Category: NHL

Why Bruins need another elite Jeremy Swayman season to reach playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins returned to the playoffs in the 2025-26 NHL season after a disastrous 2024-25 campaign that saw the Original Six franchise finish with the league’s fifth-worst record.

The turnaround was powered by many different players. David Pastrnak tallied his fourth straight 100-point season. Morgan Geekie scored a career-high 39 goals. Charlie McAvoy posted a career-high 61 points. Young forwards such as Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdnov showed improvement.

But no player made a more significant impact than Jeremy Swayman.

The 27-year-old goalie had a bounce-back season. He was voted a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time in his career, earned a spot on Team USA’s Olympic gold medal-winning roster and established himself as an elite goaltender.

Swayman posted a 31-18-4 record with a .908 save percentage and a 2.71 GAA. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but the analytics painted a very different (and more favorable) picture.

If the Bruins are going to make it back to the playoffs in the upcoming campaign, they’ll need great goaltending again. They did not defend at a high level on a consistent basis last season. The B’s ranked 27th in shots against, 27th in scoring chances against and 29th in high-danger chances allowed in all situations, per Natural Stat Trick. They also went to the penalty kill a league-high 278 times. Swayman helped the Bruins overcome these defensive issues. He bailed out his teammates’ mistakes a lot.

Maybe the Bruins’ defense will be better this season. They added defensemen Will Borgen and Connor Clifton in the offseason. Hampus Lindholm is healthy. Frederic Brunet could inject some youth and playmaking ability on the back end. But relying on Swayman to overcome worrisome defending again and again is not an ideal strategy for long-term success.

The Atlantic could be the most competitive division in the league this season. Six of the eight teams, including the Bruins, have a realistic shot at the playoffs.

Four of the top eight teams in goals scored last season were in the Atlantic — Lightning (No. 4), Sabres (No. 5), Canadiens (No. 7), Senators (No. 8) — and that doesn’t include the Panthers, who are healthy again after being decimated by injuries a year ago. They also added top-six forward Brady Tkachuk in the offseason. The crazy amount of offensive skill in the Atlantic will make goaltending even more important for a team like the Bruins.

Even though the Bruins finished 10th in goals scored last season, you could still argue that they do not have the offensive firepower to win high-scoring games on a consistent basis, and therefore will need great goaltending again. The B’s scored the second-most goals above expected last season, per MoneyPuck. Several players had a career-high shooting percentage. It’s fair to wonder if last season’s surprising scoring uptick was an outlier and if a regression is coming.

We did see a steep regression in the playoffs. The B’s scored an average of 1.25 goals over the last four games of their first-round series versus the Sabres. They needed Swayman to be almost perfect to win that series, and he gave them a chance, including a brilliant performance in a Game 5 overtime win on the road. The regular season is not the playoffs, but it would be foolish to just assume that Boston’s offensive improvement from last season will continue.

John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Swayman posted great numbers while playing a career-high 55 games last season. Only eight goalies played more games than him. Karel Vejmelka of the Utah Mammoth was the only goalie to appear in 60-plus games.

Managing Swayman’s workload to keep him fresh but also maximize his production will be an important task for head coach Marco Sturm and his staff. He was asked about it last week.

“We’ll see, time will tell,” Sturm said at a press conference. “He had a pretty good run last year, and that’s why there’s a lot of nights we even talk about who’s going to be in net the other night or the next night. Sometimes we had to go with him because he was pretty hot for a while, so hopefully he’s going to have stretches like this again, regardless of who’s going to be the backup, a veteran or a young kid like Mikey [Michael DiPietro].

“We just want to give him the best opportunity, and hopefully he’s going to have another year like this, like he had last year for us, and get us a lot of good saves and a lot of points on the board.”

If the Bruins had gotten better and more consistent performances from backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo, maybe they wouldn’t have had to play Swayman in 55 games. Korpisalo tallied a lackluster .894 save percentage and a 3.15 GAA in 31 games played (28 starts). He had a few good stretches throughout the regular season, but overall, he wasn’t reliable enough.

Korpisalo was traded to the New York Rangers in July, and the new backup is expected to be Michael DiPietro, who excelled for the AHL’s Providence Bruins each of the previous three seasons and won the league’s MVP award last year.

DiPietro has more than earned his chance to be an NHL-level goalie. And if he can consistently give the Bruins a chance to win games while Swayman gets much-needed rest, it will significantly increase their chances of reaching the playoffs.

There are a lot of factors that will have to go right for the Bruins to make the playoffs from an ultra competitive division. One thing that has to go well is goaltending. Swayman needs to be the foundation of the team’s success. When he’s playing at the top of his game, the rest of the team gets a huge lift.

Luckily for the Bruins, Swayman has shown in the past that he’s capable of shouldering that kind of pressure. The B’s need that to continue if they’re going to build on last season’s success and get back to the second round of the playoffs.

Victor Olofsson left Las Vegas looking for a fresh start. A little more than a year later, after stops in Colorado and Calgary, he has found himself right back where it all began.

The former Colorado Avalanche forward is once again a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, returning to the organization he left in free agency after the 2024-25 season. What followed was a whirlwind stretch that included 60 games in Colorado, the birth of his second child, a trade to Calgary and, ultimately, another opportunity in the desert.

Olofsson's wife, Taylor, gave birth to the couple's second child during the Olympic break. Just over a week later, Olofsson was on the move, joining the Flames in the trade that sent Nazem Kadri back to Colorado.

Before that trade, Olofsson had put together a productive season with the Avalanche. He scored 11 goals and added 14 assists for 25 points in 60 games, including the first hat trick of his NHL career on Oct. 28.

His time in Calgary was considerably shorter. Olofsson finished with two goals and four assists in 18 games before free agency provided a familiar opportunity.

Vegas signed him to a one-year contract on July 1, bringing him back to the organization where he first experienced playoff hockey.

“I had a great time here last time around,” Olofsson told Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Danny Webster. “When the opportunity came, it felt like an easy choice. It was nice and quick. Happy to be back.”

There is also a new set of wheels waiting for him.

Cadillac of Las Vegas recently shared a photo of Olofsson picking up a brand-new Cadillac Escalade, posing alongside presumably the salesman. 

What better way to celebrate a return to the city of “lost wages” than by buying a brand-new car?

The Escalade is new. The opportunity in Vegas isn't.

