TORONTO -- In the summer of 2025, the New York Islanders selected Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick, Victor Eklund at No. 16, and Kashawn Aitcheson at No. 17, adding three strong players to Isaiah George, Cole Eiserman, Danny Nelson, and Co.
Flash forward to now, and Schaefer is entering year two after winning the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie.
Eklund, who played one game for the Islanders -- Game No. 82 -- before the 2025-26 season ended, made the team out of training camp.
George, who didn't make the Islanders out of training camp, is still just 22 years old and is very much seen as part of their future.
Aitcheson and Eiserman were part of the last cuts this training camp, as they are closer than they appear.
But there's another prospect who just adds to the excitement surrounding this club's bright future.
Left-side defenseman Malte Gustafsson, whom the Islanders selected 13th overall this past summer, is playing in the SHL. He is someone who could be playing for the Islanders come season's end, as we saw with Eklund.
Malte Gustafsson, who the #Isles selected 13th overall this past draft — with Bartner there as a witness — is playing top-pairing minutes in the SHL this season and has looked incredible.
With the way Kashawn Aitcheson played at camp and what Gustafsson is showing, the future… https://t.co/qVMoAF4h25
Gustafsson recorded three assists in 27 games last season for HV71 Jonkoping.
This season, in four games, the 18-year-old has recorded three assists, matching his season total. He is playing on the top pair, but the 6'4, 200 lb defenseman looks much stronger and that's something Islanders fans should be excited about.
ST. LOUIS -- Tyler Tucker will miss the foreseeable future for the St. Louis Blues after having a successful arthroscopic procedure performed on his right knee on Wednesday morning.
The defenseman is scheduled to be re-evaluated in six weeks.
Tucker, 26, was injured in practice on Sept. 20 and has not been on the ice since. Blues general manager Alexander Steen said on Monday that Tucker was in the process of having a second opinion, and it obviously led to this procedure that will keep him shelved until at least mid-November.
The Blues have had to make a series of moves on their blue line in light of recent injuries to Tucker and Logan Mailloux, who had surgery on his right hand Sunday that will keep him out at least eight weeks when he is scheduled to get re-evaluated.
The team recalled Adam Jiricek, a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, from Springfield of the American Hockey League and claimed Justin Barron off waivers from the Nashville Predators to help fill the void.
Jiricek could very well make his NHL debut when the Blues open the season Friday against the Dallas Stars.
"Yeah,
we've discussed that, but at the end of the day this is going to be a
coaching decision and then we'll continue to have conversations on a
daily basis on where he's at," Steen said of Jiricek. "...
"Just
him playing his game. What we like about him is he's excited to play
hockey. I love the fact that he brings the same excitement to both
the offensive side and the play without the puck. He's very eager to
learn. It seems like he picks things up quickly. From the start of
rookie camp, where he was, every day it felt like he was growing. Not
just getting more and more comfortable, but he was almost calming his
play and bringing out his strengths consistently. I thought he had a
tremendous camp, so we're excited to see what he can do."
Tucker played in 69 regular-season games last season and had 17 points (three goals, 14 assists); he's played in 159 regular-season games in his career and has 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists).
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The New York Islanders are set to open the 2026-27 season on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, Sept. 30.
Last season, the Islanders finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a 43-34-5. This season will be the first full season under head coach Peter DeBoer, who was hired in April 2026 for the final four games of the regular season after Patrick Roy was fired.
They’ll face the Toronto Maple Leafs, who opened their season last night with a 3-2 loss against the Montreal Canadiens.
The matchup will be a showcase for the two most recent first-overall NHL draft picks: 2025’s Matthew Schaefer and 2026’s Gavin McKenna. Schaefer begins his second NHL season with the Islanders today after tying the league’s rookie record for goals by a defenseman (23). The reigning Calder Trophy winner for rookie of the year was named an alternate captain by the Islanders earlier this week.
McKenna was held to 0 points in his NHL debut, where he played on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander.
Here’s how to watch the Islanders’ season-opener if you don’t have cable.
