The Buffalo Sabres will open training camp with GM Jarmo Kekalainen and head coach Lindy Ruff meeting the media on Wednesday. One of the questions that Kekalainen will undoubtedly field will be why the club did not make any additions to their roster after losing veterans Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram around the NHL Draft in late June.
The Sabres made a proactive move by dealing Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks for a pair of high draft picks (used to select Daxon Rudolph and to trade for Olen Zellweger) and defenseman Louis Crevier, and recouped a third round pick in a sign-and-trade with Washington for Tuch, but the club did not make any acquisitions to fill the leadership or scoring gaps.
While it is still possible that Kekalainen will add a veteran forward on a professional tryout between now and the start of camp, or perhaps pull off the much-rumored trade for Connor Hellebuyck, other teams in the Atlantic Division are not sitting on their hands.
The Montreal Canadiens added some experience to their forward corps, signing 35-year-old winger Chris Kreider, to a one-year, incentive-laden contract. The veteran forward scored 50 points (22 goals, 28 assists) last season in Anaheim, and agreed to a termination of the final year of his deal last week, in hopes of finding a landing spot out east.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun indicated that three clubs were interested in Kreider, but he chose being reunited with former Rangers GM Jeff Gorton and teammate Martin St. Louis in Montreal.
The Toronto Maple Leafs also continued their organizational reshuffle, adding free-agent defenseman Nick Blankenburg on a PTO. The 28-year-old righty played for Nashville and Colorado last season, posting 24 points (8 goals, 16 assists) in 61 games. The Leafs have defensive questions on the right side of the blueline with veteran Chris Tanev coming back from concussion issues and core-muscle surgery.
With NHL pre-season beginning in just less than a week's time, the excitement for the 2026-27 NHL season is at an all-time high.
With pre-season, fans receive a glimpse of what possible line combinations could look like when the season starts, and they are also provided with an opportunity to watch young players and prospects who could don their team's colors in the near future.
But with all the positives, there are still some downsides. As roster cuts begin, NHL teams risk losing players on the waiver wire. Besides players on entry-level contracts, any player who is sent to the AHL, and in the Panthers' case, the Charlotte Checkers, must clear waivers.
Waivers are a 24-hour period during which the other 31 NHL teams could place a claim for any player on waivers. If successful, they would acquire the player and his contract.
With that being said, here are three players the Panthers risk losing on waivers this season.
Cole Reinhardt, LW
Cole Reinhardt is an obvious risk to be lost on waivers for several reasons, but most notably because the Panthers acquired him from the waiver wire.
The 26-year-old joined the Panthers late in the 2025-26 season and looked every part of an effective bottom-six winger. He had the speed to generate offense off the rush and was reliable enough in his own end to play some defensive minutes. With the Panthers' forward group looking relatively healthy, aside from Brad Marchand, Reinhardt is left on the outside looking in.
Although Reinhardt is more skilled than Jonah Gadjovich and Garnet Hathaway, they bring physical elements he doesn't. With a strong pre-season, Reinhardt could find himself as the 13th forward, but competing with Sam Lafferty and Cole Schwindt is a tough task. Lafferty brings more NHL experience, and Schwindt has the positional value as a center.
If Reinhardt does end up on waivers, it wouldn't be surprising to see multiple teams place claims.
Donovan Sebrango found himself playing in far more games with the Panthers than he likely expected, which is why he received a contract extension. Despite that, the Panthers went out and signed Radko Gudas, taking away Sebrango's role as the seventh defenseman.
Gudas slots in on the bottom pairing with Dmitry Kulikov and pushes Uvis Balinskis into the seventh defenseman role that Sebrango was occupying.
Like Reinhardt, the Panthers claimed Sebrango off waivers. With the never-ending need for NHL-caliber defensemen, Sebrango is certainly a risk to be claimed when the Panthers make their final cuts.
Tobias Bjornfot has spent the past three seasons with the Panthers, providing excellent relief during injury crises. Last year, he played 19 games, scoring two goals and four points while averaging 14:11 of ice time.
With the Checkers, Bjornfot has blossomed into a leader and vital piece of their blueline, which is why the likelihood of him passing through waivers has decreased.
The 25-year-old has proven to be capable as a replacement-level defenseman and, like Sebrango, is on the outside looking in for an NHL role within the organization. Passing through waivers would be critical to maintaining the Panthers' organizational depth.
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On Player Empowerment and Being In The Middle Of It:
"I think it’s different for everyone. I don’t want to speak on specific situations just because I don’t know all the facts and details, and I feel like everyone’s situation is different. I do think it’s definitely more vocal than it’s been in years past. I think everyone would probably agree with that. I just know personally, for me, where I was at, where I’m at now. I’m just happy with how everything worked out for me and that I’m still in Columbus."
In the photos, the reigning Norris winner is wearing the "A". Many people speculate that Werenski should be given the Captaincy as a way to lure him to stay in Columbus after his deal is over. I think, while being named Captain is quite the honor, I don't think it can be used as a bargaining chip to keep a guy with a team, and it's a bit overrated. Who's to say Werenski even wants to be the Captain?
It will be interesting to see what kind of season Voronkov can have in 2026-27. If he has a strong season, it will help his chances of landing a nice payday for his next contract.