A special congratulations to Victor Olofsson on the purchase of his Cadillac Escalade! Thank you for allowing Cadillac of Las Vegas to be part of your journey. ✨ pic.twitter.com/p8nzzAVtR6

— Cadillac Of Las Vegas (@cadillacoflv) September 21, 2026

Olofsson's first stint with the Golden Knights began with plenty of promise. He scored three goals in his first four games before a lower-body injury in October forced him to miss nearly two months.

This time, the circumstances could be different.

“I was a little bit in and out there the last time I was here,” Olofsson said. “I had a lot of good looks and chances, too, so we’ll see what happens this year. I’m ready for whatever and I’m excited.”

That is perhaps the biggest difference between Olofsson's first run with Vegas and his return. He has experienced another NHL organization, another trade and another season of trying to establish himself in a new environment.

Colorado was supposed to be a significant part of that next chapter.

Instead, Olofsson's time with the Avalanche ended before he could see the season through, with the veteran forward eventually becoming part of the trade that brought Kadri back to Denver.

Still, his 25-point season in Colorado gave him another productive stretch offensively, while his time in Vegas had already shown him what it is like to play for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.

That experience appears to have remained important to him.

“The guys in the room, a lot of guys have won it one time and came close last year, too,” Olofsson said. “That’s the ultimate goal.”

For Olofsson, that goal was a major reason the decision to return to Vegas came together so quickly.

“That’s why I wanted to come back, too, was to win the Cup,” Olofsson said. “It’s always a team that’s in contention every year.”

Olofsson began his NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres after being selected 181st overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. He spent six seasons in Buffalo, including a 28-goal campaign in 2022-23, before eventually moving on to Vegas.

Since leaving Buffalo, Olofsson has played for Vegas, Colorado and Calgary, giving him three different stops before ultimately bringing him back to the Golden Knights. His chapter with the Avalanche lasted just one season, but it became another part of an NHL career that has taken several unexpected turns.

Now, after everything that has changed since he first left Vegas, Olofsson has another opportunity with an organization he already knows and a goal that has remained the same: winning the Stanley Cup.

And if his return to the desert needed one final touch, a brand-new hot rod isn't a bad way to start the next chapter.

The Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets met at Canada Life Center in Downtown Winnipeg for a preseason matchup. Winnipeg held on to a 3-1 win, but against an Avalanche squad that sent just 8 opening-night-roster-level players.

The Game

Things got off to a slow start, as this one definitely played out like a preseason game, with both squads not sending a full onslaught of talent onto the ice. Eventually, Gabriel Vilardi opened the scoring, with an assist from Isak Rosen and Vladislav Namestnikov.

Zachary L’Heureux couldn’t play the puck effectively along the boards; it got caught behind the net, and once Christian Wolanin got it in the corner, two Jets converged on him. Isak Rosen won the puck, found Vilardi in the slot, and he fired it home.

Winnipeg’s next mark came off the stick of Cole Perfetti, who did well to wait patiently at the back door as the Jets went low to high, found a streaking Mark Scheifele, and got it over to Perfetti for an easy goal. That made it 2-0 Jets after two periods of play.

Dylan Demelo’s point blast gave Winnipeg a commanding 3-0 lead in the third period, and Brett Kulak and Fabian Lysell finally helped Georgii Merkulov earn Colorado’s lone goal of the evening, bringing us to our final score of 3-1 Jets.

Takeaways

I was happy to see that Fabian Lysell had an apple on Colorado’s lone tally. His arrival in Colorado has some interesting dynamics, but his skill is clear. I noticed at camp that Bednar was pretty active in communicating with Lysell, and if that can foster some maturity in Fabian, he could end up panning out.

Netminder Ilya Nabokov’s stat line wasn’t great, letting in two goals on just five shots. The group in front of him did well to limit the opportunities, but he couldn’t have done much on Perfetti’s goal. I’d imagine he’ll keep getting ice time throughout the preseason so management can get a feel for his current capabilities in the North American game.

Only four of the players that were featured tonight for the Avalanche played in preseason game number one. It’s pretty common for the big guns not to travel for a road preseason game, so I’d expect more NHL usuals to be featured on Friday when the Jets come to Ball Arena.

Upcoming

The Avalanche will get back to Colorado and, as mentioned, welcome the Winnipeg Jets to Ball Arena on Friday at 6:30 p.m. MT.

Let us know what you thought of this contest in the comments!

Dylan Garand’s group placement throughout the opening stretch of training camp has captured his uphill battle in the competition with Joonas Korpisalo to serve as Igor Shesterkin’s backup. 

But Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan gave Garand a full preseason game to make his case Monday, and Garand held his own for nearly 58 minutes — with a group of mostly AHL players in front of him — against the Devils’ NHL lineup. And then Jack Hughes, with his 35 points in 26 regular-season games against the Rangers, snuck the game-winning goal past him in the Blueshirts’ 3-2 loss at Prudential Center in the exhibition opener. Garand finished with 27 saves and flashed plenty of good before Hughes’ tally with 2:12 remaining. 

“Yeah, maybe,” Garand said when asked if he thought he made a statement. “I mean I’ve just tried to, every day just try and give it my best and work hard and compete. … There’s so much out of my control, so I’m really just trying to limit that outside noise inside my head and just battle and lay it all out there.” 

There were plenty of moments where the 24-year-old maximized getting a full game. With the game tied at 2 in the third period after Drew Fortescue equalized, Garand stopped Hughes when the Devils star had an open shooting lane. When New Jersey had a power play late in the first period, Garand helped the Rangers escape without allowing a goal. The Devils had shifts with strong chances, Sullivan said, and “I thought Dylan made some timely saves in those scenarios.” 

The Devils produced their first goal with just over eight minutes remaining in the second period. Meier’s pass hit Dennis Cholowski and went to Nico Hischier, whose shot bounced off Urho Vaakanainen and in. Then, after Anton Blidh tied it, Meier gave the Devils the lead in the final minute of the frame when he curled around the net and snuck the puck past Garand. 

In a condensed preseason, his three-game cameo from 2025-26 — when he produced a .948 save percentage and a 1.62 goals against average — might not be enough to avoid hitting waivers. It might be enough for the Blueshirts to endure the logistical nightmare of carrying three goaltenders going into the season. 

But for nearly 60 minutes, he continued to make his case. 