Islanders vs. Maple Leafs start time
Puck drop at tonight’s (Sept. 30) Islanders vs. Maple Leafs game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch Islanders vs. Maple Leafs for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to tune in to tonight’s Islanders game.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for trying live TV for free. Right now, you can take advantage of a five-day free trial before saving $30 on your first month. We recommend the Choice plan, which includes ESPN as part of its 125+ channels.
TRY DIRECTV FOR FREE
The most cost-effective way to watch the Islanders without cable is with a subscription to MSG+ via DAZN. An MSG subscription on DAZN includes all live Islanders, Rangers, Devils and Knicks games for those in the NY metro TV market and costs $19.99 for your first month.
GET MSG NETWORK ON DAZN
Islanders schedule 2026
The NHL has expanded the regular season to 84 games beginning this season. You can check out the full 84-game slate here, but below, we’ve listed out some key matchups, including the Isles’ first game against each Metropolitan Division rival.
Home opener: Oct. 3 vs. New Jersey Devils, 7:30 p.m. ET (MSG) – get tickets
Oct. 6 vs. New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Nov. 5 vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET (Disney+, Hulu)
Nov. 17 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. ET (MSG)
Nov. 28 vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 7:30 p.m. ET (MSG)
Dec. 30 vs. Washington Capitals, 4 p.m. ET (MSG)
Jan. 13 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT, truTV)
Final regular season game: April 10 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 5 p.m. ET (MSG)
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
There's no question that Brady Tkachuk's "Wingmen" podcast caused a few distractions last season, and there's probably no shortage of Sens fans who are pleased that's not a concern anymore.
But now another Sens star will have a go at it.
Senators centre Tim Stützle and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider have signed on with kicker Podcasts to host a monthly podcast called Seider & Stützle. The trailer to the show was published on Wednesday morning on the podcast company's YouTube channel.
While he and Jake Sanderson were also considered, Tim Stützle told reporters on Wednesday that he was pleased to see Thomas Chabot get the captaincy.
Along with the trailer, the show's first hour-long episode was published. They talk about starting a podcast, summer training, the start of a new season, their expectations, involvement in their NHL communities, and what motivates them.
For three reasons, this Sens player side hustle isn't likely to cause a stir in Ottawa. For one, it's entirely in German, so not as many Sens fans will listen. Secondly, Stutzle is a completely different personality than Tkachuk.
And finally, and probably most importantly, Stutzle won't have anyone on the podcast like Matthew or Keith Tkachuk, chirping and steamrolling over top of him, and taking the conversation into awkward places that spark distractions.
Seider & Stützle obviously have a lot in common. They've been friends for years, played on the German national team together, trained in the summers together, and they're both signed long term by their NHL clubs until 2031.
They also had their team captains ask for trades this year, but their clubs' reactions were totally different. In Ottawa, Tkachuk asked for a trade and was dealt to the Florida Panthers. Dylan Larkin wants a trade as well, but it remains to seen if the Wings will accommodate him.
The trailer for the new hockey podcast "Seider and Stutzle."
It will be interesting to see if they weigh in on that topic, and if so, how they'll address it in the looser format of podcasting, compared the standard NHL media scrum.
Stützle's NHL visit to Germany is also likely to be an upcoming topic of discussion. In the week leading up to Christmas, he and the Senators will play two regular season games in Düsseldorf against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Seider & Stützle appears to be audio only and will be released on the last Wednesday of every month and available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
The Buffalo Sabres practiced at Key Bank Center on Wednesday before departing for Columbus for their season opener against the Blue Jackets on Thursday. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who practiced on Tuesday after leaving the preseason finale last Saturday, was on the ice for the second day in a row..
The 27-year-old and third-stringer Colten Ellis took part in the nearly hour long workout, and head coach Lindy Ruff has been pleased with what his starter has done to get ready for the season.
"(I've liked) the first couple of games that (Luukkonen's) been in, the work that he put in over the summer." Ruff said. "He came in tremendous shape. I've liked the work he's put in, and his practices have been good. It's like I said, all three goaltenders gave us a good year last year."
Ruff said that Alex Lyon is feeling good and is on track to be available within a few days. On defense, Olen Zellweger was not on the ice, but the head coach said there were any setbacks after being concussed during the preseason. The young blueliner needs to clear concussion protocol and will be tested again on Thursday, which could make him available for the Sabres opener against Chicago on Saturday or soon thereafter.