If Fabbro can be dependable defensively while chipping in a bit of offense from the point, he will be a nice part of the Blue Jackets' blueline this season. It will be interesting to see if he can be just that from here.
It will now be interesting to see how many opportunities Copley gets with the Blue Jackets this season. In 78 career NHL games, he has posted a 44-17-8 record, an .898 save percentage, and a 2.85 goals-against average.
Overall, if Heinen can provide similar offense to this as a depth forward for the Blue Jackets, he could end up being a sneaky good signing for them. There is no risk in the Blue Jackets bringing him back on his two-way deal, and it will be interesting to see what he can do in 2026-27.
Dick Tärnström - 2008 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1994.
Tärnströmwas traded on February 1, 2008, to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Curtis Glencross. He played 19 games with the CBJ and had 9 points.
After one season in Columbus, he left for Europe and never returned. He played in Sweden until he was forced to retire in 2013 due to a neck injury. Nowadays, he's the Director of Youth Hockey for MB Hockey in Sweden.
Chris Nielsen - 2001-2002 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1998.
After signing with Columbus, Neilsen played 52 games over the course of two seasons. After bouncing around the AHL for a few seasons, he left for Europe and played in Germany for a year. He decided to retire in 2006.
Nowadays, he's the attending surgeon at University Health Network and an Assistant Professor in the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery with the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
James Wisniewski - Wisniewski played in 209 games for the Jackets over four seasons, scoring 26 goals and 121 points. He was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in 2015 and then went to Carolina in 2015-16, where he played only one game. He finished his career in Germany in 2016. In June of 2024, he was named Associate Coach of the Ohio State Women's Hockey Team.
Martin Špaňhel - 2001-2002 - Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1995.
Špaňhel played 10 games for Columbus in the franchise's first two years and scored two goals. He never played another NHL game after leaving for Europe in 2002, where he played in Czechia, Denmark, and Norway.
He returned to North America in 2011 and played in the ECHL, but then retired soon after. Nowadays, he's the Commissioner of the Columbus Adult Hockey League.
Mathieu Darche - 2001-2002 - Undrafted out of Saint-Laurent, Quebec.
Darche played 24 games for the CBJ over their first three seasons, totaling two points. Darche played until 2012, retiring with the Montreal Canadiens.
He was the Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Ops for the Tampa Bay Lightning for 6 years before being named the GM and executive VP of Hockey Ops and General Manager for the New York Islanders last season.
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Last season, Alex Newhook played the first 17 games alongside Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, but then he got injured, and the Montreal Canadiens faced a dilemma. Martin St-Louis first tried to put Kirby Dach on that line, but the experiment was short-lived; after just one game, he paired Juraj Slafkovsky with the two rookies, with great results. It worked because that line needed some grit, some forecheck, a big body that didn’t fear going into traffic.
However, taking Slafkovsky away from the first line wasn’t great, and Dach, Samuel Bolduc and Alexandre Texier all had the opportunity to play with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, but none of them play the game like Slafkovsky does, and the results weren’t great. Shortly after Newhook returned, the big Slovak was put back on the top line because that’s the combination that gets the best out of the team’s best players.
However, the fact that Slafkovsky worked so well on the second line made Kent Hughes look for another big-bodied top-six forward. He reportedly tried to acquire Matthew Knies from the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it didn't work. This summer, he set his sights on Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets, but Don Waddell doesn’t want a package centered on futures for his top player, and the price tag promises to be hefty.
Then, when the Anaheim Ducks found themselves in salary cap hell thanks to the Philadelphia Flyers signing Leo Carlsson to an offer sheet, they were forced to cut ties with Chris Kreider. Why? Because they needed more than $9 million to sign RFA Cutter Gauthier. While Kreider is already 35, he’s still a productive top-six forward in the NHL and one who plays exactly the style of hockey the second line needs. Kreider is the low-cost solution to the fact that Hughes and co. can’t clone Slafkovsky. Details on the bonus linked to the contract have now emerged on Puckpedia, and it's important to remember that the bonus money can carry over to next season if the Habs are short on cap space.
The #GoHabsGo signed Chris Kreider to 1 year deal:
Salary 850K Signing Bonus 1.3M Performance bonuses 3.25M: *2M @ 10 games played *250K each @ 10/20/30 Goals scored *500K @ 40 Goals Scored
As things stand, the Canadiens still have $7.6 million in cap space, but they still have to unsigned RFA in Zach Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj. With Kreider now signed, could the Canadiens entertain the idea of trading Bolduc in a deal for Marchenko? Yes, they could, but would an offer that includes two roster players like Bolduc and center Oliver Kapanen be enough to tempt Waddell? Both have potential, but do they have enough to convince Waddell to roll the dice and part with his prized asset? That’s far from certain.
In the meantime, however, the Kreider signing is great news for Canadiens fans. Not only does he fill a need in the lineup, but he’s a free agent who chose to come to Montreal, despite the fact that he has long been hated by the fan base for events that need not be discussed again. Kreider wanted to be back in the Eastern Conference, and he wanted to join a team with a legitimate chance to win the Stanley Cup; for him, that’s the Canadiens. Hughes, Jeff Gorton, and St-Louis have made Montreal a destination free agents want to come to. Despite the taxes, the weather, and the language, if you build it, they will come. That doesn’t just apply to the baseball movie Field of Dreams; it also applies to a winning team.