“We’re trying to give them an opportunity to make an impression,” Sullivan said of giving Garand a full game, “and so given the nature of the shortened training camp, less games, we just felt it was the right thing to do.” 

When the Rangers worked on special teams for the first time in training camp Monday, plenty of pieces from the past remained. But there was also an element of intrigue when Pavel Dorofeyev and his left-handed shot joined Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafrenière. Defenseman Sean Durzi quarterbacked the second unit alongside Gabe Perreault, Will Cuylle, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen, and Sullivan said he thinks the unit once again “can be a difference-maker for us.” 

Forward Adam Sykora and defenseman Vincent Iorio were both being evaluated for lower-body injuries, Sullivan said postgame. Sykora exited midway through the first period after taking a crushing hit in the corner and appearing to favor his right leg. 

The Rangers announced that they’ll wear a Garden of Dreams Foundation patch as their official one this season, replacing Mark Messier’s “Game 7” patch from 2025-26.

The Chicago Blackhawks used a lot of what will be their regular-season lineup against the Minnesota Wild on Monday night at the United Center. The Wild, for the second straight game, dressed a group of mostly AHL players. 

15 seconds into the game, the Wild scored a goal to make it 1-0. Bobby Brink redirected a shot past Spencer Knight to put the Blackhawks behind. It was a goal that can be blamed on a defensive zone turnover, but those things are going to happen early in the preseason. 

Eventually, the Blackhawks took a too many men on the ice penalty, which they had served by Nick Lardis. When Lardis exited the box following a good penalty kill, he stripped the puck from a Wild defender and earned himself a breakaway. 

Early in the sequence, Lardis was tripped. It is unclear whether the ref was going to call a normal tripping penalty or a penalty shot, but it is a moot point because Lardis sniped home the tying goal. 

During the off-season, it was known that Lardis worked on skating and strength. That was on display with the takeaway and the speed to find himself in alone. It isn't crazy to think that he can flirt with 30 goals if he stays healthy. 

In the second period, the Blackhawks gave themselves a 2-1 lead thanks to a goal scored by Bowen Byram. This is his first preseason game in a Chicago sweater, and he made a great first impression with his go-ahead goal. 

On the play, Sam Rinzel and Ryan Greene made a nice play to circle the puck around the offensive zone before finding Byram with a lane to the net. 

With a 2-1 lead in the third period, the Blackhawks had a chance to close out their first win of the exhibition season. Results don't truly matter when the games don't count, but the NHL lineup came in expecting to beat the AHL version of the Wild. 

Just 24 seconds into the third, Byram scored his second of the game to put the Blackhawks up 3-1. He was trying to make a backdoor pass to Roman Kantserov, but it deflected into the net off a Minnesota Wild defender. 

Although Kantserov didn't get the goal, he did collect an assist on the play. He moved the puck to Alex Vlasic, who found Byram before it ended up being a goal. 

At that point, it looked like the Blackhawks were going to walk out of the United Center with a preseason victory. But the Wild youngsters had other ideas. 

Maxim Shabanov and Bobby Brink (his second of the game) added goals to tie the game tied back up at 3. It is too early to read into certain things, but the Blackhawks did have a problem with third-period leads in 2025-26. 

60 minutes wasn't enough. After going to overtime back in St. Paul on Saturday, the two teams did it again in Chicago on Monday. 

In overtime, the Blackhawks had the puck off the draw and never gave it up before Bowen Byram fired it home for the hat trick 29 seconds into the extra frame. The Blackhawks, with the hat trick goal by Byram, won their first game of the preseason. 

It wasn't pretty, and most exhibition games aren't, but there was a lot for head coach Jeff Blashill to like. For one, Bowen Byram is an offensive defenseman who gives the Blackhawks an element they haven't had in a while. They also have forwards and complementary defensemen who will help Byram take full advantage of his skills. 

First impressions are everything. He isn't going to have a hat trick, or even have a point, in every game, but he showed how much more dynamic he can make the team overall. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

tripped him, still couldn't stop him 😏 pic.twitter.com/BaPWOMoc28

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 22, 2026

hawks fans, meet bowen byram 🤝 pic.twitter.com/a0YTbK3P1p

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 22, 2026

another one thank you https://t.co/DxSIIIGnsMpic.twitter.com/1YUhwAHB9l

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 22, 2026

BOWEN BYRAM COMPLETES THE HAT TRICK IN OVERTIME‼️ pic.twitter.com/L1escuI0PQ

— NHL (@NHL) September 22, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks are past their two preseason games against the Minnesota Wild. Now, they have a home and home with the St. Louis Blues to close out the preseason. The next game will be on Thursday, when they pay a visit to St. Louis for preseason game 3. 

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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In a tightly contested pre-season where prospects are typically at the forefront, a longtime Pittsburgh Penguins'  veteran drove the bus for the team in game one.

Forward Bryan Rust notched a goal and two assists as the Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres, 4-1, in their first pre-season game of 2026. The win gives them six consecutive victories in the pre-season, which, according to Penguins' historian Bob Grove, is tied for the third-longest streak in franchise history.

Rust was joined on the scoresheet by Connor Dewar, Avery Hayes, and Elmer Soderblom, who secured the win at the end with an empty-net goal from just above the goal line. Jake Richard scored the lone goal for the Sabres, which came on a power play late in the second period.

All in all, it was a complete effort to start what is a short pre-season as well as a condensed one. The Penguins play the Detroit Red Wings at home Tuesday before going on the road to face the Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres on Thursday and Friday.

"The coaches are making sure we know that, when you blink, camp's going to be over," Hayes said. "You don't want to regret anything, you kind of want to attack every day with the mindset that you don't know what's coming tomorrow. So, you just gotta attack every day with 100 percent."

Midway through the first period, Andrei Kuzmenko - playing on a line with Ben Kindel and Rust until Kindel didn't come out for the second period - fed a puck to Rust, who attacked the offensive zone with purpose. He stickhandled his way through several Sabres and left one on a platter for Dewar, who ripped it home from the slot to give the Penguins the 1-0 lead. 

Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) on XThis feed from Rusty 🤌

The score remained 1-0 until midway through the second period, when Buffalo took a pair of penalties to give the Penguins a brief five-on-three. Just 18 seconds into the five-on-three, a pretty tic-tac-toe passing play from Kris Letang to Hendrix Lapierre to Rust, waiting in the low slot area, made it 2-0. 

Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) on XConsider this your reminder... IN RUST WE TRUST‼️

After the late goal by Richard, the Penguins were in the offensive zone with time waning in the middle frame. With less than five seconds to go, Hayes forced a turnover by Sabres' defenseman Dennis Gilbert behind the net and looped to just above the goal line, where he sniped a top-shelf shot over the right shoulder of goaltender Alex Lyon to restore the two-goal lead, which the Penguins were able to protect the rest of the way.

"It's just an extra effort play with almost no time left in the period," Rust said. "Those things can be momentum-killers if you're the one it happens against, or it can be a momentum-builder. And, I think for us, that was huge.

"Obviously, it's a pre-season game, but you can see that he just outworked everybody on the ice, and then he sniped. The more he does that, the more he's going to impact this team in just the most positive way."

Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) on XA-very good time to bring back the Avery puns 🙂‍↕️

Here are a few notes and observations from game one of the pre-season:

- Rust was the best player in this game, and it wasn't particularly close. Throughout the entirety of camp so far, he's arguably been the most noticeable player, which says a lot about the 34-year-old veteran.

It's been said many times that he possesses a lot of Crosby-like qualities. His effort in training camp as if he's still a kid trying to make the team is one of them, and it sets a great example for the younger guys, like Hayes, trying to make this team. 

'Leadership' can be an overstated quality, but that's not the case with Rust. He is a true leader for this locker room in every sense of the word.

- As mentioned before, Kindel did not return for the second period after sustaining a lower-body injury. Head coach Dan Muse could not provide an update on Kindel after the game, as he is still being evaluated.

Obviously, this would be a huge loss for the Penguins if he misses any chunk of time. He looked shot out of a cannon in that first period, and it would be yet another blow to their center depth with Blake Lizotte already out week-to-week.

Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) on XBen Kindel (lower body) will not return to tonight's game.

- That said, this is exactly why having so much forward depth is a net positive for the Penguins. And the guy who took Kindel's place on that line, Tristan Broz, got a chance to show out for the final two periods between Kuzmenko and Rust.

And he was really, really, solid out there. He looks comfortable in all three zones, he's a smart player who almost always makes clean reads, and he's got a rocket of a shot, too. He looked right at home on that first power play unit.

"He was good," Rust said. "You can tell he's a really good hockey player. Thinks the game at a high level, makes really good plays out there. I think the more he gets comfortable, the better he's going to be."

If Lizotte is not ready to go for the season-opener, I think Broz has a nice path to fill that role. And, if Kindel is out, you can pretty much pencil him in for an NHL roster spot to begin the season along with Filip Hallander, who also had a nice showing Monday.

Former Penguins' Forward, Beloved In Locker Room, Announces RetirementShortly after the end of his <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' tenure, a former NHL forward has decided to call it a career. 

- To go back to Hayes for a second, I predicted that this guy would crack the opening night roster because his play in these games would force the organization's hand at keeping him up.

I'll stand by that. Hayes just has that extra gear, and he's a type of feisty and relentless yet skilled bottom-six player that the Penguins have lacked for a good spell.

- This was a good performance by both Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist, who split the game. Murashov stopped all 12 shots he faced, while Blomqvist stopped 10 of 11 and didn't really have much of a chance on the goal, as he appeared to be screened a bit.

The battle between these two through four days has been a legitimate one. Both looked comfortable, poised, and ready to go. 

5 Predictions For 2026 Penguins' Training CampThe Penguins have a lot of questions and intrigue heading into camp this year.

- Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke were relatively quiet as a pairing in this one. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. 

Both - especially Pickering - look substantially better defensively than they did at this time last year. Pickering made all the right decisions Monday, his gap control was excellent, and he was counted upon on the penalty kill and in defensive situations, handling it like a champ.

As for Brunicke, there was a small but telling third-period play with around 12 minutes left. He went to pinch down the right wall on a puck, but glanced over his shoulder to make sure he was covered before fully committing. It sounds like something so simple, but that's not something he was doing last year. In fact, his decision-making as far as joining the rush and jumping into the play was pretty much perfect on Monday.

Both look NHL-ready. Even if they start the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), it won't be long before they're full-time NHLers.

Penguins' Training Camp: 5 Standouts Through 3 DaysWith pre-season games next up on the slate, five players have earned themselves an opportunity in those games.

- Of note, Ryan Graves led all Penguins' skaters in ice time Monday with 22:33. This wasn't a bad performance by Graves, even if he didn't stand out. 

But second in ice time? That would be Chase Pietila, who played an excellent game. I feel like there aren't too many people who are talking about this guy, but he is so smart on the blue line, very risk-averse, and solid as a rock defensively. 

He's someone to watch in WBS this season. He's not flashy, but he does all the right things.

- Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will both be in Tuesday's lineup against Detroit, as will several other veterans. 

Another two exciting names? Liam and Markus Ruck.

Those two will be interesting to watch in this one, as they will be surrounded by NHL regulars. If I was a betting person, I'd wager that Calvert centers the Rucks, but we shall see.

Of note, a forward and a defenseman have to be scratched. Hopefully, one of the twins isn't the odd guy out.

Penguins Announce Roster For Pre-season Game Against Red WingsThe Pittsburgh Penguins have announced their roster for Tuesday's game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

The Senators opened their abbreviated preseason schedule with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Monday night’s Kraft Hockeyville game in Trois-Rivières, Que.

Cole Caufield scored twice for Montreal, tying the game midway through the third period before delivering the dagger in overtime.

The crowd inside Colisée Vidéotron was firmly behind the Canadiens, but the Senators briefly took the wind out of their sails in the early moments.

Newcomer William Eklund wasted no time endearing himself to Sens Nation, scoring just 89 seconds into his first preseason appearance with the Sens. Eklund fed the puck to Dylan Cozens, who sprinted behind the net and then slipped a gorgeous feed back to Eklund, who finished the play to give the Senators an early 1-0 lead.

But Montreal completely controlled the rest of the period, responding three minutes later when defenseman Jayden Struble beat Samuel Ersson with a low short-side shot to tie the game.

The score remained deadlocked until late in the second period, when Cozens went from setup man to scorer. His first of the preseason restored the Sens' lead and capped a two-point night for the Workhorse.

The Senators carried that 2-1 advantage into the third period, until Caufield went to work. His tying goal was a harmless-looking shot along the ice, but it somehow eluded Sens goalie Samuel Ersson, who may have been anticipating a cross-crease pass instead.