After skating on his own on Tuesday, bluelinerMattias Samuelsson practiced fully on Wednesday. Ruff hinted that there could be a roster move made on Thursday to add a seventh defenseman for the opener, but Samuelsson sounded if he was ready to play against the Blue Jackets.
"I thought I was fine afterwards, and then tried to play a couple of shifts and didn't feel great. It was preseason. I kind of just called it. We got some more imaging done, and (the injury) wasn't too major." Samuelsson said. " It was just kind of one of those situations where, if I felt like I was ready to play, I'd be back in the lineup. That's kind of what today was for: to see how I felt out there, and it went well."
The Colorado Avalanche and longtime coach Jared Bednar have agreed on a four-year contract extension, the team announced on Wednesday, Sept. 30, and avoided an awkward lame-duck situation ahead of the start to its 2026-27 NHL season.
“Jared has done an outstanding job over the last decade, and there’s no doubt in my mind he’s the best coach for this group," Avalanche President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Joe Sakic said in a statement. “He commands the room and has complete confidence of the players. We’re excited to continue to have him in charge, and we believe that his presence maximizes the team’s potential while this core group is intact.”
Bednar is the winningest coach in franchise history with a career record of 445-262-75 and the second-longest tenured coach in the NHL. Terms of his new contract were not disclosed.
The Avalanche have reached the playoffs in all but one season during his decade with the franchise. They open the 2026-27 season against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday.
“I’m extremely happy and grateful to continue leading this group,” said Bednar. “My family and I have loved being a part of this organization from the beginning, and I can’t thank the Kroenke family and Joe Sakic enough for their support. I look forward to working hard each day this season and beyond to accomplish our goal of winning another Stanley Cup.”
Players can't wait to welcome back their teammate, even as he has distanced himself from the Detroit Red Wings.
News broke out of Sweden on Wednesday, Sept. 30 that Simon Edvinsson, a restricted free agent without a contract, had returned home and was skating with Fröulunda in his hometown of Gothenburg. He last skated iwth the Red Wings Saturday morning, before their final preseason game.
"We just know that he wants to be here," teammate Moritz Seider said after practice. "We want him here, and that's the bottom line. Everyone has to fight for their own contracts, and we all have his back and we support him. And we're just looking forward to when he eventually signs, hopefully sooner rather than late because he's a big part of our team, a big part of this organization and, moving forward, he will be a big piece to our success."
Swedish reporter Andreas III Johansson posted on social media that, "Simon Edvinsson is back in Sweden. Training with Frölunda on Wednesday."
Edvinsson, 23, arranged for his own insurance so he could be with his teammates during training camp, taking part in practices but not scrimmages or exhibition games. Once the preseason ended, however, he was no longer around the team. Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said in a statement, "Simon is not practicing with the team. The organization will continue conversations with Simon and his representatives."
The Red Wings open the 2026-27 season on Friday, Oct. 2, when they host the New York Rangers. Edvinsson could make the opener if he's signed in the next 24 hours, though it would require an early morning flight from Sweden connecting through a major international airport like Amsterdam Schipol airport or Paris Charles De Gaulle.
"The situation is an important one, but we have so much to worry about in here," forward Andrew Copp said. "I can't really worry about if Simon is going to be here Friday or not. That's not my job. We want Simon here. He's a fantastic player, he's going to be a huge player for us for a long time, but none of us can control whether he's going to be here Friday or not."
Two years ago, under former general manager Steve Yzerman, then-RFAs Seider and Lucas Raymond did not sign new deals until right around the start of camp.
"I think as a teammate, you're making sure that he's in a good mindset," Raymond said. "You kind of let all the business side to the front office. That's all we can do. Simon's a great player. He's a great guy. He's a big part of our team and we want him here. But at the same time, that's not really in our control. We're focused on Friday."
If Edvinsson isn't available, rookie Anton Johansson looks poised to make his debut.
"The players that are here in the locker room, the coaching staff that's here, we have jobs to do," coach Todd McLellan said. "The business between Simon and the hockey club, we have nothing to do with it. We can't change it. We can't affect it. There's nothing we can do about it. So it's pretty simple − we get out, we have a good practice like we did today, and we get ready for the game. And if you're in a Red Wing jersey, then you're playing. That's the only way we can deal with it."
