face the Toronto Maple Leafs, who opened their season last night with a 3-2 loss against the Montreal Canadiens.

The matchup will be a showcase for the two most recent first-overall NHL draft picks: 2025’s Matthew Schaefer and 2026’s Gavin McKenna. Schaefer begins his second NHL season with the Islanders today after tying the league’s rookie record for goals by a defenseman (23). The reigning Calder Trophy winner for rookie of the year was named an alternate captain by the Islanders earlier this week.

McKenna was held to 0 points in his NHL debut, where he played on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander.

Here’s how to watch the Islanders’ season-opener if you don’t have cable.

Islanders vs. Maple Leafs start time

Puck drop at tonight’s (Sept. 30) Islanders vs. Maple Leafs game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

How to watch Islanders vs. Maple Leafs for free

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to tune in to tonight’s Islanders game.

DIRECTV is our favorite service for trying live TV for free. Right now, you can take advantage of a five-day free trial before saving $30 on your first month. We recommend the Choice plan, which includes ESPN as part of its 125+ channels.

The most cost-effective way to watch the Islanders without cable is with a subscription to MSG+ via DAZN. An MSG subscription on DAZN includes all live Islanders, Rangers, Devils and Knicks games for those in the NY metro TV market and costs $19.99 for your first month.

Islanders schedule 2026

The NHL has expanded the regular season to 84 games beginning this season. You can check out the full 84-game slate here, but below, we’ve listed out some key matchups, including the Isles’ first game against each Metropolitan Division rival.

• Home opener: Oct. 3 vs. New Jersey Devils, 7:30 p.m. ET (MSG) – get tickets
• Oct. 6 vs. New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• Nov. 5 vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET (Disney+, Hulu)
• Nov. 17 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. ET (MSG)
• Nov. 28 vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 7:30 p.m. ET (MSG)
• Dec. 30 vs. Washington Capitals, 4 p.m. ET (MSG)
• Jan. 13 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT, truTV)
• Final regular season game: April 10 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 5 p.m. ET (MSG)

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

There's no question that Brady Tkachuk's "Wingmen" podcast caused a few distractions last season, and there's probably no shortage of Sens fans who are pleased that's not a concern anymore.

But now another Sens star will have a go at it.

Senators centre Tim Stützle and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider have signed on with kicker Podcasts to host a monthly podcast called Seider & Stützle. The trailer to the show was published on Wednesday morning on the podcast company's YouTube channel.

Along with the trailer, the show's first hour-long episode was published. They talk about starting a podcast, summer training, the start of a new season, their expectations, involvement in their NHL communities, and what motivates them.

For three reasons, this Sens player side hustle isn't likely to cause a stir in Ottawa. For one, it's entirely in German, so not as many Sens fans will listen. Secondly, Stutzle is a completely different personality than Tkachuk.

And finally, and probably most importantly, Stutzle won't have anyone on the podcast like Matthew or Keith Tkachuk, chirping and steamrolling over top of him, and taking the conversation into awkward places that spark distractions.

Seider & Stützle obviously have a lot in common. They've been friends for years, played on the German national team together, trained in the summers together, and they're both signed long term by their NHL clubs until 2031.

They also had their team captains ask for trades this year, but their clubs' reactions were totally different. In Ottawa, Tkachuk asked for a trade and was dealt to the Florida Panthers. Dylan Larkin wants a trade as well, but it remains to seen if the Wings will accommodate him.

It will be interesting to see if they weigh in on that topic, and if so, how they'll address it in the looser format of podcasting, compared the standard NHL media scrum.

Stützle's NHL visit to Germany is also likely to be an upcoming topic of discussion. In the week leading up to Christmas, he and the Senators will play two regular season games in Düsseldorf against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Seider & Stützle appears to be audio only and will be released on the last Wednesday of every month and available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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The Buffalo Sabres practiced at Key Bank Center on Wednesday before departing for Columbus for their season opener against the Blue Jackets on Thursday. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who practiced on Tuesday after leaving the preseason finale last Saturday, was on the ice for the second day in a row..

The 27-year-old and third-stringer Colten Ellis took part in the nearly hour long workout, and head coach Lindy Ruff has been pleased with what his starter has done to get ready for the season.

"(I've liked) the  first  couple  of  games  that (Luukkonen's) been  in, the work that  he put in over the summer." Ruff said. "He came in tremendous shape.  I've liked the work he's put in, and his practices have been good. It's like I said, all three  goaltenders gave us a good year last year." 

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Ruff said that Alex Lyon is feeling good and is on track to be available within a few days. On defense, Olen Zellweger was not on the ice, but the head coach said there were any setbacks after being concussed during the preseason. The young blueliner needs to clear concussion protocol and will be tested again on Thursday, which could make him available for the Sabres opener against Chicago on Saturday or soon thereafter. 

After skating on his own on Tuesday, bluelinerMattias Samuelsson practiced fully on Wednesday. Ruff hinted that there could be a roster move made on Thursday to add a seventh defenseman for the opener, but Samuelsson sounded if he was ready to play against the Blue Jackets. 

"I thought I was fine afterwards, and then tried to play a couple of shifts and didn't feel great. It was preseason.  I  kind of just called it.  We  got  some  more  imaging  done,  and (the injury)  wasn't  too  major." Samuelsson said. " It was just kind of one of those situations where, if I felt like I was ready to play, I'd be back in the lineup. That's kind  of  what  today was for: to see how I felt out there, and it went well." 

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