As for those worried the Canadiens are holding a grudge over what happened in 2014, none of the players from 2014 are still with the team. Brendan Gallagher was the last one. It’s been 12 years, and if Hughes, Gorton, and St-Louis feel bringing Kreider on is the right move, it means they believe it’s time for fans to move on from what happened. Bringing Kreider on is not akin to bringing in Mark Scheifele, who once destroyed Jake Evans with a dangerous high hit. Evans is still on the team, and so are many players who skated in that 2021 series against the Winnipeg Jets.
Montreal fans know their hockey well enough to move past the grudge. According to our instant poll, which only had 95 voters, 85% of the fans polled were happy with the move last night, and that was before they had time to process it. They can appreciate what Kreider brings to the table, even though he cost them a chance to reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. Besides, would there be a better way to make amends than signing with the Habs and helping them to move past the last hurdle? Like him or not, Kreider is a proven playoff performer, one who can elevate his game in the spring and lead the young Canadiens into battle. The Habs lost Brendan Gallagher this summer, so an influx of experience and leadership certainly won’t hurt.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
As we complete our look at the Sabres prospects on the opening day of the Sabres Prospects Showcase at LECOM Harborcenter, the most immediate and potential upside comes from Helenius, who likely was held back from playing more in the NHL last season by the club not wanting to burn the first year of his three-year entry-level contract.
The young Finn was the Sabres first-round pick (14th overall) at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas after an impressive season in the SM-Liiga and internationally for his country at three levels. Helenius excelled at the junior level at the age of 16 and played 33 games against adult competition, and played at the Under-18’s in 2023.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
At 17, he had 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 51 games for Jukurit, seven points in five games at the Under-18’s, played seven games at the IIHF World Juniors in Sweden, and saw limited action at the World Championships in May 2024. The Sabres were fortunate to have Helenius fall to them at 14th overall after many draft analysts labeled him nearly pro-ready after playing in Liiga, for Finland at the Under-18’s, World Junior Championships, and World Championships.
Helenius adjusted well in his first season in North America, with 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) in 65 games with the Rochester Americans, and six points (3 goals, 3 assists) in eight playoff games, earning him a spot on the AHL’s Top Prospects Team.
At the 2025 World Junior, he posted six assists in seven games, as Finland won the silver medal. Last season, the 20-year-old nearly doubled his offensive output in Rochester, earning a second straight Top Prospects nod by averaging a point-per-game (21 goals, 42 assists in 63 games) with the Amerks.
He was so valuable to Rochester that GM Jarmo Kekalainen did not release him to his country for the 2026 World Juniors, and in January, he was called up to make his NHL debut in mid-January. Helenius played nine games before the NHL Olympic break, when he was sent back to the AHL, and he was not recalled until after the Amerks were eliminated from the Calder Cup Playoffs in April. In the second round series against Montreal, the youngster replaced injured veteran Sam Carrick for Game 4, and in the final four games of the series scored a pair of goals and seemed unfazed by the high-pressure situation.
It is expected that Helenius will start the season in the NHL, and is being depended on to pick up some of the scoring slack created by the departure of Alex Tuch.
Cole Beaudoin is entering a new chapter in his career, taking the jump from the Ontario Hockey League to play professional hockey, though it is not exactly the chapter he expected.
Beaudoin entered Utah Mammoth’s development camp this summer with high hopes and expectations about his future with the organization.
The plan was for him to either play for the Mammoth at the NHL level or start the 2026-27 season in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
What Beaudoin wasn’t expecting was to be traded to the New York Rangers in the midst of development camp.
“I was just with all of the guys and then the news kind of broke,” Beaudoin said on being traded to the Rangers. “It was crazy, I wasn’t expecting it.”
On July 1, Beaudoin was traded from the Mammoth to the Rangers along with Sean Durzi in a deal centered around Vincent Trocheck.
Despite the initial shock of being dealt, the 20-year-old forward expressed his excitement for this new chapter in New York.
“It’s been exciting,” Beaudoin said. “It was kind of a surprise, but again, nothing but good things to say about Utah, and now moving to New York, Original Six team, I’m excited, super excited to get going.”
Since being selected by the Mammoth in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, Beaudoin has played two seasons in the OHL for the Barrie Colts.
This past season as the captain of the Colts, the Ottawa native recorded 33 goals, 55 assists, and 88 points in 54 games.
Beaudoin now feels fully prepared to take the professional hockey leap after two years playing in the OHL.
“I think going back to Junior there, I thought I had a big year in Barrie… I learned a lot about myself, learned a lot about my game. I had that confidence in myself to make those plays offensively, but then also shut down top lines if needed,” Beaudoin said of his decision to go pro. “I’ve learned a lot so I think I’m ready to make that jump and play pro this year.”
Given the current structure of the Rangers’ roster and influx of players competing for an opening-night roster spot, there’s a high probability Beaudoin starts the season in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
However, going into training camp next week, Beaudoin has his sights set on earning an NHL roster spot with the Rangers.