Caufield's game-winning goal came on a hard, low wrist shot under the stick of Ridly Greig and past Ersson.

Both teams dressed fairly strong NHL lineups, but the game was filled with glitchy moments, which is standard for a preseason opener. That was particularly evident on special teams.

Montreal finished 1-for-6 on the power play, while Ottawa went 0-for-4. 

The Habs controlled much of the play on the night, outshooting the Sens 36-20. Ersson went the distance in his first appearance and turned aside 33 shots, and Travis Green told reporters after the game that he was the Sens' best player on the night.

The Senators will be back in action Wednesday night with a pair of split-squad games against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Most of the Sens' top players are expected to remain at home to face Toronto at Canadian Tire Centre, while the rest of the group will visit the Maple Leafs. Both games begin at 7 p.m.

The Sens will then get another go at the Habs when the teams close out their preseason schedules Saturday night. That will also be a split-squad arrangement, with games taking place simultaneously in Ottawa and Montreal at 7 p.m.

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:

- Travis Green Wastes No Time Reuniting Eklund and Zetterlund
- Senators Add Local Veteran Ben Hutton On Professional Tryout
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Hockey is officially back for the Detroit Red Wings, who wrapped up Training Camp this week, and opened the abbreviated preseason schedule with a Monday evening matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

With a lineup consisting largely of young players competing for roster spots, the Red Wings fell 1-0 to the Blue Jackets in a shootout at Nationwide Arena.

Game two tomorrow in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/khpItc1OCx

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 22, 2026

Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Nate Danielson, and John Leonard were all denied by Blue Jackets goaltender Pheonix Copley in the shootout following a scoreless overtime. 

The only puck that entered the net in the entire contest was courtesy of Columbus forward Conor Garland, who beat Michal Postava with a blocker-side shot. 

Garland threw a change up for the game winner 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NXknUhX3cu

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) September 22, 2026

Goaltender Daniil Tarasov, whom the Red Wings signed to a one-year contract earlier in the summer, played the first 40 minutes of the night and turned aside all 15 shots he faced; he was replaced as planned for the third period by Postava. 

Meanwhile, Jet Greaves stopped all 16 Detroit shots for Columbus before giving way in the third to Copley. 

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Notably, Postava channeled his inner Dominik Hasek late in the third period when he raced well beyond the slot to corral the puck, colliding with Blue Jackets forward Josh Eernisse and sending him flying head over heels in a near carbon copy of a December 2007 play involving the Hall of Fame goaltender and Minnesota Wild forward Marian Gaborik.

Postava hahaha#LGRWpic.twitter.com/7y8F7qU5Wr

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) September 22, 2026

The Red Wings registered 11 shots in the first period but managed just five in the second and two in the third; they didn't record a shot during the five-minute overtime.

While Detroit went scoreless in three power-play opportunities, they killed off all five Columbus chances with the man-advantage. 

Among the Red Wings regulars who saw action were J.T. Compher, Michael Rasmussen, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Keegan Kolesar; Rasmussen led all Red Wings players with five shots. 

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and John Leonard had two shots each. Meanwhile, Dominik Shine and Kienan Draper each picked up five-minute fighting majors. 

Detroit will be right back in action Tuesday night when it visits the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena; their first home preseason game will be Thursday against the divisional rival Buffalo Sabres. 

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When the Rangers worked on special teams for the first time in training camp Monday, plenty of pieces from the past remained. Adam Fox quarterbacked the top unit. Mika Zibanejad was perched on the flank on his one-timer side. They’re the constants that have transcended coaches. Two others from the top line last year — when the Blueshirts finished with the No. 5 clip in the league — returned too: J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafrenière. 

But there was also an element of intrigue. A bit of unknown, when Pavel Dorofeyev and his left-handed shot replaced Vincent Trocheck and his right-handed one. Defenseman Sean Durzi, who was acquired in the Trocheck trade in July, quarterbacked the second unit alongside Gabe Perreault, Will Cuylle, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen. And head coach Mike Sullivan said he thinks the unit once again “can be a difference-maker for us.” 

“The power play was one of the bright spots of our team last year fairly consistently,” Sullivan said Monday after the non-game group — with mostly NHL players — practiced ahead of the preseason opener against the Devils. “It took us a little while to get it going [at] the beginning of the year versus after that. I thought the second half of the year in particular was excellent. 

“We lost a right-handed shot versus a lefty, and that’s gonna change some of the things that we do with it. But very capable guys. I think they have an opportunity to be very impactful for our team.” 

Still, it’ll serve as a significantly different unit from the ones that featured Artemi Panarin ripping shots into the net or Chris Kreider hovering at the net front or Trocheck roaming in the bumper. But the power play, after dipping to No. 28 in the league (17.6 percent) in the final year of Peter Laviolette, experienced a revival — even with all the shifting parts — in 2025-26 under Sullivan and assistant coach David Quinn. 

The Rangers unveiled their first unit Monday with Miller in the bumper and Lafrenière at the net front — a spot where he thrived late last season. That left Dorofeyev, who scored 20 goals with the man advantage last year with the Golden Knights, to operate on the other flank. The first pair of reps from the top unit Monday ended with goals from Zibanejad and Lafrenière too. 

“To be away from it for so long and then coming back and feeling like it’s kinda clicking, it was good,” Zibanejad told The Post. “Obviously will be up and down throughout the season and score when we don’t deserve it and not score when we probably deserve it a little bit more. We know the story. We know how this usually works.” 

The Rangers announced that they’ll wear a Garden of Dreams Foundation patch as their official one this season, replacing Mark Messier’s “Game 7” patch from 2025-26. 

“It was an honor to have Game 7 as our Jersey Patch Partner last season, given our relationship with Rangers legend Mark Messier, and look forward to featuring the Foundation this year,” a Rangers spokesperson said in a statement.

To start off, things were looking good for the Philadelphia Flyers in their preseason opener against the Washington Capitals, but they quickly ran out of steam and fell flat on their faces. It was all downhill from there in a thoroughly unimpressive 5-2 loss.

Veteran newcomer Jack Studnicka got the Flyers off to about as good a start as they could have asked for, cashing in from close range on the power play just 2:35 into the contest to put Philadelphia up 1-0. Rookies Jett Luchanko and Cole Knuble, who have been impressive as of late, collected the assists.