On the heels of a successful 2025-26 season, the Philadelphia Flyers open up their 2026-27 campaign with a home matchup against the archrival Pittsburgh Penguins at 7: 30 p.m. at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and they'll have a lot to prove early on.
For starters, Wednesday night's game against the Penguins will be a rematch of the first-round playoff series between the two teams, and the Flyers are returning a mostly unchanged lineup with the exception of two players.
Noel Acciari switches sides, and Simon Benoit will start the season as the No. 6 defenseman alongside Nick Seeler. Dan Vladar will start for the Flyers against the Penguins, so newcomer Joseph Woll will serve as the backup goalie.
As for the Penguins, they will be starting the season without Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel, Justin Brazeau, and Andrei Kuzmenko, and their defense corps has the likes of Declan Carlile, Sam Girard, Kaedan Korczak, and Trevor van Riemsdyk trying to complement Erik Karlsson and the declining Kris Letang.
Arturs Silovs will start for the Penguins opposite Vladar, too, with Sergei Murashov backing him up. The Penguins have a weakened lineup that should make for a 'gimme' for the Flyers, though that was true of the Flyers' last preseason game, and they came up woefully short instead.
Tyson Foerster - Christian Dvorak - Travis Konecny
Carl Grundstrom - Sean Couturier - Noel Acciari
Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York - Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - Simon Benoit
Extras: Garrett Wilson, David Jiricek
Dan Vladar (S), Joseph Woll
Penguins lines for Flyers game
Nick Robertson - Sidney Crosby - Rickard Rakell
Tommy Novak - Evgeni Malkin - Egor Chinakhov
Filip Hallander - Hendrix Lapierre - Ville Koivunen
Elmer Soderblom - Blake Lizotte - Connor Dewar
Declan Carlile - Erik Karlsson
Trevor van Riemsdyk - Kris Letang
Sam Girard - Kaedan Korczak
Arturs Silovs (S), Sergei Murashov
Flyers players to watch
The two players I'm looking at to make an early impact on Wednesday night are wingers Tyson Foerster and Matvei Michkov.
Michkov has looked spry and rejuvenated all throughout camp, and he'll be paired up with familiar linemates in Alex Bump and Noah Cates. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists, and seven points in eight career regular season games against the Penguins.
As for Foerster, the Flyers continue to rave about the winger, who inked a long-term extension with Philadelphia this summer.
Foerster scored at a 36-goal pace in his 29 games last season, and while we can debate whether or not that's sustainable, those are the heights the Flyers believe the former first-round pick can ultimately reach.
Foerster will start on a high-leverage line with Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny, and he has scored six goals, four assists, and 10 points in 11 career regular season games against the Penguins.
Both Michkov and Foerster will look to put their disappointing playoff showings against Pittsburgh in the rearview mirror in short order.
How to watch the Flyers game
Wednesday night's Flyers game against the Penguins will be broadcast on TNT (national), TruTV, and HBO Max.
The five games on the opening night of the 2026-27 NHL regular season was a display of hockey that reflected teams that were still in preseason mode, based on how disjointed and out of sync the clubs performed in their openers. The contest between the last two Stanley Cup winners; the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers was a 1-0 sleeper, ended by Gustav Forsling’s slapshot with five seconds left in overtime.
Three of the four other contests featured former Buffalo Sabres. Defenseman Bowen Byram made his Chicago Blackhawks debut against former Sabres captain Jack Eichel and the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas. Byram played over 25 minutes in the contest, leading Chicago in ice time, but went pointless and was -2 on the night.
Chicago’s two goals had a Buffalo connection, as Patrick Kane scored in the first game of his return to the Hawks, and former Sabres forward Jordan Greenway tallied his debut. Greenway, who was part of the Byram deal, had one goal in 40 regular-season games with the Sabres last season. Ex-Sabre Jack Eichel had three points in the win, and winger Victor Olofsson had a tally in the victory.
In the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 loss to Montreal, defenseman Jake McCabe narrowly avoided serious injury. McCabe left the game in the first period after colliding with Habs forward Josh Anderson, who appeared to cut McCabe in the ankle area with his skate. The blueliner did not return for the rest of the period, but came back in the middle frame.