“That’s my goal. That has been my goal since coming to my first NHL camp,” Beaudoin said. “I want to play in the NHL, that’s everyone’s goal is to make the NHL. That’s my goal coming out here for rookie camp and then moving into main camp, is I want to make that team. That’s my goal, and I’m going to push.”
Luke Haymes does not pretend the math is easy. He just keeps putting the same notes on the door.
“I’m a big Post-it note guy,” Haymes told reporters after Toronto’s 4-3 overtime loss to Ottawa’s prospects at Centre Slush Puppie. “I just throw something on there and then throw it on my wall somewhere I can see it every day and work towards it.”
They live outside his bedroom door, or on it.
“As I’m leaving, I just look at them.”
A couple of years ago the big one said NHL draft.
“That didn’t go over too well,” he said. This year’s version is simpler and harder: make the Maple Leafs out of camp. “This year’s (goal is) making the NHL.”
Underneath that are the smaller reminders he writes to himself: be a goal scorer, get in and around the net, get low on draws, get your head lower than the other centerman, snap as many draws back as you can. That is the player he is trying to put on tape before main camp, even if the roster math is stacked against him.
Haymes is a 23-year-old centre who signed as an NCAA free agent, put together a solid first full pro season with the Marlies, chipped in on a Calder Cup run and got a brief look with the big club at the end of a lost year. Toronto’s forward depth is still crowded. None of that changed the assignment he gave himself before this weekend.
He wanted the first game of the Prospect Challenge to look like those notes.
“I just want to show I play a mature game, 200-foot, can put the puck in the net but also can lock things down defensively and really good in the faceoff dot, which I think I did a good job of tonight, but I can always do better.”
The game gave him a stage, if not the result. Sawyer Boulton opened the scoring in the first off a Harry Nansi chance. Ottawa answered on the power play through Kasper Halttunen, then took a 2-1 lead on a Landen Hookey rush. Toronto generated little in the second. The night turned after Timofei Obvintsev robbed a 3-on-0. Haymes tied it 2-2, stuffing home a bouncing puck after Blake Smith’s point shot created traffic, exactly the net-front habit on the door.
“I don’t remember much,” Haymes said, “but great shot from Smitty. He got it to the net and then it bounced off my chest or shoulder or something and then I just stuffed it in.”
Borya Valis made it 3-2 on a breakaway. Ottawa tied it again. Jaxon Cover won it in overtime. In between, Smith and Djibril Touré dropped the gloves and Landon Sim tangled with Matthew Andonovski. It was the kind of messy, physical Ontario game Haymes said the younger players had to walk into cold.
“It’s a tough game to step into. It’s super aggressive. Everyone’s trying to make a mark and show the staff that they belong. I thought our guys did a good job.”
The end result saw Ottawa tie it in the third and go ont to win in overtime.
Steve Sullivan used Haymes in every situation, power play, penalty kill, four-on-three, late shifts. “He’s a 200-foot hockey player and it showed tonight,” Sullivan said. “He was part of the power play, part of the penalty kill, right to the end.”
Haymes made his NHL debut last season, where he played in four games and picked up an sssist.
Sunday’s 1 p.m. game against Winnipeg is the last look before the real evaluation starts.
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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: Chris Kreider #20 of the Anaheim Ducks reacts after the game against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Three of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center on May 08, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Getty Images
MONTREAL (AP) — Chris Kreider agreed to terms on a contract for this season with the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday after mutually terminating his previous deal with the Anaheim Ducks earlier in the week.
Kreider, a Massachusetts native, wanted to get back to the Eastern Conference to be closer to family after playing last year in Southern California following a trade from the New York Rangers. The 35-year-old winger joins a young team that is coming off reaching the East final before losing to eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina.
Kreider has been booed in Montreal since colliding with Carey Price during a playoff series with the Rangers in 2014. Price did not play again that spring because of a resulting knee injury.
After going a perfect 3-0 in last year's Prospects Showcase in Buffalo, the Pittsburgh Penguins looked to build on that during this year's Prospect Tournament in Detroit.
And, on Saturday, they got off to a good start.
The Penguins' prospects defeated the prospects of the Columbus Blue Jackets, 2-1, in a shootout to open their three-game tournament slate. Brayden Edwards scored for the Penguins on the power play with less than 30 seconds remaining in the first period with assists from Jordan Charron and Tanner Howe, while defenseman Tomas Galvas and forward Pierce Mbuyi scored a pair of nifty goals in the shootout to bring the Pens to victory.
Free agent goaltender Carter Casey stopped 19 of 20 Columbus shots, and the Penguins outshot the Jackets, 52-20. The lone goal from Columbus was scored by Jack Williams.
There were a lot of positives to pull from this game, especially since the Penguins pretty much dominated from start to finish. From the drop of the puck, they had the ice tilted in their favor, and aside from the lone goal, they never relented.
That said, there were a few players who stood out above others. Here are three standouts from Game 1:
Tomas Galvas
Out of everyone in Game 1, Galvas stood out the most.
The 5-foot-11, 168-pound left blueliner's mobility and skating were on full display, as he skated around defenders with ease and glided through the neutral zone in transition effortlessly. Obviously, the offensive highlight was his crafty shootout goal that led to the 2-1 win, but there was a play late in regulation that helped show off his two-way prowess.