Aliaksei Protas answered for Washington on a 5-on-3 power play after the Flyers got themselves in penalty trouble, and big-money youngster Ryan Leonard gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead on a laser through traffic to end the period.

David Jiricek had some trouble boxing out the much bigger and stronger Protas in front of Joseph Woll on the goal, but Flyers forward Riley Thompson also had a bad angle and allowed Leonard to walk around in the slot to pick his shot to begin with.

Early in the second period, Knuble pulled the Flyers even by cleaning up a long-range Oliver Bonk shot, but the Flyers just never truly built or maintained any momentum after that.

Bonk got caught on a bad pinch that sent Dylan Strome in alone on Woll for a score, and Jonny Brodzinski buried the Capitals' final two goals of the night past Carson Bjarnason, who relieved Woll for the final 20 minutes.

Overall, it was just a bad night for the Flyers, and one that certainly resembled a group that has been going hard and competing throughout training camp.

Flyers notes and an injury

The Flyers had a chance to seize momentum after Capitals forward Andrew Cristall was given a five-minute major penalty for cross checking and a game misconduct for bopping Hunter McDonald in the mouth after a hard hit on Leonard, but the Flyers failed to score.

Forward Denver Barkey, who opened the game as the Flyers' top center, left the game early in the second period and did not return, and players like Alex Bump and Porter Martone were total nonfactors.

Offensively, Knuble, Luchanko, Jiricek, Bonk, and Studnicka were the only players who made things happen more than a handful of times. Luchanko and Studnicka were each particularly impressive with their assertiveness at both ends of the ice.

Both Bonk and Jiricek had their shaky moments defensively, but it is paramount we keep in mind that these are 21- and 22-year-old defensemen who need time and trust as they continue to develop.

Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet did not have an update on Barkey after the game, and the Flyers will be right back to it on Tuesday night when they face the Boston Bruins at TD Garden at 7 p.m.

Expect that game roster to consist primarily of players who did not play in Monday night's game against the Capitals.

The first look at the Devils’ rivalry with the New York Rangers this season was not the most exciting one. It is preseason, after all, but the teams came into tonight with opposite approaches. For the Devils, tonight was a night for the majority of their NHL club to get their legs under them. For the Rangers, tonight was largely headlined by their youth and AHLers. At times, this game might have looked primed for the Rangers’ B-team to pull off the seemingly unavoidable “upset” (if there is such a thing in preseason), given the low scoring. But with some Devils still putting in what seemed like a regular effort, the skill imbalance won out in the end.

In the first period, the Devils shut down the Rangers entirely, but did not create a whole lot for themselves either. Jake Allen only had to stop three shots in his allotted 20 minutes, and the big story of that period was the injury to Adam Sykora of the Rangers. Utica Comets defenseman Mikael Diotte caught him reaching for the puck by the boards, leading to him leaving the game with a lower-body injury. Sykora did not return, and I was worried that this hit was going to lead to some retaliation from the likes of Matt Rempe or one of the other physical players on the Rangers’ bench. This never really came to pass, though.

In the second period, after Nico Daws came into the game, things started opening up a bit on both ends. Nico Hischier took the puck from Timo Meier and whacked it towards the net, giving the Devils the lead halfway through the game off a deflection at the side of the crease. It was not the best goal ever, but it was fitting to see this particular group finally get going with a Nico Hischier shot.

The lead did not last too long, though, with Nico Daws giving up a rough goal to Anton Blidh. Blidh had not even crossed the faceoff circle on his entry of the offensive zone, beating Daws cleanly on the glove side. At this point, it was the ninth shot that Daws had seen, though he had not had to stop any extremely dangerous chances.

Before the period was over, Timo Meier made a play to take advantage of a really poor lapse in focus and tracking by Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand. Luke Evangelista was working behind the net, and the puck came loose to Timo Meier. When Meier wrapped quickly around the net, Garand was caught somehow unaware that he might need to make a save, giving up an easy five-hole score to Meier. I would not expect it to come this easy often in the regular season.

Things were largely more of the same in the third. The Devils outchanced the Rangers consistently and seemed to have the puck for most of the time. But time and time again, the shots were just a little off, sometimes hitting the iron, but sometimes hitting Garand right in his equipment. And eventually, the Devils were finally caught giving up a bad shot to the Rangers, and Drew Fortescue tied it back up with a shot through a screen. Siegenthaler was out a little far to block the shot, and nobody had Carey Terrance in front of Daws.

Despite drawing a hooking call on Arseny Gritsyuk not long after the goal (which itself should have been holding the stick), the Rangers did not get much in the way of scoring chances after this. The Devils shut them down on their power play, nearly scoring one shorthanded as Jesper Boqvist put a breakaway chance off the post. The top line of Evangelista, Hischier, and Meier wore the Rangers down for an offensive shift that spanned 1:18 of game time a few minutes after the penalty expired, leading to Rangers icing the puck, which brought the Hughes line on. Taking advantage of the tired defenders, Jack Hughes took the puck from Bratt at the blueline and beat Glen Gawdin wide before pivoting at the goal line and sneaking the puck into the net off of Gawdin’s stick. It was a classic opportunistic Jack Hughes goal, and it largely put the game away for the Devils.

Would I have liked to see more goals? Sure. But the Devils controlled just under two thirds of the shots on goal and expected goals tonight, and they largely held the Rangers to low-danger shots. Daws only faced two high-danger shots on goal, and Allen faced zero. For that, Daws may have dinged his stock allowing two goals as the team compares him and David Rittich as potential number two goalies with Jack Allen, but it is just a preseason game and he will have another chance to prove himself (and hopefully against a higher volume of shots). As for the Devils offense, they were content to take any shot, working from the blueline often but scoring on three of their ten high-danger shots on goal. In a regular season game, I would expect them to push a little harder for the net given the sheer amount of possession time they had.

The Game Stats: The NHL.com Game Summary | The NHL.com Event Summary | The NHL.com Play by Play Log | The NHL.com Shot Summary | The Natural Stat Trick Game Stats

Stock Up?