Another former Sabre, winger JJ Peterka, made his mark in return to the Atlantic Division with the Boston Bruins, scoring a highlight reel goal in the Bruins 3-0 shutout of the New York Rangers. The 24-year-old, who was obtained by the Bruins from Utah for a pair of first round picks, deked past Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider and beat goalie Igor Shesterkin for his first for the Beantowners.
Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
Ivar Stenberg was impressive, beyond the offense, in the Sharks’ 2026 NHL preseason.
And the offense has been impressive: Stenberg had five points in the preseason, tied for second in the NHL, highlighted by a hat trick on Sept. 24 against the Anaheim Ducks.
But, keeping in mind that Stenberg was playing against AHL-caliber competition in two of his three preseason appearances, his play away from the puck is what makes him look NHL-ready. Stenberg has a solid foundation of two-way habits.
So what’s stood out about Stenberg away from the puck? Macklin Celebrini, Collin Graf, Ryan Warsofsky, Stenberg, and ex-Toronto Marlies head coach Jack Han shared their thoughts.
Stenberg’s hockey IQ is what ties everything for him, on offense and defense.
“He thinks at an NHL level. He keeps up with the pace mentally,” training camp linemate Graf said.
He has done it physically so far, too, at least in the pre-season, picking off multiple opposition passes with ease. Here’s an example from Sept. 22 vs. the Vegas Golden Knights, at the 1-minute mark.
Stenberg (41) jumps a Joe Fleming (50) outlet pass at center ice, then quickly converts it to a Michael Misa (77) one-timer scoring chance.
“[His] route efficiency is very good,” Han added. “Skates the minimum distance to get to the spot where the puck might be next.”
That’s hockey IQ in action.
“Doesn’t need to lunge or guess, which are two things we often see with rookie forwards,” Han said. “Stenberg, specifically, is just very quick to recognize when he needs to slow down and/or turn.”
Stenberg’s brains also have made him an impactful forechecker.
The Stenberg goal is the sizzle, but he also provides the substance on this shift, preventing Nikolai Myatovic (48) and James Hamblin (38) from advancing the puck through the neutral zone. Then, Stenberg ambushes Hamblin behind the net. All this leads to extended Sharks possession and the 2026 No. 2 draft pick’s first preseason goal.
“He’s got a good stick,” Warsofsky said. “He gets his stick on a lot of pucks coming through the neutral zone.”
Stenberg was disruptive on the forecheck against NHL-caliber competition, too, no less than Mitch Marner (93) and Tomas Hertl (48) on Sept. 24.
Celebrini complimented Stenberg and his linemates Graf and center Alex Wennberg.
“Their whole line has done a really good job playing with their speed and getting on pucks,” Celebrini said. “They’re all fast and they’re all smart, so they know how to manipulate guys and turn pucks over.”
Stenberg just turned 19, so the body still can catch up to the mind. He still has a lot to learn about the best league in the world.
Case in point, this Alexander Holtz goal on Sept. 22, when Stenberg left the most dangerous area of the ice (the middle) to double up (with Jacob Trouba) on passer Tanner Laczynski.
— TEAL TOWN USA – A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) September 23, 2026
At times, too, on Sept. 26 against the mostly-NHL Vegas squad, Stenberg took too long to make offensive decisions with the puck and was swarmed by the Golden Knights.
“The game was quick,” Warsofsky noted.
But the mind is there, as are the two-way habits.
“Something in general that we see is that Swedish top prospects tend to be more polished two-way players than their North American equivalents,” Han said, “due to having to play in a way as to earn SHL minutes as teenagers.”
It seems clear, when Stenberg doesn’t have his A-game, which will be commonplace, especially as a rookie, he has a B-game to rely on. That should keep him in the Sharks’ lineup.
And if Stenberg improves rapidly, as he has during training camp, and as he’s expected to do throughout the regular season?
Stenberg has been pleased with his progress
“It’s maybe going to take some games, but yeah, I think I played good and learned new stuff everyday,” he said. “So I think it’s going in the right way.”
It takes one to know one: Celebrini has been impressed so far with how Stenberg, at his age, has handled the pace of the fastest league in the world.