With only four seconds left in regulation, Columbus was pressuring. Positioned near the net front, Galvas was able to get his stick on the puck first to thwart a scoring chance on a reobund opportunity, preventing a last-minute goal by the Jackets.
With about four seconds left in regulation, Tomas Galvas saves the day on the defensive end! pic.twitter.com/1rPQfxCxsM
Galvas was far and away the best player in this game, and it will be interesting to see how he builds on this performance the rest of the way. The way he was able to command the offensive blue line was remniscent of Harrison Brunicke, who the Penguins hold in high regard and who did not play in this game.
The Ruck first selected in this year's draft, Liam was all over the ice. He seemed to be involved in every significant play offensively, even if he didn't end up with a point in this game.
What was most surprising was Ruck's speed through the neutral zone. Liam is ahead of Markus in terms of skating, and that much has been clear for a while. But he can get himself up ice surprisingly quickly, and he was able to generate as a result.
But his offensive smarts are what stand out most. His playmaking ability was right up there with the level of his brother, Markus, and he clearly has a scoring touch, too. He even had a semi-breakaway opportunity at one point that he was stymied on.
There is still some growth that needs to happen for both Rucks, but Liam was already pretty advanced and clearly one of the best players on the ice.
Like Galvas, the left-side McGowan should be one of many in the mix for a final NHL roster spot once training camp begins on Sept. 17.
And there were a few glimpses of him flying up and down the ice and imposing his will.
McGowan can really, really skate, and it's the bread and butter of his game. He even said as much when we spoke with him during development camp. He was blowing by the opposition through the neutral zone, and on one opportunity, even carrying the puck 200 feet all the way down through to the net front for a scoring chance. He also almost scored on a wraparound attempt.
Maleek McGowan can really skate, and he catches the defender a little off guard. pic.twitter.com/he3CG1MgC2
He's physical, he's fast, he's good on the walls, he wins a whole lot of battles for positioning and puck battles, and he has the ability to defend well with his stick. His mobility and aggressiveness, though, is what he showed throughout Game 1.
The Penguins liked McGowan enough to sign him to an AHL deal at the end of last season. Look for him to keep making an impression, especially in these games, where he thrives with his motor and his chippiness.
The San Jose Sharks were back on the ice for the first time in a competitive environment this season on Saturday evening as they played the Los Angeles Kings in their first game at the 2026 Rookie Faceoff.
The Sharks didn’t take long to get on the board, as Filip Bystedt was able to deflect a Jake Boltmann shot past the Kings’ netminder Carter George to make it 1-0.
George denied Bystedt’s attempt to score a second halfway through the first save, extending his body across the crease to stop a one-timer. Moments after the spectacular save, Carson Wetsch shot a bouncing puck that evaded George, making it 2-0 for the team in teal.
Less than a minute later, Wetsch would add an assist to his stat line after he found Andre Gasseau on a two-on-one rush, extending the Sharks’ lead to 3-0 just over halfway through the period.
The Kings cut the Sharks’ lead to 3-1 with roughly six minutes remaining in the first frame, with a goal from Vojtech Cihar.
The Sharks’ “veteran line” created a chance late in the period as Igor Chernyshov sprung Michael Misa on a breakaway, but Misa was unable to get a shot off.
The Kings got the first power play of the night with 2:43 remaining in the first, after Bystedt was called for cross-checking following a dangerous hit. That type of penalty certainly won’t help his chances of earning an NHL job in training camp.
Wetsch and Gasseau attempted to recreate their prior magic while shorthanded, but while the play ended up getting broken up by the Kings’ defense, the puck landed on Phillip Sinn’s stick and he found Gasseau in front. Gasseau found the back of the net with his second goal of the night, making it 4-1 right before the end of the first period.
Wetsch and Gasseau almost connected again near the midway point of the second period, but were denied by George.
Brendan Hoffman forced a turnover at the defensive blue line to create a breakaway for himself, but was unable to get the puck past George.
The Sharks got their first power play opportunity with nine minutes remaining in the period, as Kaleb Lawrence sat for holding the stick.
Right after the power play expired, Wetsch scored his second of the night to extend the Sharks’ lead to 5-1.
Eric Pohlkamp was called for slashing with two and a half minutes remaining in the middle frame, giving the Kings another power play opportunity. The Sharks killed off the penalty and kept their 5-1 lead heading into the third period.
Quentin Musty got a little shaken up after blocking a shot early in the period, but remained in the game. On his next shift, he took a slashing penalty though. Wetsch, despite being short-handed, attempted to get his hat trick when he earned himself a breakaway, but was denied by George.
Ivar Stenberg picked up his first goal of the tournament with 8:47 remaining in the third period, when Mack Oliphant took a shot from the point which deflected off of his skate. Just 23 seconds later, Stenberg scored again, this time off of a perfect feed from Chernyshov, to make it 7-1. The Kings took exception to the goal, causing a large scrum immediately afterwards.
Chernyshov and Henry Brzustewicz both received 10-minute misconducts for their role in the scrum.
Quentin Musty dropped the gloves with the much larger Woolley with 6:27 remaining in the game.