Jesper Boqvist looked pretty great tonight, and he only missed scoring a goal on his breakaway because of that peksy iron. He moved throughout the game with great speed, and he generally looked like the Devil playing at the fastest individual pace tonight. That fourth line might not have moved the puck between each other as well, but I mostly chalk that up to Marc McLaughlin being a bit more limited in that area. Noesen, meanwhile, played pretty well but needs to be put in a position where he can make more plays around the net. In another preseason game, I think I would like to see this possible fourth line setup of Boqvist and Noesen centered by Evan Rodrigues or Cody Glass. Overall, I was also much not too convinced by the cohesiveness of the Mercer-Rodrigues-Gritsyuk line, and that also makes me want to see Gritsyuk back with Glass for a look before the preseason is over.

Mantha and Evangelista

With the big storyline coming into this game being how the new forwards looked on their lines, I would say that I honestly hope for better in their second games. Mantha in particular took zero shots attempts in 15:33 of ice time, while Evangelista at least got on the scoresheet and worked along the boards. However, I did like Mantha getting involved defensively, and I thought he drew a lot of attention away from Jack just by fighting for position by the net, while I thought Evangelista could have put pressure on the Rangers during his line’s great shift in the third had he not fanned on a scoring chance. So, both players brought something to the table while still having something to do better.

Onto The Third

On Thursday, the Devils will play their third preseason game of the year. I would expect a more balanced lineup between NHLers and AHLers as the Devils go to Madison Square Garden, and it might be a good opportunity to get Daws a bigger challenge against a presumably NHL-heavy Rangers lineup. But for now, the Devils are undefeated in the preseason after this rather uneven affair.

Your Thoughts

What did you think of tonight’s game? Did you watch? Who stood out to you? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.

Washington Capitals rookie Andrew Cristall was kicked out of a Monday, Sept. 21 preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers after forcefully retaliating for a hit on his teammate.

Philadelphia defenseman Hunter McDonald had delivered a hard but clean hit into the boards on Washington forward Ryan Leonard. Cristall skated up and delivered a cross-check to the face of McDonald, sending him to the ice. Cristall tried cross-checking McDonald again before being intercepted by Flyers players as tempers flared.

Cristall went to the penalty box and was tossed after receiving a cross-checking major and a game misconduct, ending his night. McDonald and Leonard stayed in the game.

This is the cross-checking major for Andrew Cristall, who also got a game misconduct. Got McDonald in the neck.

pic.twitter.com/zZZdgF7DdG

— Sammi Silber 🏒 (@sammisilber) September 22, 2026

“His heart’s in the right place," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said, per The Hockey News. "He’s trying to stick up for one of his brothers. He’s trying to do the right thing. … You just try want to try to do that as clean as you can in those moments.”

Cristall was drafted in 2023 by the Capitals and played last season in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where Monday's game was held.

Leonard, entering his second full season in the NHL, recently signed an eight-year extension with a $10.5 million average.

NHL preseason injury updates

Flyers forward Denver Barkey left Monday's game with a lower-body injury. ... Pittsburgh's Ben Kindel (lower body) left the preseason game against Buffalo. ... Columbus defenseman Dante Fabbro suffered an upper-body injury against Detroit. ... Rangers prospect Adam Sykora limped off the ice after being checked against the Devils.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Andrew Cristall ejected as tempers flare in Capitals-Flyers preseason game

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced their roster for Tuesday's preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings. 

This will be the second of four preseason games after the Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 in their preseason opener on Monday.

Like Monday's game, Tuesday's contest will feature a mix of veterans and younger players. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will be in the lineup, as will Liam Ruck and Markus Ruck.

Here's the full lineup: 

Forwards

Rutger McGroarty

Nick Robertson

Tommy Novak

Bill Zonnon 

Liam Ruck

Ville Koivunen

Egor Chinakhov

Rickard Rakell

Mikhail Ilyin

Evgeni Malkin

Markus Ruck

Atley Calvert 

Sidney Crosby

Defensemen

Kaedan Korczak

Ilya Solovyov

Tomas Galvas

Sam Girard

Finn Harding

Phil Kemp

Declan Carlile

Goaltenders

Taylor Gauthier

Arturs Silovs

This could be our first glimpse of Robertson playing on the top line with Crosby and Rakell. Robertson has been with them throughout camp and has looked very comfortable. 

The same applies to Girard and Korczak on the same defensive pair, since they've played together during camp. 

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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Lineup

The Penguins have a decent enough lineup for the first preseason game. Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel and Kris Letang are among the skaters dressed. Sergei Mursahov gets the start, with the plan to sub him out about halfway through to get Joel Blomqvist some game minutes too.

Not much to say about the visiting Sabres lineup, very much a ‘first game of the year on the road’ bare bones lineup offering. In fact, head coach Lindy Ruff doesn’t even show up, gotta love NHL preseason!

First period

All in all, a pretty quiet period to start the season. Ryan Graves takes the first penalty of the year, the Pens kill it off. Interestingly, Kindel takes the first PK shift – which might suggest an expanding role now that it’s known that Blake Lizotte will be on the shelf for a while.

Pittsburgh scores first, Andrei Kuzmenko starts the play from his own end, Bryan Rust is the one that really makes it happen skating the puck through the zone and drawing the attention of the defenders. Connor Dewar slips into the play, Rust hits him with a pass and Dewar doesn’t mess around with a quick shot through traffic that avoids everything until it hits the back of the net.

Shots are 7-5 PIT through the early going.

Second period

Kindel doesn’t return to the bench after the first period, he did block a fairly weak looking shot in the leg/foot late in the period. No reason to push anything in the preseason, hopefully it’s just precautionary in nature.

Rust hit a crossbar early, a little later after a great shift by the Pens, Hendrix Lapierre whiffed on a shot all alone from in front of the net that gently hit the far post and stayed out.

Near the midpoint of the period, Murashov apparently keeps the puck out of the net in a scramble. Owen Pickering hustles back after taking an awkward push legs-first into the wall to help out.

Honestly, don’t see how that puck stayed out at the very end of the sequence, but hey, it’s preseason. Worthy of the good effort.

Pittsburgh gets their first power play with 9:30 to play in the period, they also get a new goalie as Murashov rotates out (as planned) and Blomqvist gets in the crease for the second half of the game.

First power play group is Rust, Kuzmenko, Broz, Lapierre and Letang. Lapierre is the beneficiary of Kindel’s absence.

Justin Brazeau goes down painfully on the second power play group, had his feet taken out and a heavy spill into the boards. Leads to a 32 second 5v3. A bunch of quick passes and Rust makes the Sabres pay. 2-0

Broz takes the second Penguin penalty of the game, Buffalo gets on the board. Nice shot beats Blomqvist high to the blocker side. 2-1.