“There’s not many guys that can do it,” the Sharks captain said. “He’s so patient with [the puck]. That’s something that I had a difficult time with when I came in, rushing plays. Feeling like stuff’s happening quick. He’s so good at just holding on to the puck and slowing things down.”
The New Jersey Devils will open their 2026-27 season Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers, looking to rebound from a disappointing campaign.
For Detroit Red Wings fans, the matchup will also provide an opportunity to watch a former prospect begin a new chapter in his career.
Amadeus Lombardi, a fourth-round pick by the Red Wings in 2022, was traded to New Jersey during the offseason in exchange for a fourth-round selection, which Detroit later used to draft Canadian center Adam Levac.
The move came as a surprise to many Red Wings fans, particularly given Lombardi’s quiet emergence as one of the organization’s more intriguing prospects.
The 23-year-old Newmarket native posted nearly a point per game across his sophomore and junior AHL seasons, putting himself in position to potentially make the jump to the NHL.
However, Detroit’s prospect pipeline had become increasingly crowded, with several young players competing for NHL opportunities. That logjam could have made it difficult for Lombardi to receive the opportunity he was looking for in Detroit.
Thursday’s season opener could mark the beginning of Lombardi's first significant opportunity at the NHL level, although it will come with the Devils rather than the Red Wings. Even more notably for Detroit fans, Lombardi will look to establish himself in the same Eastern Conference as his former organization.
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There were a whole lot of new faces on display for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their season opener against the Montreal Canadiens. Ten players made their Maple Leafs debut, including defenseman Darren Raddysh, who was paired alongside Morgan Rielly.
It wasn't the greatest outing by Raddysh in his first game for his hometown team, and he was the first to admit that post-game on Tuesday.
In preparation for the Leafs' next game against the New York Islanders on Wednesday, the second night of a back-to-back, Rielly talked about what it felt like in the pairing's first real test and how Raddysh is handling his new surroundings.
"It's been great," Rielly said of his partnership with Raddysh. "I mean, we spend lots of time together talking about, you know, how we want to play. And I think he's done a great job, you know, since he's gotten here, just trying to get comfortable.
"I think he looks great out there. So as we go along here, we're going to look to improve and get better. We have lots of conversations about that. So I think he's done a great job," he added.
Rielly missed some time in training camp and the first pre-season game due to a viral condition. When he returned to full action, he was paired with Raddysh almost immediately, and given the offensive tendencies of both blueliners, some eyebrows were raised at the decision.
But with how Rielly and Raddysh operate, would there be a challenge in balancing the proneness to jump up in the play?
"It's not hard," Rielly said confidently. I think it's just based on opportunity, just based on where the puck is. I think we're both able to kind of recognize the right spots to go. I don't think we both want to go at the same time, but it's not hard. It's just based off game flow."
Leafs head coach Jim Hiller is also not too worried about the first game from Raddysh and that pairing. After all, there's a lot that comes with being a hometown player, coming off a big contract in the off-season, and the whole excitement and anxiety of the first game of the season.
"We're all human, so you have a little extra pressure," Hiller said Wednesday morning. "No matter what, you can stay relaxed and go out there and play. But I think he'll have to work his way through that. I think getting the first one out of the way probably will help him."
As for the chemistry with Rielly, that'll come along the longer they get the chance to play alongside one another.
"Well, it'll take time," Hiller admitted. "There's no question, and and we've talked about this. Lots of new guys. We're trying to get this thing together as quick as we can, but we all know it's going to take a little bit of time. We just want to shrink that time. So I just I just can't put a date on that. But everybody will get better together."
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This matchup comes five months after the Flyers ended the Penguins' season in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Defenseman Cam York scored the series-winning goal in overtime.
Since then, the Penguins have made several changes, including adding players like Declan Carlile, Kaedan Korczak, Nick Robertson, Hendrix Lapierre, and several others. They also lost some players, but that's what you'd expect from a team that lost in the first round.
The Flyers are returning almost their entire team for the 2026-27 season and will look to take another step after advancing to the second round of the playoffs. They'll get a full season from forward Porter Martone after he played well down the stretch last season and into the playoffs.