Alexander Karmanov threw a huge hit on Jakub Dvorak, which left the Kings’ defenseman shaken up. Liam Lefebvre came over and immediately dropped the gloves with the Sharks’ 7-foot-1 defenseman. Karmanov fired up the TechCU Arena crowd as he skated off. Boltmann then had a scrap of his own before the game came to an end. Pavel Martinu added the Sharks’ eighth goal of the night with a minute and a half remaining. The Sharks would maintain their 8-1 lead and turn it into a dominant victory when the final whistle blew.
Officially, after a long summer wait, Philadelphia Flyers hockey returned Saturday night, with the prospects going toe-to-toe with their New York Rangers counterparts, running away with a 3-2 win in a contest that wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicated.
Forward prospects Alex Bump, Cole Knuble, and Matthew Gard each got on the scoresheet for the Flyers, with Bump's third-period tally standing as the game-winner.
Gard opened the scoring for the Flyers early in the first period, wheeling around the front of the net to collect the loose change after some tidy work from Noah Powell and Alex Ciernik in the offensive zone.
For a 6-foot-5 center like Gard, playing around the net is going to be the key to his game at the NHL level, and his true offensive upside is questionable, so that was an important goal for the former second-round pick, even in an unofficial game.
As for Knuble, his impressive night, highlighted by his unrelenting motor and knack for creating offense, his second-period goal was facilitated by Bump, who alertly spotted his buddy crashing the Rangers' crease for an easy finish at close range.
Bump himself would ice the game late in the third period, cashing in on a mazy solo effort from his center, Jett Luchanko, which started in the neutral zone.
That line of Bump, Luchanko, and Knuble drove the bus for the Flyers from start to finish, as they should.
Flyers had a host of standout performers
Top Flyers goalie prospect Carson Bjarnason is looking poised ahead of his second professional season. (Photo: Geoff Burke, Imagn Images)
It was a quiet night overall for Luchanko, whose game was largely reduced to doing the detailed work he was so highly regarded for coming into the 2024 draft two years ago.
The 20-year-old former 13th overall pick had a breakaway opportunity, set up by Ilya Pautov, denied by Rangers goalie Callum Tung. That would have been a good time for Luchanko to show his scoring, but it didn't come.
Luchanko also made a high-profile, uncharacteristic defensive zone error, whiffing on a breakout pass in his own end, only to try again and put it on the tape of a forechecking Rangers player. Fortunately, Carson Bjarnason was up to the task, as he was all night long.
The two goals against Bjarnason look favorable relative to how the Rangers played; he was unflappable all game and was only beaten on the power play. One of those two goals came on a deflection through heavy traffic.
Maksim Sokolovskii, the burly defender drafted 27th overall by the Flyers in June's draft, was the player who twice put the Rangers on the power play, getting whistled once for roughing on a high hit, and another time for a retaliatory hit.
And to be fair, the roughing call was a result of Sokolovskii just being bigger and stronger. Over time, the London Knights, University of Maine, and the Flyers themselves will all work with him to help try to avoid those tacky penalties.
Other than that, it was a good night for the 6-foot-8 defender, who regularly asserted himself physically, used his stick to disrupt rushes, and tried to contribute offensively.
Sokolovskii's defense partner and draft classmate, Brek Liske, also had an impressive performance and featured as the quarterback on the first power play unit.
Although the Flyers' power play, as we've come to expect, isn't very good, Liske looked surprisingly comfortable at the point, directing traffic, moving the puck, and manipulating defenders. There may be more offense there than the WHL stats indicate.
Ty Murchison and Spencer Gill, who played as a pair behind them, were physical and fine; they did nothing spectacular but made no mistakes. For defensemen, that's a good thing sometimes. Those two were also regularly at the center of post-whistle scrums, including two fights at the final horn.
Another player who popped against the Rangers was 2024 seventh-round pick Ilya Pautov, who signed with the Flyers this summer and came over from Russia.
Despite only being listed at 5-foot-11, 168 pounds, Pautov did some good work along the boards and flashed the creativity that enticed the Flyers to pick him in 2024.
Pautov lined up alongside grinder-types in Riley Thompson and Devin Kaplan, and his offensive potential could be better realised playing alongside more dynamic, talented players.
Denver Barkey and Porter Martone are expected to play in the second Rookie Series game on Sunday, so maybe Pautov will get his chance then.
The 20-year-old Russian is expected to spend the 2026-27 season with the QMJHL's Gatineau Olympiques, who drafted him eighth overall in the CHL import draft on June 30.
The Senators and Leafs prospects had to work a little overtime on Saturday night. But thanks to Ottawa's first-round draft pick, it was more like Covertime.
In the first game of the Prospect Challenge in Gatineau Saturday night, the Senators trailed the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 with under four minutes to play, and that's when Jaxon Cover went to work.
In a slick passing play with linemates Kasper Halttunen and Eksild Bakke Olsen, Cover got the primary assist on the tying goal by Bakke Olsen with 3:28 left in regulation.
At the club's annual golf tourney this week, Thomas Chabot was asked about the Sens captaincy.
Then Cover went end-to-end to win it.
The Senators' first round pick, 32nd overall this summer, grabbed the puck behind his own net, made his way up ice, chipped the puck in off the boards, lifted the defender's stick and then ripped home the winner, top shelf.