Avery Hayes answered that a few minutes later, firing a spinning shot to the top shelf after he stole the puck, just seconds before the end of the period. 3-1 after two periods.

Shots are 19-18 PIT at the 40-minute mark.

Third period

Lapierre springs Hallander for a great look on the rush, puck is stopped and then Brazeau trips a Sabre 200 feet from his net. Whoops. Pittsburgh kills off the penalty.

The rest of the period is definitely a period of preseason hockey. Buffalo pulls the goalie with about 3 minutes left. Soderblom scores on the empty net to make it 4-1.

Some other thoughts

• Overall, as with any preseason game, there was a mix of positives and negatives. Nothing overwhelming in either direction but some notable items could include: Lapierre won 4/5 of his first period faceoffs, got a power play assist and very much should have scored a goal. Soderblom recorded a game-high four hits and the ENG. Hallander was strong on the puck and had five shots on goal.
• On the minus side, Graves still looks as brutal as ever. He surrendered a shot on the rush where the shooter curled the puck back and used Graves as a screen, always dangerous. The penalty he took was unnecessary. Chasing players into the corner to support a partner and leaving the front of the net open. Low percentage passes turning into icing. It does look like he’s playing noticeably more physical than usual, but hardly any more effective in this look.
• Also didn’t really think Broz had that eye-popping of a game. Nothing necessarily bad, but he’s a guy who needs to stand out (as he did in the exhibition games last year). Wasn’t on display tonight. Just one night, but something to note considering how some of the other fringe players were more visible.
• And, of course, this could be bullet point number one but the biggest potential outcome of the game would be if Kindel misses time with the regular season starting on the 30th. He looked really good early, arguably the most visible and best player for the Pens. He won 6/7 faceoffs, drove all the way to the net for a couple of potential scoring chances, he was playing very well. Hopefully the injury is nothing, otherwise the center position for the start of the season becomes less than ideal in a hurry.
• Was very surprised to see Pickering and Brazeau both continue to play after their respective spills into the boards. Brazeau even banged his stick in the wall in anger while coming off, typically a tell that some damage has been done. Fortunately that wasn’t the case.
• Murashov wasn’t asked to do a lot but performed well. He was square to shooters, absorbed pucks without giving up rebounds and had a sharp night stopping all 13 shots he saw.
• For his part, Blomqvist was OK. Got beat once while killing a penalty on a nice shot, not much of a demerit there. Otherwise was fine. As tends to be the case between the two goalies, Blomqvist was pretty good but Murashov was a tick better than him on this night, very much in-line with their past.
• Avery Hayes has a lot of Tyler Kennedy in him, and I mean that in a very complimentary way. Small right handed forward with a good motor and never misses an opportunity to put the puck on the net (7 shot attempts). The lineup may be too crowded still for him to find a spot coming out of camp (though at this rate of injury and near injury, a couple more games remain to carve out more teammates..), but surely Hayes is looking at a mid-season callup and chance to play a lot of NHL games this season if he keeps going like he has been.
• Unremarkably fine debut for the Trevor van Riemsdyk and Kris Letang pair. That’s not a dig, just not much to say. The Sabres didn’t bring a lot to measure up against them, they didn’t do anything to catch the eye in a negative way, regardless.
• There’s an adrmiable simplicity to Kuzmenko’s game. He’s going to get to the front of the net, then he’s going to see what happens. Maybe he gets a pass coming in. Maybe he can knock loose a puck. He’s got a booming shot too but overall he’s a guy who knows where to go to score goals in the NHL.
• Bryan Rust looks ready for another year to keep on going. A nice goal, an even better primary assist and another assist on the ENG made for a perfectly expected debut as the most accomplished forward on the ice tonight for either team. Wouldn’t expect anything less than a very strong showing and Rust definitely came through.

The Pens are right back at it tomorrow night, with even more star power for a lineup that will include Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and the Ruck twins. We’ll wait for that and hopefully a positive injury update on Kindel as the page turns away from the first preseason game of the year.

The Buffalo Sabres were eerily silent over the summer, in spite of losing a few key pieces from the club that made the playoffs, won the Atlantic Division, and advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. GM Jarmo Kekalainen is currently betting on youngsters such as Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund, Zach Benson, Jack Quinn and Jiri Kulich to improve on their production to make up for the 44 goals lost by the departures of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram. 

 The club currently has just over $4 million in available cap space entering the season, leaving Kekalainen the flexibility to jump on an evolving situation with another NHL club. The Sabres have long been connected to Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck, but the odds of their obtaining the multi-Vezina Trophy winner have decreased since the draft, mostly due to goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s trade protection kicking in. 

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

There has been no chatter connecting Buffalo to Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (since they are not on his three-team trade list, and since the Sabres are loaded with players who can play up the middle), or to RFA blueliners Simon Edvinsson(DET) or Alexander Nikishin(CAR), but an opportunity for Kekalainen could present itself based on the current situation with the Columbus Blue Jackets and RFA center Adam Fantilli.

The 21-year-old is coming off second straight 50+ point season and is looking to follow the trend of youngsters making big money out of their entry-level deal. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast, 

Fantilli is looking for a big raise on a long-term deal, which could be in the neighborhood of the $13.5 million that Anaheim paid 41-goal winger Cutter Gauthier last week. 

Once Columbus gets Fantilli signed, GM Don Waddell will have to plan accordingly to manage his salary cap, which could mean moving a player out. Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko is someone Kekalainen drafted as GM in Columbus and is entering the final year of his three-year bridge deal at a $3.85 million AAV. The 25-year-old has exceeded the 20-goal mark each year, with a career-high 31 goals in 2024-25. 

Marchenko indicated during the summer that he would not be staying with the Blue Jackets past the remaining two years of control (he is eligible for arbitration next summer), but with him on an undervalued cap hit, Waddell has to calculate whether he can afford to re-sign the winger, if he is open to signing an extension, or his goal is to walk to unrestricted free agency in 2028. 

Montreal was rumored to be a potential destination, but the signing of veteran Chris Kreider may have made that less likely. The Sabres may need to add a scorer to replace Tuch’s production if their young players cannot fill the gap, but that is a move that will most likely be made by both clubs at the halfway mark of the season, when each team knows more about their respective situations. 

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