Goaltender Dan Vladar had a great year, which led him to sign a new five-year extension this summer. The Flyers hope he can replicate his 2025-26 season over the course of the contract.
The Penguins enter this game banged up and will be without Ben Kindel, Justin Brazeau, and Bryan Rust. Andrei Kuzmenko is also out, but that's because he's still in Russia for his father's funeral.
Blake Lizotte is listed on injured reserve, but will likely play tonight after Penguins head coach Dan Muse told reporters after the morning skate that Lizotte "looks good." Lizotte fully participated in practice on Monday and Tuesday.
Here are a look at the Penguins' expected lines and pairs:
Forwards
Robertson-Crosby-Rakell
Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin
Hallander-Lapierre-Koivunen
Dewar-Lizotte-Soderblom
Defensive pairs
Carlile-Karlsson
van Riemsdyk-Letang
Girard-Korczak
Arturs Silovs will start in goal for the Penguins and Sergei Murashov will be the backup.
Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT and truTV. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 27: The Colorado Avalanche face off against the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena on March 27, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
It’s been 127 days since the Colorado Avalanche last played meaningful hockey, but their long-awaited return is finally here as they welcome the Los Angeles Kings to Ball Arena in Downtown Denver for regular-season game one, fresh off a Jared Bednar contract extension!
Colorado Avalanche: 0-0-0
The Opponent: Los Angeles Kings (0-0-0)
Time: 8:00 p.m. MT
Watch: TNT, truTV, HBO MAX
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
It’s an exciting time of year for every fanbase, and with another year of Stanley Cup aspirations, Colorado Avalanche fans enter the season with anticipation and expectation, hoping they can get closer to a fourth cup than they did last season.
With Logan O’Connor and Zachary L’Heureux listed on IR, we will see the Avalanche in their 11-7 form on opening night. Noah Juulsen will slot in as the 7th d-man.
Cale Makar will also be under a watchful eye this evening, as he spent part of the summer and training camp on rehab skates and played only one preseason game. Marc Moser of Altitude Sports endeeringly referred to Cale’s ailment as “a tweaky tweaky thing,” and didn’t sound worried about his status while talking with the Sirius XM NHL crew.
We will get a look at MacKenzie Blackwood as the opening-night starter this season after he missed a good portion of last year’s campaign while rehabbing from offseason surgery. All word points to Blackwood having a breakout season and solidifying himself as the bona fide starter over Scott Wedgewood, who carried the load last season.
Youngster T.J. Hughes has officially extended his excellent performance in Loveland into a great camp and NHL debut for the Avalanche. It’s rumored Hughes could get PP1 time early in the season after getting a look with the unit in practice.
It’s a bit ironic that the Avalanche and Kings meet to start the season, as the Avalanche dispatched the Kings in a four-game sweep during the first round of the 2025-26 playoffs. LA struggled to put the puck in the back of the net last year and hopes they addressed that in the offseason by adding forwards Mats Zuccarello, Erik Haula, and Scott Laughton.
It did feel like if LA had scoring touch last postseason, they could have put up a stronger fight against the Avalanche, as the “we’re right there” quotes came about after the sweep, so let’s see if their efforts to improve in that regard come to fruition.
Following an optional morning skate at Scotiabank Arena, head coach Jim Hiller revealed that Bo Groulx will be making his season debut for the Maple Leafs against the Islanders. However, he wouldn't reveal who would be coming in for the 26-year-old.
Last season, Groulx played 13 games for Toronto in the NHL. He scored three goals and five points in that span, making a name for himself on the main roster.
The majority of his time last season was spent in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies. He had a great season in the American League, notching 28 goals and 52 points in 59 appearances. He added eight goals and 14 points in 23 Calder Cup playoff games, helping his team win the title.
The other change for the Maple Leafs against the Islanders will be in the crease. On the second night of a back-to-back, Anthony Stolarz will be the starting goaltender, after Sergei Bobrovsky was between the pipes on Tuesday.
Bobrovsky ended the loss to Montreal, stopping 21 of 24 shots on goal, earning a .875 save percentage.
Stolarz registered an .893 SP and a 3.28 goals-against average in 26 games last season. The year before that, he recorded a .926 SP and a 2.14 GAA in 34 appearances for Toronto.
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