JAXON COVER GOES END-TO-END TO WIN IT IN OVERTIME FOR THE SENS!!! 🤯
The end-to-end rush to beat the Leafs in OT was reminiscent of Carter Yakemchuk's preseason beauty in 2024. But it was one of a kind for Cover, who told reporters after the game that it was his first overtime goal... ever.
Cover finished the evening with a goal and two assists and could have had more. He ripped a one-timer off the crossbar that stayed out. And he was denied an assist on a missed call. On a rare 3-on-0, he broke in with Djibril Toure, who was initially stopped by sprawling Leafs goalie Timofei Obvintsev.
But Obvintsev's entire body clearly rolled into the net with the puck, and if this were a meaningful game, it would have taken only a brief review to declare it an obvious goal. So let's call it, unofficially, a four-point night against the Leafs in Cover's first game in an NHL uniform.
Take that, Auston Matthews.
Cover's winner exonerated his linemate, Halttunen, who also had a fine game with a goal and an assist. But Halttunen's one blemish was a biggie. With the score tied at 2 and the Sens on the power play, Halttunen looked completely out of gas at the end of his shift.
But he stayed on and looked way too casual after Christian Kyrou hit him with a drop pass. Borya Valis intercepted the puck for an easy shorthanded breakaway, and his go-ahead goal took the wind out of Ottawa's sails and looked like it was going to stand up.
Game notes:
Despite the giveaway, Halttunen was dangerous all night and can really rifle a puck. When you choose No. 68, the one worn by the fourth-best scorer in NHL history, you clearly have confidence in your skill.
Ottawa native Jackson Parsons was sharp in goal for the Sens all night, bailing his defence out on a few tough giveaways and missed assignments.
It's only a rookie preseason game, but Toure and Gabriel Elliason, both six-foot-seven, have to be the tallest defensive pair in NHL history.
The Senators' first two goals by Halttunen and Landon Hookey were carbon copies of each other. Both were wrist shots from the same spot near the left wing dot that beat Obvintsev low on the far side, just above the pad.
But the story of the night was Cover. In a game filled with young players who've been playing high-level hockey forever, it was the guy who started playing ice hockey when he was 13 who stole the show.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest THN Ottawa headlines below:
Utah's prospects made a statement in San Jose on Saturday, shutting out the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in the opening game of the 2026 Rookie Faceoff at Tech CU Arena and Sharks Ice.
The tournament, which runs September 12-15, brings together young talent from six Western Conference organizations — the Mammoth, Golden Knights, Ducks, Avalanche, Kings, and Sharks — giving each team's next wave of prospects a chance to compete outside their own development camps before main training camp begins.
Utah's power play did all the damage Saturday, and Vegas never found an answer.
The trouble started early for the Golden Knights, who ran into penalty trouble in the opening period. The costliest was a double-minor when defenseman Max Psenicka was nailed with a high-stick, an incident that unfortunately ended his night. Utah made them pay for it — and then some, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 on the man advantage.
Miko Matikka got things started, crashing the net to bang home a juicy rebound. Then, still working the same four-minute power play, Daniil But made it 2-0 with a highlight-reel effort — muscling his way through traffic and slipping a slick move past goaltender Pavel Moysevich.
Utah wasn't done. Later in the period, Artem Duda blew into the offensive zone and ripped a wrist shot from distance that beat Moysevich to complete the trifecta.
From there, the game settled down into an even-strength display of both offensive and defensive prowess.
By the final horn, it wasn't particularly close in terms of who controlled the game. The scoreboard read 3-0, but the story was really about a Mammoth group that took advantage of every opportunity handed to them and never let Vegas dictate the pace.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — It sure looked like Alex Bump wanted to make a point Saturday night.
That this training camp will be different than his last one.
With the Flyers’ front office and coaching staff watching from upstairs at PPL Center, Bump absolutely made a point. The 22-year-old winger dazzled as the Flyers beat the Rangers, 3-2, in the first of two rookie games this weekend at the home of AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
Bump buried a goal and set another one up with an excellent pass. At this time last year, Bump went scoreless in both rookie games. He then didn’t make it to final cuts during main training camp.
Was he trying to make a point Saturday night?
“For sure,” Bump said. “It’s kind of getting to the time where you’ve got to make an impression. Obviously we’ve talked about last year. New year, see how it goes.”
This was a great start. And it came after a strong finish to last season. Bump joined the Flyers following the March trade deadline and opened eyes all the way through the playoffs.
“He got his taste last year, he was up and he got to stay up,” Phantoms head coach John Snowden said. “He got to play important, meaningful games at the end of the year and in the playoffs. He wants to stay there. That’s the kind of game that we’re going to expect from him — is that offensive upside, holding onto pucks and creating offense.”
Cole Knuble and Matthew Gard scored the Flyers’ other goals. Carson Bjarnason picked up the win in net.
Flyers’ prospects take first rookie game from Rangers, 3-2.
Noah Powell got into it with a Ranger after the buzzer. Ty Murchison then dropped the gloves (not in video). pic.twitter.com/ga7o59mgjb
• The Flyers’ top line of Bump, Knuble and Jett Luchanko was productive.
In the second period, Bump sent a pass through the Rangers’ defense as Knuble cut backdoor to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead.
“That was a hell of a pass,” Snowden, who runs rookie camp, said. “And Knuble’s finish on that one, that’s a hard pass, on your backhand, coming downhill, to be able to put that in the net is impressive.”
Knuble has been a riser in the Flyers’ system. The 2023 fourth-rounder has positional versatility and there’s chemistry with Bump.
“He’s a great player,” Bump said. “Heavy on the puck, can make plays, as well. And he can finish, too.”
Knuble, the son of former Flyer Mike Knuble, is heading into his first full season at the pro level. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if he plays well with Lehigh Valley and starts knocking on the Flyers’ door.
“Since the day I was drafted, I wanted to be a part of this organization,” Knuble said. “I grew up loving this team, so it’s a dream come true. Every practice, every game, every offseason, that was the goal, to get one step closer to this. Now I kind of took the next step turning pro. It’s real exciting.”
Bump cushioned the Flyers’ lead to 3-1 in the third period when Luchanko found him on the wing. Luchanko started the sequence by using his speed to enter the offensive zone.
“I love playing with him, with his speed, carrying the puck up the middle, I like to do that, too,” Knuble said. “I think we complement each other well. You saw his play to Bumper there. Other little plays, he’s good in the corner, he makes smart, little passes. I think we’ve got some chemistry and I’m looking forward to playing with him.”
Alex Bump with a good defensive play and then nearly adds his second goal. Has looked like the best player on the ice.
The 6-foot-7 defenseman constantly eyed hits and utilized his mobility. In the second period, he thwarted a potential scoring chance by tracking down a Ranger.
“There’s a lot to like about him and his size and what he can turn into,” Snowden said.
Sokolovskii was in the penalty box for both of the Rangers’ goals. With time and development, he’ll have to learn when to pick his spots for hits.
“He’s a big man, he skates really well for his size,” Snowden said. “I think he showed that he is not afraid to be a physical player. A couple of those penalties, he took licks. That’s the type of game that he’s going to have to play.”
Maksim Sokolovskii can cover some ground, which you see here. Later in the clip, it’s evident guys have to be aware of him because he’s constantly looking for a hit. pic.twitter.com/bKAi1eBiee
• Bjarnason, the Flyers’ 2023 second-rounder, stopped 27 of 29 shots.
“I’ve worked on a lot of things this summer,” Bjarnason said. “I just wanted to kind of emulate what I did all summer and show the work I put in.”
He laid out for a save toward the end of the first period when the Flyers were on the penalty kill in a 1-1 game. He also made a sharp glove stop in the third period to bail out Luchanko, who made an uncharacteristic turnover.
Last season was Bjarnason’s first at the pro level. He posted a 3.43 goals-against average and an .877 save percentage in 32 appearances with the Phantoms. The 21-year-old had a strong start but sputtered down the stretch. It’s worth noting that minor-league rosters can really change later in the season, which can make life tougher on a goaltender.
But this season is a big one for Bjarnason to show improvement.
“Every player thinks about how their last season went and the things that they can grow upon,” Snowden said. “I thought tonight he looked big in the net, he looked composed in the net, didn’t really get scrambled at times. He tracked the puck the way he needed to track the puck. If he couldn’t see through traffic at times, he just stayed big and pucks hit him. Overall, I thought it was a good step in the right direction for him as we start to push into training camp.”
Carson Bjarnason with a nice save here on the Flyers’ penalty kill to keep it a 1-1 game.
• Porter Martone, Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk were among the healthy scratches.
The Flyers likely didn’t feel the need to play their top prospects in both games. According to a source, Martone, Barkey and Bonk are expected to play Sunday (5:05 p.m. ET). Any kind of game action is valuable when you consider the preseason is only four games and the regular season has an early start.
“It is a shortened preseason this year,” Martone said Friday. “I’ve never done an NHL training camp. Just trying to get those reps, so when the regular season does start and hopefully I do crack the lineup, I’m ready to go and I’m ready to be successful.”
Flyers’ lineup for first rookie game. Porter Martone, Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk among those not playing. pic.twitter.com/Ca4txRaCTu
Chris Kreider is getting his wish and heading back east − and north.
The Montreal Canadiens announced on Saturday, Sept. 12 that they had signed the free agent forward to a one-year contract. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that the deal is worth $2.15 million with another $3 million in performance bonuses.
Kreider, 35, had become an unrestricted free agent when he and the Anaheim Ducks agreed to place him on waivers in order to terminate his contract. That move will help give the Ducks the cap flexibility to eventually re-sign leading scorer Cutter Gauthier with Kreider's $6.5 million cap hit off the books.
It also gave Kreider control over where he went. He had expressed a desire to return east after playing his first 13 seasons with the New York Rangers before being traded to the Ducks in the 2025 offseason.
Kreider reunites with former Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton in the move as well as Martin St. Louis, the Canadiens coach and Kreider's former teammate. He joins a team that reached the Eastern Conference finals last season and will be a veteran presence amid rising stars.
Though his numbers have dropped off recently, Kreider has scored 22 goals in each of the last two seasons.
Chris Kreider contract details
He'll make $2.15 million with a potential $3 million extra in bonuses. Kreider was due to make $5 million this season in Anaheim and already received a $1 million signing bonus.
